“I have failed.  The darkness around me is proof enough that I lost.  But even if I die I will not let the human world perish with me.”

            “Your courage is most admirable.  But you have lost.  You and your friends are now apart of me, infusing me with power.”

            “As I said, even if it cost me my life I will not let the human world perish.”  A spark of flame appears in the vast darkness.

            “What…What are you doing?”  A voice asks in uncertainty.

            “What has to be done!”  And with that said the darkness is enveloped in red flames.  Then all is silent.

 

            “Ranma no baka!”  And with those words Ranma Saotome is sent airborne by his sometimes cute, sometimes violent fiancé.

            “Uncute, tomboy!”  He yells back as he flies through the sky.  (“Sailing through the air is so peaceful.  It’s the going up and coming down that’s violent,”) Ranma muses.  He allows his eyes to wonder over to Shinjuku.  The darkness is still present over the city.  No one has heard from the city.  Ryoga said it was like a ghost town with armor-clad soldiers running around.  Correction, Ryoga had said, strong armor-clad soldiers.  And when Ryoga said someone was strong, you knew he wasn’t messing around.  But this time there is something different about Shinjuku.  A red flash and a surge of ki.  A big surge of ki if Ranma was any judge.  Not only that but it looked like it was coming straight for him.  (“Oh shit!  It is!”)  Ranma threw his arms up in front of him to protect himself.  But it did little good as the flames of the light covered him.

 

            Darkness.  The darkness of unconsciousness.  Ranma, living the life he lives, has become well acquainted with it.  “Ranma?”  A voice calls to him in the darkness.

            “Who’s there?”  He calls back.  Again there is a flash of light.  Ranma turns and shields his eyes from the light.  When he turns back there is a man in red body armor standing in front of him.  Ranma tenses preparing for a fight.  “Who are you?”

            “I am called Ryo of the Wildfire.  I have not come here to fight you.”  The man says.

            Ranma looks him over.  Finally, after searching the man’s ki, Ranma calms down.  “What do you want?”

            “I want to pass my powers onto you.”

            “What powers?”

            “Here, it will be easier this way.”  With a movement of his hand his body armor disappears and a small transparent ball forms in his hand.  “Take this.”  He tosses the ball to Ranma.

            “What’s this…,” Ranma, however, does not finish speaking.  His clothes are suddenly ripped from his body and replaced by the same body suit the man was wearing.  Ranma stands there speechless.  After a moment he looks himself over.

            “Along with the Armor of Wildfire and the Soul of Righteousness, you should also have my memories.”  Ranma nods.  “Good.  Then you know what you must do?”

            Ranma nods.  “Defend the human world from those of the Nether World.”

            “Good.  Now you must train so you can learn how to use the Armor of Wildfire.  Maybe you can also learn how to use the White Armor.   Unfortunately using that power killed me.”

            “I will not fail.”

            Ryo nods.  (“I have chosen well.  He is worthy of the Soul of Righteousness.”)

 

            In a secluded home far away from civilization, there lives a young woman.  She is a teacher with an affinity for the mystic and supernatural.  There in that home are also four young men, who happen to be armor clad warriors, and a white tiger.  Today they have a special guest, a young man named Jun.  But Jun’s visit is not for a joyous occasion.  Instead it is so they can all remember a warrior that passed into the next world.  There were no remains to be buried, and yet they still made a small monument for the fallen warrior.  Arago, their hated enemy, is finally gone.  But the price they paid was high.  “Ryo.”  Nasté says as the tears flow from her eyes.  Shin, Toma, Seiji, Shu, and Jun all have tears in their eyes.  Even White Blade cries out, weeping the only way he knows how to.  They have already renewed their vows to fight the Nether World.  None shall be sacrificed needlessly.  Their protective war against the Nether World has become a war of vengence.  A war where every demon they kill is payback for the one they lost.  Their friend, their ally, their savior.

 

            A day later, Seiji of the Nimbus and Toma of the Heavens, are returning to the home.  They have stopped at the side of the road to refresh themselves.  Toma motions for Seiji to do the same.  Seiji declines.  “I’m fine.  I just want to get back.  Hopefully Nasté has found out something about that White Armor.”

            Toma nods.  “I wish we didn’t have to learn about it.  But something that powerful enough to kill Arago and the person that summons it needs to be researched.”

            Seiji nods.  They begin to leave when an ominous wind blows.

 

            I don’t think I need to go through the first encounter with Sarenbou?  If you don’t know they got their asses kicked.

 

            Elsewhere, in Nerima.  A certain pigtailed martial artist has been sneaking out to God knows where every day and every night.  Each fiancé believes that he has been sneaking out to be one of the other fiancés.  They blame one another.  Akane also blames Ranma.  Which means the normal number of pummeling he’s been receive has gone up quite a bit.  “Foolish boy!  You need to apologize to your fiancé!”

            “Which one, oyagi?  Shampoo, Ucchan, or Akane?”  Ranma asks as he kicks the fat fool into the koi pond.

            <”Akane, of course!”>  The panda flips the sign.  <”The schools must be joined!”>

            “Shut up!”  Ranma decides that it’s time for the old man to see one of his new techniques.  One of the techniques he developed when the Armor of Wildfire was passed to him.  As soon as the panda gets out of the pond, Ranma lets a small fireball escape his hand.  Instant charred panda.  (“Don’t think Saffron could have done better,”) Ranma thinks as he watches the Panda run around the yard.  Finally he decides to help the fat fool.  He stretches out his arm and absorbs the fire back into his body.  No one notices a thing, (“And even if they did they’d just think it was a new martial arts technique.”)

            “Ranma!”  Akane yells out as she storms downstairs.

            (“Oh great.”)  Ranma slaps his forehead and curses his luck.  “What’s up Akane?”  He asks once she enters the room.

            “Where were you last night?  And don’t say you were on the roof.  I know for a fact that you weren’t!”  She yells.

            “I was out practicing some new techniques.”  It wasn’t a lie.  He was.  Of course these techniques involved a mystic armor that held his curse and fear of cats at bay.  But she didn’t need to know that.  “Why?”

            “Don’t lie to me!  I know you were out with Shampoo!”

            “I was?”  Ranma asks with a slight grin.  “You sure?  I could have sworn it was Ucchan.”  Ranma mentally notes the aura coming off of the Akane.  (“I love this.  Why didn’t I ever do stuff like this before?”)  He asks himself.  “I mean I know it wasn’t you.  Her chest was too big.  So I guess it could have been Shampoo or Ucchan.”

            “Ranma,” Akane cracks her knuckles and prepares to kill the bastard.  “No,” Her aura of anger increases.  “Baka!”  She cries out as she lets loose an uppercut that connects with the pervert’s chin.  To Akane’s surprise, however, he does not go flying.  Instead he simply pushes her fist away from his chin.  “Huh?”  Akane is so stunned that her aura dies out.

            Ranma tries but can’t help but fall over laughing.  “You should see your face!”  He cries out between fits.  “Shampoo or Ucchan!”  After another minute Ranma finally stops.  “Honestly Akane, you’re goin’ have to learn to trust me.”  He looks up at her and smiles.  He tugs on her arm.  She snaps out of her stupor and sits down next to him.  “You know I’d never do anything like that.”  He leans in close and whispers into her ear.  “I killed a god for you.  You think I’m gonna do somethin’ like that?”

            Akane blushes for a split second.  She turns to Ranma and starts to say something to him, but pride wins out.  She sits up and moves to her seat at the table.

            Ranma signs and lets his senses wonder.  (“I know I sensed two of the Armors being activated yesterday.  I’m pretty sure that there was a Nether World presence near them.”)  Ranma thinks for a second.  (“What should I do?  Just go over and check it out?”)

“That would be the best option.”  Ryo’s voice answers.

            (“All right.  Guess we cancel tonight’s training and go and check it out.”)  Ranma feels Ryo mentally nod.

 

            “You do not possess the Armor I seek,” Sarenbou says.  He is annoyed.  Although the four in front of him were no match for his power (so he thought anyway) they had some impressive power.  That combined attack that Nimbus and Heaven had used was impressive.  He would have actually felt that.  Luckily he wasn’t there when it hit.  “Where is the other Armor?  Where is the Armor that defeated Arago?”

            “Gone!”  Toma yells through the pain.  “It was destroyed in the fight!”  That’s what they all thought anyway.

            “You lie!”  Sarenbou yells as he increases the voltage.  “I can feel its power.  It is somewhere out there.  It’s hiding.”

            “What?”  Shu yells.  “Ryo’s alive?”

            “I don’t care, nor do I know, if your comrade is alive or dead.  All I know is that fifth Armor of the Samurai Troopers is out there.”  Sarenbou turns back to the Troopers.  “I have no need for you,” He says before increasing the voltage to lethal levels.  A sudden movement to the right causes Sarenbou to turn.  He is surprised to see the face of a young man staring right back at him.  He is upside down and by all appearances looks to be defying gravity.

            “Boo!”  The young man says before slamming his right leg into Sarenbou’s shoulder.  The Nether World demon slams into the ground.  The Troopers fall out of the ground as Sarenbou loses his concentration.  The young man lands near them.  “Glad I decided to come here tonight!”  His eyes never leave Sarenbou.  The demon picks himself up and brandishes his weapon.  “So who are you anyway?”

            “I am Sarenbou.  The new ruler of this world.”

            “New ruler?”  Ranma turns to the guys.  “Did you guys know bout this?”

            Shu smiles.  “Nope.  I say we impeach this bastard.”  Shin nods.  “Armor of the Stone!”

            “Armor of the Torrent!”

            “You’d better get out of here kid,” Seiji says as the four warrior step forward.

            (“Kid?”)  Ranma grits his teeth.

            “Calm down Ranma.  He doesn’t know about you.  All he sees right now is an innocent who might get hurt.”

            (“I don’t care!”)  Ranma’s aura of confidence flares.

            “Whoa!”  The warriors step away from the glowing boy.

            “I ain’t no kid!”  Ranma yells as he gathers his ki in his hands.  “Mōko Takabisha!”  The golden sphere of ki slams into the now prepared Sarenbou.  The attack knocks the demon back a few feet and causes his armor to smoke slightly.

            “Not bad.  But you’ll have to do better than that.”

            “Trust me.  I can and will do better,” Ranma says confidently as he gets into an attacking stances.

            (“What’s with this kid?  I’ve never seen anyone use their ki like that.  And his stance.  It looks like kempo, but its different.”)  Seiji notes.

            “By the way,” Ranma says as he inches closer to Sarenbou.  “You’re looking for the White Armor, right?”

            Sarenbou nods.  “Its power must be impressive if it defeated Arago.”

            “I know a hell of allot more about the White Armor than these guys.”

            “What did you say?”  Toma yells.

            “Do you?”  Sarenbou asks.

            Ranma nods.  “Yep.  I’m pretty sure I know how to use it and summon it.  And I’m pretty sure that it takes about a pound of turtle wax to keep it looking as white as it is.”

            The joke Ranma sneaks in confuses Sarenbou.  “Turtle wax?”  He asks.

            He drops his guard for a split second too long.  Ranma is on him in that split second dealing out a major beating.  Finally a wild sling from Sarenbou’s weapon causes Ranma to drop back.  “That was a dirty trick, Ranma.”

            (“So?  His fault for not payin’ attention.”)

            “You little shit!”  Sarenbou cries out as he lunges forward.  Ranma smiles as he follows suit.  Sarenbou lashes out with his weapon and rips through Ranma’s shirt.  But the red underneath the shirt is not blood.  (“The bodysuit of an Armor Bearer!”)  Sarenbou notes.

            “You should really pay attention to your fights!”  Ranma yells as he delivers over 400 punches in a matter of seconds.

            Sarenbou falls back and clenches his ribs.  “We’ll settle this another day.”  He says before disappearing.

            “I’m sure we will.”  Ranma turns to the approaching Troopers.

            “You all right?”  Toma asks as he closes in.

            Everyone stops short when they notice the light of the moon reflecting off the chestplate.  “I know that armor!”  Seiji yells as he makes ready his sword.

            “Who are you?”  Shu asks.

            Ranma smiles.  “Ja ne,” He says with a wave.  He flips back into the shadows of the forest.  And with a cry of, “Goshin Dai Ryu Sei Fu!”  Melts into them.

            “Maitte!”  Shin calls out.

            “Who are you?”  Shu calls out again.

            “I am Ranma of the Wildfire.”  A voice from somewhere answers them.

            “Wildfire?”

            “Hai.  Don’t worry.  I’ll be in touch.”  And then there was silence.