chapter 23

Chapter 23: 

– Integra –

Walter gave her a quick bow. "I shall go and mobilize our forces immediately, mum," he said before running out of the room, the door swinging wide open behind him.

Integra clenched the phone in her hand so tightly that the screen cracked. Those arrogant wizards dared to kidnap a member of Hellsing so brazenly? She was going to unleash everything her forces had and crush them.

Her entire body tensed with anger, her mind racing through strategies, but a faint shimmering on the other side of the office caught her eye.

Almost too late.

"Avada Kedavra!" a man's voice shouted. A figure tossed aside a shimmering cloth that had rendered him nearly invisible.

Integra's eyes widened behind her glasses. She dove behind her desk just as a flash of green light streaked across the room and slammed into the wall, exploding it into a shower of debris. Dust and fragments of plaster rained down as she scrambled for cover.

"Die, you filthy Muggle! How dare you take my wife from me! Bombarda!" the man screamed.

Integra's heart skipped a beat. She recognized that second spell—it was one of Valerie's favorites. She barely had time to react before the desk exploded into splinters, the force of the blast throwing her to the ground. Sharp wooden shards stabbed into her arms and side, drawing blood. She grit her teeth, refusing to cry out in pain.

"Pathetic Muggle! You might have an army, but before the might of magic, your numbers mean nothing!" The wizard stormed through the rubble, his wand glowing ominously as he approached.

Integra cursed silently. Her sword was across the room. Her handgun had been inside the now-destroyed desk. She glared up at the wizard, her blue eyes locking onto him with icy fury. For a brief moment, he hesitated, taking a step back.

"F-Fuck you, Muggle!" he stammered. "I'm going to kill you and take back my wife! Av—"

"Avada Kedavra!" a woman's voice called from the doorway.

The wizard froze mid-spell, his wand falling from his hand as a green light struck him from behind. Integra watched as his body collapsed lifelessly to the ground, like a puppet with its strings cut.

'So that was the Killing Curse?' she thought grimly. Instant, unavoidable death. It was terrifying to witness, even if it had just saved her life.

Integra pushed herself to her feet, brushing off debris and wincing as the movement pulled at the splinters lodged in her skin. She turned toward the doorway. "Thank you, Bellatrix," she said curtly, her eyes landing on Alucard's mistress. She still disliked the woman, but she had to admit she'd just saved her life.

Bellatrix giggled softly and slipped her wand back into the frilly black dress Alucard had bought for her. She gave Integra a sly smile. "Of course. I couldn't let my future sister get killed by my piece-of-shit ex-husband."

Integra froze. "Future sister?"

Bellatrix rolled her eyes. "Oh, come on. Everyone can see it, but no one ever wants to talk about it. The tension between you and Alucard is so obvious. If you want each other, just screw and get it over with already!"

Integra's face burned as she sputtered indignantly. "That's none of your business or concern!"

Bellatrix shrugged. "It actually is my concern as Master's mistress. And I'm perfectly willing to share, so what's the problem?"

"We're done with this topic," Integra snapped, fixing her with a stern glare.

Bellatrix huffed. "Fine..."

Integra folded her arms, ignoring the sting from the splinters. "You said this was your ex-husband?" she asked.

"Yep! That ugly fucker is Rodolphus Lestrange. I hated him and still curse the ghosts of my worthless parents for forcing me to marry him in the first place," Bellatrix replied.

"I want to know how he found out where you were and how he snuck past our guards. But for now, we need to mobilize all our forces to rescue Valerie," Integra said.

Bellatrix tilted her head. "Oh? Did something happen?"

Integra's jaw tightened. "Valerie has been taken by your old terrorist group, the Death Eaters. She's fighting, but our intel shows there are dozens, maybe even a hundred wizards and vampires at Malfoy Manor."

Bellatrix's playful demeanor vanished. "Master will want to know this immediately!" She whipped out her wand. "Expecto Patronum!"

A bat made of blue and white light materialized, fluttering through the air. Bellatrix giggled. "I could never summon enough happiness to use this spell before Master. But now…"

Integra rolled her eyes. "Gag me," she muttered under her breath, though a tiny flicker of jealousy crept into her thoughts. 

Bellatrix sent the glowing bat flying off to deliver a message to Alucard.

– Valerie –

The Malfoy mansion's living room looked like a war zone—furniture smashed, walls scorched, debris everywhere. I ducked behind an overturned table just in time to dodge a spell that made the floor explode where I'd been standing a second ago.

"You'll pay for this, vampire!" one of the Death Eaters shouted. I popped up long enough to aim my revolver and fired. His chest erupted in blood, and he dropped like a sack of bricks.

They just kept coming. It didn't matter how many I shot or blasted with spells. For every one I took down, two more seemed to rush in, wands raised and murder in their eyes. Another spell hit me square in the chest, sending me flying into a shattered bookcase. Pain flared through my body, but I growled, pushing myself up as my wounds stitched themselves together. 

"Filthy creature! You should be rotting in the ground!" someone snarled. I pointed my revolver at him and fired again, the bullet punching clean through his skull. His body hit the floor with a sickening thud.

"Bombarda!" I shouted, sending an explosion ripping through a cluster of them. Blood and debris splattered everywhere, and I didn't bother to shield myself from the mess. Let them see what they were dealing with.

"You're nothing but a monster!" another screamed. I dodged his spell, closing the distance in seconds. I slammed the butt of my revolver into his temple and kicked him into a wall. Bones cracked as he crumpled.

"You call me a monster?" I hissed. "You don't even know what a monster is. Not yet at least!" 

The Death Eater at my feet begged for his life, but I wasn't interested in hearing it. Just escaping from those disgusting dungeons was enough to show me that these witches and wizards were just as evil as the vampires from Tepes Castle. I leaned down and sank my fangs into his neck. A shiver of pleasure ran through my body as I drank his warm, delicious blood. I only stopped when his body went cold. The best part about all the corpses nearby was that I had plenty to drink to keep myself at the peak of my powers. Honestly, with all the wizarding blood I'd been drinking, I could feel myself getting stronger, like I was on the verge of something big.

I dropped the body and wiped the blood off my lips. It was a moment of peace, but I could still hear the Death Eaters in the other rooms. They weren't as suicidal as before, though. 

I checked my revolver, making sure it was fully loaded, and was about to decide my next move when I heard a crack above me.

The ceiling above me shattered, raining debris everywhere. A huge male vampire dropped into the ruined living room. His glowing red eyes were feral, and he snarled like a mindless beast as he charged at me. 

I knew what he was. Some humans didn't transform properly when bitten. They either became mindless ghouls or monsters like this—a feral attack dog for smarter vampires. This one was big, though. The floor trembled as he moved, roaring and snarling, almost reaching me.

I willed myself into a swarm of bats and zipped across the room, reforming on the other side. The monster looked confused, spinning to find me. Before he could, I raised my gun and unloaded all six bullets into his back. To my shock, they sank into his flesh, but he didn't go down. Those bullets were blessed with my grail's holy water!

The lumbering vampire turned around, growling. I saw a few of the bullets had punched clean through his chest, but the wounds were closing. That shouldn't have been possible.

Then I heard laughter from the floor above. 

"Hahaha! Die, you dumb bitch!" a Death Eater shouted. "That monster was enhanced with numerous dark rituals. It's immune to anything that kills regular vampires!"

I didn't believe any of that bullshit. Maybe this vampire had undergone some freaky rituals to make himself resistant to holy water, but he could never truly be immune. He was still a dark creature. The only way he could pull that off was if he had a holy Sacred Gear on the same level as mine. And I seriously doubted that.

I quickly reloaded my revolver and fired six more rounds into the giant vampire as it stomped toward me. 

"Are you stupid, bitch? I told you it can't be killed! Just give up and accept your fate!" one of the Death Eaters shouted from above.

"Shut the hell up. Bombarda!" I pointed my gun at the ceiling, right under where the idiot was yelling. His scream echoed as the explosion sent him crashing through the floor. He landed in a heap right between me and the lumbering monster.

The vampire stopped moving toward me and turned its attention to the injured Death Eater. The guy was a wreck, barely able to move. From the way he was twisted, it looked like he'd broken both arms and legs.

"Wait, no! Stop! Stop, you dumb piece of shit! You can't kill me! I helped make you!" he screamed as the vampire grabbed him by the neck and lifted him up.

"Hungry…" the vampire grunted before snapping the guy's neck like it was nothing. Then it sank its teeth in and started feeding on the corpse.

While the thing was distracted, I turned into a swarm of bats and flew behind it. Reforming back into my normal shape, I wrapped my arms around its massive shoulders and sank my fangs into its thick neck.

Feeding on vampires directly was something only originals and their direct descendants could do. As far as I knew, that category included me, Alucard, and Seras. The blood wasn't particularly tasty—this guy had obviously been put through all kinds of dark rituals. His size alone hinted at something like being infused with the essence of a giant or worse. Still, I kept drinking. The taste didn't matter. What mattered was the power I could feel flowing into me with every drop.

The big guy barely noticed at first, too busy with its own meal. 

But as I drained more than half its blood, its legs buckled, and it collapsed face-first onto the destroyed floor. I didn't stop. My fangs stayed locked in place as I drained it dry. Its blood volume was insane, easily double that of a regular Death Eater. My stomach should've burst by now, but vampire magic didn't give a shit about things like physics.

Once all the blood was drained, it stopped moving completely. I unlatched my jaw and stood up, staring down at the hulking vampire. With one hand, I flipped him over onto his back. It surprised me how easy it was. I had been strong before as a dhampir, but now my strength felt like it was on a whole other level.

"Did I level up or something…?" I muttered jokingly, placing a hand over my heart to summon the Blessed Grail. The cup appeared in my palm. "Time to put you out of your misery, big guy."

The vampire wasn't dead yet, even though there was no blood left in its system except the wizard's blood it had swallowed. I pried open its mouth and poured holy water straight down its throat. It started thrashing wildly, its body jerking like it was trying to resist. A second later, it disintegrated into a massive pile of ashes.

Dusting off my hands, I grinned. "Well, that takes care of that. Who's next? Come at me, assholes!" I shouted. The rush of power was intoxicating. I felt stronger—physically and magically.

"What do we do?!"

"She even killed that monster?!"

"What the hell is she?!"

I smirked as I picked up on the Death Eaters whispering from other rooms. All my senses felt sharper, like I could hear and feel everything around me.

That was what saved me...

I felt the sudden spike in heat before I saw it!

My skin burned as I dove backwards just in time to avoid a wave of blue fire that scorched the spot where I'd been standing. The fire left a deep trench of blackened ash in its wake.

"You have proven to be quite the nuisance, young dhampir," a voice said. I looked up and saw him—a very pale man with piercing red eyes, white skin, and no nose. He stood outside, staring at me like he had already won. "Where is your brother? Did you kill him?"

My heart pounded in my chest as I stared back at him. This guy wasn't like the trash I'd been fighting. His aura was suffocating, his power overwhelming. It felt like staring at my father. Was this what ultimate-class power was like?

Despite the obvious difference in power, I wasn't backing down to this guy. He'd almost killed me just now and I felt like I should return the favor! At least, that's what I'd have tried if I didn't catch a familiar scent before I felt someone suddenly appear directly behind me, out of my own shadow…

– Alucard –

Alucard looked around the wreckage of the mansion and chuckled. "You've done well, daughter. This place looks like quite the party was thrown here."

Bodies of wizards and witches were scattered across the ruins. Some were charred beyond recognition from magical fire, but many others were clearly taken down by Valerie herself. Alucard felt a rare flicker of pride. It had been a long time since he'd experienced something like this—pride in his offspring's achievements. But he could see her pride was about to get her killed, and that wasn't going to happen. 

Not again.

Valerie had made progress, no doubt about it. She was beginning her evolution into something greater as a Nosferatu, but it was just the start. She still had a long way to go, and Alucard wouldn't let her die before she reached her full potential.

"I'll be taking it from here, daughter," Alucard said.

"What?" Valerie snapped. "But that's Voldemort! Rose's enemy! He's been after her since she was a baby, and as her friend, I should kill him here and now!"

Alucard chuckled. "You're a little blood drunk at the moment, my daughter. You should know this guy is far beyond your current abilities." Without another word, Alucard grabbed Valerie and casually tossed her into his own shadow.

"Hey! What the hell!" Valerie shouted, struggling and clawing, but she wasn't strong enough yet to resist. She'd be fine in there. She could play with his puppies while she waited.

If you could call the Hounds of Baskerville puppies.

Alucard turned back to the pale man standing outside. "You must be that Dark Lord everyone's been talking about. What was your name again?" He pretended to think. "Lord… something dumb and French? I was never really listening..." He shrugged.

"I am Lord Voldemort, vampire! And you shall soon learn what happens to those who stand against me!" Voldemort snarled.

Alucard smirked. "I can't wait to see it." He doubted this guy would be much of a threat. Alucard believed it took a man to kill a monster, and this so-called Dark Lord was no longer a man by any measure. If Alucard were being honest, he looked more like a penis given human form.

"How dare you!" Voldemort shouted suddenly.

"Oh… I guess I said that last part out loud," Alucard chuckled.

"Die! Avada Kedavra!" Voldemort screamed, casting the familiar green curse. The spell struck Alucard squarely, and he didn't bother dodging. Voldemort's eyes widened. "How… I know for a fact that spell should at least injure vampires, even if it doesn't kill them!"

"Oh, please. That low-rank trash your little club's been smuggling into this country barely even counts as vampires. I'll show you what a real vampire is capable of," Alucard said with a wide grin, pulling a massive hand cannon from his coat pocket. Walter had recently upgraded his arsenal, and this pistol packed serious firepower.

Alucard pulled the trigger at the same moment Voldemort cast "Protego Maxima!" The massive bullet ripped through the enhanced shield charm like it wasn't even there and punched a massive hole straight through Voldemort's torso!

But as Alucard suspected, the Dark Lord wasn't human anymore. There was no blood, no bone. Instead, pitch-black magic leaked from the wound before it began repairing itself almost instantly. The hole closed in seconds, leaving behind more of that pale skin.

"T–that is quite the terrifying muggle weapon," the Dark Lord admitted as he glanced down at his bare chest before waving his wand and fixing the damage to his robes. "But you see now that it is useless! I am Lord Voldemort, and I have achieved immortality!"

"What a coincidence," Alucard said. "So have I. Why don't we see whose immortality is better…?" He fired his gun again and this time, Voldemort's left arm was blown clean off!

"Damn you!" Voldemort hissed like a snake before he started fighting back in earnest. "Protego Diabolica!" Blue flames poured out of his wand and surged towards Alucard who noticed they were turning everything they touched to ash, even the very dirt underneath them. 

He would have loved to test out what such an attack could do to him…but he didn't want his brand new coat getting ruined. Call him vein, but he had a style and he wasn't the type of guy who liked fighting butt as naked. Alcuard simply dropped down into his own shadow before popping up directly behind the Dark Lord.

"Hahahaha! Burn you monster!" Voldemort cheered, clearly not noticing the fact that his own spell had completely missed. 

Alucard raised his pistol to the back of Voldemort's head and pulled the trigger. The Dark Lord's head popped like a balloon, except instead of brain matter, all that burst out was a large mass of black magic that quickly merged together again to form a new head. 

CRACK!

Voldemort apparated 30 feet away as soon as he healed and stared at Alucard in shock and horror at what had just happened. "How do you keep injuring me! Even Dumbledore was never able to do that! Who the hell are you…?" 

XXX

I have a patreo n. My subs can read advanced updates of my stories ahead of standard release and even check out pics for some of the more naughty chapters. That's a recent development though.

Link:

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Here is the list of Current Advanced Chapters:

The Fallen Gamer ch 308-312

The Blood Queen 26

The Fox Hole 38

The Titan 19

The Fox Hole 37

The Fox Hole 36

The Blood Queen 25

The Blood Queen 24

The Titan 18

The Fox Hole 35

The Fox Hole 34