In Episode 8 of Liar, Liar, the Empress, Saionji Sarasa, is challenged by a doppelgänger to a game that takes place during the May battle between the academies, ASTRAL, with the condition that the winner gets to be the real Saionji Sarasa. The episode revolves around the first two days of ASTRAL, where teams from different academies compete against each other to capture bases and expand their territories.

The team from Eimei Academy, consisting of Hiroto, Himeji, Nanase, Shinji, and Noa, develops a strategy and tests their abilities. Hiroto chooses the abilities Black Wings and Movement Prediction, while Himeji selects an expensive support ability called Substitute. At the start of the game, the teams begin capturing bases, and the Eimei Academy team learns the game mechanics, such as the freeze time, movement values, and the use of spells.

The episode introduces several rival teams and characters, including Kugasaki from Otowa Academy, Kirigaya Touya from Shinra High School, and Kururugi Senri from Tsuyuri Girls' Academy. Kururugi is particularly dangerous due to her one-shot-kill ability.

On the second day of ASTRAL, the Eimei Academy team encounters Yuikawa Kanade from Ibara Academy, who proposes a temporary alliance. However, negotiations fail when Nanase impulsively attacks Yuikawa, leading to a battle that the Eimei Academy ultimately wins. The episode ends with significant tension within the Eimei Academy team as Shinji confronts Nanase over her actions, resulting in an argument between the two.