[DreadBringer]

Finally giving context to the opening scene.

After the constant string pulling between the baddies, it seems that the one on the top hierarchy are the DGP audiences itself. The "supporting" roles are the ones more influental throughout the DGP, the sponsors funding it, supporters rigging the game more than Game Masters (and is able to rebel like Beroba), the VIP audiences are the ones that influence Suel's actions. Their bloodlusts are what influences Suel's actions to reformat the DGP, becoming more and more depraved, going from a harmless game to a deadly game with some safeguards, to something where Riders can attack each other (DR), and finally this, a game where the civilians are forced to fight with no way out. The audiences are also literally indispensable to Suel in fighting too, Regad Omega being powered by them, forming eyes all over his body.

I guess this'd be how the game is run without a Goddess, as there'd be no rewards this time, the people would not have an incentive to join. The "reward" is only surviving, like Heaven and Hell, and they are just forced to henshin, and directly fight like Rider War, until the last one standing. For audience's satisfaction. My thoughts are actually, dunno why people buy into how happiness is measured by stats, or how it can be obtained by striking other Riders. Suel's decision to detonate the is also based on them mocking those who wouldn't fight and give them entertainment. They also seem to be partly the reason why Suel stays in the current world for longer time making one more game, because the audience craves for more entertainment.

The DGP being on hold also leads to people keeping their memories, like Kekera's "broadcast" on Keiwa, leading to the return of Fukuo, the soba restaurant owner, now also learning that Keiwa is a Kamen Rider. And as someone in the good side, they keep throwing shades to him with him being pushed into the hot soba. Not really into being good equals being a goofy joke (applies to Gentoku too). Finally inserting a mundane real world interaction again, of which some of the Geats criticism is how lacking it is. I do feel that I'd want to see people discuss about the recent events that happen too as well, like for example Win's survival, but they're just going along with the flow.

Despite Tsumuri pointing out that the Ace's crew is short in numbers, they manages to mostly pull through and, each of them are used well with their distinct role. Keiwa being the one who evacuates the civilians. Buffa being the one to tank attacks from the DGP Riders without fighting back much, so they're still technically fighting. Guess this shows Buffa has grown out of his hatred to Riders, and lives up to his vow of letting himself miserable so others can be happy. I'd think his earlier self would reject any excuses and use the Riders desperately trying to survive by turning on each other (though this isn't the norm, as the Ken and Ma couple shows, humans still vary) as a reason to go after them, thinking that it'd be their true nature of them being rotten when brought into lowest point. Michinaga's kick was dope too to one of the GMs.

Win's still not fighting as a Rider, and is the one going up against the DGP to call out their actions of disregarding human lives. So W still takes Ls against GMs, outside of Zitt too. I wonder if the GMs Suel returned can henshin, of which this should even turn the fight more to their favor, as Win only has Monster. In this part, Daichi delivers an irony in how now, the Riders are a threat to civilians, while the Jamatos here are the ones to help Win and protect others, including giving something for the DGP Riders to keep fighting. Sunflowers also means happiness and peace, which is displayed in their usage now in a role reversal. It's unexplained though why Daichi would help here, unlike his ulterior motive in saving Sara before. The Tree of Knowledge is also not brought up yet either. This'd be like Kuroto joining in the fight against Fuma or Gamedeus Machina until his life is 1 remaining, but Mighty Novel X later cements that he was never redeemed.

Something that people may overlook is that, Neon's reason to protect Kousei was to have him atone for being a DGP sponsor, and using the Kurama zaibatsu's power and influence, something they can only do, for good, and this actually comes to play in this episode. The episode scans barely showed her before, and she was absent too when Keiwa evacuates the civilians, as she typically would do the same with him, but I guess for good reason, as this'd be the surprise contribution that (almost) saves the day. With an access to the audience room, the Kuramas are giving the VIPs.. reality check, that their bloodlust can potentially bite back to them as this isn't a fiction, but real world. They decide to flee for their safety, depriving Regad Omega of its power source and weakening it.

Ace insisting Tsumuri to not refer him with '-sama' suffix can sound hypocritical as Ace never stops refering Tsumuri as his big sis even though Tsumuri also asks him to stop. Other than that, his father Girori returns as per Suel bringing back the other GMs as their leader. It's something Ace wouldn't expect to think that Girori is one of Suel's underlings, but he denies being compared with other GMs. He seems to genuinely appreciate Kamen Rider values in him now sticking up for Ace striving for world peace. He'd still be someone bad for also not differentiating between reality and fiction, being complicit in the DGP turning the current era into a deadly game, albeit he always wanted the Riders to win, putting him at odds with Archimedel who wants the Jamatos to win and making them stronger, and now Suel for devolving the DGP into just something totally sadistic. He also still wants the DGP to continue for the just audiences, this should put him at odds with the main cast who'd want to put an end of the DGP for good.

Ace makes use of his weaker forms to not kill the DGP Riders I guess but stopping their fight by disarming them. He also faces Suel directly, with Regad Omega's abilities being shown in it cloning Buckles (unlike Zitt's use of Ninja) and using it as attack drones, like Hypnorays or Dominionrays. Continuing to keep the regular Large Raise Buckles relevant. The Magnum's use is straightforward, but kinda wish that the Boost's use is better, like perhaps combining it for something grander than Boost Mark II. Suel goes Masamune (after "discontinuing" Mitsume) not only in "stage select" to place them in a place of Banno's death, but also using R̶e̶s̶e̶t̶ Reverse to rewind Ace's time so he's left as normal human.

Suel also brings up Tsumuri to shoot him, as in the opening. I used to think Tsumuri was sus, based on this opening and her being like Shiro or Sid of sending the Riders to their likely death. But it has long passed that, as Samas explains, Tsumuri's compassion grow by watching over the Riders, with her now being someone who displays sympathy to Keiwa over Sara's death and also covering a little child in this episode. It's unlikely that it's Black Tsumuri posing as her, with her apologizing, albeit she flashes her smirk like opening too.

With Ace seemingly died, honestly I knew this wouldn't stick. As the series multiple times have teased over Ace's stakes, only for him to always stay on top. Ace eliminated? His first wish gets him back mid-game. Ace being overwhelmed? His reincarnation's wishes grant him power. Ace being unable to reach out to the admins? He's revealed to have creation powers. Ace's cost of using his creation powers? He breaks free due to his strong will. It's expected that Ace would have something planned.

The title of the next episode returns to Dawn arc, sounds like the series would have a stable time loop or such where the ending causes an event in the past on Ace's DGP winning streak days (possibly no real conclusion). Honestly with Regad Omega being weakened, I wondered how'd he beat over the other 3 main Riders, as Bujin Sword isn't far below Geats IX, and he got help from Na-Go Fantasy and Jamashin Buffa. I wonder if Jamashin Buffa will kick Regad Omega's ass, but Suel will de-henshin and kick Buffa's ass as a powerful non-Rider.