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.