The teams reach the final climb of Day 3, a massive mountain stage. Hakone makes it's move and sends Manami, Toudou, and Fukutomi up the final mountain. Captain Kinjou and Makishima try to follow, but every time Kinjou tries to put pressure on his legs they seem to give out. Onoda realizes something is wrong and decides to come up and talk to him. Kinjou realizes he doesn't have to be the ace, because they all work together as a team. Kinjou decides to make up a new plan on the spot. He sends Onoda, Imazumi, and Naruko to climb the mountain with Makishima. Only two orders are given: 1) Naruko is to be more flashy and 2) one of them must take the jersey across the finish line first. Afterwards Kinjou is forced to drop out. Onoda initially takes the lead, but Naruko moves to the front to show off his new sprint climb. Further back Tadokoro reveals to Shinkai that their red spring bean is the most dangerous teammate of all because he has yet to have shown his full sprinters spirit, and that time could very well come on the final climb.
3年の追い上げにより、一度は箱根学園に並んだ総北だが、新開の加速により再び離されてしまう。だが、田所が最後の全力引きでチームを運び、遂に箱根学園を捉える。そして、コースはラストステージである山岳区間へと突入。ゴールに向けて動き出すその瞬間、2日目のレースでひざを痛めていた金城に異変が…。
3학년의 추격으로 인해 한 번은 하코네 학교와 나란히 선 소호쿠지만, 신카이의 가속으로 다시 뒤쳐지게 된다. 하지만 타도코로가 최후의 전력 리드로 팀을 운반하고, 결국 하코네 학교를 붙잡는다. 그리고 코스는 라스트 스테이지인 산악코스에 들어간다. 골을 향해 움직이기 시작하는 그 순간, 2번째의 레이스에서 무릎을 다친 킨조에게 이변이…
