[DreadBringer]

So the Desire Royale hasn't actually started yet. And it's not done by Michinaga.

Actually it's not an activated thing, so Michinaga's wish turns him into an invincible Rider who can tank any kind of attacks and plow through previously superior Game Master and supporter Riders. Likely regardless of which Buckle he uses (explains the minimal changes in his looks), but using Fever Zombie out of preference. He's first shown decimating both John and Ben, apparently named Garun and Lancer respectively. I'd say they're a bit poorly handled to have their fight offscreen here, without a display of how their Rider forms look like, even if they'd obviously lose against the one that has the power to destroy all Kamen Riders. And I also'd like to see a role reversal later of Neon protecting them, but dunno. I mean the character we completely know nothing about in Kazunori Nagayama/Groovy (Lopo's helmet joins recycling), who is portrayed by Tycoon's suit actor and also uses Ninja, has more onscreen Rider time than 2 established characters before.

And even Beroba of all people now points out that Michinaga is a hypocrite, doing the same thing as the worst Riders he hates, but he just brushes it off. You might not care, but you still have no right to take the moral high ground though. Otherwise, this episode does show that Michinaga is a better person than Beroba (well, almost anyone would be, even Archimedel), by how he has some sense of honor to give Neon a chance, including discouraging her from touching the ID Core, so that he doesn't have to attack her. Buffa claims to spare Neon from "death", but Buffa resorts to destroying ID Cores after beating up the Riders, and leaving them be to disappear like being eliminated, but do they actually die? He also gives back Riders' equipments to have them face him in battle.

By contrast, Beroba deliberately forces Neon to remember her miserable life and have her suffer for it, just for shits and giggles. It's obviously depraved of Beroba, though as Neon said to Kyuun, she'd rather to have her be herself, and retain her true self and memories, rather than being not herself due to memories. Kyuun now properly supports her by trying to suggest what she may belong like his future world. Though Neon gets hate from those exact future audiences, so not guaranteed, but points for trying. And... the flashbacks involving the DGP only features her teamup with both wolf-themed Riders Morio (wolf in sheep's clothing) and Sae (lone wolf).

Like before, some people can change with their memory wipe, and here Neon is also shown shopping with her bodyguards like ep. 10, but she seems to be happier here than even that episode (at least when confronting Irumi)? Which was what Kyuun thinks to let her be. Though perhaps Neon is a pushover still, like not assert herself where she wants for honeymoon and just gets agreeable. Indeed Neon doesn't do livestreaming when her memory and motivation got wiped, as John and Ben addressed, and when they speak to each other, it's in English, contrasting to them speaking Japanese the other times.

I guess the memory wiping also happens to Sara, who didn't know why Keiwa disappeared (she directly witnessed his murder in front of her eyes), pleading for the police to look after him. And this'd mean the memory wipe (and Rider demotivating) isn't strictly happening after the DGP ends, but happens anytime Goddess of Creation grants a wish.

This episode also really shows how slimy Chirami is, of which in an attempt to overthrow Buffa Musou, he'd get past Riders to fight him and retrieve the Vision Driver. Especially that he flat out admits to Tsumuri that he only wants to see entertainment in their struggles and eventual victory against an adversary. Chirami only treats the Riders as story elements instead of actual living beings. He also mistreats Tsumuri to harass her and mock her role. Chirami does indeed has bleak view of humans to think they're inherently wretched, when Buffa launches his rant again about the DGP attracting selfish bastards (which is how he still hates Riders even if there's DGP), though dunno how he got to convince all those previous Riders to fight Buffa Musou by this. He's also a coward to resort into begging for the supporters to help him or bribing Buffa in their fight.

By contrast, as Kekera noted, Ziin's view has changed due to Ace. Ziin agrees to help said sniveling clown, because it'd be a mutual benefit. While previously as said here, Ziin'd just choose another Rider to support, as he only views the people in the DGP's era fodders for his entertainment, but now Ziin actually views Ace as a person, to stay loyal at him. The next (leaked) episode will have the role reversal of Kekera being the one suspicious instead, after the supporters being wary of Ziin.

As Riders stronger than usual ones, Ziin and Glare2 performs better than DGP Riders against Buffa Musou, though of course still hopeless. There's some neat use of Ziin's gravity abilities to soften his landing, recover, and evade to fight back. But Buffa now can completely tank his Laser Victory, despite causing collateral damage on the surroundings, while strong enough to cause similar collateral damage in his regular stomps. Glare2 too has his worm moves as well as spinning around Buffa to choke him, but nothing affects Buffa as usual. Before he finishes off Glare2 however, Ace suddenly returns in a deus ex machina-like fashion, but now targets Glare2, in his newfound goal to destroy the DGP, similar as Buffa.

The reason of his return, is speculated to be the work of Sueru, or probably, Tsumuri's apparent miraculous ability like Mitsume, as an answer to the extent of what she can do outside of her navigator role. Of which both are navigators, or it seems to be the requirement and true purpose of their role. Seems that they're now finally setting something important for Tsumuri; she's not the female lead though. This episode also shows her discomfort of risking Riders' lives to prevent Chirami into futilely sending people to die. She also lacks her usual enthusiasm for enlisting people as Kamen Riders this time. She'd still performing similar thing in her DGP job before though, and overall being an accomplice to the DGP, albeit it's to a lesser degree for the former and she has more concerns compared to most other DGP staff.