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

"A genius, truly a genius..." Anci murmured, clearly shocked by Kanon's performance. She had never systematically explained the key points of "Double Force" to Kanon; at most, Kanon had only watched Sanosuke Sagara practice for a day. Yet now she had mastered "Double Force" to an incredible degree, which was truly unbelievable. Even the word "genius" seemed inadequate to describe her.

But as time ticked by, Anci's expression hardened: "Miss Xia, you have the ability to protect yourself and even those around you, coming all the way from the East Coast to Kyoto to avenge Crescent Village. But you are special. Others don't have your skills, and those innocent children will still be swallowed up by the corrupt Meiji government... So I can't let you ruin my 'great cause of saving the world' no matter what."

"Ugh, how did we end up back here again..." Before Hana could finish her rant, Anji's thick arm came slapping her.

Hanon retreated, and the two of them were by the wall. Anci's attack landed on the wall with a "boom," causing massive damage once again.

The fight has begun.

Now that the fight had begun, Hanon was no longer holding back. She activated "Unbounded Illusion," retreated, and immediately lunged forward, throwing a punch at Anci.

Anci's movements weren't as fast as Kanon's, but he was also a seasoned fighter who had seen enemies with quick counterattacks before. As he threw a punch, his other hand was also on guard, meeting Kanon's attack just in time... "Wait a minute!"

Anci's eyes flashed as she realized something was wrong. She pulled back the fist that was about to receive Hana's attack and tried to dodge backward. What was originally a calm situation turned into a messy one.

But it turned out that Anji's dodge was correct, and Kanon's punch also hit the wall, "Boom—crash..."

That wall collapsed.

"Hiss... What kind of move is this?" As the inventor of "Double Force", Anci was confident in dealing with "Double Force", but Hana's move was not "Double Force", but its power was not weak at all, which greatly surprised Anci and made him gasp.

“This is called ‘Energy Dissipation,’ a profound and unique skill of Chinese martial arts.” Hua Yin shook off the dust on her body: “Whether it was intentional or unintentional, ‘Double Strength’ was taught to me by you, and I will not use it against you.”

“Miss Xia…” Anci was deeply moved. Although he and Huayin were on different sides and were going to fight this decisive battle that risked their beliefs and even their lives, he saw a lot in Huayin. She had the shadow of someone who had been bound to her in the past, she had kindness in human form, and she had the integrity of a martial artist. Just as Huayin did not dislike Anci, Anci could not hate Huayin either: “You are such a gentle person.”

The two exchanged a glance: "Let's do it then!"

In this rather large room, the wailing of the walls echoed once more...

Although Shishio's elite infantry suffered heavy losses in the battle of Kyoto last night, he still had some henchmen available for deployment at Mount Hiei. Given the commotion caused by the battle between Kanon and Anji, someone naturally rushed to inform Shishio.

Shishio and Yumi got up, putting on their clothes, while Sojiro and Hoji, still half asleep, rushed over.

Yumi exclaimed in panic, "What's going on? Someone launched an attack? Is Himura Battosai really so despicable as to launch a sneak attack in the middle of the night?"

Fang Zhi shook his head: "It doesn't seem like it. I have spies planted outside the Aoi-ya where Battosai and his gang are gathered. If they set off, the spies will definitely come to report first, and we won't miss them."

Just then, the second wave of messengers arrived, saying that the one fighting Anci was a girl, but the battle was too intense for them to get close enough to observe.

"A woman?" This answer was clearly unexpected by Zhizhi Xiong and his group. Fang Zhi looked incredulous: "Are you kidding me? A woman could break into our base and fight An Ci to a standstill?"

“It wasn’t evenly matched; I heard Anci even lost. Also, Fang Zhi, don’t underestimate women!” The second to speak was Yumi. As the only woman among the “Espada,” she was a little curious about this intruder: “Where did this girl come from? She doesn’t seem to be part of Battosai’s group.”

After a few moments of silence, Fang Zhi, who was known for his "hundred-knowledge," was the first to make a connection: "It is said that the one who defeated the sharp-horned one in New Moon Village was a local orphan girl, but when Saito Hajime and Battosai ambushed Lord Shishio in New Moon Village, they didn't see that girl. Last night, the 'Espada' fell in Tokyo. Although no one saw who did it, the retreating foot soldiers reported the rumors of the people of Kyoto that a woman captured a member of the 'Espada'... Could it be that the one fighting Anji now is this person?"

"Oh?" Shishio Makoto's lips curled up: "That's interesting. A highly skilled orphan girl is trying to stop me?" He waved his hand: "Sōjirō, go check on Anji. If that orphan girl is still alive, bring her to see me."

"Alright~" Sojiro accepted the task with a smile, picked up his sword, and headed outside. When he reached the door, Shishio called out to him again: "Wait! Sojiro, if that orphan girl doesn't come with you... it's alright to kill her."

"I understand. Is Lord Shishio worried about me?" Sojiro laughed. "No problem, because I am strong and can survive in this dog-eat-dog world." With that, he hurried toward Anji's residence.

However, at this point, that room could hardly be called a "dwelling".

Both "Double Force" and "Force Dissipation" are powerful tools for demolishing houses. Hanon and Anji are even more formidable martial artists. Their battle caused enormous damage, leaving the walls riddled with holes and even shattering the statue of Fudo Myoo. In any case, Hanon doesn't believe in Buddhism, and Anji is a monk who has broken his vows. As the battle raged, no one paid any attention to the consequences.

It must be said that Anci is a formidable opponent. The two fought for seven or eight minutes, and Hanon was unable to defeat him, which surprised Hanon.

Because Ying Fengxia's original body was too weak, and she would have to face several experts from Zhizhixiong's side tonight, Hanon dared not easily activate "Valkyrie Mode" to fight. The "Explosion Core" of this body was relatively weak, and the "Double Force" to compensate for the attack power was also sealed by Hanon, and the other moves were also discounted.

She had easily defeated Yu Shui, who was even higher in rank than An Ji among the "Ten Blades," because Yu Shui was blind and Kanon had the skill to completely counter him. But An Ji was different. Tonight, he was a martyr who had been injected with adrenaline, was full of fighting spirit, and was ready to sacrifice himself for his beliefs. He was also tall and strong and skilled in martial arts, which created this stalemate.

If we were to make a comparison, Anji would be roughly equivalent to the "Fighting King" Naoya Okubo, whose offensive prowess is specialized but whose overall technical skills are somewhat weakened. This sounds like an opponent that Kanon could have defeated back in the final elimination rounds, but Okubo is by no means weak; he is also a renowned and powerful fighter. Meanwhile, Kanon herself is plagued by debuffs...

Of course, the difference between the two is still very real.

Throughout the battle, Anci could only barely hold on. His body was covered in bruises from the heavy blows of the "Attack-Dissipation Force" and flesh wounds caused by the "Razor & Demon Spear & Rakshasa Palm," all dripping with blood. His burly body had also exhausted too much energy, and he could no longer catch his breath.

"It's almost over." Seeing Anci's exhaustion, Hana secretly breathed a sigh of relief: "It's worn me out too."

Seizing the opportune moment, Hanon launched another attack on Anji, but at the same time, Anji's spirits were lifted once more: "This is the moment!"

This highly skilled, broken-monk pulled a short sword from his robes.

Author's Note: I'll continue later, it'll be the third update.

Section 897, Chapter 888: The Magical Age

Well, although there's no rule against using weapons in this fight, it seems a bit unfair for Anci to suddenly pull out a short sword after fighting hand-to-hand for so long.

But his persona didn't collapse. On the contrary, it was a perfect embodiment of Anji's persona. He was a member of Shishio's "Ten Blades" unit. If he didn't carry a blade, he would be unworthy of the title.

So, is this short sword going to stab Hanon?

No, after a few minutes of fighting, Anci had already experienced Hanon's unparalleled defensive power. Even his "Double Force" had little effect. Even if he unexpectedly used a thrust, he would most likely fail, as he was not good at swordsmanship.

Anci carried this sword with him not for sneak attacks or thrusts, but as a derivative tool of his "Double Force" technique.

Just as Hana's punch was about to break through Anci's defense, Anci slammed his short sword into the floor. His incredibly powerful "double force" traveled along the blade into the floor, then along the ground, and exploded at Hana's feet.

"Holy crap!" Hana exclaimed in surprise. She really hadn't expected Anci to use such a ground-hugging "flying device," but it was too late. The force had already spread from the floor to Hana's legs, and then climbed up to her upper body. "Pfft! Pfft pfft pfft pfft!" Several jets of blood shot out from Hana's body. This was the first time she had suffered such a serious injury since the start of the battle!

Before Huayin could make a move, Anci's pursuit immediately followed—opportunity knocks but once. Even though she was trapped in Ying Fengxia's frail body, severely restricted, and had sealed her "Double Strength," Huayin's true strength still far surpassed Anci's. If it weren't for her lingering affection for Anci, and Anci's relentless fighting spirit, the battle would have been over long ago. Huayin understood this, so she fought with ease; Anci understood this as well, which is why she went all in.

We can't give up this hard-won opportunity so easily!

"Waaah—Bang!" With Hanon's scream, Anci's all-out "double force" struck her, sending her flying backward. That was a really vicious blow!

The outcome is decided!

"Miss A-Xia!" Anci immediately showed concern for Huayin after winning. He was a kind and gentle monk by nature, but his tragic background forced him to be fierce.

But as soon as she moved, Anci noticed a problem: "Huh?"

He looked down at his hand. His right arm, which had just delivered the decisive blow, was now dislocated and dangling at his side. A sharp pain began to spread, and he couldn't even feel the existence of his arm—it was dislocated.

It was a consensus that the outcome was already decided, but Anji felt that he had won, and Kanon... also felt that he had won.

"Sigh, I'm a good person, and you're not a bad person, why did we have to end up like this?" Anci's attack, which used a short sword to transmit vibrations, was truly beyond Hanon's expectations, and she had genuinely suffered those injuries. So when Hanon got up from the ground, there was blood on her body and at the corner of her mouth, but the injuries weren't very serious, far less important than Anci losing an arm—given the already significant difference in their strength, if the fight continued, Hanon could completely defeat Anci in just a few moves.

Anji tried to set his dislocated arm, but Kanon had simultaneously broken several joints in his right arm. Forcibly setting the bones to relieve the excruciating pain was futile. So Anji had to accept the reality that he had indeed lost.

"What kind of kung fu is this?" Anci asked.

Hanon readily answered all her questions: "It's still 'energy drain,' but a higher-level application called 'Phoenix Fairy,' which is my original creation~"

"As expected of you." Anci was too lazy to call Huayin a "genius" anymore. Her endless stream of powerful moves were all no less than "Double Force," but how old was she? "Double Force" was something Anci had painstakingly cultivated for ten years before comprehending and mastering!

However, even after the praise, Anci still raised her usable left arm.

Hana frowned: "You still want to fight?"

“…No need to say more.” Anci spoke breathlessly, from the torment of the excruciating pain in her arm and the exhaustion from the previous battle.

“You’re having trouble even standing.” Hana sighed softly, but raised her fist without hesitation: “If you want to fight, then let’s fight.”

"Oh!"

The outcome was already decided; there were no further developments, and Anci fell in less than three moves.

"Phew, all done. I'm so tired." Hanon clapped her hands. This battle was more exhausting than expected. Anji, in his fighting spirit, was a formidable opponent. Hanon had no choice but to sit down and rest for a bit.

"...Do you have time to listen to my story now?" A moment later, Anci woke up, but he didn't have the strength to get up. Seeing that Huayin was still there, he told Huayin his story.

The events weren't particularly dramatic. Anji was once an ordinary, kind-hearted young monk who took in several orphans who had lost their parents in the war, and they lived peacefully together. However, with the rise of the Meiji Restoration, a "rejection of Buddhism" movement erupted in rural Japan. This movement was exploited by ambitious individuals. The village chief of the village where Anji's temple was located, in order to seize the temple's property, assassinated Anji and burned the temple to the ground, killing the poor orphans in the process. Anji, who miraculously survived, transformed into a vengeful Myō-ō (myō-ō), vowing to cleanse the world of evil. He diligently practiced martial arts and joined Shishio's faction, plotting to "save the world."

"So that black eyeshadow of yours was the ashes of the orphan who was burned to death..." After hearing Anci's story, Hana sighed: "It was truly a human tragedy. It was only natural that you sought revenge against the evil village chief. He deserved it."

Then she changed the subject: "But it would be an overreaction for you to join Zhizhixiong's group later."

Anci became agitated: "Are we just going to let evildoers roam the world?"

"No, if you encounter evil guys again, I support you in eliminating evil for the people, but standing by the side of someone like Zhizhi Xiong and plotting to overthrow the whole society is just foolish behavior... No matter what kind of society it is, there will always be good people and bad people. Evil people can never be completely killed. Do you know why?"

Hua Yin then elaborated further: "Because human nature is complex, good and evil are separated by a single thought. Good people can turn bad, and bad people can turn good. The success of a society does not depend on whether there are evil people, but on the ratio of good to bad people, and whether it can encourage more people to perform good deeds, and reward or punish good and evil with morality and justice. If you want to overthrow the existing system just because there are bad people in the world, aren't you dragging the majority of good people down with you? In that case, what kind of 'enlightened king saving the world' is this? It's simply an act of evil!"

Unable to move, Anci was finally persuaded by Kanon. He murmured, "Was I really wrong? Could it be that the Restoration Government was actually doing a good job?"

"Actually, the Meiji government was only acceptable for the first twenty years. It certainly deserved to be overthrown afterward, but at least it is much better than Shishio's reign of terror. If you want to find a social solution that is closer to the truth... why not visit an old gentleman named Marx in Germany? He is still alive this year... This era is truly amazing."

By this time, Hanon had rested enough. She stood up and walked past Anci: "Think about those orphans from the past! What they wanted to see was that kind monk, not a vengeful demon."

Author's Note: Wow, what an auspicious chapter number! Wishing everyone a happy ending soon!

Section 898, Chapter 889: Anci, forced to work... and Kanon?

After listening to Hanon's words, Anji remained silent, unsure whether he was reminiscing about the orphans who had brought him peace of mind, or pondering the German sage Hanon had mentioned.

But no matter what Anci thought, Hanon had already started walking down: "Then, I won't stay here with you. I'm sure with your physique, you'll be able to get up on your own in a little while."

"Tap tap tap..." Hana's footsteps faded into the distance. After a long while, Anci finally realized, "Ah! This is Zhizhixiong's secret base, which he has been operating for many years. This area is full of traps and mechanisms. I should have shown the way to Miss Xia..."

However, Huayin has vanished without a trace.

"Forget it, with her skills, no matter what kind of traps there are, they can only temporarily hinder her progress." After the exchange, Anci knew that Huayin was not a child who needed his protection, but a peerless master whose strength was beyond comprehension: "Instead of worrying about Miss Xia, we should rest well and think about how to proceed in the future."

Anci was about to close his eyes to rest when he was interrupted by an acquaintance, Seta Soujiro, the number one expert of the "Ten Blades" who was ordered to "bring back" Kanon.

"Oh my, it looks like a great battle has taken place here~" Sojiro exclaimed as he stepped into the room. What greeted his eyes was a scene of ruins and rubble, with holes all over the walls. It could hardly be called a "room" anymore.

Then Sojiro saw Anji lying on the ground and blinked: "Looks like you lost, Master."

"Yes, I lost." Anci admitted it readily: "I lost not only in martial arts, but also in my beliefs..."

"Huh? That legendary girl is quite something! This is the first time I've seen Master Anci like this."

"...What are you doing here?"

"Lord Shishio instructed me to take her there, regardless of whether she lives or dies."

“She left that way.” Anji glanced in the direction Hanon had gone, and Sojiro understood immediately. But Anji added, “You are no match for her either; chasing after her would be futile.”

"Heh, that's not necessarily true~" Soujiro pushed off the ground and disappeared without a trace—he was incredibly fast!

His last words lingered in the air: "In a world where the strong prey on the weak, only the strong like me can survive."

"That child is also lost." Anci thought to herself. That's how people are; they are blinded by their own involvement, but they can see things clearly from the perspective of others.