The Amazons Strike Back!
Ranma yawned as he got up and stretched. Today marked the first day that he now officially had THREE lovers in his life. Lum, Kurama and now Lum's old friend Benten. Ranma shook his head as he remembered just how he ended up with that alien biker as a third girlfriend.
' In a crazy way, it's almost like with that Shampoo girl, only I think Benten is cuter and not as loco. Not to mention she's not AS forceful, plus...she is a good kisser.' He blushed as he thought back to how Benten kissed him and then how she and he watched some anime together before she kissed him again before leaving.
"Morning Darling!" Lum said as she tackled Ranma back to the bed. Ranma blushed even harder as Lum rubbed her cheek on his.
"Morning Lum-chan." He said. "Um...do you think you can let me go now?"
"Nuh uh." She said as she kissed Ranma's cheek.
"Make way!" Came Kurama's voice as she leapt onto the bed and cuddled with the two lovers.
"How's my favorite shnookum's today!?" She asked as she kissed Ranma's cheek.
"Uhhh..." Ranma was having a hard time thinking of something to say as both girls started kissing him.
"Ranma! Wake up! It's time to get ready for schoooooooollllllll..." Nodoka trailed off as she saw Ranma's position between the two aliens.
"Well, hurry up girls, Ranma's got school to go to." She said as she closed the door.
"Wait! Mom! Don't leave me here!"
A few minutes later, after washing off the lipstick that covered his face, Ranma came down for breakfast and face-faulted when he saw his mother drinking tea with Benten.
"Oh, hey Ranma!" Benten said as she smiled at her boyfriend.
"Good morning son. And please get off the floor." Nodoka said to her son with a smile.
"Hey, uh...Benten, what the heck are you doing here?" Ranma asked as he got up off the floor.
"What, a girl can't swing by and see her boyfriend in the morning?" Benten said as she got up and saunters over to the blushing pigtailed boy.
" Sooo, did ya dream about me last night? Handsome." Benten said as she wrapped her arms around Ranma. The poor boy gulped and blushed madly as Benten snuggled up close to him.
"Uh...well I...uh..." Ranma was at a loss for words but thankfully, Lum and Kurama flew down to save him...or play tug of war with Benten over him.
"Hey! Let go, Benten! You got to spend all night watching TV with him, it's my turn to snuggle." Lum said.
"Yeah, back off red hair!" Kurama added in.
"You girls live here with him, let me have some morning hugging too." Benten said as she tried to pull on Ranma.
"I'm not a dang tug of war rope, LET GO!" Ranma shouted, causing the three alien girls to let go of him.
"Hmph hmph hmph! My son is so manly, having so many cute girls arguing over his affections." Nodoka said to no one but herself.
"You're nuts." Ranma says to his mother.
After a quick breakfast, Ranma was off to school with all three of his alien lovers following him. Lum and Kurama were flying as usual while Benten was riding next them on her air bike.
"Soooo, Ranma? Are there more shows like that one we were watching last night?" Benten asked with a nervous blush. Ranma smiled as he looked at his latest girlfriend.
"Heck yeah there are! I've got a few good choices. Tell ya what, swing by my place after I get out of school today and I'll give ya a few recommendations." Ranma said. Benten smiled at that.
"Thanks handsome. You know, I think I'm gonna like being your girlfriend."
That made Ranma blush a bit. Lum, not liking that her childhood friend was hogging time with her Darling, decided to chime in.
"So Darling, since you don't have training at either dojo tomorrow, do you think we can continue my training?" Lum asked. Ranma turned to his first girlfriend and nodded.
"Sure Lum-chan. I've got plenty for us to work on." Ranma said, causing Lum to gush.
"Training?" Benten asked.
"Yeah, Lum-chan asked me to teach her how to fight so I started teaching her some of what I know." Ranma said. Benten's eyes went wide at hearing this.
"So, you've been teaching Lum how to fight?" Benten asked.
"Yep." Lum said with a nod. "And I'm getting pretty good. One day I might even be able to beat you Benten."
"Huh, oh really?" Benten said with a smug look. "I'd like to see you try."
After a surprisingly peaceful walk, Ranma and the girls arrived at Tomobiki high. Lum and Kurama flew in front of Ranma and perused their lips.
"Darling, give us our goodbye kisses." Lum said.
"Yeah, pucker up Ranma-kun." Kurama said. Ranma smiled and kissed both girls. But before he could walk off, Benten grabbed him by the collar.
"Hold up!" She said. "Why'd you kiss those two and not me, huh!?"
"Um, uh...well..." Ranma tried to mutter.
"I'm part of this harem too now, so where's my sugar?" Benten said before grabbing Ranma's face and kissing him.
"MMMMPHA!" Benten said as she ended her kiss with Ranma, leaving the poor boy blushing redder than his shirt and having a lovestruck dumb look on his face.
"Whelp, I'm happy!" Benten said as she and the others took off.
"See ya later handsome!" Benten said.
"See you after school Darling!" Lum said.
"Have a nice day shnookums'!" Kurama added in.
Ranma just stood there with a dumbstruck look on his face. But before anything else could be said...
"DIE YOU BASTARD!" Ataru cried as he tried to attack Ranma from behind with a hammer, only for Ranma to kick out of reflex, sending the moron flying.
Watching the scene was none other than Shinobu, who just shook her head at seeing Ataru try once again to beat Ranma for hooking up with yet another hot alien girl. Seeing that Ranma was still looking like a lovestruck idiot, she marched up to him and dragged him inside the school.
"Come on Romeo. It's time to snap out of lala land and back to reality." She said as she tried to snap Ranma out of his stupor.
Back with the three alien girls, Lum was smiling as she enjoyed flying through the air with Benten, just like in the old days.
"So Benten, do you want to do anything while Darling's at school?" Lum asked her old friend. Benten thought for a minute.
"Well, I do want to check out what this planet has to offer, but I'd rather do it solo. No offense, but I want to see things for myself. Maybe later tonight we can hit up some clubs and cause some trouble like we used to." Benten said with a smile.
"Sounds fun." Lum said. Kurama looked at the two other girls with a look of confusion.
"Wait, did you two used to be delinquents or something?" She asked. Lum and Benten chuckled.
"Well, sort of." Lum admitted. "We did cause some trouble over the years."
"But only half of it was our fault. Kind of." Benten said. "But hey, like you're any different, little miss 'tried to set up a Love Hotel at a local high school'."
Kurama chuckled a little, thinking back to how she did try to have sex with Ranma at his high school.
"Heh heh heh...yeah. I guess...ok you got me." She said with a smile. "Well, I think I'll just head off to spend some time with mother-in-law. See ya girls."
And with that, a blushing Kurama flew off towards Ranma's house. Lum and Benten chuckled at the Tengu as she flew away. Lum looked to her childhood friend.
"Well, if you're sure about flying solo, I recommend the sweet shops downtown. And the music shops. Darling also loves going to this bookstore there too. Since you like some of those manga and anime he likes so much." Lum said with a coy smile.
"Heh heh heh. Thanks. Whelp, see ya later Lum. Don't do anything I wouldn't!" Benten said as she revved up her bike.
"OH! And be careful Benten. For some reason, people always look at me and Kurama with weird looks whenever we go into town. Mother-in-law says it has something to do with the way we dress." Lum added before Benten could fly off.
"Really? Huh, I wonder what's wrong with the way we dress? A lot of girls out in space wear stuff like this." Benten said before shrugging. "Oh well. Thanks for the tip. See ya later Lum!"
And with that, Benten sped off into town. As she touched down and started walking around, she noticed that Lum was right, people were looking at her weirdly. Some even made cat call whistles at her and tried hitting on her. She sighed, some old problem with horny idiots.
"Excuse me! Ma'am!" Came the voice of what she assumed was a policeman from the way he was dressed.
"You do know that prostitution is against the law at any age, right!?" He said, making Benten tilt her head to the side.
"Prostitution? What are you talking about?" She asked. "Wait, is this about the way I'm dressed? What the Hell's wrong with the way I dress!?"
Before the cop could answer, a purple blur struck the cop in the back, knocking him out. Benten was about to say something, but was cut off by a kick heading towards her face. Benten just barely managed to block the attack and saw a girl that reminded her of Lum slightly, but recognized her as the purple haired Amazon that she was warned about. Shampoo.
"Well hello, little miss friend killing, man stealer." She said as she batted the attacking leg away and jumped back into a fighting stance.
"Hmph. You one to talk about being man stealer. Shampoo see you kissing Ranma and Ranma Shampoo's husband to be! You stay away or Shampoo kill you like Shampoo will kill alien girls and Ranma look-a-like." Shampoo said as she took up her own fighting stance.
Benten growled at the words that came out of the Amazon's mouth.
"Ok. NOW, I'm going to enjoy kicking your sorry ass."
With that, Benten charged at Shampoo, striking out with a left haymaker followed by a right uppercut. Shampoo dodged the attacks and did a spinning hammer fist to the back of Benten's neck, but Benten ducked under it and kicked out to her stomach. Shampoo got the wind knocked out of her and bent over as Benten spun and landed a devastating haymaker to the Amazon's face.
Shampoo spun to the ground and rolled back to her feet. She glared at the red haired girl and charged, doing a jump spinning kick to her foe. Benten dodged it and swung more punches at her, remembering what Ranma had told her about keeping her guard up and not telegraphing her punches. Shampoo tried to block one punch but was surprised by just how much power was behind the strike.
She dug her feet into the ground and started dodging Benten's blows, and when she found an opening, she took it. She parried one of Benten's strikes and managed to and spun into an elbow strike to the bottom ribs and then did a spinning sweep to the legs, taking the alien biker down. Benten rolled to her feet but was caught off guard by Shampoos' rapid-fire barrage of kicks.
Benten flew backwards, surprised that the woman she was fighting was about as fast as Ranma. Vowing not to let this woman surprise her again, Benten put up her guard in a boxing style stance. Shampoo smirked and prepared to launch another attack at the latest rival for her betrothed's hand.
Benten roared as she charged at the Amazon, doing a flying knee that Shampoo dodged, thinking that she had another opening to attack. But she was surprised when Benten shot an elbow at her and then grabbed her and threw her with all her might towards a building wall.
Shampoo coughed and gasped in shock and pain as she crashed into the side of the building, once again surprised at the power that raw power that her opponent had. Benten came charging, an arm reared back for a powerful strike, but Shampoo managed to roll away in time, leaving Benten's fist to smash through the wall.
Shampoo took her chance and ran at Benten, smashing her face into the wall. Benten threw arm around one of the arms that Shampoo had on her, and wrenched her arm free to smash her elbow into Shampoo's face. She then grabbed the Amazon's throat and prepared to slam her to the ground but was caught off guard by the Amazon swiping at her eye.
" AAAGGGHHHH!" Benten cried, as Shampoo got free and did a combination palm strike to the gut, to the face and then a shoulder throw to the ground before trapping Benten's arm in a painful arm lock.
Benten screamed in pain as she tried to fight free of the grip. Benten managed to slip free enough to kick at Shampoo's face. After she got free, she rolled away and nursed her eye as she growled at the purple haired Amazon. Shampoo returned the growl and the two charged at each other. Shampoo leapt over Benten's punch and struck at rained down a fury of blows that knocked Benten down to the floor.
She then tried to end the fight with a falling axe kick, but Benten rolled away. She got back to her feet and attacked with her own flying side kick, but Shampoo avoided it and attacked with a shoulder tackle and a double palm strike that sent the alien biker flying. Benten got up and smirked, because when Shampoo attacked, she managed to wrap her chain the Amazon's leg and yanked hard, catching her off guard as she fell to the ground.
"Time for you to go around the world!" Benten said as she spun the Amazon warrior around and around and around before flicking her wrist in a way that made her chain release her Shampoo and sent her flying!
Benten ran at the flying Amazon and did a flying side kick that nailed Shampoo HARD in the stomach, sending her flying across the street. Benten spun her chain around and used it like a whip to attack the downed Chinese woman. Shampoo panicked and rolled away from the strikes.
Benten ran at her and wrapped her chain around her fist, ready to send this wanna be assassin to the emergency room, but just as she was about to let her have it, she felt a stabbing pain in her back and then a painful WHACK in her face. She flew across the ground, pain surging through her as she rolled to a stop.
"Shampoo, I'm disappointed. You were on the verge of losing to a woman who seems to have had no training whatsoever. Honestly, you should have beaten her by now. It seems to me that you need more training."
Benten shook the pain out of her head and looked to see who nearly knocked her out. What she saw was surprising. In between her and the Amazon was an ancient looking woman with long white hair, a green Chinese style dress and was balancing on a wooden stick.
"Shampoo sorry great-grandmother." Shampoo said as she bowed her head.
"Great...grandmother?" Benten said as she got up.
Cologne looked at the red-haired woman that was struggling back to her feet. She had to admit, despite being a brawling thug, this woman was skilled. If she actually trained, she'd be an even more formidable fighter. She sighed, looks like she'd have to up her great-granddaughter's training, but to be fair, she could see why her future son-in-law would have some attraction to this biker alien. But that would all change by the time she was through.
"Shampoo, you know where son-in-law is. Go stake your claim, the sooner we're done, the sooner we can head back to China." She said, making Shampoo smile.
"Right great-grandmother! Shampoo go get Airen! Bye bye homewrecker!" Shampoo said as she practically skipped away.
"Hey! You're not getting away you creep!" Benten said as she tried to go after Shampoo, only for Cologne to intercept her.
"Not so fast girly." She said. "You're not getting in our way. Not you, not that Tengu girl or that Oni woman."
"What do you want with Ranma!? You better stay away from my boyfriend or else!" Benten said as she clenched her chain wrapped fist.
"Oh child. Ranma is not your boyfriend. He is my great-granddaughter's future husband." Cologne said.
"Say what!?" Benten asked in confusion.
"Ranma bested my grandchild in combat some time ago. And according to our tribes laws, once an outsider male bests one of our warrior women, they are for all intense and purposes married. Therefore, he is not your lover." Cologne explained.
"Tch. Sure, and let me guess, he gets no say in the matter?" Benten asked. "You bitch. I may have wormed my way into his love life, but I at least asked to be part of his harem. You and your hellspawn great-granddaughter are trying to force him! And I'm not letting that happen!"
With that, Benten charged at Cologne, intent on taking her head off. But sadly, the next thing she knew was darkness because Cologne moved faster than the alien could track and knocked her out. Cologne looked at the girl and hopped off.
"Sorry girly, but the day I let some space aliens ruin thousands of years of Chinese Amazon history and tradition, is the day I finally go to the afterlife."
Back with Ranma, our pigtailed hero was stretching in gym class, the only good time of the day. But as he was getting ready for the next thing the teacher wanted him to do...
"Nihoa Airen!" Came a voice he dreaded almost as much as Kodachi's.
Ranma turned around and barely dodged a tackling hug from his least favorite Amazon. Ranma looked up as Shampoo rolled on the ground after missing her attempted hug. He growled at her the Amazon as she looked at him.
"Airen, why you avoid Shampoo?" She asked.
"Don't call me your husband. I'm a free man and I already have three girlfriends. I'm not looking for a fourth. At least not a psycho like you at least." Ranma said as he got up.
"Shampoo your husband. Stupid alien girls just obstacles. Shampoo already deal with one alien homewrecker. So you free to... ACK!" Shampoo found herself cut off when Ranma's hand gripped her throat.
"If you hurt ANY of my girlfriends, you're going to find yourself missing your teeth." Ranma said as he clenched her throat.
"Shampoo...ack...Shampoo better than those stupid homewreckers. Why you no get it. Law say..."
"Take your stupid law to HELL!" Ranma said as he punched Shampoo hard enough to send her flying.
"HEY JACKASS! NO HITTING PRETTY GIRLS!" Ataru cried as he tried to attack Ranma.
"AGREED! NO FIGHTING WOMEN GIRL STEALER!" Shutaro cried as he drew his sword.
"BUTT OUT!" Ranma shouted back at them. Then he blitzed them with strikes faster than their eyes could see.
Both boys collapsed to the ground as Ranma panted for breath. He cracked his neck and knuckles as he sighed.
"Stupid morons." Ranma said. Then he ran towards Shampoo as she tried to get back up.
"Now, who did you hurt and where is she? If you killed her..."
"No one's dead son-in-law."
Ranma looked behind him and saw an old woman in a Chinese dress and balancing on an old walking stick that was bigger than she was. Ranma arched an eyebrow at her.
"And you are...?" Ranma asked.
"Allow me to introduce myself, my name is Cologne. Matriarch of the Chinese Amazons. And I'm the great-grandmother of the woman you're strangling. AKA, your future bride." Said the old woman.
"I'm sorry, but what future bride? I'm not engaged to anyone. Least of all this bitch." Ranma said as he tossed Shampoo to the ground.
"Now now, there's no reason to be so rough with your future wife." Cologne said.
"Are you hard of hearing in your old age woman? I'm not, repeat NOT, marrying any psycho from your people...wait. Did you say, GREAT-grandmother!? As in...how old ARE you lady?" Ranma asked. No sooner had he asked, Cologne dashed close to him and tried to attack him.
Ranma panicked and leaned back to avoid her strike with her club of a walking stick, and then shot a left-handed backfist followed by right-handed chop, wrist strike, and then a side kick. Cologne avoided the strikes and spun on her stick to attack with a double kick, forcing the pigtailed boy to block.
Ranma lashed out with his own kick and then a hammer fist and reverse punch. Cologne blocked the kick and parried the two punches before jumping at Ranma and trying to strike at pressure points on his body. Ranma managed to parry the barrage of strikes and then retaliate with tiger claw strikes followed by a downward elbow strike.
Cologne couldn't help but smile as she batted away Ranma's attempts to take her down. She flipped back as Ranma chased her down, then he managed to catch her off guard.
"Minamo Geri!" Ranma called out as his hands became covered in ki and he struck out with two powerful strikes aimed at Cologne's head and chest.
"HUH!?" Cologne gasped in shock as she jumped back and saw her walking stick sliced at the points where Ranma's hands struck. Cologne looked at the remains of her stick and looked up at Ranma.
"Interesting." She said.
"You haven't seen anything yet." Ranma said as he charged the old crone.
Ranma struck out with more ki enhanced punches and kicks causing the elder Amazon to bob and weave to avoid being struck. Cologne managed to block and parry one of Ranma's punches and twisted him into a painful lock. Ranma grunted in pain and rolled with the twist to rolled on the ground as he shot a kick up towards the ancient woman.
Cologne jumped off her stick to avoid the kick and came down to strike Ranma, only for pigtailed boy to evade her attack and do a crouching, spinning hook kick. Cologne blocked the kick and was forced to back track when Ranma rolled on his back and double kicked at her. Cologne side stepped and tried to whack him but Ranma avoided her and chopped at her and then as she blocked, he grinned.
"Mizu Guruma!" He cried and spun into the water wheel technique and nailed Cologne, sending her flying back.
"Take that, you ancient bitch!" Ranma said as he got ready to finish the fight. But as soon as he prepared to charge at her, Cologne zipped at him like a bullet, causing Ranma to double over the miniature woman flipped in the air and kicked him in the face, sending him flying.
"Not bad, not bad at all boy." Cologne said. "And that style...I've seen it somewhere before."
" Cough...Yeah. I learned it from a good master. He also taught me this." Ranma coughed as he dashed at her and unleashed a new move he just learned.
"San no kata: Ryuryu Mai!" Ranma called out as he unleashed a flowing barrage of attacks.
His body almost dancing around Cologne, striking at her with punches and kicks that came at the old woman from different and varied angles. Cologne was forced back on the defensive, being even more impressed with how Ranma fought. Her great-granddaughter picked a good person to lose to, a man worthy of marrying into the Amazon tribe.
Cologne leapt up and threw her stick at Ranma, forcing him to bat it away and then he charged at her, engaging in a midair battle of skill. Shampoo watched in awe as her beloved and her great-grandmother battled each. She couldn't wait to have this man as her husband, and then rub it into the faces of those aliens.
Meanwhile, Lum was flying over town looking for Benten. She was going to leave her friend to her own devices, but after thinking it over, she realized that leaving Benten out in town would most likely cause trouble. So here she was, looking for...
"Oh my gosh! BENTEN!" Lum cried out in shock and fear as she flew to her fallen friend, who was prone on the floor.
"Benten! Wake up! Benten, say something!? Wake up!" She cried as she shook her friend. Benten groaned as she managed to open her eyes at her friend.
"L-Lum?" She asked, then her eyes went wide as she woke up.
"LUM!" She said as she shot up. "Lum! We've got to go! Where's Ranma!? We've got to find him?"
"Whoa whoa whoa whoa, call down. What do you mean Darling's in danger?" Lum asked.
"That purple haired girl you told me about tried to jump me. Just as I was about to finish her off, some old crone showed up and knocked me out. But before she did, I heard the two of them say something taking Ranma." Benten said in a panic.
"WHAT!?" Lum cried out as her hair started changing colors. "Oh HELL NO! I'm not going to let that bitch take MY DARLING!"
With that, Lum flew off towards Ranma's school. Benten whistled, calling her bike to her thanks to the voice activated device in it reacting to her call.
"Lum! Wait up!" She cried as she chased after the Oni girl.
Back at Tomobiki High, Ranma and Cologne were hopping around the roof of the school, clashing fists and feet. Ranma grit his teeth as he kicked at the old Amazon, cursing to himself as she blocked his strike. Ranma retracted his kick and struck out with a hook punch, uppercut, knee strike, and double hammer fist.
Cologne managed to block and parry his strikes and went for strikes of her own. Ranma did everything he could to parry and block the old woman's attacks, and he was starting to find it a losing battle. With every block and strike, he was starting to see this old woman increase her power. All it would take was one wrong move and he would be in big trouble. He had to keep focused or...
"DARLING!" Came the cry of one Lum Invader as she flew towards the two fighting martial artists.
"Lum-chan!?" Ranma said, accidentally giving Cologne the opening she had been looking for.
"Got cha!" And with that, Cologne flipped over Ranma and struck a pressure point in his back.
" AAAHHHHH!" Ranma cried in pain as he doubled over and fell.
"DARLING!" Lum cried as she flew towards her falling lover and caught him in her arms. "Darling, are you ok?"
"Agh..." Ranma said as he rubbed the spot on his back that Cologne hit.
"What the heck?" He said in pain.
"Ha ha ha ha! Sorry my future son-in-law." Said old ghoul said as she chuckled.
"Why you...when I get my hands on you..." Ranma said as Benten road up next to them.
"You ok? Hey you bitch, what did you do to our boyfriend!?" Benten shouted at the old Amazon.
"Hmph hmph, of girls. I told you already, or at least the red headed one, Ranma here is my Shampoo's husband to be."
"Go to Hell you old bitch. I am NOT marrying your psycho great-granddaughter." Ranma grunted as Lum helped him onto Benten's bike.
"Oh, I do believe that you'll be singing a different tune son-in-law. In fact, heh heh, I'm willing to bet that by the end of the day, you'll be begging to marry my great-granddaughter." And with that, Cologne hopped off, signaling for Shampoo to follow her as they made off to who knows where.
"What does she mean by that?" Benten asked. Ranma groaned as he rolled his shoulder.
"I have no idea. But nothing that old bitch does to me can make me want to marry that purple haired bimbo." Ranma said.
After dropping Ranma back off at school, the two girls stuck around, not wanting to leave their man out of their sight. But all the while, Ranma couldn't help but feel something was off. He couldn't place his finger on it, that is, until he went to the bathroom and washed his hands.
" YEOW!" He said as he pulled his steaming hands back.
"What the?" He said. "Man, someone needs to fix the pipes around here. That water is scolding hot."
As Ranma walked out, another student checked the water.
"What was he talking about? That water is ice cold."
After school let out, and after knocking Ataru around for a little bit, Ranma was walking home with his two girlfriends/bodyguards on either side of him. Lum couldn't help but notice that Ranma couldn't stop looking at his hands and rolling his shoulder.
"Darling? Are you ok?" She asked.
"I don't know." Ranma said. "Ever since that old ghoul hit me in the shoulder, I just can't shake the feeling that somethings off with my body."
No sooner had he said that, a car drove past and hit a puddle of water, splashing Ranma.
" AAGGHH!" Ranma cried as his skin started to turn red like he was just hit with hot water.
"Darling!" Lum said as she rushed over to Ranma, who looked like he was just hit with a pot of boiling water.
"What the heck happened!?" Benten asked as she caught Ranma as he fell over from pain.
"AGH! I...I don't know." Ranma said as he smarted from pain. "But that water is HOT!"
" Hot!?" Both girls asked in confusion. Lum went over to the water and dipped her hand in the puddle.
"Darling, this water's barely room temperature." She said.
"What?" Ranma asked as he went over to the puddle and placed his hand in it, only to scream in pain as his hand started steaming.
" AAAAAAGGGGGHHHH!" He screamed as he pulled his hand back in pain.
"RANMA!" Benten screamed as she ran back to him. Ranma looked at his hand, it was turning red from apparently being in hot water.
"What the heck?" Ranma asked. "Are you sure that water's not hot?"
"Well...I WAS sure. Until that happened." Lum said. She and Benten looked at the Ranma as he looked at his smarting hand.
"What the heck happened to me?" He asked himself. Suddenly, they all heard a chuckling that sounded painfully familiar.
"Hmph hmph hmph. So, finding things a little hot son-in-law?" Cologne asked from her perch atop of a lamppost.
"YOU!" Ranma cried as he and the others looked up at the wizened old Amazon.
"What did you do to me you little freak!?" Ranma shouted at her.
"Oh, you mean the fact that you can't handle a little heat? Well, if you must know, that little pressure point I hit you with is called, 'The Cat's Tongue'." She said.
"Cat's Tongue?" Ranma asked. Cologne chuckled.
"It's an ancient torture technique form China's past. Once the opponent is hit and ki is channeled through the pressure point, it makes the victim super sensitive to heat. As sensitive as a cat's tongue, hence the name." Cologne chuckled.
"Why you! No wonder I've been feeling hot all freaking day! You!" Ranma shouted as he jumped after Cologne with Lum and Benten right by his side.
"Fix what you did to my Darling you little bitch!" Lum shouted as she fired her lightning at the Amazon elder.
Cologne jumped away and blocked Ranma's follow up kicks and punches. Benten came in with a haymaker and spinning hook kick but Cologne effortlessly threw her into Lum and backflipped off Ranma's head. She then threw a battle of water at Ranma, which he barely managed to dodge before landing on the ground.
"Agh! Hot hot hot!"
Sadly, it was in another puddle of water.
"You know, there IS a way to reverse the Cat's Tongue." Cologne said as she pulled out a large pill.
"It's called the Pheonix Pill. It increases the heat tolerance of whoever swallows it. If you want it, all you have to do is marry my Shampoo and..." Cologne was cut off when Lum flew at her, trying her hardest to swipe at the pill.
"Fat chance you old hag! Give me that pill and let me fix my Darling!" Lum said as she used her training to attack the old Amazon.
Sadly, Cologne was way too experienced for the young alien. Cologne used the tip of her cane to stab at Lum's leg as she kicked at her, and then twirled it around and struck Lum over the head, sending her plummeting to the ground.
"LUM-CHAN!" Ranma shouted as he ran to his girlfriend.
"Ok, THAT'S IT!" Benten said as she whistled for her bike and as soon as it came, she pulled out a gun from it.
"Eat plasma you little bitch!" Benten said as she fired at the Amazon.
Cologne chuckled as she jumped around, avoiding Benten's shots. After a few seconds of dodging, she flipped forward and axed kicked Benten in the head. Cologne landed on the red head and chuckled, only to have to hop away to avoid Ranma's follow up round kick.
"Sorry son-in-law. But if you want this pill, you just have to marry my great-granddaughter. It's not that bad." She said. Ranma growled at the Amazon.
"Look lady, you messed up my body, attacked my girlfriends, and you're trying to blackmail me into a marriage I don't want! You're as bad as my idiot dad! And if you think I'm going to break just cause you want me to, then you have a RUDE awakening coming your way, you bitch!" Ranma shouted as he charged at the girl. Cologne sighed as she jumped away.
"Well, we'll see how long that bravado of yours lasts boy." Cologne said as she hopped away from the three teens. Ranma growled at the retreating Amazon.
"Ok, I officially hate that little witch." Ranma said as the girls got back up.
"Darling, what are we going to do?" Lum asked.
"I say we go after that little twerp and teach her a lesson." Benten said. Ranma sighed.
"Not yet." He said. "First, we need to go see an old pal of mine. I think he might have an idea on how to fix what that old ghoul did to me."
And with that, Ranma and the girls headed off to the one person Ranma met during his time at the Tendo dojo that he actually considered a friend. Before too long, they found themselves at the clinic of Dr. Tofu.
"Ah, Ranma! Long time no see." Dr. Tofu said as he greeted his young friend and his two lovers. After explaining his situation to the doc, Tofu sighed as he searched his mind for whatever he could remember about the Cat's Tongue pressure point.
"Hmm. This is pretty bad Ranma. That particular pressure point is so dangerous the Emperor of China had it outlawed hundreds of years ago. I'm surprised someone even knows how to use it." Tofu said.
"Wait, you mean there's nothing you can do!?" Benten asked.
"Well," Dr. Tofu said. "Technically, there IS a pressure point technique that could undo the effects of the Cat's Tongue." Tofu said.
" GREAT!" All three teens cheered.
"But the problem is that it'll only work once. After that, you'll go back to being sensitive to heat." Tofu finished.
That deflated the excitement from the three teens.
"Seriously?" Benten said. Tofu sighed.
"I'm afraid so. I wish I knew a permanent cure, but I'm not sure if there is one." Tofu told them.
"Well, that Amazon woman said that she had something called a phoenix pill that could fix Darling. Do you think you could make something like that?" Lum asked. Tofu stroked his chin as he thought about it.
"Well...I could try. But I'll have to look over my books. Miss! Could you bring me my Chinese medical books?" He called to the back.
"Ok!" Came a bubbly female voice.
"Who was that?" Ranma asked.
"Well, she's my new assistant that I hired. She's from China so maybe she might know a thing or two about how to help you out." Tofu said.
"Wait...China?" Ranma asked. And no sooner had he asked, Shampoo came in throught the door...and paled as she saw the three teens glaring daggers at her.
" You..." They all said with icy venom in their voices.
"Uh...Shampoo give resignation now! Bye bye!" She said as she tried to make a run for it. However, Ranma dashed in the blink of an eye and nailed the Amazon to the wall.
"Ok bitch. Tell me where your grandma is and where is that pill!?" Ranma said as he put pressure on her neck.
"Ranma! What are you doing!?" Tofu exclaimed.
"That's the Amazon whose great-grandmother hurt Darling!" Lum said as her hair started changing colors.
"What!?" Tofu gasped in shock.
"Yeah! That bitch knows how to get the pill that'll fix Ranma!" Benten said as she got up and got right next to Ranma.
"Listen bitch, you better start talking or else I'll finish what we started back in town." She said as she held her fist in front of the Amazon.
Shampoo glared at the two and kicked at Ranma's leg and slipped away as he and Benten tried to grab her. Lum lunged at her, but Shampoo did a split that allowed her to dodge the Oni and caused her to crash into the other two teens. Tofu got up from his seat and tried to go for Shampoo, but she managed to outmaneuver him and died out of the window. Ranma growled and got up and dashed out the window after the Amazon.
"That bitch!" Benten screamed.
"I'm sorry girls. I had no idea..." Tofu said.
"It's not your fault." Lum said as Tofu helped her up. "But we need to go help Darling. He can handle Shampoo, but if that old woman shows up again, he'll be in trouble."
"More than you think." Tofu said.
"What do you mean?" Benten asked as she and Lum looked to Tofu.
"It's about to rain." He said.
Ranma dashed after Shampoo as she leapt over the roof tops of Nerima. Shampoo looked behind her and saw no Ranma. She gasped in confusion and a second later, she found herself clotheslined by a ridge hand from Ranma. She looked up and saw an angry Ranma looking over her.
"Got cha bitch." He said as he picked her up. "Now, where is that pill?"
"You want pill?" Shampoo said with a defiant look. "Then you have to marry Shampoo."
"How about I..." Before Ranma could finish, a flash of lightning and a boom of thunder cut him off.
"Huh?" He said as he looked up. And then...rain started to fall on his head.
"Ow!" He said. Shampoo couldn't help but smirk.
"Aw, rain and Cat's Tongue. Not a good combination." She said as she pushed Ranma and ran off as the rain started to come down.
"Oh crap!" Ranma said as he ran and pulled up his shirt over his head, trying to keep out of the rain.
He ran as fast as he could, but the rain kept hitting his bare arms and soaking his clothes. He hated that he decided to wear a sleeveless shirt today. He felt his skin burn as the water soaked him and his sensitivity to heat was killing him. He didn't know where he was going, but he just HAD to get out of the rain.
He slipped and fell to the ground, landing in a puddle and screamed as the water felt like it was scolding hot and burning his skin off. Ranma struggled to his feet and tried to run.
"DARLING!"
He looked up and saw Lum flying around, looking for him.
"LUM-CHAN! OVER HERE!" He called.
Lum looked over and saw Ranma and screamed as she flew towards him as fast as she could.
"Benten! He's over here!" She called behind her to the alien biker.
Benten revved her bike and followed Lum towards there burning boyfriend. Ranma fell to the ground in pain as Lum did her best to cover him and keep him out of the rain. Benten flew her bike over the two of them, trying to cover them from the rain.
"Is he ok?" She asked worriedly.
"He's burning up! We need to get him out of the rain." She said.
"What's going on here!?"
The two girls looked over to where the voice came from and Lum gasped.
"Master Bang!" She cried.
"Who?" Benten asked.
"He's one of Darling's masters." Lum said. "Master, Darling's hurt! He can't stand heat! This rain is burning him like boiling water!"
"What?" Bang said as he ran over to the Oni girl and his prone student.
"Oh boy." Bang said as he held his umbrella over the two of them.
"Hurry, get him to that restaurant over there."
A few minutes later, Bang was looking over his shaking student as his two girlfriends helped him to a seat.
"Hmm. Water feels like it's boiling? Sensitivity to heat? How did this happen?" Bang asked.
"Some purple haired bimbo and her ancient old grandma used some pressure point move on him." Benten said.
"Yeah, something called...the Cat's Tongue I think." Lum said.
"The Cat's Tongue? Is that all?" Bang said.
"Is that all!?" Lum said. "Your student nearly got boiled alive and that's all you can...what are you doing?" Lum asked.
The reason she asked was because Bang turned Ranma around and took his shirt off.
"Um...not that I'm complaining about seeing my boyfriend's abs," Benten said, her face blushing red. "But...what are you doing?"
"I need to see clearly." Bang said...before striking three pressure points in rapid succession.
" YEOW!" Ranma screamed as he seemed to revive and turned around to glare at his favorite master.
"What the heck shishou!? Are you nuts!?" He screamed, catching the attention of other people in the restaurant.
"No. Just helping. Now cool off." The old master said as he threw a cup of water at Ranma's face.
" AHHHH! THAT'S COLD!" Ranma said.
"Wait...cold?" Ranma said. "...Huh?"
"You're cured." Bang said. Lum, Ranma and Benten all gaped at him.
"What? Wait...how?" Ranma tried to ask. Bang just chuckled at his student.
"Back when I was training in China to create my Ryusui Gansaiken, I learned at bit about acupuncture and pressure points, I also learned a bit about the Cat's Tongue. It's hard to undue, but not impossible. You should have just come to me in the first place." Bang said with a chuckle.
"Master..." Ranma said, tears threatening to well up in his eyes.
"I don't believe it." Came a very evil sounding voice. Ranma and the others turned tot he door and gasped as they saw Cologne standing at the door.
"You!" Ranma said as he and the girls got up. "You just won't quit, will you?"
"I could ask you the same thing." Cologne said as she walked towards the three teens and the old master.
"I'll admit, I'm surprised someone around here managed to undo the Cat's Tongue. Just who are you?" Cologne asked as she glared at Ranma's master.
"Hmph hmph hmph. I'm surprised you don't remember me, Cologne. But I'll admit, the years were kinder to me than they were to you. I mean, it has been 30 years since the day I was hired to assassinate you when you forced the husband of a crying woman to marry one of your people." Bang said to the Amazon elder. Cologne looked confused but then her eyes widened as her mind stretched back three decades to the time when she remembered someone saying that they had been hired to kill her because of her enforcing Amazon law.
"It can't be...Exploding Fist Bang?" She said. Bang chuckled as Ranma and the others looked at Bang in confusion.
"Wait...Exploding Fist?" Ranma asked.
"I thought you said your name was Silver Fang Bang?" Lum added. Bang sighed.
"It's a long story." Bang said, before glaring at the old Amazon.
"One I thought I left behind a long time ago. Never thought I'd see you again. You've gotten smaller." He said to the old woman. Cologne glared at him.
"Just stay out of this Bang. This is an Amazon matter, it doesn't concern you." Cologne said, her grip tightening on her stick.
"Really? Still on about that forced Amazon law crap?" Bang said as he got up and walked towards Cologne, his hands making cracking sounds as he clenched his fists.
"Look Bang, that boy bested my great-granddaughter and by law he is her betrothed. So just hand him over." Cologne said, a pale green battle aura starting to form around her body.
"Heh, funny. He doesn't seem to be interested in your great-granddaughter from where I'm standing. This boy also happens to be MY student. So anything that happens to him is business of mine." Bang said, a pale blue battle aura enveloping him.
"Need I remind you, 'boy', that the last time we saw each other YOU lost that fight?" Cologne said as she cracked her neck. Bang chuckled.
"Lost? Dear elder, my brother stopped us before I could get serious. But if this MUST resort to violence...may we step outside like rational people?" Bang asked. Cologne chuckled.
"I'm going to enjoy finishing you like I should have done years ago."
And with that, both masters vanished in a blur of pure speed! Everyone watching gasped at the sight.
"Whoa." Ranma said as he dashed to the door.
"Darling!" Lum said as she went after her boyfriend.
"Hey! Wait up!" Benten said as she followed the two.
Ranma and the others got to the door and were shocked at the shockwave that hit them. Ranma braced himself as he looked out and saw his master and the old crone clashing with each other. The shockwave was formed when Bang and Cologne charged at each other and their fists crashed into one another.
Cologne leapt at Bang and tried to take his head off, but Bang blocked the kick to his head and chopped at Cologne's torso. Cologne coughed and landed on the ground, going into a spinning sweep kick, but Bang casually jumped over it and tried to stomp the old Amazon into the ground.
Cologne rolled on the ground and thrust her stick into Bang's chest, or rather tried to. Bang dodged and used the old Amazon's momentum to throw her across the street. Cologne flipped in the air and prepared to attack again, only to find Bang in front of her and striking at her with blinding speed.
"The Kachu Tenshin Amaguriken!? Where did you learn that!?" Cologne said as she blocked and parried the old master.
"After our fight 30 years ago, I spent a lot of time training around China and Japan. I picked up this move from one of your Amazon's that decided to leave your tribe!" Bang said as he did a series of spinning kicks in the air, knocking the Amazon elder back.
As the two masters landed on the ground, Cologne charged at Bang and swung her staff with enough force to send air pressure blades at him. Bang countered by calming his breathing and channeling his ki into his fist, causing them to glow.
"Ryusui-jin." He said and his hands moved in a way that seemed to surround him in a barrier of rapid movements.
Ranma and the others gasped as Cologne's attacks were countered by Bangs defensive move. Smirking, Bang dashed in between Cologne's attacks and struck at her with several punches, but Cologne managed to block them, but she found the hard way that she was blocking fewer than before. She tried to disengage but Bang swirled behind her and pulled her into a powerful knee strike, nailing her in the back of the head before throwing her into a wall.
Cologne coughed and gasped as Bang rushed in again, but she avoided his attack and stuck out with her stick again but Bang blocked it, just as she wanted him too. She moved in close and did a feint towards his eyes before whipping her hair into his face and using the distraction to launch a kick to his chest.
Bang blocked the kick and weaved through the Amazon elders' attacks before striking out with a bow and arrow kick that sent her to the ground. Cologne struck the ground and caused an explosion that sent Bang back and gave her the breathing room she needed.
"Same no Ken!" She cried, smashing her hands together over a puddle of water and shooting it at Bang in the form of a shark's head.
"WOW!" Ranma creid in astonishment.
"Holy cow!" Benten joined in.
"Hmph! Not as big or as powerful without a larger body of water, is it?" Bang said as he leapt at the shark head and unleashed his own attack.
"Minamo Giri!" He cried out, kicking at the shark head with a ki infused aerial round house kick that sliced through it like a hot knife through butter.
As soon as he landed on the ground, Bang entered a flowing movement that Cologne recognized from her earlier fight with Ranma.
"Ryuryu Mai." Bang said as he entered the flowing dance of punches and kicks that encircled Cologne from all sides.
Cologne dived deep into an ancient defensive technique called Seikuken to try and avoid and counter Bangs' strikes, but she was finding it harder to do. Bang finally managed to pierce her guard and struck with a perfect combination of speed, power and precession, sending the old Amazon flying backwards again.
Bang charged again, but Cologne struck the ground again, causing another explosion to blind Bang. She leapt high into the air and kicked the old man, only to find her punches and kicks either meeting air or being deflected by his almost impenetrable defense. Bang spun around her and shot out a spinning hook kick, only for Cologne to block the attack.
She landed on the ground and tried to take his legs out from under him, but Bang flipped over her and tried to end the fight with an axe kick, but Cologne avoided it and lashed out with a barrage of Amaguriken punches. Bang chuckled and met her blow for blow, causing shockwaves to shoot out from their clashing fists.
"You've actually gotten better, sonny boy!" Cologne said as she spun in the air and did several spinning kicks at Bang.
"Whilst you haven't changed your style a bit elder Cologne!" Bang said as he blocked and dodged her kicks.
"You've still got the same old pattern!" And with that, Bang deflected another of Cologne's strikes and moved in close and struck her dead center.
"Shichi no Kata: Shizuku Hamon Tsuki!" Bang shouted as he launched a ki infused spear hand strike at Cologne, sending her flying across the street. Cologne huffed and puffed as she tried to regain her breath.
"Why you!" She said. Bang just smirked as he started to weave his hands in a wave like pattern.
"Ryusui Gansaiken, Jyu no kata: Seisei Ruten!"
With that, Bang's hands, feet and whole body seemed to be covered in ki and he took off towards the fallen Amazon elder. Cologne gasped as she tried to defend against Bangs' latestonslaughtt of attacks, but it was no use. Bang seemed to be gaining more speed and power the more he moved around the Amazon, striking at her with punches, elbows, chops, knees, and kicks that soon made it look like Bang was covered in an aura shaped like a blue dragon!
Bang struck at Cologne, strikes going high and low, left and right, his rhythm breaking with every attack, making it hard to predict his movements. The dragon encased his strikes, making her feel like she was fighting an actual dragon. With every attack, his blows came home more and more often, sending the Amazon back more and more until finally, Bang landed a dragon headed finishing double palm strike.
Cologne felt the air leave her chest as she was sent flying one final time, crashing and rolling on the ground. For the first time in years, feeling the cold, bitter taste of being defeated by someone better than her. Bang huffed as he stretched out his muscles and gazed at the struggling old woman.
"My, I must be finally losing it in my old age. 10 years ago, this would have been over much sooner." He said with a smile.
Ranma stared stary eyed at his master. He knew that he was holding back during their fight, but he had no idea he was holding back THIS MUCH! Even Lum was amazed by what she had just seen. But the two of them weren't the only ones that were gazing in wonder at the battle they just witnessed.
Benten had stars in her eyes as she saw what was by far the most epic battle she had ever seen. She figured that the man that trained Ranma must be a tough son of a gun, but THIS...
"...Whoa." She said. "That...was...COOL!"
"How did you do that!?" She said as she ran up to the age-old master. Bang chuckled at the young girl's excitment.
"I've trained really hard for many years. but still, I think I might be getting a little rusty. Oh well." Bang said with a shrug. Cologne groaned as she got up and glared at Bang.
"Ok. I'll admit you won this round. But mark my words Bang, that boy will be my Shampoo's bride groom." And with that, Cologne leapt away as fast as she could. Bang sighed as he shook his head at the stubborn old woman that he actually wished he had finished off all those years ago.
"Master?" Ranma started to ask, only for Benten to cut him off.
"DUDE! Please tell me you can teach me how to fight like that!" Benten said as she practically bounced up and down.
"I'm sorry to tell you this miss, Benten was it? But, I don't think I can teach you." Bang said, deflating Benten's excitement.
"What?" She said.
"Why not master? I mean, I'm sure she could learn if she tried." Ranma said, with Lum nodding in agreement.
"Yeah. Benten's a good fighter already, she'll learn quick. I'm sure of it." Lum said. Bang took a deep breath.
"It's not that I'm questioning her ability to learn, it's just that I don't think my style is a good fit for her." Bang said.
"Oh." Ranma replied. "I guess you might have a point."
"What do you mean he has a point?" Benten shot at Ranma.
"Not every martial art works for everyone. If someone doesn't have a good affinity for a particular style, then they may not be able to bring out their full potential. Shishou is saying that his style may not be the best fit for you Benten. And, to be honest, now that I think about it, he may be right." Ranma said, making his alien biker girlfriend look depressed. Fortunately, master Bang came to the rescue.
"Now now, don't pout. Just because my style isn't a good fit for you doesn't mean that there isn't style that'll be perfect for you. In fact, if you're up for a little field trip, I think I may know someone that just might teach a style that you'd be perfect for."
And with that, Bang led the three teens into a nearby town where the person he thought would be a good teacher for Benten lived. But as they headed out, Ranma couldn't get something Cologne said out of his head.
"Yo, sensei? What was that about the old bat calling you 'Exploding Fist Bang' and being hired to kill her?" Ranma asked his mentor. Bang took a deep breath and let out a long sigh.
"It was a long time ago my boy. Back in my reckless youth." Bang said.
"Back in my younger years, I used a style very different from my Fist of Flowing Water, Smashing Rock, and lied a very different life style too. Back then...I was a mercenary." He said, catching Ranma off guard.
"WHAT!? A mercenary!? You mean you used to be a hired killer!?" Ranma said with a gasp.
"Huh!?" Lum said, also taken aback.
"Wait, you used to kill people for money?" Benten asked. Bang sighed with a look of regret.
"Yes. I wasn't exactly a very good person back in those days. I was young, arrogant, fool of myself, you name it. Back then, all I cared about was money, women, power, and doing whatever I could to get them."
"The style I created and used back then reflected that philosophy of mine. It was called 'Bakushin Kaiho-ken' or Exploding Heart Release Fist. A style solely meant to destroy anyone who got in my way. I hired myself out to anyone who could afford me, and did whatever dirty job they asked me to do."
"One day, I was contacted by a woman in China. A woman who said her husband had been abducted by the Amazon tribe of the Bayankala mountains. She paid a good sum of money so I took the job. I went to their village and found out that the guy was forced to marry some girl that he beat in a fight."
"The woman who hired me, after she found out what happened to her husband, paid me a lot more money to kill the woman who stole her husband. I went back and beat the girl and her friends easily. That's when elder Cologne arrived and challenged me. We fought, and I found myself starting to get serious. If I had really gone all out, I not only would have won, but I would have killed that woman." Bang said.
"So, why didn't you?" Ranma asked.
"Yeah, what stopped you?" Benten added.
"Not what. Who." Bang said.
"It was my older brother, Bomb. He arrived and stopped our fight, knocking the both of us out from behind. I woke up and found myself face to face with my brother. I argued with him and asked him why he would get in my way. The pain in the neck, he chewed me out for how I had wasted both my talent and my life."
"I wanted so badly to shut him up that I challenged him to a duel. In the end, I lost. Badly. I lost so badly that I started to see what my brother had been trying to tell me all these years."
"So what, he literally beat some sense into you or something?" Benten asked. Bang chuckled.
"In a word, yes. That's exactly what the old goat did. He beat me so badly that I took his advice and did some soul searching. I abandoned the Bakushin Kaiho-ken and dedicated my life to creating a new style of martial arts. One that reflects the values that I had come to learn from my masters and my brother. And that's how I ended up the man I am now." Bang said.
Ranma was astounded by what he had heard. He had no idea what kind of skeletons his master was hiding in his closet. And now that he knew, he was glad he met this version of master Bang, cause chances are, he wouldn't like the past version of him. But this Exploding Heart Release Fist style did catch his attention. He wished he could learn it, but if his master got rid of it, then he was sure he had his reasons for it.
Benten and Lum were also amazed by the older man's story. Benten was even wondering what kind of person this Bomb guy was. And she also wondered just what kind of fighter he was if he could defeat someone as strong as the old man in front of her. After some more time raveling, Bang came to a stop.
"We're here." He said. Ranma and the others looked up at the sign on the dojo they were in front of and Ranma let out a loud gasp.
"NO WAY! You were talking about Sho Kamui!?" Ranma shouted. In front of them was a sign that showed a man in a red Karate Gi with the words 'Kamui Ryu Full Contact Karate Do'.
"I'm not surprised you know of him Ranma." Bang said with a smirk. Lum and Benten, however, were still confused.
"Um, Darling, who is this Sho guy?" Lum asked.
"Yeah. What, is he some kind of big deal?" Benten asked.
"Big deal!?" Ranma said, turning to the two girls. "Heck yeah he's a big deal! He's one of the biggest deals in Japan! In the past, Sho Kamui was one of the greatest Karate fighters in the whole country! Around that time, people were starting to say that Karate wasn't practical for the modern world, but he wanted to show that it was."
"He traveled the world, challenging many fighters and winning a lot of tournaments. He practically revived Karate not just in Japan but around the world. He's a living legend! And, well, a little bit of a hero of mine." Ranma admitted.
"A hero of yours, huh?" Lum said with a smirk.
"(Whistle) Wow. This guy sure sounds like a real tough guy." Benten said, her curiosity peaked.
And with that, the four went in. The first thing that the two girls noticed was the heavy hint of sweat in the air. Lum covered her nose in disgust, but Benten, to her, she could tell that this was a place that REAL fighters worked out. Out on the dojo floor, men and women in gis were sparring and working of techniques. And in front of them all, was a man in his thirties but he looked younger, in a red gi with a black belt with 5 stripes on it, leading the class.
Upon seeing the people who just came in, Sho smiled and bowed to Bang and his guests, who bowed in return. He told the class to continue and walked over to his guests.
"Hello Bang-shishou. Long time no see. And who are your three friends here?" He asked.
"The boy is my student, Ranma Saotome, and these two are his girlfriends actually." Bang said, causing the two girls to blush and Ranma to just bow.
"Sho-sensei, it's an honor sir." Ranma said, smiling like he just met the biggest celebrity he would ever meet.
"Oh yeah, I remember now. You're that kid who saved the world. Nice to meet ya kid." Sho said, holding out his hand. Ranma shook it and smiled broadly.
"And to be honest, this girl here, Benten, is interested in studying martial arts. And I thought your style would be a good fit for her." Bang said. Sho looked Benten up and down.
"Hmm, she seems in good shape. But I've got to warn you, my style is pretty tough." Sho said. Benten smirked.
"Oh, I can take it. I'm not afraid of getting hit in the face. Bring it on."
As Sho was listening to Benten, he couldn't help but notice Ranma looking like he wanted to ask something.
"Something on your mind kid?" He asked. Ranma nodded.
"Well, Sho-sensei, I was wondering...Would, would you spar with me? Please?" Ranma asked with a bow. Sho chuckled.
"Sure. Why not? I've been itching for a little action." Sho turned to his class and whistled to get their attention.
"Alright class! You're all in for a treat. We've got some guests here today and one of them is the kid who saved the world. And the two of us are about to have at it. So take a seat and make sure you take notes of this fight." Sho said.
The students did as their master said and Ranma came onto the mat. The two red clad warriors bowed to each other, took up their respective fighting stances and went at it!
Ranma came in with a double lift kick and then a left/right cross combo but Sho avoided his attacks and retaliated with a side-stepping, spinning back fist. Ranma blocked it and went for leg sweep but Sho lifted his leg to avoid it and snapped a side kick to Ranma's ribs followed by snapping round house kick to the face.
Ranma stumbled back and was forced to dodge, block and parry as Sho came in with spinning back kick, back fist, right cross and round kick. Ranma smiled as he slipped out of Sho's range and faked a spinning hook kick before doing a rolling thunder kick that caught Sho off guard, smacking him in the face and taking him to the ground.
Ranma flipped back to his feet and jumped back to avoid Sho's spinning sweep kicks. Sho came in with an uppercut but Ranma leaned back enough to avoid it and parried and trapped Sho's follow up punch to come in with his own punch. He shot a knee to his ribs and did a push kick to create some distance before doing a jump spinning back kick to send Sho further back.
Sho grinned as he looked up at Ranma and charged in with his own attack. He did a jump spinning heel kick that Ranma dodged, causing Sho to roll forward before he turned and nailed Ranma with three aerial spin kicks. Ranma fell and just barely had enough time to roll away as Sho tried to axe kick the downed marital artist. Ranma did a upwards axe kick to force Sho back and then rolled on the ground to kick at his knees and then stomach.
Sho stepped back from the second kick and Ranma when in with a 360 axe kick but Sho dodged and struck Ranma with a left hook. Ranma blocked the follow up right uppercut and struck with his right elbow at Sho, catching him in the chest and then shooting a backfist to the face. Sho stepped back and shot a left round house kick that caught Ranma in the ribs before doing a front snap kick and then he really surprised him.
"Shippu Seiken Tsuki!" He called out as he fired a barrage of rapid fire punches similar to the Kacchu Tenshin Amaguriken.
"Hey! That's just like the move he used on me!" Benten said as she watched the fight with intense interest.
Ranma landed hard on the ground but grinned as he got up. This was starting to get fun. He charged at Sho and faked a jump spinning kick before snapping out a back fist and then a side kick. After that, he blocked Sho's next kick and kicked him before throwing him over his shoulder. Sho coughed as he landed and kicked at Ranma's head, sending him back.
Sho flipped to his feet and tried to crescent kick Ranma, but the pigtailed boy leapt over his idols strike and fired a barrage of kicks to the back of his head. Sho managed to block the kicks and did a sweep to Ranma's legs as he descended, taking him down. But Ranma rolled and used his legs to scissor sweep Sho.
They both looked at each other before smirking and rolling away before getting to their feet and going at each other again. Ranma came in fast with a tornado kick, spinning hook kick and then a cartwheel kick aimed at Sho's collar bone. Sho grunted from the last kick and Ranma came in with a fake out back fist and then a jump spinning side kick.
Sho caught Ranma's jump kick and twisted his ankle, sending Ranma flying, but the pigtailed boy managed to spin in the air and right himself so he could land safely. He looked up at the older martial artist and smirked before meeting his idols next assault. Sho came in hot with a barrage of punches and kicks but Ranma met them with just as much fire.
A punch to the gut was blocked and then followed with a kick to the head. That was then dodged and countered with a right hook punch and a spinning heel kick and side thrust kick. Punches were blocked and parried at high speeds before Ranma tried an axe kick and rapid Amaguriken barrage before Sho struck with an inside crescent kick and spinning back kick.
Ranma fell back and rolled to his feet as he took up his stance again. Sho grinned at the younger man as he came in again. Ranma faked a let jab before launching a double lift kick and then a spinning hook kick that was really just the set up for a ridge hand strike to the head.
Sho blocked and struck with an elbow to Ranma's ribs before doing a hammer fist to the back of the young boy's neck. Ranma fell hard and just had enough time to roll away before Sho could get him again. Ranma then spun to his back and did a mule kick to Sho's chest, sending him back and giving Ranma enough time to flip back to his feet and come charging in with a front flip kick.
Sho ate the kick and was on the receiving end of a Ranma's left round kick, left/right one-two combo, and a high snap kick to the head. Sho stumbled back but then snuck under Ranma's next punch and caught his follow up right kick and did a sweep to take him down but Ranma kick himself free and did a few Capoeira kicks to give himself room before jumping back to create some distance.
"Ok. That's enough. Let's call it a draw here." Sho said. Knowing that if they kept going, the two of them would start using techniques that could really damage the dojo. Ranma smiled and nodded before bowing to his long time idol.
"Arigato Gosai Masu, Sho-sensei." Ranma said as Sho returned the bow and the class started clapping at seeing such a good but sadly short fight.
Benten had stars in her eyes as she watched her boyfriend and this idol of his spar. The more she watched the more she was starting to like what she saw. She could tell the two of them were holding back, but to be fair, it didn't matter to her. If this guy could give Ranma a run for his money, then chances are, after training with him, she'd be able to catch up to the pigtailed boy.
"So, miss Benten, what do you think?" Lum asked.
"Sign me up!" The red haired girl said overjoyed. Sho smiled at her before turning to Ranma and shook his hand.
"You're pretty good kid. If you ever want to spar again, just let me know. Maybe next time we can both stop holding back." He said. Ranma's smile threatened to tear his face apart.
"Sure thing!" He said.
After finalizing everything, Ranma and the others left the dojo. Benten was practically jumping with joy.
"Boy! That was awesome! You better watch out Ranma. With a teacher like that, I'll catch up to you and get some payback before too long!" She said, throwing some jabs in the air. Ranma chuckled at his alien biker girlfriend.
"I'll be looking forward to it Benten-chan. Trust me, you'll like having Sho-sensei as a mentor."
Benten beamed and grabbed onto Ranma's arm, pulling it in between her D-cup breasts.
"So, I guess we walk home then?" She asked as Lum grabbed a hold of Ranma's other arm.
"Yeah, let's go Darling."
Poor Ranma could only blush as his two girlfriends dragged him off as Bang laughed at his student's predicament.