With their senses honed in on each other, the two mighty warriors clashed in the middle, crescent bladed spear met hard metallic umbrella. Sparks of metal flew off their weapons as they were impacted with thunderous clanks!

The winds parted against the unyielding pair of forces, releasing powerful shockwaves.

Standing with her hands on her hips, the redhead closed her eyes and lowered her head; a look of smug superiority adorned her face all the while the wind pressure released by the clashing weapons caused parts of her clothing to flutter from the intense breeze.

Bishamonten narrowed his eyes, confident that despite the boy's apparent strength he must have been even stronger given his sheer height and physique, "You're strong but not-" He cried out right before the impact, he felt the Lost Man's strike force him to reel back and skid on his heels.

"Is that all you've got?" Ryoga questioned while gripping his umbrella with both hands, holding it up and to the side of his head in a defensive stance.

Digging his heels as hard as he could to stop, Bishamonten lowered his head in anger before raising it back up to glare daggers at his opponent, pausing as he felt a sharp pain in his hands; causing them to shake.

"If this were not one the most finely crafted spears in all of Nekonron, my weapon surely would have come apart from the instant it impacted," Bishamonten remarked in a low tone of voice, strengthening his resolve and pushing past his pain.

'What obscene strength! Even though I'm muscular compared to him, the mere fact I wasn't blown away by that absurdly resistant umbrella is a miracle!' The exceptionally tall man thought with a scowl.

"You still have a chance to back down," Ryoga offered, narrowing his eyes, probably already aware of his enemy's answer.

"Were it so easy! To do so would be the same as betraying my King and fellow countrymen!" Bishamonten exclaimed with a proud smile now occupying his face, charging back in, this time keeping himself at a distance by thrusting his spear as far as it could.

Ryoga responded by also thrusting the tip of his umbrella to yet again grind against the more finely sharpened spearhead portion of his enemy's weapon. Taking into account how Ryoga managed to successfully parry the attack, twisting the shaft so the moon blade part of his spear would spin enough to slice the side of Ryoga's torso.

The sound of a suddenly popping open spring system rang, Ryoga's rainy day weapon expanded, and the smaller metal rods released more tiny embers as they slid against The Lucky God's spear.

Bishamonten's eyes widened when he saw that right after his attack, Ryoga was trying to make a counter stab with his umbrella, Ryoga quickly reverting it back to its default state. 'He's countering!' the bushy-faced man thought, doing the only thing he could, managing to jump back and then launch himself forward, the tip of his spear aimed at Ryoga's person.

Not expecting these turns of events Ryoga sidestepped the piercing blow before it was too late, actually letting go of his umbrella, now holding it with one arm in order for him to be nimble enough to barely avoid it. Bishamonten took this chance to spin his spear around again!

Rip!

Jumping back at the last second, Ryoga glanced down before putting a hand to his chest, the teenager took as little time as he could, returning his focus to his enemy.

"Hah!" Bishamonten cried out as he used both arms to swing his crescent polearm towards the shorter man.

"I must not! I cannot! Return a failure!" The proud lucky god of conquest declared as he unleashed a blinding barrage as swiftly as he could, forcing his body to move faster than before, the veins on his hands and forehead bulging on his head, the level of strength and concentration demanded of him was immense after all.

The unsuspecting yellow-clad man felt his breath gasp faster than the attack coming to him, his eyes envisioned a younger Ranma running towards him with his arm reeled back, 'Right! Left! Parry!' Ryoga thought determinedly, his words echoing in his mind like a soldier in training.

Bishamonten's first two attacks were sidestepped, then his third jab recoiled with a pa-dinging noise as he redirected the supposed God's strike by opening his umbrella.

Seeing this as his first real chance, Ryoga took advantage of the momentary disorientation of his fellow combatant. He thrust his own umbrella forward and towards the chest of Bishamonten's armor plate.

'Ranko! Once we save Lychee! Once we've gotten our cures! I swear I'll make an honest woman out of you!' he thought, roaring shortly after as he closed the gap.

"What!?" The armor-clad warrior hadn't expected Ryoga to be as opportunistic as this, missing but still enough to scrape the surface and some sparks of metal to go flying off his person.

A pained groan erupted from Bishamonten's mouth, 'His attack was so fierce that the mere pressure alone-' he thought before widening his eyes, catching sight of Ryoga shifting positions to try and punch him.

"Haaa!" The fang-toothed man let out a warcry.

Bishamonten met this challenge head-on, an image of himself and his wife holding their child entering his mind, the tranquil and warm expressions from his wife and daughter set a flame in his heart, allowing him to find an opening, sidestepping Ryoga at just the right time, bashing the side of his spear with both arms against Ryoga's chest.

Skidding on his feet the Lost Man dug his heels into the ground, limiting the distance he was being pushed by.

"Hiya!" Bishamonten let out as he charged the younger fighter, swiping at Ryoga's shins.

Normally the typical person would try and escape by jumping backward, this martial artist was different though, 'He's slower than Ranko but not by much!' Ryoga mentally deduced before instinctually reacting by doing a quick jump and then delivering a roundhouse kick straight to the side of Bishamonten's head.

Reeling, the formerly confident Lucky god was forced to take several steps back, fragments of his helmet flying off and around his head.

After landing the exceptionally strong man stood up straight while propping his umbrella against his shoulder. "We should stop, the longer this fight drags on, the more likely you'll end up getting hurt," Ryoga warned in a calm but stern tone.

With his head tilted down the proud soldier reached out to check his forehead, a small amount of blood oozing from the top of his head and onto his face. Gritting his teeth, Bishamonten reached up to inspect his wound, flinching in pain for a second as he confirmed it to just be a surface wound.

"Were it not for my helmet, I would not be standing…" His voice trailed at a barely audible tone, releasing a calming breath as he bowed his head slightly, thankful for his luck.

Bishamonten hummed in satisfaction, 'It would only be all the more hard-earned if I were to win! This will truly be a glorious victory!' he thought while grinning eagerly.

"Well done, your skill is more than worthy of someone as I but know that on this day I shall not yield, for today! The day of my daughter's birth! Will not be a day of reckoning!" He declared as if he were vehemently responding to some call to war.

Eyes widening, the Lost man stared at the ground for a moment, envisioning himself standing by Ranko with his hands on her shoulders, wearing a light red blouse and skirt, a white apron on her as a small bundle of joy with black hair was in her arms. The thought alone made his heart skip a beat, the only way he could relate was that he wanted a family someday, 'The only difference is he's finally reached his happiness,' Ryoga pondered with a sympathetic smile.

"Congratulations on the newest addition to your family, although I don't have one of my own, so I'm afraid I can't relate, Ranko and I are going to pass through though, no matter what…" Ryoga spoke, but as he did, his voice went from gentle and truly happy for him to a calmer and more spirited tone than before.

"You tell 'em!" Ranko exclaimed from the sidelines, arms crossed, smirking as arrogantly as she always did.

Ryoga in response to this narrowed his eyes and smirked softly, raising his umbrella and pointing it out towards Bishamonten.

"Now beat this guy so we can go save Lychee and return to Bao, ya got that!?" Ranko declared loudly enough for them to hear her, raising one hand to the side of her mouth, calling out to her significant other.

Bishamonten watched as the redhead which he now knew to be called "Ranko" outlined their intentions, noticing Ryoga nodding his head while never taking his eyes off Bishamonten, the Lucky God breathed a bit heavily at first before steadying his breath, 'His skills at armed combat are inferior to my own but his raw strength and stamina are more than enough to compensate for the difference, but the boy's got unrelenting strength and absurd stamina as well as that wretched umbrella, acting not only as his weapon but as a shield at that!' he complained mentally, trying to find some solution to his current predicament.

"Are you ready? Because I'm not about to stop and congratulate you anymore," Ryoga alerted his adversary.

Taking this as an opportunity he didn't let the teen get into his head, that's the last thing a skilled warrior such as himself needed. "I'm merely waiting on you, child…" he mocked, focusing his gaze on Ryoga's weapon, an idea forming in his mind.

"How about I show some respect for my elders and let you go first?" Ryoga retorted, scoffing at the attempt of mockery.

Reaching for what remained of his helmet he yanked it down, letting it drop to the ground.

"So then let our battle begin anew!" Bishamonten answered triumphantly, resuming his previous stance, legs parted, the middle of his shaft resting on his hip.

There was no hesitation for Bishamonten, peace between his country and the Musk was finally within Nekonron's grasp.

The aged warrior immediately closed the distance between them, his spear reeled back in anticipation.

Taking a sharp breath of air he slowed his breathing, allowing the fire in his soul to ignite to a new limit, 'Though I expose myself without a helmet, the future needs a shepherd, even if the very price is death itself!' he thought, allowing his mind to fade into battle, his eyes going white as his aura focused everything he could into attacking as blindingly fast as his mortal coil could allow, pushing himself to such a painful extreme mattered not to him; there was simply too much at stake for him not to.

"What the…" Ranko remarked as she couldn't believe what she was seeing, the bearded-looking goon of a warrior now struck with a ferocity she didn't think she'd be able to see in a guy like him, 'And this was only because he mentioned his daughter? If I had a family too, could I?' she pondered the notion for a bit and felt as she had before but now it clashed with her desires to be the best martial artist she could be.

Ryoga couldn't believe how little leeway Bishamonten was giving him and if The Lost man didn't continue to parry as well as deflect like he was now, The Lost Man could have easily met the end of the Lucky God's spear, 'This speed, it's still slower than Ranko's technique but it's faster than before! Did losing his helmet make him more determined! No! Focus! Pay attention to his face! He's putting everything into this! More than he could possibly handle from the looks of it! I have to end this quickly or maybe just hold out until he's tired!' Ryoga worried in his mind, there was little more he could do than keep taking steps back, parrying as best he could, small pieces of his shirt flying off in the process.

"Wait a minute, that guy ain't…" Ranko's voice trailed, her eyes widening in realization. "Ryoga! That spear guy's doing something to your umbrella!" she shouted loudly, clenching a fist out in front of her.

"Now!" Ryoga exclaimed as he parried another intensely quick jab, sliding backward as he heard Ranko calling something out to him, although all he could hear were the sounds of clashing steel and loud battle cries.

Bishamonten pushed his resolve, furrowing his brow as he recovered much more quickly this time but still he knew that he'd have to be precise for after he was countered the Lost man had taken to the air with his umbrella, about to smash it over his head, 'C-can't breathe! Need but one single mo-moment!' he cringed in thought, fighting for his sore muscles to continue.

"Ha!" Ryoga exclaimed at an angle where his fangs appeared far more pronounced, giving him the impression of a terrifying beast.

"I refuse!" he exclaimed as he jumped back at the right instant.

Smash!

It was as if time had slowed down again, the ground beneath Ryoga's umbrella tip sunk into the ground, however, unbeknownst to him, the springs and rods that once supported it were now coming apart!

"Huh!?" He looked down as he stood up from his knelt-over position, the fabric barely holding onto the metallic remnants as best it could, 'Did he?' Ryoga stopped to think, looking to where Bishamonten had cut the wiring.

Bishamonten landed on his feet, hands clenching his polearm. Now he was breathing harder, standing before such unrelenting might, it was as if he were staring down some force of nature.

"You're really something else, to think you'd be this skilled, it just makes this all the more exciting!" Ryoga complimented, dropping his busted and heavy weapon with a loud crashing noise.

Closing his eyes for a second, Bishamonten smirked softly, steadying his breathing once more, he raised his spear, the light from the sun gleaming off the blade portion of his spear.

"Don't get me wrong, just because I'm in awe of you, doesn't mean I'm not still going to win this fight…" Ryoga responded with a trailing voice, watching as Bishamonten's opponent readied himself for another round.

"Same as her brothers, she must really like her father…!"

"I shall never lose! Even if it means I must fight to the death!" The gold-clad warrior proclaimed, the echoes of a faint memory fading into the abyss of his mind and into his burning soul.

Ranko's eyes widened as she could sense how intensely the two auras were igniting. Although she could feel Ryoga's battle aura and it towered over Bishamonten's, there was strong and more focused ki coming off of the proud warrior. 'Maybe he wouldn't have been so easy, now I'm really wishing I hadn't lost…' she thought begrudgingly, sad to be missing her chance at finding out whether or not she could take this guy out but as far as she knew, she must have been if Ryoga was still standing.

"I won't back down either, but I won't kill a man who just became a father!" Ryoga defied his call to the grave.

"Even if that means I'll be trying to take your life?" Bishamonten asked, his long bangs covering a small portion of his eyes.

"I said what I said and I meant it," The fang-toothed man narrowed his eyes, he would not take the life of such a proud person.

"Well, I appreciate the sentiment!" Bishamonten shouted, thrusting his spear out as lightning quick as last time.

Ryoga's eyes widened as he was forced to sidestep again, knowing he'd have to jump further or risk exposing himself to the same spinning technique as before.

"Though your sympathy is misplaced during a fight to the death!" Bishamonten warned Ryoga not to take this lightly.

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

Lychee closed the window and then the curtains, for as beautiful as the view outside her room was, she had already gotten tired of it. Mountains and mist and the occasional geyser were impressive only for so long, and not exactly good enough to make her forget about Ranko and Ryoga climbing Seven Luck mountain. Knowing her friend and her boyfriend were in danger because they were trying to rescue her pained the distressed waitress, and filled her with worry. Would Ranko be able to fight and defeat even one of the Lucky Gods? Was Ryoga strong enough to do it? And if they did, would that put an end to her engagement to Prince Kirin?

'So many questions with no answers,' she thought as she walked to the bed and sat next to the fluffy pillow. Sighing, Lychee removed her hat and unbound her shoulder-length hair, running her fingers through it to comb it and straighten it. She wished she had a brush then, but understood she should be happy they gave her a nice room instead of a cell, not having a brush was a triviality. Pushing that idea aside, she placed her hat on the night table next to the bed and got back to her feet, pacing around the room as her mind once again returned to Ranko and the misunderstanding that had placed her on a collision course with the Lucky Gods. Because this was a misunderstanding, of that she was sure.

"I really hope they don't hurt you, Hóng fā…" Lychee muttered then, deep concern for her friend filling her chest.

A sudden knock to her left startled her and turning in that direction she saw the door opening to reveal not Prince Kirin, but a tall and elegant lady of around sixty who was carrying a yellow and white bundle in her hands. The woman wore traditional clothing in red and green and moved gracefully and swiftly, entering the room with an elegance of movement Lychee was not used to seeing.

"Greetings, Lady Lychee," the woman said, offering a smile to the teenager. "My name is Yún Fūrén, I am the Housekeeper."

"Oh… nice to meet you," the young woman replied, feeling unsure of what else to say, as the idea that this proper and well-mannered woman was here to serve her made her feel slightly uncomfortable. Lychee was a village girl, nothing but a simple waitress, and felt she would have ranked way below Yún Fūrén if she had entered the Tower's staff under normal circumstances.

"It is nice to see the next Lady of the Tower is as pretty and well-mannered as the guards said," Yún Fūrén opined with a nod. "I must admit I feared for a moment our prince would not find a suitable princess, and to think you have brought us the missing half of the scroll of luck, your arrival is most fortunate indeed!"

"Thank you, but I wouldn't be so certain my arrival has brought Nekonron good fortune," the orange blonde gently disputed. "It seems I have brought conflict with me."

"Oh, nonsense," the old woman said with a good-humored smile. "The conflict you speak of is unrelated to your engagement with prince Kirin, which is the only thing that matters to me as it is my job to prepare you for your future duties as our princess… at least until Queen Lirin returns, of course, when that happens both of us will teach you."

"But… I am… I mean…" Lychee blinked, the idea of having to take lessons from both Yún Fūrén and her future mother-in-law overwhelming her.

"Don't be so nervous," the woman said with a chuckle after noticing the shocked expression on Lychee's face. "I am sure you will do fine… your lessons aren't why I'm here, however."

"No?"

"No. Prince Kirin invites you to have tea with him, but you can't meet him wearing that," Yún Fūrén informed while looking at Lychee's clothes. "You need to wear something fitting your status as the new princess of Nekonron, and I brought you just the thing."

After stating that, the woman extended the bundle she carried, revealing a stunning white and yellow hanfu. Being the child of merchants and restaurateurs, Lychee had an eye for evaluating goods and was fairly certain the dress was worth more than all the furniture in her house combined.

"Is that… for me?" the girl asked, her eyes never leaving the hanfu.

"Yes, please wear it," the housekeeper requested, extending the dress to Lychee. "I'll wait outside unless you want me to help you change?"

"I can do it myself, thank you," Lychee answered, taking the hanfu and waiting until the housekeeper was out of the room to start changing clothes.

For a moment she wondered if she should refuse the invitation because she felt meeting Kirin was the same as taking sides against Ranko, but then realized this could be a good opportunity to talk to him and insist that this was a misunderstanding.

She hoped this time she would be able to convince him of leaving Ranko alone.

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

A few minutes later…

Lychee walked out of the room to find Yún Fūrén waiting for her sitting on a stool. The housekeeper stood up the moment she saw her and smiled in satisfaction at what she saw. The orange blonde in front of her looked great in the new hanfu, and her unbound hair framed her face in a way that complemented the dress perfectly. Yún Fūrén was definitely pleased and was again thanking the lucky stars that had delivered this young lady to Nekonron.

"I'm sorry if I made any mistakes when putting on the dress; I am not used to wearing clothes like these, and…" Lychee said, hoping not to get scolded.

"The belt is a little high, but other than that you did a good job," Yún Fūrén said while adjusting Lychee's belt. "You wear it well, young lady."

"...Thank you."

"No need to thank me," the housekeeper said as she finished with the belt. "Now come with me, the tea room is on another level of the tower."

Lychee followed Yún Fūrén down the hallway to a door she assumed would open to a set of stairs but it was an elevator. Too surprised by this to mention it, the teenager simply entered it after the housekeeper and rode it in silence as they descended to another level.

"Please follow me," the older woman requested when the elevator doors opened again, leading Lychee down another hallway until they reached a red door adorned with elegant carvings of cranes and other birds.

"King Hirin's private tea room," Yún Fūrén announced, stopping beside the door. "Prince Kirin is already waiting for you."

"Thank you," Lychee said and slowly walked into the room after the housekeeper opened the door for her. She blinked in surprise when she heard the door closing behind her once she was inside, but reasoned it was also part of Yún Fūrén's duties.

Paying attention to the room, Lychee found it was not as big as she had imagined. It was elegantly decorated and well-lit thanks to the large windows on the right wall. There were only two tables and four chairs, which meant it was a place for private discussions. Kirin was there, of course, standing by one of the chairs, his usual rice bowl, and chopsticks on the table behind him. Lychee was about to say something but the large painting on the wall depicting two airships above Seven Luck mountain in combat with winged soldiers caught her eye and she wondered about the story behind the scene. She was planning on asking about it, but Kirin spoke first.

"I am glad to see you," he said. "I feared you would refuse my invitation."

"I considered refusing," she admitted, finding it easier to talk to him and feeling a bit more at ease in his presence than before. "But… there are many things I want to talk about with you.."

"I agree, we need to talk," the prince nodded. "You look lovely, by the way."

Lychee lowered her face and blushed, feeling strangely pleased that he approved of her appearance.

"Thank you," she said, not knowing if she should move from where she stood or not.

"Please have a seat," Kirin invited his hand pointing at the chair opposite his. "The tea and sweet rice bread I requested will get cold."

"...Alright," Lychee said and slowly approached the table, taking her seat and feeling quite surprised when Kirin himself poured tea into her cup. "Thanks for the tea…"

"It's nothing," he said, pouring tea into his cup and then sitting in front of her. "Is the guest's room to your liking? We could move you to another if you wish."

"The room is fine," she answered, lifting her hands in a nervous gesture. "Really, it is, I don't have any complaints about it."

"That is good to hear," the prince said with a satisfied smile. "I hope you're also liking the tower."

"The tower? It's nice… very elegant," Lychee said and blinked as she suddenly remembered something. Her brow knit then and she stared accusingly at the Nekonron prince. "There's an elevator here."

"Yes, we do have one," Kirin said with a tone of pride. "It works thanks to a clever water-based mechanism devised by our architects, it's…"

"You had me climb the stairs when I first got here," Lychee interrupted, still giving Kirin the same hard stare. "Your chambers are all the way up to the top floor, why didn't I get to ride the elevator before?"

"Oh… that… that's true," he replied, somewhat embarrassed by the situation. "A mistake on our part, my Lady, and I assure you it won't happen again. Feel free to use it as much as you want from now on."

"It's not like I need to use it, I'm only… it's…" she sighed, her shoulders dropping a little. "I just wish things were different between us, maybe then our engagement… would be easier."

"…I see," Kirin said. "I also wish things were different… easier, as you said."

She couldn't find an answer to that, and the two simply sat there in silence, taking sips of their tea or little bites of the sweet rice bread, neither of them finding a proper way to continue the conversation. The silence was not uncomfortable, however, and Lychee wondered if this meant he was also feeling more at ease around her.

"Have you considered it?" Lychee asked when she finished her tea, avoiding looking at the prince directly.

"Consider what?" he said, blinking in confusion.

"Trying to talk things over with my friend," Lychee said. "There's no need for you or the Lucky Gods to fight her, Kirin."

The prince took in a deep breath and then finished his tea. Lowering his face, Kirin placed the cup on the table and sighed. "I would if I had that option, but I am sure your friend wouldn't listen to me… besides, I was told one of our watchmen reported she and her boyfriend had already engaged the first of The Seven in combat."

"Then that means…"

"It means Bishamonten will have her in custody soon," Kirin said in a low and slightly regretful tone. "And even if she manages to defeat him, there are still others she will have to fight; there is no way she can defeat all of us."

"But she's innocent…"

"That is not for me to decide," the prince said, avoiding Lychee's eyes. "I am honor-bound to deliver her to the Musk Dynasty for questioning."

"Ranko will never agree to go see the Musk," Lychee whispered, again concerned for her friend's safety. She had heard whispers about the Musk Dynasty, not many of them good.

"I'm aware," Kirin said. "I'm also aware she or her boyfriend will challenge me if they manage to reach the Royal Tower."

"You don't have to fight them!"

"I don't want to fight your friends, but I will if I must," Kirin said, his voice once again filled with conviction. "For their sake, I truly hope they abandon the idea of fighting us."

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

The young woman stopped the moment she saw the house, or what was left of it, and for an instant was not sure if she should approach the ruins, because at some point since the last time she had been here it had collapsed almost entirely as if someone had decided to demolish the old construction. Finding this difficult to believe, she reached up to grasp the hem and pulled her hood back as she walked, staring at the ruins in front of her.

"What… just what happened here?" Chervil muttered while crouching next to where she knew the door used to be. "I remember that the other girl stayed back to fight the trackers while I escaped and… there was a loud crash behind me, but I never imagined…"

She picked up a piece of wood and rose to her full height, stared at it, and then tossed it back to the ground, trying not to feel disheartened. The young Musk woman had returned to the farm hoping the royal ring was still there, but now with the house, destroyed chances were minimal.

"Well, it doesn't matter now," she sighed. "I should have returned here sooner… then again avoiding Mint and Lime and the other Musk trackers were not easy."

Looking around, trying to find the place in the room where she met the other girl, Chervil lifted a wooden beam and carefully placed it aside, then a piece of the wall that was about half her height that she tossed several meters away from where she stood. The lioness kept searching like this for a few minutes, throwing away the debris she could carry and pushing to the side the things she couldn't.

Being of the Lion clan granted her considerable strength, not comparable to that of male or even female Tiger clan members, of course, but for this tedious task, it was more than enough.

The ring, however, didn't seem to be there.

'It's useless,' she thought, looking around her. She had cleared most of what used to be the house of debris and there was no sign of the royal ring. "I guess she did take it, and that's not so bad as long as I can find her soon, but… I have no idea where she went from here.''

Sighing, the lion girl sat on top of the sturdy brick stove that was the only thing left standing in what used to be the kitchen and wiped the sweat off her brow. She had really hoped the ring would be here because it would solve all her problems; unfortunately, it seemed things would still get more complicated. Leaning forward and resting her arms on her thighs, Chervil allowed the memory of the Musk prince to fill her thoughts.

"It seems fixing things between us won't be easy, Herb…" she muttered and closed her eyes, remembering a cherished memory of her childhood; the memory of the first time she had met her dear Prince…

Two girls not older than eleven walked slowly, following the tall wall that split most of the Musk citadel in half, one for the men and one for the women. The only places that were not separated were the sections where families lived, but only men, their wives, and their daughters lived there. The boys were all taken to the training grounds on the other side, where they learned the secret techniques of their respective clans.

"Must this wall be so tall?" a little lion clan girl said, pushing aside a few strands of scarlet hair off her face before looking up to confirm the walls were impossible to jump or climb over.

"Mom says it's so the boys on the other side can't come here," the other girl, a tiger clan member, said while shrugging. "And to keep older girls from trying to sneak a peek or visiting the boys before it's time, Chervil."

"Yeah, well, I am curious," Chervil said, kicking the wall in frustration. "The only men I've ever met are my dad and his friends, I've never seen a boy my age!"

"So what?" The other girl asked. "I haven't seen a boy my age either and I don't care."

"You really don't care?"

"Not at all, we'll meet many boys when we're sixteen, after the women's martial arts tournament," the other explained, a tinge of excitement in her voice.

"Oh yeah… the tournament," the redheaded girl scratched her neck, puzzled by it. "The higher your rank the better your chances to marry into royalty, right?"

"Yes, and if you win you can even marry the current prince!"

"There is a prince?"

"Yes, I heard he's our age, too," the tiger girl provided. "The women's tournament in a few years will be intense, every girl in our training group will try to win."

"Even you?" Chervil said with a chuckle.

The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

"Of course, I will, if I win I'll be the next queen!"

"You're Tiger clan," the redheaded girl said and shrugged. "You're the strongest in our class, you have a great advantage. I bet you'll win."

"You're Lion clan," the tigress disputed. "And we've had many sparring matches, Chervil. You're not so weak yourself."

"Maybe, I just don't like to train that much," Chervil said. "Anyway… do you think we could dig under the wall?"

"You really want to see the boys, don't you?"

"You bet I want to!"

"Well, you'll have to find a way to do it alone," the tigress said with a grin. "If I help you I'd be in trouble with my dad, and I don't want to be grounded."

"I'll find a way to do it," Chervil promised, arms crossed over her chest. "You'll see, Papri!"

"You're on your own," the girl called Papri said and went back home, leaving Chervil alone.

"Now, let's see…" the lion girl sighed and started walking again, hoping to find a door or some way to climb the wall, but finding nothing. She was glad the adults that crossed her path ignored her, however, the last thing she needed was to have someone asking her what she was doing.

The girl kept going until she came across a canal that drove the water from outside the citadel to the fields where the Musk grew their own rice and vegetables. The waterway went through that section of the city, passing under the mighty wall. Closer inspection revealed the canal met the wall and went under it, through a culvert that channeled the running water from one side of the wall to the other.

"Excellent," Chervil muttered and jumped into the canal.

The waters were low at that time, only reaching up to her knees, so she had no trouble entering the dark culvert. It didn't take her long to reach the other side, but that was as far as she could go; a surprisingly sturdy iron fence stopped her from crossing into the men's side of the citadel.

"Hmmm…. but one of the bars seems rusty, perhaps I can…?"

"Where is Prince Herb?" A man called suddenly, his stern voice freezing Chervil in place, leaving her feeling completely exposed.

Paralyzed and hoping nobody would see her, the little lioness pressed herself against the culvert's walls, hiding in the shadows, hoping the man who was approaching the canal would leave without finding her.

And that is when he appeared. A tall boy not older than twelve, wearing white but muddy training clothes, slid into the canal and kneeled next to the stream. The mysterious child took in a deep breath and slowly sank his hands into the water, he left them there for a second or two and then scooped some of it to wash his face and his shoulder-length hair. It was then that Chervil, entranced by this strange boy, the first one she had ever seen, noticed he had bicolored hair, black and white, but that was not what kept her staring. Blushing as her heart started beating faster, she found herself staring at his deep cinnamon eyes, then admiring his still childlike but already handsome face, realizing she found him pleasant to look at. It didn't take her long to reach out and feel his ki, discovering his power was absolutely mesmerizing.

"Herb… the dragon prince…" Chervil muttered with a wistful sigh, her eyes set on this boy who had captivated her so completely "He… he's really like a dragon from the heavens, I wish… could I even talk to him…?"

"Prince Herb, if you wanted to wash your face we could have brought you clean water from the palace!" A middle-aged Wolf clan man said from the edge of the canal.

"If water from the canal is good for my people then it is good for me," the boy replied, slowly standing up while drying his face on his sleeve. "That is what my father always says, Sumac. We all eat the same food, we all drink the same water and we all train in martial arts. There is nothing wrong with doing this."

"I suppose you are right, young prince. But you left training without telling us where you were going," the one called Sumac chided. "Come, my lord, it is time to resume your training."

"Very well," the prince said and jumped from where he was to where the one called Sumac awaited.

"Just try not to knock your sparring partners out so quickly," Sumac said once Herb was by his side. "You are already fighting boys a few years older than you."

"I will try," the prince promised and smiled. "I want to fight one of the adults later, by the way."

Chervil stood still for a few minutes before she walked back to the women's side, her cheeks were still crimson when she climbed out of the canal, and her heartbeat was just slowing back to normal when she sat on a secluded spot, leaning on the cold wall. Prince Herb… these feelings she was experiencing just after seeing him once… what were they?

"Herb…" she whispered and smiled as she discovered she liked the way his name came out of her lips. "I promise I'll see you again, and we will talk next time…"

Back in the old farm's ruins Chervil couldn't help but smile just in the same way she had done many years ago after the moment she first met her beloved dragon prince.

"If only things were as easy as back then," she sighed, standing up and looking up at the clouds above. "I hope… I hope you'll forgive me for causing this mess, Herb."

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"Hhhhaaaa!" Ryoga exclaimed as he did his best to deflect all of The Lucky God's attacks.

"Aaahhh!" Bishamonten continued to scream his heart out, there was no way he'd allow himself to fail, his hair swaying from the wind his spear would split.

From Ranko's perspective, it was amazing to see how crazy the amount of pressure being displayed by the two was, 'Least Ryoga knows his best chance is to try ducking then attacking but…' Ranko thought to herself, seeing that Ryoga had managed to slip by again, thinking quickly the Lucky God swiped his weapon in Ryoga's direction after a failed attempt, forcing her boyfriend to try and leap backward, having to retract his arms far away for him to avoid getting slashed.

"There!"

Lining the tip of his spear as best he could, the larger man slashed off one of the Teen's wristbands as Ryoga was leaping backward, although it was only enough to knick the outer layer of his skin.

It still stung noticeably enough to make the younger martial artist's eyes narrow, 'I've got an idea!' he thought, moving as quickly as he could to catch his wristband before it floated down onto the ground.

Bishamonten saw this as his opportunity, 'Dropping your guard for some piece of cloth! Fool!' he exclaimed as he shot his spear out.

Cling!

Ki hardened fabric lodged itself in between the crook of the spear's blade head and the smaller part of the waxing moon blade. Ryoga skidded on his heels for a second before redirecting the trajectory of the Lucky God's attempt, 'Glad most of my cuts are just minor, doesn't keep them from stinging like hell though!' The Lost man thought to himself.

"You know of The Iron Cloth technique!?" Bishamonten grunted out in surprise, 'Too long has it been since I've last seen that skill!' he thought, quickly trying to retract his blade for another thrusting.

"Whoa! Forgot he could do that!" Ranko stared in awe, even though Ryoga managed to lose his weapon, he could still use his own clothing if push came to shove.

Charging forward while reaching his other arm up to grip the ki-infused wristband, Ryoga's eyes widened, focused as his hand shaped the blade to resemble a curved dagger! Balling his other hand into a fist as he closed some of the distance between himself and The God of conquest.

Bishamonten set his sights on the teen as he was nearly halfway to striking or cutting him given how boldly he tried to get up close for some hand-to-hand combat.

Shiiinnng!

Swiping downward at Bishamonten's attack was Ryoga's answer, causing sparks and small bits of fabric to fly off. Bishamonten yet again found himself getting caught off guard, the experienced warrior refused to go down as he saw Ryoga reeling his fist back.

"Argh!" The father of three used the momentum of Ryoga's deflection to duck beneath a wide overarching punch to the face.

As glued as she was to the fight, the redhead pursed her lips, 'I wanna' keep lookin' but it feels like-like I'm being watched!' Ranko thought then paused to listen to her environment. Suddenly shooting her head in the direction where she thought she might spot her silent stalker.

To no avail though…

"I don't have time for that now, I'll just have to be ready when they try pulling something…" Ranko's voice trailed softly as she went back to spectating the fight at hand.

She witnessed an amazing response to Ryoga's unrelenting fighting style, taking the counter handed to him and using it as a means to escape a worse fate. Then twirling around on his feet, attempting to kick the Lost Man in the stomach.

Only for Ryoga to jump over it by leaping backward!

"This is taking too long," Ranko commented to herself watching as the exchange went back to simple back and forths.

"Hey! This is taking too long! So hurry up and wrap it up! Would ja!? Or do I gotta go in there and finish this myself!?" The redhead complained, speaking with her open palm next to the side of her mouth.

"I promised I was going to win and that's what I intend to do!" Ryoga exclaimed, sending out a soft right hook and then a soft left hook.

The Lucky God of Conquest dodged to his left, then to his right! However, he noticed that when Ryoga's punches landed that there wasn't much force to them, 'Must guard my face-' he got as far as thinking before watching as Ryoga dashed forward, getting a brief running start before making contact, kick jumping Bishamonten square in the chest.

"Ugh!" He groaned out in pain as his back crashed onto one of the walls next to his gate, eyes widening as he flopped forward, catching himself by relying on his spear's shoe for support, propping himself back up while in a kneeling position.

"Not bad, like I said though, I have no intentions of killing someone who just became a father," Ryoga clarified as he looked away and to Ranko, allowing the cloth in his hand to revert to a normal piece of torn material.

Clunk!

A piece of the Lucky God's armor made a thudding sound as it hit the ground, the fragmented breastplate began crumbling away. 'It appears I've no more need for this…' His inner thought's voice trailed; blood leaked out from the corner of his mouth.

The Lucky God grabbed the biggest piece that he could, tearing it off like some useless bandage. The bent segment hit the ground with a hard thud, 'It has been too long since I've had to use this…' he thought, and as he did, his mind wandered to a time of danger from about a decade past…

The sound of rain filled a bloody battlefield, the battle was over by the looks of it, warriors in black and gray garbs did their best to escape the victorious royal guard of Nekonron.

A worn-down Bishamonten stood among the remains of a bloody battle. Head arched back as he avoided looking down at the black-garbed warrior he had impaled after she had tried stabbing The Lucky God in the back with what appeared to be a long piece of cloth.

A strong cold breeze blew by them, causing his long hair and beard to sway from the wind pressure.

His breaths appeared as though they were puffs of smoke escaping his mouth. A look of anger and bloodlust in his eyes as he dislodged his blade from the dead woman's corpse, letting it fall to the side as he wiped the blood off his spearhead.

He then surveyed what was left of the battlefield.

Wu sat down as flattened hoards of troops lay around him. They were either face-up or face down. Tips of spears and arrows scattered around his person, though he didn't even seem to be bleeding from them.

Further away he saw Ebiten, staying strong as he also appeared worn down from battle; his arms shook as he held his fishing rod.

Ebiten still guarded King Hirin and Queen Lirin behind him, struggling to keep an eye open as it appeared swollen.

The two royals didn't look to be faring any better either, resting against the other, back to back as they recuperated.

And finally to his far-right was a man in a red and black cloak, watching as his hands extended outward as a man in front of him fell, his head twisted to one side. He straightened his posture before sighing heavily and relaxing.

"Even the Master of Kage No Ken isn't giving chase," He mumbled in a disapproving voice.

"They must be exterminated!" Bishamonten reminded himself harshly, squeezing his staff as he readied to give chase.

"Tell me, what will you win from chasing the Phantom soldiers? They've already been defeated! Are you nothing more than a savage!?" A beautiful woman in a revealing outfit worn by women who practiced the art of Ongaku no Sento.

The goddess' long and wavy damp hair stuck to her body, in one of her hands was a cracked down the middle lute, the other she used to hold her wounded shoulder.

Bishamonten looked over his shoulder, narrowing his eyes at the woman, "Battle is all I've known, the King chose poorly among us named Bishamonten…" A forceful Bishamonten voice responded as he began walking away, having lost interest in the fleeing enemy.

"Your brutality will cost you your soul! Those empty soulless eyes you take during battle are haunting!" She exclaimed before cringing in pain, dropping to her knees as she propped herself onto her side, against the nearest rock she could find.

"Such is the price for such a poor choice as myself! So cease your endless prattle!" The younger Bishamonten barked back to see her in pain. He looked at her, and instinctively reached out a comforting hand.

He stopped for an instant before his hand touched her, realizing he had done something so unlike him.

"My wife was the first I had ever held my hand out to," Bishamonten uttered suddenly. "The first woman to ever challenge my ways, to think she would even end up being the woman I'd one day call the mother of my children…" He mused for a moment as he felt his intense aura calm and focus itself again.

"It's really nice that she was the first to reach out to you but I don't have time for this," Ryoga responded, shaking his head.

"I must congratulate you then, no one has ever harmed me in battle like this before…" His voice trailed as he grit his teeth while shutting his eyes, forcing himself to try and stand yet again. "This has truly been an honor, but I believe the end is nigh!" he exclaimed with some bravado in his tone as he rose to a standing position.

"You can't continue! Just give up before you end up leaving your wife a widow and your children fatherless!" Ryoga berated, feeling that there was no reason for them to keep fighting anymore.

Straightening his stance the seasoned Warrior God flared his ki to a new height, however, it was also like the calm before the storm.

"You should feel most honored, young warrior! For very few have withstood the ultimate technique of the Kaze Yari Ken school and lived to tell the tale!" he declared, clenching his staff with both hands as he leaned down a little, parting his legs so quickly the sounds of his shoes scraping against the ground was noticeably audible, 'The first hand I took before coming to realize my cursed life had finally taken a turn for the better, the first hand to mother my children, forgive me my sweet but I may not survive this encounter,' he thought as tears streamed down his eyes, his aura causing his hair to sway from the amount being gathered.

Furrowing his brow the Lost man stared at the desperate warrior's last stand, 'He's gathered this impressive amount of ki, determined to get himself killed for his country and family, that just makes me wonder what this ultimate Wind Spear Fist will be like with that behind it? I-I wonder what it'd be like to call a place home, one you'd be willing to protect with all your heart…' Ryoga's inner voice pondered in a painful way, getting so lost in his thoughts that he actually looked away.

"Ryoga! Stop wasting time and finish that Bishamonten guy off before he uses that technique!" Ranko alerted him as if it was the most obvious thing in the world, 'I don't like the feeling coming off this guy!' she thought to herself.

The fang-toothed teen narrowed his eyes as he looked at his lovely redheaded girlfriend, 'I know I should but is that really how I should honor this man's commitment?' he thought to himself with quivering eyes before looking back at the brave bearded man's last stand.

"Argh! Fine!" Ryoga replied as he charged forward, reeling his arm back as swiftly and as powerfully as he could.

Ryoga's eyes went wide as he felt the air gathering, it was now or never for him!

Bishamonten began spinning his spear around him with both arms, drawing the air in as he prepared, 'I only have one chance! I must make it count! Forgive me my sweet but I must use those eyes you detest so, but for the sake of all things precious to us! I must!' he thought to himself as Ryoga's fist closed in.

"Haaaa!" He screamed as he then spun his weapon out in front of him, releasing powerful ki-controlled gusts of wind to envelop the younger man.

"The hell?" Ranko muttered to herself in disbelief before she felt herself getting blown back hard enough that she literally had to fight against the turbulence or she'd most certainly lose her balance.

"Hhhooooo!" He groaned as he then spun his spear to his sides, applying even more pressure on him.

"Gotta m-move!" Ryoga screamed amidst the circular winds that kept him from moving with any sort of speed or finesse.

Twirling his spear above his head, Bishamonten caused Ryoga to grit his teeth as hard as he could, the ki-infused air molecules holding their target in place.

"Yari Tatsumaki!" Bishamonten exclaimed as he compressed most of the ki-wind into his spearhead, thrusting it forward with both arms as it crashed against his adversary.

Ryoga noticed a sharp decline in the wind pressure around him, though this only gave him enough time to actually see what was coming for him. Without thinking he knew that all he could do was hold his forearms out in front of him, bracing himself as best he could.

It took less than a second for him to try and stick his foot in the ground, though it was too late. The Lucky God's fortune rang true as he was already mid-attack by the time Ryoga could take advantage of this opening.

"Ahhh!" Ryoga screamed loudly as he spun around so rapidly that if anyone less than him got caught up in that, then they most certainly might have been dead before they even hit the ground.

Crash!

The young man's body crashed into the mountainside with enough force to create a large hole, letting out a crack in the shape of a spider's web.

Ryoga hung there for a moment before the part of the mountainside he crashed into began to fall apart.

"Ryoga!" Ranko called out his name in worry as she saw him falling face-first onto the ground near her.

"D-dammit…" Ryoga's voice trailed in anger as he tried to lift himself off his stomach.

With a hand to his chest, the clearly worn-out warrior's hoarse breaths and kneeling position betrayed his condition. Looking over at the two, he managed to come to a shaking stand.

"He will not be getting back up, my Wind Spear Fist is unbeatable!" He exclaimed, trying to put up a strong front as he approached them.

"You're gonna pay-" Ranko declared angrily, raising her fist, stopping when she swore she could feel malice radiating from where Ryoga had been.

"Hhhaaa!" Ryoga cried out in anger as he fought through the pain, pushing past all the rubble around him hard enough that some chunks flew off his person.

"Stay back!" The minor ordered, his head dipped when saying so. "I'm going to end this!" He exclaimed with his fangs bared, his determination outlined by the fierce look to his hazed-over eyes he revealed when looking up.

"He's still standing! The man's a beast!" Bishamonten cursed his luck, not having enough strength to do anything more, he brought his spear over his chest in defense.

"It's over!" Ryoga said while charging forward, arm reeled back up as before but this time putting considerable speed and effort into his punch.

"Forgive me, my love, my sons and my little girl…" Bishamonten's voice trailed as he remembered his family, the first time he had taken his sweet's hand, the time he had watched his two sons sparring with wooden staffs all while he watched, sitting on a stump; a warm and proud smile across his gruff exterior.

Then finally his thoughts drifted back to his newest addition to his little family, 'How I wish I had more time with you my little gir-' he thought as he saw Ryoga's hand break through his spear and smash his fist straight onto his cheek, launching him again, this time Bishamonten smashed hard against his Gate's iron doors.

The Lucky God's limp body flopped, hitting the ground with a loud thud.

"I don't think he's moving," Ranko commented with a hand over her mouth.

Cautiously the yellow-clad man approached the fallen Lucky God, stumbling a little before straightening himself out to show that he was alright more or less. Crouching over Bishamonten, he looked towards his mouth and saw that he was still breathing in and then out, 'Good, he's just unconscious,' he thought, forming a soft smile right after.

"Thank you for that excellent fight, I hope your family will be happy to see you…" His voice trailed softly, bowing his head, showing some reverence towards his vanquished foe.

Seeing that Ryoga was smiling, Ranko let out a breath she didn't think she had held.

"I won!" He announced triumphantly, grinning at Ranko.

"Took ya long enough!" She replied, grinning back with her arms crossed.

"I know, I know," he answered sheepishly, rubbing the back of his head.

"You shouldn't have let that special technique hit ya' too!" Ranko advised as she made her way over to him, uncrossing her arms and then going over to her boyfriend.

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Further, along the mountain path the two ran side by side, Ryoga was the first to gaze at the majestic scenery, his eyes widening as he could see far into the horizon.

At first, Ranko had looked at Ryoga from the corner of her eye, when she thought she saw him looking at her she turned her head to him but saw that his eyes were elsewhere. Following the direction of Ryoga's study, she bore witness to the same breathtaking sights.

The larger-than-life vegetation was still sorta' visible even from this high up, which was one part humourous to them and also another part awe-inspiring.

With their mouths slightly agape they continued their run almost absent-mindedly, slowly they looked back at one another and found their eyes widening as they began to blush ever so slightly.

It felt as though they weren't even dating again with how tense the air got between them, their hearts beating in their chests like some overly enthusiastic drummer.

Both averted their eyes so they were looking in the completely opposite direction of each other now.

Ranko couldn't fathom why but she thought back to that one particular instance, where she wondered what would happen to her strength if she had a family. Would that help springboard her way to becoming the greatest ever? Ranko considered briefly but shook that line of thought off, 'That's not the point of a family! I wanna' be with Ryoga b-because I-I know there's something more!' the girl thought loudly into the depths of her mind.

The Lost man was a different case, he knew what his heart wanted, it was Ranko but sometimes he couldn't help but find it a bit difficult not to return to some old habits. She brought something out in him, something he related to, something that he felt was truly genuine, 'I know I've lied but if I can do this like I've done everything else! Then I can do this! Because of her, I'm able to go further than I ever thought possible! Because of her I'm not alone anymore!' he thought, giving himself a reminder that he needed to do this; someone close to him needed his help rescuing a friend.

Along the way, they came across a statue with what appeared to be a floating sash and a circular-shaped dress ornament coming out the back of her neck. From the looks of it, it appeared to be gazing out into the distance, pleasantly smiling while strumming her lute.

"Wanna take a breather?" Ranko asked as she pointed to the statue with the long flowing dress.

"That'd be nice!" Her boyfriend agreed, nodding his head as they ran over to it.

Getting under the shade made by the large statue they rested with their backs against the middle of the goddess statue's skirt. Pressing their shoulders against the other for support they allowed themselves a moment of peace.

Ryoga opened his eyes and looked to where the path continued, narrowing his eyes a little while glancing at it. He felt something odd though, so he looked at where he felt some pressure on his shoulder, 'She's being a little bold, maybe I can too?' he thought, blushing a little before reaching his hand out and putting it on Ranko's hip.

"I could've taken out that spear guy before he fired that weird technique," Ranko stated while looking off to the side, pouting a bit but blushing.

Thinking he had gotten to her in a bad way, the Lost man was just about to apologize and maybe even remove his hand from where it was, stopping only because he felt her scoot closer to him.

"I would've liked to see you do better," Ryoga replied with a shrug, she probably could have done better but that wasn't the point to him, 'It was to help make sure you're not completely spent by the time we get to Ly-' he thought seconds before cringing in pain.

"Next one is all mine, ya hear?" Ranko asked even if she knew it was already decided from earlier, she just wanted the confirmation, to which Ryoga responded by offering a slight smirk and a gentle nodding of his head.

After a long minute or so they went back to looking out in front of them, nothing but the sounds of birds chirping in the distance and the sound of the winds whistling by. Relaxing his hold the yellow-clad man removed his hand from her, pursing his lip as he pulled back from Ranko leaning her head on his shoulder to reach behind himself to grab his backpack.

Feeling him move away from her, Ranko was about to ask him what gives but didn't get that chance since when she did, she could hear the rumbling sound of a hungry stomach coming from the fang-toothed martial artist.

Opening his backpack from one of the side pockets, he reached into it and pulled out some rice crackers inside a plastic bag. He untied the knot, reaching his fingers in to fish a cracker out. Although when he pulled his hand back he noticed that most of the bits had crumbled, 'Maybe I should have taken my backpack off during the fights in the city,' he thought to himself as he remembered all the commotion from earlier.

Blinking Ranko noticed the pause, then found him pulling out a bag of rice crackers. Quirking a brow she watched as her boyfriend looked a tad miffed by the fact that his snack resembled crumbs more than actual crackers.

Little was left still in one piece, that was enough for Ryoga, it's not like he needed a full course meal at the moment. Finding a piece intact enough to not fall apart in his hand, he bit down on it and munched slowly.

"Hmm," Ranko hummed to herself then reached her hand out to take some but noticed that on his left shoulder where she had been leaning on earlier was now bleeding, 'That one is way deeper than the others, I swear, why does he gotta' be so damn stubborn?' she thought to herself with a heavy sigh, reaching into their traveling gear.

Digging around in their supplies she silently searched for something, stopping only when her eyes widened as she undoubtedly found what she was looking for.

Lazily looking at his side, Ryoga saw her digging into their supplies, he noticed Ranko pulled out a handkerchief and a plastic water bottle before beginning to dampen the cloth after opening it.

"What are you doing?" Ryoga asked, when he had asked, the redhead had put down the water bottle and was now holding the handkerchief in her left hand while her right held Ryoga's left arm in place.

Instead of receiving an answer like he was expecting, she started cleaning off his wounds.

Ryoga squinted his eyes, seething in pain a little as she tended to his cuts, "That stings like hell," he complained while biting his lower lip.

"If I don't take care of these then who will? Cause from the looks of it you're willing to risk passing out!" She responded to him with a face that said she wasn't going to back down from this.

Wincing at the touch, he looked at her unyielding face, shyly he looked away, showing no more signs of protest. Closing his eyes he began to relax, letting his shoulders and his guard down. Tightening his lips, he did his best to ignore his pain.

"Easy!" He warned, gritting his teeth as he felt her really get in there to clean his deepest wound.

"Oh! Hush!" Ranko scolded as with her other hand she held it up with her index finger pointed upwards.

Leaning back like a dog that had just been called a bad boy, lowering his head and shutting his eyes.

"Lucky your cuts ain't too deep so they ought to heal pretty quickly," She advised him as she put away the water bottle, then started reaching for the handkerchief.

"Thanks," Ryoga said, smiling in response, watching as she put everything away but stopped her by reaching his hand out to catch her hand.

Her eyes trembled in excitement but what sort of excitement? She didn't know, all she knew was that her breath was caught in her throat; unable to speak.

"We're going to reach the top of this mountain together, then we're going to save Lychee," He spoke softly and assuredly.

"That a promise, big guy?" Ranko asked as she was looking at their hands together then at Ryoga as he gently let go.

His eyes softened as he leaned his face a little closer as if to bashfully test the waters with her. At first, he didn't appear to know how to proceed, from what she could tell he was just getting a little unusually close, only hitting her once she saw him puckering his lips at her.

Ranko rolled her eyes with a slight smirk, the redheaded vixen snaked her around his neck and pulled him into her as she pressed her lips against his enough to make him lean back. Even when she pulled back, her sudden pace slowed as she lingered when pulling away from his lips.

Feeling like the breath was knocked out of him the young Hibiki blushed heavily as he stared at her; completely at a loss for words. "Come on good looking, let's go kick some ass!" she cheerfully said while blushing too.

It was as if tiny stars were orbiting the girl in Ryoga's arms, she wasn't too girly nor did she think him a fool like others before her. The second she pulled away the Lost Man smiled warmly, slinging his backpack on his shoulder.

Ranko stood up as well, putting her hands to her hips, she grinned widely before taking a few steps up towards the next gate.

With renewed spirits Ryoga followed after Ranko, getting his second arm through the strip before closing his eyes and sighing contently to himself, 'I don't know if this is late payment for all the hardships in my life or just good luck but I hope our time together doesn't end soon…' his thoughts trailed as he walked past Ranko.

The redhead's eyes widened all of a sudden, stopping after only taking a few steps, she looked up to the sky with an inquisitive look."Huh," she uttered.

"You okay, Ranko?" Ryoga inquired worriedly, having stopped to see why she had stopped leading the way.

She nodded calmly but slowly.

"I felt something watching us, don't know what though…" Ranko responded seriously as her pupils shot around in every direction.

Doing as the redhead had he looked around in the sky, finding just a single crow flying around before cawing about twice.

Silence fell over them, nothing but the sound of wind blowing around them.

"Probably just some birds," Ryoga commented but maintained the focused look he had when trying to spot any sort of unwanted attention.

Both looked back down at one another then met eyes for a second, nodding their heads before continuing along the path ahead.

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From atop a white and black building with green shingles were Daihakukuse and Daikokuse, spying with rather large telescopes put on stands, around said objects there appeared to be a golden dragon theme to them as if the ending portion of the vision equipment were the mythical beast about to unleash some fireball; instead from its mouth was a focus lens.

"It appears that they're on their way brother," Daikokuse mentioned as he watched the redhead and the black-haired male running over.

"I can see that too," Daihakuse commented, lingering a little longer and swearing Ranko was looking back at him, though he couldn't be sure of it, it was as if she were looking him dead in the eyes just given the intense scowl on her face.

The twin with the white circle narrowed his eyes and turned around, finding that his brother was watching him but no longer standing before his telescope but watching him with his hands clenched at his sides.

Having nothing to say they met eyes before silently making their way back down the stairs and back inside the Gatehouse.

As they descended the stairs, Daikokuse put his hands into his sleeves, looking down as he narrowed his eyes again.

"What I couldn't have foreseen was Bishamonten's defeat…" Daihakuse's brother's voice trailed in slight disbelief.

"It was always a possibility brother, and that only means that it falls on us to capture the redhead along with her boyfriend!" The cockier twin replied as he punched his fist into his opened palm.

"You're right, although, we should still prepare nonetheless," The white shogi piece-themed brother retorted as they continued down the flight of stairs.

"We should have plenty of time dear brother," Daihakuse responded somewhat playfully as they reached the ground level of their gate.

Each took a side of the gate's doors, given their overall size one would expect them to struggle at such a task given the ample size to them. The youngest of the Lucky Gods effortlessly opened their pathway in one steady movement.

Standing tall, they both smiled widely before looking at one another, as if to encourage the other as they awaited their fated fight.

Turning around they walked back inside, smoke filling the room for some reason as they faded into the darkness within.

"We'll have to use the wire it seems…" Daikokuse's voice echoed from inside.

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A burst of hot water shot to the sky with a roar, spreading warm steam all around Ryoga and Ranko. The steam was heavy, hard to breathe, something the two teenagers resented a big deal, particularly because of its vinegary scent which was far more noticeable when coming directly from the erupting geyser. That, however, was nothing compared to the column of water collapsing by the side of the mountain like a waterfall.

"I didn't need this!" Ranko cried, fear evident in her voice as she pressed herself against the leg of one of the many stone statues carved into the mountain. She closed her eyes and hoped this would keep her out of reach from the hot water that started bathing the road near where she was. "This is so unfair!"

But not even a single drop of hot water landed on top of her. Risking a glance, the redhead opened her eyes to see Ryoga's chest directly in front of her face; blushing a little, she looked up to see him smiling down at her. His arms were also around her shoulders, protecting her from the hot breeze, too. Ranko then sighed and relaxed, touching her forehead against him, enjoying the feeling of safety he provided.

"Are you okay?" He asked when only the warm steam remained around them. "This vapor doesn't hurt, does it?"

"...no, I only have trouble with water," she said, smiling at him. "Thanks, Ryo."

"It's nothing, I'm glad I could help you," he told her while using one of his bandanas to dry his hair first and then his shoulders.

"The water wasn't too hot, was it?"

"Not really, this was… kind of refreshing, actually," he grinned. "It's a shame it stinks a bit like pickle juice."

"The smells are a little stronger up here, huh?" she said and scratched her chin. "Maybe it's just because the water those geysers shoot out is full of salts or sumthin'..."

"Probably… anyway, let's keep going, the next gate shouldn't be far."

She nodded and followed him, going up, always up, to the next Castle Gate; it didn't take her long to catch up with him and then pass him, walking a few steps ahead of him. She liked doing that, it made her feel her back was protected from all dangers, and being under his watchful eye because she knew he was watching her, was reassuring in ways she couldn't really explain.

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A little later…

The second Castle Gate was wide, covering most of the path and while being only two floors, its white walls were at the very least twenty meters tall. The gates, wide and imposing, were gaping open, revealing a long, dark, and silent corridor that appeared to be completely empty except for some smoke that could be seen deeper into the fortress; but other than that, the place appeared to be deserted.

"Should we try to go around it?" Ryoga suggested. "This place looks suspicious, there may be traps in there."

"Eh, can't hurt to try," Ranko agreed, her hands behind her head as she kept her eyes on the construction in case someone came out, but when she felt certain nobody would, she walked to the edge of the mountain path to check if it was possible to just circle the second gate and save some time.

The barbed wire covering the narrow space between the castle gate and the precipice convinced them otherwise, however.

"No way I can jump that far," Ryoga said with a sigh. "What about you?"

"I don't think I could clear that distance either," the redhead grudgingly admitted. "Guess that means we'll go through the gate… oh well, it doesn't matter, it's my turn to fight anyway."

"You may not have to, the place looked empty," the young man said as he followed his girlfriend.

"There's someone there," Ranko answered, not looking back as she was trying to imagine what the guardian of the second gate was like. "Can't figure out why they filled the place with smoke, however."

By the time they returned to the entrance, they noticed the thick smoke they saw earlier was now crawling out of the corridor and spilling around the pagoda-like construction, covering the ground around the open doors and making it hard to see more than a few meters ahead.

"I think this confirms there's someone in there," Ranko said and frowned. "Think this fog's poisoned?"

"It doesn't smell weird so I don't think so," the young man said while scratching the back of his head. "Perhaps they put some wire on the floor and are hiding it with the smoke?"

"Could be, let's be careful, then," the redhead answered and entered the second castle gate, paying close attention as she went to avoid stepping on a trap or getting tangled in a net of barbed wire.

It didn't take the two teenagers too long to reach the end of the hallway and enter what appeared to be a large room.

The place was also covered by thick smoke, making it almost impossible for them to see their surroundings. Ryoga and Ranko walked a few steps before stopping, unsure of continuing and trying to decide what they should do next.

"Do you think they want us to get lost in this place?" Ranko asked, reaching back to hold Ryoga's hand, not wanting to get separated from him.

"This seems to be some sort of main hall," the young Hibiki observed, his eyes were on the roof, and from what he could gather this place was very wide. "I don't think it's a labyrinth."

"This place is not a labyrinth," a voice said from within the fog. "But it doesn't matter, this is as far as you go."

"You should give up now," a second voice, almost identical to the first continued. "There is no need for you to make this difficult."

"Brave words for someone who's hiding in the smoke," Ranko challenged, feeling irked by the taunts, especially because she couldn't see who it was taunting her. "Show yourselves!"

"If you insist," A teenager not older than fifteen wearing loose clothes adorned with a white circle on his chest said, walking out of the smoke. "My name is Daihakuse, nice to meet you."

"And I am Daikokuse," a second teenager, identical to his twin said as he also walked out from the thick fog, the only way to tell him apart from his brother was the black circle marking his chest. "A pleasure, indeed."

"So what's the big idea, filling this place with smoke?" the redhead asked.

"We are the guardians of the second Gate," both twins said in unison. "And the smoke is one of our weapons."

"This is your last chance to give up and let us arrest you," Daikokuse said, hands behind his back as he made his final warning.

"There is no chance you can defeat us here in our fortress," Daihakuse said, his hands also behind his back.

"So please just sit down and wait until some soldiers come for you," both brothers completed.

"Like hell, we will!" Ranko strongly disputed. "In fact, you'll let us pass or I'll kick your asses!"

"She isn't going to listen to us, Daikokuse," the white circle twin said with a sigh.

"A pity, but honestly unexpected, Daihakuse," the black circle twin replied as he shrugged.

"She's not alone!" Ryoga interrupted then, stepping forward and standing beside Ranko. "If you fight together then we will, too!"

"Don't butt in," Ranko said with a frown, shoving her boyfriend back a couple of steps. "I can take care of these two jerks, no problem!"

"But…"

"I can do this!" she told him with a defiant look. "I know I can, ok? Trust me."

"Fine, I'll trust you," he conceded, taking a deep breath to calm down. "But I'll help you if they start giving you trouble."

"They won't, but thanks anyway," she said and then turned to face the twins. "Very well, brats… let's do this!"

"As you wish," Daihakuse said, preparing his fighting stance.

"Attack us if you dare," Daikokuse challenged, also going into his own stance.

Knowing she was fighting two opponents simultaneously, just like in the city a couple of hours before, Ranko decided to try to knock the twins out at the same time so she rushed at them and attacked them with a roundhouse kick, but much to her surprise the two teenagers were able to duck under her leg and split in opposite directions, effectively surrounding her.

"Not bad," the redhead admitted with a nod. "But it won't happen again."

"Maybe," Daikokuse said and stepped forward with a quick punch that Ranko had no trouble blocking and then jumped over a low kick the other twin tried to hit her back with.

"You won't catch me by surprise!" The girl boasted as she landed, focusing on immediately attacking the twin in front of her, the one with the black circle, who was barely able to dodge or block Ranko's punches and ended up being forced back several steps as he tried to avoid receiving any damage.

"You're better than expected," the black circle twin said with a frown. "But it won't change the outcome of this fight."

"Oh really? I bet your twin is…" Ranko blinked, as one look behind her revealed that the white circle twin was no longer visible. "Hey, where did the other brat go?"

"He went into the smoke," Ryoga said, not too happy with that underhanded trick the twins had pulled. "Be careful, he may try to sneak behind you."

"My brother is the least of your troubles," Daikokuse warned, pulling a small wooden mallet from under his left sleeve and throwing it at Ranko, forcing her to block it with a swat of her right hand.

"Oh, please, toys?" she asked, annoyed and starting to think this fight would be nothing but a waste of her time.

"Not a toy, it was…" the teenager said.

"...A distraction!" Daihakuse completed, stepping out of the smoke from Ranko's left side, quickly slamming his open palm on her torso, the impact strong enough to drop the redhead on her back.

"You'll pay for that, you little freaks!" Ranko warned but soon noticed the twins had already hidden inside the thick smoke. The girl got back on her feet, looking around her and wincing a little as the spot the white circle twin had hit remained somewhat sore.

'Strange, he didn't strike me that hard… this shouldn't hurt,' she thought with a frown, there was something wrong here and it irritated her that she didn't know what it was. Taking a deep breath to calm down, Ranko expanded her senses and tried to feel the battle aura of the two brats, thinking that they should be easy to locate that way. After all, she could feel Ryoga behind her but she couldn't feel the twins at all. They had completely hidden their ki!

"You cannot win," Daikokuse said from somewhere inside the smoke. "Our Odayakana Hansha Ken is invincible."

"My brother is correct, there is no way you can defeat our Calm Reflection Fist," Daihakuse completed. "Give up now and we won't hurt you further."

"You wish!" Ranko exclaimed, her hand on her left side as she looked back at Ryoga, who was already preparing to enter the fight. "And don't you dare butt in!"

"Ranko, I…"

"Shut it!" She ordered and faced the fog around her again. "Alright brats, time for round two!"

"It doesn't matter if he fights too…" one of the twins said.

"For the result would be the same…" the other continued.

"Your total and complete defeat!" Both finished.

"That's where you're wrong! I was going easy on you since you're kids, but no more," Ranko stated defiantly while taking a particular fighting stance, with her legs flexed and open wide and her fists raised only enough to cover her chest and torso. "I'll show you now what I can do!"

'That stance she's taking, is it…?' Ryoga thought, staring at Ranko with wide eyes. Why did this stance she was using seem so familiar, had he seen it before?

But Ryoga's meditations were cut short, as both twins came out of the smoke just then, rushing straight for his beloved redhead!

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