Ranma 1/2 Fan Fiction ❯ Ranma 1/2: The Truth and the Tempest ❯ White Light ( Chapter 42 )

[ 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. And with that said, we continue.]

Ranma ½: The Truth and the Tempest

Chapter 42: White Light

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The carnage permeating the Furinkan courtyard had grown to absurd proportions as more and more creatures spewed forth from the Portal. Ki blasts, battle cries and countless shouts of aggravation ripped through the air as a handful of warriors struggled to both hold back the demonic horde and punch through their front lines. Not only were the demons’ numbers growing, each beast that emerged from the rune pit seemed larger than the one before- inordinately tall humanoids sporting twisted horns, bone growths resembling spiked armor, or the heads of assorted animals. Their addition to the melee had slowed the warriors’ advance to a crawl- or more appropriately, a standstill.

“GET OUT OF MY WAY!” Shingen bellowed, thrashing Karasuhebi in another corkscrew-style strike, exhaustion creeping onto his face rapidly. The serpentine blade quickly ground a number of lesser demons to powder and tore the flesh of their larger cousins, flecking the ground with white specks and splotches. The chorus of angered growls that responded did nothing to improve his mood; with a quick yank, he reined in his blade, turned in a quick circle and slashed the chest of a red-skinned oni approaching on his right. This is getting us nowhere, he fumed. They’re coming through so fast they’ve got us completely deadlocked! The others can’t hold out much longer, and the longer it takes to close the damn thing, the worse our chances get!

“SHIN-KUN, LOOK OUT!” The tall Hunter quickly snapped to attention; there was a flash of metal just to his left, followed by a loud CLANG as Ukyo’s combat spatula met the snout of an enraged Hell Hound. The beast dropped back, scrabbling at its bleeding maw as two of its pack-mates lunged at Ukyo’s face, but both quickly met their end as her spatula and Shingen’s naginata cleaved off their heads. She frantically wiped her forehead and spun her weapon in a tight circle, batting two imps away before turning her attention back to her de facto teammate. “You okay, sugar? Ya barely even saw that freak before I clocked him!”

“You ought to be more concerned about yourself, Ukyo!” He jammed a fist into his battered jacket and peppered the surrounding area with runic darts; their sigils quickly ignited, sending a low-grade wave of positive ki through the ground that caused the horde to slow and snarl in aggravation. “It’s not that I don’t appreciate the heads-up… fact, you probably saved my butt this time… but with the way this is going, you might want to think about getting out of here!”

“Like HELL I’m getting out of here!” She shot him a quick glare before flinging another handful of throwing spatulas into the mix. “If I told ya once, I told ya a hundred times- they’re my friends, too! And I ain’t about to leave them OR you behind!”

“I hope someone’s not talkin’ about us leaving, ‘cause I NEVER run from a fight if I can help it! BAKUSAI TENKETSU!” A quick spin and a thrust, and a horrific crunch echoed through the courtyard as Ryoga smashed one of the extruded black pillars lining the front path- or more appropriately, smashed a hole in the base of the pillar that caused it to fall forward. Ryoga sidestepped in front of the descending obelisk, caught it in both hands and hefted it over his head. “They ain’t letting us through? Well then, we just BUST our way in!” With a roar, he brandished the massive pillar like a battering ram, clearing a swath of demonkin out of his way- then, with an adroit hand shift, turned it into an oversized javelin and hurled it into the thickest cluster of larger monsters. The screams from the five oni he impaled were bloodcurdling.

For a moment, the horde’s advance froze in shock, giving the six a chance to push forward again. Konatsu began to weave in and out of the fray, creating as much havoc as he could and leaving three oni hamstrung and crippled with his sword. Ryoga toppled another pillar and broke it in two, then pulverized one of the pieces with the Breaking Point, turning it into an impromptu Claymore mine. Mousse brought his paired swords up in a parallel grip, settling into a low battle stance that abruptly turned into a blinding barrage of slashes across numerous ogres’ chests, arms and at least one face. One ogre swiped the white blood from his forearm and charged Mousse- then found himself falling forward as Shampoo’s bonbori cracked him hard in the knees. His arms flailed out to break his fall- and the oni’s eyes widened as the double impact of bonbori to the gut and twin T’ai Chi swords to the chest halted his descent before throwing him to one side.

For a few brief moments, the stalemate appeared to be broken- but almost as fast as it had begun, the demons’ retreat halted and reversed direction, and now it was the six who had to give ground. Shampoo began to curse herself for not being strong enough. “First evil thing take Shampoo’s hair, now they try to kill all!” She lashed out, barely parrying a centipede’s slavering maw as her prior wounds began to reassert themselves. She could feel a new bruise flowering just along her shoulder blades, right where the arachnid had chopped her hair and tried to sever her neck. “This no good; bird-man make Shampoo too, too weak in shadow maze…”

“Don’t talk like that! We can’t just give up now, my love; we’re fighting for our kinsmen now!” Mousse shrugged off the remains of his long robe, which fell to the ground heavily, leaving him in pants and shoes. Four airborne serpents came at him from separate directions; he took a quick hop and spun in midair, the tips of his swords leaving trails of light as he eviscerated each of them. “It’s the way of our people, Xian Pu- in matters like this, we don’t think of losing! Or have you forgotten everything that old mummy taught you since you were small?”

Shampoo’s eyes widened; not only had Mousse pointed out something she had told herself she would never forget, but without his robe, she quickly saw his own wounds had started bleeding again, notably the gashes where Kurowashi’s chains had flayed him. Mousse… you ignoring own pain again… this fight far greater than what we ready for, yet still you push self… A burst of adrenaline shot through her system and she snapped her weapons to attention. “Shampoo no forget lessons! No forget Amazon way! AIYAH!” With a deadly scream that hearkened back to the most ancient of Amazons, she flung herself back into battle, smashing and kicking her way past anything she could.

If Mousse fight while hurt, Shampoo fight, too! No let him take all the pain on self… A brief flicker of pride crossed her face. Besides, I no want say I less brave than Amazon male. The proud look didn’t last long, quickly dissolving into a giggle- which in turn was replaced by a gasp as more demonkin surged forward, slamming into her and Mousse at the same time. Ki danced in scything arcs as his twin swords swept into demon flesh, severing the head of a toad-like monster and the arm of a giant rat creature that seemed afflicted with mange- but more creatures stood right behind, ready to take the place of the fallen.

Shingen’s vision began to blur as he poured more and more of his ki reserves into the battle. His chain blade ripped two animal-headed ogres in half, but his senses grimly reminded him that more were coming through. He heard the sound of Ryoga getting slammed in the shoulder by a wolf-man, followed by Ryoga punching the beast and breaking its jaw. He could feel Ukyo just behind him, brandishing her spatula defensively, and heard her trash-talking the amorphous black slime that was trying to devour her, weapon and all. They fight well, he thought, cracking an oni across the jaw with the butt of his naginata. And they’re putting up a good front. But they’re wearing themselves out… just like I’m wearing myself out. If we hadn’t spent so much energy getting through that godforsaken Shadow Maze…

Damn it! I shouldn’t have let them come with me! I shouldn’t have put them all in this damnable place; this is Hunter business! If they fall, their blood’s on my hands… but blast their pride, they STILL won’t run now that we’ve come this far! A ragged breath crossed his lips. And if they do run, they’ll likely be cut down the moment they turn their backs… and I can’t last against an active Portal by myself. Kami, what do I do now… we can’t keep at this stalemate forever! He began to grit his teeth, barely felt the nearest ogre with the head of a horse punch him in the shoulder, knocking him back half a pace. His eyes trailed to the person he stood back to back with, and a surge of guilt roiled up within. I shouldn’t have gotten you dragged into this, Ukyo…

A sudden shriek brought his attention back to the beast in front of him- and his eyes widened. There was a silvered arrow sticking into the demon’s chest, just below the neck. The horse-head gurgled, wide-eyed, then dropped to its knees; Shingen came to his senses and slashed its throat open with a backhand swipe. A slow smile spread across his face and he twisted to look behind him.

Took me longer than I planned to catch up, niisan… but now that I made it, what say we get this party started?

A relieved laugh escaped Shingen’s lips as he caught sight of Reika standing atop one of the houses just across from Furinkan. Her hair was whipping about in the wind and he could hear the tiredness in her own Astral voice, but the eager grin she was sporting could be seen a mile away. “I got just five words for you, little sis- DAMN, I’m glad to see ya!” he hollered over the din.

“That’s six words, bro!” She dropped into a crouch and drew another arrow from her quiver. “And I’m not alone, either… bumped into some helping hands along the way!” She nocked the arrow to her bowstring. “Spread your wings, Komadori!” The compound bow blazed with a pale lavender aura; metal sheathings sprouted from the grip, encasing her left hand in a polished gauntlet and locking the bow in place as it grew to a size greater than a traditional Japanese longbow. “HARIMURE!” The arrow was released, immediately bursting into hundreds of needle-like quarrels that proceeded to rain down into the courtyard. Larger demons screamed as the bolts found their eyes and numerous nerve junctures, while a great swath of imps exploded like gray balloons.

A rush of euphoria surged up inside the six on the ground, and they were just about to press their advance again when a great shadow passed over them. Ryoga froze in place and glanced skyward. “Wait a minute… is that who I THINK it is?” Konatsu’s mouth dropped open as he looked up, but he didn’t say anything. Shingen began to wonder exactly who Reika was referring to as her ‘helping hands’- and the next moment, the shadow grew larger and two people quite literally dropped out of the sky. One, a dark-haired girl in a leotard with her hair pulled back and a gymnast’s ribbon in hand, and the other a muscular young man about Ranma’s height in army fatigue pants and equipment straps hanging from his shoulders. Seconds later, the demon horde gasped in surprise and the pavement shook as a winged minotaur with tentacles and a snakelike tail hit the ground, his hooves leaving deep impressions.

“Holy smokes…” Ukyo gasped. “Talk about callin’ in the cavalry!”

Ryu Kumon cracked his knuckles and glared at the beast-filled courtyard. “So this is what Saotome’s gotten himself into this time?” A wicked grin lit up his face as he counted off dozens of seven-foot-plus oni in front of him. “Now this is my kind of a challenge.” Once I blaze through this batch of freaks, he’ll HAVE to grant my request. Just you wait, Ranma…

Kodachi paled slightly, then swallowed and nodded in agreement. “I’d be lying if I said I was expecting to face such monstrosities as these…” She snapped the ribbon taut. “But I swore on my honor I would repay those I have wronged. And I will not have it said I reneged on my word.” She threw a playful wink in Ryu’s direction. “Shall we discipline these beasts, Kumon-sama?”

Ryu rolled his eyes and smirked. “Discipline nothing. I’m just gonna kick some ass.”

A wolf-headed demon barked savagely and broke from the front lines, claws bared and teeth snapping like a rabid dog. An instant later, it flew backwards as Beast-Taro broke its jaw and neck with one punch. With a roar, the minotaur ducked low and charged, clotheslining two oni with his arms and goring a third on his horns. Howls and screams swept through the hordes of demons, and once again all hell broke loose- but with the introduction of four fresh warriors, the battle quickly began to turn.

“Senju Konbo revised! BATON THUNDERSTORM!” Kodachi twisted and sprang into the air, pulling clubs seemingly from nowhere and hurling them in all directions, one after another, as her ribbon twirled in spirals around her body. Several larger beasts scoffed at the wooden projectiles, barely tapping them on the skin- but the scoffs turned to snarls as each baton burst, releasing a different chemical agent on its target- smoke, pepper spray, even hydrochloric acid, to name a few. She backflipped in midair, landed gingerly in the midst of a squad of lesser oni and began ripping through them with the razor edge of her ribbon. “Kumon-sama! That girl who brought us here said we must reach that blazing pit; canst thou clear us a path?”

“Just watch me!” Ryu finished punching a crocodile-headed thing into submission, spun on one heel and drew his arms in. “KIJIN RAISHU DAN!” A low-grade sonic boom wracked the courtyard as his vacuum blades smashed through a contingent of larger oni, tearing them to shreds; those standing behind the decimated ranks stared blankly for an instant, which quickly made them a target for Shingen’s re-extended Chain Blade attack. This time, the corkscrew hit so suddenly there was little chance for them to defend, resulting in a hole opening up in the cadre of demons beyond which the lights of the pit could barely be seen.

Taro, for his part, had gone into a rampage, laying into anything that got within reach, which at the moment was an awful lot. Imps and lesser beasts he was strangling with his tentacles, while bigger ones were on the receiving end of his fists. The beast-man smashed two Hell Hounds into a nearby stone pillar, then grinned wickedly, grabbed the same pillar and wrenched it out of the ground. Spinning around, he began to play baseball with the horde, cutting a swath with his new ‘bat’ that made Ryoga quite envious and proceed to dive in with his umbrella, knocking one foe aside after another. Reika loosed another needle swarm from her sniper’s post, while Mousse and Shampoo began to gang up on some of the larger creatures; she would smash its knees, then he would duck in, strike at the arms, then thrust at the chest and throat- and with every strike, the aura from his swords seemed to strengthen him a little more. It didn’t take long before the horde’s numbers started thinning and the line of sight to the Portal grew clearer.

Bro, you’d better get in there and try setting wards FAST, there’s some pretty nasty ki building up on the rooftop! Reika narrowed her eyes, focusing on one section of the demon army. I’m taking one more shot; once I do, MOVE IT! Those two kids can’t hold the Big Boss much longer! “HARIMURE!”

A concentrated burst of needle-shot exploded less than three feet from where Shingen and Ukyo had just dispatched a ram’s-head ogre, causing her to jump back and Konatsu to jackrabbit out of the horde; the attack had almost caught the kunoichi in the leg. Rock and demon blood scattered in all directions as two bloated, three-headed things took the full force of the attack, and as they disintegrated, Shingen saw the narrow path left behind.

I see it! “FALL BACK! I’m going in; don’t fight any more than you have to! You’ve done more than enough already!” He crouched low and his form blurred, shooting through the momentary gap like a bullet with Karasuhebi flashing about in all directions. Screeches of pain echoed in his ears as he closed in on the outer edge of the Portal, one hand reaching into his jacket. He barely felt the impact as several beasts punched and clawed at him, tearing the shoulder of his jacket and exposing a semirigid armor plate beneath; all he felt was the paper shielding ward that he drew from his pocket and slapped on the ground. The fire coming from the pit edged away from the ward, but still threatened to sear his flesh.

He dropped his naginata and began flinging throwing knives in a precise pattern around the Portal, followed by half a dozen more wards, intricately scribed power wards that landed in the center of the ki vortex. Sparks began to fly as the wards reacted, slowing the emergence of more demonkin- but only just. On the periphery of his sight, he heard more screams as Ryu barged into an ogre squad and unleashed something that sounded nasty; Shingen had no idea what it was that had happened, this ‘Kijin Dai Ran Bu’- but he saw the end result as the ogres were shredded in a vacuum blade maelstrom, and those that did survive were batted away by Taro’s fists or impaled by Mousse’s glowing Sun Blade. Shingen redirected his attention, threw more shield wards around himself and began to chant an Aramaic incantation- when something happened.

A gout of blinding white ki literally erupted from the rooftop above, causing everyone, demon and human, to stop and stare. Seconds later, it was joined by a flaring of deep indigo that was hardly blinding, but no less intense or nerve-wracking. The two auras sent tremors through the school’s walls and into the foundation; the sky seemed ready to crack open.

Shingen gritted his teeth and snapped his hands into warding positions. I haven’t got much time left… just hold on, you two. And DON’T try anything stupid…

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“You’ve more guts than most men alive, Ranma Saotome.” Astaroth’s grip on his sword tightened slightly as his lips curled in a nasty sneer. “Too bad guts doesn’t win wars.” His ivory longcoat whipped in the wind, and abruptly he closed the distance between them with a forward thrust; Ranma sidestepped to the left as the sword sheared through his shirt just below the ribs, leaving a shallow gash in his flesh. The white-haired demon slashed to his right, passing dangerously close to Ranma’s nose as he bent backwards beneath the swing. Ranma dropped low and lashed out with a handstand side kick, which Astaroth quickly parried with his scabbard before resheathing his sword and firing a ki bolt into Ranma’s chest at point-blank range.

The blow sent him skidding across the surface of the roof; Astaroth’s body blurred and he became a whirlwind of low strikes, alternately thrusting at the prone martial artist with sword and scabbard in either hand. “I know you, boy. I know how much you like to dance about, tiring out your enemy and using your speed to your advantage. I’ve watched you a long time, boy.” Ranma ducked, rolled and tumbled, each time barely evading a strike while at the same time reaching into his slashed-open shirt. I just hope to Kami I didn’t drop the damn thing on the way over here… A smirk crossed his face as his fingers closed on a smallish book-shaped bundle wrapped in brown paper, stashed just behind his belt.

“You know as well as I do, boy… dodging’s only going to prolong it.” The scabbard cracked down again, only this time by his left side- and the roof surged upward as ceramic and concrete re-molded itself, blasting Ranma skyward. He flipped in mid-air, just in time to see Astaroth bound upwards and just as quickly disappear- and reappear behind him, bringing Zangyaku across Ranma’s shoulders and sending him crashing to the ground. Akane screamed as Astaroth landed next to Ranma and swung again, when Ranma rolled up and threw the package directly into the path of the blade. The paper quickly sheared open; Astaroth blinked in momentary confusion before Ranma drove his foot into the demon’s solar plexus, knocking them apart as he stood up in a sudden swirl of dozens of scraps released from the package.

“Ranma, for Kami’s sake what are you doing? What was that supposed to be?” Akane’s right hand, which had never relinquished its grip on her sword, was almost totally white from the strength of her grip. She began to bring it up- and suddenly caught a glimpse of one of the scraps that was dancing through the air.

“J-just something I g-got the libr-rarian to p-p-put together for me… d-did it during b-break, didn’t t-think I’d wind up usin’ it this s-soon…” She could hear the panic rising in his voice, matching what she felt through the Astral, and as she caught sight of a few more scraps a chill began to flood her system as well. Each scrap was a photo of a cat… dozens of them, large and small, dancing in the air currents formed by Ranma’s raging battle aura. Moreover, he was making no effort to look away as they spiraled around him, a veritable tornado of photographs.

Astaroth’s eyes widened. “I do not believe this… you’re trying to use the Neko-ken, aren’t you?” He strode forward, bringing Zangyaku’s scabbard up with his left hand. “Are you that desperate?” The sheath cracked Ranma across the jaw and threw him back just over a yard; as he fell, he grabbed handfuls of photos out of midair with trembling fingers and forcibly shoved them into his face, rolling into a crouch.

Astaroth spat derisively. “So it’s reached this point, has it. You’ve plumbed the depths of your resources and decided to place your bet on a broken Art.” He strode forward and kicked Ranma in the side, then smashed him across the face with his scabbard again; blood spilled to the ground, but Ranma refused to give up the photos. “A useless gambit, Saotome. Once you drive yourself into that state, you’re nothing but an animal. No control.” Another kick to the head. “NO mastery of the Beast. NOBODY has ever mastered that technique, not since a lunatic monk invented it over a century ago.” Low slash, cutting a furrow into Ranma’s left quadriceps. “Oh, don’t misunderstand me. It’s a valiant effort… but it won’t work.”

“STOP IT! You’re killing him!” Akane raised Kongousekitou and charged towards Astaroth like a raging bull, tears blurring her vision as she kicked her legs into high gear and became a blur herself. The white-haired man turned just as her crystalline sword pierced his side and came out the other, but failed to produce any blood. He lifted his left hand, and just as quickly Akane found herself thrown back again by a vicious backhand scabbard blow. The giant sword fell from her grip as she hit the roof tile, and several clasps on her yellow vest burst open.

“You seem to forget, girl. That’s the point.” He laughed icily and whirled around, leveling a hard glare at the crouched, shaking form of Ranma, who had finally dropped the photos. “I suppose I must give you some credit- you always try to find a way to win. But you have no control over the Beast… and without that, it’s best to surrender to the fall of the executioner’s sword.” He lifted Zangyaku high over his head. Akane gasped in pain and pushed up onto her elbows just as the sword began to fall. Nodoka squeezed her eyes shut and beat at the bars of her prison as Kasumi began to stir.

Everything seemed to slow down as the blade descended, inch by inch, towards the top of Ranma’s head.

No, Akane mentally pleaded. Don’t take him from me… no… Ranma, I need you! NO!

There was a sudden clang- and a sharp intake of breath.

Astaroth’s eyes widened in complete shock. “What… are… you…”

Ranma’s palms had slapped together at the last instant, trapping the sword just as it was about to strike home. “Who says I haven’t got control?” His head jerked up and Astaroth’s eyes met his- only now his irises had turned from blue to golden, and his pupils had pinched inward- into vertical slits. A predatory grin broke over his face and he shoved upwards in a sudden display of power and speed that knocked the demon off balance. There was a sudden flurry of motion, a crash and a sharp cutting sound, and Ranma was crouched behind Astaroth on one knee, both hands drawn close to his chest. He straightened his back, flexed the fingers on both hands before he drew up to his full height with a slow, fluid grace that seemed more feline than human.

The scabbard in Astaroth’s left hand broke in three places midway along its length, its pieces clattering to the ground. An instant later, he dropped the remaining piece and brought his hand, shaking, up to his left cheek, tracing the three gashes that had appeared in the flesh. His breath hissed through his teeth as he felt black blood welling out of the wounds, trickling down his face. Akane’s eyes locked first on the wound, then traveled to Ranma, her expression becoming a mixture of shock, amazement, and unbridled relief.

Astaroth spun around, glaring at the back of Ranma’s head; his eyes were dilated in shock and anger. “Impossible…” He stared at the blood on his fingers. “IMPOSSIBLE!”

Ranma turned slowly, leveling a calm, dangerous look at the demon. “You’ve been watchin’ me so long, ya should’ve figured it out by now… I always find a way to win. Even if the thing I gotta fight is inside me.” He thrust his fists out to either side in a loose stance, his aura flared again, surging to a level above and beyond what he had reached before- and as memories of the dreamscape dojo abruptly re-emerged in his mind’s eye, he roared.

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Earlier that very morning…

The walls of the dreamscape shook with the force of a bloodcurdling shriek as the man-beast crumpled to his knees. Ranma stood in a low crouch, his body covered in contusions and lacerations, but the sword still clutched tight in his hand; next to him, Ranko was in much the same condition. Both on the verge of total collapse, but unwilling to surrender to the beast before them.

The scream quickly died down… replaced by a plaintive mewling mixed with choking sobs. Tufts of red and black fur began to fall away, softening the beast’s feral appearance as he curled in on himself.

No… no more… no hurt, please…

Ranma breathed deep, as did Ranko, tension leaving their faces as they continued to look at the furry boy bleeding and sobbing before them. Ranma let out his breath as a weight seemed to come off his shoulders. “You want to behave now?”

Neko-Ranma flinched, then slowly glanced up, looking at Ranma and Ranko with sad feline eyes. Please, no hurt…

“We’re not gonna hurt you,” Ranko added, dropping to one knee. “We just need to work things out.”

Work… out?

Ranko sighed heavily. “You know as well as both of us that this can’t go on. We can’t keep on being afraid of you. Or any other cat, for that matter.”

“If you keep trippin’ me up every chance ya get,” Ranma added, dropping to one knee as well, “there’s gonna be a time when ya trip me up so bad… it might cost all of us something big.”

Neko-Ranma shook his head, sudden fear on his face. You want get rid of me… you hate me…

“No, that’s not what we’re saying,” Ranko admonished. “We don’t hate you… but we don’t appreciate losing control to you. It almost cost us that fight with Kuno, ya know.”

The beast-boy sat still for a moment, then nodded slowly. Kuno-Baka tempt me out… make me want to fight, but could not… He blinked. I do wrong?

“Lemme try a different angle,” Ranma said as he reached out and touched his own feral doppelganger’s shoulder- surprised that he didn’t feel uncomfortable doing so. “What is it YOU want?”

Want fight… want beat up Fat Bald Panda who mess things up… Both Ranma and Ranko chuckled slightly. Want… want use power. Use power to help friends, and… He paused and turned away slightly. And… want protect mate…

Ranma blinked hard. “Mate?” His hand squeezed Neko-Ranma’s shoulder just enough to draw attention back to him. “You mean Akane, don’t you.”

Yes… want protect our mate…

Ranko nodded slowly. “Well, so do we. Hell, I think we wanna do near about everything you just listed.” She paused, then looked him square in the eye. “But if you keep making us lose it around other cats, then we can’t do it the way it should be done.”

Neko-Ranma blinked. But… Fat Bald Panda train us. Fear is only way I get out to fight…

“What if we did it another way?” Ranma took hold of the beast-boy’s shoulders and pulled him into a standing position. “I’m tired of being freaked by cats, and you’re tired of being locked up when I’m NOT freaking. But I need your power every once in a while. My own power- or Ranko’s- sometimes just isn’t enough.”

The boy’s eyes widened. You would let me free?

“Look, pal, yer just as much a part of me as Ranko is, and that’s something I want to learn to live with.” Ranma’s eyes became serious. “I can’t let you out ALL the time. And I HAVE to be in control of things, otherwise who knows what could happen. Do ya see what I’m trying to say?”

There was a long period of silence.

You free me to be part of you… I give you power… and I can protect mate?

“We can all protect her. But once I let you free, ya gotta let me be in control. And I won’t be able to let you out all day, every day.”

The boy bowed his head. You beat me here… I wait many years for you to tame me. You no kill me… so I help you. A hesitant, fanged smile emerged on his face. You face fear once more… then we work together.

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The roar that escaped Ranma’s throat was more powerful than any previous Neko-Ken mewling he had ever done- more on par with that of a lion. “Looks to me like ya got something on yer face, Astaroth,” he drawled in an icy voice, bringing his hands up and flexing his fingers again; barely-visible white shards of light seemed to dance across his fingernails. “How’s it feel to know this ‘pathetic Saotome’ just made ya bleed?”

“DAMN YOU!” The demon’s eyes took on a shade of violet so dark as to be almost pure black, and he sprang forward with sword whistling through the air. He feinted to the top, left, and several additional directions almost simultaneously before right-stepping and driving the blade at Ranma’s neck. There was a teeth-jarring crash as Ranma swept outward and parried Zangyaku with his fingers, pushing the blade up and out as the two separated. Neither warrior took notice, but a hint of a line slowly appeared on the sword’s edge.

Ranma grinned, crouched low and leaped high in the air- and promptly disappeared from plain sight. Astaroth grunted furiously as Ranma re-appeared behind him; he turned and slashed with unbelievable speed, but Ranma just as quickly disappeared again. The demon spun in a half-circle, lashing out as Ranma appeared again and vanished before the blade struck. Akane stared in wonder as Ranma began to move so fast, it looked as though there were two dozen of him, running circles around the white-haired demon who thrust and cut without ever making contact- and suddenly the myriad of Ranmas ceased and one single Ranma ducked in, punched Astaroth twice in the gut, uppercut him across the chin, then bounded up and executed a standing dropkick that sent the demon flying. He gasped and righted himself in midair, landing in a crouch just in time for Ranma to zip into his face and thrust upward with his wakizashi. The blade caught him in the side and would have gone all the way through- if Astaroth hadn’t clamped his left hand around the blade at the last second, halting its progress.

Anger lines marred the demon’s face; the three gashes in his cheek had begun to close of their own volition, but he could feel their lingering pain, as well as the sticker in his side that had begun to bleed more black ichors. “You… worm. You impudent worm!” His left hand flashed up and outward, unleashing a ki blast that dislodged the sword from the wound and sent Ranma flying backwards , though it hardly seemed to faze him. Astaroth cracked his neck and his aura began to flare again, pulsing in time to some unheard heartbeat.

“I don’t know how you did that… but it would seem that the time for play is now over.” His aura changed from violet to blackish-red, causing his hair to dance madly about. “It’s been far too long since I fought any human with my full strength… in a way, you should consider yourself honored, Saotome.” A sudden rush of ki tore the top of his coat from neck to waist; quickly the fabric burst and disintegrated, leaving Astaroth bare-chested as his skin took on a deep crimson shade and two horns jutted from the top of his forehead. The hole in his side slowly closed, leaving a trail of black on his stomach as he gripped his sword in both hands.

“Oh… so now you’re gonna fight me full-power?” Ranma smirked and grasped his own sword, pulling in opposing directions and splitting it into its double-broadsword form. “Wouldn’t want it any other way.” His eye flickered in Akane’s direction; meeting her stare, he gave her a minute, sharp nod. Acchan… NOW!

A thunderclap ripped the sky above them as dark clouds began to gather, drawn to the sudden chill in the air as Ranma’s aura dropped to Arctic levels. A gust of wind whipped Akane’s hair about her head as she staggered up, eyes widening momentarily as frost began to form beneath Ranma’s feet. She clutched her clan blade tightly and turned towards the rooftop prison cell- just as demon and Hunter collided in a ki explosion that threatened to knock her down again.

The two warrior’s auras collided violently for an instant, repulsing one another before Astaroth’s aura shifted, likening itself to Ranma’s and dropping the ambient temperature even more. The demon seemed to teleport from across the roof to Ranma’s face as he charged, then slashed hard and fast, gouging the roof but just missing Ranma’s feet. The pigtailed teen somersaulted over the demon’s head, twisting in mid-descent and slamming his foot into the small of his foe’s back- but the blow only partially connected as Astaroth spun and blocked with his forearm, pushing Ranma away. He tumbled across the roof, planted his feet and charged again, his twin blades slicing the air in deadly arcs. Coupled with his already-ridiculous Neko speed, Ranma had literally become a human tornado.

He was practically on top of Astaroth when the demon stepped to one side at the last second, the left-hand half of Nibaikotsu leaving a shallow trail of ebony blood across his chest- but little else. Ranma’s eyes narrowed and his inner beast began to rage. Seems he got a little faster too…

“That’s thrice I’ve bled because of you, filth.” He jammed his sword into his belt sash and flexed his fingers; with little warning, three bone claws burst from the back of each hand and his dark eyes seemed to bore into Ranma’s. “I’ll take your blood as payment, fifty times over.” Ranma barely had time to snap his swords up in a block before Astaroth closed the gap between them, fists flying and impacting the metal with a force he’d only felt from some of his hardest battles- and then some. Seven times the demon thrust at his face, chest and stomach, and six times Ranma blocked in the last instant, until finally the seventh broke his defense and punctured his left shoulder. The force of the punch sent him flying backwards, into one of the obelisks adorning the roof.

“Damn… got a little clumsy blockin’ with this.” He slammed the two broadswords together, re-forming them into his wakizashi which was promptly thrust back into its saya. “Guess I’ll just have to fight ya barehanded!” His aura flared again, just as Astaroth broke into a series of quick-steps that made it hard to tell where he was going to appear next; to an untrained eye, it looked like the demon was popping into sight at random. Ranma, however, quickly picked up the demon’s own icy aura as he moved in a zigzag pattern, until he reached a point where Ranma knew he was building up for one final charge. Kicking off from the obelisk, he vanished into the Umisen-ken and collided with Astaroth dead-on, barreling him into a second obelisk on the other side of the roof. The demon snarled, grappled Ranma’s arm and flung him skyward, and the two began trading punches, kicks, spinning backfists and claw swipes at speeds that could be considered physically impossible.

“Akureiko failed to destroy you.” Claw punch, followed by a ki burst which Ranma barely deflected. “Onibuta failed as well. Ogui was useless. Sumire should not have failed.” Reverse aerial roundhouse, claw swipe, double punch which was intercepted; Astaroth’s face turned irate when Ranma’s left shin caught him across the face and sent him into the top of one obelisk. He planted his feet just as Ranma landed on the far obelisk, and the two sprang skyward again. “Even Kurowashi, the Hidden One… I don’t know how you managed to evade everything I prodded you into, Saotome, but mark my words. I will kill you, and that girl will join you in the depths of Hell!”

“You leave Acchan outta this, you son of a bitch!” Their auras collided again- and just as Astaroth was lunging in with another claw punch, he felt Ranma’s hand close around his wrist and yank forward. Ranma’s body twisted, somersaulting over the demon’s arm…

White-gold light encased his right hand, balled into a fist…

Thunder cracked the air at the same instant Ranma’s knuckles drove into Astaroth’s spine; the impact was so great it sent the two to the ground like a missile, with Ranma still clutching the white-haired demon’s wrist in his left hand. With a booming report, they smashed into the roof and continued through it, punching through the third floor and collapsing in a second-story classroom. Concrete, insulation and wiring rained down upon them as Ranma scrambled to his feet, only to gasp as Astaroth retracted his claws and belted him in the chest, sending him through the classroom window and into the hall. The demon burst out of the window and promptly took a double ki claw swipe to his chest; Ranma wasted no time in putting his Neko speed to good use and shoulder-slammed Astaroth, shoving him down the hall and through another classroom’s door.

--------------------

Akane stared in wonderment for a few long seconds before reason reasserted itself. Damn it, this is no time for gawking, you dummy! I’ve gotta get them out of here! “Auntie! Kasumi! Are you okay? Can you move?”

Kasumi shook herself out of her own reverie first. “A…Akane? Y…yes, I think so… but, what on Earth is going on? Why is that… that beast doing all these horrid things? Why did he…”

“Oneechan, I promise you I’ll explain everything later, but right now we need to get out of here. It’s just too damn dangerous.” She tightened her grip on her sword; once more, Kongousekitou’s blade lengthened, its diamond luster glinting in the raging light of the flames that were raging from the Portal below. “Stay back from the bars, both of you!” Kasumi nodded and shuffled back; Nodoka did likewise but kept her eyes on the break in the roof Ranma had disappeared into. With a sharp kiai, Akane brought the sword back, took a short step and brought it diagonally across the bars- and thin lines appeared as the molded concrete cut like butter, smooth and easily. Akane turned the sword in her hands, a small victory grin emerging as she executed another cut, horizontally at the base of the cage. She dropped the sword and kicked at the bars, breaking open a triangular hole big enough for Kasumi and Nodoka to slip through.

“It’s okay, sis,” Akane whispered as she took Kasumi’s hand and helped her out. “I’m just glad you’re both alright.” A moment later, Kasumi was back on her feet and the two were helping Nodoka to her feet. Once they were both free, all three of them grasped one another in a tight hug; Kasumi was crying tears of relief and Nodoka was beginning to shake.

“I never thought I would have seen such sights as I have seen today,” Nodoka choked out. “That… that monster…” She swallowed hard and looked Akane up and down, biting her lip at each injury she saw. “You’re right, we have to get out of here… get away from that beast before he hurts anybody again… but…” Her gaze traveled back to the impact hole, and her face turned white. “Oh no… what do we do about… oh Kami, my baby…”

“It’s okay, Auntie,” Akane admonished, trying to keep the tremors out of her voice. “This is exactly what we’ve been training for… Ranma found that thing’s weak spot, so it’s just a matter of time.” She took Nodoka’s wrist and Kasumi’s, giving each a gentle squeeze. “But if we stay here, Ranma’s gonna keep holding back, and we can’t afford that right now. Let’s go!”

The tiles beneath their feet shuddered violently as a stream of crashes echoed through Furinkan. Kasumi staggered and cried out as she almost fell over, while Nodoka barely managed to retain her balance. Akane shivered; she could feel two giant ki concentrations racing throughout the building, colliding and separating with more force each time. More than that, if we stay here, the whole roof’s gonna cave in beneath us! “Let’s go!” she cried, tugging on their wrists and making a beeline for the roof’s edge. They quickly followed, their pace only slowing each time another impact shook the building. The flames near the broken railing, coming from the Portal three stories down, threatened to burn all three of them the instant they got too close, forcing Akane to change directions and race along the wall to the nearest corner. She took a deep breath, trying to calm her nerves as she attempted to remember the location of the nearest fire escape.

The three skidded to a halt just a few feet shy of the building’s corner, which was indeed where a fire escape was set up- or had been. The metal rails had been torn clean off the building, leaving a gaping hole. Kasumi gasped and began to sweat, taking one look over the edge before flinching away. “No… please don’t tell me we’re trapped up here… this can’t be happening…”

“What are we going to do now?” Nodoka pondered, fighting to keep her own panicky impulses at bay. “Is there another way down we can get to?” Another vicious crash erupted, blowing out a section of the second floor windows on the other side of the building.

“I… yes, one or two… but they’re on the far side of the school, and who knows if they haven’t been broken too.” Akane began to sweat. “We might be able to get down piggyback-style, if I carry one of you and jump for the pillars in the courtyard… but I don’t think I could get you both down at once, Auntie…” She froze in place as Ranma’s voice echoed in her mind’s ear, screaming a warning. “GET DOWN!” She pulled Nodoka and Kasumi down just as indigo ki punched up through the roof on a diagonal, passing right through where their heads would have been.

Akane spun and glared at the new hole in the roof nervously. “Good gods… how’d that demon prick do that?” She scrambled up, bringing the others with her. Damn it, I’m turning into a liability all over again! As long as we’re up here, we’re sitting ducks- and that bastard might take more potshots just to distract Ranma! She bit back a tear and took a glance over the roof. “Nothing else for it. I’m going to have to risk taking you both down at once.”

“Akane, don’t!” Kasumi cried. “If you don’t think you can do it, for Kami’s sake don’t try! We’ll just keep moving and find another way down!”

“There might not be another way down!”

“But you shouldn’t do more than you can,” Nodoka murmured. “If you are strong enough to jump down, carrying someone on your back…” She paused, then nodded. “Then take Kasumi down and leave me.”

“Auntie!”

Another shudder rocked the building. “If you can’t get us both down, then…”

“Auntie, I’m not going to leave you here! What if something happens and I can’t get back up in time to get you?” Nodoka shook her head and was about to insist that Akane was taking too much on at once, when a shadow flashed through the air just beyond the railing, freezing her words in her mouth. Akane froze as well, noting the sudden approach of the shadow’s ki, and glanced up in time to see the shadow descend and plant itself on the roof.

“Oh, my…” Kasumi pointed. “Is that who I think it is?”

Akane nodded slowly, a vague idea forming in her head as Beast-Taro stamped one hoof on the roof tiles, glaring angrily about. He snorted and spun around; Akane quickly noticed his torso was covered in singe marks and shallow cuts, and his fists were flecked with white ichors. The minotaur reached behind his back- and in a manner reminiscent of Genma, held up a makeshift signboard. WHITE-HAIR… WHERE IS HE? Flipping it over, the other side read GOING TO BREAK HIS FACE.

“That’s not important right now,” Akane hollered over the wind. “I’m not even going to ask how you got here, Taro, but right now you could be helping us out of a real mess!” Taro quirked an eye and stared at Akane inquisitively, then spun and stared at the roof as another quake rocked a distant room below. “This place is getting too rough; can you help me get my sister and Auntie Saotome out of here? The fire escapes are shot and…”

Taro snorted derisively and pointed at his sign again. WHITE-HAIR… WHERE IS HE? His eyes scoured the rooftop again and he cracked the knuckles of his left fist.

“I don’t believe this!” Akane gaped. “You want to get even with that freak so bad you’d rather go after him than help us out? How can you be that selfish!”

Taro stopped dead in his tracks. Did that girl just call me… He rounded on Akane, preparing to stare her down, maybe push her away- but just as he did, she adopted a different tactic and looked at him with pleading eyes. His temper shifted gears mid-stride, leaving him briefly disoriented; it didn’t help that Kasumi was standing next to her with a look of fear on her face that would melt any heart.

“Please… I know you want that jerk as much as I do, but we need to get to a safe place,” Akane implored, dredging up every last bit of her acting skills to wheedle him. “You’re a hell of a fighter, but… a truly gallant warrior would assist any damsel in distress, ne?” Kami, I can’t believe I’m sucking up to this twit! She brushed her hair back and gave him a sly glance. “That would be a truly noble and awesome thing to add to your reputation… don’t you think, Awesome Taro?”

That did it. Taro’s emotional gears changed so fast one could almost hear the transmission grinding. In an instant, he had discarded the signboard and scooped a startled, bewildered Nodoka under one massive arm. Kasumi he carried in a seated position on his other arm, shifting them until they were (relatively) comfortable as he made a beeline for the roof’s edge. Akane was just about to leap onto his back when the rooftop erupted in a crazed maelstrom of concrete and ki.

She saw Astaroth hurtling upwards from the newest hole, covered in fine gashes and black ichors, while Ranma bounded after him, whipping his hands in precise claw strikes that were met time and again by the demon’s own claws. Her eyes widened as she saw Ranma’s shirt had been nearly obliterated; the red covering most of his chest was his own blood, welling from numerous slashes of his own. A sick feeling welled up inside of her.

I’m sorry, Ranma… but this is one time I can’t run away! “GO!” she screamed, giving Taro a hard shove; the winged beast-man gave a bovine roar and took off with his cargo in tow, heading for some of the taller apartment blocks some distance from Furinkan. Akane could barely hear the surprised cries of her sister and Nodoka as she turned away from the edge and began to run. I told you, Ranma. We’re in this together… and if I can help, even a little bit, I’m not going to leave you!

--------------------

A flash of blackened steel interrupted Ranma’s frenzied catclaw attack as Astaroth yanked Zangyaku from his belt sash, then thrust at the teen’s forehead. Ranma ducked and swiped low- but the demon had already recovered and blocked with his sword again, then spun and slashed three times, twice with the katana and once with his bone claws. Each strike was intercepted by a ki claw swipe that caused shower upon shower of sparks before the two warriors separated again, racing across the rooftop. It escaped the demon’s notice, but the nick in Zangyaku’s blade had lengthened following the last clash.

“You’ve become far more trouble than you’re worth, whelp,” Astaroth fumed- and suddenly changed directions, backstepping towards the nearest obelisk. “It’s time to lower the curtain!” There was a violent screech as the demon whirled and cleaved right through the massive stone pillar. It began to fall forward, then stopped in midair at a gesture. He reached up and swung his sword again, and the pillar had been cleft again into five segments. With another gesture, each piece became a deadly projectile, hurtling at Ranma from all directions.

Ranma’s cat-eyes flared a brighter shade of gold, and he grinned broadly. “Too easy!” His legs coiled and his neko side became more pronounced as he turned each of the stone segments into powder, scratching-post style. He bounded through the dust- and took a hard thump to the stomach as Astaroth barreled into him with his knee before trying to gouge his eyes out. The bone claws came dangerously close to his face, nicking both his ears before he jammed his fingers into the demon’s forearms and ripped downward. Astaroth gasped in pain and hauled Ranma off the ground, flinging him across the roof and unleashing a black ki blast that might have taken his leg off if he hadn’t rolled to one side.

The next instant, the demon was in his face again and both were lapsing into another series of rapid punches and blocks. Or rather, Astaroth was punching with one hand and slashing with his katana, while Ranma had redrawn his wakizashi and used it to block, not yet unlocking its dual form. He slammed his sword against Zangyaku hard enough to push them apart- and Ranma gasped as his knees started to buckle. I can’t keep this up much longer, he griped. Even with the speed of the Neko-ken, this jerkwad keeps coming… His vision blurred for an instant, almost causing him to miss blocking another slash. Kami, I must’ve lost more blood than I thought… gotta finish this fast, but he’s using cold ki just like I am! An’ if he doesn’t switch or let anger get hold of him, then I can’t…

Ranma! Keep him focused on you just two more seconds! His eyes widened; he was about to ask what the hell was going on when a sudden idea flooded his half of the Link- a quick-and-dirty tactic that suddenly seemed very appealing to him.

“I’ll ask you once more, filth. Are you ready to die?” Fist and sword cracked down… just as Ranma reached up and grabbed the demon’s left hand, yanking it forward as he spun clockwise, then lashed out again with his right hand and locked up with Astaroth’s descending sword arm.

“I just got one word for you,” Ranma spat- and then grinned. “Gotcha.”

Astaroth’s eyebrow quirked- and then both eyes widened as fire raced down his back; black ichors flowed like water from the gash that ran the entire length of his spine. A gash that had been opened up by Akane’s Kongousekitou. His white hair flailed about his head as he twisted and glared at her, giving Ranma the briefest instant to pummel his flank with a Neko-speed-enhanced Amaguriken that caused him to spit up more black bile and fly across the roof in a tumbling heap.

Ranma staggered to his feet. “That ain’t gonna hold him long, even with his defenses busted he keeps sealin’ his wounds shut!” He shook his head and gave Akane a hard look. “Acchan, I told ya to get off the roof! I told ya it was gonna get…”

“Ranma, I don’t want to argue about this right now! I know what you said, but I’ll be damned if I’m gonna duck out after everything that’s happened! Kasumi and Auntie are okay, but I can still fight, and don’t forget we agreed to…”

He held up a hand. “Hey, you didn’t let me finish. Like I was saying, yeah, I told you it was gonna get rough…” He paused, and his tired face broke out in a smile. “And I figured you’d wind up sticking around anyway. And I’m glad ya did.”

Akane blinked, and slowly a smile crept over her own face. “Ranma…”

A sudden burst of glacial ki interrupted their brief respite, followed by a low growl as Astaroth pulled himself to his feet. Just as Ranma had said, his injuries were already beginning to seal- albeit slowly. “Clever. Very clever, you two. You’d flared your own ki so much, Saotome, I couldn’t feel hers until she was on top of me. But rest assured, I do not intend to make that mistake again.” He lashed out with his sword, projecting a scything ki blade that collided violently with a last-second Moko Takabisha, with the end result of an explosion that pushed both Ranma and Akane back several paces as Astaroth raced through the smoke to strike again.

For several long seconds, things became a blur. Ranma’s wakizashi split in twain and smashed against Astaroth’s sword time and again; Astaroth parried and struck with both blade and claw, first attacking Ranma and deflecting a lunge from Akane, then vice versa. Auras were colliding and mixing at such a rapid pace it looked like a fireworks display- and the crack in Zangyaku was slowly widening with every sword clash.

This guy ain’t giving any quarter, Ranma fumed Astrally. He’s not as fast as he was a moment ago, but I can’t keep going at Neko speed much longer! His breath was growing ragged; he flinched as a claw came within a micron of taking his ear clean off. Only way is if I hit him with my trump card- but there’s not enough damn difference in our ki! It’s not hot enough…

“You look a bit vexed, trash!” Astaroth gasped, recoiling as Ranma’s sword pair cut two narrow lines across his chest. “And you’re still dancing around like a madman… are you trying to provoke something?” His leering smile returned. “Are you trying to make me lose it? Trying to use your favorite power move? Hmm… just a little cold for that, don’t you think?” He jammed his sword into the tile at his feet, generating a wind blast that pushed both warriors back, tumbling head over heel as he raised the katana high. “You’re not going to catch me with that.”

Ranma, he’s wrong…

Ranma blinked and glanced in Akane’s direction; she was already staggering to her feet and tensing the muscles in her legs. She looked at him and nodded. You and me. Let’s heat things up a little bit.

Ranma swallowed as the meaning behind her words hit him. Akane… that’s one hell of a risk; you sure you wanna… One quick look from her was all he needed for an answer; taking a deep breath, he squared his shoulders and sprang to his feet just as Astaroth was about to split his head in two. Alright, if you’re sure… just follow my lead!

With a quick flip, followed by a supersonic block-dropkick combo, Ranma sent the demon prince tumbling overhead; Astaroth righted himself in midair and turned on a heel to unleash a massive Dark Thunder blast- but Ranma and Akane had disappeared. His eyes widened; a second later he wheeled around as both teens appeared behind him and attacked simultaneously, Ranma with rapid-fire twin blades, Akane with three powerful swipes of her o-dachi. The assault knocked him off balance for the briefest moment, allowing the two teens to spring apart and begin running.

They swung out in wide arcs; Ranma sprinted several steps ahead of Akane and began flailing his swords in opposing figure-8 patterns, peppering Astaroth with small vacuum blades that elicited angry growls from the demon. He kicked his feet into a higher gear momentarily until he was directly opposite Akane, which was the moment their auras both flared- his, tempered with the Soul of Ice, hers fueled by a white-hot rage that had been building since her first encounter with Astaroth. Ranma’s vacuum assault continued unabated as the two began closing the circle, making every pass smaller and smaller. Air currents began to pick up rapidly- more rapidly than any previous time Ranma had executed the attack.

With every pass, he continued to snap another ki projection from the tip of his sword, and with every pass, the demon would block with an opposing blast or with his katana. Astaroth didn’t take note of what was going on until he glimpsed Akane amid a lull in Ranma’s attacks- and paled as he realized her aura was literally blazing. No… they can’t… it can’t be possible! He twisted and tried to shove his sword into her path- and gasped in pain as Nibaikotsu tore his forearm six ways till Sunday. Black ichors spilled down his katana and onto the ground, and the next instant, Ranma was right on top of him and Akane was leaping into his embrace, her own aura contracting rapidly as his right arm shot heavenwards. “NO!”

“HIRYU SHOTEN HA!”

--------------------

Shingen’s eyes snapped to attention as a black line shot across the Portal’s rune patterns. The line quickly turned into a marring crack, causing the already turbulent ki patterns to flare erratically. A many-tentacled beast with the head of a lion that was still emerging from the Portal screamed in agony, then just as quickly burst into white smoke, torn apart from the inside.

What the hell… His eyes shot to the roof, noting the concentration of clouds and the violent ki exchanges above. Did… did they actually get him? They FOUND the Contingency? Just then massive quakes ripped through the ground, coupled with an abrupt energy surge from above that just about made his teeth rattle. More cracks began to appear in the Portal, followed by more Greater Oni screaming in pain.

Oh, kuso! He spun on one heel. “Everybody GET OUT! I don’t know what’s causing this, but I get the feeling it’s gonna get real nasty, real fast!” He flung two more shielding wards at his feet, turned and grabbed his naginata off the ground. Slashing and elbowing his way through a thin section of oni, he could see a battered Mousse jab the arms of a boar-headed ogre with both his T’ai Chi swords, forcing it to release the bear hug it held on Shampoo. She toppled over; Mousse quickly had her over one shoulder and began to run. Ryoga slammed the heads of two oni together and retreated, pausing long enough to bowl over a clump of imps that were staring at the school roof in terror. Kodachi was lashing the backside of a lizard-thing viciously, until Ryu stopped her ribbon arm and literally slung her over his back, hauling her to safety. Strangely enough, she didn’t complain much and he didn’t look completely annoyed.

A sharp cry hit Shingen’s ears; glancing to his left, he caught sight of Ukyo sprawled across the ground, clutching her ankle. She had trod the wrong way while crossing a series of potholes, and her combat spatula had flown out of her grasp. “UKYO!” The tall Hunter skidded to a halt and lunged towards her.

“Owwww… dammit, think I twisted it…” She whistled through her teeth and tried to stand up, but failed just as she felt a gloved hand catch her shoulder.

“C’mon, Ucchan, I’m gonna get you out of here,” Shingen whispered in a clipped but reassuring tone. “Hell of a place to get a sprain, if you ask me…” He started to pull her arm over his shoulder, when his danger senses kicked into overtime. Ki was flaring behind and above him faster than he expected; explosive reactions were imminent. Without another word, he pulled her forward and brought her gently but swiftly to the ground, then threw himself across her back. Blue light blazed out of his gloves and the remaining runes on the back of his wrecked jacket. “Makoto Toku!”

An instant later, the world erupted.

--------------------

It was as if a pillar of fire and ice had shot straight up through the school and into the sky above. The cyclone exploded in a fiercer maelstrom than usual, threatening even to rival the energies of the attack that had leveled Phoenix Mountain. Akane pulled herself tight into Ranma’s grasp, resisting the pull of the wind as he poured every last free ounce of ki into the technique. Astaroth found himself being torn and battered from all directions; he jammed his left hand into the tiles at his feet, anchoring himself against the tornado that encompassed nearly the width of Furinkan itself. A moment later, the roof gave way and his claws broke free, sending him tumbling into the vortex.

“This CANNOT BE!” he raged. “YOU INSIGNIFICANT LITTLE…”

Ranma looked down at Akane and smirked. “Akane… you still got enough left in ya for one last hit?”

She looked up and gave him a smirk of her own. “If you’ve still got enough, I’ve still got enough, dummy.” An unspoken plan passed between them and they stared upwards, through the spiraling winds at the white-haired man who was trying desperately to right himself.

“Hold on, then; this is gonna be a bumpy ride!” His left arm, still clutching half of Nibaikotsu, tightened around her waist. Simultaneously, their legs coiled, and the two of them leaped up into the winds.

Reddish-golden light wreathed them both as they ascended higher, giving the appearance of a flaming arrow as they drew ambient ki towards them, growing stronger and stronger until it seemed they were about to burst. They quickly caught up to the tumbling Astaroth- and immediately sailed past him, their ascent trailing off as they reached the apex. As soon as they did, they released their grasp on each other and lifted their respective weapons high. Both Akane’s single sword and Ranma’s paired swords were glowing so white they were blinding.

“End of the line, Astaroth!” Ranma shouted at the top of his lungs. “Tenbatsu alternate technique! ISSAI…”

“NAGANO…” Akane continued.

“SABAKI!” they yelled together, thrusting downward. The battered demon’s eyes widened as three blades closed in on his chest; desperately he brought his own katana up and braced the blade with his left hand.

A faint smile crossed his face as their blades collided with his in a perfect block…

The hairline crack in Zangyaku reached its limit…

Time slowed to a near stop as his sword broke under the force of theirs, and just before he felt all three pierce his chest, he shuddered at the abrupt, violent release of hundreds of souls imprisoned within said sword. As he felt his flesh give way, his eyes fixated on one soul in particular- a tiny, aged man who sat right in front of his face and stared at him.

You may be right, Astaroth. Maybe I was a fool… and maybe I do deserve what I’ve got coming. That’s a big ‘maybe’, mind you… I wasn’t hopin’ to pass on my school this soon, but at least now I know Genma’s boy’ll take care of it. The spirit smirked. And if I DO gotta go to Hell… at least yer going with me!

All else was lost as mind-numbing pain overtook Astaroth’s body. The scream that escaped his throat was beyond bloodcurdling as he, Ranma and Akane shot to the ground like a meteor. Together they punched through the roof and several subsequent floors of Furinkan… the Portal’s rune patterns crumpled, split and folded back in on themselves… and with a thunderous report, the entire high school main building exploded, throwing concrete, glass, wood and metal in all directions. Every fanglike spike that had been molded from the perimeter wall cracked and shattered, and half the remaining trees were burned by the ki overflow.

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For a few long moments, there was little more than silence.

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The fog began to vanish rapidly. Every demon that had remained in the courtyard was gone, swallowed up by the implosion of the Portal or burned alive in the blast.

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Overhead, the clouds were already dissipating.

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Then…

A low groan echoed from a corner of the ruined courtyard.

“Damn… sugar… what just happened?”

Shingen groaned, rolling off Ukyo and patting concrete dust off his clothes. “I think… we just went through Hell and back again. Literally.” He coughed, wincing at a pain in his side and in his head. “Lovely… Astral backlash all over again.” Talk about backlash, I can’t even feel my OWN aura…

“Shin-kun, are you okay?” She pulled herself into a seated position, trying to ignore the pain in her ankle. “You really didn’t…”

He chuckled. “Don’t say I didn’t have to do what I did, Ukyo. You think I was gonna just let you get hit by a blast like that?”

She shook her head. “Well… no… but still…”

“But nothing. I told you… I care about you, and I don’t let down people I care about that easily…” He trailed off and suddenly snapped his head towards the building, or rather what was left of it. “Oh hell… Ranma.”

Ukyo gasped, her face paling. “Ran-chan! Akane! They were on top of that when everything went… oh, Kami, they gotta be okay! They just GOTTA!”

“Only one way to find out.” Shingen pulled himself to his feet. Ukyo pushed herself roughly up, staggered on her bum ankle and would have fallen if Shingen’s arm hadn’t shot out and caught her. She blushed lightly for an instant, then swung her arm across his back and began a slow, tandem jog towards the smoldering crater that used to be Furinkan High. Beyond the still-standing gateposts, Ryoga had come to and was peeking around, as were Kodachi and Ryu. Beast-Taro dropped down from the top of a nearby building, cradling Nodoka and Kasumi in his arms; all three were staring in abject shock. Their stares were shortly joined by the Amazons; Shampoo alternated between glancing at the ruins and looking worriedly at Mousse’s wounds, while Mousse was dressing her injuries and surveying the scene at the same time. Konatsu finished digging his way out of the rubble one oni had buried him under, then took off after Ukyo with a bag of medicinals.

Shampoo swallowed hard. “They… be okay, yes?”

Ryu nodded. “They better be. He and I still have unfinished business.”

“They are far better than most I have known. Surely they found a way out.” Kodachi’s voice was confident, but her lip was trembling.

“Of course they’re okay.” Ryoga nodded and brushed his hair back. “Ranma always finds a way out.” He paused, then sighed and nodded with a light smile. “After all… he’s the best.”

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Mmhh… Ranma…

Akane stirred. There was a numbness in her limbs that was disappearing rapidly; tingling sensations raced up and down her arms and legs. She felt drained… physically, emotionally, mentally. She felt like a sack of flour that had been tossed about and left on the floor of a bakery somewhere. She felt…

She felt a pair of arms encircling her. She also felt shoulders, warm but damp with sweat and blood. She felt her cheek pressed against a powerfully muscled chest…

“Akane…”

She opened her eyes and found herself kneeling in a depression in the earth, her chin resting on Ranma’s left shoulder. Feeling flooded back into her as she realized he was leaning on her just as much as she leaned on him. She could feel something hard and sharp between their bodies- their swords, she figured- but she couldn’t feel anything under her knees except hard stone.

“Ranma…?” She pulled away slightly and looked at him. His eyes had returned to their normal blue, and were no longer slitted, but exhaustion was etched into every last corner of his face. He looked at her, and his mouth curled into a crooked smile that she knew all too well.

“We did it.”

Akane blinked. “We… did?” She glanced down; sure enough, there was nothing beneath her knees but broken concrete. She stared for a long moment, then gasped as she realized there was a black scorch mark in the size and shape of a man beneath them, with their swords embedded where the chest would be. Further off to one side, she caught a glimpse of a broken katana hilt and several chunks of sharp blackened steel. There was no other trace of Astaroth to be seen.

“Oh, Kami… we did… we really did it…”

Ranma nodded. “But, uh… something tells me we’re not gonna be able to attend classes tomorrow.” He nodded in the direction of the rubble around him and began to laugh- a coughing, hacking laugh, but a laugh nevertheless. Akane stared at him for a moment, and started to laugh as well.

“Like you were so concerned about good attendance anyway, you baka!”

“Just as well, tomboy; never did have a chance to do our homework!” He rolled his eyes and shot her a silly grin that got her laughing even harder… and before he knew it, her laughs had changed to tears and she was crying into his chest.

He stopped grinning and wrapped his arms around her. “Acchan? What’s wrong? What’d I do?” A shadow amid the rubble behind him shifted to one side.

She sniffled. “You didn’t do anything, dummy… I’m just…” She tightened her grip on him. “I think it just hit me… I almost saw you get killed right in front of me…” The confusion on his face drained away and he tightened his own grip, pulling her into a calm embrace.

“Sorry…” he mumbled. “Ya know I wasn’t tryin’ to let that happen… just misjudged a few things here and there…” The shadow on the rocks shifted again.

“I know, Ranma… I know.” She hooked her chin over his shoulder again, squeezing him gently, mindful of his own wounds. “I’m just so relieved, that’s all…” Another sniffle. “Can we go home now?”

“You got it.” He coughed, then swayed and failed to stand up all the way, his eyes spinning. “Hoboy… just gimme a second… guess… goin’ Neko took more outta me than I…”

The shadow nearby burst into frenzied action. Akane gasped, wide-eyed, as a wounded and enraged Kurowashi stormed from the pool of black that had concealed him. His red eyes glowered at the two for an instant before his avian head reared back, a war cry shrieking from deep within him. Muscular arms thrust forward, sending tendrils of silver chain coursing towards their heads. Fear suddenly locked Akane’s legs and she could not move in any direction.

“TENBATSU!”

There was a sudden flash of silver- and the chains broke into a thousand separate links. The Tengu gasped in shock, followed by an anguished scream as a serpentine chain of blades sheared his weapons before puncturing his chest. Just as quickly, it reversed direction, and the demon collapsed to his knees, white ichors drenching the ground before he exploded into a cloud of iridescent dust.

For an instant, both Ranma and Akane had to relearn how to breathe before turning back around; their faces quickly relaxed as they caught sight of Shingen retracting Karasuhebi tiredly, re-locking its blade in naginata form. Ukyo was next to him, resting one arm on his- and lacing her fingers with his free hand.

Shingen let out a long breath. “That… was a bit too close.” He leaned on his naginata’s staff and smiled. “But all things considered, it could’ve been a lot worse… and I distinctly remember telling you, no crazy stuff.”

Ranma coughed again, then broke out in a relieved grin. “Shin… when you’ve been here as long as I have, it’s all crazy stuff. Ya get used to it.” He chuckled. Akane giggled and playfully socked him on an uninjured part of his arm; Shingen shook his head and started laughing.

By the time a frantic Konatsu had caught up and was begging Ukyo to let him treat her wounds, they were all laughing- a long, heartfelt, healing laugh. The last of the clouds was drifting away, letting the rising moon cast soft silver light on the remains of Furinkan High.

The storm was over.

To Be Concluded.

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Author’s Note 7/23/06: It’s not over yet. There’s still just a little ways to go before this chronicle winds down- a few last little things. And now for special moves notes.

Senju Konbo: Kodachi’s Attack of a Thousand Clubs, featured in the rhythmic gymnastics duel with Onna-Ranma. Basically a handful of gymnast clubs, making it look like a rapid-fire attack.

Kijin Raishu Dan: Part of the Yamasen-Ken, can translate as ‘demon god assault bomb’. A knife-hand lashing out so fast it forms vacuum blades; Ryu Kumon practiced this move by demolishing a 5 meter high Buddha statue with it.

Harimure: Reika’s Needle Swarm, mentioned in a previous chapter. The special attack of her unlocked Hunter weapon, Komadori.

Kijin Dai Ran Bu: Demon God Furious Dance, a modified Kijin Raishu Dan that attacks in all directions.

Issai Nagano Sabaki: Absolute Eternal Judgment. Essentially the Tenbatsu strike, but amplified with the additional force of the Hiryu Shoten Ha adding into it.

And finally, rough translations of the names of the five Curse demons that were Purged or otherwise appeared. Akureiko(Ranma’s curse spirit)- Demon Child. Onibuta(Ryoga’s curse)- Ogre Pig. Ogui(Genma’s curse)- Glutton. Sumire(Shampoo’s curse)- Violet. Kurowashi(Mousse’s curse)- Black Eagle.

The chapter title was inspired by the song White Light by Gorillaz, off the Demon Days album.

Thank you for your patronage; please review if you have a moment. As aforementioned, we’re not done yet, but the train will be pulling into the station soon. Until next time.

-Neon Ronin