This disclaimer will be the death of me yet! Rumiko Takahashi knows
what belongs to her. I know what belongs to me. The rest is all just a
figment of my imagination.
[]: Thoughts
{""} Telepathic communication
Chapter 23
Weathering the Storm
"LOOK OUT RED!!!"
Ranma Red was just barely able to dodge a huge spout of flame, in
which the demon duck shot out of its open maw.
"Damn! And people said that I used to shoot off my mouth!" The red-
shirted Ranma made a tuck and roll and came up in a stance beside his
brother. The twins looked at the huge monsters that had once been their
former rivals. Ryoga and Mousse began advancing toward them with
murder in their eyes. The giant pig monster snorted with a vengeance as
it brandished its umbrella weapons. The duck demon began exhaling
small gouts of flame from its beak as it too, approached in anticipation
for the coming battle.
"Well Red, any ideas?" Blue asked.
"Not really." The other twin answered. "It's not Ryoga and Mousse's
fault that they're being controlled by those two demons, even though
they were stupid enough to accept the Mark of a God!"
"Those WEREN'T the Marks of a God! Whatever they were, those
symbols did something to them that amplified their Jusenkyo curses
and put them under the control of those demon women!"
"Big problem then."
"Right. We can't fight them like we did with Arcodos and Zuruka!
We can't hurt them!"
"Yeah, but it looks like they don't have any problem with HURTING
US!"
Just then, Demon Ryoga pointed one of his weapons at the twins and
the tip opened up to launch a barrage of wicked-looking spikes. The
Ranma twins separated from each other to dodge. The projectiles
whizzed by and impacted against the side of the dome, exploding into
thousands of slivers of metal that ricocheted around the area like
shrapnel.
Demon Mousse then followed up the attack by sweeping one of his
wings in an arc and launched several of his huge feathers at his prey.
The quills flew toward Ranma Blue and his brother points first. Both
siblings noticed that every part of each feather was metallic and had a
nasty edge to it. Cupping their hands forward, each initiated a
countermove.
"GRAVITY CRUSH!"
"SPIRIT BALL SHOWER!"
Ranma Red released twenty fireballs of mystic energy at the
feathers while his brother used another application of his gravity
manipulation techniques. Half of Demon Mousse's attack was
incinerated, while the remainder were warped and twisted apart into
harmless fragments. It was at that moment that the two Ranmas fell to
their knees in pain.
"ARRRRRRRGGGGHHH!"
On the outside of the dome, Ukyo, Shampoo and Akane watched in
confusion and concern as they saw the twins fall in pain. Ever since the
battle had begun, the three female martial artists had been pounding
away at the barrier in a vain attempt to free Ranma Red and Ranma Blue.
Ukyo and Shampoo had been repeatedly smashing their respective
weapons against the dome wall, but the energy field stayed firm.
Akane's mallet also proved to be ineffective in breaking through. Even
though they could not hear what was happening within the forcefield,
they knew that the twins were in serious pain.
"What happened? I didn't see them get hit!" Akane asked as she
paused in her hammering.
"I don't know!" Ukyo replied as her giant spatula rebounded off the
barrier. "Something's wrong!"
"Aiya! Think about later! Must get Airen and brother OUT!" Shampoo
began redoubling her efforts and began smashing against the energy
wall frantically. Her bonbori made a rapid and furious beat as she
continued her ministrations to the dome.
Inside the dome, both Ranmas forced themselves to stand. Ryoga
and Mousse continued advancing, then stopped suddenly. The two
monsters looked up at their masters, one of whom was waving her hand
in a silent order to stand and do nothing. Both demons grunted with
disappointment as they waited for their opponents to collect themselves.
"What happened?" Ranma Red asked of his brother.
"I don't know Red! Just after I finished my move, I felt as if I was on
fire! I feel… weaker now."
Looking up at where Katoka and Makana's astral forms were floating
above them. The Dark Worlders gave them evil smiles as the black-
robed one spoke.
"Having a little trouble Chosen Ones?" Makana sneered. "Could it be
that you've just experienced what it is like to be fighting in a Leech
Dome?"
"What?" Both Ranmas exclaimed.
"Yes." Katoka nodded. "It is one of our most potent of spells. It is so
draining that we can only cast it once every millenium or so. Right now,
with the interdimensional barrier still in effect, we couldn't cast it by
ourselves from the Realm of Infinity."
"That is why we have your rivals to thank for your current situation!
Their hatred for the two of you qualified them to wear the Demon
Mark!"
"Demon Mark!?" Ranma Blue repeated.
"Yes! Those pathetic fools thought they had gotten that silly Mark of
a God. In actuality, the Demon Mark amplifies all negative feelings,
ESPECIALLY hatred and anger!"
"When mystic, elemental or chi power is used against it, the mark
absorbs it. When the energy levels reach a certain point, the mark uses
all that power to trigger the transformation. We also modified the
marks so that they would keep on absorbing your energies even after
the transformation!"
Katoka's smile became even more malicious. "The energies you
expended while fighting our unwitting servants was enough to cause the
transformation and there was still plenty of power left over for us to
utilize to create the dome!"
"You do realize that the dome will drain any and all power that is
used within it to strengthen its integrity. That last attack you used had
just doubled the strength of the barrier! And just remember! Our servants
are still siphoning off power from you whether you fight them or not!"
"My sister and I feel that leaving you alone would take far too long
to drain you, so …" Katoka gestured to their minions and said,
"Mousse! Ryoga! I REPEAT! KILL!"
The two monsters rushed toward the twins and slashed at them with
weapons and claws. Both Ranmas leapt out of the way as they tried to
formulate their battle plans.
{"We got problems! I think they're telling us the truth about the
Leech Dome and those monsters siphoning off our power!"}
Ranma Blue nodded. Already he could feel his massive stores of
elemental and chi energy starting to ebb. {"So we can't use our powers
too much! Fighting Mousse and Ryoga while they're like that will just
drain us even faster!"}
{"I've also found out something else!"}
{"What's that?"}
{"I tried to draw on more mystic energy from the spiritual fields
around us and… I can't get through the dome! That forcefield is
blocking my every attempt!"}
Ranma Blue decided to experiment as he tried to draw upon nature's
power. The air around him had very little to spare since the majority
was being drained by the dome. He then tried to draw up power from
the ground, but that also met with negligible success. Apparently, the
dome did not stop at ground level.
{"No good here too! We're in trouble and…LOOK OUT!"}
Ranma Red had his attention on his brother and was caught unawares.
Mousse had snuck up from behind and had the Ranma brother in the
grip of his right hand. The monstrosity that was once the master of
Hidden Weapons began to squeeze. Despite his new levels of strength
and toughness, Ranma Red began to hear his ribcage creak and strain
under the pressure.
The magic-using Ranma struggled to free himself, but the inhumanely
strong Mousse continued to close his fist even tighter, threatening to
crush him to a bloody pulp. After enduring his grip for what seemed to
be an eternity, Ranma Red finally freed one of his arms to try a desperate
move.
"POWER BLASTER!"
The beam of chi energy nailed Mousse right between the eyes.
Although the monster did not feel any pain and absorbed the attack, the
bright flash of light had startled him. Apparently, Mousse still retained
some of his failings as a human, such as his sensitivity to bright light.
Howling in surprise, the demon duck threw Ranma Red toward the
other side of the dome.
Ranma Red was relieved to be free of Mousse's grip, but soon
regretted it when he impacted with the forcefield. The former Saotome
screamed in agony as he struck the wall and his body flared up. He also
felt more of his precious stores of energy drain away into the wall. It
seems that direct contact with the Leech Dome would also speed up the
siphoning process. These new discoveries barely registered in his mind
as Ranma Red slumped down to the ground. A little distance away from
him, Demon Mousse chortled with glee as he slowly advanced on his
helpless prey.
Ranma Blue was also having troubles as Demon Ryoga had started
using him for target practice. His umbrella weapons had been continually
shooting sharp spikes at him, just after Demon Mousse had grabbed the
other twin. Ranma Blue had found himself hard-pressed to dodge the
deadly projectiles, and several times, he had to resort to his chi attacks
and elemental powers to defend himself. With each usage however, he
could feel his strength waning. It wouldn't be long before he would have
nothing left.
"ARTIC SPEAR!"
The blue bolt of elemental energy impacted heavily against the pig
monster's head, but had little effect, mostly because the Leech Dome
had sapped much of its power in its flight. Demon Ryoga simply shook
its head and continued firing.
Outside the dome, the three girls became even more frustrated as
their efforts to break through had proven to be futile. They could only
watch helplessly as Ranma Red and Ranma Blue were being massacred.
"Aiya! Airen and brother in very big trouble!"
"There must be something we can do!" Akane despaired.
"There's nothing we can do! We can't get through and even if we
could get in, we wouldn't stand a chance against those monsters!" Ukyo
gave one final and angered whack at the dome with her spatula before
turning her attention back to the battle inside the barrier.
Katoka and Makana chuckled as the watched Ranma Blue get swatted
against the barrier by Demon Ryoga's umbrella. The blue-shirted
Ranma screamed as he felt more of his power being painfully sucked
away. Since the battle had started, both Ranmas had lost nearly 60% of
their overall power as the Leech Dome and the demonic martial artists
took their toll.
"Well, it won't be long now!" Katoka chortled as she observed Ranma
Red just barely recover in time to avoid Demon Mousse's charge.
"Yes." Makana agreed. "Even if our servants are unable to kill them,
their constant attacks are causing the Chosen Twins to use up their
energies even faster! I'd say they have another five minutes!"
"No. I'd wager a thousand human souls that it will take six minutes!"
"It's a bet!"
Ranma Red had become desperate. He knew that using his powers in
chi and magic was only speeding up the siphoning process, but he had
little choice. Demon Mousse wasn't letting up for any reason, and the
magic-using Ranma found himself being herded back toward his brother.
{"Blue! We can't keep this up forever!"}
{"I know!"} Ranma Blue responded as he just barely avoided another
barrage of spikes and blades that were launched by his opponent. {"I
can't draw on any power from nature while in this stupid dome!"}
{"It's cutting me off from any magical sources too! Chi attacks
aren't as strong and even they're getting drained!"}
{"I can't absorb from the ground, the air is too ionized now and there
aren't any plants here!"}
It was then that Demon Mousse launched another barrage of his
razor sharp feathers. Both twins were unable to evade the attack
completely. The keen edges of the quills grazed their sides and their
clothes became stained with their blood. Ranma Red was caught near
the barrier and was again jolted.
{"Arrrgh! I wish these guys would lighten up! Getting smashed
against that barrier is painful enough without them adding to it!"}
Ranma Red complained.
{"Light? The barrier? THAT'S IT!!!"}
{"Huh?"}
Quickly taking a stance he then began focusing whatever remaining
ki energy he had around him. {"Bro! Do you think you can distract them
for a minute?"}
{"I… guess, but what do you have in mind?"}
{"No time to explain, just distract them any way you can! Just make
sure they're close enough the barrier."}
{"Why? That won't… "} Ranma Red smiled as he then realized what
his brother was thinking of. {"I get it! Let's do it!"}
Focusing his remaining stores of magical energies, Ranma Red
walked forward, cupped his hands and pulled them back. The two
demons paused for a moment as they saw the mystic power build up and
wondered what was going on. Katoka and Makana also looked on in
confusion. So did Akane, Shampoo and Ukyo. Then it happened as
Ranma Red threw his hands forward.
"SUNBURST EXPLOSION!"
The huge light spell of Ranma Red erupted like a supernova.
Everything within the dome was obscured from sight as the light
enveloped all in its wake. The three girls had to turn their eyes away
from the sight as the brightness of the spell became painful. Demon
Mousse and Demon Ryoga howled in surprise as they were blinded by
the sudden eruption of light. They backed away from the twins in their
sudden blindness and right up near the walls of the barrier.
When the light faded away, Ranma Red collapsed from utter
exhaustion. As he fell face first to the ground, he moaned and said
weakly to his sibling, "That's… it. Nothing left. It's up to you bro…" He
then slumped into unconsciousness.
Ranma Blue was a sight to behold. His entire body was now glowing
with a yellow light and tiny pinpricks of gold were floating about his
body. Above the dome, Katoka and Makana watched with interest. At
first, they had thought that they were about to win when they saw Ranma
Red fall, but then they began to have second thoughts when they saw
Ranma Blue empowered with energy that he shouldn't even have.
"What's he doing? Doesn't he realize that the Leech Dome will
simply absorb that energy?" Makana queried.
"A better question is where he's getting that power!" Katoka replied.
"The dome should be preventing him from drawing from any elemental
source!" The white-robed demoness pondered for another moment,
then frowned as she realized his plan. "Come sister! We must leave!"
"Why?"
"It seems that we did not cut off all access to elemental power when
we created that dome!"
"What do you…?" Makana then paled as she looked at Ranma Blue
again. She also realized what was about to occur. Nodding to her
partner, she and Katoka disappeared from view, leaving their servants to
their fate.
Ranma Blue's body flared with an intense yellow light as he prepared
to unleash his most powerful technique to date. Ranma Red's spell had
been a diversion to buy him some time to absorb enough energy to
make the move effective. Since he was not expending the power, the
dome's siphoning effect could not keep up with the constant build up.
[I'm only going to get one shot at this!] The elemental Ranma took a
final glance at his brother's body, then looked behind him. Motioning
for Ukyo and the other girls to take cover, he then turned his attention
back to Demon Ryoga and Mousse, who were just now getting their
sight back. Now!
Throwing his arms forward like a tuning fork, Ranma Blue let his
attack fly.
"SUNFIRE BEAM!"
All the energy that he had amassed was let loose in a huge beam that
tore into the demons and began burning away at their bodies. The
monsters howled in rage as they were pushed back against the walls of
the barrier. All the energy that they had absorbed during the battle, plus
the energy leeched off by the dome, reacted with the mind-boggling
power of Ranma Blue's attack. This caused a chain-reaction of
unbelievable proportions. Energies began being thrown about wildly.
Sparks and explosions became rampant as the end drew near. The dome
tried to contain the cataclysm within it, but it was apparent that it had
been pushed beyond its capacity. For a single moment, the world was
silent. Then came the blast.
The dome expanded to another fifty feet in diameter, then exploded
like a soap bubble. Fortunately, Shampoo, Ukyo and Akane had heeded
Ranma Blue's warning and had taken shelter in the school's main
building. As they watched from within the front door, they were
fascinated by what they saw.
Just after the dome exploded, the energy within it had erupted
straight up and created a fountain of raw fury. The mystic, elemental
and chi energies rocketed skyward and had created a geyser that made
Old Faithful seem like a drinking fountain. For a full minute, the
unleashed energies lit up the sky with a multitude of colors as it soared
into to heavens. The clouds above parted and dispersed as the geyser
blasted away at anything in its path. Finally, the gusher finally ran out of
steam and began to die down. When the last of the energy had faded
away, the three girls gazed upon the aftermath.
There was horrible crater that was more than 200 feet in diameter in
where the front lawn of the school used to be. The depression was
about twenty feet deep and the sides had been blasted smooth. In the
center of the hole, Ranma Blue was sprawled alongside his brother.
Both were exhausted and were barely conscious. Somehow, the blue-
shirted twin had managed to protect himself and his sibling from being
destroyed by the blast.
At the far side of the crater, near the rim were two huge and blacked
masses. Demon Mousse and Demon Ryoga had also survived the
explosion, but were far worse off. The two transformed martial artists
moaned, then tried to rise.
The three girls became fearful as they watched the two demons
attempt to get to their feet. Then they let out sighs of relief when the
monsters feel face first and lapse into unconsciousness. It was at that
time they ran out to where the twins were.
Just as they came within ten feet of them, the female martial artists
stopped, as they were blinded by a brief flash of white light. As it faded,
they beheld the forms of Soren and Taron.
The immortals crouched down near the twins and began examining
them. As they tended to the injuries of the Masaki brothers, Ranma Red
and Ranma Blue started to come around.
Ranma Red's vision was blurry at first, but he was soon able to focus
on the face of his mentor Soren and the look of concern from Shampoo,
who was crouched beside him.
"Did… we… win?"
Looking over to Taron, Ukyo and Akane, who were busily tending to
a now alert Ranma Blue, Soren smiled and replied, "No contest!"
A while later, after introductions were made to Akane, the immortals
repaired the worst of the injuries that the twins had gained in their
battle. As they continued using healing spells and replenished their
energies, the original Chosen Twins began questioning their pupils.
"Ranma Blue. How did you defeat the Leech Dome?" Taron asked.
"Yes. I thought that the dome cut off all sources of outside power."
Soren added.
Ranma Blue smirked as he replied, "I remembered Taron telling me
that I could manipulate all aspects of the physical universe. The dome
stopped sound but not light. It was transparent and let visible light come
through, including sunlight. Sunlight is an elemental energy, isn't it?"
"Correct!" Taron said with a smile. "Although I was about to teach
you how to draw power from the sun. Looks like you learned how to do
it on your own."
"What about the dome Ran-chan? Wouldn't it have absorbed that too?"
Ranma Blue nodded and said, "By itself, yeah. But I also noticed that
Ryoga and Mousse were toying with us and draining our power slowly.
With that kind of power, they should have been able to suck all our
energy away in an instant. I reasoned that they must have an upper limit
as to how fast they could siphon our energies. The same thing goes for
the dome. If it was really so powerful, then it should have been able to
drain us instantly. Instead, those two demon ladies trapped us in the
dome and made Mousse and Ryoga fight us to get us to use up our
energies gradually, instead of all at once. When I smashed them against
the barrier, the energies inside them plus my Sunfire Beam must have
overloaded the dome and blew it up!"
"You took a very big gamble." Taron said solemnly.
"Yeah, well I didn't have any other options. Ryoga and Mousse didn't
give me any choice!"
"Speaking of Mousse and Ryoga… " Ranma Red pointed to the still
forms of the two demons. "Is there any way we can change them back? I
mean, we know how to reverse curses now."
Looking at the two monsters, Taron and Soren used their senses to
scan them. Both immortals frowned and shook their heads as Taron
replied in a heavy voice. "No. I'm afraid that the transformation was…
permanent."
"WHAT?!" Ranma Red and the others replied.
Soren sighed as he began explaining. "When a person receives a
curse, it his or her unwillingness to ACCEPT it that makes it possible
for a cure. The cursed individual will readily accept the counterspell or
elemental cure to reverse his or her condition. It is that psychological
and metaphysical attitude that makes the cure effective. Curses affect a
person on a mental and spiritual level, as well as the physical level."
"So what that have to do with Ryoga or Mousse?" Shampoo inquired.
"Ryoga and Mousse had ACCEPTED the Mark of the Demon!" Taron
replied. "Even though they didn't know what they were getting, their
anger and lust for vengeance had caused a strong bond to form between
the Mark and their very souls. Makana and Katoka strengthened that
bond. The energies they absorbed had triggered their transformation,
and I'm afraid that when they were smashed against the barrier, the
overload had pushed their metamorphosis to… irreversible levels."
Ranma Blue became shocked at the implication that he was
indirectly responsible for Ryoga and Mousse's current state. "I… I…
didn't know this would happen! I only…"
"No Ranma Blue." Soren cut in. "It wasn't your fault! You were acting
in pure self-defense and you took the only option available to you. The
only people that Ryoga and Mousse have to blame are themselves! They
were so driven by hatred that they failed to consider the consequences
of their actions."
"Just like before at Jusenkyo. " Taron added. "Ryoga was always
blaming you for his curse, even though it was HIS decision to follow
you to China. It was his fault that he didn't show up on time for the duel
and what occurred afterward was an unfortunate accident. Just like now."
"We all make our own decisions and choose our own paths. Ryoga
and Mousse had made their decision to dwell on the past. Don't blame
yourselves."
"So there's nothing we can do for them?" Ranma Red asked. "How
about altering their bodies so they will look the same as before? You
did that with my cursed half by changing it into a boy."
"That won't work since there isn't anything left of the original
Mousse and Ryoga to use as a blueprint." Taron declared. "When we
separated the two of you, we just used the uncursed half as a template
to create the other twin. The Demon Metamorphosis had totally altered
their bodies beyond recognition. Their genetic structures are different
from before and without knowing the original sequences, we would just
be adding to the problem by guessing. I'm afraid that they're stuck like
that. The only thing that they will have retained are their minds, now that
Katoka and Makana aren't controlling them anymore."
It was at that point that Demon Ryoga and Demon Mousse came
around. The immortals took battle stances since they knew their
students were in no shape to fight. Shampoo, Ukyo and Akane also took
up stances as they prepared to face whatever threats that came their way.
The two monsters shook their heads to clear their dizziness. It was
then that their faces contorted into what could be described at utter
shock. Looking at each other, then at themselves, the two demons were
silent for a moment, then let loose with inhuman howls as the
realization of what they had become sunk in. They turned toward the
Masaki twins in a red fury and began to advance toward them.
It at then that Akane and Shampoo stepped forward and stood
between the demons and they prey. They held out their arms and
shouted out.
"Mousse! You no kill Ranma! Shampoo no let you! You kill Ranma
and Shampoo HATE YOU FOREVER! SHAMPOO REALLY, REALLY
MEAN IT!"
"Ryoga! I know you're in there somewhere! I know that you were P-
chan! I didn't like being lied to, but I can forgive you for that! If you do
this, then I'LL NEVER FORGIVE YOU! YOU HEAR THAT? I'LL
HATE YOU FOREVER!"
Both demons stopped in their tracks as these words were being said
to them. As they looked upon the ones that they once loved, they could
tell that they meant every word. They could see it in their eyes. Then
the two girls delivered their ultimatums.
"You want to kill Ranma? THEN YOU KILL SHAMPOO TOO! NO
CAN LIVE WITHOUT RANMA! SHAMPOO LOVES HIM! IF RANMA
DIE, THEN SHAMPOO DIE! IF MOUSSE REALLY LOVES
SHAMPOO THEN HE LEAVE RANMA AND SHAMPOO ALONE!
PLEASE UNDERSTAND! SHAMPOO NO LOVE YOU, BUT
SHAMPOO STILL WANT YOU AS FRIEND! NO WANT THIS!
PLEASE STOP!" Tears flowed down her cheeks as she waited for
Mousse to respond.
"I SWEAR RYOGA! IF YOU WANT TO KILL RANMA, THEN
YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE TO DO IT OVER MY DEAD BODY! IF
YOU REALLY CARED ABOUT ME, THEN YOU'LL LET THIS END
NOW! PLEASE! BEFORE YOU LOSE EVERYTHING!" Tears began
welling up in her eyes as she finished in a barely audible voice. "Don't
do this!"
For one brief moment, it seemed as if the two demons were going to
go through with their attack, but then they crouched down on their
haunches. All anger within them drained away, and was then replaced
with depression. They realized that Akane and Shampoo were right.
Killing the twins would not serve any purpose other than add to the void
in their once-human hearts. The girls had made their decision to stand
by the Masaki twins, just as they had chosen to take the Mark of a
Demon. For a long time, no one dared speak or make a noise. Then the
unexpected happened.
Mousse and Ryoga could never stand to see Akane and Shampoo cry.
If there was anything that caused them the most pain, it was seeing
those eyes filled with tears. They knew that they were the reason that
Akane and Shampoo were crying and so decided to no longer be the
cause of their tears. Looking behind them, they spotted the charred
remnants of Demon Ryoga's umbrella weapons. They were nothing
more than blackened rods, but they still retained enough mystical
power to suffice. They also had the pointed blades on their tips.
Walking slowly toward them, they each picked up an umbrella and then
turned to face the group.
Looking at Shampoo and Akane with pained eyes, the two demons
held out their umbrellas with the pointed ends directed toward their
bellies. Everyone's eyes widened as they realized what they intended to
do.
"NOOOOOOO!!!! DON'T DO IT!!!" Akane and Shampoo shouted as
they began rushing toward the demons.
Demon Ryoga and Demon Mousse paid them no heed as they
focused whatever energy they had left in their forms into their
makeshift suicide blades. Each smiled a bit as they strained with vocal
cords not meant for human speech.
"G… g…goodbye…"
With a single motion, each demon thrust the point of their weapon
deep within their abdomens. There were twin explosions of magical
energies as Ryoga and Mousse were enveloped in the blinding flash.
When it faded away, there was nothing left, but a few wisps of smoke
that marked the passing of the two martial artists.
Akane and Shampoo fell to their knees in utter shock of what had
just occurred. Then, their faces were in their hands as they began crying
uncontrollably. Ukyo came up from behind to console them, but then
decided that they needed to be left alone. Behind them, Soren, Taron
and the twins also decided that Akane and Shampoo needed to be left
with their sorrow.
{"I never realized that things would go this far!"} Ranma Red said
solemnly.
{"Just you wait."} Taron said. {"The Contract is in two days and what
you've experienced now was only a preview. I'm afraid that your trials
and tribulations are only beginning."}
{"I just hope you can weather the storm."} Soren added.
The twins nodded silently as they continued to watch Akane and
Shampoo. They were so distracted that neither noticed the presence of
a shadowy figure that observed the group from the corner of a nearby
building. After a moment, the man disappeared into the darkness of the
shadows.
The Realm of Oblivion…
"Well Katoka! It seems that we did not plan for everything!"
"Indeed Makana! But we still have … him!" The white-robed
demoness pointed to the sphere, which had quadrupled in size and was
now radiating more power than ever.
"A pity that he will not be ready until the time of the Contract
Renewal!"
"It doesn't matter now sister! The Dark World will soon have the
victory that has eluded it for ten millennia! Then nothing shall stop us!"
The two demon women smiled and then let off a blood-curdling
laugh that echoed throughout the void.
To be continued…
Author's Notes
Well, I did it! Ryoga and Mousse are dead! They have paid the
ultimate price for their folly, and I suppose all you Mousse and Ryoga
lovers out there are going to want to burn me at the stake!
Things have become far more serious as the time of the Contract
Renewal draws near. Ranma Red and Ranma Blue have just witnessed
two of their rivals kill themselves. Shampoo now realizes the downside
of finally being free of Mousse, albeit in a very drastic fashion. Akane
has just seen someone whom she thought was a friend end his life and
I'm sure the biggest point of all is still, WHERE IS SOUN?
I'm not telling… yet! The next chapter will deal with the aftermath of
today's events as our party prepares to leave their usual locale of
Nerima and head for China. I had planned to get the Soun and Genma
issue resolved by then, but I had just gotten some new ideas and
suggestions from readers and decided to form some new subplots
around the main story! With two of the supporting cast now defunct,
things are only going to get more complicated! Stay tuned!