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Night gave Erik the perfect cover. Not even vampires, with their enhanced senses, could spot him in the shadows.
When he saw who was greeting Stark, Erik frowned.
"Clawren Boschus. Didn't think that guy would show his face. He's been hiding in the dark forever. Guess this is more serious than I thought."
He put away the binoculars, touched the belt at his waist, and crept toward the estate.
Inside, the dining table was lavish—gourmet food, elegant silverware, and a live performance by a famous musician. The banquet was top-tier.
"Mmm, this wine's pretty good."
Stark took a slow sip and nodded in approval.
"Haha, glad you like it. I wasn't about to half-ass a party when I've got the great Tony Stark here."
Stark didn't say much to that.
He might be a playboy, but he wasn't stupid.
They chatted idly for a while before Clawren finally cut to the chase.
"Mr. Stark, we're well aware that Stark Industries has the world's most advanced energy tech. I hope we can form a fruitful partnership with your company."
Stark swirled the wine in his glass, eyeing Clawren through the red liquid.
"Yeah? And what kind of partnership are we talking about? You can't expect me to agree to something without the details."
Clawren smiled and snapped his fingers.
A projector screen dropped, the lights dimmed, and design schematics began to play.
Stark stared for a second.
"Interesting design concept."
"Haha, we gathered some of the world's top scientists to work on it."
At that, Stark frowned slightly—something Clawren clearly noticed.
"Of course, they're just good. The only one worthy of the title 'genius' is you, Mr. Stark."
"Hmm~"
That did the trick—Stark's frown disappeared.
"I'm sure there's more where that came from. If you want to talk partnership, show me you're serious."
"Naturally, sir."
Even more schematics were shown. Stark was genuinely intrigued.
Meanwhile, Erik had successfully snuck into the estate and was working his way inside.
"Who's there?!"
The place was heavily guarded. Someone had spotted him.
The only answer they got was a flash of silver—a throwing knife that hit them square in the throat. They didn't even get to scream before turning to ash.
"Intruder alert!"
"Intruder alert!"
Erik frowned. He'd only just taken one out, and someone else already spotted him. Clearly, these guys were prepared.
Fangires came swarming in from all directions.
"Guess there's no sneaking around anymore."
He drew a silver longsword from his back, and in an instant, the assassin became a one-man army, slicing his way through the crowd.
Far off in the estate's outskirts, Dan sat in the Dolatron, watching it all go down.
"Looks like it got loud. He's been spotted."
"Dan, when do we move?"
Dan thought for a moment.
"Let's wait a little. If he uses the IXA, then we move in."
Kurimu nodded and started scanning for the IXA signal.
Back in the estate, all the chaos had reached the dining room. Clawren's face twisted in shock as he listened to the noise outside.
Stark raised an eyebrow.
"What's going on, Mr. Clawlon? It's getting kinda noisy out there. I can't even focus on these blueprints."
Clawlon gave another gentlemanly smile.
"My dear Mr. Stark, no need to rush. As long as you agree to cooperate, you'll have all the time in the world to look at those blueprints… maybe even more than that."
Tony raised an eyebrow slightly.
"More than blueprints? What, you gonna show me your underwear? Sorry, I'm only into young, pretty girls. You're just not my type."
As he spoke, a blinding flash lit up the room, followed by the sound of an explosion—clearly things outside had escalated.
Clawlon finally seemed a little shaken too.
"Alright, Stark, I'll ask one last time—are you gonna cooperate or not?"
"Whoa, whoa, is that how you treat your guests? That's not very gentlemanly of you."
"I don't have time for games, Tony Stark. We admire your talent. I'm giving you a chance to work with us. If you say no, don't blame me for what happens next."
Tony shrugged off the threat without flinching.
"Heh, really? And what exactly does 'not polite' mean in your book, Mr. Clawlon? Or should I say, Mr. Vampire?"
Clawlon's smile faded. Since Tony had seen through him, he dropped the act—his skin turned ghostly pale, and two sharp fangs popped out.
"Tony Stark, I offered you this chance because I respect your talent. But if you won't take it, then I'll just turn you into a blood slave and make you serve us."
Tony immediately grabbed his briefcase.
"Cough, there's one thing I really can't stand—being threatened. So let me return the favor with a little gift."
He pressed a button on the case, and a small orb shot out, bursting into a blinding flash filled with ultraviolet light.
"ARGH!"
Screams echoed around the room. Several vampire servants turned to ash on the spot. Clawlon covered himself with his coat to shield from the light.
"Heh, I never do anything without a plan. This is what you get for threatening Pepper."
"Damn you, Tony Stark!"
Clawlon roared and pulled a strange, fang-covered device from his pocket. He jabbed it into his neck, and his whole body transformed into what looked like a kaleidoscope of glowing glass.
"Ptuh~!"
The glass shattered, revealing a grotesque humanoid jellyfish monster.
Seeing the creature—clearly immune to UV light—Tony's face turned grim.
"Whoa, whoa! Nobody told me vampires could transform! That's not even scientific!"
"STARK!"
The jellyfish monster lunged at him.
"Watch out!"
Just then, a figure crashed through a window and tackled Tony out of harm's way.
"Thanks, man! You've got some serious skills. Ever thought of joining my company? We can talk salary."
Tony, fresh from a close call, immediately launched into his signature "recruitment pitch."
But Erik ignored his chatter. With a sword in both hands, he faced off against the jellyfish monster, ready for battle.
"ERIK!!!"
The creature bellowed in fury at the sight of him.
"Clawlon… can't believe you turned into this!"
"Die, Erik!"
Clawlon, now a mindless monster, didn't bother with words and charged.
"....."