Starting with Firefly, Speedrun the World

"Click!"

After taking the photo, Nene Arakawa looked at the adorable Firefly in the picture.

Sure enough, there was no way such a cute Firefly would be angry at her, and besides, it wasn't even a big deal.

She was also trying to deal with the DGP, to save this world.

Though she hadn't investigated yet, at this moment, Nene Arakawa had almost fully believed Firefly's words.

A cute Firefly couldn't possibly lie—the DGP Grand Prix was just a Kamen Rider reality show. So she began to think... how could she help Firefly? She couldn't let the DGP's management run rampant like this.

Relying on her own power seemed difficult; perhaps she'd need the strength of the Kurama Family.

Did she have to go back after all?

Nene Arakawa hesitated for a moment, but then thought of something and calmed down.

Going back wouldn't matter much anyway—with the Fox Mask, she could easily escape.

"Firefly-chan, let's head back too!"

Glancing at the sky, Nene Arakawa spoke to Firefly.

She kept holding her hand, unwilling to let go, afraid that if she released it, Firefly would vanish out of guilt.

Chapter 34: I'll Go Down and Deal with Him Myself

The sky gradually showed a pale white on the horizon, faint light piercing through the gaps in the curtains, softly spilling into the room.

The air was filled with the fresh, unique scent of early morning, mixed with the faint fragrance of flowers and grass, lifting one's spirits.

Firefly stood by the window, raising her right hand, looking at the sky through the gaps between her fingers. Things seemed different from what she had expected—even revealing part of the truth hadn't caused much trouble.

But then, Firefly turned her head toward another room, now empty of people. Nene Arakawa had already left again for the DGP location.

The third round of the DGP had begun.

And Nene Arakawa hadn't thrown away the Oddity Firefly had given her; she still carried it with her.

It seemed she had believed her.

Now, it was time for her to make her move.

This time, she hoped to get what she wanted.

Only by obtaining the Vision Driver could many things proceed smoothly, without fumbling in the dark. Not only was the Vision Driver key to the DGP, but it also recorded the data of all past DGP Grand Prix tournaments.

Firefly lightly grasped the air with her right hand, and in the next moment, her Transformation Device appeared in her hand.

It was about time.

"Henshin!"

[Stellaron Hunters! Sam!]

Flames of light swirled around Firefly, and in an instant, the beautiful girl transformed into a cool Kamen Rider, Sam.

"Game Master, I'm just waiting for you to show up!"

Gazing in one direction, Firefly murmured to herself.

Meanwhile, at the DGP Grand Prix assembly point.

The remaining Rider contestants, along with Game Navigator Tsumuri and Game Master Guelorey, stood there, about to begin this round's game.

Nene Arakawa stood to the side, holding the DGP communicator in her hand.

By now... among the DGP Grand Prix contestants, she was the only girl left.

The weaklings from the start had all been eliminated; only those with real strength or good luck remained.

But compared to the others, Nene Arakawa didn't have such a strong obsession with becoming the Desire God. Her current life was already pretty good.

Though not perfect, that wish was no longer a necessity.

So her mindset was relatively relaxed...

Besides, after learning the true nature of the DGP Grand Prix from Firefly, many of her thoughts had changed.

Though she said she'd investigate herself before deciding whether to believe Firefly's words, deep down she already trusted them.

Compared to the DGP's management, she trusted the cute Firefly more...

Still, if possible, she wanted to witness the truth of the DGP with her own eyes.

She swept her gaze over the other Riders—everyone had returned to normal. Even Ace Ukiyo and Azuma Michinaga, who had been beaten the worst, looked as if nothing had happened.

Back then, it had seemed like they were about to die.

Was this what it meant to be a Kamen Rider?

No matter how severe the injury, after a while—or once they transformed—they recovered instantly.

Above, Tsumuri was explaining the rules for the new round. The third round of the Desire Grand Prix was the Concentration Game.

It was a card-matching game.

And the contestants would have to face the Poker Jyamato.

And this round is a two-player team game.

The contestants would determine their partners by drawing lots.

Just listening to Tsumuri's explanations, most of the Riders were distracted, their minds elsewhere. Azuma Michinaga in particular wore a grim expression, clearly not having forgotten what happened last time.

That was already the second time—the second time he had been so thoroughly humiliated at the hands of that Stellaron Hunter.

Yet no matter how vexed and frustrated he was, he had no recourse, because he was utterly no match for that opponent. His only hope now was the Desire God.

Only by becoming the Desire God could he obtain the power to defeat all Kamen Riders.

Thus, even though he lost every battle, he still refused to give up 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 little change in expression—at least outwardly, they appeared calm.

Nene Arakawa hadn't suffered any serious injuries, and she had realized that Sam might be targeting the DGP itself, not truly intending to harm them.

Keiwa Sakurai, being good-natured, found that he wasn't badly hurt and that the others were in similar shape, so he decided not to dwell on it.

As for Ace Ukiyo, a Fox who had lived for two thousand years, keeping his emotions off his face was basic practice. What he truly thought inside was known only to himself.

"Hey, instead of all that, we'd rather know... what do we do if that Stellaron Hunter shows up again?"

"He's so strong, we're no match for him. Are we just going to end up like last time?"

Hearing Tsumuri's explanation, one contestant grew impatient and stepped forward, voicing his displeasure.

Last time, the DGP contestants were practically wiped out, ground into the dirt by that Stellaron Hunter.

He suddenly felt that the DGP's so-called "world-saving mission" was nothing but a joke. If they ran into that guy again, would they just get annihilated once more?

"Well..."

Faced with this question, Tsumuri wasn't sure how to answer.

She was just a guide, responsible for explaining the game's rules and procedures. Everything else was outside her purview.

It was the Game Master behind her who stepped forward, his cold gaze sweeping over everyone before he spoke flatly: "You just need to continue the Grand Prix. Don't worry about anything else."

"If that Stellaron Hunter appears again, I will personally step in 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 take matters into his own hands to ensure the DGP Grand Prix proceeded smoothly.

The DGP Grand Prix had been running for thousands of years. How could it be halted so easily because of one person? He would absolutely not tolerate that Stellaron Hunter continuing to run amok.

"..."

Hearing Guelorey's cold words, the contestants present fell silent.

Since the DGP management would handle it themselves, it was no longer their concern.

For Ace Ukiyo especially, he had always wanted to investigate the DGP management and look into matters concerning his mother, but he had never found an opportunity.

Two thousand years of investigation... had yielded almost no progress. It was a profound failure.

The DGP management was far too mysterious.

Now, the appearance of that Stellaron Hunter—clearly not part of the DGP, yet immensely powerful—might actually present an opportunity.

Chapter 35: Poker Jyamato

With Guelorey's assurance, the others said no more. Tsumuri then continued explaining the rules of this round.

"Eliminate all the Jyamato that appear. The game ends."

"This time, like before, it's a point-based elimination system."

"When the game ends, the two contestants with the lowest scores will be eliminated."

Clearly, this was a game that eliminated two players. Contestants not only needed their own strength but also sufficient tacit understanding with their teammates.

Assuming no further surprises occurred.

"Now, based on the points from the last round, please come forward and draw lots."

With that, Tsumuri produced a large box from somewhere and invited the contestants to step up.

Last round, because of the Stellaron Hunter Sam's appearance, most of the Jyamato had been cleared by an outsider, so they hadn't earned many points from the Jyamato themselves.

Instead, Keiwa Sakurai and Nene Arakawa had taken the lead in points thanks to their rescue efforts.

Keiwa Sakurai, with the support of his Top Supporter Kekera, had been able to obtain good Buckles at the start of nearly every round.

Coupled with the fact that he had been the first to complete the hidden rescue mission, his points were slightly higher than Nene Arakawa's, making him the natural first-place holder.

Becoming first through rescuing others made Keiwa Sakurai a bit embarrassed, and he gave an awkward smile to the others.

Some dismissed Keiwa Sakurai's dumb luck, but Nene Arakawa and Ace Ukiyo were friendly about it.

Nene Arakawa was just that kind of person, while Ace Ukiyo, that Fox, had his eye on Keiwa Sakurai's good fortune. This pushover was easy to manipulate, and any good Buckles could be coaxed out of him.

Stepping up to Tsumuri, Keiwa Sakurai took a deep breath, then reached into the box and pulled out a card.

He hoped in his heart for a desirable partner, but when he saw the pattern on the card, he sighed.

It was the image of a bull.

It was obvious—his partner for this round was Buffa!

Keiwa Sakurai didn't know how to describe his feelings. Although Buffa kept getting one-shot by the Stellaron Hunters, his strength was still considerable among their group.

But this guy really didn't seem easy to get along with!

And this was a cooperation game—he'd rather swap for someone easier to talk to.

Next, Nene Arakawa stepped forward to draw lots. The partner she drew was the Fox.

Her gaze landed on Ace Ukiyo, who gave her a mysterious smile in return.

After everyone else finished drawing, Tsumuri announced the start of the mission. The next second, all of them were teleported to the mission site.

It was a plaza by the sea, a famous dating spot for couples. The Poker Jyamato would tear couples apart and drag them back to their nest.

The DGP contestants were paired up in twos, each group teleported to a different location.

Once they arrived, a box containing a buckle appeared before each person—the starting item for this round.

"Let me see what buckle it is."

Nene Arakawa couldn't wait and opened the box in front of her. Inside was a rather impressive-looking buckle.

The Beat Buckle.

Picking up the Beat Buckle, Nene Arakawa turned to look at Ace Ukiyo beside her. He had just opened his own buckle, but unfortunately... it was only a Water Gun Buckle.

"Just a water gun?"

"It's fine. Here, a water gun is still decent."