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Damn. This was a huge shock.
Ever since Tony took over Stark Industries, he'd thought he was the greatest genius around. I mean, how many young people his age had done what he had?
But now? Right in front of him was a high school kid, probably sixteen or seventeen tops, who had built a next-gen battle suit that completely broke the mold. That hit Tony like a freight train.
He knew how much time, money, and tech went into R&D. The military and all kinds of scientists had tried making suits like this, but always gave up—too expensive, not practical enough.
Off to the side, Krim just looked exasperated.
"What's with the shocked face? Dan made a Kamen Rider, not your typical power armor. A lot of the stuff in it will totally blow apart what you think you know."
"Alright, Belt Guy, now's not the time to get into that. We've still got a serious crisis to deal with," Dan said, not wanting to get sidetracked.
He knew that, in the future, the Iron Man suits Stark would make wouldn't necessarily be any worse than Ixa—probably even better than Ixa is now.
Suddenly, Stark said:
"I have an idea. I think we should deepen our partnership."
"What do you mean?"
Stark looked straight at Dan, dead serious.
"I want to learn how you built Ixa. In exchange, I'll give you funding, materials, and access to all the advanced tech Stark Industries has."
For Stark Industries, cutting-edge tech was its lifeline—and among it was something Dan really wanted: the blueprints for the Arc Reactor. But even for that, he couldn't agree to trade Ixa.
Dan shook his head.
"Sorry, Mr. Stark. Ixa's technology is something I'll never hand over."
"Why not? You think Stark Industries tech can't compare to Ixa?"
Stark was annoyed now. He was offering everything he had, and Dan shot him down without a second thought.
"Why? Because Ixa isn't just some suit of armor. Ixa—Kamen Rider Ixa. Being called a Kamen Rider means taking on that name's responsibility.
Mr. Stark, I know Stark Industries is a world-famous weapons manufacturer. If you got your hands on Ixa tech, sure, your company might reach new heights. But that has nothing to do with me.
My goal is simple: Kamen Rider power is meant to protect—not to be a killing machine. If I wanted to sell Ixa for money or status, I wouldn't need you to do it for me. You know how much funding a scientist needs. But do I look like someone short on cash?"
Dan had his limits. And one of them was that the name Kamen Rider could never be tarnished. He used to be just an ordinary fan—a regular viewer. The name "Kamen Rider" was just a fantasy to him.
But then Krim showed up. And the moment he shouted "Henshin," everything changed.
Just like Tsukasa Kadoya once said—Kamen Riders are warriors who protect humanity's freedom. They exist to protect.
"I can promise you—I'll never sell Ixa as a weapon."
Dan just laughed quietly. Even if Stark didn't use Ixa as a weapon, what about someone like Stane? That guy tried to have Tony killed just to take over the company.
"Let's be honest—even if I gave you Ixa, there's no way you could make a second one."
And it was true. Even if Stark had Ixa in his hands, he still couldn't replicate it. Why? Because Dan built Ixa using Yaka metal—the same stuff used to forge Yondu's arrow. That stuff was super rare, even in the whole galaxy. Earth didn't have it.
"You think I can't make a second one?" Stark grinned.
"Dan, I'll admit—you're a genius. But saying something like that's pretty arrogant. Still, I like that. Like I said, we're the same kind of person."
Dan blinked. What the hell? Why'd Stark's mood swing so fast?
"I accept the challenge. I'll build my own suit without your help. But first, we've got a more urgent problem to deal with."
Stark turned his attention back to the map in front of them.
"I really don't want to finally finish my own battle suit just to find the whole damn country overrun with vampires."
Dan took a deep breath and calmed himself down. He didn't know why, but the thought of Stark possibly turning Ixa into a weapon really got under his skin. He glanced over and noticed Erik seemed lost in thought too.
"Alright, let's figure out our next move."
The discussion finally got on track, and the three started working out a plan.
But the deeper they dug, the more serious things seemed.
According to Erik, the vampire clans had been rooted in the U.S. since at least the Civil War—maybe even earlier. The power they'd built up was way beyond what they imagined.
That said, it wasn't hopeless. Erik explained that the vampires were split into multiple factions, constantly fighting each other. That internal conflict kept them from fully taking over.
But now, with the rise of Fangire-enhancing tech, those factions seemed to be slowly uniting again.
"Tsk... alright, let's lock in the plan."
With Erik's final word, the plan was set.
Their top priority: stop the vampires from corrupting the nation's elite. Their next move? Find the Blood Lake and destroy the Ascension Ritual.
"Alright, let's get started. I'll head back and have JARVIS search for all possible locations that might be the Blood Lake."
"Thanks, we're counting on you."
Stark grabbed his briefcase, waved, and headed out.
Once Stark left, the base went quiet.
Dan sat down at the computer and got to work.
"Dan."
Erik walked over.
"What is it? Something wrong?"
Erik held up the Ixa belt.
"Dan, ever since I got this belt, I never really thought about what it meant—or what kind of responsibility came with being a Kamen Rider. I just thought… I needed power. The power to beat the Fangires.
But after hearing what you said today, I get it now. Kamen Rider isn't just a weapon. There's something way deeper behind it. A huge responsibility. A purpose.
So… I don't think I deserve this belt. Take it back."
He handed the belt to Dan.
Dan looked at the belt, then smiled like a proud old dad—even though he was only sixteen himself.
"Nah. Keep it. Right now, there's no one more worthy of it than you."
"....."