Forewords
This chapter will be void of fighting scenes, and the majority of it will be focused on LT and Adolf Von Duer.
Hope I don't disappoint you. The fighting will continue in the next chapter...
...With a boss battle.
Chapter 36: Fate Of The Hunter
Time: 0330 Hour; 12th of August, 2125.
Location: Lair of the Scarlet Devil, Scarlet Devil Mansion; Gensokyo.
A gap opened in the barely lit room and out came Yukari Yakumo the Youkai of Boundaries.
Yukari looked around the huge near-pitch-black room, finding nobody. The throne at the other side of the room was unoccupied, only being shone on by the small amounts of moonlight from the large stained window on the far end of the room.
"Did I come at the wrong time?" The Youkai of Boundaries wondered.
When she stays completely silent, a sound can be heard from behind the throne.
"Uuuu..."
"You still having a charisma break over Sakuya being poisoned?" Yukari asked the whimpering Remilia, squeezed up behind the throne in a troubled fetal position.
"Uuuu..."
"Remilia Scarlet, may I have a word with you?" Yukari said loudly.
The Scarlet Devil looked at the Youkai of Boundaries, tears still running down her cheeks. "What do you want? Youkai Dictator?"
Yukari put up a disappointed face upon hearing the nickname "Youkai Dictator". She tries not to act out her anger. "Just a question - who exactly is Sakuya?"
Remilia stopped crying when she heard the question. Her expression also changed.
"I have been waiting for someone to ask that question for a long time..." The Scarlet Devil said.
Yukari squatted down next to Remilia, putting her parasol on Remilia's throne. "You do? You must've been waiting for a long time. So, tell me about her."
Remilia took a deep breath, and then spoke...
"Well, it was 200 years ago..."
...
Location: Fuhrer's Office, Reichstag Building; Nilreb, Central Necopolis.
"...When the Nazis, under the command of Hitler who is given false information by his psychologically insane right hand man - Schmidt, to perform the Blitzkrieg run on a refugee camp populated by North Necopolitans..." LT told Adolf Von Duer through a projection of him in the latter's office.
"There was a soldier..." The Fuhrer spoke.
"...Who went by the name Hilda, 'supposedly' named after the legendary Vampire Hunter - Hilda Von Schere..." LT continued. "She was the only one not carrying the usual Nazi load-out of the World War 2 era." He then takes out a crumpled, yellowish piece of paper from his pocket. "These information are all from this piece of paper, which contains the last known journal entry of those surviving North Necopolitans. They all mentioned a female Nazi soldier who called herself Hilda. Every entry here states that this female Nazi soldier couldn't have even been European, as she is neither Central Necopolitan nor Bevellan..."
"At that time, Winston Churchill, Prime Minister of Bevelle, was having a last stand against ze Nazis..." The Fuhrer added.
"...Unlike the other Nazi soldiers who were given orders by Schmidt to exterminate the North Necopolitans, Hilda was trying to save these refugees under their noses. And she did so for the entire duration of the attack without getting caught." LT continued to relay the information he knew. "Some of the refugees recalled being 'teleported' into a safe zone by Hilda, and some recalls the silver-haired female Nazi literately disappearing into thin air as she pulls out a golden pocket watch..."
"I guess there is no mistake now. Zis... Sakuya Izayoi... really is an ex-Nazi..." Adolf commented.
"There's still a long way to go, Herr Fuhrer..." LT told the Fuhrer. "Near the last days of the war, just as soon as Hitler discovers from an anonymous source that his most trusted right hand man is psychologically insane, who revealed his plans to march the powers of Central Necopolis all over the world, the original Fuhrer cannot bear the massacre of innocents, and took the insane Schmidt along with him in a grenade explosion." LT turned the crumpled piece of paper around, and continued relaying information. "The North Necopolitans rejoiced as the Nazi's massacre came to an end. When the remaining Nazis discovers evidence of their leader's right hand man being insane, they realized the wrongs they did, and tried to apologize, which the North accepted. The ex-refugees wrote that despite the Nazis turning over a new leaf, the female soldier called Hilda is nowhere to be seen, as though she had never existed..."
...
Location: Lair of the Scarlet Devil, Scarlet Devil Mansion; Gensokyo.
"...That's when my father - Count Vlad Tepes rose from his coffins and started hunting down people every night..." Remilia continued to tell Yukari. "He was a ruthless vampire, even the Soviet Union and the newly formed Fourth Reich Nazis were afraid of him. As more and more people including Nazi soldiers lost their lives battling him, one of them stood out one night, claiming to be the bane of all vampires..."
"Sakuya Izayoi?" Yukari wondered.
"At that time she was known by the name Hilda Von Schere, the legendary Vampire Hunter of Europe. I watched her battling my father, and successfully puts an end to his undeath. She was a woman of her word, as she barely took any damage in the fight." The Scarlet Devil continued. "That's when Hilda Von Schere laid her murderous eyes on me and my mother, who had nothing to do with father's sins, aside from just being vampires."
"It was scary for the both of you, correct?" Yukari asked with slight sympathy.
"Yes, that happened when I was 400 years old..." Remilia continued telling the story. "The both of us ran for several miles, past deep forests, past hibernating grass plains, past war ruins when she finally caught up with us at a graveyard." The vampire tried not to break down into tears, thinking of that tragedy from a long time ago. "I watched my mother attempting to jab at the Vampire Hunter with her talons extended. The silver-haired woman stayed calm as she slowly produces a pocket watch, and with one press of the dial, teleported right behind my mother, and then stabbing her right in the back, so hard that she was bled dry."
"That must have been an unbearable sight for you back then..." Yukari sympathized for the Scarlet Devil.
"I watched the corpse of my deceased mother decaying like all slayed vampires do, it was truly unbearable. That's when Hilda Von Schere laid her eyes on me, saying that I'm the next to go, as her bloodied knife shone in the moonlight pale like ghosts." Remilia kept on telling the story. "I had no choice but to battle the woman that is the bane of my kindred. I made it my fate to battle the Vampire Hunter to the death, but instead I got the opposite..."
"You won..." The Youkai of Boundaries said.
"Correct. I was amazed that while the legendary Vampire Hunter has defeated the lord of vampires, she had managed to get defeated by a child like me. Another amazing thing is that she's still alive, even though she should have bled to death already. It was as though she cannot die..."
"Cannot die? Then that means..." Yukari noticed the two words.
"I know that pocket watch of hers, which is called the Lunar Dial today, is no human design. And by how her blood smelled like, I can only guess one thing - Hilda Von Schere is no human..."
"She's a Lunarian?"
Remilia stood up, and leaned against the back of her throne. "That was what I was thinking of at that moment. I have seen Lunarians before, and I know that they are almost impossible to kill..."
...
Location: Fuhrer's Office, Reichstag Building; Nilreb, Central Necopolis.
"...And if my encounter with the moon princess of Asahian fairy tales, and the moon doctor who sabotaged the Apollo 13 Mission is anything to go by..." LT was still explaining to Adolf Von Duer. "...Is that they can lose a gallon of blood and still be walking on two feet. Some takes it up to eleven for being able to survive with half a head, which will regenerate after a few hours."
"So there really are people from ze dark side of ze moon?" The Fuhrer asked.
"Correct, and both the moon princess and the moon doctor have settled themselves in the same Communist country I've told the other nation leaders about." LT responded.
"I recall zis nation being called 'Gensokyo' by you, correct?" Adolf asked another question.
"Yes. Now back on topic. The vampire kind has a rule where any hunters who gets defeated by them are to serve as their servants for a portion of their lives - in the case of ordinary humans, 10 years." LT continued to relay information. "However, due to being immortal Lunarian, Hilda Von Schere has to serve little Scarlet for 500 years, which until today, is only 200." LT then takes out another piece of paper, this one neatly folded and pale as fresh paper. "For the final part of the story. While the original storybook has no records of what happened to her afterwards, my theory is that Hilda Von Schere has renamed herself, or was renamed by little Scarlet, as the member of the Daughters Of Liberty we are discussing about right now - Sakuya Izayoi."
...
Location: Lair of the Scarlet Devil, Scarlet Devil Mansion; Gensokyo.
"Fascinating..." Yukari commented as she stood up, and grabbed her parasol. "So that's who Sakuya really is..."
"Hilda Von Schere still has 300 years to go as my maid, but I believe she has already left her old days behind and is enjoying being Sakuya Izayoi..." The Scarlet Devil added once more. "That's it, end of story..."
Yukari opened a gap and prepares to back into it. "Thanks for the story. Oh, and try to get your charisma fixed up." The Youkai of Boundaries then steps into the gap, and it closes behind her.
Remilia sighed. "Just what else is that Youkai Dictator planning, anyway?"
Right at that time, something in her pocket rang. She took it out, which is then revealed to be a Magic Codec with "Septette For The Dead Princess" for it's ringtone. Remilia answers the call.
"What do you want?"
On the other side of the call is the voice she heard a lot as the leader of the Scarlet Devil Army.
"This is the Strongest speaking, how may 'eye' help you?"
...
Location: Fuhrer's Office, Reichstag Building; Nilreb, Central Necopolis.
"And that concludes the story of Hilda Von Schere... For now..." LT said as he puts the piece of paper back into his pocket.
Adolf Von Duer thought of something for awhile, then spoke, "Is zat anonymous source Fraulein Hilda?"
LT let that question sink in for awhile. "Perhaps..." is all the response he gave the Fuhrer.
"'Perhaps'?" The Fuhrer was surprised by the answer. "You also have no idea, do you, Herr Summers?"
"Then again, it was an anonymous source, so we may never know who's behind that line. Could be either Hilda herself, or a vampire..." LT said once more. "Speaking of which..."
The Fuhrer knows what he needs to do right now. He grabs a broadcasting device, and spoke through it: "Suchen Sie die Töchter der Freiheit, und mit was auch immer nötig ist, einschließlich der Sterilisator Kräfte zu vernichten..." [Locate the Daughters Of Liberty, and destroy them with whatever forces necessary, including The Sterilisator...]
LT's hologram stood there, arms folded as he watches the Fuhrer performing his duty. "I hope you know what you're doing, Herr Von Duer..."
And then he terminates his transmission to the Fuhrer's Office. He was seen pulling out a box labeled "Health Cigarettes", pulls from the box what looked like a cigarette which he puts in his mouth, and lights it all before his hologram disappears.
...
Location: Somewhere between East and Central Necopolis.
"Reimu, you okay, ze?"
"Stay in the world of living. Gensokyo won't last a second if you're dead."
"You can do it, Reimu san, you should be able to survive more than such a Myon beating back there..."
"Please don't go flat-line, Gensokyo still needs us to be saved..."
Reimu Hakurei has only just begun to regain her senses. During this period, her sight is all blurry, and everything she hears are in echoes.
"I think she's coming to." Said Marisa's voice.
Reimu's vision finally clears up, and sounds stop echoing through her ears. The first things she sees are the Daughters Of Liberty.
"How are you feeling?" Sakuya asked the red-white.
Reimu attempts to get up. She finds some trouble doing so, but manages it. "What happened?" She asked.
"Those Hover-copters back there ganged up on you and fired their lasers at your magic barrier all at once. You were knocked out cold and were vomiting blood." Sanae told her.
Reimu looked at her gohei which she has been carrying all along. The stick was a bit charred since the last battle.
"Anyways, what time is it now?" The red-white asked once more.
Sakuya looked at the Lunar Dial she's been carrying all along. "30 minutes since that battle."
Just then, lights are shone on where the Daughters Of Liberty are. When the girls looked up, they find themselves surrounded by Viper Hover-copters which are pointing searchlights at them. Several Nazi Stormtroopers, including those on jetpacks, and Jaeger Tanks moved in and surrounded them from all directions. Totenkreuz Dive Fighters flew overhead, strafing this peculiar spot.
"Great, just as soon as we're about to celebrate, ze..." Marisa complained.
The girls all aimed their weapons at the Nazi squadron. They were all hesitating to shoot.
"Töchter der Freiheit, Sie sind durch die Nazi-Armee umgeben und sind zahlenmäßig und waffentechnisch unterlegen zur gleichen Zeit. Runter mit den Waffen und ergeben sich oder Gesicht Gerechtigkeit!" [Daughters Of Liberty, you are surrounded by the Nazi Army, and are outnumbered and outgunned at the same time. Drop your weapons and surrender yourselves, or face justice!]
"Well, I don't understand what they're saying..." Sanae said.
"They're telling us to drop our weapons and surrender ourselves, or face justice..." Sakuya told the others.
Reimu was surprised from getting a translation. "How did you know what they're saying?"
One of the Stormtroopers took out a radio and spoke through it. "Achter haben Reich-Capture-Team Berichterstattung in, wir die Töchter der Freiheit einschließlich Hilda Von Schere in unserer Obhut. Schicken Sie sofort in den Sterilisator Gunship." [Eighth Reich Capture Team reporting in, we have the Daughters Of Liberty including Hilda Von Schere in our custody. Send in The Sterilisator Gunship right away.]
Sakuya gasped. "They've just called in their Gunship!"
"Oh, gods..." Youmu expressed disgust when she hears "Gunship".
Almost immediately after, the flying mass of metal arrives. It has jet turbines for engines, and is armed with assorted weapons - two flamethrowers attached to the underside, two small missile pods (each missiles colored ranging from red, blue, white, yellow, and green), two grenade launchers loaded with gas bombs, and laser guns next to each turbine engines.
"Holy...!" Everyone exclaimed in unity.
One of the pilots of the Gunship then spoke through the intercoms...
...To Sakuya...
"Just so your friends can understand us, Hilda Von Schere, we will be speaking in English."
Reimu looked at the silver-haired maid in confusion. The maid already has surprise written on her face. "Sakuya?! Why are they calling you 'Hilda'?!"
The Gunship pilots spoke again. "Fraulein Hilda, you've hunted vampires in your past, you're supposed to be ze heroine of Necopolis. But instead, you joined forces with these Communist mercenaries. For zat, ze Fuhrer has ordered your termination along with your comrades. Can you, ze legendary Vampire Hunter, defeat the Eighth Reich with 22nd century technologies?"
Just as soon as he finishes the sentence, the main pilot unleashed the flamethrowers on the girls.
Afterwords
Recap of Sakuya's past, along with a new piece of it: the fate of Hilda Von Schere. Now you know what happened to the name.
Saku... Er, Hilda is revealed to be not Asahian either. She's a Lunarian!
I did say that the next chapter starts with a boss fight, right? So the next boss will be the Gunship of Necopolis - The Sterilisator ("Sterilizer" in German).
Shout-out index:
"...Psychologically insane Schmidt..." - Hitler's right hand man going rogue and bearing this name? Pretty reminiscent of Captain America: The First Avenger.
That is all. "Bis dahin..."