The one-eyed thief's eyes widened, and he swallowed hard as a wave of fear washed over him again. The sword light was getting closer and closer to him. Terrified, he wanted to run, but his body was frozen in place.
"Shh, shh."
The one-eyed thief's head flew into the air, his face still showing the extreme terror from the moment before his death. Thud--his head fell to the ground, rolling next to the body of the thief, his eyes wide open. Fear, resentment, a complex mix of emotions intertwined.
The thieves, stimulated by alcohol, were somewhat dazed.
"Come at me together."
Hellsing's emotionless voice echoed again. The death of their comrade drove the alcohol-fuddled thieves to lose all reason.
"Kill, kill, kill!"
"Kill this kid in front of us, avenge Old Three."
The thieves violently threw their cups to the ground, roaring like beasts as they charged at Hellsing.
"Only humans can kill monsters, not beasts."
Hellsing shook his head, his sword swinging lightly. The sword light was like a wisp.
"Shh, shh--"
Blood splattered in the air, followed by the sound of bodies hitting the ground. The charging thieves, without exception, were cut down by Hellsing.
"Too weak."
Just as Hellsing was lamenting, an angry voice came from behind him.
"Die, you monster."
The sound of the wind being cut came. A thief leaped high, his long knife fiercely smashing down towards Hellsing.
"Still too weak."
Hellsing turned around, his hand piercing through the thief's body. The bright red blood dripped from his nails onto the ground. Hellsing looked at the body on the ground, his eyes glowing crimson.
"It's time to recover some strength."
He murmured softly, activating his ability, River of Death. The blood on the ground mysteriously gathered together and surged towards Hellsing.
"Hmm?"
The River of Death stopped, and Hellsing turned his gaze to a wooden box not far away.
"Quite a strong will to live."
Recalling the past, Hellsing felt somewhat sentimental. He opened the wooden box, and what came into view was a wooden cage. Inside the cage was a writhing mass of flesh, with a single eye on top.
Hellsing was taken aback. This world seemed even stranger than he had imagined.
"What exactly is this?"
A drop of fresh blood emerged from the flesh and fell onto Hellsing's hand.
"Demon possession, the Diabolos Church?"
After accessing the memory, Hellsing learned about the origin of the flesh. Its original body was a beautiful girl, who was later cursed, regarded as an ominous person, and ended up wandering. She was then controlled by the Diabolos Church, who conducted research on her in an attempt to gain more powerful strength and resurrect the demon Diabolos.
"Trying to strengthen themselves through monsters?" Hellsing laughed, remarking, "A bunch of foolish humans."
Is it really worth it to become a monster to gain power?
Andrei, the Gun Sword Priest, I'd be happy to be killed by you if you didn't use the Holy Nail!
Unfortunately...
Hellsing recalled the complex memories in his mind and injected a stream of pure blood into the flesh. After a violent squirming, the flesh returned to a human form.
It was a young elf girl with pointed ears.
"Do you crave power?"
The girl opened her eyes in confusion, and before she could see her surroundings clearly, she heard an emotionless voice.
"Power?"
"Power that can make you stronger, power to resist the unfairness of fate."
The voice echoed again. The girl's confused eyes focused, landing on the childlike figure of Hellsing in front of her.
"Did you save me?"
The girl looked around. Besides the bodies on the ground, there was only the child in front of her. Undoubtedly, he was her savior. But...
Sensing the girl's distrust, Hellsing didn't argue. Instead, he calmly recounted the girl's lost memories of the demon possession and the Diabolos Church.
As Hellsing spoke, the girl's eyes became more determined, her fists clenched tightly. Beneath her youthful exterior, she possessed a resolve and courage akin to burning one's bridges.
She swore that she didn't want to lose anything else!
If it weren't for the demon possession, she would have had a wonderful childhood like other girls, with the company of friends and the love of her parents. But now, everything was different.
She had become a monster, forced to leave her home, and became an omen in the eyes of others. She despised the Diabolos Church, the instigator of all this.
At this moment, she craved power more than ever.
But the child in front of her...
"Do you crave power?"
The voice, like a devil's whisper, echoed again. This time, without a hint of hesitation, the girl agreed.
Hellsing's eyes turned crimson.
In the face of the girl's hesitation, he bit into her fair neck.