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.
While their Armored War Gods went to intercept the Venom Fists, the Alliance Army confronted the Rinshi army that arrived. Experience taught them that these footsoldiers were mere cannon fodder that could be easily put down. It was all a matter of knowing where to strike and how hard to strike. Kanu and her fellow generals knew all it took to take down a Rinshi was a powerful enough blow that would turn them to dust or decapitation.
However, that was not the case right now. While the Rinshi weren't as powerful as their 'evolved' Rinrinshi superiors, they weren't as easy to take down as one would think. In spite of their appearance, they could take a lot of punishment. Even after losing many of their numbers from Gridon's minefield tactic and the rain of arrows that befell them at the beginning of the battle, it seemed that the undead soldiers of the RinJyuKen were pushing the Alliance Army back. Their soldiers were falling as the Rinshi kept closing in.
Unlike human soldiers, the Rinshi did not tire, nor did they require food, drink or sleep. As undead beings, they did not suffer from the same weaknesses or limitations as mortal men. The Alliance's soldiers were growing weary as they continued to fight against the horde, a fact that the Rinshi were taking full advantage of. More and more good men fell at the hands of the Rinshi as the Alliance fought back with all their might.
"There's too many of them! We need to fall back!" Kosonsan shouted.
"We can't, Kosonsan-dono! We're completely surrounded and all our exits are blocked!" Kanu responded.
"Don't falter, everyone!" urged Ryuubi bravely as another Rinshi fell at her blade. "Keep fighting and the path of victory will open up to us!"
"Nice to hear you're so optimistic, but we're dropping like flies here," Idunn muttered. She loathed this situation. There was simply no end to the Rinshi horde. They were like zombies. They just kept coming. The Alliance Army was strong, true, but they couldn't keep fighting forever.
"Damn it! We need reinforcements!" Bacho shouted. "Where's our backup!?"
Suddenly, there was a chorus of roars from the distance as hundreds of women converged onto the battlefield. They had tanned skin, with powerful physiques, and scantily clad in animal skins. While most ran on foot, some arrived on horseback, others on buffalos, and there were even elephants being used as mounts to carry them. Leading the charge was Shamoke, Ichiro's wife and leader of the united Hu Tribes.
"STRIKE DOWN THE PALE ONES!" commanded Shamoke.
"RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHH!" the barbarian women roared. They attacked the Rinshi savagely, tearing them apart with vicious skill and brute force. The horses stomped upon the Rinshi as the buffalos gored them on their horns. But it was the elephants that were truly terrifying as they trumpeted. Obeying their masters, the elephants smacked aside the Rinshi with their trunks and even picked them up only to slam them to the ground. They stomped on them with their weight and even gored them on their tusks. The barbarians fought like savage animals but were coordinated enough to overpower the Rinshi.
"Where did they come from!?" Gien shouted.
"Who cares? They came to help!" Batai shouted back.
Suddenly, a Rinshi that was about to attack Gien's blind spot was instantly cut down by a barbarian girl. Gien's eyes widened as she recognized her.
"It's you..." Gien uttered.
It was Gotsutotsukotsu, the barbarian girl who had tried to kill Gien in the past. She wanted Gien's head to avenge her sister's death, but they had since formed a truce. Still, it was obvious the barbarian girl still wanted to take Gien's life and had trained hard for the day they would eventually clash.
"Don't thank me. I fully intend to kill you later," Gotsutotsukotsu swore to Gien. "Besides, I'm only doing this for Shamoke-sama."
It was strange how yesterday's enemy could turn into today's ally.
Gien nodded and they continued to battle the RinJyuKen forces. The barbarians proved to be a significant help to them as they replaced the fallen soldiers not only in numbers but in superior fighting strength. These women were strong, stronger than any 'civilized' man as they grew up in harsh conditions. Until the return of their Armored War Gods, they would continue to fight. They would not quit, no matter what.
Sangokuden Armored War Gods Saga: End of the Armored War Gods
Co-Written By: Ten-Faced Paladin and Kamen Rider Chrome
Beta Reader/Editor: Busterleader92
Chapter 5-2: Venomous Raid (Part 2)
Zangetsu found himself facing off against Kademu. He was still unnerved by his opponent's appearance. The bug-like legs extending from his limbs were creepy enough, but the bag he wore over his head just upped the creep factor. It made him shudder. Still, he needed to focus. Kademu was part of the group that had been trying to kill them while making the people suffer. He needed to be put down, for the sake of everyone.
"Looks like it's round two, eh, White Devil?" sneered Kademu. He remembered how their last fight ended. He had to withdraw after failing to kill Zangetsu. However, he now had a chance to finish the job. And then he could finally claim his prize and the bragging rights that came along with his victory.
Zangetsu regarded his opponent with a critical gaze. In their last confrontation, he had lost to the Centipede Rinrinshi by underestimating his foe's skill while overestimating his own power. That had been a foolish mistake and one he was ashamed of. As he sensed Kademu's Ki, he felt that it had been enhanced. This implied that he had also been augmented with the Seal of Heaven.
"Kademu's greatest advantage is his speed," Masataka said. "I may just have to beat him at his own game."
"You do have that acceleration ability," Mitsuki recalled.
"Usually it's just short bursts of speed, but I've been getting better in maintaining that velocity for long periods of time," Masataka informed.
"Doesn't Kademu have any weaknesses that you can use?" Iori asked.
"He's very protective of that bag he wears over his head, but I wouldn't call it a weakness. Taking it off would just upset him."
"Must be ashamed of how ugly he is," mocked Karasu. "You should probably call him names to rile him up."
"Have you discovered any new abilities that the Seal of Heaven had given to you?" Iori asked. "Like Baron's fire or Gridon's water?"
"I may have something I can use," Masataka answered as he cracked his knuckles.
This was their big rematch, and it was going to end with only one of them leaving this battle alive.
Zangetsu wasn't going to make the same mistake again.
It was time he redeemed himself.
Bowing, Zangetsu charged straight at Kademu and slashed at him with his Baihu Claws. Casually, Kademu blocked them with his forearms, sparks scraping off on contact.
"How predictable," Kademu remarked before he struck right back. "Ringi! Okumansho!"
Zangetsu felt like he was just hit a thousand times over in the chest as he was knocked away. He let out a grunt of pain as he felt the blows through his armor.
"Ringi! Hyakuzanshu!"
Kademu lunged at Zangetsu and a hundred karate chops struck him in a single second, causing sparks to explode rapidly with each strike. Kademu then performed a kick that sent Zangetsu tumbling backward.
"I am Kademu, Master of the RinJyu Centipede-Ken! Nobody possesses the speed to counter my movements!" boasted Kademu as he spread his arms to the side.
"Speed, huh?" Zangetsu murmured. His visor flashed. "Alright, then! Let's try this again!"
"Ringi! Okumansho!"
Zangetsu rushed at Kademu who got into a stance as he performed his attack. Zangetsu roared in response while his arms blurred as he traded blows with Kademu. Now that he knew what he was up against, the White Devil of Son Go decided to use his own speed against his opponent. Sparks flew as their strikes rapidly connected. Kademu became frustrated as he increased his speed and Zangetsu responded in kind. The force of the strikes was wearing down the Baihu Claws, causing them to take more and more damage. However, Zangetsu continued to return Kademu's blows as sparks exploded from their clash.
Finally, Zangetsu managed to find an opening and one of his Baihu Claws shredded the bag Kademu wore over his head. Kademu recoiled as his bag was torn to shreds and he looked up at Zangetsu who gasped at the sight before him.
Kademu's entire head was just a giant centipede that was wrapped around itself to form a head-like shape.
"How dare you!? How dare you!? HOW DARE YOU!?" Kademu roared in outrage. While he knew his appearance was unsettling for his opponents, he hated it as well and covered it up with a bag to hide his face. Now that his precious bag was gone, his truly hideous appearance was exposed. This, of course, made him angry as his Dorinki flared up, and he charged at Zangetsu with his fist raised.
"Ringi! Gaidokuken!"
Toxic Dorinki surrounded Kademu's fist as he threw his punch at Zangetsu. The White Devil brought up his Baihu Claws and braced himself as Kademu's fist collided with his gauntlets, sending him skidding backwards.
That blow had severely damaged the Baihu Claws. Seeing as they wouldn't be able to handle another blow, Zangetsu decided to discard them. But first, he had one last use for them.
[SOIYA! BAIHU SQUASH!]
The Baihu Claws glowed as Zangetsu roared and threw his fists, launching the gauntlets like missiles. Kademu was so startled that he was unable to avoid them as they came flying at him and exploded on impact. The Centipede Rinrinshi was thrown painfully to the ground as smoke rose from his body.
Once his arms were free of the Baihu Claws, Zangetsu drew his Musou Saber. The sword had always been the one thing to never betray him and he worked hard to master it. Fencing was a beautiful sport in the age of peace, but it was also used as a way to resolve an assortment of conflicts in the past. Its aim was to kill the opponent in an honorable fashion.
Raising his sword in front of him, he put his left arm behind him and got into a fencing stance. Kademu just tilted his head as he saw this.
"Well, if this is what you want! Centipede-Ken! Hiden Ringi!" His centipede-like head unraveled, becoming a giant centipede which extended skyward. "Chojoben!"
The centipede came down on Zangetsu like a whip and he swiftly deflected it with the blade of his Musou Saber. It came down again and lashed out at him again and again, with even greater speed each time. Sparks flew as Zangetsu repeatedly deflected the giant centipede with his Musou Saber.
[LOCK ON!]
Switching tactics, Zangetsu loaded his Musou Saber's Drive Launch with the Watermelon Lockseed before he pulled on the Pallete Slide and took aim.
[1, 10, 100! WATERMELON CHARGE!]
While the Musou Saber only had a maximum of four shots before it needed to be reloaded, the Watermelon Lockseed allowed Zangetsu to circumvent this limitation. He began to rapidly fire bullets from his Musou Saber, blasting holes into his opponent as he sent the Centipede-Ken Master staggering backwards. As he continued his rapid-fire assault, he felt his Musou Saber overheating and quickly unlocked the Watermelon Lockseed, causing it to pop out of the Drive Launch. The Lockseed was red hot due to overheating, but it had done its job. A golden aura arose from Zangetsu's body as the earth seemed to tremble.
There was a little-known fact about the Sovereigns: each of them controlled an element. The Black Turtle could control water, the Vermillion Phoenix could control fire, the Azure Dragon could control lightning...
...And the White Tiger could control earth.
Zangetsu, in Baihu Arms, demonstrated his power by making several stone pebbles float in his hand.
"You can move objects with your mind," Iori observed.
"Close. It's not telekinesis. It seems my ability only affects earth and stone," Zangetsu answered.
"So you're a geokinetic," Iori corrected.
"Or an Earthbender! Like from that cartoon with the kid that has an arrow on his head!" Haru chimed in.
"You watched cartoons?" Mitsuki cocked an eyebrow.
"Are you really in any position to judge him since you bought a toy belt?" Karasu pointed out.
"And Kademu doesn't know about this?" Iori asked.
"Never had a chance to use it when I fought him," Zangetsu answered.
"Then you have a surprise ready to beat him," Iori grinned maliciously.
Zangetsu stomped his foot, causing an invisible force to rip chunks of rock straight out of the ground. He then used his Musou Saber to direct their trajectory and shot the rocky chunks towards Kademu. The Centipede-Ken Master was shocked by this but swiftly recovered so he could perform a counterattack.
"Ringi! Okumansho!"
Kademu's arms blurred as he shattered the rocks coming at him. Zangetsu continued to fire the rocky projectiles at Kademu who effortlessly shattered them, causing dust to surround the two of them.
This was Zangetsu's plan from the start. As Kademu shattered the rocks, the gathered dust would get in the way of his eyesight, blinding him.
Zangetsu's main strength was not in his fighting abilities. It was in his ability to strategize and plan in the middle of combat. His ability to improvise was what also allowed him to gain victory over his adversaries. It had failed him last time, but he used the time he spent recovering to plan for his payback.
"Where are you!?" Kademu demanded. The thick cloud of dust surrounding him and Zangetsu prevented him from seeing his opponent. When he finally saw Zangetsu come lunging right at him, Kademu once again tried to smash him with his Chojoben technique. He ended up missing as Zangetsu blurred out of sight and then came from his right to slash him across the chest, sending him sprawling to the ground.
Kademu lay on his back, clenching his fists in rage. Dorinki flared from his body as he glared at Zangetsu's back. With a roar, Kademu decided to throw caution to the wind in order to obtain victory.
"JASHIN GOCHI HEN!"
Kademu's clothes were torn to shreds as his body grew in size and changed shape, losing his humanoid appearance. The centipede head unraveled and grew along with his entire body as the inhuman transformation took place. Zangetsu took a step back as he witnessed the horrific change.
Kademu had turned into a gigantic centipede. Unlike the giant centipedes that existed in the wild, this monstrous creature was massive, easily measuring the length of 50 meters. Its body was covered in a thick carapace, and its legs looked like arms, complete with hands and fingers. The head stared at Zangetsu, with long whip-like antennae and big sickle-like mandibles.
The Centipede Beast lunged forward with its sickle mandibles and Zangetsu leaped out of the way to avoid being bisected by them. If only he still had his shield. That way he would be able to guard himself. However, his current form lacked any extra protection and those mandibles looked strong enough to cut through his armored body. Once it was done with him, it would not stop until it killed anyone in its path. He needed to finish it off and fast.
Rolling out of the way of another lunge, Zangetsu reached for where he stored his Lockseeds. He took out his Melon Lockseed and unlocked it before he swiftly loaded it into his Musou Saber, locking it in.
[LOCK ON!]
[1, 10, 100!]
Green energy began to travel up the length of the blade as Zangetsu prepared himself. He then gripped his Cutting Blade and gave it a single push.
[SOIYA! BAIHU SQUASH!]
There was the sound of a tiger's roar as Zangetsu's visor flashed. The Centipede Beast was coming straight for him but now he was ready for it. Gripping his Musou Saber, he gave it a swing and green energy sliced into the Centipede Beast, causing it to pause. Not giving it a chance to retaliate, Zangetsu continued to unleash an array of energy slashes that sliced through the Centipede Beast. Finally, he turned his back to the frozen Centipede Beast.
"It's over," concluded Zangetsu as he sheathed his sword.
[MELON CHARGE!]
The gigantic Centipede Beast's body fell to pieces before each of the pieces exploded, starting a chain reaction of simultaneous explosions. Zangetsu didn't even look back as he walked away, dusting off his hands soon after.
"Thank you for the lessons, Winter-shishou," whispered Zangetsu.
Meanwhile, Ryugen, Chulainn, and Knuckle were facing the Scorpion-Ken Mistress, Sorisa. She jeered at her three opponents, unimpressed by their appearance.
"Three of you against little old me? Hardly fair! Rinshi, let's dance! Ringi! Sasori Buto!"
Several Rinshi suddenly appeared as the music came out of nowhere. They soon began to perform an impromptu dance number with Sorisa leading them.
"What is she doing?" Chulainn wondered, confused.
"She's leading a dance, Onii-san," Ryugen stated the obvious.
"You know, they aren't half bad," Knuckle admired, earning odd looks from his comrades.
"Stop admiring her and just attack!" Ryugen ordered.
"Oh right! On it!" Knuckle smashed the ground with his Coco Boxers, sending a rumbling shockwave surging towards Sorisa. The Scorpion-Ken Mistress snapped her fingers in response, commanding her Rinshi dance troupe to immediately line up in front of her, shielding her from the attack. They were sent flying, taking the brunt of the explosive attack for her.
"Crap! I missed!" Knuckle cursed.
"It's alright! You took out her backup dancers!" responded Ryugen.
Sorisa began to dance towards them as the three Armored War gods charged at her. Using her dance moves, she evaded their strikes with ease. She bobbed and weaved, ducked and dodged, and came out without a single scratch.
Ryugen swung his Sonic Arrow at Sorisa, trying to land a blow. However, not only was Sorisa able to avoid his strikes, she was mocking him with her dance moves. Sorisa caught Ryugen's bow-wielding arm, twirled him around, and then landed a kick to his back.
"Shuben Kyaku!"
Sorisa jumped and flipped in the air before landing heel kicks upon Knuckle, Chulainn, and Ryugen, knocking them down to the ground. She then performed a sweep kick, sending them all flying.
Sauntering confidently towards Ryugen, she grasped him by the neck and lifted him up.
"Hey, don't you think my dance moves are the best?" she asked tauntingly.
"Let go of my brother!" Chulainn demanded as he aimed for Sorisa's back and fired. Quickly, she spun around and used Ryugen as a meat shield. The Demon Dragon cried out as he was struck in the back by his brother's own attack.
"Iori!" Chulainn gasped as Sorisa released his brother. Suddenly, Sorisa grabbed hold of Chulainn's shoulders and repeatedly kneed him in the groin. She kneed him over and over again before she sent him flying with a kick in the same area. He went tumbling before coming to a stop on his back.
"Onii-san! Are you OK!?" Ryugen shouted.
Chulainn let out a high-pitched whimper of pain, "...my dick..."
Ryugen grimaced and turned to face Sorisa who suddenly kicked him across the face and sent him sliding across the ground. He groaned but recovered along with Chulainn.
"You OK?" Ryugen asked Chulainn.
"As long as she doesn't hit my balls again," Chulainn groaned.
Catching their second wind, the three Armored War Gods regrouped and attacked the elite Scorpion-Ken warrior. Once again, she used her Sasori Buto technique to dodge their every strike. She ducked under slashes and sidestepped every punch and kick. Ryugen broke away and aimed his Sonic Arrow, hoping to hit her. Instead, she performed a front split and ducked under the arrow which hit Chulainn instead.
"Argh!" Chulainn cried.
"Gomen, Onii-san!" Ryugen apologized.
"Leave this to me!" shouted Knuckle as he performed his signature Rock Paper Scissors Combo. "Here's a ROCK!" Knuckle punched, only to miss as Sorisa twirled out of the way. "Huh! How about...PAPER?" Knuckle swung his open palm to bitch slap Sorisa, only to miss as Sorisa flipped backward and landed on her hands with her legs hanging in the air. "Crap! Scis-!"
"Guren Shuben Kyaku!"
Sorisa performed an upside down tornado kick as she spread her legs in a front split. She spun like a spinning top and rapidly kicked at the Armored War Gods, knocking them into the air. They let out cries of pain as they were hit and sent flying by the dangerous dancer.
"Your screams of pain are like music to my ears," laughed Sorisa.
"I hate her. I really hate her," Ryugen hissed as he pushed himself back up to his feet.
Chulainn weakly got up on his hands and knees, yelling, "She keeps hitting me in the dick! Why!? Why does she keep hitting me in the dick!?"
"If we want to defeat her, we need to beat her at her own game," Knuckle decided as he approached Sorisa. "Oi, Sosari-onna! I challenge you to a dance-off!"
Ryugen and Chulainn facefaulted.
"WHAT!?"
"A dance off, you say?" Sorisa tilted her head, interested in his challenge.
"That's right! You versus me with your Scorpion Dance against my Hip Hop!" Knuckle pounded his fists together.
"Sounds interesting! Very well! Let our dances decide our victory!" Sorisa accepted the challenge.
"Alright, start the beat!" Knuckle snapped his fingers.
Knuckle started to snap his fingers and tap his foot before he performed an impromptu breakdancing routine. Sorisa watched, tapping her foot to the beat as he showed what he could do. When he ended, he pointed to her.
"How's that?" Knuckle taunted.
"Very good, but feast your eyes on this!" Sorisa proudly boasted as she performed her Scorpion Dance. Knuckle crossed his arms, tapping his foot. She ended and pointed back to him.
The two took turns dancing as their audience watched, confused by the sight.
"He can't be serious..." Chulainn spoke in disbelief.
"I'm afraid so," Ryugen answered.
"Iori, you have some very weird friends."
"He's more of an acquaintance actually, Onii-san."
"And where is that music coming from?" Chulainn wondered.
"Just go with it," Ryugen sighed. "It's already been a strange battle for all of us."
"Hey, I got an idea," Haru spoke up.
"If your idea is 'hit them really hard' then save your breath. We already plan on it," replied Mitsuki.
"Yeah, that pretty much goes without saying, but that's not the idea I had."
"What is it then?" Ichiro inquired.
"Sorisa's the scorpion lady who likes to dance, right?" Haru inquired. "Then I'll be the one to challenge her!"
"She'll probably be boosted by the Seal of Heaven and with the others dealing with her comrades, it's going to take the rest of us to deal with her," Iori argued.
"No, not challenge her to a fight! To a dance off!"
Karasu deadpanned, "You can't be serious."
"Come on! Nobody will see it coming and she won't be able to refuse if she wants to defend her title!" Haru insisted.
"There's no way that idea will work." Iori shook his head. "Just stick with what you're good at and hit them really hard."
"I can't believe this idea is working," Ryugen observed as Sorisa and Knuckle went back and forth, performing their dance routines in order to defeat one another
"Ya just got served!" Knuckle concluded his dance number as he struck a pose. "Booyah!"
Sorisa glared at Knuckle. She hated to admit it, but he was a good dancer. Maybe even better than she was. However, that was something she could not allow. Nobody on this Earth could be a better dancer than her!
"Hishō Shuben Kyaku!"
She leaped into the air and performed a scissor kick aimed at him. As she did this, Chulainn and Ryugen quickly aimed and fired their Sonic Arrows, shooting her out of the air. She landed roughly on the ground and yelled in anger.
"Alright, playtime's over! Scorpion-Ken! Hiden Ringi! Jugoku Hen!"
Sorisa threw a group of scorpions at the three Armored War Gods. Ryugen tried to shake them off but they were swarming him like crazy. His comrades were also being covered by the scorpions and trying to get them off. However, the scorpions continued to swarm them.
"This is going to sting a lot!" laughed Sorisa.
"I don't want to be stung by scorpions!" shouted Knuckle in panic as he tried to shake off the scorpions. He may be in his armor, but these were Rinki-filled scorpions. He didn't like his chances if they stung him all at once.
Sorisa grinned as she prepared to command her children to sting them when all of a sudden she saw a horrific sight. Sorisa witnessed as Maga in his Beast form was being taken into the sky by Gridon before he exploded. Eyes wide with horror, she let out a scream.
"MAGA-KUN!"
Seeing as she was distracted and distraught, Ryugen, Chulainn, and Knuckle quickly activated their Drivers.
[COME ON! COCONUT SPARKING!]
[SUIKA ENERGY SPARKING!]
[MELON ENERGY SPARKING!]
The Sparking function could be used to either increase their attack power to the highest possible level or transform their Arms Armor back into their fruit-like configurations. Right now, they decided to go with the latter as their armor disassembled and returned to their fruit-like forms. They began to glow and spin around, producing an energy field that repelled the scorpions that were swarming their bodies. After a moment, they returned back to being armor as Sorisa was frozen in grief.
"She's stunned. Let's bring her down," commanded Ryugen.
"Alright, time for me to bring out this baby!" Knuckle declared as he removed his Rider Indicator and, much to their surprise, replaced it with a Genesis Core. He then took out an Energy Lockseed which resembled the Peach Energy Lockseed, only that it was brown instead of pink.
[MARRON ENERGY!]
As his Coconut Lockseed closed and unlocked itself, his Coconut Arms armor folded back and ascended as a Helheim portal opened, dropping a metal chestnut. He then loaded his Marron Energy Lockseed into the Genesis Core and locked it and his Coconut Lockseed in.
[LOCK ON!]
He hit the Cutting Blade, slicing open his Coconut Lockseed and Marron Energy Lockseed.
[MIX!]
The Armor Parts above him fused together to form the familiar Jimber Armor Part before it came down and covered his head.
[COCONUT ARMS! HEAVY DUTY MUSCLEMAN! JIMBER MARRON! HA-HA!]
Knuckle was donned in the Jimber Marron Arms Armor, decorated with a pattern of brown chestnuts on the front with his personal emblem on the left side. His Arms Weapons appeared as soon as the armor formed. Unlike previous Jimber Arms, which usually had the Sonic Arrow as a default weapon, Knuckle's Jimber Marron Arms sported a pair of over-sized boxing gloves that were covered in spikes much like the outer shell of a chestnut. They each resembled a half of the shell and looked quite formidable. His helmet also gained a new accessory on the brow. It was a gold sun-shaped crest with spikes jutting out of its circumference.
"Alright! Armored War God Knuckle! Jimber Marron! Sanjou!" Knuckle charged towards Sorisa who still stunned by her husband's death.
"Did he have that before?" Chulainn asked as Ryugen who just shrugged at this surprising development.
Knuckle threw his punch. Before Sorisa could even register an attack coming for her, she was smashed in the face by one of the Marron Bombers. Knuckle followed up with a left hook and then a jab to her stomach before he spun and backhanded her in the face.
"How dare you strike a grieving woman!?" snapped Sorisa furiously. She jumped high into the air and performed her attack. "Ringi! Shuben Kaikyaku!"
She performed several flips, rotating to gain momentum before she went to execute a dropkick upon Knuckle. However, he was ready for her as he hit his Cutting Blade.
[COCONUT SQUASH! JIMBER MARRON SQUASH!]
Jumping up to meet with Sorisa, he buried his Marron Bombers straight into her gut. That wasn't the end of it, however. Suddenly, his Marron Bombers exploded, sending their spikes flying. At such a close range, he couldn't miss, and Sorisa was hit with most of them, the sharp spikes piercing her armored skin. She let out a scream as she started to plummet to the ground, followed by Knuckle. His Marron Bombers had lost their outer shells, revealing bulky red gauntlets now covering his forearms. The gauntlets were equipped with hidden pistons like his Coco Boxers.
As they descended, Knuckle kept punching Sorisa in the gut. She grunted from the repetitive blows as the pistons in the gauntlets allowed Knuckle to apply more force into his punches. One final punch broke them apart, sending Sorisa to drop faster towards the ground.
Sorisa crash-landed on her back as Knuckle performed a perfect three-point landing, aka a 'superhero landing'. Sorisa lay in the crater, not quite dead yet, as her eyes burned with rage.
Her beloved Maga was gone. She remembered how, not too long ago, that he used to be a dimwitted dunce who followed her like a lost puppy. It was cute only for a little while before the attention turned annoying. Maybe it was something she said, but he trained himself to become stronger due to her scathing words and approached her with a more manly and confident presence.
Sorisa had a thing for strong men. She was drawn to them and as Maga had become her definition of a strong man, she couldn't help but be drawn to him too. They were soon married and became the strongest Battle Couple of the RinJyuKen Akugata.
But now Maga was gone, turned into dust because of the Armored War Gods. Her grief turned to rage as Dorinki blazed from her body like a fire. She rose to her feet, climbing out of the crater, and set her sights on the three Armored War Gods who had humiliated her. First, she would kill them and then she would kill the one who killed her beloved Maga.
Sorisa flipped back to her feet and snarled. With rage born from grief, she began her brutal assault on the three Armored War Gods.
"Guren Shuben Kyaku!"
Executing her Crimson Lotus Vermillion Whip Kick, Sorisa sent the three Armored War Gods scattering. She aimed her sight on Knuckle and leaped at him to execute her Flying Vermillion Whip Kick.
"Hisho Shuben Kyaku!"
She nailed him in the chest, sending him tumbling to the ground. He recovered to rise onto his knees just in time to see Sorisa about to land another one of her kicks.
"Shuben Kyaku!"
The Vermillion Whip Kick came crashing down upon the Marron Bombers as Knuckle raised them just in time to block the kick. The force of the blow was enough to form a crater under Knuckle. She repeatedly landed several Vermillion Whip Kicks in hopes of breaking his guard.
Ryugen and Chulainn took aim at Sorisa's back before they fired, but she leaped out of the way, causing them to hit Knuckle instead.
"Argh! Not cool, guys! Not cool!" Knuckle cried out in pain.
"Sorry!" Chulainn responded.
"Hisho Shuben Kyaku!"
"Onii-san, watch out!" Ryugen shoved his brother out of the way, only to end up taking the blow instead as he was sent flying.
"Iori!" Chulainn shouted as he watched Ryugen take a tumble along the ground. The attack was enough to knock the GenesisDriver off Iori's waist, causing the armor to vanish.
"I'm going to kill you all, and then I'm going to kill the one who killed my Maga-kun," swore Sorisa. Knuckle and Chulainn rushed towards Sorisa, but she easily countered their attacks with her kicks before she used another Flying Vermillion Whip Kick on the two of them, sending them tumbling. Their armor vanishes moments later.
"Now...feel the sting of my Secret Ringi. This time there'll be no escape," said Sorisa menacingly as Dorinki flared from her body. Suddenly, she felt a hard impact in her back, causing her to pause.
Iori stood behind Sorisa, with his tonfa gripped in his hands and the weapons pressed against her back. Smoke rose from the impact point.
Sorisa turned and grabbed hold of Iori's collar as she glared at him. She quickly disarmed him as his tonfa clattered to the ground.
"What did you hope to accomplish with that move?" Sorisa asked, daring him to answer.
"I wasn't about to let you kill them," Iori spat.
"A noble sentiment, but utterly futile," she retorted as she balled her free hand into a fist. She rarely used her hands to fight, but she was too pissed to care and was making an exception.
"IORI!" Ichiro screamed as he was about to witness his little brother's demise.
"GO TO HELL!" Sorisa screamed as she threw her fist to punch a hole into Iori's head.
Iori's eyes snapped open as he said, "You first." All of a sudden, his body unleashed a blast of dark energy that literally blew Sorisa away.
Kada suddenly recoiled in alarm as he released Iori's hand.
"What? What's wrong?" Iori asked as Kada paled and stared at him.
"Why is your Ki tainted?" Kada asked.
"Tainted?" Iori asked.
"There's something dark in your Ki. Something I've never felt before, but it was cold, very cold."
"I see. So that's what Shion and Onii-san saw," Iori concluded.
"Excuse me?" Kada asked.
"Never mind. I only needed you to check something for me. Thanks."
"Wait, this isn't something I can ignore. Your Ki is tainted in something dark," Kada warned him. "I need to know what's going on."
Iori sighed and asked, "Promise this won't leave this room?"
"I...swore an oath," Kada responded hesitantly. "As a doctor, I can't divulge a patient's secrets without permission."
"Some time ago, I was confronted by someone from my past. She was going to kill Shion. I blacked out but I was told that I somehow changed into a more powerful version of myself but I didn't have any control over it," Iori confessed.
"That must be the dark Ki. Allow me to help you purge it," Kada offered.
"Purge it? I don't want to purge it. I want to control it," Iori countered.
"But Ryugen-sama, I told you that this Ki inside of you is dark and cold..."
"And it's something we need since we'll be facing enemies that might be charged by the Seal of Heaven," Iori interrupted.
"I can't with good conscience allow your Ki to remain tainted like this," Kada frowned.
"Then you will help me learn to control it."
"T-teach you?" Kada stammered. "But it's dark Ki!"
"Sometimes we have to embrace the darkness instead of shunning it," Iori told Kada seriously.
"Are you sure about this?" Kada asked.
"To protect my home, my friend and my family, I will do anything," Iori told him firmly. "Shall we get started then?"
"Very well, I will teach you how to control this Ki," Kada reluctantly agreed.
Sorisa shakily rose to her feet in disbelief. She had not expected any of the Armored War Gods to possess that sort of power. Clearly, she had underestimated them.
Iori strapped on his SengokuDriver and took out his Budou Lockseed. The dark energy gathered around his Lockseed, changing it into the blood red Yomotsuheguri Lockseed.
"Let's do this," Iori said to himself as he unlocked the Yomotsuheguri Lockseed. "Henshin."
[YOMOTSUHEGURI!]
A dark storm cloud formed above Iori as the Yomotsuheguri Armor Part descended from it.
[LOCK ON! HAI~! YOMOTSUHEGURI ARMS! MEI, KAI, YOMI, YOMI, YOMI!]
The Yomotsuheguri Arms Armor Part dropped on Iori's head and dark energy enveloped his body, forming the Ride Wear suit as he let out a cry of pain. Why did it have to hurt? Still, he endured as the Yomotsuheguri Arms Armor Part opened up to reveal his helmet which had the Yomi Kabuto attached. The Yomotsuheguri Arms Armor Part folded onto his body as he breathed heavily, finishing his transformation.
Iori had transformed again into Ryugen-Yomi.
Ichiro and Haru witnessed the transformation in shock and awe. The older Tokugawa brother gulped as he saw this change. He remembered what happened the last time Iori had become this darker, more powerful, version of himself. In fact, he had no doubt that Sadako Ryoma was still having nightmares from her own experience with this darker Ryugen.
"Did he just get an upgrade?" Haru asked with wide eyes. Ichiro offered no answer in response. He just watched.
Sorisa was stunned. She could sense Ryugen-Yomi's Ki. It was dark, just like Rinki. It was completely different from his usual Ki. She didn't like the feeling she was getting from his Ki.
"What in the world are you!?" Sorisa demanded.
Ryugen-Yomi offered no answer as he summoned his Budou Ryuhou in his left hand. He leveled his firearm, took aim and fired, blasting sparks off Sorisa's chest as she backpedaled from the shots impacting her. She grunted in pain before she rushed towards him. Using her Scorpion Dance, she dodged the shots and leapt up to execute her attack.
"Shuben Kyaku!"
Shockingly, her kick was blocked by the Yomiyari as it suddenly appeared in his right hand before Ryugen-Yomi fired at her again, sending her reeling. He then slashed her across the chest with the Yomiyari, sending the shrieking female Rinrinshi stumbling backward. Ryugen-Yomi alternated between slashes of his Yomiyari and shots with his Budou Ryuhou.
"Has he always been this strong?" Haru wondered out loud.
"Only when he's like this," Ichiro answered with a hint of concern in his voice.
Ryugen-Yomi was now dominating the fight, overpowering Sorisa at every turn. None of her attacks could connect but Ryugen-Yomi kept hitting her and hitting her. She grew frustrated with each of her failed attacks and grew enraged as she was stuck receiving his own strikes. Adding to her frustration and her rage was the grief she felt from losing her beloved Maga.
She no longer had anything to lose.
"JASHIN GOCHI HEN!" Sorisa screamed, activating the last resort Ringi to give her more power. In exchange for the increased power, she would lose her mind. But with Maga gone, what was the point in living anymore?
To the Riders' horror, Sorisa's body began to change as she fell on all fours. Two additional pairs of legs burst out from her sides as her body expanded. Finally, the change was complete as a gigantic red and black scorpion stood in front of them. The insides of its claws were covered in wicked spikes and the tip of its stinger glowed an angry red.
Haru cursed, "Oh, crap!"
"Henshin!" Ichiro shouted.
[SODA! SUIKA ENERGY ARMS!]
"Come on!" Chulainn ordered.
"Ah, right! Henshin!" Haru quickly followed.
[MIX! JIMBER MARRON! HA-HA!]
With a shriek, the Scorpion Beast lashed out with its claws, prompting the three Armored War Gods to scatter. Ryugen-Yomi and Chulainn got some distance to fire at the Scorpion Beast, but their shots simply bounced right off its reinforced exoskeleton. In retaliation, the Scorpion Beast swung its tail at the two brothers, sending them flying.
Knuckle watched in concentration as he clenched his fists. He couldn't mess up on this attack. Gripping his Cutting Blade, he gave it two good pushes down.
[COCONUT AU LAIT! JIMBER MARRON AU LAIT!]
The Marron Bombers' outer shell shattered as the gauntlets ignited, charging up with heat and flames. He let out a battle cry as he charged towards the Scorpion Beast. Jumping high, he landed a punch on its face, knocking it down to the ground with a loud boom. Knuckle continued to bash the Scorpion Beast's face in as the pistons on his gauntlets pumped rapidly with each destructive strike. He then lifted up the Scorpion Beast with his amazing strength and blasted it skyward with an uppercut. It went up, and up, and up before gravity took hold and it started to plummet.
"Onii-san, let's finish this," decided Ryugen-Yomi as he watched the Scorpion Beast drop down. In his hand was his signature Budou Ryuhou.
"You got it," Chulainn concurred with his little brother. He unlocked his Suika Energy Lockseed from his GenesisDriver before he loaded it into his Sonic Arrow.
[LOCK ON!]
As the Scorpion Beast came within range, the Tokugawa Brothers aimed high and unleashed their own finishers at the same time.
[SUIKA ENERGY!]
[HAI~! YOMOTSUHEGURI SQUASH!]
Ryugen-Yomi's Dark Dragon Shot and Chulainn's Sonic Volley hit the Scorpion Beast's body simultaneously. It was a direct hit, causing the gigantic scorpion to explode as it let out a shrill death cry.
Chulainn took a moment to savor their victory before he turned his concerned gaze towards his little brother. Ryugen-Yomi stared right back.
"Iori, are you OK?" Chulainn asked. He became nervous as Ryugen-Yomi silently stared at him. His grip tightened around his Sonic Arrow as he feared that his little brother would lose control again. He glanced at the Budou Ryuhou in Ryugen-Yomi's hand, worried that he might turn it against him or others.
"I'm fine, Onii-san," Ryugen-Yomi finally answered, filling Chulainn with relief. "Why do you ask?"
"Just making sure you're OK, that's all."
"I see. You're worried because of the last time I was in this form. Don't worry. I'm in complete control," Ryugen-Yomi reassured him.
"Looks like I wasn't the only one who brought a secret weapon to this party," Knuckle commented as he admired Ryugen-Yomi's form. "Didn't know you were packing that much power in you."
"Speaking of secret weapons, how did you get that anyway?" Ryugen-Yomi asked him, referring to the Marron Energy Lockseed. Knuckle looked down at his Driver and put his hand on the Lockseed.
"Oh, this little thing? It was a gift from Reiha-chan. Let me tell you, it's quite the story."
"Sounds interesting, but you can tell it to me later. We still have more enemies to deal with," Ryugen-Yomi responded as he collected the GenesisDriver and Melon Energy Lockseed. They had served him well, but he finally had control over his new transformation and power.
"Looks like you managed to finish things here," Zangetsu observed as he arrived with Baron and Gridon. He took a moment to appraise Ryugen-Yomi's new look while sensing the dark Ki surrounding him. "Good job."
"And you look like you've managed to defeat your opponents as well," concluded Ryugen-Yomi. "Good job."
"You make it sound like we didn't stand a chance to win," Zangetsu retorted.
"There's always a chance we could lose. That's how real fights are," Ryugen-Yomi shrugged.
"Still got a few more pests to deal with," Baron interrupted, referring to the remaining Rinshi.
"Come on then, we need to get back to the others!" Gridon urged.
"Then let's not waste any more time," Chulainn agreed.
"No need to tell me twice!" Knuckle agreed. "Let's go!"
"It's that way," Ryugen-Yomi pointed in the opposite direction.
"My mistake! Let's go!"
KRC: And so begins the battle for Shoku and Touka Village. The Alliance Army has come together and while a minefield and rain of arrows was able to take out a good chunk of Braco's army, I have a feeling that he has more up his sleeve. He already powered himself up and his crew, then he took over the RinJyuKen Akugata. What else does he have up his sleeve? Granted, I could tell you but where would the fun be in spoilers?
TFP: The battle is in full swing. Four of the Five Venom Fists have fallen, but Braco is nowhere to be seen. What is his plan? Also, there is still Nagata to consider. Even if they defeat the Five Venom Fists, what are they going to do to save him from Braco's venom? The battle's only halfway over and the enemy leader is going to make his appearance soon. The AWG better be at the top of their game for this.
Fruits of the Tree, Yggdrasil
Melon Energy Arms (Ryugen Version): This time around, Iori uses the Melon Energy Lockseed and the GenesisDriver to transform into a Genesis Rider version of his Rider form. In this form, Ryugen wears the Melon Energy Arms Armor and is armed with the Sonic Arrow. While Ryugen benefits greatly from the additional strength, speed and defense provided from this form, it also benefits from his own high-level marksmanship. He can hit targets without fail in this form and is granted more devastating power to cause major damage on his foes. The Sonic Arrow's blades also give Ryugen an option to fight at close-range. A very powerful and balanced combination.
Braco stood from his throne as he witnessed all of his comrades fall one by one on the viewing screens. He watched as Moriya was blown up, he witnessed as Maga was skewered, he saw Kademu being sliced to pieces and viewed as Sorisa was blasted to smithereens.
"Everyone has been destroyed?!" he cried out in shock. He couldn't believe his eyes. His comrades that had been infused with power and augmented by the Seal of Heaven had been vanquished.
His shocked expression remained only for a few seconds before he smiled darkly.
"HAPPY HALLOWEEN!"
AWG CHIBI OMAKE #5B: TRICK OR TREAT
Rinrin, Riri, Shuri, Nenene and Hinari were out Trick-or-Treating.
Rinrin rang the doorbell and the door opened.
"Trick-or-Treat!"
Suddenly, a Tiki Mask Monster jumped out and bellowed, "OOGA BOOGA BOOGA!"
The girls screamed and ran away, leaving their bags of candy behind.
Later, the girls returned.
"Trick-or-Treat!"
"OOGA BOOGA BOO-"
POW!
The Tiki Mask Monster was knocked out by a punch. The mask broke in half, revealing a knocked out Kenshin.
Haru gasped. "It wasn't a Tiki Mask Monster at all! It was Kenshin all along!"
Kenshin groaned as the girl grabbed their loot (candy) and skipped away to continue took a moment to kick Kenshin in the gut before she followed her friends.
AWG CHIBI OMAKE #5C: COSTUME PARTY
Both Kenshin and Hideyoshi had come to the party wearing the same costume: Darth Vader.
"OK, one of us has to change," said Kenshin.
"1, 2, 3, not it!" Hideyoshi quickly responded.
"Fuck!" Kenshin cursed as he ripped off his mask.
"Too slow!"
AWG CHIBI OMAKE #5D: MOVIE NIGHT
Mitsuki was watching 'The Ring HD 3D' in the living room with Karin, Shuran, Shunran, Keifa, Nagi, Mao, and Sawa. They were sitting on the floor instead of the couch due to space restrictions. They even turned off all the lights to provide a spooky atmosphere.
"The idea of a cursed videotape is ludicrous," Keifa commented.
"It's not supposed to make sense, Keifa. It's a horror movie," Mitsuki argued.
"And movies would suck if they were realistic," remarked Mao.
Keifa replied, "I know, but it's a VHS tape. Besides, why keep the curse going? Why not just stop spreading it around?"
"People are just selfish like that," Mitsuki stated.
"You mean like that movie 'It Follows'?" Keifa asked.
Karin shushed them, "Do you both mind? We're trying to watch the movie."
"Look!" Sawa pointed as Sadako crawled out of the well. She then shambled towards the audience as they leaned back. The figure seemed to crawl out of the TV. In fact, the figure of Sadako was crawling out of their TV.
"Mitsuki, where did you get this movie?" Karin asked as the figure was slowly coming out of the screen as if it was made of water.
"A creepy video store," he answered, eyes wide.
"Oh. RUN!"
Once Sadako was out of the TV, she stood up then pulled her hair back only to see an empty living room. She blinked in confusion then moaned sadly.
"I just wanted to watch TV with you all...Why do they always run away...?"
AWG CHIBI OMAKE 5E: HAUNTED HOUSE
Nagata, Rinrin, and Aisha stood in front of the Haunted House the school had set up. It really looked like the real thing, frightening with all the visual and sound effects thrown in to make it as authentic as possible.
The two girls shivered in fright as they clung onto his arms.
"Come on, girls!" Nagata encouraged as he took the girls inside.
They saw ghosts, monsters, and ghouls jump out to scare them, causing the girls to scream in fright at the sight of them. The creepy atmosphere just added to the suspense and while Nagata screamed with them, he felt exhilarated.
And then...at the very end...
"Ugh...ugh...aah...aah..."
"What is that?" Aisha asked as she clung tightly to Nagata's right arm.
"Ooh~ aah~"
"Nagata-niichan, what is that!?" Rinrin cried as she hid behind him.
And then the three of them heard a loud feminine scream.
"AAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!"
Aisha and Rinrin screamed as they grabbed Nagata and ran out of the Haunted House with him.
Shortly afterward, Iori and Shion stepped out from behind a wall, fixing their clothes.
"Did you hear something?" Iori asked his secret lover.
"No. Anyway, let's go and pick up Riri from school. She'd want to have fun here with us," Shion suggested.
"Yes, she would like that. By the way, you almost forgot your bra."
"Oh, thank you."
"And your panties."
"Really? I almost forgot about those."
