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.
KRC: This arc will be dedicated to D-Generation XX for his helpful criticism.
'Why did this happen...?'
That was the question that repeated itself over and over in Taishiji's mind.
All this...this chaos and carnage should not have happened during her parade. When she had her troupe prepare for this event, she wanted to spread cheer and joy. Ever since the incident at the opening ceremony, which resulted in the deaths of many people, she felt it was her duty to spread some cheer to the people and bring their smiles back to their faces.
It had all started so well. Her parade was colorful, festive, and musical. She watched as bright smiles lit up on the faces of the people watching them as they passed by, and small children cheered. The sound of the drums and cymbals drowned out any noise and soon the festive atmosphere washed away the fear and anxiety that everyone felt.
Then all the joy and cheer was stripped away as a loud explosion went off followed by several more subsequent explosions. Bodies and body parts went sailing, thrown into the air by the explosions that had erupted right in the middle of her parade.
A head landed right at Taishiji's feet, half of its face burned by the explosions' flames. She froze up as she recognized the face of one of her troupe members.
She let out a scream.
The sounds of music were quickly replaced by sounds of terror.
Cheers of joy turned into screams of panic as people tried to get away, running for their lives, but Taishiji stood frozen, staring shellshocked at the head staring back at her with its one good eye. Her surviving troupe members dropped their instruments and scattered as they fled for their lives, trying to get to safety. She did not seem to notice as she was in shock as a whistling filled her ears along with the same question repeating itself over and over in her head.
'Why did this happen? Why did this happen? Why did this happen? Why did this happen?'
And then she felt a hand suddenly grasp hers, shaking her out of her stupor.
"Taishiji-san, we need to go!" Fuyu urged.
"Huh? What?" Taishiji responded, dazed and confused. She returned to the real world, but it was a world that had gone mad.
"We need to get away! It's not safe here!"
"But what about the others?" she asked, as she was filled with fear. Everyone had scattered after the first explosion during the middle of the parade-the other lion dancers had run away as well, leaving behind their costumes. "And where's Natsu?"
"I...I don't know..." Fuyu answered unsurely. He had lost Natsu amidst the panic and confusion after the explosions caused a fright. "We'll look for him and the others, but right now, I suggest we find someplace safe to take cover."
Taishiji nodded in agreement. He was right. It was not safe out here. It was pure anarchy as everyone tried to get to safety, not caring if they were running in a random direction as long as it took them away from the danger.
Fuyu led Taishiji away from the carnage, not wanting her to see any more. He had seen the remains of their troupe members who were caught in the blast. Some were torn apart, while others lay still in the snow, killed by the concussive blast since they stood near the edge of the blast radius.
It made him feel ill. These were the people he knew, people he had befriended and performed together with. Now they were gone, their lives taken in an instant.
Fuyu vowed to make the ones responsible for this massacre pay.
[ZAKURO ARMS! KURUIZAKI SACRIFICE!]
And just then, Fuyu was quickly reminded of who was behind all this. He saw a couple of Zakurokage Troopers attacking people who were trying to flee. The Zakurokage Troopers fired at them, gunning them down like animals. Fuyu scowled as the cowards joyfully struck down innocent people who could not fight back.
Fuyu strapped on his SengokuDriver and transformed, using an Orange Lockseed as his substitute to become Kamuro.
[SOIYA! ORANGE ARMS! HANAMICHI ON STAGE!]
"Fuyu!?"
"Stay here, Taishiji-san."
Kamuro leaped into action and cut down the two Zakurokage Troopers with a slash of his Musou Naginata. They were unable to put up much of a fight. Clearly, they were not expecting much resistance from anyone.
Once the two Zakurokage Troopers were taken down, Kamuro yelled at the people to run before he went back to Taishiji to escort her to safety. Along the way, he managed to find Kogai and Rikuson who were looking for Sonshoko. They had lost her during the confusion.
Once they reunited with Mars and Sonshoko, they made their way to the palace. They took care of any Zakurokage Troopers in their way and helped out anyone they found, helping Moon Brigade soldiers to usher them to safety.
But was there any safety left to be found in this place?
A Zangetsu doll was crushed underfoot as the Zakurokage Legion ran around destroying everything in their path. They set buildings ablaze while destroying shrines and monuments dedicated to Zangetsu. They lassoed the statue of Zangetsu and pulled on it to bring it down before they fired at it with their Saver Arrows, breaking it to pieces.
The civilians of Son Go fled in panic as the royal guard moved in to protect them from the Zakurokage Troopers, but they were put down swiftly by the enemy forces. The Moon Brigade soon moved in, summoning their Lockvehicles. Dandeliners took to the air as Tulip Hoppers remained at ground level, firing upon the red-clad army.
The capital of Son Go had turned into a war zone.
The Tiger Festival had indeed become Hell Night.
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 33: Fierce Sibling Rivalry X2
[HA! HUNDUN-VAMPIRE ENERGY ARMS!]
Normally, the usage of an Energy Lockseed alongside a standard Lockseed for the transformation would always result in a Jimber Arms. It seemed to be the default form when the power of both types of Lockseeds combined together. But the Hundun Lockseed was not a standard Lockseed. It was something else, something similar yet opposite to the Sovereign Lockseeds which were all in a whole other class. As such, a Jimber Arms was not produced. Instead, an already powerful Fiend Arms formed and it was being augmented by the energies of the corrupted Energy Lockseed.
Masataka would never admit to being afraid of his little brother, but whatever Lockseed Saver-V had used, it had made him even more powerful than before and thus more intimidating. Zangetsu-Shin could sense the dramatic leap in power and this made him involuntary shudder. It was not the amount of power that intimidated him, but the feelings it stirred within him. That power seemed to invoke fear and a whole other host of negative emotions such as rage, anger, and even lust.
The image of him assaulting Shuutai came back and he shook it off, not wanting it to distract him by being at the forefront of his mind. He needed to focus on beating his brother. He needed to focus on winning before time ran out.
Whatever power Saver-V was using, it was an antithesis of the power of the Sovereigns that Zangetsu-Shin possessed. Despite feeling slightly startled and intimidated by his brother's new transformation, Zangetsu-Shin had full confidence in his skill and strength. The GenesisDriver's output was superior to the SengokuDriver, and thus he was much stronger than he was before. The Byakko Tri-ClawZ also granted him versatility and more options in his method of attack. Finally, Zangetsu-Shin had more combat experience than Saver-V.
He could do this.
He would defeat his brother.
He would not fail.
He would win.
"You know, I wish we had a ring girl for this. Oh, well! Let's just start Round 2!" announced Saver-V enthusiastically as he dashed toward Zangetsu-Shin. He raised his claws, which glowed with blood red energy. Quickly, Zangetsu-Shin raised his Byakko Tri-ClawZ to block them, using his weapon as a shield, and sparks blasted off on impact.
"I'm going to stop you," Zangetsu-Shin resolved as he looked Saver-V in the eye.
"Then you better hurry up, Onii-chan," Saver-V taunted. "You're running out of time."
Zangetsu-Shin pushed Saver-V off him and slashed him with his sword. Sparks flew as Saver-V caught the blade in his claws. They soon resumed their furious exchange of blows as their limbs blurred, sparks exploding as they continued their cycle of attack, defense, and retaliation.
And in the air above them, the clock continued to tick down.
(16:49)
(16:48)
(16:47)
The numbers hanging in the air, counting down, did not only remind Masataka that he only had that much time to defeat his brother. It was also the amount of time Saver-V's mind-controlled suicide bombers had left to live.
(16:44)
(16:43)
(16:42)
They were all running out of time.
Daikyo and Shokyo were terrified and confused. The situation outside was terrible enough, but at least they were safe inside the palace, or so they originally believed. Now things had taken a turn for the worse. Shuyu was staging a coup and, even more shockingly, brought Sonsaku back from the dead.
The guards were dead, killed by one of their own who had used a Zakuro Lockseed to blow himself up along with the others, revealing that he had been under Saver's control the whole time.
They were on their own now. With Mars and Kamuro down in the city that was being destroyed and Zangetsu confronting Saver, they had to fend for themselves. But what could two singers do?
They clung to each other helplessly, unable to do anything but watch the battle that was taking place in the throne room.
It was a clash of monarchs and sisters as they battled furiously. This was an utterly ridiculous yet terrifying situation. Sonken knew she would have to defend her throne from usurpers, but she never once expected to fight for the throne against her own sister who had been brought back from the dead.
"You're weak! Soft! You rule by worthless ideals and principles that are no use to this kingdom! Peace!? Unity!? Peace breeds complacency and why must we unite when we can simply conquer!?" Sonsaku berated with each swing of her blade. Sonken was pushed back with each strike, forced on the defensive with everyone watching.
Shuyu was the last person Sonken would expect to stage a coup and she even swore that she was not a traitor, but here she was trying to dethrone Sonken and have her replaced by her late sister. Sonken had believed in her, but Shuyu decided to throw it back in her face and stab her in the back, using her sister's own reanimated corpse against her. Such betrayal and desecration were unforgivable.
Meanwhile, Shuyu smiled as she watched the fight. Sonsaku was dominating Sonken, as she should. Sonsaku was always the better sister. She was stronger, wiser, more experienced, more beautiful, and a more worthy ruler than Sonken could ever aspire to be. It was only right that she sat on that throne, and not the weak pretender.
As Shuyu watched, Shuutai thought about making a move as she snuck up behind her, completely unnoticed. She slipped out one of her throwing knives. She really hated to do this, but Shuyu needed to be stopped. Once Shuutai put this knife in her back, then maybe whatever control she had over Sonsaku would be broken.
"You're thinking of throwing that knife in my back, aren't you?" Shuyu asked, causing Shuutai to freeze. The strategist looked over her shoulder at the kunoichi who stared back. "Don't be surprised. I know how you do your job, and frankly, I'm not surprised if you think that killing me will stop this."
"Will it?" Shuutai challenged, staring back defiantly.
"Maybe it will, maybe it won't," Shuyu shrugged. "Maybe once I'm dead, Sheren-sama will return from where I called her, or maybe she'll kill you all to avenge me. Are you prepared to take that chance?" Shuutai gritted her teeth. She knew how to kill Rinshi, Masataka had taught her, but she doubted she could kill the undead Sonsaku. She released her throwing knife, letting it clatter to the floor, and Shuyu smiled approvingly at her action. "Good girl."
"Shuyu-dono, what is the meaning of this!?" Kannei demanded. She felt useless since Sonken had ordered her not to interfere.
"Why have you betrayed Sonken-sama?" Ryomo questioned, shocked by this blatant betrayal.
"How can I betray someone I held no loyalty to in the first place?" Shuyu countered, causing Kannei to stare back in surprise before the guard narrowed her eyes, her face filled with rage. "Why don't you just sit back and watch like your master ordered you to? I guarantee that after this, you will be serving the true Queen of Son Go."
Kannei gritted her teeth, her fists balled as she trembled angrily in place. She was Sonken's bodyguard, and yet she could not do anything to protect her queen. Sonken had ordered her not to interfere, and Kannei could not disobey her command. But, it also went against her oath to protect the queen. So, she had no choice but to watch, yet prepared herself to jump in when Sonken needed assistance.
Ryomo felt the same way. She wanted to assist Sonken, but like her queen said, this was her fight and her fight alone. She would forfeit the fight if any of them interfered. She needed to do this herself, which left Ryomo useless.
Sonsaku knocked Sonken to the ground with a kick and went to plunge her sword into her sister but Sonken rolled out of the way as the sword came down, nearly cutting her. Quickly recovering, Sonken got back to her feet and raised her sword.
She was not going to give up the throne, not to this thing that looked like her sister.
"You know, I'm impressed. You've managed to hold your own against me. You're a better fighter than you were before, Renfa-chan," praised Sonsaku, smiling playfully. That nostalgic smile caused Sonken to growl in anger. How dare this zombie try to mimic her sister!?
"I have good teachers," Sonken answered. Indeed she did. Kannei and Masataka had helped her improve her skills with the sword and she was no longer the skilled yet inexperienced princess she used to be. She had been on the battlefield and survived, and while she lacked the total accumulated experience of her eldest sister, she managed to hold her own.
"Well, then let's hope their lessons did not go to waste," retorted Sonsaku as she resumed her attack. Sonken parried the strikes that came at her but missed blocking a few that managed to cut through her clothing, drawing blood. Sonken retaliated, but Sonsaku easily blocked her little sister's strikes without trouble. Sonken growled as Sonsaku smiled playfully throughout their duel. It was like her eldest sister was just toying with her.
Sonken and Sonsaku soon locked blades. The former's teeth were gritted as she glared into the eyes of her undead sister. Sonsaku wore a mask of amusement, smiling as she resisted her little sister.
Was that pride in her sister?
"Your White Devil isn't here to protect you now, Renfa-chan," Sonsaku mocked.
"I don't need him to fight my battles for me, Onee-sama, especially against you," Sonken retorted. Besides, he had his own family issues to deal with.
Saver-V unfurled his wings, revealing the Zakuro Lockseeds he had tucked away between the feathers.
"Bombs Away!"
He launched the activated Zakuro Lockseeds like missiles, throwing them at Zangetsu-Shin.
[GATLING MODE!]
Converting his Byakko Tri-ClawZ to Gatling Mode, Zangetsu-Shin executed a counterattack as he blew the bombardment of bombs away with a barrage of his own. His bullets blasted the Zakuro Lockseeds to bits before they could even detonate, which was a huge disappointment for Saver-V.
"Well, shit," Saver-V grimaced as he hovered off the roof. "Time for an airstrike then!" Saver-V flew upward as Zangetsu-Shin fired, but Zangetsu-Shin missed as his bullets flew harmlessly by Saver-V. "C'mon, stop with the potshots! Stop trying to shoot me and actually shoot me already!"
"Fine, if that's what you want, Minato!" Zangetsu-Shin snapped as he went and jumped on his Dandeliner. He took off on his flying Lockvehicle and activated its weapon systems. The laser machine guns fired at Saver-V but he managed to evade the rapid-fire lasers by flying out of their range. Zangetsu-Shin continued his pursuit as he fired at his brother.
Zangetsu-Shin never imagined he would ever be shooting his own brother, but life seemed determined to throw curveballs his way. He activated the targeting systems and looked at the screen to see that he was locked onto Saver's wings.
"Hey, Minato!" Zangetsu-Shin shouted.
"WHAT!?" Saver-V shouted back.
"You're grounded!" Zangetsu-Shin fired a concentrated laser beam which sliced off one of Saver-V's wings.
"MY WING!" Saver-V screamed as he was so cruelly amputated before he started to plummet out of the sky. "Mayday! Mayday!" Zangetsu-Shin went after him as he crashed through the roof and into the palace.
Zangetsu-Shin landed his Dandeliner before he dismounted in the hallway. Dust filled the air, obscuring his vision. But then he saw a flash and an energy arrow hit him right in the visor. He recoiled from the shot, crying out in pain and shock.
The dust cleared to show Saver-V with a single wing remaining, holding his Saver Arrow leveled at Zangetsu-Shin.
"You cut off my wing!" Saver-V yelled angrily. "I liked that wing!"
Zangetsu-Shin did not dignify that complaint with a response and rushed at Saver-V who fired at him. Zangetsu-Shin used his geokinesis and picked up the rubble which he hurled back at Saver-V, knocking the Saver Arrow out of his grip.
[DRILL MODE!]
"AAAHHHH!" With a yell, Zangetsu-Shin threw a punch at Saver-V with the drill ready to strike him down. But then Saver caught Zangetsu-Shin's arm, keeping the spinning drill away from his face. Sweat began to drip down his face as he struggled to hold his brother back.
"Wow! You really want to drill me? I didn't think we were that close, Onii-chan," Saver-V quipped.
"Stop it," Zangetsu-Shin growled.
"Hm? Stop what?"
"Stop making jokes, Minato! Do you even understand what you've done!? I know you're mad at me for leaving, but you killed people!"
"I know what I've done, Onii-chan, but it's not just you leaving that made me do this."
"Then what-?"
"Ojii-chan's dead."
Zangetsu-Shin froze in shock and incredulousness as his drill stopped spinning.
"Ojii-chan's...dead?" Zangetsu-Shin questioned in disbelief. Saver-V took advantage of his brother's stunned state to kick him away.
"That's right," Saver-V confirmed. "He quite literally worried about you to death."
"When...?"
"About a week after you decided to come back to this place," Saver-V said with disdain. "I found him in his study room." He had gone to ask his grandfather for some money. "He was sitting in his chair, dead, holding your picture. He died of a broken heart, his last thoughts before he died were of you and where you disappeared to."
"Minato...I'm so sorry..." Zangetsu-Shin apologized. He never knew. His grandfather was old, but the man was strong for his age. He did not seem like the kind of person who would drop dead from old age. Maybe Zangetsu-Shin wanted to deny Minamoto's words, condemn them as a trick, but even Minamoto would not dare lie about their grandfather's death.
Now Masataka understood the reason behind his brother's anger and why it was aimed at him.
"Sorry? You're sorry? Well, sorry isn't going to bring him back Onii-chan. Sorry isn't going to fix this!" Saver-V snapped back in anger.
"Minato, he wouldn't want to see us fight-"
"Don't you dare talk like you even care! You left us without a word! You left us and he worried to death about you! You didn't even think about what you're leaving us would do to him! You didn't care about us when you left, so why should I care about all those people I killed when Ojii-chan, the man who took us in and raised us, is gone?" There was sadness in Saver-V's voice, but it was soon replaced by rage as he glared hatefully at his brother. "You left us for this place! I will never forgive you so it's only fair that I make you watch it all burn!"
At that very moment, a pair of huge spectral arms rippling with muscles and veins emerged from Saver-V's back. The hands were balled into fists. The spectral arms-known as the Fists of Salvation-flexed as Saver-V got into a fighting stance.
"If you're wondering about the extra arms, Onii-chan, then you should know that the Great Fiend Hundun had four arms. That means four arms for fun!"
Saver-V rushed at Zangetsu-Shin who stood frozen in front of him. He did not dodge as a Fist of Salvation slammed into his face, knocking him back. Saver-V continued his assault with his blows flying fast and hitting hard. Each blow could shatter bones. Fortunately, Zangetsu-Shin's armor absorbed the blows. Unfortunately, his armor didn't prevent him from feeling any pain as he cried out from his pummeling.
Then the Fists of Salvation grabbed him by the legs and started to slam him against the walls and floor, repeatedly. Zangetsu-Shin flopped like a dead fish as he was being punished and Saver-V loved every second of it. A lot.
Saver-V soon dropped Zangetsu-Shin before he alternately and repeatedly slammed his large spectral hands on top of Zangetsu-Shin, trying to flatten him. Zangetsu-Shin sunk into the floor with each slam as the Fists of Salvation smashed into him.
Saver-V stopped as Zangetsu-Shin was half-buried in the floor and he crossed both sets of arms in satisfaction.
"This is what you get, Onii-chan. This is what you deserve for what you put us through," Saver-V sneered.
Zangetsu-Shin groaned in pain as he lay on the floor. He had taken quite a pummeling, and he felt that he deserved it after what Saver-V told him. He could just as well be lying about their grandfather, but their grandfather was someone that Minato would never speak ill of. The man had raised them both after their parents left them, so he was at the top of a short list of people that Minato and Masataka respected. He understood why his brother hated him right now.
But, whatever hatred Saver-V felt for Zangetsu-Shin, and whatever pain he felt from him leaving, that did not justify his acts of terrorism. That did not mean Minato had a right to kill all of those people, just to punish Masataka. Those people out there, they had done nothing wrong, and yet Minato was prepared to use them as suicide bombers just to make a point. He was going way too far just to hurt Masataka.
Masataka realized what he did to his brother and grandfather was wrong, and he would have to live with knowing that, but that did not mean he would allow Minato to continue with what he was doing.
Minato had crossed the line when he started his attack on Son Go, so it was up to Masataka to stop him. He had allowed Minato take his pound of flesh, so now it was his turn to get even.
A white aura began to emerge from Zangetsu-Shin's body, glowing brightly as he picked himself up. Saver-V's eyes widened in astonishment as he watched his brother get back up even after all that punishment. Zangetsu-Shin staggered a bit, but he called on his remaining strength to set himself firmly on his feet.
Zangetsu-Shin looked Saver-V in the face and said in an eerily calm voice:
"Round 3."
Meanwhile, the fight between sisters grew even fiercer as Sonsaku and Sonken's swords clashed violently. Unfortunately, Sonken was not looking too well. She was sweating with exertion as she tried to keep up with Sonsaku's attacks. Sonsaku, on the other hand, due to her undead physiology, was not affected by debilitating exhaustion. Technically, Sonsaku did not have any stamina to waste and being undead she could no longer feel pain. Physically and skillfully, Sonsaku Hakufu had the advantage.
Sonken went for a slash but Sonsaku blocked her attack before burying her fist into sister's stomach. Then, Sonsaku threw a kick which slammed into Sonken's stomach, sending her flying. Sonken cried out as she was thrown against the wall. She groaned in pain but her reflexes kicked in just in time as she rolled away before Sonsaku could impale her. The sword sunk halfway through the wall before Sonsaku withdrew it and turned to look at Sonken.
Sonken had cuts across her arms, her sleeves ruined by Sonsaku's sword, with blood stains on them. She had lost her headdress, another thing Sonsaku had knocked away when she punched her-a bruise had formed on her face. Sonken was also sweating and panting.
"You're getting tired," Sonsaku observed. "Maybe you should lie down."
"No," Sonken denied, tightening her grip on her sword. "I can still fight!"
Sonken swung but Sonsaku countered and knocked the sword out of Sonken's grip. Sonken froze as the tip of Sonsaku's sword was pressed against her throat.
"Now what will you do, Renfa-chan?"
Sonken stood still as Sonsaku pressed forward, threatening to slice her throat open.
"Finish her, Sheren-sama!" Shuyu cheered as Daikyo, Shokyo, Ryomo, Kannei, and Shuutai fell into despair. Sonken had lost and now Sonsaku would reclaim her throne.
"If you submit and return the throne to me, I will let you live," said Sonsaku, offering her little sister mercy. "You're a smart girl. I know you'll make the right choice."
Sonken looked her eldest sister in her cold black eyes, unwilling to show any fear.
When she inherited the throne from her sister, she felt doubt regarding her new role. She was not sure if she was ready for the burdens and responsibilities that came with the position. She did not have her sister's wisdom and experience, but she studied hard so she would be ready. But then it came too soon, and at the cost of Sonsaku's life.
Fortunately, Sonken was not alone. She had comrades and friends to support her and offer advice. She had people she could trust to help her rule. Whenever she was in doubt, she would turn to them for help.
And if Sonsaku was preparing Sonken to take the throne, then that meant she knew that her little sister was capable to take on the duties, burdens, and responsibilities as queen. So, Sonken would not surrender the throne, not to this undead parody of her eldest sister. But first, she needed to get out of her predicament. Without her sword, she was defenseless but she was not without options.
If she could not outmatch her opponent then she would just have to outsmart her. That was when she had an idea. It was a risky gamble but right now maybe it was a risk worth taking.
"Do you know where Shaoren is, Onee-sama?" Sonken asked.
"Shaoren?" Sonsaku cocked an eyebrow.
"Yes, Shaoren, our little sister. Do you know where she is?"
Sonsaku looked around. She saw Shuyu, Kannei, Shuutai, Ryomo, Daikyo, and Shokyo, but where was Sonshoko?
Sonsaku locked eyes with Sonken.
"Where is she?" she demanded. "Where is Shaoren-chan?"
"She's not here. She's outside," Sonken answered. "But you didn't notice, did you? You didn't even think of her. You only wanted your throne back. All you could think about was your throne that you just forgot about her and what's happening to the kingdom right now. If you were really my sister, then the throne would be the last thing on your mind. You should be thinking about what's happening to your kingdom. Instead, here you are fighting over a throne when you should be fighting for your kingdom."
The kingdom was in turmoil, and Sonsaku-the real Sonsaku-would not worry about the throne. No, her main concern would be her kingdom, her people, and her family. She would want them to be safe.
Sonken's tone was hot and accusing and Sonsaku found herself backing away in realization. While she acted according to Shuyu's will and resentment toward Sonken, it seemed that the strategist had overlooked Sonsaku's own feelings for Sonshoko. These feelings were beginning to override her control. Shuyu gasped and her grip tightened on the Sonsaku Lockseed.
"What are you doing, Sheren-sama!? Finish her!" Shuyu shouted. They were so close to victory, so close to having the rightful queen on the throne.
"Onee-sama, did you remember why you wanted to leave the throne to me?" Sonken asked. "You remember, don't you?"
"So you...so you and Shaoren-chan...Can live in peace..." Sonsaku recalled as the darkness faded from her eyes. It seemed as if a veil had been lifted and she could think much clearer. Shuyu's control over her was broken. "What's going on? What's happening to my kingdom?" She appeared disoriented, even confused. She stared at the blood-stained sword she was holding and dropped it in shock. "What...what have I done?"
Sonsaku appeared horrified as she regained her senses. She remembered her own death and remembered how she was resurrected by force. She had been at peace but now she found herself trying to kill her younger sister while her baby sister was in danger.
So why was Sonken so calm?
"Why aren't you afraid of what will happen to Shaoren-chan?" Sonsaku asked as her voice returned to normal, lacking the reverb it had earlier.
"I am afraid for her, but I believe in the people she has with her to bring her home safely," said Sonken. "You taught me to have faith in others, Onee-sama. You said you had faith in me too."
"Yes, yes I do," Sonsaku confessed. "I'm so sorry I left you so early, Renfa-chan."
Sonken smiled back at her sister. She then wrapped her arms around Sonsaku as she cried. While Sonsaku's skin was cold as death, Sonken was just glad she could hold her sister one last time.
"I miss you, Onee-sama."
Sonsaku smiled tenderly and kissed her little sister on the forehead. She then picked up her sword and offered it to Sonken. Before accepting her fate, she locked eyes with Shuyu who could not believe this was happening.
"Goodbye, Meirin."
"Sheren...no..."
Sonsaku turned away to face her little sister as she closed her eyes and knelt before her, offering her neck.
"Put me to rest, Renfa-chan."
Sonken nodded and took the blade in her hand. She took her position and raised her sword like an executioner.
"Goodbye, Onee-sama."
With a final farewell, Sonken swiftly beheaded her undead sister. Sonsaku still wore a warm smile on her face as her head was removed from her body.
"SHEREN! NOOOOOO!" Shuyu screamed as Sonsaku was once again killed right before her eyes.
Zangetsu-Shin had activated and mounted a Tulip Hopper, using it against his brother. With how hard the turbine was blowing, throwing Zakuro Lockseeds would be ill-advised for Saver-V as they could be blown right back. Saver-V raised his Fists of Salvation to block the salvo of machine gun fire while digging in his heels to stop himself from being blown away by the Tulip Hopper.
The salvo and wind turbine stopped and Saver-V dared to look up, only to receive a huge boot to the face courtesy of the Tulip Hopper. He staggered from the blow and then received another mechanized kick that nearly knocked him off his feet. Saver-V grabbed the leg and angrily ripped it off the Tulip Hopper.
Zangetsu-Shin quickly leaped off the damaged Tulip Hopper as Saver-V tore it in half.
"Hah! I broke your damn toy!" Saver-V gloated but that was cut short as Zangetsu-Shin threw a Lockvehicle at him that was in the middle of transforming. It expanded in size as it unfolded, causing Saver-V to gawk. "Is that a fucking jet ski!?"
[GATLING MODE!]
As the Lily Surfer bashed into Saver-V, Zangetsu-Shin fired upon it, causing the Lily Surfer to blow up in Saver-V's face and throw him roughly to the ground. As Saver-V picked himself up, Zangetsu-Shin took out his Watermelon Lockseed and loaded it into the Byakko Tri-ClawZ's Drive Bay.
[LOCK ON!]
Zangetsu-Shin leveled the Byakko Tri-ClawZ minigun at Saver-V. The Watermelon Lockseed glowed as the Byakko Tri-ClawZ siphoned energy from it.
[WATERMELON! JUICE UP CHARGE! GATLING BREAK!]
Once Saver-V was on his feet, he was met with a massive bombardment of charged energy bullets that sent him staggering painfully as he tried to block them with the Fists of Salvation. The giant hands spread out in front of Saver-V like a protective wall, deflecting the bullets.
Zangetsu-Shin ceased his rapid-fire assault and switched Lockseeds as well as his weapon's mode.
[DRILL MODE!]
[LOCK ON!]
The Suika Lockseed occupied the Drive Bay's slot and the spinning drill began to glow red as a hard light hologram of a red cone covered in watermelon seeds appeared over it. The holographic drill began to grow and expand with each rotation and Zangetsu-Shin thrust it at Saver-V.
[SUIKA! JUICE UP CHARGE! DRILL BREAK!]
The Suika Drill punched through the Spectral Fists, shattering them before colliding with Saver-V. The impact caused an explosion as Saver-V cried out loudly and dropped to the ground.
"Damn..." Saver-V growled.
[CHAINSAW MODE!]
"Hell no!" Saver-V cursed as Zangetsu-Shin loaded the Soursop Lockseed into the Byakko Tri-ClawZ.
[SOURSOP! JUICE UP CHARGE! CHAINSAW BREAK!]
Energy gathered around the chainsaw blade, growing and expanding into a larger and longer version of the menacing weapon. It whirred rapidly as Zangetsu-Shin swung.
The blade flew toward Saver-V before he suddenly vanished, leaving behind red mist that the chainsaw blade passed through harmlessly. As the energy blade receded and faded away, Zangetsu-Shin cursed when his attack failed to connect. Saver-V had teleported away but Zangetsu-Shin knew he was still nearby. Where could he have gone?
Zangetsu-Shin looked up at the ceiling.
Saver-V was likely on the roof again and licking his wounds if Zangetsu-Shin was to assume. He went and mounted his Dandeliner before flying back up to the roof through the hole in the ceiling.
Zangetsu-Shin resolved to end this tonight.
When someone you love dies, it is only natural that you mourn for them. You grieve in sorrow and then you move on. You can't let grief hold you back from living because life goes on.
But such grief paled in comparison to the guilt you feel from killing your loved one, like your sister for example.
"Rest in peace, Onee-sama," Sonken whispered somberly. Tears welled up in her eyes and ran down her face when she looked at Sonsaku's head to see that her sister had died smiling. Like the Rinshi, her body along with her clothes broke down and crumbled, forming a pile of dust. Her head was the last thing to crumble to dust, her smile never fading until the end.
The only thing that could compare to that kind of guilt was the guilt of betrayal, speaking of which...
Shuyu had fallen to her knees in shock and grief. Tears of grief and denial fell from her eyes as she dropped the Sonsaku Lockseed. It sparked and cracked before shattering to pieces once it touched the floor.
"No...No...NO, SHEREN!" Shuyu screamed.
This should not have happened! It was impossible! Sonsaku was stronger, more skilled and more experienced than Sonken. There was no way that fraud Sonken could've bested her. It must've been some kind of trick. That was the only way Sonken could've won.
With Sonsaku gone, Kannei, Ryomo, and Shuutai quickly swooped in to apprehend Shuyu. But, all of a sudden, Shuyu raised her other hand which held a Zakuro Lockseed. This made Kannei, Ryomo, and Shuutai stop in their tracks as they knew what that Lockseed was capable of.
"Don't you dare come any closer!" Shuyu warned while holding the Zakuro Lockseed threateningly. "Come near me and I swear I'll use this!"
"Shuyu, please!" Sonken begged, wiping away her tears. She did not wish to see any more pointless deaths. "There's no need for this! Be reasonable! We can talk about this!"
Shuyu glared hatefully at Sonken, the red glow of her eyes intensifying.
"I shall not speak to a kinslayer!" Shuyu spat.
"She was already dead and you know it." Sonken was tempted to call Shuyu out on her actions. It was Shuyu who had desecrated Sonsaku's memory by resurrecting her as an unholy revenant. Shuyu was the one who forced Sonken to put her sister back to rest.
"Shut up! Shut up! SHUT UP!" Shuyu shrieked viciously, shaking her head. She pointed at Sonken menacingly. "You are no queen of mine! You will never be this kingdom's rightful queen! Right now, this kingdom is being torn apart, and like a coward you remain safe within these walls while your people suffer!"
"She's gone insane," Kannei muttered. It would be a mercy kill just to put Shuyu down.
"This kingdom would've flourished and prospered with Sheren-sama back on the throne, but now she's gone, gone forever!" Shuyu continued her mad rant. "And now I shall join her in death while you suffer from your failure, Sonken Chubo!"
And with that declaration, Shuyu unlocked the Zakuro Lockseed, causing it to blink and beep rapidly.
"SHUYU, NO!" Sonken shouted but she was too late as the Zakuro Lockseed released a bright and blinding red flash. Sonken, Kannei, Shuutai, Ryomo and the twins shielded their eyes. They all heard a loud boom which drowned out Shuyu's scream and when they opened their eyes, all they could see was a smoking crater in the floor where Shuyu had once stood.
There was nothing left of Shuyu at all. She had been completely vaporized by the explosive Zakuro Lockseed.
As Saver-V stood on the rooftop, waiting for his brother, he blinked as he sensed something. Because of his connection to the Zakuro Lockseeds, he could sense when they were used and by whom. He let out a sigh.
"So, she used it after all," he murmured before taking a moment to look at the ticking clock.
(05:00)
(04:59)
(04:58)
(04:57)
His brother was almost out of time.
Zangetsu-Shin ascended from the hole in the rooftop and dismounted from his Dandeliner once again. He too saw the clock and grimaced and looked back at the side at the enthralled people outside of the cage, waiting quietly for the clock to strike 00:00 before they blew themselves up.
"Only less than five minutes left on the clock, Onii-chan," Saver-V pointed.
"I'm ending this sick game right now, Minato!" Zangetsu-Shin snapped.
"Think you can beat me before your time runs out?"
Zangetsu-Shin's only response was to rush straight at Saver-V who readied himself with his Fists of Salvation.
"ORA, ORA, ORA, ORA, ORA!" Saver-V shouted as he rapidly threw his Fists of Salvation at Zangetsu-Shin, but he was able to dodge the punches using his acceleration. The fists harmlessly flew by him like the wind as he got in close to his opponent. Once he was within range, he struck Saver-V repeatedly in the chest with the Byakko Tri-ClawZ's drill. He landed multiple consecutive strikes in succession, blasting sparks off on impact.
As Zangetsu-Shin went for another blow, Saver-V suddenly vanished and reappeared behind him. He spread open his remaining wing and hurled a dozen Zakuro Lockseeds at his brother, all armed and ready to detonate. Zangetsu-Shin turned and took the explosives head-on as they detonated, covering him in a cloud of smoke and fire.
Shockingly, Zangetsu-Shin survived unscathed as he burst out of the smoke cloud and charged at Saver-V. Saver-V swung his Fists of Salvation, but Zangetsu-Shin jumped and landed on one of the spectral arms before running along its length. Once he was close enough, he nailed Saver-V right in the face with a kick and bounced off before landing on his feet like a cat, planting his feet firmly on the tiles of the roof.
Saver-V grunted and gathered energy into the raptor head on his chest. It let out a shriek as it fired off like a cannon, spitting a blast of dark energy from its beak. The dark energy ball soared through the air, headed for Zangetsu-Shin, but he was not afraid of it at all. Instead of dodging, he retaliated with an unpredictable move.
"HYAH!"
Zangetsu-Shin punched his drill through the dark energy sphere, causing it to pop harmlessly like a balloon. Saver-V continued his assault as he fired a barrage but Zangetsu-Shin either dodged or smacked them aside as they exploded harmlessly around him.
"Got anything else, Minato?" Zangetsu-Shin asked challengingly, and yet it sounded condescending. Actually, his plan was to tire out his brother and make him waste his energy in the fight, but it didn't seem like Saver-V was getting tired quick enough and with only a few more minutes on the clock, Zangetsu-Shin needed to assure his victory and fast.
Howling with rage, Saver-V lunged at Zangetsu-Shin, his Fists of Salvation spread to ready an attack, but that was when Zangetsu-Shin zipped right under Saver-V and executed an uppercut with his Byakko Tri-ClawZ. The drill slammed right into Saver-V's chest, into the beak of the raptor and Saver-V screamed as he was being drilled and rotated upon the tip of the drill.
"STOP THIS CRAZY RIIIIIIIIDE!" Saver-V screamed and Zangetsu-Shin obliged by tossing him to the ground. Saver-V growled and once more teleported away to get back on his feet.
Zangetsu-Shin could see his brother was panting, his shoulders going up and down as he took deep breaths of exertion. He was reaching his limit. Zangetsu-Shin looked up at the clock hanging above them and grimaced at the time they had left. Saver-V also took a moment to check the clock and grinned.
(00:59)
(00:58)
(00:57)
Less than a minute left.
Zangetsu-Shin needed to hurry.
Saver-V needed to stall.
[HA! HUNDUN SPARKING! VAMPIRE ENERGY SPARKING!]
Zangetsu-Shin looked away from the clock to see his brother cupping the Fists of Salvation together before pulling them back. He was gathering dark energy between the massive spectral hands focusing his concentration, his voice rising along with his power.
"AaaaaaaaaAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!"
There was a visual display of red energy as it swirled into the space between the cupped spectral hands of the Fists of Salvation, forming a sphere which grew with every passing second.
[BAIHU SPARKING!]
Zangetsu-Shin's body glowed and he concentrated energy into his Byakko Tri-ClawZ. He stared down Saver-V who was ready to execute what seemed to be his finishing attack. Zangetsu-Shin growled like a beast as his visor flashed and a huge image of a tiger made of his own white-hot aura emerged from him, ready to pounce.
With a yell, Saver-V threw his Fists of Salvation forward, firing his attack like one of Ryu's Hadoukens which burst forth as a massive and devastating beam of pure destructive energy similar to Son Goku's Kamehameha. Tiles were ripped off the roof by the shockwave it produced as it shot toward Zangetsu-Shin.
At the same time, Zangetsu-Shin threw his left arm forward and sent the Aura Tiger to pounce at Saver-V. The tiger rushed headlong into the destructive beam attack and collided with it. Instead of causing an explosion upon impact, both attacks pushed against each other furiously.
Saver-V and Zangetsu-Shin pushed more power into their attacks before finally unleashing everything they had left, causing their attacks to explode and send out a shockwave blast that shook the air and blasted off the remaining roof tiles which disintegrated in the breeze.
Their suits of armor and helmets shattered, leaving them in their bare Ride Wear suits as they fell on their backs. The Miyamotos groaned and grunted as they struggled to rise back up.
Technically, they were still transformed, only reduced to the barest form of their armor.
Masataka was the first to get on his feet, albeit unsteadily, walked over to Minamoto who groaned as he lay on the ruined rooftop. He knelt down and picked his brother up by his collar. Minamoto opened his eyes to look at Masataka's whose glasses had broken during the final moments of their fight.
He had won, with only seconds to spare.
"You've lost, Minato. Now let these people go," Masataka demanded.
Minamoto's eyes widened and then his lips curled into an evil smile.
"Sorry, Onii-chan, but no deal," Minamoto retorted.
"I defeated you. You said you'd release them when I defeated you."
"I said you had to destroy me," Minamoto corrected slyly. "And yet you could not even do that. Guess what that means."
"Huh?"
"Look up."
Masataka did and his eyes widened as he saw the numbers displayed on the clock.
!*00:00*!
The numbers flashed repeatedly in the air, along with the sound of a gong.
The clock had struck 00:00 and Minamoto was alive.
"Sorry, Onii-chan, but it looks like you lose!"
"NO!"
Masataka released Minamoto and rushed over to look over the side of the rooftop. His eyes widened as he saw the helpless people below unlock their Zakuro Lockseeds.
"NO! STOP! DON'T DO THIS!"
"Here's my present for you, Onii-chan," Minamoto said ominously. "Now enjoy the fireworks."
The cage fell and Masataka watched helplessly as the people surrounding the palace exploded. Gore and body parts were thrown in all directions as they exploded simultaneously.
Masataka froze, completely powerless to stop the carnage as it occurred right before his eyes.
"No...No! Minato, stop this! Stop this now!"
"Too late, Onii-chan!"
When the smoke cleared, Masataka saw the result. He fell to his knees and threw up over the side of the roof. As he heaved, he looked at the state of the city. Panic and chaos had spread uncontrollably and there was destruction everywhere with nothing he could do to stop it. Many were either killed or injured by the explosions, as lives and homes were destroyed all over the capital of Son Go.
"A beautiful sight, isn't it?" Minamoto asked as he stood up to watch it all happen with his brother.
"Minato, what have you done!?" Masataka shouted.
"I'm spreading freedom," Minamoto answered calmly.
"This isn't freedom! It's pure chaos!" Masataka protested.
"But isn't chaos the purest form of freedom?" Minamoto countered, but he was not going to start a philosophical debate, even if it was a good hook to begin with. "You know, I never quite told you why I'm called the 'Ultimate Salvation'. You want to know why? It's because I'm here to save everyone, Onii-chan."
"What do you mean you're here to save them? Save them from what? You just killed them!"
"I'm here to save them from the burden and suffering of life. Speaking of burdens, let's see about freeing you from yours. What made you leave us? Was it the fame and glory? No, wait. It was the queen and the princess, wasn't it? Since we're done here, maybe I should pay them a visit."
As Masataka watched the royal capital of Son Go burn, those words caused something inside of him to snap.
Masataka realized that his brother was long gone and had gone mad.
He had caused this.
He needed to pay.
Within Masataka's soul, a caged beast awoke from its slumber and let loose a roar as it broke out of its prison. Its roar reached Masataka's throat and was released as he opened his mouth.
"MINATO!"
Masataka stood up to face Minamoto. His eyes had changed. They looked predatory, inhuman, like the eyes of a tiger. His hair also changed. No longer was it neatly combed, but wild and untamed. It changed from dark to white, with black streaks in it. His fingernails turned into claws and as he opened his mouth, his teeth were revealed to be razor sharp.
Minamoto took a moment to study his older brother's bestial state.
"What the hell happened to you?"
"ROOOAAAAARRRRGGGGGHHHHHHHHHH! MINATOOOOOOOO!"
The air itself shook from the roar and Minamoto froze as he felt an overwhelming pressure surrounding him. It pressed down on him and it was getting harder to breathe.
What was happening?
Was Masataka causing this?
"Onii-chan…?"
Masataka fell to his hands and knees as his muscles bulged, stretching his bodysuit. His skin turned pale as black veins spread across his face.
His armor soon materialized and came alive as it expanded with his body, his figure turning into a hulking mass of monstrous muscle while his armor transmuted from metal to stone. His Baihu Claws merged with his arms as the blade-like claws fused with his fingers. A segmented tail grew from behind him, swishing about violently. His legs resembled the hind legs of a tiger with clawed toes. Finally, a jagged crack ran across his mouthplate which split apart to reveal jaws full of sharp teeth.
Beast Overlord Zangetsu-Shin, aka The Beast, turned its glowing gold eyes toward Minamoto. Its gaze was filled with bloodlust and rage that demanded to be quenched. Quick as lightning, The Beast snatched Minamoto up in its clawed hand which had grown large enough to hold him in a single grip. Minamoto struggled to free himself, but The Beast's grip was as tight as a vice.
"Hey! Let me go!" Minamoto shouted but his pleas went ignored as The Beast leaped off the roof and landed in the courtyard. Its weight caused the floor to crack under its feet and it tightened its hold on Minamoto.
Minamoto looked into the eyes of The Beast. For the first time in his life, he actually felt afraid of his own brother.
"Onii-chan, please..."
The Beast roared in his face, nearly causing him to go deaf. Then, The Beast raised its arm and smashed Minamoto to the ground, turning him into a bloody smear on the ground.
The Beast licked the blood off its claws then paused as it sniffed the air. It let out a growl. With no cage to hold it, The Beast leaped toward the city in search of more prey.
Meanwhile, Mars and Kamuro were in the middle of a burning city, fighting against Zakurokage Troopers that stood in their way. The twins worked together to clear the way as Zakurokage after Zakurokage came at them while Rikuson, Kogai, Sonshoko, and Taishiji hung back as the twins fought to protect them. The Zakurokage Troopers may be numerous, giving them an advantage in numbers, but they were still no match for the Fuma Brothers.
Like their surname suggested, the twins fought fast, fierce and swift like a couple of wind demons. The Zakurokage Troopers did not know what hit them as their bodies hit the floor. Mars tried to keep score, but he had since lost count of how many Zakurokage Troopers he managed to defeat.
"It's a good thing Sempai had us practice with all those Lockseeds," Kamuro said appreciatively as he struck a Zakurokage Trooper down. All his time using the Souginjou allowed him to wield the Musou Naginata with little difficulty. They were both, after all, polearms.
"Still doesn't feel right," Mars commented as he twirled the Mango Punisher, still preferring his sword over the mace. He hurled it at a Zakurokage Trooper, knocking him flat on his back. Amazingly, the Mango Punisher actually bounced off and returned to Mars like a boomerang, allowing him to bash the skull of another Zakurokage Trooper. It may not be his sword, but he would not complain about the results. "But I could get used to this."
As the twins fought Zakurokage after Zakurokage, taking them down with ease, one of the red-clad soldiers tried to get the drop on the girls. He snuck up behind Kogai with his Saver Arrow raised.
All of a sudden, Kogai spun on her heel and kicked him right between the legs. The Zakurokage Trooper yelped and dropped his weapon to clutch his injured balls. Kogai caught the weapon with her foot then kicked it up into her hand. Moving swiftly, she slashed the Zakurokage Trooper with all her might and he went down.
"Wow," Taishiji awed. "You're good."
"Thank you," Kogai smiled as she admired her newly acquired weapon. As an archer, she was well-versed in using a bow and arrow, so it should not be too difficult for her to use the Saver Arrow. It was like using a regular bow but without the need to reload or carry arrows in a quiver, making it a very convenient weapon.
"That's Kogai-dono for you," Rikuson admired. "With age comes experience."
"I'm not that old!" Kogai snapped angrily, her age being a sore spot for her.
"I'm not complaining!" Mars quipped as he smashed a Zakurokage Trooper. "I love an experienced woman!" Kogai was not just experienced on the battlefield but in bed as well. The night he lost his virginity to Kogai had blown his mind.
"Nii-san, not now..." Kamuro chided.
The Zakurokage Trooper that Kogai had knocked out earlier came to and recovered. He aggressively went to retrieve his weapon from Kogai, but she fired at him at point-blank range. He staggered and growled menacingly before he threw himself at her again, but then a Lion Inves came out of nowhere and pounced on him.
The Lion Inves savagely mauled the Zakurokage Trooper before leaving his body to lie on the ground.
He would not be getting back up ever again.
Taishiji gawked at the Lion Inves. She had seen these monsters appear during the Inves Games she had spectated, but she had never been this close to one.
Where had it come from?
"Thanks, Rikuson," said Kogai.
"You're welcome, Kogai-dono," returned Rikuson as she held an A-Class Lockseed-a Mango Lockseed to be precise. As a member of Son Go's royal court, she had access to Lockseeds thanks to Masataka.
Taishiji saw a Zakurokage Trooper aiming for Rikuson and swiftly pushed the strategist down when he released his shot.
The red energy arrow sailed over them as they hit the dirt. Quickly, Taishiji got to her feet and threw herself at the Zakurokage Trooper who was too shocked to fire at her. She grabbed him by the shoulders and pushed him to the ground. She then took his weapon and glared at him furiously.
Her entire troupe was gone, destroyed by these monsters clad in red armor. Her grip tightened on the Saver Arrow. With a howl of fury, she began to slam the blades of the bow against the Zakurokage Trooper who tried to shield himself with his arms. He tried begging for mercy, pleading her to stop, proving he was nothing more than a coward. His pleas fell on deaf ears. In fact, just hearing his voice made her angry. How dare he plea for mercy after the devastation he took part in?
His gauntlets may protect his arms from severe injury, but they did not dull the pain as Taishiji angrily assaulted him, breaking through his block to get to his face. She continued to repeatedly smash the Saver Arrow into the Zakurokage Trooper's face, battering him as she cracked his visor and dented his faceplate. Finally, she did what Kogai had done and fired at his face in point-blank range. For a moment, she saw the fear in his eyes through his broken visor, but she did not care.
He deserved to die.
"Die! Die! Die! Die, you bastard!" Taishiji screamed as she shot the Zakurokage Trooper repeatedly in the face. He was already dead after the first shot, but she didn't care and kept firing.
"Hey, hey!" Kogai pulled Taishiji off the body as she continued to fire at it. "You can stop now! He's already dead!"
Hearing Kogai's voice shook Taishiji out of her rage as the haze of red faded from her eyes. She then saw what she had done and nearly vomited. The Zakurokage Trooper's head had been completely destroyed with pieces of metal, bone and brain matter lay scattered all around.
"Oh, by the Heavens..." Taishiji gasped, dropping the Saver Arrow in horror.
"Relax," Kogai comforted the troupe leader. She picked the Saver Arrow back up and handed it to her. "There's still more of them."
"You're...you're right..." Taishiji's eyes narrowed as she steadied herself and tightened her grip on the Saver Arrow. Now was not the time to feel sorry for herself. This was about survival and she needed to avenge her troupe.
She strengthened her nerves
This would be cathartic.
More and more Zakurokage Troopers appeared and the twins fought them with Kogai and Taishiji providing backup by rapidly firing their Saver Arrows at the Zakurokage Troopers until they all went down. Rikuson's Lion Inves also helped out as it attacked the Zakurokage Troopers. Finally, not wanting to be left out, Sonshoko summoned a Shika Inves with her Ichigo Lockseed and commanded it like an attack dog, ordering it to strike down the Zakurokage Troopers.
Sonshoko's survival instincts just kicked in, and she ordered her Shika Inves to show no mercy. After all, the red-clad menaces had ruined what was supposed to be a wonderful day. They must be made to pay. If she had another Lockseed to feed her Shika Inves, then she'd have a much stronger creature to command, but she knew that she wasn't ready to control an Inves in its strongest Evolved State. They already had too many problems surrounding them and she did not want to add another one.
The twins and the girls fought with everything they had, clearing a path to the palace. Meanwhile, all over the kingdom, the Moon Brigade used their Lockvehicles to overpower the red-clad grunts. The Zakurokage Troopers' numbers dwindled as they lay scattered all across the city, either unconscious or dead. Even with armor, they could not survive the Dandeliners and Tulip Hoppers' firepower.
With the path cleared, the group continued to make their way toward the palace to see the cage around it suddenly drop followed by dozens of explosions coming from the direction of the palace.
"What's going on over there?" Sonshoko asked as she saw more smoke rise in the distance. She had a very bad feeling about this.
"Nii-san, maybe you should call Sempai?" Kamuro suggested. They had been too busy earlier fighting Zakurokage Troopers to even make a phone call.
"Right," Mars said as he took out his LockPhone and flipped it open to call. "Hey, Sempai, are you there? Sempai, hello?" He received no response. "This is Natsu. Are you there?"
Kamuro was also trying via his helmet's comlink.
"Sempai, this is Kamuro. We have Princess Sonshoko, Strategist Rikuson, General Kogai and Taishiji-san with us. What is your status?"
No response either.
"I've got a really bad feeling about this," Mars remarked worriedly. "At least this night can't get any worse."
He just had to jinx it with his careless remark.
Then all of a sudden, they all heard a loud roar that caused the air to tremble and their hearts to pound rapidly. There was no way that could be a normal animal, but Kamuro noticed something about that roar. It was full of fury and anguish, like the roar of a wounded animal.
And then they saw the thing that made that sound. It was a monstrous figure with bestial features. The flames behind it seemed to enhance its already menacing appearance.
Its yellow eyes locked on to the twins and it let out a roar as it lunged at them.
"GODDAMMIT!"
"WATCH WHAT YOU SAY NEXT TIME, NII-SAN!"
Sonshoko screamed as she tightly embraced Rikuson who held her protectively as the massive creature landed before them. The Beast stood over twice their height and looked mean and dangerous.
The Shika Inves and Lion Inves leaped into action, responding to their mistresses' distress. They tried to attack The Beast, but it was a futile effort as their blows did nothing against The Beast's stony hide. Annoyed, The Beast grabbed the Shika Inves and tore the creature in half. It then picked up the Lion Inves and bit its head off before throwing its body away and spitting out its head. It roared victoriously as it easily slew the two Inves.
"What...what in the world is that thing!?" Taishiji cried as she saw the hulking monster that was standing in the street with them. It had just killed those two Inves and looked eager for more.
It looked like some kind of monstrous tiger demon that was made of stone, standing on two legs, with a body built from pure muscle and rage. Its claws were as long and sharp as swords, and it had a mouth filled with dagger-like teeth.
Mars and Kamuro took a step back but then realized that they recognized The Beast. It might've been their imagination, but The Beast was wearing a GenesisDriver and they soon recognized the armor in spite of its monstrous alterations.
"Sempai?" Kamuro asked cautiously.
The Beast roared at the twins before it smacked Kamuro straight into a building. The silver Rider screamed as he smashed into the wall, causing more debris and rubble to litter the street.
"Shit! Fuyu!" Mars shouted before The Beast picked him up. "Sempai! It's me! Snap out of it!"
The Beast roared at Mars in response and slammed him to the ground. As Mars groaned in his self-shaped hole, The Beast loomed over him, claws raised to skewer him.
"Sempai, please! Snap out of it! It's us!"
The Beast did not seem to hear him as it went for the kill.
"Nii-san, watch out!"
Kamuro suddenly came flying by, slashing The Beast across the eyes. It recoiled and staggered back, covering its fresh injury as it howled in pain while lashing out blindly.
Mars groaned as he picked himself up with Kamuro standing beside him.
"What the hell happened to him?" Mars asked, shocked that this monster was their superior.
"I don't know, but something's wrong with him," Kamuro answered.
"Well, obviously if he went nuts."
"Something really bad must've happened to turn him into this beast," Kamuro theorized. He and his brother had seen plenty of Tokusatsu and occasionally something would happen to cause the hero to go berserk. Sometimes it was mind control, sometimes it was the rediscovery of a traumatic memory, sometimes it was because of corruption caused by the enemy, and sometimes because they had lost control of their own power. Whatever the cause, Zangetsu had turned into a mindless berserker and was now a threat.
The Beast snarled and growled like a cornered animal, just lashing out at everything.
Sonshoko gasped when the twins discerned The Beast's true identity.
"Zan-niichan?"
The Beast swiped at the twins after it recovered, sending them flying. It then stalked toward them, wanting to bite their heads off as well.
That was when, a tiny little human stood in its way, her arms spread out to the sides.
"Zan-niichan, stop!" Sonshoko shouted at The Beast.
"Shao-sama!" Rikuson cried in shock.
The Beast studied the little human who stood courageously before it. She did not show fear as it neared her and got down on all fours to curiously sniff her. As it growled, Sonshoko could feel The Beast's hot breath against her skin. She was utterly terrified right now, but she could not afford to show it.
She needed to be brave. Her Zan-niichan was trapped inside that thing, suffering. She needed to save him like he had saved her before.
"Zan-niichan, I know you're in there..." Sonshoko took a careful step forward to gently touch The Beast's face. It was risky since it could bite her hand off, but it was a risk she was willing to take. "Please, calm down. We're not going to hurt you..." The Beast seemed to listen and relax because of her soothing voice and gentle touch as it purred. "There you go. Everything is going to be OK. Nobody is going to hurt you."
Whatever she was doing seemed to be working, judging by The Beast's rough purring. Now all they needed to do was figure out how to change Masataka back. As long as nobody did anything stupid like provoke The Beast, they would be just fine.
[SUIKA ARMS! ODAMA BIG BANG!]
That was when Mars and Kamuro chose to attack, changing into the heavyset Suika Arms. They both grabbed hold of The Beast, dragging the out of control berserker away from Sonshoko. They believed they were protecting her, not realizing that she was almost getting through to Masataka.
"STOP!" Sonshoko shouted in protest as Rikuson and Kogai went to collect her. "I almost got through to him! Please! I know I can help him!"
"Shao-sama, it's dangerous!" Rikuson warned as she tried to hold Sonshoko back and stop her from trying something that dangerous again.
"Shaoren-sama, you best leave this to the professionals," Kogai advised. "You could've gotten your head bitten off."
"But Zan-niichan would never hurt me! He wouldn't!" Sonshoko protested but then she heard a roar as The Beast overpowered Mars and Kamuro. It easily shattered the twins' Suika Arms with its immense strength, throwing them to the ground, leaving them in only their bare helmets and Ride Wear suits.
"Fuyu!" Rikuson cried.
"Natsu!" Kogai yelled.
The twins were now at The Beast's mercy but it had none to spare.
"I have so many regrets right now," Mars confessed.
Kamuro could only offer a weak whimper of fear in response.
As the twins were about to meet their doom, thick black tentacles suddenly burst out of the ground and wrapped around The Beast to restrain it. As The Beast struggled to break free from its restraints, Mars and Kamuro recognized those tentacles and gawked in combined disbelief.
"Wait, aren't those...?"
"GO TO HELL, BEAST!"
They soon saw Majin Gaim running past them, his cape billowing behind him as he charged straight at The Beast, screaming a battle cry as he drove his Blood Drake Tail Sword into the Baihu Lockseed. This not only stunned The Beast but caused it to roar as white lightning burst from the Baihu Lockseed and arch painfully all over The Beast's body.
The twins and the girls watched in stunned silence as The Beast began to shrink and revert to human proportions. Finally, Masataka collapsed, out cold, and his armor vanished moments later. He lay prone on the ground, alive but wounded and unconscious.
"That's one less headache to deal with," Taiga remarked as he closed his Lockseed, returning to his civilian form.
"Hold on!" Mars shouted at the Armored War Devil. "What did you just do?"
"I turned him back to normal," Taiga answered. "You're welcome, by the way."
"And why would you do that?" Kamuro asked suspiciously. It was a justified question. Just the other night, they were enemies. However, tonight, completely out of the blue, Majin Gaim decided to save their lives.
What was he up to?
Did he expect them to owe him for saving their lives?
"Don't get me wrong. I didn't do it to save you. I just hate to see a warrior lose himself in his rage. Anyway, if I were you, I'd leave. A storm's approaching," Taiga informed them as a modified Helheim Portal, one which resembled a torii gate, opened beside him. "If you're ever in the mood for a rematch to reclaim your Lockseeds, come look me up." He stepped into the portal, leaving Son Go.
Mars and Kamuro shared a look of incredulity. Their enemy had just helped them save their Sempai.
This was a weird night.
But this weird night was going to get worse pretty soon.
"Armor back up?" Kamuro suggested.
"Armor back up," Mars confirmed.
[MANGO ARMS! FIGHT OF HAMMER!]
[ORANGE ARMS! HANAMICHI ON STAGE!]
Mars picked Masataka up, throwing him over his shoulder.
"What happened to Zangetsu-sama's hair?" Rikuson wondered as his dark hair had turned stark white with black streaks.
"Let's keep moving, people!" Mars shouted and they continued on their way to the palace. As they ran to the palace, Sonshoko looked at Masataka, wondering what had happened to him. What had caused him to turn into that monster? She was also wondering if everyone back in the palace was alright. She could not bear the thought of losing another sister.
When they finally reached the palace, they froze as gore covered the front of the palace's walls. There were bloody body parts littered everywhere in front of them and it was not a pretty sight to behold. It was pure nightmare fuel. Kogai had been on a few battlefields herself, but she had never seen bodies torn apart in such a way.
Sonshoko fainted right there but Kamuro caught her and lifted her up in a bridal carry style. She had seen far too much horror tonight and her innocent mind could not process it.
"Are we...going to walk through that?" Taishiji asked as she stared at the bloody mess that littered the front of the gate. Her stomach turned, threatening to make her vomit.
"We could try the back door, but I doubt it's any better," Mars answered as he saw that the pile of body parts went around the wall and most likely all the way to the back.
Taishiji didn't question him and walked past the body parts and through the gate, trying to keep her eyes looking straight in front of her. She even resisted the urge to look down when she stepped on something squishy that went pop. Once they reached the steps, they ran up the stairs to the entrance of the palace. Taishiji raced up ahead of the others, wanting to get away from the gore as humanly as possible.
"Are you OK?" Kamuro asked his troupe master.
"That was the worst thing I've had to walk through," Taishiji gagged with a shudder. She used to think shoveling horse feces was bad, but now she knew there were worse things to be ankle deep in.
"I concur," Rikuson agreed, looking paler than usual. As a bookworm, she spent most of her time indoors reading, which gave her a fair complexion that contrasted with the dark skin tone of most of Son Go's court.
"Hey, everyone," Kogai called their attention as she pointed at the sky. "What's that?"
There was a dark cloud coming toward the city, only it was not a storm cloud but an army. Coming toward them, riding on Dandeliners, were Kurokage Troopers and Rinshi while flying alongside them was a swarm of flight-capable Elementary Inves.
"Oh, shit that's bad!" Mars cried out as he saw the army of fliers coming. There were far too many for them to handle alone.
"That's what he meant when he said a storm was approaching," Kamuro recalled what Taiga had told them. There was an army coming to storm the kingdom when it was weakened. There had to be thousands of them coming to finish them off.
Meanwhile, more explosions erupted as the defeated Zakurokage Troopers scattered in the city self-destructed, destroying even more of it.
"Come on! The throne room's this way!" Kamuro said urgently as he led the way, and they stopped in their tracks when they saw dead guards and blood all over the hallway. Their bodies were not just sprawled all over the floor. There were bodies pinned to the wall by spears and when they noticed blood dripping from the ceiling, they saw that there was a body pinned to the ceiling by spears too.
"What...happened here...?" Taishiji asked as she saw all the dead bodies. She was beginning to feel nauseous again and on the verge of an anxiety attack. All this carnage was too much for her mind to process.
"Our enemies must've invaded," Rikuson theorized. She was glad that Sonshoko was not awake to see this. She was probably already traumatized by everything she had seen and experienced tonight, so she really did not need to see all this again.
Kamuro spotted something lying among the dead bodies. It was a Zakuro Lockseed. From that clue, he managed to deduce what had happened here and who had murdered all the guards.
It was Saver. He was responsible for this.
"Let's keep moving," Mars said calmly. He tried to be calm for everyone's sake. It was a good thing his helmet masked his current sickened expression. It would not do anybody any good if they saw he had lost his nerve.
Kamuro offered all the dead guards a prayer before they moved on, grimacing as they saw more dead guards lining the walls on their way to the throne room.
While Taishiji followed the rest, she grabbed hold of Kamuro's arm and pressed her face against it as to avert her eyes from all the dead bodies.
They needed to find Sonken and the others and get out of Son Go immediately. Their lives depended on it.
Sonken did not have much time to grieve for Shuyu or her sister again, now it was time for them to act. She went back and retrieved her sword as Shuutai, Ryomo, and Kannei went up to her.
"Sonken-sama, you're injured," Ryomo said, referring to Sonken's cuts.
"I'm fine, Ashe," Sonken answered. None of the cuts Sonsaku made were fatal, thankfully. "I just need a few bandages, that's all."
"What do we do now, Sonken-sama?" Shuutai asked.
"I..." Sonken was at a loss for words. What should they do right now? Should they stay to help the people or abandon the city to save themselves?
The doors of the throne room were thrown open as Kogai entered, with Mars, Kamuro, Rikuson, and Taishiji in tow. Sonken saw that Mars and Kamuro were carrying Masataka and Sonshoko, respectively. Before anyone could ask about them, Kogai and Mars quickly interrupted.
"Sonken-sama, we need to go!" Kogai shouted urgently.
"Like right now!" Mars insisted.
"How bad is it out there?" Sonken asked. The throne room lacked any windows, so they had no idea what the situation looked like outside right now.
"We've got an army of fliers coming to storm this place," Mars answered.
"How many?" Kannei asked.
"Thousands of them," Kamuro answered fearfully. If they had Masataka's help, they could repel them, but right now the White Devil was out of commission.
"So we really gotta go and get out of here before they get here," Mars added.
The color drained from Sonken's face. An enemy army was coming? Here? Right now? They were not prepared to face an entire invasion force.
"We need to leave the kingdom," said Sonken as she made her decision. They did not have the manpower to face an army of this magnitude. They had no choice but to abandon the kingdom. Sonsaku would have stayed and fought, but Sonken had too much she could not risk losing if she decided they should face the oncoming storm.
"Wait, what about Shuyu-sama?" Rikuson asked as she noticed the senior strategist's absence.
"She's dead."
"What-?"
"I'll explain later. Now move it. We'll take the back gate."
Rikuson would ask for details, but the looks she got from Shuutai, Kannei and Sonken told her that she was better off waiting for answers later. They needed to focus on getting away.
Sonken wiped her tears away and led the group through the hallway and to the palace's kitchen where there was a door that went out the back of the palace. They found a wagon used by the kitchen staff to carry the ingredients they bought from the market to make meals. There were also some horses in the stable that could pull the wagon.
They grabbed the horses and attached the wagon to them. It would seem the horses could sense that danger was coming and were feeling anxious. They wanted to get away as quickly as possible.
"Alright, everybody! Get on so we can get out of here!" Mars shouted as he put Masataka in the wagon with Sonshoko, laying them side-by-side as they were still unconscious. Sonken, Ryomo, Shuutai, Kannei, Taishiji, Kogai, Daikyo, and Shokyo boarded the wagon next. There was, fortunately, enough space for them all but it was still a bit cramped. Only Rikuson and Kamuro had yet to join them on the wagon.
"So, where are we headed, Your Majesty?" Mars asked Sonken.
"To the docks. We can use a ship to escape," Sonken answered.
"OK," Mars said as he got on the driver's seat. He noticed that Rikuson and Kamuro had not yet climbed onboard. "Hey, Non, Fuyu. Climb on."
Kamuro was watching the sky as the army of enemy forces descended upon the city. They were already tearing through it and headed for the palace. If they saw them flee, then they would be pursued.
"No, Nii-san," Kamuro declined. "You go. I'm staying to hold them off."
Mars gawked at his brother in disbelief. What was he saying? Was he nuts?
"Fuyu, you can't! That's crazy!" Mars protested. There was no way Kamuro could hold an army that size by himself. He might be strong, but going up against a horde of thousands on his own was suicide.
"You'll be killed!" Rikuson joined in. She did not want him to sacrifice himself needlessly. "Please, come with us!"
Kamuro removed his helmet and set it down. He then gently caressed the side of the bookworm's face. They bonded over their love for books as they shared the stories they loved. Rikuson admitted that she loved books in general, but her favorite genre had to be romance. Fuyu was a fan of the fantasy genre himself, like the Harry Potter series, Lord of the Rings series and Percy Jackson series. He loved epic tales of heroes who not only had to face a powerful evil but also their destiny while overcoming challenges to grow stronger. They grew close, eventually leading toward a relationship. He loved her so much, which was why he was willing to go through with this obviously insane and suicidal plan. As long as she was safe, it would be worth it.
He pressed his lips against hers in a loving kiss and she put her arms around him in response as she reciprocated. He meant to reassure her with that kiss and it seemed to work. It was brief yet romantic and enough to assuage any worries Rikuson might have, at least for the moment.
Rikuson wished this moment could last forever, like in one of her favorite novels. Time just seemed to stop and it felt like they were the only people in the universe. She ignored the rest of the world, focusing on the man she loved and the kiss they shared. Unfortunately, he broke the kiss and Rikuson was left with a lingering sensation on her lips.
Kamuro picked up his helmet and put it back on before helping Rikuson onto the wagon.
"Don't worry. When this is all over, I'll catch up to you," Kamuro promised as he stood his ground while facing the approaching horde. "Now go! Go before they get here!"
"Then I'm staying with you!" Mars insisted as he was about to dismount from the driver's seat. "I'm not going to let you face that army by yourself!" Someone else could drive the wagon.
"No, Nii-san. You need to go with the others," Kamuro declined.
"But-!"
"Nii-san, please trust me. We have no time to waste. You need to go before they get here."
Mars did not want to leave his brother behind. He wanted to argue, to protest his brother's decision. He wanted to grab him and throw him onto the wagon with or without his permission. But there was no time and they needed to get away before the enemy forces arrived. Mars had no choice but to do as his twin brother said. His brother was adamant in his decision and Mars had to respect that.
"You better not die or I'll kill you myself, Fuyu! Hyah!" Mars snapped the reins and the horses galloped away toward the rear exit of the palace, carrying the wagon's precious cargo to the docks.
Once they were gone, Kamuro went to confront the oncoming army that had come to claim the kingdom. He gripped his Musou Naginata tightly. It may not feel the same as his Souginjou, but it would suffice for what he was about to do.
His bracelet shone as he called upon its mystical and eldritch energies which he channeled through his body.
It would be a miracle if he survived, yet he did not fear death. Making sure everyone escaped safely was all that mattered to him. Eyes narrowed and face set in determination and concentration, Armored War God Kamuro called on all the power he could muster to initiate his next move.
"Here we go!"
[SOIYA! ORANGE SPARKING!]
After hitting the Cutting Blade thrice, he charged up his weapon with the power of his Lockseed, which also boosted the magical energy of the bracelet.
This would be his biggest plant summoning yet.
It may even be his last.
"YOU SHALL NOT PASS!"
As a fan of Lord of the Rings, one of Fuyu's favorite epic scenes was when Gandalf the Grey courageously stood his ground and faced the Balrog, risking his life to buy his companions some time to escape.
Now here he was, doing the same thing like in The Fellowship of the Ring movie.
Kamuro twirled the Musou Naginata above his head and then slammed the Musou Saber blade straight into the ground, releasing a circular pulse energy that spread out along the ground, covering the entire kingdom. The earth quaked and trembled before it broke open as hundreds upon hundreds of otherworldly vines burst forth, ensnaring the enemy forces as they cried out in surprise.
Kamuro may not be able to defeat them all, but he could still buy the others some time.
As the wagon got farther and farther away, Rikuson watched in horror as the vines burst out and enveloped the kingdom.
"FUUUUYUUUUUUU!"
It rained that night. The water came down like a heavy shower, soaking the ground and filling up puddles.
Masataka knelt in the rain, soaking wet. His once pristine robes were stained with blood. He had injuries, bruises, and scratches on his face, and he probably had more hidden underneath his clothes.
He was cradling a body in his arms and his eyes looked down somberly.
It was his brother, his dead brother, lying in his arms. His tears had mixed together with the rain so they couldn't be seen.
He threw his head back and screamed in anguish as the Heavens roared with thunder and flashed with lightning.
The body spoke.
"You killed me, Onii-chan."
Masataka screamed.
"MINATO!"
Masataka woke up, startled as cold sweat covered his face. He let out a groan as he felt his brain pounding and throbbing in his skull. As he gradually woke up fully, he studied his surroundings.
Instead of his room, it looked like the lower deck of a ship. Instead of his bed, he found himself lying in a bed of hay. He was not alone as Sonken sat beside him. She had been watching over him.
"Renfa-sama...?"
"You're awake," Sonken smiled, relieved. "That's good."
"What happened? And where are we?" Masataka asked, confused. What's going on here? Why were they in the lower deck of a ship?
"We're currently on the river, getting away from the kingdom," Sonken answered sadly.
"The kingdom...?" He looked at Sonken and saw that she was injured. "You're hurt."
"I'm fine. Ashe patched me up," she told him, referring to her bandages. "Shaoren and the others are safe too." Masataka was relieved to hear that and hugged her. She returned the hug and they broke apart after a few moments. He then noticed that she was looking at him strangely.
"What is it?" he asked.
"It's your hair," Sonken pointed. "It's different now."
"Different? What do you mean?" he asked.
"It's all white now with black streaks," she described.
Masataka touched his head. If he had a mirror, he could see it for himself, but they did not have any mirrors onboard, so he would have to take her word for it. He was glad to know that they were safe, but there was still something he had to know.
"What happened to the kingdom?"
Judging by Sonken's expression, she did not have good news.
"Masataka-kun, I'm sorry, but the kingdom has fallen. We had no choice but to flee."
Masataka's eyes widened when he received the news and it hit him hard. After all, he had sworn to protect Son Go but now the kingdom had fallen and now they were on the run.
"Masataka-kun, what happened to Saver?" Sonken asked. "Were you able to defeat him?"
'Saver...Minato...'
Masataka replayed the entire fight he had with his brother from beginning to end. He recalled the blows they exchanged before he ended the fight. He had beaten his brother but then Minato pulled a double-cross and made all his mind-controlled hostages blow themselves up.
Masataka was so overwhelmed by a fit of rage that he...that he...
Masataka's eyes widened further once he recalled what happened next, his pupils dilating in shock as the color drained from his face.
'Oh, God. Minato, no...'
He remembered losing control and turning into some kind of beast. And then he...and then he...
...It all came back to him, hitting him like a speeding monster truck.
"No...Dear, God, no..." Masataka shook his head back and forth, staring at his trembling hands. He wanted to deny it, dismissing the entire experience as a horrible bad dream, but he could see the blood on his hands, blood that he could never wash off.
There was no denying what he had done.
He had lost control and killed his own brother.
No, he had not just killed his brother, he had slaughtered him.
He had committed fratricide like Cain had done to Abel, an unforgivable crime.
What had he done?
Realizing he had murdered his own brother in cold blood, Masataka threw his arms around Sonken and wept.
"Masataka-kun, what's wrong? What happened?" Sonken asked in confusion and worry as he cried into her shoulder. Something terrible must've happened.
"My God...What...what have I done...?" Masataka cried in a fit of despair. "What have I done!?"
It did not take long for Sonken to realize what he had been forced to do and sympathetically held him to comfort him. She said nothing as she embraced him while he continued to cry in grief, guilt, misery, and despair.
He was completely and utterly devastated.
KRC: Is it fair to have the bad guys win this time? What do you guys think? Anyway, I'd like to dedicate this arc to D-Generation XX. While he has abandoned this fic and no longer wishes to review it, it's thanks to him that I managed to improve it. I also realize it's late to implement these improvements but better late than never. Now, the problem in this fic was the bland main characters, so I decided to make a few tweaks to that. Also, the villains as well. I think having the villains be people the MC's known help make the conflict more personal. I did it before with Saito, Karasu, and even Nise or Buster likes to call him Neasel (although that fell flat since the guy was not much of an antagonist. He was more of a nuisance than a genuine threat and he's a no good yellow-bellied coward). The improved Bujin Gaim, which was a parasitic and demonic entity born of hatred was a good start as well. I even introduced Saver early in cameos to build up to his first true debut in the story as an antagonist. Making him Masataka's brother was also an idea that D-Generation XX helped me to come up with since I failed to do that with the Fake Zangetsu-Shin, which was actually a wasted chance. Well, not gonna cry over that glass of spilled milk anyway. So, yeah, I came up with this new Saver and it looks good.
Some might be wondering about Fuyu's fate, which will be addressed in the future.
Also, a reference to Garo with Masataka's Beast transformation. It's basically the Lost Soul Beast form from Garo.
Gundam IBO: Thank you for your support. I'm glad I am no longer on your list of terrible fanfic writers. What made you put me on the list in the first place?
Saver's Powers (which have been revealed so far):
Helheim Fruit-Lockseed Conversion: Saver possesses the same ability as the Genesis Riders and Sengoku Riders to convert Helheim Fruit into Lockseeds. However, while the others can only create random Lockseeds, Saver can only create explosive blank Zakuro Lockseeds.
Teleportation: Saver demonstrates the ability to teleport. His body temporarily assumes a mist-like state during teleportation. Anything in physical contact with him will also end up teleporting with him. The range of his teleportation is currently unknown.
Mind Control: Saver can control the minds of people as long as they possess a codeless Zakuro Lockseed.
Remote detonation: As Saver is connected to all the Zakuro Lockseeds, he can detect them remotely from any location. This means the Lockseeds don't need to be held to be activated and he can detonate them at will.
Duplication: As Saver, he can split himself into Saver-Z (Zakuro Arms) and Saver-B (Blood Orange Arms).
Blood Absorption: Minamoto demonstrated the ability to consume blood. It also appears he has some measure of hemokinesis when he does this as the blood seems to flow into his mouth to be consumed like a vampire.
Fruits of the Trees, Yggdrasil
Hundun-Vampire Energy Arms: This Arms Armor is based on Hundun, the Fiend of Chaos, and is enhanced by the Vampire Melon Energy Lockseed. The Hundun Arms grants Saver-V a pair of wings which has dozens of Zakuro Lockseeds tucked between the feathers. The wings also allow Saver-V to fly. Saver-V also has claws that he can use to slash his opponents and generate his Arms Weapon, a pair of large muscular spectral arms known as the Fists of Salvation. The Fists of Salvation also allow Saver-V to fire a hadoken-like energy blast. Finally, the raptor face on his chestplate can also shoot energy balls. The Vampire Energy Lockseed is used to give this Arms Armor a significant power boost.
Warning: Suicidal thoughts, PTSD, and attempted rape. This is one of the few times I've written about such sensitive subject matter.
Kannei manned the wheel of the ship as they sailed away from the kingdom. Her experience as a former pirate served her well as she steered them down the river. Had it really been so long since those days when she and her crew robbed the people who went down the river?
As ashamed as she was of her days of piracy, she was not ashamed of the skills she had accumulated back then. She had developed her leadership skills as a pirate captain, leading her crew on many raids. Due to her success at evading capture, she grew arrogant. She felt as if she was untouchable. Not even the royal guard could catch her.
Then everything changed when she and her crew came across a luxurious vessel. A ship that fancy should have some pretty valuable loot. It would be like the many ships they had attacked before. It would be an easy job for them as they usually did.
She and her crew boarded the ship, ready to rob everyone blind. Unfortunately, for Kannei at the time, it was a ship owned by Sonken Bundai and she was on it.
Kannei fought Sonken Bundai as her crew battled the guards but she lost against the queen as her crew was captured. Not only did the Tiger of Koto best her in combat, she had also humbled her.
Unable to live with such a loss, Kannei demanded that Sonken Bundai execute her on the spot as she refused to rot in a cell.
Instead of execution, Sonken Bundai offered Kannei a chance to join her family. Kannei was shocked and asked why Sonken Bundai was giving her a chance to serve her, and Sonken Bundai told Kannei that even as a pirate, Kannei had never taken an innocent life. That showed Sonken Bundai what kind of person Kannei was. Even as a pirate, Kannei had a code of honor.
From then on, Kannei left her path as a pirate behind, pledging her loyalty to the royal family of Son Go. She changed her ways and worked hard to serve Sonken Bundai, eventually earning her position as captain of the royal guard to make up for her misdeeds.
It was a good life, one which had ended so suddenly. Now, they're on their own, without a home or an army. Their kingdom had fallen, and it won't be long before the rest of their territory heard about what happened.
Kannei felt like a failure for running away, but she could at least take comfort that the royal family was safe.
Kannei watched as the other junks sailed by. The ships were crowded with refugees that were accompanied by surviving Moon Brigade soldiers who had safely escorted them out of the city. It was a bit of a relief to see that some of the people managed to escape, but only a little bit. It did not change the fact that many had died and the survivors had lost their loved ones.
They could rest easy, at least for now. Fuyu's sacrifice bought them time and it didn't look like they were being pursued. The plan right now was to reach their allies and request their assistance.
Unfortunately, they hit a bit of a snag. As they had fled the kingdom in haste, they did not have time to pack and only managed to bring with them what they could carry. Fortunately, Kannei knew of a village by the river where they could stop to buy supplies.
This led to the discovery of another problem.
"We don't have a lot of money," said Sonken after she counted all their money. She had everyone pool all their money together. It wasn't much but it was all they had left.
"Then we should only buy the necessities, Sonken-sama," Ryomo advised.
"Food, water, and fresh clothing," Sonken listed. She was still dressed in her torn and blood-stained clothes. After her duel with her sister, she did not have a chance to change. "We may need to haggle for our supplies. This will be a long journey." Luckily, some of them had the skill to haggle for a good deal. Kogai herself frequently used her sex appeal to get discounts. Just never mention her age.
"How much of a price do you think this thing will fetch?" Kogai asked as she showed them her Saver Arrow.
"Thank you, Kogai, but I think you should hang on to that," Sonken advised. "You may need it."
"You know, it's a miracle that thing has not vanished yet," Ryomo observed. She had seen the weapons of an Armored War God vanish along with their armor, so it was strange that the Saver Arrows that Kogai and Taishiji now possessed had not disappeared after the defeat of their previous owners. Strange, yet lucky. At least they had some powerful weapons as part of their arsenal.
"How's Sensei?" Kogai asked Sonken who shook her head sadly.
"Not well," she answered. After Masataka woke up, he revealed what he had done and she just comforted him as he wept in grief. Sonken sympathized with him. He wasn't the only one forced to kill a sibling that night.
She would give him time to come to terms with it, but right now they needed to get supplies and continue their journey. They were on the run so they needed to reach their allies soon and seek refuge. With Shoku currently recovering from another attack, the only kingdom that's left was Sou Gi. Hopefully, Sousou would let her people enter her kingdom.
Sonshoko walked over to her big sister.
"Renfa-neesama, when will we reach Sou Gi?" the princess asked.
"We'll be there soon, Shaoren," Sonken smiled reassuringly at her little sister, patting her on the head. This was rough for Sonshoko. They had lost their home overnight and would have to stay on the ship until they reached Sou Gi. "I'm sorry about this. I know sleeping on a bed of hay is not exactly luxurious, but when we get to our allies I promise you that you'll sleep in a proper bed."
"It's alright. I don't mind sleeping on a bed of hay until we reach Sou Gi," Sonshoko replied. Sonken was pleasantly surprised by such a mature answer. She remembered how Sonshoko used to be a brat, but now she was practicing patience. "I'm just worried about Zan-niichan."
"I know, I'm worried too," Sonken admitted.
"What can we do?" Sonshoko asked. Masataka looked so sad and she wished she knew a way to cheer him up.
"We just need to give him time and be there for him," Sonken advised.
Sonshoko wished there was more she could do, and then she remembered something.
"Renfa-neesama, when I went down to the festival, I got you and Zan-niichan something," Sonshoko confessed as she pulled the box out of her satchel. "I wanted to get you gifts." She opened the box and showed Sonken the bracelets.
"Shaoren, they're beautiful," Sonken smiled as she admired the bracelets. Sonshoko gave one of the bracelets to Sonken and she snapped it on around her wrist. She then handed the other one over to her sister too. "Aren't you going to give this to Masataka-kun? It could cheer him up."
Sonshoko shook her head.
"You should be the one to give this to Zan-niichan. He'll be happy when he gets it from you," Sonshoko explained.
Sonken smiled warmly and gave her little sister a tender hug. She appreciated the gift and Sonshoko showed that she had grown up, but Sonken was still keeping secret things from her.
Sonshoko did not know what exactly transpired in the palace, so Sonken had told the others not to divulge it. As far as Sonken was concerned, Sonshoko did not need to know that she had killed an undead version of their eldest sister Sonsaku.
Sonshoko also did not need to know Shuyu had killed herself after she attempted to stage a coup, summoning an undead Sonsaku to do so. As far as Sonshoko knew, Shuyu had courageously sacrificed herself in an attempt to buy them time to escape.
It was a lie, but a good lie to protect the honor and memory of a comrade.
Sonken hoped her little sister never learned the truth.
Taishiji Shigi was not doing so well, as she leaned over the side of the deck just looking down at the river.
"It's gone...all gone..."
When the previous troupe master gave her the position after he grew too old to continue, Taishiji accepted with a goal in mind. She would make their troupe famous and well-known throughout the land.
Such a goal would require effort, as they all trained hard so that they could put on the best shows ever in the history of China.
It all went well. Yes, they started out as a traveling performance troupe, and while the path was difficult and treacherous with bandits waiting to pounce on their caravan, they were happy since they were together. They even gained the attention of Sonsaku who sponsored them. She gave them their own studio with a stage to put on shows and a place to come home to, which also included monthly donations so they could keep going. The money went to improving their equipment and getting new costumes.
And it had all been going so well. They put on shows in Son Go and also traveled all around China to spread cheer and joy. They did face challenges since they were not the only traveling entertainers as the Chou Sisters were even more famous, but they were only three girls with fancy magical equipment. Taishiji's performance group could put on spectacular shows without any fancy gimmicks, though the microphones and the light projectors which the Chou Sisters created were also utilized by the troupe, if only because of their benefits. The Chou Sisters were only singers who put on magic shows. The performance troupe put on plays of great epic tales of drama, romance, heroism and sometimes even tragedy.
The parade was supposed to return everyone's cheer and help them forget about the tragic opening ceremony of the Tiger Festival. The troupe would march all over the city, playing music and dancing for everyone to see. The whole city became their stage with an audience that lined the streets. It was the happiest day of Taishiji's life.
And then the explosions went off and their audience ran for their lives. It was the first explosion that truly traumatized Taishiji since it hit right in the middle of the parade, killing members of her troupe instantly.
She could still remember the sight of that severed head whenever she closed her eyes. The only hope she had was that everyone else managed to get away. It did not change the fact that their performance troupe was now gone.
The troupe meant the world to her, but it was taken away in an instant.
Her entire troupe, her family, it was all gone.
In just one night, she had lost everything.
"Hey, Taishiji-san, how are you holding up?" Natsu asked as he came up to her. He had seen her and she looked like she could use someone to talk to.
She fixed him with a glare.
"What do you think?" she snapped, only to become apologetic moments later, "I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm just really upset because everyone we know is probably dead."
"Yeah," Natsu sighed sadly. "Can't believe it's all gone."
"I hope the others managed to get away." Taishiji had seen her troupe members fleeing the scene after the first explosion. She just hoped they were alive and well.
"Me too."
"And Fuyu...do you think he made it?"
"He has to." Natsu would not accept anything else. His brother was not KIA, he was MIA. That was what he believed.
"You're right, he has to be alright," Taishiji agreed. She had seen what Fuyu had done to buy them time. It had been quite the spectacle. To conjure up that many vines, with enough power to hold off an invasion force, was astounding. Who knew he had so much power hidden away?
He truly deserved the title Ultimate Magic. No, he should be called the 'Ultimate Miracle' since it was a miracle that they survived, thanks to him.
Natsu stared at his LockPhone, trying to call Fuyu, and trying to get a signal. He failed both times, but he did not believe that it meant that Fuyu was gone. Looking up, he spotted Rikuson standing on the other side of the deck.
Rikuson stood on the other side of the deck. She was still thinking about her lover and the last time she saw him.
"Fuyu..."
"Hey, Non," Natsu said, surprising Rikuson. She looked at him, only to turn her gaze away. Looking at Natsu's face hurt. It was the same face as Fuyu's.
"He promised he'd catch up with us when we managed to get away," Rikuson reminded. "So where is he?"
"I don't know," Natsu answered as he glanced at the LockPhone again snapping it close. He looked at it repeatedly in case there was a signal, but so far he got nothing. "But he'll find us."
"I hope so too..." Rikuson murmured. She wished he managed to survive, but she had seen the size of the approaching army. The Ultimate Magic he might be, but Fuyu was just one man going up against thousands. The odds were stacked against him. Even if he managed to defeat most of them with his magic, he would be exhausted and mobbed by the survivors.
But Rikuson needed to have faith.
If she did not have faith...she might just break.
"So, you heard what Sempai did, right?" Natsu asked.
"Yes," Rikuson answered. Sonken had told them and while some of them were horrified that Masataka had murdered his own brother, the rest felt that he had done what was necessary to punish the man who had caused their kingdom to fall into ruin and chaos. Nobody was sad, except for Masataka, that Saver was dead. They were more worried about Masataka and how this affected him.
"I could never imagine doing something like that," Natsu remarked. He and his twin brother were close, very close, and the thought of doing something like murder his own brother never occurred to him. Sure, they may have their disagreements, they may even argue and fight on occasion, but they never got so bad as to lead to one of them killing the other.
"It must be tearing him apart."
"Yeah, you don't just get over killing your own brother," Natsu agreed. "But he'll have to get over it soon. We're going to need him and he's going to need us."
Rikuson concurred. Seeing Masataka lose control like that when he turned into The Beast was terrifying. Such a drastic and monstrous transformation like that could've only been brought upon by the weight of his guilt and the inability to cope with it.
When Masataka awoke, Shuutai was beside him. She had stayed, as she usually did, by his side, waiting for him to wake up. She did take her vow as his bodyguard seriously after all.
He was feeling better, not good, but at least he was not drowning in guilt and sorrow at the moment. He could make coherent thoughts.
Sonken had stayed by his side earlier as he wept until he ran out of tears. She said nothing as she held him, rubbing his back to comfort him as his tears soaked her shoulder. Eventually, he cried himself to sleep and Sonken left him to attend to other matters on deck. She was still queen, even if she had lost her kingdom, and she still had her responsibilities.
Masataka had asked Shuutai about anything he might've missed, and Shuutai answered, recounting everything that happened while he fought Saver and during their escape. She started with how they escaped and then went on to tell him what happened during his battle with his brother.
"I don't believe it," Masataka responded once Shuutai finished. She had finished by telling him that Shuyu had committed suicide after attempting to stage a coup. When that failed, she had chosen to take her own life instead of facing Sonken's judgment.
Masataka and Shuyu had bonded and grown close as fellow advisors when she started mentoring him. She was their friend and yet she had betrayed them all after she claimed that she was not a traitor, no less. And for what? To bring Sonsaku back to life? Well, the promise of having her beloved back was likely very tempting. Shuyu had always shown she was more loyal to Sonsaku than she ever was to Sonken. It was no surprise that she did betray them, but Masataka still could not believe she had.
And now she was gone. She had killed herself to be with her beloved in the afterlife.
"I don't believe it either," Shuutai echoed. She really could not believe it really happened. Shuyu's betrayal, her reviving Sonsaku to stage a coup, it had all been jarring. She could hardly believe it happened either. It was like a bad dream.
Shuutai waited for Masataka to come to terms with what he'd just learned. She knew he did not wish to hear any bad news, but she could not keep him in the dark for long. Sonken might've decided to keep the details hidden from Sonshoko, but Masataka needed to know what had happened while he was busy confronting his own brother.
"Thanks for telling me, Minmei," Masataka said. He appreciated her honesty. He knew it was not easy for her to be the bearer of bad news, but it was something he needed to know. As heartbreaking as the news was, it was better than not knowing.
"You're welcome, Zangetsu-sama."
"Is there anything else?" he inquired. He needed to know what their plan was so he could help in some way.
"We'll be stopping at the next port to purchase supplies," she informed him.
"Food and water, right?" he surmised.
"And fresh clothing too," Shuutai added. "Although, that might not be much of a priority."
Masataka took out his money pouch and handed it to Shuutai. He still had some money left.
"Here, give this to Sonken-sama," Masataka instructed her.
"Will you be alright by yourself?" Shuutai asked him worriedly.
"I'll be fine. I'm just going to stay here," he answered. Shuutai seemed skeptical but she nodded and went up to the deck to hand Masataka's money over to Sonken.
Once he was left alone, Masataka leaned against the wall, sighing sadly. He remained below deck as he did not feel like he could face anyone after what he'd done.
He found that his glasses were broken but he also discovered that he no longer needed them. In fact, his eyesight was sharper than ever. It was like he had miraculously gotten perfect 20/20 vision. He should've been happy about his improved eyesight, but he was in no mood to celebrate, especially over something so small.
Shuyu was gone and Fuyu was missing, probably killed. Even with all his power, there was nothing he could do to save Son Go. He could not believe the kingdom had fallen and all because of his brother.
Masataka never realized his brother could resent him so much, enough to drive him to such actions, but he did. Minato blamed him for their grandfather's death. Masataka could not believe their grandfather was dead, but Minato would never joke about that. Minato loved their grandfather and respected the man, even after he got involved with a bad crowd.
"Things cannot get any worse..." Masataka miserably said to himself.
"Hey, you should watch what you say," Natsu advised as he came down. "You could jinx us."
"Natsu, I'm so sorry about what happened to Fuyu," Masataka said sympathetically.
Natsu narrowed his eyes. He hated being reminded that his brother, that his twin might be dead.
"Don't talk like he's dead, Sempai, 'cuz he isn't. He stayed behind to buy us time to escape, but that doesn't mean he's dead."
"But still, if he was still alive, he should've caught up with us by now."
"Look, I know my brother. He's fine. He's probably resting. He used a lot of magic to buy us time so we could get away."
Masataka believed that Natsu was in denial, but did not comment. Like himself, Natsu was just trying to cope with the loss of his brother.
At least Natsu never murdered his own flesh and blood.
Yet another death caused by Minato's actions and Masataka could not help but blame himself for it.
"Sempai," Natsu started again. "Look, I'm sorry about your brother too but he was scum. You can't blame yourself for the things he did."
"What makes you think I blame myself?"
"The guilt's written all over your face," Natsu pointed out.
"I killed him, Natsu!" Masataka yelled back furiously. "Of course, I feel guilty! And everything that happened since he got here was because of me! Me! Because I abandoned him! Because I left him behind!"
Masataka was someone who regularly believed in doing what was necessary, no matter the cost, as long as it helped Son Go. This time the cost was too high for him. He tried to save the kingdom, only to fail, and he had killed his brother in a fit of uncontrollable rage.
"Only because you didn't want to abandon the people here. Our enemies would've killed them all if you hadn't come back, Sempai. And blaming yourself isn't going to change anything."
"I know, I made my choice and I thought I made peace with that, but now..." Masataka shook his head. His grandfather was dead, literally worrying over him to death, and his little brother had caused a killing spree, destroying an entire kingdom in the process. Those were the consequences of his decision and he had no choice but to live with them. Maybe if he had told them where he was going, then perhaps none of this would've happened. Perhaps his grandfather wouldn't have died of a broken heart, and perhaps his brother wouldn't have hated him so much that he went to the dark side. "...I don't know if I made the right choice at all. Maybe if I had told them where I was going, things would've been different."
"Look, you can worry about the what-ifs as much as you want, but you can't change what's happened already. You gotta live with it and try to move forward. Anyway, we're about to port at a fishing village for supplies. We need to work together to get through this. So, get better, 'cuz we need you, Sempai."
Natsu went back up the deck, leaving Masataka below deck, alone with nothing but his thoughts to keep him company.
"Minato, I'm so sorry..." Masataka lamented, filled with regret. He wished he could've done something, anything to save his brother and the kingdom. He wished things could have ended differently without anyone dying so tragically. He wished he could've done things differently and prevented the series of tragic events culminating with the fall of Son Go.
Some protector he was. In the end, he failed to uphold his vow to protect Son Go.
He hissed from a sudden pain in his arm and rolled up his sleeve to check. His eyes widened when he saw that a patch of his skin on his forearm had turned to stone.
"...What?"
Shuutai handed Masataka's money over to Sonken. She then asked if she could go back down to accompany Masataka. She did not feel that leaving him alone for so long was a good idea.
As she returned below deck, she shivered slightly from the cold. It served to remind her of what they had lost when Son Go fell into the hands of the enemy.
After her talk with Kannei, she actually considered confessing her feelings to Masataka. She was prepared for him to either accept or reject her. If he rejected her feelings, then she could move on, knowing he did not feel the same way. But if he accepted, well she would be happy, but then she would need to speak to Sonken as well, which might just be harder for her. However, now the young female guard was having second thoughts about confessing to Masataka. He was not in a good place right now.
He was haunted by what he had done. Saver might've been an enemy, but he had still been Masataka's brother and killing his only living kin in this world had devastated him. She had witnessed his emotional breakdown after he woke up and clung to Sonken, repeating 'What have I done?' over and over again.
It was not a good time for her to share her romantic feelings with her crush. What he needed now was her support and not to be burdened by anything inconsequential. Her job was to be there for Masataka, and that's what she would do.
Quietly, which was normal for her, Shuutai approached Masataka. He did not seem to notice her, transfixed by his arm oddly enough. When she got close enough for a better look, she gasped at what she saw.
"Zangetsu-sama!?"
Startled, Masataka quickly rolled his sleeve down to cover his arm and turned to see Shuutai, looking concerned.
"Don't sneak up on me like that!" Masataka snapped, his heart racing, but not because she had surprised him.
He followed her gaze to his arm and he clutched it.
She had seen something she shouldn't have.
"What happened to your arm?"
"It's nothing, Minmei."
"No, I saw. What happened?"
"Minmei, please don't tell the others."
"But-"
"That's an order!" Masataka furiously cut her off. "Look, I don't know what's happening, and I don't want the others to know, not yet at least. They already have too many things to worry about and I don't want to add another problem to that list. So, please, just keep this between us."
Shuutai reluctantly complied with the order, as much as she disagreed with him. She would follow Masataka's command but she vowed to tell someone if his condition worsened and she had a feeling it might with how that patch of stony skin looked.
Their ship stopped at the next port with the others and not a moment too soon as they needed supplies. Everyone was getting hungry and cold.
They would need blankets, new clothes, as well as food and water to last them for the rest of the trip. With the amount of food and water they could afford, they needed to ration everything so that everyone got a fair share.
Sonshoko suggested that they find work when the chance came. While traveling with Nagata, Kanu, Chouhi, and Komei, she had seen them work at inns and restaurants to earn traveling money. Hopefully, there were people looking for help and would pay them a modest wage for it.
Once they arrived, Sonken instructed Sonshoko, Daikyo, and Shokyo to stay onboard with Rikuson, Natsu, and Masataka while she, Taishiji, Kogai, Ryomo, and Kannei went to purchase supplies. Shuutai also opted to stay and look after Masataka.
As much as she wished she could tell someone, Shuutai had not divulged Masataka's condition to anyone. She did not think it was right. Something was obviously wrong with him and he should not be keeping it a secret, especially from Sonken.
What if it was some kind of curse?
What if it got worse?
Shuutai wanted to tell someone, but she was bound by her word. She could not disobey him when he made it an order.
Even so, his welfare should be more important than his authority.
Shuutai glanced over at Sonshoko, Daikyo, and Shokyo who were huddled together for warmth. As the youngest members of their little refugee group, it made sense for them to come together during these tough times.
Sonshoko wanted to wake up, thinking this was all just a bad dream. She just had a hard time believing that everything could change so much in just a single night. Just today, she had gone out to enjoy the festival with Rikuson. Then, hours later, they had lost their home and were now on the river, trying to flee from their enemies.
Just how could things have gone so wrong in such a short time?
What were they supposed to do now?
Where were they supposed to go?
Sonshoko cried at the loss of their home, while Daikyo and Shokyo did their best to comfort her.
"I'm going down to check up on Zangetsu-sama," Shuutai informed Rikuson and Natsu.
"Oh, alright," Rikuson responded absentmindedly. Shuutai understood that Rikuson could not get Fuyu out of her head. The last time they had seen him was when he chose to sacrifice himself so they could escape.
Rikuson was in grief but she was also suffering from survivor's guilt. If he hadn't tried to save them, then he might still be alive. In spite of her grief, she still held onto the hope that he was alive. He did promise that he would catch up to them. Unfortunately, there were no signs he had survived at all.
Shuutai went below deck to find Masataka sitting in the corner. He did not look very well. These days, he was just trying to hold onto his sanity. The guilt was eating him up inside. Killing his only living kin in this world was something he had trouble coping with. His composure was shattered and his sanity seemed to be slipping away day by day.
It was heartbreaking to watch, especially when it didn't seem like there was anything they could do to help him. Sonken had tried her best, but she had so many duties to perform as she led everyone to safety. The plan was to reach their allies, but in the meantime, they needed to survive on their own.
Masataka clutched his head as he closed his eyes shut tightly. He was trying to keep The Beast under control and keep it locked in its cage. Every day, it was a struggle for him not to lose control and do unspeakable things to his friends. He had so many chances to lose control like before, but he managed to keep The Beast at bay.
He could not allow himself to make another mistake, not one that could endanger everyone.
The patch on his arm had spread, but he still managed to cover it with his sleeve. Yet, it was a temporary solution. Eventually, it would spread too far and he wouldn't be able to hide it. Why did he insist on hiding it?
"Zangetsu-sama...?"
Masataka looked up at Shuutai and he was suddenly overcome by a growing hunger. He licked his watering lips as he looked up at her. He wanted to sink his teeth into her flesh and...
No!
No!
That was The Beast within him!
With each passing second, The Beast grew stronger while his restraint eroded.
He wanted to kill himself, throw himself overboard to save his friends from him, but The Beast would not allow him. Its self-preservation instincts were too strong.
However, Masataka knew he had to do something. It would hurt the others, but not as badly as he would've hurt them if he stayed.
Masataka jumped to his feet and knocked Shuutai as he ran past her. She cried out to him, but he ignored her as he ran up to the deck. He then got off the ship and bolted away.
This did not go unnoticed by the others.
"Huh?"
"Was that Sempai?"
"Where's Zan-niichan going?"
"Zangetsu-sama, wait! Come back!" Shuutai shouted as she gave chase. She could not let him get away.
He might hurt himself.
Masataka ran deep into the nearby forest. The leaves had fallen during fall, leaving them bare for the rest of winter until spring returned. The forest floor was covered by a sheet of white powder.
Masataka did not know where he was going, as long as it was far away from the others.
He leaned against a tree to catch his breath. He could not stop running. Shuutai was chasing him and she would try to take him back, but he could not let her. He could not endanger everyone.
He refused to hurt anyone else so the best thing for him to do for them was to run away.
"You can't run away from your sins, Onii-chan."
Masataka froze when he heard Minato's voice in his head.
"Mi...Minato?"
His eyes widened as he saw his little brother standing right in front of him, soaked in his own blood.
"You did this. You killed me. You killed Ojii-chan."
"No." Masataka shook his head in denial. It must be a hallucination. "You're not real." Minato stepped toward Masataka. "No! Stay away! Stay away!" Masataka screamed as he took a swipe at Minato, but his hand passed through the specter.
"You'll never be rid of me, Onii-chan. I'll haunt you for the rest of your life," Minato responded with an eerie smile.
"Please, Minato! I'm sorry I killed you! I'm sorry I left you! I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" Masataka yelled out in apology, desperately trying to seek forgiveness.
"No amount of sorries can wash away the blood on you," Minato told him while pointing at him.
Masataka saw a patch of red blood staining his sleeve. It started to spread. Quickly and in fright, Masataka hastily threw his robe off. He looked down at his hands which were covered in blood.
"A person like you is better off dead. For everyone's sake, just kill yourself. Kill yourself. Kill yourself," Minato's ghost taunted him.
"Kill...myself?"
Masataka trembled. He had never contemplated suicide before.
Maybe...it was for the best.
Minato smiled viciously.
"Yes, kill yourself."
Masataka deserved to die.
He was beginning to lose control.
"NO!"
Masataka turned and bolted in an attempt to get away, but no matter where he ran the specter would always remain with him. It was a manifestation of his own guilt, after all.
Masataka tripped and fell. As he got up on his hands and knees, he pounded the snow-covered floor and let out a scream of despair.
He could feel his sanity slip as The Beast began to reassert itself.
Shuutai tracked Masataka down by following his footprints in the snow. When she found his robe lying in the snow, she knew she was on the right track.
When she heard his scream, she followed the sound.
Was he hurt?
Was he in danger?
If he was hurt or in danger, he would need her help.
"Zangetsu-sama! Zangetsu-sama!"
She soon found him in the middle of a grove of trees. He was on his hands and knees, shivering.
"Zangetsu-sama!" Shuutai called as she went toward him. Masataka turned to look at her, eyes with terror.
"No! Minmei, stay back! Please, you have to get away from me!" Masataka yelled, causing her to stop.
"Zangetsu-sama, what's wrong?" she asked.
"I...I can't control it! Please, you need to run before I lose it! I'm dangerous!" Masataka shouted, struggling to keep The Beast at bay.
Shuutai, ever loyal, would not allow him to suffer. She swore to follow his orders, but she also swore to always protect him with her life.
"Zangetsu-sama, please, tell me what's wrong! Maybe I can help!"
The Beast inside bashed against its cage, each strike causing the bars to bend and come loose. It was getting harder and harder for Masataka to stay in control as his head pounded painfully while the urges became stronger.
Masataka found his sense of smell sharpening as he took in Shuutai's scent. It was the scent of a woman, soft and alluring. His mouth watered as he licked his lips. His breathing quickened, becoming more erratic, as his face became flushed. Sweat beaded on his face as his body temperature rose.
The Beast had satiated its urge to kill by murdering Minato, but now Shuutai was here and a new urge came.
The urge to fuck.
The urge to fuck a woman.
To urge to fuck a woman, whether consensual or not.
And there was a woman, right there for the taking.
"Zangetsu-sama..."
Masataka wanted to shout at her to run, but it was too late as a roar tore itself from his throat.
The Beast within him had broken free.
Shuutai screamed as Masataka lunged at her. She was so startled that she was unable to defend herself as he knocked her to the ground. He pinned her to the ground and grabbed her dress, gripping it tightly in his fingers.
"Zangetsu-sama! Zangetsu-sama, what are you doing!?" Shuutai shouted as she tried to fight back. She struggled against him as he started to tear at her clothing and realized what he wanted from her. "Zangetsu-sama, no! Not like this! Not like this!"
Before he could force himself upon her, a blast of radiant golden Ki struck Masataka, throwing him off Shuutai and sending him rolling on the snow. Shuutai gasped and tried to cover her modesty as she looked around for the one who had saved her.
It was a man in a mask with a horn protruding from it.
It was Brusa Li, Grandmaster of the Order of the Claw.
Brusa Li approached Masataka, his body radiating with power. It was overwhelming yet warm and comforting.
"Stand down and shackle your inner beast, young warrior," Brusa Li commanded.
Masataka growled as the patch of stony skin on his arm spread faster and further until it covered his whole body like a rocky carapace. His fingernails also grew into claws and Masataka's mouth was filled with razor-sharp teeth. His ears became pointed as his face turned more and more animalistic.
Masataka lunged at Grandmaster Brusa Li who caught his wrist then flipped him over his shoulder, slamming him into the snow. As Masataka tried to get up, Brusa Li slammed his palm into his chest, stunning Masataka as golden energy burst from his palm.
"Yu Mo Gui Gwai Fai Di Zao! Yu Mo Gui Gwai Fai Di Zao! Yu Mo Gui Gwai Fai Di Zao! Yu Mo Gui Gwai Fai Di Zao!"
Shuutai watched in awe as Brusa Li chanted a spell, causing Masataka to flail around in agony. His stony skin cracked before shattering to pieces, returning him back to normal.
Once Masataka was free of his bestial state, he began to calm down, breathing heavily. He opened his eyes and looked at Brusa Li, whom he recognized.
"It's you..." Masataka had not seen Brusa Li since he sent them to stop the Femme Fatales from reviving Dai Shi.
"Hello, young White Tiger," Brusa Li greeted.
"What happened...?" Masataka then recalled what he had nearly done. "Oh God! Minmei! I nearly-!"
"She is safe, do not fear," Brusa Li consoled him.
"But I nearly-! Minmei, I'm so sorry!"
Brusa Li helped him back up to his feet. Masataka saw Shuutai looking at him but he turned away in shame. What he had nearly done to her, it could not be forgiven. How could he look her in the eye ever again after nearly forcing himself on her?
"Zangetsu-sama..." Shuutai whispered. "Are you alright?"
"You're asking me? I nearly hurt you, Minmei."
"But you didn't."
"Only because Brusa Li came in the nick of time."
"Yes, it was indeed fortunate that I came," Brusa Li agreed.
"Why are you here?" Shuutai asked the man suspiciously. It's not like she wasn't grateful for his help. He did save her and Masataka, but his appearance seemed a bit too convenient and he might have ulterior motives.
"I sensed a disturbance and came out here to investigate," Brusa Li answered before turning his gaze to Masataka. "And now I see the reason behind the disturbance."
"I lost control and did something terrible," Masataka confessed.
"I know, and that is why I'm here. I'm going to help you control your inner beast," said Brusa Li.
"Didn't you already take care of it?" Masataka asked, perplexed.
"The Beast is a part of you. I merely put it back in its cage, but it can still break free again."
"Then please...help me. I don't want to hurt anyone I love ever again..." Masataka begged. Normally, he would not trust a stranger, but he was desperate. This was not something he could take care of himself. He could not control The Beast by himself for much longer. He needed help.
"Then come with me to begin your training, young warrior," Brusa Li said, offering Masataka his hand.
"Hold on!" Shuutai protested. "Zangetsu-sama, you can't just leave! Sonken-sama and Sonshoko-sama need you!"
She needed him too.
Masataka looked at her sadly, and he was reminded of what he had nearly done to her. He would only put everyone in danger if he stayed.
"I have to do this, Minmei."
"Then at least see Sonken-sama first! You can't just leave without speaking to her!"
"If I went back to see her, I wouldn't have the strength to leave, and I'm scared that I'll lose control again. I can't trust myself not to hurt her or anyone else. This is something I must do."
Masataka knew he was abandoning everyone, but this time he had a good reason.
He needed to protect them from himself.
Shuutai, however, refused to let him go.
"Zangetsu-sama, you don't have to leave. We can figure out a way to help you."
Masataka sighed.
"Minmei, as much faith as I have in everyone, do you think they'll be able to figure out a way to help me before it's too late?"
"I..." Shuutai hesitated. Honestly, she wasn't sure if they could. While they had the likes of Rikuson who had read every book in the library and then some, this went way beyond anything traditional methods could fix. This was within the realm of magic and the supernatural, which was outside Shuutai's understanding.
Still, Shuutai did not want him to leave.
What if they never saw each other again?
"At least, take me with you," Shuutai pleaded. She needed to remain at his side. She could not bear to see him leave.
Masataka shook his head. Shuutai was ever so loyal and he appreciated that, but she could not go with him. She had other responsibilities. Before she was his bodyguard, she was one of Sonken's guards.
"I'm sorry, but I can't let you come with me. Please tell everyone that I'm sorry that I have to go."
"No, Zangetsu-sama..."
"Goodbye, Minmei. I release you from your service."
"Zangetsu-sama, wait!" Shuutai quickly went to stop him, but she was not fast enough as Masataka took Brusa Li's hand and vanished with him in a flash.
Shuutai collapsed to her knees, speechless. She could not believe he was gone, but he had disappeared right before her eyes.
She would have to be the bearer of bad news. She would have to tell Sonken, Sonshoko and the others that Masataka had left them.
None of them would handle the news well.
Natsu caught up to Shuutai soon after. He found her on her knees, with her clothes torn and Masataka was nowhere in sight.
"Shuutai, what happened? Are you okay? Where's Sempai?"
In the ship's lower deck, in Masataka's spot, his GenesisDriver and SengokuDriver were left behind along with his Lockseeds, save for the Baihu Lockseed.
The SengokuDriver's Rider Indicator had faded and turned blank.
