A/N: A near end to this long-written story. My apologies with a chapter.
Final Confrontation
Alucard's grin widened to a frightening length as Integra spoke her agreement, the vampire stepping back and lifting his hands before his shoulders.
"If I may be so rude as to begin first" he spoke, chuckling as he received a simple nod from the doctor.
A sudden wind then began to rise around the vampire as the three companions gazed on, two with passive faces and the last in a mixture of fear and fascination. The darkness of the night around them melded and bent, creating a surreal world as the focal point of the energy centered around the monster.
Their clothing blew about with a stinging whip against their skin while Alucard's long hair seemed to grow and cover his entire body, his own clothing changing into a simple garb of shirt, shoes, and pants. Nothing could be heard but the wailing of the wind with what appeared to be hundreds of shadowed tendrils swirling about the group, appearing to be absorbed by the vampire whom lay within the eye of the storm.
With a great crash of noise did the tempest suddenly dissolve into the air, sending branches and leaves upon the heads of the companions. Alucard smiled widely as a strange aura of shadows now surrounded his body, creating a halo of pitch black darkness which seemed to stretch and shrink according to its own will.
"My cards have now been presented to you, good lady" Alucard stated to Integra, giving a mocking bow by the use of his shadows. "You may now bring forth your hand."
"My pleasure" Integra countered, smirking as she drew her gun on the vampire and aimed for his heart. "I am afraid my show of power is not so great as yours, but my weapons are quite effective."
"Indeed" the vampire responded, peering almost suspiciously toward her arms. "I assume the typical silver bullets are within your pistol, though I expect you have modified the old traditions."
"I shall not disappoint you then" Integra spoke while stepping forward toward Alucard, her eyes alert and ready. "If you wish, monster" she spat, venom in her voice. "You may act first. However, I shall not grant you any other favor but this."
"I object!" a small but firm voice suddenly rang out, causing all eyes to turn to the heiress standing on the side of Integra.
Seras appeared to be fuming, her fists clenched tightly and her eyes narrowed to dangerous slits.
"I refuse to be used as a pawn in either of your games!" Seras yelled, stomping up to stand between both Alucard and Integra. First she turned to the doctor, shaking her head vehemently. "Miss Integra, I am most grateful for your help but I will not stand aside and let you use me as a tool for your moral crusade. And you" she added with more than a hint of disgust, her gaze moving to the vampire watching the confrontation with amusement. "Willing or unwilling, I shall never belong to you in the manner you wish."
"Shall we test your theory?" Alucard asked.
Tilting his head to one side, the vampire's shadows suddenly shot forward and grabbed Seras. The heiress thrashing madly as she was dragged to him, being turned mid-travel and having her back almost crushed against his shirt. Shouts from both her companions were heard even as the monster wrapped his arms around her figure.
"You stupid girl!" Integra yelled, taking a careful step toward Seras. "Monster" she spat, addressing the triumphant vampire. "Even if you destroy her soul you shall never leave these moors with your blasphemous life."
Seras coughed as the force of Alucard crushing her to his body knocked the wind from her lungs, causing her vision to blur for an instant. She could barely make out the form of Integra with her gun raised, though now the weapon pointed straight to her own heart. However, the heiress had enough strength to brazenly turn her eyes upward, looking straight into the ruby orbs of the vampire holding her.
"Incapable of using your own powers, monster?" Seras boldly wheezed out, the mocking smile accompanying her words slipping for a moment as his gaze trapped her own.
"Quite the contrary" Alucard whispered, his words barely reaching even Seras' ears.
Seras' face contorted into a confused expression by his answer, but her thoughts were interrupted. Suddenly a man, who was clearly not within his senses by the wild look in his eyes, staggered into the ring of darkness surrounding the four combatants.
Seras vaguely recognized the man as being the foreman of the men whom had assisted in the search for the vampire's coffin. She gasped as a piece of metal, shone clearly by the aid of the lantern the man carried in his other hand, revealed that the man held a weapon in his grasp.
"You were told to remain hidden" Integra hissed to the stranger, her gaze quickly returning to Alucard after the moment of distraction.
"Beggin' yer pardon, ma'am" the man apologized, his eyes steadily fixed to the vampire smirking at him with his treasure. "Ah couldn't stand back while this monster 'ere destroyed another soul" he spoke, spitting to the ground for emphasis. "So yer the one who killed my men" he commented with a venomous tone, addressing Alucard. Slowly he raised his gun, pointed the large barrel at the vampire's head. "Ah suspect yer jus' as vulnerable as yer vermin were."
Walter snapped his strings back, preparing to cut the foreman's arm off if necessary, but the doctor gave her servant a look of warning and he held his weapon. Integra opened her arms slightly in a harmless gesture, all the while keeping one eye upon the monster grinning madly.
"You do not know what you are challenging" she spoke, striding up to the man with gentle but quick steps. However, the man turned to now aim the weapon in her direction, causing Integra to halt in her tracks. "Leave now" she firmly ordered the foreman, her eyes narrowing in growing agitation and anger.
"Indeed, listen to the good doctor" Alucard casually spoke, pulling Seras closer as she struggled her objection. "If your men had, they might have survi-"
"Ah'll not!" the foreman interjected, the sound of a rifle clicking catching the ears of all around. "Yer to blame for their deaths, you and the whore in yer arms! She was the one who riled you up and caused this mess!"
His comment riled the anger of the vampire, the monster's eyes burning as coals from hell. Integra and Walter saw their chance of attack, with the vampire distracted by his anger, and both began to lessen the gap separating themselves from Alucard. Seras was also aware of the noticeable change, his grip tightening upon her and his actions toward her insult confusing her thoughts.
"I do not have the time for you, peasant" Alucard spat, his mouth turning downward in a snarl. "Out of my way before you become as your friends."
"Ya bloody monster!" the man screamed, turning his attention to the vampire and raising his gun with quivering fingers. "They were good men, 'onest and God fearin'! I won't let ya take anymore!"
"Stop you fool!" Integra commanded, reaching out to grab the weapon from his hand.
Seras suddenly found her viewpoint turned in the completely opposite direction, a loud shot echoing in the still air. The creature's body pushed against hers for what felt as a long moment, her ears hearing the shouts of Walter and Integra close by. Then the grip was suddenly loosened as Alucard pulled away from her, a loud animalistic snarl erupting from him as he turned toward the foreman.
The vampire's eyes glowed with murderous intent as the shadows about him suddenly lifted and dove toward the foreman, the man barely able to let out a horrific scream before the darkness engulfed him. For a moment time seemed to stand still as the swirling mass of pitch black tendrils shifted wildly, then began to slow. Finally, as if an invisible weight had been lifted, the dark cloud retreated back to Alucard and Seras stepped forward with a strangled gasp at what now lay before her.
The foreman's body lay charred and smoking amidst death grass and blackened ground, his facial features indistinguishable. Parts of his body were missing, as if the mass had taken the forms of many mouths and partaken of his flesh.
Suddenly, with precise skill Walter's newly repaired strings latched firmly around Alucard's throat, almost removing the monster's head but being stopped by the shadows surrounding him. Integra fired off several shots from her pistol as Seras turned her head at the sound of hideous screeches of anger from behind, her mouth agape at the vision before her. As she watched on Alucard writhed angrily in his bonds, gnashing his teeth while his shadow servants thrashed wildly around him. Blood began to seep from the many wounds inflicted by the wires and blessed bullets, coating his clothing and soaking the ground beneath him.
Alucard pulled against his bonds, his gaze upon the doctor one of indescribable hatred. As Seras watched, the bullets within him appeared to burn his very flesh, the scars growing with abnormal speed as the vampire strove to free himself. With a violent yell the shadows around him suddenly burst forth, narrowly missing both Integra and Walter as they dove away from the tendrils. Now with the strings loosened around his neck, the monster grabbed the wire and pulled the weapon off himself. Throwing the useless string down upon the ground, he stepped forward with a wild grin upon his face.
However, through his negligence Alucard had not heeded one important factor. A great amount of time had passed, the rising sun in the distance testament to his failure. With a bitter howl the vampire was suddenly swallowed by the remaining darkness around him, the shadows rising from the ground in a tempest and moving swiftly onto the moor away from the coming light.
Barely had the apparition disappeared before Integra roughly grabbed the heiress' arm, shaking her vigorously.
"Where has he gone?" she questioned quickly, emphasizing her point with several hard shakes. "Do you know where the monster's coffin is located?"
"In the cellar of the mansion" Seras answered quietly, her tone eerily calm.
"To the manor then!" Integra commanded, taking a firmer hold of the still shaken Seras and beginning the journey to the estate. Walter followed closely behind, his wires seeming to disappear within his gloves as they gave chase.
Fortunately the walk took only a few minutes, Alucard having not forcefully walked Seras for any amount of time. Much to the dismay of the companions, however, the return to the Victoria estate was found to be only the first stage in their struggle. When they reached the house neither the doors nor the windows were open, bound by the will of the creature within to remain sealed. By the use of their weapons were they able to remove one of the lower windows, only to find a complete wall of impenetrable darkness upon the other side. All other efforts were the same, each attempt at entering was thwarted by a solid force of shadows.
"Bloody hell!" Integra cursed as she looked at her storage of ammunition, the number dangerously low. However, looking to the wall of darkness with a determined expression, she suddenly nodded her head and turned to her two companions. "We have no other option. We must burn the manor down."
"What!" Seras exclaimed, her mouth agape in shock. "How will such an action succeed in destroying the monster's barrier!"
"Simple" Integra answered calmly, stepping down from the front steps and turning to face the mansion. "Fire is said to purify the unclean beings in this world, vampires among them."
"Then shall I gather wood and torches for assistance?" Walter asked, giving a courtesy bow.
"No need, Walter" Integra answered, taking the still-burning lantern from the retainer's hand and throwing the torch upon the front of the manor.
Immediately, to the satisfaction of the doctor but to the horror of the heiress, the old and weathered wood lit aflame easily, beginning to engulf the left side of the house even as they watched on.
Seras' mind, however, was focused on another matter, her thoughts repeating over her memories of the time she had spent with the monster known as Alucard.
The walking upon the moors, the evening visits, though those had taken on grotesque meanings at the discovery of what he was. The capture of herself, their following discussion, and her eventual rescue by Integra and Walter. Then the confrontation the past night came to mind, heavily weighing upon her.
He had saved her life by an action which could have taken his own. He had shown promise for compassion toward her, his strange and twisted method of courtship appearing clearly to her eyes as she watched the unrelenting flames engulf the manor. And what had he meant when he had spoken of earlier concerning his needing of her? Why had he chosen her among other people of the village to interact and attack?
But now she was condemning him to a terrible death, burnt alive, in a manner, when he was completely defenseless. She would not find the answers to her questions, nor would she ever see him again as the flames licked the eves of the second floor.
"No!" Seras screamed, lunging past Integra and into the raging inferno.
The doctor and servant tried valiantly to stop the heiress from plunging into the flames, but their efforts came to naught as a support beam collapsed directly behind Seras as she entered the building. Their way was blocked from rescuing her, even if she would wish them to do so.
"We have assisted her the best we can" Integra spoke, standing back with Walter and watching as the flames took the second floor.
For a moment after she had entered the mansion Seras momentarily lost her bearings because of the distorted and burning woods. However, she soon regained her sense of direction as she recognized the doorway to the kitchen, apparently the only unscathed portion of the house. Rushing into the room she immediately noticed the door to cellar the was ajar, a stroke of good luck, but began to cough as the smoke from the house began to choke her breathing. Covering her mouth she looked frantically about her, finally managing to retrieve the water bucket from beside the sink. Fortunately the pump still worked, allowing her to gain several gallons of the liquid before the cabinets upon both sides of her literally burst from the intense heat.
The fire burnt all around Seras as she rushed down the cellar stairs, sprinting to the shut coffin and futilely attempted to douse the coming flames above with the water. The action was to no avail as the smoke crept into her lungs and she began to cough, slumping down against the coffin while holding one hand over her mouth. With her strength weakening she slowly slid to the ground, her eyes watering and distorting her sight.
Seras for a moment began to believe she had died when the lid to the coffin suddenly began to rise, sliding to the soil beside her with a soft thump. She turned her gaze to the figure sitting up within the long box, the grin recognizable even in her condition. He smoothly slid out of the coffin and kneeled beside her, his glowing scarlet eyes piercing the growing darkness surrounding her.
"Death is coming, Seras Victoria" Alucard spoke, his voice seeming to come from far away to Seras' dimming hearing. "Do you want to live?" he asked her, his calm tone barely penetrating the chaos around them.
Seras had barely enough strength to nod her head before the world around her blackened into blissful silence.