Chapter Text
Bad Ending...All Roads Lead to What?
Ranma Saotome dies and is reincarnated inside of a strange dating sim game. Ranma is the son of a wicked lord, who abuses his power to get what he wants. He’s the antogonist in the game, where the protagonist beats them and exposes the corrupt lord. In almost every story end the son always faces punishment for his father’s and his own deeds. Ranma doesn’t want to die, so slowly learns this world’s magic system, learns to fight, and seeks to find ways to avoid the bad end. Without realizing it he starts to seduce the target characters, and is stealing them away from the protagonist. What will happen?
Chapter 1 The Death of Ranma
Ranma loved video games, and when her best friend mentioned a Dating Sim had a character with her name in it, she was intrigued. Of course Kodachi didn’t mention that the Ranma in the game was a Villain character.
The game Ranma was the son of a wicked lord, who abuses his power to lives a cushy life, growing fat and slothful with his desires. He often tricks and uses his son to get his dirty work done. Often messing with the other nobles and heirs.
It’s the job of the protagonist to defeat them, uncover their wicked deeds, and punish not only the lord but his son as well. Ranma felt bad for game Ranma, he didn’t seem like a bad guy, so many cut scenes showed his father using events to twist Ranma up and push him down a darker path. ‘I think he just wants a friend.’ Even his own “brother” in the game was turned against him and used against him.
There is no Happy Ending for Ranma, he’s either killed by one of the Capture Characters, executed along with his father, or if by some mercy he’s banished, forced to live a life of shame and poverty. Oh how Ranma grew to hate Akane the game’s protagonist. Her so called kindness just looked like pity, she got herself involved in fights and situations, without any context. In the Demon Possession arc, a demon jumps around taking over people’s bodies and making them do bad things. Ranma actually confronts the demon and actually figures out how to cleanse someone who is possessed.
Akane jumps in and attacks Ranma, saying he was beating up on characters. She actually allows the demon to escape and possess one of the Capture Characters, which led to a boss fight. Even after the truth is revealed the game doesn’t let you apologize to Ranma. ‘If Ranma did go dark side I could see why…’
Any friends he’d make at the academy would turn on him because of Akane, he was alone, falling into his father’s clutches and used over and over again. She wanted to have words with the game’s creator.
According to Kodachi the fans of the game often ship Ranma and Akane. It was a whole they hate each other but still fuck each other deal. They were constantly at each other’s throats in the game. Supposedly there was a deleted scene/storyline where the two were supposed to be engaged only for Akane to revoke the engagement and find “true love” with one of the capture characters. If you beat the game once in all routes including the harem route, you could play “Hard Mode” where the story line was brought back in and Ranma was more problematic and made it difficult to make the romantic scenarios play out.
Ranma tried as she might but Ranma wasn’t a capture character, and no matter what route she took she couldn’t get Ranma a happier ending. ‘It doesn’t seem fair…’ If anything she felt more annoyed with Akane, her nature as the protagonist sounded a bit too prideful, forgiving the other guys for their actions but Ranma’s faults were always brought back up and used as a trigger for combats. ‘She’s so eager to help everyone else but not Ranma.’
‘I’d help him if I could...I’d love to give Ranma his happy end!’ Ranma was lost in thought, walking along the fence towards her school. She was often chastised for being a monkey girl, she was good at gymnastics and was co-captains with Kodachi on the team. A purple cat crossed his path, and she stumbled and fell… ‘I slipped…’ She struck her head...and…
-x-
“Owww what the hell old man!” Ranma’s voice was deeper and more masculine.
“Don’t talk back to me boy!”
‘Boy…’ Ranma blinked.
“You aren’t smart enough to get into the academy through academics, so you have to get in through combat skills!”
‘Wait I remember this line...it was in one of the flashbacks for Ranma the antagonist…’ Ranma scrambled over to a pond. Not only did he have a big knot on his head from the hit his father inflicted on him, Ranma’s reflection showed none other than the young Ranma Saotome who was the Dating Sim’s antagonist. “Ehh…” Her red hair was now black, she was taller and more fit, her chest was replaced with pectorals. “EHh…” She was a man now...she was Ranma… “EHHH!”
Memories of her old life flooded in and filled his form. “I’m Ranma…” Kick! His father Genma kicked him into the pond.
“Quit spacing out boy!”
Ranma coughed. ‘That hurt...this is real...I’m really Ranma...that means I...I…’ He sat up. “I’m fucked!!!”
“Listen to me boy!” Genma attacked Ranma, only for him to gracefully dodge and flip over him. “Huh?”
“I have to check something out!” Using his father’s head as a spring board Ranma leapt off and raced inside their estate. Genma was kicked into the pond. His mother had an extensive library on various things, from Sword Arts, to Magic, to Combat, World History, and Maps and Charts.
Ranma’s mother never appears in the games but she’s mentioned. She’s a mighty general and a skilled tactician, she was away from the estate which was technically hers, handling combat in another land.
He scoured the library and sure enough things pieced together. “I’m really in the dating sim world…” This was bad...really really bad… ‘I’m stuck in a world where the antagonist dies!’ If he’s lucky he’s banished.
Inner Meeting of Ranma’s Mind
The President at the table was Girl Ranma, for the sake of simplicity we’ll call this fragment Ranko. On her left was a Black Haired Ranma he was wearing a red shirt, for the sake of simplicity we’ll call this fragment Ranma. Next to him was another male Ranma but he didn’t have his hair tied back, it was flowing and he was wearing a white shirt, for the sake of simplicity we’ll refer to this one as Ranran.
On Ranko’s Right was a pink haired female Ranma wearing a blue shirt, for the sake of simplicity we will call this one Yoiko. Next to her was a male Ranma with blue hair, wearing a green gymnastic leotard, this one we’ll call Ran-chan.
Last but not least, rounding out the council was a red haired male Ranma wearing glasses and an orange shirt, this one was called Ma-Kun.
“What are we gonna do?” Ranran was panicking. “In every ending of the game Ranma dies.”
Ranma slammed his hands on the desk. “I don’t wanna die, can’t we do anything to avoid the death flags?”
Yoiko chuckled. “Do you have a plan?”
“Hm? We’re all doomed!”
“That’s not helping!” Ran-chan snapped!
Ma-Kun yawned. “Why don’t we just avoid the death flags?” All the other vestiges looked to him. He adjusted his glasses. “We have our game knowledge, we know what awaits us, we can plan for the best and prepare for the worst.”
Ranko nodded. “Yes this is our chance, we’ll get Ranma his happy ending!” Given their current age, they had a few years before they entered the academy. “So it’s decided…”
“We train!” Ran-Chan said.
“We’ll prepare!” Ma-Kun said.
“We’ll survive!” Ranma said.
“Chairman Ranran, can you share with the council what we’ll be facing.”
Ranran stood up. In the game, Ranma Saotome is the antagonist to Akane Tendo who is the game’s protagonist. A chorus of groans could be heard at the mention of Akane. House Saotome and House Tendo were said to be allies in the old days.
At the academy there are a few routes the protagonist can take. “The four main routes are all tied to powerful families. The House of the Blue Dragon is run by the Kuno family, the heir is Tatewaki Kuno, he’s a bit of an idiot, but his skills in the sword are no joke. He’s the easiest route as he falls for Akane at first sight, he only becomes a pain when going for the harem route, but after the first kiss event he behaves. At the end of the Blue Dragon Route he cuts down Ranma defending Akane.”
The cut scene was projected for all the vestiges to see.
“The Green Turtle Route involves the heir Ryu Kumon. He’s probably the hardest route as he’s not really interested in love, but the protagonist opens his eyes to love showing off her strength and skills.” Ranko remembered this route, it took so much grinding to get Akane to be strong enough to earn Ryu’s affection. “At the end of his Route he ends up killing Ranma with his bare hands.”
“Then there is the Red Tiger Route, the heir is Shinnosuke Tora, he’s a good guy but suffers a terrible curse where he slowly loses his memories. The protagonist breaks the curse and Shinnosuke falls in love with her. He’s the one most open to the harem ending.” In Ranma’s bad ending Shinnosuke and Akane slay him in a grand act of the power of love!
“Last of the main Routes is the White Phoenix Route, the heir is Mousse Swan. He’s a powerful magic user and conjurer, he’s often bullied by other characters in the game and the protagonist defends him and he falls for her.” The bad end is execution for Ranma and his father.
“As for the Harem ending, there’s extra Capture Characters, one of them being Ranma’s own brother. They fall for Akane and are used to investigate Ranma’s family’s crimes, which lands them either execution or banishment.”
“Right...our brother...how does that happen again? Mom is away in combat?” Ranma brings up.
“If I remember right, he adopts a young man from another clan to bring honor in our house...but what was his name…” She remembered them being pit against each other, with Genma gassing up the boy and giving him false confidence, and he stroked the fires of rivalry between the two, so they never got to form a proper bond. If his route is claimed the brother turns on Ranma, blaming him for more of their father’s crimes.
“Well it doesn’t matter, if we can grow our skills, the old man won’t have a reason to adopt anyone!” It was decided.
End the Meeting in Ranma’s Mind
Ranma began taking his training seriously, treating it as life and death...because it was. He used his Gymnastics Knowledge to hone his skills and apply it to combat. Ranma focused more on strength and agility.
Genma saw his son “playing” with a ribbon and was swiftly disgusted. He was too busy getting drunk and loafing around he didn’t see how hard Ranma was training in secret. The gymnastic stretches helped hone his muscles. ‘I must be prepared for anything!’ Not just gaining fighting skills.
He spent time in the library and began learning magic, learning to control mana. It took Ranma’s gymnastic tools to the next level. His ribbon could be as sharp as steel to cut down trees or even through swords, be used as a great binding agent. With his mana control it could even move and extend like a snake.
The ribbon wasn’t the only tools he practiced with, he also used the hoop, the club, and the ball! His father wouldn’t let him use a sword, so if he was gonna fight Kuno or Mousse he’d need the tools.
He couldn’t find out what his element affinity was, he hoped for Wind or Water, but he’d take anything really. Ranma thought he proved himself to his father by defeating him in combat, but the man looked pissed than happy. A week later…
“Boy this is Ryoga Hibiki, from this day on he’s your brother and an heir of the House of Saotome!”
“What?!” How did this happen?! ‘Ryoga...Hibiki…’ Now Ranma remembered him. He was one of Akane’s paramours, he fell for her hard and fast, seeing her as an angel that could do no wrong. It made their strained sibling relationship all the worse. Ryoga would join the party and fight on Akane’s behalf. He was freakishly strong and like a tank, and he used Earth Magic. The first doom flag had appeared and he hadn’t even gotten to the academy yet!
To be continued