Chapter 20: Getting to Know Each Other Better

In the weeks that followed, Ranma often thought about what Saiga had told him. He was troubled, though he hid it well. He couldn't help but think that, if they were all truly in danger, he was taking on a huge responsibility. They were all running a serious risk.

Trust.

Sincerity.

Responsibility.

It always revolves around these three elements or the lack thereof, doesn't it?

Saiga had also told him a couple of other crucial things.

I haven't discovered anything specific yet, but know this: you and your friends are constantly being watched. There must be a reason for this, so be careful.

It's very important that you tell Sakaki and everyone else that the shipment of weapons you stopped a few months ago was just a cover: in reality, hidden on the ship, there were certain unknown chemicals from Southeast Asia, which are currently being processed in a top-security research center just outside the Kanto*. I'll try to infiltrate it, but it won't be easy.

Finally, and this is the most important thing of all, you need to tell my father that the members of the Eight Shining Executioner Blades plan to come to Japan in the near future. I don't yet know when it will happen, but they will. They've developed methods to go anywhere without leaving traces, so the authorities might not be aware. It would be wise for Shigure to prepare tekkou for everyone as well...

Ranma would never forget the expression on the Masters' faces when he summoned them one morning, while the students were at school, to tell them about the meeting with the Elder's son. They were all stunned with surprise, and that didn't happen often.

"Anyway, this is so typical of Saiga," commented Akisame. "Using Ranma to deliver such a message without coming here directly, thus not letting our enemies know he's warned us."

"Yeah, but warned us ABOUT WHAT?" Sakaki cursed, squeezing the beer can in his hand until it exploded.

"We know nothing specific, and we might have to face the Eight Shining Executioner Blades. Damn it... thinking they pulled this off right under our noses... I KNEW it was too strange that they'd hire two like Agaard and Sogetsu just to guard a shipment... especially with orders to withdraw as soon as it was unloaded on Japanese soil. The real target was something else! They used those smugglers without their knowledge!"

"Which tells us how important this operation is," Kensei mused, "if they used such an elaborate plan. You have nothing to blame yourself for, Sakaki-kun. That smuggling operation was incredibly complex, and you dismantled it flawlessly. Who could have imagined..."

"Anyway," Hayato began, making the room fall silent, "a preparation like this couldn't have been developed by just anyone. I can almost sense a superior mind behind all this. I recognize the modus operandi..."

"Yes, I think so too," Akisame confirmed. "Now that I think about it, there's another significant detail: the smuggling ship was called NEREUS. Now, Nereus was a mythical marine deity of ancient Greece, able, like the more famous Proteus, to change shape. A metaphor for the fact that the real target wasn't the weapons but the chemicals. A kind of mockery, placed right under our noses. Almost a signature of the executor... someone passionate about all things ancient..."

Ranma was subsequently dismissed, told not to worry, as the Masters would organize surveillance shifts for the students, while Shigure would work, as much as possible, to prepare protections that would allow them to face armed opponents more confidently.

The pigtailed boy felt a bit guilty for not revealing the other part of the message, but on this, Saiga had trusted his judgment and left him free to act as he saw fit.

However, even upon closer analysis, he didn't truly believe it plausible that one among Kuno, Ryoga, and Mousse was a traitor working for Yami. He was convinced that, on this, even the unfathomable Saiga Furinji was mistaken.

To be safe, he still tried to discreetly follow his friends a couple of times each, as they left training, but this led nowhere.

Kenichi, Miu, and Renka were kept in the dark by Hayato's order so as not to distract them from their upcoming exams. They would be informed in due time.

Again, Ranma felt bad about hiding something so significant from them, but it was true: making them live in anxiety without any idea of what form the threat might take would have been pointless.

They would just be stressed and less sharp when the threat did arrive if they spent weeks or months chasing shadows.

The students graduated without any problems and all with excellent results at the end of March*.

To celebrate the occasion, two big parties were held: one at Ryozampaku, attended by Ryoga, Mousse, Kuno, and Nodoka (who had grown fond of Kenichi and Miu), and another with the Shimpaku Alliance members. This one started at their headquarters—Ranma was happy to return there under peaceful circumstances—and continued at various venues they frequented on their weekend outings.

Thor, Nijima, and the eight Valkyries had also successfully graduated, and naturally, all their friends joined in the celebrations.

On this occasion, Miu told Ranma he seemed tense—indeed, he couldn't help but watch for any attacks now that he knew—but he eventually relaxed. It was unlikely that Yami would try something in the middle of Tokyo's nightlife.

The celebrations also brought surprises: after MONTHS of dating, Ukita and Freya went public as a couple, receiving everyone's praise, with comments like "FINALLY!" or "You two look great together." Ranma noticed that she blushed but seemed serene, while Ukita—who had always been bulky but now looked more muscular, defined, and at the same time more agile since training with Koetsuji at Ryozampaku—appeared awkward but confident, as if it was the first thing in his life he was truly sure about.

Kisara congratulated them both without any apparent embarrassment.

But no surprise was as big as the person who accompanied Takeda. The boxer showed up with his new flame: none other than Rachel Stanley!

After an initial moment of shock and a near attack by 19 against 2, tempers calmed down, with Takeda trying to explain, very embarrassed, that after all the times Rachel had fought on their side and left Yomi, he thought she deserved at least a chance.

Initially, this left many of them puzzled, but before long, they were all partying together like old friends.

Rachel looked slightly different but not too much: she still loved being the center of attention and didn't fail to provoke the men's gazes with her ample curves barely contained by her cowgirl outfit—a fringed brown leather vest and miniskirt. Not content, she also wore Texan boots and a cowboy hat, as if to emphasize her home country.

When she crossed paths with Renka, her great rival, there were cold courtesies, but halfway through the evening, the blonde shocked everyone by giving Takeda a long, fiery kiss, heedless of all the stares.

Finally, Diego Carlo's student had a sly look after glancing first at Ranma and Miu, then at Kenichi and Renka. Why, the pigtailed boy couldn't say.

Finally, at one point, Kisara gave everyone another reason to celebrate by announcing in advance that she had passed the entrance exam for the University of Tokyo, Faculty of Economics and Commerce.

The announcement sparked a wave of cheers and screams and led to another round of drinks (there were quite a few by then). Ranma warmly congratulated her, which surprised and moved her, and he promised to tell "Ranko" if Kisara wanted or let her do it herself, depending on her preference.

The night ended with an impromptu concert at their favorite bar, with Kisara singing, Siegfrid on guitar, Tsuji on bass, and Thor on drums. Amidst the chaos that ensued, Ranma found himself pulled away by Miu for a passionate make-out session away from prying eyes, but he still couldn't help worrying.

And it was at that moment, before getting lost in her face, that he realized he hadn't seen Kenichi and Renka for quite some time...

April was rushing by swiftly.

Ranma continued training at Ryozanpaku in the mornings and coaching Kisara as Ranko in the afternoons. However, the latter had started university classes, so they could only train two or three times a week.

On the other hand, Ryoga, Mousse, and Kuno had gotten to know Kenichi, Miu, and Renka much better, as they all trained together in the mornings.

As expected, Miu and Renka had no plans to attend university—or rather, Renka had some projects in mind but mentioned wanting to take a gap year to decide first—while Kenichi had pre-enrolled in Modern Literature at Tokyo Public University, though it would be months before he could take the admission exam.

Morning training sessions had become even more enjoyable now that everyone was participating, though, naturally, the additional free time and proximity led to heightened competitiveness among the students.

It was fascinating to see the various trainees sparring lightly against one another, allowing them to compare techniques.

Ranma could finally observe the real progress of all his friends, both old and new. Normally, he was either training himself or coaching Kisara, so he hadn't noticed their current skill levels. He had to admit that everyone had improved tremendously.

Ryoga had become much faster, less stiff in his movements—though not exactly fluid yet—and was more strategic in choosing techniques rather than relying solely on brute strength. At the same time, training with Apachai had made him favor Muay Thai's devastating knee and elbow strikes and shin-based kicks instead of foot-based ones. He was slowly learning to control his Dou Ki, enhancing his power without losing control and without needing to sink into despair during combat to summon his energy.

Mousse, meanwhile, had finally decided to focus on a carefully chosen selection of weapons rather than wielding an endless variety poorly. His arsenal now included a collapsible staff, a longsword, two sabers, a pair of wide, short knives, half a dozen throwing daggers, about twenty darts, a weighted rope, and another rope with a grappling hook. He had achieved a much higher level of proficiency with each of these weapons (and Ranma suspected he still hid plenty of other useful gadgets, just like the gifts he'd been given).

At the same time, Mousse hadn't neglected his physical training or hand-to-hand combat. He was generally slightly faster than Ranma but less strong, moved very fluidly, and was the most skilled at kicking. The Chinese martial artist also had excellent control over Sei Ki. Overall, Ranma reasoned, Mousse might even be his toughest opponent, especially if he chose to use his prodigious intellect to develop complex strategies.

As for Kuno, he seemed to have mastered the ability to imbue his sword strikes with maximum speed and power. He had trained to counter various fighting styles and weapon-wielding opponents (even sparring with the Valkyries from the Shimpaku Alliance on occasion).

Additionally, he had refined his ability to launch wind blades for ranged combat and could now summon his Dou Ki for a power boost without needing to smash a melon over his head. Overall, he was still less powerful than the other two, but he had still grown significantly.

The Ryozanpaku disciples had also made enormous progress.

Ranma had a vague idea of this because he watched their weekly training matches and fought them two-on-one once a month.

However, it was incredible to see how quickly each of them advanced. They were still far behind him or his friends, but he estimated they had all reached Expert level.

Observing Kenichi's improvement in combining various martial arts styles, Ranma felt a surge of pride similar to what he experienced when training Kisara—he had set up Kenichi's training with that goal in mind, and now he was seeing the results.

Overall, Kenichi seemed much better defensively, likely taking less damage in combat, and his combinations appeared increasingly logical. Undoubtedly, the young man was developing his personal style.

Miu had no such deficiency: the blonde martial artist loved the strange, unpredictable, acrobatic moves of the Furinji clan even more than Kenichi and was shaping them into a nearly flawless new martial art. It overwhelmed opponents like a whirlwind, attacking from every direction without overexposing herself.

Renka, by contrast—perhaps owing to her Sei practitioner nature—fought more calculatedly to avoid the reckless mistakes she had made in the past. Her vibrant personality was less evident during combat. Instead, she relied on the vast repertoire of Chinese Kung Fu techniques, particularly the Ma family's advanced moves. Renka preferred to lure her opponent into traps, making them believe they had the advantage, deflecting their attacks while leading them step by step into positions where she could weaken them with strikes to the limbs, vital points, or solar plexus before finishing them with one of her secret techniques.

They're all so completely different, Ranma mused, each pursuing their unique path, yet all aiming for the same peak, and every path is equally effective. That's the beauty of martial arts.

Watching them spar against one another was a spectacle. These matches were necessary for their growth, as only by confronting different styles and individuals could they refine their skills to be effective against as many opponents as possible.

Ranma found himself observing an unusual training session: Kenichi against Kuno, Renka versus Mousse, and Miu facing Ryoga.

For so long, the two worlds of Nerima and Ryozanpaku had been separate, and now they were merging.

It had been Hayato's idea to hold this light sparring session, using Rock-Paper-Scissors to decide the matchups: over the following days, they would try every possible combination.

Kenichi seemed very focused, wearing his Tekkou and asking Kuno to use a real sword instead of a wooden bokken. This was to better confront his fears of fighting armed opponents. Tatewaki had been impressed by Kenichi's courage and respected his wish.

Mousse, meanwhile, had the demeanor of a professor even during his sparring with Renka. As she attacked him in every possible way, he deflected her blows with a certain grace, sliding backward while correcting her every mistake as if grading a math test.

Such behavior would have annoyed anyone else, but Renka seemed unfazed, staying impassive and even implementing his suggestions in real-time, becoming increasingly effective. Having been immersed in martial arts since childhood, she never missed an opportunity to learn from an Advanced Expert.

The least well-matched bout was between Miu and Ryoga. Both were Dou fighters, and Ryoga struggled with the idea of fighting a girl. She was using her Ki to enhance herself, while he wasn't, and he had to admit that her fighting style was even more unpredictable than Ranma's. This allowed him to focus on developing his defense and ability to track his opponent's movements, as he was still at a higher level.

Yet both felt something during their fight: a certain unease, as if they lacked chemistry, and Miu seemed to harbor a hint of distrust toward him, stemming from his past with Ranma, which she hadn't entirely forgiven, even if Ranma had. Additionally, something about the surrounding environment distracted or unsettled her slightly.

We're Dou fighters, Ryoga reflected. We use our emotions to power ourselves, but does that mean...when we use Ki, we're more attuned to the feelings and emotions of those around us? What is this girl sensing right now? Let's see...

The bandana-clad boy expanded his Ki and, as he had been taught, tried to sense what was happening while continuing to defend against Miu. The voices and noises of the field echoed in his mind, muffled, as if he were underwater.

She's worried about Kenichi because Kuno is using a real sword…but it's Kenichi himself who's asking for serious attacks—I can hear him shouting, "AGAIN!"
Strange, the boy seems different than usual—more serious, almost…grim? No, he's determined, as if training to harm someone. How odd…

And then…Renka and Mousse are training marvelously together; they have great synergy. Someone might even say they make a good pair. In fact, I hadn't noticed how much that girl resembles Shampoo, but she doesn't have the constant arrogant attitude the Amazon always had…Yet Mousse doesn't seem to have any strange ideas about her…Still, has Kenichi noticed their synergy? Is he upset about it, too? Is he…jealous of her? I can't tell…

And Miu…has she noticed it, too, and is she…jealous of Kenichi's jealousy? That doesn't make sense. Did she realize it because she's also using Dou Ki? Or is it…not just that?

Both she and Kenichi seemed troubled, as if they felt guilty. As if, from the moment they realized they were jealous... they felt ashamed for something else they were doing, something that prevented them from openly expressing their feelings. But what…

Miu's kick came straight at Ryoga's face. He almost missed it.
But Ryoga Hibiki caught the sole of her shoe mid-air with his hand. She had still come close.

"Woah! If you're going to train with me, take it seriously," the blonde scolded him. It was unusual to hear her speak so sternly to someone. "If you're daydreaming while fighting, I'll end up hitting you. And if it's too easy, it won't be good training for me anyway."

"Kid, it's not that easy to hit Ryoga Hibiki. I assure you, at my level, I can spar with you guys and still be aware of what's going on around me."

"Well, I'd prefer you didn't. Focus on the fight."

Ryoga seemed sulky. She clearly didn't trust him, but he still wanted to help her.

"Actually, you seemed distracted yourself. Maybe it's a side effect of using Dou Ki, but... worrying about others won't help your training. Or maybe you should resolve your unfinished business first."

Miu looked annoyed. She lowered her arms and sighed in frustration.

"I'm not in the right mood anymore. It's clear this training session is a waste of time. Maybe tomorrow will be better." She started walking toward the main building.

She carefully avoided looking at Ranma even once to prevent suspicion, and he did the same. But from atop the barrel where he was perched, the boy with the pigtail had seen everything and wondered what the problem was.

To be honest, he was already downcast about not participating. Hayato had specifically asked him to stay out because the six other practitioners didn't know each other well, and it was more beneficial for them to clash among themselves. But now a spot had opened up.

He lazily jumped down from the barrel and gave Ryoga a neutral look. Then, he began to stretch his shoulders and neck.

"What do you say, Ryoga? How about we have a little sparring session, just like old times?"

The boy with the bandana was a bit surprised but also cheered by the suggestion. He hadn't fought Ranma since the day their lives had been turned upside down when his secret was revealed to Akane. And that day was the only time in their lives when they had fought with real anger, intending to seriously hurt each other.

Even though they had made peace, it was a good sign that Ranma wanted to have a friendly sparring match with him. It meant he trusted him again. At the same time, both of them seemed downhearted, and a good fight would certainly do them good.

While the two squared off and began to lightly build up their Ki, the other two training matches had reached a critical moment.

Kenichi had caught Kuno's katana with a perfect Shinken Shirahadori*, but now he was being pushed down by his opponent's strength and couldn't maintain his grip. He looked frustrated, as if he didn't want to embarrass himself in front of the others.

Renka, on the other hand, was completely trapped in a hold by Mousse. He was gently gripping her neck with one arm, holding her turned away from him, her head locked in a hold, while restraining her wrist with his other hand. She struggled to break free, but it was futile, and her opponent kept telling her to surrender.

But everything came to a halt when they felt the Ki of those two escalating.

Mousse and Kuno turned their gazes to the right, their eyes distant, lost in memories. Then, they released their opponents simultaneously and began to retreat to the porch.

"Hey! Where are you going, Kuno? I hadn't lost yet!" Kenichi protested.

"Yeah! Mousse! What are you doing? The match wasn't over at all!" Renka said vehemently.

"Oh, yes, they were. Both of them," Kuno stated.

"And in any case, you'd better not stay there," Mousse added, "or you'll get caught in the crossfire. Trust me, I speak from experience. What's about to start is not just any fight."

The two rookies turned their surprised gazes toward the young men, whose Ki levels were reaching astronomical heights as they squared off just a few meters away, as if fate had decided everything. Kenichi and Renka chose to retreat to the porch.

When they seemed ready, both fighters raised their fists into guard positions. They lunged forward simultaneously, as if at a predetermined signal.

Ranma attacked first. A series of light punches to test his opponent's reactions. Ryoga managed to avoid them with head movements. He had improved.

Then it was his turn to throw a few punches with the same intent, but Ranma had no difficulty dodging them either. However, they were feints, setting up for a right knee strike to the body.

Ranma sidestepped to avoid it, moving to Ryoga's left side. He grabbed the outside of Ryoga's left wrist with his left hand to keep it in place, then aimed a backhand strike to the temple with his right fist.

Ryoga ducked, letting it slide over him, and then, with a fluid motion, performed a forward somersault, simultaneously attempting to kick Ranma in the face with his heel.

Ranma stepped back, releasing Ryoga's arm. Ryoga landed on his feet and, to prevent being attacked from behind, launched a blind sidekick.

Ranma, instead, lunged forward to attack Ryoga's exposed face with an elbow strike.

What? He moves like he's skating!

Ryoga blocked the opponent's forearm with his hands but was pushed backward. He used the momentum to fall onto his back while holding onto Ranma's arm and performed a backward roll, spinning their bodies like a wheel. He ended up on top, with Ranma lying on the ground beneath him.

From that position, Ryoga unleashed a barrage of rapid and powerful punches aimed at Ranma's face.

Somehow, Ranma narrowly dodged each one by moving his head side to side at super speed, causing Ryoga's punches to hit only the ground.

Kenichi: "What?"

Renka: "Ranma's dodging from that position?"

Mousse: "And that's just the beginning."

Ranma brought his legs up with a burst of core strength, then delivered a double kick to Ryoga's abdomen, sending him flying into the air.

With an acrobatic move, Ranma flipped back onto his feet and leaped into the air to attack his opponent mid-flight.

Kenichi: "Aerial combat is Ranma's specialty... he has the advantage!"

What would I need to do to beat him one day?

Ranma quickly reached a height of about ten meters, delivering a barrage of punches to Ryoga's stomach, which seemed to have an effect.

But Ryoga recovered quickly, performing a half-turn to deliver a spinning right kick to Ranma's side, sending him hurtling toward one of the garden's tree trunks.

Renka: "What? Ryoga counterattacked from that position?"

Ryoga, too, began to fall, but using the recoil from his own kick, he propelled himself off another tree, jumping forward toward Ranma, who had just done the same.

They collided mid-air again, the recoil sending them flying back to separate trees, repeating the maneuver.

Before long, two figures, too fast to be seen, were darting from tree to tree, meeting at mid-distance and leaving shockwaves at their collision points.

After about half a dozen of these exchanges, the elastic energy ran out, and both fighters let themselves fall to the ground, landing in guard on one leg.

Their breathing was only slightly heavier.

The spectators were stunned.

Then, as if at another signal, the two opponents lunged again, running laterally across the field while exchanging flurries of punches, blocking each other's blows.

Arriving a short distance from the outer wall, they stopped, and Ryoga accepted a punch to the forehead, leaning forward to deliver an uppercut to Ranma's torso, knocking the wind out of him and nearly doubling him over.

Taking advantage of this, the boy with the bandana aimed a kick at Ranma's left side, but struck only air as Ranma leaped up, delivering a right kick to Ryoga's face.

There was an impact, and it seemed Ryoga had been hit, but instead, he had blocked with his forearm.

From there, Ryoga grabbed Ranma's extended leg with both hands, spun halfway, and slammed him to the ground, landing him on his back.

Kenichi: "Ryoga has the upper hand?"

The boy with the bandana leaped toward Ranma on the ground, aiming an axe kick at him, but Ranma rolled to the side, dodging the attack, then delivered two kicks from that position: one to Ryoga's stomach, doubling him over, and another to his chin, launching him backward.

At that point, Ranma sprang to his feet and threw a right punch at Ryoga's face. To everyone's surprise, Ryoga narrowly dodged it, taking advantage of Ranma's extended position to land a knee to his stomach.

He then attempted to finish with a downward elbow strike as Ranma bent over, but Ranma spun on himself with bent legs, narrowly evading the blow. Turning briefly to give Ryoga his back, he completed the spin to land an elbow strike to Ryoga's side.

Ryoga staggered but quickly retaliated, spinning to strike Ranma with a left forearm swing.

Ranma dodged with two backward somersaults before resetting his stance.

Both were slightly out of breath, grinning at each other.

Kuno: "They're evenly matched."

Mousse: "Yes, but soon, one of them will gain the advantage."

They charged at each other, and Ranma struck Ryoga with a right punch to the face. Ryoga countered with a low right kick to Ranma's left leg.

Ranma, taking the hit, let himself fall leftward but used his extended arm to grab Ryoga's collar, projecting him to the ground as he fell.

This time, Ryoga found himself on his back with Ranma on top of him. Unlike Ryoga earlier, Ranma didn't waste the opportunity, raining punches on Ryoga's face.

Despite the predicament, Ryoga smiled. He used a sudden surge of strength to rise, lifting Ranma off the ground in a bear hug.

He squeezed tightly. A sinister CRACK! was heard.

Ranma groaned in pain but managed to strike Ryoga's head on both sides with his palms, shocking him and forcing him to release the hold.

Falling to the ground, Ranma created distance with a palm strike to Ryoga's stomach, only to be simultaneously struck by a left punch to his face.

Both were knocked back, their soles sliding on the grass.
For a moment, they both had to recover, appearing visibly worn.

Then they charged again.

A flurry of blows was exchanged, all blocked.

Ranma aimed a high left kick, which Ryoga intercepted with his shoulder, stopping it from reaching his face. From there, Ryoga curved his arm for a left elbow strike, which Ranma caught, grabbing Ryoga's forearm with both hands.
In doing so, however, Ranma was pushed backward and, standing on one leg from his earlier kick, propelled himself into a backflip, landing a kick to Ryoga's face with his supporting leg.

Landing on his feet, Ranma dashed forward to capitalize on Ryoga's disorientation, grabbing his legs for a wrestling takedown. Ryoga, however, dropped forward, pinning Ranma under his weight, and lifted him onto his shoulders, preparing to execute a powerbomb.

Sensing the danger, Ranma hooked his legs around Ryoga's head, spinning backward and taking him down with a perfect hurricanrana. From there, he attempted a leg chokehold, but Ryoga powered out, countering with a leg lock of his own. Ranma found himself in trouble but exploited a split-second distraction to reverse the situation and lock Ryoga's leg.

Kenichi: "W-wow! Either of them could dislocate the other's knee!"

Mousse: "Yes, but before that happens, surely..."

Both fighters kicked out simultaneously with their free legs, aiming at each other's faces. They crossed their arms in front of their faces to block the strikes, absorbing the impact with their forearms.
The power of the blows pushed them both back, skidding on the grass.

Once again, they stood up and launched into another attack.

Renka: "They're no longer enjoying themselves. They're irritated. They're in a hurry to finish."

A rapid exchange of blows ensued, their arms blurring.
This time, Ryoga broke the stalemate with a powerful right kick to Ranma's ribs.
Ranma blocked it but had to use both forearms, wincing from the impact.

Ryoga smirked and threw a left hook at Ranma's face. Ranma ducked, letting the punch sail overhead, and countered with a devastating right punch to Ryoga's sternum, putting his entire body weight into it.

Ryoga was momentarily stunned but retaliated with a low left hook to Ranma's right side. Ranma winced but spun and delivered a left elbow strike to Ryoga's temple, followed by a right uppercut to his chin.

Ryoga was sent flying backward, blood spraying from his mouth, and landed hard on the ground.
However, after a few seconds, he stood back up, swaying, breathing heavily, and wiping the blood from his mouth with his sleeve. He smirked at Ranma, whose arms hung stiffly at his sides from the earlier block.

"You... you didn't think—huff—that it'd be that easy, did you, Ranma? And anyway... huff... I don't think those arms of yours are looking too good..."

Though, to be honest... I can barely see anything... as if there's two or three Ranmas...

Ranma smirked back.

"Oh, I never thought so, Ryoga... huff... but you should worry about your right leg..."

My right leg? What?

Ryoga tried to step forward and realized he was dragging it—it wouldn't move. It was stiff as a board.

Looking closely, he noticed several marks on it, as if someone had struck pressure points with their knuckles.

W-what? When did he do that? Don't tell me... it was right after that block?

"Aaaaand, let's say that's enough for today."

It was Master Akisame, who had suddenly appeared between them so fast it seemed like teleportation, kicking up a small dust cloud where he landed.

"Wow, you two really overdid it," he commented as he and Kensei treated them in the infirmary. "Don't you think this was a bit much for a simple training session?"

"I wouldn't say so, Koetsuji-shishou," Ranma replied. "For us, this is just business as usual."

"That's right," Ryoga confirmed. "Little more than a way to wish each other a good day."

"Ohoho, such lively young men," Kensei chuckled. "It must be nice to be young and brash."

Apachai, commenting on the duel against Ranma, noted that Ryoga had improved: he was faster, dodged better, and thought more about his combinations.

At the same time, however, he relied more on Muay Thai, hadn't lost the habit of hitting hard, and still accepted taking blows if it meant landing one on his opponent.

Mousse, Kuno, Kenichi, Renka, and all the other Masters observed in silence.
Mousse, in particular, seemed satisfied with what he had seen.

Kenichi noticed how Ranma fought differently from his usual style and even differently from the fight against Sakaki: he had taken risks, engaging Ryoga in a full out brawl—a domain where Ryoga was stronger. Ranma probably just wanted to have fun and test his opponent's current level.

Right. Ranma fights for the joy of it. He's glad to have his old rivals here because they can keep up with him. In fact, he WANTS them to keep up. Otherwise... he wouldn't have anyone to play with, so to speak.

And when he fights, he always begins with a phase of observation... especially when he feels ahead and doesn't want to end it too quickly. In the next fight with Miu against him... we'll have to take advantage of this!

When the two doctors were done, Ranma and Ryoga were left alone in the infirmary.

"Well, Ryoga, I have to say... not bad at all. You're correcting your flaws while enhancing your strengths."

"Thanks, Ranma. You've confirmed the level you've reached, too. You hit me a bit more often than I hit you—and without needing special techniques."

"It was just a training match, after all. Since the others couldn't anymore..."

"Yeah, about that. I want to warn you about something. I think things between them... aren't going well."

"Huh? What do you mean? I've noticed some bickering in the past, but..."

"It's not that. I... sensed it. Both Kenichi and Miu were... troubled."

"But... by what?"

"I couldn't say. But something is bothering both of them, making them uncomfortable. And it's affecting their behavior and even their training."

Ranma thought about Kenichi's more brooding, self-sacrificing demeanor when sparring with Kuno and Miu's unusual sternness with Ryoga.

"Yes, maybe you're right. Thanks for the warning. I'll keep an eye on them."

However, Ranma couldn't get a straight answer from Miu, who was evasive and simply claimed her strange behavior was due to irritation with Ryoga during training. Since Renka had been at Ryozanpaku, Ranma had noticed traces of jealousy—even though these had lessened considerably since their nighttime meetings began—so he didn't press further. At most, it could be a remnant of the past. Consequently, he preferred not to wake the sleeping dog.

Could Miu be reconsidering? About the two of us?

Actually, it's been a while since I've seen Renka clinging to Kenichi... at the same time, those two have seemed more relaxed, almost satisfied, lately.

But he, sometimes, looks brooding, as if he's mulling over something... and I've caught him giving me strange looks recently. Hostile ones, even.

Maybe he's worried he won't be able to try and beat me since I was declared a Master?

Yet, at the time, he seemed happy for me... did something make him change his mind?

In the following days, training matches took place with the remaining combinations: first Ryoga (despite the bandages) against Kenichi, Mousse against Miu, and Kuno against Renka; then Mousse against Kenichi, Miu against Kuno, and Renka against Ryoga. In all cases, the Ryozanpaku students demonstrated their progress to their senior companions, though they couldn't overpower them.

After training with Ryoga, Kenichi stopped to speak privately with him for a few minutes.

Beyond the training matches, in the following weeks, the youths from Nerima had opportunities to get to know the Ryozanpaku and Shinpaku Alliance members better during some evening outings. Ryoga (kept on a leash to prevent him from getting lost, much to his chagrin) and Mousse also participated.
Renka was delighted by this, faithful to the saying "the more, the merrier," and brought along her colleagues from the Chinese restaurant, Genson and Shokatsu. Indeed, Mousse's presence made her happy, if only because it allowed her to speak in Chinese.

Naturally, the Shinpaku members wanted to test themselves against Ranma's friends sooner or later, but when they were told they weren't too far apart in level, they decided to wait—at least for now.

Extraordinary, Miu thought. It seems common sense is finally starting to prevail.

Kisara, who had reached a good level of training thanks to Ranko's teachings, was eager to show her progress to her friends one day. But she preferred it to be a surprise.

An opportunity did come, but not as they would have expected.

Another gang war broke out in the Chinatown district, and on Hakubi's advice—Kensei Ma's uncle—Renka invited her friends to intervene and restore order, so they could "train at the same time, combining business with pleasure."

Miu found herself lamenting: common sense never lasts more than five minutes, so it seems...

Despite the chaotic and dangerous nature of the clash, which set the district ablaze for a few hours, it wasn't too perilous for the youths (especially since the gang members didn't use firearms).

Especially, the members of the Shinpaku Alliance had the chance to shine, showing their most recent progress to their new older friends and even to each other. This included Ukita, who had become much stronger, the unexpected improvements from Kisara, and how the new couples had learned to fight in sync.

While the collaboration between Ukita and Freya didn't cause too much surprise, the same couldn't be said for Takeda and Rachel Stanley. (Though this might have been because the blonde wasn't with the group when they intervened but was already there, fighting purely for the fun of it.) Upon noticing their presence, Rachel didn't hesitate to synchronize with her beloved and even planted a kiss on him between strikes (distracting him and earning comments from the other girls, who called her shameless).

There was also synergy among the "unofficial" relationships: Kenichi and Renka justified their teamwork by pointing to the joint training they had been doing for months, and their perfect coordination sparked a bit of envy in Miu.

As for Miu and Ranma, they kept their distance to avoid raising suspicion, helping each other only occasionally—which they also did with others.

Ryoga did his part, and Mousse used his notable skills to assist others, including saving Genson and Shokatsu from being crushed by a falling piece of wall, earning Renka's gratitude.

However, no one tried to show off as much as Kuno and Thor, who competed for the honor of fighting alongside the eight Valkyries in various possible combinations.

When it was all over, the group (having been interrupted during their night out) decided to celebrate with a final drink, which almost everyone attended—except Mousse, who apparently had other commitments.

Yet, as they walked away, not even the most skilled among them noticed that every single move they had made had been recorded, every action broadcast live via satellite through sophisticated equipment, to people on the other side of the world…all orchestrated by mysterious agents hidden in the shadows.

Glossary

Kanto: The region where Tokyo is located.

March: As explained in the previous chapter, the Japanese school year starts in April and ends in March. Kenichi, Miu, and Renka are in their final year of high school and have just graduated.

: In case you're wondering, Kisara is a year older than Kenichi and Miu. As stated in Chapter 17, she had been studying for months to pass the university entrance exams. These exams in Japan are notoriously tough, and most students need to retake them multiple times. Therefore, it's not unusual for her to start classes nearly a year after graduation, while Kenichi begins preparing for his own exams.

Shinken Shirahadori: A technique where one stops a blade by catching it between the palms, in a prayer-like grip. This move often appeared in Takahashi's earlier manga Urusei Yatsura, used by Ataru Moroboshi during his skirmishes with Shutaro Mendou.

Powerbomb (5): A pro wrestling move.

Hurracanrana (6): A pro wrestling move (lucha libre).

Author's Note:

Sorry for the delay, guys.

In the end, i did not wrote a full new chapter, but moreso rearranged the previous one and added small parts.

I make a point to myself (a totally unnecessary one, but still) to have chapters of not-too-varied-lenght, but some of the next ones will be shorter than usual.

Still, each chapter will have a break and a start at the most important moment, and perhaps ending on a cliffhanger.

This is a better division than how the fanfiction originally had.

This was the last chapter of the "merging" of the two worlds, and, let's say, the one with the final mix: Nerima getting to know better Ryozanpaku and the Shinpaku guys.

I probably should've done more with that, but, honestly, i'm 50% planning and 50% inspiration, with nothing inbetween.

The parts of the story i WANTED much to tell were others.

In a totally unplanned (but still enjoyable for my precision-obsessed mind) the fanfic will therefore be divide, grossly, into three parts:

The first 10 chapters, with Ranma getting used to Ryozanpaku

the second 10 chapters, with Nerima and Ryozanpaku merging more, and significant changes occurring to characters and setting, but also with the looming threat starting to take a shape

The last 10 chapters that will basically feature the Final Arc, a non stop fighting as if we're experiencing a movie, where everything that has happened will come together, somehow

Expect surprises, cries, laughs, drama, and of course, action

More characters that it will be healthy for me to manage and for you to follow

And perhaps quicker releases, since you will go from one chapter into the next as if episodes of an anime arc

Stay tuned! ;)