Disclaimer: The following is a fan-written fiction, the views and opinions in this story are not intended to be viewed as those of the author. Ranma 1/2, Urusei Yatsura, Inuyasha, and Five Pound Gospel are the creations of Rumiko Takahashi, property of their respective rights holders and publishers. Please support the official releases.

CW: This story will contain violence, strong language, sexual humor and situations, drug use, Moroboshi Ataru, and Happosai. You've been warned.

|Reclamation|

The rain was pouring heavily, and the remaining Sickle Gang members were being mopped up by the Butsumetsu boys and their allies. Flying above the carnage, Lum Invader searched for any sign of Ataru, and only found a few lingering brawls and Mendō being chased by Sōban before she spotted Ryūnosuke standing over a laid out Kamaitachi and began to descend.

Kamaitachi, hands splayed out, stared up at the night sky as the rain fell.

He had just regained consciousness to a body that ached from head to toe and the feeling that he was going to be sick.

Ryūnosuke had knocked him the fuck out with that cross counter.

It was immaculate.

He looked at her. "Damn it… I lost."

Ryūnosuke, her arms folded, shrugged her shoulders. "Yeah, you did."

He looked up at the rain and closed his eyes. He could barely move, his whole body felt like it was made of lead. He needed to do something, anything, but for whatever reason that fanaticism that strove him to throw himself into battle for the Sickle Gang, for Madame Kamenbell, was just not there.

"Hey… while I got you laid out here, can I say somethin'?" Ryūnosuke asked.

"… Not like I'm going anywhere," Kamaitachi replied.

"Up until recently, my sperm donor raised me to be his son. Even though I'm one hundred percent a girl, plumbing and all," she explained.

He looked at her more pointedly. "Are you serious?"

"I ain't bullshittin'. No matter what I did, or how hard I tried to fight it… he did everything to make me believe I was a boy even when I knew better. He even fought every school I went to when they insisted that I was a girl. He was a sick, delusional man who wanted me to be what he wanted, to hell with whatever I felt, or thought."

Kamaitachi felt even sicker to his stomach.

She brought her hands up over her heart. "So yeah, fuck you for callin' me a guy all those times, fuck you for leading that bullshit gang, and fuck you for jumping and robbing me."

He looked away from her.

"But also… I ain't gonna pretend that you and I ain't the same anymore." She added. "I know exactly what it feels like to be willing to do anything to be seen as who I really am… and if I was at my lowest and met some crazy psycho bitch with an all women army… I'd probably would have joined her, if it meant I could be a girl."

Kamaitachi's eyes widened slightly, then filled with tears before he shut them and began to quietly sob.

"Ryūnosuke-cha!" Lum called out as she floated down. "Have you seen Darling? I'm worried Sōban ate him."

Right, he was around here somewhere. "If only!" She looked over and saw that Mendō was still fleeing from Sōban. "But seriously, I think he's hiding somewhere, waiting for the heat to die down before he pops out and does his usual schtick."

A loud rumbling drew everyone's attention towards the school. Without warning, a massive geyser of water gushed above where the Girl's Locker Room was, the direction Katie and Akane went. Over by the remains of Mendō's command center, Kaori looked up along with Dr. Tofu as he treated Soun's minor injuries.

"Uhh… that's not good," Kaori said.

Then, to everyone's disbelief, more than half of Furinkan High School began to crumble not only into the void created by the erupting spring, but the jungle basement hidden beneath the main building.

Staggering to a stop, Mendō gawked at the catastrophe and screamed. "MY RENOVATIONS!"

As he howled in disbelief, Sōban tackled him with full force, grabbed him up in a bear hug, and began licking him like a dog to get any of Shinobu's bento that remained on him.

"Oh shit!" Ryūnosuke called out at the collapse.

Lum was impressed. "Wow! What happened?"

Akane and Katie emerged from the school's gate, catching their breaths.

"What happened…" Katie said, "… Was that we kicked Okamada-sensei's weirdo perverted ass!"

Akane nodded resolutely. "Damn right, we did."

Katie was summarily bowled over by an ecstatic Kaori.

"Fucking SICK!" The delivery girl martial artist cheered as she glomped her.

Akane turned and looked at Kamaitachi. "Even better, that stupid spring didn't work."

Kamaitachi's eyes opened, and he looked at her. "What?"

"I fell into it and everything," she revealed. "I'm still a girl."

His eyes grew wider. "… It didn't…"

Ryūnosuke did a double-take. "Wait-wait-wait…! Hold on! That's what this was all about?!"

Katie, cuddling Kaori, looked up. "Oh, right, you weren't here for that part. Not that I blame you, you had your own character arc to go on."

Akane confirmed it. "Yeah. That maniac wanted to turn women into men using magic spring water."

Ryūnosuke brought her hands up to the sides of her head. "Wait… seriously?!" She looked at Kamaitachi. "Is that why you were so invested?!"

Kamaitachi looked away… but nodded.

Ryūnosuke threw her hands into the air. "THAT'S SO STUPID!"

"Thank you!" Akane shouted.

Lum had to agree. "Magic Spring water that turns women into men sounds interesting… but why go through the trouble and just do that with a sex change ray gun, or pill, or swap bodies with a man who wants to be a woman?"

Nabiki, strolling up to the scene, answered that. "Because not everyone in the SAD can just get ahold of that kind of convenience, Princess. And if you're Japanese like Kamaitachi-kun here? You can't get a hold of it at all without at least eight zeros in USD in your bank."

Ryūnosuke folded her arms again and huffed as she recalled a bad experience with a sex change ray gun. "Thank goodness. If my sperm donor tried something like that, I'd be losing my freaking mind."

Ataru hugged her. "Exactly, that's why I made a deal with Oyuki-chan to ban any and all wacky hijinks devices like that which could steal away my precious Ryū-chan."

Ryūnosuke looked at Lum. "Told you."

Akane appealed to the alien princess. "Please don't zap him, it's raining, and we're all soaked."

"That's hot," Ataru said.

"On second thought, I don't care if you fry us, zap his ass."

Lum held her hands aloft. "Darling, please let go of Ryūnosuke-cha."

Ataru was about to argue when Ryūnosuke elaborated.

"Please let go of Ryūnosuke-cha before she rips your arms out your sockets and beats you with them."

He let go without protest.

"Ryūnosuke-cha thanks you," Ryūnosuke said with much less harmful intent.

"What happened to Madame Kamenbell?" Kamaitachi asked, as Katie and Kaori stood back up.

Katie looked towards the ruins of the school. "I reckon he's probably where Akaneko and I left him–buried under half the gosh dang school."

Kaori looked at Katie. "Wait… did you kill him?"

"I didn't kill anybody. We were tryna escape the collapse he caused, and he tried to stop us. We had no choice but to leave him behind!"

Akane nodded. "Yes. It's awful that it happened, but less awful that it happened to him."

Nabiki raised an eyebrow. "Well, if it was self-defense in an emergency? It wasn't your fault he got buried."

Kamaitachi stared at the collapsed school, stricken. Noticing his expression, Katie sighed. "Look, man. I understand that you invested a lot in that guy, and this gang… but at the end of the day he was just using you for nothing but his own perverted whims."

Soun, patched up by Dr. Tofu already, hobbled over with the Doctor. "She is correct. Madame Kamenbell was a lecher cut from the same cloth as my old master. His ambitions for the fountain were for nothing but his personal pleasure, and nothing else."

Kamaitachi lowered his head and balled his hands into fists. "… That's obvious, isn't it?" He shook his head slowly." But he was the only one who gave a damn about what I wanted…" He looked out the corner of his eye at Ryūnosuke.

Katie sighed. "Hey, ya damn weasel." When he looked up at her, she gestured to him. "You knock this Sickle Gang shit off, take all your OGs and never come back to the SAD again, and I'll talk to some people who know some people about getting you where you want to be."

He let out a weak chuckle. "Oh yeah? Who do you know?"

Katie looked around at the others, before she knelt and reached into her back pocket to pull out her phone. After checking to make sure it wasn't broken, she did some swiping before she held the screen up to Kamaitachi's face.

Looking at the screen, Kamaitachi grew surprised, before he lowered his head. "… You're not serious…"

"Deadass," Katie quipped back.

Kamaitachi acquiesced. "Okay, I'll take my people and go. You won't see us again."

"Attaboy," Katie said before she turned off her phone screen and stood up.

Akane and Nabiki both were staring at her. "What was that?" The former asked.

The latter had a clue. "I imagine she doesn't want to share."

Katie confirmed it. "Not here, at least. I'll explain it later when I feel good and ready to."

She then turned to Ryūnosuke. "Say there, cousin. How're things shaking out with you and Uncle Nick?"

Ryūnosuke jumped in surprise. "Wait, cousin?" She paused and looked Katie in the eyes. "… Oh shit, you are related to him."

Katie grinned. "Once ya know where to look, it's obvious!"

Ataru leaned in and pressed his cheek against Ryūnosuke's so he could follow her gaze. Immediately he saw it–Katie had the same bright green eyes as Sherman-sensei and his daughter. "How is it that eyes that make him look so sinister make girls so pretty?"

Annoyed, Ryūnosuke turned and punched Ataru in the face, laying him out. "And how is it that you can be so shameless?!" She turned back to Katie. "I'm settling in nicely, thanks."

Katie smiled back. "I'm glad."

Akane was even more curious. "Wait, your uncle's here?"

"I didn't mention that…?" Katie replied before she realized she probably hadn't. "That's another thing I'll discuss later, hon."

Kodachi arrived on the scene right as Ataru hit the ground, umbrella in hand, beholding the damage done to the school. "My, at least the school's clock is intact. I want that to stand as a reminder to what may happen to those who act their foolish delusions out on others."

She turned to the others. "I take it that this whole awful situation with the Sickle Gang is now well and under control?"

Akane nodded. "Madame Kamenbell and Kamaitachi have been defeated, and the Butsumetsu boys are rounding up the last of the foot soldiers."

Kodachi beheld that scene and nodded her approval. She then broke into a small laugh as she watched Sōban hug and pat and squeeze Mendō like he was going to call him George. "Ah, and my night is complete."

"Sorry about the school," Katie apologized.

"Nonsense. Give it a few days and it will be good as new!" Kodachi assured her, before calling out to Mendō. "Isn't that right, Mendō-kun~?"

Kodachi's angelic voice reached Mendō and helped him endure the awful situation he was in. "Yes, K-Kodachi-sama."

With her free hand on her cheek, Kodachi smiled. "Thank you!"

Ataru cleared his throat to get Kodachi's attention and prepared to put his own electrified foot in his mouth, when an unexpected voice called out.

"Oi! You guys!" It was Kōsuke, arriving with Hokuto, Nanto, and Shinobu bringing up the rear. "The fight isn't over, is it?!"

Ataru turned to him, surprised. "Huh? Kōsuke? You showed up?!"

"Well, we were all chilling over at Yuria's place playing Smash, but Shinobu couldn't take it anymore and decided to head out on her own. We couldn't let her come all the way out here by herself–leather daddies or not."

Only Mendō noticed Sōban go completely still.

Shinobu headed over to the gathering of protagonists and looked around. "Are you all okay?"

Nabiki nodded. "Yes, you could've stayed home. It's already over."

Nanto scanned the battlefield, and stopped when he saw the impossibly large form of Sōban stand up, dropping Mendō like he'd just gotten a Buzz Lightyear toy and was bored of Woody. Hokuto turned and noticed him as well–both tall young men becoming ashen.

Nabiki did a double-take. "Wait, hold on." She looked at Shinobu. "You're not supposed to be here."

Shinobu recoiled. "What? I only wanted to help."

Ataru went still and looked back towards Mendo. He only saw Sōban's looming silhouette in the dark, facing them. "… Ah."

Curly was finishing tying up Lum's Leathertroopers, when one of his trusted subordinates called out.

"CURLY! LOOK!"

Curly turned and found his boss just standing there, menacingly. Then he looked where his subordinate was actually pointing, and paled at the sight of a confused Shinobu while everyone else was quickly turning towards Sōban.

"BOSS!" Curly yelled. "COME ON, DON'T JUST THROW AWAY A WHOLE YEAR OF THERAPY FOR–!"

"SHINOBUUUUUUU!" He bellowed as he broke into a mad charge towards her with arms outstretched and tongue hanging from his mouth. "I LOVE YOOOOOOOOUUUUUUUU!"

The giant of a man who had helped subdue over a thousand grown men was now barreling straight towards them.

Shinobu saw Sōban and shrieked. "OH NO, EW!"

Ataru grabbed her hand. "We need to run!"

Nabiki was already running.

"Oh dear." Kodachi was not sure she could beat his power build with her finesse.

"Shit, shit, shit!" Ryūnosuke called out as she got ready to fight.

This sucked, because Katie and Akane were tired after fighting Madame Kamenbell. Moreover, they liked the guy.

Sōban, obviously not Madame Kamenbell.

And they didn't want to end a victorious night with putting someone they considered a friend down, especially after all they'd been through.

Fortunately, they did not have to.

A solitary blur came up the street at breakneck speed, hopping over splayed-out bodies of Sickle Gang members and avoiding Butsumetsu students rushing to stop Sōban. Outrunning all of them, the figure crossed paths with Sōban, jumped, and connected a flying kick in the side of his face.

That single kick was all it took. Wrenched off his beeline towards Shinobu, Sōban crashed onto his back–unconscious before he even hit the ground. His attacker landed atop his stomach and stood there, looking down at him.

Everyone stopped what they were doing and stared at the one-hitter quitter submitter.

It was a short girl with red hair tied into a single tightly braided pigtail, and a curvy figure not hidden by her oversized clothes that looked straight from rural China. She was looking down at Sōban's unconscious, twitching form in surprise.

"Oi… Sōban? What are you doing out at night?" She asked aloud, before she noticed everyone staring at her.

The red-haired girl stared back at them, before she noticed something out the corner of her eye back the way she came and recoiled from it. "Damn it!"

Without another word she took off, sprinting down the street and into the night.

Not ten seconds later, a grizzly-sized panda bear came galloping by, in hot pursuit of the girl.

Everyone watched them go, not a word being spoken as the rain fell.

A lot happened tonight.

Even more just happened in the last thirty seconds.

Finally, it was Akane who said what was on everyone's minds, at that exact moment.

"… Was that a fucking panda?"

Welcome home, and welcome to the end of Volume 7. Hope you enjoyed the read. Volume 8 is well under way and with it comes a shift in dynamics and in conflicts! Hope you stick around for it! Thanks and Leave a comment!