[DreadBringer]

Kamen Rider Gaim watch

The Overlord Saga

Episode 32: The Strongest Power! Kiwami Arms

Written by: Gen Urobuchi, Directed by: Hidenori Ishida

Knuckle and Baron joins Marika and Kurokage Troopers' battle against Demushu. Knuckle uses Au Lait finisher which got shrugged off by Demushu, who rains fireball on the Riders. The Riders keep dodging Demushu's fireball spam, and it's actually a worked strategy for the Riders, as Demushu is enraged and the Riders notice that he's weakened, with Knuckle and Baron getting upper hand. This is a triumphant moment for both Riders, especially noteworthy for Zack, who uses standard Sengoku Driver, and that neither Riders are injured. The Yggdrasill uses this chance to distract both Riders using Dandeliner, but this instead gives Demushu a chance to escape, blowing everyone away with a huge fireball. Duke is enraged at his missing chance.

In Helheim Forest, Roshuo and Redyue are talking, probably about Demushu invading the human world. Takatora arrives, giving Sid's hat to Redyue, as she walks away. Roshuo informs Takatora that "he" attacks his world, likely refering to Demushu, to Takatora's surprise. As Micchy receives Sid's hat, Micchy notes that Sid's finished, and Redyue claims that she knows Sid can't get past Roshuo, and that they should use different tactic. Redyue sees others as tools, and the only remaining part of Sid being his hat is the equivalent of broken machine that leaves only the metal scrap for Redyue.

As Mai nurses Kouta on bed, Chucky and Peko visits the garage, reporting the situation that the monster has retreated with Zack and Baron looking for him, but notes that there's a lot of damage and that the Overlords are different Inves. They still lament about the shut down communication, as there are no signals, or nets, or calling ambulance for Kouta. Yggdrasill sends several Kurokage Troopers in streets to take care of the existing Inves, as a bystander in a building refers them as Yggdrasill thugs. Kaito and Zack, who also watches, had Zack being happy that the Beat Riders will finally have their names cleared. However, Kaito starts taking the commanding role here, telling Zack to focus on the bigger picture, especially regarding how Demushu likely possesses the same biology as Inves, which means... Demushu also can eat Helheim fruit to power up, which he does in sewers.

Kouta wakes up, who Mai tries to keep him on the bed due to injuries. As Kouta throws questions, Mai reports the same thing as Chucky and Peko did above, with Mai clarifying that it's an Overlord. Remembering Demushu's omnicidal thoughts, Kouta got frustrated about the fact that he's only full of hatred and causing fights. Sagara pops in, repeating Demushu's reason of envy against humans as their race went extinct without turning back (which is, as Kouta pointed out, Demushu's fault). Micchy asks Redyue about her motivation to want Fruit of Knowledge, which she answers tp gain king's power, and also wants to not only rule, but also something to toy, as she deems wasteland like Helheim Forest as pointless. Redyue had taken interest of humans as Roshuo changed Femushinmu to the way they're now, but humans instead develop the Drivers, which is a different, 'safer' path. She also remarks that Demushu's brute force approach is detrimental as he enters human world without thinking. Redyue too, had longed to see the human world, but she puts more thought in it to wait for an excuse to Roshuo, and she got 1 now, while being able to sense her servant on Earth. Redyue reopens the artificial crack on Yggdrasill's lab.

Kouta questions Sagara about Overlord's cruelty, as he nonchalantly answers that Demushu's only the beginning, comparatively a kitten. The miscommunication is cleared up here, in a similar manner as Takatora's "evil without reason" to Kouta before, as Kouta thought Sagara lied to claim that Overlords can help saving the world, as Sagara pointed out that he only stated that Overlords are the ruler of the forest and Kouta jumped into conclusions. Kouta feels he has no option left, and asks what he should do, but Sagara claims he got the hints now. As Kouta views Sagara as a troll now, Sagara heals Kouta's wounds, and clarifies that, he meant that Overlord level of power is needed to save the world, not that he can ask for help to the current Overlords. Which means, the only solution is Kouta has to become an Overlord himself, by passing the forest's trials and claim the golden fruit, which can only be obtained by 1, thus he had to beat everyone who also aims for the fruit. This practically lumps Kouta together with the other, more depraved characters, like Ryoma. But this takes Bando's view of power into account that power itself has no morality, it depends on the people who uses it. Mai doesn't take this news well, as she notes that Sagara doesn't tell him everything, thus he's untrustworthy. Sagara agrees that it's in his best interest to do this, as he presents the Kiwami Lockseed, while he freezes both Kouta and Mai.

Redyue commences her plan, that her way to visit the human world is more thoughtful than Demushu's, by spreading the Helheim's plants throughout the whole Yggdrasill Tower, to Duke's disbelief, with one of the workers calling out Duke in panic. Zack and Kaito witness Yggdrasill Tower's transformation from being merely tree-shaped, into an actual tree, and the Inves army spreads in bigger scale than anything seen before. The Yggdrasill gets a taste of their own medicine as the members can't communicate just like how Master Intelligent System shuts down everyone's communication. But Duke instead acts cowardly, in a similar manner as Micchy, by leaving Marika and everyone else to their fates as he evacuates via a rocket. Marika did claim that Duke will betray everyone for power... but she's the one getting the treatment now. Knuckle and Baron joins the fight, but other than that, a much improved Jonouchi appears, being able to Rider Kick an Inves in his human mode, boasting about his pâtissier training, before he henshins into Gridon. Due to that, his Rider stint is improved enough that he can take on Lion Inves and cause actual damage with his hammer. Oren arrives too by Rider Kicking another Inves, telling Marika to not only watch over, as she wonders why he helps. Oren retains his view of amateur that he declares the kids as such for fighting only to not lose, considering those as stubbornness, but due to likely knowing now that the Beat Riders are not the root of the Inves, he'd watch over those kids instead as he henshins into Bravo. This means that Oren can be convinced, but he needs a super clear and elaborate evidences. Baron continues his commanding role, telling the Riders to not use unnecessary movements and wasting energy, stay calm, watch each other, and holding line. This even earns him compliment from Gridon and Bravo, with Marika notes that Baron has united them all. Baron is a charismatic individual, and this trait of his has caused friction in Beat Riders team before in his Team Baron, but here, it's finally utilized to unite fighters against common threat. As Duke had abandoned her, Marika completely switched into Baron's side, not that it's not implemented before. The evolved Demushu suddenly arrives, with added horns on his body.

Mai questions Sagara's motive of using Kouta, which again, answered with how he wants to prolong the game of fighting for Forbidden Fruit, and what he does to keep it interesting is giving potent powers to the wild cards. Kouta fights through Sagara's freeze to reach the Kiwami Lockseed, despite Mai's protests. Kouta knows that Kaito and others are fighting outside and that without extra power, nothing would change, and thus it's his obligation to help them and desire more power by taking the Kiwami Lockseed. As this would be putting himself into danger without much thoughts for himself, Mai would object to this, warning Kouta that he did more enough, but Kouta embraces his hero complex here, he reaffirms that due to the serious situation now, his deeds will never be enough for him. If Mai wants to prevent Kouta to pick that or going out, what'd she want then as a solution for Kaito and others? As Mai would be concerned for Kaito, Zack, etc. too. I'd like to see more of Mai's counterarguments against Sagara there, like the Kaito's conversations for example. As Kouta picks up the Kiwami Lockseed, they're released from Sagara's hold as he disappears. Kouta falls in a cabinet of playing cards, this would be a reference of Blade, compounded with the claim for Kouta to become Overlord, like Blade where Kenzaki eventually becomes the Joker Undead. I know this can feel like cheat or unfair advantage in Kouta's behalf for him getting power ups, but meta-wise, this can be that as Kouta is someone who embodies the Kamen Rider virtue the most, he's gifted with the much needed powers that would work with his traits to overcome his.. no, everyone's odds.

Evolved Demushu fights against all the Riders there at once, Baron, Knuckle, Marika, Bravo, and Gridon. The Riders each use their finisher attacks, but evolved Demushu shows off its upgraded power by absorbing all the attack force, and sends them back at each Riders. He then uses fireball, that with evolved form, can spread out to each Riders coming from 1 ball. Baron notes that they haven't even scratched evolved Demushu yet. Kouta arrives, and voiws to follow his promise to Yuuya to move forward as he henshins into Kachidoki Arms. As evolved Demushu launches a fireball at Kachidoki, Gaim simply tanks the fireball to prepare his Kiwami Lockseed, which turns the fireball into a visual metaphor of strong fighters emitting a fiery battle aura. Gaim summons all the Rider Armor Parts, which are attacking evovled Demushu, as Gaim turns his Rider Indicator into Senyo Joint to put the Kiwami Lockseed there along with Kachidoki Lockseed. All of the Rider Armor Parts circle around Gaim, and merges with him, turning him into Kiwami Arms, with the fruits (Armor Parts) being placed on its chest as fruit basket and Kachidoki Armor ejected. This resembles Kabuto Riders' Cast Off, I wish the Kachidoki's pieces hurt the opponent too like Kabuto. The phrase for activating Kiwami is also Lock Open instead of Lock On, as Kiwami is the strongest form, opening the lock holding him back to it, compared to the lesser form's unlocking potential. Kiwami Arms' power is summoning any Rider weapons, as he first uses Daidaimaru. Not only that, the weapon's powers are greatly increased when compared to the ones used by usual Armored and New Generation Riders, shown in Kiwami Arms harming evolved Demushu with a weapon for Gaim's base form. He can use the weapons as throwing attack too, shown in him summoning Duri Noko as ranged projectile, to Bravo's surprise. As evovled Demushu tries to shoot an electric beam, Kiwami Arms protects himself using Melon Defender (Zangetsu's shield), and then uses Budou Ryuhou to shoot evolved Demushu. Kiwami finishes the fight with Banaspear, using it to ensnare Demushu with Spear Victory, then summons DJ Gun, combining it with Musou Sword, killing evolved Demushu with Hinawa Daidai Musou Zan, slashing evolved Demushu with image projection of multiple fruits. Demushu's demise marks the end of Overlord Saga, moving on to the Forbidden Fruit Saga.

While Kachidoki's debut before can be more flashy and tension-packed, I'd say Kiwami's debut is better way of showing off the power of the new form, as he's pitted against evolved Demushu, who elevates his already fearsome Overlord power before, instead of the expendable Kurokage Troopers. Though still, Kiwami makes good use of the weapon spam here, even if his variation is less than some final forms that combines every existing power, but as I've proposed in my thread about improving finishers, I wish that Kiwami's finisher would employ actually fruit basket theme, firstly by creating a giant fruit basket to trap enemy, then he throws most/all of his weapons 1 each that turns into huge fruit projection according to their fruit themes (like Pine Iron -> giant pineapple) and lands inside the fruit basket squashing the enemy, then Gaim finishes it off by attacking the fruit projections along with the enemy. The fruit projections in the basket can be popped with any manner, either with DJ Gun Taiken Mode or shooting it off, but I'd like for the use of Sojinto Mode (combining Musou Saber with DJ Gun and Daidaimaru) as well.