Chapter Seventeen
"That fool!" Xi'an said, his eyes closed in mediation on the floor of his private chambers inside his dojo. "I told Ryoga under no circumstances to fight Ranma unless I agreed the time was right!"
He opened his eyes, and stood on his feet. With a simple telepathy, he summoned Copycat Ken to his self. Copycat Ken entered.
Xi'an immediately noticed Ken's new attire, all black, much like a priest's uniform but without the white collar. It suited him, more so the demon personality that resided in him.
"You summoned me, Master," Ken said.
"Yes; Ryoga has seen fit to disobey me and has engaged in a fight with Ranma before the chosen time. Seek him out and show him the error of his ways."
Ken bowed, and smiled with a sinister grin. "It will be my pleasure, Master." Ken suddenly put a hand to his forehead, his balance swayed. He grimaced in pain.
"What's wrong?" Xi'an said.
"I don't know, Master," Ken replied, blinking, and then quickly regained his composure. "It appears my host is fighting back. He has a strong spirit."
"Your host isn't a martial artist, he's merely a copycat trickster..."
"Agreed, Master. But his will has quickly spiked to a level I can't explain." Ken straightened, no longer in pain. "No matter, he can be overcome. I am stronger!"
Xi'an smiled. "You are indeed. I wouldn't have chosen you to serve under me if I didn't know your will was strong, much like mine. We have endeared those insufferable Jusenkyo springs for thousands of years clinging onto only our consciousness. Those weaklings will not beat us."
"I agree, Master. I will take care of the Ryoga matter now." And Ken left.
Lightning flashed across the sky as a sudden storm blew in. It was the perfect medium for his mood; dark and filled with aghast.
He had wanted to beat Ranma down ever since he had met him, ever since he trounced into his life when they were in grade school. Ranma used to steal bread from him at ever lunch hour, and then there was the curse; a curse that will forever be with him. Or, that's what happened to Ryoga Hibiki...
...his host.
But the demon that possessed Ryoga Hibiki now had a much deeper grudge, an anger against the Saotome Clan that had lasted for centuries. Now, with Ryoga's powers, it was finally time to settle the score.
And be damn Xi'an's plan!
Ryoga charged Ranma using the Breaking Point technique. With a finger, he made the ground explode beneath his feet, sending shards of debris in every direction, each its own sharp projectile.
The blast radius was relatively short and the shards hit him more so than Ranma; Ranma avoiding them with ease. And after several attempts with this technique, it quickly proved ineffective.
While a deadly technique, its strikes were clumsy and seemed to harm its host than his enemy. Ranma was uninjured, but Ryoga had several cuts and bruises.
Holes filled the fighting grounds, and there was very little place to maneuver. Why did Ryoga, his host, continue such a useless fighting technique, the demon wondered.
Luckily Ryoga had many more fighting technique in his arsenal, one of which Ranma had very little defense against. The Lion Roar Shot.
Ranma's eyes widened when he saw what Ryoga was about to do, use The Lion Roar Shot. It was the most powerful martial artist fighting technique he had even seen anyone do. And his arch rival had perfected it.
But while Ryoga used dark, negative emotions to fuel it, Ranma had a counteract, and adapted the LRS with positive emotion. Right now, he wasn't feeling very positive.
After everything that had happened, he knew he couldn't hurt his friend. Something evil was controlling Ryoga; Ranma could feel that dark aura surrounding, enveloping his rival.
And if the LRS was launched, Ranma knew he couldn't stop it. The demonic emotions that'd power it would certainly overcome any counter-measure Ranma could develop.
"Stop!" Akane suddenly shouted.
Ryoga stopped. His Lion Roar Shot ceased in mid-fusion. He looked at Akane. "And why do you stop me?" Ryoga said. "Hasn't this roach cause you enough pain emotionally to deem destruction? My host hates him, as should you. It's time Ranma Saotome pays for his crimes."
"What crimes, Ryoga?" Tendo said. "What has he done to you, that you want to murder him? Hurt him so badly?"
Ryoga turned to look at Ranma with utmost disdain. "Plenty! And I have harbored a deep hate for his family for centuries!"
Akane and Ranma looked at each other strangely, confused.
"Centuries?" Ranma said. "Okay, man. I know you're not Ryoga. Who the hell are you?"
Ryoga laughed. "I suppose there's no point in hiding any longer. I'll tell you everything, then I'll kill you!"
It took several minutes for the demon possessing Ryoga to explain Xi'an's, Oro Hiroshi's, plan to the others, including Copycat Ken's involvement, and what happened centuries ago involving a clash between Xi'an's family clan and the Saotome Clan, and how the Saotome Clan defeated Xi'an and banished Xi'an and this remaining followers spirits into the Jusenkyo springs. But it was all Ranma needed to know to finally put all the pieces of together to the mystery that had happened over the last couple of days.
"Where's Nabiki now?" Ranma demanded. "Where's Xi'an? Let me fight your Master!"
Ryoga shook his head. "I'm afraid I can't do that. Master Xi'an is in the final preparations of his plan and he's almost complete. I came here for a little fun before things starts to begin."
"So then, explain something to me. If your Master is so powerful, why all these theatrics? Why doesn't he just kill me and my father? We are the last remaining Saotome Clan members, I think?"
Ranma looked at his father, and Genma shrugged. "It never came up," he said. "I'll have to do some research."
"Why do you insist on asking so many questions?" Ryoga said. "I thought you were a martial artist, a fighter? People like you don't need to think or question things. Just accept things as they are. There are only two of your left!"
"We'll see, and you're about one thing..." Ranma said. "Over the years, I've learned brains beats brawn, that's why Ryoga's never defeated me. And that's why you can't."
Ryoga laughed. "Trying to goat me on, eh? It won't work. I'm smarter than you. And I've decided to let you live for a little while longer."
"How nice of you." Ranma smiled, folding his arms across his chest. "And let me guess, you'll give the Master the privilege of beating me? Ryoga, the martial artist, I know, won't like that."
"His issues with you are of no concern with me..."
Just then Ryoga folded over in pain, holding his head. He cried out in agony. Akane took a step towards him, but Ranma waved him off.
"No! Ranma Saotome is mine! No one will beat him but me!"
And in an eruption of emotion, Ryoga rose on his knees with his arms in the air and screamed, forcing the demonic presence inside him to spew out of his mouth and eyes.
After it had left him, Ryoga collapsed to the ground. What stood next to him was something in ghostly form and as black as night, red eyes, and with a promo-plasmic, wavy body.
"I will kill you!" It threatened, and attempted to reenter Ryoga's body.
But Ryoga had erected some form of spirital barrier that suppressed it from possessing his body once more.
"No more..." Ryoga muttered his breath, then slowly rose to his feet. He gazed into the blackness of the spirit. "Go back to your Master and tell him Ryoga Hibiki will no longer serve him!"
The demon cackled. "If not you, then I'll just possess another. Akane Tendo." The ghost lunged for her.
And with a blast of Chi energy generated from his core powered by the love he felt towards Akane, Ryoga destroyed the spirit into nothingness inches from Akane.
Ryoga collapsed to his knees weakened by the ordeal.
Akane came to stand next to Ryoga, put a hand on his shoulder. He looked up, tiredness in his eyes, huffing. He loved Akane with all his heart. Perhaps now this proved it to her.
"Thank you, Ryoga," she said. "You saved me, you saved Ranma, you saved everyone." She smiled.
But for some reason that wasn't the response he had wished for. In movies, the hero always got a kiss from the heroine when she was saved. Where was his kiss? And why was she thanking him for saving Ranma?
Ryoga turned his head, looked at Ranma. The guy was smiling. With contempt, he frowned at his rival. Even after everything, Ranma still got the girl.
Ryoga felt his heart sink, gloom surrounding it. But for Akane's sake, he would fake appreciation. "You're all welcome," he said, getting to his feet. His muscles felt strained, achy. But he would endear the pain. He had to stay strong for Akane.
"Okay, so what now?" said Ranma.
"Pathetic! Utterly pathetic!" came a voice from a near-by roof top. And Copycat Ken stood on the arch of this roof-top, looking down. "You came to find this fool and it ended up..."
"It's over Copycat Ken," Ranma vowed. "Ryoga's back with us!"
Copycat Ken jumped down, landing with ease to the ground. Ranma stood within meters of him, facing him.
"Laughable! The whole bunch of you! We knew Ryoga we stupid, just not this stupid!"
"Hey! I'll tear your limbs off for that remark!" Ryoga threatened.
Ranma waved him off, then said, "Tell your Master, Xi'an, Oro Hiroshi, or whoever, that we know all about him and his plans!"
"And that changes, what?" Ken said. "You think he'll just drop everything because someone knows? Ha! This way is more interesting. We can see you squirm!"
To be continued...