Chapter 2: Sanjiyan Unkara
"You're kidding me."
Nabiki leaned forward and stared at the group assembled before her. Ranma seemed agitated, and Akane was seated in an unseeing daze... obviously she was still in shock from what she had seen earlier. Yakumo was nervously scratching the back of his head. Pai was asleep on his lap, with no signs of the third eye that had been there previously.
"I'm serious! Somehow this guy regenerated from an injury that should had been fatal. And Pai really did have a third eye! And she was seriously completely different!" Ranma waved his arms about.
"Spare me the dramatics, Saotome. I think I want to hear an explanation from the horse's mouth. What do you say, Fujii Yakumo?"
Yakumo sighed. "I guess there's no point in denying what happened. It's true, by the way. I really did die... for a while."
"But you're all better now." Nabiki eyed him skeptically. "I'll believe what I can see."
"Alright... I'll have to start at the beginning." Yakumo shifted slightly in his seat, to assume a more comfortable position. Pai snuggled up to him in her sleep. Yakumo smiled gently down at her, then started his tale.
"It was 5 years ago when I first met Pai. She was looking for something called the statue of humanity, and had a letter from my father saying that I would help her. I had a hard time believing that letter; it was full of talk about monsters and a legendary race called the Sanjiyan Unkara. Then all a sudden there was this spirit creature rampaging through Tokyo, and it was heading straight for Pai. I thought it was going to kill her, so I knocked her out of the way. The next thing I knew... I had been impaled."
Yakumo paused, contemplative. At length he continued. "I should had died then. My injuries were certainly fatal. But as I learned later, Pai was shocked that I was going to die on her account. That was when her third eye opened. She basically sucked out my soul and stored it within her. So I became her Wu. No matter what happens to me, I cannot die. I keep on regenerating. The only way I can die is if Pai dies."
Yakumo reached into his pocket and took out a knife. "Let me demonstrate." He braced himself, then forcefully slashed his arm. Nabiki winced and averted her eyes. Akane just shuddered, while Ranma's expression was unreadable.
As they watched, red mist began to gather around the open wound. It seemed to be... healing, all by itself. Before long, there was not even a hint of a wound. Nabiki gaped, and looked at Yakumo with renewed interest.
Yakumo smiled faintly. "Since then, a lot has happened. One thing you should know is that when Pai's third eye opens, she becomes a different person entirely. She really is a Sanjiyan Unkara, and her given name is Parvati IV. She is also one of the last of her race. All her life she has been seeking to become human. For the past 5 years, I've been doing the same thing. We have our circle of friends back at the Monster Busters company, but our lives are anything but normal. I've died so many times that I'm numb to it. That doesn't mean that being injured is any less painful. You just get... used to it."
There was a lengthy silence. Presently Nabiki coughed. "You haven't told us everything yet, have you? Ranma says that Herb was looking for the Sanjiyan. Why would he be doing that? And what was that bug you summoned?"
Yakumo shook his head. "I don't know what the Wu wants with Pai--"
"Woah, wait up there! Did you just say that Herb is a Wu? How the heck did that happen? Does this explain why he's so much more powerful than before?" A torrent of questions rushed from Ranma.
The monster buster raised an eyebrow. "I take it that you know him?"
"Damn right I do! The bastard locked me in my cursed form, so I was forced to fight him for the key to undo the lock. I won, of course. Come to think of it... he wasn't acting half the bastard he is now. And Lime and Mint aren't with him either. What's up with that?"
"Lime and Mint?" Yakumo shot Ranma a questioning glance.
"Oh, those two are Herb's lackeys. I get the feeling that they follow him everywhere. So not seeing them around is actually rather strange..." Ranma lapsed into thought.
Yakumo shrugged. "I didn't know who Herb was until just now, so you would know best. And no, just because you are a Wu doesn't mean you're more powerful than before. I should know." He made a face. Nabiki raised an eyebrow, but said nothing.
"And as for how he became a Wu... that's part of what I was getting to. As far as I know, there can be only one Wu to a Sanjiyan. There is Pai and myself, and then there is Kaiyanwang and Benares... the existance of Herb means that there must be a third Sanjiyan in existance. I didn't think that it was possible..."
"It's unlikely, but possible."
Nabiki blinked. Pai was awake now, but with her third eye open. Ranma was right; she did sound different.
The Sanjiyan got up and stretched. Then she leaned back. "Kaiyanwang exterminated practically all the Sanjiyan. I know I was the only one left in Konron when I finally sealed him. That doesn't mean that other Sanjiyan couldn't have been staying elsewhere, though I've yet to see one. I guess that I will, soon."
Nabiki wrinkled her eyebrows. "Why does this third Sanjiyan want you, then? From what I infer, Herb is probably acting on the Sanjiyan's authority."
'Pai' frowned. "The only reason I can think of right now... is if he or she aims to become the next Kaiyanwang. Three Sanjiyans in total are needed to either make the current Kaiyanwang more powerful, or to make one of the other Sanjiyans the new Kaiyanwang." The frown deepened. "Yakumo and myself have been battling the current Kaiyanwang and his cohorts for some time now... this third Sanjiyan is only going to complicate matters."
Her mood abruptly shifted, and she turned to Ranma with a look of interest. "I wanted to talk to you. I sense a magical aura about you, but no youki. Yet it doesn't look like you're a magician. I'm curious."
Ranma stared. "Err... didn't we go through this already? It's my Jusenkyo curse."
"Ah, Jusenkyo." The Sanjiyan acted as though that explained everything. "It seems that Pai didn't truly understand why you were changing genders. Most interesting." She smirked at Ranma, who started sweating. Definitely not Pai.
Nabiki couldn't help but snicker. Ranma was lucky that Akane was still out of it. Still, there was a potentially inflammatory situation here. She looked pointedly at Yakumo and 'Pai'. "You still haven't told me how you generated the bug."
Yakumo looked relieved at the change in topic. "Oh, that. It's beast magic. Essentially I bind a spirit creature to my life force, and I can call it out any time. This sort of magic is lethal to normal humans, though... the beasts eat away at the life force at a rapid rate. The only reason I can use it is because of my Wu nature."
Ranma looked disappointed. "Awww... so I can't learn it or anything?"
"Unless you want to die... I'm afraid not."
The martial artist sighed and leaned back on his seat. The Sanjiyan, meanwhile, had been looking him over with an evaluating eye, to the slight discomfit of Yakumo.
Abruptly she spoke. "You practice martial arts, don't you."
At last, familiar ground! Ranma puffed his chest. "Yup! I'm the heir to the Saotome School of Anything Goes Martial Arts, and I'm the best there is!"
Nabiki snorted. "What about Cologne and the old pervert?"
"Hey, they haven't attacked me since Jusendo, have they? Well, except for that old freak trying to grope me..." Ranma shuddered.
Nabiki rolled her eyes, and was about to speak further, but 'Pai' broke in. "Maybe you could spar with Yakumo. I was not satisfied with his performance just now, and if you're really as good as you say, you might help him improve."
Yakumo stared at 'Pai'. "You know, that's actually a very good idea! Saotome-san, do you mind if I challenge you to a sparring match?"
Ranma smirked. "No problem. No problem at all. I'm sure that I can wipe the floor with you."
The monster buster raised an eyebrow, but didn't comment further. The two got up and headed for the dojo. Akane was still dazedly staring ahead. One had to wonder if she was really aware of her surroundings. It had to be the shock from seeing Yakumo come back to life.
Nabiki watched them go, then turned to the Sanjiyan. "You really think it would help?"
'Pai' smiled. "I checked him out. Saotome was right; he can wipe the floor with Yakumo."
---
Ranma and Yakumo now stood on opposite ends of the dojo. The martial artist shifted into a laid-back stance. "Ready when you are."
Yakumo said nothing, but dropped into a basic stance. The two fighters evaluated each other.
The monster buster immediately recognized that he was in for a fight. There was a lot of power hidden in that stance Ranma was taking. He had to be wary.
Ranma noticed that Yakumo was not making a move. He started getting impatient. "Geez, you afraid of attacking or something?"
Yakumo sighed. He couldn't well stay like this forever. He slowly started to circle Ranma, trying to look for an opening.
The martial artist finally got tired of waiting. "I guess you ain't stupid enough to fall for that." He suddenly leapt forward, and Yakumo hastily blocked the punch aimed at his face, and barely managed to avoid being kicked in the groin. God, but he was fast!
Ranma leapt into the air, and aimed a flying kick at the monster buster, who dodged out of the way. He wasn't expecting the kick to the back that came immediately afterwards. He grunted, and tumbled back in a controlled fall. Ranma followed up immediately with a flurry of punches and kicks, and Yakumo did his best to parry and dodge them. Even so, several blows connected, and Yakumo was forced back against the dojo wall. Finally, the martial artist landed a roundhouse kick on Yakumo, and he was sent crashing to the other side of the dojo.
Ranma looked a little disappointed. "That's all you got? Damn... you're only a little better than Ucchan. I was expecting more from someone who kills monsters for a living."
Yakumo sighed and lifted himself up from the floor. "That's because I rely a lot on my beast magic. It wouldn't be fair though... I could very well kill you if I used that. Well, there's one that increases my speed, but I don't use it that much, and it takes time to summon as well."
Ranma shook his head. "Time is of essence in combat. You have a long way to go. And I haven't even used my special moves." He thought for a moment. "Tell you what. I'm going to have to teach martial arts someday, so I might as well start with you. What do you say?"
Yakumo thought about it, and slowly nodded. "I think that's a good idea. There's a problem though... I'm based in Hong Kong for the most part, even though I'm native Japanese. In fact, we're scheduled to leave tomorrow. Are you willing to follow us?"
The pig-tailed boy blinked. He hadn't thought of that. Was he really willing to leave everything behind, just to train a guy he just met? What was he leaving behind, anyway?... There was Akane, and there was Uuchan... actually there was no one else. Ryouga he might miss, if only for the semi-regular fights, but then, he had the tendency to turn up in all sorts of places. The Amazons he wouldn't miss a single bit. Well, maybe a little, but that was all. He'd miss Kasumi's cooking, naturally, but he'd heard good things about Hong Kong food as well. And he was fresh out of Furinkan too. The only things keeping him, in other words, were his uncute and cute fiancées.
And maybe he could bring them along, too.
He smiled. "I'll let you know by tonight." He strolled out of the dojo, leaving a bemused Yakumo behind.
---
As he approached the living room, Ranma could hear the sounds of talking.
"How long has Akane been like this?"
"An hour, at least. I think Ranma needs to insult her again."
"You're kidding me, sugar. I bet she just needs a spatula to the head."
"Pai doesn't think that that is a good idea."
"Hey, where did the Sanjiyan go? Pai, can you call her back?"
"Call who back?"
Ranma entered the living room at this point. Uuchan was there, waving her palm in front of Akane's eyes. It didn't seem like she was responding. Meanwhile, Nabiki was rubbing her forehead in apparent frustration, as Pai looked innocently at her. Yes, Pai without the third eye.
"Uuchan! What are you doing here?"
Uuchan looked up. "There you are, Ranchan. How could you leave Akane like this? I don't know what happened, but at least you could help her snap out of it..."
Ranma sighed. "Trust me, I tried. And no, I am not going to insult that uncute tomboy if I could help it."
Akane's eye muscles twitched. Uuchan looked quizzically at Ranma. "And you were not insulting her just now?"
Ranma blinked, then smacked his forehead. "Geez... I don't wanna be the victim of her Mallet of Doom just yet. Stupid violent tomboy does that all the ti-"
"RANMA NO BAKA!"
A second later, Yakumo entered the living room. He stared at the Ranma-shaped indention in the floor, then looked at Akane, who had just planted a mallet on her hapless fiancée, and was breathing hard. Pai was staring with a mixture of horror and amazement. Uuchan and Nabiki just rolled their eyes.
"Err... glad you're back with us, Akane-san."
Akane suddenly realized her situation, and hastily sat down, flushed with embarrassment. "I'm sorry... I didn't really mean it."
"...owww... stupid tomboy..." A groggy voice drifted from the indentation. Akane fumed, but refrained from reaching for her mallet... this time.
Yakumo shook his head. "I'm surprised Saotome-san isn't dead yet. You really need to control yourself." As Akane lowered her head in shame, he turned to Uuchan. "I don't think we've met..."
"Kunoji Ukyou. I'm Ranchan's best friend, and I cook the best okonomiyaki in town. And you are...?"
"Fujii Yakumo. Did they tell you about us already?"
Ukyou shook her head. "I only got here a while ago. Nabiki tells me that it's a very long story, and after seeing a third eye on that girl - Pai if I'm not mistaken - I'm inclined to agree."
Yakumo sighed. "You're right... it's a long story. Nabiki-san, could I use the phone? I'll need to call the chief..."
Nabiki put out her hand. "500 yen."
The monster buster groaned. "Never mind then... I'll just use my mobile." He pulled it out and started to dial. Meanwhile, Ukyou had dragged Ranma out of the depression on the floor and set him on the sofa.
She shook her head. "Ranchan... you really need to stop putting your foot in your mouth. Although I do appreciate the fact that you helped Akane out of her stupor..."
"Gee, don't mention it Uuchan," Ranma commented wryly. "I always wanted to be flattened into a pancake."
Ukyou sighed. "Look, I'm trying to help you here. The reason I came over was to talk with Akane, like I told you earlier. But you're not helping matters. Not to mention the strange houseguests you have here..."
"Just what do you think you are doing to Ranma?"
The okonomiyaki chef rubbed her forehead. When was Akane going to learn not to jump to conclusions? "Akane, I'm not trying to steal your Ranma, okay? And no, Ranchan is not seducing me, so you can stop that train of thought right now. If you want to worry, worry about the Chinese bimbo."
Akane snorted. "I still don't trust you." Behind her, Nabiki looked up as if appealing to whatever God resided in the heavens. Ukyou groaned and closed her eyes. Pai just looked at the proceedings curiously.
"This is strange."
Pai turned to look at Yakumo, who was staring at his mobile in vexation. He turned to look at her.
"This is the third time I'm trying to call HQ, and I'm still not getting through. They're supposed to have call waiting... and I'm sure this is the right number."
He punched the number again, and tapped his fingers impatiently on the wall. His face brightened. "At last! I'm getting through!... Hello? Yakumo here. Could you get the chief over? We've completed the Nerima assignment... Hello? Anyone there?... Speak up, whoever you are... Look, if it's you, Hong-Nyang, I don't exactly have the time for-What the...!?"
By this time everyone was staring at Yakumo. He slowly brought his mobile down and stared at it. Then he looked straight at Pai.
"Pai... I think the guys are in trouble."
Pai stared at Yakumo. Then her eyes widened. "Oh no! We've got to get back at once!"
Yakumo nodded grimly, and turned to Ranma. "Sorry... looks like the training would be put on hold..."
Ranma shrugged. "You can come back anytime." He extended a hand. "I wish you luck."
Yakumo hesitated for a moment, then gripped the hand firmly. "Same to you." Pai got up, and together they walked out.
No one spoke for a while. At length Nabiki broke the silence. "So, what are you going to do about Herb, Saotome? I know you... you want to find out how he's become so powerful."
Ranma shook his head. "Not just that. Like I said... it's like his whole personality is different now. As much as I hate to say this, the old ghoul probably knows something about this that we don't. It's time to visit the Nekohanten... and those Amazons."
"You're kidding me."
Nabiki leaned forward and stared at the group assembled before her. Ranma seemed agitated, and Akane was seated in an unseeing daze... obviously she was still in shock from what she had seen earlier. Yakumo was nervously scratching the back of his head. Pai was asleep on his lap, with no signs of the third eye that had been there previously.
"I'm serious! Somehow this guy regenerated from an injury that should had been fatal. And Pai really did have a third eye! And she was seriously completely different!" Ranma waved his arms about.
"Spare me the dramatics, Saotome. I think I want to hear an explanation from the horse's mouth. What do you say, Fujii Yakumo?"
Yakumo sighed. "I guess there's no point in denying what happened. It's true, by the way. I really did die... for a while."
"But you're all better now." Nabiki eyed him skeptically. "I'll believe what I can see."
"Alright... I'll have to start at the beginning." Yakumo shifted slightly in his seat, to assume a more comfortable position. Pai snuggled up to him in her sleep. Yakumo smiled gently down at her, then started his tale.
"It was 5 years ago when I first met Pai. She was looking for something called the statue of humanity, and had a letter from my father saying that I would help her. I had a hard time believing that letter; it was full of talk about monsters and a legendary race called the Sanjiyan Unkara. Then all a sudden there was this spirit creature rampaging through Tokyo, and it was heading straight for Pai. I thought it was going to kill her, so I knocked her out of the way. The next thing I knew... I had been impaled."
Yakumo paused, contemplative. At length he continued. "I should had died then. My injuries were certainly fatal. But as I learned later, Pai was shocked that I was going to die on her account. That was when her third eye opened. She basically sucked out my soul and stored it within her. So I became her Wu. No matter what happens to me, I cannot die. I keep on regenerating. The only way I can die is if Pai dies."
Yakumo reached into his pocket and took out a knife. "Let me demonstrate." He braced himself, then forcefully slashed his arm. Nabiki winced and averted her eyes. Akane just shuddered, while Ranma's expression was unreadable.
As they watched, red mist began to gather around the open wound. It seemed to be... healing, all by itself. Before long, there was not even a hint of a wound. Nabiki gaped, and looked at Yakumo with renewed interest.
Yakumo smiled faintly. "Since then, a lot has happened. One thing you should know is that when Pai's third eye opens, she becomes a different person entirely. She really is a Sanjiyan Unkara, and her given name is Parvati IV. She is also one of the last of her race. All her life she has been seeking to become human. For the past 5 years, I've been doing the same thing. We have our circle of friends back at the Monster Busters company, but our lives are anything but normal. I've died so many times that I'm numb to it. That doesn't mean that being injured is any less painful. You just get... used to it."
There was a lengthy silence. Presently Nabiki coughed. "You haven't told us everything yet, have you? Ranma says that Herb was looking for the Sanjiyan. Why would he be doing that? And what was that bug you summoned?"
Yakumo shook his head. "I don't know what the Wu wants with Pai--"
"Woah, wait up there! Did you just say that Herb is a Wu? How the heck did that happen? Does this explain why he's so much more powerful than before?" A torrent of questions rushed from Ranma.
The monster buster raised an eyebrow. "I take it that you know him?"
"Damn right I do! The bastard locked me in my cursed form, so I was forced to fight him for the key to undo the lock. I won, of course. Come to think of it... he wasn't acting half the bastard he is now. And Lime and Mint aren't with him either. What's up with that?"
"Lime and Mint?" Yakumo shot Ranma a questioning glance.
"Oh, those two are Herb's lackeys. I get the feeling that they follow him everywhere. So not seeing them around is actually rather strange..." Ranma lapsed into thought.
Yakumo shrugged. "I didn't know who Herb was until just now, so you would know best. And no, just because you are a Wu doesn't mean you're more powerful than before. I should know." He made a face. Nabiki raised an eyebrow, but said nothing.
"And as for how he became a Wu... that's part of what I was getting to. As far as I know, there can be only one Wu to a Sanjiyan. There is Pai and myself, and then there is Kaiyanwang and Benares... the existance of Herb means that there must be a third Sanjiyan in existance. I didn't think that it was possible..."
"It's unlikely, but possible."
Nabiki blinked. Pai was awake now, but with her third eye open. Ranma was right; she did sound different.
The Sanjiyan got up and stretched. Then she leaned back. "Kaiyanwang exterminated practically all the Sanjiyan. I know I was the only one left in Konron when I finally sealed him. That doesn't mean that other Sanjiyan couldn't have been staying elsewhere, though I've yet to see one. I guess that I will, soon."
Nabiki wrinkled her eyebrows. "Why does this third Sanjiyan want you, then? From what I infer, Herb is probably acting on the Sanjiyan's authority."
'Pai' frowned. "The only reason I can think of right now... is if he or she aims to become the next Kaiyanwang. Three Sanjiyans in total are needed to either make the current Kaiyanwang more powerful, or to make one of the other Sanjiyans the new Kaiyanwang." The frown deepened. "Yakumo and myself have been battling the current Kaiyanwang and his cohorts for some time now... this third Sanjiyan is only going to complicate matters."
Her mood abruptly shifted, and she turned to Ranma with a look of interest. "I wanted to talk to you. I sense a magical aura about you, but no youki. Yet it doesn't look like you're a magician. I'm curious."
Ranma stared. "Err... didn't we go through this already? It's my Jusenkyo curse."
"Ah, Jusenkyo." The Sanjiyan acted as though that explained everything. "It seems that Pai didn't truly understand why you were changing genders. Most interesting." She smirked at Ranma, who started sweating. Definitely not Pai.
Nabiki couldn't help but snicker. Ranma was lucky that Akane was still out of it. Still, there was a potentially inflammatory situation here. She looked pointedly at Yakumo and 'Pai'. "You still haven't told me how you generated the bug."
Yakumo looked relieved at the change in topic. "Oh, that. It's beast magic. Essentially I bind a spirit creature to my life force, and I can call it out any time. This sort of magic is lethal to normal humans, though... the beasts eat away at the life force at a rapid rate. The only reason I can use it is because of my Wu nature."
Ranma looked disappointed. "Awww... so I can't learn it or anything?"
"Unless you want to die... I'm afraid not."
The martial artist sighed and leaned back on his seat. The Sanjiyan, meanwhile, had been looking him over with an evaluating eye, to the slight discomfit of Yakumo.
Abruptly she spoke. "You practice martial arts, don't you."
At last, familiar ground! Ranma puffed his chest. "Yup! I'm the heir to the Saotome School of Anything Goes Martial Arts, and I'm the best there is!"
Nabiki snorted. "What about Cologne and the old pervert?"
"Hey, they haven't attacked me since Jusendo, have they? Well, except for that old freak trying to grope me..." Ranma shuddered.
Nabiki rolled her eyes, and was about to speak further, but 'Pai' broke in. "Maybe you could spar with Yakumo. I was not satisfied with his performance just now, and if you're really as good as you say, you might help him improve."
Yakumo stared at 'Pai'. "You know, that's actually a very good idea! Saotome-san, do you mind if I challenge you to a sparring match?"
Ranma smirked. "No problem. No problem at all. I'm sure that I can wipe the floor with you."
The monster buster raised an eyebrow, but didn't comment further. The two got up and headed for the dojo. Akane was still dazedly staring ahead. One had to wonder if she was really aware of her surroundings. It had to be the shock from seeing Yakumo come back to life.
Nabiki watched them go, then turned to the Sanjiyan. "You really think it would help?"
'Pai' smiled. "I checked him out. Saotome was right; he can wipe the floor with Yakumo."
---
Ranma and Yakumo now stood on opposite ends of the dojo. The martial artist shifted into a laid-back stance. "Ready when you are."
Yakumo said nothing, but dropped into a basic stance. The two fighters evaluated each other.
The monster buster immediately recognized that he was in for a fight. There was a lot of power hidden in that stance Ranma was taking. He had to be wary.
Ranma noticed that Yakumo was not making a move. He started getting impatient. "Geez, you afraid of attacking or something?"
Yakumo sighed. He couldn't well stay like this forever. He slowly started to circle Ranma, trying to look for an opening.
The martial artist finally got tired of waiting. "I guess you ain't stupid enough to fall for that." He suddenly leapt forward, and Yakumo hastily blocked the punch aimed at his face, and barely managed to avoid being kicked in the groin. God, but he was fast!
Ranma leapt into the air, and aimed a flying kick at the monster buster, who dodged out of the way. He wasn't expecting the kick to the back that came immediately afterwards. He grunted, and tumbled back in a controlled fall. Ranma followed up immediately with a flurry of punches and kicks, and Yakumo did his best to parry and dodge them. Even so, several blows connected, and Yakumo was forced back against the dojo wall. Finally, the martial artist landed a roundhouse kick on Yakumo, and he was sent crashing to the other side of the dojo.
Ranma looked a little disappointed. "That's all you got? Damn... you're only a little better than Ucchan. I was expecting more from someone who kills monsters for a living."
Yakumo sighed and lifted himself up from the floor. "That's because I rely a lot on my beast magic. It wouldn't be fair though... I could very well kill you if I used that. Well, there's one that increases my speed, but I don't use it that much, and it takes time to summon as well."
Ranma shook his head. "Time is of essence in combat. You have a long way to go. And I haven't even used my special moves." He thought for a moment. "Tell you what. I'm going to have to teach martial arts someday, so I might as well start with you. What do you say?"
Yakumo thought about it, and slowly nodded. "I think that's a good idea. There's a problem though... I'm based in Hong Kong for the most part, even though I'm native Japanese. In fact, we're scheduled to leave tomorrow. Are you willing to follow us?"
The pig-tailed boy blinked. He hadn't thought of that. Was he really willing to leave everything behind, just to train a guy he just met? What was he leaving behind, anyway?... There was Akane, and there was Uuchan... actually there was no one else. Ryouga he might miss, if only for the semi-regular fights, but then, he had the tendency to turn up in all sorts of places. The Amazons he wouldn't miss a single bit. Well, maybe a little, but that was all. He'd miss Kasumi's cooking, naturally, but he'd heard good things about Hong Kong food as well. And he was fresh out of Furinkan too. The only things keeping him, in other words, were his uncute and cute fiancées.
And maybe he could bring them along, too.
He smiled. "I'll let you know by tonight." He strolled out of the dojo, leaving a bemused Yakumo behind.
---
As he approached the living room, Ranma could hear the sounds of talking.
"How long has Akane been like this?"
"An hour, at least. I think Ranma needs to insult her again."
"You're kidding me, sugar. I bet she just needs a spatula to the head."
"Pai doesn't think that that is a good idea."
"Hey, where did the Sanjiyan go? Pai, can you call her back?"
"Call who back?"
Ranma entered the living room at this point. Uuchan was there, waving her palm in front of Akane's eyes. It didn't seem like she was responding. Meanwhile, Nabiki was rubbing her forehead in apparent frustration, as Pai looked innocently at her. Yes, Pai without the third eye.
"Uuchan! What are you doing here?"
Uuchan looked up. "There you are, Ranchan. How could you leave Akane like this? I don't know what happened, but at least you could help her snap out of it..."
Ranma sighed. "Trust me, I tried. And no, I am not going to insult that uncute tomboy if I could help it."
Akane's eye muscles twitched. Uuchan looked quizzically at Ranma. "And you were not insulting her just now?"
Ranma blinked, then smacked his forehead. "Geez... I don't wanna be the victim of her Mallet of Doom just yet. Stupid violent tomboy does that all the ti-"
"RANMA NO BAKA!"
A second later, Yakumo entered the living room. He stared at the Ranma-shaped indention in the floor, then looked at Akane, who had just planted a mallet on her hapless fiancée, and was breathing hard. Pai was staring with a mixture of horror and amazement. Uuchan and Nabiki just rolled their eyes.
"Err... glad you're back with us, Akane-san."
Akane suddenly realized her situation, and hastily sat down, flushed with embarrassment. "I'm sorry... I didn't really mean it."
"...owww... stupid tomboy..." A groggy voice drifted from the indentation. Akane fumed, but refrained from reaching for her mallet... this time.
Yakumo shook his head. "I'm surprised Saotome-san isn't dead yet. You really need to control yourself." As Akane lowered her head in shame, he turned to Uuchan. "I don't think we've met..."
"Kunoji Ukyou. I'm Ranchan's best friend, and I cook the best okonomiyaki in town. And you are...?"
"Fujii Yakumo. Did they tell you about us already?"
Ukyou shook her head. "I only got here a while ago. Nabiki tells me that it's a very long story, and after seeing a third eye on that girl - Pai if I'm not mistaken - I'm inclined to agree."
Yakumo sighed. "You're right... it's a long story. Nabiki-san, could I use the phone? I'll need to call the chief..."
Nabiki put out her hand. "500 yen."
The monster buster groaned. "Never mind then... I'll just use my mobile." He pulled it out and started to dial. Meanwhile, Ukyou had dragged Ranma out of the depression on the floor and set him on the sofa.
She shook her head. "Ranchan... you really need to stop putting your foot in your mouth. Although I do appreciate the fact that you helped Akane out of her stupor..."
"Gee, don't mention it Uuchan," Ranma commented wryly. "I always wanted to be flattened into a pancake."
Ukyou sighed. "Look, I'm trying to help you here. The reason I came over was to talk with Akane, like I told you earlier. But you're not helping matters. Not to mention the strange houseguests you have here..."
"Just what do you think you are doing to Ranma?"
The okonomiyaki chef rubbed her forehead. When was Akane going to learn not to jump to conclusions? "Akane, I'm not trying to steal your Ranma, okay? And no, Ranchan is not seducing me, so you can stop that train of thought right now. If you want to worry, worry about the Chinese bimbo."
Akane snorted. "I still don't trust you." Behind her, Nabiki looked up as if appealing to whatever God resided in the heavens. Ukyou groaned and closed her eyes. Pai just looked at the proceedings curiously.
"This is strange."
Pai turned to look at Yakumo, who was staring at his mobile in vexation. He turned to look at her.
"This is the third time I'm trying to call HQ, and I'm still not getting through. They're supposed to have call waiting... and I'm sure this is the right number."
He punched the number again, and tapped his fingers impatiently on the wall. His face brightened. "At last! I'm getting through!... Hello? Yakumo here. Could you get the chief over? We've completed the Nerima assignment... Hello? Anyone there?... Speak up, whoever you are... Look, if it's you, Hong-Nyang, I don't exactly have the time for-What the...!?"
By this time everyone was staring at Yakumo. He slowly brought his mobile down and stared at it. Then he looked straight at Pai.
"Pai... I think the guys are in trouble."
Pai stared at Yakumo. Then her eyes widened. "Oh no! We've got to get back at once!"
Yakumo nodded grimly, and turned to Ranma. "Sorry... looks like the training would be put on hold..."
Ranma shrugged. "You can come back anytime." He extended a hand. "I wish you luck."
Yakumo hesitated for a moment, then gripped the hand firmly. "Same to you." Pai got up, and together they walked out.
No one spoke for a while. At length Nabiki broke the silence. "So, what are you going to do about Herb, Saotome? I know you... you want to find out how he's become so powerful."
Ranma shook his head. "Not just that. Like I said... it's like his whole personality is different now. As much as I hate to say this, the old ghoul probably knows something about this that we don't. It's time to visit the Nekohanten... and those Amazons."