Chapter Twenty
Ancient Japan was a land written in blood and they had traditions that stretched back to the beginning of history, some of which were recorded on parchment. Some in ink, some with blood. Ranma remembered seeing one such parchment under glass at a museum when his homeroom class visited during a school trip.
But Ranma was glad this was not ancient Japan.
In modern times, without his signature, this marriage license glued to his chest wasn't legal despite Akane's signature and his own blood stained where his name would be written.
Ranma threw the pen down and held his stomach. It ached, blood flowing from the wound through his fingers. He folded over slightly, grit his teeth, the sting of it making him cringe.
"Ranma, are you okay?" asked Akane, her eyes filled with concern.
Ranma nodded, faking a smile. No, he wasn't alright. The pen had penetrated deep into his stomach, much further than it appeared to enter. Nabiki had thrown it hard. But he was a martial artist, and he'd fight through the pain, preserve, like he always did!
Suddenly he heard Nabiki shout an order. "Attack them!" acting as leader to the quartet. And the others did exactly that, pouncing on Ranma and the others like wild animals upon their prey.
Akane positioned herself in front of Ranma. She knew with his injury that he wouldn't be able to immediately defend himself from the others' attacks. So she readied herself.
But she never expected at attack to come from her own sister.
Caught off guard, Nabiki yanked her away so the others could attack the others without Akane's interference, and Akane was tossed, thrown to the ground, with some force that it surprised Akane. Akane rolled a couple of times before coming to a stop. When she looked back, Nabiki stood blocking her view of the others.
Akane could feel the dark aura surrounding Nabiki was powerful. The strength of that throw was unbelievable. And there was something about it that she couldn't comprehend have come from her sister. It was a hidden power from demonic presence inside Nabiki. But there was also something else about it that Akane didn't quite understand yet.
"Stand up!" Nabiki demanded. "You shame the family! Father has promised you to Ranma! Why don't you just obey like a good girl?"
There it was. Did Nabiki hold a secret grudge against her about her that evoked such avarice of anger. Was she shaming the family by not obeying her father's wishes by marrying Ranma as promised? "I don't want to marry him!" Akane said. But there was a small part of her that questioned that.
While the engagement between her and Ranma was made even before either was born, there was something about Ranma - his mannerisms, his strength, his handsomeness - that did give him a certain amount of attractiveness that Akane found she liked.
All the girls at school fond over him. He was the kind of guy who had the full package, everything a girl wanted in a guy. Recalling further, then there was all those who wanted to marry him like Shampoo, Ukyo, and even Kodochi Kuno.
His arrogance was the only thing Akane didn't like about Ranma. She knew all these girls who adore him wasn't his fault, but it made her jealous nonetheless. She wouldn't admit her jealousy. A lot those other girls were prettier than she was with their hourglass, slim figures and long, gorgeous hair. But she would never admit her envy.
She had grown her hair long because of a crush she had on Dr. Tofu years back. But after a battle between Ranma and Ryoga, her hair was chopped by one of Ryoga's spinning bandanas. She had trimmed it, but that alluringness she once felt, much like the attention Dr. Tofu gave her oldest sister Kasumi, wasn't there anymore. She at long, brown, beautiful hair. Ranma did say he liked her new look…
But they always argued too. Was that was a successful marriage was about? Arguing? She was young to get married at this point in her life anyway, she had decided. Perhaps that's why there was so much tension between her and Ranma. They were thrust upon each other to marry and they obviously created a certain amount of animosity. To marry a person you didn't know would make anyone mad.
"I don't want to marry Ranma," she repeated calmly. "That doesn't mean..." She gave him a glance, but he was looking the other way. "We'll decide later…" Leaving the decision up in the air. "But for not now…"
Akane got to her feet, straightened.
But Nabiki smacked her in the face with a hand suddenly.
Akane grabbed her face awestruck. Was her reluctance to marry Ranma really bothering Nabiki that much, or was this some sort of trick? Yes, this was not the Nabiki she knew, this was not the kind sister she knew. The demon inside must be using what Nabiki knew best to manipulate and provoke a reaction. Nabiki was a master manipulator.
Akane pusher her hot-headedness aside, a trait she knew she would have to work if she and Ranma did manage to make their engagement work.
"Let my sister go!" Akane demanded speaking to the demon inside her sister. "Or so help me, I'll hurt you!"
Nabiki smirked. "Bring it on!"
The demon had called her bluff!
Ryoga Hibiki was tackled to the ground by Mousse. It was an unusual tactic by the self-proclaimed master of hidden weapons, but it had worked. Here, Mousse quickly shackled Ryoga's hands together with iron bindings. There was one foot of chain between the bindings and two heavy iron balls attached to each one.
Ranma was still severely injured, and Ryoga passed him off to someone else while he dealt with this threat.
Practically immobile, Mousse was able to attack Ryoga at will with very little resistance. Without his Breaking Point technique attacking the ground beneath Mousse became impossible, Ryoga decided.
But Ryoga still had the Lion Roar Shot.
Nothing Mousse couldn't stop the Lion Roar Shot. It was a spiritual technique and not anything any of Mousse's toys could stop physically.
"Fist of the White Swan!" cried Mousse.
Mousse tried to smack Ryoga with a child's potty in the face. But Ryoga was able to defend himself by getting his right leg up vertically, kicking it from Mousse's grip.
The potty soared high in the air. Mousse followed it visually. And as it dropped, Ryoga used the distraction to launch a small, concentrated attack of pent up spiritual energy, forming a spirit bomb of sorts from raw, depressive emotion using the Lion Roar Shot, and launched it from chest level at Mousse.
But Mousse deflected it with another hidden toy he had on his person under his clothes.
Ryoga launched several more attacks via the same manner in quick succession, but Mousse either deflected them or moved out of their way, avoiding them with ease. None got through to him. Although they weren't practically powerful bursts either.
Ryoga bared his fangs. Fangs that had grown from poor dental care. They were called "eye teeth" he recalled.
He was frustrated. But when the potty finally fell to eye level, Ryoga took advantage. He kicked it at Mousse hard, hitting the master of hidden weapons straight in the chin, knocking him over backwards. Mousse landed with a hard thud. Dirt spat from underneath him as he landed kicked up from the impact.
With use of the Lion Roar Shot energy, Ryoga broke Mousse's bindings. He surrounded his entire body with its raw power - aging the metal, freeing himself. He stood battle-ready once more. Since he had learned the technique, he had learned the many facets the power had, including something recently he discovered about it. By focusing the energy he could mentally dissolve anything and turn it to dust, but in short bursts only.
Mousse got to his feet slowly, rubbing his chin.
Ryoga had no qualms about hurting this guy. The guy was a jerk, obsessive and quite annoying. A demon was manipulating his actions. But Ryoga couldn't care less. He had tangled with Mousse a couple of times to know how stupid the guy was, and what his ultimate weakness was. Did the demon know Mousse's weakness?
Ryoga smiled, as Mousse adjusted his glasses. Mousse's glasses were his Achilles Heel. If Ryoga could relieve Mousse of them, then Mousse would be helpless. Without them, Mousse was as blind as a bat.
To be continued...