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Mitsuzane thinks that probably the others notice as Mai and Kouta slip from the celebration. They aren’t that subtle about it, especially Kouta who couldn’t be subtle to save his life, but still, it happens.
He considers not following them. They’ve done their time, their celebrations, and now they have to go back.
Back to their planet far away, glowing with its own light because it has no bright sun, full of monsters and forest and whatever other beauty Kouta and Mai surely made to it, with their godly powers. They can do anything.
Mitsuzane is fine with the few somethings he now has managed. It’s more redemption than he deserves.
He shouldn’t go after them, even though he doesn’t know why he does it, follows them back to the tree in the empty lot. Why are they leaving from there, he wonders.
Kouta waves at it.
“Hi, Kaito.”
What?
“The tree is Kaito?” He asks before he can think about it. The other two whip around and… relax when they see him. That’s an odd feeling.
Relief upon seeing him, these people whom his actions had almost or truly killed, even if they survived, even though they’re here.
These people who he still loves, loved even when he refused to acknowledge it.
“Hi, Micchy,” Kouta says. “You followed us?”
“You didn’t say goodbye,” Mitsuzane says, not sure of the words until they exit his mouth. “Again.”
“We figured a celebration would be a better way to end things than a goodbye,” Mai explains. “Since we don’t when we’ll be able to visit again.”
And that is true. Ending on happy memories instead of another goodbye.
Figures that Mitsuzane ruins that.
“I should go back, then,” he says. “Especially if that’s…”
“Kaito’s soul resides here,” Mai explains. “We don’t know why.”
“He’s too stubborn to die,” Kouta says. “Not completely.”
Kaito must say something unseen, because Kouta’s smile drops as he turns behind him.
“I didn’t do it on purpose,” he says. “But I’m still glad.”
Well, that confirms that assumption, that Kaito had died in that final battle. Mitsuzane can’t tell if he feels sad about that confirmation or not. He certainly does for Kouta, who had done everything right and found himself truly forced to kill someone he cared about, for everyone’s good.
Kaito must say something else, because both Mai and Kouta laugh. Mitsuzane doesn’t ask what.
He just watches.
That’s all he ever does. He’d stumbled out of that hospital just in time to see Helheim sucked into the sky, after all. He just.
He watches.
“Oh, Micchy,” Mai says. “Is there something else you wanted to tell us?”
Mitsuzane blinks, and he wonders if he can feel Kaito’s judging eyes alongside Kouta and Mai’s too-kind and too-curious ones.
“I…” he starts. “No. Not really.”
I’m sorry , he considers, but in the end those words are empty and meaningless, and actions speak louder. He thinks he already has Kouta’s forgiveness, and treading on old wounds would be for his sake, not theirs.
I missed you , he considers, but that’s even more selfish.
He settles on “Thank you.”
“For what?” Asks Kouta, blinking, and bless him, the stupid, too-good now-god that he is.
“For saving the world,” Mitsuzane says. “Twice. And Mai, you… you tried to stop things before they began. And…”
He trails off. He doesn’t know how to end this.
Kaito does, and he must have walked forwards. Mitsuzane follows the others’ eyes to empty space where the dead Rider must stand.
“Kaito says you’ve changed,” Mai offers.
Mitsuzane stares Kaito down as best he can without being able to see him.
“I guess I have,” he says. “I’m not just a child out of my depth, anymore. But that was never your problem with me, was it?”
“He says it was a part of it,” Kouta narrates.
“We are glad you came, Micchy,” Mai says. “Really.”
Mitsuzane turns to her and can’t help the smile on his face. He does, after all, still love her. Even if now he… well, it’s been complicated for a long time, mostly by his own actions.
“Thank you, Mai,” he says. “But… I think we all know you both have to go now.”
“I just wish there was a way we could contact all of you,” Mai says.
Mitsuzane blinks.
“Didn’t you do that?” He asks. “You visited my dreams, while Megahex had you.”
“Hey, you’re right,” Kouta says. “Why didn’t we think of that! I did it when I healed Takatora!”
…well there’s confirmation of that.
Kouta and Mai take hands, returning to their godly forms.
“Thank you, Micchy,” Kouta says.
“Truly,” Mai adds.
Mitsuzane smiles.
“I’m glad I could help you both,” he says. It’s so much more than he’d done before. “Goodbye Mai. Goodbye Kouta.”
Kouta opens a Crack.
“Goodbye, Micchy,” Mai says.
“See you soon!” Kouta waves.
And with that, they leave.
Leaving Mitsuzane with the Kaito tree.
“Shake twice if you don’t want me to tell Peco and Zack,” Mitsuzane says. “And the rest of the restoration effort.”
The tree does nothing. Mitsuzane supposes he can’t really expect much of it.
He goes back to the party feeling even lighter than before.