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"Vroooom~!"
With deafening engine roars, the two war cars tore through the inside of the base.
"Erik! Can you pinpoint the Blood God's location?"
Dan yelled while speeding through the facility.
"Yeah, it's to the west. Even though the smell of gunpowder masks the blood scent, I can still smell the stench of blood in the air."
"Good. Then I'll clear the way!"
Dan spun the wheel hard, veering westward.
"Hey Erik, you know what we're doing right now?"
"Of course. We're fighting for the future of humanity."
Dan grinned.
"Well, yeah. But don't forget—we're currently tearing through a military base in M-Country. If someone found out, what do you think would happen to us?"
"I know. We'd be arrested, put on trial, and spend the rest of our lives behind bars."
"Exactly! So let's make sure no one finds out who we are!"
He strapped the belt around his waist.
"Got it!"
Erik also buckled on his Ixa belt.
"Henshin!" ×2
"Vroooom~!"
The two vehicles smashed through layer after layer of fortified barriers.
Deeper inside the base, the vampire leader Fes slowly opened his eyes.
"Lord Fes, those two clowns have arrived, just like you predicted."
"I know."
A strange smile crept onto Fes's face.
"The actors are on stage. Make sure everyone's ready—the show's about to begin."
Dolatron and the Ixa vehicle finally came to a halt. In front of them stood a tall tower.
Dan blinked in confusion.
"Why the hell is there a tower in the middle of a military base?"
"That's where the Blood God's altar is!"
Erik stepped down from the Ixa armored vehicle, clad in his full battle suit.
"They seriously built a tower inside a military base? What were they thinking?"
Dan muttered as he activated Dolettron's auto-pilot mode. He couldn't help but grumble when he saw the tower ahead.
"Let's go. The small fry are on their way—we can't waste time dealing with them."
Dan nodded and summoned his Steering Sword.
"Got it. Let's start climbing the tower then!"
"No need. The real Blood God Array is underground."
Dan blinked. Underground? Then what's the point of building this huge tower?
"Hands up! Don't move! You're surrounded!"
Just as Dan was questioning the whole point of the tower, a group of soldiers—already turned into blood thralls—began closing in on them.
"Ixa Vehicle, Fortress Mode—Activate!"
Right as the blood thralls surrounded them, the Ixa vehicle shifted into emergency defense mode. Its tires retracted and locked into the ground, every door and window sealed tight, and heavy guns and cannons popped out. Within seconds, it had transformed into a literal fortress.
Dan inhaled sharply. "Damn… Stark really built a fortress on wheels."
"Let's leave this to the Ixa vehicle. We move!"
Erik raised his Cross Spear and charged into the tower. Dan followed closely behind.
The lighting inside was dim, but it didn't slow them down one bit.
"Invaders!"
Vampire soldiers shrieked as they charged toward them.
"We've been fighting for nearly two months now, and you guys still suck this much?"
Dan shrugged at the pathetic cannon fodder vampires.
"Leave it to me."
He pulled out an orange shift car from his belt.
"Tire Koukan! Max Flare!"
A flaming tire appeared, rolled forward, and incinerated a bunch of vampires into ash. Then it circled back and slammed into Dan's chest, replacing the tire already there.
"Oh yeah… I'm fired up now!"
He cracked his knuckles. A burst of flame erupted from his fists.
"Ixa, I'll clear the path!"
Dan rushed ahead, each punch exploding with fire.
"Drive, head down!"
After fighting through the first floor, the two reached a key staircase.
"Got it!"
"You're not going anywhere!"
A low-level Fangire with a rat-like form burst up from the ground.
Dan greeted it with a flaming punch.
"Outta the way!"
BAM!
The punch sent the rat monster flying, leaving a charred fist mark right on its disgusting rat head.
"You bastard! You ruined my handsome face! I'll kill you!"
The rat Fangire bared his four sharp fangs and lunged at Dan.
Dan twisted the dial on his belt and revved the shift car.
"Finishing move! Flare Stream!"
The flaming tire on his chest spun rapidly, blasting out fireballs that soared toward the rat monster.
"This heat's nothing to me!"
The monster charged through the flames, jaws wide open.
Dan clenched his flaming fists and threw a powerful punch.
"Then try this on for size! Sei ya!"
The punch roared like a fire dragon, piercing right through the rat's skull. In the next instant, the monster shattered into rainbow-colored glass and vanished.
Seeing the rat monster taken out, Erik no longer bothered with the blood thralls.
"Dan, let's go!"
The two of them leapt down through the staircase.
Descending level after level, Dan started to realize something. The visible tower aboveground was just the tip of the iceberg. The real structure was underground—like an entire base had been hollowed out.
They finally reached the lowest floor. Erik quickly sensed something with his vampire-honed instincts.
"Destiny is this way! Let's go!"
"Roger that~!"
Swords in hand, the two charged toward the Blood God Array.
They passed through maze-like corridors until a vast underground chamber opened up before them.
Inside this enormous palace were 666 massive pillars. On each pillar, a person was tied up with their arms behind their back, wrists slashed, blood pouring into carved grooves on the columns. These grooves formed eerie, blood-red symbols that all connected into a central blood pool, encircled by the 666 columns. At the heart of the pool stood a towering altar.
The scene was horrifying—like a map straight out of hell. Dan clenched his fists. He wanted to blow the whole place to pieces.
"Welcome to my underground palace, Kamen Rider. Or should I say—Erik."
A mocking voice echoed. A blond, blue-eyed man stepped out from the far end of the chamber.
"Faust!"
Erik growled the name through gritted teeth. Faust—the vampire commander he'd been hunting for ages—was finally here.
"....."