Raven quickly appeared on the street and used the Desire Driver to Henshin. Simultaneously, Tsumuri's voice was broadcast to everyone.
"Emergency! All Kamen Riders, please engage immediately and protect the city!"
Her voice was slightly muffled, as if she were eating. In fact, Tsumuri was genuinely bewildered; the final round of the game had suddenly started without her prior knowledge.
In a certain room, Girori, dressed as a Game Master and wearing a mask, watched the virtual screen before him. He was thoroughly looking forward to this decisive battle.
"This time, a new Dezashin might finally be born," he murmured from behind his mask.
Ace Ukiyo (Kamen Rider Geats) had simply been winning too much, which detracted from the show's entertainment value. Plus, he had been deliberately and constantly probing the organizers, seemingly trying to investigate something. This greatly annoyed Girori. He felt Geats was an unstable element, and Raven's appearance gave him the perfect option to eliminate Geats without having to personally interfere with the game.
However, Raven's desire was to have Tsumuri as his woman. This initially put Girori in a difficult position, as Tsumuri's status was far more complex than just a Game Navigator. But if even such a wish couldn't be granted, what was the point of the Desire Grand Prix? Girori decided the best compromise was to let Tsumuri accompany Raven in his daily life and simply summon her back when she was needed for the game. After all, human lifespans in this era were very short. Once Raven died of old age, the wish would naturally expire.
Meanwhile, in the VIP lounge of the DGP.
A young man with a lock of blue and white hair looked worriedly at the screen. He knew that Raven's emergence had caused a major crisis for his unbeatable idol, Geats. The game had progressed to the final round, yet Geats still hadn't secured a basic item like the Magnum Buckle.
Finally, the fan, Ziin, couldn't resist spending his money. He picked up his virtual tablet and immediately sent Ace Ukiyo a treasure chest containing a Magnum Buckle.
"Geats, oh Geats, you must win! Let me be moved once more by the moment you become the Dezashin!" Ziin spoke to the image of Ace Ukiyo, who was fighting Jyamato on the street with a Shield Buckle.
And, as usual, Kekera immediately gifted Keiwa Sakurai a Boost Buckle. No reason needed—he was simply lavish. If it weren't for the current Game Master, Girori, being so unaccommodating, Kekera would have loved to personally descend and witness Keiwa's growth and metamorphosis into the Kamen Rider of his heart—the one who hides sadness and tears beneath his mask.
Across the VIP area, a young man with an unconventional hairstyle that covered his eyes sat quietly on a sofa. He was the supporter of Neon Kurama (Kamen Rider Na-Go).
Unlike Kekera and Ziin, he never interfered with Neon's personal game process and never even bought her a single gift. He simply watched, a silent spectator, much like a hidden viewer in a streamer's room who never sends a single comment or gift.
On the other side, in a shadowy location: The Jyamato Garden.
"Hurry up and make everyone miserable, hahahaha..."
As the sponsor and supporter of the Jyamato, Beroba was, as always, watching the match. She cheered on the Jyamato as they relentlessly attacked the people on the street, letting out light, airy laughter. Her black-stockinged legs were brazenly on display.
Not far behind her, in a corner of the garden, an old man wearing a straw hat was meticulously tending to some potted plants. His name was Archimedel, and all the Jyamato outside had been carefully cultivated by him. He treated them as his own sons.
Having witnessed the Kamen Riders of the Desire Grand Prix constantly slaughtering his children, he had accumulated a good deal of resentment and dissatisfaction. Thus, he occasionally secretly increased the numbers and strength of the Jyamato, causing the game difficulty to skyrocket, which frequently led to the complete annihilation of the Kamen Riders.
....
At the Game Site.
Raven used the Magnum Buckle to clear out the surrounding low-level Jyamato soldiers. Neon was busy fighting as well, attempting to rendezvous with Raven.
Soon after, Tsumuri, having finished her breakfast, continued her announcement:
"The reason I didn't send an advance mobilization order this time is that the Jyamato is the final Boss. From this moment on, the final battle, the Kicking Can Game, begins!"
Everyone was stunned to hear the news. They hadn't expected the final round to arrive so quickly.
Meanwhile, Buffa had already located the final Boss, the Saboten Knight Jyamato.
"Tch, such a tiny thing. Does he really deserve to be the Boss?" Seeing that the final Boss was small and delicate, Buffa mistakenly thought it would be easy to handle. Recklessly, he charged straight at it.
The result? He was severely taught a lesson. The Saboten Knight Jyamato spotted Buffa before the attack, immediately leaped up, and delivered a Wing Chun-style combo of punches, finishing with a kick that sent Buffa flying. Buffa crashed against a large stone pillar with a loud "Bang!"
Buffa tragically picked himself up from the ground, his stamina already greatly depleted.
"Please do not underestimate it. The opponent possesses power strong enough to destroy the world. Please avoid a frontal confrontation with it!" Tsumuri's voice explained. "The Boss will capture humans it finds and use their life force to grow larger."
As Tsumuri explained, the Boss who had effortlessly defeated Buffa immediately fixed its gaze on the humans on the street. It used the vine-like tentacles of a giant cactus plant growing in the center of the city to grab and consume the humans.
As humans were continuously consumed and converted into life energy, the can in front of the Boss changed. It was now filled with soda-like liquid made of life energy. If the Boss drank it, it would become gigantic.
"This Jyamato has caused massive casualties in the past," Tsumuri continued. "It has only one weakness: the can at its feet."
"The can?" Neon asked, confused. Why would a boss's weakness be a can?
"Kicking the can will return the life force absorbed by the Boss, causing its energy to deplete and leading to its final demise. In other words, kicking that can..."
"...will win the game!"
At this declaration, both Neon and Keiwa immediately sprang into action. Could this round of the game really be this simple? We don't even have to fight the Boss head-on!
Neon was motivated by her desire. She wanted true love, and the object of that love was certainly Raven. For her, winning the game meant realizing the ideal world where Raven and she were in love. This was a goal that moved her deeply!
As for Keiwa, his desire was currently to resurrect all the sacrifice victims. For this, he would give his all.
At this moment, only Ace Ukiyo and Raven held back. The old fox, Geats, naturally knew the Boss was not easy to deal with, so he wanted to let the other two test the waters before making his move. As for Raven, he figured it wasn't too late to act at the last second. Otherwise, he could kick the can right now with just a fraction of his power. But that would risk the DGP staff noticing something amiss, as his current Buckle didn't possess that kind of strength.
Soon, Na-Go, Tycoon, and Buffa rushed forward together, aiming for the soda can in front of the Boss. If they could just kick it, everything would be over!
"Itadakimasu!"
The Boss completely ignored them, picked up the can, opened the tab, and drank the energy inside in a single gulp.
Rumble!
Its body instantly grew four or five times in size. It easily knocked the three Riders flying. Then, a hole appeared beneath its feet, and it teleported away from the scene.
"This Jyamato Boss will not stay in one place. It will move to other locations to capture humans again and enhance itself by absorbing life force," Tsumuri further explained.
"If all the humans are captured, and no one manages to kick the can..." Tsumuri's voice was tinged with sorrow, as if she were remembering a past tragedy. "...The game will end."
By this point, all the humans in this particular area had been captured by the Boss. Having their life force consumed meant death. The only way to save these people was to win the game, after which the world would be reconstructed. The deceased would be resurrected and have all their fearful memories of the Jyamato wiped away, allowing them to live on peacefully.
In the lounge, everyone learned some shocking information from Girori. It turned out that a previous Desire Grand Prix was completely wiped out by this very Boss, the Saboten Knight Jyamato. Consequently, all the humans and Kamen Riders in that area died. Since no Dezashin appeared, the world was never reconstructed, and those who died remained dead forever.
This news was incredibly heavy. Keiwa Sakurai was completely stunned, wondering if they, too, would be sacrificed in this game, ultimately leading to the deaths of innocent people.
"Giving up so soon?"
"You'd be better off letting me use the Boost Buckle. Maybe I can use its acceleration to kick the can before the Boss notices," Buffa said, getting up and confronting Keiwa.