Ranma of Ryozampaku

by Ranma789

What if Ranma came to Ryozampaku, the dojo of Kenichi's crazy masters from Kenichi the Mightiest Disciple, to train? And why does he lives abroad, with no contact whatsoever with the Tendos, his father and, more importantly, Akane? Will he get along with Kenichi and...what relatioship will he develop with Miu? Get ready for a lore dense crossover, with lots of action!

3. Ranma & Miu

Ranma and Miu

Ranma entered the kitchen with broad strides, using his crutches. Miu was preparing dinner—the apron she wore barely hid her spectacular figure from behind—but she addressed him without turning around, having heard him approach.

"Oh, Ranma, dinner's not ready yet, but it will be in about an hour. Why don't you go back to the main hall until it's done?"

"And how am I supposed to sit still doing nothing for an hour? I came here to help you!"

"WHAT? HELP ME?" the girl exclaimed, spinning around so quickly that the omelet she was cooking flew into the air. "Oh, no!" she cried, catching it just in time as it fell.

Ranma looked at her, puzzled. "Yeah, why? What's so strange about that?"

Miu suddenly felt embarrassed and blushed. "Well, because... because usually, I'm the one who cooks dinner and does all the housework here at Ryozampaku..."

"What? You mean you clean, wash, iron, shop, and cook for eight people, every day? On top of school and training?"

"Uh-huh," Miu replied shyly.

"And... no one ever helps you?"

"Oh, it's BETTER if they don't. They're all hopeless; they'd just make a mess, and then I'd have to work twice as hard to fix it. Only Kensei cooks, and even that's only occasionally."

Ranma thought back to the previous night. "Hmm... yeah, I see."

"Anyway," he continued, "I've worked in a Chinese restaurant and helped out at an okonomiyaki stand, so I know my way around the kitchen. It's settled: since I can't train and I'll go crazy if I sit around doing nothing, I'll help you make dinner."

"Oh, but... thank you, Ranma, you really don't have to," she said, though he was already chopping vegetables. The blonde girl felt a strange flutter in her chest. No one had ever shown her such consideration before.

After a few minutes, it became clear that the two of them made a good team in the kitchen. Ranma was experienced, and food was clearly a passion of his, second only to martial arts. He seemed to anticipate what Miu needed, assisting her before she even asked. Not only that, he began cooking a variety of dishes on the spare burners, using up the leftover ingredients. It seemed that cooking relaxed him, helping him clear his mind.

"Wow, Ranma, you're really good! Besides being a skilled martial artist, you're a better cook than many housewives!"

"Feh! There's no such thing as tasks that only men or only women should do. I should know!"

Ranma was a bit surprised by what he'd just said—since when had he started thinking that way?—but he was even more surprised by Miu's confused expression at his last remark.

OF COURSE! What an idiot, he thought.

The girl had been unconscious all of last night, so she was probably the only one who didn't know about his transformation!

Better change the subject. I'd prefer at least one person here didn't know about it. Unless Sakaki makes more jokes like he did this morning…

"Uh, anyway," he continued, a bit hastily, "I'd rather help you because I don't want to repeat last night's experience! The takeout wasn't bad, but there wasn't enough, the delivery guy got lost, and it all arrived cold…"

Miu suddenly seemed to struggle to hold something back. She started trembling, then abruptly bowed deeply.

"Ranma-san! Kokoroyori Owabi Moshiagesu!"

("Honorable Ranma! My deepest apologies" a very formal way of apologizing, NDA)

Ranma was taken aback. "WH-WHAT? But… for what?"

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN, FOR WHAT? FOR YESTERDAY AFTERNOON, OF COURSE! For the way I… the way I attacked you, while… my grandfather told me everything this morning, and… Oooh, I'm so EMBARRASSED!" she cried, nearly bursting into tears.

Ranma, who had changed but not enough to handle a girl's tears without panicking, hurried to console her.

"N-no, don't worry about it, really, it's no big deal! I wasn't even thinking about it anymore. Honestly, things like that happen to me all the time."

He tried to downplay it, but Miu kept sniffling, inconsolable.

"Besides," he added in a calmer tone, "your grandfather explained what the problem was, and… well, I really can't blame you for it."

For a long moment, the two of them looked into each other's eyes. Miu seemed like a lost puppy, her eyes glistening.

If Ranma weren't at risk of losing himself in those big eyes, he might have found the scene almost comically cliché.

"R-really?" the blonde murmured.

"Well... yeah, and besides…" Ranma had a flashback to his last battle with Ryoga a few months earlier.

"Actually, I… I've SEEN something like that before. I've met someone who was caught in the Way of the Ashura before," he concluded, thoughtfully.

Miu stared at him, bewildered.

"Ah, but in that case," Ranma quickly added, "that person entered that state voluntarily! It's completely different!" he reassured her.

Miu took a deep breath, now a bit calmer.
"The thing is… I'm ASHAMED that I can't control myself! I'm an experienced martial artist, and I'm getting stronger! I can even use Ki in battle, and I'm good at it! But… if I try to push the intensity beyond a certain point, I lose control. And if this keeps happening, I won't be able to advance to the next level!"

Ranma felt a shock of recognition. Those were his own words. Strange.

"Well, maybe," the boy with the pigtail ventured, "you've been neglecting the basics in your training, don't you think?"

"Huh? What do you mean?"

"Well, I'm not an expert in high-level Ki—I've learned a thing or two about using it, but I'm no master—but from what I understand, Ki amplifies your physical abilities proportionally. For example, if your Strength, Endurance, and Speed are at level 100, Ki could boost them to 150."

"Yes, that's correct."

"So, what would happen if… for some reason, your Ki was at a level that exceeded your physical abilities? Like if your Ki could potentially reach 150, but your physical abilities were only at, say, 80 or 90? There might be… an imbalance of some kind, I think.
Maybe that's why, when you raise your Ki level, it overloads you and ends up… going to your head."

Miu stayed silent for a long moment.
Ranma, truth be told, was surprised at himself, even for wanting to brag. He had no idea where that insight had come from.

"But if that's the case," Miu timidly resumed, "what would the solution be? Should I… train more in the basics?"

"And why not? You should never neglect the basics," replied the boy with the pigtail.

"And besides," he continued, getting fired up, "what's the problem? Do you think you don't have the time?
Can I ask you something, Miu? Don't you think it's a bit UNFAIR that you spend so much time working for everyone?
You're a martial artist just like Kenichi; you should be out there training just like him!
Even if he doesn't have any talent, at this rate, he might surpass you."

When Ranma finished his outburst, both of them were left staring at each other, mouths agape.

Miu was stunned.
A whirlwind of emotions swirled in her chest. Surprise, realization, fear… gratitude?
Had Ranma said something she knew deep down but didn't dare express in words?

Ranma started breathing normally again. He didn't know why he'd gotten so worked up. Maybe it was his innate sense of justice. Or perhaps Miu reminded him a little of Kasumi, always bending over backward for others and never for herself.

Both of them could feel the atmosphere growing more intense, the intimacy of that open moment making them uneasy. They lowered their eyes and blushed almost simultaneously.

"So, what do you say? Shall we finish making dinner?"

"Y-yes, we should. We don't want to be late."

Not far away, leaning against a panel with his arms crossed, Hayato was deep in thought.

That evening, dinner at Ryozampaku was more lavish than ever before. Not only was there much more food (Ranma's advance payment had worked wonders for the grocery shopping), but the dishes were also more creative and refined than usual, offering a strange yet inviting mix of Japanese, Chinese, and Western cuisine.

"Ohoh, what a marvel! Miu, you've outdone yourself!" Hayato praised.
Expressions of surprise and appreciation echoed from everyone else.

"THANK YOU! But don't just thank me! A lot of the credit goes to Ranma! He came to help me in the kitchen, and he made more than half of these dishes himself!" Miu announced with a big, celebratory smile.

"Really? A martial artist and a cook?" Kensei asked, impressed. "Kid, all that's left is for you to be a playboy, and you'd be exactly like me!" he finished with a dazzling smile, clearly meaning it.

"I assure you, that's where the similarities end," Ranma replied coldly. He hadn't forgotten about the bucket prank and the photos. Kensei reminded him a bit too much of the old man, Happosai.

"Mmh… it's good for young people to cultivate multiple talents," Akisame observed.

"Right!" Apachai agreed, his mouth already full. "And Ranma was right to help Miu; usually, no one lifts a finger to help her…" he added, looking sad.

"YOU HELP HER LESS THAN ANYONE!" Sakaki snapped.

Kenichi, on the other hand, seemed rattled.
"C-cooking? The two of them? Alone?"

Shigure dropped down from the ceiling and whispered in his ear.
"Maybe… you should learn too… if you don't want… to lose her…"

"AAAAH!" Kenichi cried out, clutching his head as he imagined Ranma and Miu running off together on an ice cream cart with "Just Married" written on it.

"Well, what are we waiting for? Let's honor the dishes that Ranma and Miu have prepared!" declared the Elder. "It'll be a great way to celebrate the first day of a new student at Ryozampaku!"

Suddenly, all the masters' eyes gleamed with sadistic delight.

"Enjoy your meal—AAAH, not again!" Miu shrieked.

All the masters had started a sort of competition, moving their chopsticks at super speed to snatch food from Kenichi, Miu, and Ranma's plates.

"Oh no! TODAY OF ALL DAYS!" Kenichi lamented, trying in vain to salvage what he could.

Ranma, however, raised an eyebrow, puzzled, but stayed relatively calm.
"Huh? Is this a new game?
Oh well… when in Rome, do as the Romans do," he thought with a sigh.
He raised his chopsticks and shouted:
"MODIFIED VERSION OF THE GOURMET DE FOIE GRAS TECHNIQUE!"

Suddenly, Ranma joined the battle, moving his chopsticks at super speed, but with much more precise movements, specifically tailored for this kind of activity.

"EH?" Miu exclaimed.
"Uh, but…?" Kenichi echoed.

"Ooh, the kid never ceases to amaze us."

And it was true. Thanks to his grueling training at Picolet Chardin's house, Ranma was capable of challenging anyone in a culinary battle (also, the masters were holding back a lot; if they'd moved their arms at full speed, the food and table would have disintegrated from the air friction). Moreover, Ranma acted shrewdly: instead of chasing after the masters' trails as they pulled back the stolen food—and, incidentally, ended up stepping on each other's feet—he simply intercepted the food as soon as they grabbed it, just a short distance from the plates, slightly altering its trajectory.

Miu had a sudden realization.
"Kenichi! Hold up your plate like a shield! We need to help him! Let's give the masters as little surface area as possible to steal the food!"

"Huh? O-okay!"

After what seemed like endless moments to the kids, but was actually only a couple of minutes, the battle ended.

The food HAD been stolen, but Ranma had redirected it each time, making it return. Now, he, Miu, and Kenichi found themselves with their plates full again, but… it wasn't the SAME food they had originally put on their plates; it had gotten mixed up randomly between the dishes.

Suddenly, a silence fell.
All the masters stared at the plates, dumbfounded, then…

They burst into laughter. Side-splitting laughter.

"WAHAHAHA, kid, I swear, you're something else! It's going to be a blast having you at Ryozampaku!" Sakaki declared.

"Hmm! A technique for every situation! Just like the masters of ancient times!" Koetsuji approved, stroking his chin sagely.

"AHAH! In China, too, there are many martial arts that involve food! Well done, boy!" Kensei complimented.

And for the rest of the dinner, there was nothing but laughter, stories, and the enjoyment of good food.

That evening, after taking a bath, Kenichi found himself on the roof of the Ryozampaku with Miu, stargazing. Though, for the moment, he was alone.

"Phew! I ate so much!" he sighed. "I have to admit, Ranma is not just a great martial artist but also a good cook! It's the first time I've managed to eat my fill when the masters decide to steal the food. It's incredible that he had a technique ready to counter them... is there anything he can't do?"

He fell silent for a moment.

"I wonder... what it feels like to be someone special? Blessed with talent and strength... Sometimes, I feel like I live in a different world from Miu's... but surely Ranma... lives in her world."

The thought made him feel a pang of jealousy. With Ranma at the Ryozampaku, he feared being left out. He had worked so hard to build a relationship with Miu... Would Ranma be an obstacle in that regard?

Just then, the blonde girl appeared, her hair loose as it always was after a bath. She seemed cheerful and climbed up more quickly than usual. Kenichi waited a moment to see if Ranma would appear, but he didn't. The relief he felt confirmed his slight jealousy.

"Uh... isn't Ranma coming?" he asked.

"Oh, I think he could climb up here even on crutches, but when I asked him, he said no. He's in the room they assigned him, mentioning something about calling his mother to let her know he'll be staying at Ryozampaku for a few days. At first, he thought he'd go home to sleep every night, but he had to change his plans... because of Sakaki," she added with a disapproving frown.

Kenichi wasn't sure whether to be worried about Ranma sleeping there, relieved that it was only temporary, or surprised that Ranma seemed to care about his mother (could he be a mama's boy?). The thought made him smile mischievously, eager to find some flaw in Ranma.

He recalled what the Elder had told him that morning when he woke up:

"Kenichi-kun, please don't mention Ranma's... problem to Miu. He confided in us, but he deserves for it to remain private. Besides, Miu is already shaken up by what happened, without adding more oddities to it."

Kenichi sighed deeply. He really had no grounds to challenge Ranma, huh? In a normal comparison, he would lose every time.

"Hey! A penny for your thoughts," Miu smiled sweetly.

Kenichi was startled, as if she could sense his unease. "UH? Oh, nothing, it's just... I was thinking the last 24 hours have been particularly intense, don't you think? I mean, until yesterday, there were only two students at Ryozampaku, and now there are three, and... it's strange to think about how deeply this has changed our lives."

Miu nodded in agreement. "It's true, a lot has happened all at once, but I don't think that's a bad thing. Change can be positive if we know how to embrace the best parts of it. And I think Ranma-kun will bring some liveliness and freshness into Ryozampaku's life, and we all have something to gain from that."

Kenichi considered this. "Hmm... in fact, with another student, the Masters might focus less on me..."

"Exactly," confirmed the blonde. "And having more time will let you focus more on writing and taking care of your flowers..."

"Ah! And Ranma could help us in the fight against Yomi! He's so strong, he could take on two or three disciples at once!"

"Well, about that... we don't know if he would agree to it," Miu reminded him.

"No, you're right, I got carried away, though... I don't know, I have a feeling... that he's cut from the same cloth as the Masters."

"Yes, it seems like he, like me, has spent his entire life dedicated to martial arts."

"Anyway... I'm glad about one thing."

"What's that?" Miu asked, curious.

"That, no matter how much things might change, we can always count on each other."

Miu smiled tenderly.

And then they spent another hour gazing at the stars.

The next morning, after breakfast, Kenichi was in the field for his morning training, warming up his muscles. Since it was summer and they didn't have school, he could train twice a day, much to his Masters' delight (though he was less thrilled about it).

Ranma was watching him from the porch, looking a bit wistful. He was already walking better, though he still used crutches for safety, but he seemed eager to join them. Kenichi almost felt sorry for him.

There was another surprise, though. Miu appeared, all cheerful, dressed in her usual tight tracksuit and Gi*, and immediately joined the warm-up.

"Oh! Miu-San, are you training too?"

"Yes," the girl replied simply, with a determined tone. Ranma seemed pleased.

It was such an unusual sight for the Masters, Miu training first thing in the morning, that Sakaki stealthily approached Hayato.

"Uh... Elder, we're all wondering... it's good that Miu is dedicating more time to her training, but... how should I put this... in the meantime, who will do the housework?"

"No one," Hayato replied simply.

"Well, I thought so, I... NO; what? What do you mean?"

"I realized that we have wronged Miu over the years by asking her to take care of us in this way, to make up for our shortcomings. Miu is young, she has her whole life ahead of her, and she's a martial artist just like Kenichi, so it's only right she dedicates more time to training. The incident the other night opened my eyes, and we can't let something like that happen again. Miu will continue to prepare meals (with Kensei and/or Ranma's help if they wish), but as for all the other chores... we'll take turns among ourselves, setting up a rotation schedule. ANY OBJECTIONS?" he thundered, noticing the Masters' stunned expressions.

"No, no, absolutely not, of course not," they all stammered.

"Tsk! But it's going to be tough..." thought Sakaki, imagining Apachai doing laundry and turning clothes into confetti, or Shigure cleaning by creating new ventilation holes in the walls.

Hayato swore he saw a hint of a smile on Ranma's face and thought, "Uhmpf! Students learn from Masters, and Masters learn from Students, huh? How true..."

Ranma stood up, energized. "Well, well! It seems I can't be the only one sitting around doing nothing."

He was met with puzzled looks.

"Ranma, your recovery has been remarkable, but your wounds haven't fully healed. You should avoid exertion at least until tomorrow," Akisame stated.

"That's fine, Akisame—the Elder intervened again—Ranma, today you will train with Miu. Do something light, just some suite** if you can at least stand without crutches."

Kenichi, who had been happy for Miu, now switched to suspicious mode because he could have sworn he saw the girl light up at the prospect.

"Certainly," the ponytailed boy declared boldly, though after dropping the crutches, he shuffled onto the field at a snail's pace, dragging his feet and stumbling.

Miu was already in her stance. Enthusiastically, she did something unusual, playfully teasing Ranma, saying, "Don't worry, Ranma-kun, I won't hurt you too much."

Ranma shot back, "Feh! Just admit that only in this condition do you have any hope of keeping up with me."

When the two brought their guards closer and pressed their right forearms against each other, time seemed to stop, and... something magical happened.

They started the exercise, slowly at first, very slowly, then gradually picking up the pace, but revealing... a natural harmony. Their breathing synchronized, their movements adapted, they seemed relaxed, as if thinking of something else and at the same time, were completely absorbed in the exercise.

Soon, the rhythm of the light pushes, hand exchanges, and holds changed, never overdoing it, adjusting to Ranma's condition, but at the same time, constantly varying, following the gentle sway back and forth of their bodies, typical of that practice.

After what seemed like an eternity, but must have been only about twenty minutes, their arms relaxed, and the exercise ended. The air around them seemed softer.

Kenichi realized he had been mesmerized watching them, buried under a huge weight that he had to lift, but he wasn't the only one: the Masters were equally captivated.

"It's... it's chemistry. That is DEFINITELY chemistry!" declared Kensei, almost moved.

"It looked... like... a...courtship...dance..." Shigure remarked.

"WHAAAAT?!" Kenichi protested.

"Hmm... well, well," Akisame mused.

"I suspected as much..." Hayato thought.

Then, aloud, he added:

"Ranma!"

"From what I can see, you and Miu have a natural connection. So far, her training has been held back by not being able to spar with someone of similar skill: Kenichi isn't, and besides, he can't go 100% against a girl; while we are too strong for both of you. So, I ask you: would you be willing—until you've fully recovered, and perhaps even after, if you wish—to be a sparring partner for my niece? I'm sure you both have a lot to learn from each other!"

Ranma hadn't expected that.
Miu looked ecstatic.
Kenichi was fuming. "W-WHAT? THEM—SPARRING PARTNERS?"
Kensei, with a touch of sadism, whispered in his ear, "Looks like things aren't looking good for you..."

"Ranma-kun! Would you really do it?" Miu asked, her hands clasped together and with a pleading look that could melt even a stone.
Ranma, after a moment of initial surprise, looked at her and finally smiled. "Sure, why not?"

"HOORAY! Thank you, thank you, thank you!" Miu exclaimed, realizing too late that she had thrown her arms around his neck.
Both of them blushed and then slowly separated, Miu looking down at the ground. "Sorry..."
"Uh... it's no big deal..."

Kenichi was now making incoherent sounds and practically fuming at the head.
Shigure observed, "You're…fuming…so much…that…you're…sinking…into the ground…"
"Don't you think you're forgetting something?" Akisame chimed in, pulling him out of the hole.
"Uh? What, Master?"
"TO CONTINUE YOUR TRAINING, SLACKER!" he yelled, throwing him onto a treadmill-like machine that not only required running but also trained reflexes by randomly bending four antennae towards him to give him a shock.

For the rest of the day, Kenichi didn't have time to worry about Ranma and Miu, because whenever Ranma wobbled during an exercise, and Miu lovingly helped the recovering fighter, if Kenichi tried to get distracted by shouting "HEY!" one of the antennae would zap him...

Within a few days, Ranma was fully healed, and his training sessions with Miu began to resemble full-fledged sparring matches.
Starting from scratch while recovering allowed them both to revisit all the basic techniques, performing them slowly at first, then progressively faster, appreciating the subtle nuances of each move and trying to identify weaknesses in each other's defense to exploit.

After five days, Ranma was able to spar with Miu using only his arms. After six days, he was able to incorporate kicks into their fights.
On the seventh day, Miu no longer held back and attacked him not only from the ground but from the air, performing all the jumps, flips, and spectacular acrobatics typical of the Kuremisago clan and her mother, Shizuha, in particular, along with moves from the Furinji style.
Ranma was impressed by the fluid, powerful, and elegant movements of the girl. It was the first time he had seen anyone fight that way, remarkably similar to his own Saotome style, which is based on aerial combat.
"Well, well... life is full of surprises…"

On the eighth day, Ranma felt confident enough to respond in kind, taking to the air himself.
Their duels turned into an endless series of spectacular techniques exchanged mid-air at super speed.
Each of them focused simultaneously on defense and attack, and all of the other's blows were regularly blocked, none landing.

Kenichi, in the (rare) pauses in his own training, was speechless. Even his jealousy gave way to pure and simple admiration.
"It's... it's incredible. Those two are really something.
And it's like…"

"...Like when I first met Kanou Sho" Miu thought, unknowingly finishing her friend's thought.
In those moments, the girl truly felt like she was flying, as if she had met someone who really understood her, who shared her way of being, and maybe... who respected her?
She appreciated that Kenichi was true to his principles, not wanting to hit women, but she couldn't help wondering if, in her case, admiration didn't have a hint of condescension—as if he put her on a pedestal and thus didn't truly see her as an equal.

It wasn't like that with Ranma: despite the ponytailed boy obviously going easy on her, he genuinely seemed to consider her a martial artist before seeing her as just a girl, and this filled Miu with joy.
In her life, she had been misunderstood, like by most people before she met Kenichi because "she stood out too much"; or, on the contrary, she had been put on a pedestal like by her friend and also by Kanou Sho; or even considered a special and coveted prize by their Yomi enemies, but no one had ever really seen Miu simply... for who she truly was.
Perhaps that was finally changing.

Unaware of these thoughts, Kenichi was still dumbfounded. "They're... too fast, I can't keep up with them."
"Try activating the Ryusui Seikuken," Sakaki suggested.
"Right!" The boy activated the technique to see more clearly using the power of Sei.
"Oooh, it's really amazing. They're not just trading blows at high speed; they're…testing all the techniques they know against each other, observing each other's reactions.
And then…they're making tiny adjustments, minute by minute, in speed, target precision, and timing, based on previous blocks, to attack more effectively."

"With a match like this, both of them can significantly level up in a short time," Akisame commented, satisfied.
"A-Amazing."

"But that's not all. Look closer," Kensei advised.
"What... what else is there?"
"Ranma is NOT fighting at his maximum speed AT ALL," Sakaki informed him. "After all, a few days ago, he was able to easily dodge Miu in Ashura mode, powered by Dou Ki, while now they're both fighting in their base forms."
"What—he could go even faster than this? So... he's not really training; he's just helping Miu-san?"
"When you're a high-level practitioner, you can turn everything into training," Kensei corrected him.
"Kenichi, if you boost your Sei Ki further, you should be able to see it," Akisame advised.
Kenichi increased his Ki until his eyes hurt; at first, he didn't notice any difference, but then…
"Ranma… is deliberately letting Miu attack effectively…so he can practice his blocking better?"
"Exactly. He's letting the prey grow, so to speak, to devour it better later," Sakaki concluded with his shark-like grin.
"But… doesn't that put him at risk?"
"Kenichi-kun, high-level practitioners have difficulty finding someone to train with," Kensei explained to him. "It's unlikely that there are many at your exact level around, who aren't perhaps your mortal enemies."

"And it's not guaranteed that an available practitioner would be suitable," Akisame continued. "For example, a fighter like Ranma, who relies on speed and technique, wouldn't gain much from frequently facing someone who relies on brute strength. He'd often win, but he'd never learn anything from the match."
"At the same time," Kensei went on, "the flaws you need to fix depend on habit and body positioning. Whether you fight at 50% speed or 100%, they're always the same. It's just that they usually go unnoticed.
So, it can be useful to face an experienced but inferior opponent, deliberately limiting yourself: they'll notice your mistakes, exploit them, you'll be forced to correct them, and once corrected, you won't make them again, even when you go back to fighting at 100%."

"True, but in a real fight, exposing yourself like that wouldn't be advisable," Sakaki pointed out. "Against the wrong opponent, you could still be in serious trouble. You can do it, though, in a friendly match against a weaker opponent, like Miu is for Ranma."

"And the amazing part is that Ranma isn't just using Miu to improve himself; he's also helping her grow," Akisame added.

"As Ranma adjusts his defense, Miu has to get better at attacking. And as he raises the level of his counterattacks, Miu has to improve her defense. It creates a positive cycle of mutual growth. This is what martial arts should be about."

Kenichi spent a long moment contemplating what he had just heard.
The meaning…of martial arts?

"Perhaps Ranma's arrival has been a blessing for Ryozanpaku," Hayato chimed in, having been hiding who knows where until then. "Miu wouldn't have had many other opportunities to grow like this, and I think he also needed a good sparring partner."

Kenichi reflected on everything once more.

Was it his fault? If he hadn't been so hesitant to fight Miu… would she have improved more? Or rather, if he…had been on her level, would she have improved more? And now…would she not need the ponytailed boy…causing them to grow closer?

Most evenings since he had recovered, Ranma didn't stay overnight at Ryozanpaku; but the few times he did, he would help Miu with dinner (causing small bouts of jealousy in Kenichi, though the Saotome heir was completely oblivious to them).
Invariably, the evenings would end in the large hall with long conversations where the masters recounted some of their past exploits to Ranma (who was very curious about them) and in turn asked the ponytailed boy to share stories from his own past (because they were very curious about him, too).
However, the heir of the Saotome school managed to avoid talking about most of the events from the past few years—Nerima, Akane, the failed wedding, and all that craziness—because he didn't feel up to it, given the recent events. Instead, he mostly shared anecdotes about battles he had fought against noteworthy opponents, without giving too much context, or about his travels and training with his father.

Yes, his father.

Ranma realized he had never given old Genma enough credit for how well he had trained him over the years (even if the methods were often questionable, if not outright criminal…). He understood this when receiving compliments from the Ryozanpaku masters. For them, training was everything.

He was also surprised to learn that Miu had led an even more adventurous life than his (at least during her childhood), traveling much of the world—Ranma had hardly ever left Japan before going on that fateful trip to China with Genma—when she was still very young, helping her grandfather…fight evil wherever they went.
Even to Ranma, this seemed like a crazy and overly risky thing, confirming what he had suspected: that at Ryozanpaku, they didn't place much value on personal safety. He didn't know what to think of that, but overall, nothing positive. Sure, he was a daredevil himself, but there's a big difference between putting yourself in danger and putting others in danger…

Besides that, he realized he hadn't spoken much with Kenichi during those first few weeks. It wasn't that the two avoided each other or anything; there just hadn't been an opportunity. After all, they trained separately, and when Ranma stayed for dinner, he was monopolized by the masters.

He did talk a lot with Miu, though, but only because they managed to chat during sparring sessions or while preparing dinner. He had come to find her quite likable and was surprised by how much they had in common.
When he returned home to his mother in the evening, he would tell her how much he enjoyed the new dojo and his training partner, and indeed, Nodoka often smiled slyly and made some strange allusions…

"Miu-chan, can I ask you something?" Ranma inquired one morning during one of their intense sparring sessions.

"Anything you want, Ranma-kun," Miu replied warmly, not missing a beat as she maintained her barrage of attacks.

"The first day, when you were consumed by the Ki of Dou...
You don't have to answer if you don't want to, but... do you remember what happens during those moments?"

Miu's expression darkened, but she only hesitated for a few seconds before responding.
"Not much, to be honest. Everything that happens becomes blurry in my mind, like a dream where you can only recall fragments...
I remember hitting Kenichi when he got in the way... an action that still haunts me... and then... not much else."

"I see."
"Thank goodness, she doesn't remember my transformation into a girl."

"Can I ask if there was a particular reason for that question?"

"Huh? Well, actually..."—he paused, realizing there was another reason—"I noticed that your primary fighting style is very similar to mine—flying kicks and all that—but that time, you were fighting in a completely different way. It was a martial art I'd never seen before, although it seemed familiar. I was wondering if there was a reason for that change."

Miu suddenly had a realization. "Oh, of course! That was Pencak Silat!"

"Silat?"

"Yes, Pencak Silat, an Indonesian martial art. It's said to have more styles and variations than Kung Fu has in China; it's an ancient martial art dedicated to the ruthless destruction of the enemy. It's specialized in fighting on difficult terrain and in the jungle, and includes both hand-to-hand combat and traditional weapons."

"I see. I've heard of it before, but I've never fought against it. Did you study it while traveling the world with your grandfather?"

Miu's mood darkened. "Well, actually... there's a long story behind it."

"Why, are you busy?" Ranma asked with a sardonic smile.

Miu managed to smile back. Ranma's straightforwardness and the absence of any judgment in his tone made it easier for her to talk about the subject.
"Well, it was about a year ago... Kenichi and I were watching a match between Master Sakaki and his greatest rival, a karateka named Akira Hongo."

"Another karateka at Sakaki's level? This is already getting interesting."

"But then... there was an incident."

Ranma's expression grew serious.

"Another martial artist interfered—an extremely cruel one. His name was Silcardo Jenazad, a master of Pencak Silat.
He made sure Kenichi got involved and hurt in the fight, and I... lost my mind. My Ki of Dou exploded for the first time. I didn't understand anything anymore.
Jenazad took advantage of my state to capture me and take me to his country."

"That's... horrific."

"Yes, and unfortunately, it didn't end there. Due to the shock, I suffered memory loss, and he... started giving me herbal potions.

He brainwashed me.
For a month, I lived with him in his home, and he taught me every principle of Silat combat.
He wanted to make me his successor.

He wanted me to become a perfect killing machine."

Ranma was shocked. He never imagined that something like that had happened to them.

He'd faced sadistic killers before, but there was something so...utterly perverse about what had been done to Miu.

Turning someone into a will-less doll, forcing them into becoming an assassin against their will. It was completely beyond the pale.

"I... I'm sorry. If I'd known, I wouldn't have asked."

"Oh, it's no problem. It's all in the past now, and after all, since you were attacked by a Miu in Ashura mode using Silat, you had the right to know."

"What happened next? Did your grandfather and the others come to rescue you?"

"Not exactly. My grandfather set out to find me, but he couldn't. The others couldn't all leave, as Ryozanpaku could have faced other threats.
Sakaki was chosen because he had experience as a bounty hunter and had traveled the world before.
Kenichi came along with him," she added, blushing slightly.

"Really? He traveled to Indonesia with Sakaki, hunting down a demon to save you?"

Wow, that guy had guts. Had he misjudged him?

"Oh, yes. Kenichi is a very generous, idealistic, and kind-hearted person. In the end, it was he who saved me."

"How? And in what way?"

"He found me, and despite the fact that I—under the potion's influence—was attacking him, he managed to talk to me and make me remember who I was. And he broke the spell, so to speak."

Wow. That guy didn't seem much like a knight in shining armor, but... hats off to him.

"I guess I need to rethink my opinion of Kenichi, then," Ranma said, still not entirely convinced.

Miu simply nodded gently.
Ranma realized that the bond between those two was quite deep. He felt a slight pang of discomfort, for whatever reason.

"And... and what happened after that?
You know, the more you talk, the more I wish that Jenazad were right here in front of us.
So I could smash his face in."

Miu smiled sadly.
"Oh, that won't be possible. He was killed in a duel by Hongo, Sakaki's rival, who wanted revenge for interrupting their match."

This story was getting more and more unbelievable.

"Wow, I have to admit, you guys live in a really dangerous world."

Sure, they hadn't faced legendary phoenixes in the mountains of China, ancient curses, or Dragon Princes capable of splitting mountains, but life at Ryozanpaku was no walk in the park either, he had to admit.

"Sometimes, yes," Miu conceded. "To wrap it up, since then, I can use the Ki of Dou intentionally in battle, but if I push it too far... well, you know. I lose control. In a way, I revert to how I was when Jenazad controlled me. And for some strange reason, when I'm in that state, I instinctively start using the martial arts he taught me."

A kind of traumatic regression.
Ranma was sure he'd heard that term from Akane while she was reading a psychology textbook to prepare for a university exam. Come to think of it, it wasn't too different from what happened to him when he transformed using the Neko Ken***.

Once he returned to normal, even he couldn't remember what had happened in that state—like when he kissed Akane.
Akane… he preferred not to think about it.

"And… when you're yourself, do you still remember the Silat moves?" the ponytailed boy asked, hoping to shake her out of her melancholy.
As they spoke, they hadn't stopped trading blows at high speed.

Miu was surprised by the question.
"Well… yes, but what's the point?"

"I mean, I noticed that many of them are unusual attacks—performed from the ground, on all fours, like animals, or wide sweeps to knock down the opponent.
A lot of those moves are firmly grounded.
But your usual fighting style—which, by the way, is very similar to mine, a really remarkable coincidence—is based on aerial combat and acrobatics, so it's the opposite: you attack from above."

Miu started to understand but let him finish.
"Basically, when you attack from midair, you're exposing yourself to counterattacks because you can't change the trajectory of your jump, especially against enemies who know you well or are on a higher level.
But if you started integrating Silat into your fighting style, alternating high and low attacks, flying kicks, and sweeps, you'd have more variety and could surprise your opponents.
Maybe you've never needed it before, but as you face stronger enemies, it'll be good to have some new tricks up your sleeve."

Miu's eyes widened. She was very surprised by this unexpected advice and by Ranma's positive attitude. She understood that he was suggesting she overcome her trauma by accepting what had happened, rather than rejecting it, and using it to her advantage.
Moreover, the technical advice was absolutely correct.

The girl gave a quick smile.
Then she crouched down and spun on the ground like lightning, aiming a sweep at Ranma that he barely avoided.

"You mean like this?"

The ponytailed boy smiled back, and they began a very different kind of fight.

From a distance, the masters noticed the change in style; thanks to their prodigious powers of intuition, they understood the purpose behind it and nodded in satisfaction.
About an hour later, that training session ended too; as always, with Miu's defeat, this time by a knife-hand strike that brushed her neck after a feint.
The girl stopped, still full of adrenaline and drenched in sweat, caught her breath, and burst into nervous laughter.
"Wow, that was fun."

"Yeah, not bad," the ponytailed boy agreed.

"You know, Ranma-kun, I have to admit, ever since I met you, I've come to understand Kenichi-san a lot better."

"And why's that?" the boy asked, puzzled by the unexpected comment.

"Because now I know what it's like to always lose in training matches! And I have to admit, it's… frustrating. I'm not used to it."

"Well, you'll just have to keep trying," he said, flashing her a sly look.

"I guess so," the girl replied with the same look.
Then the blonde took off her Gi, folded it neatly, and draped a towel over her neck. But as she walked away for her shower, she had second thoughts, stopped, and turned back to her partner, a slight blush on her cheeks.

"Ah, Ranma-kun, I… wanted to thank you."

"For what?"

"For everything," she concluded with a smile and walked away.

Glossary:

*Gi: The uniform used in Japanese martial arts like Karate and Judo, often mistakenly called "kimono," which is actually a traditional festive dress for women.

**Suite: An ancient Chinese martial arts training method that involves starting with your forearm against your opponent's, then gently pushing and executing moves, trying to anticipate movements through the tactile sensation transmitted by the skin.

***Neko Ken: The name of the "technique" Genma taught Ranma as a child, by leaving him at the mercy of dozens of ravenous cats, with cat food tied all over his body. Ranma developed an extreme phobia of cats, and when his terror reaches its peak, his mind breaks, convincing him that he's a cat, and he fights in a much wilder manner than usual.