"We tell Akane, of course," Sayuri said. "She'll get Ranma to-"
Hiroshi shook his head. "Ranma doesn't know anything about this kind of stuff. We need a priest."
Sayuri scowled. "Ranma never loses."
Hiroshi smiled. "And you like watching him fight?"
"The fights are just a blur, but-" Sayuri shook herself. "Why not Ranma?"
"Would you trust his father with this secret, or Nabiki?" Hiroshi shrugged. "Ranma would come out on the top in the end, but only after a madcap adventure."
"Don't want to get in the middle of one of those," Yuka said, turning round from the computer. "But I don't know any priests, and you certainly don't. What about the Amazons?"
"You want to join their tribe?" Hiroshi asked.
Daisuke frowned. "Why'd we want to do that?"
"Whatever kami they worship are hardly likely to want to help outsiders, are they?" Hiroshi said patiently.
Sayuri reluctantly nodded agreement. "And they'd want us to help keep Ranma and Akane apart. That can't end well."
"But where do we find a priest who can help?" Yuka asked. "I go to the festivals, but..."
As she trailed off, Hiroshi frowned thoughtfully. None of them were particularly religious; they did all the right things, and they believed, but only in the same way they believed the earth was round.
"Hmm, we don't know where to find the right kind of priest, but other priests will, and it won't be difficult to convince them we're serious, not when they see what Yuka can do now. We'll have to skip school tomorrow, and go looking. Sayuri, can you cover for us?"
"I'm coming with you," she said firmly. "I'm not leaving my friend alone with you two idiots."
"We can use the Master PC to stop people suspecting anything," Daisuke suggested.
"No!" Hiroshi and Sayuri both shouted. They glanced at each other, then Hiroshi went on, "it's too dangerous. We're not using it unless we really need to."
"There's no unless about it," Sayuri said, glaring at the boys.
"She means it," Daisuke said, shifting uncomfortably. "She's thinking about kicking us in the-"
"We do need to, right now," Hiroshi said as realisation dawned. "The person who did that thing to Yuka, they might have set up an alarm so they could watch. When they see we stopped it, what do you think they'll do next?"
"I don't want to know," Yuka said, shuddering. "He used me, violated me, just because my Dad trod on his foot. For this-"
"If he knew, he'd have done something by now," Sayuri said.
"So he's not at his computer right this moment. He could still get an action replay later. You're completely unprotected, and us three are still vulnerable."
"I'll lock her file," Yuka said. "Vulnerable how?"
"Make her hair half a inch longer first. It'll be a stronger lock that way. Daisuke, you can still read Yuka's mind, right?"
He nodded, then frowned. "But you said-"
"Indirect effects," Hiroshi explained. "There's nothing to stop this other user giving Ukyo the ability to turn people into his devoted love-slaves, and a compulsion to use it on us. Um, there has to be something that'd stop him converting everyone, but that won't save us."
Sayuri frowned. "You sound different."
Daisuke smiled. "He made himself smart."
"And I boosted my integrity," Hiroshi added. "Yuka, you'll need to enter this command-"
"Why should she do it," Sayuri objected. "You're the ones who got her into this. You're the ones-"
"Who were trying to help her," Hiroshi said firmly. "By the time we got over to my computer, it might be too late. Yuka, this is what we do: make all four of us immune to any ability produced, directly or indirectly, by use of the Master PC."
"Just the four of us," Sayuri protested. "What about my parents, and Akane, and ..."
Hiroshi moved over to help Yuka navigate the menus. "I think, um, yes, we can only name twenty people. Hard coded limitations. We can add another twenty, once I get to my computer, but that's it."
"That's enough," Sayuri said, smiling thoughtfully. "We don't need to protect everyone. If he tries anything on Shampoo, Cologne will pulverise him. What about tomorrow. You know what Principal Kuno is like with truants."
And so the foursome began to plan, the conversation lasting until late into the night.
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(Posted Sun, 29 Aug 2010 07:17)
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らんま1/2 © Rumiko Takahashi
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