Durga
Chapter Ten
- The Judgement
They were in the middle of the darkness, endless obscurity everywhere Integral laid her eyes on; devoid of smell and any sensation but a chilling cold. So icy that even froze her dead core. No one knew for certain what secrets hid the Abyss, which creatures managed to live among the shadows or if it indeed had limits.
Not even herself.
"What are you doing, Alucard?! Seras needs us, you traitorous leech!" Integral demanded, regenerating the holes of his bullets as trying to escape the Abyss with no use. The other vampire's influence was overwhelming. She was disgusted by his actions. Had he not a single remnant of decency, even for his own fledgling? But Integral knew that Alucard never respected Seras.
"Seras needs to take the final step to maturity," Alucard retorted with an infernal grin. Glowering, Integral mustered an extension of shadows to create a weapon akin to a whip. With it, she slashed the Voivode on the face, wanting to drawn his blood - to punish him. He laughed; she realized that her rival was allowing her to make each strike. And it granted her an advantage. Integral was convinced that she was capable of doing the job by herself; his generosity was unnecessary. "Come now, such fetish of the proper Sir Hellsing."
Integral's eyes narrowed, she did not pay heed to his mocking taunt. In that moment, she wanted nothing more than to destroy him. Seras was in pain for his selfish idea of a 'growing up lesson.' She knew Alucard's end was for Police Girl's greater good - or rather what he believed was the best for his fledgling. The knight had been put in such tests whilst she was a teenager and succeeded in them.
Minutes passed as they seized each others, they were so still that they resembled marble statues. But in truth, they were having a battle of wills, projecting their powers. Every crack Integral managed to open was soon closed by Alucard. Frustration was growing inside her, so was despair and above all things, anger at her impotence. He would pay dearly for this if Seras came out badly harmed.
"Stop that, Integra. Seras knows already what she must do," Alucard assured, advancing towards her.
"Never has it occurred to you that she has the right to make her own decisions without you forcing them on her?"
"No."
Integral's jaw almost fell to his response. Though really, it wasn't surprising after all. Alucard had such a condescending 'holier than you' wanker when it came to Seras and - to a lesser degree - herself. She was so glad to not be his charge.
Alucard moved slyly, approaching to stand toe to toe from her whilst her mind swayed away. Integral stared icily at him before shoving the barrel of her rifle into his glittering teeth and pulled up the trigger. The sound of shots expanded on the stilled Abyss, echoing in their unexplored sections. Her face was splattered with the Voivode's blood, brains, and bones. She did not move a muscle, her lips tensed in a thin line of disdain. He could have dodged, she was certain; it was like Alucard enjoyed her violence against him.
How come she could fight someone who adored pain as much as pleasure?
His flinch endured enough for her to search a way out. Integral contemplated while he reformed his body. How could she be oblivious to what was happening outside? Alucard stole her trick of clouding senses. That would be the explanation.
Bastard.
Soon after Alucard regenerated, the leering smile vanished from his lips. Once smug features shifted into a shocking demeanour, darkening. It was fleeting, but crystal clear for Integral, who guessed what had happened at once.
Seras Victoria had chosen death over true immortality.
That fool!
She did not know if her insult was directed towards Alucard or Seras. There was no time to ponder anymore. With a scream, she tore apart the dark veil covering her and Alucard, rushing towards Seras' collapsing body.
"Seras!" Integral could not help but wail, unable to hide the sorrow on her tone. The Mansion could be built again, new troops could be hired, but Seras, her Captain and friend, was irreplaceable. Leaping forward, she caught the head before it fell to the ground, attempting to stop a further damage. Her fingers stroke the Police Girl's cheeks, trying in vain to make her react.
Seras' heart was pierced with a silver weapon and her head severed. That was mortal for every Midian who had not drunk the Soma. The elixir of life - that was her only chance.
Quickly, Integral focused in the Abyss. Senses sought the precious liquor with no use. It was too grand, too undecipherable. The Soma was lost. Her last measure was her own blood. It would be risky, her blood became barren due to the Hellsing experiments side effects... it would not provide any nourishment. But Integral had to try. The skin of her thumb parted. Integral pressed the bleeding cut on Seras' lips as she kept caressing her face.
No response, not even the tiniest twitch. It was evident that would not work. Integral could not play Isis and rekindle life. Gnashing her teeth in rage to the point of almost shattering them, her fingertips pressed in points that would ease her pain as the Police Girl uttered her last request.
Forgiveness.
How could she forgive this? The hollowness built inside her - the impotence and wrath. But Integral respected Seras enough to grant this. She was not like Alucard in that matter, despite the fact that they were much alike.
Integral conceded Seras her final rest, granting her wish. She would judge Alucard for his behaviour after this; the Voivode would not go unpunished. Licking the trails of blood near the corner of Victoria's mouth, Integral swore to honour that oath.
How ironic it was. Integral was doing exactly the same thing she had berated Seras for about – involving herself with her prey intimately.
Perhaps they were more alike than she had given herself credit for.
It was over; the knight could not detect Seras' brain activity anymore.
If Integral were a sentimentalist sap, she would have sworn that the spirit of her subordinate was transcending. That there was a spectacle of sparks and light which only she was able to see. But alas, she wasn't. All that Integral saw was Seras' head decomposing in her hands, turning into a poodle of blood which poured onto the soil.
Alucard's scream or rage rumbled the atmosphere, so did Mahisa's. Integral closed her hands into fists. The Asuras would pay. They were invading her home. No self-pity of what happened long ago would buy her like it did with Seras. She was not an empathic creature around invaders.
They would suffer. They would scream mercy at her feet as she crushed their very souls. As every bit of their flesh was consumed by the thirst of her vengeance.
Within Alucard's orbs ignited fire, hellish flames as he scanned his former people. "You broke the promise," he snarled, advancing towards Mahisa. An invisible barrier blocked his way. Her doing. "Seras was my bride, my fledgling. It's my right."
Integral phased through the barrier, it made her furious Alucard dared to claim something on Seras. He was partly responsible for her demise. So was she. If the knight would have stayed instead of fooling around with the Voivode in the airport this would have been avoided.
"Seras was my only companion and confidant for over two centuries, Alucard."
Her tone was frosty, filled with firmness. She had never felt hatred so mixed with loss since Millennium's attack.
"You... you were the one who killed..." Mahisa stepped back, stuttering. Integral smiled in return, knowing that she could win the battle without much difficulty. However, she wanted to crush the heathen, humiliate him. Fed on his misery.
"You can kill the rest. But Durga is the one who slays Mahisa."
Alucard did not answer, but silence meant that he had agreed to Integral's statement. He was too proud to admit it.
"I'm not afraid of an old myth," Mahisa declared, tossing multiple katars against Integral. They stabbed her, biting her skin with silver. She did not mind the burns. Her wrath was stronger. "I shall re-write the legend!"
As her foe trailed off, Integral concentrated in the perimeter, bringing the blood of her fallen troops towards her. A velvet curtain of crimson formed around her and Mahisa. No one would distract her from the quarrel.
The vital fluid of her men was beneath them. She was walking on the pond, as her weight was light as a feather. It took her a minute to absorb the clot into her system. Integral had no craving for blood, but to take part of the fallen soldiers within herself. Had she acquired Seras' trait by accident?
The blood entered through the microscopic pores of her skin, soaking her in scarlet. It carried a glimpse of the memories of what happened whilst she was away.
Integral found herself back to the gory massacre. Smelling the fear on her troops. Her ears could hear the shouts of agony, the increasing pinches, as they were gut, cut and driven insane by the Asuras. At first, Integral lounged to help them, attempting to tear apart the enemies and free her people. The moment passed, cut by Mahisa sword over her throat. The blade severed her head taking advantage of her day dreaming.
That was the past. Her fight was the present and the future.
The falling head was captured by her arms that expertly resettled it between the shoulders as if was a mere flesh wound. Once the skin had knit, Integral jumped on the air, leaping backwards. During her spin, she jolted Mahisa on the chest with her feet, throwing him meters away. The Pacu Pati made contact with the limit of the red veil that separated them from the rest.
The Midian landed not far from it. The katars dropped to her feet. They had shredded her clothes that were now in tatters. Integral looked feral with her hair rifled and half nude covered with blood.
It was not in Integral's plans to remain in that state of undress. There was the choice of redoing her suit, however that would not be impressive enough. Mahisa's death would be spectacular. An example - a quick kill wouldn't sate her yearn for payback.
The vital liquids that belonged to her troops, Peter and Seras were building a clot-armour around the remains of her wardrobe. She advanced, eyes narrowed in amusement as Mahisa recovered. He growled, as if accepting her challenge.
To her surprise, the fool shifted to a bull form. More like an oriental Minotaur likely ready to stab her with his horns then devour the body.
Poor idiot, he really thought that would frighten her?
She phased away his charge, licking her lips in amusement. Even if Integral had vanished, the protuberance managed to sting her deeply. Integral was prepared to stop him in the following assault. She remained still, like if she was glued to the floor and extended her arms to grasp at Mahisa's horns, holding him. When he sought to strike her with his free hands, Integral surprised him by creating a set of extra arms - or rather ten new ones. Dozen fists hit his abdomen, forcing Mahisa to back off."Did you run out of aces, Demon King?"
"I still have some..."
A lighting struck down Integral, she bit down a shriek as the ray was frying her from inside. Gnashing her teeth, the Hellsing swallowed the killing beam with her darkness. She would not underestimate the Asura anymore.
Shadows and blood - she constructed her weapons using those elements and the silver from the bullets of her troops. It was done in a bat of an eyelash; Integral did not hide her might anymore. She could smell his fear as she drifted closer, as the tools became more distinguishable.
Each of her twelve hands held one different - Khadga; Trishula; Chakra; Tir; Bharji; Khitaka; Dhanush; Pasha; Ankush; Sipar; Parashu.The last one was still hidden in secrecy. She had her reasons to keep it that way.
Bristling, the bull-headed Mahisa lounged in her direction. Integral smirked, using shield to protect herself of the deadly horns. The fool had put himself at a small distance. Losing no time, she prodded him with her goad as another arm axed down the protuberances. He squeaked and retreated, his dark blood dripped down, joining the pond of mixed liquids.
Did he expect her to follow the legend exactly? It was better to improvise.
Mahisa's suffering delighted her. So did the despair reflected in those black eyes, akin to a caged animal. Integral tensed the string of her bow and shot the arrow to his left eye. In addiction, she aimed the javelin to pierce the other. The thunderdisc cut his tail.
Blind and insane, Mahisa stumbled towards her once again, seeking to step on her. The knight laughed, mocking his last stand as she pulled out the club to smash his back. Yelping, Mahisa fell to the ground, just above her noose. Trapped. The Asura was now where she wanted him to be. Simultaneously, Integral plunged him with her sword and trident mercilessly.
Mahisa was wailing, rolling around the floor. He had left his bull form and acquired human one once more.
Showing no pity, Integral called out to her familiar. She had never brought it to the light or known what it was. A ferocious roar rumbled across the cocoon Integral had created. From her body a great feline came out. It was both lion and tiger in the same body. The shape was not well defined to tell for certain. The motions of shifting paused in the leonine form.
Mrigaraj - the divine lion - Durga's mount; it was good it's origin was not demonic, even if heathen. Integral did not wish to traffic with devils of any religion.
Despite how solemn everything was, Integral felt the urge to pet her familiar. The beast purred at her stroking. His orange fur was soft and pleasant to the touch - so soft and smooth. With a chuckle, Integral saddled the lion. He licked his muzzle, sniffing the groaning Pacu Pati.
"Take it off me!" Mahisa exclaimed, panicking. A heavy paw descended over his chest, pinning him down.
Integral stirred her arm to reveal her last resource. It was a cannon, made of what was left of both Harkonnens. Mahisa was blind but Integral was certain that he knew what it was when the circumference of the mouth made contact with his abdomen. The Asura was trembling uncontrollably. Going into hysterics, he muttered gibberish in his tongue.
Integral had read his thoughts during their clash. She knew precisely which spot was his weakest: His mother. Dismembered in that execution.
"Did you really believe that I would be completely accurate in this rehash of myth?" Integral asked, lowering her lashes. "Don't worry, little monkey," her tone switched to warm like she were another person - his mother. "I'm proud you wore white."
Mother? Was his naïve response. No longer Mahisa sounded like an adult, in that moment he became the lost orphan child he really was deep inside.
That was her final torture. The fact that Mahisa was filled with hope that Integral was really his mother reincarnated. It was fleeting. The noise of the explosive charges against his flesh erased that delusion along with his unlife.
The chunks of what once was Amar decorated the ground of the Hellsing backyard. Upon Integral's command, Mrigaraj feasted over the bits of the grotesque foe.
White on red. The pure cotton cloth was stained.
The blood curtain vanished as soon she finished.
The choir of cries was a symphony for her ears. Integral looked up to the source of such enchanting music. The sight made her laugh hysterically; she was hardly in a sane mental state after her duel. Where once stood the armies of Asuras was nothing. The creatures had been relocated on the top of the trees or rather poles made by thick vegetation of the woods.
Alucard stood at the feet of everything, appraised her appearance before he offered his hand to help her dismount. Integral denied it, still mesmerized by the view.
"I promised myself that London would have a new impaling attraction on my way here," Alucard said smoothly, hovering beside her. The vestiges of wrath were still darkening his features. Integral noticed them. Seras' death affected him more than she had deemed possible. "But never said which fortunate ones would become the decorations."
There were no words of comfort for either of them... That was not in their nature. They expressed each other's in more violent ways.
Finally, Integral shattered the silence. "Well done, Alucard. Though I'll send a court order when it starts to fester," she commented, half weary, half mirthful. Seras was right. It was time to heal the ties. Good Christians granted second chances. Integral would give it a shot. She had nothing else to lose.
Thank you Seras-Kelia for the edition! And to everyone who reviewed. Next chapter will be the last. Feedback of any shape is appreciated.