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After hearing Erik's description, Dan felt a chill run down his spine.
"Dan, are you okay? You don't look so good," Krim asked quietly, noticing the change in his expression.
"If what Erik said is true, then that thing really isn't a vampire."
Dan's face was a mix of worry and confusion.
"What do you mean? He said the smell was the same as a vampire's."
"Fangires. They're monsters that are really similar to vampires. But they're not supposed to exist in this world…"
Krim was totally lost.
"Hold up, Dan—slow down. What's a Fangire? And why shouldn't it be here?"
Dan took a deep breath and started explaining slowly.
"Well... Krim, this might surprise you, but Fangires are kinda... connected to you."
"Connected to me? What are you talking about?"
"Fangires come from Kamen Rider Kiva. In the Kiva universe, they're kind of like your world's mechanical monsters. But they're not supposed to exist here—in this universe."
Krim thought for a moment. "Dan... do you think this Kiva might've come to this world too?"
Dan gave a bitter smile and shook his head.
"Who knows? Maybe. But I doubt it. I mean, this world isn't some public restroom that people can just pop in and out of whenever they want."
At this point in the Marvel Universe, it was being watched over by the Ancient One—a serious powerhouse. Even someone like Mephisto, the demon lord of hell, had to speak politely when dealing with her. No way could anyone just show up here freely.
"So what do you think we should do now, Dan?"
Krim honestly had no idea what move to make.
"We'll just take it one step at a time. Who knows, maybe something's going on in this world that we don't know about."
After cleaning up the bloodied bandages, Dan grabbed some medicine and headed to the guest room—only to find Erik trying to get up.
"What do you think you're doing? You're seriously injured—you shouldn't be moving."
Erik just shook his head.
"I'm not like normal people. This kind of injury isn't enough to keep me down."
He gave Dan a small, grateful bow.
"Thanks, kid. You're a good person. Here, take this."
Blade handed him a small tube that looked like a battery—but it was made of glass.
"This is a UV energy grenade. The real reason I showed up in your garage... is because I smelled vampires on you. That means you've been in contact with them recently. These guys can blend in with humans easily, but they're super dangerous. If you're ever in trouble, smash this."
Dan was a little shocked. It had already been days since his encounter, but Blade could still sense his contact with vampires. That made him feel a little nervous.
"Well, I should go. Staying here too long might bring you trouble. Take care, kid."
Erik pulled his coat on and headed out.
By the time Dan snapped out of it and chased after him, he was already gone.
"He's gone? He just vanished after walking out the door?" Krim asked, looking at the empty street.
"Yeah. He's a Level 10 agent. Disappearing in a flash is probably the easiest thing he can do."
Krim looked at the UV grenade in Dan's hand and asked, "What's wrong, Dan? Something on your mind?"
Dan nodded. "Mr. Belt... what's the purpose of a Kamen Rider?"
"The purpose of a Kamen Rider?" Krim was surprised. He hadn't expected Dan to ask that. And now that he had, Krim found himself lost in thought.
Yeah... what was the purpose? Back when he was with Shinnosuke, he'd never stopped to think about it—there was always another threat to handle, another case to solve.
But now, in this world with no mechanical monsters, it felt like he'd lost his purpose.
"The meaning of a Kamen Rider..." Krim whispered to himself. The memories of his time with Shinnosuke started flooding back.
After a long pause, he finally spoke.
"Dan, Kamen Riders were never about being 'heroes of justice.' We're just a group of protectors fighting in the shadows for the freedom of humanity."
Dan smiled at that answer.
He tucked away the UV grenade Erik had given him, stretched, and said with a grin, "Alright then, Mr. Belt. Let's go for another run. The kind of monster Blade's up against... he can't handle it alone anymore."
"Really? But what's your plan? Whether it's vampires or Blade himself, they're not exactly easy to track."
"I've got a way."
Dan flipped his wrist, and a projection lit up on the wall. A red dot was moving on it—tracking Blade's location.
"Oh my god! Dan, how'd you do that?"
Dan smiled. "Just using a little tech my old teacher left behind."
Night had fallen. Inside a brightly lit nightclub, a bunch of vampires were partying hard.
"Haha! You hear the news? That cocky half-vamp got his ass kicked!"
"Hell yeah, I heard! After everything that bastard did to our people, karma finally caught up with him!"
"Damn right. Once Lord Fess's experiment succeeds, we'll evolve even further—sunlight and silver won't mean squat to us anymore!"
"Ladies and gentlemen!"
A voice boomed from the speakers, drawing everyone's attention to the center of the bar.
A smiling vampire stood with a mic in hand.
"You all know about Blade getting taken down yesterday. So tonight, we've invited the warrior who defeated him—Collins Beck!"
Cheers erupted as a pale, blond-haired vampire with blue eyes jumped down from the second floor, landing in the middle of the bar.
All the spotlights turned to him. Screams, applause, and wild excitement filled the air.
Collins soaked it all in, loving every second of it. Nothing felt better than cheers and applause—well, maybe a nice glass of fresh blood to go with it.
But right then—
BOOM!
The metal doors exploded open.
Through the smoke walked a fully armed figure.
"Death has come knocking!"
It was Erik, decked out in combat gear, dual-wielding guns as he charged straight into the crowd of vampires.
The black barrels of his guns burst with golden flames, as custom silver bullets rained down on the vamps like a thunderstorm.
"....."