A Goal Too Far

Haruka naru goru (遥かなるゴール) is the 164th chapter of the manga it is also the seventh and final chapter of the Hot Springs Obstacle Course Race Arc.

Ranma chooses Akane's path realizing that Shampoo's leads to ice water. When Shampoo gets upset Ranma follows her to console her, but they both fall into the ice water. As Ranma flees cat Shampoo they fall into the heat of Akane's path, a room filled with warm sake baths. Shampoo and Ranma get drunk immediately, and Akane drags Ranma out and forces him to race.

Continuing from the Previous Chapter
With the three teams still in the running, The Mayor of Zekkyo and the other judges wait at the goal. As he looks on at the vacate scenery, the mayor then declares that nobody has ever made it out of the maze baths, as the other judges look on and quietly tell each other that they're sunk…

Meanwhile, Ryoga and Ukyo continue being hopelessly lost, Ranma still finds himself having to choose behind Akane and Shampoo. After an attempt at some last-minute coasting from Shampoo, Ranma exclaims that he only has one choice… the Tiger bath! Having made his decision, Ranma turns to Shampoo and solemnly tells her that he's sorry, but he can't lie about his true feelings.

This declaration understandably upsets Shampoo who proceeds to run down the path to the Penguin baths. Ranma, upon seeing this, however, rushes after Shampoo and tries to explain that if it's the "Penguin bath" then the water will be freezing. Unfortunately, by the time Ranma catches up to Shampoo its too late and the pair of them fall into the icy water, turing both of them into their cursed forms.

Returning to the Race
As Shampoo clings onto Ranma, the pair of them rush off to the Tiger bath where they change back into their normal forms. After separating the now nude Shampoo from her fiancé, Akane turns her attention to Ranma and asks him if his "true feelings" are that he hates cats. Hearing Ranma's slightly slurred reply Akane realizes that the bath they're in a actually boiling and immediately decides that they have to get out of here. Despite this, a increasingly drunken Ranma can't bring himself to leave, prompting Akane to hit him over the head which (despite dunking Ranma into the sake) seems to refocus Ranma's mind.

Alas this focus is short lives as Ranma falls asleep shortly after tying his and Akane's legs together before the giddy Shampoo grabs Ranma's pigtail to drag his head under the water once more.

The Last Leg
With no other option Akane proceeds to carry Ranma on her back out of the baths, where they finally see the final goal of the race. The still tipsy Ranma then wakes up, seeing multiple goal posts floating in front of him and proceeds to drag Akane in completely the wrong direction to one of them. Tired of dealing with Ranma's drunkenness, Akane grabs a bucket of cold water which she throws over Ranma.

Having finally sobered up, Ranma and Akane rush towards the goal, but are spotted by the mayor and his lackeys who see this as their last chance to stop them from winning so proceed to run away with the goal posts. Ranma swiftly attempts to jump up over the mayor and dive into the goal, but just lands in a pile of snow as the mayor and co. turn the sign away from them. Following this the mayor sends the goal on a pair of skis down a slope, believing that Ranma and Akane will never be able to catch it. But this plan soon falls apart as the goal stops at snowbank at the base of the slope.

Now that nothing else stands in their way, Ranma and Akane make their way to the goal. As they do Akane tells Ranma how happy she is for him, prompting Ranma to thanks Akane for everything. But, just as Ranma and Akane are about the reach the goal, Ryoga and Ukyo emerge from the snowbank and cross the goal, technically making them the winners and leaving Ranma and Akane in shocked disbelief.

Upon returning home with a hungover Shampoo, Akane and Ranma lament on how close they were. Akane then notes how happy Ryoga looked and comments that there must've been a spring he really wanted to visit, as Ranma sits in silence.

Unbeknownst to the pair, Ryoga still couldn't find Jusenkyo and ends spending his trip on one to instead as Ukyo busily sells her  to the tourists.

Cast in Order of Appearance

 * The Mayor of Zekkyo
 * Ryoga Hibiki (human)
 * Ukyo Kuonji
 * Shampoo (human)
 * Ranma Saotome (male)
 * Akane Tendo
 * Shampoo (cat)
 * Ranma Saotome (female)