I do not own Koihime Musou or Kamen Rider Gaim. They belong to their respective creators. Chrome and I just thought this idea would be fun and I 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: Tales of the Armored War Gods
Co-Written By Ten-Faced Paladin and Kamen Rider Chrome
Chapter 8: Mysterious Dragon
It was another day of beautiful scenery and warm weather as the group of four made their way down the road. Going wherever the wind took them, they took their time since they had nowhere else to be or anything else to do. They had passed into the Province of Go a few days ago with little fanfare. So far, nothing exciting had happened but when they were used to being attacked by Rinrinshi and their cannon fodder minions that was a blessing.
"Ah, look at the flowers!" Chouhi jogged ahead to admire the brightly coloured plants.
"Well, can't say Go isn't a beautiful place," Nagata stretched with a yawn. The warm air and bright sunshine was making him feel like taking a nap. "I wonder if there's anything interesting we'll see here."
"I just wonder if the food is good!" Chouhi chimed in.
"There's more to Go than just food Rinrin," Komei giggled.
"But it's the most important thing!" Chouhi argued.
"I wouldn't know about that, but I'm getting hungry myself," chuckled Nagata. "Hey, Aisha. What do you think?"
"Well it has been a while," Kanu pondered. "Maybe when we find a place to rest we can get something."
"Yeah!" Chouhi cheered.
It didn't take long for the group to find a tea house on the side of the road. It sat across from an abandoned building, but despite that it seemed to do well enough for itself. Chouhi was already getting excited at the thought of a snack while Kanu was preparing to budget accordingly to make sure that Chouhi didn't eat enough to bankrupt them. Nagata was just preparing to make sure Chouhi didn't try to eat her own weight in food again. Despite making herself sick at the eating contest back in the smaller city, Chouhi had gotten a bit spoiled by the amount of food she had been able to eat and had been hoping for a feast like that again sometime.
As they drew closer to the tea house, they heard shouting coming from inside which made them think a customer got rowdy or something. The next moment, a young girl tried to run outside. She was small and wearing a white blouse with long puffy sleeves which exposed her tummy. She also wore a white skirt with long white socks and simple shoes. Her hair was a light pink of all colours. Her hair hung down her front, but the rest was tied into large hair loops. She was undeniably cute with her innocent looks and blue eyes, but she didn't look very happy as she tried to get out of the tea house.
"Hold it right there!" a burly man with a black beard called, managing to come racing out before he snagged the girl.
"Ow! Let me go!" the girl cried out.
"No way! Not until you give me what you owe me! Now let's-!"
Kanu immediately took in the scene and her instincts jumped to the fore. Gripping her weapon, she dashed to the scene. As always, Chouhi was right behind her. Nagata wanted to help, but at the same time he wasn't quite sure what was going on. He didn't like the looks of a small girl being manhandled by the man, but he liked to think that there was a reason for it. If the guy was just doing it out of malicious reasons though…
"Uh, Aisha," Nagata tried to call to his friend as he and Komei ran to catch up with the eager pair.
"I won't allow someone to abuse the weak in such a way!" Kanu declared, lifting her weapon at the man. "Now prepare yourself!"
"Yeah!" Chouhi piped in.
"Huh?' the burly man blinked, but then saw he was being targeted by the pair of weapon users. "Hey, wait! This girl is-!"
"Hiyah!" both Kanu and Chouhi cried as one and lunged.
What came next was a truly beautiful blow. The man was struck squarely in the head with the flat sides of the blade which sent him flying back into his establishment. The girl saw her opportunity and ran for it, leaving everyone behind as she dashed down the road. Nagata shook his head as he and Komei ran up to the scene. Kanu and Chouhi were looking satisfied that justice had been done. A groan signalled that the man was still alive and conscious as he sat up, rubbing his head where an impressive shiner was appearing.
"Now what do you have to say for yourself?" Kanu frowned. "Why did you accost that girl?"
The man rubbed his head before looking at Kanu with an even stare, "That girl tried to run without paying her bill."
Nagata groaned and shook his head. All the self-righteousness Kanu had been exhibiting earlier just dropped from her stance as she blinked. Seeing he now had their attention, the man stood up and wobbled over to a chair so he could sit down. Crossing his arms, he huffed in agitation. "That girl you defended came to my tea house and ran up a nice bill, but when it came time to pay for it she tried to run. I managed to catch her, but then you lot ran in and let her get away."
"I was afraid of this," Nagata groaned. Now in any other case, he would have been running in with Kanu to save a little girl if she was getting accosted by some thug. Of course, the fact that it happened in a tea house and the man looked like the shop owner, it left Nagata hesitant, wondering if there was something more. In the times he was in, actions were preferable to hesitation but his modern day 'wait and see' habits still kept bumping in sometimes. In this particular case, it saved him from embarrassing himself.
"Since you let her get away then you'll have to pay in her place," the man continued, holding out his hand for payment.
"Well I suppose I.." Kanu began to reach for her money purse before she stopped. "Wh-what?! Why do I have to pay?!"
"Like I said, you let her get away so the responsibility comes down on you," the shopkeeper explained.
Kanu wanted to argue, but the man had her dead to rights. It was her fault that the little swindler had gotten away so responsibility of her crime came down on her. With extreme reluctance, Kanu paid off the swindler's bill. Fortunately, the man didn't ask for any other reparations when it came to attacking him. Nagata just guessed that he understood how the scene looked and didn't begrudge them for taking it the wrong way. He did ask them to leave though, apparently not in the mood to serve people who kicked his ass in one second or less. So with heavy hearts and empty stomachs, the group continued on their travels with their collective wallet a little lighter than before.
"Guess you should learn to look before you leap, huh, Aisha?" Nagata joked, trying to lighten the mood.
"Gaim-sama…" Kanu groaned at the attempt at humor. "Oh what a complete disaster."
"Cheer up Aisha-san," Komei tried to help her friend.
"Hey wait!"
The group stopped and turned back to see someone running towards them, coming out from the underbrush nearby where they were apparently hiding. They all blanched when the recognized the small girl who had tried to swindle the shopkeeper back at the teahouse.
"You again!" Kanu cried. "What do you want? Thanks to you we attacked an innocent man and lost-!"
"Aisha, calm down," Nagata tried to reason with her. He didn't like the kid that much either but they couldn't just explode on her either. That would just cause headaches for everyone and they had enough of those to go around.
Apparently unrepentant of what she did and ignoring Kanu's outrage, she smiled at the four, "You four seem rather promising. I think I like you."
"And what is that supposed to mean?" asked Nagata.
"I'll tell you what," the girl smiled, pointing at the group. "I'll let you all become my servants!"
"Servants?" repeated Nagata incredulously. After what she had pulled did she really think they would agree? "And who exactly is asking? You haven't exactly introduced yourself."
"Hmph! How rude!" the little girl huffed. "I am Sonshoko, the youngest daughter of the Son family that rules over Go Province!"
"So you're basically a princess? So how come a princess couldn't pay for her meal?" Nagata continued to interrogate. He wasn't trying to be mean but this girl had caused Kanu trouble by making her believe she was the victim. They even had to foot the bill for her. Not exactly princess-like behavior. It made him doubt if she was really the famous princess he heard about in history class.
"Because I had no money!" Sonshoko huffed. "You are slow, aren't you? Anyone else could see that!"
"But...why would a princess be without money?" asked Komei.
"I spent it all," Sonshoko shrugged.
Chouhi blinked.
Kanu blinked.
Komei blinked.
Nagata blinked, twice.
"You...spent it all?" Kanu questioned.
"She spent it all," Nagata confirmed. He turned to Sonshoko and asked, "Let me get this straight: you're on your own and you've spent all your money? How?"
"I bought this!" Sonshoko boasted as she revealed a piece of jewelry, a hairpin to be precise. It was a small flower made of gold with a green gem in the centre of the bloom. "When I saw it I instantly fell in love with it! It cost me all my money but it was worth it!"
"You spent all your money on that!?" Kanu and Nagata exclaimed. What a waste! When you're on the road you need to be careful of how you spent your money. Travelling expenses were necessary to stay in a comfortable inn and even get something to eat. This girl had spent it all on a piece of jewelry which was worthless if she wanted to survive on the road.
"That's really an unwise way to spend money," Komei commented.
"Even I'm not stupid enough to waste my money like that!" Chouhi laughed.
"Shut up, Chibi #1 and Chibi #2!" Sonshoko snapped at Komei and Chouhi, crossing her arms angrily. "You're my servants now so show some respect."
"Alright, listen," started Nagata, "You can't just say we're your servants before we even agreed. Also, we're not gonna be your servants. However, you will come along with us." The girls then pulled him away to huddle.
"Gaim-sama, you're asking her to come with us?" Kanu asked.
"Look, it seems to me that this girl is a rich and pampered princess, or so she claims. She spent all her money on a piece of jewelry and tried to dine and dash. She only got away because you interfered," Nagata said. Kanu blushed in response to that. "However, I don't think I can just leave her on her own. What if she isn't so lucky next time? I think she should come with us until we get her back home to wherever she's from."
"Gaim-sama is such a kind man," Komei smiled in admiration.
"I don't like her," Chouhi frowned.
"You don't have to like her, Rinrin. You just have to tolerate her until we drop her off back at her home. Then we'll let her family deal with her," Nagata suggested. Chouhi thought about it then nodded.
"What are you talking about there?" Sonshoko asked suspiciously. "I demand to know now!"
Nagata approached her and said, "Well, looks like you'll be travelling with us. By the way, I'm Gaim. That's Kanu, Chouhi and Komei."
"Good, then I would like to find an inn. I'm feeling tired," Sonshoko ordered, mistakenly believing that they had accepted her generous offer of becoming her Servants.
"Yes, Your Highness," replied Nagata sarcastically.
It didn't take long for Sonshoko to get on everyone's nerves. She wouldn't stop talking, mostly about things she liked, didn't like, or just felt like talking about. Of course she also liked to order people around. At one point she even ordered Nagata to let her ride on his shoulders. She asked Kanu what she did to get her breasts so big, and she kept commenting on how Komei and Chouhi were chibis which irritated Chouhi to no end.
By the time they reached the next city everyone was thinking how long they would have to put up with their new companion until they dropped her off back at her home. Some were even tempted to ditch her someplace and leave her behind. But then their good natures reminded them that they couldn't leave a child alone to wander and simply let her keep annoying them.
"Hey! Let's eat here!" Sonshoko declared, running to the doors to a local eatery. All of her talk about being tired was apparently forgotten. She decided she was hungry instead and wanted to eat.
"No, we have to find an inn first," Kanu replied, shutting Sonshoko's request down entirely.
"Huh? Hey!" Sonshoko cried, dashing up to the group as they passed her by. "Hey, come on I'm hungry!"
"If you want to eat there then you should pay with your own money," Kanu told her.
"But I told you I spent it all!"
"You know, if you need money you could always sell that trinket you bought," suggested Nagata.
"My gem? No way!" Sonshoko held it up. Her eyes twinkled with childish glee as she admired the trinket yet again. She was awfully proud of it, like a kid who bought a toy with their own money for the first time. "I won't ever part with it!" Suddenly, a crow swooped in and snatched it out of her hand. "My gem!"
"Damn," Nagata frowned. Somehow, he just knew something would happen when Sonshoko declared she would never part from the bauble. Even centuries before he was born, Murphy's Laws still were in effect.
"Get back here!" Sonshoko screamed as she chased after the crow. The group gave chase after the princess both to keep her out of more trouble as well as contain her inevitable explosion when the crow would get away. Suddenly, as they were running past a building with a golden gourd as a sign, an arrow shot at the crow and the bird dropped. Chouhi caught the bird before it crashed as the gem landed on the ground. "My gem!" She picked it up, relieved that it wasn't damaged.
"What happened?" Nagata asked.
"An arrow," Kanu said. The crow suddenly sprang back to life and flew away.
"It was just stunned?" Chouhi gasped.
"The shock wave must have knocked it out when the arrow went by," Komei observed.
"Do you think it was an accident?" asked Nagata, trying to pin where the shot had come from but couldn't. He was no archer after all. He would have liked to think the archer considered the bird's life, but generally when someone fired an arrow they intended for it to hit.
"Probably," Kanu replied, absently looking up at a window which was directly behind the golden sign. "But if it wasn't, then the skill of such an archer must be incredible." Unlike the others, Kanu had gotten a glimpse of the archer and from what she did know about archery, her stance and shot had been indeed perfect. With so little wind that day, Kanu very much doubted that the arrow had missed by accident.
The group went into the restaurant since they hadn't eaten anything earlier. After the excitement with the bird and finally finding an inn, they were hungry. They managed to get a good meal to fill their bellies. Chouhi was definitely satisfied. "Ah that was good."
"See? I told you so," Sonshoko grinned. "When I first saw this place I just knew that it would be good. In other words, my judgement is never wrong!"
"Uh-huh," Nagata nodded, finishing his tea. Her judgment had led her to impulsively waste all her travelling money on a hairpin. He wanted to comment on that, but he didn't want to ruin the good mood after their meal so he thought it was best just to let Sonshoko keep talking.
"So, Sonshoko-san. Are you really the youngest daughter of the Son Family?" Komei asked.
"Of course. I told you that, didn't I?" Sonshoko answered confidently.
"Well, that's what you said. But it does seem strange for a princess to travel on their own and on foot. They would at least have a horse and a bodyguard," Kanu retorted.
"Well, let me clear the air about that," Sonshoko replied, but then in a nervous rush blurted out,. "First and foremost, I most definitely did not run away because of the ceremonious things I had to deal with day in and day out at the palace!"
Gaim and his friends huddled together.
"It's still suspicious," Chouhi supplied.
"I know. It is still strange," Komei agreed.
"Well, how can we be sure she is who she says she is?" Kanu asked.
"I got an idea," Nagata said and he turned to speak to Sonshoko. "I heard a rumor your family has an Armored War God serving them. Can you tell me about him?"
Sonshoko blinked, and the group feared she would get angry or worse go back to her haughty attitude. Instead, she actually became a little red in the cheeks while she began playing with her chopsticks. It was the most demure that anyone there had seen her act before.
"Zan-niichan? He's sooooo cool!" Sonshoko giggled. "He just showed up one day and saved my big sister from being assassinated. They said he fell from the sky! He's always cool and collected even when there's a fight or some monster tries to break into the palace! He even plays with me whenever I want and he calls me Shao-chan! EEEEEEE! I can't believe I said that!" she wiggled in her seat, her hands on her blushing cheeks.
"Zan-niichan? You don't mean Zangetsu, do you?" Nagata asked to confirmed.
"Yes, that's him! He also gave me this!" Sonshoko held up an Ichigo Lockseed which was identical to Nagata's. "He got it from Heaven! He said it's cute and sweet, just like me!" Well, if the Lockseed didn't convince Nagata that Sonshoko knew Zangetsu personally than nothing else would. There was no other way she could've acquired that Lockseed.
"Gaim-sama?" Kanu asked.
"Looks like she's telling the truth," sighed Nagata. "Zangetsu must have given it to her. There's no way she would have gotten a Lockseed otherwise."
"Hey, don't talk about Zan-niichan so casually! He's an Armored War God so show some respect!" Sonshoko huffed.
"You talk about him kind of casually," Komei commented, but Sonshoko ignored her.
"Sorry," Nagata apologized. He looked to Chouhi who had her cheeks puffed. He knew she wanted to tell the haughty girl that he was an Armored War God too but he had advised her not to. He preferred that people didn't find out unless necessary. With all the attention the others were getting, he wanted to avoid being made a religious or political icon.
"That's better," Sonshoko accepted.
Their waitress came to their table to see if they would like some more tea. As she filled their cups, she made small talk with the group, asking if they were staying for the parade. When asked what she meant, she told them that there was going to be a parade. Apparently, the third son of a neighbouring feudal lord would be getting married to the daughter of the local feudal lord and thus become adopted as part of his family. Everyone was coming to see the grand event, many ladies among them since it was rumoured that the man was quite handsome. However, rumor had it there were people who did not approve of the marriage and were plotting to assassinate the bridegroom. Still, it was still a momentous occasion so people were going to be lining the street as the parade went by.
"I guess we could stay and see it," Nagata nodded. It wasn't everyday he got to see a parade like that.
"I hope you, your wife and children will enjoy yourselves then," the waitress smiled, finishing her tea pouring and heading out to serve other customers..
"URK!" Nagata and Kanu blushed brightly. Seriously, again!? Did they really look like a married couple with children? For one, Chouhi, Komei and Sonshoko were far too old to be their kids and Nagata didn't think he was ready for that kind of commitment. However, a different set of thoughts sprung up in Kanu's mind. At first she was embarrassed whenever people mistook her for Nagata's wife. However, as more time passed, the idea started to become a bit more appealing to her.
'No, I cannot think that way! It would be improper of me!' Kanu reminded herself.
"Wow, I didn't know you both were married," started Sonshoko.
"We're not," Nagata sighed, hiding his blush behind sipping tea. "Still, from what the waitress told us, it does make sense why there's so much security today." They had seen armed guards at the entrance to the city and even some just patrolling the streets. If there really was a plot to assassinate the bridegroom then there would be guards out to look out for suspicious people.
"Indeed," Komei agreed. "When we were coming into the city the guards were making sure we weren't anyone suspicious."
"I guess we should stay just to see what happens next," Nagata crossed his arms. If there really was an assassination attempt then Nagata couldn't just leave when he could do something about it. With the RinJyuKen waiting in the wings everywhere, they could very well have something to do with it. They seemed to want to dig their fingers into all the dirty business lately.
Meanwhile, sitting at a table a few feet away from theirs was a cloaked Chou'un. She had ordered a bowl of ramen topped with a mountain of menma and was drooling at the sight.
The following morning, the group of five travelers were walking through the city's street. Sonshoko, however, looked tired as she yawned.
"Why did all five of us have to stay in a two-person room?" she complained as she yawned again.
"There's no helping it. We just don't have the budget to rent a bigger room," he told her. As there were only two beds, that meant that they would have to share. Nagata had offered to sleep on the floor. Kanu had protested loudly until he managed to convince her that he was alright with it. So Chouhi and Kanu shared one bed while Sonshoko and Komei took the other, much to the princess' displeasure.
"But I couldn't get any beauty sleep," Sonshoko yawned again.
"How can you say that when you were snoring all night?" Chouhi shot back.
"A princess doesn't snore!"
"Nah, you definitely did!"
Sonoshoko and Chouji glared and growled at each other while Komei tried to break up their fight. Nagata could only smile in amusement as Kanu shook her head. Then her eyes went back to the building with the gourd-like sign hanging outside. The sun caught on the sign which caused Kanu to wince and shield her eyes from the light. Almost as if lightning struck her, Kanu came to a sudden realization. According to the waitress, the parade would be passing through the main street. If there really was going to be an assassination attempt, then a good place to snipe someone would be from one of the buildings. All of the other roads would keep turning, offering only a small window of opportunity. What was more, thanks to the gourd sign the only good spot to shoot from without getting blinded was directly behind it.
Kanu then dashed off without a word, brushing past Nagata in her haste. "Aisha, where are you going?" he called out to her. She didn't answer. Just as he was about to give chase, someone stepped in front of him, blocking his way.
"Excuse me, could I talk to you?" the man asked. He was dressed in green tunic with gold lining and black sleeves. Around his waist was a purple sash. He wore black, baggy pants and black shoes. He had a pleasant smile with squinted eyes. His hair was dark and cut short with bangs hanging from the sides.
"Sorry, but I need to follow my friend," Nagata declined but then the stranger took something out that made Nagata pause. It was a SengokuDriver. Nagata's eyes went wide before narrowing. The girls couldn't see it as Nagata's back was blocking them.
"I must insist," the stranger pressed, his smile turning dangerous as his eyes opened slightly.
Nagata frowned, but to his credit he didn't flinch, "Shuri, Rinrin, could you take Sonshoko back to the inn so she can rest? I think she looks tired."
"Do we have to?" complained Chouhi. Komei, however, could sense the tense atmosphere and took Chouhi's hand.
"Come on, Rinrin-chan. Let's go," urged Komei. Komei, Chouhi and a very confused Sonshoko ran off, leaving the two men alone.
"It's a good idea. This isn't a conversation for children," the stranger agreed.
"You're Ryugen, right?" Nagata asked. He had caught a glimpse of the Rider Indicator. It was just a flash, but the fact that it was green was enough of a tell for anyone who knew the Kamen Rider Gaim series.
"And you're Gaim," Ryugen replied. Nagata wasn't sure how this guy knew but he was sure to find out. "Come with me. What we're about to talk about cannot be done here."
"Lead the way then," prompted Nagata.
After Kanu reached the inn where she was sure the archer had been staying, she inquired to the innkeeper if they were still there. Fortunately, they were and she gave the man the excuse that she wished to thank the archer for her role to in recovering Sonshoko's hairpin. The archer seemed to buy it and allowed Kanu entrance to their room to talk.
Upon entering, Kanu was struck a little by the appearance of the archer. The archer was in fact a woman, and a very beautiful one. She had long lavender hair which reached down to her backside, tamed only by a feathered hair ornament near her left temple. Her eyes were a crystal blue and even though she was older than Kanu, she certainly didn't show the signs of aging, making her quite the beauty which men would line the streets to try and woo. She wore a purple cheongsam that was high on her neck and revealed her cleavage. Her breast size was also greater than Kanu's own. She only had one sleeve on her left arm while the other was bare, but she wore a green cloak which to Kanu's eye was reinforced. It was perfect for protecting one of an archer's most vital assets, their arms. Her dress was open to one side, showing a long smooth leg covered by a dark stocking. With her natural grace and beauty, it seemed the woman had the whole package when it came to looks and Kanu couldn't help but be envious of that.
So the woman invited Kanu into the room, allowing her to explain why she was visiting a stranger so suddenly.
"Oh, so you were one of those people I helped with that bird yesterday," the woman smiled as she and Kanu sat at a small table.
"Yes. My name is Kanu, followed by Unchou," Kanu bowed in her seat. "I wanted to thank you for your help yesterday."
"Oh no, it was nothing special. I can't help but stick my nose into other people's business so I couldn't help but get involved," the woman smiled, but she then remembered herself. "Oh, I'm forgetting my manners. I am Kochu, followed by Kansho. Won't you allow me to make you some tea?"
"Oh you don't have to do that," Kanu shook her head. Standing up, she approached the window and looked out into the street. She now began to execute her plan to see if Kochu was the supposed assassin or not. "The weather's been nice lately. And it seems like you can see just about everything on the main street from this vantage point."
Kochu inhaled sharply, proving to Kanu that she was onto something.
"Still, for everything that you are able to see from this point, the people still look quite small," Kanu continued before going in for the kill. "If one was trying to hit a target from here, especially a moving one, they would never be able to hit it. No guard would ever expect someone of such skill striking in such a manner."
"Are you trying to say something, Kanu-san?" asked Kochu evenly.
"No. I am merely stating that if there is someone whose skills can match Kyokuchu the God of Archery then such a shot would most certainly be possible," Kanu replied just as evenly.
Kochu swiftly went for the nearest weapon, which just happened to be Kanu's Dragon Crescent Blade. She aimed for Kanu but the blade got caught in the wall. Kochu froze as the tip of her own arrow was aimed at her face as Kanu had also gone for her bow and arrows.
"Don't move," Kanu warned. Kochu gritted her teeth. "I guess you're not used to using long polearms."
Kochu grimaced, but not in anger like many assassins would have with their plot being unfolded. In fact, she looked like she was on the edge of despair with tears welling up in her eyes. It was an odd reaction for an assassin and one that set off Kanu's instincts. Not in such a way as she would consider bandits, but in a way that told her that there was more going on than what was on the surface.
"Aisha-neechan! Aisha-neechan, are you there?"
"Huh?" Kanu looked away from Kochu. "Rinrin? Is that you?" the door opened and entering were Chouhi, Komei, and Sonshoko. They all looked rather serious themselves and Nagata wasn't with them. That told Kanu that something had to be going on. Nagata was a very responsible person and even if Chouhi could fight, he wouldn't allow the children to go running off on their own.
"Where's Gaim-sama?" Kanu asked. The name caused Kochu's eyes to widen slightly. No one noticed this as they were all focused on each other.
"He went off with some guy in a green outfit," Sonshoko answered. "He even told us to go back to the inn but Komei wanted us to tell you what happened."
"Did...did this man wear green and gold with a purple sash? Have shaggy but soft hair and cute squinted eyes like a fox?" asked Kochu, looking up.
"That was the guy," confirmed Sonshoko.
Kochu trembled, obviously afraid, "That...that was my husband. He's an Armored War God but he's being forced to hunt and kill other Armored War Gods." This stunned the group. They hadn't expected this at all.
"But he was just talking to Gaim-san," Sonshoko pointed out.
"That's because Nagata is an Armored War God too!" Chouhi piped in. It finally dawned on Sonshoko and she went speechless in disbelief from the revelation. Gaim was an Armored War God too like her dear Zan-niichan.
"I thought I saw a SengokuDriver," frowned Komei thoughtfully. While Nagata's back had blocked the view, Komei did catch a glimpse of the edge of a SengokuDriver. She had hoped she was wrong, or the man was just hoping to connect with his fellow War God, but in light of this...
"Your husband is an Armored War God?" Kanu asked. "What is his name?"
"Ryugen," Kochu whimpered, her lip protruding as she looked like she really was about to cry. Kanu's lips were set in a firm frown. She remembered when Nagata had told her of the other Armored War Gods and Ryugen was among them. Known as the Ultimate Eye, his weapon was able to fire projectiles at high velocity and deadly force. "My new love...being forced to fight and kill his brothers for our sake…"
"Why?" Kanu demanded. She shook her head, before decided that the why could wait, "Where would they fight? If he found an Armored War God what was he supposed to do to fight them?"
Kochu looked up, but then down again, "He was supposed to take them someplace discreet where they wouldn't kick up a fuss. Someplace private. Airen told me that he found a patch of trees outside the city which would hide any immediate suspicious activity."
"Rinrin! Shuri! Sonshoko! Stay here and keep an eye on her!" Kanu called, dashing from the room with barely more than her orders.
"Here, this is where we can talk," Ryugen spoke as he led Nagata to a place without any bystanders. The two Armored War Gods had left the city entirely in favor of a small grove of trees which were just thick enough to hide people from sigh so long as no one investigated too closely. It sent shivers up Nagata's spine, feeling that something was not right. He didn't know what, but his whole body was tense as he prepared himself for anything.
"OK, let's talk," replied Nagata as Ryugen turned to face him. The man in green slapped on his SengokuDriver and fished out his Budou Lockseed before going through the henshin sequence.
"Henshin!"
[BUDOU!]
[LOCK ON!]
[HAI~! BUDOU ARMS! RYU, HOU, HA-HA-HA!]
The Budou Arms, which resembled a bunch of purple grapes, came down from the portal and dropped on Ryugen's head and shoulders. A ripple of energy formed his bodysuit which had the same color scheme as his outfit. It sported green gauntlets and boots with gold accents, black sleeves and leggings, finally with a green tunic not unlike a chinese soldier's. Inside, Ryugen's head became encased in a green helmet with a golden brow. A purple attachment then connected, covered in round studs with a purple tassel on top and ornate siding like a Chinese soldier would have, turning the eyes a deep purple. The Budou Arms opened and folded onto his body. The front folded in half, making a purple chest with round silver accents. The sides landed on his shoulders, making layers of shoulder armor before the top and back folded onto his back like a small pack. An ornate gun appeared in his right hand. Nagata could only stare as Ryugen was glaring at him, clad in his full Budou Arms armor. The green Armored War God wasn't kidding.
"Okay...what's the deal here?" Nagata frowned, slowly reaching for his own Driver.
"Simple. I'm going to kill you," Ryugen answered before he shot at Nagata's feet, making him jump back. "I'd transform if I were you."
Nagata grit his teeth, "Why the heck are you doing this?! What did I ever do to you?"
"Nothing. I just have my reasons," Ryugen stated, with a hint of sadness and guilt. "Transform, now!" he demanded.
Nagata could refuse, maybe stall, but Ryugen was prepared to shoot him down whether he transformed or not. He was giving him a chance to defend himself. "Henshin!" Nagata called.
[ORANGE!]
[LOCK ON!]
[SOIYA! ORANGE ARMS! HANAMICHI ON STAGE!]
"Kamen Rider Gaim! Arriving on Stage!"
"Kamen Rider Ryugen! I Always Hit my Mark!"
The two stared each other down before Gaim charged at Ryugen. Ryugen fired but Gaim deflected the shots with the Daidaimaru as he closed the gap between them. Ryugen dodged to the side before kicking at Gaim who then slashed him across the chest. Ryugen then held his gun at the barrel to use it as a makeshift club, swinging at Gaim. Gaim leaned back and punched Ryugen across the face but Ryugen flipped his gun to its proper position before shooting Gaim in the chest.
"This won't do," concluded Ryugen before he removed the Budou Lockseed and replaced it with a new one. He needed a close-ranged weapon.
[KIWI!]
[LOCK ON!]
[HAI~! KIWI ARMS! GEKI, RIN, SEI-YA HA!]
The Budou Arms vanished, allowing a large metal kiwi to drop from the air onto Ryugen's shoulders. It let out a splash of green juice energy before beginning to disassemble. The top slice lifted off along with the right side, folding onto Ryugen's right shoulder. The next slice and the left side did the same for his left shoulder. The front split off and folded onto his front, showing the inside of the kiwi like a collar while the outside was like a chest plate. The back portions did the same, completing the change. His head was adorned with a green helmet attachment with wide fins on the side decorated like kiwi slices. His eyes and also turned a bright green. Finishing the change was a flash of light which armed him with a pair of bladed rings with kiwi slices in the middle.
Now armed with the the wind-and-fire wheels known as the Kiwi Gekirin, Ryugen was ready for close-ranged combat. He dashed towards Gaim and slashed him across the chest before following up with another in a deadly spin. He then thrust both Kiwi Gekirin forward, knocking Gaim into the air. Gaim went tumbling along the grass as Ryugen ran after him. Instantly, Gaim drew the Musou Saber and fired at Ryugen who was knocked back by the shots. This gave Gaim the chance to pick himself up and charge with the Daidaimaru and Musou Saber. He combined both weapons to form Naginata Mode and engaged Ryugen.
Sparks flew as their weapons clashed. Ryugen swung widely as Gaim twirled his weapon around. The two fought furiously as he defended himself from Ryugen's brutal onslaught, retaliating in kind. Ryugen swung wide, catching Gaim in the chest and stunning him before landing a blow on Gaim's wrist, disarming him Two more strikes from the Gekirin knocked Gaim onto his back. Once Ryugen was sure Gaim couldn't fight back, he dropped his weapons and replaced his Lockseed.
[BUDOU!]
[LOCK ON!]
[HAI~! BUDOU ARMS! RYU, HOU, HA-HA -HA![
Now transformed back into his default form, Ryugen activated the Au Lait Function.
[HAI~! BUDOU AU LAIT!]
He pulled the Budou Ryuhou's hammer and aimed at Gaim who was struggling to get back to his feet. His hand started to tremble but he steeled himself as he gripped the Budou Ryuhou tightly with both hands. He then pulled the trigger and fired. Small purple orbs gathered at the front of the barrel before Ryugen pulled the trigger. The charged up shot took the form of a roaring energy dragon that smashed into Gaim and sent him flying to crash into a tree, force-cancelling his transformation but leaving Nagata alive as his Lockseed flew into Ryugen's hand. Nagata groaned as he struggled to climb back to his feet.
"One more shot..." Ryugen told himself as he took aim. Now that Nagata was unprotected by his armor, it would just take one shot to take care of him. It would just take one pull of the trigger. His hands started to tremble again as he levelled his gun at Nagata. He shook his head to clear his mind of distracting thoughts. No, he had to do this. There was no other way.
"STOP!" Kanu ran in front of Nagata and spread her arms to shield him. She faced Ryugen with a determined expression. She would not allow her sworn master to be killed.
"Aisha?" Nagata questioned.
"Don't worry, Gaim-sama. I won't let this man kill you," she swore, staring down the Armored War God in his purple eyes.
"Step aside," Ryugen commanded. "Step aside or I'll shoot."
"Then do it," Kanu challenged. A shot was fired and the bullet flew past Kanu but she didn't budge from where she stood. Not even when several of her hairs fell and a red line went across her cheek from the energy burn.
"That was a warning shot," warned Ryugen. "I won't miss again."
"I am not going to move," Kanu retorted. She could see his stance was shaky and his hands trembling. "There is no need to do this. We can talk. Just drop your weapon."
"I can't do that," Ryugen told her.
"Is it because of Kochu-san?" asked Kanu and Ryugen paused. "We already have her. Back at her room we figured out the assassination plot and-!" Perhaps it was supposed to be reassuring, but to Ryugen it was obviously not. Suddenly, Ryugen threw his Budou Ryuhou to the ground and screamed as he clutched his head. He then closed his Lockseed and dropped to his knees, tears clearly falling from his eyes.
Nagata blinked, confused, then looked up at Kanu, "Aisha, what's going on?" Kanu smiled as she helped him to his feet.
"I'll explain everything but we need to go and speak with Kochu-san," she told him. She turned to Ryugen who slowly rose to his feet. He was coming with them too.
The group all went back to the inn to talk. Nagata had some bruising but nothing too permanent. Ryugen sat down next to Kochu, the two of them looking somber. In fact, Kochu was all but moulding herself into Ryugen's side. Despite obviously being older and a bit taller, she still somehow managed to curl up in his embrace just the same. Nagata had to blink at how close the pair were despite the age difference. Had he missed something?
"For awhile now it has only been me and my daughter, Riri," Kochu started. "We live together peacefully in a village. But then one day I met my husband."
"I kinda fell out of the sky," Ryugen added.
"So, you're just like me," Nagata said.
"My name is Iori Tokugawa, and before I came to this world I was not really anything special..."
(FLASHBACK)
Iori Tokugawa liked to think he was a simple guy. He went to school, hung out with friends, and just kept his nose clean. Although he didn't really expect much of anything out of his life. He was born second after his older brother and his parents made it quite clear that they favored the first son more than their second. Iori's older brother Ichiro was being groomed to take over the family company and his parents spared no expense on schools, tutors, and anything else he would need. For Iori on the other hand, they didn't exactly neglect him but they didn't really expect anything good or bad from him since they only needed his brother to be perfect. So Iori had more leeway than his brother, but rarely did anyone in his house notice him and anything he did unless it involved his brother. Even taking up archery and proving to be quite talented at it failed to impress his parents. As long as he didn't do anything to shame the family name then he was allowed to do anything he wanted. In other words, he didn't matter to them.
His brother was the heir and he was simply the spare.
Iori didn't blame his brother for being born first, but he didn't exactly like being considered a spare by his parents. He had just turned eighteen a week ago with little fanfare from his parents besides a bunch of presents with barely any affection from his parents who were both at work. His brother at least took the time to wish him well. His brother even promised him an executive position in the company once he graduated from university. So with that desire to stand out somehow, he tried to catch a thief.
He had to do a report on a museum piece for school so that was why he was in the museum that day. He had been focusing on a Tokugawa section when he heard a scuffle and someone shuffling around as if they were running. Concerned, he went to check it out and saw a kid in white trying to make off with a mirror. Seeing a chance to maybe stand out, Iori used his eye for archery and threw a rubber ball from his pocket, nailing the guy in the face and causing him to stumble. It would have put down anyone, but the kid apparently was really skilled in martial arts and recovered even if the ball had hit him in the eye.
Always a good samaritan, Iori tried to give chase. It didn't last that long before someone tackled the kid, but in the process the mirror he was stealing broke. There was a flash of light and a falling sensation before Iori blacked out. He absently wondered at the time if the incident would finally make his parents notice him.
He then woke up to someone poking his cheek.
"Mister! Hey mister! Wake up! You'll catch cold if you have a nap outside!"
"Mn," Iori groaned. It sounded like a little girl's voice and the insistent poking. Mumbling, he brushed away the poking finger and tried to open his eyes. Everything was blurry for a moment before he managed to focus...right before a tiny poking finger almost hit him in the eye. Mumbling, he gently brushed the tiny hand away, "I'm up, I'm up."
"You gotta get up!" the tiny girl insisted. "You're gonna catch cold!"
Sitting up, Iori rubbed his head to see who was so insistent on waking him up. Glancing over, he saw that the one who was poking him was a small girl. She was probably only six years old or younger. She wore a bright pink tunic with long sleeves with a short purple skirt and pink shoes. She had lavender hair tied in small pigtails with red ribbons.
"Good morning!" the little girl smiled adorably.
"Yeah," Iori blinked, not that many could tell with his squinted eyes. Looking around, he saw he was someplace rather...rural. The large mountains in the distance made him think he was in the deeper parts of the country. "Where the heck am I?"
"Behind my house!" the little girl beamed. "You fell from the sky in a big flash of light and landed here! How did you get that high in the sky? Are you from Heaven? Do you know my daddy?"
What was this little girl talking about? If he had fallen out of the sky he would've died. Still, he had a pounding headache. So maybe whatever had fallen had hit him, but it didn't explain just how the heck he had gotten here in the first place. The girl was dressed in Chinese clothes too which made him worry a little that he had moved to China somehow. He was sure he wasn't in Tokyo anymore.
"Mister, are you OK?" she asked.
"I think I'm lost," he told her.
"You stay here. I'll go get my mommy!"
Before he could answer, the girl was off like a shot. Turning round, he watched her run up to a house which was nearby. It was definitely Chinese in design and looked rather nice for such a rural setting. It didn't take the girl long to come back out. Holding her hand was an absolutely gorgeous woman who made Iori sure he was dreaming. Women that beautiful were the stuff dreams were made of. He was almost drooling when he saw her before he recovered himself.
The woman blinked, seeing Iori sitting on the ground, "Oh my. Where did you come from?"
"He fell from the sky! I told you Mommy!" the tiny one called, tugging on her mother's hand.
"Riri, hush," the woman admonished her child.
"Uh," Iori rubbed his head, blushing slightly in the woman's presence. "I'm...not too sure how I got here honestly. Care to tell me where I am?"
So far, Iori learnt he had landed in a very rural village in China. In fact, it was so rural that it was practically ancient. Either these people were stuck in time or he had somehow been sent back in time. Whichever the case may be, he knew he wasn't in Tokyo anymore.
He didn't expect for Kochu to give him a place to stay, though. However, with nowhere else to go and no way of calling home, he might as well accept the generous invitation. He wouldn't be a freeloader, though. He would help around the best he could. He even got himself a job even if it was just going out hunting for food. His skills at archery were at least being put to good use. Kochu praised his skills, but she still gave him a few pointers to improve his skill.
He would even spend time and play with Riri. He learnt that Riri's father, Kochu's late husband, had died, but Riri didn't know how and he didn't dare ask Kochu since it was still no doubt a painful memory. Still, since it had been Riri and Kochu on their own for so long he tried his best to make sure there was someone the pair could count on be it to play with Riri, look after her, or help Kochu around the house.
The other villagers didn't seem to mind him, although plenty of the young and single men didn't seem to like him too much. The women, mainly gossips and housewives, seemed to giggle over his presence with Kochu and would ask the archer all sorts of questions. He never knew what they were, but some of them would make the woman blush and Riri giggle. Nearest Iori figured was that he was the first man Kochu had been found in the presence of since her husband died and everyone was gossiping over the nature of their relationship. An unmarried man and widow being together all the time had to be something to talk about in Ancient China.
At the time, his mind wasn't on the time period or how others viewed him and Kochu together. Instead, it had been focused on his brother's last gift to him.
One day, Iori was alone in the house while Kochu and Riri went out to do some shopping together. He had nothing to do and decided to just play around with his 'toys'. One of the few pleasures in life he had was watching the Kamen Rider series, the latest being Gaim. His favorite character was Kamen Rider Ryugen whose life was similar to his. Parents who were never present, a life of high society, and an older brother who was his only real family. His brother knew of this and for a birthday present had gotten him the Ryugen DX set. It consisted of a SengokuDriver, Ryugen's Arms weapons and also his two Lockseeds for Budou Arms and Kiwi Arms as well as a Lockvehicle Lockseed. The Budou Ryuhou had vanished after he ended up in Ancient China, but the rest remained in his bookbag.
He hadn't touched the items since he landed here but now he was alone and bored so he decided to just idly play around with the Lockseeds. So sitting on the hillside, he wondered what was going on back home. Out of habit, he fiddled with his toy before clicked open the Kiwi Lockseed.
Then all of a sudden the sound of a zipper rang out and he saw a sight he had only seen on TV. It was the Helheim Forest. Then, something jumped out of the portal which nearly made Iori drop his Lockseed in fright. It was a Kamikiri Inves, a blue humanoid insect-like Inves with long antennae trailing down its body. It didn't make any threatening moves towards him and he gulped. He moved his Lockseed to the left and the Inves moved its head to follow its direction. Iori blinked and looked at his Lockseed.
"This is real?" he asked. He then commanded the Inves to go back through the portal before he locked the Kiwi Lockseed again, closing the portal. He then took out his SengokuDriver and stared at both it and his Lockseeds.
Could it work? The initial powers of the Lockseed seemed to work just fine. Perhaps it really could…
He pressed the Driver to his waist and almost yelped as he felt the belt wrapped around him automatically. Needing to catch his breath, he lifted his Budou Lockseed and with a gulp, hit the unlocking switch.
[BUDOU!]
A zipping noise echoed from above, causing Iori to look up and see a metal set of grapes lowering from Helheim onto Earth.
"Woah…" he gulped. Looking down again, he placed the Lockseed into the centre before locking it into place.
[LOCK ON!]
Chinese war trumpets sounded off, making Iori even more nervous before he took the dive and pressed the Cutting Blade to cut the Lockseed open.
[HAI~! BUDOU ARMS! RYU, HOU, HA-HA-HA!]
The Arms dropped onto his shoulders, wrapping him up in the special suit before the metal fruit unfolded into body armor. His hand suddenly felt heavy as the Budou Ryuhou appeared in his hand. He couldn't even speak as it really dawned on him that he was indeed in the Kamen Rider Ryugen suit complete with Arms and the weapons that went with it.
"Oh crap!" Iori gaped, looking at himself. "Big Brother, I love you!"
Things began to change between Kochu and Iori one day when she was off running an errand elsewhere in the village. He volunteered to watch Riri and took her to the field behind their house so she could play. One of her favorite games was to ride on Iori's shoulders as he ran around, playing 'horsey' for hours on end. She simply adored Iori and loved how he would play with her and help her mother out so she didn't have to go out so often.
"Where does Princess Riri want to ride today?" Iori smiled as he lifted the small child onto his shoulders.
"Let's run around!" Riri cheered, holding on tightly to Iori's head. "We'll ride around all over today!"
"Okay!" Iori grinned, beginning to jog around the field. Riri giggled in sheer delight. Her mother would carry her plenty of times, but she never got to ride around on someone's shoulders like she could with Iori. She loved him being around and had hoped he'd stay around forever. She once asked her mommy if Iori could be her new daddy, but her mommy turned bright red and couldn't say anything.
Grown-ups were so funny sometimes.
As they continued to run circles in the field, several dark shapes began moving through the taller grass. They were smart, and were slow about it. They moved only when they were sure no one could see them. They spread out through the field, encircling the pair as they continued to play. Iori was so busy making sure Riri was having fun and wasn't about to fall off he didn't notice the movements. Riri was just a child and of course wouldn't take notice of such things when she was having fun. So when the lumos finally stood up, revealing themselves to be armed men, it caught the both of them by surprise.
The men stood in front of him and Riri and also behind them. They looked threatening, armed with weapons but they were poorly cared for and the men themselves were unclean and their outfits wasn't the common uniform of a trained soldier. Bandits. He actually heard from the villagers that Kochu's husband had been killed by bandits.
"Okay pal," the leader of the bandits grinned. He was an average fellow with a cleft chin and metal cap. "We're just here for the brat on your shoulders. Hand her over and we won't hurt you."
"Mnnn," Riri whimpered, hunching down to try and hide behind Iori's head.
Iori scowled at the men. That wasn't going to happen. He gently set Riri down and faced the bandits bravely. They at first thought he was going to obey, but when one tried to get closer to grab her he got kicked away. Iori took hold of Riri's hand with his left hand. As the bandits slowly came in closer, he strapped on the SengokuDriver and fished out the Budou Lockseed.
"Henshin!"
[BUDOU!]
The sight of the Budou Arms coming down from the portal and floating in the air caused the bandits to stop in their tracks. Riri was staring up at the metal bunch of fruits in awe. This gave Iori the chance to lock the Lockseed in and activate it.
[LOCK ON!]
[HAI~! BUDOU ARMS! RYU, HOU HA-HA-HA!]
The bandits jumped in shock as the Budou Arms came down, wrapping Iori in a green, gold and black bodysuit before it opened up and folded to his body to form his armor. Riri gasped as the bandits started to tremble in fear of the figure standing before them.
"You...you're..." the bandit leader stuttered.
"My name is Ryugen!" He raised his gun. "Now you guys have three seconds to clear out before I pump you full of holes!"
Apparently the bandits had some kind of idea about what Ryugen was capable of. Many of them promptly turned around and began running for their lives. What bandits remained steeled their courage and tried to get in close to grab Riri, but soon found the ground around their feet exploding with bullets. Although the Chinese discovered gunpowder, the Three Kingdoms era hadn't seen it yet so a gun was by far an unheard of weapon. The shots flew so fast they couldn't see them. To them, the ground was exploding wherever Ryugen pointed the gun and could easily put holes through them. What courage the bandits had left them and they made a break for the forests again.
"Yeah, that's what I thought," Ryugen frowned, lowering his smoking weapon. Kneeling down, he gently looked Riri over. "Are you okay?"
"Uh-huh," Riri nodded. She then reached up and patted the face of Ryugen's helmet. "Is it you, Iori-niichan?"
"Yup," Ryugen nodded. "Did I scare you?"
"Uh-uh!" Riri smiled, shaking her head.
"Good," Ryugen nodded. "How about we get you home. Mommy needs to know what happened and we can warn everyone about what happened out here. We don't want the bandits to come back and steal our stuff."
"Okay!" Riri nodded, still a little scared and wanted to find her mother again.
Ryugen was about to dismiss his armor, but he was denied of doing that when Riri scrambled onto his shoulders. He wasn't entirely sure if he could change and not risk Riri falling off from the displacement. So with no other choice, he secured the little girl onto his shoulders and headed back to her house.
When they got back, just by opening the door Ryugen found himself staring down the shaft of a razor sharp arrow, held in the feather-like bow in Kochu's hands. Her gaze was incredibly fierce as she aimed the arrow between his eyes. At the range she was at, she wouldn't have the slightest possibility of missing. Although Ryugen was quite confident the arrow wouldn't break through his helmet he wasn't in the mood to try or alienate Kochu.
"Who are you? Let my daughter down immediately!" she demanded. Who was this armored man and why was Riri with him?
Oh, right. She didn't recognize him while he was in full armor. First he gently set Riri down so she wouldn't try to shoot him thinking that he was going to hurt her. He smiled and closed the Lockseed, allowing the armor to vanish before her eyes. Kochu's eyes widened.
"Iori..." she whispered.
"I kept her safe, as promised," he told Kochu.
Hearing the story of the bandits caused Kochu to break out in tears and hug Iori for protecting her daughter. Since that day, a dynamic between Kochu and Iori had changed. The master archer seemed to become shy around Iori and when he would play with Riri, she would just watch them with a smile on her face. She seemed a bit nostalgic at the sight, but at the same time another emotion was in her eyes. Iori easily noticed her and he liked seeing Kochu with a smile on her face. As far as he was concerned, she had suffered enough emotional pain.
It became rather obvious where the two were heading when one hotshot from the village, a bristly middle-aged man with no wife and two sons began getting angry at Iori for being so close to Kochu. He had been trying to court Kochu for some time, figuring since she was a widow and he was a widower they would be a good fit. She was beautiful and his boys 'needed mothering' in his opinion so as far as he was concerned they were a perfect fit. Kochu obviously didn't think so and turned him down often. Then Iori came out of nowhere and seemed to be on the fastrack to Kochu's hand and he didn't like that at all.
He tried browbeating Iori, but that didn't work on a guy who had the confidence of being a Kamen Rider. When that didn't work, he got drunk one night and decided that outright violence was best. So he tried attacking Iori when he, Kochu, and Riri were walking home from the local tea house for an evening trip. The man ended up humiliating himself when Iori defended himself, taking the man's wrist and then twisting it before pinning his arm to his back painfully. It made a good impression on the other villagers and pretty much ended the aspirations of many of Kochu's admirers.
Then one day Kochu made a surprising decision. She proposed to Iori. It happened one night after Riri was put to bed and the two adults in the house were still awake. They were just enjoying sitting by the paper lanterns softly illuminating the room. It had become of a nightly ritual for the pair, enjoying each other's company after a day of tending to Riri and the daily chores. That night, she had been looking slightly troubled.
"Iori-san, you've done so much for me and Riri already," she told him gratefully.
"Well, you let me stay here when I was just a stranger. I wanted to pay you back however I could," he told her.
"Yes and you've done more than I could ask for." She sighed, "I miss my husband so much and being a widow can get lonely. Riri also needs a father."
Iori blinked. Wait a minute, why was she saying all these things right now?
"My late-husband would want me to move on and Riri absolutely adores you. So..." She suddenly captured his lips in a sweet kiss. He was stunned by the act, not seeing it coming. Breaking the kiss, Kochu tenderly caressed his cheek and asked, "Would you become my new husband and Riri's new father?"
"Kochu..." he uttered, unable to say more He was speechless.
"To be honest I've fallen in love with you and I want to spend the rest of my life with you," she told him honestly. "So please, tell me, would you be my new husband?"
Could he actually answer that? He was only 18 years old! Boys his age didn't think about fatherhood or adult responsibilities. They thought about other things like having fun. However, looking into Kochu's eyes, how much she was pleading to him, made the decision all that easier. He really had no reason to go back. His parents didn't care for him and while he loved his older brother he knew the man would be alright and move on with his life. Here, Iori felt loved by so many people and deep in his heart he wanted to make this woman here happy.
"I do," he answered. That was all Kochu needed to hear. She began to cry and smother Iori with her pent up love and affection.
A ceremony was held for their wedding and both Kochu and Iori were wed. While a joyous occasion, this broke a lot of hearts. Many men who had wanted to ask for Kochu's hand in marriage wept as their chance was taken and the young, unmarried girls in the village also wept in disappointment as Iori was taken. Riri was just happy as her mother was. Not only was Iori going to become part of the family, he was going to be her new daddy!
As part of the ceremony, Iori attended in full armor as part of his status as Kamen Rider Ryugen. He did so in order to put off anyone who had any funny ideas of coming between him and Kochu. When the couple paraded through the village as was local custom, everyone actually saw Iori return back to Kochu's house in full armor while carrying Riri on his shoulders. They immediately made the connection and realized he was an Armored War God. Kochu had become the wife of an Armored War God. Since then Iori/Ryugen was named as the village's protector as Armored War God Ryugen of the Ultimate Eye.
Komei was shedding tears of joy, "That's so romantic!" She had only read of such things in books. Nagata could only gape in disbelief. They were married!? The guy couldn't have been much older than him and he was married to a woman like Kochu? A woman who exemplified the term MILF?!
'That lucky bastard!' Nagata couldn't help but think enviously.
"So, what is happening that is forcing you two to do these things?" asked Kanu.
"Airen and I were running some errands in preparation for a trip to celebrate our union," Kochu murmured, some of her tension gone now that she was back in her husband's arms. "We left Riri in the care of a sitter until our return. When we did return though…" she whimpered.
"The house had been attacked and the woman had been battered pretty badly," Iori frowned. "She said it was some beast-man who was leading a group of bandits. They had left a letter and we went to face the kidnappers." Iori's face turned into a scowl which looked quite unnatural on him. "That smug bastard running the show said that if we wanted Riri to stay safe, we would work for him from then on. He told Shion that she would be taking care of a few targets that he had in mind while his associate wanted me to hunt down the Armored War Gods and destroy them. If we don't…" He trailed off, leaving the rest unsaid, but it was pretty obvious that they were forced to do this lest Riri be killed.
"Those scum!" Kanu hissed.
"Despicable!" Chouhi snarled.
"Why do they want this guy assassinated though?" asked Nagata. "Is it because of members of his or the bride's family that are against the union in the first place?"
"I don't think so," Kochu shook her head. "I think it is more because his family has been noted for their harsh treatments on bandits and how diligently they have been going after them. If the marriage happens, then those policies might spread."
"Or it's a message to the father of the groom that he lightens up on bandits or bad things will happen," Iori added. "Either way, these guys want that poor guy dead and they're willing to go to a lot of lengths in order to do it."
"Bandits again," Kanu frowned. Would they stop at nothing to get what they wanted? This move though spoke of a competent leader and organization that meant that they had been at it for a while. Obviously they were not a group to take lightly.
Sonshoko watched on sadly from her perch on the bed, not sure what she could do. She didn't want Kochu and Iori's daughter to get hurt. But what good was her influence in a situation like this? There wasn't too much that she could offer. Sighing sadly, she looked to the side and noticed a pile of papers underneath Kochu's pillow. Pulling them out, she saw that they were a bunch of pictures obviously drawn by a child.
"What are these?" she asked.
"They are drawings that Riri-chan did," Iori told them.
"The kidnappers send them to us to confirm that she's still alive," Kochu added.
Komei studied the drawings then came across one that looked really familiar. Blinking, it suddenly dawned on her that she had seen the subject before. "Everyone, take a look at this." Removing the picture from the pile, she placed it on the table for everyone to see. While childish, it was the picture of the tea house owner, the big man with the black beard.
"It's that guy from the tea house!" realized Chouhi.
"I think Riri-chan was drawing anything she could see from where she was being held," Komei concluded. "She must have seen this man and drew a picture of him."
"Could he be involved?" Kanu asked.
"No, I don't think so," Komei shook her head. "The kidnappers would be careful about what they sent back. They wouldn't let pictures of them get out."
"You said anything that she saw, right?" Nagata asked. "There was an abandoned building across from the teahouse. It has a very clear view of the place. That must be where the kidnappers are holding her."
"You know where she is?!" Iori gasped. "Let's go now and get her!
"Yeah! Let's go bring them down! Let's go!" Chouhi promptly suggested.
"We can't all go," Nagata countered. "Those kidnappers obviously need Kochu-san to be here. Not to mention Ryugen here is supposed to kill me. We can't tip them off. If either of them show up someplace they shouldn't then they'll get wise that something is wrong."
"Gaim-sama is right," Komei agreed. "We need a plan. Fortunately, I've already come up with one." She turned to Sonshoko, "Sonshoko-san, we're going to need your help."
"Really?" Sonshoko blinked.
As the girls prepared to execute their plan, the two Armored War Gods were left on their own to talk. Their part of the plan was to trick the associate who captured Riri since he obviously was a different caliber than the bandits. He had ordered Iori to deliver proof of killing an Armored War God to a different area, likely a place where there was no chance he'd find Riri or have Kochu back him up if they attempted a double cross.
Nagata suspected a Rinrinshi had gotten involved, either making alliances with the local bandits for cannon fodder, or was doing mercenary work to bring in capital for the RinJyuKen like Sarugoku and Kusaoh were doing before they ran into him. He had suspected it since Iori reported the sitter for Riri had been attacked by a beast-man who took the girl away. Knowing their greed for power, they were likely hoping to get their hands on Kochu's skills and if it came to betraying the bandits they would. If things turned south, they'd take Riri someplace else in order to keep the married couple working for them.
"So how were you going to prove that you destroyed your targets?" Nagata asked.
"I'm supposed to hand your Driver over to them," Iori answered. That made sense and it was the proof they would need that an Armored War God had been terminated. "I think the bastard in charge of all this is hoping to be able to use the belts himself. Same with that partner of his."
It was never fully explained what would happen to the SengokuDrivers if their default users ended dead. Would they automatically reset? The only way to make the Rider Indicator and thus the lock on the wielder vanish was to break the Driver itself. Maybe the death theory was what the bad guys were hoping for. They wanted access to that power themselves seeing how incredible it was.
"So, you've been travelling since you got here?" Iori asked.
"Yeah, kinda. Met the other Riders along the way too," Nagata replied.
"What are they like?" Iori asked curiously.
"They're good guys. Some of them maybe a little goofy, but good guys," Nagata replied. "Aside from Zangetsu since I haven't met him yet. I hadn't heard of Bravo showing up and there's no trace of the Genesis Riders either."
"And what about Fifteen and Bujin Gaim?" asked Iori.
"Not a peep, which I hope stays that way," Nagata shook his head. He then asked, "So, I was wondering...if you're married to Kochu-san, does that mean you're staying?"
Iori answered, "Back in Tokyo I was just a kid considered the spare for an older brother who is going to inherit everything. My parents didn't care what I did as long as I didn't embarrass the family name. I just wasn't important enough. Here, I'm my own man with a woman who loves me and a daughter who adores me. Why would I want to go back?"
"So, you really don't want to go home then?" Nagata questioned, already knowing the answer.
"When you find something or someone you care about with all your heart, sometimes the decisions you make can surprise you," Iori told Nagata. "And I am home."
Nagata really didn't know what he could say to that. After all, could he really find something that affected him so profoundly that he could just say he didn't want to go home and instead remain in the alternate Three Kingdoms era? Could he really just give up the life he knew for one which was in a world filled with so much uncertainty? Iori certainly felt he could since he had somehow forged himself a family in the months since arriving in the alternate time period.
"Okay," Nagata sighed. "So you just go in and he'll be there?"
"That's right," Iori nodded. "I'll show that I've got your Driver and draw him out to get it. You'll need a disguise. He obviously knows what you look like without your armor since he gave me the description so I could find you. He was the one who told me you were coming into town. Once he comes out, we'll both take him on. If he's one of these RinJyuKen guys then nothing will hold me back from blowing him sky high."
"Been doing that since I got here," Nagata nodded, drawing his SengokuDriver. "Just don't lose this thing or else I'm toast."
"No worries," Iori grinned, his face looking distinctly fox-like. "Trickery is one of my best talents."
The group split up from there. Kochu would remain at the inn so the bandits wouldn't have any idea that they had been found out. Nagata and Iori would go to the meeting place to draw out the bandits' partner in crime. Lastly the girls would head back to the tea house in order to bust Riri out of her prison and bring her back to her parents. They only had a few hours to work the plan since the parade was due to begin then. If Kochu didn't see Riri by then she would be forced to go through the assassination and that would turn her into a true outlaw. They were all on the clock and unless they hurried, everyone would lose.
Back where Riri was being held, she was drawing a picture of herself, Ryugen and Kochu, all back together again. She was a little afraid and missed her parents but the bad men said if her parents were good she'd get to go back to them. A short bandit with a big nose had been assigned to watch her. He was utterly bored. The brat only doodled pictures all day and the only amusement they had was watching the tea house patrons. They could only hope some hot women would pass through to ease the boredom.
And it looked like something interesting was happening right now. The big tea house owner was arguing with a cute pink-haired girl. It seemed that she had stolen something. He continued to watch, hoping it was good. The argument grew fiercer and the owner demanded she remove her blouse to see if she was hiding anything. To the bandit's shock, she actually agreed to it and stripped. She was a loli, but she was incredibly cute. She was wearing a bra but then the owner demanded she strip some more and she removed her skirt.
"Ooooh!" the bandit gasped.
"What? What is it?" asked a large bandit.
"A loli's stripping outside!" the little bandit hissed.
"WHAT?!" the remaining two bandits dashed to the window and began struggling to see through the boards keeping it shut. They pushed and shoved at each other, all but ready to pull knives at one another in order to get the best viewing points. The big bandit eventually won when he pushed the other two aside and got the whole window to himself.
They just made themselves sitting ducks.
"NOW!"
Kanu and Chouhi both burst into the room, surprising the two bandits. They didn't have time to react as Kanu and Chouhi knocked both men out with their weapons. The big bandit was too distracted by the show on the outside and thus didn't even mount a defence when he got kicked in the back of the head, launching him right out the window. Satisfied at the bandits being taken out, Kanu turned to see the little girl curled up in the corner.
"Huh?" Riri looked up. "Who are you?"
"Are you Riri-chan?" Kanu asked. The little girl nodded. "We're friends of your parents. We're here to take you back to them."
"Mommy and Daddy?" Riri asked as she held up the drawing. Kanu nodded, making Riri smile in delight. The little girl ran over hugged her rescuer before Kanu lifted her up.
"Rinrin, let's go," Kanu ordered.
"Right!" Chouhi nodded.
Komei had devised the plan. Using Sonshoko as a distraction and asking the tea house owner for his assistance, they would distract the bandits from other points of entry. He and Sonshoko would pretend to have a fight and she would strip. This way the bandits would be distracted by her. Then, when the time was right, Kanu and Chouhi would ambush them and save Riri. At first Sonshoko was rather affronted by the requested but she also understood that this was all for the sake of rescuing a small child. She reluctantly agreed. Everyone was sure she wouldn't let them forget about it anytime soon though.
The rescuers exited outside and were met by Komei and a clothed Sonshoko. Oddly enough, Komei had a horse prepared for travel with her.
"Good thinking Shuri!" Kanu praised, approaching the horse. "We can get back to town before the parade finishes."
"Actually, someone lent me this horse. It was a mysterious woman in a mask," Komei explained.
"That suspicious woman again!" Chouhi hissed.
"We can debate that another time," Kanu sighed, picking up Riri and gently placing her in the saddle. She then saddled up herself, making sure Riri could comfortably rest against her if she lost her balance. "Hold on tight Riri. We'll be going really fast!"
"Okay!" Riri smiled.
"Ya!" With a flick of the reins, the horse took off down the road. Kanu just prayed that she would be in time to prevent Kochu from being forced to commit an awful crime. 'Please, let us be in time!'
The parade had just started and Kacho was in her room with her bow. She was preparing for the fateful shot, her right arm covered in green armor to protect her arm and fingers. With her was a bandit assigned to watch her get the job done. Obviously this group was not stupid as they were going to such lengths to make sure she did as they said. She hated that man but she knew that if she didn't do what she was told then she would never see her daughter again.
As she watched with her sharp eyes, she caught sight of the target and prepared herself. She notched an arrow and pulled the string, ready to shoot. She closed her eyes, mentally apologizing for the horrible deed she was about to do.
"Hey, what are you waiting for? Do it now!" the bandit ordered.
And when she opened her eyes, they went wide as her sharp vision caught the image of something pink and lavender in the crowds. Blinking, her eyes focused on what it was before she gasped. Her shock stemmed from the sight of Riri being held up by Kanu on the other side of the crowd on the main street. She was too far away to be heard but Kacho could read her lips even at that distance. She was calling for her mommy.
"Riri..." whispered Kacho.
"Hey, what's the matter?" the bandit asked as he put his hand on her shoulder and she turned on him before knocking him out with a punch.
"Only my husband may touch me," she spat at him
Iori was at the moment heading for the meeting place with Gaim's SengokuDriver. Nagata was covered from head to toe in a traveller's cloak and hood. He hoped the girls were successful with their plan. The two Riders were going to a slummy section of the city. It was kind of cliche in their minds, but considering they had gone back in time did it count as cliche? In such areas, stuff that people wanted to keep secret tended to remain a secret even if you had to punch out a few teeth or worse to keep it that way.
Iori approached what looked like it could have been a nice place once, but obviously tough times fell on the place. Several feet behind him, Nagata followed dressed in a traveller's cloak to hide his features. Hopefully nothing would really go wrong. He didn't want to cause another fight in the middle of a city.
Iori stood in front of a poorly maintained building but it had a very solid steel door hidden underneath a thin layer of wood. Obviously the people in charge knew what they were doing with their security. He knocked on it and a panel on the door slid open to allow the person on the other side to see who was knocking.
"I got it," Iori stated as he held up Gaim SengokuDriver's.
"Okay, you can come in," a gruff voice replied. He noticed Iori's companion, "What about him?"
"Business partner who has a grudge against the Armored War Gods. A bandit who got busted by them," Iori replied. "He wants in on what you guys are doing."
"Ah, a new recruit? Well bring him in too," the voice chuckled before shutting the panel. The door opened, allowing Iori and Nagata to enter.
Inside, Nagata felt his blood run cold. The room was lined with Rinshi, all of them simply standing at attention and not moving with spears. Their only sign of being animated was how their heads would follow the pair as they walked through the room. At the other side, sitting on a makeshift throne under the symbol of the RinJyuKen Akugata was a Rinrinshi. He was in his robed humanoid form, laying back with a bottle of sake. Resting on his head was the emblem of his Beast-Fist which in his particular case was a panda.
"Looks like you came through," the Rinrinshi smiled. "And who's your friend?"
"Someone who helped me with the job." Iori answered. "He wants to join up."
"Oh?"
"I needed a way to put the odds in my favor so he deserves a reward for his troubles."
"We'll consider it," the Rinrinshi nodded. "Now hand over the goods." Iori frowned but gave the Gaim SengokuDriver to the Rinrinshi. He took a moment to admire the machine, holding it up, "Ahhh, now the power of the Armored War God of the Ultimate Sword will is all ours!" he chuckled and looked back to Iori. "Now, your next target would be the Armored War Gods in To. There's two of them but I don't think you'll have much trouble with them. My sources say they are a bit incompetent. Take your friend with you if you need the help. Just remember that your little girl is counting on you."
Iori grimaced as he was reminded yet again what was at risk. He could only pray that their plans worked and his wife wouldn't have to become an assassin.
The Rinrinshi was busy admiring the SengokuDriver when one of his Rinshi minions hopped over with a piece of paper. "What is it? I'm busy." He snatched the paper out of his minion's hand and read it. Once he finished the message, his eyes widened in fury, "WHAT!? THE BRAT'S FREE?!" he then stiffened as he realized what he said out loud in front of Iori, "Oh crap..."
Iori smiled, "Looks like they came through."
"You...!" the Rinrinshi growled, realizing that Iori had been distracting them from his wife and daughter with the news of killing an Armored War God. "This is a double-cross!"
"Yup!" Nagata tore his cloak off and threw it over the Rinrinshi. Iori then kicked the SengokuDriver out of his hands and Nagata caught it. "I hope you didn't break it."
"A kick like that wouldn't break that thing," shrugged Iori as the angry Rinrinshi tore the cloak away and growled.
"Do you have any idea what you've done!?" the Rinrinshi barked.
"I'm guessing we ruined your plans," Nagata smirked as he strapped on his SengokuDriver, Iori doing the same.
"I've been waiting to do this for a while now," Iori smirked as he unlocked his Budou Lockseed.
[BUDOU!]
"Save some for me," Nagata retorted as he did the same.
[ORANGE!]
[LOCK ON!]
"Henshin!" both Riders called together.
"Rinshi! Attack!" the Rinrinshi ordered as the two Riders hit their Cutting Blades.
[SOIYA! ORANGE ARMS! HANAMICHI ON STAGE!]
[HAI~! BUDOU ARMS! RYU, HOU, HA-HA-HA!]
With their armors fully formed, Ryugen aimed and fired his Budou Ryuhou at the charging Rinshi, knocking them back. Gaim charged ahead, striking the Rinshi down with his sword and fist. Ryugen dashed forward to join him, firing at Rinshi. One tried to attack from above but was riddled with holes when Ryugen shot it. Ryugen then grabbed the body and tossed it at its fellows, knocking them down.
The Rinrinshi hung back as he watched, eyes filled with fury as he clenched his fists. This was not part of the plan. The assassination was supposed to go off without a hitch and an Armored War God would be taken out. Instead, their plans had been ruined and their forces were getting massacred!
[ORANGE SQUASH!]
Gaim drew his Musou Saber and together with his glowing Daidaimaru performed a circular slash that eradicated the Rinshi surrounding him, exploding them where they stood.
"Once more!"
[ORANGE SQUASH!]
Gaim leapt into the air and performed a flying kick, striking down several Rinshi and sending them to the afterlife. Landing in a crouch, he turned to see more Rinshi approaching, not at all intimidated by the fact that so many of their fellows had gone down. Gripping the Daidaimaru he prepared for another attack…
[HAI-! BUDOU SQUASH!]
A barrage of large purple shots launched from behind Gaim, cutting through the ranks of the Rinshi, causing them all to explode in purple blasts of flame. Gaim turned around and saw Ryugen lowering his gun with a smoking barrel.
"I had them," Gaim huffed.
"You were taking too long. I've got a wife and little girl I want to go home and see," Ryugen retorted. "So let's kill this guy already."
"You're going to regret this!" the Rinrinshi snarled, standing up. "Jujin Jashin Hen!"
The Rinrinshi promptly swelled before his jiang-shi form exploded off of his body. The new form that emerged was rather round, taking a form similar to that of a sumo wrestler. His body was round and thick, looking like a panda's head, but one with a full mouth. His arms were rick and muscular, covered in black fur with large padded paws. His legs were trunk-like but with messy taping over his legs. His face was covered in white fur which had his eyes with black circles. He had more black hair styled in a sumo's style of hair.
"I am Polong! Master of the RinJyu Panda-ken!"
Despite the Beastman looking intimidating and no doubt a formidable fighter, Gaim still couldn't help but silently snicker at the monster. In his mind, basing his fighting style on a panda, arguably one of the laziest animals out there next to the sloth. Yes, they could be dangerous when provoked but they were just some of the most mellow animals out there.
"Come at me!" Polong dared.
Gaim took the bait and charged at Polong who only stood there. Ryugen, however, saw something wrong and he was proven right when Gaim's sword sliced through the air and made contact with Polong's stomach...only to bounce off harmlessly.
"Huh?" Gaim tried again, only to get the same reaction. "The hell!?" he tried again and again, only to elicit laughter from Polong.
"Hahahahahaha!" the beast man laughed as if the sword strike were tickling feathers "Now it's my turn!" he caught Gaim in the chin with a punch, knocking him backwards. Then, in an amazing show of speed, he rushed at the airborne Gaim and before using his large belly to bounce Gaim across the room into a wall with a painful crash "That is my power! I am invincible! Nothing can hurt me!" boasted Polong.
"Teme..." growled Gaim as he got back to his feet.
"I don't think your sword will be able to cut it," Ryugen commented. He then took aim and fired, hitting Polong in the face. This time the Rinrinshi actually howled in pain, clutching his face as he tumbled backward.
"His face?" Gaim questioned.
"It's the only area with the least fat," Ryugen shrugged. All it took was common sense. This wasn't Super Sentai where one needed to learn a lesson to realize an enemy weakness. "Now follow my lead."
"You'll pay for that!" roared Polong as he charged at Ryugen. Ryugen ducked under a meaty swing before burying the barrel of his Budou Ryuhou into Polong's gut. He fired, sending Polong staggering back with several point-blank shots. They still couldn't pierce his belly fat, but they still hurt. Gaim then continued the assault with kicks to Polong's face before punching him between the eyes.
"The face again!? Seriously!?" roared Polong. He knocked Gaim back with a punch only to be pelted by bullets in the face. "WHY DO YOU KEEP AIMING FOR MY FACE!?"
"He's not easy to take down," Gaim frowned. Even with striking at his head, he was still able to take the blows without much consequence beyond pain.
"Then switch tactics," Ryugen suggested.
"Already on it," Gaim replied as he replaced his Orange Lockseed with the Pine Lockseed.
[PINE!]
[LOCK ON!]
[SOIYA! PINE ARMS! FUNSAI DESTROY!]
"Take this!" Gaim bashed his Pine Iron across Polong's face.
"RinJyu Panda-ken! Ringi! Kyūkyoku no Bōei!" declared Polong and he surrounded his body in a sphere of pure Rinki. As the attacks just bounced off him, he charged at both Armored War Gods like a boulder, forcing them to dodge out of the way. He stopped and turned to attack again, prompting both Armored War Gods to dodge once. As both Riders fought back, Ryugen's bullets couldn't get through while Gaim's Pine Iron just bounced off.
"My Ultimate Defence is an impenetrable barrier! Nothing can get through it!" bragged Polong before he charged once more.
"Really?" Gaim smirked and hit the Cutting Blade thrice.
[SOIYA! PINE SPARKING!]
"HYAH!" Gaim leapt into the air as the Pine Arms reassembled itself into its fruit form. He then came down on the rinki barrier, performing a brutal headbutt. The Pine Arms struck the barrier with immense force which caused it to warp and spasm much to Polong's shock. The Pine Arms were a pure front attack style of Arms so they had plenty of power to spare for physical strikes. The warping of the barrier proved too much for Polong's concentration and it broke, allowing the strike to continue and smash into his head in a wide blast of sparks
"MY HEAD!" howled Polong, clutching his face again. "FIGHT FAIR YOU CREEPS!" An attack like that should've taken the Rinrinshi out but his barrier had taken the brunt of Gaim's attack. It still hurt though.
"Is he joking?" Gaim sighed, allowing his Pine Arms to settle again
"I'm not," Ryugen replied, hitting his Cutting Blade twice.
[HAI~! BUDOU AU LAIT!]
"This is mine," settled Ryugen as he took aim, pulling the hammer of the Budou Ryuhou. "HAH!" he shouted as he pulled the trigger, sending his attack flying. Polong, however, managed to catch Ryugen's Roaring Dragon Shot in his bare hands.
"Heh Heh Heh! Pandapou!" Polong laughed. "My ultimate catching technique! With this I can catch any kind of attack you throw at me and throw it right back! You thought my defense was good huh? Try this on for size!"
He reared back as if to throw Ryugen's shot back at him, but Polong was about to learn a lesson. Unlike the Gekirangers who perhaps would have been shocked by the catch and then worry about the explanation, and even Gaim and his fellow Riders who would do the same, Ryugen didn't care. Polong had done the ultimate crime by trying to take his little girl away. So instead of bothering with wondering what the heck Polong did, Ryugen hit the Cutting Blade twice again.
[HAI~! BUDOU AU LAIT!]
He pulled the trigger once more and fired a roaring energy dragon. The shot actually slammed into his earlier attack, adding more power to it. It was more power than Polong could hold back as it slipped through his hands and smashed into him. The combined Roaring Dragon Shots struck the Rinrinshi and destroyed him on the spot in a blast of purple fire. Ryugen then twirled his gun and smirked.
Never get between a father and his child.
Gaim patted Ryugen's shoulder then raised his hand up. Ryugen smiled and slapped Gaim's hand, performing a high-five with him.
"Come on, let's go back to your family," Gaim told him.
"Yes," Ryugen nodded as he followed Gaim's lead.
When they returned to the inn, the parade was already over and since there wasn't utter chaos going on Kochu must have gotten Riri back before the job could be done. Iori almost ran the whole way with Nagata struggling to keep up before they managed to get back to the inn where guards were dragging away a man with one hell of a shiner. Running up to Kochu's room, they found the girls had returned and Kochu had a certain little one snuggling in her lap. Once they entered, little Riri lit up again, hopping from her mother's lap and running towards the gunslinger.
"Daddy!" Riri leapt into Iori's arms and he embraced his step-daughter tightly.
"Oh, my little Riri! I've missed you!" he gushed as he held her close.
"It's thanks to the Onee-chans over there," Riri pointed, apparently tickled pink at the fact so many older girls were around to play and talk with.
Iori nodded and then bowed to the girls, "Thank you so much!" Kochu had also given them her thanks for doing this for her.
"Oh, don't bow your head to us Ryugen-dono," Kanu smiled, although she felt a little weird about an Armored War God bowing to her of all people. "We couldn't just stand aside and let such an awful event happen."
"Still, I don't know how we can ever thank you," Iori lifted his head, letting Riri hug him around the neck, babbling about how the onee-chans saved her. Kochu merely watched, her heart soaring with relief knowing that her family had reunited and was safe and sound.
"Hey! Let's celebrate!" Chouhi declared. "We saved a lord, a little girl, and beat up a bunch of bad guys! We can have a party!"
"Let's do that! I'm hungry again!" Sonshoko declared, immediately liking the idea.
"Ah, but we should save our money and…" Kanu tried to protest.
"Fu, fu, fu! Oh don't worry. We'll pay for it," Kochu giggled. "It's the least we can do for the people who risked themselves to save our daughter."
Kanu huffed, but didn't deny the temptation of free food, "...very well then."
So with the blessing of the proud parents, the group managed to snag one of the private celebration rooms the inn offered and got a multi-course meal delivered to them. The little girls all dug in, delighted to see so much food in one place. Of course, Chouhi and Sonshoko took up the lead in that aspect. Komei tried chatting with Iori about his Ryugen armor, but the other girls snatched her away to judge an eating contest. Riri doodled on some papers the waitress generously offered her, the little one actually chronicling how she met her new father and the wedding with her mother. Kanu, Nagata, Iori, and Kochu all watched the children with smiles, happy to see Riri wasn't bothered too much by her own kidnapping.
As the day went on into evening and night, the girls got sleepy and either fell asleep where they were or had relocated to Kochu's room so they could get some sleep. Chouhi was bound and determined not to fall asleep and miss out on the food but she eventually fell asleep at the table.
Sonshoko on the other hand knew when to quit, but there was apparently something she needed to know about Kochu before she went. So bravely preparing herself, she stated her question, "Kochu-san, how did you get your Armored War God to marry you?"
"Oh?" Kochu smiled, holding a sleeping Riri in her lap. She smiled almost mysteriously. "Well, I suppose there were a number of things I did. There is one trick I know how to do with my tongue and when I use it with my breasts it-!"
"Koi! Not in front of the kids!" Iori groaned, causing his wife to giggle while Sonshoko was left wondering what the older lady had been talking about.
Nagata asked, "So, wait. You and her have..."
Iori shrugged, "Well we are married. What did you expect?" Looking over, he saw that Riri was truly out like a light so he got up and volunteered to take her up to the bed so she could be more comfortable. Watching Kochu pass her daughter to Iori, Nagata and Kanu could only watch the sweet scene with smiles. The parents sharing a kiss just sweetened the scene.
Nagata smiled as he watched the family. It was touching. It also made him think. While he hoped there was a way back home, but he also had to consider the fact that he might be stuck here. Could he build a new life in this era like Iori had?
-The Following Day-
The group and their new friends couldn't really linger any longer. Kanu, Nagata, and the girls had to help Sonshoko get back home before the Son family went postal looking for her. Kochu, Iori, and Riri had to go back home since they had left their affairs quite suddenly in the face of the kidnapping. So they all met at the crossroads outside the city to say their goodbyes.
"I hope you all have a happy life, both of you and your daughter Chouhi," Kochu said to Nagata and Kanu.
"Wait a minute! Rinrin's not our daughter!" Kanu denied.
"Yeah, we're not even married!" added Nagata.
"We pledged our bond in bed!" declared Chouhi. This made both Nagata and Kanu freeze.
"Ara, ara," Kochu smiled, growing flushed and actually looking scandalized in an excited way. Iori just chuckled weakly, trying not to picture what his fellow War God got up to in his spare time even if he was sure it was illegal… "So the three of you?"
"NO! It was a pledge of siblings!" Kanu cried, trying to keep Chouhi from saying anything which could be misunderstood.
"That's right! Nothing illicit!" Nagata quickly nodded.
"Oh good," Iori sighed in relief. "You had me going there. I mean, Kanu is one thing but to have a kid join up is just wrong."
"What goes through your head?" Nagata frowned at his fellow War God.
"You know, you should come visit our village someday," Iori offered, waving off the question. "It isn't really very far from here."
"We may do that," Kanu nodded. "One day."
"See you again!" Riri waved.
With a final goodbye the group of travelers went on their way. Nagata couldn't help but look back though. He watched as Iori, Kochu and Riri went home, the little girl between her parents and holding their hands looking as happy as any child her age should. It was a nice picture.
"What's the matter, Gaim-sama?" Kanu asked.
"It's nothing, but...Ryugen made his choice to stay here and have a family," he mused. "I'm a bit jealous of him. I'm not sure if I'll be able to do that."
"Well, perhaps if you met the right woman..." suggested Kanu, blushing. Although she felt a twinge of worry in her chest as they talked. After Nagata did his duty as the Messenger of Heaven and brought peace to the country, would he have to return to Heaven? Could he stay on Earth if he wished to? Would he just leave them one day or would they stay together?
The thought of him leaving caused a pain in her chest.
To Be Continued…
KRC: Well, the new Rider has made his debut. Oh, and he's married!? And to Kochu! Lucky man! Well, what will happen next? Who will they meet next?
TFP: Okay, well how's this for a surprise? Ryugen has no intention of going back home and he's hooked up with one of the most attractive characters in the whole Koihime Musou series (IMO). His decision seems to have given Nagata food for thought as well.
(CHECK IT OUT! OMAKE CORNER!)
Lost Scrolls of the RinJyuKen Akugata
Panda-Ken: A slow JyuKen, but a strong one. It has some basis on sumo wrestling, using one's body mass as both offense and defense. Despite the appearance of bulk in the form of fat, there is only raw muscle underneath the initially doughy layer of flesh. It is not a style to be underestimated despite how unassuming the beast is.
Kyūkyoku no Bōei: Invincible Body, the ability merge one's Rinki into the body while in a standing position to create a powerful defence which is not so easily broken. As long as the user can keep their concentration up and they have the energy stores, they can theoretically keep this technique going indefinitely. That is not to say that the user still cannot feel attacks though. They can just keep attacks from hurting them.
Pandapou: The Panda Paw is a simple technique which works by coating the hand with Rinki, allowing the user to actually catch Qi-based attacks. With the thrusting power allows the user to throw the attack right back at their enemies. It comes from the basis of how pandas are able to grasp bamboo quite easily. With this technique, energy attacks are not something which allows experts in such moves to win easily.
Fruit of the Tree, Yggdrasil
Budou Arms: The Arms which are formed by the Budou (Grape) Lockseed (L.S.-09). These arms are unique in that they arm the user with a firearm instead of the usual melee weapons. Armed with the Budou Ryuhou, the user is capable of firing at a semi-automatic pace at one of the longest ranges out of any of the Arms thus far.
Kiwi Arms: the armor formed from he Kiwi Lockseed (L.S.-13). Although these Arms can be bulky, they do not inhibit the wearer as much as one would think, not compromising speed at all and boosting attack strength. The weapons of choice are Kiwi Gekirin which offer a unique and versatile weapon which while initially awkward to use, can be deadly in a fight.
