I do not own Koihime Musou or Kamen Rider Gaim. They belong to their respective creators. Chrome and I just thought this idea would be fun and I 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: Legends of the Armored War Gods
Co-Written By: Ten-Faced Paladin and Kamen Rider Chrome
Chapter 9: Komei's New Sister
The group stopped in a town to have some lunch. Nagata was still wrapped in bandages but fortunately, he was recovering. As they ate, Ryuubi was trying to feed him.
"I can feed myself," he insisted as he picked up the chopsticks himself. He was injured, not invalid, and his injuries hadn't hampered his ability to use chopsticks. He really wanted to avoid an awkward situation but with the way Kanu and Ryuubi were acting, and how Chou'un was grinning, that was becoming a challenge.
"But, Gaim-sama, you're still hurt," she reminded.
"Ryuubi-" he started.
"Touka," she interrupted. "I told you to call me Touka."
"Right...Touka," he sighed. "Look, I'm feeling better and I'm not as sore as I was before."
"Indeed," Kanu agreed. "But you are still recovering."
"Yeah, but it's not as bad as it looks," he told her.
"But it could've been worse," Kanu argued..
"Ano, Gaim-sama," began Komei, "Maybe you could enlighten us on the Genesis Riders?"
"Oh, right," Nagata recalled. He had given them the basics but hadn't told them about each member. "Well, there's supposed to be four. Chinkyuu saw Sigurd and I had the unfortunate luck facing Duke even if it was some thug using his armor. There's supposed to be two more, Marika and Zangetsu-Shin."
"Zangetsu!?" Komei, Kanu, and Chouhi repeated in surprise.
"Who's Zangetsu?" Ryuubi asked.
"The Armored War God of Go," Nagata answered. "But I don't think I have to worry about him joining the Genesis Riders. He doesn't seem the type. Anyway, yeah, there's Marika who's the only girl on the team and she wears pink armor based on a peach. Supposedly, she's pretty deadly and has the best accuracy among the Genesis Riders. Zangetsu-Shin would be pretty strong himself."
While we wait for Nagata and his traveling party to return to Touka Village, let us see how the village and its residents were doing in their absence. As you recall, Bacho, Kochu, and Ryugen were left behind to take care of things while they were away. So far, there hadn't been any trouble worth fretting over. As usual, the Touka Village Army was doing its job as they had protected and saved other neighboring villages from bandits. Alliances were forged as a result and the province at least was becoming unified. Gaim was Touka Village's symbol and local Armored War God. However, he was just one of two. While Gaim wasn't around, Ryugen was the one in charge.
Iori Tokugawa, aka Armored War God Ryugen, was the second-in-command of the Touka Village Army. He was also one of the generals and in charge of the archers alongside his wife, Kochu. Even though he used firearms in combat, his marksmanship was a skill he had cultivated since he took up archery and Kochu had been giving him extra lessons to improve his archery skills.
While recalling the alliances they had made, Iori couldn't help but chuckle in amusement as the chiefs from the other villages had offered up their daughters as brides to Nagata to cement the alliance. They wanted preferential treatment or the glory of cashing in on the bloodline of an Armored War God. Nagata really didn't want to marry them and turned them down every time. He had his eyes on another. Kochu had told Iori that Kanu was in love with Nagata and that the feeling was mutual. Iori then connected the dots to realize whenever the two had vanished separately, they had no doubt ended up together someplace private.
It had been a long time since Nagata and his group had gone on their quest to recover Ryuubi's swords and Iori hoped that they were alright. Komei made sure to send a letter each time they stopped at a village along the way. In the last letter he received from a messenger, he learned that they had regained Ryuubi's sword and that they were on their way back.
Iori was taking a walk with Riri while Kochu was giving the archers some more training. The little girl skipped along her step-father's side, holding his hand as the villagers greeted them happily and with respect. Some of the local village girls admired Iori, liking how he seemed like a good family man but soon became depressed as they were reminded that he was already married. Still, Iori greeted back Riri doing the same.
"Ryugen-sama! Ryugen-sama!" a guard ran up to Iori, interrupting the father-daughter bonding trip.
"What is it?" Iori asked.
"There's someone at the castle's gate claiming to be General Bacho's cousin," the guard answered.
"And General Bacho isn't here because she's gone out on patrol with some of the men," Iori frowned. "Alright, bring me over. Maybe I can verify."
"At once, Ryugen-sama!" the guard bowed and led the way. Iori picked Riri up and placed her on his shoulders.
"Daddy, is it really Sui-neechan's cousin?" Riri asked. She didn't know that Bacho had a cousin! Now she really wanted to see this person! Did she look like Bacho? Could she fight like Bacho? Was she nice like Bacho? Did she bring presents for Bacho? Riri wanted to know!
"Well, only one way to find out," answered Iori as he followed the guard.
"I told you! My name is Batai. Bacho Moki is my cousin!" the girl at the gate insisted, stomping her foot as the guard didn't allow her entry. She was a young girl, possibly near Komei and Chouhi's age. She was dressed in an orange blouse with short, puffy black sleeves and white shorts. A blue tie hung from her collar. She also wore white shoes. Her hair was a light shade of brown and tied into a ponytail on the side with a green ribbon. She was also armed, carrying a spear with a short protrusion extending from the main blade.
"Until General Bacho returns to verify your identity, we can't let you into the castle," said the guard, insisting on following protocol. After the Fake Ryuubi was revealed, the Touka Village Army was a little warier of who they let in and definitely not on the virtue of their name alone unless someone was able to confirm it.
"Is there a problem?" Iori asked, hearing the argument as the second guard brought him to the gate. He was surprised to see a young girl trying to get in. Usually, it was some huffy official or someone who had a beef with the generals or the Armored War Gods.
"Ah, Ryugen-sama," the guard greeted, turning to face his superior with a bow. "This child here is claiming to be General Bacho's cousin and wants to gain entry into the castle. We can't let her in until General Bacho confirms it, but she is most insistent and won't leave." Iori gave Batai a speculative look and she seemed nervous by the way he was looking at her with his narrowed, fox-like eyes.
"I can sort of see the resemblance," remarked Iori as he rubbed his chin. They had the same brown hair, hairstyle, and even a slight resemblance in their clothing style. He knew they couldn't just let her in, but if she was here for that long then she was likely going to kick up more of a fuss if she had to stay longer. "I'll escort her inside while we wait for General Bacho's return."
"As you wish, Ryugen-sama," the guard bowed.
"Finally!" Batai huffed but stopped when she saw Iori approach her. Something about him set off warning bells in her head, even if he had an adorable little girl on his shoulders.
"So, what brings you to our humble little village?" Iori asked Batai.
"I heard Sui-neesan's become a general here and I wanna become part of the army," claimed Batai.
"Join the army?" Iori frowned. "Are you sure you're up to it?" He didn't approve of children joining the army, except for Chouhi. However, the redhead's Herculean strength made her a force to be reckoned with. That made her the rare exception to Iori. Batai on the other hand didn't look like she had that kind of exceptional skill. Still, looks weren't everything. He looked at Batai's weapon and asked, "Are you any good with that weapon?"
"Of course!" boasted Batai. "I was being trained by my uncle Bato before he died just like Sui was!"
"Then come with me. I want to test you out," Iori said as he led Batai through the castle gate.
The training area that was used by the soldiers for training was now being used for a spar. The participants were Batai and Iori. Riri sat on the sidelines with the soldiers and her mother who had heard about the upcoming spar.
"OK, where's your weapon?" Batai asked.
Iori smirked and answered as a soldier brought his tonfas to him. They were rather simply looking but they were acceptable for what he intended them for.
"You're going to fight me with those sticks?" Batai asked incredulously. Just what was he playing at?. He twirled the tonfas in his hands and went into a battle stance. Months of training and practice had helped him develop his style, not to mention experience as an Armored War God.
"Is that a problem?" Iori asked. Batai shrugged. Her opponent just had an unconventional fighting technique. It wouldn't be a problem for her who had trained under Bato.
She got into a stance and identified herself, "My name is Batai! Here I come!" She lunged at Iori who simply sidestepped her attack before kicking her in the back, causing her to stumble. She then spun and attacked with rapid thrusts of her spear. Iori went on the defensive, using his tonfas to deflect her strikes. He stood his ground before he saw an opening. He smacked the spear aside and attacked with a kick that buried into her stomach before sending her tumbling. She gasped and grunted in slight pain but then picked herself up.
"You've got talent, I give you that," Iori admitted, "Definitely Sui's cousin."
As the spar resumed, Bacho came with her yari spear slung over her shoulder. She had heard Iori was in a sparring match with a hopeful new recruit when she returned and she had come to see the action. Spotting her friends over on the sidelines, she approached and greeted, "Yo."
"Ah, Sui-dono," Kochu greeted. "Back early?"
"Yeah," Bacho replied. "So, what's going on?" She then saw who was fighting Iori and gasped, "Wait, is that Tanpopo!?"
"Oh, so you know her?"
"She's my cousin! What's she doing sparring against Ryugen-sama?"
"Oh, so she was telling the truth. Well, Airen wanted to test her out. She said she wanted to join the army."
"She wants to what!?"
Bacho began worrying about her nails as she watched her cousin take on Iori and was failing rather miserably. He would dodge her strikes and retaliate with either a kick or counter using his tonfas. He also parried her attacks, making the younger girl stumble and lose her stance. Bacho just wanted to groan at how long it took for her to get her stance back. She knew better than that! Finally, Iori had seen enough and dodged again before making his way around Batai. Before she could react, he had trapped her head in a hold using his tonfas, crossing them under her chin. She could feel it pressing dangerously against her throat and all he had to do was pull hard enough to choke her.
"Do you yield?" Iori asked.
"Y...yes..." she answered as she trembled. Iori withdrew his weapons and stepped back to give her some breathing space as she collapsed and panted. "Sorry about that, but I had to make sure of something," Iori said. Batai was on her knees, exhaling and panting, her heart thundering in her chest. That was the hardest fight she ever had.
"Oi, Tanpopo!" Bacho marched towards her cousin.
"Ah, Sui-neesan!" Batai greeted. Suddenly, Bacho pinched her ear. "Itai! Itai! Itai!"
"So, she's your cousin, Sui-san?" asked Iori as Bacho continued to pinch her cousin's ear. His brother Ichiro would do that from time to time when they were kids and he began saying bad words. Ah, memories.
"Yeah, she is," Bacho frowned. "Sorry about this." She released Batai's ear.
"You didn't know she was coming," Iori concluded.
"I wanted to surprise you," Batai admitted, sticking out her tongue as she rubbed her ear.
"You surprised me alright!" huffed Bacho. "What made you think it was a good idea to spar with Ryugen-sama?"
"I thought I could show him what I could do!" defended Batai.
"Well, you should've known better than to take on an obviously superior opponent!" lectured Bacho. "Ryugen-sama isn't an Armored War God for nothing."
"What!?" Batai gaped at Iori. Armored War Gods described them as fierce warriors on the battlefield comparable to monsters, and this guy was one of them!? Batai was speechless. She had picked a fight with an Armored War God.
"Appearances can be deceiving," Iori quoted. "Underestimating your opponent can be a fatal mistake."
"See? You gotta be more careful when you choose your battles," Bacho scolded. "So, what's this I hear about you wanting to join the army?"
"Well, I just want to help out," Batai admitted.
"You still haven't mastered your weapon," Bacho pointed. Batai's spear was lying in the middle of the floor. "And leaving your weapon like that. Haven't you learned anything?" Batai scrambled to pick up her weapon.
"Sorry!" Batai apologized.
"Obviously, you still need training," Bacho frowned.
"That's why I came here for! I heard you became a general and I was hoping you could train me!" Batai pleaded. "Please, Sui-neesan?"
"You can't just send her home, Sui-san. She came all this way to see her cousin and ask for your training," added Iori. He left it unsaid he didn't like the thought of sending a girl just barely into her teens off by herself. She may have gotten there fine, but her home province was a long way off and anything could happen. She was also apparently only half-trained as well, making it dangerous to leave herself on her own both for herself and others who may pick a fight with her.
"Hm...fine," Bacho sighed. Crossing her arms, she looked away with a huff. "I guess Tanpopo can stay."
"Thank you!" Batai hugged Bacho.
Batai was given a room of her own to put away her belongings. She was also introduced to Kochu and Riri as she joined them for lunch. She had not expected Kochu to be his wife. She knew some gods would sleep with mortal women in stories, but as far as she knew they never got married. Batai sat on one side of the table next to Bacho while Kochu, Riri, and Iori sat on the other side with the little girl between her parents.
"The others are currently away but they should be back soon," said Iori. "Anyway, Sui-san, you never mentioned that you had a cousin."
"It kinda slipped my mind since I've been pretty busy with training," admitted Bacho. Iori frowned but understood. He rarely spoke of his family. Then again, his reasons were a bit more personal in comparison.
Iori stated, "So, Batai-san, you came for training."
"Well, Sui-neesan is a much better fighter than me and I was hoping to be trained by the best," smiled Batai.
"Then you're welcome to stay as long as you like," welcomed Iori.
"You know, you're not at all how I pictured an Armored War God would be like," Batai stated as she watched eat with his family. The food, prepared by Kochu, was delicious too.
"You were expecting some kind of monster on the battlefield, huh?" Iori guessed.
"Airen, you know you're not a monster," Kochu argued.
"Tell that to the bandits who scream whenever they see me," Iori reminded. "I think they were calling me some really unpleasant things while they were running and screaming for their lives." He grinned a bit at the memory of the bandits fleeing, calling him the 'Demon Dragon of Shoku'. That was another nickname he had earned.
"Daddy is the strongest!" declared Riri. While Nagata was himself a powerful Armored War God, her daddy would always be the best.
"Well, I always thought that an Armored War God would be some kind of larger than life figure," Batai confessed.
"Down here, we're as human as any other," Iori said, patting Riri's head. Seeing this, Batai still couldn't believe was a warrior just by looking at him. However, he had beaten her in the spar earlier. That had to count for something.
"But if you want me to train you, Tanpopo, then you'll have to do everything I say," Bacho said to her cousin.
"You got it, Sui-neesan!" saluted Batai.
After lunch, Kochu watched as Riri and Batai played in the courtyard together. The couple were sitting in a gazebo as the two children played tag.
"She seems very nice," Kochu observed.
"Yeah," Iori nodded.
"What's wrong?" Kochu asked.
"This place forces a lot of people to grow up quickly," Iori told his wife. He had seen it happen. Children were forced to work out of poverty, and even more so forced to join the army while they were only teenagers. Then again, these were turbulent times, and armies needed soldiers. Even where he came from, child soldiers were used in 3rd world countries. It was a sad but very real truth.
"You do not approve of her decision to fight," Kochu concluded. "And yet you allow Rinrin-chan to fight and Shuri-chan to strategize."
"Rinrin's different. She's strong and trying to stop her from fighting is impossible. Besides, she has Aisha-san and Nagata-san to watch her back. Shuri's also safe since she's not on the frontlines. However, Batai doesn't have Rinrin's strength or the skills we've all gained. I just don't feel right about letting her join the army."
"But we fight to make sure we can live in peace," Kochu added. "Perhaps, Batai-chan wants to do the same and bring peace by joining the army."
"Not a bad thing, but you do know that it's not just bandits we fight," Iori reminded.
"Yes, the RinJyuKen Akugata," frowned Kochu. The neighboring villages had not just suffered attacks from bandits but also Rinshi. Iori had to head out to help fight the Rinshi before they caused more suffering.
"I wish there was some other way," Iori wondered.
"One day, we'll find it," Kochu reassured her husband, kissing him on the cheek. Iori smiled.
"I'm so glad I met you and Riri," he said gratefully. As they shared a romantic moment, a soldier dashed up to them. He looked absolutely panicked and for good reason. "What is it, soldier?"
"Trouble in the marketplace, Ryugen-sama! It's the RinJyuKen!" the soldier reported.
"Right, I understand," Iori got up. "Looks like duty calls." In Nagata's absence, it was up to Iori to deal with trouble. As he went to deal with the situation, Batai couldn't help but overhear and decided to investigate.
In Touka Village's marketplace, Bacho was already fighting the Rinshi. She had just gone out to the market to get something to eat after training. Training always gave her an appetite. All of a sudden, a group of Rinshi appeared out of thin air and started to terrorize the villagers. As one of the generals in the Touka Village Army, Bacho was immediately on the counterattack, using her Yari to take down the Rinshi. However, the Rinshi weren't going down as easily as she thought and came back up to attack again.
Suddenly, Bacho heard several bangs and the Rinshi fell when holes appeared on their heads. Bacho smiled and looked to see who was responsible. It was Armored War God Ryugen, ready for battle.
"I thought you may need some help," said Ryugen as he joined in. He dashed at the Rinshi and shot at them. Once close, he uses kicks and punches in tandem with his Budou Ryuhou. Bacho was fighting as well with more powerful thrusts of her Yari putting the Rinshi down.
As this was happening, Batai had snuck out to see the action and was impressed. Awed she was by how Ryugen fought. She then realized by how much he was holding back in their spar as he managed to put down Rinshi so easily. Bacho too wasn't bad either and she was definitely skilled as she used speed and agility in conjunction with her strength. These two were leagues above Batai which didn't sit well with her at all.
She then witnessed as Ryugen switched armors quite easily.
[KIWI!]
[LOCK ON!]
[HAI~! KIWI ARMS!]
The Kiwi Arms opened up and folded up to form his armor onto his body and then arming him with the Kiwi Gekirin.
[GEKI, RIN, SEI-YA HA!]
Now armed with the Kiwi Gekirin, Ryugen swiped and slashed at the Rinshi with ease, cutting them down without any hesitation. Ryugen, not wanting to waste anymore time, decided to finish the fight and pressed down on his belt's Cutting Blade twice.
[HAI~! KIWI AU LAIT!]
"Get down!" Ryugen ordered as his weapons charged. Bacho ducked as Kiwi sent out energy disks in the shape of kiwi slices from his Kiwi Gekirin. The Rinshi all exploded from the disks, exploding into violet blazes. Batai's eyes widened. He had finished off a group in a single moment. Clearly, this was the power of an Armored War God. Batai quietly snuck away. She had lied about needing the bathroom so if she was gone too long then Kochu and Riri would know she was lying.
"So, what happened here?" Ryugen asked.
"I don't know, Ryugen-sama. One moment I was just minding my own business and then those Rinshi appeared out of thin air," Bacho reported.
"Appeared out of thin air?" Ryugen repeated. That meant the Rinshi could infiltrate anywhere they pleased. This was disturbing news. "Right, carry on then. I'm going back to the castle."
"Gotcha!"
"Oh, come on! Again!?"
Nagata's traveling party was walking through a fog and once again they had lost Chou'un. One moment she was there and the next she had just disappeared.
"Where is she? Is she alright?" Ryuubi asked worriedly.
"Knowing her, she probably wandered off. With our luck, we might see her again when we get back to Touka Village," sighed Nagata.
"Yes, Aneue. You have no reason to fear. We will see Sei again very soon," promised Kanu.
"In the meantime, since we're here, let's go and visit my master's home," Komei urged. It had been months since she had seen her master and mother figure. She wanted to see her and since they were passing through, Nagata and Kanu decided that they could go visit her. Besides, they needed to stop to rest, get some food and take a bath.
"Just hold hands and stay together," Nagata instructed. Kanu took his right hand immediately, with her other hand in Rinrin's. Ryuubi quickly grasped Nagata's other hand as Komei took Ryuubi's free hand. "Alright, lead the way, Shuri."
"This way!" Komei beamed, leading the group onward. Fortunately, she remembered the path, so even in this fog, she could navigate to where they should be going. Ryuubi didn't mind as she got to hold hands with Nagata and was actually beaming with joy at being able to do so.
Eventually, after walking for quite some time, they reached the gate of Suikyo's residence. There was only one person in the front yard, sweeping the floor. A cute little girl with light violet hair done up in long twin tails. She was clothed similarly to Komei but in dark blue with a hat similar to one a witch would wear. She was even carrying a broomstick which she was using to sweep the floor.
"Excuse me, is anyone home?" Nagata called and the girl gasped. "Oh, hey, could you tell-"
"Awawawawa!" the girl cried before she scrambled as she ran for the door of the house and went inside.
"...OK," Nagata blinked. "Not exactly the welcome I was expecting."
"Who was that?" asked Kanu.
"That must be master's new student," Komei assumed. "She mentioned that in one of her letters."
"So, she took in another student," nodded Nagata. Guess the woman got lonely. He could understand that. Suikyo's residence was rather big for just one person.
Fortunately, Suikyo was around to greet them. When the girl had gone in to alert her the woman had come up to check. Both women thought at first that an armed group of intruders had come to attack them. She recognized them instantly, even hugging Komei in greeting before welcoming them in.
"It's been such a long time since I've seen you all," Suikyo smiled as everyone sat together at the table.
"Well, we were in the area and we just thought we should stop for a visit," said Nagata.
"And the friend you lost in the fog has managed to get lost again," Suikyo added.
"Yeah, Sei," Nagata sighed. "I wonder if she does this on purpose just to mess with us." Knowing her, and her sense of humor, this might just be her idea of a joke.
"And Shuri, how have you been?" Suikyo asked.
"I've been doing well, Master Suikyo," Komei answered.
"The strategies and tactics she has contributed have helped us a lot," Kanu added.
"Hey, it's because of her that we keep winning," finished Nagata proudly.
"Shuri's so smart! Even I can't think like her!" beamed Chouhi.
"I'm glad to hear that," Suikyo smiled. Looking to Nagata, she noticed that he was bandaged up. He was still recovering from his fight with Duke and he was not at his best yet. "Ah, Gaim-dono, I noticed that you've been injured."
"Oh, this? It's nothing. You should see what happened to the other guy," Nagata dismissed. "I barely feel it anymore."
"Still, I would like to check your injuries to see if you're recovering well," she appeared to insist. The girl from earlier was peeking at us from the doorway, shyly. Nagata noticed her and waved but she darted away to hide. He blanched a bit at the response, reminded of how Chinkyuu hid from him when she discovered he was an Armored War God.
"So, I see you've got yourself a new student," Nagata stated.
"Oh, little Hinari," smiled Suikyo. "Hinari, come out dear and introduce yourself." The girl shyly walked over, clutching the hem of her skirt.
"M-My name is Hoto, followed by Shigen," the girl introduced herself, looking down shyly at her feet.
"Hoto-chan, then," smiled Nagata and she blushed further before hiding behind Suikyo. "Is there something wrong?"
"She gets shy around men," Suikyo sighed, patting Hoto's head comfortingly. "And strangers. Once she gets to know you all she'll be fine. Anyway, I was just preparing some dinner. Would you like to join us for our meal?"
"We wouldn't like to impose," spoke Ryuubi.
"Nonsense, you're guests. Plus it's been such a long time since I've seen Shuri," smiled Suikyo.
"Then allow me to help you prepare the meal," Komei volunteered. "It'll be like old times."
"Shuri, talking about 'like old times' is what old people say," Nagata, earning a laugh from everyone.
"Hawawawa!"
This was perfect. Their information was correct. This was the house of Shibaki Suikyo, the teacher of Komei and Hoto. Not only that, Ryuubi, Kanu, Chouhi, and Armored War God Gaim were there as well. Most of their targets were there but the plan was to only kidnap Shibaki Suikyo. After all, the woman was the teacher of two prominent strategists according to history. Obviously, she would be better than either of them.
However, that didn't mean they couldn't kill everyone there and rid them of a nuisance once and for all. Also, there was a scent of envy and jealousy coming from the home. Hm, maybe they could harvest some Rinki while they were at it.
After the girls had taken their bath, it was Nagata's turn in the bathroom. Nagata had removed all his bandages to check his body. The bruises had faded a bit but they still felt a bit sore and the bandages were a hindrance when certain areas hitched.
"Damn..." he cursed. The fight with Duke had pretty much confirmed his fears of the Genesis Riders being active and these guys weren't messing around. They were dangerously abusing their powers and causing suffering. He would bet that they were working with the RinJyuKen as well. Right now, he just needed to concentrate on healing and relaxing.
Later, that night, as everyone slept, dark figures leaped over the walls as they snuck into the property. Nobody noticed them as they hopped towards Suikyo's room. Nobody noticed them as they searched for her room. Of course, somebody noticed when the sound of someone breaking in and Suikyo's screams were heard.
Nagata jumped out of bed and grabbed his SengokuDriver before exiting the room. He met the girls along the way, still in their sleeping clothes, and ran outside to see what was going on. Once outside, they saw that a Rinshi had Suikyo slung over its shoulder and the woman tied up and gagged.
"Master Suikyo!" Komei cried.
"Let her go!" Nagata demanded as he strapped on his SengokuDriver. He then unlocked his Blueberry Lockseed, "Henshin!"
[BLUEBERRY!]
[LOCK ON!]
[SOIYA! BLUEBERRY ARMS! ALLONS-Y, EN GARDE!]
Wielding the Blueberry Arms Berrapier and Blue Gauche, Gaim dashed for the Rinshi. The Rinshi holding Suikyo tried to flee but Gaim wouldn't allow it.
"Aisha!" Gaim ordered and Aisha leaped into action. Her fist connected to the Rinshi's face and it was forced to drop Suikyo. Chouhi then tackled into the Rinshi's gut, knocking it off its feet. It tried to get up but Gaim was immediately on it as he slashed it repeatedly before landing a final strike, reducing it to dust.
"Master Suikyo!" Komei cried as she ran to her master. She then untied her and removed her gag before throwing her arms around her.
"I'm fine Shuri," Suikyo sighed, hugging Komei back. Looking up, she looked around, "Where's Hinari? She sleeps in a room nearby!"
"Awawawawawawa!" the group looked up as Ryuubi approached with Hoto all but leaping into Suikyo's arms next to Komei, warbling and on the brink of tears thanks to her fear. "Sensei! Sensei!"
"I'm okay Hinari-chan. I'm okay," Suikyo comforted her second student. "There, there."
Gaim walked over to the front doors of the property and looked out into the hills in the dark of night. There were no signs of any more Rinshi. Either the jiang-shi had gone on his own like that Dropout Rinshi from the series, or it had been sent in as a test to see how quick the defenders were to react if something happened.
"I think this is going to be the beginning," Gaim sighed, turning to approach his friends. He closed his Lockseed, allowing his armor to flash then vanish as it dissolved into particles of lights.
"What do you mean Gaim-sama?" asked Ryuubi.
"This was probably a test," Nagata explained. "That Rinshi wasn't expected to win and escape. It was supposed to draw out the defenders to see how many of them there are and how effective we are. I think we can expect another attack and soon."
"Oh no!" Komei cried in fear. Hoto whimpered and hugged Suikyo even tighter than before.
"Thank you for saving me," Suikyo thanked gratefully.
"But why would they kidnap Master Suikyo?" Komei asked.
"She's your teacher," Nagata pointed out. "She taught you everything you know. They probably want to use her and extract all of her strategic knowledge from her mind." Hoto cringed at the thought of her teacher being taken.
"Then we must not let that happen," said Komei firmly.
Nagata cocked an eyebrow at Suikyo, "You know, I was expecting a bit of a surprise from you when you saw me in armor."
"Shuri wrote me a lot of letters and mentioned that the master she serves is an Armored War God," Suikyo smiled. "I knew it was you so I wasn't too surprised."
"Well, that explains it. For now, you should go back to bed," Nagata suggested.
"What if another attempt to abduct Suikyo-dono occurs while we sleep, Gaim-sama?" Kanu asked.
"We'll take turns standing guard," Nagata commanded. "We'll each guard for an hour and then wake up the next person to take over. We'll do it in rotation until morning."
"Well, that sucked."
OK, so outright kidnapping Suikyo wasn't a good idea. However, perhaps kidnapping her students and forcing her to give herself up in exchange for their freedom was a better idea. However, they needed to deal with the Armored War God. Fortunately, they had a plan in mind for that.
Gaim had the first watch as he patrolled around the area in his Orange Arms. An armored warrior made for an intimidating sight. A Rinshi would think twice before trying to kidnap Suikyo. However, he remained vigilant. He squatted down and yawned. "Man...this is boring..." He yawned again. He looked at the hourglass that was standing at the doorstep. He watched as the grains of sand flowed down from the top to the bottom. "OK...I stand corrected. Watching sand go down in an hourglass is boring."
After the hour was up, Gaim went to wake Kanu and found her sleeping together with Chouhi. The redhead had moved from her bed and snuck into Kanu's to cuddle with her. OK, how was he supposed to wake Kanu up without waking Chouhi?
"OK, this is a dilemma..." he frowned as he looked at both girls. He looked at the pillow of Chouhi's empty bed then smiled. "Idea..." He carefully lifted Chouhi's arm and put the pillow underneath. He then gently shook Kanu awake. "Hey, Aisha. Aisha. It's your shift..." Kanu's eyes opened groggily and she rose up to see the orange visor of Gaim.
"Nagata-sama...?" she yawned. "Is it my turn already?"
"Yeah, sorry. Anyway, I'm heading back to bed. The hourglass is on the doorstep. Just change shifts with Rinrin in an hour," Gaim instructed.
Gaim, Kanu, and Chouhi took turns standing guard the whole night, changing shifts every hour. This lasted up until morning.
Nagata, Kanu, and Chouhi sat at the dining table, appearing to be half-awake. Kanu hadn't even tied her hair this morning. Chouhi had some drool leaking from the mouth. As for Nagata, well, he had dark rings under his eyes. Shuri, Hoto, and Ryuubi were still in bed, able to enjoy a good night of sleep (lucky them).
'Mental note, try and find someone to invent coffee...' Nagata thought to himself.
"Here, you should drink this. It's a special herbal tea that is supposed to energize you in the morning," Suikyo served the three warriors their cups.
"Thank you," Nagata mumbled as he took a sip.
"You three look absolutely exhausted," frowned Suikyo.
"It's fine. It was our honor to protect you," Kanu smiled weakly.
"I'm...tired..." Chouhi snored in her half-awake state, wobbling in her seat. She grasped the cup and took a sip.
"Just keep drinking that until you're finished. You should be fine afterwards," assured Suikyo.
Nagata raised his cup again, "Kampai," and sipped on it.
"This is your fault Nagata-niichan," Chouhi mumbled.
"I absolutely thought that they might come after Suikyo again," Nagata justified.
"Clearly, you were wrong," Kanu added.
"Or maybe our presence dissuaded them," he countered. "We'll have to stick around a bit more until they make another move."
"But what will this mean for me?" Suikyo asked.
"Well, it'll be too dangerous for you to leave," Nagata answered with a frown, "At the same time we can't just keep you a prisoner in your own home. So...I was hoping that perhaps you and Hoto can come with us to Touka Village."
"You want me to live in your village?" Suikyo asked, surprised.
"For your own safety. That is, if you want," Nagata said. He could persuade her but he couldn't force her to come if she didn't want to. However, unless the RinJyuKen decided to give up, then her life was still in danger.
"I will consider it," Suikyo answered. "Anyway, today I was going to head out to pick some herbs but since I cannot leave, I can only send Shuri and Hinari-chan to pick them for me."
"I will go with them," Kanu volunteered, the drink energizing her.
Hoto was not in a very good mood since she was told that she would go pick herbs with Komei and not with Suikyo. Kanu would be escorting them, carrying her weapon. As for Chouhi, well, she was sleeping on the roof. Apparently, the drink Suikyo had made just wasn't enough.
Nagata yawned. He was still feeling a bit sleepy but not as bad as before. At least he wasn't completely exhausted.
Komei had tried, she really did, to make friends with Hoto. However, Suikyo's new student seemed to refuse her company, trying to avoid her as much as she could. Komei didn't understand. She was trying to be nice but Hoto seemed to reject her presence. Komei just thought that since they were both Suikyo's students that they could bond. However, Hoto didn't see things like that. In fact, she saw Komei as an intruder.
And then, quite suddenly and unprovoked, Hoto exploded.
"Why did you have to come back!?" Hoto screamed at Komei before running off.
"Wait, Hoto-chan!" Komei called after Hoto, giving chase. Hoto didn't listen and tripped. She wiped tears from her eyes. Everything was alright with just herself and Master Suikyo. It was like having her mother back! Just why did Komei have to come back and ruin that? Suikyo was giving all of her attention to Komei and it was making Hoto feel like she didn't matter anymore! Hoto picked herself up but then she gasped as she saw several Rinshi standing in front of her. Where had they come from? They looked at Hoto and one of them made a grab for her.
"No!" Komei took out her Himawari Lockseed and unlocked it. A small portal opened and a small Elementary Inves leaped out. Komei then locked the Lockseed, closed the portal, and ordered, "Protect Hoto-chan!" The Elementary Inves responded and it was pretty aggressive as it lunged for one of the Rinshi, clawing at them viciously before it moved onto another and another. It attacked them, one by one, as they tried to fight back.
Kanu, seeing the Rinshi preoccupied with the Elementary Inves, attacked them with her Dragon Crescent Blade. Meanwhile, Komei was checking on Hoto.
"Are you OK?" Komei asked.
"...Why?" Hoto wondered.
"Well, you're Master Suikyo's student and she's been like a mother to me like she has been to you. So, that makes us sisters," Komei smiled. She looked up to see that Kanu had finished off the Rinshi and the miniature Inves now had nothing to do. Komei then unlocked her Lockseed, opening the portal to send it away before closing the portal.
"I suggest we return. I believe that there is a crisis back at Suikyo-dono's home," Kanu stated.
Kanu's words were all but prophetic as indeed Nagata and the others were under attack. Suikyo's estate had been stormed not by a mob of Rinshi, but by one Rinrinshi adored with a snake-like head ornament and a blue sash wrapped around his torso and waist. Smashing the front doors down, he confidently strode in and stared down Nagata as he shielded the girls from the monster's gaze.
"Heh! I couldn't tell from a distance, but someone chewed you up pretty good, didn't they?" the Rinrinshi smirked, crossing his arms. "How about you live to see another day and hand over the teacher?"
"Oh, I don't think so dirtbag!" Nagata strapped on his SengokuDriver and unlocked his Orange Lockseed. "Henshin!"
[ORANGE!]
[LOCK ON!]
[SOIYA! ORANGE ARMS! HANAMICHI ON STAGE!]
The Orange Arms came down, forming Nagata's protective suit and transforming him into Kamen Rider Gaim. Shifting his shoulders, he pointed the Daidaimaru at the Rinrinshi, "Kamen Rider Gaim! Arriving on Stage!"
"Introductions now then? Fine! I am a student of the Ichigeki Hissatsu no Sogekishu, Braco-sama! Master of the DokuRinJyu Viperdae-Ken! Call me Hebidora! Jujin Jashin Hen!" the Rinrinshi declared as he transformed. He had the standard humanoid shape of a Rinrinshi Beastman with the snake's head on his torso. His entire body was covered in scales. On the back of his hands were snakeheads with the bodies coiled along his arms. His face had red eyes, scales all over it, and a mouth filled with sharp teeth. One may have expected a more prolific image, but Viperdae wasn't the name of a specific snake, but of a family of snakes. This made Gaim wonder if he had a broader range of abilities, unlike a more specific JyuKen.
"Suikyo-san, let me handle this!" Gaim told her as he gripped both his Musou Saber and Daidaimaru tightly in his hands. Suikyo nodded before she and the others headed towards one of the buildings where they could get out of the way of the fight.
Gaim and Hebidora circled around each other and then swiftly engaged in combat. Gaim swung his Musou Saber but Hebidora grabbed his arm before striking him several times in the chest with super fast jabs. He then followed up with a kick that sent Gaim staggering. Gaim retaliated with downward strokes but Hebidora slipped out of the way before moving behind Gaim to kick him in the back. 'He's fast!' realized Gaim.
The two continued to fight and Gaim was backed away into Suikyo's lab. Hebidora was fast, really fast. His strikes were so fast that Gaim wasn't able to counter and he was thrown backward, hitting a vase that tipped over and fell, shattering to pieces. Gaim's gaze moved to the broken pieces of the vase but then something got his attention.
"A Lockseed fruit?" Gaim asked as he reached over and picked it up. In a flash, it changed into a mature Lockseed with a mango on the front, like the one in Baron's possession.
"Heh, looks like you will fall, Armored War God!" boasted Hebidora. Gaim pushed himself back to his feet, using the Musou Saber as support.
"You sure about that?" asked Gaim as he unlocked the Mango Lockseed.
[MANGO!]
The Orange Arms vanished as Gaim replaced the Orange Lockseed with the Mango Lockseed just as the portal above opened to release the Mango Arms.
[LOCK ON!]
"Here I go!"
[SOIYA! MANGO ARMS! FIGHT OF HAMMER!]
Gaim was now clad in the same Mango Arms as Baron. It was not at all different but Gaim felt empowered. Now wielding the Mango Punisher, he might stand a chance.
"You think a costume change will make a difference!?" sneered Hebidora and he went on the attack. However, his strikes did nothing against the durability of the Mango Arms. Only sparks flew, much to his surprise. Gaim took advantage of his opponent's surprise and bashed him with the Mango Punisher, sending him flying. He then followed after Hebidora. It was time to take this fight outside.
"Suikyo-san, I apologize in advance for the mess!" shouted Gaim as he charged at Hebidora and tackled into him. They both smashed through the door and tumbled along the floor. Hebidora flipped back to his feet as Gaim adjusted his stance, gripping the Mango Punisher mace threateningly. Hebidora charged at him at full-speed but Gaim had seen his pattern of attack, figuring it out. He held out his Mango Punisher and Hebidora crashed face-first into the spiked head of the mace. The Rinrinishi went tumbling comically along the ground before hitting the wall.
Now that he wasn't getting pummeled, Gaim could begin seeing Hebidora's weaknesses. Because he focused on a snake family instead of a specific snake, he had broader abilities but didn't have any specific skills. At least, it seemed that way because Hebidora hadn't used any of his special techniques as of yet. Perhaps he was one of Braco's bottom rung students.
Turning, Gain walked towards the Beastman again, reaching to his Driver to go for a finishing blow. His arm was beginning to ache at the shoulder from where Duke had shot him previously. It was going to affect his ability to swing or even carry the Mango Punisher if he kept it up.
"Guh….Don't...don't get cocky with me!" Hebidora snarled, standing up. "DokuRinJyu Viperdae-Ken! Hiden Ringi!"
'Shit!' Gaim mentally cursed as he heard that.
"Hebikingu Chūdoku!" (Snake King Poisoning)
The snake face on Hebidora's chest hissed before extending from his body like a gargantuan serpent, venom dripping from its fangs as it aimed to strike at Gaim. The Armored War God cursed mentally again before he dove out of the way of the strike, letting the snake bite the wall, letting the toxic venom run from the holes. Having missed though, the giant snake pulled back and lunged for another strike. Gaim stood and swung the Mango Punisher, catching the snake in the head and knocking it aside, but it managed to get back up and go again, smashing into his torso and pinning him against Suikyo's lab, cracking the walls.
"GAAHHHH!" Gaim screamed, his chest wounds aggravated (putting it lightly) as his chest itself was compressed by the force of the strike even with the Mango Arms.
"Nagata-niichan!" Chouhi cried out. The other ladies gasped in fright at the sight of their friend/brother/protector being crushed by the large snake. Ryuubi fretted and looked around before finding a broom leaning on a wall. With her sword gone, she didn't have much of a choice as she picked up the household item and went running at the source of the snake, Hebidora himself.
"Hiyaaaaahhh!"
Bravely, Ryuubi came charging with a battle cry and started to hit the Rinrinshi repeatedly on the head with a broomstick. "Let him go! Let him go!" she screamed. The Rinrinshi, annoyed, snatched the broom from her hands and snapped it in half. He then grabbed Ryuubi by the throat and lifted her up.
"Ryuubi Gentoku..." Hebidora hissed. "You can join your Armored War God in Hell-AAAAHHHHH!"
Chouhi, unable to watch any longer, had grabbed her Viper Spear and pierced the neck of the giant snake. He released Ryuubi who dropped to the floor and hissed angrily at the child who had dared to injure him. The massive snake hissed and drew back, rearing back before Hebidora pulled the spear free and threw it away.
"Oh, you are going to wish you hadn't done that," Hebidora hissed, his snake extension hissing in agreement. "My poisonous Rinki is the combination of all the poisonous snakes in the world! You'll be begging for death by the time it finally comes for you!"
"Hey, Asshole!" Gaim lunged and stabbed the giant snake'a head, pinning it to the floor. He then reared back the Mango Punisher and at the same time struck the Cutting Blade.
[SOIYA! MANGO SQUASH!]
"OI-RYAAAAH!" The head of the Mango Punisher started to shine as Gaim swung with all his might. Hebidora couldn't move as his snake's head was pinned into the ground. Gripping the Mango Punisher which was glowing brightly, Gaim ran at Hebidora who was struggling to get the snake to move, but it was essentially dead. He was then bludgeoned violently by the Mango Punisher which smashed into his face, crushing his skull in the process. The force of the strike managed to knock Hebidora's head right off his shoulders in a blast of chopped mango squares. The end result was Hebidora's body collapsing on the floor before spontaneously combusting into purple flames, leaving only ash behind with his extended snake from his chest going up like a fuse.
"Well, that was anticlimactic," Gaim remarked as he closed his Lockseed. Once the armor was gone and the adrenaline rush faded, he fell to his knees in pain, "Ow...ow..." Hebidora had aggravated his wounds from his fight with Duke and he was hurting all over. "That probably reopened something...ow…"
"Gaim-sama!" Ryuubi gasped as she knelt down beside him. "Are you hurt?"
"A bit but I'll live," he grunted. He noted the bruising around Ryuubi's neck when Hebidora had tried to choke her. He gently caressed her neck in concern. Her neck was already bright red in the shape of Hebidora's hand and likely would bruise. "What about you?" She blushed a bit at the contact, noting how warm his hand was.
"Gaim-sama!" Kanu called as she entered the property with Komei and Hoto. Kanu froze as she saw Ryuubi and Nagata kneeling on the floor with the latter caressing the former's neck.
"What happened here?" Komei asked.
"Yes…" Kanu twitched. "What indeed?"
"Well...that's a long story," Nagata answered, unaware of his potential doom.
Both sides exchanged stories. Hoto, Komei, and Kanu had run afoul of a few Rinshi. Fortunately, thanks to Komei's quick thinking, her Lockseed and Kanu skill they managed to survive the encounter. As for Nagata, he told Kanu, Komei, and Hoto how a Rinrinshi had attacked Suikyo's house in hopes of kidnapping her. Nagata had gotten in the way and would've been killed if Ryuubi and Chouhi hadn't helped him by diverting the Rinrinshi's attention long enough so he could execute the finisher. Kanu noted the redness around Ryuubi's neck and knew the girl who had become her sworn older sister had put herself at risk to save her lover.
Still, one issue remained. Nagata had found a Lockseed fruit which had turned into the Mango Lockseed. How had Suikyo come to acquire it and why?
"Master Suikyo, where did you get this Lockseed fruit?" asked Komei. With the excitement over with, the group was able to clean up and begin questioning why Suikyo had the dangerous fruit on her property. They weren't near Go, which hadn't been exporting Lockseeds outside of their territory and Zangetsu was meticulous in knowing where all Lockseeds went. There was no way a smuggler could get it all out.
"I bought it in town one day when Hinari-chan and I were stocking supplies," Suikyo answered, looking down at the new Mango Lockseed. "The shop owner said a strange man sold it to him saying it was a delicious fruit from a foreign land. Many people wanted it, but the shopkeeper was charging a high amount of money for it, hoping to make a good profit. I was the only one who could afford it and so I did, thinking it was interesting."
"Weren't you tempted to eat it?" asked Nagata.
"Oh yes. The smell was delicious, but I knew from my training that delicious-looking plants are not always safe," Suikyo replied. "Bringing it back, I had begun testing it to see if it had any qualities which I could use in my medicine. Unfortunately, although much about the fruit had things I had never seen before, I was able to recognize bits and pieces that told me it was poisonous. So knowing the fruit was toxic, I placed it inside of that vase and sealed it, not wanting to be tempted or risk Hinari-chan trying to taste it. But I had no idea that it would change in your hands, Gaim-san."
"Well, it's a good thing you have it then," Nagata smiled. He was pretty impressed. Most people would be tempted to eat it straight away once they got their hands on a Lockseed fruit. However, Suikyo had been able to ignore the fruit's temptation. That took a strong will and a clear head. A doctor's logic and discipline weren't to be taken lightly it seemed.
"Ano…" Hoto spoke up. "Will you be taking it with you?"
Nagata scratched his head, but then winced when one of his aggravated wounds protested. "Nah, I got plenty of Lockseeds that can do much the same thing for me. I think you should keep it. It'll help you protect yourselves since the RinJyuKen seems interested in you."
"Ah!" Hoto smiled. Plucking the Lockseed off the table, she unlocked it, prompting a large portal to open above the table before a crimson-clad Lion Inves hopped out with a growl. "AH!"
"Hinari-chan! Don't drop it!" Komei warned her fellow student as Hoto stumbled back in surprise at such a large Inves.
"Relax, as long as you're holding the Lockseed, it won't hurt you," Nagata advised. True to his words, the Lion Inves seemed more content to hop off the table and begin exploring, much like a cat would when introduced to a new environment.
"Such a fascinating creature," Suikyo studied, utterly fascinated.
"Yeah, all Inves are but this species is a bit more aggressive, which is saying something since Inves are generally aggressive by nature," Nagata stated. "And don't leave the portal open too long. More Inves may try to follow or seeds will flow through and those things can grow just about anywhere."
"Can it understand me?" Hoto asked carefully.
"Yes, but it's only loyal as long as you keep your hands on your Lockseed. If you drop it we'll have this monster running amok and attacking pretty much everyone in sight," Nagata explained.
"Awawawa, okay!" Hoto nodded before clicking the Lockseed lock again, sending the Lion Inves back through the portal before it closed. "So, I can use this to protect myself and Master Suikyo."
"Yeah," Nagata nodded. "Oh, and one more thing. If you accidentally drop your Lockseed, pick it up before that Inves eats it."
"What happens if it eats the Lockseed?" Suikyo asked.
"You'll have a big problem," Nagata answered.
Eventually, the group needed to continue their journey back to Touka Village. Nagata had to stay a little longer to make sure he wasn't too injured to move. Once Suikyo had properly inspected him, she advised him to rest and let his wounds heal properly. With his lifestyle, though, he was bound to get injured again but he promised to take it easy.
At the gate, Komei and Hoto shared a hug. Nagata was a bit disappointed. Hoto, like Komei, would be destined to be a great strategist someday. However, she would need to finish learning everything she could from Suikyo. Perhaps, one day, Hoto would come to Touka Village with Suikyo.
KRC: Well, this chapter introduces Hoto. Next chapter, we'll return our focus to the Chou Sisters as they uncover something else about their new magic power. Ukitsu observes.
TFP: And we see that things aren't peaceful in Touka and the RinJyuKen aren't just laying back and doing nothing even if they are laying low.