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.


The entire Gi Faction was gathered together for the somber occasion. One of their own had fallen in battle and they were here to pay their final respects. In order to give their fallen comrade a proper funeral, they decided to light a funeral pyre.

The funeral pyre was lit by Sousou and it was with a heavy heart that she had to let go of one of her subordinates. She would not cry, at least not in public. She would mourn in private where nobody would see her.

As she watched the flames engulf the body, the petite ruler of Sou Gi whispered solemnly.

"Goodbye."


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 34: Bonding Through Adversity


Three Weeks Earlier...

Mitsuki was not a vain person by nature. Unlike Marcus, he did not waste half an hour pampering himself or admiring his appearance in the mirror. While he understood the benefits of an acceptable appearance when it came to making a good impression, he had no reason to waste his time staring at his own reflection. He had better things to do with his time.

So, it was a strange sight to see Mitsuki holding a hand mirror up in front of his face, but he had a good reason for it. The reason for this was quite simple.

He was practicing his smile.

He could grin, he could smirk and look smug, but he was not able to make a sincerely warm smile.

The corners of his lips twitched as he attempted to crack a warm smile.

He was failing.

Fortunately, Riten and Ukin were present to provide him with some encouragement.

"Baron-sama, you need to raise the corners of your lips more."

"Maybe show some teeth."

"And smile with your eyes."

Mitsuki took their suggestions and tried, but only managed to make a weirdly awkward smile instead. He almost looked constipated. It was at that moment Gakushin entered and he turned to face her. As their eyes met, she paused and tilted her head, puzzled.

"What is wrong with your face?" Gakushin asked bluntly. She wondered if he was making funny faces for fun, which was so unlike him.

"I've been told that I need to learn to smile better," Mitsuki answered as he adopted a more natural expression. It was Mei who had said that. He could manage it before, but he could never hold a warm smile for very long.

Mei was the young lady who had taken Mitsuki in on the day he was originally displaced in this world. They were still close friends and Mitsuki would visit her frequently at the orphanage she ran, which was located outside the walls of the kingdom. It was quite a secluded place, surrounded by a bamboo forest, but Mei and the orphans had no trouble living there.

"Do you have something for me, Nagi?" Mitsuki asked.

"There's tension amongst the men, Baron-sama," Gakushin reported. She noticed how the men who had volunteered to join the Crimson Guard and the ex-bandits stayed within their own groups and it was causing tension. "Sousou-sama wants you to take care of it."

"Haven't the former bandits been doing their part?" Mitsuki inquired. He had observed them since their recruitment and they knew how to follow orders without question, though it was mostly from fear of incurring his wrath. He did manage to build a reputation as a vengeful enforcer for Sousou.

"Yes, they have. Once they found a purpose by joining us, there have been no disciplinary problems from them," Gakushin answered. Truthfully, Mitsuki had not given them much of a choice before. They could either join him or die. They chose the former and it seemed to work out great.

"And yet the others are giving them a hard time." It seemed that his original Crimson Guardsmen were not happy with having ex-bandits within their ranks. They ignored them at first, working with them when necessary, but this tension could escalate and cause infighting that could endanger the infrastructure of his group.

"Sir, you really can't expect the Crimson Guard, whose job is to keep the peace and enforce the laws, to work alongside bandits," Gakushin stated.

"Former bandits, Nagi. And you're right. People have a hard time with letting go of the past. Perhaps it's time I taught them a lesson." Mitsuki smirked and Mitsuki's lieutenants could see he was formulating a plan. "Gather the men. It's time for boot camp."


The Crimson Guard were assembled in the courtyard with Mitsuki facing them. Standing at his side were his lieutenants. As Sousou's Crimson Enforcer, one of her generals and commander of the Crimson Guard, Mitsuki had gotten used to having his orders followed without question. One of his responsibilities was to deal with internal issues within the Crimson Guard.

Not too long ago, Mitsuki had conscripted a group of bandits into the Crimson Guard. He had not given them much of a choice. If they had refused his offer, then he would've made an example out of them. As none of them wanted to die, they had no choice but to join up.

They even took part in the Battle of the Bloody Valley. Unfortunately, that was still not enough for the ex-bandits to bond with the rest of the Crimson Guard as comrades. They suffered mistrust from the Crimson Guard who had volunteered and joined through legitimate means. The former bandits also retaliated violently, offended when their crimes were brought up and how they were just criminals and nothing more. Such strife was causing harm to the group's harmony and it needed to be stamped out.

Mitsuki glared at his Crimson Guard and addressed them.

"I've heard you've been having trouble with your fellow soldiers! This stops now! Whatever you were in the past, that no longer matters! You are all members of the Crimson Guard! However, it seems you have forgotten that so for the next two weeks you all will be participating in a mandatory training course! And when I say mandatory, I mean that if you try to skip out on this training course, there will be consequences!"

Shibai flashed them her needles to get the point across. The guardsmen knew of her reputation and began to pale because of the implied threat.

"Because this is a mandatory exercise, I'll make it very clear that your performance will decide your place in the Crimson Guard! If you fail, you're out! No second chances! No reapplication! Once you're out of the Crimson Guard, you have no chance of coming back! If you feel you're not up to it, I suggest you consider future employment elsewhere right now!"

The guardsmen began exchanging looks of worry. A mandatory training course where their station in the Crimson Guard was put on the line? Was that even fair?

Nobody wanted to argue. Nobody could argue. Mitsuki was their leader so they would have to obey. They would have to prove that they were worthy to stay as members of the Crimson Guard.

"Welcome to boot camp," Mitsuki concluded with a cold and sinister smile that unnerved not only his soldiers but his lieutenants as well.

"He was not kidding about the smiling practice," Gakushin whispered to Ukin who nodded silently in return.


The location of Mitsuki's boot camp would be in the cold mountains. After marching to their location, Mitsuki's first order was for them to prepare the campsite and put up their tents. Afterward, they could have their meals and sleep.

Once dawn came, their hellish training would begin.

BOOOM!

An explosion rocked the campsite, shocking the Crimson Guard awake.

"What is that!?"

"Are we under attack!?"

"Quickly! We have to run!"

They scrambled out of their tents, in full uniform. Mitsuki had told them to be in uniform for bed. They would not have to waste time getting dressed.

And now they knew why.

Hovering above them in his Red Phoenix Celestial Armor was Armored War God Baron. Ukin, Riten, Gakushin, and Shibai were riding on Dandeliners as they hovered behind him.

"That was your wake-up call! Since it's a beautiful morning, I think it's perfect for a morning run!" Baron said. When he saw the Crimson Guard all frozen, he yelled, "I SAID RUN!"

The Crimson Guard quickly ran through the snow. They were going too slow, unfortunately, much to Baron's dissatisfaction.

Well, he knew how to motivate them.

He conjured up a fireball in his hand and threw it. He made sure that it didn't hit too close to the men, but it was close enough to scare them into action. He threw several more fireballs at his men and watched as they picked up speed to escape the explosions.

Fear was indeed a good motivator.

"Um, Baron-sama. Don't you think that's going a bit too far?" Ukin asked carefully.

Baron shot her with a glare that made her freeze. She immediately regretted her choice of words.

"Would you like to join them, Sawa?" Baron challenged.

Ukin paled and recoiled, shaking her head.

"Oh, no! Actually, I think this would be good for them!" Ukin quickly retracted her previous statement.

"This training course is supposed to help them build character," Gakushin reminded.

"I'm just afraid this will either make the soldiers fear Baron-sama or hate him." Ukin was also afraid that Baron might kill them too.

"Good, they'll have something in common to motivate them," said Baron.

"See? Baron-sama knows what he's doing," Riten said reassuringly to her bespectacled friend. "But will all due respect, chief, could you explain why you chose this place?"

"I chose this place for training because of its dangers. What doesn't kill you will serve to make you stronger. And this exercise will help weed out the weak. If they don't have the strength to survive this kind of training, then they have no place in the Crimson Guard," Baron explained. "Now, come on. Let's follow them and make sure there aren't any stragglers."

"Yes, sir!" his lieutenants chorused.

Mitsuki had gone over the plan for the boot camp with Gakushin and Shibai. Together, they came up with the exercises. It would be rough and dangerous but it would all be worth it. While it was true that this boot camp was meant to weed out the weak, the true reason was to help the Crimson Guard bond. Hopefully, it would succeed.

The men continued to run, but since they all skipped breakfast they were starting to lose stamina. Their run soon turned into a struggle as they walked through the thick snow.

"Damn it! I think Baron-sama was going to kill us back there!"

"Shut up! He could hear us and really kill us!"

"That man, he's seriously insane! Making us run like this!"

"I missed breakfast. I'm so hungry."

"We're all hungry! Just man up! We need to finish this training so we can have breakfast!"

"But Baron-sama's supposed to be an Armored War God but he acts like a demon! DAMN HIM!"

The soldier's shout was so loud that he caused an avalanche. The rest of the Crimson Guard saw the mass of snow come falling down towards them at high speeds.

"SHIT, AN AVALANCHE!"

"RUN!"

Together, the men tried to outrun the avalanche, but they were exhausted and hungry.

None of them made it as the avalanche buried them in the snow.

"Baron-sama, your orders?" Gakushin asked worriedly after she witnessed the avalanche bury their men alive. She was right to be concerned. After all, they were soldiers under their command. It would be bad if they returned and told Sousou that everyone had died.

Baron remained silent as he studied his soldiers who lay still after being hit by the avalanche. He scanned them with his visor and descended. They were no doubt hurt, and a few probably had severe injuries. At worst, some of them probably died.

Baron knelt down and plunged his hand into the snow. He then pulled out one of the soldiers before dropping him. After looking him over, Baron confirmed with some relief that he was not dead.

His lieutenants descended and together they helped free the guardsmen from the snow. Luckily, nobody died, but they did appear spooked as they shivered. Baron generated his fiery aura to warm up his guardsmen and help them recover.

"If you can still walk, head on back to base camp. There will be food provided for you. Carry your injured comrades. Shibai will tend to you," Baron instructed.

He then flew back up to watch as the men gathered their wounded and began their hard trek back to the base camp. They assisted their comrades and they did not seem to see a divide between them. The former bandits were helped out by the volunteers and vice-versa. They were no longer separate, but a group bonded by a shared traumatic event.

The soldiers were going to bond through adversity. By suffering together, they would gain a new appreciation for each other. After all your fellow soldier was not just your comrade-in-arms, they were also your brothers-in-arms.

He thought he had found someone like that, someone he considered a brother. Saito's background was similar to his. His family had lost everything after they were cheated of all their money. One tragic day, Saito found both his parents after they had committed suicide.

After that, Saito had unhappily moved from one foster home to the next, suffering abuse each time. After experiencing such cruelty, it was no surprise he turned into such a terrible person who lashed out against the kind of people who caused him to lose his family. Saito and Mitsuki started out as friends but ended up becoming bitter enemies and the former had been forced to put the latter down. Perhaps if Saito had someone like Chitoge to guide him, he would not have fallen so far.

Baron was not kind and the training he put his men through was harsh, but he was still fair. He was aware of their limits, and he wanted them to push those limits, but he wasn't a monster that would drive them to their deaths. He didn't enjoy being cruel to his soldiers. However, he would have to be if he wanted this to work. For their own good, he needed to be cruel to be kind.


For the next training exercise, Baron had his Crimson Guard gathered in front of a large body of water. It was not frozen, but it was extremely cold because of the weather.

"Alright, you're going to strip down into your underwear and jump in that lake," Baron instructed, pointing at the large body of water. This got furious reactions from his subordinates.

"Is he crazy!?"

"That's madness!"

"I'll freeze to death!"

Baron growled as he heard the complaints. He expected better from his Crimson Guard. Maybe he had been too soft with them.

"You can either jump in the lake, or I'll throw you from up there," Baron threatened as he pointed at the sky. "Pick. I'll give you until the count of 10 to decide." It was no empty threat. "1, 2, 3..."

Knowing that he would seriously do it, the Crimson Guard quickly stripped out of their uniforms. Their bodies became exposed to the cold and they shivered, but they still ran toward the lake and jumped in it. Yells could be heard as the men stood up. The lake was not deep, reaching only up to their belly buttons, but it was extremely cold. They hugged themselves, shivering, as they stood in the middle of the ice-cold lake.

This was a test of endurance. If anyone wanted to give up, they could gather around the fires Baron had put up to warm them up. While there was no shame in acknowledging their limits, none of them was willing to give up. In fact, they stayed together in the freezing lake. It would be a shame to be the first to leave. It showed cowardice and none of them wanted to be considered a coward.

Baron gave them 15 minutes. It would be the longest 15 minutes of their lives. He could not make it any longer lest they suffered hypothermia. 15 minutes was enough for them to believe it to be torture as they felt everything from the waist down go numb from the freezing water while everything from the waist up trembled and shuddered.

Baron observed as the men stood closer together, touching skin to share body heat. 15 minutes later, he allowed them to get out and they rushed out of the freezing lake. Ukin, Riten, Gakushin, and Shibai gave them their towels and their uniforms. The men gathered around the fires to warm up after their ordeal.

There would be more of this soon.


Sparring practice was also part of the course. He had his men paired up and armed with quarterstaffs.

Of course, during training, injuries could occur. Three of the soldiers got hurt during sparring practice and were lying on the ground.

"If any of you are hurt, you can go and have Shibai look at you," Baron instructed.

Shibai was standing at the entrance of her medical tent, ready to treat injuries with a smile.

That got the 'injured' men to get back up again.

"No, sir! I feel fine!"

"Yeah, never better!"

"We can continue!"

Fear was a good motivator. Mitsuki knew how the men felt about Shibai. While she had medical training, she was also very frightening. They would refuse her treatment if they could help it as none of them wanted to suffer her TLC. It was one of the things they all had in common.


Finally, they had survival training. Mitsuki gave them each a map and sent them to a forest to survive. They had three days. They were allowed to bring basic supplies which included rations, but if they needed additional food they would need to search for it themselves. He put them in groups and sent them off.

Baron and his lieutenants sat down for a meal as they waited for their men to return. In three days, they would hopefully return to the base camp with a better appreciation of each other.

"You're really pushing them, Baron-sama," Ukin stated from her seat in Mitsuki's left.

"They haven't quit just yet," he retorted as he chewed on a piece of dried meat.

"Only because they fear what will happen if they do. Chances are, the punishment might be worse than death," said Gakushin who sat to his right. That was what the men believed. They didn't want to risk angering an Armored War God. After all, he was mighty and frightening. Some even believed him to be a devil because of his power over fire.

Three days later, weakened, hungry, and exhausted, the men returned from their survival training. During that time, they had to work together. By then, all barriers had fallen away. They finally realized that their background no longer mattered and they finally came to appreciate their fellow Crimson Guardsmen and accepted each other despite their pasts.

Mitsuki saw them and nodded in approval. It would seem life and death struggles could bring out the best in some people. It had been a gamble though, but one that paid off. He had a meal prepared for the men when they returned and as soon as they saw a warm meal, they immediately sat down and devoured their fill.

All in all, a successful boot camp.

On the final day of the boot camp, they all packed up and marched back to Sou Gi.


"And that's my report," Mitsuki concluded. He had returned to the palace with his lieutenants and Crimson Guard. Upon his return, he immediately went to Sousou to greet her and deliver his report of his boot camp.

However, Mitsuki was not standing before Sousou in the throne room as she sat on her throne listening to his report. No, right now the two of them were sitting at a table in his room over a game of chess. Standing by the door, watching, were Shibai and Juniku.

"And that's checkmate," Sousou concluded as she made her last move. Ever since Mitsuki introduced her to the game, it had become one of her favorite pastimes. She loved how it exercised her strategic mind.

Mitsuki's eyebrows shot up as he studied the board. Sousou had his King cornered after luring him into a trap. He was impressed with how quickly Sousou mastered the game.

"So it is," Mitsuki accepted his defeat. "That was a good game."

"Of course Karin-sama would defeat you, Baron!" Juniku snarked. "Nobody can match her brilliance!" She was still spiteful since she never could beat him at his own game, so watching Sousou trounce him was quite satisfying.

Mitsuki rolled his eyes at how sycophantic Juniku was, but he came to accept that quirk of hers. They still worked well together despite the difficulties in their relationship. They both loved Sousou and were loyal to her, so they were willing to set aside any antagonism for her sake. In short, they were just 'frenemies'.

Shibai's expression mirrored her commander's. There was a limit to how loyal one could be. Juniku was Sousou's strategist and also one of her bedmates. Often Sousou would take Juniku to bed, and the strategist enjoyed her attention. Juniku was also very masochistic, blissfully enjoying whatever sexual abuse Sousou performed on her.

"Hopefully, there will be no more problems within your Crimson Guard from now on," Sousou said.

"After the two weeks of Hell I gave them, they have developed an appreciation for their fellow soldiers," Mitsuki replied.

"They bonded over their fear of you, didn't they?" Sousou asked rhetorically.

"Well, can't argue with the results," Mitsuki answered with a shrug. "So, what's new on your end, Karin?"

"There have been some new developments," Sousou answered, looking serious now. "Keifa, the scroll." Juniku obeyed and walked over to hand the scroll to Sousou. "One of our agents in Son Go came and delivered this message." She passed it to her sworn brother. Mitsuki unrolled it and his eyes scanned the contents. His eyebrows rose at what he read.

"So, Son Go has fallen," Mitsuki remarked after he finished, frowning in disappointment. Son Go was the Alliance's biggest supplier for Lockseeds. "At least the royal family and Zangetsu managed to escape." That was the good news. "If I were them, I'd be headed to our closest allies for assistance."

"Our enemies have grown bolder," Sousou remarked with some concern.

Mitsuki was worried too. Son Go had been one of the strongest members of the Alliance. Now that it had fallen, their forces had grown weaker.

Could Sou Gi become their next target?

What about Shoku?

"They might go after Shoku next," Mitsuki surmised.

"True," Sousou agreed. "They would be weakened after so many attacks in succession." She had heard about how Touka Village had been repeatedly attacked, which had cost them the lives of their soldiers.

"They would come after Sou Gi too," Shibai put in.

"We have grown stronger, Karin-sama," Juniku added. "We would make a very tempting target."

"So we better be ready for anything," Mitsuki said. "I'll increase security around the kingdom."

There was no way Sou Gi would suffer the same fate as Son Go. He would protect it and Sousou with his life.

Mitsuki and Sousou stood up and left the room with their strategists. In the hallway, they ran into Marcus and Chouryou.

"Sousou-sama, Monsieur Mitsuki, Mademoiselle Juniku and Mademoiselle Shibai," Marcus greeted as he and Chouryou bowed to them.

"Bravo," Sousou acknowledged with a nod.

"You all seem tense," Marcus observed, rubbing his chin.

"Yes, we have important work to do," Mitsuki remarked. While he could respect Marcus' group as they raised morale with the Chou Sisters, he did not see the full-time benefits of having idols as part of their army. Still, Sousou saw their potential and Mitsuki could not question her decision. Recruiting the Chou Sisters did get her an Armored War God and a Chouryou under her command.

"Maybe you should relax before getting back to work. How about a spa treatment?" Marcus suggested.

"Touch me and I'll kill you," Mitsuki warned.

"Oh, non, non, non, mon ami. I will not be the one who will be massaging you. The servants will," Marcus clarified.

"If anyone will be giving Karin-sama a massage, it will be me!" Juniku said firmly.

"Acupuncture works just as well," added Shibai.

Everyone looked at her and paled. Nobody wanted to get too close to Shibai and her needles.

"I'll consider it," Mitsuki finally spoke after some awkward silence.

"Very well. Have a good day. As for us, we have much work to do as well," Marcus said before he walked away with Chouryou. He was going to oversee the Chou Sisters' practice again.


Mitsuki had called his lieutenants to come and join him for a meeting. They sat together at his table in his office.

Riten, Gakushin, and Ukin had just been informed of Son Go's fate. Mitsuki did not sugarcoat it. In fact, there was no way to sugarcoat it at all. So many had died and the capital had been abandoned. The RinJyuKen were going to occupy the remains of Son Go.

"That's terrible, and during their annual Tiger Festival too," Ukin remarked.

"And you believe Sou Gi might be next, Baron-sama?" Gakushin asked.

"Our enemies are trying to weaken us," Mitsuki answered. "Now that Son Go has fallen, it's only logical that they come after either us or Shoku." He went and asked Shibai, "Has there been any news about Shoku?"

"None yet, Baron-sama," Shibai replied. Her own agents had not returned to deliver any reports or updates on Shoku.

"That means they're OK, right?" Riten asked hopefully. The Shoku Faction were not just allies but their friends too. She liked them ever since meeting them a while back. They had helped her, Gakushin and Ukin to defeat an army of bandits that had been menacing a small village.

Mitsuki frowned grimly. Sometimes no news was not good news. While he did not share Nagata's ideals, he respected the Blue King's strength. He also did not want his rival to fall at the hands of their enemies.

"We need more information. Have our agents gathered more intel," Mitsuki instructed.

"It will be done, Baron-sama," Shibai complied.

"We need to prepare for anything, anything at all," Mitsuki informed his lieutenants. "I want security tightened. I want more guards posted around the wall and more patrols. We cannot allow our enemies to destroy us like they've destroyed Son Go."

His lieutenants nodded in agreement. As the Crimson Guard, the safety of Sousou and Sou Gi were their top priority.

Mitsuki wished that he could just relax. With a sigh, he got up.

"You're all dismissed," Mitsuki ordered. "There's someplace I need to go."

"Where are you going?" Shibai asked.

"I'm going to visit the orphanage," Mitsuki answered.

"Would you like us to join you, Baron-sama?" Riten asked.

"You should concern yourself more with your own work," Shibai told the engineer. "You have that special project you need to work on, correct? You don't want to fall behind schedule and disappoint Baron-sama, do you?"

"Oh, right," Riten recalled, pounding her open palm. She'd been working on something that could increase Sou Gi's military might. They would have dominion over the sky and land, but they had not yet conquered the water.

"And Ukin-dono, I hope you won't be wasting your spare time watching the Chou Sisters' practice again," Shibai lightly chided, causing the bespectacled swordswoman to deflate. "Since you are Baron-sama's bodyguard, you should accompany him."

"Right, I should go with him," Ukin said as she rubbed the back of her head in embarrassment, pink tinting her cheeks. Mitsuki was strong, but that didn't mean he did not need someone watching his back.

It would appear that, despite being new, Shibai had gained authority over Riten and Ukin. Gakushin was still Mitsuki's second-in-command, but he also listened to Shibai since she gained his trust and showed her skills as an interrogator. Ukin and Riten were likely terrified of Shibai, which would explain why they listened to her.

When Shibai approached Mitsuki, she had done so with the intent of becoming his strategist rather than Sousou's. The reason she decided to join under his banner was that she found him to be a strong leader with great potential. She would be lying if she claimed that she did not find his power and strength to be attractive. Mitsuki wasn't only strong because he could fight. He was strong because he knew how to fight smart and pick his battles. He would take advantage of any opportunity given to him to obtain victory, even seemingly underhanded ones.

Mitsuki was not a traditionalist who believed that honor applied to warfare. In war, there's no such thing as 'honor' or 'cheating'. There's only 'victory' and 'survival'. As the old saying goes: "all's fair in love and war" and therefore any measure used to obtain victory was acceptable.

If your enemy hid in the forest, you burn it down.

If your enemy made camp by a river, you pour poison into the river.

If your enemy hid in a cave, you use smoke to drive them out.

However, there were still lines that Mitsuki was unwilling to cross. He would not sacrifice his men or betray his allies for the sake of victory. At least he had some form of honor.

A great strategy was an excellent weapon in the game called war and it was always good to have the best strategist under your employ. That's why he had accepted her after she had proven herself.

Like Ukin, Riten and Gakushin, she became one of his lieutenants in the Crimson Guard. Mitsuki only accepted the best, brightest and talented to be core members of the Crimson Guard, and Shibai was made part of his inner circle almost immediately. Her skills as an interrogator also made her a vital asset in his group. While she had usurped Ukin's original position as team strategist, there were no hard feelings from the bespectacled girl. In fact, Ukin loved her new position as Mitsuki's bodyguard.

"I'll go and inform the men of your plans, Baron-sama," Gakushin told her commander. As second-in-command, that was her duty.

Once Gakushin, Riten, and Ukin left the room, Shibai exited as well. She had work to do and strategies to prepare for future battles in their war against the RinJyuKen Akugata.

Once his lieutenants were gone, Mitsuki picked up his hand mirror and practiced smiling.


KRC: OK, so this is the start of the new arc. Anyway, Mitsuki's solution to settling disputes in his Crimson Guard is tough love through a boot camp. It seemed to have worked. His idea of training does seem severe, but he believes his men can do it and they made it. They might be traumatized and cold, but in the end, the boot camp did its job. There would be no segregation and the bond of soldiers would only become stronger. But like all my story arcs, while it has a positive introduction chapter, you know it will get darker. Soon. Very soon.

Anyway, you will note the length of this chapter. Well, as my last few chapters have been coming out slowly because their lengths have been quite long, I thought it was best to make the chapters shorter, but not too short though. Just short enough that editing does not take too long but long enough to tell a story. Hopefully, my editor won't complain, which I know he always get the editing job done, and the chapters will come out once a week or two. Fingers crossed people.


Shibai was alone in her room with only her thoughts to keep her company. While many in Sou Gi would approach Sousou to serve her, she had instead opted to approach Baron to offer her services as a strategist instead. Baron had allowed her to join as long as she proved she was worthy to serve him. That allowed her the opportunity to see with her own eyes if he was worthy of her services and confirm that his strength and power were both genuine and not just rumors and exaggerations.

Much to her surprise and delight, he was everything she hoped for and more. He was strong, charismatic, compassionate and resolute in his mission to help Sousou realize her ambition. It was just a shame that he lacked his own ambition. He had so much potential.

Baron's presence was like a flame in cold weather. It drew the hopeless and weak to him and he would give them a purpose. However, you should not get too close to a flame lest you get hurt. While Mitsuki's reputation as an Armored War God attracted many into joining Sousou's army, he also led soldiers to their deaths. But death was unavoidable in battle. That was a simple fact.

Those that believed Baron to be responsible for the deaths of their loved ones, however, deemed him to be a demon masquerading as a god. While Baron may carry the title 'Armored War God', he never once claimed to be divine. But this was what many believed and it worked both in his favor and against him.

On her desk were two buckles, a SengokuDriver and a GenesisDriver. They were considered divine artifacts by the populace, but the Genesis cult had managed to get their hands on them, enabling them to access the powers of the Armored War Gods. As a result, they had grown stronger with more members joining their cause. Soon, very soon, they would set their sights on Sou Gi and it would likely share Son Go's fate.

Shibai would have to make a very important decision by then.