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.


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

Written By: Kamen Rider Chrome

Beta Reader/Editor: Busterleader92 & Kamen Rider Goji

Prelude: Fact/Fan-Fiction


Years ago, Yang Oda had lost her sister and brother-in-law in a tragic car accident. Their son, who had survived the accident, ended up in her and her husband's care. So, they had adopted him and raised him as their own.

But one day, he just vanished without even saying goodbye. Instead, he had left them a letter, explaining why he needed to go.

Why couldn't he have talked to them about it? They were his parents, weren't they?

It had been almost a year since he vanished along with those other kids. When monsters suddenly appeared, Nagata and those same kids transformed into Kamen Riders.

It had been crazy but it had happened, though there were people who claimed it to be some kind of hoax or publicity stunt.

The reporters had interviewed the studio and the actors about this incident, and they had denied any involvement in the incident, baffling the public even more.

Some people just couldn't accept the impossible and extraordinary, and just needed to rationalize everything to maintain a sense of normalcy. It was how humanity could recover from such tragedies and move forward. It was a coping mechanism that allowed them to resume their mundane lives as if nothing had happened.

After a storm, there must be calm, right?

Yang stepped into the cafe and spotted Weiss Yukihime sitting at a table. It wasn't hard to spot her because of her distinct features. The snow-white hair was a dead giveaway, and the woman always seemed to carry a presence of sophistication which made it easy for Yang to pick her out from a crowd.

"Hey, Ice Queen!" Yang greeted cheerfully.

Weiss immediately grimaced at the accursed nickname but cracked a smile soon after.

"Hello, Yang."

Yang took a seat next to her friend.

"So, Blake called you too, huh?"

"She did. She really didn't say much except to just come here," answered Weiss as she drank her coffee. "We might need to wait for her, so you might as well order something."

"Your treat?" Yang asked.

"Pay for yourself," Weiss retorted.

"Still as cold as ever, Ice Queen," Yang teased.

"And you're still an insufferable blonde," Weiss retorted.

"Good, you're both here," said Blake Kurogami as she suddenly appeared at their table.

"Gah!" Weiss cried out in surprise, jumping in her seat.

"Freaking ninja!" exclaimed Yang.

"Sorry," Blake apologized but she wasn't really sorry.

"When you called us, you sounded pretty urgent," Weiss recalled.

"Yeah, what's going on?" Yang asked. "What was so important that you couldn't say it over the phone?"

"Remember how Nagata disappeared?" Blake asked.

"My son just vanished and left a letter," Yang reminded Blake coldly.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to open fresh wounds," Blake apologized before she took out her tablet and put it down on the table. "I want you to look at this."

"Blake, I swear if it's your smut again..."

"It's not smut. It's erotica and it's beautiful," Blake retorted defensively. "And no, this is something you really need to see. It's a web novel I found online."

"'Sangokuden Armored War Gods Saga'," Yang and Weiss read the title.

"So, you asked us to come just to recommend something for us to read?" Weiss cocked an eyebrow. "What is this? Fanfiction?"

"Just read it," Blake urged.

Yang read from Blake's tablet and then her eyes widened in interest as she kept reading. Weiss read it too:

Nagata quietly rode the bus home. Once it stopped at the bus stop near his house, he stepped off and went back to his home. Even if it had been a long time for him since he returned home, he still remembered how to get there. It was also the only Chinese restaurant in the entire neighborhood.

As he stepped through the front gate, he was greeted by a dog, a black and white Pembroke Welsh Corgi with a short stubby tail. He knelt down and petted it.

"Hi, Zweiss. I missed you, boy." He then entered the restaurant and greeted, "Mom, Dad! I'm home!"

"Welcome home, Nagata. How was the museum?" Yang Oda asked. She was a beautiful woman with long blonde hair and violet eyes. She also had an impressive figure. In the restaurant, she served customers wearing a Chinese shirt with black pants and wore an apron over her attire. Nagata suddenly gave her a hug. "Nagata?"

He missed seeing his mother so he felt like hugging her. After a moment, he let go.

"It was great," he told her, forcing a smile. "I'm gonna head up and get changed before I help Dad in the kitchen."

"Don't keep us waiting! You know how intense the dinner rush can be!" she told him as he headed upstairs.

Nagata entered his room and closed the door behind him before he slid down to the floor. He pulled his legs up to his chest and tucked his face in as he hugged his legs.

He was back home...and unable to see them again...

"This is...this is..." Yang started, unable to comprehend what she was reading. She remembered this. It was when Nagata came home from his class trip to the museum.

"It's about Nagata and those other teens who disappeared," Blake finished. "Either someone is making up stories about them, or someone knows what's going on and is writing about it here."

"Do you know who wrote this?" Yang demanded.

"The author uses a pen name but I managed to find out who it is and track down their address," said Blake.

"Well, who is it?" Weiss asked insistently.

"You're not going to believe it."


Ran Tenmaru's fingers danced across the keyboard. Line by line, word by word, appeared on her computer monitor as she poured her ideas into the composition onscreen. This latest chapter would be epic. There was just so much to put into words, but she just had to do it.

"My, my, Nagata-kun. You're growing stronger," she smiled as she admired her work when she heard her doorbell. She looked over, pulling off her glasses as she asked, "Who is it?"

"It's me, Yang Oda. We met before during the parent-teacher talk," Yang called out from the other side of the door. "We need to talk."

"Ah, yes," Ran smiled as she got off her chair and went to open the door. "It's been a long time since we last talked, hasn't it?"

Ran opened the door to reveal Yang Oda, Weiss Yukihime and Blake Kurogami standing in the doorway. She greeted them with a disarming smile, being a good host.

"Come in," Ran greeted as she let them in. "It's been quite some time since I've had guests."

"Look, we just want answers," Yang said.

"OK, so what is the question?" Ran asked. Blake took out her tablet and showed it to Ran. "Ah, I see you've read my novel. What did you think?"

"My son's name is in there, along with everything that happened before they disappeared. Then you've written all this that's happening to him and those other kids who vanished," said Yang in an accusing tone.

"All we want to know is what's going on," Weiss added a bit more delicately.

"OK, I guess I should tell you. I can understand Nagata-kun's mother coming to see me but what about you two?" Ran inquired.

"We're good friends and Nagata's godmothers," Blake answered.

"Well, then he must be very happy to know that you care so much about his wellbeing." Ran turned towards the living room. "Come with me. We can talk in the living room. I'll prepare some tea and snacks."

The four women took a seat. Yang, Blake, and Weiss occupied the sofa while Ran sat in an armchair across from them, with a coffee table standing between them. Cups of tea were in their hands and in the middle of the table was a bowl of chocolate chip cookies.

Yang frowned sadly as the cookies reminded her of her late sister. She had loved cookies almost as much as strawberries.

"So, if we're going to talk about my little web novel, what did you think?" Ran asked.

"I've been reading it from the beginning actually," Blake confessed. "I only showed them some of the later chapters."

"And believe me, when someone writes a story using my son's name, I want answers," Yang threatened as she cracked her knuckles.

"Yang, please. This is the time for diplomacy, not brutality," Weiss advised. She came along to prevent things from escalating which they tend to do when Yang was involved. She did have a hair-trigger temper and she could be easily provoked when anyone threatened something precious to her. Nagata was all she had left of her late sister so Weiss understood why Yang was behaving this way.

"I think that this is just too fantastic to be true, but after I saw my own godson transform into an armored superhero to fight monsters with my own two eyes, I became a bit more open-minded to the fantastic and impossible," said Blake. She had seen the news reports. It had been far too realistic for her to write off as some kind of hoax or publicity stunt.

"A good story needs to be fantastic, doesn't it?" Ran smiled. "But what if a good story isn't just a story? What if it's true?"

"So, you're saying Nagata is in Ancient China right now, fighting martial arts monsters, by transforming into an 'Armored War God' and doing it alongside female versions of characters from the 'Romance of the Three Kingdoms'?" Weiss asked skeptically.

"Well, when you say it like that, it sounds ridiculous, but yes that is what I'm saying," Ran confirmed. "On the other hand, people do like their myths being fluffed up a little. Like that eroge where King Arthur is a woman."

"So, why are you writing all this and posting it on the Internet?" Weiss questioned.

"I'm a history teacher and historian. It's my job to record history," Ran explained. "Publishing it all online seems the easiest way to do it."

"And how do you know all this?" Blake asked. "It's not like you were there, watching it all unfold."

"I get visions in my dreams. It's like I'm right there during the most crucial moments, but nobody can see me while I can see everything," Ran explained. "It's very out-of-body if you catch my drift."

"You speak as if you can willingly move your soul in and out of your body to see these visions," Weiss frowned suspiciously.

"Well, if you take things literally, but it's just how it feels. When I sleep, I'm transported there. I can't do anything but watch and it's one hell of a show."

"So, if you know so much then why did my son get sent to an alternate world 1800 years into the past?" Yang demanded.

"Because their presence there was prophesized," Ran confessed.

"What do you mean 'prophesized'?" Yang was beginning to lose patience since Ran was not giving her a straight answer.

"Their presence in that world was foretold a long time ago within the pages of the Celestial Chronicles," Ran answered.

"Why them? They're just kids," Weiss demanded while mentally promising herself to look up the Celestial Chronicles.

"Who knows? Maybe it's destiny. We don't understand it but it exists. And can they still be called kids after everything they've experienced? Now they're the only ones capable of saving the world," Ran reasoned. "Four of them, in particular, are destined for great things. You should read my latest chapter once I've posted it. It really shows Nagata at his most heroic moment. It'll be pretty epic if I do say so myself."

"You also wrote how he almost died." Yang narrowed her eyes.

"He got better, didn't he?" Ran retorted.

"I got another question, though. Why did they have to become 'Kamen Riders' anyway?" asked Weiss. "Seems kinda like wish-fulfillment."

"You mean why they became armored warriors of justice?" asked Ran. "If you ever watched the series, you know Kamen Riders inspire hope, justice, and self-sacrifice. It's something in that world that is in very short supply. What better way to bring hope than to bring in Kamen Riders?"

"What do you mean?" Blake questioned.

"You may not know this, but…Kamen Riders are actually…monsters."

"Monsters…?" Blake murmured curiously.

"From the very first series, the 'Kamen Rider' was intended to be an inhumanoid monster - a kaijin - who was supposed to be the greatest and strongest ever created. Unfortunately, things did not go according to plan for SHOCKER. Their intended subject, Takeshi, escaped the brainwashing process and fled. Unfortunately, he was already remodeled into a cyborg. While coping with his inhuman status, he awakened his sense of justice and fought for humanity."

"What does this have to do with Nagata?" Weiss asked impatiently.

"I'm getting to that. Power, by itself, is not inherently evil. However, it does have the potential to corrupt someone. Stalin, Hitler, and Genghis Khan all have in common: they all became monsters because of the power they wielded. They might've been human, but the acts they committed would forever paint them as monsters in human history. But there are few people who can wield unimaginable power and still retain their humanity. Nagata-kun is one of these rare kinds of people. With a power that could turn him into a monster, he takes on a responsibility to protect people. He inspires hope with compassion. He has accepted his role, even if the power he holds could turn him into a monster someday."

Yang blanched at the thought of her son turning into a monster frightened her. He was inspired by the stories of the Kamen Riders. Would he follow in their footsteps or fall and turn into something corrupt and inhuman?

Yang shuddered at the possibility.

She was afraid of him becoming corrupted by so much power and abusing it. As magnificent as he was in the story, he was still just a kid. But hearing Ran's words reinforced her faith in her son. She always taught him to do the right thing, no matter what. She taught him proper morals and to use his skills and strength to do good.

Even so, she still worried about him. He could be suffering and just reading about him was not enough to abate her concerns.

"Do you seriously expect us to believe this nonsense?" Weiss questioned in disbelief.

"I don't make this stuff up. I just write it. As for why they became Kamen Riders, well, deep down they wanted to make a difference. Whatever magic sent them there, granted them the means to do just that," Ran answered. "At least, that's what I believe."

"Will Nagata ever come back?" Yang asked.

"That's hard to say. I haven't gotten any visions of him returning," Ran answered. "Yet."

"Well, keep me posted."

"Subscribe to my story. I update regularly."

"Alright."

"Oh, and stay alert. You might be seeing your son sooner than you think."

"What do you mean by that?"

"Can't tell you. Spoilers~!"

"Damn it, Ran! You're not playing fair!" Yang snapped.

"Then you better be careful. You're part of the story too," Ran cautioned Yang. "You've been part of it for a very long time."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, back it up! What do you mean by that?" Yang asked.

"Just keep reading. You'll see."


The three women exited the apartment together.

"OK, does anyone else besides me want to punch that smug look off her face?" Yang questioned. "Blake? Weiss?"

"As much as I would want to, we have to do what she says. We need to keep reading," Blake said.

"You can't be serious!" Yang complained.

"I have to agree with her on this one," Weiss said.

"Dammit, this is my son we're talking about here!"

"Yes, but we know who he takes after. If he's anything like Ruby and you, you know he'll stick to something if he thinks it's the right thing to do."

"Guess I got no choice but to read what my son's been up to," Yang sighed. "So, Blake, anything else in that story you want to tell me about? Any more bombs you may want to drop on me?"

"Well, you know Karasu Oda? Your niece?"

"Yeah, what about her?"

"Let's just say…she loves your son a bit too much," Blake said, before pointing to a certain point in the story. "Read this." Yang carefully read it and her eyes grew wider and wider after each line:

When I returned to the castle with self-inflicted wounds, I made up a convincing tale of how Kanu was captured by the enemy.

I should have told Naga-kun that Kanu was dead, but he would still go and retrieve her body for a proper burial. Without a body, Naga-kun would know I was lying, so I had no choice but to tell him that Kanu had been captured instead in order to avoid suspicion.

Later, I found Nise's camp and snuck into his tent, ready to kill Kanu. That was when Naga-kun himself stopped me. I didn't think he would be able to find Kanu so quickly! My plan to comfort him in his grief was completely ruined!

I loved my second cousin dearly. He was strong. Unlike those fools of the main family, I recognized his potential.

Unfortunately, he lacked Nobunaga's fangs and ambition.

I had always admired our ancestor, Oda Nobunaga. The people in his time called him the "Fool of Owari", but I recognized him under the title "Demon King of the Sixth Heaven". The way he flawlessly executed his plans and ran his military campaigns was ruthless and without mercy. It was just unfortunate that he died, betrayed by his own trusted advisor, but at least he was able to accomplish his ambition.

And now, here I was, in a position to help Naga-kun become the great man I knew he could be. He had power, great power, but he just didn't know how to use it properly.

Fortunately, that could be easily rectified. He just needed the right kind of influence. With the right influence, he would be ruling this entire country.

He was the strongest of the Armored War Gods. His victory over Braco when the others could not even touch him was proof enough.

I giggled. My plans would need revising, but I couldn't help but feel elated at how strong he was. It was such a shame he chose to come here, but to see him become so strong now made it all worth it.

"The Great Dragon Emperor of the Celestial Heavens," I said to myself as I grinned. "That has a nice ring to it."

I'm sure he'll be able to forgive me for everything I've done.

He'll understand.

After all, we are family.

And soon he will be mine.

And it was only a matter of time before he became mine, and mine alone.

I would no longer have to feel this emptiness ever again.

I'll make sure of it.

"W-Wha-What! But, that's-" Yang got out.

"Trust me, I couldn't believe it either at first," Blake said. "But it seems she's going through great lengths just to get what she wants."

"But she…she just can't do that!"

"It is quite distasteful…" Weiss frowned as she read it too. "Has she always been so…odd?"

"You mean creepy? She's a bit clingy with Nagata but that's about it. I just thought it was a harmless crush or something," Yang answered.

"Does this seem harmless to you?" Weiss pointed to the text.

"I never thought she was this bad. Although, I did hear the neighborhood kids gossiping about a creepy girl scaring the local girls. It usually happens around the time she visits."

"This is a sign. Your niece is dangerous, not to mention toxic, and Nagata doesn't even see it," Blake warned.

"Well, it's not like Ran can just send me into the story to warn him about his cousin being a creepy yandere stalker," Yang scoffed.

"Well, something zapped Nagata and those other kids into that world and sent Karasu there as well. Maybe she knows how it's done," Weiss suggested.

"And how much are you hoping for a straight answer from her?" Blake questioned. She turned to Yang. "Without threatening her."

"What makes you think I would?" Yang asked.

"I know you, Yang. We grew up together and this is Nagata's life on the line here. I can tell Ran's hiding something but I doubt she's going to just tell us. She's more formidable than she seems."

"So what? Are we going to just keep reading like she told us to?"

"That's all we can do for now."

"Ugh…fine, but if anything happens, I'm going to figure out how to get over there and beat some sense into Karasu's thick skull." Yang punched her open palm to emphasize her point. "Wish Ruby was still with us. She could always come up with some kind of crazy solution."

"You said it," Blake agreed.

"When it comes to dealing with crazy, she was the only one who could handle it so smoothly," added Weiss. "But this is a new kind of crazy. We're dealing with time travel and alternate worlds here."

"And there's nothing we can do about it," Yang sighed. She hated feeling powerless. It was how she felt when she had lost her sister. However, she managed to find the strength to go on for Nagata's sake, to raise him in her sister's stead.

"You should read it from the start, Yang. It's the least you can do right now, and you'd be proud of how he turned out," Blake advised. "Ruby would too."

"I guess so…" Yang sighed again. "Really wish Ruby could see how much he's grown."


"Something's not right," Ruby Oda worried anxiously as she repeatedly swiped her hand across the mirror like it was a smartphone screen. "No, no, no, no."

Ruby Oda was a Shinigami, a psychopomp who helped to ferry departed souls to the afterlife. She was not the only one as her husband, Nagato, had also become one as well.

"Ruby, what's wrong?" Nagato Oda asked when he found his wife frantically swiping her hand across the mirror, scrolling through the images that were displayed on its reflection.

"Something's not right, Nagato. I can't find Nagata anywhere," Ruby said as she looked to her husband with a look of terror forming on her face.

"What?" Nagato approached his wife. "He's dead?"

"I went to find him after I sensed his life fade. But I can't!" Ruby panicked. "I can't find his body and I can't sense his soul either! He's just gone!"

Nagato had heard of how souls could be lost. They were souls that were left forgotten only to cease to exist. When that happened, they could not go to the other side. He didn't want to believe the same thing had happened to their son.

"I need to go look for him," Ruby decided.

"Hey, wait a moment," Nagato said.

"Don't try to stop me, Nagato. I need to find our son," Ruby stubbornly ignored him.

"I'm not trying to stop you but you need to calm down so we can think of a plan," Nagato calmly countered. "You can't just go rushing off without one."

"There's no time for a plan," Ruby insisted as she willed her scythe into her hand. "If I don't go find him now, then we'll lose him forever."

"At least let me go with you," Nagato offered as he knew his wife could be reckless and impulsive whenever she got this emotional.

"No, I need you to stay here."

"You want me to wait?"

"Please."

She gave him the puppy dog look and he caved instantly. He hated doing nothing but it was hard to say no to her, especially when she looked at him like that with those silver eyes of hers.

"Alright, fine. I'll hold the fort, but please be careful, Ruby."

"You know I will," Ruby winked.

"I'll keep looking with the mirror," Nagato said. He would not stay, wait and do nothing. He was going to help, even if his wife said he couldn't come with her.

[GHOSTDRIVER!]

Nagato blinked as Ruby summoned the belt. It had a strange appearance as it was bulky with a cover placed over the main body which had a cycloptic grinning face. The cover looked like a white shroud that people would wear to pretend to be ghosts for Halloween.

"You're using that thing that old man gave you?" Nagato asked as Ruby took out an Eyecon. It was a trinket that resembled an eyeball.

"It'll help me," Ruby stated as she clicked the Eyecon's switch. She then opened up the top of her GhostDriver and popped the Eyecon inside before slamming the belt shut.

[EYE!]

A red cloak with a pair of red eyes in the shadow of the hood emerged from Ruby's GhostDriver before she pushed the lever.

"Henshin!"

[KAIGAN! REAPER! SCYTHE OF DEATH, REAPER OF SOULS!]

Ruby's body was covered by an black armored bodysuit that was decorated by a big red rose on her chest with an eye in the center. Stretching from the rose were silver thorny vines that decorated her limbs. Her helmet was completely blank and featureless. The Reaper Parka Ghost draped itself over her body, giving her helmet a new red faceplate with big black feminine eyes and a curved blade mounted on her brow as a horn.

Twirling her Death Scythe, Kamen Rider Reaper Rose slashed the air to create a portal that opened like an eye.

"I'll be back with Nagata," Kamen Rider Reaper Rose promised her husband before she leaped right in, leaving red rose petals behind.

"Be careful, Ruby. Find our son and good luck," Nagato said, wishing her luck.

Reaper Rose flew through the tunnel and looked at all the images that sped by her, checking for the one that could tell her what happened to her son. It could lead her to him and save his soul.

She just hoped she was not too late.


KRC: Well, we're back with the Armored War Gods Saga. I was inspired by the 18th Episode of Season 4 of Supernatural: "The Monster at the End of this Book". It was interesting as it portrayed Chuck who is a Prophet and writing about the Winchester Brothers' adventures. His book series, a not-so-popular series yet with its own fanbase, called Supernatural chronicles their lives. I decided to put Ran Tenmaru as our 'prophet' as she views everything that happens in the form of vision-dreams. Then she writes them in the form of a web novel that people can subscribe to.