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.
Naga roared as he lunged at the dark wolf-like creatures before him as his fin ears flared angrily. The beasts were lupine in appearance, bipedal and covered in black fur that contrasted with their white skulls.
He sank his dagger-like teeth into the throat of the closest one and tore it out. Black blood splattered over his blue scales but he paid the stains little mind. Once the first of the pack fell, the rest reacted and lunged at him. Naga crouched low and hissed before leaping into the air where they could not reach him. While he could escape them now, he really did not want to have to deal with them again later.
This would end now.
Picking his next target on his descent, he landed on the back of one of them and dug his claws into its shoulders. It tried to buck him off but he held firm. He then wrapped his hands around its throat and pressed his feet against the base of its neck as it struggled. He pushed with his legs as he pulled with all his might, tearing its head clean off. As it fell, Naga let out a bloodthirsty growl as he looked at the remaining predators that leered back at him.
Two down, five more to go.
With a roar, he lunged and sunk his teeth into the neck of another beast, tearing out its throat with his jaws. Without wasting a second, he lashed out with his serrated forearm fins and another head dropped to the sand. He kicked another one in the jaw with his boot-covered foot then bisected it at the waist with his forearm fins.
He staggered from a slash in the back and spun around to retaliate with a swift kick to its muzzle. He cracked his neck and hissed at the last two members of the pack, challenging either of them to make the first move. Lightning crackled around his two horns and large crimson eyes.
A beast lunged and was taken down by a brutal swipe across its face that held enough force to crack its skull. The other attacked soon after but Naga caught it with a superhuman kick that sent it skyward. The one on the ground was starting to recover but Naga chopped its head off using the serrated fin on his calf before it could even think of getting back up.
He heard a howl as the one he had sent into the sky came falling back down thanks to gravity. Looking up, he took three steps to the right and then threw his arm up to strike it in the chest with a bolt of lightning which completely vaporized it.
The pack of Badwolves - and that was what he called them - had been stalking the Reptilian Beastman for quite some time now. They finally had their prey cornered, with his back pressed against a rock formation and had moved in for the kill.
They should've known that a cornered animal was a dangerous one. With nothing to lose, he savagely attacked the pack in self-defense. Now, the whole pack was dead.
He looked himself over to check for wounds. He had no marks on him save for his red scar-like stripes.
"Good work." Naga heard and he looked over to his companion. She had been with him for as long as he could remember. Unlike him, she was human, clad in a black and orange outfit, with a white streak in her black hair. "But I can point out a few ways that could've ended quicker and you were just showing off at the end."
"Hey, the results speak for themselves," Naga defended as he wiped himself clean with his cloak before putting it back on. The cloak was made out of the pelt of a Badwolf Grimmbeast he had encountered earlier. After killing it, he had fashioned a cloak out of its pelt. The top half of its skull made a very intimidating hood.
Naga enjoyed bantering with Enya. If she wasn't with him, he was sure to go insane from being alone after all this time.
"So, where are we going now?" Enya asked.
"The same place we're always going: finding a way out of this place," Naga answered as he stared at the wide-open desert that surrounded them. It was home to roaming unholy beasts that preyed on anyone unfortunate enough to enter their territory. Naga managed to evade them as best he could but they always seemed to be able to find him, forcing him to defend himself. It was one of the main reasons he needed to find a way out of this desert.
However, that was easier said than done as it stretched for miles and miles and miles. It was as if it was an endless wasteland of sand and stone.
Perhaps it was.
He did not remember how long he had been traveling with Enya. As the sky was stuck in a state of eternal twilight, counting the days was impossible.
Had it been days? Weeks? Months? Years? Decades?
Even he did not know.
What he did know was that he needed to get out of here. The Grimmbeasts were a consistent threat to his survival and those Badwolves were not the only kind that roamed this desert.
He had spotted big black birds - Murdercrows - circling the sky. They were scavengers that fed on the carcasses of other Grimmbeasts. He really did not want to deal with them so he put his hood over his head and left the bodies behind. Enya followed, as she usually did.
His cloak and hood allowed him to camouflage himself in the desert as it carried the same scent as the Grimmbeasts. Unless they got closer, they would fail to realize that he was not one of them.
The smaller ones tended to avoid him while the bigger ones were braver as they hunted him down. It made traveling difficult but he could not remain in one place for very long. Just because he did not need for food or drink that did not mean he wanted to just stay in one place and do nothing.
The ground shook and Naga immediately panicked as the sand behind him began to swell and trail after him.
It was that damned Deathworm again!
"Come on! Hurry!" Enya shouted as she climbed up the rock formation.
"I know!" Naga yelled as he climbed after her to avoid that Deathworm. He needed to get out of this desert before he was gobbled up by that thing. Once at the top, he sat down and watched as the Deathworm emerged, throwing sand into the air.
It was a grotesque creature with a large worm-like body, a beak-like mouth that opened up four ways to reveal tentacles in which it used to ensnare its prey. Bone plates covered its body but they left its underside bare.
He watched as the Deathworm began to devour the Badwolves' carcasses. Well, better them than him. He and Enya would have to wait until the Deathworm was done with its meal before it went on its way in search of prey elsewhere. After that, once they were sure it was far enough, they would continue their journey. In the meantime, they could rest atop this stone formation and talk.
Sangokuden Armored War Gods Saga: End of the Armored War Gods
Written By: Kamen Rider Chrome
Beta Reader/Editor: Busterleader92 & Kamen Rider Goji
Chapter 45: Death Tournament
"Howdy!"
"AAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"
Naga and Enya jumped at the sudden greeting. They spun around and went into instant combat stances. Naga had his claws and teeth bared, ready to strike.
Sitting on the rock formation with them was a skinny old man. He wore a dirty brown tunic with a furry sash around his waist. Wrapped around his forearms and his lower legs were dirty bandages. He was barefoot and he looked like he had brown fur covering his limbs. His face appeared aged but he had a youthful and manic grin. He had a thick grey beard with a matching head of shaggy hair. He also had a pair of weasel-like ears on his head. Finally, he wore an eyepatch over his left eye.
"Howdy!" the man repeated his greeting. "Welcome to my rock! Was that a new way to say 'hello'? Let me try! Aaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhh-!" He was cut off by a coughing fit. "Oh, that is not good for the throat."
"Who are you?" Naga asked warily. It had been a long time since he met anyone besides Enya so he did not know what to expect from this stranger or if he could be trusted.
"Be careful. He might look weak and feeble but he could be dangerous," Enya warned.
"Oh? The name's Itachiki!" the old man introduced himself.
"Itachiki?" Naga repeated.
"That's it! Now say it with me now! I-ta-chi-ki!"
"I already did."
"Yeah, but I want you to say it with me."
"I prefer not to."
"Well, if you don't want to call me Itachiki, then you should call me 'Bucky'! I prefer to be called Bucky! Bucky the Weasel! Or Buck for short! Long for Bah!"
Naga looked at him strangely. OK, this was a very strange old man. His name was 'Itachiki' but he preferred to be called 'Bucky'.
A weasel named Bucky.
For some reason, that sounded strangely familiar.
"I don't think he's all there," Enya whispered to Naga as she twirled her index finger beside her head.
"Maybe he's eccentric," Naga reasoned.
"So what brings you here on my rock?" Bucky asked curiously.
"Just avoiding the Deathworm and waiting for it to leave," Naga answered.
"Deathworm, huh?" Bucky remarked. "Interesting name. I myself call them 'Tunnelers', but Deathworm sounds pretty accurate. Let me tell you, those things can hang around a spot if it thinks there's still food around so we might be sitting on this rock for ages. We can play games while we wait. Do you know any games? Because I've been playing I spy with myself for a very long time. Do you want to play?"
"I can't be up here that long," Naga answered as he peered down over the edge to see the Deathworm circling around it like a shark in the ocean. "I got places to go."
"Oh, so you're going to that tournament too."
Hearing that, Naga's fin ears twitched with interest.
"Tournament? What tournament?" Naga questioned, intrigued.
"Oh, the tournament at the arena," Bucky said, pointing at a building in the distance. It resembled a stone coliseum. "It's right over there."
"Funny how we never noticed that before," Enya remarked as Naga spotted the arena.
"Will there be others there?" Naga asked hopefully. He hadn't seen another person besides Enya for a long time. Bucky was the first person he met since. Now there was a chance to meet others and even participate in a tournament.
The thought of taking part made Naga feel excited. It was a chance to match his combat prowess with other skilled opponents. After killing Grimmbeasts more times than he could count, he was desperate for something new to do.
"You look eager. I can see it in your eyes," Bucky pointed out.
Enya looked at Naga's big red eyes. How could he tell? She did notice his fin ears twitching excitedly.
"Do you want to join the tournament?" Enya asked.
"It sounds fun," Naga answered.
"That's just your instincts, lad," Bucky said. "Now, how about we hop on over yonder and check it out?"
"What about the Deathworm?" Naga asked.
"How about instead of running away, you try and kill it instead?" Bucky suggested. "If you can beat that thing, the tournament will be easy."
"I don't know about this," Enya said cautiously. "It can go underground and ambush us right beneath our feet."
"I know but I'm tired of always running from that thing," Naga growled. "It's time it learned its place."
"You're gonna need a plan."
"Need help with a plan?" Bucky offered.
"Sure," Naga smiled. If Bucky was as old as he looked, he likely had some wisdom he could share. He might seem a bit senile but he was likely still sharp enough to come up with a good plan.
"We're going to need bait," Bucky started. "That's us, by the way. We're the bait."
Naga already didn't like this plan.
Naga and Bucky climbed down the stone formation until their feet touched the sandy floor of the desert. They could see the Deathworm circling around, looking for more prey. It should be able to sense them now.
"OK, you run that way and I'll run this way. It won't be able to chase both of us," Bucky said as he pointed in two different directions. "And go!" Bucky yelled as he shot like a bullet, running across the sand like a crazy person. This got the Deathworm's attention as it went after Bucky. It chased Bucky who yelled and whooped like a maniac as he ran in a zigzag pattern to confuse the Deathworm. However, the Deathworm managed to get under Bucky and burst out of the ground to catch him. Bucky shrieked as he jumped into the sky, narrowly escaping the jaws of the Deathworm. He then kicked the Deathworm, stunning it before landing on the sand.
Meanwhile, Naga had run in the opposite direction only to stop when he saw the Deathworm chase after Bucky. He had intended to intervene when the Deathworm burst out of the ground but then he saw that Bucky was able to handle it.
"He's good," Enya remarked as Bucky yelled at Naga.
"What are you waiting for, lad!? Go gut this worm!" Bucky yelled.
Naga looked at the Deathworm that was still stunned by Bucky's kick. He needed to kill it before it recovered and went back underground. His fin ears flared and he focused his energy into his claws and jagged fin blades. Electricity arched around him and he struck like a lightning bolt.
He leaped into the air and lunged at the Deathworm as it was beginning to recover. Energy gathered in his serrated fin blade and he delivered a savage slash across the Deathworm's throat. The throat was part of the beast's underside which lacked any protection, allowing him to cut into its flesh.
He landed on the ground and the Deathworm behind him shrieked as black ichor spouted out of its neck wound like a geyser. It thrashed about in agony as it slowly descended back into the ground.
"Good work, lad!" Bucky praised. "That should teach it not to mess with you."
"Should we go after it?" Naga asked Bucky.
"With a wound like that, it's just going to die anyway," Bucky answered dismissively. "So, now that our worm problem has been dealt with, how about we head on yonder to the tournament?"
"Yes," Naga smiled. "The tournament."
"Fantastic! Onward ho!"
There were two long lines at the entrance of the arena when Bucky, Naga, and Enya arrived. The Rinrinshi that stood in line varied in their Beastman forms, unlike the uniform Rinshi. Just seeing so many Rinshi and Rinrinshi in one place was a novel experience for the Reptilian Beastman. If he had known about this place, he would've come sooner.
"Competitors line up on my right! Spectators line up on my left!" yelled a Rinrinshi with a Mosquito Beastman form that manned the lines. He stood behind a podium with a cloth draped over it that displayed a snake, a lizard, a toad, a scorpion and a centipede posed in an aggressive formation.
"So, Bucky. Tell me more about this tournament. What am I fighting for?" Naga asked as he stood in line with Bucky.
"Glory and bragging rights, lad!" Bucky answered. "And bitches!"
"Wait, what?" Naga did a double-take.
"Riches!" Bucky amended. "And they'll be all mine."
"You're competing too?" Naga asked, surprised.
"That's why I'm standing in this line with you. Now get moving, the line's moving fast."
"The people in this line look like killers," Enya warned Naga. "Are you sure about this?"
"All we've been doing is run from Grimmbeasts and wander the desert," Naga replied. "At least this time we're doing something a bit different."
"But is it worth risking your life to fight in a tournament? And for what? Glory, bragging rights, and bitches?" Enya argued.
"He said riches."
"You and I both heard what he said before. But if you insist on doing this, then just promise me you'll be careful."
"Trust me," Naga grinned confidently, flashing his razor-sharp teeth. Enya rolled her eyes and stood in her line so she could spectate. It was odd how nobody commented on the fact that she was the only human standing in line.
When it was Naga's turn, he was instructed to write his name down on a wooden plaque.
"Get moving," the Mosquito Rinrinshi said gruffly. He sounded bored and frustrated. "Next!"
Naga went in with the rest of the competitors. A moment later, he was joined by Bucky. The competitors' line took them to the top of the arena where there was a special area for the competitors to watch the matches and spy on potential opponents. Meanwhile, the spectators were filling up their seats.
The arena was massive with thousands of seats for all the numerous Rinrinshi and Rinshi that came to watch the carnage.
Naga got a good look at the competition as he looked to his left and right. They looked strong and pretty mean. His gaze went over to the terrace across from them to see five very important Rinrinshi sitting on stone thrones.
Who were they?
"Those are the Five Venom Fists," Bucky informed Naga as if predicting his question. "That's 'One-Hit Kill Sniping Master' Braco, the leader. The others are 'Many-Handed King of Hell' Kademu, 'Unconfrontable Delusion Disturber' Moriya, 'Steel-Wall Defender' Maga and his wife 'Dancer of Terror' Sorisa."
"With names like those, they must have strong reputations," Naga commented as he looked at each of the Five Venom Fists. His gaze lingered on Braco for a moment as if he seemed very familiar to him.
"Welcome to the Tournament of Beasts! I am Fly-Ken Bae and I will be your Master of Ceremonies!" a small fly-like humanoid spoke as he buzzed around the arena. Despite his diminutive size, he had a big voice that could be heard throughout the arena.
Bae flew down to a board on a wall with the tournament bracket drawn on it. Hanging from the bracket were the name plaques of the competitors.
"The goal of this tournament is for all of you competitors to prove that you are the strongest fighters here in Purgatory! You'll be paired up and after each match, you will go up the bracket until you reach the top as the champion! And as champion, you are entitled to challenge one of the Five Venom Fists to a match! Now, a few words from Braco-sama!"
Braco stood up and addressed the gathered Rinshi and Rinrinshi.
"My fellow RinJyuKen warriors!" Braco began. "You are all gathered here to witness greatness! All of you are strong but only one of you shall prove to be the strongest! I look forward to facing the strongest of you in combat! Consider that an honor! Now, let the tournament begin!"
Cheers erupted from the spectators who were excited to watch the matches. Naga felt his blood boil as his fin ears twitched in excitement.
"And our first match will be between Gyuuya and Makirika!" Bae began as both Rinrinshi entered the center of the arena in their Beastman forms. "And...FIGHT!"
Both Rinrinshi shouted as they charged at each other and clashed violently.
At first, Naga was excited to watch the match. The deafening cheers around him, many calling for blood. It was enough to get his blood pumping. However, he would soon realize something truly terrible about this tournament.
"Oh, it looks like Gyuuya has the upper hand. Makirika is going to get stomped like a bug!" Bae announced.
"Mantisu Senkozan!" Makirika screamed as he delivered a slash that cut across Gyuuya's eyes, causing him to recoil and step back from his opponent. Once Gyuuya was off him, Makirika was back on his feet. "Gakudanken!"
He struck with his Hill Splitting Fist and Gyuuya was split in half at the waist.
"And Makirika claims his win!" Bae exclaimed.
Naga went speechless as the crowd roared. He watched as Gyuuya's body was split in two before he crumbled to dust. Makirika raised his arms as the crowd went wild. His name went up the bracket as Gyuuya's name was tossed away.
"Bucky..." Naga said to the Weasel Rinrinshi standing next to him. "This tournament..."
"Yes, lad," Bucky said seriously. "It's a fight to the death, kill or be killed, the survival of the fittest. If you wanna win, you gotta be willing to kill your opponent. And if you don't fight you won't survive."
Naga grimaced and started to have second thoughts about joining this tournament. He should've listened to Enya. However, it was too late for him to back out now. His excitement had turned into anxiety as he waited anxiously for his match. He now knew he would have to kill in order to win. But that would mean possibly killing his new friend if they ever met down in the arena. It was also possible for Bucky to die as well, but the old man seemed content with that. In fact, he looked like he almost welcomed it.
"What an exciting match, everyone! Now, let's move on to our next match: Muzankose versus Nagiu! Ready? FIGHT!" Bae announced.
After several exciting and brutal matches, it was finally Naga's turn as he was called down to the arena. He wondered who his opponent was going to be. He didn't like the idea of killing someone but he liked the idea of being killed himself even less.
"Good luck, lad. I'll be rooting for you," Bucky said encouragingly. His match would be after Naga's.
Naga said nothing. He only chuckled nervously as he went down to the arena for his match. As he stepped into the arena, Bae buzzed over to him.
"Alright, Naga is a newcomer to the tournament! Tell me, Naga, are you excited to be here?" Bae asked.
"Let's just get this over with," Naga said in a reserved tone. He had witnessed all the carnage that happened in the arena. Of course, what exactly was he expecting? Were there any laws in place to prevent Rinrinshi from killing each other?
Apparently not.
"I see you're eager! Alright, Naga! It's time to meet your opponent! She's the only female competitor! Everyone, let me introduce you to Sloth-Ken Nanamomo!"
Naga looked over to Nanamomo who stood across from him in the arena. She wore black plate armor over a sleeveless red short kimono that hugged her slim and curvy figure. She wore thigh-high boots with steel toes and a leather belt with a sloth's head in the center. Her forearms were adorned in furry gauntlets with long sharp claws. A helmet that looked like a sloth's skull encased her head while long shaggy hair like a sloth's fur flowed out the opening in the back.
As their eyes met, Naga gulped.
"Alright, let's begin the match! Naga versus Nanamomo! Fight!" Bae announced.
Neither charged at each other. The spectators were getting restless and wanted to see more carnage. After several minutes passed, Nanamomo casually strode over to Naga when he failed to make the first move.
"Nice to...meet you," Nanamomo said slowly.
"Uh, likewise," Naga replied hesitantly. He had expected her to attack him, not greet him so politely.
"And sorry about this...nothing personal."
Then faster than he expected, she slashed him across the chest. Violet blood burst on contact as her claws sliced into his body. Fortunately, she failed to damage the medallion in his chest. It was very precious to him.
"And first blood goes to Nanamomo!" Bae yelled, riling up the crowd.
Naga grunted and looked at the bleeding gash across his chest. He looked back up at Nanamomo and his fin ears flared.
She was not playing around. Like all the others, she was fighting to win and fighting to kill. He had no choice. If he wanted to survive this match, he would have to do the same and show no mercy. He might feel guilty about it later but he was not going to die for anybody's entertainment.
He bent his knees, growled, and removed his cloak before he made his move. He swung his claws at her but she sidestepped his swipe before she went to strike him. He ducked under her claws and elbowed her in the gut, knocking her back. He then delivered a barrage of punches, prompting her to shield herself with her gauntlets as the blows rained down on her. As his punches were not working, Naga broke through her guard with a powerful kick, sending her tumbling.
"And Naga turns things around!" Bae commented. "Well played! Looks like his skills are as sharp as his claws!"
Naga let out a hiss of satisfaction as he succeeded in overpowering his opponent.
"FINISH HER! FINISH HER! FINISH HER!" the crowd chanted as Nanamomo went down.
Naga seemed hesitant but strengthened his resolve to survive. He could not afford to show any mercy here.
That moment of hesitation allowed Nanamomo to rise to her feet. Despite her laziness, she also hated the idea of dying.
As Naga charged at her, Nanamomo quickly prepared for him. Sparks flew as they traded blows. He used his sharp arm fins and claws to the best of his ability while she utilized her claws to block and counter his strikes. The crowd was getting wild as they witnessed the spectacle.
"Both combatants are giving their all!" Bae cheered. "How exciting!"
Naga caught Nanamomo's thrust with his jaws before driving his elbow into her stomach. He then delivered a roundhouse kick that sent her sprawling. He went to finish her with a heel kick but she managed to roll out of the way as his heel came down. Nanamomo then flipped back to her feet and lunged forward to scratch Naga's face off when a tentacle suddenly ensnared her arm, taking her by surprise.
"I did not expect that, folks! Clearly, Naga is much more than meets the eye!" Bae commented.
Naga grinned savagely as he held Nanamomo's arm with the tentacle that grew out of his back before he lifted her up and repeatedly slammed her to the ground before releasing her. He then grew another tentacle and had them poised with their tips aimed at her.
"It's you or me," Naga resolved as he sent the tentacles to land the piercing killing blow.
And that was when Nanamomo revealed her special ability.
"Slothdown Field," Nanamomo whispered and the moment she said that her aura expanded to encase the entire arena. Everyone within the arena started to slow down but their minds were still moving at a regular pace.
"What is this?" Naga wondered as he felt his body slow down. "Is she doing this?"
Her Slothdown Field was an area of effect technique which allowed her to slow down time around her. This gave the illusion of her possessing super speed.
Nanamomo approached Naga and put her claws against his throat. He could do nothing as her Slothdown Field rendered him completely vulnerable.
"I'll make this quick," Nanamomo promised as she traced his throat with her claws. This was all the compassion she could afford to display.
Naga could not avoid this.
This was it.
She was going to kill him.
He was going to die here.
No!
He did not survive in the desert and fight all those Grimmbeasts only to die here!
He refused to die here!
Naga's eyes flashed as lightning crackled around his body. This made Nanamomo pause which turned out to be a mistake.
"I'M NOT DYING HERE!" Naga roared as his electrified aura burst from his body and repelled Nanamomo, stunning her too while breaking her concentration which nullified her Slothdown Field as a result.
She witnessed as the electric aura formed a dragon that towered over Naga. It was poised to strike like a cobra at the slightest sign of provocation.
Up with the other competitors and screaming spectators, Bucky smiled as he observed this new development in the match.
After just meeting Naga, the old weasel could already tell that the young Reptilian Beastman had potential. There was something special just sleeping inside of him. All it took for him to reveal it was another life or death struggle.
And this tournament was one huge life or death struggle.
"Alright, lad. Show us what you can really do."
Naga would show them all what he was capable of as he had a secret weapon. He originally wanted to save it for use against a powerful opponent that would be too much for him alone. However, Nanamomo seemed determined to kill him here and now.
He could not afford to lose now.
[LEGENDRIVER!]
The instant the belt appeared around his waist, Nanamomo showed emotion for the first time since their bout began.
"No way. That belt," Nanamomo murmured in shock when she saw the blue LegenDriver with its hexagonal slot in the center and the dagger-shaped lever that was attached to it. She had seen a belt like it before. Instantly, her eyes flashed in realization. "Then you are...?"
Naga took out a purple padlock with an eyeball on it and unlocked it.
[NOBUNAGA!]
Naga had not survived all this time thanks to his skills and strength alone. No, he actually had something extra to help him fight against the bigger and meaner Grimmbeasts that roamed the desert.
A purple portal opened in Naga's chest and a purple phantom-like entity emerged from it to fly around him.
Murmurs began to spread among the spectators who wondered what was going on. The Venom Fists were also watching in interest, intrigued. They wanted to see what Naga was going to do next.
"Henshin," Naga said as he loaded the padlock into his LegenDriver and locked it in.
[LOCK ON!]
He pushed the blade down to slice its cover open. The padlock's core revealed a katana and rifle crossed together while the cover's backside displayed Nobunaga's famous Tanegashima rifle.
[SOIYA!]
The Nobunaga Spirit Armor flew behind Naga and draped itself over his body. The transformation took place instantly as his body became wrapped in energy which solidified into an indigo bodysuit with gold knee pads, bracelets and Y-shaped shin guards on his boots. His head became encased in a matching helmet with a blank semi-circular visor which turned purple, a silver mouthplate with short fangs and a golden sword-shaped head crest mounted over the visor.
[NOBUNAGA ARMS! SENGOKU JIDAI NO DAI SHOGUN!]
The Nobunaga Arms granted Naga armor which consisted of a black chestplate with triangular shoulder pads and purple fabric. Purple sleeves flared out from the shoulder pads and a waist-length purple cape hung from the back. The cape had the same symbol as his chest medallion. The headpiece - which gave him a violet visor - was a purple kabuto with golden side crests and a top knot that bloomed at the top.
The arena went silent.
"WHAT A TWIST!" Bae screamed excitedly as he was the only one not left speechless by Naga's shocking transformation. "IT LOOKS LIKE NAGA HAS BEEN KEEPING A HUGE SECRET! NAGA IS NONE OTHER THAN THE ULTIMATE SWORD HIMSELF, ARMORED WAR GOD GAIM!"
"Gaim?" Naga echoed in confusion.
"GAIM!" Braco bellowed as he stood up with the rest of the Venom Fists. They looked absolutely furious. "YOU DARE SHOW YOUR FACE HERE IN MY ARENA!?"
"Is he talking to me?" Naga wondered as he looked at Nanamomo who gazed back at him, perplexed by his question.
"EVERYONE! THE MAN YOU SEE BEFORE YOU WHO DARED TO POSE AS ONE OF US IS ARMORED WAR GOD GAIM! MANY OF YOU MUST REMEMBER HIM FOR BEING THE REASON WE ARE HERE IN PURGATORY! IT'S TIME FOR A CHANGE IN THE RULES! THE ONE WHO KILLS GAIM AND BRING ME HIS HEAD WILL BE CROWNED CHAMPION OF THIS TOURNAMENT! I ISSUE THIS CHALLENGE NOT ONLY TO THE FIGHTERS BUT TO THE AUDIENCE AS WELL! NOW CLAIM YOUR PRIZE! PROVE YOURSELVES AND EARN YOUR GLORY!"
And it was pandemonium as the spectators and fighters started to climb over each other to get to Naga who looked confused and frightened as thousands of Rinshi and Rinrinshi were coming for him.
The most vengeful and bloodthirsty were the Rinrinshi that had been slain by Gaim personally.
"You're mine, Gaim!" Gumokage yelled.
"Wait your turn! He's mine!" Shiroimaru shouted.
"Let me at him! Let me at him!" Kusaoh screamed.
They spilled into the arena like a raging tsunami of fury, some even carrying pitchforks and torches along with their personal weapons.
"Naga! We have to go!" Enya yelled as she ran up to him.
"Enya?"
"You look like you're in quite the pickle, lad," Bucky said as he stood beside Naga as they were surrounded by angry Rinshi and Rinrinshi. Their exits were completely sealed and the angry mob was closing in on them. "Do we fight our way out?"
Naga summoned his personal weapon, a shotgun rifle with a bayonet attachment dubbed the Nobunagun.
"We might have no other choice if we want to make it out of here alive," Naga resolved as he cocked his gun.
Naga fired upon the charging Rinshi, dusting them each with a clean headshot. A Rinrinshi came at him from behind but he performed a backflip to avoid their swipe. He aimed down and fired from above, blasting the top of its skull. He landed on his feet and continued to fight.
"There's too many of them!" Enya shouted.
Enya was stating the obvious. There were thousands of them, too many for him to fight with only a gun. He looked around for Bucky and saw the tiny old man running circles around the Rinshi and Rinrinshi, taking them down quickly with insane martial prowess. He revealed he could conjure vacuum blades to slice up his assailants.
Due to the large numbers aiming for Naga's life, it looked like he was in for a very difficult time. Fortunately for him, due to Braco's proclamation, the Rinrinshi that were not immediately trying to kill him were busy killing each other for the right to kill him. However, that would still leave plenty of survivors eager to claim his life.
He needed to send them a message as to why that was a bad idea.
"Bucky, get behind me!" Naga shouted as he hit his LegenDriver's Executting Blade thrice. Bucky yelped and quickly crouched down behind Naga.
[SOIYA! NOBUNAGA FINISH!]
Naga cocked his Nobunagun and aimed at the sky before firing a burst of sparkling energy into the air. It formed a bright energy ball that exploded like fireworks, sending energy beams streaming at the Rinshi and Rinrinshi. Explosions erupted as many of the Rinshi and Rinrinshi were destroyed. This made the survivors back away in fear.
"Good work, lad!" Bucky praised. "Just do that a couple more times and we'll get out of this SNAFU alive!"
"That should take care of most of them," Naga remarked before his Nobunagun was suddenly kicked out of his hands. "Huh!?" He received another kick to the face, sending him sprawling. He was about to get back up when he was bombarded by Rinki-loaded mud bombs that forced his transformation to painfully cancel itself.
Moriya and Kademu both grabbed him by the shoulders and pulled him up before they forced him to his knees.
Bucky and Nanamomo froze as they watched Braco approach Naga.
The Venom Fists had seen enough. After watching the Rinrinshi and Rinshi fail so miserably to subdue a single opponent, they decided to get involved themselves.
"How did you end up here?" Braco interrogated.
"I heard there was a tournament," Naga answered casually. "It sounded fun so I thought I'd enter."
Braco smacked him across the face.
"Don't play dumb with me, Gaim! How did you get here? How could you have posed as one of us?" He demanded as he punched Naga in the face again. "Talk!"
"Why do you keep calling me 'Gaim'?" Naga questioned, confused.
Braco paused for a second before it finally dawned on him. His lips spread into a grin and he started to laugh.
"You've forgotten! You've actually forgotten who you are! Hahahaha!" Braco laughed.
"Tell me, how many times did they kill you to reduce you to this state?"
The surrounding Rinrinshi and Rinshi began to laugh as well. Naga was completely lost. Was he missing some kind of joke?
"You died with Rinki in your veins and found yourself here, didn't you?" Braco questioned rhetorically. "Well, it's unfortunate for you because we're going to enjoy killing you over and over and over again for what you've done to us."
Moriya and Kademu pushed Naga forward and he lay at Braco's feet. The leader of the Five Venom Fists took out his twin Yojato and brandished them menacingly.
"See you later, Gaim."
Braco raised his swords to execute Naga when the ground suddenly shook, causing him and the other Rinrinshi and Rinshi to stumble.
"What was that?" Maga wondered as the shaking stopped.
"It's nothing. Just an earthquake," Braco dismissed. "Now, where was I?" Braco raised his swords when a Deathworm suddenly burst out of the ground and snatched him in its jaws. "AAAARRRGGGGHHHHH!"
The Rinrinshi and Rinshi began to panic when even more Deathworms burst out of the ground. They began to flee for their unlives as the gigantic worms gave chase. A few Rinrinshi were caught by the tentacle tongues and dragged into the hungry maws of the creatures.
"What's happening!?" Kademu demanded. "This place is supposed to be guarded!"
"Who cares!? It's every man for himself!" Moriya screamed when something big cast a shadow over them. He let out a shriek as a huge Murdercrow grabbed him in its talons and took off with him.
Smaller, juvenile Murdercrows simply pecked any Rinshi and Rinrinshi they landed on. They fought back, killing some of the Grimmbeasts, but more were coming.
They broke in through the arena's gates and Naga saw what could only be described as huge bears with condor heads and wings. He called them Ursagryphs. They were joined by Badwolves, the wolf-like Grimmbeasts that Naga had fought before.
Grimmbeasts the size of cats that resembled raptors ran by the larger ones as they entered through the broken gates. These were the Creeplizards. While small in size, they were dangerous in packs and could overwhelm larger prey with their overwhelming numbers. He saw hundreds of them come in as the Ursagryph pounced upon the Rinrinshi and mauled them.
"C'mon, lad!" Bucky urged as he helped Naga up. "We need to go!"
"How are we supposed to get out of this mess?" Naga questioned as he failed to see an exit in this pandemonium.
"Allow me to help," Nanamomo offered, surprising them.
"Release me!" Braco shouted as he stabbed the Deathworm to make it let him go. As he fell, he jabbed his swords into its hide and sliced his way down its body, spilling its guts. He landed on his feet as Maga, Kademu and Sorisa approached. "Where's Moriya?"
"One of those damned birds snatched him up and carried him off!" Kademu informed him.
"What's going on?" Sorisa demanded. "Our wards should've kept these monsters away from our arena!"
Braco received his answer as he senses five very familiar Rinki signatures enter his domain. Standing calmly after walking into this scene of carnage were the Five Femme Fatales.
"Shirokumahime!" Braco hissed when he saw her with Takahime, Shachihime, Hyohime, and Hebihime.
"We heard you were hosting a tournament and yet you dared not invite us," Shirokumahime said as she shook her head. "Honestly, that's just terrible manners."
"It was you! You took down our wards!" Braco accused.
"That's right," Takahime grinned proudly while crossing her arms.
"They were so weak that even a Rinshi could take them down," Shachihime added smoothly.
"So, now that we're all here, how about we all have some fun?" Hebihime hissed darkly, gearing for some sadistic fun.
Both sides were prepared to fight. It may seem unfair as it was 4 against 5 but Braco was confident that they could defeat the Femme Fatales.
"Wait a minute!" Maga stepped forward to stop them from fighting. "We don't have to fight! We have Gaim right here!"
"Gaim?" Shirokumahime cocked an eyebrow. "Do you expect us to believe that?"
"Yes, he's right over there!" the Toad Rinrinshi pointed to the spot where they had left Gaim but now he was missing. "Hey, where'd he go?"
Shirokumahime sighed. Maga had always been an idiot but he had always been an entertaining idiot. But now, he was just annoying.
"Sisters, let's kill them all."
Naga, Nanamomo, Enya and Bucky were able to get far away from the arena which was now swarming with Grimmbeasts.
"We made it out of there," Enya said, relieved.
"Thank you, Nanamomo," Naga said gratefully.
Nanamomo's body shimmered as she assumed a different form. Her clothing remained the same but now she was a gorgeous human female with a slender hourglass figure, lush red lips and purple-black mascara around her eyes. Her dark hair was done up in a braided bun that was held in place by needles. Her bangs covered her left eye, giving her a sexy and mysterious look. Near her lips was a small beauty mark.
Bucky's jaw dropped at her beauty.
"Nagata, is that really you?" Nanamomo asked as she reached up to touch his face to feel his scales. "What happened to you?"
"'Nagata'?" Naga tilted his head in confusion. "My name's Naga."
"So you really have lost your memories," Nanamomo realized sadly.
"What are you talking about?" Naga questioned. "Braco mentioned that I've lost my memories too."
"So you don't remember who you are anymore. How many times did it happen to make you lose all your memories?"
Naga was lost. Luckily, he had Bucky to fill him in.
"Lad, this place here is called Purgatory. It's where all Rinshi, Rinrinshi or anyone who dabbles with Rinki goes here when they die," Bucky explained.
"Wait, what?" Naga's fin ears stretched out in surprise.
"You died and then you ended up here," Nanamomo summarized.
"Since we're already dead here, you won't die when you get killed," Bucky continued. "You can have your head bitten off, your body torn limb from limb, or just eaten alive but you'll just come back as if nothing happened. You'll be missing a piece of you, though."
"My memories," Naga concluded as his fin ears drooped.
"You know those beasts that roam the desert? That's what happens when a Rinrinshi loses all their memories. All that's left behind are primal instincts. Right now, you're pretty close since you don't even remember ever being human. Nanamomo here is one of the lucky few who remember what she used to look like before she died," Bucky finished.
Naga felt lightheaded.
"I...I need to sit down." He planted his rear on the sand, trying to process everything. Nanamomo went and draped his cloak over him. "Nanamomo, you knew me before all this?"
"Yes," Nanamomo confirmed. "Your name is Nagata Oda and you were also known as Armored War God Gaim."
"And who was I, exactly?"
"A leader, a lover and a hero."
KRC: We finally return focus to Nagata after dozens of chapters. But he's not the same anymore. He's undead and no longer human. Can he be turned back to normal? Can he ever return home?
Now to explain some new terms for the LegenDrivers. First, the Cutting Blade has been upgraded into the Executting Blade (a portmanteau of 'executing' and 'cutting) that allows the user to activate the finisher system. The finisher system has three power levels to replace the original terms (based on Kamen Rider Build):
Squash has been replaced with Attack.
Au Lait has been replaced with Break.
Sparking has been replaced with Finish.
Instead of the Rider Indicator, the plate has been replaced with the God Indicator. For the LegenDrivers, the God Indicators represent the Sovereigns who possess them. Currently, Naga's God Indicator is blank.
The Femme Fatales and their Grimmbeasts made short work of the Rinshi and Rinrinshi in the arena. Even the Venom Fists were no match for them. Many did manage to flee but they were picked off by the Deathworms waiting for them outside. They were dragged into the ground and gobbled up by the subterranean creatures.
Well, they would respawn eventually but this should teach them a lesson for daring to disrespect them.
"Shirokumahime, do you think they were telling the truth about Gaim being here?" Shachihime asked.
"Honestly, I think that's something worth looking into," Shirokumahime answered.
"If he's here then how about we go hunt him down? It should be fun," Takahime suggested as one of the juvenile Murdercrows landed on her shoulder.
"Yes," Shirokumahime smiled. Purgatory could be so boring but now they had a new game to play. "Sisters, let's go hunt an Armored War God."
