Deluded? You lie! Part 4
Inside the grounds of Furinkan High, Tatewaki Kuno staggered to his feet, largely ignored by the students hurrying into school.
"Such strength and vitality my twin loves have…" he muttered, still wobbling on unsteady legs. "Such skill in the art of combat…that I am left temporarily stunned."
Over by the gates a large group of students gathered to watch the lunatic.
"Kuno got beaten up more than usual, huh?" whispered a long-haired girl to her friend.
"Yeah. He's such a pervert. C'mon, lets go in – there's another weirdo out here."
"Where? Oh, in the corner. Really…"
Indeed, over in a dark corner lurked a black-clad figure, hidden completely in a cloak's voluminous folds. If a person were to walk past, they would hear a slight laughter, and wonder from whom it came.
"Ohohohohohohoho…"
Kuno, miraculously recovered from several heavy blows to his head (Or, as he preferred to think of it, the expression of his twin loves' passion for him) strode up to the shadowed person.
"So! When the fierce tigress Akane Tendo and the beauteous pigtailed goddess entered these hallowed halls unaccompanied, I had dared to hope that their enslavement had ended…But it seems that cannot be. Uncloak yourself, fiend! For are you not Ranma Saotome?"
"Oho…You are sorely mistaken." said a female voice, somehow sounding familiar to the kendoist…"Now stand aside and let me enter this school."
"Nay! You may have changed your voice, villain, but even your manner of dress proclaims your twisted soul! Have at thee!" Kuno charged forward.
Then, from beneath the cloak, a dainty hand withdrew a metallic ribbon…
Bang! Slash! Whoosh! Clonk!
And it took yet another ten minutes before Tatewaki Kuno was able to stand unwavering once more.
***
"Class…This is our new student, who has just transferred in from St. Bacchus's School for Girls. Lets give her a warm welcome!" chirped Miss Hinako.
Kodachi favoured the class with a thin smile. The class shrank back.
It had been ridiculously easy for her to transfer to the same class as her beloved, who made her heart sing with joy. But this was also the same class as Akane and Ukyo, who made her fists clench with anger. Yes…Kodachi could see them, there in their seats, mocking her with their gaping jaws and their incredulous gasps, vacuously staring at her…But no matter.
She turned her gaze to Ranma, whose desk, Kodachi noted with irritation, was next to Akane's. Hmph. And his expression…Why, Kodachi could almost think he wasn't pleased to see her! What a preposterous idea.
No, he was probably merely surprised to see such an elegant and beautiful woman as the Black Rose in a place as pathetic as Furinkan, where – and Kodachi could hardly believe it – the thuggish Akane and the cross-dressing okonomiyaki chef were regarded as good-looking! Well, as soon as the Black Rose had secured her darling's heart she would have no reason to stay at this school.
"I'll be back in a minute, class. Behave!" said Miss Hinako.
Kodachi walked over to the desk next to Ranma. It was occupied by a wiry-haired boy who looked up at her nervously.
"Miss Kodachi?"
He was a pathetic specimen, unworthy of even a moment of her time, but…
"Please," said Kodachi. "Accept this gift."
She held out a single black rose by its stem. The boy blushed and reached to take it.
"No! Don't take it!" cried Akane.
"For once the tomboy's right!" said Ranma.
"Thank you Kodachi," beamed the boy. "I'll treasure thi-"
THUMP
As the boy collapsed on the floor, Kodachi calmly took his place at the desk. Ranma looked more nervous by the second.
"That," said Akane. "was low! Paralyzing him just for his desk?" She frowned at Kodachi, but didn't move from her seat.
But Ukyo did. She leaned over Kodachi's plundered desk, and looked her in the eyes.
"Listen here, Kodachi. I know very well what you're here for, and I'll have you know there's no way you'll ever have my Ranma-honey! Got it? He's my fiancé, not yours."
"…And he's Akane's, and Shampoo's, and…" Hiroshi's commentary was interrupted by glares from Ukyo, Akane, and Kodachi. "Ah, sorry! Carry on!"
"As I was saying…" said Ukyo. "You might as well just give up. Go home, sugar."
"My, my. Feeling threatened, are you?" said Kodachi. To think that this Kuonji girl seriously meant to win Kodachi's Ranma-darling! How foolish of her. How…arrogant. How irritating.
Soon, Kodachi vowed to herself, I will teach this so-called fiancée her place.
Ukyo looked over her shoulder at Kodachi as she went to return to her seat.
"Kodachi…Why're you still wearing that stupid cloak? It's not that cold in here."
Kodachi paused for a moment in thought.
"O-hoh-hoh-hoh! Now I remember! I wore this cloak to conceal an outfit…Clothes with which to prove my love for my Ranma…" She got to her feet. "OHOHO! Behold the lengths to which I will go for you, my darling Ranma!"
"Cover your eyes!" Akane snapped to Ranma.
"Why?"
"Who knows what she might be wearing, idiot! I won't watch you drool over her if she's wearing something indecent!"
On hearing this, the majority of the males in the classroom craned their necks to see…
Kodachi whipped away her cloak, revealing herself to be wearing…An exact copy of Ranma's clothes, right down to the martial arts slippers.
Most of the boys in the class looked disappointed.
"Eh?" said Akane, puzzled. "How's that going to show the 'lengths to which you will go' for this pervert here?"
"I'm not a pervert!"
"Of course you're not, Ranma-darling! But do you not understand? To prove my love to you, I have even sacrificed my usual attire in favour of yours! Even though it is terribly unstylish!"
"…Terribly unstylish?" muttered Ranma.
Akane snickered. "Too true!"
Kodachi shuffled her desk closer to Ranma's.
She was sure that any second now Ranma would sweep her up in his arms, declare that he loved her, and ask her out on a date. Any second now. Yes.
Which was why she was surprised when he didn't. How could this be? The Black Rose had planned everything perfectly!
Well. Perhaps Nabiki had been right. Perhaps her methods were scaring him off.
Perhaps - what was she thinking? It couldn't be her fault. The pigtailed witch's spells evidently bound her beloved tighter than expected. Or perhaps they were Akane Tendo's spells…Or Ukyo's.
Perhaps, Kodachi thought, it would be advisable to dispose of these competitors sooner rather than later.
End of part 4