Those of you out there may remember that I released the Prologue to
Strife some time ago. Here is chapter 1.

C&C, MST's, Flames, welcome.

Strife: Chapter the First.
------------------------------
(In which Kaneda learns more than he wants to.)

	Kaneda returned looking somewhat happy. "Yo! Tatewaki!"
	No response. 
	"YO! COUSIN TATEWAKI!"
	"Were you calling my brother in such disrespectful tones?"
	"Um.. Yes, Kodachi. It is Kodachi, isn't it?"
	"Indeed it is. Now get changed, as dinner is being cooked."
	*Thank god I'm not going to be here...*
	"Sorry, I was going to say that I won't be around for dinner. I
seem to have a date."
	"Really? My dear cousin, you work fast! Anyone we know?"
	"I don't think so. She's an accountant, called..." But Kodachi
had already left, to poison all who were going to eat. "Nabiki Tendou."
	Kaneda sighed, and went back to his room. He decided to wear
something more fetching. *Hmmm... Green shirt- that's good-naah. Blue
trousers? No. Black jeans? Promising..." 
	Eventually he decided to wear something almost identical to what
he was wearing presently. Just a different band on the t-shirt. And
still very presentable, in a nihilistic sort of way. 
*****
	"You look nice, Nabiki. Going somewhere?"
	Nabiki grinned. "I found a fresh chicken,Kasumi, ripe for
plucking."
	"Oh, dear. You aren't going to strip him of his money, are you?"
	"That's what I do to all my dates, isn't it?"
	"Nabiki!" There was a strong tone of reprimand in Kasumi's voice
as she stared at her.
	Nabiki, for once, wilted. "Okay, I promise I'll leave him with
something. He's got a big inheritance."
	"So, Nabiki," came a voice from the stairs, "Does this make it
true love for you?"
	"RANMA! No. But he is kinda cute, I suppose, and he is going to
employ me..."
	"That proves it. You're practically engaged." He ducked the
sharpened hairgrip Nabiki threw.
*****
	Cologne looked closely at the peculiar corpse in the cellar of
the Nekohanten. "Oh dear..."
	"What is it, grandmother-in-law?"
	"It's a forerunner."
	"A what?" 
	"Essentially, a scout. Or an enforcer. Basically, it was looking
for someone."
	Shampoo walked up. "Ranma?"
	"Probably, but maybe not. He does pick up problems like there's
no tomorrow, doesn't he?"
	"True," said Mousse. "What could follow?"
	"Well, a load of these things could end up storming round here.
Or, there could be a battle. Or, nothing. I pray the latter, children,
as Ranma was lucky to kill it."
	"So what we do?"
	"Nothing."
	"What about that?"
	"Burn it. Chop it up and burn it."
	Mousse sighed. "Even though I'm practically married to Shampoo,
now, I still get all the dirty jobs. Stand aside..." He pulled out a
katana and a skinning knife, and set to work.
*****
	"So, Nabiki. Tell me about yourself." Kaneda and Nabiki had
ended up in a bar; Kaneda was drinking a pint of beer of some
description, while Nabiki was drinking a cocktail.  *Damn, she's
pretty,* he thought, as she sipped at the Zombie.
	"Well... I'm a freelance moneymaker. I deal, I take bets, I loan
money, I ext.. make money in general."
	"You were about to say extort, weren't you?"
	Nabiki shrugged. "So what? It brings the Yen in..."
	"And you don't feel any kind of remorse?"
	"No."
	"Where do you live?"
	"The Tendou Dojo. Our family has run it for generations."
	"Really?"
	"Yep." Nabiki pulled out a small cigarette case, and lit up,
offering one to Kaneda. 
	"What school?"
	"Musabetsu Kakutou."
	"Never heard of it." He swayed slightly. "Christ, these are
strong!"
	"I know. That's why I smoke 'em."
	"Who else is in your family?"
	"Well, there's Akane-" she took a drag- "my younger sister.
She's engaged. Engaged to an absolute sexpot. He has three other girls
running after him, two of which are his other fiancees."
	"Three fiancees? Not shotgun jobs, I hope?"
	"Nah. All his father's fault."
	"Eh?"
	"Arranged marriages. You see..." And Nabiki told him all about
Ranma's awkward situation. 
	"Ye gods!" 
	"As you say."
	"Now, about this job you want..."
	"1000 yen per day." Kaneda weighed it up in his mind, and liked
the sound of it. 
	"Done."
	"Where do you live?"
	"With my cousin. Tatewaki Kunou... Is there something wrong with
your drink?"
	"No, just a little surprised. Kunou's your cousin?!"
	"Yeah..."
	"Good god, how can you live there?"
	"Easily."
	"How can you keep your hair?!"
	"Oni-ryu school of martial artistry."
	"Never heard of it."
	"It's a good school. Come on, I'll buy you dinner..."
*****
 
	"Hiki-chan!"
	Gosunkugi/Astaroth sighed. Would that infernal woman ever stop
calling him that? "What is it now, Mum?"
	"Telephone!"
	"Who is it?"
	"It seems to be some woman calling herself Cologne."
	Gosunkugi/Astaroth sighed. Again.
	"Look, I'm sorry. I've shown you where you can stay, and I
really have to go. Lil, they take offence at people left drained of
blood round here. Kizath, try to keep her in line. And no matter how
cute they may look, releasing all the mice in pet stores is never a good
idea. Now if you can wait a few minutes..."
	"Gos here."
	There was muffled giggling at the other end. "Ah, Hiki-chan."
	Gos closed his eyes and sighed. "Not you too..."
	"Sorry, I couldn't resist it. I need an opinion. You remember
when you helped Mousse, when Shampoo was kidnapped?"
	"Yeees..."
	"We have a problem in a similar vein."
	"I'll be right over.." Putting the phone down, Gos raced
upstairs. "Lil, Kizath, you might want to come with me. There is trouble
afoot."
***** 
	"So you ended up with all that cash?"
	"Yep." Kaneda and Nabiki were going home. They had had an
excellent meal, and Nabiki was thinking over the things she could try to
extort him for. 
	Surprisingly, she found her heart wasn't completely in it. 
	She felt like... no. Couldn't be that. She didn't get involved
with people very much. She scared them too much. But she was  slacking
off on him. She'd even quoted a price of less than a quarter of her
normal rate...
	"Nabiki?"
	She'd been so wrapped up in her thoughts that she hadn't noticed
that he'd stopped. 
	"Hai?"
	"Do you hear something?"
*****
	The young man stepped out from the alley.  Right into the path
of Gos, Lil and Kizath. 
	"Found you." Gos blanched. This guy was powerful. Not only
that...
	"Traitor. Our master hath decreed thy death. Do you acquiesce,
or is this, as the mortals say, going to be fun?"
	"Fun." With that, Kizathrael crossed his arms over his chest. In
an instant, and a flash of blue-green light, Kizathrael had changed. 
	Gone were the combat jacket and jeans; he was now wearing
sandals, a leather kilt, silver breastplate, greaves, bracers and a
greek helmet. He raised a long sword in both hands, looking across the
crossguard at his foe.  All were covered in an intricate tracery of fine
lines. A magnificent pair of wings, pure white, stood clear from his
back. 
	His foe changed, too, into similar armour. He made the same
salute with his sword.
	Another blinding flash lit up the alley as the swords erupted
into flame, as if made of magnesium.
	The first blow rocked the alley, as the swords connected with a
bright flash. There was a noise like grinding stone, as the blades slid
across each other, neither angel giving an inch. 
	Gos stood back, with Lillianiath. He had never seen angels fight
before, and watched as Kizathrael flew backwards, and released a gout of
flame from the sword. 
*****
	"I hear it. A fight?" 
	"Not far, either."  Then there was a bright flash, and a roar.
"That does it." Kaneda closed his eyes, and clapped his hands twice, as
if praying. A red-black aura surrounded him, and his clothes rippled,
changing.
	Nabiki choked on her own breath. Before, Kaneda had been wearing
jeans and a leather jacket; now, he was wearing a black gi and hakama, a
breastplate, and bracers. His belt had been replaced by an obi, and he
had a daisho, now. Two black swords.
	Kaneda lowered his hands, and opened his eyes, causing Nabiki to
catch her breath again. The eyes were completely black, with red pupils.
The overall effect was extremely menacing.
	"Can you fight?"
	"No..." She was taken aback by the voice. It no longer seemed to
be his; it was deeper, and had a curious choral effect.
	"Then witness the effects of the Oni-ryu." With that, he walked
in the direction of the noises.
	Nabiki ran after him, groping for her camera.
*****
	Kizathrael was losing.  This angel was more skilled than he was,
and he was very good. He heard a growling. "Lil, DON'T! Not now!"
	Too late. Lillianiath had changed. She was now a horrific
half-human, half-cat, and laid into the angelic warrior. It was not a
good thing for the angel, as he was sufficiently distracted for Kizath
to get a blow in. The blade sank into the chest, filling the air with
the smell of burning flesh. Kizath twisted the blade, and the angel
screamed briefly as the white fire ripped through his insides. He
spasmed as he died, throwing Lil over to the other side of the alley.
	Gos came over. "You all right?"
	"Yeah.. just let me get my breath back." Lilianath scampered
over. "We've still got to do something about this."
	"Let me." So saying, Gos got down on his knees. Then he bit into
the neck of the dead angel. He spat a couple of seconds later. "You
could have left something for me! The blood's cooked!"
	"Sorry..."
	"Never mind." Gos placed both hands on the body, and watched in
satisfaction as crackling black flames engulfed it. Slowly, it was eaten
away. 
	"HOLD!"
	The three looked up to see the most imposing figure they'd ever
seen coming down the alley. It had  a Daisho unsheathed, and was
surrounded by an eerie red-black aura. 
	"Thou shalt die this night, base specimens from the pit..."
	"Hold it!"
	"MRROW!"
	Kizathrael raised his sword. "I am Kizathrael of the cherubim,
and I ask your name before you die."
	"I am Kaneda Kobayashi, Practitioner of Oni-ryu. It pains me to
see an angel fallen. All I can do is relieve you of your stain..." With
that, Kaneda was engulfed in shadow, and appeared in front of Kizath,
ready to strike. 
	Gos shouted something in a strange language, and Kaneda halted
for just long enough. Kizath kicked him hard enough to throw him against
the wall. Kaneda slumped down, his clothing  rippling and changing back
to what it was. 
	"That should have totally paralysed him!"
	"I've never heard of Oni-Ryu. I wonder where it comes from?"
	"Gos?"
	Another figure stepped out of the shadows. "What have you done
to Kaneda-chan? And who are these people?"
	As Nabiki knelt down to check on Kaneda, everyone there
facefaulted. Kizath and Lil because they couldn't believe that this
person was human, and Gos because Nabiki was showing affection for
another human being.
	Nabiki looked up. "Gos, what have you done?"
     
The Novocastrian Samurai:
            Bushi, Kenshi,
            Bishonen Sailor Senshi.
*************************************
"Come, muse, let us sing of rats."
"Kunou-baby, you're drunk."