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.
Nagata came to Tsukahara-sensei's dojo for his daily kendo lessons. He would come every day to train and improve his kendo skills. He enjoyed it not just because Tsukahara-sensei was a good teacher, but also because he was able to train with others. He enjoyed making friends with his fellow students and he also liked it when a new student came. Any new student was a potential friend in his eyes.
Nagata sat down on the floor with his fellow students as Tsukahara-sensei stood before them with a new face.
"Students, this is Taiga Shiba-kun," Tsukara-sensei introduced the new student. "He will be joining us starting today. Please, show him the same respect you have shown each other and make him feel welcomed."
"Hai, Sensei!"
"Nagata-kun, you will pair up with Shiba-kun for a spar," Tsukahara-sensei instructed.
"Hai, Sensei," Nagata obeyed and bowed.
Taiga smirked confidently as he stood in front of Nagata, wielding a shinai. Nagata matched Taiga's smirk with a look of concentration as he gripped his shinai as well.
"Don't be too upset if I beat you," Taiga taunted good-naturedly.
"We'll see," Nagata replied.
They soon crossed bamboo swords as their spar began. Their shinai made loud 'thwacks' as they connected. Taiga fought furiously as he tried to break through Nagata's guard, but he would not be defeated so easily. He blocked the blows as they came and once he saw an opening, he struck. Taiga staggered from the blow to the chest, a look of surprise on his face.
"That's one point to me," Nagata stated as he withdrew his shinai.
"Pretty good, for a lucky shot," Taiga remarked as he rubbed his chest. "Let's see how your luck holds out once I really get serious."
"We'll see."
The two resumed their spar.
Taiga Shiba and Nagata Oda were once friends who shared a mutual love and respect for kendo. However, whereas Nagata believed his skills should be used to help their fellow students improve, Taiga used his skills to throw his weight around and discourage the ones he deemed unworthy. He believed that anyone who practiced kendo as a hobby, for fun, or just for exercise had no right to wield a sword. Nagata, on the other hand, believed that anyone interested and passionate enough should be allowed to practice kendo.
Nagata sat by the wall, sipping from a bottle of water. Taiga sat down next to him.
"Nagata, why do you waste your time?" Taiga asked.
"Huh? What do you mean, Taiga?" Nagata asked in confusion.
"I see you waste your time trying to help them," Taiga clarified.
"You mean the other students?"
Taiga scoffed.
"'Students'? Please, they're not really students. They're only here to pass the time and get some exercise. They're not like us who take this art seriously."
Nagata shook his head disapprovingly.
"Taiga, you really shouldn't question their dedication. They want to learn kendo because they enjoy it. Like you and me."
"Don't compare them to us. Unlike them, we possess the talent and resolve to be the best."
Tsukahara-sensei saw potential in both of them as they were serious about kendo and would become the best his dojo produced. However, clashing views and ideals caused tension to build between the two friends.
Taiga knocked a student down and then held the tip of his shinai to his throat.
"You're down, and you're out. Pack up your things. You don't deserve to be here."
"Taiga, stop it!" Nagata shouted as he pushed Taiga back and helped the student up. "Are you OK?"
"I think I hurt my wrist," the student whimpered as he cradled his hand.
"You should get that looked at," Nagata advised. The student went to Tsukahara-sensei to get some help. Nagata turned to glare at Taiga. "Taiga, you really should take it easy on him. He just joined us a week ago."
Taiga rolled his eyes and scoffed as he shouldered his shinai.
"I'm just teaching him that kendo is no game, Nagata," Taiga justified.
"Well, try not to hurt the newcomers. We've already lost a few students in the past two years," Nagata advised.
"If they quit, then they did not deserve to hold a sword. They weren't worthy, not like us."
When Nagata first discovered Taiga's terrible behavior, he thought he could help his friend to change. Make him better. Maybe even help him make friends. However, Taiga was obstinate. Besides Nagata and Tsukahara-sensei, he showed nobody else in the dojo any respect.
Nagata thought he could help Taiga change his attitude but the other boy just got worse and worse until he crossed the line.
There was a scream as one of the students fell, cradling his arm.
"YOU BROKE MY ARM!"
"Then you shouldn't have held your shinai the wrong way," Taiga retorted. The student cried in pain and Taiga continued to mock him. "Oh, are you crying? Pathetic. I knew you weren't worthy of the art. Kendo is for real men who can handle the pain. You should just leave and never pick up a sword ever again. You'll just be an embarrassment. And stop crying like a baby, you're making me nauseous."
"Taiga, that's enough!" Nagata shouted as he grabbed Taiga by his kendogi and pulled him away from the injured student. "You've gone way too far!"
"Why are you stopping me, Nagata? I'm trying to teach him a lesson," Taiga responded.
"You call this teaching? We're their sempai. We're supposed to help them and encourage them. Not break their arms," Nagata attempted to reason with Taiga but he would not listen to him.
"Even after all this time, you still want to waste your time with them? They're not special. They're not talented. They just want to have fun with kendo. They're not interested in the art, so I'm making sure they know it before they waste their time and ours."
Nagata gritted his teeth and clenched his fists in anger.
"Taiga-kun! Nagata-kun!" Tsukahara-sensei shouted as he marched over to them. The two broke apart and bowed to him. "Taiga-kun, I've told you so many times not to be rough with your fellow students, but you have ignored me. I can no longer tolerate such behavior."
"But, Sensei! I'm one of your best students!" Taiga defended.
"That does not give you the right to treat others in such a disgraceful manner. I thought you would have learned to respect your fellow students by now, but you have continuously harassed and bullied them."
"So, what? Are you going to throw me out? There's no way you can do that! My family will have your head!" Taiga threatened.
"I will not throw you out, Taiga-kun. Instead, you will have to fight for your right to stay here. You will duel against another student."
"Fine, I'll take on anyone and show you I deserve to be here."
"Then you will face Nagata-kun."
After calling an ambulance to pick up the injured boy and informing his parents, Tsukahara-sensei set the terms for the duel. If Taiga won, he would be allowed to remain in the dojo. However, if he lost he must then apologize to the other students for his behavior and accept expulsion.
There were four designated target areas in kendo: the head (men), the body (do), the wrist (kote), and the throat (tsuki). Each hit on a designated area was worth one point. For this match, the first to get three points was the winner.
Nagata and Taiga faced each other, both clad in full kendo gear and armor. Tsukahara-sensei presided over the match as the referee while the other students sat on the sidelines to watch.
"Ready?" Tsukahara-sensei asked both combatants. "Bow."
Taiga and Nagata bowed to each other. In the years since their friendship began, Taiga started to slowly and gradually resent Nagata for the praise he received despite his poor ideals. It did not change the fact that Taiga did not recognize anyone else but Nagata as his equal. However, Taiga still believed he was more skilled. He had won many tournaments before and had won against Nagata in several sparring matches previously.
He was sure to win this match. He had to. There was too much on the line.
"Hajime!"
Taiga and Nagata started their match. While Taiga attacked furiously, Nagata expertly blocked and parried all of Taiga's blows.
"Come on, Nagata! Stop retreating like a turtle and fight me seriously!"
"You asked for it!" Nagata blocked Taiga's strike and finally landed a blow to his chest. "Do!"
"Point to Nagata!" Tsukahara-sensei announced.
"Lucky shot," Taiga grunted.
"Luck and skill," Nagata responded.
The two went back to their positions to get ready for the next round.
"Hajime!" Tsukahara-sensei announced.
The two resumed their match. The other students cheered on Nagata, annoying Taiga, but he focused on defeating his opponent. Putting more force into his strikes, he broke through Nagata's guard.
"Men!"
Taiga's shinai connected with Nagata's head.
"Point to Taiga!" Tsukahara-sensei announced.
Taiga smirked as Nagata rubbed his head.
"You should give up, Nagata. We both know who the obvious winner will be."
"And don't count your chickens before they hatch, Taiga. We've only just tied."
"Hajime!" Tsukahara-sensei announced.
The match resumed with the third round.
"Do!"
"Point to Nagata!"
Round 4.
"Men!"
"Point to Taiga!"
After four rounds, Nagata and Taiga were both tied in the match. This was the final round and it would decide Taiga's fate.
"The first to earn three points will be the winner. Each of you has received two points each," Tsukahara-sensei reminded. "This will be the decider." Nagata and Taiga bowed to each other. "Hajime!"
As this round would decide the winner, the two fought furiously. Their shinai connected, making loud thwacks with each impact. They were focused, not dropping their guard around each other.
Taiga spotted an opening and went for it.
"Men!"
He swung his shinai down for Nagata's head. Nagata dodged at the last second and Taiga gasped as he missed his target.
"Do!"
Nagata struck Taiga in the body, the force of the blow sent him sprawling onto the tatami floor.
"Point to Nagata!" Tsukahara-sensei announced. "With three points, the winner is Nagata!"
The students jumped to their feet and cheered loudly. Taiga ripped off his protective mask angrily. He watched as Nagata received praise for his victory. Taiga would usually congratulate Nagata as well as he did in the past. However, this time it was different. Due to the conditions of the duel, Taiga would be expelled from the dojo.
He had lost face.
And it was all Nagata's fault!
Taiga picked up his shinai and let out a scream.
"NAGATAAAAAAA!"
Nagata turned to see Taiga coming at him with his shinai, eyes mad with rage. Everyone froze but Nagata reacted. He caught the shinai with his left hand and then threw his right fist straight into Taiga's face, knocking him out with a right hook.
Taiga dropped from the blow and lay unconscious on the tatami floor.
When he came to, Tsukahara-sensei was looking down on him.
Tsukahara-sensei claimed that he would not have really expelled Taiga if he had lost. He just wanted to humble Taiga and teach him a lesson about respect. Unfortunately, as a result of his attempted assault on Nagata, he had dishonored himself and was expelled. This news reached his family who promptly disowned him.
What neither Taiga nor Nagata knew was that, while Nagata's birth mother had been an Oda, his biological father had been a Shiba. The Odas and Shibas had been in an ongoing feud that went back decades. Taiga, however, failed to see how an ancient feud affected him. Also, he did not think Nagata was even related to those Odas as he grew up in a Chinese restaurant. It had to be a coincidence.
Due to the marriage of Nagata's parents, both clans agreed to a truce and both sides swore to not provoke or antagonize each other. Taiga had broken the truce with his actions and was disowned by his clan as a result. He had nobody to blame but himself, yet he refused to believe that. Instead, he believed that it was all Nagata's fault.
It would appear these two were destined to repeatedly meet in battle. Now, it was time they finally put their feud to rest.
Sangokuden Armored War Gods Saga: End of the Armored War Gods
Written By: Kamen Rider Chrome
Beta Reader/Editor: Busterleader92 & Kamen Rider Goji
Chapter 51: Rejoice! The Jade Dragon Emperor Awakens
Omajin Gaim threw Ryujin Gaim to the floor. He found themselves back within the ruins of Touka Village Castle, the place where Shoku rose and became the third of the three mighty kingdoms. The throne room's ceiling was gone along with the roof, granting a clear view of the sky.
"This could've been our throne but, like everything in our life, you took it from us." Omajin Gaim seemed almost melancholy and bitter when they saw the ruined throne, imagining what could have been if they ruled one of the Three Great Kingdoms of this age.
"Blame your ego," Ryujin Gaim retorted. "That's always been your problem, hasn't it, Taiga? Your pride won't allow you to accept your losses."
"Oh, we've accepted our losses and learned from them alright, Nagata."
Following his painful defeat at the hands of the Shoku Warriors, Taiga had used his time to build his army. Afterward, he claimed Rakuyo as his stronghold. It was not his first choice, however, as he wanted to claim Nagata's kingdom for his own, to take something that once belonged to him to show his superiority.
Unfortunately, as the Helheim plants had infested Touka Village, he lost all desire for it once it was abandoned. He then focused all his attention on getting even with the Shoku Warriors by facing them in battle whenever possible.
For months they fought, with him utilizing his Majin Riders to support him as his own personal army. He had the advantage now, with Taotie's power permanently fused to him. He even managed to kill Chulainn three weeks ago.
Unfortunately, he had not been able to kill those female warriors no matter how hard he tried. They seemed to be able to get away from him each time. He swore that once he got his hands on them, he would make them suffer. Bujin Gaim even gave him some interesting ideas on how to make their torment pleasurable.
"In fact, maybe it's time we taught you a lesson. Since you took everything from us, then how about we take everything from you? They're all in Sou Gi right now so how about we go pay them a quick visit?"
Ryujin Gaim realized what Omajin Gaim meant. The Fiend Rider was going to go after his friends, his family, just to make him suffer.
He could not allow that to happen.
"You won't get that chance!" Ryujin Gaim snapped.
"Then try and stop us, Nagata! If you can!"
Rising to his feet, Ryujin Gaim furiously attacked Omajin Gaim, throwing punches at his enemy. The Fiend Rider blocked all of the Sovereign Rider's punches before throwing him back with a kick.
[WHITE SNOW! BLACK BEAST!]
"CHECKMATE!"
Summoning Gaim White Snow and Black Beast, Ryujin Gaim sent them to attack Omajin Gaim simultaneously but they failed to land a blow as they were swiftly pierced by their black tentacles.
[RED ROSE! YELLOW SUN DRAGON!]
"SUNFLOWER!"
After they were summoned, Gaim Yellow Sun Dragon threw Gaim Red Rose like a missile to slash them with his scythe but Omajin Gaim managed to counter the move with their Toxic Arrow, easily dispatching him with a corrosive energy bolt. Gaim Yellow Sun Dragon rushed at them but he was caught by their tentacles and sliced in half by the Blood Drake Tail Sword.
"Stop bringing out these puppets to fight us and fight us!" Omajin Gaim roared.
[ICHIGO KUNAI! KURUMI BOMBER! KIWI GEKIRIN! BANASPEAR! KAGEMATSU!]
Ryujin Gaim hurled numerous Arms Weapons at Omajin Gaim but they quickly snatched them out of the air with their tentacles, absorbing them.
"I'll focus on defense," Bujin Gaim spoke to his host. "You focus on killing him."
"I understand," Taiga replied.
Crimson lightning crackled around Omajin Gaim as they zoomed toward Ryujin Gaim. In response, Ryujin Gaim quickly went into action as he blurred into motion, trailing azure lightning. Crimson and azure electricity flew all over the place, crashing, clashing, and swirling violently around the throne room. Sparks exploded and thunder boomed as both combatants battled for dominance.
Following their lightning-quick clash, Omajin Gaim had Ryujin Gaim pinned against the wall. Ryujin Gaim tried to pry his demonic counterpart's hands off him, punching them repeatedly in the face to make them break their grip, but Omajin Gaim's hands simply tightened their hold around his neck.
"You know, Nagata, we actually missed you while you were gone. It just hasn't been the same after you died," Omajin Gaim spoke.
"You mean after you killed me," Ryujin Gaim corrected. Since he did not need to breathe, he was not suffocating.
"And yet you were still able to come back from the dead. We're actually impressed and a little annoyed. Why couldn't you just stay dead?"
"Believe me, I understand the feeling." Ryujin Gaim had destroyed Bujin Gaim once before and he still managed to come back by infecting his old friend.
Black slime began to ooze from the Fiend Rider's hands, threatening to consume the Sovereign Rider.
"This time we're going to devour you and take all your power!"
Ryujin Gaim was trapped. He struggled to break out of Omajin Gaim's solid grasp as the slime was getting close to completely enveloping him. He was almost completely covered in the hardening black slime when Omajin Gaim violently stripped off his armor before roughly tossing Nagata to the ground.
"Thanks for the meal," Omajin Gaim sneered as they reabsorbed the black slime and looked down at Nagata. Taiga remembered being in the same position before but now their positions were reversed. They pressed the Execution Switch of the FienDriver to initiate their finisher.
[TAOTIE EXECUTION END!]
It might seem a bit overkill but they wanted to erase Nagata completely, from this world and their lives.
"Now, stay dead this time," Omajin Gaim growled as they fired the Toxic Arrow, shooting a blast of pure destructive energy directly at Nagata. Without any protection, this was sure to kill him.
"NO!"
All of a sudden, Dark Idunn threw herself in front of the empowered Toxic Arrow blast and blocked it with her shield. She gritted her teeth and dug in her heels as she struggled against it but the blast destroyed her shield and she took it right in the chest. She was thrown backward and her armor shattered as she crashed into the wall.
"KARA-CHAN!"
Nagata ran over and found her lying on the ground, with rubble littered around her. She was severely injured as he gently cradled her in his arms.
"Kara-chan, why!?"
Karasu weakly met his gaze.
"I couldn't watch you die again...Naga-kun..."
"Come on, you'll be alright. You're strong. You can...you can fight this..." Nagata desperately pleaded as he held her in his arms.
"It's OK, Naga-kun. You don't have to lie..." Karasu said as she gripped his shirt with tears falling from her eyes. Karasu could feel her life slipping away from her but she did not want to go. She did not want to leave him. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry..."
"Just hang on, Kara-chan! Hang on! We'll get you to Hideyoshi! He can heal you!" Nagata cried desperately as he embraced her.
"Can you...give me one thing...before I go?"
"Any-anything," Nagata sobbed.
"...A kiss?" Nagata did not hesitate as he pressed his lips against hers in a chaste and loving kiss. His lips were cold but they still warmed her dying heart. "I love...you..." With her last words and a smile, she closed her eyes.
"I love you too, Kara-chan." She did not respond when he shook her. "Kara-chan? Kara-chan!? KARA-CHAN!"
Once she breathed her last, her body dissolved into nothingness.
Nagata was in shock, his hands trembling as he held nothing but empty air. He picked up her SengokuDriver and hugged it tightly against his chest, sobbing in grief.
Omajin Gaim watched, allowing them to have this moment not out of kindness but because they enjoyed watching Nagata suffer.
"That damn stupid bitch got in the way," Omajin Gaim grumbled, disappointed as they had been aiming to kill Nagata and not Karasu. Then again, it would save them both the trouble of doing it later when the crazy yandere came after them for killing the object of her obsession a second time.
They raised their Blood Drake Tail Sword, fueling it with their dark energy. Without his armor, Nagata was an easy target. They swung, throwing a demonic energy slash at Nagata to put him out of his misery. The attack hit its unprotected target, making an explosion. There was no way Nagata could have survived that.
Satisfied with their victory, Omajin Gaim turned to leave but stopped when they felt a strong gust of wind. They whirled around as the wind blew the smoke and dust cloud away to reveal Ryujin Gaim standing before them with a new sword in hand. The weapon had a long, straight, double-edged blade with a tip that was shaped like a dragon's head and a dragon scale-covered hilt. Instead of a traditional guard, it had a large circular plate with a gold ring around it set between the blade and hilt. Emblazoned in the center of the plate was Gaim's personal symbol.
"Taiga, I won't forgive you," Ryujin Gaim growled.
"What...?"
After hearing Omajin Gaim so coldly dismiss Karasu's sacrifice, Ryujin Gaim's grief gave way to red hot rage that he could no longer hold back.
The cage holding the dragon finally broke.
"AAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"
Ryujin Gaim unleashed an earth-shattering scream before he was struck by a bolt of lightning. The flash blinded Omajin Gaim as the force of the lightning strike flung them back in shock.
[IWAE! DAI RYUJIN ARMS! DAI-DAI-DAI-DAI-DAI TEN-O!]
When the golden shine faded, Gaim was revealed clad in a new suit of armor known as the Jade Dragon Emperor Armor. It was jade and gold with his Gaim symbol standing out in the center of his chest with dragon heads mounted on his shoulders as pauldrons. Adorning his limbs were matching jade bracers and greaves with similar gold dragon designs. The suit also included a red-lined black cape that hung from his back.
On each side of his belt was a Lockseed holder. The holder on the right held his Red Rose, Yellow Sun Dragon and Nobunaga Lockseeds while the holder on the left carried his White Snow, Black Beast and Dai Shogun Lockseeds.
Finally, he had a Japanese warrior's topknot attached to his kabuto helmet as a golden dragon rose from the center of his helmet's front crest.
His visor flashed, shining with a brilliant blue light.
This was his true Overlord form, Armored War God Imperial Gaim and he was armed with his sword dubbed the Imperial Sword Dai Ryujin Calibur, aka RyuCalibur.
Omajin Gaim had just recovered from being thrown back by the lightning strike when they saw Nagata in his Overlord form. They tried to brush it off even though they were furious about it.
"Well, look at you," Omajin Gaim remarked as they saw Imperial Gaim in his jade glory. "Don't you look regal? But it doesn't matter what form you take. You're going to die here, this time for good."
Imperial Gaim responded by firing a blast of lightning from his hand at him. Omajin Gaim screamed as they ducked under the lightning blast which flew over them and hit the wall behind them, leaving a scorch mark. When the attack ceased, Omajin Gaim quickly dashed toward Imperial Gaim who fired bolts of lightning at him. The bolts hit the Fiend Rider, slowing them down as they advanced on their enemy.
Using his lightning like a whip, Imperial Gaim lifted Omajin Gaim off the ground and then threw them through the nearest wall. He then pulled Omajin Gaim out and threw them against another wall before he lifted them up and then smashed them on the ground.
Omajin Gaim lay stunned on the floor only for a moment as they recovered in the blink of an eye and sprang back onto their feet. Throwing caution to the wind, they pushed the Execution Switch on their FienDriver to finish off Imperial Gaim.
[TAOTIE EXECUTION END!]
They would not miss this time.
They fired their Toxic Arrow but Imperial Gaim just pivoted on his heel and swung his RyuCalibur like a baseball bat, slicing the destructive bolt in half, completely neutralizing it. Then in a sudden burst of speed, Imperial Gaim was right in front of Omajin Gaim as if he had teleported to deliver a devastating slash that ripped open their armor and tore a scream out of the Fiend Rider. He then punched Omajin Gaim repeatedly in the face, sending them staggering. He furiously piled on the pressure as he alternatively punched and slashed Omajin Gaim.
Omajin Gaim tried to retaliate but Imperial Gaim gave them no chance as he sent his demonic counterpart reeling with a swift series of slashes. Once they found some breathing room, Omajin Gaim lashed out with their tentacles but Imperial Gaim swiftly sliced them to ribbons with his blade. The tentacles regenerated quickly but were just as quickly dispatched as Omajin Gaim sent them out.
Meanwhile, the two of them had attracted an audience as the Inves, drawn by the battle, came to watch. While the Inves were driven by primal instincts, they were not entirely mindless beasts. They were at least aware enough to recognize a threat and understood when to stay away to preserve their lives. Besides their food source, they also valued their survival. However, they could also be curious while maintaining a safe distance.
They watched as the green one and dark one fought. For some reason, they felt a connection with the green one. They did not consider him a predator like they did the dark one. Instead, they recognized him as an Alpha, their Alpha.
Omajin Gaim quickly used their tentacles to put some distance between them but Imperial Gaim caught up to them. Imperial Gaim avoided a headshot from the Toxic Arrow before he sent Omajin Gaim staggering with a strike of his blade. As Omajin Gaim recovered, Imperial Gaim spun the ring on his sword's circular guard, the Ryulette, and pressed the Ryugrip Trigger on the hilt.
[RYUCALIBUR ATTACK!]
Omajin Gaim swung both their weapons at him but Imperial Gaim countered and shattered them with a swing of his energized blade before he slashed his enemy across the chest, ripping sparks off and tearing open another huge gash in the Fiend Rider's armor. He then struck his opponent with a powerful thrust that sent them tumbling.
Omajin Gaim growled in anger as they rose to their feet and healed their wounds. Both Taiga and Bujin Gaim grew enraged. They had Nagata on the ropes earlier but now they were the ones being made to look like fools.
It would not stand!
"We can create reinforcements!" Bujin Gaim informed his host, indicating the nearby Inves.
Omajin Gaim sent their tentacles to impale the Inves and Imperial Gaim watched as they were changed into replacement Majin Riders. The change, however, was imperfect as the newly created Majin Riders still sported some of their original Inves limbs.
"Get him!" Omajin Gaim ordered their new Majin Riders who looked at Imperial Gaim before they turned on their creator instead. "What!? Attack him! Not us! Stop it, you stupid beasts! Obey us!"
Imperial Gaim watched, confused as the Majin Riders attacked their creator. Just what was going on here?
Roaring in outrage and frustration, Omajin Gaim wiped out their new Majin Riders, piercing them with their tentacles to absorb them.
"Guess you're both losing your touch," Imperial Gaim taunted.
"YOU SON OF A BITCH! DIIIIEEEEEEE!" Omajin Gaim roared angrily as they fired tentacles to spear Imperial Gaim but the Sovereign Rider countered with a blast of lightning that made them go limp like wet noodles. With their tentacles neutralized, Omajin Gaim morphed their hands into large blades as they charged straight at their rival.
Omajin Gaim came at him and swung at him with their blades but Imperial Gaim managed to parry them with his RyuCalibur. Coating his sword with lightning, Imperial Gaim landed a shocking blow.
With Omajin Gaim briefly stunned, Imperial Gaim used this chance to take the Red Rose Lockseed off his belt and load it into the RyuCalibur's Drive Bay, located behind the circular Ryulette, locking it in.
[RED ROSE!]
Once it was locked in, Imperial Gaim spun the Ryulette Spinner, charging his RyuCalibur with the Lockseed's spiritual power as the blade became coated with crimson energy. With a squeeze of the Ryugrip Trigger, he unleashed it.
[SPRING CALIBUR BREAK!]
"RYU ROSE CALIBUR!"
He swung his sword and sent out a cluster of red rose petals at his opponent which covered them like a swarm of bees. These were no harmless rose petals, however, as each was a miniature blade which viciously cut into Omajin Gaim. The petals then flew back to Imperial Gaim and gathered around his sword to coalesce into a huge crimson blade. He swung his sword, slashing Omajin Gaim violently and knocking them to the ground.
Gritting their teeth in anger, Omajin Gaim rose to their feet with the aid of their tentacles.
"WHY WON'T YOU JUST DIE ALREADY!?" they screamed as they hit the FienDriver's Execution Switch twice.
[TAOTIE EXTINCTION END!]
Dozens of tentacles burst from their body and pointed at Imperial Gaim. The tips glowed and they roared, firing a barrage of lasers at Imperial Gaim. Explosions went off, one after another, covering the Sovereign Rider in a cloud of smoke.
The barrage went on for a while before Omajin Gaim ceased their assault. It would have shredded Imperial Gaim to pieces. There was no way he could survive that. Or so they thought.
When the smoke and dust cleared, they stared in shock at the wall of Melon Defenders and Apple Reflectors which stood before them. The wall of shields parted, revealing Imperial Gaim, unharmed, before he sent them flying like killer Frisbees, slashing and crashing into Omajin Gaim. They were sent backpedaling as they tried to deflect the flying shields with their tentacles.
[WHITE SNOW! WINTER CALIBUR BREAK!]
"RYU BLIZZARD CALIBUR!"
Imperial Gaim waved his sword like a wand and a glyph manifested under Omajin Gaim and flashed, instantly freezing them in a block of ice.
Imperial Gaim approached his frozen enemy. They could not hurt anyone now but he could not leave them like this. It was less than they deserved. No, they needed to pay for their crimes.
Imperial Gaim's Ryujin Key glowed and so did his RyuCalibur's pommel. Understanding what the shared shine meant, Imperial Gaim removed the Ryujin Key from his Kachidoki Lockseed, inserted it into the RyuCalibur's pommel and turned it. Spikes popped out of the blade's edges.
[UNLOCK THE POWER OF THE SOVEREIGN!]
Imperial Gaim spun the Ryulette Spinner thrice before he pulled the Ryugrip Trigger. Rainbow-colored energy wrapped around his blade, empowering it for the finishing blow.
[IMPERIAL CALIBUR FINISH!]
"THIS IS FOR KARA-CHAN! IMPERIAL FINAL CALIBUR! SEI-YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"
With a roar, Imperial Gaim held nothing back as he delivered an aurora-colored energy slash with his RyuCalibur, blasting his frozen foe's icy prison to pieces. Imperial Gaim watched as Omajin Gaim collapsed in front of him and reverted to Taiga as he lay on the floor with ice littered all around him.
He looked like he was in shock and he was missing an arm. His skin was also a death-like pallor as he shivered uncontrollably.
"So cold...so dark...so cold..."
It was a miracle that Taiga managed to survive but the black slime tendrils suddenly shot out of his body and wrapped themselves around Imperial Gaim. Bujin Gaim soon emerged, rising from Taiga's body.
"Bujin Gaim," Imperial Gaim growled.
Without a host, the mogwai was unstable as he involuntarily shifted between his numerous forms. To stabilize himself, he needed a strong host, and Gaim had proven himself to be the best choice.
"GIvE mE yOUr bOdy!" Bujin Gaim roared as he attempted to take possession of Nagata again.
"Not this time," Imperial Gaim growled and he violently repelled Bujin Gaim with an electrical pulse, stunning him.
Realizing he could not win here, Bujin Gaim tried to flee, even if it meant abandoning Taiga. His host had become weak and useless, so he needed to go in search of a replacement to have his revenge.
Unfortunately for the mogwai, Imperial Gaim would not let him off so easily.
"You're not getting away!" Imperial Gaim shouted.
[BLACK BEAST! FALL CALIBUR BREAK!]
"RYU SHADOW CALIBUR!"
Ribbons of darkness shot out from Imperial Gaim's shadow and bound the mogwai in place. He tried to break free but the shadow ribbons stopped his amorphous form from passing through. He started to panic as he realized that he was trapped.
"ReLeaSe mE! ReLEase ME!"
[YELLOW SUN DRAGON! SUMMER CALIBUR BREAK!]
"RYU BURNING CALIBUR!" Imperial Gaim screamed as he struck Bujin Gaim with his blazing RyuCalibur and the mogwai screamed as he was engulfed in cleansing fire. Imperial Gaim watched as the fire consumed Bujin Gaim until nothing remained, not even ashes.
This time for sure, Bujin Gaim was finally, and hopefully, destroyed for good. Permanently.
Now there was one loose end left to take care of as Imperial Gaim turned his gaze toward Taiga. He must've realized that he was next as Imperial Gaim approached him. He was terrified as he tried to crawl backwards. Imperial Gaim pinned Taiga down with one foot on his chest as he struggled weakly.
"You said that I took everything from you. The truth is that I haven't taken everything from you. You still have your life. But since you've taken Kara-chan from me, it's only fair that I take your life in return. Then I'd have really taken everything from you," Imperial Gaim told him coldly and without mercy. "Goodbye, old friend. Say hello to Okaasan for me."
He held his sword high in both hands in a reverse grip, the blade pointed down, as he prepared to execute his enemy. Taiga's eyes widened as he trembled in terror. Yet, despite his terror, he remained defiant to the end.
"Go ahead! Do it if you dare! Do it! Just fucking do it!" Taiga spat furiously.
Imperial Gaim complied and brought the blade down.
Taiga screamed.
Nagata sat at the Round Table with a 1,000-yard stare while a cup of tea cooled in front of him.
As soon as he returned to Sousou's palace, looking so lost, Komei knew something was wrong. She took him to the Round Table and made him some warm tea to comfort him. She knew it was not much but it was the least she could do.
"Nagata-sama, you're back," Ryuubi said as she arrived with the others. She was relieved to see that he was alright.
"What happened? Where's Karasu?" Iori questioned. He hoped Nagata had not let her go again.
Nagata sighed, looking at his friends, his face clearly showing how devastated he was. He was still trying to come to terms with it but it was still fresh in his mind.
After some moments of pure silence, he finally spoke up.
"She's gone. She sacrificed herself so I could beat him," he painfully admitted. Silence reigned over the Shoku Warriors as his words sunk in.
"Oh, Nagata-sama. I'm so sorry," Ryuubi said as she approached him sympathetically.
Iori, however, was not buying it.
"Do you expect us to believe that she's dead? How do we know you did not just let her get away again?" Iori accused.
That was the wrong thing to say as Nagata marched up to him and grabbed him by the collar to pin him against the wall. Gasps came from the others, the loudest coming from Kochu. Red electricity crackled from Nagata's eyes, angry black veins surrounding them, while he gave Iori a cold, furious stare.
"SHE'S DEAD! GONE! REDUCED TO NOTHING! SHE TOOK A SHOT MEANT FOR ME AND TURNED INTO DUST IN MY ARMS, YOU UNGRATEFUL FUCK! YOU HAVE EVERY RIGHT TO BE UPSET WITH WHAT SHE'S DONE BUT SPITTING ON HER SACRIFICE IS CROSSING THE LINE! DON'T FORGET THAT YOU'RE THE REASON BUJIN GAIM EXISTED TO BEGIN WITH! DON'T FORGET THAT YOU LET HER OUT JUST SO YOU COULD SATE YOUR GRUDGE! KARA-CHAN IS DEAD BECAUSE OF YOU! YOU DID ALL THIS! SO DON'T YOU DARE CLAIM ANY KIND OF MORAL HIGH GROUND!"
He dropped Iori on his rear with a snarl. The archer had broken out in a cold sweat, paralyzed by fear. He knew genuine anger when he saw it, and this was the anger that came from grief.
Nagata was telling the truth.
Iori wanted to make a comeback. He wanted to say something in retort. He wanted to throw back in Nagata's face that his trust in Karasu had gotten Gien killed. He opened his mouth and tried to furrow his eyes into a glare but he couldn't bring himself to do it. The glare he received from Nagata was too intense and made him clam up as something inside of him told him it would be unwise to provoke a furious dragon.
"You got what you wanted. Kara-chan's gone. She wanted to be better but that wasn't enough for you. You wanted her dead no matter what. You must be so happy now," Nagata said bitterly as the dark veins faded.
"Will you be alright, Nagata-sama?" Ryuubi asked worriedly.
"I'm fine." He wasn't. He was far from fine. They could all see it.
"Are you-?"
"I said I'm fine!" Nagata snapped, causing Ryuubi to flinch. He sighed apologetically, slumping slightly, calming down. "Sorry, but I just need to be alone right now." He handed the Golden Lockseed over to Ryuubi. He had picked it up after defeating Majin Gaim. "Take this back to where it belongs. Good night, Touka. Good night, everyone."
Everyone watched him go but none followed as they understood that he needed his solitude to grieve in peace. Even Chouhi understood that her big brother needed to cry after losing someone he loved. Karasu might've been a traitor but he still cared about her.
As he got up, Iori watched him go before he started coughing.
"Are you alright, Airen?" Kochu asked worriedly.
"I just...need some...fresh air," he answered between coughs.
Iori walked out of the room and stepped into the hallway, ignoring their judgmental gazes. Thankfully, nobody followed him. As he turned the corner, he suffered a coughing fit and covered his mouth. When he removed his hand, he saw blood staining his palm.
"Shit."
After returning to his room, Nagata lay on his bed while holding Karasu's Ringo Lockseed. He held it up, looking at it with a regretful expression.
"I'm so sorry, Kara-chan."
He has picked up her Lockseed before coming back to Sousou's palace. It was a precious keepsake now and something to remind him of her sacrifice. Frankly, he suspected that he may very well be the only one who would mourn her passing. He may have forgiven her, but he wasn't going to forget. If she had survived, he would have made her work to regain his trust again.
Fruits of the Tree, Yggdrasil
Dai Ryujin Arms: Nagata's upgraded and true ultimate form, his Overlord form. In this form, he is known as Imperial Gaim and all of his overall stats have increased to unimaginable levels. Nagata still retains Ryujin Gaim's lightning speed, electrokinesis, and his ability to summon other Arms Weapons and the Spirit Armors. In addition, he wields the Imperial Sword Dai Ryujin Calibur in this form.
Imperial Sword Dai Ryujin Calibur: Also known as the 'RyuCalibur' for short, this sword allows Nagata to access his Imperial Gaim form. The sword has three tiers of finishers just like the LegenDriver. The sword is equipped with the Ryulette which allows Imperial Gaim to charge up his finishers by spinning the Ryulette Spinner. It also has a Drive Bay in the back for Lockseeds which makes this weapon very versatile as different Lockseeds can invoke unique abilities. Finally, it can be equipped with the Ryujin Key to unlock its full power.
Dai Ryujin Calibur Finishers
RyuCalibur Attack: The first finisher tier. After spinning the Ryulette Spinner and squeezing the Ryugrip Trigger, Imperial Gaim delivers an energy-charged slash.
Calibur Break: The second finisher tier. Imperial Gaim loads a Lockseed into the Drive Bay behind the Ryulette. By spinning the Ryulette Spinner, he charges the RyuCalibur with the Lockseed's energy before he releases it by squeezing the Ryugrip Trigger. The following is a list of his Calibur Breaks.
Spring (Ryu Rose Calibur): With the power of the Red Rose Lockseed, Imperial Gaim can summon a mass of rose petals to throw at his opponent. These 'petals' are actually small blades with incredible cutting power. He can gather these petals to create a giant crimson blade.
Summer (Ryu Burning Calibur): With the power of the Yellow Sun Dragon Lockseed, Imperial Gaim envelops the Ryujin Spirit Blade in a cleansing fire that can harm malevolent supernatural beings, even purge them if it is powerful enough.
Fall (Ryu Shadow Calibur): With the power of the Black Beast Lockseed, Imperial Gaim can summon shadow ribbons to bind his enemies. They also prevent supernatural beings from escaping due to their mystical nature.
Winter (Ryu Blizzard Calibur): With the power of the White Snow Lockseed, Imperial Gaim can summon Glyphs that allow him to freeze his enemies in ice.
Imperial Calibur Finish (Imperial Final Calibur): The third and highest RyuCalibur finisher tier. This is his ultimate finishing move. Imperial Gaim inserts the Ryujin Key into the pommel of the RyuCalibur to unlock its full power. He then spins the Ryulette Spinner to charge it, presses the Ryugrip Trigger, and then he delivers an aurora-colored energy attack. Very few can survive it.
KRC: "Rejoice! The Peerless Azure Dragon King has returned and ascended to become the Jade Dragon Emperor who wields the power of Heaven! He now rules over the sky and the storms obey his command! And his name is Armored War God Imperial Gaim! Now, bear witness to his glorious power!" Sorry, I always wanted to do Woz's 'iwae (rejoice)' speech for Nagata's new form. It just seemed fitting for this. This also marks the end of Bujin Gaim's reign of terror. So screw that slimy Venom and his evil host sidekick.
Now, you may think I allowed him to survive again this time since I've done it before but you don't need to fear. That mogwai is gone now, for good this time, and all thanks to Nagata's new form. Tragically, it came at a cost. Before becoming Imperial Gaim, Nagata lost Karasu. In fact, looking back, all the Sovereign Riders had to suffer a great tragedy before gaining their Overlord powers. It's like a sort of exchange: gaining a great power but suffering a great loss.
Anyway, if you guys did not notice, the RyuCalibur is based on the Orbcalibur from Ultraman Orb. I originally wanted it to draw power from the Five Tiger Generals, Ryuubi and Ryofu, but that did not make a lot of sense to me since Nagata had never drawn power based on them before. So I made changes and it can draw power from Lockseeds via the Drive Bay behind the Ryulette. Also, it can use the Ryujin Key to perform its strongest finisher like how Fourze Cosmic States's Barizun Sword uses the Cosmic Switch.
Taiga screamed as the blade plunged into the ground next to his head, the edge grazing his cheek as the blood drained from his face.
It took every ounce of Imperial Gaim's restraint to not kill Taiga right then and there for what he had done. Without his power, without his weapons, Taiga was now just a pathetic coward. It didn't surprise him. Taiga always got drunk on whatever power he got and then ran away when someone stronger than him came around to deal with him. He'd bluster and bellow, even fight if he thought he had a chance. But once the odds were turned against him, he always ran away from a fight he couldn't win.
Now, he was just broken with everything he used to hide his cowardice already stripped away. Imperial Gaim should hate him for what he had done but he was not worth it. He just pitied him now.
"No, Taiga," Imperial Gaim growled as he withdrew his blade and stepped off Taiga. "You don't get the easy way out." He would not escape justice.
"How could you beat me?" Taiga questioned. "I'd pushed you into a corner. You shouldn't have won."
"Because, at that moment, I had nothing to lose so I didn't care about holding back anymore," Imperial Gaim answered solemnly.
"You think you had nothing to lose? What about me? You got me expelled from the dojo! My clan disowned me because of you!" Taiga spat.
Imperial Gaim frowned. He had something to say to Taiga about that and it was a long time coming.
"No, all of that happened because of you, Taiga. I should've said this a long time ago. I used to admire you for your sense of honor but then I saw what was hidden underneath that facade and that was your sense of entitlement.
"You always believed yourself as being superior to everyone around you, but I think you're just scared and insecure. You didn't despise the other students in the dojo for being unworthy. You just couldn't stand the idea of any of them becoming your equal or even surpassing you. That's why you worked so hard to push everyone else down. It's because you recognized their potential but you were too scared to accept it.
"It's what you've always done. You walk all over people to stand over them because you know you're nothing without anyone to push down and when all that power got to your head, you just got worse. And the worst part is that you could never, ever recognize your own flaws or own up to your mistakes. You just blamed everything bad that happened to you on everyone else since you could never accept any responsibility.
"Even now you can't see that everything bad that you've been through was because of you. Maybe you were influenced by Bujin Gaim but you allowed that demon to influence you.
"Well, that ends here, Taiga. Surrender and accept justice."
Taiga growled as he picked himself up, despite the pain he was suffering from.
"Don't think this is over, Nagata! Just because you won, you think you're better than me!? You think you can look down on me!? You may have gotten rid of Bujin Gaim but I still have power! Let me show you!" Taiga shouted furiously.
He focused on the Taotie Lockseed within himself, to call on its power and Imperial Gaim's eyes widened as he witnessed a dark aura rising from Taiga's body.
It felt wrong.
"Taiga, stop!"
"HENSHIN!"
Taiga ignored him as he attempted to transform. At first, nothing happened until it all went wrong. Dark energy tendrils burst out of the FienDriver and wrapped around Taiga's neck and limbs. He screamed as black veins appeared on his face as his eyes darkened.
Imperial Gaim could only watch in horror as Taiga screamed in agony, his eyes desperately pleading for help as he looked at him. However, it was already far too late as Taiga changed before his eyes.
Taiga grew in height while losing weight as he turned skinny, gaunt and emaciated, almost skeletal, with his clothes now hanging loosely off his frame. His skin turned dark greyish brown with patches of fur as his fingernails became long and sharp claws while his missing arm grew back. The flesh of his face peeled away as his skull became beast-like with razor-sharp teeth filling his jaws. Finally, a pair of antlers grew out of his scalp.
Taiga's horrific transformation was complete as he became the Wendigo-like Taotie and it was absolutely starving.
"Taiga...?" Imperial Gaim dared to ask. Taotie roared and lunged at him. He quickly dove out of the way as it tried to grab him. It turned to leer at him - its prey - hungrily.
He looked into the creature's eyes to see if there was anything left of Taiga but could see no intelligence behind those dark eyes. Instead, there was an insatiable hunger as it could no longer recognize Imperial Gaim as anything except for prey to be killed and devoured.
There was no saving him anymore. Taiga Shiba was gone now and Nagata could only do one last thing for him. He had to put him down as a final act of mercy to someone who had once been his friend.
Imperial Gaim dodged a swipe and landed a swift lightning slash across Taotie's body.
"Embrace the darkness and rest in peace, Taiga Shiba."
Silence followed as Taotie's body crumbled to dust.
Nagata did not know why Taiga had turned into such a creature but he believed that the dreadful power he had been given had finally backfired on him.
"Hello, Seiryuoh-sama."
Chosen chose that moment to appear before Nagata. Thankfully, he came fully dressed as he really did not want to see the effeminate man in his trademark pink thong. Just picturing it gave him chills and nightmares.
"What do you want, Chosen?" Nagata deadpanned, not bothering to get up to greet him. He was not in the mood for any company nor for Chosen's shenanigans.
"I just came to welcome you back to the world of the living," Chosen said warmly before his tone turned somber. "I also heard about what had happened and came to offer my condolences. Would you like a hug?"
"No, there's no need. Your condolences are fine, thank you," Nagata politely declined with a forced smile.
"Anyway, I'm also here to deliver an important message. Now that you've returned, the final battle draws closer."
