Sangokuden no Gaim

by Vanishing Raptor

After stopping a thief in the museum with his two friends, Yamato Kusanagi found himself in a new world, where the major figures of the Three Kingdoms era are all beautiful girls. With his companions on his side and as the new Gaim, he seeks to unite the land bringing peace to ancient China and stopping Helheim Forest to Devour this world. Just Live More! Rated M just in case.

13. Assault of the En Clan

I don't own anything related to Kamen Rider Gaim or Kohime Musou. I only own my OCs and the plot of this fan fic.

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Chapter 13: Assault of the En Clan

Pairen didn't know how this could have happened. The day had started out fine and went on just as usual in the Ryousei Commandery when it suddenly rained flaming arrows.

Caught off guard by the sudden attack, the red-haired commander didn't have time to organize her troops when the En Clan's private army attacked her home. She was caught flat-footed and her army was torn apart. Not even the civilians who lived behind the safe walls of the commandery were spared by Enshou's men. All that was left of her army consisted of her, her personal white horse cavalry unit, and around five hundred soldiers. This was all that remained of of Pairen's once proud and quite powerful army. Not even all of them were capable of fighting as they had to protect the surviving civilians which mostly consisted of the elderly, women, and children. Against the might of the En Clan's 3,000 men, it was a hopeless situation.

"Looks like this is the end of the White Horse General," said a captain of En Clan's army mockingly. Pairen growled angrily as the captain continued, "Any last words, Kousonsan-dono?"

"You will pay for this…You and that bitch Enshou…!" Pairen snarled.

The captain had the gall to laugh at her. "Oh yeah, I'm going to pay for it alright. Enshou-sama will promote me as one of her officers for killing you." He then leered at her as if he was undressing her with his eyes. "You know, you're not too bad looking. Maybe I should I have some fun with you and some of the ladies before I kill you all. Not a bad deal, eh?"

Pairen clenched her fist tightly as the civilian women huddled closer to each other. "You sick bastard…!"

Suddenly, a large flower-shaped Crack opened and hundred of flower petals burst out, surprising the captain and Pairen. Then, Gaim leapt out on his Sakura Hurricane. With Daidaimaru held in his left hand, Gaim decapitated the not-so-good captain as he landed before he swerved around several meters from his landing point, his orange visor glaring coldly at the shell shocked En Clan's army.

"Yamato!" Pairen called out in relief upon seeing Gaim's armored form. With him here, there was a chance for her men to escape. She could care less about herself, the only thought in her mind was the welfare of her soldiers and the civilians.

"Sorry I'm late. I came here as fast as I could when I heard Ryousei was attacked," Gaim replied as he dismounted from his Sakura Hurricane.

"I-It's the Peerless Blue Swordsman Gaim!" said an En Clan soldier fearfully.

"You idiot! He is only one man and we have our army! There's no way we could lose to him!" scolded his immediate superior. As the captain had been killed, he was now in charge.

"Outnumbered doesn't mean outmatched," Gaim retorted coolly. "Pairen, get the civilians out of here."

"Are you going to face them by yourself!? That's crazy!" Pairen exclaimed incredulously.

"I just said that, didn't I? Now get the civilians to safety," Gaim spoke up.

It was then when Pairen understood what he meant. Her men couldn't fight Enshou's men and protect the civilians at the same time. That was why she was losing up until now. Gaim was giving her chance to fight back while at the same time protect the civilians.

There was a reason Gaim had come alone. First of all, it would take too long to mobilize the Shoku troops and by the time they got here, Pairen would've lost. It was much faster for Gaim to traverse through the Helheim Forest, which was the best shortcut for him.

"Soldiers of Enshou! I do not know why you decided to attack Kousonsan and frankly I do not care! Turn back and retreat! This is your only chance if you wish to be granted mercy and live to see tomorrow!" declared Gaim commandingly.

"Hah! As if you can defeat us by yourself!" mocked one of Enshou's men.

"Suit yourself then," Gaim sighed. He had given them their chance to retreat and they had declined. They were adamant to the end. He could respect that. What he could not respect was the unprovoked attack upon one of his allies. "Then come and dance with me on my stage right now!" he challenged as he entered his battle stance.

"Attack him! Anyone who can kill Kusanagi will be rewarded handsomely!"

"Pairen! Get the civilians out of here now!" Gaim ordered as he met the charge of Enshou's men head on.

"You heard what Yamato said! Get the civilians out of here now!" Pairen ordered her men as several soldiers separated to escort the survivors of Ryousei Commandery to safety, leaving with roughly 480 men. But with Gaim on her side, she knew she would get through this.

Gaim swiftly struck any En Clan soldiers he encountered as his Daidaimaru spilled bloods with each swing. A soldier tried to sneak behind him, but Gaim quickly pivoted on his feet and decapitated him along with several soldiers who were caught in the attack.

Several soldiers were now eyeing Gaim warily as he cut down their numbers with ease. Though he was one man, he was one of the Messengers of Heaven, an armored warrior of divine power. They began to question the wisdom of fighting him and the worth of risking their life so needlessly, but they had no choice. EIther die by Gaim's sword as a loyal soldier or be executed by Enshou for deserting the battle. They made their choice and charged at the Peerless Blue Swordsman.

Gaim, seeing a group of soldiers charging at him, quickly activated the finisher function of his Driver.

"SOIYA! ORANGE SQUASH!"

Gaim held the Daidaimaru in front of his face as it glowed with a fierce orange aura. He could see the desperation and resignation on the soldiers' faces. With a heavy heart, he slashed Daidaimaru at them and watched as the orange slice-shaped energy slash killed them.

Gaim then turned to the other commanding captain of the Enshou's army and called out, "Do you really want to continue this? You just want to keep sending your men to their deaths!"

The captain growled, "This is what Enshou-sama has ordered! We are all loyal to her and her alone! Her wish is our command!"

"Then forgive me for being an accessory to suicide…" Gaim whispered as he unlocked his Pine Lockseed. "May you serve a better lord in the next life."

"PINE!"

"LOCK ON!"

"SOIYA! PINE ARMS! FUNSAI DESTROY!"

"Come!" Gaim declared as he stretched the chain of the Pine Iron. "I'll grant you the honorable death in battle that only true warriors deserve!"

"Charge!" Enshou's men did as they ordered to, even if it meant they were heading for their death.

Gaim responded to their charge by throwing his Pine Iron and smashing it against the face of the nearest soldier, killing him. He then smashed his weapon against the armored torso of several soldiers before he swung the pineapple-shaped flail around to knock the soldiers away. A soldier attempted to stab him with his spear, but Gaim blocked it with his large shoulder armor. As the soldier recoiled from the parry, Gaim ended his life by smashing the Pine Iron into his face.

He saw several soldiers trying to surround him. Gaim wondered if these soldiers knew how futile it was to gang up on him like that. Gaim then tapped his Cutting Blade once to finish them off.

"SOIYA! PINE SQUASH!"

Gaim twirled his Pine Iron and smashed it down to the ground generating yellow shockwave. The resulting shockwave sent the En Clan soldiers flying through the air. He then twirled his weapon around and bashed them out of the air, killing them with blunt force trauma.

Several arrows pelted the Samurai-themed Rider from out of nowhere. He turned and saw several of the En Clan's archers firing at him while the others reloaded. While the arrows did nothing against his armor and couldn't even pierce his Ride Wear suit, they began to annoy him. Not only that, the archers were also firing at the soldiers who were escorting the civilians to safety.

Gaim could accept many things, but involving helpless people like civilians in a battle was crossing the line.

"Don't involve them in this!" Gaim yelled as he swapped his Pine Lockseed with the Ichigo Lockseed.

"ICHIGO!"

"LOCK ON!"

"SOIYA! ICHIGO ARMS! SHUSHUTTO SPARK!"

Now clad in his much faster Ichigo Arms, Gaim dashed toward the archers with the maximum speed of his Ichigo Arms. Startled, some of the archers aimed at the red blur coming at them, only to have the Ichigo Kunai lodged between their eyes and before they exploded messily. He darted left and right as he slit their throats. Some of the soldiers tried to stop him, only for Ichigo Kunai to explode against their armor and killing them. The archers fired at Gaim, but he avoided them all before he unsheathed his Musou Saber and struck down the archers one by one.

It didn't really matter if they outnumbered Shoku's king. They were completely outmatched. Instead of a battle, it was a one-sided slaughter.

The remnant of Pairen's army, on the other hand, had their morale boosted as they witnessed the En Clan's soldiers falling one by one. The word divine retribution never felt so right before.

Pairen struck down another soldier before she had her horse kick two other to their oblivion. The red-haired commander wanted revenge after Enshou's men killed hers and thanks to Gaim, she had her chance now. She might not be able to get Enshou, but killing her men was just as good.

"Stop Gaim! Take him down first before killing Kousonsan!" an En Clan soldier yelled. Seeing their numbers dwindling down just because of one man was a sure way to get their morale to drop severely.

Several soldiers charged at Gaim, but the Sengoku Rider had other ideas.

"SOIYA! ICHIGO AU LAIT!"

Gaim threw three Ichigo Kunai and they combined to form a three-pointed shuriken. It glowed bright red as he hurled it at the enemy soldiers. It spun so fast that it resembled a glowing red disk. The now dubbed Ichigo Shuriken decapitated soldiers as it buzzed in the air before it spun faster and separated back into three Ichigo Kunai which lodged into the ground before detonating spectacularly and killing many of Enshou's men.

Not finished with them just yet, Gaim locked the Ichigo Lockseed into the Musou Saber to activate the Charge finisher function.

"LOCK ON! 1, 10 100!"

"HAH!" Gaim swung his sword several times, launching several giant Ichigo Kunai projections into the air.

"ICHIGO CHARGE!"

The projections then morphed into giant strawberries which promptly burst into hundreds of Ichigo Kunai which rained down explosively on Enshou's men.

Gaim had thinned their numbers greatly but these men weren't going to flee unless given the right incentive. He would probably need to bring in the big guns. It was overkill, for sure, but some idiots were never going to get the hint until they had reality slapped hard into their faces.

"SUIKA!"

"LOCK ON!"

"SOIYA! SUIKA ARMS! ODAMA BIG BANG!"

The Suika Arms Armor Part landed on Gaim and he configured it into its armored mecha form.

"YOROI MODE!"

"This is where this dance ends!" shouted Gaim as he attacked the En Clan soldiers.

The thrusters on his shoulder armor flared as Gaim drove his armor to bulldoze through the ranks of Enshou's soldiers. They gawked at the sight of the gigantic armor, which was the last thing they saw before they were sent flying to their oblivion. Gaim swung his Suika Soujintou and cleaved several soldier in one sweep before punched through several heavy infantries. Several archers were desperately firing at his armored form, but their arrows bounced off. Gaim frowned at their stupidity and fired his seed vulcan gun at them, killing the rest of the archers.

Several soldiers charged at Gaim only for the Sengoku Rider to flare his thrusters and lift him into the air before he reconfigured his armor.

"OODAMA MODE!"

The large wrecking ball landed with a loud crash and squashed flat several soldiers who were stupid enough to gawk under several hundred kilograms of giant metal watermelon. Gaim then wasted no time to literally roll over Enshou's men who had finally caught up with reality and decided to flee as far and as fast as possible. Loyalty be damned! They weren't paid enough to fight against this monster!

Gaim rolled his armor through Enshou's remaining men who were still trying to fight back despite the sheer impossibility they faced. Soldiers were squashed underneath the massive girth of Suika Arms' Oodama Mode before it shifted back to its Yoroi Mode as Gaim decided to end the pointless battle.

"YOROI MODE!"

"SOIYA! SUIKA AU LAIT!"

The Suika Soujintou glowed with a pinkish red aura as Gaim twirled it above his head. He then slashed the energized weapon widely, firing a massive energy arc that caught Enshou's soldiers and killed them.

Gaim looked at the devastation he created. He had killed most, if not all, of Enshou's men with his finishers. The remnants of Pairen's army looked at the colossal armored form of his Suika Arms in awe. Sure they had seen in him in battle before such as their first battle together against the Yellow Turbans and the battles as a member of the Anti-Toutaku Alliance, but in this battle it was completely different. It was like they were witnessing a war god's divine wrath being brought down upon their enemies.

An Azure War God, to be more exact.

Seeing his job done, Gaim closed his Suika Lockseed. In the midst of orange sparkles, Yamato landed on the ground before he made his way toward Pairen. The red-haired commander got off her horse and walked up to him.

"Yamato! Are you alright?" Pairen asked as he approached.

"I'm the one who should be asking you that," smiled Yamato in response. He then looked at what remained of her once proud army and frowned. "Are they the only ones left?"

"...Yes," she answered mournfully. She now only had around a little more than five hundred men under her command. It was a sad thing as she once had enough soldiers to be listed as a considerable force. Not to mention, the civilians that lost their lives in the surprise attack.

Yamato closed his eyes and sighed. Enshou might be an idiot, but an idiot might get lucky once in a while. Not only had she captured one of his outposts in the border, but she had also almost wiped off Pairen's troops and nearly killed her. It was a sign that Enshou might be stupid, but she wasn't one to be underestimated.

Yamato heard a cracking noise from where the bodies of Enshou's men lay followed by a startled gasp. Frowning, he made his way over and found one of Enshou's soldiers still alive. The lone surviving soldier was utterly terrified as he walked over to him. The man screamed and tried to swing his spear at him, but Yamato caught it by its shaft and tore it free from his grip.

Yamato knelt down and gripped his collar as he spoke, coldly. The man's trembling ceased as his skin turned white. It was like being in the presence of a malevolent blade as its edge was pressed against his throat, just an inch from severing it.

"Go back to Enshou and tell her what you saw. Tell her that Kosonsan is under my protection," Yamato spoke simply, releasing him. The soldier screamed and fled from Yamato as he watched him go. No doubt, he would bring his message to Enshou.

Pairen walked up to him and watched the single survivor flee into the distance as if the devil was on his tail. "Is it wise to let that man go?" she asked.

"We need to relay a message to Enshou. I will fulfill what I said back then during the Anti-Toutaku Alliance," answered Yamato.

Pairen nodded before she looked at the smoking ruins of what was once her home. Her fists clenched tightly at the reminder of Enshou's betrayal. They were allies once, but she attacked her just because Pairen was also an ally to Yamato. Somehow by the weird logic inside Enshou's head, Pairen was now an enemy because she was allied to her enemy. Reasonable, but very petty from another perspective.

Yamato saw Pairen was staring at the ruins of Ryousei Commandery, her amber eyes shone with anger, regret, and sadness. "I'm sorry I didn't make it on time to save your home."

"...It's alright. I-I'm just…" she tried to say something but choked on her sobs. Yamato placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. "...The day had started great too, b-but now…"

"We'll make Enshou pay for her crimes. I swear on my honor," the ruler of of Shoku spoke determinedly.

"...I know you will," Pairen chuckled weakly. "Yamato, I know this sounds a little sudden…"

"Yeah, you and your men can come with me to Xizang. You can even join my court as an officer," Yamato finished for her.

Pairen nodded before she gave one last look to her former home before turning to Yamato. "Can you have your men clean up the Ryousei Commandery? I want to do it myself, but we don't have time and my men are already completely drained from today."

Yamato nodded. "I already sent some of my men before I came here to act as relieve squad. They would be arriving later to clean up and bury the bodies."

Pairen nodded once again before she, the civilians and the remnants of her army followed Yamato to Xizang, their new home. But they would never forget what happened to their old home.

That spoiled bratty bitch Enshou had a lot to answer for.

---

Enshou was waiting for reports of victory with great anticipation. Flanking her were Bunshu and Ganryou, neither looking happy at the arrangement. Not too long ago, they were allies with Pairen. Now Enshou had just launched an unprovoked attack on the redhead. It was quite a petty tantrum on her part just because Pairen was allied to Kusanagi which made her an enemy in the blonde warlord's eyes.

"Come now, Bunshuu-san, Ganryou-san. What's with the long faces?" asked Enshou jovially.

Bunshuu just grunted and looked away from Enshou while Ganryou spoke with controlled voice, "Neither of us is happy with what you're doing, Enshou-sama."

"Bah, you will be happy soon enough once we've conquered Shoku," Enshou replied dismissively.

"Yeah right. We've just signed our death warrants," said Bunshuu bitterly. As carefree as Bunshuu was, even her could tell that invading Shoku was a bad idea.

"Must you be so negative, Bunshuu-san? We took down an outpost and claimed it as ours," replied Enshou before she smiled confidently. "This must be the sign from the Gods in Heaven of my imminent victory! It must be!"

"Right, it is…" remarked Bunshuu sarcastically while Ganryou sighed.

"Look, Enshou-sama. I get that you are happy about that, but you have to realize that we are extremely lucky with the outpost because it was undermanned and we took it by surprise. There is no way that Yamato-sama is going to let that happen again."

"Hmph, what can that commoner do?" Enshou's dismissive reply was answered by a biting remark from Bunshuu.

"How about using his head to think rationally and listening to his men?"

Meanwhile, Sasuke and Keiichi watched as Enshou and her vassals argued. Ukitsu had assigned these two to accompany Enshou and assist in her conquest of Shoku.

"Hey, man," Sasuke spoke to Keiichi.

"What is it this time?" his bespectacled friend asked. Sasuke had bothered him with redundant questions and remarks every 10 minutes or so. It began to grate on his nerve. The black-haired delinquent might be his friend, but sometimes Keiichi wished his partner in crime was more patient.

"Why are we working for this blonde bimbo again?" Sasuke asked.

"Because Ukitsu-kun told us to," Keiichi replied.

"Yeah, I know she's hot and all, but she isn't exactly right in the head," argued the hotheaded delinquent. Enshou was definitely a looker in Sasuke's eyes, but her personality was a major turn-off for many. She was arrogant, stupid, prideful, and had the worst personality ever for a ruler. Still a hottie looker though, and very rich too. Sasuke could think of several ways to take advantage of her.

He might be hotheaded and the brawn of the nuts duo (he needed to call himself and Keiichi a better name by the way), but he could come up with plans of his own despite only having a fifty-fifty chance of success.

"Did you even pay attention when Ukitsu-kun was explaining the plan?" his calmer friend sighed.

"I kinda tuned him out after he said we would get to fight Kusanagi and his friends," replied Sasuke sheepishly.

"And this is why you're called a 'mook'," Keiichi deadpanned.

A vein throbbed dangerously on Sasuke's forehead as he snapped at Keiichi, "Don't call me a mook, you nerd!"

A scout which Enshou had sent earlier finally returned together with the lone survivor of Gaim's wrath. Said survivor looked ready to pass out any moment now.

"E-Enshou-sama! I-It's terrible!" the scout reported after he knelt. The lone survivor fell on all fours as he gasped for air.

"What? What is it?" asked Enshou impatiently.

"T-The attack force you sent to Ryousei...T-They…"

"Say it clearly, you fool! What happened to them!?" Enshou demanded.

"T-They were annihilated!" The scout's report shocked everyone present, the nuts duo included.

"That's impossible! Are you telling me that all average Kousonsan somehow defeated my attack force of 3,000 men!?"

"I-It was not her," the soldier spoke up, his face filled with horror and dread as he recalled the one-sided battle against Gaim. "I-I it was the Peerless Blue Swordsman Gaim! He annihilated us all!"

"SAY WHAT!?" Enshou shrieked as Ganryou and Bunshuu paled. Sasuke looked interested while Keiichi gulped nervously.

"H-He came out of nowhere from that portal and killed Captain Ganshoku before he...he…"

"What did he do?! What did Kusanagi do!?" Enshou demanded impatiently with her ire rising ever so slightly.

"H-He destroyed us by himself! He switched between his armors around a-and proceeded to destroy us all! E-Even if we outnumbered him, i-it was useless! T-There was nothing we could do to stop him! W-We were completely outmatched!"

"Then why are you here!? Don't tell me you ran away?" Enshou asked with narrowed eyes before she unsheathed her sword and pointed it at the poor soldier. "A soldier of the En Clan never runs away from battle!"

"P-Please, Enshou-sama!" the soldier pleaded as he paled rapidly. "K-Kusanagi-sama spared me and sent me as a messenger!"

"What did he say!?"

"H-He said to tell you everything and K-Kousonsan-dono is now under his protection!"

Enshou growled furiously. Every time, Kusanagi always got in her way and insulted her. She had enough of him upstaging her again and again.

"Fine then! We will make our way to Xizang! We're going to kill Kusanagi and raze his capital to the ground! I will teach him a lesson about underestimating me!" Enshou ordered to her men.

"Reiha-sama, are you sure about this?" asked Bunshuu, uncharacteristically nervous.

"Yamato-sama might be not as merciful as the last time," added Ganryou, equally nervous as Bunshuu was.

"Why are you two so worried? We will be alright, Bunshuu-san, Ganryou-san," assured Enshou with haughty smirk. She then turned to Sasuke and Keiichi. "Besides, we have some useful help here, correct?"

"Please leave it to us, Enshou-sama," smirked Keiichi as he pushed his glasses.

"Heh! I'm going to enjoy this so much!" Sasuke punched his open palm in excitement. He then reached for his pocket and pulled out a Lockseed. An Energy Lockseed to be more precise. It had semi-translucent blue body like all Energy Lockseed with the image of a pinecone with the code ELS-05 written on it.

Enshou smirked as she hollered out her order confidently. "Move out! March to victory!"

---

The refugees of Ryousei Commandery finally reached Xizang and the first thing they did was have their wounds being treated by Kada and the other medics of Shoku. Pairen herself had a clean bill of health, but was advised to get some rest because she wasn't only physically exhausted, but mentally as well. Right now, she was inside the throne chamber along with Yamato and the other Shoku generals to discuss their plan to deal with Enshou. The redhead noticed someone was missing from Shoku's court.

"Where is Kan'u-san?" she asked.

"Aisha is still resting after she got wounded from our patrol yesterday," answered Yamato with a sigh. "She was poisoned and is still recovering from the ordeal."

Pairen nodded, accepting his answer. Still, it felt like something was missing without Aisha's presence.

Touka then pulled her friend into a hug. "I'm so relieved to see you safe, Pairen-chan! I was so worried when I heard you were attacked. But you're alright now!"

"Yeah, I'm so glad that Yamato came in time to save me," said a relieved Pairen.

"No fair!" Rinrin pouted. "Onii-chan took all the action!"

"I'm sorry, Rinrin. I just couldn't wait when Pairen was in danger," Yamato told her, patting her back to placate the battle loving girl.

"He came without warning, like a bolt of lightning," Pairen described. "And then he saved my men and my citizens by himself."

"That's just like Yamato-sama, to leap into danger when others are in need of his help," Touka agreed.

"Though, now we need to get ready to defend ourselves," Yamato spoke seriously.

"Why's that, Yamato-sama?" Touka asked.

"I let one of Enshou's men live to deliver a message. No doubt she now knows I saved Pairen. I've only known her for a short time, but I have a feeling she'll consider this as a personal insult and come and attack us next," Yamato spoke logically. "That is why we need to get our men ready to defend the capital before Enshou's forces arrive." He then addressed Shuri and Hinari, "Shuri, Hinari, you both devise a strategy to take advantage of Enshou's personality flaws."

"We knows she's arrogant and prideful, but she's also a coward who doesn't like to get her hands dirty. So, she'll no doubt position herself someplace close by to hear reports of her victory while being at a safe distance from the battle," Shuri started after a moment of contemplation.

"She's not a true tactician and her vassals are only slightly smarter than she is. However, she must be doing something right to earn such loyalty," added Hinari.

"She does reward those who serve her faithfully. That does help with her charm and charisma," Shuri suggested.

"So, arrogant and stupid," Yamato summarised. "Rich too. Reminds me of some of the bullies and snobs from my home."

"The best way to deal with Enshou is to get near her without being spotted," Hinari recommended.

"How about you use that trick that you used to get to me in time?" Pairen asked.

"I'll need Enshou's exact position," Yamato responded. "I hate doing something so underhanded, but war isn't always honorable or clean. The winners are usually the ones willing to get their hands the most dirty."

"But it makes little sense," spoke Touka.

"What do you mean?" Yamato asked.

"Enshou herself has witnessed your power on the battlefield. Not even an army is a challenge for you. So, why risk it all to attack when she knows she might lose?" Touka asked.

"She's just that stupid," Pairen reminded.

"No, Touka's right," Yamato agreed, considering the rosette's words as his brows furrowed thoughtfully. "She might not be very competent, but I doubt she's that stupid. Nobody can be that stupid. She must have some kind of support or secret weapon that has given her the confidence. A guarantee to victory, at least in her eyes anyway."

Everyone was silent in contemplation before a light bulb flashed in Nenene's mind. "I know! Let's surprise Enshou before she uses her surprise on us!"

Shuri hummed thoughtfully at Nenene's suggestion. "What Nenene-san suggests is reasonable. By catching her by surprise, we can ruin her momentum and her timing to unleash her secret weapon on us."

"Then we will have to intercept her. Anyone have any idea on how much time we have?" Yamato asked.

"If we are going to lay a trap for Enshou's army, considering the route they will take after taking down our outpost and Ryousei, it's best if we do it here," said Hinari as she pointed on a location on the map. "We have about three days to prepare our ambush in this place."

"If my memories serve me right, there is a shallow canyon with a small forest nearby. A perfect place to set an ambush," nodded Pairen.

"But what if Enshou doesn't take that route?" Miyabi pointed out rationally.

Yamato shook his head. "Remember, Enshou is impatient and brash so she would likely make her way here as fast as possible. Her pride won't allow me to get away with insulting her for too long."

Pairen snorted in unlady-like manner. "That sounds like her alright."

"Is there anything else anyone wants to add?" No one said anything to Yamato's inquiry. "If that's all, then let's adjourn this meeting. Get the troops ready and let's set our trap."

---

Once the meeting was adjourned, Yamato made his way to Aisha's room. He promised to see her when he was finished with helping Ryousei's refugees and discussing their next plan.

"So, I heard you saved Pairen-dono," spoke Aisha as he sat next to her.

"Yeah, but now I'm going to send our men into another war," Yamato replied. "Sorry."

"Do not apologize for doing the right thing, Yamato-sama," Aisha assured him. "If there is anyone at fault here, it is Enshou."

"And that's why we will teach her a lesson she won't forget."

"I know you will," Aisha smiled lovingly at him as she took his hands in hers and squeezed them gently. "I just wish I could accompany you in the next battle. I want to give Enshou a piece of my mind for her childish actions."

"How about I give it to her for you?" Yamato offered, which earned a giggle from Aisha.

"That would be much appreciated. Thank you, Yamato-sama."

Yamato smiled at his girlfriend, he still need sometime to get used to calling Aisha that but he liked it. Despite being a peerless warrior of her own class, Aisha still had a feminine side that he found quite endearing. He liked it and wanted to see it more in the future as they spent more time together in the future.

The couple then heard a knock at the door and Pairen's voice was heard from behind.

"Excuse me. Is Yamato there?" she asked.

"I'm here, Pairen. Come in," Yamato answered.

The redhead then entered the room and saw Yamato and Aisha's joined hands. "Oh, so you two are together now? Congratulations."

"Thank you," Yamato smiled while Aisha's cheeks flushed red. She was still embarrassed when showing her more affectionate side to people other than Yamato or showing it to Yamato in front of anybody else. "So what brings you here, Pairen?"

Her face turned more serious. "Some girls from the Ba Clan just arrived and are looking for you. They say they have something important to say.

"The Ba Clan? As in Bachou Mouki's family?" inquired Aisha curiously. "I wonder what happened."

"It must be something quite serious to make them come all this way to see me personally," replied Yamato.

"That's what I can gather from the looks on their faces," nodded Pairen, frowning.

Sighing, Yamato stood up from his chair. "Well, I better go and see what they have to say to me." He then kissed Aisha's cheeks softly as he said, "I'm very sorry to cut our meeting short like this again, Aisha."

"That is alright, Yamato-sama. Duty comes before pleasure," Aisha assured.

"I still feel a little guilty, though." An idea then came to his mind. "Say, how about I take you on a date once you've recovered?"

"A-A date?" Aisha echoed, squeaking as her cheeks reddened.

"Yeah, to celebrate your recovery and to make up for our...rendezvous that was cut short," Yamato replied, blushing a little.

Aisha blushed prettily and replied, "Y-Yes, I would like that."

"Please look forward to it, Aisha," smiled Yamato before turning to Pairen. "Lead the way, Pairen."

---

When Yamato reached the throne chamber, he saw Bachou was there along with his generals. Accompanying her were three girls who shared a resemblance to her.

"Hello, Bachou-san. It has been a while, hasn't it?" Yamato greeted with a smile. "I see you brought along some company."

"Ah, Yamato-sama! Y-Yes, it has been a while," Bachou bowed as she greeted him, her companions following her. "Allow me to introduce my sisters and cousin."

"Hello~, I am Batetsu, the youngest." She was dressed in a pink version of Bacho's outfit and had wavier hair compared to her eldest sister. Her hair was strawberry blonde and put up in a ponytail. She was also much bustier in comparison. She also wore a cravat.

"Please call me Bakyuu," the other sister introduced. She was slender, wearing a sky blue version of Bacho's outfit and with a red necktie. She also had straight long hair tied into a ponytail at the base of her skull with a long ahoge on top. "Sui-oneesama, who is this?"

"Mou, didn't you hear what Sui-neechan said, Ruo-neechan? This man is Yamato Kusanagi, the King of Shoku!" protested the youngest one. She was dressed in orange version of Bachou's outfit with blue necktie. Her brown hair was done into an off-side ponytail. Despite her young age, she was quite gifted in the chest department. She then turned to Yamato and waved cheerily, "Hiya, Yamato-sama! My name is Batai, Sui-neechan's cousin. It's good to finally meet you."

"Tanpopo!" Bachou and Bakyuu scolded her before the latter bowed apologetically. "My apologies, Yamato-sama. I didn't know…"

"It's alright," Yamato waved off her apology. "You must have only heard of me from the rumors and what Bachou-san told you."

"Wow, you're pretty laid back for a leader," Batai remarked.

Bachou looked like she was going to scold her, but Yamato chuckled at her remark. "It's alright, I don't mind if any of you are informal with me." He then sat on his throne. "So, what I can do for you today? Pairen said that you have something urgent to tell me."

Immediately the Ba sisters looked down gloomily, even the ever cheerful looking Batetsu and Batai.

"Is something wrong?" Yamato asked. "I was wondering why you came all this way here."

"Otou-sama…" Batou spoke up with shaky tone. "He...He is dead...Sousou killed him…"

Immediately, everyone's eyes widened in surprise when they heard that.

"W-What?! B-But how…? Why…?" gasped Touka in disbelief. "...Sousou-san...Did she really do that?"

Yamato closed his eyes. He didn't expect this to happen, well not this soon anyway. He did know from the history of his world that Sousou killed Batou during the campaign to enlarge Gi's territory and this event was what made Bachou join Shoku in the first place.

When she came here a week ago during the Chou Sisters' concert, Sousou didn't give any indication that she would attack Ryoushou any time soon. Or she did have a good poker face to mask her intention.

"Tell me, when did this happen? How did this happen?" Yamato asked to Bachou as he opened his eyes. His steely gray orbs masked the weariness he felt.

"It happened two nights ago. Sousou...she suddenly attacked Ryoushou and we had a little time to organize our defenses and fought back. Otou-sama went ahead to stop Sousou...I tried to help him, but…" Here Bachou paused as she choked back a sob that threatened to escape. "H-He told me to get my sisters and cousin away from there. It was his last wish that any survivors of our family join Shoku as your generals. I-I only managed to get my sisters and cousin while the rest of our clan were scattered across China or killed…"

Everyone was silent after they listened to Bachou's tale.

"B-But why haven't we heard anything about Sou Gi's attack on Ryoushou?" asked Shuri after a moment of contemplation.

"This is the first time I heard about Ryoushou falling to Sou Gi either," Pairen added.

"Hee~h?! No way! Everyone should have known about that!" Batetsu whined.

"Even if it would take some time to spread the news, something as big as this should have spread fast!" Bakyuu added.

"Sousou-dono must have done an information control so Ryoushou's fall will not be known until later. Most likely to isolate Ryoushou from its allies," Hinari supplied before she glanced at her lord.

Yamato was silent as Bachou told her story, processing her words with a lowered head so his bangs covered his eyes. His senior generals didn't need to guess what was on his mind right now. There was one person on his mind right now, his oldest friend who had sworn his allegiance to the empress of Sou Gi.

"Shun..." Yamato whispered. He then looked at Bachou and her sisters. "Tell me, was Baron there?"

"Baron? You mean that armored red warrior?" Bakyuu inquired before her fists clenched in anger. "Yeah, he was there. He, along with the Blind Kakou and those three girls massacred many of our clansmen. In fact he was the reason why most of our family is dead."

"I still remember how easy it was for him to kill everyone. With one swing of his spear and hammer, he killed so many of our clansmen," Batetsu hugged herself as her body shivered. "He's not just the Unmatched Red Knight anymore, he's the Crimson Bloody Knight. It was so scary…"

The senior officers of Shoku now looked at Yamato worriedly, knowing the news that Baron was responsible for the death of many Ba Clan members would hang heavily on his mind.

Bachou, recalling who Baron was to Yamato, hurriedly added, "A-Actually, Baron-dono asked us to surrender beforehand, but not many of our clansmen complied so…"

"Sui-oneesama! How can you defend that murderer!?" Bakyuu protested.

"Well...He did say that, like, he wasn't really looking forward to what he would have to do next," Batai concurred with Bachou.

"But he still killed so many of our clansmen!" argued the middle Ba sister hotly.

"So, not even Shun could dissuade Sousou..." whispered Yamato. It made sense why Sousou would launch her campaign so early. With Baron's might, she would have more than enough power to wipe out any opposition.

At this rate, it wouldn't be long before he and his longtime friend met on the battlefield, but this time on opposing sides.

Sighing, Yamato put the issue with Shun and Sousou aside before focusing on Bachou, her sisters, and cousin. "So, Batou-dono's last wish was for the survivors of Ba Clan to join me, right?"

Bachou nodded before she, her sisters, and cousin bowed to the ruler of Shoku deeply. "Please! Allow us to join you like my father wanted us to!"

"Please allow us to join you!" Bakyuu, Batetsu, and Batai echoed for their older sister.

Yamato regarded them silently for a moment before he spoke, "Very well. You may join my court as officers." Bachou, her sisters, and Batai looked happy at his acceptance, but Yamato raised a hand before they could express their gratitude. "But with one condition, all of you will have to eventually let go of your vengeance and hatred toward Sousou-dono and Sou Gi."

"W-What!?" replied the survivors of Ba Clan in surprise.

"B-But Yamato-sama! Sousou...She's the one who killed my father and the one who ordered your friend Baron to kill our clansmen!" Bachou retorted, much to Bakyuu's shock.

"That murderer is your friend!?"

"Ruo!" Bachou chided her sister who looked away. She then turned to Yamato, "I can understand if you want me to let go of my hatred toward Baron, but Sousou is different! It's because of her greed that we lost our home! It's because of her ambition that most of my family has been scattered or killed!"

"Let me put it this way, Bachou-san," Yamato replied as his steel gray eyes bored into Bachou's purple eyes. It was then when she realized how weary they were. "You kill someone because that person killed someone you know. Then another person kills you because you killed someone they know. Is that really the way to attain peace?"

"T-That's…" Bachou offered no answer to Yamato's question, nor did her sisters and Batai. What he said struck true to their hearts. Even if they managed to kill those who were responsible for destroying their clan, what would stop those loyal to Sousou from killing them?

Yamato stood up before he walked over to Bachou and placed his hands on her shoulders, meeting her confused violet orbs with his unexpectedly kind and understanding gray eyes. "I know it's a hard thing to do, but if it isn't us, who else would end that vicious cycle?"

"Yamato-sama…" Bachou whispered reverently as she stared at Yamato with wide eyes. She then sighed before she smiled weakly. "I don't know if I would be able to do as you say, but I'm willing to give it a try."

"That's all I want to hear for now," Yamato replied before he turned to Bachou's sisters and cousin. "What about you three? Do you accept my condition?"

Bakyuu sighed. "If Sui-Oneesama decides to accept your condition, then I have no choice but to follow. My spear is yours to wield, Yamato-sama."

"Wow, you're so amazing, Yamato-sama! You're our age, yet so wise~!" Batetsu clapped her hands excitedly and smiled. "It will be a great honor to serve you."

"And you're strong and handsome too! No wonder Sui-neechan always talked about you so much after she returned from the Anti-Toutaku Alliance!" Tanpopo grinned.

Yamato blinked curiously and looked at Bachou who blushed and appeared to be panicking for some reason. "Really? You talked about me?"

"A-Ah! T-That's…! U-Uh, y-you see…" Bachou stammered out incoherently.

Batai grinned mischievously before she added. "Why, Sui-neechan must've-"

Whatever the youngest Ba Clan survivor was going to say was interrupted when Bachou shrieked in panic and covered her mouth before she could finish. The eldest of the Ba sisters turned to Yamato and smiled awkwardly.

"A-Ahahaha! P-Please ignore what the midget says! S-She doesn't know what she's saying!"

Yamato turned to Touka and Pairen who offered him an uneasy smile and a shrug before addressing the survivors of Ryoushou. "I'm looking forward to working together with all of you."

"I'm looking forward to working together with you too, Yamato-sama," replied Bachou after she released Batai's mouth who gasped for deep breaths. "Please call me by my true name, Sui."

"You can call me Ruo, Yamato-sama," said Bakyuu.

"And you can call me Sou! Please take care of me~!" Batetsu said as she bowed.

"My true name is Tanpopo! We're going to have a lot of fun together. I'm sure of it!" Batai grinned.

Yamato smiled at his new comrades. He then said, "Alright everyone, let's prepare ourselves for our upcoming battle against Enshou and make her sorry for ever thinking she can just attack us and get away with! She has her secret weapon and we have our own! With our new allies, we will succeed AND win!"

Everyone present in the throne chamber let out their cheers of approval, even Sui, Ruo, Sou, and Tanpopo. This was their chance to show that Yamato wasn't mistaken by taking them in as his officers. They would present victory for him. It was their first task as the newest officers of Shoku.

---

"Alright, let's think. What exactly would make Enshou confident enough to attack us?" Yamato asked. He had gathered everyone in the meeting room to discuss their strategy against Enshou.

"Maybe she has found some kind of secret weapon, like you suggested before Yamato-sama," suggested Shuri.

"That is one, but what could it be?"

"A giant dragon!" exclaimed Rinrin. Everyone stared at the redhead. Yamato, however, took in her words and mulled over them.

"Inves," Yamato muttered. Technically, Rinrin was right. Just look at the Evolved State Seiryuu Inves.

"What is it, Yamato-sama?" asked Touka.

"Enshou has witnessed the power of Inves for herself. It's possible she could've gotten Lockseeds the same way as Nenene did," Yamato spoke. The green-haired girl grimaced at the reminder.

A thought then passed her mind and she voiced it out, "So the White Clothes are also involved?"

"It's a possibility that we can't rule out."

Everyone in the room grimaced at Yamato's answer to Nenene's inquiry. If those mysterious White Clothes were also involved, then it would make things even more complicated than they should be.

"That is bad," Touka frowned thoughtfully.

"Onii-chan can beat any of those nasty monsters!" claimed Rinrin.

"Maybe, but even I can't fight that many on my own," Yamato frowned. Well, there were Suika and Jimber Lemon Arms which could, theoretically, defeat them with ease, but they should be saved as a last resort. His Suika Lockseed still needed time to recharge since the last time he used it. "Still, she had seen us defeat the Inves, so what else could be there?"

"What about those other Riders?" Hinari questioned.

"Bravo, Kurokage and Gridon?" Yamato supplied. He had fought Bravo, and doubt he would work with Enshou. Kurokage and Gridon, however, might be more open to the idea. And then there was Ukitsu and Saji. What exactly were they planning with the Crucial Keys?

"It would make some sense, Yamato-sama. You said it yourself, only an Armored Rider can fight another Armored Rider," Nenene agreed. Not even Ren was a match for Yamato in his armor.

To be fair, everyone had regarded the king of Shoku as the strongest and the most skilled amongst the other Riders so far.

"True enough," Yamato nodded. Gridon and Kurokage, if they worked together, could take him on. Fortunately, he had Jimber Arms to fall back on. "Anyway, I was thinking we should booby trap the path Enshou would take to reach us."

"That is a brilliant idea, Yamato-sama," agreed Hinari. "If we use booby traps, we could cause Enshou's army to fall into disarray."

"What do you have in mind?" Shuri questioned.

Yamato smirked sinisterly as his tactical mind came into play. Enshou would not know what hit her.

---

Scouts managed to report that Enshou was on her way and Yamato calculated an ETA. They were working on a tight schedule and needed to get the booby traps ready.

The pass through the canyon would be their main route, so Yamato had his men gather large rocks and boulders to drop on Enshou's army.

If they decided to take the forest path, he would have archers hidden in the trees. Though, he also made sure to have deep holes dug up with wooden stakes set up at the bottom. The same holes would be covered in grass and leaves to camouflage them. Also, trip wires and nooses would be set up along the path. The trip wires could cause some logs to come flying at Enshou's soldiers and there would also be net traps set up as well.

"One of the rules of combat, rig the field to your advantage," spoke Yamato as he oversaw the project. He had told Aisha her plan, but she had disapproved due to her honor. However, she also agreed that it was necessary. Their duty was to protect their home so if they needed to play dirty and set up traps, then so be it. It was hard work, but somebody had to do it.

"Alright, make sure to tell everyone where we set our traps so they don't get caught in them. If Enshou manages to spring them, she should only be left with one-third of her army," Yamato theorized. The archers would be wearing camouflage consisting of dark green clothing with some leaves so they could blend in with their surroundings in the forest.

Progress was going well and so he went to see how the others were preparing. The Ba Clan were busy training together with Rinrin, Ren, and Miyabi. Shuri, Hinari, Nenene, and Pairen were discussing the strategy they were going to use for their upcoming battle. They might have set traps for Enshou, but having some strategy and backup plans would help them tremendously.

"Everyone is working so hard," noted Touka as she stood next to Yamato, observing their army's preparation.

Yamato nodded. "Yeah, they are. Enshou might believe she can win with her secret weapon, but a well prepared army is even more dangerous than any secret weapon." He then remembered something and turned to his second-in-command. "Can you watch them in my place, Touka?"

"Are you going somewhere, Yamato-sama?" the rosette inquired curiously.

"Yeah. I'm going to get something handy for our battle against Enshou," answered Yamato. "It's probably for a while, so don't wait for me."

What he was going to get would probably take a while to find , but if he managed to find it, the next battle would be in his favor. He almost felt sorry for Enshou, but he quickly stamped it down for what she had done to Pairen. Attacking one of his friends was one way to meet with the tip of his blade .

---

Enshou grumbled something incoherent under her breath before she turned to Ganryou, "Ganryou-san, can't we hurry to Xizang already? It's been almost two days."

The black-haired girl sighed wearily at her lady's impatience. "No we can't, Enshou-sama. We don't want our soldiers to be too tired before fighting against Yamato-sama and Shoku."

"Ganryou-san is right, Enshou-sama. Advance steadily and slowly. Let Kusanagi and Shoku sweat for your arrival, then we strike at their weakest," Keiichi buttered up Enshou.

The head of the En Clan smirked smugly and nodded at the bespectacled boy. "Tell me, Gridon-dono. You said you are a strategist, correct?"

Keiichi nodded. "That I am. What is it you wish from me, Enshou-sama?"

"Why don't you leave that Taoist Ukitsu and work for me instead? I can certainly pay you better than he could," Enshou offered. "Better yet, why don't you and Kurokage-dono leave Ukitsu and work for me? I can and will fulfill whatever wish you want in return."

"My, that is certainly an offer I have to think over, Enshou-sama," Keiichi said before Sasuke could say anything. He then gestured to his hotheaded friend to play along, to which the black-haired delinquent nodded.

Enshou was decidedly happy by his answer. With those two under her command, her dream to rule over China would no longer be a dream!

Bunshuu and Ganryou eyed the duo, who had called themselves the Emissary of the Hammer and the Black Spear, in suspicion. They, and that white-robed Taoist, were really suspicious. They had appeared out of nowhere and claimed that they could help Enshou defeat Yamato.

Since then, the lady they swore allegiance to had changed.

It was because of Kurokage and Gridon's presence that Enshou was even more daring in her attempt to defeat Yamato. She felt having two Armored Riders would give her more than enough power to end the King of Shoku's reign. Also, they had brought along a chest full of Lockseeds. The retainers of Enshou became even more wary of them since they had seen what Lockseeds could do. Was their lady going on the path that would ultimately make her as bad as Toutaku the Tyrant by employing Inves under her command?

"Flags flying ahead!" one of the frontmost soldiers shouted, catching Enshou's and her officers' attention.

She quickly reached for her telescope and saw the image that made her blood boil. Soaring in the air was none other than Gaim's flag, accompanied with flags bearing the character Kouson and Ba. "Kusanagi...He's here…!"

Bunshuu and Ganryou gulped nervously while Sasuke grinned. "Well, well, looks like the main star is here!" He smacked his fists together in excitement. "I can hardly wait!"

"Remember our plan, Sasuke-kun," reminded Keiichi as he strapped on his Driver.

"I know, I know," grumbled Sasuke as he strapped on his Sengoku Driver.

To their surprise, Gaim's army had retreated once they saw Enshou's army.

"They're...retreating?" asked a bewildered Ganryou.

"That's weird…This isn't Yamato-sama's style…" added Bunshuu, equally bewildered.

"Hah! Cowards! They realize how hopeless it is to fight me! Let us pursue them and crush those dogs loyal to Gaim!" Enshou ordered with utmost confidence.

"Now you're talking my language, Ojou-san! Attack!" Sasuke hollered.

"Split our army into two! One half will go through the forest while the other will travel along the pass! We'll do a two-prong attack!" Keiichi instructed boldly.

Meanwhile, Sui and Pairen who had led the decoy unit grinned to each other. Their job was easy enough. They just needed to be sighted by Enshou's army and then retreat as fast as possible. Yamato had told them that the trap they set needed bait and they had eagerly volunteered. Yamato wasn't even with them. He had loaned his flag to entice Enshou.

"Well, that was easy," Sui remarked with a grin.

"Enshou's always been impulsive," Pairen smiled back. "Now, it's time for what Yamato called Phase 2."

"You got it!"

---

Yamato's soldiers made sure to memorize the safe routes so they wouldn't accidentally spring the traps. To be honest, the use of booby traps was more Yuki's style. He was just adapting. Besides, Enshou was playing with fire by attacking his territory and ally, now she was about to get burned.

Ruo, Tanpopo, and Ren, who were in charge of of the soldier's stationed in the forest, saw Enshou's men coming. The forest had been laid out with booby traps, even more than the ones in the canyon, but it was always good to have some extra assurance.

"Here they come! Get ready everyone!" Ruo ordered in hushed tone so their enemy wouldn't hear them speaking.

Kurokage, now in his armor, was leading one half of Enshou's army through the forest. He was confident that whatever Kusanagi had in store wouldn't be able to defeat him and Gridon, especially with the new toy he got from Ukitsu. After all, Kusanagi was the only Rider of Shoku. He might be strong, but facing two Riders alone was nothing but-

"W-What the-!?"

"AAAAAAAARGGGHHH!"

The sounds of his soldiers screams cut Kurokage off from his train of thought. He then saw several soldiers hanging upside down by their ankles and being trapped inside a net that was hung from a tree. Kurokage also saw several pit holes which were not there before with several soldiers impaled by sharpened stakes on the bottom. It didn't take him much to realize what was happening here.

"IT'S A TRAP!" Kurokage bellowed as the soldiers looked around in panic. "Watch your step!"

As the En soldiers looked around warily for any traps set by the Shoku army, Ruo signalled silently for the hidden archers to fire.

Volleys of arrows fired from behind the foliage struck down the En Clan soldiers without mercy. Surprised, the soldiers who survived the first barrage tried to dodge the next one only for them to trigger the next set of traps. Some unlucky soldiers fell into pit trap and were impaled by the stakes below while the luckier ones ended up hanging by their ankles or trapped inside the nets.

Kurokage growled furiously as he tried to deflect the arrows with his Kagematsu. While he knew his armor could protect him, he wouldn't take any chance. As he was busy with deflecting the arrows away, he didn't realize that he had stepped on a length of a wire. Kurokage looked down on the trap he set off before his eyes widened behind his visor when he saw a giant log swinging down at him fast.

"Oh, shi-!"

Caught off guard, Kurokage didn't have the chance to finish his line as the log barreled into him and sent him flying before landing on the ground painfully. Any normal men would've been killed when the log smashed into them or by their painful landing, but thankfully his armor took the brunt of the attack. Still hurt a lot, though.

It was then that the soldiers of Shoku burst from their hiding place behind the bushes and went to attack the disarrayed En Clan army.

"Damn it!" Kurokage cursed when he realized he and his group had walked right into a trap and hurriedly raised his Kagematsu to block a powerful blow that made his hands tremble.

Ren's furious, cold red-eyes stared into Kurokage's yellow visor as she kept pushing her Heaven Piercer against his Kagematsu.

"...I remember you," Ren remarked as she pushed Kurokage back. "...You're with the White Clothes."

"And you're Ryofu Housen," grunted Kurokage as he tried to push her back, but to no avail much to his surprise. He quickly covered up with his bravado, though. "You're strong!"

Ren said nothing as she sent him staggering with a two-handed slash. Kurokage's eyes widened when he was easily pushed back before sparks erupted from his chest plate as Ren lashed out at him with a powerful cross slash.

"Gah!" Kurokage cried out in pain as he staggered, but Ren didn't let up.

She delivered rains of vicious and fast blows that Kurokage blocked with much effort. A wide swing broke through his guard and Ren quickly capitalized her chance by unleashing a fast combo of vertical, diagonal, horizontal, and spinning slashes that sent Kurokage stumbling to the ground.

The Emissary of Black Spear tried to recover, but Ren didn't give him chance to by sending him flying with a diagonal uppercut. The Phoenix General still remembered what the White Clothes had done to Yue oh so clearly. If Kurokage was with them, then he was the enemy. It was that simple to Ren.

Kurokage landed with a grunt. He tried to stand up, but he realized his hand had activated another trap. Looking up he saw another log coming right at him.

"You've gotta be kidding me!" He managed to yell before he was sent flying by a log again. This time, the log hit him right in the face so Kurokage was seeing stars.

While he was trying to clear the stars away, Ren was already on his case and sent him staggering again with a series of powerful blows. She readied her weapon for a powerful downward chop, but Kurokage managed to block her attack in the nick of time.

"Goddamn it, you guys play dirty! Aren't you supposed to be the good guys!?" Kurokage protested.

"...Mook Boss should shut up," Ren replied. She was told by Yamato to call Kurokage 'Mook' or 'Mook Boss' to rile him up.

Lo and behold, Kurokage fell for it. "DON'T CALL ME-GAAAH!"

His tirade was cut short when he felt someone attack his Ride Wear. There were gaps in his suit that weren't protected by his Arms Armor and those parts were pretty much vulnerable to attack. He looked around to see a grinning Tanpopo with her jutte-headed spear raised.

"Hi there!" she chirped. Yamato had briefed his generals about the weaknesses and strengths of the Riders' armor and ways to exploit them or getting around them, just in case they had to fight the enemy Riders. Tanpopo wasn't freakishly strong like her cousin Sui, but that didn't mean she couldn't outsmart stronger opponents, like Kurokage over here.

"Why you-!?" Whatever he was going to say next was cut short when Ren struck him in the back. "Gah! What's with you guys and dirty tricks anyway!?" Kurokage protested after he stumbled away.

"...You're not watching your surroundings," Ren replied neutrally.

"What Ren-san said," agreed Tanpopo with sagely nod. "You know, for a Rider you're not that strong. I guess Yamato-sama was right about calling you a "Mook Boss"." Here the youngest Ba Clan survivor grinned impishly. "Well, maybe even a 'boss' is too much for you, so let's call you an "Elite Mook"."

"DON'T CALL ME A MOOK, GODDAMNIT!" Kurokage roared before he felt that he just stepped on something. Turning he saw yet another log coming at him. He managed to whine, "Not again!" before he was sent flying via a giant log express.

"...That's the third time he fell for it," Tanpopo commented, sweat dropping. What were the chances of one person falling for the same kind of trap over and over again?

"...The logs love him," Ren nodded. She then readied her Heaven Piercer. "Help Ruo. I can handle him myself."

"Ruo-neechan can handle herself against average soldiers," Tanpopo replied. "But this guy is different. He may look like a joke, but he's still a Rider like Yamato-sama."

"Target the belt," stated Ren. "It's his weakness."

"Got it," Tanpopo replied as she readied her spear. "Let's kick his ass, Ren-san!"

Ren grunted in confirmation as she and Tanpopo charged at Kurokage.

The black Ashigaru-themed Rider felt like groaning. He sorely wished that Gridon was also having trouble like he was or there would be mutiny!

---

Some minutes earlier...

"Yamato-sama, one of the scouts have reported that Enshou has split her forces. One half has already entered the forest and are being engaged by Ren-san and the others," Shuri reported.

"And the traps?" Yamato questioned.

"The traps worked according to plan, Yamato-sama," Shuri informed him.

"Good. Ren and the others will slow them down. What about the other half of Enshou's army?"

"They are taking the pass through the canyon as we speak, Yamato-sama," Hinari told him. "Our soldiers should be ready for them right now."

"By the time they get here, Enshou would be lucky to have even a third of what she came with," Yamato smirked. "And even if she has enough soldiers, they wouldn't be in very good condition after going through our traps."

"An excellent strategy, Yamato-sama," praised Shuri.

"Well, I did have some help and I was taught by the best," Yamato winked, causing Hinari and Shuri to blush. "Anyway, Enshou and her army are on her way. Have the men set up a defensive line to 'welcome' her." Yamato added, "Oh, and one more thing. Have the cooks make something delicious."

"What?" the two strategists were confused.

"The soldiers will be hungry after the battle. We will need to reward them. Oh, and we'll need big fans to blow the smell over to the battlefield."

"What for?"

"Psychological warfare. Enshou's soldiers would probably be starving too. They might get distracted by the smell of food. I mean, not all victories need to be won with force."

"We'll get right on it, sir!"

Yamato may not be an expert strategist, but he knew a thing or two about psychological warfare. He knew how to use intimidation, but that wasn't his only weapon. You also needed to know your opponent and use their weaknesses against them. It was even better to turn the tables on them and use their own strengths against them.

A scout returned and quickly reported to Yamato. "Reporting, sir! Another group of Enshou's soldiers are now approaching our position as we speak."

Yamato quirked an eyebrow at the report. "Well, that was faster than I thought, but no problem. Is Enshou with them?"

"Yes sir! She's spotted together with her officers!"

Yamato smiled and nodded gratefully. "Thank you for your hard work. Time for our next phase then. Sui, Rinrin, Miyabi, you girls know what to do."

"You got it, Onii-chan!" Rinrin grinned enthusiastically.

"Heh, this should be easy," Miyabi smirked confidently.

"Since we're talking about Enshou, you're probably right," Sui nodded.

"That's a good attitude to have, you three, but remember that there is a fine line between confidence and arrogance," Yamato reminded and the girls nodded, knowing how right he was.

As the three girls left to 'welcome' Enshou, the King of Shoku made his own preparations. He then turned to Touka, Pairen and Sou, "We will continue as we planned. I leave things here to you three then."

"Just it leave it to us, Yamato-sama. We will do our best," assured Touka while Pairen only nodded expectantly. It didn't take a genius to know what was on her mind.

"Good luck, Yamato-sama~," Sou waved her hand as she cheered for him.

Yamato nodded at them and couldn't resist the smirk that formed on his lips. He looked forward to see the look on Enshou's face when she realized that she had walked right into a trap.

---

Enshou was frustrated. As her army went through the canyon, they were suddenly assaulted by arrows and boulders from all sides. Many of her men had 'selflessly sacrificed' themselves to save her, but now she had lost many of her men.

"Looks like they were expecting us," spoke Gridon with a frown.

"It matters not! Kusanagi can use all the tricks he wants, but he will never stop me! We're already close to his capital anyway! Once we break through his pathetic defences, I'll have him begging for mercy!"

A war horn then resounded across the battlefield as Shoku's soldiers appeared on one side of the cliff. The flags that they were flying under bore the characters of Chou, Ka, Ba and of course Gaim's personal symbol. Standing proudly in front of the army were three of Yamato's Generals, Rinrin, Miyabi, and Sui.

"Well, well, look who's just arrived to the party. It's the spoiled bratty Princess Enshou," Miyabi sneered.

Enshou growled furiously at the insult. Oh how she would make Kusanagi pay for this insolence! "Where is Kusanagi? Is he too much of a coward to come and face him myself?"

"Hey, don't call Onii-chan a coward!" Rinrin defended.

"Settle down, Rinrin. It's fine," Sui placated the young girl.

"As for Yamato-sama's absence," Miyabi started to reply with a taunting smirk, "He's not here because you're just not worth his time." Miyabi made sure to emphasize every word to get on Enshou's nerves and push her buttons.

It worked. It didn't really take much to really enrage the arrogant brat. To be dismissed as not being worth anyone's time was a sure insult to her pride.

"WHAT DID YOU SAY!?" Enshou snapped as her temper exploded.

"Deaf as well as dumb, huh?" Miyabi continued to mock.

"Well, I can't blame him. He has better things to worry about instead of dealing with a brat in one of her temper tantrums," Sui added with a grin.

"Like taking care of Aisha-neechan," Rinrin nodded. "He said, 'It will be too easy for me to defeat Enshou on my own. I could beat her with both hands tied behind my back and with my eyes closed."."

Enshou trembled in rage. How dare Kusanagi underestimate her like this!? He didn't even give her the honor of facing her in combat! That was a grave insult and the last he would ever give her! She would raze his city to the ground and turn any survivors into slaves.

"ATTACK! DESTROY THEM ALL!"

"Aaaaand she fell for it," Miyabi remarked as she rolled her shoulders. "Man, I thought it would take more than that." She actually had a few more insults to throw.

"Complain later, we have work to do," Sui retorted as she readied her spear.

"Charge! Smash! Victory!" Rinrin yelled as she and her fellow generals led their army to clash with the exhausted En Clan's private army.

---

As Enshou's men fought against Yamato's soldiers, it was time to start the next phase of the plan. A person's mindset was just as important in combat as the strength of their body. In fact, they were tied together. Enshou's men had travelled far to get here, and Enshou probably had given them a little to none moments to rest or eat.

The cooks were outside, ready, with baskets full of piping hot rice balls and dumplings. The maids also held large fans in hand. He gave them the signal and the maids started to swing the fans, blowing the delicious aroma over onto the battlefield.

Yamato prepared himself to face Gridon personally as he headed onto the battlefield. It was time to unveil his secret weapon.

---

Enshou's men were in the middle of battle with the Shoku Soldiers when a few of them suddenly paused and began to drool. Their stomachs growled as they started to feel the results of their continuous march with so little food.

"What's going on!? What are you fools doing!?" shouted Enshou as her men were distracted and were swiftly cut down. "WHAT IS THIS!?"

"Hey, do you smell something, Bun-chan?" Ganryou asked.

"Yeah, I do. I smell something delicious," Bunshuu replied.

"Looks like Yamato-sama's tactic is working!" Miyabi laughed.

"Rinrin smells something yummy," said Rinrin as she knocked down a group of soldiers with her Viper Spear.

"Is this another one of Kusanagi's dirty tricks!?" snapped Enshou.

"Enshou!" Sui shouted as she sent several soldiers flying with a single swing. "This is your last warning! You can't win against us so you might as well turn around and run!"

"That's right! Go home and take your big stupid head with you!" Rinrin agreed.

"Your chance to defeat us is like the chance of it snowing in hell: none!" Miyabi smirked as she cut down a soldier before mowing down another handful.

Enshou's face flushed red with rage as she shouted, "Gridon-dono!"

"Finally," Gridon sighed as he leapt into action. At least he wasn't facing Ryugen again and Gaim wasn't seen anywhere.

Suddenly, Gridon was sent flying as a large green leg smashed into him. He went tumbling.

"So, am I late for the party?" Gaim asked as he rode atop a new Lock Vehicle, one that made Gridon went several shades paler. It looked like a giant unlocked Lockseed with a pair of green mechanical legs with red toes that interestingly looked like the half of a tulip. A large turbine and a pair of energy machine guns were located in the front of the vehicle.

This was the Tuliphopper Lock Vehicle, one of the four Lock Vehicle shown during Gaim's airing.

"NOT GUNS!" Gridon shrieked. Why did it have to be guns again!?

"There you are, Kusanagi! Now face me like a true man you are!" declared Enshou boldly as she unsheathed her sword.

"Do you have a selective hearing or what? I told you THAT defeating you will be way too easy. You're just not worth of my time," Gaim retorted while stressing on the words he knew would rile Enshou up.

"W-Why you-!?" Enshou raged before she turned to Gridon. "Gridon-dono! Defeat Kusanagi!"

"Easy for you to say..." Gridon grumbled as he readied his Donkachi.

"Now then…" Gaim rubbed his hands ominously before he readied his Tuliphopper for combat. "Let's dance, Ishizawa!"

"Alright, K-1, you can do this. You can do this!" Gridon chanted to himself before he charged at Gaim with his Donkachi raised. "HUUUOOOOH!"

Gaim had the Tuliphopper jump to dodge Gridon's swing before landing behind the Squire-themed Rider and peppered his back with energy bullets. Gridon cried out in pain and stumbled down before he rolled to the side to dodge the incoming barrage. Just as he about to stand up, Gaim had his Tuliphopper kicked him on the face, causing Gridon to see stars for a while. Seizing the chance, Gaim then fired at Gridon again, causing sparks to erupt from his armor as he tumbled down. He then shrieked as he rolled to the side to dodge the next barrage.

"THIS ISN'T FAIR!" screamed Gridon.

"It's your own fault for not using the resources you have," Gaim pointed out.

"You don't think we tried already!?" Gridon retorted, only for Gaim let loose another barrage which he dodged barely in time. "You're not so tough! You have to fight me with a mobile artillery platform!"

"I'm still learning to ride this thing, actually. Figures I should give you some handicap because it will be too easy to defeat you in one-on-one combat," Gaim goaded. He knew what he said was unbecoming of him, but he needed to rile up Enshou and her allies and use their pride against them.

"Don't look down on me!" Gridon shot back as he sliced his Lockseed three times.

"COME ON! DONGURI SPARKING!"

Gridon held out his Donkachi and began to rotate at high speed as an acorn-shaped aura surrounded him.

"Take this! Gridon Rotating Impact!"

Gridon charged at Gaim while still rotating, but Gaim had the Tuliphopper jumped away from harm before landing several meters away from the squire-themed Rider who kept on pursuing his Samurai-themed counterpart. Gaim patiently waited for Gridon to approach him before he used the Tuliphopper to jump away at the last moment, causing Gridon to smash through several of Enshou's men instead.

"What do you think you're doing, Gridon-dono!?" Enshou shrieked as she pulled on her hair.

"Wha-!?" Gridon stopped spinning around and looked at the destruction he had caused. "Uh, sorry about that Enshou-sama."

"Hopper Kick!" Gridon heard Gaim yelled before the energized leg of the Tuliphopper smashed against his chest and sent him flying. Gridon landed harshly on the ground and rolled several times before he tried to recover as he groaned in pain.

Gaim watched Gridon carefully. The battle was in his favor, but he couldn't afford to underestimate his opponent. After all, a cornered animal fought the hardest.

"Don't you just stand there and gawk! Help Gridon-dono! Take Kusanagi down! Whoever is able to defeat Kusanagi will be rewarded! Now get to it!"

Enshou's demanding order roused the soldiers into action and they roared out their challenge at Gaim. What remained of Enshou's archer fired at Gaim and his Tuliphopper, but he blew the arrows away using the strong wind generated by the large turbine of his Lock Vehicle. The foot soldiers all charged at Gaim, only for them to fall like flies as Gaim fired his energy machine guns at them. Those who managed to get close to him were sent to their oblivion as Tuliphopper kicked them away.

"Enshou! I'm giving you one last chance! Leave my territory or I will continue to cut down your men!"

Enshou growled to herself and clenched her fist angrily. "No way! I won't retreat when I finally have my chance to beat you!"

"What chance?" Gaim retorted.

"COME ON! SUIKA ARMS! OODAMA BIG BANG!"

When Gaim heard that, he was so surprised that he was barely able to dodge the rolling green wrecking ball headed his way. The giant sphere came to a stop and Gridon's head popped out the top, his visor red like the flesh of a watermelon.

"Rematch time, Kusanagi!" shouted Gridon. Unlike his original counterpart, he knew how to use the Suika Arms.

"YOROI MODE!"

The machine converted into its humanoid mecha form. In its hand was a mace with a head shaped like a watermelon. It resembled a Chinese chui.

Gaim fired his guns at the walking behemoth, but his shots bounced off the Suika Arms armor. Gridon got in close and sent Gaim flying with a swing of his mace. Gaim went tumbling and groaned in pain.

"Onii-chan!" Rinrin cried out.

"Ohohohoho!" Enshou laughed in triumph.

Gaim picked himself up but another smash from the Suika Hammer sent him flying again.

"Now this is my stage, Gaim!" Gridon gloated. "I'll show you! I'll show you all that I'm not a weak nerd!" Suddenly, a loud yell was heard and Rinrin could be seen jumping atop the Suika Arms armor. She started hammering on the helmet with her Viper Spear. "Hey! Hey! Get off me! Quit it!" Gridon shouted as he tried to shake the girl off.

"Leave Rinrin's Onii-chan alone you big bully!"

"Rinrin!" Gaim yelled, worried for his adopted little sister.

"She's buying you time!" Miyabi shouted to Gaim. "Now, do it!"

Gaim knew what Miyabi meant and took out his Genesis Core and Lemon Energy Lockseed.

"LEMON ENERGY!"

"LOCK ON!"

"SOIYA! MIX!"

Gridon finally managed to grab Rinrin and told her, "Little pest!" He threw her with all her might. However, the redhead was saved as she was caught in the arms of her beloved big brother as soon as he finished his Arms Change."

"JIMBER LEMON! HA-HA!"

"You OK, Rinrin?" Gaim asked, now clad in Jimber Lemon.

"Yes, Onii-chan!" Rinrin nodded as he set her down.

"Alright, now leave this to me," he told her. "I'm going to smash him up."

Rinrin smiled as Gaim turned to face Gridon. As the Suika Arms brought its fist down, Gaim caught it in his hand. Gaim's Jimber Lemon Arms already increased his strength, but he also received a power bonus as its unique special ability.

"What!?" Gridon gawked as Gaim shoved the offending appendage away and aimed with his Sonic Arrow. He fired an arrow right at the Suika Arms' chest, sending the mecha staggering backwards from an explosive shot.

Suika Arms might be the strongest A-Class Arms in terms of power, but the power of an S-Class Lockseed could still beat it.

As Gridon staggered away, Gaim's orange visor glared coldly at the massive Arms as he readied his Sonic Arrow for combat. "You will pay for laying a hand on my sister…!" He growled as he let out his pressure full blast on Gridon. Let it be known that Gaim was a protective big brother to his younger sisters, by blood or by the bond they shared.

Gridon gulped and stepped back nervously, intimidated by the pressure Gaim exerted. It was as if there were multiple swords being drawn all at once, with each blade thirsting for blood and being pointed at him.

"Now let's go, Ishizawa! Time for the final dance!" Gaim roared as he charged at Gridon.

"I'll show you what a final dance is!" Gridon roared back and swung his war mace down on Gaim.

Gaim dodged the blow and pulled the shaft of his Sonic Arrow to its fullest length and fired several energy arrows at Gridon. The arrows exploded on contact with the Suika Arms, causing his opponent to stagger back several steps. Not letting up, Gaim jumped and struck Gridon's chest several times before sending him stumbling with a powerful wide slash.

"Gah!" Gridon cried out as his Arms crashed to the ground with a loud thud. He tried to stood up, but Gaim already let loose barrages of energy arrows at him.

Gaim might not be an expert archer, but something as big as Suika Arms was a big enough target that he could not miss.

"Quit it already!" Gridon yelled as he shielded his torso with the arms of Suika Arms and tried to bat Gaim away, but the Energy Lockseed-enhanced Sengoku Rider jumped out of harm's way and activated th finisher function on his Driver.

"SOIYA! ORANGE SQUASH! JIMBER LEMON SQUASH!"

Gridon, hearing the announcement, quickly shifted his multi-purpose Arms into its defensive formation.

"OODAMA MODE!"

As the Arms reconfigured itself into its giant watermelon form, Gaim fired an energy arrow which created a row of alternating orange and lemon slices. He then stuck out his right leg and leapt through the slices and came down at Gridon which caused an explosion on impact.

Gaim went tumbling slightly, but he quickly recovered in mid-air and landed on the ground kneeling. Gridon, on the other hand, had his Suika Arms ruined and it crashed to the ground with loud rumble. It lost its right shoulder armor and left hand altogether. There were cracks appearing on the rest of his now chipped armor and his Suika Head lost its watermelon head crest.

"D-Damn it…" Gridon cursed as he tried to get his massive Arms to stand up with some efforts. Sparks appeared on the joints of his Arms as he tried to get his Suika Arms to move. "This isn't like when Kaito faced Sid!"

"Of course it isn't," Gaim retorted as he aimed his Sonic Arrow at Gridon. "You are nothing like Kaito and I am not Sid. Get your facts straight."

Gridon grunted as he finally managed to get his Suika Arms to stand up and he had it charge at Gaim despite the damage it had taken. Gaim fired his arrow which Gridon batted away with his mace and retaliated by bringing his weapon down. Gaim rolled to the side to dodge the blow and let loose a barrage that struck true, causing the massive Arms to take further damage as it staggered back.

"Damn it! I'm not losing here!" Gridon roared as he recovered before he pushed the Cutting Blade once.

"COME ON! SUIKA SQUASH!"

The Suika Hammer lit up with pinkish red aura as Gridon forced his damaged Suika Arms to charge at Gaim as he roared in defiance, ready to smash his opponent into pulp.

Seeing his opponent charging at him, Gaim tapped his Cutting Blade twice.

"SOIYA! ORANGE AU LAIT! JIMBER LEMON AU LAIT!"

Gaim readied his Sonic Arrow as energy from Orange and Lemon Energy Lockseed channeled into it, sheathing its bladed bow in blazing orange and yellow aura.

Gridon roared as he swung his Suika Hammer down with the intent to smash Gaim into pulp and the blue Samurai-themed Rider blocked the attack with his Sonic Arrow, causing a massive shockwave that nearly blew everyone nearby away. Gaim and Gridon pushed against each other stubbornly, neither side relenting. Finally, the damaged Suika Arms gave in because it had suffered too much damage and Gaim's arc of yellow-orange energy slash to cut through the massive Arms, causing it to explode spectacularly.

Gridon tumbled away from the explosion, clad only in his Ride Wear suit which was smoking and singed from the explosion. The grayed out and cracked Suika Lockseed landed near him as he groaned painfully. He tried to sit up, only to see Gaim walking towards at him in the manner befitting a predator toward his prey. The now Arms-less Squire-themed Rider crawled away from Gaim, fearing for his own life.

"This is the end of the line, Ishizawa," Gaim said as he levelled his Sonic Arrow at Gridon, ready to fire.

"I-It's n-not over yet! S-Sasuke-kun is still out there, fighting against your generals!" Gridon blustered out.

Just then, Kurokage flew through the air before crash-landing quite painfully on the ground. He groaned in pain and his armor was damaged in several places, showing that he had taken quite a beating.

"No more…" Kurokage gurgled out. "No more logs, please…"

"You were saying?" Gaim asked, raising an eyebrow behind his visor.

Gridon gaped like a fish. How could this have happened!?

Arrows then rained down from the sky and struck Enshou's soldiers who were still baffled with the defeat of Gridon's massive armor.

"W-What in the world!?" Enshou gaped as she managed to move her horse away from the barrage.

From the direction of the nearby forest, Ruo, Tanpopo and Ren along with the soldiers stationed there came out and joined with the forces of Gaim, Sui, Rinrin, and Miyabi in the canyon.

"Yamato-sama!" Ruo called out. "Enshou's soldiers in the forest have retreated! This is the time to finish this battle!"

A war horn resounded across the valley and the main army of Shoku appeared, bearing the flags of their generals that led them in this battle.

Enshou gaped. How could this have happened!? Her dream, her plan, and her revenge were now falling apart before her. Her once proud army was now ruined beyond recognition. Not even the help of the Emissary of Black Spear and Hammer could help her defeat the bane of her existence. That said bane was now standing proudly and regarded her neutrally.

"You've lost, Enshou," Gaim stated.

Enshou clenched her fists angrily. She was stubborn and prideful, so admitting defeat wasn't anywhere in her dictionary.

"Enshou-sama, please retreat now," Ganryou spoke up.

"I can't do that! Not when we're so close…!" Enshou refused stubbornly.

"You have to retreat now, Enshou-sama! We'll hold them off for you!" said Bunshuu, surprising Enshou greatly.

"W-What? Bunshuu-san, you…!"

"We're not happy when you decided to attack Shoku, but you are our boss and we have to follow your orders," admitted the verdette with a sigh.

"Bun-chan is right. If you retreat now, you can join up with Enjutsu-sama's forces in Lecheng. From there, you can plan for a counterattack or to retreat back to Nanping to gather your forces for another attack on Shoku in the future," Ganryou added with a small smile. "That's why, please retreat and leave this place to us."

"Iishe-san, Toshii-san…" Enshou choked out. Her two oldest officers and confidantes were basically giving themselves up to their enemy for her safety.

"Besides, I'm always raring to go against Shoku's generals," Bunshuu cracked a grin as she got off of her horse and unsheathed her broadsword.

"Someone has to keep an eye on Bun-chan so she won't get reckless," Ganryou chuckled as she too dismounted from her horse. She then turned to Enshou and smiled at her as she reached for her giant hammer. "Please retreat now and take your personal unit and Kurokage-san and Gridon-san with you, Enshou-sama."

"Iishe-san, Toshii-san…" Enshou grounded her teeth in frustration. With all other options were exhausted, there was a little she could do for now. She might be selfish and arrogant, but she valued her friends, her true friends, so much.

"Go, Reiha-sama! We'll take it from here!" Bunshuu ordered to her lady and friend.

"Kurokage-san! Gridon-san! We leave Reiha-sama in your capable hands!" said Ganryou.

With a heavy heart, Enshou along with Kurokage and Gridon and half of their remaining army turned tail and retreated from the battlefield.

"Iishe-san! Toshii-san!" Enshou called out as she tossed them a pair of Lockseeds. "You have to survive this and come back to me, you hear me!? If you don't, then I will find you in the next life and beat you up!"

Bunshuu and Ganryou caught the Lockseeds and unlocked them, causing an Ushi Inves and Yagi Inves to leap out of the Cracks. "Yes, Reiha-sama!" they answered as one.

Gaim watched as Enshou and some of her men left, leaving Bunshuu and Ganryou behind along with, from his estimation, 7,500 men, who could be easily increased with any Inves they summoned.

"I commend your loyalty to Enshou, Ganryou-san, Bunshuu-san," said Gaim as he and his generals readied themselves for another battle. "But don't think for once I will go easy on you. I will fulfill what I said to Enshou during the Anti-Toutaku Alliance."

"Heh, before you can do that, you have to go through us first!" Bunshuu declared boldly.

"Release your Inves, everyone! Do your best to buy Reiha-sama some time!" Ganryou ordered as the soldiers unlocked the Lockseeds they got, but unable to use them until now.

Gaim grimaced behind his helmet. Now their number had increased with the Inves they summoned. It would take a while to wipe them out before they could pursue Enshou.

"Alright everyone, get ready for another battle! Breakthrough the blockade and pursue Enshou! We can't let her get away after she attacked our home!" Gaim rallied his soldiers, which they replied with a roar of approval.

"Just because we're going to lose here, that doesn't mean we're going down quietly! Show your spirit and pride as the soldiers of Reiha-sama!" Bunshuu rallied.

"Take down as many of Shoku's soldiers as you possibly can! We're thinning them out for Reiha-sama!" Ganryou ordered. The En Clan soldiers roared their agreement and charged at the Shoku army.

"Show me that you have the right to stand on this stage! Come and have it!" Gaim bellowed before he addressed to Sui and Miyabi. "Sui, Miyabi! You both handle Bunshuu and Ganryou! Capture them if you can!"

"Got it, Yamato-sama!"

"Leave her to me!"

"I'll take on the Inves! The rest of you engage the enemy soldiers and find a way to break through the blockade!" Gaim called out.

Bunshuu and Ganryou smiled to each other. "Let's go, Toshii. Just like the old times."

"Yes, just like the old times," Ganryou nodded.

The advisors of Enshou led their men for their last battle under the Banner of the En Clan. They already knew what would happen. All they needed to do was to buy time for their lady to regroup with Enjutsu's army. They would make sure their hard work would not go to waste.

---

A/N: That's it for this chapter. If you have played the first VN, then you'll realize that I have deviated again by saving Pairen from her death. Another deviation I made is now that I have Bakyuu and Batetsu to join Shoku together Bachou and Batai. They are from the upcoming VN Shin Koihime Eiyuutan 1st Episode: Shoku which will be released in 24 April via download channel on their official site. I made them more prominent than the Bi Sisters because they are in a trailer that promotes the VN and I get a grasp of their personality. Bakyuu/Ruo is the more serious one, a good mix of Aisha and Sui, while Batetsu/Sou is the more airheaded and mischievous one of the sisters, like Tanpopo and Rikuson/Non. As always, I do hope you enjoyed this chapter as much as I enjoyed to write it. See you around and goodnight.