Disclaimer: I do not own Seraph of the End or Hellsing. Both are products of Takaya Kagami and Kouta Hirano respectively. The only thing I own are the series of events that transpire and the massive amounts of bloodshed and gore.
A Seraph of the End x Hellsing Crossover:
"World Without Logos"
Vampires.
In ancient legend and myth, they are the true rulers of the night. Blood sucking creatures, who command otherworldly forces and feed on the necks of poor, unfortunate souls.
However, unknown to the masses, there exists an organization, who's task is to eliminate these creatures. They are known as the Hellsing Organization.
Within the Hellsing Organization is a powerful creature. A vampire, beyond the likes of which ordinary men have never seen. He is feared by vampire and humankind alike, and is known by many names.
The ultimate vampire. Hellsing's guard dog. The No Life King.
...Alucard.
This, is the story of a soul who's fate becomes entangled within this world of darkness.
"In the name of God, impure souls of the living dead shall be banished into eternal damnation. Amen."
-II-
BLEEDING HEARTS
The Progenitor Council.
The ruling, governing body that commands the entirety of the Skal Vampire race. It has existed for over several centuries, though one could say that it was still relatively new in the grand scheme of things. It had been founded six hundred years ago, following the emergence of the first Nosferatu Vampire. The emergence of a new brother in arms, followed by it raising a kingdom of night and death, had raised several alarms. Especially when many of their own had fallen prey to this new breed of bloodsucker. The damage had been quite severe, thus the oldest and most powerful of the Skal were forced to take control when their previous command structure fell apart as a result of the Nosferatu's lust for battle.
The conference room resided deep within Sanguinem's depths, secured and secluded from prying eyes. Only a Sixth Progenitor or higher was allowed entrance, thanks to the genetic scanning mechanisms put in place. Sadly, only three members of the Council besides Krul were able to attend the meeting, and even then, they were only presented on a holographic screen, forms appearing in their seats as mere projections.
To the left was the Fifth Progenitor, Ky Luc. Though he was 200 years younger than Krul, his power was not to be denied, and his personality was reflected in his attire. A simple formal suit with an overturned collar and a black laced tie. Despite the urgency of the meeting, he seemed rather laid back, leaning in the seat with his hands folded in his lap and one leg crossed over the other. To the right was the Krul's fellow Third Progenitor, Nix Parthe. Like Ky, he wore a suit, albeit lacking the formal jacket and with a pointed black mask over the upper half of his face, dark hair falling past his shoulders.
Sitting across from Krul, however, was the head of the Progenitor Council. The Second Progenitor, Urd Geales. His skin was light brown, perhaps tanned while his pale hair was neatly styled. Like every other vampire in attendance, his eyes were red and his ears were pointed. Like Ky and Nix, he wore a simple black suit, though his posture was quite serious. His elbows were propped on the table and his hands were folded, staring at Krul intensely.
The meeting hadn't even started, and already she was feeling nervous. Ordinarily, she would have felt quite at peace in these conferences, but the situation was different. She felt like she was walking towards her own execution. Swallowing the lump in her throat, she opened her mouth to speak and began the meeting. "Thank you for coming at such an urgent notice, milords."
"I have to admit, it was surprising for you to be calling for a meeting." Ky remarked with a slight grin. "And from how urgent it sounded, it must be quite serious. Are the humans causing you trouble, Tepes?"
"We are experiencing some difficulty, but nothing we haven't anticipated. No, there is another reason as to why I requested a conference at this time." Krul replied. She sucked in a breath, trying to remain as calm as possible. She had attempted to keep her secrets well kept and out of reach, but given the seriousness of the situation and the implications, she was forced to expose them. At the very least, however, she was revealing them rather than having someone else blow the whistle. "Before I begin, however, I wish to confess something to those present." Krul took another breath and looked at the head of the Progenitor Council straight in the eye. "I have willingly broken one of the rules of the Council."
Ky blinked rapidly, looking at Krul in confusion. Nix narrowed his eyes, opening his mouth to demand an answer, but was silenced when Urd raised his hand, giving him a glance. Backing down, the masked Progenitor quietly obeyed. Urd then refocused his attention to Krul. His voice was calm and cool, but beneath it was an authority that brought shivers down her spine. "Explain yourself, Third Progenitor Krul Tepes."
She nodded. "As you all know, following the violation of the taboo regarding the Seraph of the End, the Heavens brought down their wrath upon the humans who reside in Japan. Following the government's collapse and the death of over %80 of the adult populace, we usurped control of the nation and its assets. Upon our takeover, we were tasked with rounding up the human children and bringing them under our care. However, we were also given strict orders to eliminate anyone who was associated with the Hyakuya Sect. This included the orphans in their care, who were confirmed to possess the seraph gene." Urd nodded, fully aware of this. It only took half a second for him to realize exactly what rule she had violated and looked upon her sharply, demanding an explanation. "I ignored those orders and took the orphans under my care."
"My word..." Ky remarked, showing genuine surprise. "That is a serious violation of the rules, Krul. To be frank, I'm surprised you were the one who broke it, especially considering your stance."
"You also told us you had completed your task, yet here you sit, telling us you blatantly lied." Nix hissed. "Why shouldn't we cut you down where you stand?!"
Urd sighed. "Nix. Calm yourself at once." he ordered. Nix ready to protest, but a sharp glare ceased all rebuttals at once. Seething, the masked Progenitor did as he was told, but still leveled a harsh glare at Krul. "Why have you broken the law, Krul Tepes?"
"I'm afraid the reasons behind my lies are my own. I will say nothing more."
Urd narrowed his eyes. Krul put on her best front, but internally, she was expecting him to order her execution. It was a grave mistake, choosing to hide the Hyakuya oprhans, but it was a mistake she did not regret. Choosing not to reveal her plans and motives would almost assuredly result in her being stripped of rank and punished severely. In all honesty, she fully expected to be dead by the time the meeting was adjourned, though she had made sure steps were taken in making sure the remaining orphans would be taken care of in her absence.
After a moment, Urd's gaze lessened and he straightened his back. "...I assume you revealing your betrayal has something to do with this urgent meeting, so I will withhold judgement until after it has been adjourned. Continue, Third Progenitor Krul Tepes."
Nodding, the pink-haired Skal continued. "Yes. A few days ago, a Nosferatu Vampire had managed to find its way here into Japan. It was apparently being hunted by organizations from overseas and was attempting to seek asylum. Due to the actions of Seventh Progenitor Ferid Bathory, however, one of the children under my care had escaped and was taken hostage by the Nosferatu, hoping it would be able to use them as a bargaining tool." And now, the most dreaded part about her report. Idly, she wondered what the reactions would be. "Evidently, a second Nosferatu Vampire had also arrived in Japan, apparently hunting the first one. It promptly eliminated them and proceeded to sire the child, as they had been seriously injured in the battle."
"A vampire hunting another vampire?" Nix frowned. "Why on Earth would they do that?"
Krul closed her eyes and tried to remain as calm as possible, bracing herself for what was to come next. "The second Nosferatu had killed the soldiers I had posted at one of the ports, though there was a survivor. According to their account, we were able to obtain a description. The second Nosferatu was clad in red and wielded a silver firearm. Examination of the bullets revealed them to possess holy properties."
"A hunter, then." Ky surmised. "But quite odd." He pursed his lips, putting a hand to his chin. "If memory serves, there was an organization overseas that was employing a Nosferatu of their own, weren't they? Could it be the same one?"
"It was." Krul nodded before she proceeded to drop the bombshell before them. "And we know the name of that Nosferatu: The No Life King, Alucard. Formerly known as Vlad Tepes, Impaler Prince and Count of Wallachia."
A dreadful silence fell upon the Progenitor Council. Krul had the look of the utmost disturb, showing that even she had been quite shaken by the appearance of the Nosferatu single-handedly responsible for this group's existence. Ky's casual and laid-back posture vanished in a mere instant, suddenly sitting up straight and postively alarmed with large eyes. Urd's eyes narrowed to the point where she could barely make out his iris and pupil, hands tightening. Nix froze on the spot, mouth open and closing with strangled words coming from his throat.
"...that's impossible." Ky was the first to speak, his voice in a whisper. "That is not possible. We-we would have known if he was on the move."
"It is no lie." Krul stated as clearly as possible, voice hard. "We have confirmed it for ourselves. Alucard was here in Japan, and has sired a new Nosferatu."
Nix slumped in his seat, face pale. "Gods help us..."
"...Third Progenitor Krul Tepes." Urd said, his voice strained. "The escaped child. Was it one of the orphans possessing the seraph gene?"
"It was indeed, Second Progenitor Urd Geales. Yuuichiro Hyakuya, I believe his name was."
"How can you be so calm, Tepes?!" Nix howled, slamming his hands on the table. "Do you realize your own incompetence?! You allowed the bastard to not only sire a new Nosferatu, but it was a Seraph of the End! One of those you allowed to live?! Do you understand what you have done?!" Growling, he turned to Urd with an almost fanatic plea. "Milord! Order us to find that Nosferatu fledgling and end him!"
Urd raised an eyebrow, raising his head for the first time. "And pray tell, why would I do that?"
"Why not?! It is dangerous to allow a Seraph of the End to live! Especially now that he is under the thrall of that monster! If we attack now, however, while the boy has yet to harness his newfound powers, we can-"
Urd promptly cut him off. "If you think we can even attempt to stage an assault, Third Progenitor Nix Parthe, especially against the First Nosferatu, then you are a fool who is not worth his station." The vampire recoiled in shock as if visibly struck. Straightening his back, Urd raised his voice, laced with hints of respect, anger and sadness. "Have you forgotten why we call that man the No Life King? He may have been born 600 years ago, but the day of his birth was the day we founded this Council. On that day, he slaughtered countless Skals and made them his unwilling puppets. When we saw how dangerous this new breed of vampire was, we tried to eliminate him." His gaze hardened, almost becoming a glare that made Nix squirm. "You may have forgotten that day, but I have not." He then directed his gaze to Ky and Krul. "Have you two forgotten that day?"
"I wish I could forget." Ky admitted with a pained expression. "That day was hell on Earth for we Skal."
"I doubt there is not a single Progenitor who has forgotten that day." Krul said, closing her eyes in mourning.
The Second Progenitor nodded sharply. "Indeed. How could we forget? How could we erase from our minds the mere sight that humans would spin as mere fairy tales to strike fear into disobedient children? On that day, we learned that what the First Nosferatu was truly was. A monster. A demon of the likes of which we had never seen before. What had been a man feared by humankind as a depraved soul was a nightmare to us. Hundreds of thousands of our number had dwindled on that day. It was a massacre that left us lost and confused."
Once more, Urd focused his attention to Nix, who sank in his seat when Urd showed his fangs as he scowled fiercely. "He is no mere vampire. He is a true monster, one capable of killing even the likes of a Seraph of the End. Do you think we Skals call him the No Life King without reason? He earned that name because, for all intents and purposes, he is the most powerful Vampire in existence. If he were to come to Japan with the intent of killing every last Progenitor here, I can assure you, we would all be dead by the time the smoke settles!" He leaned forward, gazing burning holes through Nix. "And you, Parthe, have the gall to try and order the death of his thrall? When it would mean we would have to face him?"
Nix was reduced to gibbering mess. His words were incomprehensible. Unintelligent. Seeing this, Ky wisely tried to bring peace back to the conference. "Let's all calm down here." he wisely advised. "What's done is done. Alucard now possesses a new fledgling that happens to be the Seraph of the End. That means his human masters, the Hellsing, are now involved with them, right? What do we do?"
"Nothing." Urd replied. "The Hellsings are not like the Hyakuya Sect or the Demon Army. The Seraph would have better use as a tool for their efforts in our extermination to them." He turned and faced Krul, who winced at the intensity of his stare. "This occurred because of your incompetence, Third Progenitor. How do you plea your judgement?"
She answered swiftly and truthfully. "Guilty, milord."
Urd grunted. "Very well. As you presented the truth by your own hand, I will not order your execution. However, you will not go unpunished. Fifth Progenitor Ky Luc will be in charge of your punishment. You will also be stripped of your position as Governor of Japan. Third Progenitor Lest Karr, effective immediately, will assume all control of your territory. Is that understood?"
"Yes, milord."
"Then... Meeting adjourned."
With that, the projections flickered and faded away, leaving an exhausted and dreadful Krul Tepes by herself in the room, slumping in her seat and palming her face, trying to calm herself down and cease the storm of confusion within her mind. Things had snowballed out of control. She could live with her punishment, but her subsequent removal of ruler of Japan? That was almost certainly going to cause trouble for her plans. Especially when that smiling bastard Ferid learned about this.
At the very least, however, she was able to keep the fact that her own fledglings would be safe. After all, they wouldn't be able to do anything to Seraphs who had been made into vampires. Of course, the same could be said about Yuuichiro Hyakuya, a newborn Nosferatu fledgling. Just the implications of such a thing, under the guidance of the most feared figure of all vampires, was enough to terrify her.
"Just what will that boy become...?"
"Man...I feel so tired..." Yuuichiro yawned as he and Alucard were off on another hunt in the dead of night.
"That is what you get for not sleeping in your coffin." His boss replied. "All vampires need to sleep in coffins filled with their birthplace's soil to maintain their strength if they don't drink blood. Not doing so only weakened you."
"Yeah, but did you honestly expect me to sleep in that thing? It was freaking small!"
"And you are a child." Alucard countered. "You would have grown into it."
"Actually, while we're on the subject, why the hell did you have to throw out my bed too?!"
"Because you don't need it anymore. As a Nosferatu, you'll be sleeping in a coffin for the rest of your unlife."
"Seriously? You just throw it away? What a waste...it was really comfy too." It was a hell of a lot better than the shitty holdings the bloodsuckers in Sanguinem gave them, that was for sure. "So, what does Integra-taichou want us to kill now? Actually, let me rephrase that." The grip on his katana tightened, and for a moment his fangs poked out from the corners of his lips. "How many oversized mosquitos do we get to kill today?"
Alucard chuckled. The boy was still far from becoming a proper vampire, but the bloodlust he displayed was exquisite. Then again, his vendetta certainly helped in that regard. "Patience, kid. We have all night to search and destroy. Just remember not to get overconfident. You'll only a newborn vampire, after all."
"I killed plenty of Ghouls and bloodsuckers the other day, didn't I?"
"Never underestimate your foe, no matter how weak they may be." At this, Yuuichiro was reminded of his first encounter with the red clad vampire back in Japan. How he had been gunned down mercilessly and torn to shreds before his body pulled itself back together, like it was nothing. Remembering this, the boy made sure to take such words to heart. "Now, let's start the hunt, shall we?"
Germany's underbelly had been swelling with activity for quite some time now, due to Lest Karr's more recent activities. They had nothing to do with his new appointment as the overseer and ruler of Japan, but it had certainly helped bolster his good mood. Things were going quite well, all according to his agenda and even more so. His authority governed those in the shadows and has vast influence over certain groups of interest. One of which was a great collaborator in his own plans. With their help, it had been rather easy, subjugating the resistance. A few political sabotages here, a few assassinations there, and before long, the Third Progenitor found himself in a much better position to rule over Germany. Better yet, Krul had made things even sweeter.
"That fool." he said with a sneer as he looked at the letter the Second Progenitor had sent him, in regards to his new position. "What was she thinking, allowing those monsters to live?"
It was a mystery. She allowed those Angels to live instead of killing them off as she was supposed to. Even worse? One of them was now a Fledgling of the most powerful and terrifying Nosferatu to ever walk the Earth. That was concerning. Were it anyone else, he would have sent someone to get rid of them, but Alucard? The No Life King? Lest was many things, but he was not suicidal. He still didn't like the idea of allowing the angel to live and grow stronger as a vampire under his tutilege, but he figured there would be plenty of opportunities, especially for what was to come.
"Sir." a Ninth Progenitor approached, bowing her head deeply towards him. "The zeppelin has been prepared."
"Thank you." Lest said, smiling as he removed himself from his throne. "Please inform Kyrial that he will be in charge of Germany until I return from Japan." The lowly Skal nodded and went off to find the aforementioned vampire. Kyrial was perhaps one of the more competent ones here, able to sweet talk and mesmerize anyone he came across. "Krul truly made a mess of things. Between allowing those monsters to live, she's done little to intervene with the human army that's been resisting us."
He honestly did now know what's as going on in her head. It seemed that she was neglecting nag her duties to subjugate the stragglers in Japan. Oh well, he'll just have to pick up the slack. Besides, how much trouble could this Demon Army really be? All they were was rebellious livestock wielding fancy toys.
"That said..." Lest had to consider with a troubled grimace. "If they were to learn that we told them a lie and that humanity has not truly died out and seek aid from foreign powers, this would become problematic. I'll have to make a few plans to make that doesn't happen."
In another part of the world, where humanity still went strong, there stood a modest yet grand church with children playing around at the front. All of them had bright smiles as they played, laughing and giggling.
And among them, standing watch, was a priest who took them under us a wing and raised them as if they were his own. He was a man of tall, muscular stature garbed in a white cassock, black pants, black boots, and a black shirt with a blue trim. His complexion was tanned and his hair was short, blonde, and slicked back. He had light facial hair along his square chin and a wedge shaped scar on the left side of his face. He wore a pair of round spectacles in front of his blue eyes.
"I figured we could find you here, Father Anderson." Looking over his shoulder, the priest found two women approaching him. One wore a black leather coat that came down to her calves, sunglasses sitting over her eyes with blonde hair. Next to her was a younger woman, garbed in the robes of a nun, dark hair spilling out from her cap. "Looking after the brats again?"
"Of course." Alexander Anderson smiled. "There's no greater pleasure. At least until they decide to get rowdy and need a good scolding. I try to tell them to save the violence for monsters and heathens, but do you think they listen?"
"Thy are only children, Father." The dark haired nun said. "It's in their nature to not listen until they are older due to a short attention span. Until then, they will just be brats."
"Very well. Then I'll have to just keep telling them. So, what brings you two here? I doubt you came all the way here for a social visit."
The blonde haired woman clicked her tongue. "Father Maxwell and Father Renaldo are in the meeting room, asking for you. Something about that vampire that tried to escape to Japan."
At this, Alexander smiled widely. "About bloody time." he said. Ever since news came to them about the Hellsing organization went overseas to hunt down a scurrying rat, he had been on edge for the last few weeks. Especially when they heard that said group also gained a new domesticated vampire in its ranks. As he stood up, Alexander looked at the children. "Play nice, you lot! I'm heading off to meet with Fathers Maxwell and Renaldo."
"Yes, Father!" they all cheered before resuming their games. Chuckling, Alexander left them to their own devices, and left with the two women to where his superiors waited.
The Hellsing Organization was not the only group who fought monsters in the dread of night. There were many in the world, each with their own specialties. Lycanthropes, vampires, goblins, demons, all manner of creatures.
There was one group, however, known among them all for their prowess. Devout servants to God who willingly sacrificed their lives to bring an end to the unholy walkers who perverted the world. They were the Vatican Church, but there was another group in the ranks who were especially known for its reputation.
The Iscariot Organization. A Black-Ops unit of the highest caliber. Also known as Section Thirteen that is remained hidden from the public. This organization has existed for the past 2000 years, ever since the conception of the Vatican.
Named after the one who betrayed the Son of Christ, the Iscariot Organization exists to purge the world of the heathens, heretics, and monsters. They are willing to dirty their hands so that others won't have to, as well as maintain the peace for humanity.
There are several excellent agents among their number. Heinkel Wolfe was proficient in firearms, and lived up to her namesake as a wolf who hunted her prey without relent. Yumiko Takagi was a skilled swordsman of the likes of which the world had never seen, famed for both her grace with a sword and her bloodlust for the deaths of heathens and monsters alike. Yet there was one who was feared and respected above all else. To heathens, he was a nightmare and their executioner. To heretics, he was a monster, far worse than any vampire. To monsters, he was their living bane.
And like Alucard, the No Life King of the Hellsing Organization, he too was called by many names. The Blade Master. The Bayonet Priest. Saint Guillotine. The White Knight. The Judas Priest. The Ripper. The Purifier. The Blue Light of Persecution. The Monster of God.
...Alexander Anderson.
He was the man who was the Vatican's and the Iscariot Organization's finest. Adept in both holy spells and combat, Alexander Anderson was unmatched by any beast.
While he was a terrifying force of nature on the battle field, he was also a caring, compassionate man. He took in numerous orphans under his wing and raise them to be fine individuals, some of them even joining Iscariot under his tutelage. To some, he was a kind-hearted soul, but to others, he was a merciless monster in human skin.
It was also for that reason why he was so valued by Iscariot, for there was no better man capable of slaying monsters than he.
The Meeting Room was fairly simple, if a bit too tacky for Alexander's tastes. The walls were painted a sterling white while some tapestries hung along he four sides of the enclosed space. There were some paintings and portraits hung as well. At the center was a grandiose meeting take with finely furnished chairs and a velvet rug with gold frayed edging below them. Above on the ceiling hung a chandelier.
Seated on the far end of the table were two figures.
To the left side was an old man with gray hair and round spectacles, a proud mustache sitting on his upper lip and dressed in dark robes, befitting his status as a priest. To the right side was a younger man, wearing a white dress shirt beneath a vest with dark slacks. His hair was swept back, tied back into a ponytail with violet eyes.
"Ah, Anderson." Father Renaldo said pleasantly. "You've come."
"I have, indeed." Alexander replied as Yumiko and Heinkel followed him on either side. "Sisters Heinkel and Yumiko already told me the basics."
"Basics, he says." Mawell scoffed bitterly. "If only it were that."
Renaldo frowned heavily. "I understand your anger, Maxwell, but do remember to keep your temper in check."
"In check?! Those Protestant bastards have not only spit on the face of God, they dare mock him! Why haven't I been ordered to gather my men and assault the Hellsing Organization?!"
Alexander frowned. "Wait, what is this about?" he asked, confused. Maxwell's hate for Protestants was something he was fully aware of, but the anger he was displaying was far more than just bitter anger. It stemmed from something else. And judging by his words, it was something important. "What's he talking about, Father Renaldo?"
The aging man sighed deeply. "It is best you sit down for this, Alexander." he advised. The priest did as he was told, and took a seat at the table. Taking the moment to compose himself, Renaldo folded his hands and set his elbows on the table. "A few weeks ago, we received reports that a vampire had escaped overseas, and was attempting to seek asylum in Japan, which we have now confirmed to be overrun by other, older vampires known as the Skals. The Hellsing Organization sent its own vampire after it, and when it returned, it had sired a fledgling."
"I've read the early reports." Alexander said, his mouth in a firm line. "The bastards turned a wee child into a freak." Were it not for the orders to remain on standby, Alexander would have jumped at the chance to raid Hellsing and kill the vampire for doing that. And then he'd kill every last man in Hellsing for allowing such a thing to happen. "But from the sound of it, it seems like there's more you've discovered."
"We have." Maxwell nodded with a scowl. "Before that, however, I must ask you, Anderson. How much do you know about the group called the Brotherhood of a Thousand Nights?"
"The Hyakuya Sect?" Alexander growled. "I've heard of their ilk, and I've slaughtered their numbers like the heathens and heretics they are. They are not fit to be called sons of god!"
To say that the Kyakuya Sect disgusted him would be an understatement. Those Heathens deserved nothing short of the full Nine Level of Hell for what they had done. Not only did they experiment on children, but they do so in order to break many taboos, even the most crucial one of all: resurrecting the dead. It happened in Japan, and God and his Angels brought forth their divine wrath for those Heathen's arrogance.
Furthermore, on his raids of the Sect's hideouts, he discovered more than what he imagined. He saw the experimented children the Sect had violated and warped beyond recognition. The moment he saw one of them still alive, one who was conscious and had lost his human form, the young child begged him to kill him. Just remembering it near brought a tear to his eye. Those Heathens commit treasonous acts against God and his messengers. To think the Hyakuya Sect was actually trying to summon the Seraphs of the End.
Their deaths had not been swift, nor painless. He made sure those bastards felt every last inch of what they deserved, yet Alexander still felt that they did not feel enough pain. He didn't even allow them to plead for forgiveness, having cut out their tongues and sliced apart their mouths before he delivered the most brutal punishment he could think of.
"Indeed, they do not." Renaldo nodded strongly. "The Hyakuya Sect had a base stationed in Japan. We believe that they were among the primary cause behind the taboo being broken, and why Japan now rests in silence."
"And just the other day, we received some startling information." Maxwell continued with a scowl. "The children who were under their control were taken by the vampires, following their takeover of Japan. As you can already guess, a few of them were confirmed to have the seraph gene."
Alexander felt his blood turn cold. "You mean to tell me that those filthy monsters are using His messengers as blood bags?!" It was bad enough that children were being experimented on to turn them from humans to Seraphs, but to stoop so low as to use them as livestock?!
He was very close to just barging out of the room, hop on a private jet to Japan, and slaughter all of those heretics and monsters.
"I'm afraid so..." Renaldo confirmed with contempt. "Which brings us to the main point: the child that was sired by the Hellsing family's vampire, Alucard." He lowered his head, revealing weary, yet burning eyes of fire. "The child was one of the Hyakuya Sect's. A boy with the seraph gene."
In the next moment, Alexander leaped up from his chair, slamming his hands down on the table with so much force that it trembled and threatened to snap beneath the pressure. "WHAT?!"
He had every right to be angry. The Hellsing Organization's dog...that monster Alucard, made a child, who was also one of God's messengers, into a creature of the night?! He made him into his fledgling?! A vampire?! A monster?!
"I'm afraid so..."
"Now you see why I desire nothing more than to burn that accursed Organization to the ground for its sins, Father?" Maxwell questioned with a fierce expression. "They spit in the face of God and mock are no better than the Brotherhood of a Thousand Nights! We should kill every last one of them!"
"Even if means bringing down the wrath of Queen and country?" Renaldo retorted, not budging an inch. "Do you not think that I am as angry as the rest of you? But no matter how much we wish to serve retribution, there are more pressing matters at hand." He produced a folder from his person, setting it down on the table. "We've recently learned that a large scale of vampires have begun acting out in the open out on the outskirts of Ireland's port towns. Countless men and women were slaughtered. Any children that were at the scene were also taken."
Maxwell looked stunned, staring at Renaldo as if he were mad. "You want us to focus on a group of vagabond vampires, instead of the fact that an Angel has become a Vampire?! Have you lost your mind?!"
"I understand your rage, Father Maxwell. Believe me, I do. However, there are still other matters that the Iscariot must take care of. Especially when the Brotherhood of a Thousand Nights are involved with these string of incidents."
Alexander's previous anger was quelled, but not by much. He would definitely demand further answers from his superior, but for the time being, he would alleviate himself of some of this anger by splattering the guts and disgusting remains of the heretics all across the grounds upon which they stood! "When do we leave?"
"Effective immediately."
"Excellent."
The Monster of God stood from his seat and grabbed the file before he made his way out of the room. Yumiko and Heinkel were wise enough to leave before the two men engaged in a shouting match, quickly following after Anderson. This left the two men alone in the room. One of them seething, while the other remained solemn. As the door was shut, they could actually hear Maxwell's indignant cries from within the room.
They soon caught up with the priest who was reading the report in hand.
"I can already feel the headache coming." Heinkel remarked dryly. "That said, for once, I have to agree with Father Maxwell. The Hellsing bastards turned an Angel into a vampire. An Angel! Why aren't we allowed to go in and slaughter them?!"
"You heard Father Renaldo." Yumiko reminded. "We have to deal with these heathens who are defiling children and the Angels in the first place! If we leave them alone, then it won't just be Japan who breaks the Taboo."
"Agreed." Alexander said with clenched teeth. "We can hate the Hellsing as much as we want and plot to slaughter them later. For now, let's deal with the heretics who dare to torment innocent souls and taint those in God's domain. And while we're at it, let me ask you two of you something."
His voice hardened, almost coming out like a growl as a glare became reflected in his glasses. "Who are we?"
"We are soldiers of Iscariot. We are Judas Iscariot!"
"And what is there, in your right hand?"
"Daggers and poison!"
"Well then, my soldiers of Iscariot, I ask you, what do you hold in your left hand?"
"Thirty pieces of silver and a straw rope!"
Slowly, a fanged grin spread across his face. "Amen!"
'Bullets move so slowly...' Yuuichiro thought as he weaved through the hailstorm of bullets, sword in hand while charging at the vampire in front of him. It was terrified out of its mind, after watching Alucard pull himself back together. Twice now he's done that. The human-turned vampire was convinced that the bastard was doing it on purpose, scaring them out of their wits and then slaughtering them like pigs. 'I wonder of Skals can see bullets like this?'
If they did, then the smiling bastard did it on purpose. Letting him get shot in the head.
With a leap, Yuu hit the roof of the hallway, proceeding to bounce off it and land himself on top of the vampire. Before it could attempt to get up, Yuu brought up his sword and slammed it straight into its head, piercing its brain. A few seconds later, the vampire was reduced to dust.
'It's strange though...' Yuu thought. 'Walter told me that when these vampires died, they shouldn't burst into flames. Why is that?'
"Nicely done." Alucard praised. "You're still rough around the edges, however."
The boy groaned as he got up, sheathing his sword. "Oh, get off my back already, Boss!" he said, dusting off his knees. "I already killed the sucker, didn't I? And while we're at it, why do they keep turning to dust? Is that just a Nosferatu thing, or...?"
"No, it isn't. Skals are simply reduced to dust. Nosferatu return to what they are naturally: lumps of dead meat that stay on the ground."
"So then these are Skals? I thought these were Nosferatu we were hunting."
"They are. Which makes this most unusual."
Alucard bent down to his knee, examining the dust. Putting a hand to the dust, he felt his existence ripple, spreading out across the ashes. Then his eyes narrowed, pushing his hand through the ashes and pulling out something from the pile. "What's that?" Yuu asked, leaning forward. Alucard held it up for him to see.
Yuuichiro blinked. "...a chip?"
The Round Table Conference. The heart and blood of England's protectors, and of the Hellsing Organization and those who stood by its side. At the head of the table sat Integra Fairbrooke Windgates Hellsing. Among others were Sir Islands and Sir Penwood, who had joined their ranks since Arthur Hellsing led the organization. More recent members included Rob Walsh, the commander of the British Royal Army. While he joined early in Integra's command, he was still a valued member of the Round Table Conference.
These meetings were only called into action when new light was shed on important cases, or when there was a dire situation that needed to be discussed. The meeting taking place was among the latter, as evident by the sullen and serious look on Integra's face. At her side, Walter stood straight as an arrow, his expression not betraying his current feelings of anxiety and dread.
"We'll call this meeting into order, then." Sir Islands began. He was an older gentleman, already on the cusp of meeting his father and ancestors in the afterlife, with frosty white hair and wrinkles all across his face. "Sir Integra. In your more recent investigation, following the elimination of the vampire that attempted to seek asylum in Japan, you reported to us here that you discovered something rather frightening."
"Indeed, we have." Integra said, voice thick. She gestured at Walter, who bowed his head and distributed several reports and photographs to those present. "You need only look at the photographs, gentlemen. A picture speaks more than a thousand words."
Penwood looked at the photograph in his hands. His face soon lost all color as his eyes threatened to pop out of their sockets. "Oh, dear god..."
Containers. Pristine white containers, loaded into the truck in the same site in which Yuuichiro's maiden battle took place. And inside each container was a person, sleeping soundly inside. They all appeared to be of young age as well, somewhere between early twenties to mid thirties, primarily Caucasian or Asian.
"Human trafficking?" Walsh asked with a grimace. "Run by vampires?"
Integra snorted. "That would be the preferrable alternative, Sir Walsh." she said as she narrowed her eyes. "No. Inside each and every one of those caskets was a vampire."
"Vampire?!" Penwood cried in fear. "You mean- All of these people?!"
Islands' frown deepened, his eyes well hidden beneath his spectacles. "I take it you confirmed this, Sir Integra?"
"We have, Sir Islands." Walter nodded, answering in her place. "The vampires inside those containers appeared to be in some sort of stasis. Nearly cryogenic, if I might add. But that is merely the tip of the iceberg, sir. Thorough investigation, as you can see in the reports you hold in your hands, revealed that each cargo carrier was tasked with delivering these a specific set of coordinates. We are currently in the midst of investigating these coordinates, and have even asked cooperation from the Royal Secret Intelligence in regards to this matter. However..."
"These were not the first transports, gentlemen." Integra finished grimly. "Someone has been smuggling vampires out of Britain. By the hundreds."
The room grew eerily silent as the implications set in.
Vampires...smuggled out of Britain? Just how was this possible? What sort of group possessed the manpower and resources to conduct such a thing, right under their noses to boot?!
"...how many convoys were confirmed leaving, prior to your discovery?" Sir Islands broke the silence.
"Unknown." she answered. "Even stranger still, however, was what we found inside the vampires." Walter placed something he had been holding in his hands into Integra's, holding it up for the whole room to see. "These chips were all found inside the necks of all the vampires that we discovered inside the containers. The purpose behind these chips are unknown, though we're leaving that to Section Three of the Secret British Intelligence for that matter."
Walsh smiled wryly. "The only thing those idiots are good for." he chuckled with some humor. He found all this tension to be unwelcome. "But why were these chips implanted into the vampires? Any theories, or possible ideas?"
"Just one." Integra answered. "Aside from the absurd number of vampires counted inside the containers, there was also another disturbing factor: none of them had any sort of bitemark on their jugular vein." This earned confused looks from the younger members of the Round Table Conference. Walsh, Islands and Penwood, however, realized the implications immediately. "For those who joined us late in the Round Table Conference, I'll explain. A Ghoul, as you all know, is created when a vampire drains the blood of a deflowered human. However, if that vampire is to drink the blood of a virgin of the opposite sex. In either case, however, there will always be evidence that a vampire has sucked their blood and turned them into something else. Two puncture holes, directly in their jugular vein. There is no exception to this rule."
"And there were no such wounds found on the necks of these sleeping vampires..." Penwood gasped, clutching his chest as he sunk in his chair. "B-but wouldn't that mean...?"
"Our current hypothesis, is that the chips turn ordinary humans into vampires."
"Egad!" Islands exclaimed. "So you're inferring that someone is manufacturing these chips to create artificial vampires?"
"That is our current hypothesis until proven otherwise. Until we have more information of what these chips actually do, we will refrain from further judgments. Please note that I will be conducting a thorough investigation into the matter."
"But if what you propose is true...then someone intends to be constructing a vampire army..."
"Either that, or a large scale invasion of the likes of which never seen before." Walsh scowled. "Are those Skals trying to conquer another country, after taking Japan?"
Penwood cut in shortly, with some hesitance. "T-that could be the case, but that was only made possible because of the broken t-taboo! We haven't broken such sacred laws!"
"Whatever the case is, it still doesn't change the fact that someone is sending out vampires all across the continent." Integre reminded. Her eyes were cold, and promised untold pain to whoever dared attempt such ludicrous actions. "And when we find those responsible, we will show them what happens when they mess with the Crown and the country."
Word had quickly spread among the Progenitors about Krul's actions behind the backs of the Progenitor Council. She was allowed only a temporary rule that would last a meager day before she was eventually forced to be sentenced to her punishment. Knowing her luck, however, the tiny girl guessed that it would boil down to one of two possible situations: either she would be strapped to a pillar and exposed to sunlight with her UV band removed from her person, or her heart torn out of her chest. One or the other. Possibly both. Either way, she was prepared to face the consequences, though not without a contingency plan in mind. For the time being, however, she would accept this grace period for what it was worth and attend to the duties tasked of her.
But first things first, she needed to inform those under her care what was going to happen.
After a minute or so of navigating the confusing and stretching corridors of Sanguinem's inner palace, Krul entered a large room, obviously meant to be quarters for a high ranking Progenitor. It had taken some strings, but it was doable.
No sooner had she entered, however, did she suddenly find a bullet coming her way. She didn't even bat an eye as it came at her before she snatched it, all of which occurring within less than a second. She looked at the bullet in her hand before she looked at the one holding the smoking gun, and smiled thinly.
"If you're going to kill a vampire, especially one that's been alive for hundreds of years, I suggest you use more than something as mundane as a gun, little Mikaela."
The blonde, twelve year old boy glared at her, blue eyes filled with absolute loathing. He had every right to hate her for what she did to him and...
...she made them into one of them.
His skin was slightly pale, and his ears had developed a sharper shape, almost developing into pointed tips. At the corner of his lips, a tiny fang poked out, courtesy of his scowl. Before he could pull the trigger again, someone jumped into the fray, pulling the gun out of Mikaeal's hands. "That's enough, Mika!" It was a girl about a year younger than him with a petite figure and long, dark brown hair tied up in a braid that hung over her shoulder. Like him, she possessed similar pointed ears and exceedingly sharp canines. Her light brown eyes were filled with sorrow.
"Let him do what he wants, little Akane." Krul told the girl as she examined the bullet for a bit before tossing it over her shoulder. "It's only natural he despises me for what I've done to the both of you, even if it did save your lives. That being said, I am curious. When did have the time to steal my gun?"
"Does it matter?" Mika asked with hatred in his voice.
The pink haired girl snickered. "I suppose not." she said before she folded her arms. "Anyway, I didn't come here just to see how you two were doing and how well you're taking the situation now. I have some good news and bad news."
"What's the bad news?" Akane Hyakuya asked timidly. While she didn't exactly like Krul, she did feel indebted to her for giving her a second chance. Though they were now vampires, same as the ones who killed the little ones and took them away to be used as food, they were given a chance to see Yuu again.
"The Progenitor Council, that is to say the higher ups, knows I allowed you Seraphs to live." she told them simply, surprising them both. "Thankfully, as far as they know, Freed killed you all, but it won't be long before my replacement learns that I turned the two of you into my lovely subordinates. When that happens, he'll either order your execution, or you'll be experimented on. There only a meager handful of cases in which a Seraph has become a vampire, after all."
Mika scowled. "So, you're tossing us to the wolves now?" he asked. "After all the trouble of saving us?" To say that Mikaela was bitter, would be an understatement. While he wanted to see Yuu again, he wanted to do so either with everyone else in whatever world that waited for them after death, or as a human being if he managed to survive his injuries. Becoming a vampire was not what he wanted, as it went against everything he believed in. He didn't know what the hell was he was supposed to do now. How would Yuu even react to this? Seeing them as the monsters he so vehemently hated.
"It isn't by choice. I had to tell them, because of recent circumstances that are beyond my control." Krul said, unfazed by his blatant anger and spite. She knew he would get over it, sooner or later. Either that, or he would direct it at the humans responsible for this situation in the first place. "Which leads to the goods news for you. Your friend, Yuuichiro, is still alive." Both children paused at this piece of information before relief and joy blossomed in their chests, Yuu was alive. He managed to escape! "Although...good is definitely a loose term I would call this situation..." She tilted her head. "Like you two, your friend was turned into a Vampire."
And their hopes were dashed. "What?!" Mikaela barked.
"Now now, don't look at me like that. If you must know, it wasn't one of the residents of Sanguinem that made him into one. It was...something else..."
"Something...else...?" Akane asked.
"Because I'm short on time as it is, I'll simplify things. We lied in telling you that humanity died off. In reality, only the adults in Japan were killed. The reason for this was because a human was foolish enough to break a sacred taboo: that is to say, bringing the dead back to life. Humanity still lives on, but we've taken control of Japan. Also, we're not the only kinds of bloodsuckers. Six hundred years ago, a new breed of vampire came into being: the Nosferatu."
"A-and it was a Nosferatu who turned Yuu-chan into a vampire?" Akane asked timidly.
Krul gave a sardonic smile. "The thing that turned him wasn't just a Nosferatu. Or a run of the mill vampire. We call him the No Life King, but when he was human, he was known to the world as Vlad the Impaler, the Prince of Wallachia."
"Wait...wasn't he that guy who was called Dracula or something?" Mika questioned.
"In a sense, you're right. But he goes by the name, Alucard. He also serves as the guard dog of the Hellsing Organization. They specialize in killing vampires. After all, who better to kill a vampire than with another vampire? Especially one as old and powerful as the No Life King?"
"But why do you call him that? Is he a vampire of higher rank than you? Second Progenitor? First Progenitor?"
"Rank? Don't be so foolish. That...thing is so powerful that something like a rank can't even begin to classify his might. Besides, as I said, he's a Nosferatu, not a Skal. Such a concept is meaningless to them."
Especially when the concept of power had nothing to do with age for them. Several higher-ranking Progenitors were at least a thousand years old, if not more so, whereas the firstborn Nosferatu was only 6 centuries old. And yet, when he was born into the world, he had razed them to the ground. It also raised a terrifying possibility for the Skals in general: if a newborn Nosferatu was capable of such feats, what would future vampires of their kind be capable of?
"At any rate, I have a task for the both of you." Krul said, returning the conversation back to the main point. Mika looked ready to argue, but Akane held him back. Amused, she pulled out a slip of paper from her sleeve and gave it to the girl, figuring that the blonde boy would tear it apart if she gave it to him. "These have a set of coordinates. An ally of mine will be meeting you there. Use the subterrenean routes, and make sure no one sees you. Especially Ferid. Understand?"
"Y-Yes, Krul-san." Akane nodded timidly. "Who, are we meeting?"
At this, the vampire smiled slightly. "One of the humans who tortured you both, and one of those who wants to try and fix things. Even if they nothing more than idiots."
"...Yuuichiro. I understand your feelings in regards to the coffin, but I trust you realize you will have to sleep in it sometime in order to keep your strength up?"
Not long after they had returned, Yuu returned to his room, wanting to get some sleep since it was getting close to daytime and all. He still wasn't fully used to how things were going for his body right now, what with it being more tired in the daylight time than during nighttime. He had once again taken refuge at the corner of the room, only for Walter to walk inside with a concerned frown, though whether it was in regards to his fighting ability being hampered by his decision or by actual concern he wasn't sure.
"It'll be a cold day in hell before I sleep in a pine box." the boy snorted, folding his arms. "Even if I am a bloodsucker, there is no way in hell I am sleeping in that!"
"So you say, but sooner or later, you will have to." Walter said with a strange smile. "Either by your own volition...or Sir Integra orders Alucard to bind you inside it every night until you do so of your free will."
"What?!"
"It is the truth, under Sir Integra's orders, we can't have a Vampire who doesn't sleep in a coffin. So Sir Alucard will have to be forced to put you into yours since you still refuse to consume blood." Yuuichiro's scowl deepened, seething. Dammit all, how much further does he have to have some semblance to the bastards who took everything from him?! He was fine with his current situation, since it gave him the means to kill the sons of bitches, but if he was going to forced further as a vampire, he'd rather chop off his own head. This was humiliating, dammit! "Though I suppose I can understand your reluctance." Walter said later, a sad smile on his face as he walked over to the young man. "After all, you were only human a few weeks ago."
"I still feel human..." Yuu said, looking at his hands.
"That may be so, but your body composition has changed drastically. No longer a human, yet not quite a full vampire." He sat down next to the youth. "Only when you drink blood will you become a vampire, whether it be the blood of another vampire, or a human's blood."
"Wait, you mean I can drink the blood of vampires?" Yuu asked, blinking rapidly. He wasn't aware that vampires were also cannibals. "Isn't that, like cannibalism or something?"
"Oh, hardly. Vampires, especially Skals, have no sense of camaraderie with one another. The latter have a command structure that they are bound to follow, solely by respect of strength and ranking. Nosferatu are more human in this regard, finding aid with one another." the butler said with a chuckle. "For example, how you find aid in Alucard, even if you do resent the man. I couldn't tell you how many vampires have found their blood sucked dry at his hands, or found themselves staring down the barrel of his Cassul."
"It's still hard to believe..." Yuu murmured. "A vampire hunting other vampires. Never thought I'd see it happen until recently."
"Well, that is to be expected, given that the only vampires you have known were Skals. Now you are a fledgling of a Nosferatu. And just as hunts vampires so now are you."
"Still pretty confusing."
"You'll understand, in time. Though I am curious, what was Japan like? Before the vampires took over?"
Yuu shrugged. "Japan was...Japan, I guess. I never really got to see much of it. I always pretty much stayed in Shinjuku at the orphanage with Mika and everybody else. And after the adults died, Japan was unrecognizable to me after I got out of Sanguinem." At this, Yuu's face became one of sorrow. "You know... Every time I close my eyes, I can see it. That one moment."
Walter's eyes softened, placing a hand on his shoulder. He didn't have to guess what the boy was referring to. "Whatever may have happened, it was surely not your fault, Yuuichiro."
"But it was!" Yuu snapped angrily, his fingers digging into the skin of his palms. "Me, Akane and Mika were supposed to protect the kids! The little ones! They were...! They were..."
"That is enough." Walter said firmly, with a firm grip on his shoulder. "From what Sir Alucard informed me, you all chose to escape. No one could fault you for being ambushed. You couldn't have possibly known. While it may be true that lives were lost, remember that you are still children. You couldn't have handled that Skal since you lacked blessed weaponry. What's more, your friends made the decision to at least ensure that you make it out alive. They wanted you to live, Yuuichiro." Yuu looked up at Walter, eyes wide. "If there is one thing I know with certainty... It is that there is nothing a family wouldn't do for their loved one."
"But...why me..? Why was I left alone?"
"That, I cannot answer, Yuuichiro. However, please remember this." The butler's expression softened. "While it is true that it was a tragic event, the past is the past. No matter how much we wish, it cannot change. All we can do, is focus on the present and look towards the future."
"...did you ever have to go through something like that, Walter?"
"Many times...but I have accepted them for that they were and moved on. I will be honest. It does not get any easier. But they heal with time. But only if you let them heal."
"Only if I let them?"
"Yes. While time is said to heal all wounds, that is only if the person lets it heal instead of dwelling on their issues and remained hung up over them. Only when they accepted them for what they are and move on, can the scars on the heart fade."
Yuu looked at Walter, and then back at his hands. The old man made it sound like it was so easy. That it could easily be accomplished. But was it really as simple as that?
'Mika, Akane, everyone...' Yuu thought with sorrow. 'What should I do...?'
"Our father, who art in Heaven, hallowed be thy Name..."
Silver gleamed and danced in the air as blood began to spill like rain. Bodies of sin fell to the floor, husks that deserved to be burned and tormented. In the center of it all was the holy messenger of god, blades in hand as he approached, calmly and with a twisted smile for each sin removed, uncaring of the opposition he faced.
"Thy kingdom come, thy will be done..."
He threw a pair of his blades and they struck true. One stabbed through the bloodsucker's skull, the other through its heart. He rushed up, grabbed the handles, and tore the carcass to pieces.
"On Earth as it is in Heaven..."
Two Ghouls tried to rush him from behind, but they were swiftly put down, courtesy of the blessed bullets tearing through their heads and blowing them to bits.
"Give us this day, our daily bread..."
From behind, Heinkel kept a steady hand, body flowing at different angles as she sent more and more of the devils back where they belong. Three Ghouls rushed up from behind her, but she shot them down without looking. Taking the moment to change clips, she kicked a vampire away in the face, sliding the new clips into her pistols before filling him with holes.
"And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us..."
Not far away, Yumiko was slicing apart men and vampire alike, her sword opening their bellies and spilling their rotten guts to the floor. A man garbed in white tried to cut her down with a jet black ax with a crimson edge, a black vapor flowing from its swing. Leaning back, Yumiko let it fly over her body, missing her entirely before she spun around on her heel, then again before separating the man from his legs. His two halves fell to the floor, soon joining the rest of his miserable comrades as she went back to work, slashing through them like a woman possessed, splattering the room red with their blood.
"And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil..."
56m agoThe final Vampire stood his ground. He gripped the wicked blade in his hands and charged with the intent to kill at Anderson. However, the Monster of God quickly spun and threw one of his bayonets at the hell spawn's head, straight through the brain. The base of the handle of the thrown weapon opened up as smoke billowed out. In the next second, the blade exploded and took the head clean off its shoulders.
"Amen..."
"Amen!"
And with the prayer finished, silence came to the facility.
With the fighting over and done with, Alexander took the opportunity to look around properly, only to scowl in disgust. The floor was littered with the corpses of the heathens and heretics who dared to meddle in God's domain, and their blood sprayed across the walls like coats of paint. There were consoles scattered across the room, though they had been destroyed with extreme prejudice, with bayonets and bullets having destroyed them and rendering them utterly inoperable for the foreseeable future.
The facility was dimly lit, only powered by low green lighting from beneath the floor. In rows, there were tanks filled with murky blue liquid. Inside those tanks were vague shapes, small and thin with barely discernable features. Walking up to one of them, Alexander pressed a hand against one of the tanks, finding it cool to the touch while his eyes narrowed, staring past through the muck. Seeing what was inside the tank, his anger flared. "Filthy heathens. Even the vampires have more humanity than them." he remarked before turning to Yumiko and Heinkel. "Check to see if there's a release mechanism for these containers."
"Yes, sir."
"And if one of them asks you to kill them..." Alexander continued, his voice shaky. "Please grant their request. Ease their pain, and return them to the Lord, where they may find peace in the afterlife."
"Yes, sir." Both women replied, their tone solemn. As they searched for the release switch, Alexander reverted his focus to the tank. Or rather, who was inside it.
It was a little boy, who didn't seem any older than eight years. His eyes were closed as if he were sleeping peacefully within the murk.
Yet his twisted form told another story. His limbs resembled more like feathered branches than arms or legs. He even appeared to have been missing a leg, whereas a malformed wing took its place. Only half of his face was visible to discern who he was while the other half was distorted by some form of black growths. There were even instances where there were gaps in his skin, revealing the muscle and bone beneath.
Slowly, Alexander withdrew two of his bayonets. As he did so, however, a weak voice called out from inside the tank. "...who's there...?" The voice was weak and raspy, hoarse even as if it hurt to speak. "Are you...one of the people...who hurt us...?"
"No, child." Alexander told him with watery eyes. "I am but a humble servant of the Lord. A mere priest, meant to guide souls to His embrace."
"A...priest...?" The youth questioned, breathing through the respirator mask on his face. "...sorry...its...too late..."
"I am sorry, my child. If only I had come for you and the others sooner. Instead, you had to suffer by the hand of those heathens. Rest at ease...for they shall no longer harm you ever again."
"Th-thank you..." The child sobbed, a grateful tear escaping his sole functioning eye. "Please...I...I don't want to feel pain anymore..."
A tear fell streaked down his rugged face, preparing his bayonet's with as steady a hand as possible. With a grave voice, as if speaking at a funeral, Alexander spoke a verse in the hopes the child would feel at ease.
"The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside quiet waters. He restores my soul; He guides me in the paths of righteousness for the sake of His name. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely goodness and mercy will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever. Amen..."
With a sigh of relief, freed from his pain, the child smiled beneath the mask and whispered, "Amen..."
A second later, Alexander swung his bayonets. Glass shattered and water spilled across the floor, mixed together with blue and red while feathers danced in the air...
With a strangled yell, Yuuichiro found himself bolting up from his sleep, face covered in sweat as he looked around in panic, sword drawn. His eyes quickly scanned the room, only to find nothing. Simply darkness. As the adrenaline died down, Yuu took deep breaths and sheathed his blade. He didn't know why he suddenly sprang up like that. He felt that he was in danger, and reacted accordingly.
Putting a palm to his face and falling back down to the floor, he tried to calm his breathing. Inside his own shadow, Asuramaru poked his head out, a frown present on his face. "Oi oi, what's with the screaming?" he asked. "I'm trying to get some sleep here, brat."
"I-it's nothing, Asuramaru..." Yuu told him, slightly out of breath. "Nothing... N-nothing at all."
The demon raised an eyebrow. "Doesn't sound like nothing to me. Bad dream or something?"
"I...I don't know." He shook his head. "If it was...I can't remember anymore..."
The former vampire stared at his master scrutingly. There was obviously something wrong with him. Earlier, he felt his dormant part stirring, as if reacting to something. If he had to make a wager, it was probably because an angel somewhere was reacting to him as well for whatever reason. The boy was obviously unaware that he possessed another inhuman aspect of him, but unless he asked, Asuramaru's lips were sealed. Besides, someone was bound to tell him, sooner or later. Like the boy's own master, or the No Life King's owner.
With a shrug, Asuramaru fell back into Yuuichiro's shadow, returning back to his peaceful slumber. The fledgling in question remained awake a moment longer, trying to process what happened. Why did he suddenly wake up like that? He felt like something pulled him from his sleep and into a panic. Yet there was nothing to warrant danger. He lied back down into his open coffin and closed his eyes. Walter had finally convinced him to sleep in it. And it was surprisingly comfortable. Even more so than his bed.
He tried to lull away to sleep, yet there was a faint feeling in the back of his mind. He ignored it and fell unconscious. With his body curled up and clutching his sword close, he looked rather peaceful. Cute, even, to the average observer. Unknown to him, however, a pair of red eyes was watching him carefully in the darkness, hovering over him like a guard or sentinel, prepared to strike at a moment's notice. Yet the young vampire didn't notice it.
If he had, he would have questioned why Alucard's familiar was in his room and on the ceiling.
"I'm rather impressed, Walter." Alucard said with a toothy grin as he sat in the chair opposite to Integra's, looking at the butler with a newfound sense of respect. "It seems you know your way around children, be them undead or otherwise."
The old man looked rather sheepish, as he instead waved a hand in dismissal. "He simply reminds me of my younger days, back when I first became known as the Angel of Death way back when. Impulsive and rash, yet burdened deeply by the sorrows that shaped his life. I merely guided him in the right direction is all." Without pausing, he continued his motions and poured Integra a warm cup of tea, who accepted it gratefully with a nod of the head. "I still feel sorry for the poor lad. Losing his family like that, it's done a number on his psyche."
"Will it hamper him?" Integra asked.
Walter shook his head. "Yes and no. On the one hand, I doubt he will get much sleep or peace of mind. But on the other hand, their deaths are what drives him to fight against the vampires."
The woman paused, letting it sink for a moment. While she did feel pity for the poor child, she had a task to perform. A task that requested-no, demanded that she put all other aspects of her life on hold and act accordingly to the present situation at hand. Thus, as much as she wanted to care for the poor boy, vampiric nature aside, she was more concerned with his fighting capability at the moment than his mental state. So long as he had the drive and nature to fight, that was all that mattered. Besides, there would be time to give the boy some attention at a later date.
"Speaking of the boy, regarding that order I gave you..."
Walter chuckled, rubbing his chin. "Accuracy with a firearm, I'm afraid, is not the poor boy's strong suit." he said with some humor. "He's a poor shot, though I believe that is because he prefers to fight up close and personal. I believe a close quarters weapon with a relatively short range, will suffice. I will start his shotgun training as early as tomorrow, if you'd like."
"Very well. And what about the remains of the Cursed Gear?"
"It is still a work in progress. While I have collected all of the remains of the sword, reconstructing them to its original state without Asuramaru present within has been a tricky manner. The Cursed Gears utilize their powers from the Demons sealed within. Since Asuramaru is now a familiar housed within Yuuichiro, the core of the weapon, it's very essence, is gone. While I most certainly recreate into a weapon, whatever supernatural abilities it may have possessed are out of my reach of replicating for now."
"That is to be expected, however." Alucard put his two cents. "These Cursed Gears were sacred items, designed specifically to seal away a demon's power and then integrate it into itself. Now that it's fulfilled its purpose, and its core is no longer present, it's little more than a trinket." A smile stretched across his face as he crossed his legs. "However, that doesn't mean the pieces can't be put to good use. Can we expect another Dornez original?"
The old man laughed heartedly as he sweeped into a bow. "But of course, Alucard! I make only the best weapons for our resident vampire hunters. It will be tricky, but I believe I can make a weapon on par with the Cassul."
"Moving away from the topic of weapons..." Integra adjusted her glasses, turning to the vampire who had served her family faithfully for these past few centuries, and her savior the day she became the head of the Hellsing Organization. "Alucard. You've fought the Skals before, and you know the most. What can you tell us about them?"
The black-haired man's smile dimmed somewhat. "For starters, they are the oldest vampires in existence." he said, folding his hands into a ball. "Older than even myself. You could say that they are the firstborn vampires. Nosferatu came into existence after I was born into the world as a newly made undead six hundred years ago. I know only little about them, other than that they follow a hierarcy of sorts. The higher-ups of their group are known as Progenitors. The ruling body is known as the Progenitor Council, which is exclusive only to Sixth Progenitors and higher. These Skals are also in charge of certain regions, such as Japan, which is their first major stronghold since the Crusades."
"Vampires, even older than you?" Walter asked, incredulous. "Then, are they as powerful as you are, if not stronger?"
It was a worrisome thought to the humans present in the room, but to Alucard, the man took it as the funniest thing he heard in decades, barking with laughter. "At best, the only thing they have going for them are their fancy toys and the technology that allows them to walk among the living in broad daylight. Aside from that, and their base capabilities, they are helpless and weak. Even when I was reborn as a Nosferatu, I was easily capable of killing off several thousands of them. If there is a threat among them, it is perhaps the First Progenitor. To put into perspective, from what I've learned first-hand, they are the same as me: a True Vampire. A firstborn."
"And have you met this First Progenitor at any point during your 600 years of life?"
"Unfortunately, no." The No Life King shook his head. "As far as I am aware, he was not around even ap during my rebirth. While I know for a fact he exists due to the other Progenitors, no other Skal has seen him for several centuries."
"How odd." Walter remarked, puzzled. "Has he, perhaps, died and is remembered as a martyr figure?"
"No, not to my knowledge. At best, he's probably suffered the same fate as that demon Asuramaru: a Skal who's had its heart ripped from its chest and made into a demon, and then locked away inside a Cursed Gear, meant to be used as a tool for the humans."
"At the very least, however, we won't have to worry about this Progenitor making an appearance anytime soon." Integra said, inhaling a deep whiff of her cigar before exhaling the stuff. "I also want your opinion on something, Alucard. About the boy. Does he know?"
Alucard waved a hand. "No, he doesn't. The Hyakuya Sect erased his memories with each experimentation, but if I were to make a wager, I'd say it's only a matter of time before his newfound nature brings those memories to the surface. As for his angelic nature, it's been heavily subdued. At best, it will only surface when he calls on its power himself, or when his life is threatened to be extinguished. The Seraph of the End's very existence won't allow its mortal vessel to die, not unless it comes at the hands of another Seraph, or they choose to end their own lives."
"I see." Integra nodded in thought. "Is there any possibility that he will be able to draw on the Seraph's power more easily during training, or subconsciously call upon it?"
"Theoretically, it might. However, even I think it's too dangerous. Calling upon the power of a Seraph is equivalent of heralding the end of the world. A Seraph's power is not to be taken lightly. Why do you think they are called the Harbingers of the End? And do not forget that one of the sacred taboos was broken, Master. Even though we were not the ones who broke it, the Seraphs will still regard humanity with hostility."
"Very well then." Integra conceded. While possessing the power of a Seraph seemed tempting, the risks were far too great. "At the very least, it's good to know he won't be too dangerous. So long as he is not pushed past the brink."
"Should we, perhaps, inform him about the Hyakuya Sect?" Walter asked. "While there is some truth to the saying, ignorance is bliss, if what Alucard says is true, then the memories of those trying times will return to him. And based on what he's told me of his perceptions about the orphanage... It will not be a pleasant experience for him."
Integra mulled this over for a while before she nodded. "Very well...but only inform him when he's recovered some of those memories. Or if he's showing signs of remembering. I'll entrust his welfare to you, Walter."
"Thank you, Sir Integra."
"From merciless kill to a surrogate parent." Alucard mused. "Quite the change in career for you, eh Walter?"
"Indeed. Time certainly changes people for better or worse, I suppose." Walter shrugged. "Besides, it isn't a bad job. I'm much too old to have children of my own these days, and even if someone were to tell me I could become younger, I'd tell them I'd want no part of it. I'd like nothing more than to die of old age, surrounded by my loved ones."
"Well said, Walter." Alucard smiled before standing from his seat. "Now if you'll excuse me, I need to grab Baskerville from the kid's room. He has been keeping watch over him."
The woman snorted, grinning. "Now who's the doting parent?"
If you had survived the fall of Japan, lived in one of the few remaining cities that still thrived with activity, however dismal, and asked about the Japanese Imperial Demon Army, all anyone would do was point to the cities of Shibuya. Unlike the rest of the country, which had long since fallen and become dilapidated and ruined, the city had become one of the few last bastions of humanity, and the hope that one day, the vampires would be driven out of their homeland and they would reclaim their country.
But if you were to ask the vampires, they would spin another story. That the Japanese Imperial Demon Army were fools, dangerous ones who were the cause behind the taboo being broken and Japan becoming the desolate place it was now. In their eyes, they were saving the humans from their own folly, and wanted to kill the dangerous fools who dared step into realms they had no place of entering.
A sentiment very much shared by Lieutenant Colonel Guren Ichinose, who looked at the city of Shibuya from up high from behind the windows of a towering skyscraper, having just returned from a meeting with the other squad leaders of the JIDA, making their scheduled reports.
Every time he gazed out at the desolation, he felt a pang of regret and guilt. Why wouldn't he, for he was the one who broke the taboo and incurred heaven's wrath But it was a sin he was willing to bear upon his shoulders...for the opportunity to see his closest friends alive and well once more. It was his sin to bear, and his alone to atone for.
As he looked onward, past the horizon and to the world that lay past the oceans, he couldn't help but wonder if there were other survivors. Like those in Japan, trying hopelessly to survive. When the thought came to him, he could only sigh as he ran a gloved hand through his hair. "Sounds like somebody's tired." a chipper, female voice called out from behind Guren. He looked over his shoulder, finding a girl with pink hair wearing the standard uniform behind him, armed with a grin. "Did the meeting go that badly?"
"What do you think, Shinoa?" he lied, just as he always had, with a small grin. "In all honesty, I wonder why we even bother with these reports. It's always the same thing, day in and day out: we lost an outpost. We reclaimed an outpost. We lost this many men. We killed this many vampires. It gets boring after a while."
"Good thing I'm not a squad leader, then~"
"Keep it up, and you just might be, Shinoa." Guren told her as he walked away, the girl following behind him. "Though there was something that did have me interested. A few weeks ago, there was a report of a stranger dressed in Western clothing walking about the Shinjuku region."
"Oh, that story?" Shinoa Hiiragi scoffed. "Correct me if I'm wrong, but weren't the people on duty there drunk off their ass?"
"Well, maybe. But there was at least one person there sober. So the report must have some merit." Guren shrugged. "It makes you wonder though. Who was that guy and why was he walking around this desolate wasteland of a city?"
"Who knows?" The girl shrugged in kind. "Besides, for all we know, it could have been a vampire from another country, assuming they've set up bases outside of Japan. We haven't even managed to establish contact yet with any other world organization since the Apocalypse Virus hit."
Guren hid the pain behind his smile quite well. That was what they called it, didn't they? The results of his actions for being so weak. "Maybe." he conceded. "It is worth a look, though. That being said, I doubt we'll find anything. It was only a few weeks ago, and most of our resources are being diverted to the Osaka and Kyoto fronts."
"I take it those were the highlights of the meeting?"
"Pretty much. Same standard statistics and reports about resources, manpower, outposts, the works. All sorts of things that would seem boring to a kid like you."
The two stopped in front of an elevator, to which Guren pressed the button to call for. "And speaking about the Osaka front, you're being deployed there in the next month, aren't you?"
"Yep. Under Kureto's command, unfortunately."
"I see. I'm sorry to hear that. You're a twelve-year old girl and you're already being deployed to the front lines."
"Technically, I just turned thirteen last week. So I'm not actually a kid anymore."
Guren snorted. "You're an adult when you turn 18, brat. That, and unless you went and had sex, which I'm hoping to Kami you didn't, you are still are a maiden...however wrong that is."
"Hey! What's that supposed to mean?" Shinoa demanded.
She had no idea that such words didn't actually come from Guren himself. Rather, they came from another aspect, due to his own nature. One of which he found himself exasperated with. 'Was that really necessary, Mahiru?'
'Oh, but of course~' a feminine voice called back from the recesses of his mind. 'Shinoa may like to tease, but when it comes to the teasing, I am an expert.'
'Yeah, well, keep it down to a minimum. She expects this behavior from you, not the guy who she works under.'
'Fine, fine~' She conceded. 'It's been so long since I saw her that I just couldn't resist.'
'You saw her just yesterday through me.' He mentally deadpanned.
'Well, I just can't resist the opportunity to tease her. Besides, she doesn't seem to notice anything.'
'She will if you keep this up.'
A ding brought the conversation to an end. Before Guren could enter once the doors slid open, Shinoa dived inside with a "Yoink!" and already hit the button once inside, much to his exasperation. As the doors slid shut, she pulled down her eyelid and stuck out a tongue before she vanished from view.
"...I have no idea why either of us puts up with her." Guren remarked with a grimace, dragging his hand down his face as he shook his head before he decided to take the long way home and went for the stairs, believing it would be less tiresome to wait for the elevator to arrive again or find another one. There was also another reason, of course: less prying ears to hear a conversation that needed no eavesdroppers. "The appearance of that red Western man...it can't be a coincidence that him being in Shinjuku coincides with the failure of your prophecy, Mahiru."
'So it seems.' Mahiru hummed, not bothered in the least. 'In truth, I can think of a few things. Either A) the poor child was killed by Ferid or B) Krul made them into a vampire. In either case, this puts a severe strain on our plans.'
"While I agree either one may be true, the appearance of this stranger is concerning." Guren replied. "Another possibility was that the child found a different way out, or escaped far earlier or later than our arrival. In either case, I'll investigate the matter on my own discretion, even if the trail has gone cold."
'Got it. Just make sure to be discrete on the matter. If anyone from my family learns of this, they'll no doubt kill you. Well, aside from Shinya and Shinoa of course. How is your little stalker doing anyway?'
"He's still alive and kicking." Guren replied, ignoring the 'stalker' was due to his friend's eccentricity.
'But for how much longer, I wonder? It's been about...four years since you broke the taboo to revive him and the others, right?'
Reaching the next descent of stairs, Guren glanced at his surroundings, noting that no one was present on the floor before continuing down. "I'm aware of the time limit, Mahiru." he rolled his eyes. "I'll find a solution before that happens. There's no need to remind me."
'Alright, alright. I'll get off your back.' Mahru giggled. Guren had just reached the next flight of stairs when he felt the cellphone in his pants pocket go off. Taking it out, he looked at the message, earning piqued interest from his resident demon. 'A message from deary Krul? How interesting. What could possibly warrant...a...oh dear.'
Guren stared at the message before he grimaced and sighed again, suddenly wishing that he had been born in another country so that he wouldn't have to deal with this crap. "Troublesome hag..."
It was midday when Yuuichiro had been requested to continue his firearms training, in spite of the fact that everyone in the organization was painfully aware of how much he royally sucked. Currently, he was already in the training room, staring at the weapon in his hands before he looked up at the smiling Walter, and then back at the weapon. Then back at Walter, and promptly deadpanned.
"...okay. I'll bite. The heck is this?"
"That, Yuuichiro, is a pump-action 12-gauge shotgun." Walter explained. "To be more exact, the Mossberg Maverick 88. While it boasts a modest firing range of up to around 20 to 40 yards, it is best utilized at close-range. Personally speaking, it works wonders at point blank, assuming you can get that far."
"Seriously? I fight with a katana, Walter. Of course I can." Yuuichiro scoffed.
"Excellent. Now, let us begin the tests." He then gestured to the mannequins across the room, each one armed with a gun. "I have assembled a variety of targets. Ones that will shoot back. Your assignment is to get in close and blow them apart with the shotgun. And with these this type of firearm, you don't need to worry about accuracy, as the buckshot will act as a widespread projectile to cover more surface area."
The boy tilted his head. "Sounds easy enough."
At this, Walter smirked deviously. "On the contrary...the mannequins won't be the only ones trying to take you down. Though as this is a training exercise, you can rest assured that all guns, sans your own, are equipped with rubber bullets. Well, rubber bullets laced in holy water, at any rate." As much as it pained him to admit it, he found some joy in Yuuichiro's shocked expression. "Come now, boy. There must be some sense of realism."
"Are you serious?! Walter, do you know how much it hurts just by getting shot with normal bullets?!" the fledgling asked, incredulous. "Boss already told me what happens if I get hit with something holy enchanted! It'll hurt like hell!"
"Hence the point of the realism. After all, you can't very well expect your opponents to be fighting without intending to kill you, now can you?" He had no retort to that and turned away with a pout. Walter chuckled. "Good. Your weapon is already loaded, but if you wish to fire another round, you'll have to pump the barrel. You can fire up to at least five shots. After that, you will need to reload. Do you remember how?"
Yuu rolled his eyes. "Yes, Mom. Can we just get this started?" Walter laughed at his enthusiasm as he nodded, stepping away from the boy and into the safe area. As the training area became green lit, preparing him for combat, the boy suddenly remembered Walter's earlier words about another threat that would be trying to hinder him. "Wait a second. What's the other obstacle?"
He soon found his answer when the buzzer sounded off. Rather than the mannequins shooting at him, Yuuichiro caught sight of a familiar red coat, just in time to hear a gunshot ring into the ear and strike him in the chest, throwing him to the ground and screaming. "SON OF A FUCKING BITCH THIS HURTS!"
"Language, Yuuichiro." Walter chided.
"SCREW YOU, WALTER!" he screamed back as he got up to his feet, glaring daggers at the grinning Alucard. "BOSS! WHAT THE HELL?!"
"What? When Walter informed me of your exercise, I simply couldn't resist and join you. Think of this as double training. You get to learn how to use that shotgun, and you get to work on evading my bullets as I shoot you. It's win-win for everybody."
"SCREW YOU, BOSS!" He ducked was another shot was fired at him. "YOU'RE ENJOYING THIS AREN'T YOU?!"
"I have no idea what you mean..." His grin remained.
"LIAR!"
Meanwhile, while she was in her office, Integra felt her eyebrow twitch.
"...Japanese men really have no manners or indoor voice, do they?"
Despite his insistances for this to stop or for Alucard to stop shooting so he could kick his ass, Yuu found himself running around like a chicken with its head cut off. As if adding insult to injury, when he came too close to the mannequins, they suddenly started to open fire on him, making him dodge not only bullets from Alucard, but also from the dummies he was supposed to be shooting.
It was getting really annoying. he couldn't get in close enough to blow those damn targets to pieces. And to top it all off, his boss wasn't letting up in the slightest!
Growling in aggravation, Yuu decided to take his chances. He got as close as he could to the nearest mannequin without setting off it defenses and pulled the trigger of his shotgun. He tried to take aim, but he soon found the gun knocked out of his hands, courtesy of a bullet shot by Alucard. "You'll have to be quicker than that, kid!" the No Life King taunted, firing more rounds at Yuuichiro, forcing him to quickly move back, diving behind a pillar. Unfortunately, it provided him no reprieve as Alucard's shadow moved in, taking on a bestial form with sharp fangs, diving straight towards the pillar and bringing its fangs down on it, destroying it and revealing Yuu back to the battlefield, once again under heavy fire. "What're you doing, hiding like a coward?! In fights like this, you have no options to retreat or hide! You must press onward, even if it means being shredded to pieces!"
'Easy for you to say!' Yuu cried indignantly. 'I can't pull myself back together after being pumped full of lead!'
"Are you trying to make human excuses?! You're a vampire now kid! Are you going to let something as trivial as this stop you?!"
"HEY! KEEP OUT OF MY HEAD!" Yuu snapped angrily. 'But dammit, he's got a point! I can't just let this stop me! Even so, I really don't want to risk an injury. Isn't that one of the more major parts of battle or something, to minimize damages?' He glanced over at the spot where the shotgun rested. Taking a breath, he decided to go for broke and charged straight at it while avoiding gunfire from all three sources, pulling his body down into a slide and grabbing the shotgun as he passed it before bouncing off the ground and to the ceiling, digging his fingers and heel into it to provide support. 'Since Boss brought out his familiar, it's only fair I do it too, right?'
Walter smiled thinly. "Now you're starting to understand..."
"C'mon out and play, Asuramaru!" Yuu roared as his shadow extended out from his back, bringing the demon out into full view, sharp claws and horns and all. "Keep the boss busy! And try not to die!"
"Don't tell me what to do, brat!" Asuramaru snapped before he complied with his orders. As much as he hated the kid telling him what to do, he didn't really have a choice in the matter. And not die, way to state the obvious. The former third progenitor shot off a volley of thorns at Alucard who quickly evaded them with ease. "Tch, making me fight the goddamn Impaler... He really does have a lot of nerve!"
However, the thought did bring a grin to his face. The very notion of this fight excited him. He could hardly contain his bloodlust. Alucard himself seemed quite interested, taking aim at Asuramaru as he dived straight at him, claws out while thorns curled behind him, ready to strike. "Let's see what a former Skal's capable of, shall we?!"
He pointed his gun and fired. While Alucard was distracted, Yuuichiro took this chance to attack the dummies.
Thanks to his already impressive speed, he was able to get close to one of them. Ramming his shotgun forward, he took aim and fired. In a spray of lead, the dummy's top half was torn off, and its gun discarded and thrown aside. He didn't take the chance to revel in his victory, however, was he soon found himself dodging another round of gunfire. Just when he thought he was out of range, however, he saw a familiar black shape come at him, teeth bared. "SHIT!" He leaped to the side, evading the Hellhound just barely as it bounced off the ground, skidding across the floor before turning its gaze to Yuuichiro. "Oh, god dammit! If it ain't boss, it's this oversized mutt! You people really love putting me through the grinder, don'tcha?!"
"It IS called training for a reason, Yuuichiro." Walter called out. "You need to be prepared for anything and everything in our line of work. A slight misstep would definitely be fatal."
Just as he was about to retort, the Baskerville charged at him again, releasing a howl. Meeting its charge, Yuuichiro slid beneath its belly, emerging from behind it. 'Just remember! You're supposed to destroy the targets! Then training's over and done with!'
"But do you think it'll be so easy?!" Alucard called out as he leaped back, avoiding the thorns that came his way. Asuramaru came up from behind, going in for an attack that would rip the man's heart out, only to find Alucard vanishing in a flourish of red and a weight on the back of his head. Then he found himself tripping, falling to the ground, as Alucard had used him as a spring board, landing behind him. Taking the opportunity, Alucad returned his attention to his fledgling and fired a round at his knee, causing him to crumple to the floor with a yelp.
While he was fortunate that the rounds were rubber and not blessed ones, they were still coated in holy water, thus, still stung like a bitch. Just as he was about to get up, he heard a howl erupt from behind him. Instead of scrambling, Yuuichiro merely pushed on the ground, bouncing up and avoiding Baskerville coming at him with fangs bared. Rather than waste a shell trying to shoot the damn thing, Yuuichiro instead leaped off the ceiling and at the dummy, pumping the shotgun and taking a shot. When he pulled the trigger however, he found that he had missed and a sharp pain in his leg and yanked out of the air, courtesy of the Baskerville biting his leg and throwing him around like a rag doll before tossing him to the back of the room, where his back struck the wall.
"Guh...dammit!" he cursed. He was too slow! By the time he lined up his shot, Baskerville already got to him and throw him off. Now he just wasted a shell from his misfire! He only had three shots left, so he had better not waste them. As he got up to his feet, he glanced over at Alucard and Asuramaru just in time to see Alucard ram his foot into the latter's abdomen, knocking him straight into the air and smashing straight into the ceiling, kicking up smoke and debris.
Now that the distraction was out of the way, Alucard return his attention to shooting his student. "Motherf-!"
Yuuichiro found himself on the move again, blood pumping as he darted all across the room, avoiding gunfire from the dummy and Alucard while also trying to avoid being bitten by Baskerville. While he didn't feel tired, he sure as hell felt annoyed and irritated by the whole thing. Weren't training sessions supposed to be simple? More importantly, how was he supposed to get close to the dummy and destroy it without getting seriously injured here?!
A bullet nearly struck him, grazing across his face, causing him to hiss. Leaping back to avoid the Baskerville, finding the gigantic hellhound now between him and the dummy. He looked around the room, trying to find a way around the damn thing and some way to get past Alucard so he could get a good shot in.
There was one idea, but...
'...right. It's a human excuse.' Yuuichiro groaned as he palmed his forehead before shaking his head. 'Well... Here goes nothing!' Throwing caution to the wind, Yuuichiro charged at the Baskerville, pumping the gauge as he ran. This surprised the two men, but Alucard smiled widely in intrigue, watching as the hellhound charged at him. He jumped forward, avoiding it while aiming at the creature below him, pulling the trigger. While it wasn't enough to actually put a dent in the Baskerville, it was enough to slow it down and cause it to tumble and skid into the wall, growling and snarling. As he landed, Yuuichiro pumped the gauge action again and immediately went for the dummy. A bullet hit him in his shoulder and in his ribs, nearly causing him to stop, but he tried to power through the pain.
Finally, he reached point blank range and aimed the shotgun at the dummy. As he could pull the trigger, however, the Baskerville hound came up from behind in a surprising burst of speed, bringing its fangs down on his arm. As it was meant to hamper him, it didn't bite his arm off. Yuuichiro screamed in pain, missing his shot, though the screams were soon silenced when the dummy started to open fire on him directly, pounding into his stomach.
"Oh dear..." Walter grimaced. "At that range, even a rubber bullet can pierce through him. Especially ones laced in holy water."
"Now what will you do, kid?" Alucard pondered as he rested his gun against his shoulder, curious to see what Yuuichiro would do next.
Yuu felt his stomach being ripped into shreds. He swore, he felt the rubber bullets pierce into his stomach and pop out through his back. 'God...dammit...all...!' he growled. Even if this was a training exercise, he felt like he was going to die. When that line of thought crossed his mind, he found something snap inside him. His eyes widened, pupils growing into sharp slits as he brought the shotgun into his mouth, digging his teeth into the pump gauge and pulling it back, before he aimed it right at the dummy.
He pulled the trigger, and the dummy exploded into pieces of silicon and metal. And then the buzzer went off, signaling the end of the training session.
The young fledgling panted from exertion as he collapsed on his knees, Baskerville releasing his arm. He dropped the shotgun and grasped the wounds on his stomach. The injuries were slowly closing up, but the process was hampered due to the holy water from the bullets.
It hurt like hell...but he didn't stop the grin from overtaking his face.
Alucard matched his sentiments as he dropped down next to his sired. "Well done, kid. You finally learned how to act like a vampire in combat, human excuses will only get you killed. If you have a plan of attack, follow it through as a true vampire would."
"Y-you..." Yuu gasped for air, wincing as he felt his wounds knitting themselves up. "I think...I hate you...more than the Skals...you...dick..."
"Insults and vulgarity aside," Walter called out as he stepped into the training area, hands folded behind his back with a pleasant smile as if he hadn't just subjected poor Yuuichiro to being struck by bullets and being hunted by a literal hound from hell. "At least we finally found you a weapon that you can shoot and not miss with." Nodding to himself, Walter began chuckling. "I believe this gives me an idea for my next original."
"Excellent." Alucard chuckled before he looked over at the ceiling. Surprisingly, Asuramaru was still buried in the wall. "How much longer do you intend to stay there, demon?"
"Oh I don't know, maybe at least until I can actually pull myself out of this wall you threw me into you fucking prick!" The demon shouted.
Alucard shook his head before looking at Yuuichiro. "I trust you remember how you can recall your familiars?" he asked. Yuu promptly flipped him off before his shadow extended out, moving into the ceiling and swallowing up Asuramaru. Then his shadow receded, pulling back into the boy. "Good. We're done here for the day. I suggest you go sleep it off in your coffin."
"Screw...you..."
Ky had to be honest, he really didn't like this part of his job. Also being honest, he felt that he got stuck with the ickiest job somebody could think of.
"For the record," he told Krul, who was strapped to a cross-like contraption with her legs and arms bound. "I really don't like doing this."
"I'm fully aware." the pink-haired Progenitor said, smiling thinly. "Has that brat Lest arrived yet?"
"He'll officially be the new Overseer of Japan in less than six hours." Ky told her, checking to see if the straps were secure. "Again, I'm very sorry for what is about to happen, Krul."
"Don't be. I did this to myself."
"If you don't mind me asking, why did you go against orders?" Ky asked curiously. "You know the tenants we've had to undergo. The laws are clear. We are to have nothing to do with the Seraph of the End, not unless the situation truly calls for it. I find it odd that you, of all people, would go against those orders."
"As I said before, it was a personal matter." She repeated. "That being said, there was no other option but for me to use the Seraph of the End. I would've been unable to achieve my goal otherwise."
"And just what goal would that be, that you would risk your standing and authority?" Krul remained silent. Ky sighed, shaking his head. "Silent to the end, I see." he muttered before he turned his back. "I suppose I can respect that, to some degree. Here's hoping you survive, Third Progenitor!" He soon walked away, the others in the room shortly following behind him.
In the next second, sunlight flooded the room and Krul screamed.
Akane froze in place, hearing the screams of the woman who had saved hers and Mika's lives echo, even as far down as the subterranean tunnels they were traversing. Whimpering, she placed her hands over her ears and hunkered down, trying to block out the screams. Mika held her close, trying to comfort her as the sounds bounced off the walls, bringing discomfort to them both. While he may have hated Krul, even he couldn't help but feel terrified, wondering what they could have been doing to her. She sounded as if she was in serious pain.
"Make it stop...!" Akane cried helplessly. "Please, make it stop, Mika..."
"Shh...shh...it will be alright." He console ad her. "We're not that much farther from the exit. We'll meet that person soon and get out of here."
"O-okay..."
Pulling her up to her feet, and placing his own hands against her ears to try and block out the noise, the two children moved away and fled further down the tunnel.
Krul's instructions had been fairly simple. They had to sneak past a few guards in order to reach the tunnels that would lead them out to the surface, where they would meet someone who would get them out of the territory. They'd be led to a safe house, where they could hunker down for a while. They didn't know anything much about this contact, other than that they would be human dressed in black. One of the members of a human resistance who wanted to fight back against the vampires. Krul had said she wanted to explain the full truth to them, but then the present circumstances happened and now they were forced to flee.
As they traversed down, Mka suddenly pulled Akane aside, hiding in between a series of pipes. "Mika? What's going-" Akane tried to speak, but he covered her hand. Looking at him, she found his face tense. Then she understood why, as she heard series of footsteps approaching.
"Search the area." a cold voice commanded. "Lord Lest has ordered that the Seraps Krul sired are to be eliminated! If they've escaped, you know what happens! We join the traitor in the burning!"
"Yes sir!" The other vampires complied.
Mika cursed. They were found out sooner than he thought. They needed to run, now!
Patiently, he waited on baited breath for them to pass. Once they were gone, he peeked his head out, surveying the area before he pulled Akane out, hurriedly running to the exit. They pushed their new bodies as fast as they could go to escape the prison and into sanctuary. As they reached a large gap between platforms, Mika held Akane dearly and leaped over. Had he been human, he would have surely missed and led them to their deaths. However, his body was not that of a human. Not anymore. Instead, it streaked across the air and fell on the platform. Looking over his shoulder, he took notice of how large the gap was before he grimaced.
He supposed there were benefits to being a vampire.
Eventually, the two managed to reach an area similar to where they had met Ferid in the midst of their escape. A wide open space with an open entrance, vastly different to the rest of the area, resembling a rocky tunnel. "We're home free if we can just get outside." Akane mumbled. "What is the outside like, now...?" She was about to step forward, but Mika put a hand in front of her. "M-Mika?"
Narrowing his eyes, Mika raised his voice. "You can hide all you want, but you still reek of blood." he shouted. "There's no use hiding!"
At first, nothing happened. Then figures garbed in white slowly emerged from their hiding places. Akane stiffened, taking in their appearance: they were all vampires, garbed in the same attire that all the lesser Progenitors wore with sabers at their hips. "Impressive." one of them said, voice cold and emotionless. "You could still smell us from your position. Even though you were only sired weeks ago."
"M-Mika..." Akane trembled, hiding behind the blonde as he readied himself. He had already lost his family before. He wasn't about to lose them again.
"Don't take it personally." the leader of the group said, drawing his sword. Squeezing the hilt, thorns wrapped around his hand, piercing into his flesh. Blood trickled into the blade, causing it to go low. "Our orders are to eliminate you both."
They began to approach, drawing their swords and joining their comrade. Mikaela raised his fists. Even though he knew he would surely lose this fight, he'd still fight to protect Akane. If worst came to worst, he could distract them long enough for her to escape.
Then, a smooth male voice cut in, causing everyone to stop in their tracks and turn to the tunnel. "I'd appreciate it if you left those children alone." A man stepped into the room. He was a young adult, proving Krul's claims that the adults had not truly died out, looking to be somewhere in his early twenties, dark hair framing his charming yet cold face, and eyes narrowed and sharpened like daggers. In hand was a drawn, jet-black sword with a crimson outline in the middle, radiating a black aura that seeped out from it. "And while you're at it, pretend you never saw me here."
"A human?" a vampire questioned before looking at the man's apparel. It looked to be some kind of uniform, completely black save for the red trims and highlights with golden shoulders, and an emblem on the right sleeve. When he recognized it, his eyes widened and scowled. "The Demon Army?!"
The man smiled thinly. "Not quite." he replied before aiming his sword. "Let's get to work... Mahiru-no-Yo." In compliance to her master's wish, the Cursed Gear radiated a dark aura to demonstrate her power.
"Damn you!" One of the Skals rushed in to stab at the man, but found that his blade met naught but air.
In the next second, his body was torn asunder into three pieces, arm, head, and body. They collapsed to the ground in a bleeding mess. Then his body became reduced to mere dust. The man was behind the mess, a smirk plastered across his face while the aura around him flared. It was a dark, yet mesmerizing scene for the two Hyakuya orphans, unable to tear their eyes away. For a moment, they could have sworn they saw his eyes glow before he focused on the two vampires approaching him from the side, aiming for his vitals. With impressive speed, his sword was already in motion, bringing out dark waves of power that knocked them away like flies before taking the blade into both hands and thrusting in the opposite direction, stabbing a vampire that intended to come at him from behind. Blood gushed, splattering across the man's face, but he paid it no mind before he brought the blade up, ripping across the bloodsucker's body before slicing straight through his throat and head, reducing him to dust also.
Of the original five vampires that appeared, only three now remain.
Before the other two vampires he blew away recovered, he was already upon them. He cleaved one of them in two before stabbing the upper half in the head. He then moved to the other, blade raised high. The vampire brought up his blade to block it, but the Cursed Gear came down swiftly, slicing through it and bisecting the Skal in half.
Now only one remained. The leader of the group looked unfazed by the loss of his men. Instead, he only narrowed his eyes and held his sword before him. "Drink more, my sword..." he whispered, wincing slightly as the thorns dug deeper into his flesh.
"Guess you must feel frightened, having to give more blood to your weapon like that." The man mocked as he strode forward. Rolling his neck, he held his sword in both hands. The dark aura around him increased, leading the man to grin slightly, reveaing his canines to be slightly sharper. "Not that'll do you any good. You see, my Cursed Gear is really quite the nagging woman. If I die, she'll haunt me even to the grave. And that, my friend, is a fate worse than death, so I'm afraid you'll have to die instead."
"Don't get so full of yourself, human!" The squad leader of the Skals lunged forward so fast that a normal person wouldn't have been able to see them. Unfortunately, Guren Ichinose is no longer a normal human. He saw through his enemy's movements and swiftly, and literally, disarmed him. The vampire's sword arm fell a short distance away while Guren followed up and stabbed the man through the skull from below.
With a swift motion, Guren brought the sword down, cleaving him in half and leaving him to become dust like all the others. Straightening himself out, Guren looked around, finding no other vampires around and sighed softly, swiping his sword and erasing the dark aura that surrounded him before sliding the sword back into its sheath. Shaking his head, he looked at the two star-struck children.
"You two must be the newly made mosquitoes Krul mentioned." he said, breaking the spell over them. Akane looked at him in awe while Mika looked at him warily. The last one made Guren smile somewhat. At least the boy was cautious. "My name is Guren. And as much as I would like to stick around and chat, I'm afraid we can't stay here long. All that noise is going to attract their friends here."
"T-then you're the one Krul-san mentioned?" Akane asked timidly.
"Well, it depends what she mentioned about me, but I know for a fact I'm here to keep two of her newly sired safe from the vultures of Sanguinem." He shrugged. "And I'm guessing that'd be the two of you, then?"
"Y-Yes." Akane stepped forward, bowing deeply. "I'm Akane Hyakuya. This is Mikaela."
"Hyakuya?" Guren narrowed his eyes. "You two wouldn't happen to be from the Hyakuya Orphanage, would you?"
"And if we are...?" Mika asked with caution. Just how did this guy know about their old home?
Guren stared at the two, wondering about the odd fortune of this situation. They didn't seem aware of who they really were, or perhaps they were but didn't quite understand the whole story? "I really do hate that woman..." he muttered, shaking his head. In the back of his mind, Mahiru was laughing at his expense. "It seems I have a lot to tell you brats when we get out of here, seeing as how that hag didn't get the chance to tell you everything. Now, unless you two want to be killed like these idiots, let's get going."
Away from Japan, and somewhere hidden from prying eyes belonging to both the Vatican Church and even those in the Hellsing Organization, a man dressed in a fine suit sat in a desk, holding a cup of wine in his hand. His features were hidden in the shadows, but from the wrinkles on his hands, it was clear he was quite old. The only real illumination was the moon, and even then, the rather spacious study was barely revealed. Only a few stacks of books and two leather velveteen chairs were revealed, hidden in the shadows. On one of those chairs sat a figure, dressed in a trench coat and a fedora.
"It appears the Hellsing Family has become aware of our activities." the old man remarked with a droll, swishing the contents of his cup around in a slow, careful manner so as to not spill any of it. "Not that it really matters in the long run. After all, we've already gathered enough data." He craned his head, turning to another figure who stood by in the shadows. "Will the data we've provided be enough for your cause, Warrant Officer?"
Stepping out from the darkness was a young boy, appearing to be approximately 14 years of age. He had a mess of pale blonde hair on his head with a pair of cat ears, strangely. His eyes were red and had a mischievous smirk plastered on his face. He was dressed in a pair of black shorts, a yellow dress shirt, black knee high socks and a black tie. He also wore pairs of white gloves and black dress shoes.
"Yes, indeed." The youth grinned. "You have went above and beyond with your assistance, good sir. The Doctor will be able to put the data you gathered to good use. A shame you decided not to join us. The Major would've granted you quite a high-ranking position!"
The old man shook his head. "I have no interest in that fool's games." he said bitterly. "My only interest is bringing the Hellsing Organization to its knees. I don't care if it is a large blow, or a small one. I only want that whore to understand what it means to abuse the powers of angels and demons."
"Ah, yes. The Seraph of the End." the youth said, recalling that particular detail. "He's caused quite a stir, both back home in Germany and for the Skals. The Major is quite interested to see where he'll go. Even First Lieutenant Rip Van Winkle wants to see what he'll be. She's half-convinced that he'll be her Valkyrie, come to whisk her away once it's time for her to meet her Zamiel."
"Is that right?" the old man scoffed, waving a hand in dismissal. "And while speaking of Millennium's affairs...what do you intend to do about the Skals? I understand the Major has formed a rapport with a Progenitor called Lest Karrs."
"Little more than a mere pawn." he answered with a Cheshire-like smile. "He's fully aware that he's just using him, much in the same way we are. Then again, that pawn did have his uses. He is the reason why we were able to find her."
"At the risk of incurring the wrath of Alucard, no less. I pray for the day when he tears your organization, limb from limb, as he dies, should he learn the fate of that woman's body."
"So does the Major." the youth said before he waved a hand. "I'll be off now. Pass auf, good sir! And happy hunting!"
"...so there's the ability of the paradoxical cat." The old man murmured. "...how annoying."
"Is it wise?" the trench coat wearing man said for the first time. "To place trust in them?"
"No, there is not." the old man answered with disdain. "But, they've served their purpose. As will you. Do not forget, the only reason you exist in this world is to bring Hell on earth to this world's inhabitants, be they human or vampire. Do we have an understanding?"
"Yes, sir."
Even in the shadows of his study, the old man smiled. "...good."
VAMPIRE REQUIEM
-Chapter 2 of 10-
The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
He makes me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside quiet waters.
He restores my soul; He guides me in the paths of righteousness for the sake of His name.
Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.
You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies.
You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.
Surely goodness and mercy will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.
Amen.
