We do not own Koihime Musou or Kamen Rider Gaim. They belong to their respective creators. We just thought this idea would be fun and decided to give it a try. If you like it then that's great. If you don't then we tried. Anyway, come along and let's see what you think.
Sangokuden Armored War Gods Saga: Destiny of the Armored War Gods
Co-Written By: Ten-Faced Paladin and Kamen Rider Chrome
Chapter 3: Problem Solver
In Go, Masataka stood in the middle of the tiled floor of the training arena. Kannei and her guards stood far away from him, each of them with a Lockseed in hand. Watching him from the balcony were the Son Sisters and Shuyu. Masataka was calm as usual as he looked up at the balcony and Sonsaku gave a nod to begin.
Lockseeds were unlocked and portals opened to allow Elementary Inves to arrive. The Lockseeds were then relocked to close the portals, preventing the entry of stray Inves into the training area.
Masataka eyed the Inves that surrounded him and took out his GenesisDriver before strapping it on. He then took out and unlocked his Melon Energy Lockseed, "Henshin."
[MELON ENERGY!]
A portal zipped open above him and released the Melon Energy Arms as it slowly descended. It was a round sphere with green, melon-like skin and portions of orange on it. He then locked the Melon Energy Lockseed into his GenesisDriver's Drive Bay, securing it on the Lock On Arm.
[LOCK ON!]
He pushed in the handle known as the Seaboll Compressor, filling the cup-like Concentrate Pod under the Lockseed through the Vascular Duct with juice as said Lockseed snapped open.
[SODA! MELON ENERGY ARMS!]
The Melon Energy Arms fell on top of his head and energy rippled to form his bodysuit which was the same as his original one but with black sides on the torso. Then the Melon Energy Arms opened to reveal his helmet while folding into pieces of his armor. The chest-piece had the same color skin as a melon with orange plating on the right side and his personal emblem on the left side. A large orange pauldron was on his right shoulder and his visor was orange with black pointed trim.
A splash of juice-like energy immediately equipped him with a Sonic Arrow.
"Zangetsu-Shin, Authorized by Divine Providence," he declared proudly.
Up until today, only Sonsaku and Shuyu had witnessed this version of Zangetsu which Masataka called Zangetsu-Shin. He had shown it to them to demonstrate the power of his belts. He claimed that Zangetsu-Shin was much stronger than his original Zangetsu armor. If Zangetsu was already so powerful, then how much more powerful could this version be?
Today, they would have the answer to that question.
"Attack!" Kannei ordered.
On their summoners' commands, the Inves attacked and Zangetsu-Shin moved swiftly to counterattack. He fired a bolt at an Inves, stunning it before he turned and shot another. He continued to shoot at them, stopping them in their tracks. They were injured but they were still alive as they resumed their attack. Zangetsu-Shin then switched to close-quarters combat as he used the blades of the Sonic Arrow to slash mercilessly at the Inves. He didn't forget to shoot them with the bolts though and he sent them scrambling back as he continued his assault on them.
After softening up his opponents, he finally decided to finish this demonstration. He removed his Energy Lockseed from his GenesisDriver and then attached it to his Sonic Arrow, locking it into place.
[LOCK ON!]
He aimed high at the sky and pulled on the Sonic Arrow's shaft, stretching the string taut before releasing it. The charge at the tip was released as an arrow that reached the sky, trailing a huge melon behind it.
[MELON ENERGY!]
The melon exploded and Sonshoko watched in awe as the energy bloomed. She then gasped as hundreds of energy arrows rained down and fell upon the Inves, causing a series of explosions. The bombardment only ceased once all the Inves were destroyed. The Lockseeds used to summon them were ripped out of their holders' hands before falling at Zangetsu-Shin's feet.
"Battle Ended," concluded Zangetsu-Shin. He removed the Melon Energy Lockseed from his Sonic Arrow before shutting it to cancel his transformation in sparkles of light. Looking up at Sonsaku, he gave her a bow.
"Zan-niichan's so amazing!" Sonshoko exclaimed in awe, recovering from her speechlessness.
"Indeed," agreed Sonken with a blush. Truly, they had just witnessed another level of Zangetsu's power.
"So, that is its power," Sonsaku observed in amazement. "How intriguing."
"I guess we need to consider this when we make strategies involving him," Shuyu remarked in equal awe.
"The archers will be envious." The explosive power of his arrows put the ones used by their archers to shame.
Shuyu, Sonsaku's personal advisor, strategist and lover was looking over a copy of the Celestial Chronicles. It was a record of the prophecy regarding the Messenger of Heaven as well as his connection to the four sovereigns: the blue dragon, the red phoenix, the white tiger and the black turtle. It also foretold of warriors that would fall from the Heavens and one of them would be the prophesied Messenger of Heaven.
Go had the privilege of having one of these warriors serving them as a member of the court. While Zangetsu wasn't a frontline soldier, he contributed in many other ways. Sonsaku had also given him the honor of becoming Sonken's advisor. Of course, Shuyu knew that her beloved Sonsaku had only done so to nudge the Ultimate Shield and Sonsaku's younger sister closer. While a new position meant more privileges, that also meant more work and Masataka was already busy with his work as the supervisor for the Lockseed Distribution Department. Thankfully, he now had an apprentice. Although, considering said apprentice was Kogai who had been in the service of the Son Clan for years, it was probably interesting.
Kogai, a general, would be taking orders from a younger man and she definitely enjoyed serving him. Shuyu and Sonsaku also knew that Kogai had seen the truth of the Helheim Forest. Not even Sonken and Sonshoko knew because they weren't ready for it. It would be too much of a shock for them.
Meanwhile, Masataka was in the Lockseed Distribution Department inspecting the latest batch of Lockseeds acquired from Helheim when one caught his attention. He picked it up and examined it.
"A new Lockseed?" Masataka studied the new Lockseed. Judging by the flower motif, it was a Lockvehicle and an entirely new one. It looked like it had a water lily motif. The body of the Lockseed was blue, the bottom of it coming to a point like a bow of a ship. The sides were lined with white, making it stand out. The bottom was marked with L.V.-05
"What do you think it does, Sensei?" Kogai asked her mentor curiously.
"Let's find out," Masataka answered as he unlocked it and tossed it into the air. It then grew and unfolded to become a very familiar vehicle. "A jet ski?" It was a jet ski in the colors of a water lily. It also came equipped with a pair of guns in front and a harpoon launcher.
"What's a jet ski?" Kogai asked.
"A sort of mechanical boat capable of travelling at high speeds on water," Masataka explained. His mind was already blurring with ideas of how the navy could be improved just by having a suitable supply of the new Lockseed. "The naval fleet could benefit from using these. They could patrol much farther and cover more distances." He would see if there were more of these Lockseeds. "I'll call this the Lily Surfer."
"It's amazing. We have such powerful machines at the palm of our hands," Kogai smiled.
"It's why Go hasn't fallen under the threat of invasion. Nobody is foolish enough to attack a kingdom that has access to artifacts capable of calling forth powerful weapons and summon monsters," Masataka replied. He pushed the button to turn the Lily Surfer back into Lockseed form. "We should head to the river to test this."
Zangetsu rode the Lily Surfer along the river, sending water splashing behind him as he moved at high speed. The speed was incredibly and none of the boats and ships could match it. Standing at the dock were Sonken, Sonshoko, Ryomo and Shuutai who watched as Zangetsu rode on the machine, testing its performance. They then gasped as he leapt into the air, perform a roll in mid-air, before landing on the water before speeding towards the dock.
He slowed down and stepped off the Lily Surfer and onto dry land as he deactivated his transformation.
"I guess that's a successful test," Masataka remarked. He made sure he didn't go too fast lest he open a portal into Helheim by accident.
"Such speed," Sonken admired.
"We'll need to train the men to use them but I can see that this will help in future campaign in case the river becomes a battlefield," said Masataka. "Ryomo, what do you think?"
"I would need to think up some strategies to utilize this new vehicle," Ryomo answered.
"Yes, but for now we only have one. I'm going to check the inventory just in case there are anymore then organize more raids to get some more.
"Ne, Zan-niichan, could you take me for a ride?" Sonshoko asked.
Masataka smiled in response.
"THIS IS AMAZING!" Sonshoko screamed excitedly as she sat behind Zangetsu on the Lily Surfer. It was an intense and exciting ride for her. It looked like a lot of fun and Sonken wanted her turn.
Later that day, while Masataka was relaxing on his balcony with a good book and sharing tea with Kogai, Shuutai appeared to give her report. There seemed to be a situation in the river that he needed to hear about. Apparently, several merchant ships had been attacked by pirates.
"Pirates?" Masataka questioned. "Were they able to get any Lockseeds?"
"No, Zangetsu-sama," Shuutai answered. "It was on its way back with the money made from selling the Lockseeds. The pirates only took the gold but they killed anyone who got in their way. There were only a handful of survivors."
Masataka frowned. One of the ships to send Lockseeds across the river had been attacked by pirates. At least no Lockseeds were taken but these pirates needed to be taught a lesson.
"What will you do, Sensei?" his apprentice Kogai asked.
"I am going to show these pirates why I am known as the White Devil of Go," declared Masataka boldly.
"Pirates?" Sonsaku asked as Masataka was knelt before her.
"Yes, pirates in the Changjiang River have been attacking merchant ships that cross. I request permission to hunt them down and deal with them," requested Masataka.
"Very well," Sonsaku allowed. "Do what you must to uphold justice in this land."
"Yes, Sonsaku-sama. Thank you," said Masataka as he bowed before he turned and left the throne room with Shuutai. "Shuutai, have my personal ship and soldiers ready. We're hunting pirates."
"As you command, Zangetsu-sama," Shuutai obeyed. She was Masataka's loyal bodyguard. Sonsaku saw fit to have one assigned for him as he was an important officer in Sonsaku's court.
Sonken was training with Kannei who she had asked for help to sharpen her skill. The captain of the guard was a harsh taskmaster, demanding only the best from the princess and Sonken didn't disappoint. She was the daughter of the Tiger of Koutou whom she had been named after and she inherited that spirit much like Sonsaku did.
Sonken knew that one day her sister would step down, leaving the throne to her, so she needed power and strength to lead and protect the Kingdom of Go. Also, there was another reason she needed to acquire more strength.
She had watched how hard Masataka worked to help the kingdom. Because of his contributions the kingdom was prospering. However, there was more to it than just distributing the Lockseeds to improve the kingdom's economy. Despite being someone who helped from behind the scenes, he wasn't afraid to put himself on the frontlines. If any bandits threatened Go using the Lockseeds he had brought then he would punish them severely and that earned him the title White Devil of Go.
She knew her sister had appointed Masataka as her advisor, which Sonken suspected was another ploy to help Sonken and Masataka to become much closer. While she appreciated what her elder sister was doing, Sonken wanted to be strong enough to be the kind of queen that Masataka would be proud to stand alongside with.
And with that thought and those motivations, Sonken continued with her training so that one day she could stand alongside Zangetsu. He had done so much for her kingdom and family. So, the least she could do was be at his side as the White Devil of Go assisted her sister in uniting the land.
On the Changjiang River, a ramshackle boat that was obviously a pirate ship was on fire. Standing in the middle of the blaze was none other than Kamen Rider Zangetsu and around him lay the bodies of the pirates which had plagued the river, attacking merchants and travelers.
Zangetsu had led the attack with a small portion of Go's naval fleet. With him were Shuutai and Ryomo. Ryomo was a young girl and formerly one of Kannei's guards. However, she did not excel in combat due to her vision problems in her right eye. She now wore a monocle to fix that. Her brown hair was in two buns at the base of her skull. Her attire consisted of a short, maroon cheongsam with long flowing sleeves that covered her arms and hands. She also wore a hat on her head.
Ryomo was a new member of Sonsaku's court and an apprentice strategist as well. Simply put, she was Rikuson's kohai but her knowledge of the river made her invaluable. She knew the river like the back of her hand. She was actually Sonken's own personal strategist but she also answered to Zangetsu when necessary.
The attack had been swift and decisive as the ships flanked the pirate's own vessel. Archers shot flaming arrows as Zangetsu leapt to board. Any pirates the arrows missed, Zangetsu cut down with his Musou Saber.
A dying pirate gazed up at Zangetsu's form in horror as he spoke, "A white...devil..." The flames behind Zangetsu truly made him look menacing and it was this fear that Zangetsu cultivated to curb the actions of evildoers. The pirate suddenly remembered something. With no intentions of dying, he took the fruit out of his pocket and started to eat it.
As Zangetsu turned to leave the burning ship, he heard a noise and turned to see one of the pirates getting back to his feet. "What?" He then watched as the man was covered in vines and leaves before they vanished to reveal an Inves standing in the pirate's place. "An Inves!?"
The Inves, which resembled a red bull, let out a bellow and charged at Zangetsu who raised his Melon Defender to block the Bull Inves' charge. It continued to push against the shield. The archers, seeing this, shot arrows at the Inves but they were ineffective against its thick hide.
Zangetsu pushed it back then executed his acceleration, leaving a green trail as he slashed the Inves across its midsection. It howled and turned to attack Zangetsu but he continued to slash away at the Inves, furiously and mercilessly.
"Zangetsu-sama, the ship is sinking!" Shuutai called and Zangetsu nodded before bashing the Bull Inves with his Melon Defender. The Bull Inves fell backwards from the last blow, giving Zangetsu the opening he needed. He removed the Melon Lockseed from his SengokuDriver and locking it into his Musou Saber.
[LOCK ON!]
[1, 10, 100!]
[MELON CHARGE!]
The Bull Inves charged just as Zangetsu unleashed his attack. He swung and sent a crescent energy blade in the shape of a melon slice flying at the Inves. It sliced through the Inves straight down the middle and it exploded on the spot.
Satisfied that he was done, Zangetsu leapt off the pirate ship and landed on his own. It was easy to tell that it was his as it bore his flag.
"Ryomo," started Zangetsu.
"Hai, Zangetsu-sama," Ryomo bowed.
"Would the pirates have an encampment somewhere up the river?" he asked.
"They will need to dock at some point and store all their stolen loot," she reasoned. "Considering the state of their ship, they cannot go very far and there are few spaces which such a ship can be safely hidden. I can mark such spaces on a map. I believe considering the direction we found them going, we should stay on course."
"Well, then we'll continue up the river and find this encampment," Zangetsu ordered. "Captain, give the order. We're moving upstream."
"Yes, sir!" the captain obeyed before giving the order to continue up the river. Shuutai gazed at her Zangetsu-sama in adoration. While not officially a general, Zangetsu had the presence and the skills to be one. However, he was content to be Sonken's advisor and supervisor of the Lockseed Distribution Department. While he supported Sonsaku's ambition of unification, he did it in his own way, and fought only to protect Go's prosperity.
As the ship was going upstream, Masataka sat in his cabin looking troubled. This was noticed by Shuutai who stood nearby. As she was his bodyguard, her job was to make sure he was safe as outside his armor he was just as vulnerable as any mortal.
"Something wrong, Zangetsu-sama?" asked Shuutai.
"I'm just worried about what we might find," Masataka answered. "The pirate had a Helheim fruit." The Lockseed fruit's premature form was alternatively known as Helheim fruit. "He ate it and turned into a Type-H Inves." Type-H Inves were Inves who were confirmed to be originally human.
"How did he get the fruit?" Shuutai asked.
"There's just one possibility," said Masataka. "I need to speak to Ryomo."
"Ryomo, what have you got for me?" Masataka asked as he approached Ryomo. The girl was in the middle of going over a map and constructing a plan to deal with the pirates.
"Here is the plan, Zangetsu-sama," said Ryomo. "Once we're within range, the archers will fire flaming arrows."
"And burn everything. Good job," Masataka added. Seemed cruel to ambush the pirates, but it was pragmatic. These pirates were threatening the people who were using the river and needed to be stopped. He feared that at least one pirate had gotten a Lockseed and had summoned an Inves that had spread seeds. The Helheim plants would grow and bear fruit. Then if the pirates were tempted enough they would eat the fruit, further escalating the threat.
"I'll inform the men of the plan then," Ryomo bowed at the approval of the plan.
"I'll go with you," said Masataka as he followed Ryomo to the upper deck. Once there, one of the men approached Masataka and appeared to be frantic. "What's the matter?"
"Sir, you may want to see this," the soldier said as he handed Masataka the telescope. "Over there," the soldier pointed and Masataka looked through the telescope.
"What do you see, Zangetsu-sama?" Ryomo questioned.
"Is that smoke?" Masataka asked as he looked through the telescope.
"What do you think is happening?" Shuutai asked as she joined them on the deck.
"I don't know," Masataka grimaced. Where there was smoke, there was fire, and he didn't like it. "I'm going to up ahead to take a closer look. Do not do anything until I return."
Masataka activated his Lily Surfer and tossed it off the side of the ship. It grew and unfolded before landing with a splash. He then leapt off the ship and landed on his vehicle before sitting down. He then sped off to investigate.
When he arrived, he stopped in front of what appeared to be the burning remains of a camp. Masataka's eyes narrowed at the sight and could see the bodies that were lying on the ground. He didn't have to examine them carefully to see that they were all dead. Nothing had survived. He turned the Lily Surfer back around to return to the ship with his report of what he had found. They also needed to put out the fires.
After the fires were put out, the bodies of the pirates were all gathered up and then had cloth covering them as a sign of respecting the dead. Masataka was inspecting the camp. Everything was burnt to an extent. Some of the makeshift huts were burned to the ground while others were ready to collapse from being charred so badly. The only things that remained were the corpses and caches of their loot which had been untouched.
"Maybe a torch accidentally fell?" Shuutai suggested. Accidents could happen. The pirates had probably been celebrating and got drunk when it happened.
Masataka speculated, "Or maybe someone attacked them before we arrived."
"Does it matter?" Ryomo asked. If the pirates had been dealt with then that was good news.
"It does to me. I don't like it when we stumbled onto something with no explanation," Masataka replied. He needed to look into this. "Bury the bodies and gather up all the loot you can find that is still undamaged. Afterwards, let's return to the kingdom. We're done here." For now, they were done here. However, Masataka was still not through with the investigation. Something had happened here. The pirates had wounds like they had been shot with arrows.
So, where were the arrows?
Masataka was heading up to the throne room to speak with Sonsaku. After spending a week first searching for the pirates and then looking for clues as to who took them down, he was happy to be back on dry land. As he prepared to enter, he heard shouting from the other side of the door. Angry shouting.
"Excuse me, this is Zangetsu," he called. "I'm here to give my report." The angry shouting quitted down and the guards allowed Masataka entry. After he entered, he knelt down and bowed his head, "Sonsaku-sama, I am here to give you my report."
"Well, by all means, Masataka-kun. Speak," permitted Sonsaku. There was something off about her tone and he looked up to see her. She was sitting on her throne but she was wearing a forced smile. Shuyu was with her, as usual, but was standing a few feet away from her usual spot by Sonsaku's side. She was also pointedly turning her face away so she would not look at Sonsaku which was again odd.
"Earlier this week I received reports of pirates attacking merchant ships in our river. I along with my men went to investigate and deal with the threat. We were able to find one of the ships During the battle, one of pirates ate a Helheim fruit and transformed into an Inves which I dealt with swiftly. We then went upstream to deal with the rest of the pirate gang. On our way we saw smoke and when we reached our destination the pirate camp had already been destroyed and all the pirates killed," Masataka reported.
"You appear concerned despite the fact that pirates no longer threaten our river," noted Sonsaku.
"The bodies, after an examination, suggest that the pirates were attacked by flaming arrows. However, we found no physical evidence outside of burns and penetration wounds which go quite deep," Masataka answered. "No shafts, no arrowheads in the wounds, no wasted arrows sticking out of the ground, nothing."
"I see," Sonsaku frowned thoughtfully, "While I care little for the lives of pirates and bandits who make life difficult in my lands, this is a cause for concern. I also wish to know how a pirate could've acquired one of the forbidden fruits of Helheim. Please remain vigilant, Masataka-kun."
"As you command," Masataka bowed.
As Masataka turned and stepped out of Sonsaku's throne room, he took out the Melon Energy Lockseed and GenesisDriver, "Why do I have the feeling that the time I will use this power for war will soon come?"
"Zangetsu-sama! Zangetsu-sama!" called the twins, Daikyo and Shokyo as they skipped over to him. He put his items away to greet them.
"Ah, Daikyo-chan and Shokyo-chan. How are you doing?" Masataka greeted with a smile. The twins provided entertainment for the court and they were famous for being so adorable and talented. They were also Sonshoko's playmates.
Both girls were small, matching Sonshoko's height wearing white cheongsam dresses with long bows on the back. They even had scarves and collars on their shoulders that looked like they should have come from a school uniform somewhere. Both girls had pink hair which framed their faces while the rest was tied in ox-horn style buns. The only way to tell them apart was the sakura design on their dresses. Shokyo had hers on her left side, and Daikyo had hers on her right.
"Come play with us!" the twins chimed together.
"We keep losing to Sonshoko-sama at the Inves Games," frowned Daikyo as she crossed her arms.
"We wanna know how we can beat her," added Shokyo. Masataka laughed. It was an innocent question. Sonshoko did always beat the twins. Then again, he did teach Sonshoko how to use tactics during Inves Games.
"Don't laugh at us, Zangetsu-sama," pouted Shokyo.
"No, it's alright. Fine, I'll teach you some tactics you can use so you can beat Shao-chan in an Inves Game," he agreed,
"Yay!" the twins cheered.
After playing with the twins and giving them pointers, he met up with Kogai again. She had wanted to make her report of the week as well as just sit down and chat afterwards in the gardens to relax from all the work. "Sorry I'm late. The twins wanted me to play with them."
"It's fine. So, how was your audience with the queen, Sensei?" Kogai asked, sitting leisurely in her chair, looking at the beautiful plants. Next to her were several scrolls which were her reports, something she was pointedly ignoring as she regarded Masataka.
"A little odd," he admitted while taking his seat.
"Odd? What do you mean?"
"There was some kind of unspoken tension in the room."
"Tension?"
"It must be my imagination, but Shuyu-dono and Sonsaku-sama were acting odd."
Kogai considered Masataka's words. If there was indeed something odd going on between the queen and her advisor then it was up to Kogai to get to the bottom of things. It could be nothing of course, but it could also be something important or even better, something juicy to gossip about. They wouldn't know unless they dug in to see. Coincidentally, Kogai had been thinking of having drinks with the strategist...
Masataka was in his room, reading a rather interesting book that Rikuson had recommended for him to read. It was a rather epic tale. While in the middle of his reading, Kogai chose that time to barge right in with Shuutai stumbling in after her.
"I'm sorry, Zangetsu-sama!" Shuutai apologized, "But she wanted to see you!"
"It's alright, Shuutai," Masataka nodded as he put down the book. "You may return to your post." Shuutai bowed and exited the room, closing the doors to give them privacy. "So, why do you look so happy?"
"Oh, I found some really juicy gossip about Sheren-chan and Meirin-chan," Kogai grinned as she grabbed a chair and took a seat across from her mentor. Masataka cocked an eyebrow. Maybe Kogai had discovered what was going on. "It seems like our lovebirds are having a lover's spat."
"Excuse me, a lover's spat?" Masataka asked skeptically.
"That's about the gist of it. Turns out that Sheren-chan drank some expensive wine that Meirin-chan was saving for a special occasion. She claims that it was pretty expensive too," Kogai explained.
"A spat over wine?" Masataka didn't understand it nor believe it. It sounded ridiculous and not something worth fighting over.
"It was very good wine and very expensive, according to Meirin-chan," Kogai emphasized. The way she said it, it sounded like the wine was hard to come by and had cost a fortune.
"I guess I would be angry too something I was saving up for a special occasion got taken without my permission," agreed Masataka. He would get mad too if he found people stealing the Lockseeds he and his division had worked so hard to collect. It was the foundation for his zero tolerance policy on the theft and misuse of Lockseeds. "How did you get Shuyu-dono to tell you?" Shuyu wouldn't blab such private matters.
"A lot of wine loosens the tongue," Kogai winked.
"So you got her drunk." Masataka deadpanned. He didn't sound like he approved but at least it got the information. In this case the ends did justify the means. "Obviously they need to make up." They couldn't have the ruler and her strategist stay mad at each other.
"True, that means we need to intervene," Kogai suggested.
"Are you sure we should be meddling?" Masataka questioned, doubtful. Sonsaku and Shuyu would make up eventually, right?
"Well, we can't let this continue. It might get worse," Kogai replied.
"Yes, you have a point there. I mean, Sonsaku-sama trusts Shuyu-dono the most regarding political affairs. I won't say they aren't professional, but this may affect the way they work together. You can't work with someone whilst in the middle of an argument."
"So, here's my plan," Kogai started as Masataka listened. He knew better to get in the middle of a lover's spat but he didn't like seeing two people he cared about who loved each other very much stay mad each other like they did. He had to remind himself that this was for the good of the kingdom.
Shuyu woke up with a bad hangover. Fortunately, some tea managed to soothe her aching head so she was feeling much better after a few hours. By the time the headaches had gone away, it was already thr middle of the afternoon.
"I am never drinking again..." Shuyu groaned as she took another sip of tea. "I better check on Sai. No doubt she's feeling just as bad as I am." Shuyu left her room and went to Kogai's. She saw a maid exit and asked, "Is something the matter?"
"Kogai-dono is ill right now," the maid informed Shuyu.
"She's ill?" Shuyu asked. "Can I see her?"
"You may, but please let her rest," the maid informed the royal strategist. Shuyu entered and saw that Kogai was in bed. She didn't look all too well. Her skin was pale and she was lying in bed, looking very weak.
"How are you feeling?" Shuyu asked.
"Oh, I feel terrible. I can't even have any wine since I'm so ill. It makes me vomit," complained Kogai.
"You've probably been overworked," Shuyu remarked. "I'll ask Zangetsu-dono to lighten your workload."
"No, it's fine. I guess drinking last night may not have been one of my best ideas," Kogai smiled weakly.
"Is there anything I can do?" Shuyu questioned.
"I think you have some medicine in that old storage building. Perhap it can help me recover."
"Then I shall fetch it for you."
Meanwhile, Masataka was informing Sonsaku of Kogai's condition.
"Kogai-dono is ill?" asked Sonsaku.
"Yes, that's right. She looks very ill. I don't know how to help her," sighed Masataka. He was a lot of things, but he was no doctor.
"I think I know how. There's some medicine in the store house. I will go look for it," Sonsaku offered.
"Would you like my help?" Masataka offered.
"It's no trouble. I can do it myself. Besides, I feel like helping an old friend."
When Shuyu entered the store house to get the medicine, she found Sonsaku in there looking for something. "Sheren-sama?"
"Ah, Meirin!" Sonsaku gasped. "What are you doing here?"
"I came to get Kogai-dono medicine," Shuyu said.
"But that's why I am here too! Masataka-kun told me she was ill and needed medicine."
The two then heard the door lock and their eyes widened. Outside, Kogai dusted off her hands.
"Let us out!" Sonsaku yelled as she banged on the door.
"Sorry, Sonsaku-sama, but this is for your own good," Kogai replied, cupping her hands around her mouth.
"Kogai-dono!?" the couple inside yelled.
"Aren't you supposed to be sick!?" shouted Shuyu.
"Oh, I lied," giggled Kogai.
"Let us out of here!" Sonsaku yelled again.
"Sonsaku-sama, Shuyu-dono, please forgive us," Masataka apologized.
"Masataka-kun, you too!?" Sonsaku felt betrayed by her Armored War God.
"Forgive us!" he repeated before fleeing with Kogai, feeling guilty about tricking his queen.
"They fell for it," smiled Kogai.
"How did you manage to convince Shuyu-dono that you were ill?" Masataka asked.
"Oh, I just used some makeup to make myself look pale. She didn't even suspect a thing. I'm also a very good actress."
"Never thought you were the type to pretend to be sick," he remarked.
"I have gone out drinking and I know what it's like to be sick in the morning after."
"Are you sure locking them in the storage building is a good idea?" Masataka asked.
"It's the only way for them to make up," Kogai answered confidently.
"Let's hope you're right. If this plan fails..."
"Oh, it won't. Just trust me on this."
"Fine, but if anyone asks, it was your idea."
"But as your apprentice I am your responsibility so you must share the punishment as well, Sensei." Masataka grumbled. She was right. "So, how is the progress between you and Renfa-chan?"
"Oh, is the old maid interested in the romance of the young ones?" he teased.
"I'm not that old!" Kogai snapped.
The next day, Masataka went to check up on Shuyu and Sonsaku. He prayed, "Let's hope they hadn't killed each other." He went and unlocked the door before entering. He went deeper into the storehouse and froze at the sight before him. There lay Shuyu and Sonsaku, completely nude and in each other's arms.
He collapsed as blood spewed from his nose.
"What...?" Shuyu yawned and put on her glasses, only to freeze at the sight of Masataka who was lying unconscious with a bleeding nose.
"Hahahahahahahahahaha!"
"It's not funny!" Masataka yelled at Kogai who was laughing as they shared drinks. Like how he spent time drinking tea with Sonken, he also had drinks with Kogai. It was hard for them to spend time together outside of work related matters. Though, her choice for a casual beverage was wine. He made sure not to take too much as he couldn't afford to be abbreviated whilst on duty.
"You fainted!" Kogai pointed at him and continued to laugh.
"This is just like the first time I met them...Ugh..." Masataka mumbled as he downed the cup of wine. It made him feel a little better.
"Why so glum? It must've been an amazing sight," she continued to tease.
"I'll double your paperwork if you don't stop now," he warned and she clammed out, allowing Masataka a victory.
"Fine...So, I'm guessing our plan worked."
"Which is fortunate. We could've been punished severely if it hadn't. Though, now I can't ever go near that store house without remembering what took place there."
"And I thought a man like you would enjoy the view."
"Not at the expense of my friends. Besides, we've all been embarrassed enough." Masataka wouldn't be able to look Shuyu and Sonsaku in the eye for a week after this. "Why does this always happen to me...?"
"Might just be your luck. Though, maybe you can use that luck to walk in on Renfa-chan..." Kogai paused as Masataka gave her a glare. "OK, shutting up now."
"Thank you." He poured himself another cup and downed the drink. OK, maybe he could at least get a little drunk. Maybe if he drank enough he could erase the embarrassing encounter from his memory.
Masataka Miyamoto (Zangetsu the Ultimate Shield): Masataka is not lacking in terms of looks, intelligence or strength. As Go's Armored War God, he directly serves under the Son family. As he supports Sonsaku's dream, he takes advantage of his power to harvest and distribute Lockseeds to give her an advantage. Sonshoko loves her like an older brother and Sonken has romantic feelings for him. He once had romantic feelings for Sonsaku, but he learnt that she was in love with Shuyu. While heartbroken, he was able to move on and continue to support Sonsaku out of loyalty to her and her family. He is the supervisor and founder of the Lockseed Distribution Department as well as Sonken's personal advisor. While not officially a general as Sonsaku doesn't always summon his aid in campaigns, he is shown the same respect as a general by the soldiers.
KRC: Masataka takes his duty as Go's Armored War God very seriously. He does his best to improve the lives of everyone and also Go's military might. He may not officially be a general, but being an Armored War God gets him the same respect as a military commander. As you can see, his job is to eliminate all threats to Go's peace and prosperity and you know he's not afraid to spill blood. He's rather pragmatic and does what needs to be done. Hence, this nature of his has earned him the title "White Devil of Go" which really fits. Also, now you know he has the power to become Zangetsu-Shin, but he keeps it as a secret weapon and only uses it for emergency. Don't worry. We will see Zangetsu-Shin again. Just you wait. Also, it's still funny to see Masataka's reaction when he sees two voluptuous beauties in the nude. Clearly, he needs to fix that.
TFP: And Masataka manages to squeak himself out of a situation even his skill wouldn't let him survive. Fortunately Kogai was there to help out otherwise he'd be pretty much lost. He's also been pushing on his part to make Go a more prosperous nation with obvious success.