Lord Baron, part 2 - Where is Mitsuzane Going?
Tribute to: Kamen Rider Gaim Gaiden: Kamen Rider Baron
-Mitsuzane vs. Kaito: Prologue-
(soundtrack: "In Your Prime" by Big Giant Circles, courtesy of OverClocked Remix)
"Kaito, what do you have besides hatred and disdain for the weak?!" Mitsuzane's vain attempt to convince Kaito to move on.
"Go to hell!" Baron exclaimed. "In fact, you are not Kazuraba. You're not fit to be a hero!"
Ryugen finds himself wide open as Baron in Ringo Arms continued overpowering Mitsuzane to the point of forcibly cancelling his transformation. As a result, Mitsuzane is rag-dolled onto the surface.
How did Kaito gained such power... Mitsuzane thought at first, knowing that familiar Lockseed shared the same power as that of Kougane as Mars and/or Jam. As the young Kureshima continued to squirm for his life, Baron corners him and begins to stomp Mitsuzane mercilessly, moments before grabbing him by the throat.
"I told you before, you have no right to atone for your sins! Only someone as weak as yourself would believe in such a thing!" Kaito continued taunting Mitsuzane like the loathsome imbecile he was.
"Did you ever learned from your own mistake after you and Kouta-san last fought?! As much as I fight for my own selfish desire before, and yet you continued sowing seeds of hatred just to be strong? Just what kind of a person are you?!" Mitsuzane retorted.
"NEVER MENTION THAT NAME BEFORE ME EVER AGAIN!" Kaito shouted, just as he is about to finish Mitsuzane off, Kamen Rider Mach makes the save!
"ZENRIN!" hitting Baron with the Zenrin Shooter, he breaks Mitsuzane from Kaito's grip.
"Thank you, Shijima-senpai..." Mitsuzane thanked Go for saving him as he tries to stand with his own power.
"Jesus Christ... You really scared the hell out of us!" Go was less than pleased at the sight of Mitsuzane being mauled by Baron. As Mach takes matters into his own hands, he too gets overpowered by Baron.
"Hmm, you have an accomplice. Pathetic." Kaito continues belittling both Go and Mitsuzane.
"Why you son of a-" Go gets even more angry as he attempts to plunge at Kaito, only for him to be snared by a vine of Helheim. Then, Samus comes to the rescue.
"Samus!" Mitsuzane screamed. "Look out, he can control the plants of Helheim against us!"
"Don't worry, we're getting ourselves out of here!" Samus immediately curled into her Morph Ball form, and planted a Power Bomb afterwards. Once the bomb explodes, the light was powerful enough to blind Kaito, buying enough time for Samus and Go to escape with a battered Mitsuzane. Moments after the light cleared, Kaito realizes that Mitsuzane escaped.
"Hmph, what a vile and pitiful insect he is. No matter, it will be only a matter of time before I will grind his pathetic existence beneath my heel." Kaito declared, as he promises to execute Mitsuzane with a painful death.
-Who is Kaito Kumon?-
Back at the Kureshima family mansion...
In Mitsuzane's room, Takatora, Samus, and Go tend to the young Kureshima's wounds. Mitsuzane is completely battered and beaten during that moment he faced Kaito.
So, Kumon Kaito is alive and well? But how did that happen? Takatora thought. Since why would he continue to sow seeds of vengeance at us even though Yggdrasil is already gone?
Mitsuzane woke up, but the injuries are even visible not only his face, but on his midsection as well, as seen with the bandages on the abdomen.
"Woah! Easy there, Mitsuzane-kun! You really don't want to end up in a funeral parlor just to get yourself mauled by that Armored Rider, don't you?" Go tried to keep Mitsuzane at bay, as the latter insisted to find Kaito once more to settle the score.
"Mitsuzane, don't!" Samus then restrains Mitsuzane.
"Nii-san, you have to let me go!"
"Not on the state you are in right now!" Takatora scolded his brother. "I did not expect Kumon Kaito would be brought back from the dead again. But, he seems to act under his own free will."
When Samus hears about Kaito resurfacing from the afterlife, she also felt the same way when she encountered the likes of Rundas and Weavel who just appeared before her in the present time. Rundas, one of the bounty hunters who were corrupted by Phazon during her mission in Bryyo, appeared when she was on a mission to meet Inui Takumi (Kamen Rider Faiz), moments before Inui himself lay waste on the Phyrgisian native. It has to be the work of someone else, but who would ever revive those souls to cause chaos anyway? she thought.
"Kumon Kaito? Who's that?" Go clarified, not knowing the fact that Kaito is the preceding Secondary Rider.
"It's a long story, Shijima-kun. From what I remember, Kaito was working with Yggdrasil. And it seems the corporation was the one that shut down his father's construction company. So, that's why he has been sowing seeds of disdain towards us Kureshimas in general." Takatora briefly explained about Kaito's background from the perspectives of Kouta, Ryoma, as well as from Mitsuzane himself. "Mitsuzane, what kind of Lockseed did Kaito used to transform?" turning to his injured brother.
"A Ringo Lockseed." the young Kureshima answered.
"It can't be..." The Lockseed seems to be familiar to Takatora. "Mitsuzane, I have something to tell you regarding about that Lockseed you mentioned. Did you remember the household maid that our father brought to us?"
"Huh, Touka-neechan?" Mitsuzane seemingly remembers Touka. "What about her?"
"Apparently, that was the same Lockseed that she used to kill our father." It seems Takatora had to tell the truth about the fate of their father. "When I found out that she was responsible for father's death, I..."
"Nii-san... I understand why... that both of us ended what our father became. And it was all because of that Lockseed." Mitsuzane realized the truth about their father, in which they inevitably end up becoming like him.
"Now that Lockseed fell into Kaito's hands, there is no way you can beat him alone, even with the Genesis Driver." Takatora said. Despite his pleas, Mitsuzane refused to stay home and do nothing, as he has to find a way to becalm Kaito's spirit, amidst his condition.
Left without a choice, Mitsuzane had to stay home for at least three weeks to recover. As such, vows to defeat the lingering hatred inside Kaito.
-I Have Nowhere Else to Turn-
It has been three weeks and Mitsuzane has recovered from his injuries. And still, Kaito's revival is the only thing that continued to haunt him. Each time he recalled Kaito's grudge against him from the past, it began to corrode his appetite, affecting his sleeping, to the point he has nightmares of him, and further reflecting on Kouta of how can he be able to overcome Kaito's hatred. Mitsuzane knows that Kaito has a disdain for people who use power to oppress individuals - a trait that was in the Kureshima bloodline, innate in both him and Takatora.
Mitsuzane visited the Sacred Tree of Zawame, reflecting what should he need to do to face Kaito. Kouta-san, Mai-san... What am I supposed to do, Kaito has returned from the dead, trying to kill me. Is there any other way to stop him?
He stood in front of the tree, and looked down. Even though he had cleared all of his internal conflicts, the only thing he has to do is becalm the lingering hatred in Kaito's heart.
"Micchy. I understand your pain. The only way to quell his anger is you show to him your true strength." the voice of Kouta echoed from the holy tree.
"My true strength?" Mitsuzane demanded.
"Micchy, the only thing can compel Kaito from his hatred. I don't want you to give up in everything you are striving hard on. The strength you are possessing lies within, you need to remember that."
"But how?"
"It is for you to find out. You are on your own, Micchy." Kouta's voice concluded. Despite the confusion, Mitsuzane decides to fight Kaito alone.
(soundtrack: "Goodbye, Little Moon" by Mitsuru Matsuoka EARNEST DRIVE from the upcoming V-Cinema Kamen Rider Drive Saga: Kamen Rider Chaser)
[~Bokura ga sagashite ita sora masshiro de chiisana hiru no tsuki~]
[~Kiete shimai sou de kowakute orange ni somaru made miteta~]
Meanwhile in the dead of night, Mitsuzane decided to leave his home to confront Kaito alone. Taking his Sengoku and Genesis Drivers with him. Mitsuzane thought to himself that it will be his last. Before leaving, he decided to write something in a note...
To anyone it may concern...
I'm leaving on a journey. Don't bother looking for me. I know few people who still hated me, but, I will bear that responsibility in my brother's place for everything that happened in the past.
Samus, if you are reading this, look after my nii-san while I am away. But, I don't know when I will come back home alive.
[~Nayami wa itsumo koko ni aru futatsu wo ichido ni mitasu no wa~]
[~Kodoku wo tebanasenai mama dokoka de yuuki ga nai boku sa~]
Love,
Mitsuzane.
[~Ai ni amaete kizu wo kakushite~]
[~Soredemo egao no mama~]
Placing the note on the bed, to make sure someone reads this. Mitsuzane begins to pack everything on his duffel bag, clothes, money, everything, sadness began to overlap his face. He recalled that there were few people seem to dislike him even after the Helheim infestation, Peko in particular, although he begrudgingly allowed Mitsuzane to dance one last time. The only question he had in mind, is where does his true strength lie?
[~good bye my lover sayonara itoshiki hito~]
[~good bye little heart sayonara itoshiki hibi~]
Moments later, while packing all of his clothes, including his Team Gaim jacket, Mitsuzane stumbles to a Screw Atttack-emblazoned necklace, which is usually worn on Samus's neck. He takes it, wore it on his neck, for him to remember Samus if he could not survive his battle against Kaito. (A/N: This triggers a special scene see below)
[~Hashirinuketa nanimo osorenu furi de~]
[~Wasurenai anata no yasashii koe~]
Before Mitsuzane could part way from his home, he reflected back how Takatora took care of him, and how he maintained a close bond with Samus ever since she comforted him and became her partner-in-crime.
[~Wasurenai anata no sono namida~]
[~Furikaerazu ni toki ni oikosarenu you ni~]
"Nii-san... I know it hurts me so much, but I've chosen my destiny now. I know you felt responsible for what I've become, as much more I felt responsible for everything that happened in the world. And yet, few people couldn't seem to forgive me, especially that Kaito is resurrected to get rid the traces of our shadows, including myself. That's why I have to defeat him alone... Samus, if I can't come back alive, you don't have to worry about me now, I know you are strong enough to continue without me... Like you, I want to be independent at my own way."
[~Bokura ga sagashita ano tsuki wa ookina shiroi shiroi tsuki ni~]
I guess this is goodbye forever. Mitsuzane said to himself, before he could go to the outside world, Go managed to get in his way.
"Oi, oi. Why the long face, Mitsuzane-kun?" Go tries to cheer the young Kureshima up. "Don't tell me you're going after that red knight again?"
"Please, Shijima-senpai. Let me go! I have a score to settle with him. Move out of the way!" Mitsuzane continued insisting, causing Takatora and Samus to appear before him.
"Mitsuzane, why do you want to face Kaito so badly alone?" Takatora raised an eyebrow. "I told you before, you will never stand a chance against him alone."
[~Oikakete kuru dokomademo nigekirenai yoru ni~]
"Because, I..." Mitsuzane stuttered. "Look, it's my fault that he sowed so much hatred towards people who he perceive to be weak. I just can't stay here and do nothing-"
"Really, what weaknesses do you have?" Samus interrupted in a harsh voice. As such, Mitsuzane looked down. "Come on, spit it out!"
"Mitsuzane, as much more you would worry about me, you can't defeat him all by yourself. If you attempt to do so, you will definitely die." Samus expected Mitsuzane to leave that he is going out what is effectively a suicide mission. Both her and Takatora walked towards him.
[~good bye my lover sayonara itoshiki hito~]
Mitsuzane breaks down in tears, thinking he might wind up cowering in fear for the rest of his life like the way he once when he was betrayed by Ryoma.
"Mitsuzane, everything that happen in the past is only not your fault. Look, I felt the same way too... Because I felt responsible that you ended up becoming a fool like me, the way you look at it. I had a feeling you seem to hate me for it. But, this is not the time to argue it amongst ourselves." Takatora reassured. "If you are really responsible for angering someone as ruthless as Kumon Kaito, are you willing to pay that price?"
"I have nowhere else to turn, what am I suppose to do, cower in fear?!" Mitsuzane retorted.
"You too are a victim that happened in the past. You have been used by those cursed Overlords and Ryoma for nothing. But, you are lucky to survive, and so am I." Takatora holds his younger brother in his head. "If Kaito had a point about you being a weakling, you must acknowledge it. There is nothing to be ashamed of that, and that weakness is nothing in comparison."
[~good bye little heart sayonara itoshiki hibi~]
"If there are still people around the world had turned against you, there is a point of no return that you have to keep moving forward. No matter how they hated you for such enormity of the crimes you've committed. That is, keep moving forward, in the end, there would be other people who can accept you for who you are." Takatora continued comforting his little brother. "But, considering that you strive hard to protect others to atone for your sins, you must not die alone."
"But... How can I..." choked in between his tears, Mitsuzane droned.
"Mitsuzane. Lift your face and look forward." It was Samus's turn to convince Mitsuzane. "You have us. If you really want to prove that you've became stronger, we'll do this together." Afterwards, both Takatora and Go nodded their heads.
[~Hashirinuketa nanimo osorenu furi de~]
"Samus... nii-san... Shijima-senpai... Will you help me defeat Kaito together?" Mitsuzane tearfully asked them to band with him, to which both of the three accepted.
[~Wasurenai anata no yasashii koe~]
"I was waiting for those words." Takatora said.
"That's the spirit!" Go exclaimed. "Come here, give senpai a big hug!" then he hugs Mitsuzane, giving him a shoulder to cry on this time. The young Kureshima cried for a short of three minutes before getting a grip of his emotions. This is the first time Go had seen someone in this state ever since Chase died right before his very eyes.
-To Follow Her to the Very End (Special Scene Sequence Break)-
(A/N: you can skip this part because this scene gets a little too... intimate. This scene is triggered when Mitsuzane takes Samus' Screw Attack necklace)
[~Wasurenai anata no sono namida~]
After being convinced by Samus, Takatora and Go that they will fight Kaito on his side, Mitsuzane averted his suicide mission. He had to think over what he must do. Meanwhile in his room, he looked on the mirror, recalling from what he became in the past to what he is now. Within moments, she locks the door and lowers the curtains of the windows, giving her time to talk heart-to-heart with him.
[~Furikaerazu ni ano tsuki ni chikau yakusoku~]
Samus appears behind Mitsuzane, as she asks him about the latter in his attempt to fight Kaito alone.
[~Bokura ga sagashita...~]
"Are you really serious about fighting that man named Kumon Kaito?" she demanded.
[~...Bokura ga mitsumeta~]
It was Mitsuzane's turn to respond. "Yeah. This is not personal, but I have to fight him to calm his hatred. Kaito is a being who detests anyone who has the power to oppress weak individuals. Kouta-san was the only one who can sympathize with his pain. Like Kouta-san, Kaito chose his destiny by throwing his humanity away by becoming an Overlord, but his wish was to destroy the world and rebuild it in his own image, where the world would be eradicated of all weaknesses. He also had a personal vendetta against me when I once sided with the Overlords. Once Mai-san disappeared and became the Woman of the Beginning, Kaito wanted the Golden Fruit to destroy the world and recreate it in his own likeness. But, Kouta-san prevented him from doing it. I was lucky that he had no intention to kill me for that fruit. That's why, his revival made it clear he wanted to dispose me and my brother for him to rest easy. Yggdrasil Corporation started all this, that's why Kaito had been planting these seeds of hatred not only the company itself, but to us Kureshimas."
[~Kiete shimai sou de chiisana…~]
"I see..." Samus nodded her head. "That's why to him, this is all personal. I see you are worried about something that would come back to haunt you, and you are doing whatever it takes to make amends over your past. How tactless of you."
"Tactless? What's that supposed to mean?" Mitsuzane rebuked to the argument.
"You said Kazuraba is also capable of being touched by his pain, right?" she continued. "If you really want to acknowledge his pain as much how Kazuraba did, think about it. You just can't start the fight immediately without a thought."
[~Goodbye, little moon~]
"There is not even a little part of me that can feel the pain of others. I was too focused of making Mai-san happy alone. In the end, I become a sobbing and broken mess... It became my limit as a man, I can't seem to be capable of love anymore, other than to my brother. In the past, even after I severed ties with Kouta-san, and the others, I thought I had everything, but I came to realize that I was deceived by people who used me for their own personal gain. And I thought I had outsmarted them." Mitsuzane recalls how he ends up being a pawn to the Overlords and Professor Ryoma. "Because of what's going on right now, it seems so hard for me to get over the past."
"As long as somebody cares for you, like your brother, and myself; along with that determination you have, you might find ways to fill that hole in your heart." Samus said, smiling at Mitsuzane. "But, every pain is nothing in comparison. Life will always have their own ups and downs, regardless of the circumstances, move forward. As much I first arrived to this world on my mission alone without any help at first, I come to learn from every Kamen Rider I've met, their helping hand meant a lot to me, then came you and Takatora; you and your brother's hospitality changed my life forever, overcoming my doubt about this world. My feelings for this world became the same with the other Kamen Riders, their dedication to protect those they love and their eternal combat against evil managed to fill the hole in my heart. You are like my new family to me; you often see me as a sister whenever Takatora is busy with his own matters. And I had a feeling that you would follow me to the very end, I can see that judging by the look in your eyes."
Mitsuzane kept quiet, but was touched by Samus's way of words. He knew that behind her stoic and cold exterior as a bounty hunter, she does have a kind heart too; her feelings of love and kindness had expanded even further it was thanks to the hospitality by both Kureshima brothers. That hospitality really meant a lot to her. Mitsuzane recalled that Samus came to both liking towards him and his brother, and with Takatora's advice, Mitsuzane is mature enough to fall for the bounty hunter.
"Come here." Samus asks Mitsuzane to turn around and look at her. As she unties her ponytail, her long and luscious hair flickered around as they elevated down through her hips. She gives Mitsuzane a hug so warm, it felt that it indeed filled the hole in his heart. Mitsuzane rested his head a top Samus's chest, facing at the left, given the fact that the bounty hunter is just as taller than Mitsuzane.
That moment of silence lasted for just about five minutes, giving Mitsuzane to think back what he must do - that he must fight Kaito with the help of both Takatora, Go, and Samus. Moments later, both Mitsuzane and Samus stared at each others' eyes, as the two immediately started to share a kiss that started to evolve rather quickly. Samus started locking her lips to Mitsuzane's, the latter fell under the spell of her kiss, it was so passionate, Mitsuzane brushed his own lips without letting go before Samus herself pins the young Kureshima down to the bed.
Within a few seconds, while Samus towers herself in front of Mitsuzane, she begins disrobing her blue sports bra right before Mitsuzane's eyes, exposing her breasts, much to Mitsuzane's startling reaction, with his face turning red being an understatement. Afterwards, she wrapped her arms around his shoulders as they continued kissing.
Outside, while Go is feeding the Dachora and Etecoons before leaving the Kureshima's house, moments before he jumps through the gate without the need of getting through opening it, he sees a shadow of a couple behind the curtain doing intimately to each other. But, he seems to recognize the appearances of the silhouette behind the curtain.
"Woah! They're doing it!" Go was intrigued of the sight thinking that Samus and Mitsuzane have becoming more intimate towards each other. "You're one lucky bastard, Mitsuzane-kun... I can't believe you're making love to an alien bounty hunter from the future." As he continued to gaze on the window with the curtain closed, as he begins to see the shadow of Mitsuzane groping onto Samus's chest. Go heard moans and cries of pleasure coming from Samus at a distance, as he noticed him [Mitsuzane] squeezing her chest so hard. In the mean time, Go leaves the Kureshima's home by jumping above the gate as he hops onto his motorcycle and left.
After a long minute of love making, Samus and Mitsuzane found themselves naked, though the bedsheet covered their bodies, while their clothes scattered on the floor.
"Mitsuzane..." Samus called his name, the young Kureshima turned his sight on her, both their hairs are messy even at that moment of intimacy a while ago. To Mitsuzane, this is the first time he found himself in a moment of intimacy with a woman, he knew her feelings to him are true. Judging by her lean and muscular figure of a woman, it's natural for Mitsuzane himself to fall head-over-heels as he is entranced by Samus's killer body. But, that does not mean that he fell for her, but it was Samus's choice to intertwine herself to Mitsuzane's heart, as such being able to close that rift.
"How does it feel to be inside of me?" she teasingly asked him.
Mitsuzane nodded his head, and winked. "Yeah. Although it really hurts a bit, but everything cleaned up my thoughts. I never imagined that I end up like this..."
"Well, neither do I. This is the first time I ever done this. Given by that cute and innocent look on your face, it seems you could not even resist my appearance as a person." she said again smoothly. "Hey, why are you wearing that?" she then took notice of her necklace with the Screw Attack-logo on Mitsuzane's neck.
"Before I attempted to leave, I wanted to take it as a keepsake; as a means to remember you." Mitsuzane recalled how he took the necklace when he thought about running away to face Kaito before Samus, Go, and Takatora stifled him from doing so.
"You can keep it, in fact, you went this far to protect me each time I find myself being weakened in the middle of the battle." Samus decides to let Mitsuzane wear the necklace.
Even that moment made my mind even more dirtier, but on the bright side. That pain inside me began to fade away. Even at the least, Samus had that kind of pain in her world. But, this means... Mitsuzane thought, concluding the fact that Samus loved him since she became a part of the Kureshima brothers, being their adoptive sibling. Nevertheless, it was indeed fun and sexy.
"Mitsuzane, I don't know how to say this..." Samus starts to reveal her true feelings towards him. "At first I seem to like both of you and your brother a lot, he seems to be even more hardworking as much as I am, and how he cared for you so much. Then, you come to worry about me to the point of going in further heights of protecting me... It really meant a lot to me. Honestly, I... I... I LOVE YOU!"
Those words echoed into Mitsuzane's head, touched even more. Realizing this, there is finally someone who loved him back, even though he doesn't know what Samus felt about him.
It was Mitsuzane's turn to respond. "I... I'm touched... That might just be the sweetest thing anybody has ever said to me. And, from the bottom of my heart, Samus... I love you too."
While caressing Mitsuzane's face, Samus noticed his smile, as she too smiled back. The two again kissed passionately and continuously cuddled up, both of them can't seem to let go of their kiss until they are fast asleep.
-The Confrontation Begins-
The next day at sundown, Mitsuzane and Takatora decided to find the revived Kaito, he was seen standing at the Sacred Tree, awaiting his bitter enemies to show up.
"I see you came here to finish this with someone on your side. How pathetic." Kaito sneered. Turns to Takatora "So, you survived?"
"Kumon Kaito, so you come here for revenge against Mitsuzane, I see?" Takatora demands Kaito about his true motives. "Why do you even bother about beating a dead horse for no good reason?"
"You Kureshima pricks are the ones who took everything away from me... You use power to oppress people who cannot even fight... Look at your brother of a trash, he can't seem to get over from what he has done. Both of you are lucky to survive your fates, but your destinies now are to die by my hand!" Kaito taunted the brothers. "Now, I won't have to worry about Kazuraba, even if he is watching all of this, I can make this easier to kill both of you!"
"Not gonna happen!" Samus exclaims as she in her Zero Suit and Go appeared on the brothers' side.
(cue: Dead Heat Mach henshin standby sound)
"Like what he said..." Go bluffed, referring to what Takatora said earlier. "Beating the hell out of a dead horse won't get you anything, pal!"
"Everyone..." Mitsuzane said with joy. As the three Riders began buckling up their belts.
"In that case..." Kaito snapped his fingers, summoning hundreds of Inves. "I'll have no choice but to dispose all four of you!"
Within moments, Go inserts Shift Dead Heat on the Mach Driver, while both Kureshima brothers equipped their Sengoku Drivers and their Lockseeds. Kamen Rider Agito's Storm Halberd flew out of nowhere as it is summoned by (Zero Suit) Samus, then double wielding it with the Paralyzer pistol, which also suddenly turned into a lightsaber.
"Oh yeah!" Go exclaimed while craving for action, at the same time breaking the fourth wall. "Ladies and gentlemen, sit back, relax and grab some popcorn. This is gonna be high-octane action!"
"SIGNAL BIKE SHIFT CAR!"
"LOCK ON!"
Go: Let's...
Altogether (except Samus): HENSHIN!
"RIDER! DEAD HEAT!"
"MELON ARMS! TENKA GOMEN!"
"BUDOU ARMS! RYUHOU! HA! HA! HA!"
(soundtrack: "Supernova" by Tetra-Fang from Kamen Rider Kiva)
"HEEEYYY! This is NOT Kamen Rider Kiva! Why bother playing that damn music?!" Go thought about the music being inappropriate, causing him to literally destroy the fourth wall, again.
"Jesus Christ! Eyes on the battlefield, Shijima-kun!" Takatora shouted. "Who are you talking to, anyway?"
"It's the writer! Nah, whatever."
Kaito too transforms into Baron Ringo Arms. Zero Suit Samus, Ryugen, Zangetsu, and Mach ready themselves for battle as they walk altogether at the exact moment the battle begins..
to be continued...
Author's Notes:
I almost broke down into tears while writing and planning this chapter arc, I added the song "Goodbye, Little Moon" from the upcoming Kamen Rider Chaser V-Cinema as the songfic scene for the part of this chapter where Micchy attempts to leave home to face Kaito alone. For some reasons, Samus and Takatora are not allowing Mitsuzane to die alone, despite Mitsuzane's intent to settle the score against Kaito.
If your favorite Super Sentai season is Kaizoku Sentai Gokaiger, the part where Mitsuzane leaves his home behind in an attempt to confront Kaito alone, only for Takatora, Samus, and Go to prevent him from doing so is similar to the 41st episode of the said Sentai series; it sees Ahim de Famille attempt to leave her fellow Gokaigers behind to find the Imperial Commander Zatsurig to avenge her family, Zatsurig is one of the Zangyack commanders who killed her parents right before her very eyes, in a similar vein how Ridley killed Samus's parents. As a result, Marvelous and the rest of the crew worried that Ahim that she would die if she does. Both broke down emotionally as they were touched by Marvelous (for Ahim) and Takatora (for Mitsuzane), reminding them that fighting together has to be that priority.
Also, the skippable special scene is a nod to what Yuki Kubota (Takatora's actor) mentioned during the early promos of Kamen Rider Gaim Gaiden about a bed scene in the Zangetsu portion of the said V-Cinema which was omitted in the final cut due to censorship.
Dedicated to Dash master 48 and MsSamusAran.