Chapter Eight: Desperate Engagement! Ranma vs. the Shadow Warrior!
The next morning was Saturday. Ranma awoke earlier than usual to spar with Genma in the backyard. As fists clashed and blows were parried, Kasumi stood over the kitchen oven, preparing yet another wonderful breakfast feast. Sampling a bite of the food she was preparing, she nodded in satisfaction at its rich taste. The family would certainly be happy today and from the intensity of the sparing match going on outside, Ranma was certain to be more starved than usual.
"Sis, will breakfast be ready soon? I'm absolutely starved," Nabiki called as she and Akane walked into the dining room. She stuck her toothbrush in her mouth and watched Ranma fight from the kitchen table.
"Be patient," Kasumi's gentle response came back.
"Yes, yes, Nabiki, remember that patience is the virtue all good people should be made of," Soun added before he returned to reading his morning paper, ignoring the roll of his middle daughter's eyes.
"Pop, you are getting' slow!" Ranma's fist cut through the air on its way towards Genma's face.
Genma blocked the blow with his forearm, grunting as his son's knuckles struck him. "Not quite, boy! I'm just holding back for you're sake. We can't have the only Saotome heir get hurt in a puny training exercise now can we?"
"Ha!" Ranma sneered. "You always say that, Pop! If you're going to lie at least attempt to think of something original!" His foot shot out and tripped Genma into the Koi pond, spilling water onto the soft grass. Growling, Genma/panda rose from the pool and, as an after-thought, pushed his son in the cold water before he returned to the house, happily chewing on a piece of bamboo.
Watching the proceedings, Nabiki exploded with laughter. Not only were the Saotome's humorous, they also contributed generously to her growing cash fund. Smiling, she tucked several pictures of female Ranma in the nude inside her pocket. The money she'd get from Kuno for the perverted photos would help fund her new fall wardrobe. She had to remain at the head of the current fads after all. It wouldn't do for the top business woman at Furinkan to wear the same clothes she had the year before.
Sputtering, Ranma crawled out of the pool with a look of rage implanted on her cute little face. "Why you!"
She slapped her hand down into the water. "Stupid old man! I gotta' go take another hot bath thanks to you!"
Around eight fifteen Ranma, Akane, and Nabiki skirted off to school. As they ran, Akane noticed that her fiancé had an incredibly sour look on his face and his hand fell to rest on his stomach. Since he had to take a bath again, he had missed breakfast. Ranma wasn't a person people wanted to deal with especially not when he had an empty stomach.
"Ranma! Here, catch!" Akane tossed him his paper bag lunch. "You left this behind when you ran out of the house. I saw it and grabbed it for you."
"Thanks, Akane! You know, you're a real lifesaver. I don't think I could have waited until lunch." He pulled out a sandwich and devoured it in a show that would have put the orphan Karumi herself to shame. He gratefully flashed a smile then jumped onto the fence that ran parallel to the canal water way to practice his daily balance exercise.
The trio made it to school without any complications. Kuno, as it turned out, had gotten caught up in teaching an early Kendo exercise in his club and, as such, Ranma would be spared his usual morning hassle. He breathed a sigh of relief. Another fight with the dense Kendo master would have been hell!
As if heaven was smiling down on him for once, the rest of the day went by smoothly. At lunch time, he sat with Akane and Ukyo under the shade of a blooming cherry blossom tree. Unfortunately, Ukyo didn't talk as much as she usual did, and her normally cheerful disposition was nowhere to be seen. Her mood had turned truly rotten the day she had learned about Ranma and Akane's date. For a while, Ranma pretended not to notice but he couldn't ignore the looks Ukyo was flashing him. As he listened to Akane drone on about nothing important, he realized that Shampoo hadn't come around for nearly a week. The only conclusion was that she was doing it out of anger or depression... or both. With the whole school talking about their relationship and the details involving the date, there was no doubt she had caught wind of it.
"Ucchan, try one of my pork buns," Ranma offered, holding one out to her.
Ukyo crossed her arms and looked away crossly. "No, thank you. I've seem to have lost my appetite. If I'm not good enough to go on a date with you like some other girl I know, then I'm certainly not worthy of sampling one of your favorite foods."
An uneasy silence settled in on the trio and, looking back and forth between the two girls, Ranma found himself growing distinctly uncomfortable. Finally enough proved to be enough and Akane excused herself to go study for her next class. Turning to look back at Ukyo before she left, her gaze turned hard as stone.
Ukyo looked at her. "What?"
Akane met her cold gaze. "Things could just as easily be going the other way with your relationship with Ranma, but they aren't. He could be with you right now, but he isn't. Get over it! I still consider you my friend and I hope to be yours. However, if you want to be sour and pout all the time like a child then I refuse to be around you. The choice is yours, grow up or stay away from me."
Ukyo scowled and turned away, instantly regretting the fact that she didn't have a proper retort handy. Akane's gaze met Ranma's and she winked before returning to the school. For once, Ranma completely understood what she was doing. It was true Ukyo had to get over their engagement, but he also knew it would take time, perhaps a lot of time, to heal. Ukyo wasn't a girl you could just break the news to all at once and expect to just shrug it off with a smile. She'd have to figure it out on her own.
Ranma patter Ukyo on the back and gave her a goofy smile. He couldn't stand to see his best friend down. "You're still cute, ya know. Don't let things get you down, Ucchan."
Ukyo couldn't help but smile at his cute remark. This is just a phase. Ranma will see who the better fiancée is eventually. I just know he will…
With a full stomach and an afternoon of boring classes, Ranma struggled not to fall asleep. The only class he really loved was foreign language. He was learning to speak English and had one of the highest grades in the class. His motivations stemmed from a secret desire to one day visit America, and tour its exciting cities. Akane apparently had no such interests; her language of choice learning was French.
At long last the end of the day came. As Ranma opened his locker to remove his shoes, he found a note lying inside. Little did he know the magnitude the innocent looking piece of paper would come to have on his existence. The slip of paper would be the start of a seemingly never-ending nightmare. But, at present he knew nothing of it and casually reached for the paper, flipping it open to read it.
Ranma,
I will be waiting for you at your school football field at four fifteen. Be there if you are man enough! I want to see your weak skills in action one more time. This time, we settle things for good.
There was no signature to the taunting note. Ranma growled and tore the paper into pieces letting the paper scatter to the four winds. If there were two things he hated the most, it was when someone mocked his manliness and his fighting skills. This person had just accomplished both! When he had been cursed at Jusenkyo, it caused his already large ego to question his level of masculinity... or lack thereof! Because of this, he often went out of his way to act tough during every situation… Little did he know that many people clearly saw through his infantile deception.
I'll be there, he thought to himself fiercely. Picking up his school bag, he sprinted out to the football field, dodging past students all the way.
Calling his name out loudly, Akane followed up behind him. "Ranma, I saw you take off back there, what are you doing out here?!"
He didn't turn around. "I have something to take care of."
She ran to his side in concern, keeping pace with his long stride. "But there aren't any sports club practice events going on out here today."
"Someone left a challenge letter in my locker and instructed me to wait for him here." Ranma performed a few brief stretches to warm his muscles up for the fight to come. "It shouldn't take long."
Akane sighed, shaking her head. "Another fight? Honestly, why won't these guys just give it a rest! Who was it this time, Kuno, Mousse, or both?"
"I don't think it's either actually…" The taunting note held an edge to it that neither possessed in their characters. It was just a feeling of course but Ranma's gut feelings were rarely wrong.
"I think I'll be facing off against someone I know, Akane."
She blinked in confusion. "What makes you think that?"
Ranma clenched his jaw. "A gut feeling."
"Well, just be careful, ok? Don't you dare get hurt!" Akane's stern expression hid the fear she felt inside as it rose up to cling to her heart. She blushed as her strong emotions and coughed, trying to cover her embarrassment.
Ranma gave her a thumbs up sign and smiled lopsidedly. "Hey, remember, I'm the man!"
Akane rolled her eyes. "That's why I'm afraid!"
A sudden breeze picked up and whipped the grass around their feet with devilish fury. Around them, everything went silent and even the familiar chirping of birds became nonexistent. It was an omen of doom, a sign of the impending terror to come. Ranma steadied himself as best he could, but since he still didn't know what he was going up against his guard wasn't up to the ideal level. This was not a normal sensation to him.
A short time later a fast moving, shapeless shadow appeared on the far end of the field. Shouting, several of the students pointed the peculiar thing out, alerting Ranma who turned to face the source of the commotion. The black form slowly stretched and tore, taking the shape of a man. As the cloud solidified, revolving within itself, chaotic energy ripped at the ground, carving huge rivets, and threw an abnormal amount of dark energy into the air. A powerful laugh sounded off as two red eyes blinked into existence and fell on Ranma almost instantly. They narrowed into slits as the laugh became an enraged snarl.
Its not a shadow, its a ki shield! Ranma recalled that he hadn't seen one since Lychee's elephant had come crashing through town several months ago. The shield made it impossible to see who the antagonist really was. He stared in dumbfounded shock in the face of his newest threat partially because he lacked a clear plan of action. What attack could possibly prove to be immediately effective against an energy-covered opponent? And besides, a person who had the ability to mask their body with energy certainly had other, more advanced, techniques as well. This person had danger written all over him and Ranma was no fool. When it came to combat, he would have to be on his guard.
"Greetings, Ranma Saotome!" The words rolled off the Warrior's tongue with a certain relish. "I have been waiting so very long for a chance to face you again. Ahhh! This is it! The event I've trained so hard for. I feel very excited to be able to redeem my past mistakes. That's the reason I trained so hard. All my suffering, all my time spent in solitude is going to pay off today!"
"Ummm, again? I've never met a talkin' shadow before. Who are you really?" Ranma folded his arms across his chest, feinting disinterest.
The Shadow Warrior laughed shortly. "If you can defeat me, I will gladly tell you all the answers you desire. However, I'm better that wont happen."
Martial artists often had the ability to analyze an opponent with means other than their eyes alone. Stretching out with his senses, Ranma felt out his opponent with his energy and was more than a bit surprised with what he found. The warrior didn't have just one energy signature to him, but several. It was almost as if he had the energy and life force of several martial artists in his body at once. This was not only abnormal, and seemingly impossible, it was downright shocking. It was also an opponent type completely unknown to him. Never before had he squared off against a foe of this nature before. The more he studied this Shadow Warrior, the more uneasy he became.
As the stand-off continued, word of the impending fight circled around the school. More student's and teachers who happened to still be on the campus grounds made their way to the field to watch the fight. Nabiki led the way as was custom with her camera in hand. She smiled at the thought of the vast sums of money the fight pictures would bring. She'd have to move fast if she was going to capitalize on this, Ranma often won his matches in a matter of moments.
"So, you're challenging me? Very well, let's do it!" Ranma dropped into a good fight stance. "Let's not waste any more time, ok?"
"I knew you wouldn't back down. I'm so very pleased! Here, as a token of my gratitude, allow me to even the odds for you. I will make myself more visible. I want you to clearly see who is going to kill you."
As he spoke, the cloud around the mysterious combatant disintegrated, revealing his form in all its glory, clad in his repaired battle armor. It covered most of his body, including his face which was encased in a metal mask and helmet. He crossed his arms and looked at Ranma though his red eye lenses, gauging his reaction.
He blinked. "Am I supposed to be impressed!? You look like a stupid mechanical samurai from those old cheesy movies!"
Inwardly, Ranma knew he wasn't being entirely truthful. The jagged metal and spiked shoulder blades gave his opponent an intimidating appearance. He knew he'd have to move carefully, his body would give out in a long fight well before the Warrior's armor would. At least he knew he would be faster. That armor had to weigh a considerable amount and if it became necessary, Ranma knew he could wear his enemy down with his speed.
The Warrior ignored his comments. "I came here to present you with a challenge. If I win our little fight, you must swear on your honor that you will disband the 'Anything Goes' martial arts fighting style. These conditions stand only if you survive. If you should die in battle then your father will take it upon himself to carry on your vow. If you are a real man then accepting my terms shouldn't be a big deal. What do you say?"
"Why do you want all this?" Ranma asked, perplexed.
"Your school must fade into the obscurity of time. Only then will my revenge be utterly complete. I will ask you once more. Do you agree to my terms? A true martial artist would be thrilled to fight in a battle where the stakes are high."
Ranma clenched his fists, cracking his knuckles in the process. The Anything Goes style had, and always would be the center stone of his life. It was much too a high a stake to play with and yet, his warrior nature wouldn't allow him to back down! He had no choice in the matter. He glazed defiantly at the Warrior and prepared to utter his life-changing decision. The crowd leaned forward in anticipation and Nabiki shot off a couple quick pictures with her small camera.
"Alright, you got a deal! But, if I win, you gotta' promise to leave afterwards and never come back. I've got enough enemies here as it is."
The Shadow Warrior nodded his head. It was a logical and perfectly fair request, and since Ranma didn't have a chance in hell of winning, would pose no problem. "I agree to that. Oh, I knew you would make the right decision. It would have been a shame if I'd had to kill your precious fiancee' to get what I wanted."
Ranma snarled as his vision went red. "Leave her out of this! This is between me and you! Let's fight!"
The Warrior brought his hands out in front and curled his gauntlets into fists. "Your feelings for her will lead to your ruin. At any rate, I will finally use all the skills and techniques I've invented or acquired from the pathetic enemies I've faced on my greatest enemy of all! I will crush the life from your body, Ranma. Then I'll toss your mangled corpse into hell."
"Everyone has goals I guess!" Ranma snapped forward and made the first move. Leaping skyward, he threw his fist out, attempting to catch the man in his chin. However, the Warrior stepped to the side and the bewildered boy was forced to cut his attack short in order to land properly on his feet. The minute he touched down, he threw his left foot upwards to strike the face mask. Once again the Warrior sidestepped the blow, ducking out of the way as if Ranma were no more a threat to him than a fly on the wall.
Spinning back around like a cyclone, Ranma launched out with his fist again and this time, the Warrior effortlessly caught it in mid air. He held his opponents fist for a moment, long enough for Ranma to register what had just happened and what he could do. But instead of crushing it, as Ranma had expected, he released the fist and took a few steps back, casually waving for Ranma to come attack him again.
He's toying with me! Ranma's pupils shrank as anger engulfed him. He could stand many things, but an attack on his pride was too much for him to bear. He threw another punch, far faster this time. "Fight back!"
His armored foe nodded slightly. "If you insist!"
The Warrior ducked swiftly under Ranma's outstretched arm and delivered a powerful uppercut to his chin, sending the dazed boy flying backwards, feet coming straight off the ground. Ranma's eyes glazed over as his vision blurred, and spittle coated his chin along with a searing blast of pain. It had been a long time since someone had hit him that hard. For an endless moment he was so jarred from the attack that he couldn't think straight. When he focused again at last, he found himself lying on the ground, head staring up at the blue sky above.
He shook his head, trying to clear it. "Shit..."
The Warrior resumed his stance. "At long last I will destroy the school that has made my entire life a living hell!"
"What are you talking about!?" Ranma climbed to his feet and rubbed his aching jaw. It felt like a full speeding truck had just slammed into him! He felt along the insides of his mouth for missing teeth with his tongue and breathed a sigh of relief when he found none were missing. That had been too close for comfort. Considering how high his pain threshold was, getting hit by someone possibly stronger than Ryoga was not something he could afford to have repeated.
Crying out, he charged forward again at a seemingly foolish rate. The Warrior prepared to kick him in his vulnerable, unprotected stomach but at the last second, Ranma dropped to the ground and kicked out his opponent's armored ankle, knocking him off balance. Jumping up, Ranma followed up by landing a hard punch to the Warrior's face mask, denting it slightly. Catching himself to keep from falling, the Warrior threw his weight forward and dropped into a low blocking stance, seemingly unaffected by the head-jarring punch to his mask.
Damn it! What made Ranma madder than seeing that his attacks were having little effect, was the knowledge that his foe was holding back.
When Ranma attacked with even greater determination the Warrior hissed between clenched teeth and grabbed the boy's fist again, this time holding it tightly in his grasp. He pulled on the struggling arm, doubling Ranma over with a firm knee to his stomach then followed up with a chop to the back of the neck. Ranma allowed himself to fall as the attack threw him to the ground. The second he made contact he began a side roll that took him in the opposite direction of his foe. Leaping to his feet, he dusted himself off.
A slight jump closed the distance and he went on the offensive again, bringing his distance to the Warrior less than three feet apart. This was his optimum kill zone where his unmatched speed could inflict lethal damage.
"Katchu Tenshin Amiguriken!" His fists turned into blurred attacks as hundreds of lighting fast punches assaulted the Warrior's plated stomach. The armored demon took the blows without offering resistance. He there was no way to block such a swift, unexpected attack at that close a distance, but he also didn't seem overly worried and held his arms out to his side. Overestimating Ranma was his first mistake, and he would pay for it dearly. The punches fell upon him like meteors and to his surprise and horror, only about half the strength was minimized by his armor
"Arghh! He half fell, half stumbled backwards from the momentum, coughing violently and clutching his sides. Blood trickled down from the bottom of his face mask and dribbled onto the grass, staining it crimson.
He remembered that move now and he vowed then and there that it would not work a second time. The game was starting to get a bit more serious but in itself that was inevitable. Straightening out his arms, he flexed gently, dropping into a tighter stance. It was time to stop toying with the fool.
"Have you had enough yet pal?" Ranma asked, seething with anger.
The Warrior laughed, distancing his mind from the pain brought on by the attack. "I'm just warming up. I suppose it's my turn to attack now?"
He launched himself forward like a bullet train, catching Ranma in the face with a right hook then followed up with a jab to his sternum, snapping the flailing boy's body backwards. His attacks were too strong to just shrug off. The Warrior attacked with greater speed than ever before. With just a few more attacks he had Ranma on the ground once more. He towered above the bewildered teenager and stared down at him, the red tinted eye pieces built into his mask catching the light of the sun.
"Ranma!" Akane's gray eyes widened in terror as she watched on desperately as her fiancé's body was tossed around the field like a rag doll. Nothing like this had ever happened before and she didn't know what to do. Not since Saffron had anyone faced Ranma with such a clear intent to kill. Ranma's back was to the wall and he was faced with an impossible situation and an impossibly strong opponent. Akane clasped her hands tightly, wondering what she could do to help. This opponent wouldn't be one he could defeat with skill alone.
"Enough is enough!" Ranma rose again and his face twisted with absolute anger. He ran forward, not even taking the time to block his opponent's attacks as punches clipped his shoulders and cheek, cutting into the skin and drawing warm blood. His only thought was to cause pain and damage to his enemy… no matter what the cost was to his own body! Feeling pain was a luxury he could sidestep for the time being. All he had to do was place his mind in a distant place and let his honed combat reflexes do the work for him.
"Hyah!" He threw out his right fist, then his leg in a rapid combo strike. He attacked all out casting aside his inhibitions as he moved. There wasn't time to block or notice his own wounds.
Kick, punch, kick, punch!
Tearing metal and grunts of pain filled the air as Ranma's ruthless assault gained in power and speed. He created a cycle and pummeled the Warrior's armored body. He didn't let up; he knew that he had to keep up his momentum if the advantage was to remain in his favor. A round house kick to the mask, a short kick to the knee joint, Ranma's graceful dance of battle called on all his skill and strength. He moved around the warrior with greater speed, delivering blows that caused his opponent's armor to groan and bend.
Damn it! If it wasn't for that armor he'd have been finished off a while ago! Ranma's thought, looking down at his hand. His knuckles bled and each blow he landed shot pain through his body. He ignored it, drawing on his anger to fuel his power. Some of his blows had to be taking effect and, as he rained down punches, he saw the Warrior stagger, the first slight sign of weakening.
Ranma's eyes flashed. So he aint unbeatable after all!
Elation settled in as he redoubled his efforts to end the fight.
Various members of the crowd gasped in shock at the ferocity of the battle. Most of them had never seen Ranma fight like an un-caged demon before. Even Nabiki looked a bit nervous as the two fighters grew more intense in their dangerous battle. She placed her hand on Akane's shoulder, holding her in place as best she could, drawing strength from her sister's presence even as she found her eyes glued to the battle in front of her. The two martial artists were like tigers and anyone who got in the way would only be torn to shreds. Akane made a move as if to step forward and Nabiki squeezed her shoulder firmly. If she let Akane interfere it would only cause more harm than good. If Ranma became distracted over worrying about the safety of Akane, he'd lose the fight for sure.
The two fighters exchanged one last salvo of punches at each other then broke away, both gasping for air. Ranma winced, clutching his burning torso and gritting his teeth. One of my ribs must be bruised! This guy is strong! He's certainly one of the strongest people I've ever faced off against. I've got to finish this match soon while I still have a chance to win!
The Warrior seemed to be a bit worse for the wear as well. Several sections of armor on his legs and arms had been cracked off and his chest plate was dented in by Ranma's powerful punches. Also, some of the armored spikes that dotted the metal suit's shoulders had snapped off all together. This didn't deter the Warrior in the slightest, nor did it even slow him down.
The unnerving thing was that he looked even more intimidating in damaged armor.
"You're better than you were last time, Ranma. However, you still lack the edge of desperation you had during our first encounter. If you cannot tap into a greater reserve of power then your every effort to defeat me will only result in more anguish and failure for you."
"What in the world are you talking about?" Ranma cried out in frustration.
"Basically, even if I didn't have this armor on, you still wouldn't be able to defeat me."
"Cocky bastard…"
The problem as far as Ranma could tell was the fact that none of his attacks were penetrating the Warrior's armor while his foes own attacks wore him down with no problem or resistance at all. It was a hopelessly lost battle of attrition. His mind raced for a solution as he steadied his bruised form for another barrage of combat. He had to find a way to either nullify the armor's ability or find a way to break it completely.
"I'll end this!" Summoning a portion of his ki reserves, the Warrior brought the power into his hands, cupping the glowing energy sphere as it concentrated the power. A bright flash accompanied the flow of energy, eclipsing the very rays of the sun.
A ki attack!? What the... Ranma recoiled in shock, attempting to roll to the side, out of the Warrior's firing vector.
"Time to die, Ranma! The Warrior outstretched his hand, releasing the attack he had stolen from Kirin, filling the air with vibrant storm of yellow projectiles. His aim was true, and the bolts of power cut through the air, straight towards the area where Ranma would end up as he began his evasive maneuver.
Ranma took the multiple stinging blows in the chest and they bit into his flesh like the stingers of enraged hornets. He cried out in pain, falling backwards as his forehead hit the dirt, kicking up a small dust cloud. Vaguely he felt the taste of blood in his mouth and a moment later he found that rising to his feet had become a near impossible feat. Not even his great speed could have saved him from an attack almost as fast as the speed of light.
Groaning, he shook his head to clear it, rolling onto his back. He felt footsteps approaching and then his enemy was standing over him, reaching for him with one hand.
Laughing, the Warrior lifted Ranma's limp body off the ground and threw the boy backwards across the field as if he was a sack of hay. Bouncing to a halt across the hard earth, he once again tasted dirt in his mouth as he scratched at the grass with his nails, attempting to rise once more.
"Ranma!" Akane started to run towards him but Nabiki caught her sister's arm and held on with desperate strength. Akane was strong, but even she couldn't break her older sister's frantic hold when she put all of her effort into it.
"No, Akane! There's nothing you can do to help him! You'll only get hurt and place Ranma in greater danger!"
"Nabiki, let me go! Can't you see that Ranma's hurt?! I've got to help him!" Tears welled up in her eyes and she did everything she could think of to free herself short of hurting her own sister.
The elder sister held on tightly despite Akane's struggles, somehow finding the strength and courage to match the power of her younger sibling. The youngest Tendo called out her fiancé's name helplessly, holding out her hand as if to grab him away from the danger and bring him safely into her arms. She fell to her knees, helpless to do anything but watch.
Out on the field Ranma slowly rose to his feet, groaning, and fighting against the agony. His knee's buckled badly and his shoulders sagged in pain, but he managed to keep his balance all the while staring at his enemy with a look of total defiance and contempt. He breathed hard with exhaustion, perspiration and blood matting his hair.
This feat amazed the Shadow Warrior to no end. "How could you possibly still stand? That attack should have been more than enough to finish you off. How remarkable."
"It...will...take more than...a damn... tin...can...to finish...me off," Ranma spat.
"You aggravate me."
The Warrior's arrogant mood turned to frustration and anger, triggering the necessary ingredients Ranma had been looking for. Abruptly, the mid-afternoon air began to heat up as energy streamed off the Warrior's body like steam from a pan of hot water. As Ranma had guessed, the Warrior had clearly come to Nerima expecting an easy victory. Ironically, by doing nothing but resisting, he could invoke the armored warrior into giving him the necessary ingredients to finish him off. In short, Ranma reasoned, the Shadow Warrior was going to help defeat himself.
Ranma half smiled. "I've… still got... an ace in the hole."
He took up battle stance and raised his own cool, calm energy level, allowing the stream of power emanating from his soul to mix with his opponent's. The Warrior seemed oblivious to the occurring scene. He moved forward, like a crusader of destruction, watching and waiting for Ranma to attack.
Ranma needed to stall for a moment to set the groundwork for the attack. "So you're the one who beat up Kirin, huh?"
The Warrior stopped walking towards him and shifted his stance slightly lower. "I did. I also defeated Toma and Herb. You know them, right? I also defeated countless other weaklings in my quest for true strength. Every opponent had but one purpose: to supply me with the ability to defeat you soundly in battle."
He laughed at Ranma's concerned look. "Don't worry, they aren't dead. I suppose they wish they were though, especially after suffering such humiliating defeats at my hands."
"I'll pay you back a hundred fold for the suffering you've caused! Get ready to fall pal, because you're going down hard!"
The Warrior's stance led Ranma to believe that the figure behind the mask was smiling. "Interesting threat! The ball is in your court. Let's see what you can serve up."
"I'll be sure to slam it back at you!"
The cool blaze of energy that simmered around Ranma's body disappeared as the power coursed into his fist. He put his hand behind his back as the power collected, hiding the faint shimmer from his foe. A second later he sensed it was finished and he ran towards the Warrior with his other arm extended. The Warrior easily blocked the halfhearted attack, but it wasn't until Ranma gently placed his other, blue shimmering fist against his plated stomach that he truly sensed what was going to happen.
"Hiryu' Shouten Ha!" Ranma thrust his fist upwards, against the Shadow Warrior's mask, launching his ultimate final attack with a torrent of combined energy. His opponent could do nothing but choke off a startled scream as the accompanying energy wave lashed out at point blank range.
Ranma instantly felt the strain as his already weakened body struggled to control the power he had unleashed. The dragon shaped aura did its work well and he had to set his legs to remain standing as he fought against the strong force of exertion that attacked his body. Gritting his teeth, he looked up and watched his most destructive attack do its worst.
The attack hit the Warrior dead on then encircled him, forming a powerful twister that enclosed tightly around the thrashing powerhouse like invisible walls. The intense, energy-filled winds pressed in on his armor soundly from all sides and a sharp metallic groan emanated from his armor.
"No!" His body felt like it was going to be torn apart as tendrils of energy raked through his nervous system. He screamed in fury and pain, straining against his invisible bonds even while his mind told him it was a futile gesture.
For an endless moment, the people in the crowd held their breath, watching the dazzling display of lights and power before them. They knew it had been a last resort attack. Ranma never unleashed such a dangerous technique unless he absolutely had to. Still, a sigh of relief echoed out from amongst their ranks. Many students had seen his greatest attack once before and they knew its potential all too well. There was no way even an opponent as strong as the Shadow Warrior could survive such a blast, many deduced. It was surely impossible, especially when one considered the power of the determination and desperation Ranma had used to create it.
From her place on the ground, Akane prayed that the tables had turned at last, clasping her hands together until her knuckles turned white. "Ranma…."
The Warrior howled as the energy slammed into his body from every direction. Invisible tendrils of power picked him up and carried him roughly up into the top of the spiral, inflicting more pain than he could hope to endure. As the strongest point in the twister, the outer parts of his armor groaned against and started to bend inward.
I won't be defeated like this! Snarling, he knew the pressure would overwhelm his suit in a matter of seconds. When that happened he'd be utterly helpless. Fueled by this knowledge, he struggled violently which only helped to weaken him further.
It seemed hopeless and yet his mind fought back the senseless anger and fear that plagued him, continuing to work as hard as it could. An idea suddenly popped into his frantic head, and he clung to it as tightly as a rock climber clings to a cliff face. He quickly gathered his own energy and struggled to concentrate. He too had a last resort technique, one he placed all his hope on. It was a long shot, but there was no other choice other than to try out his theory. He hadn't intended to use this move so early in the fight, but Ranma Saotome had forced his hand.
He smiled despite himself. Nothing less could be expected from the teenage martial artist fighting genius. He was most certainly a foe worthy of killing.
The power of the twister increased as it began tearing into the ground, carving huge rivets through the grass and soil of the football field. Thrashing back and forth, crying out in agony, the Warrior struggled to gather his discipline and throw out one last attack that could save him. All the while, he absorbed what little information on this twister attack that he could. He had never seen Ranma use this move before, but he was willing to guess that it was his strongest move. Logically, if he could beat it, then victory was as good as his!
He couldn't help but grin weakly underneath his mask. He was young. Life, to him, was nothing but a series of risks and decisions. After all, there was nothing like a good dose of danger to make one feel truly alive. If he could pull this off, he could crush Ranma once and for all at his leisure.
"An amusing attack, Ranma!" He called down, unable to keep the pain from his voice. "Thankfully, I have a counter-measure! Matrix Orb!"
He released concentrated energy into his shaking hands and formed two tight spheres of power that pulsed like an electrical grid. Winding back with his arms, he fired them into the very heart of the twister below, against the flow of the hurricane winds. The twin globes of power ripped down to the center of the spiral and soaked into the twister itself. The energy balls leaked more and more power as they pulsed rhythmically, allowing the greedy energy twister to drink its fill until the balls disappeared altogether as the stored power diminished.
The effect of the attack was almost instantaneous. To Ranma's complete horror, the twister actually began to lose power as the Matrix Orb attack produced more power than the spiral could absorb, overloading and weakening its overall force. A terrible truth hit Ranma as he watched his attack start to unravel: The Hiryu Shoten Ha, a move based upon using an opponent's energy or energy attack against them, could be overwhelmed when too much energy was absorbed.
As the spiral slowly wound down and dissipated into the clouds above, he stared in dumbfound shock as the Warrior floated to the ground with folded arms, gently carried down by the dying currents of power. He brushed himself off and took a few steps towards Ranma.
"I'd say that was a good test run, wouldn't you?"
Once again, his power seemed absolute. He stood straight, hiding the fading pain from his posture. His damaged armor gleamed brighter than ever against the sun and he laughed from behind the damaged mask, his small, tight smile widening from ear to ear. At a loss for words, Ranma opened his mouth then closed it again, taking a hesitant step backwards.
The Warrior pointed his finger at Ranma. "Your attack was very powerful but I figured that if I threw in more energy than it could handle, then it would overload and destroy itself. I had to modify one of m attacks to accomplish that, of course. Still, the gamble proved to be worth the effort, wouldn't you say? I'm still standing after all."
"Damn you!" Ranma snarled, his hands balling into fists. He stumbled a few steps before recovering himself as a dizzy spell overcame him. The final attack had taken too much of his energy away too quickly. His body felt tired and strained and he had no more tricks up his sleeve. He wanted to quit and rest and yet, the need to keep fighting proved to be stronger than his desire to quit. Grasping the last of his remaining strength, he decided to confront the Warrior and changed the pattern of his attacks. If energy attacks failed, perhaps physical moves could finish the job. The Warrior had to be hurting after such a powerful attack. He just had to outlast the demon in armor and put him in his place.
The Warrior put his hands on his hips. "Whatever is the matter, Ranma? Getting tired already?"
Ranma's fist struck his hated opponent and he pushed himself with utter determination. He restlessly beat in the armor, thinking of nothing else but crushing his foe. His foot caught the Warrior in his plated sternum, and he pushed closer, hammering the spot over and over with his elbow. He didn't allow his foe a second to recover. Diving forward, after evading a sloppy counter-attack, Ranma attacked again and again, beating on the Warrior like a hammer on a nail. It was all the masked man could do just to block and fall back, redoubling his efforts to defend himself.
"I...will...never let...you beat...me!" Ranma focused his attacks on the Warrior's legs, trying to keep him off balanced and confused.
Akane's hand balled up into a fist and her eyes glazed over with fear and hope. Ranma's movements had quickly turned erratic and it was all he could do to just keep punching. His mind had succumbed to the rage held deep inside his heart, brought on by his new armored foe. Despite his wounds and lack of strength, he still fought on with his age old determination to win. Perhaps he could land a critical blow after all!
The Shadow Warrior had other ideas for the fight's outcome. "Your efforts are too little, too late. I have give you credit for your tenacity, but it wont change the outcome of this battle!"
With an animal-like growl, he ducked under Ranma's latest swing and reached out with his hand, grabbing the boy's hair and lifting him off the ground faster than it took an individual to blink. His other hand came up and grabbed Ranma's face, crushing in painfully from his temples to his jaw. Ranma raked his fingernails against the Warrior's armored wrist as he struggled to free himself, but it was a hopeless endeavor. His opponent's grip was just too strong.
The Warrior chuckled. "It seems I have the upper hand now. Pun intended."
"Let me go!"
"I think not. You simply have no idea how happy this makes me right now. Being able to make you wither in agony is simply delightful!"
"I'll...kill you!" Ranma continued to struggle.
"Come now! Struggling is useless and you know it. I could crush your skull into paste if I wanted to!"
He demonstrated this by tightening his hold on Ranma's face. The pig-tailed boy howled in pain as the last of his strength faded away. Hanging limply in his opponents grasp was all he could do. There was no strength left in his body and the Warrior wasn't about to let him catch a second wind.
The Warrior grinned. His legendary endurance has failed at last.
I.. can't…just… Ranma jaw felt like it was breaking and his very senses caught on fire.
Akane cried out as tears fell from her cheeks in earnest. Breaking Nabiki's grip, she charged at the Warrior, intending to attack him and save her fiancé. Her battle scream echoed the pain and terror she felt in her heart. She knew she didn't have a chance but she also knew she had to try. Desperation easily overcame reason in such a case. Raising her fist, she approached from the side, aiming for the arm holding Ranma.
The Warrior turned to look at her. Keeping a good grip on Ranma's hair with his left hand, he removed his right hand from Ranma's face and raised it in her direction. "Do not interfere or I will kill you as well! Your fiance' is already as good as dead. Nothing will stop me. If you wish to share his fate then by all means step forward."
He threw a weaker energy beam into her stomach, knocking her back into her sister with a force that took the air from her lungs. Nabiki clung to Akane tightly as she succumbed to shock, shaking like a leaf.
"Akane, no! You damned…" Ranma kicked at the Warrior's side with all his might, struggling to hurt his demonic opponent.
The Warrior threw Ranma across the field by his hair alone. Twisting in midair, Ranma fell on his stomach and skidded painfully across the ground, his momentum kicking up dust as he slid. When he ceased moving his body, devoid of energy as it was, actually managed to rise to a kneeling position as he fixed the plated monster with a look of absolute rage. However, his body wouldn't go any farther than that. He had reached his limit, gone all out, and still been broken.
The Warrior once again charged up for an energy attack, balling his hands into fists. "You've given me quite a food fight, perhaps the best I've ever had. Now you will die so that I may be rid of your annoying presence once and for all! Blood Lance!"
Ranma brought his arms up to block but he knew it would be a useless gesture. Tears of sorrow filled his eyes as he stared longingly at his fiancée for the last time. Her face still panic stricken, even in unconsciousness. A wave of guilt overcame him and suddenly he felt sorry, sorry for teasing and hurting her feelings so many times over. He had let her down so much and now there was no more time to make amends.
He looked at her, feeling lost and broken. I'm so sorry, Akane. I've never told you how I felt. Be happy, but never forget me or my feelings for you. I was an idiot, and I'm really sorry…
A powerful red beam rushed forward at tremendous speed, shooting out of the Warrior's hand. The crowd gasped in horror as the sick reality of the situation gripped them. Everyone wanted to do something to help Ranma but the fear and realization that they too could be sharing his fate kept most from acting. Pandemonium took the crowd by storm and at least a few people fainted from shock and horror.
Ranma closed his eyes, preparing for the end of his all too brief existence. At least he could take comfort in the fact that he had gone down like a true martial artist, fighting all the way. He had faced death like a man. No one could have possibly asked for more. He patiently waited for the end, breathing in quiet, infrequent breaths that would soon be his last.
The life-ending beam hurled onward, only a second from striking his body and tearing it apart. Nabiki couldn't decide what sounded more horrible, the crackle of deadly energy or the Warrior's triumphant volley of laughter. Closing her eyes, her solid, often impassive demeanor cracked and a single tear fell down her cheek.