We do not own Koihime Musou or Kamen Rider Gaim. They belong to their respective creators. We just thought this idea would be fun and decided to give it a try. If you like it then that's great. If you don't then we tried. Anyway, come along and let's see what you think.
Sangokuden Armored War Gods Saga: Age of the Armored War Gods
Co-Written By: Ten-Faced Paladin and Kamen Rider Chrome
Interlude: What Comes Next?
"Is everyone here?" Komei asked. The Shoku Warriors were all assembled at the Round Table for an impromptu review session. Iori and Kochu were absent since they were still in Nanban. Nagata and Karasu's own absence was due to a training session they were having at the moment.
"Yeah we're all here. So why did you call us here anyway?" Batai asked impatiently.
"Yeah, and where are the snacks? You promised snacks!" complained Chouhi.
"Rinrin, behave yourself," scolded Kanu.
"But..."
"Shuri will explain everything."
"I'm wondering why you called us here as well, to be honest," said Ryuubi.
"Well, I thought it was a good idea if we had a review session on Nagata-sama's transformations," Komei said.
"Why do we need to review?" Bacho asked. They already knew their lord's transformation and how they performed in battle. It wasn't something any of them would soon forget.
"Well, it's so we have more cohesion with him while on the battlefield. You should all realize that his transformations allow him to adapt to different situations. So, we should be able to adapt to each of his transformations," Komei explained.
"That sounds reasonable," agreed Chou'un.
"But shouldn't Nagata-sama be here for this?" Ryuubi asked. Their Armored War Gods were missing.
Komei had a flip chart standing next to her and began, "Well, he said he has to go out with Idunn-sama to do some training in Helheim. He said they might be gone for a while and told me that I should go ahead with the review session. Alright, let's start with Nagata-sama's first transformation."
[SOIYA!]
[ORANGE ARMS! HANAMICHI ON STAGE!]
On the first page was a colored picture of Gaim in his Orange Arms, posing dramatically. Komei was rather proud of her drawing skills. She felt as if she captured him at his best.
"Orange Arms," Komei started. "Aisha, do you have anything to say about this form?"
"Me?" Kanu asked.
"You were the one who first met Nagata-sama. That means you were the first to see him in this form. Can you tell us a bit about it?" Komei asked.
"Alright. Let me begin," started Kanu. "Nagata-sama's Orange Arms is his default transformation. Out of all his transformation, this is his most balanced. It is armed with the orange sword known as the Daidaimaru which he can combine with his sidearm weapon called the Musou Saber. In terms of fighting abilities, it is very versatile in terms of performance. When he combines the Musou Saber and Daidaimaru together, he can use the Naginata formation to extend his reach."
"That's a very descriptive explanation, Aisha," remarked Chou'un.
"I have fought alongside him in this form many times. While it is not particularly strong or fast compared to his other forms, it is the best to start a fight with and it takes advantage of Nagata-sama's two sword style," Kanu added.
[SOIYA! ORANGE ARMS! HANAMICHI ON STAGE!]
Above Nagata, the air seemed to ripple as a zipper opened a circular hole in the air, revealing misty air and giant trees. From the hole emerged a giant orange made of steel with studs, shining with enough orange light to cause the girl and the bandits to stop fighting and begin gaping at the object.
"Eh?" Nagata blinked, looking up to see the orange. "EHH?!"
The Orange Arms then dropped, landing squarely on Nagata's shoulders, covering his head. When the item hit, waves of energy wrapped around him, covering him in a blue reinforced fabric with a quilted chest and gold bracers and greaves on his arms and legs. On his left side was a thin black sword with a hilt designed like a handgun.
"EHHHHH?!" Nagata cried inside the orange before he felt his head being wrapped in a helmet. It was identical to the one on his belt, complete with a gold head crest that was shaped like a katana, before an orange samurai-esque helmet with metal studs, gold side decorations, and a green stem on the top attached to his helmet, giving him a visor colored and shaped like an orange slice. The metal orange then gave off a splash of orange energy before opening and wrapping around Nagata's body. The front portion folded together at the middle before connecting to his chest, fitting perfectly with the orange metal and black sidings to accent it. The two sides folded together before resting on his shoulders as protective plating. The top and back folded together onto Nagata's back, landing on his back but without the color. Another splash of energy allowed the armor to set, as well as summon the sword from his Lockseed into his hand.
"EHHHHHHHH?!" the new Gaim cried, grasping at his helmet, daring himself to say it wasn't there.
"Wha-wha-what the hell is this?!" the leader of the bandits cried, breaking the spell of the transformation.
"Must be some kind of magic! Boss, we could sell it for a fortune and live like kings!" one of the bandits cried out.
"Read my mind!" the leader grinned. "Get him!"
The bandits forgot all about the girl and instead charged at Gaim with riches on their minds.
"Oi! Oi! Oi! Chotto!" Gaim shouted in protest. One of the bandits went to slash at Gaim and he screamed, "Aaaaahhhhh!" By reflex he raised up the orange scimitar. The orange blade actually broke the bandit's sword. "Eh?"
He didn't have time to really consider what he did when more of the bandits lunged at him. He yelped and swung wide with his Daidaimaru, breaking their weapons with every strike, and rendering them unarmed. Even without their weapons, the greed was driving them like a force of nature at that point. They lunged to try and pin him down so they could take something, anything from the suit that they could profit off of. Gaim never gave them the chance as he punched one bandit in the face, sending him tumbling backwards into the dirt. The short bandit tried pulling at Gaim's belt, but got kicked away and landed against a tree with a groan. The fat bandit even tried a body slam, but Gaim actually caught the man before throwing him away into the dirt.
"Wow...sugei..." Gaim uttered in awe. He had never felt so powerful before. It was like a dream. "Then that means..." He drew the Musou Saber. "Then this can..." He pulled the hammer on the gun piece and a portion of the blade glowed yellow. "It works."
He got the chance to test it when the bandit leader tried charging him with his two cronies. Gaim took aim and pulled the trigger, shooting a single bolt which struck one bandit in the shoulder and left him with a smoking hole in his shoulder as he rolled on the ground in pain. The other two bandits left him as they continued the charge, but they were likewise stopped by several more shots which left them writhing in pain as well.
"Look, I don't want any trouble," started Gaim, still shaking after just shooting them, "But if you value your...your lives..." he was trying to sound confident, and slightly failing. "You'll get out of my sight!" he barked.
[SOIYA! ORANGE SQUASH!]
Gaim lifted the Daidaimaru, the sections of the orange slice blade lighting up. Once it was ready, he charged at the group of Rinshi. Before they could break ranks to fight, he instead slashed wide, cutting through the Rinshi with a wide strike of orange power. It spread out like a slice of an orange which caused all of the Rinshi to explode in a shower of ash and purple smoke.
Gaim swiftly combined the ends of his Daidaimaru and Musou Saber together to form the Daidaimaru Naginata Mode. Grabbing his Orange Lockseed, he unlocked it and removed it.
[LOCK OFF!]
He then put it into the Musou Saber's Drive Launch and locked it in.
[LOCK ON!]
"Taste my Hissatsu!" Gaim declared.
[1, 10, 100, 1,000, 10,000!]
"SEIYAAAAAAA!"
[ORANGE CHARGE!]
Gaim charged at Gumokage, and fired a beam of orange energy ahead of him. It struck the Beastman, trapping him inside of an orange sphere of energy which looked like an actual orange. Gaim dashed in close before he slashed wide, using both blades of his combined weapon to strike at the orange and Rinrinshi. The strike flashed and the orange was sliced into two, containing two halves of Gumokage. The Beastman screamed in agony before the entire construct exploded in a blast of purple fire, sending orange slices in all directions before they vanished.
"Yes, and he looks so awesome!" Ryuubi squealed like a fangirl. Gaim in his Orange Arms was her ideal image of him. He looked like a majestic warrior whenever he adorned himself in his main armor and she couldn't help but gaze in admiration as he wore it.
"We should move on." Komei turned the page on the flip chart. "Next we have..."
[SOIYA!]
[PINE ARMS! FUNSAI DESTROY!]
It was a picture of Gaim in Pine Arms, wielding the Pine Iron. The Pine Arms appeared bulky, with large shoulder pads and thick armor.
"Ah, Pine Arms!" Chouhi raised her arm in recognition.
"I suppose it's your favorite," Chou'un smiled.
"Sure is! When Nagata-niichan puts this yellow armor on, he becomes really super strong!" Chouhi nodded.
"Can you describe anything else?" Komei prompted.
"Well...he uses the Pine Iron weapon. It's just a big spiked ball on a chain that's shaped like a pineapple. He can hit really hard with it and he can take hits better because the armor is thicker. Nagata-niichan's a bit slower in this form, but the weapon helps him to hit enemies that are standing far from him," Chouhi described.
Gaim knew he was in trouble and he wasn't going to last if he kept at it like he was. Fortunately, he still had Lockseeds that could help him out. He sheathed the Musou Saber before pulling it out. It was revealed to be a pineapple Lockseed. As Shiroimaru began to recover, Gaim hit the switch to unlock the device.
"PINE!"
He quickly swapped out the Orange Lockseed for his Pine Lockseed. It served to make his Orange Arms disappear, but he wasn't going to need it anyway. Above him, another portal opened which produced a large metal pineapple that was made of metal and composed entirely of square pointed studs.
[LOCK ON!]
"Here goes!" he hit the Cutting Blade. The Pine Lockseed split open, revealing the insides of a pineapple on top, and a morning star-like weapon in the form of a pineapple on the bottom.
[SOIYA! PINE ARMS! FUNSAI DESTROY!]
The Pine Arms came down, landing squarely on Gaim's shoulders. The front portion split from the rest, folding in half to create a more square yellow and black chestplate. The rests split down the middle, resting on Gaim's shoulders with the sides acting like chainmail curtains to deflect attacks from the sides. His helmet took on a new yellow attachment covered in the square studs, but green decorations rose up near the visor with a pineapple stem on the top. His visor likewise turned yellow, looking like a pineapple slice. Appearing in his hands was a morning star composed of a handle with a chain while on the other end was a pineapple-shaped spiked ball.
Now armed with the Pine Iron, Gaim was ready for the Mountain Goat Rinrinshi. As Shiroimaru came charging for another headbutt, Gaim sent the Pine Iron flying and it smashed into the Rinrinshi. The impact actually caused the Rinrinshi to be sent flying back through the hole they made. Gaim gave chase, watching as Shiroimaru attempted to get back up. Seeing his opportunity, he threw the Pine Iron again, letting it crash against his opponent's side and sending him tumbling once more.
"Oh yeah! This is what I'm talking about!" Gaim cheered. He charged at the Beastman again and they clashed, swinging blows at one another.
"Now for something unconventional!" Gaim then wrapped the chain of the Pine Iron around the Rinrinshi and tugged on it, causing Shiroimaru to spin. The Mountain Goat Rinrinshi became dizzy and Gaim took the opportunity to finish him off.
[SOIYA! PINE SQUASH!]
"Hyah!" Gaim jumped into the air and then kicked the Pine Iron. It got stuck to Shiroimaru's head and the Rinrinshi tried to remove the Pine Iron as he grabbed hold of it. Gaim then launched himself at the Rinrinshi with a flying kick, yelling, "HI-YAAAAAH!" The kick connected with the Rinrinshi and he exploded, pineapple slices flying in all directions before Gaim landed on one knee. He looked over his shoulder and cheered, "Yosha! I've always wanted to do that! Rider Kicked your ass! Ah ha ha ha!"
"So, Nagata-sama sacrifices speed for an increase in physical strength and defense," Komei concluded.
"Then when he's like this, the fast fighters should support him since his lack of speed is a liability," commented Chinkyuu.
"Well, he's slow but not helpless. Anyway, this is not his only power-type Arms..."
[SOIYA!]
[PAPAYA ARMS! CHOP AND HACK! NEVER LOOK BACK!]
A picture of Gaim in Papaya Arms was shown next.
"Papaya Arms. He gained access to this form after he defeated Armored War God Knuckle in a duel, thus winning the Papaya Lockseed as a prize. Since then, he's been using it as an alternative form when he needs more physical power. The Papaya Chopper also helps. As a halberd, it requires more power behind its swing to be more effective," Komei described.
Gaim smirked as he grabbed a Lockseed and clicked it to unlock. "OK, then. Remember, you asked for it."
[PAPAYA!]
Knuckle gawked at the sight of the familiar Papaya Lockseed. "Wait, isn't that the one you got from me?"
Gaim locked it into his Sengoku Driver and replied, "Glad you remember." He then pressed the Cutting Blade to slice it open.
[SOIYA! PAPAYA ARMS! CHOP AND HACK! NEVER LOOK BACK!]
The Orange Arms vanished as the Papaya Arms Armor Part fell on top of Gaim before opening up and folding onto his body to form the Papaya Arms armor. A splash of papaya juice-like energy summoned the Papaya Chopper into his hands.
"Oi-ryah!" Gaim swung and hit Knuckle across the chest with the Papaya Chopper's blade, sending Knuckle tumbling to the arena floor.
"Haru-sama!" cried out Ensho in horror.
"Hmph, he should've done that earlier," commented Mitsuki.
"Amazing!" announced the MC, "Gaim-sama has just changed armor and now the roles seem to have been reversed! Clearly, this looks like Gaim-sama's victory!"
Knuckle chuckled as he got up and pounded his fists together. "Now this is what I'm talking about! BRING IT ON GAIM!"
Complying, Gaim swung the Papaya Chopper down but Knuckle jumped to the side to avoid it. Gaim then performed a 360 degree spin, dragging the weapon along the ground before raising it to strike. Knuckle jumped back to avoid the strike as pieces of the arena flew off.
"Bring it!" Gaim charged and swung the Papaya Chopper but Knuckle blocked it with his Coco Boxers before landing a hit to Gaim's chest. Gaim grunted from the strike but managed to endure and recover before he swung and hit Knuckle in the chest with the blade. Knuckle retaliated with a right cross but Gaim ducked only to receive a jab in the stomach that caused him to double over. Knuckle kneed him in the face and prepared to land another hit but Gaim managed to shove Knuckle back with the Papaya Chopper's shaft.
As the fight continued, sparks flew as strikes landed with neither competitor letting up. It got the audience to scream wildly at the action taking place before them.
Gaim swung his Papaya Chopper but Knuckle caught the shaft under his arm to stop it. "Hah! Got it!" said Knuckle triumphantly.
"Do you?" Gaim then used all his strength to lift the Papaya Chopper along with Knuckle. He then spun his Papaya Chopper above his head, taking Knuckle for a spin.
"Whoa! UUUHHHHH!" Knuckle tried to hold on tight to the Papaya Chopper but Gaim decided to swing the Papaya Chopper around, causing Knuckle to let go. "AAAHHH!" Knuckle landed roughly on the arena floor, dizzy from his spin.
"Chance!" Gaim declared as he pushed his Cutting Blade down twice over the Papaya Lockseed.
[SOIYA! PAPAYA AU LAIT!]
Gaim twirled the Papaya Chopper above his head as a projection of a giant papaya appeared over the blade. He then swung, hitting Knuckle with it and causing an explosive splash effect. Then, he charged and landed a critical strike that caused a fiery explosion.
"So Pine Arms and Papaya Arms are both strong, can take hits, but are slow. However, the Pine Arms just hits really hard. Papaya Arms can chop and hack things to pieces," Bacho concluded.
"Exactly. Though the thick armor doesn't help against fast opponents that can hit him repeatedly. Stronger opponents may also be a problem once they break through the armor," Komei frowned.
"And that is why he needs speed," Chou'un smiled as Komei flipped the chart again.
[SOIYA!]
[ICHIGO ARMS! SHUSHUTTO SPARK!]
Chou'un recalled fondly, "I remember when Nagata-sama first showed us this form. It was when we infiltrated that bandit camp. Remember that, Aisha?"
"Ah, yes. It was an interesting experience," Kanu blushed as she recalled being squeezed in a box with Chou'un. They ended up rubbing against each other intimately.
"Interesting? Because Sei said you were rubbing against each other..." started Bacho.
"Can we please continue the review!?" Kanu cut her off.
"You know, I think Nagata-sama's Ichigo Arms is very cute," commented Ryuubi.
"Really?" Chinkyuu cocked an eyebrow skeptically.
"Ah, cute," Ryofu agreed. The red of the armor really looked good against the blue of the Ride Wear suit.
Chou'un continued, "Well, this form is very surprising. From the looks of it, it's not very impressive. But what it lacks in actual defense, it makes up for with blinding speed and agility. Nagata-sama says that this form reminds him of a 'shinobi'. The signature weapons are the Ichigo Kunai which are knives that can be used as melee weapons or be thrown at the enemy. These knives are deadly because they can explode on impact. This form also has a very destructive finishing move. He only needs to load his Ichigo Lockseed into his Musou Saber and explosive Ichigo Kunai will rain down on his enemies."
[ICHIGO!]
The Orange Arms unfolded back into a giant orange and he bent his body over to launch it like a cannonball, hitting the Rinshi and knocking them off their feet. A portal opened above him and a metal strawberry hovered above him. Not wasting time, he removed the Orange Lockseed and locked the Ichigo Lockseed in its place.
[LOCK ON!]
He struck the Cutting Blade, slicing the Ichigo Lockseed open. The inside of a strawberry was seen, but so was a group of kunai on the bottom slice.
[SOIYA! ICHIGO ARMS! SHUSHUTTO SPARK!]
He sheathed the Musou Saber as the Ichigo Arms landed on his shoulders and opened up to become new armor. The bottom of the strawberry opened before it landed on him, allowing the tip to become the right shoulder pad. The rest of the strawberry disassembled. The top folded down the left side underneath before becoming another shoulder pad. The front and a hidden portion inside of the Arms folded together to become a red triangular chestplate. The remaining pieces folded onto his back with a red-pink splash of energy. His helmet had likewise changed, being red where it used to be orange with pink accents on the sides and a green strawberry stem resting on the top. His visor also looked like a strawberry slice. Appearing in his hands, a pair of large throwing knives decorated with strawberries on the hilts, his Ichigo Kunai.
"OK! Hyah!" Gaim tossed the Ichigo Kunai and they hit a couple of Rinshi, exploding on impact. A new pair of Ichigo Kunai appeared in his hand. "Now that's handy," he admired. He would never lose a supply of weapons like the ones he had! Still, throwing two at a time was time consuming. He just didn't have the stamina to keep up with that many opponents at once. Fortunately, the Ichigo Lockseed had a unique finisher which was just perfect for taking on mobs of enemies like the Rinshi.
"OK, let's take them all out!" He drew the Musou Saber and removed the Ichigo Lockseed before locking it into the sword.
[LOCK ON!]
"Here goes!" Gaim spoke, preparing a stance as he squared off with the mob of Rinshi.
[1, 10, 100! ICHIGO CHARGE!]
"OI-RYAH!" shouted Gaim as he slashed the air and conjured a giant strawberry made of energy. Then, the strawberry exploded and sent hundreds of Ichigo Kunai raining down on the Rinshi. The strikes hit multiple times and exploded in red blasts. What Rinshi were caught in the rain of knives were doomed as they exploded in purple fireballs. It certainly cleared the room and cut down on the number of opponents that the girls had to contend with.
"It's always a spectacular sight whenever he destroys hundreds of enemies all at once like that," Chou'un made that scary face as she smiled, causing everyone to cringe in fright.
"Very true," Komei paled and recovered. "But it's not his only form that relies on speed."
[SOIYA!]
[CARAMBOLA ARMS! KIRA KIRA SUPERSTAR!]
A picture of Gaim in Carambola Arms was next. The illustration had him posing with his Carambola Stars as he was about to throw them.
"I remember that Nagata-sama once gave the corresponding Lockseed to Aisha as a present," smiled Komei fondly.
"Yes, but I had to give it back since he needed it more than I did," replied Kanu.
"So, Aisha. You should describe how this form works then," Chou'un urged.
"Very well. Carambola Arms is also another one of Nagata-sama's speed-based forms. While its speed is inferior to Ichigo Arms, and it has a defense only slighter better than Orange Arms, its main advantage is its weapons called the Carambola Stars. These weapons can be hurled like throwing discs and their sharp edges can cut through almost anything. What's more, they always return to Nagata-sama so he can use them as close-ranged weapons. Like the Ichigo Arms, he can also perform a similar finisher with the Carambola Lockseed loaded in the Musou Saber. It's actually a very frightening sight when hundreds of flying discs are slicing through the air and going in all directions."
[CARAMBOLA!]
Above him a portal opened and a giant starfruit floating horizontally lowered from the portal. Baron and Ryugen both blinked at the new Arms, looking much like the possible ace they could use to fight.
"Let's see what this thing does!" Gaim replaced the Orange Lockseed with the Carambola Lockseed before slicing it open with the belt's Cutting Blade.
[LOCK ON! SOIYA! CARAMBOLA ARMS! KIRA KIRA SUPERSTAR!]
The orange starfruit fell on top of Gaim's shoulders and head before opening up and folding onto his body. The sides locked onto his shoulders as the front folded forward, decorated with a star. The top and back of the fruit folded onto his back. His visor also turned golden orange with lines making a faint star shape. In a flash of light, a pair of chakrams appeared in his hands. They were circular blades with stars on the inside and handles in holes in the middle of the stars so he could grip them. These were the Carambola Stars.
Gaim threw the Carambola Stars. The chakrams flew true and struck several times, causing the brothers to groan in pain. It was like taking a papercut to them, but with their hides supposedly unbreakable to the Riders' weapons that was significant enough!
[LOCK ON!]
"Here goes!" Gaim shouted, prompting Baron to move.
[1, 10, 100!]
The sword chanted as Gaim pointed it at the brothers. In front of it, the energy formed into a large carambola which turned from green to orange as it grew and 'ripened'. When it was finally big enough, Gaim drew back his sword and slashed through it, causing the fruit to explode into a cloud of juice.
[CARAMBOLA CHARGE!]
From the juice cloud, several energy versions of the Carambola Stars flew out like a swarm of mad bees. All of them cut through the air, easily slicing through the debris the brothers were trying to kick up. The pair of them saw the oncoming attack and was stunned by its approach. It was Bawa that moved first, pushing his brother out of the way. "Look out!" Niwa was knocked aside before the Carambola Stars flew, cutting through Bawa's reinforced hide, and leaving orange lines to show the cuts before Bawa fell back screaming. He exploded in a blaze of purple fire.
"Meh," Chou'un shrugged. "I prefer the rain of knives."
"And don't forget, we still have one more to review," Komei prompted.
[SOIYA!]
[BLUEBERRY ARMS! ALLONS-Y, EN GARDE!]
"Nagata-sama's third speed-type Arms. It has lighter armor compared to Ichigo Arms and Carambola Arms, which means it can't take a lot of hits. However, its speed and agility are superior to Carambola Arms and Ichigo Arms. The Arms Weapons, the Berrapier and Blue Gauche, take advantage of this increase speed to execute quick and deadly strikes," Komei described.
"I think Nagata-sama once described it as a 'glass cannon'. It's very deadly but also fragile," recalled Kanu.
[BLUEBERRY!]
He had never tried it before and honestly he had almost forgotten that he had it. However, if there was ever a time to give it a try then it was now. Above him, a perfectly round blue sphere with a crown-like protrusion on the top lowered out of a portal to Helheim. Clenching the Lockseed in his hand, he removed his Suika Lockseed before putting the Blueberry Lockseed inside.
[LOCK ON!]
"Here goes!" Gaim called, hitting the Cutting Blade. The Lockseed split open, revealing the inner flesh of a blueberry on the top half, but a rapier and main gauche crossing blades on the bottom.
[SOIYA! BLUEBERRY ARMS! ALLONS-Y, EN-GUARDE!]
The Arms dropped, landing on Gaim's shoulders and head. The front folded in half and attached to his chest, making a blue chestplate with white lines on the sides and a dark blue ring around the collar. The back split open and shifted to his shoulders, revealing long streams of fabric before the sides of the Blueberry Arms folded together, forming curved shoulder plates. The top folded back, landing on Gaim's back. His helmet gained a new attachment as well, the bulk of the helmet being lined sections of blue and dark blue, but around the neck was silver panels which had images of ivory stamped onto the metal like a classical knight. At the top was the crown-like decoration, like a plucked blueberry would have. A splash of blue juice summoned a pair of blades to Gaim's hands. One was a long silver rapier with a blueberry-shaped handguard with green tassels tied to the hilt. In his other hand was a short dagger, a main-gauche which was styled the same save for being shorter. Finally his visor was a deep blue, matching his helmet.
"Alright, let's finish this!" Gaim challenged, sliding his Blue Gauche against the Berrapier.
Gaim surged at Duke, moving at a speed comparable or possibly exceeding Ichigo Arms. Duke only fired off a few arrows, but Gaim was able to dodge before he got in close and thrust with his Berrapier. Duke blocked with the Sonic Arrow, but Gaim stabbed at his side with his Blue Gauche, grazing Duke's side as he tried to move and caught a blast of sparks. With the distance being given, Gaim slashed wide before following up with another stab with his dagger. The dagger caught on his chestplate, causing another blast of sparks which caused Duke to stumble back.
"Gah! What the hell!?" screamed Duke as he tried to land a strike, only for Gaim to parry before slashing him across the chest. Gaim then disarmed Duke and performed a series of roundhouse kicks, nailing Duke in the face several times before thrusting his longer sword into Duke's chest, sending him staggering. Gaim crossed his blades and decided to finish this. He spread his arms to the side, his right arm hitting the Cutting Blade so it would slash over the Blueberry Lockseed.
[SOIYA! BLUEBERRY SQUASH!]
Energy surrounded both blades as Gaim surged forward. His arms shot forwards, becoming a blur as he struck Duke rapidly and repeatedly with both weapons. The points that he struck turned blue and glowed before a projection of blueberry encased Duke. Gaim crossed his blades into a T-shape and then he swung them apart, slicing through the blueberry with Duke inside. The fruit exploded, taking Duke with it as he screamed out loud.
"Yes, so he needs a lot of defensive support so he doesn't get overwhelmed. This form is fast but also vulnerable as well," Komei recommended.
"Oh, you forgot about the big watermelon!" Chouhi exclaimed.
"I haven't forgotten, Rinrin," Komei refuted as she flipped the chart again.
[SOIYA!]
[SUIKA ARMS! ODAMA BIG BANG!]
"Ah, the big green ball," Ryofu recalled.
"Well, yes, it does appear as a giant watermelon at first," Komei agreed.
"When I first saw Nagata-sama put it on, I thought he got crushed," Kanu recalled.
"Yeah. It looked like he got squished," Chouhi agreed.
"That must've scared you to death," Bacho remarked.
"You have no idea," Kanu sighed.
"Yes, I suppose watching Nagata-sama being seemingly crushed by a giant watermelon would be a shocking experience," Ryuubi agreed sympathetically.
[YOROI MODE!]
Komei described, "Nagata-sama's Suika Arms. Its primary fighting form is Yoroi Mode which resembles a large armored warrior. In this form, he is armed with the Suika Sojinto. Among Nagata-sama's forms, this one has immense of physical power and defense. Unfortunately, it is also slow. However, there is a way around that."
[ODAMA MODE!]
"Nagata-sama once let me ride the big ball form," Ryofu stated as she recalled the time Nagata scooped her up and rolled away with her.
"How was it?" Chou'un asked.
"Nice and cozy," Ryofu blushed.
"Well, since the Yoroi Mode can't run very fast, the Odama Mode is used as an alternate form of transportation. As it is a ball, it can just roll across the terrain and cross distances very quickly," Komei pointed out. "But its speed is nothing compared to the third form."
[GYRO MODE!]
"Suika Arms Gyro Mode. This form allows Nagata-sama to fly and it can fly much faster than the Odama Mode can move on land. It is also equipped with weapons that shoot seed-like projectiles at the enemies. However, this form also leaves Nagata-sama exposed." Komei pointed at the open cockpit design.
Stepping forward past the gates so to get some space, he looked back at his friends. "Girls, you better step back to give me some room."
"Huh?" asked Chouhi, but Kanu listened and gently pulled the smaller girl back.
Once they were clear, Gaim sheathed the Musou Saber, still adorned with the Orange Lockseed as he lifted his newest weapon and unlocked it.
[SUIKA!]
This caused his Orange Arms to vanish before he locked the Suika Lockseed into his SengokuDriver.
[LOCK ON!]
The same music played and the zipper portal opened above him. This time it was several times bigger to accommodate the size of the metallic fruit which descended.
"A watermelon?" Kanu gaped.
"It's so big!" exclaimed Chouhi.
"Here goes," Gaim sighed, hitting the Cutting Blade. The Lockseed was split open to reveal the red insides on top, and a double-edged sword styled after a watermelon on the bottom half.
[SOIYA! SUIKA ARMS! ODAMA BIG BANG!]
The massive watermelon came down and, at first appearances, came crashing down on top of Gaim, removing him from sight entirely. It caused everyone who was witnessing it to gasp in shock, fearing that the surprising hero had suddenly ended himself.
"GAIM-SAMA!" Kanu screamed in horror.
"He got squished!" Chouhi cried, pointing at the large watermelon.
After several moments of being still, the giant metal watermelon spoke.
[YOROI MODE!]
The Suika Arms jumped up and shifted, the shell of the watermelon shifting and sliding, reforming into the image of a large suit of armor with green shoulder pads, chest, and legs with darker green armor. Gripped in its hand was a double-bladed sword styled like watermelon slices. Gaim's body could be seen within the armor, controlling it easily. The head on top was dome-shaped with a large gold and red decoration like a samurai's helmet. A visor was on the face, but inside was Gaim's helmet with the visor colored like a watermelon slice.
"Alright, here I go!" shouted Gaim as he charged at the army of Rinshi, leaving everyone gaping at the sight of the giant-armored warrior. In mid-run, Gaim's Suika Arms changed back into a watermelon.
[ODAMA MODE!]
It rolled on its side and slammed into the Rinshi, sending them flying like bowling pins.
[YOROI MODE!]
Now back in Suika Arms' humanoid configuration, Gaim swung at the Rinshi. With such monstrous punching power, any Rinshi that got hit by his fist was destroyed in an instant. His Suika Sojinto was used as well to cut them down. They leapt at him but he spun and struck them down.
Despite the amount of them he took down in the charge, there were two more contingents left. Any number of them could slip around and head to the village. Not wanting to waste any more time or risk innocent people, Gaim struck the Cutting Blade over the Suika Lockseed once.
[SOIYA! SUIKA SQUASH!]
Gaim gathered green energy in the Suika Sojinto and sent it at the Rinshi, gathering them up and trapping them in an energy ball shaped like a watermelon. Now immobilized and incapacitated, they were at Gaim's mercy. Mercy that he did not have as he charged towards the watermelon and slashed at it several times with his Suika Sojinto. The strikes flashed green, causing the watermelon to crack like at a beach game before it erupted in purple fire, taking all of the Rinshi with it.
The Suzaku Inves had taken to the air, flapping its wings. It thought it would be safe in the sky, away from the walking machines that killed its brethren.
[GYRO MODE!]
It thought wrong as both Riders pursued it in the air. Their Suika Arms had transformed into the flying configuration and they attacked while the Suzaku Inves was trying to get away. They fired with their guns, pelting it with energy bullets to take it down.
[GYRO MODE!]
Gaim converted his Suika Arms into Gyro Mode and shot upwards to avoid the strike. He then fired on Zangetsu who raised his Suika Shield. However, Gaim's barrage was relentless and before long he managed to riddle the shield with enough holes to render it useless. Zangetsu raised his arms to shield himself before he too switched modes.
[ODAMA MODE!]
He rolled his Suika Arms and then made it bounce to smash into Gaim, forcefully returning it to Yoroi Mode as Zangetsu switched back to Yoroi Mode as well. Then, they switched again.
[GYRO MODE!]
Both machines converted into their flying modes, revealing their pilots before Gaim and Zangetsu fired at each other while trying to avoid each other's projectiles as well. They spun, rolled and shot at each other swiftly before Gaim roared and crashed right into Zangetsu before pulling them both down to the ground.
The two crashed, kicking up dust and pieces of the arena floor, covering the two of them inside of a cloud. The dust cloud cleared, revealing Zangetsu in Melon Arms and Gaim in Orange Arms once again, but without their Arms Weapons. The audience cheered out boisterously as they applauded the Armored War Gods' performance. Neither paid the audience any mind, focusing on each other instead.
[SUIKA!]
A portal above Gaim zipped open and the soldiers gasped before muttering between themselves about what was going on. They gaped at the sight of the giant metal watermelon-the Suika Arms. As the giant metal watermelon appeared above him, Gaim quickly switched Lockseeds and sliced open the Suika Lockseed.
[LOCK ON! SOIYA!]
As the Suika Arms Armor Part fell, Ryofu jumped back to avoid being flattened. The Suika Arms dropped on Gaim, completely concealing him as the Orange Arms vanished. The Suika Arms remained inert as the soldiers stared warily at the giant watermelon, studying it for any sudden movements. One brave soldier approached it and gave it a few taps with his knuckles.
"Heh, looks like the great Armored War God just crushed himself," the soldier stated, causing his comrades to snicker at the foolishness. However, Ryofu was more wary. The Armored War Gods would never make any move without a reason.
Another soldier suggested, "Let's take it back to the barracks and put it up as a trophy!" The soldiers then approached the giant metal watermelon when all of a sudden a loud announcement was heard.
"No, you idiots! Get away!" Kurokage shouted. The Suika Arms spun in place then sprang up as it kicked up dust and flung the soldiers back.
[SUIKA ARMS! ODAMA BIG BANG!]
[YOROI MODE!]
Changing into its armored mecha form, the Suika Arms scooped up Ryofu in its hand before rolling back into a ball.
[ODAMA MODE!]
"Ren-chan!" Kurokage yelled as the soldiers scrambled back to avoid being crushed by the giant metal watermelon as it rolled away at full speed, carrying both Gaim and Ryofu inside.
"Hold on tight," Gaim advised as he stood inside the Suika Arms Odama Mode with Ryofu as he controlled it. Ryofu was hugging Gaim tightly and sighing softly as she was close to her object of affection. Gaim was oblivious to this as he concentrated on navigating the giant metal watermelon back to base camp.
As the Suika Arms Odama Mode rolled away, the Alliance soldiers realized that this was part of the plan and retreated back to base. Meanwhile, the Imperial Soldiers didn't give chase and instead watched dumbly as the metal watermelon rolled away with their commanding officer.
"General Ryofu has been captured! What do we do now!?" one Imperial Soldier yelled.
"Go after them, what else?" Kurokage snapped.
"But Kurokage-sama, we were ordered to hold our position! We cannot simply-!"
"Since General Ryofu is gone, I'm in charge here! If none of you will go and rescue her, then it's up to me!" Kurokage declared.
"You gotta admit, that Suika Arms is pretty big and strong," Batai said.
"Not the strongest." Ryofu shook her head.
"Yes, which brings us to this one next," Chou'un flipped the chart.
[SOIYA!]
[MIX!]
[JIMBER GRAPEFRUIT! HA-HA!]
A picture of Gaim in Jimber Grapefruit was shown next, posing boldly with his Sonic Arrow and Musou Saber.
Komei described, "While Nagata-sama prefers to use the Musou Saber in this upgraded form, it also comes equipped with the Sonic Arrow, the signature weapon of the Genesis Riders. The Sonic Arrow can be used for close and long-ranged combat, and can shoot an unlimited amount of energy arrows. This form is slightly faster than Ichigo Arms and also gives Nagata-sama a significant boost to his physical strength, superior to his Papaya Arms and Pine Arms. Also, he isn't a huge target like when he uses his Suika Arms. This form gives Nagata-sama to see far distances and also grants him other optical enhancements."
"So...guess it's time..." Gaim grunted as he put away his Musou Saber and snapped the Genesis Core to his belt. The blank surface was replaced by the image on his Rider Indicator. "Let's see what this can do!" He took out and unlocked the Grapefruit Energy Lockseed.
[GRAPEFRUIT ENERGY!]
"My Lockseed!" Kagemusha exclaimed.
The Melon Lockseed closed and unlocked itself, allowing Gaim to remove it from his Sengoku Driver. He then took out his Orange Lockseed and unlocked it.
[ORANGE!]
Above Gaim, two portals to Helheim opened side-by side to allow the Orange Arms and Grapefruit Energy Arms to descend into the human world. Gaim then put the Orange Lockseed into the Sengoku Driver's Drive Bay and Grapefruit Energy Lockseed into the Genesis Core before locking both items in.
[LOCK ON!]
Gaim brought the Cutting Blade down, opening both Lockseeds together.
[SOIYA! MIX!]
As the Melon Arms vanished, the two citrus-based Arms above Gaim seemed to collide with each other before glowing in a sphere. The two Arms fused and reemerged as a black oblong sphere which was marked with silver accents. It came down onto Gaim before beginning to open.
[ORANGE ARMS! HANAMICHI ON STAGE!]
The sides and front folded together to make shoulder plates and a chestplate while the sides around the chestplate folded out as well to form the Jinbaori-like Arms.
[JIMBER GRAPEFRUIT! HA-HA!]
The Jimber Grapefruit Arms was colored orange, patterned with grapefruit slices and marked on the left side was Gaim's personal insignia, that being a short katana within a circle. The visor remained orange. The helmet attachment, however, while the same was now black like the Jimber Arms and had silver accents. Splashes of mixed orange and grapefruit juice appeared in his hand before forming into the Sonic Arrow, the default weapon of the Genesis Riders.
The two clashed furiously as sparks rained down each time their weapons connected. Kagemusha was trying to pound Gaim to death, forcing the King of Shoku to parry with the Sonic Arrow. Gaim roared and punched Kagemusha across the face, sending him tumbling. He took aim and fired, only to miss as Kagemusha rolled out of the way. He continued to fire but Kagemusha used his Sonic Arrow to bat away the energy arrows.
"You have to do better than that," taunted Kagemusha as he charged at Gaim. He avoided Gaim's next shot. However, instead of missing, it curved in the air to fly straight for Kagemusha's unprotected back. "GAH!"
"Huh?" Gaim looked at his Sonic Arrow. He had seen the shot curve and nodded. He took aim as Kagemusha returned to his feet. He ducked another shot but the energy arrow once again curved and hit him on his blind spot. "Now I could get used to this!" Gaim grinned before he charged at Kagemusha. Gaim slashed at him but Kagemusha blocked his arm, forcing him to point the Sonic Arrow up. He pulled the shaft and fired a shot skyward before it curved and went down. Kagemusha was once again struck before he was shoved back by Gaim's kick.
[LOCK OFF!]
"Then it's up to me," Gaim stated as he took his Grapefruit Energy Lockseed and locked it into the Sonic Arrow.
[LOCK ON!]
"But it's too far away. You'll never reach it," argued Zangetsu-Shin.
"Watch me," Gaim countered.
Zangetsu-Shin watched as Gaim took aim. The Bat Beast had flown out of range and not even Zangetsu-Shin himself could make that shot. However, Gaim wasn't about to let distance stop him from finishing off his enemy. With that in mind, he slashed the Cutting Blade over his Orange Lockseed.
[SOIYA! ORANGE SQUASH!]
Suddenly, a line of alternating giant orange and grapefruit slices projected themselves between Gaim and his target, reaching all the way up to the Bat Beast. He pulled on the shaft of the Sonic Arrow, stretching the string as energy pooled at the tip. His Pulp Eye visor glowed as his vision sharpened.
[GRAPEFRUIT ENERGY!]
"SEI-YAH!" Gaim shouted as he released the shot, causing the energy at the tip to shoot out and pierce through the citrus fruit slices, growing in power and increasing its speed as it flew. The flying Bat Beast shrieked as the bolt pierced through the projections and struck before obliterating it in a massive explosion before it could even execute its attack.
[SOIYA! ORANGE SQUASH! JIMBER GRAPEFRUIT SQUASH!]
He shot an energy arrow, creating a row of alternating giant orange and grapefruit slices made of energy. He then leapt and performed his Rider Kick, flying through the row of citrus fruit slices, his body glowing with energy which became set ablaze. Bloody Gaim's eyes widened before he was smashed in the chest by the attack and was sent tumbling painfully through the air. He landed with a crash and grunted in pain before his armor vanished a moment later.
"What kind of enhancement?" Chinkyuu asked curiously.
"Well, he once told me he could see things in the dark and also see through walls to find targets," Komei confessed.
"See through walls!?" exclaimed Bacho.
"That's what he claims," Komei nodded.
"Wait, if he can see through walls, does that mean he can see through clothes?" Chinkyuu suggested.
Kanu defended furiously, "Nagata-sama would never do such a thing!"
"Aisha's right! Nagata-sama is too much of a gentleman to do such a thing as peek under our clothes!" added Ryuubi.
"I wouldn't mind," Chou'un shrugged.
"Ah, well, as long as you believe he won't, I got nothing to fear," blushed Bacho.
"And one more..." Komei flipped the chart to the latest in the long line of Nagata's transformation.
[SOIYA!]
[KACHIDOKI ARMS! IZA SHUTSUJIN! EI, EI, OH!]
Nagata's Kachidoki Arms was a whole different level. While it maintained the same color scheme of his default Orange Arms, the Kachidoki Arms had thicker, bulkier armor to better protect Nagata. The illustration showed him posing with his left hand on his hip as he raised his DJ Gun.
Kachidoki Arms made its first appearance during the Siege of Korou Fortress. It, along with Hideyoshi's Xuanwu Arms, was a deciding factor during the battle. There were songs and stories about Nagata when he donned this powerful form. Fully armored, he truly looked like a warrior king about to head into battle.
"Ah, Gaim-sama..." swooned Ryuubi. He just looked so mighty like that.
"Nagata-sama's strongest transformation," Kanu nodded in approval. "This is an appropriate way to end this review session."
"Indeed. I remember when we saw it in action the first time," Chou'un agreed.
"Alright, so what we know so far is Nagata-sama was able to access this form through his strong resolve. In terms of power and defense, it vastly outmatched his Suika Arms. While the bulky armor sacrifices his speed, the thick armor allows him to absorb damage and remain standing after a heavy onslaught," Komei described.
"He can also use the flagpoles on his back as weapons," Ryuubi recalled. "What did he call them...?" She did a thinking pose.
"The Kachidoki Bata," prompted Kanu.
"Ah yes! The Kachidoki Bata! He can use them like battle staffs," Ryuubi finished.
"And the fiery aura he produces can also blow away enemies that get too close," added Kanu.
"But that's not all, is it?" Chou'un smiled.
"Let's not forget Nagata's main weapon in Kachidoki Arms," Batai added.
"The Hinawa Daidai DJ Ju." Komei flipped the chart to show a detailed drawing of the weapon. Komei had asked Nagata if she could get a closer look at it so she could make an accurate illustration. He couldn't say no to a request like that coming from his cute little strategist.
They didn't have guns in this era, so they didn't have anything to compare it to, except Ryugen's Budou Ryuhou. But compared to Ryugen's Budou Ryuhou, the DJ Gun was bigger and more powerful.
"The weapon can shoot blasts in three variations. The first variation allows him to shoot single blasts, the second variation allows him to shoot the blasts with greater intensity, and the third variation allows him to fire rapidly," Komei explained.
"A weapon with three types of firepower. That is something," Bacho nodded in approval. Seeing it in action had been impressive. It allowed Nagata to take out multiple enemies with ease.
"And scratching the disk attachment will further increase the power of whatever shot variation he is using at the time. And that's not all. There's also the Taiken Mode." Komei flipped the chart to show the combination of the DJ Gun and Musou Saber. "By combining the Hinawa Daidai DJ Ju with the Musou Saber, Nagata-sama can form the Taiken Mode. This allows him to wield it like a great sword and is suited for his fighting style."
"Let's not forget the power this Taiken has," Chou'un reminded.
"I don't think any of us can forget," Batai commented.
Nobody could forget the incredible might of the weapon once the Kachidoki Lockseed was loaded into the DJ Gun in Taiken Mode.
[KACHIDOKI!]
As Chojo sent the Armored War Gods sprawling with a wave of dark energy, her senses picked up a surge of energy. She looked around to find the source and her eyes focused on Gaim as a blazing aura rose from his body. She didn't know what this power was but she knew that she didn't like it.
The Armor Part which descended from the portal above Gaim resembled an orange but had black highlights with silver studs. Gaim proceeded to lock the new Lockseed into his Sengoku Driver. But before he could push down the Cutting Blade, Chojo conjured a sphere of energy in each hand and hurled them both as the Ultimate Sword of Shoku couldn't avoid them as they hit Gaim and was engulfed in a huge explosion.
"Nagata!" Ryugen screamed.
"Sacre bleu!" cried out Bravo.
"Oda!" Baron yelled.
"No, Oda-kun!" Zangetsu-Shin exclaimed.
Chojo grinned victoriously as she had eliminated one threat. Now she could focus on the other Armored War Gods. As she turned away from the smoke cloud, a loud announcement caused her to freeze.
[KACHIDOKI ARMS!]
The smoke cleared to reveal Gaim wearing the Kachidoki Arms Armor Part, completely unscathed by the explosion. The core of his open Kachidoki Lockseed resembled an octagonal orange slice while the lid's backside image was a type of futuristic rifle.
Chojo uttered, her voice trembling, "No...Impossible..."
[IZA SHUTSUJIN!]
The top part of the Armor Part flipped down onto Gaim's back to reveal his helmet. His helmet was now more ornate with black and gold side decorations and a white 'mustache' added to the faceplate. The head crest now gained more decoration with curved gold horn-like crests. The headpiece now had silver bolt studs with an orange stem on top.
The front part flipped down to become his skirt armor with black highlights and silver bolt studs which revealed his chestplate which was also orange with his symbol in gold on a black background surrounded by silver bolts. The two parts of the armor were connected by links of silver rods and hinged. Its side parts rotated down on their axis to become large shoulder guards which were also orange with black highlights and silver studs while his forearm braces also gained similar armor.
The visor lit up as gold 'juice' splashed from his armor and a pair of orange flags with Gaim's symbol in black extended from his back on silver poles as his transformation was completed. Fully unveiled, Gaim Kachidoki Arms resembled a fully armored Japanese shogun.
[EI, EI, OH!]
The loud chant caught the attention of the other Armored War Gods. Only their masks hid their collective surprise.
Ryugen's eyes widened in surprised at the sight of Gaim's new Kachidoki Arms. "Nagata...?"
"Whoa!" uttered Knuckle.
"A new Arms?" Baron questioned.
"What is that?" questioned Chulainn curiously.
"How did he get it?" Zangetsu-Shin wondered.
"C'est magnifique!" Bravo declared.
"Check him out, Fuyu!" Mars alerted his brother.
"I am, Natsu-niisan!" Kamuro agreed.
"I think I read rumors about it online," Gridon remarked.
"No fair! I want my own Super Arms too!" Kurokage complained.
Chojo shrieked at the sight of the new Gaim, "WHAT IS THIS!? TELL ME! I COMMAND YOU TO TELL ME WHAT YOU'VE DONE!"
"This is my new power," Gaim answered as the HUD fed him data about his new form. Chojo could feel the power coming from Gaim and it frightened her. That fear quickly turned to anger and Chojo roared as she charged up another energy blast before hurling it at Gaim. In response, Gaim removed the Kachidoki Bata flags from his back, twirled them around and used the flags to smack away Chojo's energy blast, much to her shock. She continued to fire a barrage of energy blasts but he deflected each of them with ease.
"DON'T YOU DARE LOOK DOWN ON ME!" Enraged, Chojo formed a massive sphere of energy and hurled it at Gaim, causing a violent explosion. The demonic dictator grinned in satisfaction but her smile quickly fell once the smoke cleared to reveal that Gaim was unharmed by the attack as he stood in the center of a smoking crater as a result from the attack.
Gaim roared and dashed at the stunned Chojo, hitting her in the forehead with one of the flags, causing her to scream. Chojo hissed in contempt before she lunged at Gaim. Gaim was ready for her as she tried to claw at him. He sidestepped and smacked her upside the head with the left flag before bashing her with the right.
"Why do you continue to oppose me!? Why won't you die!? Why don't you know your place!? Why!? Why! WHY, WHY, WHY!?" Chojo screamed as she used her arms to block his strikes.
"You took an innocent girl hostage, destroyed her reputation, forced her friends to do your bidding, and on top of that you massacred an entire city!" Gaim shot back at Chojo as he continued his assault. "You spread suffering and misery all for the sake of greed and power! Neither the gods in the Heavens nor I will forgive you!" Flames surrounded the Kachidoki Bata as he continued to lash out, "Now count up your crimes!"
"WHO IN THE WORLD DO YOU THINK YOU ARE!?"
"AN ARMORED WAR GOD RIDER! THE ULTIMATE SWORD OF SHOKU! REMEMBER THAT AND TAKE IT TO YOUR GRAVE, CHOJO!" A fiery wave blew Chojo backwards and she bounced along the ground before she went skidding facedown.
While Gridon was laying the beatdown on Chojo, Gaim put away the Kachidoki Bata flags and took out his newest Arms Weapon. It was a firearm which resembled a futuristic Tanegashima rifle. It was called the Hinawa Daidai DJ Ju, aka the DJ Gun, the signature weapon of the Kachidoki Arms.
The DJ Gun had a Drive Bay slot for Lockseeds under the barrel and a disk-like attachment (DJ Table) set between the Drive Bay and grip. It also had a switch (DJ Pitch) on it that was set to Medium which was its default setting. He scratched the DJ Table, causing the gun to release the sound of war horns.
"Hideyoshi, move!" Gaim shouted and Gridon quickly got out of the way before Gaim pulled the trigger. Chojo was hit by the shotgun-like blasts and each shot made her backpedal. He switched the DJ Pitch switch to High and scratched the DJ Table again. This time when he pulled the trigger, ammo flew in a spray of bullets like a machine gun and Chojo cried out as she was hit by the painful barrage.
Gaim set the DJ Gun to Low next and scratched the DJ Table. He then took aim, pulled the trigger and the DJ Gun shot an explosive cannon-like burst. Chojo was stunned by the attack as it exploded against her and sent her tumbling.
"Nice gun," Gridon complimented as Gaim shouldered the DJ Gun. Chojo roared and fired an energy blast at both Riders. Gaim swiftly drew his Musou Saber and swung, neutralizing Chojo's attack as his blade slashed right through it. His eyes narrowed at Chojo as he made his decision.
It was time to execute her.
"Let's finish this," Gaim stated as he flipped up a piece attached under the DJ Gun's barrel over onto the front. Afterwards, he held his Musou Saber up to the DJ Gun and slid the blade into the barrel. This caused the Great Orange Blade edge piece to pop out the other end which was the back of the DJ Gun's Matchlock Grip. He unlocked his Kachidoki Lockseed.
[LOCK OFF!]
Gaim then locked his Kachidoki Lockseed onto the DJ Gun's Drive Bay.
[LOCK ON!]
Gaim gripped the DJ Gun in Taiken Mode tightly with both hands, one hand around a handle on the DJ Gun and the other on the Musou Saber's the same time, Gridon pushed the Cutting Blade three times as he aimed a sharp glare at Chojo.
As both Riders charged at Chojo, the DJ Gun began to count up like the Musou Saber, only it went higher and further.
[1, 10, 100, 1,000, 10,000, 100,000,000, 1,000,000,000,000, MURYODAISU!]
"NOOOOOOOOO!" Chojo denied as she fired at Gaim and Gridon, but her blasts flew past them as they continued to charge. Energy flared out from the DJ Gun's blade with each count as its power was increased to incredible proportions.
[KACHIDOKI CHARGE!]
Gridon took that as his cue as he leapt into the sky. His armor glowed, turning gold, as a massive aura in the shape of a turtle formed around him.
"THE FINALE! KACHIDOKI DAI MUSOU ZAN!" Gaim roared as he violently slashed Chojo across the chest, causing blood and fire to burst out from the wound as she shrieked. Gaim looked up to see that Gridon was diving down towards them and decided it was time to move, leaving Chojo to her fate. The other Armored War Gods scrambled as well to get some distance between them and the impact point.
"Nagata's Kachidoki Arms is quite impressive, but doesn't it seem like the armor is hiding something else?" Ryuubi asked.
"What do you mean, Touka-neechan?" Chouhi asked.
"It's just...well...do you think this is as far as Nagata-sama's power can go? Or are we only just scratching the surface? What if he gets chosen by the Sovereigns? Then what?" Ryuubi asked.
"That is a good question," agreed Komei.
What would come next?
Meanwhile, what was going on with Nagata and Karasu?
"KYAAAA!"
"AAARGGGGHHH!"
Gaim and Idunn both screamed as they were thrown into several trees. They kept sailing, knocking down trees as they tumbled through the air. The two Odas landed on the grassy floor of Helheim Forest and groaned as their armor vanished from taking too much damage.
It was supposed to be a simple training excursion into Helheim Forest, using the Inves as sparring partners. While Nagata was aware of what the Inves used to be, they were nothing more than feral beings now. Nobody would actually miss them if they were destroyed.
A rather nihilistic view on Inves, but it wasn't exactly untrue.
"How...how is it so strong...?" Karasu asked as she rose to her feet.
"Natural selection and a good diet, perhaps?" theorized Nagata as he picked himself up. They heard the roar and looked to see the trees being knocked down as their assailant came barreling towards them. "Shit, here it comes!"
Coming into the clearing was an Evolved Shika Inves. It didn't even look like a deer anymore. Even its Berserker State still had some features to make it resemble a mammal. Now it just looked like a mutant gorilla with moose antlers on its head and shoulders. It was built much like a big gorilla, with thick muscular arms.
It roared at the two Riders. If things weren't already bad enough, its roar had attracted a group of Elementary Inves and Berserker State Inves which surrounded the both of them.
Nagata and Karasu stood back-to-back as they faced the horde. Narrowing her eyes, Karasu turned Nagata around to face her.
"Naga-kun, take this," Karasu said as she handed him her Ringo Lockseed.
"You sure?" Nagata asked.
"I trust you," Karasu confirmed.
"Alright, here we go." Nagata unlocked the Ringo Lockseed.
[RINGO!]
Energy gathered above Gaim, forming the Ringo Armor Part. He quickly loaded the Ringo Lockseed into his SengokuDriver, locking it in.
[LOCK ON!]
"Henshin!" Nagata shouted as he pushed down the Cutting Blade.
[SOIYA! RINGO ARMS! DESIRE FORBIDDEN FRUITS!]
The Ringo Armor Part came down and covered Nagata's head before his signature blue Ride Wear suit materialized over his body. The Armor Part disassembled, forming a chestpiece which had two sharp points in front and spiked shoulder pads. His helmet was revealed, equipped with a red headpiece that had horns on both sides that resembled apple slices. Juice-like energy splashed from his left hand, materializing the Apple Reflecter shield. Gripping the sword handle that stuck out the top with his right hand, Gaim drew the Sword Bringer and posed dramatically.
"Armored War God Gaim! Arriving on Stage!" Gaim declared.
The Inves roared and charged at Gaim. Gaim roared and slashed at the Elementary Inves and Berserker Inves as they came at him, sending them reeling backwards. He used the shield to block their blows before he pushed back against their forces.
Karasu wasn't exactly idle either. Spotting a few Helheim Fruits hanging from a vine, she quickly plucked one off. In a flash, the fruit morphed into a mature Lockseed and she smiled as she realized she had just made a new one. It was modeled after a peach with the code L.S.-33 in front.
[PEACH!]
When she unlocked the Peach Lockseed, energy gathered above her head to form a reddish-pink peach-shaped Armor Part. Also, when she unlocked the Lockseed, several Inves broke off from the main horde and were coming towards her. She ducked as the Elementary Inves took swipes at her and kicked them back before she loaded in her new Peach Lockseed and hit the Cutting Blade.
"Henshin!"
The front of the Lockseed was sliced open, revealing the core. The lid's backside displayed a pair of tonfa that were crossed together.
[COME ON! PEACH ARMS! BLOSSOMING STRIKE, SEI-YA!]
The Peach Arms Armor Part disassembled after dropping on her head as her Ride Wear suit formed. The front folded forward before folding in half to form her reddish-pink breastplate as the back piece of the Armor Part folded in half as it rested on her back. The sides also folded in half before coming to rest over her shoulders. Her headpiece attachment was simple and peach-shaped while her visor became peach colored.
Peach juice splashed from her hands, forming a pair of red tonfas. The tips of the long ends of the weapons were topped by metal peaches. Idunn gave her new Momo Tonfa a few experimental twirls before snapping them straight.
"Interesting," nodded Idunn in approval. The Elementary Inves came at her and she struck with her Momo Tonfa. They recoiled from the brutal blows as she continued to batter them. She jabbed the short ends into their vulnerable spots before she twirled and used the longer ends to knock them down.
[COME ON! PEACH SQUASH!]
The Momo Tonfa glowed and she unleashed devastating blows as reddish-pink trails of energy followed. The Inves that were struck exploded on the spot. Satisfied, she turned to help her second cousin and saw that he was just finishing up the rest of the horde.
[SOIYA! RINGO SQUASH!]
Gaim spun in place, the Sword Bringer's blade trailing energy in a circular pattern, as he slashed at the Inves. They exploded instantly after the attack and Gaim turned his attention towards the Evolved Shika Inves.
It beat its chest and roared before it charged right at him. He dug in his heels and raised the Apple Reflecter before the creature's fist smashed against the shield. He was pushed back by the blow, but not by much. The roaring Evolved Shika Inves continued to pound on the shield as Gaim held his ground, waiting for an opening.
Idunn suddenly leapt at the Evolved Shika Inves and sent it reeling with a kick into its ugly face. She did a backflip and landed next to Gaim who took a moment to admire her new Arms.
"Naga-kun, are you OK?" Idunn asked.
"Yeah, I'm fine. Thanks. Nice new Arms by the way. The color suits you," Gaim praised.
"Thank you. Now, shall we defeat this beast?" Idunn suggested.
"You took the words right out of my mouth," Gaim replied before he hit the Cutting Blade three times.
[SOIYA! RINGO SPARKING!]
Idunn did the same as she pushed her Cutting Blade down three times over her Peach Lockseed.
[COME ON! PEACH SPARKING!]
Gaim and Idunn jumped and performed backflips as the Evolved Shika Inves' fist came down. Dirt and grass went flying as it slammed its fist on the ground. Their feet landed against the trunk of a tree and they used it as a springboard to propel themselves towards the Evolved Shika Inves.
Gaim positioned his body to execute his signature Rider Kick, flying at the Inves with one leg tucked in and the other extended as red energy blazed from his body. Idunn was diving straight for the Evolved Shika Inves as energy burst from her body, her Momo Tonfa pointed forward as she spun like a drill.
The two blasted a hole right through the Inves' massive chest, exiting out the back, before they both did a three-point landing with their backs facing the monster. The Inves froze before it fell on its knees and collapsed forwards.
BOOOOOOOM!
The Evolved Shika Inves exploded and Gaim turned to admire their handiwork. He closed the Ringo Lockseed and unlocked it from his SengokuDriver before tossing it back to Idunn.
"Thanks for the Lockseed, Kara-chan," Nagata said gratefully. Idunn closed her Lockseed, changing back to civilian form.
"It was my pleasure. So how did it feel?" Karasu asked.
"Your Ringo Arms was really powerful. I felt like I could do anything," he admitted. "Now, come on. We best head back. It should be dinner time soon and I don't want to keep everyone waiting."
"I'm right behind you, Naga-kun," Karasu smiled as she followed her second cousin. He activated the Sakura Hurricane and they both rode it out of Helheim Forest together.
Once back in the castle, Nagata told Karasu, "I'm gonna head down to the kitchen to start cooking. You just chill in your room."
"I will. I have a new book I've been dying to finish," Karasu smiled. Nagata smiled back and turned towards the direction of the kitchen. While his back was turned, Karasu stared at him with a neutral expression before heading to her room.
Once in her room, she closed the door behind her and smiled darkly. The first step into getting Nagata all to herself was ready. Now, all she had to do was wait for the right opportunity and she would get everything she ever wanted.
Karasu whispered ominously as she admired her Ringo Lockseed, "Soon, Naga-kun. Soon we'll leave this place and go home to be together, forever..." For a moment, the Ringo Lockseed turned pitch black before changing back to its brilliant red color scheme.
Fruits of the Tree, Yggdrasil
Peach Arms: Summoned by the Peach Lockseed (L.S.-33), the Peach Arms is a form that grants its user a huge boost in physical combat capabilities. The primary Arms Weapon is the Momo Tonfa, a pair of tonfa topped with metal peaches on the long ends. So far, Idunn is the only known user of the Peach Arms.
KRC: OK, so this is just an interlude chapter before the final arc of this season. While it doesn't do much except recap on Nagata's past battles, it was still fun for me to write. Some may complain about filler, but I sometimes enjoy it, depending on the content and stories.
Also, Ryuubi's question has significance to the next and final arc of season 5. As of right now, three Armored War Gods have been chosen and it seems like one more is left to be chosen by the Sovereigns. Anyway, normal chapter updates will resume, hopefully, next week. However, I may go on a hiatus of several weeks to perfect the chapters of the final arc, so please be patient.
And once again Karasu shows her yandere side. Only, she's a bit more patient and planning out her moves carefully. Just what has she done to Nagata and why did her Lockseed go dark just now?
TFP: Well, this takes me back. Seeing all those flashbacks is like going down memory lane. We got to see all of Nagata's Lockseeds in action and a new one for Karasu. Still, it seems like Karasu is running her own game and has aims on Nagata for herself.
