Path of Heaven

is the forty-ninth and final episode of Kamen Rider Kabuto. It features the death of Kamen Rider Dark Kabuto as well as Soji and Arata's last stand against the malicious Native Worms once and for all.
==Synopsis==
Arata rushes to stop Masato's plans of using a meteorite to drain Dark Kabuto of his powers. As he reaches the area of the final battle, he finds Masato and Negishi conducting a broadcast all around the planet. Unbeknown to the humans, the signals sent out by the broadcast are composed of Dark Kabuto's drained power and causing the humans to become Natives. As Arata lays defeated, Soji appears, after going one-on-one with Masato, Arata regains his strength and joins Souji in a double team on Masato for the final battle.
==Plot==
Masato starts a broadcast, telling everyone that the Worm threat is almost dealt with completely, and people should keep wearing the ZECT necklaces to identify the few remaining Worms roaming around. Tadokoro and Misaki know that the necklaces actually will turn everyone into Natives, but they are powerless to do anything.
Elsewhere, Arata has taken his injured father Riku to a hospital. Renge finds Arata in the hall and gives him a letter. The man realizes it is Soji's letter. It contains a thorough explanation of the Natives' plan, including the mechanics behind the necklaces. They serve as antenae to receive signals transmitted from the telecommunications tower, which means when Masato and Negishi begin another broadcast, the necklaces will receive the signals and trigger the transformation of humanity into Natives. With this knowledge, Arata gets out of the hospital to confront Masato, but he is stopped by Misaki and Tadokoro and a number of ZECTroopers. After a brief conversation, Misaki and Tadokoro point their guns at the ZECTroopers, who themselves are Natives loyal to Negishi's course. They fight off the Natives, allowing Arata to flee on his motorcycle to Masato's hideout.
In the broadcasting room, the henchmen are preparing the final stages of the plan. Dark Kabuto is chained to a Native meteorite, which will be used to absorb his energy and transmit it to the humans wearing necklaces. It is stated that necklaces will have been spread all around the world by 3 o'clock, and "true peace" will come to the Earth. Five minutes before the broadcast begins, Arata, as Gatack, breaks into the room to ruin the scheme. Negishi is surprised Arata will not assisst him for "peace", but Arata retorts he will not let the Natives do as they please on Earth. He prepares to destroy the machines in the room, but Masato stops him, transforming into Gryllus Worm. The Worm admits he has always hated Arata ever since the beginning because he is a righteous man. Gatack tries to fight back, but he is helplessly outmatched. The ZECTroopers inside the room are also revealed to have been turned into Natives obedient to Negishi. They use their Native form to overpower Arata. The Rider tries to talk some sense to them, asking them to remember the times they have fought together, but to no avail. Gryllus Worm stabs Gatack through the abdomen, removing the Gatack Zecter and cancelling his transformation as a result. Arata falls down on the ground unconscious. Masato reverts back to human form and starts the broadcast with Negishi.
As the camera begins to roll, the energy from Dark Kabuto and the meteorite is harnessed and ready to be transmitted. On camera, Negishi admits his plans to turn people into Natives for "world peace" to the citizens outside. As the commoners watch Negishi speak on screen, the necklaces start to be triggered and they begin to be transformed. Negishi ends his speech by saying that a species as weak and foolish as humans does not deserve to exist anymore. Arata interrupts, stating if humanity has someone as special as Soji, then humanity will never lose to the Natives. Masato, irritated, comes over and stomps his foot on Arata, telling him Souji is no longer alive to save the world. Just as Masato finishes his sentence, a familiar voice echoes...
"Grandmother said this: In the world there is only one name that you must remember: Walking on the Path of Heaven, the man who will rule over everything. Tendo...Soji...!"
Soji makes his presence known to Mishima and Negishi by breaking into the room with the Kabuto Extender. He is shown to have survived the crush by the rubble. He then uses the same flower he previously is trying to reach in the previous episode to fling at the meteorite, negating its energy and cancelling the transmission as a result. Negishi shouts at Soji, saying humanity is not needed. Soji points out that is the limit in the vision of Natives like Negishi, because they cannot see all the lives in the world are special and admirable in their own unique way. He adds that people cannot change the world for their own selfish interests. Instead, only when a person changes himself/herself for the better will the world change, which is the entire philosophy behind "Path of Heaven". Arata, struggling to stand up, agrees with Soji. He believes humanity can and will coexist peacefully with the Natives, but they are willing to fight and earn that future with their own hands. Negishi is still adamant, saying such a future is unnecessary as humans are weak and unnecessary. He is, nevertheless, proven wrong as the ZECTroopers manage to regain their human personalities and reverse the transformation by themselves, discarding their Native form completely. Masato is outraged by this turn of events, and Soji summons the Kabuto Zecter and transforms into Kamen Rider Kabuto. Seeing no other alternative, Masato assumes his Gryllus Worm form for a showdown. Negishi is dragged away from the room by the ZECTroopers.
At first, Masato and Soji manage to exchange some blows, but the Gryllus Worm unleashes its protrusions in the back and wounds Kabuto badly. Arata also grabs the Gatack Zecter and transforms to assist Soji. The Gryllus Worm chooses not to play around anymore and decides to go all out against the two Riders. Despite their efforts, Gryllus Worm still gains the upper hand as it grabs the two by the throat and prepares to choke them to death. All hope seems lost until the Hyper Zecter summons and attaches itself to Kabuto's belt, turning him into Hyper Form, allowing him to break free. Kabuto grabs the Perfect Zecter in sword mode and manages to deal some damage to Gryllus Worm. Hyper Kabuto prepares the Maximum Hyper Typhoon Rider Slash and performs it on Masato. Unfortunately, the Gryllus Worm still proves himself to be the most powerful foe for Kabuto, as it counters and deflects the slash, breaking the Perfect Zecter to bits as a result. Hyper Kabuto is knocked down to the ground, weakened due to the force of Gryllus Worm's attack. Masato charges at Kabuto, intent on dealing the final blow. Just as he is about to launch the protrusions on his shoulders, Gatack throws his Double Caliburs at them, incapacitating the Worm long enough to create an opening. Taking the opportunity, the two Riders use their respective Rider Kicks on Masato. He is wounded even further by the tachyon energy of the Rider Kicks, and ultimately crashes into the meteorite and dies in an explosion which sets the room on fire.
After Gryllus Worm is destroyed, Soji rushes to Dark Kabuto and tries to wake him up and help him flee from the place. Gatack however, drags Kabuto out of there, because the whole place is about to explode due to all the fighting that has taken place. As he is dragged out, Soji screams for Dark Kabuto, wanting him to live desperately.
When they have escaped from the place, they find Negishi outside, who has just dispactched the ZECTroopers. Negishi assumes his Native form and tries to get even with the two Riders for having ruined his plan. Unexpectedly, Dark Kabuto runs out of the burning building and takes hold of Negishi. He asks Soji to take care of the world before rushing back into the building with the Native. The building and the tower finally explodes, killing both Dark Kabuto and Negishi. Soji and Arata cancel their transformation and let their Zecters fly away together to parts unknown. Soji tells Arata to listen to him carefully because he will not say this sentence again: "Walking the same path together is merely a test of perseverance. Following different paths together is, on the other hand, truly...", Arata interrupts and completes his sentence with the word "friends". He then asks whether those are Soji's grandmother's words. Soji smiles and replies that they are actually his own words.
The final battle is over, and other characters meet the two heroes with joy. Misaki and Renge give Arata and Soji hugs, respectively, while Tadokoro stands on the sideline and smiles at the victory. Meanwhile, Hiyori has also completed her own personal dish for her restaurant.
One year later, after the Worm threat has ended completely, the people in the story return to their peaceful lives. Tadokoro becomes a soba shop owner; Misaki becomes the president of the Discabil Corporation, a restaurant chain created based on Tsurugi Kamishiro's dreams and Jiiya's recipes; Daisuke Kazama still remains a drifter accompanied by Gon, but right now Gon insists that people call her by her real name "Yuriko". Tadokoro is pleased at people's happy lives, and decides to go and make some soba for everyone. Hiyori and Jyuka have accepted each other as sisters. It appears that Jyuka now works at Hiyori's restaurant to help her with waiting the tables.
Arata is shown having a job as a normal police officer, presumably serving under his father Riku who has also returned to the police forces. After he helps a group of children cross the street, a little girl asks: "Mister, where did the man who walks on the Path of Heaven go?". Arata answers: "He is out there buying some tofu". The two gazes at Souji's house in awe.
It is revealed that Soji really is "buying tofu"...in France. He has traveled there to improve his culinary skills further. On the streets of France, a local meets him and asks him in wonder if he really is the famous Soji Tendo. Souji replies with his usual introductory sentence: "Grandmother said this: I am the man who walks on the Path of Heaven, to rule over everything...Tendo Soji!". He points to the camera as the series end.
==Cast==
*: 
*: 
*: 
*: 
*: 
*: 
*: 
*: 
*: 
*: 
*: 
*: 
*: 
===Guest casts===
*: 
*: 
*Foreigner: Mekdachi Khalil
*Man: 
*Girl: 
==Forms Used==
*Kabuto - Masked Form, Rider Form, Hyper Form
*Gatack - Masked Form, Rider Form
*Dark Kabuto - Masked Form, Rider Form
==Errors==
to be added
==Notes==
*As part of Super Hero Time, this episode aired alongside episode 46, .
*Viewership: 7.8%
*A trailer for Kamen Rider Den-O and the first episode was shown at the end of this episode.
*Three of the cast members would have later roles in the later Kamen Rider series:
**Yuki Sato (Arata Kagami) would later return in the thirty-seventh episode of Kamen Rider Zi-O.
**Kazuki Kato (Daisuke Kazama) would later go on to play the reboot Shiro Kazami in Kamen Rider The Next.
**Tomohisa Yuge (Masato Mishima) would later go on to play Kiyojiro Bando in Kamen Rider Gaim and Soji Shitashimo in Kamen Rider Amazons.
*In the Hong Kong English dub (which aired on the Philippines and Singapore), Soji has additional French lines after he says "My grandmother says this:" in French undubbed.
==DVD releases==
Kamen Rider Kabuto Volume 12 features episodes 45-49: Christmas Earthquake, Farewell, Tsurugi!!, Rushing into the Last Chapter, Tendo Dies!! and Path of Heaven.
Blu-ray Box 3 comes with 17 episodes.
Category:Kamen Rider Kabuto
Category:Episodes
Category:Season Finale
Category:Rider Death Episode