CHAPTER 50: MOUNTAIN TRIAL : THE LAST DAY

The final whistle blew.

Sweat clung to every jersey like a second skin. Breaths came out in sharp bursts. And the mountain echoed with the sound of triumphant cheers.

Horizon had done it.

They’d beaten the Kurama team in a full seven-game war.

Dirga collapsed on the floor, staring up at the ceiling of the mountain gym with a grin so wide it could’ve split his face in two.

No more gray food.

That alone made it feel like they’d won a national title.

Taiga immediately broke into a breakdance spin—on the hardwood. Aizawa hopped on one leg, howling something nonsensical about "tummy justice." Even the unshakable Rikuya cracked a smile as the rest of the team dogpiled into a massive, chaotic group hug.

It wasn’t just about basketball anymore.

It was about survival.

They had stared into the cursed abyss known as nutritional gray paste for two days straight—and tonight, they walked away free.

Buzz, still panting, came over and smirked while wiping sweat off his buzzcut. "Damn, you kids are good. I swear, if we didn’t have those limitations..."

His grin twitched into a grimace.

Behind him, the rest of the Kurama team looked equally wrecked. Shingo "Buzz" Kawada, Sota Enami, Renjiro Nakano, Masaru Hibiki, and Yu Tamura—these were college players, with bodies like machines and skills honed beyond high school level. But they weren’t used to fighting with their hands tied behind their backs.

Now, though, the camp’s final day had come.

It was time for one last descent down the mountain—limping, laughing, shoulder to shoulder. All three teams—Horizon, Toyonaka, and Kurama—moved like warriors returning from war.

And as always, first stop...

Hot spring.

Steam curled into the cold mountain air, wrapping tired bodies in healing warmth. Muscles relaxed. Bruises stopped throbbing. For the first time in days, no one talked about strategy, or stamina, or gray food.

Just the sound of soaking and silence.

Pure bliss.

But that peace only lasted until 7:30 PM.

That’s when it began.

"FOOD! FOOD! FOOD!"

Taiga kicked it off.

Aizawa followed.

Then all of Horizon joined in like a rallying cry for freedom.

Their room felt like a celebration festival. Taiga even made a "Food Victory" dance. Someone tied a towel around their head like a sushi chef. It was chaos—happy, delicious chaos.

They marched to the dining hall like kings.

Their footsteps bounced with joy, like kids about to get the long-promised toy of their dreams.

On the way, they passed Toyonaka.

The second day of gray food weighed heavy on them. Shoulders drooped. Eyes were dull. They looked like men walking toward the gallows.

"Hey, at least they’re still standing," Rei whispered.

And then they passed Kurama—still cheerful, still oblivious.

They hadn’t tasted it yet.

Renjiro squinted. "How bad could it possibly be?"

Buzz stretched his arms. "C’mon, it’s just food. We’ve eaten campus cafeteria food. Can’t be worse than that."

Oh, sweet summer children.

Dirga and Horizon just exchanged glances and kept walking.

They’ll learn.

Before entering the sacred dining room, Dirga stopped and shook Yuto’s hand.

"Good game today," he said with a tired smile.

One by one, Horizon players gave fist bumps or nods to the Toyonaka squad. All except Masaki, who proudly waved his Exemption Ticket like it was a golden badge.

"You smug jerk," Aizawa grumbled, envious.

"Brother, we’ll cheer for you!" Taiga said dramatically to Daichi, acting like they were sending him off to war.

Laughter followed.

Even among rivals, bonds had been forged.

Then—paradise.

The Horizon players stormed the buffet like wolves. Plates clattered. Chopsticks flew. Food disappeared by the second.

"This is redemption!" Rei cried mid-chew.

"Divine retribution for our suffering!" Taiga shouted as he inhaled a mountain of rice.

They weren’t eating.

They were erasing trauma.

On the other side of the room, Toyonaka sat with their bowls of gray paste—stoic, resigned, and battle-hardened.

They didn’t flinch.

They didn’t hesitate.

They simply ate like soldiers taking medicine.

But Kurama?

Their first time.

Buzz took one whiff and recoiled. "Wait... is this legal?"

Renjiro took one bite.

And died inside.

His spoon hit the table. He stood. Walked toward the door.

Coach Tsugawa was there.

"You’re not done."

Renjiro froze. "But—"

"Eat," the coach repeated.

Buzz tried to joke it off. "We’re college players, we can pay for our own—"

"Eat," Coach Reina added.

They ate.

Eventually.

Groans echoed down the table. Masaru’s face was pale. Yu silently stared at his bowl like it was an ancient curse.

"This is how it ends," Masaru muttered.

Dirga, watching from across the room, sipped his miso soup.

Justice had been served.

That night, the Horizon team slept like royalty.

Even Taiga, known snorer of the century, was completely silent.

...

The Final Morning

Golden rays pierced the treetops. Morning dew sparkled across the lodge rooftops.

At exactly 7:30 AM, everyone gathered again in front of the lodge.

No whistles needed.

No instructions.

Just presence.

Coach Reina stepped forward, a clipboard in hand.

"Today’s our last day," she said. "So training won’t be intense. Instead—we’re doing one final celebration match."

Ears perked up.

"It’ll be a 10-minute mixed-team game. One round. Random teams. No limitations."

Cheers exploded.

"College players, you’re unleashed," Coach Tsugawa added.

Kurama team lit up like kids in a candy shop.

Coach Reina pulled out a small box and began reading the random draw:

...

Team 1

Dirgantara Renji

Buzz (Shingo Kawada)

Masaki KingT

aiga Okabe

Haruto Senda

Team 2

Yuto Kobayashi

Kaito Nishida

Renjiro Nakano

Aizawa Haruto

Masaru Hibiki

Rei Hoshino

Team 3

Sota Enami

Yu Tamura

Hiroki Andou

Shunpei Arakawa

Daichi Fukuda

Rikuya Asano

...

Laughter rippled through the court.

"Look at this chaos!" Dirga laughed. "We’re stacked!"

Taiga raised his hands. "We’re the Avengers!"

Buzz pointed at Renjiro. "Careful, trauma might make him short-circuit mid-game."

"Shut up," Renjiro snapped, clearly still recovering.

Masaki bumped fists with Dirga. "Let’s end this camp with a bang."

But then—Coach Tsugawa raised a hand.

"One more thing."

Silence.

"The are just one losing team today, so make sure you guys win it"

You could feel the tension snap into place.

Buzz went stiff. Renjiro dropped his chopsticks. Even Masaru looked like he was having war flashbacks.

"No exemptions," Coach Reina added. "It’s the last day. Let’s go out with a bang."

Coach Tsugawa smiled mischievously. "Now... to the court."

Suddenly, this wasn’t just a game anymore.

It was a death match.

"No way I’m eating that thing again," Buzz muttered.

"I’ll break my legs before I lose," Aizawa swore dramatically.