Disclaimer: Ranma 1/2 is the property of Rumiko Takahashi and all associated licensers. The King of Fighters and it associated series are the property of SNK-Playmore and all associated licensers. This is not a work for profit. I claim no rights to the characters. This is a work of fiction.

Continuity for Ranma is mostly derived from the manga, with some of the anime sprinkled in for good measure. Continuity for the King of Fighters is a modified form of the current story, how that is should be explained in story, but I am willing to explain for those with further questions.

Enjoy!

Chapter 5

The next two days passed quickly for Ranma. He spent a good portion of his time in school, where Akane mercilessly kept him focused on his work (her own subtle form of revenge), but otherwise spent every spare moment training for his match. Ryoga volunteered to "prepare" Ranma for his fight, which really meant that he had a convenient excuse to try and beat up his friend while also pumping him for details about what had happened in the past six weeks. The pair managed to catch up on things during that time, and while both were loath to admit it, they really enjoyed being able to get back to their old routine.

Ranma was utterly confident. He was at the top of his game physically and in a far better place emotionally than he had been for months. The fight with Ryo Sakazaki was going to be his big break, he just knew it. Once the world saw a champion like Sakazaki crumble under the power of Ranma's techniques, Musabetsu Kakutou Ryu would be the next big thing in martial arts. Kids would be practically knocking down the doors of the Tendo Dojo to sign up!

Saturday morning arrived with great fanfare. Ranma woke up early, put in some last minute practice, ate a hardy breakfast, and checked the weather just to be absolutely sure that there were no last minute incoming rain storms. The report on TV said there was nary a cloud in sight; Ranma grinned, this really was going to be his day.

Deep in the heart of Shakujii Park, Ryo was deep in thought. He always meditated before any important match. He had to clear his mind of any anger towards his young opponent so that he could fight at his best. He was failing miserably.

"Damn it all, that little punk really ticks me off! Calling Kyokugen Karate weak! What the hell does he know anyway? Whoever heard of "Musabetsu Kakutou" anyway? What is that even supposed to mean? School of Indiscriminate Grappling? Why doesn't he just call it Vale Tudo and be done with it? It's so stupid!"

"That's not really the issue here Ryo. It's more you getting all steamed over some kid mocking you that's a problem."

"Shut up Robert." Ryo replied curtly. "He insulted our school. Don't you have any pride in the teachings of Kyokugen? After all we've struggled through over the past few years; I refuse to let some kid dismiss us."

"You know what I think?" said Robert. "He's a teenager. Teenagers do stupid things. You were a teenager once Ryo, you did stupid things. I know because I was right there with you for a lot of them. You should just let things be. Ask him for an apology, chalk it up to a cultural misunderstanding and be done with it."

"It's not that simple Robert. I'm fighting for the honor of my school, and that kid is doing the same thing for his. He won't back down; he wants to make an example out of me. Well, he's free to try, but he'd better be ready for the consequences!" Ryo struck (what he hoped was) a suitably martial pose to emphasize his point. Robert was not impressed.

"Good grief. You really take things too seriously Ryo. You resemble your father more with each passing day."

"That kooky old man? No way! Take that back! And while you're at it… stop dating my sister!"

Robert groaned as he rubbed his temples. "Really, you are too much, man. Why did I even bother taking up your match with Kusanagi? I didn't come over here to Japan looking for a fight, but thanks to you I got one anyway. I sense a pattern in all of this." As Robert was pondering the general wisdom of his friendship with Ryo, a young man in sweats ran over to them.

"Oh, Mr. Sakazaki and Mr. Garcia, am I glad I found both of you! I'm Kumada, one of the stage crew. I just wanted to tell you that the ring is ready for the match, and that all we're waiting for now is the arrival of Mr. Saotome!"

"Really? The kid hasn't even shown up yet? Strange." Ryo took one final stretch. "Guess I'll head on down to the ring anyway. As Bogard would say 'Alright! Let's get ready!'"

Robert had to try his hardest to suppress another groan.

Ranma was trying to make his way to the park as fast as he could. It was not his fault that every resident in Nerima had come out mob him as he made his way through the streets. At least it seemed like it was everyone in the ward. At the very least all of his classmates from Furinkan were surrounding him, many looking to get his autograph or ask him for some sort of favor.

When Ranma had asked for recognition as a martial artist, this was not what he had in mind!

"Ranma, RANMA!" screamed Hiroshi, one of the few students Ranma actually considered a friend… sort of. Next to Hiroshi stood Daisuke, a bland, inoffensive fellow who was a mutual friend of both of them. Being of a more mellow temperament then his companion, Daisuke stood calmly by waiting for Ranma to address them.

"Hiroshi? You're here too?" Ranma asked.

"Of course man! You have to tell me how you did it man, getting this whole thing together! I wanted to ask you at school, but Akane was guarding you like a dog!"

"Hiroshi?" Daisuke ventured to ask, "You do realize Akane is somewhere around here right now, possibly listening to everything we are saying?

"What are you talking—Ouch!" Hiroshi could not finish his question before Akane stomped on his foot.

"I'm not a dog you know!"

"Oh Akane, you were there after all." Hiroshi began to laugh nervously. "I'm dead aren't I?"

"What? No! Just don't say something like that again."

Hiroshi gushed as relief filled him. "Oh thank sweet merciful Buddha! I thought you were going to take the mallet out there for a second…"

"What mallet?" Akane asked somewhat surprised.

"Well, you know," Hiroshi sputtered, "the rumors at school… the pocket dimension… everyone talks about it!"

"Good grief, who ever came up with a crazy idea like that? Kuno?" Akane thought hard about it for a moment, she dimly remembered there was one time she used a hammer, many months before. As Akane continued to ponder about how rumors had conflated her into some sort of superhuman engine of wrath, she could hear Ranma screaming.

"No! Come on people, I've got to get through. I'm already late!" Ranma wanted to try and jump over the crowd like he had on Wednesday, but everyone was so closely packed together he could not find a spot to land on. Well, there was that really tall cheerleader's head, but that would be just plain rude. That, and Ranma doubted her neck could support his weight.

"Ranma! Come over here!" shouted Akane. "I'm going to make a path for you!"

"What? How are you going to do that?"

Akane spread her arms out in wide fashion and began to press against the crowd.

"Hiroshi, Daisuke, follow my lead!"

"What! You're drafting me to take on this monstrous crowd Akane?" whined Hiroshi. "I'm allergic to pain and danger!"

"It's for a good cause Hiroshi. Besides, that mallet you mentioned earlier… I was thinking it might be a good investment…"

"Okay, Okay! You convinced me!" Hiroshi panicked as he began pushing with Akane to clear a path.

"Hiroshi, my old friend," Daisuke intoned solemnly, "If I don't make it out of this alive, tell my mother I love her."

"And you can have my collection of Newtype magazines! I love you man!"

"I love you too!"

"Oh will you two shut up and help me here!" Akane grumbled. Honestly, did those clowns always have to blow things out of proportion?

Through Akane's efforts, a small gap was opened in the crowd, and Ranma was able to slip through. As soon as he was free, he made a mad dash for the park.

"I'm going on ahead!" Ranma screamed.

"I'll catch up with you!" Akane yelled back. "And good luck!" By that time, Ranma was already a speck in the distance. Akane had to admit it, Ranma's speed was frightening.

Ranma really wished he did not have to run. He wanted to come into the match completely fresh. After about half a minute, he decided to risk slowing down in order to conserve his strength. It seemed as if no one had been able to follow him, and so he finally relaxed. Soon after, Ranma could make out the main entrance to Shakujii Park in front of him.

As he walked up to the gate, he could see a line of people trying to enter the park. Just great, Ranma thought to himself, am I going to be mobbed again? Upon closer inspection however, he noticed that the line was quite well organized and orderly. An even closer look revealed why; Nabiki was standing at the gate, selling tickets.

"Okay sir, 1000 yen for the ticket, with the commission fee and tax that comes out to 1800 yen. Thank you and have a wonderful day." Nabiki had a wide grin on her face, and for once the joy was all real. She was making an even bigger killing on this then she could have ever dreamed of! She had known it was a good idea to get that Kuroki guy's contact information on Wednesday, but to think she was actually allowed to take part in the organization of the event! Then there was the betting, but of course she had to do that on the sly. When was Japan going to relax its gambling laws anyway?

"Figures I'd find you where the money is at, Nabiki. You never pass on an opportunity to profit off of someone else's work."

"Oh Ranma, I am so very glad you finally decided to show up. You do realize that the match is supposed to start in three minutes? Better hurry up now." Nabiki was very clearly enjoying her control over the situation.

"We are going to talk about this later." Ranma warned. "You're not walking off with all of that money without giving up a share to the dojo."

"I love you too dear."

"Damn it, I wonder if you're even human sometimes!" Ranma would have said more, but he knew it was pointless. Nabiki would probably keep all of the money too; it was one of the recurring themes of his life.

Ranma jumped over the gate into the park, and quickly followed the main path towards where the match was supposed to take place. He pulled out a piece of paper from his pocket that had the directions scribbled on it, and double checked it. He need not have worried, for it became quickly obvious where the location was. Somehow, in only a few short days, a group of workers had managed to erect a series of large bleachers in the center of the park. The bleachers were set up in a square formation, and were already packed with people. In the center of the square there was a fighting ring set up. The ring seemed to be made from wood and slightly raised above the ground, with no ropes or barriers surrounding it. Ranma briefly wondered if there would be any rules pertaining to ring-outs, but he decided not to worry about something that had not been mentioned yet.

Looking more closely, Ranma could see something of even greater interest to him. Two men were already standing in the ring. Ranma could not recognize one of them, though he assumed it was a referee by his outfit. The other man however was immediately recognizable: Ryo Sakazaki. He was decked out in fighting gear; a tattered red gi with a black undershirt and black wrist guards. It was so stereotypical Ranma had to suppress a laugh. What was up with this Sakazaki guy anyway? He not only acted like some goofy lead from an 80's action flick, he dressed like one too!

"Ladies and gentlemen," the referee began while speaking into a microphone, "I apologize, there might be a slight delay…"

"No need to apologize ref, there won't be any delays." Ranma said as he effortlessly bounded into the ring. "Sorry about being slightly late, it's just that my fans can't get enough of me." Ranma looked at Ryo for a second. "I'm guessing you didn't have that problem."

"Oh, yeah, very funny there kid." said Ryo without losing a beat. "Almost as funny as your face is going to be after I'm done rearranging it."

"How do you say that stuff with a straight face? Why don't you tell me "I'm already dead" or "I'll be punished in the name of the moon" while you're at it?"

"Why do I need to tell you? I'll show you with the power of Kyokugen!"

"Gentlemen, I know you are having a lot of fun," the referee interrupted, "But can you please settle down for a moment while I explain the rules?"

"Fine with me." Ryo and Ranma replied almost simultaneously. The poor referee almost went deaf from how loudly they shouted it.

"The bout is one round, 10 minutes in length." The referee began. "Victory can be obtained by KO, Submission, or a decision by me at the end of the match based on the number of blows landed by each fighter. If at any time I feel that the life of a fighter is in danger, I will call an end to the match, and the use of any technique with the intent to kill or maim will result in disqualification and full legal action. Other than that, anything goes. Is that understood gentlemen?"

"Wouldn't want it any other way." Ranma said eagerly.

"Amen to that." Ryo agreed.

"Very well then, take to your corners and wait for my signal to begin." With that Ranma and Ryo pulled back to opposite corners of the ring and spent the brief respite clearing their heads.

Ryo noticed Robert waiting by the side of the ring motioning for him to come over, and so Ryo went over to have a last minute chat. He wondered what his old friend had to say to him.

"Look, if you're really going to do this, don't hurt the kid too much."

"What Rob, have you ever known me to be a cruel guy?"

"You're absolutely right." Robert raised his arms in a melodramatic fashion. "Then I guess all I can say is avoid any crotch shots and don't get your nose broken in more than one spot, and don't call me Rob!"

Ryo crinkled his face in mock disgust. "Well thanks a lot Mom! I'll see you later!" He turned back towards his opponent and began to clear his mind of all thoughts except battle.

Meanwhile, Ranma had been using his time to scan the crowds. He could see many of his friends up in the bleachers. His Mom, Dad, Ryoga, Ukyo, Konatsu, Mousse, Konatsu, and others were all seated together. Akane still had not shown up yet, but Ranma knew it would take some time for her to untangle from that crowd outside of their house. Besides that, hundreds of other people from all over Nerima had arrived to watch Ranma in his moment of glory. There was even a TV crew from the local station filming the event. Ranma really was in the spotlight now, and he was not going to disappoint anyone, least of all himself.

"Gentlemen are you ready?" the referee called out. Ranma and Ryo both tensed into their battle stances. "Let the match begin!"

In that instant Ranma's mind calculated a dozen methods of attack and defense. He decided to take the initiative in this fight, using his blinding speed and agility to close the distance between him and Sakazaki in an instant and execute a devastating blow before the other martial artist could react. How fast could Sakazaki be anyway? A man of his size and mass was probably no faster than Ryoga.

Ranma confirmed his advantage in mobility as he dashed around the ring to catch Ryo at an exposed angle. The Kyokugen master seemingly could not keep up with Ranma's movements, and the young fighter cracked his trademark grin as me launched a powerful jab at Ryo's gut. That would take the wind out of him…

Except Ranma's fist did not connect with Ryo's midsection, instead he was lifted off of his feet as Ryo grabbed his outstretched arm and flipped him onto his head with one swift movement. The impact stunned Ranma for the briefest of moments, but he recovered his senses and managed to break free and roll back to safety. He jumped back onto his feet and stared hard at Ryo. One thought immediately ran though Ranma's mind: What the hell just happened?

Ranma had only met a handful of opponents in his life who could counter his quick strikes so effectively. Happosai was one, Cologne was another, and then there was Herb. Saffron did not count; he substituted magic for actual skill, and therefore lacked real technique. At any rate, two of those fighters were ancient masters with almost superhuman powers, and the other was part dragon. Was Ranma supposed to believe that Ryo Sakazaki was on their level? Happosai did say that Kyokugen focused on ki manipulation, but still!

"You look a little dazed there kid, want me to explain what just happened?" Ryo was still in his battle stance. "You are fast, really fast, but you leave yourself slightly open when you punch. I just took advantage of that and used your own power against you."

Ranma did not respond with words, rather he renewed his assault with even greater resolve. He launched a roundhouse kick at Ryo's head with lighting speed. Again, Ryo parried with a well-timed block and tried to flip Ranma off of his feet. Ranma countered by grabbing Ryo by his gi and shifting his weight. Through this he hoped to bring Ryo off balance and down to the floor of the ring. It was a risky move; if Ranma could not get his leg free, Ryo could easily put it into a devastating and painful hold that could end the match as quickly as it had begun.

Ryo was toppled over by his opponent's movements. He hated grappling, that was more his father's style. Still, he was well versed in ground combat and was prepared for whatever Ranma was planning for him. He was surprised then when Ranma wiggled out of their hold and jumped back to his feet. Ryo had to quickly get himself back into a defendable stance; with this kid's speed, allowing a small opening for even a moment was unacceptable!

"You made a mistake there kid! Letting go I mean." Ryo studied Ranma carefully. "You had the advantage there for a moment and you gave it away. Not very bright on your part."

"It's 'cause I wanted to show you something. A special technique that I learned a while back that's perfect for breaking an opponent's defense…" Ranma allowed his ki to flow into his hands and prepared to unleash the Amaguriken.

Up in the bleachers, Ryoga had been observing the fight carefully. Mousse was sitting next to him, completely impassive. Ryoga wondered if Mousse could even see anything, even if he was wearing his glasses.

Ryoga turned towards Ukyo, and he could see there was concern on her face. He really was not sure what she was expecting, that Ranma would be walking all over his opponent? This Sakazaki guy was a champion after all, not some chump on the street. Ryoga knew that Ranma's overconfidence would get him into trouble. Still, he had not even begun to show off what he was fully capable of. Once he actually started taking this fight seriously and showed the full extent of his power, then it would be over quickly. Who knew that better then Ryoga? After all he was one of the few martial artists out there who could hold his own against Ranma.

Ranma fired off the Amaguriken at full throttle. His fists became a blur as he fired off hundreds of punches in a matter of seconds. Ryo was caught completely off guard.

I got you Sakazaki, Ranma thought; you never expected some "kid" would be capable of using such a high-level technique, did you? That's why you're going to lose!

As the punches rained over his body, Ryo realized just how badly he had underestimated his opponent. The last teenaged fighter he had met with this level of ability was Kyo Kusanagi, and Ryo had always assumed he was some sort of one-in-a-million fluke. Well, the world was a big place as the saying went, and now it was time to buckle down. Ryo worked through the pain of Ranma's blows and prepared his countermeasure.

"Zanretsuken!"

In an instant Ryo struck back with his own barrage of punches, as fast and powerful as Ranma's own. Even more, they seemed to produce a vacuum effect that sucked Ranma into their path, forcing him to take the full brunt of the attack. He tried to hold up as best as he could, but was stunned by the blows, and Ryo finished his move with a brutal uppercut that sent Ranma airborne. Not wanting to give his opponent even a second to recover, Ryo hit him with another of his signature moves.

"Kohou!"

Ryo flew up into the air on the power of his ki, his fist thrust upwards in an uppercut motion, slamming into Ranma's exposed back. Ranma gasped in pain from the force of this blow, and fell to the ground headfirst. For a moment he did not move, and the previously boisterous crowd went silent as the referee went over to check on his condition.

"Can you continue?" asked the referee, concern clearly leaking into his voice.

"Yeah, I'm not done yet," Ranma growled as his staggered back to his feet. He recovered his balance and stared right at Ryo. "You thought you could beat me with just that? You don't give me enough credit!"

"I thought maybe you would be wise about it and stay down." The Kyokugen master replied. "You are seriously outmatched here kid. I've got one advantage on you that you cannot overcome."

"What's that? You're bigger? Stronger? You know more moves?"

Ryo shook his head in disappointment. "No, I'm talking about experience. I've been fighting since before you were even born, and in that time I've seen hundreds of fighters who use just about every style of combat you can imagine. There's nothing you can throw at me that I have not seen somewhere else before, and there's no technique you can use that I can't counter with my own. It's a gap in ability that can't be closed by physical prowess, spiritual power, or even sheer will."

"Yeah? Well I've beaten my fair share of "experienced" geezers in the past, buddy! Don't start thinking you're so special!"

"On the contrary, it's because I understand my own limits so well that I've become strong." Ryo smirked. "It's something you'll understand in a few years kid, after you grow up."

Anger boiled up in Ranma as Ryo patronized him. "Yeah, well your defeat comes first!" As his pride as a martial artist surged within him, he prepared to use the Moko Takabisha.

"Take this!" Ranma screamed as he fired off the shot of concentrated energy across the ring. It flew directly towards Ryo, and it seemed as if he would have no time to be able to react or dodge it.

"Ko ou Ken!" Ryo yelled as he raised one of his hands up. A blast of blue-tinted ki came out of his palm, absorbing the Moko Takabisha into it. Ranma's attack had been completely neutralized, not even a trace of its energy remained.

Ranma quickly scrambled for another solution. He had no choice, he had to use his most powerful move now and end this. Ryo's battle aura was far too cool and controlled to initiate the Hiryu Shoten Ha, but the crowd's aura was blazing hot. The enthusiasm of his fans would help Ranma win this battle, what could be more fitting?

Ranma began to dash around the ring, seemingly at random. In truth, he was creating an elaborate spiral pattern. His spirit cooled down and began to mix with the crowd's. The air began to stir.

Ryo became greatly concerned. What was this feeling? What was this kid trying to pull off? Then it came to him. It was different for sure, but this attack felt exactly like when Joe Higashi would… Oh no, Ryo realized. He needed to stop this now, or he really would lose this match!

"Hien Shippu Kyaku!" he called out as he took off from the ground at lightning speed. Ryo's timing needed to be perfect, but this was the sort of thing he had been training for his whole life. He had yet to see an attack for which there was no counter for. It just came down to discipline and will to win!

Ranma had nearly completed the technique. It was all over now, there was no way Sakazaki could counter it. Look at that guy jumping at me, Ranma thought. A jump kick? Did that guy really believe that would stop the Hiryu Shoten Ha? How insulting.

Except this was no normal jump kick. The Hien Shippu Kyaku was designed for maximum speed followed by a surprise blow that was hidden behind the first attack. Ranma never saw it coming. He was able to the first kick, but when Ryo spun around in midair and smacked him with the second, he was knocked off his feet. His concentration for the Hiryu Shoten Ha was totally broken. Ryo landed on the ground smoothly and faced Ranma once more.

"That was a dangerous technique you were using there Mr. Saotome, you could have really hurt me with that. Very impressive for someone your age, but nothing I haven't dealt with before. I hope you didn't think you could win the match with just that." Ryo dusted off his gi as Ranma stood in shock. "Are we almost done here? I think we are."

Akane ran as quickly as she could after having dealt with the crowd. She was extremely worried, and an ominous feeling had been creeping over her ever since Ranma had run off. Ryo Sakazaki, ever since Happosai had made that comment on Wednesday night about the power of Kyokugen Karate, Akane was afraid of what Ranma had gotten himself into by confronting that man. She had kept her silence because she knew Ranma would have dismissed her, and she did not want to fight with him at such an important time.

Now however, Akane could just sense something had gone terribly wrong. She had no idea how it could be happening, or how she could even know in the first place, but Ranma was losing badly to Ryo. Akane only hoped that she could get to the park in time. Maybe her presence could make a difference. She knew it was a silly thought; there was little she could do in a practical sense, but Akane knew Ranma needed her to be there watching him right at that moment.

Trailing behind Akane was the duo of Hiroshi and Daisuke. They were blissfully unaware of any trouble that their friend was in, but they could tell when a girl was upset. They were quietly debating between themselves if it was appropriate to approach Akane about what was bothering her.

"I'm telling you, if we do it, she'll just beat the crap out of us. Give her some space."

"Oh come on Hiroshi, you really don't believe that Akane would do that for just trying to help her?"

Hiroshi decided to educate his good friend on female psychology. "I know this much. Chicks don't think like guys, and you thinking Akane wants any help from us just shows how little you get that. If she does need someone to talk do, she'll ask. Otherwise just leave it to someone she can really open up to."

Daisuke was still not settled on the issue. "But this is probably about Ranma, right? I mean, we are his friends too..."

"Oh brother," Hiroshi said as he shook his head, "Daisuke I wish could be as innocent as you. Like I said already, chicks don't think like guys when it comes to this stuff. Besides that, this is Ranma we're talking about here, he's fine. Why I bet he's already punched out half the teeth from the jaw of that smelly American guy. That poor bozo is probably wishing he never even made a challenge in the first place."

Ryo looked at Ranma with a hard glare. "Well up until this point, I've been letting you take the offense, but since you can't seem to get the job done, I think it's my turn to attack." Ryo lifted his right hand ever so slightly. "Raijin Setsu Ken!"

Covering the distance between him and Ranma in an instant, Ryo's right hand came down with crushing force. While desperately trying to block, a thought flashed into Ranma's mind. No man could punch with that kind of power coming out of a short jump, having so little leverage; that Sakazaki must have infused the attack with ki! Just what else was this man capable of?

Finally Ranma's arms gave out on him and he was pushed to the ground. Ryo took advantage of his opponent's opening by grabbing Ranma's left arm and twisting it backwards. He then shifted his weight and lifted Ranma off of the ground, and in one smooth motion dropped the younger martial artist on his head. Even after this, Ryo continued to hold onto Ranma's arm, taking advantage of his height and leverage to apply tremendous pressure on it.

"Now, I'll show you why it was foolish to let me out of that hold at the start of the match. Consider it a free lesson." Ryo stated with dead seriousness. There was no trace of conceit in his voice, only the cool confidence of a veteran brawler.

The referee ran over to the fighters and looked at Ranma's condition. He could tell that while the boy was still conscious, he was clearly suffering from the effects of the hold. "Can you continue Mr. Saotome, would you like to submit?"

"Never, I won't ever give up!"

The Referee turned to Ryo. "Mr. Sakazaki, I am not sure if your opponent is capable of making a rational decision right now. Consider the consequences of continuing this hold!"

Ryo was very concerned at this point. Far larger and stronger opponents then Ranma had passed out from this hold in less than thirty seconds, and at least a minute had already passed. Was this boy so concerned with his silly pride that he would risk having his arm crippled?

"Give it up kid! This is not worth getting hurt over! Call it a loss and move on!"

"You first!" Ranma was in agony at this point. He felt like his arm would snap in two at any moment. He was exhausted, and no matter how hard he tried to push up in order to gain some relief and break the hold, Ryo managed to keep him squarely planted to the ground. Was it truly over?

But then amidst his haze of pain, Ranma noticed something. It was Akane, she was there watching! Akane was standing near the base of one of the bleachers, clearly winded.

She must have run all the way from the park in order to see me, Ranma thought. There was more though, the look in her eyes: fear. Ranma realized that Akane was afraid, she was afraid for him at this moment!

At that moment the pain Ranma felt dissipated as he surged with desperate strength. There was no way in hell that he was going to make Akane worry about him, make her sad. Her, no, their future with the dojo rode on this victory as well. But it went even beyond that. Everyone Ranma knew, friend and foe, was watching him at this moment. He was not going to go down into the dirt and pass out like some second-rate fighter. Ranma Saotome would stand tall and claim victory like he always did!

Ranma pushed Ryo off of him with his newfound strength, and then charged in with a ferocity he rarely expressed in battle. He let loose with a barrage of punches and kicks, throwing everything he had at his opponent. Ryo took a hard punch to his upper chest, and he could feel the impact shudder through his ribs. He then narrowly dodged a roundhouse kick to his leg, an attack with enough force to shatter his femur it he had let it connect. Ranma then tried to use a leg sweep on Ryo, but the older fighter was able to anticipate and jump over it. Ryo tried to counterattack with a flying knee thrust, but Ranma grabbed Ryo and threw him to the ground. Ranma tried to follow this up with a vicious foot stomp directed at Ryo's lower back, but was foiled when his opponent managed to skillfully roll away.

Ryo managed to get back onto his feet and quickly put some distance between himself and Ranma before considering his next action. He was stunned, the kid was about to pass out just a moment before, and now he was on his feet putting Ryo on the defensive! The kid was at his limit however, and that was not a good thing.

When some fighters are pressed to their absolute limits, and they become desperate for victory, they can pull off remarkable feats of power and ability, but it rarely ended well. The fighter often aggravated his injuries in that state, and posed a deadly threat to his opponents. Ryo himself had once fallen into such a state himself during his younger days, and he nearly made what would have been the worst mistake of his life if he had not pulled back. He decided this fight needed to end now.

"One-hit finishing technique!" Ryo cried out as he activated one of his most powerful techniques, the Tenchi Haoh Ken. For the briefest of moments he pushed all of the ki in his body and the earth around him into his right hand, and used it to deliver a punch of unrivaled force. It was a dangerous technique, and Ryo used it with the greatest of care in order to not kill his opponents. But when it came to knocking out a person quickly and efficiently, there was no greater tool in his arsenal.

Ranma continued to charge his enemy, fully intent on crushing him. If he had been in a more rational state of mind, he would have noticed what Ryo was doing and evaded it. As it was, the punch connected cleanly with Ranma's chest, and it sent him flying back as if he were but a piece of paper sailing on the wind. He landed outside of the ring, unconscious.

Upon seeing this, the referee made an immediate decision. "This fight is over; the winner… is Ryo Sakazaki by KO!" He was glad to end this bout. The referee prided himself as a man with a strong stomach and impartial judgment, but watching that boy nearly push himself to the breaking point to obtain victory… it was horrific.

The crowd grew very silent at the announcement of Ranma's loss. For the residents of Nerima, the thought of their number one martial artist being defeated was hard to accept. For a few seconds everyone simply sat in shock. Then, up in the bleachers, faint crying could be heard. Kasumi, Ukyo, and Shampoo had lost their composure and began crying. Soun joined them promptly. Nodoka tried her best to keep a strong front, but seeing her son laying there unconscious, tears began to fall from her eyes as well. Ryoga was still frozen in shock. Ranma was his rival, and Ryoga never imagined anyone besides him being able to defeat Ranma like that. Mousse stayed quiet, whatever emotions he felt stayed hidden behind his glasses.

Back on the ground, Akane stood for a moment looking at Ranma's prone form. Behind her Hiroshi and Daisuke whimpered a bit, as the situation began to dawn on them. Then, without a second thought, Akane ran to Ranma, and gently raised him from the ground. Hiroshi and Daisuke came over to help her, and together they moved him away from the makeshift arena, presumably to find their friend medical attention.

Back in the ring, Ryo Sakazaki stood silently as he watched the trio take his defeated opponent away. He felt conflicted; he respected the strength of the brash kid with the pigtail, but he also remembered the lack of respect that same kid had shown for other martial artists. Regardless, things had gotten far uglier then Ryo had ever intended. It was no victory to be proud of, that much was certain.

Robert, who had been watching the fight the whole time, entered the ring and walked over to his friend. He could tell Ryo was not happy with how things had turned out. Robert was tempted to say 'I told you so.' But he knew his friend felt bad enough as it is. He just hoped both the victor and the vanquished had learned a lesson from all this.

"Come on Ryo. Let's go back to the hotel. Our business is done here."

"I wish I could say that Robert, but I wonder if this is really over just yet." Ryo's eyes maintained a distant look. "In fact, I'd say it's just beginning."

End Chapter

So, how was the fight? I tried to keep it balanced, but I know a lot of the readers had really high expectations for it, so I hope I did not disappoint. The next chapter will come in two weeks. I already have written up to Chapter 10, but I need to edit this stuff more before I can post it. You guys deserve the best from me, and I intend to give you just that. Also, don't worry, the story does get a lot happier after the next few chapters, I just need to develop things to that point.

Until next time, take care!