Ranma 1/2 Fan Fiction ❯ Ranma 1/2: The Truth and the Tempest ❯ Into the Abyss Will I Run ( Chapter 38 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

[Author’s Note: The characters and setting herein- with the exception of one or two O.C.’s of my own design- are the property of Rumiko Takahashi. They will be returned once my little venture into the Ranmaverse is completed. And now…]

Ranma ½: The Truth and the Tempest

Chapter 38: Into the Abyss Will I Run

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A razor-sharp gymnastics ribbon tore through the air in spiraling arcs, snapping wildly at the shadows looming in the fog. Several smaller shadows howled in irritation, springing backwards as the ribbon left dark welts and shallow incisions in their mottled gray flesh, but others rolled to the sides or leapt into the air, continuing to advance upon the raven-haired girl wielding said weapon. “What manner of beasts art thou?” Kodachi shouted, her voice trembling; her defiant sneer had begun to give way to a more fearful look, one which grew with every shadow that emerged. The cackles had increased in volume as well… a haunting, psychotic cackle that sent a shiver down her spine, re-igniting memories of the Black Rose which she was trying desperately to push aside. “Get away, vermin! I shall not have my home or my person assaulted by the likes of such as you! Take one more step and you shall realize the true fury of… of…” She swallowed hard, shaking her head before staring at the imps before her with clear eyes. “The true fury of Kodachi Kuno!” she finished, snapping the ribbon taut between her hands. That’s right… this time you face the real me. I will not risk reviving the Black Rose to fight this filth; I may not be perfect, but I will not hide behind a false mask any longer!

“Mistress, please! Take yourself away from this place; these can hardly be beings of this world!” Sasuke shrieked as he was suddenly waylaid by three imps simultaneously; acting on pure adrenaline, he executed a series of snap kicks and spinning backfists that knocked his attackers roughly a meter back. “You needn’t concern yourself with them; I shall h-hold them at b-bay!”

Kodachi’s eyes narrowed and her stance widened. “And what honor is there in leaving you to fend for yourself, Sasuke? Should I repay your loyalty with a cold shoulder?” Her hand snapped to her uniform skirt, retrieving a pair of clubs held in place by a garter; a second later the hand snapped outward, flinging both clubs into the depths of the mist. The missiles promptly exploded, sending a good number of imps flying in all directions just as Kodachi’s ribbon spiraled into the fray once again. “Let us both send these creatures back to whichever Hell spawned them!”

A second later, her determined glare faltered as eight imps and several lesser oni lunged out of the fog, all fully intent on carrying the young woman away and ripping her clothes to bits at the same time. Kodachi spin-kicked one attacker backwards into another, backflipped into the air as a third made a clumsy grab for her calves and tore the wings off a fourth with two deft flicks of her ribbon. Gritting her teeth, she procured her razor hoop- and suddenly had to twist and roll to one side as a lesser oni appeared in front of her and slashed at her face with its claws. She tumbled to the right, then blanched as her ponytail fell loose around her shoulders, along with several strands of hair; the oni had shredded the purple band holding her hair back.

These beasts are somewhat faster than I expected… and far more savage! Kodachi’s train of thought was interrupted as a much larger shadow strode out of the fog- a great hulking brute eight feet tall in a tiger-skin loincloth. “What on Earth… where are all these fiends coming from?” she gasped, springing up and flinging the hoop at a cluster of imps that had nearly grabbed hold of her skirt. Two bolted to the sides, but the third wasn’t quite as lucky and was quickly sheared into a cloud of white dust. Behind her, Sasuke was battling it out with two lesser oni and an imp, and the battle was not turning in his favor. Just beyond the newly arrived ogre, several more imps and a centipede-like beast were approaching and leering at the battle.

Kodachi locked eyes with the massive oni and felt her blood turn cold as it gave her a lascivious grin. “Y-you think me to be but a weak and feeble woman, monster? You had best t-think again!” she shouted, attempting to keep the fear out of her voice, but not succeeding. Merciful Kami, I’ve never seen or dealt with anything on such a scale before… those misguided fights with the others was one thing, this is different! Fiends from all directions, an ogre advancing upon us… is this the Kunos’ Judgment Day? Is this supposed to be my judgment for my… my sins?

Kodachi’s panicked reverie was cut short by the inane cackling of two imps who darted in to tickle and tear at her bodice; in an instant, all fear left her face, replaced by fierce anger. “BACK!” she snapped, leaping straight up and flipping end over end as her ribbon crisscrossed the air in a massive cloverleaf pattern. The imps shrieked in pain as their flesh was flayed by the weapon; one succumbed to injury and exploded into fine mist just as Kodachi landed barely inside the rear doors of the moving van. “I know not why you have intruded upon my person, but I shall not be taken so easily!” Now is not the time to fear, now is the time to act, she screamed inwardly as she twirled her ribbon into the moving van, snaring one of the boxes marked ‘Fragile’ and flinging it full-force at the ogre and several of his minions.

The consequences of the oni’s hand swiping at the box in mid-flight were quickly realized as a number of incendiary chemicals within the box ignited; the explosion produced a massive cloud of black smoke and a shockwave that sent five nearby imps flying in circles. Even the lesser oni attacking Sasuke were stunned, giving the smaller man a chance to grab their heads and bang them together soundly, knocking them out cold.

“Magnificently done, Mistress! Now please, let us away from this place before more strange beasts appear!”

“I think I am well inclined to agree with you, Sasuke!” Kodachi replied tersely, hopping from the van and spinning her ribbon in rapid circles about her, knocking several lingering imps hither and yon. “The bags can wait; a vantage point or place of refuge would be preferred at this…”

A snarl erupted from the pillar of black smoke, and a mere millisecond later, the ogre burst forth with soot staining its chest and face, its hair wild and flesh smoldering in patches. Both master and servant gasped as it lunged forward- and with a massive backhand swipe, the oni had sent Sasuke rocketing over the fog-filled skies of Nerima. He screamed a pained apology to Kodachi which faded quickly in the mists; the ogre snorted derisively and turned to leer at the raven-haired gymnast, whose knees suddenly gave way beneath her.

A fresh chill permeated her body as the ogre began to lick his lips and advance on her once again, taking his time to brush the soot from his face. She scooted back nervously and snapped her ribbon in the beast’s face, scoring several light gashes but hardly causing it to flinch. I… I can’t even hurt this monster! The gray whelps were like mice, but… t-this… I c-can’t get him to b-back away one bit… he just won’t stop! She glanced up and began to shake; old memories of helplessness and fear began to resurface, and for a brief instant she thought she saw the oni’s face turn to the face of someone else. The face of her brother.

Oh dear Kami, it’s just like when I was little! She scrambled up against the tailgate of the moving van and huddled up against it, squeezing her eyes shut as the ogre raised its hand. No… not again. Not like with Tatewaki… please, don’t do this to me! I don’t deserve to die, not before I’ve had a chance to make amends! She pulled her arms over her head, curling into a ball. Please… SOMEBODY HELP ME!

“DON’T MOVE!”

Kodachi flinched as an unfamiliar voice rang out, seemingly right over her head. She heard a sudden snort of confusion- the ogre, she guessed- but she refused to open her eyes. There was a rush of wind above her, a fierce kiai was bellowed, and the world exploded in a cacophony of crashes, screams, and the sound of knuckles and heels cracking flesh and bone. It seemed to last an eternity, but mere seconds after it had begun, an incredible thud echoed through the street- the sound of a massive body collapsing to the ground.

There was a sudden scuffling akin to several beings running like frightened mice- and then, all was silent.

Kodachi stirred, lowering her arms hesitantly. What… what was that? she pondered, still trembling- but not quite as much as before. More importantly, WHO was that? Her eyelids fluttered as she took a hesitant breath, then opened. Her body uncurled from its near-fetal crouch and, gingerly, she looked up again.

“You alright, miss?”

She blinked, swallowing once as she glanced in several directions at once. There were no more imps to be seen in the near vicinity, while the centipede-thing was just finishing making its retreat in the fog beyond. The great ogre was flat on his back with massive contusions and lacerations across the face and chest, eyes rolled back in his head. She could only guess the fiend’s wounds were the doing of the young man who stood in front of her, casually slinging a duffel bag over one shoulder.

“Um… I, uh… I think I am,” she stammered, her eyes tracing the well-defined muscles on the man’s arms and chest, eventually coming to rest on what she found to be a rather attractive- albeit severe- face. Who… who is this person? And where did he come from? “I… I fear I am quite at the loss for words, good sir…”

“Yeah, well given the size of that freak that’s not really surprising.” He brushed his dark hair back, shooting the unconscious oni a dirty look before looking at Kodachi again. “You sure you’re okay? You’re looking pretty pale, miss…”

“Kuno. Kodachi Kuno… and I daresay, I do feel a bit unnerved still,” she said with a nod as she rose to her feet. “I… I feel I am in your debt. That… beast was about to…”

The man waved her off in mid-sentence. “No need for thanks. Actually, I wasn’t expecting to see anybody on the roads; the streets have been empty ever since I got to Nerima. Well… empty except for these damn freaks, this one’s probably the fourth one I’ve busted up so far.”

Kodachi’s eyes widened. “F-fourth one? By y-yourself?”

“More or less.” He folded his arms and snorted. “Not exactly what I was expecting to deal with. Wasn’t like this last time I was in town; I don’t mind a good fight, but fog and monsters I can do without.” He paused, then looked up. “When did all this happen, anyway?”

“N-not very long ago, the fog just…” She stopped, then blinked. “Wait a moment. You said you’ve fought more of these beasts already? In other parts of Nerima?” If those creatures are in other parts of town, then this may not be divine punishment for my family after all… but then… that means other people could be in…

“Yes, I just told you I had to deal with several things exactly like that,” the man answered, waving at the ogre. “And that’s not counting the gray midgets with wings that kept trying to steal my stuff, either.” He shook his head and started to mutter to himself. “Great Kami, it’s just one thing after another today… not that I don’t mind the extra training, but still… never going to track down Saotome at this rate, if the fog keeps up or I run into someone else cornered by some…”

Kodachi’s ears perked up. “What did you just say? Saotome?” She brushed the dirt off her uniform sleeves quickly. “You don’t mean… you aren’t speaking of Ranma Saotome, are you?”

The man blinked. “Um… actually, yes… you know him?”

“Yes, I do… though I’m afraid there have been a number of… misunderstandings; I made a most horrendous impression upon him, I fear. But what of you? Are you a friend of his?”

The man scoffed. “I wouldn’t go that far. Last I saw him, he was about the most arrogant bastard I ever met in my life… but also one of the best fighters I ever faced. Only reason I came back is to settle something with him and his family.” He glared at the mist; distant howls began to echo from its depths. “If I ever get to the damn house, that is… wonder if he’s having to deal with the same damn freakshow as me…”

Indeed, more than likely he would be out in the midst of these fiends this moment, Kodachi mused. And if he ventures forth, young Miss Tendo would be likely to follow, especially if she is keen to fight with him! But all these beasts… those two fared well against my brother’s minions, but against the minions of Hell itself? Kodachi looked up at the man again, who was glaring at her fallen assailant, and something inside her clicked, pushing her personal fears to one side. She shook her head and snatched up her ribbon just as a battered and alabaster-white Sasuke came scrambling up the street, eyes scrunched shut and with three imps attempting to pick him up and tie him in a pretzel.

“M-MISTRESS! I have f-failed you! P-please be yet alive, and p-please forgive my inc-competence if indeed you are alive! I am nothing! I am an insect, I am…”

“Sasuke, CALM DOWN!” Kodachi bellowed. An instant later her ribbon caught one imp around the neck and tore it away from Sasuke; she slammed the demon into a nearby wall before leaping, gazelle-like, into the face of a second imp and bringing it to the ground. A flick of the wrist and a gymnast’s club was produced, which soon found its way to the third imp and broke its nose. The three screeched, staggered up and hopped away.

“Oh, thank goodness,” the ninja wheezed. “When that giant defeated my defenses, I thought for sure… but no matter, you’re safe, and we must get away from this…”

“No, Sasuke. We’re not going to run away.” Sasuke’s jaw dropped, but she continued on. “That young man saved my life, and I would be remiss if I did not recompense his services… not to mention, there are others out there who could use a hand.”

“M-MISTRESS? You would stay here after… after that thing tried to…”

She nodded. “I won’t deny, the thought of facing another of those unnerves me… but the smaller vermin needs must be dealt with, and that much I can do.” She took a deep breath and strode up to the man, who was already slinging his duffel over one shoulder. “Good sir, I would accompany you. I, too, would have dealings with those at the Tendo estate… and I must repay you for your gallantry just now.”

The man blinked. “I didn’t ask for any kind of reward; I was in the neighborhood, that’s all. No heroic intention about it, that thing was in my way.”

“Be that as it may, I am in your debt,” Kodachi pressed. “I will admit a moment of… weakness… but I believe I can hold my own now, and perhaps I might keep the smaller vermin away from both of us…”

“You don’t have to do that, I can take care of myself.”

“That I am aware of, but in such conditions there may be strength in numbers, do you not agree?”

The man paused, gave her a long look, then sighed. “You’re that dead-set on heading into that mess, huh? Even if I don’t need someone helping me?”

Kodachi shook her head. “I would dishonor my clan if I let the one who aided me- even if it was not intended- venture forth without proper restitution. And as I said, there may be those in need- and the longer we tarry here, the more in need they may become.”

The man groaned. “Fine, then. You want to tag along, go right ahead- and you’re right, we are wasting time.” Just what I needed, of all things… a tagalong right when I was planning to deal with the issue between me and Saotome. He groaned, then looked up again. Though… she did seem to get some of her nerve back against those gray things, and it’s not like she’s an unpleasant person… flowery speech, but at least she sounds sincere. He shrugged, adjusting the beige bandanna holding his hair out of his eyes. “Well, if we’re going to go, might as well be now, Miss Kuno.”

“Please, call me Kodachi,” the gymnast replied. “And I do thank you again for your aid, Master… um, I don’t believe I caught your name?”

“Kumon,” he replied. “Ryu Kumon.”

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To say that there weren’t demons lying in wait on the streets outside the Tendo estate was much like saying the Atlantic Ocean is not wet. The moment the front gates opened, Shingen’s assessment of the situation was proved correct; inane screeches echoed up and down the street as imps played Kick the Can with whatever assorted objects they could find- basketballs, garbage bags, even an unattended bicycle. Ghostly figures wandered in and out of the mist, never quite there and never really gone. And the instant the estate gates slammed shut, a chilling silence hit the street for several long seconds. Then the laughter started anew, closer and closer.

Damn it. This is more than I’ve encountered in a single place in a very long time, Shingen ranted internally. The air’s saturated with negative ki, you can almost taste it! A flicker in the distance drew his attention; glancing up, he saw a flaring of indigo light that seemed to pulse and quiver like a beating heart, growing steadily stronger. Several others around him noticed it as well.

“Holy geez… I dunno about you guys, but I don’t like the look of that light,” Ukyo murmured.

“Look nothing, Shampoo no like feeling in air,” the young Amazon said in a small voice. “This feel very wrong…”

“The bastard said he was gonna be at an Unfinished Gate, right?” Ranma glared at the bonfire of vacillating indigo and clenched his fists. “I may be no expert, but that looks like a big freakin’ signal flare to me!”

“It looks like it’s coming from Furinkan, too,” added Akane, wiping a drop of sweat off her temple. “And he’s got Kasumi and Auntie there…”

“You can’t think about that right now,” said Shingen as he shifted his naginata to his right hand. “Remember, he’s trying to make you scared or angry in hopes of tripping both of you up…” The laughter within the fog suddenly jumped in volume and imps began boiling out of the mist, making a beeline for the seven people in the middle of the road. “And here comes Hell’s cavalry. LET’S MOVE!” Shingen’s left hand snapped forward, peppering the nearest fiends with a fusillade of runic throwing knives… he swung the naginata back behind him, lunged forward… and as the saying goes, all hell broke loose.

Demons began bursting into white powder left and right as Shingen exploded in a flurry of motion, swinging his naginata in rapid circles while simultaneously somersaulting into the midst of the imp swarm. Several lesser oni on the fringes scrambled to the sides, but were promptly waylaid by a series of jabs and spinning backfists from Ranma, a snap kick and elbow smash from Akane, and no less than six of Ryoga’s bandanna shuriken. The fiends goggled and some began to break rank, but were quickly replaced by numerous others- white snakes with red glowing eyes, twisted and mutated ravens, and other small, hideous spirits of the oni and imp variety. They lurched forward as one, just as their targets did the very same.

“There so many, so soon!” Shampoo cried as she hook-kicked an imp that was approaching her rear, then batted a toxic raven spirit out of the sky with her bonbori. “How town get so full of bad things so soon?”

“I’ll bet you anything this ‘Astaroth’ jerk brought them down to have fun with us!” Ryoga spat, grabbing two gibbering goblinoids by the throats and throwing them against a wall. “Big deal, not like we haven’t done this kind of mass combat before!”

“I can’t argue with that, Hibiki!” Mousse flicked his hands into his sleeves and then out again, producing his close-combat steel claws. His eyes darted once to the double scabbard on his hip, then back up again. Best not to use the Sun and Moon Blades lest I truly need them, he mused before springing upward, flipping twice in the air and swinging his arms out; four airborne demons were quickly annihilated and two more were dispatched in similar fashion before he touched the ground.

Shampoo gasped and very nearly stopped in her tracks as he descended. “Aiya… when Mousse get so quick… and accurate…” A second later, her eyes widened again as a number of albino vipers seemed to appear from thin air at her feet, then quickly ensnared her ankles and began to ascend to her bosom and neck. She cried out in shock and lifted a bonbori out of reflex, when something stopped her.

“Shampoo! DON’T MOVE!” At Mousse’s clipped tone, she did exactly that. The vipers paused momentarily at the sound of his voice- and an instant later, the combat claws on one of his hands vanished as ribbon-adorned daggers flew out of his sleeve. Shampoo’s eyes widened even further, but she remained stock-still as each dagger pierced home in the head or body of each snake. The beasts screeched, and soon fell apart into dust.

The violet-haired Amazon blinked, then let out a relieved sigh. “That… that too, too close call with snake-things… could not even move legs to get away…” She looked up, and her relief quickly became indignation. “I glad you help, Mousse, but how you know you not hit Shampoo by mistake? What you do then? No scare like that again!”

Mousse nodded, hiding a wry smile. “I didn’t mean to scare you, my dear… and I wouldn’t have done that if I hadn’t known I wouldn’t miss.” He tapped a point next to his eye. “It helps not to have to rely on those damned lenses.”

“Hey, less talking, more thrashing!” Ukyo hollered as she finished hammering an imp into something resembling pancake batter. She whipped around in a circle, caught sight of a toxic black raven heading for her neck, and swatted it over a nearby fence. “I gotta admit, though, this is a bit more fun than I was expecting, you guys!”

“You kidding, Ucchan? This is my kinda brawl right here!” Ranma hollered, roundhouse-kicking another three imps directly into Shingen, who dispatched them with three deft weapon jabs. “Just like when I first got to town, right Akane?”

Akane nodded as she barreled into a thick cluster of assorted minor demons and began flipping them hither and yon like playing cards. “Yeah, except I think the Hentai Horde was uglier than these freaks!” she laughed. “Still, you and I both know this isn’t going to last, right?”

“Yeah, the jagoff’s just trying to tire us out,” Ranma replied as he and Shingen broke through the thickest concentration of fiends, one with his knuckles, the other with the butt of his bladed staff. “We gotta save our best for last; no fancy stuff yet!”

“Took the words right out of my mouth,” Shingen chuckled. “Come on, we’ve gotta keep moving!” The others nodded in agreement and bolted through the scattered lesser demons, pausing only to thrash a few stubborn stragglers before turning a corner and starting down the main road to Furinkan High; the glow emanating from the distant building seemed to be intensifying bit by bit.

“So what do we do when we get there? Just hit him hard and try to figure out this Contingency thing of his?” Ryoga piped up, pausing long enough to splatter a translucent, fanged blob of a creature with his umbrella, followed by a roundhouse kick and elbow smash to a black goblin with a face resembling a Noh mask.

“If I were you, Hibiki, I’d try to stay away from Astaroth if at all possible,” Shingen snapped, intercepting a wild-eyed flying lizard-thing with the back of his left hand; blue ki flared in a disk around his glove, sending the lizard into a garbage can. “These beasts may not pose too great a threat, but the worst is still to come, I assure you.”

“Yeah, you said that already, but I’ve had my fair share of tough fights, too!” Ryoga shot back. “Hell, I was right there at Phoenix Mountain the day that…”

“You said that once before, Hibiki, I know! I’m just trying to point out the fact that…”

“Would you guys knock it off?” Ranma interjected as he grabbed a lesser oni in midair and punted it over the canal fence like a soccer ball. “Ya don’t have to keep harping on this bastard, or who does what and when, we’ll just deal with it when we get there, alright?” He sighed, then looked to his right, noting the grim expression on Akane’s face. His own expression softened subtly, and he shifted closer to her as he sent a thought her way. Acchan, you doin’ okay?

She looked up at him, shrugged, and gave him a wan smile as she ducked to the left, letting a deformed albino bat spirit miss her completely before she snatched the thing in both hands and threw it to the ground. I guess so, she replied as she stepped on the bat. Still shaky about the whole thing… but then again, nothing new there. I dealt with the shakes at Jusendo, I guess I can deal with this for now. She paused, then smirked a bit. Though I have to admit, this may be the first time I’ve been in this position, doing the rescuing instead of being the ‘damsel in distress’.

Ranma couldn’t help but smirk for an instant. Well, with any luck and the way we’ve been trainin’, let’s hope ya won’t have ta worry ‘bout being carried off by nobody any longer, ‘kane. Akane nodded, then giggled slightly, planning to say something Astrally about not minding being carried off by a certain baka. But for a sudden interruption, she would have said it.

As it happened, she didn’t.

Without warning, the canal exploded in a frenzy directly next to them, throwing great sheets of water into everyone’s faces, drenching their clothes instantly. Several blinked at the conspicuous absence of any transformation, but their attention was quickly drawn to the three reptilian humanoids that had burst from the canal. Their limbs and faces were dark green and scaly, with an armored ridge cresting their noses and skulls, and a shell-like carapace that covered their backs. With a quick swipe, their clawed hands tore the chain link fence to tatters, lunging forward with surprising speed and agility. Two more slogged out of the water behind the first three, malice shining in their yellow eyes.

“What the HELL?” Ryoga gasped as he swung madly at the head of one of the beasts. “These things just keep comin’ out of the woodwork, don’t… OOF!” He got no further as his fist glanced off the curved ridge on its forehead, followed by a scaled hand pummeling his solar plexus and driving him into a wall. The beast responsible then turned and elbowed a stunned Mousse to one side before making a beeline for Ukyo.

“Just lovely; of all the times to have to deal with a kappa ambush!” Shingen crouched, then sprang forward, thrusting his polearm at the throat of the nearest kappa, who promptly swatted it to one side and raced up to punch him in the chest, ignoring Ukyo for the time being. He parried the green fist with the butt of his staff at the last moment, and the two quickly lapsed into a dodge-block-attack pattern that left no opening for either fighter. “Try to hit them in the neck, it’s the only unarmored point on their bodies!”

“Easy to say, not so easy to do!” Shampoo grumbled as she ducked and rolled away from an overhead swing that left a fist-shaped mark in the pavement. She crouched low, jumped and twisted in midair, then brought her bonbori cracking down on the offending creature’s skull. The beast winced and a light crack appeared on its carapace, but it did not slow down, preferring to twist and backhand Shampoo across her left side. She gasped and fell to the ground, rolling up a bit awkwardly as the kappa attacked once again. This time, she blocked each hand with an outward sweep of her weapons, then brought them back together again, cracking the kappa’s head as if between two cymbals. “Stay down and die, ugly man!” The beast shook its head, then lunged at the purple-haired girl, flailing its claws madly and scoring three light gashes across her upper thigh.

“I’m not so sure it’s such a good idea to taunt these things,” Akane yelled as she tucked and rolled beneath the legs of her own attacker, who left his own fist dents in the road. “Just clobber ‘em and let’s keep moving!” Her leg whipped out, catching the kappa across the back of both knees simultaneously. The fiend grunted and buckled slightly, but recovered and spun to face Akane, trading rapid-fire punches and slowly backing her away from the others.

“Akane, don’t let that thing herd you!” Ranma yelled, peppering a fourth across the face with a series of lightning-fast punches that rocked the kappa’s head from one side to another. Its arms flailed madly and came down hard on his left shoulder, eliciting a noticeable flinch, but doing little to stop the assault. Drawing his right arm back, he pumped a quick burst of ki directly into his knuckles, then let fly. “JINRAI TEKKEN!” The kappa’s chin audibly cracked in several places as his head snapped back, exposing its neck just as Ranma moved in for the kill. “KACHU TENSHIN AMAGURIKEN!”

The suddenness and power of the Chestnut Fist caught the demon full force; the kappa barely had a chance to emit a strangled yelp before crashing to the ground, white ichors spewing from its mouth. Its limbs went slack and quickly dissolved into powder, leaving only the great shell behind. Ranma smirked triumphantly, but the smirk didn’t last as he was suddenly waylaid by the fifth kappa, who seemed fully determined to tear the pig-tailed warrior to ribbons before he could act.

“Don’t let up yet!” Shingen hollered, sparks flying as his naginata scored minute scratches along the scales just beneath his opponent’s neck. The kappa snarled and snapped its jaws, locking up with Shingen and trying to wrench the weapon out of his hands, while at the same time upsetting his balance. Damn… I really, REALLY don’t like fighting kappa. All that damn armor!

“Hey, UGLY!” Ryoga pulled himself out of the hole in the wall and charged Shampoo’s assailant with a newly recovered Mousse hot on his heels. “You guys like to hit hard, huh? Well, you ain’t the only one!” His umbrella swung in a low arc, smashing the kappa across the back of one knee; there was a sickening crunch and the fiend gasped in sudden pain. The next instant, Mousse had produced a compact spiked mace on a chain and rebounded it off the other knee, eliciting another groan but nowhere near as loud a crunch. The mace retracted like a yo-yo as the tall Amazon circled to the front of the beast.

“You’re going to pay for daring to harm Shampoo, you filth,” he said in a glacial tone. His hand darted to the double scabbard at his waist, and with a flourish, he had drawn the twin Tai Chi swords and leveled the point of one at the kappa’s eyes. “Hibiki, would you mind holding the condemned steady?” Ryoga nodded knowingly, and the kappa suddenly found itself locked into a modified Full Nelson with Ryoga’s hands locked over one of the ridges on its skull. Ryoga pulled back, compressing the beast so hard that its eyes bugged out… and a moment later, Mousse had deftly and artistically slashed the thing’s neck open with both swords.

Akane blinked for an instant as her own assailant continued to press forward, and started to grin. “I knew it! These things aren’t really so tough, you guys!” She ducked in, letting her attacker’s hand sail over her head before delivering a quick elbow-punch combo to its groin. Ranma, you doing okay?

Heh. This is nothing, Acchan, came his reply as he leaped onto his current opponent’s arm and snap-kicked it in the face. How ‘bout you? You aren’t lettin’ that thing get the upper hand, are ya?

Akane grinned, parrying two more punches in succession. He’s tougher than I expected, but I don’t think he’ll be trouble for much longer… Just then her foot struck a patch of loose gravel from where the fence had been torn out. She gasped and quickly moved to right herself- which was when the kappa made its move and barreled into her with both fists. Akane flinched and threw her arms up in an X-block, trying to push the attack up and away, but in doing so took sufficient force from the punch that she was knocked further back, lost her balance- and tumbled backwards into the canal.

“AKANE!” Ranma practically felt the panic wash over him as he saw her topple off the pavement, could almost feel the terror in his own mind, the sudden weight of limbs, the water pulling at her. Crimson light erupted from his body as he smashed his elbow into his opponent’s gut, charging toward the gap in the fence like a raging bull. The kappa Akane had been fighting with perked its head up, turned around slightly- and quickly found its head being used as a stepping stone as Ranma springboarded off the beast and into the canal. He could see her thrashing about in a panic, her head just beginning to dip beneath the surface of the water as he descended. Hang on, ‘kane, I’m gonna get you out of there…

Shingen gritted his teeth and ripped himself out of his assailant’s grasp. “Okay, you goddamned freaks, I’m through playing games with you!” he snarled, spinning his weapon in a figure-eight pattern. His eyes darted from the one he had been fighting, to the one recovering from Ranma’s elbow, to the third by the fence. White-gold ki began to pulse around his naginata, just as his eyes caught something else in motion. Ukyo had thrust a hand into her vendor’s vest and was crouching low, ready to move. His eyes widened and he started to shout a warning- just as she made her move.

“Ever had turtle tempura before, you creeps?” she chuckled. “BATTER BLIND!”

Batter blind? What the hell… was all Shingen could process as the chestnut-haired chef whipped three innocuous-looking packets at the eyes of all three kappa present. The packets burst open on contact with the bony- and still quite damp- skulls of the demons, coating their faces with a thick layer of powder. Each of the turtle-men snarled and clawed at their faces, trying to clear the powder away, which was quickly taking on the texture of glue.

Shingen stared- and just as quickly grinned. “Now that’s a handy little trick, Ucchan,” he chuckled.

“Just a little flour and water, that’s all,” she replied with a thumbs-up. “Time to bake and serve!” One hand flew to her combat spatula, and the next instant, she had slammed the blade up against the throat of one still-blinded beast. Biting her lower lip, she tightened her grip and shoved as hard as possible, breaking the skin of its neck and causing it to collapse in upon itself. The charcoal pentagram scribed on her spatula glowed briefly as the kappa’s energy dispersed, and she let out a long breath.

“Three down, two to go.” Shingen whipped his head around, glaring at the remaining kappa who were still fighting to get the flour paste out of their eyes. He tightened his grip on the naginata, pulling back as gold ki began to pulse around the blade. Ryoga and Mousse both snapped their weapons up and were preparing to double-team the nearest of the two, when something else happened.

There was a sudden rush of wind and a gout of water as Ranma burst from the canal with a spluttering Akane draped over his shoulders, piggyback style. His left arm was hooked under her knee, bracing her as his right hand flew to the wakizashi in his belt. The kappa nearest the fence, the one that had knocked her in, managed to scrape the last of the paste out of its eyes and turned to look up- and froze in place. Ki was pulsing in Ranma’s eyes, making them flash with rage. “You picked the wrong person to push into the drink, scale-face!” His hand blurred, whipping the sword from its saya in the blink of an eye. The kappa shook itself as Ranma landed in front of it, reared back and punched at his head as hard as it could- but he wasn’t there any longer.

There was a sudden sickening crack, and several people gasped.

The kappa blinked… then looked down and let out a hideous gurgle as it realized there was a wakizashi sticking into its chest. Ranma had ducked in at the last second and thrust, point-blank, at the demon’s sternum; the sword’s hilt was pressed right up against its chest with the point breaking through the other side, through the shell. The demon flailed, staggered back, then collapsed, bursting into a cloud of white powder.

“Holy…” Ryoga murmured, wide-eyed. “He… he just… right through that thing’s…”

“Aiya… Brother Ranma strong when angered,” Shampoo breathed. Mousse merely nodded. Shingen managed to shake off his own surprise long enough to spring at the fifth demon, spearing it through the neck and chest with his Chain Blade strike. The kappa didn’t even have time to gasp before its body was ripped apart, disintegrating like the others.

Ranma slammed his sword back into the saya, then heaved a long sigh as he set a dripping wet Akane down. “Teach that creep to push ya in the drink like that,” he quipped, then turned to look at her. “You okay, ‘kane?”

She nodded once, then coughed lightly. “Just a little waterlogged, that’s all. Just give me a second, I’ll be fine.” She paused, then looked up and smiled wryly. “Thanks for the save, Mr. Lifeguard.”

Ranma brushed some water out of his hair and chuckled. “Soon as this mess is over, I gotta teach you how to swim, tomboy.” Akane coughed and giggled at the same time, giving him a light swat on the arm.

“Damn, Ran-chan, I knew you were good, but I didn’t think you were that good!” Ukyo exclaimed as both he and Akane got back to their feet. “Ya punched through that thing like he was made outta rice paper!”

“I’ll say, and I know for a fact normal strikes don’t do much against kappa shells,” Shingen added, returning his weapon to its normal state. “So how long have you been practicing Sekkai Katto Sutoraiki anyway? I saw the way your aura merged with the blade at the crucial moment.”

Ranma shrugged. “I haven’t. I just wanted that thing gone, that’s all.”

It was Shingen’s turn to blink. He… he hasn’t even practiced it? And he did it right on the FIRST try? I know I explained the theory to him, but… even a Hunter blade technique requires PRACTICE! He shook his head and tightened his bandanna. But then again, he learned the Jinrai Tekken just from getting hit by it… Kami, remind me never to underestimate you, my friend… A sudden stirring on the periphery of his aura senses stopped him cold; snapping his head towards the canal, he caught sight of more shadows moving beneath the surface. “I don’t think we’re going to have much time to rest, guys.”

The water exploded with movement, followed by two more kappa emerging from the depths, this time accompanied by a number of serpent-like demons and three things that resembled walking piles of seaweed. Ranma spun around, hands clenched. “What the hell… how many more o’ these damn things are there, anyway?”

“I don’t think I want to know the answer to that,” said Akane, shivering at the sight. Good gods… if Ranma hadn’t pulled me out of there…

“This no good! More demon creatures on road, too!” Shampoo gesticulated wildly with her bonbori, indicating fresh shadows lurching through the fog from where they had come. A guttural laugh erupted from the other end of the street, followed by numerous imp-shaped shadows springing up before their eyes.

“This is just great, the bastards got us penned in!” Ryoga bellowed.

“Those turtle-things must’ve been advance scouts or something,” Mousse mused as he swung the Sun and Moon swords up, holding them parallel to each other and to the ground. “We spent so long hitting the armored ones, it gave them time to marshal greater numbers.” The others nodded in agreement and began to pull into defensive positions. Demon after demon sauntered out of the mist, flexing claws, talons or whatever appendages were available as they drew ever closer. Ranma gritted his teeth and sidled up to Akane; without speaking a word, they drew back to back and interlocked their elbows, tensing up for the dual attack they had used against Kuno’s summoned oni days earlier. Ryoga fell into a boxing stance. Shampoo crouched low, eyes darting left and right, ready to slam the first imp that tried to grab at her.

Shingen’s eyes suddenly widened… and a smile quickly spread across his face. “This may not be as bad as you think, everyone.” He swung his naginata up, preparing to lunge. “You might want to duck; we’ve got company.” Akane glanced up and was about to ask what he meant, but an instant later, a multi-path Astral Link entered her mind’s ear and Ranma’s… and in that instant, they both knew what was about to happen.

“Spread your wings, Komadori!” echoed a commanding female voice. “HARIMURE!”

There was a hard metallic twang- and next instant could only be described as chaotic. Dozens of silver ki-darts rained down from above, each dart screeching like a firework as it slammed into the body of the nearest available demon. Imps began bursting like balloons as Ranma, Akane, Shingen and the others ducked down and away from the darts’ angle of descent. The kappa screeched in surprise as the ki bolts rebounded off their carapaces, smashing into their nearest unarmored cohorts- and then dropped to their knees as their eyes and necks were perforated by more of the same bolts. Howls of anguish erupted, followed by myriad numbers of lesser demons scattering from the street. In seconds, the path had been more or less cleared.

Ukyo glanced down the street in either direction. “What the… what in the blue blazes was THAT?” She scrambled to her feet and spun around, looking up… and blinked as Shingen began to laugh. Standing on the roof of the nearest house was a woman clad in black pants and a SWAT-style cargo vest, her long hair pulled back in a ponytail and a compound bow in her left hand… an unusually massive bow that looked somewhat like the longbows of feudal Japan and scintillating with a reddish-gold light. The woman appeared to be wearing a sort of metal glove on her left hand as well- and from their present angle, the glove appeared to be fused directly to the bow itself.

“That would just happen to be my younger sister, ‘Hawk Eyes’ Reika. Fashionably late, as usual.”

The archer smirked. “And you’re right in the thick of it, as usual, niisan,” she retorted. She drew another arrow from the quiver on her back and notched it. “Got word that something bad was about to go down late last night; took me till a half-hour ago to get here. Shinjuku traffic.” She snapped the bowstring back and released, loosing the bolt into the fog from whence they had come. A humanoid shadow squeaked and collapsed, its essence dispersing into the mist.

“Wait a sec- Yamashira’s got a sister?” Ryoga queried, scratching his head.

“We’ll tell you about her later; you weren’t here the first time she showed up,” Akane replied.

“Goes without saying, Shin-chan, you really picked a doozy of an assignment this time,” said Reika as she pulled a fistful of paper wards from her vest, spreading them in a circle around her. “You all oughta get moving; those lesser spirits may be spooked, but they’re not gonna stay away for long. I’ll cover your back.”

Shingen nodded. “So long as you know what you’re doing, sis.”

“Hey, you do what you do best, I’ll do what I do best. But you better come back from that Focus Point alive, or I’m gonna kick your butt.”

Ryoga blinked. “Hey… wait a sec, are we just going to leave her behind or something? In the middle of all these freaks? What happened to safety in numbers?” As he spoke, the growls and shrieks of lesser demons began to grow in volume once again.

“Hibiki, we haven’t the time to argue,” Shingen snapped. “Reika’s an expert archer and the best warder and enchanter the Yamashira clan has to date. She knows what she’s doing.”

“Damn right I do, so GET YOUR BUTTS IN GEAR already!” the dark-haired archer shouted as she loosed another arrow, cutting down two imps at once. “My ammo supply isn’t going to last forever, you know! Geez, talk about something out of a bad dream…” She concentrated as she drew back her next arrow; a silver pentagram erupted from the back of the metal glove locked to the bow, spreading its light along the grip, down the string and finally to the arrow. “HARIMURE!” The arrow was loosed, instantly splitting into myriad silver needles that screeched into the fog like bees, cutting through another swath of lesser spirits.

Ranma, however, didn’t notice this. Nor did he notice the mass of imps and oni that had begun to gather at the other end of the road, closing their path again. He barely took note of the fact that Shingen was flinging another handful of darts at the first of their foes; he only blinked when Akane pushed his shoulder and told him there was no time to space out, that they needed to move fast. He blinked again when she shoved him again, this time asking him if he was alright. For the moment, his mind was fixated on what Reika had just said.

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Something out of a bad dream…

A dream… that’s right…

I dreamed myself to that place. The place in my mind… something I had to face by myself, I couldn’t ask Acchan or anyone else to help me with it…

But I wasn’t alone, was I? There was someone there to help me…

Ranko. My yin side. The other half of me that got twisted and bound by that damn curse spirit. She was there, ready to face that… thing inside of me.

I remember now… yin and yang. Light and darkness. Human… and animal… and all inside of me. Two halves of the same damn coin… and no control over one tiny part of it.

I remember the battle… one of the roughest ever. Blow for blow, it was even all the way… except that I wasn’t fighting alone. There was Ranko… and… and the Sagara blade was there, too… and…

There was a name… the scabbard had a name…

The sword’s name… I REMEMBER!

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“Ranma, what’s the matter with you? Are you just going to stare at those freaks all night? Snap out of it!” Akane gave Ranma’s shoulder a third hard shove, prompting him to blink again and shake his head. He snapped to attention, noticing the growing platoon of spirits approaching them from the front. Reika was still on the roof sniping at various larger foes, conserving her energy; the others- with the exception of Akane- had fallen into a defensive line facing the immediate threat.

“Let ‘em come to you. Don’t waste energy just yet,” Shingen said in a low tone.

“Don’t have to tell me twice, sugar. I got a special take-out order waiting for these freaks.” Ukyo slung her combat spatula and reached into her vendor’s vest, her fingers curling around the object in question. The others nodded in agreement, each one brandishing their own preferred weapon- when a bonfire of reddish-gold ki erupted from directly behind them.

Shampoo turned and stared. “Aiya… what is Brother Ranma doing?”

“Sorry ‘bout that,” Ranma quipped, brushing his bangs out of his eyes. “Didn’t mean to get lost like that… just had a little revelation, that’s all.” With a quick hop, he was over the line, almost directly in front of the approaching demons- who stepped back a foot, staring at Ranma with curious eyes.

“Ranma! You dummy, what are you trying to do?” Akane hollered.

“I know you’re pretty powerful, my friend,” Shingen added, “but there’s no sense using your ki all up at once!” He grasped his naginata tighter, pulling it back into a ready position.

“Don’t worry ‘bout me,” Ranma replied with a crooked smile that quickly morphed into a calm look of determination. “I’m just getting warmed up… and I think I know the right way to use this.” A flick of the wrist, and the wakizashi was out. Grasping the blade in both hands, he reached out with his own aura, letting it flow over and around the sword until something sparked within. He felt another aura reaching out, meshing with his- the sword’s inner energy combining with his own, causing his ki to shift from red-gold to almost pure gold light.

“Two halves of the same whole, reach out and fight as one… divide and unite, NIBAIKOTSU!”

The blade exploded with energy as it suddenly swelled, growing upwards and outwards at the same time. Akane, Shingen and most everybody else gasped as Ranma suddenly pulled his hands apart, a length of pure light clutched in each hand. What had been a single wakizashi had promptly split into two swords, each one the length of a standard katana but with noticeably wider blades, similar to curved Chinese battle swords with Japanese tsuba and hilts. The left-hand sword hilt was wrapped in pure red cord, while the right-hand sword bore black. Intricate kanji and a detailed etching of dragons in flight stretched across the spine of each blade. Ranma breathed deeply, took a long look at both the swords and the newly shocked demons before him- and sprang directly into the fray, swinging the twin blades in devastating arcs that blazed through the first few lines in an instant.

Ryoga was the first to snap out of his stupor. “What the… what in HELL was that?”

“I don’t believe it,” Mousse murmured. “It was just one sword he had… but now he has two?”

“Good gods…” Akane breathed. Shingen… did Ranma just do what I think he did?

The taller Hunter turned his head to her and nodded. I don’t know what exactly brought it on, but he’s discovered his sword’s name. And it looks like the rumors were true… the Sagara clan was said to have mastered the art of the twofold weapon… but I don’t think now’s the time to be gawking! He snapped his eyes back to the chaos before him and raised his weapon. “No sense letting you do all the work, my friend!” he hollered as he lunged in, spearing and slashing at a squad of lesser oni along the sidelines. Akane nodded and followed suit, ducking around a startled Shampoo and somersaulting into the midst of a group of imps that promptly found themselves on the receiving end of a reverse roundhouse kick, followed her own sword flashing from its saya and splitting a number of airborne fiends from scalp to crotch.

“Hey! You guys ain’t leaving me out of this!” Ryoga snarled, cracking his knuckles and charging forward, clotheslining two lesser oni simultaneously before spin-kicking a beast resembling a rabid white kitsune across the face. Out came the umbrella, and in the next instant demons began flying right and left, imploding into white ichors as the Lost Boy bludgeoned them with the force of a Sherman tank.

“You got that right!” Mousse added, chains bursting from the sleeves of his robe as Shampoo and Ukyo darted out to the sides, then back in again in a pincer attack. Imps began to swarm the two girls, only to fall back in shock as they were repeatedly gouged, battered, and spatula-slammed, in some cases into oblivion. Further ahead, Ranma and Akane had quickly lapsed into a coordinated sword kata that moved at lightning speed, their weapons passing dangerously close to one another as she slashed low and he flipped over her head, whipping his newly dual weapons in tight circles that tore through the spirits like buzzsaws. It got even riskier when Shingen joined their kata, dancing in and out of their patterns to spear a small but ravenous Reaver that had burst from the mist. For an instant, Ukyo had to pause and stare, wondering how much they had practiced their kata so as to avoid hitting one another.

They would have easily hit one another several times… were it not for the fact their minds were, quite literally, working in unison via the Astral. Even so, Shingen found himself shaking his head once again; he knew how Astral Link coordination had saved himself and Reika before, but their timing had been nowhere near as good as Akane’s and Ranma’s was. It’s like those two already knew how to Link before their blood even awakened, he mused as he smashed a True Oni across the forehead with the butt of his naginata, breaking its horns before driving a Jinrai Tekken-powered punch into its face.

It wasn’t long before the path had been cleared once more, allowing the seven to breathe a quick sigh of relief- and one groan of indignation as Ranma’s swords abruptly shrank and fused together, reverting to the form of a wakizashi once again. “What the… hey, why’d it do that? I thought…”

“Knowing your weapon’s name is one thing. Sustaining its released state is gonna take practice, even for someone like you,” Shingen replied, wiping sweat from the edge of his bandanna. “Still, the fact you released it’s a damn good thing. Now, let’s go!”

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The dark-haired archer smiled knowingly as she watched the last of the seven plunge into the mist. “Talk about madness… you really jumped in with both feet this time, Bro. Chaos stream was bad enough, now we’ve got the Archangel Protocol in effect.” Her eyes snapped back to the fiends approaching from the way they had come; jamming a hand into a vest pouch, she procured a handful of paper wards and several darts carved of willow wood, which she promptly flung in an arc towards the nearest shadows. The shadows screeched and recoiled at the touch of the blessed objects, giving Reika time to draw another arrow. “I hope to Kami you got those two trained sufficiently, or you’re gonna be in big trouble, Shingen… not to mention those four norms you got fighting with you.” The arrow sped from her released-state bow, impaling an oni between the eyes. She drew another arrow and her smile broadened.

“Then again, if that one kid could release his sword’s lock so soon… maybe I don’t have to worry so much after all. HARIMURE!”

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A violet eye twitched. “So… it would appear the pig-tailed prodigy continues to grow.”

Astaroth turned abruptly from the edge of Furinkan’s roof and strode angrily towards his cohorts, one hand grasping his cane in a death grip. “Those insects are proving more stubborn than I first anticipated. And the scions are, indeed, growing stronger. If they continue to move forward at their present rate…”

“They may arrive before your preparations are complete, my Lord,” Kurowashi interjected.

“Indeed.” He reached up and brushed an ivory lock out of his face. “It matters not how powerful they grow by the time they arrive… but if they approach too soon, it may prove to be… inconvenient.” He breathed out slowly. “And it would appear that there are unmarked pawns moving as well. Rather unexpectedly… they could hasten the Hunters’ progress further.”

“We can’t have that, Astaroth-sama,” Yoko purred, sidling up with a hungry look in her eyes. “Shall I… dissuade them? You know I’ve been aching to inflict more pain on that fiery little Tendo girl.”

Astaroth looked down at the petite vixen… and slowly smiled. “Deal with them as you wish.” He turned his eyes to the great black Tengu. “Both of you. Kurowashi, I believe you may have just the technique to delay our imminent guests a while longer?”

The birdlike demon nodded. “A Shadow Maze it shall be, my Lord.”

“Excellent. Do what you must.” The Tengu and the girl nodded once, then turned and sprinted to the edge of the roof. Great black wings spread wide, and in an instant the two were airborne, with Yoko riding on the back of the massive Kurowashi.

Astaroth nodded, casting a derisive look at the two unconscious, bound females lying on the roof before turning back towards the broken section of tile where eldritch energy continued to spark and flare. Several stories below, the runic circle began to slowly close and grow more ornate as the tall demon lifted his cane and began to chant.

Yes… do what thou wilt, just as I do even now. It shall not be long…

To Be Continued.

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Author’s Note 4/7/06: I’m not entirely sure if I managed to meet my self-imposed 3 week deadline; I know there were some of you eager for this next installment. Fact is, life happened. The closer I get to the end, the harder it gets to write it out- and there’s still much more to take care of. At this point, I do have definitive events that I want to happen, but also a good portion that is nebulous. Combine that with the twists and turns of everyday life, and I can get pretty busy. Please, bear with me. I’ll try to get the next chapter up before too long.

I haven’t forgotten about certain characters, they’ve just been on hold here and there. Rest assured, those who are mentioned will have their roles to play.

The title of this chapter is derived from a line in the song Stricken by Disturbed, from their album Ten Thousand Fists. One of my current favorite bands, and great music to write fight sequences to.

Reika’s bow’s name, Komadori, is Japanese for “robin”. The attack she utilized comes from two words: hari(needle) and mure(a flock or a swarm). Harimure, then, is ‘needle swarm’. This translation- and some others- comes from an online translator program; hopefully I haven’t screwed up too much.

Ranma’s weapon comes from the two words nibai and kotsu, which could translate together as ‘twofold skill’. Given the whole yin/yang nature of him in general, I felt it fit rather well.

A kappa is a bona fide ancient Japanese demon, or water sprite of sorts. Their resemblance to four pizza-munching ninja turtles is coincidental, and was actually referred to in one of the TMNT movies. Kappa were around before they were- at least in Japanese folklore.

Thank you once again for your input and reviews; I only hope this chapter’s quality holds up to that of the previous ones. More to come- when, I can’t say for certain. Until next time.

-Neon Ronin