Hello everyone, it's Fenikkusumaru here, along with Vanishing Raptor, giving you the latest chapter of Kamen Rider Gaim: Romance of the Three Kingdoms! To those who have reviewed, I thank you for sending them. I'm glad that none of them are flames. And I promise to keep doing my best in writing this out with Vanishing Raptor. So without further ado, here is the next chapter of Kamen Rider Gaim: Romance of the Three Kingdoms!

Disclaimer: Same thing.


Aisha and I walked together towards the nearest village in Zhuo District, Xizang according to my black haired companion. I really wanted to strike a conversation with my new friend, vassal, or whatever my relationship with her should be, but my shy nature when it came to the opposite gender hampered me. Urgh, sometimes I wish I was like Koji minus the playboy attitude.

"Gaim–sama, may I ask you something?" asked Aisha suddenly.

"Huh? Oh yes, sure. Go ahead, Aisha–san."

"Can you tell me more about your armor?"

"Oh that. Well, I guess now's a good time as any," I answered and took out my Sengoku Driver and Orange Lockseed. "I transformed using these tools. The buckle is called the Sengoku Driver while the padlock is called the Lockseed. By inserting the Lockseed into my Sengoku Driver and cutting open the orange using this knife," I motioned to the Cutting Blade switch. "…the Lockseed will call on the armor which is called Arms according to the Lockseed I used in the Driver. These Arms come from the place called Helheim Forest."

"Is this… Helheim Forest located in Heaven?" asked Aisha as she curiously peered at the Lockseed.

I grimaced at that. "No, actually Helheim Forest is the farthest thing you could relate to heaven." I really didn't need to scare her with the truth of Helheim Forest like what Takatora revealed in Episode 20.

Aisha blinked in confusion. "But… didn't that armor come from Heaven itself?"

"Actually, that zipper like portal is the gateway to Helheim Forest. They can open anywhere as long as you unlock the Lockseed," I explained before I paused to let the information sick in. "The Lockseeds are fruits that grow abundantly in Helheim Forest in their immature form. Someone wearing the Sengoku Driver can pluck these fruits and will immediately mature into a Lockseed like this one."

"I see." Kan'u pondered. "And what about that Inves creature you spoke of earlier?"

"Oh that?" I asked. "Well, the Inves are the inhabitants of Helheim Forest. The immature Lockseeds are their source of food. They eat those things like they're candy. Normally, they don't really bother you, but if you have a Lockseed in your hands, they'll do anything to get their hands on it."

"Is that so…" Kan'u said. "So then, how did that Inves get to this world?"

"Well, I was attacked by some bandits and one of them opened up a Lockseed causing a portal to open and that Inves you and I fought appeared." I explained. "That's another function of the Lockseed. When one doesn't have a Sengoku Driver, but has a Lockseed, they can open a Lockseed to summon an Inves and help the user out."

I then continued saying, "However, if the user drops the Lockseed the Inves will run amok attacking anyone and anything they see. And it can get worse if they eat a matured Lockseed. If they do, they grow up into a Berserker state which is larger and stronger. Thankfully, the Inves earlier didn't notice the dropped Lockseed and focused on attacking me and you."

"I see…"

"Inves are also dangerous if and when they manage to actually wound someone. They leave some kind of disease on their victim's body and make the Helheim vegetation grow from their body causing them great pain. And the worst thing is, Inves can control the growth of this disease so none of the victims are actually safe from harm once they were attacked."

Aisha gulped after hearing my explanation. "So that's why you asked if that Inves touched me earlier… If it did…"

The girl shuddered in fear but I placed a calming hand on her shoulder. "Hey, at least you're safe now. If there're anymore Inves in the future, just leave it to me. Okay?"

"Thank you, Gaim–sama," said Aisha gratefully with a smile.

"It's no problem," I grinned before I noticed where my hand was and quickly pulled it back with a blushing face. Man, her skin was really soft– ack! Bad thoughts! No bad thoughts! "Uh, sorry about that, Aisha–san."

"It's not a problem, Gaim–sama," replied Aisha also with a slight blush on her cheeks. "We're nearing the village now. Shall we make haste?"

"Sure, let's go." I said and we resumed walking.


(Cue Theme Howling Soul by Rekka Katakiri)

(First Instrumental Section) We see black and white flashes of a few of the girls before freezing on Kurogasa in full color, standing back to back with Gaim. Then a few more black and white flashes of the girls appearing before coming to a full color image of Koji, smirking coolly with several of his harem girls surrounding him as Baron is off to the side. The last few black and white flashes then occur as we see Souji and Daigo stand back to back, Souji looking serious and Daigo upbeat as Zangetsu and Ryugen stand by them.

(Second Instrumental Section) the title logo for "Kamen Rider Gaim: Romance of the Three Kingdoms" appears in front of the palace before it slowly fades to change scenes. The scene changes to Kurogasa as Gaim leading the Shu forces in battle. Then, the scene changes to Koji as Baron, attacking a group of Inves with the Go forces. Lastly, the scene changes to Daigo and Souji as Ryugen and Zangetsu, protecting the Gi forces.

(Tsumetai genjitsu nageki kodoku ni karada furuwasu) The scene changes to a destroyed village as rain poured down. Kurogasa was sitting with his back on a destroyed wall, looking down on the ground sadly. His eyes then shifted to the Orange Lockseed in his hand, and clenched it tightly before looking up at the cloudy sky.
(Koko kara nigedashitai kedo sukoshi mo ugokazu ni ita) Koji is then seen on a balcony, leaning against the railing, looking out into the night with a deep, thoughtful look on his face. He looks down briefly at the Banana Lockseed in his hand. Taking a deep breath, he turns back into the building.

(Uzumaku sabishisa kanji kuchibiru tsuyoku kamishimeru) In the palace courtyard, Daigo is sitting on the tree, leaning his back against the huge trunk looking bored as he looked at his Budou Lockseed while his Souji was sitting down on a chair, reading a scroll before looked up at the sky then looked back down at the table where his Melon Lockseed was.
(Kuyashinamida nagasu mae ni yuuki furishibori onore tsuranuke) Suddenly, the scene changes to a town that seemed to have started to be overtaken by Helheim. As Inves surround them, Kurogasa, Koji, Daigo, and Souji nod to each other as they put on their Sengoku Drivers. Locking on their Lockseeds, they transform into Kamen Riders Gaim, Baron, Ryugen, and Zangetsu.

(Atsuku tagiru tamashii otakebi to tomo ni tokihanate) In the following shot, as the Kamen Riders battle against the Inves, the women prove their martial might in the fight by taking on the Inves as well, different shots showing them each in action.
(Kimerareta RUURU wo uchikowashite) As the fighting continued, in the distance Kurogasa sees Saji, the man who had started it all and sent him and his friends to the Three Kingdoms world and he immediately charges at him.
(Kakenukero jiyuu e to) Saji smirked evilly as he takes out his own Sengoku Driver. His Lockseed, however, is obscured because as he activates it, a flash of light overtakes the screen, making it unclear which Rider he becomes or if Kurogasa hits him.

(Instrumental) Kurogasa, Koji, Daigo, and Souji are seen with their armies, sitting in yukata's of the color scheme of their Rider, holding up their Lockseeds. The Musou women stand behind them at the ready with their weapons out as the title logo appears again.


Chapter 2: First Blood

We continued walking until he finally arrived at the village. However… when we got there…

"What?" Kan'u gasped.

"What the– What happened here?!" I asked shocked.

The village we were supposed to stay in was burned down. Houses were smoked, some were burned leaving traces of small of embers and worst of all… there were some corpses that lied around as the scent of burned flesh polluted the air.

I couldn't stand the look of the village and the smell of the air as I suddenly had the urge to vomit.

"Aneja!" Aisha and I saw Chouhi approached us. "It's the Yellow Turbans! They attacked the village while we're gone!"

"Those swine…!" snarled Aisha angrily as she clenched her hand, holding the shaft of her weapon tightly.

I tried my best not to retch at the sight of dead bodies. This was the first time I saw such violent deaths and worse, it was done by humans who were driven by their own greed.

"Rinrin, help those villagers now! Gaim–sama and I will also lend our help!" barked Aisha.

"Got it!"

As she watched Chouhi left, Aisha turned to me, looking pale and sick. As if she understood what I was feeling right now, she asked me softly, "Is this your first time seeing what happened at the end of bandit attack, Gaim–sama?"

"…Y–Yeah," I answered shakily. "This is horrible… why would they do this?"

"It's because they choose to," said Aisha. "Those bandits, the Yellow Turbans, were once farmers that felt dissatisfied with their life because of the poverty and unemployment while the government officials are doing nothing to improve their situation. So they chose to arm themselves and rebel against the Han Dynasty."

"B–But why would they attack other village if they want to improve their lives? It doesn't make sense!"

"Because they are driven by their own greed and selfishness. As long as they are happy, they wouldn't care about how anyone else feels."

I looked at Aisha who was trying to repress her own bad memories before looking at the surviving villagers. I saw some of them try to move the dead bodies away, but the sight of a young child crying over the bodies of his parents made something inside of me snap. I clenched my fists in anger as steely determination reflected in my eyes.

"Come on, Aisha–san. Let's help the villagers."

"Understood, Gaim–sama."

So with that, the two of us along with Chouhi helped out the survivors, getting to a safe place that was still standing and not destroyed. Thankfully, there was one such place. It was a restaurant of some sort, or what used to be a restaurant, but right now, it's been made into a makeshift hospital. Going in, I saw the damage those bandits did. Some villagers had minor burns and covered in soot, others were bleeding, a few had bandages on various parts of their bodies, and several were mourning over the deaths of their loved ones. It was a very sad sight to see. I've seen these kinds of things on the news where refugees seek shelter from the terrors of violence, but that was nothing compared to seeing this firsthand. To see this with my very own eyes… words cannot express on what I'm feeling right now.

"This is terrible…" Aisha said sadly.

"Yeah, it's a miracle that these villagers are the only ones that survived the onslaught." I agreed.

"Is everyone okay?" Chouhi asked the villagers making them turn to us. One of them stood up who was a middle aged man, and he looked to be the leader.

"Who are you…?" The Village Leader asked. Aisha looked at him firmly.

"We have come to fight the sufferings brought by these wars and to annihilate the Yellow Turbans." Aisha said.

"The Imperial Guard has come to save us?!" A second villager gasped, making the others murmur.

"No… unfortunately we are not of the Imperial Guard." Kan'u said sadly. The villagers all slumped their shoulders at that.

"But we did come to help you out." Chouhi said.

"What can kids like you do?" The second villager asked. "Even we adults can't stand up against the Yellow Turbans!"

"There were just too many." The Village Leader said.

"How many are we talking about exactly?" I asked.

"There must have been at least four thousand!" The Village Leader exclaimed. "How can a tiny village fight against so many!?"

No way! 4,000 Yellow Turbans?! That's overkill!

"But you all fought, didn't you?" Chouhi asked.

"Of course we did!" The Village Leader said. "We couldn't just let those bandits destroy our home! But… there were just too many…"

"They took everything from us and they said they'll be back!" The second villager cried out.

"What if they come back?" A third villager asked. "They'll take all our food away! They'll probably take my wife and daughter too!"

"I know that!" The Village Leader snapped. "But what do you expect us to do?! How can we defend ourselves against those beastly savages?!"

The third villager flinched at that, before looking away sadly saying, "I don't know…"

"Gaaaaaaaah, why doesn't the Imperial Guard help us?! The second villager said frustrated. "This rebellion is all thanks to the selfishness of those officials! Why do we have to get dragged into this and suffer for them?!"

"What's the point in complaining about that now?" The Village leader asked rhetorically. "They may come back and attack us again tomorrow for all we know!"

"There's going to be another attack tomorrow?" Aisha asked.

"Most likely." The Village Leader grimaced. "They've set their sights on our village now that they know we're weak. They'll keep coming back until there's nothing left for them to steal!"

"Then let's run!" The second villager suggested. "Our only hope is for the whole village to run away!"

"How can we do that? Our ancestors built this village! We must protect it!"

"I want to protect it too! But… But… How can we, at this rate?!"

The villagers then began to argue with one another and were growing restless. At this rate, they're gonna be fighting each other and not the Yellow Turbans. I have to do something to help these people. I'm no Messenger of Heaven and I don't want to lie to these people and give them false hope but… as I told Aisha, there comes a time where you have to lie to help those in need. It sickens me to my stomach when it comes to lying, but I have no other choice.

"Excuse me!" I said, getting their attention. "I think I may have an idea."

"Gaim–sama?" Aisha asked confused.

"What is it?" The Village Leader asked. "Is there a way we can be saved?"

"Maybe." I said.

"Then please tell us! What is it?!" The Village Leader asked desperately.

"A great seer named Kanrou has foretold the arrival of a person called the Messenger of Heaven and this person is supposed to be the one who will lead the land into an era of peace." I said before I paused to let the villagers absorb my words. I let my eyes catch Aisha's discreetly. There was a moment of hesitance on hers, but it was quickly replaced with steely determination. I then turned at the villagers. "What I'm trying to say is… this Messenger of Heaven can help you fight against the bandits, only if you really want to win against them."

"The Messenger of Heaven? This is the first time I've heard about that." said one of the villagers.

"You may believe it or not, but everyone in Luoyang is talking about this Messenger of Heaven. Some Lords have also heard about it and they are also looking for him." replied Aisha in my place.

"Really? Is that so?"

"Then where is he? Where is this Messenger of Heaven?"

I steeled myself to say what's coming next, while trying to repress the uneasiness in my stomach. "That Messenger of Heaven… is me."

Immediately, the villagers roared out their disbelief.

"You?! But I'm expecting someone older!"

"Yeah! How come someone as young as you is the Messenger of Heaven?!"

"Are you trying to lie to us?!"

"Please calm down! I know this is so sudden and unbelievable, but I assure you that Gaim–sama is the Messenger of Heaven himself." answered Aisha trying to pacify the villagers.

"Then what proof do you have?"

"Firstly, look at his clothes. Only those who descend from Heaven can wear such radiant clothes made from Polyester, a material that can only be woven in Heaven." said Aisha, pointing out her argument. The villagers looked at my clothes while I tried not to fidget under the scrutinizing eyes of the villagers. It was so uncomfortable to me, but I was trying to look as dignified as possible.

"That's right… his clothes look so shiny and bright…"

"I don't think any other clothes can look like that."

"He doesn't look like someone from around here too."

"And there's this." I took out my Sengoku Driver and placed it in front of my waist. The villagers were surprised to see it form a yellow belt that secured the device to my waist. I thought about summoning the Orange Arms, but that could be saved for later along with my transformation. "This device on my waist is one of the proofs I have that I am this Messenger of Heaven."

The villagers looked at the Sengoku Driver in awe because it was definitely something not from Earth, well… at least not until a long time.

"Do you really think you can help us win against the bandits?"

The hopeful tone the villagers used to ask, made me feel bad to lie to them, but there was no choice.

"I know about tactics and strategies because I read them on my spare time," This was not exactly a lie since my grandfather always had me read books about war and strategy during my visits when I was young. "While I admit it wasn't much, it will definitely help you win against the bandits."

There was silence for a moment before one of the villagers asked, "Do you think we can really win?"

"Only if you believe that you can. Victory belongs to those who really want to win and try their hardest to achieve it," answered Aisha without pause. "Gaim–sama and I will help you, but only if you really want to fight back against those bandits."

"Then let's do it!" said one of the villagers vigorously. "Let's show those bandits why they shouldn't mess with us and our village!"

"We have the Messenger of Heaven to help us! We shouldn't let this divine grace slip away!"

The other villagers cheered out their agreement. Their mind was finally made into action.

"Then arm yourself with anything you can use to fight against those bandits! Show them no mercy for their impudence!"

"I'll go gather more men!"

"I'll find anything that we can use a weapon!"

"And I will gather the food!" The Village Leader said.

"Good. We need everyone's help on this, so let's get to work!" I encouraged.

"Yeah!" The villagers cheered before they went out the makeshift hospital, while the injured stayed behind to recover.

As the last of the villagers left, Aisha and I slumped slightly. It was hard for us to lie to the villagers, but we have no other choice. It was that or leave the villagers at the mercy of the bandits, who would kill them and ransack the village or do something worse that would go against their conscience.

"Ne, Aisha, Onii–chan. Are you alright?" asked Chouhi worriedly.

"We're fine, Rinrin," answered Aisha with a bitter smile. "Although… I feel bad to lie to those villagers."

"Me either, but it's not like we have any other choice do we?" I added as I straightened up. "I hate lying, but we don't have much of a choice either, to help those villagers. Let's try to not lie to them in the future."

"You're right, Gaim–sama. Then let's do our best to help them," smiled Aisha.

"Yeah, let's go." I nodded punching my open palm.

"Alright! We're going to kick some butt!" cheered Chouhi before she turned to me. "Hmm… Onii–chan, you haven't told Rinrin your name yet."

I blinked before realization hit me. I laughed sheepishly as I scratched the back of my head. "Oh, yeah, I haven't introduced myself to you yet. I'm Kurogasa Kururugi, but you can call me Gaim if you want, Chouhi–san."

"Nice to meet ya, Gaim–niichan! You can call Rinrin, Rinrin!"

I chuckled at her enthusiasm. "Alright, Rinrin–chan."

"Rinrin, can you get someone to scout where the bandit camp is?" asked Aisha.

"Sure! Leave it to me!" with that said, Chouhi, or Rinrin as she wanted to be called, left to get some scouts.

"Come on, Gaim–sama. Let's help the villagers prepare."

"Right, let's go." While I looked ready and willing, inside I was dreading to kill another person even if they were bandits who had killed others simply because of their greed and selfish reasons. Again, I had no choice on this. It was them or those innocents in the end. Now that I'm a Kamen Rider, I know that I had to choose.


After two hours of preparation, we managed to gather 2,000 villagers volunteering for their makeshift army, armed with anything they can find as weapons. From common swords and spears to farming tools such as sickles, hoes, pickaxes, and pitchforks. Some of the older volunteers were armed with bows and arrows. Fortunately, the turbans' weapons were in poor quality as Rinrin's scout had told them, so common farming tools were able to break them. It was also from this scout that they managed to find their camp which was located west of the village.

Aisha, Rinrin, and I stood in front of the gathered villagers, our expression set into a determined frown. I couldn't help but feel impressed with their determination and drive to protect their village.

"Gaim–sama," said Aisha from my side. "It's time to move out. But before we do that, please give a rousing speech to them."

"Eh? A speech?" I asked with wide eyes. "But I've never given a speech before!"

"It will be the last weapon the villagers need for their victory. That's why Gaim–sama, please give them a speech to raise their spirit."

I stepped forward and gulped nervously. I could feel their stares on me, as if they were judging my worthiness.

"So that's the Messenger of Heaven…"

"He looks so young. Is he really the Messenger of Heaven?"

"Can't you tell from his shining clothes? It's made from a material unique to Heaven itself called Polyester!"

"Po–ly–es–ter? Is that what it's called?"

"And that strange belt he has on his waist is proof that he is the Messenger of Heaven!"

"Really? What does it do?"

That's when I got an idea after hearing the last villager's question. Deciding that action spoke louder than words, I pulled out my Orange Lockseed and unlocked it.

ORANGE!

The portal to Helheim Forest opened and the Orange Arms descended from it, causing the villagers to gasp collectively in surprise and awe. I then moved my hand in front of my face as I uttered the key phrase for every Kamen Rider out there.

"Henshin!"

I placed the Orange Lockseed to the Driver and locked it before I cut it open with the Cutting Blade Switch.

LOCK ON!

SOIYA!

The Orange Arms descended and landed on my shoulders, forming the Pre–Arms suit with a splash effect. It then opened and folded out to form the armor that attached to my suit, revealing my masked visage with another splash effect as Daidaimaru appeared on my right hand.

ORANGE ARMS! HANAMICHI ON STAGE!

The villagers were now openly gaping at me and I also felt the stares from Aisha and Rinrin from my back, more from the latter because this was the first time she saw me transform.

After the transformation, I took a deep breath to calm myself down. "People of Xizang, we're about to enter a battle that will decide the fate of your village. Today is the day that this village is liberated from hands of the Yellow Turbans. You all stand here today for the liberation of this land. Blood will be shed. Sacrifices will be made. I can't guarantee that all of us will make it out of it alive. I'm not going to lie. Some of you here may not live to see your home liberated. But don't let that stop you! You're proud villagers. Don't fight for yourselves. Don't fight for even me. Fight, instead, for your land you love!" I then raised my Daidaimaru in the air. "NOW LET ME, HEAR YOUR RESOLVE!"

The cheer erupted from the villagers was almost deafening. Seeing my transformation and hearing my speech definitely erased any lingering doubts about me being the Messenger of Heaven.

"So he really is the Messenger of Heaven!"

"Just look at his transformation! He uses an orange from the heavens as his armor!"

"Ah… I feel so blessed after seeing this…"

I smiled behind my helmet, feeling confident for this upcoming task. I turned to see Aisha nod approvingly at me with a smile while Rinrin was looking at me with stars in her eyes before turning at the villagers.

"Alright everyone, let's go! We're going to show what those bandits will get when they follow their greed!"

After one last cheer, Aisha, Rinrin, and I led the villagers to where the bandits were starting their camp, about an hour walk, west of the village. As we were marching, the villagers were getting psyched with me, the Messenger of Heaven leading them to battle. In their mind, 'Divine Retribution' never sounded so fitting like this situation before.

I on the other hand was still trying to come to terms that I was going to kill people using this armor, as a Kamen Rider. I remember what Kamen Riders were supposed to symbolize: the symbol of hope and justice against the tyranny of evil. Yet, is it right to kill people just because they were evil? Because they surrendered themselves to their selfish desire and greed? Because they become evil itself? It was different than fighting against the Shika Inves earlier. Inves lost their humanity a long time ago and became mindless monsters with fitting appearances. But these bandits looked human and it was hard for me to kill another human.

"Gaim–sama? What's wrong?" asked Aisha, as if she noticed my unease.

I turned slightly on her and answered her in low voice. "This will be the first time I'm going to kill other people. I guess I'm still trying make, some sense in this."

"I see…" she answered with understanding look on her face before she looked forward and closed her eyes. "It will be hard when you first spill blood and it won't get any easier the next time. But I take some comfort knowing for each bandit I killed, the innocents can sleep easy and go on with their peaceful life." Aisha then turned to me. "That is how I see it Gaim–sama. I hope that reason can help you with your problem."

I looked at her for a moment before I smiled at her. "Thanks, Aisha. Now I know what to do."

"No need to thank me, Gaim–sama. It is my duty as your vassal to help you," she replied with a smile.

I shook my head in amusement. If that was how she saw herself, then I won't bother to correct her. I will always view her as a friend and comrade first.


After one hour of marching, we finally saw the Yellow Turbans' campsite below the hill where they were currently standing on. I gave them the order to halt and duck so the bandits won't see us. After assessing the situation to myself, I nodded to Aisha and Rinrin who nodded back to me before looking at the volunteer army.

"Alright people, this is it. There's no turning back after this. Are you all ready?"

My question was answered with firm nods. Aisha then spoke up to the villagers.

"We will advance as we trained. Every man attack in pairs! Archers will pick up stragglers that broke up from the Yellow Turbans' rank!" Aisha then stood up and raised her halberd, pointing it towards the sky." I am Kan'u Unchou, wielder of the Green Dragon Crescent Blade! My blade shall help you protect what is important to you!"

"Chouhi Yokutoku of the Viper Spear is here too!" declared Rinrin as she slammed the shaft of her weapon to the ground.

I stood up as I shifted Daidaimaru to my left hand and unsheathed the Musou Saber with my right and pointed it to the Yellow Turbans' camp. "Everyone! Charge!"

The villagers roared fiercely as Aisha, Rinrin, and I led our righteous charge toward the Yellow Turbans. The bandits mentioned were caught off guard by our sudden attack and reacted almost too late.

Using the boosts my armor provided, I struck the first Turban I encountered, with the Musou Saber, killing him instantly. I repressed the bile in my throat as blood spurted from the wound on my victim's chest before I parried a sword slash with my Daidaimaru, breaking the sword on contact before stabbing its wielder. I didn't stay long before attacking another bandit while mentally chanting to keep my mind focused.

'It's them or the civilians, it's them or the civilians, it's them or the civilians…!' I kept repeating in my mind. "HAAAAAAHHHHH!" I let out a loud battle cry as my blades cut away the Turbans who foolishly stood in my way.

On another side of the battlefield, Aisha slashed another Turban along with his weapon as he futilely blocked her attack before jamming the butt of her weapon to a Turban who tried sneak on her before she spun around and brought her Green Dragon Crescent Blade down to behead him and his comrades nearby. Getting a slight breather, Aisha spared a glance at me, methodically cutting down Yellow Turbans with the villagers of my unit supporting me. Aisha heaved a relieved sigh, seeing me, doing just fine even if this is my first time killing people. She spared another glance to Rinrin who was having a field day as she sent Turbans flying with a single swing of her spear. More of the Turbans were sent flying and being dead as the petite red head swung her spear again and again. Seriously that girl was really having fun in a situation like this.

Sighing to herself, Aisha's eyes hardened as she twirled her weapon above her head and brought it into a perfect circular clash, killing the Turbans that tried to surround her. She then quickly thrust her weapon as it dug into a bandit's chest before she yanked it out and dodged reckless slashes from the Yellow Turbans around her before her weapon flashed and spilled their blood.

As his comrades' dying body hit the ground, one of the frustrated bandits yelled out, "Dang it, how can we lose to a mere woman like her?!"

Aisha glared at him coldly as she held her weapon ready and declared to the bandits out loud, "My name is Kan'u Unchou, wielder of the Green Dragon Crescent Blade, and the first vassal of the Messenger of Heaven, Kurogasa Kururugi–sama! I shall take your life for your insolence!"

She charged at the hapless bandit with a loud shout.

"TAAAAHHH!"

I slashed down another bandit and broke another sword as I parried before countering by striking the bandit on his chest. I then pulled the yellow tab on my Musou Saber and emptied the magazine as I shot at the bandits who tried to attack me. I then looked at more of the incoming bandits who tried to surround and gang up on me. Reacting quickly, I reached for the Sengoku Driver and sliced my Orange Lockseed using the Cutting Knife switch once.

SOIYA! ORANGE SQUASH!

Daidaimaru lit up with an orange aura as I held it ready before slashing wide, creating an energy wave which struck the Turbans, killing them.

The Yellow Turbans were looking at me with trepidation and fear, seeing my impossible feat.

"What in the world is this guy?!" one of the bandits asked out loud.

I stared back at them as I rested Daidaimaru on my shoulder and pointed my Musou Saber at them as I replied to his question. "My name is Gaim, Kamen Rider Gaim. If you have what it takes to dance with me, then come at me!"

With a loud battle cry, I charged headlong toward the bandits.

"W–What are you guys waiting for?! ATTAAAAAAAACK!" One of the Yellow Turbans yelled.

With that, about ten of them charged at me with their low quality weapons at the ready. But that proved to be worthless as I twirled my Musou Saber and Daidaimaru and gracefully slashed five of the Yellow Turbans with both my swords. I then proceeded by pulling the handle on the Musou Saber and fired energy bullets, killing them as well. Another twenty of them jumped at me, hoping to gang up on me with one strike, but I was quick as I looked to my Sengoku Driver and sliced the Orange Lockseed three times with the Cutting Blade.

SOIYA! ORANGE SPARKING!

At that point, the Orange Arms folded back up into the metal orange ad I spun it around rapidly, causing the Yellow Turban bandits to bounce back and be sent flying in the air. After it stopped spinning, it folded out back into my armor. "Alright, who's next?!" I shouted.

"W–What is this guy?!" One of them shouted in fear.

"H–He's not human!" Another added.

"Run for your lives! He's gonna kill us!" A third wailed.

Some of the Yellow Turbans started to run away, but those who were too blinded by their own greed or too reckless decided to stay and fighting on despite the hopeless situation.

I frowned behind my mask and decided if it was a fight they wanted, it was a fight they will get. I struck wide with my Daidamaru, killing the incoming Yellow Turbans before pivoting on my foot and bringing my Musou Saber into a perfect arc, slashing at those who tried to surround me. Some of them tried to sneak on me, but my boosted senses saw them coming and I emptied my magazine on them before I reloaded and parried a slash from a Turban. As his sword broke from clashing with my weapons, I slashed the bandit on his chest before moving on to help a group of villagers who were cornered by a larger group of bandits.

It was times like this I wished I got a Genesis Core and an Energy Lockseed with me so I can assume a Jinba Arms mode and be armed with the Sonic Arrow. Its flexibility was very, appreciated here.

"Villagers over there! Duck!" I called out as I reached for my Sengoku Driver and sliced the Lockseed twice.

SOIYA! ORANGE AU LAIT!

Once more, Daidaimaru flared with an orange aura, but it was noticeably more intense this time. The aura then solidified into an enlarged orange slice–like energy projection that acted as an extension of Daidaimaru, similar to Baron's Au Lait Spear Victory. The surrounded villagers heard my call and immediately did as I asked while the bandits turned and saw me move in for the kill. They tried to get away, but I was faster and slashed them with my new finisher, killing the bandits in one swoop before they exploded.

I then approached the villagers asking, "Are you alright?'"

"We're fine. Thank you for your help, Gaim–sama," answered one of the villagers gratefully.

"Be careful to not let yourself get surrounded like that again. They outnumber us, so we have to fight smart to win this," replied Gaim.

"Yes, Gaim–sama!" snapped the villagers as one.

"Alright, let's go! We still have Turbans to beat!"

The villagers roared out their agreement as I led them to fight more Turbans.

As time passed, it was evident that the battle is going in our favor, especially with how many Turbans decided to turn tail and run away after witnessing their forces being decimated with ease by Aisha, Rinrin, and I. From the corner of my eye, I saw some Turbans sent flying to the air, courtesy of Rinrin. I'm still trying to comprehend on how such a diminutive sized girl possessed so much strength. I also saw Aisha methodically dodge and slash the bandits around her gracefully. Despite the situation, I couldn't help but admire her elegant moves. It was as if she was dancing in the midst of steel and death.

Aisha then slashed another group of Turbans with a single swipe of her Green Dragon Crescent Blade before she made her way to me.

"Gaim–sama! Are you alright?" she asked. Rinrin also approached me after sending several groups of Turbans flying with her Viper Spear.

"I'm fine, Aisha. Just a little tired," I answered.

"Wow, you're really strong Gaim–niichan!" commented Rinrin with a grin.

I laughed a little at her comment. "Thanks, Rinrin–chan. This armor not only provided protection for me, but it also boosted my strength and speed to a degree."

"Hee~h, really?" she dragged out her words. "Can I wear it too then?"

"Rinrin! This is not the right time or the right place to ask such questions! Focus on defeating the Yellow Turbans first!" scolded Aisha as she held her weapon ready.

"Muu~! I'm just asking," Rinrin pouted before she too held her weapon ready for the incoming Turbans.

I chuckled at the girls before I called out loud to my makeshift army. "We almost defeated them, everyone! Just a little more!"

The villagers roared out in return, emboldened by the good news they heard.

But suddenly, a zipper opened in midair causing everyone to stop and look at it. Rinrin looked at it in confusion while Aisha and I were shocked to see the portal to Helheim Forest open out of blue just like that.

"Gaim–sama… That's…!"

"A Crack!" I hissed before I looked at my spare Lockseeds in my Lockseed Holder and felt a little relieved that none of my Lockseeds have fallen somewhere during the battle. I looked around to see if there was anyone in vicinity who opened a Lockseed, but found none.

"I thought one can only open the gate to Helheim Forest if they opened a Lockseed like yours!" said Aisha.

"Not really. Cracks that lead into Helheim Forest can open anywhere and anytime if one place is connected to Helheim for an unknown reason. It will close on its own after a while, but some Inves may pass through," I answered tersely before I called out to the villagers, "Everyone, stay away from that Crack! Whatever you do, do not approach it!"

The villagers were confused by my words, but followed it anyway. An Inves then passed through the Crack and landed on one knee before it stood up and roared. Both villagers and Yellow Turbans stared at the creatures in fright as it looked around with a wild predatory gaze. The Inves looked like an anthropomorphic white tiger with some kind of tough–looking, green material that served like a set of armor on its upper body including the whole of its head with four extensions jutted out on its back. The rest of its body was covered by white skin with large, sinister claws on its right hand while its left hand looked like normal with claws and its legs have clawed foot.

"Byakko Inves!" I growled. It looked slightly different than Yuuya's Inves' form, but it was the Byakko Inves alright.

Aisha looked at me in surprise. "Byakko… As in Byakko of the Ssu Ling, the Guardian of the West?"

"In name only, but that thing is an Inves. No more and no less," I replied before I ordered the villagers, "Everyone listen! Don't engage that monster in combat! Avoid it at all costs and focus on the Turbans instead! I'll handle that monster myself!" I then turned to Aisha and Rinrin. "Aisha, watch my back and make sure none of the Turbans get in the way. I don't like them, but they deserve a better fate than becoming that Inves's food. Rinrin, lead the villagers to defeat the rest of the Turbans here."

"Understood, Gaim–sama!"

"I don't know what's going on, but you got it, Gaim–niichan!"

"Let's go!"

I then let out a battle cry to get the Byakko Inves's attention as I charged at it with my weapons poised to attack. The Inves noticed me and the mature Lockseeds I carried with me and roared challengingly. The Inves ran at me, ignoring the Turbans and villagers alike, and lashed out with its deadly claws and I dodged by ducking underneath and slashed it with my Musou Saber. The Inves flinched and I pressed on with a slash from my Daidaimaru followed by another slash from my Musou Saber before I crossed my blades and slashed it with all of my strength.

The Inves reeled back and tried to recover from my attack, but one of the braver Turbans–or stupid in this case–attacked the Inves.

"Wait, don't attack it!" Gaim warned, but it was already too late.

The shoddy weapon broke on making contact with its unnatural armor. The Byakko Inves growled angrily at the poor Turban before it stabbed him in the chest and violently ripped its claw out as he threw the mostly dead Turban away. Seeing the fate that has befallen on their comrade and seeing how powerful this creature was, the Turbans ran to safety and never looked back, but some of them still insisted to fight. Some of them decided to attack the Inves, but a single swipe from its claw sent them to the ground writhing in pain. I decided I had enough of the Inves, and attacked it once more with Aisha following me to make sure none of the Turbans took advantage of the mess.

I pulled the Pallet Slide on my Musou Saber and emptied my load at the Inves who flinched upon the attack, and turned to me. It roared angrily at me and charged forward. I took the initiative this time by attacking first with Daidaimaru, but the Inves blocked it with his larger claw and punched me on the chest. I stumbled back and it attacked again with its larger claw, but I managed to block the attack with the Musou Saber. I grunted as I pushed the offending limb away and when I did, I slashed the Inves away.

As it stumbled, I combined the Musou Saber and Daidaimaru together on the hilt before he attacked again. The Inves was just recovering from the attack when I came at it and slashed with my new weapon. The force behind the two handed slash was shown to be effective as the Inves was pushed back, before I slashed my weapon upward diagonally before slashing down. The Inves reeled, and I delivered a full powered sideway slash that sent the Inves down to the ground, but not out of the battle yet.

"Time to finish this!" I shouted. I removed the Orange Lockseed from my Sengoku Driver and placed it into the Drive Launch on the Musou Saber before locking it.

LOCK ON! 1! 10! 100! 1,000! 10,000!

The Byakko Inves saw this and shot four green energy–like whips at me, but thinking quickly, I twirled my Musou Saber in Naginata Mode in front of me to block the attack, surprising the Inves.

"IKUZOOOOOOOOOO!" I yelled before slashing it twice. The energy waves resulted from those slashes struck the Byakko Inves and trapped it in an orange fruit projection. I twirled my weapon once more before pointing at the trapped Inves with the Daidaimaru end as it flared with orange energy.

ORANGE CHARGE!

I sprinted forward with my weapon held ready and slashed the Inves with the flaring Daidaimaru end as I shouted.

"SEE–YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"

The weapon sparked as it made contact with the Inves before I stopped several paces behind it. I held my stance as the Byakko Inves gave one last groan before its body exploded, and the energy orange that entrapped it also exploded, scattering orange slices in all directions.

I then lowered my stance slowly as I gazed at the surviving Turbans who looked back at me in fear before fleeing for their lives.

"Look, the Yellow Turbans are running away!"

"And Gaim–sama has defeated the monster!"

"We did it! We won!"

"UUOOOOOHHHH!"

The villagers cheered for their victory, proud and happy for this achievement. I then looked at where the Crack was, only to find it was already gone. I frowned in confusion. Why was that Crack opened in the middle of battle like this? Is Helheim Forest starting to invade this world too?

"Gaim–sama!"

"Gaim–niichan!"

I saw Aisha and Rinrin approach me with smiles on their face.

"We did it, Gaim–sama! We won!" said Aisha with the biggest smile on her face.

"Yeah! We showed the Turbans who's, boss!" grinned Rinrin.

"We sure did," I said, also grinning satisfied under my mask.

"Are you alright? You're fought that Inves alone after fighting so many Yellow Turbans…" Aisha asked worriedly.

"Don't worry, Aisha. I'm tired, but I'm alright," I replied before I turned to the villagers. "Good job everyone! This is your victory and you definitely deserve it!"

The villagers cheered once more upon my praise.

"Alright, count how many causalities we have before we return to the village. Is that clear?" the villagers nodded, noticeably less cheerful upon the reminder of their own loss in this battle. "Chin up everyone. Those who had lost their lives today will not want to see your sad faces after this victory. They will want you to raise your head in pride, knowing that you will continue in their place!"

The bright mood seemed to return to them at my words. It sounded right to them.

"Right, let's go back and tell the great news to everyone in the village. Oh, and remember to pile up the bodies of the Turbans and burn them off before they rot and smell."

The villagers nodded at my command and left back to the village with me and my two vassals leading them.


The villagers returned back to the village, tired and drained from what happened today yet they felt so proud of what they did to protect their home. I, having de–henshined on the way back to the village, watched as those who stayed behind welcomed those who returned with smiles and tears of relieve, while those who learned that their family and friends didn't manage to return cried and grieved for their loss. From 2,000 people who went into the battle, we suffered 235 causalities. It was a reminder that peace will not come without a price. If anything, it was a comforting thought to them that the number will be any smaller if the villagers didn't fight back or run away and those who had passed on can face their ancestors in the afterlife and proudly say to them 'I died to protect our village from harm.'

However, as these things dawned on me, I began to realize everything and thought about what I've been doing my whole life. For the first time, I… feel so stupid and pathetic. I should've realized this sooner.

This is the reality I'm going to live in. Seeing those families who loved ones did not return, made me sad. I looked at them as they looked for the face of someone they knew amongst the returning soldiers, and shed tears when they learned the fate of their love one. I brought all of this upon them. Not that I wanted to look good in front of Aisha, but… this was the result I brought about.

It was very frightening for me.

I can't believe… that I actually killed people, even though it was for the sake of the villagers and innocent people, but it doesn't change the fact that I now had their blood staining my hands. It's going to stay with me for the rest of my life.

And while the reality was settling in me, I started… crying…

"Gaim–sama?" Aisha asked a bit concerned. "Are you okay? Why are you crying?"

"I'm such a fool…" I whispered shakily.

"What?" Aisha asked confused.

"I just realized something Aisha…"

"What would that be?"

I was silent for a while, before saying, "The world isn't all what it's cracked up to be…"

"W–What makes you say that?"

I was silent, trying to compose myself as I said, "All my life I've been living aimlessly in pure, blissful, ignorance without a care in the world… and seeing today's battle, made me realize that the world can be a cold, dark, and terrible place." I then trembled as tears streamed down my eyes as I closed my eyes tight while bowing my head down. "I now see the horrors war and violence bring, and seeing these villagers trying to survive, makes me feel like I'm no better than those bandits who take everything. My whole I took everything for granted without realizing the consequences it will bring in the long run. I feel that my whole life is a sin! I'm so pathetic and weak… I… I…!"

That's when Aisha suddenly hugged me, with my eyes widening in surprise. "A–Aisha…?"

"It's alright, Gaim–sama," said Aisha soothingly. "Ignorance is indeed an inescapable mistake. Many have fallen into its trap, including me."

"W–What do you mean?"

Aisha pushed me slightly so she could look at me as she smiled sadly. "Before the bandits attacked, I was blissful of how the real world is. I talked about how one day I could change the world to be better, never realizing that strength or ideals alone will not be enough. You have to face the truth yourself and from there you have to make your own decision. Either to give up to reality or keep fighting for your dreams and ideals."

I was speechless as I listened to her words. It was like the conflict I had heard in the past. Truth vs. ideals and reality against dreams… an unending conflict since the beginning of time.

"Aisha… I…"

She then hugged me once more. "It's okay to make mistakes, but the most important thing is to make up for them and never repeat them again in the future."

I closed my eyes and smiled. That's right. I probably will commit mistakes as I live on, but I will have to make up for those mistakes and never repeat them in the future.

I separated from Aisha and smiled at her. "Thank you, Aisha."

"It's my pleasure, Kurogasa–sama," Aisha smiled back at him and calling me by my real name.

The village elder then approached me, as I managed to wipe all my tears and spoke to me. "We can't thank you enough for your help today, Gaim–sama."

"Ah, it's alright. I'm just… doing the right thing," I replied with a bashful smile.

"Such modesty… It's hard to see a person like you nowadays," hummed the elder before continued on. "And that's why I'm asking you this favor because I believe you are the right person to do this. Will you take over as our Grand Administrator?"

"Your, what now?"

"The Grand Administrator is the person who is usually appointed by the Imperial Court to levy taxes and make sure the people in the area lived well," said Aisha before she frowned. "Going by what the elder said, the previous administrator has left."

"That is correct. He left at the first sign of the Yellow Turbans along with his soldiers and we already sent word to the capital, but nothing came from the court yet. Basically, they left us to die here if it wasn't because of you and your casuals, Gaim–sama."

"I see…" I nodded.

"So can you?" The elder asked. "It would be an honor to have you as our new Grand Administrator."

"C'mon! Please? Our last one was such a sleaze and lazy to even do anything." Another villager said.

"Yeah, he'd put heavy taxes on the villagers and we barely have anything to get by to begin with!" A third said. "But with you, the Messenger of Heaven, we're now certain that our village can prosper."

That's when the villagers started urging me, saying the same thing.

I turned to Aisha and Rinrin. Both were smiling and nodding encouragingly at me. "You should accept their offer, Gaim–sama. I'm sure they will prosper under your leadership," commented Aisha as Rinrin nodded cheerfully.

"Yup! Rinrin and Aisha will help as much as we can!"

I smiled back at them before turning back to the villagers. "I'm not sure how much I can do as the Grand Administrator or what I'm supposed to do, but I will accept your offer."

The crowd cheered at that, and they sang my praises.

"Oh thank you! Thank you so much!" The Village leader said.

"Yeah! Let's work hard and rebuild this town! Let's make this the best city in the land!" Another villager shouted.

"That's right! This will be a safe city where everyone can live peacefully! Let's turn it into a grand city!"

This adventure has gotten a whole lot interesting. I don't know what's in store for me, but with the help of Aisha and Rinrin, I can get through anything. As I watched the villagers surround us expressing their joy, I made my decision. There will be no more regrets. No more doubts. I will become the Messenger of Heaven for the sake of those who believe in me. I will start living in this world and do what I can to learn from and appreciate it.


And there you have it guys! Chapter 2 of Kamen Rider Gaim: Romance of the Three Kingdoms is officially complete! Our hero's life is going to get more interesting from now on as he decided to live in the Koihime Musou world! Now I know, it's kinda short than my usual 10,000 word plus chapter, but what's written is written. I always strive to put 10,000 words into a chapter, but sometimes, it doesn't go that way. Anyways, be sure to stay tuned for next chapter and as always, thanks for reading!