Muyami Academy

by Miko2

Comedy Horror at a private academy involving Ranma 12, Devil Hunter Yohko, Tenchi Muyou, and many other series. I am finally uploading all of those chapters I've never placed here before... including some stuff I never posted anywhere...

11. 11: Ikari's Master Plan

Muyami Academy

What if they ALL went to the same school?

Thanks to my prereaders, T.H. Tiger, Bombadil Goh, Jed Hagen, Jeffrey Cornish and William Morse.

DISCLAIMER: Ranma 1/2 characters and stuff, and Inu-Yasha characters and stuff, not to mention Ursei Yatsura characters and stuff, copyright 1999 Rumiko Takehashi. Tenchi Muyou characters and stuff, copyright 1999 Pioneer & AIC. Mamono Hunter Yohko characters and stuff copyright 1999 AD Vision, NCS, Toho Company, LTD, Mad House, and I don't know who else. Koko wa Greenwood characters copyright Yuki Nasu. Mint na Bokura characters copyright Wataru Yoshizume. Other characters and stuff also copyright the creators and owners.

Chapter Eleven

Ikari's Master Plan

The buzz of crickets mixed with an occasional bird call or croaking frog and the light splash of oars as they dipped in and out of the water. Stars filled the night sky and a bright moon illuminated the surface of a small lake. Slowly Ukyo rowed the boat away from the pier and out across the dark water.

Across from her sat Ranma Saotome. A light wind tousled Ranma's thick hair.

"It's such a beautiful night, don't you think?" Ukyo asked.

Ranma nodded shyly. Ukyo stowed the oars and sat down next to Ranma. Skirts rustled as Ranma slid over to give Ukyo room.

Ukyo placed one arm about Ranma's waist and placed the other hand over Ranma's hands. "A beautiful night, Ranchan," Ukyo repeated, "but not half as beautiful as you."

Ranma glanced up, a mixture of fear and hope in her eyes. "Ukyo, I..."

Ukyo leaned in to brush lips with Ranma, halting all conversation. Then Ukyo kissed Ranma harder, longer, more insistently. Finally Ukyo pulled back and gazed deeply into Ranma's dark eyes. The moonlight was reflected in those eyes, as if they were two deep bodies of water, like the lake itself. And Ukyo imagined that her soul was floating across the surface of those two pools...

"Ranchan," Ukyo said, "I love you so much."

Ranma gazed into Ukyo's eyes for several moments without saying anything, then tears began to fall down her cheeks. Ukyo frowned.

"What's wrong, Ranchan?" Ukyo asked. "Did I do something to upset you?"

"Oh, Uchan!" Ranma exclaimed. She wrapped her arms tightly about Ukyo's flat, muscular chest. "I'm not sad, Uchan," Ranma said. "I'm crying because I'm so happy! Oh Uchan, there's something I've been wanting to tell you, but I was waiting for the right moment..."

"What?"

Looking deeply into Ukyo's eyes, Ranma said, "Uchan, I'm pregnant with your child."

With a piercing scream, Ukyo awoke.

She rolled out of bed, flopping onto the floor. Sweat poured down her face.

Her roommate Shun leaned out of the upper bunk. "Ukyo? Is something wrong?" he asked.

Ignoring him, Ukyo ripped her top open and cupped her breasts. She placed a hand between her legs and a look of utter joy washed over her.

"I'm a girl, Shun!" she exclaimed. "Oh, I'm so happy! I'm not a guy, I'm a girl!"

"Yes," said Shun, who had already turned back to the wall in embarrassment. "You're a girl, and you're in a guy's dorm. Do you want the whole dormitory to know that? You'll have the whole floor here in a second screaming like that."

Ukyo blinked for a second in confusion, then jumped up. "Ohmygoshyou'reright," she exclaimed. As someone began knocking on the door, she grabbed an aluminum can from her desk and shook it. There was still a little bit left. And in her desk drawer were several more cans, if necessary.

"Open up!" a voice shouted. "We know you've got a girl in there!"

She downed the last of the soda and waited. A momentary wave of vertigo passed through her... and she watched this time, fascinated as her shoulders broadened, her waist thickened, her hips narrowed, and her breasts shrank to become hardened pectorals. She glanced at the can again.

Strange how she hadn't really considered the symbols on the side yesterday. Male and female, blue and pink. It was such an obvious clue, really.

How long did the effect last? Less than twelve hours, it seemed. This was something that would prove very, very useful.

Letting the pajama top slide to the floor, Ukyo crossed the room and opened the door.

"Yes?" he said to the crowd of boys on the other side. "What's this about a girl in my room? There's only Shun and I..."

XXX

Noel stepped out of the shower and into a washroom filled with girls in various states of undress. Her cheeks flushed red as she averted her eyes. Thanks to Urd's magic cola, she was momentarily a girl herself, but it still didn't feel natural. She knew she didn't belong here.

She toweled off quickly and slipped into her robe, but found her new waist-length hair impossible to dry. She watched other girls covertly, then carefully wrapped her head with the towel. She practically ran into the hallway.

A girl with green hair -- Ryoko, as it turned out -- flashed by right in front of Noel's face.

"COME BACK HERE, YOU WITHERED MUMMY!" a voice yelled down the hallway corridor. Moments later Ayeka ran by. Energy crackled and popped in the air about her.

Noel's eyes grew wide. She turned to run to her room.

"Noel-chan!" a boy cried out. Noel pulled up short as a brown-haired boy lunged at her with grasping hands. His face held a look of happy oblivion.

"DARLING! DIVINE RETRIBUTION!"

Noel suddenly realized who this boy was. She screamed and dodged left. Blue-white electricity arced down the hallway, engulfing the offending boy. His body jerked spasmodically then collapsed into a smoking heap.

Clutching the front of her robe, Noel made another dash for her room. Somewhere she could hear Nuku Nuku laughing happily amid sounds of something exploding. As she neared her room, a voice further down the hallway boomed out, "Akane Tendo! If you defeat me, I will allow you to date with me!"

"Kuno!" Akane yelled back, "Get a clue!"

Tatewaki Kuno came flying down the hallway. Noel uttered a small "Eeep!" and dodged into her room, slamming the door behind her.

For several moments she leaned against the door, waiting for her breathing to slow down, for her mind to stop racing.

This school is for loonies, thought Noel. Then she glanced down at her protruding chest and laughed. And I fit right in. But really, my own problems pale in comparison to some of the weirdness on this campus. Still... this whole attend-school-as-a-girl thing is getting too complicated. If only the dorm rooms had private showers... it wouldn't be such a pain.

Like everyone else in the dorm, Noel's roommate Ranma was a physical, active girl who could probably beat Noel easily in a fight. She wasn't, however, much for modesty -- Noel had already been given several nice views of Ranma's impressive chest. At least Ranma got up early to practice kenpo, so Noel could sleep in and get dressed in private. But Noel couldn't shower in the evening because Maria always bathed just before going to sleep. Bumping into Maria as a girl would be messy; Noel was embarrassed enough as it was.

Thus Noel wound up showering at the same time as a lot of other girls. It was certainly a pain.

Well... not too much of a pain, a certain part of Noel's mind suggested. She quickly shoved the thought into a corner.

"The best solution," Noel said to herself as she quickly got dressed, "is to hurry up and break up Maria's silly schoolgirl romance, so we can both leave this weird school. So! Step one: go watch Maria practice this afternoon, and find out which guy it is she's fallen for! Then I can think of some way to interfere!"

XXX

Nodoka Saotome knelt at the breakfast table, serene and graceful, like a stately cherry tree gazing out over a silent rock garden. Across from her, her husband Genma ate with all the dignity and grace of a pack of rabid, starving monkeys at an all-you-can-eat banquet. Hands moved furiously from plate to mouth, like some maniacal assembly-line machinery. Even the click-clatter of the perpetual-motion chopsticks sounded like madcap machinery at work. Bits of food flew through the air, occasionally snatched in mid-flight by the snapping chopsticks and redirected to the mouth.

Nodoka sighed inwardly. Had she really pined all those years for her husband's return? At the moment, her years of quiet loneliness seemed like a all-to-brief glimpse of heaven. Whatever had become of the brave, muscular martial artist that she'd fallen in love with? Back then, she'd been supremely happy to serve Genma meals that he so obviously enjoyed, knowing that a man of strength and action needed to eat hearty. But over the years the hearty eating had increased while the strength and action had slowed considerably.

Being a panda suits him, she thought morosely. It was clear to her that one of her greatest challenges was to make certain her son did not develop the same habits as his father.

Thoughts of her son filled her with great pride, but also a sense of sadness. She knew why that was, now. For while she'd always wanted a son, and was quite proud to see him turning into a handsome, masculine man and a brilliant martial artist, it pained her to realize how little she knew him. It only made sense that Genma be the one to raise the boy, and the training trip had obviously fared well, given Ranma's impressive combat skills. But, for a brief week or so, Nodoka had had a daughter that she could pour her knowledge and training into. Now she realized that that was something she'd always desired and never had. Genma had a son to pass on his legacy. If only Nodoka had had a daughter to teach as well, she might not feel this empty hollowness in her heart.

Nodoka sighed again and set her chopsticks down. There was no use in wishing for might have beens; she'd been taught better than that. She had a son to be proud of, a husband to be somewhat proud of, and that would have to do. Then again, there was Ranma's fiancee, Akane Tendo. Perhaps Nodoka could treat Akane as the daughter she'd never really had. After all, she would soon become the girl's mother-in-law, and Akane had never really known her own mother.

Yes, Nodoka thought. There are things that a girl can only learn from her mother, and it will do me good to have someone to teach. It won't be quite the same as having a daughter of my own, but...

Nodoka gathered her breakfast dishes together and stood. Best to begin soon, she thought. She turned towards the kitchen, then said over her shoulder, "What are your plans for today, Husband?"

Finishing his meal, Genma patted his large stomach contentedly. "A fine meal as always, Nodoka," he said. "What are my plans? Hmmm, hadn't really thought about it. Maybe I'll go visit my friend Tendo..."

"And play shogi while you slowly get drunk? You have been doing far too much of that lately, my Husband."

Genma frowned. "It's good for a martial artist to relax after a hard workout..."

"Naturally," Nodoka replied. She had to admit that, despite his large belly and lazy instincts, her husband was still a formidable martial artist who trained daily. "I just thought that we might visit Ranma and Akane at school and see how they are doing. Surely you need to check up on Ranma, to make certain he is keeping up in his training, and there are some things I'd like to talk to our future daughter-in-law about."

Genma idly scratched his chin. "Hmm, now that you mention it, I really should check up on the boy. He's bound to become negligent in his training without me around. I've never understood where he learned to be so lazy."

It was a testament to Nodoka's training and self-control that she didn't roll her eyes at the statement.

Genma stood up straight and folded his arms across his barrel chest. "It's decided then!" he exclaimed in a booming voice. "We shall travel across town to Muyami Academy and see how Ranma is coming along!"

The doorbell rang. Genma blinked in surprise. "I wonder who that could be?" he muttered as Nodoka went to answer it.

A few moments later she reappeared in the family room.

"Well? Who was it?" Genma asked.

"It's a woman from the neighborhood charity organization," Nodoka said. "They were wondering if we had any clothing to donate, and there's all those girl clothes I'd bought for Ranma..."

"Yes, well he won't be needing those," Genma growled.

"They're still packed in that pink suitcase in Ranma's room," she replied. "Can you fetch it for me? And then we really must hurry, if we're going to catch an early train for our cross-town trip."

"Of course," Genma said, heading for the hallway. "Perhaps you should call Ranma and let him know we're coming?"

Nodoka smiled. "Actually, I thought it would be fun to surprise him..."

XXX

High on the hill overlooking the Muyami Academy campus sat a small house. It was an ordinary house, with white walls and a small front porch. There was a back yard, carved out of the hillside and ringed by an ivy-covered rock wall, with a blackberry patch occupying one corner.

This was no ordinary house. For one thing, a former Devil Hunter lived here -- Yohko's grandmother Madoko Mano had rented the place a few weeks ago. For another, hidden behind the vines that covered the back wall was a stone gateway that led to a cave that wound deep into the hillside. The worn characters carved on the keystone marked it as a very old gateway indeed.

Set before this opening, a small pile of tumbled stones marked the place where once a stone shrine had stood.

Something stirred, deep within the cave. Clawed, scaled feet inched forward. Two more things shuffled behind it. In the gloom, one might have imagined a fish-headed, shapeless monstrosity, followed by one with the head of a hawk, and another with the head of a monkey.

"The seal is broken?" one rasped.

The fish-faced one shuffled further forward. It bent to peer at the jumbled stones.

"Yes, the seal is broken," it replied.

"Soon the master will know," said the third.

"The guardian? Does it still sleep?" the first asked.

"Is the guardian weak?" the third asked. "Can we kill it?"

"The guardian is not here," fish-face said.

"Then we are free to come and go," monkey-face replied.

"Yes," the other two chimed in. "And soon, the master will follow."

Shoving the vines aside, three shambling figures slipped out into the gray dawn.

XXX

The man in the crisp brown uniform handed the package to Madoka Mano, then held out a thick electronic clipboard.

"If you could just sign here, ma'am," he said.

Moments later, Yohko's grandmother shut and locked the door. She dashed to the kitchen table and sat down eagerly, the small package in front of her. With a small knife she cut away the brown butcher's paper and duct tape, then pried open the lid of the wooden box beneath.

Inside, nestled amid styrofoam peanuts, was a large piece of metal, an amulet the color of dull tarnished brass. A goat's head was carved into the center of the object, with a red gem inlaid in it's forehead. Madoka picked the object up and looked it over.

It wasn't exactly a Yoma ring, like the elaborate piece of jewelry that Yohko wore, nor was it really a bracelet. It was more like a metal glove, a brass plate that covered the back of the hand, with a strap that nestled in the palm. It certainly wasn't something you could wear unobtrusively, but it would allow the wearer to transform into a Devil Hunter. That was all that really mattered.

"If not for Ranma, I think I'd give this to little Azusa," Madoka mused. "She so very much wants to become a devil hunter herself. Well, perhaps I can find yet another talisman. But in the meantime, this one goes to Ranma-chan."

The phone rang. Mano answered it.

"Yes? Principal Ikari? No, I'm not busy... actually, I have something to... what? Right away? Is it that important? Yes, sir. I'll be there right away, sir."

Mrs. Mano hung up the phone, then glanced back at the Yoma amulet. The red jewel set in the center of the amulet was flashing.

Madoka Mano's eyes went wide.

"Demons!" she breathed. She stared for a moment at the amulet, then glanced back at the phone.

Principal Ikari had said to come immediately. He'd sounded quite urgent. Her boss wasn't the sort to ignore, nor did Madoka relish the idea of confronting any demons herself. She was retired -- demon thrashing was now the responsibility of Yohko and Ranma.

She studied the flashing gem carefully. After several moments, she nodded to herself.

"Just a minor demon," she muttered and headed for the door.

XXX

"So," Asako Nakamura said, "explain to me again what this is all about?"

Ushio Aotsuki shrugged. "Don't ask me. I'm supposed to visit this weird private high school."

Mayuko Inoue frowned. The three of them were standing in front of the Aotsuki Shrine, where Ushio lived with his father, the shrine priest and caretaker. On any other day, they would be walking to school, but today they'd been invited to visit a school called Muyami Academy, somewhere near Tokyo. That was quite a ways away -- the town they lived in was a fair ways outside the city -- but they'd been told to wait in front of the shrine, and that transportation would be provided.

In Ushio's case, it had apparently been more than a simple invitation. The boy was clearly upset about it. Mayuko studied the anger in his face, then glanced at the object balanced on his shoulder. It was long and wrapped in cloth, but she knew it was the Beast Spear, a legendary weapon created to kill demons.

Which did not quite explain why a demon was perched on Ushio's other shoulder. The demon's name was Tora. Most people couldn't see him, and at first Asako and Mayuko hadn't been able to, either. Now, however, he was as plain as day to her: a giant, tiger-like creature, with orange and black fur and a fierce mane. He pretended to be as fierce as he looked, but Mayuko had learned that it was partly an act. Tora was, in fact, a very fierce and powerful demon, but he wasn't evil, nor was he a threat to eat her or Ushio, despite frequently saying he planned to.

"But Ushio, isn't this the same school that wanted you to come last week?" Mayuko asked.

"Yeah," Ushio growled. "Only this time, my stupid old man promised them I'd come. Shit!" the boy muttered. "Why can't that old coot leave well enough alone? And why does this mysterious Principal want me to go to his school anyway?"

"Because," Tora said, "he hasn't met you yet."

"I was going to ask the same thing," Asako said. "This is a prestigious school, isn't it? Why are they so interested in a know-nothing student like you?"

"Hey!"

"And another thing: why are Mayuko and I involved?"

"Oy! Ushio!" Tora growled. "If this Principal is so much trouble, why don't I just eat him?"

"Shut up!" Ushio said. "You're not eating anybody!"

"Stupid mortal! I will eat whoever I want! Who's to stop me? You? A snot-nosed little brat who can't even..."

WHAM! Ushio expertly cracked Tora over the head with his spear.

"Hey! What did you do that for?"

"Because," Ushio said, "you're a stupid demon with nothing to say!"

"Why, you snot-nosed little brat..."

WHAM!

"Hey! What did you do that for?"

"Anyway," Asako said, "I don't know why we care if you go off to some strange school."

"But Asako," Mayuko said, "aren't you worried that Ushio might meet some girl there?"

"And what if he does?" Asako said, feigning disinterest. "Anyway, what girl is going to fall for an ugly jerk like him?"

Ushio rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Mayuko's got a point," he said. "There's bound to be some cute girls there." He glanced back at Asako. "Not like the ugly tomboy I have to hang around with here."

"Why, you!" Asako's foot spun around, connecting with the side of Ushio's head. Ushio yelped and danced away, but in fact the blow only seemed to graze him -- as if he'd purposefully dodged most of it.

Mayuko giggled. "Oh, you two!" she said.

"Us two what?" Ushio asked. Mayuko only giggled some more.

"Anyway, I'm only going to apologize for Ushio," Asako said. "I wouldn't want the school to think everyone in our town is like him."

About to reply, Ushio paused. "Do you hear something?" he asked.

It sounded like a helicopter, but as it drew near, they saw what looked like a jet fighter of some sort, with guns and missiles hanging from the body and the wings. And yet, as it drew even closer, they realized that it was a helicopter, of a sort. It didn't have chopper blades overhead, but there was a giant propeller set in the center of each wing. The wings tilted to allow for directional movement.

All in all, it was unlike anything they'd ever seen. Clearly it was an attack craft, and an experimental one at that.

"I don't think that's part of the JDF," Ushio said.

It slowed and came to a stop above them, then settled to the ground less than 50 feet away. As the whine of the chopper blades in the wings died down, a door in the side slid open, and a woman in a flight suit stepped out, with a helmet with cat's eyes painted on the front. She removed her helmet, revealing light sandy-brown hair hanging above her shoulders and held back by a banana clip.

She smiled sweetly. "Is this the Aotsuki Shrine?" she asked.

"Uh... yeah," the boy said.

"Ah! You must be Ushio Aotsuki then!" She straightened and bowed low. "My name is Kyouko Koitabashi. I'm here to take you to Muyami Academy."

"In an attack helicopter?"

Kyouko glanced back at the warcraft and frowned. "Well, Mishima Heavy Industries doesn't make commercial aircraft," she said. "This is the Poison One." She glanced at the two girls. "And you two must be Ushio's friends...?"

"That's right," Asako said. "I'm Asako Nakamura, and this is Mayuko Inoue."

"Pleased to meet you!" Kyouko said, bowing again. "Now, if you'd all get aboard, we're running a little late..."

The three piled into the Poison One. The seating in back wasn't especially comfortable, and was limited -- this clearly wasn't meant to be a transport vehicle. Ushio found himself wedged between Asako and Mayuko in very tight quarters -- something that most boys would have enjoyed a great deal. But Ushio was too wrapped up in their trip to notice anything else.

Another woman, dressed like Kyouko, was seated up front. Kyouko took the pilot's seat, then leaned back and gestured to her partner. "The gunner here," Kyouko began, then paused. "I mean my copilot here is Arisa Mitamura. Arisa, this is Ushio Aotsuki and his friends Asako and Mayuko."

"Welcome aboard!" Arisa exclaimed. Her smile seemed just a little forced, and her manner was stiff, like a tightly wound steel spring.

Tora, Ushio noticed, was still standing just outside the door. "Tora, get in here!" Ushio said.

Tora took a deep sniff, then tapped the metal door frame suspiciously. "What kind of beast is this?" he asked. "I've never seen it before. And why do you willingly enter its belly?"

"It's not a beast, you moron! It's an airplane!"

"It's more like a helicopter," Asako added.

Mayuko giggled. "It's for transportation, Tora! It's not dangerous. It's sort of like a flying cart!"

Tora blinked, and looked the plane over. "A flying cart?" he grumbled. "Then this is a thing made by men?"

"Yes! Now get in!"

Kyouko was busy preparing for takeoff, but Arisa had listened to half of the conversation, her face growing more and more confused. "Who are you talking to?" she asked.

Ignoring her, Tora stepped cautiously into the craft. Ushio pulled the door shut.

"So," he said, as the coptor/plane lifted off. "What does Mishima Heavy Industries have to do with Muyami Academy?"

"What? Oh, nothing, nothing at all!" Kyouko laughed nervously and changed the subject. "The ride might be a little rough. I don't think they found all the damage caused by that stupid cat-girl."

Arisa nodded. "Something was rattling around in one of the magazines," she said.

"Magazines?" Mayuko echoed. "Oh, can you lend me one? I didn't bring anything to read..."

Arisa stared at the girl, momentarily confused. Then she blinked.

"Oh, those kind of magazines? Um... I think I've got something lying around here... yeah, here we go." She handed Mayuko two dog-eared journals.

Mayuko read the titles out loud. "European Arms and Ammo? Soldier of Fortune?"

"Yes," Arisa replied. "Excellent reading!"

"What's this stupid cat-girl? Tora asked. "I smelled something strange -- something cat and not-cat."

"Tora wants..." Ushio paused. "I mean... you mentioned a stupid cat-girl?"

"Professor Natsume's android," Kyouko said, as if that explained everything.

"The only thing that stands between Lady Akiko and her happy reunion with her son and her ungrateful husband..." Arisa added.

"They are reunited," Kyouko said. "Sort of. Remember? That's why we bought that silly school in the first place. As long as Professor Natsume's work is not used for warfare, but to defend humanity..."

She paused and glanced back at Ushio and the girls, then laughed nervously again.

"Anyway," Arisa said, "we still have to avenge Lady Akiko's honor on that insufferable android..."

"Actually, I think Lady Akiko has made up with Nuku Nuku as well..."

"Who cares?" Arisa growled. "The only thing that matters is my personal revenge upon Nuku Nuku! I demand justice! Payback for all of the times she has humiliated me! And I almost had it this morning! If she'd only stood still for a second longer... oh! It makes me so angry I could just..."

She squeezed down on her controls, and a sudden, short staccato of machine-gun fire filled the air.

"Arisa!"

"Sorry, sorry." She held up her hands. "Look, I'm not even touching the controls, okay? Everything's under control!" Again she smiled at the three high school students, and once again her pleasantness seemed forced, like a thin cover stretched tight over a boiling cauldron.

"Did I hear you say that Mishima Heavy Industries owns Muyami Academy?" Asako asked.

"What?" Kyouko asked. "No! I never said anything of the sort!" Again she changed the subject. "So, whatcha got there kid? A staff of some kind? Like a Buddhist staff?"

Ushio glanced up at his spear, wrapped in white cloth. "Just a spear," he said.

"A spear?" Arisa replied. "I think I heard Principal Ikari mention that. A weapon for killing demons, right? It's magic, isn't it? What does it do? Blow demons up somehow? Shoot them with magical electricity or something?"

"Well... no," Ushio said. "It's just a spear. You poke things with it."

Arisa looked disappointed. "It doesn't blow stuff up? Well, what fun is that?"

XXX

It was early morning yet, and a group of students were gathered on the front lawn of the school about a small campfire. In the center of the group was a small troll-like woman. There was a blur of movement, and then the woman held up her hands, filled with smoking chestnuts.

"There," Cologne said. "That's called 'Kachü Tenshin Amaguriken -- Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire' or simply Chestnut Fist." She barked a short laugh and added, "Care to see it again?"

"Wow, Sensei," Akane said, "that's impressive!"

"Is amazing as always, Grandmother" Shampoo added.

"That's not possible!" Ranma said. She strode up to the fire where Cologne stood. "Moving your hands so fast? It must be a trick!"

"Oh? Why don't you place them in the fire this time?" The amazon matriarch and martial arts club advisor handed the chestnuts to Ranma. While the rest of the class watched, Ranma carefully dumped the chestnuts back into the fire.

Cologne stared into the fire. She drew in her breath, and then... her hands became a blur, like a helicopter's propellers, moving too fast to be seen.

In seconds, she'd again snatched all the chestnuts from the fire. She held them up for Ranma's inspection.

The others gasped. Ranma's eyes grew very wide. Now this, Ranma thought, is what I call a martial arts club!

"Impressed, are we?" Cologne asked.

"If I learn this," Ranma said, "will I be able to fight demons?"

"Fight demons?" Cologne asked. There was a twinkle in her eye and a bemused smile on her wrinkled face. "No," she said. "But it's a start, isn't it?" She tossed the chestnuts into the fire, and added, "First things first. Show me that you can learn this. Anyone care to try it?"

"Me," Ranma said. "Anything you can do, I can do. All it takes is practice..."

"That's my girl!" Cologne chortled. "Now, let's see you do it..."

XXX

Madoka Mano entered the room and closed the door. She sat in a high-backed leather chair. Across from her, behind a large, uncluttered desk that she could barely see over, sat Principal Gendo Ikari. He gazed upon her solemnly, steepling his hands.

"Jelly donut?" he asked. He gestured to colorful cardboard box sitting on his desk. It was half-full of the round pastries, coated in powdered white sugar.

"Thank you, but no," Madoka replied.

"Are you certain?" the Principal said. "They're quite good." As if to demonstrate, he picked one up and bit into it. White powder settled into his black beard and onto his black suit.

"They do look good," Madoka replied, "but I've already eaten. Really, Ikari Sensei, if we could get to the point of this meeting? I thought you said it was urgent."

"Yes, of course," the Principal said. He paused to finish his donut, then carefully wiped the power from his face, shirt, coat and tie. Finally he fixed Madoka Mano with a steely glare, steepled his hands once again for full effect, and said in a dark, somber voice, "The time has come, Mrs. Mano. The time of which we earlier spoke."

Madoka Mano's eyes widened slightly. "You mean... your plan to assemble a team of demon-hunters?"

"Precisely."

"But Ikari Sensei, do you really think it's necessary? My Yohko is able to face most demons by herself, and once I have Ranma trained..."

Ikari raised an eyebrow, the only indication that he might be surprised. "Then you have a second student?" he asked after a moment.

"Yes," Madoka Mano replied. "Her name is Ranma Saotome. The Yoma ring arrived this morning, so I'm ready to begin her training."

The Principal turned and tapped his keyboard. He studied his computer screen for a few moments.

"Ah yes," he said. "A good martial artist, I see. And she has the power to be a devil hunter?"

"I believe so, yes."

"Well then," the Principal said, returning his attention to Mrs. Mano. "If that's the case, then so much the better. Naturally as devil hunters, Yohko and Ranma will be the core of my teams. But surely you've seen that a powerful demon, such as appeared on campus recently, takes more than one devil hunter to defeat. A well-coordinated counter-entity strike force would work much more efficiently. And I still believe that what we are seeing is only the first wave of a massive invasion of demonic entities..."

Madoka Mano glanced to the occult books on the shelves behind the Principal. She noted some very suspect volumes, books which were best used for light entertainment reading, in her expert occult opinion. She also noticed a large collection of adventure and horror manga volumes, hardly a source for good solid occult information.

"Where exactly do you get that idea, Ikari Sensei?" she asked.

"I have my sources," Principal Ikari said darkly. "In any case, being prepared for any eventuality is not a waste of time. All those involved will get tuition breaks and other privileges, of course."

Madoka Mano nodded and sighed. "Very well," she said. "I will let Yohko and Ranma know of your plans. Who do you have for your other team members?"

"Nuku Nuku, of course," Ikari said. "Her cyborg body holds amazing power. Tenchi Masaaki and his two lady friends, although I am most interested in him and the girl Ryoko. There is the boy from the Aotsuki Shrine, the one with the beast spear. He will be on campus soon, along with his friends. There are others I will want to talk to..."

"Such as Belldandy, Lum, Aiko..." Mrs. Mano said.

"Those three are on my short list, yes," the Principal said. "Also Shampoo and our new Nurse, Miss Sakura. Actually, I must confess, I've already coordinated a meeting between you and some of your peers -- Cologne, of course, and also Mr. Masaki, Mr. Aotsuki, and Mr. Mitsuru -- in just under an hour. If things proceed smoothly, we will then summon the students and present them with our proposal..."

Mrs. Mano sucked in her breath. "Today? So soon?"

"Before noon, if it can be arranged."

"You do not waste time, Ikari-Sama."

"Never," Ikari said. "Now, then..." He paused and pulled a large photo album from a desk drawer. "I've had some photos taken of the uniform designs. Tell me what you think..."

As Madoka Mano took the offered photo album, Principal Ikari selected another donut.

XXX

On the hill above Muyami Academy, three monstrosities moved through the brush.

Down in the town, a shadow crept along alley streets.

Further in town, a train was pulling into the station. Another train, coming from the far side of Tokyo, was slowly drawing closer, while a helicopter approached from yet another direction.

On the campus itself, students were gathered in their home rooms, waiting for class to start. Lum tried to drape herself over Ataru, who was desperately trying to drape himself over any girl but Lum. Hitomi Kanzaki was telling someone's fortune. Utena Tenjou was toying with the rose ring she wore. Tenchi was trying to ignore the two alien girls yelling at each other in front of him.

Maria Minamino stared out the window at the darkening sky. "It looks like a storm is coming in," she said.

"Maria," Yohko said, "I've been meaning to ask you a favor."

"Oh? What is that?"

"Well, I was hoping you wouldn't mind switching rooms with Ranma Saotome. That way, you could room with your sister, and Ranma and I could room together..."

Maria's eyes went wide. "Me, room with Noel?"

"She is your sister, after all," Yohko said.

"I... guess she is," Maria replied. "But really, I don't want to room with her. I'm sorry."

"But why?" Yohko asked. "Noel isn't just your sister, she's your identical twin! And Ranma and I are good friends, and we're both martial artists, and we train together... it makes too much sense!"

"To you, perhaps," Maria said, "but not to me. Look, I'm sorry that you can't room with your friend, but I absolutely don't want to room with my own... sister. It just wouldn't work out. In fact," she added, "I don't know why Noel's here at all. I wish she would just go back home."

That's an odd and callused thing to say, Yohko thought. "I thought twins were supposed to be close to each other."

Maria flopped into her chair and sighed.

"We are close," Maria said. "Too close. That's really the whole problem."

"Problem?"

"You see, Noel is jealous because I'm in love, and h.. she doesn't want to have to share me with anyone else. She's really being immature about the whole thing."

Yohko's eyes widened in astonishment.

"Really? Oh, that's not good at all. Can't she understand what it's like to be in love with a handsome man? To feel his arms around you, to feel his lips on..."

"I guess not," Maria said, a little quickly.

"What Noel needs is a boyfriend of her own!" Yohko exclaimed.

Maria's face went through a complicated series of expressions, and she appeared on the verge of outright laughter before she managed to return to a schooled, serious look.

"Y-yeah, something like that," she managed to say. "I mean, if Noel was in love too, at least h... she'd understand. And h... she wouldn't be so jealous, or have so much time to scheme against me. It would make things a lot easier, I think."

"But good-looking, unattached boys are so hard to find at this school," Yohko said with a sigh. "I thought it would be different, coming to a new school, but so far it's looking just like my old school. You're really lucky, Maria, to already have a boyfriend."

"Well..." Maria said. "That is, I haven't actually told him yet..."

"What?" Yohko exclaimed. "Why ever not?"

"I was just... you know..."

"...Worried that he might become demonically possessed?" Yohko supplied helpfully.

Maria blinked twice.

"Yohko," she said, "I hope you don't mind my saying this, but sometimes you say the strangest things."

Yohko laughed. "Trust me," she said, "if it was only what I said that was strange, then all of my problems would be solved."

She stood up. "I'd better tell Ranma the bad news." She glanced back at Maria. "Well anyway, if you change your mind, please let me know..."

XXX

"Madoka Mano! How wonderful it is to see you again!"

"Why, if it isn't Aotsuki Shigure! Have you met Mr. Masaki of the Masaki Shrine?"

"Of course, of course. I've known Masaki for a very long time. How is your grandson these days, old friend?"

"Well, I suppose he's doing well enough... if he would only apply himself more..."

"I fully understand. Ushio's the same way."

"...and this is Cologne, head of the Chinese amazon tribe I told you about..."

"Why, Mr. Mitsuru! How are your boys doing?"

"Fine, fine, Mr. Hino. And your granddaughter?"

"Just look at al of us! I'm surprised Saki Enno isn't here as well..."

"Uncle, stop hogging all the appetizers!"

"Me? What about you...?"

Principal Gendo Ikari cleared his throat. "If we could all please take our seats?"

The priests, priestesses, and experts in the occult were gathered together with the Muyami Academy Principal in a conference room located some 30 feet below the scool's campus. A thick royal blue carpet covered the floor, and comfortable overstuffed chairs were arranged around a heavy desk of polished oak. Rather than the usual rectangular shape, this desk was a half-circle, with one long curved side and one flat side. Gendo sat on the flat side in a high-backed chair, while the rest were seated on the other side in a semi-circle around him.

There were several pictures on the walls depicting scenes of heroes battling demons. Otherwise, it seemed like a typical conference room. Coffee and tea were available, and there had been donuts and appetizers before the arrival of Sakura and Cherry.

Principal Ikari sat for a moment, steepling his white-gloved fingers in his usual way. The light flashed from his glasses as he inclined his head.

"I call this the half-round table," he said. "Some of you already know each other, but let me make introductions. On my far left are two of my closest advisors, Madoka Mano, former Devil Hunter and current Priestess of the Mano Shrine, and Cologne, a Joketzu Amazon tribal elder.

"Next to her is Doctor Ono Tofu, part of the campus medical staff, who knows a great deal of shiatsu and martial arts lore. On his left is Nurse Sakura, also a part of the medical staff. Miss Sakura is also a Shinto priestess not currently affiliated with any temple.

"The man next to her, I am given to understand, is her uncle Cherry, an itinerant Buddhist monk.

"Over here we have Hino-san, from the Hikawa Jinja -- the Cherry Hill Temple (no relation). Next to him is Mr. Masaki of the Masaki Shrine. Mr. Masaki has been advising the school's kendo club. The gentleman next to him is Mitsuru-san of the Kohryu Temple in the Taito district, and on his left is Shigure Aotsuki of the Aotsuki Shrine.

"First, I would like to thank you all for meeting me here, and for agreeing to serve me in an advisory capacity. My plans for the last several years have been leading up to this point -- the creation of an organization that can deal with events of a demonic or otherworldly nature. Within the hour we will brief the students who will form the core of our first three teams, but first I want to go over a few things, and give all of you a short tour of our base of operations."

Mr. Mitsuru cleared his throat. "I have a question," he said.

"Yes, Mitsuru-Sama?"

"We've all been told a bit about your idea here," he said. "What we don't know is if you have a name for this project of yours?"

"Ah. I'm glad you asked that," Principal Ikari said. "I've spent a lot of time coming up with a suitable name. I've had a logo designed as well, which I'll show you all later.

"This project will be known as the National Entity Response Force."

The gathered priests and priestesses considered the name for a moment.

"Which contracts to NERF," Madoka Mano said.

Principal Ikari nodded. "Precisely."

XXX

While Yohko was busy begging Maria to trade rooms with Ranma, several boys gathered by the window to talk. One of them, a boy named Hiroshi, suddenly pointed out the window. "Hey, check it out!" he exclaimed.

The other boys stared out the window. Some sort of high-tech airplane was hovering over the campus. After a second glance, they all realized it wasn't really an airplane -- helicopter blades were built into the center of each wing. It glided down and settled on the roof of a nearby five-story building.

"Whoah!" Hatta exclaimed. "What the heck is that?"

"Some sort of attack craft," Komatsu said. "Cross between a plane and a helicopter, looks like."

"Yeah, I noticed."

"Check out the writing," Daisuke said. "Mishima Heavy Industries."

Another boy was just taking his seat nearby. "Ah, that's the Poison One," Keichi said. "One of Mishima's top experimental aircraft. It's called a 'plopter'."

"You know about that plane?" Hiroshi said.

"Well, of course," Keichi said. "But I wonder what it's doing here on campus?"

"Well," Komatsu said, "that depends. I heard this strange rumor yesterday... that MHI actually owns this school."

Daisuke frowned. "Why would a company like that want to run a high school? They mostly make military equipment, don't they?"

Komatsu shrugged. "Who knows? Maybe they're studying all of the super-powered students here."

Hatta stared off into space, a goofy grin on his face. "Man... martial artist babes... devil hunter babes... alien princess babes... we are so lucky to be at this school."

"Yeah," Komatsu, Hiroshi, and Daisuke all agreed. Keichi laughed nervously.

"And Keichi here is the luckiest of all," Hatta said. "With a babe like Belldandy? What's a guy got to do to be so lucky?"

One of the aforementioned martial artist babes sat down at a nearby desk. If she'd known how high on the babe-o-meter she was ranked by Hatta and his friends, or if she'd heard any of their conversations concerning her physical attributes and what they'd each like to do with her, she might have chosen another desk, one much father away. But Ranma was quite oblivious.

"Hey guys," she said. "What's up?"

"We were checking out the high-tech jet," Hiroshi said. He gestured out the window. Ranma looked, but didn't seem overly impressed.

"We were wondering what it's doing here," Daisuke said.

"Who knows?" Ranma replied. "This school is full of weird shit."

"You got that right," Hatta said. "So what about you, Ranma? What's you secret super power?"

"My what?"

"Don't be stupid," Hiroshi said. "She's one of the martial artists, like Shampoo."

Daisuke grinned. "We were also talking about all how every girl in this school has a special power," he said.

"Yeah," Hatta replied. "So? Got any special powers we don't know about?"

Ranma leaned back and placed her hands behind her head -- not quite aware that she was giving some of the school's more sex-obsessed boys a wonderful view of her chest. "My special power?" she said. "That's easy -- I can kick your ass."

"Told ya," Hiroshi said.

"Yeah?" Komatsu said. "So can every other girl in school."

"Yeah, I know," Ranma said, a sour look on her face. "Don't remind me."

"Ranma's a devil hunter," Yohko said. The boys swiveled their heads, suddenly aware that another of their top favorite babes was taking a seat nearby. "That's her special power. And she can kick your ass, Hatta, believe me."

"I'd pay to see that," Komatsu said.

"Hey!"

"Ranma's a devil hunter?" Daisuke asked.

"That's right. Grandmother's going to train her."

"And she spins about transforms? Like you do?"

Yohko glanced at Ranma. "Ah... I would assume so... oh, by the way, Ranma -- Maria absolutely refuses to swap rooms with you."

"Ah," Ranma said. "That's... that's too bad..."

Further conversation was curtailed by the arrival of the home-room teacher.

Miss Hinako was, to all appearances, a little girl about nine or ten years old. She was also the home room teacher for Ranma, Akane, Yohko and the rest of the 10th grade class. Nobody yet knew why their teacher was a girl nearly half the age of the students, but there were many rumors going around, some of them quite colorful, and mostly involving demons, aliens, or magical curses. On a campus like Muyami Academy nothing seemed too outrageous or implausible.

As the bell rang, the students quickly found their seats. Standing on the top of her desk, Hinako-Sensei surveyed the room. She cleared her throat, then glanced down at the book in her hands.

"Akane Tendo?" Miss Hinako asked.

"Here," Akane replied.

"Anthy Himeya?"

"Here."

"Atsuko Natsume?"

"HAI!" Nuku Nuku replied, loudly and cheerfully.

"Ataru Moroboshi?"

"Yo." Ataru was barely paying attention. He was staring at the floor, perhaps trying to determine if it made a good mirror.

The diminutive teacher glared briefly at Ataru, while flipping a five-yen coin between her fingers.

"Ayeka?" she continued, after a moment.

"Present," the Juraian Princess replied.

"Miss Ayeka," the teacher said, "students are required to attend school in uniform."

Ayeka, dressed in her traditional Juraian robes, glanced at the uniform of the girl next to her distastefully.

"With all due respect, Sensei," Ayeka said, "the school uniform is immodest and improper for a Princess of Jurai. The skirt doesn't even cover a girl's thighs fully, and in a stiff breeze..."

"Never-the-less, Miss Ayeka," Hinako-Sensei said, "everyone must conform to the school dress code, even princesses from other worlds. Lum has agreed to wear the uniform..."

Lum smiled happily.

"Yes, but modesty for her means not removing her top..."

"Hey!"

"This is not open for debate," Hinako-Sensei said. "If you do not attend class in uniform tomorrow, I will suspend you for the day. Three suspensions can lead to expulsion from the school."

"What? Surely you can't be..." Ayeka began, but a furious glare from the teacher halted her in mid-sentence. "Very well," Ayeka replied. "I understand, Sensei."

Miss Hinako glanced across the room. "As for you, Miss Utena Tenjou..."

The girl with the pink hair produced a small black book.

"I think that you'll find," Utena said, flipping through the small book, "that the rules state only that students are required to wear school uniforms. Nowhere does it say that a girl cannot wear a boy's uniform..."

Hinako-Sensei frowned. She produced her own copy of the black book and flipped through its pages for several moments.

"It appears that you are indeed correct," the teacher finally said. "However, wearing a boy's uniform seems like a very delinquent thing for a young girl to do. You are not a delinquent, are you, Miss Tenjou?"

Utena looked surprised. "Me, ma'am? Of course not!"

The teacher stared at her for a moment longer, flipping the five-yen coin in the air. Then she nodded curtly and continued her roll call. When she was finished, she scanned the room carefully.

"Yohko, Ranma, Tenchi, Ryoko, Ayeka, Lum, Aiko, and Shampoo. The principal would like to see all of you in his office."

XXX

Police Chief Daisuke Ido sat at his desk and sipped his morning coffee while going over his notes.

According to local legend, somewhere on the hill above the town was an old cave in which a demon had been sealed. Ido felt certain that it was the same demon seen in the attacks Mr. Jihara's restaurant and then at the Muyami Academy campus. The question was: where was this cave located? And would the demon return to the cave?

Lost in thought, Chief Ido completely failed to notice the mobile shadow that slid down the sidewalk just outside his office window. Nor did he notice the large, lumpy humanoid with the head of a fish that froze, then ducked into an alleyway across the street.

Which was probably just as well, since he still wasn't certain what he was going to do if and when he managed to corner a demon.

XXX

Madoka Mano and Nurse Sakura were waiting for the students at the entrance to the administration building. Miss Sakura, who ran the school infirmary in the evening hours, was a tall young woman with a low tolerance for foolish boys. Most of these boys rated her the sexiest woman on the entire campus, although a few of the school's true delinquents had been claiming since yesterday that the sexiest woman was, in fact, Miss Hinako.

Everyone had laughed at them, of course.

Playing the gentleman, Tenchi held the door open for the girls. Yohko, Ranma, Lum, Aiko, and Shampoo filed past. Ryoko tried to drape herself over Tenchi, and Ayeka launched into a shrill verbal tirade, which the others tried to ignore.

"This way, children," Mrs. Mano said. She led the procession down the hallway and into an empty conference room.

The students, aside from Ryoko, glanced about nervously. "What's this all about?" Ranma asked.

"You will know soon enough," Nurse Sakura said.

Mrs. Mano walked up to the far wall, which had an unusual floor to ceiling painting on it. She pressed her hands against one part of the painting, then another. Suddenly wall and painting split in two, and parts of each slid back into the wall, opening on a large, carpeted elevator.

"This way, please," she said, stepping inside. Exchanging glances, the students followed.

The elevator descended three floors and stopped. The doors opened onto a long, brightly lit corridor. The students followed their two superiors to the left, then right at an intersecting corridor.

"Where are we?" Tenchi asked.

"A base beneath the campus," Nurse Sakura said.

"NERF headquarters," Mrs. Mano said. When Nurse Sakura raised a questioning eyebrow, she added, "Officially christened as such just this morning. Incidentally, this is all top secret. Got that?"

"Hai."

"Yes."

"Gotcha."

The procession came to a halt in front of a double set of oak doors. Mrs. Mano turned about and looked the students over.

"Okay. Everyone is to be on their best behavior. This is an important meeting for all of you. What the Principal has to say may sound a little strange to some of you, but I can assure you that he is 100 serious about this project and intends to carry it through. Participation isn't mandatory, but those that do participate will get tuition breaks, special training, and other benefits and services, while those that refuse could be asked to transfer to another school."

"What?"

"What's this all about?"

"Yeah. Exactly what are we being asked to participating in?"

Mrs. Mano held up her hands. "Patience! All will be explained in just a few minutes."

She turned to Ranma. "Ranma-chan, this probably isn't the best time to do this, but I have something I need to give to you, and I'd like you to have it before we enter the conference room." She held out an ornamental brass object. Ranma took it and looked it over, then slipped it over her left hand.

Yohko gasped, then gave Ranma a quick hug. "Oh, Ranma, how wonderful!" she exclaimed.

"Is... is this what I think it is?" Ranma asked, a little in awe.

Mrs. Mano nodded her head. "It's your Yoma amulet," she said. "It's heavier and clunkier than Yohko's ring, but..."

"No, no, that's fine!" Ranma exclaimed. She held her hand up to the light. "I can transform with this, right?"

"That's right. Only, right now is not the time. If everyone is ready?"

"Wait!" Ranma said. "The jewel on this thing is flashing!"

Yohko glanced at her ring. "Mine is flashing too! There's a demon nearby!"

"Yes there is," Mrs. Mano said. "He's in the conference room, but don't be alarmed. I'm told that this particular demon isn't dangerous."

"There's no such thing as a good demon," Yohko growled.

"Well, I'd have said so too, but we shall see. Now, are we ready?"

The double doors swung open, and they went inside.

XXX

The secret NERF conference room was unusual in several aspects. First, on the far side of the main conference table was a raised platform with several rows of overstuffed chairs, as if holding a conference was a spectator sport. Second, the wall on the left was dominated by a mirror so large that more than half the students realized it was likely one-way, with people watching from the other side. Third, the wall to the right contained a row of computers, with large screens mounted on the walls overhead, like a little mini-NASA control center. Why it had been "strategically placed" in a conference room was anybody's guess.

Other than that, the table of heavy hardwood and the thick blue carpet were what you would expect in a typical conference room. The center of the table had an odd design of some sort though, inlaid into the surface. Ranma stared at it a moment, wondering who had created such a goofy-looking logo. It was divided in two, diagonally from top left to bottom right. The top and right portion was a ridiculous-looking one-eyed ghost of some sort, the kind a child might draw. The bottom and left portion of the logo contained the letters "NE" and below that, "RF".

NERF. And this was NERF headquarters. But what in the heck was NERF?

There were quite a few people already present. On the raised dais sat a group of old men and women, many of them wearing Buddhist or Shinto robes. They were laughing and talking over cups of tea. A couple of them were known by the students, such as Dr. Tofu, who manned the school infirmary in the mornings, Mr. Masaki, the kendo club advisor, and Cologne, the martial arts club advisor.

Principal Ikari was seated at the head of the main conference table. Also at the table were Belldandy, Nuku Nuku, and a boy and two girls that nobody had ever met. The boy held something very long and thin that was wrapped in cloth.

A teacher and three students sat at the computer stations to the right. Ranma could just barely remember that the teacher was Dr. Natsuke, who taught science and was responsible for Nuku Nuku. He was reputed to be a genius, but he looked like a slob. As for the three girls, she could barely remember seeing them around campus. The middle one looked Chinese and had purple hair; Ranma automatically assumed she was related to Shampoo somehow.

Ranma and the others took their seats at the table. Miss Mano took the seat on Ikari-sensei's right, then turned to address the others.

"My name is Madoka Mano. As some of you know, I run the Mano family shrine, which has been transferred for now to a house on the hill here near Muyami Academy, so that I could be near my grand-daughter as she attends school.

"As many students have noticed, Muyami Academy has many students with unusual backgrounds and abilities, not the least of which are those of you in this room. This is not by chance. Principal Ikari has worked hard to gather such students to this school. You are about to learn why he has done so."

She turned and inclined her head to the Principal. He nodded and cleared his throat.

"For some time, I have been researching demons and the occult," he said. "I've come to the conclusion that Japan and perhaps the entire world is on the brink of a huge increase in demonic activity, the likes of which we have not seen in modern times. If we are not prepared to fight back, humanity itself could be in peril.

"Therefore, I have for several years worked to establish a team of committed individuals capable of dealing with situations of a demonic or otherworldly nature. In coordination with the Japanese government and with our own corporate sponsors, we have built this complex beneath the Muyami Academy campus and worked to draw students of unusual talent to this school.

"Today we are taking the final step -- the creation of our entity response teams."

"Entity what?" Ranma asked.

"Entity response teams," Ikari repeated. "Small teams consisting of several individuals with unique abilities, trained to work together in battle against demonic enemies. The name for this project, NERF, stands for National Entity Response Force."

"Sounds like the Ghostbusters," Tenchi said.

Ikari frowned. "Something like that, yes. All of you in this room are here because you have abilities that we feel can be useful in our mission. Mrs. Madoka Mano will explain."

Madoka Mano turned again to address the others. "First of all," she said, "I want to acknowledge the ladies and gentlemen on the dais behind you. Although not directly involved in the day-to-day operations here at NERF headquarters, they have all agreed to serve in an advisory capability, as have I."

Mrs. Mano proceeded to introduce Cologne, Dr. Tofu, Nurse Sakura, Cherry, Mr Hino, Mr. Masaki, Mr. Mitsuru, and Mr. Aotsuki. Then she turned to the unfamiliar boy and two girls at the front of the table.

"I'm pleased to introduce to everyone Ushio Aotsuki and his two friends, Asako Nakamura and Mayuko Inoue. Ushio is the son of Mr. Aotsuki, and wields a the fabled demon spear, one of the greatest weapons in the battle against demons. He is the only person of this generation who can wield it, and is therefore a demon-fighter on par with my own Yohko.

"He has a demon sitting on his shoulder!" Yohko blurted out, unable to contain herself any longer.

Most of those in the room stared at Ushio, then back at Yohko. "He does?" Aiko replied. "I don't see anything!"

Ranma stared at the boy. She squinted her eyes, and suddenly, the demon Tora came into focus. She gasped, and gripped the table in front of her. "C-c-cat..." she stammered.

"Oh," Mayoko said with a giggle, "that's just Tora. Don't mind him, he's not dangerous."

The tiger-like demon yawned pointedly in Yohko's direction. Yohko muttered something under her breath. Mrs. Mano frowned, then gestured to her. "My grand-daughter Yohko, here is a 108th-generation devil-hunter, capable of transforming into a formidable demon warrior and summoning a soul-sword. She's quite good, and I speak as the 107th generation devil-hunter who trained her.

"Obviously, Yohko and Ushio are expected to be at the core of our demon-hunting teams. They are both exceptionally skilled demon-slayers; without the two of them, all of our plans would not amount to much. Some of you do have some experiences facing demons -- we've had two incidents in just the last week, one right here on campus -- and individually, we've managed to do pretty well, although the demon we fought the other night is still loose. In any case, demonic activity is far more prevalent than the general populace realizes, and no single one of us is powerful enough to face a major demonic uprising. Principal Ikari speaks of a coming age of darkness and great demonic activity, but even if he is wrong, it's a good idea to coordinate our efforts and be prepared. Although actually, I'm a bit surprised that the government has agreed to Principal Ikari's requests, rather than waiting for a crisis to arise.

"In any case, this is why I've also begun to train Ranma Saotome here. I believe she has the ability to be as good a devil hunter as Yohko. She will be the third spoke around which our teams revolve.

"As for the rest of you gathered here -- Nuku Nuku is an android cat girl. The core of her brain is that of a common tabby, but it is enhanced by the cybernetics that make up the rest of her brain. Her body is completely artificial, and quite powerful. I dare say she can match anyone in strength, including Aiko or you, Ryoko."

Ryoko snorted in derision. "We'll see about that," she said. "I'll take her on anytime, anywhere."

Nuku Nuku clapped her hands together. "Ryoko wants to play? How fun!"

"Not now," Mrs. Mano hastily said. "As for you, Ryoko, you were said by legend to be a demon, but confirmed by Yohko to be something else. Ayeka calls you a famous interstellar pirate and murderer. You are possessed of great strength, capable of wielding energy as a weapon, of flight, of teleportation, of passing through solid matter... the list is long and certainly not complete. You're a very talented woman, Ryoko, whatever you are."

Ryoko snorted again. "Yeah, whatever," she said.

"Tenchi Masaki," Mrs. Mano said. "You wield the sword of your father, something only one of Juraian blood can do. You've been well-trained by your father. You are descended from Yosho, the one who fought and imprisoned Ryoko. Clearly you have talents that would help us greatly."

"Princess Ayeka of House Jurai, from the planet Jurai. You have some remarkable talents as well, owing to your birthright as a Juraian and a Princess. You've been known to go toe-to-toe against Ryoko and hold your own, no mean feat."

"Naturally," Ayeka replied. "Any member of House Jurai is a match for that mummy woman!"

"Listen here, Princess..." Ryoko began. Mrs. Mano immediately intervened.

"Please, girls, not now. As for you, Aiko, I know you'd rather have your past kept a secret, but suffice it to say that, due entirely to your unique genetics, you possess incredible strength and speed. In that, you may be the match of Nuku Nuku."

"And?" Aiko said. "I don't attend school to fight. I'm here to study."

"Yes, of course," Ikari said. "I've spoken with your parents. They wanted you to grow up as much like a normal girl as possible, but they knew that eventually your superior strength and speed would be noticed. Although actually, at this school, you won't be that noticed.

"Princess Lum, although not nearly as powerful as Ayeka or Ryoko, as an oni you also have some talents that could prove useful. You can fly, and your electrical bolts can be devastating.

"Belldandy, I'm also aware that your true nature is meant to be somewhat secret. Suffice it to say that our Bellchan has some unusual talents when it comes to magic, and can be of great help to us.

"Likewise, Nurse Sakura here is a Shinto Priestess who has faced demons in the past. Although she is not a student at the school, but rather an employee, she has agreed to work with the rest of you as a member of one of our teams. We really are a bit short on students trained in magic.

"Shampoo here has the magic and wisdom of her grandmother to draw on, and has also faced demons before. As with Nurse Sakura and Belldandy, she is not truly what Principal Ikari would like, but given that we don't have any actual magicians or sorceresses on campus, these three will provide what magical backup they can for our strike forces.

"For now, we propose to organize you into three teams, known as the Alpha team, the Beta team, and the Gamma team. The Alpha team will be our main strike force, and will be built around devil hunter Yohko Mano. Ryoko, Tenchi Masaki, and Belldandy will round out this task force, and provide support for Yohko in battles against otherworldly entities.

"The Beta team will be built around Ushio Aotsuki, and will include Nuku Nuku, Ayeka, and Nurse Sakura."

"It sounds like I'm being relegated to the B team," Ranma muttered.

"No, that would be the Beta team," Yohko said. "Beta means B."

"Well, then it sounds like I'm being relegated to whatever team comes after the B team."

"Naturally," Madoka Mano said, glaring at Ranma. "You are the least experience of the Devil Hunters, so you will head up our Gamma team. For the same reason, Shampoo has some of her grandmother's training, but is neither a priestess nor a go..." Mrs. Mano paused, glanced at Belldandy, and said, "Nor a girl with Belldandy's talents... so we've placed her on your team as well. And Aiko..."

"Why am I here?" Aiko asked. "I've never fought demons before."

"You serve the same purpose as Nuku Nuku and Ryoko," Ikari said. "Each team is comprised of one person trained to dispatch demons, one person possessed of amazing strength and speed, one person with other energy-based attacks, and one person with knowledge of magic and ritual."

Gendo Ikari cleared his throat. "We are still in the experimental stages," he said. "We may need to rearrange or add to the teams to achieve a more balanced approach, but we shall see how this works for now. I expect each team may need a heavy weapons expert -- I can think of two young women who could help us in that area. Oh, yes, and each of you will be assigned a computer specialist as well." He turned and gestured to Dr. Natsume and the three girls working at the computer terminals. "Dr. Natsume here is our chief science officer and technical expert. The girl next to him is Kohran Lee. She is a cousin to Shampoo, and is working here as Dr. Natsume's assistant. The other two girls here are Lain Iwakura and Tokiko Mima. They will work with the Alpha and Beta teams, respectively. We're still looking for a computer liaison for the Gamma team, but for now Kohran or perhaps Belldandy's younger sister Skuld can will fill in, although it's hardly their area of expertise.

"Now," Ikari said, "does anyone have any objections? This is by no means compulsory. I am asking you to use your talents to help defend our country, and perhaps the world. You will be given full scholarships to cover your expenses at Muyami, and other benefits and perks. You will have access to the NERF command center. You will receive uniforms, and training. If you have other requests or concerns, now is the time to say something.

"Oh, and one more thing. I must remind all of you, we have already suffered two demon attacks, and the demon in question is still loose. Thus, the necessity of rushing our project. Naturally, your first assignment will be to find and capture or destroy this demon. Mrs. Mano also informs me that she sensed a minor demon in the area only this morning. We do not, as yet, know if it is the same demon.

"That is all."

XXX

Ranma stared at herself in the mirror while the seamstress poked and prodded and tugged. She was being fitted for her official NERF uniform, which included a long-sleeved navy-blue jacket with gold trim, wide collars, a double row of large brass buttons in front, two brass buttons at the cuffs, gold braid piping, and epaulets with gold braid fringe. Beneath it there was a white silk blouse with ruffles at the wrists and throat. There was a short, pleated white skirt with a wide blue stripe bordering the hem, with a petticoat skirt of double layered silk and lace beneath. Thigh-high white boots completed the picture. Ranma was mildly surprised there weren't puff balls tied to the laces.

"I'm supposed to fight in this?" she asked.

"The Principal wanted a look that was military, but showy," the seamstress replied.

They were in another part of the massive complex beneath the school. Principal Ikari had insisted that everyone be fitted for their new team uniforms so that some publicity photos could be taken. Nobody had explained why a top secret organization would need publicity photos -- but little else about the Principals "NERF PROJECT" made sense either. There was also the matter of id photos -- they would need special id cards to enter the secret underground complex.

It bothered Ranma that the uniforms had been waiting for them even before they were asked to volunteer. Principal Ikari had seemed confident that no one would refuse, and while some were reluctant, all had agreed to be a part of his demon-hunting organization.

There were girl's and boy's locker rooms where they'd changed into the uniforms, and there were three fitting areas, each with three large mirrors set in a half-circle and an assistant to check the fit. At the moment, Tenchi and Shampoo were being fitted in the other two areas.

"Showy, huh?" Ranma lifted the hem of her skirt. "The only thing showing is my ass when I bend over."

"Then I suggest that you refrain from bending over," the woman replied. "But really, I don't see the problem. Your school uniform skirt is just as short."

"Sure," Ranma said, "but I'm not expected to leap and spin about at school like I will in a battle."

"Perhaps, but that's hardly stopped you has it?"

"Excuse me?"

The woman stepped back and placed her hands on her hips. "All of you over-powered girls are alike. Lum and Ryoko fly through the air, while you, Aiko, Shampoo, Yohko and Nuku Nuku leap from rooftop to rooftop like jumping jacks. Miss Belldandy and Lady Ayeka are the only two of you with any amount of modesty! And don't think the boys on campus haven't noticed..."

"The boys?" Ranma said. "But why would they..."

Her voice trailed off as she caught her reflection in the mirror. She thought of Hatta, and Hiroshi, and Daisuke. Suddenly, she saw all the conversations she'd had with them in a new light.

"Why, those perverts!" she exclaimed. "I oughtta..."

"There, I think that's it," the woman said. "Now turn around."

Ranma complied, eyeing her reflection critically. "How does it look?" the woman asked.

"Fine," Ranma said. "Where's the baton?"

"Pardon?"

"I feel like I should be marching in a parade or something. What's with all the tassels and piping? What am I, poster girl for the Salvation Army?"

"I think it looks pretty sharp," Tenchi said from the next booth over. "Kind of like marines in full military dress."

Ranma made a sour face. "Well, at lest you get to wear pants."

The boy's uniform was similar, but with crisply pressed white military-style pants and black shoes. Tenchi glanced down at himself, then back at Ranma. "Well, I'd look pretty stupid in a skirt," he said. "But it looks nice on you."

"And what's with all the frills and lace? Petticoats? Is that really necessary?"

"Well," the seamstress said, "it certainly gives the boys more to see when you start leaping about."

"And that's an advantage in a battle with a demon, is it?"

"Is stupid looking," Shampoo said. "Is not so comfortable as Shampoo normal outfit."

"Ain't that the truth," Ranma muttered. But she did have to admit that the uniforms looked nice. They just weren't at all practical.

Ranma wasn't the only one to complain. Both Ayeka and Ryoko protested loudly, and Ushio was equally unhappy with the formal uniform. Belldandy looked a bit out of place in the girlish outfit, but it was Nurse Sakura, who clearly wasn't a teenage girl, who looked the silliest. Not that any guy on campus would admit it -- Sakura was sexy no matter what she wore.

For a moment, Ranma wished she could look as sexy. She was well-endowed in the chest department, but with her slight build and delicate features, she was more cute than sexy.

Why on Earth do I want to look sexy? she wondered. She eyed her reflection critically for a moment, and thought, Anyway, I'd probably look more like mother when I'm older. If I were a girl. And mother is very beautiful...

Over the next hour, the uniform-clad students posed before the camera. Everyone had individual shots, then group shots based on their assigned teams, then some group shots of everyone, including the advisory board of elders and temple caretakers. Ranma noted that none of them were expected to dress up for the occasion.

Principal Ikari sat in a chair nearby, watching the whole procession. At one point, Yohko said, "Ikari-sensei, these uniforms are nice and everything, but the first time Ranma and I transform they'll be shredded."

"They will?" Ranma asked. The thought of this goofy uniform being destroyed was comforting. Then she recalled Yohko's transformation... and that most of the boys in school, including Hatta and his group, had watched.

That thought was not comforting.

Ikari inclined his head. "A budget has been set aside to cover the cost of uniform upkeep and replacement," he said. "You will all have two uniforms to start with. Those of you with transformations will start with four."

"Great," Ranma muttered, "more frilly junk to stuff into my closet."

Afterwards, the two boys were given special lapel pins while the girls, apart from Nuku Nuku, received teardrop-shaped earrings. "These are communication devices," Dr. Natsume said. "They'll help you communicate with each other, with the members of your specific team, and with the people back here at NERF headquarters."

Ranma examined the earrings in her hand. The teardrops were some sort of blue glass. The NERF logo could be seen in the center of each teardrop.

"But I don't have pierced ears," Ranma said, looking up.

"We're prepared that," Nurse Sakura said. "If you just step over here, I can pierce them right now."

"That's not the point," Ranma said. "I don't want pierced ears. Why can't I have one of those lapel pins?"

Miss Sakura steered Ranma to a nearby chair. "But the earrings are much prettier," she said. "Now hold still, this will only take a second..."

XXX

Mr. Fujisawa was the school's PE coach, but for the most part he only coached the boys. The girls were coached by his assistant, Mr. Ayaki. At the moment, Mr. Ayaki was seated at his desk, hands folded in front of him, listening to Mrs. Shida from registration describe all of the horrible things that had happened to the school since the arrival of certain students with strange abilities.

Mr. Ayaki sighed. He liked Miss Shida well enough -- in fact, he still entertained notions of one day sweeping her off her feet and making her Mrs. Ayaki -- but sometimes she just couldn't see the forest for the trees.

"...And those statues! They were moving about, pretty as you please, and now they're so much rubble. Those statues were part of the history of this school! You can't just replace history, Mr. Ayaki! And that's not half of the strange things I've seen. Why, just this morning..."

"Miss Shida," Mr. Ayaki said, interrupting, "do you know how many times Muyami Academy has beaten Nagayoshi Academy in volleyball in the ten years that I've been here?"

Miss Shida paused. She adjusted her glasses and said, "Mr. Ayaki, I hardly think..."

"Zero," Mr. Ayaki continued, "and don't you think that bastard Samura ever lets me forget it. That's ten years without a win, Miss Shida. Ten years of tasting the bitter fruit of defeat, ten years of losses festering in my gut, ten years..."

"Well, I'm sorry for that, to be sure, Mr. Ayaki," Miss Shida said. "But is this really the time to be worried about a few sports losses? The problem we are facing is much larger than..."

"Did you know he has two foreign exchange students on his team?" Mr. Ayaki asked. "One of them is from Sweden. She's six foot, two inches tall. Six foot two! Can you imagine? The other is from China, and is nearly as tall. And do you know how I know this? Because he calls me, Miss Shida. He calls me, sometimes twice a week, just to gloat over past and future victories."

Miss Shida blinked in confusion. "Mr. Ayaki?" she asked.

"Nagayoshi Academy is one of the most exclusive schools in the city," he said. "All the best students go there, providing their parents can afford it. And what parent wouldn't do all in their power to have their children attend such a school? A Nagayoshi graduate is guaranteed entrance into the best colleges in the country.

"And that success translates to the volleyball team as well. They haven't lost a game in three years, because all the best recruits wind up at Nagayoshi. More than that, they're six time defending champions of our league."

"Mr. Ayaki!" Miss Shida scolded. "Haven't you even been listening to me?"

The coach turned and looked straight into Miss Shida's eyes with an intensity that unnerved her.

"Mrs. Shida, do you have any idea what I would do to beat Samura just once? Any idea? I would sell my soul to all the demons of hell, Miss Shida, for that one moment when Muyami Academy crushes Nagayoshi. And I would look into the face of Samura and laugh. Oh, yes, I would laugh. And if my soul were tormented for the rest of my days, it would be worth it. I would consider it a bargain.

"However," and here he smiled broadly, "I don't have to sell my soul, do I, Miss Shida? It seems that Principal Ikari has done that himself, and left me to reap the benefits. Did you see the girls yesterday? For months, I've been dreaming of the day that I could field a team built around Nuku Nuku, Dr. Natsume's android girl. But that Redhead girl with the pigtails, Ranma, and that tomboy with the pink hair, Utena -- and even Shampoo, the Chinese amazon with the purple hair -- I tell you, these girls are athletes on a par with anyone who's ever played for Nagayoshi Academy, and that's saying a lot. And those are just the normal girls, Mrs. Shida. They say Ryoko's an alien. All I know is she's not only tall, but has a vertical leap like I've never seen. And strong? Did you see her serving today? She can match Nuku Nuku herself in speed an strength. Or that girl Aiko... she's not an android or an alien, but whatever she is, she's got superhuman strength and speed.

"Add all of that up, Miss Shida, and an undefeated season for Muyami Academy is the least of our goals. We're very likely talking about the greatest high school volleyball team ever assembled. So no, I didn't seen anything strange going on. And neither did you."

XXX

Ranma tapped the earring in her left ear.

"Base, this is, uh, Gamma Leader."

"I read you, Gamma Leader." The voice speaking into Ranma's right ear was Kohran's.

Ranma tapped the earring in her right ear. "This is, um... this is Gamma Leader to Gamma Squad, I guess. You guys there?"

"Shampoo is here, Ranma."

"Lum is here too!"

"Aiko here, Squad Leader."

Professor Natsume was slouching against a nearby wall, arms crossed, a lit cigarette dangling from his mouth. With his long bangs covering his face, Ranma couldn't even tell if his eyes were open, but he nodded when Ranma looked his way.

"That's good for now," he said. "And that's enough testing for today. You can get out of your uniforms and head back to class. Just leave the uniform in your locker -- an extra uniform will be delivered to your dorm room. Oh, don't forget to grab your id cards before you leave, and remember that training sessions will be held every evening, starting tomorrow."

Twenty minutes later, the secret elevator doors slid open in the ground-level conference room. A small group of Muyami Academy students, all newly-christened members of the school's new, still-secret demon fighting squad NERF, filed down the hallway and out into the late morning sunlight.

"Well, that was weird," Ranma said. She studied her NERF id card for a moment, then slipped it into a pocket.

"My thoughts exactly," Tenchi said. He slung his book bag over his shoulder. "Well, the extra training can't hurt, at least. Catch you guys later!" he called out, and began walking away.

"Tenchi, wait up!" Ayeka called out, running after him. Ryoko floated after the two, yelling, "Leave Tenchi alone! He's on my team!"

"Race you back to the dorm!" Aiko yelled at Nuku Nuku, and the two were off in a flash.

Shampoo bounced off across the rooftops. Lum flew off looking for her darling. Ranma and Yohko were left standing on the sidewalk.

"Almost lunchtime, Ranma said. "No need to return to class." She turned to Yohko. "Well, catch you later. I'm outta here."

"Wait!" Yohko called out. "Where are you going?"

"I've got time before our afternoon class," Ranma said. "I'm going to practice that walnut fist thing."

"But it's nearly lunch time," Yohko said.

"Yeah, I know," Ranma said. "Maybe I'll grab something to eat on the way."

"That's not what I'm talking about."

"It's not?" Ranma looked at her blankly. "Then what are you talking about?"

Yohko sighed and rolled her eyes. She placed her hands on her hips. "Aren't you forgetting something?"

"I am? What?"

"Come on, Ranma, think. Something important."

"Martial arts are important!" Ranma said.

"Well, okay, I won't argue that, but this is more important. This is about the state of a girl's heart."

Ranma continued to look at her blankly. Yohko sighed in exasperation. "Love, Ranma! This is about love!"

"Love?"

"Ukyo-Sama! Remember? Your fiancee?"

"What about he...him?"

Yohko folded her arms across her chest. "Ranma, if you aren't the most dense girl I've ever met..." her voice trailed off, and she glared at the red-head. "Well? Weren't you going to fix a lunch box for your fiancee?"

"I was?" Ranma asked.

"Of course you were! We talked about this yesterday, don't you remember? Come on, Chi and Akane are going to help. Come with me, we've got everything set up in Akane's room. We don't have much time!"

"But I..."

Yohko grabbed Ranma's wrist. "No buts, Ranma. You can practice martial arts anytime, but you only get so many chances to prove your love to the one you love."

XXX

It was lunchtime. In the Muyami cafeteria, the students were talking -- about school, about boyfriends and girlfriends, and about top-secret demon-hunting teams being assembled on campus, secretly backed by Mishima Heavy Industries, and also partly funded by the government, in secret...

In his office downtown, Police Chief Ido was carefully studying every ancient map of the area he'd been able to find. He was looking for a cave...

In his underground headquarters, Principal Gendo Ikari was listening to his advisors talk and discuss strategy over tea and cookies. Although he didn't smile, he seemed to be pleased with himself. You could tell by the way he steepled his hands...

Across a lawn near the school, a shadow crept...

In an alleyway downtown, a lumpy, fish-headed figure limped and slithered, keeping to the shadows...

to be continued