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 < > - English
 // // - emitted from a P.S. system, telephone, or other
        electric medium.
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 --------------------------
 The Pursuit of Happiness
 Act 2 Part 4
 Kings Reversed
 --------------------------



   "So, let's review," said Ryo. 

   Kyoko gulped down the last of her 31 flavor ice cream
bowl and rubbed her chin in thought.  She began to speak in
a tone sounding far too intelligent to be coming from a 12
year old. "The Saotome School of Anything Goes Martial Arts
is anchored primarily in Kempo, but contains elements from
other arts.  Their belief is in the ability to adapt to any
given situation."

   "And what of Ranma Saotome?" asked Ryo. 

   "He's very fast.  At his top speed, you can't possibly
match it.  He relies heavily on his speed and his ability to
adapt to an opponent's strategy.  He finds patterns and will
take advantage." 

   "Any habits of his?" asked Ryo. 

   "He usually waits for the opponent to make the first move
unless it's someone he knows." 

   "Mm-hm." 

   "And never challenge him in the air.  His skill in air to
air combat is high." 

   "I see.  And if I allow you to train under their dojo,
how long until you achieve Ranma's level of ability?" 

   "Two years." 

   Ryo grinned.  It was convenient having a little sister
who was something of an idiot savant. 

   "And how may I defeat him?" 

   "Be as unpredictable as you can.  Catch him off guard
with switching patterns.  Your strength is superior. 
Trading hits is to your advantage.  Don't start the match as
the aggressor.  He's used to beginning a fight on defense,
and the change will make him uneasy." 

   "Anything else?" 

   Kyoko nodded.  "Use umbrella #3." 

   "Right." 

   Kyoko looked at him, frowning.  After a minute of being
stared at, Ryo gave her a sideward glare.  "What now?" 

   "I want ice cream! More icecream! Moremoremore!" 

   "Well... fine.  Since you did your report well." 

   "Waiwaiwai!" 

***

   [Fourth floor, Furinkan High School.  4:30 p.m.]

   "You sure they aren't related?" asked Yuka. 

   Nabiki looked from one photograph to another and smirked. 
"The resemblance is close, isn't it?"

   "Sure is," replied Yuka.  "Hiroshi and Daisuke are going
with Ryouga on this one."

   "Odds?" asked Nabiki. 

   "They didn't say." 

   "Hrm.  I'll give Ryouga 3:2 odds.  Ryuu's good, but he's
had to change his fighting style from the ground up
recently. How about the Saotome/Muhoshin fight?" 

   "They're picking Ranma with high confidence," said Yuka. 
"A no-brainer, in their books."

   "Ranma, 7:4 odds." 

   "That close?" asked Sayuri. 

   "Well, Ranma _has_ had the roughest going through all the
rounds, while Muhoshin's breezed through his.  He still
holds the top spot for quickest victory in a match and
fastest average time.  It'll be a good match." 

   "We hyping the Hibiki/Kumon matchup in any way?" asked
Sayuri.  "Any catchy phrases?" 

   "Hrmm, I dunno."  Nabiki continued looking from one
photo to the other, the threads of a plan dangling just out
of her reach.

   "Almost related... related... like... brothers?"  She
stood up and paced around slowly, deep in thought.  "Brother
against brother...  hrm... it's got a... whatisit... a..." 

   "John Woo-esque?" suggested Yuka. 

   Nabiki snapped her fingers.  "That's it.  Woo-esque feel
to it.  Yeah." 

   "Too bad they aren't related, huh?" asked Yuka. 

   Sayuri nodded.  "Yeah, too bad." 

   Nabiki grinned.  "Well, you know that, and I know that,
but..."

***

                       - Round 7 Start -

***

   [Furinkan High Soccer Field, a little later...]

   Ryuu Kumon was confused, Ryouga moreso. 

   "Do you have _any_ idea why everyone here thinks we're
brothers?"  asked Ryouga. 

   "No idea," said Ryuu. 

   "I guess I could ask..." 

   "Hm?" 

   "No, never mind." 

   Ryouga knew that Nabiki or her employees might know, but
then again he didn't have that much money. 

   "You ready?" asked Ryuu. 

   Ryouga nodded solemnly. 

   //RYUU KUMON VS. RYOUGA HIBIKI!//

   The crowd cheered.  A few of them looked a bit touched. 
More of them were looking annoyed.

   "For a fight between two long lost brothers, they sure
are cool about it," someone grumbled. 

   //FIGHT!//

***

   Ranma had finally met an arrogance larger than his own,
and it looked like Hikaru Gosunkugi.

   In the field of battle, this case being the St. Hebereke
soccer field, Ranma casually stretched and paced around.

   His opponent, on the other hand, had a mat laid out on
the ground, was sitting under the shade of his opened
umbrella, sipping tea and reading the newspaper.  He'd been
like that for several minutes, and was already seated when
Ranma had arrived.

   //FROM THE UNORTHODOX WEAPONRY SCHOOL OF MARTIAL ARTS,
RYO MUHOSHIN!//

   Ryo blinked, looked around, folded up his newspaper,
closed his umbrella, rolled up his mat and tossed it to the
sidelines, then stood up casually.  There was some amount of
applause, cheering from Akari, and a smattering of boos from
the fans of Magical Girl Kurumi and Ukyou.

   He yawned yet again, stretched, then adjusted the black
gloves on his hands.

   //FROM THE SAOTOME SCHOOL OF ANYTHING GOES MARTIAL ARTS,
RANMA SAOTOME!//

   The audience roared their approval, inflating Ranma's ego
further.  He was, in everyone's eyes, the eventual champion. 

   Ryo gave Ranma a look of utter contempt, a high and
mighty look that only Tatewaki Kuno could match in terms of
haughtiness.

   "Your Anything Goes is very good," said Ryo, "But it is
no match for my 44 Devils Umbrella Style." 

   Ranma sneered and wiped his nose in a manner reminiscent
to Bruce Lee.  "Dream on. I'll kick your butt any day of the
week."

   //FIGHT!//

   Ranma assumed a fighting stance.  Ryo crossed his arms
and tapped his foot impatiently.

   Neither fighter attacked. 

   Ryo began twirling his umbrella idly. 

   Ranma approached, still in a fighting stance, cautiously
and slowly.  He didn't like this at all.  Intending to prod
Ryo out of inactivity, he jabbed tenatively.

   He had to pull his arm back quickly and retreat as a
sudden blizzard of slashes came his way.  He sprang back,
ready for a charge from Ryo...

   ... who was idly twirling his umbrella once more and
whistling. 

   This he wasn't used to.  In most of his fights, he wasn't
the aggressor.  This was getting irritating. 

   Ryo looked at his watch and tsked.  "So much for keeping
it under a minute."  He gave Ranma an irritated glance. 
"Any day now."

   Ranma frowned and took a few steps sideways, then rushed
forward with a punch.  Ryo ducked under it and slashed at
Ranma's stomach, but missed as he flipped over Ryo and
turned, intending to spin around with a kick.  He saw Ryo's
blade stab deliberately into the ground a moment before he
was to kick and sprang back instead as Ryo set off a
breaking point, sending debris flying everywhere.

   Ryo turned around, looking as arrogant as he did at the
start of the match.  He brushed off his suit jacket, then
motioned for Ranma to approach. 

   "Again." 

   He was being mocked.  He hated being mocked.  Ranma
charged forward and began throwing punches, yelling "KACHUU
TENSHIN AMAGURIKEN!" 

   He felt ten, twenty, fifty punches hit their mark in a
matter of seconds.  Ryo staggered back slightly, then
surprised Ranma when he grabbed him by the neck and slammed
Ranma head-first into the ground.

   He was dazed, but still had enough presence of mind to
lash out with his feet and knock Ryo off and away. 

   Both combatants quickly got to their feet and faced each
other again.  There was a bit of blood on Ryo's lip. 
Ranma's head was still spinning a bit. 

   The strategic part of Ranma's mind was re-adjusting to
the situation.  It looked like the chestnut fist was out. 
Sure there were lots of hits, but he needed more power
behind his strikes and he knew he could out-speed Ryo even
without it.

   He took a quick half-second to evaluate Ryo's state. 
Muhoshin was a bit rattled by the kick, but seemed otherwise
fine.  Definitely surprising endurance.  Ryo also seemed a
bit irritated.  Ranma knew from earlier matches in the
tournament that Ryo was very much the aggressive fighter.
Holding back was obviously annoying him.

   Well then, it was just a matter of willpower. 

   Ranma waited. 

   Ryo waited. 

   The crowd waited. 

***

   The battle between Ryouga and Ryuu was at a frenzied
pace, with both sending slashing kicks and powerful punches
at each other.

   At first, the match seemed fairly even, with both
opponents being skilled enough to dodge each other and stay
on the offense.  With each passing second, however, Ryuu's
hands seemed to glow slightly brighter.  When they finally
reached an intense fiery yellow, he yelled out a battle cry
and lashed out with blinding speed, slipping through
Ryouga's defenses and landing a pair of solid burning palm
strikes at his chest and stomach, causing Ryouga to double
over in pain and crumple to the floor. 

   Ryuu grinned.  The Kumon School of Martial Arts Secret
Technique, the "Dragon Fire Palm", took a lot of work to
master, but he'd done it.  Those punches were powerful
enough to bring anyone to their knees. 

   And then Ryouga poked the ground with his fingers. 

   It wasn't so much a breaking point blast as it was a
breaking point _wave_. 

   Ryuu was caught entirely by surprise as the ground shook
and shattered, rolling back and pushing him with it like a
tidal wave. 

   After being pushed and pummeled by the shockwave of
exploding earth, Ryuu quickly rolled up to his feet.  He was
dazed, bruised, and reeling.  He trained himself hard to
spring back from hard hits, which was the only reason why he
was able to block the oncoming barrage of punches Ryouga
sent. 

   The first few of them, anyway. 

   A badly timed block allowed one of Ryouga's strikes to
break through, and it went downhill quickly for Ryuu from
there. He crumpled from the blow and left himself open as
punch after punch found their mark. 

   Dazed, damaged, and near defeat, Ryuu grew desperate.  He
pulled his arms back and whipped them around in a cutting
arc, battle aura trailing his arms. 

   "KIJIN RAISHU DAN!" 

   Flaming ki projectiles crashed into Ryouga and sent him
flying across the field.

   The crowd roared with excitement.  It seemed things were
turning around in a dramatic fashion. 

   Ryuu stood up straight.  Then he looked down at the ground
and scowled.  With a sigh, he walked away from the field of
battle and muttered to the announcer:

"I forfeit." 

***

   The waiting paid off. 

   Ryo ran out of patience and charged, slashing at Ranma in
elaborate and unpredictable patterns, forcing him to
retreat.  But with every few steps back, he found an opening
and connected with a solid hit. 

   As the punch connected, he knew something was wrong.  Ryo
winced in pain, but easily grabbed him by the arm.  It was
all too clear too late.  He let himself get hit so he could
take away the one big advantage Ranma had: mobility. 

   With his other arm, Ranma began pummeling away at Ryo
with hundreds of punches.  Ryo grunted, but didn't let go
and instead gave Ranma's arm a hard twist.  Ranma flipped
with the arm twist, lashing out with a kick as he spun
around that connected with Ryo's jaw.  It snapped his head
back, but still wasn't enough to get Ryo to release his
grip.  Instead, much to Ranma's surprise, he quickly let go
of the umbrella and caught the leg that hit him before Ranma
could pull it away.  Then with arm and leg held, he slung
Ranma overhead and into the ground.

   A positive and negative came out of this.  The positive
was that in the process of slamming him overhead, Ryo lost
his grip on Ranma's arm. The negative was that Ryo now had
an iron grip on his leg, which is how Ranma got slung
overhead and into the ground yet again, landing face first
into the earth.

   He felt himself dragged a bit, then looked to see Ryo
bending down to grab his dropped umbrella.  He took
advantage of Ryo's inattention and sprang up to give him a
solid boot to the head.  He felt Ryo finally let go of his
leg, and then a flash of pain as Ryo's blade raked across
it.  Ranma ignored the pain, seeing an opening in that Ryo
had overcommitted himself to the slash, and lashed out again
with another kick to the head that knocked Ryo flat on his
back.

   Ranma took some measure of satisfaction in seeing Ryo
definitely worn down, looking shaky as he stood up.  Then
again, he wasn't feeling so great himself. 

   Things weren't going as well as he wanted at all.  The
match was taking too much out of him.  No matter who he
faced in the final round, he couldn't afford to be any more
worn down than this. 

   Slowly, Ranma began retreating from Ryo in a circular
pattern, dodging and blocking umbrella swipes as he backed
away.

   And then he did something that made the whole crowd gasp. 

   With all the speed of the chestnut fist, he slapped Ryo. 

   In the face. 

   Several times. 

   In front of everyone. 

   The crowd gasped. 

   Ryo staggered back for a moment, shock and outrage
quickly twisting his face into a murderous scowl.

   "DIE!" 

   Good, thought Ranma.  Got'em mad.  Hope the rest is as
easy.

***

   Alone with his thoughts atop Furinkan High, Ryuu Kumon was
upset.  He himself for slipping up like he did.  He hated it
that Natsumi wasn't around.

   And he hated Ranma for making him give that stupid
promise.

   In that moment of panic when Ryouga had suddenly gained
the upper hand, he'd used a move from the Yamasen-ken, a
'forbidden' technique created by Genma Saotome. 

   A while back, after losing in a duel with Ranma, he'd
promised on his honor never to use that technique again.

   And he blew it. 

   "Dammit." 

   He sighed, grabbed his backpack, and made his way to the
stairs.  Nothing left to do but do the 'wandering warrior'
thing again.  There was more training to be done, until the
day he could fight on his own without even thinking of using
the Yamasen-ken.

   And maybe he'd run into Natsumi out there. 

***

   That peculiar battle aura that Ranma'd seen around Kuno
was beginning to flare up around Ryo.  His strikes were
coming in faster, and Ranma could feel the heat from his ki. 

   Almost there.  Just a little warmer and Ryo'd be hot
enough to send to the moon when the Hiryuu Shoten Ha hit
him.

   And then Ryo did something Ranma didn't expect.  He
stabbed his umbrella into the ground and set off a breaking
point, sending debris flying at Ranma's face.

   Ranma dodged the initial blast, but got caught by the
next two and raised his arms up in defense.  Through the
storm of debris he sensed movement and dodged as Ryo charged
through with an umbrella swipe.  Ranma grabbed it, intending
to disarm Ryo, but as he pulled at the umbrella, Ryo's hand
brushed over Ranma's. 

   Then his fingernails exploded. 

   Ranma yelled in pain and let go, springing back a safe
distance while Ryo struck an arrogant pose, umbrella slung
across his shoulders. 

   "And I do bones, too," said Ryo dryly.  The blade of his
umbrella withdrew with a *ching* and a rapier-like tip
replaced it.

   ***

   "He say anything to you about it?" asked Ukyou, leading
Ryouga through sidewalks and streets.

   He shrugged.  "No, he just quit." 

   "That's weird." 

   "You feeling okay?  Looked like he got a few solid hits
on you." 

   "Didn't feel a thing," said Ryouga. 

   "He hit ya riiiight here, right?"  -poke-

   "OW!  What'd you do that for?!" 

   Ukyou mock-frowned.  "Thought ya said you didn't feel a
thing?" 

   "Okay, maybe it did hurt." 

   She smirked.  "Much better.  Everyone could use a little
modesty." 

   The two walked along in silence for a while.  Every now
and then Ukyou looked back to make sure Ryouga didn't wander
off.  For once, he didn't.  He was actually looking a little
grim. 

   "You're awfully quiet.  Something on your mind, sugar?" 
asked Ukyou. 

   "It's down to me and Ranma.  Again." 

   "You think he beat Muhoshin?" 

   "What do you think?" 

   They walked again in silence for a few seconds more. 

   "You're right," said Ukyou.  "He probably did win."  They
walked further on before Ukyou spoke again.  "So, you and
him again."

   Ryouga nodded grimly. 

   Ukyou smirked.  "From bread feud to to battle royale." 

   "Hey! It was more than that!" he replied defensively. 

   She couldn't help but giggle.  "Just kidding, just
kidding!"

   Ukyou's giggles eventually trailed off, and once more
they were walking across the town in silence.

   "Just this once, I want to win.  Ever since we met, it's
always been him.  Just once.  Just..." 

   Ukyou noticed the hint of bitterness in his voice.  She
stopped walking for a moment and faced him.

   "Ryouga?" 

   "Yeah?" 

   She looked him in the eye, and when she spoke he believed
every word.

   "I believe in you." 

   "Y-you do?" 

   She smiled, that little smile that he always liked to
see. "Definitely."

   She turned around to start walking, then paused and faced
him again, that same grin still on her face.  "Hey, every
dog has his day, right?" 

   "Hey you!" 

   She stuck out her tongue, gave the standard "biiiih!",
then ran away, with Ryouga giving chase, both laughing all
the way. 

***

   "HIRYUU SHOTEN HA!" 

   Ryo was nearly blinded by the flash of light and deafened
by the sudden roar that accompanied Ranma's attack, a
massive column of ki that struck him like a freight train
and sent him flying high into the sky.

   He was fading into unconsciousness... 

   NO. 

   He was not going to lose. 

   NOT AGAIN. 

***

   "Pass the binoculars, man," asked Hiroshi. 

   "Here ya go." 

   Hiroshi and Daisuke were generally pleased with the way
things were going.  The match was dramatic, flashy, and very
entertaining.  There was also no indication that Ranma would
lose this one. 

   "One of his better Hiryuu Shoten Ha blasts, don'cha
think?"  asked Hiroshi.

   "Muhoshin must've been really flaming hot to get himself
knocked up that high," said Daisuke. 

   "Oh yeah, way up there," said Hiroshi, continuing to
watch Ryo's upward flight into the air.  "Oh, hey, waitasec,
something interesting happening here." 

   "Oh?" 

   "Looks like Ryo's not out for the count.  Yep, he's
opening his umbrella... he's floating down... whoa, does he
look pissed off.  One heck of a battle aura, too." 

   "Hey, lemme see," said Daisuke, grabbing the binoculars. 
"Hrm, he's revving up for a ki-blast." 

   "Don't think Ranma notices," said Hiroshi.  "Mmm, nope,
he doesn't notice." 

   "Look up you moron!" yelled Daisuke. 

***

   The crowd was cheering now, dazzled at the display of
energy the Hiryuu Shoten Ha made, knowing that the
predestined champion had once again triumphed in spectacular
fashion.

   Ranma was still in post-Hiryuu-Shoten-Ha position, fist
held high in the air and face looking downward.  The wind
around him was only now beginning to calm down. 

   Something wasn't quite right. 

   Ryo should have landed by now. 

   Someone in the audience yelled something. 

   Amidst the cheer of the crowds, somehow, he managed to
hear it. 

   "Look up, you moron!" 

   Look up? 

***

   Ranma looked up, then raised his arms up in defense as a
storm of boomerang-shaped ki blasts rained down from above.
The ground shook the air was choked with debris and dust as
the blasts razed the ground in a twenty meter radius around
Ranma. 

   The crowd gasped. 

   A second after the storm stopped, Ryo Muhoshin plummeted
from the sky, roaring, umbrella raised over his head and
held ready as he dropped into the cloudy, smoke-filled
battlefield.

   Daisuke whistled. 

   "Damn, now that was impressive," said Hiroshi. 

   "Did Ranma get out of the way in time?" asked Daisuke. 

   "He got caught when they first hit," said Hiroshi. 
"Dunno if he managed to dodge his way out or not.  Damn, I
wish the debris would settle down already.  I can't see a
thing!" 

   In one of those moments of perfect dramatic timing that
could only happen in Nerima, a gust of wind happened to blow
just then, clearing the field and revealing the two ragged
gladiators. 

   "Whoa," said Hiroshi. 

   Daisuke whistled in admiration yet again.  "Dramatic or
what?" 

   A wave of silenced washed over the crowd as the two
fighters stood still amidst the now ruined battlefield. 

   Ranma, while looking bruised, battered, and burned, still
stood tall and ready.  There was confidence in his eyes and
determination in his face. 

   "Surprised he's still standing," said Hiroshi. 

   "S'his second wind," said Daisuke.  "You know how he
always gets a second wind when he fights." 

   "Oh yeah." 

   Ryo stood, about twenty meters away from Ranma, in a sort
of crouching stance.  He looked as worn as Ranma, with one
exception.  Instead of confidence, there was rage.  He was
clearly mad, beyond mad, with a snarl on his lips and his
aura still flaring.  He was breathing deeply, but it wasn't
clear if it was because he was tired or enraged. 

   "Ki-blast like that usually takes a lot out of a person,
doesn't it?" asked Daisuke. 

   "Mm-hm.  Figure that was Ryo's desperation move," said
Hiroshi.  "I'd guess he doesn't have much left." 

   Ryo began spinning his umbrella, which began burning
brightly with ki. 

   "Then again, maybe not," muttered Hiroshi. 

   He charged forward, slinging ki blasts as he ran.  Ranma
charged towards Ryo at the same time, dodging ki blasts with
inhuman speed, his fist pulled back and ready to strike. 

   The two met at the middle in a fury of slashes and
punches. Ranma ducked and weaved while Ryo slashed about
madly, the missed swings tearing up up the ground.  Ranma
landed a punch after every slash, but it didn't seem to faze
Ryo at all, continuing his non-stop frenzy of slashes. 

   Ryo swiveled his grip on the umbrella and caught Ranma's
ankle with the hooked handle, sending Ranma falling
backwards.  As he fell, Ryo switched his grip again and
brought the bladed end down at Ranma. 

   Ranma twisted out of the way of the downward slash,
landing in a handstand.  He shot out with both feet,
connecting solidly to Ryo's chin.  Muhoshin was momentarily
knocked off his feet, then landed flat on his back. 
Meanwhile, Ranma sprang up from his handstand and watched
Ryo warily.  Now he was breathing heavily too. 

   "Hrm, Ranma's looking worn out," said Hiroshi. 

   "Adrenaline rush musta worn off," said Daisuke. 

   "Think Ryo's out?" asked Hiroshi. 

   Suddenly, Ryo sprang up and lashed out at Ranma, who
narrowly avoided the lunging stab.  Ranma spun around while
dodging sideways and shot his leg out in a descending angled
axe kick, catching Ryo at the base of the skull.  At the
same time, he reached out with his arm and pulled the
umbrella out of Ryo's hand. 

   "Oh, that's gotta hurt," said Hiroshi. 

   "Okay, if he's not down yet," said Daisuke, "the guy's a
mutant."

   ***

   Muhoshin landed face-first into the ground, disarmed and
dazed again.  He was dimly aware that he no longer had his
umbrella. 

   Damn.  Oh well.  Had to make do. 

   He loosened his tie and began to count down. 

   Five... Four... Three... 

***

   Ranma stepped back from Ryo, umbrella in hand, and lifted
it over his head as he was about to break it in half over
his knee. 

   Then it exploded with a loud bang and a flash of light,
deafening and blinding Ranma.  Moments after the explosion,
he felt something snap around his neck tightly, cutting off
his air. 

***

   "Talk about a killer necktie," said Hiroshi. 

   "Man, this is a turnabout of momentum," added Daisuke. 

   Out in the battlefield, Ryo was behind Ranma, his necktie
lashed around Ranma's neck, strangling him. 

   "Ryo's looking more desperate," said Hiroshi. 

   Ranma yelled in pain as Ryo drove his knee into Ranma's
backside repeatedly.  Hiroshi and Daisuke winced in
sympathy. 

   "Oh, he's gonna be feeling that for a while," said
Hiroshi. 

   "If Ranma can break out of the stranglehold, I think he's
got it.  But he'd better get out of it soon..." 

   Ranma twisted and turned, finally managing to flip Ryo
over his back and onto the floor again. 

   "Got'em," said Hiroshi. 

   "Man, Ranma's getting his _third_ wind?  That's good,
even for him," said Daisuke. 

   Immediately on hitting the ground, Ryo rolled aside,
dodging an axe kick from Ranma.  Quicker than the eye could
follow, he had his belt off and was lashing it out at Ranma
like a whip. 

   "Damn, Ryo's still going too," said Hiroshi. 

   "You don't think Ranma might lose this one, do ya?" asked
Daisuke. 

   Ranma caught the belt and yanked it out of Ryo's hands. 

   "What's he gonna do next?" asked Daisuke. "Thrash Ranma
with his shoelaces?"

   "Could be worse.  He could flail Ranma with his
underwear,"  said Hiroshi. 

   Daisuke shuddered.  "Oogh.  A naked, fighting, Gosunkugi
lookalike. Bad mental image.  Baaad, baaad mental image." 

***

   Meanwhile, back at the field, it was becoming apparent
that Ryo was finally running out of steam and options.  With
no weaponry left, Ryo resorted to his Muy Thai skills. 
Summoning the last of his ki, Ryo powered up his gloves and
shoes, lighting them in an eerie purple and blue glow. 

   It wasn't that they weren't good skills, it was just that
he developed them to complement his umbrella skills. 
Without an umbrella, it just wasn't as effective. 

   Ryo kicked and punched, but just didn't have enough
energy to be fast enough to tag Ranma, who was blocking or
dodging all of his shots. 

   Ranma would have dodged all of them, but he wasn't
exactly feeling fresh either.  The times he did block, he
felt the same strange sting that he felt when Kuno hit him,
a sort of cold yet burning sensation.  He pushed that
annoyance to the back of his mind and began delivering shots
of his own, each one finally seeming to drain Ryo of his
stamina. 

   Ranma knew he had the match.  It was undeniable.  He felt
confidence swell up in him, and focused that confidence into
power that flared in his arms. 

   "MOUKOU TAKABISHA!" 

***

   A sphere of energy blazed from Ranma's hands, engulfing
Ryo and nearly blinding the audience. 

   Daisuke smiled.  "Okay, right, stick a fork in it, this
one's-" 

   "You're not gonna believe this," interrupted Hiroshi. 

   Burnt, smoking, but still there, Ryo Muhoshin stood
defiantly with a snarl locked on his lips.  Everyone,
including Ranma, was stunned. 

   "Damn.  He's still up," muttered. Daisuke. 

   Hiroshi whistled. 

   For a tense moment, both fighters stood still.  Then
Ranma blinked.  He took one step forward, slowly, carefully,
then another. 

   Then he waved a hand in front of Ryo's face. 

   And waved it again. 

   And again. 

   Ranma examined Ryo a moment more, then strode off the
battlefield with a tired, weary grin. 

   He paused at the judge's table and said, "I got'em." 

   Meanwhile, back at the field, a few birds were taking
roost atop Ryo's shoulders. 

   //AND THE WINNER-//

   Ryo teetered forward for a moment, scaring off the birds
and causing the audience to hold its breath... 

   -THUD-

   //RANMA SAOTOME!//

   The audience went wild.  Hiroshi and Daisuke traded
high-fives, Akane took Ranma into her arms, and Akari rushed
to Ryo's side.

   "Ryo?  Ryo?  Are you okay?  Ryo-sama?" 

***

   In the distance, Ryouga and Ukyou heard the roar of a
crowd cheering. 

   "Looks like we're late," said Ukyou. 

   "Oh?" 

   "That's definitely the sound of a crowd cheering after
the end of a big fight." 

   "Oh." 

   "C'mon, before we miss the guys!"  She took him by the
hand and walked faster towards the St. Hebereke stadium.
When they finally entered, they noticed several things.
First, there was the crowd, which seemed largely pleased and
well entertained.  Then there was Akane, kneeling on the
ground, who had Ranma's head resting on her lap and was busy
applying bandages to Ranma's fingers.  He seemed to be
unconscious as well.  Nearby, Hiroshi and Daisuke were
looking rather pleased with themselves.  Out in the field,
Akari was tending to Ryo, who also seemed unconscious, and
also singed.

   "Hey guys," said Ukyou.  "Hope we didn't miss too much." 

   "One heck of a fight," said Hiroshi. 

   "Nice one, Ranma," said Daisuke. 

   "Thanks, guys," muttered Ranma.  "Piece of cake.  No
problem." 

   "Jeez, you look wiped out," said Ukyou. 

   "Y'should see the other guy," said Ranma weakly.

   "What happened to your hand?" asked Ukyou.

   "Ryo blew'em off," said Hiroshi.  "Nasty technique, man. 
Hey Ranma, does it hurt as much as it looks?"

   "Nah, no big *OW* watch it, you tomboy!"

   Akane gave him a light bap to the head.  "Stay still,
stupid." 

   "You win yours, Ryouga?" asked Ranma.

   "Yeah." 

   "So, s'you and me again." 

   Ryouga smirked.  "Seems to be." 

   "Wouldn't seem right any other way." 

   "Guess it wouldn't." 

   "Although... I could really use some rest first," said
Ranma.

   "You're not the only one." 

   Meanwhile, Ukyou was watching Akari with a frown.  She
didn't like her fawning over Ryo like that, not at all.

***

   "Oh Ryo..." 

   With a sigh and a frown, Akari wiped Ryo's brow with a
cloth and gently stroked his cheek.  She didn't like to see
him fight.  It brought out a side of him that she didn't
want to see, a side that seemed to be what everyone else was
warning him about. 

   Angry. 

   Violent. 

   Evil. 

   She didn't want to believe that.  She didn't want it to
be true.  How could someone she chose to trust with her
heart be bad?  He'd always been kind and gentle to her, and
so very respectful.

   "Ryo-sama?"  She gently nudged him once again, and still
received no response.  It was no use, she thought.  He was
out cold.  There was no choice, then.  She couldn't leave
him out here, and she certainly couldn't carry him. 

   "Hey there."

   "Oh!  Ukyou-san!"

   The okonomiyaki chef knelt down next to Akari.  "So, how
is he?"

   "He won't wake up.  I'm... I'm worried."

   "I wouldn't be worried about him," said Ukyou.  "He's a
martial artist like the rest of us.  He'll recover like the
rest of us."

   "But... but I just can't leave him out here on the
floor."

   "Oh.  I see.  Um... want me to ask the guys to carry him
somewhere?"

   "Oh, I couldn't ask that," said Akari.  "I... wait, I
know."

   She whistled.

   From nearby, her giant sumo pig emerged and trotted out
into the field.  With the help of Ukyou, Akari moved Ryo to
the pig's back, then lead the creature and its passenger
away.

***

   Unnoticed by all and observing all, Tanya Noori and
Konatsu the Kunoichi lurked at the very top of the stadium.

   <Lookit th'gel, she's far too bloody noice fer'at creep.>

   "Muhoshin-san looked really out of it," said Konatsu.

   "Heheh."

   "Poor Akari," said Konatsu.  "She'll be heartbroken."

   "For the best," said Tanya in her stiff Japanese.

   "We're telling her tonight?"

   "Yes, later.  First we get allies."

   Konatsu blinked.  "Allies?"

   Tanya pointed at the other group on the field, Ranma and
his friends.  "Allies."

***

   Ryo awoke with a frown.

   Something was clearly wrong.

   He lost, which was clearly wrong.  He'd done everything
to make sure that Saotome was worn ragged through the
tournament, and yet somehow he STILL managed to win.

   Damn him.

   This was supposed to be his time of glory, not Saotome's.
It was all coming together perfectly!  Ryouga and Ryo in the
final battle, as he felt it ought to be.

   That wasn't what was wrong at the moment, however.

   He seemed to be... on his back... and moving... on
something large, warm, and somewhat odd smelling.

   "Nnng."

   "Oh! Ryo-sama!  You're awake!"

   "I'm on the back of a pig."

   "I-" she began nervously, but was cut off.

   "Why am I tied to the back of a pig?"

   "You wouldn't wake up and-"

   "WHY am I tied to the BACK of a PIG?!" he snarled.

   "I'msorry!" she blurted out, wincing.

   Not only was he defeated, but he was dragged off the
field by a GIRL and a PIG?!  In front of EVERYONE?!

   With a roar, he easily snapped the ropes binding him to
the massive pig and landed on the ground.

   "Do you have ANY IDEA HOW HUMILIATING-"

   Akari reached out and held him by the arm.  "Ryo-sama,
wait, I-"

   He whirled around and stared at her, his eyes inches away
from hers.  

   "NOT.  NOW."

   After jerking his arm from out of her touch, he bound
away into the night, ignoring Akari's cries entirely. 

   Almost entirely.

   He spared one last glance at her, then sprang over
rooftops and fences and into darkness. 

   If he couldn't win the King of Nerima tournament, he'd be
damned if Ryouga did.

***

   Within King's Cafe, a large amount of the spectators of
the King of Nerima tournament, quite a few participants
who'd already been defeated, and the two remaining
contestants were taking the usual break between fights.

   Ranma's head was flat on the table.

   Ryouga was applying ice to a spot a bit above his
abdomen.

   Everyone else at the table, Akane, Ukyou, Natsumi,
Kurumi, Hiroshi and Daisuke, were generally relaxing and
chatting noisily.

   Except Nabiki.

   She was staring at the screen on her laptop, which was
currently displaying a blank web browser.

   "C'mon, c'mon, let's get this thing on the road," she
mumbled.  The browser finally came to life, and displayed:

----------------------------------------------------------
          - The King of Nerima Tournament -
                     Day 4 Results

 Hibiki Ryouga d. Kumon Ryuu
 (recap) (statistics) (highlights)

 Saotome Ranma d. Muhoshin Ryo
 (recap) (statistics) (highlights)

-more- -previous results- -main- -statistics- -odds-

-next round-
----------------------------------------------------------

   Nabiki, already knowing this information, found it
utterly useless.

   "Yeah yeah, -next round- already."

   *CLICK*

----------------------------------------------------------
          - The King of Nerima Tournament -
                     Day *5 Lineup

 Hibiki Ryouga vs. Saotome Ranma
 [statistics] [insider]

-previous results- -main- -statistics- -odds-

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

   "DAY FIVE?!" yelled Nabiki.

   "N'so loud," grumbled Ranma.

   "What 'Day Five'?  There isn't supposed to be a 'Day
Five'!" ranted Nabiki.  "And what's with this asterisk?"

   -click-

----------------------------------------------------------
 Due to unforeseen circumstances, the final round
 of the tournament has been moved to the next
 day.

                              -The Management.
----------------------------------------------------------

   "Unforeseen circumstances?" wondered Nabiki aloud.

   "Hmm, this is interesting," said Hiroshi, peering at the
monitor over Nabiki's left shoulder.

   "Could be decisive," said Hiroshi, peering over Nabiki's
right shoulder.

   "What could?" asked Sayuri, peering over Nabiki's head
with Yuka.

   "The rescheduling thing," said Hiroshi.  "Ranma may have
less endurance than Ryouga, but he recovers pretty fast.  By
this time tomorrow, he's gonna be feeling a lot better."

   "Yeah, no kidding," said Daisuke.  "If they were gonna
fight tonight, I'd put my money on Ryouga.  But tomorrow?  I
dunno, that's a tough one to call."

   Sayuri nodded.  "Yeah, and that hit Ryouga took from Ryuu
is still bugging him.  Hibiki might be really hurt."

   Yuka hmmed.  "Gosh, should be a good even fight
tomorrow."

   Needless to say, Nabiki didn't care much for being
buried under a small mountain of chatty people.

   "QUIT CROWDING ME!!!"

***

   In cafes, bars, and other eateries that double as social
gathering locales, there has always been a group sense of
telepathy of sorts, a defense mechanism remaining from the
days of evolution when the highest form of life was a school
of fish.

   One fish gets uneasy, the rest know about it immediately.

   Thus it was then, that the moment Akari Unryuu somberly
stepped through the doors of King's cafe that everyone, for
a moment, felt uneasy.  A few of them looked at the girl
who'd just made her entrance and wondered why she was
looking so glum. 

   Tanya Noori and her assistant Konatsu eyed the girl with
some interest and much sympathy.

   "Time might be good now," said Noori.  "See what she does
first."

   Ryoko Muhoshin, waitress at the cafe, was first to notice
the glum heiress to a sumo pig dynasty and approached her.

   "Akari?  Hey, you okay?"

   "I... it's Ryo... he..."

   She sniffled.

   "Can we sit down somewhere?" asked Akari, her eyes
watering up slightly.

   "Oh, hey, sure.  C'mon."  She lead the girl to a corner
booth and handed her a handkerchief.

   Meanwhile, nearby, the ladies of Ranma's table noticed
the distraught girl's appearance and came over to see if
they could help. 

   "Hey, Akari, what's going on?" asked Ukyou.

   "You okay?" asked Sayuri.

   Ryoko frowned.  "That jerk, my brother, yelled at her."

   Ukyou sighed.  She saw this coming.  "So where is he
now?"

   "I... I don't *sniffle* know," said Akari.  "He just
*sniffle* ran off."

   "Oh Akari," said Ukyou.  "You're better off without him,
really."

   "More than you know," said another voice, a stiff awkward
one with a British accent which had everyone turning. 

   Tanya Noori stood behind them, with Konatsu at her side,
holding out a piece of paper.  "Read this."

   "What's this?" asked Ukyou.

   "Evidence," said Tanya.  "Ryo is planning to kidnap
Unryuu-san and demand money from her family."

   Ukyou unfolded the note, then began reading it...

   Until it burst into flames as a dark purple ki blast
struck it and Ukyou's hands.

   "GET AWAY FROM HER!"

   The entire cafe heard that outburst this time, and turned
to see Ryo Muhoshin at the door, still looking ragged from
his fight, and armed with another umbrella.

   Given his general viciousness before and what was
happening at the moment, the entire cafe had a rather dim
view of him.

   And considering that at least half of the cafe was filled
with martial artists, some of whom were eliminated savagely
by Ryo in the past, there was bound to be violence.

   The other martial artists were just grumpy that they got
eliminated.  Someone had to be the target for stress relief.

   King, the lady who owned the place, peaked out from the
backroom, sensing something amiss.  Immediately upon seeing
the scene, she uttered, "oh, shit."

   Someone yelled.

   Nobody was sure who, but someone yelled and it set off a
messy chain of events.

   What that someone yelled was this:

   "GET HIM!"

   The next ten seconds were incredibly action-packed, even
for Nerima.

   Ryo artfully dodged Kujo Masakari's blade, weaved past
the the Stooge-Fu martial arts duo, stomped over Sentaro
Daimonji's head, plowed over Magical Girl Kuruma, narrowly
avoided Akane's punch, deflected Ukyou's spatula with his
own umbrella, grabbed Akari around the waist, hefted her
over his shoulder, and crashed through an open window.

   "Oh hell, not good," said Ryoko.

   "After him!" yelled Ukyou.

***

   "Hey, Ranma, get up."

   "Nng, don'bug me Ryouga."

   "Damsel in distress.  Martial artist duty."

   "Damn, who took Akane this time?"

   "Not Akane."

   "Huh.  Ukyou?"

   "Nope.  It's-"

   "Kasumi?  Nah.  Nabiki, right?"

   "Akari."

   "Not Akane?"

   "No.  C'mon, let's go."

   "I'm right behind *ow* ya."

   Slowly, with much soreness, the last two martial artists
left King's Cafe, onward towards fate.

   "Ranma?  Where'd you... Hey, where'd everyone go?"

   Or at least in the general direction of fate.

   "Where on Earth am I now?!?!"

***

   Akari Unryuu didn't live the life of the usual Nerima
martial artist.  She was, aside from the pig fetish, a
relatively normal girl.

   She wasn't used to springing around at tremendous
heights.  She wasn't used to being hauled around by one arm.
She wasn't used to leaping from building to building.

   Of course, she screamed.

   She clung on to Ryo in fright as he bound across
countless rooftops through the dark, eyes shut tigh to avoid
the vertigo that struck her every time Ryo took another
gravity-defying leap.

   It didn't help much that he was acting like a maniac.

   "Ryo-sama!  Please!  Stop!"

   As with all her pleas before, he ignored it, as he did
the yells of Ukyou and the others giving chase in the
distance.  Akari could barely hear them now, and found
herself very afraid to be left alone with Ryo.

   The next landing she felt was a distinct _thud_, as Ryo
finally landed on solid earth.  She slowly opened her eyes
and looked around.

   Darkness was around them.  A bridge overhead cast a
shadow over them.  The night sky wasn't much brighter, with
not a star shining.  She could hear the rush of water and
barely see the flow of the aqueduct nearby.

   "There, they shouldn't find us here," said Ryo, looking
around warily.  He grabbed her by the wrist and walked
further into the darkness.

   "Ryo-sama, you're hurting my arm!  Ryo-sama, please!"

   "Not so loud!" he hissed angrily.

   "Tell me it's not true!" she cried.  "You weren't going
to kidnap me, right?  You love me!"

   Before she could say another word, he covered her mouth
with his hand. 

   "Akari," he said in a deadly, angry, low voice, "that's 
none of your BUSINESS, so shut up."

   Her world collapsed, at that moment.  There was nothing
in Ryo's eyes, absolutely nothing, that resembled love.  Not
even a speck of caring.

   Just anger.

   He continued to pull her into the shadows, until they
suddenly and unexpectedly bumped into somewhat.

   "Excuse me, can you tell me whe-"

   "YOU?!?!"

   "What the?!"

   Two battle auras flared immediately, lighting the area in
eerie shades of Ryouga's green and Ryo's purple battle
auras.

   Ryo's grip on Akari's wrist tightened.  He held her
tightly and drew his umbrella upwards, blade extending with
a *schnick* as he drew it up.

   "Akari is MINE!" yelled Ryo, his aura flaring with every
syllable.  "MINE!  You're too _late_." 

   Akari didn't like the blade, especially since it was so
close to her face.

   Ryouga didn't either.

   "Hey!  If you hurt her..."

   "Ryo-sama, please!"

   "SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP!  GET BACK!"  Ryo slashed wildly
at Ryouga, causing Akari to shriek and Ryouga to take a
quick step back.  "You've gotten in the way before, Hibiki,
but not this time.  NOT THIS TIME!"

   "Ryo-sama!  Please!  Don't hurt him!"

   Ryo's glare went from Ryouga to Akari.  "What?" he
hissed.  "What is this?  Is this what's been going on?! 
WELL?!" 

   "R-ryo-sama!  No!"

   In the distance, the sound of an angry mob buzzed.

   "I think I saw'em here!" echoed Ukyou's voice faintly
from nearby.

   Ryo's glare swiveled again, behind him, out into the
night, then back at Ryouga.  He shoved Akari aside roughly
and charged at Ryouga in a berzerker rage.

   "DIE!"

   While Ryo and Ryouga began fighting, Akari stumbled in
the dark.  She lost her footing momentarily, then fell
backwards into open air.  With a shriek, she flailed
desperately and managed to grab on to the edge.

   The area lit by the battle aura of the two fighters, she
was able to see what was below: rushing waters flowing
through the aqueduct, and quite a bit of a drop down too.

   "Ryo-sama!  Help me!  Help!"

   Her cries went ignored, as Ryo continued to slash angrily
at Ryouga. The two were, by then, a few meters down and
continuing to go further away from her, with Ryo aggressively
pushing Ryouga back.

   "HELP ME!"

   Again, her cry for help was ignored by Ryo.  Ryouga, on
the other hand, took a moment to look at her.

   "Ryo, stop!  She's gonna fall!"

   "SHUT UP AND DIE!"

   "I can't hold on much longer!" cried Akari.

   "Akari!"  Ryouga tried to run past past Ryo, delayed by a
near-miss slash aimed at his eye.

   Akari's grip faltered, then slipped.  She screamed as she
fell, but then suddenly was caught in someone's arms.

   "Ryo...ga?"  She was in his arms, or actually, in one
arm.  The other was holding on to the edge, barely.

   "Hold on," said Ryouga.  "Just- uh oh."

   Akari looked up in time to see a blade right below
Ryouga's neck.  The blade was the one attached to the end of
Ryo's umbrella.

   "Give her back," said Ryo.  "Now."

   Ryouga looked at Ryo, then at the waters below.  If he
could push away quickly enough...

   *POOF*

   "AAARGH!"

   The smell of dust and soot filled Akari's nose, making
her cough violently.  Above, Ryo was stumbling forward, the
victim of Tanya Noori's soot bomb attack.  He lurched
forward again as another soot bomb struck him in the head,
then plunged into the rushing waters below.

   A moment later, Ryouga's grip finally slipped.

   "Hold on!" yelled Ryouga.

   They plunged down towards the waters again, and again she
was caught in the air, her and Ryouga, as a rope of some
sort suddenly wound around them.

   "Hang in there, guys!" yelled Ryoko.  Akari looked up and
saw her, Ukyou, Tanya, and others pulling them up by the
rope.

   A normal girl could only take so much, really.  This was
the point where Akari's mind firmly believed fainting would
be the best thing to do.

***

   "Akari?  Hey, you okay?"

   A voice?  Who's voice?

   Ryo's?

   No.

   Ryouga's.

   She opened her eyes slowly, blinking a lot.  Ryouga was
kneeling next to him, along with all her friends from school
and work.  They were still outside, in the night, but it
wasn't so dark any more.  A few stars were beginning to
shine.

   The memory of what had just happened came rushing to her
in a train-wreck of conflicting and bitter emotions.  She
clung to Ryouga tightly and sobbed uncontrollably.

   "W-why?" she managed.

   Ryouga hadn't any idea what to say.  He was never any
good at comforting people.  He suspected he was actually
rather inept, which wasn't far away from the truth.

   Basically, holding her until she was done crying seemed
the only thing to do.  He gave a somewhat embarrassed look
to Ukyou, who looked a little confused herself. 

   Meanwhile, in the distance, Ryoko Muhoshin observed the
scene before her with some relief, but also foreboding.  She
didn't like the way Akari looked in his arms, not at all.
And by the way Ukyou looked, she wasn't entirely comfortable
with it either.

   What a tangled web weaved...

   And nobody had lied yet either.

   They were in for some interesting times.

-end part 2-