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Karasu returned to her room later that evening. Looking out her window, she gazed at the full moon. It was such a beautiful sight. Not a lot of people in the modern age took a moment to stop and appreciate its beauty.
A full moon did only come at the end of each month, making it a rare treat.
Then it would vanish, bit by bit, until it was gone from sight.
Then the cycle would continue.
As she continued to gaze at the moon, she pondered on the possibility of Nagata becoming the Emperor. To be honest, she believed he deserved to sit on that throne. He would definitely make a good Emperor. No, he would be a great Emperor. The Ultimate Emperor. He had power, talent, and charisma. How else could he have drawn so many powerful warriors to him and convince them to serve him?
Unfortunately, that charisma worked against her favor. His servants turned out to be attractive female warriors and they were all trying to steal him from her.
That was unacceptable!
Her Naga-kun could become Emperor. He did have the power to unite the land under his banner. He could rule them all and nobody would be able to resist him. If anyone tried, they would be crushed as he was the strongest of them all. And if anybody still had a problem with that, then she would take care of them. Her beloved Naga-kun needn't dirty his hands to deal with pests.
She would do anything for him. Anything at all. After all, only she knew what was best for him.
She went over to her desk and pulled the drawer open to retrieve her mask. She had wasted too much time already. She had to maintain a facade for far too long and it was gradually getting on her nerves. She was at her limit and needed a release. She needed to end this charade.
Standing by her window again, she strapped on her SengokuDriver. It still amazed her how a toy could turn into a weapon under the right circumstances. Magic was truly a miraculous thing. Oh, she believed in real magic, but the vast majority in her world just forgot that it was ever real to begin with. Too bad magic was reduced to tricks, myths, and fantasy back in her world.
Such a sad, dull and utterly boring existence.
And in a boring world, anything that could rock the boat would be seen as wrong. Anything out of place would be erased. A nail that stuck out was to be nailed down. That was the culture she grew up in.
Only the truly privileged were allowed to flourish. She was one of the privileged as she was born to inherit the position of the head of the Oda Clan. If she ever showed behavior that was unbecoming of her, then the rest of the clan would question her worthiness. So she pretended to behave, pretended to be the ideal heiress of the clan. She had to hide her true self and the bloodlust that was hidden within.
And now here she was, in a world where her own bloodlust didn't seem out of place. It was a time of war, so she was expected to be able to fight, to be able to kill. She was a warrior at heart, something she knew to be true. She had been trained to be a warrior in a world where warriors weren't needed. Was it so strange that she would spill blood the first chance she got?
So when she arrived here, she killed bandits as she searched for her cousin. Sooner or later, her actions would get his attention and they would be reunited. Sadly, by then, his heart had been stolen by another. Even worse, his heart was now being shared by others.
Every day she would have to endure the sight of her beloved being seduced and corrupted by those harlots and temptresses, day in and day out.
In the day, she was forced to watch him spend his time happily with them. And at night, she would have to watch as he took a different girl with him to bed as they did unspeakable things between the sheets. It was enough to drive her mad, literally.
She hated it.
She couldn't take it anymore.
She was sick of waiting.
She was sick of keeping silent.
She was sick of watching.
Well no more...she had stayed her hand long enough.
It was time for her to make her move.
It was time for the Shinigami to spread her dark wings and claim the heart of her beloved that was rightfully hers.
It was simply meant to be as she possessed the power that would make her dream become a reality.
Tonight was her night, and it would be glorious.
For she held the power of Darkness.
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 18-2: Fallen Dragon (Part 2)
It was nighttime when Nagata stepped outside to meet Iori. Iori would regularly step out at night to gaze at the stars, and Nagata understood why.
The Musou Seiryuoh gazed up at the evening sky. He never got tired of seeing the stars at night. With the moon so full, it was such a beautiful sight. However, he couldn't appreciate the night, not with the tension between him and his best friend.
The night was also chilly, prompting Nagata to tighten his scarf. Winter was coming and everyone was preparing for the cold winter months ahead. Fortunately, they had enough food stored that would last them until next spring.
"Hey, Iori," Nagata greeted his friend. It had been hours since their confrontation in his office. Dinner had been awkward as they kept giving each other the silent treatment. Iori refused to speak with him, and Nagata really didn't know what to say.
Everyone else could sense the tension but chose not to comment. It was between the two of them.
"Oh, hey," Iori replied absently.
There was an awkward silence between them which passed after a few seconds.
"Look, about what happened earlier, I just wanted to say-" Nagata started.
"Quiet," Iori cut him off.
Nagata was taken aback by this. He came out here to bury the hatchet but Iori was having none of it.
He wasn't going to be discouraged, though.
"Iori, I know you're mad at me, but we need to talk about this," Nagata continued.
Ignoring Nagata's plea, Iori asked, "Do you hear that?"
"Hear what?" Nagata furrowed his brows then he concentrated. That sounded like buzzing and it was becoming louder. "What is that?"
As it was close to winter, it was starting to get cold, way too cold for any insects to be out and about. They would've gone into hibernation or migrated to a place with a warmer climate. This...this wasn't normal.
They looked up to see a cloud of insects hovering in the air above them. The ominous swarm descended before seemingly merging and forming into a humanoid figure.
Nagata and Iori quickly strapped on their SengokuDrivers as the figure revealed itself to them.
"Good evening, gentlemen..."
"Jam..." Nagata glowered as a chill crawled up his spine at the sight of her.
"So, this is Jam," Iori said as he finally saw her for the first time. Nagata had told him about her and how much of a threat she was.
"I've come for you," Jam spoke, pointing threateningly at Nagata.
Nagata let out a sigh.
"Jam, if it's a fight you want, you know you stand no chance of winning against the both of us. So why don't you just surrender?" Nagata offered.
Iori rolled his eyes. There was no way Jam was going to surrender.
Jam's response was to snap her fingers and another swarm of insects descended next to her. It then took shape and solidified, becoming an inhuman figure. It was a black Locust Kaijin with red eyes. It looked quite aggressive and hostile.
"Guess we got our answer," stated Iori.
[BUDOU!]
"You're right," Nagata confirmed.
[KACHIDOKI!]
"Henshin!"
[LOCK ON!]
Jam waited for them to finish their transformation as her Locust Kaijin stood anxiously next to her.
[HAI~! BUDOU ARMS! RYU, HOU, HA-HA-HA!]
[SOIYA! KACHIDOKI ARMS! IZA SHUTSUJIN! EI, EI, OH!]
"Iori, I've dealt with Jam before. You take care of her sidekick," Gaim instructed as he drew his Musou Saber.
"Alright, you know her best, Nagata," Ryugen responded as he tightened his grip on his Budou Ryuhou.
The two of them charged at Jam and the Locust Kaijin who lunged right back at them. Sparks flew as Gaim and Jam locked blades before he dragged her elsewhere, leaving Ryugen to deal with the Locust Kaijin by himself.
Once Gaim managed to separate Jam from her minion and drag her far away from Ryugen's fight with it, he tossed the evil Rider away. She landed softly on her feet before she looked at him.
They now stood in the middle of the village.
This would be their battleground.
"I don't know what you're trying to accomplish here, but this ends now. I don't want to ever see you again after tonight," said Gaim sternly.
"Then if you want me to disappear forever, you know what you have to do," Jam challenged.
Not wasting any time, Gaim charged at Jam. Just as his Musou Saber was about to make contact, he suddenly felt a burst of intense pain.
He stumbled back and he looked down to see a burning slash mark across his stomach. Jam resumed her attack, slashing at Gaim with her two swords as he parried with his Musou Saber. His Kachidoki Arms had high defense, but Jam proved to be stronger as she left marks on his armor. She landed a kick that sent him flying and he tumbled through the air before he landed on his back.
Picking himself up, Gaim grabbed one of his auxiliary Lockseeds. It was the Carambola Lockseed. He quickly loaded it into his Musou Saber.
[LOCK ON! 1, 10, 100! CARAMBOLA CHARGE!]
Gaim swung and threw hundreds of energized versions of the Carambola Stars at Jam.
Jam saw the flurry of Carambola Stars coming at her but she did not even flinch. She raised her swords and, much to Gaim's shock, used them to deflect each of the Carambola Stars that came at her with ease. The sound of metal clashing against metal rang in the air as the Carambola Stars were shattered by Jam's swords as she approached Gaim menacingly.
[DARKNESS SQUASH!]
Jam swung her Dark Daidaimaru, throwing a dark energy slash at Gaim. The explosive impact sent the Blue King soaring and he crashed to the ground, painfully, and let out a grunt of pain.
"Argh!" Gaim cried out.
This was bad. Jam wasn't holding back.
She was aiming to kill him tonight.
"Is this all you've got, Gaim?" Jam challenged.
"Oh, you want to see more?" Gaim picked himself up as he took out his DJ Gun. "Then you'll get more!" He did not hesitate as he loaded the Grapefruit Energy Lockseed into the DJ Gun's Drive Bay.
[LOCK ON!]
He took aim, the DJ Gun siphoning energy from the Grapefruit Energy Lockseed. He squeezed the trigger, unleashing a salvo of laser beams that flew in all directions before they homed in on Jam.
[GRAPEFRUIT ENERGY!]
And in response, Jam hit her Cutting Blade three times as the beams came speeding towards her.
[DARKNESS SPARKING!]
The Darkness Armor Part reassembled on Jam's head and spun rapidly. The beams hit the spinning Darkness Armor Part and evaporated on contact.
Gaim continued firing, hoping to overwhelm his opponent. Unfortunately, he failed.
The Darkness Armor Part disassembled and reformed into Jam's armor. She surprised Gaim yet again as she demonstrated her impressive reflexes. She bobbed and weaved, ducked and dodged, before finally reaching Gaim and striking him violently.
Gaim combined his Musou Saber with his DJ Gun, converting it into its Taiken Mode, and charged at his opponent. If ranged attacks weren't going to work, then melee should do the trick.
Scoffing, Jam slammed her Dark Daidaimaru and Musou Saber into the ground. A pulse of dark energy expanded from the point of impact, catching Gaim off guard as he was stunned and electrocuted. He was forced to his knees. Jam canceled the technique and strode over to Gaim.
"And you thought you could defeat me now," said Jam in disappointment before she struck him. Sparks flew as her blades made contact with his chest, erupting like bright embers. He let out a scream of pain as he was sent rolling across the ground.
While Gaim was busy with Jam, Ryugen dealt with the Locust Kaijin. His strategy was simple. He would keep his distance and fire from afar.
He didn't want to get too close to the creepy monster. It made his skin crawl.
Ryugen and the Locust Kaijin's fight took place in the training grounds. There was plenty of space here for their fight.
The Locust Kaijin proved to be an agile opponent, capable of evading all of Ryugen's shots. The ones that were lucky enough to hit, though, had no effect on it very much. It didn't seem fazed at all and this alarmed Ryugen.
Ryugen dodged a swipe and struck his Cutting Blade twice.
[HAI~! BUDOU AU LAIT!]
Ryugen aimed and fired a rapid salvo of purple energy blasts from his Budou Ryuhou. At this range, he could not miss.
The Locust Kaijin was riddled by the blasts before exploding.
Ryugen believed this was the end of it.
It was not.
Suddenly, the exploded Locust Kaijin reformed as the many insects that made up its body reassembled.
It was back, good as new, and ready to tear Ryugen apart.
Leaping into the air, the Locust Kaijin performed a flying kick that slammed Ryugen into a stack of crates. He groaned in pain from the blow and realized he was disarmed. He looked around for his weapon and spotted his Budou Ryuhou. It had fallen a distance away from him. Getting to it wouldn't be difficult, but the Locust Kaijin was standing in the way.
Unlike Nagata, Iori wasn't very proficient at unarmed combat. That didn't mean he didn't know how to fight unarmed. It was just that he held more of preference to ranged combat. Hand-to-hand combat was not his specialty.
Still, he didn't really have much of a choice if he wanted to get to his weapon.
Rising to his feet, Ryugen dashed towards the Locust Kaijin. He feinted a punch before he dove past the Locust Kaijin and picked up his gun. Rolling his body around to face the Locust Kaijin again, he fired several more shots.
Still, no effect.
"Shit," Ryugen cursed.
His eyes gleamed darkly. He had no choice but to rely on that power.
Ryugen reached for his spare Lockseeds and took out the Yomotsuheguri Lockseed. He unlocked it, causing it to call out in a dark voice.
[YOMOTSUHEGURI!]
The dark portal appeared above Ryugen and the Yomotsuheguri Armor Part descended.
The Locust Kaijin's attention seemed transfixed on the phenomena as it paused to gaze at the Yomotsuheguri Armor Part and the portal it came from. Ryugen took his chance and switched Lockseeds.
[LOCK ON! HAI~! YOMOTSUHEGURI ARMS! MEI, KAI, YOMI, YOMI, YOMI!]
His Budou Arms vanished as the Yomotsuheguri Arms landed on his head.
"AARRRRGGHHHHHHHHH!"
Ryugen screamed as he felt the surge of power engulf him as his Ride Wear suit changed from green to black and red. Then the Yomotsuheguri Armor Part disassembled and folded onto his body. His Rider Indicator also changed to match his transformation.
Leveling his Budou Ryuhou at the Locust Kaijin, Ryugen-Yomi hit his SengokuDriver's Cutting Blade.
[HAI~! YOMOTSUHEGURI SQUASH!]
He fired a sphere of dark red energy at the Locust Kaijin. It was so powerful that the attack obliterated his target the moment it hit.
"Now, to go help Nagata," Ryugen-Yomi decided.
As Ryugen-Yomi went to support Gaim, he did not notice that he had a black locust latched onto him.
The fight between Gaim and Jam intensified.
Gaim slashed at Jam repeatedly with his DJ Taiken, but the evil Rider casually parried the blows with her swords. He finally found an opening and slashed Jam across the chest before landing a kick on her chest, sending her backpedaling. Gaim then pushed on his SengokuDriver's Cutting Blade, twice.
[SOIYA! KACHIDOKI AU LAIT!]
He swung the DJ Taiken and an orange energy blade crashed violently into Jam, sending her stumbling back. Gaim continued his assault as he pushed down the Cutting Blade down again.
[SOIYA! KACHIDOKI SQUASH!]
Orange energy gathered in Gaim's right fist as he cocked it back and charged at Jam. He threw his fist, delivering his own Rider Punch.
[DARKNESS SPARKING!]
However, Jam was ready for him. She crossed her glowing blades, blocked the punch, and knocked Gaim down. As Gaim was starting to pick himself up, Jam slashed him across the chest, violently ripping sparks off his armor.
Gaim went tumbling along the ground again. As he came to a stop, he grunted and picked himself off the ground. He glared at Jam who was walking towards him.
[DARKNESS AU LAIT!]
Gaim was hit with a powerful wave of dark energy that sent him tumbling.
"So, is this the limit of your power?" scoffed Jam in disappointed. Gaim struggled to stand but the pain of his injuries prevented him from moving. "You know what? This isn't fun anymore. Maybe I should just go to your castle and kill everyone inside. My blades thirst for their blood."
Those words seemed to spark something as Gaim climbed back to his feet and swung his DJ Taiken at her. Jam raised her swords to block, but he broke through her guard and landed a vicious slash across her chest. The impact caused sparks to explode as Gaim drove Jam back.
"You're not touching them," Gaim growled. "Not while I'm around."
"So..." spoke Jam. "You still have some fight in you."
"For my friends, for the people, I will continue to fight," Gaim declared, pointing at her threateningly with his DJ Taiken. "And as long as monsters like you exist to threaten innocent lives, I will stand against you!"
He held his hand under the Kachidoki Lockseed and the core glowed as the Ryujin Key materialized in his hand.
[RYUJIN!]
He then activated it, calling forth the dragon to awaken his true power.
[LOCK OPEN!]
Gaim's Kachidoki Arms Armor shattered, revealing his Ryujin Ride Wear suit. The dragon of light also turned into the Ryujin Raiment, draping itself over him to complete the change.
[RYUJIN ARMS! DAI RYUOH! SORA NO SEIRYU, RISE TO THE THRONE!]
Jam appraised Ryujin Gaim's appearance. It was mighty indeed as it radiated with pure power.
"So, you've decided to use your trump card," said Jam.
Usually, she would be a bit worried since Ryujin Gaim was stronger than her now. Fortunately, she had something that could even the playing field.
Jam took out her new Lockseed. When Ryujin Gaim saw it, he froze.
The Lockseed was not modeled after a fruit like most. Instead, it resembled a blue demonic eyeball that was clutched in a set of sharp claws. It did not even have a code.
It was not the Lockseed's appearance that unnerved him, but the feeling he got from it. It radiated with pure malice and wickedness.
"What is that Lockseed?" Ryujin Gaim questioned.
Jam smirked as she activated it.
[TAOWU!]
A dark portal appeared in the air, swirling above Jam. However, it did not release any kind of Armor Part. It just stayed there, swirling around, like it was waiting for something.
Gaim was fixed to the spot, unable to take his eyes away from the phenomenon.
Just what was going?
What was up with that Lockseed?
Why did it fill him with such dread?
[LOCK ON!]
Once Jam loaded the Lockseed into her SengokuDriver, dark energy burst out of Jam in waves. She then hit the Cutting Blade. The core was revealed as the Lockseed was split open.
The core looked like a demonic dragon's face while the lid's backside held the inverted triangle symbol of the RinJyuKen.
[TAOWU ARMS!]
The dark portal above Jam showered her with a blast of demonic energy as it engulfed her. Jam screamed as the dark power forced its way into her, changing her.
Jam's swarm gathered around her before converging on her. She let out a shriek as the bugs seemed to fuse with her.
A pulse of dark energy spread out, hitting everything in its path. Ryujin Gaim was hit and he shivered.
It was so dark and cold.
The smoke and dust cleared, unveiling Jam as she hovered over a crater, completely changed.
A mane of dark flames surrounded her head as two sets of insectoid wings buzzed behind her, keeping her aloft. She gained clawed fingertips, and her chestpiece resembled a pale demonic dragon face with blue tribal tattoos and a crown of demonic horns that extended to her shoulders. Her Ride Wear suit also gained purple tiger-like stripes.
This was Armored War Devil Jam Taowu Arms.
Ryujin Gaim shook off the cold feeling he had. He didn't care what form his opponent took. She was going down right here, right now.
[SOIYA! RYUJIN SQUASH!]
Celestial energy filled the blade of the DJ Taiken. His visor flashed and he swiped his blade across the air, delivering a lethal energy slash.
"DAI RYUJIN ZAN!"
Jam took a direct hit of the Dai Ryujin Zan attack.
As his opponent was engulfed in an explosion, Ryujin Gaim exhaled a breath of relief. There was no way she could've survived that.
Ryujin Gaim's optimism quickly shattered as the smoke cleared and revealed Jam with an aura of purple flames radiating from her body.
She had managed to survive the Dai Ryujin Zan.
[TAOWU SPARKING!]
"My turn," Jam declared as the purple aura erupted from her body and she jumped into the air. She performed a flip and then flew towards Ryujin Gaim, landing a fast and powerful flying side kick into Gaim's chest. She then jumped off and flipped through the air before she landed a roundhouse kick to his head. The force of the kick would've snapped his neck if he hadn't been wearing his armor. Finally, Jam finished off with a powerful forward jab.
Ryujin Gaim was thrown backward by the strike as a huge dent was shown on his chestplate. His Ryujin Raiment gave him incredible defense, so this was the rare instance of anything damaging it so easily.
Even the greatest defense had their limits.
Jam watched as Ryujin Gaim struggled to get back to his feet. He looked like a wounded deer. She could almost pity him right now.
Almost.
Ryujin Gaim stood up and that was when he spotted Ryugen-Yomi coming up from behind Jam. She didn't even seem to notice.
This was good. Obviously, Ryugen-Yomi managed to defeat his opponent. Now the two of them could work together to deal with her.
[HAI~! YOMOTSUHEGURI SPARKING!]
A purple dragon of energy roared as it burst out of Ryugen-Yomi's Budou Ryuhou. To Ryujin Gaim's surprise, it flew right past Jam and exploded violently against his chest, knocking him backward. Ryujin Gaim groaned as he regained his balance, surprised by the attack. He was shocked to see Ryugen-Yomi standing next to Jam.
"Looks like my plan was a success," Jam said quietly as she saw the vines covering Ryugen-Yomi.
"Iori!?" Ryujin Gaim gasped. "What are you doing!?"
"He can't hear you anymore, Gaim. He's now under my control," Jam claimed.
"No way! Iori, fight it!" Ryujin Gaim yelled.
Ryugen-Yomi continued to stare at Ryujin Gaim blankly.
"A change in venue should be good," Jam suggested as she summoned a swarm of insect. The swarm engulfed Jam and both Shoku Armored War Gods before it carried them into the air to who knows where. Ryujin Gaim couldn't move as the swarm restrained him, while Ryugen-Yomi let it carry him away.
The insect swarm dropped them on snow-covered ground. Were they on a mountain somewhere? That didn't matter to Ryujin Gaim. Instead, he focused his gaze on his friend who was now under enemy control.
Jam was nowhere to be seen. She was likely out of sight, watching without risking herself being caught in the crossfire.
"What are you planning, Jam!?" Ryujin Gaim demanded. "I know you can hear me!"
"I want to find something out," she answered, her voice coming from everywhere at once.
"Find what out?"
"Which of you is the strongest? The Azure Dragon King or the Underworld Dragon?"
"This is some kind of sick game to you, isn't it?" Ryujin Gaim sounded disgusted.
"Life's more fun that way. Oh, and don't lose your focus."
"Huh, wha-ARGH!?" Ryugen-Yomi suddenly slashed him across the chest with the Yomiyari.
"I'm controlling him right now, Gaim. Now you can decide to either defend yourself or let him kill you. The choice should be obvious."
"You're one sick bitch!" Ryujin Gaim spat as he had his sword trained on his friend/opponent.
"I've been called worse."
"Oh, I don't doubt that. Not at all."
Ryugen-Yomi was on the attack again as he moved to spear Ryujin Gaim. Ryujin Gaim staggered from the blow. Another swing came at him but he quickly parried with his DJ Taiken before he swiftly deflected another one.
"Iori, listen to me! You're being controlled! You gotta wake up! Fight it!" Ryujin Gaim begged as he deflected and blocked Ryugen-Yomi's strikes. However, his words went ignored. He saw the dark vines creeping over his friend and knew what he had to do. "I gotta get those vines off him."
Meanwhile, Jam hovered over the battlefield within a swarm. Her eyes were focused on the fight between the two Shoku Dragons.
"I know you can do better than this. Stop holding back."
Ryugen-Yomi brought out one of his Kiwi Gekirin and threw it at Ryujin Gaim who ducked. The wind-and-fire wheel soared through the air, slicing through the tree trunks before it made a turn, slicing through more trees before returning to Ryugen-Yomi. The trees fell as a result. Ryujin Gaim was just fortunate that he had ducked in time before he ended up decapitated.
"Looks like I need to get up close and personal if I want to snap him out of it!" Ryujin Gaim decided.
[WIZARDSWORDGUN!]
Rising up, Ryujin Gaim aimed and fired the WizardSwordGun. At the same time, Ryugen-Yomi pulled the trigger of his Budou Ryuhou. The two shot each other in the chest, filling the air with cries of pain.
Ryujin Gaim gritted his teeth and fired a salvo of silver bullets. Seeing them coming, Ryugen-Yomi deflected the projectiles with his Yomiyari and then threw the trident to knock the WizardSwordGun out of Ryujin Gaim's hand.
[HAI~! YOMOTSUHEGURI SQUASH!]
Ryugen-Yomi aimed his Budou Ryuhou and fired a Dragon Shot at Ryujin Gaim. An explosion followed as the attack hit its mark, but Ryujin Gaim dashed out of a curtain of fire. He sped towards Ryugen-Yomi who was ready for him.
As Ryujin Gaim swung his DJ Taiken, Ryugen-Yomi blocked it with his own Yomiyari. Sparks flew as their weapons connected.
"That's it! Now you're taking this seriously!"
"I'm only doing this to knock him back to his senses, not for your amusement!" Ryujin Gaim shouted back before he kicked Ryugen-Yomi in the stomach. He then broke through his friend's guard and slashed him across the chest, but Ryugen-Yomi resisted the slashes and lashed out. He struck Ryujin Gaim in the chest with the Yomiyari and sparks burst on contact. Ryujin Gaim was sent tumbling by the violent blow.
[HAI~! YOMOTSUHEGURI SQUASH!]
The Grapes of Wrath surrounded the Yomiyari before Ryugen-Yomi sent them flying like bullets towards Ryujin Gaim. They struck the Blue King and exploded spectacularly. The smoke cleared to reveal Ryujin Gaim, still standing.
His armor truly was something else if it was able to withstand all that punishment.
"And I thought this wouldn't be any fun."
"Iori, listen to me. You need to fight this. Please, you don't want to do this," Ryujin Gaim pleaded. He believed that his friend wasn't so weak-willed to allow himself to be controlled by an evil force like some kind of a puppet.
"Save your breath, Gaim. If you truly want to end this, you know what you have to do," Jam informed him.
Ryugen-Yomi dashed towards Ryujin Gaim, but Ryugen-Yomi shocked him as his Yomiyari vanished and the Baihu Claws appeared on his forearms.
"What!?" Ryujin Gaim gawked in disbelief. How could he have Masataka's Sovereign Weapons?
Ryugen-Yomi roared and slashed at Ryujin Gaim with the Baihu Claws. He blocked it with the DJ Gun Taiken Mode but was knocked backward by the force of the blow.
"Surprised, Gaim?"
"What's going on!?"
"Let's just say Ryugen here has powers he hasn't even discovered yet."
"And how do you know what he can do!?" challenged Ryujin Gaim.
"I did my homework. Oh, and those aren't the only weapons he has access to."
Ryugen-Yomi slashed at Ryujin Gaim repeatedly, forcing him to defend himself with his DJ Taiken. Ryugen-Yomi then kicked Ryujin Gaim in the chest and sent him tumbling. As he regained his balance, a series of explosions erupted around him, sending snow flying everywhere.
"SHIT!" Ryujin Gaim cursed.
Ryugen-Yomi summoned the Pitaya Ryujin Hou and fired it repeatedly at Ryujin Gaim. He was hit and sent flying by the explosive projectile. Ryugen-Yomi continued to fire at Ryujin Gaim who tried to avoid the blasts, but he was hit numerous times by the shells, causing him to take damage. True, his Ryujin Arms had high defense, but even that defense had its limits.
Reconverting his DJ Gun to its default mode, Ryujin Gaim took aim after setting the weapon to low. He fired a series of cannon blasts at Ryugen-Yomi.
In response, Ryugen-Yomi summoned Gridon's Shell Shield to block the DJ Gun's blasts. He then banished his Pitaya Ryujin Hou and summoned the Suzakalibur.
Green flames surrounded the sword and Ryugen-Yomi swung, hurling green fireballs at Ryujin Gaim. They exploded against his armor, knocking him painfully to the ground.
Ryujin Gaim was on his knees with smoke rising from his armor.
Jam huffed in boredom.
"I guess you've had enough. I'm disappointed in you. I really thought you would put up more of a fight."
Ryujin Gaim ignored Jam's condescending words.
"Iori, I'm not giving up on you! If I have to beat you so you can come back to your senses, then I'll have to beat you senseless to do it!" shouted Ryujin Gaim.
Ryugen-Yomi charged towards Ryujin Gaim with the Yomiyari and Suzakalibur, ready to cut him down.
[PAPAYA CHOPPER!]
Ryujin Gaim blocked the Suzakalibur with the Papaya Chopper. Unfortunately, the Papaya Chopper was knocked out of Ryujin Gaim's hand as Ryugen-Yomi managed to disarm him. He then resumed his assault as he stabbed Ryujin Gaim with the Suzakalibur. The explosive impact blasted Ryujin Gaim backward.
"Damn..." Ryujin Gaim cursed as he twisted the Ryujin Key.
[ICHIGO KUNAI! CARAMBOLA STARS!]
Ryujin Gaim hurled the weapons telekinetically towards Ryugen-Yomi, but the Demon Dragon of the Underworld casually deflected them using his Yomiyari.
[GREEN DRAGON CRESCENT BLADE!]
Kanu's signature weapon appeared and Ryujin Gaim took hold of it before he thrust it forward, catching Ryugen-Yomi by surprise. Swinging the guandao, Ryujin Gaim struck Ryugen-Yomi repeatedly across the chest before he sent him sliding back with a forward thrust.
[VIPER SPEAR! SILVER FLASH! DRAGON FANG! HEAVEN PIERCER! SHADOW FLASH!]
The spears belonging to the Shoku Warriors hovered behind Ryujin Gaim and were pointed at Ryugen-Yomi. Ryujin Gaim thrust his hand forward, causing the spears to shoot towards Ryugen-Yomi. He managed to deflect the Viper Spear and Silver Flash, but the Dragon Fang, Heaven-Piercer and Shadow Flash struck Ryugen-Yomi painfully, sending him tumbling to the ground.
[HURRICANE PENG!]
Ryugen-Yomi froze as he saw his wife's bow in Ryujin Gaim's hand.
"Recognize this weapon, Iori? It belongs to your wife! Shion! Think about her! Think about Riri!" Ryujin Gaim pleaded.
"Shion...? Riri...?"
Ryugen-Yomi shook but then his visor flashed as Jam's control took over and he charged at Ryujin Gaim.
The Hurricane Peng's bowstring was stretched, the arrows were loaded, and they were surrounded by energy. Ryujin Gaim fired all five arrows at once and the energy surrounding them took the shape of eagles. They struck Ryugen-Yomi, with explosive force, knocking him backward.
Ryujin Gaim continued to shoot Ryugen-Yomi with energy arrows, not giving him a chance to catch his second wind or retaliate. But then Ryugen-Yomi summoned Zangetsu's Baihu Claws and dashed towards Ryujin Gaim, using the clawed gauntlets to shield himself from the arrows.
Realizing the Hurricane Peng's arrows were of no use against the Baihu Claws, Ryujin Gaim quickly switched weapons.
[BLUNT SHATTERED BONE!]
Gien's signature giant kanabo appeared in Ryujin Gaim's hand and he bashed it hard against Ryugen-Yomi, sending him tumbling as he screamed in pain. Ryugen-Yomi groaned as he came to a stop and looked to see Ryujin Gaim approaching.
Now the tables were turned.
"Jam, if you're watching this, then what you're seeing is the power of the Shoku Warriors as one!" declared Ryujin Gaim as he twisted the Ryujin Key.
[MUSOU SABER! DAIDAIMARU!]
Both summoned weapons came together to form their combined Naginata Mode. Twirling it around, Ryujin Gaim charged at Ryugen-Yomi who charged back at him with the Kiwi Gekirin. Sparks flew as their weapons clashed. When he saw an opening, Ryugen-Yomi slashed Ryujin Gaim repeatedly with the Kiwi Gekirin, showing absolutely no mercy. Another strike sent Ryujin Gaim tumbling before Ryugen-Yomi struck his Cutting Blade twice.
[HAI~! YOMOTSUHEGURI AU LAIT!]
Ryugen-Yomi flung his Kiwi Gekirin at Ryujin Gaim and they struck with explosive force before ricocheting. They then spun in the air and sliced into Ryujin Gaim again, causing sparks to erupt from his armor as he screamed in pain. A final strike sent him flying through the air and he landed roughly on the snow-covered ground.
"Ugh..." Ryujin Gaim groaned as he picked himself up, only to be blasted by Ryugen-Yomi's Budou Ryuhou. He stood back up and summoned another weapon.
[MELON DEFENDER!]
He held the shield up and blocked the shots, but Ryugen-Yomi was ready for this.
[HAI~! YOMOTSUHEGURI SQUASH!]
The shield exploded with purple flames as Ryujin Gaim was thrown to the snow-covered ground. He pushed himself to his feet and summoned two weapons.
[WIZARDSWORDGUN! HINAWA DAIDAI DJ JU!]
Ryujin Gaim summoned his WizardSwordGun and DJ Gun again.
Ryujin Gaim blasted at Ryugen-Yomi who dodged out of the way, the blasts destroying several unfortunate trees in their path. Ryugen-Yomi returned fire, using a tree as cover. Ryujin Gaim ducked behind a tree, gripping his two firearms.
"Well, two can play at that game," he said as he struck the Cutting Blade.
[SOIYA! RYUJIN SQUASH!]
Ryujin Gaim spun out of his cover and fired. The DJ Gun shot an energy burst shaped like an orange as the WizardSwordGun fired a roaring dragon's head made of fire. The blasts hit the tree Ryugen-Yomi was hiding behind and blew it up, sending the Demon Dragon of the Underworld flying.
"Iori!" shouted Ryujin Gaim as he saw Ryugen-Yomi who was lying still in the snow. He got in close and knelt beside him. "Are you OK?"
Ryujin Gaim got his answer as Ryugen-Yomi suddenly shot him point blank with the Budou Ryuhou, painfully sending him reeling.
The Demon Dragon of the Underworld picked himself up after Playing Possum. He then continued to fire upon Ryujin Gaim who dove out of the way.
Ryugen-Yomi summoned his Yomiyari and struck his SengokuDriver's Cutting Blade.
[HAI~! YOMOTSUHEGURI SQUASH!]
Ryujin Gaim groaned as he looked at Ryugen-Yomi who was ready to finish him off.
Ryujin Gaim twisted the Ryujin Key to summon a weapon to defend himself.
[RYUJINMARU!]
Ryugen-Yomi twirled the Yomiyari around as dark energy gathered on the trident-head. He then lunged forward at Ryujin Gaim.
Ryujin Gaim deftly caught Ryugen's weapon in his left hand. He then yanked the Yomiyari back to hold it under his arm, pulling Ryugen-Yomi close.
Ryujin Gaim stabbed the Yomotsuheguri Lockseed directly, shattering it with the Ryujinmaru. Ryugen-Yomi screamed as his armor flashed before vanishing completely. He soon collapsed onto the snow, unconscious.
Ryujin Gaim dropped his Ryujinmaru in exhaustion before he tossed the Yomiyari aside.
"Come on, Iori. Let's get out of here."
"You're not going anywhere."
Jam stood before Ryujin Gaim. He glared at her hatefully. She wanted them to destroy each other. That was unforgivable.
"Get out of my way!" Ryujin Gaim yelled as he took out the DJ Gun and furiously struck his Cutting Blade three times.
[SOIYA! RYUJIN SPARKING!]
"DAI RYUJIN HOU!"
Ryujin Gaim fired a direct shot at Jam, but a Helheim portal opened up and swallowed the attack instead. Then, a second portal opened up behind Ryujin Gaim and he took the redirected attack in the back. The explosive shot knocked him facedown to the snow-covered ground.
As Ryujin Gaim lay in the snow, he came to a startling realization. The way Jam could summon portals like that reminded Ryujin Gaim of someone he knew.
Someone he was close to.
"No...It can't be..."
Jam hit her Cutting Blade three times, initiating her finisher.
[TAOWU SPARKING!]
Jam opened a portal next to her and leaped into it just as Ryujin Gaim painfully picked himself back up. By then, it was already too late for him to prepare a counter to defend himself with.
High above him, a portal opened and Jam flew out. The roaring face of a demonic dragon made of dark energy surrounded her legs as she smashed him with a powerful dropkick.
Ryujin Gaim took a direct hit to the chest and was sent crashing to the snow-covered ground.
With his stamina drained from fighting Jam, and Ryugen-Yomi afterward, Ryujin Gaim's defense wasn't as strong as it should have been. He had the wind knocked out of him as he was thrown to the ground. The finisher also managed to dislodge his Kachidoki Lockseed as it popped out of his SengokuDriver.
He was defeated and his fate was sealed.
KRC: So there's tension in the ranks, specifically focused on Nagata and Iori. Iori made his call, and Nagata disapproves, leading to a fight. Nagata doesn't know that Kochu's pregnant, which puts some significant stress on Iori.
With a baby on its way, Iori is doing everything he can to make sure the child grows up in a safe environment even if it means taking extreme measures. He does this by eliminating all potential threats without hesitation like when he headshot Nise in Helheim and left his headless body to rot there.
(BL92: "May he rot in hell and get fucked by a demonic kraken and give him an atomic wedgie".)
Is Iori justified or going overboard here?
Nagata doesn't know what to do. He wants peace, but so many things are threatening the peace he's trying to build. It's not going to be easy for him.
And we finally reveal Jam's secret identity.
OK, now I think that some of you may have issues about Nagata's power level in Ryujin Arms. Back in "Azure Ascension", he was able to defeat Braco. By then Braco had beaten the other Armored War Gods, taking everything they threw at him. It wasn't until Nagata came back and he transformed into Ryujin Gaim that he was finally challenged and met his match. Ryujin Gaim managed to beat him, with a little help from his friends, and it still counts as a win. But in this chapter, Ryugen-Yomi was able to match him and Jam was able to knock him out.
So, what's going on?
I think the best explanation can be found at the beginning of "The Harvest Festival" where we find out that Nagata had fought Braco using a spiritual body. He was a spirit that manifested physically. He appeared to be composed of matter, but at the core, he was a spirit at the time. So, keeping that in mind, it's not so hard to imagine that the reason Nagata was strong enough to beat Braco was because he was no longer hampered by the limitations of a physical body. In short, he had 'ascended' (the title of the chapter Ryujin Gaim debuted is called 'Azure Ascension' after all).
This may or may not have come to mind for you all, but it just occurred to me during my daily editing. See if you can come up with your own theories.
Anyway, I do appreciate constructive criticism. I did wish for it before.
And next a response to a strongly worded review by The Dude Lebowski. Thank you for the criticism. It helps in the long run. When you say my character development is non-existent, I thought about it and I came to the realization that you are right. While I still defend and enjoy writing the story the way I want, but I can't enjoy it if it keeps stagnating. True, reviewers and critics do not dictate how I write, but the extra perspective helps me to improve. I will do my best with the advice you have given me and try to add some serious tension. Hopefully, it is not too late.
And Dark Knight Vergil, I'm so sorry for disappointing you. I just appreciate you sticking around for this long. I'll agree with some of your points, but I'll disagree with a few others.
I also appreciate the feedback from The Zogg. I am not sure I agree with all of it, but at the very least he brought a lot of good points, pointing out the flaws this story is guilty of committing. It takes a lot to say something so mean. Shows you care about the art of fanfiction.
Jet4281, thank you for enjoying my writing in the past. I will try to improve the best I can. You can roast Nagata if you like.
D-Generation XX, thanks for putting up with my story for as long as you did.
I take criticism as it should be taken, as consideration. And as bad as this fic has become, as some may believe, I'm still aiming to finish it to the end. I got ideas that need to be implemented and I'm going to do it. Like it or not, I'm here until the end.
And I don't think I am going to try to please everyone. Trying to appease my critics may not benefit me in the long run. I'm not saying you guys are right or wrong. You just have your perspective of what makes a good story. But if I try to please everyone, I may not please myself. So I will still write for people who still enjoy my story and yours truly. As long as there are readers, I will keep writing.
And there's nothing anyone can say that will stop me. If things go downhill and I hit rock bottom, then there is only one way I can go and it's up! Nobody is going to force me to cancel my story!
NOBODY!
I still insist though: Fanfics are a hobby for me. I am enjoying a hobby and writing for fun. That is all. I don't think there is a wrong way to enjoy a hobby as long as you're having fun and not hurting anyone.
TFP: Jam's begun the endgame to bring Gaim down once and for all. It seems this Dark Rider's plans may differ from that of the rest of Shoku's enemies. Jam's proven to be an expert in manipulation though. There may be more to the plan than meets the eye. Gaim's now trapped in a corner. It seems he's getting in these kinds of situations a lot lately. Don't you think?
Jam landed on her feet and looked at Nagata who was now unconscious. As soon as he landed in the snow, his armor vanished.
This was Jam's plan from the start. She wanted to wear Nagata out and wait until he dropped his guard before she subdued him herself.
Jam closed her Taowu Lockseed and removed it from her SengokuDriver, reverting herself to civilian form.
Armored War Devil Jam was Karasu Oda all along.
"Sorry about this, Naga-kun," Karasu apologized as she knelt down and gently sat Nagata up against a tree. Digging into her pocket, she fished out her Darkness Lockseed.
[DARKNESS!]
Karasu loaded the Darkness Lockseed into Nagata's SengokuDriver and locked it in.
[LOCK ON!]
"You'll thank me for this later," Karasu assured as she gripped the Cutting Blade.
Whether she was trying to convince him or herself was debatable.
[SOIYA! DARKNESS ARMS! ANKOKU NO KAJITSU!]
Nagata screamed as his Ride Wear suit formed while Karasu stood back to witness his new transformation. He involuntarily rose to his feet as the Darkness Arms Armor materialized over his body. His visor flashed before fading into a soulless black color that was framed in violet flames. His Ride Wear suit slowly began to change as the blue color shifted to pitch black.
He had been turned into Gaim-Darkness.
Karasu smiled fondly as she caressed Gaim-Darkness' masked face.
"Now we can be together, and together we'll destroy everything that threatens to tear us apart," Karasu promised as she put her arms around him in a hug and kissed his faceplate.
He didn't respond, but right now she didn't care.
She now had her Naga-kun all to herself, as it was meant to be.
An insect swarm enveloped the two Odas before it took off, carrying them with it.
AWG CHIBI OMAKE #18A: SUSPICIONS
"I'm telling you, there's something weird about your cousin," Iori insisted.
"And I'm telling you that you're being unnecessarily paranoid," Nagata brushed off.
"I've seen her do some disturbing things, like stabbing her doll collection and wringing her hands while laughing maniacally," Iori claimed.
"So? Kara-chan's eccentric. She just expresses herself differently. As for her dolls, she's just playing with them in her own way."
"I wouldn't call it 'playing'. And for all we know, she might be secretly Jam."
"There's no way she's Jam."
"How can you be sure?"
Nagata pointed.
"Because Jam is fighting Kara-chan right there."
Iori watched as Jam and Idunn fought before the latter sent the former packing with a sword slash. Idunn waved at Nagata who waved back.
"See? You can trust Kara-chan. Now if you'll excuse me, I got some training to do," said Nagata.
Iori watched as his leader walked back to his office before turning his glare towards Idunn who gave him a finger wave. Iori turned away for a moment when Jam reformed and waved behind his back. Jam dispersed as he turned back to look at Idunn.
Suspicious, he did the 'I'm watching you' gesture before walking off in the opposite direction.
AWG CHIBI OMAKE #18B: I WATCH YOU SLEEP
Karasu loved her cousin very much. Some might say she was obsessive, even possessive of him. But Karasu knew her love for him was true.
So, she took whatever chance she had...to watch him sleep.
Nagata was lying in bed with Bacho when the girl woke up. She needed to use the bathroom. As she got out of his bed and the warmth of his embrace, Bacho heard a strange creaking sound.
"What...?"
Bacho focused and saw a dark figure sitting in a corner. They were sitting in a rocking chair. The dark figure had red eyes and looking straight at Bacho.
This caused the brunette to freeze up.
The dark figure, who was Karasu in a rocking chair, spoke softly and firmly.
"Go back to sleep," Karasu ordered.
Bacho silently nodded and slipped back into bed with Nagata. All plans to go to the bathroom were gone as she tried to fall back asleep. However, she could feel Karasu's eyes on her.
She hoped this was just a bad dream.
Karasu stood up from her rocking chair and walked over to Nagata's side. She caressed his hair and smiled.
"You're very precious to me."
She went back to her rocking chair and continued to watch him sleep.
Bacho never got back to sleep. She was trying not to wet herself while Karasu watched.
AWG CHIBI OMAKE #18C: BATAI THE PRANKSTER
Nagata had fallen asleep at his desk after pulling an all-nighter. As he was in a deep sleep, he did not notice someone sneaking into his office.
Batai snickered to herself as she approached him. She picked up his ink brush and dipped it into the ink before she drew on his face.
Once she was done, she chuckled and exited his office.
~LATER~
Chou'un took out her menma jar. She was looking forward to enjoying her favorite snack with wine. It was the perfect accompaniment.
She opened the seal and was assaulted by a terrible stench.
Looking inside the jar, she saw that her menma had been replaced by fish.
As Chou'un let out a scream, Batai skipped away with a laugh.
~LATER~
Ryofu was taking a walk with her dogs when she found a meat bun on the ground. There was nothing suspicious about it.
The trail of meat buns was not suspicious at all either.
She picked them up and fed them to her dogs, picking them up as she followed the trail.
She found the last one deep in the forest.
All of a sudden, a noose tied around her ankles and hauled her up a tree.
She hung upside down, holding a meat bun as her dogs barked.
"Sekito, go get help," Ryofu ordered.
Sekito barked and went off to find help.
While she waited, Ryofu would just enjoy the meat bun in her hand.
~LATER~
Batai whistled as she removed her robe. The bath was nice. It was a shame she could not stay longer.
As she went to get dressed, she felt a weird crawling sensation on her skin.
Looking down at her arm, she saw bugs crawling all over it.
She screamed as she tried to swat the bugs away, only for them to crawl all over her other arm. More and more bugs crawled up her bare legs and naked body.
She screamed as she danced around like a monkey with its ass on fire.
As Batai screamed and around her room like a chicken with its head cut off, she did not notice Poe perched on her windowsill and was watching her.
Karasu sat in her room and smiled as she watched via her mask.
"Serves you right for pulling those pranks."
AWG CHIBI OMAKE #18D: MARTY STU
Nagata was directing a school play when he was approached by Iori and Hideyoshi.
"Nagata, there's something we need to ask you," said Iori.
"Yes, what is it?" Nagata asked.
"It's about the script," Iori started. "How do I put this delicately...?"
"It's garbage," Hideyoshi concluded.
"Yes, it's garbage."
"Garbage!?" Nagata exclaimed. "But I wrote it!"
"Well that explains it," Hideyoshi remarked.
Nagata narrowed his eyes at Hideyoshi.
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"Well, it's the protagonist. He's like an idealized version of you. He's too perfect."
"Too perfect? I gave him flaws!"
"Well, these 'flaws' were added in so you can milk sympathy from the audience." Hideyoshi flipped through the pages as he continued, "I mean, it just says how his childhood sucked when his parents died, but he got amnesia and was adopted by his aunt and uncle. Besides that black spot in his life, the rest of his life is just all nice and dandy. What do you call that?"
"A 'Marty Stu'," Iori supplied.
"Yes, a 'Marty Stu'!"
Nagata squared his jaw and growled, "You are ruining my vision!"
"Nagata, I'm your friend, but this play seems like blatant wish-fulfilment. You're the hero, you get all the princesses and in the end, there's a huge love scene," Iori argued.
"Sounds like you're overcompensating," Hideyoshi remarked.
Nagata turned away and stormed off with a huff.
"Sheesh, can't take criticism, can he?" Hideyoshi asked Iori.
"No, he cannot," Iori confessed.
