See part one for an explanation.

  --------------------------------------------------------------

                         RANKO 1/2

                           Part 4

The sky above Fuurinkan Highschool is full of ominous clouds.
Thunder rolls.  The balconies of the building are teeming with
pupils of all ages trying to catch a glimpse of what is going on
in the yard.

Pupil:  Hey, someone's fighting Kunou.

Pupil 2:  Whoa!  He must have a deathwish.

Kunou Tatewaki and his opponent Saotome Ranma face each other.
Kunou's wooden Kendo sword is raised and he is assuming a fighting
position.  Ranma is unarmed, but nevertheless ready for battle.

Kunou:  So, you dare hound Akane in her own home?   [raises his
        sword above the head]  Kunou-sempai shall bring you to
        justice.

Ranma:  [touching his cheek in remembrance]  "Hounding" is not
        exactly the word.

Akane:  Sh... he's only *staying* with us, Kunou.

Kunou pays no attention to this. He screams

Kunou:  Silence, Fool!

as he charges Ranma with the speed of a express train.  His Enemy
in his sights, he brings down the wooden sword with a force that
splits the wall where Ranma was standing.  But Ranma is already
gone.  When Kunou notices his miss and looks around he finds Ranma
poised against the upper trunk of a tree, waiting to jump away
again as soon as Gravity notices that something is amiss.

Again, Kunou displays his mastery in handling his chosen weapon by
slicing the tree in half at the point where Ranma was - just a
moment ago.  As the upper half of the massacred tree lands, so
does Ranma a few paces from Kunou.  He is quite annoyed with
Kunou's attitude.

Ranma:  Now hold on, Kunou.

Suddenly he is standing right before Kunou; face to face.

Ranma:  Let me make something clear...

Kunou:  N...?!  [thinks]  This guy is good!

Akane:  [astonished]  Inconceivable!  He was there before Kunou
        could blink!

Ranma:  There is *nothing* going on between me and Akane.  Right,
        Akane?

Akane:  Nothing *at* *all*!

Akane's forcefulness in confirming this bothers Ranma a little,
but he has no time to contemplate what it means, since Kunou
swings at him again.

Kunou:  So, you disdain sweet Akane, scoundrel?!  Let *this* teach
        you respect.

He hits only empty air which throws him a little off-balance.
Ranma has jumped right up into the air and is now descending upon
the older boy with outstretched fingers aiming at his brow.  Kunou
brings his sword up again.  Just as both fighters seem about to
connect, Kunou is jerked violently to the side.

It is Akane, who jump-kicked him in the head snapping him out of
Ranma's path as well as out of the realm of consciousness.  She
grabs Ranma's hand, as the first drops of rain begin to fall from
the black clouds.

Akane:  Come on.  We don't want to be late *and* wet.

They leave Kunou flat on his face in the downpour.  The last
onlookers retreat into the building, talking.

Boy:  She knocked him out again.

Boy 1:  Yeah, just like every morning.


Later in the classroom of the first-year group F.  Ranma is
introduced to his new classmates.

Teacher:  Ranma recently arrived back in Japan from China.
          Although not so recently as to excuse his tardiness in
          arriving *here*.  You and Tendou Akane:  Stand in the
          hall.


Ranma and Akane are standing in the Hall before their class
holding buckets of water.

Akane:  This is your fault!

Ranma:  My fault?  That was *your* fight.

Akane:  *I* finish my fights every morning in time before class
        starts.

Ranma:  Every morning?!  What kind of school is this?

Akane:  It's because of Kunou.  He told them that whoever wanted
        to date me would have to defeat me first.

Short flashback of Kunou looking dramatic

Kunou (flashback):  I will permit no other terms!

End flashback

Ranma:  [shaking his head]  What a weirdo.  And they all are after
        you?

Akane:  [a little angry at his disbelief]  You doubt it?

She shifts the grip on her buckets as if to threaten to splash
him.  Ranma takes a step back.

Ranma:  Hey, I didn't mean it that way!  But, come on...  God knows
        you're cute, but isn't that a little over the top?

Akane slumps and sighs.

Akane:  You are right.  I think they are only in it because of the
        challenge.  To "prove themselves", hah!  Any boy who was
        *really* interested in me would have realized by now that
        I don't intend to date on that basis.

Ranma notices that Akane's mood has become pretty sad now.  He
sets one bucket on the floor and touches Akane's shoulder
reassuringly.

Ranma:  Hey, don't despair.  I'm sure there'll be some boy who
        respects you in your own right.

Akane:  Do you really think so, Ranko?

Her eyes glitter a little with the slightest hint of tears.  Then
she slumps again.

Akane:  It's not as if a boy like that would have any chance to
        come up to me.  Not as long Kunou upholds that stupid
        challenge.

Ranma:  Really!  Why would anybody listen to that buffoon?

Akane:  He's the best fighter of the whole school!

Ranma:  What, him?  I could have nailed him anytime!

Akane:  Is that so?  Then what's that on your throat?

Ranma:  Huh?  [fingers the side of his neck]  Ow, that's a bruise.
        [surprised]  He did that without even touching me?  Wow,
        he sure knows how to handle that sword.

Akane:  An opponent to take serious, don't you think.

Ranma:  Oh, I wouldn't be so sure.


Kunou is sitting in class next to Nabiki.  On his brow there are
shining red pressure marks spelling out "Bufoon".  Nabiki and he
are wispering to each other from the corner of their mouths,
never moving their eyes from the Teacher.

Nabiki:  And you say you didn't notice him touching you?  That's
         amazing.

Kunou:  Hmph!  I thought, he was good, too... But he can't even
        spell!  Everybody knows that it's spelled "B O O F U N".

Nabiki:  Kunou... It's spelled "B U F F O O N".

Kunou:  I detest you.

Nabiki:  My heart is broken.

Kunou:  Nevertheless... He will not get away with his impertinent
        behavior towards Akane.

Nabiki:  Well, I guess it's up to them to work hat out.  Them being
         fiances and all.

With that Kunou jumps up.  He is standing in the aisle with is
fists raised.

Kunou:  FIANCES?!  Never!  I forbid it!

Teacher:  [without even looking]  Kunou - stand in the hall.


Ranma and Akane are still holding their buckets.

Ranma:  Um, and another thing... I'd prefer if you'd call me
        "Ranma" while I'm a boy.

Akane:  Huh?  Why that?  You are still the same person.

Ranma:  Sure I am.  I just learned that it helps to keep up the
        illusion that my male half is not the same person as my
        female half.  People overhear all sorts of things - and
        I've found that you get away with it easier if you keep
        the masquerade consistent.

Akane:  Well, okay, "Ranma", if that's how you intend to do it.

Ranma:  Akane.  What's wrong?

But Akane doesn't get to answer because Kunou comes storming down
the hall with a bucket in each hand.  He empties them into Ranma's
direction but only succeeds in splashing the wall.  Ranma is
*good* at dodging water. :)

Kunou:  *Never*, Saotome Ranma!

Ranma:  What's it *now*, Kunou.

Akane:  Kunou-sempai..?

Kunou:  [screaming]  I shall never accept you engagement to Akane!

A split second later suddenly all the windows to the classes along
the hall shift open and pupils crowd out.

Boys:  What engagement?!

Girls:  Akane, how could you?  You always said you hated men!

Ranma and Akane are frantically waving at the others denying
everything.

Akane:  We're not really...

Ranma:  Only our parents want...

Kunou interrupts them by pulling his sword and attacking Ranma
again slicing a bucket in half in the process.  Ranma bounds down
the hall; Kunou follows.

Kunou:  Stand your ground, Saotome!

Ranma:  This is not the place for a fight!  Follow me.

Kunou:  I shall!

All the pupils are following the pair - Akane at the front.

Boy:  Wow, this is great!

Girls:  And the winner gets to go out with Akane!

Akane:  *Do* you mind?!

Hall monitor:  Hey!!  No running in the hall!

Akane:  [without slowing down or looking]  Yes, sir.

Ranma vaults through an open window.

Ranma:  C'mon, let's take this outside.

Kunou:  Fear not!

Hall monitor:  [just as Kunou jumps out]  Hey!  This is the third
               floor!

Kunou:  [eyes bugging]  Ack!

Ranma:  Don't worry, I'm... Ooops!

He has spied the large swimming pool below them.  Then he relaxes
remembering that he already is in cursed form.  Akane notices
this, runs to the window and shouts

Akane:  Ranma!  That pool is *heated*!

Ranma:  Nani?!

Too late.  with a loud splash the would-be combatants impact on
the surface of the water.  For a while the splashes and ripples
obscure what goes on, but as the picture clears the onlookers see
Kunou floating face down in the water.

Boy:  There's Kunou!  Why are his index finger and pinky extended?

Boy2:  It means he's out of the picture.  But where's Saotome?

Ranko is swimming underwater hoping to be hidden by the reflexes
on the surface.

Ranko:  [thinks]  Gotta get away.  Gotta get away.

She notices the unconscious Kunou floating above her and an idea
forms.  She lifts him a little out of the water, making sure to
keep beneath him at all times, and slowly makes her way to the
edge.

Ranko:  [thinks]  Whatta way to start school...  What kind of
        principal keeps a *heated* pool behind his school?
        With... [blinks at what she sees]  with *palm trees*
        around it?!

At that very moment Kunou blinks and moans.  He is regaining
consciousness.  He feels the figure beneath him and instinctively
grabs at it squishing Ranko's breasts.

Kunou:  Saotome!  I fight on!

Ranko:  Gyaaaa!!

Akane:  [still at the window]  Now it is out!

-- End of part 4.

  -------------------------------------------------------------------

Continued in part 5.


Sebastian
--
       <http://enterprise.mathematik.uni-essen.de/~bastian/>
                         Comics reviewed
--
Biggest security gap - an open mouth.