-Ten-Faced Paladin
Ranma Revamped By Ten-Faced Paladin Chapter 4: Never, Never, Never
Thunder crashed in the sky over Furinkan High. On the grounds just inside the front gate, Tatewaki Kuno and Ranma Saotome stood ready to fight. Akane just stood to the side, watching them. By now, all the balconies of the school facing the two combatants were filled with onlookers.
"Someone's taking on Kuno!" one boy shouted.
"That guy's brave!" said a girl.
"I hope the new guy doesn't get hurt," a second girl spoke.
Nabiki watched the upcoming battle with her own level of interest. Even though she was taking bets and tried to remain impartial, but she couldn't help but feel at least a little concerned. She didn't know how good Ranma was and even though Kuno was a moron, he was still one heck of a kendo artist. She didn't really want to see Ranma hurt.
'What's wrong with me?' she thought to herself. 'This is not me to worry about someone who's still like a stranger.'
Back on the ground, Kuno prepared to attack.
"So, foul scoundrel who hounds Akane." he spoke sternly. "I Tatewaki Kuno shall bring you to justice!"
Ranma frowned at the upperclassman's stupidity, "You fight her every day to date her and you say I'm hounding her?"
"He's just staying with us!" Akane spoke sternly. "He's not hounding me!"
"Silence fool!" Kuno shouted. With that, he charged at Ranma with his bokken raised.
He rushed at Ranma with a battle cry and slashed at him with a speed that made the other members of the kendo club cringe whenever they saw it. His weapon sliced into the brick wall that was behind Ranma, but Ranma himself was already leaning against a tree before Kuno had even noticed that he was missing. Kuno instantly turneed his attention to Ranma again and slashed at him. He only ended up missing and cutting down the tree Ranma was on.
"Be still knave!" Kuno shouted.
Ranma landed on the ground with the dust swirling around his feet. He stood straight and glared at Kuno. Then, in the blink of an eye, he was suddenly up in Kuno's face. Akane gasped at Ranma's speed while Nabiki was equally amazed.
"Let me make this perfectly clear Kuno," Ranma growled. "You have no right to decide who Akane dates. You never did. Only Akane has that decision and no one else! Got that?"
Kuno glared at Ranma with a look that seemed to show that he was insulted by someone who he looked down upon.
"Who are you to talk to me that way knave?" Kuno shouted while he swung at Ranma with his sword.
Kuno's weapon only met air as Ranma leaped straight into the air to avoid it. Kuno looked straight up to see Ranma coming back down at him. He could see Ranma's arm move before he landed on the ground again. Kuno smirked as he realised that Ranma hadn't hit him.
"Your aim is inadequete!" Kuno smirked victoriously.
He slashed at Ranma with his bokken. Ranma stopped the blade with the palm of his right hand and with his left, he broke the wooden blade in half with a well placed punch. Kuno stepped back in shock as he stared at his weapon. Ranma, seeing his opportunity, landed a hard punch and sent Kuno into the brick wall.
"Do you yeild Kuno?" Ranma asked the swordsman.
"I yield Saotome," Kuno answered reluctantly. "Your foul tricks have bested me."
"Those weren't tricks," Ranma sighed. He then walked back to Akane. "Sorry about getting in the way."
"I suppose I can let it go," Akane sighed, returning his bag. "He challenged you after all."
"Ranma! Akane!" Nabiki called.
Both of them looked up to the balcony where Nabiki was standing.
"Would the two of you just get in here?" she called. "The bell's going to ring!"
"We're coming!" Akane shouted to her sister as the two of them ran inside of the building.
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"Well class, we have a new student with us today," the teacher spoke. "Ranma Saotome. Why don't you come to the front and introduce yourself?"
"Yes sensei," Ranma nodded as he stood at the front.
"Well, I'm a martial artist of the school of Anything Goes. I was in China until recently. I staying at the Tendos right now."
"Very well," the teacher nodded. "Does anyone have any questions for him?"
A number of hands went up. Ranma didn't fail to notice that a large number of them were girls.
"Uh, you," Ranma said to a gril near the front.
"There's a bruise on your neck," the girl spoke. "Where'd you get it?"
"Huh?" Ranma spoke as he touched his neck,feeling the sensitive spot. "Oh, the blue blunder must have given me this when his sword went past my neck."
"Wow," another girl gasped. "It had to of been a pretty even fight wouldn't it?"
"Oh, I don't know," Ranma smirked while he tried to contain his laughter.
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In another classroom, Kuno was looking into a mirror which Nabiki had supplied him with for a fair price of one thousand Yen. He brushed his hair aside to see a single word written on his forehead. It read 'pervert.'
"Wow," Nabiki smiled, trying to hold in her laughter. "And you don't remember even being touched?"
"Hmm," Kuno pondered. "It seems Ranma Saotome's skills are indeed great."
"I'll say," Nabiki nodded.
"But!" Kuno shouted. "He is a blind fool! He sees my advances of love as perversion, the fool!"
"Oh, I don't know," Nabiki shrugged. "I think he's kind of got you pegged."
Kuno glared at the middle Tendo daughter, "I detest you."
"Happy to hear that," Nabiki smiled.
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Lunch rolled around and Ranma had decided to at least eat near Akane in the lunchroom. She was really the only person he knew there besides Nabiki and she was off collecting debts and such. While they ate, a bunch of other girls came around and sat with them to try and start up a conversation.
"So Ranma," asked a girl named Sayuri. "What do you think of Nerima? I bet it's not as exciting as China was."
"Oh, I dunno," Ranma shrugged as he sat next to Akane, eating his bento. "Seems pretty peaceful except for the hentai horde."
"You were sure brave to take on Kuno like you did," a girl named Yuka commented. "He's the best fighter in school!"
Ranma just broke out laughing, "Are you kidding? I've faced worse out in China. You would not believe some of the moves they use out there. Kuno was nothing compared to that."
"What kind of moves do they use anyway?" Akane asked curiously.
"Well, there's this village of amazons that Pop and I found at one point. Those girls were pretty strong. I have to be honest with you."
"Sounds like Akane would be right at home there," Yuka giggled.
"Just what is that supposed to mean?" Akane asked grimly.
"Actually, I agree with Yuka," Ranma smiled. Akane glared at him. "Those girls were skilled, dedicated, strong, intelligent, and very attractive. I think Akane would fit right in."
Akane broke out into a fierce blush. The other girls giggled and sighed wistfully, wishing their boyfriends would say nice things of that caliber to them.
"Y-you really think so Ranma?" Akane asked shyly.
"Yeah," Ranma smiled. "I really do."
'He's so nice,' Akane thought to herself. 'Not like most of the boys here.'
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"What!" Kuno shouted as he stood up. "Fiance!"
"Uh-huh," Nabiki smiled. "My dad and Ranma's dad decided that he's going to marry either my older sister, me, or Akane."
"Ranma Saotome!" Kuno shouted as he ran out of the room with a new bokken.
"I wonder," Nabiki muttered to herself. "Does he remember that he still has 'pervert' written on his head?"
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"So Akane," Ranma asked. "Does the blue blunder fight you everyday?"
"Yeah, him and the rest of the hentai horde," Akane sighed. "Yet I always win."
"Well, the horde is one thing," Ranma shrugged. "They're easy to beat. Kuno, on the other hand, he's been letting up on you."
"What?" Akane growled. "Are you calling me weak?"
"No," Ranma replied, shaking his head. "I'm just saying that Kuno's stronger. You saw how he destroyed tht tree and the wall didn't you? Has he done that when he fought you?"
"Actually, no," Akane commented. "Not even once."
"There you have it," Ranma grinned. "When some guys fight girls, they let up a lot."
Akane frowned and leaned over to Ranma and whispered in his ear, "What if you're a girl too?"
"Hey, I took you seriously when we fought," Ranma spoke in his defence. "You had openings and I exploited them. I didn't let anything slide."
"You mean you beat Akane?" Sayuri gasped.
'Well, I was a girl at the time but...' Ranma thought. "Yeah, I guess I did, but that was a training match wasn't it?"
"Nope," Akane replied, shaking her head. "That was a real match."
"Wow!" Yuka smiled. "That means you can ask Akane out!"
"You know, I was actually hoping to get to know Akane and her sisters before I start asking for dates," Ranma explained.
"What do you mean?" asked Sayuri. "You're interested in Nabiki and Kasumi too?"
"Well," Ranma sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "I'll ty to explain the situation."
"Ranma Saotome!" Kuno's voice rang through the lunchroom. "I forbid it!"
"What does he want now?" Ranma sighed as he stood up.
Kuno came running into the room with his bokken raised. He looked around and saw Ranma. He then raced towards the young Saotome.
"I will never accept your engagement to Akane!" he shouted angrily.
The entire lunchroom went silent as the news fell on everyone's ears. In a flurry, everyone crowded around Ranma and Akane.
"Wow, really!" one girl gasped.
"Saotome, you lucky dog!" one guy cheered.
Ranma sighed and shook his head, trying to keep his temper, "Kuno you dip. I'm not engaged to Akane. I just have to seriously consider her, Nabiki, or their sister Kasumi as possible fiances. I haven't picked any of them yet."
"Silence knave!" Kuno yelled as he swung at Ranma. "I know your choice. It is obvioius! You are going to choose Akane!"
Ranma leaped back from Kuno with an annoyed frown on his face, "You just don't get it. I can't decide at this point. All three of the Tendo women are beautiful and all three are special in their own ways! It's impossible to pick at this point!"
"Yikes," Yuka giggled to the blushing Akane. "And you haven't snagged him why?"
"Enough talk!" Kuno growled. "I shall defeat your foul tricks Ranma Saotome!"
Ranma stood straight and began running for the exit.
"This is no place for a fight!" he called. "Follow me!"
"That I shall!" Kuno growled as he took chase.
The two fighters raced from the cafeteria. Little did they know that every person there was quickly following them.
"Hey! No running in the halls!" a teacher shouted to the crowd as they passed.
"Yes sir!" Akane replied, but kept running, just like everyone else.
Ranma and Kuno were far ahead of everyone else. As they ran, Ranma spied an open window that he could easily access. Wearing a smirk on his face, he glanced back at Kuno.
"Let's take this outside!" he smirked. "Follow me!"
"Fear not!" Kuno shouted back.
As Ranma came to the window, he quickly leaped through it. Kuno likewise did the same. It was then he quickly discovered that he had just jumped from a third floor window.
"Hey, this is the third floor!" the teacher from before shouted.
"No sweat," Ranma smirked. "I'm a..."
He trailed off as he looked down. He was then met by a view of the school swimming pool. His eyes bugged out as he saw the. cold water.
"Crap!" he managed to get out before he splashed into the water. Kuno wasn't that far behind
"Ranma you idiot," Akane sighed.
"Wow," one guy grinned. "He was lucky the pool was there."
Below them, Kuno could be seen drifting to the surface. He looked almost like he was dead. Under the water, Ranma was swimming to the edge as fast as she could.
'Gotta get away, gotta get away!' Ranma thought urgently to herself.
She looked straight upto see what had happened to Kuno. She saw him just drifting there. He wasn't moving and it seemed to her that he was knocked out.
'As much as I hate this guy,' Ranmasighed inwardly. 'I can't just let him drown.'
Ranma lifted herself up and grasped Kuno so that his head was above the water. After making sure he wasn't going to slip, she started making her way to the edge of the pool.
'So long as this perv doesn't wake up I should be fine," Ranma thought, considering her curse.
Of course, just by thinking that, Ranma had jinxed it. While she was bringing Kuno to the edge, the kendo artist in question slowly opened his eyes. His senses quickly came back and he saw who he assumed to be Ranma carrying him. He didn't quite notice that this person had red hair.
"Ranma Saotome!" he shouted as he grabbed her. "I fight on!"
"Gyaaaaaaah!" Ranma shouted in a mix of fear and surprise.
Above them, everyone saw Kuno come back to his senses.
"Hey, Kuno's okay after all!" one guy shouted.
"Is that Ranma he's got?" a girl asked.
"I can't tell," another guy shrugged. "Think he's just moving?"
Akane watched with a growing sense of fear. Kuno no doubt knew by now that he was fighting a girl now. if word got out about Ranma, he probably would either be treated like a freak or worse, be a target of all the perverst with buckets of cold water.
"The jig is up!" she whispered to herself.
To Be Continued
A/N: Aaaaaaaand there we have it. Chapter four is done at long last. I'm sorry it took so long but I was wrapped up in my Love Hina story and a few others that I'm starting up. Sorry about the wait. I'm trying real hard to update my stories as often as possible. On this fic, Ranma seems to always be in trouble. He can't seem to avoid cold water at all. I suppose one would probably know by no what's going to happen next. For those who don't, I'm not going to spoil it. You'll just have to wait for the next chapter.