Extra Stage
Short summary
Extra Stage, an addition to Initial D featuring Mako and Sayuki of Impact Blue, coincides with Second Stage and focuses on Mako's decision to continue or quit racing.
While practicing on Mt. Usui, Sayuki notices that Mako is not driving at her usual level. Talking about it the next day, Sayuki finds out that Mako had been stood up by Iketani. Being an emotional woman, it affected her driving. Their discussion is interrupted by Shingo (a childhood friend of Sayuki).
Shingo and Nakazato (NightKids) warn Sayuki of the Emperors, and tell her to stay away. She takes offense and leaves, impressing Nakazato with her attitude. Two days later, drivers from the Emperors arrive at Mt. Usui and are challenged by Mako and Sayuki. They beat him, surprising Shingo and Nakazato. Discussing Mako's high level of driving, Mako reveals that she felt free, with no need for men.
The story resumes in autumn, with Mako and Sayuki going snowboarding. Shingo and a friend are also there. Though Shingo and Sayuki feint surprise, the trip was really a set up for Mako and Shingo's friend. Mako and Shingo's friend meet again the next day, with him asking her to stop racing and become his girlfriend. She requests time, and they agree to meet a week later. Mako tells Sayuki she cannot find a reason to continue racing. Sayuki replies by saying it's ok to want to improve.
One week later, on Christmas day, Mako asks Shingo's friend to sit in the passenger seat while she drives. After the session, he understands why she continues racing, and she leaves him. He thinks there is another man on her mind.
Longer summary
Extra Stage, Impact Blue's Side Story, is an addition to Initial D primarily featuring Mako and Sayuki of Usui's Impact Blue. The story takes place after summer vacation when Takumi won many races and became well-known throughout the region and also after the Emperors defeated the Night Kids. Extra Stage begins with Mako and Sayuki practicing on Mt. Usui with their Sil Eighty during the night. While performing a drift, Mako messes up, and Sayuki notices that she isn't driving at her normal level.
The following day, Mako and Sayuki discuss what is bothering Mako. Sayuki learns that Mako was stood up by Iketani and comments that Mako is an emotional driver, causing her to drive poorly. As they continue to talk about what happened with Iketani, Shingo calls Sayuki with news about the Emperors.
At the Takahashi resident, Keisuke breaks the news to Ryosuke that the Night Kids were defeated by the Emperors. While this happening, the NightKids' Shingo and Nakazato meet with Sayuki to inform her about the Emperors. (Shingo and Sayuki were childhood friends.) Shingo warns her that the Emperors will probably visit Mt. Usui and to stay away from them. She thinks that he is talking her down because she is a woman and leaves. The whole time, Nakazato is quiet and amazed by Sayuki's headstrong attitude.
Mako and Sayuki then go to Mt. Usui to alert the other local drivers and tell them to look out for the Emperors' Lancer Evolutions and to inform them if they show up at Mt. Usui. Mako and Sayuki decide to challenge the them if they show up.
Two days later, Mako is in the shower thinking about the Emperors and what has been bothering her when Sayuki barges into her bathroom to tell her that the Evolutions have arrived. At Mt. Usui, two Lancer Evolutions from the Emperors, that are scouting the local drivers, have been spotted. Mako and Sayuki are on the way to the mountain pass and Sayuki informs Shingo of the Emperors' arrival. When the two Evolutions are about to leave, Mako and Sayuki make a showy arrival in their Sil Eighty and challenge them.
While Shingo and Nakazato are driving to Mt. Usui, Nakazato asks about Sayuki. Shingo thinks that Nakazato is interested in Sayuki and describes Sayuki's determined personality. Then, their talk drifts to Mako and Sayuki's prospects of winning the race against the Emperors. Shingo believes that they will lose because their opponents are Evolutions.
Back at Mt. Usui, one of the Evolution drivers accepts Mako and Sayuki's challenge. The other driver suggests that he shouldn't race because it's against Kyouichi's orders, but he waives his teammate's comment away, thinking that he will easily win. He then puts down Mako and Sayuki because they are women, causing them to become mad and determined to win.
After explaining the guidelines to the race, they begin. After they drive off, the local drivers talk over the prospects of the Sil-Eighty winning. Meanwhile, Mako and Sayuki's drifting impresses the Evolution driver, but he still remains confident.
The scene shifts to Shingo and Nakazato, who are still driving to Mt. Usui. Nakazato talks about emotional drivers to Shingo, saying that the Sil Eighty may be driven completely different than the last time Shingo saw the Sil Eighty.
Back to the race, Sayuki notices that Mako is driving at a higher level and is reminded of Takumi's Hachi Roku. Mako and Sayuki are ditching the Evolution in the corners, and they decide to leave it behind for good in the long corner, C121. The Evolution couldn't drift through the corner and crashed into the guard rail, getting left behind by the Sil-Eighty. He tells the other Evolution driver to keep his loss a secret.
Back at the start, Shingo and Nakazato arrive. After learning they arrived too late and assuming Mako and Sayuki lost, Nakazato expresses sympathy to them. Contrary to Shingo and Nakazato's forecast of the race, they learn that the Sil-Eighty won. Mako and Sayuki then drive away and leave Shingo and Nakazato in their surprise.
The next day, Mako and Sayuki are driving around, and they reflect on their race with the Evolution. They comment on how the opponent was pretty tough and how their race with Takumi's Hachi Roku had a influence on the outcome of that race. Sayuki mentions Mako's excellent drift at corner C121 and wonders what caused Mako to drive so well. Mako responds saying that she felt free and says that she does not need men for the moment.
The story then resumes in autumn. A car is driving on an icy road in the mountain, when a Sil-Eighty quicky passes the car and drifts away. Mako and Sayuki are going snowboarding.
Sayuki is having a hard time snowboarding, but Mako is having an easy time. Sayuki comments on how Mako is fast at learning sports. When walking to the cabin, Mako and Sayuki run into Shingo and one of his friends. Both Shingo and Sayuki prented to act very surprised. They all go to the cabin to talk. Shingo and Sayuki decide to stay at the cabin to reminisce of old times while Mako and Shingo's friend go snowboarding.
Sayuki comments on Shingo's friend, thinking he's unreliable, but more mature than Shingo. They talk about their matchmaking for Mako. Then Shingo tells Sayuki that Nakazato is interested in her, but Sayuki doesn't recieve the news warmly.
At the bath, Sayuki asks Mako how her afternoon went with Shingo's friend. Mako responds saying that he seems to be a nice guy. Sayuki thinks that Mako may go out with the guy. Their talk then switches to Ryosuke's new team and him asking Takumi to join it. Sayuki recalls the road they took to the ski resort, and Mako and Sayuki both concur to going to that road to practice after their bath.
At the Takahashi's house, Keisuke complains about the snow covering the mountain pass. Ryosuke replies that if a driver can drive in snow, he/she can drive in spring and suggests to go to the mountain pass for practice. Ryosuke says that snow driving is good training and that it's a driver's best training partner.
During this, Mako and Sayuki are driving on the icy road. Mako is having a difficult time, and they pass some drivers on the side, who are very impressed by the Sil-Eighty's performance.
The next day, Sayuki gets a call from Shingo, who tells her that Mako and his friend are going out that day. Sayuki thinks that Mako will go out with Shingo's friend.
Shingo's friend is driving Mako in his SW20 and they talk about racing. He explains that he lost interest in racing and is going to give it up. Mako, on the otherhand, believes that it is not her time to stop racing yet because she has a lot of room to improve. While they're at the ski resort, he asks her to stop racing because it is dangerous, and he wants her to become his girlfriend. Mako, who is unsure, asks for more time to make her decision. They decide to meet one week later on Christmas day.
At the gas station, Itsuki is happily cleaning a window, and Iketani wonders why he is so happy and wonders if Itsuki has a date. They both don't have dates and stick to being lonely drivers.
Mako and Sayuki are walking down the street when Sayuki notices that something is bothering Mako. Sayuki asks what is wrong, and after hesitating and refusing to talk, Mako says that she cannot think of a good reason to keep racing. Sayuki replies that it's alright to want to become good at racing and that Mako is too easily influenced.
On Christmas day, Mako meets with Shingo's friend on the mountain pass at night. Mako asks him to sit in the car with her while she drives. Although she feels akward without Sayuki beside her, she drives off. After they return, Shingo's friend understands why Mako asked him to sit beside her. She decides to continue racing and leaves Shingo's friend. He thinks that there is another guy on Mako's mind.
At a karoake place, Iketani, Kenji, and Itsuki are having a small party. They wonder where Takumi is.
