Chapter 81. Return
Shortly before Seras's return.
Integra stared with utter despair at the small pool of blood—the only thing left of the vampire girl whom she had, despite her nature, allowed into her heart.
"She was far too young, even as a human…" the young woman whispered softly, her eyes welling with tears. She had no illusions that Seras could have possibly survived such a thing; otherwise, she would not be feeling this sharp sense of anger and loss from her servant.
Alucard. No matter how many times he made offhand remarks that might make one think he didn't truly care about the fate of his fledgling, he had in reality grown deeply attached to the one girl who found a light side inside someone who believed he was the very embodiment of darkness. He had abandoned all games—there was no longer any joy or pleasure for him in what was happening. Every move he made was intended solely to tear his foe apart. He, Alucard, king of vampires, knew better than anyone that all immortality had its limits—especially when it came to one's soul. Every attack he launched inflicted incredible pain on his enemy, but every enemy attack destroyed yet another soul trapped inside Dracula. All tricks and boasting were cast aside—it was just a brutal and unimaginably violent war of attrition, where the only question was whose store of devoured souls would run out first.
With each blow, Alucard's body was torn apart, losing more and more human features, becoming more like a formless monster that ignored any damage and ripped his opponent to shreds in return.
It lasted for a minute, during which hundreds of souls were shredded, until all at once everything froze. Where Dracula's fledgling's blood had spilled, a portal opened, from which came an aura no weaker than that of the two battling monsters. Deliberately slowly, first a leg, then the rest of the body of a sweetly smiling cat-girl stepped through.
"Seras?" Integra's voice trembled, full of hope that she wasn't simply seeing things.
"I'm back," replied the one who had appeared. And from Dracula's direction came a storm of emotions—from relief to obvious irritation.
"We'll be discussing this later, police girl," said Alucard, taking on his form with a tone promising a great deal of trouble. Meanwhile, Incognito, taking advantage of this brief pause, kept his distance and watched the madman warily, as if expecting him to drag him to the grave along with himself.
"Forgive me, Master. I took too long to recover, but now…" Seras apologized, a sweet smile on her face, before turning her gaze to the one who had caused her such pain. Instantly, her smile twisted into a terrifyingly predatory grin, and then her whole body distorted, as if she was formed from pure energy bursting out, slowly destroying the floor beneath her. Her voice, now distorted, followed: "Allow me to join the hunt."
"Just this once," Alucard smirked slightly, feeling a surge of excitement—their enemy was the first truly strong one where he could share the joy of slaughter with someone who wouldn't slow him down.
"Thank you." On her now completely black face, two glowing red eyes and a crimson, shining smile appeared.
"Fools, I AM GO—" Incognito roared, but was instantly silenced as his head was engulfed by water, which immediately froze to ice. The next moment, his chest was ripped apart by an attack from Alucard. The wound healed in an instant and the ice shattered, revealing Incognito's rage-filled face—which the next instant vanished under a blow from Seras's fist, crackling slightly with lightning, who, thanks to her semi-amorphous state, completely ignored all the steps fire mages usually required to create lightning.
Where Alucard had to exchange blow for blow in total mutual destruction, with his now-soaring fledgling joining him, each moment brought more ruin to their endlessly regenerating opponent.
"Ha-ha-ha-ha…"
"Ha-ha-ha-ha…"
Laughter rang out in the skies above the London Tower—the laughter of a man and a girl, delighting in tearing their undying foe to pieces.
"It's turned out not so badly, after all," Integra smiled warmly as she watched the scene, finding a curious sort of appeal in the way Seras's feminine figure was outlined in her new form.
However, not everyone looked so kindly on this spectacle.
"There's no hope for her salvation now," Anderson declared grimly, gripping the handle of one of his blessed bayonets tightly. He still remembered when it had seemed that just a little more effort, and he would be able to rid the world of this vampire girl. But now, watching her laugh joyfully while ripping apart her immortal enemy at a speed his own eyes could barely follow, he understood—she would be no easier a target than Alucard himself.
"We need to amend Hellsing's threat assessment. This is becoming a real problem," Renaldo pursed his lips before decisively adding, "Let's go."
Anderson nodded in response, never taking his cold gaze from the figures battling in the ruins.
***
"Divine! Oh, what a magnificent sight—a god being torn to pieces by the blood-stained hands of two demons. And that sound… what a wonderful melody, the screams of an ascended god drowning in despair and helplessness, realizing he is no match for the King and his princess," the fat man exclaimed with delight, watching the big screen, where scene after scene showed the powerless Incognito being torn apart over and over.
"Major, are you sure this is reason to celebrate? Defeating Alucard is difficult enough, and now there are two of them," a distinctly dissatisfied voice broke from the crowd of German soldiers enjoying the spectacle.
"Hm?" With a slightly confused grunt, the Major looked at the man, then, frowning, turned to the officer standing beside him. "Give me your pistol."
The officer silently handed him a Walter P-38.
Then the Major pointed the pistol at the man who had spoken.
"M-m-major… EEK!" the soldier stammered, about to beg for mercy, but was interrupted by the sound of gunfire—and screamed in fright.
Yet none of the bullets hit the terrified, eye-squeezing soldier—though the same couldn't be said for a couple of unfortunate souls behind him.
"Major, you really can't shoot," Doc said with a sigh, shaking his head.
"Hm, you're right," the Major scratched his head awkwardly, then, with a shrug and a grin, gave the order: "Deal with him."
At his words, the bloodthirsty, cruel soldiers, ignoring the bodies of their unlucky comrades, immediately fell upon the target, and within minutes, only a gnawed corpse remained.