The Cradle from Hell (chapter)

Jigoku no yurikago (地獄のゆりかご) is the 215th chapter of the manga and the third and last chapter of the Cradle from Hell Arc.

It's fight time between father and son and Genma has a new deadly technique.

Continuing from Previous Chapter
Genma has an intense aura radiating from him as he chuckles at the prospect of beating his son. Ranma does not take Genma's taunts lightly and goes on the attack, but his right jab hits nothing but air. Suddenly Genma comes spinning in the air catching Ranma off-guard. He widens his arms and yells out his new attack: Cradle from Hell. Ranma gets out of the way, not knowing what he should be expecting. Soun and Akane also wonder about this new technique. While Ranma manages to dodge Genma's first attempt at the technique, he feels a sudden chill down his spine. Genma, still grinning, goes in for another attack, but this time is countered by Ranma's kick. Genma spins in the air and attacks once more without skipping a beat. Ranma is unable to get on the offensive and can only dodge out of the way.

Soun, narrating the fight with a microphone, turns to Nabiki to ask where Kasumi went, not paying attention to the fight. When Akane grabs his attention, they turn to see Ranma cornered in one side of the dojo. Genma's aura appears tall and stout and Ranma is unable to move. Akane then realizes that the entire time Genma had been playing with used tires in the playground must have been part of the training. She feels that this Cradle from Hell technique must be very powerful. Genma goes in for another Cradle, but is blocked by a low kick. He tries again, and is met with a punch to the face. But no matter how he gets countered, he persistently corners Ranma and Ranma in turn is unable to move away.

Faceoff: Father and Son
Locked into a stalemate, the father and son stay perfectly still, only making constant eye contact. Hours pass without anyone making a move, prompting the Tendos to go off for a bit and find something more important to do, such as eating, bathing, and watching TV. Akane, unlike the rest of the family, remained in the dojo to watch over the fight. Three hours have now passed without a movement from either of them. Soun tells Akane to keep watching this mental battle, but Akane shows weariness from watching for so long.

The entire time, Ranma had been sweating and staring into his father, who stood perfectly still without any sign of fatigue. Then he realized something that only Genma is capable of. He lunges forward and smacks his father in the head, realizing that he fell asleep some time ago. Genma regains his senses and recollects the dream he had - a dream where he spent time with Ranma and lived happily. Genma tells his son that he completely forgot about the fight and tears start coming out. He then tells Ranma that thanks to the hit he just gave, he has now awakened. He launches the Cradle from Hell and this time, Ranma cannot escape.

Cradle from Hell
All the Tendos gather to witness the deadly technique as Ranma cries out. The attack itself, which is a grappling attack reminiscent of a parent embracing their infant child, makes Genma sit down and hug Ranma tightly, preventing him from moving. He then rocks his body to complete the experience. Akane and Soun remembers this pose from all the times Genma had been playing with the used tires and discover the technique's true potency: to sicken the opponent to the point of giving up.

Ranma finally frees himself from the parental grip and stomps on Genma, already sickened to the core with just one demonstration. The two then start their match once again and the Tendo sisters retire for the night. The next day, Soun comes in while brushing his teeth to see Genma finally victorious. He is covered with bruises and bumps, but remains victorious over his sickened son, who has taken enough Cradle from Hell to lose all will to fight.

Cast in Order of Appearance

 * Genma Saotome (human)
 * Ranma Saotome (male)
 * Akane Tendo
 * Kasumi Tendo
 * Nabiki Tendo
 * Soun Tendo
 * Genma Saotome (panda, flashback)