Fate Ultimate Hell - Prelude to War
DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN HELLSING OR ANY FATE RELATED PRODUCT.
Alucard had to admit, he may have been a bit hasty in relating Integra to this little girl, Sakura as she was apparently called, to his former master Integra. The girl was timid, incredibly quiet and introverted, and forgiving to a fault. She could run for Jesus if she tried. Alucard thought to himself, chuckling at the idea. But honestly, there is a limit to how forgiving a person can be, and frankly I believe this Sakura girl is being far too lenient. Alucard thought to himself seriously for one a moment. He had only been summoned for half a day and already he had two individuals he couldn't stand to be around.
The first one on that list was his Master's grandfather, Zouken Matou. From the instant Alucard laid his eyes on him he was disgusted. The 'thing' as he called him for now, since there was no way that sack of flesh was a man, was a complete abomination. And coming from me, that truly is saying something. Alucard snidely thought as he took a sip of the wine he procured from the kitchen of the Matou Manor as he looked around the basement he made as his makeshift home. He was beginning to contemplate whether or not he should just stay in Astral Form, since the stench that came from the various Crest Worms that lived in the basement was rather unbearable. That is a good name for that Zouken fellow. Alucard thought to himself, a wry smirk adorning his features. Worm, a truly fitting name for such a baseless monster.
However, the most unbearable person for Alucard in this mansion by far was that insipid boy, Shinji he was called. I've encountered ghouls that had more dignity and principle than that waste of air. Alucard thought grimly, about to take another sip of his wine, but decided against it. He got a bad taste in his mouth for whatever reason and he doubted wine would do anything to help it. I cannot understand how that Sakura girl can take their abuses. He wondered as he let out a small sigh. Alucard could feel it now, the power that was coursing through that small girl. He wondered why she didn't just use it to protect herself, since he doubted that Shinji brat was capable of holding his own. However, he could understand why Sakura was fearful of her grandfather, if the fresh scent of her blood in this dank facility was anything to go by.
Still, he did find her will to strive through these pains rather impressive for someone so young. From the various scents that he picked up around the mansion he could tell what his master had gone through while under the roof of these two cretins.
However, that didn't mean Alucard was at all appreciative of the treatment towards his Master. Since it's so early in the morning she is still sleeping, so maybe I can set some ground rules. Alucard thought, a large smirk plastered on his face. Despite his dislike for the Worm, Alucard was looking forward to see how the filth would react to what he was about to do. So, taking one final swig of wine, which honestly wasn't all that good to begin with, he stood from the chair he brought down to the basement. Maybe I'll grab some worthwhile wine while I'm out as well. Alucard chuckled at the thought. Then again, getting up in the morning is exhausting.
This Servant is going to be an annoyance. Zouken thought to himself in his study. It had only been half a day and this Servant was already being unruly. He absolutely refused to go into Astral Form, which honestly by itself wasn't a problem, but Zouken had a bad feeling when it came to this Servant. He grew suspicious of him the moment he was summoned. He felt the disgust and the animosity the Servant felt towards him, and quite frankly Zouken didn't know what to do about it. He could tell this Servant was not to be trifled with if the massive amount of prana that resonated from the Heroic Spirit was any indication. Even for a Servant, the amount of prana that Zouken felt from the red clad Servant was ginormous, so the worm felt that it was in his best interests to stay clear of the Servant and only interact with him when needed.
However, Zouken, being the ever paranoid worm that he was, constantly wondered what reason this Servant whom he only knew for half a day would have to hate him. Still, I would prefer it if he didn't drink all of my wine. He thought, agitated at the memory of finding some of his favorite bottles of wine missing.
Pushing those thoughts to the side, Zouken wondered if the Servant was possibly suspicious of his plans for the war, but quickly dashed those thoughts to the back of his mind. There was no way that he could know his plans, it was completely ridiculous.
"Something on your mind Worm?" Zouken heard from behind him, the calm and arrogant voice causing him to slightly tense up at the unexpected entry of the tall Servant. He turned his head to look behind him and saw the upper torso of the Servant coming out of the wall.
"I'd watch your tongue Rider, remember who it is who procured the relic to summon you." Zouken shot at Rider, not at all appreciating the name the Servant called him just now.
"Yet it was a child who summoned me, not you, so I needn't 'watch my tongue' around the likes of you, Worm." Rider pointed out, his voice gaining a slightly mocking tone as he fully entered the room, his body fully coming through the wall. Zouken's eyebrow twitched, pondering whether or not he should just have his granddaughter use her Command Seals and order this arrogant sack to kill himself.
"What is it?" Zouken asked sharply, wanting to have this annoying Spirit leave as soon as possible.
"I want you to leave my Master alone."
...What? Zouken thought, thinking he was hearing things.
Alucard smiled, enjoying the perplexed expression that was on the wrinkled Worm's face. He was glad that he was able to shock the monster for a few moments, so imagine his surprise when the Worm started laughing out loud, as if Alucard had just told him a joke. His laugh sounds rather annoying, so he better give a good reason for doing so soon. Alucard thought, his smile dropping a little at the sudden outburst.
"And why should I do that?" Zouken asked, amusement present in his voice. While he was slightly afraid of this Servant, what he just said was so ludicrous that it actually was incredibly comical to the man. "I am her grandfather after all, and she has no other remaining family, so why would I leave her alone? Besides, you know she is about to participate in the Holy Grail War, so she'll need my help if she wants to succeed." Zouken explained to Rider, watching for any sudden movement the Servant would make. However, Rider just stood where he was, not moving a single muscle, nor losing that smile of his, though Zouken did notice it wasn't as pronounced as earlier.
"While that may be true, I don't really appreciate what you and that impudent brat do to my Master." Alucard stated, his smile widening and even showing some of his fanged teeth at the Worm's look of surprise. "Don't be so surprised Worm, I am a vampire after all. I can smell that girls blood all over this mansion, I can especially smell it coming from you and the brat. That and..." Alucard trailed off, leveling a piercing stare at the lump of flesh before him, "other certain scents." Alucard finished, his smile now showing all of his fangs.
Zouken on the other hand was not smiling in the least. His earlier suspicion of this Servant knowing about his plans seemed somewhat plausible now, but not entirely true. He would have to be smart about this, because he had a feeling that if this vampire caught him lying he would be torn to shreds.
"The reason you smell her blood is because of the training she has to go through." Zouken explained as he looked away from the Servant, the smile that was plastered on his face disturbing him tremendously.
"Is that so?" Alucard stated, feigning a voice of understanding. "And what of the other fluids that I caught sent of?" Alucard asked, knowing that he was backing this monster into a corner. "Is there a reason I smelled such a specific scent in a decrepit place such as that basement, as well as that insipid brat's room?" He asked in a tone of mock curiosity. For a while he got no response, but that just told Alucard that he had backed this sack of meat into a corner with no chance of escape.
Damn this pest. Zouken thought angrily. If he knows this much about that girl already from just his sense of smell, what else could he figure out? Zouken asked in his thoughts, his mind going a mile a minute in order to find a way out of this situation.
"Before you answer, I have a question pertaining to this Grail War." He heard Rider speak up, and let out a mental sigh. Hopefully whatever he was about to ask would give him a chance to make up an appropriate lie to sate this damned vampire's curiosity.
"What do you want to know?" Zouken asked, trying his best to sound as reasonable and weak as possible to hopefully trick the Servant into thinking he had him cornered as he turned his head away from the Servant.
"The Grail usually picks a Master because that individual wants something that only the Grail can give them, isn't that right Worm?" Rider asked, and again making Zouken's eyebrow twitch at his moniker.
"Yes." Zouken replied, honestly confused that this was what the Servant wanted to know.
"Then tell me, what does my Master wish for?" Rider asked, his cocky tone making itself fully apparent. "You are her grandfather after all, so surely you should know." Rider continued, pushing Zouken for an answer. A silence ensued for a long while as Zouken tried to find a suitable answer. The only reason Sakura was picked to participate in the Grail War was because she had fragments of the Grail inside of her, courtesy of the Crest Worms he used. "Or," Rider spoke up, pulling Zouken from his thoughts, "could it be that she is just your pawn?" Rider finished. This proclamation caused Zouken to narrow his eyes at Rider's question, clearly upset at what the vampire had just said.
Damn, he is a clever one isn't he? Zouken snarled in his thoughts. His already deep frown deepened further when he heard Rider chuckle, clearly laughing at him. When Zouken didn't say anything, Rider continued to laugh, and soon he burst out into a loud laughing fit, sounding like some sort of madman. "What do you find so funny?" Zouken asked, not bothering to restrain his irritation at Rider's display of insanity.
"This war just keeps getting more and more interesting by the second!" Rider shouted out, his voice gaining an edge that showed how pleased he was at the moment, much to Zouken's confusion. He thought this clearly insane Servant was going to attack him if he got the wrong answer, but instead he seemed to like the idea that Zouken was using his weak granddaughter to his advantage. "Yes, it seems I was summoned by the perfect Master!" Rider shouted out, his satisfaction at Zouken's revelation starting to unnerve him.
And people say I have issues. The old worm thought dryly.
"Still," Rider spoke up, his previous joy seeming to dissipate as his voice took on a dangerous edge, "I will say this only once Worm." He continued, Zouken tensing up as he prepared to defend himself if this mad Servant decided to attack. "Should any harm befall my Master at your or that impudent child's hands, I won't be so forgiving the next time we encounter each other." Rider finished, his voice still containing that violent tone as he smirked, showing his bone white fangs to the decrepit worm. Zouken was about to reply, but he stopped himself when he saw Rider perk his head up as if he heard something. He saw Rider out of the corner of his eyes look to the clock in his study and saw that it read five thirty. He then heard Rider sigh tiredly. "It seems that my Master is getting ready for school." Rider pointed out. "Honestly, getting up in the morning is exhausting, but my duty as a Servant is to protect my Master." Rider said, his tone clearly mocking as he looked at Zouken. Despite the fact that Zouken could not see him, he could clearly imagine that smug look that was on Rider's face. "Isn't that right, Worm?" Rider finished, his arrogant tone fully apparent as he left by walking through the wall.
Alucard couldn't be more pleased with himself. He had played that fool right into his hand, and while he couldn't be certain that the Worm would listen to him, he honestly didn't care. It just meant that he would be able to kill the piece of filth himself for harming his Master.
But that wasn't what he needed to focus on at the moment. No, right now he needed to accompany his Master to school. One would think they would rather stay home when they enter a war, but then again, I was summoned a few days early. Alucard thought to himself, not at all looking forward to having to stay up all morning. Especially when he would have to stay in a school for all day.
God he hated getting up in the morning.
Sakura had already gotten washed up and dressed when her alarm clock went off and was now getting ready to head to her Senpai's home, but stopped herself when she saw her Servant phase through her door and enter her room.
"Good morning, little Master." Her Servant, Rider said to her in a kind, but also somewhat teasing voice as he bowed his head.
"G-good morning Rider" She stammered out in surprise, not expecting her Servant to greet her. In all honesty, her Servant scared her. There was just something about him that felt inhuman and his presence radiated a sort of evil feeling in the air.
Wanting to get moving so as to not be late, Sakura was about to ask Rider to move, but he was one step ahead of her as he opened the door that lead to the hallway of the mansion. She stood in her spot, speechless for a small moment before she rushed out a thank you and slightly ran down the hallway, hearing her Servant slightly chuckle from behind her.
When she got to the entrance of the Manor she could here the footsteps of her Servant's riding boots coming from the stairway that lead to the entrance. Sakura frowned slightly as she put on her shoes and waited for Rider to get to the entrance.
"What are you waiting for?" Rider asked her, and she noticed him quirking a brow and even a small, questioning frown on his face. Sakura shifted a little bit in her spot. She didn't know how to ask what she wanted to ask, so she just decided to go ahead and say it.
"Um, Rider?" She spoke up, her voice showing how nervous she was. "Could you...please stay here?" Sakura finally asked. She saw Rider raise his eyebrows in surprise, clearly taken aback by what she had just asked. "It's just, the War hasn't officially started so there isn't really any chance of me getting hurt, so..." Sakura continued, feeling incredibly awkward in her position. Before she could voice any more concerns Rider let out a single chuckle.
"Of course, little Master." Rider said to her, still in that teasing voice of his as he turned around. "After all, I really do hate mornings, so just be sure that you take care of yourself, little Master." Rider told her, his teasing voice fading a little, instead being replaced by a caring undertone. "Goodnight, little Master." Rider said tiredly as he phased through a wall that Sakura assumed led to the basement, where for some reason Rider had decided to stay.
"Good... night." Sakura said, not expecting her Servant to so easily accept her order. She would have thought that Rider would have protested. After all, part of a Servant's duty was to protect their Master, so she expected Rider to put up a little bit more of a fight. Still, she supposed it didn't matter, since she would be able to spend time with her Senpai without having someone look over her shoulder.
Little did she know that her Servant just Astralized and continued to follow her.
Alucard had to admit, this Astral Form was quite useful, and along with the Presence Concealment skill he had, it would easily allow him to follow his Master without any worries. She is quite naive if she thinks other Servants or Masters will follow the rules as she does. He thought to himself. Then again, she is just a child. Alucard continued as he followed his Master while he looked at the environment around him. The various residential homes they were passing didn't have the best options in terms of hiding, but Alucard knew better than to merely dismiss his suspicions. Assassin would be able to easily hide in any kind of area, so Alucard merely kept eyes peeled, his senses sharp, and stayed close to his charge.
However, he did wonder why she was getting up so early in the morning. From what he could remember of school timetables in the modern age it started at eight in the morning. So what reason could she have to wake up so early?
For a long while Alucard followed his Master, and he was starting to contemplate whether or not he should just go back to the mansion and sleep, but he was brought out of that line of thinking when his Master came upon a gate and entered it. From what he could tell they were still in the residential district, so Alucard guessed that she was visiting a friend's house. Although, it is rather early to be visiting a 'friend' at this time in the morning. Alucard thought, a sly grin forming on his face. Or could it be that my dear little Master considers this person more than just a friend? He continued in his thoughts, feeling quite surprised at the revelation that his shy and timid Master had someone so close to her heart. Alucard was about to follow his Master inside, but stopped himself when he felt a small source of mana from within the home. It was small and weak, but he could still feel it nonetheless. Alucard let out a small chuckle. Yes, quite the interesting 'friend' indeed. He thought to himself as he backed away from the residence and took watch in the sky, overlooking the entire household.
Alucard was starting to regret not listening to his Master. He was dozing off while listening to these two talk, the only interesting thing he heard from the conversation the two were having was when Sakura asked 'Senpai' to be a failure and when the boy mistook soy sauce for oyster sauce, making Alucard snicker at the mundaneness of it all. I doubt my Master would be in any trouble if she goes to a public place in broad daylight, so I think that opens me up for some free time. Alucard thought as he looked over the other rooftops of the buildings. It would be beneficial if he got a lay of the land and also see where these leylines were located.
Apparently one of his skills, Demonic Defender of the State, was reliant on leylines in order to work. So why not use this opportunity to find some? He already had an idea of where some of them could be, but he didn't know if they were... occupied. As if it'll matter. In fact, I'd rather enjoy a quick brawl. Alucard thought, a wide grin adorning his face at the prospect of meeting another Heroic Spirit. It was moments and events like these that truly kept him entertained in this world.
Putting that thought at the back of his head, Alucard stayed in his Astral Form as he started to glide around the city, Fuyuki he learned it was called after a few minutes of traversing it. He decided to explore the area near the bridge first and then work his way back to the house where his Master had stopped at, thinking that would be the best plan of action. So, when he arrived at the bridge he perched himself on one of the towers the bridge had. After he did so, he transformed his body into hundreds of bats and then spread them all out so that he could easily explore the west half of the city. Alucard then formed various small groups with the bats, thinking that a large swarm of bats in a largely populated area would attract unnecessary attention that would most likely attract other Masters or Servants. While he was eager for a fight, he would rather have a good mornings sleep before doing so.
Alucard's various groups of bats have been traversing the city for a long while now, and he had come across some rather intriguing points of interest.
The first one was another Manor, a few blocks to the southeast of his Master's home, that had a strong feeling of magic resonating around it. Whenever the bats went near the gates of it, the felt a strong surge of magical energy coming from it, as if some sort of defensive barrier had been placed around it. Probably the home of a possible Master. He thought, thinking he might pay them a late night visit when this war officially started. As for leylines, he couldn't feel any strong ones near the mansion, so it wouldn't help him with his Demonic Defender of the State skill at all.
Luckily however, Alucard soon discovered a building far west of the city that had a massive concentration of leylines in the mountainous area. That would be perfect. Alucard thought to himself, but then stopped himself in that line of thought. Given the amount of leylines there, other Masters and Servants would be attracted to it, making it more difficult to acquire the area. While the idea of fighting ancient heroes and legends was absolutely enthralling to the five century old vampire, he wasn't about to charge in carelessly. He didn't know who he would go up against, what they would be capable of, and given what the Grail told him of Noble Phantasms, the weaponized myths and legends surrounding these Heroic Spirits would be quite difficult to tackle without a plan. Then again, that does add to the fun of it all. Alucard thought, chuckling darkly.
As his sight seeing continued Alucard happened upon the school that his Master attended, spying her enter a building that was to the side of the main one. It was at this time that Alucard noted that he had been exploring for a long while now, as the sun was starting to set, signaling that school was about to end or already had. He made a mental note that whenever he left his Master's side he should keep a familiar near her at all times in order to keep an eye on her, maybe even have it attack that brat Shinji whenever he went near her.
Pulling himself from the entertaining thought, Alucard focused the small group of bats attention back onto the school, and was caught by surprise when he felt a source of mana. It was coming from his Master as it was a foreign energy, although it did feel vaguely similar to the one he felt at that mansion earlier. But that wasn't what caught his attention. No, what caught his attention was that there were two strong sources of mana within the building, and one felt very powerful for a human. That is, if it's a human to begin with. Alucard thought, a wide smile growing on his face.
Thinking that he might have stumbled onto another Master and Servant, he went ahead and turned the group of bats that was spying on the school into small flies in order to gain access into the building and sniff the possible enemy out. After doing so and following the source of energy, the group of flies found themselves upon a student walking down the hallway. This same student being the source of mana, and the other more powerful source standing right next to her. Well, assumedly, seeing as how she was by herself, meaning the other source was in some sort of spirit form. Just like Astral Form. Alucard concluded, his smile turning feral. It seemed he was correct, he had happened upon an enemy Servant and Master at his own Master's school. Perhaps I should have stayed with her, then I would have been able to introduce myself. Alucard slightly joked, slightly chided himself in his thoughts. While it was rather interesting, and surprising, that there was another Master that was only a mere child, he did think that he made a huge error in leaving his Master alone so close to an enemy.
Well, what's done is done, and if anything else it made hunting down this pair easier for him, and it also allowed him to confirm whether or not his earlier suspicion on this girl being related to that other source of mana was true or not. So Alucard decided to keep this newly formed group of flies tailing the girl at a safe distance as not to be caught as he focused all of the other groups of bats to the school area. He felt that he did enough reconnaissance for one day, that and he wanted to reshape back into his body again so as to keep a better eye on his Master. While he doubted this other Master would attack, he couldn't take the chance, although it would give him the perfect excuse to get into a fight with the other Master's Servant.
Pushing that thought at the back of his mind, sadly, Alucard reformed his body on one of the rooftops near to his Master's school and waited for her to leave. He made sure that he stayed in his Astral Form and to also use his Presence Concealment skill to its fullest potential so as to not attract the other little Master and get his caught in the crossfire. Luckily it seemed as if the enemy Master was leaving, so there was no need to worry, except Alucard was deeply disappointed that he wouldn't be able to battle this Servant. Oh well, no point in moping about it now. We'll be sure to meet later on. Alucard thought, his disappointment alleviating somewhat, but not fully.
Resigning himself to the fact he wouldn't get into an interesting fight, Alucard waited for his Master to leave the small building she had entered a while ago, and from the familiar sound of snapping string and whistle through the air, he surmised that it was some sort of archery range. My Master, a user of the bow? Rather unexpected. Alucard thought, a small look of surprise at the revelation. He didn't think his shy and unbelievably, also unrealistically kind Master would be interested in a weapon that was involved with shooting a six inch length of wood and metal into a vital area of the human body, but then again, appearances were deceiving.
A few hours later, when the sun was nearly set, Alucard saw his Master finally leave the building and walking out of school grounds. Thanking her for finally exiting the building, as sitting on a rooftop wasn't exactly the most exciting thing in the world, Alucard started to follow his Master back home. During the walk the sun had fully set, casting the city in the darkness of the night, much to Alucard's enjoyment. Nights like this were always so enjoyable for a bloodsucker like Alucard, they always seemed to get his blood going, it was as if he expected something to happen that would entertain him. And most of the time, he was usually right.
As was the case when Alucard felt an incredibly powerful presence approaching.
He looked down the street and spotted a man who was walking towards his Master. Alucard could tell right away that whoever this person was, they weren't normal. The large amount of mana that was practically swirling around the man. If that wasn't enough, just the mere appearance of the man was enough to tell someone that he wasn't normal, as he carried about him an air of superiority that felt as if it was forcing others to acknowledge this man as over them.
Then Alucard saw his eyes. They were red, a dark shade of red with slit pupils. The man just seemed to emanate majesty and supreme power.
And Alucard couldn't enjoy it more if he tried.
He could tell this man was a participant of this insane war right from the get go. Why, it was the only possible explanation for bearing such extreme power, and Alucard shivered at the idea of fighting this man. not in fear, but in absolute excitement.
However, Alucard was brought out of his thoughts when he saw the man stop in front of his Master, causing her stop, slightly surprised and uncomfortable by the man's sudden stop.
"C-can I help you?" She asked, wondering if this man was lost since he was clearly a foreigner. However, the man's next words had nothing to do with directions, and his voice made Sakura's very being freeze in fear.
"Go die right now." The golden haired stranger said, his voice bearing a cold, yet also uninterested tone. The man's suggestion... no, his order made Sakura feel as if her heart skipped a beat.
Meanwhile, Alucard felt as if he was just given the most precious gift in the world. He didn't even realize that he had dispelled the flies he made that were tailing that other girl as he listened to what the golden haired man just said. That man's proclamation, his demand for his Master to die, why, it was the exact thing Alucard was hoping this man was going to say!
Because now, Alucard could finally have some good old fashioned fun.
"Go die right now?" Alucard said as he exited his Astral From, bringing the startled gaze of his Master and the slightly interested but still bored expression of the stranger, only Alucard did notice a slight twitch in the man's eye when he looked down at him. But that didn't matter, what mattered is that Alucard now had an opponent. "Who do you think you are, ordering my Master to end her life?" Alucard questioned, his voice filling with malice and hardly restrained anticipation as he jumped down from the building he was on. When he landed on the ground, slowing his descent with his powers, he noticed that the stranger now had a slightly angered expression on his face.
"First you dare to look down on me, and then you dare question me mongrel?" The golden haired man said, his voice filling with malice, as if Alucard had just offended the man. "It is not your place to question your betters." The man said as if he was stating a law. "Those who do not abide by this simple fact are to be disposed of." The man continued, and Alucard could tell that he was preparing to attack him.
"Little Master, it is best if you head home right now." Alucard said to his Master, causing her to look at him in concern, clearly worried by the ever growing tension in the air. "After all, it isn't safe for little girls to be out this late." He continued, his voice gaining a teasing edge despite the situation. The golden stranger didn't appreciate the fact that he was being ignored however.
"You dare to ignore me, your king, vermin?!" The man yelled, as suddenly small golden circles began to fill the air. "You shall pay for your insolence with your life, you dog!" He shouted, the sudden appearance of the golden circles causing Sakura to flinch in surprise, and taking one last glancing look at Alucard, she listened to him and began to run away. Alucard then focused his attention back to the man, who was now clearly a participant in this war.
"And what does that make you who would face me?" Alucard said darkly as he chuckled. "A man?" He then reached inside his jacket for his trusted pistols. "A dog?" He said, his voice lowering as he brought out his guns. "A monster?" He growled as he took aim at the man, who was now clearing angered at Alucard's insults.
And then, Alucard fired.
AUTHOR'S NOTE:
Alucard vs Gilgamesh already... Well he was incredibly bored, so you can't blame him.
Please Review, Follow, and Fav.
Hope to see you till the end.
