in July 2020 with a 10–5 record, his first score in double figures since March 2019. Another 10-5 performance in September 2020 paved the way for his return to the san'yaku ranks; he finished the November 2020 tournament as komusubi with a winning 8-7 record. In the March 2021 tournament Takayasu was two wins ahead of the rest of the field with only one loss entering Day 11, but he was defeated by Shodai for the eighth straight time and saw his lead cut to one win. He lost his final three matches to finish out of the running on 10–5, his final day defeat to Aoiyama costing him a share of the Fighting Spirit prize. He moved up to sekiwake in May and produced another 10–5 record, with chief judge Isegahama Oyakata indicating that winning the championship in July could lead to promotion back to ōzeki. However, he injured his lower back in training shortly before the start of the tournament and announced his withdrawal. While this likely eliminated his re-promotion hopes, stablemaster Tagonoura said that Takayasu could return to competition during the basho. He sat out just the first two days, returning on Day 3. Takayasu withdrew from the September 2021 tournament with a hip injury after he was driven out of the ring by yokozuna Terunofuji in their Day 11 contest. It was the second straight tournament that he was unable to finish, and his losing record will likely result in him being demoted back to the maegashira ranks in November. Takayasu sat out of the January 2022 tournament after four individuals at his stable, including his stablemaster (former maegashira Takanotsuru), tested positive for COVID-19. Takayasu returned in the March 2022 tournament to win his first 10 bouts, but ultimately finished 12-3, losing his winning streak and the yūshō playoff to new sekiwake Wakatakakage. With this effort, Takayasu earned the special Fighting Spirit prize, his first sanshō in almost five years. Soon after the banzuke was released for the July 2022 tournament, Takayasu and a junior stablemate tested positive for COVID-19. Takayasu, and the entire Tagonoura stable, were withdrawn from the tournament a few days later after another junior wrestler tested positive. It was the second time in 2022 that Takayasu has had to sit out of a tournament due to COVID rules. Returning in September, Takayasu was runner-up to Tamawashi with an 11–4 record, having failed