Wild Stallion and The Mist
A Ranma Fanfiction
By Layabout Thomas
Based on the works of Rumiko Takahashi
Author's notes
It's been more than year, hasn't it? To tell you the truth, I wasn't sure that I could complete this chapter with so much going on with my life. Let's just say I have other resposibilities to take care of. Still, I'm glad I was able to finish this arc.
Anyway, props to rewind gone nuts for helping me edit this story. On to the main event!
Chapter 8: Ranma VS Kasumi - A Friendship Tested
As the colosseum crew worked on getting everything set up in the arena, the crowd were talking among themselves, excited about what was about to take place. Some were excited about the martial arts portion of the competition, seeing it as something special that could turn out to be a once in a lifetime event. Others commented on Hanako Sakura, the challenger who was taken under Chef Toshihiro Tadamichi's wing and the hope she could be at least half the chef the culinary champion emeritus was. One thing everyone who sat in the normal seats could agree on is the drama: friend vs friend and the potential that when all this was over, things would never be the same between the two. A high stakes culinary competition with bragging rights and friendship on the line. To the crowd, Chairwoman Hikawa has once again delivered something special and couldn't wait for the competition to begin.
On the other hand, there was tension in the VIP section of the colosseum. When the crew had lowered a giant led screen and started to broadcast a live feed from inside the Culinary Market, The Tendos, the Kuno siblings and Genma Saotome couldn't keep their eyes on what was happening. They saw Kasumi speaking with the three Culinary Champions who will be assisting her in the match and Ranma was seemingly deep in thought. Soun and Genma, who had a vested interest in Ranma and Kasumi's union, couldn't help but worry that this whole thing could derail their plans. Nabiki could only look on with a more analytical eye, figuring out who had better odds at winning such a unique match. Akane could only stare at Kasumi with worry, knowing that her big sister was on dangerous ground. As for the Kuno's, Tatewaki had his arms folded, eyes on Ranma, and wondered what his rival must be thinking while Kodachi was unsuccessfully trying to contain her mirth, fully confident that everything was falling into place.
Noticing Kodachi's good mood, Tatewaki enquired, "Sister…though I make it clear that I don't want to meddle in your affairs, my curiosity of what you have planned has been piqued. I think some enlightenment is an order."
"Oh, brother dear," Kodachi sighed with a contented smile. "I admit that what I and my aunt Amane have concocted was something I was barely able to keep to myself. To watch it unfold before me…ooh, that feeling of accomplishment…so close to victory no matter what happens…to see a pitiful rival's eventual defeat-"
"Out with it, Kodachi Kuno!" shouted Akane, scowling at Kodachi. "Just what the hell is your big plan, huh!? My sister could get hurt in all this and I-"
"Oh, retract those fangs of yours, little beast," Kodachi responded mockingly. "After what that…that poor excuse of a woman did to me, I called on my aunt to see if she could help me with my plan. I knew dear "Hanako" couldn't refuse a challenge to something so unique and I even had a hand in ironing the contract she signed. Plus…I added a little reward that she couldn't possibly refuse."
"And just what is this reward, Ms. Kuno?" Genma asked curiously. "What could the b…what could Hanako want so badly that she would go through a challenge like this?"
"That…is only privy to me and Hanako," said Kodachi, her expression slowly turning to disgust as she turned her attention towards Kasumi on the monitor. "And apparently, that…that wretched woman also knows. No matter. If Hanako wins, then the reward is hers…and her loyalty will be mine since she will be so grateful, she'll abandon Kasumi for me. If she loses, then she'll blame Kasumi for getting in the way and she'll have no choice then to come to me for the reward, which I will gladly give…for an acceptable price."
"You're fucking crazy!" Akane shouted angrily, getting the attention of some of the attendees nearby. "Listen, I don't care what you want to do with…Hanako! My sister didn't deserve to get roped into your scheme! She's been like a mother to me and if any harm comes to her, I'll make sure the other half of your face gets caved in!"
"Such savage words, Akane Tendo. But it doesn't matter what you say or what you threaten me with. It doesn't change the fact that your dear, big sister is a fraud who preys on the young with that fake angelic face of hers!"
"Take that back, you pampered bitch!"
As Akane cracked her knuckles and was stomping towards Kodachi, she was immediately held back by her father. She struggled to break free from his hold, growling as she saw Kodachi's smile grow to a sadistic smirk, which further infuriated the Tendo heiress. Akane really wanted to exact revenge on Kodachi for putting Kasumi into this situation, wanting to put her in her place.
"Akane, cease this at once!" Soun ordered.
"But dad!" Akane argued, struggling.
"You have every right to be angry, daughter," Soun said. "Kasumi and her friend have become unwilling pawns in this, but do not embarrass yourself or the Tendo family by playing into Kodachi's hands! All we can hope for is a positive outcome and we can put this all behind us!"
It took all of Akane's self control to not lash out at Kodachi, who was still wearing that infuriating smirk on her face. She sat down and looked away, trying to calm down as no doubt that her outburst had already caused a scene. As for Kodachi, she stuck her nose up as she sat back down.
"Brother…if you are to wed that girl, might I suggest a leash as a present?" Kodachi suggested.
"Do not test me, sister," warned Tatewaki.
Though she had the confidence to win this unusual matchup, it still felt very surreal to Ranma. As she held the shopping cart and looked on to the Culinary Market, she still couldn't believe that all she had to do to be whole again was to defeat Kasumi in a culinary martial arts battle. Not only that, but Kasumi was being assisted by the Culinary Champions themselves who just happen to be martial artists themselves. Ranma looked to the side and saw that Kasumi was also holding on to a shopping cart and discussing strategy with the three Culinary Champions. Also, there was Amane, still dressed in her detective outfit, holding a microphone while a cameraman stood in front of her holding the camera in place. Even though Ranma didn't want to believe it, she was facing her friend in battle and couldn't help that something like this shouldn't be happening, but it was.
'I can't let this get to me,' thought Ranma as she faced the direction towards the market proper. 'I know what's on the line and I can't let this bother me. I have to do it…get through my best friend to be a full man again. Kodachi…somehow, some way…"
As the cameraman gave the signal, Amane spoke into the microphone, her attention on the camera, "Ladies and Gentlemen…welcome to round one of this Special Culinary Combat event. As mentioned before, the combatants will have thirty minutes to gather their ingredients. It is here that we will see a truly unique contest: a show of martial arts! We will see our competitors punch, grab, kick and anything else in between while gathering what they need to cook up a legendary feast.
"Since I don't want to deny you, the audience, of missing any of this spectacle, several cameras have been placed in various parts of the market. You will not miss a thing in this contest, I can promise you that. Now then…"
Amane walked towards the competitors, getting in front of them. The three Culinary champions took their positions, getting ready to make a dash towards the market. As for Kasumi, she gripped the handle of the shopping cart and glanced at Ranma briefly, who looked more determined than ever.
'It would be so easy to let him win, but…' Kasumi thought as she faced forward. 'To think that I am the only one standing in his way of what he wants. That Ranma wants me to give it my all…oh, Ranma.'
"I want this to be a joyful and entertaining battle," Amane addressed Ranma, Kasumi and the Culinary Champions. "Hanako Sakura…Kasumi Tendo…you are friends outside these walls, but here, you are competitors. Do not deny us a great battle and a legendary feast."
"I don't lose," Ranma said, confident.
"Neither will we, red," Chef Ben said with equal confidence.
"I'll do my best," Kasumi said.
"Alright then,"Amane said as she raised her hand up. "As I said many times before, chefs…break a dish boys and girls! A la guerre, chefs!"
Without a second thought, Ranma dashed into the market at high speed. Holding on to the shopping cart, Ranma eyed each of the market's ingredients to see what he truly needed. One thing she remembered from her training is that she needed to have her menu thought out in advance. Some time before arriving at the colosseum, Ranma thought of an overall theme for her menu: street/road food. For as far he could remember, she and her father never really settled down in one place and whatever food they ate, it was either bought at food stalls, fast food places or when out in the wilderness, hunted or foraged. Ranma thought of all the food she had eaten on the road over the years and hoped that she could prepare them as good as the cooks that had prepared them.
Ranma had only experienced a real home cooked meal when she started living at the Tendos with Kasumi outdoing herself each time she cooked. Thinking of her fiance made her wonder what she was up to, but she shook her head. She had to concentrate on her work and not concern herself with other things. She was determined to see this through to the end.
As for Kasumi, she was also busy collecting ingredients for her dishes. The three culinary champions were helping her out in this as they have spread themselves throughout the market. One thing she made clear to the other chefs is that she wanted to concentrate on home cooked meals, which they were reluctant to do, though they eventually agreed to her terms as long as they could make it an international affair. As she grabbed her ingredients, Kasumi thought of how all this came to be, why Kodachi's scheme would succeed no matter what happens and Ranma's declaration to her before accepting the match. She had only hoped that everything would turn out for the best afterwards.
One thing that bothered Kasumi was the nature of the match she was in. It involved martial arts and the Culinary Champions were martial artists themselves. She began to dread what would happen and hoped Ranma would be alright.
'So much is on the line for Ranma,' Kasumi thought worriedly. 'I could just throw the match and...no. Ranma wanted to earn this victory and I will not dishonor that!'
Back with Ranma, she was currently in the produce section, tossing fruits and vegetables inside the cart. With ease, she selected what she needed for her dishes, often showing off when she tossed each item from a long distance like a basketball player. Time wasn't on her side, and Ranma only had less than half an hour to get her ingredients or risk missing out on something she could use.
As Ranma was about to leave the produce section, she saw that Chef Ben had gotten in her way. She frowned at him, remembering how much he behaved like he was all that and it infuriated her that he just stood there with his arms crossed and a confident smirk on his face.
"Going my way, red?" asked Chef Ben.
"Move or I go through you, letch!" shouted Ranma.
In an instant, Chef Ben grabbed the cart with one hand and threw it straight into the air, taking an astonished Ranma along with it.
"She's all yours, Ken!" Chef Ben shouted.
Though she held onto the cart's handle tightly, it wasn't enough for the astonished Ranma to hold on as she saw Chef Ken coming, shooting straight at her like a comet and kicking her in the stomach and making her let go of the cart and losing everything she had gathered up to that point. Seconds later, Ranma crash landed into the pastry section, wrecking the boxes of cakes and pies. With a groan, she got up slowly and saw that Chef Ken was only a few feet away, twirling chopsticks on each hand with a confident look on his face.
"Cheap shot, Ken!" shouted Ranma.
"You are in a battle of taste and toughness, girl," Chef Ken reminded Ranma as he got into a fighting pose. "Now, I shall show you something a Chinese prince taught me in my many culinary travels!"
"I didn't think royalty was still a thing in China," Ranma commented as she got into a fighting pose. "But bring it on!"
Chef Ken obliged and took off like a rocket, dashing towards Ranma and attacking her with his chopsticks. The Chinese chef's attacks were fast and furious, though the red headed martial artist dodged with a speed that surprised him. Even the girl's defense was top notch, though his strikes were nicking the uniform and he almost landed a roundhouse kick to the head. It was clear to him that his opponent was a fighter through and through, but kept up his relentless attack.
"Indeed, you are a talented fighter, Hanako Sakura," Chef Ken complimented. "But your defense will falter and you can't dodge me forever!"
'I can't waste my time on this guy!' Ranma thought frantically. 'I gotta get back to my cart before it's too late!'
Ranma instantly dodged a strike and grabbed hold of Chef Ken and threw him across the market. She was about to make her way back to the cart when she received a sucker punch to the face and felt more strikes to chest and abdomen. Ranma felt two hands grab the back of her head and a knee strike to the chin, sending her to the floor. Finding her wits, Ranma was able to dodge a stomp and managed to get some distance from her attacker. She shook her head and saw that Chef Yutaka was the culprit. Ranma growled as she got into a fighting stance.
"I'm sensing a pattern here with you chefs!" Ranma shouted.
"Mon ami, this is anything goes," said Chef Yutaka. "Which means I have to ensure that Kasumi Tendo gets her ingredients and that by any means necessary, you won't get yours."
"I'll admit you strike hard," Ranma seethed before dashing towards Chef Yutaka. "But I strike fast so get ready!"
Ranma indeed started to strike fast, but to her surprise, Chef Yutaka was taking all her strikes. The French chef stood firm as he blocked all her punches and kicks, never letting up and never exposing any openings to his defense. Ranma was getting frustrated as she wasn't getting through to Chef Yutaka's defense and every time she thought there was an opening, the chef just blocked it. It got to the point where Ranma was just wildly throwing every attack she could think of, but to no avail. Eventually, Chef Yutaka grabbed Ranma's arm and threw her over a few feet from him. Ranma didn't have time to react when she was caught instantly by Chef Ben in a bear hug. The martial artist felt the chef hold her tightly and she started to scream. Ranma struggled to get out of the move, but Chef Ben's hold on her began to to tighten so much as she felt herself running out of air.
'Got to…oh, geez, that hurts!' thought Ranma painfully as she tried to free herself from the bear hug. 'If I can't get out of this, I'll lose…'
Ranma's thoughts were interrupted when he heard Chef Ben sigh. Confused, the red head looked down and saw that the chef's face was buried into her ample bosom. Humiliation and anger coursed through Ranma's body as she scowled and growled. She drove her elbow into Chef Ben's head, making him let go of the bear hug. Ranma didn't stop there as she kicked the chef straight up, then launched herself upward and delivered another kick that sent Chef Ben into the produce section. She landed on her feet, though her angry expression never left her face.
"Serves you right, pervert," growled Ranma.
"10 minutes have elapsed!" the PA system announced.
'Shit, I gotta get back on track!' thought Ranma as she searched for her cart. 'As much as I want to take those chefs out, I need to get my stuff together!'
Unfortunately for Ranma, she spotted the three chefs approaching slowly from different directions. Her mind was going into overdrive as she was trying to strategize and prioritize on what to do next. Time was flying and she needed to get to her cart and gather the rest of the ingredients.
'Wonderful,' Ranma thought sarcastically. 'These three won't let up!'
All the while, Kasumi was dashing through the aisles of the Culinary Market. She could hear the sounds of battle and her concern for Ranma grew to the point that it almost clouded her judgment as she looked for her ingredients. Before this part of the contest began, she instructed the other chefs to collect their part of their ingredients while she collected her part. Though she was experienced in shopping in markets, Kasumi was now working against the clock and had to hurry to get her ingredients. She was used to going at her own pace, but she found herself running and was breathing heavily, sweating. For her, it had been a while since she had exercised normally, but she couldn't stop.
'This is so tiring,' Kasumi thought as she looked for more ingredients. 'Picking the right ingredients for a healthy and tasty meal really shouldn't be like this. I hope Ranma is faring well with all this. She wanted to win this fair and square, but I can't stop but think that-'
Kasumi's thoughts were interrupted when she saw Chef Ken and Chef Yutaka crash into the aisle. She gasped at this and surmised that the battle was getting more intense. She was able to get a glimpse of Ranma running towards the opposite direction from where the two chefs had landed and it reminded her that this was still a contest and she needed to do her part.
Chef Ken and Chef Yutaka managed to get up and spotted Kasumi. They smiled and saw that her cart was filled with the things she needed and went toward her. They proceeded to deposit their part of the ingredients.
"She's one tough cookie, that friend of yours, mademoiselle," said Chef Yutaka with a smile. "To tell the truth, I haven't enjoyed myself this much in a culinary battle in years."
"That Hanako…she's quite spirited," Chef Ken nodded. "I wonder how much she would fare against the women in my old home."
Another crash interrupted them and they saw that Chef Ben was embedded into the wall and seconds later, he plopped to the floor. He instantly got up and started laughing with his hands on his hips.
"Man, can that girl really dish it out!" Chef Ben said heartily. "Makes me wish I pursued the martial arts a bit more! C'mon, troops! We still have a match to win and I don't intend to make it easier on Hanako no matter how hot and busty she is!"
As Chef Ben rushed back into the fray. Chef Ken and Chef Yutaka sighed and rushed after him, all while giving Kasumi an apologetic look.
Kasumi sighed as she continued on, her hands gripping the handle on the cart as she rushed through the aisles. As she heard the battle between Ranma and the chefs rage on, her heart went out to her friend while also promising to give her the match she wanted. Kasumi remembered what Ranma had said earlier, how much her friendship meant to her and how much she wanted to earn this victory. Only she and Ranma knew what was really on the line and hoped that after this was over, they could still be friends.
"15 minutes to go!" announced the PA system.
"Alright, there's the cart!" Ranma said cheerfully. Her expression changed to incredulity when she saw that wheels on the cart were damaged. "Can't anything go my way!?"
"We ain't done, red!" shouted Chef Ben as he and Chef Ken and Chef Yutaka were running towards Ranma. "How about we get to know each other a bit more!?"
"Know this, you pervert!" Ranma shouted back as she threw an apple that beaned Chef Ben on the forehead, knocking him down. She then spotted Chef Yutaka and Chef Ken and threw various fruits at them. "Fresh fruit for all, come and get it!"
"Fille rousse, it will be you who-" Chef Yutaka started to declare, but was hit in the gut by a jackfruit and then beaned on the head with a melon.
"Throw all the fruit you want, but you won't penetrate through my defenses!" shouted Chef Ken as he used his chopsticks to block the fruit thrown by Ranma.
"How about this one!?" Ranma shouted as she threw a large watermelon at Chef Ken.
Chef Ken stood in position and used both sets of chopsticks to grab hold of the watermelon over his head. His grin grew widely, taking pride in what he had done.
"Too easy, you-" Chef Yutaka was cut off when he felt a fist to his stomach and an uppercut to his chin, making him fly off his feet and onto his back. Before he could recover, the watermelon fell on his head, knocking him down.
Seeing what she did wasn't going to hold off the chefs for too long, Ranma ran towards the damaged cart. Not wasting any time, she was able to forcefully remove the wheels and in an instant, lifted the cart over her head and made a break for it. Remembering what she needed to get, Ranma started dashing through the aisles as she collected the ingredients.
Though she had a tough time picking up the technique she had needed to learn before this night, Ranma knew that using her speed to separate herself from her opponents as well as fending them off was key in this particular battle. That and she needed to be in top condition for what was to come afterwards.
"10 minutes to go!" announced the PA system.
Unfortunately, with her hands occupied with holding the cart, Ranma only had her legs as her only means of defense and was using them to the limit to fend off the chefs. As time went by, said chefs were becoming more relentless in their attacks and even trying to knock off the cart from her hands. Ranma was having a tough time prioritizing what to do, but knew in the back of her mind that adapting to crazy situations was the foundation of the Saotome School of Anything Goes Martial Arts. She also knew that if she messed this part of the competition up, her father wouldn't let her hear the end of it.
All the while, Kasumi returned to the starting point with a cart full of what she needed. She had extra help from the other chefs, though she felt winded with all the running she had to do. For her, it had been a long time since she had fully devoted herself to exercise and felt like she needed to catch her breath. She then checked over what she had in her cart and was satisfied that she had what she needed for the next round.
"5 minutes to go!" announced the PA system.
Kasumi didn't have time to gather her thoughts when she saw the fight spill out into the center of the market. Ranma was holding the cart over her head filled with groceries and the chefs just kept attacking. She could see the determination in the girl's eyes and she could swear that she was daring the chefs to attack her. As for the chefs themselves, they seemed more determined to take Ranma down. Sometimes Ranma countered their attacks, sometimes she would dodge them. Kasumi couldn't help but feel amazed at what Ranma was doing as a smile slowly formed on her lips.
It was here that Amane made her presence known as she stood next to Kasumi and said with a low tone, "Good…no great stuff here, huh? I can't help but smile, either."
"30 seconds to go!" announce the PA system once again.
"Young lady, you can't keep this up forever!" Chef Ken said as he attacked.
"I didn't train my whole life just to lose to a bunch of chefs!" shouted Ranma.
"I'll admit, you are a worthy one, mon cher," complimented Chef Yutaka as he threw more punches towards Ranma. "I'm most curious as to what you bring next."
"You got me hot all over, girl," Chef Ben said with a lecherous smile. "We got a few seconds to kill, so how about you give me something we can really remember this fight by!"
"You asked for it, buster!" Ranma responded.
Ranma then surprised the chefs by throwing the cart up into the air, distracting them. She started to concentrate and got into a fighting position, closing her eyes. Time seemed to slow down a bit as Ranma glanced at each of her opponents. While this wasn't a kitchen, she figured now was as good a time as any to show off the technique she learned the day before.
Opening her eyes, Ranma shouted, "Kitchen Squad…Triple attack!"
Suddenly, Ranma split herself into three and instantly attacked the chefs, landing a hard blow on each instantly. The three chefs were stunned by this and then they fell to the ground unconscious. Ranma then held her hands up again and caught the cart, amazing both Kasumi and Amane.
"3…2…1…times up!" announce the PA system.
"Well done, Hanako Sakura," said Amane, clapping her hands gleefully." You really gave me…us…a great show. You truly have set the bar as far as martial arts are concerned."
"I'd say you better get some smelling salts for your chefs, Ms. Amane," Ranma pointed out.
"Indeed," nodded Amane, who picked up her microphone and directed her attention towards the camera. "Cooking fans, you are witnesses to history! What a great display of martial arts warfare by our chefs and our challenger! Truly a great display of anything goes! A knock down, drag out clawing and grabbing fight to the finish! Let's give a round of applause!"
At the colosseum, the crowd were indeed giving the competitors a round of applause. Cheers and whistles could also be heard as well as people talking to each other about what they have witnessed on the big screen. It was truly a unique spectacle for a cooking competition with the competitors gathering their ingredients while also showing off their martial skills.
In the VIP seats, there were other other reactions. Genma had his arms folded with an even expression. Soun expression was that of pride, though clearly he was relieved that nothing happened to her oldest daughter. Akane had a look of envy, remembering the skills Ranma displayed as well as showing a new technique. Nabiki gave an approving clap, slightly impressed at what she just saw. Tatewaki had a contemplating look with his eyes shut and Kodachi was barely suppressing her glee as she fanned herself.
"I gotta hand it to you, boy," Genma started. "You brought something that will take our school to new heights. Truly we will benefit from this technique."
"Truly remarkable…a move where one can be everywhere at once," Soun said in awe. Instantly, though, he started to bawl. "Why!? My precious daughter is in the middle of a war zone like that! She could have been hurt! I don't know what to feel! She's so brave to be out there, but still…"
"I guess I should take the good with the bad I supposed," muttered Kodachi, squinting at the screen, frowning. "I would have loved it if she broke a finger at least."
"I'm really starting to hate you," Akane growled at Kodachi, scowling.
"Perhaps I should rethink my training regimen," Tatewaki said.
"Attention, attention!" Amane announced, addressing the audience through the big screen. "Now that the first round has come to a close, we shall make preparations for the all important cooking round. As much as we appreciate the martial arts spectacle, we have to remember that taste is what matters in the end. So get ready because the real fight will begin soon!"
Ranma sat at one of the benches in the challengers locker room, rubbing her head, deep in thought. While she did feel at home in taking on those chefs in a martial arts competition and using his newly acquired technique, Ranma knew that she was now in the chefs playing field where they truly excelled at. She gave them credit that they were above amateurs when it came to the martial arts and weren't above getting their hands dirty (though it really annoyed her that Chef Ben used his bear hug just to get up close to her boobs). In those last few seconds of the round, Ranma felt that she needed to give them a message that she wasn't playing around and will use the Kitchen Squad technique to the fullest if necessary.
Standing behind Ranma was Chef Toshihiro, who had decided to remain in the locker room during the first round, content with watching the proceedings through closed circuit television in the office. Though he appeared stoic, he was internally amazed at what the young girl had accomplished. She had used his technique flawlessly and instantly to defeat his fellow chefs, but wondered if she could use it for longer periods of time as he did in the past.
Clearing his throat, Chef Toshihiro spoke, "I have to say that you did well out there, Hanako Sakura. You truly are a credit to the martial arts world and seeing how you used my technique…and you say that you just learned the day before?"
"I'm just that good, Chef," Ranma boasted as she rose from the bench and faced Chef Toshihiro. "I didn't train all those years ago just to lose to a bunch of part timers…though I'll admit they gave it to me good out there."
"And those three chefs…as well as your friend, will no doubt give it their all in the next round," Chef Toshiro reminded. "You will be competing on their terms now and I have to wonder about your culinary strategy."
"Hey, I'm ready," Ranma said with determination. "There's a lot riding on this. I'm so close to…I just have to win."
"Very well," Chef Toshihiro nodded.
The Culinary Champions locker room was, to say the least, much different than that of a standard locker room. Though much smaller than that of the standards of professional team sports, the locker room was very modernized, with big screen televisions, a few refrigerators for soft drinks and energy drinks and vending machines full of snacks, the Culinary champions logo on the floor, and of course, lockers, for the four culinary champions (though one was empty) as well as comfortable benches and other lockers reserved for the sous chefs. It was a pretty complete locker room with many amenities.
Currently, the Culinary Champions were being tended to by nurses for the injuries they sustained from the first round. They sat at their individual benches, groaning as they still felt the sting of their opponents' attacks and were also sporting a few bruises. Chef Ben was even looking at himself with a mirror in hand, checking if he had any missing teeth. Chef Ken was rubbing his head and Chef Yutaka was wiping his nose of any blood stains. Still, the Culinary Champions looked determined as ever.
"I have to talk to my mother about Sakura after this," Chef Ken said as his face was being patched up. "She really is something and could really be a good addition to the Amazon tribe."
"I hear that," Chef Ben agreed. "I mean, if all those stories about amazon women are true, that is. I would really love to visit that village some day."
"There are some things in foreign culture that I don't want to expose them to, Chef Ben," Chef Ken said, rolling his eyes up. "Most of them already have a low opinion of men and I don't think you would help on that front."
"Their loss, my friend," scoffed Chef Ben.
"Mes amis, I think we are missing the picture here," Chef Yutaka reminded them. "Hanako Sakura possesses our former colleague's technique. She showed it in those last seconds of the first round and no doubt she will use it to the limit. If she can use it half as well as Chef Toshihiro…"
"Then we'll be ready for it," Chef Ben responded confidently. He then turned his attention towards Kasumi, who was standing a few feet away and writing notes. "Kasumi, are you sure you want us to go with this strategy? Just letting you know that Sakura's is on our turf now. We know how to handle it."
Kasumi turned her attention towards Chef Ben and said, "I pretty much know what my friend will offer, given what she did when she mastered the kitchen squad technique. I'll give you any instructions if needed."
"Sounds fair," Chef Ben responded with a nod.
"And another thing…" Kasumi trailed off when she approached Chef Ben. With a scowl, she slapped the chef across the face, shocking him. "I saw what you did back there in the first round and I won't have you do that to my friend! Shame on you! As for the rest of you, I'll see you outside when you're done being patched up!"
With that, Kasumi left, slamming the door on her way out, leaving three very shocked chefs and nurses behind.
"You know, if she weren't otherwise attached…," Chef Ben trailed off with a smile.
"Mon dieu," groaned Chef Yutaka.
"Will you stop?" Chef Ken said exasperated.
Some minutes later at the arena, the trumpets blared and out came Amane, a microphone in hand as she waved to the crowd that clapped and cheered. This put a smile on her face as she felt that this whole event was quite the success. Though she was primarily a businesswoman, she felt that being an entertainer was something she really embraced as she took in the cheers of the crowd. She then motioned the crowd to settle down as she prepared to speak.
"People of the colosseum…how was that for an appetizer!?" Amane spoke, getting a positive response from the crowd. "Oh, yes, what a first act! You've seen our chefs like you've never seen them before! And Hanako Sakura…truly she took Chef Toshihiro's lessons to heart as she now knows his technique! But now we get to what matters most here: creating great taste! But before we do, our roving reporters caught up with the stars of tonight! Here's what they have to say!"
When the crowd's attention turned to the big screen, the feed cut to Ranma and Chef Toshihiro standing outside the locker room with a female reporter, microphone in hand.
"Thank you, Councilwoman Hikawa," said the woman with the microphone. "I'm Aki Ami with Former Culinary Champion Toshihiro Tadamichi along with his protege, Hanako Sakura. I must say, Chef Toshihiro, that it was quite a show Hanako put on and how she showed off the technique you invented. You must be very proud."
"I will agree that Hanako's skills in the martial arts came through in part one of this contest," said Chef Toshihiro. "She mastered my technique and gained what she needed to gain in the first round. My former colleagues will have their hands full, I'll tell you that much."
Turning her attention to Ranma, Aki asked, "Hanako Sakura…how did it feel when you pulled off the kitchen squad attack, even if it was brief?"
"Like no other technique I've ever learned before," said Ranma in response. "It was a rush feeling like I was everywhere at once."
'And your strategy for the second round?" asked Aki.
"I was raised mostly on the road, so…a taste of the road it is," Ranma responded. She then turned her attention straight towards the camera with a serious face and said. "On a separate note…Kodachi…I don't know what you're trying to pull by pulling Kasumi into this…but it won't work! I'm winning this and you better honor your end of this deal!"
At the VIP seats, the Tendo's and Tatewaki turned their attention towards Kodachi, who had an eyebrow raised as well as a smile.
"Such ferocity…truly such a wild one worthy of my attention," sighed Kodachi.
The television feed then cuts to Kasumi along with the Culinary Champions, accompanied by a male reporter.
"Kenji Kaito here with Kasumi Tendo and our Culinary Champions," the male reporter started off as he walked towards Chef Ben. "Truly it was a unique experience for you, Chef Ben and all of your fellow champions out there."
"Hey, I love me a good scrap, especially with a woman," Chef Ben said with a smirk, earning a groan from the other chefs. "But…even though Hanako Sakura has that technique in hand, it won't do her much good if she doesn't brings the heat on our turf. Kasumi has a strategy and I'm going to help her see it through."
Kenji then turned his attention to Chef Ken, "Chef Ken…what would be your opinion on Hanako Sakura?"
"She's the best fighter I've ever seen and with that technique in hand, it will be tough to face her in the second round," responded Chef Ken. "But I have a reputation to uphold as a Culinary Champion and I will not fold in this match."
"And Chef Yutaka," said Kenji as he turned his attention to the French chef. "I have to say that was a brutal attack you unleashed on Hanako Sakura. You were going all out."
"I compete to win, mon ami," said Chef Yutaka with confidence. "I had to let Hanako know that me and my fellow champions are serious when it comes to competition. Make no mistake, Kenji…we will show our might in the second round."
"And finally…Kasumi Tendo," Kenji turned his attention toward the eldest Tendo daughter. "Truly this has been a turbulent experience, being an impromptu participant in this match. You were practically in a war zone in the first round."
With a sigh, Kasumi responded, "Yes…it was. Trust me when I say that I never entertained the thought of putting myself in a predicament such as this. But I promised Hanako that I would give my all in this match and I will. I just hope that we can still be friends after this."
"And your strategy for this round?" asked Kenji.
"Let's just say it has something to do with coming home after a hard day's work," Kasumi responded.
After the television goes blank, Amane calls attention to the crowd, "Let's not keep you waiting, ladies and gentleman! Introducing, first…accompanied by Honorary Culinary Champion Toshihiro Tadamichi…representing the Saotome School of Anything Goes Martial Arts…Hanako Sakura!"
As the trumpets blared, Chef Toshiro emerged from the door, leading Ranma in. Though the crowd erupted into cheers, both paid no mind as they made their way to the left side of the arena, stopping at their station. Ranma heard a whistle and turned her attention towards Kodachi, who winked at him. She groaned at this and turned her head away.
"And now," announced Amane. "Representing the Tendo Household…a true happy little homemaker in the making ... .teaming up with your Culinary Champions…Ben Yamaguchi…Ken Chang and Yutaka Rochelle…this...is…Kasumi Tendo!"
The trumpets blared once again as the three Culinary Champions entered the arena, leading Kasumi in. The three chefs were taking in the cheers, waving as they went. As for Kasumi, she walked calmly as she could, though she couldn't help but stare at a sneering Kodachi. She had wanted to give her a scowl, but thought better of it as she and the other chefs made their way to the right side to their station.
When the crowd settled down, Amane made her way to the altar. She then turned her attention to the crowd and addressed, "Tonight is a very special night. We are making history in the Culinary Coliseum and I have to give much thought to our themed ingredient. Much like Hanako's style of fighting, our ingredient has to be versatile but that could be a lot of ingredients. But I finally landed on something suited for this event…but I have a twist in mind. Our secret ingredient is…"
Amane pulled the cloth from the altar and revealed several baskets of tomatoes, everyone of them pristine and without a blemish.
"Tomatoes!" announced Amane to the curious crowd. "But…as I said, this comes with a twist! The secret ingredient…will NOT be used for any dish, but for ammunition! Yes, ladies and gentleman! As your chefs prepare their dishes, we will also have an old-fashioned food fight!"
The crowd gasped at this, though Amane took it in stride.
Amane continued, "Ladies and gentleman, I promised you a fine night for all! Many thrills and definitely many, many spills! So now…"
The crowd went silent as Ranma stared at her opponents as Chef Toshihiro left the arena. There was tension on both sides as they got ready.
"Hanako Sakura…Kasumi Tendo…my Culinary Champions," Amane addressed the competitors. "There are three things we hold true in this institute: Honor…Glory…but most of all…taste."
"I'm ready!" Ranma shouted.
"So am I!" Kasumi responded.
"For the honor of the Institute!" shouted the Culinary Champions.
Finally, Amane yelled out, "Break a dish, boys and girls! À la guerre, chefs!"
With that announcement, the contest began as Amane left the arena. Both sides have begun organizing their side of the kitchen as fast as they could. On the Culinary Champions side, the three champions gathered the ingredients Kasumi collected while also getting the equipment they needed. Ranma, the lone participant on the challengers side, did the same as she used her speed to collect everything she needed. Both sides knew what they needed to cook in their minds and didn't want to waste any time.
On the Champions side, Kasumi and the three champions began their tasks. Chef Ben was busy making dough from scratch, Chef Ken was cutting green beans and Chef Yutaka was preparing a pastry crust. As for Kasumi, she was boiling water to start and also cutting some vegetables as well. Earlier on, Kasumi discussed her strategy with the other chefs to solely concentrate on home cooked comfort food as that was what she knew and reminded them that things shouldn't be too fancy. She had even given recipes to each chef and instructed them to follow them to the letter. What surprised the chefs was how strict Kasumi was about it and they did what they were told, most especially to Chef Ben as she instructed him to concentrate on work and less play.
On the challengers side, Ranma wasted no time in using the kitchen squad technique and against his better judgment, used theatrics though she used various martial arts poses when she split into three. The speed technique did require concentration as she learned the night before and since this was a one hour time limit match, had to maintain it for that hour if she was to complete her dishes. Ranma had already had in mind what she wanted to prepare during her training and had decided to prepare different kinds of street food. She didn't just want to limit herself to Japanese street food as she had remembered sampling street foods from China and even had some American style foods during her travels. Ranma and her father had always been on the road and street food was what they ate most of the time when they weren't roughing it.
In the VIP section, The Tendo Family, Genma and the Kuno siblings watched with various degrees of interest and amazement. Soun couldn't help but try to keep up with Ranma's speed as the Saotome heir moved about her side of the arena and made it look like she was in different places at once. Genma was looking on with pride while Akane and Kuno had no choice but to be amazed, begrudgingly giving Ranma her due. Nabiki still looked on analytically and Kodachi had this gushing look on her face as she Ranma became a one person kitchen army.
"You see that, Soun old buddy?" Genma said as he pointed to Ranma. "That's what my son brings to this union. I hate to say it, but I think this contest is in the bag. Advantage Saotome!"
"Now you listen here, Genma," Soun objected. "My little girl has about as much chance to win this match! She's a master of the house when it comes to cooking and may I remind you she has three master chefs backing her up! If anything, your son has his work cut out for him!"
"Oh, confident, eh?" smirked Genma. "How's about this, my friend: your daughter wins, then my son takes your family name when he marries Kasumi. If…no…when my son wins, then your daughter becomes a Saotome. I mean, if it's too rich for your blood…"
"It's a bet!" shouted Soun with determination.
"Real mature, guys," Nabiki said sarcastically.
"Honestly," Akane concurred before giving her attention back to the match. "Still, I have to admit that Ranma is handling herself well out there. But look at Kasumi directing those chefs and taking charge. It's like when she was in charge of doing that diner theme restaurant at the school fair last year where she cooked up those dishes. She's showing real passion here."
"I will admit that Saotome will be…problematic when the time comes when we cross paths again," Tatewaki admitted as he watched Ranma navigate the kitchen. He then turned his attention toward Kasumi and the Culinary champions. "I must say, however, that the true challenge is indeed the taste. Kasumi Tendo has an advantage with those chefs involved and if what you say about her is true, Akane Tendo, then she will be tough to beat."
"Oh, yes, a true culinary queen," Kodachi said in mocking praise. "What can't the great and powerful Kasumi do? She's such a…ugh! Boo I say! Hiss! A pox on that fraud! Why for a copper coin, I'll-"
"Dear sister, your jealousy is showing," Tatewaki interrupted, chuckling.
"As usual, you are deluded, brother," scoffed Kodachi. "What could that…that common…ill suited…facade of a proper woman have compared to a woman of my breeding? Riches, power and the respect of my peers at St. Hebereke school. These are things I have and more, brother. Kasumi has nothing and she is nothing!"
"Oh, but she does have something…or someone you want," Tatewaki pointed out with a smirk.
Kodachi scowled at Tatewaki's direction, but decided against retaliation and concentrated on watching the match.
"15 minutes have elapsed!" the announcer said over the PA system.
Ranma kept concentrating on literally spreading herself around to accomplish what needed to be done. Chef Toshihiro had advised her to use the Kitchen Squad technique to a minimum Triple Attack as to not exhaust herself. Though Ranma bragged about being young and said could spread herself to infinity, she limited herself as advised, thinking she didn't need to spread out too much in this contest and wanted to concentrate on her dishes. Still, she found it amazing that she could do so much at once. She could be battering her okonomiyaki mix while also making her own batch of ice cream. Ranma even made her own bread buns for her own take on the Roujiamo. She did have to look up various french recipes from the book that Amane had given to Kasumi, but had settled on a simple baguette sandwich with his own twist. She found herself blending different styles of cooking and Ranma found herself really enjoying how the match was going.
Kasumi was concentrating on her stew pot as she was mixing various ingredients. Though she normally handled kitchen duties by herself at home, Kasumi got used to working with a staff the past few days and in this contest, she found herself leading the charge with three experienced and well renowned chefs. Because of this, she had final say on how things were going to go since she set the theme for this contest, even though they had reservations on it. As she tasted the broth of the stew, Kasumi shook her head, unsatisfied with the taste and added a bit more spices to the mix. She wiped sweat from her and sighed, noting how much a cooking competition differed from cooking at home.
"Hey, Ms. Tendo!" called out Chef Ben as he came over with three types of pie fillings on a plate. "Just wanted to get your opinion on some of these pie fillings! It'll knock your socks off!"
Kasumi took a spoon and tasted each one. After sampling them, she said, "I like the apple filling, but keep working on the cherry and berry filling! And make sure the crust isn't too thick!"
"Aye, aye!" Chef Ben saluted as he went back to work.
"Ms. Tendo, I'm mixing the quiche ingredients!" called out Chef Yutaka.
"Don't add too many things to the mix!" Kasumi ordered. "And make sure that duck is roasted just right for that mix!"
"Oui, Oui!" nodded Chef Yutaka.
"Chef Ken, how is that chicken coming along!?" asked Kasumi.
"It's almost ready for the pan, Ms. Kasumi!" Chef Ken responded.
"Make sure the rice isn't too stiff!" Kasumi said.
"Will do!" responded Chef Ken.
As ordered, Chef Ben made sure to get the pie fillings just right before putting them into the crust. As he did, he observed Ranma accomplishing many things on her side of the arena and couldn't help but be impressed. It was like watching triplets in true cooperation with each other.
'A spitfire like her with Chef Toshi's technique,' thought Chef Ben as he smirked. 'Look at her go at it. Just like the master in his prime, zipping around doing everything.'
It was here that Chef Ben eyed a nearby crate full of tomatoes. Moments before the match, Amane's assistants hauled in a few of these crates and placed them near the cooking stations as ammunition for this match. His smirk grew as he grabbed a rather large tomato in his hand and eyed Ranma. He knew that throwing it straight at the redhead would be unfruitful since he may just be throwing it at a mirage because of how fast she was moving. Chef Ben then eyed one of the okonomiyaki that Ranma was making and proceeded to throw a fast one at it. The tomato burst upon impact on the okonomiyaki, which got Ranma's attention. Chef Ben could see how absolutely livid the girl was, but he proceeded to laugh boisterously.
"Guess you can't use that one, my dear Hanako!" mocked Chef Ben. "No tomatoes can be used for this battle!"
"You…how dare you," Ranma seethed as she looked hatefully at Chef Ben. "I'll rip you-"
Unfortunately, Ranma didn't get to finish as she was pelted three times by Chef Ben, this time between the eyes two times at her chest. Ranma didn't have any words as she felt her whole body boil in anger. She could still hear Chef Ben laugh at her misfortune as she wiped the stains from her face, gritting her teeth and growling.
"Oh, man, three strikes!" Chef Ben continued to laugh. "Hey, Hanako…you want me to help you change out of those-"
Chef Ben was then greeted by several tomatoes hitting him all at once, knocking him to the floor. After a few seconds, he dug himself out of the heep of tomatoes, his uniform stained red, breathing heavily and grinning like a maniac. He then grabbed two tomatoes in his hands and stared at Ranma.
"So it's like that, huh?" Chef Ben said with a chuckle. He then turned his attention towards his fellow culinary champions, who had stared at him in shock over what was happening. "Well, what are you gawking at!? This is war, so arm yourselves and fight!"
The other two chefs nodded and started to throw tomatoes at Ranma. Unfortunately for them, Ranma proved to be a difficult target as she kept dodging their attacks. Though they couldn't hit the pigtailed martial artist, it did distract her from her culinary duties. This, of course, distracted them from their duties as chefs as they concentrated on keeping Ranma off balance.
"I'm going to aim at the redhead's work!" yelled Chef Ben. "Ken…Yutaka…you keep her distracted!"
Ranma kept dodging volley after volley of tomatoes and found that the chefs were throwing them at such a speed that she was almost getting hit. What truly made her mind race was that Chef Ben was aiming at her dishes she was making and was having trouble protecting them as she dodged the tomatoes. She couldn't even get to her own arsenal of tomatoes to respond. At this point, she was using the kitchen squad technique to dodge the attacks and not really finishing her dishes because she was protecting them.
"30 minutes have elapsed!" the announcer said over the PA system.
'This is nuts!' Ranma thought as she dodged. 'At this point, my work will be ruined or unfinished! I have to get back on track! I guess there's really no other choice!'
"Kitchen squad…full staff!" yelled out Ranma as she managed to split herself into four more people, making the count to seven.
"By all in heaven, look at her go," Genma observed as she watched his son turned daughter dodge the tomatoes while also attacking with her own, pelting each of the culinary champions while still tending to the cooking duties. "I wonder how long she can hold out. I know I trained her for years, but…"
"Such is the main strategy of the Anything Goes School," Soun said, also observing what Ranma was doing. "Adapting to any fight no matter how grueling or ridiculous it is."
"Ooh, I knew she would adapt well in this fight!" Kodachi cheered gleefully. "Truly she is thinking of that reward and will do anything to win!"
"So you truly think she will be the victor," Kuno said.
"Like I said before, brother, win or lose won't be the important thing," Kodachi pointed out as her expression changed to scorn as she looked at the unstained form of Kasumi, who was tending to not only her work, but the work of the Culinary Champions. "So long as that…that witch loses her grip is what matters the most. Honestly, I think she could take one or two tomato throws. She is Hanako's opponent, after all."
"One shot, dad," growled Akane as she glared at Kodachi.
"She isn't worth it," Soun said as he tried to calm Akane down.
The crowd cheered loudly as they witnessed literal culinary trench warfare. They were equally amazed at how Ranma was holding her own as she used the kitchen squad technique to cook up a storm while also defending her work and attacking with tomatoes. The Culinary Champions were finding it harder and harder to distract Ranma from her duties but were still trying while also trying to finish their work. They counted themselves lucky the redhead wasn't aiming for their dishes, though it was of little comfort since they couldn't perfect their dishes the way they wanted to. Many minutes passed with seemingly no end in sight to this tomato war and the arena area was becoming a huge red mess.
"15 minutes to go!" the announcer said over the PA system.
Ranma breathed heavily, becoming exhausted as she stretched herself to the limit. She felt her concentration wane as she had trouble concentrating on her work while also making sure her work wasn't ruined. She also had to take the offensive by throwing tomatoes herself. While splitting herself into three was simple enough once she got the hang of it, splitting herself into seven was taxing her mind and body.
As time was dwindling down, however, both sides had seemingly exhausted their tomato reserves, meaning they had no ammunition left. Save for Kasumi, the competitors were stained in red but were now fully concentrating on their work. It got to the point where the competing sides began plating their dishes, four portions for the judges and Amane. Even though the food fight portion of the match was over, the crowd cheered for both sides as they couldn't get enough of the competition.
'Man, this was rough,' Ranma thought, exhausted as she held herself steady, no longer using the kitchen squad technique. 'But at least I almost have everything done. Sure showed them a thing or two.'
Back with Kasumi and the culinary champions, they were also finishing plating their dishes and putting some finishing touches. Kasumi, having finished her dishes, began observing the dishes the Culinary Champions made and giving them an inspection. This actually made the other chefs a bit nervous, as if they were rookies in culinary school. In all honesty, they did what they could under Kasumi's leadership and they liked the results.
"30 seconds to go!" the announcer said over the PA system.
"Not a bad bit of work," Chef Ben said as he wiped the sweat off his brow. "Sometimes I impress myself, I do."
"You didn't have to instigate a war with Hanako, you know," Chef Ken pointed out, frowning.
"Hey, I had to make the match interesting," Chef Ben shrugged. "Besides, It's all legal and personally, I wouldn't mind doing it again."
"I agree," nodded Chef Yutaka. "Cooking dishes while being fired upon. So exciting!"
"Well, I checked all your dishes, chefs," Kasumi said as she also wiped sweat from her brow. "You three are the best at what you do."
"You flatter us, Ms. Tendo," said Chef Ben with a charming smile. "I gotta say that you know how to lead a team and I think we did enough to win, so…"
Chef Ben stopped himself as he looked around and saw a tomato crate and walked over to it. He was surprised at what he saw and picked up a big tomato that fit into his two hands. His mouth turned into a devilish grin and turned to see a tired Ranma at her station. With one hand, he got into a throwing position, which shocked Kasumi and the other two Culinary Champions.
"Chef Ben, what are you doing!?" Kasumi said fearfully. "Stop this at once!"
"Hey, red!" Chef Ben called out Ranma as he threw the giant tomato. "How about one for the road!?"
As the tomato neared a tired Ranma, the pigtailed martial artist noticed it at the last second and caught it with one hand. She glared at Chef Ben and growled at the Culinary Champion and effortlessly threw the giant tomato back at him faster than then the previous throw.
"Return to sender!" shouted Ranma.
Ranma's satisfied expression turned to horror in only a few moments. Chef Ben had ducked out of the way and now the giant tomato was headed towards Kasumi's head. Time seemed to slow down for Ranma as she saw her friend's expression turning from shock to fear as the tomato neared her. Calling out the rest of her strength, Ranma dashed towards Kasumi, and barely made it in time when she tackled her to the ground, but not before the giant tomato hit the back of her head. Afterwards, there was only a brief silence as Ranma held Kasumi tightly.
"3..2.1..time's up!" the announcer said over the PA system.
For Kasumi, everything happened so fast. First she saw the tomato heading straight for her head and then the next moment, Ranma was in front of her, tackling her down as she took the tomato throw for her. She was speechless and shocked as she lay on the ground with her friend holding tightly. Kasumi shook her head and regained her senses and tapped Ranma and the shoulder, anxiously.
"Ra…Hanako…Hanako, speak to me!" Kasumi shouted, getting the red head's attention. "Are you hurt!?"
Ranma lifted her head up and looked at Kasumi incredulously, "Me!? What about you, Kasumi!? I was so stupid and you could have-"
"It's alright," Kasumi said gratefully as she noticed something in Ranma's eye. She used her finger to wipe it. "Thank you…thank you."
Ranma noticed what Kasumi was doing and got off of her, turning away embarrassed as she stammered, "Um…that wasn't…I mean…I wasn't ... .I…oh, hell."
Kasumi giggled at Ranma's display and seconds later, the crowd cheered and applauded. The two got up and waved appreciatively to them and seconds later, turned towards the VIP section where they saw the relieved faces of Genma and the Tendo's. The two sighed, glad that this part of the contest was over.
"Let's hear it for our champions and challengers!" Amane shouted on the microphone as she came back to the arena. "And what a finish! To think that our little Hanako would be so noble as to take a hit for her dear friend like that! So heroic, daring and brave. I mean, she sacrificed a point in the final round, but who cares!? Give her a round of applause!"
"Ms. Hikawa!" Kasumi shouted in shock. "You can't punish her for that!"
"I'm sorry, Ms. Tendo, but Hanako crossed over to your side of the kitchen during the match, which is a big no-no," Amane explained. "But I'm sure we'll still have a fair judgment in the end. Now, if you'll excuse, I have to have the crew clean this up so we can set up for the judging round. Hopefully after all this, we'll get an exceptional meal."
Amane left towards the exit as the crew came in with brooms, leaving the Ranma, Kasumi and the Culinary Champions behind. The red head was deep in thought and wondered if it was truly enough to win this battle and finally become whole again.
A little later...
After the arena was cleaned up, a long table was set up with a red cloth with gold trim draping over it. Seated at the table were Amane at the head of the table with three other individuals; one dark haired man who was dressed in a black suit, bowtie and a monocle on his left eye, a faded brown-haired woman dresses in a blue blouse and slacks and an shorter, older, white haired woman who dressed in a gray coat, blouse and dress. In front of each individual were plates and wine glasses which were currently filled by the staff. They were the center of attention of the colosseum crowd as they waited for the next phase of the competition.
Taking out a microphone, Amane spoke, "Ladies and gentleman, we've come to the moment of truth: the judging. On the panel, firstly, we have our regular for this competition: former town treasurer Go Tadashi, followed by film actress Oda Tsukikage and food critic Asako Katayama. Now…first we sample the street dishes of one Hanako Sakura!"
As the trumpets blared, Ranma and Chef Toshihiro emerged from the doors with the stadium assistants pushing the food carts behind them, the plated foods covered in metal lids. Ranma and Toshihiro then stood before the panel and bowed while the assistants served the judges their first course. Though Chef Toshihiro looked stoic, Ranma looked a bit nervous as she knew this was it. So close to the reward and these judges held the key to that.
"Hanako…please tell us why you chose the street path for this battle," instructed Amane.
"Well…I've only known the road before settling here in Nerima," Ranma began. "If anything, my father…that is, Genma and I, usually ate either take-out or hunted for our food because we never stayed put in one place."
"So, what will you be serving first?" asked Amane eagerly.
"My first dish is a roujiamo ," Ranma responded. "Because of the time limit, I used a fried pork cutlet and I added my own spice mix and sauce. Back when I was traveling in China, roujiamo was one of my favorite snacks."
Ranma watched as Amane and the judges began to eat the first dish. She studied each of their reactions and so far, none of them were spitting the food she had made. In fact, the judges were more thoughtful as they took the time to taste the Roujiamo. This didn't make Ranma feel anymore at ease because in her mind, these judges were probably used to more fancy food than anything. After the judges finished their meal, the pigtailed martial artist awaited their assessment.
"I'll have to admit that I never ate something like this," began Go Tadashi. "I'll say this, though…I like the crunch and your choice of spices. The pork is especially juicy. I wouldn't have minded having one of these while I was in office."
"The sauce is especially tasty," said Oda. "It compliments the fried pork Roujiamo quite well. It's definitely different from the take-out versions I'm used to eating. Quite lovely."
"While I did find this dish delicious, I do have some thoughts," began Asako. "It's a unique take on roujiamo, but it seems like you turned it into something more akin to something you would find in a fast food eatery. That's not a knock on this dish, mind you."
'Oh, really?' Ranma thought as she frowned.
"Next course!" Amane ordered as the assistants came in with the second course.
After setting aside their empty dishes, the judges were presented with the next meal. They were presented with a generous looking baguette sandwich with a whole fish(minus the head) in between, plus onions, lettuce, mayonnaise and mustard. On the side there were some fried potato chips. Amane and the judges looked impressed as they wasted no time digging in.
"This is a roasted mackerel baguette sandwich," Ranma started. "Mackerel was something I used to hunt for many years. Most of the time, I roasted them over an open fire with some salt added to them. You'll see that I made my own mayonnaise blend with some spicy mustard and some lemon juice. I made sure that the bread was soft, but crunchy."
"Soft and crunchy, indeed!" said Go, savoring the sandwich. "This really takes me back! Back when I was campaigning, I used to have my assistants bring me back meals like this! Oooh, yes, the crunch and the mackerel roasted to perfection! It doesn't taste burnt at all!"
"Every time I was done filming a movie, I loaded up on heavy sandwiches," Oda said as she wiped her lips with a napkin. "I used to go home so hungry that I made myself the biggest sandwich I could make. This baguette, though…I understand you made the bread yourself."
"That I did!" Ranma replied proudly.
"Sooo toasty and buttery," said Oda blissfully. "I might just…oh, forgive me. I lost myself there for a moment. The mackerel really pops here."
"It is…an improvement from the previous dish," Asako said as she finished her baguette sandwich. "You did roast the mackerel quite nicely and you even took the time to salt these chips just right. Though I think you overdid it on the level of spice. Hold back next time."
'Ain't she picky,' thought Ranma, frowning
"I think you're being way too harsh on poor Hanako, Asako," Amane said as she wiped her lips with a napkin. "Now…how about we turn our attention to the next course?"
Wasting no time as the assistant served the next dish, Ranma explained, "This next one is especially dear to me. I made a friend many years ago and he made the tastiest okonomiyaki I ever had. You could say he's a master at it and I wanted to make my own version of it. This okonomiyaki is basically inspired by the American hamburger, which means I added minced meat, grilled onions and pickles. I even added a bit of red peppers and ketchup."
Amane and the judges dug into the okonomiyaki and to Ranma's relief, they seemed to be enjoying it. During the battle, she made sure to place close attention into making okonomiyaki since she wanted to get it right. It was a road dish Ranma remembered fondly and had always wanted to have a chance to make it herself. Seeing the satisfied looks on the judges made Ranma's heart beat with hope.
"Now this…this was a dish, Hanako," Go complimented as he patted his stomach. "This is so good. I'd pay to have more of these! You truly honor your friend with this dish!"
"So…much…flavor!" Oda exclaimed. "You really spiced this dish up and it was so hearty! I may want more, though I hope my body forgives me for it!"
"This could be your signature dish, Ms. Sakura," said Asako with a satisfied look. "As Go said, you do your friend justice if the okonomiyaki he makes is as good as you say it is. That and I do have a thing for hamburgers. I would have wanted some french fries on the side to compliment this."
'I guess I can take that as a win for this dish,' Ranma thought, sighing in relief.
"Now, I hope we have dessert coming," Amane said gleefully, rubbing her hands.
"Yeah, I do," Ranma said. "This one…well, I never had these before and I hope I made them right. Some years back, I passed this truck that was selling ice cream crepes and I wanted to have one. Po…I mean, Genma didn't let me because he said that it would distract me or some such nonsense. What we have here is a sweet vanilla ice cream crepe with blueberries and strawberries with some added strawberry jam…with a bit of whip cream on top."
Amane and the judges began eating their crepes and like the last dish, were seemingly enjoying it. Ranma began to swell up with pride, confidence filling her very being. Granted she was hitting herself over the head by not making one for herself, but what was important was that judges were having a ball with the dessert dish.
"So cool and creamy," Go said blissfully. "I feel like a child again with this dessert! I could never get enough of these back in the day."
"And you say this is the first time you made this?" asked Oda, amazed, earning a nod from Ranma. "I have to say that for a first attempt…you really nailed it! I've never had a crepe cone so good! My compliments!"
"I'll admit that I never had any of these before today," said Asako. "My grandchildren go crazy over this treat anytime I'm with them and I can see why. You really do have a sweet tooth there, little lady."
"Yeah, thanks," Ranma laughed as she rubbed the back of her head.
"Well, it would seem to have a potential winner in our hands," Amane said as she addressed the judges. She then directed her attention to Chef Toshihiro. "So, Toshi, what is your assessment of our little Hanako?"
"She did…adequate on her first try," Toshihiro replied bluntly, earning a frown from Ranma. "Though if I'm being honest, Hanako was risking a lot using the full potential of my technique. But what matters in this battle is taste and from what I've seen…she performed splendidly."
"And Hanako…you think you did enough to win?" asked Amane.
"I didn't come here to lose," Ranma said with determination. "There's too much at stake here and…well…I know I did enough to win!"
"Well, we'll see," Amane said as she began to address the audience. "How about a round of applause for Hanako Sakura!?"
The audience cheered and clapped for Ranma and the pigtailed martial artist couldn't help but beam with pride, a big grin forming on her face.
'Sorry, Kasumi,' Ranma thought with determination. 'But I got this in the bag.'
"We're nearly at the end, ladies and gentlemen," Amane said with a big smile on her face. "After a short break, we'll take things home with Kasumi Tendo!"
A little later…
The trumpets sounded once again as Kasumi, with the three culinary champions behind her, made their way towards the judges and Amane, along with assistants bringing the dishes. The eldest Tendo sister tried to remain stoic, but her thoughts remained in conflict about the match. She had become an unwitting pawn in Kodachi's scheme and without her knowing, she had been training for this match these past few days, just so she could be Ranma's opponent. As much as she didn't want to stand in her friend's way, Kasumi respected Ranma's wishes and gave it all she had. She sighed as she glanced aside, catching Ranma seeing her and all she could do in response is give her an apologetic look before looking forward towards the judges.
"Kasumi Tendo…welcome," Amane greeted.
"Thank you for having me," Kasumi responded, bowing politely. "Though I want to let everyone know that I do not like being manipulated into this contest."
"Duly noted," said Amane, waving off Kasumi's comment. "But what is done is done and you have dishes to present."
"Very well," Kasumi said as the assistant delivered the first dish. "All dishes were a team effort between me and each of the culinary champions. The first dish is a duck confit quiche with spinach and shallots with just the right amount of cream and cheddar cheese. Chef Yutaka and I made sure that our dish wasn't very heavy, but very hearty to eat."
Amane and the judges dug into the first dish, savoring the taste. Much like with Ranma, Go and Oda we're clearly enjoying the dish while Asako was trying to gather her thoughts on what to make of the dish as she ate it. It got to the point where all the judges were gobbling up the food. Seeing the judges enjoy the meal made Kasumi smile a bit as this reminded her of serving dinner at home with her sisters and father appreciating her hard work.
"You did say that you had home cooking in mind, Ms. Tendo," said Go as he finished his quiche. "Tell me…is this your first time working on quiche?"
"No, but it has been a while since I made quiche for my family," Kasumi responded. "Though this is the first time I worked on a quiche with a professional chef. Chef Yutaka really helped a lot."
"She's being modest about this," Chef Yutaka chuckled. "I was under Ms. Tendo's direction and I did as tasked. She's quite the leader and she really could be quite the asset in one of my restaurants."
"If this quiche is anything to go by, I'd say she has a bright future," Go complimented.
"I have to agree," Oda said as she nodded. "The consistency of this quiche is so thick and there's so much to enjoy! The scallions and the spinach really do add to it!"
"It is…quite tasty," Asako said. "As you say, it is quite hearty for an appetizer. If this were a full dish, I think you would have something quite remarkable. Though I would use duck eggs next time you make this dish."
"I'll make a note of it," Kasumi said as she bowed.
"I'll even add this to my menu," said Chef Yutaka. "With Kasumi's permission of course."
"Next course!" commanded Amane as the assistant came in with the next dish, which turned out to be a chicken bowl with rice and green beans.
"This next joint effort is between Chen Ken and I," Kasumi began. "It's a crispy honey chicken without the use of excess oil. I once made this for my family when I had little oil to deal with one day. I made sure that the chicken was cut into even pieces and I even coated it with cornstarch and egg myself. There also rice and green beands added to the dish."
"To tell you the truth, I'm more used to making my honey chicken extra crispy," Chef Ken pointed out. "But Kasumi here showed me a faster and less messier method to making honey chicken. She was really particular about how I prepared this dish."
"Well, I do have to admit that the crispy honey chicken you prepare, Chef Ken, has more breading than chicken," said Asako as she inspected a piece of chicken with her chopsticks, causing Chef Ken to frown and Chef Ben to snicker. "Hopefully you can learn something from Ms. Tendo here."
Once again, Amane and the judges dug into the dish. Asako took his time in savoring the dish while Oda and Go were wolfing down theirs. Each was making appreciative sounds as they ate and the three judges were practically beaming. Once again, Kasumi couldn't help but smile as she watched Amane and the judges eat.
"You know…I think I'm going to request chicken like this from now on," said Go with a thumbs up.
"I second that," agreed Oda. "We should get together and have this again, Go. I'm sure my personal chef can cook something just as tasty as this."
"Well, this certainly is more chicken than breading," Asako said as she finished her dish. "I must say I am impressed. You and Chef Ken really combined your efforts to make it quite delicious. Hopefully. Chef Ken, you learned something here. Kasumi has made me a fan of this dish."
"I'll keep that in mind," muttered Chef Ken.
"I'm glad you all are enjoying yourselves," said Amane as she patted her stomach. "Hopefully none of you are full because we got the main course coming!"
The assistants brought in the next dish and it made the judges and Amane's hearts skip a beat. What they had in front of them was a large bowl with thinly sliced beef, snow peas, noodles, onions, chopped carrots and potatoes. It not only made Amane and the judges eager to eat it, but they were taking in the site of the dish.
"My mother taught me how to make this dish when I was younger," Kasumi started to explain. "Nikujaga was something she would make for all of us after a hard day. Whether it be a hard day of school for my sisters and I or my father trying to bring in more students to the dojo, Nikujaga made coming home a whole lot better."
Amane and judges slowly dug in and they took their time eating and savoring the dishes. It didn't take long for all four of them to get teary eyed as they ate. Kasumi began to remember long ago when she and her mother made this stew for the family and how happy they were when they ate it themselves. She also started to remember how not long after her mother died, Kasumi made Nikujaga and how she was praised afterwards for her efforts. Kasumi could see the exact same feeling from Amane and the judges.
"Just like mother used to make," sniffled Go. "This really takes me back, Ms. Tendo. My mother, bless her soul, used to make this dish and…excuse me…I need a minute."
"It's been a while since I tasted a home cooked meal like this," said Oda as she tried not to cry. "You really put yourself into this dish and everything was cooked perfectly."
"This dish does take me back to my youth," sighed Asako. "Though I pride myself in sampling high end dishes, I do get a hankering for Nikujaga from time to time. My grandmother, bless her soul, made it the best and you, Kasumi Tendo, are the first one to come close to matching that skill."
"I'm glad it's to your liking," said Kasumi gratefully.
"You really got us there, Ms. Tendo," Amane said as she wiped a tear from her eye. "I used to have a cook that prepared this for me after a long day and it just…made me feel nostalgic."
Just a few feet away, Ranma could only look on and her confidence was slowly melting away. With each dish that Kasumi and the culinary champions presented, the martial artist felt like every compliment these judges heaped upon Kasumi felt like a stab to her heart. Outwardly, Ranma tried to remain stoic and remembered that her dishes went well with judges and hoped for victory.
"Next course," ordered Amane.
"We'll…after that tearjerker, I think it's time to put some smiles on," said Chef Ben. "And nothing brings on a smile than something sweet…like three types of pie À la mode!"
The assistants presented Amane and the judges with the final collaboration dish. Each of them got three slices of pie with an ice cream scoop placed on top and they each had a different type of drizzle. Amane and the judges looked pleased at the site of this and began to dig in almost immediately.
"Chef Ben and I couldn't really decide on which pie to make, so we made the three we came up with," Kasumi explained. "First is something I made for a school festival a year ago, the apple pie with vanilla ice cream topped with caramel sauce. The second is a blueberry pie with strawberry ice cream on top with white chocolate sauce and finally, a cherry pie with vanilla ice cream topped with chocolate sauce."
"Kasumi and I really helped each other out on this one," Chef Ben pointed out. "I usually upped the sweetness of my pies, but Kasumi said that the sweetness could overpower other flavors, so we came up with three slices of even power goodness."
"I'm surprised that with your reputation, Chef Ben, that you would take direction from a woman," teased Amane.
"Hey, don't mind being led around by a woman," chuckled Chef Ben with a shrug. "And Kasumi here has potential to lead anyone in this industry if she wanted. Though I will admit, she's not as bossy as you are, Amane."
"I could make your life difficult for that comment alone, Chef Ben," said Amane, annoyed.
"I prefer if you made it harder, if you know what I mean," replied Chef Ben, causing Amane to look away in disgust while Kasumi, Chef Ken, Chef Yutaka and the judges groaned.
"Anyway, I do have to say that I love these pies," Go complemented. "If I had to pick a favorite, it would be the blueberry pie with strawberry ice cream and white chocolate sauce. Mostly because I love berries and the strawberry ice cream does compliment the pie and that white chocolate…yes, I love it!"
"I would say that I like the cherry one," Oda countered. "I'm just a sucker for cherry, chocolate and vanilla ice cream."
"In my opinion, the apple pie is my favorite," said Asako as she took her last bite. "In all honesty, Chef Ben and Kasumi, your collaboration was a great finish to all these meals. Very international. Though if I had one nitpick, is that you should have stuck to making one type of pie, but I couldn't dislike any of them."
"Thank you for your honesty, all of you," Kasumi said with a bow.
"A great finish indeed," Amane agreed with Asako as she stood up to address the crowd. "Another round of applause for Kasumi Tendo and our Culinary Champions!"
The judges and the crowd cheered and applauded Kasumi and the three culinary champions. While the three chefs took in basked in the adoration, Kasumi couldn't help the ache in her heart. While compliments to the collaborative efforts were welcome, Kasumi felt guilty that she was only keeping Ranma from her goal. Her aching feeling only elevated when she glanced at Ranma, who had a worried look on her face. This only made Kasumi sad as she looked away.
"Judges, I'll leave you to your decision," said Amane as the judges wrote their scores on paper. "Chefs and first time participants, report to your stations!"
As the participants reported to their designated sections, the lights dimmed as a spotlight shined on Amane with microphone in hand. Two other spotlights shined on Ranma and Kasuimi respectively as a suspenseful piano tune played over the loudspeakers.
"Ladies and gentlemen, after two separate and unique battles in this colosseum, a great mystery has been solved," Amane began dramatically. "A battle of brutal martial arts combat…a battle of home vs the road…a battle of taste…two friends pitted against each other. But there can only be one winner in this game. Taste is what matters here in this place of culinary combat. Hanako Sakura showed us her experiences on the road as well as mastered Chef Toshihiro's technique to take on our champions. But Kasumi Tendo gave us nostalgia with her dishes with the backing of our culinary champions. But what do you say, judges? Who is our champion for the day? Whose dishes have made us feel as if we were transported to heaven?"
The piano tune stopped as an assistant went over to Amane and handed over an envelope. She opened the envelope and read it. She looked over to Ranma and saw her excited face. Amane gave her a genuine smile
"I meant what I said before, Hanako Sakura," started Amane. "It was brave what you did to protect your friend. Brave, noble…but ultimately, costly."
Ranma felt a stab through her heart as she fell to her knees, shocked.
"And so…our winner by just one point…Kasumi Tendo and our Culinary Champions!" Amane announced.
The crowd erupted with cheers and applause as a victorious tune rang over the loudspeakers. They shouted their congratulations towards Kasumi and the champions and even whistled. All the while in the VIP section, Genma grumbled as Soun cheered on her daughter while rubbing it in his best friend's face. Akane and Nabiki clapped in approval, though Akane had a bit of a smug expression on her face. Tatewaki also clapped in approval while Kodachi looked with a bit of satisfaction as she saw Ranma's dismal state.
"I have to say that big sis did well," said Nabiki. "Though I didn't think it would be close considering the short training regime Ranma had."
"It should bring that macho jerk down a peg or two," Akane said with a bit of satisfaction. "Though I didn't think she would take losing so hard."
"Sister, I would have thought that seeing your intended lose the match would lower your opinion of him…or her as the current state of affairs is," Tatewaki pointed out.
"As I said before, dear brother, that no matter the outcome, I will win," Kodachi said with a smirk. "Just look at her. She looks so devastated, heartbroken and I dare say, betrayed. Kasumi, her best friend, has kept her from a reward sought. No doubt that she blames her and hates her and Ranma will have no choice but to come into my arms for comfort…and possibly more. I will release Ranma from that vile Kasumi's clutches and give her what she truly deserves. Now all I have to do is get to her and-"
"She's beating you to it, dear sister," Tatewaki interrupted.
"What?" Kodachi responded flatly as she saw Kasumi approach Ranma.
Kasumi was indeed approaching Ranma, albeit slowly. Though the culinary champions had been shaking her hand and heaping praise upon her, the only thing she felt was guilt because she had basically kept Ranma from getting the cure. Kasumi was at loss at what to say, but she didn't like seeing Ranma in such a pitiful state. She knelt down next to her friend and took a deep breath.
"Chef Toshihiro, could you excuse us?" asked Kasumi.
"As you wish," as Chef Toshihiro walked away.
"Ran…I mean Hanako, I….," Kasumi shook her head and pushed forward, though her voice started to shake. "I am so, so sorry. I know how much that reward meant to you and I kept you from it. Please, just…say something! Tell me…scream that you hate me or-"
"Kasumi, stop," Ranma said, her voice full of emotion. "I'm the one that's sorry! If I hadn't tried to be helpful around the kitchen, then this never would have happened! Me taking up Kodachi's offer to go to this market, taking this stupid challenge and roping you into this ... .Kasumi, I put you in danger and you could have been hurt and…this is all my fault! No reward is worth you getting hurt or worse!"
"Oh, my…," Kasumi spoke softly as she teared up. "I just…I'm just glad this is over."
"Yeah," Ranma agreed, a smile developing on her face. "I'll…I'll try not to do anything stupid again, I promise. I know my pride gets the better of me and-"
"I forgive you…so long as you forgive me," said Kasumi with a soft smile.
Instead of getting a response, Kasumi was pulled into a hug by Ranma. She gasped at this, but she immediately reciprocated, embracing her friend. Kasumi sighed as she heard the crowd cheer in approval, though she was trying to cancel out the noise as much as possible. To her, the only desirable outcome in all this is that her friendship with Ranma survived. She was just glad that the martial artist didn't hold it against her for keeping her from her goal in becoming a whole again and be rid of her curse. In the end, what mattered the most is that this chapter in their lives was over.
Kasumi's eyes roamed towards the VIP section and saw that her father was cheering excessively while Genma frowned at him and wondered what had happened between them. She resolved to ask them about it later on.
As for her sisters, Kasumi could see Akane looking at her with an eyebrow raised while Nabiki looked on with a smirk. She rolled her eyes at this and would clear things up with them, though she would imagine that Nabiki would tease her for this.
Finally, Kasumi's eyes went to the Kuno siblings, more specifically, Kodachi. She had wanted to remain calm, but just looking at the Kuno heiress made her blood boil. Kasumi had always believed in the best of others and bore no ill will toward anyone, but seeing that Kodachi orchestrated everything just to tear her and Ranma apart without a hint of remorse only made her think that the raven haired girl was quite mad. Seeing Kodachi's eye twitch while angrily baring her teeth only made Kasumi embrace Ranma even tighter, scowling as she remembered the heiress bragging about what she tried to do to her friend just a few days ago.
As for Kodachi, she was livid at the turn of events. Seeing Ranma embrace Kasumi had made her absolutely furious. In her mind, this wasn't supposed to happen. Ranma was supposed to tear into Kasumi, blaming her for keeping her from getting the cursed water that would make her a him full time. She would have been there to pick up the pieces and make Ranma hers. But not only had Ranma hugged her in front of a large audience, she saw Kasumi scowl at her, as if to tell her to stay away from her beloved. Kodachi's hate toward the eldest Tendo daughter rose as she balled up her fists.
"I would suggest letting this be, sister," Kuno warned.
"I'll kill her," Kodachi seethed and growled. "No…first that faux angelic face…I'll rip it to shreds! I'll make her suffer a thousand times before I end her miserable life! That stupid, lowly little Christmas cake slut, I'll-"
"Do not disgrace yourself or the Kuno name," Kuno warned again. "There will be other days and other battles. Let Kasumi have this victory. She has won the day."
"For now, dear brother," Kodachi responded, trying to calm down. "But I'll make her regret that she was ever born!"
The next morning...
"Seriously, what were you thinking!?" shouted Ranma as he threw a punch at Genma.
"I thought I was betting on a sure thing, boy!" Genma responded, dodging the punch. "Now because you lost, Soun can say that he truly gained a son in this deal and he's going to hold it over me for as long as I live!"
With the culinary contest over and done with, things had gotten back to the normal routine the morning after. Ranma, in male form, was sparring with Genma early in the morning, no doubt waking the Tendos process. Things had begun normally enough for the Saotomes with them training on the rooftop of the Tendo home when Ranma noticed that his father was going at him harder than usual. Not that he minded as he loved the challenge, but Genma seemed more annoyed and angry than strict. As their training went by, Genma revealed that he had lost a bet to Soun and now Ranma would have to become a Tendo if he marries Kasumi. This really ticked Ranma off as he went on the offensive.
"You two and your bets and schemes!" Ranma shouted again as he attacked Genma angrily. "It pisses me off that I don't have a say in what happens in my life! You and Mr. Tendo decide on an arranged marriage for me and Kasumi AND I lose my name!? What's next, old man!? What other life changing crap have you got for me!?"
"Cry all you want, boy!" said Genma with a frown as he got the upper hand. "The point is, you lost the match! Granted, you brought a technique that will benefit the Saotome School, but it doesn't change the fact that I have to up your training regimen! Be ready, my son, because it will only get harder from here on out!"
"Just shut up and bring it, old man!" Ranma dared.
"Ranma!" a voice called out.
Ranma and Genma stopped and looked down and saw Kasumi. Though he had been mad at his father for making the bet with Soun, the Saotome heir didn't stay mad for long when Kasumi was around.
"Ranma, if you're done with your training, I'm going to need your opinion on what to have for breakfast!" Kasumi shouted.
"Hey, I'm all for that!" Ranma responded with a smile. "I'll be down there in just a second!"
"Join me in the kitchen!" Kasumi responded before heading inside the house.
"The lady calls and the boy just answers," Genma said with a smug smile. "I'm not sure if I raised a son or a dog."
"Can it, old man," Ranma warned, cracking his knuckles.
"You know, I would have thought you would be sore about yesterday, considering your own fiance defeated you in front of thousands of people," Genma continued, needling Ranma. "I know you, boy. You don't take losing all that well and yet here you are, getting along with the woman who humbled you. If I didn't know better, I think being around a mature minded woman like Kasumi has changed you. Admit it. An arranged marriage is one of your old man's more brilliant ideas!"
"About as brilliant as us going to Jusenkyo," muttered Ranma.
"You know, you still haven't told me about what that Kodachi girl promised you if you had won," Genma said inquiringly. "It must have been something big since you were really bent on winning. Come on, boy. Time to come clean."
In a relaxed manner, Ranma responded, "You know something, pops?"
Ranma proceeds to uppercut Genma on the chin, sending the elder Saotome sky high. A few seconds later, Genma spiraled downward and landed into the koi pond in a loud splash. Some seconds later, Genma's prone form floated up, now in panda form and holding a sign up that said "It was just a question!"
"None of your damn business!" shouted Ranma angrily before jumping off the roof and entering the house.
Not long after, Ranma joined Kasumi inside the kitchen where the eldest Tendo daughter had her back to him at the kitchen counter, leafing through the Culinary Champions Cookbook. He also noted that Kasumi had her notebook as well, no doubt copying a few recipes from said book. Ranma smiled as she looked like a student studying and writing notes for a test and totally engrossed in the activity. The pigtailed martial artist cleared his throat, causing Kasumi to look up.
"I do hope that you're on the right subject, Ms. Tendo," Ranma said, trying to sound strict. "Or else I'll have you clapping erasers after school."
"Oh, no, you can't," Kasumi pleaded playfully as she turned around to face Ranma. "My boyfriend is waiting for me and can't keep him waiting."
Both Ranma and Kasumi couldn't contain themselves and laughed. For the both of them, they felt that they needed it after what had happened just a few hours ago. Before and after the match, emotions ran high and while Ranma was indeed humbled, he couldn't hold it against Kasumi since he wanted to earn his victory. As for the eldest Tendo daughter, she was just glad that the match didn't tear her newfound friendship apart.
After both friends calmed down, Ranma was the first to speak, "So…you wanted my opinion on breakfast? You know I'll eat anything you put in front of me."
"You flatter me," giggled Kasumi. "But seriously, I'm torn between making pancakes or preparing a western style omelet."
"I'd say go with the omelet," Ranma suggested. "Though I would put more peppers on mine. Last time I had that kind of omelet, it lacked some spice."
"I'll be sure to add the spiciest peppers," Kasumi responded. "Plus…I'll even add the spiciest sauce in the kitchen."
"I'm looking forward to it," Ranma smirked.
As Ranma was about to leave, the memory of what happened after the match came back and he stopped himself. Because of this, Kasumi looked at him curiously, which caused him to sigh as he gathered his thoughts.
"Kasumi, I…," Ranma started before breathing in and out. "I meant what I said yesterday, about me trying not to do anything stupid or not doing things without thinking. It got us both in trouble and you almost got hurt because of me. I couldn't forgive myself if something happened to you."
"I believe you on that, Ranma," Kasumi said reassuringly. "What about what you said before the match?"
Ranma remembered exactly what he said in more vivid detail. It hit him like a giant mallet to face, recalling how he, in his girl form, declared how much Kasumi meant everything to him in front of thousands of people and on a microphone no less. Ranma's emotions were running high that night, from Kodachi's scheme unfolding before his eyes and him needing to declare what he felt. A blush started to form on his cheeks as Kasumi's expectant stare made him nervous.
"Well, I…um…Kasumi, I just…," Ranma stammered as he rubbed the back of his head with his hand. He then collected himself and sighed. "Yeah…every word, Kasumi. Call me a corny dork if you want, but I said what I needed to say. And Kasumi…I meant what I said that I want to be the person you deserve and if I have to prove it everyday…then I won't let you down. Kasumi, I-"
"Ranma…thank you for being straight with me," Kasumi said with a fond smile, approaching Ranma and placing her hands on his shoulders. "In return, I'll be there whenever you need me."
Ranma gulped as his blush became a deeper shade of red. He looked away from Kasumi, even more embarrassed.
"Aw, c'mon, Kasumi," Ranma said shyly as he turned to face Kasumi again. "You're already-"
Ranma's mind went blank as his eyes widened, his whole body stiffening. He felt a pair of lips on his, shocked at what was happening. Kasumi had just leaned in and kissed him and Ranma couldn't move. It didn't take long for his mind to come back to him as Ranma began to question what was going on. He was experiencing his first real kiss, but still didn't know how to respond. He also noted that Kasumi also had her eyes widened, probably just as shocked as he was.
Kasumi herself found that she too wasn't able to move. She had meant to give Ranma a chaste kiss on the cheek like she had done a few times before, but Ranma, in the last second, turned his head and she gave him a kiss on the lips. Kasumi couldn't believe this was happening and was too shocked to move, her mind running a millions miles a minute as she was trying to process what happened. She had never kissed anyone on the lips before this and was wondering what Ranma was thinking through all this.
The sound of the catcall whistle was heard as Ranma and Kasumi minds were filled with dread. They let go of each other's lips and turned around, blushing madly, feeling mortified as they saw the rest of the Tendo household, plus Genma still in panda form. Soun was happily tearing up, Nabiki had a smirk on her face, Akane eyes were widened with her mouth practically falling to the floor and Genma, with a smile on his face, holding up a sign that said, "Way to go, boy!"
"Nice one, big sis," Nabiki said, her smirk growing. "Never thought you'd make the first move, though."
"This is truly a momentous occasion!" Soun cried fountains of tears. "I'll make the wedding preparations right away!"
"I can't believe this," Akane said in disbelief, trying to register what was happening. "Ranma, you…Kasumi, why!?"
"Hey, will you just listen!?" Ranma shouted, still blushing in embarrassment.
"This was all a mistake!" Kasumi also shouted in embarrassment, trying to get through to her family and Genma. "I didn't mean to-"
"I'll call the priest!" Soun announced, still in tears.
Genma turned the sign around and it said, "I'll handle the decorations!"
"I'll get a hold of Kasumi's friends," as she went to the nearest phone. "I have a few bets to settle with them."
"Big sis, you could do so much better!" Akane shouted, still in disbelief.
"They're not listening," Kasumi said worryingly as she stared at her family.
"How about we bolt?" Ranma asked before earning a nod from Kasumi.
Instantly, Ranma carried Kasumi bridal style and ran out of the kitchen at high speed. Genma and the Tendo family were momentarily stunned before giving chase, seeing Ranma and Kasumi were already at a distance where they could barely see them. It didn't deter them as they kept running after the couple down the streets of Nerima.
"Kidnapping pervert!" Akane angrily shouted. "I still say Kasumi can do better than you!"
"Ranma, don't you dare elope with my precious daughter!" Soun shouted. "Kasumi deserves a proper wedding!"
"I can keep track of all the presents and money you'll be getting…for a price!" Nabiki shouted.
Genma held up a sign that said, "That boy is so impulsive!"
Meanwhile, Ranma held onto Kasumi tightly as he ran down the street, never looking back. He still wore a blush on his face, the memory of the kiss still etched in his mind. For as embarrassed as he felt, Ranma wondered how Kasumi was faring, considering that she must have been as embarrassed as he was. He kept telling himself that it was an accident, but he still mentally pounded himself for embarrassing Kasumi. Ranma started to wonder how he was going to make it up to her.
Much like Ranma, Kasumi was blushing in embarrassment. She had inadvertently kissed Ranma on the lips and while she felt a personal shock for experiencing her first real kiss, she wondered how Ranma was feeling. She could tell that this was her friend's first real kiss as well and felt very bad for him. And since her family and Genma had seen them in such a situation, there probably would be more pressure on Ranma to marry her. Kasumi chided herself and resolved to make it up to Ranma.
As Ranma continued to run, he and Kasumi looked at each other, their embarrassment fading as they smiled at each other. With that, Ranma began roof hopping, holding Kasumi a bit more tight.
"I'll put as much distance from them as we can," Ranma said with determination. "Then, we'll lay low until they give up."
"I'm with you, Ranma…always," Kasumi said as she put her arm around Ranma's neck.
With the rising sun as well as a panda and Tendo family behind them, Ranma and Kasumi headed into an uncertain future where their friendship will face many more tests.
To be concluded...