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

Therefore, setting fire to Kyoto that night to assassinate political figures was just the beginning. Shishio's side even intentionally or unintentionally leaked the plan in order to divert the government's military and police forces. He personally led gunboats out to sea, from Osaka Bay to Tokyo Bay, to bombard Tokyo with Armstrong cannons, causing greater turmoil and even forcing the Meiji Restoration government to surrender, and then reenacting a grand drama of "Edo's surrender".

This is a clever scheme... but it's not that unfathomable. At least Kenshin Himura, who also served as an executioner for the Ishin Group, saw through its secret.

While Kanon, the Oniwabanshu, Kyoto residents, government military and police, and members of Shishio's "Ten Espada" were entangled in Kyoto, Kenshin Himura, Sanosuke Sagara, and Hajime Saito also fought Shishio on a gunboat in Osaka Bay. As expected, good triumphed over evil. Although they failed to defeat Shishio, Kenshin and his group successfully destroyed the gunboat, thwarting the plan to bombard Tokyo.

Finally realizing that he was being restrained by Kenshin and his companions, Shishio made a pact with Kenshin to have a showdown at their base on Mount Hiai, a famous mountain near Kyoto, so that they could eliminate the obstacles and then replan their overthrow of the Meiji Restoration government.

The decisive battle is just a matter of one or two days, and all sides are making their own arrangements, but in reality, no one has that many choices...

"Last night's attack by Shishio's gang caused more than fifty fires of varying sizes. In the clashes with the assailants, forty-one police officers died, and several others were seriously injured. There were no reports of civilian deaths." As the sun rose, Saito Hajime, Kenshin, and Sanosuke returned to Kyoto and received the report from the previous night.

Saito Hajime looked at the report and clicked his tongue in amazement: "It's simply a miraculous number. With such casualties, we managed to capture more than four hundred of Shishio's desperados."

"But if we don't completely defeat Shishio, such attacks will continue to happen." Kenshin Himura, just as Kaoru described in her missing person notice, was a short, handsome swordsman with red hair and a cross-shaped scar on his face. At first glance, he didn't seem intimidating, making it hard to believe that he was the strongest swordsman in the late Edo period, the one who assassinated countless political enemies for the Meiji Restoration.

Kenshin said, "Saito, you need time to handle these matters, right? Then let's rest for a day and set off for Mount Hiei to fight Shishio tomorrow morning."

“Okay.” Saito Hajime habitually dangled a cigarette from his lips as he carefully read the report. “The rest of the cleanup work was fine, except for this mysterious woman—last night, during the retreat of the Shishio 'Espada' members, she was suddenly attacked, causing a huge riot in the suburbs. When the police arrived, they only found five 'Espada' members who had been knocked down and tied up, as well as the doll-like skin of a 'Espada' member named Yiwanbo. In other words, the 'Espada' suffered heavy losses last night, and all of this was done by one person!”

"Such a thing is true!" Kenshin Hisura was greatly shocked: "I have fought against Zhang, one of the 'Espada,' and he is a very formidable opponent. If all the 'Espada' are of his strength, how could someone defeat six of them at the same time..."

“She’s a woman, a young girl.” Saito was also a little uneasy. “According to the descriptions of the arrested ‘Espada’ members, she was a short girl wearing a police uniform, with extremely high martial arts skills. She took down several ‘Espada’ members in direct combat. But they don’t know any more information. There are no female police officers in the Kyoto Police Department. Where this mysterious person came from and why she is fighting are completely unknown… She’s a threat.”

"Well, I don't think we need to overthink it." Kenshin's personality was quite gentle; he smiled and comforted her, "There are many extraordinary people out there. Perhaps she just disapproves of the well-meaning people like Shishio's group launching terrorist attacks. At least she's a friend, not an enemy..."

Saito shook his head: "Not necessarily. Putting aside the stance against Shishio, after this matter spread, the people of Kyoto have developed many versions of the story. Some say it's about gods and monsters, some say it's about female ninjas and female swordsmen, and some say it's about chivalrous thieves. Whether it's bandits or government officials, anyone who dares to oppress the people will be punished."

“Isn’t that great?” said Sanosuke, who was standing next to him. He didn’t like the Restoration Government either, but he disliked Shishio and his gang even more, which was why he stood up for his friend Kenshin. “If the Restoration Government is detrimental to the common people, then there should be chivalrous people like her to step in. I really want to meet her!”

Ugh, this guy has the nerve to say that! He and this "heroine" have argued so many times already...

"Hmph, the existence of such a legend will shake the authority of the Meiji Restoration government." Saito finished his cigarette and stubbed it out. "But it's none of my business. I'm just curious about what kind of person this is."

Indeed, Saito, as the former captain of the third division of the Shinsengumi, was a samurai who stood on the opposite side of the Meiji Restoration government. Although he joined the police force, he was still an unruly wolf.

"Anyway, let's set off tomorrow morning to find Shishio and have a final showdown."

The legend of this mysterious female warrior gradually evolved into several versions. One version says that after defeating the "Ten Blades" villains, the female warrior left behind a bunch of wild roses at the scene. This version is very romantic and popular, and gradually the legend of "Female Warrior Rose" formed in the folk of Kyoto. A hundred years later, with the advent of the information age and the increasing cultural exchanges between regions, this legend took root in Hong Kong and combined with superhero culture, becoming the story of "Female Warrior Black Rose"... But that's all in the future.

Our "Heroine Rose" Hana-ne is now sleeping in her room after a night of commotion.

This body is very weak, and the continuous battles have exhausted it greatly. In addition, the "White Wall" restaurant is not open today due to the chaos last night, so Hua Music has to sleep all day.

"Hmm, I wonder how much time is left. Now that we've found out the location of Shishio's gang's hideout from Old Man Saitama, let's have a final battle after we wake up tonight!"

Author's Note: A little overdoing it, but it'll still be three updates today!

Chapter 894 Chapter 885: Night visit to Mount Hiei

On the same night of the failed attempt to burn down Kyoto, Shishio Makoto, who had returned to Mount Hiei, suffered another major blow—of the "Espada" members sent to Kyoto for arson and assassination, only "Myō-ō" Anji successfully returned.

This most notorious, ruthless, and arrogant terrorist in Japan today was originally the second-generation Battōsai, recruited by the Ishin Group after Himura Kenshin, who eliminated many political enemies for the Ishin patriots. However, as time went on, his uncontrollable ambition gradually became known. Feeling that his values ​​clashed with Shishio's and that the Ishin Group could not control him, they seized an opportunity to ambush Shishio and even threw him into a fire to roast him... To have survived to this day, it must be said that Shishio's vitality is truly tenacious; he is a true visitor from hell.

Now, Shishio is covered in bandages, looking like a monster, but his strength has only increased, surpassing even his former glory. This ordeal has honed his character, making him even more composed and ruthless. Even after suffering such a major setback, he remains outwardly calm and collected. From his meeting with his "senior" Kenshin Himura in Osaka Bay to hearing upon returning to Mount Hiei that more than half of the "Espada" had been wiped out, he said little and showed no anger—at least outwardly.

The rest of the group were more agitated, especially his lover, Komagata Yumi, one of the "Espada," who was absolutely furious: "What are those guys good for! Kamatari is usually so arrogant, always trying to steal Shishio-sama from me, how come he was so easily defeated?"

"Hehehe, Yumi-nee, don't do that, it'll make your skin worse." The smiling boy "Heavenly Sword" Soujiro, one of the top martial arts masters in the "Ten Blades," advised, but his words didn't seem to be very effective... Just as Yumi was about to continue her outburst, she was interrupted by the action of someone next to her smashing something.

"Damn it, damn it, damn it!" That was another non-combat member of the "Espada," the strategist known as "Hundred Knowledge," Sadojima Fukaji. Like Yumi, he especially hated being unable to help in a crisis because he couldn't fight on the front lines himself, and he was the most unable to accept the failure of his comrades: "Even Fuji was deployed, and not only did we fail, we couldn't even manage a smooth retreat! Could it be that the Restoration Government has some unexpected secret weapon?"

"Oh dear, even Fang Zhi is going berserk..." Sojiro still smiled, his expression unchanged: "Well, if it were you, I wouldn't bother comforting you, your skin is already bad enough anyway~"

"Even Yu Shui was defeated? Who did it? Do you have any clues?" Zhi Zhixiong, who had been silent all along, finally spoke up and asked An Ci, the only one who had returned safely.

Anci shook her head: "I was not attacked, and I don't know what happened to the others."

Shishio remained noncommittal, then turned to Sojiro: "So, what do you think?"

"Hmm... there's only one answer, isn't there?" Sojiro thought for a moment: "'After all, this is a world where the strong prey on the weak. Only the strong survive, and the weak die.' That's what you taught me back then. I guess the losses of the others are just losses."

"Well said!" Shishio, true to his reputation as a ruthless leader, boosted morale with just a few words after the plan's disastrous failure. He waved his hand: "It doesn't matter if the 'Ten Espada' are wiped out. As long as we defeat Himura Battosai and the other lackeys of the Restoration Government, the rest are nothing to worry about. We can rebuild our lost power—everyone, follow me and wait for Battosai's arrival. We'll settle this here! Anji, you go first. Your opponent is that bastard Sagara Sanosuke who sank my gunboat. Bring back his head to me!"

Anci nodded slightly, said nothing, and silently walked out of the room.

"Lord Shishio..." Yumi, having calmed down, leaned closer and whispered, "Although we have no one else available right now, is it really a good idea to send Anji to deal with Sanosuke Sagara? I heard that Anji personally taught that guy his 'Double Force.' With that friendship involved, even if Anji were to turn against us, I'm afraid he would at least show mercy, right?"

Zhizhi Xiong smiled slightly: "No need to say more. Anci is a man of great loyalty and righteousness. Although he is a monk who has broken his vows, he is still a Buddhist at heart... But there is no need to worry. He has anger that far exceeds ordinary emotions. This anger drives him to come with us and will also drive him to destroy everything in his way until he completely overthrows the reformed government and completes the great cause of saving the world."

A great tyrant is always good at judging people. Anci, the "Myo-o", remained unmoved. He quietly went to his room, smashed the Guanyin statue inside with a punch, leaving only the imposing and wrathful statue of the guardian deity, Fudo Myo-o, who subdued all demons. Then he sat quietly in meditation to rest and wait for the arrival of Kenshin Hisumura and the others the next morning.

As the second watch of the night approached, all was quiet. The entire Mount Hiei was resting and lying in wait, anticipating a great battle.

However... it seems the battle will begin sooner than expected.

Anci, who was meditating, suddenly opened her eyes and glared at the darkness: "Who is it? Show yourself!"

At this moment, he was filled with anger and contempt, because the only people who could have broken into Mount Hiei at this time were Himura Battousai and his gang: "A renowned swordsman, yet he resorts to sneak attacks and infiltration. As expected of the despicable lackeys of the Restoration Government! This kind of world should be overthrown and rebuilt!"

“Hey, Master Anci, you weren’t this irritable before.”

A person slowly emerged from the darkness, and Anci was utterly shocked when she recognized them: "...Miss Xia?"

The person who arrived was none other than Huayin.

She wasn't familiar with Kenshin Himura or Hajime Saito, and didn't get along well with Sanosuke Sagara. Anyway, she didn't know how long she could stay in this world. Maybe a day or two, maybe three or four days, maybe... cough, it was best not to transmigrate right away, otherwise she might end up killing her ancestors here.

The feeling was quite strange, like a dying person completing a bucket list. So Kanon didn't care when Kenshin Himura and the others would come to challenge Shishio. Today, she had slept well and eaten a hearty meal, and following the directions given by the old man Saitsuchi, she arrived at Mount Hiei.

Hanon, fighting alone, was both highly skilled and daring, her formidable strength imbuing her with confidence. Facing the surprised Anji, Hanon calmly approached and said, "Hello, it's nice to see you again."

Anci frowned. The girl in front of him shouldn't be here, nor should she be radiating such astonishing fighting spirit: "You... are you really A-Xia? How did you get here?"

"I'm here to take down Shishio and his gang." Kanon gave a direct answer: "I was also surprised when I found out you were a member of the 'Espada'... I know you're a good person, so I don't want to be your enemy this time. Please leave. I'm only targeting Shishio."

“You…” Anci felt incredulous. Judging from the aura emanating from Hanon, he believed that Hanon was indeed a top expert and had come to fight. However, from both an emotional and visual perspective, he simply could not understand Hanon’s behavior.

So, all those words and complex thoughts ultimately boiled down to opposition to Hanon's purpose: "No matter who you are or what you want, I cannot let you pass." Anji said, "Shishio is indeed a devil, but his existence is necessary to achieve the great cause of saving the world. It's you who should step down!"

Author's Note: I'll continue in a bit. I've gotten used to this update frequency lately... Oh dear.

Section 895, Chapter 886: Standing and Discussing the Dao, a Genius Girl

"Then there's no room for negotiation." Seeing Anci's resolute attitude, Hanon had no choice but to stretch her limbs, abandon her fantasies, and prepare for battle... But she was still curious about something else: "But I'm also curious about something else, what exactly is this 'great cause of saving the world' that you keep talking about?"

“Those hypocrites, with their human faces and beastly hearts, have robbed the future of pure people who should have received salvation. The Meiji era, after the turmoil of the late Edo period, is filled with hopeless individuals whose hearts have been corrupted by hasty changes.” Anji’s language was very, well, very broad: “To save the innocent, we must punish those incorrigible scum. I will become the ‘Myō-ō’ and overthrow everything in the Meiji government!”

"Please speak like a human being, Master!" Kanon realized she had misjudged Anji; he shouldn't be the kind of person who made her roll her eyes like Sanosuke... Unfortunately, she still couldn't maintain her composure. Kanon rolled her eyes: "In short, you want to overthrow the Meiji Restoration government, completely break the existing shackles, and believe that this will bring about social change and allow the people to live in peace and prosperity?"

Hanon shook her head vigorously: "I don't agree."

"Hmm?" Anci's heart skipped a beat, and then he heard Huayin say, "Hey, monk." Her way of addressing Anci had become somewhat distant: "Do you know about Crescent Moon Village?"

“I’ve heard a little about it.” Anci figured out the key point: “Could it be that you are…”

“Yes, the people of Crescent Village.” Hana bowed slightly, bringing herself into Ying Fengxia’s story: “Crescent Village was disrupted by Shishio and his gang, who broke the old order and established a completely new reign of terror. But people’s lives didn’t improve; instead, they became more miserable, like hell. You only talk about overthrowing the old system, but you can’t come up with a better new plan. Your so-called ‘salvation’ is nothing more than wishful thinking and venting your anger!”

Anci frowned, but was not speechless: "I said that Zhizhi Xiong is a devil, but the existence of this devil is necessary. Crescent Village is a pawn in his plan, and its situation is forced by circumstances. After the reform government is overthrown, things may get better."

“Tsk, listen to this, listen to this, ‘forced by circumstances,’ ‘perhaps.’” Hana rolled her eyes again: “I thought that you, Abbot Anci, had pondered for many years, and now that you’re blocking my way, you must have some profound insights. I never expected you to utter such vulgar words. If you can hope that the country under the rule of this devil Shishio will become better, then why don’t you think that the government established by the once passionate and upright reformers can manage society well? Just because some of them have become corrupt and degenerate, you completely deny this era and this government? It’s like Gian… Ah, it’s like someone who has been doing bad things, and occasionally does a good thing and people think he’s not beyond redemption, while someone who has always been a good guy suddenly does something bad and becomes a heinous villain in everyone’s eyes.”

Of course, neither Shishio nor the current Japanese government will do anything good in the future. Kanon, who has studied history, knows all too well what will happen decades later; some of these guys are truly beyond redemption even if they die a hundred times. Unfortunately, Kanon's time travel was too short to truly change anything; she can only let history unfold as it will, and at least the final result isn't bad.

After being rebuked by Hanon, Anji was finally speechless. From his perspective, siding with Shishio was indeed problematic. However, the pent-up anger in Anji's heart had been building for many years and couldn't be easily erased. He said in a hoarse voice, "What you say makes sense, but I can't suppress my anger. You ask me why I would rather cooperate with the devil Shishio than forgive the wrongful Restoration Government? Well then, I'll tell you my story. It was nine years ago..."

"No need." Anci had just started to speak when Huayin waved her hand to stop him: "You were seventeen that year, and she was seventeen too... I've heard too many stories of this kind of grudges and grievances. I don't have much time, and I don't want to hear your story. Maybe you have your own compelling reasons to support Zhizhixiong, but we've already made it very clear in terms of justice."

"...As expected, there's nothing we can talk about." Anci remained silent for a moment, then finally sighed. Yes, he wasn't going to back down, but Huayin insisted on moving on. What else was there to say but a fight?

Hmm, there is indeed one thing I need to talk about.

An Ci took a few steps to the side and stood by the wall: "Miss Xia, I can sense that you are no ordinary person. Tonight, your fighting spirit soared to the heavens; you must be a martial arts master! I have already witnessed your talent for instantly mastering 'Double Strength,' and it is indeed formidable. If you were to use it to learn other martial arts, it would surely be twice as effective with half the effort. This is the source of your confidence in creating this place. But—"

At this point, Anci suddenly attacked the wall beside him, activating his "Double Force". However, it did not come from his fists, but from his elbows and kicks, which also punched a huge hole in the wall!

"What I taught to Sanosuke and what you secretly learned was only the most basic of the basics. I have studied 'Double Strength' for ten years and it is a true ultimate skill. You are still far from being able to master it! No matter what kind of martial arts you have mastered, you will never be my match."

With a compassionate heart, Anci added, "I'll say it one last time: you can choose to leave."

At this moment, he was glaring fiercely, truly possessing the appearance of a wise king. Standing beside a wall he had smashed, his words of persuasion were incredibly convincing!

But Kanon... she smiled.

Laughing, Hanon walked to the wall, raised her arm, activated the "Demon Spear," and pierced straight into the wall. "Pfft!" All five fingers disappeared.

“I’ve seen an elder carve this kind of Myō-ō Buddha statue.” Hanon couldn’t help but think of Kuroki Gensai, her martial arts mentor, who also had a habit of carving Buddha statues with his “demon spear,” somewhat like Miyamoto Musashi. Although the Musashi Hanon fought hadn’t shown any interest in carving Buddha statues, the legendary Musashi was quite fond of this craft.

Sigh, just thinking about Kuroki and Musashi made Kanon nostalgic for the world before this inexplicable time travel. She had built too many bonds there, and in order to return smoothly, she had to ensure Takakaze's survival and to live a better life.

"I should thank you, Anci. My body is very weak, and this kind of piercing is difficult for me even though I can use it." Ying Fengxia's physical condition is not good, and it is very difficult for her to use the "Demon Spear" without activating "Valkyrie Mode". Huayin's five fingers inserted into the wall are now experiencing severe pain.

“But after learning your ‘Double Strength,’ even someone as frail as me can unleash a powerful, devastating attack. It truly is a unique skill,” Hana said sincerely.

Then she clenched her fist, and with the arm that was stuck in the wall, she thrust forward. Her muscles surged forward in an instant, and she slammed into the wall. With a loud "boom," Hana punched a hole in the wall that was three times the size of Anci's!

"Ahhh!" Anji's eyes widened, her mouth agape, utterly stunned by Kanon's performance. This... this wasn't just a matter of "double-layered force," it was practically "a thousand-layered force"! Even if that was a bit of an exaggeration, it should at least be "ten-layered force"...

"Hehe~" Facing the speechless Anci, Hana smiled sweetly: "I'm a genius~"

Author's Note: I hope the Rurouni Kenshin storyline will end tomorrow, or the day after...

Chapters 896 and 887: A Battle That Was Not Easy