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Author's Note: Is the otherworldly big boss, Hanon, really gone just like that? See you all tomorrow...

Section 958, Chapter 949: The Resilient Hana

"Kane has been inside the gymnasium for a long time and hasn't come out yet. I'm really worried about her." Suoh Mihoko clenched her hands tightly against her chest, filled with worry.

Outside the gymnasium of the Imperial Sakura Academy, there were warriors, strongmen, and muscular men invited by Kanon. The gymnasium was located in the woods, and beyond the woods, another group of people were waiting.

Mihono was accompanied by Adam, Garuda, and Hitomi, all members of Kanon's usual close friends and family. However, unlike usual, Kirito Takakaze and the old butler Itō were missing, replaced by Hitomi's three best friends and psychic girls: Hina Nitta, Kyoko, and Mao—whom Kanon had specifically asked Hitomi to invite as bodyguards for the group. Originally, Kanon didn't want Mihono to come, but given that it was a life-or-death battle, Kanon couldn't persuade her otherwise. Garuda and Adam were in the same boat. Helpless, they had to compromise and let them wait for Kanon's news from a more distant place.

"Kanon will definitely be alright!" Garuda's personality is more outgoing and optimistic than Enoki's. Although she was also worried, she could at least reassure everyone on the surface: "Kanon has faced so many powerful opponents, and she has been able to defeat them all. Whether it's the king of the Kengan Association, or gangsters, martial artists, legendary fighters from all over the world, or even primitive people from ancient times and the most powerful swordsman in Japanese history, none of them have been defeated by Kanon... I believe in Kanon, she will win!"

"Alas, how could I not know how strong Kanon is?" Miho sighed softly. She wasn't stupid; no one knew Kanon's strength and achievements better than her. She had thought of these reasons to comfort her countless times, but concern makes one lose their composure. In the past, every time Kanon faced a strong opponent, Miho couldn't help but worry about her lover, and this time was no exception, even more so. After all, Kanon's opponent was another Kanon. If the name "Yo Kanon" represented strength, then this opponent shared the same glory.

The winner will definitely be "Yo Hanane", but which world's Hanane she is remains unknown...

The two girls who were deeply in love with Kanon were worried, as were Kanon's friends. However, as time went on, they had some time to have other thoughts. For example, Adam, thinking that Kanon was fighting against "Ye Kanon," couldn't help but let his mind wander: "I heard that the 'Ye Kanon' from another world is a scientific genius. Tsk tsk, the young lady usually seems so shrewd and capable, but I didn't expect her to become the 'muscle' side in this 'muscle vs. mind' battle... Sigh, I'm also worried about the young lady. Those high-tech guys always have strange methods. I hope she doesn't fall for them and get caught out."

Life is full of disappointments, and it's hard to verify whether 80% or 90% of them are true, but at least Murphy's Law is certain: if you think bad things, bad things will happen. Adam had just finished thinking those words when an explosive cloud rose up in the woods in front of him, followed by several loud bangs, the sound of explosions and collapses, and the panicked shouts of people. The abandoned old gymnasium of Royal Sakura Academy... collapsed.

"Ah—" Miho and Garuda cried out in unison, almost fainting from fright. Fortunately, Adam caught them one in each arm, and then they all ran over together, supporting each other.

The explosion at the stadium ignited the trees, and the temperature rose higher and higher along the way, making it increasingly difficult to move forward. People who had been gathered near the stadium were forced to retreat, and chaos ensued in the forest. Amidst the commotion, Adam, quick-witted and agile, spotted a familiar face, Ghost King Mountain Lord, and grabbed him, asking, "Hey, what happened?"

"I don't know, we were just practicing 'four-legged stance' on the side as Kanon asked us to, when suddenly the gymnasium exploded and the fire was huge—don't worry about why now, let's put out the fire!"

"Yes, yes, put out the fire, put out the fire!" Miho cried out in panic, but she was at a loss and didn't know what to do. Fortunately, her thoughtful little sister Hitomi was there. She tugged at her three superpowered best friends beside her: "Um, Hina, Kyoko, Mao, please move the burning trees away..."

Fortunately, with these three girls with superpowers there, they didn't have to wait for the fire trucks to arrive. They immediately started uprooting the burning trees, and the fire began to subside at a visible speed.

"Boom—" Burning trees crashed to the ground, the shockwave carrying far and wide, passing through the fire and reaching the center of the stadium...the ruins.

"Boom—" Another loud noise rang out, and the collapsed rocks in the ruins were violently shaken apart. Immediately afterwards, a gust of wind blew outward from the point of explosion, pushing away all the broken stones and tiles, and also blocking the flames, creating an open space.

The one who pushed the rock away was Kanon, uh, our protagonist Kanon. She also has a "Holy Spirit" version of Kanon attached to her, and blowing the rock away was something she did with her superpowers.

After escaping, Hanon's first words were...

"Ptooey, ptooey, ptooey!" Hana spat out the dust in her mouth and complained irritably, "That guy actually chose to self-destruct, he's insane! What good would it do her?"

"But her self-destruction was very successful, wasn't it?" The voice of the "Holy Spirit" rang in Hanon's mind: "It broke our blockade against the 'evil spirits' and almost killed you as well."

"At the cost of her own life? She came here seeking emotional pleasure, not to die..."

With her amazing eyesight, Kanon saw it clearly. The shockwave from the self-destruction originated from Kanon's body. In the instant of the self-destruction, she turned into a human torch and then tore into pieces. Judging by common sense, she was definitely dead.

But the "Holy Spirit" refuted Kanon's point of view: "That's not right. I can sense that besides you and me, there are other people here with signs of life. I'm afraid the 'Black Robe' is still alive."

"What? How is that possible? This isn't a fantasy world!" Hua Yin rolled her eyes. It wasn't that she didn't believe the "Holy Spirit's" words; it was precisely because she believed them that she found the matter unbelievable. The "Black Robe's" vitality was far too tenacious! She had personally witnessed it explode!

But what happened next left no room for doubt for Kanon—a gust of wind came from behind her head, and Kanon turned her head to dodge it. When she looked back, hey, it was "Ye Kanon" again.

The "black robe" could no longer be called a "black robe." Her black armor had vanished, leaving only a single garment, presumably destroyed in the self-destruction. However, a spirit was attached to her, and with the "Holy Spirit" possessing her and her mental power enhanced, Hana could see that the spirit was an "evil spirit" that had been severely suppressed and whose mental power had been greatly depleted.

"you……"

Before Hanon could even say a few words to express her shock and confusion, the "black-robed" and the "evil spirit" had already attacked again.

"You, no, you're courting death." Hanon's shock turned into a sigh. She had already mastered the resonance frequency that adapted to the "Black Robe," which was enough to physically suppress her opponents. As for "magic," the "Evil Spirit," which had originally had the advantage, was now extremely weak and was being completely crushed by the "Holy Spirit." It was amazing that the "Black Robe" had survived its self-destruction, but if they continued fighting, the result would be no different—the combination of Hanon and the "Holy Spirit" would undoubtedly win.

Sure enough, Hanon's fist easily broke through the "black robe's" defense, and she punched her in the face. She used a shock technique, and the "black robe" and the "evil spirit" flew far away—it should be over now!

No, not yet.

"Huh? Why wasn't it knocked out?" Hanon was even more surprised. She saw that after the "black-robed" was knocked away, she actually stood up unsteadily. Hadn't she found her resonance frequency? Why was the power less than expected?

“I think… this is not what we should be focusing on…” The voice of the “Holy Spirit” rang out again, this time with an unexpected tremor, sounding somewhat frightened.

"What's wrong with you? Ah!" Before she could finish her question, Hana saw some more people emerge from the burning forest.

They are women, they are young girls, they are the girls that Hanon knows well—because they are all "Yo Hanon".

Section 959, Chapter 950: Saving Yourself is Saving the World

"Boom!" The last burning tree was cleared, and with the efforts of the three super-powered girls, a path was finally cleared leading to the original stadium.

"Hoo, I'm so hungry." Nitta Hina rubbed her stomach. She had no problem helping her acquaintance, Kanon-san, but overusing her superpowers would make her hungry, which was also a big deal.

"Thank you, Hina. I'll treat you to fish roe rice from now on, as much as you want." Miho said, then took Garuda's hand and ran towards the gymnasium. Behind them were Adam, Oni-no-yama, Retsu Kaiou, Kuji Katsumi... Many people cared about Kanon, and everyone was worried about Kanon's condition.

However, when everyone ran to the ruins of the stadium, they only saw an empty space, no bloodstains, no corpses, no people, nothing at all.

"Kane! Where did Kanon go?"

Hanon, she arrived at yet another familiar place.

It actually took some time to get here. Hanon even caught a glimpse of everyone searching for her on the way, but unfortunately she couldn't show herself to meet them. She even deliberately avoided the crowd. Just now, she was surrounded by a group of "black-robed" Hanon, who demanded that she surrender. Considering that the chances of winning were not high and it was easy to accidentally hurt her friends and family, Hanon had no choice but to agree to submit.

So they followed the "black-robed" Kanon and the others to the basement of a building.

"Where is this..." Hana murmured, even after walking from the outside of the building to the inside and taking the elevator, she still felt a little unreal.

"This is the basement of Tokyo Skytree." The voice of "Holy Spirit" echoed in her mind. She was very familiar with this place. In her own timeline, she often came here to watch the sunrise and knew it very well from top to bottom.

As for Kanon's timeline, the basement of Tokyo Skytree was previously used by Tokugawa Mitsunari to conduct experiments on cloning Miyamoto Musashi. After Musashi was completely defeated by Kanon and sent back to the other side, the place was left empty. The Tokugawa researchers had all withdrawn, but the equipment was too large to be moved immediately, so it was left behind temporarily, benefiting the new owner of the place.

Kanon and the "Holy Spirit" arrived here under the escort of the "Black Robe" Kanon and her companions. Naturally, the new person in charge of this laboratory was about to emerge.

"It really is you." Opening the last door and entering the spacious laboratory, Hanon saw yet another "black-robed" Hanon.

Although this "black-robed" figure wasn't wearing black armor, Hanon was certain she was the real deal, the one she'd clashed with before. She was very familiar with that indifferent gaze and icy demeanor. Even more obvious was that the "black-robed" figures escorting Hanon obediently formed a circle around her, placing her at the center, clearly indicating they were the leaders of the group.

At this moment, the real "black robe" was completely naked and embedded in a bunch of tubes, with wires inserted into her back and the back of her head. There were tubes drawing blood and electron tubes transmitting signals. The computer screen next to her kept flashing data, which looked super high-tech.

Inside the room, several "black-robed" figures were busy running errands. It seemed that despite their physical limitations, the "black-robed" figures still controlled the laboratory.

Hanon looked at these "black-robed" figures and raised an eyebrow: "Are they clones?"

“That’s right, they are clones.” “Black Robe” Hana’s lips twitched, as if she wanted to make a smile, but it seemed a little stiff: “So you also know something about science? That’s good, we have another thing in common.”

Hanon shook her head: "That will disappoint you. Although I respect science, I am not good at it... Speaking of which, even an ordinary person would think of clones when they see a group of 'Ye Hanon' who look the same, right? Besides, if I remember correctly, this is the base that Tokugawa Mitsunari used to clone Miyamoto Musashi. The equipment is also very suitable for creating clones."

“That’s right. I originally came here to repair the nanobots, but I found that this place has complete cloning equipment and technical records, so I made some modifications.” The “black-robed” did not deny it, and the topic returned to what she and Hanon had in common: “But the fact that you can realize this shows that you are smart, so that you won’t arouse suspicion in the future.”

"Suspicious?" Hana vaguely sensed that the "black-robed" man was saying something very ominous: "What exactly do you want to do?"

The man in the black robe answered bluntly, "Naturally, I want to replace you."

Not only does she want to steal memories and emotions, but she also wants to replace Kanon?

"...I crave happy memories and emotions, and to achieve this goal, I drained most of the energy from my own world, plunging it into poverty and chaos." The "Black Robe" said this, a point the "Holy Spirit" had mentioned before. The energy level required for time travel is too high. Even though the "Black Robe" greatly improved energy utilization efficiency with his genius mind, it only turned "impossible" into "barely possible," and it still required an astronomical amount of energy to set off.

"I long for your happy life. If I successfully obtain your emotions and memories, then I will play the role of the original Ye Huayin..."

"So your technique for absorbing emotions and memories depends on the success rate?" Hana sighed, "What if it doesn't go smoothly?"

"If things don't go well, I will continue my research in this world and gather energy to travel to the next world."

"What a selfish and cunning scheme!" Hana narrowed her eyes, filled with disdain for the "Black Robe's" inhuman plan. But looking at the "Black Robe's" expression, she realized that her emotions had no basis. This guy was devoid of emotion, completely indifferent to the life and death of others. He was more machine-like than the machines around him, and less like a real person than a clone.

So now Kanon's struggle against the "Black Robe" is not only for her own survival, but also, to some extent, a battle to save the world?

"You don't need to worry about the world, you only need to worry about yourself." Seemingly seeing through Hanon's thoughts, the "black-robed" continued, "The success rate of the emotion absorption device is very high. When it was first used, there were indeed accidents because the souls were too complex and different souls could not be integrated. But since everyone is 'Yo Hanon' and has a similar soul, the initial accidents will not occur."

"The accident that created the 'evil spirit'..." Kanon remembered that the "Holy Spirit" had recounted the memories she read from the "Black Robe." The "evil spirit" Kanon was a demon created by combining the soul she had absorbed in the early days with the soul of a Kanon who committed suicide.

“Yes, that’s what created that troublesome evil spirit.” The “black-robed” woman actually used the word “troublesome” to describe the “evil spirit,” so it seems she’s not entirely devoid of emotion; at least, this negative feeling of disdain still lingers. “I want to thank you two ‘Ye Huayin’s’ from parallel universes for weakening that evil spirit, which I also struggle to control, to its current state.”

The "evil spirit" version of Hanon is violent and cruel, yet possesses astonishing superpowers, leaving the "Black Robe" somewhat helpless against her. This time, the "evil spirit" was severely injured by Hanon and the "Holy Spirit" working together, which conveniently allowed the "Black Robe" to regain control over her.

With a wave of her hand, the spiritual power of the "evil spirit" that had been lingering on one of the clones of Hanon spread to all the clones of Hanon in the laboratory. This meant that all the clones of Hanon present now had the ability to break the magic and could pose a threat to the "Holy Spirit".

"Ye Huayin of this world, and the spirit of Ye Huayin from another world attached to you, you two should obediently submit and merge your emotions and memories with me! If you struggle, you will only be wasting your energy and suffering pain in vain."

"Hmph, well, we'll have to give it a try." In response to the threat from the "black-robed" man, Hanon immediately retorted. In fact, she never had any intention of surrendering or giving in: "What made you misunderstand that I would obediently let you kill me and take my memories and emotions? Is it because I came here from Huangying obediently? I just didn't want to involve the innocent or confront your true identity! I may have strong knees, but I can't kneel down."

Author's Note: Oh dear, it's so late again... 950 chapters already, it's been quite a journey. If it doesn't finish tomorrow, it will be finished the day after. This is the final battle, and the final chapter. A big thank you in advance to all my readers, thank you for your support—as for more, I'll write more in the ending remarks.

Section 960, Chapter 951: The World's Strongest Partner

If Hanon refused to comply, then the "black-robed" figure would have no choice but to force her to comply, and so, without a word, the fight was about to begin.

A clone of Kanon in a black robe moved, and in the next instant, she had charged in front of Kanon.

Although they were mass-produced quickly, these clones, enhanced by nanobots, possessed physical abilities identical to the previous "Black Robe." In other words, they were all capable of keeping up with Yujiro Hanma and Kanon in "Valkyrie Mode." Any one of them, based solely on their physical attributes, would be considered a top-tier expert in the world.

Moreover, they also share the "Black Robe's" database and can use most of Kanon's technology. This is not just the level of a top-tier master, but the pinnacle of martial arts in the world. There are fewer than ten people who can rival them. There are thirteen such clones present, and who knows how many more are hidden in the underground of the Tokyo Skytree.

Finally, the real "black-robed" Hanon was also in the laboratory, with a bunch of tubes inserted into her body, the extent of which was unknown. It is said that her "selling point" is not martial arts but intelligence. She has taken complete control of this laboratory in just a few days, and it is unknown how many strange and terrifying methods she still has.

The situation is perilous, and the future is bleak... but so what?

The clone that rushed in front of Kanon first blocked Kanon's "finger razor" attack. The clone's other hand immediately thrust out a "magic spear," but Kanon, who hadn't yet activated "Valkyrie Mode," was slower and couldn't stop it in time.

Even if it had that ability, Kanon didn't intend to stop it, there was no need to stop it—although the clone's punches were fast, they still had a trajectory, how could they compare to the speed of human thought? Its attack was only halfway through when it encountered the suppression of "Holy Spirit" Kanon's superpower.

The "Holy Spirit's" spiritual power was not as strong as the "Evil Spirit's," but after the battle at the Royal Sakura Gymnasium, the "Evil Spirit" had long been suppressed by the combined blood energy of the powerhouse, muscle man, and warrior, and was so weak that it could not even express its consciousness. Now that it had spread to many clones, it could not withstand the suppression of the "Holy Spirit." The clone was pushed by the "Holy Spirit" and immediately lost its balance. It flew backward and crashed into the "Black Robe" body that was stuck in the pile of pipes. But it did not hit the "Black Robe" body. Before it could touch the "Black Robe" body, the clone suddenly lost its speed and crashed vertically to the ground with a "thud."

As expected, the "black-robed" guy is unfathomable; who knows what strange and wonderful technological creations he has tinkered with in this laboratory.

“I can sense a psionic field around her. Even though the ‘evil spirit’ is almost dead, she still has a way to counter my superpowers…” The “Holy Spirit” sighed repeatedly in Hana’s mind: “Alas, it seems that this battle is likely to end badly. We will probably die here.”

Hanon was well aware of the current situation, but she had experienced far more arduous battles than the "Holy Spirit," and she had a stronger belief in protecting her wonderful life: "How can we know we can't win if we haven't even fought yet?"

“Alas, how can we know we won’t die if we’ve never died before…” “Holy Spirit” Hanon sighed again, but this time she wasn’t simply dragging down the team or hurting morale. On the contrary, she immediately cheered up: “So be it. What’s meant to be will be. Surrendering or running away is not the solution. The only option now is to fight to the end. Hanon, my other self, if we die here, I’ll be glad to be with you.”