Ranma the Tenth Hakkeshu or Ranma’s Cousin Iori (------) Disclaimer: I do not own Ranma ˝. That is property of Rumiko Takahashi. I do not own The King of Fighters is property of SNK. I do however suggest you look up information on these two properties. You won’t be disappointed. (------) Note: This takes place after the Ranma ˝ manga and little while after the King of Fighters ’97. (------) Ranma the Tenth Hakkeshu Chapter 6: Iori Yagami It has been one of the longest two days in Ranma’s life. Not that he minds having Mai show him around town and taking him to more nightclubs to find Iori. It’s just that Andy watches Ranma like a hawk whenever he gets near Mai. Leona gets to be the same way with him. And than Ranma gets a strange feeling that someone is watching him other than Andy and Leona. Fortunately, it’s now Sunday. The Day of Anything Goes Martial Arts Music Tournament. Our group of heroes takes a bus to where it’s held in Yoyogi-koen Park. Open-air concerts are held every Sunday there. Today the crowd is much larger, because fighting fans have the place. As Ranma and company head to the main gate, they meet up with a familiar looking pair. Ranma (Shouts): Hey Terry, Mary. Over here. Mary (Turns her head): Ranma? (Eyes widen) Ranma, it is you. (Shakes Terry’s arm) Hey Ter, it’s Ranma. Terry (Looks over to the Group): It is him. (Eyes widen when he notices the rest of the group with Ranma). Hey Mai, Lil’ Bro. How’d you meet up with him? Mai laughs, Andy mutters under his breath, Leona smirks, and Ranma sweat drops. Terry sweat drops in turn and Mary just stares at the group. Ranma (Slightly chuckles): Trust me. It’s a looooong story. Terry (Chuckles): I believe you on that one. Ranma goes into explanation on what happened do to Mary’s request. He tells her about Leona wanting to be there to keep him out of trouble, and how he beat the crap out of Andy. Andy sends Ranma a look that could freeze hell over. Ranma than asks Andy and Mary what they’re doing here. Mary explains she was the 100th caller in a radio contest and one two tickets to the event. Ranma explains that Mai got Andy to pay for theirs. Andy’s face darkens even more. All the while, a certain lackey to Geese Howard is watching them. Billy (Think): Hmm. Terry Bogard and that Goody two-shoes Mary have joined in. This is going to be even more interesting than I imagined. I wonder if… Vendor (Shouts): You going to buy a ticket to get in or not? Billy (Snaps back to reality): Okay, keep your shirt on will ya’, I’ll buy a bloody ticket. (Hands vendor the money and turns his head back only to see that the group has already gone in). Billy (Screams): BLOODY HELL, I LOST THEM AGAIN!!! (Calms down). No problem. It can’t be too hard to find the Lonely Wolves, a Bounty Hunter, a Blue-haired Assassin, a Bouncy Ninja Girl, and a Pig-tailed Martial Artist in a crowd of normal people…Can it? (Steps in through the gates to see a crowd of people in weird clothes and punk hairdos) Billy (Screams): BLOODY FRIKIN’ HELL!!! (------) Ranma and company nudge their way to the front of the stage. It is a large wood and metal stage. There’s a huge black curtain set, so that no one can see past, to look at the back of the stage. The crowd waits there patiently. (Well, as patiently as a crowd of youthful teens and young adults can). An official looking lady steps on the stage. She is apparently, the Announcer. Announcer: I am your announcer Sayaka. Welcome to the first Anything Goes Martial Arts Music Competition. Let’s meet the contestants. (A large white haired man, a boy that seems a little younger than Ranma, and a lady with red hair that covers her eyes step onto the stage from behind the curtain. Ranma can sense an aura of evil fill the air around them. He recognizes it immediately). Ranma (Whispers): Orochi power. Leona (Leans over to Ranma’s ear): Yes the trio is three of the Four Heavenly Kings of Orochi. They are… Boy (At microphone): I’m Chris, the drummer. Lady: I’m Shermie, the vocalist Man: And I’m leader and lead guitarist Yashiro Nanakase. Together, we are… All Three: CYS! Ranma (To Leona): What does CYS stand for? Leona (Smirks): I have no idea. Ranma takes notice to the boy Chris, who seems to be watching Ranma from the stage. The coldness in the stare sends a shiver down Ranma’s spine. Ranma: Brrr. That kid is dangerous. I can feel it from his stare. Sayaka: The next group comes from China, but are well known here in good ol’ Japan. (A girl with purple hair, a Japanese looking boy in a blue outfit with a bag of pork buns, and an old man with a sake jug walk up onto stage from behind the curtain. Ranma tries to get a better look at their auras as the crowd roars wildly as the three steps closer). Girl: Hi everyone, it’s me. Athena Asamiya! Boy: (With mouth full): Sie Kensou here. Old man: Chin Gensai Athena: Together, we’re the Love Rockets. Chin & Sie: NO WE’RE NOT! Athena: But you promised I could change it. Chin & Sie: NO WE DIDN’T! Athena (Cries): Waaaaaaahh! Audience: You jerks! (Starts throwing rubbish at the two guys). That’s what you get for picking on Athena-chan. Ranma (Sweat drops): Tell me I didn’t just see this. Leona: You did… Mary: What a load of crap. Where’s the fighting? Terry (To Mary): Just wait, it will start as soon as everyone’s introduced. Mai (To Andy): Hey Andy. Think we’ll ever be love rockets? Andy (Blushes): Well… I… uh… heh heh… Mai (Frowns): Andy! (Andy passes out). Dammit Andy! (------) Sayaka takes a while to introduce the next band. They are known as DoCo (1). Ranma can tell they’re not fighters, and are going to go down real fast. What freaks Ranma out about them, is how much they look like Kasumi, Nabiki, Akane, Shampoo, and his girl-side. That thought alone sends a shiver down his spine. Ranma is than blown away by the aura that appears from behind the curtain next. Ranma eyes widen with hope at who the red-haired man might be. The aura is too much like Ranma’s own to be anyone else. He is wearing red jeans with a red belt tied around both legs just below the knees, black shoes, and a black trench coat, and has bandages wrapped around his chest. Sayaka: And now a man who needs no introduction. The man that put CYS out of business… Yashiro: HEY! Sayaka: And eternal hunter of Kyo Kusanagi… Man: Iori Yagami. Ranma (Smiles): It’s him. (Ranma looks up at Iori, to notice Iori staring at him from the stage). Leona (Whispers to Ranma): I think you’re in deep shit now. Ranma: Why’s that? Leona: Tough I couldn’t see his eyes past the shades he’s wearing at the moment. I could tell he looked at you the same way he looks at Kyo. Ranma: Uh, oh. This could be bad. (------) The fight starts soon after. Iori wastes no time and shoot a Drunken Grail Masher at DoCo. They fall unconscious from the blow once the pillar of purple energy fades. Yashiro goes after Iori with the sledgehammer move but misses entirely and smashes Chin into the ground. Athena: Oh my God, he killed Chin! Sie: You b*st*rd! Athena (Face brightens): Wait… That means… Sie (Face brightens also): We’re free of the old man. Athena & Sie: Oh happy day! (The two leave without incident). Now it’s Iori Against CYS, and boy are they pissed. Yashiro: It ends no Yagami! Iori (Scoffs): Not likely. Yashiro: Face it, you’re out numbered. Iori (Smiles): Am I now? Yashiro (Looks around to spot Shermie and Chris now in the audience): What the hell do you two think you’re doing? Shermie: This fight isn’t ours. It’s between you and Iori. Chris: Yeah, we couldn’t care less what Iori does. It’s not our fault you have some sick fascination with him, like Iori does with Kyo. Yashiro: Hey! While Yashiro’s back is turned, Iori does his Maiden Masher maneuver, and sends Yashiro flying into the audience, engulfed in purple flames. Iori: Fool. (------) Naturally, almost everyone in the audience is pissed because they spent 6,500 yen to see this fight. And it only lasted for a minute at best. Not our group though. (With the exception of Andy who paid for everyone else’s ticket except for Terry’s and Mary’s). Iori goes and collects his Cash prize from the Announcer that mutters something along the lines of, “Never Again”. As he counts his money, Ranma takes this opportunity to meet Him. Of course, Iori senses the power heading towards him and twirls around to see Leona, Terry, Andy, Mai, Mary, and a pig-tailed martial artist that Iori noticed before that was emitting an aura similar to his own. Iori, for once, takes the initiative in a conversation. Iori (To Ranma): Just who the hell are you? Leona (Interrupts): Iori, this is Ranma Saotome. Iori (Lifts an eyebrow): Saotome… Saotome… where’ve I heard that before? Ranma: Your Aunt Nodoka married a Saotome. Iori: That’s right. She married a pretty much worthless man named Genma Saotome… (Iori’s eyes widen). You… Ranma (A bit hesitant): Hi… cousin. Iori (Seethes with rage): You worthless piece of shit! How dare you come here? Because of your father, my aunt left my clan. (Sadly) She was the only person to show me kindness besides my mother… (Looks towards the ground). Ranma: I’m sorry… Iori (Face snaps forward to lock eyes with Ranma): DIE! And thus, a fight ensues. (Causing most of the spectators to come back, hoping to get their money’s worth). Iori leaps towards Ranma with his Fire Ball maneuver. Ranma barely leaps back in time as Iori rises into the air. Ranma does his Kachu Tenshin Amaguriken, but is surprised to see Iori block every punch. Iori than does the Dark Crescent Slice and manages to connect it, crushing Ranma into the ground in a burst of purple flame. Ranma rolls a bit to barely avoid being crushed by Iori stomping his foot into the ground. Ranma jumps up and shoots his new Mouko Takabisha no Orochi. Iori cancels it out with his Dark Thrust. The two seem too evenly matched in skill and power. Iori than does the 301 Slash Talon Comb, but Ranma parries Iori to the side, and gets one good shot to Iori’s back. Iori straightens up in pain. He turns around to se a shocked Ranma, and uses that moment of Hesitation against him. He does the Reverse 301 Slash Talon Comb. A mixture of the 301 Slash Talon Comb and the Fireball maneuver. Now Ranma goes flying through the air, engulfed in purple flames. Ranma realizes that if he’s to beat Iori, he has to pull out all the stops. He looks to where his friends are standing. Mai is in shock, Terry and Andy stand with their mouths hanging open, Mary’s eyes are as wide as dinner plates, and Leona is covering her mouth with her left hand, trying to stifle a scream. Ranma shouts toward the group. Ranma: Get as far away as you can, NOW! Leona: Ranma, what are you… Ranma: Trust me. GET OUT NOW! The group doesn’t want to but they comply, but they do anyway. Too bad most of the spectators stay to watch. Iori (Cocky): What now Saotome? Ranma (Smirks): You’ll see… Ranma goes completely on the defensive. As Iori Presses his attack, he notices Ranma seems to get colder. He doesn’t think anything of it. He also doesn’t notice that they are moving in an inward spiral movement. They get to the center and Ranma releases a single punch. Ranma: Hiryuu Shoten Ha! (------) A tornado shoots up from where the two fighters were going at it. The winds of it have an odd violet shade to them. Leona, Terry, Andy, Mai, and Mary watch it from a distance. Mary: Holysh*t! What the hell is that? Terry: Is that a new form of the Hurricane Punch? Mai: I don’t remember the last time I saw something that powerful. Andy: Oh, my God. Leona: … The winds finally die down after about three minutes. Leona is the first to react. Leona (Runs): Ranma! (The others follow in hot pursuit). They reach the center of what was once the center of the park. (It’s now a huge crater). In it the see a shaking figure of Ranma, his energy almost completely drained. Leona: Ranma. Are you all Right? Can you hear me? Ranma? Ranma (Barely above a whisper): I’m okay. Get to Iori. He needs help more than I. The group moves towards Iori’s unconscious form. The see his coat is now thoroughly shredded and he has multiple lacerations on his body. Terry (To Ranma): What was that? Ranma: Hiryuu Shoten Ha… (Ranma passes out). Mary: Damn. They’re both out cold. We better get them someplace safe. Terry: We can take them to my place, it’s close. Andy, Mai, help me carry Iori. Leona, Mary, you two carry Ranma. (The four comply and start carrying the two towards Terry’s Apartment. (------) An hour latter, a figure climbs out of the rubble of Yoyogi-koen Park Billy (Screams): WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT GODD*AMMIT! (Checks his watch, surprisingly, it still works. He than takes out his cell phone, and even more surprisingly that still works as well. He dials a number into it). Geese: Anything new to report Billy? Billy: Sigh… I know I’ve said this before, but you are neva’ gonna believe what the hell just happened here… (------) End Chapter 6 Next Time: Ranma and Iori wake up at Terry’s apartment. There, Iori explains a bit about his life. Ranma and Iori agree to help one another and Iori offers to help Leona as well. Can a new friendship be just around the corner? Find out in the next chapter of Ranma the Tenth Hakkeshu, or Ranma’s Cousin Iori (1) DoCo is the band that did all the Opening and Closing themes of the Ranma ˝ OAV series. They show themselves as Ranma ˝ characters. Send your questions and comments to either RedPriest17@aol.com or Ryutsurugi@yahoo.com. Note: Flames will be read and than used to fuel the Orochi fire.