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Dai Shi sat upon his throne in the RinJyuDen, his eyes focused intently on an enlarged projection screen. He was watching a very interesting show, a cage match organized by Shishi Ouin, aka Armored War Devil Kagemusha. The only rule was that only one man would leave the cage alive.
It was an interesting idea. Shishi pitted both the Ultimate Hammer and Ultimate Cutter against each other with Totaku Chuei's freedom as the prize. He then upped the ante by offering the two Armored War Gods a chance to return to their original world.
It was quite tempting. The longing was something everyone felt at one time or another. They would miss something precious once it was gone. By giving them even a small chance to get it back they would do anything for it, even kill for the chance.
Dai Shi watched with great interest as the two best friends fought ferociously. It truly was a delicious sight. The loser would die, and nobody wanted to die, so a person would do anything to survive, even betray their friends. If you offered them something more, their desire to live would become stronger. Even the strongest bonds could break and give way to betrayal. It was just human nature.
Sadly, it seemed that the Ultimate Hammer had a plan to get them out of killing each other. It was unfortunate, really. Dai Shi looked forward to seeing who won. At least he got to see something interesting as the Ultimate Hammer used the powers granted to him by Xuanwu, the Black Turtle Sovereign of the North.
This might not be the deathmatch Dai Shi was promised, but it was still an interesting show and he wanted to see how it ended.
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 24: A Deception Unveiled
Gridon confronted Kagemusha and thrust his Xuanwu Spear at him, sending him backpedaling. In his Xuanwu Arms, Gridon's overall strength and defense were enhanced way beyond the limits of an Energy Arms. In fact, he was pretty much invincible. It may sacrifice speed for strength, but with the stronger armor, it was a fair trade-off.
"It's over, Shishi! Give yourself up!" Gridon demanded.
Kagemusha took stock of his situation and he did not like his odds. He had his army of Kurokage Troopers, but even he knew they did not stand a chance against four Armored War Gods. Kurokage and Kayu were taking down his men while Tyrant shot them down with his Sonic Arrow.
Deciding to cut his losses, Kagemusha made a run for it.
Gridon groaned as Kagemusha split.
"Why do they always run?"
Gridon gave chase. He wasn't about to let Kagemusha get away and escape justice.
Tyrant saw Gridon chasing after Kagemusha and decided to pursue. His assistance might be needed. He did not have to worry about Kayu and Kurokage since they could take care of the Kurokage Troopers in his absence.
As Kagemusha fled from Gridon, he managed to get out through the back door. He did not consider what he was doing as running away. It was a tactical retreat so he could formulate a new plan. He just needed to put a lot of distance between himself and the Ultimate Hammer.
He took out a teleportation talisman and was about to activate it when a whip of water sliced the piece of paper in half, rendering it useless. Kagemusha gawked and then growled as he turned to see the one responsible for destroying his getaway tool.
It was Gridon.
"Damn you..." Kagemusha growled. Long ago, he never thought Gridon could ever be anything more than a lackey. Gridon served Totaku alongside Kaku as her advisor and strategist. Without his armor, he was a mere weakling. All he was good for was crunching numbers. Even with his armor, Gridon was not much of a fighter with his dinky little hammer.
The thought of Gridon becoming a threat never once crossed Kagemusha's mind. Then came the day Gridon gained the power of the Water Sovereign. It did not seem fair to Kagemusha as Gridon had gained a power that he did not deserve. He did not even realize the kind of power he wielded.
Just what did Gridon do to deserve it?
"You people won't ever let me have what I want, will you?" Kagemusha asked angrily.
"Not when you continued to make people suffer," Gridon retorted.
"Oh, get off your high horse! We both know you're not as mighty as you think you are! It's that armor! It's the only reason you're strong! Without it, you're nothing!" Kagemusha spat scornfully.
"You're probably right," Gridon agreed. "But right now, the only thing that matters to me is that I put you down for good, right here and now."
Kagemusha gritted his teeth in anger. Every cell in his being was telling him to fight, but he knew just how outclassed he was. Running was the most sensible tactic he had. Once he got away, he could come up with something to get back at his enemies for his humiliation.
But now he was cornered, and like a cornered animal he lashed out.
"DON'T FUCK WITH ME!" Kagemusha roared as he took out a strange Lockseed that caused Gridon to pause. He briefly studied it. It looked like an orange eyeball with claws clutching it. As soon as he saw it, he instantly knew it was trouble.
No, not just trouble. It was dangerous.
If he had been in Shoku and fought alongside Nagata recently, Gridon would know that it was similar to the Fiend Lockseeds used by Karasu and Taiga.
"Where did you get that Lockseed?" Gridon questioned worriedly. He felt like the Lockseed was looking back at him and it caused his skin to crawl. There was something unnaturally foul about it. It was seriously bad news and reeked of pure evil.
"That's right! Fear it! You should! Ukitsu gave it to me! He told me to use it if I ever find myself in a bind!" Kagemusha boasted.
"Why didn't you use it sooner?" Gridon asked. If that Lockseed was so powerful, then Kagemusha should have used it earlier.
Kagemusha ignored his question as he unlocked the Fiend Lockseed.
[QIONGQI!]
Gridon witnessed as a dark portal with orange lightning arcing around it swirled into existence as it appeared above Kagemusha. The dreadful feeling that Gridon got from the newly identified Qiongqi Lockseed intensified when he heard its dark voice.
[LOCK OFF!]
Kagemusha removed the Grapefruit Energy Lockseed and carelessly tossed it aside. He then loaded the Qiongqi Lockseed into his GenesisDriver.
[LOCK ON!]
Gridon could sense a dark presence from the dark portal hanging over Kagemusha and knew he could not allow him to activate the Qiongqi Lockseed. However, some strange force kept Gridon from doing anything to stop Kagemusha. Instead, Gridon stood rooted to the spot, forced to watch the dreadful transformation.
"Now, you're about to experience true despair! Feast your eyes on the power of a Great Fiend!" Kagemusha declared as he hit the Seaboll Compressor. The Qiongqi Lockseed split open like a standard Lockseed, revealing a demonic tiger's face in the core and the RinJyuKen's emblem in the lid's backside.
[FIEND! QIONGQI ARMS!]
The dark portal showered Kagemusha with its evil energy as he let out a vicious, bloodthirsty roar. Gridon took an involuntary step back as the miasma filled the area. The portal winked out of existence once it was finished, revealing Kagemusha's new form.
First, his torso armor was now orange and decorated with black tiger stripes. He also gained a long mane of spiky gold hair that emerged from his helmet, similar to Son Goku in his Super Saiyan 3 form. It was wild like a lion's mane and it reached down to his knees. He also gained gauntlets that matched his torso armor with long and sharp claws on each finger.
He looked wild, vicious and menacing. Those claws could definitely tear anyone apart to sate Kagemusha's bloodlust.
"ROAAAAAAARRRRGGGGHHHHHHHH!"
Kagemusha threw his head back to unleash an ear-piercing roar as a blazing aura erupted from his body.
Gridon observed Kagemusha's transformation and detected a sharp increase in his opponent's rising Ki. Feeling his rising power, Kagemusha smirked confidently. He broke into a run and lunged at Gridon.
Gridon raised his shield to block, confident in his defense. However, he was shocked as Kagemusha knocked the shield right out of his hand with a swipe of his claw. Kagemusha then followed up with another swing, knocking Gridon back and ripping sparks from his chest.
Kagemusha grinned excitedly. He could not believe how much more powerful he had become. Ukitsu had given him the Qiongqi Lockseed to grant him more power. Now he was a match for the Turtle Sovereign. Even if Gridon's armor protected him like a tank, it would not be able to withstand Kagemusha's awesome power and might.
However, Ukitsu had also warned him that the Qiongqi Lockseed might have some adverse effects on his psyche. Kagemusha did not care. As long as he had the power that let him pay the Armored War Gods back for the humiliation they had heaped on him, he was willing to pay any price for it.
Kagemusha took another swing at Gridon and he cried out as he was hit in the chest. Sparks blasted off violently as he staggered back. Smoke rose from his chest which showed a very ugly burn-slash mark.
Kagemusha then unleashed a lightning fast barrage of blows which rained down on Gridon. He screamed as he was battered by Kagemusha and was forced to his knees by the violent rain of blows. It was like being bombarded by cannonballs, but without his armor, and the pain was intense. He screamed in agony as Kagemusha viciously assaulted him.
Kagemusha looked down at Gridon, on his knees in front of him which was where he belonged. But he was still not satisfied. He did not just want to humiliate Gridon, he wanted to destroy him.
Holding his claws open, which blazed furiously like the rest of him, Kagemusha prepared to execute Gridon. Totaku would soon have to fill a grave with her beloved's remains.
"Say goodnight, Gridon!"
Suddenly, a red energy arrow flew by Gridon and hit Kagemusha in the chest. It managed to penetrate the Armored War Devil's protective aura, knocking him away from Gridon. He was even more shocked to see Tyrant coming at him.
Tyrant closed the gap and struck Kagemusha with his Sonic Arrow. Sparks flew as the sharp edge of Tyrant's Sonic Arrow collided with Kagemusha's flaming aura shield.
"What do you think you're doing!?" Kagemusha snarled as Tyrant ferociously attacked him.
Mad that his fun was interrupted, Kagemusha retaliated furiously. He punched Tyrant in the face, knocking him back, before throwing him to the ground with a brutal kick. Kagemusha then picked Tyrant up by one of his horns and punched him repeatedly in the face.
While this was happening, Gridon crawled over to his shield to pick it up. He was injured from Kagemusha's earlier assault but he couldn't stand by and watch Tyrant suffer. Tyrant was his comrade and friend so Gridon needed to save him. Unfortunately, the pain hampered Gridon as he tried to get back up.
"Now, time to finish you," Kagemusha said as he released Tyrant and decided to finish him off. He hit his Seaboll Compressor to initiate the finisher.
[QIONGQI SQUASH!]
Kagemusha's flaming aura blazed around him and he leaped into the air. At the apex of his jump, he spun around and around as his flames engulfed him, forming a flaming wheel. He then dropped down on Tyrant who had nowhere to run.
The Armored War God of Ultimate Retribution was hit by the attack and exploded. Gridon's eyes widened in horror as he witnessed his comrade slain. As the flames cleared, he saw Kagemusha standing in the middle of a flaming crater. He seemed proud of himself.
"SASUKE!" Gridon screamed.
Gridon's shock soon gave way to disgust and rage. His blood boiled as his healing powers kicked him into overdrive and he was back on his feet. He might be too late to save Sasuke, but he could avenge his fallen comrade.
His eyes glowed blue as he summoned a stream of water that swirled around him. He focused the glowing fluid around his Xuanwu Spear. Targeting Kagemusha, he angrily fired a harpoon of concentrated water at his target. It left a trail of blue light as it rocketed toward Kagemusha.
As Kagemusha basked in his victory, he was hit by Gridon's Aqua Harpoon. He yelled out as his aura shield failed him and he was thrown into the air. Luckily for him, he landed on his feet like a cat.
He looked at Gridon who had recovered and noticed the bright blue glow of his eyes.
"You...murderer! You killed Sasuke!" Gridon shouted.
Kagemusha scoffed in response.
"What right do you have to judge me, Gridon? How many have you killed? How many have died because of you? Face it, you're a murderer just like me," he retorted.
Enraged by the comparison, Gridon hurled multiple Aqua Harpoons at Kagemusha. This time the Armored War Devil dodged the projectiles and prepared his counterattack. He cupped his hands in front of him and focused, forming a ball of fire. He then cocked his right arm like a pitcher, with the fireball hovering in his clawed hand. It grew in size and power as Kagemusha focused more of his energy into it.
"Take this!" Kagemusha yelled as he hurled the fireball at Gridon.
The fireball headed straight for Gridon. Much to Kagemusha's shock, Gridon allowed the fireball to hit. Instead of harming him, the fireball harmlessly created steam, not slowing him down at all. Kagemusha soon noticed the blue aura surrounding the Turtle Sovereign, protecting him from harm.
Kagemusha tried again, hurling fireball after fireball at Gridon. Again, like before, they had no effect. Some of the fireballs missed, creating explosions as they hit the ground behind Gridon as he just kept walking. The fireballs that did connect merely produced steam. It also seemed that the aura around Gridon was glowing brighter.
Kagemusha continued hurling fireballs, but Gridon's aura kept canceling them out, covering the area in a haze of steam that expanded around them.
"YOU'RE NOT GOING TO BEAT ME AGAIN! NEVER AGAIN!" Kagemusha roared angrily as he fired a torrent of flames straight toward Gridon.
The Black Turtle Sovereign of Water countered with a geyser-like blast of water which put out Kagemusha's flamethrower attack. The aquatic blast hit Kagemusha with incredible force, knocking him to the ground.
Kagemusha quickly recovered and flipped to his feet before he dashed straight toward Gridon. Once he was within reach, he slashed wildly at Gridon, screaming like a wild animal or a madman. Gridon used his shield to block the slashes. He created an opening and slashed Kagemusha across the chest with his Xuanwu Spear. He slashed again, stunning Kagemusha. Finally, he jabbed him and sent him tumbling to the ground.
Gridon dropped his Xuanwu Spear to pounce on Kagemusha. He started pounding him violently. All his hatred and anger fueled his punches as he wanted to beat Kagemusha to death.
Kidnapping him and his friends, forcing him to fight his best friend to the death, threatening Totaku, making innocent people suffer and killing Sasuke...the list of Kagemusha's crimes went on. He needed to pay and Gridon would be the one to make him.
With a roar, Kagemusha's willed his aura to explode, throwing Gridon off him. As Gridon landed on his back, Kagemusha flipped to his feet.
Kagemusha roared as he gathered energy in his hands, forming a huge pair of sharp energy claws. He lunged at Gridon who put his shield up to block. Kagemusha kept slashing at Gridon, hoping to wear his shield and his protective aura down.
As Kagemusha attempted to kill him, Gridon tried to throw him off. His shield could not take any more hits from Kagemusha's vicious assault. Reaching down, he hit his Cutting Blade thrice.
[COME ON! XUANWU SPARKING!]
A blue energy dome made up of interlocking hexagonal plates formed around Gridon and expanded, throwing Kagemusha off him. The dome vanished and Gridon rolled over onto his hands and knees. He called the Xuanwu Spear into his hand and focused his power into his weapon. Water swirled around the weapon's spearhead before taking shape and solidifying into a big war hammer. Gridon rose up and swung his gigantic war hammer into Kagemusha, sending him flying.
Kagemusha howled in pain from the strike, his aura shield breaking around him. He crashed to the ground as the glow around his body dimmed.
With Kagemusha down, Gridon decided to finish him off as he hit his Cutting Blade twice.
[COME ON! XUANWU AU LAIT!]
Water swirled around Gridon as he rose into the air, holding his Xuanwu Spear pointed up at the sky. He spun rapidly, the swirling water around him spiraling in the shape of a drill as he darted towards Kagemusha.
He was going to end this right here, right now. Kagemusha was going down and he was not getting away with his crimes again.
"GRIDON AQUA CORKSCREW!"
Gridon's attack hit Kagemusha as he picked himself up, causing water to splash violently on impact. Kagemusha screamed as he was once again sent flying, his chest armor shattering to pieces. He crashed to the ground again and, seconds later, his armor flashed and vanished, revealing his injuries.
"Damn...damn you..." Shishi cursed and groaned as he lay on the ground in agony. Seconds later, the Qiongqi Lockseed closed and popped out of his GenesisDriver to land on the ground next to him.
Gridon looked at Shishi who was utterly defeated and helpless. As the victor, he could decide Shishi's fate.
"Well, what are you waiting for? Kill me. Isn't that what you wanted?" Shishi questioned.
Gridon was tempted. He could kill Shishi as it was his right as the victor. Also, Shishi had kidnapped him, his girlfriend and his best friend, forced him to fight Kenshin, killed Sasuke, and committed many more crimes, giving Gridon more reason to kill him. He deserved to die for everything he had ever done.
Hideyoshi closed the Xuanwu Lockseed and canceled his transformation. He had made his decision. It was not his place to pass judgment. He was already victorious so killing Shishi now was unnecessary. Besides, they could acquire more information on their enemies from Shishi.
"I'm not going to kill you, Shishi. I'm going to take you back to Kosonsan-dono so you can be judged properly. Consider yourself, under arrest," said Hideyoshi as he approached Shishi to take him in.
However, just as Hideyoshi was about to apprehend Shishi, a deranged look of madness appeared on his face as he laughed maniacally.
What was going on in his head right now? Had he completely lost his marbles?
"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! YOU THINK I'M GOING TO LET YOU TAKE ME IN!? FORGET IT!"
Miraculously energized by his madness, Shishi ignored his pain and grabbed his Qiongqi Lockseed before he flipped back up to his feet. He held the Fiend Lockseed up, ready to unlock it again. Hideyoshi knew that was a bad idea. Shishi was injured but his unstable mind refused to process the pain.
"No!" Hideyoshi protested.
[DRAGON FRUIT ENERGY!]
Suddenly, a red dragon made of pure energy roared as it flew towards Shishi while he was about to activate the Qiongqi Lockseed. He froze up when he heard the roar and his eyes widened in shock when he saw the red dragon coming right at him.
"SON OF A BITCH!"
The red dragon hit Shishi and caused a powerful explosion as a massive fireball burst from the spot.
"Son of a bitch!" Hideyoshi echoed Shishi's last words as he stopped in his tracks due to the explosion, startled. He looked at the fire and smoke and saw what happened to Shishi. He had been blown to bits and there was very little of him left to bury. His GenesisDriver was completely destroyed and its shattered remains scattered all over the ground.
He looked to where the attack came from and, much to his surprise, saw Tyrant holding his Sonic Arrow leveled at the spot.
"Sasuke! You're alive!" Hideyoshi exclaimed. How was this possible? He saw Shishi kill Sasuke with his own eyes.
Sasuke removed his Energy Lockseed from his Sonic Arrow and closed it, canceling his transformation to return to his civilian form.
"Are you alright?" Sasuke asked.
Hideyoshi blinked at the sudden question. Sasuke had just executed Shishi and acted like nothing was wrong.
"Y-yes, I'm alright."
"That's good."
"How...how are you alive? I saw you die. You blew up."
Hideyoshi knew what he saw. Could Sasuke have the ability to teleport? Could that be how he survived Shishi's finisher earlier? Had he teleported himself to fake his death in order to launch a surprise attack on Shishi?
Hideyoshi would have to question about it later.
"Why did you kill him?" Hideyoshi asked. Not that he was not grateful for Sasuke's help, but he could've stopped Shishi another way.
"With how he was acting, he was like a rabid dog that needed to be put down," Sasuke answered a matter-of-factly. Hideyoshi did not doubt Sasuke's words. Shishi had a mental breakdown and gone insane like a crazy maniac. He could be unpredictable and more dangerous that way.
"You could've stopped him another way. You didn't have to kill him. You could've just shot that Lockseed out of his hand and knocked him out or something," Hideyoshi argued.
"I apologize, Hideyoshi-san, but I had my orders," Sasuke responded as he walked over and picked up Shishi's Qiongqi Lockseed which surprisingly remained intact.
Earlier, Sasuke had also picked up Shishi's discarded Grapefruit Energy Lockseed. It was his spoils for the kill, an item belonging to the dead.
"But Kosonsan-dono would never order this!" Hideyoshi retorted. Kosonsan would not have them execute an already defeated opponent without a fair trial.
"Who says the orders came from her?" Sasuke asked ominously, stunning Hideyoshi.
"What?" Hideyoshi was confused. "What are you talking about, Sasuke?"
He was getting a bad feeling about this. At first, he brushed it off when Sasuke killed Shishi and acted so casually about it. But now, he knew there was definitely something wrong.
"I was the one who put you to sleep," Sasuke confessed.
"The music..." Hideyoshi recalled. He remembered the sound of a flute playing a lullaby. That was the last thing they heard before they passed out.
Sasuke checked Hideyoshi, Kenshin, and Kayu to see that they were fast asleep. He looked through the boys' pockets and took out their SengokuDrivers and Lockseeds. He found their LockPhones but only took Kenshin's.
A cultist carried Totaku while a couple more grabbed Hideyoshi and Kenshin to take them to the venue. Shishi was also there to supervise them.
Sasuke handed the SengokuDrivers and Lockseeds over to Shishi. He eyed the Xuanwu Lockseed like a prize before he placed it in the chest with the SengokuDrivers and Lockseeds. He closed the chest and locked it.
"Good job," Shishi praised Sasuke.
"Just following orders," Sasuke responded nonchalantly. Shishi was the last person he wanted to work with, but he had no choice in the matter.
Shishi looked down at the unconscious Kayu and licked his lips lecherously. She was also involved in his expulsion from To Province and wanted her to pay with her body. He knelt down so he could touch her, but Sasuke quickly grasped his wrist.
"Unhand me," Shishi growled.
"Do not touch her," Sasuke warned.
Shishi clicked his tongue in annoyance but conceded. There was no time to waste if he wanted to watch Hideyoshi and Kenshin suffer. Besides, he could come for Kayu later. He was sure he could have some fun with her.
He walked out with the cultists as they carried Hideyoshi, Kenshin, and Totaku out of Kosonsan's property.
As part of the plan, Sasuke stayed behind to wait until everyone had woken up.
Hideyoshi finally came to a shocking conclusion once it all added up.
"You didn't track us using your LockPhone when I texted you. You knew where we were the whole time."
Sasuke did not deny Hideyoshi's deduction.
"I left you and your LockPhones because I knew you would call for help. It would raise suspicion if I could track you down so easily. Thanks for sending me that message. It helped me maintain my cover."
Sasuke just confessed that he was involved in their kidnapping. He was the one who allowed Hideyoshi, Kenshin, and Totaku to be taken by Shishi so he could watch the Dynamic Duo beat each other to death. But that did not make sense. If Sasuke was involved, why had he just killed Shishi?
Just what was going on?
"Why did you just kill him then!?" Hideyoshi demanded, confused. If Sasuke was working with Shishi, what reason did he have to kill him? It did not make any sense!
"Like I said before, I got my orders," said Sasuke with a shrug. "Nothing personal, Hideyoshi-san, but my orders also include killing an Armored War God."
"What?" Hideyoshi gasped in disbelief. He must've heard Sasuke wrong. Did Sasuke really just say he was going to kill an Armored War God?
Seriously?
Was this some kind of sick joke?
"Henshin," Sasuke announced as he raised the Qiongqi Lockseed to unlock it.
"Sasuke, no!" Hideyoshi protested. He had seen what the Lockseed had done to Shishi and did not want to see Sasuke experience it too.
[QIONGQI!]
Sasuke unlocked Shishi's Qiongqi Lockseed and swiftly loaded it into his GenesisDriver.
[LOCK ON!]
He then pushed his Seaboll Compressor to activate the Fiend Lockseed, splitting it open to reveal the demonic tiger's face in in its core and the RinJyuKen's emblem in the lid's backside.
[FIEND! QIONGQI ARMS!]
The overhead portal blasted Sasuke with a shower of demonic energy. Tyrant's Genetic Ride Wear suit appeared as the Qiongqi Arms Armor fused with his body.
It was drastically different from Shishi's version of the armor. The Infernal Armor had a snarling tiger's face in the front. His helmet also gained a new headpiece with buffalo horns. He also got a cape that resembled a pair of red eagle wings. In addition to the wings, he gained a prehensile scorpion tail.
His armaments appeared next. Gauntlets with weapons equipped to them materialized on his forearms. The right gauntlet sported an orange blade with black tiger stripes along its length. The left gauntlet was mounted with a matching pair of sharp prongs with a gun held between them. Collectively, they were called the Hell Claws.
Hideyoshi was stunned by Sasuke's demonic transformation and gripped his SengokuDriver's Cutting Blade with his trembling hand.
The dreadful feeling he got when Sasuke unlocked the Qiongqi Lockseed was overshadowed by this new oppressive feeling. The feeling he got when Kagemusha used the Qiongqi Arms was dwarfed by Tyrant's presence. Tyrant's Ki felt monstrously foul, demonic and at a whole other level.
Hideyoshi thought he was hallucinating when he saw the miasma surrounding Tyrant gather above him and take the form of a demonic face with wicked eyes and sharp fangs.
Tyrant had made his intentions clear and Hideyoshi was not going down without a fight, even though he was currently frightened to death.
With a quivering voice, Hideyoshi initiated his transformation.
"Hen...henshin!"
Hideyoshi was in for the fight of his life.
KRC: Whoa, so Sasuke's a traitor. Did anyone see that coming? But how did he end up joining the Armored War Devils? Well, the answer for that is coming...RIGHT NOW!
Months Earlier...
Sasuke and Ukitsu sat across from each other in the now deserted restaurant. The eating establishment was completely vacant as the staff and customers seemingly vanished into thin air. The only ones present were Sasuke, Ukitsu, and two of Ukitsu's comrades, Saji and Shishi.
"You see, Sasuke-dono, we are affiliated with a group that wishes to change the world right now," said Ukitsu.
"You mean you're a bunch of radical revolutionists?" Sasuke asked. That was a polite way to say 'terrorists'.
"You can say that," Ukitsu nodded. "We've heard from the grapevine that you hate how nobles take advantage of the common people. You also tried to assassinate a noble for keeping women captive to be his sex slaves. We could use someone like you in our group."
"Sorry, not interested," Sasuke declined. "You see, I work alone, solo, a one-man-show."
"That wasn't a request," Saji frowned at Sasuke.
"Easy there, Genpou-dono," Ukitsu eased his comrade before turning his attention back to Sasuke. "But there is only so much you can do on your own. I think we can help each other."
Sasuke abruptly stood up.
"Look, I don't know what you guys are selling, but frankly I don't care."
He turned to leave but his path was blocked by Saji and Shishi.
"We can do this the easy way or the hard way, Sasuke-dono," Ukitsu said.
"Is that a threat?" Sasuke questioned sharply.
"A warning to someone who isn't aware of the consequences of his decision," Ukitsu clarified.
"And what kind of consequences will I face for refusing your offer?" Sasuke challenged.
Ukitsu simply smiled as he stood up and revealed his GenesisDriver which he quickly put on. Sasuke cocked an eyebrow as Ukitsu took out his Lemon Energy Lockseed and unlocked it.
[LEMON ENERGY!]
"Painful consequences," Ukitsu stated.
Sasuke strapped on his own GenesisDriver as he took out his Dragon Fruit Energy Lockseed.
[DRAGON FRUIT ENERGY!]
The Helheim portals opened up above their heads. Ukitsu gave both Saji and Shishi a look to give them space before he loaded the Lemon Energy Lockseed into his GenesisDriver. Sasuke followed suit and they locked their Energy Lockseeds in.
[LOCK ON!]
"Henshin," Ukitsu said neutrally as he pushed in the Seaboll Compressor.
[SODA! LEMON ENERGY ARMS!]
"Henshin!" Sasuke called as he pushed in his Seaboll Compressor as well.
[SODA! DRAGON ENERGY ARMS!]
After their armor formed, Duke brought his Sonic Arrow down, slicing the table in half. Tyrant swung at Duke and they locked blades before the two of them quickly stepped out of the restaurant to engage in battle.
"Wanna bet on who wins?" Shishi asked Saji. Saji rolled his eyes as he stepped out to watch the battle up close. "Hey! Come on! It'll be fun!" Shishi called as he followed.
Outside the restaurant, Duke and Tyrant engaged in a violent battle as they clashed with their Sonic Arrows. Tyrant swung for Duke's legs but Duke jumped to avoid the strike before he landed a roundhouse kick into Tyrant's face, sending him tumbling. The force of the blow nearly cracked Tyrant's skull if his helmet hadn't absorbed most of the force. Duke then aimed and fired his Sonic Arrow, prompting Tyrant to get up to avoid them as he fired in retaliation.
Duke stopped firing and rushed at Tyrant, deflecting the energy arrows with his Sonic Arrow. As he saw Duke coming at him, Tyrant raised his Sonic Arrow to strike, but he was countered as Duke blocked with his own Sonic Arrow before he punched Tyrant in the gut, knocking the wind out of him. He then landed another punch across his face before he landed a brutal slash across his chest.
Gritting his teeth, Tyrant landed a brutal slash across Duke's chest in return, followed by another and another. Sparks exploded rapidly with each strike, but Duke stood motionless under the barrage of strikes. As Tyrant brought his Sonic Arrow down again, it was caught by Duke who looked him in the eye.
Duke taunted, "Is that all?"
Duke delivered an uppercut into Tyrant's jaw, sending him tumbling through the air. While Tyrant was airborne, Duke fired consecutive energy arrows at Tyrant, causing him to drop to the ground in pain.
Meanwhile, Saji and Shishi stood on the sidelines to watch the fight. Saji just smiled as he watched Duke decimate their prey, while Shishi fidgeted.
"Why can't we fight too!?" Shishi demanded, wanting to join in the action and violence that was taking place right in front of him.
"This is what Ukitsu wants. Besides, it's way more fun when the other guy is being beaten instead of us," Saji explained.
Duke struck Tyrant with a series of precise slashes before landing a reverse roundhouse that slammed against Tyrant's head. He staggered in pain but recovered quickly to slash at Duke, only to hit air as Duke vanished.
"What!?" Tyrant looked around for his opponent. Meanwhile, Duke was invisible as he circled around Tyrant, studying him. He could sense that Tyrant had potential and would make a good addition to their team. Sadly, Tyrant was held back by his own sense of morality and stubbornness.
Well, it wasn't as if Duke couldn't work around that.
Duke reappeared right in front of Tyrant, startling him, before landing an uppercut slash that sent Tyrant flying before he crashed into the restaurant's wall.
"It's time we concluded our business," said Duke as he pushed in the Seaboll Compressor.
[LEMON ENERGY SQUASH!]
Duke's armor glowed and he manifested ghost-like duplicates that rushed towards Tyrant. Tyrant cried out as each of the phantoms slashed him, causing sparks to erupt on impact. Meanwhile, the real Duke had his Sonic Arrow leveled at Tyrant with the Lemon Energy Lockseed loaded in the Drive Bay.
The first shot he fired encased Tyrant in a sphere that was shaped like a lemon. He repeatedly bashed at it, but it would not break. Duke then stretched the bowstring again, twisting the shaft as energy crackled around his weapon. He released the shaft, sending an arrow of pure yellow energy.
[LEMON ENERGY!]
The resulting explosion engulfed Tyrant and he let out a scream. As the smoke and fire subsided, he collapsed to his knees as his armor vanished, exposing his civilian form to them. He dropped face-first onto the ground as he groaned.
Duke removed the Lemon Energy Lockseed from his Sonic Arrow and closed it as Saji and Shishi made their way to the defeated Sasuke.
Saji and Shishi picked Sasuke up by his arms and then forced him to his knees.
"Stubborn fool. Should've taken the offer when he had the chance," Saji sneered.
"But you have to admit, he put up a good fight. I'd really love a chance to fight him myself," Shishi remarked.
"Maybe you will. He could be your personal little punching bag," Saji suggested, earning a grin from Shishi.
"Sounds fun."
"Gentlemen, we are here to recruit a new comrade. We don't need you beating him up when he's working with us," Ukitsu scolded. He walked over and lifted Sasuke's head up by his hair so their eyes could meet.
"Now then, time to induct you into our group," spoke Ukitsu darkly.
Sasuke ended up joining them soon after.
Ukitsu was very persuasive.
