And so, the four teams set off to defeat the Trump Jyamato using their respective Buckles.
Since the rules weren't clear yet, everyone initially found the first wave of Jyamato too easy. They were then surprised to find that the monsters could revive and quickly reappear. This meant that no matter how hard they fought, they failed to permanently defeat even one Jyamato.
Raven naturally knew there was a specific rule to this game: they had to remember the card suit revealed by the Jyamato when they were struck down. Then, they and their partner had to simultaneously defeat two Jyamato with the same suit. Therefore, during the first attack, he was focused on trying to memorize the suits of the Trump Jyamato.
Aside from him, Ace had also noticed this detail and was already confident in his approach.
When the rest period arrived, everyone returned to the lounge.
Morio looked distraught. He felt like the Pumpkin Bear next to him was nothing but dead weight.
Meanwhile, Keiwa, after a conversation with Michinaga, realized that the Zombie Buckle was what Michinaga needed most. He deliberately approached Raven, intending to trade his Boost Buckle for a Zombie Buckle.
Keiwa's Top Spender, Kekera, was practically fuming. These are all gifts I gave you! And you haven't even used it once! But there was nothing Kekera could do; he had intentionally chosen to support someone like Keiwa to groom him into a Kamen Rider. To ensure Keiwa's success, he prepared to send another donation.
Raven readily agreed to Keiwa's trade proposal. After all, he had to give face to his future brother-in-law. Besides, he could use this game as an opportunity to test the power of the Boost Buckle himself.
"But Raven-san, how are we supposed to deal with those Jyamato now?" Neon asked. She sat on a stool at the counter, wearing a low-cut, off-the-shoulder top and a short skirt that fully showcased her legs in stockings. Leaning on the counter, she sipped her drink through a straw, contemplating the game.
"Of course, we have a way. Let's go practice." Raven reached out, pinched her cheek lightly, and then headed for the training facility provided by the DGP. He planned to inform Neon about how to solve the riddle of the Trump Jyamato.
After the training session, the second round of the game quickly began. Everyone was teleported to the Jyamato's location.
This time, knowing the rules of the game, Raven and Neon successfully defeated several pairs of Jyamato, placing them first on the scoreboard. Ace, with the help of the Bear staff member, also successfully defeated one pair, temporarily placing him second.
This prompted Keiwa to finally notice the rules and mechanics of the game. He immediately started watching the suits revealed by the defeated Jyamato.
"Hey! Why are you just standing there watching!" Michinaga, who had been single-mindedly killing Jyamato with the Zombie Buckle, shouted at Keiwa.
"I figured out how this game works!" Keiwa replied.
Similarly, Morio had also figured out the secret of the game, but even when he tried to implement it, the interference from his useless teammate, the Pumpkin Bear, led to failed coordination. At this rate, he was certain to be eliminated. This made him frantic.
Not long after, everyone returned to the lounge.
Because Morio was dissatisfied with his assigned teammate, Girori specially informed him that players could use Desire Money to gain one opportunity to swap partners. Morio naturally used the option without hesitation. Using the gambling skills he had honed as a casino dealer, he managed to draw the partner he wanted: Michinaga.
Keiwa's partner was thus swapped to the Pumpkin Bear. This put him in the most likely position to be eliminated.
"Hey, Ace, what are you looking at?" Keiwa, unaware that his partner had been changed behind his back, was relaxed and eating snacks and fruit in the rest area. Seeing Ace scrolling through his phone, he asked curiously.
"I'm looking at this."
Ace showed the screen to Keiwa. It was a recent news report about Morio. It revealed that Morio was a casino dealer who had run away after embezzling funds from an illegal gambling house.
"Eh? So he did something like that," Keiwa was shocked.
Soon after, Tsumuri arrived to inform them that the team compositions had changed. Morio appeared before them, smugly holding the slip of paper with Michinaga's name. This put Keiwa in crisis once again.
But he didn't give up. He went to a nearby beach, intending to practice coordination with the Pumpkin Bear. However, the Pumpkin Bear seemed to be deliberately trying to sabotage him, constantly messing up and ignoring instructions. This was in stark contrast to the other staff member, the Bear.
At this point, his Top Spender, Kekera, watching from the VIP section, could no longer tolerate the situation. He immediately decided to make an excessive donation.
"Keiwa Sakurai, I hope you don't let down my expectations in the end. You must become the Kamen Rider I envision!" the frog-shaped statue, the Top Spender, said, leaning his single hand on a table in the VIP area.
Suddenly, a chest dropped from the sky in front of Keiwa. When he opened it, he found a Boost Buckle.
"Amazing! With this, I can definitely win!"
"That works too?" Neon was stunned. How can Keiwa just get his hands on a powerful tool like the Boost Buckle so easily?
Everyone watching, including the newly paired Morio, was dumbfounded.
"Damn it! I have to find a way," Morio thought. He knew very well that the only way for him to survive this game was to eliminate Keiwa.
Raven and Ace were too formidable to provoke. Even if he drew them, they could simply use Desire Money to redraw. Keiwa, on the other hand, was different. Based on his understanding of Keiwa over the past few days, Morio was sure that Keiwa would never redraw and cause trouble for others.
This would have made him safe, but now, that Boost Buckle was a major hidden threat.
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