I don't own the fighting boobies (take that however you will) nor Ranma 1/2
Strap in people, the tournament has begun. Some of you may be irritated by how the fights turn out, but they are that way they are for a reason, and this is truly where the story will begin to diverge further from both the stories that inspired me to write my own and the original Ikki Tousen. After all, if half of the amine characters no longer have their power, then the story changes right?
In other news, I took down the poll because I had to put up a new poll for my Lion of Light story. The winner, by two votes including my own 9 votes (one for every chapter posted), was continuing on to another anime. Sorry guys, but It's my story and I want to play with Ranma and the trio of girls (no I won't tell you who the third girl is) he will have from this story in other anime. Besides the idea of going from one anime to another as a trouble shooter is really interesting.
Unfortunately this story will only be updating on Wednesday from now on. This is the last chapter I'm really even partially happy with, though I have the next two outlined/halfway written. Wednesdays are a solid date however, and i mean to finish this story in four more chapters, maybe five.
Chapter 9 tournaments are supposed to have rules aren't they?
The morning before the tournament began Ranma made a report into the police Commissioner, who had been after him to report more often since the massacre in the warehouse, so Ranma called at around nine in the morning to explain what they had found out about the curse, as well as what they were planning to do going forward.
The police commissioner had already been informed of Herb's presence, and had been wondering what the foreign national was doing in the area and why Ranma had called him in, but even he hadn't been prepared for what he learned. Despite his knowledge of curses, almost immortal martial artists and monsters, the police Commissioner was still more than a little skeptical about the story that Ranma laid out for him, not just the fact the curse-driven destiny the Fighters believed in was real, but the reason it was created bothered him a lot. Why did no one else find out about this, and why did all the Fighters believe they were destined to gain some kind if they could win the war they were reenacting if no one ever had? Ranma had no answer to the first but explained that the second part was part of the cruse. It wasn't just giving the Fighters power and then using their blood to power itself, it actually blocked their ability to think of ways to escape their 'destiny'.
The police commissioner sat there silent for a moment then decided to let the martial artist continue his work. Despite his reservations about how it had been accomplished, the whole region was so quiet in terms of crime that it was like a ghost town. Despite Ranma's various predations, there were still more than fifty low-grade fighters under Toutaku and more in the neutral camps, but they had all been remarkably quiet since the massacre. Because of his actions, Ranma seemed to have stuck a little image of himself into each of their brains that was warning them not to act out.
This stuff about the Dragon soul coming back to life and becoming some kind of unstoppable monster though, that he wasn't certain about. He shook it off for now to concentrate on more immediate issues. "So, what about this tournament that starts today? Are you going to be participating, and if so what should we expect?"
On the other end of the line, Ranma shrugged. "Don't know, depends on what kind of fighters show up and how the fights go. The first day should be relatively normal, after that it's just the luck of the draw."
The police Commissioner wasn't happy about that, but if they wanted this mess they would have to put up with the solution, and that unfortunately meant giving Ranma his head. "All right," he said slowly, "just try to keep the collateral damage to a minimum, okay?"
Ranma shrugged uncomfortably. "I can't make any promises. I'll keep the damage down if I can but that's really something you need ta get both me and my opponents agreement on doncha think? With that he hung up. In his office the police commissioner felt a shiver go down his spine.
On the same day that Ranma reported into the police commissioner and the tournament began Herb was looking out a hotel window in Yufuin at the rain laden sky pondering both his long term and short term future. While he and Chou'un had talked quite a lot, it wasn't really enough to make them very close. That was actually to the good in Herb's view, he was all for taking anything to do with females slowly. Then too, in politics and ruling emotions and attachments often got in the way, so you had to guard both zealously.
There was an emotional reserve and control to Chou'un that appealed to him. Not only that but despite her lack of interest in economics she was a hard haggler and showed strong diplomatic skills. She was also interesting on a personal level, even if they had yet to open up to one another emotionally. Still he wondered where they would go from here.
In terms of solving the curse, the first soul extractor spell tag would be ready for the second phase of the tournament. If they hurried, and his instincts with Ranma told him that doing so was a smart idea, they could be back in time to see the second round. He just hoped that was all they needed to do.
Chou'un too was pondering and had decided that she wanted to take a chance on this Dragon Prince. She'd realized a few days ago that she and Ranma were simply not compatible emotionally. Ranma was outgoing, combative, adventuresome and very much a wandering sort of personality. His dream for the future showed this when he had stated that he wanted to travel the world. Chou'un was much more much less emotional and had no interest in traveling overmuch simply for the sake of travelling. She wanted a set home life as well, whereas Ranma's home from his earliest days had been the road.
More looking back on it, it was how strongly Kan'u had reacted to him, as well as his strength and good looks that attracted Chou'un to him. Seemed a little shallow but it was true. Now looking back on it, she felt that she had done a disservice to them and possibly might've pushed them further than both were comfortable with at the time, all in the interest of competition. Looking back on it she felt that there had always been a sort of reserve to her own actions on an emotional level, and the reason why she was pushing the physical so much was to have a claim on Ranma that Kanu could not or would not equal. Ranma's generosity had foiled that thought, but looking back on it, it was obvious. She didn't think that that would do their relationship any damage in the long run but it was a sign that her place in that relationship wasn't necessarily for the best of any of them.
With Herb, while she wouldn't have the physical aspect of the relationship for a good long while and she didn't want the emotional aspect she had the intellectual. Herb was her equal in intelligence and interest, whereas Ranma was interested only in traveling, food and fighting in pretty much reverse order of importance. That might've been enough for Kan'u as she shared those interests but it was not enough for Chou'un. And while Ranma was a good listener and she had enjoyed having someone to listen to her history with her family that really wasn't enough to build a long-term relationship on.
More, she'd come to the conclusion these past few nights away from Ranma and Kan'u that she had lied to both herself and to them when she said she was fine with sharing. She didn't mind other girls watching but she really didn't want to join in with. It was just turn off.
Still, she mused to herself with a little smile, girls are allowed to change the minds. I'm sure Ranma won't be that sad, especially with Ryomou in the wings.
Back in Kanto many of the lower tier Fighters, all of whom had been utterly terrified and demoralized by the events of the past few weeks, felt their spirits rise when nothing untoward occurred as the first matches got underway. These matches, though every school but the ruling Rakuyo was required to participate in the first round, were merely to get the less powerful schools out of the way quickly so that the main players could hammer it out later.
It was a shock to all that Nanyo Academy found itself counted among the bit players rather than a contender. With the sudden defection of Ryomou following on the heels of Saji's death and Kannei's mysterious weakness, the school was now a practical non-entity, despite having Hakufu the Shou Haou attending classes there. Both she and Kokin had joined with Gakushu and would be entering the tournament. Unfortunately for them they were paired with the powerhouse Seito High in this first round.
The first round of the tournament would only be fought by Ranma, Chouhi and Ryomou, as Kan'u had decided that leaving Ryuubi unguarded even during the tournament was a bad idea. Ranma agreed, but would only be fighting Hakufu if they met up this first day. Chouhi and Ryomou had reluctantly agreed to that. They knew that as it stood the two of them were the two weakest fighters Seito had, so it stood to reason that they be the ones to clear the riffraff. Ryomou didn't particularly like acknowledging that, but it was true.
The area chosen for the first round was an underground parking area in a zone not claimed by either school yet despite arriving early for the match, Ranma and Ryomou weren't really concerned with the first round of the tournament. Indeed, the thirty minutes leading up to when the first match was supposed to start was spent with Ryomou in Ranma's lap as he leaned against a concrete pillar spiritedly attempting to remove his tonsils with her tongue. Not that he had any real objections to this.
Ryomou was determined to make up for lost time with Ranma, and took every opportunity to jump him. But Ranma had not relinquished his control of her, nor had Kan'u. They controlled her and forced her to match the slow pace they set, and all she could do was follow along. Mind you, this had its own rewards as well. Simply cuddling was something she had never done with any of her boyfriends before, all they had wanted to do was make out at the least, and she had been happy with that. Yet now she found herself emotionally entangled with someone, not just physically, and it was a whole new world to her.
Then too, Ranma had developed something she secretly dubbed the 'Voice'. It was a voice of command, and Ryomou found she could not disobey it. When he told her to stop she stopped, and when, as last night he told her to bend over, and stand still as Ranma, with Kan'u calling directions, felt up her ass through her skirt, she enjoyed it, the voice and his attentions feeding her submissive side very well indeed. Kan'u had taken to the role of mistress very easily, and Ryomou even enjoyed that, though to a lesser extent. Their own make out sessions tended to be incredibly erotic, both for the two girls and for Ranma who had a front row seat to the action.
Ranma's kisses were just as nice though, so it was with quite a bit of irritation that she tried to disengage from Ranma when she heard the voice of one of her former schoolmates shouting "Ryomou-chan!"
The emphasis should have been on try however because the moment she began to remove her lips from his, Ranma's arms, which had been loosely around her tightened. Her eyes which had been closed snapped open as one of those hands went up to tangle in her short blue hair, locking her in place while the other hand tightened around her waist.
Seeing their friend making out so intensely with someone they had never met before the new arrivals, Hakufu, Kokin and Gakushu froze. Kokin merely blushed turning away while Hakufu looked on with a strange expression on her face, almost as if she wasn't certain what she was seeing, and Gakushu, who had known of Ryomou's long time crush on Saji just stood there not understanding how or why Ryomou could have switched her affections to this newcomer. In this the effect of the magatama and the curse showed, as he could literally not understand the change of loyalties this act showed. The others had the same problem, though for different reasons.
A full minute later Ranma released his grip on her and Ryomou pulled back eyes smoldering. "Not that I'm complaining but what brought that on?"
Ranma chuckled nervously, reaching back to tug at his pigtail. "Well I figured you and Kan'u like it when I take the initiative, just wanted ta, y'know, show ya that I'm in charge, not just when you two let me be. You like?"
Ryomou moaned. "Oh yes Ranma, I most definitely liked." That was another aspect of their relationship that she really enjoyed. If pushed by Kan'u or Ryomou Ranma could play the part of a Dom, but he was also very laid back normally, and always made certain that she had been okay with anything directly after the fact. He had done it every time they made out and he took the lead and it was very comforting to know that he cared about her so much rather than just taking what he wanted, though that would be fine sometimes too... The fact he was slowly opening up and becoming more controlling with her without Kan'u around to give him the ok was great too.
Seeing that the two were done Hakufu regained enough of her limited brain capacity to continue what she had been shouting about earlier. "There you are Ryomou where have you been! We heard you changed schools! Why'd you do that? And what's up with your clothes, where's your combat maid uniform?" Again, much like Gakushu, she couldn't even think of doing something that worked against their destiny that much. She turned to Ranma and finally recognized him now that Ryomou wasn't performing CPR on him (only in her head folks, it's an odd place) "and you, you owe me a match today!" She shouted.
While she did this Gakushu took in Ryomou's change of appearance. Instead of her customary maid outfit, she wore a light blue skirt of plain cotton down to her ankles with slits on the side of her hips. It was tied tight around her waist by a white sash then came up in two straps over her shoulders, leaving her shoulders bare otherwise. He shook his head, realizing that more had changed in Ryomou than even changing schools could account for if her taste in clothing had changed that much.
As Gakushu was taking in Ryomou's changes Ranma shook his head and sighed. Why do they always find me, why? Still, the gangs all here so we might as well get started. He turned to look at the referee, who came from some kind of neutral school in the area. Ranma really didn't understand what that was all about, but whatever. "I guess the first match is going to be me against her. Are there any rules to this thing?"
The referee was astonished that somebody was actually asking him something, most of the time the fighters just ignored the referees until it came time to say that yes the one still standing was indeed the winner. Well, until the time came to carry away the bodies, living or otherwise. "Well," he stammered, "there's not supposed to be any killing, but other than that everything is fair game."
Ranma nodded and turned to watch Hakufu who had grabbed onto Ryomou's arm and was shaking her. "Come on Ryomou-chan, why not? Come back to us. I know you changed schools to be with your new boyfriend but come on, we're going to be the ones to win this tournament, don't you want to help us do it?"
Ryomou groaned as she tried to shake the other girl off her. Chouhi, who had been leaning against a nearby tree and ignoring the couple as they made out, rolled her eyes. "It wasn't because of Ranma that I transferred schools Hakufu, it was because of a lot of things, so no there is no chance of my transferring back even if I could."
Ranma smirked as he moved to the center of the makeshift ring. "And as for being the ones to win the tournament, why don't ya see if ya can get past me before ya grow a big head huh?"
Gakushu raised a hand to stop Hakufu from immediately going for Ranma. "Wait, don't enter this fight emotionally Hakufu. He's good, very good so I want you to keep cool and keep control got it?"
Hakufu nodded impatiently before she batted aside his arm and shot forward, trying to land a few hits even before the referee had officially begun the match. Ranma simply dodged around them with an almost bored air, staring at the referee all the while until the referee raised his hands and began the match officially.
As soon as that was done, Ranma's hand snaked out and grabbed Hakufu's wrist in an aikido throw that had her slamming into the ground back first.
He leapt back to avoid a swift low kick and one of his eyebrows rose in surprise. The girl had become a lot better since the last time they met. He'd estimate that her skill level right now was almost up to Shampoo's, though her speed was nowhere near the Amazon's.
Why do the fighters around here think strength is all that matters? Ranma thought sardonically as he dodged another kick and then a three punch combo. Strength doesn't matter if you don't have the speed to hit your opponent, it's frakking basic!
He fell back into an aikido stance and once again threw Hakufu through the air, this time to land chest first.
"OW," she whined rubbing at her chest and then pulling her blouse open to look inside to see if she bruised and not coincidentally at all causing Kokin a nosebleed and Ranma to look away blushing even as he rolled his eyes. "That hurts."
Ryomou groaned and raised a hand to cover her face. "Well it is a fight" said Chouhi, as if she was speaking to an utter idiot. "The whole point is to hurt your opponent you know."
Ranma simply stood there falling back into an aikido stance as he waited for Hakufu to get up. She did so, still muttering about her chest and rubbing it occasionally and then she came forward in a flash, faster than she had been previously, even faster than Shampoo could have and trying to land a high kick. Unfortunately for the Shao Haou, she was still nowhere near fast enough to keep up with Ranma. He ducked under the kick, assisted it along its trajectory, then lifted her other leg and flipped her in midair before hitting her with a palm strike to her back into the ground.
He backed off again and this time Hakufu was very slow to get up. Now she wasn't just rubbing her chest anymore, she was rubbing her back as well.
Watching from the sidelines Gakushu shook his head sadly. It looked as if this round was no contest. Unless Hakufu's inner dragon woke up, which was not something he wanted to see, she stood no chance against the pigtailed warrior Ryomou had called Ranma. In point of fact, he didn't think that all three of them combined could beat him if the rumors associated with that name were true.
The match continued interminably with Hakufu being thrown around like a sack of wheat and never once landing a hit on Ranma. Nearly all her damage was self inflicted though, as Ranma refrained from hitting her or causing a lot of injuries in an effort to make certain her inner dragon didn't wake up. He knew that at some point he would be facing an awakened dragon shard, but he really didn't want to face what he considered the worst. Hakufu in terutrn was frustrated. Her ki reading ability just couldn't break through Ranma's control of his energy giving her no way to know what he was going to do, and she had never faced someone who used a soft style like this. Finally, she collapsed in exhaustion and Ranma stood back.
The girl's endurance had surprised him, the fight lasting at least three hours longer than it would have the last time he had seen her (forty minutes max in his mind). But in the end there had still been no real chance she could have won, their skill levels were too different."You're pretty good, a lot better than the last time I saw ya." He said leaning down to drag her upright as the referee signaled the end of the match. "You just got to work on your speed more. That's been a problem with everyone I've met 'round here so don't take it personally." Hakufu groaned a little, too sore to really answer, but realizing that he was trying to encourage her she nodded along.
Ranma helped Hakufu out of the ring, and then left himself, swiftly pocketing her jade magatama. He really needed to anyalze one of the 'Three Great Rulers' beads, and this way he could separate it from its wearer just in case something else happened. That match was enough of an irritant for one day and he didn't feel like fighting the others, none of whom would be a match for him either.
Angry at how Hakufu had been humiliated Kokin moved forward automatically, but realizing that this new fighter was well out of his league he stopped before he said something that would probably get him smacked around like Ranma had done to Taishiji when they first met. Unfortunately, he also knew the same thing about at least one of the other contestants that Seito had sent Ryomou was well out of his league. He cheered inside as Chouhi strode forward, while Ryomou pulled Ranma back down to where he had been sitting against a column and snuggled into his side.
As soon as the bell rang Kokin fell into a stance, and moved forward to try to take the offensive, meeting Chouhi's own charge halfway between their starting positions. He was surprised however by her overall speed, and she got in three sharp punches to his abdomen before he could disengage. Here his overall lack of experience showed and he looked down at his stomach for a second as he rubbed at the sore spots. Chouhi followed up immediately, and a spinning heel kick that he didn't even see thundered in, slamming into his temple and putting him out like a light.
Gakushu groaned aloud from where he was standing next to the exhausted form of Hakufu. His school really wasn't putting up much of a fight here. I've obviously relied on their training by themselves too much. As soon as we get back I'll start training with them. That was a bloody rookie mistake and Kokin should've known better even if he is a C grade Fighter. Wait, when was the last time he fought someone other than that altercation with Hanno? Damn, does he only get strong when he's protecting Hakufu? Hakufu on the other hand has improved but as Ranma said relies far too heavily on her strength rather than speed and skill, well that and her ability to read an opponent, yet it obviously failed her this time. So it's now down to just me. I can't win here, but wining at least one match will be enough to make this merely a loss rather than a rout.
As he was thinking this, Chouhi left the ring, looking down as her own stomach grumbled hungrily. "I'm hungry, any chance we can get out of here now?"
The referee shook his head. "I'm sorry but every fighter from one school must be beaten for the match to end."
Chouhi pouted as Ryomou stood up and moved to take her place in the ring, which caused Chouhi to grin. "Ryomou, remember that the faster you get done, the faster you can get back to making out with Ranma." And the faster I can go get something to eat. I'm starving.
Ryomou nodded decisively looking at Ranma with a different kind of hunger in her eyes before entering the ring, causing Ranma to blush again.
Gakushu strode forward confidently. Ryomou may have bested him once, but that was when he had been weakened by Hakufu's punch. They were both two of the Big Four, and their skill set was on par before she had left, and he had been training diligently ever since his defeat.
Ryomou however, didn't give him time to show off his new training, instead rocketing in with a snap kick and then following up with five punch combo that Gakushu barely blocked. So fast, how the hell did her speed increase so much in little under a week?! Seeing an opening he tried to grapple with her, pin her in place so he could use his superior strength, but she fell back, surprising him yet again with her speed.
Ryomou concentrated for a moment as Gakushu decided to charge in an attempt to pin her against the wall. When her shadow on the ground intersected with his between them Ryomou shouted "shadow kick!" What came out was not just one like when she had sparred with Ranma this past weekend, but three kicks slamming into Gakushu's chest, shoulder and head, throwing the bigger man backwards in a flurry of blood as his nose broke under the impact.
He shook his head groggily but before he could recover Ryomou was behind him and for the second time he felt her signature submission hold locking into place. Gakushu tried to struggle, tried to get away, but with blood in his eyes, off balance and reeling from the previous hits, he wasn't able to get enough leverage to get out of her hold. How, how the hell did her skill increase so much, how….
Within a minute, he succumbed and fell unconscious. Ryomou disengaged the hold grabbing Gakushu as he slumped to the ground and carried him over to her former schoolmates. Even as the now awake Kokin watched in awe Ryomou dumped him in front of them and walked back to take her place on Ranma's lap for some serious necking.
Ranma smirked and brought his arms around her returning the kiss and Chouhi giggled beside them as the referee signaled the end of the round. After a few minutes of necking they stood up and joined the now impatient Chouhi. As they did Ranma reached down swiftly next to Gakushu, palming both his bead to add to his growing collection. That done, all three victorious fighters moved off leaving the parking area. Once outside they jumped away over the rooftops to the temple where Ranma and Ryomou planned to cook dinner for everyone.
Kokin stared after them for a moment before looking around at his defeated comrades and groaning. They had thought they could win this tournament, but they never really had a chance. With a sigh he reached down and lifted his cousin onto his back as the referee did the same to Gakushu. His final job as referee was to help the wounded get back to their territory safe, and it was also how the refs made some spending money, well that and selling the story of the first round fights to anyone who wanted to hear about them. Kokin led the way, wondering inwardly what his aunt was going to say about all this.
Later that day the second match ended much the same way, with Kyosho handling their enemies easily.
So ended the first round of the tournament, not with a bang but a whimper. The bangs would come in the next round, and they would bring all their friends.
Goei was absolutely furious when she heard the news. She had gone to see Kakoton, a young man who she was interested in (and most decidedly not for his brain) fight because she thought that her daughter would be able to easily get past the preliminary rounds. Instead, not only had she lost, but their entire school had lost three out of three, and thus been disqualified from the tournament.
She had been training Hakufu diligently for the past week and a half to get her ready for this time, but it looked as if this new fighter was determined to block her attempts to let her get experience at every turn. Not only had he blocked Hakufu from gaining valuable experience fighting Taishiji but had insulted her skill, made a fool of her and then beaten her in the tournament apparently with ease. Hakufu didn't see it that way, having taken her defeat in stride and planning to get stronger, but Goei did.
She had heard some rumors that he was here to stop the fighting, but she scoffed at the very idea. He was outside the destiny, and there was no way a person outside the destiny could change it in any way. Only a fighter of the caliber of those involved could face off against an awakened dragon with any hope of victory. They would fight and fight until one person would someday win the prize promised them.
She thought with her daughter not only holding a dragon spirit would give her a chance to beat her desinty and maybe win the prize, but it looked as if, without relying on the dragon, that her daughter just wasn't strong enough. She needed to gain control of the spirit within her, not let it control her.
Goei resolved right then and there to double her daughter's training as well as the punishment. She would whip her into shape if it was the last thing she did.
In her room and feigning sleep Hakufu shivered. She just knew that her aunt was going to punish her in some new and sadistic fashion tomorrow. It's a good thing I didn't tell her I lost my bead she thought. Who knows what she would've done to me then? Within in her something stirred slightly, before falling back to normal as she fell asleep.
The Emperor was irritated as well, though not for the same reasons as Goei. He slowly sliced the back of his forearm with a knife, letting the pain calm him down and help him think, even managing to put a smile on his face despite the news. Seito was becoming far too powerful, and this new fighter gave them an unknown edge that had already proven to be deadly for every Fighter that went up against him. The fact that the Shao Haou had lost to this Ranma, and her inner dragon not awakened in the fight, was a bad sign. Somehow Ranma had figured out that it was extreme damage, fear or danger that awoke the dragons inside their physical containers, and adopted a fighting style where his opponent defeated herself. This unknown variable and the strength of Seito forced him to reevaluate his future actions.
Toutaku had initially planned to withdraw from the tournament, not putting much stock in the prize and thinking that he could hold onto his power as emperor without it and thus fight his destiny. But his troops had been reduced badly lately, and his standing with his most powerful fighter Ryofu, who wanted them to participate, was so bad that he could not afford to let it get any worse.
While he had punished Kaku, Ryofu had initially wanted to kill her. Toutaku had been against this, because he still needed the girl's advice, and he enjoyed her body as well. He did however disfigure her by cutting open her forehead in a wide arc so that it looked as if someone had tried to lobotomize her. That and the punishment this Ranma character had given Kaku had been enough for Toutaku. Even now the memory of her frustrated, horrified face as she desperately tried to cum as he pounded into her brought a sadistic smile to his lips. In Ryofu's eye it hadn't been enough, and she had been distancing herself and Chinkyu from him ever since.
So it looked as if he was going to have to fight to regain some of the respect they had lost, but that didn't mean he was going to play fair. He could still rig the tournament so that he and his school would only face the winner of the second round between Kyoshu and Seito. That way his two strongest enemies would weaken each other, and he could move in and clean up afterwards.
Toutaku was not the only one irritated by the way things were going. Saji the self-styled master manipulator was irritated as well, not least of which because his plan to influence Ryofu into killing Toutaku was failing miserably, with her stopping by occasionally, too busy to really stay for long. With the loss of so many low ranked fighters and several mid ranged fighters everyone else in Toutaku's forces were forced to pick up the slack in their patrols and other tasks. And even when Ryofu did stop by, they did nothing more than talk and check on his wounds, which was irritating beyond words to a man who was used to having sex whenever he could get it.
(Unbeknownst to Saji, Ryofu's cold shoulder was actually purposeful as she was no longer interested in him. Having met Ranma, a powerful fighter but who was naïve in the ways of sex and lust, her interest in Saji the county bicycle had withered despite their past association. Moreover she felt she could mold Ranma to be the kind of lover/man she liked, whereas he was too set in his ways to change.)
Saji knew most of the things that happened in Rakuyo's territory through conversations with Ryofu, and had heard from her about the massacre that occurred when Kaku had tried to move against Chinkyu. Though he hid it from her at the time this terrified him, as he knew for a fact there were only two, possibly three fighters in the entire region that could have done something like that and not one of them could've done it as easily as it was reported that this new fighter did. Ranma was messing up his plans and here the master manipulator was unable to do anything about it. Saji now had only a few eyes and ears left to tell him what was going on, and he was slowly going crazy through lack of information.
Ryofu, happy that Toutaku had agreed to enter the tournament stopped by to relay the results of the first round of the tournament to him and Saji decided it was time to leave. Hiding and being able to manipulate things from behind the scenes was one thing, hiding and being completely cut off from the outside world was another. I have to get a handle on this new fighter and quickly. He may be weakening most everyone around us, but he's not doing anything about the dragon souls, and that means in the long term, nothing he does will matter except getting in my way in my quest to get control of them. I have to get control of him or find some way to fight him. After all, he thought sardonically, everyone has a weakness. I just have to find his and use it to get him to stop screwing everything up!
The next day Ranma and Kan'u were not surprised to find out that Chou'un wasn't back yet before their next math was set to begin at midday. Still, it really didn't matter for the tournament in any way. Ryomou had proven a capable fill in, and the three of them plus Chouhi could make short work of every other school except for Rakuyo and Kyosho. Ryuubi was happy at their strong start. "Maybe we can get through this round too. After all, it's random who we meet, maybe we won't meet the stronger school until the final round!"
Ranma of course did not agree with this line of thought. "Don't believe that for a minute Ryuubi-chan. Somethin's gonna happen. That's the way my life works, Murphy's Law meet Ranma's Law. Everything that can go wrong will go wrong in the most spectacular way possible to me! It's like an unwritten law of nature."
Ryuubi, Ryomou and Chouhi looked at him in disbelief but Kan'u nodded thoughtfully. "You know, I actually believe you Ma-chan. Given what you had to put up with in Nerima and the way trouble seems to have found you since your arrival, I can definitely agree that you are marked by an unlucky star. Perhaps you're being cursed by someone because of the crap your father pulled off on your training trip?"
Ranma looked at her head cocked to one side as they arrived at the empty parking lot designated for their second fight, and sure enough their opponents were wearing the uniforms of Kyosho Academy. "Y'know that's a definite possibility. I'll have ta look inta that idea later."
Using his aura sight, he looked at the fighters in front of him and assessed their abilities. "Two high ranked fighters, two mid range," he muttered, "and one dragon shard." He turned to Kan'u and said with a grin, blue eyes shining with eagerness. "I get the one with the dragon shard!"
Kan'u nodded stoically, though inside she was very worried. She knew how good a fighter Ranma was, but he had yet to meet one of the Three Great Rulers controlled by their dragon shard, and frankly their power and sheer killing aura was just on another plane entirely. "Very well, I will fight one of the others."
One of their opponents, a man with a deeper tan than Kan'u and wearing a hat barely covering his spiky hair and surprisingly a full school uniform scoffed as he took in the representatives from Seito. "Is this what they have to put against us? Man, only sending one A rank, one B once C and," He trailed off as he stared hard at Ranma, "I don't know you, one unknown against us, are they taking us seriously here?"
As the other Fighter was talking, Kan'u and her group were sizing up their opponents in turn. Kan'u knew these as the Three Pillared God's of Kyosho as well as Sousou himself and his friend Kakoton. To say that the information she had on their school entirely and these fighters in particular was spotty and contradictory was an understatement. Sousou, was tall and bulky for a high schooler, though not as much as Gakushu, with a weathered face and lazy eyes. He was known as a B ranked fighter, so is personal skills was much better than Ryuubi's, but there were documented reports of his losing control of his Dragon at least three time in his life, whereas Ryuubi had only lost control of her Dragon one, so the level of danger he represent was up in the air.
Sousou was known as a decent leader, one who valued strength in his allies and troops, but also as one who was willing to use dishonorable tactics outside of the set tournaments like this one. One such rumor told of him having an assassin, who he had used a few times against his enemies. He was also fiercely protective of his territory, and refused to ally himself with the Emperor or to even listen to the government's wish to end the destiny/curse when Ryuubi tried to contact him. Whether or not this was because he believed in what they were supposed to be fighting for or simple pride, was something Kan'u wasn't prepared to speculate upon. What was certain however, was that he had one of the three main Dragon shards inside him and that would make him a very terrible foe if awakened.
The man who was so irritated by the fact there were only four of them was known as Kakoton, a low B rank Fighter. Known for skill in most of the basic forms of combat he was also well known to be diligent in picking up or repairing an area after a fight. There was also a rumor going around that he had had a run in with Hakufu and her cousin, which ended in him becoming friends with them which might be why those two and what must've been the younger girl's aunt were over leaning against one of the buildings around the lot. It's odd, Kan'u thought Why do I think that having more bystanders for this fight was probably not a good sign.
Next to him were the Three Pillared Gods, Koumei, Bunken and Shungai. All three were dressed as their intel said, in monks robes, and all three were carrying Khakkhara, the traditional Buddhist monks staff. Koumei and Shoungai were even bald like monks and their faces looked alike, though one was tall and wide in the shoulders and one was thin and wiry. The last of the trio was a girl, with an attractive face in Kan'u's opinion, with short hair much like Chouhi cut to right above her ears. All three were high B ranked Fighters.
As Kan'u and the others evaluated the Kyosho fighters, Sousou was evaluating them in turn. So that's the fighter that killed all those low-level fighters in the warehouse a few weeks ago, along with Kaku doing whatever he did to Kaku. Sousou mused, staring across at Ranma. The rumors of something wrong with the bespectacled strategist had spread quickly, and Sousou wondered if that was because Toutaku wanted it to.
He had been angered at the time as that attack had taken out five of his own fighters as well as disfiguring Kaku, who historically speaking as the descendent of Jia Xu was destined to join his faction. That was until the news spread about why it had happened, and who the five fighters were. Not one of them was someone he was going to miss. Nor was Sousou really a huge proponent of the destiny. Oh he was prideful enough to believe they had to handle it themselves, but he didn't believe everything would always happen as history dictated.
One of his friends, Kakuha, was very angry about it as she had at one point been his girlfriend. Yet even that anger turned to a new source when news that Kaku's disfigurement had been Toutaku's punishment for trying to turn Ryofu away from him. Sousou wasn't certain what the full story was but he really didn't care at this point. The problem was that the new fighter was an unknown, and he was forced to bring his most powerful fighters (well the most powerful he wanted anyone to know about) to the tournament. He just hoped it was worth the bother.
Ranma seemed to feel his eyes on him and he turned to give the descendant of Cao Cao a challenging look. Sousou scoffed, closed his eyes and leaned back against the tree, resuming his nap.
Kanu looked at her friends, a small smile on her face. "I'll go first to start us off. And you" she waved a gloved hand at Ranma "will only be fighting Sousou. That way will allow you to take him by surprise and be rested."
Ranma pouted, and tried to use the dreaded Puppy dog eye attack and she laughed. He stopped, grinned and shrugged agreement. "You're the one who's a descendant of a general so we'll go with that. Besides," he added grimly, eyes straying to Sousou, "I get the feeling I'm gonna need every edge I can get." The man's ki personal ki was near his own level, and the second ki source inside him was just as large as Ryuubi's or Hakufu's. If that source woke up what would be a tough but winnable fight was going to go south quickly.
Ryoumou and Chouhi both nodded agreement, and they and Ranma moved away to stand by Ryuubi.
Kakoton looked at his fellow who all waved him forward. He shrugged and moved to take his place across from Kan'u.
To the side the referee nodded to a camera crew that was there to record the second round. The other fight of this round had already been decided earlier in the day, with the Emperor and his faction winning handily. That would mean that the winner of this fight would fight Rakuyo for the prize. An announcer, also chosen from a traditionally neutral school like the referees began to speak. "And the second match of the day is about to commence here ladies and gentlemen, in one corner Kan'u Unchou, the champion of Seito high school. Seito did not compete last year due to injuries to Kan'u and some of this faction's key Fighters, but they're all healed up now and have two newcomers to their lineup that have helped Seito take this tournament by storm. And in the other corner Kakoton of Kyosho a B ranked fighter, he's known as the Repair Man for his tendency to repair battlegrounds after fights. Kyosho traditionally does very well in the tournament, and has come close both times since the War of the Sacred Bead began again. Will this be their year to win it all?"
The referee looked at the two fighters and raised a hand "Fighters ready, start!"
Kakoton jumped back attempting to get some distance and hopefully start to wear his opponent out without wearing himself out for later matches. This thought was literally knocked out of Kakoton's head by Kan'u's foot whistling in to smash his temple faster than he could get his guard up. He staggered backward and shook his head to clear it just in time to block another incoming kick. Pain shot up his arm from the force of the impact but he managed to throw a counter punch with his other arm.
Kan'u leaned to the side and lashed out with lightning speed, grabbing Kakoton's wrist, blasting him with a brutal kick to the kidneys and another to the back of his head before releasing his wrist. Kakoton staggered forward and fell on his hands and knees as his ears rang from the headshot.
Goei, who had come to watch this match to both watch Kakoton and to scout out this new fighter who had beaten Hakufu yesterday, shouted out encouragement from the sidelines. "Come on, Ton-chan! Get up! Get up and kick her little ass!"
From their side of the bridge which was being used as a ring Koumei shook his head "Man, Kakoton is getting his ass kicked. Is the difference between a B rank like him and an A rank like Unchou that large?
"What did you expect?" Bunken shrugged. "She's Kan'u Unchou. She's way out of Kakoton's league. One of us will have to take her own."
Kan'u stood a short distance away with her hand on her hip as she waited to see if the boy could get up. She wasn't disappointed when Kakoton struggled to his feet. "Okay, that's it," he growled. "No more mister nice guy. Time to introduce you to some basic ass-whooping!" While outwardly he was still putting on a brave front inside Kakoton was thinking furiously. If he had any chance of winning this, he had to find some kind of weakness to exploit.
As soon as he was on his feet, Kakoton attacked, throwing kicks and punches trying to keep Kan'u on the defensive, trying to analyze her style and movements. Soon he had her in position parallel to a parked car, with one arm still extended out along it and toward him in a answering jab. Jumping to the side he brought his leg down in a viscously swift axe kick intending to break her arm at the elbow.
Kan'u however had been holding back on her speed and as soon as he was committed exploded into motion, brought her left leg around slamming a ki-boosted kick into Kakoton's face. Kakoton's nose exploded in a mass of gore from the impact and he went flying into the concrete wall of a nearby building, smashing a large crater in it. His body bounced out of the crater and landed on the ground on his face.
"Ouch," Shugai winced. "That was damn brutal, he never stood a chance, and what was up with that speed at the end there?"
"Told ya Kakoton was screwed," Koumei mentioned.
Everyone waited to see if Kakoton would get up, but it appeared the boy was out cold.
"It's over," Kan'u announced, looking at the ref.
The ref nodded. "Seito wins that first match by knock out!" he called out.
Komei looked over at Shugai. "I guess you're up dude."
"I guess so," Shugai smirked, then frowned slightly when instead of moving forward to match him Kan'u stepped back, letting Ryomou take her place on the bridge. So I'll have to fight a fresh fighter, damn, I was hoping they were idiots who'd let one fighter keep going as long as possible. Ah well.
This battle started off slower than the previous one as Ryomou's opponents did not underestimate her, keeping his distance through the judicious use of his staff and making certain that Ryomou couldn't grab it out of his hands. He seemed well aware that her skills were mainly based on grappling, and was certainly not going to let her close in and use her techniques on him. While his staff was busy making black and blue marks all over Ryomou's body, however, she simply took it and waited until their shadows touched. With a cry of "shadow kick!" just like yesterday three kicks made of shadow came out of the other fighters own shadow.
Her target with the technique wasn't Shumei but his staff, sending it spinning out of his grip. For just an instant, the other fighter was astonished at this new technique. But he kept his cool even as Ryomou closed.
Shumei was slightly stronger than she was, but her speed was incredible given the knowledge of her fighting ability that he had previously. He winced as a hard right pounded into his shoulder and he turned with the blow, avoiding the follow on grab and trying to sweep Ryomou's legs out from under her. It looks as if our strategist was well off the mark he thought sardonically and in the long-term that makes me happy, I've never trusted her for some reason, but right now it's giving me one hell of a headache. As he thought this he dodged another grab for his uninjured shoulder only to run straight into a palm strike that nailed his jaw.
"Man he's getting hammered" muttered Bunshen, "that'll be two in a row we've lost." She looked at her fellow pillar for a moment and said. "I'll go next." Kumei nodded agreement, though this really wasn't looking good for them. They could match the other side's skill and strength, but not their speed, which for some reason was way better than their reports suggested. I'm going to have to be careful, regardless of who I face.
Back in the fight Ryomou had tried to follow up her palm strike with another attempt to grapple but Shumei again barely dodged, kicking her hard in the stomach and sending her flying back for a moment. In the space this afforded him he tried to get to his staff, but his progress was halted by Ryomou suddenly pulling a rope out of hidden weapon space and tossing it like a lasso, catching one arm and pulling him off balance.
Before he could regain his feet Ryomou was on him, locking in her submission hold around his neck and both arms. The man went down with her underneath him, but with her locked around his neck it was only a matter of time before his world faded to black.
As soon as Shumei stopped moving, Ryomou let up on her grip and got to her feet panting slightly. That wasn't nearly as satisfying as Ranma, but it was fun. As she stepped away from her opponent and the referee declared her the winner she heard a call from where the spectators were standing.
"Mou-chan!" Hakufu cried out, waving her arm wildly at the other girl. "Over here!"
Ryomou grimaced, waving half-heartedly at the cheerful ditz. It was kind of hard to dislikes someone that naively friendly, like kicking a puppy. On the other hand the name she suddenly heard belonged to someone who was very easy for her to hate.
"Saji!" Kokin exclaimed behind her. "What the hell man, you're supposed to be dead!"
"Oh hey it's the bra salesman!" Hakufu's voice replied, even as Ryomou turned toward them, face hard.
"Rumors of my death were extremely exaggerated," Saji said smiling slyly, keeping one eye on the whole reason he had chanced coming out in the open like this as the pigtailed fighter gave some last minute advice to Chouhi before her match. Honestly if he had even one spy left that he could trust and that could give him an accurate report about this Ranma fellow he'd never come within a mile of him. Yet none of his remaining spies were Fighters, so were useless for this. The only one who might come up with something was a worker in the local government offices who had a friend in the FDPA who had said he'd heard of Ranma before. On the other hand, after so long in isolation doing this myself does have some great bonuses, he thought lecherously.
"And who is this lovely lady?" he asked, eyeing Goei.
"This is Aunt Goei, Hakufu's mom" Kokin introduced. "Auntie, This is Saji Ganpo, one of Nanyo's Big Four fighters, but seriously Saji what have you been up to?"
"Oh nothing much, had to leave the area for a bit, a family matter that's all Saji answered vaguely, as he slid up behind Kan'u and began reaching for her rear. "And who's this lovely lady?"
"Touch me and die," Kan'u informed him icily, turning swiftly, surprising Saji by pulling her Seryuutou out of somewhere and placing the blade of the guan do aginst his neck.
"Don't be like that," Saji said, trying to look injured and refusing at the Green Dragon Blade's sudden appearance to show his shock even as a sweatdrop appeared and began to run down the back of his neck. "I wasn't trying to do anything."
"There is only one man allowed to touch me," Kan'u replied, keeping her guan do between them, barely repressing a shudder of revulsion at the idea of Saji touching her. Who knew where his hands had been! "And you are nothing like him. Take that however you will."
"Well, he must be impressive to have captured the interest of Kan'u Unchou," Saji smirked, trying to feel her out for information but he backed away as Ryomou came over, her eyes glittering dangerously.
"Saji, you're still alive, what a fucking pity!" She snarled moving to stand next to Kan'u, her turquoise eyes locked on him like gun sights. "On the other hand that means I can kill you myself!"
Saji gulped. There went his plan to use her crush on him to get her to spy on her new ally for him. Whatever happened to get her to leave Nanyo obviously had involved something about him. "Now wait a minute Ryomou. I've been out of action for a while so whatever you think I did I didn't do it." Somehow he just knew Toutaku was responsible for this somehow.
Ryomou's glare if anything hardened further and she growled. "Oh, like you didn't know about passing your own orders off as coming from Enjutsu's? How long was he dead before you started speaking with his voice huh? You disgust me!"
She made to lunge forward but Kan'u surprisingly came to his rescue as Ranma finished speaking to Chouhi and made his way over to them, her voice sharp and pulling Ryomou back. "Remember all the violence at the tournament must be in the sanctioned matches not on the sidelines or after!"
Ranma came up behind them with his lopsided grin, he was having fun as the fights so far had been great and his own was coming up quickly, gaining a blush from both Ryomou and Kan'u as he put his arms around their waists, pulling them into exuberant hugs. "Hey, gals, the next match is gonna start. Chouhi would feel bad if you two don't watch. What's up?" He spared a single glance at the
Saji's eyes widened at the familiar way the three were acting around eachother and he couldn't stop himself from speaking if his life depending on it. Even he'd never… "Wait, wait what's this? are you, you're all together, as in together, you two with him?!"
Kan'u smirked and nuzzled into Ranma's neck, knowing that it would irritate Saji no end to see someone else doing what he and every other pervert in the world dreamed about. Ryomou did the same on his other side smirking maliciously. Ranma however was still unused to public displays of affection, and his blush was one of monstrous proportions even as he answered. "Well, I think that's their choices yeah? I don't know what I did ta attract them, but I'm gonna try and make Kan'u and Ryomou happy."
Saji glared at the other man as he tried to downplay achieving the ultimate male fantasy. "You, I declare you my rival! No way will I allow someone to achieve a threesome before me!"
Ryomou smirked, her earlier anger gone as she realized how truly pathetic Saji was. "Just give up now Saji, you can't beat Ranma in any way, as a man or as a fighter. Ranma, may I introduce Saji, the idiot who tried to awaken Hakufu's inner dragon."
Ranma's eyes narrowed and before Saji could even blink Ranma's arms had left their position around Ryomou and Kan'u's waists and now held the larger and broader Saji in the air as if he weighed nothing. "So this is the fucking idiot huh? You and I are gonna have a long talk fucktard."
Saji gulped. As good a Fighter as he was the idea of facing Ranma one on one was never in the plan, not until he had the dragon shards under his control at any rate. "Hey, wait a minute, remember there's no combat allowed at a tournament outside the matches, right?" He appealed to Kan'u.
Kan'u placed a gentle yet inexorable hand on Ranma's arm, forcing him to lower the loathsome manslut to the ground. "he's right Ranma, besides you'll get as much combat as you can when you face Sousou."
Ranma scowled by let the other man go. "When this competition is over don't try to fucking run away man, or else."
Saji gulped but nodded and stepped back, moving over to stand by Goei and Hakufu, who along with Kokin was looking on with interest, wondering what that was all about. Luckily for Saji none of them listened to rumors or were connected to the schools information network, so he was at least able to stay with them. I'm beginning to have second thoughts about being here. Hopefully that pigtailed asshole will get his ass kicked and that'll keep Ryomou and Kan'u from chasing after me. Still, he thought philosophically, to win all one must gamble sometimes.
As Ranma and his girlfriends turned their attention back to the fight Chouhi and Bunken began to exchange blows. Bunken's Khakkhara gave her a range advantage, but Chouhi had regularly sparred with Kan'u and was used to fighting an opponent with a longer reach. She was calm, deflecting the khakkhara's butt end with her hands and trying to strike back with her leg.
Ranma said that to wait until she overextended then target either the staff or her hands, now I just need to hold on. She winced as a thrust nearly caught her chin, impacting along her temple. Though that's easier said than done.
Unfortunately for Chouhi, Bunken was able to adjust to her speed having seen how fast the other warriors from Seito were in their first two fights. She never let up, pushing and smacking the younger girl around as she nimbly twisted and ducked or jumped over her return shots.
When the moment came, Chouhi took it swiftly. Bunken had gotten her off balance with a swipe of her Khakkhara and followed it up with a thrust which the younger girl dodged, but before Bunken could recover from the llunge Chouhi lashed out with a sift two punch combo nailing and breaking the khakkhara in two.
Before she could follow up however Bunken closed the distance with the remaining foot of her weapon, hammering two shots into the younger girl's stomach. The girl doubled over yet struck backsmashing her fists into her opponent's left kneecap. Even as her leg gave out under her Bunken hammered her temple first with a palm strike and then brought her makeshift club up and around in a roundhouse, catching the younger girl on her other temple laying Chouhi out. The brown haired girl flew to the side, unconscious before she hit the ground.
On the sideline Ranma winced. "Damn, didn't think that gal would be able ta react that quickly. Still Chouhi did great, I'd guess her ranks a B now." Indeed CHouhi could never have fought a B-rank like Bunken so well as little as a month ago. Now she may have lsot, but the other girl was obviously not up to continuing, the way she was clutching the knee CHouhi had smashed.
Kan'u moved over and picked up her adopted imouto, carrying her body gently to the side and placing her down next to Ryuubi who immediately got out a medical kit and began to patch the comatose girl up, dabbling at her black and blue marks and the large gash Bunken's makeshift club had made on the side of her face. Hopefully it wouldn't scar.
She joined the others, almost glaring in her anger. "I'm going next."
Ryomou nodded, understanding how close she was to Chouhi. Ranma frowned though, stepping in front of Kan'u. "Take a moment ta calm down Kan-chan, y ou don't wanna go into a fight angry. Not against someone like these guys, they're way too calm and adaptable."
Kan'u glared at him for a moment then closed her eyes and breathed in a few times. "When she opened her aquamarine eyes were calm and focused. She smirked, grabbing Ranma by his shirt and pulling him into a deep kiss. His pigtail stuck straight out as if it been electrified as her tongue entered his mouth. A moment later she released her grip and his mouth making a audible pop as their mouths came apart, their tongues momentarily visible, with a trail of saliva connecting them. She smirked at his shocked and blushing face. "For thanks and for luck." With that said she turned and moved forward. It took Ryomou pulling on his pigtail to bring to earth and he twitched occasionally even as the fight began.
Inside the ring waiting Koumei had watched this with growing irritation and jealousy. After all, what red blooded male wouldn't have looked at that without feeling jealous, Kan'u was fucking hot! For a moment he decided to aim for her clothing, just to see more of her body. That thought faded when Kanu pulled out her guan do from somewhere. Where the fuck was she hiding that thing! He hadn't seen her use it on Saji on the sidelines and his confidence in his victory dwindled.
It disappeared entirely when the referee blew the whistle to start the match and suddenly he was on the defensive. Holy shit is she fast!
Kanu was in no mood to let ther other fighter even think he had a chance, and went into the fight with her newest move, a speed move based off Ranma's Katchu Tenshin Amaguriken. "Green Fang Thousand Slashes!" Koumei was barely able to block her slashes, and he bagn to suffer small but painful cuts on his sides and arms. But his khakkhara was taking the worst of it. Despite the top being covered with metal the rest to the staff was wood, and just could not stand up to the slashing attacks from his opponent's guan do.
On the sidelines Sousou was becoming deeply concerned. Having been roused from his nap when a barely walking Kakoton had brought a nearly crippled Bunken back to their sidelines, he had stayed awake to watch this match. He hadn't wanted to fight in this tournament and had hoped that Kakoton and the three Pillared Gods would have been able to deal with it on their own, that was why he'd brought them all along after all. He had accidently let his inner demon out too often already, he didn't want to go through that again. For a moment he contemplated forfeiting the match, but his best friends' battered bodies and their exhausted faces and decided he couldn't do that. More his pride wouldn't allow it. He may not put much stock in the whole desinty crap, but he was the leader of his faction, and he needed to step up. He winced as Kan'u began her final attack, having utterly owned Koumei the entire match. His ancestors was supposed to be equal to Guan Yu, but it looks like this time around there's no contest. How the hell did they all get so fast? Shumei said it was their speed that was the biggest problem and look at that speed technigue Kan'u is using. For a moemtn his avarcisious side came out, and he felt a deep bruning hunger to own the one who had such skill. However Kan'u was about to sho him and the rest of the Fighters that speed wasn't the only difference in her arsenal.
Kounei's staff finally gave up, falling apart under Kan;us continued assault. Koumei jumped backwards, giving him space to work with, and inadvertently falling into a trap Kan'u had planned from the very beginning. With a great shout she brought her guan do's blade down to impact the concrete in front of her, "Cresecnt Blade's Earth Roar!" Unlike the electrical based attack she had used on Ryoga, this attack was a shockwave that carried across the ground in a giant wall of debris and blue/green ki expanding as it went forward from the point her blade impacted the ground.
Koumei barely had a second to gawk at the sheer size of the oncoming attack, and no way to dodge it. The attack barreled into him and kept going carrying him to slam with bonebreaking force into and through a car on the other side of the makeshift arena. He did not get up.
Sousou snarled at seeing another friend go down but he forced his anger away for now. He and Shumei moved over to check on Koumei, and was relieved he was still breathing. He had cuts and gashes all over the front of his body, and his monks rob and been shredded, but other than that and possibly a concussion from when he went through the car he was going to be all right. As soon as he was certain his friend was going to be fine, Sousou turned and walked over to the referee. All desire to throw the match was gone from his mind, now he wanted to pay Seito back for what they had done to his friends, starting with pounding this fighter from outside into the ground.
Ranma sighed happily, a fierce smirk on his face. "Finally my turn. No offense, but watching isn't nearly as much fun as doing."
Kan'u smirked. "in so many ways Ma-chan." She watched as her joke sailed over her boyfriends head and her smirk turned into a worried smile. "Be careful alright? I know this is really why you're here, but fighting an awakened Ruler is on a whole other level. Come back safe please."
Ranma smiled back at her cupping her face and looking at Ryomou who had nodded fervent agreement as Kan'u spoke. "I'll try my best, that's all I can say. Love you two." With that he turned and entered the cordoned off arena. And as he did his anticipation grew. Come what may this was going to be one hell of a fight, and that was what he lived for, to challenge himself against the best. "Lets rock!"
The referee looked between the silently simmering Sousou and the energietic and eager Ranma and gulped. "M-match 3, Seito versus Kyosho. Begin!" the referee announced then got the hell out of the way.
Sousou immediately charged forward throign a series of kicks and punches at his opponent, Ranma dodged and leaned out of the way of most of them until one kick sialed by his head, then he ducked under, slamming a series of his amaguriken punches into the taller boys stomach and thigh.
Sousou grimaced at the impact but ignored it to swiftly bring up his other leg into a hard knee shot that caught Ranma before he could move back. The knee shot blasted into Ranma's gut and knocked him into the air above where they had been standing.
Yet the air was as much a home to Ranma's and his style as the ground. Ranma swiftly righted himself in the air, catching and using Sousou's next punch to stay in the air, using it like a bar to lift his legs and kick Sousou right in the face, sending the ruler of the wei faction reeling for a moment before he came back even faster and harder.
Ranma matched this jmump in speed and skill then exceeded it. Sousou was able to shrug off any ten punches from him, but a hundred per shot at Amiguriken speeds was something else. His fists were hitting so hard and so fast it sounded like a submachine gun going off.
Catching this on the chin and chest sent Sousou reeling, and he was completely unprepared for Ranma's version of Kan'u's Explosive Palm that hit him next. "Tiger Punch!"
The world exploded for Sousou and he clenched his teeth as he felt his feet leave the ground and his body fly through the air to slam into the side of a building on the other end of the parking lot.
"Holy shit," Muttered the newscaster, "That was Sousou of Kyosho he just sent flying who the fuck is this guy!" Saji was wondering the same thing, and began to surreptitiously move back out of the crowd. If Sousou's dragon awakens I don't want to be anywhere nearby, and if it doesn't I don't near that pigtailed outsider. Time to show the better part of valor.
Around him the other Fighters and bystanders were watching with expressions that ran the gamut from awe, to shock and then to worry. Ryuubi felt something stir inside, and she clamped down on it fiercely, moving back from the fight and forcing herself to stay calm, it wasn't easy but she did it.
Kan'u had followed her, and after a moment sucked in her breath as she felt something stirring form where Sousou was buried under rubble. Things were about to get very bloody.
All around the chosen ring area those sensitive to it began backing away. The murderous intent was flooding out of the hole in the wall, washing over their senses like a tsunami. Ryomou gasped, as her inner dragon splinter acted him and she put a hand up over her eye patch grimacing as she followed her friends.
Ranma ignored everyone else' reactions and merely bared his teeth, the killing intent coming from his opponent was nothing compared to what he had felt when communing with Guan Yu and seeing the dragon's soul, and this was what he was here to do. Come what may he'd face it head on.
He set himself as Sousou barreled out of the rubble straight towards him, his entire body covered with a ki based fire aura, far faster than he had been moving previously, faster even then Ranma could move. As Sousou closed he leapt into the air hammering him in the head several times with sharp hammer blows as he was in the air, but Sousou shook it off and slammed a flaming fist into Ranma's chest throwing him backwards to land hard on the concrete.
Ranma shook his head to shake off the impact, and the other fighter was on him before he could move. Ranma dodged, swayed and slapped his hands away returning stinging blows in return. The flames themselves didn't hurt him much as the Phoenix pill he had taken from Cologne had made him almost immune to flames. They still hurt, but nowhere near enough to incapacitate him.
Somehow the enraged berserker in front of him realized this and raged even further, his aura becoming more flame-like in appearance and moving even faster, leg flashing out in a kick that Ranma couldn't dodge in time. Ranma was barely able to move with the kick but he couldn't deaden the force of the blow and he slammed into a wall thrity feet behind him.
Ranma looked out of the crater his body had made at the flaming figure charging him once more and snarled and then began to clamp down on his emotions. "All right you bastard, you want to play that game here we go! Soul of Ice perfect version!" he said coldly. Almost immediately he felt his emotions finish shutting down, and cold fill him. Afterwards, they would come back, but right now they were a mere hindrance.
The onlookers looked on in shock as Ranma began to radiate a battle aura that was as cold as his opponents was hot, almost as if his battle aura was made out of liquid nitrogen. The air between the two fighters began to boil and simmer from the warring temperature fronts.
Sousou charged in trying to hammer Ranma down, but Ranma dodged his first punch took his second hit on his chest and returned thirty Amiguriken speed punches and ten kicks to Sousou, which lifted him into the air. Ranma followed up swiftly jumping up above him and hammering him with several hard shots using the force of his own hits. He stayed in the air, using Sousou's response to stay there, flummoxing his enemies greater strength with his maneuverability.
The wild Sousou snarled and screeched in pain with each hit, and the onlookers could see that his flame aura died down a little as if Ranma's ice aura was overcoming it. But each shot only did this for a bare second before the aura of flame returned.
Kan'u in the onlookers look on in shock as the reporter there to cover this part of the turn event gabbled into his microphone, deciding to give the fight a voiceover for the first time that day, more to get his own feelings out about what he was seeing than anything else. "I-I don't understand what we're seeing here, Sousou has given into his inner dragon and is fighting this new fighter Ranma, but Ranma isn't giving back an inch! How is this possible? Where the hell did this mysterious fighter come from?"
Around the nation several people were watching this program, for various reasons. One shorthaired girl in Nerima was watching this, and sighed sadly as she again had to push her anger down at seeing a look into a world she was no longer a part of. She had moved on, but the wounds, self-inflicted for the most part, were still there. If pushed, she would have said losing her strength was the only thing that would have broken her out of her rut, but it was hard, so hard sometimes to be honest even with herself.
Another shorthaired haired girl sat next to her, and a wailing man sat on the far side bemoaning the fact that his dishonorable son-in-law was somewhere else when he should've been here making reparations and fixing what he did to Akane, who ignored her father with the ease of long practice. Nabiki looked at her family for a second then back to where Ranma was fighting and shook her head. I got off lightly. At least I'm still alive and eventually people will forget what I did and I'll be able to move on. Looking at him like this, he could've killed us all. She thought it almost wonderingly, wondering deep down if she would have been as kind if she had been the one with that kind of power. He could've killed us all and none of us would've been able to stop him. Oh yes, I got off lightly indeed.
The police commissioner was also watching in horror as buildings were smashed and the lot the fight started in demolished as the two fighters just continued to pound on one another neither retreating. IS this what Ranma was talking about, a bererk dragon soul? That was just as frightening as Ranma himself, the idea of two human beings able to take this much punishment and deal out this much damage terrified him. My God in heaven, he thought, what have we done here? What have we unleashed? The idea that this could have been just a prelude of a future disaster if the government hadn't called in Ranma and the 'dragon' brought itself back would occur to him later that night. The nightmares this thought awakened in him kept him up for many nights following the tournament's second round.
This was pretty much the same train of thought that occurred to agents of the Federal Department of Paranormal Activities. The reports of the fight in China against Saffron had reached them of course, but they hadn't really given it much thought. The fact that the mountain had been destroyed was not in question, but there were many ways that could've happened naturally and not involved a fight of this magnitude. Now they looked on and realize that everything they had heard about that incident was true.
One mother watched torn between pride and worry for her son. Pride that he was such a magnificent fighter, able to stand against this monstrous foe. Worry because she had just attempted to enter his life once more and did not want to see him leave her again.
Two other fighters looked on in awe watching on a TV screen set into the ceiling while riding the train back to Kanto. Herb was astonished at how well Ranma was fighting, and frankly a little concerned with how effective that soul of ice technique was. It almost completely negated his opponent's flame attacks, and if it could do that to them it would do the same to him if they ever fought. Chou'un looked on worried for her boyfriend and slightly in awe of the fight itself. She had known Ranma was good but this good?
Back at the fight Ranma coldly analyzed his assault on his opponent and realized that even with the soul of ice and the below freezing temperature of his punches the flame aura of his opponent was negating most of his attack and the return blows were beginning to matter. He was also losing ki at a far faster pace than his opponent, and had less to begin with. If I don't do something quick he's going to just overwhelm me, well all right, change of tactics!
The onlookers had had to move back and then back again as the fight escalated but Kan'u was still within range to see Ranma's change of tactics. Rather than being on the attack he had fallen completely back on the defensive and she wondered why. Her still limited ki sight, though it had become much better under Ranma's tutelage, showed her that he was nowhere near collapse yet. His reservoir was draining a faster than his opponents, but Ranma must have realized the same thing and she wondered what her lover was going to do.
Ryomou however was the one who spotted what was really going on. "Why do you suppose he's moving in a spiral pattern?" she mused as the two watched from a nearby rooftop, hopefully far enough away that they wouldn't be caught up in the escalating battle.
Kan'u turned to look at her with a questioning glance. "A spiral, what do you mean?"
Ryomou shrugged "He's moving in a spiral, he's keeping Sousou attacking him from the front and he's moving the fight in a spiral."
Kan'u thought for a minute, trying to remember what style or attack Ranma had that dealt with spirals and when she remembered she visibly paled. "I think" she said slowly, calmly, as she brought out her Seryuutou and smashed into the doorway leading into the building whose roof they were standing on. Once in the doorway she shoved Seryuutou into the side of the inside wall, as if it was a protective bar. "I think we should buckle down. I think things are going to get a little hairy here. I really, really think we should find some way to tie us down somehow. This is going to get very bad!"
Ryomou looked at her and took in her frightened expression and swiftly agreed, bringing out her always present handcuffs, tying them together and trying both of them to her guan do. Ryuubi and the now awake Chouhi were hustled inside, and tied down as well despite their protests.
Kan'u looked across at the other schools fighters on a nearby roof as well as Goei and shouted "Get something to hold onto! Something's going to happen soon!"
Shumei, the only fighter still fit enough to fight, shouted back "What's going to happen soon!?"
Kan'u shouted back. "You wouldn't believe me if I told you! Just tie yourselves down!"
The fighters all looked at one another then looked back at her scared, clearly frightened face, visible even from two roofs over and nodded to one another. Within minutes they were all tied down, along with Hakufu's aunt and the referee. The reporter, seeing what was happening retreated into a doorway.
Back in the fight Ranma nodded grimly as Sousou attacked again jumping in with a high kick followed by several punches while still in the air. "Hiryu Shoten Ha!" he yelled coldly, punching up a single fist to meet one of the punches coming down from his opponent.
When the punch connected a huge gust of wind came up from the point of impact, ripping the other fighter into the air and suddenly creating a monstrous hurricane which appeared around him and sucked higher, whirling him around in its depths. The debris came up as well, in fact everything that hadn't been bolted down and some things that had been bolted down in the parking lot and around it were sucked into that swirling vortex.
Kan'u and the others looked on in horror from where they clutched at the Seryuutou where it was set into the wall, as the giant hurricane appeared in the city, ripping shredding and tearing at the buildings surrounding the fight, appalled at the amount of damage being done. The fighters from Kyoshu, who were equally bunkered down were also horrified, both by the damage and the fact that their leader and friend was somewhere in that roiling mass of wind.
Ranma however was not about to let up on his opponent. He jumped away from the hurricane landing nearby and cupped his hands, concentrating for a nearly a full minute before bringing them forward sharply. This sent several wind cutter claws into the hurricane, where they would be taken up by the hurricane and moved around randomly. Nowhere near as dangerous as the Cat Fist claws, they wouldn't cut through any object, but they would impact and cause quite a bit of damage. Ranma had come up with them while searching for a way to make the cat fist less deadly, and it had worked, though it took so much concentration it was nearly useless in a real fight.
As the wind around them died down with the hurricane moving off slightly Kan'u managed to unlatch the cuffs tying her to her guan do, then dragged herself to the edge of the roof and shout down and Ranma over the tumult of the wind. "How long is the hurricane going to last?!" she shouted.
Ranma looked up at her still in the grip of the soul of ice and shrugged. "I don't know. It may last as long as his flame aura does, its fed by how heated the other fighter is, anger, rage or actual heat all work."
Almost on the heel of these words the hurricane began to die out and the Fighters looked up to see Sousou still in the air body flopping around out of control, his flame aura gone. Ranma looked on coldly as Sousou fell from fifteen stories in the air, impacting the ground hard enough to shake it and to plant him at least seven feet into the concrete. He looked up at the referee who was just now looking over the edge of the building he had been standing on and said coldly. "I think I won, don't you?"
The referee was about to shakily agree when Sousou pulled himself out of the whole. His clothes were tattered he was bleeding from several cuts on his arms, legs and body, and his reservoir was nearly drained, but he was still gripped in his dragon soul's berserk fury and would not relent.
Ranma shook his head coming out of the soul of ice and gasping as his emotions came back, along with the pain of his own wounds which had also been kept at a distance by the technique. "All right you bastard, I've had just about enough of this!" He strode forward and the berserk fighter pushed off the ground to meet him snarling, but Ranma batted his attacks aside as if they were nothing, his body fueled with the entirety of his remaining reservoir and slammed three punches straight into Sousou's face, breaking his nose and smashing it flat and blackening one of his eyes.
The berserker reeled almost collapsing and Ranma slammed a hard knee up into his chest raising him up to meet another strong punch to the side of his face that blackened his other eye. Sousou reeled again but he didn't fall and tried to come back.
Ranma was having none of it brushing aside his attacks again and again as if they were flies and hammering the fighter with strong punches. "This is ain't you know" he said almost conversationally as Sousou nearly collapsed again. "It's that freaking dragon thing inside of you. No matter how good this thing can fight, it ain't you. You're just a tool for it, the thing that cursed yer ancestors 'cause it was a fucking sore loser, and you're going to continue to be a tool for it until you fight out of this!" The berserker roared again and Ranma kicked him in the stomach and followed up with a sharp roundhouse kick to the temple, which finally sent the other fighter to the ground. The berserker tried to rise, but Ranma stomped on his head, growling "stay down!"
Behind him he could hear his friends coming down from the rooftops where they had taken shelter during the fight, as well as two new arrivals arriving just in the nick of time.
Herb ran up behind him, he and Chou'un had sprinted the entire way from the train station jumping over rooftops and moving cars to get here in time. Swiftly he brought out the spell scroll and slapped it onto the back of the downed fighter. "Activate!" Herb shouted. The scroll glowed bright yellow and started to suck the dragon essence out of him.
Sousou tried to turn trying to get what was on his back off, but to no avail. With one last roar the dragon spirit was sucked out of him and without that power fueling him, Sousou's injuries took their toll immediately and he collapsed boneless to the ground.
His followers, who had been making their way cautiously forward once the hurricane let up glared at the newcomer. What did you do to him?" Shumei exclaimed.
Herb merely glanced at him, his draconic features fully on display and the wannabe monk swiftly shut up. There was just something about this new guy that scared the living shit out of him and he hadn't even fought! HE was so scared he didn't even try to read him. "I just solved one third of our problem" Herb said as he removed the scroll from his target. "The dragon shard your friend here had is no more. This purify seal has removed it."
Goei stared at him aghast. "That-that can't be possible! There's no way something outside the destiny can affect something in it! We have to win through ourselves!" She exclaimed.
"You weren't doing a good job of it." Ranma growled coming out of his battle high and assessing his injuries. Besides innumerable burned patches he had at least three broken ribs, a broken collarbone, his head was still ringing, and he may have shattered his right forearm as well, and his ki was barely enough to keep him upright. His hands and feet were bleeding and burned too, so much that he was being very careful in not actually looking at them lest he lose his lunch, and he had several cuts and gashes on his face.
He was, in a word, not in the mood for any of this shit. "You guys don't operate in a vacuum. When you fight, you don't just hurt each other, the hospital and the morgue are full of people that have been caught up in these fights of yours! I ain't gonna stand here and listen to how you don't want to answer to anythin' else!" He turned back to Herb "So is the soul thing going to just stay in there are you going to just destroy it?"
Herb shrugged and with a twitch of his hands ripped the piece of paper apart. A low mournful wail echoed through the area but that was all. The soul had been so weakened in its fight with Ranma that it could no longer sustain itself outside of its chosen vessel. The spell had sucked it out of that vessel and without that strength, the shard could do nothing but die.
As the referee declared Ranma the victor in a shaky tone of voice he turned to Kan'u and his friends and grinned as he put a weak arm around her shoulders, trying not to show any weakness. "Well," he said. "Who's up for some food? I'm starving." They looked at him as if he was mad then Kan'u started to chuckle. Chuckling gave way quickly to full-blown laughter, and everyone around them looked at the two as if they were insane.
On a nearby rooftop Ryofu had watched everything wide-eyed and aroused beyond belief at how powerful Ranma was. I just simply have to have him. Screw everything else, everyone else! Ranma just called to her and that call must be answered. Even if, the thought struck her as she saw Kan'u put a gentle arm around Ranma's waist, she had to go through his present lover.
In his stronghold the Emperor Toutaku smashed the TV to pieces as the fight ended, snarling in mixed rage and terror. Something had to be done about this new fighter something had to stop him. "I will not die!" He shouted suddenly into the empty room, cutting his hands on the wreckage of the tv, shudereing as the pleasure of the pain went trhough him, calming him down. "I will find a way to beat this destiny of mine!"
Saji had left as soon as the hurricane appeared, his thought process heads nearly stopping in shock and horror. He decided there and then to give up this whole idea of using the inner Dragon, it wouldn't work. Ranma's just too damn good, I desperately need to find some way to neutralize him. If I can't the only way forward will be to somehow get the two remaining dragon souls merged into me, with two of them at least I should be able to overpower him and then I won't have to rely on anyone else to conquer.
Somewhere that could not fit that description, some when that did not change to mark the passage of time, a being screamed in agony as a fourth of its power disappeared suddenly. It had been diminished! One of its main tethers had died! This had never occurred before! Something must be done! Some plan must he made. Slowly so slowly the instincts that had served it for so long and the desire for continuance battled. Desire won out and slowly, so slowly, intellect was roused where instinct alone had been before. It would have to take an active role, even though it's time was not yet here. If it didn't it was in danger of dying forever. This new threat was too potent for it to leave it to random chance.
end chapter
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