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 15
"Ryo! You're here too!" Ranma excitedly approached the older man with a big grin on his face. "You wouldn't believe the time I had getting here."
"I'm sure you did, but I was serious about my last question. I told you that you weren't ready for KoF, that you needed a little more seasoning first. Why did you come then?" disappointment was heavy in Ryo's voice.
"Ryo… I got the invitation about two weeks after you left. How was I supposed to turn something like that down? I've got my pride too!"
"Your pride will be the death of you, kid!"
"I told you, stop calling me kid!" They were both now shouting so loudly that their voices were carrying through the vast hall.
Ryoga and Mousse, who had both gone off to the other side of the room in order to study the other competitors took notice of the new development. They remembered Ryo very well from the match at Shakujii, and were curious to learn more about the fighter who had defeated their rival so easily that time.
"You'll never learn will you? Do I have to pound another lesson into you Ranma?"
"Just try it. I won't be caught off guard this time." He shifted into a suitable fighting stance.
"No, you'll be caught on your… your…" Ryo tried to think of a good comeback. "Caught on your butt?"
The assembled fighters in the room could only think of one word that could describe Ryo's insult: Lame.
"Look people, they can't all be winners!" Ryo complained as he realized his folly. Did they have any idea just how hard it was to come up with a constant stream of witty banter? He had to work on it almost as hard as his karate!
Ryoga could scarcely believe it, this guy was the same hardened fighter who had bested Ranma in a head on fight? He seemed a little… awkward to be generous.
'I guess it's a good thing to know that even the strongest fighters can act like fools." Ryoga thought.
Mousse meanwhile almost burst out in laughter. Clearly Ranma must have been sick that day or something, losing to this stupid American jock.
"Well that killed the mood. I guess we'll have to put off the fight for another day." Ryo desperately tried to reclaim his dignity. This was supposed to be his year, damn it! Why did it always seem that he put his foot in his mouth at the worst possible time?
"Yeah, I guess so." Ranma replied, calming down a bit. "So where's Robert?"
"He's with my younger sister. After we registered, those two took off like bandits. They said it was to register a room, but I know they're going on a date too. I swear if he does anything to her, I'll…" He trailed off as he saw Ranma look at him confused. That's right; he never told Ranma that Robert and Yuri were in a relationship.
'I'm totally losing it.' He thought. 'How could this get any worse?'
"So your teammates dumped you?" Ranma said laconically.
Taking a deep breath, Ryo tried his best to not look bitter. "That's the gist of it." Something else occurred to him, something he had not noticed before in his anger. "Hey, when did you start speaking English?"
"Oh my god, he just noticed?" Mousse called out. "Is he really that stupid? Can anyone possibly be that stupid?"
"Shut up Mousse." Ranma barked at the male amazon. "I bet you that Ryo can tell the difference between a girl and a statue."
"Saotome, you swine! You promised me last week you would not bring that up with any strangers!"
"That's an odd promise." Ryo noted. What was the story behind that one? "I don't even know how that would come up in the first place."
"It just did." Mousse noted bitterly.
"I guess so. So anyway, are you one of Ranma's teammates? You seem a little… hostile."
Ranma shook his head. "You may not believe it Ryo, but these two guys are some of the strongest martial artists in Nerima after me."
"Ryoga Hibiki."
"Mùsī of the… no, just call me Mousse, everyone does."
"Osu, fellow warriors. I'm Ryo Sakazaki of the Kyokugen School of Karate, good to meet you guys."
"We saw your match with Ranma, Mr. Sakazaki." Ryoga said. "Your Kyokugen Karate is one of the most impressive fighting styles I've witness."
"Well if you really think that, why don't you join my dojo? You look like a strong fellow, but I bet our training can really pump you up!" Ryo flexed his arm, showing off his rock solid bicep.
"I'll think about it." Ryoga said rather nervously. He knew this guy for less than two minutes and he was already being scouted? This guy was almost as aggressive a hustler as Nabiki!
"No fair trying to recruit my teammates Ryo!" Ranma joked. "What if I tried to steal Robert or your sister for my school?"
"I'd say take them! I could use the break!" Ryo gave out a hearty laugh. "But understand this is all business. You'll understand it better when you run your own dojo. Which reminds me," He pointed to the leather jacket he had pulled over his shoulder. "This baby here is going to come in handy."
"A jacket? What's so important about that?" Ranma asked.
Ryo unfolded it for the other men to see. Emblazoned on the back was a large dragon and the words 'KYOGUGEN: CALL NOW AT 1-808-231-4726.'
"Robert gave me the idea, he said if I had some way of plugging the school during TV interviews it would draw more attention and bring in new students. So I bought this jacket and took it to a tailor for customization. I could barely afford a new pair of socks after that, but I figure it will pay itself back ten times over before this tournament is over!"
"How would anyone see it though?" Mousse looked confused. "The information is on the back of the jacket, and wouldn't you be facing towards the front during interviews?"
Ryo grew silent as those words sunk in. "Well I didn't think of that…" He looked crestfallen as he realized his folly, and sighed. At least the jacket looked cool, that had to count for something, right?
"Mr. Sakazaki, I have to ask you something." Ryoga looked at Ryo seriously. "Ranma told me you're a veteran of these tournaments. What do you think of the competitors this year?"
"Huh, good question friend, it shows me you know how big the stakes are. Well, it's a much larger group than in previous years. I've seen a lot of new blood besides you guys, but a lot of the regulars are here as well, including Kyo Kusanagi."
"So he did show up." Ranma thought back to the events of several months prior. He had never forgotten his original goal of challenging the former World Champion. Was it possible he would get his desired match so soon?
"Kusanagi went off with his teammates after the signup. He seemed out of it for some reason. Of course if I had to spend any amount of time up close with Iori Yagami I'd feel lousy too."
Ranma eagerly leaped at the opportunity to learn more about potential opponents.
"Iori Yagami? Who's that?"
"A top-flight martial artist, but totally nuts. He and Kusanagi have a lot of bad blood, but lately they've been working together. I'm out of the loop on this stuff, but I've heard someone is targeting them, so I guess they've put their differences aside for a while."
"That sort of stuff common in this tournament?"
"Yup, necessity makes for strange bedfellows. I've been lucky in that I can always count on my friends and family to back me up, but I've seen teams composed of fighters more interested in killing each other than winning any matches. It gets crazy sometimes." Ryo then seemed to notice something out of the corner of his eye.
"Alright you guys, which one of you ordered a Domino's Pizza?" he intoned sternly, leaving Ranma's team baffled. "Oh my bad, it's just Terry Bogard."
"Figures, I switch back to my old look and you're already making jokes about it." Terry Bogard cracked a smile as he walked up to his longtime rival. They shook hands and laughed.
Ranma got a good look at Terry. He was big man, taller than Ryo, with huge arms. He had long blond hair tied into simple ponytail, and he wore a red and white baseball cap on his head. His eyes were blue, a shade lighter than Ranma's own. His cloths were a mess, his jeans and jacket well-worn and battered, but he wore them with such confidence it did not matter. This was a man who did not live by the conventions of others, and yet there was a very reassuring presence to him. At any rate, Ryo clearly respected him, and that was significant in itself.
"Are you two going to stop laughing?" Andy said flatly. "It wasn't that funny a joke, brother."
"I know. I could have come up with a better joke than that!" Joe concurred.
"You're free to try anytime you want Higashi. Just like you're free to try and finally win a match against me." Ryo taunted.
"Why you son of a…"
Terry interrupted Joe before he could complete his crude statement. "Hey, cool it with the language man, we've got youngins here."
"You don't have to worry about that Terry." Ryo gestured grandly at Ranma. "I can't speak for the others, but this one here is a real man, he's only told me that about a dozen times."
"That so? Let me see." Terry looked over Ranma, Ryoga, and Mousse in succession. They were strong, no doubt about that. Amazing how it all these tough young warriors were popping up to challenge the older generation. The world really was a huge place, and Terry was eternally thankful for that.
"Well o—kay! I think a formal introduction is in order. As you already heard, my name is Terry. Terry Bogard. This here is my younger brother Andy, and the dude with the wild hair is…"
"You don't need to introduce me Terry. A bunch of young martial artists like these guys would know me by reputation alone."
"Who the hell are you supposed to be?" Mousse asked curtly.
"What? Give me a break! I'm Joe Higashi!"
"Never heard of you pal, sorry." Ranma said. "I'm guessing by your dress however you're a Muay Thai fighter. You guys have an impressive reputation. My dad talked a lot about your style during my training."
"A Muay Thai fighter? Ha! Kid, I'm the world champion eight years running! I'm the Kickboxing King, the Satan of Martial Arts, Mr. KOF himself!" Joe went through all of his various poses (carefully crafted for maximum chick-appeal) as he spoke.
"Not so modest though." Ryoga whispered to Ranma.
"So who are you guys?" Joe asked. "We rarely get a whole new team these days."
Ranma was about to introduce himself again (for what seemed the tenth time today) when Ryo cut him off.
"You've never heard of these guys? You're in for a treat. This is the toughest gang of punks in West Tokyo. Ranma Saotome, Ryoga Hibiki, and Mousse: the Nerima Wrecking Crew!"
"Nerima Wrecking Crew? What sort of dumb name is that?" Mousse snapped. "Hibiki is the one that's always breaking things, the clumsy oaf." He could hear Ryoga growling at him, and smiled.
"It's got a good ring to it though." Terry said cheerfully. "You guys should run with it. Ryo does have a good idea every once in a while."
"More like once a year."
Ryo looked at Joe crossly. "Cram it Higashi, your act got old a decade ago." He scratched his head as he tried to remember something. "There was something else I wanted to bring up… what was it now? Oh yeah, congratulations on getting engaged Andy."
"You knew?" Andy looked nervous.
"You know my sister is a friend of Mai, and far be it for either of those girls to keep a secret on anything."
"She… she will be the death of me." Andy glumly said. "It was hard enough to get away from her in the reception area. God help me if I have to fight her in a match."
Ranma shook his head in sympathy. "If it's any conciliation, I know how you feel."
"I thank you Mr. Saotome, but I believe you are a little too young to understand the seriousness of marriage."
"Oh yeah… of course." The pigtailed boy fumbled to correct himself. "Why would I know anything about marriage? I'm just a happy-go-lucky high school student." He laughed weakly.
Mousse got a wicked look in his eyes. "Don't be so modest Saotome, why don't you share all of your… Ouch!" he was interrupted by a swift backhand from Ryoga.
"Sorry you had to see that. He may be my teammate, but sometimes he needs to be put in his place."
"Don't worry about it. Sometimes Andy and I feel that way about Joe." Terry smirked. He could tell these kids were a little rough around the edges, but there was a strong bond between them. They would back each other up when it really counted.
"Brother, as long as we are here, I think we should tell Ryo what we learned."
"Learned what?" Ryo asked.
Terry's spoke ominously. "Ryo, Geese is here at the tournament. He's formed another team to fight on his behalf. Eiji is one the members."
"Damn, that guy again? I thought he might crawl off somewhere for a decade or two after the last tournament."
"Friend of your Ryo?" Ranma asked sarcastically. Guess it was to be expected that someone like Ryo would have multiple rivals; it was the mark of an accomplished martial artist.
"More like a nightmare. Nah, I'm giving Eiji too much credit. He's just a bitter ninja with too much time on his hands, a pest."
"Ninjas can be annoying." Ranma agreed. All of the other men agreed with him, save one.
'These guys do realize I am a ninja?' Andy thought as his mood turned even gloomier. So much for his glorious return to KoF!
Terry sensed his younger brother's distress. "Don't get yourself down little bro." he patted Andy on the back. "You and Mai are okay in my book… even if you are pesky ninjas!" he started laughing again.
Andy was hardly assured by his older brother's gesture.
"Hey Terry, thanks for the info." Ryo said as he shook his rival's hand. "And if you need any help with Geese, I'm in. You know that I have history with him, and I'd love to cave in that ugly mug of his."
"I'll consider it. Just be careful Ryo, wouldn't want to get messed up before we meet again!"
"Me lose? Not happening this year! I'm going straight to the championships."
"Are you forgetting something Ryo?" Ranma butted in. "That championship is mine!"
"Right, don't mind me Ranma." Ryoga said as he started to get angry. "It's not like I have any part of this."
The situation quickly began to deteriorate into complete chaos.
"Woah, woah, woah. Time out here guys." Terry even crossed his hands into a t-shape to emphasize his point. "It's good to be confident, but let's not forget that this is a contest before all else. We may end up fighting each other, but we should at least be good sports about it. That's the core of martial arts right?"
"I guess you're right Terry." Ryo conceded. Bogard, he always made things seem so easy! And the worst part was he was so damn likeable too. It just wasn't fair!
Ranma and Ryoga calmed down as well, though they were caught off guard. They were not used to an adult actually taking charge of a situation and diffusing tensions rather than exacerbating them. Mousse was not so impressed however. To him Terry was as corny as Ryo was stupid, and his easy-going manners and self-confidence were off putting. These Americans, what made them think they were so great? Why they were nothing but a bunch of cocky upstarts compared to the ancient traditions of the Chinese Amazons!
"Oh, there you guys are!" a new voice called out. "Forming your own little club are you?"
"Yo Kim! You made it here too!" Terry beckoned the man over.
"You sure this is a good idea Terry?" Ryo asked cautiously. "I thought you wanted to calm things down here."
"Don't worry about it. I never understood why you and Kim never get along. You're both martial arts instructors, you're both good guys, you have a lot of other common interests as well. What the problem?"
"Ha ha! What a sundry group we have here!" Kim said as he flashed a million-dollar smile to his friends. "And what would you all be discussing? Hopefully something that promotes the cause of Justice!"
"Do you really want me to answer that?" Ryo whispered to Terry.
"So where's your team Kim?" Andy asked. "Or maybe the better question is who did you pick this year?"
"I brought along Chae Lim and May Lee, I figured those two needed to break out of their training routines before they got rusty. As to their current whereabouts, I asked them to go on ahead to our living quarters. I figured they could both use a rest after our long trip. A master must watch out for the welfare of his pupils. Am I right Sakazaki?" Kim shot a knowing look at Ryo.
"Oh, I know Kim. I just don't feel like stating it aloud to everyone I meet."
"So what kind of martial arts do you practice Mr. Kim?" Ryoga asked.
"I'm glad you asked young man. I, Kim Kaphwan, practice the strongest fighting style in the world! The noble and just art of Tae Kwan Do!"
Ranma considered this new information carefully. Tae Kwan Do, the national sport of Korea, and a style based around powerful kicks that could be used for both offensive and defensive purposes. Another style he had never actually faced in real combat, although Musabetsu Kakutou apparently borrowed a number of its principles.
Something else came into his mind as well. Yong Song, one of the martial artists he met earlier, must be a practitioner of Tae Kwan Do as well. He dressed and carried himself in a manner very similar to Kim's. That must have been why he had felt there was something so familiar about the guy!
"Kim here is the world champion in Tae Kwan Do." Terry explained. "Just like Joe is the champion of Muay Thai."
"Yes, I am a champion." Kim said as he tried to downplay his accomplishments. "But that title means little in the bigger picture. For you see, the true nature of Tae Kwan Do, the essence of its power, lies beyond mere accolades." He turned to face Ranma's group.
Kim then looked directly in their eyes, as if searching for something.
"Yes, I can see it, you all posses great strength. Very impressive for ones so young, but now I must ask you all a question." Kim began to get a very odd look on his face.
"Yes?" Ranma was now rather wary of the Korean.
"Do you believe in Justice?"
"Of course I do!" Ranma replied instinctually. "Every true martial artist does!"
"That's right!" Ryoga agreed.
"If that's what you want to believe." Mousse muttered under his breath.
"Excellent!" Kim screamed at the top of his lungs, nearly blowing out the eardrums of everyone within a five meter radius of him. "A group of strong young warriors who believe in Justice! What a wonderful thing it is!" His eyes began to sparkle.
"Oh god, he's not going to start lecturing us, is he?" Ryo said. "He's your friend Bogard, can't you do something?"
"Sorry Ryo," Terry said as he adjusted the brim of his cap over his eyes. "Kim's sorta like a force of nature: you can try and live in harmony with it, but never fully control it."
Kim meanwhile had begun to explain to his new friends the "finer" points of justice.
"…That is why we must be ever diligent, young friends, for the forces of Evil are themselves ever present in our lives, just waiting to pounce on us like… like… vicious Evil things! For example, do you know the ten simple signs of whether something is Evil or not? I can give you a pamphlet on it if you do not." Kim began to reach into his shirt.
"Ah, no thanks Mr. Kim, I can tell when something is evil when I see it, honest." Ranma desperately wanted to get himself out of this conversation as quickly as possible.
"Do you have the sense as well then? Tell me, do your eyes glow in the presence of Injustice?"
"Stop bothering them Kim." Terry chided his friend. "I think Ranma and his buddies have learned enough from you for today. A good teacher doesn't overwork his students, right?"
"I guess you are right old chum." Kim said, finally relenting. "Very well then, I put my faith in these boys to uphold Justice."
"Uh, thanks?" Ranma really did not know what to say by this point. He just hoped that Terry had meant Kim was his teacher in a figurative sense. He had enough crazies trying to adopt him into their schools as it was, and Kim was one of the craziest he had met yet.
"I will be watching you very carefully during the tournament gentlemen. I look forward to seeing the full power of your Justice. Perhaps we might even compete against one another. Until then, stay strong against Evil!" Kim took off in a hurry, leaving everyone else very confused.
"Well at least it was over quickly." Joe said as he idly adjusted his trunks. "Kim could have gone into full 'Champion of Justice' mode on us. We would have been standing here for hours!"
"Yeah, now we can just shoot the breeze for a while." Terry smiled. "So new guys, why don't you tell us a little bit about yourselves?"
"Where would we even begin?" Ryoga asked, feeling a little overwhelmed by the prospect of talking about his life. He was amazed someone he just met would even care about that stuff.
"I've got a story for you." Ranma said. "One of my more recent adventures. In fact, it's sort of how my team was formed in the first place."
"Sounds good to me." Terry said enthusiastically. "Let's hear it!"
"It all started when this 'girl' showed up in Nerima, and beat the crap out of Mousse…"
As Ranma heard Mousse audibly gasp in outrage, he knew he had chosen the right story for an introduction to his life…
Colonel Ralf Jones looked over his surroundings very carefully. The complex looked peaceful enough, but looks were often deceiving. In fact when it came to the King of Fighters Tournament, the more normal things outwardly appeared, the more likely it was that something really bad was about to go down.
"You feel it too, eh Ralf?" Clark commented. Leona was standing off to the side, coolly observing the passage of various people through the room.
"I just wish I knew where these bastards are hiding. It was the same thing last time too, and that's why we ended up getting blindsided." Ralf carefully tapped on a small device attached on his ear. "Hey Maxima, you having any luck on your end?"
"Sorry Ralf, I've got nothing." The other man responded over the wireless line. "I see plenty of unfamiliar faces, but I don't think they are connected to our targets. My partners here aren't very keen on doing much searching right now either."
"Keep looking, and keep those damn kids under control while you're at it. I don't need the brats screwing things up by making a big scene."
Maxima scoffed. "K' is too smart for that, give him more credit. And this is not a babysitting service I'm running here. We're doing our best Ralf, but this is not a normal operation by any means."
"Tell me about it. Talk to you later big man, Ralf out." He turned to Clark. "What do you suggest we do, buddy?"
The blond man smirked, and removed his sunglasses for a moment.
"If you really want to know, I say we wait it out. We're wasting way too much time trying to solve this before the tournament even officially starts. You and I have enough experience to know that when the bad guy is ready to unveil his big plan, he won't do it subtly. Let him put the cards on the table first, surrender his initiative. Then when he thinks he's won, 'Pow!' we strike." Clark pounded his left hand into right for emphasis.
Ralf stroked his chin thoughtfully as he considered the advice. Maybe he had been over thinking this. For all of their supposed cunning and vast powers, the syndicate members had been going forward with their plans in a remarkably inefficient manner. If he just gave them enough rope, they might end up hanging themselves in the process.
As her commander considered his options, Leona continued to observe things. There was something very unsettling about this place. There was a supernatural presence around her. It was not the Orochi power, she would have identified that right away, but it was comparable. She worried if it would have an effect on her powers, causing them to go haywire again. Colonel Jones and Lieutenant Steel had been nearly killed the last time that happened.
No, she had made a vow never to succumb to the Riot of the Blood ever again. Too many lives depended on it, the mission depended on it.
"I sense a great darkness within you."
By instinct, Leona prepared to strike the person who had managed to catch her off guard. How could she have let herself become so distracted by her doubts and fears again? Only the thought of endangering her team's mission stopped her before she attacked. The young soldier focused her glare on the unwelcomed stranger before her.
"You have a great darkness within you, Miss." The stranger stated once again, empathy deep embedded in her voice. "Have you been dealing with it you entire life? How sad."
Leona silently cursed at her lack of discipline. If she was letting someone like this get the drop on her, she needed more training. A girl, it was a stupid girl, so delicately built, she was almost doll-like in appearance, dressed in some odd white and red clothing.
"Is this the power that defies Mother Nature?" the girl continued.
"I have no idea what you are talking about." Leona said calmly but firmly. "Identify yourself, before I am forced to mark you as an enemy."
"I do not want to fight." The little girl said. "I am merely surprised to meet someone who has the power of Orochi flowing through them and yet resists it. You are strong, be proud of that."
Leona's eyes widened in shock as she realized the girl knew her secret.
"How could you possibly know that about me? I'll only say it one more time, identify yourself!" she was rapidly losing control of her feelings. For the first time in months, Leona felt fear flow into her.
"Please, do not be afraid." The other girl pleaded. "I didn't mean to scare you!"
"Leona!" Clark shouted. "You okay over there, what's wrong?"
"Lieutenant, I…" Leona turned her head away from the girl for the briefest of moments to respond. She noticed that in that split second, the girl seemed to melt out of view. By the time Leona refocused on where she had been standing, the stranger was missing without a trace of ever having been there.
Ralf and Clark ran over to the side of their comrade, their concern for her wellbeing evident on their faces.
"What was going on here Leona?" Ralf asked, "What did you see?"
"It's who I saw Colonel; someone that should not have been here, but was." Leona struggled to regain her composer.
"One of 'them' you think?" Clark asked.
"No, I have no idea who she works for, but she knows things that only a handful of people outside our unit would."
"Damn, that's really bad. What's her angle?" Clark instinctively wiped his sunglasses to ease his thoughts. Guys like Kusanagi and Yagami were known quantities that could be trusted to keep their silence regarding the existence of the Orochi and other mystical beings, but if there was someone else who was aware of this stuff, someone whose allegiance and motives were unclear, that made things a lot more difficult.
"That's the thing about battles, there's always factors you can't predict that complicate your plans." Ralf took a cigarette out of his pocket and lit it up. "You may be right about us having to wait on things Clark, but that sure as hell doesn't make me feel any better about this."
The Ikari stood silently as they wondered what to do next.
What had gone wrong? Why had that woman been so afraid of her? Clearly she had messed up badly.
"You should never have approached her like that, scared the poor girl half to death."
"Mr. Oogami."
Reiji lounged himself up against the wall. Sokaku was seated on the ground near him, deep within a meditative state. Clearly he was not going to enter this conversation on one side or the other.
The red-haired mystic sighed. Why did he always get stuck with explaining these things? Was it because he was a dad? Well the 'girl' in front of him was twice as old as his great-grandmother! Yet here he was playing the father-figure to this powerful nature spirit. It would make for a good story one of these days, even if his daughter did not believe a single bit of it.
"Nakoruru, look, you've been gone for a while. The world is a very different place then it was two centuries ago…"
"It's not as different as you think Mr. Oogami. There is still evil in the world, and there are people who are willing to risk their lives to fight it. That girl… she's a kindred spirit."
Reiji sighed in frustration. Could Nakoruru really be that naïve?
"She's a mercenary, and extremely dangerous. Her unit investigates mysterious phenomena on behalf of governments who don't want to get their hands dirty. If they ever discovered your true nature, I don't know what they'd do. They might try to capture you for study, and by study, I mean they would cut you up."
"As I said, sounds a lot like when I was growing up."
"You are stubborn." Reiji sighed again. "I pity anyone that has to fight you."
"Fighting is a necessary evil." Nakoruru said. "That much has not changed either."
"I think the girl has you outmatched Oogami." Sokaku said as he joined the conversation.
"You were listening the whole time weren't you Mochizuki? 'Mediating with the spirits' my foot! You hung me out to dry! Damn, with friends like you, who needs enemies?"
Nakoruru giggled. "It's nice isn't it? I mean to be able to enjoy a rare moment of peace."
"I can agree with that. Still, there won't be much peace left in this world if we don't stop Ash Crimson. We can't forget our task for a second." Reiji's expression grew distant as he thought about the monumental task before him.
He was not even sure if he was up to it. Compared to the other competitors, many of whom were former or current champions, he was nobody. Reiji was well trained in his clan's unique style of hand-to-hand combat, and he could rely on his mystical powers, but he was not a seasoned prize fighter by a long shot. And Ash Crimson was so powerful he had been able to overwhelm Chizuru like it was nothing. What was he supposed to do against that?
"Mr. Oogami, are you okay?" Nakoruru asked.
"Yeah, just spaced out there for a moment; got lost in my thoughts."
"There is nothing to worry about. Do you know how many times in the past the world has been on the brink of disaster?'
"Do I really want to know the answer to that?"
"You are correct. It does not matter, because you know what Mr. Oogami? The world is still here. No matter what the forces of evil try, they always fail. That is because there will always be good people who will stand up and do what is right. You are one of those people Mr. Oogami, and you will do what is needed when the time comes, just like the rest of us."
'Well look at that,' Reiji thought. 'Here I was giving this girl a lecture and she turns it around on me!' Mochizuki was right; he was completely outmatched by this girl. How much had she seen in her time? What hardships had she gone though to get that wisdom?
"Thank you Nakoruru. As far as I'm concerned, you're one of the 'good people' too. I just wish you could have joined us under better circumstances, and get a better deal out of it."
"It's best not to dwell on it." Ever so slightly her expression betrayed her inner sadness. "You have nothing to apologize for."
"No more of this talk." Sokaku thundered. "You two think far too much, and let yourselves become dragged down by it. The day of battle draws near, our mission is close at hand."
"I guess we should get our priorities straight." Reiji took out the Hetsu mirror. "We position ourselves to fight Ash's team, and then we take him out. Capture him if possible, but if not…"
Nakoruru and Sokaku silently acknowledged Reiji's order. It was a simple gesture, but one with tremendous implications. The mystics would do whatever it took to preserve the natural order, even if it meant death.
'What have I gotten myself into?' was all Reiji could think of once again.
"Oh man, you sucked him up into a tornado?"
"Yup, that put him down once and for all."
"Wild stuff." Terry said bemusedly. He had to admit, that was one heck of a story Ranma told. Even if only a fraction of it was true, this kid had accomplished a lot in his brief life.
"And don't forget that we helped you Ranma!" Ryoga eagerly added in.
"How could he Hibiki? You only reminded him every minute or so." Mousse said sourly.
"Wait, so was this Herb guy really a chick or a man? You lost me on that one." Joe asked.
"He was a guy Higashi. Geez, that's all you cared about?" Ryo complained.
"Well if he was really a funky dragon chick, I figured I'd head over to China and…"
"Sick, don't even finish that sentence."
"That curse of his is quite something though." Andy commented. "I've encountered my fair share of magic, but that takes the cake; a kettle that can turn people into the opposite gender, what a horrible device!"
"Oh yeah, it's horrible." Ranma said nervously, hoping his white lie would hold up. "Good thing me and my friends don't have those curses, because that would be bad. Because just to be clear I don't have a curse, and I mean never."
"So how did that curse work again?"
"Joe! Get with the program." Andy chastised the kickboxer.
"What? This is confusing stuff!"
Ryo meanwhile was occupied with other thoughts. The Hiryu Shoten Ha, what a technique! It sounded like it exceeded anything in his current arsenal, even the perfected Ryuuko Ranbu. His dad's Haoh Shi Kouken or Kyokugen Kuzure Geki could probably defeat it, but still. If that had been the attack Ranma tried to pull on him during their fight at Shakujii Park, Ryo conceded he had been lucky to hit Ranma out of it; he would have never been able to take the full force of such an attack.
Ranma was a far more serious rival than he could have ever imagined. If he ever did want to become the grandmaster of the Kyokugen style, Ryo would have to be able to come up with a move that could at least match that sort of power. He had been working on a new technique that might be the answer, but it was not tested, and would be risky to pull out in a fight.
"I don't think I can top a story like that. I think it's getting late anyway." Terry said. "It's time for me to turn in."
"You serious Terry?" Joe looked surprised. "It's not even seven o'clock yet! The night's still young!"
"It is odd of you brother." Andy agreed.
"Don't worry about it you two, do what you want. I'll see you all at the starting ceremony tomorrow morning." Terry turned towards Ranma's team and took off his cap in a gesture of respect. "Pleasure meeting you guys. Have a good night."
Terry started to walk away, but stopped to get in one last word. "Hey Ryo, one more thing. I was talking to Robert earlier and… don't worry man, you meet Sailor Moon one of these days!"
"I swear to God, I'm going to kill Robert." Ryo said as he fumed.
"Oh you got burned Sakazaki!" Joe said excitedly. "What, you like the schoolgirls? You're a wilder man than I thought! I wonder how King feels about that."
"Lay off of him Joe, it's all good fun." Terry said as he started walking again. "Good night all!"
"I think I will go off to meditate, clear my mind." Andy said as he too walked off. "Joe, I'll meet up with you later."
"What, you're leaving me all alone here with Sakazaki and the kids? Come on Andy-boy, give me a break. Besides, who's going to run defense for you if you run into Mai?" Joe took off after Andy.
"Wow, what was that all about?" Ranma asked.
"I know. It was like a non-stop parade of craziness. Did we even leave Nerima? I can't tell at this point." Ryoga commented. "And no Mousse, you don't get to make a joke about that."
"Darn, I don't how I'll ever cope with the loss."
"I warned you guys it gets crazy around here." Ryo relaxed. "But you should be proud, getting a compliment from a former World Champion like Terry."
"Another champion? You mean like Kusanagi?" Terry had seemed tough, but Ranma was amazed that such a peaceful, happy-go lucky fellow was once the top-ranked fighter in the world.
"Yup, that's the genuine article right there. He was the champion before Kusanagi, and still a strong contender for the title. Of course I can take him… most of the time."
"Is that so? Then why have you never won the tournament?" Mousse said as he sniffed distastefully.
"Well that's simple… I have crappy luck."
"That's your excuse?" Mousse looked exasperated.
"It's all true though. I was invited to the first global King of Fighters tournament, but was already entered in the North American Championships. After the current team-based format started, I always ended up either fighting Terry to a draw or something weird would happen that would cause the tournament to be interrupted before a champion could be declared."
"That's still a poor excuse. A true warrior overcomes all obstacles no matter how impossible they may seem."
"Which would explain your long string of victories against me, right Mousse?" Ranma asked sarcastically.
"You will see Ranma Saotome, you will see with your own eyes…"
"Yeah, yeah, I see things duck-boy. You don't have to get all jealous about it."
Ryo looked upon the squabble with no little sense of bemusement. "You guys sure you aren't one of those teams more concerned about killing each other than winning?" He noticed that Ranma had become noticeably tense. "What's up? You don't actually hate each other that much?"
"Someone is approaching, and he's looking for a fight." Ranma gritted his teeth. This was an intense battle aura, and it was clearly directed at him. The person clearly harbored tremendous hatred for him, but who could it be? Had one of his old rivals tracked him to Germany for revenge?
He could then see it. Someone was running straight at him from the other side of the hall. Ranma could not recognize him, but whoever this guy was, he was a threat.
"Da na na! Shingo Yabuki enters the scene!" the new challenger jumped in front of Ranma with remarkable speed. Ranma quickly took a step back in order to stay out of Shingo's reach. Shingo stopped for a moment. He glared at Ranma, and then pointed his figure at him.
"You're… you're Ran… ma…"
"Yes?"
"Can you… let me… catch my breath for… a minute? I got winded… running over here."
After he picked himself off the floor, Ranma appraised Shingo more carefully. He was a strange looking kid. Well, kid might not have been the best word to use. He was probably older than Ranma; taller too. But he carried himself in an exceedingly childish manner, like he was forever bursting with the energy of a hyperactive ten-year old. He was gangly, and dressed up in some sort of schoolboy's outfit. In a strange way he sort of reminded Ranma of Daisuke, although he could not even begin to understand why.
"I knew it, I knew it! You really are Ranma Saotome!" Shingo screamed, now fully recovered. "You challenged Master Kyo at that news conference. I saw it on TV!"
"What's it to you?"
"Ranma Saotome… I challenge you! Right here, right now!" Shingo entered his battle stance
"You fool, there's no fighting allowed in here!" Ryoga countered "You want to get yourself disqualified?"
"This is about the honor of Master Kyo! I don't care what happens to me! I can't let such an insult stand!"
"It's a matter of honor?" Ranma had to admit he was now hard-pressed. Provided Shingo was not full of it, then this was a serious matter.
"I'm a disciple of the Kusanagi School of martial arts, trained by Kyo and his father Saisyu Kusanagi. I've committed myself to defending their traditions and honor even at the cost of my own life. You can understand that much, can't you Ranma Saotome?"
Ryo knew this was a bad situation. Who knew that the incident in Odaiba would lead to this confrontation months later? He knew Shingo was a good kid, trying to do what he thought was best for his idol Kyo, but this a crappy way of trying to address things.
"Yabuki! Get a hold of yourself man." He pleaded. "Do you think this is going to resolve anything? I was there when Ranma challenged Kyo, and the whole thing was squared away. Everyone's honor is intact, and Kyo has moved on. Back down and clear out your head before you do something you regret."
Shingo took a deep breath. "Mr. Sakazaki, you know I respect you and your opinions very much, but in this case I can't go back. Because of me… because of me…" Shingo was losing it, tears starting to flow down his cheeks.
"What is wrong with this guy?" Mousse asked. "He looks unbalanced to me. Walk away from this Saotome; even you are above dealing with such a pathetic wretch."
"Damn it Mousse, will you shut your mouth and try to be a decent person for once in your life!" Ranma snapped back at the amazon. There was clearly more to this then Shingo was letting on. Ranma was no fool; he knew this was not just about his challenge to Kyo, ill-advised as it was. He had no intention of making the situation worse if he could help it.
Shingo regained his composure. "So Mr. Saotome, are you going to accept my challenge?"
"I would prefer not to. I don't pretend to know you, but I can tell you're not at your best. It would be dishonorable to fight you in your current condition."
"Don't patronize me! I'm… I'm…" Shingo started to lose it once more. He clenched his fists and prepared to charge at Ranma, and the other man prepared to defend himself…
"Cut it out!" with a sudden jolt, Shingo was sent to the floor. Ranma could see standing over Shingo was a young Japanese girl dressed in the cloths of an Aikido practitioner, very similar to that of Takato's, her long blue hair tied up in a pony tail. She had a very severe expression on her face, like that of a schoolteacher disciplining an errant student.
"Oh no, not her!" Ryo looked upon the girl with great anxiety. Of all the people he could have run into today, why did it have to be Kasumi Todoh? What was she even doing here anyway? She had showed up at the last tournament with Eiji and some other weird girl, but they got knocked out of contention early. Why could it not be like the old days where his rivals always disappeared after getting beaten?
"You idiot, stop messing around!" Kasumi scolded Shingo by pointing her finger at him. "Do you want to mess this up for Mr. Daimon and I?"
"Easy there Kasumi." Daimon stepped over to her and rested his huge hand on her shoulder. She looked almost like a child in comparison to his massive frame. "Shingo is going through a difficult situation. Have some compassion for your teammate."
"Mr. Daimon, I don't think you understand. When dealing with Yabuki, you always have to beat the message into him. He just doesn't learn any other way!"
Great, Ranma thought, this one thinks just like Akane does. No wonder this Shingo guy was at his wit's end, spending his time with a girl like that!
Kasumi suddenly glared over at Ranma. "Did you say something Mr. Pigtail?"
"Uh no, didn't say nothing Miss." He began to sweat heavily. It looked liked Shingo had it even worse than Ranma ever could have imagined!
"You see now why she's so scary? It's beyond rational explanation!" Ryo said to his younger companion.
Daimon was still looking at Shingo sulking on the floor. His features softened as he reflected on how things had gotten to this point. He had warned Kyo about this, that not explaining things to Shingo would only leave him confused and hurt. It had now become Daimon's responsibility to see things righted. He took in a deep breath before his spoke.
"Shingo, I am going to tell you something. I have to tell you it because Kyo did not want to, and that was a mistake on his part. You have nothing to be ashamed of, Shingo. You did all that you could at the time, you even went beyond that at the risk of your own life. What happened at the last tournament was beyond your control, and you need to accept that. If you cannot, then you will never be able to grow into the fighter you wish to become."
"Mr. Daimon." Shingo sobbed. "I'm sorry. I messed up again."
"It's okay Yabuki, you have us to back you up!" Kasumi cheerfully extended her hand to help him up. Daimon smiled, it had been a good idea to bring these two together, if rather unorthodox.
"That's an odd team if I've ever seen one." Ryo said in astonishment. Unfortunately for him, this attracted Kasumi's attention.
"Don't think for a moment that I have forgotten about you Ryo Sakazaki!" She wagged her finger at him. "This time around, the Todoh School is going to prove its superiority over Kyokugen Karate once and for all! My father's honor will be avenged! Oh ho ho ho ho ho!" Kasumi gave off the traditional Japanese noblewoman's laugh.
"Oh brother." Ryo moaned. He really did have lousy luck.
"She's not bad at it." Ranma mused. "Got nothing on Kodachi though."
"Lucky for us." Ryoga said.
"I apologize for any trouble these two have caused you." Daimon bowed deeply towards Ranma in turn. Ranma was simply amazed that even when bowing, Daimon almost came up to his face. The man was truly gigantic, and yet so even-tempered. What kind of opponent would he make?
"Shingo, Kasumi, let's go." Daimon spoke in the tone of a stern parent, finely honed after years of dealing with the antics of Kyo and Benimaru and his own young son.
"Alright, I've had my fill of this." Ryoga said, looking thoroughly exhausted. "Fighting these people can't be half as exhausting as trying to hold a conversation with them."
Ranma was willing to admit his friend had a point. "I guess we should check up on Akane and Kasumi, see if they're settled in."
"What about Nabiki?"
"Yeah, you're right. Hopefully she hasn't racked up a huge bill on our tab or something. It won't matter how much prize money we win if she gets out of control."
"Not quite what I was getting at Ranma." Ryoga deadpanned.
Mousse smiled coldly. "You two can waste your time on that. I'll go and see if my beloved Shampoo has arrived yet." He shot off in a frenzy of passion.
"What a loon. Hey Ryo, we'll see you in the morning." Ranma smiled at the Kyokugen master and went to shake his hand.
"You bet, kid." Ryo took Ranma's hand in a hearty shake. "Have a good night guys… you're gonna need it."
As he watched Ranma and Ryoga go off, Ryo could only admire them. These boys, they handled the stress of the tournament so well, despite their lack of experience and the tremendous odds arrayed against them. They would go far… someday. But this was his year, and his team was going straight to the top.
"My team!" Ryo cried out loud. Yuri and Robert, where had they been all this time? What had they been doing all this time? He had to find them!
"Dad is going to kill me if something happens to her!" he said as he rushed off as fast as he could.
"You sure you want to put this off Marco?"
"No choice Chicken-man. I couldn't just barge into the middle of a conversation like that. Master Ryo was having far too good a time."
"Think of what a good time I could have brought them." Jenet said flirtatiously.
"No, no, young Miss Jenet! You can't do that! You're a good person, and I just can't allow you to corrupt the morals of today's youth!"
"Give it a break Tizoc baby, I was just kidding." She pouted. Tizoc was a good guy to have in your corner, but his goody-two-shoes attitude could get annoying at times.
"Master Ryo is going to find out at the opening ceremony anyway. We can put it off for a little while." Marco lowered his head. It was going to be hard no matter what the circumstances were.
"If you insist my friend, but remember this. Tizoc, the Griffon Mask, is here to back you up no matter how arduous things may seem!" he lifted his arms dramatically, flexing their enormous muscles. "Can you feel it Marco? Is my strength buoying you sprits?"
"No, now I feel worse."
"I'm not feeling it either Tizoc-baby." Jenet cringed. She liked strong men, but this? Not exactly her cup of tea.
"It's not working? The situation is desperate then, I must try harder! Mighty pectorals, give it your all!"
"Noooooooooooo!" Marco and Jenet called out in unison… but it was far too late.
The young man watched intently from the shadows. What a stroke of luck it had been for that idiot Yabuki to come along at the last moment and throw Saotome's senses off. The shock of seeing Ranma had caused him to momentarily lose control of his calm and spike his battle aura, but it was not time to reveal himself, no not yet.
"Thanks for covering up my presence… fool!" he whispered harshly.
How strange it all was. How had Ranma Saotome found his way to the tournament? Best not to think too hard about it, for it mattered little in the end. This was turning out to be far better than he could have ever hoped for. Saotome had even brought the Hibiki boy and that blind idiot with him. He would gain revenge against them as well, and it would be sweet.
This would be the dawn of a new era in his life. His enemies would be crushed, and his fortune and reputation would rise after all of the years of humiliation piled upon him. The other fighters had no idea just what they were up against. They would be crushed, one after the other, like so much rotten fruit. After that display of power, no one would dare mock him ever again… even if he was cursed with a name like Pantyhose Taro.
End Chapter
Ah, summer is in the air. No rest for the weary though, I soldier on. This was tough chapter due to the sheer amount of characters and dialogue involved. You try your best to keep everyone in character, and pray people like it.
This chapter was another milestone for me. It was during this chapter that the story hit one hundred thousand words. I'm talking about the main body of the text, not the footnotes like these.
I'm still cleaning up some of the earlier chapters. You know, you can spend hours proof-reading your work but even then some errors slip in. I still have to rewrite that passage in Chapter 13 as well. I've done a little bit of it, but it will be done eventually. I also love the fact that screwed up the formating on this fic, forcing me to go back and edit each chapter again. Still, with each passing week I make more and more progress. It's crazy just how far this story has gone in less than a year!
By the way, Ranma thought Shingo was like Daisuke because they both have the same Japanese Voice Actor (Takehito Koyasu). If you know anything about Koyasu, you know how against type roles like Daisuke and Shingo are for him.
Another thing you might be interested in. Ryo's jacket was not something I just came up with, it's 100% canon. See for yourself.
www. fighters generation. com/ characters3/ ryo- sakazaki- sketch- aof3 .jpg
Anyway, I should respond to one of the reviews I received last time, as I feel it was very relevant.
Fionn the Otaku: You made some interesting suggestions about how Ranma and company should fight. I am definitely going to take that into consideration. The fights themselves however may go a little differently than you might expect. I plan to start the action in the next two chapters, so you can see for yourself how it all works out.
Next chapter comes in three weeks. For everyone who's held out for so long as I develop this thing, thanks for your patience. I know waiting for months on end can get frustrating when you want to get to the good stuff, but these things need to be developed properly. However, like I said above, your wait is about to end.
A special thank you also goes out to Jeschura for correcting my German.
Until next time, take care!