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

After a long while, he seemed to wake up from a dream, cried out "Waaah!" and chased after them.

Musashi has already entered the arena, so how could he, as the master of the arena, not go to the front to watch the battle? As for the outcome and life or death of Musashi and Kanon, let these two extraordinary powerhouses decide for themselves!

In any case, he had already brought everyone a battle destined to become legendary, and Tokugawa Mitsunari's life was without regret. Hmm, if there were still a chance to see the winner of Musashi and Kanon challenge Hanma Yujiro and determine the true number one in the land, then Tokugawa could die in peace...

Musashi walked along the backstage corridor, past the empty players' lounge, and arrived at the entrance passage, which was already filled with noisy shouts, with a bright light at the end.

As he stepped outside, Hanon was already waiting there. Thousands of spectators were also present, filling the arena to capacity. Upon seeing Musashi emerge, a deafening roar of cheers erupted.

Musashi closed his eyes, raised his head, and enjoyed the feeling of being the center of attention—in his time, there were no venues or events where so many people could watch a fight together. The atmosphere of the Tokyo Dome underground arena truly captivated Musashi.

"Who says you can't rise above others by killing people in this era? This feels great."

"Hey, sir, there's a limit to narcissism."

The conversation awakened Musashi, who opened his eyes and looked at the little girl who was already somewhat familiar to him.

Today, Hanon is wearing athletic sweatpants on the bottom and a leather jacket on the top, which covers her body quite tightly, but overall she looks a size wider than before.

Musashi smiled and said, "Underneath the leather coat, you're wearing chainmail, aren't you?"

Hanon didn't mince words: "When I fight you, I have to make more preparations, since you can use a real sword."

"It's alright, you already said you would wear armor."

"So, uncle, have you found a suitable second knife yet?"

“Look, this.” Musashi drew the Great Prajna Long Light and waved it a few times. Many knowledgeable people in the audience immediately recognized its extraordinary quality: “Doesn’t that look a bit like the Great Prajna Long Light?” “Really? Isn’t that a national treasure?” “Yes, yes, I visited it yesterday. It’s been sitting in the Tokyo Museum.”

Musashi thoroughly enjoyed the feeling, and after sheathing his sword, he looked completely satisfied, which made Hanon feel a chill: "Ugh, the mighty Miyamoto Musashi, actually gets so happy because of other people's astonishment."

Musashi was indifferent to this: "So what! It's only human nature to like praise and want recognition, isn't it? Martial arts also follow the laws of nature. If you don't understand this, you shouldn't be standing here tonight."

“I understand what you mean.” Hanon lowered her head slightly, unexpectedly revealing an expression of unbearable sorrow: “These past few days, I’ve been getting lectures from various people… Among them, the old man from headquarters told me that ‘Bushido is the way to seek death.’ In your time, the samurai class had to serve their lord and seek a glorious death. But everything has changed in modern society. The Bushido of the new era should be about fighting to protect oneself and others, which is ‘the way to survive.’”

Musashi stared at Kanon without saying a word. He knew that Kanon's words had a hidden meaning and that she would definitely continue.

As expected, Kanon continued, "I understand what you mean, but I disagree with your point of view. Just as the core spirit of Bushido changes with the times, martial arts are also something that adapts to circumstances. Unlike the eternal and stable laws of nature, it is subject to change..."

Kanon pulled a grenade from her pocket and tossed it at Musashi's feet: "Uncle, times have changed."

Author's Note: There will be another chapter in a bit, probably a little after 1 PM. I watched a really addictive variety show today, "Clash of the Titans" hosted by Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson. It's a physical challenge between a group of fitness fanatics, it's really awesome!

Section 862, Chapter 853: Suppression

"Huh, a grenade?" The audience was stunned. Although Miyamoto Musashi was using a katana, making this no longer an ordinary fighting match but a real battle, it seemed a bit excessive for Kanon to launch a surprise attack and immediately use firearms...

At that moment, did the veteran spectators of the arena recall the horror of Yujiro Hanma being hit by the Hunters with a tranquilizer gun?

Don't worry, even if Kanon is shameless, she wouldn't actually use a grenade to bully the naive Musashi. This is just a smoke grenade shaped like a grenade... with a little bit of shrapnel damage.

Hey, Kanon, you're still saying this isn't a grenade?

No, it's a smoke grenade! The fact that it's as powerful as a hand grenade only means it's the king of smoke grenades, but so what if it's the king of smoke grenades? It's still a smoke grenade! Hey, if it were a hand grenade, would Miyamoto Musashi have taken a single step back?

"Boom!" Whether it was a smoke grenade or a hand grenade, it exploded on the ground, producing thick smoke.

Blood droplets splattered from the smoke, and as the smoke gradually dissipated, people were astonished to see that Miyamoto Musashi hadn't retreated an inch, standing there covered in blood! He truly was a man of steel!

Well, on one hand, Musashi is really tough, and on the other hand, he doesn't recognize the "King's Smoke Bomb" and thinks it's just an ordinary smoke bomb... There's also another reason, which is that Musashi is preparing to draw his sword.

As smoke billowed and shrapnel flew, Musashi protected his face with his right hand to prevent his eyes from being injured, while his left hand gripped the hilt of the "Nameless Golden Heavy" sword, ready to draw his sword at any moment.

How could a dignified swordsman, a peerless sword saint, Miyamoto Musashi, be forced back and put on the defensive by a mere smoke bomb? He stood still, letting the shrapnel cut his body and cause wounds, but his will was firm, waiting for Kanon to rush over so he could strike with his sword against the wind!

But after waiting in the smoke for almost a second without noticing Hanon rushing towards him, Musashi felt a sense of doubt: "She didn't pursue? Is the little girl so composed? Or did she see through my intentions and dare not confront my iaido head-on?"

Feeling it was useless, Musashi had no choice but to rely on his eyes. He lowered his right arm, which was covering his face, and prepared to search for Kanon's figure in the smoke with his eyes—but no, as soon as he opened his eyes, he found that Kanon had already closed in and was about to, no, had already begun to, launch an attack!

"Huh—what?" Musashi was shocked. How did Kanon get so close without him noticing? But there was no time to think about it. Musashi's left hand was still on the hilt of his sword. Kanon was about to attack, and drawing his sword was imperative. He couldn't wait any longer!

With a "whoosh," the "Nameless Golden Heavy" sword was drawn half an inch from its sheath, flashing with cold light. Its sound was like the roar of a tiger and the cry of a dragon, and it was poised to draw blood and kill. However, it was only drawn half an inch before it could not move again. When it tried to move again, it "whoosh"ed back into its sheath.

It was Kanon's left hand that pressed down on Musashi's left forearm, pressing down hard and preventing Miyamoto Musashi from drawing his sword!

At the same time, Kanon tripped Musashi's calf with her right foot and slammed her right shoulder into Musashi's chest. The immense force, combined with the loss of balance, caused Musashi to lean backward. He didn't fall, but instead controlled his body with his superb sense of balance. However, the laws of physics are there, and after being hit by Kanon, Musashi couldn't help but stagger backward.

Stepping back a few paces, Musashi gradually regained his balance, his left hand never leaving the hilt of his sword throughout the entire process. Once he had recovered somewhat, he prepared to draw his sword again and use Iaijutsu to slash at Kanon.

"Swoosh—" The sound of the sword leaving its sheath rang out again, and Musashi drew his sword once more, but this time... he still couldn't draw it.

Musashi was startled and exclaimed, "How could it be so fast?"

This time he saw it clearly. After knocking him aside, Kanon didn't stop. Her body swayed, and after her legs lost strength, she pushed off the ground and charged towards Musashi's retreating direction at an unimaginable speed. Musashi drew his sword halfway, but Kanon pushed it back down once again!

Not only did she suppress Musashi's Iaijutsu technique, but Kanon also completely replicated the previous set of movements, tripping him with her right leg and slamming him with her right shoulder, pushing Musashi backward once again!

Hanon's two consecutive suppression attacks, though identical in movement, employed different techniques: After the smoke bomb obstructed Musashi's vision, Hanon waited for her charge, then, drawing her energy, delivered a devastating strike! Therefore, Hanon didn't charge blindly, but instead activated the "No-Rhythm" martial art, a state of attack requiring no preparation, instantly closing in on Musashi and attacking without his notice. By the second wave of attacks, Musashi could visually assess the situation, making the "No-Rhythm" technique less effective. Thus, Hanon had to rely on the "Unpredictable Transformation" technique for a lightning-fast assault… but not only that, the "Thousand-Faced Goddess" technique was present throughout. During the first suppression, Hanon deliberately slowed her pace, causing the startled Musashi to misjudge her speed, allowing her to launch a surprise attack on the second attempt.

Kanon's relentless suppression stemmed from her observation and analysis of Musashi's previous battles. Regardless of whether the opponent was Bando, Pike, or Aguya Kiyoaki, and regardless of the blows and injuries he suffered, Musashi ultimately achieved a crushing victory. Aside from his superior martial arts skills, the most important factor was that he wielded a sharp weapon. Even if he traded blows with his opponent, ten punches from the opponent would not be as damaging as a single slash from Musashi.

Therefore, Kanon's strategy was to attack, attack, and attack again, suppressing Musashi as much as possible and preventing him from drawing his sword. Only by defeating him without letting his sword leave its sheath could Kanon possibly escape unscathed; otherwise, this battle would be difficult to end peacefully—five days ago, Musashi's center-line slash directly destroyed Kanon's alloy chest binder. With such power, no matter how strong Kanon's inner lining was, it would be difficult to protect himself, and fighting him head-on would be an extremely dangerous operation.

Musashi was knocked away twice by Kanon and staggered back, now almost at the edge of the arena. Kanon activated her "Unpredictable Transformation" again, flashing in front of Musashi once more... Unfortunately, it was too late.

Miyamoto Musashi's running speed certainly couldn't match Kanon's, but when it came to the speed of drawing his sword and executing a quick Iaijutsu, then not only Kanon, but probably no one in all of Japan, all of Asia, even the world, or throughout history could surpass him. Kanon could use "Thousand-Faced Goddess" to slow down during his first attack, but the second attack was a full-force charge. When the third attack came, Musashi used the same rhythm, flicking his wrist, and the "Nameless Golden Heavy" downward slash came.

"Whoosh—" was the sound of a sharp sword cutting through the air. This time, Musashi successfully drew his sword with his left hand and swung it freely toward the sky. Hana rushed over, and Musashi slashed at the wind. Even if he couldn't achieve complete success, he should at least leave some bloodstains.

But no, this sword not only failed to strike Hanon, but it wasn't even a "sword" at all—Hanon couldn't grab Musashi's hand to draw the sword, so she grabbed the scabbard and raised it along with Musashi's swing. Although Musashi's "Nameless Golden Heavy" was dancing in the air, it hadn't even been drawn from its scabbard yet!

Following this movement, Kanon turned around and snuggled into Musashi's arms. The two of them were like they were dancing a ballroom dance, and now it was Musashi's turn to embrace Kanon from behind.

Don't overthink it. Although the posture was somewhat ambiguous, the two people in the middle were focused and their moods were fierce. As Kanon crashed into Musashi's arms, Musashi took two steps back, and was now almost pressed against the wall. Kanon then took advantage of the slight opening to launch an attack—she used the "attack-dissipation" technique on her back, and with tremendous force, she slammed into him in the opposite direction—Iron Mountain Lean!

Author's Note: Whew, I'm really tired after writing this chapter. See you all tomorrow!

Section 863, Chapter 854: The Sword of Damocles

In a short period of time, Kanon suppressed Musashi twice, using techniques ranging from "No Rhythm" to "Thousand-Faced Goddess" and then to "Unpredictable Transformation," all of which are among the most profound skills in martial arts. Unfortunately, everything happened too fast, and now there are very few people who can clearly see Kanon's movements, let alone understand what Kanon actually did.

Most viewers only saw Kanon push Musashi away twice after the opening smoke bomb exploded, and Musashi, unable to draw his sword, retreating and chasing each other repeatedly, which was quite boring. Until this moment, although Musashi's sword was still not drawn, Kanon's formal attack had already begun.

"Oh, finally it's starting to look decent..." A less skilled audience member sighed.

"It's 'Iron Mountain Lean'!" A slightly more experienced viewer recognized the move: "This is a signature move of Chinese boxing. No wonder he is the Sea Emperor of the Chinese Martial Arts Province. His opening move is so representative."

Laymen only see the spectacle; they don't understand that this wasn't Kanon's first attack, nor do they understand that Musashi's sword, though unsheathed, was already extremely lethal—a point even Kanon overlooked.

Just as her Iron Mountain Lean was about to collide with Musashi, Musashi's sword fell to the ground faster than her, slashing down like lightning and hitting Hanon's shoulder.

"Eek—" Hanon felt a sharp pain in her shoulder, and the force of the slash was even more outrageous, causing her super stable center of gravity to tilt. Her powerful Iron Mountain Strike, which had the "attack-dissipation" technique, could not land. After hitting Musashi, it failed to cause decisive damage, only causing him to take two steps back and lean against the fence at the edge of the field.

Ah, actually this position is fine too. If Kanon continues to pursue, Musashi, who has been cornered, should be a better target. But Kanon had a bad feeling. Instead of turning around to fight again, she used her back to Musashi and the recoil from the impact to step forward and use "Unpredictable Transformation" to run far away.

Just as Kanon charged forward, another sweeping attack came from behind. The sword was incredibly fast, and even with Kanon's "Illusory Transformation" ability, a strand of her hair was still cut off. However, such a powerful attack didn't even create a sound; it came and went like a ghost. Miyamoto Musashi's swordsmanship was truly remarkable!

After reaching a safe distance, Hanon turned around and looked back. She saw Miyamoto Musashi standing with his sword, but "Nameless Golden Heavy" was still not drawn. It turned out that he had slashed down with the sheath attached, which was why it was so fast and only caused blunt force damage. However, it caused a small bruise on Hanon's shoulder. The muscle contraction accelerated blood circulation, and it disappeared without a trace in a few breaths.

"Hmm, although I'm not seriously injured, the pain is still there." Hanon rubbed her shoulder, grimacing, "It hurts, it hurts... Is the scabbard really that powerful? Amazing, amazing."

You have to understand that Kanon is usually protected by the "Raiden" (those who are skilled in martial arts), so it's quite remarkable that she could be hurt by a sword scabbard!

"It's Ganryu Island." On the stands, many truly knowledgeable and highly skilled martial artists sat with their friendly companions. The self-proclaimed "God of War," Doppo Guji, had specifically chosen to be with his disciples, such as Katsumi Guji, Kiyosumi Kato, and Atsushi Suedo, to provide commentary on the battle and learn from the duel between these two super-strong fighters. Doppo then addressed his students: "It's said that Musashi was late for his duel with Kojiro. Kojiro, impatient, drew his sword upon seeing Musashi, discarding the scabbard and rushing to fight him. But Musashi said, 'The sword and scabbard are one; you threw away the scabbard, indicating you are far from reaching the highest level. You are destined to lose this battle.' This shows that Musashi has long since reached a higher level; whether his sword is drawn or not, he is the most terrifying enemy."

Does that mean you can kill someone even without a gunhead?

"Does it make no difference whether the sword is drawn or not?" Hanon gave a self-deprecating laugh. "So, I made a mistake in my strategy when I started the battle. Should I be sad for doing something useless? Or should I comfort myself by saying that Musashi is just as powerful whether the sword is drawn or not, and it seems he can't hurt me?"

No, the answer is that Musashi's sword is powerful even when it's not drawn, but it becomes even stronger once it's unsheathed.

Under the watchful eyes of Kanon and the entire audience, Miyamoto Musashi drew his "Nameless Golden Heavy" sword and then threw the scabbard aside.

Huh? Why would Musashi throw away his scabbard?

Feeling the questioning gazes from his students, Doppo felt humiliated and blushed, a little embarrassed: "Ahem, the legend of the Battle of Ganryu Island has been full of errors since ancient times, and it is unknown whether Musashi really said those words... Besides!" Doppo found Musashi's reason for abandoning the scabbard: "Today, Musashi is facing Kanon with 'Niten Ichi-ryu,' and he still has an unsheathed katana at his waist, so naturally he cannot use one hand to hold the scabbard."

Musashi held one sword in his hand, but instead of drawing his other sword, he opened his mouth as if to say something: "Little girl, what shall we do next..."

Before he could finish speaking, a cloud of smoke rose up in the arena.

It was Kanon. Seeing Musashi draw his sword and sensing his rising aura, her first reaction was to suppress him before his momentum reached its peak. She unleashed her "Illusory Transformation" technique once more, deliberately stirring up dust during her charge to conceal herself within it, launching an attack on Musashi.

Musashi swung his sword again, this time without needing to draw it, and his speed was even faster. But when he swung his sword, there was no Hanon in the dust. Hanon had circled behind Musashi and thrust out the "Demon Spear".

Musashi sensed a murderous intent surging from behind, so after his previous slash missed, he didn't stop but instead launched a wide-ranging spinning slash that swept across the area behind him—only to miss again! Because Kanon's reaction was fast enough, she changed her move at the same time as Musashi, her figure swaying as she changed her "Demon Spear" into a "Finger Razor," circling around Musashi.

The radius of Hanon's circles grew smaller and smaller, bringing her closer and closer to Musashi's body. The threat of each "Finger Razor" attack increased. But Musashi's movements never stopped. A sword light followed Hanon closely, and no matter where Hanon circled, Musashi's sword light could instantly catch up, forcing Hanon to change her moves and look for another opportunity.

So the battle turned into Kanon circling Musashi, while Musashi kept slashing with his sword, and Kanon spun around in small circles like a top. The two of them were like planets orbiting each other, forming a stable balance.

"Damn it, what a stubborn old man! Doesn't he get dizzy from spinning around like that?" That's what Li Ren said. There are many martial artists with master-disciple relationships in the stands tonight, after all, there's no better "instructional film" than such a high-level duel.

Rito's teacher is, of course, Kuroki Gensai, who was also Kanon's former teacher.

"Ichiro, what have I ever taught you!" Uncle Kuroki scolded Rito first, causing Rito to calm down a bit: "Ah, Master, you said that a martial artist must be calm..."

“Kane is far superior to you in this respect.” Kuroki’s gaze remained fixed on the arena: “Musashi cannot stop… Right now, he probably can’t see Kanon.”

"What?" Rito was agitated again, so much so that Kuroki gave him a disapproving look. Rito stuck out his tongue, calmed down, and waited for Kuroki to explain further.

"Kane's movement is very special. She paired 'Unpredictable Illusion' with the 'Fox Shadow Style's' 'Instant' movement. This set of footwork utilizes the blind spots of human vision. Through high-speed movement and agile positioning, Musashi cannot find Kanon's position... Musashi's sword cannot stop, nor dares to stop. The slightest pause will result in a fierce attack from Kanon. Even so, he has actually already revealed some weaknesses, but Kanon has not..."

"Why doesn't Hanane seize these openings?" Rito exclaimed, "Teach this arrogant Musashi a lesson with 'Razor'!"

Kanon's "finger razor" technique was copied from Rito. If Kanon can use this move to severely injure or even defeat Miyamoto Musashi, Rito will also be honored, and he will naturally cheer for Kanon.

Kuroki was truly exasperated by Rito's hot-bloodedness: "Sigh... Luckily, Kanon isn't as reckless as you, and didn't fall for it."

"Huh? I've been tricked?" Rito was stunned.