Best Selling Books by YUMI HOTTA

Hikaru is in the toughest battle of his life when he faces Ko Yong Ha, Korea''s top player in the Hokuto Cup tournament. The stakes, however, aren''t for personal glory but for something far deeper, something that differentiates a mere game from a way of life. Hikaru knows what this means to him, but will he understand what it means to the new wave of go players and, indeed, the game of go itself? Final Volume!

The main round of the pro test has begun. Everyone''s feeling the pressure, no one more so than Hikaru''s friend Isumi, who has failed the test twice before. Fighting off his feelings of self-doubt, Isumi faces his next opponent, who turns out to be Hikaru. But a careless mistake lands the pair in an awkward position!

Since Sai''s disappearance, Hikaru has given up go! Meanwhile, undefeated by his failure to pass the pro test, Isumi plays his heart out in China. His foreign training teaches him unique ways to handle the stress of mental challenges and competition. Upon his return, he asks Hikaru for a rematch! But how good will Hikaru''s game be after such a long break--and without Sai...? -- VIZ Media

Hikaru and Sai are both scheduled for matches with their greatest rivals--Akira Toya and his father, Toya Meijin. How will Sai play without revealing his secret identity? And will Akira''s father stand in the way of Hikaru''s long anticipated rematch with his son...? The suspense is getting unbearable!

Hikaru''s classmate Ochi has won enough games to guarantee his place among the top three players who will pass the pro test. Hikaru, on the other hand, still needs to win more games, and he''ll soon face his friend Waya and Ochi himself, who has been preparing for their match with Akira''s help! When the dust clears, who will be left standing?

From the moment he began playing go, Hikaru relied on Sai''s supernatural support. Now that his mentor has vanished into thin air, will he be able to handle the demands of life as a pro? Meanwhile, Hikaru''s archrival Akira is playing so well even veteran players tremble at the mention of his name. And now, at long last, the two boys will play each other...

When Hikaru convinces go master Toya Meijin to play Sai online, the meijin raises the stakes: if he wins, "sai" must reveal his true identity; if he loses, he will quit the game forever! Then, Hikaru challenges himself by playing Kurata 6 dan. How do you win a game in which both players use the same color stones?!

The main storyline takes a holiday, making way for six tales that offer fresh insight into the characters and lives of Akira Toya, Tetsuo Kaga, Asumi Nase, Yuki Mitani, Atsushi Kurata and Fujiwara-no-Sai. Hikaru Shindo figures in some of these and takes center stage in the final tale when he challenges a crooked antique shop owner to a game of go in an attempt to restore an heirloom vase to its rightful owner.

The Hokuto Cup games are about to begin, and Hikaru gets caught up in some misunderstandings that make it difficult for him to concentrate on go. In the first match between Japan and China he starts out poorly and seems well on the way to a resounding defeat. Only by getting a tight grip on himself can he possibly make a showing, but that''s far easier said than done!

Hikaru faces the preliminary rounds of the pro test, during which he must eliminate not only his classmates at the insei school but also any outsiders who want to take the test. One of them in particular appears to know how to exploit Hikaru''s weaknesses, and poor Hikaru seems powerless to stop him.

Sai''s games on the Internet have Go players around the world guessing his true identify. Among them is Hikaru''s rival, Akira, who suspects that Hikaru is hiding behind the screen name "sai." So intense is Akira''s interest, in fact, that he skips the first day of his pro exam for a re-match. And on a rainy Sunday, the battle of wills begins anew....

Akira is beginning a new school year at Kaio Middle School. With his daunting reputation as the Toya Meijin''s son, Akira finds he must prove himself to more than a few mean and jealous classmates. And with the help of upperclassman Yuri Hidaka, Akira finds the confidence to persevere in his hunt to beat Hikaru. Meanwhile, Hikaru is having a hard enough time just trying to find a third teammate to play in the Haze Middle School Go Club. A possible teammate arrives in the form of Yuki Mitani--but will he join their club or continue to swindle old timers for their pocket change?

Hikaru ignores Sai''s pleas to let him play go, and then one day Sai vanishes! Is he mad at Hikaru? Where has he gone? Will he ever come back? And will Hikaru be able to play without Sai''s coaching...?

Practicing at Go salons is turning out to be more fun than Hikaru thought. But at one salon he meets his match in Suyong Hong, a sullen 12-year-old who is studying for the pro test in his native Korea. By mistake, Hikaru insults Suyong, and now the only way they can settle their differences is by playing a grudge match!

The Hokuto Cup, a new tournament for young players from Japan, China and Korea, is looming, and Hikaru''s rival Akira has already secured one of the coveted three places on Japan''s team. While Hikaru battles his way to one of the two remaining spots, Akira''s father baffles the go world with his unexpected retirement! -- VIZ Media