Issues: 1-7
The manga series, No Need For Tenchi, takes place after the OAV, "Tenchi Muyo!". The manga introduces two new characters to Tenchi. The first is Yakage, a scientist who has the dream of creating the ultimate sword. The other character is Minagi, who looks identical to Ryoko.
The story starts with the normal fighting between Ayeka and Ryoko, when suddenly a ball of energy comes down from the sky and a woman who looks identical to Ryoko appears. Naturally Ryoko gets angry with the supposed imposter. But she isn’t there for Ryoko. She is sent to find Tenchi, the one who killed Kagato and can generate the Lightning Eagle Sword. They learn that the imposter isn't Ryoko but Minagi. Ryoko doesn't care and beats Minagi up anyway. With a combined lightning attack and slam into the ground, Ryoko causes Minagi to lose her memory.
With Minagi having lost her memory, she stays with the gang, and soon befriends Sasami. But Minagi fears for Sasami's safety, thinking she might attack when she recovers her memory, so she decides to leave. Her master Yakage shows up on earth looking for her and the one who beat Kagato (Tenchi). Yakage happens to be an old student of Washu and a friend of Kagato. Yakage starts a fight with Tenchi and is easily defeating him until Ryoko jumps in. Yakage then decides to kidnap Ayeka, and take her as a hostage, telling Tenchi he has ten days to prepare until they must meet again. Tenchi must now train in order to rescue Ayeka and defeat Yakage.
Meanwhile, Ryoko volunteers to rescue Ayeka for Tenchi while he trains, and heads off to confront Yakage. Ryoko then learns she's not alone and Washu snuck onto the ship. With Washu's help, they find Yakage's ship. Inside, Ryoko finds Yakage and starts battling to save Ayeka. In the meantime, Minagi is trying to get the computers to help her get her memory back. When Ryoko tells Ayeka she's going to rescue her, Ayeka has a fit and wants to know where Tenchi is. Ryoko says he's busy and she's going to save her. Ayeka says she'd rather die than have Ryoko save her. With this, Ryoko slaps Ayeka across the face, to Yakage's shock.
As the battle continues, you get to see Ryoko's demon summoning powers once again. Unfortunatly, they aren’t much help and Yakage just laughs them off, insulting Ryoko.
Ryoko does get the better of him, but tells him she wants a real fight, due to the fact that she can't rescue Ayeka from his force field. Yakage is the only one that can open it, hence Ryoko has to make him do it. Yakage then gets the best of Ryoko is this second fight. Yakage’s superior sword takes control, and Ryoko becomes victim to her own summoned monsters. Ayeka thinks Yagage has killed Ryoko, but Washu shows up to save the day, tells Ayeka that Ryoko will be fine, and Tenchi will be coming soon.
You learn that Yakage is from Jurai, and after Washu and Ryoko leave Washu starts to think that Yakage has got to be getting pretty old. (He first became her student 5,000 years earlier.) This story continues in the second series, “Sword Play.”
