Disclaimer: I do not own Kamen Rider Gaim and Koihime Musou. I only my OCs and the the Plot for this fan fic.

Chapter 21: To Even the Odds

"Damn it all!" Kakouton pounded the wall in frustration. "How can I shame Karin-sama's name like that!?"

"Give it a rest, Aneja. We were completely outmatched in the last battle," Kakouen tried to pacify her hotheaded sister.

Kakouton and her army had retreated into another Sou Gi outpost, not the closest to the one that Shoku and Son Go had reclaimed, but close enough for their emergency retreat. To say that the last battle was disastrous to Sou Gi was an understatement. They were completely outmatched. While they had equally powerful man power, the same couldn't be said about their combat prowess. Having three Armored Riders and powerful Generals such as Kan'u, Chou'un, and Bachou had tipped the scale for the allied army. And then there was also that mysterious White Clothed Army, along with their own Riders and army of Riders, despite being a rip-off and all.

As much as Kakouen hated to admit, Sou Gi was in a bad position, with only having Baron as their Rider. Sure they have generals that could go against their soldiers and generals, but against a Rider? Now she understood what Shun meant when he said, "Only a Rider can defeat another Rider."

It was disconcerting. Sure she, her sister, and her comrades had fought along them during the Toutaku campaign and saw their power first hand, but fighting against them was simply a nightmare. What made it worse to them that Kakouton in one of her moments of brashness, told them that Shun wasn't needed to deal with Kusanagi and his army. Surprisingly, Karin and Shun agreed with her and the latter said he wanted to face his best friend in the right time, preferably in one epic and big clash between rivals. Now Kakouton couldn't ask for his help because it was like taking back her own words.

"What should we do now, Shuuran?" Kyouchou asked. She was now sporting a bandage wrapped on her arm where Gaim's sword had cut her.

"Admittedly we can't do much since we are outmatched without the aid of a Rider on our side," Tei'iku's doll spoke up as the sleepy-looking blonde looked deep in thought before turning to Kakouton.

"Ask for help?" she inquired and Kakouton immediately shook her head.

"There is no way I would ask for that man for help, not after what I said to him in front of Karin-sama," the black-haired warrior replied with a frown.

"But we do need to tip the scale to balance somehow, Aneja," Kakouen pointed out.

"Maybe we should ask for reinforcement from Ruru or Nagi and the others," Kyouchou suggested.

"Or better yet, become a Rider yourself."

The Sou Gi generals immediately whirled around at the source of the unknown voice and saw Sagara was there, though they didn't know who this old man was and only Shun had met him before.

"Hello there! You seem to have quite a predicament on your hand, huh?" Sagara greeted with a wave of his hand and a grin.

"Who are you!? How did you get in here!?" Kakouton immediately demanded as the other Sou Gi generals tensed upon seeing the stranger who appeared out of thin air.

Sagara put a dismayed look on his face. "What? That kid Shun never told told anyone about me? That's cold, I gave him that pep talk and went all the trouble to get that Genesis Driver and Lemon Energy Lockseed for him…"

"You didn't answer Aneja's question. Who are you?" Kakouen demanded frostily.

"Maa, maa, no need to be so cold," Sagara held his hands in surrendering gesture. "You can call me Sagara and I'm here to even the odds for you."

"To even the odds?" Tei'iku arched a delicate eyebrow.

"That's right," Sagara then placed a pair of briefcases on the table. The Sou Gi Generals blinked in confusion. They were sure that the old man didn't have anything in his hands just a moment ago. He then opened the briefcases and presented their contains to them. "Here you go. Your tools to even the odds in your upcoming battles with Shoku-Go alliance and the White Clothes."

The Gi Generals didn't hold back the gasp that escaped them. They stared at it for another five seconds before Kakouton rubbed her good eyes and Kyouchou pinched herself to make sure it wasn't dream.

"Ow! It hurts…" the dark-skinned rosette muttered to herself, rubbing the cheek she pinched earlier.

"It's not a dream," Kakouton whispered in awe.

Laid inside those briefcases were a Sengoku Driver and a Genesis Driver, complete with their own Lockseed and Energy Lockseed. The Lockseed that came with Sengoku Driver had a blackberry motif with code LS-26 written on the cover while the Energy Lockseed that came with Genesis Driver had a blueberry motif with the code ELS-09.

"Here you go! You can use this to shift the odds in your favor," Sagara smiled.

Whereas Kakouton and Kyouchou were amazed with the items, Kakouen and Tei'iku eyed Sagara warily.

"What is it you want from us in return?" Kakouen asked in suspicion.

"Nothing. I just want to even the odds for you girls," Sagara denied.

"…Suspicious," Tei'iku narrowed her eyes slightly.

"I'm just trying to help you. After all, a battle should be fair on both sides, right?" Sagara winked before his image flickered and faded out. "Looks like time's up for me. Use them wisely, okay?"

When Sagara completely disappeared, Kakouton and Kyouchou freaked out as they hugged each other.

"W-W-W-W-What was that!?" Kakouton stammered.

"A-A-A-A G-G-G-Ghost!?" Kyouchou stuttered as she and Kakouton were shaking like leaves.

Kakouen tentatively reached for the Genesis Driver and when she touched the buckle, it was solid. She sighed in relief before examining the Driver and the new Energy Lockseed.

"Shuuran?" Tei'iku asked.

"As much as I distrust that man, I think this is our chance to even the odds with Shoku and Go," Kakouen answered before she placed the Driver back to the briefcase. "Shunran, you take the other buckle and lock."

"I-Is i-it safe? I-It's not c-cursed o-or anything, r-right!?" Kakouton asked fearfully.

Kakouen rolled her eyes. Her elder sister might be one of the best warriors in entire China, but she was really scared of anything related to supernatural such as ghosts and curses. Oh, and cockroaches too. She still remembered when Kakouton went berserk when she saw a cockroach in the kitchen long time ago. She ended up trashing the whole kitchen and Karin wasn't too happy with that.

"It is safe as far as I can tell," Kakouen replied.

Gulping, Kakouton reached for the Sengoku Driver with shaking hands. When her fingers touched the buckle, she quickly withdrew her hand before she reached into once more. She sighed in relief when nothing happened and examined the Driver and the Lockseed just like her sister did. "Are we really going to use them when we we fight Shoku and Go again?"

"Do we have another choice?" Kakouen asked back rhetorically and her sister still didn't look convinced.

"It's not like our strategies are going to work against them since their Riders can overpower us like no one's business," Tei'iku's doll spoke up.

"I'm rather leery to use them but…" Kakouen then looked at the Genesis Driver and the Blueberry Energy Lockseed in her hands. "…We don't have any other choice if we want to win against Kusanagi and his allies, do we?"

The Shoku and Son Go Alliance had moved deeper into Sou Gi territory once the outpost was manned by Shoku soldiers assigned to it. They had decided to bring the fight to Karin if she really wanted to conquer their territory. The allied faction just had taken down Sou Gi outpost nearest to the Shoku outpost. It was easy, since they didn't have a notable generals or tactician with them such as the Kakou twins who present on the last battle. With enough firepower from the Gaim, Ryugen, and Knuckle as well as the sure fire strategy that was Shuri's brainchild, the soldiers stationed on the outpost surrendered once they realized they were fighting in a losing battle. The outpost and the area surrounding it now belonged to Shoku and Son Go.

The soldiers were all too happy for the easy victory, but Yamato and his Generals as well as the Son Go court thought it was too easy. This was the main issue on the post-battle debriefing.

"That battle was too easy," Yamato surmised,his fingers interlaced in front of his lips to hide his frown.

"I agree. It is not like Sousou to be careless like that," Sheren crossed her arms and leaned to her chair, a frown also creased on her beautiful face.

"Maybe we got lucky?" Touka offered.

"Perhaps so, but it still lingers on my mind with how easy we won the last battle," Aisha stated, chewing on her lip.

"Either way, perhaps we should be thankful for this. Now we have more time to strategize and plan ahead as well as gathering intelligence," Shion pointed out.

"You're right," Yamato nodded before turning to Renfa. "How fast can your scouts move out after this debriefing?"

"As soon as you want them to. Should I send our scouts now?" Renfa confirmed and Yamato nodded. She then turned to Kannei and Shuutai. "Send the word to our scouts to move out ahead and gather some intel for us, including the whereabouts of the Kakou Twins and their fellow generals."

"Yes ma'am," Kannei and Shuutai bowed before they left.

"While we wait for Son Go's scouts, we will take the day off before we continue to march tomorrow. Take a good rest everyone because times like this doesn't always happen when we're in the middle of a campaign," Yamato said as he dismissed the war council.

As everyone stood up and left to their own devices, Touka took a deep breath before she approached Yamato. "Yamato-sama, can we talk?"

"Sure. What is it about, Touka?" Yamato asked curiously.

Touka blushed as she shifted uncomfortably. "I-It's something rather personal… S-So can I talk to you alone?"

Yamato nodded as he waited for everyone else to leave the room. He caught Sei winked at him and Touka before she left with a chuckle, which confused Aisha and Sui who were the closest to her.

"What was that about, Sei?" Aisha couldn't help but ask.

"Oh, it's nothing," Sei said with a sly look and left to her own premise. "But I do now that someone will join you soon enough, Aisha."

Aisha and Sui shared a look before they shrugged and left Yamato with Touka.

When everyone left, Touka tried to muster all the courage she had while trying to fight her own embarrassment and guilt.

"Touka?" Yamato called out and it seemed to snap Touka off.

"IsortofeavesdroppedonyouandAisha-chanwhileyou'redoingthatandplayedwithmyself!" she said in one go before the rosette lamented mentally. "Auu… I screwed up!"

It took Yamato about ten seconds before he managed to understand what Touka was saying. He promptly blushed beet red. "Oh… So you heard us…"

"Y-Yes," Touka said before she bowed to him. "I-I'm sorry, Yamato-sama. Y-Your first time with Aisha should be private, b-but I ruined that." She then stood up and looked down, unable to meet Yamato's gaze because she feared he would be angry at her.

So imagine her surprise when she felt a familiar hand patted her head. She looked up to see Yamato smiling down at her. "Hey, it's not your fault. I mean, sure, I'm somewhat embarrassed and a little upset, but it isn't entirely your fault. I should've made sure that we were alone before we made love."

"…So, you're not mad at me?" Touka asked hopefully.

"Why should I?" Yamato asked back rhetorically before Touka suddenly hugged him tightly.

"Thank you! Thank you so much, Yamato-sama! I-I'm really glad you're not mad at me!" Touka said with huge relieve and sniffled a little.

Yamato returned her hug as he rubbed her head affectionately, comforting the rosette. The poor girl was too kind and naive, so she her actions must had burdened her somewhat. After a minute or so, Touka let go of her hug and looked at Yamato intently. He was about to ask when she leaned in closer and puckered her lips as she closed her eyes. Getting the hint, Yamato captured her lips with his own.

To Touka, her first kiss with the young man she loved was nothing but fantastic. She could feel her heart beating so hard that she thought it would burst out of her chest. Joy, happiness and all sort of positive emotions coursed through her veins as the rosette deepened her kiss. To Yamato, the kiss with Touka was more innocent compared to the kiss he had with Aisha, Shion, or Sei, but the emotions were there and real. He could feel her love, her passion, and her desire to be with him, yet she was some kind of reluctant to do more than kisses because of her innocence. So they settled with a kiss that was innocent yet not so innocent at the same time.

They pulled back from the kiss and looked at each other's eyes.

"Touka…"

"I really like you, Yamato-sama. I don't know since when I have this feeling for you, but it is here and it is real," Touka said as she placed Yamato's hands over her heart. "I was a little jealous when you and Aisha got together, but I don't want to come between you and her. All I ask is that you please allow me to have a special place in your heart."

Yamato sighed before he chuckled. "You already have a special place in my heart, Touka. You, Aisha, Shion, Sui, and the others. I know that the girls around me have a special feelings for me, so… I'm willing to give them a chance."

"You mean…?" Touka asked more hopefully.

"Yeah, I'm willing to have a polygamous relationship. It's a strange concept and a new experience for me, but I wanted this because I don't want to push any of you away or worse, hurt you," Yamato answered as he scratched his cheek nervously.

Touka smiled before giggled happily as she laid her head on his chest. "I'm glad to hear that. You really have a big heart, Yamato-sama. I'm happy I wasn't mistaken."

"Yeah," Yamato smiled as he rubbed her back affectionately and leaned down to kiss her crown. "I have to check on the others. I'm sorry to cut this short, Touka."

Touka shook her head. "It's alright. I have to talk about this to Aisha-chan too. She is technically your first lover and wife later, so I have to ask for her permission."

"With you as her sworn sister, I think you'll have no problem with that," Yamato replied.

She giggled again before she pulled away and kissed him one more time. "I will see you later, Yamato-sama."

Yamato nodded and watched as Touka left with an extra spring in her steps. He shook his head and walked away from the war council room.

Although it was supposed to be a small break time before the next skirmish with Sou Gi, Yamato checked on the soldiers and their supplies so he could order for what they needed in his letter to Ei and the others back at Xizang. While it wasn't a real pressing issue, he noted it was autumn now, he made note to have more blankets and warmer clothes for the chilly air in the night. And more arrows for the archer squadrons and medicines to treat the wounded as well as more troops as they were about to face much harder battles in the foreseen future.

As Yamato left the soldiers he questioned earlier, he saw Sui and Tanpopo in the middle of tending to their horses. The sight of the two reminded Yamato that of all people who had their beef with Karin, Sui and her family had the biggest of them all. He had allowed to them to join him under the condition that they would let go of their toward Karin later on. Now that they were fighting against Sou Gi, it would be a good time to check on them.

With that in mind, he approached the pair with a small smile curved on his lips.

Tanpopo was carrying a bucket of water when she noticed Yamato approaching her and her cousin. "Ah, Yamato-sama! Over here!" the youngest of Ba Clan survivor waved her hand excitedly.

Sui stopped brushing her horse and bowed respectfully to her lord. "Yamato-sama, good afternoon."

"Good afternoon you two," Yamato greeted back. "How are you doing?"

"We're doing great! A little tired because of the last battle, but we're alright!" Tanpopo answered with a grin.

"I'm doing fine too, Yamato-sama. Thanks for asking," Sui smiled.

"That's good to hear," Yamato smiled before his smile faded a little. "Though, I want to ask on how are you doing after our last two battles with Sou Gi."

Here Sui and Tanpopo looked downcast, conflicted look flickered on their eyes. "I… It was so hard to restrain myself. Whenever I saw Sou Gi soldiers, I wanted nothing but to make them pay for what they have done to my clan. All of them, the Generals and Sousou," Sui admitted as she clenched the brush in her hand tightly. "I tried so hard because I remembered your words, Yamato-sama. But deep down, I wanted nothing to kill them all, making them pay and feel what I felt back then. Does… Does that mean I'm a bad person?"

Yamato shook his head and placed his hands on Sui's shoulder. "No, it means you're human."

"Eh?" Sui blinked at his words.

"Humans feel emotion and there is nothing wrong when you feel anger and wanting vengeance for your home and clan. Eye for an eye, as they say. However, you must remember that you can't let your anger and hatred control you. Remember, there is a fine line between righteous justice and senseless vengeance," Yamato told her.

"Yamato-sama…" Sui muttered.

"You said it like it was easy to you, Yamato-sama," Tanpopo quipped as she put down the bucket and crossed her arms under her breasts. "Have you ever hated someone so much before?"

"I admit I never hated someone so much before, not even Karin with her decision to attack our home, but I have seen what hatred and vengeance can do to people," Yamato answered to her question. "But know this, hatred will bring more pain and pain will bring more hatred."

"It's like an endless cycle," Sui muttered.

"Yeah, and it's up to you, me, and us all to end that vicious cycle," Yamato nodded.

Tanpopo hummed thoughtfully before asking, "Just what do you read to be this wise, Yamato-sama?"

"Plenty," Yamato answered shortly. He knew Sui and Tanpopo wouldn't have a clue about anime, manga, and video games of his era.

Sui shook her head and smiled at Yamato. "Still, thank you for telling me this, Yamato-sama. Talking to you like this relieved a lot of burdens from me. I'm still not sure if I can forgive Sousou for what she had done to me and my family, but I'm very sure that with given time, I could let go of my hatred."

"Good." Yamato nodded. "And if you're still having doubts, take this quote to heart: "One that drowns in one's self will eventually fall into darkness.""

"Um, what's that supposed to be mean?" Tanpopo asked as Sui blinked in confusion.

"I'm sure you will understand. Besides, where is the fun when you can find the meaning by yourself than me telling you?" Yamato winked and Sui pouted slightly.

"Fine, I'm going to find out what you mean by that, Yamato-sama."

"Good luck with that, Sui-oneechan. We all know that you're not–OWOWOWOWOWOW!" Whatever Tanpopo wanted to say was lost with the noogie Sui gave to her.

"Are you saying I'm an idiot, Tanpopo!?"

"No! I'm just saying you're not the sharpest spear around! OWOWOWOWOWOWOW! It hurts! I give! I give!"

Yamato laughed at their interaction. He was glad that Sui and Tanpopo were at least doing alright. He wished it would be as smooth with Ruo and Sou when he managed to talk to them.

"Sui, all I can hope is that you don't let your anger and hatred take over. Anger is a good motivator but a terrible master. If you let it take control, let it lead to hatred, then you won't be able to recognize friend from foe."

"I know, like I said, I don't think I will ever forgive Sousou for what she had done, but I won't let my anger and hatred cloud my judgement,"Sui answered.

"Just remember what's really important here. Right now, you're not just fighting to avenge your home and family. You're fighting to protect your new home and family."

"Yeah… I'm going to give it all to protect Shoku, our new home and family," Sui smiled assuringly.

"Does that means you're going to sleep with Yamato-sama and repopulate our clan?" Tanpopo quipped, only for Sui to give a harder noogie. "OWOWOWOWOWOWOWOWOWOW! Onee-chan~!"

While still giving Tanpopo a noogie and ignoring her earlier quip, Sui inquired, "Yamato-sama, I was wondering, are you ready to fight your best friend?"

Yamato sighed. Another reality of war was that friends would turn into foes. Even brother would go against brother if their ideals clashed. It was something he was trying to think hard about. Sooner or later, he would have to confront Shun because they were on opposite sides.

"I don't know if I'll ever be ready to fight Shun. I don't hate him, that's for sure."

"But if he was your friend, why doesn't he just abandon Sousou and join us?" Tanpopo inquired curiously.

"Shun takes his promises very seriously. I can't ask him to break his promise to her even if I wanted to. It's like I'm insulting his honor," Yamato sighed again. "That, and I know he was hiding something from me."

"Like what, Yamato-sama?" Tanpopo managed to ask.

"I don't know, but the last time we met, he is very eager to fight me like…" Yamato trailed off as his mind put the pieces together. "…Like he wanted to prove himself to me."

"Yamato-sama?"

"How could I've been so blind? What kind of friend am I?" Yamato let out a humorless chuckle. "All this time… I really have taken him for granted. He must have been putting up with everything about me… I really am an idiot."

"Yamato-sama… it's not your fault," Sui comforted him.

"Yeah, it's his fault for letting his insecurities get the best of him," Tanpopo added.

"I know that, still…"

"Look, both you and him are warriors now and there is no better way for warriors to speak than letting your actions speak for themselves," Sui offered with assuring smile.

Yamato stared at Sui for a moment before he smiled, "Who thought you could be so wise, Sui?"

"Surprising, isn't it Yamato-sama?" Tanpopo grinned before she cried out in pain as Sui gave her another noogie, "OWOWOWOWOWOWOWOWOW!"

"I can be smart sometimes if I need to," Sui glared at Yamato as he chuckled slightly.

"True enough. Still, thank you for your assurance Sui. And here I thought you could use some advice from me."

"You're welcome, Yamato-sama. What goes around, comes around," Sui replied, smiling. "All this time you gave advice and wise words to us, so it's fair enough when we offer our own advice to you when you need it."

With that, Yamato left Sui and Tanpopo to their devices while he went to check on the others. Thanks to Sui's insightful words, he was less burdened with the prospect of facing Shun as an enemy in the future. The thought still bothered him a little, but he decided to follow Sui's advice and let his actions speak for him.

While Yamato continued on with his impromptu inspection and added several more items to his mental checklist, another conversation took place in the Son Go camp of the allied army. Sheren and Kougai was having some sake along with Shion and Kikyou who Sheren had invited to. Renfa was also there futilely trying to stop her sister from drinking.

"Really, Onee-sama. Can you not at least drink in the middle of the day like this?" Renfa asked exasperatedly.

"It's alright, Renfa! Yamato already gave his permission to have the day off, so why don't we enjoy it to the fullest?" Sheren questioned back with a grin.

"And the best way to enjoy your day off is to have a bottle of sake with you," Kougai added, also grinning.

"Here, here!" Kikyou voiced her agreement.

Renfa groaned and palmed her face. "Urgh, I wish Meirin was here to rein you, Onee-sama."

"That's mean, Renfa," Sheren pouted.

Shion, the ever mature one, played peacemaker before the argument broke, "Now, now, I do not see the problem to relax between skirmishes once in awhile. Like Yamato-sama said, moments like this does not come often."

"I know that, but still, sake in the middle of the day?" Renfa questioned before she shook her head. "Even I am questioning the wisdom behind this."

"Then what do you propose, Renfa-sama?" Kougai asked.

A mental light bulb blinked on Sheren's head as she smiled in the way that made Renfa shudder. "Well~, how about we talk about Renfa's future husband? We have his generals here so why not ask some more?"

"Onee-sama… Must you?" Renfa hissed with a blush.

"Maa, maa, it's alright. There is no harm in asking some questions, right?" Sheren smirked impishly.

"Kikyou and I have just joined Shoku recently, so what we know of Yamato-sama is from what we have learned from the others," Shion answered before she smiled as she remembered a certain memory, "But I know for one thing that Yamato-sama is very good with children and will make a good father. He adores children and quoted that children are the most precious treasure in the world."

"Ah, I remember that. He said it after he rescued Riri, did he not?" Kikyou said and Shion nodded.

"Who is Riri, Kouchuu-dono?" Kougai asked curiously.

"She is my daughter from my previous marriage. Yamato-sama rescued her after Enshou blackmailed me to help her by holding her as a hostage," Shion answered.

"Say no more. I'm just surprised that Enshou would stoop that low," Sheren frowned before she grinned. "At the very least justice is served in the end."

Shion nodded and smiled in agreement.

"How do you know Yamato is good with children, Kouchuu-dono?" Renfa asked curiously.

"Riri and I spent a day together with Yamato-sama. He taught Riri a game using strings called Cat's Cradle, treating us for a lunch, telling a story to Riri, before tucking her to bed for her nap. If that is not enough to show how good Yamato-sama is with children, then I do not know what would," Shion smiled demurely.

After hearing the older woman's explanation, Renfa then imagined she was in Shion's place. She and Yamato looked a little older, together with a little girl that looked like her with Yamato's personality. Her older self watched with a smile as Yamato told a story to the their daughter. Somehow, that image enticed her so much that she wanted to make it a reality.

"And that is also enough to make you to say you want to start a family with Yamato-sama," Kikyou added with a smirk.

"Ara, is that true Kouchuu-dono?" Sheren asked in surprise which was also shared by Renfa.

"Hai. I can not think of a better person than Yamato-sama," Shion answered. "My previous marriage was nothing more than a duty to fulfill for my family. Right now, I want a family of my own choice and Yamato-sama is the best person for that."

"I see…" Renfa muttered with slight deflated look.

"But do not worry, Sonken-dono. I am well aware that I am not the only one who has feeling for Yamato-sama and not will be the last one, so I am willing to share him," Shion said, after she noticed the younger girl's plight.

"E-Eh? R-Really?" Shion nodded at her inquiry.

"As long as that girl genuinely loves and cares for Yamato-sama, then I have no problem to share him."

Renfa looked contemplative at that which caused Sheren to grin.

"Ara, looks like you're planning something, Renfa. Do you plan to confess to Yamato-kun soon?"

"I-It's not like that, Onee-sama! It's just… We're busy with the war against Sou Gi and I haven't spend much time to get know him personally," Renfa admitted as she looked down. "I doubt Yamato would appreciate if I suddenly tell him I love him. He already had enough of those kind of girls back home."

"Then why are you here? Go and get to know your man already!" Sheren was practically pushing Renfa out to look for Yamato.

"B-But Onee-sama!"

"No buts! Look for Yamato and chat with him or something!"

"B-But he must be busy with something else and I don't want to-!"

"Renfa? What's wrong?"

The pink-haired princess turned around to see Yamato with a confused expression, much to her own embarrassment. "Y-Yamato! What are you doing here?"

"I was doing a round to ask the soldiers what we need to be resupplied and other things they needed. I was passing through nearby when I heard a little commotion so I decided to check it."

Renfa threw her sister a dirty glare while the older woman waved her hand at her. "Maa, it's nothing to worry about. It's just an older sister worried over her younger sister's love life, or the lack of it."

Yamato only arched an eyebrow as Renfa was glaring even harder at Sheren. "So… What does it have to do with me?"

This time, it was Sheren's turn to glare at him. "Yamato, as your future elder sister-in-law I ask you to spend your free time with Renfa. How can I let the two of you married without knowing each other better?"

"Onee-sama! Honestly, you…!" Renfa grumbled before she stomped away angrily.

Yamato looked at the Son Go Princess and turned to Sheren who motioned for him to follow Renfa. Sighing, the King of Shoku followed Renfa as she left the vicinity.

"I think you went a bit too far, Sonsaku-dono," Shion frowned slightly.

"Perhaps, but I know that unless she was pushed Renfa would never make the first move," Sheren answered as she sipped her saucer.

"Renfa-sama has confidence issue, even if she is not showing it. She was afraid that she wouldn't be able to meet everyone's expectation of her," Kougai supplied helpfully as Sheren sighed.

"Perhaps, I too am at fault here. I was busy with campaigns after campaigns so I didn't spend much time preparing Renfa for her eventual duty as a ruler of Son Go." Sheren then chuckled humorlessly. "Some sister I am."

"Nobody is perfect, Sonsaku-sama. I too have been blind with my daughter's plea for having a complete family like any children out there," Shion comforted the Empress of Son Go before she smiled. "At the very least, I will do the best that I can to rectify that."

"Oh? It looks like you already have plan for that," Kikyou grinned.

"Hai. And it is something Yamato-sama will not foresee," Shion smiled demurely. "War is stressful at times after all."

Sheren and Kougai caught what she meant before they laughed.

"Renfa, wait!" Yamato called out as he tried to follow her but Sonken ignored him and kept on stomping away angrily.

"That Onee-sama, always trying to interfere in my love life…" Renfa grumbled. "Why can't she just leave me alone about it?!"

"Renfa!" Yamato called out as he finally caught up with her.

Renfa turned to him and sighed. "I am sorry for you to see that, Yamato."

"It's alright. Your sister is just teasing you. She did that a lot, right?"

"One too many for as long as I can remember," She sighed.

"You know that she cares about you right?"

"Yes, but she has the strangest way of showing how much she cares. But sometimes she went too far for my liking," Renfa huffed.

Yamato only sighed and shook his head. "She knows that she won't be always able to watch for you forever, so she pushed you to find someone who will be able to."

"And she believed that person is you," Renfa added as she sat on the ground and hugged her knees. After a moment of silence, the Princess of Son Go spoke up, "...I never asked for this, to be born as a girl who they place high expectations on. I feel I am not going to be able to live up Okaa-sama and Onee-sama's legacy. Sometimes I wished I was born as a normal girl living a normal life. Not this..."

"Renfa…" Yamato muttered. He then took a seat next to her and said, "Sometimes, life deals us an unfair hand, something that we never wanted. Still, that doesn't mean we have to give in under the pressure." Things were silent for before he added more. "As long as we give it our best and everything we have, then we can look at the result of our work and proudly say, "I have no regrets"."

"...Even if the end result is a failure?" Renfa asked quietly.

"What is failure and what is success?" Yamato questioned, causing the Son Go Princess to look at him in confusion. "No one could really tell. Success may be seen as failure and when a person says they have failed, another may see it as a great success. In the end, such things are contradictory, like justice and evil. The one who has the right to decide that, is yourself."

"I see…" Renfa said as she frowned thoughtfully.

"You're going to be okay Renfa. No matter what decision you make, your sisters and those that care will support you no matter what. We all have a responsibility we have to carry and they will help you shoulder whatever burden you have." Yamato then smiled at her. "Besides, you have me as your friend and ally, so it is my responsibility to help you."

Renfa smiled as she shook her head. "You really are one of a kind person, Yamato."

"Thank you for your kind words," Yamato replied with a smile.

Renfa then suddenly realized she was sitting alone with the boy she had strong feelings to and felt incredibly awkward. Her cheeks colored and turned red. "U-Um..." she ted to say but stumbled upon her own words.

Yamato turned to her with confused look, "Renfa?"

"A-Ah, i-it is nothing! I-It's just…" She then recalled Sheren's words to get to know him better. "C-Can you tell me more about yourself, Yamato? I-I mean, Yuki already told us, but I really want to know you better from yourself…"

"Sure. But it's probably nowhere as interesting as the childhood of Son Go's princess."

"You would be surprise with how boring my childhood was," Renfa shot back with an amused chuckle.

As Yamato and Renfa traded their childhood story and more of themselves, Yuki watched on from the distance with a smile on her face. Shaking her head in amusement, she decided to look for Sheren and tell her this. She was, after all, one of the people who agreed that Yamato and Renfa get married. For one, Yamato could get a lovely lady by his side to ease up his worry and loneliness and Renfa would get strong support for herself. Of course... Renfa would have to share with Aisha and the other girls that fell for him. But she was sure that her sworn sister would do just fine and may end up igniting the spark that would reveal her hidden potential.

"Good luck, Renfa-aneue, Harem Lord Yamato," Yuki chuckled to herself before before deciding to leave and look for Sheren. Hopefully she didn't drink herself silly.

The next day, Yamato and his army had marched out to another outpost where Kakouton and her fellow Sou Gi Generals were at. Thanks to the scouts who had returned on the last night with accurate intelligence on the next outpost, they had an idea of what they had to face on the next day. Kakouton had 67,000 men with her, coming from reinforcements from other outposts. Besides, this outpost was one of the checkpoints that directly lead to Luoyang so it was expected that it was heavily guarded. Shoku and Son Go army themselves had to leave some soldiers behind to man the new outpost and would receive reinforcements later. Currently, the Shoku and Son Go army had 45,000 soldiers with them, less than what they would face, but they knew they would win this one.

Yamato lowered his spyglass and frowned a little when he saw the soldiers stationed on the outpost looked confident and eager for the upcoming battle. Something must have happened and had boosted their morale.

"I don't like the looks on those soldiers. Do we have any new intelligence? I don't want us to be caught off guard," Yamato asked.

"I am afraid not, Yamato. The scouts have not returned yet. The worst may have happened to them," Renfa answered. For this battle, Sheren had appointed her as the field commander of Son Go Army and Yamato's second in command. The eldest of Son Clan daughter claimed she want to see how Renfa handles her leadership on battle, but Yuki quickly pointed out she just want to see Yamato and Renfa leading the army together.

Which made Renfa facepalm for her sister's antics.

"Then we just have to make due with what we have," Yamato replied sternly, switching to his battle mindset.

"Shall we proceed as we planned, Yamato?"

"Will do."

As Yamato and Renfa reviewed their battle plan, Touka and Aisha noticed something that made them frown a little.

"Is it just me… Or Yamato-sama and Sonken-san getting closer somehow?" Touka wondered.

"Somehow…" Aisha then shook her head. "But we have more pressing matters at hand and it will not do any good if our mind is distracted by something like this."

"I know that! But still…" Touka whined.

"If it is any comfort to you Ryuubi-san, you can blame Sheren-aneue for pushing Yamato and Renfa-aneue together," Yuki offered with apologetic smile which made Touka pout.

"And I just confessed to Yamato-sama too…" Aisha then rubbed Touka's back comfortingly.

"There, there Touka-sama. We just have to deal with it, will we not? After all, this will not be the last time we have to deal with our jealousy."

"Now I know how you feel, Aisha-chan," Touka sighed.

Shion was about to say something when she noticed movements in Sou Gi soldiers. "Yamato-sama! The enemy archers are about to fire!"

"Prepare for retaliation fire! Do not break our ranks and shields up!" Yamato ordered immediately as he strapped on his Sengoku Driver.

The soldiers did as they were ordered to. Even with their comrades shielding themselves with their shields, some soldiers fell to the opening barrage from Sou Gi Archers. Once the barrage ended, the Sou Gii soldiers then charged at the Shoku ands Son Go allied army.

Seeing this, Renfa took over the command and ordered out as she drew her sword, "All units, intercept and proceed as planned! Do not let their initial attack intimidate you! Show them your valor as the righteous and brave soldiers of Son Go and Shoku!"

As the soldiers of the allied army met their Sou Gi counterparts head on, Yamato, Yuki, and En'ya didn't waste their time to transform right away.

"Henshin!"

"ORANGE!"

"BUDOU!"

"KURUMI!"

"LOCK ON!"

"SOIYA! ORANGE ARMS! HANAMICHI ON STAGE!"

"HAI! BUDOU ARMS! RYU, HOU, HA-HA-HA!"

"KURUMI ARMS! MISTER KNUCKLEMAN!"

"Proceed as planned! Aisha, Sui, to me! Rinrin, Sei, Tanpopo and En'ya will lead the flank! Shion and Touka will provide support fire with Kikyou protecting them! Shuri, Hinari, I'm counting on you to direct our army with Renfa!"

"Yes, please leave it to us!" Shuri replied.

"We will do our best!" Hinari added.

"Alright, let's go!" With that, Gaim charged ahead with Aisha's infantry squad and Sui's cavalry squad following him as the spearhead of their formation, with the others as their support.

"Brave soldiers of Son Go! Do not fall behind before our allies and support them! Kannei Shuutai squad, move ahead to support the flank! Kougai squad will take command for Ryugen squad and Ryugen will help the vanguards!" Renfa ordered.

Hearing the order, Ryugen turned to the Son Go Princess questioningly. "Aneue?"

"Please go and help Yamato, Yuki," Renfa answered and bit her lower lip. "I… have feeling that he will need your help, somehow."

"...Understood," the green Armored Rider nodded before taking off to meet up with the vanguards.

(LINE)

Kakouton and Kakouen watched as the battle began from the middle of their formation. Kyouchou had gone ahead as a part of the frontliners to smash their defense and allowed the Sou Gi soldiers to push their enemy back.

"So it begins," Kakouen said as she used her superior sight to see what happened in the frontlines.

"Are we really going to use them, Shuuran?" Kakouton asked as she fingered her Sengoku Driver strapped on her waist. The blank plate on her left hand side was now sporting the image of an armored faceplate with rainbow colored visor and smooth mouthpiece. It also sported a faceguard like Baron. The Driver itself also sported a silver belt instead of yellow one, indicating it was an enhanced production model.

"We already gone through this before Shunran," Kakouen rolled her eyes. "If we want to have a chance to win against Kusanagi, then we have no choice but to use these belts and locks."

"I still say that old man is not trustworthy," Kakouton mumbled in discontent.

"I agree with you, but he knew Shun and gave him his new power so he is okay to me," Kakouen replied before muttering under her breath, "…for now, at least."

"So… How we should do this then?" Kakouton asked.

"Let me do it first," the younger twin answered as she reached for her Energy Lockseed. Like her sister, she also had her Genesis Driver strapped to her waist beforehand. "What does Shun say before he transforms again? Oh right, Henshin."

Kakouen unlocked her Lockseed, and a short, upbeat digital jazz music played as the Lockseed called out its name.

"BLUEBERRY ENERGY!"

A Crack opened above Kakouen's head and the Blueberry Energy Armor Parts descended from the Helheim Forest. It looked like a metallic blueberry with some light indigo panels on it. Steadying her breath, Kakouen secured the Energy Lockseed in the Drive Bay and pushed the Seaboll Compressor, opening the Lockseeed's cover sideways.

"LOCK ON!"

"SODA! BLUEBERRY ENERGY ARMS!"

The Blueberry Energy Armor Parts then landed on Kakouen's shoulder, forming a cyan body suit with black fabric on the torso. Her Genetic Ride Wear suit also sported black armored gauntlets and greaves along with cyan skirt-like fabric that hung from her waist. As this was happening, the Energy Lockseed played a longer digital upbeat jazz music as the Armor Parts disassembled. The top part shifted and folded along the right part to form a thick-looking shoulder armor with light indigo panel, similar to Zangetsu Shin's, while the left parts folded down to form a much simpler looking shoulder armor. The front parts folded down to form a chest plate with light indigo panel on the top half and Kakouen's Rider emblem on the left side which shaped like an eight-pointed starburst emblem with two circles that looked like eyes. As the rear part folded down, the armored visage of Kakouen's Rider form was revealed. The helmet was cyan like the rest of her suit, with light indigo eyepieces, similar to the panels in her armor and featured cable-like details. Her head crest was a gold four-pointed star with light green gem on the center and her helmet attachment was indigo with dark blue, half-x shaped decorations on each side. The Blueberry Energy Arms generated a blue 'juice' splash as it summoned a Sonic Arrow to its waiting hands.

"Shuuran?" Kakouton asked tentatively as she managed to close her gaping jaws.

"I feel incredible…and I didn't do anything yet," Kakouen marveled as she examined her armored form. "Now I see why Shun always feel confident when he donned his armor. It is really powerful."

"Is that so?" Kakouton asked as her twin nodded.

"I think, I will call myself as… Atalante in this form. Kamen Rider Atalante," the newly christened Kamen Rider Atalante said.

"…Who or what is that?" Kakouton asked in confusion.

"Shun told me it was the name of a famous huntress from his world, so I don't see why I shouldn't call myself that," Atalante answered with a hidden smile. "Now we will begin our counterattack. Get yourself ready, Shunran."

"Got it," Kakouton nodded as Atalante fiddled with her Sonic Arrow a bit.

"This slot here…" Atalante muttered to herself as she looked at the Drive Bay of her Sonic Arrow and her Energy Lockseed. "I think I can place my Lockseed here…" She then proceeded to remove her Energy Lockseed from her Genesis Driver.

"LOCK OFF!"

Atalante then placed the her Blueberry Energy Lockseed to her Sonic Arrow and locked it in place.

"LOCK ON!"

She then took aim and pulled the shaft of her Sonic Arrow to the fullest, channeling and focusing the energy from her Blueberry Energy Lockseed to the tip of her weapon. Blue energy orb coalesced around the tip, looking like a blueberry, and glowed brighter and brighter the longer she stretched the shaft. Atalante narrowed her eyes behind her mask as she released the shaft and pulled the trigger.

"BLUEBERRY ENERGY!"

The blueberry projection on the tip of Atalante's Sonic Arrow burst into a steady stream of energy arrow barrage that aimed for one target: Gaim who was too busy clearing the frontline.

The Azure War God was having his hands full with the tenacious Sou Gi soldiers when he noticed the finisher aimed at him. Knowing he wouldn't be able to dodge the attack in time, Gaim crossed his swords in front of him to protect himself. However, it was proved to be unnecessary as someone already had his back watched.

"HAI! BUDOU SPARKING!"

Purple energy bullets intercepted the hail of blue energy arrows and caused explosions in the air.

Gaim turned to Ryugen and called out, "Thanks, Yuki!"

Ryugen nodded. "Just be careful. Looks like Sou Gi has another Rider working with them."

Gaim nodded at that and parried a spear thrust and killed the soldier with a decapitation before slashing his Lockseed once to activate his finisher.

"SOIYA! ORANGE SQUASH!"

He swung his Daidaimaru in his left hand widely and the energy slash caught several soldiers that tried to surround the King of Shoku.

Back with Atalante, she frowned when she saw her preemptive attack was blocked by Ryugen, whom she found to be quite a marksman for being able to shoot out her energy arrows like that.

"Ryugen-dono is very good," Tei'iku observed.

Kakouton frowned a little. "Can I go fight Gaim now, Shuuran?"

"Go ahead. Try to stall him and the other Riders," Atalante answered.

The elder twin smirked at that. "I don't plan to stall him. I will defeat Gaim here and end this war!"

Atalante sighed and didn't say anything as her sister charged ahead. She really loved Kakouton, but sometimes she was too hotheaded, brash and cocky for her own good.

Turning to Tei'iku, Atalante said, "Take over the command for me. I will be joining the fight."

"Good luck," the blonde strategist nodded.

The Genesis Rider of Gi nodded back and joined the defense line to combat their enemy.

Gaim dodged under a spear stab and let Daidaimaru carved into his enemy's chest. He then pivoted on one foot and let Musou drew a crimson arc in the air as three more soldiers fell to join their deceased comrades. A Sou Gi infantry tried to rush bash him with his shield, but Gaim merely side stepped his charge and shot a single round on his back before he emptied his clip at the incoming soldiers. Not letting up his momentum, Gaim rushed ahead and let his blades danced around, with each swing felled two or three soldiers. It was on that instance that Gaim lived up his epithet as the Azure War God.

Not far behind, Ryugen let loose her Budou Ryuhou at the Sou Gi soldiers, occasionally kicking and punching at anyone who managed get close to her. She might be not as good as Gaim and Baron in close quarter combat, but she could defend herself well. She fired a continuous burst on a line of rushing soldiers before spinning around to fire a wide spreading barrage. She then paused briefly to assess the enemy formation before she hit the Cutting Blade on her Sengoku Driver.

"HAI! BUDOU AU LAIT!"

Ryugen jumped before firing several energy bullets at Sou Gi soldier's rank. The bullets exploded spectacularly, sending soldiers flying or blown to smithereens. Ryugen's finisher also had done its job to cause disarray in enemy's formation and created a breach in their defense line. Her analytical mind didn't waste more time to seize the opportunity immediately.

"Now is our chance, Yamato!" Ryugen called out.

"You heard her! Advance from the breach and push them back!" Gaim called out as he tapped the Cutting Blade once.

"SOIYA! ORANGE SQUASH!"

Gaim jumped high and kicked his right let out before he leapt through orange slices projection. His Burai Kick finisher tore through the rank of Sou Gi men and breached their defense line further.

"OOOOOOOOOHHHHHHHH!" Shoku and Son Go soldiers rallied as one as they went into breach with Sou Gi soldiers futilely trying to stop them.

Gaim then heard a familiar war cry and quickly rolled to the side and saw Kakouton's Seven Star Wolf Sword had it edge buried in the spot where he stood not a second ago.

"It's you again, Kakouton," Gaim frowned before he noticed what was strapped around her waist. "How did you get that?"

"So you finally noticed, huh?" Kakouton smirked as she held her Blackberry Lockseed ready. "It's time for some payback. Now the power of Heaven also belongs to me and Karin-sama will finally become the ruler of China!"

"Not if I can stop you!" Gaim retorted as he charged at Kakouton with Musou Saber and Daidaimaru brandished.

Kakouton blocked the double slash from Gaim with her sword held in one-hand. She grunted and felt her leg almost buckled from the blow, but she held strong and used her free hand to unlock the Blackberry Lockseed.

"BLACKBERRY!"

A crack opened above her head and the Blackberry Armor Parts descended from it. The Armor Parts looked like a pallet swap of Budou Armor Parts, with black replacing purple, lacking the stem on the top, and more gems on the side. It then rapidly descending to Gaim who backed off before the Armor Parts could hit him. Seeing her chance, Kakouton immediately locked her Lockseed in place, allowing it to play an European trumpet fanfare for a short time before she hit the Cutting Blade, revealing the core image which looked sliced blackberries and her Arms Weapon on the back lid image, a curved sword like Daidaimaru, only black and larger.

"LOCK ON!"

"COME ON! BLACKBERRY ARMS! LADY OF CONQUEST!"

The Armor Parts landed on Kakouton's shoulder before disassembled itself. Like the Budou Arms the front part folded in half and formed the circular, black gem-studded chestpiece while the top and back parts formed the back armor. The side parts folded down in half and formed black gem-studded shoulder armor. Her helmet was black, with silver faceguard that has blue gem on the forehead and dark purple visor. The helmet attachment was also black with purple highlights and two angular side decorations. Her visor lit up as her armor generated purple 'juice' splash as it summoned her Arms Weapon, a larger, black and purple version of Daidaimaru, called Kuromaru.

"Yes…! I can feel it!" the now transformed Kakouton clenched her fist as she felt power coursing through her. "With this power… I, Kakouton Genjou… no, Kamen Rider Kurokishi will make Karin-sama as the righteous ruler of China!"

Gaim facefaulted a little when he heard what Kakouton decided to call her Rider form. "Really now, Kurokishi? How original of you." The drawl was so thick with sarcasm that not even Kurokishi noticed it right off the bat.

"Don't you dare to mock me!" Kurokishi snapped.

"What if I did?" Gaim deadpanned.

"THAT'S IT! YOU'RE DEAD!" Kurokishi yelled before charging in at Gaim.

Gaim blocked her first blow with his Musou Saber and deflected it away before slashing with Daidaimaru. She dodged the slash and retaliated with another wide slash from her Kuromaru. Gaim jumped back to avoid the blade and emptied his clip on Kurokishi, only to frown as she blocked the bullets with the flat side of her weapon.

"Don't think that trick will work on me this time!" Kurokishi taunted before she charged at him with her blade brandished.

Gaim weaved and dodged between Kurokishi's furious slashes, blocking and parrying once in awhile. He noticed that Kurokishi was stronger and faster than his standard Orange Arms and her using the improved version of the Sengoku Driver clearly showed that she has the advantage over him.

'If I don't do something quick, she's going to overrun me,' he thought before he backed off to switch Lockseeds.

Fortunately for him, a back up in the form of Ryugen had arrived and fired at Kurokishi. The black Rider growled as she backed off to dodge the incoming fire.

"Damn it!"

"Forgot you're facing the both of us?" Ryugen taunted. She ducked under the Kuromaru and shot Kurokishi in the gut, sending her staggering backwards. The Jade Devil Dragon then landed a kick into Kurokishi's chest.

"Why you-!" Kurokishi growled as she hit her Cutting Blade once.

"COME ON! BLACKBERRY SQUASH!"

Kurokishi ran her hand across her sword as it glowed with purplish black energy. She then swung it at Ryugen and Gaim who managed to roll out of the way in the nick of time. Ryugen pulled the hammer of her Budou Ryuhou and fired at the black Rider. Kurokishi bit back a curse as she dodged the incoming energy bullets.

"Alright, now's my chance!" Gaim said as he swiftly removed the Rider Indicator off his Driver before snapping on the Genesis Core. He then unlocked his Cherry Energy Lockseed. "Time to give you a test!"

"CHERRY ENERGY!"

"LOCK ON!"

"SOIYA! MIX! JIMBER CHERRY! HA-HA!"

The Orange Arms reconfigured itself into its Armor Parts mode and fused with the descending Cherry Energy Armor Parts, forming the Jimber Armor Parts. The fused Armor Parts then landed on Gaim's shoulder before it disassembled itself to form his armor. it looked similar to his Jimber Lemon Arms, but the sides now sported cherry blossom motifs arranged similar to a pair of cherries.

Ryugen decided to switch Arms as well, knowing she needed to have the advantage as well.

"PINE!"

"LOCK ON!

"HAI! PINE ARMS! FUNSAI DESTROY!"

"Alright, Kakouton!" Gaim brandished his Sonic Arrow. "Let's finish this!"

"Don't think changing your armor will save you!" Kurokishi retorted before she charged at Gaim with a battle cry. However, her Kuromaru only hit empty air as Gaim disappeared in a red blur and she blinked in confusion. Not a second later, sparks exploded on her back and she staggered in pain. "AAAARRRGGHHH!"

She turned around and saw Gaim was there, only for him to blur away not a second later. She didn't have the chance to respond as the blur that was Gaim hit her repeatedly, knocking her around like a ragdoll, not allowing her to retaliate.

A brutal strike across her chest sent Kurokishi tumbling across the battlefield.

Atalante who just finished dealing with the first wave on the breach saw her sister tumbled away in courtesy of Gaim in his armored archer form. "Aneja!" She then aimed her Sonic arrow at Gaim and let loose several energy arrows.

Gaim heard the telltale of Sonic Arrow firing and blurred away just before the volley hit him. Atalante cursed and narrowed her eyes as she tried to nail Gaim with her arrows, but he was too fast for her. He moved so fast that even for her trained eyes she couldn't track his movement. After her last arrow missed the blur that was the Azure War God, she tried to shoot him again, only for him to blur too close to her and sent her tumbling away with a powerful uppercut slash.

"AAAAAAAAHHHH!"

"SHUURAN!" Kurokishi cried out for her sister and rushed at Gaim, only for Pine Iron coming down at her. She rolled to the side and the pineapple-shaped flail crushed the ground where she stood before.

"Your opponent is me, Kakouton," Ryugen stated firmly as she pulled her weapon back to her.

"Kuh… You may have saved me during the Anti-Toutaku Campaign Ryugen, but you will not getting in the way of Karin-sama's ambition!" Kurokishi growled as she held Kuromaru in two-handed grip.

Ryugen narrowed her eyes behind her mask and clenched her fist around the handle and chains of Pine Iron. "Her so called ambition will cause my best friends to fight each other. I will put down her ambition before my friends become its victims!"

"Ha! Big words from a little girl who couldn't do anything on her own!" Kurokishi taunted as she charged at Ryugen and swung her Kuromaru, which the Jade Devil Dragon blocked her blow with one of her weapons.

"You don't know anything, do you? A determined girl can make anything happen!" Ryugen retorted before she shoved Kurokishi away and took a swing on her.

"Fine then! Show me that determination of yours!" Kurokishi said as she blocked the Kiwi Gekirin easily.

Ryugen jumped back to gain some distance before she clashed with Kurokishi, trading blows back and forth.

"Haaaaaaaaah!" Aisha let out a battle cry as she slashed Green Dragon Crescent Blade at a group of Sou Gi soldiers, killing them instantly.

"Oraoraoraora!" Sui had her horse charging ahead while her Silver Flash swung right and left to strike down any unfortunate Sou Gi soldiers she encountered.

"Reinforce the offense line! Heavy infantry squad, take the point! Advance as deep as you can while Yamato-sama and Ryugen-dono hold off the enemy Riders!" Shuri ordered.

"En'ya-san! Please help our soldiers to breakthrough!" Hinari added.

"On it!" Knuckle said after she bashed several Sou Gi soldiers with her gigantic fists. The squire-themed Rider then slashed her Lockseed thrice.

"KURUMI SPARKING!"

Knuckle jumped up high as her Knuckle Bomber charged up with energy. She then fired two walnut-shaped projectiles with her fists before coming down with one Kurumi Bomber cocked back. The walnut projectiles exploded when they hit the ground, sending the defending Sou Gi soldiers flying, before Knuckle let out a battle cry as she smashed the ground with a bigger explosion. Her finisher created a walnut-shaped explosion that sent more Sou Gi soldiers flying to their death.

"All clear!" Knuckle called out to to the commanding officers.

"Alright everyone! Let's advance from the path En'ya-san opened for us! We have to end this battle quickly!" Touka urged.

"OOOOOOOOHHHHHHHHHHHH!" the allied soldiers of Shoku and Son Go roared their agreement as they pushed further, putting their Sou Gi counterpart in disadvantage.

"Hold the line! They can't advance further than this!" a Sou Gi captain barked out.

"Leave it to me!" Kyouchou declared boldly as she rushed at the spearheads of the allied army. With a single swing of her giant flail, she smashed apart the foremost attacker as and another swing saw the next line fell apart the same. She then twirled her weapon by its chains before hurling it straight at the lines of Shoku-Son Go army, punching through their ranks with a single attack. "C'mon guys! We can't let these jokers get through! Hold the line till Shunran and Shuuran are finished with Gaim and Ryugen!" Kyouchou rallied to her soldiers.

Just as finished rallying her orders, she heard a battle cry coming at her from above. She looked up and saw Rinrin ready to strike her from above. Kyouchou tossed her flail at the incoming redhead, but the Enhito batted it away with her Viper Spear. The Sou Gi General cursed as she was forced to roll aside to avoid Rinrin crushing her with her spear.

Rinrin grinned at Kyouchou and said, "Your next opponent will be Rinrin!"

"You again? Why are you always getting on my way, brat!?" Kyouchou demanded.

"Onii-chan told Rinrin to take care of you, so Rinrin will do just that!" Rinrin shot back, without missing a beat.

"Gaim might be strong, but he won't defeat Shunran and Shuuran 'cause they're stronger now!" Kyouchou rebutted.

"Nuh uh! Onii-chan is much stronger! He's waaaaay stronger than anyone!" Rinrin denied.

"Oh yeah!? Well I'm sure I'm a lot stronger than you are!" Kyouchou boasted before she threw her flail at Rinrin.

The redhead knew exactly how to deal with her and her weapon. She often sparred with Yamato as Gaim in his Pine Arms and her Onii-chan had given her pointers. Now was the time to apply it.

"Remember, Rinrin. When an opponent strikes with a flail, do not dodge it. A skilled opponent knows how to control its move and they still can hit you . So the first thing you do is bat it away as hard as you can, to make them lose control of their weapon."

With Yamato's advice in her mind, Rinrin batted the incoming flail with her spear. It was hard enough to make her lose control of it for a moment, much to Kyouchou's surprise.

"Eh?"

"Then while they're still trying to regain control, get in close and hit them. If they avoid it or block it, surprise them with something."

Without missing a beat, Rinrin charged at Kyouchou fast and the pink-haired general of Sou Gi dodged to the side to avoid the Viper Spear. However, it was for naught when Rinrin shifted her grip on her spear and smashed the butt of her weapon to Kyouchou's cheek.

"GUH!"

"Nyaha! Got ya!" Rinrin boasted.

"Why you little-!" Kyouchou gritted and jumped back to gain distance. She rubbed the spot where Rinrin had hit her and felt it swelling a little.

"Is that all you got?" Rinrin grinned as she twirled her spear, got into a stance and motioned Kyouchou with her hand to come get it.

"You'll pay for that!" Kyouchou yelled and tried to smash Rinrin with her flail, but once more Yamato's teaching showed its result.

"Chained flail may be useful with its power and range, but they can be also its weaknesses. Its power comes from its weight. The bigger it is, more powerful yet slower it would be. Its chains may provide extra range, but can be distracting as well, as you can use it to your advantage to prevent your enemy from attacking. Also, there will be noticeable gaps in between their attack, so use your speed to hit hard and fast."

Rinrin carefully parried and dodged the chain flail that was sent towards her and used her speed to jump up and balance on the chain like it was a tightrope before running on it, much to Kyouchou's surprise. Once she was close enough, she forcefully shoved the butt of her spear to the chain link, locking them to the ground before she unleashed a nasty straight at Kyouchou. The pink-haired girl was surprised once more at her maneuver but managed to put a hasty block that sent her tumbling several meters.

"Guh! Damn it!" Kyouchou cursed.

"Nyahaha, what's wrong? I thought you said you're gonna make me pay!" Rinrin laughed.

"Don't underestimate me!" Kyouchou gritted her teeth as she got up. "I still got a few tricks up my sleeve!"

"Then bring it!" Rinrin said as she charged at Kyouchou and unleashing a roundhouse kick.

Kyouchou blocked the kick with her forearm, wincing slightly at the power behind it, before retaliating with a straight punch which the redhead dodged easily. The petite general of Shoku disengaged from Kyouchou before unleashing a series of kicks and punches. As much as she hated it, Kyouchou was at disadvantage here since her hand-to-hand combat wasn't as good as Rinrin. She always believed her trusty weapon was all she needed, but here she was proven wrong.

Unlike her, Rinrin was trained in hand-to-hand combat by Yamato, so did her follow Generals. His reasoning was simple and sound: What will you do when your opponent disarmed you? Thus, Yamato had his generals refining their hand-to-hand combat, including Shion as a precaution. He even transformed into Kurumi Arms using a spare Kurumi Lockseed to help them in their training.

The result spoke for itself as Rinrin dominated her fight with Kyouchou. The pink-haired General was pushed to be defensive as she blocked and dodged Rinrin's blows the best she could, but she was getting pushed into a corner.

"OOOOOORYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!" Rinrin shouted as delivered rain of punches and kicks at Kyouchou who was doing her best to block her furious attacks.

Finally, Rinrin's kick broke through her defense and the redhead launched a brutal hook that sent Kyouchou tumbling away.

The pink-haired general rolled on the ground several times before she stood up and glared heatedly at Rinrin as she wiped the blood off from the corner of her lips. "…You damn midget…!"

"Yosh! Time to finish this up!" Rinrin grinned eagerly as she cracked her knuckles. She was about to charge at Kyouchou again when several arrows struck the ground before her. "Nyaaa!" she cried out in surprise as she dodged several more arrows.

Kyouchou turned around and grinned at Tei'iku, knowing this was her handwork. "Thanks, Fuu!"

Tei'iku only nodded before narrowing her eyes at Rinrin. No one hurt her friend and got away with it. She held her hand out as she ordered, "Do not let Chouhi retrieve her weapon. Surround and encircle her in."

The archers did as they told to and were hailing arrows at Rinrin who dodged them the best she could. The petite redhead tried to reach for her weapon, but each time she got close, arrows stopped on her track. Growling in frustration, Rinin tried to get her Viper Spear again, but Kyouchou already on her case.

"You'll pay for hitting me!" the dark-skinned pinkette yelled as she struck Rinrin with a powerful straight.

Rinrin blocked her blow with a grunt of effort before backpedalling to gain some distance. "Mou! You're really annoying!"

"You're more annoying than I am!" Kyouchou retorted and she lashed out with a kick which the redhead dodged.

The youngest of Shoku's Tiger Generals tried to counter, but Tei'iku already had her archers to limit her movements with their arrows. "Hey! You guys are cheating!"

"This is war. Everything is permittable," Tei'iku responded in her usual tone to Rinrin calling her out.

Her archers fired at her again, but this time a green and black blur knocked the arrows away before they could hit their intended target. Tei'iku and Kyouchou grimaced while Rinrin smiled widely as she saw a familiar figure.

"Aneja!"

"Are you alright, Rinrin?" Aisha asked, her gaze never leaving Kyouchou, Tei'iku, and their men.

"Yup! Thanks for the help!"

Aisha nodded and smiled slightly. "Good. Now retrieve your weapon so you can join me in the fight."

"Will do!" Rinrin then dashed for her precious Viper Spear.

"Stop her!" Kyouchou barked out to her men.

Several Sou Gi soldiers moved to intercept Rinrin before she retrieved her weapon. However, a white and blue blur put an end to their attempt. Red flashed right and left as the soldiers cried out in pain before falling down, dead.

"Have a room for another?" Sei smirked.

"Thanks Sei!" Rinrin grinned as she managed to get her spear back.

"Damn it…" Kyouchou cursed. This… wasn't looking good for her. Facing three of the famed Tiger Generals of Shoku weaponless was nothing but sort of a suicide and it seemed that Tei'iku realized this too.

The sleepy-looking strategist narrowed her eyes and ordered out. "Everyone cover for General Kyouchou as she recover her weapon. Archers and infantries, keep the Tiger Generals busy."

The archers loaded arrows to their bow and took aim at Aisha and the others. The Generals of Shoku dodged the incoming arrows and fought against the soldiers who rushed at them. They knew it was only a distraction, so they quickly dealt with the soldiers. But the Sou Gi soldiers were tenacious bunch so when they finally dealt with the soldiers, Kyouchou already retrieved her weapon.

Aisha saw this and narrowed her eyes at the younger girl. "Give it up. You can not hope to win against us three."

"We won't know if we don't try!" Kyouchou retorted, keeping up the bravado even if really she wasn't really confident with her chances.

Rinrin narrowed her eyes at Kyouchou before she spoke up. "Ne, Aisha-Aneja. Let me handle her. You and Sei can keep the soldiers off of my back, 'kay?"

"Rinrin… Are you sure?" Aisha inquired, sending worried glance at her younger sister figure.

"You must be want to settle the score with her," Sei surmised and Rinrin nodded.

"Yeah, besides Rinrin promised Onii-chan to deal with her and I'll keep my words."

Aisha stared at her younger sister-figure and smiled. "Very well. Be careful alright?"

"You don't have to worry with these jokers. They simply no match to us," Sei smirked as she got Dragon Tooth ready and standing back to back with Aisha.

"Right! Let's go!" Rinrin yelled as she charged at Kyouchou who spun her flail above her head.

"I'll make you pay for hitting me ten… no, a hundred times fold!" Kyouchou shouted as she tossed her flail.

Rinrin batted it away as usual and kept charging ahead at Kyouchou. "Then come and get it! Rinrin wants to see you try!"

As Rinrin and Kyouchou locked in combat once more, Aisha and Sei were fighting against the Sou Gi Soldiers under Tei'iku's command. The said blonde strategist was doing her best to direct her men, but two of the Tiger Generals were too good for them. She was getting frustrated with little progress she had now, but didn't show it outwardly and only narrowing her eyes in annoyance.

"Archers, focused barrage. Aim for Kan'u and Chou'un," Tei'iku commanded.

The archers complied and let loose a focused volley on Aisha and Sei, but both of them dodged the hail gracefully and killed several infantries as they did so, much to Tei'iku's chagrin.

Aisha swung her Green Dragon Blade and killed several soldier in one swipe. An axeman take a swing on her, but she blocked the blow with ease and kicked him in the gut. As he staggered, Aisha quickly ended his life by decapitating him in the head.

Sei meanwhile, danced around the soldiers as her Dragon Tooth Spear flashed right and left, killing any soldiers caught in her deadly dance. She somersaulted to avoid a spear before landing three-point on the ground and swung her spear at the axeman, digging deep into his chest and killed him.

Another volley aimed at them, but Aisha and Sei avoided the arrows with grace of a pair of dancers and stood back to back against each other.

"Ara, this reminds of our fight against the Yellow Turbans," Sei remarked with a chuckle.

"Unlike back then however, our enemies now are better trained and more coordinated," Aisha replied stoically.

"True, but it is not enough to stop me," Sei smirked as she twirled her bident in her hands. "I will not fall here before Yamato-sama makes me his mistress!"

Aisha only sighed at her bold claim. It seemed that her fellow general was dead set on joining Yamato's flock. "That is one good motivation to have. Shall we speak more after this fight?"

"Do I have your permission to join in, Aisha?" Sei asked with surprised look before she chuckled. "Ara, you sure know how to make a girl's day."

"Hmph, we will see about that," Aisha retorted with a smirk before she rushed at the Sou Gi soldiers.

Sei smirked back at her before dealing with the Gi soldiers in her batch as well.

The sister Riders of Kurokishi and Atalante was not having a good day. Sure, becoming a Kamen Rider helped them to even the odds against Shoku and Go, but they quickly found out it was an entirely different matter when fighting against more experienced Riders such as Ryugen and Gaim. Kurokishi could handle Ryugen just fine and Atalante could overpower her easily as she was a Genesis Rider. It was Gaim that gave them so much trouble with his new found speed that provided by his new form. Not even Atalante's superior eyesight could follow his movements or Kurokishi's battle honed instinct and reflex could predict and keep up with his attacks.

The end result for the sisters was, they were receiving the other end of the beatdown instead of what they had expected when they donned their armor.

"Damn you…! Hold still!" Kurokishi cursed as she tried to hit Gaim with her Kuromaru, but it was for naught as Gaim blurred away from her. It wasn't a second later that Gaim hit her rapidly as he blurred around her and knocked Kurokishi around. A brutal slash to her chest sent her tumbling to the ground harshly.

"You're a good fighter, Kakouton, but you don't have half the experience I have with that gear!"

"K-Kisama…!" Kurokishi growled as she tried to stand up.

Gaim then heard the beeping noise of Sonic Arrow primed before he blurred away, just as an energy arrow soared where he was not a second ago. Atalante cursed before she strafed more energy arrows at Gaim who dodged her shots with ease. As much as she tried to follow his movements he was too fast for her to get a proper lock on.

"Why I can't keep up with him!?" Atalante hissed, her frustration surfaced in her tone.

"Instead of focusing to me, you should have pay more attention to your surrounding," Gaim teased.

Atalante's eyes widened behind her mask just as an announcement rang.

"HAI! PINE AU LAIT!"

She quickly rolled to the side just in time to dodge the yellow dragon-shaped aura-covered Pine Iron smashed the ground where she was before. She turned and saw Ryugen staring at her as she retrieved her Pine Iron.

Atalante cursed under her breath, knowing that she and her sister was at a disadvantage once more. In their excitement to even the odds with Shoku and Son Go and becoming Riders themselves, they forgot to factor in Gaim and Ryugen's experience with their Sengoku Drivers and Lockseeds. Not only they have months of experience under their belt, they also have more in-depth knowledge with their Sengoku Drivers and Lockseeds. It was a blunder on their part and now they would pay for it.

"Do not get cocky, Kusanagi-dono! We can still fight!" Atalante said, blustering the best she could.

"Do you really think I would buy that?" Gaim retorted, not falling for her bluster, before he fired a volley of energy arrows at Atalante.

The Genesis Rider cursed and rolled away before she retaliated with her own barrage, but Gaim used the super speed of Jimber Cherry Arms to get away and retaliated with his own shots.

Atalante quickly rolled to the side while during mid-roll fired another single shot towards Gaim. Only in an attempt aimed to one side and fired a barrage of arrows almost trying to predict where Gaim would move in his speed enhanced state. However, Gaim read what she tried to do and quickly moved in a sharp zigzag pattern to avoid Atalante's barrage. Atalante cursed and rolled to one side as Gaim fired a single shot at her and she tried to retaliate, only for Gaim to suddenly speed up and get close to her and unleashed a brutal uppercut slash on her. The Genesis Rider sent tumbling as she cried out in pain.

"SHUURAN!" Kurokishi called out to her sister as she blocked Ryugen's Pine Iron. She growled and kicked her in the gut harshly. "Out of my way!"

"Guh!" Ryugen grunted before she looked up to see Kurokishi sliced her Lockseed once.

"COME ON! BLACKBERRY SQUASH!"

Black-purplish energy wreathed around Kuromaru before she slashed it at Ryugen, sending her tumbling away as sparks exploded on her armor.

"AAAAAAAAAAAHHHHH!"

"Yuki!" Gaim called out before he blocked Kurokishi's sudden attack.

"You're next, Gaim! You'll pay for hurting my sister!" Kurokishi said triumphantly.

"I don't think so! You will pay for hurting my sister!" Gaim roared before he shoved Kurokishi with his super speed, causing her to stumble backwards. He then sliced his Lockseeds twice to activate the finisher function.

"SOIYA! ORANGE AU LAIT! JIMBER CHERRY AU LAIT!"

Gaim's Sonic Arrow glowed red and orange across its edges before he ran around Kurokishi, becoming a spinning red blur that entrapped Kurokishi inside. The black Rider looked around warily before she was struck from behind, causing her to stumble away to another side and was struck again now in the chest and sent stumbling away once more. It looked like a sick game of pinball as Gaim struck Kurokishi over and over again as the Rider of Sou Gi stumbled around inside the red encirclement. Focusing his energy for one last blow, Gaim then slashed Kurokishi with all of his might as the red encirclement faded away.

Explosions engulfed Kurokishi before she sent sprawling on the ground, reverting back to Kakouton. She groaned in pain and mustered whatever left of her strength to glare at Gaim. "D-Damn you…"

"Aneja!" Atalante called out in worry as she saw her sister was struck by Gaim and knocked out of her transformation. She then removed her Blueberry Energy Lockseed from her Genesis Driver and loaded it to her Sonic Arrow.

"LOCK ON!"

Atalante pulled the shaft of her Sonic Arrow to its fullest as bluish energy converged on the tip of her Sonic Arrow. Gaim heard her preparing to unleash her finisher and reacted accordingly by doing the same with his Cherry Energy Lockseed.

"LOCK ON!"

Atalante fired at Gaim, aiming carefully so her attack would not hit her sister. The converged energy burst into a volley of energy arrows swarming at Gaim. The Azure War God used his super speed to dodge the volley as he hit the Cutting Blade once before he fired his Sonic Arrow.

"SOIYA! ORANGE SQUASH! CHERRY ENERGY!"

Gaim fired his Sonic Arrow, firing an energy arrow surrounded with red sphere similar to that of cherry's fruit, connected by a green thick rope made of energy that connected to the Sonic Arrow's tip where another cherry fruit was. The arrow struck Atalante, stunning her before Gaim ran toward her as he pulled his Sonic Arrow, causing Atalante to be pulled toward him.

The Genesis Rider of Sou Gi could only watch as Gaim did a leaping roundhouse kick with his right leg covered in flaming orange energy.

"ORYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!" Gaim swung his leg at her, the arc his leg drew created an image of orange slice, which caused an explosion that tossed Atalante away. Gaim landed on his knee as his adversary rolled on the ground and her transformation cancelled.

Kakouen groaned in pain and could only watch as Gaim turned to her and slowly stalked toward her. However before he could come closer, several soldiers intercepted him.

"General Kakouen! Please retreat me immediately with General Kakouton! We will hold Gaim off while you escape!" A soldier informed her before he and his comrades tried futilely to stop the Azure War God's advance.

Nodding and muttering her reluctant thank you she slowly stood up and headed toward her sister who had just stood up, recovering slightly from the beating she received.

"Come, aneja. Let's get out of here. We can't stay here any longer," Kakouen urged to her stubborn sister.

Kakouton gnashed her teeth angrily. It was so close…! To think she has to once more swallowed the bitter pill of defeat and allowed her precious Karin-sama's name to be tarnished once more… It was maddening. And just when she thought she could avenge her previous defeat too…!

"Aneja…!" Kakouen reminded her sister.

"Fine…!" Kakouton growled as she and Kakouen retreated as fast they could with their injuries. The black-haired warrior glared balefully at Gaim who was busy dealing with the foot soldiers of Sou Gi who were buying time for their generals. "I swear on my ancestor's grave… You will pay for this indignity, Kusanagi…!"

Gaim and his allies finally managed to clean up the rest of the Sou Gi soldiers. But unfortunately, Kakouton, her sisters and their fellow Sou Gi Generals managed to get away along with some of the soldiers. No doubt they had retreated to their newest outpost.

"What is the casualty count?" Gaim asked turning to his allies, wondering how much of their forces had been dwindled by the Sou Gi forces.

"We're still counting them as we speak, but our rough estimate is around 10,000 to 11,000 men were lost today from either us Shoku and Son Go," Shuri reported.

Gaim frowned as he cancelled his transformation. "It's more than I anticipated."

"We can not always predict what our enemies will do. Neither of us expected that Kakouton and Kakouen became Riders," Renfa placated.

"But how did they get their hands on the Lockseeds, the Sengoku and the Genesis Drivers?" Touka wondered.

"I can only think of one person who is all for fair play and even odds in this," Yuki answered thoughtfully.

"Sagara…" Yamato finished with a grimace.

"Who is this Sagara you are talking about?" Sheren asked.

"It's kind of complicated, but you can say he is a kind of person who sees everything as a game that must be played fairly by both sides. If there is one side that was at a disadvantage, he will intervene and aid the losing side," Yamato explained.

"He thought the war as a game?" Touka looked aghast at that.

"Not just the war, but everything in this world is a game to him. He is also a fairly manipulative person so every scenario would fit for the grand scheme of his design," Yamato added. "Just be wary when you meet an old man that seems to appear out of thin air. That is Sagara and don't fall for his words no matter how good it sounds like."

"We will be on our guard, Yamato-sama," Aisha nodded.

"Good, now let's finish tallying up our loss before we have our debrief. If you're wounded, have the medics to tend to your wounds," Yamato ordered.

As the sun slowly lowered itself in the horizon, so ended another day in the Campaign against Sou Gi. Yamato couldn't help but wonder how the war would go on from this point. With Sagara's intervention and more unknown factors, might as well prepare for the worst happened in the future. Speaking of which, he wondered how Shun was doing right now. No doubt he was preparing himself for their eventual confrontation in battle.

It would happen soon and Yamato knew it. The question was, is he truly prepared for that?

A/N: I have no excuse for this very, very late update. I'm sorry for being so tardy *do the dogeza*. Between going through what I would call Marvel Hype Phase, the release of Episode 3 and 4 of Fate/Grand Order and the following events, and RL business, this is what I got. Again, I'm sorry. Per usual, let me know what you think of this chapter by leaving a review. Or if you're playing FGO too if you see user named 'Takumi' in Hiragana with Saber Shiki Ryougi as main servant, that's me. Feel free to add me in your friend list. I will make some room soon. I also sometimes switches with Artoria, Scathach, or Karna. And speaking of Fate series, I'm writing a story about it too. So yeah, I also have been juggling ideas around. I already have clear storyline and what to do. If you're fans of Shirou Emiya and Jeanne d'Arc, wait for it. Those two will be the main character for that fic. See you around and have a nice day.