Chapter 98
In the territory of the Qin Empire, which laowai (Author’s note: Laowai is a simplified translation from Chinese of a derogatory term for a foreigner with a European appearance) call China, there was a picturesque valley just thirty kilometers from the border with the Soviet Union. Low green hills surrounded it on all sides, and a small river flowed through the center, its banks sown with rice fields. However, due to the proximity of the “evil barbarians” (as the locals dubbed the Russian invaders), these lands were sparsely populated. The valley contained only one small village with two hundred residents and a tiny outpost for a dozen soldiers. The modest garrison guarded the only iron bridge in the entire area. The task of these brave warriors was quite simple: if the Russians advanced, they were to blow it up and hold the defense until the main forces arrived. For this purpose, they even built a reinforced concrete pillbox with two machine guns, and the local arsenal had as many as three mortars.
However, over the past half-century, the cowardly Russians never dared to attack, and so the local fortified area earned the well-deserved reputation of a quiet and godforsaken place. Boredom and idleness made the soldiers slack and they performed their duties half-heartedly, and instead of training, they drank rice vodka distilled by the local peasants. Of course, had the detachment commander been an officer, he would have nipped such outrage in the bud, but the “penal detachment” was commanded by an ordinary sergeant, and he always got the first drink. Because of this, the soldiers missed the surprise attack and were unable to protect not only the local residents, but themselves as well.
***
A huge bloody moon reigned in the clear night sky, casting a clear light on a lone traveler, strolling leisurely across an old, rusted iron bridge. A tall, broad-shouldered man in a dark red cape and wide-brimmed hat, his scarlet eyes gleamed behind orange-rimmed round glasses and smiled contentedly, baring a mouth full of inhumanly long, needle-like fangs. The ancient monster paused in the middle of the bridge and thoughtfully surveyed the rice fields, then chuckled and spat in disgust.
Alucard had last been in Asia almost eight hundred years ago, not counting his final foray, when, at the request of his mortal friend Integra, he slew a thousand-year-old kitsune. Oh, these pseudo-immortals. The pathetic creature had lived only a thousand years, yet imagined itself practically a god—what a worthlessness. Perhaps if this semi-intelligent animal—for this kitsune deserved no other title—had fallen to its knees before him, begged for mercy, and sworn an oath of eternal loyalty, the Nosferatu would have spared it and killed it quickly and painlessly. But it didn’t bother to figure out WHO it was, and, after delivering a pompous speech, as all Asians love, it attacked. The ancient vampire thoroughly enjoyed himself, and the fox’s terrified eyes earned a worthy place in his collection. Although, in part, the appearance of such powerful creatures in these lands was his fault. He and his subjects periodically scoured the world for dangerous creatures, but they had long avoided Asia.
Alucard thoughtfully patted his pockets, then pulled out a pack of ordinary, cheap cigarettes and a silver lighter, bright blue with pink glitter. Taking a drag, he looked up at the starry sky and exhaled the bitter smoke—the deathly silence around him brought back long-forgotten memories. Alucard was many thousands of years old; he wasn’t the first wizard in this world, but he was the first truly dark mage. He wasn’t the founder of the first human state, but he was its ruler… the last ruler.
In those ancient times, about which not even myths and legends survive, there existed a state ruled by those endowed with power—wizards, as they are now called. There existed a strict hierarchy in that country: purebred mages ruled and reveled in their absolute power, while those without the gift were mere slaves and sacrificial animals. The slaves were watched over by their children, those fortunate enough to be born with the gift, and in those days, such children were quite common. Should a slave family produce a child endowed with power, it would be immediately taken away. The future overseer would then be raised in a special boarding school, turning into a faithful watchdog. The system was ideal and worked for many centuries: purebreds ruled, while properly raised inferiors kept the slaves in check, all the while enjoying a modicum of power and the hope of climbing the “career ladder.”
Alucard was fortunate to be born the third son of the reigning emperor, and therefore, from childhood, he had access to all available knowledge. The young wizard, whose name was… (Alucard hated this name), was an exemplary student and always thirsted for power. He did not want to become a simple head of a house or a province—he wanted absolute power. And so, without further ado, he killed his own father and mother, as well as his older brothers, while simultaneously thinning the ranks of dissenting nobles. On the day of his coronation, he sprinkled the throne with the blood of his family and staged a grand orgy, during which he executed a thousand feeblemen, as the commoners were formerly called.
Powerful mages live long lives, and the very powerful live even longer, so Alucard ruled his empire for exactly six hundred and sixty-six years. During this time, he became known as a bloody tyrant, a cruel murderer, and a true sadist—these were the kindest and most affectionate words ever spoken about him, and even then, such things were uttered only in whispers and only to himself. And all because of the bloody sacrifices that took place in the palace almost daily. Hundreds of slaves were rounded up for slaughter or to participate in bloody orgies, during which the courtiers literally bathed in blood. All this took place in the name of the Primordial Darkness, or the Abyss, so… (Alucard had long since ceased speaking that name) hoped to gain unprecedented power and stand among the gods. And one day, the Mother noticed his efforts and responded, offering to become the FIRST…
The ancient monster was distracted by the extinguished cigarette butt clutched between his fingers, and, turning it to dust, lit it again, admiring the flame from the gifted lighter. The scaly-assed little thing, along with Integra, awakened long-forgotten emotions in his black heart; that was probably why he was here.
He, whose name was cursed and consigned to oblivion by the most powerful priests of ancient Sumer centuries later, joyfully accepted the Abyss’s offer and became truly immortal. He became the FIRST Terror of the Night, or Nightmare of this world. Only the Mother “forgot” to warn him of the consequences…
The ancient vampire only came to his senses a thousand years later, when he was able to master the power he’d gained. By then, however, neither his empire nor the world he’d known existed. The “young” intelligent monster was helped to adjust by the Mother, who appeared before him in her true form…
The Great Being spoke to him as if he were a foolish, careless child, and during their conversation, revealed such secrets of the universe that his hair stood on end. Then the Mother lectured him at length, scolding him for his misdeeds, but at the same time praising him, because… (That vile name again) had chosen the most difficult path and single-handedly emerged from the abyss of bloodthirsty madness. Then the Mother revealed her true motives to him and explained his destiny…
When the ancient monster learned the whole truth, he wanted to die, because the GIFT he received turned out to be worse than any curse… But the Mother is not only all-powerful, but also intelligent and very generous. She promised the former magician SOMETHING for which he was ready to serve her faithfully until the end of time…
“Hmm… Kept her word…” Alucard exhaled bitter smoke and, smiling, muttered quietly. “Only a little over ten thousand years have passed…”
The ancient monster’s duties weren’t many, but they were restrictions… The former ruler of the FIRST human empire, now a truly immortal being, was forbidden any direct interference in the affairs of mortals! In other words, the former great mage and truly immortal monster could only observe and feed on these brutes called humans. For a couple of thousand years, he faithfully fulfilled his duties and developed his abilities, only occasionally striking terror into the stupid herd, but over time, boredom began to overcome him. Perhaps this is why he began experimenting with his abilities and, over a couple of centuries, learned to turn powerful mortals into his own kind. Unfortunately, in terms of power, they were only a pitiful shadow of their Master, but they were loyal and obeyed his commands unquestioningly.
Things got more interesting from there, as his servants, whom he called primarchs, could influence mortals and further their development. And none of this broke any rules, as Alucard himself sat on the sidelines and simply observed; even Mother didn’t scold him for such liberties. By that time, mortals had already begun to create primitive states; all that remained was to contribute a little to their development. Nosferatu was vain and didn’t convert just anyone. He chose prominent figures of the time, and then they would influence politics in this or that region from the shadows. Thus he created Sumer, Babylon, the Egyptian Empire, Greece, and Rome. But each of his attempts to create an ideal state always ended in failure…
No matter how hard his primarchs tried, sooner or later every mortal ruling elite would break away from the people and drown in a river of greed, pride, and lust for power. The First Monster saw himself in these people, and each time another civilization perished, he cursed the foolishness of human nature. When the Roman Empire—the crowning achievement of his creation, into which he had invested enormous effort and resources—fell, he ordered his primarchs to stop and simply observe. That same year, he received a report from scouts that a centralized state had emerged in Asia.
Alucard was so surprised that he immediately headed east, and what he saw delighted him. The Asian country was dominated by a caste system and worship of the Emperor, with nobles and military personnel wielding near-absolute power. It was an ideal government, of course, in the Ancient Monster’s opinion. The only thing he deeply disliked was the attitude of those in power toward mongrel wizards, who were simply killed. Even in his own kingdom, such a thing didn’t happen! The Chinese believed magic to be a gift from the celestials, unworthy of bipedal filth, yet the lower classes completely agreed with this decision of their superiors.
Naturally, the vampire decided to help them a little and see what would happen, but he didn’t take into account the local mentality. After being turned, the Chinese nobles began to behave very insolently and arrogantly, and his first primarchs were considered second-class citizens and refused to follow their orders. And these were fledglings who feared the light of day! And the moment Alucard was absent, his orders were instantly forgotten, and instead of looking after the mortals, the fledglings focused on personal enrichment and strengthening their power. Why an immortal creature needed mountains of gold, palaces, and hundreds of concubines was something he genuinely couldn’t understand. For a while, he tried to restore order in Asia by brutally executing all those who had offended, but it was of little use. Each new convert immediately began looking for ways to circumvent his orders and seek power. The first of the monsters saw all this and, to put it mildly, was upset by such impudence…
Alucard’s patience snapped when one of the young converts reported that the Emperor of the Celestial Empire had summoned him for an audience. If the ancient vampire failed to appear, he was promised great trouble… The young fledgling and his servants were killed instantly, and Alucard himself departed to confront the mortal ruler. That night, the palace’s interior was painted scarlet, and the remains of the emperor and his courtiers were carefully hung from the watchtowers and fortress walls. The same fate befell all the narrow-eyed fledglings—he slaughtered these arrogant and greedy idiots the following day. When Alucard killed the last Chinese vampire, he declared the lands untouchable and forbade his primarchs from entering. Since then, the children of the night have not set foot in Asia…
Alucard shook his head, banishing the flood of memories, and sending his extinguished cigarette butt flying. The man grinned playfully and looked with interest at the dead village on the other bank. He had come here for a reason, but out of scientific curiosity. A couple of days ago, the Black One had informed Integra that a strange vampire had attacked one of the Soviet border outposts. When Alucard heard this news, he nearly fell from grace, as such a thing was simply impossible! He was the FIRST, and all the children of the night obeyed his will, and his final orders were simple: remain quiet and not openly interfere in the affairs of mortals. However, video recordings and survivors’ testimonies spoke otherwise. Unfortunately, there were a dozen Knight soldiers at the outpost, who burned the attacker in hellfire, so it was impossible to examine his remains.
That same night, Alucard called a general meeting of his primarchs at his castle in Wallachia. At the council, he declared that some filth had decided to tarnish the name of the children of the night, and told them of a strange raider at the Soviet outpost. Alas, his loyal servants knew nothing of vampires in China, just as he did not, so the only logical decision was to seek information. And they found it! Two hours earlier, one of the primarchs had reported spotting a strange creature, resembling a child of the night, preparing to attack a peaceful mortal village. Alucard was about to set out to meet the impostor, but the clock had struck dinnertime, and such an important event could not be missed! How could a loyal Guardian leave the beautiful Integra and sweet Victoria to dine in splendid isolation? That’s exactly it, so he arrived in China a little late, but it would be even more fun this way!
The first of the children of the night, anticipating a bloody harvest, licked his lips and slowly walked toward the village. A child’s cry and a deep rumble were heard in the distance, to which Alucard only smiled and dropped his disguise. He wanted not only to meet the strange creature but also to play with it a little. Boredom is the main problem of all immortals…
***
In the center of the dead village stood a short, thin boy, barely over five feet tall, with Asian features and the smug gaze of a master, surveying the domain of his future empire. It was from here that he would begin his victorious march! Capturing a wretched village and turning its worthless inhabitants into ghouls was merely the first step to his greatness! And it could not be otherwise, for he was the Supreme Being, the Blood Dragon, the Emperor of all things! The future ruler of the world had not yet decided how his worthless subjects would address him. However, this question was of the utmost importance, so the future Ruler of the World, raising his head and baring his small, needle-like fangs, turned his gaze to the bloody moon, hoping that it would provide him, a celestial being, with an answer.
In fact, the ambitious and arrogant boy’s name was Hu Ya Xie—that was the little he could remember after waking up in the wilderness a couple of days ago. The reason for his awakening was also unusual—the sun, its rays, painfully burned the exposed areas of his pale, almost porcelain skin. Following his instincts, he hid in the shade of a nearby tree and stayed there until evening. All this time, the future ruler of the world tried to recall who he was and how he had ended up here, but his mind was thick with fog, and only vague images appeared occasionally. However, by evening, he had made some progress, the first of which was his name, followed by other memories, or rather fragments of them.
Hu Ya Xie clearly remembered being different from everyone else from early childhood – he possessed strength. His parents, whose faces he could never recall, knew of his gift and hid it with all their might, for if any of the emperor’s nobles learned of it, their family would be executed on the spot. Such was the immutable law of the Celestial Empire – those gifted with strength could only be born into noble families. His parents had told Hu from childhood that he was special, and so he grew up proud and arrogant. His self-importance was fueled not only by his ability to light a fire in a stove without matches, but also by his literacy, which his mother had taught him. There was no school in their village, so his ability to read and write set him apart from the other children. In his free time, little Hu often imagined that when he grew up and became strong, he would conquer the Qin Empire, and perhaps even the entire world. He even came up with a sophisticated execution for the current emperor and his entire retinue, and how could it be otherwise, since they are talentless idiots!
Memories of a carefree childhood ended when foreign soldiers in beautiful black uniforms with a red sun symbol on their shoulders arrived in his village, the name of which he also couldn’t recall. The laowai herded everyone into the central square, and those who resisted or attempted to resist were killed on the spot. For some reason, Hu remembered a young neighbor who tried to escape. A burst of machine gun fire sliced her back, and her bloody remains spattered the porch of the village chief’s house. After the gathering, the strangers inspected and examined each resident with a strange wooden pointer, but all the while, Hu stared fixedly into the glassy gray eyes of the unfortunate woman, only to be distracted by the appearance of a golden light above his head. The contented smile of the blond laowai was almost his last memory. After that, all that came to mind were the tall barbed-wire fence and the single-story white brick buildings. Hu couldn’t remember what had happened there, but his subconscious literally screamed at him to return to that place under no circumstances, as only pain and suffering awaited him there.
As darkness fell, Hu Ya Xie regained his composure, but faced another problem: he was desperately thirsty, and the stream’s water couldn’t quench his savage thirst. Furthermore, the forest thicket was a complete disaster, and if Hu had needed to pee at that moment, he would have immediately defecated, as the hungry face of the local forest’s master—a tiger—appeared from behind a nearby tree. At first, he wanted to run, but sensing the enticing scent of blood, he lunged forward on pure instinct. Hu easily broke the terrifying predator’s spine and sank his sharp fangs into its carcass. Having quenched his thirst, he immediately felt a surge of strength and incredible power, and with it, the realization that he, Hu Ya Xie, was the ruler of the local lands!
Towards morning, the future ruler of the world came across a pair of armed soldiers and, without hesitation, pounced on them, as human blood tempted him and seemed incredibly delicious. He was so fast that the pathetic creatures didn’t even have time to react: Hu easily snapped one in half and grabbed the other by the throat. And this became a second revelation, as the soldier he had bitten and drained rose and was ready to carry out his every command. At that moment, Hu Yase had another revelation: he was a supreme being, born to rule over pathetic humans. As for the strange camp and the men in black, whom he didn’t clearly remember, he had either already killed them, now that he was free, or he would kill them soon, but only after he conquered the Qin Empire. Now he only wanted to gather an army of obedient puppets and march on the Forbidden City…
The young lord was distracted from his important thoughts by a child’s cry—one of his jiangshi (Author’s note: ghoul in Chinese) was dragging a pair of little girls by the hair into the headman’s hut. Hu spared the children not out of humanitarian motives—he didn’t even know the words—but for practical reasons; he was intelligent, as befits a superior being. He understood that to survive, he needed to drink the blood of worthless creatures, but adult captives could escape, so he decided to spare the lives of a dozen children, who, in a pinch, could be used as hostages or a distraction.
Besides this, Hu began to acquire a harem of concubines, as befits a Celestial Emperor, and all this time, two pretty peasant girls knelt before him. The girls, of course, were not so great: tanned skin, rough hands, and narrow eyes, but they would do for now. Later, he would replace them with white-breasted beauties from the court nobility, just as he had dreamed of as a child. The future ruler of the world was already planning to depart with the concubines to a nearby hut, but he sensed a strange guest on the bridge. The stranger was definitely not human, but he didn’t feel threatening, and his scent drove Hu crazy…
“Very interesting…” The Chinese man bared his teeth and looked at a couple of the nearest ghouls. “Bring him here, but don’t hurt him. I want to talk to this worthless wretch.”
– Rrrr… – The puppets answered and slowly walked towards the bridge.
– And you… – Hu looked at the concubines with disgust. – To the headman’s house! Where? – The guy smashed the head of one of the concubines with a kick. – I didn’t allow you to get up from your knees!
The surviving girl, shaking with fear and streaming with tears, crawled toward the right house, while the boy broke into a satisfied smile and began to wait for the strange guest. However, the smile soon vanished from his face, as he lost contact with his puppets and tensed up, simultaneously summoning everyone else.
“A pathetic nobody… A parody of a child of the night…” Hu didn’t notice how a strange guest, dressed in a red cloak and a silly hat, appeared in the center of the village square. Moreover, the strange laowai spoke pure Mandarin, but with great arrogance and disrespect. “Who are you and where did you come from? Answer me!”
“Before you, you pathetic creature, stands the Blood Dragon! The Lord of all things! On your knees!” the Chinese man yelled back. “If you lick my boots and swear eternal loyalty, then, be it so, I will spare your pathetic life.”
– Ha-ha-ha… – The guest laughed in response, causing all the hair on Hu Yase’s body to stand on end. – Is that all you have to say?
“No, of course not!” The self-proclaimed ruler of the world overcame his emotions and addressed his puppets. “Kill him! Immediately!”
Obeying the order, the ghouls began to pummel the strange guest with automatic and machine gun fire. The future ruler was no fool, and after capturing the village, he inspected the local garrison’s armory to arm his servants. How else could he conquer the world?! So he was prepared for anything, including an attack on his future empire.
Hu Ya Xie watched for a couple of minutes as his servants pumped hundreds, if not thousands, of rounds into the stranger, fortunately, from such a distance, he was an easy target. The strange guest didn’t even think about running or resisting in any way, and so quickly turned into a bloody mess of shreds of flesh, broken bones, and fragments of clothing. The future ruler of the world was about to spit in disgust and head off to his concubines, but the amorphous mass emitted a bone-chilling laugh and slowly began to transform back into the strange guest. Only this time, the bullets passed right through or simply dissolved into the scarlet amorphous mass. The future ruler of the world suspected something was wrong, but his pride and conceit prevented him from fleeing. So he decided to kill the insolent man himself, but first, he needed to check something.
“You think you’re invulnerable?” Hu looked at the man in the scarlet cloak, who was examining his hat with disgust, and addressed all his puppets. “Get him! Tear him apart! Kill him!”
A crowd of bloodless Chinese slowly moved toward the laowai, who merely smiled, revealing fangs larger than Hu’s, and two enormous, monstrous pistols appeared in his hands. The strange guest winked at the future ruler and began firing…
“I want one just like that…” Hu said as a single bullet tore through three ghouls before his eyes. “After the victory, I’ll take it for myself… That’s right! That’s what I’ll do!”
The future ruler of the world watched with disdain as the stranger shot down his ghouls. Unsurprisingly, his servants were too weak and slow to hit. When the laowai killed the last ghoul, Hu broke into a mocking smile and even clapped his hands.
“You’re a good man! I didn’t expect such agility from a pathetic nobody.” The skinny Chinese boy straightened his shoulders. “I see you’re worthy of fighting me, the Blood Dragon! But be warned, you’ll die a long and painful death, as befits a pathetic nobody like you…”
“And where do those narrow-eyed ones get all this pathos?” The great one’s speech was interrupted by the laowai’s grumbling. “Will you shut up already and we’ll get started?”
“How dare you interrupt me!?” Hu Yase gnashed his fangs in anger. “Now you will experience the wrath of a higher being!”
The Chinese man charged at top speed toward his enemy, who continued to stand still and stare at him as if he were a cockroach. Once in front of the laowai, he formed a wedge with his palm and rammed it into his chest. The superior being’s hand pierced the insignificant man’s ribcage with a squelching sound and found itself inside. Hu immediately clenched his hand and jerked it back. In his bloodied hand was the pitiful laowai’s scaldingly warm heart, still beating, somewhat surprising the young Chinese man. He tore his gaze from the beating heart and looked at his opponent, whose face was lit with a satisfied smile.
“Now it’s my turn.” The Stranger slapped the Blood Dragon without even swinging.
The blow was so powerful that Hu was thrown back a hundred meters, his body smashing through the brick wall of the village chief’s house. As the future ruler of the world struggled to his feet, it began to dawn on him that his opponent was no simpleton and perhaps even his equal, but that was practically impossible. Then Hu Ya Xie made another wise and fateful decision: use the hostages as cover and flee! And then, when he had fully mastered his powers, he would surely find and cruelly punish this insolent man.
The skinny boy nodded to himself and ran full speed toward the hostage room, but in the hallway, he collided with the stranger’s chest and fell on his butt. The creature, disguised as a laowai, began to frighten the would-be ruler of the world, especially its red eyes, the glow of which was visible even behind the orange lenses of its glasses.
“Are you going far?” The monster’s quiet voice sent shivers down Hu Ya Xie’s spine. “What about the battle?”
“I… I… I forgive you…” The boy slowly stood up and assumed a proud pose. “I’ve decided to show mercy and generosity, so you can go. By the will of the Supreme Being, I grant you life. Run before I change my mind.”
“Ha-ha-ha.” The stranger burst out laughing, causing Hu to involuntarily take a couple of steps back. “How pathetic you are… You can’t even die normally… Well, that’s enough playing around…”
– W-wait! If y-you don’t s-stop… – The Chinese sub-vampire began to stutter at the sight of Alucard’s huge, toothy maw. – There are h-hostages! There are c-children in there! They will die! One order and my…
Bang-bang-bang! Hu Yase’s speech was interrupted by gunfire, only the monster wasn’t shooting at him, but at the wall behind which the hostages were being held. The huge bullets easily pierced the brickwork, and soon not a single living creature remained in the village.
“We don’t need any extra witnesses, you understand…” The monster in the red cloak grinned contentedly and the next moment appeared right in front of the skinny boy. “Will you say something before you die?”
“What are you?” the unfortunate ruler of the world whispered, shaking with fear.
“I am the Terror of the Night!” Alucard replied, tearing off the narrow-eyed vampire’s arms. This worthless creature had disappointed him, meaning his death would be long and painful…
***
“Pathetic chimera, ugh!” The ancient monster spat in disgust. “It’s not blood in your veins, but sewage, ugh!”
Spitting, he pulled a flask of child’s blood from his shadow pocket and washed down the unpleasant aftertaste of this parody of a vampire. Alucard didn’t want to drink this chimera’s blood, but he needed the information that had been erased from the memory of the idiot reeking of rot and decay. Just a few drops of the vile liquid and the Nosferatu knew everything, including the location of the camp and the faces of the chimera’s creators.
“I never thought mortals would think of something like this…” the ancient monster muttered thoughtfully. “If I tell Integra, I’ll be breaking the rules, but if not…” Alucard grinned as he looked at the pseudo-vampire’s severed head, his face forever frozen in a grimace of horror and suffering. “What do you advise?”
At that moment, the immortal guardian of the Hellsing family sensed the squirrelly little thing was in mortal danger. The vampire wanted to rush to his aid, but he couldn’t disappear into the shadows, and before he could even register the surprise, SHE appeared. Standing before the Terror of the Night was a short, slender woman in a form-fitting black dress, her long raven-black hair fluttering in the wind, its tips brushing the ground. Her face was covered by a solid black mask with slits for her glowing red eyes.
– Mother… – Alucard bowed respectfully.
“Hello, Enlil.” The vampire twitched his cheek slightly. “Are you in a hurry?”
– Yes…
“It’s not worth it.” A singsong voice came from under the mask. “It will be better for everyone.”
– But…
“She set in motion the chain of events I needed, so…” The woman shrugged. “Don’t interfere.”
“As you command.” Alucard fell to one knee. “If such is your will.”
– Get up! – Mother’s eyes flashed scarlet. – Nothing has been decided yet, everything will depend only on her!
“Okay.” The vampire smiled tightly. “But why?”
– If she can stand it, I’ll tell her, but if not, there’s no point in wasting time.
“She’ll hold up,” the vampire straightened his shoulders proudly. “I’m confident in her.”
“We’ll check.” The woman nodded and pointed at the pseudo-vampire’s head. “Enlil, break the rules again, and I’ll take her away, this time forever. Do you understand?”
“Yes…” The ancient monster lowered his head, like a naughty first-grader.
– That’s great. – The woman began to quickly dissolve into thin air. – Bye!
“See you later.” Alucard said goodbye to the higher being, then looked at the brightening sky and quietly said, “Good luck, Rigel…”
***
I lay on the bed, apathetically watching a fat cockroach crawl across the long-unpainted ceiling. The brazen insect twitched its antennae and scurried between the cracks, but at some point its legs lost their grip and it fell onto my chest. I instinctively tried to shake it off, but to no avail, as my arms were tightly bound with rubber straps to the metal side rails of my bed. The doctors had taken this step for my own safety, the bastards! I just wanted to get back to Rigel’s body, to my own body!
For the first couple of days, I thought it was all a dream, a very realistic one, but a dream nonetheless. But I couldn’t wake up, and the pain and everything else felt all too real. So I decided to get back on my own, and to do so, I gnawed at my wrists that night. I was already starting to lose consciousness, and my body was feeling cold and lightheaded, but at that moment, an old lady nurse showed up in my room and started making a fuss. Then, out of nowhere, the doctors on duty appeared and started resuscitating me; unfortunately, their efforts were successful.
For two weeks now, I’d been chained to a creaky bed, untied only during mealtimes and only under a nurse’s supervision. The nurse would silently wait until I finished my hospital gruel and then tie me back up, trying to tighten the straps as tightly as possible. For some unknown reason, the doctors and hospital staff treated me with hostility and wouldn’t speak to me. My questions were always answered in monosyllables, and my last name, which I didn’t respond to, was pronounced with disdain. I genuinely didn’t understand what was going on, but there was simply no way to get answers. There was no television or radio in the room, and no one brought me newspapers, so all I could do was guess and reminisce.
The creak of the wooden door distracted me from my thoughts of the past, and Vernon Dursley, or rather, a man who looked very much like him, appeared before my eyes! A fat, mustachioed thug in a black business suit brazenly entered my room and looked me over with a smug look.
“Well, hello there, former police captain Ivanov.” Khmyr smiled cheerfully and smoothed his mustache. “Allow me to introduce myself, Colonel Kozlov, head of the Internal Security Directorate (ISB) of the city of N.”
“What do I owe you?” I answered through clenched teeth, as rage seethed inside me. “And since when did I become an ex?”
“Since, my dear, you were dishonorably discharged from the police.” The fat man grinned. “They had to do something like that, right in the residential area of our quiet town.”
“I was defending myself, the bastards were armed and attacked me.” I looked into the insolent pig eyes. “Since when…”
“You terrible bitch, you killed Smirnov!” “Vernon Dursley” interrupted me. “Did you know his uncle is a member of our country’s legislative assembly? He’s a bigwig in the government and personally knows Himself!” The corrupt Security officer raised his index finger to the ceiling. “So go ahead and tell me how you got to this point…”
– What should I tell you? – I looked back in surprise.
“What do you mean?” The fat man chuckled and pulled a piece of paper and a pen out of his leather briefcase. “How you got drunk on the job and then, out of a personal grudge, started shooting unarmed and innocent civilians with your service weapon.”
“What are you talking about?” I hissed through my teeth. “What the fuck, unarmed? They took four AK bullets out of me, and a couple of the attackers had pistols!”
“Citizen Voronin had a Kalashnikov. He was an employee of a security firm and was on duty, and you shot him! The poor guy was firing into the air, and the bullets ricocheted off a concrete arch and hit you! As for the other victims, they were unarmed and sober, unlike you.” Pig broke into a nasty smile and pulled out a thick cardboard folder. “This is confirmed by the testimony of witnesses and eyewitnesses, and the medical examination found traces of alcohol in your blood. And when did you start drinking on the job?”
– Nonsense, the duty officer will confirm…
“Lieutenant Cherdintsev confirmed that you left the department in a state of severe intoxication, here’s his testimony.” Several sheets of paper, covered in writing, landed on my chest. “He even offered to give you a ride home because he was afraid you wouldn’t make it.” The guy was so upset and blamed himself for everything that happened that his nerves gave out, and he hanged himself in the interrogation room, right in the middle of the workday, the poor guy.
– Bitches… – I hissed angrily in response.
“Don’t be cheeky, I actually came with a business proposition.” The bastard sat brazenly on the edge of the bed. “We’re colleagues, even if they are former ones, and that’s why I want to help you.”
Vernon’s greasy paw landed on my knee, but he soon sniffed and pulled his hand away in disgust. What did he expect? The stench of me was quite something, since the last time my body had been wiped with a wet rag had been a couple of days ago.
– And how? – I began to guess what he wanted, and an idea popped into my head. – I’m listening.
“Okay, so,” the bastard smoothed his mustache. “You voluntarily write a clean bill of health and confess to everything, and for that I’ll give you solitary confinement in a pretrial detention center, and then send you to the ‘red’ zone. And if you resist, then…” “Vernon” winked at me. “You’ll confess and sign everything anyway; I don’t need to tell you how our valiant police beat confessions out of you. Only in that case, you’ll be sent to a regular zone, while at the pretrial detention center, where you’ll soon be transferred, they might ‘accidentally’ mix up the cells and lock you up overnight with the thugs. So, choose, beauty.”
“Untie my hands.” I pointed with my head at the limbs tied to the bed. “And give me your hand.”
“Smart girl, obedient, I like her.” The fat man loosened the rubber straps and handed me an expensive fountain pen. “Write the cap for now, and then I’ll dictate what happened and how.”
– How much does one like this cost? – I turned the silver writing instrument over in my hands. – I couldn’t earn that much in a year.
“It’s a gift from a victim of police brutality.” Vernon grinned and adjusted his mustache again. “By the way, Smirnov’s son has already been cleared of all charges; he’s currently undergoing rehabilitation with foreign psychologists. Can you guess who’s going to pay for his treatment? I recommend selling the apartment; it’ll be just enough. I’ll send a good realtor in a few days.”
“Of course, Vernon, of course.” A predatory smile appeared on my face, and I gripped the pen tighter.
The body, though frail, sat within arm’s reach and simply didn’t have time to react. The next instant, a gift from a victim of police brutality pierced his eye. Alas, I didn’t have the strength to pierce the skull, and my “weapon” lodged in his socket. A trickle of warm, scarlet blood doused me, and the corrupted Internal Security officer squealed and fell off the bed. I watched with satisfaction as the pig wailed in a monotone, smearing blood across his fat mug. But, alas, I wasn’t allowed to admire it for long; terrified servants of Hippocrates—too bad they weren’t Smethwick’s—rushed into the room. While some tried to help the wounded pig, others quickly restrained me and gave me an injection, after which I was transported to a world of dreams and nightmares…
***
A week—that’s how long I spent in the hospital after Vernon Kozlov’s visit—and it flew by, as I was being injected with powerful sedatives the entire time, especially as I was a particularly violent patient. Mornings would begin with an injection, and then I’d be dazed all day. By evening, I’d ease off, and after dinner, I’d get another dose of the psychotropic drug. During this time, I somehow magically managed to pass a forensic psychological and psychiatric examination, and I was declared sane. So, on the tenth day after the stitches were removed, they changed me into a tracksuit they’d brought from home and, handcuffed, took me to the pretrial detention center.
The journey to the detention center wasn’t long, and after completing all the paperwork, I was dragged, barely able to walk, straight to the interrogation room. The gray-walled room contained only a battered wooden table and a couple of iron chairs, to one of which I was handcuffed. Of course, I’m a ruthless and especially dangerous criminal, but no matter, I already have a plan. If my cellmates don’t strangle me tonight, I’ll hang myself in the morning—the elastic in my underwear is strong, it should hold up.
The door clanged, and Kozlov entered the room. His white eye patch and black suit made him look like an overfed pirate named John Silver. The one-eyed swine grinned maliciously and stepped aside, allowing two burly men in pretrial detention center uniforms to enter the cramped room. One of the guards was lovingly caressing a rubber baton, while the other held a roll of cling film.
“It suits you.” I nodded to the Dursleys. “Now cut off your leg and put a parrot on your shoulder, and you can go to the casting for Pirates of the Caribbean.”
“Joke, joke, while you still can.” The fat man clenched his fists angrily. “Soon you’ll confess to the murders of Kennedy and Princess Diana, you terrible bitch.”
The one-eyed pig smiled expectantly and sat down across from me, his assistants standing behind me. I already knew what was about to happen, so I relaxed and prepared to receive the “pleasure.”
“Guys, be careful, this scum needs to survive until the trial,” the Internal Security officer said importantly to the big guys. “Orders from above.”
“You’re insulting me, Sanych, we’re professionals!” A loud bass voice sounded behind me, followed by a quiet rustling sound. “Everything will be as agreed.”
A moment later, my face was covered in thick plastic wrap. The nasty stuff stretched so well, it completely blocked my airways. I started choking, and my body began to jerk instinctively, but the handcuffs and the second guy held my skinny, weak body very tightly.
For several hours, they strangled me and beat me with a rubber truncheon, which they had prudently wrapped in a wet towel. They beat me on the legs and arms, as they say, gently but firmly, so as to leave minimal bruises. All this time, Kozlov-Dursley sat across from me, watching my torment with a smug smile. Periodically, I lost consciousness, and then my tormentors took a smoke break, since the moment I regained consciousness, I was always greeted by thick tobacco smoke.
Once again, I came to my senses and felt the cold, rough stone floor against my cheek, but there was no smoke, just like the pig and his assistants. I was left completely alone in the interrogation room, and I was incredibly glad of it, because all my limbs, including my dull head, ached mercilessly. A vengeful smile appeared on my face: Kozlov said I should live to see the trial, but I’ll get a slap across my face! I am Rigel Hellsing, I still believe so, and I will not allow my name to be tarnished.
– Kshi-shi-shi… Naive… – A sarcastic female voice came from a dark corner, and a pair of scarlet eyes appeared. – Your name is already tarnished throughout the country.
“What do you need?” I answered quietly. “Or are you just another hallucination caused by oxygen deprivation?”
“Soul, I need your soul… Accept me and all this will stop immediately…” The sarcastic voice ignored my question. “You will return back to that girl’s body, and at the same time you will gain unprecedented strength and power.”
– Go to hell! – I spat out some sticky saliva. – I’d rather die!
– Kshi-shi-shi… There are things worse than death… Believe me… I know… – There was more joy in his voice. – I’ll ask the question differently… What do you want?
– So that you leave me alone. – I flinched, and my arm cramped with pain.
– I can bring HIM back…
– It’s impossible… – My throat went dry, and my heart began to beat faster, treacherously. – He died a long time ago!
“Do you know WHO I am?” The voice in the corner became extremely serious, and I nodded involuntarily. “Then you must understand that nothing is impossible for me.”
– Go to hell… – I squeezed out this phrase with difficulty, as I had an unbearable desire to agree to this generous offer.
– Kshi-shi-shi… And you are strong… Resilient… – The red eyes in the corner began to fade. – I was not mistaken about you…
As soon as the voice faded completely, the iron door opened, revealing the fat man and his lackeys once again. Only this time, they silently dealt me a few blows, then pulled me to my feet, handcuffed me behind my back, and dragged me somewhere, probably to a cell. My feet dragged along the floor, my vision was blurry, but having been here many times, I knew something was wrong.
“The women’s wing is on the other side,” I muttered, barely able to speak.
“Remember what I promised you in the hospital?” the one-eyed pig’s satisfied voice came from the side. “You’ll remember this night for the rest of your life, and tomorrow morning you’ll sign anything. And if you’re stubborn again, we can do it again. Yeah, boys?”
– Easy! – One of the big guys lightly hit me on the ass with a baton. – She has a scary face, but hungry thugs need something else.
“Or maybe she has a working mouth?” His partner chuckled and continued in a serious voice. “I briefed Gray, and he swore everything would be for the best.”
“If this bitch dies, the whole gang won’t survive until the trial,” the pig replied pompously. “Is everything clear?”
– Yes sir! – answered one of the guards.
Soon our procession found itself at one of the cells, the lock clanged, and the iron door creaked open. I peered inside and, terrified, tried to break free, but the guards’ hands held me tight. Inside the small room were a dozen hardened criminals, all looking at me with hungry eyes. Pig stepped forward and threw three packs of cigarettes on the cell floor, then shook his finger at the local authority figure. He nodded silently, and one of the underlings picked up the gifts from the floor. Then they removed my handcuffs and kicked me into the cell, after which they slammed the door.
– Well, hello, boss, I told you we’d meet again, didn’t I? – One of the criminals squatted down in front of me. – Gray, can I be second?
“Shut up, remember what the red-finned one said?” The boss turned to the criminals, then looked at me. “Boss, I know the whole story, so let’s do it the easy way, okay? You’ll relax and keep your cool, and when you’ve served everyone, I’ll put you on the top bunk. So what?”
“No!” I shook my head, desperately trying to come up with a plan to get out of this mess, but I had no sensible thoughts other than trying to swallow my tongue.
“As you wish, it’s your right.” The boss shrugged. “Bala, Beetle, Kharya, go ahead!”
The criminals pushed my barely alive, but still struggling, body to the floor and firmly secured my arms and legs. One of them threw a terrycloth towel around my neck and began to strangle me, or rather, choke me. I’d heard of a similar method: first, they strangle the victim so she can’t resist and her body acquires the necessary softness and flexibility, and then they rape her with the whole cell. True, this is usually how they bring down men, but it doesn’t make it any easier for me! So I clenched my teeth and continued to kick, but it was difficult because the biggest one of my grandfather’s men had sat on top of me. As my consciousness began to fade, I felt my pants and underwear being pulled down, and someone’s dirty paw touched my crotch. I tried to scream, but there was barely any air in my lungs. Tears of helplessness and despair welled up in the corners of my eyes. I realized what they were about to do to me, and I turned away from the strangler’s smug face. At that moment, I noticed a pair of scarlet eyes in the dark corner under the bunk.
“Accept my offer and all this will stop immediately…” A gentle, soft voice rang in my head. “You will return and gain unprecedented power…”
– No! – I screamed in response, as I could no longer speak.
The scarlet eyes heard me and nodded with some satisfaction, then disappeared. No! I won’t give in so easily and sell myself to some higher-ups! I’ll fight to the very end and would rather die than let a bunch of criminals run me around!
I turned my head toward the strangler and saw that he was distracted by his “colleagues,” his hand a few centimeters from my face. I broke into a predatory smile, my lips cracking, and sank my teeth into his dirty, sweaty palm. I clenched my jaws until they cracked, and soon I tasted the salty tang of blood on my tongue. Urka roared like a wounded animal and tried to pull his limb away, but I held on tight, not letting go of my prey. Then he hit me on the head with his free hand. For a moment, my vision went dark, but my jaw didn’t unclench; it seemed to be locked. Then the big guy, screaming in pain, grabbed me by the hair and slammed my head into the floor with all his might, and then again and again… After the third or fourth blow, something crunched in the back of my head, and I fell into the saving darkness.
***
Panic was brewing in one of the pretrial detention cells as the female investigator, who had been thrown in just five minutes earlier, stopped showing signs of life, and a pool of blood began to form around her head.
– Bala, what are you doing? – the boss yelled. – Are you completely out of your mind?
– I mean… Not really… – The brute scratched the back of his head guiltily. – Maybe she’s just pretending?
“Moron, call the guards, quick!” the local authority barked, rushing over to the woman and, turning her onto her back, checking her pulse. It was there, but very weak, as was her breathing. “Fuck…”
Luckily, the guards arrived just a couple of minutes later and immediately assessed the situation, then scooped up the bleeding woman and ran full speed toward the infirmary. But before the boss could even breathe, the iron door opened again, and a punitive squad burst into the cell, using truncheons to explain to the thugs that if the woman died, they wouldn’t live to see the trial.
***
I came to with a jerk and, jumping out of bed, began greedily gulping the air I’d been deprived of until then. It took me a moment to realize I was in the Hogwarts hospital wing, with a calm Madam Pomfrey and a worried Hermione standing over me. Upon seeing my best friend, I couldn’t hold back my tears and immediately rushed to her, scooping her up in the tightest hug I could muster.
– Riya… You’ll strangle me… – My best friend hissed. – Paths…
– I’m not sure… – I took a deep breath of the scent of her hair and looked into her familiar milk chocolate-colored eyes. – How long have I been here?
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