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: I would like to apologize for the delay. My partner in crime has been really busy IRL and hasn't had much time to write. However, he tries his best when he can so I wait for him. Also, be patient with him until he's ready to write.
BTW, if anyone is interested, could you make cover images for each of the seasons? It's not too complex. Just images of a couple (for example: Gaim and Kanu, Baron and Sousou, Ryugen and Kochu, Zangetsu and Sonken, etc...). I wanna put them up for each of the seasons. Like light novel covers. And let's not forget about the manga ones. It would be interesting if someone could make a manga version of the Armored War Gods Saga for each of the seasons as well. So if anyone is also interested in the manga version, could you make front cover images for the volumes too? Oh, and one more thing, can someone work on the Armored War Gods wiki if they are interested in making the wiki for the story and will someone work on the Armored War Gods from the TV Troupe to complete it with the character info?
Sangokuden Armored War Gods Saga: Age of the Armored War Gods
Co-Written By: Ten-Faced Paladin and Kamen Rider Chrome
Beta Reader: Busterleader92 (and who has been my beta for a while now)
Chapter 16: A Taste of Poison
"You told me that as long as I worked with you that you would send us home."
"Yes, I remember the terms of our agreement and I fully intend to honor them as long as you fulfilled your end of the deal."
"You also guaranteed that we'll be safe, but he's in a coma right now and close to death!"
"And what do you want me to do about it?"
"I want you to get over here and help me save him!"
"I apologize, but I can't risk getting myself caught just to assist you."
"You asshole..."
"Remember, I'm the only one who can send you back home. You best remember that before you do anything you may regret. Just remember to honor your end of our deal and I will try to assist you the best I can."
"SCREW YOU AND GO TO HELL!" Karasu angrily yelled as she removed her mask, and in her frustration threw it to the wall. She took deep breaths as her face contorted in rage, her amber eyes narrowed as they glowed red. Gradually, the anger ebbed away as sorrow took its place and she collapsed to her knees. She broke down and wept as she covered her face, tears dripping from her eyes.
"Naga-kun...Naga-kun...Naga-kun...Naga-kun..." she repeatedly sobbed. Her only company was her mask and her pet crow Poe as they stared blankly at her, unable to do anything.
Meanwhile, in Sou Gi, Chokaku, Choryo and Marcus stood outside a room in worry. The room in question was designated as Choho's personal workspace. Marcus had dubbed it as her 'Magic Lab' as the name had a nice ring to it.
Inside the Magic Lab, the middle sibling of the Chou Sisters was hard at work.
"ARGH! WHAT'S WRONG WITH ME!? WHY CAN'T I GET THIS RIGHT!?" Choho screamed in frustration.
And from the sounds of it she wasn't doing very well.
Among the Chou Sisters, Choho was the most proficient in magic. She was the only one able to tap into the power of the Crucial Keys to the Way of Peace. However, this ended up corrupting her. Fortunately, Chokaku's sisterly love and their shared love for their dream managed to snap Choho out of it. Since they became members of the Sou Gi Faction, Choho became Sousou's new court sorcerer. It was a position the blue-haired girl was proud of and she worked hard to be useful to Sousou. However, right now, she was taking things too far.
Marcus, Chokaku and Choryo were worried about Choho. Every day since they reclaimed Sou Gi from the White Cloth Society, Choho had been working hard on a new spell. Sure, she managed to come to rehearsals and eat with them, but her remaining free time was spent on her magical experiments.
"That does not sound good," observed Chokaku worriedly.
"Indeed," Choryo agreed, concerned for their sister.
"Oui, and she had been at this for weeks now," Marcus added. "Let's do this. Operation: 'Chiiho Intervention' is a go."
They opened the door and entered Choho's Magic Lab. As expected, they saw Choho sitting at her work table, which looked messy. There were sheets of paper scattered on the table with ink stains splattered on the papers and table.
"Chii-chan?" Chokaku asked and Choho turned to greet them.
"Oh, hi guys," Choho greeted. Marcus grimaced at her appearance. She had bags under her eyes, her hair was a mess, her skin was pale with ink stains, and she didn't look like she had much sleep lately.
"Chii-neesan, you don't look so well," Choryo said worriedly.
"Oh, I'm fine." Choho brushed off her little sister's concern.
"But you look like you could drop at any moment," Chokaku added.
"I said I'm fine!" Choho snapped as she slammed her fist on the table.
Irritability. Another symptom of not getting enough rest.
Marcus looked to see that she was working on something magical. There were two paper talismans on the table, with what appeared to be the smoldering remains of something on one of them. At her feet lay crumpled up balls of paper.
"What are you working on?" Marcus asked curiously. Choho smiled at Marcus. At least he was showing interest in her work. He was always supportive and motivated her to do her best.
"I'm trying to figure out the teleportation trick Ukitsu and his Armored War Devils use to make their getaway. It could be really handy for us, but I just can't seem to get it right. I'm getting close though. I'm sure of it," Choho explained.
"Could you show me?" Marcus asked. He always looked forward to watching Choho's magical experiments. The way he showed interest in Choho's work always encouraged her. However, this time, he wasn't met with enthusiasm as her smile fell.
"OK, but prepare to be disappointed," Choho said as she disposed of the ash on one of the talismans before she placed an orange on it. "OK, watch." She performed a hand seal, concentrated, and pointed her fingers at the orange. "Transport!"
In a flash, the orange vanished.
"That was amazing!" Chokaku gasped in amazement as she applauded. Even Choryo was impressed.
"Bravo!" Marcus exclaimed.
Choho, however, was frowning.
"Wait for it," she told them.
The orange reappeared on the neighboring talisman, only it looked completely burnt. There was smoke rising from it, like someone had thrown it into a hot fire and left it there until it turned completely black.
"Ooh, I get it now," Marcus realized. It was a dud. That's why she was so frustrated.
"This happens every single time I try to transport something! Everytime! During my first test, I managed to make an orange disappear but couldn't bring it back! Then I was able to bring it back but then it just spontaneously combusts! The next one exploded! And now this happens!" Choho yelled as she pointed to the burnt orange.
"No wonder you haven't moved onto living test subjects," Marcus remarked.
"Hey, I don't want to be blamed for accidentally blowing up a live person!" Choho retorted, grumbling at her failure yet again.
"You look exhausted. Maybe you should get some rest," Marcus advised with concern as he caressed her face.
"I'm fine. I'll sleep soon. I'm just so close," she insisted as she pushed his hand aside.
"Chiiho-chan, is this about what happened?" he asked.
Choho let out a dry, humorless chuckle. "You figured it out, huh, Marcus-kun? Guess I shouldn't be surprised. You've always been so sharp."
"Chii-chan..." murmured Chokaku.
"You tell me that I'm talented, that I'm one of the best magic users Sou Gi has ever seen, but compared to Ukitsu I'm just an amateur. He probably had years of formal training and studied all kinds of magic. The only magic I learnt came from that book and it messed me up," Choho spoke, ashamed of what she used the book's power for. "So what if I memorized it? I don't have Ukitsu's experience or training! I'm just a 3rd rate, self-taught amateur! Of course he was able to break through my wards with ease! The talismans I made were supposed to protect Sou Gi, preventing our enemies from getting into the palace, but they were no match for him! Of course they would be no match for him! He's so much better than me!"
Chokaku consoled, "It was not your fault."
"Well, it sure feels like it is. I'm just so weak. If only I was stronger, then the Crucial Keys wouldn't have corrupted me like that," Choho responded coldly.
Marcus embraced the blue-haired girl, holding her close. She momentarily resisted the hug and tried to push him away, but she was too weak due to lack of sleep. Instead, she closed her eyes as she savored the warmth of his embrace. Chokaku and Choryo also joined in to hug her.
Choho needed this. She needed reaffirmation that there were people who cared about her. They worried about her health and while they understood her reasoning, they didn't want her to do this to herself. They slowly gave her space as they broke the hug and Choho gave them a genuine smile.
"Thanks for caring about me," she said.
"It's what we're here for," Marcus smiled back.
"And you're not weak. You're talented. You understood magical theory and have studied magic since then. You're the best self-taught magic user I've ever seen," Chokaku reassured her little sister.
"I'm the only self-taught magic user you've ever seen," Choho corrected.
"OK, that's true, but my point still stands," Chokaku insisted.
"You managed to break Ukitsu's spell on Sousou-sama and the others," Choryo reminded.
"Only because Ukitsu fled. If he was there when we sang, he would've found a way to counter our song. We just got lucky," Choho argued. "That's why I need to get stronger."
"Even so, burning yourself out like this isn't healthy. You're more useful when you're at 100 percent, not running on fumes like this," Marcus advised.
"That's right," Chokaku and Choryo agreed.
"So, what do you suggest I do?" Choho asked.
"You, my blue butterfly, need to stop working and get some rest. You're not doing your body or mind any favors by working yourself to death like this. Once you're rested and back to full strength, you should be able to figure this teleportation magic out," Marcus instructed as he shook his index finger at her.
"I guess that's a good idea," Choho yawned. "I've been getting exhausted already."
"Yes, and you need to get out of your Magic Lab. Tenho-chan, Renho-chan, take your sister to bed and make sure she rests. I don't want one of my three shining stars falling," Marcus instructed.
"You can count on us, Marcus-kun," Chokaku saluted before she and Choryo escorted Choho out of the Magic Lab and back to their room where they would put her in bed.
Once the Chou Sisters were gone, Marcus picked up the burnt orange and examined it.
"She's almost got it. A bit of trial and error is needed for success," Marcus said. His eyes suddenly widened as the orange crumbled to dust in his hand. "OK, a lot of trial and error," he corrected himself as he dusted off his hands. He exited the room only to run into Mitsuki. "Monsieur Mitsuki! What a pleasant surprise!"
"You know, you should consider changing your title from 'Ultimate Fury' to 'Ultimate Passion' someday," Mitsuki commented.
"Pardonne-moi?" Marcus tilted his head to the side in confusion. That comment came out of nowhere.
"So, you finally got her to stop burning herself out," Mitsuki stated as he looked into the Magic Lab to no longer see Choho working herself to death.
"Oui, she just needs her rest and her sisters will make sure she gets it," Marcus replied.
"Good, it would be a shame if she suddenly burnt out and ceased being useful," Mitsuki replied. Marcus frowned at the remark, but he knew Mitsuki cared about his comrades, even if he had a tough way of showing it. "What has she been working on?"
"She's been trying to figure out Ukitsu's teleportation magic but she's hit some snags," Marcus informed him.
"So, she's failed several times already," guessed Mitsuki and Marcus frowned. "Tell her not to give up just yet. Many of life's failures are by people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up. If she quit trying after her 99th failed attempt when the 100th would've been a success, then she would've wasted all her effort."
Marcus blinked as he recognized that quote. "You were quoting Thomas Edison, weren't you?"
"Is that so strange?" Mitsuki asked.
"Well, he wasn't a warrior. I always assumed you had more respect for warriors than scholars," Marcus said.
"While Edison was not a warrior, he was still a champion. He never gave up on his dream and as a result his efforts bore fruit. What I admire in him is his strong will and determination to finish something until the very end," Mitsuki explained.
"Explains your attitude," Marcus noted. Mitsuki wasn't the type to give up so easily. Even if he was defeated, he would try again until he was victorious.
Suddenly, Mitsuki's pocket glowed. Curious, he dug into it and pulled out the Zhuqiao Lockseed. It was flashing at a frequency. Mitsuki narrowed his eyes. What did this mean?
"Is it supposed to be doing that?" Marcus asked, referring to the Lockseed's flashing.
Mitsuki had no answer, but he had a feeling that his Zhuqiao Lockseed's flashing meant something big was happening. But as soon as it started flashing, it just stopped. How odd. Mitsuki examined the Zhuqiao Lockseed. He didn't understand what the flashing was all about, but he brushed it aside.
"Come on, Marcus. Karin expects us to be at dinner right now because she has an important guest," said Mitsuki.
"Who's the important guest?" Marcus asked.
Mitsuki grimaced in response and said, "An obnoxious and stupid blonde."
"Truly, you should be honored that I accepted your humble invitation for dinner, Sousou! Ohohohohoho!" laughed Ensho as she sat at the dining table with Sousou. Mitsuki sat at the same table, annoyed by Ensho's laughter. Sousou just rolled her eyes. She had long grown used to the older blonde's annoying cackling.
Sousou's regular companions, Juniku, Kakoton and Kakoen, were noticeably absent for the meal. That was because the three of them were outside the capital on business. Perhaps they were fortunate that they did not have to sit through this. Ensho also came without Bunshu and Ganryo, leaving them back in her city to run things in her absence.
Haru was sitting next to Ensho and he mumbled an apology for Ensho's behavior. While he had long grown used to her behavior, he was fully aware that Ensho had a talent for irritating other people. Marcus cringed each time he heard Ensho laugh and shot Mitsuki a look. Was this some kind of punishment? Was Marcus forced to endure Ensho's horrid laughter because of some unknown sleight?
Meanwhile, a figure landed atop the palace's rooftop and peered down at the entrance. The doors of the palace were closed, with two guards standing at attention.
"I hate guard duty," complained Meng.
"Oh, here we go." the other guard, Dong, rolled his eyes.
"Yeah, I hate standing around doing nothing. It's boring as heck and my legs get tired from standing all day," Meng continued.
"Well, we are guards. We're supposed to be guarding the door," Dong argued.
"Yeah, but when I joined up I thought I would be going into battle and get a chance to be a hero," Meng retorted.
"You seriously want to go out and fight?" Dong cocked an eyebrow. Honestly, he liked his job as a guard. It was simple.
"Yeah, and maybe even die like a real man. You know, die in the line of duty. That would be an honorable death and my dad won't breathe down my neck anymore," Meng concluded.
The figure's eyes gleamed with mischief before it shot a long tongue at Meng. The tongue wrapped around the guard's neck before he was dragged up towards the roof.
"Meng!" Dong panicked and was about to sound the alarm when a throwing star came flying and embedded itself into his forehead. He fell and a pool of blood spread around his head.
Meng's neck was snapped as soon as the tongue dragged him up to the rooftop. The figure grinned as it began to descend. However, it did not leap off its perch. Instead, it was walking upon the vertical surface of the wall as if it was the ground before it leapt off and landed in front of the doors. It looked towards the dead guard on the floor and smiled.
"Don't get up on my account. I'll just let myself in," said the figure before it pushed the doors open and let itself inside. It then leapt up and planted its feet upon the ceiling before making its way towards its destination.
"Ensho, I invited you to dinner as a kind gesture towards an old childhood friend," Sousou clarified.
"Ah yes. I remember. The days when we were children. Although, it would appear that only one of us has grown up," boasted Ensho as she folded her arms under her breasts, making them bounce. Sousou's right eyebrow twitched. Compared to Ensho, Sousou was petite and didn't have a large bust size. However, her lovers never complained.
"Funny you should say something about being grown up, when one of us insists on acting like a child," Sousou shot back sharply. Ensho's grin vanished as she scowled at Sousou for the barb, while Sousou smirked for delivering such a sharp comeback.
"Oh, are you saying I act childish?" Ensho challenged.
"I'm merely saying that while you have grown up physically, you haven't grown any smarter," Sousou added.
Mitsuki smirked. 'Burn!'
"Hmph!" Ensho turned her nose up at Sousou and demanded, "When is the food coming? I expect there to be something to eat by now. And where are the Chou Sisters? Aren't they your royal entertainers?"
"Toutes mes excuses, but my darling angels are, unfortunately, unable to perform tonight. As they are a trio and one has fallen ill it would not be a worthy performance if all of them were not together," Marcus said apologetically.
"Hmph, how unfortunate," Ensho scoffed.
"Reiha-chan, please. Don't be rude to our host," Haru advised. Ensho looked to her fiancé who gave her a pleading look. She could never resist that look he gave her. She closed her eyes and sighed. He wanted her to apologize for her rudeness and she could never say no to him. She looked to Sousou, swallowed her pride, and spoke.
"Sousou, I-"
All of a sudden, a dead body was dropped upon the dining table. Ensho let out a shriek at the sight while Mitsuki, Marcus, Haru and Sousou recoiled when they saw it. Mitsuki recognized the body to be that of a Crimson Guard. He had a large shuriken embedded in his chest.
"Dinner is served!" an unfamiliar voice crowed from above and all the occupants of the room looked up to see who it was.
Standing upside down from the ceiling was a Rinrinshi in Beastman form. He had brown body armor with matching pants and a gecko's face on his chest. His scaly skin was green and he had an armored skirt that resembled gecko feet. He also wore black boots and his face sported multiple diamond-like patterns. Two of the diamonds decorating his face could be his eyes, or maybe all of them were his eyes, giving him a 360 degree field of vision.
"How did that thing get in here!?" Sousou demanded.
"Who are you!?" Mitsuki demanded as the Gecko Rinrinshi casually twirled a pair of shuriken in his hands.
"The name's Moriya, Master of the RinJyu Gecko-Ken," Moriya claimed to the people below before he threw his shuriken down at them. "Eat this!"
"Reiha-chan, get down!" shouted Haru as he pushed Ensho out of the way of the shuriken's flight path. Mitsuki did the same as he pushed Sousou down to the floor and shielded her with his own body. Marcus ducked under the table as the shuriken flew past them before returning to Moriya like a pair of boomerangs.
"Hahahahahaha! You should've seen your faces! I can't believe you fell for that! You people on the ground should amuse me a bit more because that was absolutely priceless! If you do, I might just let you live!" Moriya laughed at their fear of him.
Marcus frowned after strapping on his SengokuDriver and activated his Durian Lockseed.
[DURIAN!]
Sliding out from under the table, Marcus leapt to his feet and shouted, "Henshin!"
[LOCK ON! DURIAN ARMS! MISTER DANGEROUS!]
"Take this!" Bravo shouted as he hurled his Duri Noko at Moriya. Moriya performed a backward flip as the Duri Noko went flying towards him, but the swords ended up embedded in the ceiling. As if the laws of gravity didn't apply to him, Moriya sat cross-legged on the ceiling, as if it were the floor.
"You missed!" Moriya taunted. He then shot his tongue out and grabbed one of the Duri Noko. Pulling it out of the ceiling, he used his tongue to slingshot the sword back to Bravo. Bravo managed to catch the sword by its handle, but Moriya grabbed the other Duri Noko and hurled it at Bravo, knocking him backwards.
"Merde!"
Mitsuki looked to Haru and gave him a nod before the Ultimate Fist nodded back as they put on their SengokuDrivers and activated their Lockseeds.
[KURUMI!]
[BANANA!]
Moriya blinked as two Helheim portals opened up on either side of him, releasing the Kurumi and Banana Armor Parts. The two Armor Parts then smashed him between them, disorienting him and causing him to lose his grip on the ceiling. He plummeted to the floor as the Armor Parts descended towards their respective Riders.
[LOCK ON!]
[COME ON! BANANA ARMS! KNIGHT OF SPEAR!]
[KURUMI ARMS! MISTER KNUCKLEMAN!]
Moriya was shaking off the cobwebs when Mitsuki and Haru transformed. Now clad in their armor and armed with their Arms Weapons, they were ready to deal with this intruding Rinrinshi.
"Marcus, escort Sousou and Ensho to safety! Knuckle, you're with me!" Baron ordered.
"Alright!" Knuckle eagerly pounded his fists together.
Bravo complied and began to usher Sousou and Ensho out of the dining room.
"Baron, burn him alive," Sousou ordered and Baron gave her a thumbs-up.
"Be careful, Haru-sama!" Ensho added.
"You got it, Reiha-chan," Knuckle saluted.
Knuckle rushed at Moriya and surprised him with a powerful straight punch.
"ROCK!" shouted Knuckle as his punch sent Moriya crashing towards the wall.
"Gah!" gasped Moriya painfully as he was hit.
"And this...IS PAPER!" shouted Knuckle as he slapped Moriya across the face with the palm of his Kurumi Bomber. Moriya was sent tumbling along the floor. He saw Knuckle coming at him with his index and middle fingers forming a 'V'. "And finally...SCISSORS!"
Moriya got his bearings as he leapt onto the wall and climbed all the way up to the ceiling once more. The 'scissors' strike poked two holes into the wall and Knuckle looked up to see Moriya sneering at him.
Moriya looked down and clicked his tongue as he challenged, "Ah, I see that you're ready to fight! Why don't the both of you come up here and try to beat me?"
"Well why don't you come down here and fight us instead?" Baron shot back.
"I'd rather not fight on a surface below me," Moriya sneered. Baron scowled. He hated people like this. They thought they were above everybody because of their talent and skill.
"Fine! Then I'll bring you down myself!"
[COME ON! BANANA SQUASH!]
Energy gathered around the Banaspear before it extended into the shape of a giant banana. Baron roared as he swung to swat Moriya off the ceiling, but the Gecko Rinrinshi simply dodged the attack by somersaulting.
"Missed me!" mocked Moriya.
Baron swung at him again.
"Missed me again!"
Baron swiped again.
"Seriously, are you even trying?"
Baron thrust upwards, only to miss again.
"Almost got me there that time!" Moriya laughed as he still clung to the ceiling.
"Goddammit!" Baron roared as he hit his Cutting Blade three times.
[COME ON! BANANA SPARKING!]
Baron fired off multiple giant energy bananas and Moriya was nearly caught off guard. However, like a slippery snake, he managed to avoid all of them, but the ceiling now had a few new holes in it.
[KURUMI AU LAIT!]
Knuckle punched upwards and fired walnut-shaped energy projectiles at Moriya. Like how he had evaded Baron's attacks, Moriya easily dodged Knuckle's as a couple more holes were added to Sousou's ceiling. Now wanting to play some more, Moriya leapt off the ceiling and kicked Baron in the chest. He bounded off to land a kick into Knuckle's face before going back and forth, kicking the two Riders repeatedly. Once he knocked them down, Moriya stuck himself to the wall and taunted them by sticking his tongue out at them.
"Teme..." Baron growled as he switched Lockseeds.
[MANGO! LOCK ON! COME ON! MANGO ARMS! FIGHT OF HAMMER!]
Baron angrily gritted his teeth and dashed towards Moriya with his Mango Punisher, but the Gecko Rinrinshi spun around and kicked Baron in the face. While hanging on the wall, Moriya held on with his hands as he performed a series of kicks to counter Baron's strikes.
Moriya landed a kick into Baron's chest, knocking him to the floor. He wasn't able to avoid Knuckle's punch as the Ultimate Fist blindsided him with the Kurumi Bomber. Moriya was knocked off his perch and sent tumbling to the floor. Knuckle wasn't done yet as he leapt and prepared to smash Moriya. However, Moriya recovered and spat out his tongue which wrapped around Knuckle's right leg. With a turn of his head, Moriya smashed Knuckle down upon the dining table, breaking it in half.
[PUMPKIN! LOCK ON! COME ON! PUMPKIN ARMS! HAPPY HARVESTING!]
Baron got back up after activating his Pumpkin Arms and threw the weighted end of his Pumpkin Kusarigama's chain towards Moriya. The chain wrapped around Moriya's arm and Baron gave the chain a strong tug.
"GET OVER HERE!" Baron roared as he pulled Moriya towards him. Moriya yelped as he was being dragged through the air and towards Baron. Unexpectedly, Moriya used a shuriken to slice his arm right off. Moriya tumbled along the floor as his severed arm smacked Baron in the face.
"What!?" Baron yelled.
"Hiden Ringi! Sokuseiwan!"
Miraculously, Moriya's arm grew right back as Baron rushed towards him. The Gecko Rinrinshi took out his twin shuriken and began to parry Baron's blows. Sparks flew as their weapons violently collided. Meanwhile, Knuckle was recovering from his crash and was getting back up for another round. Seeing that Baron had Moriya on the ropes, he shot towards the latter.
Moriya slashed Baron across the chest before he got punched in the gut courtesy of Knuckle. Acting quickly, Moriya leaned his body backwards to evade the next punch and performed a flip, kicking Knuckle in the chin and sending him staggering backwards.
Baron ran past Knuckle and struck Moriya across the chest. Moriya retaliated with a slash before he jumped to avoid another strike. Once more he landed on the wall but then he bounded off and landed on the opposite wall before he jumped up to land once again upon the ceiling. Taking out both his shuriken, he charged them with Rinki and prepared his attack.
"Ringi! Midare Shuriken!"
Moriya began to throw multiple shuriken at Baron and Knuckle. The two Riders deflected the projectiles, but the shuriken were ricocheting all over the room in an erratic pattern. They gained momentum and speed as they bounced around the room, striking the two Riders as sparks flew with each hit. Baron and Knuckle were forced back-to-back as they tried to deflect the shuriken, but when they were deflected, they just bounced off the walls to come right back. Moriya watched in amusement as he was overpowering two of the Armored War Gods with ease.
[DURIAN SPARKING!]
A barrage of durians made of energy suddenly flew into the room, bombarding Moriya. He screamed as he was forced off his perch. He managed to land on his feet, but he still felt the pain of the spike-covered energy projectiles. His shuriken immediately lost their momentum as they ceased their relentless assault and landed on the floor, clattering all around him and his opponents.
Baron and Knuckle panted as they glared at Moriya while Bravo stood next to them.
"Now then, my fellow Armored War Gods, shall we defeat this cur?" Bravo asked.
"Don't have to ask me twice." Knuckle pounded his Kurumi Bombers together.
"Let's finish this," decided Baron as he reached for his Zhuqiao Lockseed. Moriya watched as the Crimson Enforcer activated the Lockseed which contained the power of the Vermilion Phoenix with a look of interest.
[ZHUQIAO!]
With a quick switch of Lockseeds, the Zhuqiao Lockseed was loaded into the SengokuDriver's Drive Bay before the Cutting Blade was pushed down.
[LOCK ON! COME ON! ZHUQIAO ARMS! FLIGHT OF PHOENIX!]
The flaming phoenix merged with Baron, forming his Zhuqiao Arms. Baron glared at Moriya with rage burning in his eyes. His Zhuqiao Talons folded out as he dashed towards Moriya. Sparks flew as Moriya was struck across the chest by the Zhuqiao Talons and sent reeling backwards.
Jumping back and performing a backflip, Moriya evaded Baron's next strike before he retaliated with a kick, sending Baron staggering backwards. Baron roared back, encasing his Zhuqiao Talons in flames, before blasting Moriya with fire.
"AAAARRRRGGGGGGHHHHH!" the Gecko Rinrinshi screamed as he was put on fire and he rolled on the floor to put himself out.
[COME ON! ZHUQIAO SQUASH!]
Baron's Zhuqiao Talons began to glow with energy as he prepared his finisher. They charged up and were primed for the finishing move.
"Now, let's end this," decided Baron as he took a step forward to finish off Moriya, when his arms suddenly went numb and fell at his sides. "What...?" Baron uttered in confusion and Moriya took this chance to assault Baron with an onslaught of kicks as the numbness gradually spread all over his body. Baron was sent sprawling to the floor. Not satisfied, Moriya kicked Baron across the floor, sending him rolling before he came to a stop on his back. Shortly afterwards his armor vanished as he lay paralyzed on the floor.
"Mitsuki!" Knuckle cried in panic.
"What have you done to him!?" Bravo demanded as the Gecko Rinrinshi chuckled.
Moriya explained with a smug expression, "My venom causes paralysis. Right now, Baron can't feel anything or move his body. It's agonizing when you can't feel anything, isn't it?"
Mitsuki gritted his teeth as he tried to move, but he couldn't. His body was not responding and he was stuck lying on the floor. It was completely undignified.
"You sir have no honor! To interrupt a fine dinner party and paralyze mon ami is something only an uncultured swine would do!" Bravo declared.
"Ugh, cry me a river you big green cactus," scoffed Moriya.
"No, I shall not shed tears! Instead, I shall finish you myself! Now, prepare yourself for punishment knave and say bonjour to Hell!"
Bravo dashed towards Moriya with his Duri Noko. He swung his left sword down but Moriya sidestepped it before Bravo swung his right sword upwards, only for Moriya to parry with his throwing stars. Sparks blasted off the weapons as they made contact before Moriya spun on his heel to land a kick into Bravo's spiky chestplate. This proved to be unwise as Moriya screamed and recoiled in pain, hopping on one foot as he pierced his kicking foot upon Bravo's spiky armor. Not a very good idea for the Gecko Rinrinshi.
"I thought those spikes were just for show!" snapped Moriya as he hopped awkwardly on one foot.
"Oh, whatever I wear is always both stylish and functional," Bravo boasted, posing flamboyantly with his twin Duri Noko.
"In what universe are spikes stylish!?" Moriya shot back.
"Hmph, I wouldn't expect you to understand, reptile. Now, shall we dance or shall we Rock and Roll!" Bravo laughed as he rushed towards Moriya with his Duri Noko. Once his foot was healed, Moriya decided to infuse his shuriken with his venomous Rinki. He first parried Bravo's swords before slashing him across the chest. Sparks blasted off on contact, but Bravo persevered as he swung his swords down upon his opponent. Moriya avoided the strikes and leapt over Bravo before landing behind him.
"Hyah!" Moriya struck Bravo violently across the back with his Rinki-infused shuriken. This caused Bravo to howl in pain and whirl around to decapitate Moriya, but the Gecko Rinrinshi ducked before performing a slicing uppercut with a shuriken. Sparks violently burst on contact as Bravo yelled in pain again. Moriya repeatedly struck Bravo with his shuriken before knocking him to the ground with them.
Marcus groaned as his body began to feel numb. That was when his armor vanished in motes of light, leaving him completely defenseless. Now paralyzed and without his armor, he was at Moriya's mercy.
"That should teach you a lesson, fool," sneered Moriya as he pressed his foot down on Marcus' face. Marcus gritted his teeth as he endured the humiliating defeat by the Gecko Rinrinshi.
Knuckle looked to Mitsuki and Marcus who were just defeated and then up at Moriya who chuckled as they were paralyzed. He narrowed his eyes as he took off his Rider Indicator from his SengokuDriver.
"Looks like it's up to me!" Knuckle decided as he snapped on the Genesis Core before he removed the Kurumi Lockseed. Afterwards, he unlocked his Energy Lockseed and Coconut Lockseed.
[COCONUT!] [MARRON ENERGY!]
"Hm?" Moriya looked at the Ultimate Fist curiously as he took his foot off Marcus' face. "You can still fight? I could've sworn my venom should've taken effect by now."
"Well, guess I'm immune!" Knuckle shot back as he locked in the Marron Energy Lockseed and Coconut Lockseed.
[LOCK ON!]
"Hah!" Knuckle hit the Cutting Blade, slicing open his Coconut Lockseed and Marron Energy Lockseed.
[MIX!]
The Kurumi Armor Part vanished as a pair of Helheim portals opened side-by-side above him. The Coconut Armor Part descended with the Marron Energy Armor Part, which resembled a big metal chestnut. The two Armor Parts slammed into each other and fused to create the Jimber Armor Part. The newly created Jimber Armor Part descended upon Knuckle and disassembled. It swiftly folded onto his body, revealing a Jimber Arms with a chestnut pattern in front and his personal emblem was marked on the left side. His helmet remained the same, but it now had a gold sun-shaped crest with spikes jutting out of its circumference mounted on it. His Arms Weapons materialized on his fists, resembling a pair of over-sized boxing gloves that were covered with spikes, like the shell of a chestnut.
[COCONUT ARMS! HEAVY DUTY MUSCLEMAN! JIMBER MARRON! HA-HA!]
"Armored War God Knuckle! Jimber Marron Arms! Sanjou!" announced Knuckle. After that, he sprinted towards Moriya who leapt back and planted his feet on the wall. He then bounced off and sprang towards Knuckle. Knuckle, seeing his opponent coming straight towards him, drew his right arm back and threw a punch. Moriya simply caught the massive Marron Bomber and stuck on it with his hands and feet. He then planted a kick into Knuckle's chest, sending him reeling.
Landing on his feet, Moriya grimaced. He hated planting his feet on the ground, but after defeating Baron and Bravo he was in a far better mood. Looking up, he saw Knuckle coming towards him with a punch. Moriya sidestepped the blow, before ducking under another swing. Knuckle kept trying to hit him, only missing by a hair's breadth as Moriya demonstrated his superior reflexes and agility.
Going on the offensive, Moriya slashed Knuckle with his shuriken, sending him reeling. Knuckle recovered quickly to land a kick into Moriya's midsection. The force of the kick sent Moriya flying and he went tumbling through the air before he landed on his back. Knuckle then jumped into the air and came down with the aid of gravity to smash his Marron Bombers down on Moriya. Moriya lifted his legs and bent his knees to catch Knuckle before he sprung the Rider up towards the ceiling. Flipping to his feet, Moriya leapt up and threw a fist at Knuckle, sending him crashing into the wall.
"Ugh!" Knuckle grunted. Fortunately, his new armor gave him a much needed boost in defense. Unfortunately, he could still feel the pain and let out a groan in response.
As Knuckle landed back on the ground, he slowly rose back up, but he began to lose feeling in his left arm as he couldn't feel his fingers. It was like his left arm had gone numb as it hung limply at his side. Looking at Moriya, Knuckle began to feel numb in his right leg. He fell onto his right knee as he tried to support his weight on it and his left foot.
"My venom is beginning to spread, isn't it? So much for being immune. You don't have much time left until you're completely paralyzed," said Moriya.
"I still got this!" Knuckle shouted as he struck his Cutting Blade with his right hand.
[COCONUT SQUASH! JIMBER MARRON SQUASH!]
He raised his left arm with his right hand before his Marron Bombers' outer shells exploded, sending spikes flying towards Moriya like missiles. The Gecko Rinrinshi quickly performed his own technique to counter it.
"Ringi! Midare Shuriken!"
Moriya hurled his shuriken at Knuckle as the spikes came flying towards him at high speed. Moriya was flung back as he was hit, but his shuriken struck Knuckle in the chest and threw him to the floor. As the paralysis spread further, Knuckle was completely immobilized before his armor vanished. As for Moriya, despite the injuries he sustained from Knuckle's attack, he was still the last man standing.
"I win, and you lose," Moriya declared as he stood victoriously over the three Armored War Gods.
In Kosonsan's city, the Dynamic Duo were dealing with a Berserker Inves. A member of the White Clothes had set it loose, summoning an Elementary Inves via a Lockseed before feeding it to the creature. It immediately started to go berserk, sending people running in a panic and bringing both Kurokage-Shin and Gridon over to deal with it.
"SPIDER! BIG SPIDER! WHY DID IT HAVE TO BE A BIG SPIDER!?"
Unfortunately for Gridon, the Inves they were facing resembled the most dreaded creature he had the misfortune of encountering.
It was a Spider Inves, with eight spider-like legs jutting from its back, eight eyes staring menacingly at Gridon, and armed with sharp claws that looked sharp enough to tear through flesh. All in all, a truly terrifying sight for the arachnophobe.
As for Kurokage-Shin, he was put out of the fight almost immediately when the Spider Inves flung him into a web where he would remain stuck for the remainder of the fight. Meanwhile, Gridon was screaming in terror as he ducked from the Spider Inves' swipes. He just couldn't fight back as his fight-or-flight responses kept warring with each other.
Kurokage-Shin knew he needed to help somehow despite being stuck in a web. With some effort, he managed to free his right arm. Looking at Gridon, he took out a random Lockseed.
"Buddy, catch!" Kurokage-Shin shouted as he threw the Lockseed. Gridon turned as he was called and got smacked in the face by the Lockseed which landed at his feet. The Spider Inves saw the Lockseed and pounced upon it, but Gridon was faster as he scooped it up and yelled as he whacked the Spider Inves in the face with his Donkachi.
Quickly unlocking the Lockseed, Gridon switched his Donguri Lockseed for it and hit the Cutting Blade.
[BUDOU! LOCK ON! COME ON! BUDOU ARMS! RYU, HOU, HA-HA-HA!]
After a quick Arms Change, Gridon was clad in Ryugen's signature Budou Arms and was holding the Budou Ryuhou.
"Wait, what am I supposed to do with this!?" Gridon questioned as he held the purple firearm.
"Just shoot the damn thing!" Kurokage-Shin shouted.
Gridon gulped as he faced the Spider Inves and gripped the Budou Ryuhou. He took aim and fired, all the while screaming, "AAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"
BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG!
"Dude, you're hitting everything but the monster!" Kurokage-Shin shouted as every single one of Gridon's shots missed the Spider Inves. The Spider Inves lunged for Gridon, causing his fight-or-flight response to kick in again.
"AAAAAHHHHH!"
He chose flight.
Gridon screamed as he fled from the Spider Inves. The Spider Inves leapt from building to building as it chased after Gridon, hungry for his Lockseeds. It spat out a line of webbing, catching Gridon's foot, causing him to trip and fall. The Spider Inves immediately went to pounce on its prey. Rolling himself onto his back, Gridon let his instincts guide him and fired at the Inves, shooting it out of the air. He then shot at the webline attached to his foot before he got back to his feet. His eyes trained on the Spider Inves, as he furiously struck the Cutting Blade thrice.
[COME ON! BUDOU SPARKING!]
"TAKE THIS, YOU HIDEOUS THING!" Gridon fired the Budou Ryuhou's Dragon Shot, but the energy dragon flew right past the Spider Inves. He had missed again.
The Spider Inves walked up to Gridon and smacked the gun out of his hands before it grabbed him by the neck.
Suddenly, Kurokage-Shin hit the Spider Inves across the back, forcing it to release Gridon. Kurokage-Shin then kicked it as it turned around before sending it tumbling with a forward thrust of his Kagematsu-Shin.
"Kenshin...the web...how did you get free?" Gridon asked.
"Dude, the shot you missed managed to break me free," Kurokage-Shin informed him.
"Oh, it did, huh?"
"Yeah, but seriously dude. How could you miss that shot?" Kurokage-Shin questioned. "That Inves was standing like five feet in front of you!"
"SPIDERS SCARE THE HELL OUT OF ME! YOU KNOW THAT!" Gridon snapped angrily.
"Fine, you hang back and let me finish this for you. Then we need to talk," said Kurokage-Shin as he pushed in his Seaboll Compressor twice.
[MATSUBOKKURI ENERGY SPARKING!]
It was over in just a few seconds as Kurokage-Shin dashed towards the Inves and pierced it with his Kagematsu-Shin. It exploded instantly as it was obliterated by Kurokage-Shin's finisher.
Gridon fell on his butt and cancelled his transformation with Kurokage-Shin doing the same a moment later.
"One of these days, buddy, you gotta get over your fear of spiders," Kenshin advised as he helped his friend up.
"I will once you get over your fear of monkeys," Hideyoshi challenged, causing Kenshin to shudder at the mention of monkeys.
"Dude, don't even mention those things."
"Fine, I'm sorry. You never made fun of my fear of spiders so I shouldn't make fun of your fear of monkeys."
"Thanks, man."
"You're welcome. Now let us never speak of this again."
"You know, if you had just gone Xuanwu Arms on that spider, this whole thing could've been done a whole lot faster," Kenshin commented.
"I can't just use my Sovereign Lockseed for every enemy we face, and using it on that Inves is just plain overkill," Hideyoshi argued.
Kenshin countered, "Well, you should. Our fights would be way easier and end faster if you just went Super Mode and finished them off with one attack."
"Look, there's a time and place for everything. You don't use your finishing move in the beginning of the fight. You gotta strategize, and pace yourself, not spam your strongest weapon because you can," Hideyoshi lectured.
Kenshin rolled his eyes as he retorted, "Sounds like the gamer logic lecture my dad gave us when we were kids."
"Hey, sometimes the things you learn in games can be applied in real life," Hideyoshi argued. "I learnt strategy from playing those strategy games you hate so much. All you love are those FPS's."
"Hey, FPS's are fast-paced and full of action. When I plan, I plan on the fly," Kenshin defended. "And it's not just FPS's. I like a good RPG with plenty of action and a good story."
Hideyoshi sighed. He really didn't want to argue with his best friend. "Look, Kenshin. I just don't want to use my Xuanwu Lockseed unless I really have to."
Kenshin didn't understand. If he was the one who got the power of the Sovereigns, he would be flaunting it and spamming its power all over their enemies. But this was Hideyoshi, the guy who would plan first before a fight and the type to hold back before he needed to unleash something. He wasn't like Kenshin at all. Perhaps that's why the Xuanwu Lockseed chose Hideyoshi instead of him.
"Well, since it is yours it's really up to you," Kenshin conceded before he asked hopefully, "But could I borrow it sometime?"
"You tried to, remember? It wouldn't unlock for you," Hideyoshi reminded.
"Damn, I forgot," Kenshin grimaced.
"How could you forget about something like that? Oh, right. You were drunk," Hideyoshi deadpanned.
"Was I?" Kenshin responded in confusion.
"This is why I worry about you whenever you drink. Someday you'll do something you'll regret and I won't be able to help you fix it."
"Well, then it's a good thing I got you watching my back," Kenshin said as he playfully punched Hideyoshi's shoulder.
"Somebody has to. Your mother asked me to look out for you," Hideyoshi said as he crossed his arms.
"Oh yeah, so she did," Kenshin recalled. "Hey, you know what I'm in the mood for?"
"A drink at the tavern?" Hideyoshi rhetorically asked with a flat tone.
"You read my mind, buddy. Let's go!"
Hideyoshi rolled his eyes and followed, only so he could keep an eye on his best friend.
In the tavern, Hideyoshi watched as Kenshin sat at a table and challenged people to an arm-wrestling match. The patrons were betting on who would win. They met Kayu who was already at the tavern, having a drink of her own. Currently, Hideyoshi was sitting with her as they watched the spectacle.
"OK! Who wants to try their luck next?" Kenshin called as he flexed his arms.
"Glad you guys came in. It's dull drinking alone," said Kayu.
"What, no men hit on you this time?" Hideyoshi asked.
"A few, but they got the message," Kayu responded.
"Good, because Kosonsan-dono would not appreciate you making a scene," Hideyoshi remarked.
The three former To Faction members were still working for Kosonsan, but this was still only a temporary arrangement. Ultimately, their loyalty still lay with Totaku. They were more like a group of hired mercenaries, but Kosonsan didn't care. She needed to have Armored War Gods to boost her image and was willing to pay them anything as long as they remained under her employ. Hideyoshi almost felt guilty about taking advantage of the redhead.
Almost.
If she was willing to pay so much for them just for the sake of boosting her image, then she was going to need to pay a lot, and the three of them were not cheap. Hideyoshi possessed the power of the Sovereigns and Kenshin had a GenesisDriver. Kayu was also a strong general, and the three of them were a package deal.
When Hideyoshi and Kenshin first arrived in this world, they needed to live frugally. Money was not easy to come by, even with their skills. They captured bandits and collected bounties, but they still needed to spend wisely. That meant sleeping outside and catching their food in the wild. Hideyoshi was not much of an outdoorsman, but he had adapted and learnt necessary survival skills anyway. He also learnt how important exercise was and how much he needed to do in order to keep in shape. He still hated sleeping outside, and so did Kenshin, on account of their fear of spiders and monkeys. However, they did what they could to survive and save money. Thankfully, Totaku hired them, so they no longer needed to live as frugally as before. That did not mean Hideyoshi stopped being careful with their money.
"Man, that was fun!" grinned Kenshin as he sat down with his friends.
"And pretty lucrative, ain't that right?" Kayu smirked as she saw his winnings.
"You know it, Miyabi! Alright, the next round of drinks is on me!"
"Watch your back. They may not be so happy about losing," warned Hideyoshi.
"Relax, if that happens, we can handle it," Kenshin dismissed Hideyoshi's concerns.
Hideyoshi sighed. "Why do I even bother...?"
As they enjoyed their drinks, Kenshin noticed that Hideyoshi's pocket was glowing.
"Dude, your pocket's glowing," Kenshin pointed.
"What?" Hideyoshi uttered in confusion as he reached into his pocket and pulled out the flashing Xuanwu Lockseed.
"Why is it flashing like that?" Kayu asked.
"I don't know," Hideyoshi answered as he curiously studied the Xuanwu Lockseed. This was the third time it had done this, and he wasn't sure why. Was it some kind of message? Was it trying to tell him something? However, he would not have any time to ponder these questions further.
"Ringi! Deigyokudan!"
Suddenly, several round projectiles were shot into the tavern before they exploded. A murky brown gas with a horrid stench began to spread all around the tavern. Those unfortunate enough to be within the blast radius were killed instantly before they were thrown through the air. Tables and chairs were broken to pieces and a man was impaled by a chair leg. The wall now had a huge hole in it.
"Nani!?" Hideyoshi exclaimed before he began coughing as he inhaled the strange smelly gas. He immediately covered his nose with his sleeve to prevent himself from inhaling it anymore.
"What the fuck was that!?" Kenshin demanded as he covered his nose, his ears still ringing from the explosion. Hideyoshi looked towards the entrance to see that a Rinrinshi Beastman was responsible for the attack. He had a bulky orange body with a back covered in warts. His face was covered by a simple silver mouthplate with goggle-like eyes and a mushroom-shaped helmet on his head. He was armed with sharp metal claws which jutted out from his fat forearms. On his chest was the face of his signature animal, the toad.
"I am Maga, Master of the RinJyu Toad-Ken, and I demand an audience with the Armored War Gods of this city! Now tell me where I can find them!" Maga commanded furiously.
"Well, if it's a fight you want, you got it pal! Henshin!" Kenshin shouted as he dashed towards Maga.
[MATSUBOKKURI ENERGY!]
"Kenshin, wait!" Hideyoshi shouted. However, Kenshin just wasn't listening. "Ugh, again why do I even bother?"
[LOCK ON! LIQUID! MATSUBOKKURI ENERGY ARMS! SEI, YOISHO, WASSHOI!]
"Take this!" Kurokage-Shin swung his Kagematsu-Shin at Maga.
"Hiden Ringi! Taiyupao!"
Kurokage-Shin swung his spear down, only to have it bounce off a gelatinous surface.
"Huh?" Kurokage-Shin tried swinging his Kagematsu-Shin, again, and again, and again, but his strikes failed to connect each time. He furiously tried to land a blow on Maga, only to have his weapon harmlessly bounce off whatever barrier was surrounding Maga. It was frustrating for him, and when he got frustrated he got mad, and when he got mad he couldn't think straight.
Suddenly, Maga dropped the barrier and struck Kurokage-Shin across the chest with his claws, sparks blasting off on impact, and sending him sprawling to the floor.
"Kenshin!" Hideyoshi gasped. He turned to Kayu. "Miyabi, get these people out of here!"
"Come with me, everyone! Let's get out of here!" Kayu instructed. The patrons and the proprietor didn't need to be told twice as they evacuated from the tavern. Now with the civilians out of the way, Hideyoshi activated his SengokuDriver and his signature Donguri Lockseed.
"Henshin!"
[DONGURI!]
Meanwhile, Kurokage-Shin was back on his feet to strike Maga down. The Toad Rinrinshi parried Kurokage-Shin's Kagematsu-Shin with his claws before landing his own powerful strike. Kurokage-Shin grunted but retaliated as he struck Maga across the chest. The Toad Rinrinshi then struck back with a headbutt into Kurokage-Shin's chest, sending him reeling backwards.
[COME ON! DONGURI ARMS! NEVER GIVE UP!]
"Gridon Strike!" Gridon shouted as he jumped towards Maga and hit him in the head with the Donkachi. Maga cried in pain as he covered his head with his hands.
"Ow! That hurt!" shouted Maga.
"Finally decided to join the party?" Kurokage-Shin asked.
"Let's just take care of this before he causes even more damage," said Gridon.
"Gotcha!" Kurokage-Shin gave him a thumbs-up before the two charged straight for Maga.
"Ringi! Deigyokudan!"
"Get down!" Gridon pushed Kurokage-Shin down as Maga hurled his warts at them like grenades. They exploded all around the two Armored War Gods, destroying everything inside the tavern, and spreading more of the stinky fumes.
Rising quickly to their feet, Kurokage-Shin and Gridon dashed towards Maga. They took their fight into the street as they pushed Maga out of the tavern. When the citizens saw the Rinrinshi, they immediately fled the scene as they didn't want to be caught in the crossfire. Gridon and Kurokage-Shin flanked Maga, striking him with their weapons. However, he guarded using his clawed gauntlets, parrying their weapons with ease.
Kurokage-Shin and Gridon were thrown to the ground by Maga who then laughed. "Is this the best you can do? I expected more!"
Kurokage-Shin was angered by the mocking comment.
"That's it! I'm going to shut you up and make frogs legs out of you!" Kurokage-Shin roared threateningly as he got up and rushed towards Maga with his Kagematsu-Shin, leveling it to pierce Maga in the face.
"I'm a toad!" Maga shouted back as he stood his ground and waited for Kurokage-Shin to try and land his blow.
"Ringi! Hishō Shuben Kyaku!"
Suddenly, a foot crashed into Kurokage-Shin's face and flung him backwards. He flipped through the air several times before he landed painfully on his back.
"Ow...what hit me...?" Kurokage-Shin groaned.
"That is what hit you," Gridon pointed while helping Kurokage-Shin back to his feet.
Standing next to Maga was a female Rinrinshi with a slender body that was covered in red and black exoskeletal armor. On her shoulders were scorpion claws and she wore a helmet which resembled a scorpion. Her hair was made up of dreadlocks that hung out of her helmet freely. Each of the dreadlocks was tipped with a scorpion stinger.
"Mistress of the RinJyu Scorpion-Ken, Sorisa, has arrived!" she announced as she posed like a dancer who had just finished her performance.
"Sorisa-chan, you came!" Maga beamed happily. Sorisa gently caressed his face.
"Of course I came, Maga-kun. Wherever my beloved husband goes, I go," said Sorisa before she faced Kurokage-Shin and Gridon alongside her husband.
"Then let's finish them!" Maga decided. "Two-on-two! A fair fight!"
"Very well!"
[MATSUBOKKURI ENERGY SPARKING!]
[COME ON! DONGURI SPARKING!]
Energy gathered around the jumonji yari spearhead of Kurokage-Shin's Kagematsu-Shin and formed into the shape of a giant pinecone. It spun like a drill as he lunged towards the couple. The energy gathered around Gridon as he spun like a top, taking on the form of a giant acorn as it surrounded him. He dashed towards Maga and Sorisa alongside Kurokage-Shin.
"TAIYUPAO!"
Maga quickly put himself in front of his wife and performed his Secret Ringi. The gelatinous substance spread out around them, creating the same impenetrable barrier as before. Both Gridon and Kurokage-Shin were violently repelled as they bounced right off the barrier and landed in a heap.
"Hah, with my perfect defense, even your strongest attacks are nothing!" Maga gloated.
"That was wonderful, Maga-kun!" praised Sorisa girlishly.
"Of course, my love. I will always be your shield," Maga replied.
"Oh, Maga-kun..."
"My Sorisa-chan..."
The married Rinrinshi were gazing deeply into each other's eyes.
"Ugh...that's just sickening..." Kurokage-Shin commented.
"Then you know nothing of romance!" Maga and Sorisa snapped before they gazed into each other's eyes again.
"Hideyoshi, remember when I said about using your Xuanwu Arms? I think now is a good time to use it," Kurokage-Shin whispered.
"On it," Gridon nodded as he took out the Xuanwu Lockseed and unlocked it.
[XUANWU!]
A watery portal opened and the Xuanwu Aura Beast burst out of the portal and flew at the two Rinrinshi, forcing them back and giving Gridon some space.
[LOCK ON! COME ON! XUANWU ARMS! KUROTAMA NO TATE, GO ON!]
Gridon was adorned in his Black Turtle Celestial Armor, aka the Xuanwu Arms, and ready to resume battle.
"Ringi! Deigyokudan!"
Suddenly, Maga hurled his wart grenades at both Riders. Gridon quickly twirled his Xuanwu Spear in front of him, deflecting the explosive barrage. Both Riders cried out as explosions erupted all around them, surrounding them in the brown gas and horrible stench. Suddenly, the two Riders were overcome by a horrible chill that spread all over their bodies. They fell to their knees, shivering, as their weapons fell from their hands.
"Hi-Hi-Hideyoshi! W-w-what's g-g-going on?" Kurokage-Shin asked as he shivered. Gridon could offer no answers as he was shivering uncontrollably, like his entire body was being chilled from within.
"Sorisa-chan! Now!" commanded Maga.
"My turn! Hiden Ringi! Jugoku Hen!" Sorisa threw a great number of scorpions at Gridon and Kurokage-Shin. Immediately, Gridon began to freak out as the scorpions crawled all over him while Kurokage-Shin tried to get them off.
"Aaaaaahhhhhhh! Get them off! Get them off!" Gridon screamed. He was not only freaking out because he was covered in scorpions, but because it felt like he had spiders crawling all over him. Scorpions were arachnid, much like spiders, and that just made things worse as he flailed about.
"And now, my babies, sting them for mommy," said Sorisa as she snapped her fingers. The scorpions covering the two Riders stung them at the same time. The pain of being pierced by their stingers was terrible, but what followed next was even worse.
Kurokage-Shin and Gridon felt as if their body temperatures had risen rapidly, like an intense fever. They began to sweat and feel themselves growing weaker as they tried to support themselves on their hands and knees. What's worse was this did not cancel out the chills. It was a very odd and disturbing feeling as they had fevers and chills at the same time. The scorpions all crawled away from them and returned to their 'mommy' who was approaching the two Riders with her hips swaying from side-to-side. This was Maga's favorite part. He liked to watch Sorisa dance and shake that booty.
"Ringi! Shuben Kyaku!" Sorisa gleefully called.
Sorisa danced towards both Gridon and Kurokage-Shin as they were being overwhelmed by a terrible fever and chills, before she slammed them to the ground with hard heel kicks to the head. She then tossed them into the air with a sweep kick before she jumped and performed a tornado kick that knocked them back to the ground.
"Hi-Hideyoshi...?" Kurokage-Shin groaned as he looked to Gridon who was groaning because of the intense fever and trembling because of the chills. Kurokage-Shin wasn't feeling any better either. The blows to the head were bad enough, but the fever and chills were getting worse.
Sorisa sauntered over to Kurokage-Shin and picked him up by his neck. He put his hands on her shoulders to try and pry her off him, but in his weakened state he couldn't do anything. As her back was turned to Maga, it looked like the two of them were kissing passionately.
Overwhelmed by jealousy, Maga let out an angry roared and charged towards the two.
"GET AWAY FROM MY WIFE!" Maga roared.
Hearing her husband's loud roar, Sorisa smirked and released Kurokage-Shin before she twirled out of the way. The black Armored War God was hit by the force of a speeding freight train as Maga tackled into him. The force of the attack sent him tumbling along the ground before he lost consciousness and his armor vanished.
"Ken...shin..." groaned Gridon.
"We defeated them!" Sorisa cheered as she struck a victory pose.
"Yatta!" Maga cheered. Sorisa hugged and kissed her husband.
"Let us go celebrate, Maga-kun! But first, let's finish these two off!"
"OK, Sorisa-chan!"
Gridon trembled as he struggled to get back to his feet. He looked to Kenshin then back at the two advancing Rinrinshi.
"Gotta...get...out of here..." Gridon shivered as he raised his hand towards them. He blasted the married Rinrinshi couple with a fierce torrent of water, knocking them to the ground and drenching them. Once they were distracted, he picked Kenshin up and fled the scene.
"Are you OK, Sorisa-chan?" Maga asked, concerned.
"He got my hair wet!" Sorisa complained. "And they got away!"
"It's OK, Sorisa-chan. They won't get very far," Maga reassured her.
"You're right, Maga-kun."
"So, how about that celebration?"
In Son Go's palace, Masataka found Shuyu in her room, slumped at her desk with four empty bottles of wine, with a fifth in her hand. He grimaced at the sight. Ever since Sonsaku's death, Shuyu hadn't been the same. In public she was focused completely on her work, but out of sight she would just drink and drink and drink.
She was consuming wine like it was water, and that wasn't healthy. He had no choice but to consider Shuyu an alcoholic at this point. It was a downward, spiraling, slippery slope if Shuyu continued on like this. Pretty soon, her dependence on alcohol would soon affect both her life and work in the worst way imaginable.
He understood why she was doing this. She was suffering from depression. Sonsaku's death really hit her hard. After Sonsaku's death, Shuyu was devastated, and she went through a whirlwind of emotions. She felt anger towards him as someone wearing his armor had killed Sonsaku, and then when she realized what was wrong, she became apologetic and filled with grief. She was miserable, and the only way she could dull the pain was through alcohol.
Everyone gave her space and time to grieve, but everyone was starting to move on. Sonken took Sonsaku's place as queen and was taking her new duties seriously. Sonshoko was also studying hard since she was the next in line for the throne if anything were to happen to her elder sister and she needed to prepare. Everyone else in Son Go's court was also moving on as being stuck in grief would not be doing themselves any favor nor would it benefit the kingdom at all. However, Shuyu remained in her little bubble of depression, trying to drown her sorrows with wine.
"This needs to stop," Masataka firmly decided as he snatched the bottle from her hand, but Shuyu weakly tried to take it back. She had enough time to grieve already. Now it was time for an intervention.
"Nah...No...I need...I need that..." Shuyu slurred as she tried to reach for the bottle, only to fail miserably in her intoxicated state.
"What you need is to stop drinking and stop feeling sorry for yourself!" he snapped back.
"Shu...shut up! You...you don't tell me what...what to do..." she slurred pathetically as she tried to take a swing at him, but she was too drunk to see clearly and missed. Losing her balance, she fell on her rear. Masataka just shook his head in disappointment. If she was sober right now, she would've been able to put up more of a fight.
"I used to look up to you, Shuyu-dono. You were my mentor and friend. I respected you. But look at you now. You're just some drunk who can't live without her bottle of wine. I don't even recognize you anymore," he told her with a disappointed tone. He continued in a softer tone, "You need to stop doing this to yourself. Sonsaku-sama wouldn't want this for you."
"How...how would you know!?" Shuyu cried angrily.
"Do you think you're the only one who's in pain? Do you think you're the only one who misses her? We all miss her, especially her sisters, but we all need to move on and live!"
"I can't just forget about her..." Shuyu sobbed.
"Moving on isn't the same as forgetting someone. It's about living for yourself and honoring those who are gone. They might be gone, but they're always with us in our hearts and memories."
Shuyu would've retorted sharply if she didn't feel ill all of a sudden from drinking too much wine. She threw up all over the floor before passing out. Masataka caught her before she landed face first into her own vomit and gently carried her to her bed. He laid her down and pulled the blanket over her. He would call a servant to deal with the mess Shuyu left.
"Sheren-sama..." Shuyu uttered sadly as she hugged her body pillow. Masataka sighed. Everyone was starting to move on, but they had not forgotten about Sonsaku. He, Sonken and Sonshoko visited Sonsaku's grave from time to time, paying their respects. But Shuyu just couldn't move on. Right now she needed her friends to help and support her through her grief. He took off her glasses before he put them on her bedside table and left to speak with Sonken.
After exiting Shuyu's room, he ran into Rikuson who stood in the corridor.
"Rikuson-dono, what are you doing out here?" he asked.
"Shuyu-sama is not doing very well, is she?" Rikuson replied worriedly.
"She hasn't gotten over Sonsaku-sama's death quite yet," Masataka explained.
"They were intimately close," Rikuson stated. Shuyu and Sonsaku had been lovers, but with the latter gone, Shuyu's heart was broken to pieces.
"I know Shuyu-dono is trying to be strong, but we need to be there for her. Can you help me, Rikuson-dono?" Masataka requested.
"Of course I will," Rikuson swore.
"Good. Be sure to look after her," Masataka told her.
"You can count on me, Zangetsu-sama."
Masataka approached Sonken's bedchamber. The guards stood in front of her door, barring his entry until he asked for permission. He may be the kingdom's Armored War God, but he still served the queen.
"Zangetsu-sama," the guards greeted.
"I'm here to see Sonken-sama," Masataka informed the guards.
"It's alright. You can let him in," Sonken ordered and the guards allowed Masataka entry.
"Sonken-sama," Masataka bowed.
"Masataka-kun, you know when it's just the two of us you don't need to be so formal," Sonken reminded with a smile.
"Ah, right. Renfa-sama," Masataka corrected himself.
"Masataka-kun, why did you wish to see me?" she asked as she stood up from her desk. She had been studying. Even though she was now the Queen of Son Go, she still had a lot to learn. She needed to study diplomacy and military tactics if she wanted to follow in her dearly departed sister's footsteps.
Masataka answered, "It's about Shuyu-dono."
"Is something wrong?" Sonken asked worriedly.
"She's not doing so well, I'm afraid. I caught her drinking again. She had already finished four whole bottles of wine and was halfway through her fifth before I stopped her."
Sonken sighed as she rubbed her temples. "Onee-sama would know how to take care of this problem. How do you think we should help her?"
"We'll just need to be there for her and help her through her grief. The problem is that Shuyu-dono can be very stubborn," Masataka advised.
"That is true. It's what makes her such a great negotiator. She's not the kind to back down from anything," Sonken agreed.
Masataka replied, "I am worried about her. Shuyu-dono was my mentor when I started out as an advisor for your sister. She taught me what it means to be a tactician for Son Go. I respect her as a mentor and a friend, and I hate to watch her destroy herself like this. She still can't move on. She believes by doing so would be like forgetting Sonsaku-sama, but I am sure that Sonsaku-sama would not want Shuyu-dono to do this to herself. She wouldn't want her to be in pain. She would want her to live her life and be happy."
Sonken replied, "That is something we can both agree upon. Shuyu needs us. We just need to remind her that she still has people here that love her."
Masataka cautioned, "But let's be careful. Any wrong step could cause severe consequences." He was afraid Shuyu may try to commit suicide. If her depression got even worse, she might decide to end her own life just to be done with it all. People in depression over losing someone close to them would delude themselves into thinking they could be reunited in death.
Sonken smiled gratefully. "Masataka-kun, thank you."
"For what?" Masataka blinked at the gratitude.
"For being a good friend," she elaborated. Masataka smiled back and nodded.
"It's what I'm here for. Now I'll leave you to return to your studies, Renfa-sama," Masataka bowed before he turned to exit the room. However, Sonken wasn't about to let Masataka leave just like that. She grabbed hold of his arm and spun him around to give him a kiss. Masataka was startled but he did not protest as he returned the kiss as they moved towards her bed.
"Actually, I could use a break. Would you care to assist me?" Sonken asked sultrily.
"It's my duty to assist you in any way I can," he answered.
"Good answer," Sonken smiled before she kissed him again and they lay in bed together.
Later, Masataka went to where Sonsaku's portrait was hung. It was next to the portrait of the Son Sisters' mother. He had commissioned Marcus for a portrait of Sonsaku and the artist's eidetic memory allowed him to capture her image perfectly.
"I really wish you were here right now, Sonsaku-sama. Everyone here misses you. Renfa-sama is trying to follow in your footsteps and Shuyu-dono is miserable," Masataka said to the memorial portrait. He slipped his wallet out of his robe, and opened to take out a photo of himself, his little brother Minato, and their grandfather Tatsuya Miyamoto. "Ojii-chan, I could really use your advice right about now too. You always knew what to say when Minato or I had a problem."
Suddenly, his pocket began to glow. He knew what was causing it as he took out his Baihu Lockseed. It was flashing, just like when Mitsuki first obtained the Zhuqiao Lockseed.
"Is it your turn now, Oda-kun?" Masataka wondered.
"Zangetsu-sama! Zangetsu-sama!" a guard called as he frantically approached Masataka.
"What's the matter?" Masataka asked the panicking guard.
"A monster is attacking the city! We tried to subdue it, but it was no use! Mars-sama and Kamuro-sama are currently engaging it, but I think they require your assistance!" the guard reported.
"Alright, I'm going to go handle this," said Masataka as he strode past the guard. He really didn't need this right now, but evil never took a holiday it seemed.
The centre of the capital had turned into a war zone. Lockvehicles lay in pieces as several bodies could be seen among the wreckage. They were the city's guards and they had immediately responded to the crisis when the monster appeared and sent citizens running in a panic.
Mars and Kamuro had already arrived on the scene to deal with the disturbance. The cause for the disturbance was a Rinrinshi Beastman who wore brown sleeves and pants which looked stitched together with centipede legs running up his legs, arms and shoulders. A centipede's head was on his chest and the antennae stretched all the way over his shoulders. The bag he wore on his head had an X-shaped hole cut in the front to allow him sight but it was also covered in stitches. It was like the paper bag used by ugly people to hide their appearance. How hideous was this Rinrinshi if he saw fit to hide his face with a bag?
"Alright, who the hell are you and what to do you want!?" Mars demanded as he pointed his Sword Bringer threateningly at the Rinrinshi.
"The name's Kademu, and I came to challenge the Armored War God of this city," Kademu answered.
"Well, then you got two of them," Mars confidently accepted.
"The two of you? No, I'm not referring to you. I'm talking about the White Devil himself, Armored War God Zangetsu! Now bring him out here!" demanded Kademu.
"Nii-san, it seems that he's not interested in us," concluded Kamuro.
"Well, then let's get him interested!" Mars shouted as he charged towards Kademu. Kademu crossed his arms and waited for Mars to come to him before he sidestepped the swing. Mars staggered forward but recovered to swing horizontally, but Kademu jumped backwards to avoid the strike. This gave Kamuro the chance he needed as he jumped up and struck Kademu in the side. However, Kademu twisted his body and grabbed hold of the Souginjou before he tossed Kamuro towards Mars.
Before Kamuro could accidentally crash into his brother, he summoned up vines that shot out of the ground to catch him. The vines caught Kamuro and gently deposited him back to the ground next to his brother. Then, together, the Apple Twins charged towards Kademu who was getting himself ready for them. They swung at him, but he had his counter attack ready as he blocked their weapons with his forearms.
"Ringi! Okumansho!"
Once within Kademu's range, the brothers were struck repeatedly by a thousand palm strikes which crashed into them in a span of several seconds. Sparks flew from the brutal impacts as Kademu's arms blurred, striking the Apple Twins in the chest before he finished off the combo to send them flying. The two soared through the air before they landed on the ground.
"Ugh...what hit me...?" Mars groaned.
"Nii-san, I think it's time we used that," Kamuro recommended.
"Alright. Let's do it!"
Rising to their feet, Mars and Kamuro hit their Cutting Blades.
[COME ON! GOLDEN SQUASH!]
[SOIYA! SILVER SQUASH!]
Kamuro pointed his left palm at Kademu and summoned up some vines which burst out from underneath the Centipede Rinrinshi. The vines wrapped tightly around Kademu, restraining him and to prevent him from evading.
"Now, Fuyu! Just like we practiced!" Mars instructed as Kamuro jumped and rolled his body into a ball before he turned into a sphere of blue energy the size of a soccer ball. Catching the ball on his foot, Mars kicked it towards Kademu. However, the Centipede Rinrinshi managed to free his arms out of his restraints to catch the energy sphere with both his hands. Mars counted on this as he leapt up and came down towards Kademu to kick the ball. His boot made contact, creating a massive explosion that flung Kademu backwards as a result. As for Mars and Kamuro, they landed on their feet while Kademu landed on his back and exploded.
After sheathing his Sword Bringer, Mars raised his fist to his brother and Kamuro returned the gesture with a fist bump.
"Looks like we didn't need Sempai's help after all," Mars commented with a smirk.
"Nii-san, that just felt way too easy," Kamuro observed the smoke and dying flames.
"Maybe it's because we're both awe-"
"Hiden Ringi! Chojoben!"
Mars' sentence was cut off as a giant centipede suddenly shot out of the smoke. It was unnaturally long and it struck both Mars and Kamuro, smacking them around as it lashed at them like a whip. It attacked them, fast and hard, and the blows kept getting harder and faster before it knocked them to the ground. It wasn't just the blows that hurt, but how the centipede's legs scraped across their bodies that were painful.
The giant centipede then retracted into the smoke as it slowly dissipated to reveal Kademu, still standing, much to the twins' surprise. The Centipede Rinrinshi was radiating with Rinki as he adjusted his bag hood.
"Round two, punks," Kademu grinned before he dashed towards the two. A hundred painful punches hit the two brothers in a single second, putting them to the ground. Not satisfied yet with his victory, Kademu picked Mars up by his throat and pulled his fist back.
"Let me go!" Mars shouted as he struggled to free himself.
"Time for some pain! Ringi! Gaidokuken!"
"Nii-san!" Kamuro cried before he pushed Mars out of the way. Kamuro took a direct hit to the chest as a result and fell to the ground. As soon as he hit the ground, his armor vanished as he began to scream in pain while he clutched his chest.
"Fuyu!" Mars immediately went to aid his brother. "Fuyu, what's wrong!?"
"Argh!" Fuyu clutched his chest. "It...It hurts...Nii-san! It hurts so bad...! Aaaaarrrggghhh!" The pain felt like he had been bitten by centipedes, only a thousand times worse. He was screaming in agony as Kademu laughed victoriously.
"What did you do to him!?" Mars demanded angrily.
"That's the pain caused by my venom. Now, time for you to have a taste of it too," Kademu threatened.
"You bastard..." Mars got to his feet and held his Sword Bringer and Apple Reflecter to guard himself and Fuyu. Charging forward, he thrust his sword at Kademu, but the Centipede Rinrinshi dodged before he punched Mars in the face. Mars raised his shield to guard himself from the next blow, but it wouldn't be enough for what came next.
"Ringi! Okumansho!"
Mars' shield was pounded by Kademu's lightning fast palm strikes. Each strike left a palm-shaped indent on his shield and the indents multiplied rapidly as they became deeper, pushing the shield to its utmost limit as it buckled under the merciless onslaught. Finally, cracks began to spread all over the shield before it reached its limit and shattered. The final blow struck Mars in the chest and flung him backwards. He went tumbling as his armor vanished and he lay next to his brother who was still writhing in pain from Kademu's poisonous strike.
Kademu sneered at the Apple Twins. He could finish them off right now, but he hadn't come for them.
"Now, time for me to face the White Devil," decided Kademu as he turned to head to the palace, when he was suddenly knocked off his feet by a white and green blur. The blur came to a stop, revealing Zangetsu in his Melon Arms armor.
"Natsu! Fuyu!" Zangetsu called as he jogged over to the Fuma Twins. "Are you both alright?"
"I am, but that freak did something to Fuyu," Natsu answered, gesturing to Fuyu who was writhing in pain.
"Take your brother back to the palace. I'll handle things here," Zangetsu instructed. Natsu found no room to argue as he picked Fuyu up and dragged him to safety.
"So, you finally came," Kademu greeted Zangetsu.
"Did you do this?" Zangetsu asked, referring to all the damage and deaths.
"Yes, this was all me. You kept me waiting, so I needed to occupy my time with your subordinates," Kademu answered. "Now that you're here, we can begin the main event."
"Who are you?" Zangetsu demanded.
"Guess I should introduce myself. The name's Kademu, Master of the RinJyu Centipede-Ken."
"Zangetsu, Authorized by Divine Providence," Zangetsu returned. With narrowed eyes, Zangetsu dashed towards Kademu. He thrust his Musou Saber at Kademu's chest, but the Centipede Rinrinshi leapt backwards to avoid it. Zangetsu accelerated and crossed the distance quickly to strike Kademu across the chest, but Kademu blocked it with his forearm just in time before he was hit. He threw a punch at Zangetsu, but his fist collided with the Melon Defender.
It soon turned into a brutal exchange of blows as the two warriors engaged each other swiftly and violently. Kademu's speed clashed with Zangetsu's acceleration as bare fists met with a steel blade and an iron shield. Sparks flew with each strike as they tried to take each other down. Kademu found himself being challenged by the White Devil, while Zangetsu himself wanted to put down Kademu for good in retribution for his crimes.
Finding an opening, Zangetsu stabbed Kademu multiple times. Kademu reeled backwards but recovered to punch Zangetsu multiple times in the chest. Zangetsu retaliated with a kick to Kademu's gut before he slashed him multiple times across the chest with the Musou Saber. Kademu tried to avoid the sword as it came close to his face and he was successful until Zangetsu's Musou Saber successfully snagged off his bag hood. The White Devil withdrew his blade, taking the bag with it, and Kademu panicked as he covered his face.
"My face!" Kademu screamed. The bag fell to the ground and Kademu frantically picked it back up to cover his hideous appearance.
"What so important about that bag?" Zangetsu wondered out loud.
Kademu roared in anger. "You dare...remove my bag!? You dare make me show my face!? How dare you!? Ringi! Okumansho!"
Zangetsu saw the attack coming and raised his Melon Defender to guard. However, in ten seconds flat, the Melon Defender was shattered by a thousand lightning fast palm strikes. Kademu then followed up with a karate chop that sliced across Zangetsu's chestplate, ripping sparks off on impact. Zangetsu swung his sword but it was blocked by Kademu's palm, before a spear hand strike collided with Zangetsu's chest, knocking him backwards.
"Okumansho!"
Once more, Zangetsu was hit by Kademu's Thousand Billion Palms until his chestplate shattered to pieces. The White Devil was sent tumbling along the ground as he was forced back to his civilian form.
"Let's finish this," decided Kademu as he advanced on Masataka.
[BAIHU!]
Suddenly, a portal opened up from the ground and the Baihu Aura Beast burst out with a roar. It swiped repeatedly at Kademu, knocking him back as it protected Masataka. The White Devil rose to his feet and loaded the Baihu Lockseed into his SengokuDriver.
"Henshin!"
[LOCK ON! SOIYA! BAIHU ARMS! BYAKKO NO KIBA, TENSHIN!]
The Baihu Aura Beast fused with Masataka, forming his Ride Wear suit before materializing the Baihu Arms Armor. His Baihu Claws flashed to existence before he struck a pose, glaring at Kademu.
"So, this is the power of the Sovereigns which I've heard so much about," Kademu chuckled. "Alright, let's see how strong you are! Ringi! Okumansho!"
Kademu and Zangetsu rapidly exchanged blows, their strikes meeting with the sound of thunderclaps echoing around them. Their arms blurred, looking like they had multiple arms. However, at the end of the exchange, Zangetsu found that his Baihu Claws had been shattered to pieces.
"What!?" Zangetsu gawked at his arms as his Baihu Claws just crumbled to the ground as a pile of scrap.
"Here, have a taste of the pain your comrade is feeling!" shouted Kademu as he reared back a fist that was infused with his Rinki. "Gaidokuken!"
Zangetsu raised his forearms to block, but Kademu broke through the White Devil's guard with his toxic Rinki-infused punch. Kademu's fist collided with Zangetsu's chest and blasted him across the city. The White Devil tumbled helplessly along the ground, leaving a trail of dust, and still kept going. He didn't even stop when he accidentally smashed through a cart carrying cabbages.
"MY CABBAGES!" yelled a man as he cried over his ruined cart and cabbages.
Zangetsu still kept going until he finally crashed right into the city's outer wall. Once the dust settled, Zangetsu was stuck in the wall, with cracks spread out all over its surface. Moments later, his armor deactivated after taking too much damage. He was revealed to be unconscious as the impact had knocked him out.
Kademu dusted off his hands and readjusted his bag hood. He hated it when someone touched his bag. It was there for a reason, and nobody was allowed to touch it but him. He had his reasons for wearing it, and they were private.
Maga, Sorisa, Kademu and Moriya all returned to the RinJyuDen after finishing their excursions. Waiting for them in their usual meeting chamber was Braco who was back in his Rinrinshi form. Anyone who came in would know that this space belonged to the Five Venom Fists. The walls of the chamber were decorated by tapestries depicting the animals that served as the basis of their respective styles: a snake, a toad, a scorpion, a gecko and finally a centipede.
While their Beastman forms were unique, as Rinrinshi, they all looked identical and could only be differentiated by the distinctive animal ornaments they wore on their heads. The color-coded sashes strapped across their chests also served as a distinguishing feature while at the same time signifying their special status as elite warriors.
Braco, as usual wore a blue sash with a cobra on his head. Maga wore a yellow sash and had a toad on his head. Kademu had a centipede on his head and wore a white sash. Moriya wore a green sash and had a gecko on his head. And finally, Sorisa, who was the only female of their group, wore a red sash and had a scorpion on her head.
"So, I take it you all were successful," Braco assumed as his comrades returned and gathered in the chamber with him.
"Oh, we were!" Sorisa giggled as she hugged Maga's left arm lovingly. The Toad Rinrinshi scratched his head in embarrassment. "It was the best date we ever had!"
"They couldn't even touch us!" boasted Maga.
"Well good for you," sneered Moriya sarcastically.
"What's the problem, Moriya?" Braco asked.
"The problem is that this new power you gave us didn't last us very long," Moriya said irritably.
Earlier...
Standing on the Five Venom Fists' table was the Seal of Heaven. It was the genuine article, forged from gold into the image of a dragon, hiding an incredible power within. It was this artifact that turned Chojo into a she-demon and it also gave the Armored War Gods access to the power of the Sovereigns.
The Five Venom Fists sat around the table, with Braco watching as his four comrades admired his prize. The spoils of battle were truly something to be proud of, especially if it was something as priceless and legendary as the Seal of Heaven.
"Beautiful..." Sorisa gazed at the Seal of Heaven in admiration.
"So shiny..." uttered Maga in agreement.
"I can't believe it is actually real," admired Kademu in awe.
"Are you sure it's the real deal, Braco?" Moriya inquired. Unlike the others, he was skeptical about this being the authentic Seal of Heaven. It could just be a very convincing forgery.
"Of course it is. It appeared in a flash of gold light while I fought Gaim. Before it could completely awaken the power for him, I snatched it and brought it here," Braco answered.
"So, you defeated Armored War God Gaim," Kademu smiled. "I suppose you finished him off."
Braco flexed his fingers with a sinister smile. "I gave him a taste of my Hiden Ringi." It was a shame that he had to kill such a promising warrior, but Gaim was the enemy and needed to be vanquished.
"So, when will you deliver this to our princesses?" Sorisa asked.
"I was thinking of hanging onto it for a little bit longer," Braco confessed. The other Venom Fists looked at Braco like he was mad.
"Are you mad!? You want to keep it for yourself!? That's treason! That's suicide!" Sorisa shot back in shock. If Braco dared to go against the Femme Fatales, then Sorisa wanted no part of it.
"It's a risk worth taking. After all this time, don't we owe it to ourselves to become stronger? More powerful? We're the elite warriors of the RinJyuKen Akugata, but we have yet to truly master our abilities and tap into our full potential. We keep training, keep getting stronger, but with this Seal of Heaven we could become something more," Braco told them.
"So you're just going to share this power with us?" Moriya asked skeptically. "If I were you, I would just keep it for myself."
"Well, I'm glad that I'm not you then. You're my comrades after all and we've been together all this time. It would be wrong of me to just hog all this power for myself," Braco smiled warmly. There was just something wrong when a coldblooded killer could smile like that.
"And how will you be sure that it will work for us?" Kademu asked suspiciously. "What if it finds us unworthy and destroys us?"
"It worked for Chojo, and she definitely wasn't worthy of its power but was still given power nonetheless. So it will certainly work for us. Now, go on and touch it," Braco replied.
"And you?" Kademu questioned.
"I've had my turn with it already," Braco answered with a shrug.
The other Venom Fists seemed hesitant but Kademu quickly changed his mind as he placed his hand on the Seal of Heaven. He wanted power and the Seal of Heaven would grant it to him. Moriya quickly followed his lead. Maga and Sorisa were hesitant, but they placed their hands upon it together.
And nothing happened.
"Is this some kind of joke, Braco!?" Kademu snapped when the Seal of Heaven suddenly glowed. At the same time, a surge of power traveled up their arms and into their bodies. The golden glow of the Seal of Heaven soon changed as a malevolent violet aura radiated from the artifact. Braco watched as the aura surrounded his comrades and he could feel them becoming stronger, more powerful.
"What is this?" Sorisa questioned as she felt the power enter her body. She had never felt so powerful before.
"Dorinki," Braco answered. "It appears that the Seal of Heaven is capable of enhancing our Rinki, allowing us to unlock our Dorinki."
Dorinki was a higher level of Rinki. It was fueled by rage and the desire to destroy. However, it would appear that the Five Venom Fists managed to unlock it, using the Seal of Heaven as another key to access it.
"How do you all feel?" Braco asked.
"I feel awesome!" Maga flexed his arms. "How do you feel, Sorisa-chan?"
"It's incredible, Maga-kun! This power, I can't get enough of it!" squealed Sorisa excitedly.
Moriya rolled his eyes at the married couple before asking, "So, Braco. What's our next move?"
"I'll tell you later. Right now, how about you all go and give your new power a try? I suggest challenging the other Armored War Gods," Braco recommended.
"The Armored War Gods, huh? Sounds interesting. I've been itching for a chance to fight them," Moriya said eagerly. Many Rinrinshi and Rinshi had fallen at the hands of the Armored War Gods. Instead of being scared, Moriya wanted to test his mettle against them.
"Then what are you waiting for? Go," Braco permitted.
"I thought we were supposed to be unstoppable! You claimed we would be invincible!" Moriya complained.
"That's right. Sure, we decimated our enemies, but we felt drained soon after," Kademu added.
Maga countered, "Sorisa-chan and I felt weak after we beat Gridon and Kurokage."
Moriya mocked, "I'm surprised you even realized it was happening, warts-for-brains."
Sorisa came to her husband's defense. "Hey, don't insult my husband!"
"Don't you feel insulted since you got married to this lummox!?" Moriya spat.
"ENOUGH!" Braco roared, causing his comrades to freeze and go silent as they felt the cold chill of his Rinki envelop the room. "I didn't wait here for you just so I could watch you fight amongst yourselves! I want to know how your missions went! Were you able to defeat the Sovereigns?"
After recovering from being admonished by Braco, the Venom Fists gave their accounts and the results of their missions.
"Baron was paralyzed after he activated his Celestial Armor. After that it was pretty easy for me to beat him," Moriya gloated.
"Zangetsu didn't stand a chance against me even with his own Celestial Armor," added Kademu. "It was almost too easy."
"Maga-kun also incapacitated Gridon with his venom, and I added more to his suffering with my own venom," boasted Sorisa.
"We sent the Black Turtle running, didn't we, Sorisa-chan?" claimed Maga.
"That we did, Maga-kun," Sorisa confirmed proudly.
"So then your test runs were a success," Braco nodded in satisfaction. It would appear that the Venom Fists were superior to the Sovereigns. That was good. That meant there was nothing that could stop them now. He placed the Seal of Heaven on the table. "Since you've already had a taste of real power, how about I give you all a full feast?"
Kademu, Moriya, Sorisa and Maga exchanged looks before placing their hands on the Seal of Heaven. Braco did the same and soon enough the Seal of Heaven began to radiate with a foul and dark aura. The aura traveled up their arms and into their bodies, causing their eyes to light up with a dark purplish glow. This was unlike the boost they got before. It seemed far greater and it felt like it would last much longer. They reluctantly removed their hands from the Seal of Heaven. The power was so tempting, but now wasn't the time to get greedy.
"So, you told us that you had a plan once we got this power," Moriya reminded Braco.
"There's so much we can do with this power, my friends. We can even put ourselves at the top of the RinJyuKen Akugata," answered Braco. This surprised the other Venom Fists.
"Are you thinking of overthrowing the Femme Fatales?" Kademu asked. "That's kinda gutsy."
"Why not? It's time for new management, and with the power of the Seal of Heaven, the Five Venom Fists will take the five highest chairs in the RinJyuKen Akugata!"
"Then what are waiting for! Let's throw those bitches out!" Kademu eagerly agreed.
"Sorisa, aren't you going to say that this is suicidal? That we are being foolish?" Braco asked, wanting to know the opinion of their lone female member.
"Before receiving this power, I would say that this was crazy, that this was foolish, that this was suicidal," Sorisa answered. "But now I believe that we should be the ones in charge! We should be the ones sitting on those thrones, not those pathetic pampered princesses!"
"Yeah!" Maga agreed. "Our own thrones! We'll be like kings!"
"Kings and a queen, dear," Sorisa corrected.
"Very well then," Braco said as he stood up and grinned evilly. "Gentlemen and lady, how about we go and see our princesses for a promotion?"
The RinJyuKen's Femme Fatales were presently gathered in Dai Shi's chamber. They knelt before the coffin of their master, offering up the Rinki they managed to gather. Dai Shi's chamber was a sacred place, accessible only by the Femme Fatales and those they permitted. However, the sanctity of this place would suddenly be violated.
"Daijaho!"
"Deigyokudan!"
"Midare Shuriken!"
Shirokumahime reacted, "Hyōga no Ugoki!" The sudden projectile attacks collided with Shirokumahime's ice barrier and exploded against it. The Femme Fatales immediately assumed their battle stances to confront their assailants and were surprised to see who it was.
It was the Five Venom Fists.
"Braco, what is the meaning of this?" Shirokumahime demanded.
"It's time for a change in management, Shirokumahime-sama," Braco answered as his comrades stood behind him. "For far too long you and your sisters have been allowed to remain in power. And for what? To gather Rinki and give it up to a master that is already dead? We of the RinJyuKen should be subjugating this world! Instead, you turn us into nothing more than harvesters for Rinki, only to take it from us to feed to a corpse as we're left only with scraps!"
"Bite your tongue, Braco!" Takahime snapped in anger. "Once Dai Shi-sama awakens, we will take this world!"
"And do you really think the five of you are a match for us?" Hebihime challenged, hissing angrily.
"Yes, because we have this," said Braco as he revealed that he had the Seal of Heaven in his hand. A dark aura surrounded it, the same dark aura that was radiating off the Five Venom Fists.
"So, you've taken its power," Shirokumahime deduced.
"Yes, and it is with the Seal of Heaven's power that we were able to do what you could not: defeat the Armored War Gods!" Braco gloated proudly.
"That power is not meant for you," Shirokumahime claimed.
"It is now. You really shouldn't have sent me to retrieve it. An artifact of great power such as this, did you really think anyone could resist it? You should've taken it yourselves if you didn't want anyone else to claim it," Braco retorted.
"You treacherous snake!" Takahime yelled.
"You truly are despicable!" Shachihime spat.
"Your insults mean nothing to me. The days that we take orders from you five pampered princesses are over," Braco said coldly. "Kademu, Sorisa, it's time to break the ice."
"No problem," replied Sorisa gleefully.
"Got it," Kademu grinned sinisterly.
The two approached the ice barrier. Kademu flexed his fingers while Sorisa performed some stretches. The Femme Fatales entered their offensive stances as they prepared for a fight, with the exception of the Panther-Fist Mistress.
Kademu concentrated his Rinki and shouted, "Okumansho!"
Sorisa called as she went upside down and did a split before she began spinning rapidly, "Guren Shuben Kyaku!"
Kademu rapidly pounded on the ice with his palms, hitting it repeatedly as his arms blurred at lightning speed. At the same time, Sorisa performed her signature upside-down tornado kick. Her own kicks smashed into the ice, gradually weakening it. The ice wouldn't be able to withstand their combined assault for long and would soon turn brittle. Already, cracks were beginning to spread all over its surface.
"Shirokumahime," spoke Hyohime urgently as she gestured towards Dai Shi's coffin. Shirokumahime grimaced. A battle in this chamber would be disastrous. The risk was too high and the Five Venom Fists were empowered by the Seal of Heaven.
"My sisters, we are withdrawing," Shirokumahime ordered.
"You want us to run away!?" Takahime demanded.
"Even if we stood the slightest chance of victory, it would come at a great cost. Our goal is nearly in reach, so we cannot risk turning this setback into a disaster. Dai Shi-sama must be revived and to do that we need his body to be intact," Shirokumahime explained seriously. "We cannot allow all our efforts to come undone because of pride. Is that understood?"
Hebihime, Takahime and Shachihime reluctantly conceded to Shirokumahime's authority. They hated the idea of running away from a bunch of traitors, but their goal was to ensure Dai Shi's return. Under any other circumstance, Shirokumahime would fight anyone to defend their position and Dai Shi, but this was not the time and they needed to protect Dai Shi at all cost. They needed to withdraw from this fight as they had more to lose than to gain here.
"Hyohime, get us out of here," Shirokumahime ordered. Hyohime nodded and formed a shadow portal under her feet which expanded.
"Moriya, Maga, you're with me!" Braco ordered as they prepared their projectile attacks. "Now! Daijaho!"
"Midare Shuriken!"
"Deigyokudan!"
The ice barrier exploded as it shattered to pieces. As the dust settled, the Venom Fists stepped forward only to find that the Femme Fatales were gone.
"They got away!" Sorisa shouted.
"And they took away Dai Shi's coffin too!" added Kademu.
"They couldn't have gotten far! Let's go after them!" Moriya suggested.
"No," Braco objected.
"'No'? What do you mean 'no'?" Moriya demanded.
"Let them run. They know they can't defeat us without risking the destruction of their precious Dai Shi," Braco explained. "Now with them gone, we're the ones in charge."
"So that means their thrones are ours!" Sorisa beamed.
"Yes, but this is just the first step," Braco said.
"What do you have in mind?" Kademu asked, interested.
"How about we expand our new kingdom? I know just where to start," Braco replied, a sinister smile forming on his face.
Meanwhile, while cloaked, Duke witnessed the whole thing and murmured, "Well, things have just gotten complicated." He clutched the Crucial Keys to the Way of Peace to his chest. "Very complicated indeed."
It is said that in times of chaos and strife, when the land would be shrouded in darkness, the souls of the Four Sovereigns would be inherited by Heaven's Chosen Warriors. Only with guidance from the Messenger of Heaven would they exorcise the land from darkness. The time foretold within the Celestial Chronicles has come upon us.
The Age of the Armored War Gods
To Be Continued in the Final Season: "End of the Armored War Gods"!
Lost Scrolls of the RinJyuKen Akugata
Five Venom Fists: Masters of their specific styles, these five Rinrinshi are elite members of the RinJyuKen Akugata. While they are not at the top like the Femme Fatales, they are powerful warriors in their own right. They receive their group name due to their ability to generate venomous Rinki with various debilitating effects.
Listed below are the Five Venom Fists, including their fighting styles and techniques:
1. Braco, Master of the Snake-Ken, aka the "One-Hit-Kill Sniping Master"
Snake-Ken: This style follows the strange movements of a snake and emulates its bites with highly accurate jabs and punches to weak spots. The venom generated by the practitioner can cause nausea.
Yōjazan: Mysterious Snake Cut. A venomous Rinki-charged slash attack.
Daijahō: Serpent Cannon. A cannon attack which compresses his Rinki into a ball and fires it out of the snake face on his chest.
Madoku: True Poison. Braco is the Venom-Fist user that possessed the True Poison, the most powerful Secret Ringi. It is referred to as the "Ultimate Poison" or the "Poison of the Dead." The True Poison allows its user to change his/her fingernails into serpent fangs that possess a venom so powerful and pure that as it can take the life of a living being. It can also give life to those who are long dead, even Rinrinshi.
2. Kademu, Master of the Centipede-Ken, aka the "Many-Handed King of Hell"
Centipede-Ken: This style is inspired by the number of legs possessed by a centipede. It allows the practitioner to deliver a hundred light-speed hits in a single second. The practitioner can also generate a venom that causes agonizing pain.
Hyakuzanshu: Hundred Chops. As the name implies, a hundred karate chops in a single second.
Okumanshō: Thousand Billion Palms. He throws a barrage of palm strikes with blinding speed, making it look like he has multiple arms as they blur in motion.
Gaidokuken: Harmful Toxin Fist. Utilizing his venomous Rinki, Kademu charges a punch with it to jab the opponent and cause them agonizing pain before finishing them off.
Chōjōben: Great Castle Whip. Kademu's Secret Ringi. It allows him to attack his opponent using his centipede-shaped head as a whip.
3. Moriya, Master of the Gecko-Ken, aka the "Unconfrontable Delusion Disturber"
Gecko-Ken: This style puts emphasis on hit and run tactics with unexpected movement and reactions, along with the ability to walk freely on walls and ceilings, just like a gecko. The user also gains the ability to generate a venom that causes paralysis.
Bimō Kyaku: Delicate-Hair Legs. This technique allows Moriya to walk on vertical surfaces as well as stick to ceilings and walls.
Midare Shuriken: Erratic Shuriken. He throws his shuriken that pursue his opponents as they hone in on their target. They move in a random pattern so his victims can't dodge them. In addition, Moriya administers his venom through his shuriken which can even cut through armor.
Sokuseiwan: Rapid-Growth Arm. Moriya's Secret Ringi mimics the gecko's biological talent by shedding off his own arm to escape a hold and growing a new one while the discarded arm's surprise attack serves as a distraction.
4. Sorisa, Master of the Scorpion-Ken, aka the "Dancer of Terror"
Scorpion-Ken: This style emulates the movements of a scorpion's tail through dance and kicks. The practitioner also generates a venom that can induce fever.
Sasori Butō: Scorpion Dance. An offensive and defensive technique. Her dance moves can throw opponents off balance and allow her to dodge easily before countering them.
Shuben Kyaku: Vermilion Whip Kick. Sorisa performs a series of powerful heel kicks to slam her opponents to the ground. She then sends them flying with a sweep kick.
Hishō Shuben Kyaku: Flying Vermilion Whip Kick. A variation of the Shuben Kyaku. She executes it as a flying scissor kick or a flying side kick.
Guren Shuben Kyaku: Crimson Lotus Vermilion Whip Kick. An upside down tornado kick.
Shuben Kaikyaku: Open Vermillion Whip Kick. Sorisa jumps into the air to perform a dropkick.
Jūgoku Hen: Pile-up Prison Transformation. Sorisa's Secret Ringi covers her opponent with great numbers of scorpions that also sting simultaneously to poison the enemy. Sorisa is able to control the venom's intensity, to either cause severe fevers or even death.
5. Maga, Master of the Toad-Ken, aka the "Steel Wall Defender"
Toad-Ken: This style emphasizes on an iron body defense. The Toad-Ken allows the practitioner to neutralize the ability to feel pain as well as develop a strong body, hard as iron. This also allows the practitioner to generate a venom that causes chills.
Deigyokudan: Mudball Bombs allows the user to throw his warts as though they were grenades. These warts contain a gaseous form of Maga's chilling venom. When exposed to it, either by inhalation or absorbing it through the skin, the victim will be affected and feel uncontrollable chills.
Taiyūpao: Oily Body-Armor. Maga's Secret Ringi that allows him to produce a gelatinous liquid from his body that congeals into a powerful shield that is impervious to almost all attacks.
Fruits of the Tree, Yggdrasil
Jimber Marron Arms: Knuckle's new upgrade, accessed with the simultaneous use of the Coconut Lockseed and Marron Energy Lockseed. It is unknown to the other Armored War Gods on how Knuckle acquired the Energy Lockseed and the Genesis Core which allowed him to access this form but it is implied that Ensho had something to do with his acquisition of the items based on his claim. In this form, Knuckle is armed with a pair of oversized boxing gloves that are covered in spikes known as the Marron Bombers due to their resemblance to chestnuts. The Marron Bombers increase his punching power exponentially, befitting his preferred fighting style.
KRC: So, previously, I introduced Braco of the RinJyu Snake-Ken, leader of the Five Venom Fists, into the story. He was a pretty strong opponent as he first fought Nagata in his Rinrinshi form before shedding his skin to assume his truly menacing Beastman form. Nagata tried his best and fought valiantly. Unfortunately, he was defeated and fell at the hands of Braco. Now Nagata is near death and Braco has obtained the Seal of Heaven. This is not good for the Shoku Warriors or anyone else for that matter.
I know this isn't like the usual epilogues where we have a happy ending. In fact, it looks like the villains are the focus on the epilogue. I also purposely left the fates of the Armored War Gods ambiguous so you could call this a cliffhanger. Besides, this season needed to end and I wanted to try something a bit different than usual. I have noticed from the reviews that I need to make the fights more suspenseful with higher stakes, and after rewatching some shows I realize what was missing and decided to emulate the style. I hope to add more tension for the fights in the future as the stakes will be high and escalate. I'm gonna need to work on that as I've been told my main villains have been dissatisfying. I've been told they have been nothing but 'jobbers'. I looked up the term and learnt what it meant. Basically, 'jobber' is a pro-wrestling term used for a wrestler who loses to make the 'star' look good. That means they are meant to lose and lose easily. After that, I looked back and realized that I had made the main antagonists look like weak 'jobbers'. I'm gonna have to fix that later on in the series. Hopefully, with time and practice I'll be able to do it. I already have plans ready.
OK, so this chapter mainly focuses on the Venom Fists taking down the Armored War Gods. Initially it was called 'A Taste of True Power', but I was then told there was a Jungle Fury episode called 'A Taste of Poison'. So I decided to use that title instead for the homage. It was a curb stomp in their favor while the Riders are made to look like fools as they fought. I had to revise this chapter a lot so it doesn't look like they were completely useless and were giving it their all. Masataka, Hideyoshi and Mitsuki weren't given the chance to go Sovereign Arms since their enemies defeated them before they could use those forms which is kind of a shame, to be honest.
Finally, the Femme Fatales withdrew without a fight. Considering the risks involved, it's understandable. Why fight a battle you might be able to win, only to lose something important in the end? Pride isn't really worth much if you end up destroying the thing you're trying to protect. And believe me, Dai Shi's safety and his revival is their top priority. It's not foolish that they sent Braco to retrieve the Seal of Heaven, as the guys in charge sends subordinates as always. However, there is always the risk of being double-crossed and they were double-crossed by the Five Venom Fists.
Guess Braco pulled a 'Starscream' on them. But this helps to lead into the final season. One of the main themes of Season Six is "betrayal".
I also know I promised to debut Nagata's Sovereign Arms soon. Well, it won't be this season, unfortunately. However, I am going to try and work on the debut of the final Sovereign Arms. There are just some things I need to do so I need to take a break from this fic for a while. I apologize for anyone who was hoping to see it.
REGARDING "NEASEL"
Regarding Nise (or "Neasel" as my proofreader has taken to calling him), I do apologize to all the fans of the AWG stories when I had him becoming Bloody/Bujin Gaim and later the Fake Zangetsu. I just thought it would be an ironic twist to have him try to be a competent villain, only to fail. I liked to punish him because of his crimes before and having him being beaten despite having powerful gear was the only way I thought of using him. Clearly, some critics did not agree and recommended other ways I could've done 'Bujin Gaim' and 'Fake Zangetsu' a little better. I can agree to that, but I've already drafted it all and I wanted to write the story my way. Due to the bad responses I got by using Nise, I decided it was time to let him go. Basically, kill him off. However, this will not be the last we'll see of Bujin Gaim.
And another thing, the reason I had him become Bujin/Bloody Gaim and Fake Zangetsu was due to how he was portrayed in the first season of the Koihime Musou anime and later when we discovered he stole Ryuubi's name. We don't know his real name and he has never even spoken his true name. Hence, I used the name 'Nise' which means 'fake' or 'imposter'. Another thing to remember is that in the first season of the Koihime Musou anime adaptation, he was trying to gain fame through his fake name. Gaim and Zangetsu themselves were famous, so Nise tried to use their image to make himself stronger. The thing is he'd rather be other people than himself, particularly people with bigger names than him, hence why he was given the opportunity to become Bloody/Bujin Gaim, and later Fake Zangetsu.
I now realize it wasn't my best decision. But hey, the more you know the better you can be. I'll just take this mistake and create something better from the ashes.
Rot in Hell Neasel. You deserve what you got and you suck at being an evil villain too. You're nothing but a pathetic weasel with the bad case of the measles. Also, you've been 'popped' by Ryugen. So have fun getting a date without a head in the afterlife, Neasel. Goodbye and good riddance.
TFP: Okay, I know I was trailing behind. I'm really sorry. Between my new job and then a medical procedure which I had to go under the knife for, writing took a backseat to my own health.
Anyway, things have gotten heavy. It seems the Five Venom Fists have made a clean sweep of their enemies and are poised to take over the RinJyuKen Akugata. The Five Femme Fatales are on the run and the Armored War Gods are down for the count. Could Nagata have one more miracle up his sleeve or all is lost?
