Chapter 1

Although Ranma had tried to send the skin suit back to the Monkey-Mountain temple, a phone call had revealed that they had never been in possession of such a skin suit, which — in turn — meant that they had never sent it to him. Even when he had offered the skin suit to them, they had refused, no doubt with the assumption that it possessed the same bothersome nature as the dōgi that they had once owned, which had wailed at night for a master.

Despite his attempts to give the skin suit away to the girls that he was closest to, with the claim that it would enhance the wearer's abilities, Ranma hadn't found any keepers. Akane had been the first that he had offered it to, but she had rejected it, saying — among other things — that it was perverted. When he had suggested that it would also improve her figure, in an attempt to change her mind, her response had — unsurprisingly — gone from being strictly verbal to mostly physical. Ukyo had been willing at first, for his sake, but she had ultimately felt too uncomfortable to try it on. Shampoo, on the other hand, had shown no reservation about wearing the skin suit. However, since it hadn't done anything more than look like a realistic — if disproportionate — costume, she had lost interest in it. So, at Cologne's suggestion, he had grudgingly decided to hold on to it just in case — of what, he didn't know.

In the end, the skin suit had been stored in the closet, where it was left to be forgotten. After several weeks, however, Ranma would still find his thoughts gravitating toward it, wondering if it would ever become an issue. Somewhere in the back of his mind, something about the skin suit — as well as the letter that had been included with it — continued to nag at him. This was partly due to the fact that he still had no idea as to where it had come from, but the greatest part of that nagging came from the vague feeling of disquiet that he experienced whenever he considered parting with the skin suit, in such a way as to give up any possible access to it. He knew the feeling well enough, but he usually knew what he was getting into whenever he experienced it, and he didn't like not knowing one bit.

More importantly, however, was why the skin suit had been sent to him. If what the letter had suggested was anywhere near true, he could have been feeling good about himself and showing off: it was nice when someone recognized his skill and entrusted him with something important. However, past experience told him that it was probably someone's idea of a joke, or — if his feelings bore out — would likely amount to more trouble than he was willing to put up with.

Early one morning, just as the sun was peeking over the horizon, Ranma casually made his way to the empty lot, where he and Ryoga often held their duels. Ranma had received Ryoga's challenge more than a week ago, and since four days ago he had been checking the appointed place to see whether or not Ryoga had arrived. He checked once in the morning, then again during the evening; before and after school, respectively, if it happened to be on a school day, like it was on that day.

As Ranma approached the empty lot, he noticed that a tent had been set up. Just outside of it he could see Ryoga sitting in front of a portable burner, which had a kettle resting on top of it. He was hunched over as he inhaled ramen noodles out of a styrofoam cup, and made no move to acknowledge his presence.

When Ranma reached him, he squat down, crossed his arms across his knees, and light-heartedly said, "Finally got here, huh?"

Ryoga quickly finished the last of the noodles that were in his cup before he closed his eyes and grudgingly admitted, "Just a few hours ago."

Blinking, Ranma leaned in a bit closer and noticed the slight bags beneath Ryoga's eyes. Raising an eyebrow, he asked, "You haven't slept, yet?"

"Not a wink," Ryoga casually replied.

"And you're okay with that...?" Ranma inquired.

With a confident smirk, Ryoga said, "Although it pains me to lose sleep over you, it's going to be a key to my victory."

"Ah, I see," Ranma replied, with an expression and tone that showed how unimpressed he was by Ryoga's statement. "So, you're going to try that again, are you?"

Ryoga simply stood up and said, "Just wait a moment and you'll find out."

Ranma got to his feet and put some distance between Ryoga and himself, as his bandanna-wearing rival picked up his portable burner and kettle, along with his trash, and put them somewhere in his tent. When he was done, he crawled out of it, stood up, then walked over to a spot that was across from where he stood.

"Well, let's get this over with," Ranma said, as if unconcerned about the coming fight.

Ryoga closed his eyes and thought of many depressing things, chief among them his indecision on the matter of choosing between Akane and Akari. Despite the fact that Akari knew of his curse, yet still loved him, it hadn't put out the fire that burned for Akane within in his heart. Was he even deserving of Akari's love, when someone who had only expressed themselves as nothing more than a friend to him could distract him so easily?

By the look on Ryoga's face, and his stance, Ranma sensed that he was ready for him. He sprinted forward and quickly closed in on him, a fist cocked and ready to deliver a blow. Ryoga's eyes snapped open just before he came within range, his eyes filled with a determination that didn't match the woeful expression on his face. Their arms crossed, as one tried to punch the other, and then...

Ranma was knocked back, a surprised look on his injured face. Something strange had happened when he had gotten close to Ryoga, as if he had suddenly been burdened with enough weight to slow him down; enough, he realized, for his moves to be read. Ryoga had also been able to dodge his attack at the same time, as if he hadn't fallen under the same effect.

Narrowing his eyes, Ranma initiated combat with Ryoga again, hoping to get a better understanding of what was going on. He punched, but Ryoga dodged. He kicked, but Ryoga redirected his leg. Then he tried to punch Ryoga with the greatest speed that he could muster, but it felt like he was fighting under water, and his fists just couldn't reach the blinding speed that he had been hoping for.

That's when Ryoga managed to grab the collar of his shirt, lifted him up, and began to alternate between punching him in the face and abdomen. No matter how hard he tried to move his head out of the way, or block his fists, Ryoga's newfound speed advantage made small work of his attempts. It was while Ryoga's arm was extended, with his fist buried into one side of his face, that he eventually saw an opportunity to escape. He raised his legs as quickly as he could, planted them on Ryoga's torso, then kicked off of him.

With a tearing sound accompanying his action, he was able to launch himself out of Ryoga's grip. He backflipped perfectly and landed a safe distance away, although he found himself staggering for a moment before he could recover his bearings. He quickly returned his attention to Ryoga, who hadn't moved to follow him, and winced in pain as he wiped his mouth on his sleeve.

"How unfair," Ryoga stated softly, flatly, as he tossed a handful of Ranma's shirt aside. "You got away."

Ranma continued to observe his opponent, and think, while said opponent remained where he was. By now he was sure that Ryoga had somehow managed to project his heavy ki around him, to increase the resistance to his movements by weighing him down, which in turn meant that he had to burn more energy to achieve what he could. For once, he found himself at a speed disadvantage with the other boy, so he wouldn't be able to get close to him unless he figured out a way to disrupt the mood that powered his use of heavy ki.

"Realized that you can't get close to me, did you?" Ryoga observed, sounding as if it were terrible news to him.

Feeling a bit more confident, Ranma crossed his arms and said, "Not a problem."

"Oh?" Ryoga replied.

"Look behind you!" Ranma suddenly exclaimed, with great urgency, as he pointed behind Ryoga. "It's Akari!"

An errant wind carried a leaf between the two, during the period of silence and inactivity that followed.

"I knew you'd try something like that," Ryoga finally said, as he gave Ranma a reproachful stare. "That's why I promised myself that—"

"And she's kissing Akane," Ranma interrupted in a pseudo-hushed tone, his hand raised to his mouth in a conspiratorial fashion.

Another moment of silence passed between them. Ranma eagerly awaited Ryoga's reaction, and hoped that Ryoga's silent, rigid form was a good sign.

"W-w-w-whaaaaaaaat!?" Ryoga gasped, flustered by the mental image that had been evoked in his mind.

Being quick to take advantage of the opportunity presented before him, Ranma rushed Ryoga before he could recover. He unleashed as many punches as he could, and he was satisfied to see them working faster than the eyes could normally see. Ryoga could do no more than try to defend himself before he was sent crashing into a wall from a well-placed kick.

Grinning, Ranma stood triumphantly and waited for Ryoga to climb out of the rubble. It didn't take long, but Ryoga simply sat up instead of getting to his feet. His head was bowed, and his fists were clenched at his sides.

"I can't believe I fell for it," Ryoga muttered, anger evident in his voice. "Even after I prepared myself..."

"Well, no one's perfect," Ranma jovially offered.

After a pause, Ryoga said, "You're right."

"I am?" Ranma replied, wondering — yet suspecting — where Ryoga was going to go with his comment.

Ryoga stood up and took a few steps away from the rubble, in a way that made him appear fatigued. He kept his head bowed, and his fists clenched, until he took his final step. Only then did he appear to relax, with his palms showing and his shoulders sagging.

"Thank you," Ryoga began, before he leapt toward Ranma, swung his fist at him, and shouted, "for reminding me of how inferior I am!"

"Whoa!" Ranma cried out, as he jumped out of the way.

Ryoga continued his assault, and Ranma retreated each time he advanced, knowing that he couldn't get too close to him without risking ensnarement. In fact, any amount of time in close quarters with Ryoga would be dangerous, and he didn't think that he'd be as lucky to escape as he had last time. Not only did he risk being beaten into submission, but he also risked tiring himself out too quickly on top of that, since he had to expend more energy than usual — when Ryoga was nearby — just trying to keep up with him, nevermind trying to match him. Even if he managed to escape from another beating, the cost would almost certainly ensure his defeat.

After a time, Ryoga stopped and — in a low, deliberate tone — said, "Do you hate being around me that much? Am I so despicable as to be treated like a leper?"

Ranma didn't reply, knowing that Ryoga was only reinforcing the mood required to maintain his heavy ki. Instead, he gathered his confidence and fired a mōko takabisha while his opponent was still stationary. Ryoga raised his arms in defense, rather than move out of the way, since he had been unprepared for it. However, he needn't have worried, as he soon found out: the heavy ki around him was thick and had acted like a wall, and only a small fraction of Ranma's attack had made any significant penetration while the rest had taken the path of least resistance and splashed away from its target.

Ryoga charged toward Ranma again, and found him retreating once more. At that, Ryoga yelled, "Are you going to fight me, or are you going to forfeit?"

Ranma scowled in response, but he knew that Ryoga was right: if all he did was run, he might as well be forfeiting the match. Tricking Ryoga had worked once before, true, but he didn't think that he could be tricked yet again in his current state. However, even if he could trick Ryoga once more, he'd already taken quite a beating, and he'd expended a lot of energy making the most out of the opening that he had been able to produce before. Simply put: the challenge of getting through his technique and guard both, then defeating Ryoga with only a second successful offense, was extremely unlikely.

The last thing that he wanted to experience was being carried back home and deposited in an unseemly heap, which was what had happened when Ryoga had first learned the shishi hōkōdan — and the unperfected one, at that. Not only did he not have the excuse of it not being a formal duel, because it was, but now he had to prove his manliness to his mother or risk committing seppuku. While he wasn't sure that his defeat would be considered a deal-breaker with his mother, he didn't want to risk either it or — alternatively — experiencing the shame of failure and the other annoying things that would likely accompany it.

His mind raced to think of a solution as he kept himself out of Ryoga's zone of influence, until a potential answer finally occurred to him.

"Perhaps there is another way to get through that heavy ki of his," Ranma thought to himself. "It's worth a try, at least."

Ranma leapt high into the air, and landed upon the roof of a house just outside of the empty lot. He turned to face Ryoga, who was now looking up at him, and yelled, "Can you wait here for a few minutes? I'll be right back!"

Then he left before Ryoga could answer. Ryoga blinked once, twice, then three times, before he broke out of his trance-like state, his face becoming animated again. Enraged, he shouted, "H-hey! Ranma! Get back here, you coward! We're not done fighting, yet!"