Ranma 1/2 Fan Fiction ❯ Ranma 1/2: The Truth and the Tempest ❯ Night of Fire ( Chapter 41 )

[ 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 have merely been borrowed for the purposes of this ongoing chronicle. With that said, let us proceed.]

Ranma ½: The Truth and the Tempest

Chapter 41: Night of Fire

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The sight that greeted the two teens was not quite Hell… though it wasn’t far off. It was something akin to Edvard Munch’s painting The Scream, but rather than one person twisted in agony, it was an entire building.

The whole campus was glowing like an infection. The outer walls bristled with twisted stone spikes, and the ebony pillars that had sprung up like a row of temple gates seemed to pulse and throb with the same sickly ki that saturated the air. It took them a moment to fully realize that the front door and several walls had been completely blown away, replaced by a pit ringed with violet flames that were growing brighter by the second. Their eyes traveled skyward, following the lines where the wall had been cleaved away, until they stopped at a further addition- four massively tall black obelisks set in a square atop the roof of Furinkan High. A faint light seemed to be flickering from somewhere amidst the obelisks, just beyond the roof’s edge.

Ranma stood stock-still, eyes widening at every monstrous addition to the building. “I don’t believe this… this is what he meant by an Unfinished Gate?”

“It’s like something out of a nightmare…” Akane bit her lip and unconsciously squeezed Ranma’s hand, only relaxing her grip when she felt him squeeze back.

“If this is the sicko’s idea of a joke, I sure as Hell ain’t laughing,” Ranma growled, taking two steps forward and gripping the saya of his sword. “ASTAROTH! You want us so bad? Well, here we are! Now where are ya? And where’s Kasumi and my Mom?”

A shadow moving on the roof’s edge caught their attention; squinting through the sheets of fire rising from the ground, they could just make out a tall man in a longcoat, arms folded, looking right at them. His long hair was flaring about his head, and while Akane couldn’t be sure, she could almost feel his sneer hitting them full-force.

“So you’ve arrived.” His voice seemed to echo in their ears as if he stood next to them- low, seductive and menacing. “You two appear to have become quite the warriors, indeed. To weave your way out of Kurowashi’s Shadow Maze so soon… most impressive.” The voice paused, then chuckled. “And look. You came dressed in matching shirts. How disgustingly sweet.”

“Like I care about yer damn praises!” Ranma spat. “You think this is some kinda damn game?”

“Oh, this is no game, Saotome.” The voice took on an angry air. “I have every intention of taking your deaths very seriously.” He turned his head and Akane suddenly felt the icy void of his glare wash over her from the inside out. “Especially considering what you did to my viceroy. One hardly comes across one as loyal as Yoko every day, and you cut her down as though she were common filth. That was… uncalled for, girl.”

The complete disdain she heard in the word girl quickly stirred Akane’s temper, abruptly breaking the chill as she shot a glare back. “Uncalled for? You think you’ve got the right to talk about something being uncalled for? That Yoko bitch made the first move; if you don’t like what happened, well, it’s her own damn fault she wasn’t watching us all the time!” She balled her fists and took a step forward. “Now, where’s my sister? I swear, if you hurt her or Auntie, I’m gonna…”

“Be still, Tendo,” Astaroth purred. “They are as yet unharmed. In fact, they are right up here, with me. I brought them as witness to your executions.”

“Fancy way o’ saying ya want them to watch me an’ Akane die,” Ranma snorted, cracking his knuckles. “Sorry to mess up yer plans, asshole, but I’m not gonna die today, an’ neither is Acchan. You, on the other hand…” He turned his head and smirked. “You ready to fight, ‘kane?”

She nodded and smiled faintly. “If you’re ready, I guess that makes me ready.”

“Oh, yes. By all means, do come and rescue them…” Astaroth paused, extending his right hand over the fiery circle three stories below. “And leave the entire ward to the mercies of my Finished Gate.” His hand clenched shut.

A pulse of ki burst outward from the pit that pushed Ranma and Akane backwards three feet, almost knocking them off balance. The violet flames marking the circle became a mixture of steel blue and green, bathing the front of the school in a vomitous light- and Akane gasped as shadows began to emerge from the depths of the pit. First a few small shadows, then a few more, forming into the recognizable silhouettes of imps as they crawled upward and began to advance. Several imps became a dozen with a dozen more behind them, and behind those imps more and more figures began to emerge… larger ones, in varying sizes and shapes, all of them leering at the two shocked teens before them… all crouching, preparing to spring forth.

Akane’s hand flew to her mouth. “Oh, Kami…”

“That dirty son of a bitch,” Ranma growled. “That’s what he needed time for… he wasn’t redecoratin’ the damn school, he was callin’ his own private army.”

“Quite perceptive, Sagara’s heir.” Astaroth turned and began to walk away from the edge of the roof. “So, make your choice. Approach me and save your family- or remain where you are and fight to save a city. The choice is yours; you’d likely perish either way.” He cast an amused glance at the runic circle below. “And I’d make the decision soon if I were you. My friends appear to be getting… antsy.” A wry smirk and a flourish, and he was gone from the roof’s edge.

“How… HOW DARE YOU!” Akane began to shake, her nails digging into her palms hard enough to draw blood. “You want us to… to decide between… what kind of a monster are you?”

“Akane, calm down. That’s what he wants out of you; he wants ya to lose your cool.”

“Calm down? Ranma, he’s asking us to choose between the city and our family, and both ways seem to work in his favor, and you want me to calm down? How can you be so nonchalant about…” She trailed off, catching herself at the last moment as she noticed that while Ranma’s face looked calmly detached, his own fists were shaking with controlled rage and blood was already seeping from his palms.

He looked at her, and his eyes told everything even before his words met her mind in the Astral. I promise you, Acchan… I’m gonna make him eat those words of his just before I cut his head off. I don’t know how I’m gonna do it, but I’m not lettin’ him get the upper hand. Not now, not ever. A rush of emotion flowed from him to her, confirming the anger that was exceeding hers- an anger, she had learned in their recent exercises, he only ever felt when a loved one was in jeopardy. And with it, the barest modicum of control- control that she was ashamed to admit she had been lacking until recently.

Akane took a deep breath. Sorry… I should’ve known you’d feel… She blinked and looked at the slowly growing horde of demonkin, which was starting to saunter towards them. But… what do we do now? We could probably take these things on- I mean, we took on those oni that Kuno summoned- but if they just keep coming, we’ll never get Kasumi or your mom back!

Yeah, that’s what he’s expectin’ us to do, like a martial artist of old would do… give up a few to save many. Ranma wiped his brow, teeth clenched tight. I don’t know… I never planned for somethin’ like this…

“You two handle the one in charge. I’ll take care of these.” The two jumped at the voice; spinning around, their eyes widened in relief at the sight of Shingen entering the intersection. His left sleeve was in tatters with loose chainmail spilling from the lining, and his naginata rested lightly on one shoulder as he surveyed the scene. Ukyo was standing beside him; she rested one hand on his back as though supporting him, and her combat spatula appeared to be worn from use. Konatsu was beside her on the other side, watching the road behind them; his hair and clothing were both quite disheveled.

Ranma broke out in a grin. “Shin! Ukyo! Damn, I was wonderin’ where you guys got to; are you okay?”

Ukyo smirked. “Sorry we’re late. Traffic.”

“Met up with some unexpected help on the way,” Shingen added, gesturing to Konatsu, who bowed politely. “After that we just had to fight our way out of the Shadow Maze… and I’m guessing that open Portal over there is the reason why we got thrown in that Maze.” The growing cluster of demonkin began to shuffle forward, making room for more shadowed forms to emerge from the pit; laughter was filling the air and growing louder by the second. “Guess that explains the energy I couldn’t track before.”

“Yeah, it might,” Akane quipped, her eyes darting from the advancing horde to the roof and back again. “Dirty trick to pull if you ask me…”

“This is Demonkind we’re talking about. They never fight fair; I thought I told you that once before, Akane.” Shingen hefted the halberd off his shoulder, resting the butt of the staff on the ground. “And like I said, I’ll take care of these. Get going, both of you!”

“Shin, are you out of your skull? You wanna take on that… that freakshow on all by yourself? Dammit, man, I know yer a good fighter, but…”

“But nothing, Ranma. You know as well as I do you can’t be in two places at once, and if you don’t get moving there’s no telling what that creep might do to the hostages.” The taller man snapped his eyes towards the Portal, scrutinizing it for an instant before turning back. “Besides, even if you two hold off all the freaks- and I’m sure you could- they’d just keep coming through, wouldn’t they? I know how to seal a Portal off, you don’t… not yet, anyway.”

Akane gaped. “You’re really serious, aren’t you? You’re going to try and…” She blinked and shook her head. “Even so, you can’t expect us to leave you alone; that Oni sword was one thing, but this?”

“He’s not gonna be alone, kiddo,” Ukyo piped up as she raised her own weapon. “I’m still good for a scrap or two… and I’m not planning on leaving a ‘Hunter’ matter at this point, no matter how much you wanna kick and scream, Shin-kun.” She gave him a determined smile as he turned to look at her; he started to say something, stopped, then merely sighed and nodded resignedly.

“I’m not leaving, either,” Konatsu added. “I may not know much about what’s happening here, but I’ll do my best to help Ukyo-sama and Shingen-san.” He finished with a quick bow and a flourish of his sword.

“If those two aren’t leaving, we’re not leaving, either!” A quick turn of the head was all that was needed to spot Mousse and Shampoo emerging from the far side of the T-intersection; their clothes were much the worse for wear- especially hers, which had become little more than a bikini supplemented by a sarong made of Mousse’s robe lining- and it was hard to miss the fresh wounds on their bodies, but Ranma and Akane could feel battle aura rolling off them in waves, superseding their injuries. “An Amazon never leaves their brethren in the heat of battle,” said Mousse in an iron voice, “and as such, I dare not leave now.”

“Shampoo agree. No leave till one who cause all this lie dead!” She glanced up and nodded to Mousse, who nodded in return and raised his twin swords. Faint flickers of ki danced up and down the blades, catching the attention of Ranma and Shingen- but their attention was abruptly drawn away by a dull thud, quickly followed by another, louder thud. Glancing away from Furinkan, the group quickly saw a distant garden wall burst into powder. Another one, a closer fence, burst immediately after, then another, then a third and fourth until finally the wall nearest to the intersection exploded into thousands of pieces- revealing a sweaty, panting, and highly pissed Ryoga Hibiki.

Ryoga swiped his forehead with his arm and shot a wry grin in Ranma’s direction. “Told ya I could handle those bastards by myself, didn’t I?”

Ranma shook his head and fought back the urge to let loose with relieved laughter. “Not exactly the route I woulda taken, Ryoga, but right now I don’t really give a damn!”

“Hey, I got here as fast as I could! Fact is, given my track record I think I… did… pretty… what the bloody hell is going on here?” Ryoga’s jaw nearly hit the pavement as his eyes locked on to the monstrous cadre that was filling Furinkan’s courtyard.

A shriek went up from the assorted imps and oni… and they chose that instant to charge.

“Everybody spread out! Don’t let any of them get through, and for Kami’s sake don’t risk yourself beyond your means! Ranma, Akane, get moving! I’ll follow you when I’ve got this Portal sealed!” Shingen’s eyes locked with theirs for an instant, followed by a clipped mind-to-mind message. Don’t try and take him out by yourselves. Buy as much time as you can, then we three can all try and find his weak spot! You hear me? NO crazy risks! I’m not about to have two new Hunters jumping into a suicide mission! He jammed his naginata into the pavement in one fluid blow, drew his hands up to his face and extended the first three fingers on each hand. Gold-white light began to gather about his right hand… and just as the first few imps were practically on top of him, he thrust outward. “KONPAKU KAKI BAKUHA!”

Screeches rent the air as the ki blast powered through no less than a dozen imps at once, ripping them to shreds and passing through to scatter the dozens of lesser demons still moving forward. Lesser oni were tossed about or burned to a cinder as the golden blast skimmed the ground, battering into several larger demons before finally dying down. Shingen’s hands disappeared into his jacket as startled and wounded Hellspawn began to regroup, followed by a lightning volley of throwing knives that pierced eyes, nostrils, and any patch of flesh they could find; four more imps exploded into white oblivion, while two snake spirits writhed in agony, snapping at the daggers lodged in their backs.

Ranma sprang into action, grasping Akane’s hand in his and sprinting for the edge of the school gates. An unspoken plan passed from his mind to hers, followed by an affirmative nod on her part as she shifted her weight and allowed him to pull her across his shoulders. Akane’s arms clasped tight around his neck as she felt him plant one foot, then she ducked as the two of them became airborne, averting her eyes from the sudden rush of air. In a second he was on the wall, then leapt again almost instantly toward the first of the spires lining the walkway to the school. A flailing tentacle snaked up the spire to grab at him, but Ranma was far to nimble and crushed the tentacle beneath his heel as he landed, promptly bouncing to the spire’s neighbor. He continued to jump, higher and higher with each successive bound, closer and closer to the roof.

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Demons continued to boil out of the schoolyard; no longer in the dozens, their numbers seemed to verge close to a hundred and continued to rise. With a crack, Shingen wrenched his naginata from the pavement and crouched low. “NOW!”

“Try chewing on this, uglies!” Ukyo snarled, peppering the onslaught- literally- with dozens of paper sachets of pepper, followed by a blizzard of throwing spatulas that tore the packages open, sending stinging clouds into numerous demonic eyes. Those afflicted faltered in their charge and started clawing their face, but were quickly interrupted as Shingen blazed into them, swinging his polearm in the figure-eight pattern he was fond of. Ukyo laughed and unslung her own weapon, leaping into the fray with a rapid succession of spatula-whacks.

“HAPPO BIJIN SHURIKEN!” Konatsu darted to the right, skirting the chaos and sending a flock of throwing stars in all directions. Several lesser demons ducked beneath the projectiles and scrambled out of the pack, intending to strangle the scarlet kunoichi, but they had barely reached him when Konatsu stepped backwards into an errant tendril of fog and disappeared. An instant later, he reappeared from the mist behind the two oni, drew his sword and stabbed both through their necks. “You may be not of this world,” he snapped, turning back towards the growing throng, “but I suppose even you are capable of underestimating your foes.” His hands flashed again, casting two throwing daggers into two batlike beasts that were approaching Ukyo, then he jumped straight up and cut the things in two before they hit the ground.

A hurricane of chain flails, swords fixed to lanyards, knives and maces of varying size slammed into another section of the demon army as Mousse let fly everything he had- including the kitchen sink. “Thought you’d do us all in, scum?” he growled, reeling his weapons in like yo-yos. “THINK AGAIN!” His right sleeve emptied again, this time flinging its contents into the face of a single large oni. There was a horrid crunch and a groan as the beast’s skull caved in; before it could fall, Mousse dropped his ranged weaponry and retrieved his Sun Blade, ducked in and laid into the monster with a spinning uppercut slash that tore vicious furrows across the oni’s chest. It barely had time to gurgle before exploding into powder. He twisted away and yanked his other sword from the twin scabbard just as another oni barreled through the gates, rearing its club back to strike. The club was inches from his head when an Amazon battlecry ripped through the air, accompanied by Shampoo somersaulting through the air and smashing both bonbori into the creature’s head and chest like twin jackhammers.

“How many more of these goons do we have to put up with?” Ryoga hollered, roundhouse-kicking three imps into the nearest wall seconds before a gibbering simian-thing scrambled out of the mist and leaped at his face. The simian’s descent halted abruptly when Ryoga grabbed it one-handed by the throat, turned at the same time and body slammed the beast into the pavement. “I thought the guy behind all this was supposed to be here, not more of his damn lackeys!” He quickly filled both hands with bandannas, spun rapidly and sent projectiles flying in all directions, cutting the necks of numerous lesser demons.

“Shampoo think these more than lackeys!” The purple-haired warrior chucked her weapons into the groins of two emaciated red-eyed zombies, then executed a series of rapid-fire punches verging on Amaguriken speed that felled both of them. “Think man responsible has open wide very gates of Hell!” She turned and bent down to snag a bonbori, then blinked as a multi-limbed shadow passed over her. There was a sudden crash; she glanced over her shoulder to see a giant black arachnid looming almost on top of her, one forelimb lashing out at her neck. Mousse screamed a warning at the last instant; Shampoo’s eyes widened and she ducked away, feeling a cool breeze across her neck as the talon passed mere millimeters over her skin. She tucked and rolled away- and quickly realized a large portion of her long hair had been sheared off just above the shoulder. She gasped in outrage and glared at the approaching spider-demon, which was raising its forelimbs again… and an instant later, exploded in white ichors as Mousse’s swords and Shingen’s unlocked naginata tore it to shreds.

“That was too close,” Ukyo yelled as she batted two lesser oni away. “They keep coming at this rate, we’re not gonna last much longer!”

“My sentiments exactly!” Ryoga added, punching through the heads of three humanoid demons in succession. “Hey, I may just be gettin’ warmed up here, but this keeps up too long and the freaks’re gonna outlast us!” He jerked his right hand up and punched the asphalt beneath him so hard it created a shockwave that knocked five approaching imps on their asses, followed by a wide umbrella swing that battered them into oblivion.

Shingen gritted his teeth and tightened his grip on his weapon. “Better try and clear a path fast, then! CHAIN BLADE SCREWDRIVER!” The blade of Karasuhebi practically exploded as the serrations expanded, driving the point through the thick of the demons like a harpoon. Shingen grasped the polearm near the blade and jerked upward, sending a ripple through the chain and lashing out on either side. Another twist and the chain spun in a circle, until with a minimum of motion the chainblade was twisting through the cadre of monsters like a giant drill. Deafening screeches echoed through the courtyard as the blade darted, snake-like, around and about the thicker concentrations of demons before constricting and tearing them to shreds. Moments later, Shingen yanked hard on the staff end, retracting the links abruptly and re-forming Karasuhebi’s normal blade, leaving a gaping hole in the demons’ front lines.

“That hole won’t last long; we gotta hit ‘em hard!” He crouched low, then sprang forward, handspringing straight into the fray with the naginata swinging out on all sides, carving great crescents through the air and through multiple monstrous faces. Ukyo blinked, then sprinted after him, flailing her own weapon and screeching an Osaka battlecry at the top of her lungs. Ryoga, not to be outdone, seized a section of the school gates and tore it straight out of the ground, hurling the impromptu missile into a quartet of ogres and smashing their faces in.

It wasn’t long before all six warriors had entered the courtyard, each one pummeling, slashing or otherwise beating back the encroaching masses which still continued to pour from the Portal. A scant few imps still ventured to advance beyond the school gate and into the ward; the majority seemed content to rage against the few humans before them who dared to fight back. All at once, there was a sudden flare from the Portal, and the flow of demons from within abruptly increased. Shingen’s eye twitched as he cut three toxic kitsune down, only to have them replaced by three snake demons. “This is not good,” he growled. “They’re trying to deadlock us; they’re not advancing but we can’t advance either…” A pained cry brought his thoughts to a screeching halt; spinning to the right, he caught a glimpse of a black-skinned oni pulling its right fist back- and Ukyo dropping to her knees, clutching her stomach in pain. “UCCHAN!”

The next thing Shingen felt was a blow to his own midsection as two of the snakes head-butted him simultaneously. He staggered back, shook off the pain and ducked under a red ogre’s backhand swing before charging the black oni like a raging bull. A flash of light, and Karasuhebi’s blade assumed chain form briefly, ripping the oni apart almost faster than the eye could see. The snakes and red ogre wrestled their way through the throng towards Shingen, only to be dispatched an instant later; Mousse’s Sun and Moon blades quickly split all the snakes down the middle, while two hard kicks to the knees from Shampoo brought the ogre collapsing into a shoulder-throw courtesy of Ryoga. A smaller, green-skinned oni skittered towards them, baring a set of wicked claws on each hand, but suddenly had to deal with a rapid barrage of shuriken and a throat slash, courtesy of a near-invisible Konatsu.

“That DOES it! I am getting sick and tired of this! Everybody duck, NOW!” Something snapped inside Shingen as he planted his feet on either side of Ukyo, shielding her coughing form with his own as he began to spin his naginata at blinding speed. I HATE risking them with this move, but I haven’t got any other choice! If I can’t get to that Portal, we’re gonna get overrun and then NOBODY gets out of this! Ranma, just give me a little more time! “IKUSEN YAIBA NO TEIKIATSU!”

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Moments earlier…

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The white-haired demon’s lips curled into an amused leer. “You’re both quite pretty, you know,” he mused, running a finger along his jaw line. “Perhaps I might forego your own deaths once I dispose of those two. Maybe keep you on… as permanent guests in my house, perhaps.”

“Don’t you dare speak of such a thing!” Nodoka spat as Kasumi cringed in revulsion. “You so much as lay a hand on my son or Akane, and I swear…”

“Swear what?” Astaroth lunged forward, slamming one hand against the barricade of stone pillars separating them. Each pillar had literally been molded from the roof itself, pried and prodded until they had formed a smallish cage in which Kasumi and Nodoka had awakened. Kasumi pushed herself against the far wall of the cage, but Nodoka sat in a proper kneeling position and glared Astaroth square in the eye… though doing so caused shivers to run down her spine.

“Well? What is it you swear you’ll do, woman? You’re no awakened Hunter, though you carry their blood… you’re not even a martial artist. You can’t even wield a sword properly in combat; what could you possibly do against me?”

Nodoka bit her lip. “You… you’ll pay for what you’ve done, I’m sure of it…”

Astaroth snorted. “Keh. Well, we’ll find out soon enough, won’t we. Your spawn…” He shot a glance at Kasumi. “…and your sister will be here shortly. Probably making their minds up over whether to save you or the townsfolk, but rest assured they’ll choose you. I’m sure of it.”

Kasumi began to tremble. “How c-could you… m-making them choose between family and the whole w-ward…”

“Oh, they’ll definitely choose you.” He reached up and flicked a strand of hair out of his eye. “Their friends should have arrived by now; they’ll occupy my friends while those two come to you.” He let his hand drop, resting on the pommel of the sword cane in his belt. “Be sure and watch closely… it’s not often one gets to witness an execution.”

A flicker of motion caught the corner of Astaroth’s vision. He turned around just as Ranma shot past the edge of the roof with Akane’s arms wrapped tight around his neck. The pair twisted in midair, broke apart on a prearranged count and landed in low crouches on the roof. Nodoka and Kasumi gasped; the instant they touched down, reddish-gold ki began to pulse from their bodies, undulating into the air like solar flares. Akane swallowed hard and her aura faltered slightly, but if anything Ranma’s aura grew brighter the instant his eyes caught sight of the cage containing Astaroth’s guests.

The demon prince smiled. “Made your decision at last, have you?”

“You can cut the condescending crap right now, jerkwad,” Ranma growled, drawing himself up to his full height. He felt a slight burning sensation just below his neck; the warding pendant he wore was reacting so much it was glowing blue-white all over. “Now let my Mom and Kasumi go! Ya wanted us here, now ya got us!”

“Tut-tut, now. You’re quite the arrogant one, telling me what to do with my guests. I told you… I brought them here as witnesses. And besides, I do enjoy the company of beautiful ladies.”

Akane’s eyes fixated on the cage and its location- roughly the center of the roof- and as her eyes darted from one end of the roof to another, noticing certain key breaks in the overall surface, a quick realization hit her. “You scum!” she gasped. “Witnesses nothing, you’re using them as a damn shield!”

Ranma’s head whipped in her direction. “What’d you say, ‘kane?”

Akane gritted her teeth as she stood up, yanking her wakizashi off her back. “He said he kept tabs on us for ages, right? The jerk’s probably seen you fight more often than I have, and Kami knows I’ve seen you fight a lot, Ranma.” Her voice began to shake. “He probably knows the range of your best moves… and the collateral damage they sometimes cause… so if he put something in the way that you wouldn’t try to risk…”

Ranma’s blood turned cold. Holy… that goddamned bastard! As long as they’re here, if he sticks close to them I can’t do most ANY of my power moves! That COWARD!

“Please,” Astaroth purred, waving one hand petulantly. “Need I remind you two that I can’t be killed lest you make me bleed? And as I hardly need to point out, no man has ever done that. You seriously think I would need a shield?” He drummed his fingers on the molded stone cage. “This is vendetta, Saotome. I plan to make you suffer… and I know you pride yourself on those power moves. Of course, you could still use them if you don’t care who might be in the way…”

Ranma swallowed hard, then glared daggers at the demon as his aura flared with renewed vigor. “Whatever! You wanna crimp my style? Fine! Nothing I haven’t dealt with before and you sure as hell know it!” He snatched the Sagara wakizashi from its sheath and grasped it two-handed. “So no man’s ever made ya bleed?” Light exploded from the blade and he pulled in either direction, producing Nibaikotsu’s twin broadswords, both dancing with golden ki. “Guess I’ll just have ta be the first!”

Astaroth’s eye twitched. “Interesting… releasing your clan sword’s locked form without calling on its name.” His right hand moved to the grip of his own sword. “Quite an achievement for newly awakened Hunter blood. You learn just as quickly as I remember, Saotome.” His eyes narrowed. “Not that it matters.”

Ranma shot Akane a quick glance. Acchan, pincer attack on my word! Hit at him quick, then get away; I’m gonna try something!

Akane’s grip tightened on her wakizashi. Whatever you do, don’t you dare die on me, you baka…

“Time for the Anything Goes style to die.” With one fluid motion, Astaroth pulled his sword from the scabbard; as he did, a gust of violet ki burst outward from the pommel gem, producing thousands of energy tendrils that scattered across the roof. Nodoka and Kasumi cried out as they found themselves bound in place within the cell. Continuing the motion, Astaroth held the blade high, looked forward… and saw that neither Ranma nor Akane had been snared. A quick glance up confirmed his suspicion; they had jumped at the last second and were at the apex of an extremely high bound.

“Your evasion only drags the sentence out,” he chuckled, lifting his left hand. “DARK THUNDER!” Black energy exploded from his palm, lancing upwards at phenomenal speed towards Ranma’s chest. Nodoka cringed and slammed her eyes shut, while Kasumi found herself unable to turn away, like a deer caught in the headlights… and just as the bolt was about to strike, Ranma crossed his twin swords in front of his body and muttered something Kasumi couldn’t quite make out.

The crash of ki on steel was deafening as Ranma pumped his aura through both swords and outward, manifesting a ki shield that sent Astaroth’s Dark Thunder back towards the demon. The white-haired man grunted in irritation, batting his own attack to the side an instant before both teens landed and sprang forward, coming at him from either side on a prearranged count. “TAKE THIS, SLIMEBALL!” Akane shouted as she drew back her sword and cranked up her own pace; her legs blurred and she became a human bullet.

“You’d best leave well enough alone, girl!” Astaroth’s left hand flew to the scabbard in his belt sash; with a sudden motion, he gripped it as if it were a second sword and struck the ground at his feet. Roof tiles quickly distended, re-molded themselves, and burst out in all directions, becoming a deadly fusillade of darts that Akane barely had time to react to. With a grunt, she planted one foot and pushed upwards, executing a spinning jump with her arms tucked in; she prayed to Kami that her aura was still manifesting and sheathing her body as the shrapnel flew hither and yon. A sharp sting bit into her left shoulder as one missile grazed her skin; a twinge in her thigh told her there was a barb sticking in her flesh, but for the most part she somehow managed to clear the cloud of darts- and suddenly she found herself face-to-face with the white-haired demon. With a vicious kiai she lashed out with her sword, clashing with his and just as quickly springing away, putting at least a yard’s distance between them.

“Keh. So now it’s come to play-fighting, has it?” Astaroth glowered as his body blurred. The gap between them closed almost instantly as he brought his sword down hard and fast- only to collide with Ranma’s swords as he appeared out of thin air between them, caught Astaroth’s weapon in another X-block and shoved viciously upward.

“In your own words- this ain’t no game!” Ranma snapped. “Kachu Tenshin Amaguriken Revised! ENGETSU RAIKOU-KEN!” The words had barely left his mouth when the world exploded in a flurry of wind and steel. Ranma became something akin to a whirling dervish, a hundred times over. Both blades flashed like lightning, seeming to come from multiple angles simultaneously, striking Astaroth across the arms, legs, chest, and abdomen dozens upon dozens of times. The carnage stretched mere seconds into an eternity before Ranma abruptly turned on one heel, delivered a backhand slash to the demon’s throat and backflipped away, towards the cage where Nodoka and Kasumi were held.

Akane, following the lead he had given her, leaped at the same time he did, ending in a low crouch by the stone cage. She looked up… and her eyes widened to the size of dinner plates as Astaroth continued to stand in place.

A long moment passed… and then the demon cracked his neck, turning to face them. His long garment was cut in numerous places, but there were no open wounds to be seen. Nor blood of any color.

“A valiant effort, to be sure,” he murmured. “But you still don’t seem to understand. No man has made me bleed yet.” Again, his form blurred, and again he appeared directly in front of Akane and Ranma, sword blazing down in a backhand arc that gouged a deep furrow into the roof tile and sent both teens stumbling backward. Ranma kicked up to his feet just in time to see the saya come down again, sending a shockwave through their feet followed by another, more massive shrapnel blast. Akane shrieked and Ranma threw himself to the side, knocking her out of the blast’s path and flinching as two darts nicked the back of both his knees.

Akane rolled as far as she could before staggering to her feet again. “This isn’t fair… I thought you had him with that move for a second; what’re we going to do now?”

“We do what we always do,” Ranma replied through gritted teeth. “Keep fighting till we get it right!” A sudden flash caught his eye and he pushed her away as Astaroth’s sword passed directly between them. He brought his right-hand sword up and managed to parry a second strike from the demon-man, dropped and aimed for his ankles with a spinning heel kick- but Astaroth easily leaped over the low attack, so he kicked up his speed a notch and spun again, this time cracking the demon in the back of the knee. Another spin, and Ranma was back on his feet again just as Astaroth dropped to both knees. “EAT THIS!” He shifted his grip on the right-hand sword, lashed out with a reverse roundhouse and drove the blade right into the demon’s back and out his chest.

There was a sudden flurry of motion- and Ranma quickly found himself seeing stars as the pommel of Astaroth’s black blade struck him in the temple. The demon had struck him with a reverse roundhouse of his own as he stood up, wrenching Ranma’s weapon out of his body in the process. Akane screamed and dove at the white-haired man, swinging her wakizashi in a fast but easily trackable sweep with her left hand. He smirked and swung his blade up, clashing with hers and pushing her in the direction of her own attack… which is when she brought her right hand up. Clutching a most familiar-looking mallet which she promptly smashed against the knuckles of his left hand. Astaroth hissed; Akane tossed the mallet away as she turned on one heel and kicked the sword-sheath out of his grasp as hard as she could.

“You better not think I’m the same Akane you’ve been spying on all this time!” she snapped, grasping her wakizashi two-handed. “I’m not gonna let you screw everything up just when we were getting it right! Lend your strength, Kongousekitou!” There was a flash of golden light, and quickly the sword lengthened as the blade grew and shifted from metal to crystalline form. Ranma, who had recovered and resumed his fighting stance, couldn’t help but stare in wonder. Nodoka and Kasumi both gasped.

Astaroth raised one eyebrow. “You’ve improved… that much I had expected. And I knew full well you’d ‘get things right’ one way or another if my servants failed to push you apart… which, quite obviously, they did.” His lips pursed into an evil sneer. “Be aware, girl. Even a fine sword… a diamond sword, at that… isn’t going to help you now.”

“Will you just SHUT UP ALREADY?” Ranma bellowed, jamming both halves of Nibaikotsu into the roof and raising his hands. “MOKO TAKABISHA!” The ki blast burst from his palms in a tight beam, centered on Astaroth’s face.

“A pointless effort,” the demon sneered, thrusting his left hand out and releasing a ball of dark energy at the last second. Gold light splayed in curving arcs as Ranma’s attack was bent to either side. Akane winced and shielded her eyes with one hand as light danced dangerously close to where she stood, pitting the roof with additional holes. She cracked one eye open and glanced in Ranma’s direction just as he shifted the angle of his attack and channeled a bolt of ki into the tiles at Astaroth’s feet. A cloud of dust exploded in his face; at that instant, Ranma ceased the attack, grabbed his twin swords and bolted into the cloud.

“You really are beginning to try my patience, you worm…” With a sharp chopping motion, Astaroth summoned up a brief but powerful whirlwind, scattering the dust cloud- and as it parted, there was an abrupt yellow flash of light from within. An instant later, a high-pitched kiai rent the air as Onna-Ranma sprang out of the remaining cloud, right into the startled face of Astaroth. There was a flash of steel across his face, and just as quickly the newly transformed redhead was crouching behind the white-haired man, swords clutched reverse-style with the blades parallel to her forearms.

“How’d ya like that, ya stuck-up prick?” she shouted, and suddenly her form became a blur. She began running and hopping in tight arcs, each one faster than the next, lashing out each time with a stab or a slash as she passed. “Ya seem to brag a lot about no man making ya bleed, so I thought I’d try a little change-up! Besides… ya can’t stop what ya can’t hit!” The swords began to flash faster still as Onna-Ranma shifted her grip, differentiating each attack with every pass.

“Oh… oh Kami, that’s right!” Akane gasped. “He did say no man ever made him bleed… but he never said anything about women!” She snapped her own unlocked sword to attention, tracking Onna-Ranma with her eyes and pulling into a ready stance, waiting for an opportunity to leap in. Good Gods, Ranma, you might’ve just figured it out… we might have a chance yet!

The redhead smirked and began to slow down, shooting Akane a smug grin. Hey… this is us after all, Acchan. We always figure out a way to win. She drummed her feet to a halt, stopping right next to Astaroth’s much-lacerated figure. Raising her right-hand sword, she kicked off the ground and spun in a tight circle, aiming to sever the demon’s neck with one blow…

…and suddenly gasped as she locked eyes with him and time seemed to freeze. What the… She stared at the spot on his right cheek where her first attack had struck, then quickly scanned the entire length of his body. Once more, the wounds were closing rapidly. And still no blood.

The next thing she felt was like a hammer to the stomach as Astaroth unleashed a point-blank ki blast that knocked the airborne Saotome across the roof, tumbling end over end until she collapsed, gasping, less than two yards from the edge. Akane stood in momentary shock and stared as Astaroth became a blur himself, grabbing hold of Onna-Ranma’s shirtsleeve almost before she had stopped rolling. He yanked her to her feet and delivered a savage uppercut with the pommel of his sword, knocking her straight up; the blow hurt like hell but quickly dissipated the shock. She twisted in mid-air, readying Nibaikotsu in preparation for an attack from below- and suddenly the demon was airborne, directly next to her. She barely had time to react before he loosed another ki attack, upsetting her balance and driving her into one of the great obelisks that ringed the roof.

Onna-Ranma gasped as the breath was knocked from her lungs, then flinched as Astaroth dove directly at her, driving his foot into her stomach, three successive sword strikes which she barely parried that almost left her embedded in the black stone, then grasping her wrist and yanking her towards him- topped off with a pommel strike to the lower back that sent her crashing to the rooftop. The redhead groaned and staggered to her feet as fast as her burning leg muscles would allow; she could feel something prodding at the back of her head and quickly realized it was Akane’s fear bleeding over into their Astral Link. I… dammit, I thought that might work, I’ve been hitting one vital spot after another, hard as I can, male OR female, and it’s not friggin’ working… geez, what the hell do I gotta do to FINISH this freak!

There was a sudden flash of white on the periphery of her vision. Part of her sharpened aura began screaming warning signs at a rate she’d only felt a few times in her life. She whirled around… and felt something hard and sharp slam against her abdomen with terrific force. Her mouth dropped open in a silent, wordless cry as she caught sight of Astaroth’s violet eyes shining with unbridled malice. Her eyes dropped lower, finally catching sight of what she hadn’t wanted to see… the demon’s sword stuck in her lower right side, quite literally impaling her just below the liver. She clenched her teeth against the sudden wave of pain, dropping her right-hand scimitar and clutching the sword’s entry point.

Akane felt her blood turn to ice the second Astaroth’s sword sunk home. “RANMAAAAA!”

Kasumi couldn’t take the excitement and promptly fainted into Nodoka’s arms; Nodoka, for her part, could do little more than stare, trembling, as tears began to run down her cheeks. “Oh, no… please, no… oh Kami, not my son…” she mumbled, almost mechanically.

“Hm. So you can still take the form of a woman, Saotome.” Astaroth chuckled humorlessly, then open-palm-struck Onna-Ranma directly in the sternum, pushing her off his sword and into a gasping heap several yards from him. “Most interesting… but not unexpected. After Yoko’s report of what happened with the Musk Prince, I calculated there might be a chance you’d retain your other form, even if you did rid yourself of Akureiko.” He idly flicked a hair out of his eye. “She, of course, never thought of that possibility. Most imps- even intelligent ones- seldom see all possibilities. A pity, really.”

A pained, fury-laced scream ripped across the rooftop; Astaroth’s eyebrow lifted and his head turned to see Akane’s body wreathed in a blaze of crimson and gold. “You… you… YOU MONSTER! I’M NOT GONNA LET YOU DO THIS!” Something snapped deep inside of her and she raised her massive crystalline sword until it was almost eye-level, then her legs tensed and she broke into a dead run. The demon smirked and lifted his left hand again, then brought it down. There was an orange flash- and in seconds, a sheet of fire ripped across the rooftop, engulfing Akane mere seconds before she could reach him. Nodoka gasped and bit her lip hard enough to draw blood…

…and gasped again as Akane burst through the sheet of flame, unscathed, and thrusting her sword out and up underneath Astaroth’s chin. The demon’s eyes widened and his right hand twirled his own blade, parrying the attack mere millimeters before it reached his throat. His arm twisted, forcing her sword down and locking up with her, staring each other eye to eye.

“So it’s true then, Tendo girl,” he growled. “I sensed Yoko couldn’t do it when you fought her, and now this confirms it. You can’t be burned.” He glanced at the tip of Kongousekitou and shot her a glacial smile. “Trying to lobotomize me with that, eh? Now… that’s just rude.”

“Cut the condescending crap! I’m gonna break that sword and shove it straight down your throat! You murderer!” Akane pushed away and immediately sprang forward again, the massive crystal blade crashing down on Astaroth’s blackened sword. Again and again, Akane pressed the attack, sweat streaking her face as she struggled to retain what little control she had left; sparks flew madly as each blow was almost casually parried. Moments later, the two had locked swords again- and Akane suddenly gasped and stumbled backward as the demon’s left hand drove into her stomach.

“You really do enjoy making things into more than they are, don’t you.” He shot a disinterested glance at the huddled body of Onna-Ranma before smirking at Akane again. “That’s hardly a mortal wound I gave him. I told you- this is about suffering, and physical pain ends once you’re dead. He’ll be on his feet eventually…” His eyes narrowed and he cast an analytic eye over her. “Hm. So that’s it.”

Akane drew in a shuddering breath and readied her sword again, but shakily. “What’s it?”

Astaroth snorted. “You bear a mark from that blasted Phoenix God. Of course… it all makes perfect sense; no wonder you can’t be burned. A Lazarus Mark from one who controls fire and life energy, of course it would react to your bloodline power.” He lifted his left hand; the saya to his katana clattered across the rooftop from where it had fallen, flipped once and shot into his waiting palm. “Not that it matters much; there are other weapons besides fire.” The sword slid back into its sheath, then cracked down, causing the section of roof beneath Akane’s feet to explode in a maelstrom of dust. Akane flinched, then swung directly through the cloud, cleaving the air with the whole length of her sword in one giant crescent sweep.

“You use the reach of your weapon well, Tendo,” Astaroth’s voice echoed. “But you’ll have to do better if you want to even hit me.” A shadow flashed through the cloud of dust, the sound of his sword being drawn- and suddenly he was in her face, carving with multiple sharp jabs that broke through the defense of Akane’s oversized o-dachi. Shallow gashes opened on her upper arms, her left thigh and just below her rib cage as he pressed the attack with speed verging on Ranma’s own- and just as fast as he had begun, the slashes ceased and he lashed out with a side kick that sent her, coughing and bleeding, to the ground.

Astaroth reached up and straightened the high collar of his long white coat. “You’re both quite tenacious, aren’t you,” he purred. “No wonder it turned out impossible to drive you two apart… even with every obstacle Yoko and her brethren threw your way. You and Saotome… just too stubborn to accept adversity.”

Akane felt a tear course down her cheek as she struggled to flare her aura and stop the blood that was trickling slowly down her arms. This can’t be how it all ends… not like this… Ranma, I don’t know what to do…

“I must confess, it was a nice try.” Astaroth began to laugh. “Your pig-tailed lover thinking that I could be made to bleed by a woman’s hand, rather than by a male. How utterly laughable.” He cracked his knuckles and his eyes continued to bore into Akane. “And to think, he almost had it right… but incomplete nevertheless. He may be a perfect fusion of man and woman, yet to bridge the gap between man and beast…” He reached down and grabbed the collar of her sleeveless vest, yanking her to her feet. “Only someone who can master all three has any hope of drawing my blood. And that is something he can never do.”

Akane began to shake; the chill emanating from his eyes was almost too much for her to handle. It felt like she was slipping back into her own mind… memories were beginning to cloud her field of vision, painful memories. Times from early childhood, having to make it without her mother… the humiliation of the Grade School Romeo and Juliet, harassment from Junior High boys, Kuno’s attentions, the Hentai Horde… then further, more painful memories. Scores of incidents where she had insulted or beaten up one boy- no, young man- who had had just as hard a life, if not more, and had always been there for her at the lowest points… and once again she found herself horrified by the way she had acted.

Another tear escaped her eye. And now he’s lying over there with a hole in his gut… oh Kami, Ranma, please don’t die on me!

“Yes… magnificent.” Astaroth’s voice took on an almost musical tone. “Now you realize why I couldn’t just kill you two outright. True pain… the kind that destroys completely… takes a great deal of time. Much like a game of chess, you see. If I’d simply wanted you and Saotome dead, I could have had Yoko do any number of things. She could have given him an extra hard shove during a balance exercise.” He ran a thumb just under Akane’s eye. “Or perhaps she could have allowed a Ryugenzawa beast to do you in all those years ago.” He paused, and his smile turned particularly cruel.

“Or she could have allowed a car to hit you instead of Michiko.”

Akane’s eyes snapped open, just as he began to laugh again. “Yes… I told you, this isn’t about death. It was about making those connected to that accursed Happosai suffer as much as possible. In Saotome’s case, it wasn’t too hard… a little prodding of the father was all it took to make his life living hell. And for you…” His thumbnail began to dig into her cheek. “To think how much anger and repressed pain came about from Michiko Tendo being in the wrong place at the wrong time… yes, those injuries were quite serious weren’t they? And just when it seemed she might get better… oh, dear me, a sudden complication?” He brought his mouth close to Akane’s ear. “Yes… she suffered, too, thinking of what would happen to you and your sisters. And her poor, pathetic husband, Soun. Just like you suffer now, knowing you can do nothing to destroy me.”

“LET HER GO!”

The white-haired man’s head jerked up at the sudden outburst. Brusquely throwing Akane to the ground again, he turned and gripped the hilt of his sword. His eyes widened very briefly, then narrowed. Ranma was standing in a slight crouch, in his male body, one hand pressed against the wound in his side. Akane could just make out a sizeable bloodstain on his shirt, but the flow seemed to have stopped. In his left hand he clutched his sword, once again in wakizashi form, and his eyes were burning with an intensity she had never seen before.

“On your feet already,” Astaroth scowled. “Even with that scratch, you still presume to fight.”

“I’ve always been a fast healer,” Ranma retorted. “And now I’m gonna make you pay for what you just did to her.”

“Either you still haven’t grasped the obvious, or you have a death wish.” A quick tug, and Astaroth’s sword-cane was unsheathed again. “Perhaps you’ll have to taste Zangyaku’s edge a few more times.”

“Bite me, scum.” Ranma spun his sword once, sliding it back into its sheath with one flick of the wrist. “I’m startin’ to get real sick of all yer goddamn preaching. Just one word after another with ya, ain’t it? I told ya once already, shut up.” His blue eyes locked onto Astaroth’s violet ones- and without warning, the air around him exploded in a maelstrom of red and gold light. White pinpricks of ki danced along his right hand and across the puncture in his flesh, and gradually Ranma’s stance grew straighter until finally he released the pressure on the wound. He gritted his teeth and reached up with both hands, taking hold of his shirtsleeves and tearing them off at the shoulder… and as he did, his aura seemed to jump again. Akane blinked hard; for a brief instant, it appeared as though Ranma was engulfed in two auras- one red, one gold- which just as quickly merged to form a blaze of white light far greater than any aura she had ever seen him manifest before.

Astaroth stared, unblinking, for a long moment before lifting his sword up to eye level. “Fascinating, boy. So you’ve managed to tap the ki of both yin and yang… at the same time, without changing forms either.” Violet ki began to seep from Zangyaku, down his arm, until he was wreathed in menacing purple light. “I had speculated you might reach this point, given time… assuming you could break your tie with Akureiko. Congratulations. You are the perfect fusion of man and woman in one form.” The demon’s aura flared violently, kicking up dust and knocking Akane- who was struggling to her feet- down to one knee again. “A pity you’ll never be able to use that merged ki to its full potential.”

Ranma’s glare was unwavering. “Lemme guess. Missing one piece of the puzzle, otherwise I’d be able ta make you bleed.”

“Quite.” The demon’s eyes narrowed. “Shall we finish this?”

“Ranma, don’t do this,” Akane pleaded, staggering up and leaning against Kasumi and Nodoka’s cage. “We’ve got to get out of here, if you keep pushing things you’re gonna get yourself killed for real! Don’t you remember? Shingen told us to buy time, that’s all! We’ve done all we can… and you know I hate it when you push yourself like this…”

Don’t worry, Acchan. I’ve got this all under control.

Akane blinked. She could ‘hear’ some of his usual bravado in the Link, only this time it was tempered by iron determination and a great deal of anger. Under control? Ranma, have you lost your mind? You hit him with everything you could and he still isn’t bleeding!

Ranma turned his head imperceptibly and threw her a small smile. You’re wrong… I haven’t hit him with everything yet. He drew in a short, sharp breath. When I give you the signal, I need ya to use that sword of yours and try to break Mom an’ Kasumi out of that box. Then get ‘em off the roof and keep them safe. Once you’re all clear… then I can really cut loose.

The panicky impulses in Akane’s brain started to lessen; there was something else welling up inside Ranma that she could feel through the Astral. His confidence was growing- but so too was nervousness. Ranma… what are you planning?

He swallowed hard. Simple. He just gave away the thing I need to defeat him.

To Be Continued.

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Author’s Note 7/4/06: Yes, I have returned after a too-long hiatus and a bout of writer’s block. And why, you may ask, don’t I finish the battle here and now? Simply put, it would take too long and too much space, so I’m having to break it into two parts. Not to mention the developments continued to change as I was writing. Rest assured, the Tempest is not over yet… everything is coming to a close in the next few chapters. And some of you may have already guessed what’s about to happen… but don’t spill the beans too quickly, please. ^_^

Most of the attacks listed in this chapter have been described previously. Engetsu Raikou-ken, Ranma’s improvised attack, can translate as Crescent Moon Lightning Strike… an Amaguriken-powered dual-sword technique, with the crescent moon referring to the sweep of Nibaikotsu’s unlocked form. For fans of the manga/anime series Bleach, 8th Division Captain Shunsui Kyoraku wields a two-blade zanpakuto named Katen Kyokotsu; its released(shikai) state, that of two large scimitars, bears some resemblance to the two-blade version of Ranma’s sword. (Admittedly, I had not intended for Ranma’s Nibaikotsu to resemble Kyoraku’s weapon that closely, and didn’t realize it until I watched that particular episode of Bleach.)

The title of this chapter comes from the song of the same name, off the Initial D soundtrack.

I will endeavor to continue as soon as possible, but I am still quite busy these days- I am in the process of moving house one bit at a time, hopefully to be completed within the next two months. There’s still a lot of work to be done, which could impact my writing- but hopefully the next installment won’t take nearly as long as this one did. Happy 4th of July, and keep those reviews coming. Until next time.

Neon Ronin