Yami to Boushi to Hon no Tabibito: Ever After
Part Two
"Now where are we?" Hazuki asked as they looked around them, both a bit disoriented after traveling to another world. The black haired young woman held her katana at her side, her eyes sweeping their surroundings warily. Together they had embarked on another quest to find Eve, and this time it seemed their journey was even stranger.
"I'm not sure," Lilith admitted as the bosomy blonde adjusted her costume, the odd eyeball hat she wore gazing about curiously. This was the sixth world they had traveled to together, both facing jeopardy as they quested for traces of Eve.
There was an ominous sense of doom around the place, an oppressive feeling surrounding them, pressing down like a deathly chill. The city they had landed in looked like it had been through a brutal war, all the buildings as far as the eye could see shattered and broken and the streets deserted of people or any sign of life. Off in the distance a low moaning sound could be heard, something like the howls of the dead.
From around a corner they came, shambling forward, eyes empty of reason as the gray faced men charged forward at them. Their clothes were rags over bodies that seemed to be rotting away, their teeth still gleaming amid all the decay.
"Behind me," Hazuki ordered Lilith as she drew her blade, swinging to cut through the rotting undead with ridiculous ease, the shining blade sending them screaming away.
"Vampires," Lilith blurted.
"I thought they were a myth," Hazuki answered as she cut another of the shambling horde, being careful to stay clear of their grip.
"In most books they are," Lilith said as she popped open her blouse, rummaging about past the swell of her breasts, "but in this one they're real."
"What are you...?" Hazuki asked, blushing faintly.
"Ah ha," Lilith pulled a small box of matches out. Lighting a match she held it above her head... where it exploded into pure sunlight, sending the undead scrambling backward.
Then a gun roared out, and the running vampires were swiftly cut down by twin weapons, cannons reducing the surviving numbers to ash and ruin. "There's someone else out there," Hazuki kept her sword drawn at her side.
The two emerged from the shadows, walking forward calmly. The blonde haired young woman was dressed in a military style uniform while her companion wore a stylish red suit, the cloth hugging her shapely form. Both had the most eerie looking eyes, the color of blood.
"My name is Seres Victoria," the little blonde said.
The woman in red pushed her circular hat up, revealing pure white hair tied back by a leather band beneath it, "And I'm Integra Hellsing. What are you doing in London? Don't you know it's controlled by the vampires?"
"Aren't you vampires?" Lilith asked pointedly.
"Not by our choice," Integra bit out the words with obvious resentment, "and we do not feed on.. living humans."
"We're here looking for a lost friend," Hazuki said, holding her weapon at the ready, "we don't want trouble."
"Though we always seem to find it," Lilith muttered.
"Hush," Hazuki fought a slight smile.
"If your friend was in London when Lord Alucard took over, they're dead, wish they were dead or turned into his ghouls," Seres said quietly, "now leave here for your own safety. If you can get out of town before Alucard realizes his ghouls were destroyed you might make it."
"No," Lilith shook her head, "we know she's somewhere nearby here.
"Fool," Seres drew her pistol...
...when Hazuki struck like the wind, her silvery sword cleaving the weapon in half and sending the pieces clattering to the broken cement beneath their feet. "Don't try to threaten Lilith," she said to her flatly, "or answer to me."
Integra reached out to stop Seres from moving on both woman as she studied them thoughtfully. "There's a place we're gathering to fight," she said calmly, "your friend might be there. Follow if you choose."
With that they turned and strode off. "That was my favorite pistol, why did you stop me?" Seres complained softly.
Integra checked to see if the two were following as she said, "There's something unusual about them... they could be useful."
"Thank you," Lilith said to Hazuki softly as they fell into step behind Seres and Integra, keeping a wary eye out for more of the undead.
"You're welcome," Hazuki answered quietly. She looked up, gazing across the city at the broken clocktower that loomed against the cloudless sky, "That looks like photos of Big Ben, but I can barely believe we're in London..."
"I've never been there," Lilith admitted, "but it's possible."
Moving a bit closer to Integra and Seres she tentatively asked the two of them, "How could this have happened?"
"Because of my failure," Integra said flatly.
"Lady Hellsing, it wasn't..." Seres started.
"I trusted Alucard," Integra cut her off, "even knowing what he once was. When the Nazi's attacked London I chose to let him turn our fallen to ghouls, to aid in the defense, as well as to stop those damn Catholics."
"What happened then?" Lilith asked eagerly, sounding almost like a little girl listening to an exciting story.
"Alucard succeeded in defeating the leader of the Nazi's and then consumed his essence," Seres revealed grimly, "and in the process broke free of the mystical bonds that had held him under Hellsing's control. He turned the army of ghouls on us, as well as taking the Nazi army for his own... we never had a chance."
"But you two are vampires," Hazuki studied them warily as they reached a larger building and began to pick their way through the rubble, "why doesn't Alucard control you?"
"I was made by a punk vampire just before Alucard killed him on a Hellsing operation," Seres revealed, "apparently Alucard felt that Hellsing could use me."
"And after Alucard tore me open in revenge for controlling him for so long," Integra said, "Seres turned me."
"Get in," Seres pulled open a hatch in the floor, revealing tunnels beneath.
"Hazuki?" Lilith hesitated.
Reaching out Hazuki took Lilith's hand and squeezed comfortingly. "Let's go," and together they descended into semi-darkness.
They walked down a long hall lit by torches, eventually coming up to a door guarded by a man dressed in formal wear. He bowed, the balding man's motion revealing that the sleeve of his shirt was empty, his one arm was gone, "Welcome back Lady Hellsing."
"Walter," Integra smiled, "how is everyone holding up?"
"Tense," Walter summarized, "but we're holding up well." He looked curiously at the others and asked, "Newcomers?"
"Yes, they were dealing with a band of ghouls before we found them," Seres revealed with a impish smile.
"They can fight? Then welcome," Walter nodded to Hazuki and Lilith, "to the Royal Order of Holy Knights."
"Or what's left of us," Integra added bleakly as the door opened and they headed inside.
The room was surprisingly brightly lit, so much so that Integra whipped out a set of round sunglasses and put them on. There were maps on the walls, blueprints, and several radios of different types. People rushed about with papers and personal computers, sorting and gathering data, even as they could see into nearby rooms where soldiers and others talked.
"We've confirmed that Alucard has moved into the Palace," one young man reported, "we've got the plans from the National Archives and are looking into routes inside."
"Very good," Integra nodded briskly with confidence.
Seres snagged another officer, "Any news on the Royals?"
"Prince Harry was the last to go," he shook his head regretfully, "Alucard has made a clean sweep of the Royals."
"Not unexpected," Integra kept her voice even, "we may have to look to a foreign branch of the family to reestablish the Monarchy."
"Do you really think they can?" Lilith asked Hazuki softly.
"I think," Hazuki answered softly so that none of the others could hear, "even if they can't win she has to act like she believes she can."
A third young man spoke up, "We've got photos of Alucard's latest brides."
"Is there anyone important?" Seres asked briskly as they crowded around the table to look at the photos.
"Several actresses and singers," he shrugged as he gestured to them, "and a few unknowns."
Hazuki peered over a shoulder in morbid curiosity only to gasp. "Let me through," she elbowed a trooper aside and snatched up the photo of a familiar girl with a sweet smile, her forehead visible through her bangs. "Hatsumi," she said weakly.
"Eve," Lilith confirmed.
"That's your lost friend?" Integra looked at them with surprising sympathy as she said, "She's as good as dead."
"Not if I can help it," Hazuki said flatly. She looked over at Lilith, "Looks like we'll be paying Lord Alucard a visit."
"Eve always picks the most exciting places to play," Lilith said with a sigh.
To be continued...