KSM: The Advent
Chapter 5: New Transfer Students!?
"NANI!?" Kat exclaimed as she stood up from her chair. The twins were having lunch with Takada at their apartment.
"New orders from HQ," he said, "You two are going to be transferred to Furinkan High to keep an eye on things there as well as the Celestial Knights. They could be valuable allies one day."
Leo nodded in agreement. It had been a week since they had met Ranma and found out he was Lunar and he found out they were the Advent Knights Draco and Mimic. However, this was still a little bit too sudden for them.
"But, this is just so sudden, Takada-san," Leo began.
"Your files have already been sent to Furinkan High so you better go there to register yourselves soon," Takada informed them. "Thanks for the food by the way. I'll be heading to Juuban now. See you two later." Before he left for the door he then said to them, "Oh, and by the way, about your living arrangements…"
--
"NANI!!"
--
Later…
The twins were outside their apartment building, standing next to their respective bikes. Kat was not a happy camper.
"I can't believe that bakayarou," Kat grumbled as she slung her bag over her back and strapped on her helmet. "Who the heck does he think he is arranging us to live there?"
"Takada-san is our superior, onee-chan," Leo reminded, "So he has every right to tell us where to go." He was checking the contents of his backpack as well before strapping on his own helmet.
Kat sighed. Her brother was loyal, too loyal at times, but he still had a point, "I know that, otouto-chan, but he still should've informed us before he had us transferred."
"Hai, I agree."
"Well, Ikuzo," Kat said before mounting her motorbike. Leo did the same. The twins then pulled their visors down over their eyes and raced down the road towards Nerima.
--
"RANMA NO BAKA!" Akane screeched as she chased after Ranma with a mallet aimed for his head.
"What did I do this time?" Ranma grumbled. As soon as Akane swung, he would be flung into LEO…or he would have if a motorbike hadn't swerved in between him and Akane, causing the mallet swinging girl to fall on her rear and losing grip on her mallet, which was sent sailing to another bike riding individual. The other person drew a bokken from his jacket and with several expert swings, sliced the mallet into pieces.
Ranma looked at the visor of the helmet of the person who had saved him from getting malleted and said, "Hey, thanks, but I could-"
"I know, Ranma," the person spoke with a female voice that Ranma easily recognized. The person pulled of her helmet and ran a hand through her hair. Ranma smiled. "Hey, long time no see."
"Hey, Kat," Ranma greeted.
"YOU!" Akane growled and Kat rolled her eyes.
"Oh, it's you, Princess," Kat said in a bored tone. "What now? You blaming something on Horsie-Boy again?"
Akane yelled and swung her fist but it was caught by someone. It wasn't Kat, however, but the other rider who began to remove his helmet.
"Okaasan said this; to attack in fits of rage makes men and women appear as beasts," he quoted. It was Leo and his eyes narrowed at Akane. He let go of her fist and said in introduction, "Leo Narukawa," before pulling up his goggles. "Konnichiwa. Hajimemashite."
Akane blinked in confusion. Just who was this guy? She barely even saw him before he just moved in between her fist and Kat.
"Otouto-chan, this is Princess," Kat said to Leo.
"My name is Akane!" Akane shouted out. Kat rolled her eyes.
"Yeah, whatever, Princess," Kat said, trying to ignore Akane's screeching voice. She turned to regard Ranma, "So, how's life been for you?"
"You know, same old, same old," Ranma said casually. "So, what brings you two to Nerima?"
"Well, we decided to see if it would be fun to live here," Kat replied. "From all the rumors, I think it would be quite an interesting experience."
"Onee-chan dragged me along with her," Leo added. "Okaasan said this; a new home brings new experiences and memories."
Ranma and Akane blinked.
"He quotes mama a lot," Kat said. "It's useful advice if you know what the hell he's talking about."
"So, he's your brother?" Akane pointed to Leo who was looking at the sky with a smile.
"Yep, that's him. He's kinda like the voice of reason between the two of us." Kat continued, "Anyway, my otouto-chan and I are going to go to school with you two." Akane frowned while Ranma smiled.
"That's great," Ranma said. "But where are you going to live?"
"With you, of course."
--
Akane grumbled, 'Great, now I'll be living with a hotheaded floozy and her weirdo brother.'
Kat and Leo, now without their helmets, were wheeling their bikes along next to Ranma and Akane towards the Tendo Dojo. They would've just ridden them but they were short on fuel. Besides, Leo seemed to enjoy the leisurely walk.
"It's so beautiful here," he admired.
"Is your brother okay?" Ranma whispered to Kat.
"Otouto-chan is a softie. He sees the good and beauty in a lot of things," Kat replied. "Okay, so he can get a little weird with those quotes of his but he's a nice guy to be around."
Kat frowned, 'A nice guy? He's a boy! All boys are perverts! He must be pretending to get my guard down. I'll show him!' She watched as Leo allowed a small bird to land on his finger and he cooed at it.
"Kawaii," Leo said before he let it fly away. "Um, Hime-san," Leo said to Akane and she froze in her tracks along with Kat and Ranma.
"What did you just call me?" Akane demanded and Leo repeated.
"I said 'Hime-san', is that not what my sister called you?" Leo said, blinking.
"It's Akane," Akane said firmly, "And don't try to butter me up; I know what you're planning!" She then stomped off and away.
"Was it something I said?" Leo asked his new friend and sister.
"Princess just has a huge stick shoved up her ass," Kat said. Leo eyes widened as he blushed.
"Onee-chan! That's so vulgar!"
"Your mom raised him, didn't she?" Ranma questioned Kat.
"Oh yeah, and he turned out this way," Kat said.
"Must be some lady," Ranma remarked.
"Oh yeah," Kat smiled.
The three teens turned another corner before seeing the Tendo Dojo. They could tell that Akane was already home because Ranma could hear her screaming and breaking cinder blocks in the yard. Both Kat and Leo blinked when they heard her going at it before turning to Ranma.
"She calls it training," Ranma explained. "She seems to think that breaking stuff with her bare hands makes her a better martial artist. It's the only training I've ever seen her do."
"Ano," Leo commented. "But that is only strength training. She has to train at other things too if she wants to be a good martial artist, like speed, reflexes, defense and agility."
"Try telling her that," Ranma sighed. "She's as thick as a brick and as stubborn as a mule sometimes."
"I told you Princess had a stick up her ass," Kat snickered.
"Onee-chan!" Leo cried in embarrassment.
Kat just laughed as she and her brother left their bikes inside the gates of the Tendo compound before stepping up to the front door. Ranma was the first to enter before Kat and then Leo followed from behind. As they slipped off their shoes, Kat recognized Kasumi stepping into the hall the greet them.
"Hello, Ranma," she smiled. "Oh, Kat, it's so good to see you again. Is this your brother?"
"Hai," Leo nodded before bowing. "My name is Ryuki Leonard Narukawa. I like to be called Leo. It's nice to meet you."
"Hello, Leo," Kasumi smiled brightly. "My name is Kasumi Tendo. Kat has told us so much about you."
"Kat and Leo are here about that ad Nabiki put in the paper," Ranma explained. "The one about boarders?"
"Oh yes," Kasumi nodded. "Akane wasn't very happy when Nabiki announced that. She's out in the living room with her lunch. She's still a little jumpy so please don't surprise her, Ranma."
"Sure," Ranma nodded before he turned to Kat and Leo. "Right this way. Nabiki's the moneymaker in this house so if she's offering a deal I suggest you take it. She's all about the money ever since I met her."
"She the mercenary I kept hearing about at Ucchan's?" asked Kat.
"Mercenary?" asked Leo in confusion.
"That's her," Ranma nodded as he led the siblings through the house. "Since the school won't let students get jobs she has to do other things to raise some money to keep the family off the streets. It sure didn't help when me and Pop got here. Mr. Tendo won't let us pay rent or anything and Pop freeloads like there's no tomorrow."
"That's not right," Leo frowned. "Everyone has to help pitch in."
"I help out with betting pools since I get into so many fights with my rivals and other challengers," Ranma replied. "Unfortunately, the rivals sometimes come here and tear down a wall or two before I can get rid of 'em. I don't know how Nabiki keeps up."
The three teens stepped into another room where another girl was sitting and watching the television. She had a small meal in front of her and she was dressed in a sweater and jeans. She looked like she hadn't been sleeping well lately but was on the road to recovery. She was absently picking through her food while brushing hair out of her eyes from her pageboy haircut.
"Nabiki?" Ranma asked, catching the girl's attention. "You got someone asking about that ad you put out for boarders."
"Huh?" Nabiki blinked before her mental motors came back online and she smiled. "Oh, great. Just take a seat in front of me."
Kat and Leo both took a seat in front of Nabiki as she looked over the two of them. Despite her world being rocked after getting attacked by a Star Beast, Nabiki was recovering nicely and had already regained her sharp mind and wit. Her sleep had been disturbed by nightmares so she had been staying home for the last couple of days, sending orders to her lackeys via Akane. As she looked over both Leo and Kat, she soon made some guesses.
Kat was a lot like Ranma in terms of her confidence and power. The girl was definitely a fighter and Nabiki could tell that she was darn proud of it. Leo was more like Ranma's sense of honor. He seemed very innocent in her eyes but still showed having experience. She noticed some marks on his hands which hinted that he knew kendo or something else that needed two hands on a stick to use. Both of them seemed like they weren't going to cause any real trouble.
"Okay," Nabiki began. "No doubt you heard about Ranma's reputation by now so you can probably guess why I'm doing this."
"Hai," Leo nodded. "But, if you are supplementing the budget, won't two more people strain it even more?"
"That would be true," Nabiki nodded. "But you two are going to be paying rent. My only real question is how will you be paying for said rent?"
"Here," Kat replied as she pulled a business card out of her pocket and handed it to Nabiki. "Call the number on there and they'll handle everything."
Nabiki read over the card and her eyes widened before looking back at the two, "You have got to be kidding! This is for the finances department for the Smart Brain Corporation! You honestly don't expect me to believe that you two work for them."
"What's Smart Brain?" asked Ranma.
"Sometimes you are so clueless, Ranma," Nabiki sighed. "Smart Brain is the leader of everything technological these days. It makes billions of yen everyday! Just how did you two get a job with them?"
"We do product testing," Kat replied without hesitation, proving how good at lying she was. "Since most schools don't allow their students to have jobs we are considered volunteers. Smart Brain just gives us an expense budget instead. We just get to use it any way we want."
"Hmm," Nabiki pondered as she replayed the reply in her mind. It rung a few bells true but she could tell that Kat was lying. She wasn't sure about what but she couldn't afford to shrug the two off at the moment. If they were backed up by Smart Brain then they would have some serious cash on them. Just one thing was on her mind. "How did you two get jobs there anyhow?"
"That is a secret, Merc," Kat smirked, winking with a finger wagging.
"Merc?" asked Ranma.
"Short for mercenary," Kat explained. "I think it sounds nicer."
At Nabiki's slightly confused expression, Leo decided to explain, "Onee-chan has nicknames for everyone. Not everyone likes them though."
Nabiki nodded as she pondered what secret Kat and Leo might be hiding. Considering that this was Smart Brain she was dealing with then she would have to tread carefully. This was no high school kid or some guy looking for a bet. This was the big games. If she wasn't careful then she would be dealing with a very angry and powerful enemy. On the other hand though, if she played her cards right then she could hit the mother load and not have to worry about the budget for some time to come. She would have to look into this later. Right now she had a cash cow to secure.
"Well, if this is legitimate then I guess we can set this up," Nabiki sighed.
"Ano, Nabiki-san?" Leo asked. "Where will Onee-chan and I be sleeping?"
"The guest room of course," Nabiki smiled.
"Hey, wait a sec!" Ranma butted in. "Pop and I sleep in there! There's not enough room in there for four!"
"That's why you and your father will be sleeping in the dojo," Nabiki replied nonchalantly. "Since you practically spend all your time in there when you're home anyway. Besides, Leo and Kat are paying guests and tenants. Only the best for them."
"I think you and I are going to get along just fine, Merc," Kat smiled before turning to Ranma. "Sorry, Horsie-Boy, we are paying tenants after all."
"Gomen nasai, Ranma-san," Leo bowed in apology.
Ranma just grumbled to himself.
--
Neither Soun nor Genma were home so it made moving in for the twins that much easier. Soun probably wouldn't have made that much of a fuss over them moving in but Genma would have raised hell for it. If it was one thing the man was passionate about besides martial arts, and using Ranma to get stuff for free, it was keeping those free comforts at all costs.
"Gomen nasai, Ranma-san," Leo apologized again as he and Kat helped him pack his and his father's things.
"It's no problem, Leo," Ranma smiled. "I sometimes slept out in the dojo anyway. It has more room and I don't have to listen to Pop snoring like a chainsaw."
"Yeah, otouto-chan," Kat grinned. "Horsie-boy said he didn't mind so just relax already, will ya?"
Leo frowned, still not feeling better about it until a small oinking noise caught everyone's attention. They looked down to see a small black piglet wandering into the room with a yellow and black bandanna tied around its neck. It looked confused at seeing not only Kat and Leo in the room, but at actually being in the room as well.
"Kawaii!" Leo cried before he caught the piglet in a hug. The little porker squirmed and oinked loudly in protest but Leo didn't seem to hear it.
Ranma could barely keep in his laughter at seeing the sight. 'P-chan' had no doubt gotten lost and ended up in the house again. Well, it was high time to see how he would react to someone else besides Akane hugging him. Well, a guy hugging him anyway.
"He's so kawaii!" Leo smiled as he continued to hug the piglet. "Is he yours, Ranma-san?"
"He's mine!" came an enraged voice from the doorway and everyone turned to see Akane still mad and glaring at them. "So give me back P-chan!"
"Oh, gomen, Akane-san," Leo apologized as he held out the black piglet. "I sometimes lose control around cute things."
"Hmph," Akane frowned disbelievingly. She took the piglet back gently and cradled him in her arms. "Are you okay P-chan? Did the mean boy hurt you?"
"Nani?" Leo blinked, not sure if he should feel some kind of resentment or not.
"Ernk," P-chan oinked while shaking his head slightly. It didn't escape Kat's notice that it had a sparkle in its eyes when it was gazing up at her. She also felt a weird vibe coming from the pig.
Akane just continued to coo over the tiny porker as she left the room. Ranma might have been angry with the pig at one point but lately he found it less and less annoying. He had tried for over a year to get Akane to clue in on Ryouga's secret but being as thick as a brick, she never caught on. Lately with his feelings waning it was becoming less and less of a big deal.
"So Princess is actually capable of being nice," Kat observed. "That's nice to know."
"Yeah," Ranma sighed. "Her temper has been getting worse lately. I don't know what to do. Between me and the others getting more exposure as Knights and the fiancées getting more desperate, she's constantly getting angry and taking it out on me."
"Shouldn't you tell your father or something Ranma-san?" asked Leo. "If Akane is acting this way then she is most likely unsuitable for the engagement."
"Try telling Pop and Mr. Tendo that," Ranma snorted. "They're obsessed with getting me married to her."
"What about your mom then?" asked Kat. "Couldn't she do something?"
"She would," Ranma nodded. "If she saw anything wrong. She hasn't been by much since the wedding and if I go to her somehow the fiancées will find out and follow. I can't ever seem to just get a moment of peace with her."
"I see," Leo nodded. "Well, maybe you should try to see her in secret then. That way no one will know where you are going."
"I could," Ranma nodded. "But you would be surprised how fast information travels around here even if you want to keep it a secret."
A depressed feeling seemed to fill the room. Kat had told Leo what she had learned about Ranma but actually hearing it from the horse's (no pun intended) mouth was something else altogether. Ranma seemed like such a nice person for his life had turned out this way.
--
Genma and Soun had both came back to the dojo in somewhat high spirits. They weren't totally blitzed like some nights but it was just enough to make them feel optimistic. They had spent most of the night either drinking or coming up plots to get Genma's 'ungrateful son' married to his 'gentle and loving fiancée', a heavy emphasis on the latter. Genma had gotten caught by a broken fire hydrant which sprayed him so now he was a large panda. Strangely enough, everyone in Nerima had taken this as the usual nowadays.
"The schools will finally be joined Saotome!" Soun cheered brightly. "The new plan is perfect!"
"It sure is Tendo," Genma signed. "The boy and his fiancée will thank us for this one day!"
"Quite right, Saotome!" Soun agreed. He then started to smell something. "Hmm, Kasumi must have started dinner already. I wonder what she is making."
The not-so-dynamic duo walked over to the kitchen and leaned inside to see what they thought to be the eldest Tendo girl to be doing. What they saw instead was something else entirely. They found that a boy with a long braid was leaning over the stove and was tending a number of pots that were cooking their contents and emitting the nice smell. Genma had started drooling when he caught wind of it. Soun blinked in slight confusion before he decided to get to the bottom of this.
"Excuse me, young man," he spoke. "But who are you and what are you doing in my kitchen?"
"Oh!" Leo blinked as he turned to face the man and the panda. "Excuse me, Tendo-sama. My name is Ryuki Leonard Narukawa. I am one of the boarders your daughter Nabiki advertised for. As for what I am doing, well, I am making dinner for everyone. If you could wait for a few minutes, dinner will be ready soon."
"But...where is my daughter Kasumi?" asked Soun. "She usually makes dinner."
"Well, Kasumi-san seemed to be working so hard all day so I offered to make dinner," Leo explained. "She refused at first but I insisted."
"Foolish Boy!" Genma signed and flipped it over. "Don't you know that it is the woman's job to cook!?"
"You must be Ranma-san's father," Leo frowned slightly. "What you said might have been true over a century ago but this is the twenty first century. Women and men are seen as equals now. Since you were on a training trip for the last ten years I'm not surprised you missed the notice."
Genma frowned as best as a panda could but didn't say much else. Soun seemed mildly impressed by the boy's words. He had never met young men his age who were that well-spoken, especially when they had to face a tirade from Genma.
"So, Ryuki-kun," Soun spoke up. "If you are here then where is my daughter?"
"I believe that Kasumi-san is enjoying some of my tea in the living room," Leo answered. "And please, Tendo-sama, call me Leo. Everyone else does."
While the two were talking, Genma had walked into the kitchen before he started reaching for some of the food that Leo was cooking. In a flash, Leo had drawn his bokken from his jacket and smacked Genma's paw, forcing the panda to draw back his arm and rub it.
"Dinner will be served in a few minutes," Leo frowned. "I'm sure you can wait until then."
"Boy! I am a martial artist!" Genma signed angrily before flipping the sign over. "My body needs (lots of energy to function properly!"
"I am aware of that, Saotome-san," Leo replied. "I am a martial artist too. I also know that martial artists practice patience and discipline. I am sure that wouldn't be too difficult for you."
Genma was caught in a technicality now. If the boy really was a martial artist then he would most likely know a lot about how the Art worked. Ranma did too but he never clued in on how he could trump Genma on it. Leo had no such blind spot and he was willing to use it. Genma looked to his long-time friend for support but only found him nodding in agreement with Leo. Knowing that the kitchen would not be the best place to try and trump Leo, for fear of ruining all the food, Genma accepted his 'temporary setback' and left the room. Soun bowed slightly to Leo before he followed his friend.
Both men continued down the hall into the living room and found that Kasumi, Nabiki, and Kat were making conversation. Kasumi looked up to see her father and greeted him with her own serene smile.
"Hello, father. We have some long term guests staying with us. I hope you don't mind," she spoke.
"Not at all," Soun replied before turning to the newest girl in the household. "Hello again, Kat. I just met your brother down the hall. He seems like a nice young man."
"That's my otouto-chan," Kat smirked. "He's always polite to a fault. Why, he pretty much invaded the kitchen and left poor Kasumi here to have fun with us."
"He was very insistent," Kasumi giggled. "I must admit that I am curious in tasting his cooking though."
"You won't regret it, Angel," Kat grinned. "He's one of the best there is, but I'm sure you could give him a run for his money."
"He must be good if you can compare him to Kasumi," Nabiki agreed. "This is something I'll have to taste for myself."
"His tea is simply superb," Kasumi added. "He said he'd even teach me the recipe too."
"What kind of (flip) man is this (flip) boy? Doesn't he (flip) have any pride?!" Genma signed angrily.
"My otouto-chan takes pride in the fact that he can cook so well," Kat frowned. "Anything he cooks is in high demand back at out old school. He was famous for it."
"Oh my!" Kasumi gasped. "Do you think he'd like to trade recipes?"
"Maybe," Kat shrugged. "You'll have to ask him," She then stood up and began heading for the dojo. "I'll go see what Ranma's doing. I wonder if he'd like to spar?"
Soun and Genma both sat down at their familiar Shogi board and began setting up the pieces to begin playing (i.e. cheating) another game. Nabiki, who had been dying to tell Genma the news she had ready for him all day, waited for him to get comfortable before she dropped the bomb.
"Oh yeah, Saotome," she spoke up. "Since Leo and Kat are going to be living with us for a while, you and Ranma are going to be sleeping in the dojo."
"WHAT?!" Genma signed in anger.
--
"Hah!" Kat smirked victoriously. "I win! Take that Horsie-boy!"
"No fair!" Ranma groaned. "I had some dust in my eye! Rematch!"
Kat took that as a challenge and sat back down in front of Ranma for another staring contest. Kat had decided to forgo sparring since she witnessed Ranma going at his katas with determination and decided to have fun with the boy. She then challenged him to a staring match but it didn't last too long before Ranma blinked. Either it really was dust or he just couldn't keep still without moving something for more than thirty seconds. Even if he had lost, Ranma found that he was enjoying the game. He hadn't had fun like this very often.
"You are on, Horsie-boy!" Kat smirked before sitting down again.
Before they could begin though, the doors to the dojo slammed open to reveal an angry Genma in human form with still steaming water covering him.
"BOY!" he shouted while stomping in. "How dare you just let this girl and her weak brother take our room!? Have you no courage?!"
Kat ticked slightly at hearing her little brother being called weak. Ranma noticed this and began eyeing the door which his father had left open, marking it as an escape route in case Kat really blew her top.
"Gee, Pop," Ranma growled. "Kat and Leo are the ones who are paying for their stay while we just freeload here! I think they deserve some comfort! Besides, I sleep in the dojo half the time anyway since you snore like a chainsaw!"
"Don't backtalk to me, boy!" Genma frowned. "We had that room first so it's ours! Now I demand that you go back into the house with our things and take back our room!"
"Oh so you just expect me to take care of all your problems, huh?" Ranma growled. "I'd like to see you make me!"
"Boy!" Genma bellowed. "I am your father and I expect you to do as I say! Now go in there and take back our room from that weak boy and his sister!"
"SHUT UP!"
Genma blinked as he turned to the fuming Kat as Ranma slowly backed away from ground zero of the impending explosion.
"My otouto-chan is not weak, you fat moron!" Kat growled. "Besides, we are paying for our stay here and there's not much you can say in matters of the household! You are just as much a guest here as we are! Who are you to decided who gets what room?!"
"Soun and I have trained together for years!" Genma stated loudly. "He's my best friend, therefore my needs should take priority over yours!"
"What your needs are don't matter you fat, greedy, lazy, stupid, moron!" Kat fumed.
"You're just lucky you're girl!" Genma growled. "Otherwise I'd teach you some real manners."
"Oh, so you don't respect me because I'm a woman huh?" Kat hissed. "Well, let me teach you some manners instead!"
Now, something that anyone who knew of Kat's history and what her activities were would pick up on a few things as they got to know her. She was definitely skilled when it came to martial arts and she was a rather powerful one even before she was chosen to be an Advent Knight. Her strength only increased after she started fighting Beast Spirits because she needed to get stronger to actually hurt them and get used to the added weight the armor put on her. Her speed and endurance also rose from these activities, not to mention that she got a lot of practice due to said activities. In short, Genma never knew what hit him.
Ranma watched in fascination as he watched Kat pound on his father. He had to admit, she was really good. Some of the maneuvers and techniques that she was pulling off were rather advanced. She was pulling off all sorts of moves and she only looked slightly winded which gave him an idea to her endurance level. The way his father yelped or groaned after every punch also told him about her strength level. She was also proving to be pretty quick on her feet too. In all; an impressive performance.
"Onee-chan! Ranma-san! Dinner!" Leo called before stepping inside to see the beat down in progress. He watched for a moment before walking over to Ranma and standing next to him. "He called onee-chan weak because she's a girl, didn't he?"
"Yep," Ranma nodded. "Stupid panda never could take a hint. Even after she knocked him out in one punch last time she was here."
"I see," Leo nodded.
"She's pretty good though," Ranma admitted. "I'd say she's around Ucchan's level or so. Around here that's moderate but it's still enough to beat down the panda. He's getting slow in his old age."
"Onee-chan will be happy to hear that," Leo smiled. "She loves challenges and getting stronger because of them."
"What do ya know," Ranma smirked. "So do I."
--
Dinner had been rather peaceful since Genma was practically comatose and out in the dojo. Kat had felt much better after and just continued to chat with the two older girls while Leo and Ranma talked about their own guy things. Akane kept to herself and didn't talk to anyone. She kept sending suspicious looks at Leo and glared at Ranma whenever he started talking to Kat. Soun found it to be a pleasant experience to have some new faces in the house.
The next morning brought early risers out of bed to get their daily rituals done before school started. Ranma found himself brushing his teeth next to Leo.
"Has your father woken up yet?" Leo asked.
"Nah," Ranma replied with a shrug "Suits me just fine. I'd rather not get thrown into the pond every morning anyway. He looks better though."
"That's good," Leo nodded. "Does your school have a uniform rule? We weren't told anything by our superior about it."
"Well, they do have uniforms," Ranma confirmed. "They just don't hold anyone to it. Kuno goes around in his kendo outfit and I wear my normal clothes all the time. Heck, Ucchan wears a boys' uniform to school."
"Hnn," Leo mumbled as he continued brushing. "I guess I don't have to worry then."
As the boys were cleaning their teeth, Nabiki, Akane, and Kat were all seated at the table eating. Nabiki was still having nightmares so Kasumi made her stay home again. Akane was already in her uniform and ready for school.
"Don't you have a uniform?" Akane asked stiffly of Kat.
"Princess, you won't catch me dead in a skirt unless I think it's important," Kat smirked. "Even then I'd be reluctant."
"The school might have something to say about it," Nabiki remarked from the paper she was reading.
"If it's such a big deal then I'll just wear a boys' uniform," Kat shrugged. "Easily solved."
"Ranma! Leo!" Kasumi called gently, catching the girls' attention. "It's time to go!"
"Thanks Kasumi!" Ranma's voice could be heard calling back.
Kat sighed in resignation as she and Akane stood up. Nabiki finished popping some rice in her mouth before she turned to face one of her houseguests, "Oh yeah, Kat. You and Leo are already registered at the school. I handled everything for you. You just have to walk into class."
"Thanks, Merc," Kat nodded. "Do we owe you anything?"
"I'll take it out of your rent," Nabiki smiled as she turned back to her meal.
Ranma and Leo came to the bottom of the stairs before they went to the front door to get their shoes on alongside Akane and Kat. Kasumi handed them all their schoolbags before she sent them all off for the day.
"Have a good day, everyone!" she smiled pleasantly as they went.
"Arigato!" Leo called back as he and the others vanished from sight. "You too, Kasumi-san!"
"What a nice boy," Kasumi smiled as she stepped back into the house.
The group was making a rapid pace because they didn't want to be late for school. Both Kat and Leo weren't sure what their friends were talking about since they were pretty early for school. Deciding it was better not to ask until they saw for themselves, they remained silent. They had to stop for a moment since an old lady had splashed Ranma with water out of nowhere and activated his curse. After a brief visit to the local physician, Dr. Tofu, they were on their way again. Leo and Kat were still confused on why Akane and Ranma insisted on being early even though they had finally arrived with lots of time to spare.
"Hold, foul sorcerer!" a pompous voice called through the crowds of students.
"Onee-chan," Leo spoke up. "I think we have heard this voice before."
The crowd parted to reveal a boy wearing a kendo uniform. He was holding a bokken and was standing in an aggressive stance with his glare turned on Ranma.
"Today is the day that I, Tatewaki Kuno, shall release the pig-tailed girl and Akane Tendo from your vile clutches, Saotome! Then they shall be free to shower me with the affection they so desire to give to me!"
"Aw stuff it, Kuno!" Ranma sighed." Don't you ever get tired of this?"
"I shall never give up my quest to free my loves!" Kuno shouted loudly.
"So this is Kuno," Kat observed. "Who is he talking about when he says 'pig-tailed girl'?"
"He means Ranma's girl form," Akane sighed. "Except he's too stupid to notice that they're the same person."
"You mean...he wants Ranma as a girl but hates him as a boy?" Kat asked with a snicker bordering on laughter. "Oh that is rich!"
"It's not funny, onee-chan," Leo said to his sister, who was still trying to keep her laughter from bursting out into the world.
Kuno was all ready to attack Ranma once again, believing that this would be the day that he would defeat his hated rival and free his loves. That is, until he spied the two new students that had accompanied Ranma and Akane to school. The boy looked to be of no consequence to one as mighty as himself. Now, there was someone next to the boy who was well deserving of his attention.
"Hark!" Kuno cried. "A new goddess has descended upon the halls of Furinkan? Oh the gods are truly rewarding to one such as thee! I will date with her!"
Seemingly pulling a bouquet of roses out of nowhere, Kuno dashed straight up to Kat and presented them to her, "A token of affection to you my goddess!"
"Huh?" Kat blinked.
"Ahh, my stunning manliness has left you speechless," Kuno sighed dramatically. "I am used to such. I shall allow you to recover thyself while I introduce myself to you."
"Go ahead," Kat grimaced, not liking where this was going.
"I am Tatewaki Kuno!" the questionably sane swordsman spoke dramatically. "I am the kendo star of Furinkan High and also known as the Blur Thunder!"
After he spoke, the students had begun speaking around him.
"He kept the Blue Thunder name?"
"At least he can decide on that."
"Who's that new girl?"
"Forget her! Who's the boy? He's dreamy!"
Kat blinked at Kuno's introduction. Shouldn't someone like him be in a school for 'special people' or something? "Uh...okay. Well, my name's Neko Katherine Hasuma. I guess it's nice to meet you."
Kuno came out of his dramatic pose and planted himself in front of Kat again with his roses at the ready, "Ahh, the serene kitten. Please accept these roses as a token of my affection."
The four friends sweatdropped at Kuno's declaration. To Akane and Ranma, this was business as usual. Kuno was as fickle as they came so it really wasn't surprising that he would pull something like this. To Leo, he was beginning to wonder if Kuno would walk away unscathed from this encounter with his sister. Kat was finding the bokken wielding boy to be more and more annoying.
"Woah there, Bokken-boy," Kat frowned as she pushed Kuno's roses away. "We just met and you already give me roses? A little fast don't you think?"
"What?" Kuno gasped. "You do not accept my gift of affection? How can this be? No woman can resist my manly charms!"
"I can think of two off the top of my head who can," Kat frowned, now beginning to realize where the situation was heading.
"I see the truth!" Kuno snapped, getting angry. "That fiend Saotome has enslaved you! How many women will that fiend corrupt until he is satisfied? I shall smite him!"
Everyone as then expecting the usual scene of Ranma and Kuno fighting to ensue but to the delight of Nabiki's minions, something new happened that would have people scrambling to the betting tables.
"Wait!" Leo cried as he stepped forward. "Kuno-sempai, I do not know what makes you think that Ranma-san in influencing my onee-chan, but I can tell you that he is not!"
"What is this?" Kuno spoke as he lay eyes on Leo. "Saotome has even enlisted the help of my kitten's family in keeping her from her newfound love? I shall smite thee!"
"WHAT?!" Kat seethed. "Listen buddy, if lay one hand on my-!"
"Onee-chan," Leo commented seriously, catching his sister's attention. She saw him drawing his own bokken from his jacket and she knew what he was talking about. "Kuno-sempai has challenged me and as a samurai I must accept."
"So Saotome's minion has at least some honor," Kuno commented as he and Leo took ready stances. "I shall face you in honorable combat and when I win I shall be one step closer to freeing the fiery kitten!"
"I see," Leo continued to frown as he slipped his goggles onto his face. "Allow me to introduce myself, Kuno-sempai." All eyes had turned to Leo. The boys were curious while many of the girls listened in rapt attention. They very much wanted to hear the cute boy's name. "Okaasan said this; I am the man who shall slash his way into the future with his blade. I am Ryuki Leonard Narukawa. My friends call me Leo."
Both young men held their stances as they eyed each other. Everyone was either transfixed on the battle that was occurring in front of them or scrambling to the betting tables to place some bets on either Kuno or the new boy. Kat just stood at the sidelines alongside Akane and Ranma.
"Your brother is fighting Kuno!" Akane cried. "Don't you care if he gets hurt?"
"Of course I do," Kat sighed. "He's my otouto-chan. But I also know that my otouto-chan has adopted the way of the samurai. Granted, not as deeply as this loon but I would be disrespecting him and his skills if I tried to stop him from fighting his own battles. How do you think this fight stacks up, Horsie-boy?"
"Hmm," Ranma pondered, not used to being a spectator but the main event. "Well, Kuno's being his arrogant self again and doesn't seem to be taking this seriously since he never fought your brother before. Your brother on the other hand seems to almost look like a different person really. He's watching Kuno for any opening and keeping himself from leaving an opportunity to attack. Leo knows what he's doing."
The battle was still silent as both fighters had yet to move an inch. The wind blew a cloud of dust between the two, and suddenly it began.
"Attttaaaaaack!" Kuno roared as he charged forward with his weapon raised.
Leo remained silent as he likewise dashed forward. The two fighters met in the middle of their makeshift arena with their weapons creating a loud clatter. The force actually created a cloud of dust. Kuno and Leo were only still for a moment until they started striking at each other with accuracy and force. Everyone at the scene was rather surprised at the fight. They'd seen Kuno fight before but he usually beat down on his own members or opponents. That and Ranma made him look pathetic whenever he tried to pick a fight with him. Seeing him actually fight a real kendo artist was making people remember just how skilled he actually was.
"Foul knave!" Kuno growled as he stepped back from the fight. "I shall best thee and thy dark ways! Have at thee!"
Kuno unleashed a number of forwards strikes at a rapid pace that were aimed straight at Leo. Ranma remembered Kuno using that attack on him just after he started coming to Furinkan. He knew that if Leo wasn't careful then he would get seriously hurt. The attack had enough force to destroy stone.
Leo, apparently, had a good eye for attacks. Knowing that there were too many blows to merely block, he dashed to the side to avoid being struck. The air pressure from the attacks knocked down a few students though. They would be nursing bruises for a while. Leo saw this and his frown deepened.
"Kuno-sempai!" Leo shouted. "Watch your attacks! You just hurt a few students!"
"They are merely peasants!" Kuno shot back. "I am far above them! I am a samurai!"
Leo's frown deepened as he brought himself to a halt. A true samurai would not let innocent bystanders become hurt. Kuno turned to face him and charged yet again, aiming for an overhead strike. Leo knew that he had to end this because Kuno probably wasn't going to stop until he had won, or was defeated. Knowing that fact, Leo charged towards Kuno with an impressive amount of speed. Much to the surprise of everyone watching, he had let his left hand fall from the bokken. His body twisted as he brought back his weapon in preparation to strike.
"So it's come to this," Kat smirked.
"Huh?" Ranma and Akane blinked.
Leo reached the furthest point he could for bringing his sword back. He looked ahead and saw Kuno with his bokken coming down on him. Leo knew that he had to strike now or never.
"Reverse Do," Leo murmured under his breath before he struck.
The attack was so fast, no one save for Ranma and Kat had seen it properly. To the rest of the spectators, Leo was crouched slightly with his sword pointing away with Kuno reading to bash his head in with his own and the next, Kuno was sent skidding cross the ground and Leo had his weapon back in front of him, in the position of a completed swing. Kuno came to a halt after his little tumble and looked up to his opponent. Leo pulled his goggles from his eyes.
"That didn't hurt," Kuno mumbled before falling unconscious.
"You dishonor the name of samurai with your actions, Kuno-sempai," Leo frowned. "I would not like to be there when your actions catch up with you."
All was silent for a moment as the finality of the match sunk into everyone. Then, as if by a unanimous signal, the students began cheering loudly and began to close in on Leo to talk to him. Kat smiled as numerous girls asked him dozens of questions about himself and trying to get a date with him. Leo just blushed a bit, rubbing the back of his head in embarrassment. Ranma just smirked as he witnessed the attack and whistled in admiration.
"A Reverse Do," he smiled. "Leo must be good if he could pull one of those off."
"You know about it?" Kat asked in curiosity.
"Since when do you know anything about Kendo?" Akane asked with a frown.
"Mom's been teaching me about swords, remember?" Ranma replied before going into an explanation. "She said something about it being a really hard target to hit but if you get the chance, go for it."
"She'd be right," Kat nodded as she, Ranma, and Akane started walking for the front doors. "Otouto-chan said that in the old days, samurai would wear their swords on the left side so getting a hit there would be difficult since the swords would get in the way. Even today it's a hard part to hit. If the opponent's guard is weak thought, it's a prime target for someone like my otouto-chan."
"With the speed he used that attack though, I'd doubt he'd have trouble hitting it no matter what position his opponent is in," Ranma commented.
"It's true otouto-chan is able to use the move but I don't think he's completely mastered it yet," Kat frowned. "He's only ever used it when he had a prime opportunity for it."
"So it can be beaten?" Akane asked.
"Only if you can see it coming and have fast enough reflexes," Ranma frowned in thought. "Otherwise you're toast."
Akane frowned when she heard this. It sounded like Leo was actually better than her! No, that was just stupid! No one was better than her! Leo was probably just like Kuno. Get him away from his sword and he's totally helpless. She'd prove to herself that there still wasn't anyone better than her in all of Nerima!
Kat spied Akane's bout of reality versus denial and smirked. If she was planning on challenging her brother then she would learn pretty quick that Leo wasn't only skilled with a weapon, but without one as well.
--
"Class!" Hinako called out to her students. "We have new students joining us today!"
Both Kat and Leo blinked when they saw a ten-year old with long hair wearing a teacher's outfit sitting at the teachers' podium. Kat took several double-takes before she spied Ranma, who just shrugged. Apparently this was normal for him. Leo just thought that Hinako was some kind of child genius and didn't bat an eye at it. He was rather impressed to see that a child like her could keep a class of high school students in check.
"Please introduce yourselves," Hinako said to the twins as they stood at the front of the classroom.
"My name is Ryuki Leonard Narukawa," Leo smiled with a bow, causing giggles and excited whispers to erupt with the girls in the class. Even Hinako blushed and giggled a little like the small child she looked like. "Please, call me Leo."
"My name's Neko Katherine Hasuma," Kat introduced while she kept her hands on her hips. "Just call me Kat."
It didn't escape her notice that several boys were giving her 'the eye'. While it was rather flattering, she didn't like the degree which she was receiving it. The only boys who weren't using it were Ranma and two boys sitting near him at the back.
"Alright," Hinako nodded, coming out of her giggle fit. "Ryuki, you can take a seat at the empty desk near the back and Neko, you can sit near the end to the left."
"Hai, sensei," the twins nodded before they went to their seats. Leo was situated next to Ranma while Kat was seated directly in front of Akane. She could feel the raging girl staring holes into her back. Kat just shrugged it off and tried to pay attention.
Having Hinako as a teacher was...interesting. There were good things to learn, but only when her attention was on teaching. Whenever she spotted a student hiding some candy or manga, she would snatch it up before enjoying it for herself. Ranma or some other student would than have to snap her out of it so she could get back to teaching. In all, it was a seemingly regular day, well, until...
"I WILL NOT PERMIT THIS!!" came a very familiar cry of outrage.
Kuno came charging into the classroom in his usual training outfit and bokken at the ready. He looked incredibly angry and was searching the classroom wildly. Apparently someone had clued him in on the fact that Leo and Kat were living at the Tendo Dojo.
"I will not permit the fiery kitten to live with the likes of Saotome and his foul minion!" Kuno raged.
"Student Kuno!" Hinako snapped. "You will leave my classroom right now or I will punish you!"
"How does a ten-year old intend to punish someone like Kuno?" Kat asked Akane.
"Just watch," Akane sighed.
"I will not leave until I have freed my three loves!" Kuno continued to bellow.
"That's it!" Hinako frowned as she pulled out a five-yen coin and placing it between her fingers. "HAPPO FIVE-YEN ATTACK!"
Kuno then went down like a load of bricks. He seemed to be unconscious or just very much stunned. Hinako, on the other hand, went through an amazing change. Her body grew until it was the same as a twenty-year old woman. Her figure was like a model's but the clothes she had been wearing were stretched to the brink while her skirt was just decent enough to be called clothing.
The now grown-up Hinako proceeded to drag Kuno out into the hall. Kat and Leo both blinked in amazement at what they had just seen. Ranma decided to explain to Leo before he blew a mental fuse or something.
"Hinako has the ability to drain battle ki from people," he explained. "She uses it to punish who she thinks are delinquents."
"I love it when she does too," one of the male students grinned stupidly.
"Perverts," Akane growled angrily.
"On that note I'll agree," Kat huffed.
"Ano...don't those clothes she wear hurt?" Leo asked. "They were so tight and having a skirt that short must be embarrassing."
"You take one look at her and that's your first thought?!" one boy gaped. "Didn't you see how hot she is?!"
"She is attractive in that form I guess," Leo shrugged. "But, Okaasan said this; It is not polite to ogle a lady no matter how attractive she is."
The girls in the classroom giggled to each other, happy to finally meet a boy who wasn't a pervert or spoken for in Furinkan. The boys just gaped, wondering if Leo was all there in the head or not. Kat snickered, finding her brother's obliviousness funny while Akane frowned deeply, not believing a word he said. Hinako had reentered the room and conversation had ended, not wanting to suffer a Return Change Attack.
--
Lunchtime rolled around for the students and everyone dug in, happy for the break. Kat and Leo had decided to eat outside near one of the trees. Leo actually preferred it over the stuffy classroom. He had even brought a blanket to sit on so they didn't get dirty or anything.
"Well, otouto-chan," Kat smirked. "What did you make today?"
"See for yourself, onee-chan," Leo smiled as he brought out two bento boxes. Kat snatched one and opened it with a growing grin on her face. Her brother's cooking was always something to look forward to. She quickly dug in as did Leo. As they were eating though, Kat caught movement from the corner of her eye. Turning, she saw a group of girls spying on them. They all had smiles and were giggling quietly.
'It's the same here.' Kat grinned to herself. Back at their old school, lots of the girls wanted to get Leo as their boyfriend. The only problem was that he never really caught onto their intentions or advances. He just thought they were being nice.
"Hey, otouto-chan," Kat spoke up. "I'll be back in a minute. I want to see what Horsie-Boy is up to. Keep our spot safe."
"Hai, onee-chan," Leo nodded as Kat got up and left. Not even a minute after she had gone, the girls had swarmed in on him, all asking questions about him, wanting to share their lunch, or trying to ask him for a date. Leo started getting a familiar feeling like he had back at his old school, but he still couldn't figure out what it meant.
Kat eyed the spectacle for a moment before grinning. Walking to the other side of the school, she noticed Ranma sitting with two of his friends. One had slightly shaggy hair while the other had straighter hair. Deciding that it couldn't do any harm, she waltzed over to the trio.
"Hey Horsie-Boy," Kat smirked as she got near enough. Ranma turned to face her and his two friends began to grin.
"Hey, Kat," Ranma nodded. "What can I do for you?"
"Nothing much," Kat shrugged. "I'm letting the girls mob my brother so I need something to do. I've been trying to get him a girlfriend for what feels like forever. Who are your friends?"
"Oh," Ranma grinned. "The shaggy one is Hiroshi while the other is Daisuke. They're Celestial Knights like me."
"RANMA!" Hiroshi and Daisuke cried, amazed that he could just tell someone their secret like that.
"Relax, fellas," Kat laughed. "I'm an Advent Knight. We're all on the same boat here."
"Oh," Hiroshi sighed in relief. He then looked back at Kat. "Ranma told us about you and your brother. There's only one thing I want to know. How can your brother have so many girls after him and not have a girlfriend?"
"Yeah!" Daisuke nodded. "It'll be like when the other guys tried to beat Akane for a date! We'll be left with no date prospects if this keeps up!"
"Not my fault, guys," Kat snickered. "My otouto-chan is just oblivious when it comes to girls. Don't know why after some of the advances some girls had made on him. I just don't understand why he doesn't get it."
Before any of the boys could make their own guess, Kat's cell phone began to go off. She seemed to grow serious as she pulled it out. She pressed a few buttons before her frown deepened.
"What is it?" asked Hiroshi.
"Beast Spirit," Kat replied. "It's close too!"
"How close?" asked Ranma.
"Too close for a lot of people," Kat answered. "Feel like helping out, Celestial Knights?"
"Sure!" Daisuke grinned.
Back at the group of girls, Leo got the same alert. His face quickly grew serious as he began moving his way out of the group.
"Sumimasen, girls," Leo apologized. "But I have to deal with something. It's an emergency!"
As he ran off, the girls sighed with disappointment. They hadn't even gotten close to getting a date. Of course, seeing how friendly he was only made them more determined to try and snag him for themselves.
--
"So where is this thing exactly?" asked Ranma as he, Kat, Hiroshi, Daisuke, and Leo raced down the street.
"Not much farther!" Kat replied as she stared at her phone. The Knights turned the corner and soon found that it wasn't far at all.
The Beast Spirit was directly in front of them and it looked like it had just totaled a building. It was still standing but there were holes in the walls and flames licking at the floors. There were no people in sighed while furniture and overturned cars littered the street and sidewalk.
"Hey, I recognize this place!" Daisuke cried. "My mom comes here for checkups! It's a clinic!"
Hearing the voice, the Beast Spirit turned to face the people who had come to fight it. It was slightly hunched over with a visible hump on its back. It looked very well muscled and its arms were long with three-fingered hands wrapped in dirty bandages. Its legs were somewhat lanky with three-toed feet. Its head was disturbing with some kind of mask with dusty brown hair sticking out of it. Around its waist was a belt of some kind.
"Camel Beast Spirit," Leo frowned as he got ready for the impending fight.
"So that's a Beast Spirit," Ranma grimaced as he saw it. "Pretty ugly if you ask me."
"No arguments here," Kat snickered as she drew her buckle and Category Ace. "Let's do this."
"Right," Ranma nodded as he drew his white card case. Hiroshi took out a red one while Daisuke drew a blue one.
"Lunar Knight Power!"
"Aries Knight Power!"
"Poseidon Knight Power!"
"HENSHIN!"
The three boys were engulfed in white, red, and blue light before coming out donned in their armor. Leo and Kat didn't take the time to admire it since they had already put their belts on and slid the Category Ace into their slots.
"Henshin!" they cried.
"CHANGE SEIRYUU!"
"CHANGE SUZAKU!"
The fields of the phoenix and dragon engulfed the twins, leaving Mimic and Draco behind.
The Camel Beast Spirit didn't seem all that impressed. Instead, it gave off a battle roar and charge at the five Knights, hoping to crush them in one fell swoop. It didn't go as planned as the Celestial Knights leaped to the sides while the Advent Knights dodged before dashing past to get the Beast Spirit at the back. Draco drew his Dragon Fang while Mimic brought out the Suzaku Arrow. They slashed hard and caught the Beast Spirit, sending sparks off its tough skin. It stumbled forward only to meet Lunar with his sword and Poseidon with his axe. Both made a downward chop on either side of its head, making more sparks fly and it groaning in pain.
"Shoot Vent!" a voice cried before Poseidon and Lunar raced to the sides. Behind them was Aries, holding a rather long and large cannon. It seemed to be styled after his Star Beast's legs. Handles were on each end which allowed him to hold it properly.
"Fire in the hole!" Aries cried before firing at the Beast Spirit.
The shot hit the Beast Spirit dead on and sent it flying from the explosion it created. It landed several feet away with a loud thump. The Knights all gathered together to face their opponent. The Beast Spirit didn't seem to be deterred as it simply got back up again to face its enemies.
"This thing can sure take a beating," Lunar frowned.
"Beast Spirits are like that," Draco nodded.
"Let's see how tough that thing's skin is!" Poseidon called before drawing a card. He lifted the blade of his axe up to reveal a chamber where he slid his card into before closing it and placing the weapon on his belt again.
"Strike Vent!" the weapon called before two very large gauntlets that looked like tiger claws appeared on his arms. They had long claws which looked like they could cut through anything.
"Yaaaaahhh!" Poseidon cried as he charged to strike the Beast Spirit.
He slashed wildly at the creature and many of his attacks hit, making it cry in pain and send more sparks flying. The Beast Spirit did fight back by striking with its long arms. Poseidon was pushed back slightly from the force of the blows. He ducked underneath one large blow and stabbed the Beast Spirit in the abdomen, causing it to groan and stumble back.
"Okay," Poseidon breathed while drawing a new card. His hands were still free inside the gauntlets. "Time to end this before class starts up."
"Final Vent!" the axe called before a loud roar echoed through the air.
Wildstrype was soon seen dashing towards his contract holder. Poseidon took a ready stance before he leaped high into the air. Wildstype followed suit by jumping up behind him. As both were about to meet in mid-air, Wildstrype swatted at Poseidon with his paw, sending the Knight of Neptune sailing towards his opponent, claws first.
"Raging Tiger Claw!" he called as he slashed the Beast Spirit before skidding to a halt a few feet behind it.
The Beast Spirit was still for a moment before it cried out in pain as more sparks erupted from its body. A delayed reaction from the attack. It fell to the ground in a heap and appeared to be defeated.
"All right!" Mimic grinned as she drew a sealing card. "Now let's seal this thing and get back to school!"
Before she had a chance to actually seal the Beast Spirit, its body flashed a bright golden color for a brief second. After that, it got right back up on its feet again!
"Huh?" Aries gaped. "I thought we beat it!"
"I guess we didn't beat it enough!" Lunar frowned as he drew a card and slid it into is sword. "Final Vent!"
His trusty lance appearing in his hand, Lunar heard the familiar neigh of Stallionstar coming up behind him. The other Knights gave him some space as he leaped straight onto Stallionstar's back. The two charged towards the Beast Spirit with their usual speed and aim.
"Meteor Joust!" Lunar cried before the two blurred and hit the Camel Beast Spirit.
The Beast Spirit was sent flying again, bellowing in pain all the way, before crashing to the ground down the street. Draco and Mimic charged to try and seal it but they were too far away and the Beast Spirit flashed gold again before standing up. Mimic and Draco backed up to the other Knights.
"It must be able to heal itself," Draco observed.
"Then how do we keep it down long enough for you guys to seal it?" asked Poseidon.
"We hurt it so much it can't heal as fast," Aries spoke as he stepped forward with a card. "Draco, Mimic, think you two can hold it still long enough?"
"Hai!" Draco nodded as he drew his own card.
"Sure," Mimic smirked as she did likewise. Both Knights then slashed them through their scanners.
"SLASH!"
"CHOP!"
The images of the two cards appeared over the two Knights before being absorbed by them. Draco and Mimic charged at the Beast Spirit before attacking. Draco slashed at it several times while Mimic was using karate chops to keep it stunned. While they were fighting it, Aries had slipped his card into his gun before shutting its chamber again.
"Final Vent!" the gun called.
A loud bleat announced Rammerhead's arrival before he planted himself in front of Aries. The Knight of Mars then inserted his gun into his Star Beast's back as guns, missiles, and several other kinds of armament came out of hidden spot in its body.
"Mimic! Draco!" Aries called. "Move!"
Both Advent Knights looked to see the walking weapons stockpile and their eyes widened behind their helmets. Not needing any kind of motivation beyond what they saw, they raced out of the way. This left Aries with a wide range as he pulled the trigger on his gun.
"Armageddon Shot!" he called before the rain of gunfire started cutting through the air.
The Beast Spirit didn't know what had hit it as it became engulfed by the explosions, missiles, and gunfire. It roared, it bellowed, it made every noise it could but it wasn't able to avoid being shot like it was. Bullets made impact and missiles hit with accuracy. The twin knights could hardly believe what they were seeing. Draco pondered if the Beast Spirit would ever recover from the attack while Mimic was wondering if she could get an attack that that.
Finally, the carnage stopped and the smoke was blown away in the wind. The street was filled with craters and rubble from the clinic, but the Beast Spirit was still standing. At first the Knights thought it had recovered already but they soon saw otherwise. It was entirely black with charred hair and smoke coming from its body. A strong gust of wind suddenly blew and knocked it over on its face. Mimic didn't hesitate to draw a sealing card and throw it at it. The Celestial Knights watched in fascination as the Beast Spirit was absorbed into the card before it went flying back into Mimic's hand.
"Alright!" she smiled. "Category 9 of Hearts: Recover Camel. This one's mine."
"I think that was obvious by now," Lunar grimaced as he sheathed his sword.
The Celestial Knights removed their card cases and returned to their civilian forms. The Advent Knights did likewise as they removed their Category Ace cards. The five of them all met up in the middle of the street. Everything was silent for a moment.
"Well that wasn't so hard," Hiroshi suddenly spoke, causing everyone to laugh.
--
The five Knights/friends had to high-tail it back to school before they would become late. They luckily managed it before Hinako started her usual hunt for tardy students. When they did get back to class, Kat felt Akane glaring holes into her back yet again, even fiercer than normal. Well, when she wasn't shooting furious glares at Ranma anyway. It turned out that while he was gone, Akane had gone looking for Ranma to give him something that she had made for lunch. Shampoo had also come looking for him as well. The two met and naturally they started fighting. During the brawl, Akane's 'lunch' had managed to crawl off while the ramen that Shampoo had made was destroyed. Ranma just sighed at the news. No doubt Akane was going to try again giving him something to eat later.
Leo just sat amazed at all the notes that had piled up on his desk while he was out. He just assumed that a number of students were welcoming him to the school since what was written on the notes seemed rather friendly. Hiroshi and Daisuke watched him and sighed in depression. Some guys had all the luck.
To Be Continued...
My thanks to ZK Chromedragozoid for ideas, beta reading, and spellchecking what I might have missed.