The fight wasn't over yet.
As the smoke cleared, the sound of metal shifting filled the ruined bar. A sleek orange-gold armor locked into place, plates sliding with mechanical precision. The figure who emerged radiated speed and confidence—Valkyrie's full combat form was now active.
"Galloping Cheetah—Beyond Limits!"
Her system voice echoed, filling the room. Sparks danced around her armor as energy flared through her gauntlets.
In an instant, she became a streak of orange lightning.
Madame Viper turned to flee, her serpentine tail smashing furniture aside as she slithered toward the shattered window. "No! I won't die here!" she hissed.
But Valkyrie was faster. Much faster.
A bright orange blur crossed the room, closing the gap in the blink of an eye.
A clawed gauntlet caught the end of Viper's tail and yanked her back with crushing force.
Viper screamed, whipping around, venom splashing across the floor.
"You—You won't stop me!" she roared.
But Valkyrie was already aiming. Her Upgrade Rifle hummed as she raised it, her voice calm and certain.
"Target locked. Execution mode—engaged."
Bang!
The shot rang out, a single beam of light tearing through the air.
The bullet pierced directly through Viper's forehead. Her scream was cut short as her body stiffened—then dissolved into a red mist of data and energy.
The crimson light pulsed for a moment before being absorbed into Valkyrie's armor, uploading straight into the Vanderbuilt Technologies network.
Breaker lowered his arm. The battlefield fell silent except for the faint hum of damaged Modia Units shutting down one by one.
The Viper Syndicate was gone. The Rhino Gang was destroyed. Hell's Kitchen's two largest criminal empires—wiped out in one night.
---
At Vanderbuilt Technologies Headquarters
Far above the city, the gleaming tower of Vanderbuilt rose like a monument of steel and light.
Inside, Levi stood before a wall of holographic screens filled with mission data.
"Izzy," he said, his tone calm but sharp. "Give me the status report."
Izzy quickly adjusted her glasses, scanning the figures. "Fifty Modia Units were dispatched. Ten sustained heavy damage. Four are completely destroyed."
Levi frowned, the glow from the screens reflecting in his eyes. "A bit too high. We'll need stronger armor for the next batch."
He stood, turning toward the elevator. "I'll handle this personally."
The elevator descended deep beneath the building—to the sixth sublevel, the restricted laboratory.
---
Inside the underground chamber, machinery hummed in rhythmic pulses. A large circular device glowed crimson, filling the lab with eerie light. On the screen above it flashed lines of data:
[Malice absorption: 5% complete.]
[Extinction Upgrade Key: in production.]
Sparks erupted as the 3D printing platform came alive.
Two glowing red Upgrade Keys formed under the laser beams—sleek, sharp, and humming with dangerous energy.
When the printing finished, the chamber doors opened with a hiss.
Izzy stepped inside, retrieving the two freshly made devices and handing them to Levi.
Levi examined them closely, his expression unreadable—then a smile curved across his lips.
"Perfect," he murmured. "The first batch is ready."
He turned to Izzy. "You understand what these are, right?"
Izzy nodded. "The Extinction Upgrade Keys, designed by Satellite Ark."
Levi's eyes gleamed. "Exactly. In Kamen Rider technology, the Upgrade Keys are the core of transformation. But while the Satellite Zenith creates balanced and stable keys based on living creatures… the Satellite Ark manufactures destructive ones—based on extinct beasts and pure malice."
He placed both keys on the table, their lights flickering between red and black.
"These are not just weapons. They're evolution incarnate."
Izzy hesitated. "But… isn't using malice dangerous?"
Levi chuckled softly. "Dangerous? Yes. But it's also powerful. The world won't change through peace, Izzy—it changes through chaos."
He turned to the large screen showing a rotating hologram of the Upgrade Key system.
"The keys from Satellite Zenith are useful for construction and protection. Fire suppression, rescue work, law enforcement… all noble causes."
He tapped the console, and another hologram appeared—dark, spiked, and ominous.
"But these—Extinction Keys—are built to destroy. Their design is based on the combat data of creatures wiped out by evolution. Now, they'll return to cleanse the world of weakness."
He clenched his fist, the red light reflecting across his face.
"When the power of creation and extinction meet… we'll achieve perfection."
---
Levi's true plan was beginning. Project Malice was no longer theory—it was being executed.
To merge the two forms of Upgrade Keys, he needed more samples.
Two were only the beginning. The system required far more malice—anger, fear, despair—to serve as its fuel.
The more chaos his agents caused in the city, the faster Satellite Ark could absorb those negative emotions and convert them into raw energy for the next generation of keys.
Holding the devices up to the light, Levi whispered,
"Soon, I'll have enough power to rewrite the evolution chain itself."
He turned toward Izzy. "Send these two Extinction Keys to Wren and the field team. I want them to test the prototypes immediately."
"Yes, President," Izzy replied quickly.
"Have them deploy Modia Units first to soften the area, then send in A.M.E.S. troops for cleanup. No witnesses. No evidence."
He started pacing, his hands clasped behind his back.
"The media will call it a gang purge. Let them. As long as the public believes Vanderbuilt is saving them, we can act freely."
Izzy scribbled notes rapidly in her tablet, nodding. Her ponytail bounced as she moved—a bright contrast to the coldness of the lab.
Levi added suddenly, "And Izzy—make sure the team removes all video surveillance. We can't let the use of Extinction Keys go public. The company's image must remain spotless."
She looked up and smiled faintly. "Understood, President Levi."
He smiled back. "Good girl. Go."
As she left, carrying the sealed containment box with the two red keys, Levi turned back to the core terminal.
The glowing projection of Satellite Ark pulsed slowly, red veins spreading across its frame.
"Consume more malice, Ark," Levi whispered. "Feed on it. When you've gathered enough… we'll begin the next stage."
The satellite responded with a faint hum, almost as if alive.
---
Meanwhile, in Hell's Kitchen
The night sky over the district burned red with lingering fires. Police sirens echoed, and drones scanned the ruins from above.
Whispers spread through the underworld—two of the most feared organizations, the Viper Syndicate and the Russian mob, had vanished overnight.
For decades, both had ruled the streets with iron fists. They owned politicians, controlled trade routes, and ran every illegal deal from drugs to weapons. But in a single night, they were annihilated—their leaders dead, their bases turned to rubble.
People called it "The Night of Cleansing."
The surviving criminals scattered, terrified. None knew who was behind it.
Rumors whispered of orange-armored soldiers, of mechanical beasts, of red light consuming bodies whole.
The name Vanderbuilt Technologies circulated quietly among those who listened—but none dared speak it aloud.
---
Back in the tower, Levi watched the news reports play out across dozens of holographic screens.
Each station repeated the same story:
"Gang wars erupt. Police promise investigation. AMES Task Force credited for restoring order."
Levi smiled.
"Perfect," he said softly. "Order through fear. That's the way evolution always begins."
On the console before him, the two Extinction Keys flashed once—synchronized with the heartbeat of Satellite Ark far above Earth.
A new alert blinked across the monitor:
[Malice Absorption: 7% complete.]
[Next generation Extinction Keys: initializing sequence.]
Levi's grin widened.
"Good. Let the chaos grow. Soon, even the heroes will be begging for our help."
The hum of the satellite deepened. The red light bathed Levi in its glow.
Project Malice had begun.
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