Chapter 84 Battle of Kings

Sakuragi quickly reassured everyone, "Hey, don't think like that! Coach Anzai is snoring right now, don't worry!"

With a creak.

The door to the lounge was gently pushed open.

In an instant, the noisy lounge fell silent, and everyone's eyes turned to the door.

Rukawa Kaede's originally indifferent eyes narrowed slightly when he saw the person who had arrived, and his gaze instantly became intense.

The woman standing before me was different from usual; she was wearing a well-fitting business suit with a side slit that accentuated her long, slender legs, making her look even taller and more alluring.

Her long hair fell naturally over her shoulders, and with her exquisite makeup, she looked capable yet gentle, as if she had grown up two or three years in an instant, exuding a mature and trustworthy aura.

"What's wrong? Why are you all staring at me? Is it strange?"

Hanon looked puzzled.

Ayako's eyes sparkled: "She really is a top-tier beauty! She can make even such a simple formal suit look incredibly sophisticated!"

Haruko exclaimed, "Oto-nee, you look like a supermodel! No! You must be a supermodel!"

Hanon laughed and reached out to pinch Haruko's cheek. "You're so good at making people happy!"

Suddenly, a strong force gripped Hanon's hand.

Hanon turned around.

Rukawa stared at her expressionlessly, giving her no choice, and intertwined his fingers with hers tightly.

Hua Yin smiled and shook his hand affectionately, "Good morning, Xiao Feng."

Rukawa Kaede simply gave a soft "hmm," then pulled her hand to his cheek and rubbed it against him like a large pet.

Ignoring the jealous fox, Mitsui hurriedly asked, "Junior, is Coach Anzai alright? Why did he go to the hospital so early?"

Hanon blinked: "It's nothing, he hasn't gotten up yet! I just went to get the clothes that Anzai's mother prepared for me. I'm the substitute coach today."

"Huh? A substitute coach?"

"That's right, Coach Anzai isn't here, so you all have to listen to me!"

"...No one usually dares to disobey you!"

With Sakuragi, that violent guy with a sister complex, and Rukawa, that hot-tempered playboy who's henpecked, who would dare disobey you!

Of course, most importantly, it is Kanon's talent that truly wins people's hearts.

………

On the eve of the finals, a striking headline appeared in Kanagawa's newspapers and magazines: "The Battle of Kanagawa: Who Will Become the Champion This Year?!"

This headline was like a bomb, instantly igniting nationwide attention in Japan.

The stadium was already buzzing with excitement even before the game started.

Audiences from all over the world have arrived, and reporters are ready to capture the exciting moments.

The player tunnels on both sides opened, and the players from Shohoku and Ryonan entered the court one after another.

In the stands, fans cheered wildly, and spectators screamed to support their favorite teams.

On the empty wall in the front row, flags of various colors fluttered in the wind as the fans shook them, like colorful waves rolling in the air.

Sakuragi was startled when he saw this scene. His eyes widened and he exclaimed, "Wow, the atmosphere today is even more intense than the previous games!"

The young players from Shohoku had never seen much of the world, and amidst the clamor, they couldn't help but feel nervous.

In front of the referee's table, Coach Taoka and Kanon faced off, shaking hands to greet each other.

Coach Taoka's lips curled into a smirk, his words laced with disdain: "It's such a shame Coach Anzai isn't here. I hope Shohoku doesn't lose heart and let Ryonan win easily!"

Coach Taoka scoffed inwardly, thinking that Shohoku's foundation was truly worrying; with the coach absent, they were letting a little girl take charge.

The Xiangbei team members glared at him with fury, each giving him a sharp look.

Hanon was not provoked. She smiled calmly and replied, "Today, Shohoku's goal is the championship trophy. Ryonan is here to practice with us. Thank you for your hard work."

"A sparring partner?!"

Coach Taoka's face darkened; he never imagined that this girl would be so arrogant!

He said coldly, "We, Ryonan, are not pushovers!"

Hanon continued to add fuel to the fire:

"Please don't be angry. I didn't mean to look down on Ryonan. I just hope that Ryonan can give Shohoku a more enjoyable match today."

Coach Taoka was so angry that his face turned ashen and his teeth were grinding together.

After holding it in for a long time, he finally blurted out, "Don't worry, I'll make sure you Shohoku have a really great time today!"

Even adults should maintain their dignity when they are angry.

The Shohoku team watched as Coach Taoka suppressed his anger and turned to walk towards the rest area, secretly pleased with himself.

Coach Taoka cursed inwardly, "She really is Sakuragi Hanamichi's sister, just as annoying as anyone else!"

Coach Taoka, still furious, returned to the rest area and saw Sendoh looking lazy, which immediately ignited his anger!

He shouted, "Listen up, everyone! Get your spirits up! You have to give it your all today and win this game! With their coach gone, Shohoku is running around like headless chickens! Ryonan has to seize this opportunity and win this game by a large margin!"

The Ryonan team members nodded in unison, secretly pleased, thinking that Shohoku was no threat without Coach Anzai.

After all, they had thoroughly understood Shohoku's tactics and strength through a series of matches.

Uozumi, thinking of Kanon, reminded him, "Coach, didn't you just shake hands with Shohoku's acting coach?"

"Never mind her being a substitute coach!"

Coach Taoka said dismissively, "What kind of skills could Sakuragi's sister possibly have?"

Sendoh sat in the far corner, muttering nonchalantly, "Coach, don't underestimate Shohoku."

Just as Uozumi was about to say something in defense of Kanon, Coach Taoka impatiently interrupted, "If you can't teach those bastards from Shohoku a lesson today, I'll teach you a lesson after the game!"

Did you hear that?!

Coach Taoka suddenly stood up and roared, startling the Ryonan team members, who all echoed in agreement.

"yes!"

Coach Taoka nodded in satisfaction and began to outline the tactics:

"Sendoh, you keep a close eye on Rukawa and control the team's offensive and defensive rhythm; Ikegami, you need to defend Mitsui Hisashi with all your might and not let the opponent score easily! Koshino, you go and defend Miyagi, he's very fast, try not to let him create distance; Fukuda, you go and defend Sakuragi, try to provoke him and make him lose his temper. Everyone should pay attention to teamwork and not act like individual heroes."

The Ryonan team members responded in unison once again: "Yes!"

The atmosphere was tense on Ryonan's side, while on Shohoku's side, the main players were nonchalant and laughing and joking around in a peaceful atmosphere.

Sakuragi put on a funny performance for Haruko, making her laugh continuously.

Miyagi chatted with Ayako, their cheerful laughter ringing out from time to time.

Rukawa Kaede sat quietly beside Kanon, his eyes fixed intently on her.

Akagi said to Kanon with a serious expression, "Assistant Coach, my foot injury has healed, and I hope to be able to participate in the competition."

Hanon nodded in agreement: "Okay, then I'll leave it to you."

She knew in her heart that this competition might directly affect Akagi's future guaranteed admission spot.

And Mitsui…

I don't know where he found Coach Anzai's ID photo, but he held it in his hands like he had found a treasure, muttering something to himself with a devout expression.

"Coach Anzai, please bless us!"

Shohoku members: ...

Mitsui held the photo, looking at it from left to right, took out a handkerchief, wiped the frame, and then, without saying a word, stuffed it into Kanon's hand.

He said earnestly, "Junior, I'm entrusting Coach Anzai to you! With the coach's support, we're sure to win the championship today!"

Then he solemnly bowed to the photograph.

Hanon held the photo with a bewildered expression. After a couple of seconds, she quickly shoved the photo into Rukawa's hands.

She couldn't help but rub her forehead.

"Senior, that's really enough!"

Hanon, dressed in a black and white suit, held a photo of Coach Anzai in her hands. The scene looked rather eerie, and anyone who didn't know better would think that Coach Anzai had already passed away peacefully!

Rukawa Kaede blinked and obediently accepted the "Coach Anzai" that Kanon handed him.

The Shohoku team looked at Mitsui's baffling actions with a mixture of embarrassment and amusement.

Akagi clapped his hands, the crisp, loud sound immediately attracting everyone's attention.

"The match is about to begin, everyone be quiet!"

He roared, his eyes blazing with fighting spirit, "Assistant Coach, how should we play against Ryonan today?"

Sakuragi looked brimming with confidence, "Dad didn't really give us any specific tactics beforehand. This genius thinks we should just stick to our usual style! Shohoku will win!"

Mitsui chimed in, "Yeah, yeah, Ryonan is no match for us."

Upon hearing this, Hana couldn't help but glance at the overconfident problem children.

Rukawa Kaede's eyes were cold as he glanced at Akagi casually.

Akagi glared at them. "Don't think you're invincible. The competition isn't over yet! Be careful not to slip up unexpectedly!"

It seems they really didn't take today's opponent seriously.

The four tigers chose to ignore Akagi's warning and continued to do their own thing.

Hanon smiled helplessly and didn't say anything more.

The players from Ryonan and Shohoku spread out on the court, each occupying half of the court, and began their warm-up exercises.

Sendoh easily caught the basketball and made an elegant layup.

Wow! That's so cool!

Aida, the reporter, screamed excitedly, and the other girls, including some of Rukawa, followed suit.

Just then, Sendoh felt a chill down his spine.

Turning his head, he saw Rukawa Kaede staring at him with cold, piercing eyes that seemed to want to tear him to pieces.

"Um?"

Sendoh scratched his head. Rukawa's gaze was too fierce, leaving him a little dazed.

Their eyes met in mid-air, sparks crackling and flying everywhere.

Rukawa's eyes were full of challenge to Sendoh, as if to say, "You're dead."

Immortal Dao raised his eyebrows slightly, his mind racing.

Therefore, this match is not only a duel between the two teams, but also a personal contest between him and Rukawa Kaede.

Both teams were warming up, and the scene was rather uneventful. But the audience could sense two opposing forces clashing on the field.

In this atmosphere, the match between Shohoku and Ryonan began.

In the center circle, Uozumi and Akagi are positioned facing each other.

Uozumi's gaze shifted downwards, catching sight of Akagi's ankle, and he asked, seemingly with concern, "Is your foot injury healed yet?!"

Akagi snorted and replied arrogantly, "Of course!"

Although he said that, when Uozumi mentioned it, Akagi suddenly felt a pain in his ankle.

"Then do your best, Akagi!"

Uozumi noticed that Akagi was acting strangely, but just smiled.

"Beep—"

A whistle blew through the stadium.