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Tendou Souji is dead.
Or, rather, he faked his death. Telling few, and not in as many words. Though he trusts they know him well enough to figure it out.
Why did he fake his death? Well, that’s complicated. Mostly centering around the girl beside him.
Anya Kazanari, the Fangire girl being trained to go after Kiva and Saga. Her family was awful, treating her as a weapon, but he had rescued her. Unfortunately, with the powerful family she belonged to after him, it had been best to fake his death. To keep others out of it, as well as to cover his tracks, for a time.
Of course, it didn’t work forever, but he was Kabuto, and also just himself, so…
(And he’s avoiding, for now, making the girl fight, but the five year old had nonetheless taken her robotic Kivat with her when he removed her from her terrible home.)
This comet, coming to Earth. He knows it well. Knows what it will do from a timeline he had fought to destroy. Because oh yes, he remembers. Remembers the drought, the deserts which once were oceans. The loss of those he loves.
As he is now, he isn’t sure if he could fight it. The way he did before, the snows… would fall different on this World.
And he is watching, this has become the events of the new Rider, Zi-O.
As well as Kagami Arata. And Souji trusts Arata. With the world, with his life.
“Shouldn’t we help?” The girl asks. Though she had been trained as a weapon, she chose to think of herself as a guardian, a sentinel. A sentiment Souji can of course understand.
“Not yet,” he says, keeping an eye on the situation.
Furthermore, his Zector doesn’t come to him, so he goes closer.
It goes to Arata.
And of course it does. Souji had spoken to the Kabuto Zector. Spoken that he considered Arata worthy, and if ever the Zector should decide the same, well…
Of course.
But then Arata hands his power to Zi-O, and that is worth further investigation.
“Why didn’t you do anything?” Anya asks later. “You’re the sun! ”
“And Arata is my moon,” Souji replies. “I trust him with everything.”
“You can only trust yourself with duty,” Anya says. “That’s what grandfather taught me.”
…Is this how Souji sounds? He hopes not. His grandma had always given a choice, and supported him, in her own way. Anya’s grandfather had used her as a weapon. An action Souji can never forgive.
“Well, he is wrong, in this regard,” he says. “I once thought the same, but Arata… convinced me otherwise. Through his own skill, heart, and perseverance. As you can see, when he achieved the same powers as myself.”
Anya looks thoughtful.
“Is he that special?”
“Yes.”
“Okay.”
He observes Zi-O, for a time. Of course he does. Arata’s trust goes a long way, as does the boy’s success in saving the world, but he has to be sure.
Eventually…
“Waga Maoh, Geiz, Tsukuyomi,” the prophet says. “I believe someone is following us.”
Anya tenses beside him. He knows she’s been punished for sneaking around before. He stays calm, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder.
And then he steps out to greet them.
“Hello there,” he says.
“What do you want?” Asks the spiky haired boy - Myokoin Geiz.
“I was simply observing,” he says. “To see if Arata chose wisely in giving our power to you.”
He directs the second half of the comment to Zi-O. A strange boy who seems to desire to be king, but he nonetheless seems just as dedicated to saving people.
“You know Kagami-San?” Zi-O asks.
“Of course,” Souji replies. “He’s my partner in all things.”
“Cool,” Zi-O replies. “So do you think I’m worthy?”
“I am willing to trust Arata’s judgement,” Souji replies. It’s the closest to a yes he can say with honesty.
“Good enough for me,” Sougo replies.
“Sougo!” The girl exclaims. “Ask more questions.”
“I think he seems nice.”
Souji turns to Anya as the others are distracted.
“Shall we go, then?” He asks. She nods.
He wishes he could say directly. Tell Arata that the Zector chose him. Because he knows, after the fact, a part of him will doubt.
But for now, Anya takes priority.
Soon, though. Soon, when he can safely return home, he’ll assure Arata.
Kagami Arata is worthy of Kabuto. And Tendou Souji has known this for a long time.