"Let him come. If this Bugster is truly blind enough to look for trouble with me, we can take the opportunity to deal with Genm once and for all," Tony said thoughtfully to Li Hua and Elena.
"Isn't he trying to collect data to create some 'ultimate game'? We can simply wait for him to come to us and set a trap in advance."
"A fine idea, but I'm afraid implementing it won't be that simple," Dan Kuroto said calmly, pouring cold water on the plan.
"What do you mean?" Tony frowned.
Dan smiled. "According to what Danny Rand said, Genm likely uses the Bugster virus to create a Game Area similar to a fighting game, then absorbs chosen candidates into that domain to battle and collect data. He has set himself as the 'Referee' of the game. According to game logic, participants within the Game Area are absolutely forbidden from attacking the Referee."
Tony looked astonished. "He can be that much of a cheat?"
Dan Kuroto shook his head. "It's not cheating; it's the rules of the game. Have you ever seen a fighting game where the players can attack the referee?"
"Is there really no way to break that rule? Or do we just have to wait for Genm to deactivate the Game Area before we can strike?" Li Hua found the situation incredibly troublesome.
"Dan, since he can set the rules, can you modify them?" Tony asked, his eyes darting as a thought occurred to him.
Dan Kuroto nodded. "Theoretically, yes. We can also deploy a Game Area. When the two domains merge, we can use ours to influence the internal rules."
"Merging different Game Areas? Is that even possible?" Elena asked, sounding skeptical. "When we fought Bugsters before, only one person could deploy a Game Area at a time."
"Your Gashats indeed can't do it. You would need the power of Ex-Aid—specifically the Mighty Action X Gashat, which serves as the original prototype. Essentially, it combines different games into one. By using my game to exert influence over Genm's, we can manipulate the rules to a certain extent," Dan Kuroto explained.
"In that case, I'll leave it to you," Tony said with a nod.
"However, there's one more thing..." Tony suddenly remembered something. "I know someone else who obtained a Gaia Memory and Driver from that Eternal guy. He's highly likely to be a target."
The person Tony was thinking of was Frank (The Punisher), who possessed the Accel Memory and Driver. Frank was a loner, making it difficult to pinpoint his exact location.
"You don't need to worry too much about that. The equipment at the Hospital base can detect the fluctuations caused by large amounts of Bugster virus," Li Hua noted. "We detected Genm's Game Area the moment it deployed this time and rushed to the scene. If Genm really targets that man, we'll know the instant the domain opens."
A bar in Brooklyn, New York.
A young man with hair dyed completely white was showing off his newly acquired special abilities to those around him.
With a light swipe of his right hand, the drink in the glass completely froze into ice, drawing a chorus of gasps.
"How the hell are you doing that?" the surrounding street punks asked in amazement.
"It's a tool I bought from a mysterious guy I met. It's a Gaia Memory called Ice Age. I have powerful superpowers now. As long as you follow me from now on, we're going to run this town," Free Bruce boasted arrogantly.
Just then, a man in a black trench coat walked straight up to the table. He shoved aside the thugs blocking his path and stared intensely at Free.
"You looking for trouble?" Free asked, eager for a fight. Since gaining the power of the Memory, he had already dealt with several people who used to look down on him; he didn't mind adding one more to the list.
In fact, Free was secretly hoping for a confrontation. He relished the feeling of freezing anyone who annoyed him into an ice sculpture, making others shiver under his power.
Frank glanced at Free and said coldly, "The person responsible for the multiple frostbite incidents around here lately is you, isn't it?"
"So what if it is? Those bastards dared to look down on me! Now they know how powerful I am," Free replied, his tone full of spiteful satisfaction.
Frank looked at Free's youthful, green appearance and shook his head slightly. "Hand over the Gaia Memory. That's not a toy for a kid like you. Stop now before you cause any more real harm, and it might not be too late. Otherwise, I might not show any mercy."
Free's face instantly twisted, looking like a cat that had its tail stepped on. "Bastard! You've got a big mouth! Who the hell are you to lecture me in that tone? I'll freeze you solid and see if you're still so cocky!"
With that, he pulled out the Gaia Memory and pressed the button.
"ICE AGE!"
Free used the Gaia Memory to transform into a Dopant. A powerful freezing mist erupted, making it feel as though the depths of winter had arrived in an instant.
The rowdy bar fell silent for a moment. Once they saw the source of the freezing air, the patrons immediately scrambled to escape.
"Die!" Free sprayed freezing mist directly from his hands, attempting to entomb Frank in ice.
"ACCEL!"
Frank shook his head helplessly, pulled out his own Memory and Driver, and transformed.
A surge of scorching energy erupted from the Accel Memory, pushing back the low-temperature mist Free had released.
"You have a Gaia Memory too?!" Free stammered, his voice trembling with shock.
Frank raised his Engine Blade. "It seems I'll have to give you a proper lesson before you'll understand regret."
"Damn you!" Free gritted his teeth and released another wave of frost toward Frank, coating the Engine Blade in a thick layer of ice.
However, under Frank's command, the Accel Memory unleashed an intense, burning heat. The crimson energy instantly melted the frost on the blade. Then, Frank landed a heavy, sweeping strike across Free's chest.
A shower of sparks flew from Free's body, and he was sent rolling across the floor from the force of the blow.
"How is this possible? Where did a guy like you come from?!" After being struck several times by Frank, Free was terrified. The freezing power he relied on so heavily was completely ineffective, and he was being utterly crushed in close combat. Fear began to take hold.
He used his freezing ability to conjure a wall of ice to temporarily block Frank, then froze a path on the ground, sliding away at high speed like a skier to make his escape.
(End of Chapter)