An Echoes in Time Side Story Series
Echoes of the Past - Story #1 - Chapter 03
Version 1.1 (2/10/02)
By AllWhacked
Send C&C to allwhacked@hotmail.com
http://www.geocities.com/allwhacked/
--- Disclaimer ---
The characters of Ranma 1/2 belong to Rumiko Takakashi. The
characters of Hokuto no Ken belong to Buronson and Tetsuo
Hara. The characters of Ninja Scroll belong to Manga. The
characters of Highlander belong to Davis/Panzer Inc. All
other characters to appear are owned by their respective
owners. So in other words, I DO NOT own shit, so please
don't sue me because I have Zero money. Thank You.
--- Warning!!! ---
Anyway this is an Alterverse/Continuation fanfic with severe
x-over tendencies.
--- Note to Reader ---
This is a prequel to Echoes in Time. It focuses on Ranma's
adventures after being left behind in China, during the
Nanban Mirror episode(anime only). Now he's stranded 300
years in the past, stuck in the middle of Imperial China
surrounded by husband hungry Amazons. The events that occur
may not run in chronological order and will be based on
flashbacks on key events on his life.
Also, due to the X-Over with Ninja Scroll a few of the
beginning scenes will follow more of less the direct
dialogue with the movie. Although I try not to follow canon
word for word, I felt that it was necessary to do so for at
least a few scenes so that those who aren't familiar with
the series can get a better idea of who and what is going
on. Also note there will be definitely a lot of spoiler if
you've never watched Ninja Scroll though if you haven't
watched it by now then shame on for not already seeing it.
"..." = spoken dialogue
'...' = thoughts
--- End Note to Reader, Start of Chapter ---
*** Shimota Village ***
"Benisato, who is this Ranma Saotome?" inquired Yurimaru as
he kneeled before a low ornate table.
"I do not know..." came her reply. "He has the markings of
a Shaolin Master and claims to have been heading north on a
religious pilgrimage. That is all I know."
"I see... So, is he truly a wandering monk or something
else?"
"I'm not absolutely sure, though I believe he had assistance
from one of the spies working for the Tokugawa Government."
"Are you sure of this?"
"That I am," she answered back.
Yurimaru took pause as he digested this newest bit of
information. 'A Shaolin Master and a government spy?' he
thought. 'One capable of killing Tessai in a single blow,
the other...'
He left that last thought wander as he furled his brow.
"Why didn't you kill him?" he finally replied.
Benisato looked at Yurimaru's turned back with an expression
of disdain. "He was too powerful," she answered simply.
"That's no excuse," he shot back--lassoing a thin thread
across Benisato's arm as if ready to fry her with an
electrical charge. As his voice calmed, "though if he is
working for the government," he then added. "He'll show up
soon enough. Next time kill him, is that understood?"
Benisato grinned evilly to herself. "I don't need your
advice, though perhaps you should go after him yourself if
you don't believe me." She laughed inwardly at the imagined
surprise on Yurimaru's face when he would encounter their
latest foe. 'Yurimaru doesn't even know the true extent of
this man's power; that I made sure of,' she added-
-remembering how she had neglected to inform Yurimaru of
Ranma's ability to fire ki-blasts and to seemingly disappear
from plain sight.
Unbeknownst to Benisato's musings, Yurimaru knew enough of
Ranma's skill to know that they were not dealing with any
ordinary martial artist. 'Stupid bitch,' he thought. 'I
should just kill her now--' He stopped that thought when he
heard Benisato's next words.
"Now, if you don't mind," she began. "I'll tell Lord Gemma
in bed later on, Yurimaru. Do you mind?"
"Sleep well," he responded mechanically; his voice calm and
void of his inner feelings of anger and jealousy that arose
from Benisato's jibe. 'Sleep well indeed,' he silently
added, his brow narrowing as he traced Benisato's retreating
form through a veil of narrowed slits.
*** On a Small Boat Heading towards Shimota Village***
"Ranma, there is something that I've been thinking about,"
began Dakuan as he used his long staff to push the small
boat through the calm waters.
Ranma lay on his back as he closed is eyes; he was tired and
was in no mood to talk. However despite this, he grunted
automatically in response.
Hearing the grunt, Dakuan continued. "I was wondering," he
tentatively began. "I had heard rumors of a man in China
who was marked as a Shaolin Master and who could perform
amazing feats... performing such things as shiatsu that was
on a level unheard of before. A single touch from this
man's finger was rumored to be able to fell a man in an
instant or grant new life to the crippled or dying. They
also say that he along with a group of powerful martial
artists brought an end to the reign of terror of a Dark
Warlord calling himself the Fist of the North Star. That
warlord was a powerful martial artist who was equally as
evil; they say he possessed the power and ambition to topple
even the mighty Qing government."
The old man paused as he heard Rama grunt in
acknowledgement. "So what I was wondering was... by any
chance are you this man of Shaolin--the man who killed
Himuro Gemma?" Dakuan then added.
"No..." responded Ranma in turn with his arms now crossed
behind his head. "That was some other man, he though was
the true Fist of the North Star," he then added as he took
in a deep breath--his eyes gazing at the full brilliance of
the hanging moon while his mind set itself upon a distant
memory of a time long past, a time when he once could have
called himself such a man.
*** Flashback to Sometime in the Past ***
"Master! Let me fight him," cried out Ranma as he stared at
the dark cloaked figure whose eyes shown with an evil gleam.
Ranma's heart skipped a beat in fear; he had never felt this
scared in his entire life. Steeling himself, he suppressed
the urge to run.
'What the hell, Ranma? Get some control over yourself,' he
thought.
Ignoring his instincts, he reached deep within himself to
find his inner confidence. He felt a new surge of energy, a
sensation that made him feel as if he could take on the
world and win.
As his gaze began to sweep across his opponent and down to
the ground before him, strewn about the courtyard of the
temple were a dozen or so broken and mutilated bodies. They
were fellow monks who had died trying to fend off the
advance of this unknown stranger; a stranger whose presence
caused a strong buzzing sensation to form at the back of
Ranma's skull. It was a sensation similar to the feeling he
got whenever he was within close proximity to his master.
"A fellow immortal," Ranma spoke in a low whisper.
Master Long, nodded as he placed a restraining hand on
Ranma's shoulder. "That he is Grasshopper. He is also a
Nanto Sei Ken[2] Master."
Ranma let out a gasp. "But master, how can that be? The
Nanto are meant to guard the emperor's palace, why are they
now sent to go after us?"
Master Long, looked just a perturbed by Ranma's outburst as
he watched more young monks surround the temple's attacker.
As the group of forty or so disciples began to circle the
Nanto Master, Master Long spoke loud so that all could hear.
"Stranger! Why have you come to attack us? We mean you no
harm, we are merely priest who wish to pray to Buddha and
practice the sutras in peace."
The enemy turned to Long and gave him a sinister smile. "I
have no grievances with the monks of this temple, it is only
you that I want. I am here to challenge you, Fist of the
North Star."
There was a startled gasp from the crowd. All looked upon
Long in disbelief, all except for Ranma whom Long had been
training in secret to be the 54th successor of the Hokuto
Shin Ken. As the startled gasps faded, Long nodded his
head.
"I was once known as the Fist of the North Star, a member of
the Hokuto Souke ruling line. I once had power, fame and
riches, but I gave up that part of my life long ago. I had
given up that pursuit and the ties that bonded me when I
found Buddha and with my fellow brothers we formed this
temple. I am no longer the Fist of the North Star, that
title belonged to someone else who died a long time ago."
The man looked at Long with a sneer on his lip. "Do not try
to hide behind those golden robes of yours, immortal.
Priest or not, you are the key to fulfilling the prophecy of
the ancients."
Long calmly nodded at this. "I see, so you think that by
killing me and gaining my powers that you will finally unite
both north and south?"
The man let out a low laugh. "Yes," he chuckled. "That and
more... when I become master of both styles there will be no
one strong enough to challenge me; no practitioner of the
Nanto Sei Ken is as powerful as I and by finally killing the
last practitioner of the Hokuto Shin Ken, there will simply
be no force to oppose my will. The fact that the last
practitioner is also an immortal serves as an added bonus;
now I can add your powers to mine as well." The man turned
to Long as his eyes glowed a fiery red.
As this went on, Long looked unperturbed by the demonic
sight before him. Instead he narrowed his eyes as he
scrutinized his opponent. "So Nanto?" he began. "Who was
your master? I recognize your style, it's that of the Nanto
Houou Ken[3]. I know of only one master of that art and he
is a very good friend of mine. I know that he would not
willingly teach his style to someone of the likes of you."
This statement seemed to bring a smile to the man's face.
"You're quite right, he would not teach me and for that he
had to die. I rather enjoyed the look on his face when I
took his head." At that, the man's aura exploded around
him, a sickly pinkish-red glow emanated from his body as
wisps of energy caused the surrounding air to churn and the
ground beneath his feet to buckle and crack. To those monks
still left surrounding him, they were all forced to flee
some distance, less they be eaten alive by the man's
powerful aura.
"I had suspected something like this," replied Long as he
stood with Ranma by his side. "For no true Nanto would ever
break the sacred pact between our two clans, for the north
and south know better than to fight each other--knowing that
they would destroy the world in the process. So tell me,
Maijin[3]... who are you really?"
The man sneered. "Very perceptive of you, I suspect however
that you know who I really am. But because we are family...
I want to make absolutely sure that you know full well who
the man it is that will kill you. I am Lord Himuro Gemma,
the last of the Ryuuou Hokuto Souke line. It was your
family who banished my ancestors from China--forcing us to
Japan. Your people took away our land and denied us our
rightful place as the true Fists of the North Star. So,
here I am now to avenge them, need I say more?"
Long seemed to take the news in stride. "You are right, I
had suspected as much." He brought a hand to his neck as he
scratched his ear. "So, I suppose it's out of the question
for us to simply talk things over a cup of tea like
civilized folks?"
"You've got that right, Long. I am here to kill you."
Ranma grit his teeth as he heard this. "How dare you!" he
cried out. "Damn it! I'll kill him." He was about to leap
forward to take on Gemma, but Long grabbed him forcibly and
restrained his movements. He then felt his legs go weak and
his vision dimming. As he was about to fall, he felt two of
his fellow disciples grab him while he listened to Long's
soothing words. As he fell all that escaped Ranma lips when
he turned to his master was the word, "why?"
"I'm sorry to do this to you, Grasshopper," spoke Long as he
began to remove himself of his long robe--preparing himself
for a fight. "I had wished we had more time to spend
together, you and I. You were like the son that I never had
and I am proud of you; you were my chance to at last fulfill
my filial duties and pass on the knowledge of our school to
a worthy heir. I had waited more than half my life to find
a student such as you and in a few years I would like to
have offered you my quickening."
"But alas, my families troubled past has caught up to me and
has brought pain and suffering to our peaceful sanctuary.
Know that there is nothing in your power that you could have
done to prevent this; you as well as I know that Gemma is
simply too powerful for you or even I now to defeat, but I
do not regret knowing that I will die."
"So, let my death not poison your heart, Grasshopper. I
would not wish this nor would it be befitting of a true
master of the Hokuto Shin Ken to be overcome by such grief."
As Long placed one last comforting hand on Ranma's face,
tears streaked forth from Ranma's eyes, as all that he could
do was stare and watch his master's retreating backside.
"Goodbye, Grasshopper. May my soul be reincarnated once
more so that maybe we shall meet again... perhaps next time
with me, the student and you as the teacher." A warm smile
was on Long's face, as he called forth commands to his
fellow monks.
"Everyone, please return to the confines of the temple.
Gemma cannot attack you on holy ground so you will be safe
there. Remember, I want none of you to interfere in this
fight, no matter what the circumstances."
The surrounding monks listened and paused for a second at
the orders. All were unsure of what to make of their
master's commands, but none were willing to disobey him in
this time of crisis. As those who were well, aided those
who had been injured, the Shaolin Monks hurried inside the
large wooden doors of their temple as they stood watch at
the fight that was about to commence.
For Ranma, he lay paralyzed as he tried in vain to move his
body. However, despite his efforts, his master had
inflicted a series of complex tsubo[5] attacks, meant to
disable him for at least the duration of the fight, if not
longer.
Ranma mentally swore as he watched the titanic battle begin.
His mind screaming as to why his master would do this to
him, why he would deny him a chance to defend him, to die
for him.
As he watched the fight with tears in his eyes, he silently
swore to himself that one day he would avenge his master and
make that bastard, Gemma pay for what he done here today.
*** Flashback to Some Years Later ***
"So, it's Long's student and some of his lackeys come to
avenge his master," laughed Gemma as he sat on his throne.
Surrounding him, were an army of highly skilled foot
soldiers and generals who were eyeing the group that had
somehow made their way through a deluge of traps and inner
guard bosses in their attempt to gain access to Gemma's
fortress.
As the atmosphere thickened, one member of the weary group
of martial artists stepped forward to address Gemma. "I'm
glad to see that you remember me, Gemma. It would have hurt
my feelings if you didn't. In any case, do you have any
last words before I kill you."
Gemma smirked at the audacious decree. "Many have tried,
but none have succeeded."
'Famous last words indeed,' remarked Ranma as he cocked his
head to the side as a signal to his group of comrades to
attack: five of them consisted of the elite members of the
remaining primary Nanto Sei Ken schools, and two from the
Gento Gou Ken[6] school--a school solely dedicated to the
personal protection of the Qing Emperor.
As those members saw the silent command, all rushed forward
dealing with Gemma's guards--cutting through them with ease,
as the guards served nothing more than the task of being
mere cannon fodder to their attacks.
With the two Gento Gou Ken Masters, blasting off furious
arrays of highly charged ki-blasts that incinerated the
first ranks of soldiers in their paths, the Nanto Sei Ken
Masters in turn jumped high above them as they rained down
energized wisps of ki that sliced through heavily muscled
and armored men, turning their foes into ribbons of flesh
and bone. As the fight ensued and more and more of Gemma's
men fell to the onslaught, in the middle of this pallet of
broken bodies and bloody limbs, Ranma and Gemma stared at
one another with unblinking eyes. Neither man flinched in
the wake of gut wrenching screams and the horrific scenes of
violence and bloodshed.
Finally, as the minutes passed and the room now streamed
thick with human blood and shattered remains, Ranma's group
assembled around their leader looking a little more worse
than wear. Some had limps while others had gashes and cuts,
but none were too injured that they could not fight any
further. With the air now thick with death and the smell of
exposed guts and intestines that created a rancid odor,
feelings of nausea passed through seven of the remaining
survivors. However, despite the smell and the carnage
around them, none of this seemed to affect Gemma or Ranma as
the two men stared daggers at one another; each man sizing
the other up for the ultimate battle that would decide the
fate of China and the ultimately the world.
"Everyone," intoned Ranma once a noticeable pause of silence
had passed. "I thank you for your assistance, but as we
agreed Gemma is mine. In this fight, no one may interfere.
As per the rules of the game, I have explained them to you
and all of you know what will happen when one of my 'kind'
is killed. I suggest that you leave here now and get a good
distance away. Whether I win or lose here today, the
quickening will utterly destroy what remains of this castle.
So leave! And know that you have my thanks and know that I
will not fail you."
The others paused as Ranma said this. They all knew that in
the end, it was only Ranma who stood a chance at defeating
Gemma. All had helped in the man's training, all knew that
in the end, Ranma was their best chance in defeating this
monster who threatened to topple the Qing government-
-threatening to bring about a reign of terror that none
hoped to imagine.
Some however, still felt pangs of guilt and anger at Ranma's
decree. Some had lost family and friends to Gemma, some had
lost all that they had cherished or ever loved to this man.
None of them there that day lacked a reason for not wanting
to disregard Ranma's orders and do in the monster
themselves. However, it was from loyalty, respect, and
absolute trust in the man who had brought them together that
made them heed his words.
As each member took a tentatively stepped back towards the
exit, the chamber room finally grew silent as their steps
passed out of range of Ranma and Gemma's hearing. With a
silent trail of wind blowing through a broken and cracked
window, the flapping of a curtain was the only sound that
resounded in the great hall.
With the two powerful men finally now able to engage in the
age-old ritual of the 'Game,' a boiling of human blood began
to steam at their feet as each man's aura flared to life and
a battle between two titans began.
Gemma leapt forward, trying to catch Ranma off guard for a
quick kill. As he made the distance, he met nothing but air
and smoke. 'What!?' his mind cried. "How could he have
eluded me? I didn't even see him move," he muttered.
"That's because I teleported," calmly replied Ranma from
right behind Gemma's back. Then in an intense blur of
flying hands, Ranma ripped into Gemma's backside as his foe
felt the stinging pain of fingers being jammed between
muscles and joints.
Gemma whirled around, trying to repel his opponents attack.
Yet, just as before, he met nothing but air and smoke.
"Are you surprised, Gemma?" remarked Ranma some distance
away. "I picked that trick up from a Hindu mystic. It's
amazing what one can do when he puts his mind to it." As he
said this, Gemma felt an intense pain build up in his
shoulders and knees, with the majority coming from his right
shoulder. With his left arm gripping his right shoulder, he
struggled desperately to press counter acting tsubo points
in an effort to relieve the building up stress he was
feeling from within his body.
"Sorry Gemma," chimed Ranma as he crossed his arms at his
opponent. "That's not going to work. You see I didn't use
pressure points on you. Instead, I infused a small ball of
concentrated chi inside each point of your body that I
pressed. Since the chi is mine, I can control it with my
will and right now, my will is telling the ball of chi in
your right shoulder to make its way down your arm and into
your palm."
As Ranma said that, a large bulge of compressed muscle and
sinew warped itself around the moving ball of chi in Gemma's
arm. The man began to scream in utter pain as the ball
burned his body from inside, eating at bone and flesh as it
progressed downward. Finally, when the chi ball had reached
Gemma's wrist, there was a momentary pause and then an
explosion of light. Ranma had manipulated the chi to
splinter off into five directions, pushing through the last
bits of flesh that made up Gemma's fingers.
Then slowly and methodically, the stray strands of chi
recombined themselves and began the slow return trek back up
Gemma's arm. In their path, bone and flesh that had escaped
its initial onslaught were eaten away further, leaving
Gemma's arm as nothing more than a hollow husk of loose
skin. Finally as the bulge in Gemma's arm reached his
shoulder, the ball of chi began to grow bigger and bigger as
Gemma's body fought desperately to confine it.
Gemma let out a loud scream. It was so loud and so long
that his voice grew silent from lack of breath, and by the
time he had a chance to look down, his right arm was no
more. It was now merely a stump that ran just short of
passing through his torso and killing the man instantly.
When the burning had stopped, Gemma dropped to his knees as
he used his last good arm to hold himself up. Panting,
Genma listened as Ranma began to taunt him in just
retribution for his crimes done to Ranma's master.
"Well, normally I would kill my opponents quickly. I
believe one should not torture others, even if they are your
enemy. However, in your case I'll make an exception. After
all, you never extended the same courtesy to my master." An
image of Long on his hands and knees came flashing into
Ranma's mind as he relived the brief memory of Gemma slowly
cutting apart the defeated man from limb to limb. Ranma
grimaced as he looked at the once mighty, Gemma's broken
form.
"The ancients say that benevolence is a virtue and you know
what, I think so too. So rather than kill you in a slow
manner like you did my master, I will simply expedite your
death in the quickest way I know how." In that instant he
brought up an open fist and squeezed his palm tight causing
the balls of chi implanted through Gemma's body to all
explode at once.
From small pours in Gemma's body, thin golden beams of light
emitted briefly before his body exploded into a mass of
blood and gore. In the remains, all that was left was
Gemma's torso and his still attached head; his body was now
planted face first in a three-inch pool of blood.
Ranma watched this sight and saw that Gemma still had some
life in him. The idle thought of simply letting the bastard
drown in his own blood came to mind, but he quashed that
idea as he felt his benevolent side rise to conscience.
Walking forward, Ranma kicked Gemma's body right side up and
looked upon his enemy's red painted face. It was a face
smeared completely in blood, covering everything except for
two wide eyes devoid of any humanity that Ranma would admit
to himself were there.
"Is that fear or perhaps shock on your face?" remarked
Ranma. "Are you so surprised that someone you once thought
too beneath for you to kill is now standing above you, ready
to end your life?"
There was no response from Gemma's part as he spat out some
blood that had made its way into his mouth. At the sight,
Ranma simply shrugged his shoulders. "No matter," he began.
"I'll know soon enough when I take your head." He then
brought his foot down upon, Gemma's genitals, causing the
man to grit his teeth wide in pain as he felt Ranma's heavy
foot crush his penis and testicles.
Then, in a flash Gemma's world went black. Ranma had driven
his fist through Gemma's teeth--breaking his way through the
man's jaw and deeply implanting itself into Gemma's oral
cavity.
"Eat this!" cried Ranma as an intense burst of blue light
exploded through Gemma's eyes, nose, and mouth. The
immortal's head was consumed by the blast that lasted nearly
thirty seconds. When the ki-attack finally ended, Ranma
looked down and saw only a smoldering stump of a neckline
and behind where Gemma's would have been, was now a large
pumpkin sized hole that extended deep within the castle's
bowels.
As Ranma stood above Gemma's now decapitated torso, he felt
the initial rush of blood funnel over his feet then down
through the three-foot wide hole he created in the ground.
Soon after the familiar rippling sensation of electrical
energy began to course through Ranma's body as he was
overtaken by the rejuvenating, but also destructive force of
an immortal's quickening.
Screaming at the sheer joy of pain, pleasure, and mental
sorrow that exploded through both his mind and body, the
world briefly turned black as the castle top exploded into a
cloud of shattered stone and marble. In the exposed sky
above, storm clouds gathered and formed while lighting
struck the castle's tower in quick succession of one
another. The powerful charges of electricity traced their
way through jutting pieces of conductive metal that caused
rocks and stonework to explode and wood to burn in their
wake.
Finally, with the energy and life essence of countless
immortals felled by Gemma and the immortals before him,
entering Ranma's body, the man stood tall as he was deluged
with flashes of memories and feelings that were not all his
own. With the quickening at its apex, Ranma let out a
primal roar while jets of blood mixed in with the now
pouring rain, to stream upward in defiance against gravity.
Soon, the castle began to shake as the undue stress
threatened to topple the structure and the mountainside
foundation beneath it.
Ranma opened his eyes wide as they glowed blue in the
starless night. "I've avenged you, master," he finally
spoke as he slowly made his way back to his campsite, near
the foot of Gemma's now destroyed fortress.
*** End Flashback ***
"Ranma... Ranma! Are you listening to me, boy?" cried
Dakuan as he covered his mouth in realization that he might
give away their position.
Ranma shook his head as he cleared his mind of his last
battle with Himuro Gemma. 'I wonder how you're doing in
Hell, Gemma?' he idly wondered.
As Dakuan regained control from his outburst, he set himself
back to the task of pushing their small boat through the
marsh. Dakuan then began to address Ranma with the same
question that he had been asking not more than a minute
before.
"Ranma?" began Dakuan.
"Yeah"
"Did you hear what I just said?"
"Nah, I didn't. Was it important or something?"
Dakuan simply deadpanned. "You stupid boy pay attention.
This is important so I'll repeat this one more time. I was
wondering that if you're not this man from China--this Fist
of the North Star--then I suppose it is he who now leads of
the Eight Devils of Kimon."
Ranma paused. "Feh, I highly doubt that old man. There is
no other Fist of the North Star. That I'm certain of."
"Perhaps," replied back Dakuan. "Maybe my intelligence
gathering is flawed, but that is what the leader of that
ninja group calls himself; it's that or Himuro Gemma."
Ranma visibly stiffened at the name. 'Himuro Gemma? That's
impossible!' he thought. 'I killed that bastard myself; I
took his head, I took his quickening. No immortal can
survive that. This must be some imposter, probably someone
left over from the Ryuuou Hokuto Souke line.'
As the boat continued to head towards Shimota Village, Ranma
closed his eyes once again. 'If it is Himuro Gemma, I'll
send him back to hell where he belongs. If he isn't, I'll
stop whoever regardless.'
--- End of Chapter ---
Notes:
[1] Hokuto Ryuu Ken - North Dipper Lapis Lazuli Fist. This
martial art makes use of the opponent's 1,109 Keiraku Hakou
pressure points. Hokuto Ryuu Ken is a 2000 year old martial
art from the Land of Shura. Its founder was Ryuuou of the
ancient Hokuto Souke ruling line. This martial art is known
as an evil martial art; its use of one's "Matouki" aura that
can drive the practitioner insane with evil, turning them
into a "Majin" (God of Black Magic).
[2] Nanto Sei Ken - South Dipper Holy Fist. There are 108
styles of "Nanto Sei Ken." This style focuses on destroying
from the outside. These styles mostly concentrate on
stabbing or slicing. There are six primary Nanto masters,
Nanto Roku Sei Ken, to correspond to the six stars in the
Nanto constellation. Originally they were formed to guard
the six gates at the emperor's palace
[3] Nanto Houou Ken - South Dipper Phoenix Fist. Nanto
Houou Ken is the ultimate Nanto style, the style of the
Nanto Emperor. This style uses no fighting stances. Can
also move in a strange gliding fashion. This style can only
have one practitioner at one time; the successor must kill
the previous successor.
[4] Maijin - God of Black Magic
[5] Tsubo - Another name for pressure points.
[6] Gento Kou Ken - Origin Dipper Emperor Fist. The "Gento
Kou Ken" style was created to protect the "Tentei" (Heaven
Emperor). The symbol of the Gento is the Tentei's star,
called the Daikyoku-sei (North Star). Each Gento successor
is represented by a color. Sometimes using alternating hot
& cold currents, Gento Kou Ken utterly destroys an opponent
on the cellular level.
Echoes of the Past - Story #1 - Chapter 03
Version 1.1 (2/10/02)
By AllWhacked
Send C&C to allwhacked@hotmail.com
http://www.geocities.com/allwhacked/
--- Disclaimer ---
The characters of Ranma 1/2 belong to Rumiko Takakashi. The
characters of Hokuto no Ken belong to Buronson and Tetsuo
Hara. The characters of Ninja Scroll belong to Manga. The
characters of Highlander belong to Davis/Panzer Inc. All
other characters to appear are owned by their respective
owners. So in other words, I DO NOT own shit, so please
don't sue me because I have Zero money. Thank You.
--- Warning!!! ---
Anyway this is an Alterverse/Continuation fanfic with severe
x-over tendencies.
--- Note to Reader ---
This is a prequel to Echoes in Time. It focuses on Ranma's
adventures after being left behind in China, during the
Nanban Mirror episode(anime only). Now he's stranded 300
years in the past, stuck in the middle of Imperial China
surrounded by husband hungry Amazons. The events that occur
may not run in chronological order and will be based on
flashbacks on key events on his life.
Also, due to the X-Over with Ninja Scroll a few of the
beginning scenes will follow more of less the direct
dialogue with the movie. Although I try not to follow canon
word for word, I felt that it was necessary to do so for at
least a few scenes so that those who aren't familiar with
the series can get a better idea of who and what is going
on. Also note there will be definitely a lot of spoiler if
you've never watched Ninja Scroll though if you haven't
watched it by now then shame on for not already seeing it.
"..." = spoken dialogue
'...' = thoughts
--- End Note to Reader, Start of Chapter ---
*** Shimota Village ***
"Benisato, who is this Ranma Saotome?" inquired Yurimaru as
he kneeled before a low ornate table.
"I do not know..." came her reply. "He has the markings of
a Shaolin Master and claims to have been heading north on a
religious pilgrimage. That is all I know."
"I see... So, is he truly a wandering monk or something
else?"
"I'm not absolutely sure, though I believe he had assistance
from one of the spies working for the Tokugawa Government."
"Are you sure of this?"
"That I am," she answered back.
Yurimaru took pause as he digested this newest bit of
information. 'A Shaolin Master and a government spy?' he
thought. 'One capable of killing Tessai in a single blow,
the other...'
He left that last thought wander as he furled his brow.
"Why didn't you kill him?" he finally replied.
Benisato looked at Yurimaru's turned back with an expression
of disdain. "He was too powerful," she answered simply.
"That's no excuse," he shot back--lassoing a thin thread
across Benisato's arm as if ready to fry her with an
electrical charge. As his voice calmed, "though if he is
working for the government," he then added. "He'll show up
soon enough. Next time kill him, is that understood?"
Benisato grinned evilly to herself. "I don't need your
advice, though perhaps you should go after him yourself if
you don't believe me." She laughed inwardly at the imagined
surprise on Yurimaru's face when he would encounter their
latest foe. 'Yurimaru doesn't even know the true extent of
this man's power; that I made sure of,' she added-
-remembering how she had neglected to inform Yurimaru of
Ranma's ability to fire ki-blasts and to seemingly disappear
from plain sight.
Unbeknownst to Benisato's musings, Yurimaru knew enough of
Ranma's skill to know that they were not dealing with any
ordinary martial artist. 'Stupid bitch,' he thought. 'I
should just kill her now--' He stopped that thought when he
heard Benisato's next words.
"Now, if you don't mind," she began. "I'll tell Lord Gemma
in bed later on, Yurimaru. Do you mind?"
"Sleep well," he responded mechanically; his voice calm and
void of his inner feelings of anger and jealousy that arose
from Benisato's jibe. 'Sleep well indeed,' he silently
added, his brow narrowing as he traced Benisato's retreating
form through a veil of narrowed slits.
*** On a Small Boat Heading towards Shimota Village***
"Ranma, there is something that I've been thinking about,"
began Dakuan as he used his long staff to push the small
boat through the calm waters.
Ranma lay on his back as he closed is eyes; he was tired and
was in no mood to talk. However despite this, he grunted
automatically in response.
Hearing the grunt, Dakuan continued. "I was wondering," he
tentatively began. "I had heard rumors of a man in China
who was marked as a Shaolin Master and who could perform
amazing feats... performing such things as shiatsu that was
on a level unheard of before. A single touch from this
man's finger was rumored to be able to fell a man in an
instant or grant new life to the crippled or dying. They
also say that he along with a group of powerful martial
artists brought an end to the reign of terror of a Dark
Warlord calling himself the Fist of the North Star. That
warlord was a powerful martial artist who was equally as
evil; they say he possessed the power and ambition to topple
even the mighty Qing government."
The old man paused as he heard Rama grunt in
acknowledgement. "So what I was wondering was... by any
chance are you this man of Shaolin--the man who killed
Himuro Gemma?" Dakuan then added.
"No..." responded Ranma in turn with his arms now crossed
behind his head. "That was some other man, he though was
the true Fist of the North Star," he then added as he took
in a deep breath--his eyes gazing at the full brilliance of
the hanging moon while his mind set itself upon a distant
memory of a time long past, a time when he once could have
called himself such a man.
*** Flashback to Sometime in the Past ***
"Master! Let me fight him," cried out Ranma as he stared at
the dark cloaked figure whose eyes shown with an evil gleam.
Ranma's heart skipped a beat in fear; he had never felt this
scared in his entire life. Steeling himself, he suppressed
the urge to run.
'What the hell, Ranma? Get some control over yourself,' he
thought.
Ignoring his instincts, he reached deep within himself to
find his inner confidence. He felt a new surge of energy, a
sensation that made him feel as if he could take on the
world and win.
As his gaze began to sweep across his opponent and down to
the ground before him, strewn about the courtyard of the
temple were a dozen or so broken and mutilated bodies. They
were fellow monks who had died trying to fend off the
advance of this unknown stranger; a stranger whose presence
caused a strong buzzing sensation to form at the back of
Ranma's skull. It was a sensation similar to the feeling he
got whenever he was within close proximity to his master.
"A fellow immortal," Ranma spoke in a low whisper.
Master Long, nodded as he placed a restraining hand on
Ranma's shoulder. "That he is Grasshopper. He is also a
Nanto Sei Ken[2] Master."
Ranma let out a gasp. "But master, how can that be? The
Nanto are meant to guard the emperor's palace, why are they
now sent to go after us?"
Master Long, looked just a perturbed by Ranma's outburst as
he watched more young monks surround the temple's attacker.
As the group of forty or so disciples began to circle the
Nanto Master, Master Long spoke loud so that all could hear.
"Stranger! Why have you come to attack us? We mean you no
harm, we are merely priest who wish to pray to Buddha and
practice the sutras in peace."
The enemy turned to Long and gave him a sinister smile. "I
have no grievances with the monks of this temple, it is only
you that I want. I am here to challenge you, Fist of the
North Star."
There was a startled gasp from the crowd. All looked upon
Long in disbelief, all except for Ranma whom Long had been
training in secret to be the 54th successor of the Hokuto
Shin Ken. As the startled gasps faded, Long nodded his
head.
"I was once known as the Fist of the North Star, a member of
the Hokuto Souke ruling line. I once had power, fame and
riches, but I gave up that part of my life long ago. I had
given up that pursuit and the ties that bonded me when I
found Buddha and with my fellow brothers we formed this
temple. I am no longer the Fist of the North Star, that
title belonged to someone else who died a long time ago."
The man looked at Long with a sneer on his lip. "Do not try
to hide behind those golden robes of yours, immortal.
Priest or not, you are the key to fulfilling the prophecy of
the ancients."
Long calmly nodded at this. "I see, so you think that by
killing me and gaining my powers that you will finally unite
both north and south?"
The man let out a low laugh. "Yes," he chuckled. "That and
more... when I become master of both styles there will be no
one strong enough to challenge me; no practitioner of the
Nanto Sei Ken is as powerful as I and by finally killing the
last practitioner of the Hokuto Shin Ken, there will simply
be no force to oppose my will. The fact that the last
practitioner is also an immortal serves as an added bonus;
now I can add your powers to mine as well." The man turned
to Long as his eyes glowed a fiery red.
As this went on, Long looked unperturbed by the demonic
sight before him. Instead he narrowed his eyes as he
scrutinized his opponent. "So Nanto?" he began. "Who was
your master? I recognize your style, it's that of the Nanto
Houou Ken[3]. I know of only one master of that art and he
is a very good friend of mine. I know that he would not
willingly teach his style to someone of the likes of you."
This statement seemed to bring a smile to the man's face.
"You're quite right, he would not teach me and for that he
had to die. I rather enjoyed the look on his face when I
took his head." At that, the man's aura exploded around
him, a sickly pinkish-red glow emanated from his body as
wisps of energy caused the surrounding air to churn and the
ground beneath his feet to buckle and crack. To those monks
still left surrounding him, they were all forced to flee
some distance, less they be eaten alive by the man's
powerful aura.
"I had suspected something like this," replied Long as he
stood with Ranma by his side. "For no true Nanto would ever
break the sacred pact between our two clans, for the north
and south know better than to fight each other--knowing that
they would destroy the world in the process. So tell me,
Maijin[3]... who are you really?"
The man sneered. "Very perceptive of you, I suspect however
that you know who I really am. But because we are family...
I want to make absolutely sure that you know full well who
the man it is that will kill you. I am Lord Himuro Gemma,
the last of the Ryuuou Hokuto Souke line. It was your
family who banished my ancestors from China--forcing us to
Japan. Your people took away our land and denied us our
rightful place as the true Fists of the North Star. So,
here I am now to avenge them, need I say more?"
Long seemed to take the news in stride. "You are right, I
had suspected as much." He brought a hand to his neck as he
scratched his ear. "So, I suppose it's out of the question
for us to simply talk things over a cup of tea like
civilized folks?"
"You've got that right, Long. I am here to kill you."
Ranma grit his teeth as he heard this. "How dare you!" he
cried out. "Damn it! I'll kill him." He was about to leap
forward to take on Gemma, but Long grabbed him forcibly and
restrained his movements. He then felt his legs go weak and
his vision dimming. As he was about to fall, he felt two of
his fellow disciples grab him while he listened to Long's
soothing words. As he fell all that escaped Ranma lips when
he turned to his master was the word, "why?"
"I'm sorry to do this to you, Grasshopper," spoke Long as he
began to remove himself of his long robe--preparing himself
for a fight. "I had wished we had more time to spend
together, you and I. You were like the son that I never had
and I am proud of you; you were my chance to at last fulfill
my filial duties and pass on the knowledge of our school to
a worthy heir. I had waited more than half my life to find
a student such as you and in a few years I would like to
have offered you my quickening."
"But alas, my families troubled past has caught up to me and
has brought pain and suffering to our peaceful sanctuary.
Know that there is nothing in your power that you could have
done to prevent this; you as well as I know that Gemma is
simply too powerful for you or even I now to defeat, but I
do not regret knowing that I will die."
"So, let my death not poison your heart, Grasshopper. I
would not wish this nor would it be befitting of a true
master of the Hokuto Shin Ken to be overcome by such grief."
As Long placed one last comforting hand on Ranma's face,
tears streaked forth from Ranma's eyes, as all that he could
do was stare and watch his master's retreating backside.
"Goodbye, Grasshopper. May my soul be reincarnated once
more so that maybe we shall meet again... perhaps next time
with me, the student and you as the teacher." A warm smile
was on Long's face, as he called forth commands to his
fellow monks.
"Everyone, please return to the confines of the temple.
Gemma cannot attack you on holy ground so you will be safe
there. Remember, I want none of you to interfere in this
fight, no matter what the circumstances."
The surrounding monks listened and paused for a second at
the orders. All were unsure of what to make of their
master's commands, but none were willing to disobey him in
this time of crisis. As those who were well, aided those
who had been injured, the Shaolin Monks hurried inside the
large wooden doors of their temple as they stood watch at
the fight that was about to commence.
For Ranma, he lay paralyzed as he tried in vain to move his
body. However, despite his efforts, his master had
inflicted a series of complex tsubo[5] attacks, meant to
disable him for at least the duration of the fight, if not
longer.
Ranma mentally swore as he watched the titanic battle begin.
His mind screaming as to why his master would do this to
him, why he would deny him a chance to defend him, to die
for him.
As he watched the fight with tears in his eyes, he silently
swore to himself that one day he would avenge his master and
make that bastard, Gemma pay for what he done here today.
*** Flashback to Some Years Later ***
"So, it's Long's student and some of his lackeys come to
avenge his master," laughed Gemma as he sat on his throne.
Surrounding him, were an army of highly skilled foot
soldiers and generals who were eyeing the group that had
somehow made their way through a deluge of traps and inner
guard bosses in their attempt to gain access to Gemma's
fortress.
As the atmosphere thickened, one member of the weary group
of martial artists stepped forward to address Gemma. "I'm
glad to see that you remember me, Gemma. It would have hurt
my feelings if you didn't. In any case, do you have any
last words before I kill you."
Gemma smirked at the audacious decree. "Many have tried,
but none have succeeded."
'Famous last words indeed,' remarked Ranma as he cocked his
head to the side as a signal to his group of comrades to
attack: five of them consisted of the elite members of the
remaining primary Nanto Sei Ken schools, and two from the
Gento Gou Ken[6] school--a school solely dedicated to the
personal protection of the Qing Emperor.
As those members saw the silent command, all rushed forward
dealing with Gemma's guards--cutting through them with ease,
as the guards served nothing more than the task of being
mere cannon fodder to their attacks.
With the two Gento Gou Ken Masters, blasting off furious
arrays of highly charged ki-blasts that incinerated the
first ranks of soldiers in their paths, the Nanto Sei Ken
Masters in turn jumped high above them as they rained down
energized wisps of ki that sliced through heavily muscled
and armored men, turning their foes into ribbons of flesh
and bone. As the fight ensued and more and more of Gemma's
men fell to the onslaught, in the middle of this pallet of
broken bodies and bloody limbs, Ranma and Gemma stared at
one another with unblinking eyes. Neither man flinched in
the wake of gut wrenching screams and the horrific scenes of
violence and bloodshed.
Finally, as the minutes passed and the room now streamed
thick with human blood and shattered remains, Ranma's group
assembled around their leader looking a little more worse
than wear. Some had limps while others had gashes and cuts,
but none were too injured that they could not fight any
further. With the air now thick with death and the smell of
exposed guts and intestines that created a rancid odor,
feelings of nausea passed through seven of the remaining
survivors. However, despite the smell and the carnage
around them, none of this seemed to affect Gemma or Ranma as
the two men stared daggers at one another; each man sizing
the other up for the ultimate battle that would decide the
fate of China and the ultimately the world.
"Everyone," intoned Ranma once a noticeable pause of silence
had passed. "I thank you for your assistance, but as we
agreed Gemma is mine. In this fight, no one may interfere.
As per the rules of the game, I have explained them to you
and all of you know what will happen when one of my 'kind'
is killed. I suggest that you leave here now and get a good
distance away. Whether I win or lose here today, the
quickening will utterly destroy what remains of this castle.
So leave! And know that you have my thanks and know that I
will not fail you."
The others paused as Ranma said this. They all knew that in
the end, it was only Ranma who stood a chance at defeating
Gemma. All had helped in the man's training, all knew that
in the end, Ranma was their best chance in defeating this
monster who threatened to topple the Qing government-
-threatening to bring about a reign of terror that none
hoped to imagine.
Some however, still felt pangs of guilt and anger at Ranma's
decree. Some had lost family and friends to Gemma, some had
lost all that they had cherished or ever loved to this man.
None of them there that day lacked a reason for not wanting
to disregard Ranma's orders and do in the monster
themselves. However, it was from loyalty, respect, and
absolute trust in the man who had brought them together that
made them heed his words.
As each member took a tentatively stepped back towards the
exit, the chamber room finally grew silent as their steps
passed out of range of Ranma and Gemma's hearing. With a
silent trail of wind blowing through a broken and cracked
window, the flapping of a curtain was the only sound that
resounded in the great hall.
With the two powerful men finally now able to engage in the
age-old ritual of the 'Game,' a boiling of human blood began
to steam at their feet as each man's aura flared to life and
a battle between two titans began.
Gemma leapt forward, trying to catch Ranma off guard for a
quick kill. As he made the distance, he met nothing but air
and smoke. 'What!?' his mind cried. "How could he have
eluded me? I didn't even see him move," he muttered.
"That's because I teleported," calmly replied Ranma from
right behind Gemma's back. Then in an intense blur of
flying hands, Ranma ripped into Gemma's backside as his foe
felt the stinging pain of fingers being jammed between
muscles and joints.
Gemma whirled around, trying to repel his opponents attack.
Yet, just as before, he met nothing but air and smoke.
"Are you surprised, Gemma?" remarked Ranma some distance
away. "I picked that trick up from a Hindu mystic. It's
amazing what one can do when he puts his mind to it." As he
said this, Gemma felt an intense pain build up in his
shoulders and knees, with the majority coming from his right
shoulder. With his left arm gripping his right shoulder, he
struggled desperately to press counter acting tsubo points
in an effort to relieve the building up stress he was
feeling from within his body.
"Sorry Gemma," chimed Ranma as he crossed his arms at his
opponent. "That's not going to work. You see I didn't use
pressure points on you. Instead, I infused a small ball of
concentrated chi inside each point of your body that I
pressed. Since the chi is mine, I can control it with my
will and right now, my will is telling the ball of chi in
your right shoulder to make its way down your arm and into
your palm."
As Ranma said that, a large bulge of compressed muscle and
sinew warped itself around the moving ball of chi in Gemma's
arm. The man began to scream in utter pain as the ball
burned his body from inside, eating at bone and flesh as it
progressed downward. Finally, when the chi ball had reached
Gemma's wrist, there was a momentary pause and then an
explosion of light. Ranma had manipulated the chi to
splinter off into five directions, pushing through the last
bits of flesh that made up Gemma's fingers.
Then slowly and methodically, the stray strands of chi
recombined themselves and began the slow return trek back up
Gemma's arm. In their path, bone and flesh that had escaped
its initial onslaught were eaten away further, leaving
Gemma's arm as nothing more than a hollow husk of loose
skin. Finally as the bulge in Gemma's arm reached his
shoulder, the ball of chi began to grow bigger and bigger as
Gemma's body fought desperately to confine it.
Gemma let out a loud scream. It was so loud and so long
that his voice grew silent from lack of breath, and by the
time he had a chance to look down, his right arm was no
more. It was now merely a stump that ran just short of
passing through his torso and killing the man instantly.
When the burning had stopped, Gemma dropped to his knees as
he used his last good arm to hold himself up. Panting,
Genma listened as Ranma began to taunt him in just
retribution for his crimes done to Ranma's master.
"Well, normally I would kill my opponents quickly. I
believe one should not torture others, even if they are your
enemy. However, in your case I'll make an exception. After
all, you never extended the same courtesy to my master." An
image of Long on his hands and knees came flashing into
Ranma's mind as he relived the brief memory of Gemma slowly
cutting apart the defeated man from limb to limb. Ranma
grimaced as he looked at the once mighty, Gemma's broken
form.
"The ancients say that benevolence is a virtue and you know
what, I think so too. So rather than kill you in a slow
manner like you did my master, I will simply expedite your
death in the quickest way I know how." In that instant he
brought up an open fist and squeezed his palm tight causing
the balls of chi implanted through Gemma's body to all
explode at once.
From small pours in Gemma's body, thin golden beams of light
emitted briefly before his body exploded into a mass of
blood and gore. In the remains, all that was left was
Gemma's torso and his still attached head; his body was now
planted face first in a three-inch pool of blood.
Ranma watched this sight and saw that Gemma still had some
life in him. The idle thought of simply letting the bastard
drown in his own blood came to mind, but he quashed that
idea as he felt his benevolent side rise to conscience.
Walking forward, Ranma kicked Gemma's body right side up and
looked upon his enemy's red painted face. It was a face
smeared completely in blood, covering everything except for
two wide eyes devoid of any humanity that Ranma would admit
to himself were there.
"Is that fear or perhaps shock on your face?" remarked
Ranma. "Are you so surprised that someone you once thought
too beneath for you to kill is now standing above you, ready
to end your life?"
There was no response from Gemma's part as he spat out some
blood that had made its way into his mouth. At the sight,
Ranma simply shrugged his shoulders. "No matter," he began.
"I'll know soon enough when I take your head." He then
brought his foot down upon, Gemma's genitals, causing the
man to grit his teeth wide in pain as he felt Ranma's heavy
foot crush his penis and testicles.
Then, in a flash Gemma's world went black. Ranma had driven
his fist through Gemma's teeth--breaking his way through the
man's jaw and deeply implanting itself into Gemma's oral
cavity.
"Eat this!" cried Ranma as an intense burst of blue light
exploded through Gemma's eyes, nose, and mouth. The
immortal's head was consumed by the blast that lasted nearly
thirty seconds. When the ki-attack finally ended, Ranma
looked down and saw only a smoldering stump of a neckline
and behind where Gemma's would have been, was now a large
pumpkin sized hole that extended deep within the castle's
bowels.
As Ranma stood above Gemma's now decapitated torso, he felt
the initial rush of blood funnel over his feet then down
through the three-foot wide hole he created in the ground.
Soon after the familiar rippling sensation of electrical
energy began to course through Ranma's body as he was
overtaken by the rejuvenating, but also destructive force of
an immortal's quickening.
Screaming at the sheer joy of pain, pleasure, and mental
sorrow that exploded through both his mind and body, the
world briefly turned black as the castle top exploded into a
cloud of shattered stone and marble. In the exposed sky
above, storm clouds gathered and formed while lighting
struck the castle's tower in quick succession of one
another. The powerful charges of electricity traced their
way through jutting pieces of conductive metal that caused
rocks and stonework to explode and wood to burn in their
wake.
Finally, with the energy and life essence of countless
immortals felled by Gemma and the immortals before him,
entering Ranma's body, the man stood tall as he was deluged
with flashes of memories and feelings that were not all his
own. With the quickening at its apex, Ranma let out a
primal roar while jets of blood mixed in with the now
pouring rain, to stream upward in defiance against gravity.
Soon, the castle began to shake as the undue stress
threatened to topple the structure and the mountainside
foundation beneath it.
Ranma opened his eyes wide as they glowed blue in the
starless night. "I've avenged you, master," he finally
spoke as he slowly made his way back to his campsite, near
the foot of Gemma's now destroyed fortress.
*** End Flashback ***
"Ranma... Ranma! Are you listening to me, boy?" cried
Dakuan as he covered his mouth in realization that he might
give away their position.
Ranma shook his head as he cleared his mind of his last
battle with Himuro Gemma. 'I wonder how you're doing in
Hell, Gemma?' he idly wondered.
As Dakuan regained control from his outburst, he set himself
back to the task of pushing their small boat through the
marsh. Dakuan then began to address Ranma with the same
question that he had been asking not more than a minute
before.
"Ranma?" began Dakuan.
"Yeah"
"Did you hear what I just said?"
"Nah, I didn't. Was it important or something?"
Dakuan simply deadpanned. "You stupid boy pay attention.
This is important so I'll repeat this one more time. I was
wondering that if you're not this man from China--this Fist
of the North Star--then I suppose it is he who now leads of
the Eight Devils of Kimon."
Ranma paused. "Feh, I highly doubt that old man. There is
no other Fist of the North Star. That I'm certain of."
"Perhaps," replied back Dakuan. "Maybe my intelligence
gathering is flawed, but that is what the leader of that
ninja group calls himself; it's that or Himuro Gemma."
Ranma visibly stiffened at the name. 'Himuro Gemma? That's
impossible!' he thought. 'I killed that bastard myself; I
took his head, I took his quickening. No immortal can
survive that. This must be some imposter, probably someone
left over from the Ryuuou Hokuto Souke line.'
As the boat continued to head towards Shimota Village, Ranma
closed his eyes once again. 'If it is Himuro Gemma, I'll
send him back to hell where he belongs. If he isn't, I'll
stop whoever regardless.'
--- End of Chapter ---
Notes:
[1] Hokuto Ryuu Ken - North Dipper Lapis Lazuli Fist. This
martial art makes use of the opponent's 1,109 Keiraku Hakou
pressure points. Hokuto Ryuu Ken is a 2000 year old martial
art from the Land of Shura. Its founder was Ryuuou of the
ancient Hokuto Souke ruling line. This martial art is known
as an evil martial art; its use of one's "Matouki" aura that
can drive the practitioner insane with evil, turning them
into a "Majin" (God of Black Magic).
[2] Nanto Sei Ken - South Dipper Holy Fist. There are 108
styles of "Nanto Sei Ken." This style focuses on destroying
from the outside. These styles mostly concentrate on
stabbing or slicing. There are six primary Nanto masters,
Nanto Roku Sei Ken, to correspond to the six stars in the
Nanto constellation. Originally they were formed to guard
the six gates at the emperor's palace
[3] Nanto Houou Ken - South Dipper Phoenix Fist. Nanto
Houou Ken is the ultimate Nanto style, the style of the
Nanto Emperor. This style uses no fighting stances. Can
also move in a strange gliding fashion. This style can only
have one practitioner at one time; the successor must kill
the previous successor.
[4] Maijin - God of Black Magic
[5] Tsubo - Another name for pressure points.
[6] Gento Kou Ken - Origin Dipper Emperor Fist. The "Gento
Kou Ken" style was created to protect the "Tentei" (Heaven
Emperor). The symbol of the Gento is the Tentei's star,
called the Daikyoku-sei (North Star). Each Gento successor
is represented by a color. Sometimes using alternating hot
& cold currents, Gento Kou Ken utterly destroys an opponent
on the cellular level.