At the DEO headquarters, Haruka stood before Director Cameron Chase, Kara, and a team of agents, recounting his encounter with Anur Vladias. The fluorescent lights cast a sterile glow on the briefing room, highlighting the serious expressions of those listening.
"He called himself a Vladat," Haruka explained, his hands gesturing to emphasize the point. "From a planet called Luna Transyl. Definitely not your typical Fort Rozz escapee."
Director Chase leaned forward, her sharp eyes drilling into Haruka. "Describe his abilities."
Haruka recounted the encounter - the blood-draining attempt, the ability to transform into a swarm of bat-like creatures, the aristocratic demeanor that seemed more than just a personality quirk.
Kara approached him after the briefing, her curiosity piqued. "So you fought with a vampire?" she asked, a hint of playful disbelief in her voice.
"Not really… maybe?" Haruka responded, his uncertainty evident. "His race is similar to a vampire, if that counts."
Director Cameron Chase's voice cut through the DEO command center with crisp authority. "Either way, he is another escapee. We need to find him and take him down or bring him in."
She turned to her team of agents, who immediately straightened their postures. Maps of National City flickered on the digital screens behind her, each marked with precise coordinates and data points.
Haruka stepped forward, his curiosity piqued. "How exactly are we going to track this Vladat?"
Chase's lips formed a thin, determined smile. "All of his incidents have occurred at night, and when we map them out, they form a distinct circular pattern across the city."
An agent pulled up a digital map, highlighting the nighttime attack locations. Indeed, the points created a near-perfect circular formation across National City's urban landscape. Red markers dotted the map, each representing a location where Anur had been reported or suspected of activity.
The map zoomed in and out, revealing the precise geometric nature of the attacks. It wasn't random - it was calculated, methodical.
"We'll divide our teams and start surveillance in this circular zone," Chase continued, pointing to the digital representation of the attacks.
Director Chase turns to Kara and Haruka. "Be careful. This Vladat isn't like the typical Fort Rozz escapees."
Kara grinned, her excitement barely contained. "Come on, Rider. Let's join in the search." She burst through the DEO's overhead exit, her blonde hair streaming behind her as she took flight.
Haruka quickly summoned the Auto Vajin, the sleek motorcycle materializing from his system space. The machine's engine roared to life, its crimson and silver frame gleaming under the artificial lights of the DEO command center. With a swift motion, he gunned the engine and followed Supergirl out into the night sky of National City.
As Haruka raced through National City on the Auto Vajin, the night air whipping against his armor, he remembered the gacha draw he had been saving from a previous monthly mission. With a mental command to his system interface, Ada, he initiated the draw.
The familiar digital roulette began spinning, its holographic interface flickering to life within his helmet's display. Colorful segments blurred together, creating a mesmerizing pattern of potential rewards. Haruka watched intently, his heart racing with anticipation.
The segments slowed, each rotation becoming more deliberate. Colors shifted, narrowing down the possibilities. Suddenly, a brilliant gold segment emerged, dominating the roulette's landscape.
The draw stopped. A gold prize.
Haruka's heart raced as he examined the golden prize from his gacha draw. The system interface flickered with details, and a smile spread across his face. This was definitely going to be a significant upgrade to his current arsenal.
His phone buzzed. Kara's message appeared, her coordinates precise and urgent. She believed she had tracked down Anur's potential hideout.
"Got it," Haruka replied, his voice steady.
He revved the Auto Vajin's engine, the motorcycle's sleek frame cutting through National City's nighttime streets.
Haruka pulled the Auto Vajin to a stop near the mansion, its gothic architecture looming against the night sky. Dark spires and intricate stonework gave the building an immediately foreboding presence. He dismounted and approached Kara, who was standing with her arms crossed, pointing directly at the massive structure.
"That's the place," Kara said, her voice low and serious. "I heard a scream coming from inside about ten minutes ago."
Haruka studied the mansion, its windows dark except for occasional flickering shadows. The entire building seemed to radiate an unsettling atmosphere - overgrown ivy crawling up weathered stone walls, wrought-iron gates slightly ajar, and an unnatural stillness surrounding the property.
"You're sure about this?" Haruka asked, raising an eyebrow. "It looks like something straight out of a horror movie."
Kara nodded. "The scream was definitely real. And something about this place just... screams vampire hideout."
Haruka couldn't help but chuckle at her pun, but the humor quickly faded as another distant sound - something between a muffled cry and a low growl - drifted from the mansion's direction.
"Well," he said, checking the Shotriser at his side, "I guess we're investigating."
The Auto Vajin's engine fell silent as Haruka and Kara approached the mansion's massive front entrance. Ornate stone steps led to intricately carved wooden doors that seemed to dwarf them both. Kara glanced at Haruka, her hand hovering near the brass knocker.
"Should we knock?" she whispered, her voice barely audible.
Before Haruka could respond, the doors slowly creaked open of their own accord. A gust of cool, musty air swept across their faces.
"Okay… that is creepy…" Kara muttered, her eyes wide.
Haruka placed a hand on the Shotriser at his side, ready to transform if necessary. They exchanged a quick glance, a silent communication born of their growing partnership. Slowly, cautiously, they stepped through the doorway.
The mansion's interior was a study in gothic grandeur. Massive chandeliers hung from impossibly high ceilings, their crystal pendants catching what little moonlight filtered through the tall, dusty windows. Ornate furniture - carved wooden tables, velvet-upholstered chairs, and elaborate tapestries - lined the expansive entrance hall. A grand staircase curved dramatically against the far wall, its wooden banister gleaming despite the apparent age of the building.
Haruka and Kara moved carefully, their footsteps muffled by a thick Persian rug that ran the length of the hallway. Dust motes danced in the moonlight, and an eerie silence seemed to press against them from all sides.
"This place looks like it hasn't been touched in decades," Kara whispered, running her hand along an antique side table and leaving a clear trail in the dust.
Haruka nodded, his eyes scanning the room for any sign of movement or potential threat.
Anur Vladias emerged from the shadows, his pale skin luminescent in the moonlight filtering through the dusty mansion windows. He was tall, aristocratic, with piercing eyes that seemed to hold centuries of secrets. His movements were fluid, almost predatory, as he stepped into full view.
"Welcome, to my humble abode, dear guests," he said, his voice a smooth blend of cultured refinement and underlying menace.
Haruka and Kara instantly tensed, their bodies instinctively shifting into defensive postures. Kara's eyes narrowed, her Kryptonian senses heightened.
"You're Anur," Kara asked, more a statement than a question.
"Indeed I am, Ms. Zor-el," he replied with a slight bow, his accent hinting at distant, Eastern European origins.
Haruka's hand moved closer to the Shotriser at his side, ready to transform at a moment's notice. "I don't know why you just revealed yourself, but you're coming with us," he declared, his voice firm and resolute.
Anur's lips curled into a subtle, knowing smile. "On the contrary, I'm not going anywhere. And your fight is not with me, Kamen Rider. My lady is the one you will be fighting."
"Your lady?" Kara repeated, confusion and wariness mixing in her tone.
Something blurred through the mansion's interior, a dark streak of impossible speed. Before Haruka could react, the force slammed into him with devastating power. Wood splintered and walls crumbled as he was violently propelled through multiple rooms, crashing through wall after wall until he finally skidded to a stop in what seemed to be a distant chamber.
The speed and force of the attack left Haruka momentarily stunned, his body aching from the unexpected assault. Dust and debris settled around him as he struggled to comprehend what had just happened.
"Rider!" Kara shouted worryingly. She was about to go after him, but was stopped by Anur. "I'm sorry, Ms. Zor-el. Your fight is with me."
"Damn it," Kara muttered, her fists clenching as she turned to face Anur, knowing Haruka was in danger and out of sight.
Haruka crashed through the wall, debris and dust flying everywhere as his armored form tumbled across the ground. His suit absorbed most of the impact, but the force still left him momentarily dazed. Pushing himself up, he steadied his stance and looked ahead.
A figure floated several feet away, her dark uniform and stern expression unmistakable. Haruka's eyes widened behind his mask.
"Astra! Didn't expect to see you here."
The Kryptonian woman hovered in place, her cape billowing slightly despite the still air. Her eyes, cold and determined, fixed on him with an intensity that made clear her intentions.
"Stand down Kamen Rider, I don't want you to interrupt what is coming."
Haruka shifted into a fighting stance, his armor gleaming in the dim light. "Fat chance! I don't know what you're planning, but I'm stopping it."
"You know you can't defeat me, Kamen Rider," Astra said, her voice carrying a note of dismissal. "The only reason you managed to harm me last time was because you had my niece by your side."
Haruka's eyes narrowed behind his mask as Astra hovered menacingly before him. The tension in the air crackled with potential energy, each combatant sizing up the other's capabilities.
"Not this time," Haruka muttered, a newfound determination rising within him.
Suddenly, a mechanical whirring sound filled the air. A sleek, red mechanical beetle materialized, hovering near Haruka's waist. A new rider belt formed around his midsection, its design angular and precise.
"Come! Kabuto Zecter," Haruka called out.
The red beetle-like device flew directly into Haruka's outstretched hand. He looked at Astra, a hint of confidence now replacing his previous uncertainty. With a swift, practiced motion, he inserted the Kabuto Zecter into the belt.
"Henshin," Haruka declared firmly.
[Henshin]
In an instant, Haruka transformed into Kamen Rider Kabuto's masked form - a bulky, armored suit resembling a rhinoceros beetle, with sharp angles and a powerful, imposing presence.
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