"Tycoon's place?" Ace raised an eyebrow as soon as he read the nameplate by the door.
The last time Ace met Tycoon was after saving him, his sister, and Na-go from Buffa's rampage. He didn't regret saving the three of them, and they did bond over some soba some time ago. It's apparent that the other Rider wasn't angry with him, not anymore at least.
The anger on Tycoon's face before he met his apparent end at Buffa's hands really got to him when every bomb of information was dropped on their faces.
Then his mother's innocence was so apparent to him when he finally saw her and that producer just denied all of that.
Then the game master confirmed everything.
Ace didn't really have a chance to knock as Tycoon had opened the door before he could even do the courtesy knocking.
"Tycoon."
For whatever reason, Tycoon wasn't angry upon seeing him. He was simply resigned and opened his palm at him.
"ID core."
"ID core?"
Ace had to admit, Tycoon asking for his ID core wasn't something he expected. In fact, he didn't expect anyone to ask for his ID core at all.
"Ziin-san is already inside, his Rise Cartridge is on the table." Keiwa gestured towards the table near the doorway, and sure enough, there was one Rise Cartridge on the table.
"Why?"
"Beats me," Tycoon shrugged. "Lately all of the supporters have been meeting in my house."
"All of – Including Beroba?"
"Who do you think revived me?" Keiwa raised an eyebrow. "Used some sacrifices to revive me?"
"My mother is innocent."
"Just give me your ID core and you'll be inside meeting with your biggest fan."
Seeing nothing could be lost if he would just give Tycoon his ID core, he acquiesced. He was immediately let into the man's house, making a mental note where he put his ID core: near Ziin's Rise Cartridge.
"Geats, what do you think of the meeting place?" Ziin asked as he drank tea from the couch he was sitting on.
"Why?"
"Kekera has suggested that we meet up here from time to time."
"And you agreed to it?" Ace couldn't help but ask the home's owner.
"I prefer to identify them as freeloaders or squatters," Tycoon shrugged. "They have been eating our food, and using our appliances; all without paying a single yen."
"We don't have money," Ziin helpfully added. "At the very least the things we trade with don't have any equivalent in this era."
"And you're stuck babysitting four entitled people –"
"Hey!"
"-Former or otherwise, for free."
"Pretty much."
Ace made an attempt to reach for his pocket when Tycoon interrupted him.
"And before you pay for yourself and for Ziin-san, just know that if you're paying for Ziin-san, you also need to pay me for Beroba, Michinaga-san, and Neon-chan."
"Your supporter's not included?"
"He's mine and Nee-chan's supporter," Tycoon shrugged. "We could at least take responsibility for him."
"He could also go for Kyuun's idea of forcing the Kurama Zaibatsu to fork him cash because he's technically doing their work for them." Ziin supplied.
"And deal with their lawyers? No, thank you, I know how the system works in this era."
"Beroba's right, there's Samas," Ziin offered. "Technically, she's running the Desire Grant Prix, or the Desire Royale in Niram's absence."
"She does know her way in the present." Ace hummed.
"What guarantee do I have that I won't end up like PunkJack-san?" Tycoon looked Ziin straight in the eye.
"None!"
Beroba slammed the door open, placed her Rise Cartridge on the table where Tycoon put his ID core on, and skipped towards the couch and lounged on it.
"You know, had Kekera-san been here, he'd actually order you to take off your boots." Tycoon stated.
"Too bad, he's not here yet." Beloba stuck out her tongue.
"Not that I care," Tycoon shrugged off the blatant disregard of etiquette in his home.
"Excuse me?"
"Didn't I tell you earlier? She's here squatting."
"Squatting is still a harsh word, Tycoon." Beroba pouted.
"I call it like I see it." Tycoon shrugged.
"I thought they would just be here most of the day and then go to who knows where," Ace admitted. "I certainly did not expect them to take over your household, Tycoon."
"Eh, you gotta live with your cards." Tycoon continued shrugging off the situation he was in.
"They're not just eating your food, are they, Tycoon." Ace's eyes narrowed.
"Like I said, they're freeloading or squatting."
Before Ace could even react some more to the absurdity that he was witnessing, someone unexpectedly spoke and interrupted their conversation.
"Sakurai Keiwa-sama."
Everyone jumped a little at the new voice. They looked in the direction where the voice came from, behind Tycoon, and there was Tsumuri holding a piece of envelope.
"Tsumuri-san? Eh?"
"Nee-san? You just enter into other people's houses?"
"Not like it's the first time she did it."
"Not like it's the fir- Nee-san!" Ace couldn't help but exclaim.
Sure, he may have forced Tsumuri nee-san to 'become his family' but that was with the belief that his mother was among the DGP's staff.
In the end, he was right, just not in the way he imagined it was.
But still, his sister, entering other people's home, other men's homes just like that was something he did not expect.
It didn't sit right with him.
"As Navigator, I am obliged to learn what each and every player is doing and see if they're leaking information about the Desire Grand Prix."
"I was wondering why no one was reprimanding Tycoon when he made video diaries of his first game." Ziin hummed. "During the game no less." He chuckled.
"Because she was already spying on me," Tycoon sighed. "Why are you here? I'm not even filming a diary now."
"It has come to our attention that most of the Kamen Rider supporters have gathered in your house, as we cannot permit a Desire Grand Prix participant to become a member of our staff, we instead opted to give you this as compensation for housing and entertaining the Kamen Rider supporters in our stead."
Tsumuri handed Tycoon a piece of envelope.
Tycoon opened the envelope only to see three blank checks, one was under the account of the Kurama Zaibatsu."
"And money and accommodations aren't going to be a problem for us," Beroba laughed. "I knew giving that idea to Kyuun and Na-go would net us this result."
"You're just so good at reading people, are you, Berobaa-san?"
"We only ask that you only take a million yen from each check, and you itemize any and all expenses the supporters have incurred in your finances."
"A million yen!" Tycoon exclaimed.
"And I thought after dying, nothing would startle or surprise you anymore, Tycoon." Ziin unhelpfully pointed out.
"THIS IS A MILLION YEN, ALL IN ALL, I AM GETTING THREE MILLION YEN!" Tycoon began yelling. "How am I explaining to the police where I got all of this money?!"
"Isn't that why they gave you a blank check instead of writing the amount themselves?" Ace couldn't help but point out.
"Have to say, Tycoon, you're giving me one hell of a good time!" Beroba just laughed at Tycoon's predicament.
"Shut up, Berobaa-san, none of you could understand the predicament I'm in right now." Tycoon fired back.
"How about writing two hundred thousand yen for each check?" Ace offered. "Most ATMs offer that as the highest amount to be withdrawn."
"Of course, the star knows that tidbit." Tycoon actually scoffed.
"I'm just helping."
"Maybe we can replace this old dingy TV." Beroba pointed out.
"Yeah, no, this is solely for your expenses." Tycoon shook his head. "If this had been my personal money, I would have donated half of it to charity."
"Which still leaves you with one and a half million yen," Ace pointed out. "What are you going to do with the rest of it?"
"If you think this amount of money will make me withdraw in the Desire Royale, you've got another thing coming." Tycoon stared at Geats with determination.
"Don't forget he is still the goddess's son." Beroba helpfully reminded everyone in the room.
"Oh shut up, Berobaba," Tycoon growled. "While I cannot forgive the goddess for the sacrifices made to grant wishes, to revive me, I could not be angry at Ace and Neon-chan, who are merely products of those wishes.
"Baba?!" Ziin sputtered out a laugh.
"Baba?!" Beroba indignantly reacted to the disrespect.
"This is a surprise." Ace couldn't help but utter out.
"You really believe that I would be angry at you just for existing?" Keiwa raised an eyebrow.
"The way you grabbed my collar suggested otherwise."
"Still, if you shut down the Grand Prix, I couldn't get my daily dose of misery." Beroba pouted.
"Don't get me wrong, the Desire Grand Prix needs to burn to the ground," Tycoon growled. "The Goddess just needs to resurrect everyone it has sacrificed to grant the various wishes of various Desire gods in the past."
"What if, what if that's too tall an order for the goddess of creation." Ziin pointed out. "The DGP has killed a lot of people."
"If that would be all," Tsumuri decided to make her presence known before anyone could even react to Ziin's question. "I'll take my leave now."
"Why don't you join us, Tsumuri-san, I am already cooking for your brother and for his biggest fan, may as well right?"
"Right, nee-san, come join us."
"If you would have me." Tsumuri sat next to Ace.
"What would you like to have, Tsumuri-san, Ace?"
"Let's see how good your Kitsune Udon is, Tycoon." Ace smirked.
"Hai, hai, Kitsune Udon for me too!" Beroba interjected.
"Jaa, I will have what Ace is having." Ziin helpfully supplied.
"I will take a Kitsune Udon as well, Sakurai Keiwa-sama."
"Now THIS is a surprise, everyone ordered one dish."