Before a storm truly gets going, there is a calm. Even if the butterfly wings that will bring terrible chaos down are flapping as hard as they can, all great and terrible things take time to ramp up.
For that reason, many villages had yet to really feel the looming sense of paranoia the rest of the country was feeling. They simply went on with their lives, ignorant to the greater world among them that would soon come crashing through.
In the small little municipality of Hellsing, only one man could feel it coming. He was an old man though, born before the new century and before the unification of the fatherland. He had seen multiple wars and knew the signs of buildup…and yet he tried his best to ignore them, like many at the top would.
Why? Because he could look out from the balcony of the house he had built with his own hands and see the beautiful land before him, dotted with hundreds of apple trees that he owned and harvested. His reward for a job well done in the earlier wars, being one of the few men who was not only a mage, but a leader among them.
He could not conceive a world where he would lose this, he had simply fought too hard for it and he knew that he could not fight anymore with his age…so why would the world be unfair to him? He had fought for his people and done as much good as he could in the world…so why would god take anything away from him?
"Herr Strauss?" A voice calls up to the old man below, he looks down but isn't able to see who's below, but knows them from their voice.
"Ah, King? I didn't see you walk up…how's the picking going?"
"Got a lot of the riper ones from the east side where the sun is shining more off the mountain. I figure they're growing better on that side. Got about three or four baskets."
Strauss smiled, relaxing back in his chair, despite his age and his guy his arms still had the strength of a soldier and a mage in them…and yet the rest of his body couldn't keep up really. Months ago he would have been doing all that labor and at his grand age of 78 it would have started slowly killing him, but thanks to that young scarred man he was able to continue on. "Oh the years I could have just had a workhand, wasted…"
Below, King sets down another basket of apples along with others he's picked. It was strange to think, but other than being a hero in his own world, he'd never had a job before…and he was lucky to have it. After he escaped from the city and wandered out into the country he came upon Hellsing and upon the fields owned by Herr Strauss. He'd been hungry and didn't even think about whether someone had owned the apple trees he would take one off of.
From there, a bit of a misunderstanding would occur and a few warning shots were fired off by the old man, but upon finding out the young man had nowhere to go and was sufficiently tall, he was offered a job apple picking and never really looked back. Herr Strauss even allowed him to sleep in a small cottage just on the edge of his land that he used to use back when he had first settled here.
"Boy, come up here, have a drink with me. You've worked hard enough to at least enjoy something cool." Strauss's voice slipped into an almost authoritative tone, a remnant from his years of command that would never truly slip away from him no matter how many lazy days he spent sitting back.
King brushed himself off and climbed up the ladder leading directly up to the balcony. It was from here that the old man had taken his shots at him, and even now as King arrived he could see the man's rifle sitting to the side next to a box of ammo.
"Would you prefer lemonade or something harder?" Strauss asked.
King simply asks for the lemonade. The old man pours a glass for himself out of a nearby pitcher and one for the young man before he takes out a small flask and pours some amber liquid into his own drink.
In the two months the young, scarred man had worked for the old codger, they never really spoke that much. He was a very direct person and was never much for small talk. He always seemed to be looking off to the horizon as if he would see someone or something run over the hills some day.
"Uh, Herr Strauss, if you don't mind me asking…what can you tell me about magic?"
At first, King wasn't sure if his question was heard as Strauss simply went quiet, looking out to the horizon as usual as he drank. He wanted to know because when Strauss had shot at him months ago the bullets themselves seemed to pierce through the trees and there was a glow around the man from where he had been shooting. The only answer he had gotten from asking about what all that was that he had been using magic.
That blew King's mind a little. For a while he didn't think there was anything really crazy about this world and then suddenly magic gets thrown onto his lap and it took him a while to process that despite his earlier tangled life with heroes.
"I understand the curiosity. Not many people know about it, well not really. Even back when I started out there were so few of us mages fighting. Some people thought we were a myth on the battlefield, heh heh…"
"So wait, can anybody do it?"
The aged gentleman shakes his head with a chuckle. "Oh no, otherwise every country would be replacing their armies with them. You have to be born with the talent and power…and even then, using magic by yourself is damn near impossible…unless you have one of these."
He reaches down into his pocket and pulls out what looks like an old, silver pocket watch with a round, clear blue stone embedded into the front of it.
"This is a computational jewel, an early Type 4. Don't ask me how it works, I just know what it does; make magic a hell of a lot easier." A glowing set of lines begins to appear in the air before them, glowing with blue light as King steps back, amazed.
However, strangely enough…he sort of recognizes what's being shown before him. Mostly dozens upon dozens of runic lines of text scrolling over and over and running over one another in lists of commands…but it couldn't be…
"These things…are they like, old computers?"
"Feh, like I would know." The old man puts the watch back in his pocket as the glowing blue magic disappears. "All you need to know is that magic is complex, and we need jewels to do half the work for us."
Taking a drink, the young man wondered for a moment. This world hadn't been as technologically advanced as his had been…so they weren't really familiar with the same kind of weapons or technology at all. So the idea of something like a personal computer or a video game would be beyond them all…especially if they were just using magic for war.
Ugh, how he missed video games…what he wouldn't give to play something like a dating sim, or even something as simple as an old Pac Man game.
"Oh, sir, forgot to say, did you leave your door open downstairs? I know you told me never to go into your house but-"
A hand snapped up, grabbing King's collar. "The door!? Damn it…"
Bolting upward, the old man's energy seemed just as boundless as his terror as he nearly leapt off the balcony and even the ladder as he passed the young man.
"Stay here! If you see anything or anyone, call out to me!"
He could do nothing but stand atop the balcony, confused and worried as to what was going on as he tried his best to keep an eye out…only to see Strauss disappearing among the trees.
His worry would only slowly diminish over time. Hour by hour passed and soon, well…with him just watching, sitting and drinking lemonade he had to sooner or later relieve himself. So he slipped down the ladder, walking into the forest to find a nearby tree to water.
For a few short moments, he was able to relax a little, the fear of whatever Strauss had been afraid of and all the tension of the time he spent waiting began to slip away.
"Baba."
King swore he might have jumped up nine feet if his legs could move. Cautiously, he zipped his fly up and turned to look at what made the sound.
Before him stood a small girl in a gray, colorless dress, no more than 8 or 9 years of age. She seemed to be looking above him as her blonde hair rested over her shoulders. She had quite a fair bit of freckles on her face as well as a strange, almost intense look that was sort of a mix of fear and amazement.
"Oh uh…hello, my name is King…what's your name?"
Despite talking to her, the child didn't look right at him at all, staring above his head beyond the trees and into the sky. "Bah."
He looks back, trying to see what she sees and yet…can't because there's nothing really beyond him at all. He wonders if she just wandered onto the property like he did?
It does present a problem though, whatever Strauss is looking for out here may come and find them. Maybe it's some sort of big dog or something…and he really didn't want to get caught against something like that. He would just end up as King brand puppy chow.
"Okay uh, are your parents around? Do you know where they are?" He asks, but gets no answer for her despite waiting half a minute. "Do you have parents?"
Still no answer at all, which was quietly unsettling to the young man. He decided at the very least he should take her out of the field and maybe ask Strauss about her whenever he got back. So, he wiped his hands off on his pants before approaching the little one.
"Okay uh…just gonna pick you up." He states before grabbing the girl up. He gets her up over his shoulder and begins to walk back before he hears her speak again.
"Fry…" She says while stretching her arms out over his shoulders, looking to the sky as she does the same with her legs too.
King smiles as he realizes what she means. "Oh, ya…you're flying. Heh…"
The young man smiled to himself a litt, happy that she was having a little fun with his help. He was surprised he could carry her so easily. Sure he had been carrying bushels of apples the last couple of months but he didn't expect a girl like her to feel so light compared.
Wait…was she getting lighter?
King stopped, feeling her on his shoulder, the weight of her soon becoming less and less until she pushed off from him. Her face still carried that look of pure wonder and odd fear on it as she floated in the air before him.
"Fry…fry…" She says again and again while King is utterly amazed, but looking at her now he sees no computational jewel on her at all. How was she doing this?
"Zanah!"
Strauss barreled out from the trees, jumping toward the girl and grabbing her leg as King stepped back. He had known the old man to be rather calm and steely eyed, and yet now there was a real look of worry and fear on his face as he pulled the girl down to the ground.
"You can't just…ugh…" The look of frustration that crossed the old man's face was heart wrenching as he tried to speak at the girl who wasn't even looking at him. He instead opts to grab her up as King did, walking back toward his home as the young man is left to stand there, utterly perplexed and confused as to what he had just seen.
He wondered whether he should follow or simply go back to the small cottage, but in the end his curiosity got the best of him and he walked back to Strauss's house to find the door closed and the man back upon his porch, looking over the horizon.
"Boy, come up here, now." The old man ordered, his voice more direct and grave than it had ever been.
King hesitated for a moment, feeling a twinge of fear in the back of his neck as some part of him felt a large amount of hostility toward him for just standing there…and it was unfounded.
"There's nowhere to run, you try and I can shoot you down before you even clear the field. Now come up here, now!"
If the scarred man had learned one thing in the last two months, it was that the one he worked for was a man of his word. Stealing what courage he could and trying to stop his legs from shaking he finally climbed up the ladder to get onto the balcony.
There he saw Strauss, laying back in his chair. He didn't look relaxed…more like a man who was defeated. His arms laying back to his sides while he was looking right up at the sky.
"Uh…sir, I can understand if-"
"Don't call me sir goddamn it." He growled, a flash of anger passing through his eyes. "I haven't been in command for so long…it just doesn't suit me anymore."
He reaches toward his breast pocket, producing the same flask from earlier, pouring a little in his own empty glass…as well as some for King.
"Oh…I couldn't-"
"Drink. Now."
It sounds like less of an order or a demand and more like a threat. King wasn't really good under threats…they made him hesitate too much, but in the end he was able to at least grab the glass and take a sip of the burning liquid, which even that amount was too much for him.
"Ugh…the hell? Do they clean machines off with the stuff?" He states after spending a good minute coughing.
"Possibly." The old man shrugs before downing his own class with only a hint of satisfaction. "I used to be able to down a whole bottle back when I was in command. I could drink any of my men under the table…but that was before this. Before Zanah."
The horizon, he watched it. The same was as every single day, every single morning, every single night. "I had a son. Wonderful boy, tall like you…while I was off at war, he had made a man of himself. He had become a carpenter…but was always struggling. He had a beautiful wife as well. Their letters…it was all I fought for."
He doesn't bother with the glass anymore, he drinks straight from the flask.
"I told him when the war was over…I would come back and support them. I would make a great orchard and a house for them and any children they could ever have." He wipes his lips and sighs to himself. "So I fought harder than anyone else. I fought as if god had been working through me…they called me Strauss the Hammer, because they thought just one shot from me could end a fight…all I really liked to do was shoot enemy commanders. It ends fights faster than you think…"
The flask is soon empty, and with it the old soldier has nowhere left to drown. He, like many of his kind, are trained to keep everything they truly are under the surface…but one cannot drown themselves forever.
"I came back. The war was over and I came back, settled here in little Hellsing where nothing much happens at all. I made a house…I planted an orchard. I sent word to my son…and I waited."
King watches the old man raise his finger, pointing off to the horizon. "The road to town comes through my way…so they would have to come through here. They would have to…but they never did…and they never will."
The young man could see the pain in Strauss's face. It was the pain of someone who simply didn't know how to cry anymore. Of emotions straining up against a steel wall built to handle war stretching against the weight of years of sorrow.
"I only found out what happened five years ago. I went to the town they were living in. I…" He remembers it all so vividly, because he could swear the smell was still there. The smell of burnt wood and bodies burning even though when he arrived the houses had long been burnt away, and yet just the thought of what happened to them brought all those smells of battle back.
"Magic." He suddenly states before gently rapping the back of his head against his chair. "You know why most didn't think it existed? Because even those who have it can rarely use it…and the people who could back in ancient times…well, they either brought on miracles or brought down disasters."
King didn't understand why he was suddenly talking about magic. "Herr Strauss…I can see this is upsetting you. We don't have to talk about it."
The old man's hand slapped at the air before the young man, as if to try to silence him with a strike. "Shut up! Dummkopf…if I don't tell you now, you may do something stupid…and then I would have to shoot you…and I'm a mean shot drunk."
Again, King knew when to crumble under a threat, but then again frankly who would want to get shot by a man like Strauss.
"There wasn't a lot of information." He finally said, relaxing back. "My son, his wife…they died in a fire. Nobody knows what caused it…but among the wreckage of the home was a miracle. A small child, barely a toddler. One that could barely speak."
He turns to King, with almost pleading eyes. "You must understand…I did not know she existed. My son…he never told me, not in one single letter, not even the people in town knew of the girl. If I knew I would have gone straight to him. At first I think she must be a surprise…so I do my duty, I take her here."
"So…she's your granddaughter…I guess that sort of explains the magic." King murmurs to himself, trying to take this all in with another burning sip of the staunchly strong liquid in his cup.
"I do not even know how old Zanah is. I thought when I first took her that she might just look older than she is and her mind had not caught up to her body, but upon taking her to a doctor, they found her to be…well, there are a lot of words…"
"Oh…oh wow…" King suddenly realized what he's talking about here. "She's uh…simple?"
The man nodded, happy to get away from the complex jargon he didn't want to understand. "She is simple, she cannot speak like you and I and needs to be cared for…I wonder how much she actually understands. Sometimes it's hard to get her to eat…and other times I can teach her small things, like how to pray before bed."
With a deep breath, a single tear finally breaks away from the man's eye to crawl down his worn face. "I love her King, she is all that I truly possess in the world…but she scares me sometimes. She cannot control the magic in her body…the magic she inherited through my line. She's almost floated away at times so I try to keep her in the house."
"Why not just…take her to another doctor or something? There have to be men that understand magic better and can help her, right?"
Years in the military flash before Strauss's eyes. He had seen the desperation of the high command to use the mages and understand them, so much so that he had seen many of them die while testing out new computational jewels…as well as hearing other horror stories from outside of his company of what military scientists and engineers were doing with the bodies of dead mages and even children.
"She is special." He states with a sigh. "It is why I keep her here…I fear that they will try to find out why she is the way she is…and that will be no life for her. She is not some mouse to be experimented on…she is my granddaughter. So I must keep her here…she must be kept a secret, and you must keep it a secret as well, or I will kill you."
King didn't hear any threat in the old man's voice this time, it was more like the defeated desperation of a beaten dog. He could see the years this man had tried to hold onto himself, working to keep himself afloat while the only part of his family left could literally float away herself.
"I'll keep her a secret Herr Strauss." King states before he jerks his hand back to throw the liquid out of his cup over the balcony so he doesn't have to drink the rest of the stuff he swore was burning a hole in his insides. "I do have a condition though…you're an old man and well, she's young. Simple as she is she'll get away from you sometimes…so how about, I don't know…we get some rope and you can tie her leg to mine. That way, she gets some fresh air and if she gets floaty, well…I can always pull her down."
The old man was utterly stunned. He felt stupid too, because despite being a trained mage he never thought of just tying the girl to himself at all. Years worth of worry for absolutely goddamn nothing was just the sort of thing to really make a man feel old.
"Fine, but I'm paying you double." Straus declared with a smile.
"You mostly pay me in apples, food and clothes."
"Let's triple it then."
In war, one must always consider that a good plan well played may never survive contact with an enemy…or even civilians.
Major Atryom Ankare, one of the older military minds of the Entente Alliance, had been tasked with forming something of a raiding party as part of one of many different forces of invasion upon the Empire. However, upon heading out to meet with the men he would command while they were supposedly stationed at the border, he had learned that they had already moved out.
The reason was for fishing boats. Apparently, there were a number of citizens of the Empire fishing between the shores of both countries. Those civilians saw that the Alliance were gathering troop transports and scurried away. The captains that had been around scrambled just about everyone in order to try to catch them over the rhine and whether they did or not he would find out when he made it to land.
There were already fires over the coastline. Ankare could guess what had happened before he even landed. Those fishing boats had gotten back and tried to warn people and his troops were forced to attack first.
As he stepped off the boat to meet with some of the smiling captains of the raiding party, Atryom turned to his lieutenant. "Take these men onto the boat and back across the rhine. I am taking command here."
Before their smiles could turn and they would try to protest, he spoke again. "You are getting off lucky, all of you. Jumping the gun like this may have cost us everything. Now go before I change my mind and have you all hung for insubordination."
A dozen angry eyes looked at the older man, but they had heard enough stories to know who he was and what he could do. His name was respected even among those who hated him and thought his way of fighting was outdated.
"Major, are you sure you want to take command by yourself here? It may be a lot to handle." His lieutenant states as the other disgraced men pass.
Atryom Ankare looks to the skyline, smiling for after 30 years of waiting he can finally take a bit of revenge. "I can handle it…after all, you know what they call me. All I need is my armor…and my Rustningsarmé to fall behind me."
He looks toward the hills, and knows his army is there…in heavy armor that no bullet can easily peirce, ready to fight and take Hellsing so that it can be made a staging point for the beginning of what has been coming to the Empire for a long time.
"Now we shall see what is stronger…an anchor, or a hammer?"
It's amazing how much just having someone to talk to can change things for a man.
It's been three months since the boy had come to live upon Strauss's plantation, and another month he had learned about Zanah…and since then the change between them all has become much more apparent day after day.
Zanah gets to have a lot of fun outside now to his chagrin, it's wonderful to see King and her interact. Sure she floats around every now and then but he's always there to tie her down…it makes the old man wish he could have seen his son holding the girl.
King had enjoyed the last month a bit better as well. The old man had opened up a bit more, talking about magic and the way it could be used while Zanah would sit in his lap and look up into his chin, sometimes hovering into it. The young man was even invited to join them for dinner every now and then.
He even helped discover something new about Zanah. The little one loved to draw. She just hadn't really been given much to work with besides sticks, but get one in her hand and she would really take her time to draw something out, sometimes even hovering upward to look down at what she had marked. Of course he couldn't understand anything she ever drew…but she seemed passionate about it and it was the only thing she would look at straight on.
That's why, thanks to the fact he was actually getting paid now, King had spent some hard earned money in town on some crayons, which he was happy to see existed in this more primitive world. He grabbed a box while he was in town to get a sack of apples to a grocer who would sell them fresh.
The walk back to Strauss's home was frankly a breeze after damn near hauling that sack out from the countryside…maybe he could convince the old man to spring from a wheelbarrow or something?
Upon getting near the porch, his eyes widened as he saw the door was open. He looked about to see that thankfully Zanah was on the porch, looking up into the sky.
"Baba."
"Yes, baba." He says back, tussling her hair before he sits next to her. "What are you doing outside? Did your grandfather fall asleep?"
"Baba. Baba."
King liked just talking to Zanah. Like Strauss, he wasn't sure how much she actually understood…but maybe that was better, because when he would talk to her alone he would just talk about his old life, video games…about how god put him here. She was sort of like a vocal stress ball he could just decompress around.
"Baba."
"Talkative today ain't ya? Well I have something you may…" He trailed off as he looked at the girl, only to see that she wasn't looking directly upward into the sky…but along the horizon at what appeared to be a plume of smoke rising.
What was it? A fire? King moved off the porch and up toward the balcony where he found Strauss, sleeping quietly on his chair. He tried not to disturb him as he looked from the balcony and saw that there wasn't just one plume…but others farther along the horizon.
Just then, the sound of a low boom struck the air. King would not know that it was an explosive going off in the distance…but someone would.
Even in old age, Strauss was still a soldier, and the sound of bombs going off still struck at his heart even in the deepest of sleep. He dashed upward as his eyes tore open, nearly pushing King out of the way as he looked toward the horizon. He had seen those kind of fires before and knew what that sound meant.
Battle had come to greet him once again.
The little town of Hellsing was a quiet place. Even before unification it never saw much of war. They were on the edge between the Empire and the Alliance but there were better targets along the border to take such as Copperhagen, a much larger, actual city where the Prince was assassinated.
But no, they had come to Hellsing…and for the love of everything Strauss could not be sure why. There was nothing strategic about this place. Securing it or the roads around it meant nothing…maybe they wanted a source of food for their men but even that seemed like such a shallow motivation.
Either way, Strauss was the only man in Hellsing who had served at a higher rank in the imperial military. He was almost given no choice but to take command of the town after he told them what was coming.
Between shoring up defenses on buildings on the edge of town and sending scouts on horseback to try to see if they could get a look at who's coming, he also had King following him in tow, carrying little Zanah on his shoulders.
The main point of defense was going to be the church in the center of town. It had been built sturdy a long time ago, and being the tallest building with a tower it would give him the best chance to give civilians fire support if they were pushed back.
King, on the other hand, was trying his best to keep the simple girl in his arms calm. She seemed to know something stressful was going on as she held onto the young man rather hard throughout the beginning of the ordeal, which only seemed to stress him out more as darkness slowly started to creep over the town.
"I don't understand…who's going to attack us? We haven't done anything…"
"Best guess? Entente Alliance, that or someone working with them, otherwise they wouldn't have gotten past the rhine…as for what they want, I couldn't tell ya." Strauss states before grabbing up his rifle and checking it over. "This place doesn't have anything to take that they couldn't get easier from somewhere else. Either they're trying to cover every city they can…or there is something here that they want."
"Why don't we just get everyone to evacuate?"
"Damn it boy…to where?" Strauss asks, looking around. "For all we know, the whole town is surrounded. The other cities and towns might be getting attacked as well…but beyond that, nobody here wants to leave their homes and what they've built."
The doors of the church burst open, revealing one of the young runners Strauss sent out. "Sir! I saw them…they're coming…big…metal men…"
The old man marched over, grabbing the boy by the collar and giving him a quick and firm shake. "Specifics child! Any vehicles? Artillery? Horses?"
The young man shakes his head. "No…only men sir, but they are clad in heavy army. They carry explosives on their waist."
Strauss's eyes widened. "This armor…it covers them head to toe doesn't it, even obscuring their face too?"
"Wait, you know who's coming?" King asks as he feels the girl begin to grip him harder, so he rubs her back to try to calm her down just a little.
The old man moved to sit at a pew, leaning forward while he held his rifle before him, his head bowing down as dozens of men around the place sealed up all the windows with planks of wood, but by bit taking more light from this holy place.
"Yes…they are the Rustningsarmé, the Army of Armor." He explains with a sigh. "Back before unification, maybe thirty years ago…they acted as more of a militia group outside of the Entente's army before they were folded into the army proper. Very heavily armored infantry units, specializing in dealing with quick trench warfare. 30 years ago when I fought for my country I helped push them out of Copperhagen…but I never thought I would see them again."
Hearing what's been said though, King realized something. "Wait, you have magic though, right? So armor shouldn't be a problem, and if they only have armored men then maybe we have a chance?"
Strauss nodded, impressed just a little that the young man could recognize the facts of the situation here. In fact, they probably sent in the Rustningsarmé because they thought Hellsing had no mages in it, and therefore those heavily armored idiots could just run over the town easily…but even if they thought it would be easy, it still didn't explain why they would come here.
"The other runner I sent will bring a message to the first outpost of the Empire. They'll send a message and get us reinforcements as soon as possible." He explains before he looks directly up at King. "While I'm fighting, you're in command down here. You keep the women and children down here safe. You keep Zanah safe."
The young, scarred man nodded, accepting his part in all of this…but still, could not help but look around at the other men. Some had been soldiers themselves from wars past, others were young like him, wanting glory or just as scared and even sometimes both.
Back in his old world, there were always enough heroes around to solve a problem. Saitama and the Heroes Association would always be around to save him and everyone else if need be…but now there wasn't some big hero, there wasn't some easy way to end this…war was coming and it made him feel…almost impotent in the face of it all.
He truly wished he could help more than he could as he was. The best he could do is sit, take the crayons out of his pocket and let little Zanah use them to draw on his shoulder and back while he tried to keep himself calm.
All the while, a being from up on high was smiling down at him while the game played on.
Time had been taken to turn the outer edges of the town into something of a deathtrap. They had used wire, metal and even garbage to try to wall up the streets of the town, covering a significant section around the borders with enough to stop the soldiers in their tracks if they tried any sort of pincer movement…giving them only one way to come down.
The main street, cutting right through the center of town. Every building and every window had a man waiting there, ready to bring down gunfire and explosives made from burning cloth and bottles of strong alcohol.
Strauss was both the first and last line of defense. He sat atop the belltower, shifting his old legs around as he waited in the dark. He checks his pocket watch, wiping only the smallest amount of dirt off of his computational gem as its blue glint catches in the bare moonlight. The only other thing that catches the light close to the same way around him is the large box of ammo next to him, open and ready to be loaded in when the fight starts and he runs empty.
He hears it then, like an old lovely song. The marching upon the dirt that's like a low rumble. They've come to him…the perfect enemy for his last battle.
The Rustningsarmé. Formidable in the days before mages were truly used in battle, and forever a joke after their introduction. Strauss had been the one to create the punchline to that joke long ago when they tried to raid Copperhagen and he shot one commander in the knee, piercing through his armor easily and making the whole group retreat. From then on they were an anecdote, an old funny story about how some people thought that one could wear armor like a knight and still survive in modern battles.
Yet here Strauss was, an old man, watching the past literally marching up to him in columns down the street. A mix of nostalgia and adrenalin ran through him…as well as a burgeoning sense of fear that he knew the origin of.
Back in war he never had it, it was never a thought to him that his death would be a huge issue. His son had been a strong boy who had never needed much help to become a man…but now things were different. Zanah was below…and he would not die here, no let any of these ironmongers get their hands on her.
He was the one that would take the first shot, having to choose someone at the front since there seemed to be no high ranking men among those marching in, not even Captains. He didn't think much of it as he charged his magic and fired a piercing bullet.
The second one of their men fell was the signal for the attack to begin. Immediately, the well placed civilians began to rain down bottle after bottle of flaming alcohol down upon the soldiers, breaking their lines almost instantly as some pulled back and others still tried to continue forward.
This is where it all counted for the most. They didn't have to focus on those trying to run back from the fire, but the ones trying to get closer to the church were the problem. Strauss was already firing shot after shot at them while others placed at houses close to the church poked their heads out with the weapons and unleashed a storm of metal upon them.
The armor they had been wearing had been made to protect them from fire, sure…but it was not meant for slow advances. These men had been young and inexperienced compared to the ones Strauss had fought long ago…but that wouldn't stop him from ending them all the same.
At first, it all looked like a success. There was a major retreat and the ones who tried to move forward were stopped and killed by the old man showing off just what a mage could do even in old age.
Then one of the buildings on the edge of the street exploded, killing four of the men he had placed inside of the building instantly as it crumbled into broken bricks and dust.
At first he thought maybe his runner had been wrong and they had brought artillery…but if that was the case they would have shelled first and sent infantry later. No…this was something else.
In the quiet of the night, among only the sounds of fire he listened, and heard a small little POOM sound near the edge of the street. Again, another building was destroyed on the opposite side of the street.
He had a sneaking suspicion of what was going on…and so he poked out of cover in looks all over the street, seeing either dead metal wearing men or fire…but also a shimmer amongst them.
"Son of a bitch." He charges his magic, firing straight at the shimmer…only for it to get reflected off. He watches as the illusory magic fades away, revealing a man in armor unlike the rest. It was nearly three or even four times thicker and it seemed more mechanical than just your average plate armor…and it wasn't hard to see why as three computational jewels shined in the dark.
However what made this man even more dangerous was the weapon he carried. It was some kind of jury rigged mortar that had a rifle butt stuck to the end. Strauss could see him load it, breaking it open like a breach loaded gun before putting a mortar round into it and aiming right where he was.
"Remember me Hammer!?" The man shouted before another POOM rang out.
Even getting his shield up didn't help much when the mortar round struck the tower. The old man's defenses barely held up as he was nearly blown back over the edge to fall down the roof, saved only by the fact in his old age he had gained some weight compared to his younger years and that had kept him just stable enough not to get thrown over.
He tried to shake the ringing out of his ears, feeling more explosions rock the buildings down the street as the armored mage began heading down the street, making his way closer.
He didn't know who the bastard was…but he was gonna kill that armored asshole if it was the last thing he did.
King wasn't sure what to do. The women and children in the town were all huddled up behind dozens of the pews stacked up together like some sort of wall to protect them, but even he knew if the explosions outside got any closer that it wouldn't matter…and the fear of that alone was damn near making him piss himself.
It was terrible to just…hear a battle like this. Back in his own world he'd always been in the middle of fights and mostly knew what was going on…that or it was a fight far off that wasn't a threat, but this was one that was getting closer and closer toward him and it was making him nearly piss himself everytime he felt the ground shake.
Zanah wasn't helping the situation as she kept trying to go upstairs. She had seen her grandfather go up and probably felt scared for him but even so King couldn't let her go up. He made sure to keep her down with himself and the others where it was at least safe. He knew the old man would do his absolute best and hey…the guy was like something of a hero, a war hero…maybe he could do it, maybe he could save King and the others.
He really thought that might be the case, especially as the explosions and gunfire suddenly stopped. Many of the women looked up and around, wondering, hoping beyond all hope that it was over.
King held Zanah tighter though as he saw smoke begin to waft through the boards on the windows. He kept his head down just a few moments before a mortar shell connected with the front and blew the whole wall open, lighting part of the newly created entrance on fire.
Major Atryom Ankare stepped through, wearing armor he had been preparing for years just for this moment. After his failure in Copperhagen all those years ago the Entente Alliance began to test for mages and found him to have latent magical power…but he didn't want to be used to fire off just rifles. No, he wanted to prove that his Rustningsarmé could be made stronger by it…so he made his own armor and made plans to take his revenge as a way to show his nation his power.
Stepping through the threshold to holy ground, he looked upon the civilians, seeing only a single man among them that wasn't his target he decided to ignore them for the moment. After all, he had taken care of most of the resistance by shelling the buildings leading up to the church…so now all that there was left was-
"Don't move!"
Strauss had his weapon pointed at the armored man from the top of the stairs, aiming from a railing with his rifle charged and ready to end this. He had hoped to not let him get so close but he had used illusory smoke to block his vision when he approached and blew the church open, giving the old man no choice but to confront his enemy here.
"So…what is this?!" Strauss roared down at the amor clad major. "Some invasion? Trying to strike fear into civilians of the Empire or something? Why would the Entente attack here of all places?"
The old man had suspected to get no answer back, but he didn't realize just how much he was a part of all of this until Ankare called out to him.
"Major Herr Strauss, leader of the 4th official mage company…known by some as the Hammer." He announces before he takes aim with his mortar at the civilians. "When your arrogant Empire made an incident out of that stupid Prince being murdered, I knew the Entente would not take it lying down…so while they invaded Copperhagen, I convinced them to allow me to take Hellsing…and do you know why I've come to the edge of the imperial sticks to burn away this town?"
Strauss was trying to think. Maybe at thai range his shots might get through the magical defenses, maybe even the armor…if he shot the arm he might have a chance if at the right spot.
"I came for you." Ankare states. "30 years ago, I stepped out in full armor with my troops, the proud Rustningsarmé, feared by many for our invincibility…only to have you shoot me in the knee the second you had a sight on me. You and that mage company of yours proved that our armor didn't matter much…and now I'll prove otherwise, by showing them that my armor is the way of the future."
Strauss stared at the man in near disbelief. "You…were humiliated? That's it? You can still walk, still do something…and you came here to kill me just for that?"
Feeling mocked, Ankare turned the mortar toward the stairs, firing off a shell that blew them apart. Dust and brick flew everywhere as King and many of the other children and women tried to move away.
Strauss had fallen to the floor of the church, nearly breaking his damn legs as he landed…but he wasn't going to waste his chance. In the few moments of dust blocking the armored idiot's view he aimed his weapon, took a short breath and called all the magic his body would allow him to pull.
The second he saw the glint of those computational jewels through the dust, he fired. Piercing through the magical shield, breaking it open as his bullet dug into the armor…but only ended up as a shallow wound in the man's side.
The old man wasn't finished though, he had something to protect after all. He grabbed one of the nearby broken bricks and closed in to slam it up against the bastard's head before pulling the mortar out of his clumsy metal arms. Before he could fire it though the major pushed back in to strike against the old man's face, breaking more than a few of his teeth with that metal clad hand.
What came next couldn't be called a brawl. Strauss tried his best but he was old, his magic was waning…and even with it a fist fight even with a slow metal man was beyond him.
Ankare rained blow after blow upon the old man, making him sputter and cough off blood to an effect of great satisfaction in the major. He had dreamt of this fight for so long…and the only problem was the old man simply hadn't been that much of a battle in the end.
He tore the man's watch away from his hand before throwing it to the side, leaving him powerless and near blacking out from the pain.
"Now now, come on…don't tell me you're gonna fall asleep before we finish?" He asks, holding the broken old man up by his collar as his legs had nearly given out. "Well, at the very least…we can still end things on a high note."
Ankare pulls at a switch at his wrist, making a blade erupt from the top of his armored fist. It was looking to be an utterly perfect crescendo…and then someone had to ruin it.
"Gaaaaaaaaaaah! Gaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhh! Gaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!"
Before all the civilians, sitting between one of the pews was a small girl, her head bowed, her hands together as if almost to pray, screaming her lungs out in a stupid way that only seemed to ruin the moment for the major.
"Shut up! Now!"
"Gaaaaaaaah! Gaaaaaaaah! Gaaaaaah!"
Ugh, he lets go of the old man and begins to approach the girl, wanting to take care of the little whelp before he finally took care of years of personal revenge.
In all of his life…King had never felt as utterly stupid and powerless when he heard Zanah scream out. She had slipped away from him during the commotion and to his shame he didn't think of where she was until she screamed.
Even when she did, he had been paralyzed because he knew why she was screaming. She was scared. She could recognize that someone she loved was being hurt and it hurt her to watch…and the simple girl could only do one thing to respond to it. She did what her grandfather taught her to do…she prayed.
Zanah, even without really knowing what she was doing…was screaming out to god. She screamed out with tears in her eyes and yet the same look on her face that just twisted at King's heart…and then the man approached her.
He was armored and had a knife in his arm…and King didn't know what he was going to do with how annoyed he was at her screaming and he knew she wouldn't stop. Terrible bile ran up his throat as his worst fears had come to tear at his mind. He had felt powerless before in the world but there was always someone to save him…but who would save Zanah?
Who would save that simple, nice girl who barely got a chance to draw with her new colored crayons.
In utter desperation, King called out for the only help he could. "GOD!"
The word echoed around the room as a sudden silence erupted. The whole world froze as his plea continued to echo out. Even the fire along the door and outside was frozen in the air…and yet King could still look around and move while the man in armor and Zanah were frozen in place.
I MUST ASK, WHY HAVE YOU CALLED UPON ME NOW?
King tracks the voice toward the ornate windows, most of them cracked and yet the eyes of the men, saints and gods depicted on them follow him as he looks around.
"You know why…you need to save them…you need to save her."
WHY SHOULD I SAVE HER?
King slammed his fist against the ground. "She is literally praying to you to help!"
SHE DOES NOT EVEN UNDERSTAND WHAT SHE IS DOING. HER MIND IS LIMITED AND CANNOT TRULY GRASP MY EXISTENCE. WHY SHOULD I SAVE THOSE WHO LACK THE CAPACITY OF FAITH IN ME? I DO NOT SEE WHY I SHOULD NOT LET THIS GAME PLAY OUT AND SIMPLY REINCARNATE HER. PERHAPS IN THE NEXT LIFE SHE WILL BE MORE FAITHFUL.
King was beginning to realize what this was all about, what god was about. This god…being or creature. It wanted worship…it wanted praise for its job, and didn't care for anybody ungrateful or those that couldn't be made to care. Even through reincarnation all it wanted was to create more worshippers.
"Fine…I'll worship you. I'll praise you. I'll give you everything you goddamn want…just save her, please…please…god."
AH, DO NOT WORRY...I AM THY LORD, AND THE LORD HELPS THOSE WHO HELP THEMSELVES.
Discarded into the dirt, Strauss's watch is pulled by an unseen force to be left in the air before King. The blue of its jewel slowly turns to a deep golden color.
TAKE THIS AND WITH IT YOU WILL SPEAK TRUTH TO POWER. YOU WILL BE AN INSTRUMENT, A HERO TO WHICH MY POWER MAY BRING UPON THE FAITHFUL TO ME.
King looked at the gem, doubt sprawling from his heart. "But…I'm not a hero, I can't speak any truth to anyone…"
A blinding light, almost fire-like rolls over King, blinding him and pushing him down toward the ground.
WHO MADE MAN'S MOUTH? WHO MADE THE DEAF, THE MUTE, THE SEEING OR THE BLIND? DID NOT I? NOW TAKE THE JEWEL…OR FACE THE WORLD WITHOUT FAITH.
The young, scarred man tries to look upward into the center of the light burning his eyes, striking forward reaching toward the golden jewel with all of his strength…
"Gaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhh!"
Atryom Ankare was ready to end the girl's wailing and take his revenge, pushing one of the pews out of the way as he got ready to silence her…but he did not expect another to stand against him.
"Do you not know where you are?"
Annoyed, the major turned and saw a tall, scarred man he hadn't noticed before, looking at him with eyes that almost shined like gold in the bare light the fires outside provided. He didn't know how to answer the stupid man who thought he could stand up to him with no weapons or way of defending himself by the way it looks.
"This…is a house of god, and you have trampled upon it and his worshippers…repent, leave…and you may be forgiven."
The girl's screaming had been replaced with the Major's loud, rapturous laughter. He was standing in one of the most advanced pieces of magical equipment the world had ever seen. It used magical power to help levitate the armor that no man could lift alone to protect him and help him carry some of the most devastating weapons known and now some skinny idiot is going to speak of god?
"Oh I'll leave…after I'm done with every fool who interrupts my revenge." He states before turning toward the scarred man.
As he approaches, the young man opens his arms, looking at the major with no fear as he speaks. "God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference."
"Prayers won't save you now boy." The armored man grabs him by the collar, lifting him off his feet before pulling his wrist blade back. "But go ahead, finish them, let it bring you peace after I spill the life from you."
The major sees the young man smiling down at, almost in a cocky way as he continues. "Living one day at a time; enjoying one moment at a time; taking this world as it is and not as I would have it; trusting that you will make all things right if I surrender to your will; so that I may be reasonably happy in this life and supremely happy with you forever in the next."
Just then, Major Atryom Ankare sees the scarred man press his hand up against his chest plate.
"Amen."
It hits him like a ton of bricks. The power of his suit, all the magic that keeps it nearly weightless suddenly gives out. He tries to concentrate more of his magic but it's no use. His knees buckle first and he's forced to let go of the boy as he falls backward to the ground.
There was no way to take off the suit in this position. No way to escape except to try to get it working again and yet it was like his jewels weren't accepting any of his commands. The only part of his body he could move was his head, which he tried to move up to see if maybe the young man had damaged his suit or something…only to see that his jewels were still glowing with his magical energy, but they had changed in color to a deep, foreboding gold.
The same gold that was glowing from the young man's watch…another computational jewel? However Major Ankare thought it impossible…there was no way someone could control another jewel like this…it was utterly impossible!
He didn't have a lot of time to consider that though as the young, scarred man stepped back to allow Strauss through. Spitting out a few teeth to the side he had been able to pick himself up just after Ankare went down…and he came with his rifle.
With a single hand, he poked the end of it right into the majors helmet, slipping past the holes that lead to his eyes.
"You know what's funny…I am going to remember you now, Ankare the Anchor…because now you're nothing but a heavy, stuck, hunk of metal…that last nail sticking out to be hammered down."
The Major tries to protest, to yell and scream from inside of his suit, but it's no use.
"Should have stayed in your country dummkopf."
With that, Strauss pulls the trigger.
Nothing ever ends, not really. God's game goes on and on.
King got to experience that when he woke up, looking around to find himself in an unfamiliar bed and in an unfamiliar place…with the armored helmet looking straight at him from where he was laying.
He bolts straight up, only to see the helmet turn while it's attached to an extremely small body. His eyes dart around and he takes in the fact he's in a small room with a pile of that armor on the floor while Zanah is standing at the edge of a bed, looking at him while wearing a piece.
For the life of him, he can't understand how he got there at all…though he could feel something clutched in his palm…and looked to see it was Strauss's watch. It's computational jewel now back to a bluish color as he remembered at least part of what happened with god…but still, the rest of it was an utter blur.
"Now now, don go botterin him nah." Strauss steps in, part of his face bandaged up as he waddles in with a limp. His voice slurred from no doubt his many broken teeth.
Little Zanah dashes toward his side, grabbing upon his leg as he reaches down to pull the helmet off her head, throwing it back in the pile of armor. "Ugh…damn bastard he was. Gonna keep that armor though, might be a nice trophy. How ya feeling boy?"
King wasn't sure how he felt, frankly he was wondering how a man like Strauss could even stand after so much punishment…but there was one question on his mind. "I'm sorry…last night was such a blur to me…what happened at the church?"
Strauss smiled before he sat on the bed, cracking his neck a little and letting himself relax just a bit. He hadn't slept all night and no doubt sleep would be calling for him soon…but the boy would at least hear what happened.
The old man explained that after that idiot major was dealt with his men didn't move in for another attack. His guess was that the major had ordered them not to attack until he came back or gave the order. He'd seen no Captains or other leadership among the soldiers so…there was no one to tell them what to do and they held their position.
The night went by, and by the morning the Empire had sent a battalion of aerial mages to sort things out from the sky. According to who led the mages the Rustningsarmé were completely wiped out.
"So…everything's okay now? Everyones safe?"
Strauss has to frown at that, and explains that they had more than a few deaths…a lot of injured men they had to pull from buildings, but for the most part yes…everyone was safe. Yet the old man seemed to still have a dark look on his face.
"When the mages finished…they headed out. They're needed in Copperhagen." He states before he looks down at Zanah, tussling her hair. "The alliance…they're invading. It's another war."
The Alliance…is invading the Empire? All of this just utterly confused King…but what was worrying him was the look of concern on Strauss's face.
"Old man…what's wrong? You can tell me.'
Strauss felt terrible, but from more than just pain. In the end, Hellsing paid the price for his action years and years ago…and he nearly lost everything from it. They burned his orchard and home when they approached the town…the only thing left to him is Zanah, and he could not support her like he is now.
"The army…will need soldiers for the war. My home and the orchard are gone…I need to support Zanah."
"Baba." She says, poking at his leg while holding it tight, as if to make sure he's still there and that he's safe and alright.
"I can send you money back…you must take care of Zanah while I go and fight."
King looked at the old and tired man, seeing just the terrible amount of defeat in his eyes. After years of pulling himself away from war…he protected his granddaughter and his people and in return…all that is left for him is to throw himself back into it all to once again. It was unfair…he should get a real happy ending, he should be able to spend time with his granddaughter so that he can protect her and love her the way a grandfather should…and not the way a soldier has to.
Finally, after a few moments…the young man pulled himself up, putting his hand on the old man's shoulder to steady himself as he walked toward a window.
From there…he looked toward the smoking hills and the darker plumes farther away deeper into the country…and knew that this war was all part of that powerful being's plans…and that it didn't matter who lived, died or won…all that mattered was faith.
He pulls up the watch, looking up the jewel as his eyes flash gold for just a moment.
"So…what does it matter if another guy goes off to war?" He mutters to himself, sighing before turning to smile at the old man.
"Strauss…I have an idea."
Story by Ekroth Ekronicus
Written NOT by me, but by Joe D Mercala, also known by his alias JoeTheMercenary on fanfic. If you like his writing here, go check him out, commision a fic or two and support his activities. His discord is: Joe D. Mercala#8764