Long Live Money in Anime Crossover

Although the seemingly thin layer of metal was far less defensive than Momo's wings, it was more than enough to defend against all the conventional weapons of humans in Momo's previous life. Based on Momo's previous clash with Kazami Yuuka, Momo could even roughly estimate that only a powerful youkai of Kazami Yuuka's caliber could attempt to dismantle Cirno's eighth-generation Knightmare.

Therefore, what awaited Hong Meiling was a coffee table filled with tragedies.

"Duang!"

"Ah ah!"

A loud metallic clang rang out, followed by Cirno's scream. This bizarre turn of events startled Momo, who wondered if he had misjudged the situation. Had Hong Meiling, without Momo's knowledge, made a rapid advancement in her strength or acquired some new ability?

However, Mo Mo immediately showed a look of bewilderment, and even Izayoi Sakuya, who had been frowning beside Mo Mo, couldn't help but burst out laughing.

The mecha was completely undamaged, just as Mo Mo had predicted. With Hong Meiling's strength alone, she wouldn't have been able to dismantle this Undimensional Matter mecha, let alone leave a single mark on it. However, despite the mecha being unharmed, this six-meter-tall mecha squatted down like a nimble child, its large hands crossing over its head, then turning its body to one side, leaving half of its rear end exposed to Hong Meiling.

Simply put, this is Knightmare's version of the crouch-and-hold defense.

As for the reason… it's almost obvious. Cirno has been bullied by Hong Meiling countless times, to the point that it's become a psychological trauma and a conditioned reflex. Upon seeing Hong Meiling's "powerful" attack, Cirno instinctively went into defensive stance. Momo could imagine that at this moment, Cirno was absolutely terrified, her eyes closed, unable to look.

However, at this moment, it was Hong Meiling who wanted to cry the most!

The powerful impact made Mo Mo feel as if he could hear the New Year's bells of a temple up close. He could even faintly hear the sound of something breaking, like a bone artifact, within the bell's toll.

After that, Hong Meiling, still in the kicking motion, seemed frozen in place, standing on one leg like a rooster, afraid to move even slightly, as any movement would clearly bring her unbearable pain. Hong Meiling's face turned deathly pale, contorting little by little as she endured the excruciating pain.

There was no way Hong Meiling could resist the power of Newton, nor could she possibly provoke him to rise from his grave. So, facing the charging Knightmare, which stood six meters tall and weighed over ten tons, Hong Meiling's courageous kick, while successfully stopping the 9th Knightmare from crashing through the Scarlet Devil Mansion, undoubtedly dealt herself a devastating blow.

Moreover, Mo Mo estimated that Hong Meiling's physical pain was not the most serious; the psychological setbacks and mental trauma were probably the most severe injuries she suffered at this time.

Even though Hong Meiling was the one who was injured, why did this huge mechanical thing in front of her make the same movements as that idiot Cirno, acting like a frightened little animal?

Her all-out attack hadn't even left a mark on the mecha—oh wait, it did leave a little blood—but that only broke Hong Meiling's heart even more!

At this moment, Hong Meiling clearly realized that she had been defeated by Cirno and the behemoth she was piloting. However, there was nothing she could do. Although Hong Meiling bore the responsibility of protecting the Scarlet Devil Mansion and fulfilling her duties, she was too badly injured to react at this moment.

Just maintaining her stance had exhausted all of Hong Meiling's willpower. She didn't know how many bones were broken, or how many pieces they were broken into. All she knew was that once she collapsed, she would never be able to stand up again!

Therefore, she absolutely cannot fall down, never!

Cirno may be a bit of a fool, but that has its advantages—it makes her recklessly bold. So, upon realizing that she hadn't been hurt or felt any pain despite crouching down with her head covered, Cirno immediately lost all respect for Hong Meiling.

At this moment, Cirno finally realized that she was no longer an ordinary Cirno! She was now Invincible Number 9, the powerful and invincible Cirno who had combined human and machine powers. Why should she be afraid of a mere gatekeeper at the Scarlet Devil Mansion?

Although this gatekeeper now seems to have been promoted to head maid.

Cirno carefully released her hands, looked up to observe Hong Meiling standing motionless beside her, blinked her adorable eyes, and instantly her eyes lit up with bright little stars. Clearly, she had realized that although she was no match for Hong Meiling in terms of strength, the gift Momo had given her was something Hong Meiling couldn't break.

Having not yet undergone Heroic Spirit transformation, her intelligence was clearly insufficient, but her rich combat (and revenge) experience told her that now was the perfect opportunity to wreak havoc and settle scores!

"Hahahaha!"

Cirno laughed arrogantly, her massive mecha standing upright with her hands on her hips in a human-like gesture, making Hong Meiling, who was still in a kicking motion, look like Guo Jingming.

It wasn't too late. Cirno controlled one of the mecha's arms, extending a finger to gently touch Hong Meiling's waist. The powerful arm was truly like a human finger; the touch only caused Hong Meiling, who was standing on one leg, to sway slightly. Judging from Hong Meiling's expression, the touch didn't even put any pressure on her.

Clearly, Cirno's control over the Knightmare's power has reached an unparalleled level. However, it's regrettable that Momo thinks Cirno herself is probably not even aware of this; she simply treats the Knightmare as an extension of her own body.

At this point, Cirno hadn't undergone the modifications of Valhalla; she was still the original Cirno from Gensokyo, with only some additional knowledge, such as theoretical knowledge of Knightmare. Therefore, her piloting of Knightmare relied more on her own intuition.

In other words, based solely on a theoretical foundation, she has already achieved something that even Kallen might not be able to do easily. This terrifying Knightmare piloting talent is probably enough to crush all the protagonists in mecha anime.

It's a pity that Cirno is a "⑨" (a negative trait). It's likely that this terrifying talent will ultimately be used for the extermination of the frog race. Momo can only hope that after bringing Cirno, now officially registered in Valhalla, back to Valhalla and undergoing modifications, the invincible Cirno can make "⑨" a personality trait, instead of being the epitome of stupidity.

"You think you're so powerful? You dare to challenge the reputation of being the strongest in Gensokyo? Hmph, today I'll let you and your master know that the great Cirno is the strongest in Gensokyo! Today, we'll use the Knightmare that Momo gave us to massacre the entire Scarlet Devil Mansion!"

Cirno was clearly smug, fiddling with Hong Meiling's waist with her fingers, causing Hong Meiling, who was standing on one leg, to sway back and forth, seemingly on the verge of falling. Hong Meiling's face was also flushed, but not from pain; it was more from anger and humiliation.

Judging from this, as long as Cirno continues, even if it means her own destruction, Hong Meiling will continue to fight this terrifying Knightmare to the bitter end.

Just then, Cirno seemed to give up on teasing Hong Meiling and said, "Well, fine, I'll be merciful and give you one last lesson so you'll always remember my greatness and majesty!"

After speaking, Knightmare's two mechanical arms returned to its chest. Two portable mechanical swords hung on Knightmare's waist. These were some of the few weapons Knightmare carried; after all, it was an experimental unit and a gift to ⑨, so how could Momo dare to attach powerful weapons to it? If he accidentally angered ⑨, these weapons could very well return and smash into his own people.

Hong Meiling had clearly noticed this as well. Looking at the terrifying blade, almost the same size as her, panic was palpable in her eyes. Then, Hong Meiling, who had remained motionless, began to tremble violently, her face turning deathly pale with pain. Clearly, she was making a final struggle.

In any case, physical pain is better than being cut in two by that terrifying giant ninja, right?

Just as Hong Meiling let out a muffled groan and finally managed to land on her trembling feet, intending to roll away with all her might, there was a click as the Knightmare's cockpit door opened, and Cirno jumped out.

"Hey, stand still and don't move! Accept our punishment, you bastard!"

175. She'll rip off her clothes at the drop of a hat.

Despite her severe injuries, Hong Meiling was furious and enraged to see Cirno swagger out of the terrifying machine and attack her.

When it comes to the strength of Cirno's enemy, Hong Meiling is arguably the most qualified to speak on this. After all, as the gatekeeper, Hong Meiling has thwarted countless attempts by Cirno to sneak into the Scarlet Devil Mansion.

Cirno was just a small fairy; even the strongest fairy was merely the tallest among the short, no match for her at all. Because of this, Hong Meiling never took Cirno seriously from the start, even when Cirno was inside this strange machine.

Now, reality has dealt Hong Meiling a heavy blow. She can't help but regret her miscalculation; her all-out attack to intimidate the intruders has backfired and severely injured her. Moreover, she's now being attacked by that foolish idiot Cirno—it's utterly humiliating.

But all of this is not the worst thing. The worst thing is, once she is breached here, what will happen to the Scarlet Devil Mansion?

"hateful!"

Originally intending to roll away to escape, Hong Meiling abandoned her original plan and her aura began to rise again, visible to the naked eye.

Although Hong Meiling is a martial arts expert, close combat is her primary means of attack. However, as a member of Gensokyo, she naturally uses danmaku (bullet hell) attacks. Furthermore, as a youkai who controls ki, she also possesses ranged attacks. It's just that, while she enjoys and studies martial arts, she ultimately prefers the passionate clashes of physical intimacy.

With her right leg severely injured, she knew all too well the consequences of continuing to fight in this state. But she couldn't worry about that now; as the first line of defense for Gensokyo, she absolutely could not be allowed to break down!

Aside from her, the only person in the entire Scarlet Devil Mansion who could be considered a combatant was the second young lady!

A powerful aura gathered around Hong Meiling, and she immediately lowered her right leg, which she had been holding back due to injury, to the ground. She wasn't particularly concerned about Cirno's attack, but her next strike wasn't aimed at Cirno, but at Momo in the distance!

That's right, it's Momo!

Knowing that her combat power had drastically decreased, Hong Meiling planned to take advantage of the current situation to launch a surprise, all-out attack on Mo Mo. In this way, her power would be maximized, and even if she were to lose her fighting ability after this attack, she would have given it her all.

"At the very least... we must fight to the death to repel this wave of enemies!"

Hong Meiling gritted her teeth, choosing to ignore Izayoi Sakuya standing behind Momo. Compared to the resurrected Izayoi Sakuya, Hong Meiling trusted Yakumo Ran and Yakumo Yukari more, since everyone had witnessed Izayoi Sakuya's death, and Cirno was indeed about to attack the Scarlet Devil Mansion.

These two points are enough for Hong Meiling to launch a desperate attack on Mo Mo!

However, just as Hong Meiling was striking a pose, channeling her energy into her fists and preparing to unleash some amazing move, she looked at Mo Mo and found him greeting her warmly.

That radiant smile made it seem as if they were old friends who hadn't seen each other for years. Even Hong Meiling herself wondered if she was waving to Mo Mo instead of about to kill him with a punch. Hong Meiling couldn't help but wonder if there was some misunderstanding between her and Mo Mo, or between the Scarlet Devil Mansion and Mo Mo.

However, as Cirno's chilling aura rushed towards her, Hong Meiling immediately realized the situation. No matter what stance Mo Mo adopted, her decision was irreversible. Even if this punch landed on the wrong person, Hong Meiling wouldn't regret it.

At least, only those who make mistakes have the right to apologize, while the dead are left only with the fate of being apologized to.

"Mountain Collapse Rainbow Cannon..."

Hong Meiling ignored the chilling aura emanating from Cirno's angry shouts, focusing on Cirno's attack and unleashing her own momentum, calling out the name of her move. It was a skill name Mo Mo recognized; in the hands of Hong Meiling, who seemed to have grown stronger, it would undoubtedly possess considerable power.

In fact, Hong Meiling's kick that attacked Knightmare No. 9 was already quite powerful. After all, her kick directly neutralized all the kinetic energy of a nearly ten-ton, high-speed Knightmare. That kind of power is enough for her to wear a mask and become a superhero in the Marvel universe.

If possible, Mo Mo would also like to see just how powerful Hong Meiling's move really is. Unfortunately, Mo Mo really didn't want to further injure Hong Meiling, whose right leg was already badly injured, so he softly uttered a few words.

At the same time, Hong Meiling, who was about to launch a powerful attack, abruptly stopped. The aura she had just unleashed quickly dissipated without accumulating any power. Immediately afterward, the stunned Hong Meiling was enveloped in a layer of pale blue ice crystals, especially her deformed and bleeding right leg, which was encased in an additional layer of ice.

"Waaah..."

The attacked Hong Meiling let out a mournful cry, her eyes filled with anger and rage. However, compared to this anger and rage, her eyes were filled with even greater astonishment and disbelief. But Mo Mo had already activated his trading power over her, leaving her no choice but to believe him.

"Hmph, now you know how powerful I am, hahaha, as expected, I, Cirno, am invincible!"

Seeing that she had succeeded in her attack, Cirno laughed heartily. Hong Meiling, naturally, ignored Cirno and easily shook off the ice crystals on her body with her aura amidst Cirno's disgruntled attacks. However, the thick ice shell on her right leg remained.

The ice shell now acted like a splint, significantly reducing the pain in Hong Meiling's right leg. Hong Meiling then glanced at Cirno with suspicion, because it was clear that Cirno had intentionally created the ice shell; otherwise, her attack on her entire body could have been even stronger.

"Hmph, I wouldn't stoop to taking advantage of someone in distress! You've already lost to me, so I'll treat my defeated foe well. Don't worry, I won't mistreat you!"

Cirno remained haughty and self-absorbed, but Hong Meiling's annoyance with her suddenly lessened. She realized that there was absolutely no need to get angry at fairies like Cirno; they were merely playful embodiments of nature.

Even... looking at the icy shell on her legs, Hong Meiling wondered if she had gone too far in killing Cirno countless times before.

Although, for fairies, death is nothing more than a sleep.

"Go over there, Sakuya, and comfort her."

While Hong Meiling was processing the information in her mind, Mo Mo waved to Izayoi. Izayoi Sakuya asked in confusion, "What deal did you make with her that made her stop immediately?"

Mo Mo shrugged. The details of the deal couldn't be revealed to anyone, including the Heroic Spirits. So, he could only say, "It was just a promise, using the characteristics of the transaction power to determine whether I could keep it. The result was good; it proved that I could keep it, so Hong Meiling had no other choice."

"The more loyal she is to the Scarlet Devil Mansion, the less she can resist me."

"Terrifying. You think one sentence is enough to subdue a beautiful girl? Mo Mo, you've evolved to a terrifying level."

Sakuya Izayoi stuck out her tongue, teasingly making a few remarks about Mo Mo. She seemed to have figured things out a bit more, and without further hesitation, she teleported instantly to appear in front of Hong Meiling, looking at her with an even more authoritative gaze.

The aura and presence of the elegant and perfect head maid instantly made Hong Meiling tense up. Instinctively, she wanted to back away and wave her hand, then find an excuse for her dozing off. This interaction was almost etched into Hong Meiling's mind. After all, when Izayoi Sakuya came to see her, it was probably to deduct her wages or to reprimand her for dozing off.

Hong Meiling had privately complained about Izayoi Sakuya's ruthlessness before, but it wasn't until Izayoi Sakuya died in front of them and she took over Izayoi Sakuya's position that she understood Izayoi Sakuya's predicament.

Even with her abilities running at full power, Izayoi Sakuya was already exhausted trying to keep the Scarlet Devil Mansion running smoothly. If she were to share the guard duties at this point, she would likely be overwhelmed by the pressure. Therefore, for the sake of the Scarlet Devil Mansion, Izayoi Sakuya had no choice but to exploit the poor Kurenai Mirei.

After taking over the position of head maid from Izayoi Sakuya, Hong Meiling, following the second young lady's ascension to the Scarlet Mansion as the head of the Scarlet family, also desperately tried to restore the Scarlet Devil Mansion to its original state. However, unfortunately, even if she stopped dozing off and worked a full 24 hours a day, she could never achieve the same effortless perfection as Izayoi Sakuya.

It was only then that Hong Meiling truly began to miss Izayoi Sakuya, the heartless head maid who at least gave her a chance to doze off.

The Scarlet Devil Mansion back then... was so nice!

Overwhelmed with thoughts, Hong Meiling froze on the spot, almost striking a pose as if to apologize to Izayoi Sakuya.

But now, she can't do that.

Since Izayoi Sakuya is already dead, the one in front of her must be an imposter. The ability Izayoi Sakuya just used was clearly no longer a time-manipulation ability. As the current head maid of the Scarlet Devil Mansion, she must maintain her composure and not bow down to the forces of the resurrected.

But... to Hong Meiling's surprise, her eyes stung, and a cool mist blurred her vision. Deep down, she desperately wanted to apologize to the Izayoi Sakuya before her, and hoped that the Izayoi Sakuya would punish her severely as she had in the past.

If only everything could go back to the way it was!

As long as the Scarlet Devil Mansion becomes the Scarlet Devil Mansion of the past, she doesn't want to be a head maid. She'd be perfectly content to be a clueless doorman!

"Who...are you?"

Hong Meiling struggled to ask the question that had been lingering in her mind. Although she was shocked by Mo Mo's transaction request, her current question about Izayoi Sakuya was no less shocking than the transaction power itself.

However, despite forcibly maintaining her composure and displaying an authority beyond her years as a head maid, Hong Meiling could no longer hold back her tears after hearing a single sentence from Izayoi Sakuya.

A small dagger appeared in Izayoi Sakuya's hand. With a soft ripping sound, Hong Meiling's maid outfit turned into pieces and disappeared, leaving only a stunned and speechless Hong Meiling in her underwear.

"China, who gave you the audacity to talk to me like that? Looks like you can forget about earning a salary for the rest of your life."

Author's Note: