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.

KRC: Anyway, I was looking at my reviews earlier and came across a few with strong words of criticism. In this kind of thing, you need to expect criticism when you decide to be a writer since you're sharing your work with others. You're not always gonna get positive feedback, and often times their words can hurt, but don't get discouraged. Being able to please everybody is impossible and if you try to please everyone but make yourself miserable, then what's the point? Some people write for fame, money, and their own reasons. I'm just a writer for fun. If some people don't like my stories for one reason or another, then that should not be my problem. It's best to move on and not dwell on it. I'm just writing this to express my creativity. Besides, after almost twelve years of being on , I've had my fair share of bad reviews and I'm still improving as a writer because of those same bad reviews. I just love writing too much to give it up. So, for those who want to get into writing, don't let anyone stop you or let bad reviews bring you down. Use it as fuel to get better and improve yourself. That's all I can say. Besides, I still get support from my readers and that encourages me to keep writing.

There is a special Easter Egg here like in chapter 8. In this chapter a certain merchant makes another appearance. Try and see if you can spot him. It's pretty easy, mind you. Also, you guys are gonna get a few special treats. Some of you have been looking forward to it happening. I won't tell you what it is, but it's something to make you all celebrate and be truly happy. Now, let's roll the fic!

Sangokuden Armored War Gods Saga: Age of the Armored War Gods

Co-Written By: Ten-Faced Paladin and Kamen Rider Chrome

Chapter 12: Just Desserts

While staying in the Nanban Barbarians' tree castle, Iori and his family were given a room to sleep in. However, the Nanban Barbarians didn't really sleep on beds. Fortunately, Iori packed pillows, sleeping mats and blankets for his family to sleep on.

Riri slept between her parents. It was warm and comforting. To her left lay her mommy and to her right lay her daddy. As she slept, Riri's peaceful slumber started to become uneasy. Her brows furrowed as her lips curled into a frown.

She tossed and turned in her sleep. This roused Iori awake and he noticed that Riri was having a bad dream. Iori gently scooped Riri up. She woke up from her nightmare and looked up at her daddy's squinted eyes.

"Daddy?" she asked, tears welling up at the corners of her eyes.

"You were having a bad dream, weren't you?" Iori asked. Riri nodded as she leaned into her daddy's embrace for comfort.

"What's going on...?" Kochu asked drowsily as she rubbed her eyes.

"Riri had a bad dream," Iori answered.

"It was about the bad lady that wanted to hurt Mommy and take Daddy away," Riri explained. Iori frowned. Riri was referring to Sadako.

Kochu gently put her arms around Riri and held her close.

"It was just a bad dream, honey. The bad lady isn't coming back," Kochu reassured her daughter.

"Really?" Riri asked hopefully.

"Really," affirmed Kochu.

"And if she does come back, I'll make sure she never hurts us ever again," Iori swore. He held his pinkie out. Riri understood the gesture as she hooked her small pinkie with his. "Pinkie swear."

"Daddy, I know you'll beat her next time. You're strong," Riri smiled encouragingly. Iori smiled and kissed her forehead.

"Now go back to sleep. Daddy and Mommy will be here when you wake up," he told her reassuringly. Riri nodded and lay back down as Kochu stroked her hair.

"That woman really scared Riri," Kochu whispered.

"What scared me most was that she tried to kill you," Iori replied.

"But you didn't let that happen. And I know that you won't ever let anything happen to us."

Kochu gave her husband a kiss before she lay down, draping an arm over Riri.

"I promise to protect you both," Iori swore as he watched Riri and Kochu sleep. Remembering what Sadako tried to do made him scowl. If he hadn't somehow gained a mysterious new power, he might've lost Kochu today.

Dark or light, power was power, and as their enemies grew stronger, he needed to get stronger himself in order to protect the ones he loved. He needed to gain control of this power, or at least get access to a new power. He could not afford to be weak. There was so much that he could not afford to lose.


While Iori, Kochu and Riri were away visiting Ichiro in Nanban, everyone else back in Shoku was going through their daily duties as usual.

Unlike Son Go and Sou Gi, who expanded their territories through force and conquest, Shoku expanded their borders through peaceful means. They negotiated with other provinces, promising aid in exchange for resources, and offering protection from enemies. Nagata's reputation was an advantage during negotiations. Everyone wanted to join under the banner of a strong Armored War God.

Currently, Kanu was standing at the village gate with a group of soldiers, armed with spears, shields and determination. She was in charge of the group tasked with investigating reports of possible bandit activity. Ever eager to take the fight to the bandits, Kanu had volunteered to follow up on the reports with her patrol group.

"We've received reports of sightings regarding unusual activity near the mountain area. We will be investigating these claims today. Be prepared for anything. It might just be the enemy," Kanu informed her men.

"And what if it is the enemy?" one of the soldiers, a young man, asked with a hint of concern. Shoku, as well as Sou Gi and Son Go, was currently at war with the RinJyuKen Akugata. It was a group full of monsters that practiced beast-based martial arts. They were dangerous and deadly. While their footsoldiers weren't very powerful, with their only strength being in their numbers, normal warriors stood no chance against their more monstrous members. The young soldier had a right to be concerned. He wanted to serve his village, but he didn't want to die so soon in his life.

"If it is the enemy, then we do not engage unless we have no other choice. This is merely a scouting mission. If it is proven to be the enemy, we will come back to the village and prepare reinforcements," Kanu answered.

"Why don't we just take care of them on the spot?" Karasu suggested as she walked over to Kanu's group. The soldiers bowed in respect to the Armored War Goddess.

"Idunn-sama, what brings you here?" Kanu asked.

"I couldn't help but notice you had some of the village guards assembled at the gate. Seems like you're heading out for a patrol," Karasu replied.

"There have been reports of unusual activity near the mountains. We were about to head out to investigate," Kanu answered.

"Unusual activity, huh? Sounds interesting. Why isn't Naga-kun here then?"

"He's behind on his paperwork and needs to get it done. Besides, we were just going to check things out and come straight back."

"Then allow me to join you. Your men might feel safer with an Armored War Goddess as their escort," Karasu offered kindly. Kanu saw the men exchanging words of agreement. Karasu made a lot of sense. If it was enemy activity, then having a Rider join them would be beneficial.

"Alright, you may come with us," Kanu allowed before she turned to face the open gate.

"You won't regret this, Kanu," Karasu said as she smirked darkly.

The group headed towards the mountains with Kanu in the lead and Karasu guarding the rear. So far, they had yet to encounter anything unusual. The woods were clear and there didn't seem to be any signs of trouble.

"Kanu, are you sure those claims were valid?" Karasu asked, feeling bored since nothing had happened since they started this mission.

"That is what we're trying to check. According to the reports, witnesses claimed to have heard strange noises and seen dark figures," Kanu answered.

"Probably their minds playing tricks on them. At night, the wind and shadows can appear like something else. They probably saw monkeys in the dark and got themselves spooked," Karasu rationalized.

"You have a point, but until we can be completely sure, we can't head back just yet," Kanu stated. She suddenly stopped, causing the soldiers and Karasu to stop in their tracks.

Karasu narrowed her eyes as she gripped the handle of her odachi tightly and started to draw her blade. "We're not alone, are we?"

"No, we are not," Kanu confirmed as they put their guard up. "Show yourselves!"

From behind the trees, several figures stepped out into their line of sight. Kanu tensed up as she saw what they were. They were clad in familiar and identical black suits of armor.

"Kurokage..." Kanu whispered. They recently received information from Sou Gi that the Armored War Devils had somehow managed to acquire a massive amount of SengokuDrivers, allowing members of their White Clothes cult to adorn themselves in Kurokage's armor in order to create an army of Riders. Why they copied Kurokage specifically, Kanu had no idea. What she did know was that they were now surrounded by white scarf wearing versions of Kurokage and they weren't friendly.

If things weren't already bad enough, they were about to get much worse.

"Hello, Kanu. You're looking as lovely as ever," Nise-Zangetsu greeted.

Kanu could only grumble, "Not you again..."


Nagata heaved a sigh as he signed off on another document, politely declining yet another marriage proposal, but offering different means of cementing an alliance. It wasn't the proposals themselves that were bothering him, but the fact that he had to refuse the offers from the same lords multiple times.

"You'd think refusing them once would be enough," Nagata huffed in annoyance, starting on his next set of paperwork. "Why can't they get the hint? No means no, not an offer to try again six months later."

Now that he finally got those documents dealt with for the day, it was finally time for him to get his more important work done. The letters from lords, while requiring immediate responses, were not on the top of lists of things he needed to get done. It was just best to get them out of the way before he ended up with a pile of unnecessary paperwork.

Being Shoku's ruler, there was plenty of important things to do. Shoku was made up of many towns and villages which had banded together under his banner, with Touka Village at the very centre as its capital. He had not expected his influence to grow so quickly, but it had. But then again, since he had a pivotal role in the elimination of bandits in Shoku, many towns and villages praised him and were happy to join under his rule. They saw him as a protector and a guardian.

People flocked to those with power. That was a very true statement. Nagata heard that a lot of people from the former imperial territories were traveling towards Shoku, Son Go and Sou Gi. With no more support from the fallen empire, they needed a new home that could protect them. Immediately, they went to the nearest kingdoms that were protected by Armored War Gods.

As an Armored War God himself, people put him on a pedestal. He became an ideal, a representation of hope and justice. He really didn't know how to deal with such adoration. At the end of the day, he was just a guy with special equipment.

That didn't stop people from worshipping him.

Nagata looked to the cabinet that held his parents' shrine and said, "You probably didn't expect that this is what it would be like to be a hero either, huh Mom?" He didn't expect a reply, but he knew his birth mother would give him words of encouragement. These people looked up to him as a savior. He might as well make sure he lived up to their expectations the best he could.

Fortunately, he wasn't working alone. He had the support of his retainers to help him run the kingdom. He had strong generals to help him lead his army and an intelligent strategist to guide him. Most of all, he had friends by his side. Without them, he wouldn't know what to do. Even with all his power, there were limits to what he could do with a special belt and padlocks. Even he couldn't do everything alone.

Nagata read another document. It was a request for supplies from one of the outposts in the North. He immediately approved it and then wrote a letter with his seal to the suppliers to get the supplies delivered to the outpost. With more volunteers enlisting in the Shoku Army, supplies like weapons, uniforms and food needed to be approved and prepared. Other documents included requests for building material and manpower in order to build new homes for people who wanted to live in Shoku after hearing tales of how peaceful and prosperous it was.

The Harvest Festival was coming soon and Nagata had seen how healthy the crops were. The rice and wheat fields were rich and from a distance they looked like a golden field. The vegetable fields were growing well with cabbages, scallions, yams, and the fruit orchards were ripe with fruits. They even had a field just for melons that looked ripe and delicious.

They were really going to have a bountiful harvest and it was worth celebrating. They would be able to survive the winter with this food supply and had enough to share among all the towns and villages in Shoku.

He would need to discuss matters of the upcoming Harvest Festival with the others during the next Round Table meeting. They needed to set up a committee to organize the Harvest Festival and many of the events that would be taking place. Even if they were currently at war with the RinJyuKen, it didn't mean the people needed to live in fear of another attack.

As Nagata continued to go over his paperwork, a hawk suddenly flew in through his window. He ducked as the bird of prey came swooping in before it landed on his desk.

Nagata stared as the hawk stared back at him, seemingly judging him. He then noticed that the bird had something tied to its leg. Carefully, he untied what it was and saw that it was a rolled up piece of paper. He unrolled it to find that it was a message from Iori.

This was not the first time Nagata had received a message via 'air-mail' from Nanban. Since Ichiro lived in a jungle, normal messengers dared not enter the dangerous territory occupied by wild beasts and savages. Honestly, the natives of the Nanban Territory were not savages. They were just a different culture. They managed to come up with a way to train hawks to deliver messages. Nagata still couldn't figure out the trick. He had considered using messenger pigeons someday. While the crystal balls were a great way for easy and fast communication, it was always a good idea to have alternative forms of communication. Perhaps he should visit Nanban to get some pointers.

Nagata read the message and frowned. It would appear that Ukitsu's faction was busy recruiting people from modern day Tokyo.

He learnt about Black Baron and the army Kurokages from Sousou. Now Iori was telling him in his letter that there was now a new female Rider calling herself 'Duchess'. The fact that Ukitsu's faction had access to a large collection of SengokuDrivers was also worrying. Nagata did not like the idea of facing an army of Riders. He wasn't the all-powerful Destroyer of Worlds.

'Maybe with any luck Kamen Rider Decade will show up and take these guys out for us,' Nagata thought to himself. 'Then again, our luck was never that good.'

Nagata prepared to write a reply when Komei suddenly burst into his office. She was obviously distressed since she didn't even bow politely like she normally would.

Worried, Nagata asked, "Shuri, what's wrong?"

Komei answered, "Nagata-sama! It's terrible! Aisha's been kidnapped!"

"WHAT!?" The messenger hawk was startled by Nagata's reaction as it rapidly flapped its wings. "What happened!?" Nagata demanded as he stood up. Komei knew that he would react this way. He loved Kanu and the idea of her ever being in danger frightened him.

"Come with me. Idunn-sama can tell you everything," Komei said.

Nagata left his office with Komei to see Karasu. She was sitting in the castle's infirmary while Totaku and Kaku were treating her wounds. She had cuts and bruises but nothing life-threatening.

"Kara-chan!" cried Nagata as he saw his cousin being dressed in bandages.

"Naga-kun," Karasu responded as she lowered her gaze. "I'm so sorry."

"Just tell me what happened."

"I went with Kanu and some guards to investigate claims of unusual activity near the mountains. We were ambushed by a group of Riders in black and a white Kamen Rider," Karasu explained.

"Kurokage Troopers and Nise..." Nagata concluded.

"Yes, that's what Kanu called him, but he claims to be Zangetsu," Karasu confirmed.

"And you fought them?" he asked.

"I did but they managed to kill the guards with us. In the confusion, the white one took Kanu away." She apologized again, "I'm so sorry."

"It's not your fault, Kara-chan. I should've been there to help. Just stay here and get some rest," Nagata reassured her, silently cursing his paperwork. If he hadn't been swamped with paperwork, he could've been with Kanu and prevented the whole thing.

"Nagata-sama, what should we do?" Komei asked worriedly. She watched as he walked towards the door.

"Shuri, I'm going to save Aisha."

"But how will you find her?" she asked.

"I'm going to start at the last place where she was seen. I'll go from there and try to find some clues so I can find her, before it's too late."

"Should I inform the others?" Komei asked.

"No, I'll handle this myself."

"Nagata-sama, I must protest! You need an armed escort for your protection!" Komei objected.

"She's right, Naga-kun. You can't go alone," Karasu agreed worriedly. He ignored them as he stormed out of the infirmary. "Naga-kun!"

"Nagata-sama, wait!" Komei could only watch helplessly as he stormed out and prayed that he wasn't too late to save their friend.

Kaku frowned. "That guy always loses his sense of reason whenever Aisha is concerned."

Totaku responded, "It's normal for lovers to be worried about each other."

Karasu watched the door as her lips twisted into a scowl.


Once outside the castle, Nagata put on his SengokuDriver and activated his Sakura Hurricane. He was about to mount it when he heard his retainers calling out to him.

"Nagata-sama!"

"Nagata-niichan!"

Nagata looked to see Ryuubi, Ryofu, Bacho, Chouhi and Chou'un coming towards him.

"I suppose Shuri's told you what happened," he guessed.

"Yes, so please allow us to accompany you," Ryuubi requested.

"That's right! Let us help you rescue Aisha-neechan and teach that creep a lesson!" added Chouhi furiously.

"No," he declined firmly, shocking them.

"Why not, Nagata-sama?" Bacho asked.

"This is something personal," he answered.

"But at least allow us to accompany you," Chou'un pleaded.

"Take us to keep you safe," Ryofu insisted. She took her duties as his bodyguard seriously. Nagata blinked at he looked at Ryofu. Perhaps she could help him.

"Ren, could you get your dogs?" Nagata requested.

"You need my dogs?" Ryofu asked.

"I'm going to find Aisha and your dogs can help me by picking up her scent," he told her. Ryofu nodded and whistled. She immediately summoned her dogs as they gathered around them.

"What do you need us to do?" Bacho asked.

"I need you all to stay here and hold the fort while I'm gone," he told them. They wanted to argue, urge him to take them along, insist that they go with him, but they couldn't. His eyes showed them his resolve. This was something he needed to do himself.

They accepted that. His firm resolve in his actions was just one of the things they admired about him.

They reluctantly accepted his decision. They didn't have to like it, but this was what he wanted.

"Alright, but be careful, Nagata-sama," Ryuubi said to him.

"Thank you," Nagata replied before he mounted his Sakura Hurricane as Ryofu got on the back with Sekito held under one arm while she held her Heaven Piercer with the other. The three of them drove off to where the patrol group was last seen alive as the rest of the dogs followed.

"I'm still not sure it was wise to let him go off like that," Chou'un commented.

"Perhaps, but Nagata-sama is strong and he has Ren with him. They can find Aisha and save her," Ryuubi replied.

Karasu watched from afar as Nagata left Touka Village before she turned away.

"How troublesome," she muttered.


Nagata, Ren and the dogs came upon the clearing and the two warriors grimaced at the sight of all the dead bodies. The crows were already upon them, pecking at their flesh. The black birds scattered and flew away as soon as the dogs started barking, chasing them away.

Nagata recognized these poor men as members of the village guard. One of them was just a young man. He had joined the Shoku Army a month ago to help protect the village, but was cut down so early in his life.

Nagata would mourn them for their sacrifice as they had died in the line of duty, but right now he needed to find and rescue Kanu. Meanwhile, the dogs were sniffing around for anything that could point them towards Kanu's location.

He didn't recognize the white-clad bodies, but he didn't like the fact that they were wearing SengokuDrivers. Fortunately, their SengokuDrivers and Lockseeds were now broken. Karasu's work, obviously. It was a smart move.

He tried to search for clues. Anything to point him in the right direction. There was no sign of Kanu among them, which gave him some relief. However, considering that Nise was the one responsible for her capture, God knows what he was doing to her right now. He always suspected that the man who had stolen Ryuubi's identity had an unhealthy fixation on Kanu.

Sekito barked, getting his and Ryofu's attention. He seemed to be pointing at something. Nagata knelt down. Hidden in the grass was a few strands of hair. They were black and very long, and only Kanu had hair that long.

"Good job, boy," Nagata smiled as he patted Sekito's head.

"Is that a clue?" Ryofu asked.

"Yeah, it is," Nagata confirmed. "Now we just need to know where these will lead us."

"Looking for someone? I could help with that," said a mysterious silky voice. Nagata spun around to see none other than Armored War Devil Marika leaning against a tree. The dogs stood in front of Ryofu and Nagata, growling and snarling at the pink-clad Rider as Ryofu pointed her Heaven Piercer threateningly at her.

"You!" Nagata held up his Orange and Grapefruit Energy Lockseeds and was about to activate them.

"Hold your horses and call off your attack dogs, Gaim," Marika interrupted him, raising her hands up in front of her to show that she meant no harm. "I'm just here to tell you where you can find your lover."

"Excuse me?" Nagata reacted in disbelief.

"That's right. After he had your men killed, he took Kanu to that forest in the other world," Marika informed him.

"He took her to Helheim!?"

"That's where he's hiding. He probably thinks you wouldn't be able to find him there."

Marika made a good point. Only someone insane or stupid would think hiding in Helheim would be a good idea. Right now, Nise could be either one or the other.

"Why are you telling us this?" Nagata asked suspiciously.

"Because I don't like him anymore than you do," Marika confessed.

"If this is a trap..." Nagata started to threaten.

"If it is, you can ignore the information I've just given you and waste time trying to look for them. By then, he's probably violated your lover, repeatedly," Marika interrupted. "You should go."

"Fine," Nagata accepted reluctantly. "Thanks for the info."

"Is it wise to believe her?" Ryofu asked. She didn't trust any of the Armored War Devils, not since they helped Chojo to take over Rakuyo.

"We don't have any other leads but Aisha's hair here. Don't worry, I'll be fine. Go back to the village and get people here to gather the bodies. Even the ones in white. They might be the enemy but even they deserve a proper burial," Nagata instructed. Ryofu obeyed as he got on his Sakura Hurricane and drove off towards the direction Marika had pointed him to. He sped up and produced a flower-shaped portal to Helheim before he flew through it.

Ryofu turned to look at Marika, only to find her gone. Ryofu's eyes narrowed. She was worried. She couldn't help it. Her lord was going into enemy territory on his own. While she was confident in his abilities, she was still concerned over his well-being. She didn't trust any of the Genesis Riders, but she wondered what was the real reason Marika decided to help them.

There was actually a more personal reason as to why Marika decided to help Nagata. Before she met Ukitsu, her beauty had gotten the attention of a lord. She became his mistress but was treated as a sex slave. Ukitsu had saved her from that life and in return she swore her allegiance to him. It was why she hated Nise. The way he obsessed over Kanu was disgusting. Also, he tried to hit on her a lot, which was annoying. He was a pretty boy but his personality left a lot to be desired.

To be honest, she liked strong men who could face adversity and move on without looking back. Sou Gi's Ultimate Spear, the Crimson Enforcer, Armored War God Baron, was a prime example. So strong, so passionate, and not a phony poser like Nise. Now that was a real man. Just thinking about Baron made her hot and bothered.


Just like Marika said, Nise was in Helheim Forest. He set up a base camp there with Kurokage Troopers to guard the perimeter. The Inves were still a threat, but his guards would be able to deal with those mindless beasts. He had other things to occupy his time with.

He had Kanu all to himself now. The woman was gagged and tied to a bed. She glared at him hatefully but he found himself excited by the way she looked at him. It was so fiery and passionate.

"Kanu..." he uttered softly as he gazed at the woman. She really was quite the beauty and a powerful warrior too. Too bad she made the fatal error of siding with Nagata Oda.

He went to caress her face but she turned her head away. He roughly grabbed her chin to turn her face to him.

"You are mine, Kanu. All mine," he told her.

He was completely obsessed with Kanu. It was probably because she was the girl that got away. At first, she was just a means to improve his own image as a commander and help him gain fame. But he couldn't ignore the fact that she was a beautiful woman and wanted to make her his. He thought his good looks would be enough. He did have a lot of confidence in his handsome appearance and managed to charm a number of girls in the past. Sadly, her devotion towards Gaim was stronger than any attraction she could have towards him.

He should have had it all, but her rebellion against him in order to save Touka Village marked the beginning of the end to his plots. He became disgraced and was forced to flee in shame and fear once he was revealed as the culprit who kidnapped Kochu and Iori's daughter.

He blamed Gaim for his downfall. Gaim had achieved everything that he had set out to do, but was (in Nise's mind) squandering by going to battles and protecting peasants instead of basking in his superiority and finery like anyone else would do. So Nise plotted his revenge and planned to take everything from Gaim, starting with the keystone to it all: Kanu.

Reaching down, he began to unbutton her blouse so he could have better access to her breasts to fondle. Kanu recoiled and struggled to get away, but the ropes were tied very tightly and were too strong for her to break. Nise kissed her cheek and she turned away as she screwed her eyes shut. She prayed that her beloved would come rescue her.

'Nagata-sama...please come get me...' Tears welled up in her eyes as Nise's touch defiled her. She didn't want to be violated by this man. She wouldn't be able to live with the shame.

Suddenly, loud noises and explosions could be heard coming from outside Nise's tent. He grumbled as he reluctantly got off Kanu.

"What is going on out there?" He looked at Kanu and told her, "I will be back, my sweet Kanu." He then stepped out of the tent to check it out.

Gaim was riding his Dandeliner, firing from the air at the Kurokage Troopers on the ground, sending them scattering. He was well aware that he was pretty much outnumbered. That did not matter. He knew what he was doing. He needed to draw Nise out of his hiding place.

"Where are you...?" Gaim asked before an energy arrow nearly hit him. "Gotcha!" He brought his Lockvehicle down to land and saw Nise glaring at him, wearing Zangetsu-Shin's armor like he owned it.

This was not the white Armored War God whom he had come to respect. This was just a pathetic imposter trying to profit off the name of others. He did it before when he took Ryuubi's name and stole her identity. Now he was doing the same thing by wearing that armor.

"Gaim..." Nise-Zangetsu growled angrily.

"Where's Aisha?" demanded Gaim.

"Where you won't find her! You can't have her! She's mine!" Nise-Zangetsu roared and charged furiously at Gaim.

Gaim drew his Musou Saber and combined it with his Daidaimaru before charging towards Nise-Zangetsu. Their blades clashed as their eyes met. Nise-Zangetsu pushed Gaim backwards and brought the Sonic Arrow down only for Gaim to sidestep out of the way. He pulled the Pallete Slide and fired at Nise-Zangetsu, knocking him back.

"Why couldn't you just stay gone!? Why did you have to come back!?" Nise-Zangetsu screamed.

"To stop people like you," Gaim answered.

"I'm like this because of you! You took everything from me!"

"Wrong, the decisions you made before were all yours," Gaim scowled. "You were just made to pay the consequences once your lies and treachery were uncovered."

"Shut up! I deserve to be praised! If it wasn't for me, those villagers wouldn't have had the courage to take up arms against the bandits!"

"Even so, you still turned your back on them when they needed you the most. You only have yourself to blame. Now, it all ends here," Gaim declared as he replaced the Rider Indicator with his Genesis Core. Nise-Zangetsu roared as he dashed towards Gaim who had just activated his Grapefruit Energy Lockseed.

[GRAPEFRUIT ENERGY!]

The Orange Lockseed unlocked and closed itself, causing the Orange Arms to change back to its fruit form and repel Nise-Zangetsu. At the same time, the Grapefruit Energy Arms Armor Part materialized above Gaim and descended.

[LOCK ON!]

Gaim quickly locked in the Grapefruit Energy Lockseed and Orange Lockseed before he pushed down the Cutting Blade.

[SOIYA!]

The Orange Arms rose up and fused with the Grapefruit Energy Arms to form the Jimber Arms which descended onto Gaim. The Jimber Grapefruit Arms disassembled and folded onto Gaim, granting him his S-Class Lockseed powered form. The Sonic Arrow materialized and Gaim gripped it tightly.

[MIX! JIMBER GRAPEFRUIT! HA-HA!]

Gaim let out a yell and charged at Nise-Zangetsu before he started to land brutal strikes down on the white Armored War Devil. Nise-Zangetsu wasn't able to block and was struck repeatedly in the chest. One last strike sent him tumbling along the campground's floor as Gaim glared at him.

Nise-Zangetsu gritted his teeth as he picked himself up and fired an energy arrow at Gaim. Gaim dodged to the side and fired an energy arrow that missed. However, much to Nise-Zangetsu's surprise, the arrow curved in the air and struck him in the back.

Nise-Zangetsu and Gaim started to exchange shots, trying to take each other out. It then turned into a chase along the clearing as they fired at each other. Arrows missed, and were instead hitting the Kurokage Troopers who were watching them. Gaim then hit Nise-Zangetsu in the chest, knocking him back before he charged and slammed him against a tree, pinning him to it by the throat with his Sonic Arrow.

"Where's Kanu!?" Gaim roared in Nise-Zangetsu's face. Nise-Zangetsu was relieved that he wore a mask. Otherwise, Gaim would see his panicked face as he struggled to break free. "Where is she!?"

"What are you fools doing!? Help me!" Nise-Zangetsu screamed. Suddenly, Gaim was knocked aside by a Kurokage Trooper before he was joined by his comrades. It was only after seeing Nise-Zangetsu being put in a bad position that they decided to act.

Nise-Zangetsu gasped and massaged his throat. He looked up at Gaim. He could just grab Kanu and get away. However, what was to stop Gaim from coming after him again? No, he was going to finish this, once and for all.

Gaim was being overwhelmed by the volume of opponents. Hitting his Cutting Blade, he performed his attack.

[SOIYA! ORANGE SQUASH! JIMBER GRAPEFRUIT SQUASH!]

Spinning in a circle, he unleashed a sharp energy slash which cut up the enemies closest to him and blew away the rest to give him some breathing room. He then switched Lockseeds for something stronger.

It was overkill, but Gaim was too pissed to care.

[KACHIDOKI! LOCK ON! SOIYA! KACHIDOKI ARMS! IZA SHUTSUJIN! EI, EI, OH!]

After his Jimber Grapefruit Arms vanished, the Kachidoki Arms Armor Part materialized and opened up before dropping on him. It disassembled to reveal his Kachidoki Arms as his Kachidoki Bata sprang up from his back.

Gaim, now armed with the Hinawa Daidai DJ Ju (DJ Gun), glared at all the Kurokage Troopers around him. He knew what he was about to do might be seen as cold-blooded and ruthless, but he had learnt that such actions were necessary.

"Time to exterminate," Gaim spoke ominously.

The Kurokage Troopers rushed at him with their Kagematsu but he fired at them with the DJ Gun, sending them flying back with shotgun blasts.

He set the DJ Gun to its highest setting next and scratched the disk before he fired his DJ Gun like a machine gun, shooting a rapid spray of bullets at the surrounding Kurokage Troopers. The violent barrage sent them scattering as they tried to avoid the bullets.

Gaim couldn't help but scream as he continuously fired at them, "AAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!"

Finally, Gaim set the DJ Gun to Low and scratched the disk before he took aim and squeezed the trigger. He fired cannon-like blasts at the Kurokage Troopers, blowing them up with each pull of the trigger. The Kurokage Troopers were overwhelmed by the power of the DJ Gun and killed instantly as they exploded after taking the lethal blasts.

And now Nise-Zangetsu was all alone with no more guards.

[MELON ENERGY!]

An energy melon hovered high above Gaim before it exploded into a rain of energy arrows that came down heavily upon Gaim. While Gaim was being hit, he felt like he was being pelted by pebbles.

As the dust and smoke cleared, Gaim was still standing. The attack itself was impressive, but utterly futile as Gaim's powerful Kachidoki Arms armor absorbed the damage.

A smart man would see that they stood no chance against such a foe. However, what came next could only be described as an exercise in stupidity being committed by a fool.

"RAAAAAAGHHH!" Nise-Zangetsu yelled as he charged at Gaim and swung his Sonic Arrow wildly, striking Gaim repeatedly with violent slashes. His strikes were being fueled by jealous rage and sad desperation. He caused sparks to burst with each blow, but his repetitive attacks were just as pointless as his earlier Sonic Volley as Gaim's Kachidoki Arms armor was able to absorb such weak blows easily.

Switching the DJ Gun's setting back to Medium, Gaim raised his gun and fired a point blank shotgun blast in Nise-Zangetsu's stomach, causing him to stagger backwards. Nise-Zangetsu tried to attack him again, only to be knocked backwards by repeated shotgun blasts to the chest. He groaned in pain as he dropped his Sonic Arrow.

"This is the end," Gaim swore as he took the Kachidoki Lockseed off his SengokuDriver and locked it into his DJ Gun.

[LOCK ON!]

He took aim with the DJ Gun and pulled the trigger.

[KACHIDOKI CHARGE!]

Unable to avoid it, Nise-Zangetsu was violently blasted by an explosive energy burst fired from the DJ Gun. He tumbled lifelessly out of the smoke, his transformation cancelled out, as the force of the blast was strong enough to knock him unconscious.

Gaim approached Nise's unconscious body and aimed his DJ Gun right at him. It would be so easy to finish him now. Nise couldn't fight back or escape. He was completely at Gaim's mercy.

And there lies the problem. It would be too easy to end Nise now. He needed to face justice for his crimes. Gaim couldn't just pass judgment on him like this. It would be wrong. Besides, he was here to rescue Kanu, not commit murder in cold blood.

Meanwhile, back in Nise's tent, a figure stood over the captive Kanu. The black-haired warrior's eyes widened at the sight of the figure who held a sword to her neck. She began to sweat as she felt cold steel against her throat. With the gag in her mouth, she wouldn't be able to call for help. In her bound state, the figure could easily kill her.

"Goodbye, Kanu Unchou," the figure spoke coldly as she prepared to go for the kill. The voice sounded female but also distorted like it was coming through a voice modulator. The figure raised the sword up and was ready to bring it down on Kanu. Kanu screwed her eyes shut as she flinched.

'Goodbye, Rinrin. Goodbye, Aneue. Goodbye...Nagata-sama...'

A moment passed.

When she didn't feel the blade cut through her flesh, she dared herself to open her eyes and saw what had made her would-be killer stop. They widened further in surprise as she saw the cause.

It was Gaim.

He had appeared in the nick of time.

"Do not move," Gaim threatened as he held his DJ Gun against the figure's back.

Clicking her tongue in annoyance, the figure spoke, "Looks like it's your lucky day, Kanu Unchou. You get to live a little while longer."

"Now drop your weapon and step away from her, nice and slow," Gaim instructed.

"Gladly," the figure answered, and right before his eyes the figure dissolved into a swarm of insects that filled up the tent. Gaim tried to swat the insects away as they surrounded him. He felt himself being lifted up and carried out of the tent as Kanu screamed his name through her gag.

Gaim was dropped out onto the campground as the figure reformed. Now that they were outside, he got a good look at who he was facing.

It was a new Rider with a slender body, suggesting a female identity. She wore a silver Ride Wear suit with black sides on the torso. The female Rider had black bracers and boots with violet trim. The chestpiece and shoulders were noticeably spiked upwards, colored the same black with violet accents. The shape implied that the Rider was using an Apple Lockseed like Mars, Kamuro and Idunn.

The Rider's helmet was black and had a headpiece attachment that resembled dark flames. The visor was covered by a sinister looking violet mask which resembled a stylized version of the Japanese kanji for the word 'evil'. Sheathed on the left side of her belt was a Musou Saber and in her left hand was a violet Daidaimaru dubbed the Dark Daidaimaru.

"Who are you?" Gaim asked the new Rider.

"You may call me Jam. Kamen Rider Jam."

Gaim narrowed his eyes at his opponent. Male or female, it did not matter. She tried to murder Kanu. He could not let that slide.

Gaim waited for her to make a move.

She did not disappoint.

Suddenly, she dashed towards him and he prepared to fire. However, she was much faster than he expected and slashed him across the chest. He went reeling as sparks burst on contact. Reaching down to her Musou Saber with her right hand, she drew the sword and slashed Gaim once more across the chest. He cried out in pain from the impact of the blow.

Jam proceeded to land two downward strokes, followed by two horizontal swipes, before finishing the combo by stabbing him with both swords, knocking him down. Gaim rolled onto his front and picked himself back up before he put away his DJ Gun and reached for his twin sashimono, the Kachidoki Bata. He brandished them, gripped tight and charged towards Jam. Meanwhile, Jam had joined both her Musou Saber and Dark Daidaimaru into the Naginata Mode.

Gaim rushed at her and swung his Kachidoki Bata. She casually parried the flagpoles before she landed a swift slash to his chest. He swung at her again, but she sidestepped and landed a slash in his side, causing him to grunt. She then slashed him several times in the back, forcing him to turn to swing at her, but she ducked before she used a sweep kick to knock him to the ground.

Gaim groaned and then grunted as she pressed her boot down on his chest. She looked down at him but then he took out his DJ Gun and fired at her. She jumped backwards and landed a distance away.

Getting back to his feet, he set his DJ Gun to High and scratched the turntable before he fired a rapid salvo of bullets at her.

Jam wasn't concerned. She twirled her Musou Saber Naginata Mode and deflected the bullets with her blades. The bullets just bounced right off the rapidly spinning blades. There was just no opening for the bullets to pass through. This went on for quite a while until Jam decided to make her move.

[DARKNESS SQUASH!]

As she continued to twirl her weapon to use as a shield, she summoned fifteen apples made of dark energy above her head. Once they were fully formed, she sent the apples flying towards Gaim like missiles. They bombarded him, exploding on contact, causing him to yell out in pain.

Smoke wafted from his armor, but he remained standing. He glared at Jam and took his Kachidoki Lockseed off his SengokuDriver before loading it into his DJ Gun's Drive Bay.

[LOCK ON!]

He took aim as the DJ Gun gathered power and pulled the trigger, firing a powerful burst of energy towards Jam.

[KACHIDOKI CHARGE!]

As the blast came close, Jam countered it with two strikes of her Cutting Blade.

[DARKNESS AU LAIT!]

The DJ Gun's Kachidoki Charge blast smashed into a giant dark energy apple and exploded, with the resulting explosion consuming Jam. Gaim lowered his DJ Gun, putting his Kachidoki Lockseed back into his SengokuDriver.

He thought he had won.

He was wrong.

Suddenly, Jam burst right out of the curtain of smoke and came right at him. Startled, he frantically leveled his DJ Gun at her but she was faster as she sliced his weapon in half.

In the blink of an eye, she had the tip of her Musou Saber pressed against his throat. Gaim froze, cold sweat rolling down his face as the seconds passed. Jam kept her position, her sword pressed against his throat. She had complete control over the situation and the advantage.

She had won, and as the victor she could do whatever she wanted to him.

Jam mocked, "The people call you a savior. Can you really save anyone when you're so weak?"

"We...weak...?" Gaim responded, completely frozen. One wrong move and she could cut him down right then and there. She withdrew her blade before she swiftly slashed him across the chest, knocking him down to the ground.

"We'll meet again soon, Gaim," swore Jam before her body dissolved into a swarm of insects. The swarm flew up into the sky, vanishing from sight as Gaim watched. Once she was gone, Gaim put his trembling hand against his neck.

His heart pounded rapidly in his chest. He actually saw his entire life flash before his eyes when she had her blade pressed against his throat. She made him feel utterly powerless. At any moment she could've sliced right through his neck, but she decided not to.

He was alive only because she had decided to spare him on a whim, not because he was stronger than her.

He was both confused and shaken by the new Rider's appearance. She was very strong and quite skilled. Just who was she anyway?

And her question still echoed in his mind.

"Can you really save anyone when you're so weak?"

Shaking his head, he slowly closed his Lockseed, cancelling his transformation.

He scanned the campground and noticed that Nise was gone. What a damn lucky coward. He must've regained consciousness and fled while Nagata went to look for...

"Aisha!" Nagata gasped as he ran back into the tent. Once he had her wrists untied from the bedposts, she sat up and removed the gag.

"Nagata-sama," Kanu uttered gratefully as she embraced him. He gladly returned the embrace, just relieved to see her safe. The Black-Haired Bandit Hunter had never been so scared for herself before. The thought of Nise violating her made her sick. Fortunately, he never got that far and it was all thanks to her lord coming to her rescue.

"You're safe. Thank goodness," Nagata spoke softly, relieved as he held her tightly in his arms.

In his mind, all sorts of terrible scenarios played out. He knew of Nise's obsession with Kanu and how much he wanted to claim her as his own. The Blue King feared that he might be too late, but he had come in the nick of time and stopped Nise before he could have his way with Kanu. He also managed to stop Jam from killing Kanu.

"Aisha, do you remember how you got captured?" Nagata asked.

"We were fighting Nise and his men. I took a hard blow to the head and then I woke up here," she answered.

"Someone must've knocked you out, probably one of his guys," Nagata stated.

"How did you know where to find me?" she asked.

"Well, when Kara-chan told me you got kidnapped, I came looking for you with Ren's help. As for how I knew where you were, I was told by..." Nagata paused before he finished, "...Marika."

Kanu's eyes widened in disbelief. "One of the Armored War Devils?"

Nagata could see that Kanu was confused as he confirmed, "Yeah, even I couldn't believe it when she told me."

"But why would she help you by telling you where to find me?" Kanu questioned in confusion. It didn't make sense.

Nagata replied, "Well, she basically told me she hates Nise's guts, which doesn't exactly surprise me."

"Hm, then I guess it was a good thing that Nise is so unlikable. Even his own comrades are willing to foil him," Kanu said thoughtfully.

"Yeah, thank God he's such an unlikable asshole," Nagata joked and the couple shared a laugh.

The Blue King and his Warrior Goddess gazed into each other's eyes before the former gently claimed the latter's lips. Kanu didn't hesitate to return the kiss as the passion grew between them. The couple continued to make out passionately before collapsing onto the bed together.

Not once did it ever occur to them that it was dangerous to even make love in the middle of the Helheim Forest. All they could focus on was each other.

They did not leave the camp until an hour later.


Ryugen exited the flower-shaped portal on his Sakura Hurricane bike and dismounted. He scanned the Helheim Forest. It was lush, green and full of danger at every turn. Even the flora was dangerous as the fruits tempted those without a SengokuDriver or a strong will. Fortunately, Ryugen possessed both.

After being told of the new form he had accessed, he wondered if he could somehow trigger it again. He just needed to know how. Until then, he needed to gather more power and Lockseeds were the easiest ways to get it.

With a sack in hand, Ryugen walked up to a tree and picked one of the fruits. It flashed for a moment and turned into a Banana Lockseed. He examined it before tossing it into the sack. He may not get any Energy Lockseeds since only those with a GenesisDriver could acquire them, but maybe if he was lucky enough he could find rare Lockseeds which would allow him to match their power.

Ryugen made sure to keep his eyes open in caution. Inves inhabited this forest and if they caught the scent of the Lockseeds with him, they would hungrily swarm him to get to them. It was why he was in armor in the first place. At least in this state he would be able to defend himself.

Ryugen continued picking fruit. He had gotten mostly Himawari Lockseeds which he kept to use as a distraction in case he ever encountered Inves. He made sure to examine the fruit that he was sure to become A-Class Lockseeds. Nagata had told him the ripeness of the fruit played a part, so it wasn't always so random.

Suddenly, Ryugen's keen senses picked up another presence in the forest with him. Making sure he kept out of sight, his eyes narrowed as he saw who it was.

It was Nise and Ryugen clenched his fists at the sight of him. He was the man who had stolen Ryuubi's identity, kidnapped Riri, manipulated Kochu to use her in an assassination plot, and had also stolen Masataka's GenesisDriver before using its power to assassinate Sonsaku.

It looked like the man was running away from something and had decided to come into the Helheim Forest in order to lose his pursuers. Clearly, he didn't realize that he had made a grave mistake and his luck had just run out.


Nise was running through Helheim Forest, praising himself for his acting skills. As long as he pretended to remain unconscious, he knew Gaim would leave him alone. There was a risk that he would've been killed anyway, but he knew that the Armored War God of the Ultimate Sword was too honorable to kill a man while he was down. So, he just waited until Gaim was out of sight before he fled.

He knew he should've packed some teleportation talismans, but he had forgotten them. At least he managed to get away. Now, all he needed to do was to get out of this forest and get back to Ukitsu and the others. He knew that he couldn't stay in this accursed forest for too long due to the Inves and the fruit. Fortunately, the belt he wore prevented him from falling under the allure of the fruit, and he could also use it to fend off the creatures that inhabited this place.

Luckily, he had a Lockvehicle on him. He just needed to find a safe place to activate it.

BANG!

A shot blasted the ground in front of Nise and in his fright he tripped and fell face first onto the forest floor. Nise spat out the grass that had gotten into his mouth and looked up to see who or what had caused him to trip. As he looked around, he finally spotted Ryugen walking towards him and his eyes widened in fear.

"Remember me, you piece of shit?" Ryugen spoke angrily. Nise frantically scrambled to his feet and stepped back in fright.

Nise reacted, "Ah, Ryugen-dono! It's been a long time! How is your family?"

"Safe, no thanks to you," Ryugen replied coldly.

"Ah, right. Look, I'm sorry about kidnapping your daughter and forcing your wife to assassinate a noble for me. It was wrong," Nise apologized pathetically.

"Save it, Nise. Do you think I'm here to listen to you talk? No, I'm here to make sure you won't be able to hurt anyone ever again." He fired his Budou Ryuhou and Nise shrieked before diving out of the way. "Take your punishment like a man!"

[MELON ENERGY!]

"No! I won't let you kill me here!" Nise shouted.

[LOCK ON! SODA! MELON ENERGY ARMS!]

"The hard way then," Ryugen murmured as the Melon Energy Arms Armor Part descended on Nise and disassembled to form his armor.

Nise-Zangetsu aimed and fired his Sonic Arrow but Ryugen countered the bolts, shot for shot, as he fired his Budou Ryuhou. Gritting his teeth, Nise-Zangetsu decided to get in close and yelled as he prepared to strike Ryugen down. Ryugen fired and hit him in the chest, forcing him back as he stumbled backwards.

Frustrated, Nise-Zangetsu quickly pushed in his Seaboll Compressor.

[MELON ENERGY SQUASH!]

He swung his Sonic Arrow and unleashed a wave of energy that sent Ryugen tumbling backwards. Ryugen had to perform a dodge roll next to dodge the energy arrows coming at him before he retreated deeper into the forest.

"Come back here!" Nise-Zangetsu shouted as he gave chase.


"Ryugen, come on out and play!" Nise-Zangetsu called out tauntingly as he hunted down the green Sengoku Rider. Ryugen was glad for his color scheme. It helped him to blend in with the environment of Helheim Forest, providing him camouflage.

Nise-Zangetsu heard a rustle and fired, shooting a bolt which blew the chunk out of a tree, sending several Helheim Fruits flying. He clicked his tongue in annoyance and turned away to keep looking for his prey.

A few of those fruits landed near Ryugen's feet and he got an idea. He picked a couple of them up and they turned into a Donguri Lockseed and a Kurumi Lockseed. He unlocked them before tossing them in Nise-Zangetsu's direction. The fake Rider looked down, confused by the Lockseeds. He turned in the direction the Lockseeds were thrown from and prepared to shoot when…

"SCREEEE!"

The wild Elementary Inves, drawn by the smell of the Lockseeds, dropped down from above with their wings. Startled, Nise-Zangetsu screamed as they began to attack him, his Melon Energy Lockseed appearing to be more delectable to them.

"Get away from me, you filthy beasts!" Nise-Zangetsu shouted and cursed as he tried to drive them away. He fired his Sonic Arrow, taking one out before doing the same to the others. He gritted his teeth in annoyance as they kept coming at him, forcing him to fight back. He did not realize that he had made himself an easy target.

[HAI~! BUDOU SPARKING!]

"Huh!?" Nise-Zangetsu looked up and around for the source of the noise.

A purple energy dragon roared as it flew straight towards Nise-Zangetsu. Startled by its appearance, he just froze moments before it struck him. The resulting explosion destroyed the Inves and threw him into the air before he landed on the ground. His armor flashed and vanished as he lay unconscious.

Ryugen strode over to Nise whose armor had just been deactivated due to the Dragon Shot. Even if his armor and Lockseed were of the S-Class ranking in terms of power, that didn't mean Ryugen didn't stand a chance. He just had to catch Nise-Zangetsu by surprise and hit him hard enough in order to force his armor to deactivate.

He was injured, unconscious and lying on the ground in front of Ryugen. Lying at his side were Masataka's GenesisDriver and Melon Energy Lockseed.

Ryugen aimed his Budou Ryuhou at his fallen foe and squeezed the trigger without a second thought. While Gaim hesitated to kill Nise, Ryugen had no such reservations. Nise's skull exploded, scattering bone fragments, pieces of grey matter and blood.

Ryugen whispered menacingly, "That was for what you did to my wife and daughter, you son of a bitch."

Taking the GenesisDriver and Melon Energy Lockseed as his prize, Ryugen turned and walked away, leaving the body to rot in Helheim Forest. As its name translates to 'Forest of the Dead', it was appropriate for Nise to die right here. He would make good fertilizer for the plants as he rotted away, alone, with nobody caring enough to pick up his body.

Iori had an epiphany the day Sadako tried to kill his wife. His enemies would bring harm to his loved ones unless they were stopped for good. He knew he would have to do horrible, unspeakable things to protect the people he loved. It didn't matter what it was. He would do absolutely anything to protect his family from any and all threats.

He was the Demon Dragon of Shoku, and demons did not show mercy towards their enemies.

This was a dark path he was walking on and he knew it. Hopefully, he would not reach a Point of No Return.

As Ryugen rode away on his bike, he didn't realize that he was being watched. It was Karasu, wearing her signature mask and with a crow perched on her right shoulder. Who knows for how long she had been watching? But she managed to hide her presence, remaining unnoticed by Ryugen until he left Helheim.

Both the crow and mask gave her a very eerie and unsettling appearance. Her unreadable expression was also a bit unnerving. It was as if the murder she had witnessed did not affect her even in the slightest. That wasn't surprising, considering how she used to slaughter bandits for a living.

As Ryugen flew into the exit portal, Karasu spared one glance towards Nise's body before she wordlessly turned away and stepped through an exit portal of her own. Once she left Helheim Forest, the portal zipped up and vanished behind her.

She had seen all that she needed to see.


"Nanano, I'm bored!" the tiny magistrate known as Enjutsu whined. "When are we going to get home? I want more honey water! Don't we have any more of it?"

The young ruler and her attendant were sitting in Enjutsu's personal carriage. It was extravagant with lots of gold and decorated with crimson red.

Ever since the success of the rebellion against the corrupt Imperial Government, lots of En's allies and trading partners were getting nervous about their positions. As such, Enjutsu, Ensho, and more of their clan were busy traveling all over their province and into their allies' territory to reassure them that the En Clan was as strong as ever so they had nothing to worry about.

Naturally Enjutsu didn't want to go, but Ensho was adamant, and although the small girl liked to push her cousin's buttons, she knew it wasn't the time to do that. That didn't stop Enjutsu from delegating as much as possible but eventually she had to make the trips herself to reassure their allies and contacts.

Fortunately, her natural charm and reassurances helped calm a lot of them down. Being held in favor with the other three great powers of the nation was good that way.

Sadly, several nobles were still worried about the state of things and it came down to one thing: the Armored War Gods.

It aggravated Enjutsu to no end, having to hear nobles whine and complain about how the other great powers had so many more Armored War Gods than the En Clan did. Not that the lords were worried for the greater powers the other kingdoms had bothered her, that would be Ensho's concern. What bothered her about it was that they kept bringing up how Ensho managed to ensnare an Armored War God of her own while Enjutsu hadn't even seen one until they all picked sides.

It wasn't fair! Why should she miss out?!

"No Miu-sama." Chokun shook her head. "You drank it all during the first day of the journey and it is still three more days before we're back home."

"Nnnnnnnn!" the tiny magistrate growled. She was bored, cranky, and without her honey water. Never a good combination. It was a testament to Chokun's ability to calm down the spoiled girl as much as she had, but the bluenette could tell that Enjutsu was going to explode soon if she didn't get her way.

"Now don't worry Miu-sama, the driver told me before we set out this morning that there is a town coming up so we can probably find something to do there along with honey water."

Enjutsu pouted, but sighed. "Fine, but we'd better get there fast!"

Fortunately, Enjutsu got her wish as within the hour the carriage reached the town in question. It wasn't huge by any means, but it wasn't small either. It seemed active and with a bustling marketplace which meant that in Enjutsu's eyes, they'd be able to get some 'civilized' food and entertainment. Once the carriage stopped at the inn of Enjutsu's choice, the small magistrate hopped off and immediately began looking for something to do.

"Ah! Miu-sama, please wait for me!" Chokun cried, quickly running off after her.

Enjutsu soon found the marketplace, flitting from stall to stall and poking at everything which looked interesting to her. She also bought a number of trinkets which catered to her usual (bad) taste. Chokun tried to subtly remind her mistress that they only had so much money on them and should try to make it last for the duration of the trip. Sadly, her yes-woman tendencies made her words too weak to be a reprimand and so Enjutsu ignored her, buying a gaudy hairpiece in the process.

"Ahhh, I feel better!" Enjutsu grinned after her sudden shopping spree, leading down Chokun who was carrying boxes and bags filled with the things she bought.

Enjutsu's stomach growled. She commanded, "Now I'm hungry! Let's go get something to eat Nanano!"

"Y-yes Miu-sama." Chokun warbled under the combined weight of the packages.

The two passed by a street vendor when something suddenly caught Enjutsu's eyes. Backtracking, she made sure that what she was looking at was the real deal. She let out a loud gasp and shouted.

"Nanano, look!" Enjutsu pointed.

Chokun prayed that her mistress wasn't going to buy anything else. She could barely stand with all the stuff she was carrying. She waddled over and saw what had gotten Enjutsu so excited.

It was just a street vendor, selling all sorts of odd items, some of which Enjutsu did not recognize. They appeared strange and exotic, and would probably look good in her home. However, one item in particular caught her eye.

Now, in Son Go, Lockseeds were openly available for purchase and Enjutsu bought some for herself for her collection. She only bought the prettiest and rarest ones, which cost a lot. The paperwork she had to fill out was a hassle but that was the law. So, it was quite shocking to see a Lockseed being sold outside of Son Go's territory.

It was even more shocking to see that it was an Energy Lockseed. According to what they managed to learn about Lockseeds, they were ranked according to their power and Energy Lockseeds were S-Class Lockseeds due to the incredible power they could give an Armored War God. They were also quite rare.

Zangetsu-Shin had demonstrated that power during the Anti-Tyrant Alliance and Baron was capable of wielding so much power with his own Energy Lockseed. Gaim was capable of using a standard Lockseed simultaneously with his Energy Lockseed and was an unstoppable force on the battlefield.

The vendor was an odd looking man. He had a pointy nose and dressed in a green coat. On his head was a hat that looked like a black cylinder with a brim around it.

"Ah, I take it you're interested in my wares," the merchant assumed with a grin.

"How much for that Lockseed!?" Enjutsu pointed. Oh, she so wanted to buy it! It was rare, and it would really fit in her collection.

"Oh, this little thing? Well, it's pretty rare and it was very hard for me to get. I doubt you will have enough money to buy it from me," the merchant told her.

"I have enough money! I'm Enjutsu Kouro of the En Clan! Now name your price!" Enjutsu declared. The merchant gave the price, causing Chokun and Enjutsu's smiles to fall.

"That's...that's too much...!" Chokun cried. The man was asking for a fortune.

"Hey, that's business. Rare items like this just aren't cheap," the merchant shrugged.

"How...how about a trade?" Enjutsu offered. It would mean she would lose something she had bought, but the Energy Lockseed was something she wanted so badly.

The merchant blinked then smiled at the offer. "Alright, let's trade."


After Chokun and Enjutsu had their meal, they were back in their carriage and on their way home.

Chokun's load was made lighter because Enjutsu had traded everything she had bought for the Energy Lockseed. She wasn't about to tell her mistress that she had made a bad deal. She was just relieved that she wasn't going to be carrying anymore packages.

"Oh, this is so going to be the centrepiece of my collection!" Enjutsu smiled wickedly as she admired the Energy Lockseed. It looked like Marika's Peach Energy Lockseed, but it was brown instead of pink.

Their carriage suddenly stopped and Enjutsu asked, "Why did we stop?"

"I'll go check," Chokun said as she stepped out of the carriage. There was a tree blocking the road. "Oh, a tree has fallen in front of us, Miu-sama."

"Then go move it!" Enjutsu demanded.

"You heard her," Chokun instructed the guards accompanying them. They got off their horses to move the tree when they were suddenly shot by arrows. "Oh my!" she gasped. Bandits stepped out of the bushes, carrying bows and arrows. "Oh my!"

"Nanano! What's wrong?" Enjutsu asked.

"Bandits!" Chokun cried as the bandits killed their driver too.

"Alright, hand over your valuables and we may let you live!" the lead bandit demanded.

"We don't have any money!" Chokun told the bandits. Enjutsu had spent all the money they had on them at the marketplace.

"Well..." the bandit leader leered at Chokun. She looked lovely and would definitely make fine company in his bed.

"Hold it!" Enjutsu stepped out of the carriage. "I'm Enjutsu Kouro, and I demand you to stop!"

"Miu-sama! No!" Chokun cried in protest.

"Hey, boss. That means she's Ensho's cousin. Let's kidnap her and hold her for ransom," one of the bandits suggested.

"Heh, good idea. Maybe we can use these ladies after all," the bandit boss grinned as he stroked his chin. "Grab the brat and her servant! We're going to become filthy rich!"

"Hey, lemme go!" Enjutsu struggled as the bandits roughly grabbed her. "Let me go!" Her new Energy Lockseed fell out of her robes and landed at the bandit boss' feet.

"Oh, and what's this?" the bandit boss grinned as he picked it up.

"That's mine! Give it back!" Enjutsu shouted.

"Someone gag the brat. We got what we need," the bandit boss ordered.

"Hey, boss," one of the bandits spoke up as he looked at the sky.

"What is it?" the boss bandit asked, annoyed. The bandit pointed up and everyone looked up to see what it was, only to gawk in shock.

"It's one of those giant Armored War Gods!"

What landed in front of them was a Suika Arms in Yoroi Mode. The bandits froze as they laid their eyes on it. Then, the Suika Arms vanished, only to be replaced with something that Enjutsu was familiar with.

[KURUMI ARMS! MISTER KNUCKLEMAN!]

"Haru-niisama!" Enjutsu gasped as Armored War God Knuckle stood before the bandits.

"Alright, let the ladies go and I won't hurt you too badly," Knuckle told them.

"Get him!" the bandit boss ordered. The other bandits just stared at him with an 'are you kidding us?' look. "What are you idiots waiting for?"

"Hey, you're telling them to attack an Armored War God. I think they're the ones being smart here," Knuckle stated.

The bandit boss shouted and charged at Knuckle. That was not a very smart move. Knuckle was fast as he clocked the bandit boss with his fist. It was over in the blink of an eye as the bandit gang boss collapsed in a boneless heap at Knuckle's feet. Knuckle made sure to hold back much of his strength, lest he accidentally shatter the man's skull.

"Who else wants to try?" Knuckle challenged. The bandits saw how easily Knuckle defeated their boss, who was their strongest, and immediately surrendered. They dropped their weapons, got on their knees, and begged for mercy.

Knuckle frowned as he saw the bodies of Enjutsu's escorts and driver. He went to each of the bandits and knocked them out as they each went down with a single punch. He turned towards Enjutsu and Chokun to check on them.

"Haru-niisama! You saved my life!" Enjutsu cried out as she hugged the Ultimate Fist around the waist.

"Are you ladies alright?" Knuckle asked as he looked at the dead guards and driver. "Sorry I wasn't here fast enough."

"You managed to save our lives at least. We are eternally grateful," Chokun bowed.

"Arigato, Haru-niisama!" Enjutsu followed Chokun's example.

"Right, let's take care of things here and bring you ladies home," Knuckle offered.

The bodies of the guards and driver were gathered and laid on top the carriage's roof before he covered them with cloth.

Knuckle elected himself to be the carriage's replacement driver. He would later send for soldiers to pick up the bandits to be dealt with.

Meanwhile, Enjutsu was in deep thought. She would need to repay Knuckle for saving her and Chokun.


Back in Ensho's city, the bodies of Enjutsu's guards and driver were taken to be buried. Knuckle made good on his word to send soldiers to pick up the bandits he left tied up on the side of the road.

In Ensho's manor, Enjutsu was sitting with Ensho in the latter's sitting room.

"I want to give you this to repay Haru-niisama for saving me and Nanano," Enjutsu said as she handed Ensho a box.

Ensho opened the box and was surprised by what it contained. Ensho took out the item from the box.

It was the Energy Lockseed Enjutsu had acquired. It resembled the Peach Energy Lockseed, but it was brown instead of pink.

"Do you like it, Reiha-neesama?" Enjutsu smiled hopefully.

"How...how did you acquire this?" Ensho asked, surprised.

"As a collector, I travel all over to find rare items. I came across that specific item at a random marketplace. It was quite pricey to say the least," Enjutsu explained.

"Thank you, Miu. Haru-sama would love this," Ensho smiled.

"Well, Haru-niisama has been working hard, so I thought to get him a present, that's all," Enjutsu justified with a pink tint on her cheeks.

"Still, I wish to thank you all the same. It's not often that you would give such a valuable gift to anyone," Ensho smiled. Enjutsu blushed a bit. Well, Haru had come to her rescue. He deserved it.

After Enjutsu and Chokun left to return to their own city, Ensho gave Haru the Energy Lockseed Enjutsu had given her. He was surprised and yet appreciative of the gift as he received it.

Haru hugged her. "Thanks, Reiha-chan. You're the best."

"Well, of course I'm the best, Haru-sama. What else would I be?"

Haru broke the hug and asked, "So, how did you find it for me anyway?"

Ensho bit her lip. She could claim to have gotten it herself, but Haru would probably be able to tell that she was lying. If she tried to lie and he found out, he would be very disappointed in her. Though telling him that it was a gift from Enjutsu would cause his appreciation to shift to her cousin. Maybe, she could stretch the truth a bit?

"Oh, well, Miu was the one who got it at my request," Ensho told him. It wasn't a complete lie. It was Enjutsu who had gotten the Energy Lockseed. The only lie was that Ensho had told her to get it.

"Wow, I have to thank her for it too," Haru smiled.

"No need. I already thanked her on your behalf."

"Well, maybe next time we can do something special for her," Haru suggested.

"I guess that will be fair. The good thing about my cousin is that she's surprisingly easy to buy a gift for," Ensho agreed, referring to Enjutsu's horrible taste. She just needed to come up with a good story for the item she intended to give her as a gift. Really, Ensho could not forget how Enjutsu had tricked her into trading Ryuubi's sword for nothing. Fabric that idiots couldn't see. How humiliating.


Later, Haru took another moment to admire his new Energy Lockseed. He then went to his desk drawer and pulled it out to reveal a Genesis Core.

"Finally, I can put this thing to good use," Haru smiled. One time, while bandit busting, he came across Kenshin, Hideyoshi and Kayu who were in the To Province at the time. Apparently, there was a crisis there as everyone in Totaku's old home was being oppressed by a new magistrate. The tyrannical magistrate turned out to be Shishi, Totaku's uncle, and he was making everyone miserable.

As this was Totaku's hometown, they decided to confront Shishi. However, he shocked them by revealing that he was Armored War Devil Kagemusha. It was a pretty tough fight as Kagemusha managed to hit them with his arrows no matter how much they tried to dodge.

It was all thanks to teamwork, strategy, and Gridon's Xuanwu Lockseed that they managed to defeat Kagemusha and drive him away from To. With the place liberated and someone new placed in charge afterwards, Haru parted ways with the Dynamic Duo and Kayu before returning to Ensho.

When they defeated Shishi, Gridon had destroyed both his GenesisDriver and Grapefruit Energy Lockseed. However, the only piece that remained intact was the Genesis Core. Without them knowing it, Haru had taken and pocketed the Genesis Core. After all, he had nearly gotten himself killed so he deserved a bit of compensation for all his troubles.

Holding the Genesis Core, he held it side-by-side with his new Energy Lockseed and said only one word to eloquently express how he felt.

"Sweet."

"Oh, Haru-sama~!"

Haru looked to see Ensho standing in the doorway, wearing a sleeping robe. Her shoulders were left exposed and she was wearing some sexy lingerie under the robe.

"Would you please come to bed with me, beloved?" she asked, giving him a smoky look.

Haru's grin widened before he put away both items and left to join Ensho in her bed chamber. Tonight was going to be sweet and topped with a lot more sugar. He just hoped Ensho would last a bit longer this time. She always passed out just when it was getting really good.


Fruits of the Tree, Yggdrasil

Darkness Arms: This Arms is summoned using the Darkness Ringo Lockseed (L.S.-DARK). The user of the Arms is given the ability to transform into a swarm of insects to avoid attacks or to travel quickly between locations. This Arms also equips the user with the Dark Daidaimaru and a Musou Saber. Its general shape is similar to the armor used by Idunn, Mars and Kamuro, but the mask just makes it look sinister.

Extra info: In terms of combat capabilities, Jam possesses skill and power to match or even surpass Gaim in his Kachidoki Arms. She is shown to possess superior agility and reflexes. With her light armor, her mobility is not hindered, allowing her to strike fast and avoid blows. She has also demonstrated the ability to use her Musou Saber in Naginata Mode to deflect rapid gunfire from the DJ Gun. She has also been shown to be able to counter the Kachidoki Charge with only an Au Lait finisher. Whoever (or whatever) she is, Jam has proven to be a deadly combatant and could've killed Gaim if she chose to.


KRC: OK, are warning bells beginning to ring for you? Just what is Karasu planning exactly? And will she be found out?

And also, Kamen Rider Jam makes her debut in the fic and completely trounces Gaim Kachidoki Arms. Just how much stronger is she? Can she be stopped? Why did she spare Gaim exactly? Guess we'll find out the answers to these questions at some point. You guys can try and guess who Jam is.

So, I did allude to an event that took place when Kurokage and Gridon fought Kagemusha to free Totaku's hometown. Well, it would appear that Haru was also involved and he managed to snatch a piece of gear when nobody was looking. Perhaps I can use this idea to create a Sangokuden Armored War Gods Gaiden. Knuckle, Gridon and Kurokage haven't gotten as much screen time as they should in this fic so a little side story should give them a bigger role for their very own adventure.

Heh, just imagine: "GRIDON, KUROKAGE & KNUCKLE GAIDEN-THE LIBERATION OF TO!"

And Knuckle has gained access to the Marron Energy Lockseed. Hell, with the new Marron Energy Lockseed and the Genesis Core, we all know what's coming.

[JIMBER MARRON! HA-HA!]

But perhaps the best news for you guys is that Nise has finally paid for his sins. Executed promptly by Ryugen, he won't be bothering anybody ever again. However, I'm kind of worried about Iori right now. I just hope he doesn't fall towards the dark side like his canon counterpart/predecessor.

TFP: Finally, NISE'S DEAD HA HA HA! Death is the only answer for one who would murder beauties like Sonsaku! We also see that there are more adventures going on behind the scenes, like in To. Will we see a gaiden involving them? Maybe. Who can say?

BL92: Looks like Ryugen popped the weasel's head cleaned off and now he is dead! HOORAY! DEATH TO THE NEASEL! I hope Ryugen doesn't walk to the same path as his predecessor did. Also the real question is, how did Haru obtained the Genesis Core? Oh well, we'll soon find out on the Armored War Gods Gaiden: The Liberation of To. Also looks like there's another Armored War Devil in Ukitsu's group and she means business after defeating Gaim without breaking a sweat even while he's in his powerful Kachidoki Arms. So the other question is, who is she and what's her motive? We may never know until Season 6 of the Armored War Gods Saga starts in the future.