Tenchi Muyo Fan Fiction / Ranma 1/2 Fan Fiction / Crossover Fan Fiction ❯ The Goddess Dilemma ❯ One ( Chapter 1 )

Disclaimer: Same as I always put in my fics, don't own anything other than the PS2, games, PC and the DVD's.

 

Note: Near standard crossover from me, may or may not have lemon/lime elements. If I butchered something, I apologize as I barely have time to WRITE fics, let alone watch the DVD's. Also, this is heavy AU, OOC, and generally bizarre. If it looks like I left a plot hole, don't jump the gun . . . it could be for suspense. And for you Ranma otaku out there, I don't have the manga, just the anime. Thus, Akane is VIOLENT! Ooh, aah. And if certain evil people suddenly become nice, there'll be an explanation SOMEWHERE in the fic.

 

The Goddess Dilemma

 

By: Jim Ohki

 

“Damn it, not again,” said Ranma Saotome as he met the Almighty Mallet. The day had gone well, up until this event. Shampoo, Ukyo and Kodachi were being . . . normal. Not normal in the Nerima way, but normal in the rest of the world way. They had actually talked during lunch, sharing the bountiful food brought by both Shampoo and Ukyo. When Kodachi had dropped by, she talked in normal tones and didn't break out the ribbon or the roses. But, it was to be short lived when the walking symbol of what needing anger management looked like appeared.

 

After the usual spiel of “YOU PERVERT!” for receiving a couple of hugs for being sociable, to which he returned as a good friend would do, his face had a meeting with the dirt.

 

“Why me, God?” deadpanned Ranma into the ground. “I just want one chance at a normal life.”

 

Ah, the joys of being heard.

 

***I---(Heaven, Yggdrasil Building)---***

 

Kami-sama sat at his desk, reading the life file of Ranma Saotome. How in the world this young man had survived, let alone stayed sane, was a mystery. Rivals and enemies crawling out of the wood work, right next to the numerous fiancées. Add to that the Neko-Ken, Kashu Tenshin Amageriken, and the Hiryu Shoten Ha and Ranma was a walking meltdown just waiting to happen.

 

Yet, he always did what was right. He couldn't knowingly tell a lie, just saying what he perceived as the truth. He almost never raised a fist in anger at a woman . . . well, nobody's perfect. But still he would press on, hoping against hope that things would work out, never losing faith.

 

But apparently that faith was starting to waiver. Not a good thing when the person in question could level the Tokyo Metroplex without trying.

 

Tapping the intercom switch, Kami-sama spoke, “Rind, I have a special assignment for Peorth. Please have her come to my office.”

 

The response was an immediate, “Yes sir.”

 

Since that task was done, Kami-Sama picked up the handset and dialed the familiar phone number. He didn't have to wait long as the one he wanted to talk to answered the phone.

 

“Hello?” inquired Urd, wondering who would interrupt her soaps.

 

“Urd, I have a special assignment for you. Be in my office in ten minutes.”

 

*click*

 

Urd stared at the phone, wondering just what the assignment could be. Shrugging it off as she'd find out later, she walked over to the television and vanished into it.

 

***---(Tendo residence, one week later)---***

 

Ranma was getting really fed up with being nice. At least trying to be nice to a certain individual. While the other `fiancées' had been behaving themselves for the past week, things had gotten worse between himself and Akane. She would snap at him on the smallest of things, like the time he looked at her crossed eyed after eating her cooking. The Saotome foot in mouth disease was absent, as Ranma had started choking on the substance that was once food. Akane had instantly smashed the table over his head, then punted him into the Koi pond.

 

Foregoing the usual bath that followed such an event, Ranma changed into a spare set that she kept on the first floor for moods like this. After glaring at Akane, yet staying quiet, Ranma decided to do something that she normally wouldn't do. Making certain that Akane was not going to be bothering her for a while, mostly by grabbing hold of her own breast and mumbling something about private time, Ranma plopped down in front of the television.

 

Nabiki, who would normally watch the radiation box at this time, raised a surprised eyebrow at the actions of her supposed brother/sister-in-law. This was something new to file away for future money-making opportunities. That was what Nabiki thought until she caught the pain hiding in those eyes of Ranma. Barely hidden pain. Her heart started a long overdue process at that point. The ice, that made the Ice Queen what she was, cracked ever so slightly.

 

“Hey Ranma,” she started, her voice low to avoid detection by her sister, “you okay?”

 

“Just freaking peachy, Nabiki,” replied the redhead, her tone indicating the obvious. Ranma dared to take her eyes off the television to look Nabiki in the eyes.

 

“Ranma,” said Nabiki while looking her in the eyes, “if you ever need anybody to talk to, just come to me. I have watched as you tried so hard to be nicer to everybody, but got a bad reaction from my sister. I applaud you for trying, but even you shouldn't have to put up with that type of crap.”

 

Neither noticed that the program on the television changed to something that makes men happy. Well, most men who can appreciate the set of tanned legs that disappeared into a red miniskirt. The female noticed that her supposed audience wasn't paying any attention, and decided to drop the dramatics. Sliding out of the television, she caught what was said next by Ranma.

 

“That type of crap, Nabiki?” deadpanned the redhead, “I haven't had a normal day in my life since I was BORN. While I would wish for a normal life, I know it isn't going to happen. The old fart has gotten me into more messes than I could shake a power pole at, gotten me engaged to LORD knows how many girls, gotten me cursed . . . to both this body and to your sister.”

 

Thinking the conversation over as Nabiki's eyes flashed, indicating danger, Ranma started to turn around. Only to be stopped by her verbal sparring partner.

 

“Is it really that bad, Ranma?” inquired Nabiki. That question widened the crack in the ice into a gap, and the warmth got inside for the first time in nearly ten years. Not waiting for an answer, Nabiki scooped Ranma into a hug that surprised both of them and their as yet unseen audience. “I'm so sorry, Ranma. If I had only known how much it would hurt you to have to put up with Akane, I would have never . . .”

 

“Whoa, whoa, whoa Nabiki. This is something I have wanted to know since I got here. Why did you and Kasumi pawn me off on Akane?”

 

“Kasumi I can't truly answer for,” replied Nabiki, “But as for me . . . the curse spooked me at first. If I had gotten to know you instead of just hiding behind my younger sister,” here she paused to chuckle at how stupid that sounded, “then I wouldn't have minded being your fiancée.”

 

Ranma, who hadn't noticed that he was still in the arms of Nabiki, was touched by what Nabiki had said. `Finally, somebody that WANTS me to stick around!' she thought, then hugged Nabiki even tighter. Not quite a bear hug, but awfully close to it.

 

Their audience, which had grown by two while the conversation was taking place, had varying reactions to the emotions being passed in front of them. Two of the three watching felt that the twin souls combined in one body deserved what was about to be presented to them. The third, well take a WILD guess . . .

 

“RANMA YOU PERVERT! GET OFF OF MY SISTER!” screamed Akane, while acquiring her chi-mallet. Something new happened however when Nabiki shifted her position ever so slightly, thus moving Ranma out of harms way. She took the full uppercut swing, crashed into the ceiling and crumpled to the floor.

 

“THAT'S IT!” roared Ranma, battle aura flaring into life. “I HAVE HAD ENOUGH OF YOUR SHIT, MS. TENDO! YOU WANNA FIGHT, LET'S FIGHT!” With that said, Ranma launched a roundhouse kick at Akane's head, and connected. Akane flew out the back door into the Koi pond, Ranma not far behind. The two who had yet to be noticed checked on Nabiki, and verified that she was just unconscious. After a quick healing program, just enough to prevent one hell of a headache, they ran outside to witness the battle.

 

Akane didn't know what to do now. Ranma actually attacked her, just the way she had always wanted in the sparring sessions, and she was WAY too slow to dampen the blow. She blanched when Ranma fired up a true and tested technique.

 

“KASHU TESHIN AMAGURIKEN!”

 

Akane felt over a hundred blows land before they stopped, and she barely had time to see two strangers restraining Ranma from finishing her off. Then the world went dark . . .

 

***---

 

Soun Tendo tried to deploy his demon head at Ranma, but that was instantly deflated by the three guests in the house. More to the point, it was deflated by a katana, held by one of the guests. Akane was in her room, still out from the brawl with Ranma. Everybody knew that when she awoke, she would refuse to come out. Ranma himself, once returned to being male, found the table very interesting. He wouldn't, or couldn't, look at ANYBODY since he had blown his top like that. Nabiki, who was sporting one hell of a bruise and a mild headache, tried to console the boy. She refused to give up on trying to be a better friend to Ranma, and had settled for holding onto his right hand. Kasumi, who had witnessed the event from the point that the mallet appeared, was holding onto his left hand, effectively restraining him from moving. She had seen the way Ranma's eyes had flashed when somebody he cared for got hurt, and somehow knew that this debacle was not on his agenda for today.

 

Nodoka had appeared on a random chance to find her son and husband, and had also witnessed the event. While she was curious about the other two women in the house, she decided that waiting for the whole story of just what kind of torture that Ranma had to put up with had precedence. Genma being himself was hiding in the nearest dark corner, eyeballing the katana and the wielder of the weapon.

 

After five minutes of silence, Ranma dared to speak.

 

“So much for my life,” he said into the table, barely heard by the others, “I guess it's time that I left and became a ronin. Although death does sound good . . .” He trailed off at the end, mostly due to the gasps from around the table and the simultaneous squeezes on his hands.

 

“No, Ranma,” said Nabiki, drawing the depressed boy's attention, “You just reacted to what Akane has been doing to you ever since you got here. I know I haven't been the best person in the world, but even I never did anything like that to you.”

 

“Ranma, please don't leave,” whispered Kasumi, “You've made my life INTERESTING. Before it was just so bland, and to even think of going back to that makes ME want to give up on life.”

 

Now that got a reaction out of Ranma. Instead of just looking partially in her direction like he had done to Nabiki, his head snapped up to stare her in the eyes when she had finished that declaration.

 

“We might be able to help you, Ranma,” spoke the brunette that sat across from him for the first time. Ranma looked at her like she was crazy, while the others had very skeptical looks on their faces. This was literally one hell of a mess, just how could these two women with about the most bizarre taste in tattoos fix it was beyond them.

 

“Ranma,” spoke the platinum haired woman, “My name is Urd, Goddess Type Two, Class One Limited. I have been authorized by Kami-sama himself to grant you a wish. Before you open your mouth and insert your foot, there are a few limitations that you should be aware of. Number one, I cannot remove your curse or the curses of your . . . acquaintances. Number two, I cannot grant death to you. Both of these restrictions come from on high, so there's obviously some hidden meaning as to why your life is the way it is. Number three, and this is the MOST bizarre thing I have ever heard of, your fiancée mess is not fixable by divine intervention. You must solve that on your own.”

 

“My name is Peorth,” spoke the brunette again, drawing all eyes onto herself, “Goddess Type One, Class Two Unlimited. I am here for the same reason, Ranma. I have been authorized to grant your female half a wish, with the same restrictions. But your male half must make a wish first, and that wish could effect the wish made by your female half. Also, the spirit of the girl who drowned in that pool will surface for this wish, as you have dominate control of both bodies. Please, take her advice no matter how bizarre to heart.”

 

“So I could just make this whole mess go away, just like that?” inquired Ranma, life beginning to return to his eyes for the first time in twenty minutes.

 

“If it's within the bounds of the restrictions, then yes, `this mess' would go away,” replied Urd, leaning onto her elbows so that her charms were displayed a little better. Ranma's eyes dipped down once, twice, then settled back on her eyes. `So the dormant spirit is already giving him advice . . . or is it that he is just being nice? Too hard to tell' she thought as she gazed into Ranma's eyes, watching the gears (complete with FRESH lubricant) turn over the prospects and ideas of what was just presented to him.

 

“Money?” asked Ranma, deciding that the best way to figure out what he could and couldn't do was to just verbally throw out ideas. Of course the mentioning of money peaked Nabiki's interest in the whole deal. If she had known then what she knew now, then being engaged to Ranma wouldn't have been too much of a problem. After all, she could easily deal with the other fiancées, just not in the physical way.

 

“How does the matching value of the worlds money sound to you?” retorted Peorth, drawing Nabiki into a daydream of Ranma and literally swimming in cash.

 

“Power?” countered Ranma, noticing that Nabiki was beginning to drool.

 

“Bill Gates style of power,” replied Urd. Ranma looked lost at that.

 

“No, I meant power, as in master of all martial arts type of power,” said Ranma.

 

“If that is what you wish, then yes,” responded Peorth. For the briefest of moments, she saw Ranma's eyes flash in that way that screamed that the next words out of his mouth was NOT going to be a good thing. Deciding that one debacle a month was good enough, she raised her hand to forestall the coming question. “Yes, you could have that too. Don't know HOW you'd do it without people knowing, but it is doable.”

 

“Then I know what to wish for,” declared Ranma, drawing all eyes onto himself. Everything that produced sound stopped, including breathing. Not one to beat around the bush, especially when his mind was made up, he continued, “I wish that I could be a master of all martial arts, with the matching value of the worlds money at my disposal, so that I may take care of those women that TRULY love me for the rest of our lives.”

 

Eyebrows went up everywhere, did Ranma just find a loophole in the wish restriction? He had made just one wish, with subparts that made it whole. So it would either be all or nothing here, as the pyrotechnic show that was Urd sent the wish to Yggdrasil for processing. Once the show was over, not once disturbing a single item in the living room, Urd's eye's got as big as saucers.

 

“Wish granted,” she said, to the amazement of those present. Breathing resumed, and a few cheers went up. Nodoka was on her knees in a flash, presenting the Saotome honor blade to her son, much to his bewilderment. She made a mental note to look in on the bank accounts and trust funds that she had set up for Ranma all those years ago.

 

Nabiki simply fainted, right next to Kasumi. Those two would be out for a little bit, and missed what happened next.

 

A bright light came in from the ceiling, surrounding Ranma. In less than a minute, Ranma had every martial arts style ever thought of, ever dreamed of, in his mind. Once the knowledge was assimilated, Ranma knew it would take a while to practice them all. After all, what good is knowledge of the act without the knowledge of application? Besides, many of the new arts to him felt entirely confusing, since these were the arts of weapons that he had ignored due to his father's . . . teaching method.

 

Once Nabiki and Kasumi were awoken, from gentle shakes by Ranma, Peorth poured her glass of water on the boy, producing the girl and the other (better?) half of Ranma. Everybody present, minus the catatonic Idiotic Duo (take a WILD guess) could see the difference when the other spirit was in play. She actually held herself like a woman, one that desperately needed a bra at least.

 

“So, what is it that you wish for?” asked Peorth, who couldn't see the internal debate going on in the mindscape of the shared body. Once the debate was clearly over, the woman side of Ranma opened her mouth, only to close it again. There was a look of concentration on her face, and then something new happened. Ranma returned to being male without any hot water. He too went to open his mouth, only to find out what the problem was before he could say anything.

 

“POP!” roared Ranma, bounding up from the table in the blink of an eye. “YOU HAVE SOME EXPLAINING TO DO!”

 

“What now, boy?” demanded Genma, nervous that something else in his life was about to go horribly wrong.

 

“When you dug that forsaken pit, did you FIND anything near the bottom?” growled Ranma, eyes flashing a dangerous shade of blue. The Soul of Ice was in play, and on full display.

 

“Just some metal fragments,” replied Genma, now totally lost, “I thought they were junk, so I left them down there as a way to toughen you up some more.”

 

“TOUGHEN ME UP?!” raged Ranma, “YOU IDIOT! It's because of those shards that my life has been so chaotic!”

 

Urd and Peorth were upon the boy in a flash, running a detection program on the youth. Once the program was complete, they locked eyes with each other and said something very un-Goddess like.

 

“Ah shit.”

 

***---

 

On the farside of the globe, two ancient weapons awoke from their slumber. One was man made, the other a gift from the Kami in response to the evil in the first weapon. Both dug themselves out of six hundred plus years of dirt, and took off toward Japan.

 

An ancient monster awoke shortly after the weapon he had sworn to protect took off from the bottomless chasm. What was once a human male could sense what had awoken that weapon, and started it's trek to the weapons destination after donning a half-set of azure armor.

 

***---

 

Ranma sat down, and let control return to the other spirit in their body. He was too mad to deal with anything effectively, and the Goddesses where not saying what the problem could be. Only he and they knew at the moment, which might work out better for everybody.

 

“What is it you wish for?” asked Peorth to the female Ranma after a splash of water. She decided to embrace the chaos, if even a little. Now knowing that subpart wishes were valid, she opened her mouth and spoke before what she knew was coming could arrive.

 

“I wish for Ranma to have a full sex life, with those women he loves, plus love him, so that all teachings of Genma would be driven out of his head.”

 

Now that was bizarre. There was not an eyebrow in the room that was not raised, and everybody could swear that they could see an image of Ranma with his brows raised as well.

 

“What brought that on?” wondered Nodoka, as she was the first to find her voice after such a weird wish.

 

“The only way that Ranma will learn to appreciate women, to know that they are not weak, is to have . . . relations . . . with them,” replied the female soul, as she turned to glare at Genma. “Because of that old buffoon, Ranma is terrified of becoming close to any woman. Genma drilled it into Ranma's mind so much that women are weak, only good pregnant and barefoot, that he is afraid that if he did become involved with any of his fiancées, with his code of honor, that this supposed `weakness' would rub off on him. Ranma has almost always felt that women would cramp his free life style, and the cause is that retarded father of his.”

 

Peorth sent the wish to Yggdrasil in a flash, sans the pyrotechnic show. She got the answer just as instantly, turned to Ranma, and spoke two words. “Wish granted.”

 

No sooner had the words left her mouth that two new skylights were installed on the house. All eyes turned towards what had made the sound, only to see two swords floating three feet away from Ranma. Then what looked like a human eye opened, one on each sword. The elegant sword, which looked closer to two halves of one with the center missing, took the left eye of Ranma. The grotesque sword, which looked like half sword/half flesh that had a lot of dried blood on it, took Ranma's right eye.

 

“Soul Edge and Soul Calibur,” breathed Urd, since the legendary swords were in her domain of the past. She turned to look at Ranma, and could see that she was frozen in place. The swords gaze was directly into her eyes, and there was what looked like a telepathic conversation going on.

 

Akane, forgetting why she was in her room for a minute, came flying downstairs at the sound of commotion. Just as she landed on the first floor after bypassing the stairs, she froze. Ranma looked different, and there were two swords locked in a staring contest with him . . .

 

“I accept,” came from Ranma's mouth, startling everybody. If the swords had mouths, they would have smiled at her before they came within a millimeter of each other, waiting for their chosen to complete the process. After all, the one they talked to had an extra abundance of souls.

 

It would be enough to do the job without having to go on a spree of massacre proportions.

 

Ranma changed back to being male, again without hot water, and started to grasp at the hilt of the half and half, Soul Edge. Urd, not wanting a repeat of history spoke up.

 

“Ranma, you know what that sword is?” she inquired, which had the desired effect of stopping his hand an inch from the hilt.

 

“Yes I do, Urd,” he replied, never looking away from his goal, “Both swords have agreed to let me wield them, as the chaos in Soul Edge and the order in Soul Calibur would balance me. Those metal shards in that pit were pieces of the first Soul Edge. That's why my life attracts the maniacs. But no more once these two swords balance my Yin and Yang.”

 

Everybody's eyes flashed, and heads turned to glare at Genma once again. It was at that moment that all the hopes and dreams he had for an early retirement, to freeload as much as he pleased, had just flown out the window. Ranma, who was ignoring the whole thing, reached for Soul Edge and Soul Calibur at the same time. Once he grasped both hilts, Edge in his right hand with Calibur in his left, everything went dark for the boy.

 

To those watching, they could see Ranma get enveloped in a ball of light. The ball swirled with two colors: blood red and halo yellow. The colors looked to be in harmony with each other and the person inside. Once the light show was over, they could see what appeared to be an unchanged Ranma, and only one sword laying next to him.

 

“Isn't that . . .?” started Nabiki, only to see that name of the sword etched into the hilt.

 

“Kami-Sama,” breathed Urd, “It can't be!”

 

Kasumi leaned over, and examined the now complete sword. She had quickly put two and two together, and figured out that the swords should have been ONE from the beginning, thus the reason for their auras. She too read the very fitting name, and smiled. All would be better in Ranma's life . . . boy, was it getting warm in the house all of a sudden.

 

Akane couldn't believe it. Ranma had wrecked the house again! Deciding it was time to punish him, one last time before her father made him leave, Akane produced her chi mallet.

 

“STOP!” roared Peorth, noticing what the youngest Tendo was up to. “He has done something that we in the Heavens had hoped would happen for two millennia. He joined the two Soul swords and created the weapon of myth.”

 

“What?” growled Akane, taking a real good look at the sword laying next to the Saotome honor blade. The katana seemed to GLOW on its own . . . no, that must be a trick of the light. In fact, why was the honor blade here?

 

“Akane Tendo,” spoke Nodoka through clenched teeth, “You have a LOT of explaining to do.” She stood up from her place at the table, and walked over to where Akane was standing. “However, Ranma is now the clan head. He had proven himself more than manly in my eyes. You will have to deal with him when he calls for you. For now, I suggest you return to your room.”

 

Akane lost control of her temper again.

 

“Just why is he so damned special?!” she screamed, then charged up the stairs with disapproving gazes from her family following her.

 

“He is special because he created the genuine article in that sword laying next to him,” spoke Nodoka to the others present in the room. Then she spotted Genma trying his best to hide in a corner.

 

“Genma, I suggest you get out of his life now,” spoke Soun, surprising everybody present with the sudden show of spine, “I do believe that he will be extremely angry with you. And I know the legend of Soul Edge . . . the sword would devour souls of those killed with it, and it TOLD the person wielding it techniques that were unstoppable. That would explain why he would soak up martial arts like a sponge . . .”

 

He trailed off when a groan came from the floor. Nabiki and Kasumi were back by his sides in an instant, while Genma slid out the back door. Ranma groaned again, then sat up in a rush, colliding heads with the two girls floating over him.

 

“OUCH!” shouted all three at once, then they paused, looked at each other and started laughing. Ranma placed his hands down to brace himself, and he felt the sword hilts. One, the Saotome honor blade. The other . . .

 

“No fucking way,” slipped out of his mouth as he read the name on the hilt. The sword in his hands was supposed to be nothing more than a myth. But here it was, in his left hand. He blushed at his verbal slip-up, then went back to staring at the latest addition to his arsenal.

 

“Ranma,” spoke Urd. Peorth had already returned to the heavens, “Your life is yours to lead. But heed the warnings of the Heavens: Abuse that sword and we will take it from you, with force.”

 

“Urd,” responded Ranma, “Fear not what I or the sword will do. Fear what the forces of chaos will do when they learn that this sword walks the Earth again.”

 

She had to nod at that, and her gaze softened. “Ranma, if you need anything, just chant my name next to a television and I'll appear. Until we meet again.”

 

With that, Urd vanished into the TV.

 

Ranma stood up, with Nabiki and Kasumi hanging off his arms. He could tell that the combined wishes of two different souls was starting to take effect. These two he didn't mind, after all they were closer to normal than their younger sister.

 

“Let's go out for dinner,” stated Ranma to the others, “How does Ucchans sound to you?”

 

“You buying?” asked Soun, a slight smile on his face.

 

“Why yes, I am. Just one second and I'll be ready,” answered Ranma, the mirth of the joke not lost on him for once. His picked up the sword, twirled it a couple of times then attached it to a magnetic half-scabbard that had appeared on his back. Turned out to be a good thing, the sword was almost six feet long by two wide, like a broadsword.

 

The most unnerving thing was the pair of eyes, until they closed and blended in with the sword.

 

***---

 

Ukyo Kuonji was surprised when Ranma walked in the door with Nabiki and Kasumi hanging off of either arm, followed by Nodoka and Soun. She felt that bit of jealousy, then realized that it had melted almost instantly. You guessed it, another effect of the wish.

 

“Ucchan, a round of specials for everybody,” declared Ranma, who produced two hundred thousand yen from nowhere. As she put the cash away, she finally saw the sword attached to his back. From across the room she could read the name on the hilt, which nearly resulted in the entire grill/bar to be a giant Okonomiyaki. She watched as he sat down between the sisters Tendo, at the head of the table. `Whoa, since when did Ranma get to be the HEAD? Must be that sword . . .' she thought as she cooked dinner for her guests/paying handsomely customers. She would catch the briefest snippets of conversation, and it sounded like Ranma no longer had a worry in the world. Her ever faithful ninja Konastu appeared, and whispered in her ear.

 

“The chaos aura is now under control,” spoke the quasi-waitress, then he drifted away to check on the customers. Ukyo smiled at that, Ranma was now in more control of his life than he had ever been before. As the last of the food finished cooking, she personally took it over to Ranma and his party.

 

Subtly suddenly left the restaurant with the appearance of the Eternal Wanderer.

 

“RANMA, PREAPRE TO DIE!” shouted Ryoga, who had not noticed the sword attached to Ranma's back. That was, until a flick of the wrist later and Ryoga stopped his attack due to being a millimeter away from impaling his neck on the blade of . . . NO! Common sense left his brain entirely at this and the words that would attract even more chaos were spoken.

 

“Since when did YOU get your hands on Excalibur?!” demanded Ryoga, drawing all eyes and ears onto Ranma Saotome.

 

“Since he joined the Soul swords,” spoke a voice from the door. All eyes turned towards that voice, and the screaming commenced. Part of the being at the door looked human, like the head and parts of the torso. But the right arm . . . it was a DEMON arm!

 

“Let me introduce you, to the GREATEST NIGHTMARE!” shouted the quasi-human as he charged at Ranma, remnants of the first Soul Edge in hand . . .

 

TBC, perhaps . . .

 

Edited for your enjoyment as I recently moved and am waiting for the phone lines to be installed. Then I'll lose myself in the net again.

 

Ja!