DISCLAIMER: I do not own Devil May Cry or Hellsing.

Dante sat in the bar. Less than a month had passed since he had been defeated by his brother Vergil, and amazingly, Enzo had already managed to put Dante into even deeper debt. That slime was very quick to con people out of money. Dante was planning on putting together his own shop soon, but only once he had the money. Dante was shaken from his thoughts as a man entered and tapped his shoulder.
"What's up, dude?"

The man sat across from Dante. "I need you to do a job for me. This monster is dangerous. He needs to be destroyed."
Dante looked up at the ceiling. "Yeah whatever. Just tell me the deal. Do I look like a goddamn counsellor?"

The man seemed unperturbed. "This creature looks human, and wears a red coat like yours. He's a vampire. A very dangerous one."

Dante shrugged. "Vampire, eh? Next you'll tell me he sparkles. Just to be clear, you tell me that, and I'm gonna slash your privates off."
The man smiled slightly. "You kill this vampire, and I'll pay you well. Very well."
Dante finished his beer, rolling his eyes. "Whatever. Where is this bloodsucker likely to be? And the same thing stands. He sparkles, your stuff comes off."

Dante stood over the splattered ghoul. "Great. That's the last of them. Now where's this friggin' vampire? I'm gonna rip that moron's balls off if this vampire doesn't show!"

Dante jumped slightly as a deep voice sounded out behind him. "You always grumble this much?"
Dante turned to see what he knew had to be the vampire in question. On the plus side, he didn't sparkle. On the downside, he literally radiated power.

Dante stepped over to the vampire, readying his gun. "Alucard or whatever, right? I'm glad you don't sparkle, but who the hell are you other than a guy in a bright red farm hat?"

Alucard smirked, walking slowly towards Dante. "It's not often someone is kind enough to do my job for me. What prompted you to kill the vampire's ghouls?"
Dante smirked back, matching Alucard's taunting. "Just didn't want them chewing on my ass while I waited for you."

Finally, Alucard stood beside Dante, slowly readying his gun. "Your move, boy."
Dante swept his sword through Alucard, slashing him in half. He then jumped above Alucard, slashing him in half from above. Dante put his sword away, looking with surprise at Alucard's remains.
"Didn't think it'd be that easy."
Dante started as Alucard reformed out of a swarm of bats. "Keep it coming! I'm curious! Show me more!"
Dante vanished as Alucard opened fire, before striking Alucard's arm off and vanishing before Alucard could counter. Alucard's arm grew back, still holding the Casull, and the two hunters collided.

Dante picked Alucard up and threw him against the wall, breaking the wall and crushing Alucard's back. Alucard instantly reformed and punched Dante, turning his head with the impact. Dante responded by gripping Alucard's arm and throwing the vampire over himself.

Alucard prepared to retaliate, but Dante's foot collided with his face, taking his head off. Alucard's headless body reared up to attack Dante, but Dante slashed it in half. As Dante started to step back, Alucard's laughter filled the room, and his body reappeared, fully intact.
"Very impressive. I haven't had a fight like this in ages! Your strength alone surpasses even the Captain of the Last Battalion! What is your name, young one?"
Dante smiled expectantly. "Dante. You're Alucard, right?"
"Alucard indeed. I believe an opponent like you will allow me to fight for real!"
Alucard became a swirl of shadows as he spoke. "Releasing control art restrictions three… two… one. Approval of situation A recognised. Commencing the Cromwell invocation. Ability restrictions lifted for limited use until the enemy has been rendered silent."

Alucard charged Dante, while Dante charged also. As the two collided, Dante forced Alucard back, before punching his face inwards. Alucard then summoned the head of a giant dog composed of shadows and prepared to attack. As Baskerville reached Dante, the half-devil punched the dog in the face, striking it back. His foot then connected with Alucard, launching the vampire back. Alucard suddenly appeared behind Dante, but when he attacked, Dante reacted, catching Alucard's fist and throwing him.

Alucard faced Dante, smirking with amusement, while Dante smirked back. The two hunters rushed one more time, Dante's sword colliding with Alucard's shadow tendrils. Dante released a burst of his demonic magic, hoping to overcome Alucard's regeneration.

Finally, there was a burst of kinetic force which launched them both back. Dante stood first, though his coat had been completely shredded by Alucard's tendrils, which had also torn into Dante himself. His healing kept him whole, and he had no visible marks, but Alucard's attacks had still taken their toll. Alucard slowly rose to his feet, smirking.
"That was fun, but I don't think you have too much fight left in you. Still, I wonder. Why did you come here? You are no vampire."

Dante stood, tired but more than ready to keep going. "I was hired to kill you. What's it to you, you freaky prick?"

Alucard smiled. "You have some courage. You may be whole, but my attacks still harmed you, and that release of immature magic you used took its toll on you as well. You can still fight, but your strength and speed are clearly impaired, you say you are a mere mercenary, and yet the prominent emotion I see in your eyes is hatred. Why?"
Dante smirked. "I guess I just don't like assholes like you. That's why. I hate stinking demons."

Alucard and Dante both prepared to charge again, but a sharp voice intervened.
"Alucard! That man is not the enemy! You will stand down!"
Alucard turned to face Integra, who had just entered. "My master."
The fourteen year old Integra moved up beside Alucard. "This man is a minor league demon killer from America. He is somewhat unsavoury, but in the end his objectives are similar to ours."

Integra moved over to Dante. "You. Who hired you to kill Alucard? Whoever did is the demon you really want to kill."

Dante and Alucard gripped the vampire who had hired Dante. Alucard then slowly drained the vampire's blood.

Outside, Dante slumped down on the pavement, positively exhausted. Alucard sat beside him.
"You were one of the best opponents I've faced in ages. I can't help but respect you for your courage and strength, and I expect we'll be seeing you grow far stronger soon."
Dante looked tiredly at Alucard. "If I pay you, will you leave me alone?"
Alucard smiled. "I'm actually starting to like you. I hope we can grow to be allies."
Dante sighed. "Yeah, I guess that makes sense. If I agree to help or whatever on occasion, will you get the hell outta my face and let me sleep?"

Reasons for this:

1. First and foremost, in the Devil May Cry anime Dante kills Abigail using his demonic magic. Abigail had earlier shown a similar regeneration to Alucard. Therefore, it isn't difficult to conclude that Dante's DMC4 incarnation could overcome Alucard's regeneration and destroy him just as he destroyed Abigail. However, this was Dante before DMC3, which is before he even gained his Devil Trigger. At this point, Dante had never displayed an ability to overcome such regeneration, so he can't be assumed to possess it until the anime. It is also pretty obvious that this incarnation of Dante would have been destroyed by Abigail.

2. While even in DMC3 Dante displays strength and skill greater than Alucard's, if he can't get past Alucard's regeneration he can't beat him. It really is that simple.

NOTE: This is a prequel to The Vampire King and the Legendary Devil Hunter, a story in which Dante in his DMC4 incarnation works alongside Alucard and Seras during the Millennium invasion.