Chapter 116 Glory is Rebirth

Bang!

Sakuragi slammed his fist against the hospital room wall, his voice trembling with sobs, almost screaming, "No, my sister just... she just..."

His sister always kept her promises, unless there was a truly unavoidable situation...

Thinking of this, Sakuragi suddenly ripped off the name tag from beside the hospital bed and clutched it tightly to his chest, as if he could hold onto something in this way.

Kanon is indeed still around.

However, her soul was currently suspended in the air above the hospital room.

The boy who always grinned foolishly and shouted "I am a genius" was now shedding large tears that fell to the ground with a "plop" sound in the quiet ward.

Hanon cried out in her mind, "System! What's going on?"

"Insufficient soul energy... The body is forced into hibernation..."

She was stunned.

It turns out that the training plans and tactics that the team stayed up all night to develop, and the advanced training equipment obtained through the system, have now turned into sharp blades that backfire.

Kanon: "How do we solve this?"

"Basic plan...buzz...sufficient rest...advanced requirements...buzz..."

“Say it all out!” She tried to catch the drifting sound waves, but only touched the air.

The last message that came through was like a phone call that had been cut off:

"...Glory...is rebirth..."

silence.

The cold silence swallowed up all echoes.

"Hanamichi..." Kanon reached out, trying to wipe away his tears, but her hand could only pass through his red hair.

Rukawa Kaede stood to the side, his sharp, fox-like eyes fixed on the empty hospital bed.

Sunlight streamed in at an angle, casting lines of light and shadow on Rukawa Kaede's profile.

"…fraud."

He murmured to the empty hospital bed, his voice so soft it was almost inaudible, yet it caused the temperature in the ward to drop sharply.

"You promised... you'd always be watching me." His voice trailed off, his throat trembling with suppressed emotion.

"Come back quickly." Rukawa Kaede's eyes were lowered, his voice so gentle it was almost sickly, "Otherwise..."

I'll go crazy.

The air around him distorted, as if an invisible storm was brewing.

Sakuragi had just taken a step when Miyagi quickly grabbed him, his strength so great that red marks immediately appeared on Sakuragi's wrist.

A bolt of lightning struck, illuminating Rukawa Kaede's face:

"I will find you..."

"No matter where..."

He spoke slowly and deliberately, his words squeezed out from between his teeth, carrying a chilling obsession.

Upon seeing this, the members of Xiangbei all took a step back in unison.

Hua Yin's heart clenched suddenly, and she anxiously spun around in the air: "Xiao Feng! Calm down!"

But her voice was like light swallowed by a black hole, unable to reach Rukawa's ears.

The nurse spoke again: "Since the patient has already left—"

"Who said she left?!" Sakuragi shouted angrily.

The nurse gripped the medical record book tightly, forcing herself to remain calm: "Please have the family check out..."

Rukawa Kaede slowly raised his head.

"Clang!"

The nurse staggered backward, knocking over the medical cart, and the metal tray spun wildly on the ground.

His eyes...

It no longer had any human expression; it was clearly a ferocious beast whose mate had been taken away!

In the silence, Coach Anzai said, "We'll stay longer."

As everyone left, the door slammed shut, as if drawing a curtain on the chaotic scene.

Thump!

The basketball fell from Rukawa's palm, bouncing in the empty hospital room with a heart-stopping sound.

He slid down the hospital bed and buried his face between his knees.

On the field, the ace, who remained calm even when surrounded by five opponents, was now trembling violently, like a lone boat in a storm.

Huayin floated to his side.

Dark water stains spread across the wooden floor.

Snap, snap...

Her fox is crying...

Hanon reached out from behind to hug him, but her soul arm could only hang in mid-air.

She was filled with anxiety, countless words stuck in her throat: "Idiot... I'm right here..."

However, darkness once again engulfed Kanon's consciousness.

After a long time, the darkness receded like the tide, and Hanon's consciousness gradually rose with the sound of the waves.

She opened her eyes and found herself still floating in the empty hospital room.

"Sleeping Beauty has finally woken up!"

A crisp sound came from the windowsill.

Hanon turned her head and saw a blonde girl leisurely swaying her azure fishtail.

The sunlight gilded her with a pearly halo, each scale reflecting a rainbow of colors, shimmering with a dreamlike brilliance as her tail swayed.

The girl leaped lightly off the windowsill.

Hanon's eyes widened: "You...can see me?"

"Scared, huh!" The girl swung her tail triumphantly, sending a spray of water directly onto Hana's face. "Remember this! I am the most beautiful mermaid princess of the Atlantic Ocean—Bonn Haruka!"

Hana wiped the water off her face, but the water droplets seeped through her translucent palm: "What... are you doing?"

Boeing conjured a water droplet at her fingertip, a mysterious blue light pulsating at its center: "This princess can restore you to your original state! But there's a condition!"

"Help Ryonan defeat Sannoh!"

"Huh?" Kanon almost fell from the sky. "Ryonan... doesn't have the strength to take down Sannoh right now, does it?"

"If you lack strength, make up for it with wisdom!" Boeing Yao excitedly slapped the ground with her fishtail. "With your basketball IQ and my princess's energy, neither the Mountain King nor the Sea King will be a problem!"

Hua Yin drifted closer, scrutinizing her with interest: "Why are you helping Ling Nan?"

The mermaid princess's scales instantly turned cherry blossom pink: "Well..."

She turned her face away, her ear fins twitching unnaturally: "That...fisherman...saves me."

"Oh~~" Hanon drawled out her words and smiled knowingly: "So it's for the sake of the Immortal Path~ But let me remind you, excessive interference in the human world will backfire."

As she spoke, she spread out her transparent hands, "Just like me, I've become a wandering ghost."

"Mind your own business!" Hanoya's fishtail exploded. "Are you going to agree or not? If you keep nagging, I'll turn you into a sea anemone!"

Hanon floated in mid-air, looking at the anxious and stubborn blonde girl in front of her, and a strange sense of familiarity welled up in her heart.

"Hey! Are you going to help me or not?!" Boeing urged impatiently.

Hanon sighed softly.

This isn't her team after all, and she really wasn't confident.

“I’ve tried everything…” Han Yao’s head suddenly drooped, her voice as soft as the receding tide, and the light in her eyes dimmed instantly. “Only you can help me…”

Hanon's heart softened suddenly. She was all too familiar with that expression—whenever Hanamichi encountered a problem he couldn't solve, he would look at her with the same pleading eyes.

"Aren't you afraid I'll just give you a piece of my mind?"

Hanon Haruka suddenly raised her head, her eyes instantly regaining their light: "Because you are Kanon!"

Her fishtail swayed joyfully involuntarily, "That basketball genius who led Shohoku to create miracles!"

“Okay,” Kanon couldn’t help but laugh, “I’ll help you.”

"Really? No taking it back!!!"

Boeing was so excited that the whole fish jumped up, almost hitting the ceiling, before frantically regaining its balance.

"There's a condition." Hanon's eyes gleamed mischievously as she stared intently at her. "Tell me, how did you meet Sendoh-kun?"

Boeing Yao's scales instantly turned pink again, and even her ear fins curled up in embarrassment: "Who, who wants to tell you!"

She frantically swung her fishtail: "Stop being so nagging! Change back to normal right now!"

Before Hanon could react, Hanon Haruka angrily threw the water droplet at her—

Whoosh!

Hanon felt a sudden dizziness—

Then…

He was sucked into the basketball with the words "Hana no Mikoto" printed on it!

Huayin: "???"

"Huh? Huh?" Hanon Haruka circled the basketball in surprise, her fishtail leaving messy water trails on the ground. "Your true form... isn't human?"

"Of course I'm human!" Kanon's voice came muffled from inside the basketball, "It's just... I do have a special connection with basketball..."

Miss Mermaid was frantic, pacing back and forth: "Oh no! The second energy bead won't be able to condense until tomorrow!"

She clutched her blonde hair in frustration, "I shouldn't have been so impulsive..."

"Let's talk about it tomorrow then." The basketball bounced twice in frustration.

"Too late!" The fishtail of the Boonfish slammed into the ground, splashing water that condensed into a mirror-like spray—

The scene inside the stadium was clearly reflected in the mirror:

Shohoku vs. Kamishō Commercial, the scoreboard shows 38:58, Shohoku is down by a full 20 points!

Rukawa's eyes were terrifyingly empty, and Sakuragi kept glancing towards the audience.

Mitsui Hisashi's silence, Miyagi Ryota's anxiety...

"If you don't go back," Hanon Haruka's voice trembled with tears, "Shohoku is doomed today!"

"Take me to the gym!" the basketball exclaimed excitedly.

Boeing grabbed the basketball and dashed out, his fishtail automatically transforming into legs as he ran.

The moment she rushed out of the ward, a nurse in the hallway rubbed her eyes in surprise: "When did that blonde girl go in... wait!"

She suddenly realized, "Stop! That ball belongs to the patient!"

"Turn left! Emergency exit!" Basketball directed from Boeing's arms.

Boeing made a beautiful drift turn, her long golden hair drawing a dazzling arc in the air.

She jumped down the stairs in three strides, muttering to herself, "Oh no, oh no, if I miss the competition, that fisherman will laugh at me for the rest of his life..."

The basketball vibrated gently in her arms: "Don't worry, we'll definitely make it!"

Inside the stadium.

The cheers from the audience were like a tidal wave, but they could not penetrate the heavy gloom that shrouded the Shohoku team members.

The Shohoku team members ran mechanically, but their eyes kept glancing towards the entrance—it was empty, and the figure they were waiting for was nowhere to be seen.

[What's wrong with that red-haired monster today? He even missed three dunks...]

[Uozumi frowned: This isn't the Shohoku I know!]

[Sendoh rests his chin on his hand, looking at Rukawa: My soul has been ripped out...]

[Yan Yi's notebook is riddled with holes from the pen tip: Without Coach Kanon, the entire Shohoku team...]

[Kazunari Fukatsu shakes his head: What a pity about Pyon]

[Sawakita spins the basketball listlessly: Looks like we'll be heading back without even having to lift a finger.]

The Shohoku bench seemed to be under a spell of silence:

Ayako's tactical notebook was torn to shreds, with scraps of paper scattered all over the floor.

Water vapor condensed on Kogure's glasses, blurring his vision.

Coach Anzai's teacup had long since gone cold, and the tea leaves had sunk to the bottom.

Bang!

The stadium doors were suddenly slammed open.

When Haruka rushed in carrying a basketball, Sendoh in the stands instantly straightened his back: "Haruka?"

The mermaid princess didn't even glance at him, her long golden hair whipping out in a dazzling arc.

Sendoh stroked his signature spiky hair, a helpless smile playing on his lips: "Ah... are you still angry?"

He muttered to himself, "What a vengeful little fish..."

"Ugh... Yin, you're so heavy... I'm exhausted!" Boeing collapsed on the Shohoku bench, panting heavily.

The basketball bounced twice listlessly in her arms: "..."

Ayako stared wide-eyed at the blonde girl who had suddenly appeared: "Excuse me..."

But then I heard her muttering to the basketball, "What's next? Tell me!"

The numbers on the big screen stung Hanon's eyes:

Third Quarter 2:22

Final score: 61:89

Hanon's voice came from inside the basketball: "Have Coach Anzai call a timeout."

Boeing immediately raised his hand: "Coach Anzai, call a timeout!"

Coach Anzai adjusted his glasses: "Oh? And this young lady is...?"