Demonic Language [Momo, Ranma]

Listen, Ranma had just learned that taking feasible steps, smaller steps than normal at a time – as long as he was consistent – then he’d make much more progress than before! That was Morikawa-sensei’s biggest lesson, and he wasn’t hopeless enough to ditch that gold nugget. Now he was here… further training, and the years would only pass by. But while he was a little hasty and impatient before, knowing that us Shinigami live long lives… it was worth tempering his hasty nature.

After all, even if small, he could see improvement here and now- oh what the shit, he couldn’t get drunk now?! “Huuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuh?” escaped his maw, his jaw slowly lowering to the floor as one of his favorite pastimes were off limits during Kidō practice, “… T-Tea, please…” He’d do with tea. Tea was sweet and delightful, too, though he hadn’t had tea in… fuck, how long was it? Damn, how long was it?!

“Really? I never really bothered much with the higher spells, I kinda like the lower ones as they are. No, I’m not dumb! There’s something beautiful in simplicity, young lady! DON’T PATRONIZE ME, I JUST LIKE THOSE SPELLS A LOT! I-I-I’d like some tea, actually…” Realizing how rude he’d been, he’d squat down, twiddle his fingers and profusely shiver in shame. “T-The higher ones don’t scare me or anything…”

He’d follow obediently now. Like a child afraid of angering their parents, it was the kind of energy he exuded with his fingers twiddling, gaze down and with a timid aura as he entered her house. He didn’t say another word, kind of caught in the moment of cutting himself short after his previous outburst – it was pinching his belly to know that he did what he did… so embarrassing.

And thus, he sat down on the nearest couch or stool, shivering in anticipation. She hadn’t said a word afterwards. She just proclaimed to make some tea, but he could feel a very menacing effect from her, even if unintentional. He shook, he shaked, he shaketh- and his heart came to a halt… and then started beating again. She was just worried if he assumed too high of a bar to reach.

… He still had to work on jumping to conclusions. That shit always bit him in the ass.

“You think so?” Ranma genuinely asked, not even bullshitting at this rate, “… Thanks, sensei. Not gonna lie, I’ve been struggling with Kidō for a while, so I really thought my hands were built wrong or something. I’m not nearly as talented in it as my girlfriend…”

Erica could probably supervise a few hours with him back home. She had a much deeper affinity with Kidō than him. At least, he believed so, based on what he’d seen and felt. “Wait, so how big are the numbers gonna be? 30s? 40s? I hope it ain’t all the way up in the 60s or 70s, I-I’m not that confident…”

Ohhh… he didn’t really consider himself a tea guy, but cheers. It… warmed him up more than he expected. It was a bit tough on the tongue at first, since he was more used to colder drinks, but over time, he eased into drinking it normally- not before putting some milk in it, though. So much focus in that one action.

“Ooooooooh… I can try. Always felt like a Bakudō guy,” he replied, quickly feeling his confidence return. Bakudō, that was his homefield when it came to Kidō – since he showed a strong preference for that tree, Hinamori-sensei was quick to attempt to build upon that. “30s… hmmmh… mmhhhmmmmm…” Ranma tried to remember just what those spells around #31 were.

Geki was a quick, simple spell, but if a dummy could push back against it, then so could a Shinigami or Hollow. She was right to worry that he might be in need of elevating his arsenal, and since they were now talking about Bakudō, he was almost leaning over the table with widened eyes full of sparkles. “What… what spell are we talking about, now? I’m game, especially if it’s like Geki. Like some sort of… super Geki- wait, forget I said that.”

He took another sip of his tea and melted back into his seat, feeling a bit too homely in her abode. He was glad that he hadn’t weirded her out nearly as much as he did Morikawa-sensei.

Shitotsu Sansen sounded like a dish. Yeah, that was his first thought. However, to think that it was the #30 of Bakudō was very nice – Shakkahō was only 1 above that number! And he’d been very familiar with Shakkahō now, intent on taming that level of Kidō diligently since Noharu’s words hit his ears. She’d probably be a little annoyed that he didn’t catch up on her skill with Hohō first, but fuck it.

“Sounds deadly! Like nailing enemies with giant laser bolts,” Ranma pondered over the imagery of this spell, “Three triangles… so, like, three spikes? Doesn’t that… leave a limb open?” He imagined that it targeted arms and legs, but most… most Shinigami were humanoid. They had two arms and two legs. So maybe… it hit two arms and the stomach?

Two legs and the head?

“If it’s formed like triangles, it shouldn’t be too hard to manifest. I can already imagine how it’d look…!”

Hmh… not many people could fight with just one of their legs and no other limbs to support. In that way, as long as Ranma would be able to disable their arms… he could see a promise with this new spell. A surprise nailed-to-the-wall kind of spell…

Ranma did like surprises! That was very much to the chagrin and discontent of his future victims…

“Nah, nah, that’s all good, Hinamori-sensei! I deal plenty of damage by my own,” Ranma reassured her with a shaking palm, five fingers stretched as if physically trying to pause reality itself, “Should have plenty of use, anyway. Imagine if I land a Geki on one of those captains you drew as dummies… and right when they think ‘easy break’, BAM! Three spikes to the torso, shoved into the wall, and met with a blazing Shakkahō straight to the face! That can’t go wrong… *sip*”

The tea was very sweet now. He might’ve spoiled himself a bit, but it was her helping, and he did want to execute his ideas and continue the training. Imagine that, Ranma began enjoying training without groaning about how long it was taking.

...

“Done! Thanks for the tea, Hinamori-sensei. I’m ready to fuck up some of those... uh, I don’t know what their names are, but that white-haired prick kinda looking weird at me. I’ll rearrange his face if I see him out there.”