Chapter Twenty Four: The Fury of the Storm.

Before him stood a tall boy, taller than Ranma or Ryoga by a small margin. He was a slightly effeminate, handsome looking man with dark hair and piercing green eyes. His face bore a mask of confidence and as he studied Ranma's dumbstruck look a cruel smile came to touch his lips. Some in the crowd recognized him instantly while others only stared on in confused wonder.

In Nerima, time simply ceased to exist for that moment in time.

Around Japan, citizens continued to works striving to earn a living in the modern age. To them it was a normal day in a normal world. However, in Ranma's world, everything had just turned upside down and the rest of the world was utterly forgotten. The shocking discovery became Ranma's only foundation, and he knew that this discovery was about to unleash a greater hell then anything he had ever experienced before. Sweat trickled down his face as the true nightmare began to unfold.

"Pantyhose Taro?! You're the Shadow Warrior!?" He stared at the boy in stunned disbelief. Happosai's eyes grew to the size of dinner plates as Taro's gaze fell briefly on him, and behind the confidence, a twinge of fury shone through.

"Never you… I would never have suspected it would have been you…" Ranma stared at Pantyhose in dumbfounded shock, twitching painfully from his injuries.

Pantyhose grinned again, no longer cringing at his hated name. "What's the matter, fem-boy! Why, you look surprised! Who else do you know that would do something like this?"

"Why?" all Ranma was able to say. Such a simple question and yet the depth of it was more complex than creation itself.

Pantyhose chuckled with obvious amusement. "Ah, the obvious question! And certainly not an unexpected one! 'Why not' is probably the best way to answer. It was a perfect plan and when the time came to act on it, I took the chance. After Happosai refused to change my name for a third time, I returned to China and began to train to become a Mazakin armor wearer. I realized that the old man was never going to make my life any easier so I decided to take out my anger on the very school he founded. Revenge of another sort, you could say. That would hurt him more than anything I could physically do to him.

"The voice distorter and mask were as practical as they were amusing. I figured that if I was going to go through with my plan I should at least have fun with it. How many sleepless hours did you lie there trying to guess who could possibly be capable of making your life such a living hell?"

He chuckled. "Besides, the mask served its purpose and kept me relatively safe from harm, especially when it absorbed your flame punch attack or whatever you want to call it. It also robbed you of the advantage of knowing whom you were doing battle with."

"I can understand why you're mad at the old freak, but why make us suffer? Go beat him up for all your troubles!" Ranma shouted in exasperation.

Something still didn't make sense. Taro did not like anyone, and he hated Happosai but to go through with all this just to change his name was beyond bizarre, even for him. There had to be something else Taro wasn't telling him, that was the only explanation.

"You know better than anyone how I've tried to get to the old man and change his mind and I've never succeeded. I'm beyond that now. He doesn't matter at all. Besides, I don't hate just him, I hate the entire school he founded and that now includes everyone in it! Happosai's love of perversion is equal to his love of martial arts. I want him to watch as his student and then his school is taken from him forever. I want him to feel the pain! The same terrible pain I've had to feel all my life!

"People consider me to be a freak and an outcast. But that will soon change, I've seen to that. You've interfered with all my plans in the past so it's only fitting that you should play an in-depth part in this scheme as well! I hate you as much as I ever did him, and it's your fault that I've failed to alter my sad state of affairs over and over! I'm here to see that you all suffer! Suffer like I've had to for nineteen years! Nineteen years I've spent living in shame, afraid to talk to girls or other kids in fear of being ridiculed. I've never had any true friends, and its all over a stupid name and Happosai's determination to crush my will to be happy!"

He took a deep breath, climbing off of his proverbial soapbox. "Equally as important, I have a score to settle with you for getting in my way in the past. I hate you and the problems you've caused me and now you will die for it."

He assumed combat stance, kicking the shards of his mask to the side. "It's payback time."

Ryoga rose to his feet clutching his wound as blood oozed down his side. Breathing shallowly, he approached the other two combatants, moving to stand by Ranma. He knew all about being a recluse and how it left a person feeling so he could partially understand what Taro was talking about.

"But once a person gets the Mazakin armor they're supposed to stay and guard the village, not go out on crusades of revenge, right?" he asked.

"That isn't always the case," Pantyhose replied, brushing a strand of hair away from his face with his fingers. "I fought and beat my home village's grand teacher thereby earning my right to leave. Then, I went all over the world, gathering techniques from your former enemies and gaining fighting skills from other high ranking martial artists. I am far stronger than either of you could ever hope to be! My skill level is beyond human!"

"Some skill," Ryoga muttered sarcastically, holding his side as if to remove the pain with his hand. "You stole people's powers and abilities! Your strength has almost nothing to do with your own training. You did not earn this power, you stole it! You're nothing but a copy cat! A fake! Can't you see? That move has twisted you, making you the monster you are today. It's corrupting you!"

Taro blatantly ignored Ryoga's comments. "The rules still remain in place. If I win, your school is history!"

He ran forward and threw a punch at Ranma who used his opponent's arm as a springboard to leap over him. Doubling back around, he ran back to stand at Ryoga's side. A quick visual told him that Ryoga wasn't doing well. His face was very pale and his breathing was coming in shorter gasps. The wound puckered with irritation as puss and blood continued to leak out, albeit slower than before.

"Ryoga, get out of here," Ranma told him firmly. "You're too weak to fight!"

"No!" Ryoga said stubbornly. "I'll see this fight through!" He rushed past Ranma and engaged Pantyhose in close quarters combat. There was nothing Ranma could say or do to would change his mind. It would be easier to convince the sun to never set. Once Ryoga made up his mind up about something, he followed through until the end with single-minded determination.

"I always thought you were a demon, Taro! Inside and out!" Ryoga shouted, punching Pantyhose in the face as he submerged once more into battle mode.

He ducked under one of Taro's powerful swings and wrapped his arms around his waist, trapping his foe in a bear hug vice grip. He squeezed with all his might, passing all his strength into his arms and took great satisfaction in hearing Taro cry out in pain. The metal began to compress as it was squeezed by his grip.

"Let go!" Pantyhose desperately slammed his fists into Ryoga's back and sides but the Lost Boy's grip only tightened further. Reaching around, Taro grabbed Ryoga's hands and managed to force them away from his aching sides, gasping with relief as the enormous pressure was released from around his ribs.

"Heh! I may not be as skilled a martial artist as you or Ranma, Taro, but I'm ten times stronger in brute strength than either of you!" With his defenses down, he grabbed and lifted Pantyhose up by his neck and tossed him into the air.

The throw was perfectly executed. "Here's a taste of your own medicine!"

Taro flipped in midair and landed on his feet, easily recovering his balance with barely a grunt of effort. He frowned slightly, clenching his teeth and landing in a neat, crouched position.

His strength is tremendous, even in his hurt state. I'll have to tread more carefully.

Ranma sped forward, as fast as a wolf on the hunt. He realized that constant attacks were the key to beating the older boy. If they could strip him of his armor, the advantage would be theirs. Taro might be unmasked, but his armored body would still present a formidable problem. It made many of his previous weaknesses void. Face shots were also a possibility but Taro would certainly guard that part of his body much more closely from now on.

Pantyhose and Ranma poured their very beings into their attacks as each attempted to dominate over the other. The two hammered at each other for several long moments in a series of body crushing blows. Not making significant headway, Pantyhose teleported to the opposite end of the field for a brief respite. He admired their skill and bravery, not that it was any less then the previous times he'd gone against them. All the cards were in his hand, so he didn't mind wasting a little extra time in fighting them since it couldn't be helped.

"In thanks for the fight of my life, please allow me to pave the way to hell for you!" Taro cracked his knuckles, grinning wickedly.

"My, what a kind offer," Ryoga muttered.

Taro crossed his fists and waist level and summoned his ki, howling like a demon and tensing his muscles as power poured from his body. There seemed no limit to his strength. His body was a reservoir of energy and he had no problem using this vast reserve of power to accomplish his goals from afar. As an electric current filled the air, his hair stood up on end, riding the upward current of energy as it gathered in his hands.

"Ryoga, we gotta stop him!" Ranma cried out, gesturing frantically. "If he uses a final attack, we're done for!"

They charged toward him in desperation, cutting across the ground, weaving side-by-side to present a harder target to hit. Tearing at the grass with their feet, the two raised their fists to intercept Pantyhose before he could complete his attack.

"Prince Kirin's attack will do nicely!" Taro stretched out his hand, lashing out with the hundred-beam attack to intercept them. The two boys dodged to either side, missing the brunt of the move. But even such a feat couldn't save them from several stray beams. Ranma took one in the chest and Ryoga took one in the leg and one in his painful wound. He cried out as it seared his already hurt flesh, dispersing attack energy into his weakened body. Agony wracked his body and blood further stained his tattered clothing. He collapsed to the ground, gasping as he curled up into a ball.

It was too much, to bear, he realized. Taro was targeting his wound over and over leaving him ineffective. Trying to keep up with Ranma was impossible, and if things kept up, he'd become nothing but a burden.

Pantyhose laughed manically, taking complete pleasure in the pain he was causing. "Another dose, Ranma?!"

From his other hand, five beams lanced out from his fingertips, striking his rival's nervous systems, paralyzing it as easily as he had done before. Ranma fell to his knees and found, to his horror that his body would not respond. He was more exhausted then he had previously realized, and this only served to aid Taro's attack.

"At last," Taro purred contently, "I have you both just where I want you. Trapped and weakened with no place to go. There will be no getting away this time, I assure you!"

Ranma shook his head in disbelief. Pantyhose Taro was just too strong of an opponent. Even with Ryoga's and his own combined strategy and powers, His endurance was nothing short of monstrous, easily ten times more so than it had once been. All he had to do was keep them at a distance and pound them with long range attacks until their strength was completely sapped. Without the greater part of their maneuverability, they wouldn't last another five minutes.

But even the most desperate of situations often hold a ray of hope. From the crowd of onlookers arose a cry so tremendous that it gave pause even to Taro's sinister laughter. All those who loved and respected the two brave boys who were risking their life for honor rose up in a steady cheer, jeering Taro at the same time.

Ranma and Ryoga looked over at the sidelines in surprise. Soun, Genma, Akane, Ukyo, Nabiki, Kuno, Kodachi, Mousse, Cologne, Happosai, Kasumi, Dr. Tofu, and Shampoo were all cheering them on, louder than the rest, shouting encouraging words to their champions. Love and friendship radiated from those shouts, touching the two boys deeply, all the way down to their very souls.

It was as if gods above had come and blessed him with all the radiance of heaven, Ranma guessed. There was no other way to describe the love that was radiating in the air around him. So many whose lives had touched his own, both enemy and friend alike, now prayed for his victory and safety. When he looked at Ryoga, he saw a similar look in his former rival's eyes. There was a willingness to keep fighting in his pained expression, a drive to endure further pain in the name of victory. They nodded at each other and smiled weakly. If Ryoga could keep fighting in his current state, then Ranma had no right to complain about his own injuries. Camaraderie, in its simplest form, is often the stronger motivator of all and this time proved to be no exception.

Somehow, the two found the strength to continue fighting from those tender words and cheers that continued to serenade their ears. Like a well in the desert, it rejuvenated their battered forms. They wearily rose to their feet as two voices in particular rose to their ears, helping to break their limits and fight on. They were no longer fighting for their own lives or even for each other. They both knew that now. What they were fighting for was the right to live on with the girls they had chosen. No vengeful foe was going to rob them of that chance!

"Don't give up, Ranma!" Akane cried.

You can do it, Ryoga!" Ukyo poured all her love into her words. "Send this guy packing!"

Taro sneered. "No cheering session is going to change the outcome of this battle! I've already won!" He charged forward at blinding speed, aiming for the both of them with a vengeance.

"Get back Ryoga!" Ranma raised his hands, eyes blazing furiously as he pointed his palms at Taro's approaching figure. Howling with rage, Ranma released a stronger wave of energy than he had ever before produced. Energy shot out from his palms, splintering the ground at his feet. "Hiryu Shouten Ha revised: Horizontal Blast!"

The horizontal hurricane cone flew from his glowing hands, crashing into Pantyhose's body before he could think to dodge. The Chinese boy cried out in surprise as the blast struck him dead on, washing over his body in a series of ki waves that burned and tore at his flesh. The strong winds created by the attack slammed into his body like a rampaging animal, sending him flying into a soccer goal post which cracked and collapsed against his weight and velocity. The impact forced a sharp cry of pain from his lips and a burst of colors sparked throughout his consciousness as the current of power continued to slam against him.

Focusing his mind frantically, he dug his heels into the ground, slowing his backwards momentum. Frantically, he opened himself to the flow of energy within and used it to once again cause the hurricane attack to die away by overloading it with pure amounts of neutral energy, negating even Ranma's vast power. Though thwarted, the attack had served its purpose and Taro was completely open to attack.

As the hurricane died down it paved the way for Ranma's sneak attack. Firing a Moko Takabisha immediately after, it shredded through the dying twister and plowed into Taro. The armor took most of the damage but it toppled and stunned the elder boy.

"Now Ryoga! Hit him before he can recover!"

The two boys surged forward, screaming like vengeful spirits. They landed on either side of Taro and continually kicked and punched at his body with a vengeance, pushing him over and crushing his form into the ground before he could react. For the first time in the engagement, things were looking somewhat bleak for Taro.

"This is impossible," he muttered.

He hauled himself to his feet, stumbling off balance. Just as he would recover it again, another series of attacks would lash out, causing the chain of events to start over again and again. Finally, he desperately called on his reserves of power and teleported away to safety reappearing half a field away.

He laughed, rubbing a bit of blood away from his bruised chin with the back of his hand. "Very good! But believe it or not, I was prepared for this turn of events. I have a contingency plan for all your tricks! The fact is that I have more attacks than both of you combined! This will secure victory for me! Final Blade Strike!"

Raising his hand skyward, Taro created a massive beam of black energy that sparked and hiss as it rose from his hand to rise over eight meters in the air. It grew in thickness as well, curving like a crescent moon. Leaping skyward, he swung it down in front of him as if he were karate-chopping a wooden board, unleashing the giant attack at the two startled boys with great speed. They both avoided the attack, wisely using the extra second hesitation created as the energy crashed downwards. The beam struck the ground without finding its mark, forming a gash in the dirt that would have probably succeeded in cutting them both neatly in half had it come closer to connecting. As it was, the field was almost cut in half as the hissing blade of energy slowly dispersed as it sunk lower and lower into the ground.

Ranma front-flipped towards Taro and slammed his foot into the older boy's chest, propelling him backwards. "Your attack's speed is limited to how fast your hand moves. We saw it coming a mile away!"

Taro reeled backwards but continued smiling, using his arms to steady himself. "Oh? Is that so? Think you've figured it out so quickly?"

Raising his open right palm, a horizontal version of the curved beam lanced out, quicker than before, cutting into Ranma's shoulder, down through his skin into the powerful muscles beneath. Ranma half flipped, half fell away, clutching his shoulder and screaming as the hot energy burned within his tortured body.

Taro squared his shoulders. "On the contrary, I can call up this attack faster than you can move! Up until now I've been toying with you with my little bag of tricks! You've both nearly turned the tables before with your well placed coordinated attacks, I'll admit that. But you must realize that it was only because of my overconfidence that you've made it this far. The truth is that I can finish you both off whenever I desire!"

"We've heard that one from you before," Ryoga countered. "Funny, looks like we're still standing."

Taro turned and fired the beam at Ryoga but he was far enough away to successfully strafe to the side. He fired again and again as Ryoga raced across the field, dodging as best as his wound would allow. Rock and dirt showered his body as the impact blasts kicked up debris behind him. Suddenly, Taro was on him and he had to drop into a low roll to dodge an overhead fist swipe, Ryoga's hand closed around his umbrella, uprooting it from the ground. Flipping over to Ranma, he opened it up in front of them, forming a shield.

Taro's furious shower of point blank energy attacks failed to puncture the umbrella no matter how strong he made the attack. Ryoga's unlikely weapon was all but impregnable. He could not remember where he had acquired it, especially not in the heat of battle, but he was ever grateful for its presence.

"What a remarkably absurd weapon! Still, without it you are defenseless!"

Taro dove at Ryoga, wrenched the umbrella from his hands and threw it over the heads of the crowd, far from Ryoga's grasp. Snarling, he made a grab for Ryoga's wound again, gauntleted hand curved like a talon. Ranma appeared just then used Taro's distraction wisely, landing a multi-kick attack into his armored side. This, coupled with Ryoga's powerful counter-punches, broke Taro down before he could properly retaliate.

"Give up Taro! You've lost!" Ranma snarled, grabbing hold of him by the neck.

"Heh. Not yet, Fem-boy. I'm not done yet. I still have a card or two up my sleeve!" He spun and kicked Ranma away from him using a knee to the jaw technique then removed a flask from his belt, popped off the top, and dumped the contents on his head, laughing as he did so.

"Ryoga get back! That's cold water!" Ranma winced, clutching his shoulder as blood soaked through the lighter red material of his shirt.

Ryoga didn't have to be told twice. He knew from experience the power Taro was about to gain. The first time they had fought Taro in his monster form it had taken four people to hold him off. Wounded as he and Ranma were, their chances for survival had just shrunk incredibly. Ranma gulped and took a hesitating step backwards.

"Now you die!" Taro's laughing face twisted nightmarishly as his Jusenkyo curse took effect. Ecveryone in the crowd took a cautionary step backwards.

His body began to convulse and grow beyond the endurance limits of the armor. The strong pieces of metal were no match for his curse and, bit by bit, they snapped off and fell to the ground as if they were made of tinfoil. He grew two long white horns on the back of his expanding head and a thick snake headed tail swung into view from around his large back, slamming repeatedly on the ground. A large pair of white bird wings formed on his back and stretched out to their full length, eclipsing the very sun itself. His body sprouted thick brown fur and eight Octopus tentacles snaked out from the fur on his back, swaying gently in the air.

With the transformation complete, he stood over ten feet tall, a fierce powerhouse of animalistic strength. Looking down at them with his bull shaped head he roared, muscles rippling with power. A monster in every sense of the word, the work of the spring of drowned Yeti riding Bull carrying Crane and Eel with Octopus tentacles added on later from a different spring. It was no secret that Taro enjoyed his curse; he loved the power it gave him. He made no attempt to hide it as his human laughter quickly distorted into a choking sound that passed for his animalistic laugh. Two large, beady black eyes narrowed dangerously, focusing only on the two targets below. Taro's fur rippled with eagerness as his tail cracked against the ground.

Ranma and Ryoga had faced him in this state before but with that much raw power at his command they never knew what to expect. The fight had taken a wide turn into the unexpected. When battling something that large and powerful, one wrong move could easily be fatal.

Taro took a step forward, shaking the ground, and swung his long tail at the two teenagers, attempting to knock them off their feet. They jumped high, easily avoiding it. The monster's eel tail smacked into a particularly large rock and shattered it like a pebble under a sledgehammer. The abomination bellowed, a terrible sound part rage, part battle cry. Flapping its wings, the beast stomped slowly toward them on ground-shaking hooves. He wasn't fast in his cursed form. He didn't need to be. Several blows from his fists could fell any opponent.

"Ryoga, you go for the back, I'll take the front," Ranma cried, running forward.

The pig-tailed boy jumped up and hammer-kicked Taro in his long stomach. Unfazed by the blow, Taro swatted Ranma away with his muscular arm, nearly knocking him out completely. Little bigger than Taro's hand and forearm in length, Ranma felt the blow through the very core of his being and fell to the ground, utterly stunned.

Ryoga jumped onto the creature's back and started hammering away with his fists. Snorting, Taro raised his tail to knock him off but one well placed kick forced it away. He started pounding the beast again, focusing on the spot between its wings. While not largely effective, it finally caught Taro's full attention. He spread his wings wide and took off, leaving the ground far behind. Ryoga watched Ranma shrink below him as his crawled to his feet, calling out to Ryoa in concern.

He clung tightly to Taro's fur as the monster gained altitude, knowing that one slip would be deadly. A fatal fall was just what Taro was looking to create. His eight tentacles reached down and swiped at the desperate boy with swift power. One caught him in the jaw and he almost lost his grip. Lying flat, he held on tightly to a patch of fur with one hand and removed his belt with the other, braving the intense winds as Taro flew faster than ever. Another tentacle swung at him, this time attempting to catch him in the chest. With a loud cry, Ryoga slashed his belt down, cutting off the attacking tentacle almost at its base. A blue liquid gushed from the small stump that remained, probably more of an inky substance that blood. Taro shrieked in pain regardless, retracting the other tentacles from harms way.

"It doesn't have to end this way, Taro!" Ryoga screamed. "No one has to die! It can end peacefully right now! We don't have to fight anymore!"

Enraged, the monster decided to try a new tactic. He flew from side to side, barrow-rolling and dipping amongst the sky, trying to dislodge his prey with violent shakes of his shoulder. Ryoga only tightened his grip on the creature's fur, holding on for dear life. The pain in his side was growing worse and he felt like he was on the verge of passing out. He had to force Pantyhose to land before he fell off. Crawling forward slowly, he latched onto the beast's neck with his legs then grabbed Taro's large horns in a death grip.

"Land right now, Taro," he screamed, "or I'll snap your neck! I swear it!"

Ryoga twisted the creature's head to the side, forcing a loud shriek from his enemy followed by an audible popping sound. Realizing that he didn't have a choice in the present matter, Pantyhose dove down like a missile out of the clouds, back towards the field.

He's not going to get out of this that easily!

Grabbing Taro's horns even more tightly, Ryoga turned the creature's head, forcing it to go where he wanted it to. Slamming his fist down on top of the Taro's head as hard as he could, the limp body slumped into a daze and fell freely towards the cluster of buildings across the street from the school. Ryoga jumped off at the last second, landing hard onto the street, feeling pain shoot up from the bottom of his feet upon impact.

He turned to see Taro wail pitifully, slamming into a small office building at an angle, head first. The behemoth crashed through the third story, and down to the ground level, nestled firmly within its depths. A small cluster of secondary explosions brought that section of the building down upon the monster, burying him under a hefty weight of debris. Glass shattered around the building and its foundation shook as the monster settled into solid ground.

"Ryoga! Get back, its not safe yet!" Ranma jumped the fence of his school, the crowd of onlookers, hovering around the main gate.

Howling more savagely than the greatest predator nature could produce, Taro came to his senses and began thrashing around, his snake-headed tail cutting into the structure's walls with incredible force. The building groaned as he struggled savagely to free himself. Snarling in anger, his hooves pounded the ground and his hands flailed, smashing concrete and upsetting the buildings already fragile state. It wasn't long before the structure began to give way completely and it finally fell on him entirely, kicking up a storm of dust and smoke.

Fists and tentacles punching upwards out from under the debris, Taro pulled his body free with a triumphant snort. Rising to his full impressive height, he waded through the rubble, brushing himself off as he slowly made his way towards Ranma once more.

Ryoga angled around the creature and jumped on the back of its neck, punching furiously. Taro was ready for him this time though and, with a mighty shake of his horned head, he managed to dislodge Ryoga. With nothing to hold onto, the Lost Boy was sent flying off altogether, landing on the hard pavement with a cry of pain.

Ranma leapt up and kicked Taro in the snout, covering for his fallen comrade. He was forced down to the ground again when Taro reared his head, trying to impale the boy on his horns. "Yow! It's like fighting Godzilla!"

Taro reached into the depths of his fur and pulled out another flask. Opening it, he threw it at Ranma, drenching him before he could dodge, turning him into a female. A loud choking sound came from the monster's muzzle in what she guessed passed for a mocking laugh.

"So that's how this game is going to be played, eh?" She shook her fist angrily, glaring with hatred. He's trying to make me weaker by activating my curse. Well, that's fine with me! I may be weaker as a girl, but I'm a whole lot faster!

She rushed to the side and slammed her foot into Taro's tail, then flipped away as the monster bought its fist down where she had been standing seconds before, forming a large impact crater in the ground.

"Katchu Tenshin Amiguriken!" Ranma leapt gracefully into the air, showered the monster's face with punches, aiming for his nose. Pantyhose snorted and once again knocked her away with his boulder sized fist, barely fazed. Ranma skidded across the ground on her back, cursing darkly as rocks cut into her skin. Flipping to her feet, she took a deep breath that caused her breasts to heave with effort. It seemed hopeless! Her speed wasn't even fazing him! With such a large body at his disposal, her attacks weren't causing enough damage.

Ryoga appeared at Ranma's side. "It's no use, Ranma," he said with a voice barely audible and full of pain. "We can't pin him down."

"We'll think of something," Ranma assured him with as much confidence as she could muster, wiping away sweat and blood from her face. Taro charged at them head down, bellowing with rage, hooves tearing up the concrete beneath him.

"Ranma, get back!"

Ryoga pushed her sharply aside then steadied himself, forgetting about his tired and hurting body. Right before Taro could strike, he grabbed the creature's horns, stopping it dead in its tracks. The beast struggled, straining to push Ryoga over, but he pivoted to the left and hurled the monster to the side, tossing him a great distance. Taro flipped over and over in mid air, slamming into a telephone pole and snapping it off at the base. His impact with the ground caused such a strong tremor that it knocked some of the bystanders over completely. He snorted, temporally phased, his tail flailing wildly.

"Ranma! Catch!" Genma shouted, throwing Ranma a kettle of hot water.

Ranma jumped up and caught it. "Thanks Pop!" She grinned and gave him a thumbs up sign. She considered using it on herself but quickly thought better of it. It would be much more useful if it were used to return Taro to human form. At least then they would be fighting on more equal terms. She couldn't afford to waste a single drop on herself.

Enraged, Pantyhose rose to his feet and attacked Ryoga. His tail swung around at blinding speed and wrapped itself around the boy's neck like a whip, choking him. Ryoga gasped, as his neck start to give way to the pressure. His feet left the ground as Taro elevated his struggling body, eliminating his chance of escape. The eel head at the end of the tail bit down on his arm, cutting into his flesh with its small razor sharp teeth. Slowly, second by second, the tail constricted just a little bit more, choking the life from his body.

"R-Ran-Ranma! Help me!" He whispered as his awareness started to fade. His vision started to darken around the corners of his eyes and his legs began to twitch violently.

"Let him go!" Ranma dumped the scalding hot water onto Taro, changing him back to a human almost instantaneously.

Ryoga fell to the ground as the tail disappeared, sucking in air with zeal. That had been too close! He forced himself to keep from blacking out as he watched Ranma keep the confused Taro at bay with a renewed set of determined attacks. He just needed a moment to gain his second wind. The pain his wound was causing flared up to an even greater level, and he winced visibly.

Shocked at being changed back so unexpectedly, Taro's reaction time was basically nonexistent and he took the beating of a lifetime from Ranma's fists. This led to signs of him slowing down but he didn't stop fighting completely. He gathered his strength and counter-attacked, fueled by his rage and frustration. Taking several sharp hits to her face, Ranma realized that turning her enemy back into a human hadn't fazed him as much as she would have liked.

The Chinese warrior took up a more aggressive stance. He was completely naked now, though that fact didn't seem to matter much to him. All that existed in his world was the desire to be the best and kill his hated rivals. Petty things like modesty meant little in the grand scheme of things. His speed had returned now that he was human again, and he used this to match Ranma blow for blow. His slightly greater skill made itself apparent and he resumed thrashing his enemy with vigor. And yet, for all Taro's ferocity, Ranma took his attacks and returned the favor many times over, forcing the older boy to yield ground. Without his armor, he was now susceptible to the same damage he had been giving out.

Summoning his waning determination, Taro knocked Ranma away from him with his foot, slamming it into her windpipe. Ranma's eyes bulged and she fell to one knee, gasping for breath, choking and massaging her neck.

Taro snarled, glaring down at his fist, a fist that could crush boulders but for some reason, was unable to fell his greatest enemy of all time. "Impossible! Don't you two have limits? Don't you feel pain in your broken bodies? The moves I've used should have been able to put you six feet under ten times by now! I simply don't understand it!"

His eyes fell on them and he twitched with uncontrolled rage, tempting them to rise and fight once more. It was obvious what was going through Taro's mind. For the first time he envisioned a possible defeat. He was scared that he would lose the fight and that motivated them more than ever before.

Ranma steadied her shaking legs. "Heh, don't you get it, moron? So long as you threaten our lives, we'll overcome anythin' to resist you. If I have to return from the afterlife a hundred times to oppose you, don't think I won't do it!"

Taro ground his teeth together. I should have killed them last week and been done with it! "Still sputtering that same nonsense are we? Since when have you been the type to go off shouting bullshit idealism and heroic one-liners? Talk all you want because when I kill you, it'll be all over! Instead of talking to me, I suggest you start praying to your maker because you'll be visiting him very soon!"

Ranma's eye's narrowed. It could still go either way from this point. We are at our limit. What happens next will determine victory or death. We have to hit him now and hit him hard!

We're running out of time! Ryoga thought, raising his fist to attack again.

The pain radiating from the Lost Boy's side nearly caused him to throw up, but he gathered all his heart, all his courage, and walked towards the awaiting fight yet again. He was in until the end, for better or worse. He couldn't pull out now, that would be completely unacceptable. Ranma needed him, his friends depended on him, and his honor kept him going long after his body started screaming at him to stop fighting.

Taro's gaze was hard as steel. "Round three, then."

The combatants converged, screaming like demons and the fury of battle consumed them all once more. The will to survive and the will to conquer, these emotions made themselves apparent as further blows were landed, and it had yet to be seen which desire would prove to be the stronger. The slow dance of death had begun to pick up in speed and the three warriors had no choice but to keep on dancing to its tune.