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.


Dai Shi sat on his throne, observing the fierce battle taking place on his viewing screen with interest. He was not alone, though. Watching the fight with him were the other Great Armored War Fiends: Hundun (Minato Miyamoto/Saver), Taowu (Saito/Baron Nero) and Qiongqi (Sasuke Takeda/Tyrant).

Since the beginning of the battle, Taotie (Taiga Shiba/Majin Gaim) had maintained his advantage. While he might have faltered once or twice, he still managed to overwhelm his enemies with his might alone. He did not even need to use the Taotie Lockseed as there was nobody left in Shoku that could match him. The one called 'Ryugen' could potentially pose a challenge but he had not lasted long against Taotie.

They were already at the good part with Taotie about to kill Ryuubi Gentoku. Suddenly, the rosette gained an incredible burst of strength and delivered a punch so powerful that it literally blew the Armored War Fiend of Taotie away.

"What a twist!" Hundun cheered. It was getting really boring and predictable when Majin Gaim had the upper hand. That shocked of the twist got him excited again.

"That girl's got a strong punch," Taowu praised. She had not appeared very strong without her armor, but appearances could be deceiving.

"That's what he gets for underestimating his opponents," Qiongqi observed.

Dai Shi's eyes were glued to the screen as they watched this latest development. Now, things were getting interesting.

"Let's see what you'll do now, Taotie."


Sangokuden Armored War Gods Saga: End of the Armored War Gods

Co-Written By: Kamen Rider Chrome & Ten-Faced Paladin

Beta Reader/Editor: Busterleader92 & Kamen Rider Goji

Chapter 44: Legendary Heroes on Parade!


Ryuubi Gentoku had grown up living a rather simple life with her mother as they made straw mats for a living. The only proof of their royal ancestry had been a family heirloom - a sword that her mother had bequeathed to her. It had been gorgeous.

Then Ryuubi had lost it when a man (Nise) had stolen it from her. Her mother practically forced her to find it and get it back (by repeatedly throwing her into the river near their house in a fit of anger). All Ryuubi knew after so much searching was that the man who had stolen the sword and her name was in Touka Village.

When she came to Touka Village, seeking her sword, she had found Armored War God Gaim instead. She had been a fan since she first heard of the Armored War Gods and never thought she would meet one in-person.

After a few misunderstandings, and almost being assaulted due to a case of mistaken identity, Ryuubi had received the help she needed. Nagata and the others decided to go with her on her quest to regain her lost family heirloom. It was quite an adventure with a few misadventures along the way. Though Ryuubi finally retrieved the sword, she ended up losing it again as she sacrificed it to save a village from bandits. She was eventually gifted with a replacement which she had received from the Heavens.

Not wanting to be a damsel-in-distress anymore, she had asked Nagata to train her so she could wield her sword properly and he had been a good teacher to her since. She followed his instructions and they sparred constantly to sharpen her skills. He even taught her about the sacred bushido code. Her confidence grew with his training and encouragement until he decided that she would be the one to take his place if something were to happen to him.

She had led in his stead whenever he got incapacitated before, but now it seemed she would be filling the position permanently now.

And in more ways than one.


"Henshin!"

[SOIYA!]

The Cutting Blade sliced the front open, revealing the core image of the Gaim Lockseed. It showed Gaim's emblem surrounded by an orange glow while the lid's backside depicted the Daidaimaru and Musou Saber crossed together.

The Gaim Armor Part - which resembled Gaim's head - landed on Ryuubi's head and released energy that wrapped around her body, materializing a midnight Ride Wear suit like Gaim's but with faulds hanging from the belt like a short skirt to protect her thighs.

[GAIM ARMS! FRUITS YOROI MUSHA ON PARADE!]

The Armor Part disassembled and folded onto Ryuubi's body. It configured differently from the Bujin Gaim Arms. The 'face' folded in half to show only the visor and crest that covered Ryuubi's chest while the top and back folded behind her and the sides came down to form the armor's pauldrons to protect her shoulders. This also revealed her helmet which resembled Gaim's. However, the head crest was shaped drastically different from Gaim's, resembling a long-horned dragon's head that was flanked by bat-like wings.

The Daidaimaru materialized in Ryuubi's left hand and she used her right hand to wield her Heavenly Dragon Claw Sword while the Musou Saber remained in its holster on her belt. At the same time, a pair of twin Daidaimaru blades appeared and attached themselves to her back like a pair of decorative wings. They were positioned just behind her shoulders.

Rejoice, for the Heavenly Dragon Queen has ascended to the stage.


Majin Gaim lay in the snow in pain from the punch he had just received from Ryuubi. The rosette had scored a direct blow to his SengokuDriver, right in the center where Bujin Gaim's Lockseed was currently housed, causing it to dangerously spark with orange energy. While the Lockseed and SengokuDriver themselves did not appear to be damaged, the force of the punch still stunned Majin Gaim, temporarily paralyzing him.

What they just witnessed shocked Bujin Gaim and his host. Based on the resemblance, Ryuubi had transformed into a female version of Gaim.

"NO! THIS CANNOT BE!" Bujin Gaim raged inside Majin Gaim's mind. Through their bond, Majin Gaim could feel his shock and fury at seeing the birth of a new Gaim.

"Who are you!?" Majin Gaim demanded furiously as he got back to his feet. The punch she had thrown caused his stomach to ache. If he did not have his armor, he was sure she would have pulverized his guts.

Ryuubi glared at Majin Gaim.

"I am Armored War Goddess Gaimu! Ryuubi Gentoku! And this stage belongs to us!" Wielding her swords, the new Ultimate Sword broke into a run. He fired at her with his Toxic Arrow but she deflected the energy bolts with her swords.

She closed the distance to Majin Gaim and slashed him with both her swords. He let out a yell as he raised his weapons to defend himself, but she broke through his guard and sent him staggering in shock. As she crossed swords with Majin Gaim, she loudly addressed the others.

"Everyone, pick up the Lockseeds and use them! Nagata-sama's power lives within them!"

If the Orange Lockseed could change and grant her its power, maybe the others could do the same in the right hands.

The scattered Lockseeds lying in the snow started to shine like beacons, calling the Shoku Warriors to pick them up. It was as if they were offering their power to the noble warriors. Seeing no reason to neither disobey nor disbelieve Gaimu, the girls went to pick up the Lockseeds.

It was time for their counterattack.


Meanwhile, Ryugen remained safe within the confines of his Suika Arms Armor (Odama Mode). He had summoned it as soon as the battle got intense. Being injured and exposed on the outskirts of the battlefield still left him pretty vulnerable and it was not exactly the safest for him. Truth be told, someone should've carried him back to camp before the fight even started. Unfortunately, Majin Gaim would not allow anybody to leave and everyone here was determined to avenge Nagata at all cost.

Poking his head out to see what was going on out there, Ryugen's jaw dropped in shock when Ryuubi transformed into a female version of Gaim. He had not expected that to happen and he had experienced plenty of weird things since he first came to this world.


For Iori Tokugawa, becoming Armored War God Ryugen for the first time had been a welcoming surprise. He never thought it would've been possible as Kamen Riders were only fiction, a TV show. It had been a childish fantasy, but one he had been willing to indulge to forget his unhappy home life. While he did not know how it happened - though he suspected it had something to do with that mirror in the museum - he was glad that it did happen. When he ended up married to Kochu and became Riri's new stepdad, he experienced the true bliss and love of a real family.

He had not expected to meet others like himself, but when he met Nagata, he realized there were more like him. Oh, he had been informed and he had heard rumors, but meeting the Ultimate Sword had confirmed to him that there were others who had been brought to this world and given the powers of Kamen Riders.

After returning to their home, Iori, Kochu and Riri continued to live happily. When they heard about Touka Village, they decided to go and visit their friends, taking Riri with them. They had not planned on staying long, but on the night they arrived, they found the village under attack and decided to intervene. They then decided to move in, making sure to send a letter back to their home village to have their things delivered.

Iori and Kochu held down the fort whenever Nagata went out on adventures while taking some of the Shoku Warriors with him. It really did not bother Iori. He was happy to do it as it meant keeping their home safe.

When Ukitsu forcibly returned Iori and the other Armored War Gods back to their world, he wanted so much to return to Kochu and Riri and became depressed before discovering a way back with the others. Returning to them had strengthened his resolve to fight for them.

Since joining the Shoku Faction, Iori found himself participating in many battles and the stakes were always high. The war to overthrow the tyrant Chojo had been one of the biggest battles he had ever taken part in. Iori had also fought to protect Touka Village from a series of attacks.

One time, he even ended up under Karasu's mind control. He would never forgive her for that and for forcing him to attack his friend. Thank Heavens he survived or he would not have been able to help the others when Karasu went to attack Touka Village with Nagata who she also had under her mind control.

After becoming an Armored War God and fighting so many battles, Iori did not think he could be surprised anymore.

Well, it looked like there was still plenty of room in his life for more surprises.


The rest of the Shoku Warriors picked up the fallen Lockseeds and put on their SengokuDrivers.

In a flash, the Carambola Lockseed in Kanu's hand changed, now bearing the face of an unknown Rider. The Ichigo, Papaya, Blueberry, and Pine Lockseeds also changed into similar Lockseeds in the hands of the Shoku Warriors.

The power Ryujin Gaim had given them, while formidable, was not enough. They needed to become something more.

They needed to ascend into true War Goddesses.

"Shoku Warriors, to battle!" Kanu commanded her fellow generals to rally together as she activated her new Lockseed.

[GUAN YU!]

"OK, Aisha-neechan!" Chouhi joined in.

[ZHANG FEI!]

"I'm joining in!" Chou'un declared.

[ZHAO YUN!]

"Don't leave me out!" announced Bacho.

[MA CHAO!]

"For Nagata-sama," declared Ryofu with firm resolve.

[LU BU!]

Once the Lockseeds were activated, the Rider Indicator plates on the left-hand side of the SengokuDrivers flashed before fading to show the Rider Indicators that matched their Lockseeds. Helheim portals immediately zipped up above them, releasing a green dragon, a red turtle, a blue unicorn, a yellow lion and a black Pegasus.

[LOCK ON!]

"Henshin!" the five Shoku Warriors chorused as they hit the Cutting Blades, revealing the core images that showed the first characters of their public names. The backside of the Lockseed lids displayed their weapons too.

[HAI~!]

As the aura animals fused with the girls, they felt their power grow as they became enveloped in armor.

The girls all wore identical black bodysuits with armor and helmets covering their heads like masks. The suits had silver bracers and black boots with colored trim that were topped by knee pads. Tassets hung from their belts to protect their thighs.

Their upper torsos were protected by armor that resembled Chinese kung-fu shirts and in the center of their breastplates were hexagons that displayed their animal motifs. The pauldrons were also decorated by their individual animal motifs. The only other difference in their armor was the colors and the design of their helmets.

[GUAN YU ARMS! DRAGON WAR GODDESS!]

Kanu's armor was green and her helmet had black 'beard-like' crests decorating both sides of the silver faceplate. She had a yellow visor and a dragon-like head crest. Now she was Armored War Goddess Dragon Guan Yu.

[ZHANG FEI ARMS! FIERCE TURTLE GENERAL!]

Chouhi's armor was red. Her helmet had a turtle shell pattern and golden crests framing the silver faceplate which resembled a turtle's mouth, a green visor, and a U-shaped head crest. Now she was Armored War Goddess Turtle Zhang Fei.

[ZHAO YUN ARMS! RISING UNICORN!]

Chou'un's armor was blue with a green visor on her helmet, a unicorn head crest on top with a horn sticking out. The helmet also included a blue ponytail. She had become Armored War Goddess Unicorn Zhao Yun.

[MA CHAO ARMS! SPLENDID LION!]

Bacho's armor was yellow and her helmet appeared fierce as it was modeled after a lion, with sharp teeth framing her red visor. She had horns on her helmet which resembled lion ears. In this form, she was dubbed Armored War Goddess Lion Ma Chao.

[LU BU ARMS! INSANE CAVALRY!]

Ryofu's new armor was mainly black with red trim and silver piping that extended from her chest and curved over her shoulder pads. Her new helmet was black with a grilled silver faceplate that sported a wing-like head crest on her forehead and a crimson visor. Mounted on her head crest was the head of a black horse with wings on either side - a Pegasus. Thus, she was now called Armored War Goddess Pegasus Lu Bu.

All the Shoku Warriors had ascended, reborn as Armored War Goddesses.


As they watched the battle's latest development, the Armored War Fiends continued to provide their commentary.

"Well, he's fucked," Taowu stated eloquently after witnessing the Shoku Warriors' transformation. Not even he saw that one coming.

"What do you mean?" Qiongqi asked.

"Those girls just transformed so they are sure to win now," Taowu explained.

"That's how it usually goes," Hundun added in agreement.

Qiongqi recalled instances of that trope being demonstrated on Tokusatsu shows. It did seem to fit the popular pattern so deeply ingrained in Tokusatsu since the genre's conception.

It was so popular that it had become a bit of a cliché.

"Is that so?" Dai Shi asked.

"Well, that's how it usually goes, Dai Shi-sama," Hundun answered. "When someone new appears or when someone gains a new form, they are guaranteed to win."

"And this occurrence is common?" Dai Shi inquired.

"Yeah, pretty much. You've already seen it happen before."

Dai Shi had seen the footage of the Armored War Gods' past and present battles on his viewing screens. That did seem to be the case.

"Ryugen gained a new form and yet he lost," Qiongqi argued.

Qiongqi made a good point. Dai Shi recalled that Sousou's Kako Sisters had assumed Armored War Goddess forms too and still lost their fight against Saji.

"Well, that's different," Taowu chimed in. "He was dominating the fight at first but then he was already pretty beat up before that so he really wasn't going to last long enough to win."

"So then what makes you so sure the Armored War Goddesses of Shoku will be victorious?" Dai Shi asked.

After all the Tokusatsu he had seen as a child and based on the most recent ones as well, Taowu's answer was a simple one as it echoed Hundun's earlier statement:

"Because, most of the time, that's how it always goes."


Witnessing the girls' transformation, Majin Gaim gawked in disbelief.

"No way! They've become Armored War Goddesses!"

Majin Gaim cried out as Gaimu struck him while he was distracted. She smiled when she saw her friends armored and ready. Now the odds were strongly in their favor.

Ryugen goggled as he got a good look at the girls in their new suits of armor and he briefly wondered what Kochu would look like had she been able to transform like them as well. He could tell that the battle was going to become extremely intense after this and he should roll back to camp where it was safe but he also wanted to see how this ended.

He decided to stay. He was safe in his giant metal armored watermelon.

"Come on! Let us assist Aneue!" Guan Yu commanded. The Shoku Warriors roared in concert as they joined their leader in battle.

Guan Yu was the first to reach the two combatants and lent her aid to her sworn sister.


After losing her entire family during a bandit raid on her home village, Kanu Unchou had dedicated her life to protecting the innocent from them. She trained hard until she grew up and became a feared and powerful warrior, wielding her Green Dragon Crescent Blade in the name of justice.

To pursue her path, she had discarded her femininity. She had not once considered herself a girl as such an identity was a weakness to her. When she had learned of the prophecy that foretold the arrival of the Messenger of Heaven, she decided to find him while continuing her noble crusade against bandits.

The day she met Nagata was when she found him being accosted by bandits. He was a strange man in strange clothing. As usual, when she saw such injustice happening before her eyes, she instantly came to his defense. It was then that she finally found the Messenger of Heaven or one of them at least. By transforming before her eyes, it was all the proof she needed that he was the one she was destined to serve.

Falling in love with him had not been part of the plan, however.

During their travels, they had grown close. In that time, he had never seen her as a servant but as a friend and someone he could confide in. When he had killed a bandit in self-defense, she had comforted him. Gradually, their feelings for each other grew.

Back then, she had not understood why she felt so angry whenever Chou'un flirted with Nagata. She only understood once Nise had tried to seduce her and all she could think about was having Nagata in Nise's place.

After they had confessed their feelings for each other, their relationship had blossomed in earnest. Oh, they had tried to hide it from their friends, but it had been pretty obvious to them even if they had not commented on it. The days she spent with Nagata had been her happiest, but now they were over.

She regretted believing that he had abandoned them.

It was time to atone by avenging him.


Guan Yu's new Arms Weapon was a saber with a dragon motif dubbed the Dragon Calibur. With it, she struck Majin Gaim with a brutal slash. He raised his sword to block the next blow but left himself wide open to Gaimu's attack. Together, the two sisters double-teamed their lover's killer, forcing him on the defensive.

"Oi-ryah!" Zhang Fei rammed right into Majin Gaim and struck him with her new Arms Weapon, the Turtle Breaker. It was a battle axe modeled after a turtle and its 'flippers' were axe blades. While it handled differently than her signature Viper Spear, she got used to it quickly as she landed a vicious chop on Majin Gaim's chest.

"You took Nagata-niichan away! I'm going to kill you!"

She buried the battle axe into his chest before she withdrew it and black blood burst from the wound.

Majin Gaim screamed from his injury.


Chouhi Yokutoku was no stranger to loss. She had lost her parents at a very young age and then her grandfather who had trained her in the art of spear-wielding. She then started causing trouble with her friends as the 'Rinrin Bandits' so she could forget that she was all alone.

She had been happy with her friends, but after their daily dose of fun, her friends would go home to their families while she had to return to an empty house, all alone, with nobody to take care of her. She had forgotten how many times she had cried herself to sleep.

Then Kanu and Nagata had shown up and since then Chouhi had never been alone ever again. She had adopted them as her big sister and big brother and did not hesitate to come along with them on their journey. She had no real goal when she went along with them, only that she did not want to be separated from her new family.

She enjoyed Nagata's food and whenever he cooked something for them, it was always something special. She had never missed a meal he made.

When she had a cold, he made her chicken noodle soup to make her feel better.

Now, he was gone, taken away from her like her parents and her grandfather.

She loved him and now she would miss him and the food he would never make for them ever again.

He would no longer give her hugs, no longer pat her on the head, and no longer comfort her whenever she had a nightmare.

He would no longer be doing any of those things.

And she knew who was to blame.


As if by reflex, tentacles sprouted from Majin Gaim's body and he used them to smack Zhang Fei away. He then lashed out and used the tentacles to drive the girls back. The Armored War Goddesses jumped out of the way, dodging the whip-like appendages. The eldritch limbs flailed around Majin Gaim, as if with minds of their own, while defending their host body.

They assessed their enemy.

Majin Gaim's tentacles made him a formidable foe. With access to so many powerful prehensile limbs, getting close enough to do any damage would be a challenge. Severing them would not do them any good as they would instantly regenerate. However, the girls were skilled warriors and had overcome their own fair share of challenges in the past.

"Those tentacles are a problem," Zhao Yun remarked. "Does anyone have any ideas on how to deal with them?"

"Ren, think you can hold him?" Guan Yu asked their physically strongest member.

Lu Bu nodded silently, eyes focused on Majin Gaim.

"You have a plan?" Gaimu asked her sworn sister.

"Yes, but it's a bit risky," Guan Yu answered. "We pin him down and overwhelm him with everything we've got. Just need to wait for the right moment."

They did not have to wait long as Majin Gaim got tired of waiting and attacked. He shot two of his tentacles to spear Gaimu and Guan Yu.

"Ren! Catch!" Guan Yu yelled.

Lu Bu quickly got in the way and caught the tentacles. Majin Gaim tried to retract his tentacles but failed as Lu Bu held them in her unbreakable grip.

"Now's our chance! Attack!" Guan Yu commanded.

The other Shoku Warriors sprinted toward Majin Gaim. He saw them coming and deployed more of his tentacles. However, he missed as the girls bobbed and weaved around the limbs while crossing the distance to reach him. He tried to fire at them with his Toxic Arrow, but he could not get a clear shot with his tentacles in the way.

Zhang Fei was not the only one forced to quickly get accustomed to a new weapon. Ma Chao's new weapon was the Lion Knuckle. Resembling a lion's head, it was equipped to her right arm to give her punching power a strong boost. Fortunately, she was skilled at hand-to-hand combat as her father had taught her well.


Like Kanu and Chouhi, Bacho Moki was also no stranger to loss. Like them, she had lost both her parents. Her mother had died while she was a young child so only her father was left to raise her and her two younger sisters.

She looked up to her father and respected him so she swore to become as strong as him. So, when she had learned that Sousou had killed him, she had wanted to avenge him. She had not cared if anybody got in her way.

Then she had learned the truth of what really happened and while she'd denied it at first, she decided to let go of her enmity toward Sousou and move on. Her father would not have wanted her to dwell on his death or go down to a path of revenge. It would have only left her empty inside.

She owed Nagata and her new friends for not letting her go down to a dark path of revenge.

Like Kanu, she had not really been sure about her feelings for Nagata. After all, she had been training as a warrior for most of her life and her father had not really touched upon the subject. He had not even spoken to her about marriage. She really did not know what to do whenever she was alone with Nagata as she tried to stop her heart from pounding too fast whenever she was around him. Sometimes, even the slightest compliment from him caused her to become flustered.

She had gone and introduced Nagata to her sisters who both encouraged Bacho to marry him. That had been pretty embarrassing for her. Of course, it was only because he was a good cook. Their father had Bacho focus on her martial arts training that she was lacking in domestic skills. They also wanted to make sure she had someone to take care of her and perhaps have a child to pass her knowledge to.

Then came the day Nagata had come to save her from a noble who wanted to add her to his harem of concubines and mistresses. Nagata would not allow that. After that experience, she finally acted upon her feelings for Nagata and gave him a kiss on the lips.

Now that Nagata was gone, killed by Majin Gaim, she wanted to avenge him.

This time it would not be a misunderstanding.

This time it would be just.


As tentacles flailed aggressively around them, Ma Chao sprinted ahead. Once she closed the distance, she delivered a furious barrage of wild and brutal punches at Majin Gaim before sending him reeling with a fierce uppercut.

"You bastard!" Ma Chao shouted.

She grabbed his head crest and pulled his head down to smash his face against her helmet before she delivered a roundhouse kick that sent him staggering. He righted himself and swung his sword but she sidestepped and punched him in the face with the Lion Knuckle.

"This one's for Nagata-sama!"

He swung his Toxic Arrow at her, but she blocked it with her right arm before delivering a left hook to his face before she followed up with her Lion Knuckle buried in his gut, causing him to double over.

"And this one's for me!"

The Lion Knuckle roared and nearly blasted a hole through his stomach.

Majin Gaim screamed as a spear pierced him from behind, the spearhead sticking out of his chest. Standing behind him was Zhao Yun.

Zhao Yun's new Arms Weapon was similar to her own Dragon Fang bident. As its name implied, the Unicorn Spear was a polearm topped by a unicorn's head as the spearhead. Said spearhead was currently sticking out of Majin Gaim's chest.


Chou'un Shiryuu was a whimsical girl who did as she pleased. Before she met Nagata, Kanu, and Chouhi, she had considered settling for Kosonsan as she did not have any available options at the time. She had been looking for a lord to serve and quite frankly she had not seen any better options than to serve the comically-forgotten girl.

Then she had witnessed Nagata transform into Armored War God Gaim of the Ultimate Sword. Like Kanu, she too had heard of the prophesized Messenger of Heaven. She felt bad for leaving Kosonsan like that, but Chou'un had not wanted to miss her chance to serve the Messenger of Heaven.

He was not exactly what she expected. Yes, he was strong and skilled with a sword but he was also pretty humble. He was also a pretty good cook and would always volunteer to cook at whatever restaurant or inn they worked at to earn traveling funds. He also made sure to cook delicious meals for them when they camped out. He was also very thoughtful as he had made a feast for her using her favorite food: menma.

She also thought he was cute and fun to tease, which was something that always annoyed Kanu a lot, but Chou'un still continued as she loved to provoke a reaction from either of them. The bluenette knew the Black-Haired Bandit Hunter had feelings for Nagata, even if she had not realized it back then.

Chou'un teased and flirted with Nagata a lot, but she never thought she would develop genuine feelings for him besides friendship. However, she had. He had become someone special to her and more than just a friend for her to tease or a lord for her to serve.

But now he was gone, the man she had fallen in love with was now gone forever, and this monstrous doppelganger who insulted his memory with his appearance would pay for taking his life.

She swore she would drive her spear through his inky black heart.


Zhang Fei struck next as she buried the blade of her Turtle Breaker into Majin Gaim's unprotected side. He roared and grew tentacles to whack the girls away. Ma Chao managed to land on her feet while Zhang Fei and Zhao Yun landed on their backs.

Majin Gaim quickly severed his tentacles with his weapons, freeing himself from Lu Bu's grasp. He retracted the stumps and staggered back when Gaimu and Guan Yu struck. He regained his balance and fired back at them with his Toxic Arrow, but they deflected his shots. He furiously fired energy bolts at them, but the sworn sisters kept deflecting his shots or dodging them. As he was too focused on the two sisters, he failed to notice the others coming right at him.

It was Bujin Gaim who noticed them coming and he swung his tentacles at the oncoming warriors. Lu Bu and Zhang Fei slapped away the tentacles with their weapons, allowing Zhao Yun to dash ahead to drive her spear into Majin Gaim's side. He howled and swung at her, but she leaped away to evade his blade. Ma Chao came through and knocked him back with her Lion Knuckle. Zhang Fei leaped at him and hit him over the head with her Turtle Breaker. His tentacles began to flail uselessly before the girls all struck him together, sending him flying.

Majin Gaim went tumbling on the snow before he recovered. Rising to his feet infuriated, he angrily growled at the Shoku War Goddesses. He quickly fired off his tentacles again.

"Split up! Don't let him catch you!" Gaimu commanded and the girls took off in different directions as the tentacles chased after them. It became a game of cat and mouse as the tentacles spread out to go after the Shoku Warriors. They were able to stay out of the tentacles' reach as they ran in seemingly random patterns. Some of them ran back and forth while others zigzagged. They also crossed each other's path. It did not make sense to Majin Gaim or his inner demon.

Were they even trying to get away?

He soon realized what they were doing but it was already too late as his tentacles became entangled and ended up tied up in knots. The Shoku Warriors had tricked him into tangling up his tentacles, turning them into useless masses of demonic flesh. As he tried to pull his tentacles apart to untangle them, he left himself wide open for an attack.

The Shoku Warriors came at him and he tried to defend himself, but their teamwork overwhelmed him. Gaimu and Guan Yu slashed him as Zhao Yun and Lu Bu drove their spears into him.

Ma Chao, Zhang Fei, and Lu Bu all threw him into the air before sending him flying across the snow. As he landed, he finally managed to untangle his tentacles and retract them. Perhaps the blow and fall loosened them.

"Damn you all!" Getting back up, Majin Gaim cursed as he reloaded the Grapefruit Energy Lockseed into his Toxic Arrow. He would not let this humiliation continue.

He would end this here!

He would end them now!

No more playing around!

It was time to get serious!

[GRAPEFRUIT ENERGY!]

It was time for them all to die!

He fired his Toxic Arrow, firing a destructive swarm of energy bolts at his enemies, but Zhang Fei quickly countered him. She raised her Turtle Breaker and it opened up to reveal a mirror. The Toxic Arrow's energy bolts curved in her direction and were all absorbed by the mirror, much to Majin Gaim's shock.

"WHAT!?" Majin Gaim yelled in shocked disbelief.

"Take this!" Zhang Fei swung her Turtle Breaker to send the energy arrows flying back to their sender. The energy arrows exploded, violently relieving Majin Gaim of his Toxic Arrow and throwing him to the ground. "That's for Nagata-niichan!"

"Argh! They're making fools of us! Quick, give me control! Give me control, now!" Bujin Gaim screamed.

"SHUT UP! SHUT UP!" Majin Gaim barked furiously as he rose up and brandished his Blood Drake Tail Sword. He was normally composed, but when threatened by defeat, he would lose his temper. "THIS IS MY FIGHT!" He charged straight for Gaimu, only to be intercepted by Lu Bu. "GET OUT OF MY WAY!"

He went to strike her down, but she blocked and countered it with a brutal slash from her personal weapon, the Heaven Piercer.

While she could have summoned her own Arms Weapon, she preferred to use her signature weapon instead. Majin Gaim retaliated with his Blood Drake Tail Sword but she caught his blade with the shaft of her Heaven Piercer then pushed his sword aside to make an opening so she could strike him in the chest. Ferociously, she delivered a series of slashes that caused Majin Gaim to backpedal. She finished up the combo with a brutally powerful thrust that sent him tumbling.

Gaimu charged at Majin Gaim as he was getting back up. Quickly, he raised his Blood Drake Tail Sword to counter her as she attacked. They furiously exchanged blows, but Gaimu was able to break through his guard and land several hits.

"How is this possible!?" Majin Gaim shouted as he crossed swords with Gaimu. "You shouldn't be this strong!"

This shouldn't be happening!

This was complete bullshit!

"It's possible because this is Nagata-sama's power!"

Gaimu parried Majin Gaim's sword. Guan Yu rushed in and slashed Majin Gaim. Ma Chao delivered a series of punches while Zhao Yun jabbed him repeatedly with her spear.

"It's possible because we are the Shoku Warriors!"

Gaimu slashed Majin Gaim across the chest. Lu Bu and Zhao Yun then sent him backpedaling with their polearms. Zhang Fei and Ma Chao leaped at him and kicked him right in the face.

"It's possible because this is our stage now!"

Guan Yu slashed Majin Gaim when Zhao Yun thrust her spear at him. Ma Chao gave him a right hook as Zhang Fei slammed her Turtle Breaker into his stomach. Finally, Lu Bu struck him with an overhead swing to bury his face in the snow.

Majin Gaim lashed out with his tentacles, driving them all back. He then used his tentacles to catapult himself at them as he resolved to kill them all. Gaimu intercepted and crossed blades with him. As he swung his tentacles, the other Shoku Warriors made sure to keep them from touching her.

Majin Gaim roared in Gaimu's face to intimidate her. Undaunted, she quickly struck the Cutting Blade once and performed the first of her three finishers.

[SOIYA! GAIM SQUASH! ORANGE SQUASH!]

"GREAT ORANGE SLICER!"

Gaimu's Daidaimaru glowed brightly as she delivered a powerful circular slash with it and her Dragon Claw Sword, projecting a giant slice of orange made of energy around her. The explosive force of the attack violently reduced the mass of wiggling tentacles to ribbons and sent Majin Gaim tumbling again, disarming him in the process.

He was getting exasperated from being knocked down all the time. Scrambling to his feet, he resolved to kill them all.

[BUJIN GAIM AU LAIT!]

"YOU LITTLE BITCH!" Majin Gaim screamed as he jumped into the air to deliver a lethal flying kick that was augmented by blazing crimson demonic energy.

Guan Yu and Zhang Fei broke into a sprint and joined Gaimu just as Majin Gaim launched himself at them to deliver his Majin Rider Kick. They crossed their weapons together, forming their Sisterly Trinity and creating a star-shaped barrier.

Majin Gaim's Majin Rider Kick connected, but he was violently repelled by the Sisterly Trinity's combined might. He cried out as he was roughly sent crashing to the ground again, sending white powder flying.

Not letting up, Gaimu hit her SengokuDriver's Cutting Blade twice to execute her second finisher and return the favor.

[SOIYA! GAIM AU LAIT! JIMBER GRAPEFRUIT AU LAIT!]

Gaimu jumped high into the air with a mighty leap, her body generating a blazing orange aura as she spun in the air. At the same time, an alternating row of giant holographic orange and grapefruit slices appeared to create a path between herself and Majin Gaim. Once ready, she executed a perfect flying kick, traveling through the path of citrus fruit slices just as Majin Gaim was getting back up. Her speed accelerated the closer she got to him.

"SONIC CITRUS KICK!"

Her foot crashed into his chest and the impact created an explosive splash of mixed citrus fruit juice. He screamed as he was launched across the snow before exploding on impact.

Majin Gaim recovered from the attack and picked himself up. His blood was boiling with rage. No, he would not be beaten here, especially not by a bunch of girls. His only chance of claiming victory now was to use it. He reached behind his back and took out his Taotie Lockseed.

"YOU THINK YOU'VE BEATEN ME!?" Majin Gaim screamed at them.

He unlocked the Taotie Lockseed.

[TAOTIE!]

"I'LL DEVOUR YOU ALL!"

Once he accessed his Taotie Arms, none of them would stand a chance against him, not even if they worked together.

Gaimu, seeing that their enemy needed to be put down immediately, decided it was time to finish him off for good. It was at this time that the seemingly decorative Daidaimaru blades on her back finally revealed their function.

The Daidaimaru Sluggers detached from Gaimu's back and flung themselves at Majin Gaim. They pierced right through his chest and shot out his back, causing him to roar in agony from the wounds. They zipped around the Armored War Devil, attacking and distracting him while stopping him from accessing his Taotie Arms as he tried to swat them away. It was like trying to swat a couple of annoying flies or mosquitos, only to miss at the last second. He sprouted his tentacles to try and catch the flying blades, but they were too fast and they swiftly severed the limbs.

"Everyone, let's finish this together!" Gaimu rallied the Armored War Goddesses to assemble with her. Heeding her call, they powered up their weapons to deliver a combined killing blow and divine justice.

[HAI~! GUAN YU SQUASH!]

"DRAGON SLASH!"

[HAI~! ZHANG FEI SQUASH!]

"TURTLE BREAK!"

[HAI~! ZHAO YUN SQUASH!]

"UNICORN STRIKE!"

[HAI~! MA CHAO SQUASH!]

"LION PUNCH!"

[HAI~! LU BU SQUASH!]

"PEGASUS CRASH!"

The female generals delivered their attacks, summoning their Aura Beasts and throwing them at Majin Gaim, resulting in an explosive blast.

Gaimu was tasked with finishing off the demonic Armored War Devil. She started to perform her final finisher by hitting the Cutting Blade thrice.

[SOIYA! GAIM SPARKING! KACHIDOKI SPARKING!]

Gaim's DJ Taiken replaced the Daidaimaru. It was quite a heavy sword but Gaimu was able to wield it with one hand while holding her Dragon Claw Sword in the other.

As pure orange energy surrounded her swords, Gaimu raised them to deliver the killing blow.

"This is for Nagata-sama: KACHIDOKI DAI MUSOU ZAN!"

Gaimu yelled as she delivered a final energy slash with her swords, engulfing Majin Gaim in a huge explosion. Once the smoke and fire cleared, Majin Gaim was gone. He had been completely obliterated by the Armored War Goddesses' combined might.

The Daidaimaru Sluggers returned to Gaimu like boomerangs and reattached themselves to her back.

"They did it," Ryugen said, smiling in astonishment. He should not be surprised that they won. They were Legendary Heroes after all.

Now, with Ryuubi and her generals receiving Armored War Goddess powers, they stood a better chance against their enemies. Even without Nagata, they managed to survive.

They would mourn since learning of his death, but they would move on afterward. It was heartbreaking, but that was the fact of life.

They did not need Nagata Oda anymore.

They would be just fine without him.

Ryugen felt guilty for thinking like that but brushed it off. It was not something he should dwell on when survival was on the line. Nagata should be glad that they would be alright without him.

Ryugen would have to make sure Kochu never got involved with active combat until after the baby was born. They could not afford any risks. Perhaps Ryofu could be asked to take Kochu's spot as one of the Five Tiger Generals. His wife wouldn't mind that, right?

The girls canceled their transformations and began to walk back to camp. Ryofu walked over to Ryugen and knocked on the giant metal watermelon.

"You can come out now. It's safe. It's time to go back to camp," Ryofu told him.

"I can just roll my way back to camp," Ryugen replied. He could also fly back too.

"No," Ryofu objected. "You're injured. Or do you want me to carry you like this?"

Ryofu demonstrated by effortlessly lifting the Suika Arms Odama.

"OK, OK, I'm coming out! There's no need for that!"

Ryofu put down the giant metal watermelon. Reluctantly, Iori deactivated the Suika Arms Armor and it faded away, leaving him sitting on the snow. It had been pretty safe and cozy for him but he could not stay in a giant metal watermelon forever like some bubble boy.

"Come on. Let me carry you," Ryofu said as she lifted Iori up before he could protest and carried him on her shoulder like a sack of rice.

"Ren, put me down," Iori told Ryofu. This was embarrassing.

"You're hurt. You need to be carried," Ryofu firmly insisted. There was no room for argument.

As Iori was being carried back to camp by Ryofu, he resolved to become stronger. The first step to do that was mastering his Makairyu Arms. As powerful as it was, the strain it put on his body was a weakness, a weakness he must work to overcome.

Normally, after such a victory, Ryuubi and Chouhi would be cheering and jumping for joy to celebrate, but that no longer seemed appropriate. Once the adrenaline rush was over only a somber emptiness remained.

Chouhi spotted the Grapefruit Energy Lockseed lying in the snow and went to pick it up.

"Rinrin, come on," Kanu called her little sister over.

"It's time to go," Ryuubi added.

"Aisha-neechan, Touka-neechan, we killed the monster," Chouhi said as she approached her two sworn older sisters. She was not her normally energetic self. Instead, she seemed somber. "We should feel better, right?"

"It's supposed to bring us some closure," Kanu answered, giving her little sister the best answer she could.

"But I don't feel any better," Chouhi confessed as tears welled up in her eyes while she gazed at the Grapefruit Energy Lockseed. They had avenged Nagata by killing Majin Gaim and yet there was no satisfaction. "I-I just want Nagata-niichan back."

Kanu and Ryuubi both sympathetically embraced Chouhi who hugged them back as she sobbed, holding the Grapefruit Energy Lockseed tightly. It was Nagata's and she decided to hang onto it. She did not want it to fall into the wrong hands ever again.

As the group made their way back to camp, Ryuubi silently vowed to continue fighting in Nagata's memory. Therefore, she would redub her sword as the 'Ryujinto' (Dragon God Sword) in his honor.


KRC: So for this Volume's Final Battle, we have some new Armored War Goddesses. First, let's look at Ryuubi's new form, Armored War Goddess Gaimu, is based on Natsumi's Armored Rider form from the SIC line but this version uses the Gaim Lockseed instead of the Natsumikan Lockseed. It was originally supposed to be Natsumikan Arms, but I made the Lockseed into a Gaim Lockseed. I was also inspired by Zi-O's Gaim Armor. It seemed to be a good design. I just did not give her those 'sword wings' of his. They looked like 'kibble'. Instead, I did give her a pair of functional Daidaimaru blades on her back that can be deployed called the Daidaimaru Sluggers, named after the Slugger weapons from the Ultraman series. While I originally named her 'Armored War Goddess Queen Gaim', I decided to name her 'Gaimu' as it is still the Gaim Armor but added the 'u' at the end since it's pronounced as it would be in Japanese. It's a strong 'u' sound if you wanna pronounce it.

I also gave the girls Rider forms which were based on the Legend Hero Samgogjuen (Legend Heroes of the Three Kingdoms or Legend Heroes Sangokuden in Japanese), which is a Korean Tokusatsu. The suits of armor they wear are named after their Chinese male counterparts. It just fits them like a glove and I could not resist using them. Too bad for Kochu because she's pregnant so Ryofu got her spot. Of course, if she could fight, she would get the Huang Zhong Lockseed and become Owl Huang Zhong. Just imagine her standing with Ryugen as they get ready for combat. That would be epic.

Also, in the last chapter, the refugees of Touka Village are about to receive some guests. Who has shown up at their door? Is it friend or foe?

The answer to that will be coming...NOW!


Returning to the camp, the Shoku Warriors found wagons and horses parked with a small army of soldiers gathered nearby. They were not enemy soldiers as the Shoku Warriors were greeted by an old friend.

"Paipai-chan!" Ryuubi jogged over and happily hugged her best friend who awkwardly hugged her back. "You came!"

"I got your message, Touka. There's no way I was going to leave you to suffer," Kosonsan responded. She let Ryuubi calling her 'Paipai-chan' slide. "Although, when you didn't show up to greet me, I thought you forgot I was coming."

"We were dealing with something. I'll tell you all about it," Ryuubi answered.

Kosonsan knew that the Shoku Warriors had been engaged in battle with Majin Gaim as Kochu had informed her. She just wanted to get the full story from Ryuubi as they caught up.

Ryofu set Iori down in front of Kochu and Riri who worriedly fretted over him. Kochu saw his clothes were damaged while stained in his own blood and his hand was badly injured as well. Riri was crying, afraid that she might've lost her daddy again.

"Your hand is hurt," Kochu said as she looked at his badly injured hand, holding it gently.

"It's fine. It doesn't hurt as much as it looks," Iori insisted, not wanting to worry his wife. Oh, he was not lying. It did hurt less than it looked, but it actually looked pretty bad. If his suit had not protected him, Majin Gaim would've sliced off his fingers or even his hand. His hand could be crippled if he was not given proper medical treatment, however. He also needed his other injuries to be looked at.

"I'm getting Kada-sensei to take a good look at you right now," Kochu stated firmly. She knew how stubborn her husband could be, but right now he truly needed to get his hand looked at by their doctor.

When Hideyoshi saw Ryofu with Iori and his family, he approached them.

"Hello, Ren. It's been awhile."

"Good to see you too, Hideyoshi."

The Sovereign of Xuanwu could see that Iori's hand was injured badly and he could also see that he had other injuries as he had blood stains all over his clothes.

"You're hurt."

"I'm fine. I just need to see Kadaaaahh!" Iori yelled in surprise as Hideyoshi suddenly touched his chest while a cold blue aura surrounded his hand. It was cool and soothing but Iori was unprepared for it. After a few more seconds, Hideyoshi removed his hand.

"There, that should do it," Hideyoshi stated.

"What did you do?" Iori asked, confused.

"You should sustain some scarring, but you are now healed," Hideyoshi said.

"Thank you so much," Kochu said gratefully.

"Yes, thank you," Iori agreed.

Hideyoshi silently acknowledged their thanks with a nod before he went to aid Kada in treating the sick and injured.

Iori blinked and looked at his injured hand which had been healed and moved his fingers. It did not hurt anymore. The only sign that it had been injured was the scar on it. The stings from his other wounds had also miraculously disappeared.


"With all these supplies, we could last the winter and still have some left for spring," Hoto said as she saw the number of supplies they were getting from Kosonsan.

"Thank Heavens," Komei said with relief. At least they would no longer suffer from starvation. They would still need to ration their food so everyone could get a fair share, but now everyone would have enough instead of the minimal amount they were getting before. Even Iori couldn't keep going back to Nanban to ask for more food.

"We should do inventory and organize everything we've received," Hoto suggested.

"Right," Komei agreed. "Hopefully, they have medicine and medical supplies too. We're running a bit short on those."

When the Shoku Warriors returned from their battle with Majin Gaim and she saw that all of them had survived, Komei felt relieved. She did not want to think about it, but the thought of losing them had crossed her mind. How could she have doubted them?

The answer to that was pretty simple. It was because their Seiryuoh Nagata Oda was gone.

The strategist was still trying to process that.

Similarly to the Shoku Warriors, Shokatsuryou Komei had experienced both tragedy and loss. She once had a very large family with many brothers and sisters. She could remember the birth of her youngest sibling before their parents died. Despite being the eldest at the time, Komei had been too young to care for her siblings. She ended up being separated from them as they got adopted by families who could provide for them, leaving Komei all alone. As sad as it was to lose her family, she hoped her siblings would grow up happy without her even if she would never see them again.

Komei sought knowledge, which led her to the scholar Suikyo. The woman took the child in and raised her as both her daughter and her disciple. With Suikyo's guidance, Komei studied politics, history, law, medicine, poetry and also military strategy. Suikyo was proud of the progress her disciple made. But Komei needed more than books, she needed real-life experience. Her knowledge and wisdom were being wasted if they were not being applied.

Then Nagata, Kanu, and Chouhi came to their home. Nagata had been injured (his ankle was sprained) so Komei treated him and even made a wooden wheelchair for him until he could walk again. After Nagata had recovered, Suikyo sent Komei away to travel with Nagata's group in order to broaden her horizons.

It was only shortly after leaving with them that Komei discovered Nagata Oda was one of the Armored War Gods that had recently descended from Heaven, the Armored War God of the Ultimate Sword Gaim.

Since traveling with the group, Komei had not only grown wiser but more experienced as she applied everything she learned to aid the group. She may not wield a sword or spear and she may not know how to fight, but her mind was sharp and was just as powerful as any weapon as she had used it to defuse sensitive situations like when Kanu had been suspected of an attempt to assassinate Sonsaku. She had also helped to come up with a plan to rescue Riri from her kidnappers.

After joining Touka Village which had been under Nise's leadership at the time, Komei used all her knowledge in military strategy in a campaign to deal with the bandits which threatened the surrounding area.

Komei had taken part in many battles and also worked together with the other factions' strategists in the Anti-Tyrant Alliance. In every battle and campaign, time and time again, Komei proved to be a vital member of the Shoku Warriors.

Right now, Komei was still working hard. Everyone in the camp was miserable. The limited food and the cramped living spaces were causing tensions to rise and hope to gradually plummet. Fortunately, the cold weather prevented their food rations from spoiling too quickly but that was the only benefit. The biting, chilling cold was a cruel reminder that they had lost their home. Hoto and Suikyo both told her that things would get better but Komei was not even sure if they were going to survive the winter.

Nagata had not returned since she had last seen him. Some believed he had been captured while others believed he had abandoned them. Komei could not believe that Nagata would abandon them and leave them to suffer. That was not the kind of person he was.

When she learned he had returned, she was beyond ecstatic. Unfortunately, that did not turn out to be the case as it had been an imposter and the monster responsible for killing Nagata. Majin Gaim was a monster as he was too cruel to be called anything else as he dared to brag about it. She watched as Iori confronted the demonic imposter before the others went after them to aid the Ultimate Eye. Komei was left behind to worry as she wondered if they were ever coming back.

When Kosonsan and her army arrived with aid and supplies, Komei was relieved. She became even more relieved when her friends returned from their battle with Majin Gaim. She would be asking them details about the Armored War Fiend. For now, Komei would need to make preparations.

Seiryuoh Nagata Oda was gone. They needed time to grieve and come to terms before they could move on. It would not be easy but it needed to be done before they could start to rebuild and get back on their feet.


Meanwhile, Kayu and her soldiers were already handing out supplies to the villagers. They had food, blankets, and extra warm clothing, enough for them to survive the winter.

Totaku and Kaku reunited. The verdette was happy to see her petite best friend and former boss after so long.

"Yue, you came back," Kaku smiled happily as Totaku hugged her. It had been months since they had last seen each other.

"When I heard you were in trouble, I couldn't stay away. I had to come. I'm just glad you're safe, Ei-chan," Totaku said softly, relieved.

Kaku smiled and then looked around. She found someone missing from their old gang.

"Where's the idiot? Did he get drunk again and get left behind?" Kaku asked, huffing in annoyance.

Totaku knew Kaku was referring to Kenshin and his drinking habit. She still didn't know what had happened to him.

"Ei-chan, Kenshin, he's...he's..." Totaku was on the verge of tears as she was unable to talk about it. She was still grieving.

Kaku recognized that expression and those tears. Totaku had cried like that after the death of her parents and grandparents.

She dropped to her knees, speechless.