Chapter 10
Once they were all in the Hellsing Mansion, Sir Integra had Mr. Goro confined to Alucard's dungeon. Akiko was ordered to put as many magic seals she could think of around Mr. Goro's section of Alucard's dungeon. It was the first time she was ever in Alucard's room; she was shocked by how sparse it was as she set up the magic circles and paper talismans. In all there were about a dozen different seals used to ensure that Mr. Goro stayed put. Once she was done, she looked at Alucard, who was sitting on the only piece of furniture in the room aside from his coffin, his throne. "It's rather empty in here," Akiko said. Alucard took off his sunglasses and explained, "I was captured over a hundred years ago, when I was known as Dracula. Professor Abraham van Helsing wasn't interested in my comfort. That said, I am not denied the necessities, and my Current Master allows me to roam the grounds as long as I do not leave the Mansion without her permission."
Akiko nodded and looked at Mr. Goro, sleeping in the middle of the sealing circles and talismans she had laid. "You need to be careful with him, tanuki are very tricky, and will do anything they can to escape when they are trapped," she said, and Sir Integra arrived just then. "It will take more than some raccoon's tricks to overcome Hellsing," the Knight said. She looked at the tanuki and asked, "If I step into the talismans, will it break the seals?" Akiko nodded. "Then I'll just have to wake him up politely," Sir Integra said, and then pulled out a handgun. Akiko quickly covered her ears as the shot rang through the room, enhanced by the closed space to deafening levels.
Mr. Goro shot up then as if he had been shot and yelled, "Wha? Nani!?" He looked around, still in his Human form, but now his tail was showing, and his ears as well. "Mr. Goro," Sir Integra started. Mr. Goro looked and saw Integra. His eyes started to glow red and his voice echoed through the room, "You know not what you are messing with, presumptuous bitch! RELEASE ME!" Sir Integra was cold as ice though as she asked Akiko, "Do regular bullets work on tanuki?" Akiko swallowed, "I'm not sure. I've never heard of anyone actually managing to shoot one before." Sir Integra nodded and then aimed and shot Mr. Goro in his right knee.
The tanuki's eyes stopped glowing and seemed to almost pop out of his eye sockets as he screamed in shock, "You shot me!" There was an explosion of smoke, and Mr. Goro returned to his regular tanuki form. He looked like an anthropomorphic raccoon-dog, about two feet tall with a straw hat on his head, and his testicles were behind his back, they were both as big as a basketball. "Wow, you weren't joking about his bollocks," Sir Integra said in surprise before regaining her composure. Mr. Goro was nursing his injured leg as the Lady Knight walked around him, just outside the sealing circle. "Now that I have your attention, I'd like to make you an offer. If you aid us in stopping the Yokai-gumi's plans, then you will be allowed to return to Japan, with twenty-million yen in cash. If you refuse, then my office will have a nice new raccoon skin decorating the wall," she said as Alucard followed close behind her. "Why don't you throw in a free blowjob while you're at it, you flat old bitch?" Mr. Goro grumbled in English as his hands glowed, and his wound appeared to heal.
Alucard drew his guns and pointed them at the tanuki, Akiko saw that he was specifically aiming at his large testicles, "Say something like that again about My Master, and I'll pop your balls." Mr. Goro raised his hands in surrender, "Alright, alright. Sheesh. Say I do help you; how do I know that you won't kill me as soon as I'm of no use to you?" Sir Integra nodded, "What would satisfy you? Sexual favors are off the table by the way." Mr. Goro scratched his furry chin; Akiko would have thought he was cute if she hadn't seen his previous behavior. "A blood pact. We both sign a contract and seal it with our blood, like what was proper in old Nippon. It will be binding for us both, and if either one of us violates it, then their life is forfeit," Mr. Goro said. "Very well, Ms. Itto," Sir Integra said, "Get a pen and paper, and a knife, I should have all of them in my desk." Akiko nodded and ran off to grab the items.
She found everything in Sir Integra's desk like she was told and ran back to Alucard's dungeon. Mr. Goro and Sir Integra were both staring at each other as she returned. Mr. Goro spoke first, "Write this down exactly, in Japanese and in English. Think you can do that, kitsune?" Akiko just nodded and put the paper on the ground to start writing. Mr. Goro recited, "We, the mortal woman Sir Integra Fairbrook Wingates Hellsing, and Goro Akatsuki no Hokkaido, agree to this pact. In exchange for my life and twenty million yen, I, Goro Akatsuki no Hokkaido agree to aid Sir Integra Fairbrook Wingates Hellsing in her battle against the Yokai-gumi as an informant and advisor until the Yokai-gumi are gone from the United Kingdom. If I am forced to fight, this contract will witness Sir Integra Fairbrook Wingates Hellsing's guilt and her life is forfeit. If I betray Sir Integra Fairbrook Wingates Hellsing by misinformation, sabotage, or violence, then this contract will witness my guilt and my life is forfeit. If either of us commits any act of violence against the other, then that one's life is forfeit. So do we both swear by our names and blood."
Akiko needed time to write this both in Japanese and English, but she got it done. And she then made the lines so Sir Integra and Mr. Goro could sign it. She handed the pen to Sir Integra, who wrote down her name with the pen, and then cut her thumb with the knife and put her bloody thumbprint on it. "I believe this is how it was done in the past?" she asked Mr. Goro. Mr. Goro nodded. "Alucard, break the seals," Sir Integra said. Alucard used his foot to break the sealing circles and moved the paper charms out of the way to let Mr. Goro come out. The tanuki came out and took the pen, signed his name, then bit the thumb of his right paw and sealed the contract with his own bloody thumbprint. Thus was their deal made. "Now," Sir Integra said, "Tell me everything you know about the Yokai-gumi."
Mr. Goro scratched his chin before speaking, "From what I've gathered, they're actually out of their depth here. I've met their leaders, the three oldest children of a kitsune clan called the Itto Clan. Their names are Itto Aki, Itto Sakki; their oldest daughter, and Itto Akira. They're pretty powerful, for kitsune, but; they're terrible at organizing a group as big as they want. You gotta understand, Yokai aren't natural conquerors, for good reason. The humans in Japan respect nature and are a very superstitious people, who respect the old ways even in modern times. Because of that, they've never had to wage a full-scale battle in a thousand years. Even Yokai's lifespans are finite, and few of them live for a thousand years, because of that, most Yokai can't fight a large-scale battle, they don't have the skills or tactical knowledge for it.
"I don't know about their numbers, but I know that they were looking for lieutenants last I heard, and they're still hoping for more to arrive from Japan. They number in the hundreds; however, they haven't reached a thousand yet. Also, they're barely held together. It's only the fear of the Itto Clan that keeps them together. Otherwise, they would all disband and head back home. The Itto act like they can handle it, but the whole thing's a giant clusterfuck, a house of cards waiting to fall. For now. But, if they can secure, say, a thousand and eighty Yokai, then these islands will be theirs for the taking."
"Why that number specifically?" Sir Integra immediately asked. "I'm not sure, they haven't shared the details of that to us. I can only assume it's for some kind of ritual. That kind of magic isn't my specialty, so I don't know much more about it," Mr. Goro told her. "I see. Then, you will be staying here for now. We want you to be where we can easily find you in case you remember anything else," Sir Integra told the tanuki. "You mean in this creepy ass dungeon with that guy!?" the tanuki screamed, pointing at Alucard. "No, I mean in the Hellsing Manor. You can go into the surrounding forests if you like, they're my property. However, the Mansion itself may be the safest spot you can be in, in case the Yokai-gumi get any cute ideas," Sir Integra said as she turned and walked out of Alucard's room. Mr. Goro took one look at Alucard and turned into his human form and followed after her.
"Well, this has been…informative," Akiko said to Alucard. "Indeed. It seems that this won't be as much fun as I imagined," Alucard shrugged.