There was never a time in the past few years that Ranma Saotome had ever thought of Nerima as Home. Yes, it was where his mother lived and where he had gone to high school, but he never felt at home there. Sure, the eldest of the Tendo daughters had tried to make it seem warm and inviting, but the younger daughters had their own interests in mind and they rarely meshed with Ranma's. The Tendo dojo had simply become just a place where he could sleep and eat.
At least Nerima had proven interesting for much of the time that he'd been there as new challenges and challengers arrived almost weekly for the first few months. Many of the frequent fights he'd been involved in had been enjoyable at first but it had become evident that he had improved drastically while they had only marginally improved. Only Happosai and Cologne provided him with an actual challenge as they both brought with them centuries of experience.
Once Kuno and Nibiki had graduated things had quieted down at school, though his fiancée problems were still unresolved. Akane had accepted that she was no longer the best martial artist in Nerima and focused on the one area that Ranma was weakest – academics. Of course she'd enrolled in cram school and had even been accepted into a second tier university, all while Ranma had opted to simply graduate before disappearing.
For the first few weeks most had simply thought that he had gone off to the mountains to train. They were right of course, though that only scratched the surface of what he was truly up to.
"How'd I let you drag me into this?" Ranma muttered.
"It's our first free weekend in months," the older man beside him stated. "I've been looking forward to the summer event and I'm going to need your help in carrying everything."
"How can you even afford this Itami?"
"Like I said, I've been looking forward to this event, why do you think I've been living off of instant raman and basic meals for the last two months? Add to that the money you lost in last week's poker game…"
"I'm never playing poker with you guys again," the martial artist turned sergeant groused.
"I can't believe you're such a capable actor but can't even bluff," Itami smirked. "Just be glad I didn't have you dress up in your other form."
Grumbling, Ranma followed the other sergeant. Though the man was much older than he was, both were NCO's. Yet they had vasty different reasons for joining the JSDF. Itami had simply lacked the skills and motivation to take on any other job while Ranma had actually been recruited. His years of traveling through Asia and the events that occurred during his stay in Nerima had actually caught the eye of the JSDF and certain other people. They were an odd pair to be sure – contrasting and contradicting, yet compatible due to their easy going natures.
"Damn," muttered Itami as he walked into a signpost.
"You really are an otaku," Ranma sighed as he held his hand out to the other man.
Checking his phone, Itami scowled, "I'm out of energy."
"You or your character?"
"My character of course – I was in the midst of a battle on the final level of the dungeon. Now I'm going to have to restart the dungeon."
Shaking his head, he took the other man's hand and helped him to his feet. They walked in comfortable silence after leaving the train station even as Itami used his phone to get a list of the different events and groups that would be at the event.
From the corner of his eye, Ranma spotted something fly down the street. "Just how big is this event? I'm sure that there's cosplay and stuff like that, but how far do some of the fans go?"
"It's huge," the other man shrugged. "I don't check out the cosplay much, but I've heard of those who really go all-out."
"So seeing a flying dragon isn't unusual?"
That caught the older man's attention. "They don't let you fly anything."
"Then what's that?" Ranma pointed in the direction of the convention center. Even from several blocks away he could tell that it was a dragon with a man riding it. The crowds in the street were running away from the dragon rider in a state of clear panic.
"We have to do something about this!" The remark caught Ranma by surprise. There were few times that Itami got worked up about anything outside of anime, manga, and light novels. "If this keeps up the Summer Event is going to be cancelled!"
Shaking his head, Ranma set off towards the source of the disturbance. Rather than running through and against the crowds he opted for springing atop the cars, vending machines or guard railings. The sound of gunfire rang out over the screams from the crowd. Once he neared dragon he grabbed a trash can and lobbed it at the armored rider atop the beast. The pair managed to turn so that the dragon took the blow in the chest. It was not an actual attack but an attempt to get the rider's attention.
Grabbing a sewer cover he flung it at the pair, catching the dragon in the wing and sending it and the rider crashing into the front of a building. Fortunately there was no one under them as they collided with the street. Wrenching the spear from the knight's hand, Ranma drove the tip into the dazed beast's eye. As a martial artist he knew the value of a life, but as a soldier his priority was the civilians first. It was a lesson his instructors had spent the past three months beating into his skull. This was a battlefield, not a duel.
He could see an army of, well, an army marching out of a mysterious gate that stood in the middle of the street several blocks away. Swiftly but methodically the troops were marching down the street, cutting down any in their path though some, mostly humans, were taking prisoners back through the gate. There were at least a couple thousand standing between him and the gate, filling the side streets and alleys as more and more of their number emerged.
He knew that there was only so much he could do. Yes, he was considered a martial arts prodigy, and he was sure that he could defeat any of the armed men in one-on-one combat, but he would be going up against a legion alone. There were different tactics involved, especially when fighting against units trained to fight in formation. Still, he knew he needed to do something.
Cars were not made to be picked up by a person. Still, Ranma was not an ordinary person. Ripping off the door he hurled it at the approaching army. Even bracing themselves behind their sturdy shields, the knights were knocked back by the projectile. As they scrambled to reassemble their formation they were assaulted by the entire car being thrown at them.
He could not allow them to form up again, and they knew it. Rather than firing a volley of arrows to clear the streets they sent another dragon rider towards him. Spear still in hand, Ranma took aim. The speed and force behind his throw caught the rider and mount by surprise. The spear tip itself shouldn't have been able to pierce the dragon's tough scales, but with just enough ki to re-enforce it combined with the physical force expelled, it impaled the dragon causing both rider and mount to crash into the street.
Taking advantage of the situation he quickly climbed atop the dragon. Pillaging the dead knight of his weapons Ranma eyed the soldiers before him. The second spear claimed the head of a mounted knight/soldier, further disrupting the invader's formation. Rushing in, swords in hand, Ranma made sure that he wasn't pinned down. Using mail boxes, guard rails, cars, vending machines, and even a few fire hydrants, he managed to slow the march of the soldiers.
X
A different kind of chaos reigned in the days following the "Ginza Incident". For every hour that he had fought he spent another three in a debriefing. When he wasn't in a meeting he found himself helping to guard the hastily constructed fortifications around the Gate to keep people out and to keep people from going in.
"Sergeant Saotome," a booming voice called out, alerting the martial artist.
Snapping to attention Ranma briefly scanned the approaching man's chest. The pins said that the older man was a Warrant. Drilled into him after three months of basic training was the need to salute the superior officer. "Sir."
The warrant officer returned his salute, "1st Lieutenant Yanagida would like a word with you."
The small office had been gutted during the initial attack but had been quickly refurbished by the JDSF after the business had been compensated for the broken equipment and use of the space. Entering the room, he offered the 1st Lieutenant a salute.
"At ease." The man's eyes were sharp and observant as he looked Ranma over. It was hard to discern the man's age, but he had the rigidness that suggested years of experience and participation in the JDSF. "I've read your file and it's very impressive."
"Thank you, sir."
"You've spent years traveling through China and southern Asia, picking up various martial arts and bits of the dialect, correct?"
"Sir, yes, that is correct, sir."
"And you've had experience with magic."
"Sir, that is correct, sir." Ranma's mind was quickly peeling back and processing the limited information that the 1st Lieutenant was providing.
"Strictly speaking, this conversation never occurred." Ranma fought the urge to raise his brow at the admission. He handed the Sergeant a packet. "I know that many have already praised you for what you did during the Incident. Effective immediately you are now a Second Lieutenant with the corresponding pay and responsibilities."
"Thank you, sir." He opened the first file before eyeing the next file.
"Given your background and ability, there was some debate as to how to best utilize your skills," Yanagida admitted. "Ultimately it was decided that you would be best suited for this undertaking."
Ranma opened the file and scanned through it. During the fighting he'd kept his eye on what was coming in and out of the Gate. By his own count there had been over a score of civilians that had been captured and brought back through the Gate, with another two score of knights bringing with them bags and boxes filled with papers and other items that he wasn't able to completely make out. "This mission is going to be off book."
Yanagida nodded once, "We don't know what's on the other side, and we can't afford to send a full contingent there yet, but no one would notice one person. It may be months before the ministry approves of an expedition through the gate."
"I understand." Ranma paged through the file. There had been over a hundred casualties of the Incident, with another three hundred injured amongst the civilian populace. But how many of the missing had been captured? How many were still alive?
"Your mission is to find out any information you can, and once we send the expedition force through, you are to rejoin them." The first lieutenant looked him squarely in the eye. "Do you understand?"
"Sir, yes, sir," he shot back.
"Good. Take anything you need out of the other room, and burn the file." With that the first lieutenant left.
The room opposite from where they'd met was filled with the confiscated weapons that the mysterious invaders had on them. Most of the forty thousand had been killed, though perhaps a few hundred had been captured after the Gate was secured. Some of the JSDF's weapons had been left in the room as well, though only the weapons that had been damaged during the fighting. While effective, he decided to pass on the damaged firearms knowing that they could backfire on him if he failed to properly maintain them. Still, Yanagida had left him a small present at the cost of a three month's pay.
In less than an hour he'd packed away everything that he thought useful and was on his way. Slipping past the guards was easy for him, though he left a note for the first lieutenant on how to address the glaring deficiencies in their defenses.
Passing through the Gate, he could only hope that the time of day was somehow in sync with Japan as the Gate itself was dark and foreboding. Before he realized it he was through the mysterious gate in a foreign world.
X
For the first time in months, Ranma was actually glad that he'd endured basic training. The physical aspect of the training had been easy, but because of that his instructors had been forced to think outside the box with him. While he had performed the same exercises and drills in both forms, he was also pushed mentally. He had been forced to read while performing all of the physical tests. It had started out in Japanese, but soon transitioned to Mandarin, Cantonese, Korean, Russian, English, Latin, Greek, German, and Arabic. The lessons had only stopped because they'd run out of instructors who could shout out orders to him in the chosen language. The unorthodox lessons were enough that he was now able to carry on basic conversations as well as read at a high school level in each of the languages. Learning the language of the Special Region was not as difficult as he'd expected as the language appeared to be derived from Greek.
In the two months since he'd come to the Special Region he had become fluent in the primary language of the Empire and mapped out the area around the Gate as well as purchased a few different maps of the region. Though he'd been forced to remain in his female body for much of the time due to the fact that hot water was not readily available, he was not surprised by the fact that women were generally looked down upon.
"These are nice scales," the merchant stated as he eyed the dragon scales. "Where did you get these?"
"Schwarz Forest," the buxom redhead replied.
The merchant eyed him speculatively, taking note of the spear on Ranma's pack. "What about the teeth?"
"We already sold the ones that we haven't decided to keeping for our own use," the martial artist turned dragon hunter replied. He was glad he'd scavenged some of the dragon's remains that R&D hadn't claimed. Had he told the truth it would have been unbelievable, but implying that he was with a group would make any who sought to steal from him think twice about such an act.
With the deal done, he quickly pocketed the money before pulling his hood over his head. In the drab garb that he'd acquired he wouldn't stand out. It was not that his features in either form stood out, but that most civilians wore simple outfits consisting of two or three colors which corresponded with their duties, faith, and social status.
"You came from the south then," the merchant eyed the buxom redhead. "Did you pass through Itarica and Crety?"
Ranma shook his head, "Why do you ask?"
The merchant appeared anxious, "I have family in Crety. They say that a plague has hit the village that affects only the women."
"Just the women?" Ranma asked. He'd heard the same rumors on his way to Rondel as the village had at the time been the next village east along the road that skirted the southern side of the Romaria Mountains.
"Just the women," the merchant nodded.
"I will keep that in mind," he replied with a slight nod of gratitude. "I am sorry I could not provide you with any further information."
Though his initial travels had been to get a feel for the land, Ranma had come to Rondel for a reason. The city was home to the Magic Academy. Itarica and the smaller villages that he'd passed through, many of the larger buildings in Rondel were circular and had conical roofs. The largest building in the city was larger than even some of the modern stadiums that Ranma had seen in Japan and boasted a conical roof. Yet despite their impressive architecture the city's lay out was confusing. There were no defined streets, merely areas between buildings where one could walk.
His hunch to check out the Academy seemed to pay off as the excited students and researchers were more than willing to explain to anyone who was willing to listen about what they were studying or researching. Yet even as interested as he was about magic, Ranma knew that there was something in particular that he wanted to hear about which also happened to be something that few of the students he'd spoken with had any information on.
At first glance the be speckled brunette appeared to be just like all the other students but the way that the others treated her suggested that she was someone different. Ranma glanced at her, noting that her clothes were a bit more wore out and weathered than the other students. The ink stains were not uncommon, though the sheer number that she had suggested that she spent a good amount of time writing. From the corner of his eye he watched her as he listened to the other students and researchers.
As the hour grew late the students began to wander off in small groups, often discussing bits of their research or discussing magic as they left. He had learned little other than the fact that there was a pantheon of gods and that they occasionally raised a devout follower to the rank of apostle. The apostles were essentially demi-god and after a millennium they could become a true god. Most of the higher gods had several aspects or ideologies and when an apostle ascended into godhood they often took on an aspect.
He little knowledge about the Empire's political structure other than that it seemed to be similar to Rome's senate. There was even less information about the Gate. The young woman that remained was the only student remaining as she diligently copied scroll after scroll. Perhaps she had read something in one of the many scrolls that she'd been copying.
"What brings you here, traveler?" a feminine voice asked from behind him.
There were few people capable of sneaking up to him, the woman before him was not amongst that number. "I came here for some answers."
The woman's piercing dark blue eyes gazed into his soul. She was no ordinary woman – she was a goddess made flesh. The thought was slightly surprising, though not unexpected. The magic of the Special Region was more prominent and prevalent than it was in his homeworld. Part of him wondered if the gods of his world had been prone to presenting themselves like this when Japan and the rest of the world was in their dark ages.
"Either you are ignorant or unimpressed," the goddess said as she tried to impress him with her majesty. "I may be just a minor goddess, but it is not often that any of the gods or goddesses grace anyone with their presence. I find your behavior intriguing."
The young scholar that he'd been about to approach was surprised by the presence of the goddess, her eyes wide in awe at the sight before her.
"Knowledge is not given but granted through reading, study and research," the ink-stained scholar stated. The goddess smiled.
"Is it really?" Ranma remarked sarcastically. "I just sat here for the better part of the day and had several students explaining to me their theories and thoughts on various concepts of magic and science; I have in essence, learned what they know about their fields of study in a matter of hours while they have dedicated years to learn what they just shared."
"Knowledge does not equate understanding," the woman retorted.
"It may not, but it leads to understanding," he added. "The right questions to the right people can lead to the right answers." He was not keen on getting into a theological debate. "'The control of information is something the elite always does, particularly in a despotic form of government. Information, knowledge, is power. If you control information, you can control people.'"
The goddess flinched as though slapped, though she regained her composure. "Are you saying that I am a tyrant?"
"You may not be, but your actions seem to indicate that you support a tyrant," Ranma suggested. "Who else but a tyrant would send four legions of soldiers to attack the unarmed, unprepared populace of another world? I doubt that the Gate appeared just as a legion of troops was passing by. From the looks of things it appears as though the Empire had not expected to encounter such stiff opposition else they would not have left only a few hundred to guard this side of the Gate."
"Perhaps there are those who understand how and when the Gate will open, but it is up to them to do with that information as they please," Elange replied coolly.
"Can I close the Gate?" he ask automatically.
"I have granted you one answer because you intrigue me," the goddess stated. With a wave of her hand a cup of hot water emptied its contents over Ranma's head, triggering his transformation. "What is your name?"
"I am Ranma Saotome," he replied unflinchingly. "What can I do to get another question answered?"
"Normally," the scholar interjected, the look in her eyes saying that she was curious about the transformation but was willing to leave that conversation for a latter time, "one of the devout would impress Elange with a feat of knowledge either by asking her a question that she could not answer or by presenting her with a magical or technological advancement. Most take a lifetime trying to achieve a single feat. You have asked a question without accomplishing a feat and she has provided you with the answer."
Reaching into his pack, Ranma pulled out a knife and some wood. Taking the blade to the soft wood, he carved out a propeller and set it on the end of a second stick. Trapping the second stick into the palm of his hand he quickly pulled his hands apart, sending the propeller flying into the air.
"Interesting," Elange stated, "but it is not your invention, is it?"
A guilty smirk formed on the martial artist's face, "No, it is not."
Holding out her hand, Elange caught the propeller as it descended, "For your honesty and this trinket, I will answer your second question – The Gate will close on its own."
Before he could open his mouth to ask how he might earn a third answer the young scholar interjected, "You have already impressed her with your trinket and intrigued her to earn two answers. If you wish a third you will need perform a physical feat demonstrating your knowledge."
Elange smiled as she offered the young scholar a set of eye glasses. "Take this Arpeggio El Lalena – through those I will be able to see what you see and witness the feat that the traveler attempts to perform." She turned to Ranma, "Once the glass turns black you may return to Rondel to present me with your final question."
X
A/N
That's it for now. I'm off to Anime Milwaukee!