Ranma was not his son by birth. He was his youngest brothers. The boy’s father fell in defense of Rokugan, struck down by an Oni while his mother committed Seppuku in her grief. Kasada had taken in young boy and raised him as his own.
He would never tell the boy, but he looked more like a Crane then a Crab. Ranma lacked the stature befitting a Hida or a Crab. He possessed the delicate features and blue eyes of his Doji mother. Nevertheless, he also knew that despite Ranma’s looks, his 16-year-old nephew was a forced to be reckoned with. His comparatively delicate frame held unbelievable strength and speed.
Kasada’s reminiscing was disrupted by the alarm gongs of the tower. Yes. It was time. Time to see if his adopted son was a Crane or a Crab, to see if he had the strength to defend Rokugan against the very forces of darkness or if he was more suited to the life of a pampered poetry speaking weakling.
“Ranma!” shouted the Great Bear of the Crab. “You are with me!”
There was a moment’s silence and Kasada cursed. Where had the boy gone!? Had the coward turned and ran when he had hear the god announcing the encroaching darkness?!
“I am here father!” replied the black hared youth as he ran out of the towers guard post.
If they had been moments from combat, Kasada would have struck the young fool. He had totally forsaken his armor! Instead he was dressed in only a light Kimono, designed for maximum mobility. In his hands he held his birth father’s no-dachi, and at his side was his Daisho. Kasada silently hoped that the young fool would survive the engagement.
Along with the other Crab samurai, the Daimyo of the Hida and his brother’s son took battle stances. They did so because of awkwardness of holding them for so long kept them focused on the enemy. In moments the forces of the Shadowlands were upon them in a cloud of goblins and ogre. With a cry of encouragement to the Samurai on the wall, Kasada charged the forces of darkness.
The battle was long and furious. All of in merged together into one long orgy of death. How many goblins did he kill? Ten twenty? How many ogre? It did not matter. There were always more. What was important, was keeping them out of Rokugan. The sacrid duty of the crab.
As Kasada smashed the skull of yet another of the Shaodwlands beasts, he heard a cry that put chills into the heart of even the most seasoned Crab samurai...
”ONI!!”
Kasada wiped around, looking to find the beast. Only the most experienced of the clans warriors would stand a chance against a Oni of Fu Lang. What he saw chilled him to the bone.
The Oni was a fifteen-foot tall mass of ropy cords. It’s muscles glistened moist in the mid day sun. It was as if its skin was removed, leaving it just a twisted parody of life.
It was not the appearance of the demon that put fear into the great bears heart. It was the fact that the demon was already in combat, with Ranma.
See other episodes by Psyckosama
(Posted Sat, 19 Oct 2002 20:21)
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らんま1/2 © Rumiko Takahashi
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