After Integra's domineering declaration of love, everything returned to its former state — the office once again sank into a heavy, almost tangible silence, as though the events of just a few minutes ago had been nothing more than a brief, vivid dream. Sitting behind her desk in her chair, Integra closed her eyes for a moment, sincerely hoping that it had all been a figment of her imagination, a momentary weakness she would never have permitted herself in reality.
But when she opened her eyes and looked at Alex — calmly seated on the sofa beside his daughter — Integra understood: it had not been a dream at all. She really had confessed her love to him — albeit in the only way she considered right for herself: harshly, without unnecessary words, with blood on her knuckles and ice in her voice. Looking at Alex and Alessa, Integra clearly realized what kind of woman she was — and that she would never be able to become a "normal" wife or a "normal" mother.
Yet precisely because Alex accepted her exactly as she was — without trying to change her, without demanding that she become softer, sweeter, or more "feminine" — she felt a rare, long-forgotten sense of calm. Propping her chin on her hands, Integra narrowed her eyes slightly, turning over in her mind the few but weighty words Alex had spoken.
There had been no lie in his eyes. He had been completely serious when he said he intended to kill God. Though he had revealed very little, those few sentences were enough for Integra to begin piecing together a rough picture. Especially when he called God a liar and a thief, and named the Darkness — the very one the Winchesters had released — the true goddess of this world.
No matter how much she thought about it, no matter how hard she tried to assemble the puzzle on her own, without a detailed explanation from Alex huge gaps remained. Sighing inwardly, Integra poured herself a measure of whiskey into a heavy crystal tumbler, realizing that all she could do now was wait. He had promised to tell her everything — and she believed he would keep his word. Taking a slow sip, Integra looked at Alex again.
At the same moment, Alex — phone in hand, replying to messages from his family — felt her gaze on him. Turning his head, he narrowed his eyes slightly — and a mischievous, almost boyish smile spread across his face.
He raised both hands above his head, forming a heart shape with his fingers, and wiggled them playfully like a teenager trying to make his girlfriend laugh. Integra saw the gesture — and a faint weariness appeared on her face. She stared at him with an empty, almost emotionless look, then simply exhaled through her nose.
"This is not a circus. Stop it," she said in a flat, cold tone.
"You're no fun. I was trying to cheer you up… or at least lighten the mood a little," Alex replied, chuckling softly.
"Just because we've confirmed our relationship doesn't mean I'm obligated to entertain you or respond in any way to your idiotic gestures. Don't even hope for it," Integra said, still regarding him with that blank stare.
"Ouch, my heart is broken… Alessa, heal my wounded heart with your love. Your mommy is so mean," Alex said dramatically, clutching his chest theatrically before pressing his cheek against Alessa's.
At those words Integra's eyelid twitched slightly. She watched as Alex rubbed his cheek against his daughter's — and felt a powerful surge of irritation mixed with the urge to hurl something heavy at him. The only thing stopping her was Alessa's presence.
So Integra did the only thing she could to preserve what remained of her nerves: she simply pretended she neither saw nor heard anything. Noticing that she had stopped reacting to his antics, Alex ceased rubbing cheeks with Alessa and shifted his attention to the phone lying on the small table in front of him.
At that moment the phone gave a short notification chime — and almost simultaneously rain began to fall outside the window. Turning toward the glass, Alex narrowed his eyes slightly — and a faint, satisfied smile curved his lips. The final piece of his plan to defeat Millennium had fallen into place. No matter how desperately the Major wanted to unleash chaos across the world using the ghoul virus — he would fail.
Hearing a low roll of thunder outside, Integra swiveled her chair and looked out the window: beyond the glass poured a heavy, almost tropical downpour. Ignoring the weather, Alex tapped a finger on the table — and the shadow cast by his finger widened slightly. From it slowly emerged a small mouse, composed entirely of living darkness.
Alex took a tiny notebook from his pocket, tore out several pages, and placed them in front of the mouse. The shadow mouse stepped onto the paper and began to dissolve, spreading a black veil across the entire surface.
A second later the shadow dissipated — and text appeared on the sheet. Alex picked it up and began to read. It was an intercepted conversation between Maxwell and Anderson: the Vatican intended to intervene in the London war; the crusader army was already prepared.
Having read the entire exchange, Alex merely shook his head, mentally calling Maxwell the ultimate idiot. He knew that in the original timeline Maxwell had launched a crusade to "purify" London of heretics. Alex had hoped his interference would at least make Maxwell pause and reconsider whether it was wise to involve himself in HellSing's war against Millennium.
But, as it turned out, Maxwell was a fanatic consumed by his own ambitions and had no intention of backing down — even knowing that HellSing had not only Alucard but someone like Alex on its side. The only person Alex truly paid attention to was Anderson. And perhaps those who might choose to follow him when Alex offered the priest a job.
Shaking his head again, Alex incinerated the sheet with a casual flick of his fingers — erasing all traces. Sighing, he recalled another event that was supposed to be happening right now and closed one eye, activating surveillance magic. Instantly a woman's voice sang in his ear — in German.
Alex remembered: the vampire named Rip van Winkle was currently seizing a British aircraft carrier — another piece of the Major's plan. Seeing Rip van Winkle with his own eyes through the link, Alex merely shook his head: there was nothing particularly remarkable about the woman — except her extraordinary musket marksmanship, which allowed a single shot to strike dozens of targets. He continued watching as the helicopter carrying Rip van Winkle approached the carrier — all while she sang her song about the hunter.
"God, how irritating," Alex muttered, pressing a finger to his ear to muffle the unbearable operatic cacophony.
"What's irritating you?" Integra asked, turning her chair to face him.
"That at this hour I can't buy anything sweet. It's almost midnight — every shop is long closed," Alex replied, glancing at Integra while still keeping one eye shut to keep observing Rip van Winkle.
"Tomorrow I'll tell Walter to buy whatever you prefer," Integra said with a slight nod, ignoring the fact that one of Alex's eyes remained closed.
"Mmm, thank you. And in return… you'll be getting a call soon about an incident. Roughly an hour or two," Alex said, stroking his chin and trying to tune out Rip van Winkle's singing.
"Explain," Integra said, frowning.
"Well… let's just say: while we've been talking… the aircraft carrier Eagle has been seized by vampires. And I, one might say, have front-row seats," Alex replied, tilting his head slightly and pointing at his closed eye.
"And you're just sitting here watching it happen? How did you know they would target the carrier?" Integra asked, narrowing her eyes.
"I can't explain everything right now. But this was always going to happen — no matter the circumstances. You're looking at the situation the wrong way," Alex said, finally opening his eye — he had just seen Rip van Winkle complete the takeover, eliminating the turned vampire crew members.
"And how the hell am I supposed to look at it when a carrier has just been hijacked right under our noses? What exactly am I supposed to see here?" Integra snapped, slamming her palm on the desk.
"You're looking at it like someone who wants to control everything, Mom," Alessa said, lifting her gaze to Integra. "But from the very beginning you didn't ask yourself: why did they seize the carrier, and what for? Maybe they want to use it as a weapon. Or for something else — to provoke war between nations."
Hearing Alessa's words, Integra had to admit: she really had missed the chance to view the situation differently. From the start she had only asked why Alex was merely observing and how he knew — but never "why." And when Alessa calmly pointed out her mistake, Integra realized she had slipped.
She began considering how Millennium could use a captured carrier — and quickly concluded: it could serve as a weapon to start a war simply by entering another nation's territorial waters. Or it could transport an army of vampires for a surprise amphibious assault.
But Integra almost immediately discarded the territorial incursion scenario — and understood: with traitors already aboard, the most likely intent was a sudden strike from the sea. Mulling it over, she took another sip of whiskey and began drumming her fingers on the desk.
When she finished thinking, Integra couldn't help glancing at Alessa — and inside her stirred a feeling of pride: the girl was extraordinarily sharp and had grasped the essence instantly. Her resolve to train Alessa as HellSing's heir only strengthened.
"So you were watching to figure out their plan. Fine… I admit it — my mistake. And it's your fault I made it. Because of you I let myself relax too much," Integra said, clamping a thin cigar between her teeth without lighting it.
"And what did I do? Blame the power of love. And why didn't you say anything to Alessa? She noticed what you missed. As a mother you should set the right example," Alex said, staring at Integra with an empty look.
"Why should I blame a child for my own incompetence? She was absolutely right — and that deserves praise," Integra replied, returning the same blank stare.
"Tell that to Alessa, not me," Alex said, gently stroking Alessa's hair.
"Well done… Alessa," Integra said in her usual dry tone, looking at the girl.
Hearing Integra praise Alessa, Alex's eyelid twitched slightly. He had nothing against Integra's personality — and knew perfectly well that she wasn't going to change her manner of speech anytime soon if she remained head of HellSing. Shifting his gaze to Alessa — she gave only a short nod in response to the praise.
Seeing the gesture, Alex understood: Wednesday probably praised Alessa too — but in her own dark, Addams-family way. Still, he knew the other girls more than made up for it with far warmer displays of affection toward Alessa. Shaking his head, Alex looked back at Integra — she sat at the desk, hands folded under her chin, watching him and Alessa.
"You know… you tried. Really. I'm not saying you need to overdo it. Just… you know, maybe a few more words than plain 'well done'," Alex said with a strained smile.
"No. That's sufficient. Even if I'm far from the model of a normal mother — I still know one shouldn't praise a child for every trivial thing, or they'll grow up spoiled. Discipline and manners must be instilled from childhood," Integra replied calmly.
"Yes, yes, I know. But every child deserves a childhood. You don't want her to spend hers the same way you did, do you?" Alex asked, meeting Integra's gaze evenly.
"We are not talking about me right now. Your children can — and should — have a normal childhood. But that doesn't mean they shouldn't learn etiquette and how to behave in society," Integra stated, making her position clear.
"All my children take etiquette lessons. No need to worry about that," Alex answered, crossing his arms over his chest.
"Good to hear. But once the Millennium situation is resolved — I will personally take charge of Alessa's upbringing. And that is not open for discussion. As for your other children — I will need to see for myself how well they've mastered etiquette. Then I'll decide whether they require additional lessons," Integra said, ending the conversation and making it clear the topic was closed.
Alex gave her a dry look and mentally thought: she was in for a world of headaches. Alcina had complained more than once that their daughters could barely sit through an entire etiquette lesson — and at any opportunity tried to escape, even though they still learned. Alcina was strict on the matter too — repeatedly telling the girls they needed proper manners, despite the fact that wherever Anya, Tina, Nyaruko, or Jinx went, chaos and explosions inevitably followed. Alex silently pitied his daughters: now they had yet another extremely strict mother who would insist on lessons.
And he knew for certain: Integra, like Alcina, would not soften during lessons — but she too was destined for exactly the same headaches. Alessa, for her part, reacted to the conversation quite calmly — after all, Wednesday also taught her etiquette alongside other, darker lessons drawn from Wednesday's own knowledge.
Alex looked at Alessa and stroked her hair, asking her opinion about the upcoming lessons. Alessa gave a small nod — indicating she didn't mind if it helped her learn more. Alex smiled and hugged his daughter, pressing his cheek to hers.
While embracing Alessa he heard another notification on his phone. Opening the message, he saw text from Alcina: she herself wanted to speak with Integra about lessons for their children. Alex didn't reply immediately — he closed his eyes and pictured Alcina and Integra together. Imagining the scene, he mentally wished his daughters good luck. Smiling faintly, he answered Alcina: she could do so after he had explained everything.
While Alex remained in Integra's office, Walter wandered the halls of HellSing Manor after what he had witnessed. Even he had not expected such behavior from his mistress — the girl he had watched over throughout her childhood. Recalling Integra's face as she struck Alex, Walter understood: she had finally found someone she could rely on.
Stopping in the middle of a dark corridor, Walter removed one glove and gazed at his aged fingers — sinking into old memories. Before his eyes flashed the image of little Integra — smiling brightly. And how, over ten years, she had transformed into the iron lady, sealing every emotion behind a steel wall.
He had tried — or at least attempted — to become the father figure she had lost. He never crossed that line. But he had always cared for her health — ensuring she slept properly and stayed fit. Even the training he gave her was solely so she could survive the most dangerous conditions.
Walter clenched his fist, feeling that his own time was drawing to a close — that soon he would leave Integra behind. On one hand he was satisfied: she had found someone who would support her if he were gone. Yet at the same time Walter did not want everything to end this way. He had only one true wish — to see Integra with her own family.
Even though he knew it was an almost impossible dream. But seeing how Integra expressed her feelings toward Alex, Walter thought: at least one of his wishes had come true. Still, he wanted to witness how things would unfold. Sighing, Walter slipped the glove back on and resumed his patrol — occasionally nodding to the mercenaries patrolling the corridors, including those Alex had brought in.
He couldn't help but note: Alex's people prepared in a way completely unlike anything he had ever seen. At first glance they seemed relaxed — yet Walter, with his experience, sensed the lethal danger radiating from them. And that gave him a measure of calm in the face of what was coming.
During his rounds Walter reached the hidden basement entrance behind a painting. Pulling it aside, he opened the door and slowly descended the stairs, hands clasped behind his back. His footsteps echoed off the stone walls.
Reaching the bottom, Walter looked at Alucard — as usual, she sat upon her throne, head bowed, arms wrapped around her knees. Of course Walter had noticed: Alucard too had changed because of Alex's presence — yet she remained herself.
"What brings you here, Walter? Shouldn't you be at our mistress's side?" Alucard asked, lifting her gaze with a faint smile.
"Master Alexander and young Lady Alessa are currently keeping Lady Integra company. As butler, I deemed it improper to intrude," Walter replied calmly, stepping closer to Alucard.
"Really? Well… I can't fault you for that. It was quite the spectacle. Who would have thought it would end this way? But it makes things far more interesting — don't you agree, Walter? For ten long years she built an iron wall around her heart — one even I could not breach. And he needed only a couple of weeks. What an astonishing chosen one I have," Alucard said, chuckling lightly as she looked at Walter.
"It is not my place to comment. My duty as butler is merely to ensure my mistress remains in good health and to protect her should the situation demand it," Walter answered calmly, offering a small smile.
Alucard smiled faintly in return — showing she knew his true thoughts, which Walter quietly ignored without betraying any sign. But Alucard had no intention of pressing him — she saw no point.
Now she had far more entertaining entertainment. After all, she had seen everything — from beginning to end: every moment in Integra's office, every thought that crossed her mind. Were it not for Alex's presence, Alucard would not have missed the chance to tease Integra once more — to tell her she was still ahead in the race.
"We kill them — and they keep coming back. If there's one thing you can't deny them, it's persistence," Walter remarked, deciding to speak of Millennium.
"And we will continue killing them — as many times as they return. Simple, as always. Only this time it won't be just the two of us, Walter. Seras is with us now. And him," Alucard replied, resting her cheek lightly on her fist, displaying her habitual boredom while waiting for Millennium's next move.
"I wanted… to ask something," Walter said, regarding Alucard calmly.
"What is it?" Alucard asked, raising a brow slightly.
"Why did you turn Seras into a vampire? If I may be so bold — such an act is not characteristic of you, Lady Alucard," Walter said, watching her intently and awaiting an answer.
At Walter's question Alucard's eyes widened for an instant — as she remembered Alex's words that she had simply felt lonely. At the time she hadn't taken them seriously — only occasionally pondering them. Recalling how Alex suggested perhaps fate was involved — or a momentary hesitation, or a desire to stop feeling alone.
Before meeting Alex she had felt only boredom and emptiness — understanding that one day it would all vanish and she would be alone again, simply waiting while the world moved on. Slowly Alucard removed her red glasses and set them on the small table beside her throne — then lifted her gaze to Walter.
"I did not make the decision. She herself expressed the desire to walk this path… What of her family?" Alucard asked, narrowing her eyes slightly.
"She has none. She is an orphan," Walter answered evenly.
"I suspected as much… Beneath that innocent appearance hides a remarkable and fascinating being. Her superiors and comrades were turned into ghouls in that city of death. She narrowly escaped rape and death at a vampire's hands. It was true hell on earth. And what did she do then? What choice did she make?… Most people die — and choose to give up. Those who refuse to surrender earn the right to rise above human weakness," Alucard said, smiling faintly as she looked at Walter.
"She only had to start drinking blood, correct?" Walter said, narrowing his eyes slightly and noticing the change in Alucard's demeanor.
"She will drink blood — sooner or later. Whether of her own volition — or guided there by him. Do not doubt it, Walter," Alucard replied, baring sharp fangs in a grin.
"So it all comes down to what choice Lady Seras makes. Is that correct?" Walter asked, raising a brow slightly.
"Perhaps. Will she remain the coward everyone must protect — or embrace her dark side? The entire decision rests with her alone. But it seems she will make that choice soon. Very soon. Extremely soon," Alucard said — her voice growing quieter with each word.
Walter made no comment on Alucard's final words — merely lifted his gaze to the basement ceiling, reflecting that it would be difficult for Seras to abandon her humanity. All this time he had observed her — and clearly saw: she still clung desperately to the fact that she had once been human.
Alex's appearance had only strengthened that desire to remain human — as though becoming a full monster would mean she could no longer stay near him. Walter realized: it wasn't only Integra who harbored feelings for Alex — Alucard and Seras did too. Walter couldn't help thinking: Alex must be quite the sinful man for HellSing's women to fall for him.
Meanwhile the very subject of their discussion — Seras — was conducting the most disgusting experiment of her life. She sat in the dining hall before a table laden with various foods. The reason for the experiment was simple: could the blood candies Alex had given her allow her to consume anything besides coffee?
Seras's desire was very straightforward — she wanted to be normal, as normal as a vampire could possibly be. Staring at the abundance of food before her, Seras swallowed hard and placed a bowl of chicken soup in front of herself. After a brief hesitation she took out a blood candy and dropped it into the soup — stirring gently until it dissolved.
Waiting a moment, Seras brought the spoon to her lips — hoping she would finally taste something. But the instant the chicken soup touched her tongue — Seras felt violent nausea: the flavor was revolting — as though she had swallowed garbage that had been rotting in the sun for months. Gagging at the taste in her mouth, Seras began coughing violently — trying to rid herself of the foul aftertaste. Coughing, she failed to notice Alex, Alessa, and Integra entering the dining hall.
"Why aren't you drinking blood, Police Girl?… You are no longer human. You were turned into a vampire, Seras," Integra said, looking at the coughing Seras.
Hearing Integra's voice, Seras looked up — and saw not only her mistress but Alex and Alessa watching her with keen interest. Seras instantly realized: she had been caught red-handed. Alex, looking at her, merely sighed — perfectly understanding Seras's longing to eat normal food again.
Even Alice had spent years yearning to taste ordinary food — and when she finally succeeded she devoured everything just to experience new flavors. Alex saw: the chicken soup in front of Seras was no ordinary dish. And he quickly grasped what she had been trying to achieve.
"Well… I… just…" Seras said in an embarrassed tone, unsure how to explain.
"Just tell us what you were doing here. No need to make excuses. If you miss it that much — you could have simply asked," Alex said, nodding toward the soup.
Seras lifted her gaze to Alex — then immediately dropped her head, realizing he had understood everything at once. Shame flooded her. She had wanted to go on a simple date with him — like an ordinary girl: eat something together, not just drink coffee and walk.
But Integra, observing Seras, interpreted her reaction differently. Calmly she removed one glove and made a small cut on her finger. The moment blood appeared — Seras stared at Integra in shock. Integra smiled, while Alex barely restrained himself from face-palming.
"Lady Integra!.." Seras exclaimed, voice rising.
"I cut my finger. I don't want infection to set in. Lick the wound. This is genuine, one-hundred-percent virgin blood. It will definitely suit your taste," Integra said, extending her bleeding finger.
"But… I…" Seras said nervously.
"Lick it. That's an order, Seras," Integra commanded coldly, narrowing her eyes.
Seras hesitated and was about to obey — when Alex intervened, finding the situation far too absurd. He seized Integra's hand and popped her finger into his own mouth — face completely blank.
Seeing this, Seras froze and blushed furiously. She even imagined herself in Integra's place — and how Alex would take her finger into his mouth. Integra, meanwhile, frowned at Alex's action. But he merely met her with a tired look.
"Think before you act, Integra," Alex said, removing her finger from his mouth and lightly tapping her forehead.
"Have you lost your mind?!" Integra asked coldly after being flicked on the forehead like a naughty child.
"No — you listen first before slicing your finger open. And you, Seras," Alex said irritably, glaring at Integra before turning to Seras.
"Y-Yes!" Seras said, snapping to attention.
"Instead of fidgeting — speak plainly. I gave you synthetic blood so you could stay fed. And what happens? Integra thinks you aren't drinking blood at all," Alex said, flicking Seras lightly on the forehead.
"It's not that I didn't want to say… It's just…" Seras mumbled, blushing deeply from embarrassment.
At that moment Seras felt like a scolded child caught lying. Integra raised a brow upon hearing Alex mention synthetic blood. Suddenly she was curious: what exactly was this synthetic blood Seras was consuming.
"Synthetic blood?" Integra asked, interrupting Alex while he scolded Seras for her foolish stunt.
"Yes, synthetic blood. I created it specifically — and turned it into candy form. It has the exact same effect as regular blood but is laboratory-made. And it comes in different flavors. I honestly don't understand how anyone can keep two vampires and still feed them plain human blood. It's barbaric," Alex said, launching into his familiar tirade.
"Enough. Police Girl — show me," Integra said, raising a hand and looking at Seras.
"Here, Lady Integra," Seras said, producing a small box from her pocket.
Integra took the box from Seras's hands and opened it. Inside lay small, round, translucent orbs — somewhat resembling children's candies. Integra picked up one blood candy and brought it to her nose — sniffing. All she detected was a faint sweet scent.
There was no familiar metallic tang of blood. Examining the candy from every angle, she placed it back in the box and looked at Seras — her gaze conveying what she expected. One look from Integra was enough — Seras understood.
She immediately popped a candy into her mouth and squinted slightly — this time it was lemon flavor, which she disliked. Seeing Seras's face twist, Integra narrowed her eyes suspiciously. Alessa, watching the exchange, sighed wearily — foreseeing yet another misunderstanding — and tugged Seras's sleeve, pointing toward Integra.
"Oh, Lady Integra, please don't misunderstand. It's just that this blood candy is lemon-flavored — and I don't particularly like lemon," Seras said hurriedly, beginning to explain.
"So each of these blood candies has a different flavor. Understood. And how many do you need to feel satiated?" Integra asked, nodding slightly once Seras explained her reaction.
"One candy contains as much blood as an entire blood pack. The difference is they don't cause over-saturation. And the biggest advantage of my invention — you can drink coffee with them," Alex said proudly.
"I see. Why didn't you mention this earlier," Integra said, acknowledging the usefulness of the invention.
"I think I did… Maybe. I don't remember. And anyway — does it really matter?" Alex replied thoughtfully, stroking his chin.
"Yes, it matters. Seras is an important member of HellSing. I need to know her condition. I cannot have a subordinate unable to perform her duties because of hunger," Integra said sternly.
"Yes, yes, my fault. Don't we have more pressing matters?" Alex said, waving tiredly.
"We are not finished… Prepare your gear and await orders, Seras. We have lost contact with our carrier off the coast of Wales. This is Millennium's doing," Integra said, narrowing her eyes at Alex before turning to Seras.
"Yes, Lady Integra. I'll be ready," Seras replied, immediately rising from her seat at Integra's words.
Integra gave a slight nod, cast one final glance at Alex, then slowly walked away, hands clasped behind her back. Once Integra had left, Seras exhaled in relief — and looked up to meet Alex's teasing gaze. He merely shook his head.
Seeing this, Seras blushed and swatted Alex's arm. Alex laughed and quickly kissed her on the cheek — causing her to blush even deeper, yet she smiled at the gesture. But now she had to prepare in case she was deployed again. Seras quickly hugged Alex and hurried off to get ready. Alex calmly took Alessa by the hand — and followed Integra at a leisurely pace, as she had already gone ahead.
To be continued...
(Hehe, first off, I want to brag to you. My birthday may be on the 6th, but I've already received a nice gift in the form of Resident Evil Requiem. Oh yeah! The second thing I'd like to say is that, as you know, I publish chapters every day, except in extreme situations, like when I have no power all day or I'm so sick I can't even move. And even then, I somehow manage to publish chapters in those situations. And on the 6th, I might be busy because I'm planning to go to a country house with a friend to drink beer and grill some meat, if the weather is nice. So, on the 6th, the chapter might not be out on all three platforms I publish on. I'll keep you updated. Peace, love, and LEON KENNEDY!)
Early access to chapters on my patreon: p*treon.com/GreedHunter