A muscular girl is presented to the passionate world of crossover anime.

Author's Note: This battle is exactly the original, no difference. Honestly, compressing this battle into one chapter was quite an interesting experience for me personally. Tomorrow is Kanon vs. Shibukawa; I wonder if I'll be able to write about Kanon vs. Retsu Kaioh. Anyway, it's going to be Kanon's three consecutive battles...

Section 565, Chapter 559: I will protect you!

"What a killer!" After watching Jack and Kare's fight, Kanon couldn't help but shudder. Jack was very strong and his fighting style was also very fierce. He would be a very difficult opponent.

“He’s really fierce, so… do you want to admit defeat?” Shibukawa, who was standing next to Kanon, chimed in. This old man was Kanon’s next opponent, and the winner would face Jack Vanma.

"I think old people can't rely on their physical strength anymore. Let me handle the job of dealing with that big monster. I'm young."

“First, I practice Aikido, which does not rely on physical strength; second, I am not so old that I cannot move; third, as an elder, I should cherish and care for a junior like you.”

"so?"

"So if anyone's going to admit defeat, it's you, kid!"

"...Never mind, even though I still have one spot in the upper bracket, I don't want to give up on this match." Kanon looked sincerely at Shibukawa Takeki: "Fighting a thug like Jack is really dangerous, so it's safest if I go. Shibukawa-sensei, I'll protect you!"

"You...you're so arrogant, kid." Shibukawa, though old, had a childlike humor to his face. He seemed to be angered by Kanon, so he turned his head away and ignored her.

On the other hand, there was Motobu Izo, a huge fan of Shibukawa Takeki. He greatly admired the old man and had cheered him on in both of Shibukawa's previous battles. This time was no exception. As soon as Motobu got close, he heard Joaquin say, "I will protect you," which gave him a boost.

"Wow, Joaquin is really good at coming up with witty remarks~" The little notebook in the headquarters noted down this sentence again: "He was so cool when he said to Doppo Oji, 'Victory is the power of life and death,' and his line 'I will protect you' was also good. We should spend more time with him in the future, maybe we can hear some cool declarations."

After entering the quarterfinals, the matches were no longer divided into A, B, C, and D sections, and the intervals between matches became shorter. Soon, staff members came to invite Joaquin and Shibukawa to the stage.

"Cheers! The final match of the quarterfinals is a duel between these two martial artists." The commentator's voice quickly echoed throughout the arena: "On one side is the 'Martial Saint' who is proficient in ancient martial arts and brings them to their fullest potential in actual combat! Shibukawa Takeki! On the other side is the champion of the gang fight competition, the young hero Joaquin, who has advanced all the way with overwhelming strength! What will be the outcome of their battle?"

The audience is also eager to know the answer!

Will Joaquin slaughter all the martial gods and saints to advance to the semi-finals and face Jack Van Mara in a battle of the new generation of powerhouses? Or will Shibukawa Goki uphold the pride of ancient martial arts and Aikido, and continue the war of strength and skill, new and old, against Jack in the next round?

The atmosphere in the arena became quite tense for a moment, and the audience held their breath, watching the two martial artists enter the arena.

At this moment, it was Kanon who was more relaxed. Facing a familiar and kind senior she knew well, Kanon felt almost no tension and was even more relaxed than when she fought against Doppo: "Hey, hey, is it really necessary to be so dramatic? This is just a normal sparring match!"

"Yeah, we were just having fun, everyone took it too seriously." Takeki Shibukawa laughed as well.

Both men walked up to the referee for a weapon check, and they could also chat in the process.

Kanon asked a question: "Hey, Shibukawa-sensei, I forget whether I heard it from you or Adam, but when Aikido reaches a very high level, it will achieve the ultimate 'protection,' which is almost metaphysical. Before facing a strong enemy, all sorts of illusions will arise in your mind to remind you, so that you can avoid fighting and thus have no way to lose?"

Shechuan nodded: "That's true."

"Then...did you see anything unusual about me?"

"Hehe, now I'm standing right in front of you."

"I see, what a pity." Hanon was somewhat regretful. Was she not strong enough to make Shibukawa activate his "protective aura"?

Of course not. Back on Christmas Eve, when Kanon and Adam first visited Shibukawa Goki, this old martial saint had already completed the ultimate protection and saw a scene of an ice-bound hell filled with poisonous flowers before facing Kanon.

He only lied to Hanon.

“Since last Christmas, my cultivation has also improved…” Shibukawa Takeki did not say what was on his mind: “At least when I encounter a protective phenomenon again, it will no longer shock me.”

After the referee finished his inspection, both Kanon and Shibukawa Goriki turned back to their starting positions. It was only then that Shibukawa Goriki truly broke free from the illusion he had been seeing...

When he first saw Hanon on Christmas Eve, the illusion he saw was a field of colorful, beautiful poisonous flowers growing on an ice that had never melted. At that time, he had probably just completed his "protection," so his perception was still quite exaggerated. Now, when he looked at Hanon again, all that Mr. Shibukawa saw was a sea of ​​flowers; the unmelting ice had vanished without a trace.

"The odds of winning this battle are higher than expected." Shibukawa smiled. "Although it's still a formidable opponent, I seem to have improved even more."

The changes in the protective illusion gave Shibukawa confidence. In this battle, he had... wait?

The old martial saint suddenly turned around. What did he sense?

It's the wind, it's the wind!

"Oh dear, it seems I was too arrogant..."

Turning back, Shibukawa saw the strange phenomenon reflected by the "protection" on Kanon again. It was still the same sea of ​​flowers, still without solid ice, but now, as Kanon prepared for battle, her mind and energy began to converge and become one, and a wind began to blow across the sea of ​​flowers, sometimes fast and sometimes slow.

A gentle breeze, though merely an illusion, was still refreshing. However, the wind carried pollen from flowers—oleander, datura, aconite, gelsemium, poinsettia, daffodil, poppy, belladonna… all poisonous. The pollen and even the sap of these poisonous flowers were carried into the air by the wind, leaving Shibukawa Goki, trapped within it, with nowhere to go and nowhere to escape.

At this moment, the old martial saint understood that it was not that his progress was greater than Hua Yin's, but that Hua Yin's martial arts style had undergone a huge change!

If the previous icefield flower sea foreshadowed the harmonious blend of strength and gentleness in Huayin, then this flower field in the wind represents "Huajin's" superb soft skills and mastery of neutralizing force, allowing her to defeat enemies invisibly.

"This is a real headache." The old martial saint shook his head with a wry smile. "It seems like it will be a bitter battle with little hope... If I became a monk, I might be able to find a reason to back down, but unfortunately, I am a martial artist..."

Ultimate self-defense prioritizes avoiding combat, yet martial artists can never be cowards. Is this the tragedy of Aikido? A self-defense technique is being used for fighting…

Shibukawa stepped forward with great determination; he was ready to fight no matter what!

Author's note: Sorry, sorry, it's late today! I spent too long reading a post this morning, haha.

Section 566, Chapter 560: The Nested Doll of Thought

No matter what difficulties and obstacles lie ahead, martial artists must forge ahead. The old hero, with unwavering spirit, strode forward towards "Hua Jin"!

That being said, Shibukawa's steps were very steady, and he did not back down in the slightest because his opponent was an unexpectedly strong enemy.

"Ah! How strange!" It was the commentator on the sidelines who exclaimed in surprise—this time it wasn't to hype up the atmosphere, but with his limited understanding of martial arts, he was genuinely puzzled: "Why, why is this? Neither Joaquin nor the old martial arts master Shechuan have taken a stance?"

"That commentator's skill level is indeed not high." As the last match of the quarterfinals, the duel between Joaquin and Shibukawa Goki attracted the attention of all the martial artists backstage, including Yuji Doppo. This old martial god had been badly beaten by Joaquin when he went on stage, and was now leaning against the wall staring at the screen, surrounded by several high-ranking members of the Shinshin-ryu school.

“It’s the natural form,” Du Bu said. “Both of these two have reached an extremely high level of martial arts skill, and the natural form is their stance.”

Then Doppo muttered to himself, "Karate doesn't use the natural body, but various jujitsu fighting techniques emphasize the training of the natural body. This stance combines offense and defense, and theoretically can handle any attack. So, if two people both use the natural body, when they fight... five steps, four steps, three steps..."

Kato Kiyosumi, standing next to Doppo, asked in confusion, "Master, what are you saying?"

"Two steps, one step!"

When Doppo Goji finished counting his last steps, Takeki Shibukawa in the arena also stopped moving forward.

"The old martial saint isn't leaving? This..." The commentator's train of thought couldn't keep up with the changing situation.

After counting his steps, Yuji Doppo told Kato, "This distance is the edge of the range controlled by our natural forms. Natural forms are good at defense and counterattack. In other words, if both of us are using natural forms, whoever takes the initiative to step into the other's attack range first will be put on the defensive. That's why Shibukawa Goki stopped, and Joaquin didn't move forward either."

The two are now frozen in place in the ring.

Kanon suddenly raised her hand and stretched it forward with lightning speed—but her feet remained stationary. Kanon and Shibukawa were more than two meters apart, so she couldn't actually reach him. This gesture was just to scare him, hoping that Shibukawa would instinctively back away.

Shechuan remained unmoved, her aura of strength unwavering.

"Um, you know, I'm not a real gangster..." After failing to lure the enemy, Hanon's raised hand turned into a scratching motion, and she said somewhat awkwardly, "I'm not good at staring at each other, so why don't you take a couple more steps forward?"

"Ha!" With a loud shout, Shibukawa Takeki also raised his hand and stretched it forward at an extremely fast speed.

The old martial saint had the same goal as Huayin, but he added a sound effect when he raised his hand... but it was no use, as Huayin remained unmoved.

Shibukawa, visibly annoyed, withdrew his hand and picked at his ear: "You brat, don't you know how to respect the elderly? How can you expect an elder to take the initiative?"

"Hey, giving priority to the elderly is a true virtue!"

"Alright then, let's stare at each other here. Maybe you young man have more stamina and I, an old man, will give up by tomorrow morning."

"Tsk, you really are a difficult old man to get along with..." Hana waved her hand: "Then I'll retreat to the sidelines and take a nap, and wait for the news that you've conceded defeat."

After saying that, Hanon really turned her head and walked away.

She had barely taken a step when she heard footsteps behind her. Hana's heart leaped with joy: "Old fox, you can't hold back anymore, can you~"

Sensing the murderous aura behind her, Hanon suddenly turned around and reached out to grab Shibukawa Takeki's arm. However, she was wrong. The moment she turned around, Hanon immediately noticed that the distance between herself and Shibukawa Takeki had not closed.

"Little fox, you can't hold it in any longer, can you~"

I know you know I know you know… This is a game of mental manipulation. After all, Shibukawa Goki has rich combat experience and is a seasoned veteran, definitely more patient than Kanon. There were indeed footsteps just now, but Shibukawa Goki only took a small step to match the distance Kanon retreated, maintaining the maximum distance within the natural control circle of both sides. As for the sudden killing intent, it was something he imitated on the spot—for a top martial artist over seventy years old, simulating killing intent is a technique that he can definitely learn if he wants to.

So in the end, it was Kanon who entered Shibukawa Takeki's control range first.

then……

"Ah! It's erupting!" the commentator exclaimed. "Both Joaquin and the old martial arts master Shechuan have unleashed incredible speed! They're exchanging blows! They're punching each other!"

Strictly speaking, Kanon was throwing punches, while Shibukawa was merely blocking. With a height of only 155 centimeters and a weight of 47 kilograms, it was wishful thinking for him to win by striking. The old man's real trump card was Aikido's grappling and joint locks, so when he reached out, he couldn't even form a punch; instead, he was trying to grab.

“I’ve fought Joaquin before. He’s incredibly fast. I don’t think Shibukawa can keep up with him,” Doppo Yuji assessed. “But Shibukawa is small and agile. He won’t be at a disadvantage in a few moves. The change in the battle will probably become apparent in ten to twenty seconds.”

Just as the "God of War" predicted, Shibukawa's speed was half a point slower than Kanon's. Although he gained the initiative and had a favorable start, the difference in speed gradually became apparent in their exchanges. At first, the two were on the offensive and defensive, but later it became Kanon attacking one-sidedly while Shibukawa kept dodging.

After about ten seconds of disassembly, Hanon suddenly threw a punch from below, undoubtedly driven by an offensive-defensive technique. If it landed, the fight would be over.

However, Shibukawa's agility was formidable; without making any significant movements, he subtly shifted back an inch, barely avoiding the attack.

But then Kanon threw another straight punch with her other arm, even faster than before, which Shibukawa couldn't avoid.

Yuji Doppo's one eye widened: "That's the move! It hit!"

Yes, this punch was both fast and powerful, and the timing was perfect. Shibukawa had no way to dodge it. With his physical abilities, he could only obediently take the beating...

Unless Hanon doesn't throw that punch.

Emmm, that punch really didn't land...

Is Kanon dumbfounded?

It wasn't that Kanon was stupid; it was that all the viewers were dumbfounded: "Are they treating us like fools? Why don't they keep fighting? Is it out of respect for elders?"

Of course it's not out of respect for the elderly and the virtuous. Hanon even fought against Gokuji Doppo, so why would she be so polite to Shibukawa Takeki? It's not that she doesn't want to, but that she simply can't.

On the sidelines, Honbu Izo broke out in a cold sweat: "This, how is this possible? This technique only exists in theory. Shibukawa-sensei... he actually used it in a real match?"

Just before being hit, Shibukawa stepped on Kanon's foot, but that wasn't the crucial point. The crucial point was that his thumb also pressed on a nerve on the back of Kanon's foot.

The human body is amazing. Just like you can't swallow your saliva six times in a row, or being hit on the knee will cause a knee reflex and make you lift your leg. By pressing on this nerve, you can prevent Hanon from straightening her arm that she uses to attack.

Soon, more and more onlookers saw what was happening: "My God, Shibukawa Tsuyoshi blocked Kanon's movements with just one toe!"

"You little brat, your attacks are merciless! Well then, I'll... take this!"

Hanon's fist paused for a second, and Shibukawa's palm covered his face. In a dizzying moment, Hanon spun twice in the air and fell to the ground.

Author's Note: Phew, today was so slow overall... It's okay, I'll try my best to finish four chapters.

Also, it's really hard for a person to swallow saliva six times in a row! Give it a try! Don't blame me if your throat hurts.