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There is a very special announcement at the end of this chapter.
Michael "TheZorch" Haney's
"Beneath A Crimson Sky 2"
Chapter 4
Nothing happened for the next three weeks since Master Lee's visit. Ranma, Nabiki and Akane continued to go to school. For Ranma it was more to keep up appearances, he didn't need the education, but he wanted to stay as close to Nabiki and Akane was possible. Akane because she was still very young and was still learning to control the thirst, and Nabiki because he wanted to protect her. John and Sanangi both worked to fortify the wards protecting the Tendo household. As it was, not even an army of one thousand infernal lords would be able to breach the roofed privacy wall. Ranma kept the slayer on him at all times, tucked away into hammerspace. In all that time the Russian remained absent, and Ranma liked it that way.
His father continued to work at Ukyo's okonomiyaki cafe during the day, and accord to Ukyo he was actually doing a really good job. Business was up and so was her revenue stream. Taking inflation into account, what Genma owed her family would be paid off in a few months. Ranma, himself, continued to give money to Nabiki for the family expenses. They weren't struggling to pay the bills anymore. Nabiki still ran her operations at the school, but now Ranma was involved in those dealings. He didn't mind, it gave him something to do and he was able stay close to her. It was obvious now to everyone paying attention that they were a couple. This revelation, that the infamous Ice Queen of Furinkan High, the Tendo Mercenary, was the talk of the school.
Then, one night, John stepped out onto the engawa, the porch that wrapped around the house and heard a distant sound that made the hairs on the back his neck stand up on end. Sanangi joined him, her sharp ears probing until she heard it too.
"Blimey, that is not what I think it is, is it?" he asked, really hoping he was wrong.
"Hard to tell, love, it is very far away," Sanangi mused, eyes closed in thought. "We should go and investigate, though."
"Oh sugar," he turned back toward the house. "I'll go get Ranma and Akane." A moment later they were all standing on the roofed privacy wall listening. The sound came again, still very distant, but getting closer.
"What is that?" Akane asked, pointing in the general direction of the sound. Greater Tokyo was in that direction.
Sanangi replied, "Something extremely unpleasant, love."
"That a big bloody understatement, Sheila." John looked at her.
Ranma looked at them curiously, "Sounds like an animal, what is it?" The noise was an animalistic roar, deep throated, and menacing. Human ears at this distance couldn't hear it, but their enhanced vampiric senses were picking it up.
"Bloody corrupted gargoyle, vile things." John said.
This startle Ranma a bit. "I thought gargoyles were protectors." They certainly looked demonic, but gargoyles were protective creatures. During the day they looked like stone statues, but it was a ruse. At any moment they could awaken and attack, and usually only did so when there was great danger nearby. His thoughts quickly wandered the what Master Lee had said, and wondered if they were responding to the presence of the Malevolence.
"Normally they are, but they can be turned into creature of darkness." Sanangi replied.
"I'm no expert, but doesn't that require some significant knowledge of dark magic?" she nodded in answer. He was really happy he had that slayer handy right now. What little he read about corrupted gargoyles told him he really didn't want to face one without being able to defend himself.
"Aye, mate, very dark magic." said John, adding his own two yen.
"Hey, what's going on?" Ranma turned to regard Nabiki who looked up at them from the yard.
He waved towards the house. "Go back inside and close the doors, don't open them until we come back." Her response was to look up at him with "that" look and put her hands on her hips.
Sanangi added, "Tell Kasumi to light the incense I gave her, put it in the family room and stay near it. No matter what you hear do not go back outside." That made the girl's face pale a bit.
"What's happening?" she was looking really worried now.
Ranma didn't want to keep her in the dark, but he didn't want to frighten her either but she'd be more appreciative of the truth. "There are monsters about, seriously dangerous ones," he told her. "So, please, stay inside, the wards on the house will protect you, Kasumi, pops and your dad, and the incense will keep them away too."
"Ok, please be careful." she nodded and ran for the house. He watched until she closed the shoji door on the engawa and then turned back to the view of Nerima at night.
"Akane, you will stay by my side," Sanangi explained, her tone brooked no argument. "If we fight them do not go off on your own, stay with me at all times and do only what I tell you."
Akane scowled, "I can fight too sensei, I don't have a slayer but I do have this." She produced a huge sledgehammer from hammerspace that she waved around like it weighed nothing.
Sanangi turned on her. "This is not a game, this is not training, this is an enemy that is far beyond you, these things can kill vampires with a single swipe of a claw, so you will do as you are told or you will stay here with your sisters!" Akane cowered and nodded.
"I'm sorry, sensei, I'll do whatever you say, please don't leave me behind!" she pleaded.
Sanangi reached for her hammer, "Give me that." Akane didn't protest and handed the sledgehammer over. Sanangi ran a finger along the wooden shaft of the weapon, inscribing runes in golden light, then moved on to the large steel head tracing more intricate patterns. When she finished, the runes and patterns faded, and she handed it back to the youngest Tendo.
"There, it was useless unenchanted," she told her. "Most that would have done otherwise is maybe make a loud noise, now at least you stand a chance. It's not as powerful as a slayer, and it isn't unbreakable, but it is stronger now." Akane smiled gleefully and hugged the weapon to her chest.
"Thank you, sensei." she replied.
The sound came again, louder now. "We'd better get moving." Ranma said, and leapt into the night. Without a word the others joined him, taking to the sky and soared above the rooftops of Nerima. The sound was coming from the direction of Tokyo proper, they had a long way to go, so they poured on the speed.
Baron stepped out onto the hotel balcony, he heard the distant noise over the sound of humanity and frowned. He knew exactly what he was hearing and he didn't like it. It had been a really long time since he'd ever seen a monster the likes of this, and wondered where such a thing could have come from. He knew how they were made, and wondered what dark power on earth existed that was capable of making them.
The short, white haired lolita goth girl stepped out onto the balcony next to him. "Well, well, corrupted gargoyles, haven't seen their kind in a very long time." she said.
"Don't even think about it." he warned, knowing exactly what she was going to say next.
She just rolled her eyes at him, "So you're saying we should let them wandering around, do whatever they please?" He knew she had him right where she wanted him.
"Dammit." Baron sighed.
"Sometimes Aria, you are infuriating," he could see the knowing smile on her face widen. She latched onto his arm looking contented.
She purred, "You know you love me." He rolled his eyes this time, and walked back to into the hotel suite. They had preparations to make before going out in the night. The roar of the gargoyles grew louder.
The sound was much closer now, Ranma dove and landed on a rooftop. He pulled the slayer from hammerspace and unsheathed it. The runes of the katana shimmered bright in the darkness. He felt reassured having the powerful weapon in his hand. Sanangi had her warhammer out and John had his machete. On the distant skyline they could see the lights of the skyscrapers in downtown Tokyo proper, this was still a residential area, though a lot more built up than even Nerima.
There came a roar not far away and the crash, then the familiar sound they'd been tracking. Ranma took to the air again and others quickly joined him. Ahead they could hear sounds of a battle, someone was fighting the monsters, something big.
"What's that other sound?" Akane asked as the battle came into view. The gargoyles were creatures of living stone, they stood seven feet high with large wings, and long clawed arms. Something wasn't right about them, veils of black ran along their bodies, and large black crystals grew out of their back and different parts of their bodies. They moved quickly, the noise that issued from their maws sounded more like a cry of agony than a menacing roar. Ranma actually pitied them, they looked like they were suffering, which was probably true.
"There!" Sanangi pointed and dove. Slumped against a building lay a large creature. It was covered in dark fur that was slick with blood. It looked up as they dove to the street, turn a large wolf like head to regard them with it's eyes.
"Sasha, is that you?" Sanangi moved in to help the creature, the werewolf didn't protest.
"Sa...Sanangi, be….be careful, corrup...corrupted…" the werewolf tried to speak but Sanangi put a hand over its muzzle.
"I know, don't move, we'll take care of this." she swirled around and lifted her hammer.
"Akane stay beside me, help me protect her!" Akane nodded. Ranma readied himself as the creatures came rushing in. He raised his sword and gave a samurai battle cry as he dove into the fray.
Steel clashed against livingstone and sparks flew. It took all of Ranma's fighting instincts, reflexes and training to defect the monster's darting claws. One deep swipe of the chest or a blow that took his head and he's be a pile of ashes on the ground. These were the deadliest enemies he has ever fought, one mistake and it was over. No second chances, no Saotome Special Attack to run away and restrategise. His mind was focused on one thing, survive and kill the thing in front of him. He didn't have time to think about anything else.
A feral cry issued from Ranma's throat, he batted away the monsters claws creating an opening and he took it. The slayer cut into the creature's stone body without any resistance. It was like cutting through soft butter. The corrupted gargoyle howled its last, cracks formed across it's body and then it crumbled into rubble. The next monster didn't give him time to celebrate his victory, it set upon him almost instantly, and then the dance of death was renewed. On his side John was faring just as well, his first opponent lay as a pile of rubble on the ground, and now he was facing the next monster.
More were coming, soon they'd be surrounded. Sanangi counted over a dozen, they were way over their head. She tried to think of what they could do while also keeping the creatures from reaching the werewolf. Suddenly, arrows of golden, shimmering light rained down on some of the oncoming gargoyles. The missiles of light exploded upon impact shattering arms, legs and wings, and sent the creatures flying as they cried out in pain.
A young man on gossamer wings of golden light landed between them and the oncoming horde. The wings looked like a cross between those of a butterfly and a bird of prey, they were large and majestic, and powerful. They beat once kicking up a gust that knocked several monsters off their feet, just enough time for him to raise his bow. The weapon was comprised of the same golden, sparkling light, he didn't need arrows, they appear as he pulled back the string, and let them fly. In rapid succession like a true to life Legolas, the young man let loose several arrows that hit their marks perfectly.
"Aria!" he man yelled.
Out of nowhere, a young girl appeared. She was younger and shorter than the man with wings, her hair snow white. She wore a black lolita goth dress with white stockings and a black bow that gathered her hair into a ponytail. She was beautiful for a girl her age, it almost hurt to look at her.
She moved in front of the man with golden wings, place herself between him and the enraged corrupted gargoyles. She didn't seem frightened or even concerned as the deadly creatures rushed towards them. All she did was raise her hand and sweep it in the general direction of the monsters.
"Begone." the girl said softly, in that instant the monsters stopped. Their bodies instantly crumbled where they stood. The opponents Ranma, John, and Akane were facing all crumbled as well. The fight was over just like that.
Ranma panted, "Whoa, what just happened?"
"Sasha, Sasha, stay with me, don't you dare die on me!" he whirled to see Sanangi running her hands over the fallen werewolf, the glow of her divinely given healing powers emanating from her fingers.
"I can save her." Ranma turned to see the young girl approach. She knelt next to the collapsed werewolf and her body began to glow. The werewolf shrank, return to human form, revealing it to be a woman. The man wounds on her body were healing up quickly in the light shining from the little girl.
"Thank you." Sanangi thanked her and waited. Sasha soon opened her eyes, they moved from the glowing child to Sanangi's concerned face.
"Sanangi, it was an ambush, I got careless." Sanangi nodded. The woman spoke fluent Japanese but her voice was heavily accented, definitely Russian.
"You are fortunate, these wound would have been fatal otherwise." said Aria.
"Ambushed by whom?" Sanangi asked her.
"The better question is, who or what corrupted those gargoyles?" the young man with the bow, walked up, his wings were gone now. Ranma noticed that he wasn't that much older than himself, maybe a couple of years older, and he wore glasses.
"Aye, no hack sorcerer could have done it, turning that many takes bloody serious dark magic." John said.
"Vlad Dracul," said Sasha. "He made them."
That startled Sanangi, "Dracula!? Are you saying he's here, in Japan!?"
"Dracula is real?" Akane looked around, surprised. Ranma rolled his eyes at him.
Sanangi answered her question. "He's from an ancient race of primordial vampire that predates the appearance of our kind."
Aria stood, the glow slowly fading. "That would make all of you Revenants, the children of Lilith, wife of Cain the first Nosferatu." Sanangi nodded. Akane just looked confused. Ranma had only heard some of this story before.
"I'm confused," Akane looked around. "What?"
"We'll explain later." Sanangi told her.
"If he's here then the Moon Clan is here too." she helped Sasha stand on her feet, then realized for the first time the woman was naked. After shooting them an angry look, Ranma, John, and Baron all turned around. Sasha touched a amulet hung from a chain around her neck, and new clothes magically appeared around her.
"Now that's handy!" Akane was impressed. Sanangi signaled the men it was ok to turn back around.
"Yes, we tracked him to Siberia," said Sasha. "He set up in an old abandoned Soviet gulag near Bira, but we found him and he ran. We tracked him to Vladivostok, across the border to North Korea, then across the sea to Hokkaido, and finally here to Tokyo. She is here too, with the Earth Clan, he has nowhere left to run."
"You mean Princess Mina Tepes, his granddaughter, she's here too?" Sasha nodded.
Ranma scratched the back of his head, "Well, this all suddenly turned complicated."
"Aria, we should go." Baron said but Aria shook her head.
"This is our place now, we are where we need to be." Ranma could tell the young man wanted to protest, but he gave in and just nodded.
"Well, if Vlad Dracula is in town then that means we also need to find him too." said Ranma.
"So, what's the deal with Dracula anyway, why are people hunting him?" Akane asked.
Sanangi answered, "He's a monster, love, even among his own kind. Two hundred years ago he attempted a coup against the royal family that resulted in the death of their queen. He promotes an ideology that suggests vampires should control the world, and that humans should be treated as nothing but cattle, raised in breeding farms. Ever since, he's been on the run from his own kind, from the Moon Clan, and from our order."
"You are from the Crimson Circle then, makes sense I guess." Baron said, realizing the obvious.
The sound of sirens in the distance told him that maybe it was time to leave. The decisions was made to regroup at the Tendo dojo. Aria as insistent that they come along as well. Before the first Nihon police car and emergency first responder appeared they were long gone.
Watching from a nearby rooftop, Princess Mina Tepes wondered out loud, "Four Revenants from the Crimson Circle, a warrior maiden of the Moon Clan, a vila-fey of royal blood, and a child goddess. This is starting to get interesting."
"What should we do from here, your majesty?" Vera asked, standing at her side.
"Watch them for now," Mina said. "Our goals are currently similar, but I suspect there's something more to this. Especially with her involved."
"You mean Aria the Silver Fire." Mina nodded.
She said, "We're being brought together, and I suspect it's for something more than just my insane grandfather. Especially if the news we received from China is true."
"Let's go." she turned away as the group below scattered. Police cars and emergency vehicles began to stream in, it wasn't long before the streets below were a media circus. They were long gone by the time police helicopters started scanning the nearby rooftops.
To be continued…
Special Announcement
"Beneath A Crimson Sky" is getting a spinoff series. The first chapter will come when it is ready. The story is called "Destiny's Wings", it is set 5 years before Ranma arrives at the Tendo dojo and tells the story of Baron and Aria. It will also be a crossover with another popular anime series called Love Hina, so please look forward to it. This story will give a lot of backstory into who Baron and Aria are, where they originally came from, and why they are here on Earth.