As Nagisa, Orine and Yūka travel on the ship headed for the auditions, they meet fellow auditioners Suzuko Kanzaki and Makoto Yokomizo, along with a stowaway named Sonata Shinonome. They soon learn that Chieri Sono, the daughter of a corporate CEO who had introduced them to AKB in their childhood, had apparently run away from home and boarded the ship to the auditions. While searching for her, Nagisa encounters a strange kid who tells her she should turn Chieri in if she wants to survive the auditions. Just then, the ship comes under attack from the anti-entertainment force DES who come to capture the auditioners. Just as the girls are about to be captured, AKB0048 arrive to take on the forces. As Nagisa gets caught while retrieving a ribbon her mother gave her, the kid from before rescues her, revealing herself to be none other than Chieri. Chieri gets trapped under a chandelier, but Nagisa refuses to leave her behind. This causes a creature known as a Kirara to glow brightly, which AKB0048 member Yūko Ōshima points out is the symbol of an idol before helping to free Chieri and bringing both her and Nagisa to the escape shuttle, where they blast off into a warp gate.