My Life's Stranger Than Yours

A Crazy Wager; The Satan School vs. The Blue Thunder

At Kuno's outlandish proclamation, both Videl and her father were left frozen, dumbstruck in shock.

"Ummmmm…excuse me?" said Videl.

"If you defeat me in our battle, then you will have the honor, nay, the privilege of accompanying me out on a date." Kuno repeated with a gleaming aura.

Mr. Satan and Videl both remained silent for the moment, but both of them seemed to be seething with irritation, disbelief, and a few other unpleasant emotions.

"Look pal," Videl began. "I don't know who you think you are but-!"

"I FORBID THIS!" Mr. Satan interjected, cutting Videl off.

Both teens eyes turned to the biggest mouth in the room who was absolutely fuming.

"Dad?"

"Master?"

"Look here, you may be my newest disciple, but that does NOT mean you've earned the right to court my daughter!" Mr. Satan exclaimed.

Videl was about to respond to her father, but was beaten to the punch by Kuno, who shamefully facepalmed.

"Of course, how unacceptably rude of me. I forget, you only allow men who are capable of besting you in battle to date your daughter."

"Th-that's right!" Mr. Satan emphasized. "You've shown considerable skill, but you're still far off from the level necessary to take on a World Martial Arts Champion, like myself."

"I do wonder about that Master…" Kuno trailed off. Poking his sword in Mr. Satan's direction, he continued. "Still, allow me to issue this challenge to you, for the honor of winning your daughter's favor."

"Ha! If you think you can make it past me, you're in for a rude awakening boy-!"

"HOLD IT!"

Both guys turned to Videl who was seething with irritation. "Look, I don't care if you want to fight Dad, and I'm still willing to accept your challenge, but let's get one thing straight; Win or lose, I am NOT going out without you, understand!?"

Before Kuno could try to respond, Videl angrily turned to her father, "And as for you Dad, how could you go around accepting those kinds of challenges, when you KNOW I already have a boyfriend!?"

Mr. Satan awkwardly fiddled with his fingers as he mumbled out an apology. "Sorry honey I…just got caught up in the moment."

"So…the stories are true…"

The father-daughter pair turned back to Kuno, who was gripping his sword rather tightly, his expression darkened.

"I heard tales that Ms. Videl had been taken by some lowly commoner. I initially dismissed the notion, but since the words came from Ms. Akane's mouth, I knew I couldn't discard them so easily. But now, to hear it straight from Ms. Videl herself…!"

"Wait a minute…" Videl started. "You knew I had a boyfriend, yet you still thought it'd be a good idea to try and fight my Dad for the chance to try and win a date with me? Isn't there some kind of 'Guy Code' about not going after a taken woman or something?"

"Taken…woman…!?"

Images of an indescribable male figure pinning Videl to the ground soon filled Kuno's-

"NO, no, no!" Videl interjected, dispelling the fantasy. "We're not going down that route, and that's not even remotely what I meant by 'Taken'!"

"For both your and his sake, you BETTER not have!" Mr. Satan exclaimed.

"Still, it's inconceivable…to think Master could be bested by a mere commoner…"

"Whoa, slow your roll there boy, I was not bested!" Mr. Satan quickly chimed in.

"If that's true, then why per say, have you allowed him to fraternize with your daughter?" Kuno inquired.

"Well uhh…because…I…I took a dive…obviously!" he replied.

"Huh…?"

Mr. Satan crossed his arms as he 'recounted the time he gave Videl's boyfriend his blessing'.

"I'll admit he wouldn't have been my first choice for a partner for Videl, but he certainly proved himself a capable fighter in his own right, and then some. With maybe another couple years of training, he probably could've beaten me for real. But in the end, I realized that Videl chose himfor a reason. I'm still trying to figure out what that reason is, but I decided to give him a chance, and in the end, I wound up throwing the fight for the sake of my daughter's happiness."

"Dad…" Videl was at a loss for words. She'd been used to her father making up outlandish stories for the sake of upholding his own image, but this was unprecedented. To think he was now doing the same for her and Gohan's sake. Still, the little white lie didn't seem to deter Kuno in the slightest.

"I see…so in the end, this feeble commoner was unable to best you in combat." Kuno raised his sword skyward with renewed intent. "In that case, I will do what no man has done before and vanquish you with all my strength! I will prove that I am the one worthy of being Ms. Videl's other half!"

Videl facepalmed. 'This is getting us nowhere!' she mentally fumed. Her fist clenched tight, full of aggravation.

"For the last time, I'm not…!"

"Fine."

The young fighters had their eyes on Mr. Satan who had a rare serious expression on his face.

"If you're so eager to prove yourself 'worthy' of my little girl, take your best shot, but it'll be on my terms," Videl proclaimed.

"Dad, what are you doing?"

The Champ motioned for his daughter to be quiet, as he continued. "First, if you want to challenge her, you'll have to get past me first, as per the rules."

"Of course," Kuno agreed.

"Second, if you manage to beat me, she'll accept your challenge. If she wins, you'll have to do whatever she says, but if you win, she'll break up with her boyfriend."

"I'll WHAT!?"

"I ACCEPT!"

[Insert cutaway of Gohan sneezing here]

Kuno's entire body practically illuminated at Mr. Satan's proposal.

"We'll meet in the Manor's Ring in 15 minutes, so you'd better get yourself all warmed up boy, cause Mr. Satan is comin' at you with all he's got!"

"Of course Master! I will show you a battle you can be proud of! Wait for me Ms. Videl, I'll rid you of that commoner whelp in due time!"

Kuno darted out of the living room in high spirits, heading to the in home gym to prepare himself.

As Mr. Satan saw his student off, a dark, menacing aura flared up from behind him.

"Father…" came a low, feminine voice.

"N-n-n-n-n-now sweety, let me explain…"

SWACK!

CRASH!

"Hey guys, I ran into Kuno on the way back and he was looking all…"

Akane returned to see Mr. Satan faceplanted into the cold tile floor with a large lump on his head, and Videl standing over him with a smoking raised fist, seething with rage.

"Did…did I miss something?"

[One explanation later]

"He WHAT!?"

SWACK!

"GAAAAAHAAAAA!"

Mr. Satan let out a loud anguished cry as a second smaller lump grew out of his first one.

"Forgive me for saying this Mr. Satan, but I've lost a LOT of respect for you right about now," scolded Akane.

"That's my line."

"Yeah, I know. I probably deserve it, but please hear me out!" Mr. Satan defended.

Both girls stood, their arms crossed disapprovingly before the grounded fighter before he got to his feet and cleared his throat.

"I know what I just did might have been a little hasty, but the way I see it, it was the only way."

"To…?"

"To get that wacky student of mine to take a hint. I've seen his type before. He's obviously someone where actions speak louder than words, so I figured taking it to the ring where all intents and emotions could be on full display would be the best way to make him back off," Satan explained.

Videl placed a hand to her forehead and sighed. "Okay, I understand that and appreciate the thought Dad, but did you HAVE to wager my relationship with Gohan!?"

"And she can't even back out of it because everyone knows that you have to swallow a thousand needles if you quit a bet." Akane added.

"Which is exactly why this is perfect. Tatewaki's good, but either one of us can take him down no problem. Believe you me, you and Gohan should be fine," Mr. Satan confindently chuckled. "Provided of course, he continues to behave himself," he quickly added.

'He behaves better than you Father.'

"Actually…it might not be as easy as you think Mr. Satan," Akane chimed in.

"Akane…what do you mean by that?" asked a cautious sounding Videl.

"Kuno may be small potatoes for Ranma and I, but he's not exactly a pushover either," she warned.

"You know, now that I think about it, Tatewaki kept sayin' that name when we were trainin' together. You mind tellin' me what this Ranma guy's all about?"

"He's Akane's fiancée," Videl simply stated.

"Oh, I see-…FIANCEE!?"

"It's an arranged marriage!" Akane quickly exclaimed.

"That's beside the point!" interjected Videl. "The point is, Ranma is a very skilled and powerful fighter, to the point where even Goku and Gohan could acknowledge his strength."

Mr. Satan seemed to stiffen at Videl's explanation. "G-Goku says this Ranma kid's good?" He stammered. "W-w-wait…you don't mean he…?"

"Can use energy? Yeah. He can't fly like I can, and he's far from being on the level of Gohan's family, but I think he might be comparable to…Krillin maybe? Possibly to a lesser extent?"

Mr. Satan seemed comparatively calmer as Videl kept speaking, but he was still visibly shaken.

"Hey, is your Dad okay?" Akane whispered.

"He just gets a little…testy around martial artists who can use energy for… some reason," Videl explained.

"Well Kuno doesn't have anything like Ranma's Tiger Shot or that…turtle wave (?) that Gohan's brother did. He's a swordsman through and through so if you can just keep out of his range and counterattack, you should be fine. Fair warning though, his attacks are pretty fast and he's stronger than you'd initially think."

At Akane's rundown of Kuno's 'stats', Mr. Satan's confidence quickly returned. "Well if that's all there is to it, then it's no problem at all. In fact, you won't even have to get your hands dirty sweety. Just leave this to your old man."

Dusting off his hands, Mr. Satan strode out of the living room leaving the girls to their own. Videl let out an anguished sigh, pressing a hand to her forehead as she slinked into a nearby couch seat.

"Akane…I'm sorry for not listening to you earlier." Videl apologized.

"Don't dwell on it too much. With how persistent Kuno is, you'd have probably wound up fighting him anyways."

"Let's just get this over with," steamed a visually irritated Videl. As she stalked out of the room with Akane right behind, the latter paused and placed a finger to her chin.

"You know now that I think about it, couldn't your father have made Kuno fight that big pink guy instead of himself?" noted Akane.

…"Son of a BI-!"

[Moments Later]

The group were all assembled in the mansion's ring, Kuno and Mr. Satan standing ready to face each other.

"Master, although I have the utmost respect for you, I have no intention of holding anything back in this battle." Kuno proclaimed brandishing his wooden sword.

"Normally I'd be proud, but given the circumstances, I'm afraid that's just not in the cards. If you wanna go out with my daughter, you gotta go through me first!" Mr. Satan replied.

'Way to forget I'm right here Dad,' Videl internally deadpanned.

"And for the sake of her love and respect, I'm gonna take you down boy!" he quickly added.

'…I take it back. Dad's actually serious!' thought a newly inspired Videl.

"Do you think your Dad can win?" asked Akane.

"I don't know enough about Kuno to say, but he is the World Champion for a reason." 'Even if that doesn't matter much anymore.'

The two men stood at the ready, staring each other down. Over the course of the long pause, Mr. Satan began to analyze his chances for success.

'Alright Mr. Satan, just keep it cool. You've seen Tatewaki train before, so you know what he's packin'. Still, what Videl's friend over there said has me a little worried. If he really is like those guys, then I might be in real trouble…then again, she said he couldn't do the same type a tricks like Goku or his boys so maybe I can actually win this thing legit-!'

"Men!"

"Eeee-!"

Without warning, Kuno struck first, raising his weapon and bringing it downwards in a chopping motion. Though startled, Mr. Satan easily dodged the attack by swaying aside.

Kuno followed up with a sideways slash, which Mr. Satan backed away from. With impressive speed, Kuno rushed after Mr. Satan and launched a thrusting strike for his midsection. Crossing his arms in front, Mr. Satan was able to defend against the attack, but couldn't help but get himself blown back.

"Hmph, I guess I shouldn't be surprised that you're still standing after guarding that last attack."

Shaking from the sudden attacks, Mr. Satan lowered his guard and let out a calming exhale before his temper quickly flared up and he started yelling at Kuno.

"What's the big idea boy!? There was no starting signal for the match!"

"Pardon me Master, but in a true battle, victory goes to he who strikes first, and since I aim to snatch victory no matter the cost in this fight, that's exactly what I did." Kuno explained.

Off to the side, the girls both had beads of sweat rolling down their heads. "Well…he's entirely wrong but…"

"Just…let it go and keep watching," Akane urged.

Back in the ring, Mr. Satan took another calming breath before bringing his guard back up. "Well, I can see that your time working with me has truly borne fruit, but like I said before, you still got a long ways to go before you got what it takes to take me-!"

Cutting off Mr. Satan's speech, Kuno rushed in again with another thrusting strike, this time for the face. With a startled yelp, Mr. Satan ducked under the attack before countering with an uppercut to Kuno's midsection. The attack whiffed as Kuno was able to sidestep the blow and strike back with another downward slice that nailed Mr. Satan right in the center of his afro.

"Deeaaaagh…!"

Mr. Satan cried in pain as he held his aching head.

"Now it's time to finish…!"

It was Kuno's turn to get cut off as Mr. Satan fought back with a backhand punch right to Kuno's cheek, knocking him aside.

"Well, ya caught me off guard there for a second, but it'll take more than that to fell me!" As Mr. Satan let out his trademark laugh, a large bump grew in between the two previous ones.

'If he loses this fight, will it be our fault?' thought Akane.

Videl crossed her arms at the display and nervously grasped at her sleeve. 'Dammit Dad, fight seriously already!'

As Mr. Satan continued to laugh, he was struck upside the head by Kuno's sword yet again, knocking him to the floor. He was able to roll back onto his feet, though very off kilter. He quickly straightened himself out and the irritation on his face was beyond evident.

"Alright that's it. No more 'Mr. Nice Satan'. I'm gonna end this thing in a flash with one of my trademark finishing-!"

Kuno struck as Mr. Satan spoke, but this time, Mr. Satan was able to block the attack with his forearm and grab onto Kuno by the hem of his robes.

"Hrrrrrraaagh!"

With a strained yell, Mr. Satan flipped Kuno over his head and slammed him hard on the tile.

"Impressive." Kuno praised, stroking his chin in his indented crater.

"Would ya have the decency to let me finish speaking!?" boomed an irritated Satan.

"Apologies, but if you continue to leave yourself open then I will continue to attack," Kuno announced as he rose to his feet. "My only wish is that you would quit attempting to dodge my attacks so that I may end this quicker."

In the peanut gallery, Akane looked rather intrigued by the battle at hand. "This fight's closer than I thought. I figured that, no matter who had the edge, it'd be a one sided fight either way."

Videl remained silent as the fight went on. Instead of being analytical like usual, she just wanted her father to win and put an end to the mess he made.

"Well, this fight's been fun, but I think it's about time for me to bring it to an end," Mr. Satan declared.

"If you think you can, then bring it on Master!" Kuno challenged.

Mr. Satan brought his arms to the side and began to inhale deeply.

"What's your father doing?" asked Akane.

"One of his signature moves."

'Signature moves?'

"Hraaaaagh…!" Mr. Satan let out a charge like yell as he rushed Kuno with his fist reared back.

"Megaton PUNCH!"

Kuno quickly raised his guard to defend from his attack but to his surprise, Mr. Satan's blow struck with enough force to break his sword in half and nail him in the face, blowing him across the ring.

Kuno rolled onto floor right at the edge of the ring, but still in bounds.

"Well, you ready to give up yet?" asked a visibly winded Mr. Satan.

'That was a signature move? It looked just like a normal punch to me. A pretty strong punch at least, but just a punch regardless,' noted Akane.

"Incredible power! To think you'd be able to shatter my sword with a single blow," Kuno praised straining to his feet.

"Well, considering you yourself said you were a man of the sword, I don't see how you intend to continue when your little stick is in splinters like that, so it really is in your best interest to surrender now before you get seriously hurt," replied Mr. Satan.

"Nonsense. A true swordsman is prepared for any situation!"

Reaching into his robe, Kuno pulled out another wooden sword and stood ready to fight once again.

"What the-!? Where was he keeping that!?" Videl exclaimed.

"No one knows…answered Akane."

"Well…that's uhh…pretty handy…" said a surprised Satan.

"It's more than that. Since you were bold enough to show me your finishing move, it is with great honor that I now unveil mine."

The air in the room darkened as Kuno's stance began emanating a peculiar aura.

"Hey, what's goin' on here?" asked Mr. Satan.

'Good question,' added Videl. "Akane?"

"Just watch."

"Now, Master. Feel the wrath of Tatewaki Kuno, the Blue Thunder of Furinkan' High's true power!"

Mr. Satan flinched and quickly turned to Akane. "Hey I thought you said he couldn't do-!"

"Blue Thunder Strike!"

A bolt of lightning flashed behind Kuno as he rushed Mr. Satan and struck with a barrage of thrusting blows.

Stunned by the nonsensical lightning bolt, Mr. Satan was unable to bring his guard up in time and was hit with the full force of Kuno's assault.

"Atatatatatatata-!"

"Daaaaaaghaaaaa-!"

"Atatatatatatatata-Dorrryaaaaagh!"

With one final swing of his sword, Kuno flung Mr. Satan out of the ring and into the wall with a loud crash. The girls watched in admitted awe as Mr. Satan slid off the wall and fell face first onto the floor.

"Dad!" Videl cried rushing to his aid.

Back in the ring, tears began to stream down Kuno's face as he victoriously raised his sword. "Yes…it's been done…the student has surpassed the master! I. Am. INVINCIBLE!"

While Kuno boasted over his victory, Mr. Satan weakly picked himself off the floor. After a few seconds of struggling, he stood tall looking none the worse for wear. "Well boy, you got me. I'll admit it's my loss."

Unbeknownst to the girls, he flashed Kuno a discreet thumbs up. It took a moment, but Kuno quickly understood the implications. 'So that's it, Master took a dive again. He truly is a man to be respected. Regrettably it means I've yet to surpass his strength, but if this means I've earned his approval, then so be it…for now.'

More tears streamed down Kuno's cheeks, filled with (faux) pride. Meanwhile, Mr. Satan was bowing extra apologetically to his daughter.

"Sorry sweety, but it's all up to you now."

Videl sighed. "Don't worry too much about it Dad," Videl shrugged off. "Even if by some chance he manages to beat me, we have a backup plan."

"Backup plan?"

Akane quickly whispered into Mr. Satan's ear, and his expression lit up. "Well why didn't you tell me sooner!? We could've avoided this whole thing!"

"Firstly, we wanted to see if you were willing to clean up your own mess," Videl started. "Secondly, I did still actually want to fight this guy, at the very least to test something out, so while I don't appreciate the stakes you set behind this fight, I'm glad you set it up."

"Test out what…? Nevermind, just go in there and take that arrogant punk down a couple of notches! I'll go get our backup ready!"

Mr. Satan rushed out of the room while Videl made her way to the ring. 'I'll do more than take him down a notch.'

"So, at last we meet in the hallowed ring of battle." Kuno started, I must say it's an honor to…"

"Cut the pleasantries, and let's just get down to business," Videl cut him off.

"Hmm, straight to the point. I like it. Very well then. For the sake of our future together, I must strike thee down with great-!"

Taking a page from Kuno's own book, Videl shut him up with a swift punch to the jaw, knocking him off balance.

"Hmmm…so that's how master felt during our bout," noted Kuno.

Videl kept on the pressure by dashing after Kuno and launching a rapid barrage of punches at Kuno's face. The slow-witted swordsman was able to defend from the assault and managed to get in a counterattack with the hilt of his sword, striking Videl in her upper chest.

"Gah-!"

Videl clutched the spot she was hit as Kuno swung his sword back at her. Though she easily swayed away from Kuno's attack, he didn't give her a chance to recover and struck with a rapid barrage of slashes. Putting her nimbleness to work, Videl was able to weave through Kuno's attacks with an impressive display of acrobatics before managing to spring herself into the air.

"Take this!"

Straightening herself out in midair, she launched a solid dive kick straight towards Kuno, but her armed opponent was prepared to counter. Pointing his sword downwards, he raised the hilt once again, knocking Videl's leg away. Using her ki to steady herself, Videl back rolled in midair and launched a sideways kick that Kuno took full on.

Though he was blown away by Videl's last attack, he seemed relatively unphased. "That was a most graceful display in avoiding my earlier attack," Kuno praised.

"Flattery won't save you tough guy," Videl snapped.

"I only speak the truth. The way you dance through the air is akin to a graceful dove, yet you strike with the savage intent of an eagle. It's a flawless balance of beauty and pow-OOF!"

Kuno was cut off by Videl driving her knee into his gut, making him keel over (at last).

"I told you, flattery will get you nowhere…but thank you though!" she added cheerfully.

'Well…at least she knows how to just take a compliment,' thought Akane.

"I do say, your fierceness is on a similar tier to that of my beloved Pigtailed Girl," Kuno complimented as he rose to his feet.

"Pigtailed Girl?" asked Videl.

"Yes, a small yet powerful maiden with fiery red locks tied up in a glorious braided twist. Swift as the great cheetah with the strength of a panther."

"Red hair in a…are you talking about Ranma?" Videl raised an eyebrow.

Kuno's grasp on his sword tightened. "I ask that you not mention that vile fiend in my presence again."

"Vile fiend? But didn't you just compliment…

"Yes. It's common knowledge throughout our school that Saotome, in addition to martial arts is a practitioner of the dark arts who targets innocent women. His first victim being the Pigtailed Girl!"

"Say huh-?"

"With the teachings I received from your father, I aim to smite Saotome once and for all, and free the Pigtailed Girl from his malevolent clutches. This I swear it!"

Kuno raised his sword as another inexplicable bolt of lightning flashed behind him. While he held his pose, Videl turned back to Akane and asked, "Does he…not know that…?"

Akane answered with a nod. "It's not even like Ranma's keeping it a secret anymore (at least at school). Kuno's just too blinded by his own stupidity to face reality."

A bead of sweat fell down Videl's forehead. She's met some thickheaded people in her time, but nobody could be that stupid…right?

"And what do you plan to do with the 'Pigtailed Girl' after you've beaten Ranma?" asked Videl.

"Obviously she will be most grateful for springing her from her captive. So much show that she will be more than willing to bestow upon me her everything! Mind, body, and soul. Then she along with you and Ms. Akane shall live a graceful, happy life with me until the end of time."

A mental image fluttered of the girls in questioned all throwing themselves at Kuno, causing the cocky swordsman to be lost in his own sea of fantasy. Videl however, once again stood completely motionless unable to form any kind of coherent response, physically or verbally. All she could do was stammer in utter disbelief.

Akane shook her head dismissively. 'I know I should feel vindicated since I tried to warn her, but I honestly just feel super sorry for her right now.'

"Now then, enough about Saotome. Let us continue our bout," Kuno proclaimed raising his sword defensively.

Videl was still frozen from the complete idiocy she just had to endure, but was quickly snapped back to reality with the iconic cry of, "An opening!"

"Huh-? WHOA!"

Bending herself backwards, Videl was just able to dodge a sideways slash attack. Rolling into a backflip, she was able to counter with an upwards kick to Kuno's chin, creating some distance, but not seeming to damage him that much.

'This is getting ridiculous, I've got to end this fight quickly before he gets lucky.'

"Indeed, I agree. It is time for this battle to end." Kuno proclaimed.

"How did you know what-?"

"I read the last sentence."

"Don't literally read my thoughts you creep!"

"Nevertheless, I shall deal you the same honorable defeat I dealt your father, my master."

Kuno stood in the familiar pose as the aura in the room darkened yet again.

'Great…'

"Blue Thunder Strike!"

Leaping into the air and hovered, crossing her arms and legs defensively, preparing herself to take the rapid-fire attack. In an inexplicable flash of lightning, the attack finally hit and Videl's body was bombarded with impact after impact at an inhuman speed. Determined to hold her ground, Videl continued to take the attacks until Kuno ended his barrage with a fierce sideways swing.

"Doooryah!"

"Whaa-!"

Videl's guard was finally broken and she was launched backwards. Thankfully, her flight ability was able to keep her from getting knocked out of bounds. Floating back into a safe zone in the ring Videl's body shuddered until she was ungraciously dropped to her knees.

'Why is my body so shaky? He didn't hit me that hard, did he-!?'

Videl let out a soft gasp when she noticed bruises forming on her arms. 'No way…he did that?'

"I told you he was stronger than he looks." Added Akane.

"It seems youth and vigor trumps experience and strength this day. I didn't think you'd still be able to move after that attack did in your father, though I'm positive you won't be able to survive a second strike."

As Kuno rushed in to deliver a finishing blow, Videl launched herself away and hovered over the ring just out of Kuno's reach.

"Ahh, once again, you ascend like the graceful terrors of the skies. Fear not, I'm patient enough to wait for you to descend so we can finish our battle like true fighters."

True to his word, Kuno held his sword over his shoulder and stood motionless while Videl took the moment to recover from Kuno's last attack.

'Okay, now what's my play here? Should I try to go in and end this fight now, or should I play it safe and go on the defensive?

"Videl, now's your chance! End this fight!" Akane urged.

"I can't be too hasty Akane. Like you said, he's stronger than he looks so I'll have to play this carefully, or else I could actually lose," Videl replied.

Akane shook her fist in irritation. "Videl, this battle's gone on long enough, you have to finish it now! Before something stupid happens!"

"Stupid like what!?"

"I don't know…like when Ranma and Happosai crashed our match back at the dojo?"

The still Kuno instantly turned his attention towards Akane at the mention of Ranma's name. "What was that Akane Tendo?"

Taking a page from her new friend's manga, Videl divebombed Kuno and flipped into a dropkick while calling out, "An opening!"

"Wha-? DMMMMMMF!"

Kuno was slammed into the tile while Videl backflipped away then dashed toward him as he rose to his feet.

"Not today!"

Before Kuno could raise his guard, Videl pivoted her body around and followed up with a spinning mid-air kick, faceplanting him back into the tile.

"Incredible." Kuno praised as he rose again.

Getting continually frustrated with Kuno's persistence, Videl rushed ahead and continued to fire off attacks at Kuno. Starting with a flying forward kick to his midsection, followed by another spinning midair kick to the side of his head, swiftly followed by a back-elbow strike.

Videl's attacks seemed to finally be taking a toll on Kuno, but rather than look tired, he just seemed more motivated than ever. "Yes, yes! The passion behind the fire in your strikes! I can feel it! Truly you are a woman worthy of the Great Blue Thunder!"

Videl's eyes narrowed dangerously as a vein ticked on her forehead, her fists clenching tightly through her fingerless gloves. Unbeknownst to her, as her whole body trembled with a silent fury, the air around her began to get lighter. In an instant, the air returned to normal as Videl seemed to calm down.

"You know Kuno…throughout this whole fight, there's been something I've been wanting to say to you."

"Oh? And what might that be, beloved?"

"I get why Dad set this fight up, but it turns out, he was wrong. Neither actions nor words alone will break through that thick skull of yours…so…I'll have to use both to make myself clear as crystal, capisce!?"

"Videl?" called a concerned Akane.

The air around Videl suddenly exploded as a fierce wind emanated from the small clear aura that now surrounded her body. In a mad dash, Videl flew headfirst at Kuno and drove her fist into his solar plexus, knocking the wind out of him.

"I've only just met you…"

Retreating, she hopped up and spin kicked him in the face again.

"…and almost everything about you gives me the creeps."

Floating over to Kuno's reeling form, she flipped forward in midair and delivered a fierce axe-kick to his cranium.

"Even if I lose this fight…"

Flipping in midair again, she stomped down hard on the crown of Kuno's head with both feet planting him face first into the tile.

"…I'd never leave Gohan…EVER."

Backflipping back onto the tile, Videl reared her hands back, her opposite clutching her dominant as she poured all the energy she had left into her attacking fist.

"Even if Gohan and I ever do separate in the future, one thing is certain…"

Kuno slowly picked himself up just as Videl's hands were bathed in low, shining light.

"…I will never, EVER GO OUT WITH YOU!"

Before Kuno could fully comprehend what was happening, he was struck in the face by a hard, glowing fist courtesy of Videl. The moment her fist made contact with his face, the glow shone even brighter and Kuno was ungraciously launched from the ring and into the dojo walls in a similar manner to Mr. Satan.

As the loser of the fight slid down the wall into unconsciousness, the winner was panting heavily as smoke rose from her fist and her body shuddered prevalently. After a pregnant pause, Videl fell to her knees completely winded from her last attack.

"How's…that…?" she softly snapped.

Before Videl could fall back onto the tile, she was quickly caught from behind by Akane who helped keep her victorious friend on her feet.

"Well Videl, welcome to the club."

"What club?"

"The 'Kuno Likes Me, so I Beat Him Club'."

There was a second of silence before Videl couldn't help but snicker before devolving into a full on laughing fit. A fit so hard, she fell back onto Akane who quickly joined in the laughter as well.

"Hey, I heard a crash in here! What happened!?"

An alarmed Mr. Satan came back into the dojo with both Buu and Bee by his side only to find Kuno unconscious on the floor and his daughter and her friend literally rolling on the floor laughing together.

"Uhhhh…are we too late?" asked Mr. Satan.

The girls paused before breaking out into even harder laughter.

[Shortly later]

"Haaaa…"

Videl moaned out as she sank into the warm, rejuvenating water of their indoor hot tub.

"I don't know why I'm surprised you have both an outdoor and indoor sauna when your father's one of the richest people alive." Noted Akane.

"Less talking, more relaxing," Videl dismissed as she laid her head on the sauna rim.

"Sorry, but I still can't get over how insane tonight was."

"I can't get over how exhausted I feel after that fight. Seriously, I had no idea letting your energy just…burst like that was so draining on the muscles."

"Hehe, if you ask me, it was totally worth it for the knockout you dealt Kuno. Seriously, I don't think even Ranma could've delivered a butt-kicking that thorough." Akane praised.

"Believe me, if he tries anything again, I'll kick his butt just as hard!" Videl snapped.

"Sad thing about being part of this club is, there always will be a next time. Kuno just never gives up."

"Hopefully, he will if my Dad has anything to say about it. He said he'd take care of Kuno while we try to relax. I just hope he's true to his word."

"You have issues with your father, don't you?" Akane raised an eyebrow.

"Not really. I just wish he'd stop making outlandish promises he can't keep or agreeing to fight battles he knows he can't win."

"Wait, did you not think your father could've beaten Kuno?" asked Akane.

"No no, that fight could've gone either way. I'm talking about…past battles."

"Well, enough about the past. We still have the future to worry about."

"Yeah I know, but now that I've gotten a real feel for Cologne's move, I think I'll be utilize it better in no time," she said with determination.

"Speaking of Ryoga, I wonder if he'll even be back in time for the match?"

"What, does he show up fashionably late or something to every fight?" joked Videl.

"If by fashionably you mean a week, then yes."

'A week?'

[Elsewhere]

A giant pig carrying a young girl could be seen barreling through a dense forest area, knocking various plants, rocks, and small animals out of its' path.

"Ryoga, where did you run off too this time?" called the girl.

Unbeknownst to her, the object of her hunt was flattened under the hoofprints of the larger swine.

[Back with the girls]

As the two continued to enjoy their soak, a low rumble filled the area, making Videl blush and Akane snicker.

"I guess fighting is hungry work," teased Akane. "We should probably get out now."

Videl paused then snapped her finger as a lightbulb went off in her head. "There's no need. I just remembered, I have a capsule with Chi-Chi's cooking in my shorts pocket."

"For real!?"

"Yeah. Wait here, I'll go get it."

Grabbing a towel, Videl raced off towards the dressing room as Akane laid back beneath the water, reflecting on the events of the night.

'Hmmm…not that I care much but still, I can't help but wonder what Mr. Satan's doing with Kuno.'

[Elsewhere]

A familiar young man clad in samurai robes snapped his eyes awake, darting upright from his sleeping position.

"Where am I? What happened? Where are the girls!?"

Surveying the area, Kuno found himself outside Mr. Satan's dojo yet again, only this time he was laid down in a sofa and wrapped in a blanket.

"Master?" As Kuno stepped out of the sofa, he saw a note taped to the blanket. A note that read, "Great effort my boy, but you're not there yet. Keep training. -Master Satan. PS, in accordance with the terms of the match, you have to listen to what I say, and I'm going to make this clear. I am NEVER going out with you! -Videl.

"I see, so I was bested in combat…" Crushing the note in his fist, Kuno proclaimed. "No matter, she will come to me in due time, once I strike down the commoner who had to be handed his victory, she will see that Tatewaki Kuno, the Blue Thunder is the only man worthy of the affection of such a fierce, yet graceful beauty! This I swear!"

Raising his sword high, accompanied by a bolt of lightning, Kuno let out a triumphant yet maniacal laugh, as he raced off to the outskirts of the city. As he dashed away, he stepped dead center into an open manhole cover and fell through, hitting his forehead on the ground beneath the sewer water.

'Somehow Ranma Saotome…I know this is your fault.' He cursed before falling unconscious yet again.

[A/N: I'm back. I didn't mean to take a hiatus for this story, but the holiday season (as well as a private commission, and a smexy holiday oneshot) took the time away from me. Speaking of, can you believe I've been writing this thing for TWO YEARS!? TWO. YEARS! It's insane that I've stuck with this story for so long…which brings me to something serious I need to address.

In the past few months, I've gotten reviews, follows, and faves for some of my older stories, and I appreciate the interest, which is why it pains me to announce that as of today, I'm pulling the plug on all of them. Basically, any story that was started before I posted The Last Hope will NOT be updated, including TLH itself. All of those stories (sans TLH) were started when I was in High School, and aside from just generally losing interest in most of them, they're really not that good, especially compared to what I've put out since TLH. Will I ever return to these stories, it's up in the air, but another reason I'm scrapping them is because my in-depth knowledge on some of the series I tried to write is severely lacking. For instance, in "Mightiest Disciple ½," I'd never finished the Kenichi manga. Just got up to some…indiscriminate point passed the anime OVA's then just kinda fell off, and don't even get me STARTED with Case Closed. Despite being my gateway anime, I stopped following it seriously A LONG time ago, so there's little chances of me being able to build myself back up enough to write anything beyond a simple short story competently.

Shattered Academia is a weird case where I'm still contemplating what to do with it. I want to continue it, but I'm not sure whether or not to just pick up where I left off or start from scratch. Also, given the MHA fandom just being a pain in the balls in general (and me kinda wanting to distance myself from it), I'm tempted to scrub that one too…but I won't…at least not yet.

From this point on, this story alone will be my major focus as well as any commission, one-shots, or short stories I decide to tackle. That being said, that doesn't mean I won't start new stories. In fact, there are two that I've been trying to get off the ground for a while now but they still need work, and one of them IS another Yu Yu Hakusho crossover, but not with Dragon Ball (the second series may shock you). Also as a final note, do not, repeat NOT post reviews in this story asking about updates for my other ones, as they will be ignored and subsequently deleted. As I've just mentioned, they WON'T be updated. If I ever do go back to them, it'll be to completely rewrite them from the ground up. Or if anyone's interested, I'm more than willing to open up adoptions for them. I've gotten a few adoption requests, but haven't seen anything come from them yet.

If you wish to adopt my stories, PM me first and we'll talk. Feel free to make any changes you see necessary; I just ask that you keep the original spirit of my stories intact.

Any who, onto the actual Chapter, this is the first time I've written a fight scene with Mr. Satan so I just hope I captured his fighting skills accurately. I know he sucks compared to the Z-Gang, but he is still a strong martial artist, the same goes for Kuno. I figured he'd be able to defeat Mr. Satan because he was a genuine obstacle for Ranma back in the early days of the series, and I think we can all agree that even in Vol. 1, Ranma would be more than a match for Mr. Satan. Also, I know Kuno's not exactly known for being a tank like Ryoga, but he certainly can take a beating given all the times Ranma and Akane have blasted him off Team Rocket style, so I think he'd at least be able to give Videl some trouble. Still, in true DBZ fashion, a burst of rage gave Videl exactly what she needed for victory. Her Ki's been unleashed, and she has a whole new perspective on fighting with power. The day of the duel is drawing nearer…now if only Ryoga could get Akari to take him there.