Author's note:
Phew… this was a big chapter. For those of you who have played the game, you know how freaking tough this part is. And I can't tell you how many times I got killed in a multiplayer game 'cause some idiot stepped on the seal before the rest of us were ready (in all fairness, I did this myself once…)
Okay, so if you read the last chapter and were like… huh? Where was the fight! Well, I kind of ran out of steam. I mean, let's face it, after 23 chapters there are only so many fight scenes you can right. Besides, I knew this one was coming up. I finally sort of answered who Diablo should be… Mint was just working for him. But you'll see who he really was. Of course, Baal is still around…
And thank you to everyone who reviewed!! I broke the 100 mark!!! I can't believe it! And yes, Gohan, they should pay me but that's just a dream ^_^
* * *
Act 4 Quest 3
Terror's End
Ukyo and Ryoga returned to the camp ready to collapse. Ukyo shot Ryoga a couple of angry looks for getting them lost repeatedly. It was all they could do from not falling asleep right at the steps of the Cathedral entrance. But somehow they managed to push themselves up those last few steps to land near the rest of the group. What they saw, however, instantly woke them up.
"Ranma-honey!" Ukyo said bounding over to him. "You're all right!"
"Yeah," he said, as he tried to catch his breath as she squeezed him. Akane frowned at the sign of affection but let it drop.
"Is something wrong?" Ryoga said, looking at Akane's tired face.
Ranma and Akane were very quiet. Ukyo let go of Ranma and looked at him. "What happened?" she asked softly.
Across the camp, Shampoo knelt, hands softly on her lap, eyes glistening slightly, as Soun and Genma worked near her. The rest of the group joined them, trying not to make too much noise as they did. But the moment, Ukyo saw what they were holding vigil for she couldn't help but cry out in surprise.
"Mousse?" she asked softly.
Against the back of the Cathedral wall, Mousse cast dark eyes over at her. He was chained by the arms and legs and a rag covered his mouth to prevent any spell casting. Ukyo wasn't as surprised by his condition as the pure hatred that shot from his eyes at her.
"That can't be him," she said.
Soun frowned. "It is. At least, the body and the mind. But the heart, that's gone. He's just a minion for the other side now and I don't think we can bring him back."
"We can get it back," Ryoga said firmly. Soun frowned. "We CAN." He said firmly. "Just like we got Shampoo back, just like we got Ranma back. They keep taking from us but we always get it back." Shampoo's hands clenched in her hands.
"Come on!" Ryoga shouted. "Stop moping about! Let's just go kill the remaining brothers and it'll cure him."
"How can Ryoga know that?" Shampoo said, her voice harsh as she spoke.
"I don't," he yelled back. "But of everyone here, I thought you'd understand. In Harrogath, when someone is in trouble, we don't just sit around and cry about it. We figured out how to help them and then we helped them. Didn't the Amazon have the same philosophy?"
"Shampoo no Amazon anymore," she said.
"You're damn right you're not," Ryoga yelled. "If you were, they'd be completely ashamed of what you have become. A pathetic excuse of a girl."
"Ryoga!" Akane cried. But Ranma held her back.
"Ryoga no understand!" Shampoo yelled.
"I understand just fine," Ryoga replied. "You're giving up! You brought him back but it's not all of him. And maybe a couple of people don't think we can bring him back but is that really all you need to give up? I thought you were stronger then that. I thought you wouldn't stop until you asked ever last person in this world if there was a way to cure him. But you gave up already."
"Shampoo no give up!" she cried, standing up to face Ryoga. "But what Shampoo do? Kill monster but how know if that help Mousse?"
Ryoga look at her. "We've seen what Diablo and his minions can do. They destroyed Tristram. They almost wiped out the Rouge. Lut Gholeim is plagued by monsters and Kurast…" He trailed off, looking over at Akane.
"Mousse gave his life up for you," he said. "And even if it doesn't bring him back, you should still fight, if for nothing else then his memory. He didn't become that," he said pointing to Mousse, "for you to mourn over him. Let's prove he was right in his sacrifice and rid the world of this evil."
Shampoo blinked. She lip quivered a bit. "Is not right," she said softly. "No right for barbarian to be smart."
Ryoga smiled. "Ah… thanks I think."
"Ryoga right," Shampoo said looking at the rest of them. "We no know if it help Mousse or not. But Diablo must be killed."
"I'm happy you came to that conclusion," the angel said as she descended. "Because that is what I have come to ask from you." She settled on the cathedral floor and folded her wings behind her. "Ryoga, Ukyo, the soul stone?"
"Destroyed," Ukyo said softly.
"Good," the angel smiled. "Then Taro will never again plague this world. Now his brothers are the only problem left. They are amassing an army here, bringing up three times the number they had before and opening the portal back to the mortal plane. Back to Harrogath."
"Is okay," Shampoo said suddenly, looking at Ryoga. "We stop them before that."
"You will have to move quickly," the angel said. "The army has already left. You must travel to Diablo's Chaos Sanctuary and fight him there. But the way will not be easy."
"We can do it," Ukyo said. "No problem."
"Then get your things together," the angel said. "Your time is short. I wish I could fight along side you but it is not the place of Heaven to intercede in the affairs of mortals. But," she said smiling at Akane, "I will pray for all of you. Good luck," she said softly before she disappeared in an explosion of light.
* * *
Ranma strapped the remaining bits of his armor on and secured his sword. He tried to clear his mind for the fight ahead. He flashed the aura around him, changing the colors several times before he let it fade. He picked up his helmet and was about to put it on when he heard a voice calling him.
"Ranma?"
He looked up and saw Akane standing in front of him. She had her armor on as well, though her helmet was hanging in her hand. Her other hand gripped the staff tightly. Looking like this, she really looked like a warrior, so different from the girl he and his father had picked up in Tristram.
"What's up?" he asked.
"I was just wondering. How did you know what Ryoga was saying would be exactly what Shampoo needed to hear?"
Ranma smiled. "Ryoga's not as dumb as he wants people to believe. Besides, the Barbarians and the Amazons are alike in a lot of ways."
Akane nodded. "I see." She paused. "What Ryoga said about Mousse… about how fighting might not bring him back but it would honor his memory. I understand that, you know. I'm going to fight for Nabiki, even if it won't bring her back."
"That's the spirit," he said with a firm nod.
"And what about you?" she asked. "What are you fighting for?"
Ranma paused, looked at her and just smiled.
* * *
Shampoo pulled at the strap of the arm guard and made sure it was secure. Next to her the remaining pieces of armor and her bow sat on the ground near by Mousse. She could feel him watching her but she did her best to ignore it. With the last bit of armor in place, she grabbed her helmet and bow and walked over to him.
"Shampoo know you no understand," she said softly. "But someday, Mousse will." She leaned forward and put her hands onto of the mouth gag. She closed her eyes and kissed him, feeling the harsh fabric against her lips.
She stood up and quickly walked away, wiping the tears from her eyes and putting the helmet on. The creature on the ground watched her leave with wide eyes, feeling something burning in his chest.
Shampoo rejoined the group at the entrance of the Cathedral. They were all dressed in armor and she couldn't see their faces behind the helmets. But she knew that they all had the same grim look of determination on them.
"All right," Ranma said looking around at the group. "Considering we've crossed through half of this place, not always by our own choice," he continued, shooting a look at Ryoga, "and the fact that the army is on the move, we shouldn't run into too much resistance on the way there. When we get there, we're sticking together. Long range attackers in the back, the rest of us in the front."
The group nodded in affirmation. "All right," Ranma said. "Let's go kick this monster's butt back to Hell… I mean Heaven… I mean…"
The group started to laugh slightly and Ranma smiled. "You know what I mean."
* * *
As Ranma had predicted, resistance to get to the Chaos Sanctuary was minimal and they were still at full health. But the sight of the sanctuary itself dampened their spirits. The red and black building was a corrupted Cathedral, exactly the opposite of what they had just left. The flames of Hell were hotter here and even the shadows on the ground seemed darker.
"Where are they?" Ukyo asked, as they walked up to the door.
Ranma frowned. "They must be waiting inside but…"
The air behind the cathedral suddenly exploded and the sky seemed to tear open. "It's a portal!" Akane said, pointing at the tear.
"Harrogath," Ryoga said. Before anyone could stop him he threw the door of the sanctuary open and stormed inside.
"Wait! Ryoga!" Ukyo cried, running after him.
"Crap," Ranma said watching them disappear. He and the two girls quickly ran inside. Ryoga was several steps ahead of them but surprisingly, there were no monsters.
"I have a bad feeling about this," Ranma said just as Ryoga's foot sank into the ground.
"What the hell?" Ryoga started. Suddenly there was a mob of monsters around him, attacking before he even had the chance to grab his axe.
"Ryoga!" Akane cried, bringing up her wand to cast a Firewall. Beside her, it looked like Ukyo split in two before jumping into the fray. Ranma followed shortly afterward, aura turning red as he did.
From the sidelines, Akane and Shampoo continued their long-range attack. Between casting Firewalls, Akane threw Fireballs at them. Shampoo's arm never stopped moving. Before an arrow hit its target, she had already loaded another in the bow.
In the middle of the melee battle, Ukyo and her shadow were doing serious damage, ripping through the demon flesh with combination attacks. Ki balls would swirl around them for only a few seconds before exploding. Ranma's sword was moving at lightning speed while his aura burned anything that got near him. Ryoga had since managed to remove his axe and was doing some heavy damage with his classic hack and slash attack.
Thirty minutes later, the fight was over. The bodies off the dead lay around their feet, gore covered the melee fighters from head to toe. They were all breathing heavily, fighting to stay on their feet. Ukyo's shadow was gone and one of the blades on her arm was broken. Ryoga's axe had lost its edge and Ranma's helmet had been cracked in two.
Shampoo and Akane walked towards them wading through the mess.
"DON'T MOVE!" Ranma screamed. Shampoo and Akane froze in place. "We don't know if there are any more of those traps."
Ryoga looked down at his foot and found it hadn't moved since he had stepped on the seal. Ranma looked down as well and then slowly nodded. Carefully, Ryoga picked up his foot and prepared for another attack.
The floor glowed red and a symbol appeared on the floor, slowly pulsating.
"What is that?" Shampoo asked.
"Magical seal," Akane said. "I read about it. They keep things sealed until someone breaks it. This one must work when you step on it."
"Like one of my traps," Ukyo said. "The whole place is freaking bobby- trapped!"
"All right," Ranma said. "Let's just think about this. Ryoga, did you see something on the floor before you took a step?"
Ryoga frowned and shook his head. "I don't know. I…"
"Wait!" Akane cried. "Look up ahead." The group turned and looked down the long stone hallway. "There's something there." Without waiting for a response she walked forward.
"Akane!" Ranma called out, taking a step towards her.
"No just stay there," she answered back. "I'm a magic user so I can see magic, okay? There is another seal here and it's surrounded by a magical barrier. Three spikes from the ground… I really don't think these are traps."
"Well what else could they be?" Ukyo asked.
"Like I said, magical seals. But I don't think their purpose is to seal those monsters. I think the monsters are there to prevent someone from opening the next seal."
"Next seal?"
Akane finally reached the seal and knelt down next to it. "Hmmm… it looks like a magic spell but… I don't know, I can't really read it." She wished Mousse was here, he would have been able to decipher the text.
The rest of the group had circled around her. Shampoo put a reassuring hand on the Sorceress's shoulder. "Try best, Akane."
Akane frowned. "It's a seal but it's what it's sealing that I can't understand. The symbol isn't from any creature I know. It must be a proper name. Di… De…"
"Diablo." Ranma said.
Akane blinked. "Of course!! These seals are holding Diablo."
"Holding him?" Ukyo asked. "But I thought he was at the army's camp."
"They're holding him in Hell," Akane said with a smile. "He can't get out. He must have sent his brother ahead to free him but how?"
"It doesn't matter," Ryoga said. "If we kill him here, his brother can't release him. So how do we get to him?"
Akane moved a hand around the edge of the seal. "It looks like this is the second seal," she said pointing to two slashes in the corner before moving to the other end, "of five. There are five seals."
"And each one is going to release a horde like what we just faced," Ukyo asked.
Akane frowned. "No, I think its worse. If you get past one, the next have got to be harder."
"You've got to be kidding!" Ukyo said.
"All right, let's not panic," Ranma said. "Akane can see the seals so we won't set one off again by accident. Let's loot the monsters we killed, relax for a bit and then try the second seal. Maybe we'll luck out and it'll be easier this time.
* *
An hour later, Ukyo was still shaking her head. "It's not going to be easier."
"No shit," Ryoga muttered grabbed an axe out of the pile. He held both in his arms and swung them around. "Hmph, never thought I need to use both hands for attacking. But defending didn't do too much."
"Don't worry sugar," she said, pulling at clawed glove off a monster. "I'll cover your back." She strapped the glove on and smiled. Perfect.
"Ranma and Akane no back yet," Shampoo asked, pulling a bolt out of the mess and strapping it on her back.
"No," Ukyo frowned. "But I'm sure they're on their way back."
"Maybe they got lost," Ryoga said.
"You're not with them," Ukyo said. "Why should they get lost?"
"Maybe they wanted to get lost," Ryoga replied back.
"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" Ukyo cried.
"Ryoga! Ukyo!" Shampoo yelled. "No fight. Have plenty fight ahead of us. No fight between allies. Find equipment, be ready."
Ryoga and Ukyo glowered at each other but finally went back to working. Until Ukyo accidentally threw a chain mail at Ryoga. Which resulted in him tossing a helmet at her. And then a glove and finally a shoe before Shampoo broke it up.
"Knock it off!" Shampoo yelled. "Like children! No res…" She paused looking at where the boot had landed. Around the edge of the shoe, she could make out the remains of a monster foot. She barely had time to yell before the seal was activated.
* * *
Akane knelt down beside the seal and studied it for a while. "There it is… this is the fifth seal. That's the last of them."
"Good, " Ranma said standing up. "Let's go back and tell the…"
"Ranma," Akane said, standing up, brushing her hands on her skirt.
"What?" he said turning around to face her.
She looked at him and smiled. "Nothing… just forget it."
"Are you sure?" he asked.
Sure, I'm sure, Akane said to herself. We're about to face certain death and I really wanted to say sorry about Kurast and about how scared I was when you were gone. But I'm just a complete chicken so all I'll say is…
"Yeah, I'm sure," she said, smiling.
The red light of Hell hit her, warming her cheeks and turning it a nice shade of pink. "You know Akane," he said. "Sometimes you can be pretty cute."
Akane's smiled widened and then dropped. "What do you mean, sometimes??"
The air was broken by the sounds of monsters. Turning around, they realized it was coming back from the way they came.
"They must have released the other seal by…"
"RANMA!" Akane cried, as he passed in front of her. But it was too late. His foot hit the seal and activated it.
* * *
"FALL BACK!" Ryoga cried, as he and the two girls were pushed down the hall. The horde of monsters, as Akane predicted, was much stronger than the first and they were two people short.
Shampoo frowned. They were being herded, it was obvious. If they hadn't wanted to, the monster could have probably finished them in one strong attack. Instead only a few were attacking them, driving down the hallway.
Ukyo's shadow only lasted a few minutes before it was pulverized. She kept calling it back but it was obvious that she was starting to lose too much mana. She pulled a potion from her side and took it quickly, calling the shadow up again and trying to ignore the fact that that had been her last potion.
"What about the seals?" Ryoga asked, looking around frantically.
Shampoo's eyes snapped open. "Stop MOVING!" she cried. That's why they were herding them. Another seal. "Watch where you…"
Her foot sank into the ground. No… she hadn't just…
"It's a seal!!" Ukyo cried, as the atmosphere crackled with energy.
As soon as it was done, the three warriors found themselves surrounded. Breathing heavily, they looked at the odds and realized how bad it was. There was no way they could win. They didn't have the potions, health or mana, to sustain an attack like that.
"Feh," Ryoga said gripping his axes. "I always knew it would be like this. Hey Ukyo…"
"What?" she asked, gripping tightly onto her claws.
"Sorry I got us lost so many times," he said with a smile.
"Sorry I called you all those names," she replied sadly.
"Shampoo sorry you both idiots," she said. "Fight monsters, win, then make apologies. Right, Harrogath?"
Ryoga smiled and knelt down low. Shampoo pulled back her bowstring. Ukyo and her shadow took up a fighting stance. The four fighters stood back to back, all concentrating on the monster, waiting for some sort of sign.
Suddenly part of the monster circle crumpled. The air was filled with the sound of rushing spears and for a moment Shampoo thought her Amazon tribe had come to her rescue. But then she saw more clearly. Embedded in the walls, the monsters expired with huge shard of bone out of their chests. There was a moment of silence as they tried to process what had happened. But in that moment, it was the monsters that got to regroup and the quad was engulfed in a wave of demons.
Standard hack and slash was not enough. The shadow died in seconds. And no one can fire arrows at close range. But when it looked like all was lost, something ripped through the hallways and the monsters thrown to the ceiling. Those that survived the initial impact were shredded in the maelstrom.
When it was over, the weary fighters tried to stand up. Looking down the hall they saw two people coming towards them. It took a few minutes for them to come into focus but it appeared that one of the people was being dragged along.
Genma dropped the dead weight and walked up to Ukyo and outstretched a hand, helping the assassin to her feet. "Quite a mess you got yourselves into," he said turning to help Shampoo out.
"Genma!" Ukyo said with surprise. "What are you doing here?"
Genma frowned and jerked a finger back to the crumpled form behind him. "The bastard broke clear through the chains. I thought he was coming to kill all of you." He paused. "Guess I shouldn't have toasted him so quick, seeing as he was trying to help."
Shampoo walked over and looked at the fallen Necromancer. "Is Mousse back?"
Genma shook his head. "Unless the Mousse you know could do that," he said, motioning to the line of corpses with Bone Spears in their hearts. "No, but something changed. I don't know…" He paused. "Where are my boy and Akane?"
It was the first time they had a chance to think about it. Where were they indeed? Ranma was a seasoned fighter. He would have recognized the sounds of battle and rushed back to help his friends. Unless… They finally heard the sounds of another battle in the distance.
"Shit," Ryoga said standing up. "They set off a seal too."
"Stay down boy," Genma said. "You've been slashed to bits."
Ryoga pushed off the ground, holding his torn side. "No way, old man. Ranma's beaten me in every real fight we've had and there's no way I'm letting him die before I get a chance at a rematch."
"Yeah, "Ukyo said standing up. "He's fought for all of us enough. This time, it's for us to fight for him."
The sky suddenly erupted into flames and a rush of warm wind knocked them all back to the ground. Looking up, Genma frowned. "Well, that can't be good."
* * *
Ranma desperately fought against the horde that was trying to attack them. If Akane was right, this was the fifth seal, the hardest of them all to defeat. And it was just him and Akane.
Looking over, he saw her casting another round of Fireballs before calling up another Firewall. She was really holding her own in this battle, leaving him to concentrate on the creatures in front of him. But he knew she couldn't hold out forever. He had seen her reach for a mana potion at least three times.
His own aura was starting to flicker under the strain but he didn't dare waste a mana potion on himself. The wave of monsters pushed him back and he almost fell over when he felt two feminine hands grab him from behind. Akane pushed him back up and then put her hands on her knees, taking in deep breath.
"Are you okay," he asked, watching the monsters regroup out of the corner his eye.
She nodded. "Just a bit… winded," she said. Looking down at her belt, he saw she didn't have any potions left.
"Here," he said giving her his last. "You're going to need it."
She gripped the potion and his hand as well. "Ranma," she said. "I have to say something. I wanted to thank you," she said quickly watching them rev up for another attack, "for all you've done, for letting me come, for showing me everything and for saving my all those times. And I'm sorry about Shinnosuke and Kurast and the curse and Lut Gholeim and…"
"Akane," he said, shaking her slightly. "Just stop. I really don't need apologies. I screwed up just as much as you did."
"Ranma…"
The monsters attacked they suddenly found themselves overwhelmed. Akane felt her hand being ripped away from Ranma and she called out his name once last time before she began to feel the blows of the monster.
Somewhere in the haze of pain, she realized that this was going to be it. And she never really got the chance to tell Ranma how she felt. She had been close now but something had interceded again. Something always interceded. Another fiancée, a monster horde, a kidnapping, it was always something.
Her anger began to burn again, her short temper ready to explode. But something happened. There was something in her anger that she had never felt before. It was power. She reached forward in her mind and tried to grab but… mana. She didn't have enough.
The potion was still in her hand, she couldn't bring it to her mouth. She needed to get in her system, but how?
Grim determination filled her face. She curled her fist into a ball, forcing the glass to break. Her anger started to rise again and suddenly she realized that she was screaming out loud. Not in pain or anguished, but a full powered kiai.
The world exploded into flames. The monsters in front of her disintegrated in the flames. As soon as they were gone, Akane stood up, a red aura flaming around her. The ground beneath her shook and burst open, freeing the three headed monster from beneath.
The Hydra reared its head and screamed in rage. Looking down, it leered at the monsters and started to spit fireballs. Akane stood in front of it, impassive as it decimated the remaining monsters.
From his spot on the ground, Ranma could barely understand what was happening. But the hydra never touched him, instead it picked off all the creatures around him. The fires never burned him. And Akane… Akane was just standing there.
Genma led the group to where the fire storm was occurring, dragging Mousse body with him. They reached Ranma and cowered underneath the fire.
Genma looked over at his son. "Are you all right?" he said, sounding somewhat concerned, quite possibly for the first time in his life.
"Yeah," Ranma said softly. "But… Akane…"
"Don't worry about her boy," Genma said with a slight smile. "Just enjoy the show. It's not every day you get to see a sorceress who mastered her art."
The hydra wailed in the air. Its prey was gone and it was still looking for something to kill. Akane's head moved slowly towards her friends, eyes having a reddish hue to them. "Step on the next seal," she said.
"Akane," Ranma said walking forward. But her hand came up slowly, palm towards him. She smiled a bit and then brought her hand around to point at the seal.
"That's going to release Diablo," Ukyo said.
Ranma looked at Akane and nodded. "I know. So get ready," he said shifting his sword in his hand. He took a few steps forward and placed his foot where Akane had pointed out the seal earlier.
The floor lit up and a horde of demons appeared. "Concentrate on the horde! Let Akane deal with Diablo!"
Akane's head whipped forward to the center of the room where Diablo was emerging from the floor. He looked almost human, save for a tiny palm tree that came out of his head. He laughed as he crawled from the floor but suddenly stopped. Akane smiled and the Hydra behind her puffed some smoke. She raised her staff and pointed towards to monster and the Hydra attacked.
To her side, the warriors fought against the demons, trying to hold them off. The horde was not as bad as what Ranma had just faced and with the help of his friends, it was a lot easier.
But they were all tired, bleeding and in pain, their potions long since been used. Genma helped as best he could, transforming into his werewolf form and shredding his opponents. On the ground, Mousse's body started to twitch as Diablo was hit. Eventually it was enough to wake him up. His eyes were still cold but something inside him was burning, trying to get out, and forcing him here. And now as Diablo was struck again and again, he felt it growing stronger and more painful.
The three-headed monster struck Diablo in several places. With an angry cry, the demon lord cast a bolt of pink lightning. It ripped through the ground destroying the stone floor and hitting one of the Hydra's head, completely obliterating it. The Hydra screamed in pain and Akane fell to the ground on one knee. Diablo struck again, casting another lightning spell and taking the other head out. Akane's other knee dropped. She could feel the power draining from her. Looking up, she saw Diablo was preparing another strike and she realized that she wouldn't be able to keep this up after that.
Suddenly there was a hand on hers and she looked up to see Ranma, holding part of her staff. Another hand holding a bow soon followed and Shampoo looked down at her with a smile. Two more followed soon after as Ryoga and Ukyo added their strength.
Akane smiled when she realized what they were doing. Her own ki was running out and she didn't have any mana potions to replenish it. So they were lending her what little energy they had left.
Ranma's aura flared. Ryoga let out a battle cry. Two tiny orbs circled Ukyo. And lightning was dancing on Shampoo's hand. Akane smiled and turned back to face Diablo. The remaining Hydra head looked at him and roared as it flew forward. Diablo tried to counter but the Hydra was already there with an open mouth. It grabbed Diablo in his teeth and then slithered into the hole he had risen from, disappearing from view.
In addition to Diablo's cries, Mousse was screaming as well, the fire in his chest exploding in a red hot flare. It lasted only moments before he passed out, his body still twitching slightly.
Around Akane, the other had fallen, finally giving in to exhaustion. She blinked and felt the last bit of flames inside of her extinguish themselves. She looked around in confusion and almost panicked at the sight of everyone collapsed. But Genma was there, a strong hand on her shoulder.
"Good job, Akane," he said. Looking around, he sighed. "Don't worry about them, they're getting some much needed sleep."
"What… what happened?" Akane asked.
Genma nodded. "You reached the master level, Akane. I can't say I'm surprised. I've watched you evolve from a level one fireball caster to what you are now. That Hydra you cast is the highest spell for a sorceress like you. Your father is going to be very proud…" He paused, imagining Soun bawling his eyes out at hearing his daughter was a master sorceress. "I think you said tell him yourself."
Akane smiled slightly. "What now?"
Genma sighed. "I'm going to get your father now and a lot of potions. Just stay here and make sure they get some sleep." Looking through one of the back cathedral window, he looked at the huge portal there. The demon army was gone and Harrogath would have to defend itself for the moment.
Akane nodded. "Leave it me," she said. Genma nodded and took off, heading back towards the Angel's Cathedral. Akane watched him go and sighed. Looking down, she saw the damage done to her hand from the potion bottle. She took the sash from around her waist and wrapped it around the wound. With a deep breath of relief, she sat down next to her friends and watched the steady rise and fall of their chests. They looked so beaten like this. Carefully, she reached forward and brushed a stray hair from Ranma's face. Baka, she thought to herself with a smile.
There was movement to her side and Akane looked up. From nearby, Mousse was trying to push himself off the ground. He looked up at her and Akane gripped her staff as she saw the look in his eye. Standing up, she put herself between him and the rest of the group. If he wanted a fight, he was going to get one…
Phew… this was a big chapter. For those of you who have played the game, you know how freaking tough this part is. And I can't tell you how many times I got killed in a multiplayer game 'cause some idiot stepped on the seal before the rest of us were ready (in all fairness, I did this myself once…)
Okay, so if you read the last chapter and were like… huh? Where was the fight! Well, I kind of ran out of steam. I mean, let's face it, after 23 chapters there are only so many fight scenes you can right. Besides, I knew this one was coming up. I finally sort of answered who Diablo should be… Mint was just working for him. But you'll see who he really was. Of course, Baal is still around…
And thank you to everyone who reviewed!! I broke the 100 mark!!! I can't believe it! And yes, Gohan, they should pay me but that's just a dream ^_^
* * *
Act 4 Quest 3
Terror's End
Ukyo and Ryoga returned to the camp ready to collapse. Ukyo shot Ryoga a couple of angry looks for getting them lost repeatedly. It was all they could do from not falling asleep right at the steps of the Cathedral entrance. But somehow they managed to push themselves up those last few steps to land near the rest of the group. What they saw, however, instantly woke them up.
"Ranma-honey!" Ukyo said bounding over to him. "You're all right!"
"Yeah," he said, as he tried to catch his breath as she squeezed him. Akane frowned at the sign of affection but let it drop.
"Is something wrong?" Ryoga said, looking at Akane's tired face.
Ranma and Akane were very quiet. Ukyo let go of Ranma and looked at him. "What happened?" she asked softly.
Across the camp, Shampoo knelt, hands softly on her lap, eyes glistening slightly, as Soun and Genma worked near her. The rest of the group joined them, trying not to make too much noise as they did. But the moment, Ukyo saw what they were holding vigil for she couldn't help but cry out in surprise.
"Mousse?" she asked softly.
Against the back of the Cathedral wall, Mousse cast dark eyes over at her. He was chained by the arms and legs and a rag covered his mouth to prevent any spell casting. Ukyo wasn't as surprised by his condition as the pure hatred that shot from his eyes at her.
"That can't be him," she said.
Soun frowned. "It is. At least, the body and the mind. But the heart, that's gone. He's just a minion for the other side now and I don't think we can bring him back."
"We can get it back," Ryoga said firmly. Soun frowned. "We CAN." He said firmly. "Just like we got Shampoo back, just like we got Ranma back. They keep taking from us but we always get it back." Shampoo's hands clenched in her hands.
"Come on!" Ryoga shouted. "Stop moping about! Let's just go kill the remaining brothers and it'll cure him."
"How can Ryoga know that?" Shampoo said, her voice harsh as she spoke.
"I don't," he yelled back. "But of everyone here, I thought you'd understand. In Harrogath, when someone is in trouble, we don't just sit around and cry about it. We figured out how to help them and then we helped them. Didn't the Amazon have the same philosophy?"
"Shampoo no Amazon anymore," she said.
"You're damn right you're not," Ryoga yelled. "If you were, they'd be completely ashamed of what you have become. A pathetic excuse of a girl."
"Ryoga!" Akane cried. But Ranma held her back.
"Ryoga no understand!" Shampoo yelled.
"I understand just fine," Ryoga replied. "You're giving up! You brought him back but it's not all of him. And maybe a couple of people don't think we can bring him back but is that really all you need to give up? I thought you were stronger then that. I thought you wouldn't stop until you asked ever last person in this world if there was a way to cure him. But you gave up already."
"Shampoo no give up!" she cried, standing up to face Ryoga. "But what Shampoo do? Kill monster but how know if that help Mousse?"
Ryoga look at her. "We've seen what Diablo and his minions can do. They destroyed Tristram. They almost wiped out the Rouge. Lut Gholeim is plagued by monsters and Kurast…" He trailed off, looking over at Akane.
"Mousse gave his life up for you," he said. "And even if it doesn't bring him back, you should still fight, if for nothing else then his memory. He didn't become that," he said pointing to Mousse, "for you to mourn over him. Let's prove he was right in his sacrifice and rid the world of this evil."
Shampoo blinked. She lip quivered a bit. "Is not right," she said softly. "No right for barbarian to be smart."
Ryoga smiled. "Ah… thanks I think."
"Ryoga right," Shampoo said looking at the rest of them. "We no know if it help Mousse or not. But Diablo must be killed."
"I'm happy you came to that conclusion," the angel said as she descended. "Because that is what I have come to ask from you." She settled on the cathedral floor and folded her wings behind her. "Ryoga, Ukyo, the soul stone?"
"Destroyed," Ukyo said softly.
"Good," the angel smiled. "Then Taro will never again plague this world. Now his brothers are the only problem left. They are amassing an army here, bringing up three times the number they had before and opening the portal back to the mortal plane. Back to Harrogath."
"Is okay," Shampoo said suddenly, looking at Ryoga. "We stop them before that."
"You will have to move quickly," the angel said. "The army has already left. You must travel to Diablo's Chaos Sanctuary and fight him there. But the way will not be easy."
"We can do it," Ukyo said. "No problem."
"Then get your things together," the angel said. "Your time is short. I wish I could fight along side you but it is not the place of Heaven to intercede in the affairs of mortals. But," she said smiling at Akane, "I will pray for all of you. Good luck," she said softly before she disappeared in an explosion of light.
* * *
Ranma strapped the remaining bits of his armor on and secured his sword. He tried to clear his mind for the fight ahead. He flashed the aura around him, changing the colors several times before he let it fade. He picked up his helmet and was about to put it on when he heard a voice calling him.
"Ranma?"
He looked up and saw Akane standing in front of him. She had her armor on as well, though her helmet was hanging in her hand. Her other hand gripped the staff tightly. Looking like this, she really looked like a warrior, so different from the girl he and his father had picked up in Tristram.
"What's up?" he asked.
"I was just wondering. How did you know what Ryoga was saying would be exactly what Shampoo needed to hear?"
Ranma smiled. "Ryoga's not as dumb as he wants people to believe. Besides, the Barbarians and the Amazons are alike in a lot of ways."
Akane nodded. "I see." She paused. "What Ryoga said about Mousse… about how fighting might not bring him back but it would honor his memory. I understand that, you know. I'm going to fight for Nabiki, even if it won't bring her back."
"That's the spirit," he said with a firm nod.
"And what about you?" she asked. "What are you fighting for?"
Ranma paused, looked at her and just smiled.
* * *
Shampoo pulled at the strap of the arm guard and made sure it was secure. Next to her the remaining pieces of armor and her bow sat on the ground near by Mousse. She could feel him watching her but she did her best to ignore it. With the last bit of armor in place, she grabbed her helmet and bow and walked over to him.
"Shampoo know you no understand," she said softly. "But someday, Mousse will." She leaned forward and put her hands onto of the mouth gag. She closed her eyes and kissed him, feeling the harsh fabric against her lips.
She stood up and quickly walked away, wiping the tears from her eyes and putting the helmet on. The creature on the ground watched her leave with wide eyes, feeling something burning in his chest.
Shampoo rejoined the group at the entrance of the Cathedral. They were all dressed in armor and she couldn't see their faces behind the helmets. But she knew that they all had the same grim look of determination on them.
"All right," Ranma said looking around at the group. "Considering we've crossed through half of this place, not always by our own choice," he continued, shooting a look at Ryoga, "and the fact that the army is on the move, we shouldn't run into too much resistance on the way there. When we get there, we're sticking together. Long range attackers in the back, the rest of us in the front."
The group nodded in affirmation. "All right," Ranma said. "Let's go kick this monster's butt back to Hell… I mean Heaven… I mean…"
The group started to laugh slightly and Ranma smiled. "You know what I mean."
* * *
As Ranma had predicted, resistance to get to the Chaos Sanctuary was minimal and they were still at full health. But the sight of the sanctuary itself dampened their spirits. The red and black building was a corrupted Cathedral, exactly the opposite of what they had just left. The flames of Hell were hotter here and even the shadows on the ground seemed darker.
"Where are they?" Ukyo asked, as they walked up to the door.
Ranma frowned. "They must be waiting inside but…"
The air behind the cathedral suddenly exploded and the sky seemed to tear open. "It's a portal!" Akane said, pointing at the tear.
"Harrogath," Ryoga said. Before anyone could stop him he threw the door of the sanctuary open and stormed inside.
"Wait! Ryoga!" Ukyo cried, running after him.
"Crap," Ranma said watching them disappear. He and the two girls quickly ran inside. Ryoga was several steps ahead of them but surprisingly, there were no monsters.
"I have a bad feeling about this," Ranma said just as Ryoga's foot sank into the ground.
"What the hell?" Ryoga started. Suddenly there was a mob of monsters around him, attacking before he even had the chance to grab his axe.
"Ryoga!" Akane cried, bringing up her wand to cast a Firewall. Beside her, it looked like Ukyo split in two before jumping into the fray. Ranma followed shortly afterward, aura turning red as he did.
From the sidelines, Akane and Shampoo continued their long-range attack. Between casting Firewalls, Akane threw Fireballs at them. Shampoo's arm never stopped moving. Before an arrow hit its target, she had already loaded another in the bow.
In the middle of the melee battle, Ukyo and her shadow were doing serious damage, ripping through the demon flesh with combination attacks. Ki balls would swirl around them for only a few seconds before exploding. Ranma's sword was moving at lightning speed while his aura burned anything that got near him. Ryoga had since managed to remove his axe and was doing some heavy damage with his classic hack and slash attack.
Thirty minutes later, the fight was over. The bodies off the dead lay around their feet, gore covered the melee fighters from head to toe. They were all breathing heavily, fighting to stay on their feet. Ukyo's shadow was gone and one of the blades on her arm was broken. Ryoga's axe had lost its edge and Ranma's helmet had been cracked in two.
Shampoo and Akane walked towards them wading through the mess.
"DON'T MOVE!" Ranma screamed. Shampoo and Akane froze in place. "We don't know if there are any more of those traps."
Ryoga looked down at his foot and found it hadn't moved since he had stepped on the seal. Ranma looked down as well and then slowly nodded. Carefully, Ryoga picked up his foot and prepared for another attack.
The floor glowed red and a symbol appeared on the floor, slowly pulsating.
"What is that?" Shampoo asked.
"Magical seal," Akane said. "I read about it. They keep things sealed until someone breaks it. This one must work when you step on it."
"Like one of my traps," Ukyo said. "The whole place is freaking bobby- trapped!"
"All right," Ranma said. "Let's just think about this. Ryoga, did you see something on the floor before you took a step?"
Ryoga frowned and shook his head. "I don't know. I…"
"Wait!" Akane cried. "Look up ahead." The group turned and looked down the long stone hallway. "There's something there." Without waiting for a response she walked forward.
"Akane!" Ranma called out, taking a step towards her.
"No just stay there," she answered back. "I'm a magic user so I can see magic, okay? There is another seal here and it's surrounded by a magical barrier. Three spikes from the ground… I really don't think these are traps."
"Well what else could they be?" Ukyo asked.
"Like I said, magical seals. But I don't think their purpose is to seal those monsters. I think the monsters are there to prevent someone from opening the next seal."
"Next seal?"
Akane finally reached the seal and knelt down next to it. "Hmmm… it looks like a magic spell but… I don't know, I can't really read it." She wished Mousse was here, he would have been able to decipher the text.
The rest of the group had circled around her. Shampoo put a reassuring hand on the Sorceress's shoulder. "Try best, Akane."
Akane frowned. "It's a seal but it's what it's sealing that I can't understand. The symbol isn't from any creature I know. It must be a proper name. Di… De…"
"Diablo." Ranma said.
Akane blinked. "Of course!! These seals are holding Diablo."
"Holding him?" Ukyo asked. "But I thought he was at the army's camp."
"They're holding him in Hell," Akane said with a smile. "He can't get out. He must have sent his brother ahead to free him but how?"
"It doesn't matter," Ryoga said. "If we kill him here, his brother can't release him. So how do we get to him?"
Akane moved a hand around the edge of the seal. "It looks like this is the second seal," she said pointing to two slashes in the corner before moving to the other end, "of five. There are five seals."
"And each one is going to release a horde like what we just faced," Ukyo asked.
Akane frowned. "No, I think its worse. If you get past one, the next have got to be harder."
"You've got to be kidding!" Ukyo said.
"All right, let's not panic," Ranma said. "Akane can see the seals so we won't set one off again by accident. Let's loot the monsters we killed, relax for a bit and then try the second seal. Maybe we'll luck out and it'll be easier this time.
* *
An hour later, Ukyo was still shaking her head. "It's not going to be easier."
"No shit," Ryoga muttered grabbed an axe out of the pile. He held both in his arms and swung them around. "Hmph, never thought I need to use both hands for attacking. But defending didn't do too much."
"Don't worry sugar," she said, pulling at clawed glove off a monster. "I'll cover your back." She strapped the glove on and smiled. Perfect.
"Ranma and Akane no back yet," Shampoo asked, pulling a bolt out of the mess and strapping it on her back.
"No," Ukyo frowned. "But I'm sure they're on their way back."
"Maybe they got lost," Ryoga said.
"You're not with them," Ukyo said. "Why should they get lost?"
"Maybe they wanted to get lost," Ryoga replied back.
"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" Ukyo cried.
"Ryoga! Ukyo!" Shampoo yelled. "No fight. Have plenty fight ahead of us. No fight between allies. Find equipment, be ready."
Ryoga and Ukyo glowered at each other but finally went back to working. Until Ukyo accidentally threw a chain mail at Ryoga. Which resulted in him tossing a helmet at her. And then a glove and finally a shoe before Shampoo broke it up.
"Knock it off!" Shampoo yelled. "Like children! No res…" She paused looking at where the boot had landed. Around the edge of the shoe, she could make out the remains of a monster foot. She barely had time to yell before the seal was activated.
* * *
Akane knelt down beside the seal and studied it for a while. "There it is… this is the fifth seal. That's the last of them."
"Good, " Ranma said standing up. "Let's go back and tell the…"
"Ranma," Akane said, standing up, brushing her hands on her skirt.
"What?" he said turning around to face her.
She looked at him and smiled. "Nothing… just forget it."
"Are you sure?" he asked.
Sure, I'm sure, Akane said to herself. We're about to face certain death and I really wanted to say sorry about Kurast and about how scared I was when you were gone. But I'm just a complete chicken so all I'll say is…
"Yeah, I'm sure," she said, smiling.
The red light of Hell hit her, warming her cheeks and turning it a nice shade of pink. "You know Akane," he said. "Sometimes you can be pretty cute."
Akane's smiled widened and then dropped. "What do you mean, sometimes??"
The air was broken by the sounds of monsters. Turning around, they realized it was coming back from the way they came.
"They must have released the other seal by…"
"RANMA!" Akane cried, as he passed in front of her. But it was too late. His foot hit the seal and activated it.
* * *
"FALL BACK!" Ryoga cried, as he and the two girls were pushed down the hall. The horde of monsters, as Akane predicted, was much stronger than the first and they were two people short.
Shampoo frowned. They were being herded, it was obvious. If they hadn't wanted to, the monster could have probably finished them in one strong attack. Instead only a few were attacking them, driving down the hallway.
Ukyo's shadow only lasted a few minutes before it was pulverized. She kept calling it back but it was obvious that she was starting to lose too much mana. She pulled a potion from her side and took it quickly, calling the shadow up again and trying to ignore the fact that that had been her last potion.
"What about the seals?" Ryoga asked, looking around frantically.
Shampoo's eyes snapped open. "Stop MOVING!" she cried. That's why they were herding them. Another seal. "Watch where you…"
Her foot sank into the ground. No… she hadn't just…
"It's a seal!!" Ukyo cried, as the atmosphere crackled with energy.
As soon as it was done, the three warriors found themselves surrounded. Breathing heavily, they looked at the odds and realized how bad it was. There was no way they could win. They didn't have the potions, health or mana, to sustain an attack like that.
"Feh," Ryoga said gripping his axes. "I always knew it would be like this. Hey Ukyo…"
"What?" she asked, gripping tightly onto her claws.
"Sorry I got us lost so many times," he said with a smile.
"Sorry I called you all those names," she replied sadly.
"Shampoo sorry you both idiots," she said. "Fight monsters, win, then make apologies. Right, Harrogath?"
Ryoga smiled and knelt down low. Shampoo pulled back her bowstring. Ukyo and her shadow took up a fighting stance. The four fighters stood back to back, all concentrating on the monster, waiting for some sort of sign.
Suddenly part of the monster circle crumpled. The air was filled with the sound of rushing spears and for a moment Shampoo thought her Amazon tribe had come to her rescue. But then she saw more clearly. Embedded in the walls, the monsters expired with huge shard of bone out of their chests. There was a moment of silence as they tried to process what had happened. But in that moment, it was the monsters that got to regroup and the quad was engulfed in a wave of demons.
Standard hack and slash was not enough. The shadow died in seconds. And no one can fire arrows at close range. But when it looked like all was lost, something ripped through the hallways and the monsters thrown to the ceiling. Those that survived the initial impact were shredded in the maelstrom.
When it was over, the weary fighters tried to stand up. Looking down the hall they saw two people coming towards them. It took a few minutes for them to come into focus but it appeared that one of the people was being dragged along.
Genma dropped the dead weight and walked up to Ukyo and outstretched a hand, helping the assassin to her feet. "Quite a mess you got yourselves into," he said turning to help Shampoo out.
"Genma!" Ukyo said with surprise. "What are you doing here?"
Genma frowned and jerked a finger back to the crumpled form behind him. "The bastard broke clear through the chains. I thought he was coming to kill all of you." He paused. "Guess I shouldn't have toasted him so quick, seeing as he was trying to help."
Shampoo walked over and looked at the fallen Necromancer. "Is Mousse back?"
Genma shook his head. "Unless the Mousse you know could do that," he said, motioning to the line of corpses with Bone Spears in their hearts. "No, but something changed. I don't know…" He paused. "Where are my boy and Akane?"
It was the first time they had a chance to think about it. Where were they indeed? Ranma was a seasoned fighter. He would have recognized the sounds of battle and rushed back to help his friends. Unless… They finally heard the sounds of another battle in the distance.
"Shit," Ryoga said standing up. "They set off a seal too."
"Stay down boy," Genma said. "You've been slashed to bits."
Ryoga pushed off the ground, holding his torn side. "No way, old man. Ranma's beaten me in every real fight we've had and there's no way I'm letting him die before I get a chance at a rematch."
"Yeah, "Ukyo said standing up. "He's fought for all of us enough. This time, it's for us to fight for him."
The sky suddenly erupted into flames and a rush of warm wind knocked them all back to the ground. Looking up, Genma frowned. "Well, that can't be good."
* * *
Ranma desperately fought against the horde that was trying to attack them. If Akane was right, this was the fifth seal, the hardest of them all to defeat. And it was just him and Akane.
Looking over, he saw her casting another round of Fireballs before calling up another Firewall. She was really holding her own in this battle, leaving him to concentrate on the creatures in front of him. But he knew she couldn't hold out forever. He had seen her reach for a mana potion at least three times.
His own aura was starting to flicker under the strain but he didn't dare waste a mana potion on himself. The wave of monsters pushed him back and he almost fell over when he felt two feminine hands grab him from behind. Akane pushed him back up and then put her hands on her knees, taking in deep breath.
"Are you okay," he asked, watching the monsters regroup out of the corner his eye.
She nodded. "Just a bit… winded," she said. Looking down at her belt, he saw she didn't have any potions left.
"Here," he said giving her his last. "You're going to need it."
She gripped the potion and his hand as well. "Ranma," she said. "I have to say something. I wanted to thank you," she said quickly watching them rev up for another attack, "for all you've done, for letting me come, for showing me everything and for saving my all those times. And I'm sorry about Shinnosuke and Kurast and the curse and Lut Gholeim and…"
"Akane," he said, shaking her slightly. "Just stop. I really don't need apologies. I screwed up just as much as you did."
"Ranma…"
The monsters attacked they suddenly found themselves overwhelmed. Akane felt her hand being ripped away from Ranma and she called out his name once last time before she began to feel the blows of the monster.
Somewhere in the haze of pain, she realized that this was going to be it. And she never really got the chance to tell Ranma how she felt. She had been close now but something had interceded again. Something always interceded. Another fiancée, a monster horde, a kidnapping, it was always something.
Her anger began to burn again, her short temper ready to explode. But something happened. There was something in her anger that she had never felt before. It was power. She reached forward in her mind and tried to grab but… mana. She didn't have enough.
The potion was still in her hand, she couldn't bring it to her mouth. She needed to get in her system, but how?
Grim determination filled her face. She curled her fist into a ball, forcing the glass to break. Her anger started to rise again and suddenly she realized that she was screaming out loud. Not in pain or anguished, but a full powered kiai.
The world exploded into flames. The monsters in front of her disintegrated in the flames. As soon as they were gone, Akane stood up, a red aura flaming around her. The ground beneath her shook and burst open, freeing the three headed monster from beneath.
The Hydra reared its head and screamed in rage. Looking down, it leered at the monsters and started to spit fireballs. Akane stood in front of it, impassive as it decimated the remaining monsters.
From his spot on the ground, Ranma could barely understand what was happening. But the hydra never touched him, instead it picked off all the creatures around him. The fires never burned him. And Akane… Akane was just standing there.
Genma led the group to where the fire storm was occurring, dragging Mousse body with him. They reached Ranma and cowered underneath the fire.
Genma looked over at his son. "Are you all right?" he said, sounding somewhat concerned, quite possibly for the first time in his life.
"Yeah," Ranma said softly. "But… Akane…"
"Don't worry about her boy," Genma said with a slight smile. "Just enjoy the show. It's not every day you get to see a sorceress who mastered her art."
The hydra wailed in the air. Its prey was gone and it was still looking for something to kill. Akane's head moved slowly towards her friends, eyes having a reddish hue to them. "Step on the next seal," she said.
"Akane," Ranma said walking forward. But her hand came up slowly, palm towards him. She smiled a bit and then brought her hand around to point at the seal.
"That's going to release Diablo," Ukyo said.
Ranma looked at Akane and nodded. "I know. So get ready," he said shifting his sword in his hand. He took a few steps forward and placed his foot where Akane had pointed out the seal earlier.
The floor lit up and a horde of demons appeared. "Concentrate on the horde! Let Akane deal with Diablo!"
Akane's head whipped forward to the center of the room where Diablo was emerging from the floor. He looked almost human, save for a tiny palm tree that came out of his head. He laughed as he crawled from the floor but suddenly stopped. Akane smiled and the Hydra behind her puffed some smoke. She raised her staff and pointed towards to monster and the Hydra attacked.
To her side, the warriors fought against the demons, trying to hold them off. The horde was not as bad as what Ranma had just faced and with the help of his friends, it was a lot easier.
But they were all tired, bleeding and in pain, their potions long since been used. Genma helped as best he could, transforming into his werewolf form and shredding his opponents. On the ground, Mousse's body started to twitch as Diablo was hit. Eventually it was enough to wake him up. His eyes were still cold but something inside him was burning, trying to get out, and forcing him here. And now as Diablo was struck again and again, he felt it growing stronger and more painful.
The three-headed monster struck Diablo in several places. With an angry cry, the demon lord cast a bolt of pink lightning. It ripped through the ground destroying the stone floor and hitting one of the Hydra's head, completely obliterating it. The Hydra screamed in pain and Akane fell to the ground on one knee. Diablo struck again, casting another lightning spell and taking the other head out. Akane's other knee dropped. She could feel the power draining from her. Looking up, she saw Diablo was preparing another strike and she realized that she wouldn't be able to keep this up after that.
Suddenly there was a hand on hers and she looked up to see Ranma, holding part of her staff. Another hand holding a bow soon followed and Shampoo looked down at her with a smile. Two more followed soon after as Ryoga and Ukyo added their strength.
Akane smiled when she realized what they were doing. Her own ki was running out and she didn't have any mana potions to replenish it. So they were lending her what little energy they had left.
Ranma's aura flared. Ryoga let out a battle cry. Two tiny orbs circled Ukyo. And lightning was dancing on Shampoo's hand. Akane smiled and turned back to face Diablo. The remaining Hydra head looked at him and roared as it flew forward. Diablo tried to counter but the Hydra was already there with an open mouth. It grabbed Diablo in his teeth and then slithered into the hole he had risen from, disappearing from view.
In addition to Diablo's cries, Mousse was screaming as well, the fire in his chest exploding in a red hot flare. It lasted only moments before he passed out, his body still twitching slightly.
Around Akane, the other had fallen, finally giving in to exhaustion. She blinked and felt the last bit of flames inside of her extinguish themselves. She looked around in confusion and almost panicked at the sight of everyone collapsed. But Genma was there, a strong hand on her shoulder.
"Good job, Akane," he said. Looking around, he sighed. "Don't worry about them, they're getting some much needed sleep."
"What… what happened?" Akane asked.
Genma nodded. "You reached the master level, Akane. I can't say I'm surprised. I've watched you evolve from a level one fireball caster to what you are now. That Hydra you cast is the highest spell for a sorceress like you. Your father is going to be very proud…" He paused, imagining Soun bawling his eyes out at hearing his daughter was a master sorceress. "I think you said tell him yourself."
Akane smiled slightly. "What now?"
Genma sighed. "I'm going to get your father now and a lot of potions. Just stay here and make sure they get some sleep." Looking through one of the back cathedral window, he looked at the huge portal there. The demon army was gone and Harrogath would have to defend itself for the moment.
Akane nodded. "Leave it me," she said. Genma nodded and took off, heading back towards the Angel's Cathedral. Akane watched him go and sighed. Looking down, she saw the damage done to her hand from the potion bottle. She took the sash from around her waist and wrapped it around the wound. With a deep breath of relief, she sat down next to her friends and watched the steady rise and fall of their chests. They looked so beaten like this. Carefully, she reached forward and brushed a stray hair from Ranma's face. Baka, she thought to herself with a smile.
There was movement to her side and Akane looked up. From nearby, Mousse was trying to push himself off the ground. He looked up at her and Akane gripped her staff as she saw the look in his eye. Standing up, she put herself between him and the rest of the group. If he wanted a fight, he was going to get one…