"Click!"
After taking the photo, Nene Arakawa looked at the adorable Firefly in it.
Sure enough, there was no way someone as cute as Firefly could stay mad at her over something like that.
She was doing it to fight the DGP and save the world, too.
Although she had not investigated anything yet, Nene Arakawa already mostly believed what Firefly had told her.
Cute Firefly could not possibly lie. The DGP Grand Prix really was a live-action Rider show. She began thinking about how she could help Firefly and stop the DGP management from acting so recklessly.
Relying on her own strength seemed difficult. Perhaps she would need the Kurama Family's power.
Did she still have to go back?
Nene Arakawa hesitated a little, but then something came to mind and she calmed down.
Going back would not make much difference. With the Fox Mask, she could easily escape again anyway.
"Firefly-chan, let's go back too!"
Glancing at the sky, Nene Arakawa spoke to Firefly.
She kept holding Firefly's hand, afraid that the moment she let go, Firefly would disappear out of guilt.
I'll Deal with Him Personally
The eastern sky gradually turned pale, and faint light filtered through the gaps in the curtains, softly spilling into the room.
The air carried the unique freshness of early morning, mixed with the faint fragrance of flowers and grass, instantly refreshing the mind.
Firefly stood beside the window and raised her right hand, looking at the sky through the gaps between her fingers. Things seemed different from what she had expected. Even revealing some of the truth had not caused any consequences.
However, Firefly turned to look at the other room, where no one remained. Nene Arakawa had already headed to the DGP location once more.
The third round of the DGP had begun.
Moreover, Nene Arakawa had not thrown away the Oddity Firefly had given her and still carried it with her.
It seemed she had believed her.
Then it was time for Firefly to make her entrance.
This time, she hoped she could obtain what she wanted.
Only by acquiring the Vision Driver could many things proceed smoothly, rather than leaving her clueless. Not only was the Vision Driver the key to the DGP, it also contained information on every past DGP Grand Prix.
Firefly gently grasped at empty air with her right hand. The next instant, her Transformation Device appeared in her hand.
It was about time.
"Transform!"
Stellaron Hunter! Sam!
Flames swirled around Firefly, and in an instant, the beautiful girl Firefly transformed into the dashing Rider, Sam.
"Game Master, I'm just waiting for you to show yourself!"
Looking in a certain direction, Firefly murmured softly.
Meanwhile, at the DGP Grand Prix gathering point.
The remaining Rider contestants, Game Navigator Tsumuri, and Game Master Girori were all standing there, about to begin this round of the game.
Nene Arakawa stood to one side, holding the DGP communicator in her hand.
At this point... she was the only girl left among the DGP Grand Prix contestants.
The weaker contestants from the beginning had all been eliminated. Those remaining either possessed considerable strength or good luck.
However, unlike the others, Nene Arakawa did not have such a strong obsession with becoming a Desire God. Her current life was already fairly good.
Though it was not perfect, that wish was no longer absolutely necessary.
So she was in a relatively good state of mind...
Especially after learning the true nature of the DGP Grand Prix from Firefly, many of her thoughts had changed.
Although she had said she would investigate it herself before deciding whether to believe what Firefly had said, she already believed it in her heart.
Compared with DGP management, she trusted cute Firefly more...
Still, if possible, she wanted to witness the truth of the DGP with her own eyes.
Her gaze swept across the other Riders. Everyone had returned to normal, and even Ace Ukiyo and Azuma Michinaga, who had taken the worst beating, looked as though nothing had happened.
They had looked like they were about to die back then.
Was that what Kamen Riders were like?
No matter how badly they had been injured before, they would recover soon enough, or immediately after transforming.
Above them, Tsumuri was explaining the rules for the new round. The third round of the Desire Grand Prix was the Concentration Game.
It was a poker card game.
And what the contestants needed to face were Poker Jyamato.
Furthermore, this round was a two-person team game.
The contestants would draw lots to determine their partners.
Yet as they listened to Tsumuri's explanation, most of the Riders were distracted, seemingly lost in their thoughts. Azuma Michinaga in particular wore an extremely gloomy expression, clearly not having forgotten what had happened last time.
That had already been the second time—the second time he had been humiliated so badly by that Stellaron Hunter.
Yet no matter how frustrated and upset he was, there was nothing he could do, because he was no match for him at all. His only hope now was the Desire God.
Only by becoming a Desire God could he gain the power to defeat all Kamen Riders.
Therefore, even though he had suffered defeat after defeat, he still had not given up on participating in the DGP Grand Prix. He had no other choice.
Compared to Azuma Michinaga and the others, Nene Arakawa, Keiwa Sakurai, and Ace Ukiyo showed no change in expression. At least on the surface, they looked calm.
Nene Arakawa had not suffered any serious injuries at all, and she knew Sam might be targeting the DGP rather than truly trying to attack them.
Because of his good temperament, Keiwa Sakurai saw that he was fine and that the others were mostly fine too, so he did not dwell on it.
As for Ace Ukiyo, a fox who had lived for two thousand years, concealing his emotions was basic practice. Only he knew what he was thinking inside.
"Say, compared to all this, we want to know... what should we do if that Stellaron Hunter appears again?"
"He's so strong that we're no match for him at all. Are we supposed to end up like last time again?"
As Tsumuri explained, one contestant grew impatient and stepped forward to question her in an irritated tone.
Last time, the DGP contestants had practically been wiped out, utterly crushed by that Stellaron Hunter.
He suddenly felt that this so-called DGP "world-saving operation" was nothing but a joke. If they encountered that guy again, would they just get wiped out by him once more?
"Um..."
Faced with that question, Tsumuri did not know how to answer.
She was only a navigator, responsible for explaining and clarifying matters related to the game. Everything else was outside her duties.
It was the Game Master behind her who stepped forward at that moment. His cold gaze swept over everyone before he said evenly, "You only need to continue the Grand Prix. There is no need to concern yourselves with anything else."
"If that Stellaron Hunter appears again, I will personally enter the field and deal with him."
After speaking with the Game Producer and confirming that the Goddess's power could not affect that Stellaron Hunter, he had decided to act personally in order to ensure that the DGP Grand Prix could continue smoothly.
The DGP Grand Prix had been held for thousands of years. How could it be halted so easily because of one person? He would never tolerate that Stellaron Hunter continuing to act so recklessly.
"..."
Hearing Girori's cold words, the contestants present said nothing more.
Since DGP management would handle it themselves, it was no longer something they needed to worry about.
This was especially true for Ace Ukiyo. He had always wanted to investigate DGP management and learn about his mother, but he had never had an opportunity.
His investigation over the past two thousand years... could almost be called completely fruitless. It was undoubtedly a failure.
The people behind DGP management were far too mysterious.
Now that this Stellaron Hunter had appeared, someone clearly unaffiliated with the DGP and incredibly powerful, perhaps this was instead an opportunity.
Poker Jyamato
With Girori's assurance, the others said nothing more. Tsumuri continued explaining the rules of this game.
"Eliminate all Jyamato that appear, and the game will end."
"Like before, this round will also use a Points-based elimination system."
"When the game ends, the two contestants with the lowest scores will be eliminated."
Clearly, this was a game that would eliminate two people. The contestants not only needed to be strong themselves, but also needed to work well with their partners.
Provided nothing unexpected happened again.
"Now, based on the previous round's Points, please come forward and draw lots."
After saying that, Tsumuri somehow carried out a large box and had the contestants before her step forward.
Because of Stellaron Hunter Sam's appearance in the previous round, most of the Jyamato had been dealt with by an outsider, leaving them with few Points from the Jyamato.
Instead, Keiwa Sakurai and Nene Arakawa were far ahead in Points because they had rescued people.
Thanks to the care of his Top Supporter, Kekera, Keiwa Sakurai could obtain good Buckles almost every round from the start.
On top of that, he had originally been the first to complete the hidden rescue mission, so his Points were slightly higher than Nene Arakawa's. Thus, he naturally took first place.
Being first because of rescuing people made Keiwa Sakurai feel a little embarrassed. He awkwardly smiled at the others.
Some people disdained Keiwa Sakurai's absurd luck, but Nene Arakawa and Ace Ukiyo were quite friendly toward him.
That was simply Nene Arakawa's personality, while Ace Ukiyo, that fox, had his eye on Keiwa Sakurai's good fortune. This nice guy was easy to fool, and it would be easy to trick good Buckles out of him.
Walking up to Tsumuri, Keiwa Sakurai took a deep breath and reached into the box to take out a card.
He hoped it would reveal the partner he wanted, but after seeing the image on the card, he sighed.
It bore the image of a bull.
Clearly, his partner for this round was Buffa!
For a moment, Keiwa Sakurai did not know how to describe how he felt. Though Buffa had repeatedly been instantly defeated by the Stellaron Hunter, he was actually quite strong compared to the rest of them.
It was just that this guy did not seem easy to get along with!
And this was a game that required teamwork. He would rather have someone easier to talk to.
Next, Nene Arakawa stepped forward to draw lots. The partner she drew was a fox.
She looked toward Ace Ukiyo, who gave her a mysterious smile.
After everyone else had finished drawing lots, Tsumuri announced the start of the mission. The next second, everyone was teleported to the mission location.
It was a seaside plaza and also a famous dating spot for couples. The Poker Jyamato would split up couples on dates and take them back to their nest.
The DGP contestants were divided into pairs, each group teleported to a different location.
After arriving, a box containing Buckles appeared before each of them, serving as the starting item for this round.
"Let's see what kind of Buckle it is."
Nene Arakawa eagerly opened the box before her. Inside was a Buckle that looked quite good.
The Beat Buckle.
After picking up the Beat Buckle, Nene Arakawa turned to look at Ace Ukiyo beside her. He had also opened the box before him, but unfortunately... it was only a Water Gun Buckle.
"Just a water gun?"
"It's fine. In a place like this, a water gun is still pretty good."
Before you continue