Chapter 58: Dr. Alucard

"Haaahh…. Haaahhh…. Hahhh…." The sound of a man breathing heavily is heard in the dark room with walls made of stone illuminated only by the dim light of candles surrounding the coffin that the man rose up in.

"What's happening!? Where are we!?" A woman's scared voice is heard as she and her family regained their consciousness.

"I don't know, dear! We've been kidnapped!" Another man's voice is heard.

"Papa! Mama! I'm scared!" Their daughter's scared voice follows.

"Who's that man, Netor?" The wife said while pointing at the white haired pale man who rose up from a coffin, breathing heavily. The pale man stared at them with glowing blood red eyes, scaring them immediately.

"Waaahhh! He's a monster!" The man shouted before banging on the stone door of the room. "Let us outta here!"

"Hyaaahhh!" Their daughter screamed as the pale man starts walking towards them while holding his clawed hands out as if to pounce on them.

"S-Stay away from us!" The man shouted as he punches the monster, who ignored the punch as it did not harm him.

"Wha…!?" Muttered the man as the monster grabbed his neck and lifted him in the air.

"Uaaghhhh! If you wanna kill… just take them… Spare me… please…!" The man begged for his life.

"What are you saying, Netor!?" The wife shouted in disbelief at her husband's betrayal.

"I know plenty of women! I can give… UAAAAGHHH!" The man screamed as the pale monster pierced his chest with his clawed hand, slowly getting deeper and deeper before gouging out the man's heart out of his chest.

"A…Aghhh….!" The man grunted in pain as he saw a horrible sight, his own heart in the monster's hand, which was soon crushed by the monster who proceeded to drink the blood from the heart as if squeezing juices out of a fresh fruit.

"Netor Arémann!" Screamed the betrayed wife.

The monster threw the man away as he turned his attention to the wife and child, who hugged each other whilst being scared out of their lives.

"Please… spare us…!" The wife pleaded.

"Mama! I'm scared!" The child said.

The monster ignored their pleas and grabbed the woman's hair, lifting her up.

"Mamaaaa!" The daughter screamed while crying.

The pale monster grinned, showing his vampiric fangs to them.

"Aghh… Please… Ahhh…" The woman tried to plead further but her neck was soon bitten by the man's fangs.

"Hyaaaaaa-" Her scream was cut short as her body turns to a dry corpse in mere seconds after having her blood sucked out of her by the monster.

"Mama! Noooo!" The daughter screamed again as she saw the monster toss her mother's dried corpse away and saw the monster turned at her, his red eyes glaring at her hungrily.

"No… No! Please no!" The daughter also tried to plead but her pleas were ignored as the monster pounced her.

"HYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHH!"

"How horrible." Muttered Zeta as she observed ghouls attacking Oriana citizens from the rooftop of a house and saw how the guards did nothing to help them and simply walked away from the scene.

"Thanks to Necromancer's vile magic, the King of Oriana became a warmongering madman who cares nothing about his people, focusing all his soldiers for the war effort even though his citizens are suffering attacks from vampires and ghouls." She muttered further.

"Necromancer is a plague upon this world." Muttered a strawberry blonde haired girl beside her.

"Indeed. Are our forces in place, 559?"

"Yes. All of them ready to strike at your command, Lady Zeta." The girl, 559, answered her superior and former adversary.

"Then let us strike! Kill all the ghouls and vampires before they have a chance to hide!" Zeta ordered and all Shadow Garden members emerged from the shadowy corners of the town and began massacring all the ghouls and vampires they can find under the red tinged moon.

"Haah… How tiresome. To think that we're forced to do cleanup because the king of this country wouldn't do his job!" Said a member of Shadow Garden's Numbers codenamed 625 as she cleaned the blood off her slime equipment. She is a human girl with plain appearance and had her brown hair tied into short braided twintails.

"They say the king is being manipulated by Necromancer." Said a while haired girl codenamed 626.

"Hah! That's just an excuse used by those nobles and royals to not do their jobs and to enjoy all the luxuries that common people paid with their taxes!" Said 625 cynically.

"Not every nobles and royals are like that." Said 626, remembering her kind father and the vague memory of the white haired princess of Midgar.

"626! You're a former noble who has been cast out by your family and yet you still-" Said 625 before being cut off.

"My father didn't abandon me!" Exclaimed 626 angrily.

"Really!? Then why the hell did you end up in that underground lab with us, huh!? Why the hell did he let the Cult experiment on you and turn you into a monster, huh!?" Taunted 625 to which 626 has nothing to counter with.

"Did you forget the reports that said your father worked FOR the Cult!? To kidnap more innocent girls like us!?" 625 continued with her verbal assasult.

"Th-That's…" Muttered 626, unable to find the words to defend her father's past actions.

"Just accept that your father is a complete piece of shit!" Exclaimed 625. 626 has nothing to say in defense.

"And I don't understand what's so important about those royals and nobles! We should've just let that princess and her boyfriend die back in that maze!" Complained 625.

"But the princess…" Muttered 626.

"Is just another piece of shit! She was so weak and useless in that fight against those skeletons! She even attacked her own friend!" Said 625.

"She must have a reason!" Defended 626.

"And said friend's father is the one responsible for the mess we're cleaning up. So useless!" 625 further complained.

"Hey hey! Stop that! Don't start quarrelling again you two!" Scolded their squad leader, 624, an elf girl with green hair tied in a ponytail.

"Tch! Whatever. All nobles and royalties are the same anyway. They should just all die!" Said 625 as she turned away from 626.

"Haaah… That troublesome girl…" Muttered 624 before leaving the bloody streets with 626 following closely behind.

While the citizens of Oriana are suffering from ghoul attacks, Oriana nobles are gathering in Asshat castle, partying, feasting and enjoying the pianist Silon's performance in a grand hall which is beautifully decorated and have many delicious food laid on the tables waiting to be devoured. The nobles chatted, danced and had fun as if nothing is wrong with their country.

The party was hosted by Duke Perv Asshat as a means to gather nobles to his side. Of course the king is not present because he wants to pretend as if there was a disagreement between him and the king. Even the king's wife attends the party.

Epsilon, disguised as Silon, observed Duke Perv along with everyone he interacted with.

"Hey Perv. Do I have to go back to that dreadful castle? I'm scared of that crazy husband of mine! Let me stay here with you!" the blonde haired Queen Reina said while holding Perv's hand, not caring about who's listening.

"All in due time, Queen Reina. All in due time." Reasssured Perv while trying to hide how intimate their relationship is. The queen walked away afterwards.

"Ah! Marquis Grantz! I'm glad you accepted my invitation!" Said Perv as he greeted the leader of the former Anti-Perv faction which has now turned into Anti-King Raphael faction.

"Spare me the pleasantries, Perv. What do you want?" Said Marquis Grantz, not trusting Perv.

"Surely you know why. Our country is in the brink of war and it's all because of our king. We now share a common enemy."

"Are you sure the king didn't become crazy because of you?" Marquis Grantz said.

"Oh please. Even I couldn't predict what the king was planning up until that disaster of a Bushin Festival. You've seen how he has shown his true colors. I implore you to consider an alliance with me." Perv said. Marquis Grantz contemplates on it while looking at how many nobles are gathered around the party.

"Hmph. I'll think about it." Marquis Grantz said as he walked away.

"I hope you'll make a wise decision, Marquis. Heh heh heh." Muttered Perv as he once again observed the party guests until he eventually saw an unfamiliar face among them.

"Hm? Who's that?" Perv asked one of his guards as he pointed at a long white haired handsome man wearing black cloak and suit who's conversing with and charming some noble ladies.

"I don't know, sir. Should we get him out?" The guard said.

"No. I'll greet him personally." Said Perv as he walked towards the unfamiliar and likely uninvited guest.

"Greetings, sir. I don't believe we've met. My name is Duke Perv Asshat. May I ask your name?" Greeted Perv while observing the man in front of him, who looked as if he's holding back his laughter. The noble ladies he's conversing with backed away wordlessly.

"Good evening, Duke Perv. I am Dr. Alucard, a scholar from Laugus. Pleased to make your acquaintance." The white haired man greeted Perv back.

"A scholar? I've never heard of you before. Tell me. What is your field of research and what brought you to Oriana?"

"Culture and History. I'm here to study the old ruins that are scattered around this kingdom."

"Ah. I see. Oriana is indeed home to various old ruins of cultural significance, some of which has been lost to time." Answered Perv with great interest.

"And I assume you're here to search for patronage for your research?" Asked Perv.

"Indeed, my good sir."

"Hm. Intriguing. Very intriguing. A scholar coming to my party uninvited seeking patronage to do research on old ruins." Said Perv with suspicion, especially since he needs to send people to a certain ruins in the foreseeable future.

"What are you talking about, Duke Perv? You invited me, didn't you?" Dr. Alucard said.

"What?" Perv said confusedly as he stared at the man's red eyes.

"You invited me, didn't you?" Dr. Alucard said again, imposing his will upon the duke.

"Y-Yes… I did. Forgive me for my rudeness. I shall happily finance your research on old ruins. For now, please enjoy the party." Said Duke Perv as he left Dr. Alucard, who smiled ominously.

Author's Note:

A horror scene with funny name, in a true Eminence in Shadow fashion. Also funny how that ntr name appears in the same chapter as Queen Reina.

Btw, I know that the anime named Rose's father Geerk but I followed the LN (localized) version, which called him Raphael during Rose's introduction scene.

Also introducing 626's squad members. They were all part of the Possessed that was rescued from Zenon's lab.

Man, we haven't even arrived at the Red Moon event and yet there's another vampire arc. I can't help but add these additional stories because of my love of vampires. Let's call this the Alucard arc.

King0fP0wers: Justa Nodergoon. Hah, I see what you did there! Say, would Claude be capable of reviving himself after getting killed? It would be a classic villain trope, seemingly dying but somehow coming back all of a sudden.

Answer: Classic Eminence in Shadow naming and joke.

Still thinking about that.