We do not own Koihime Musou or Kamen Rider Gaim. They belong to their respective creators. We just thought this idea would be fun and decided to give it a try. If you like it, then that's great. If you don't, then we tried. Anyway, come along and let's see what you think.
BG-Nagata groaned once he regained consciousness.
"Ugh...my head. What happened...?"
He found himself bound to a chair. He had his wrists tied to the armrests, his ankles tied to the legs, and he was also tied to the backrest with rope wrapped tightly around his midsection.
"What the hell...?"
BG-Nagata looked down at the floor. Once he saw the pattern and sigils, he realized that he was in a magic circle designed to keep him trapped inside.
"No matter what you do, you're not getting out of there. I made sure of that," Ukitsu told BG-Nagata, looking quite pleased with himself.
"Oh, you clever bastard. I knew I should've killed you when I had the chance," BG-Nagata snarled. He snapped his fingers to break the ropes, but nothing happened.
"What?"
He tried again, and again, and again.
Nothing.
"WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO ME!?"
"Your powers won't work in that circle," Ukitsu informed BG-Nagata. "You're powerless."
"So, what's the plan? Keep me trapped here? You can't hold me here forever. You do realize that, don't you? Eventually, I'll figure out a way to break free. And then there will be nothing that'll keep you safe from me."
"We're going to exorcise you," Kada told BG-Nagata.
Now that made BG-Nagata cocked an eyebrow.
"Oh, really? Well, by all means, take your best shot. But remember that if you fail, I'll come right after you, and I'll tear you apart before I devour your soul!"
That was no idle threat. It was a promise.
"You won't be doing anything once I put this on you," Ukitsu said as he held up a new talisman.
"And what's that supposed to do?" BG-Nagata questioned.
"It will make you completely docile and easier to control," said Ukitsu.
"Easier to control?" Kada repeated. Eyes widening in realization, he quickly snatched the talisman out of Ukitsu's hand. "Ah-ha! So that's your plan!"
"What are you talking about, Kada?" Ukitsu demanded, not looking at all pleased.
"I knew we couldn't trust you! You were going to use a mind control spell so you could use Bujin Gaim as your own personal slave and attack dog!"
"I have no idea what you're talking about," Ukitsu denied. "Now give that talisman to me."
"I'd do as he says," Kagemusha warned.
Bravo, Ryofu and Knuckle immediately raised their weapons to defend Kada as Kagemusha took a threatening step forward.
"Not one more move," Bravo threatened.
"Yeah, don't even think about it," added Knuckle as he pounded his fists together.
Ryofu glared at them silently.
This was the scene Iori, Ichiro and Karasu came upon.
Sangokuden Armored War Gods Saga: End of the Armored War Gods
Co-Written By: Kamen Rider Chrome & Ten-Faced Paladin
Beta Reader/Editor: Busterleader92
Chapter 14-1: The Exorcism of Bujin Gaim (Part 1)
The Shoku Warriors were all gathered in the living room. Only Karasu, Iori, Ryuubi, Chouhi and Kanu had yet to return. The girls tried to make themselves comfortable, but they were worried.
Bujin Gaim's capture was successful, but Nagata was still a prisoner in his body.
Bacho was pacing back-and-forth in worry.
"Stop pacing," Chou'un said to Bacho.
"I can't help it," Bacho replied. "I don't know how else to deal with this."
"Worrying yourself to death isn't helping."
"Better than doing nothing. I feel so useless right now."
"You're not the only one."
"Sui-neechan's just real worried about Nagata-sama right now," said Batai.
"We all are," Kochu amended. "I hope Airen isn't hurt."
"I just hope we can get rid of that creep so things can go back to normal," said Chou'un.
"Since when has anything been normal?" Batai asked. "Because I doubt we've experienced normal in a long time now."
"I just wish there was something we could do. Aisha, Rinrin, and Touka could go and help, but if we had gone we would've been killed," Bacho scowled. "I hate feeling useless."
"You're not useless, Sui," Kochu said, comforting the brunette. "None of you are. You've stayed by Nagata-sama's side through thick and thin. Just stay by his side now and pray for the best."
"I just wish this didn't have to happen," sighed Bacho.
A portal opened in the living room. Iori, Karasu, Ichiro, Kanu, Ryuubi and Chouhi all exited the portal to step into the living room.
"You're back!" Kochu hugged Iori. "Are you alright?"
"I'm fine, Koi," Iori answered. "So, is he here? Did it work?"
"If you're talking about our 'guest', he's tied up in the Round Table room," Chou'un informed him.
"You three wait here with the others. Oda-san, Nii-san and I will head up to take a look," Iori instructed Ryuubi, Chouhi, and Kanu before he left with Karasu and his brother.
"So, what happened during the fight?" Bacho asked. She wasn't able to participate, so she wanted to know the details.
"And don't spare the details," Batai added.
"Well, it was scary," Ryuubi started. She told them how they fought Bujin Gaim, and how he easily overpowered them. He took everything they could throw at him. It was only until the very end when Kanu was about to be killed when they finally managed to subdue Bujin Gaim.
"It was Nagata-sama," concluded Kanu. "He was able to break free for a moment and save me."
Ryuubi took out the Ryujin Key and gazed at it, thinking of him.
"Nagata-sama..."
Karasu, Ichiro, and Iori came to the Round Table room. They found Ryofu, Bravo, Knuckle and Kagemusha staring each other down. Not only that, but Kada and Choho were glaring at Ukitsu who returned their glares coldly.
Karasu, Ichiro, and Iori also saw BG-Nagata tied to a chair to restrain him in the middle of the binding circle. When they looked at BG-Nagata, they couldn't help but agree that he honestly looked possessed. His skin was pale, and his eyes were demonic. The irises were blood red, and the surrounding sclerae were pitch-black like pools of tar.
"Ah, look. More visitors," BG-Nagata grinned as he saw the three Riders.
Karasu scowled. Hearing that voice coming out of her beloved cousin's mouth was just wrong. Wrong and unnatural.
"OK, what's going on here?" Iori demanded as he saw the confrontation. It looked like a fight was about to break out.
"Ukitsu's trying to claim Bujin Gaim as his own personal weapon!" Kada accused.
"Excuse me?" Iori turned to glare at Ukitsu. "Is this true?"
Karasu also glared at Ukitsu coldly. Controlling Bujin Gaim meant controlling his host, Nagata.
That was unacceptable.
"I was merely attempting to keep Bujin Gaim docile and easily controlled during the exorcism process," explained Ukitsu.
"He's lying! This whole thing was a setup!" countered Kada. "He was going to use this talisman to put Bujin Gaim under his control!"
"Ukitsu, does that talisman put Bujin Gaim under your control?" Iori asked Ukitsu firmly.
"It will keep him under control," Ukitsu confessed.
"Yes, your control. You couldn't resist, could you? When the chance to seize an unstoppable weapon on your side came, you'd do anything to claim it," Kada accused.
That made quite a lot of sense. Bujin Gaim was powerful, nearly unstoppable even. He had the power on par to all the Sovereigns combined and then some. The only problem was that Bujin Gaim did not serve anyone but himself. If Ukitsu wanted Bujin Gaim on his side, he would need to use mind control magic to do so.
Seeing as he couldn't fib his way out of this, Ukitsu decided to come clean.
"What else did you expect? This was too good of an opportunity to pass up. Besides, we deserve some compensation too. We did help you bind him, as promised," Ukitsu justified.
"The deal was for you to exorcise him. Nothing more," Karasu countered.
"Well that would just be a waste, wouldn't it?"
Kada tore up Ukitsu's talisman and scattered the pieces in the evil sorcerer's face. Ukitsu scowled as he was denied.
"Yeah, mind control. Pfft! Like that would ever work. I could easily pretend to be under your control then kill you in your sleep before desecrating your bodies," BG-Nagata spoke up.
"Get out of our house," Iori commanded as he held his Yomotsuheguri Lockseed as a warning to Ukitsu and Kagemusha. "Now."
Ukitsu clicked his tongue in annoyance.
"Fine then. Guess our alliance is over. Too bad, though. I was actually enjoying myself. Come along, Shishi-dono. It appears our presence is no longer needed."
"So we're just going to leave?" Kagemusha asked. He was actually looking forward to a fight. When he couldn't go to Rakuyo to face Bujin Gaim, he felt cheated. "Damn."
Ukitsu addressed Iori and the others, "Congratulations, he's your problem now. But, before we go, I'll leave you with a simple message: Look Up."
"Look up?" Iori repeated quizzically.
"Xai jian!"
With those parting words, Ukitsu and Kagemusha were gone as they vanished using a teleportation spell.
"Good riddance," spat Choho.
"What do you think he meant by 'look up'?" Knuckle wondered.
Nobody knew the answer to that question, but Karasu couldn't care less about Ukitsu's little message. She wanted her cousin back and she wanted it done immediately.
"Well, what are you waiting for? Go exorcise him," Karasu ordered Kada.
"Perhaps some other brave soul can attempt that feat," Kada nervously declined.
"You mean you're too scared," Karasu translated with a roll of her eyes. "Fine, whatever. Let's just get this over with. Come on, Tokugawa-sempai."
Iori and Karasu entered the circle.
"Hello, Ryugen. Fancy a chance to shoot me in the head again?" BG-Nagata taunted.
Ignoring BG-Nagata, Iori asked, "Is he secure?"
"He's secure," Karasu confirmed as she checked the knots. The ropes were on tight.
"The circle drained him of his strength and power. He wouldn't be able to break out of those ropes even if he tried," said Kada.
"You all wouldn't be so smug if I could get out of this circle," BG-Nagata growled. "Because when I come get you, you better wish I make your deaths quick."
Choho trembled at the sight and would've hugged Bravo for comfort if his spiky armor didn't get in the way.
"Alright, you two may begin," Kada instructed.
Iori put his hands firmly on BG-Nagata's shoulders as Karasu went for the Blood Orange Lockseed. She gripped it and tried to pull it off. However, it was stuck in the Drive Bay. It just wouldn't budge. The button to unlock it wasn't working either.
"What's wrong?" Iori asked.
"It won't come off!" Karasu answered.
"Are you sure you're doing it right?"
"Yes, I am! This thing is stuck!"
"Let me try," Iori offered.
Iori attempted to remove the Lockseed too, but it just wouldn't unlock or come off.
"This was your plan? To take my Lockseed? Sorry, but that isn't going to work," BG-Nagata said mockingly. "I'm never letting go of this body."
"Shut up!" Karasu snapped.
"You're wasting your time. You'll never see your precious Gaim-sama ever again. Just accept the fact that I'm here to stay."
"I said shut up!" Karasu punched BG-Nagata in the face.
"Ow! You do realize that you just broke his nose, right?"
Karasu stared at her trembling fist in horror. She had just struck her cousin's face. BG-Nagata could not escape the magic circle. But that didn't mean he couldn't have some fun while he's in captivity.
"Does it bother you that I look like this?" BG-Nagata asked.
"GET OUT OF HIM!" Karasu shrieked.
"I've actually gotten used to this body. I already broke it in, like a new set of clothes. He's not as handsome as my former self, but he's attractive in his own way. It's why he has so many girls so willing to kneel in front of him to worship his cock."
"Don't let his words get to you. Just ignore him," Kada advised.
"You know, my former self always dreamed of glory and riches. It was all he could think about. Oh, he also wanted power. I finally realized that fame and riches don't mean a thing in this world. It's power. Power to conquer, power to rule, and power to do anything you want."
"And what do you plan to do with all that power?" Iori questioned.
"Whatever I want. Sure, I could conquer this land. Hell, why stop there? With my power, I could conquer the world. But then, after the conquest, what's left is there? Ruling a bunch of weak and fragile humans just seems so boring. So, I've decided I didn't want to work hard anymore. I wanted to play hard with you people. You're all just toys for me, and I love to play with my toys...until they break."
BG-Nagata's smile was cold and cruel, and totally out of place on Nagata's face. It was disturbing, to say the least, with how his eyes gleamed with inhuman glee.
Meanwhile, Hideyoshi was observing safely from outside the room. He had arrived a little later. Mitsuki, Masataka, and the other Armored War Gods had returned to their cities. Diaochan and Saji had also gone and vanished after the fight.
"I swear, if his head spins around 360 degrees, I'm out of here," Hideyoshi murmured.
"You know, I always thought you'd be used to weird and crazy by now," Kaku commented.
"This is a whole new level of weird and crazy, Ei. I'm used to undead monsters, but a demonic possession and an exorcism are just something else."
"Well, you get to leave and go back to Yue. I gotta stay."
Hideyoshi looked to Kaku and noted that she was serious.
"Why don't you come back with me? I'm sure Yue-hime would love to have you with us."
"I could, but Yue's all grown up. She doesn't need me looking out for her anymore. And she's yours now."
Hideyoshi smiled, appreciating the trust Kaku had in him.
"Thanks, Ei."
"Well, I know I don't have to worry about anything with you keeping those idiots in line. I still owe Gaim-sama anyway."
"And I owe him too," sighed Hideyoshi as he remembered that Nagata's intervention was what allowed them to save Totaku in the first place. "I should go in there and help."
Kaku patted his shoulder.
"Good luck."
Hideyoshi shrugged and smiled awkwardly before he entered the Round Table room. He tried not to make eye contact with BG-Nagata who grinned at him.
"Anything I can do to help?" Hideyoshi offered.
"What can you do?" Karasu asked, crossing her arms skeptically.
"I can use water to purify and heal. I might be able to purge Bujin Gaim out of Nagata," Hideyoshi informed her.
"So, it's like a magical detox," Iori translated.
"You can really do that?" Karasu asked Hideyoshi hopefully.
"Worth a shot," Hideyoshi answered.
"Wait, won't water wash away the circle?" Karasu asked worriedly. They didn't want Bujin Gaim to break free.
"Don't worry. The ink used to draw the circle won't be washed away with just water," Kada explained.
[XUANWU!]
"Let the purification begin," Hideyoshi said he loaded the Xuanwu Lockseed and locked it into his SengokuDriver.
[LOCK ON!]
"Alright, time to purge this demon! Hen-!"
BG-Nagata opened his mouth and projectile vomited all over Hideyoshi. It didn't stop. It just kept coming, drenching Hideyoshi in a disgusting black bile. The poor young man was being painted by the black vomit as it hit him like a fire hose.
And then BG-Nagata stopped and grinned so he could admire his handiwork.
"How did you like your shower?"
Everyone was speechless.
Bravo broke the silence in a hushed tone, "...That is a lot of vomit."
"Um...are you OK?" Karasu carefully asked Hideyoshi.
"...I need a bath," Hideyoshi said in an even, traumatized voice before it rose with increasing panic. "I need a bath! I need a bath right now!" Hideyoshi wiped off the black bile from his glasses and stiffly marched out of the room to look for a bathroom. "This is sick! Sick! I'm gonna be sick!"
BG-Nagata's grin simply grew from hearing the panicked yells of Hideyoshi.
"HIDEYOSHI, WHAT HAPPENED TO YOU!?" Kaku's shriek was heard from outside the room.
"SHOW ME WHERE THE BATHROOM IS!" Hideyoshi shouted back.
"He's not coming back, is he?" Karasu asked Iori.
"I'M GOING BACK HOME!"
Iori shook his head.
"I don't think so."
"So, what now?" Ichiro asked.
"How about you all let me go and I promise to spare your pathetic lives just for today?" BG-Nagata offered.
Ignoring their captive, Iori addressed his brother and the others.
"Nii-san, thank you, but you don't need to stick around anymore. We can handle things from here," Iori told his brother.
"Are you sure? Because this seems like something I should stick around for just in case," Ichiro argued. He was concerned for his baby brother, which was a touching sentiment.
"No, it's fine. You should head back and take care of your territory."
"OK, if you say so. But if there's any trouble, any at all, you call me."
"I will, Nii-san."
"Yeah, you guys make sure Nagata gets all better," Knuckle said.
"I'll be better if you'll just let me go!" BG-Nagata yelled.
"We need to go too," Bravo said. "Chiiho-chan has to go back to get some rest and she has rehearsals too."
"I'm sorry I couldn't help you exorcise that demon from Gaim, but I think you'll be able to handle things without us," Choho apologized.
"That's a lot of faith you have in us," replied Iori.
"Why not? You've done the impossible before. I know you guys can do it this time too," encouraged Choho confidently.
"Well, au revoir," Bravo said before leaving with Choho.
"Hey, Bravo! Enjoy fucking those bitches of yours! I know how to make them reach the high notes! Here's a hint: do them in the butt!" BG-Nagata yelled after them.
As Ichiro, Knuckle, Choho, and Bravo left, Karasu asked Iori, "Is it a good idea to send them away?"
"There's nothing more they can do here, and they do have their own responsibilities," Iori said.
Silently agreeing with Iori, Karasu turned her attention to Kada.
"I hope you have something that can help us, Kada," Karasu said to their resident physician/sorcerer. There was a bit of an edge in her words causing Kada to gulp.
"I'll come up with something, mark my words," Kada swore.
"You better."
"Yeah, right! A second rate magician like you could never get rid of the greatness that is me!" taunted BG-Nagata.
Kaku came to the room and saw the mess that was on the floor. She also knew who was going to have to clean it all up.
"I hate you all," Kaku deadpanned, glaring at them.
It was her.
The next morning, Ryofu was still standing guard in front of the Round Table room. She would normally be stoic and standing at attention, even after standing guard for hours. This time, however, she looked exhausted.
When asked why she answered in one simple sentence:
"He would not stop singing."
"He was singing?" Iori asked.
"He was probably singing all the Kamen Rider themes," Karasu assumed. "Naga-kun loves them so much that he has them pretty much memorized."
"That's an interesting bit of trivia," Iori commented.
"He's a Super Rider Fan," stated Karasu. "Ryofu, you can go and grab some food, and get some rest."
"Thank you, Idunn-sama."
Ryofu left, dragging herself to the kitchen to get something to eat.
"OK, let's check up on him."
Iori and Karasu opened the door and entered the Round Table room. They found BG-Nagata still tied up. He was silently glaring at them.
"Good morning," Karasu greeted with faux pleasantness. "How have you been you piece of shit?"
"I would be better if I wasn't tied up. So, what are we going to be doing today? Are you going to attempt to exorcise me while I laugh as you fail miserably?" BG-Nagata inquired.
"Keep acting smug like that," Iori dared. "Sooner or later, we will figure out a way to get rid of you for good."
"Oh, I can't wait."
Karasu turned to the door and saw the Shoku Warriors about to enter.
"Hold on," Karasu barred them. "What do you think you're doing?"
"We wanted to come see Nagata-sama, and see if there was anything we could do to help," Ryuubi said.
"I don't think any of you want to see this right now," said Iori as he obstructed their views.
"So the demon is not yet purged from him," Kanu assumed.
"HEY, LADIES! HOW ABOUT AN ORGY? IT'LL BE FUN~!" BG-Nagata yelled.
Komei and Hoto blushed when BG-Nagata mentioned orgy.
"That's pretty obvious," Chou'un observed. While an orgy sounded fun, she didn't want to participate without Nagata. She especially didn't want to participate if it meant being touched by that demon.
"Mommy, what's an orgy?" Riri asked curiously.
"You'll know when you're older," said Kochu. "Airen, could you take Riri to school?"
"Sure," answered Iori. "Come on, Riri."
Iori took Riri's hand and walked her out the door.
"Hey, what's an orgy?" Chouhi asked.
"You don't need to know," Kanu said quickly.
"Nagata-sama's stronger than this, right? Why isn't he fighting back?" Bacho asked. "Aisha said he stopped that freak from killing her."
"Bujin Gaim probably locked Naga-kun away to stop him from interfering," said Karasu.
"HEY, DON'T TALK ABOUT ME LIKE I'M NOT IN THE ROOM! PAY ATTENTION TO ME!"
"So, what are we supposed to do?" Komei asked.
"Kada's working on a way to get rid of Bujin Gaim right now," said Karasu. "Komei, you and Hoto should go and help him."
"And what should the rest of us do?" Ryuubi asked.
"Kada said to ignore him, and I agree. He'll just get in your head somehow."
"Hey, Sui!" BG-Nagata called. "How's your daddy? Oh, wait! Daddy died! He died as a drunk! He died as a stupid drunk and fell off his horse! Hahahahahahaha!"
Bacho, enraged, was about to storm into the room when Karasu stopped her.
"Ignore him," Karasu ordered. "Don't listen to a word he says and don't let him get in your heads. He'll do anything to try and get out of that circle. It shows he's desperate."
Bacho growled and stormed off with Batai following her.
Bacho was in her room with Batai. The older brunette was upset after the things BG-Nagata said about her father. She had gotten over what happened to him, but to be reminded of how he died still stung.
"That bastard! How dare he!?" Bacho yelled as she punched the wall.
"Sui-neechan, you can't let his words get to you," Batai advised.
"How can I not when he's telling the truth!?"
Batai couldn't provide a response. She was just as affected as her cousin. Bato was like a second father to her and she was devastated when he died.
When Bacho believed Sousou was responsible for her father's death, she wanted revenge. She denied that his death was an accident caused when he fell off his horse while drunk, but she learned to accept it and moved on. But to hear that demon insult her father's memory like that opened old wounds.
If Bujin Gaim wasn't possessing Nagata, Bacho was sure she would've driven her Silver Flash through his black heart.
The door opened and Chouhi entered, looking worried.
"Sui, are you OK?" Chouhi asked her best friend.
Bacho wiped the tears from her eyes.
"I'm...I'm OK," Bacho answered.
"No, you're not," Chouhi refuted as she hugged her friend.
"Rinrin, it's OK. You don't have to do this. I'll be OK," Bacho insisted, but she did nothing to push Chouhi away.
"That was not Nagata-niichan. Nagata-niichan would never say those things," Chouhi said firmly. "Nagata-niichan would never hurt us."
"I know, but it still hurts," Bacho replied. "I want Nagata-sama back."
She loved him and she couldn't bear to lose someone she loved, not again.
"We'll get him back," Chouhi promised. "And I know that Nagata-niichan's still fighting. You should remember that too, so don't give up on him."
Chouhi had faith that everything was going to turn out alright. They have before.
Kanu tried to keep her mind off the fact that Nagata was possessed. She tried to concentrate on her training by sparring with Chou'un. However, she found that she couldn't focus, not while she was worried about Nagata.
Chou'un picked up on this and decided it was time they stopped to talk.
"OK, that's it," Chou'un concluded as she relaxed her stance.
"We're not done yet." Kanu urged for them to continue.
"Your heart's not in it. You're too worried about Nagata-sama to even focus on training."
Kanu couldn't deny Chou'un's words.
"You're right, I am worried. I fear we may lose Nagata-sama forever."
Kanu began to shed tears and Chou'un went to embrace her sister-in-arms. When Kanu first started her crusade against injustice, she never allowed herself to shed any tears. She resolved herself to be a warrior. However, meeting Nagata helped her to open her heart. She found a good man and fell in love.
They nearly did lose him before, when Braco poisoned him, but he came back. But this was different. Now Nagata's soul was in danger and it was trapped by a demon.
She couldn't bear the thought of losing him. It just hurt so much.
And now she could lose him forever.
"Look, you're not the only one who's worried. But remember that Nagata-sama's been through plenty with us. We just need to have hope and pull through this, together," Chou'un comforted Kanu.
Kanu remained quiet and closed her eyes. She wanted to believe that Nagata would be alright, but faith was often challenged, and even when she hoped for the best, she learned to expect the worst.
BG-Nagata remained alone in the room for hours. There were guards at the door with strict instructions not to let anyone in or out. Of course, that didn't stop anyone from trying to visit. As a superior officer, Kanu could order the guards to allow her in.
"Oh, it's you. Did you miss me?"
Kanu stood before BG-Nagata, remaining outside of the binding circle. Her face displayed no emotion. She could not afford to show this demon any weakness.
"Nagata-sama, are you in there?" Kanu asked.
"Sorry, he can't talk to you right now, so you just have to settle for me," BG-Nagata answered.
"Why are you doing this?"
"Doing what? I've done a lot of things. You gotta be more specific."
"Why are you possessing Nagata-sama? Why not just kill him? What's the point?"
A sly smile slowly encroached its way onto BG-Nagata's lips.
"Because there are far worse things than death. I want him to suffer. It's as simple as that."
"So, this is all about revenge." Kanu glowered at him. "You want revenge for what happened to you before."
"This is about more than just simple revenge, Kanu Unchou. Wait, I should call you by your true name. Right, Aisha?"
Kanu's eyes narrowed as she retorted, "You have no right to call me by my true name."
"Too bad, because I know your true name. I know all your true names. It's one of the benefits of possessing Gaim. Anyway, like I said, this is about more than just revenge. It's about me getting what I want, everything that I deserve. Everything that is owed to me, I will get no matter what."
"The world doesn't owe you anything."
"Let's agree to disagree. I learned quite a bit about your past, Aisha. My former self resembled your late brother. Was that why you were so attracted to him? Did you have forbidden feelings for your dead brother?"
"Silence!" Kanu yelled. "Do not speak of my brother that way! He sacrificed himself to save me!"
"Yes, he died so you could live. Doesn't it just eat you up inside? You couldn't get over it, so you decided to train yourself so you could hunt down and punish bandits. Tell me, did you ever find the bandits that killed your family?"
Kanu didn't answer.
"From your silence, I guess not. Looks like your family will never be avenged. Too bad. So you just gave up and settled into the life of being Gaim's servant."
"Nagata-sama is a great and noble master. I am honored to serve him."
"My former self offered everything to you. He would've done anything for you."
"Choosing Nise over Nagata-sama would be dishonorable. And all Nise could offer me was just a lie."
"A lie, huh? That's ironic."
"What do you mean?"
"How sure are you that Gaim hasn't been lying to you? I mean, he claims to be the Messenger of Heaven, but are you sure he's been honest with you?"
"Nagata-sama would never lie to me."
"Well, try asking him where he came from. Where he really came from. The revelation is sure to shatter your faith in him."
"You're trying to deceive me, to cause me to doubt Nagata-sama."
"Oh, because I'm a demon that automatically means all I can do is lie? Demons can tell the truth too, we don't lie all the time. Right now, I'm offering you the truth. I got access to his memories, so I can answer any question you have. Or...are you afraid to find out the truth?"
Kanu bit her lower lip. She was no doubt curious about his origins, but the answers BG-Nagata could give her could just be lies to make her break her faith in him. After all, Nagata had done so much for them, had given up so much, so why would he ever lie?
But what if there was something Nagata was keeping from them? Didn't she deserve to know? Didn't any of them?
Kanu set her resolve and said, "Nothing you have to say interests me."
"You know, whenever I close my eyes, I can see all the times when he fucks you. I see how he turned you into his personal whore as you service him all night. How the mighty have fallen. You used to be quite the mighty warrior. What happened to you, Aisha? Were you so desperate for a lord you could pledge yourself that you just spread your legs for him?"
Hearing those words come out of Nagata's mouth caused Kanu's heart to ache. She knew it wasn't Nagata saying those words, but the demon in him.
"Your family would be so proud of you if they knew that you spread your legs each night for your master as his personal fuck toy."
"You're wrong! It's not like that at all! I love Nagata-sama, and he loves me!"
"So you love him so much that you so willingly share him with others? And you say he loves you when he fucks another girl? Are you delusional? I almost feel sorry for you. But don't you worry. I know I can make you feel good. Go ask the girls I bedded."
That struck a nerve.
"Excuse me?" Kanu demanded.
"Oh, I was bored, so I decided to visit a brothel. I had fun with three girls. I forgot their names, but they were very experienced and talented. They showed me a good time, and I showed them a really good time in return."
"You're lying!"
"Am I? You have no idea what I've done while in this body. How can you say I'm lying? And honestly, why would I need to lie at all? So, what do you say? How about you untie me and I show you that I'm a hundred times the lover Gaim could ever be?"
Kanu had heard enough.
As Kanu was about to leave, she retorted, "As much as what you say might be true, I know Nagata-sama. You take wanton glee in the evils you commit without a care for whom or what you destroy. He, on the other hand, does not at all derive any enjoyment from what people like you have pushed him to do, the lengths that he has gone, the lines that he has and will have to cross, and that is all the difference there is. You're nothing but a monster, through and through. Remember, the reason you are trapped is because Nagata-sama is still in there, and he hasn't stopped fighting."
Bujin Gaim glowered at her.
"Nagata-sama, I know you are still in there. We will do everything in our power to save you. Until then, you'll need to hold on. You'll need to fight him. I believe in you. We all believe in you. So please, stay strong and never stop fighting. You hear me? Don't stop fighting and never surrender."
"You're wasting your breath. He's gone."
Kanu responded with an insufferable smirk.
"We'll see."
Meanwhile, Karasu observed the entire exchange from outside the room. While she would've enjoyed the sight of Kanu breaking down, she really couldn't because of what was happening to her cousin.
She was really worried about what was happening to him. With Ukitsu gone, they could only rely on Kada to figure out a way to exorcise Bujin Gaim from Nagata's body.
"I should see if they've found anything," decided Karasu as she went to check on the progress of the doctor and the two strategists.
To Be Continued in Part 2...