Disclaimer: I do not own Seraph of the End or Hellsing. Both are products of Takaya Kagami and Kouta Hirano respectively. The only thing I own are the series of events that transpire and the massive amounts of bloodshed and gore.

A Seraph of the End x Hellsing Crossover:

"World Without Logos"

Vampires.

In ancient legend and myth, they are the true rulers of the night. Blood sucking creatures, who command otherworldly forces and feed on the necks of poor, unfortunate souls.

However, unknown to the masses, there exists an organization, who's task is to eliminate these creatures. They are known as the Hellsing Organization.

Within the Hellsing Organization is a powerful creature. A vampire, beyond the likes of which ordinary men have never seen. He is feared by vampire and humankind alike, and is known by many names.

The ultimate vampire. Hellsing's guard dog. The No Life King.

...Alucard.

This, is the story of a soul who's fate becomes entangled within this world of darkness.

"In the name of God, impure souls of the living dead shall be banished into eternal damnation. Amen."

-III-
ENTER MADNESS

In retrospect, the idea of harboring two vampires, two Seraphs of the End at that, was surely enough reason for the Hiiragi Family to execute Guren on the spot if they were to ever learn about it. And that wasn't taking into account the fact that he was working with Krul. That surely would have asked for a worse punishment.

Yet he couldn't think of any worse fate than having to explain to these brats the things that Krul had neglected to mention. Or she did plan to tell them everything, but she got caught before she could. He really didn't like having to explain all this stuff to them, especially given that he had a hand in all this shit.

The two had been wary of him at first, the blonde kid especially so. Mikaela was certainly on edge, constantly giving him this look that dared him to try something. Akane, however, was a gentle and dainty little thing that Shinoa could learn a thing or two from. She was giving him the benefit of a doubt, but she was also cautious and maintained a safe distance between them.

Not that it mattered. Even if didn't want to kill them, he could do so easily. They were freshly turned. Ending their lives would be so easy.

The warehouse was practically in between vampire and Hiiragi territory, with few routine patrols. Since it had already been stripped clean and searched already before in the past, the odds of anyone looking in here were next to none. It did little to provide any real means of shelter, but that only applied to humans. Since they were Vampires, warmth was of little concern.

Even so, the least he could do was offer some food. "Here." Guren set two steaming bowls of soup on the table. "It ain't blood bags, but since you two are newborns, I figured you could settle for this."

"Thank you, Guren-san." Akane bowed her head gratefully while Mikaela shot him a small glare. The two took the bowls and immediately went in. As he expected, they showed disappointed faces as they realized that there was little to actually taste. "I hoped we'd at least have some taste left."

"Afraid not." the man waved a hand. "The only thing you'll have any real taste for is blood. To be honest, I'm surprised you kids haven't already had a drop of it yet. Or was that little half-pint of a tyrant keeping you starved."

The blondie stared at him. "How do you know Krul anyway?" he more or less demanded. "Who even are you?"

"Guren Ichinose. The guy who saved your little ass." Guren answered with a smirk. "And I suppose you could say I'm that half-pint's own little gofer. I'm human, that much you can be certain of, but she and I share a common interest." He grabbed a nearby chair from the corner of the room, pulling it over towards the table and took a seat. "Now then... I imagine you lot must have a lot of questions. Namely, why adults are still around."

"Kind of..." Akane nodded. "Is it true that, outside of Japan, everyone else is alive?"

"For the most part, yes. As far as I know, no one on the outside knows what's going on here in Japan, and for good reason. Last thing anyone wants is for the whole damn world to know that the country's been overrun with bloodsuckers and. Of course, the only reason this even happened was because the taboo was broken."

"Taboo?" Mikaela asked. "What taboo?"

And here it was. The moment he had been dreading. In the back of his head, Mahiru was laughing in such a cold manner, he was reminded that this was no longer the woman he loved. If she were, there was only so little left of her. "Every now and then, there are these special little humans who are blessed with extraordinary power." he began to explain, propping his feet on the table. "In their genetic coding is something that defies human understanding. These brats are the children of god - the Seraph of the End. It's said that just one Seraph has it within their power to bring about the end of the world. As you can imagine, some shady people wanted to get their hands on these specimens. Some wanted to use them for profit. Others for personal gain. A few wanted to use them as tools of war. The only ones that wanted nothing to do with the Seraphs were the Vampires."

"The vampires?" the little girl asked in surprise. "Why?"

"Don't know. All I know is, the Council that rules over the Vampires had made it clear that they were to have nothing to do with the Seraph of the End, much less the affairs of the human world." Guren then gave a low chuckle, shaking his head in wry amusement. "Of course, that rule went right out the window when the Apocalypse Virus began to spread and started killing off anyone over 13." He leaned forward as he scooped up the half-empty bottle of water he had been drinking, downing its remaining contents before he tossed it aside. "Of course, the blood suckers also made it a point to go after anyone who was delving too deep into the power of the Seraphs, because if they do, they end up running the risk of violating one of the sacred taboos."

Akane tilted her head. "And what taboo was that?"

"Bringing the dead back to life." He couldn't help but smirk, seeing the stunned looks on their faces. "The Seraph of the End are capable of returning the dead back to the living. But in doing so, you damn the whole world, because death is absolute. The only ones who are allowed to cheat death are those who partake in blood. That is to say, the vampires. When a human violates the taboo, well suffice to say they piss off God something fierce. The Apocalypse Virus spread because someone violated the taboo. And since the taboo was broken in Japan, it was where the virus was most focused on."

The two processed this information. It was likely a lot for them to take in. Mikaela was the quickest to adjust to it all, digesting everything he could before he looked at Guren with a frown. "How do you know so much?"

Guren sighed and closed his head. "Because I'm the stupid son of a bitch who broke the taboo, that's why."

"What?!" The two kids asked in shock. The one who broke the taboo...the reason why most of the adults were killed, the reason why the vampires took over was because of this man?!

Guren could see how well they were taking it. Akane looked like she wasn't sure whether to be confused, angry, or maybe both. The blonde one, though, had already settled on an emotion to cling to. His shoulders trembled, eyes narrowed and becoming pinpricks. Before Akane could stop him from doing anything rash, he lunged over the table and at Guren. The man easily dodged him and kicked him aside, sending him into a wall and pinning him with his boot.

"I'd appreciate it if you didn't try to kill the guy who's risking his neck for your sorry ass." he said. Mikaela, in response, spat in his face and tried to pry his foot off of him. "I know I'm the whole reason you lot have suffered, but if you ask me, being used as feeding bags sounds a lot better than being used as guinea pigs."

That caused Mikaela to stop. Akane stared at him. "What-what do you mean?"

"The group I work for, the Japanese Imperial Demon Army, has expressed an interest in using the Seraph of the End as weapons. Tools to fight back against the Vampires." Guren said. "I won't lie and say we were humane. But, there was one group who had an interest in the Seraph of the End. A group who's treatment and methods were far, far worse than what any group could have come up with. They were called the Brotherhood of a Thousand Nights, but these days, they call themselves by another name."

His smile was twisted, perhaps because Mahiru had asserted some control right then and there, morphing what was once a sardonic smile into a leer. "They called themselves the Hyakuya Sect." The two stared at him, mouths agape. "The people who took you in? Picked you up from off the streets, took you from abusive parents, held you when no one else would? They were all members of that group, who were meddling in things no human should ever meddle in."

"That can't be." Mikaela whispered in disbelief. "Y-you're lying."

Guren cocked his head. "Am I?" he asked. "The Hyakuya Sect were meticulous. After every experiment, they wiped the memories of the subjects. And Seraphs heal fast. No word of abuse. No evidence. But even if you have no memory of the incident, and you don't have the scars to tell you what happened..." He leaned forward, looking Mikaela dead in the eye. "...but your body remembers, doesn't it? Now more so than ever, since you're no longer human."

Mikaela's eyes widened as a small buzz within his body seemed to respond to Guren's words. His hands trembled, his chest rose and fell rapidly, and his breath started to become hitched.

Sighing, Guren removed his foot from Mikaela, leaving him to fall to the floor unceremoniously. "I regret what I did." he said. "But if it meant I could give my friends a second lease on life, then I would gladly do it again in a heartbeat. Wouldn't you do the same, Mikaela Hyakuya, if it meant you could bring your family back?"

He could offer no response. Not even Akane, who had been listening to everything the man had spoken, could offer an answer.

Because they would have agreed with him.

The moment Yuu saw what was inside the case Walter had brought him, he felt as if Christmas had come early. Asuramura, on the other hand, stared at the item in question with incredulity before he looked at the old butler in accusation.

"You turned my home into a gun." he said slowly, baring his fangs and his shadows sprawling and becoming more livid. "You turned. My home. Into. A gun."

"Technically, it is more a prison than anything else." Walter responded cheekily. "And besides, you already have a new home, don't you?" The former Skal bristled at the way the old man just wrote him off, and would have killed him, were it not for the fact that Alucard was watching him like a hawk with his gun held leisurely in hand. "Tell me, Yuuichiro, how do you like it?"

Yuu gingerly picked up the item from the case. It was a double-barred shotgun, a bit longer than the sawed-off one he used in the training session a week ago. It seemed to be made mostly of metal, but there was some wood attached to the bottom of the barrel and around the grip, coiling around where the trigger was. Neon green markings were etched into the sides of the barrels, resembling devilish wings with eyes drawn on them. Etched into the wooden grip was the motto of the Hellsing family.

"It's beautiful." he breathed in amazement, holding the gun in his hands. It felt heavy. The gun he used before was so light it was ridiculous. This was different. There was actual weight in it. "What is this? A pump-action? Semi-automatic?"

"Pump action. Capable of firing 20 gauge shells for a wider scattershot, customized to deliver the same power output as Alucard's Cassul. It is designed to fire explosive shells, blessed silver shells, and two types of slugs; blessed silver casing with mercury tips, and depleted uranium shell slugs. I present to you, Master Yuuichiro, the Maalik." Walter presented proudly.

Alucard whistled. "Impressive work." he said while Yuu continued to inspect the gun at various angles. "I can hardly wait to see what it can do out in the field. Shame that whoever's been making cheap knock-off vampires has been quiet lately."

"I'm still not happy." Asuramaru grumbled. While he wasn't quite attached to the sword that served as his vessel, he had more or less considered it to be something of a home. It had been where he was stored in for several years now. The fact that its remains were used to make such an ugly thing didn't sit well with him. Still, if it could serve the brat well, he supposed he could let it slide for now. "Well, whatever..."

"Since whoever has been causing a ruckus has decided to give us a bit of reprieve, why don't we pass the time with a little studying, hm?"

Yuuichiro groaned. "Do we have to?"

"You may be a member of the undead now, young man, but you are still a child. That, and our previous sessions have told me that your educational skills are severely lacking." No doubt due to his upbringing. The Skals focused seeing them as little more than food, so they didn't see the point in furthering their education. Something that Walter would have to rectify. "You must understand, Master Yuuichiro, that on more than one occasion, you will be sent out to other countries. You'll not only need to study up on their culture, but also the language. You've thankfully learned some English prior to your circumstances, but being a vampire doesn't automatically mean you know every language."

The boy gave Walter a flat stare. "I've heard Boss speak Latin, French, Spanish and maybe Portuguese on more than one occasion." he deadpanned.

Alucard smirked. "Because I drank the blood of men who knew such languages." he informed his fledgling. "If you were more open to drinking blood, you'd be able to learn a foreign language as well."

"The day that happens is the day hell freezes over. I won't stoop to the level of those bloodsucker's in Sanguinem." Yu declared determinedly.

"Then I supposed you'll have to make due reading and writing languages." Walter said dryly. "Now, come along, Master Yuuichiro."

"Do I have to?"

"That depends, which do you prefer more? Studying, or training with Sir Alucard?"

Not even ten seconds after finishing that sentence did Yuu bolt right out of the room faster than a bat out of hell, no doubt heading to the Study Room. Chuckling in amusement, Walter followed him out the door before bowing his head to Alucard. In response, the No Life King tipped his hat to the old man and watched him leave. Just then, Integra entered the room, having no doubt heard the remaining conversation.

"A vampire who doesn't drink blood." she said with a wry grin. "That'll be something to see."

Alucard smirked. "I remember back during my days under Professor Hellsing, I once encountered a Skal who tried to survive without drinking any blood. A newly born fledgling, my best guess." he recalled with fondness. "He fed on animal blood, particularly favoring sardines."

"What happened to him?"

"He starved and went mad, like any other." He didn't need to say the rest. "Either way, sooner or later, the boy will have to drink blood. It all depends on what will force him to do so. I'd rather not having him rely on the powers of an angel and risk him going out of control."

"Not confident you could beat him?"

His lips thinned. "I've never seen a Seraph of the End up close before, so I can't say for sure. Even so, I've heard of what they are capable of. If those stories hold any weight, I doubt releasing my full power wouldn't be enough. But I digress. Any news on our mystery friend?"

"Unfortunately, no. Ever since we discovered one of their base of operations, they've gone remarkably silent. Sir Wales has also made it clear that we'll be put in charge of the case, whereas other branches of the Hellsing Family will handle other vampire cases."

"I doubt that's wise." Alucard said with wit. "Unless, of course, they only want to add to the list of problems. No offense to your men, Integra, but they serve better as fodder than hunters." Especially considering that Alucard had ridiculously high standards. To him, the only way they would be any worth would be if they stood on the same level as the man who brought him down and made him into what he was now. A dog of the Hellsing Family.

Integra took a drag of her cigar, shrugging her shoulders. "Indeed. That's why they've requested aid from other vampire hunting organizations. Primarily the Vatican Church." She gave Alucard a grin. "To which they vehemently gave us a big fat "fuck you." It seems they've heard we turned one of God's little helpers into a vampire, and they are not happy."

"Oh, that I can imagine." Alucard chuckled. "An Angel made into a creature of the night. They must be quite livid."

"I believe that to be an understatement."

Despite her young age, Shinoa Hiiragi was perhaps one of the best the Japanese Imperial Demon Army had to offer. She was an imp at times, and knew how to irritate a person something foul, but give her a Cursed Gear and have her fight a vampire or Horseman of John, and she will prove to you why she was a soldier in the first place.

Something that members of her platoon were reminded of as they watched her soar through the air, a jet black scythe in hand with hellish flames trailing behind it. With a sly grin, she descended and swung, cleaving her scythe right through the Horseman. The flames burned and seared through its flesh, practically cooking it in seconds before reducing it to scorched remains. It gave a weak cry before it fell like a sack of potatoes, the ground trembling beneath their feet.

"Aw, was that it?" Shinoa asked with a pout. "Bo~ring."

With a twirl of her weapon, the massive death scythe shrunk down to the size of a pen. She flicked her hair and stared at the corpse of the giant monster before she skipped over to her squad. "Was that seriously necessary, Lieutenant Hiiragi?" one of her squad mates asked. It was a woman, mid-teens with red hair done in pigtails. "You know you shouldn't rush in so recklessly!"

"Always so strict." Shinoa smiled wryly. "If you keep having that frown, you might get wrinkles~"

"Quiet!" She snapped irritably. "One of us has to be strict so the rest of us don't get killed by these things! You can't just rush in without a plan of attack like that! You could've put the whole squad in danger!"

As the girl then began to yell at Shinoa, who looked more annoyed an bemused than anything else, the leader of the squad sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Why'd I agree to take her on?" he muttered to himself. Ever since Shinoa came under his care, she had been so damn annoying, not to mention troublesome. A loose cannon, but not one that was meant to be underestimated. Her skill and proficiency with the Cursed Gear was insane, especially for someone her age. As he reminded himself, the girl was soon to be welcomed into the ranks of the Moon Demon Company, and under Guren's temporary command before she would be allowed to form her own squadron. When the time came, he'd be happy as all hell.

"Sir." The captain turned around, finding one of his subordinates approaching. "We manage to locate the vampire's base."

That caused the strict member to stop shouting and Shinoa to grin. The captain's lips became thin, forming into a stern line. "Where?"

"About twenty miles, West of here. It seems to be an outpost. Your orders?"

"Inform the central squad that we'll be acting solo." he said, narrowing his eyes. "Ever since that weird report, the vampires have been acting weird. Their numbers are far too sparse. Almost as if something has them spooked. If we can use that to our advantage and take an outpost, it should even the odds. Just to be safe, however, I'll take only four." He turned to his squad. "Any volunteers?"

"I'll do it!" To no surprise, Shinoa immediately volunteered herself.

"If the maverick's going, then I am too!" her apparent warden announced, most likely trying to keep an eye on Shinoa.

Two others raised their hands. The captain nodded and then nudged his head.

Finding the outpost was easy, as was taking out the two guards out in front. While the second lieutenant was no powerhouse like Shinoa, she certainly made up for it in terms of skill and agility. Which was surprising, given the fact that she wielded a giant battle ax. The poor bastards didn't even realize what hit them before they were reduced to dust. After checking to see if there was any more, the group of five headed inside.

The outpost interior was dilapidated, much like everywhere else. Surprisingly, the district it resided in wasn't badly damaged, meaning it was one of the few places that hadn't suffered serious destruction as a result of the battle between the JIDA and the vampires, and the rampages of the Horsemen of John. It was also strangely devoid of guards. They did encounter one or two, which made their job easy. Shinoa snuck and eliminated them without a sound, allowing them to progress deeper.

The upper floor seemed to be where most activity was, as there were a dozen or so vampires in the room. Shinoa was about to engage, but the captain grabbed her shoulder and pulled her back. It was best that they analyze the situation, then strike. She clearly didn't like it, but she accepted the order and they pulled back, hiding away in the shadows.

"How come we've been relocated to this place?" they overheard a couple of vampires talking, one of them sounding annoyed. "We should be back at Sanguinem, preparing for the new Overseer's arrival."

The second lieutenant frowned. "Overseer?"

"The ruler of the vampires in the country, I wager." Shinoa guessed. "We've heard them talk about a leader called Krul. I guess the higher ups decided it was time to give her the boot."

"You know the drill." his comrade dismissed him. "Besides, being out here makes our job easier if you ask me. I don't wanna be anywhere near the coast. Not after what I heard."

The third vampire sneered. "What? Did you lose your outpost to the humans?"

"Wait, you haven't heard?!" the second vampire cried. "The No Life King was spotted there!"

"WHAT?!"

The captain narrowed his eyes, straining his ears. 'The No Life King?' That was interesting. From the looks on their faces, whoever this individual must be was someone they feared greatly. In his years of service, the vampires were emotionless beings. If they did have any emotion in them, it was enjoyment in their superiority over humans and wanting to drink as much blood as possible. The fact that they showed genuine fear was enough to make him curious to know more about this so called king.

"Are you serious?" one of his comrades whispered, eyes wide in panic. "Why is that monster here?!"

"I don't know, but word is, he sired one of the escapees from Sanguinem. Worse, it was a Seraph!"

"WHAT?!" He grabbed the one who spoke by the lapels of his cape. "You can't be serious! That will spell the genocide of us all!"

"Wait, sire?" the second lieutenant's eyes widened slightly, looking at her squad mates. "Did-did I hear that right?"

Shinoa nodded, also stunned by what they learned. "They're scared...of another vampire?" she asked, as if finding the idea ludicrous. "Seriously?"

'Seraph...' The captain was having other thoughts. His face was somewhat pale, the word repeating in his mind. 'A vampire turned a Seraph into one of their own?'

If what those vampires said is the truth...then it is an absolutely disastrous outcome. "Captain, what do we do?"

"Change of plans." His grip on his Cursed Gear was tight. And as Shinoa noticed, his hand was trembling. "We're taking one of them alive."

Yuu thought he was going to go mad, either from the hell that Alucard loved to put him through or the copious amounts of studying. Walter had been a harsh teacher, drilling one lesson into him after another until it seemed like his head would explode. Asuramaru had also taken to snickering at his mistakes. The training sessions with Alucard were just as ridiculous, if only because the vampire was a sadist and he was putting his body through hell. The man didn't use standard bullets, settling for rubber bullets laced with holy water instead. And for added measure, Baskerville was allowed to play with him as well.

Were it not for his apparent ability to regenerate, Yuu would have been angry over the fact that he lost a leg. As a matter of fact, Alucard actually seemed impressed by this.

"To think you'd be able to regenerate, without drinking any blood." he remarked with a slight smile on his face. "It seems we've got a natural Nosferatu on our hands."

"I take it..." Yuu grimaced as he tapped his newly made leg. It felt natural, but at the same time, it felt so foreign. He could move it like any other limb, but it felt so strange on his body. Like it wasn't his leg at all. "...most vampires can't do this?"

"Not newly born ones. You'd have to be at least a few centuries on your belt." the red-clad man shrugged his shoulders. "Furthermore, you still haven't consumed human blood, which is the catalyst to unlock your full powers as a Nosferatu."

"But...wasn't my body healed when you made me into one? I'm pretty sure I remember missing a lung and most of my chest."

"That was your body repairing itself for the transformation process. It's something all Nosferatu undergo. Same with Skals, I wager." Yuu's eyes widened at this. Alucard smirked wryly. "Come now, you honestly didn't think they began as vampires from when they were born, did you? All vampires, including myself, were all once human."

"Seriously? Then how did you all become vampires in the first place?!"

Alucard pursed his lips, cupping his chin. "The process differs. For Nosferatu, you would have to drink the blood of someone who is of the opposite sex who's purity remains intact. In other words, a virgin. I, however, differ in that regard as I was the first Nosferatu to come into existence."

Yuu's jaw went slack. "So, wait... That makes you a king?"

"Back in my human life, I was a king." Alucard nodded. "However, I was not bitten. And by the time I became an undead, I was far from being a virgin. Rather, I was offered the chance to partake in the night." The man sighed as he stared at the ceiling with a certain fondness, yet Yuu could clearly see the sadness in those bloody red eyes of his. "I do not recall who or what they were. Only that a river of blood was offered before me. The moment that blood touched my lips, I was no longer human. I had abandoned it and became a monster beyond human comprehension. And with my birth, the Skals were no longer the only vampires in existence. Now, they had new brethren: the Nosferatu."

Alucard paused for a moment, as he thought back to his first meeting with them, then laughed boisterously, surprising his brood.

"Of course, I also made sure that they knew I was hardly the sociable type. They thought they could make me bend the knee." His eyes flickered as his mouth opened and formed into a twisted grin, showing off all of his fangs. "I ripped them to pieces instead. And for that, they gave me the title of No Life King. They've wisely chosen not to interfere with me ever since."

"Wait...you made the Skals...fear of you? As in. they would piss their pants at the mere mention of you?" Yu asked in awe.

"Well, they would be stricken in terror and flee, but yes." Alucard's smile remained intact.

"The humans feared me when I was once known as the Impaler Prince. And I made the Skals fear me in the same way." Alucard then sighed and shook his head. "But enough of that. Stories are meant to have meaning. Mine are but reminisce. For now, let's focus on you, kid."

Yuu growled. "Dammit, my name isn't kid!"

"I'll start calling you by name when you've learned to accept what you are." the man snapped before he raised his Cassul. Baskerville emerged from his shadow, bearing down on the boy menacingly. "Now, hurry and draw your sword. And try your best not to lose a limb this time."

After making sure that the brats could look after themselves, and making sure that the safehouse was indeed secure, Guren returned to base. There wasn't much fanfare, and his stalker had joined his side the moment he stepped inside the JIDA HQ.

"You've been gone a while." Shinya said with a sly grin. "Where were you?"

"Business." Guren simply said before he looked around the halls. Of the few people here, he noticed how they were solemn, mourning or had the same expression they always had when they heard how someone had been killed out on the field. "I take it somebody died?"

"Two people from Squad Seven." his stalker told him. "The second lieutenant and the captain. Shinoa and another member survived. Apparently, they managed to take over an outpost, and capture a vampire. They overheard some interesting information."

"Like what?"

"That there's someone the vampires fear."

Guren stopped and looked at Shinya, who's grin grew. The man now had Guren's interest. "Well, that's interesting." he said before they resumed walking. "Did they start the interrogation?"

"Shinoa actually requested you be there." Shinya said. "If I were you, I'd hurry. She seemed quite antsy."

'Ah, but when isn't she?' Mahiru giggled. 'Still, to think that there's someone the vampires are terrified of. This should be quite interesting!'

The Sunlight Room was just how it sounded. And it was every bit as foreboding, if you are a bloodsucking monster. It was a twenty foot-by-foot room with pure white walls, tiled with panels that could reflect light. The only way in and out of the room was the door leading into the place, and it was guarded by thirty-inches of the strongest metal known to man.

Behind that door was the observation room. Monitors and one-way viewing mirrors allowed them to look into the room. The vampire was stripped clean of his clothes and had needles pierced into his flesh, each containing fluids meant to considerably weaken the poor bastard. His arms were bounded behind his back and connected via chain links to the cuffs around his ankles, which were then led to a stake burrowed into the ground.

Guren whistled in appreciation. "Consider me impressed." he said. "You've perfected the art of S&M."

"I aim to please~" Shinoa grinned.

"I heard your captain and a squad mate died. My condolences."

"Why, thank you, Captain Guren."

Shinya cocked his head. "You don't sound very concerned about the fact that you lost two comrades." Shinoa just continued to grin. Guren knew the girl wasn't really attached to her squad mates in the least. The only person she was even remotely close to was Guren himself, but even he doubted that they were really friends. Perhaps acquaintance was the best word. "So, what information does this vampire have?"

"We overheard some pretty interesting things." Shinoa said wistfully. "It seems that they have a rogue vampire among them, and they're scared to death of him. They call him the No Life King. And apparently, he was seen here in Japan, and sired someone who escaped from Sanguinem."

Guren immediately knew who Shinoa was talking about. 'Well, at least now we know who to thank for screwing up my prophecy.' Mahiru said. He could tell she was pouting. 'Still, a rogue vampire? That's a new one.'

"A vampire that doesn't obey the rules, huh?" Shinya chuckled. "Sounds like a certain someone I know."

"Oh. Shut up, Shinya." Guren scowled. "There are no rules on the battlefield. Not in a battle for survival."

"I still say that's just your excuse for being a complete maverick."

"You and Shinoa-chan are a lot alike in that regard."

Shinoa gagged while Guren's lips curved into distaste. He wisely chose not to retort to that and instead look at their prisoner. "So, aside from the vampires having a rogue and that they apparenty sired someone who escaped, has our friend said anything?"

"That's why you're here." Shinya said. "After all, out of everyone besides Kureto, you are one of the few people who can make a vampire talk. Just don't actually kill it after we're done questioning it this time. Or turn it into a demon."

"The last time was an accident."

"Suuuuuure." the tiny girl rolled her eyes. "Hurry it up, will you?"

"Fine..."

Rolling his shoulders, Guren stepped in front of the steel doors, fingers dancing across the keypad. With a groan, the doors were pulled open, ever so slowly while releasing a creaking noise that was hell on the ears. It opened up enough to allow one person to step inside. Gripping Mahiru-no-yo, he stepped inside. The door slid to a close behind him. Guren glanced at the vampire, noting how utterly frail she looked. Thin physique, pale skin, long light purple hair and elongated ears, and the vampire's signature red eyes.

The vampire lifted her head, glaring at Guren with disdain. He smiled back. "Nice to meet you too." he greeted amicably. "I hear you have some interesting things to tell us."

"I have nothing to say to a filthy human like you."

"Really? My comrades said otherwise. They said that you have an interesting subject to talk about. Something about a rogue Vampire that strikes absolute fear into the rest of your kind." The vampire stilled at that, but her expression didn't change. "And I also hear he sired someone who managed to escape your little hideaway." Guren kneeled down. "Now, see, I actually don't like interrogation all that much. It can get kind of messy at times. Especially when my superior tells me to kill them after we're done with them. But my boss actually thinks you'll be useful alive. So, here's how things will go. You are going to tell me everything you know about this so-called No Life King. And I mean everything."

"Fuck you!"

She suddenly gasped, blood splurting from her mouth. She looked down, finding Mahiru-no-yo pierced into her stomach. "Sadly, you don't have much of a choice." Guren's voice was hard. Cold, even. At this moment, both he and Mahiru were speaking together. The blade wasn't buried too deeply, but its touch was enough to elicit burning pain within the vampire's body. He pulled the blade up, cutting more into her body. "It really is hard, getting a vampire to talk. But do you know what I've learned, in the time I've been asked to interrogate you mosquitos?"

He gave a dark smile.

"You're more terrified of becoming a demon than you are of being reduced to dust."

The vampire's eyes widened. Before she had time to beg or yell for him to stop, Guren twisted the blade and ripped a hole in her chest. Faster than any could see, his gloved hand darted inside the open cut and grabbed hold of her still-beating heart.

"Tell me." he growled. "Who is the No Life King? Talk, or I rip out your heart."

"...his...His name is Alucard!" The Vampire gave in and admitted defeat. Guren gripped the heart tighter and slowly tugged. The vampire's face lost what little color it had. "T-the humans called him Vlad Tepes! T-the Impaler! We-we tried to recruit him to our ranks 600 years ago! He k-killed nearly all of us! He-he's the reason why t-the Council was made!"

'Vlad the Impaler?' Mahiru expressed shock. 'I'm aware he was used as the model for that book, but to think he was an actual vampire!'

Guren shared her sentiments before he continued his interrogation. "What makes this Alucard so different from you all? From what I get, you vampires have no sense of loyalty to each other, yet you fear this man as if he were the Devil himself."

"B-because he is Nosferatu!" she hissed, trying to break free of her bonds in an attempt to kill this bastard, but found her efforts to be of little use. The shackles remained sturdy and would not shatter. "The first Nosferatu! He is of the same kin as the First Progenitor! He is...!" she whimpered, feeling her heart threatening to be pulled from its confines. "He is far above us... He is, a True Vampire...!"

"A True Vampire?" Guren questioned. "Just what makes this Nosferatu different from you in terms of Vampires?"

"We-we are born as Skals." the vampire answered. "We were t-the first vampires born into this world...! The Nosferatu w-were born 600 years ago, a-after Alucard came into being!"

"So even thought your species of Vampire is the oldest, you're terrified of this new generation of Vampire? What exactly can he do?"

"We don't know! The last anybody heard of him was two centuries ago! He-he was thought to have been seen here in Japan!"

"Which brings me to my next question." Guren narrowed his eyes. "The person who escaped from Sanguinem. Who were they?" To ensure that he received an answer, he pulled just enough for one of the many tubes connected to the heart to snap.

The poor wench sung like a jailbird. "A SERAPH! A SERAPH OF THE END!"

'So I was right...' Mahiru huffed. 'This Nosferatu was the reason why my prophecy was wrong...'

'Seems like.' Guren agreed. 'Still, if this Alucard is as powerful as they claim, then why come to Japan? More importantly, why sire the Seraph?'

'I doubt this vampire has the answer to that...'

He agreed with her on that part. Satisfied, and having obtained all the information he needed, he decided to let the vampire off. It would be a pain if she turned into a demon, and he really didn't want to kill her and risk dealing with the paperwork. He pulled his hand back, leaving the vampire to shudder and collapse under herself, breath shuddering and gasping for air. He slid the Cursed Gear back into its scabbard and walked away from her. The steel doors pulled open and let him step back inside.

"And that," Shinya greeted with a grim smile. "Is why I don't do interrogations."

Shinoa nodded, albeit far more enthusiastic. "Have to admit, that's the first time I've seen you so cold and callous. Are you a vampire in disguise, Captain?"

"Maybe." Guren replied with a grin. "But if I were, I'd have to be a pretty ballsy one."

"So, what did our friend tell you?" Guren wisely left out a few key details, such as the Seraph of the End. Shinoa, being a Hiiragi, was likely already aware of their existence. Only members of the Hiiragi family, those within their inner circle, and the higher ups of the JIDA were allowed to know of their existence. Only a select few outside of these paremeters also known of the Seraph of the End. "I see... So the vampires we have been dealing with up to this point are Skals, whereas this new race of vampire, the Nosferatu, only came into existence 600 years ago. And this Alucard, which they fear so greatly, is the progenitor of their race."

"And he's apparently the same guy who got kicks out of ramming spears up people's butts." Shinoa chimed, though the smile didn't quite match her eyes. "Something tells me he's not a fun guy to be around."

Guren folded his arms. "Now that we're done with her, what do we do?"

"That'll be for the higher ups to decide." Shinya shrugged. "But if I'm to hazard a guess, I would say she will be used a guinea pig for experiments and such."

"Seems likely. We don't have many Vampire prisoners. It would be a good way to study them since we have a live subject." Shinoa said before she made her way to the door. "Aaah, now I'm bored. Do you think the cafeteria is open?"

Shinya and Guren followed her out, though not before the latter shot one last pitiful look at the vampire being held inside the cell. He almost felt bad for her. Almost. Still, at least she provided some valuable information. 'Nosferatu. Alucard. The No Life King.' he mulled over those terms in his head as he walked, a hand in his pocket. 'I wonder how the Hiiragi will take the news that there's some kind of super vampire running around?'

Knowing them,they would want to capture, study, and use him for their own ends. Somehow, Guren had the feeling that one day he'd meet the person that he was meant to find. When he did, though, he wasn't sure what would happen. A Seraph turned vampire was an intriguing prospect, but his position and forced loyalty to the Hiiragi would most likely put the two at odds unless something were to happen.

'Well, whatever. We'll cross the bridge when we get to it...'

He was screaming. His body was being torn apart. His flesh was being ripped into pieces.

Pain. So much pain.

Everything was black. All he could hear was the sound of his own screaming and people talking. His screams drowned out the voices, but they sounded so familiar.

'It hurts...' he thought, trying to stay conscious. 'It hurts. Someone, anyone... Make it stop.'

"Oi! Wake up!" A familiar voice cut through the pain like a knife.

Yu's eyes snapped open.

Asuramaru was peering down at him, eyes narrowed in annoyance. "Cripes, you like to yell in your sleep." he complained as Yuu pulled himself out of his coffin, pinching the bridge of his nose and trying to get his bearings. "What? You have a bad dream or something?"

"Yeah..." Yuu nodded. "It felt real." He paused when he felt something wet on his cheek. He slid his finger across his cheek and looked at it. "Blood?"

"Tears, actually." his familiar corrected. "Nosferatu cry tears of blood. Mostly when they have to relieve some bad memories. What'd you even see?"

"I..." Yuu licked his lips, finding them rather dry. His throat was sore. "I don't know. I can barely remember. All I felt was pain. And I was screaming."

"If that's the case, then you must have some pretty messed up suppressed memories." His familiar stated. "If they were that bad...makes me wonder what you went through in your previous life."

"...yeah..." He blinked a moment later and stared at Asuramaru in confusion. "Repressed?"

"You seriously haven't noticed?" Asuramaru inquired, raising an eyebrow. "Some of your memories are locked up tight. I figured they were just things you wanted to forget."

"Locked up? But...why would they be locked up...?"

"Beats me. Can't even get close to them inside your head. Something is keeping me out."

Yuu felt confused. Just what could have happened to force his memories to be blocked? Was it from before his time in the orphanage? He did have a shitty life back then. Hell, he couldn't even remember what his old family name used to be.

Shaking his head and pushing the matter for another day, Yuu hopped out of his coffin and grabbed his weapons. Alucard was probably going to subject him to another tortuous training sessions. He strapped the katana to his waist while he slung the Maalik over the shoulder. Ever since Walter gave him his new gun, he's been loving the hell out of it.

Now he knew why Alucard never left without his Cassul.

Rather than training, Alucard had told him they finally had a new mission. One that apparently involved one of the many branches of the Hellsing Family.

Sometime during the middle of the night, the Eastern Branch of the organization had fallen silent. They were but one of the many that had been requested to search for other vampire cases. Why they fell silent was up in the air, but Integra had already assumed the worst. As such, she had Yuu and the red-clad man head out to Bristol, where the branch was located.

It had taken little time to reach the place, on account of traversing through the shadows and speeding to their destination via transformation. Yuu still had a few problems, barely able to maintain his bat-like form for prolong periods of time, but he was able to keep up with Alucard, who wasted no time and didn't slow down for his fledgling.

"Can you smell it, kid?" Alucard called to him via telepathy as they neared the city. "There's blood in the air. Can you guess why?"

Yuu grimaced. "Is it because Integra-taichou was right and the branch was slaughtered?"

"Exactly. Bloodshed had just taken place. That means the assailants are nearby and on the move." His master smiled as he cocked the Cassul. "I love the thrill of the hunt."

"When don't you?" the boy deadpanned. "I swear, you're obsessed with finding someone who can entertain you. One of these days, you're going to get yourself killed, and I'm going to be laughing."

Alucard did not respond to that. Rather, the man just smiled as they traveled in shadow. Ten minutes later and they dispelled their shadowy forms, returning to physical form. Yuu stumbled forward and nearly fell flat on his face, catching himself in time and panting. Alucard just strode forward like it was nothing. Catching his breath, the boy followed the man. They were currently out on the streets. Oddly, they were utterly devoid of life. Not a single light was lit. No windows illuminated. Not a soul in sight.

"What the hell?" Yuu looked around, trying to search for at least some sign of life, but he found none. Not even a dog or insect was in sight. "Where is everyone? Are they...dead?"

Alucard didn't look at Yuu. "No. They're all just hiding in their rooms. Even though they're human, they can sense something is wrong. Come along, kid. The scent of blood is getting thicker. We're close to the Western Branch."

Yuu nodded and tailed after Alucard. Soon enough, they stood before the building that was the Western Branch of the Hellsing Organization. The scent of blood was pungent in the air. They had definitely found the source.

Abruptly, Yuu found himself frozen in place once the Hellsing Western Branch came into sight. The color drained from his body, all warmth gone and replaced with the urge to vomit.

"What-what...?"

The entire front part of the entrance to the building was littered with corpses. No. It was more accurate to say that someone decided to decorate the entrance with bodies. Stripped naked and flesh ripped open. Copius amounts of blood spilled onto the concrete ground, spilling out into the streets and forming into a river. Some bodies looked more intact than others. The rest were so horribly mutilated it was hard to tell whether or not they were human bodies. Their chests were torn open, exposing red sinews of flesh, ivory whine bones and misshapen lumps of meat that were clumped together.

It was an altar of depravity and gore. And of vulgarity, for the front door was marred with writing, all done in the blood of the corpses that littered the floor.

"FUCK YOU HELLSING"

"Well." Alucard said simply, not at all bothered by the carnage before him. "That's rather creative." He sniffed the air and tilted his head. "And it seems we've walked right into a trap. Why don't you come out? No use hiding. You reek of the blood of these men."

There was no response. Rather, a single figure strode out from the shadows, wearing a dark trench coat. It was hard to make out any discernible features, but Yuu could see that he was a giant. Standing maybe a foot higher than even Alucard. Slowly, the figure raised his head, revealing nothing but ashen gray skin. His right eye was normal and lime green, gazing at them with barely any emotion. His left eye, however, was bigger and was bulging from its socket, not to mention red.

"...Vlad Tepes." the assailant said, his voice raspy. "Also known as the No Life King. Alucard. We finally meet."

Alucard's smile grew. "You don't seem like the run of the mill vampire. Who are you?"

"I have no name. My master calls me Incognito."

"...Incognito? In hiding? That sounds stupid..." Yuu commented off-handedly, somewhat alleviating the tense atmosphere. Incognito then shifted his gaze to Yuu. Suddenly, a cold shudder ran down the young vampire's spine. He felt like someone had just dumped him in a cold bath. 'What is this?' the thought in panic, unable to move. 'He's only looking at me, but I can't even move a finger! What's more, I get the feeling that if I look away for even a minute, something bad will happen!'

"The rumors were true." the vampire said to no one in particular. "You sired one of the Seraphs of the End."

"Oh? So you are aware of them." Alucard said. "But what do you plan to do with this information, I wonder? Report it to your Master to confirm it, perhaps?"

"That is of little concern. My Master only desires one thing." Slowly, Incognito withdrew his arm from his person. Yuu gaped, seeing in the vampire's hand a giant gun. At first, he thought it was a Tommy gun, but the barrel was too short. And the chamber was far too large. "The death of Sir Integra Fairbrook Windgate Hellsing."

Alucard's smile turned feral. "You must have some gall, saying that too my face." he said as he aimed Cassul. "Stand back, kid." The gleam in his eyes was practically animalistic. Bloodlust leaked from Alucard, and his shadow warped and twisted, revealing a multitude of eyes. "This one is mine!"

"G-got it." Yuu jumped back away from his master. He was serious about taking on this fight alone. He could see it in his eyes.

The flame of rage and bloodlust.

Alucard did not take threats against his Master lightly. Ever since the day Professor Hellsing staked his heart and bound him forever into the Hellsing Family's service, his loyalty has always been towards that family. Integra would surely not be the last Hellsing he would serve, but she was by far the one that most reminded him of that man. Whoever dared to raise a hand towards her had forever earned his ire, and would find themselves staring down the barrel of his gun.

It didn't matter who this Incognito was.

Alucard would tear him limb from limb!

In unison, the two vampires shot at each other. Alucard's bullet struck the vampire dead in the face, knocking him off his feet and to the ground. The projectile fired by Incognito was worse. When it struck, the result was a plume of fire and smoke that threw Alucard straight into a car, the metal crumpling beneath his weight.

Yuu's eyes widened considerably. "You gotta be shittin' me..." he gaped. "That bastard... He's packing a Grenade Launcher?!"

Incognito did not move. His body simply pulled itself back up without twitching an inch, as if he were a puppet pulled by strings. The bullet that was lodged in his skull was pushed out, falling to the street before he took aim again and fired another explosive round. Alucard din't bother dodging. Instead, he fired off three more shots before the shell struck him again. Each shot hit their mark, but Incognito merely staggered. Not a stumble or a twitch.

"Is that truly the best you have, Alucard?" Incognito mockingly questioned over the gunfire. "Weren't you going to kill me?"

A primal growl tore from Alucard's throat as he pulled himself out of the flaming wreckage. Flowing out of him was black shadows, seeping like ooze. "Releasing Art Restriction to Level 3." he snarled before raising his gun again, firing another barrage. This time, the bullets forced Incognito to retreat. One bullet struck him in the shoulder, causing him to recoil. Another blow a portion of his face off, revealing torn black flesh underneath and shattered bone. Before Incognito could retaliate, Alucard closed the distance and grabbed the man by the face, throwing him down to the ground and unloading a full clip into his face before the barrel of the Grenade Launcher was shoved into Alucard's mouth.

An explosion consumed them both. Alucard's body flew through the air and landed on the ground with a sickening crunch. His face was entirely blown to bits. Nothing but giblets of red chunks, gray matter and bone. Yuu felt his stomach lurch before he casted a glance at Incognito. The smoke settled, revealing him to be standing up to his feet. His coat was partially damaged, revealing an emaciated body underneath the article of clothing. Purple body paint touched his skin along with gold piercings. The fedora hat that covered his head was destroyed, revealing a dome devoid of hair and a third eye drawn in the middle of his forehead.

Flesh shook and quivered as strands formed, pulling and knitting itself together. Flesh reformed, muscle repairing and bone growing back. "What the hell?!" the new born Nosferatu cried. "He took all those bullets, and he just gets back up like he's nothing?!"

"He is no ordinary Nosferatu..." Asuramaru said warily. "Your Master was right to have you stay out of this. This vampire... He is not like the rest of these scrubs. He might be a match for a Third Progenitor!"

Incognito rubbed his chin. "Hm... Impressive." he muttered. "Get up, Alucard. I know you are far from spent."

Alucard's body shook. Darkness shrouded his body as it twisted inhumanely, pulling itself back up. Bones and muscles were pushed back into place. Strands of muscle stretched across the crater that was his face. Veins spread across ivory bone resembling a skull with sharp fangs. Eyes slithered into existence, bulging and full of malice. Then came pale skin, scrawling up the face of horror, followed by flowing black hair from the top of his scalp.

In spite of having his face blown clean off, Alucard looked ecstatic and somehow still livid. "A run of the mill vampire would have died from having so many bullets pumped into them." he said, voice dripping with malice. "You're certainly no Skal, that's for sure. No, you're far from that." His eyes narrowed and a tongue lapped over his fangs. "You're...a True Vampire."

Incognito's lips twitched. "My status is irrelevant." he said. "All that matters is the destruction of Hellsing." His bulging eye glowed menacingly. The shadow that stretched from his form trembled and rippled before it rose, growing larger in size until it was the size of a school bus, draconian in form with wings and a singular bloody red eye in what should have been in its head. "Shall we continue?"

"Let's!" Alucard cheered as his own familiar, Baskerville, snarled into existence.

The familiars of both True Vampires lunged at one another and clashed. Baskerville's claws tore into the scales of its foe while the Winged Serpant sunk its fangs into the beast's hide. Shadows and crimson spilled across the pavement. Alucard and Incognito, meanwhile, struck at one another, trading gunshots. Bullets would blow holes into Incognito. Shells would obliterate chunks of Alucard. It was a brutal cycle. Rinse and repeat.

It was then that Yuu realized that this was not a fight between vampires. Not anymore.

This was a fight between monsters. Creatures that defied human understanding. He understood now why the Skals feared someone like Alucard, for no being in this world could smile or grin in the face of such brutality and bloodshed.

And yet...this very battle sparked a sense of...excitement inside of him. He realized that he was a Nosferatu like them. Their sheer presence alone enough to make a Skal soil themselves.

And someday...those mosquitos will soon fear him as well.

Such a thought brought a smile on his face. If these two were capable of such, then perhaps he would be able to achieve such a thing as well.

Yet such enlightening thoughts did little to help his stomach. The gore he bore witness two as the two vampires tore at each other with their respective weapons was beyond anything one would see in a horror movie. Alucard was purposely slowing down his regeneration, saving this feeling of bloodlust. Incognito shared no such sentiments as his body quickly repaired the damage done. In the background, Baskerville threw the dragon-like shadow into the Western Branch building before clamping down its maw on its neck, causing blood to splurt all across the yard. In an act of defiance, its tail pierced its torso and the two struggled to break out of the other's grasp.

Incognito shot two rounds at Alucard, but the vampire evaded and weaved through them. He reached Incognito in a split second and grinned like a madman before slamming his gun into the bastard's mouth, unloading several rounds into his skull and down his throat. He was only stopped when Incognito tore through the red-clad man's neck, fingers ripping and tearing into flesh before he aimed the Grenade Launcher at the man's head. At such close proximity, even he would feel the damage, yet he pulled the trigger anyway.

Alucard's head exploded into a mess of blood, bone, and gray matter while the shrapnel tore into Incognito's face, the flames burning his flesh. The force of the blast even threw the two away. Alucard bounced off the concrete like a rag doll before his body slammed into a dumpster truck, blood splashing against its metal frame. At the same time, Incognito was thrown straight into a building, where he utterly decimated the wall and sat inside.

At the height of their struggle, Baskervile finally had enough and decided it was time to end this. Putting a claw on the shadowy reptile's body, it began to pull on the creature's neck with all its might. In a frenzy, the beast struggled, but it was in vain. With a violent twist of the head, the familiar of Incognito found its head ripped from its shoulders and thrown aside, bouncing off the ground. Victorious, it released a triumphant howl before it faded back into shadow alongside its defeated opponent.

For a moment, there was only silence. A dreadful one at that, lingering in the air and vastly unsettling. Yuuichiro swallowed the lump in his throat, looking back and forth between the caved in wall where Incognito went through and Alucard's unmoving body.

Then movement came. Alucard's body twitched and writhed on the ground, as if it was unsure what to do. Limbs twisted in ways that were inhumanely possible, meshing bone and flesh before a hand slammed into the ground, digging into the concrete before pulling itself up. Flesh and shadow caked the body, reforming into something that passed as human. "It's been a long time since someone has pushed me to this!" Alucard cackled, utterly thrilled and adrenaline pumping in his body. "Incognito, was it? You're truly far beyond the pathetic whelps I've dealt with up to this point!"

"The feeling..." Incognito's voice came clear in the air as the man stepped out from the building, revealing his body in full. He was devoid of clothes and strangely any genitalia whatsoever, and revealing further piercings and body paint. "...is mutual. You are a dangerous threat to my master's plans."

Alucard practically giggled in delight as he grabbed his shoulder, pushing it upward. A sickening 'crunch' was heard, meaning he had just pushed his arm back into place. "I'll take that as a compliment, but how about we stop playing around?" A chilling dread crawling on Yuu's back, making all his hairs stand on end. A dangerous look had manifested in Alucard's eyes as a thick dark aura began to crawl up his body while his arms moved, forming into something akin to a makeshift picture frame. However, instead of the hands being side ways with only the thumbs meeting the index fingers, all the fingers were extended. The right hand was facing up while the left hand was downward.

Incognito's red eye bulged and twitched and glowed, almost as if responding to this action.

However, before either side could fight to their fullest, something clattered into the street. Then smoke started to feel the area. "What the hell?!" Yuu cried as his vision was suddenly swarmed with white mist. He then started to gag, feeling his eyes water and throat run dry. There was something foul in the air. He couldn't breath. "What is this?!"

Alucard turned sour. "Garlic?" he questioned in disdain. "No. Holy water...?"

"It seems we will have to finish this another time." Incognito remarked. For the first time, he there was an undertone in his voice: disappointment. "A shame. I wanted to see how I would fair against the full might of the Impaler. Another time, then..."

"Wait!" But it was in vain, as Incognito faded out of sight, leaving the two Vampires to suffer the effects of the holy water mist.

For Yuu, it was unbearable. While for Alucard, it was irritating at best. "A shame..." the latter muttered before he turned to Yuu. "Let's go, kid. If you stay in this mist any longer, you'll likely die." He strode past the boy and grabbed his collar, pulling him away before they shifted into black forms, darting through the lifeless streets.

Unknown to the two, they were being watched from afar. Safely hidden from the carnage that took place.

"Holy fuck that was awesome!" one of the onlookers, a man wearing a blood-stained track suit with a beanie and dark skin, cried in utter astonishment. "I got a massive boner from watching that! Did you see that, my brother?! Now that's the kind of shit I signed up for!"

"Honestly, Jan..." the second observer, dressed in a pristine white suit devoid of stains, sighed as he adjusted his glasses and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Do you have to be so vulgar? Also, I trust you managed to get all the data from that little show."

"Yep, sure did! Shame we didn't get to see that little shit get down and dirty, too. Would've been fucking awesome, I bet." Jan Valentine cracked a wide grin. "So that's the famous crimson fucker, huh? God damn that was legit."

"Indeed. The power of a True Vampire like Alucard is nothing to scoff at. The strength he's shown has definitely done some of the stories justice." Luke Valentine agreed.

"Think you'll be able to take him on?"

Luke shrugged, a smile tugging at his lips. "If Incognito could do it, why shouldn't I?" he said. Comparing himself to Incognito was boasting, if perhaps just hot air, but Luke was confident in his abilities. Especially after what he saw. No matter how powerful Alucard's regeneration, there must be some sort of limit. And when it came to speed, not even Incognito could match him. "At any rate, let's head back. The old man still wants us to provide more data for the FREAK Chips. Once we've done that, Commander Winkle has asked to return to base."

"So that means we can kill and rape a couple more fuckers?" Jan asked with a wide smile, enticed by the prospect of further chaos. "Sweet music to my ears, bro!"

After returning to the manor and Walter handing Integra the report, a funeral service was being held in honor of the fallen soldiers. The families of these men received due compensation, among other things. It was a sordid affair, as well as a somber one. A dark air seemed to hang around the manor, even as things slowly returned to normal. One thing Yuu had noticed was how irritated Alucard was. Whether it was because he wasn't able to finish his fight with Incognito, or he was angered that the man escaped from his grasp, was unknown to him. He wisely chose to stay out of his "parent" way.

While Yuu was off doing his own thing, perhaps wandering aimlessly around the mansion or studying in his own free time, Integra spoke with Alucard. "Another True Vampire?" she inquired with surprise. "Here?!"

"Yes. He called himself Incognito, though he claimed he had no actual name." Alucard nodded, a grimace on his face. "He was quite powerful. I was about to release my full power, but he escaped."

Walter frowned deeply, rubbing his chin. "If there is a vampire of such caliber here, and that he is working for someone, who could it possibly be?" he inquired. "And more importantly, why assault one of the branches? Wouldn't it simply be easier to attempt an attack on us directly? If he is truly at such a level, dealing with our soldiers would be child's play."

"I suspect it was meant to lure us out and test our strength." Alucard reasoned. "He had a particular interest in the kid. He was even able to tell he was a Seraph of the End."

"And has the boy asked?"

"No, but I can tell he's curious."

"I see. Ensure that he doesn't pry too deep into the matter. A revelation of his true nature at this time could produce disastrous effects." Integra ordered. "As it stands now, he is not ready to know about himself yet."

"Understood." Alucard bowed.

"Good. Onto another matter, before you and Incognito could continue the fight, an unknown third part intervened, correct?"

The red-clad man nodded again. "Yes. They used gas mixed with holy water. Quite a nuisance. The poor brat nearly choked to death." Alucard folded his arms. "Whoever these people are, they're rather serious about declaring war against the Hellsing Organization." His lips spread, revealing his fangs. "How shall I deal with them, Master? Fill them with lead? Tear them limb from limb?"

"Do you even need to ask, Alucard?" Integra took a huff from her cigar. "It is the same as always. Search and destroy."

"Oi. What are you doing?"

"Looking for something."

"And looking for something equates to you tearing through the library like a madman?"

There were towers of books stacked all around Yuu. He wasn't normally so invested in a book unless it was for academic tutoring purposes, and he sincerely didn't want to face the wrath of Walter for slacking off. Working had been really tiresome for him, especially as he tried to look for something that had been bothering ever since he came back. Something that Incognito had said that was scratching at the back of his head.

Searching the pages for an answer, Yuu gave a sigh and snapped the book shut, tossing it to the pile. "Not here either." he muttered.

"So seriously, what the hell are you looking for?" Asuramaru questioned as he floated in the air, lying on his side with his head in his hand. "As much fun as it is to see you getting irritated, you kind of have my interest."

Yuu was about to tell the familiar off and to return to his shadow, but stopped when a thought came to him. "Hey, Asuramaru." he called to his familiar, turning to face him. "You used to be a bloodsucker, right?"

"Until I had my heart ripped out and became this thing." Asuramaru said flatly. "But yes. I used to be a vampire. Skal, to be precise. Why do you ask?"

"What do you know about this Seraph of the End thing?"

The Former Skal froze as his eyes narrowed in scrutiny. "...why do you want to know?"

"You heard Incognito call me that, right? What the hell even is it?"

Asuramaru grimaced. "They're worse than vampires." he said bluntly, earning a confused look. "As their name implies, they're angels. Servants of God Almighty. Except the Seraph of the End are FAR from righteous. They exist for a single purpose."

"What's that?"

"To bring about the end of the world, and to punish humans who have the nerve to break one of the sacred laws." he answered. Yuu choked. Bring about the end of the world? "Japan got overrun by Skals because humans started dying off 'cause of a virus, right? That was the work of a Seraph of the End who blew on his trumpet."

"Wait, so the adults dying is because of an angel? Why?!"

"Because there was a human stupid enough to break a taboo." the familiar replied in a bored tone. "So long as you don't break the rules, the Seraphs remain dormant and live out normal human lives. But when someone goes and breaks the rules, well, then consider yourself screwed."

Yuu felt his mouth turn dry. He could only accept what Asuramaru told him while he tried to wrap his head around everything. Japan falling to the vampires. The adults dying off. Everyone in the orphanage dropping dead like flies.

All of that, because someone broke a law and called on the angels?

"Incognito called me a Seraph of the End..." Yuu muttered, pressing a hand to his face. "Then, am I...?"

Asuramaru nodded. "Yes. You are an Angel. Partially, anyway. Seems like it's still dormant, now more so because Alucard turned you into a vampire. That being said, I'd appreciate it if you didn't rely on that power." His face scrunched into disgust. "I'm not particularly fond of angels."

Yuu didn't respond. Not after his familiar confirmed the fact that he was an Angel...one of the same Angels who killed all of the adults in Japan. What he didn't understand was why everyone had to pay the price of a single person's sins...

He didn't know who this person or what they were like. But he did know one thing: if they were to ever meet, he would get his answers.

And he was going to gut the bastard.

Guren felt a cold shiver run down his back and resisted the urge to sneeze. "Somebody must be talking about me, or someone wants to kill me." he muttered as he twirled the wine glass in his hand. "So, remind me again. Why'd you decide to drag me all the way out here, Shinoa? Last I checked, fancy dinners aren't usually your thing."

"Oh, bite your tongue." Shinoa stuck her tongue at him. "Even I enjoy the high life every now and then, though I usually only do so in moderation. Resources are rather scarce, after all. Anyway, I wanted to ask you something." Guren raised an eyebrow. It wasn't every day that the little cocky shit that was Shinoa Hiiragi came asking him about something. And judging by the look on her face, she seemed rather serious. Rather odd, but not unwelcome.

"What is it?"

"It's about what that vampire said. About this No Life King." she said, bringing up the topic from earlier today. "If I remember right, a few weeks back, we also received a report about a man dressed in Western clothing somewhere near Harujuku. This is just a stretch, but do you think...?"

"That it was this famed Alucard?" Guren smirked. "I'd bet my money on that."

"Why would this Alucard come here to Japan? And more importantly..." She looked around, finding that the other patrons in the restaurant were busy and engrossed in other subjects. She leaned in and whispered to her superior officer. "...why would they sire a Seraph of the End that escaped from Sanguinem?"

Guren had no answer to that. Well, any answer that wouldn't reveal his affiliation with Krul and his hosting of Mahiru, at any rate. "I honestly can't say. Thought it does strike me as odd how the vampires were holding one of them, all things considered. If our intelligence and findings are correct, they wanted nothing to do with the Seraph of the End project in the first place."

"Maybe it has something to do with the Overseer?"

'Oh my, look at you go, little sis.' Mahiru giggled. 'Got it in one!'

"Speaking of which, if there is a new Overseer in charge of the vampires now, we'll have to expect some changes." Guren said, taking a bite of the roasted steak on his plate. It was a little tough. Maybe a bit too bloody. "If the guys in charge of vampires thought the one we were dealing with was incompetent, who knows what the new guy can do?"

Ever since Krul Tepes had been given the boot and sentenced to daily torture, Ferid had been nothing short but giddy. He was, after all, now free to pursue his own, personal agenda.

Granted, he would need to keep it secret from Lest Karr, the new leader of Sanguinem, as well...this brief reprieve of a transition period gave him just enough time.

Things were certainly interesting, to say the least. He was disappointed that Krul thought a step ahead and had the two darling Seraphs moved away somewhere. He was still trying to find them, but wherever she hid them away was like finding a needle in a haystack, or so the human expression went.

He was unconcerned with the fact that the last Seraph that escaped, that kid who shot him in the head, was now sired by none other than the No Life King. Admittedly, it was alarming, but nothing he should be worried about.

As long as he did nothing to offend the Nosferatu in any way, there was no fear of him coming back to kill him off the face of the planet. That is, assuming Lest wouldn't beat him to it. The man was notorious for his strict demeanor and preference. No doubt that he would order them to work to the bone to take down the JIDA, considering Krul had settled on putting the humans on a stalemate.

It would definitely make things harder for him also, but he'd find a way to make due. For now, though, it was time to go greet his new lord.

"Hey, Bathory." a fellow of his named Crowley spoke to him as they walked with the rest of their brood, heading to the airport to go greet and welcome Lest. "How do you suppose the new Overseer will handle things? To be honest, I rather prefer working with Krul."

Ferid chuckled. "Well, given how he's run Germany, I can guess a few things. Then again, Germany isn't the one that believes it is one of the last bastions of humanity. We're lucky that we managed to cut off all communications, otherwise the No Life King would have hunted us all down the moment we began the invasion."

"True, true." Crowley nodded. "I keep hearing stories of him, but never witnessed his feats in person. But given how his very name strikes fear into the Progenitor Council, he must be quite terrifying."

"If you want stories, you are better off asking Third Progenitors and up." Ferid shrugged. "Honestly, I hope I never meet the man. Or the humans he serves."

"Speaking of humans, I hear the Hyakuya Sect lost another base over in Ireland." the red-haired vampire mentioned, catching Ferid's interest. "It was the handiwork of that human I ran into a few years back. Anderson, I believe his name was."

At the mention of that name, Ferid's lips curled into disgust. "Ugh, him..." he muttered under his breath. "I despise that man with all my still heart." He had every right to do so...given how Alexander Andersen was the person who was just a mere hairbreadth away from killing him when they first met.

Ferid barely escaped with his unlife. The exorcist was completely relentless and fierce. He prided himself for his own talents, and while he didn't like to toot his own horn, he did like to brag every now and then. Alexander Anderson, however, had destroyed any and all pride he had all those years ago. It was even safe to say that he broke whatever image Ferid might have had in his head and reminded him of his status.

One day, he swore he would get his revenge against the bastard and parade his head across the Vatican.

The conversation and chatter soon fell into silence. They had arrived at the airport and patiently waited for their new Overseer to arrive. They wouldn't have to wait long as the blimp had arrived within the hour. Ferid took notice of the man black clothed men on board the blimp, all wearing gas masks with tubes. Red armbands decorated the sleeves, revealing a strange symbol.

'That is the swastika, I believe.' Ferid noted in his head. 'The symbol of Nazi Germany. Strange. I don't recall Lord Karr having any real interest.'

The blimp landed. Bindings were soon attached to keep it from floating away, and the docking procedures were underway. Soon, the metal door opened with a weak groan. Stepping out into view was Lest Karr, in all his pint sized glory.

What threw them for a loop, however, was the fact that he was not alone. Behind him was a short obese man dressed in a white suit, glasses hiding his cold eyes from them. Even from here, they could smell him for what he was.

"A human?" Crowley asked, stunned. "Well, this is new. Do you think he's Lord Karr's pet?"

Ferid didn't answer that. Instead, he just stared at the man in wonder before a grin touched his face. 'Well now... This is interesting.' He recognized the man. And he had no doubt the man recognized him as well, despite having only met once. Just looking at this fat little human was enough to make Ferid's skin crawl.

It was a delightful feeling.

One of the vampires, a Fifth Progenitor, stepped forward and bowed his head deeply. The motion was soon followed by many others. "Overseer Karr. Welcome to Japan."

"Quite the welcome committee." Lest remarked with a droll before he turned his head to the human behind him. "Thank you for escorting me all this way, Major."

The man laughed. "It was my pleasure." he said, a face-splitting grin present. "However, I do request a favor of you. Please, do show ze Demon Army what war is like."

"Not going to participate?"

"Nein. I have more pressing concerns to attend to."

"Back in Europe, I take it?"

"Ja. Preparations need to be made. It is only a matter of time before ze Last Batallion makes its mark and wages war on a grand scale."

"Should be quite exhilarating." Lest grinned and nodded. "Until we meet again, you lowborn creature."

"Until we meet again, filthy maggot."

After a trade of farewells and insults, both human and Vampire parted ways. The Major returned to his blimp, though not before he turned to look over his shoulder. At that moment, he and Ferid locked eyes, the latter smirking when he noticed the figures hiding in the shadows past the doorway, all of whom bearing the scent of vampires, but diluted.

Ferid smirked. So it seemed that the man brought his little creations with him. How amusing. They may think that they are vampires...but they lack something crucial.

But then again, maybe they were more than he thought. Who could say, really?

Even so, it was certainly a pleasure to see that amusing little man again. 'Still, I wonder how he looks exactly how he did that day?'

It was on the day Berlin had begun to fall apart during World War II that the vampire called Ferid Bathory and the obese man simply called The Major met. Both men could remember that day clearly, as if it were yesterday. The day Berlin had come under siege by the Soviets and burned and scorched. Buildings were set ablaze and left to crumble and topple over their own weight. Soldiers and civilians alike were treated without distinction, killed by the end of a gun.

The Major himself had only been but a nameless soldier, who would have been but one of the many casualties of war. The Soviets were a remarkably cruel bunch, beating him ruthlessly and breaking his otherwise tender bones before shooting him repeatedly. There he was left to lie on the ground, bleeding out and slowly dying.

Strangely, the Major did not care about his death back then. All he could think was how horrible the end was for him, unable to see the end of what would no doubt be a beautiful and magnificent bout of carnage and murder. So many deaths, so much destruction. He wished to see it all.

Perhaps it was the stench of blood that drew Ferid Bathory onto the battlefield. Perhaps it was the feelings the Major expressed in what could have been his last few moments. But it was then that the man laid eyes on a vampire for the first time. In comparison to his first ever meeting with the No Life King, the meeting with Ferid was of little amazement, yet it cemented one's utter fascination with them and all they held.

Back then, Ferid's hair was short. Cut close to the chin, and his face notably more ruthless looking. Wearing nothing but a black uniform with a cloak over his shoulders, he strode towards the Major with a gleam in his eyes. To the Major, Ferid was perhaps a cold angel of death that would have guided him to Hell, for no human on this world could posses such beauty, yet bear such chilling intent behind a smile.

"You there." Ferid said to him, his voice crisp and charming as it was now. "The look in your eyes... It's quite interesting." He kneeled down and pulled out a thin silver blade from his person, dragging it across his palm. Crimson liquid spilled across the ground. A sweet odor filled the Major's nostrils as he watched the blood seemingly begin to flow to him, as if beckoning to him. "Do you want to live and see what hell your kind brings?"

To the Major, vampirism was brilliant. One can cough another's soul like a vintage ice wine and steal everything that defines them. It was deadly, but at the same time beautiful, for it could offer one eternal life and the chance to do whatever they pleased.

But the Major would have none of it, for to him at this moment, what could have been an act of kindness was nothing short than someone spitting on his grave. With a glare, he forced himself to raise his head and look Ferid in the eye, and said but one word,

"Begone!"

The Vampire blinked, surprised by the refusal. He assumed that the human would've leaped at the chance to live through this hellish scene. "...may I ask why? You are literally bleeding to death. You have maybe a few minutes at best. After that, you would no longer be a witness to the carnage of this aftermath."

The Major merely smiled back, even as his body grew closer to death by the minute. "Mein hertz, mein esailer, mein laben..." he grimaced, struggling to breath. His lungs were on fire, yet even so, he would not break his line of sight. "They belong to me! Sharing one's life with another, and they with you. Losing one's self in the borders of the sanguine sea. To gain by losing is nothing but a sweet irony. It is bliss of acquiescence. No, it is surrender! So I say to you, stranger..."

"To hell with you!" he howled with such ferocity that Ferid found himself reeling back from mere intensity alone. "What's mine is mine alone! Every hair, every drop of blood... They belong to me! I am me. I. Am. Me!"

Ferid stared at the man for what seemed like hours before he cracked a smile, which turned into a series of chuckles. "...How amusing...a human who cherishes his humanity so closely...very well." Ferid closed his open hand, letting the wound seal back up. "Enjoy whatever time you have left..."

And so the vampire vanished into the flames. It would be the last meeting the Major and Ferid would ever have until the next few decades...

VAMPIRE REQUIEM

- Chapter 3 of 5 -

And now, O Kings, be ye wise.

Be admonished, ye judges of the earth!

Serve the LORD with fear, and rejoice with trembling!

Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and ye perish in the way, though his wrath be swiftly kindled.

AMEN.

The Number of Chapters for this arc is shortened namely in part due to a lack of content that I would be able to make. However, to make up for the lack of content, the remaining two chapters will be absurdly long. And suitably bloody.