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A white and a red warrior clashed on the remote farm, sparks flying with every blow.
The Ixa armor performed incredibly well—most likely thanks to Erik's half-vampire body.
"Ixa! Try your finisher!"
"Finisher?"
Erik got it. He reached into the belt's compartment and pulled out a whistle, sliding it into the glove.
[I-x-a Knu-ck-le R-i-se U-p]
The glove started glowing gold as the mechanical voice and whistle sound played.
[Broken Fang]
He threw a punch—the energy blast shot out of the glove like a cannon.
BOOM!
A violent explosion shook the field, kicking up a huge cloud of smoke.
Cough cough "Damn, that was close… almost got roasted."
As the smoke cleared, a giant crater lay in front of Dan.
Luckily, he had backed off just in time—otherwise, that punch would've hurt.
"Dan! You okay?!"
Erik realized he may have overdone it and stepped forward.
Suddenly—ZAP! A massive shock surged through his body.
"ARGHH!"
With a scream, Erik dropped to the ground, armor dissolving instantly.
"Erik!!"
Dan de-transformed and rushed over to check on him.
"Erik, are you okay?"
"I'm fine!"
Honestly, the guy's got a seriously tough body—he didn't pass out, which is impressive, but that didn't mean it didn't hurt like hell.
Dan took off the IXA driver and shook his head.
"Sorry, I shouldn't have let you test it. Looks like I still haven't solved the final problem."
Dan's IXA system, just like the first-gen one developed by the Blue Sky Society, had a serious flaw—there was a time limit on its use. Go over that limit, and the energy starts leaking, which hurts the user.
As he spoke, Dan moved to take the IXA system back.
"Wait."
Suddenly, Erik grabbed the IXA belt in Dan's hands.
"Let me keep this. You need more data to work out the technical issues, right? Then let me help you gather it."
"But—"
Dan didn't want Erik to transform again, especially after seeing how badly it hurt him last time. They'd already collected a lot of data—if he just had some more time, he was confident he could crack the problem.
But when he looked into Erik's determined eyes, Dan hesitated.
Erik had his own reasons too.
To be honest, Dan's genius had really blown him away. The power this suit could unleash gave him hope again—hope that he could actually fight the Fangire. And if he had this power, maybe Dan wouldn't have to put himself in danger anymore.
Seeing Dan still unsure, Erik spoke again.
"Dan, trust me. You need the data, and I'm your best shot at getting it."
Of course, Dan knew exactly what Erik was thinking. These superheroes all had the same annoying habit—they'd rather get beat to hell than drag innocent people into the mess.
"I know what you're thinking, but Erik, you've seen the flaw in the armor. You can only stay transformed for ten minutes. Once time's up..."
"I know. I won't use it unless I really have to."
Seeing how serious Erik was, Dan finally gave in and let go of the belt.
As Erik fastened the belt around his waist, he suddenly asked:
"Does the transformation system have to be a belt? Or is that just your personal thing?"
"Uh..."
Dan suddenly had the urge to take the belt right back.
Back in the Dolatron, Dan rolled down the car window.
"Anyway, you know better than anyone how bad the side effects are. Handle it carefully."
Erik nodded. He wasn't the kind of guy to just throw himself into danger without thinking.
"By the way, are we still going out hunting tonight?"
"No need."
Erik shook his head.
"After all this time, the Fangires are finally laying low. And I think they've set their sights on a new target. I need to look into it alone."
"Another rich guy, huh? Figures. Vampires and 'vampires' always seem to be drawn to each other."
Dan threw in a totally random jab.
"Anyway, if anything comes up, call me. Don't try to tough it out alone."
"I know."
They said their goodbyes, and Dan drove off in the Dolatron.
"Dan, you think he'll actually use the belt to fight the Fangires?"
Kurimu asked from the car.
"Knowing him? Definitely."
Dan was completely sure.
"Oh yeah?"
"Yeah. These superhero types always have this thing—personal hero complex. I bet he'll be out there tonight, hunting Fangires."
Night fell. A sleek luxury car slowly pulled out of Stark Industries.
"Mr. Stark, I really think this is a terrible idea."
Inside the car, JARVIS was still trying to talk Stark out of whatever he was planning.
"Enough, JARVIS. You've already tried talking me out of this twenty times. This is number twenty-one. Relax—I've got a plan."
Stark had one hand on the wheel and the other resting on the window.
JARVIS went quiet. It knew its master too well. But as his private assistant, it still had the duty to warn him when he was being reckless.
Stark had his reasons. He wasn't about to let whoever threatened Pepper get away with it—especially since these guys were supposed to be actual vampires.
"Time to teach these guys a lesson."
He glanced at the box in the passenger seat. Inside was the real reason he had the confidence to pull this off—Tony Stark's latest invention.
Everyone had their own plan. Erik wasn't any different.
From the shadows, Erik kept his eyes locked on the luxury car pulling away from Stark Industries.
"It's starting."
The car rolled into a fancy estate.
"Welcome, sir."
Two lines of sharply dressed doormen greeted him at the front.
"Oh! Mr. Stark, what an honor it is to finally meet you."
A blond middle-aged man, dressed in a sharp British suit, stood between the lines of doormen, clearly the host.
Stark appreciated the warm welcome.
"Mr. Clawren, didn't expect you to greet me personally. The honor's all mine."
He stepped out of the car, holding his case.
One of the doormen stepped forward.
"Sir, allow me to carry that for you."
Stark glanced at him.
"No need. What's in here is pretty valuable. I'll hang onto it."
Then he turned to Clawren with a smile.
"Clawren, as nice as the scenery is, I don't think this is the best place for business talks, don't you think?"
Clawren got the hint and kept his polite smile.
"My bad. Please, this way, Mr. Stark."
He led Stark into the estate.
"....."