CHAPTER 42: MOUNTAIN TRIAL : ANOTHER DAY

After a whole day of relentless training, we didn’t even have the strength to walk back to the lodging. One by one, Takeshi-sensei drove us down the mountain in the off-road car, like we were war survivors returning from battle. Nobody even had the energy to joke.

Nobody talked. Nobody joked. The moment we reached the lodge, we moved in perfect sync.

We headed straight for the hot spring.

This was supposed to be the rejuvenating moment of the day. A steaming onsen in the mountains? That sounded like heaven. But we were too dead to enjoy it. No small talk. No jokes. Just bodies soaking like corpses marinating in warm water.

And after that?

Sleep. Deep, glorious, coma-tier sleep.

...

7:30 PM.

The wooden clock in the corner of the room ticked softly as Hiroki sat up, blinking.

"Guys... dinner."

His voice was calm, but that one word—dinner—had magical power.

Rei stirred first, groaning. "That training... we’re gonna die..."

"But... food..." Taiga croaked.

"Food," Aizawa echoed like a zombie.

They rose like the undead, dragging their sore limbs across the floor. Rikuya was already up, quietly tying his yukata. Kaito? Already washed, dressed, and ready to eat like a man on a mission.

As we shuffled out together, Horizon’s squad bumped into Toyonaka’s.

Led by Yuto, their team looked... equally destroyed. Maybe more. Their hair was still damp. Their shoulders sagged. Their faces looked like they hadn’t seen hope in years.

Whatever was waiting in that dining hall, we were going to face it together.

Or so we thought.

The sliding doors of the lodge’s restaurant creaked open.

And there it was—the battlefield of dinner.

Not like the night before, the room was split in two. On the left: the winning team’s table, ours. And on the right... the losers.

We were already drooling. The menu hadn’t changed: grilled fish, miso soup, karaage, rice, fresh veggies, pickles, desserts—all made by Coach Tsugawa’s auntie, who must’ve been a culinary goddess in disguise.

But for Toyonaka?

Their table had already been set.

Boiled plain vegetables. A sad, gray protein lump. Some kind of porridge that smelled like regret. It looked... painful.

Coach Tsugawa walked in, wearing an apron and a proud grin.

"Tonight, the losers are served a special meal: nutritionally balanced and scientifically approved for athletic recovery!" he declared. "It just... doesn’t taste like anything."

A hush fell.

Yuto stepped up first. Brave soul.

He lifted a spoonful of the porridge, took a bite, and—

"Uggghhh..." His eyes rolled back. His soul visibly left his body.

Haruto took a whiff and nearly threw up. "What the hell is this? Cardboard soup?"

Masaki slammed his chopsticks down. "We trained like beasts today. We need real food!"

Coach Reina raised a hand. "Discipline, boys. A promise is a promise."

And then, from our table...

Taiga struck first.

He held up a juicy cut of grilled steak. "Man... this is so tender. Just melts in your mouth..."

Aizawa added, "Oop—spilled my soy sauce all over my salmon! Guess I’ll eat them together. Tragic."

Some of Toyonaka’s players twitched.

Rikuya silently ate his rice.

We? We weren’t even gloating. We just ate. Quietly. Efficiently. Desperately.

We didn’t have energy to mock anyone. But Toyonaka... oh, they were boiling.

Rei glanced over and whispered, "I think they’re going to kill us tomorrow."

"Maybe don’t wave meat in their faces next time," Hiroki muttered.

Masaki was still glaring. "I will win tomorrow."

Yuto clenched his fists. Haruto looked like he was ready to dunk someone out of frustration.

By the time dinner ended, the tension in the room was thick enough to slice with chopsticks.

...

The next morning, the sky was still blue and clear. The air smelled like pine and morning dew.

But the mood?

War.

The fire in Toyonaka’s eyes could’ve melted a basketball.

Masaki was the first one at the lodge gates, sprinting up the mountain trail like a man possessed. Even during practice drills, he was sharper, faster, louder.

"Uhh... they seem really motivated today," Taiga said nervously.

"Wonder why," Rei deadpanned.

"You two," Hiroki added, pointing at Taiga and Aizawa, "are definitely responsible for this."

Kaito nodded grimly. "Let’s just win again."

Like before, Takeshi-sensei drove ahead and waited at the court.

Today’s format was the same: Seven mini-games. First to win four games would claim victory.

Takeshi-sensei blew the whistle. "Game one—begin!"

...

Game One

We started with Kaito as PG for the first six minutes, followed by Dirga taking over. The sudden change in rhythm worked well at first, but Toyonaka had adjusted. They slowed down the tempo, controlled the boards, and chipped away at the lead.

Toyonaka 1 – Horizon 0

...

Game Two

Dirga opened the game as PG. His chaotic style threw them off initially, but by the time Kaito subbed in, the momentum had already shifted. Toyonaka was adapting—quickly.

Toyonaka 2 – Horizon 0

...

Game Three

Kaito needed a full rest, so Dirga ran the full 10-minute quarter. He played with everything he had, but without the rhythm reset Kaito provided, Toyonaka read the patterns and pulled ahead.

Toyonaka 3 – Horizon 0

...

A dangerous silence settled over Horizon’s bench.

But Coach Tsugawa didn’t panic.

"Now it begins," he said calmly.

...

Game Four

Kaito opened, controlling the game tempo. Dirga played SG, slashing and drawing defenders. When chaos and order fused, Toyonaka staggered.

Toyonaka 3 – Horizon 1

...

Game Five

Dirga opened full power. The pressure was on. He attacked relentlessly, playing through double teams and absorbing contact. It was messy. Desperate. But it worked.

Toyonaka 3 – Horizon 2

...

Game Six

Kaito returned. Dirga rested.

Kaito ran a clean offense. Toyonaka struggled to break it. When Dirga subbed in late, his explosiveness sealed it.

Toyonaka 3 – Horizon 3

...

The score was tied.

This was it.

Final game.

...

Game Seven

Kaito was still recovering. Dirga led from the start. His legs were heavy, his arms sore, but his eyes burned.

But Toyonaka?

They weren’t just hungry anymore.

They were starving.

Yuto intercepted passes. Haruto dominated the boards. Masaki went supernova.

In the end, the chaos wasn’t enough.

Toyonaka 4 – Horizon 3

...

The final whistle blew.

We fell to the ground, gasping for air.

On the other side, Toyonaka didn’t celebrate. They didn’t cheer.

They just nodded