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.


Some time after the Four Sovereigns and Ryugen's tragic late night visit to Rakuyo, the Armored War Gods assembled at Shoku's Round Table. They each took a seat. They rarely got to meet, and when they did it was not usually a social call.

They should consider meeting without there being a crisis. They could hang out like a group of normal guys. Unfortunately, anything that could be considered normal for them was stripped away the day they were spirited away to Ancient China.

They did, however, take comfort in whatever peace they were given in these troubled times. Unfortunately, it would seem their peaceful days were going to come to an end real soon.

"So you all visited Rakuyo? Must have been rough. Especially for you, Nagata. I mean, the place burnt down while you were leading the Alliance-oof!"

Hideyoshi elbowed Kenshin to shut him up.

Nagata glared at Kenshin.

"Thank you, Kenshin. I love to be constantly reminded of my failures," Nagata responded sarcastically.

"Let's focus on why we're all here," said Masataka. "Now, how about we review on what we know so far."

"We all know the RinJyuKen have the Seal of Heaven," said Iori.

"Which they used for their ritual," added Hideyoshi.

"They also killed everyone that was in Rakuyo," continued Mitsuki.

"Why did they need to kill everyone?" Haru interjected.

"Because the RinJyuKen are evil sadistic douchebags and it's their MO," Natsu deadpanned. "Obviously."

"Or they needed all the blood sacrifices," Masataka countered. "It was a ritual to revive Dai Shi after all."

"What I don't get is how you all knew about this ritual and when it was taking place," said Ichiro.

"We found out from a dream," Nagata stated.

The Armored War Gods who were not there to stop the ritual silently turned their heads to stare at Nagata after his statement.

"...What?" the Fuma Twins asked out of united disbelief.

"It's not bullshit. We all had a shared dream and got the same message," confirmed Mitsuki.

"And who provided this message?" Marcus asked.

"He called himself 'Brusa Li'," Iori answered. "I know I heard it somewhere before."

"And has this 'Brusa Li' contacted you all since that night?" inquired Karasu.

"No," Mitsuki answered as he crossed his arms.

"I wish we knew someone who could tell us where he is," said Nagata. "It would make finding him and talking to him easier. He seems to have all the answers."


Meanwhile, Kada was examining a patient when he sneezed. He rubbed his nose and shrugged.

"Take these herbs with your tea. I'm sure your nose and throat will clear right up," Kada instructed the sick villager.

"Thank you, Kada-sensei."

"Next!" Hoto called. She was volunteering as Kada's nurse. Kada did not have a uniform for her, but he did give her an apron bearing the symbol of the WAY OF THE FIVE GRAINS.

There were moments when the physician needed more people to help with his job. He got a lot of patients needing his help.


"We first thought the ritual had possibly failed, but we can't rule out the possibility that they succeeded or not. If they did succeed, then this Dai Shi now walks among us," said Hideyoshi grimly.

"Well, if this Dai Shi is such a badass, where is he now?" Kenshin challenged.

"If he was just revived, he could be hiding somewhere until he regains his full power. The only place he could hide is the RinJyuKen's base. Unfortunately, we still haven't found it yet," said Masataka.

"Then we keep our eyes and ears open for leads. Anything strange could be a clue. We can't let the RinJyuKen get away with the things they've done. Their victims deserve justice," declared Nagata.

Ever since his friends showed him their support, regardless of his condition, his resolve was stronger than ever. It was like tempered steel. There was no way he could turn back now.

Dai Shi was a threat and with him revived, their lives were going to get much harder. They needed to find him and stop whatever he may be planning before it was too late. Lives were at stake here. More than that so was the world.

They were brought here together for a reason, and this was it.

No matter what it cost them, they could not let the Great Death come to pass.


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

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

Beta Reader/Editor: Busterleader92

Chapter 18-1: Fallen Dragon (Part 1)


Sparks flew as Ryugen was sent tumbling by a strike from Duchess' rapier. As he lay on the ground, Duchess approached him.

"Give it up, Iori-san. You can never defeat me," Duchess gloated.

Ryugen gritted his teeth as his eyes flashed. All of a sudden, reddish hell flames erupted from his body. Duchess recoiled at the sight as Ryugen stood up.

The flames dispersed violently and Duchess' eyes widened.

Ryugen had transformed into Ryugen-Yomi.

"No...No...Stay away!" Duchess trembled and screamed, "STAY AWAY!"

[COME ON! LEMON SQUASH!]

Duchess leaped into the air and descended upon Ryugen-Yomi with her rapier pointed downward at him.

Ryugen-Yomi's response was to hit his Cutting Blade twice and aim his Budou Ryuhou at Duchess as she descended upon him.

[HAI~! YOMOTSUHEGURI AU LAIT!]

Duchess was violently bombarded by the explosive firepower that it knocked her out of her transformation and threw her to the ground. She lay defeated as Ryugen-Yomi stood victoriously.

Sadako shivered in terror and quickly rose to her feet. She screamed as she fled from him.

Ryugen-Yomi was not about to let her get away like that. So he shot her in the leg.

"AAAAAHHHHHHHHH!" Sadako shrieked and fell from the gunshot in her leg. Twisting her body around to face him, she shook as Ryugen-Yomi approached her. "STAY BACK! DON'T COME ANY CLOSER!"

He fired again, this time putting a hole through her left shoulder.

"AAAAARRRRGGGGHHHH!" Sadako shrieked as she held the wound, trying to stem the bleeding. "No! Stop! I'll go away! I won't ever bother you again!" She rose up unsteadily but Ryugen-Yomi showed no mercy as he shot her once more in the thigh. She screamed as she fell again.

"You're not going to run," Ryugen-Yomi said sternly. "I want you to crawl."

"Please! Please, no!"

"Crawl."

"Iori-san, please!"

A shot flew past her head and she froze up.

"I said crawl!"

Seeing that there was no reasoning with him, Sadako started to crawl away.

As Sadako desperately tried to crawl away, Ryugen-Yomi aimed at her head and pulled the trigger.

There was a loud bang and a satisfying silence soon followed.


Iori lay peacefully asleep in bed with his wife. The scene which played out earlier was just a dream.

He had his arms around her as his head rested upon her huge and soft breasts. They were remarkable pillows.

When Iori awoke, he sat up and stretched his arms, yawning. A moment later, Kochu woke up. She lifted the blanket up to cover her modesty. There really was no point to it. It was just the two of them and he had seen her nude plenty of times.

"Good morning, Koi," Iori smiled at his wife.

"Good morning, Airen. You seem happy today," Kochu smiled back.

"I just had a very good dream, and also a good night with my beautiful wife."

"Oh, you sweet little charmer."

Kochu caressed her husband's cheek. He was just so adorably charming. She leaned in and gave him a deep and passionate good morning kiss. Iori returned the gesture with just as much passion. Their mouths were open, and their tongues explored the insides of each other's mouths before they broke apart. A line of saliva connected their lips as they gazed into each other.

"You know, it's still early. We can afford to spend a couple more hours alone together."

He put his strong arms around his wife, pulling her voluptuous body against his. Putting her arms around him to return the embrace, Kochu locked lips with her husband as they proceeded with a heavy make out session.

They kissed passionately as their hands roamed each other's bodies. When their lips broke apart, she started to lick his earlobe before she nibbled on it. In return, he planted kisses along her neck and cupped a breast. He gently pushed her back onto the bed. With no barriers between them, the married couple made love to each other.


Nagata was in the kitchen and making his morning tea when he saw Iori come in. He was whistling and marching happily.

"Hey, that smells nice," Iori said as he regarded Nagata's tea. "Could I have some?"

"Sure," Nagata replied as he poured his best friend a cup. "You seem pretty happy today."

"There's no reason I shouldn't be happy," Iori responded. "My life is perfect."

Nagata quirked a brow.

"Perfect, you say?"

"Yes, perfect," Iori emphasized. "I mean, sure, we don't have all the modern conveniences we grew up with back home, and we're in the middle of a war with an organization full of monsters, but if you look back at all the good things in your life, stuff like that just doesn't seem so bad."

Nagata knew the reason behind Iori's good mood. It was no secret.

"Let me guess, you had a good morning after a good night with Shion," Nagata said with a knowing grin.

"Every night I spend sleeping with my wife is just the best, and the morning after we just cuddle and do stuff," Iori answered. "Honestly, you should try it. Oh wait, you do. How was your morning?"

"Woke up between Aisha and Touka," Nagata answered. "Did you know when they snore at the same frequency that they just cancel each other out?"

"That's interesting. So, are you going to be making breakfast as usual?" Iori asked. "Want some help?"

"Sure, as long as you don't bring in a crazy chicken like last time," Nagata told Iori as he accepted his offer.

"Don't worry. I learned my lesson. I'll bring them in dead so you won't have any more issues like that."

Nagata's smile turned into a frown.

"Iori, what do you think our chances are when we eventually face Dai Shi?" Nagata asked.

The warning they got from Brusa Li implied that Dai Shi would be their most powerful opponent yet.

"As long as we're together, we can accomplish anything," said Iori optimistically. "Remember, we're stronger when we're together."

Nagata's smile returned.

"Yeah, you're right. Now, let's get breakfast ready. Remember, we need to make extra portions for Sui, Ren, and Rinrin, as usual."

"It's hard to believe they can eat so much and not get fat," said Iori, amazed by the girls' huge appetite.

"It's to be expected. They burn off the calories during training and combat."


As Iori ate breakfast with everyone at the dining table, he couldn't help but take in the entire scene. It was like a perfect portrait of a family sharing a meal together. It was completely unlike the meals he had at home.

The only times his family really dined together was during formal events or when either of his parents brought home important guests to entertain. Maintaining an image of a happy family was supposed to help them close the deal. Even when they did dine together as a family, it just felt so cold. Nobody said a word. They just ate in silence.

It had been utterly suffocating. He didn't even remember how he survived such a suffocating household. Perhaps he endured just by numbing his feelings and going through the motions. A routine helped him to live day-by-day, but could he really call it living?

At least his brother showed him warmth and caring. Ichiro attended all his archery tournaments and supported him.

Iori shook his head to brush off any unpleasant thoughts.

It was a new day, and things were looking up for him. He was also going to be a father soon as Kochu was pregnant with his child. He was initially hesitant about the idea of having a child with Kochu. He had doubts about bringing a child into these dangerous times. However, with Kochu's reassurance, he managed to get over his fears. She reassured him that he would make a great father for their soon-to-be-born child. He was already such a great father to Riri.

They have yet to tell their friends about the pregnancy. They wanted to wait for the right time and surprise them.

Later, Iori took Riri and Chouhi to the local schoolhouse. Their lessons were initially done by Kanu, but then her duties as a general got in the way. Fortunately, Suikyo-sensei agreed to take over. She was an experienced teacher and she loved children. Suikyo-sensei would teach all the local children the basics such as mathematics, writing, and history. She also added general knowledge to inform the students of current events.

"OK, Rinrin. When school lets out, bring Riri back home," Iori instructed the redhead and she gave him a salute. "Oh, and Riri, behave yourself and have fun."

Iori's parents never took him to school, except during the entrance ceremonies. The chauffeur would usually send him there. He understood. They were busy. But it would've been nice just to see them when he went to school each day. They just went to work early so he never got a chance to see them in the morning.

Damn, why was he still thinking about them? Why was he whining to himself like this? He had moved on already. He left that life behind. This was his life now.


Nagata sat in his office, trying to figure out a mystery.

Many weeks ago, Nanamomo warned him that a traitor was hiding among them.

But who could it possibly be?

It was so frustrating. He didn't want to believe that any of his friends were traitors, but did Nanamomo have a reason to lie about something like that?

He didn't want it to be true. He hated suspecting any of his friends, but if there was a traitor then infiltrating his inner circle was the best way to sabotage them or gather valuable intelligence. They would have unhindered access to their secrets and would know all their strengths and weaknesses.

He had asked Komei to help him, but even she couldn't find anything to indicate that there even was a traitor among them. Questioning their friends was out of the question too. They might just tip off the traitor that they were onto him or her.

But Komei had a theory. Nanamomo said that there was a traitor among them. It was possible that she did not just mean the Shoku Warriors. Maybe it was someone in the Alliance.

Maybe it was someone in one of the other factions.

It could even be one of the Armored War Gods.

That was a frightening thought, but it was also an opportunity. If there was indeed a traitor among them, they could catch him or her and find out where the RinJyuKen's base was located.

But with no leads, they had no suspects.

It was one of the many things frustrating Nagata. There were many other issues and his plate was full of them.

"I'm not even close to cracking this mystery," Nagata said while letting out a sigh. He heard a knock at his door. "Come in."

Karasu entered his office.

"Naga-kun, are you busy?"

"Hey, Kara-chan. Just catching up on some work, that's all."

"You seem troubled. Is something wrong?"

Should Nagata tell her? He wanted to keep this information among as few people as possible. But Karasu was family. There wouldn't be any harm in telling her, right?

He trusted her.

"Apparently, there might be a traitor in our midst."

Karasu's smile fell.

"A traitor? Are you sure? How did you learn about this?"

"Nanamomo-san told me."

"And you believe her."

"It was the last thing she told me before she died. I need to consider that it might be true."

"It could just be a distraction. If you're so focused on a supposed traitor, you might miss important leads. You are still trying to look for the RinJyuKen's base."

"Maybe, but I can't get it out of my head."

There was another knock on the door.

"Come in," Nagata permitted.

Kanu opened and entered, bowing to him.

"Nagata-sama, you have training with me scheduled for today."

"Oh, that's right now, huh? Sorry. I've just been so busy that I lost track of time," Nagata told Kanu before he returned his attention to Karasu. "Kara-chan, we'll talk later, alright?"

"Yes, we'll talk later," Karasu agreed.

Nagata then left the room for his training with Kanu.

"Yes, later..." Karasu scowled.

She planned to spend some quality time with her beloved cousin, but he always seemed so busy. His time was being taken up by his harem. How shameful. The concept was disgusting to her.

He was also aware of the traitor in their midst.

It was time to speed up her schedule.


Iori was practicing his archery to keep his skills sharp. Once the arrow pierced the center of the target, he drew another from his quiver and took aim.

He fit the arrow to the bowstring and stretched it, making sure he had the target in his sight. He released the arrow and it pierced the air at high speed before striking the target once more.

"Impressive. No wonder you won first place at every tournament," Karasu praised as she stood next to him, observing his skill.

"So, you do know about that," Iori responded.

"After Naga-kun disappeared and I saw the names of the others that vanished with him, I looked them up. When I looked up your name online, there were some articles about how you dominated the high school archery circuit. I even saw some videos. I was impressed," she stated.

"Those days are behind me now. To be honest, I won those medals and trophies to impress my parents. But they never did attend any of the tournaments I entered," he spoke bitterly.

"And now you do it because you want to."

"I do it because I want to keep the people I love safe."

"Your family."

"Exactly."

"Tokugawa-sempai, if anyone were to threaten your happiness by taking away the ones you love from you, what would you do?" Karasu asked.

"I think the answer should be obvious," Iori answered as he fired another arrow. "Eliminate the threat, no matter what."

"On that, I would agree. You know, I've practiced archery as well. It was part of my education."

"Would you like to try?" Iori offered his bow. Karasu took him up on the offer and accepted the bow. She drew an arrow from the quiver and nocked it on the string. She then pulled on the bowstring and let loose the arrow.

The arrow flew towards Iori's target. Much to his surprise, her arrow split his arrow down the middle before it hit the target.

"Looks like I haven't gotten rusty at all," observed Karasu.

"That was impossible," awed Iori. "Impossible."

"We live in an impossible situation. Just get used to it," she shrugged as she gave the bow back to Iori. "Thank you for your advice, Sempai."

As she walked away, Iori checked the target. The shot she made was amazingly impossible, and he whistled at the split arrow. It was a feat of accuracy no average human could have accomplished.

"I need to learn to make a shot like that," Iori muttered, completely impressed.

"Daddy!" Riri ran over to her father as she came home with Chouhi.

"Riri!" Iori picked his stepdaughter up. "So, how was school today? Learn anything new?"

"I learned to add numbers today, Daddy," Riri beamed. The village children loved Suikyo-sensei. She was a good teacher. She made her lessons both easy and fun.

"Really? I'm so proud of you. So Suikyo-sensei is a nice teacher, isn't she?"

"Mm," Riri nodded, beaming.

"That's good," Iori replied. "Hey, Rinrin. What about you?"

"Oh, Rinrin-neechan fell asleep during class," Riri answered.

Iori frowned in disapproval and Chouhi laughed weakly as she rubbed the back of her head in embarrassment.

"You better not do that anymore, Rinrin. Nagata and Kanu won't be happy when they hear you've been falling asleep in class," Iori warned.

Chouhi slapped her palms together.

"Please don't tell Nagata-niichan and Aisha-neechan!" Chouhi pleaded.

"I promise," Iori told her, causing her to smile. However, his next words caused her smile to fall. "But I can't speak for Suikyo-sensei. Is this problem persists, she'll tell Nagata and Aisha anyway."

Chouhi paled. She was afraid of disappointing them.

"Then I promise I won't fall asleep at school anymore!"

Iori smiled warmly.

"Good, and you better keep that promise, OK?"

"OK!"


Nagata was knocked to the ground by Kanu's kick. He rubbed his sore chest as she reached down to help him up.

"You could've dodged that, Nagata-sama," Kanu informed him.

"I know, but I couldn't help it. Every time you kick, I get a glimpse of your panties," he informed her as he took her hand so she could help him up. Kanu blushed at the observation. She couldn't deny the fact that her skirt was short.

"You shouldn't look at a lady's undergarments," she scolded him.

"Maybe not, but I appreciate the view," he smiled back and she smacked his shoulder in response, embarrassed. He rubbed his shoulder as he chuckled.

In the beginning, when she swore to serve him, she was very formal towards him. She still was to an extent, referring to him with the suffix '-sama'. Try as he might, she wouldn't change how she addressed him so he stopped trying.

But ever since they became lovers, she was more comfortable with being so casual with him, at least in private. In public, she put up the appearance as his most loyal retainer and general. However, many could see how close they were. During dates, she would allow herself to let her hair down and enjoy his company.

She was in love with him but she wasn't blind to his flaws. While she admired him, she knew he was not perfect. That was OK. Nobody was perfect, not even the Messenger of Heaven.

"OK, let's start this again," Nagata said as he went into a boxing stance. It was the bare handed fighting stance his mom had taught him.

"How's the training?" Karasu asked as she arrived at the training area.

"Just working on my hand-to-hand combat skills, Kara-chan," Nagata told her.

Karasu would argue that he didn't need to waste his time since he was already an amazing swordsman, but she was rational enough to know that he needed to sharpen his unarmed fighting skills. In combat, one could find themselves unexpectedly disarmed, so having a fallback plan was beneficial.

"The style you learned from Aunt Yang," Karasu assumed.

"Yeah," he admitted. "Mom always wanted me to try boxing. It's too bad I preferred swords."

"It's nothing to be ashamed of."

"Maybe not, but I'm still a bit rusty."

Karasu raised her hand to him, palm facing him.

"Punch my hand as hard as you can."

"OK," Nagata said as he brought his fists up and went for a straight punch into the center of Karasu's palm. She frowned and shook her head in disappointment.

"You need more training, Naga-kun," she criticized. She looked to Kanu. "Please make sure he'll be able to throw a real punch by the time you've finished training him."

"Yes, Idunn-sama," Kanu said as she clasped her hands together and bowed to Karasu. The Oda heiress smirked. While she disliked Kanu, the Black-Haired Bandit Hunter at least she knew her place. Too bad Karasu couldn't order her to stay away from Nagata or keep her hands off him because Kanu's loyalty and love towards him were absolute.

"Alright, Nagata-sama, let's try this again," Kanu instructed as they resumed their sparring match, fiercely exchanging blows.

Karasu stayed to watch.


Bandits were like weeds. No matter how many times and what you did to get rid of them, they always found a way to sprout elsewhere and cause trouble in the future. They would raid villages, committing murder and theft.

These times were understandably hard, forcing many to resort to a life of crime. That did not make them justified.

Ryugen and his group of archers had just taken over a fortress that was being used by bandits as their base. There were still more hiding inside, so it was up to the Demon Dragon to find them and bring them to justice.

They were likely down in the dungeon, hoping they wouldn't be found. What a bunch of fools. That was the first place Ryugen would look.

When Ryugen came upon the door, he could hear cries and moans from the other side.

Ryugen kicked the door down and he froze at the sight.

He found the remaining bandits, and so much more.

There were young women chained up against the wall and being raped in front of him. The bandits froze as they saw him, caught literally with their pants down.

Ryugen gritted his teeth at the sight.

Mercy was off the table.


The bandits were all rounded up in front of the fortress as the archers took aim with their bows and arrows. As for the women, they had been through hell because of the bandits. They were given blankets to cover themselves and were offered comfort by the sympathetic Shoku soldiers.

The bandits received no sympathy whatsoever. Some were standing, scared out of their minds. Others were on their knees as they begged for mercy while at the same time crying like little babies.

"Please, mercy!"

"I beg of you!"

"Don't kill us! We surrender!"

"We're sorry!"

"Don't do this!"

"I don't want to die!"

Ryugen turned a deaf ear to their cries for mercy. Seeing those women being abused like that, he couldn't help but picture it happening to his wife and his friends. He even feared that it could happen to his daughter.

The women probably begged the bandits not to touch them, but they were ignored. Thus, Ryugen would grant the bandits the same courtesy. He deemed them unworthy of any sort of mercy. Not one bit at all.

The only thing they deserved was death.

And so they were going to be executed by a firing squad.

"Ryugen-sama, your orders!" one of the archers requested.

The bandits still cried for mercy.

"Shoot!" Ryugen ordered and the archers let loose their arrows.

The bandits stood helplessly as the arrows flew straight towards them. They screamed in fear and agony the moment their bodies were pierced by the storm of arrows.

They fell together in a heap.

It was a truly gruesome sight, especially to the executioners, but it was satisfying nonetheless. The women watching the execution probably felt a sense of satisfaction when they witnessed the death of their tormentors.

However, there was still one last man left standing. He had survived since he had been standing way in the back of the group of bandits. The executed bandits had formed a wall, protecting him from the arrows.

"Please...please...have mercy..." the bandit sobbed as eyes trailed down his face and a visible wet spot appeared in his crotch.

What a pathetic sight.

Ryugen took a moment to look at the women. How long had they suffered, to be used as sex slaves, to be raped at the bandits' leisure and used for their pleasure?

"No mercy," concluded Ryugen as he aimed and fired his Budou Ryuhou. The man was hit right between the eyes, splattering the wall behind him with blood, bits of his skull and gray matter before he fell like the rest.

Ryugen took a moment to look at his gun. A long time ago, he could never even imagine himself killing a man. However, he had gotten used to the violence that persisted in this world and embraced it. He could either adapt or die. Furthermore, his actions now were no longer driven by his desire to please anyone. Rather, he was driven by his desire to protect his family.

"Hang the bodies up in front of the fortress as a warning and take these women back to have the doctors look at them," Ryugen ordered.

As they prepared to leave, one of the soldiers called Ryugen.

"Ryugen-sama, there's something we got that you should see!"

Ryugen walked over and saw what was so interesting.

It was an open chest full of Lockseeds.

That was not the only thing that caught his attention, however. The Lockseeds were all identical. They were codeless and modeled after the same red fruit.

It looked like they were based on pomegranates.

Ryugen had never seen a pomegranate Lockseed before.

How curious.

"Well, this is unexpected," Ryugen remarked as he picked up one of the pomegranate Lockseeds and examined it. "It's too bad we killed them all. We could've asked them how they got these."

"What should we do with them, sir?"

Ryugen put the Lockseed back in the chest and closed it.

"Take them back with the rest of the loot we gathered and make sure nobody touches them."

"Yes, sir!"


Iori returned to the castle with a sense of accomplishment. Another nest of scum was purged and the people did not need to worry about those bandits anymore. Unfortunately, he knew full well that more bandits would emerge in the future. He would have his gun ready for them.

The poor women were taken to get medical treatment and would soon be sent home to their families. The bandits had hurt them and traumatized them. Hopefully, they could get over their trauma and move on with the support of their friends and family.

Iori was glad he punished those pieces of garbage. They deserved nothing less than death.

It was just a shame he could not prolong their suffering.


Two days later, Iori was practicing his archery when Komei approached him.

"Greetings, Iori-sama."

"Hello, Shuri."

"Nagata-sama wishes to see you."

"Did he say why?"

"He just told me to tell you to come to his office."

Iori cocked an eyebrow quizzically. Normally, Nagata would inform his officers why he had summoned them. To not give them any sort of message before a meeting was odd.

"Did he say I needed to come immediately?"

"Yes."

Then it was something urgent.

"Thank you, Shuri. I'll go see him right away."

As Komei watched Iori go, she was worried. When Nagata ordered her to summon Iori, he doesn't look pleased.


Iori came to Nagata's office and knocked on the door.

"Enter."

Iori opened the door and entered Nagata's office.

"You wanted to see me, Nagata?"

Nagata was sitting behind his desk, with a hard expression on his face and his hands steepled in front of his face. It was almost like he was trying to channel Gendo Ikari from Evangelion.

"Yes, I wanted to talk you. Please, take a seat."

Iori went and sat down on the chair across from Nagata.

"So, what did you want to see me for?"

Nagata got straight to the point.

"A couple of days ago, you rescued a group of women that were being held captive by a gang of bandits. The women you rescued were treated for any injuries and sent home safely."

"Yes, I did do all that," Iori confessed. It was in the report he had given Nagata that day.

"You also had the bandits executed on the spot."

"I did," Iori confirmed. He had no problem admitting it. "Is there a problem?"

Nagata angrily slammed his palms on the table.

"Yes, there's a problem! They already surrendered and yet you decided to execute them!"

"Nagata, you weren't there. You didn't see what I saw. If you ask me, they deserved it," Iori retorted, unashamed.

"Did they deserve to have their bodies hanged in front of the fortress?" Nagata asked.

"I did that as a deterrent and to make an example out of them," Iori explained.

"That's inhumane!"

"Then they shouldn't have acted like animals," Iori justified.

"Dammit, Iori!" Nagata snapped. "This isn't how we do things! You should've consulted me first!"

"I was showing initiative," Iori defended.

"It was murder," Nagata countered.

Iori returned with a sharp glare, "You damn hypocrite. If it had been Aisha or Touka being abused like that, you would've done the same. You would not have shown them any mercy. Don't tell me you haven't killed bandits before."

"I only resorted to that when there was no other option. If I could, I'd rather not kill anyone," Nagata argued.

"Yes, like when you locked up Zhong for almost turning Sui into his obedient sex toy. If I were you, I would have executed him on the spot."

"You're not the one in charge, Iori."

"So, it's fine as long as you say it's fine?" Iori huffed. "You were okay when I killed Nise, but not with this?"

"It's not our job to decide who lives or dies, Iori."

"It is when it's our duty to protect the innocent. They're the ones who deserve mercy, not the criminals who hurt them. You see, this is the problem, Nagata. You have so much power, but you're too soft and afraid to use it properly. One of these days, that compassion of yours is going to be the death of us."

Disgusted, Iori rose from his seat and turned to leave.

Nagata furiously stood up.

"We're not done here, Iori!" he shouted.

Iori stopped at the door and turned to give Nagata a hard glare. After that, he ignored Nagata as he stepped out of the office and slammed the door shut.

The office became silent.

Nagata didn't go after his friend. He instead sat back in his chair to sigh.

He would wait until both their heads were cool off before they talked again.

Things weren't getting any easier. After his short vacation, he went back to work and the stress returned.

Nagata was thinking about Dai Shi. Brusa Li had not contacted them since the last time and that got him worried. Nagata wanted to believe that the Femme Fatales had failed, but there was no evidence to imply that.

It was likely that they had succeeded.

They were all tense but were doing their best with the situation. With the tension came stress, stress that they needed to relieve.

But afterward, they needed to face facts.

Dai Shi was probably hiding at the RinJyuKen's secret base and making plans. They needed to be vigilant and be ready for when he made his move.

They were all in danger and things were getting worse. Sure, the celebrations and brief respites temporarily took their minds off their problems, but they could not run away from them or ignore them forever.

The latest tragedy in Rakuyo managed to spread throughout China. The last group of guards and construction workers was killed by the RinJyuKen's Femme Fatales. Before that, Bujin Gaim had attacked and killed a few people. Long before that, the city was burned, resulting in it being abandoned in the first place.

Since it was Nagata's idea, the people wanted him to take responsibility.

As if he didn't have enough on his plate already.

People had died, and he needed to take responsibility for their deaths. He came to the cold realization that being a hero had nothing to do with reaping rewards or perks. It was about taking responsibility for his actions, for good or ill.

The best he could do was to provide closure and relief for the families of the deceased and pray they could move on.

The soldiers knew the risks when they chose to fight. It was their choice. They were prepared to lay down their lives to defend their home. The guards were also prepared to defend Rakuyo and the work crew until the project was finished. Unfortunately, their sacrifice would be in vain.

Nobody wanted to continue with the project. Nagata was still dealing with the fallout of that debacle. People had even started calling Rakuyo the 'Forbidden City' because they truly believed it was cursed. A lot of money went into the project, purchasing materials, and supplies. But it had all gone to waste. A failed project didn't reflect well on the one who had proposed it, namely him.

It was a responsibility he would have to bear.

Nagata hated politics, but he still had to deal with it. He couldn't afford to lose control of the situation, but Iori had just added another thing on his plate.

Nagata got the report from Kada about the trauma the women went through at the hands of the bandits. If that had happened to Kanu or any of the other girls, he might've done the same. However, just ordering an execution right on the spot like that, was it the right thing to do?

What Iori had done, Nagata really couldn't blame him for taking such action. He could've done things a little more delicately, but Iori always did what he thought was right.

Was Iori right?

Was Nagata too soft?

Did he need a firmer hand and a harder heart to perform his duty?

Or could it be that something else was affecting Iori's mood?

Nagata needed to get out of this stuffy office and clear his head.


"Come on, Enya! Just admit it! You like Nagata-sama!"

"Tanpopo, for the last time, we are only friends!"

"Yeah, but if you asked Touka if you could join them in bed..."

Gien's face went beet red at the implication before she furiously shook her head. Batai laughed as her teasing got her best friend all worked up.

Gien's eyes narrowed as she smirked.

"Well, what about you and your feelings for Iori-sama?" Gien asked.

Now it was Batai's turn to look surprised as she blushed.

"That was a crush and I'm over it. Besides, you think I could compete with Shion?"

Gien looked at Batai's figure. Kochu was pretty well-developed in comparison.

"I see your point."

"Yeah, but one day I am so going to fill out like that! Just you wait! I just need to work out and drink my milk!"

Gien and Batai watched as Iori suddenly stormed past them. The two of them blinked.

"Did he look really mad to you?" Gien and Batai asked each other at the same time.

As Iori headed back to his and Kochu's room, he spotted Karasu leaning by the door with her arms crossed.

"Oda-san," Iori greeted curtly.

"So I heard about what you did to those bandits. I never thought you had it in you," Karasu started.

Iori sighed.

"Are you going to say I crossed the line too?"

Karasu rolled his eyes. Iori obviously did not know who he was talking to.

She hated rapists.

"Usually, I would be on Naga-kun's side since he is family. But in this instance, I approve of what you did."

Iori cocked an eyebrow.

"Excuse me?"

"If you ask me, those pieces of scum got what they deserved. They were animals that needed to be put down. Although, personally, I would've made them suffer a little bit longer until they begged me to kill them."

The smile she gave Iori chilled him.

"You and I aren't so different, Tokugawa-sempai. We get things done." She patted his shoulder. "Later."

Iori watched her go with a perplexed expression before he went through the door.

Iori entered his and Kochu's room to see his wife folding clothes and putting them away in the cupboard.

"Airen, you're back," Kochu smiled. She noticed that he looked agitated. "What's wrong?"

"Just had an argument with Nagata," Iori told her as he went to sit on the bed. Kochu got up to sit next to him. She patted her lap and Iori lay down to rest his head on her lap. He enjoyed laying his head across her lap as she gently stroked his head.

Whenever he needed to vent, this was the most comfortable and relaxing position for him. It would always calm him down.

"What happened?" Kochu asked.

Iori told her what happened. He told her how he found the bandits' base and captured all the bandits. Then he told her what he found hidden under the base. The sight of the women being used as sex slaves triggered something and he had all the bandits executed.

Kochu listened patiently, not interrupting until he finished.

"Shion, do you think I went too far?" Iori asked his wife.

"Those bandits had it coming for hurting those girls," Kochu answered. What happened to those women was something that could happen to her, and that was something her husband would never allow that to happen.

"Nagata doesn't think so," Iori remarked.

"You need to look at things from Nagata-sama's position. His standing with the people it's not what it used to be," she advised.

"Well, we have more important things to worry about than a PR problem," Iori retorted.

"But it will still make our lives harder if we lose the support of the people," she countered. "We won't be able to recruit any more soldiers if they lose faith in us."

Iori had to admit that his wife had a point. Good PR yielded better results. It was something he learned from Ichiro when it came to conducting a business. A company with a good reputation would get the best deals. Any company with a low or mediocre reputation would simply struggle or fail.

Nagata had a tough job trying to run a kingdom that was slowly losing faith in him. Many good men died, and their families suffered in grief. Grief turned to anger and anger needed a target to vent upon. That was what Nagata was currently dealing with.

As one of his subordinates, Iori's actions reflected on Nagata. What would the people say when they learned Gaim couldn't control his subordinate Ryugen? What would they say about him executing people without consulting the Seiryuoh first?

And how would all this affect his family?

With trying to protect his family, could he just be making things more difficult for them in the long run?

Was he wrong?

No, he did what he thought was right. It had to be right. There was no doubt in his mind. They were rapists, murderers, and thieves. The world was better off without them. Why should he grant them mercy when they never even considered showing any mercy to their victims?

It was a justified act, even if Nagata thought otherwise.

Iori did what he had to do, and he had no regrets. Correction, he had regretted nothing.


Kanu, Ryuubi, and Chouhi went to Nagata's office to remind him of their group training session which was scheduled for today. However, they found him missing. They split up and tried looking for him everywhere. They checked his bedroom, the garden, and the kitchen.

He was nowhere to be found.

"Have you found, Nagata-sama?" Kanu asked Ryuubi as the three sisters reconvened.

"No, I haven't. I checked the kitchen and he wasn't there," Ryuubi answered.

"I haven't had any luck either, and I looked everywhere even under his bed," said Chouhi.

"Where could he have gone?" Kanu asked worriedly.

"Hey, are you guys looking for Nagata-sama?" Bacho asked as she walked up to them while eating an apple. "I saw him head into the bamboo grove earlier."

The three sisters ran past Bacho who yelled, "Hey, can you remind him that he said he'd go riding with me?"


After his argument with Iori, Nagata could not concentrate on his work. He had to go out to blow off some steam and clear his head.

To do that, he needed to be somewhere where he could be alone.

Nagata stood in the middle of a bamboo grove, eyes closed in concentration, and his grip tight around his swords.

These were not his original swords, however. When Bujin Gaim had taken over his body, he had gone and sold the swords. It was with the money he gained from selling Nagata's twin katanas that he afforded the company of the three girls in the brothel.

Fortunately, Nagata had spares made. For some reason, he felt oddly relieved to be rid of those swords. Bujin Gaim had unknowingly done him a favor. Those swords might've saved lives, but they had also spilled blood, and he didn't need a reminder of his sins.

It was easier for Nagata to forget about all the tragedy that happened while his mind was focused on paperwork and training. Nagata didn't consider himself much of a workaholic outside of his martial arts training. He'd rather do anything than sit behind his desk and do mind-numbing paperwork. However, recently he'd been using his paperwork to keep his mind off unpleasant memories. By keeping his mind busy, he could function properly without having a mental breakdown.

It was when those memories were triggered that he had problems.

So he tried to move on and supplant them with good memories instead. By outweighing the bad memories with the good ones, he could make it through his life.

He remembered back when he was a child, he wanted to be a Kamen Rider. He grew up watching the series and had been a lifelong fan ever since.

He also remembered back when he told his mom about his dream. Back then he was just a kid. Whenever they sat down to watch, he told her that someday he would grow up to become a Kamen Rider, a true hero of justice.

His mom humored him, but at the same time pointed out how dangerous it would be. She pointed out that the monsters could beat him up or even worse.

As a naive child, he told her that he would just be stronger than the monsters so that he would not get hurt. As a Kamen Rider, he would be able to save everyone. That naiveté carried over to his teen years.

But he knew better now.

Being a Kamen Rider was no longer a dream. It was easier to handle as a dream. When it was fiction, it wasn't real, and nobody got hurt. Now he was in a different world with the powers of a Kamen Rider. It was exciting at first, but now it was his new reality, and with it came the responsibility and burden as a Kamen Rider.

And as a Kamen Rider, he had experienced his fair share of failures and committed sins as well. He had killed people, something a Kamen Rider shouldn't do. He had allowed people to die, which was also another taboo for a Kamen Rider.

It was so much easier when it was just a show and he was in the audience. But now he was playing the role and was not doing so well.

While he had defeated enemies, there were not without losses. He didn't know how the other Riders handled it so well. Perhaps they just got used to it and were able to move forward as they could not allow their guilt to hold them back.

But the guilt would return, in some form or another, triggered by something or someone.

He was bothered by Iori's callous act of executing those bandits without giving them a proper trial. It was like how Bujin Gaim killed without remorse or second thought.

Nagata was not completely over what Bujin Gaim had done. The way Iori could easily order an execution like that reminded Nagata of how easily Bujin Gaim could kill people. He felt terrible for comparing his best friend to the demon, but he couldn't help it. It was just fortunate that he hadn't outright accused Iori of being like the demon. That would've made things worse.

Nagata paused.

How could he ever compare Iori to the likes of Bujin Gaim? Iori was nothing like Bujin Gaim. Unlike Bujin Gaim, Iori killed to protect the ones he loved. Bujin Gaim killed because it was enjoyable for him. Nagata could never forget the euphoria Bujin Gaim felt with each horrific deed he committed. It sickened him.

Fortunately, the camping trip he went on allowed him to gradually overcome his trauma. He was no longer blaming himself for Bujin Gaim's action and was making progress.

His gaze went back to his replacement swords. He knew that he would need to spill blood once more for the sake of peace. He had come to terms with it a long time ago.

He had accepted it as his new reality.

He would still carry on for the many who have died.

But sometimes it would become too much for him.

He was beginning to get sick and tired of all the fighting and killing.

He just wanted it all to be over.

And so with that in mind, he swung his swords.


Kanu, Chouhi, and Ryuubi entered the bamboo grove in search of Nagata.

"There he is!" Chouhi called out as she pointed at Nagata.

They found him just as he cut the ropes behind him.

Suddenly, daggers launched from the bamboo grove and Nagata's eyes snapped open as he swung his swords, deflecting the flying blades. Kanu and Ryuubi watched in both amazement and worry as the daggers fell at Nagata's feet, parried expertly by his swords. Unfortunately, he missed the last flying dagger which cut through his sleeve, causing him to cry out on reflex.

"Nagata-sama!" cried Kanu as Nagata fell to his knees. They ran over to him to check if he was injured and saw the fresh cut on his arm.

"You're hurt," Ryuubi stated as she saw the wound.

"It's OK," he assured them as he hissed from the stinging pain. "It's just a scratch. Nothing to worry about."

"Nothing to worry about?" Kanu repeated incredulously.

"Yeah," Nagata insisted.

Kanu picked up one of the daggers off the ground.

"Who helped you set all this up, Nagata-sama?"

"Iori did," Nagata said. "He tells me it's a good way to practice hand-eye coordination and reflexes."

Iori had shown it to Nagata and demonstrated how it was used. Nagata was amazed when Iori used his tonfa to deflect the flying daggers. It was a dangerous way to train reflexes, but that only made it more thrilling.

"Also a good way to lose an eye," Kanu remarked.

"And you got yourself hurt." Ryuubi pointed to the cut on his arm.

"I guess I should take it easy for now," Nagata sighed. They all sat down in the middle of the bamboo grove. The cut he got on his arm wasn't so bad and had stopped bleeding.

Ryuubi noticed how troubled Nagata seemed.

"Nagata-sama, is something wrong?"

Nagata let out a sigh.

"I'm just so tired, Touka..."

"Of what?"

"Of all the fighting, the killing, the wars, of losing people..." Nagata confessed. "I'm just so tired of it that it makes me sick, but I can't abandon the people. I need to protect them."

"Nagata-sama, do you regret coming back here to protect us?" Kanu asked.

"No, never. I just want it all to end so we can have peace. You told me the Messenger of Heaven was supposed to bring peace."

"Nobody said the job would be easy."

"Yeah, of course not. But if things continue the way they are, then this whole war will end with us wiping each other out. I just wish we could all sit down and just talk so we can find a compromise that does not result in more deaths."

Kanu knew what Nagata was going with this. He was weary of all the conflict. He wanted this war with RinJyuKen Akugata to be resolved peacefully.

He didn't crave for war and battle.

He just wanted to be over.

He just wanted peace.

How many people had died since this conflict began?

How many people were sacrificed for the sake of victory?

Too many to count.

Nagata never thought there were any peaceful Rinrinshi until he met Nanamomo. She might have been mostly neutral, but in the end, she decided to do the right thing. She had sacrificed herself in an attempt to destroy Bujin Gaim. It might've failed, but her actions proved that she had a heart as she had done it in the name of friendship.

Yet, as noble as it sounded, Kanu didn't think it was possible for them to make peace with the RinJyuKen Akugata. That was pretty clear.

"Nagata-sama, I understand what you're trying to do. Yes, there might be Rinrinshi that can be reasoned with, but when all other options have been exhausted, what else is there? You can't just do the same thing over and over again and expect a different result. That's just plain wishful thinking. This is part of what a leader is being about, making the tough choices, making hard decisions. This isn't some child's game, this is a war, and looking at it with such naiveté is only going to lead to even more tragedies.

"When the people look to you, they expect results. They expect you to get things done. They expect for you to keep them safe. I'm sorry, Nagata-sama, but with all of the things that the Rinrinshi and their kind have committed, we can't just continue to use empty words to fight them.

"Peace? Their leaders don't care about that. In the end, it is either us or them."

Kanu gave her beloved leader a long, somber look, one that seemed to bore into Nagata forever. Then, her stern demeanor faltered, hardly believing that those words had spilled from her of all people, but it had been building up inside of her for some time after seeing him one too many times tearing himself up over the issue, just as she could no longer bear to see more innocents suffer.

"Nagata-sama, I apologize if my words sound harsh..."

"No, no, you told me what I needed to hear, even if they weren't exactly the words I wanted to hear. You're right. It's pointless to make peace with people who don't want it. Even if you give them a chance, even if you give them 100 chances, when they have set their minds on the matter, there's just no way of changing their minds. Maybe, just maybe I could find some peaceful Rinrinshi, but with the Femme Fatales in control, identifying the peaceful ones is next to impossible unless they come forward.

"And it's not only them we need to worry about. We also got the Genesis Riders to deal with and they are attacking us with propaganda. That's not something we can easily fight. Words travel far and reach many ears. Then there's Dai Shi."

"The RinJyuKen's true leader."

"I wanted to believe their ritual failed, but we can't take that chance. If they managed to revive him then he's out there, somewhere, plotting. And here I am, with no idea where he is or how to stop him."

Nagata felt lost and helpless. He did not know what to do.

It was hopeless.

"Nagata-sama, you seem to be forgetting something," Ryuubi spoke as she reached out to caress his face. "You're not alone in this. We're here for you."

But he wasn't alone.

When he tried to shoulder everything by himself, all it did was caused him unnecessary stress. He thought that by coping with it all by himself that he was demonstrating his inner strength. However, it was foolish to think that he could handle it all by himself.

He was never truly alone.

When he started on this path, it was Chouhi and Kanu who first stood by him. Then they gathered more friends and formed a team. They believed in him when he didn't believe in himself and he tried his hardest to live up to their expectations.

But trying to deal with things alone wasn't a show of strength. Neither was it smart. There was nothing wrong with relying on others. It wasn't a weakness to trust in others or rely on them.

Not only were they at his side to help him shoulder the burden, they became a source of strength and a reminder to why he resolved to stick to this path.

Even when things got really bad, he still had his friends at his side. No matter how powerful the enemy became, he had friends to rely on who could back him up.

Nagata chuckled to himself. He really was an idiot for not realizing it sooner.

"No, I never said you couldn't help. You've been helping me all this time for a while now, haven't you?"

"And you've been working very hard. Now, I think you need rest," Ryuubi said. "Why don't you lay your head on my lap and relax?"

"Yeah, I guess I should rest for a bit," he accepted. He lay down, resting his head on Ryuubi's soft lap.

Kanu couldn't help but feel jealous as she watched this. She remembered how Nagata used to lay his head on her lap.

"Remember, Nagata-sama. If you ever need to talk, we are here for you."

"Thank you. I'll try to remember that."

Relaxed, now Nagata could think clearly.

He knew he would have to resolve the issue between himself and Iori, the sooner the better. He could not let this fester and jeopardize their friendship.

Worrying to death about things he could not change was counterproductive. He needed to learn to accept the tragedies he experienced and move on. He was no good to anyone if all he could think about were the mistakes he made. He needed to focus on the solution rather than the problem.

If they were going to stop the RinJyuKen for good, they needed everyone to work as a team. They were stronger together, without being burdened by excessive emotional baggage.

Karasu hid among the bamboo, watching her cousin hang out with his 'harem'. As she spied on them, her expression remained unreadable, but her gaze was sharp and venomous.

To Be Continued in Fallen Dragon Part 2...