We do not own Koihime Musou or Kamen Rider Gaim. They belong to their respective creators. We just thought this idea would be fun and decided to give it a try. If you like it, then that's great. If you don't, then we tried. Anyway, come along and let's see what you think.
Sangokuden Armored War Gods Saga: End of the Armored War Gods
Co-Written By: Kamen Rider Chrome & Ten-Faced Paladin
Beta Reader/Editor: Busterleader92
Interlude: Sou Gi/Baron & Son Go/Zangetsu
Sousou had a base camp set up at the foot of Mount Tai. According to the information that Masataka had so generously shared with them, the enemy's headquarters was within the area. Nagata had also recently shared some new information that the RinJyuKen's headquarters was at the top.
Meanwhile, as Sousou's soldiers were combing the area on foot, Baron was up in the air in Zhuqiao Arms. He was going high up, reaching the summit of Mount Tai. He appreciated the new advantage he gained with his wings. The power of flight was a rare ability only granted to birds and gods in this era.
"According to Miyamoto, Braco's army marched through here to Shoku. Even Oda says it's supposed to be here, but where exactly is their base?"
Baron hadn't found any structure that could function as a base by the RinJyuKen. He did find significant places of worship. The mountain was a sacred place, used by the emperors of the past to pay homage to the Heavens. Nobody would even suspect the base of an evil organization to be located in such a sacred place of worship. Of course, Mitsuki wasn't a very religious person himself and cared little for religious beliefs.
Landing on the summit, Baron deployed his talons. He found an old abandoned temple, but little else. It seemed like nobody had been up here for years.
Walking through the entrance, he passed through a darkened hallway. He lit up a fireball in his hand to light his way. The silence was just eerie. It didn't sit well with him, but he pushed forward. There was no sense in fearing the dark, silence and emptiness.
He entered the main chamber of the temple. There were worn tapestries hanging from the walls and writing on the pillars. He also found an altar set up against the wall across from the entrance. Statues of deities stood flanking the altar, looking terrifying as they stood guard. He felt as if the statues were looking right at him like their eyes were following him. It was probably just a trick of the light.
He heard a beep in his helmet and answered, "This is Baron."
Back at the base camp, Sousou was using Baron's LockPhone to communicate with him.
"What do you have to report?" Sousou asked.
"There's an abandoned temple on the summit, but I don't see any signs of the RinJyuKen ever occupying this place. Maybe Miyamoto and Oda gave us some wrong information," Baron answered.
"Perhaps, but it is the only lead we've got to finding our enemies," Sousou suggested.
"Well, I can't find anything that can tell me anything," Baron responded. "I just have a weird feeling that I'm being watched."
"According to what I've heard about that place, it's supposedly haunted by the spirits of past emperors," Sousou commented.
"Never really believed in ghosts myself. I'll do another aerial survey of this place. Maybe I missed something. I'll be back soon, Karin."
"Return safely," Sousou instructed before ending the call. Sousou took a moment to admire the device. It was truly convenient. There were no delays in communication since messages could be delivered instantaneously. Too bad they lacked the materials to make more of them. Unlike the Lockvehicles, LockPhones did not grow on trees.
Standing up, Sousou checked her map. She had sent soldiers out to find any hidden paths that could lead them to the enemy base. There had to be something they missed, something they hadn't found yet.
The RinJyuKen Akugata were an obstacle for her ambition, and she would not rest until she took out anything or anyone that stood in her way.
Sousou had received some interesting information regarding their allies in Shoku. It appeared that Nagata had managed to surprise her yet again. According to Shibai, who had 'informants' (spies) in Shoku, Nagata could grant special armor to his vassals. Kanu was one of the lucky ones, alongside Ryuubi and Chouhi.
Sousou was wary of such news. While having stronger warriors could be advantageous, the Shoku Warriors might turn into an obstacle in the future. For now, Sousou would need to figure out a way to use them to her advantage.
Once Mitsuki returned to base camp, he entered Sousou's tent to join the meeting. The officers under Sousou were looking over the map and deliberating their next move with her.
"If the enemy does come through here, then perhaps a surveillance outpost should be built here to monitor this place," Juniku suggested.
"It'll need guards. We are talking about monsters here," reminded Kakuka. "Violent, scary, undead monsters." The thought of the RinJyuKen's monsters caused her to shudder.
"Don't worry about that. We still have the Lockseeds I purchased from Son Go so we'll have plenty of defenses set up here," said Mitsuki.
"Do not be overconfident," warned Teiiku.
"Indeed, we can't afford to be careless and overconfident. The RinJyuKen possess the Seal of Heaven and could rule this land with it. That is not something I can allow to happen. That is why locating the enemy's base is our top priority," said Sousou. "How goes the restorations of the belts you recovered from the Kurokage Army?"
"They're in working order. Now we just need to find candidates to use them," Mitsuki answered.
The SengokuDrivers that belonged to those White Clothes lacked the DNA lock function. That meant anybody could use them. Riten, Ukin, and Gakushin proved it. However, Mitsuki wasn't going to hand them over to anybody. He would need to select their users carefully.
"It's a shame that I have yet to understand how the Lockseeds and those belts work," Riten puffed. "If I knew just how they worked, I could make some incredible things."
"Believe me, if you could, I would be amazed," Mitsuki admitted. "Unfortunately, the Lockseeds are a mystery."
Mitsuki knew Riten was a skilled engineer, but the Lockseeds and SengokuDrivers were something way beyond the understanding of people of this time. Riten might be a genius, but even she had her limits.
"That just makes it a challenge, Baron-sama! I swear that I will unlock the secrets hidden within them!" Riten declared.
"If such a thing were possible, then our military might would receive a significant boost," Juniku said as her eyes gleamed. "And your ambition would be fulfilled overnight, Karin-sama!"
"Yes, it would be great," Sousou agreed. "But let's deal with one obstacle at a time. Have our men secure this area. We're packing up and going back to the palace tomorrow."
Shortly after their return, Mitsuki sat in the palace courtyard in deep thought. He was obsessing over something that had not left his thoughts since he last witnessed it.
"Oda's power..." Mitsuki frowned as he recalled the sight of Ryujin Gaim. He couldn't stop thinking about it since he witnessed the power of Ryujin Gaim. He knew how great that power was. He would be a fool not to realize it.
If there was one thing he respected, it was true power. However, such power was in the hands of Nagata Oda, someone who Mitsuki considered as his rival. It was frustrating, to be honest.
When Mitsuki claimed a great power, Nagata would somehow find a way to surpass it. Nagata had obtained Kachidoki Arms while Hideyoshi had obtained Xuanwu Arms, and both of them had defeated Chojo. When they fought Braco, he defeated them all, but when Nagata arrived and transformed into Ryujin Gaim, he easily matched Braco. While Ryujin Gaim had defeated the Cobra Rinrinshi with all their help, it was still his arrival that had turned the tide for them and allowed them to destroy Braco once and for all.
Nagata was getting stronger and was now at a whole different level from the other Armored War Gods. What was so special about him that the Seal of Heaven would grant him that power? Had it awakened his true potential? Could it be the power hidden inside Nagata?
And would Nagata become a threat to Sousou's ambition?
"Oda, what are you...?" Mitsuki wondered as he tried to figure his rival out.
"You seem troubled. Envious of his new power, are you?" Chosen spoke, and Mitsuki turned to see him. As usual, the strange man appeared out of nowhere. Fortunately, out of common decency, he came completely dressed. Mitsuki didn't want to see the man in just his thong.
Just the thought of it made the Crimson Enforcer shudder.
"Oh, it's you," Mitsuki frowned at Chosen. "What do you want?"
"Well, that's a fine 'hello' from you," Chosen remarked. "If you must know, I couldn't help but notice you were thinking about Nagata Oda's power. It seems like he's left you in the dust."
Mitsuki didn't ask how Chosen knew what he was thinking about. The odd man probably read his mind.
"He's strong, I admit, but that just makes me want to fight him even more," Mitsuki replied with an eager smile.
"I see. You know, that's what I like about you. You don't back down from any challenge and you don't hesitate to test your strength against strong opponents. Well, allow me to give you that chance," Chosen said as he snapped his fingers.
"Huh?" Mitsuki uttered and then he saw Gaim walking towards them, armed with the Daidaimaru and Musou Saber. "Oda?" In a flash, he had changed from his Orange Arms and straight into Ryujin Arms. "What is this, Chosen?"
"Let's just say I'm giving you a chance to test your might. So, would you like to test your strength against him?" Chosen offered.
"Sounds interesting," Mitsuki excitedly grinned as he unlocked his Zhuqiao Lockseed, accepting the challenge. He didn't care how Chosen had brought Ryujin Gaim here. It could be some illusion for all he cared, but the strange man had given him the chance to fight against Nagata at his strongest.
[ZHUQIAO!]
"Henshin!"
[LOCK ON! COME ON! ZHUQIAO ARMS! FLIGHT OF PHOENIX!]
Mitsuki spread his arms as the Zhuqiao Aura Beast enveloped him, materializing his Ride Wear suit as it became his Zhuqiao Armor. Once adorned in his suit, Baron charged at Gaim with his Zhuqiao Talons and viciously swiped at him.
Ryujin Gaim parried Baron's talons with his blades and slashed him across the chest, sending Baron staggering back. Growling, Baron ignited both his talons and sent flaming slashes at Ryujin Gaim who leaped over the attacks before shooting at Baron with the Musou Saber. Baron went down, but he did not give up. He got back to his feet and swung at Gaim who switched weapons.
[SONIC ARROW!]
Ryujin Gaim parried both of Baron's talons and then kicked him in the stomach. Baron sent flaming slashes, but Ryujin Gaim ducked to the ground before firing an energy arrow that Baron had to dodge before firing another flaming slash.
[BANASPEAR!]
The Sonic Arrow flashed and turned into the Banaspear, Baron's personal default weapon. The sight of his signature weapon in his rival's hand made Baron scowl.
The two closed the gap between them and started to violently exchange strikes. While Baron did not hold back, Ryujin Gaim's strikes were more intense as sparks erupted from Baron's chest.
Ryujin Gaim jabbed the Banaspear forward, but Baron managed to knock it out of Ryujin Gaim's grip and started to lash out with a series of strikes. Ryujin Gaim blocked with his forearms. Baron continued his relentless assault before Ryujin Gaim caught Baron's wrists. The Crimson Enforcer ignited his arms, but his opponent did not seem fazed at all. As the two struggled for dominance, Ryujin Gaim kicked Baron with enough force to send him tumbling. Baron rolled to a stop in front of Chosen.
"Such...might..." groaned Baron as he picked himself up off the ground. He never realized how wide the gap was until now.
Chosen explained, "You see it now, don't you? Can you see what Nagata Oda has become? He got this power because he never gives up and keeps moving forward despite his failures. A strong heart, sticking to his ideals and persisting in making them a reality. That is the source of his power."
[COME ON! ZHUQIAO AU LAIT!]
"Then...if that's the case..." Baron growled, and he roared, "I will crush it all!" He charged at Gaim to take him down with his flaming talons. Ryujin Gaim didn't seem fearful as he drew a weapon from behind his back.
[RYUJINMARU!]
The sword's dragon-shaped blade glowed. Once Baron was within range, Ryujin Gaim swung and swatted him into the air. Mitsuki screamed as his armor deactivated before he crashed back to the ground.
As Mitsuki picked himself up, he found himself alone in the courtyard. Chosen and Ryujin Gaim had vanished.
It was odd. His fight with Ryujin Gaim caused quite a commotion, so why didn't anyone show up to check? The guards would've probably come to investigate. Even a servant who came across the fight would've immediately reported it.
For a moment, Mitsuki appeared livid. But then he started to chuckle. There was no doubt about it. He finally confirmed it for himself. Nagata would become an obstacle to Sousou's ambition.
"Oda's ideals give him strength, huh? So, I'll just become stronger to crush those ideals..." Mitsuki resolved.
Standing up, Mitsuki dusted himself off. The experience hadn't discouraged him in the slightest. It made him even more motivated to become stronger. He wouldn't let anyone stand in the way of Sousou's ambition.
That was his only goal.
"Baron-sama, there you are!" Gakushin called as she found him.
"Nagi," Mitsuki greeted. "You need me for something?"
"Have you forgotten, Baron-sama? We have patrol duty this afternoon," Gakushin reminded.
"I had something on my mind and lost track of time. Let's go."
"Yes, Baron-sama," Gakushin obliged.
In the city, Gakushin resisted the urge to smile as she patrolled with Mitsuki. She never got many chances to spend time alone with her commander, so when the opportunity to go on patrol with him came, she took it.
While Mitsuki could take care of himself just fine, Gakushin felt it was her responsibility to watch his back. Besides, Riten and Ukin were both busy right now, and she didn't want to take them away from their duties.
As Mitsuki and Gakushin were patrolling around the city, he spotted a crowd gathering nearby.
"What's going on there?" Mitsuki curiously asked.
"I don't know, Baron-sama," Gakushin answered. "You think we should check it out?"
Mitsuki gave her a nod, and they approached the assembly.
"They claim to be gods! They claim to bring us peace! But all they've done is perpetuate war! These so-called Armored War Gods truly do live up to their name! How many of your friends and family have died to satisfy their desire for constant battle? They claim to protect us, but all they've done is use us! To them, we mean nothing!" the man said to the crowd. They were taken by his every word.
Gakushin and Mitsuki were listening intently. Even if they were at the very back of the assembly, the man's voice carried over to them and every word was heard clearly.
"Even the Armored War God of this kingdom, Baron, is nothing more than a vicious warmonger! He always seeks battle, and we have to pay the price! How many of you have had to bury your sons at the prime of their lives? You may call it an honor for them to die in the name of their ruler, but the Armored War Gods and those they serve do not care about our sacrifice! We're just pawns to be used and thrown away!"
The assembly was eating it all up.
"That bastard..." Gakushin growled in anger.
Mitsuki's eyes narrowed as he clenched his fists.
"You think the Armored War Gods protect us from the monsters that attack us? No, they're not! In fact, the Armored War Gods are the reason those monsters attack us in the first place!"
"How dare he?" Gakushin growled at the slanderous words.
"The Armored War Gods expect us to die for them! That makes them just as bad as the monsters who want to kill us!"
"That's it!" Gakushin snapped and was about to break up the crowd when Mitsuki barred her. "Baron-sama?"
"Nagi, let's go," Mitsuki ordered.
"But, sir-!"
"Let's not prove him right," he said, cutting her off.
Mitsuki was restraining his anger. He wanted so much to pummel the guy, but that would just add fuel to the fire.
A long time ago, he wouldn't have ignored such slurs. He would've confronted the guys making those kinds of allegations and shut them up with his fists. However, his time here had taught him that there was a time when violence was truly necessary, and this was not one of those times.
"But you can't just allow him to say those things," Gakushin argued.
"Let's go, Nagi."
"But-!"
"That's an order."
Gakushin reluctantly obeyed. The two of them turned to leave but what the speaker said next pushed Mitsuki's buttons.
"Baron serves Sousou as a mere lapdog while she rules us like a tyrant, using his power to subjugate us through intimidation and fear! She's no better than Totaku the Tyrant!"
Mitsuki stopped and then he turned around as he barged through the crowd to stand at the very front of the assembly, surprising the speaker.
"This assembly is over!" ordered Mitsuki. "Go home!"
The speaker recovered quickly.
"You see? Nothing but a dog baring his fangs in the name of his bloodthirsty master!"
Mitsuki grabbed the speaker by the collar and looked him in the eye. However, he reined in his anger to deliver his response.
"If you're so inclined to believe that you're better served with the opposition, then you know where the door is. But remember this: when you do, and you're up against me in the next battle, that was your choice."
Mitsuki released the speaker and was just about to leave. However, the speaker just couldn't help but have the last word.
"That's right, Crimson Dog! Go home and lick the boot of your bloodthirsty bitch of a tyrant queen!"
That was when Mitsuki saw red as his anger spiked.
"Son of a bitch! That's it!"
"Baron-sama, NO!"
Mitsuki was summoned by Sousou to deliver his explanation. She didn't seem too happy to see him.
"He was asking for it," Mitsuki justified.
"And what makes you say that?" Sousou challenged.
"He was inciting unrest. I had to put a stop to it."
"Gakushin had to pull you away before you beat the man to death," she reminded.
"He had it coming with the shit he was spouting off. Besides, you would've done the same thing."
"Yes, but you lack subtlety," she pointed out.
"You didn't let me join for subtlety," he retorted.
"True, but this is a delicate situation. Don't you think I've been criticized before?"
"How would you deal with it?"
"I make the problem disappear. Discreetly."
"Baron, you need to remember that your actions reflect on Karin-sama as well. It will take a lot of work and time to make this blow over," Juniku added.
"So what do you expect me to do?" Mitsuki asked, crossing his arms.
"Offer the man an apology and compensation for the injuries he suffered at your hands," Juniku suggested.
Mitsuki bristled. He wasn't going to apologize for defending Sousou, even if he probably overreacted and was unnecessarily violent.
"No way. Not after what he said about Karin."
"Do it, Mitsuki. You may not like it, but we need to minimize the fallout," Sousou ordered.
"Fine..." muttered Mitsuki, reluctantly agreeing.
"And you should also conduct an investigation on this matter," Sousou added. "I have reason to believe that this is the work of that cult."
"Going by your gut?" Mitsuki asked.
"Yes," Sousou confirmed. "Our enemies want to subvert our authority by claiming our Armored War Gods are frauds. Just keep an eye on these assemblies and gather proof."
"Sera's spies can gather evidence for us," said Mitsuki.
"That's a good start. Now, let's just hope Gaim's plan to restore Rakuyo bears fruit. It would give the people something else to talk about and might fix the mess you helped cause, Mitsuki."
At the mention of Nagata, Mitsuki scowled.
Mitsuki went down to the training room to blow off some steam. Beating up that guy had felt good, but there had been consequences.
Mitsuki broke the punching bag in his frustration and sand spilled out on the floor.
Adding fuel to the fire was never a good idea, but when that guy started to hurl insults at Sousou, Mitsuki couldn't help himself.
"Baron-sama, do you need a new punching bag?" Shibai asked as she entered the training room and saw the mess he made.
"I know you're not here to help me with my workout, Sera."
"No, I'm not. I heard about what happened."
"You here to lecture me too?"
"Again no, I just want to know why you reacted that way."
"I'm used to people talking smack about me. They do it to get a reaction from me since they know they're not strong enough or brave enough to make the first move. But when he started talking about Karin like that, I just lost it."
"I see."
"She's my family, Sera. People can say whatever shit they want about me, but when they drag my family through the mud, that's where they cross the line. That's why I need you to do something for me."
"Baron-sama, what do you need me to do?"
"I want you to send in spies to investigate something for me. It involves that assembly I crashed. There's no doubt that they'll be more like it. Karin seems to think it's another plot by that cult," Mitsuki explained. "Gather evidence. If you can, bring me someone to interrogate. We'll bust them once we find out for sure they are connected to the cult. We'll do this Karin's way. We'll be discreet."
Shibai bowed as she obeyed.
"It will be done, Baron-sama. I shall not fail you."
Meanwhile, in Son Go, Masataka was in his office and busy working. He had been getting some very distressing reports. Caravans transporting Lockseeds to a secure facility were being attacked. The routes they took were supposed to be secure, but the caravans kept being ambushed. According to the reports, the ones ambushing the caravans were Kurokage Troopers. They took the Lockseeds and left the transporters alive to spread the story.
The Lockseeds that were taken were mostly Lockvehicles. Now, they were in the hands of the enemy.
People were starting to lose confidence in him. It wasn't as bad as the time he was framed for Sonsaku's assassination, but he knew how these things could escalate. With the seeds of doubt already planted in their hearts, the people could turn on him.
The routes were secure. Only someone within the royal court would know about them. There was a leak, and Masataka was going to expose them, whatever it took. So Masataka had a lot of work to do.
"I'M BORED!" Sonshoko yelled as she suddenly barged into Masataka's office. "Zan-niichan, entertain me."
"I can't right now. I'm busy," Masataka told Sonshoko, his eyes never leaving his papers.
Sonshoko sulked away.
Moments later she came back and said, "Maybe when you're done, we could play a game?"
"I'll be at this all night."
"Maybe I can help?"
Masataka sighed. He got up and gently led Sonshoko out of his office.
"Shao-chan, I just really need to focus right now."
He then slammed the door in her face.
Sonshoko let out a dejected sigh and walked away.
Masataka didn't mean to sound harsh and to push her away, but his work was important. He needed to get things done.
The dream he had last night didn't make his situation any better. It was so vivid and felt like a bad omen.
"What are you trying to tell me?" Masataka asked the Baihu Lockseed. If it could speak, what would it say? What secrets could it reveal to him? Sadly, it remained silent, and he let out a sigh. "Of course, you can't talk. You might be mystical, but you're still just a Lockseed."
There was another knock at the door. Sonshoko probably came back.
"I said I'm busy!" he yelled. The door opened. He expected it to be Sonshoko, but it was Shuutai instead. "Shuutai, what is it?"
"Sonken-sama has summoned us," Shuutai informed him.
Sonken had summoned all her officers for an important meeting. She had just received an important message from one of their allies, Sousou, and she needed to relay this information to her vassals.
"Sou Gi is already constructing a surveillance outpost at the foot of Mount Tai," Sonken informed her court as they assembled in the throne room. She sat on her throne while they knelt in two lines leading to the throne.
"Looks like they're not wasting any time at all," Fuyu said with a smile.
"Sousou-dono is also asking for volunteers to occupy the outpost."
"She's asking us to supply her with a surveillance crew?" Masataka inquired.
Sonken answered, "Just some volunteers to maintain good diplomatic relations. She must've sent the same message to the other lords in the alliance. According to you, Masataka-kun, the RinJyuKen's base is somewhere within the area where the mountain stands."
Masataka confirmed, "All my findings suggests that their base is somewhere within the area. If the RinJyuKen uses any of the paths, we can follow them back to their base. Then we can finally take the fight to them."
"Still, it would be foolish to launch an attack as soon as we find out their location," Ryomo said. "We have no idea of the type of defenses they have."
"It would also be foolish to give them a chance to get away from us," argued Shuyu.
"All our allies should be with us during the assault then," Rikuson recommended. "I'm sure that the RinJyuKen won't be able to recover from such an assault."
"Don't be too overconfident," Shuyu reprimanded. "Even with our allies aiding us, there is no absolute guarantee for our victory."
"Then we best prepare our soldiers for an eventual assault on the enemy base," said Kannei. "I'll be in charge of training them."
"My brother and I will also be present to boost their morale," said Fuyu.
"Shuyu, please collaborate with the other strategist on plans to deal with the RinJyuKen Akugata once and for all," Sonken ordered.
As Sonken dismissed the meeting, Shuyu watched as Sonken and Masataka spoke to each other. Their young queen smiled and blushed as she conversed with the White Devil and the senior strategist clenched her fists as she scowled in envy at the sight.
It just wasn't fair.
KRC: I'd like to apologize for the delay. The next real chapter is a bit content heavy and my beta-reader needed time to go through it all along with this interlude chapter. This is just a short little interlude. It basically shows what the Sou Gi and Son Go Factions are up to. Also takes place shortly after the events of the previous chapter. We all know what happened in that chapter. I will be getting back into the story arc, so please be patient. In the meantime, please enjoy this update as I work on the rest of the story.
