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.


With Ukin beside him, Mitsuki drove the horse-drawn wagon to Mei's orphanage. The wagon was filled with supplies Mei and the orphans would need to help them all through winter.

Being an orphan himself, Mitsuki understood how hard life could be without help. After losing his family, joy was very hard to come by. His pride and the pain of his losses prevented him from reaching out to others until Chitoge reached out to him. He could've gone down a really dark path if it hadn't been for her. In a way, he was paying it forward by helping these orphans, reaching out to them like Chitoge had reached out to him.

When they arrived, Mei was at the door to welcome them. She wore a warm smile when she saw Mitsuki as he dismounted from the wagon with Ukin.

"Hello, Mei," Mitsuki greeted with a small smile.

"Hello, Mitsuki-san. It's so nice to see you again," Mei greeted back.

Mitsuki shrugged. He dropped by as often as he could to deliver supplies, donations, and to spend time with Mei and the kids.

"So this should be enough food to keep you fed and extra clothing to keep you warm for the winter," Mitsuki said as he patted the wagon.

"Thank you so much, Mitsuki-san. We're so grateful for your kindness and charity," Mei said with gratitude. Ever since the orphanage received monthly donations from Mitsuki, things had become easier for the caretaker. It was still just her running the place, but the older children helped out as well.

"It's no problem. You took me in when I had nothing so I owe you," Mitsuki responded, not seeing it as a big deal. "Sawa, help me carry the stuff inside."

"Alright, Baron-sama!" Ukin obeyed as they carried the stuff from the wagon into the orphanage.

When the kids saw Mitsuki, they excitedly crowded around him.

"Nii-chan, come play with us!"

"No, tell us another story!"

"No, show us your armor again!"

Mitsuki smiled warmly at the children, which came off as genuine thanks to his practice. This time the smile reached his eyes. He looked around and saw a few kids were absent. Those kids had been adopted. Hopefully, they now had good homes and good families to take care of them.

"Alright, but after I put all this stuff away, OK?" Mitsuki said to the orphans.

Ukin smiled as she watched how warmly Mitsuki interacted with the children. When she first met them, all the children could talk about was how amazing the Armored War Gods were. Especially since their honorary big brother was one of them. Every time she came along with Mitsuki to visit the orphanage, the kids would always want to play with him. They even mentioned that they would join Sousou's army to become like him which Mitsuki wished they wouldn't.

War was no game.

This was unlike his usual behavior with his troops. He was normally quite stern and serious. He was rarely warm and approachable. Strangers even found his attitude slightly abrasive. He tolerated allies at best. Comrades and friends, however, he treated with respect.

"These children really like Baron-sama, don't they?" Ukin observed.

"It's more than that, Ukin-san. They simply adore him," Mei explained.

"Hard to imagine him as a big softie, though," Ukin remarked. Oh, she knew Mitsuki was capable of kindness, but most of the time he was the stern and aggressive commander of the Crimson Guard. He was known on the battlefield as Sousou's ruthless Crimson Enforcer, so how he was behaving right now was a sharp contrast to his on-the-job persona.

As Ukin watched Mitsuki get along with the children, she briefly imagined what it would be like to have a family with him. They would have a house and have two children and each night they would blissfully make love to each other. She smiled widely before quickly dismissing it with a violent shake of her head, her face flushed. Where had that thought come from?

"Mitsuki-san has a soft spot for orphans," Mei explained. As Mitsuki was an orphan himself, he could empathize with the children.

He had lost his mother, then his sister and finally his father. He had suffered losses that convinced him that the world was a cruel, unfair and unforgiving place. Instead of letting his grief crush him, he rose up and turned the pain into strength. He did, however, need some guidance. His anger at the world got him mixed up with the wrong crowd but a woman named Chitoge soon helped him turn his life around, even if he insisted that he did not need her help, her pity or even her charity.

The woman had inspired him and so he decided to pass it along and inspire the children to be strong and survive in this harsh world. They could not always rely on the charity of others forever. Sooner or later, they would need to fend for themselves, but until then Mitsuki would offer them his help. They should not be afraid to depend on others to become strong.

"I'll be preparing dinner soon. Will you both be joining us?" Mei asked Ukin.

"Actually, you should ask Baron-sama," Ukin answered. "I really can't speak for him."

"Hm, true," Mei agreed. "But I doubt he'd refuse. He never refuses when I ask him to share a meal with us."

"Well...if he's OK with it, then..."

"Ukin! I told you to get the stuff inside!" Mitsuki shouted out suddenly, startling the poor girl.

"Sorry! I'll get right on it, Baron-sama!" Ukin responded as she quickly grabbed a sack of rice. "I really need to do this before he gets mad at me."

"Would you like some help?" Mei asked.

Ukin politely refused with a wave of her hand.

"Nah, I'm good. You should get dinner started."

"Of course. Shizu, can you help me with dinner?"

"OK, Mei-san!"


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 35: When a Phoenix Dies


Mitsuki and Ukin finished carrying the stuff inside. It had taken a few trips but they finally made it. All the supplies were put away so now Mitsuki had time to spend with the kids.

"Come on, Mitsuki-niichan, let's play!" a little girl tugged on his left arm.

"How about a snowball fight?" Mitsuki suggested.

"YAY!"

Mitsuki joined the kids for a snowball fight, which he seemed to enjoy as Mei watched. Mitsuki even ordered Ukin to join in, and they had a blast. After the snowball fight, Mei asked Mitsuki and Ukin to join them for dinner. Just like she said before, Mitsuki did not refuse.

"So, what have you been up to?" Mei asked as they sat around the dinner table.

"You know how it is. I've been serving Sousou the best I can. She can be very demanding," Mitsuki answered.

"Baron-sama, you shouldn't speak about Sousou-sama behind her back," Ukin advised her commander. Mitsuki grunted in response. It wasn't like he was lying. Sousou was pretty demanding, but she was fair as well.

"Sousou-sama makes you work pretty hard, doesn't she?" Mei asked.

"Yeah, and just recently she made me take my men out on a training excursion," Mitsuki answered. He then proceeded to tell her everything.

Mei gawked at Mitsuki once he finished his story.

"...Mitsuki-san, how could you put them through something like that?" Mei questioned, aghast.

"The men needed it," Mitsuki answered without any regret before taking a sip of tea. "It's called tough love. They had to learn to rely on each other or none of them would survive."

"But that just seems unnecessarily cruel and harsh," Mei opined.

"Perhaps, but the results speak for themselves," Mitsuki countered. While the training camp had been harsh, it had still been effective. The men went along with the training because they feared Baron might kill them for insubordination, which he really did not intend, merely imply. By the end of the two-week boot camp, all of his men had found their resolve of steel and become hot-blooded for battle. Not only that, they had forged a strong kinship, becoming a band of brothers-in-arms.

"There's nothing wrong with being a little bit kinder to them, Mitsuki-san," Mei advised.

"Mei, I'm not their friend. I'm their commanding officer so I have to act like it. Otherwise, they'll lose all respect for me and walk all over me," Mitsuki countered.

"They may grow to resent and hate you too."

"I was prepared to accept that ever since I took on this responsibility."

Ukin silently watched the exchange along with the other children when she heard something coming from outside. She listened closely and she identified the sound to be music.

Who was playing music outside? Wait, it sounded familiar. Soon everyone noticed, including Mei and Mitsuki.

It sounded very familiar.

"Mei, were you expecting more company?" Mitsuki asked with a strained expression.

"No, I wasn't," Mei answered honestly. "Mitsuki-san, why are you making that face?"

"Because I know who just pulled over outside," he grumbled.

Mitsuki, Ukin, and Mei exited the house with the orphans to see who had come and saw a colorfully decorated caravan parked in front of the orphanage. Ukin's eyes sparkled at the sight of it. It could only mean one thing and Mitsuki instantly facepalmed. He was going to hate what came out of that caravan.

Marcus Date, artist, composer, choreographer, and manager of the Chou Sisters stepped out of the caravan with Chouryou behind him.

Marcus was one of Mitsuki's comrades and he was known as the Armored War God of Passionate Fury Bravo. While he was a terrifying warrior on the battlefield, his true passion was in art and music.

He was also annoyingly flamboyant, much to Mitsuki's chagrin. It took him a lot of time to get used to the half-Frenchman and his ways.

"Ladies and gentlemen! Boys and girls!" Marcus announced. "Please, enjoy a wonderful surprise performance by the Chou Sisters!"

The top of the caravan opened up and a stage ascended, lifting the Chou Sisters up onto the roof. The music grew louder and the children cheered as they saw the famous idol group standing before them.

"Hello, I'm Tenho!" Chokaku greeted excitedly.

"I'm Chiho!" Choho winked.

"And I'm Renho," Choryo greeted in monotone.

"And together we are the Chou Sisters! Please, enjoy our performance!"

The Chou Sisters began to sing as the children gathered around the caravan. As Marcus smiled with the audience, Mitsuki stomped over to him.

"Oh, Monsieur Mitsuki! Bonjour!" Marcus greeted with a smile. Mitsuki prepared to defend himself if the half-Frenchman tried to kiss him on the cheeks (again).

"You've got some explaining to do!" Mitsuki snapped. Chouryou looked ready to act in Marcus' defense. Mitsuki might be the senior Armored War God in Sou Gi's army, but she would not hesitate to defend Marcus from him.

"Oh, I heard from a reliable source that you were going to visit an orphanage. I just thought I'd come and give the children an impromptu show," Marcus answered honestly.

"How did you-?" Mitsuki paused and his gaze turned toward Ukin who froze under his intense accusing glare. "Sawa!"

Ukin gulped and she approached after she was called.

"Yes, Baron-sama?" she squeaked, wilting under his gaze.

"Did you tell Bravo about my visit?" Mitsuki asked. Ukin was unable to answer verbally. Her tongue just became numb, so she nodded. "I see. We're going to have a little talk about keeping things to yourself."

"Oh, please don't be upset with her, Monsieur Mitsuki. Look how much the children are enjoying the show!" Marcus said. Mitsuki saw the children smiling and cheering as the Chou Sisters sang. As loathed as he was to admit it, Marcus was right. Maybe this was not a bad thing.

Marcus shed tears of joy at seeing such beautiful children and went to hug and kiss them, but Mitsuki grabbed his arm, holding him back.

"You do what I think you're about to do and you'll personally know why they called me the 'Devil of the Mountain'," Mitsuki warned. He did not want Marcus acting so creepy.

Marcus considered the warning and nodded, resisting the urge to show his affection for the children.

"Oui."

Mei separated from the children to walk up to Mitsuki.

"Thank you so much, Mitsuki-san!" Mei said to him.

"Thank me?" Mitsuki asked, perplexed. "For what?"

"For planning such a wonderful surprise for the children!"

"I didn't-"

"Oh, he just wanted to do something special for the children," Marcus interrupted, allowing Mitsuki to take all the credit.

"He's already done plenty," Mei said fondly. "And we appreciate it."

Marcus took note of Mei's tone and smiled while rubbing his chin with great interest. He was not as oblivious as his father. Ichika Date had been pretty clueless to the affection and romantic intention of several women who each wanted to have a relationship with him during his teen years. Unlike his beloved father, Marcus was perceptive and could tell when a girl had a crush and on whom.

"Aha, I see," Marcus whispered. "It seems that Cupid's arrow has struck another maiden's heart."

"You say something?" Mitsuki asked.

"Non, non. Nothing at all. Please, enjoy the show."

As everyone enjoyed the Chou Sisters' performance, none of them noticed someone was watching them from within the bamboo forest. His gaze was not a friendly one as he looked at Mei with malicious intent.

"Found you..."


The Chou Sisters performed their songs and magic tricks for the kids. Once they were done, they handed out gifts to the children before leaving with Marcus and Chouryou. Mitsuki and Ukin followed them back too and promised Mei they would come to visit again.

After visiting Mei, Mitsuki went back to sit in his office to go over the map with Shibai to come up with a strategy together. Right now, they were at war with the RinJyuKen Akugata and needed to prepare for anything. They went through reports of strange activity, making sure not to overlook anything. They could not afford to overlook even one single detail.

"Baron-sama, permission to state my opinion?" Shibai requested.

"Go on, Sera. Tell me what's on your mind," Mitsuki permitted as he looked over the map.

"Have you ever considered ruling yourself?" she asked.

"I'm not really fit to be a ruler," he answered in disagreement. While the absolute power of a ruler and the perks that came with it were tempting, he would not have as much freedom as he did now.

"But you are a great leader. I've watched how you've led your men into battle resulting in absolute victory. How can you say you're not fit to rule?" she asked.

"I can lead just fine, but it takes a certain type of person to rule," he argued.

"You mean someone like Sousou-sama?"

"Exactly."

"But you are so much more powerful than she is, Baron-sama. Sure, she has charisma and the loyalty of so many, but so do you, and you have the power to burn anything that stands in your way. You can literally burn down armies with a single wave of your hand. You could easily become a ruler, maybe an even greater one than Sousou-sama."

He could have abandoned Sousou when she had fallen under Ukitsu's thrall or claimed power for himself after he saved her, citing Sousou as weak for falling under their enemy's control. Instead, he did not. He still remained loyal to Sousou to this day. His loyalty to Sousou was likely the reason he earned the power of Zhuqiao from the Seal of Heaven.

"Careful, Sera. You sound like you want me to stage a coup," Mitsuki warned.

"My apologies, Baron-sama," Shibai apologized as she bowed her head in embarrassment. "I did not mean to imply such a thing."

"You're right, though. I could become a ruler if I wanted to. With my powers, I doubt anybody could stop me." He had been chosen by the Seal of Heaven and granted the powers of the Vermillion Phoenix. "I mean, yeah, I could just go up to Karin and demand the throne from her. I know you and the rest of the Crimson Guard would back me up. But..."

"But what…?"

"I'm not interested in ruling. That's not my ambition. Honestly, I don't really have one, not since..." Mitsuki frowned when he remembered the death of his sister. After she passed away, Mitsuki lost the will to live. He just went through the motions and the only thing that kept him going was stopping his dad from going off the deep end. Then his father died, which caused Mitsuki to hate how unfair the world was when good men like him had to suffer. "Anyway, I don't aspire to be any kind of ruler, and I made a promise to Karin to help her realize her ambition."

"And it's a promise you can't break," Shibai concluded.

"I swore an unbreakable oath, Sera, and I always keep my promises. Besides, having power does not mean I'm fit to rule anyway."

Power meant something else back in his world. Those with a lot of money mistook wealth for power which made them entitled. It made them feel like they had the right to walk all over everyone below them. It was that sort of worldview that made him hate his mother's side of the family. The Houous were a bunch of arrogant pricks and prideful peacocks. His mother, Raveru, had been the sole exception as she had proved that by marrying his father.

Unfortunately, by marrying Issei, Raveru lost all access to her wealth and she got written out of the will, but neither of them seemed to care. They had each other and that was enough for them. Mitsuki loved his mother, so it broke his heart when she died. Because of that love, he had done his best to take care of his little sister. He never resented Karin for their mother's death, but his damned Uncle Raiser did and made it known whenever they ran into him. The way he glared at Karin, hating her for taking his sister's life and how much she looked just like her. Mitsuki cheered when Issei punched Raiser in the face for insulting Karin and it had been years since Mitsuki saw the asshole. It was a miracle that Raiser had not decided to sue, but he had always been a spoiled brat and an arrogant peacock like the rest of his family. Perhaps he did not want to sue Issei for assault since it would be the same as admitting that he had lost a fight. Guess his pride would not allow him to admit he'd been knocked out by one punch even if it meant putting Issei in his place.

After losing his entire family, Mitsuki found no meaning in life and yet he never once considered suicide. It was a coward's way out. He may have lost the will to live, but he was not ready to die just yet. He was not weak like his father. He was in a dark place, but Chitoge managed to drag him out of the darkness and give him some sense of purpose. Although, even if he cared about Chitoge, he really had nothing else to go back to in his world. Besides, he had always just been a charity case for the police officer, nothing more.

He was glad that he arrived in this world. Power was much more easily defined here. Sure, there were nobles who thought their wealth gave them power, but it was Sousou who proved what wielding true power really meant. Her influence, her charisma and her intelligence were what got her to where she was today, and he was proud to be one of her officers, even though he sometimes teased her for being a skirt-chasing loli. She had a fiery ambition and he did not want to see it snuffed out.

When Sousou started to become interested in Oda, Mitsuki disapproved. Sure, Oda was strong but his idealism was a weakness. He might have the strength to back up his words, but Mitsuki did not want his influence to weaken Sousou's resolve to reach her ambition. While Oda would prefer them to be allies, Mitsuki knew that Sousou would much rather unite all of China under her rule. The RinJyuKen Akugata were an obstacle, and Sousou was only working with the Alliance to get rid of them so that she could resume her own quest for conquest.

"So, once Sousou-sama realizes her ambition, what will you do then?" Shibai asked.

"Stand by her side," Mitsuki answered resolutely. He already thought about what he would do once Sousou united all of China. He would still serve as her enforcer as he'd always done. He would never abandon her.

Shibai nodded. Mitsuki had made his point and the matter was dropped, at least for now. He really did not see himself as a ruler, but Shibai could mold him into one. He already had power, influence, and charisma. All he needed was a push in the right direction. She just needed to choose the right moment to bring it up again.

There was actually another reason why Mitsuki did not think he was fit to rule. He did not truly believe the Genesis cult's propaganda, but they were right about one thing, though. The Armored War Gods did have too much power and the people feared them for it. Sure, the people may appear to look up to the Armored War Gods for everything they had done in their fight against the RinJyuKen Akugata and Armored War Devils, but deep down they must fear them. They had superhuman powers and were seen as gods. What would happen if the Armored War Gods decided to turn against humanity? There would be no stopping them.

Mitsuki understood that fear could be used as a deterrent for rebellion, but it could also breed paranoia and resentment. The Genesis cult took advantage of the people who felt they had been wronged by the Armored War Gods, converting them to their way of thinking. They even turned them against their rulers who supported the Armored War Gods. Sousou wanted such rebellious thoughts to be eradicated and while Mitsuki agreed that the Genesis cult should be destroyed, perhaps there were other ways to deal with them. Unfortunately, Mitsuki had no idea of other ways to solve the problem. All he could think about was going up to them and burning them to death, making an example out of them to prevent an all-out rebellion. However, that would just prove to the people that they were right to fear him.


"Tres bien~!" Marcus moaned pleasurably as he could feel all his stress wash away. He was receiving spa-level treatment, lying face down on a table while being massaged. The scented oils being used were nice and all the tension was being rubbed away from his muscles.

Nearby, lying face down on adjacent massage tables and experiencing the same treatment were the Chou Sisters and their bodyguard Chouryou Bun'en.

"Oh, I needed this," Choho let out a content sigh.

"We have been working hard," Choryo agreed with her sister, the bespectacled purplette relaxing with her eyes closed.

"So true. So many new songs and dance choreography," Chokaku moaned as she was getting her back rubbed. "Oh, that's so good."

"You girls deserve this," said Marcus. "Shia-chan, what about you?"

She did not answer. She was just feeling so relaxed right now that she could not utter a word. All she could do was moan.

Yeah, this was the life for Marcus and his lovely ladies. He hoped that nothing would ruin this night.


A pair of Crimson Guardsmen was on patrol late that night, carrying lanterns. It was a chilly winter in Sou Gi, but they managed to endure thanks to their training. At least they were in the kingdom instead and not at Baron's nightmarish boot camp on the cold, cold mountain.

"So, you know about that crazy cult?"

"Tell me about it. Seriously, people get into some weird shit."

"Yeah, but they're calling the Armored War Gods a bunch of frauds."

"Do you think Baron-sama and the other Armored War Gods are frauds?"

"No way! I've seen them in action. They're too powerful to be frauds."

"But what if they're the reason why there are so many monsters?"

"Have you been listening to that cult?"

"What! No! But my sister has, though. She keeps telling me to quit and stop serving a false god."

"My mother said the same thing. She says there's no future for me if I continue to serve Baron-sama."

"It's like she wants you to turn against Sousou-sama."

The Crimson Guardsmen believed that going against Baron was like turning against Sousou. After all, as her Armored War God, Baron represented Sou Gi's ruler. They could not do something so disloyal.

They stopped when they heard a noise coming from inside of an alley and went to check it out. It sounded strange and suspicious. One of the guardsmen shone their lantern in the alley.

"Hey, who's there? Come on out!"

"Maybe it's just a stray dog."

"We still need to check it out. It could be someone who needs help or something."

Whoever or whatever it was inside the alley seemed to have heard the guardsmen as a pair of unfriendly red eyes glowed in the shadows.


Mitsuki was working late when his door was thrown open by Gakushin who looked alarmed.

"Baron-sama, there's an Inves going on a rampage!" Gakushin cried out.

Mitsuki put down his work and got up from his chair to exit his office. He was actually hoping for something like this. Paperwork had gotten agonizingly boring and he needed a reprieve. Fighting an Inves was the kind of violent exercise he needed right now.

Gakushin followed and explained the situation. One of the patrolling Crimson Guardsmen had returned in a panic. His partner, on the other hand, had been killed by the Inves.

Mitsuki stepped out of the palace and activated his Rose Attacker.

"Stay here," he ordered Gakushin as he put on his helmet. "This shouldn't take long." Gakushin obeyed. Mitsuki could handle one Inves. He started the engine and revved it up before he raced out of the palace gate.

It did not take long for Mitsuki to find the Inves as it stood over the body of the poor guardsman. The Inves was in its Berserker State and it resembled a ram. Its body was covered in thick wool and it had curved horns. It had hooves in place of feet and sharp claws. Each hand had only three digits.

The Ram Inves let out a vicious bleat, revealing jaws filled with razor-sharp teeth. As soon as Mitsuki arrived, it turned its hungry gaze toward him. It smelled the Lockseeds in his possession and it wanted them so badly. It charged at him to get them but he sped at it and knocked it down with his bike.

Mitsuki came to a stop before he dismounted from his bike with the GenesisDriver strapped to his waist.

"Henshin," Mitsuki said as he took out his Lemon Energy Lockseed and unlocked it. He then proceeded to go through the transformation sequence.

[SODA! LEMON ENERGY ARMS! FIGHT, POWER! FIGHT, POWER! FIGHT, FIGHT, FIGHT, FIGHT, FI-FI-FI-FIGHT!]

Donned in his Lemon Energy Arms Armor, Baron rushed at the Ram Inves as it was getting back up. Crossing the distance, Baron slashed the Ram Inves with his Sonic Arrow, knocking it back down. He aggressively went on the offensive, ruthlessly landing blow after blow, not giving it a chance to fight back.

With an extremely brutal kick, Baron sent the Inves tumbling.

"It's over," Baron decided as he reached down to his belt to initiate the finisher. He was expecting a bit more of a challenge, but after fighting powerful Rinrinshi and demonic Riders for so long, the Inves just weren't that formidable anymore.

As Baron was about to push in the Seaboll Compressor, the Inves' body glowed with an emerald flash. He watched as vines wrapped around the Inves' body as it changed shape, the vines stripping away the creature's monstrous appearance.

Baron froze in shock as he saw who the Inves really was.

"M-Mei...?"

It was Mei, the gentle caretaker of the orphanage. She snarled through gritted teeth, her face marred by visible glowing green veins.

How could this be? Baron knew the only way a person could be turned into an Inves was by eating the Fruit of Helheim, but he never thought Mei would end up as one of those people.

Normally, Baron did not bat an eye when he killed an Inves, even though he knew they were originally people. To him, the people they used to be were gone as they bodies were taken over and mutated by the parasitic fruit that they ingested. They were nothing more than corpses that were mutated and animated by the power of the fruit. Destroying an Inves was similar to euthanasia.

But now, Baron was faced with a difficult choice. There was no way to reverse the effect of the Helheim Fruit, so the only thing he could do was to kill Mei. However, he could not bring himself to do it.

Dropping his Sonic Arrow, Baron ran over to Mei.

"Mei!"

Mei looked up at Baron and her eyes flashed as she transformed back into her Ram Inves form. As he got closer, she swiped at him and raked sparks off his chest. Baron staggered from the strike but he stood his ground.

"Mei, listen to me! Remember who you are! Think of the children!" Baron begged, but Mei's mind was long gone. It had devolved into a feral state. Bleating furiously, Mei attacked Baron viciously. He did not fight back. It may seem hypocritical when he would normally never hesitate to kill Inves. But this was different. He wanted to save her, even though it was hopeless. Mei was gone now. The fruit had taken her.

Maybe she would tire herself out, and then he could just knock her out and lock her up in a dungeon so she would not hurt herself or others.

And then what?

Just keep her locked up?

There was no cure and it was just cruel to leave her this way.

And what would he tell the kids once Mei went missing?

Could he really tell them what had happened to her or keep it a secret from them?

A red and silver figure suddenly zoomed by and struck both Baron and the Ram Inves, separating them. Baron went tumbling as did the Ram Inves.

The figure stopped in front of the Inves, revealing himself as Armored War Devil Sigurd.

"Sigurd!" Baron yelled as he saw the Armored War Devil.

[LOCK OFF!]

Ignoring Baron, Sigurd unlocked the Cherry Energy Lockseed from his GenesisDriver and loaded it into his Sonic Arrow.

[LOCK ON!]

Baron realized what Sigurd was about to do and quickly went to stop him from killing Mei.

"Stop!"

[CHERRY ENERGY!]

Baron tackled Sigurd and sent him sprawling, causing him to misfire as a Sonic Volley flew into the air and exploded.

"Get off me!" Sigurd pushed Baron off him. Baron quickly punched him in the face to keep him down.

"I'm not letting you kill her!" Baron fiercely protested as he punched Sigurd again. Sigurd threw him off and quickly climbed to his feet. Both looked around and saw that Mei had disappeared. She must've been spooked and fled during the confusion.

"It couldn't have gotten far," Sigurd muttered with a scowl aimed at Baron before he sped away.

"Dammit!" Baron took out his Zhuqiao Lockseed after replacing his GenesisDriver with his SengokuDriver. He would need to be quick if he was going to catch up to the speedster before he got to Mei.

[COME ON! ZHUQIAO ARMS! FLIGHT OF PHOENIX!]

Baron spread his wings and took off, leaving a trail of flames as he chased after Sigurd and Mei. Watching from the sky, he could see a lightning bolt travel across the ground. That could not be anyone but Sigurd. Determined to save Mei from the ruthless and merciless Armored War Devil, Baron chased after the speed demon.

With his speed alone, it would only take a matter of seconds for Sigurd to find Mei. All of a sudden, his reflexes kicked in and he jumped into the air, narrowly dodging a scorching fireball that exploded behind him. Looking over his shoulder, he spotted a giant bird of fire in hot pursuit.

"Baron..." Sigurd scowled before he picked up speed to outrun the fireballs raining down on him. With his speed, he effortlessly dodged the flaming projectiles while accelerating.

Not wanting to lose his target, Baron increased his flight speed as well. He blasted flames from his feet like a rocket and he accelerated to catch his prey. At the speed he was going, it did not take long for him to catch up to the silvery blur. He quickly went into a nosedive in Sigurd's path and exploded. The force of the explosion surprised Sigurd and knocked him off his feet, causing him to tumble painfully across the ground and smash straight into a cabbage cart, sending pieces of wood flying along while the cabbages were shredded by the force of the impact.

"MY CABBAGES!" The poor cabbage vendor wailed as his cabbages were cruelly massacred.

Picking himself up, Sigurd saw Baron stepping out of the smoking crater he had made. He scowled at the Crimson Enforcer who seemed determined to disrupt his plans again. He remembered who had caused him to lose the mirror, causing his world to be changed as a result. Defeating Baron alone would not be enough to fix his wounded pride. He wanted to humiliate him, make him feel low and worthless, and also make him suffer as well. Then, and finally then, would Sigurd truly feel satisfied.

To do that, Saji coveted the power of the Seal of Heaven, but the Femme Fatales had claimed it and used it to revive Dai Shi. Now the artifact was in his grasp. However, Dai Shi acknowledged Saji's desire for power and revenge so he had given him something that would allow him to fight on equal footing with a Sovereign.

He would finally gain some form of satisfaction.

Sigurd took out the Lockseed Dai Shi had forged for him. The casing was silver and the front had a crane and crow chasing each other in a circle, like the white and black of a yin-yang symbol.

Without a moment of hesitation, Sigurd unlocked it.

[RUTSU!]

White light swirled out of the Lockseed and gathered at Sigurd's left, forming a humanoid figure. It was white with blue trim and avian features. A wing stretched from its left shoulder blade and it had bangs of feathers covering one of its yellow eyes.

[RASUKA!]

Next, darkness spiraled out of the Lockseed to assemble a black humanoid figure that stood at Sigurd's right. It too had avian features, but they seemed skeletal and rotted like a corpse with a wing stretched from its right shoulder blade.

Sigurd removed his Cherry Energy Lockseed and replaced it with the new one.

[LOCK ON!]

He pushed in the Seaboll Compressor, activating the Lockseed as the front popped open to reveal a core that was emblazoned with the RinJyuKen Akugata's emblem. The backside of the Lockseed's lid displayed a pair of swords: a sleek rapier and a wicked scimitar.

[RINKI! KARATSURU ARMS! WICKED WHITE AND WICKED BLACK FISTS OF THE SKY!]

The two figures converged on Sigurd and a tornado of black and white energy swirled violently around Sigurd.

Baron could've stopped Sigurd's transformation, but since the Armored War Devil had done so at superspeed, he just never had the chance.

The tornado of dark and light power dispersed, revealing Sigurd's new terrifying form as black and white feathers slowly fluttered down around him. First, the horns of his helmet had been replaced by wings, a pristine white one on the left and a charcoal black one on the right. His bodysuit had changed as well, now white with blue trim in a vein-like pattern. He was also adorned with black skeletal gauntlets and matching greaves on his limbs. His chestplate was decorated by the same image that was on his Lockseed, now with the two birds circling the RinJyuKen Akugata emblem. His shoulder pads resembled folded wings. Finally, a pair of wings stretched out from his back. The left wing was white, angelic and beautiful, but the right wing was black, skeletal and grotesque.

Baron threw a fireball at Sigurd, only for him to put it out with a slap of his hand. Baron followed up with a punch, but Sigurd swiftly glided out of the way. He formed a short spear of black and white energy and threw it at Baron's chest. The spear exploded on impact, sending Baron staggering back in pain.

[RINGI! KARATSURU SQUASH!]

Pushing the Seaboll Compressor once, Sigurd activated his finisher. He gathered up a bunch of black and white feathers which swirled around both his hands. He then filled them with Rinki before he hurled them at Baron.

[JAAKURINGU!]

The dart-like feathers were thrown at Baron but he countered with a fire blast to incinerate them and then threw a fireball at Sigurd. The Armored War Devil took off, flying high into the sky. Not wanting to lose him, Baron flew after him.

Now hundreds of feet in the air, both flying warriors clashed in the sky, sparks flying as they furiously exchanged blows. Sigurd had not lost his superspeed and used that to his advantage. He dodged a swipe before he grabbed Baron in a bearhug and then quickly descended into a nosedive, using his speed and gravity to reach terminal velocity. Baron tried to break free by igniting his body, but the wind whipping past their bodies prevented him.

"This is your stop!" Sigurd shouted as he released Baron at the last second and the Sovereign Rider was sent crashing to the ground by inertia. Dirt and stone exploded on impact and Sigurd hovered in the air to admire his handiwork. The dust cloud cleared to reveal Baron lying in the crater he had made in his crash.

Sigurd smirked.

"Now then, to find a lost little lamb," Sigurd remarked as he landed on the ground before he sped away.

"STOP!" Baron tried to get back up but he stumbled and dropped to one knee in pain. Picking himself back up again, he spread his wings and took off after Sigurd, praying he was not too late.


Even though it was late, there were still plenty of people actively enjoying the night at a tavern. They felt safe as they drank all their troubles away. Waitresses served customers their drinks as they were absorbed by cheerful chatter.

A couple of buddies stumbled out of the tavern, drunk.

"Hey, hey, hey! Let's go find some ladies to have some fun with!"

"(Hic!) G-great idea! But we better find someone (Hic!) pretty! No uglies! (Hic!)"

"Got any money?"

"Nah, spent it all for drinking!"

"You're drunk!"

"You're drunk too! (Hic!)"

The two drunks soon saw a girl stumbling toward the tavern.

"Hey, young lady! Wanna have some fun?"

The girl glared at them with glowing red eyes as she bared her teeth.


Sigurd stopped in front of the tavern and found a couple of dead bodies lying in the snow. They were covered in slash marks. He also heard noise coming from inside the tavern and recognized the vicious bleating.

"She's here."

Sigurd would've arrived sooner if he hadn't been too busy trying to shake Baron off. The Crimson Phoenix Enforcer's persistence was frustratingly annoying. Luckily, Sigurd managed to find where the Ram Inves had run off to.

He was about to step inside the tavern when a fireball exploded in front of him. Baron emerged from the smoke and steam, staring Sigurd down.

"Don't move," Baron warned.

Ignoring Baron's warning, Sigurd sped into the tavern. Baron quickly followed him. Inside, the two armored warriors could see the Ram Inves attacking a waitress. The rest of the servers and patrons must've fled already, leaving her behind.

The waitress spotted the two and cried out to them.

"Save me, Baron-sama!"

Baron hesitated but Sigurd did not as he rushed at the Inves. He landed a solid blow that threw it off the waitress who then fled for her life. Sigurd continued his attack and struck the Ram Inves with a brutal punch, sending it crashing into a table. Sigurd conjured an energy spear to finish her off, but a fireball knocked him down.

"Stop it!" Baron commanded as Sigurd recovered and got back up.

"You do realize you're defending a monster, right?" Sigurd shot back.

"The only monster I see here is you!" Baron spat.

The Ram Inves got back up and tried to run for the door, but Sigurd quickly cut her off. He was about to attack when Baron pulled him away from Mei.

"Mei! Run!" Baron shouted.

Sigurd grunted as he tried to struggle out of Baron's grip. When that didn't work, he rapidly vibrated his entire body. Unable to maintain his grip, Baron's hold on Sigurd broke.

With a burst of speed, he grabbed the Ram Inves and dragged her out of the tavern, before throwing her out onto the snow. Some people had heard the commotion and come out to watch, standing at a safe distance. They cheered on the Armored War Devil to kill the 'monster'.

Baron quickly exited the tavern and went to separate Sigurd and the Ram Inves. He flung a fireball at Sigurd who split it in half with a backfist strike. Immediately after, Baron lunged at Sigurd and slashed him across the chest, shoving him away from the Ram Inves.

Everyone gasped as they witnessed Baron protecting the monster from Sigurd. They did not understand it. Sigurd was trying to kill the monster, yet Baron was trying to stop him. Was it not his duty as an Armored War God to kill monsters?

Sigurd got an idea as he ran around and around Baron and the Ram Inves. He was going so fast that he was forming a tornado around the two. Baron tried to track Sigurd, but the speedster was too fast for the pyrokinetic. Taking a chance, Baron conjured a pair of fireballs and sent them flying. With good fortune aiding him, his fireballs blasted Sigurd and sent him tumbling.

"Give up, Sigurd! You can't win!" Baron shouted.

"Give up? Hah! Never! I'm not going to give up until we both get what we deserve!" Sigurd angrily retorted as he got back up. His body blurred and then all of a sudden he seemed to be standing everywhere. Baron's eyes widened at the sight of an army of Sigurds surrounding him and the Ram Inves.

Baron tried to spot the real one among them, but they quickly converged on him and Mei. He raised his hands and fired streams of flames. The afterimages flickered and vanished as they were hit, but once they were all gone, the real Sigurd was revealed to be not among them.

[RINGI! KARATSURU SQUASH! JAAKURINGU!]

Baron looked up when he heard the announcement coming from the tavern's roof. He only had a second to see Sigurd release his Wicked Spinning Encounter. The dart-like feathers pierced the Ram Inves' wooly hide before finally causing her to explode.

Sigurd hovered back down to the ground, looking smug and pleased with himself. He basked in the cheers of the people. Finally, the accolades he deserved.

Baron had been blown away by the explosion. When he recovered, he could only helplessly watch the dying flames in horror. There was nothing left of Mei as she had been obliterated on the spot.

"What have you done!?" Baron demanded.

"What you were supposed to do, Baron," Sigurd answered smugly. "Slay a monster." The Genesis Rider seemed pleased with what he had done without any regret at all.

"It was you. You did this," Baron growled with an accusing tone once he figured it out. There was no way Mei could've gotten her hands on the Helheim Fruit, not unless it had been given to her. Besides the Armored War Gods, only one other group had access to Helheim Forest.


Mei had just finished putting the last of the young ones to sleep. Exhausted, it was time for her to turn in for the night as well. As she was getting ready to go to bed, she was suddenly picked up by a silvery blur.

The girl let out a shriek as the wind whipped past her face. She was being carried at a blinding speed and did not know what was going on. Then, all of a sudden, she stopped and was dropped right on the ground.

She was in an alleyway somewhere in Sou Gi's capital.

"What happened? Where am I?" Mei questioned as she shakily tried to pick herself up. She realized quickly that she was not alone.

Standing before her was a figure with menacing eyes that glowed blood red. As he approached her, she backed away from him but there was nowhere to run. It was a dead end with him blocking the exit.

He held a fruit up to her and all of Mei's fears were quickly replaced by a strong craving for it. She tried to resist, tried to fight it even. Mitsuki had told her about the deadly fruit that grew in the otherworldly forest. She knew how dangerous it was to even take a bite out of the fruit. However, with Sigurd blocking her escape route and being unable to fight against him, she was left defenseless against the fruit's allure the longer she was exposed to it.

The craving for the fruit grew stronger with each passing minute as her mouth began to water. She wanted to sink her teeth into the fruit's flesh and finally learn how it tasted. Did it have a rich flavor? Was it juicy? She must know!

Sigurd did not turn her away as she reached for the fruit. He was such a nice man to offer her the delicious snack. She was starving.


Baron's grief quickly transformed into red-hot rage as he roared at Sigurd hatefully.

"I'LL FUCKING KILL YOU!"

Driven by blind rage and a desire to avenge Mei, Baron threw himself at Sigurd with his body bursting into flames. He was going to avenge Mei and send the Armored War Devil to Hell for what he had done.

He swung his blazing Zhuqiao Talons at the Armored War Devil who deftly dodged them. To someone with Sigurd's superspeed, Baron might as well be as slow as a snail. Baron continued to attack furiously, but to no avail, as all his blows failed to connect, angering him further. Blinded by rage, his skill suffered, and Sigurd took advantage of that fact.

Sigurd ducked under a swipe and buried his fist into Baron's stomach. Thanks to his speed, the force of the blow sent Baron crashing through a nearby building.

A couple was having dinner peacefully when Baron crashed into their house.

"Dear?" the wife asked.

"Yes, honey?" the husband responded.

"I think we should move."

"I think that's a good idea."

Baron climbed back to his feet and summoned his Suzakalibur as he stepped out of the house. He rushed at Sigurd and swung his sword at him. Sigurd quickly sidestepped the blade as Baron staggered on his feet. Spinning on his heels, Baron went to decapitate Sigurd, but he only succeeded at hitting empty air as Sigurd ducked before he threw an uppercut which smashed into Baron's chin viciously.

Baron regained his footing and swung at Sigurd who suddenly summoned a black scimitar of jagged dark steel to block Baron's Suzakalibur before striking back with a thin-bladed sword that drove Baron back. Baron grunted in pain and then looked at Sigurd's new weapons.

The thin sword in Sigurd's right hand was named Kakukyaku Senken (Crane Leg Sharp Sword) while the black scimitar in his left hand was known as the Fushoku Banto (Corrosion Barbarian Sword). These were the signature weapons of the Flying Fist Duo, Rutsu and Rasuka respectively.

"You said you would kill me. I don't see that happening," Sigurd taunted.

Baron answered the taunt as he roared and went on the attack. The two began to exchange blows at an accelerated speed, landing lightning fast strike after strike. They blitzed around the battlefield, moving at blinding speed, appearing as a fireball and lightning bolt repeatedly crashing into each other.

Baron went to pierce Sigurd's head, but his sword harmlessly passed through an afterimage as Sigurd's reflexes kicked in. He dodged the following slash before he grabbed Baron's outstretched arm and drove his knee into the Crimson Enforcer's stomach to knock the wind out of him. Baron attempted to pull his arm free but Sigurd flipped him to the ground.

Seeing Baron lying on the ground filled Sigurd with joy. As much as he wanted to savor this moment for a little bit longer, he knew he would have to end it. It was unfortunate, but there was still more for him to do tonight and he could not waste any more of his time playing with Baron.

"And now to finish you off," Sigurd concluded as he gave his Seaboll Compressor two pushes.

[RINGI! KARATSURU SPARKING! HASHIBUTO TANCHO KYAKU!]

Sigurd soared into the sky with his wings before he descended at blinding speed, executing a flying kick. Meanwhile, Baron was back on his feet when he saw white and black energy swirling around Sigurd's extended leg like a tornado before he smashed his foot into Baron's chest. The Destroying Red-Top Kick sent Baron violently tumbling on the snow and his flames were snuffed out. While the Destroying Red-Top Kick was not enough to deactivate Baron's armor, it was powerful enough to put him down for now.

Sigurd wanted to destroy Baron for getting in his way and ruining his plans. To do that, he decided to hit him where it hurt the most.

"Tonight the people have witnessed you, their guardian, defend a monster. You have failed them, Baron," Sigurd gloated as Baron struggled to pick himself up in spite of the pain. Part of Sigurd wanted to leave him to suffer under the people's scrutiny, but he no longer wanted to waste any time. It was time to finish this and he knew exactly what he should do now. "And tonight they'll witness as you fail to protect their ruler."

Baron gasped, realizing what Sigurd planned to do right now.

"Don't you dare touch her!" Baron growled.

"Try and stop me," Sigurd challenged before he zoomed away.

"NO!" Baron screamed. With the last of his strength, he spread his wings and took off, melting the snow as he chased after Sigurd who was heading straight for the palace.

He had failed to save Mei, but he would not fail to save his sworn sister.


The doors of the throne room were blasted open as Sigurd blitzed through them followed by a flaming Baron. The guards were blown away as Sigurd was heading for Sousou. Baron tried to catch him, but the speedster managed to slip away as he picked up speed, keeping his distance from his pursuer. Frustrated, Baron gained more speed but Sigurd was faster.

Meanwhile, Sousou was in bed with Juniku when her door was thrown open by Sigurd. The strategist shrieked as she covered herself with the blanket as Sousou glared unhappily at the person standing in her doorway.

"Now, Sousou. Your time as ruler is over," Sigurd smiled as he conjured up a spear of black and white Rinki. It glowed brightly as he prepared to throw it at the ruler.

"No, you don't!" Baron grabbed Sigurd and stopped him from throwing the light spear. The two armored warriors wrestled in front of Sousou's doorway. Baron was not about to let Sigurd kill Sousou, but Sigurd would not allow Baron to stop him and ruin his plans again.

"Kodo Modoshi!"

Using the Pulse Reversal technique, Sigurd drained the energy from Baron. This caused his armor to vanish, leaving him powerless against the Armored War Devil. Grabbing Mitsuki by the throat, Sigurd held him in place. Killing Sousou might be his mission but killing Baron would bring him great pleasure.

"Let him go!" Sousou commanded.

"Any last words?" Sigurd spat as he ignored Sousou.

Mitsuki looked Sigurd dead in his red eyepieces and cursed him.

"Go burn in Hell."

Hearing his enemy's final words, Sigurd drove his energy spear straight into Mitsuki's chest, piercing his heart. Mitsuki let out an anguished scream of pure agony.

"MITSUKI, NO!" Sousou screamed.

"And so ends the reign of the Crimson Phoenix," Sigurd laughed as he withdrew his energy spear.

All of a sudden, Mitsuki's body exploded and Sigurd was hit by an intense blast of fire in the shape of a phoenix that sent him crashing against the wall on the other side of the hallway, his armor vanishing on impact before he hit the floor. He rolled back and forth on the floor, screaming hysterically in agony while covering his face. Somehow, the flames managed to bypass his armor and burn him.

As Saji gradually stopped screaming and tried to bite back the pain, he heard the guards coming. He sent one last venomous glare at Mitsuki and cursed spitefully.

"Damn you..."

Before the guards could reach Saji, he activated a teleportation talisman and vanished. Though forced to retreat, he at least could be satisfied that he killed Mitsuki.

Once the flames died down, Sousou got out of bed to reach her fallen sworn brother. She picked him up and cradled him in her arms. She did not even care that she was naked.

"Ka...rin..." Mitsuki uttered. Miraculously, he was still alive despite having a hole in his chest, but he only had moments left.

"Don't speak! Save your strength! We'll get the doctors to fix you!" Sousou pleaded. "I won't let you die, you hear me! I order you not to die!"

Mitsuki weakly raised his hand and brushed her cheek with his knuckles, giving her a loving gaze.

"Loli, make your ambition a reality..." Mitsuki spoke with his last breath before his eyes closed and his life faded from him. Sousou desperately shook him to wake him back up.

"Mitsuki, don't you dare die on me! Do you hear me!? I order you to live! Live, damn you! Live!" When he did not respond, she shook him harder and shouted at him, "Mitsuki? Mitsuki, wake up! Mitsuki? I order you not to die! Mitsuki! MITSUKI! MITSUKIIIIII!"


KRC: Alright, so this chapter started light, and warm, and shows Mitsuki's soft side as he visits the orphanage then plays with the children. It soon takes a turn for the dark as Mei is turned into a vicious Inves. Baron tries to save her from Sigurd but only to fail miserably. Sigurd looks like a hero to the people for slaying the beast. Finally, we have Sigurd killing Mitsuki during a failed attempt to assassinate Sousou. Like my most recent chapters, this has turned dark.

BL92: Cursed that Cherry Boy! Not only has he killed Mei, but he also killed Mitsuki. This is like the time when Raynare killed Mitsuki's AU dad all over again. But at least Cherry Boy got burned right in the face. Hope he got some ointment on his ugly face.


Fruits of the Trees, Yggdrasil

Karatsuru Arms: The corresponding Lockseed was forged by Dai Shi from the remains of Rutsu the Crane-Ken Master and Rasuka the Crow-Ken Master of the RinJyuKen Akugata which were buried in the RinJyuDen. As a result, the user of this Lockseed will be able to summon armor that grants them the power of the Flying Fist Duo. The user can fly and Sigurd does not even lose his superspeed. The Arms Weapons are Rutsu's Kakukyaku Senken (Crane Leg Sharp Sword) and Rasuka's Fushoku Banto (Corrosion Barbarian Sword). These were the signature weapons of the Sky Fist Duo, Rutsu and Rasuka respectively. The Arms also gives Sigurd the ability to use Rutsu's Kodo Modoshi (Pulse Reversal) technique which allows him to drain the Ki from his victims, rendering them powerless. He demonstrated this by draining the power from Mitsuki's Zhuqiao Lockseed, which causes his armor to vanish. He also has the ability to generate spears of black and white Rinki which he can throw like javelins.

The Karatsuru Arms has two signature finishers which are based on Rutsu and Rasuka's Flying Fist combination techniques:

Squash: Ringi Jaakuringu (Wicked Spinning Encounter) allows Sigurd to throw dart-like feathers.

Sparking: Ringi Hashibuto Tancho Kyaku (Destroying Red-Top Kick) allows Sigurd to perform a powerful high-flying kick.


Saji roughly landed on the floor of the Armored War Devils' hidden headquarters and let out a scream of agony. When members of the Genesis cult found him injured, they quickly picked him up and took him to the infirmary. Fortunately, they had doctors among their members and they worked quickly to treat his burns.

As he lay in bed, his entire head and most of his torso covered in bandages, Diaochan entered the infirmary to see him. She had left the party as soon as she heard that Saji had returned.

"You don't look so good," Diaochan remarked at his injured state. "What happened?"

"Baron happened..." Saji growled as he glared at her with his one visible eye.

"Baron did this to you, huh? Serves you right. You're lucky you did not end up like Ukitsu."

Ukitsu had recently led an attack on Touka Village, using Enjutsu as a pawn. Sadly, his forces had been defeated and according to Taiga Shiba, he had been killed in battle by Gaim. He was not the only original member of their group to have perished. Shishi had been killed too, although the details of his death seemed to be a bit suspicious. According to Tyrant, he had been killed by Gridon, but that just didn't sound right to her.

Dai Shi also seemed to be bringing a lot of new people into the fold and giving them the power of the Great Fiends. First, it was Tyrant, who had replaced Shishi as the user of Qiongqi. Jam had been given the power of Taowu, but sadly she had been beaten, the power stripped from her as a result and being prepared for someone else. There was also Saver who held the power of Hundun and with it devastated Son Go. Finally, Taotie was given to Shiba who had willingly become the host of Bujin Gaim, the demon born from Nise's hatred and wrath.

She did not like Bujin Gaim at all. In fact, he disgusted her. Not only was he a bloodthirsty maniac, but he was a wretched pervert who violated women with his tentacles. His host, Shiba, on the other hand, seemed to be honorable and he did appear to have control over the parasitic demon, but Diaochan still made sure to keep her guard up around him.

Saji had been given power too. Like all of them, they had their Genesis Rider forms enhanced, but recently Saji had been given a new power in the form of the Karatsuru Lockseed. All Diaochan knew was that Dai Shi had forged it with the power of two powerful Rinrinshi. It would appear that Dai Shi greatly favored using Lockseeds as mediums for power. He clearly found a use for them since witnessing how the Armored War Gods utilized them.

Saji's lips curled into a vile smile as he let out a laugh. This perplexed and disturbed Diaochan, especially since his lips had been burnt off. What's so funny? Had he gone mad?

"Hahaahahaha! He did this to me, yes! Hahahahaha! He did! But only after I managed to kill him first! Hahahahaha!" Saji laughed maniacally. "I did it! Hahahaha! I did what Ukitsu couldn't do! I killed one of them! I slew the Crimson Enforcer!"

Saji finally had his revenge. He finally managed to pay Mitsuki back for what he did back in the museum and for ruining his plans. Finally, he had his satisfaction.

Diaochan's look of confusion soon shifted into a look of shock, disbelief, and dread.

"You...killed Baron..."

"HahahahahahHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"

A tear slid down her face all while Saji's crazed laughter filled the room.