Chapter 24

(thanks to members of for help on the fight scenes back when I wrote them. None of the have gotten to reach this chapter until now though. ^_^ )

The frog demon spit the lower half of Ranma's body back out.

"Blech," it grumbled. "I'd forgotten how badly human mortals taste."

Genma stared in horror at his son's mangled body. Ranma stared back at him for one long moment before his eyes turned glassy and dull. His arm convulsed, then was still. Genma fell to his knees. "What… what have you done?"

"You asked me to make it so he will no longer transform," the demon rasped. "I have done so."

"You killed him!" Genma wailed. "Foul monster! We had a deal!"

The demon grinned toothily. "Yes, indeed we did," it replied. "Death is the only way for me to stop a Jusenkyo curse. But you are correct – I am a foul monster. Did no one ever warn you not to bargain with a demon?"

With a scream of incoherent rage, Genma flung himself at the creature. It backhanded him easily. Genma crashed through ancient timbers and collapsed onto the floor.
"You truly are a stupid mortal," the demon said. "I do not think I will eat you."

On the far side of the room, the priest Niida scrambled backwards, his face a mask of horror. Choking and gurgling, he turned and fled into the stormy night. The demon watched him go with only mild interest. He turned his gaze back on Genma.

Genma stirred. He lifted his head. Ten feet in front of him lay one half of a bloody corpse, torn in two by demon's teeth. Ranma was dead. There could be no doubt.

It was all his fault. And yet, how could he have foreseen such an end?

He'd spent his life raising the boy to be the greatest fighter on the planet. Was this where it ended? He'd made so many mistakes... he could see that now. But there was no road map for how to build the perfect fighter. Still he'd poured his heart and soul into the boy, pinned all his dreams and hopes on him, cheated and stolen and lied all for the benefit of his great dream...

Had it been so long ago that he and Soun had made their plans? It seemed as if it were only yesterday...

Genma Saotome lay back in the grass and stared up into the night sky.

"Ah, this is the life, isn't it Tendo?" he said. "No work to do, just traveling the countryside, training, camping out under the stars at night, the camaraderie of brothers... how could things be any better?"

There was a long pause before his friend Soun answered. "Actually, we're beaten nightly by the Master, forced to steal women's underthings for his enjoyment, forced to steal good food and sake while we eat the scraps, and he shows no inclination to reveal any of his best martial arts secrets to either of us. Nor is there any way for us to escape. This, friend Saotome, is hell."

"Well, if you insist on putting it that way..." Genma grumbled. "I was just trying to look on the bright side of things."

"My dream," Soun said, "is to marry that cute girl Kimiko. Her father owns a dojo with a large house. I'll be able to practice the art and make a living training others. We'll have two daughters and two sons, maybe more, and they will all know and love the art. My sons will become the best martial artists in the land... able even to defeat our Master."

Genma laughed. "Now that, Tendo, is a beautiful dream. But what if I want to inherit the dojo of Kimiko's father? Running a dojo like that sounds like a nice retirement."

"Ah, Saotome, but Kimiko does not like you," Soun said. "Besides, you have a girl of your own. Or have you forgotten Nodoka?"

"Well, yes," Genma replied. "She is quite beautiful and very sophisticated, and comes from a good family, and she does respect the arts a great deal... but I have to admit, she doesn't own a dojo..."

"Then I'll tell you what," Soun said. "We'll have your daughter marry one of my sons. They will inherit the dojo from me. Then we can both retire to a life of ease and play games of shogi in the sun every day. After my sons have dealt with the Master, of course."

"Tendo, that's a perfect plan!" Saotome replied. "'With one exception: it will be my son who will marry your daughter, and it will be my son who becomes the great martial artist and defeats our evil Master."

Genma glanced up. Master Happosai towered over him – something the diminutive man could only manage when Genma and Soun were flat on their backs. "What's this?" Happosai growled. "What are you dreaming about? Defeating me?" The Master placed his tiny foot on Genma's neck. "You lazy fools? Never in a million years!"

The memory faded. Genma focused once again on the demon before him, and on the ruined body of his son.

So many dreams... ripped to pieces. So much of his life in ruins. What was there for him now? There were so many things, so many events, so many others to blame. But when it came right down to it, how could he blame anyone but himself?

"Yes," the demon said. "Such sweet despair. The boy was your entire life, wasn't he? All those years raising him and training him... all for nothing. You are a fool, and worse. You have brought about your own ruin. There is nothing for you now..."

The demon laughed, a low rumbling, croaking noise. "Oh, yes. Wallow in your despair, mortal snack. Your entire life has come to this. You have made so many mistakes on the way... so many things that you could have done, that you should have done. All for naught. You are nothing now, mortal snack. You are less than nothing."

As Genma began to sob, the demon gloated. "Oh! Such heavy despair! How sweet it is to the taste!"

XXX

The dark-skinned butler Mr. Khan ran through the rain, nostrils flaring. Kohana rode on his shoulders, balancing easily as if she'd done this all her life. Which, as a matter of fact, she had. Following behind him were a half-dozen girls and one boy, who admittedly looked more girlish than the others in his red and black tartan gothic lolita dress. Seven were trained fighters, but one girl was not. She was having trouble keeping up.

"Hey! Wait up!" Miyuki Gojo called out. "It's dark! I can barely see you guys in this downpour!".

Mr. Khan skidded to a halt. "Hurry!" he bellowed. "We are not far now. Come, come! Up this hill! Go!"

The others ran past. Mr. Khan scooped Miyuki into his arms. He turned and sprinted. In seconds he was once again ahead of the others.

"Hey!" Miyuki exclaimed. "What gives?"

"You are slowing us down, Mistress Gojo," the butler replied. "You are not a fighter. We will not need you in the coming battle. You should not have come."

"I want to film whatever happens!" Miyuki stated fiercely.

"And I wish to return to my homeland where I was born," the ogre replied. "We do not always get what we want."

A bell tolled, low and ominous. Miyuki blinked in confusion, but then Kohana pulled out her cell phone. "Yes?" she said. "Oh. I see. Not surprising, really. No, stay there. Yes, I'll let you know."

She put the phone away. "Bad news," she said. "That was Tomari. Soun Tendo escaped. He's got Akane with him."

Shampoo frowned. Ukyo gripped her spatula harder. "They won't get away with this," she vowed.

"Shampoo stop too stupid panda."

From somewhere far ahead a terrible scream ripped the night. The ogre redoubled his speed.

"That sounded like Ranma!" Miyuki exclaimed. "Kami, that didn't sound good."

"Mistress Kohana," Khan said, as he loped up the hill, "there is danger ahead. I smell a demon... a powerful one."

Miyuki's eyes widened. "A demon? Why would there be a demon?"

"I know not, Mistress Miyuki."

"Khan," Kohana said, "we're just a bunch of high school kids... six upstart warriors and one beginner witch, and Miyuki, who came only to take pictures." Her voice, though flat, managed to drip with sarcasm. "We have no business facing a demon, even with you beside us..."

"I am aware of that, Mistress Kohana," the butler replied. "Your father has entrusted me with your safety. It may be wise to leave you and Miyuki here..."

"No!" Miyuki pleaded. "Just get me close enough to get a clear shot..."

XXX

Akane charged up the mountain in the direction the scream had come from, sliding on the slippery slope. Please, she prayed. Please, God in heaven, whoever is up there, let Ranma be alright. She fell, her hands sinking into wet mud. She clawed and crawled, managed to gain her feet, and ran.

The shadow of a building rose before her. Her eyes widened as she recognized an old, abandoned temple. The flicker of a fire came from within...

Akane ran to the entrance, then stopped. She took in the scene before her in a glance: A frog-like demon with many horns, standing nearly ten feet tall. Genma lying on the ground, softly sobbing. A glowing fire. And there, near the fire, a bald boy. At least, the head, arms, and torso...

Her eyes closed tight. Kami in heaven. Was that Ranma? She wasn't sure. She didn't want to know.

There was no time to think. Akane already knew what to do. She gathered as much anger as she could possibly muster. She opened her eyes, staring straight ahead at the frog demon. "Kami no Ikari!" she yelled, thrusting her hands forward. A bright blue ball of chi flashed forth.

The demon was knocked into a wood pillar. Timber split with a sharp sound. Almost instantly, it rolled and roared at her, thrusting forth the black spurs on its arms. "Black Ice Blades!" it yelled. Blades of energy slammed into Akane, cutting her and knocking her backwards into the rain and mud.

A low, rumbling, croaking laughter came from the doorway of the temple.

"Silly mortal snack," the demon rumbled. "I'll deal with you in due time. But first, I must feast on a despair such as I have not felt in eons. Nothing tastes so sweet as a mortal's emotions, particularly negative ones. Fear, dread, and despair... I shall truly enjoy this..."

Before Akane's eyes, the demon seemed to shimmer and fade. There came a horrible groaning from within the temple. Genma staggered out, his eyes lifeless. Rain washed over him, yet he remained human.

"Oh, such sweet despair!" he groaned. It was Genma's mouth that moved, but the voice was that of the demon. "It tastes so much better than the mere flesh of his son!"

There was a blending and morphing as Genma shifted into panda form. He continued to morph. Six horns sprouted from his head. His mouth grew wide and his eyes grew large. Knife-edged black blades sprung from his arms. He grew taller... much taller. In moments, he'd become a hybrid creature, part panda, covered in black and white fur with round panda ears, and part demonic frog with a huge head, huge mouth, and huge yellow eyes.

The creature turned its gaze upon Akane. "Now, girl, I will show you what a real chi blast is capable of. Your blast was built on anger, but the technique I know best builds on deep despair to launch a heavy ball of chi force..."

"Ryoga's Shishi Hokadan," Akane whispered.

"Indeed!" The demon laughed. "You've heard of it? Oh, but I doubt you've ever witnessed it like this: the despair of this human is great enough to burst his heart. What can I do with that, I wonder? Shall we find out?"
The demon thrust its arms up to the heavens. "SHISHI HOKADAN!" it bellowed in a voice that echoed off the hills. A tower of light shot into the sky. Akane stared. A ball of chi hovered hundreds of feet above them, impossibly large. It blocked out the sky. It hung there a moment, like the largest full moon ever, then it descended. Faster and faster it came.

There was nowhere to run.

Akane screamed as the chi blast hit. There was a deafening, explosive roar. Instantly the temple was obliterated, along with all vegetation within two hundred yards. The shock waves rolled out across the mountainside, toppling trees. A massive crater was all that was left behind.

The frog-panda demon bounded out of the hole. "Now that was fun," it growled. "I think we have at least a couple more of those left in us, don't we, mortal snack? What shall we do with them, I wonder?"

XXX

Mr. Khan skidded to a halt. Ahead of them, a tower of light pierced the night sky, visible even through a sheet of rain.

"What the hell is that?" Miyuki exclaimed. She had her camera rolling.

The light faded. Suddenly a percussive boom shook the ground. The shock wave knocked them down, along with trees to either side of them.

"Mr. Khan got to his feet. He helped Miyuki and Kohana up. "That felt like a bomb going off," he said. He sniffed the air. "I smell no explosives. If I didn't know better, I might suspect a chi blast... but I've never heard of one so powerful."

"We're in over our heads, aren't we?" Kohana said.

Ukyo gripped her spatula. "You guys can stay back if you like," she said. "Ranma's up there, and I'm going to find him."

"Shampoo with Spatula Girl," the Amazon added.

"Konatsu, Sachiko," Mr. Khan said. "Shampoo, and Ukyo. Come with me. The rest of you girls stay here. It's too dangerous..."

Kohana nodded. As the others moved forward, she pulled out her cell phone and started dialing.

Akela frowned. "Kohana, who are you calling at a time like this?" she asked

"Reinforcements, of course," replied Kohana.

XXX

Akane lay nearly senseless on the mountainside. Ranma was dead. At least, she thought she'd seen his body... her mind didn't want to contemplate what she'd seen, or what the demon had said. Ranma's father had been possessed by a demon and would probably also soon be dead. She wasn't sure where her own father was, but it didn't really matter. Her life had been shattered, along with her bones. Her body was one massive ball of pain. She knew she was near death herself, and she was ready to welcome it.

She heard a popping sound, followed by three voices.

"Whoa. That really turns your stomach." This was her sister Nabiki. She'd recognize that acerbic voice anywhere.

"Time travel usually does." This was a male voice, and unfamiliar.

"Time travel?" Nabiki muttered something under her breath. "Dammit, Octava, I didn't sign up for this. Where the hell are we?"

"In the mountains I think." This was the flat voice of Kohana Genji, nearly devoid of emotion. "He should be around here somewhere. I don't remember it well."

"Remember...?" Nabiki asked. "Okay, spill it. When are we?"

"Not that far back," Octava replied. "A month or two at most."

"And you don't remember, Kohana?" Nabiki asked.

"I was confused at the time," Kohana replied.

There was a long moment of silence, and Nabiki said, "Oh. This is when Genma..."

"Yes," Kohana said.

"Next question," Nabiki asked. "Why are we here?"

"Because," Kohana said. "I remember it. It's already happened, and therefore it has to happen. I didn't know what it meant at the time. I didn't put it together until later, until recently. Now hurry, we don't have much time. I'll be here soon."

"You're not making any sense, Kohana," Nabiki said.

Akane heard footsteps, as the three moved further away.

"Time travel doesn't make sense," Kohana replied. "Oh," she said in a softer voice. "Oh. Here he is."

"Oh. My. God." It was Nabiki's voice. "What happened? There's only half of him!"

"A demon happened to him," Kohana said in a subdued voice. "Look around. The other half should be nearby..."

Akane began to weep. So... what she had seen was true. Ranma was dead. She'd only glimpsed his body for a moment... she'd hoped against hope that it had been a trick of the light, a delusion of some kind...

Please wait for me, Ranma, she thought. I'll be with you again soon...

XXX

Four girls huddled under a tree on a hillside in the middle of a downpour.

"Honestly," Miyuki said, "calling in the cavalry? Private security forces and thugs?" She glared at Kohana and Yoriko. "Is this any way for a magical girl team to act?"

"You've got a 'Firey' Clow Card up your sleeve maybe?" Yoriko retorted, phone to her ear. "Wake up, Miyyki. We've got a demon up ahead, we just saw the magical equivalent of a nuclear detonation, and we're somewhat short in the Pretty Coquettish Bomber and Moon Tiara Action department. Kohana has the right idea. This is real, and I want my guys at my back."

Miyuki stared at Yoriko for a long moment. "Wow, Yoriko!" she exclaimed. "I'm really impressed. You nailed those magical girl references! Who knew you were secretly a fan of the genre?"

Yoriko gave her a withering look, but said nothing. Moments later she was talking into her phone.

"Toyama? It's me. Look, we got some seriously crazy shit going down here. I need backup. Yes. I don't know. The butler says it's a demon. Yes, I believe him. Bring Hideki with you, and whatever you think might be good against a demon..."

As she gave instructions, Miyuki fretted. "I'm not going to get any good video footage at this rate," she muttered. "Can't we move up closer?"

Yoriko stared at her incredulously. "Miyuki, your friend might be injured or worse, and you're worried about taking pictures? You really are an annoying, clueless idiot aren't you?"

"Ranma will be okay," Miyuki said with conviction. "Ranma can't die. She's powerful. She's the main character."

"Miyuki, please shut up," Kohana said. She stared up the hill and into the rain.

"Why did we let her come, anyway?" Yoriko muttered. "We should have tied her up and left her at the restaurant."

Akela placed her arm about Miyuki. "Guys," she said. "Miyuki's worried too. She just doesn't know how to deal with it except by thinking of other things. And she always thinks of the same things."

"Thanks, Akela," Miyuki said.

"No problem," Akela replied. "We're all a bit worried."

"I just wish I could've had the new uniforms ready for everyone to wear," Miyuki added.

Akela frowned at her. "Miyuki..." she warned.

"Yeah, I know," Miyuki replied. "I'm obsessed. I'm an idiot. I can't help it."

Kohana said, "At least try to think of something constructive."

Miyuki watched Kohana. "So. Our first big emergency," she said. "Nabiki and Kaida are left behind, I'm only here because you're humoring me, and you're making the decisions. When you turned down a title of club President, you said that you preferred to rule from the shadows. Is this what you meant?"

For a moment there was no sound but the steady fall of rain. "Somebody has to take charge," Kohana finally replied. "You and Kaida aren't suited for it, and I don't trust Nabiki."

A bell tolled. Kohana pulled out her phone. "Yes? Okay. Good." She put the phone back in her pocket. "They're on their way," she said.

Further up, someone cursed. There was a yelp, and a then someone slid down the hillside. He landed in a muddy heap five feet from the girls. There was the strong smell of alcohol.

"Kohana," Miyuki said, "there's a drunk guy..." Automatically she began filming.

"I see him," Kohana replied. "Don't worry. He's human."

"I never said he wasn't..."

The stranger sat up and looked wildly around. "Save yourselves!" he yelled. "It's horrible! A giant frog demon two stories tall! It... it bit the boy in half! Oh, there was blood everywhere... we must flee!"

"What boy?" Kohana demanded.

"The boy that was a girl," the priest said. "He poured water on her and she became a he, and then he smashed the rock and... oh, it had long horns and sharp teeth, I've never seen anything like it..." The man was babbling.

"Where did the demon come from?" Kohana demanded.

"He summoned it! He wanted it to remove a curse... the one that turns a girl into a boy, or a boy into a girl. I don't know. He tried to bargain with it! Then it bit that poor boy in half! All that blood!" The man gripped Kohana's arm. "Please, you've got to save me! We're not safe! It's coming for us all... oh, kami, I need a drink..." He scrambled to his feet and stumbled off into the darkness.

Miyuki looked terrified. Tears rolled down her face, visible even though she was already wet from the rain. "Oh, gods. He was talking about Ranma, wasn't he?"

The others were crying, too, even Yoriko. Kohana looked away. "I... I don't know," she said. "I..."

There was a strange grunting sound further up the hill, followed by a deep rumble. It was not a human sound, nor any animal the girls knew of. Immediately following this came sounds of fighting.

"Kohana," Miyuki said, "They're not that far off. The blast we saw earlier was a lot further up. Maybe... maybe we should circle around and see... and see if..."

"I'll go," Kohana said grimly. "You three stay here."

XXX

The demon loomed out of the darkness, a massive black shadow against a gloomy gray backdrop. It was at once tall and yet somehow squat, with short legs, a fat stomach and a humped back. Long blade-like spurs jutted from huge furred forearms. Large, frog-like yellow eyes shined through the gloom as it turned their way. It seemed to waddle or hop when it moved, but it was deceptively quick. In a flash it landed before them. They saw black and mud-white panda-patterned fur, but it's head and mouth were huge like a frog. Six horns crowned its head. It grinned, revealing rows of razor-sharp teeth. It smelled of blood, and the swamp.

"Stay back!" Mr. Khan yelled. "Let me deal with it!" The girls obeyed. Mr. Khan was over seven feet tall and powerfully built, but was dwarfed by the demon. There was something surreal about the butler in his tuxedo facing off against the creature. In a story it might have been romantic, but the girls only felt fear.

The demon croaked, low and guttural. Its belly began to expand. It glowed a dull yellow. Then the creature opened its mouth, and a huge ball of energy shot out.

Mr. Khan was engulfed. Energy crackled like fire. The others felt an intense heat, even from a dozen feet away. It dissipated, and Khan stood there, his clothing burned. Steam rose from blistered skin.

"Khan!" Ukyo yelled. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," the butler replied. His skin bubbled and warped. He seemed to shift and morph. Suddenly, where a tall man with dark skin had stood, there was a green-skinned ogre with yellowed tusks and oni horns. Without his disguise Mr. Khan was even larger – at least eight feet tall, nearly as large as the demon itself.

The frog-panda demon began to laugh. It was a deep, rumbling sound that shook the ground. "Why, hello there, little ogre," it croaked. "Do you think it's wise for a creature such as you to oppose one such as me, the great Guagua? You really should know better, but as mortals say, it's your funeral..."

Mr. Khan leaped. He was incredibly quick. He landed several punches and then a powerful kick. The demon was knocked back, but only a few feet. He hopped about trading blows with the ogre, slicing with his forearm blades. Khan jumped back, and the frog demon yelled, "Black Ice Blades!" He swung his arms down, letting loose a barrage of intensely cold energy blades that ripped and tore the ogre.

The frog demon's tongue whipped out. It was a bright yellow-orange as if on fire. Khan knocked it away with his forearm. There was a further sizzling and the stench of burning flesh. Khan winced.

Guagua laughed. "You'd better get serious," the demon said, "or this won't be any fun at all."

In response, Mr. Khan drew forth, seemingly from nowhere, a long curved blade made of bone. He leaped forward, slashing. Guagua backed away, blocking each blow with his arm spurs. "My, that's an interesting weapon you have there," he rumbled. "I think I don't want you poking me with that. Someone could get hurt." The demon lashed out with a twisting of his arm blades. The blade was caught and ripped from the ogre's hands. It flew straight and buried itself in a limb high above.

Guagua croaked merrily. "Is that all you have, puny creature?" it asked. It's stomach expanded again and it belched another ball of fire-y energy. Khan was blasted backwards into the trunk of a pine tree.

Guagua glared at the others. "Did you poor mortals come to save your friends? The boy who turns into a girl, plus the girl who came to save him? What a pity, for you are far too late. They are dead, you know. Even this panda man I've inhabited will soon be dead. I can feel his body breaking under the strain. But then, why should you care? You'll also be dead quite soon."

Khan launched himself at the demon yet again. It blocked his attack easily and then thrust one arm-blade through the ogre's chest. "I'm afraid you weren't much of a diversion, in the end," it said. Mr. Khan fell to his knees. The demon slashed again across the throat, nearly decapitating the ogre. Khan collapsed in the mud.

Ukyo screamed and leaped forward, slashing with her battle spatula. Shampoo followed, grim-faced, swinging her war clubs. Guagua easily blocked both attacks and swatted them aside. Sharp metal blades buried themselves in the demon's hide. It spun and lashed out with its Black Ice Blade attack once again. Icy energy blades shredded a figure leaping high overhead, but all that fell to the ground was a lump of wood dressed in a black and red tartan lolita dress.

Guagua laughed. "Not bad! If you all attack me at once, you might just annoy me, like monkeys pelting a tiger with their dung. But do the monkeys have any hopes of felling the tiger? I think not..."

"Shinmei-ryu Ultimate Secret Technique: Thunderclap Sword, Second Form!" Sachiko slashed down with her sword. Energy slashed out and struck the demon, who stumbled backwards. A red line divided the demon from top to bottom. For a moment it seemed ready to split in two. It's skin morphed as if it were trying to transform. Then the line faded. It shook its head, as if to clear it.

"Raimeiken Ni-no-Tachi," the demon rumbled. "A technique for slicing a demon while it possesses a mortal, without harming the mortal. Oh, very good. Very, very good! Unfortunately, your form is off. You've never faced a demon with that attack before, have you? You're only a child, after all. Still, if I were a lesser demon you might have had me..."

Sachiko spun and twisted in the air. "Iron Cutting Flash!" she called out. The demon stumbled as a spiraling chi attack hi it. Sachiko landed and immediately followed with a more powerful attack. "True Lightning Sword!" Lightning flashed white. There was a booming thunderclap and an explosion that knocked trees down in all directions. The demon was knocked to its knees.

Guagua laughed even harder. "Ho! I recognize these moves!" it croaked. "You are a daughter of the The Shinmei-ryu then? I'm impressed! Were you older, you might prove a worthwhile opponent..."

More tiny blades buried themselves in the demon's hide – throwing stars from overhead, and small spatulas from his right. Shampoo appeared on his left. A massive war club slammed into the demon's jaw. Sachiko attacked from three directions at once, and then Konatsu (dressed now in his usual patchwork red ninja outfit) did the same. For a moment, it seemed as if eight girls were attacking rather than just four.

Guagua snarled, slashing out with his arm blades. Two of the kunoichi were sliced in two. They vanished into mist. Two of the swordswomen were likewise cut in half, leaving only pieces of paper to drift to the ground.

Shampoo was not as lucky. The demon caught her across the neck and shoulder with a deep slash. Blood flowed as she stumbled back in shock. She collapsed to the ground, bleeding.

The demon spun and launched his Black Iron Blades again. Ukyo blocked with her spatula but blades slicked into her legs and arms. She cried out and fell.

"Mistress Ukyo!" Konatsu cried out. He swooped down to scoop her up. The demon tossed more Black Iron Blades at him, but the kunoichi vanished in a flash.

"Sneaky ninjas, multiple body techniques, shikegami, even," the demon muttered, turning. "Who knew things could get so interesting...?"

"Shinmei-ryu Ultimate Secret Technique: Attack of The Demon Slashing Wind!" Sachiko yelled as her blade came down. A massive blast of chi hit the demon and exploded.

The demon was blown high into the air. The maelstrom flattened everything around it that hadn't previously been knocked down. Only the tall pine tree remained standing.

Guagua spun in the air. He faced downwards. Again his stomach swelled, and he belched a ball of burning chi. He did this so quickly that Sachiko was caught off-guard. The blast pounded her into the ground.

The demon plunged to earth. It landed, wincing. One hop brought it to where Sachiko lay. It buried both forearm blades into her chest.

"Had you been older and better trained, that would have really hurt," the demon rumbled.

It glanced up. At the edge of the ever-expanding clearing, four more mortals watched it in horror. Two were girls – a short, stocky, dark-skinned girl with curly black hair and a much taller girl with very long black hair. The other two were young, muscular men.

The taller girl drew a sword. "Toyama, Hideki. Back me up," she commanded.

XXX

Rain fell down. Akane lay in the mud, eyes closed, waiting for death to come. Nearby she heard voices – those of Nabiki and Kohana, and of someone else, a male called Octava.

"But...how did this happen?" Nabiki asked. "I don't remember Ranma being hurt like this... "

"Of course not," Kohana replied. "First of all, you weren't here, and second of all, we were here before anyone else showed up."

"But I thought he helped out in the fight..."

"He did," Kohana replied. "That's why we're here. Don't you get it yet? Ranma isn't supposed to die. If Ranma does die, then how can she be alive in the future? It's only because we're here now."

"I'm supposed to heal him?" Nabiki asked. "But how can I heal this? He's cut in half!"

"You restored that Chocolate Chip creature from just its head, didn't you?" Kohana asked.

Akane was having trouble following the conversation. Healing? Chocolate Chip creature? Was she hearing a real conversation, or was she just hallucinating?

"Yes, but... that wasn't anyone I knew, or even a human, just some weird magical construct..." Nabiki replied. "Anyway, doesn't all of this create some sort of time paradox?"

"Too much meddling can, that's true," Octava replied. "But we should be okay."

"Oh, should," Nabiki said. "I'm so relieved to hear that."

"Now, before you do anything," said Octava, "Ranma's soul needs to be called back to his body. Otherwise it won't work. And only you can do that, Nabiki."

"I can? Only me?"

"Yes. You are the one with the powers of healing," Octava replied. "Therefore you're also the only one who can travel to the edge of the world of the dead and bring Ranma back. This you must do."

There was a long moment of silence, then Nabiki muttered, "Some day you're going to have to explain how you picked me for this job. Well, okay, what do I do...?"

The voices faded as Akane drifted further from the world. Wait for me, Ranma. I'm coming.

XXX

Yoriko lunged with her sword. She was not an amateur with the blade, but she had nothing like Sachiko's skill or training. The demon grinned toothily as she buried her blade into its arm. Then it swatted with a massive fist.

Yoriko's gangsters leaped in with their own weapons. These were thugs who would give a normal person pause, even those with combat training. Guagua picked them up and tossed them aside.

Against her better judgment, Akela also launched an attack. She was knocked away with one powerful punch. She felt her ribs crack. She flew backwards, her head striking a rock. She rolled and then lay still.

Konatsu appeared again. Of all those to attack the demon, he had so far avoided injury, but the kunoichi had few attacks geared to take out such a creature. He spun about the demon, slashing with his blades, but doing little real damage. Still, he was just fast enough to avoid the demon's attacks.

Yoriko got shakily to her feet. She retrieved her blade.

"You little gnats have been fun," the demon said, "but I think it's time to end this little farce. The ogre was amusing, and the shinmei-ryu student was almost a credible opponent. But I'm through playing games. Inside this mortal I've possessed is a deep well of crushing despair. Shall we let it out?"

The creature raised his palms heavenward. "SHISHI HOKODAN!" it bellowed.

The heavy ball of chi rose into the air. For a moment it was a bright tower of light. Then it descended with crushing force.

Yorkiko turned. At the edge of the clearing, camera rolling, stood Miyuki. "Miyuki, you fool!" she screamed. Yoriko ran forward. She leaped, landing on top of Miyuki just as the blast struck.

As the rubble settled, Guagua looked around and laughed. A large crater was all that was left of the hillside. Everyone who had opposed him was unconscious or dead.

"Well, this has been an amusing night so far," he said. "What's next? Is that all? But I do think we have one more blast like that left in us, don't we?"

The demon paused. There was a steady, thumping sound coming from the sky and growing louder. He turned and looked up "What's this then?" he asked. "Mortals who can fly? How interesting!"

XXX

Kohana saw the tower of chi shoot up into the sky. She heard the resulting explosion, just as she'd heard previous smaller explosions. Whatever was happening further down the hillside, it didn't sound good. However, there was nothing she could do about it. She had to find Ranma and Akane, to see if what the crazy drunk had told them was true.

She slipped in the mud. Kohana gritted her teeth. She didn't want to be here, in the mud and the rain, and she most certainly didn't want to find what she already knew was waiting for her on the hill above.

I won't cry, she told herself. Until I see for myself, I've no reason to cry. Nor do I have the time to waste. Things need to be done...

Kohana called herself a witch. She especially believed in the kind of witchcraft exemplified by the fictional Granny Weatherwax. Whenever in doubt, Kohana just asked herself: What Would Granny Weatherwax Do? She knew what Granny would say to her: a witch is the person who does what needs to be done.

This needed to be done.

Kohana clawed and scrabbled up the muddy hillside. She reached the lip of a large depression – the results of the first chi blast they'd seen. Ahead, she heard voices. Some of them sounded familiar...

XXX

Ranma drifted in a world of nothingness. There was no feeling. This surprised him, as he recalled intense pain only a moment ago... or was that a lifetime ago?

He was standing on the edge of a gray, lifeless sea. There were no waves, only an endless expanse of water spreading out into the distance like sheet steel. The rocks on the shore were black. The sky was black. There were no stars.

Ranma sat on a rock. He felt a need to cross the water. Was he supposed to swim? Perhaps a boat would come?

He felt hair against his shoulders. He reached up and touched it. Curly hair, like he'd worn it for the last two weeks. Had his father not cut it, then?

He blinked, remembering suddenly being tied up in the old temple, his father summoning the demon, the pain of being bitten in two...

He was dead, then.

Ranma had always believed in an afterlife, but he'd never really thought too much about it. What would come next? He'd cross the water, and then what? Heaven? Hell? Would he meet his grandparents? Would he be reincarnated?

He glanced down at himself. He was naked. His body looked odd. He realized it was an amalgam of his male and female bodies. He had small breasts, not as large as he was used to, a waist that was less narrow and hips that curved outward only slightly... his male genitals hung between his legs, and his body seemed leaner and more muscular than his usual female self. What did that mean? If he was dead, then why wasn't he completely a guy?

He heard footsteps behind and turned. His eyes threatened to pop out of his head. Standing there was Nabiki Tendo, dressed in a pastel green lolita-style babydoll dress with puffed sleeves and a ruffled white apron. Peeking from beneath the short hem were frilly white petticoats and white fishnet stockings. The hem was decorated with green limes.

Nabiki held a white rabbit in her arms. She seemed to be glowing, too. She was surrounded by a green light. It was something other than a battle aura, although Ranma wasn't sure what it was.

"There you, are, Saotome," she said. "I thought I'd never find you."

Ranma stared at her for a long moment, then said, "Now I know I'm dead, because you'd never dress like that in the land of the living."

"Oh, very funny, Saotome," Nabiki replied sourly. "Can we move things along? I'm here to rescue you." She held out her hand. "You must come with me."

"Go where?" Ranma asked. "And Nabiki, why are you dressed like that?"

"I'm here because you're dead, and you're not supposed to be," Nabiki replied. "And I'm dressed like this because I'm a bona-fide magical girl. See?" She held up the snow white rabbit. "I got the cute animal sidekick and everything!"

"Careful," the bunny said. "You drop me here and I'm dead."

"Yeah, like that would be any great loss," Nabiki replied. "This is Octava," she added. "You can blame him for this, if you like."

Ranma's eyes narrowed. "Am I in hell then?"

"Stop," Nabiki said, "You're slaying me. Literally. This is the land of the dead, and every moment I tarry here drains life out of me. As to why I'm here... that's because only someone with my gifts can travel here without dying. You see, I'm Healer Girl, whether I asked to be or not. Although I suppose I did ask, come to think of it."

"Healer Girl? Nabiki, you're not making any sense."

"Of course not." Nabiki reached out to grab his hand. He was surprised at how warm it was – almost so hot that it burned. "Now, don't let go," she said. "Just follow me. This will all make a lot more sense in about a month or two. For now, why not just assume I'm just a near-death delusion of some sort."

"You're not real?"

"There, see?" she said. "You've got the hang of it already!"

Nabiki led him away from the shoreline. Ranma took several steps, and paused. He could feel the water calling to him.

"Nabiki, I think I'm supposed to go that way," Ranma said. "I"m supposed to cross the water."

"No, Saotome," Nabiki replied. "That way leads to the afterlife. Your body's back this way."

"My body...?" Ranma paused, and said with more conviction, "Nabiki, I can't go back. I'm dead. My body was torn in two. There's no return for me, I can feel it in my soul."

"Yeah, well, humor me for a minute," Nabiki replied. "Maybe your instincts are wrong. I'm Healer Girl, remember?"

"Nabiki," Ranma said, "that's about the stupidest magical girl name I've ever heard.".

"Don't be dense, Saotome," Nabiki replied. "My official name is Pretty Angel Lime. And yes, I do realize that's not much better. Now, come."

They passed through a wall of darkness. If not for the painfully hot grip of Nabiki's hand, Ranma would have been lost. Then, suddenly, the black fog faded. They were standing in a crater, on the side of a mountain. It was muddy, but the rain had momentarily stopped.

Ranma looked about. "This is where the temple was, isn't it?" he said. "What happened?"

"A demon happened," Nabiki replied. "I don't know more than that, sorry."

Ranma suddenly ran ahead. "Akane! Akane!" The youngest Tendo sister was lying among the rubble, her body bruised and broken. Ranma reached out to touch her. His hand went right through her.

"I can't touch her," Ranma said, panic rising in his voice.

"You're dead, Saotome," Nabiki replied. You can't touch anybody."

"I touched you!" Ranma stated.

"Yes, but I'm a special case," Nabiki said. "I explained that."

"Nabiki, I think Akane is dying..." Ranma said.

"She is dying, Saotome. She's not dead yet, or you'd see her spirit. Now get over here!"

Ranma spun, eyes wide. "You can heal her, right? I want you to heal her!"

"I will," Nabiki said. "But you first, Saotome. My sister is not dead yet. You are."

"No!" Ranma growled. "I want you to heal Akane first! I won't cooperate until I know she's going to be alright!"

Nabiki stared back at him with hard eyes. "Listen, Saotome, this is no time for heroics. I have only a few minutes to do this. Do you honestly think I would save you and leave my sister to die? Akane can wait. You can't. Now get over here this instant!"

"Do as Nabiki says." The voice was very familiar – a near-monotone, almost devoid of emotion. Ranma turned. Kohana stood just a few feet away, eyes regarding him steadily. She was dressed in a dark outfit similar to Nabiki's, and wore her witch's hat.

"Kohana?" Ranma said. "You're here too? You can see me?"

"Oh yes," she replied. "I am a witch, remember? Now, go stand by Nabiki and do as she says. We have little time."

Ranma obeyed. He glanced down at his mangled body. More than mangled – there were two separate pieces there.

"Gods, look at me," he said. "There's no way I could survive that."

"You didn't survive it, obviously," Nabiki snapped. "But let's see what a little Magical Girl ex Machina can accomplish. Now, hang tight, got it? If you feel a sudden urge to inhabit your body again, then go for it."

"I ain't inhabiting that ugly corpse," Ranma said.

"I said, hang tight."

As Nabiki prepared to cast her spell, Ranma asked, "Kohana, do you know why I look like a mix between girl and boy?"

"This form represents your soul, of course," Kohana replied. She flashed an almost-smile. "Think about it, Saotome."

Just then Nabiki yelled out, "Pretty Angel Lime Sour Mystical Healing!" and the world turned a brilliant emerald green.

XXX

Soun Tendo stirred and opened his eyes. He was wet. Mud clung to his hair, his clothes, his arms. Somewhere nearby he heard a loud boom. The ground shook.

Soun sat up. His senses, honed through years of training, told him that this was no ordinary explosion. This was a chi blast – and a massive one, at that.

Ranma? he thought. There were few fighters he knew capable of such power.

Then he thought: Where is Akane? That girl would ruin everything. He blinked, recalling how she'd blasted him.

Akane had blasted him. A chi blast! His own daughter had learned such an attack! He was filled with pride. What had she yelled again? Wrath of Heaven? Yes, that was a good name – an attack based on unbridled fury.

Akane had blasted him. Him! Her father, her sensei, the head of the household. Righteous anger filled him in turn. What was that girl thinking? Had she no respect?

Akane had blasted him. In anger! His little girl hated him! Tears flowed down his face. He couldn't bear to have her against him.

Further down the mountainside there was a bright flash. Soun stared, awestruck, as a tower of chi energy arose into the night sky. The heavy ball of chi descended with a deep, crashing boom that shook the mountainside.

Soun recognized the Shishi Hokodan. It was the Hibiki boy's special attack, but he'd never been known to produce one this powerful.

Something was very wrong. Soun had a bad feeling in the pit of his stomach. How long had he been out? He should head to the abandoned temple, the arranged meeting place, but... he stared down the mountainside. Something was happening below – a monumental fight of some sort. As a martial artist, he knew he could not ignore it. Then again, Ranma or Akane were likely involved.

His mind made up, Soun slipped and slid down the muddy slope towards the source of the chi blast.

As Soun entered the blast area, his eyes grew wide. He was no fool. He recognized what he saw – a powerful demon that looked a bit like a frog, and a bit like a panda. Genma had shown to Soun the stone frog and explained what he planned to do with it. Soun could put two and two together.

He saw the bodies lying strewn about the area as well. This was his responsibility.

Grim-faced, Soun stepped forward. Overhead, he heard a helicopter approaching, but his focus was on the demon.

XXX

Toshio Tsuda had been a member of the Honda Estate Security Forces for two years. It was a good job. True, some of the people he worked for seemed odd. The elder daughter Kohana claimed to be a witch. Some said the butler Khan was an ogre. He was familiar with the rumors about Mr. Honda – that he was descended from a long line of priests and magicians, that he himself knew magic. But when you were employed in the private army of one of the richest and most powerful men in Japan, you ignored such talk and did what you were told.

Toshio had never seen anything like he was seeing now. A ball of energy large enough to blow a small crater in the side of a mountain, summoned by sheer will alone. A ten-foot-tall demon with horns, claws, and glowing eyes. He circled the helicopter in closer. "Are you seeing what I'm seeing?" he asked.

His copilot Tommy merely nodded. "I see it," he replied. "But I don't believe it."

In the back, the third member of their crew leaned out the side of the chopper. "I have it in my cross hairs," Nikko said. "Damn, that's one ugly S.O.B."

Toshio keyed his comm. "Base, we have a visual of the demon. Awaiting orders."

There was a pause. "Do you have a loc on Mistress Kohana?"

"Further up the mountain, well away from the demon," Toshio replied.

"Good, then. You have permission to take it out. Be careful."

"Understood." Toshio glanced back at Nikko. He flashed thumbs up. "Fire when ready," he said.

The demon was watching them almost casually. "What's in those bullets?" Tommy asked.

"Buddhist scriptures, wards and spells to banish demons, that sort of thing." Toshio replied. "You'd have to ask the old man for specifics."

Nikko squeezed the trigger. The demon screamed in pain, clutching its eye.

"You shot it's eye?" Toshio asked, pulling the helicopter up and around the demon.

"Always go for the head," Nikko replied. "Besides, I've no idea where that thing's heart is. I can find out when it's dead."

"What's it doing?" Tommy said. "Its stomach is glowing..."

"Crap!" Tommy exclaimed. "Get us out of here now! Get us..."

Nikko fired a second shot. This missed its target as the helicopter swerved away. A ball of fire broadsided the chopper. One of the blades snapped. It spun and plunged to the earth.

"We're going down!" Toshio yelled out. "We're going..."

The chopper plowed into the mountainside. The demon Guagua laughed. It was limping and bleeding from many wounds, and holding its wounded eye, but it seemed in good spirits.

"I grow weary of these attacks," it said. "I sense a town nearby, with many mortals. I have one good Shishi Hokodan left before this mortal fades. Let's see how much damage we can cause."

XXX

Akane drifted in a deep sleep. She heard voices, but couldn't make out what was being said. Her body was cold, but at least the rain had stopped.

Sudden warmth shot through her body. It enveloped her and comforted her. She felt a kinship to that warmth... like when her older sister Kasumi would hold her and sooth her when she was young. It drove the pain away. Akane suddenly felt much, much better.

She heard her sister's voice – not Kasumi's, but Nabiki's. "That's as much as I can do. I'm almost completely spent..."

"You've done enough," another voice replied. This sounded like Kohana. "We really need to leave, before..."

There was a pause, and then Kohana said. "Nabiki? What are you doing here? I thought you stayed at the restaurant?"

"Oh, crap," Nabiki said.

"Who's with you?" Kohana continued. "Why does she look like me?" For perhaps the first time ever, Akane heard some actual emotion in Kohana's voice – confusion, and a bit of panic.

"Octava," Kohana said, "get us out of here. Now." This time Kohana spoke in her usual controlled, emotionless tone. But to Akane, it seemed as if Kohana's voice was coming from two directions at once.

A male voice began to chant words that Akane didn't recognize. "Wait!" Kohana exclaimed. "What are you..."

There was a ringing noise, followed by a soft "pop". A long stretch of silence followed.

Akane felt a hand on her forehead. "Akane?" Kohana asked. "Are you okay?"

Akane opened her eyes. Her witch friend was looking down at her with concern. "I... I don't know, I..." Akane stirred. She sat up. "Actually... I thought I was dying but suddenly I feel much better..."

Kohana smiled – really, truly smiled. "That's good to hear," she said.

Akane looked about. "Where's Nabiki?" she asked.

"Nabiki?" Kohana replied. "She's back at the restaurant, of course. We didn't let her come, remember?"

"But I heard you talking to her," Akane insisted.

"You must have imagined it," Kohana replied. "Have you seen Ranma?"

Akane's face darkened. "Ranma... is dead..." she said.

"Wait. I see him." Kohana moved several feet away. "He looks fine, Akane," she called out. "He's just unconscious."

Akane stood. Her legs felt weak. She stepped carefully over to where Kohana knelt beside a bald, male Ranma, bare from the waist up. "But... I saw his body... it had been ripped in two..." She paused, and placed a hand on Ranma's black silk trousers. They were torn and soaked with a dark, sticky substance...

"This is a lot of blood, Kohana," Akane said. "I didn't imagine it."

Just then Ranma opened his eyes. "Am I alive?" he croaked. "Did it work?" He saw Akane and grabbed her. "Akane! You're alive!"

Akane buried her face in Ranma's chest. She began to cry. "Oh, Ranma!" she sobbed. "I'm so relieved. You were dead, weren't you?"

"I... I think I was," Ranma replied. "Or was it a dream? Kohana, you're still here. Where did Nabiki and the talking bunny go?"

"Talking bunny?" Akane asked.

Kohana frowned. "Listen, you two," she said. "Whatever you thought you saw, it's probably best if you say nothing to the others. Nabiki won't understand. I'm quite sure that she's back at the restaurant and has been this whole time."

"What are you talking about, Kohana? I saw her. She healed me. And then she healed Akane."

"Ranma," Kohana replied, "Does the Nabiki you know have such abilities?"

"Well, no, but..."

"I saw them too," Kohana replied. "They were here when I arrived. Nabiki, the rabbit, and me. Only it wasn't me. At least, not the me that I know..."

Ranma and Akane just stared at her in confusion. Kohana said, "I can't explain it either. They must have come from somewhere else... another dimension, or a different time... For now, it's best if you both just think of what you experienced as some sort of near-death vision or hallucination..."

They heard another voice behind them. "There you are, Once and Future Son-In-Law. Are you well?"

They turned. Cologne was there, balanced on her staff. Beside her stood Mousese and also a tall, regal whit-haired man in black robes.

"Greetings, Grandfather," Kohana said.

"Akane Tendo, Ranma Saotome, Sisters of the Joketzu Tribe," said Cologne. "I need you to aid me in banishing a demon."

XXX

"Yoriko? Are you okay?" Miyuki struggled to shove the yakuza girl off of her. She rolled her over and sat up. Yoriko was bruised and unconscious. She didn't look good. "You damned stupid fool," Miyuki swore. She stared to cry. "Why did you have to do that? What am I to you anyway?"

She felt for a pulse, and found it. "Good. That's something," she said. "Now, don't go dying on me. If you die trying to save me then I'll never let you live it down..."

Miyuki glanced about. Everywhere there was devastation. Her eyes fell on another body ten feet away – that of her good friend Sachiko. She lay in a pool of blood, two gaping holes in her chest.

"Sachiko!" Miyuki screamed, scrambling to her friend's side. The body was cold. Miyuki frantically felt for a pulse. It was there, but very faint.

Tears rolled down Miyuki's face. "Sachiko, please don't die. You can't die. I don't know what I would do with myself..."

Before Ranma, Sachiko had been the most amazing girl Miyuki had ever met. She was quiet and tended to fade into the background, but she was a fantastic artist and an even better swordswoman. Initially Miyuki had wanted to write a magical girl story starring Sachiko, but her friend had refused. Sachiko was the only one who could draw it, so that had been that. But she'd promised to draw Miyuki's comic if a different heroine was found.

Miyuki collapsed next to Sachiko's body, sobbing.

Something exploded not far off. Miyuki heard sirens. She glanced up and looked about. The demon was still standing, not far away. It turned her direction.

"Oh, so one of you is still alive?" it rumbled. "Well, I can solve that..."

XXX

Back at Uchan's restaurant, the doors were locked, the lights were low, and it was quiet enough to hear the tick of the clock on the wall. Tomari, Rin, Kaida and Nabiki passed the time playing cards.

"You have a Queen?" Rin asked.

"No," Nabiki replied. "Go fish."

Kaida made a face. "Kami, this is sooo boring! I still say we should play strip poker."

"Pick whatever game you like," Nabiki said. "I'm still going to win."

"I wonder how they're doing out there?" Rin said.

"Not good," Tomari replied. "Mr. Khan's badly injured. Sachiko too. Possibly Yoriko as well as her two goons and the others. The demon knocked Shampoo, Ukyo and Konatsu about like rag dolls. It just took down our family's commando helicopter a minute ago. There's no word on injuries from the crash yet. I'm not even sure if anyone's left standing. It's already blown two craters in the side of the mountain with some sort of powerful chi blast, and... oh, wait. Kohana reports that Ranma and Akane are okay. That's good news, there was some crazy priest who claimed that Ranma had been killed... oh, Cologne's there now, with Grandfather..."

She glanced up from her laptop. "That's all I have at the moment," she said.

The other girls stared at her. "What?" Tomari said. "I'm logged into my family's security network. I've got a better overview of the battle than anyone actually involved in it."

"Tomari, what the hell?" Nabiki dropped her cards and scooted around the table. The other girls crowded in behind her.

"Gods, Tomari," Kaida exclaimed. "I thought you were surfing the web or something..."

"Oooh, look," Nabiki said. "There's a live video feed."

"Ah, good," Tomari said. "That's our pilot, Toshio Tsuda. Guess someone survived the crash... oh, and there's Nikko. That is good news."

"Would you look at that beast?" Rin replied. "What the hell is that? It looks kinda like a panda, but with horns and... frog eyes, I guess..."

"Holy hell," Nabiki cursed. "What's that fool Genma got himself into this time?"

"Wow," Kaida said. "Where's Inu-Yasha when you need him, anyway?"

"Daddy!" Nabiki exclaimed. "What the hell is he doing?"

"He's protecting Miyuki..." Tomari said. "Don't ask me why that fool is even on the battle field... taking pictures, I suppose..."

The quartet watched as two commandos set up a rocket launcher. White light flashed as the rocket fired. It hit the demon in the back with a fire-y explosion. The demon was knocked forward a dozen feet, skidding through the mud. It turned about, fixing its yellow eyes on the three commandos.

"Cripes!" Rin exclaimed. "Is it even hurt?"

XXX

Ranma and Akane stared at the stranger next to Cologne. Ranma could sense a strong battle aura – perhaps as strong as that of Cologne herself.

"This is Mr. Tochigi Honda," Cologne said. "He can help us banish the demon. Now, come." She set off down the mountain. The black-robed priest followed. They both seemed perfectly sure-footed on the muddy hillside – or at least, Mr. Honda was surefooted, while Cologne hopped along on her staff.

"Honda?" Ranma said, running to catch up. He glanced to Kohana, then back to the black-robed man.

"Indeed," the old man replied. "You seem to have gotten mixed up in a bit of trouble, Granddaughter."

"Yes, Grandfather," Kohana replied. "I'm trying to help my friends, but there isn't much I can do."

The old man glanced to Ranma and Akane. "Are you two well?"

"Yeah, I guess," Akane said.

Ranma glanced down at himself. "All healed up," he said. He traced a finger along a faint, jagged scar across his belly – the only thing left from his seemingly fatal encounter.

The old man was staring at the scar too. "That's good work," he said. "You have a healer here?"

"No, Grandfather," Kohana replied. "I... I'm not sure who it was exactly. They're gone now, but... one of them looked like me."

The old man raised an eyebrow. "I will expect a full debriefing later," he said.

"Of course, Grandfather," Kohana replied.

"Ranma," the old man said, "this demon has possessed your father. I can banish it, but if I do so while it is in Genma's body I risk harming him. It seems more powerful while in possession of a human body, especially that of a such a powerful martial artist. It will seek another as soon as it's out."

"Won't a banishing ward drive it out?" Ranma asked. "I know how to do a few of those..."

"No," said Mr. Honda. "For a demon like Guagua, only very specific and powerful wards will work. I have several prepared. I need you to drive the demon from your father's body."

Ranma nodded. Ahead of them, the demon loomed suddenly out of the darkness and gloom. "Leave that part to me," he said, cracking his fingers.

XXX

Miyuki froze as the demon turned to her. "One of you is still alive?" it said. "Well, I can fix that..."

She saw movement behind the demon. There was a man there in black military garb. He had what looked like a rocket launcher balanced on his shoulder.

There was a bright flash of light. The demon skidded forward as a rocket hit it in the back. Miyuki ducked down, covering Sachiko, as the night exploded into bright light.

The demon spun about angrily. Miyuki glanced up. She saw it swinging at the commando with its terrible claws. She shut her eyes, not wanting to see what came next.

After several moments of silence, she opened her eyes again. The demon towered over her.

"You're the last one," it said.

Miyuki knew she was about to die. Her last thought was, I never even got to show Ranma our comic. I wish I could have seen her in the club's magical girl uniform...

Then, improbably, a man was standing between her and the demon. He was tall with long dark hair and wore a brown, muddy martial artist's outfit.

"Get your friend out of here," he growled. "I'll hold it off."

Miyuki stared for a moment. Who was this guy? He was dressed as a martial artist, but... this demon had already taken nearly a dozen people down, including some of the best martial artists Miyuki had ever seen. This man was going to die.

Laughing, the demon swung a massive fist. The man managed to block it, though he slid several feet.

"Saotome, my friend!" the man yelled. "If you can hear me, fight back! Don't let this creature use you! Fight it!"

The frog deamon croaked a laugh. "Your panda friend is too far gone," he said. "When I killed his son, his world was shattered..."

"Ranma, dead?" the man replied. "No, that can't be true!"

"I'm afraid it is," Guagua replied. "As you will be in just a second..."

Miyuki scrambled to her feet. She grabbed Sachiko by the shoulders and pulled. She prayed to whatever gods might hear her. It didn't matter. The demon would kill the stranger in brown, and then it would kill her.

And then another pair of hands grabbed Sachiko. A man in a black suit lifted her up. "Come, run!" he said. Miyuki turned and ran after him.

More people were here. A helicopter came out of the sky. The man ran straight to it. As it landed, he placed Sachiko's body on board.

Behind her she heard a young man shouting. "Akane! Mr. Tendo! Mousse! Back me up!" She turned and saw a bald boy facing the demon. He wore black pants and was naked from the waist up. Akane was there, and the man in brown, hurt but still standing.

Miyuki's heart caught in her throat. Those pants... this was Ranma, as a boy. Ranma was still alive! But why was he bald?

There was also a tiny old woman balanced on a staff – Miyuki recognized Cologne. She saw Mousse, the boy who helped Cologne and Shampoo at the Nekohanten. Beside them was an old, white-bearded man in black robes. Miyuki's eyes went wide. She'd met Tomari's grandfather Mr. Tochigi Honda before, but he'd always worn a business suit. Kohana was there, too.

Akane yelled something. A blue ball of chi shot out from her hands, blasting the demon. Miyuki's stared in shock. Since when had Akane learned to do that?

Kohana tossed a much smaller ball of fire at the demon. Miyuki blinked. Kohana didn't know martial arts – did she?

The man in the black suit placed a hand on Miyuki's shoulder. "How many injured are there?" he asked.

"Nine, plus those in the chopper," Miyuki replied. Then she paused. Rising from the mud, she saw Mr. Khan, the Honda butler. He was still in his ogre form. He'd nearly been decapitated, but now there was only a long, red gash across his neck. "Or eight," she said. "There's Yoriko over there. She shielded me with her body – she's hurt bad. Shampoo's hurt bad too. Then there's Ukyo, Konatsu, Akela, Yoriko's two friends... there was a guy with a rocket launcher, he might be dead, I don't know. " She paused to look into the man's eyes. "Sachiko was the worst. Will she be okay?"

"She's lost a lot of blood," the man said. "I'm no doctor, but we'll do our best."

"I want to go with her," Miyuki said.

"No," the man replied. "We need to evacuate the wounded first."

Miyuki frowned, then nodded. As usual, she was more hindrance than help.

Ranma was attacking the demon now, dancing about it, avoiding all of its attacks. The others were attacking when the opportunity presented itself. People in black suits were pulling the others out of the mud and away from the fight. Cologne warned the others to stand back and stop attacking, and let Ranma handle it.

Miyuki began filming.

XXX

Back at Uchan's the girls were still gathered about Tomari's laptop. There were now more video feeds as more Honda estate staff arrived.

"Oh, look," Kaida said. "Reinforcements!" She stared at the screen a moment, and then added... "Uh... isn't that Akane and Kohana? There's some bald, bare-chested boy with them, and... an old man, and... a boy in white with a million weapons up his sleeves, and... a white-haired monkey on a pogo stick?"

"That's Cologne," Nabiki said. "Amazon Matriarch. She's good. The boy with glasses is Mousse, master of hidden weapons."

"The old man is my grandfather," Tomari added. "He's good, too. As for the bald boy, my guess is that he's Ranma."

"Ranma? Ranma's a girl..." Kaida started to say. She paused. They all knew that Ranma claimed to be a boy cursed to turn into a girl, but most of them had never seen a male Ranma before.

"That's him, alright," Nabiki said. "Now things get interesting..."

XXX

The demon Guagua stared at Ranma in surprise. "You're still alive? I thought I bit you in half. You're very resilient for a mortal."

"I heal fast," Ranma replied. He felt no great need to explain exactly how he'd been healed. Come to think of it, he wasn't sure he could explain it. "Nabiki came to me in the land of the dead, dressed like a magical girl..." No. Nobody was going to believe that. He didn't believe it. Could it have possibly been a near-death delusional vision?

Ranma gritted his teeth, brushing all such thoughts aside. He had to focus on the task before him.

The rain had finally ceased, and floodlights lit up the hillside. More Honda employees were arriving every minute. The demon was surrounded, but it didn't seem concerned. It was limping. It bled from several dozen wounds. It's skin shuddered and shifted. It laughed.

"In that case, this time I will slice you into tiny pieces and burn them. Then I shall scatter your ashes to the four winds. How will you resurrect from that, I wonder?"

"I don't think I could," Ranma said.

"No," Guagua said, "you could not. Even I would be unable to do so, and I am much more than a mere mortal."

The demon dodged back as blue chi shot past it from one side. A small fireball sailed past from another direction.

"I guess I'll need to defeat you then," Ranma said.

The demon laughed harder. "Such impertinence! Do you really think one mortal could defeat me? You may try, if you like. Many have before you, and they are dead."

"I'm better than them," Ranma said.

"We shall see." The demon thrust its arm blades forward. "Black Ice Blades!" it yelled. Blades of icy black chi sliced through the air. Ranma dodged these, then winced. He shook his arm. Ice fell to the ground.

"Are my ice blades not very cold?" The demon grinned. "They need not even touch you to do freezing damage."

Ranma grimaced. "So I see."

Bladed weapons on chains flew at the demon. It swatted them away, not even glancing in Mousse's direction.

"Do you not fear being eaten again?" the demon asked.

"I was tied up last time," Ranma replied. "But feel free to try again if you like."

"Ah. Just as your father and some of your friends,. I see that you're a martial artist of note."

"They weren't as good as me," Ranma said. "I'm fresh and ready to fight, while you're beaten up. You can't last too much longer can you?"

The demon grinned. "True, this body won't last much longer. As it isn't mine to start with, I really don't care."

The demon's fire-y tongue lashed out, quick as a whip. Ranma ducked low. He felt intense heat as it passed over him.

"Hot, isn't it?" the demon said. "I can blister your skin without making contact."

"That's a pretty powerful combination," Ranma replied. "Extreme heat and extreme cold, from the same opponent."

"Indeed! I am quite powerful. I have defeated many foes in battle with such attacks."

"But not powerful enough to defeat me."

"I have already defeated you once!" the demon roared.

"I'm no longer confined," Ranma replied. "Perhaps you should be tied up for our rematch. It would only be fair. Surely a demon of your power and skill could defeat me even so?"

"You did not mention my superior intelligence," Guagua croaked. "I'm far too smart to fall for such a trick. Talk all you want, foolish mortal; I'll not be taken in so easily."

It lashed out with its tongue of fire again and again. It's belly swelled and it spit a ball of fire-y chi, which Ranma dodged.

Nearby, Cologne tapped Akane and Kohana on the shoulder. "No more attacks, you two," she said. "That means you as well, Mr. Part Time. Stand back and watch. Don't interfere."

The demon continued to attack, and Ranma continued to dodge. He fell back and around, in a circle. "You are quick," the demon said. "You dodge my attacks. Why do you not attack in return? Show me this great strength you claim to possess! Or are you so afraid of hurting your Father?" The demon rumbled low with laughter. "Really, after what he did to you, you still have feelings for him? When will you mortals ever learn? Well, never fear, he is nearly dead already, but now that he knows you are alive he is fighting me. Sadly, I no longer have his despair to draw on for an attack. But how can you hope to defeat me without killing him, I wonder?"

"Pops is a martial artist," Ranma said. "He knows that I can't hold back. He would die for the art, just as I would."

"Brave words," the demon said. It lashed out with its arm blades. "I sense that, when it comes to his own life, your father has different thoughts on the matter..."

Ranma continued to fall back, circling around. Finally the demon began to chuckle. "You really do take me for a fool, don't you? You lead me in a spiral." The demon laughed low and deep. "That's the Hiryu Shoten Ha. I know of it. Did you think you could catch me unaware? Did you think I would not recognize it? I know many fighting styles, even some that have not been practiced in a thousand years. All I need do is emit no heat, and your plan is defeated. This should not be hard for a cold-blooded frog demon such as myself, don't you think?" It flashed rows of sharp teeth. "Ice attacks only, then."

Guagua raised its arms high. "Now," it said, "you die. Black Ice Blades!"

Ranma dodged. He reached out, as if to catch the blades in his bare hands. They flashed by just out of reach, but his hands were suddenly covered with ice.

The demon laughed. "Trying to catch chi blades with your bare hands? What would that accomplish?"

"Only this," Ranma replied. He swung upwards with a fist, shouting, "Hiryu Shoten Ha!"

Instantly the entire area was engulfed in a powerful wind storm. It sucked the demon up and up... higher than Ranma's attack had ever previously managed. Downed brush, trees, loose rocks and dirt were all sucked up into the swirling maelstrom.

The others scrambled to get out of the way. Soun grabbed Miyuki and drug her backwards – she was still trying to capture everything on film.

It was quite a while before Guagua returned to earth. He slammed into the ground, battered and broken.

Ranma stood over him. The demon looked up "No! Impossible! How did you..." the demon croaked.

"For such a powerful demon, you really ain't too bright," Ranma said. "You generate both extreme heat and extreme cold. You did all the work for me. You left residual heat all over the area from your attacks. All I needed was to combine that with the cold of your ice blades and launch my punch."

The demon started to chuckle, then coughed up blood. "Clever," it said. "Very clever. But the joke's on you, mortal. This fool's body is done for, but I need only leave it and I'm ready to fight anew..."

The body began to morph and twist. In moments only a beaten, bruised and bloody panda lay before Ranma. The air shimmered, and the frog demon Guagua was standing three feet away, looking as good as new.

"Do you see now, mortal snack?" The demon rumbled with a croaking laughter. "I am not harmed in the least. Well, mortal? Ready for round two?"

The demon glanced down. As beaten as it was, the panda held up a sign. "What's this?" Guagua asked. "Not dead yet? What does this sign say? Cradle of Hell? Now what does that mea..."

"No, Pops!" Ranma yelled, but the panda was already springing into the air. Genma landed on the frog demon's back and wrapped his arms and legs about it in a death grip.

The demon spun about, flailing its arms, unable to reach Genma or shake him off. "Stupid fool! Get off of me! You are already dead! Dead! Let go! Let go!"

The ogre Khan charged forward. He held his long bone blade in his hands once again. He buried it the demon's side. The demon began to scream – a terrifying, inhuman sound.

Mr. Honda leaped forward, a flawlessly-inscribed paper ward in his hand. "I've got you now," he crowed. He slapped the ward on Guagua's forehead and yelled out, "Demon-B-Gone! Patent pending!"

XXX

In Uchan's, Nabiki frowned in perplexed annoyance. "Did he just say what I heard him say?" she asked.

"Grandfather has always wanted to market demon banishing spells on television," Tomari replied. "He has scientists developing an aerosol spray..."

XXX

Guagua screamed. His body writhed and shook. It spun about, faster and faster, becoming a blur. Suddenly there was nothing there but the panda that had been clamped to its back. The panda spun and dropped heavily to the ground.

Genma Saotome had never looked worse.

Ranma fell to his knees beside the broken panda body. "Pops? Are you okay? What the hell did you gotta do that for? We had it beat without you! You were already hurt! Pops? Speak to me..."

A hand fell on Ranma's shoulder. He glanced up into the face of Mr. Honda. "The emergency helicopter will be back soon," the man said. "We'll aid him as quickly as possible. It's hot water that reverses the transformation, correct?"

Ranma nodded wordlessly. He heard the sound of a helicopter in the distance. Rain began to fall again from the sky.