Alucard was back at the Clan Barracks, polishing his greatsword. It was a gift from the clan, after he finished Initiation. He was skilled at it, even though he felt that its true potential was still locked out. He is still content, however. Slashing demons to pieces and protecting the lands from outside threats would be sufficient to avenge the deaths of his parents.
But the last two weeks were too peaceful. Their clan did not come across a single demon or beast. Alucard has been waiting for a concentrated attack on the camp, but nothing happened…
"Alucard," Yinsen, his friend, ran up to him, panting. "Victor wants to talk to you."
"Something wrong, Yinsen?"
"He found a girl in the woods," Yinsen replied.
"So what? It's not like we have no females in the clan."
"That's not what I meant. The girl was mentioning your name, and she's currently unconscious."
Alucard considered this new. He stood up, gripping his weapon and put it on its sheathe. He wore it on his back. The two walked to the camp HQ, where Victor, the chief, was undergoing battle plan adjustments.
They entered the tent. Yinsen was right, a girl was there. She looked slightly younger than him, maybe a year or two. She wore a red hood and a white skirt with a black blouse. She fashioned a ruby pendant. But what surprised the two is the huge scythe next to the cot. She was lying on a makeshift bed.
Victor, the head chief, rose up. "Here you are, boy. We just got this girl from the woods, getting attacked by wolves. When she was out cold from the assault, she kept-"
"Mentioning my name?" Alucard said.
"Yes, seemed like it."
The demon hunter edged closer to the sleeping girl. She wore an eyepatch on her left eye. He tried to recall if he'd met the girl before, because she seemed so familiar.
"Does she ring a bell to you, bro?" Yinsen asked. "Maybe she's someone you met before?"
Alucard thought deeply. He saw the red hood before. He remembered going to this village a couple of years back. He bought bread in the bakery, and a girl with the same red hood went up to him and asked who he was…
"No way," Alucard muttered. "How…"
"Wait, you know her?" Victor suddenly rose up. "Come on, lad. Tell me. Try to recall."
"I thought you were dead..."
"Hold up a second, Alu," Yinsen calmed the hunter. "Is she really meant to be dead?"
Alucard shrugged the feeling and spoke clearly. "Her village was attacked by wolves. Her grandmother didn't survive, but how did she?"
"So you do know her! Can you give a name?" Victor asked.
"Her name is Ruby. She talked to me a couple of years back. After a few hours, her home was attacked by the Wolf King and his henchmen."
"Makes a lot of sense. But how was she able to survive?" Yinsen wondered.
Alucard was confused as well. "I don't know, but it has something to do with the scythe. I can't read her mind, it's messy there. Tons of interference."
Victor smiled. "If she killed those wolves with that scythe, then I'd be overjoyed!" He said, pointing at it. It was very sharp. The design was heavy, yet smooth and clean. It was nearly impossible to imbue such amount of detail to the scythe, whilst making it sharp as possible.
"I have to go, man," Yinsen popped. "Got some guard duty to attend."
"Stay safe," Alucard said. "Victor, she must be here for a reason. We may not have encountered demons in the past weeks but it already means a huge change."
Victor nodded. "The outside world doesn't spread much news as well. Never heard some from the king."
Ruby suddenly awoke with a jolt, breathing heavily.
"Holy Lord!" Victor exclaimed.
"That was surprising…" Alucard replied. He gained the ability to read minds, so he had a head start. After the torture he received when he was a kid, he gained mind control, but his right arm was replaced with a more gruesome demonic arm, with elbow spikes and a reddish scales. It also had claws to come with. Alucard never uses his right hand in combat. But it could mean something…
Ruby twitched and looked around her frantically. She began to mumble. "Blood… Massacre… Fire is…"
"That's not good," Alucard said. "Sir, we need to get the med team. I'll handle this." Victor rushed outside, but almost forgot to wear pants.
"Really?"
"Sorry, kid. The pants are too tight." He exited the tent.
Alucard began to comfort her. "Woah, it's okay. I'm here. Don't-"
He was interrupted by a punch from her fist. She raced for her scythe. Alucard quickly unsheathed his greatsword.
"Calm down, Ruby. You are not in danger."
Ruby remained muttering nonetheless. "War… Death… Darkness… Coming…"
She lifted the scythe, something that surprised the demon hunter, knowing that the scythe, in truth, was really heavy. She began to hyperventilate.
"It's me, Alucard. You asked me to come here. Let me get closer. I won't hurt you," he said.
The girl regained sense. She abruptly dropped the scythe and began to feel faint. Alucard caught her before she hit the ground. Victor arrived with two med officers.
"What's going on here?" an officer questioned.
"She's sane for now," Alucard replied. "Hand over the healixir." The officers gave him a small bottle of green liquid. A pungent aroma filled his nose.
"Whu-What…" Ruby was gaining control, but she became too weak.
Alucard removed the cork of the bottle. "Don't drink too much. This eliminates your drowsiness." He held the bottle to her lips while she slowly drank. When the bottle lost half its contents, he capped it and gave it to the officers.
"Thanks, guys," Alucard said. "I'll take it from here." The officers nodded, leaving behind an emergency aid kit on the bed. Alucard carried Ruby to the cot and let her rest.
"You know, she wasn't like that when we encountered her in the woods," Victor added. "She was alert. Why would she be like this?"
"Augh, my head hurts," Ruby said. She tried to sit up, but Alucard stopped her.
"Ruby, you need the fluid to circulate around your bloodstream. It will take time. Just lie down."
"What happened? Where am I?" she asked.
"You're in the base camp of the Demon Hunter Clan. We rescued you. You were under attack by wolves."
She relaxed a little.
Alucard wasn't one to intrude minds with his abilities that easily, so he decided to ask. "How did you survive the attack from your village?" I thought you were dead, then, he thought.
Ruby shook her head. "I never talk about it," she answered, looking at the scythe. Alucard didn't need to read her mind. He got his answer.
"Okay… What were you doing in the woods, alone?"
"Travelling to the Land of the Dawn. A voice in my head told me to do so. I have been traveling for 2 weeks. First time I tried to leave the woods."
"And the wolves wouldn't let you out before they kill you first. That's why you were attacked," Alucard concluded.
"I was nearing the border when it occurred. I am glad this pants-less man asked for backup."
Victor was blushing with embarrassment. "Anytime, miss. Also, the laundry was ransacked before by a demon. Don't ask."
Ruby continued. "By the way, how far is the Land of the Dawn?"
Victor grabbed a map and unfurled it. "We are… a couple of leagues away, but nothing we can't cover in a week. The portal here can be repaired for us to get to the Land in a jiffy. I know there is one nearby, but we amped security, fearing a wide scale attack here."
Suddenly, Alucard felt a jolt in the back of his head. A voice spoke, Demon Hunter, you need to traverse. Time is running out.
"Who is this?" Alucard mistakenly said that out loud. "Someone is telepathically calling me!"
You must hurry. Time is of the essence. Fix the portal and reach the Land with your brethren. Never forget the girl.
The voice stopped before Alucard could respond.
"Boy, what's wrong?" Victor asked. Ruby was nervous.
"A voice told me to fix the portal and bring in all of you to the kingdom. He warned me to hurry."
Ruby stood. "I am going with Alucard. We need someone to guard the repairmen on the way to the portal. I know where it is."
Victor disagrees. "Woah, woah, girl. I know you wish to help Mr. Handsome Demon Hunter here, but are you sure? I mean, you're still healing from your partially recovered wounds."
Ruby reached the scythe and held it like it was nothing. "It's all right."
"Alu, I will bring in the repairmen squadron to aid you. I will bring the whole camp in a few minutes. The two of you, go now."
The two went outside. Before leaving, they went to Yinsen.
"Wait, what?" He was confused after the incredibly fast explanation.
"Youhavetosendbackupnowandgetoutofhere-" Ruby said.
"Okay, chill. I will send some to follow-" Before Yinsen was able to finish, the two sped off.
"Ughhh, why are they in such a hurry. Demon Hunters…"
After a few minutes of trekking with the squadron, they found the portal. Again, nothing attacked them. Nothing ambushed them or anything. It was dead quiet, the oak trees giving shade for them against the sunlight. It was late afternoon, and something should've popped by now.
Yinsen broke the silence. "They could be waiting for us here, you know. There could be hostile Stalkers here."
"Stalkers don't come out this early," Horst, his wingman, added.
"Watch your backs, everyone," Alucard warned.
The repairmen began repairing the portal.
"This may take a while, my friends!" the command chief replied. "The portal has been untouched for years."
10 people circled around the portal: Yinsen, Horst, Alucard, Ruby, Victor and 5 men with lieutenant rank and higher. 3 skilled repairmen can fix a portal with minor delay, but with an untouched portal? It will really take some time.
5 minutes passed, and yet, no danger in sight.
"The camp is here!" Ruby declared. All 191 Demon Hunters have arrived, camping equipment and hunting weapons in tow.
"Fawkes, Jason, Tuk, Pique…" Victor went on as he checked the attendance. "Okay, all are here."
The portal began to whirr, then a blue vortex appeared, spiraling in the portal. The vortex was then replaced by the landscape of the Land of the Dawn. Alucard remembered the kingdom to be lively, but something seemed imbalanced.
"When we get there, we request a meeting with the King," Alucard said. "We discuss about the odd events popping up in the past few weeks. Maybe he knows something."
Yinsen budged in. "Let's not forget asking about the current events in other areas, like Eruditio and Iga. We never received the monthly report."
The Hunters nodded. They walked to the portal and disappeared to the other side. Victor, Alucard and Yinsen waited for the others to go.
But Alucard nearly forgot something.
"Wait! Victor, how about my sister?"
"You mean Layla? You can meet her if you want, but hurry up now. You don't wanna be late," he said, before walking to the portal.
"You can bring them to the kingdom," Yinsen said. "They need protection. We're here to help. Cya, mate!" He left.
Alucard configured the destination to the City of Scholars.
"Better warn them before it's too late." He walked to the portal and got sucked in by the sudden gravitational force. After a few seconds, he plopped into a building, filled with… cardboard boxes?
He brushed off the dust on his blood-red coat. "That's a first."
He scanned the area. He saw a mechanized med bay occupied by a wounded man. He recognized the uniform. It was one of the undercover ones for the Royal Messengers of the kingdom. It's the first time he's seen one brutally attacked.
He saw his old friend Chou whistling, his body leaning on the med bay's protective glass dome. When he turned his head, he nearly jumped by surprise.
"Alu, ever heard of not showing up like a ghost?!"
"I teleported here. The portal was meant to deliver me to one of the gateways, but here I am."
Chou scrunched his eyebrows. "Really? Yeah, well, something is making me tense around here. Nothing seems right."
"Me too. Have you seen Layla?" Alucard asked.
"She went off with Bruno to get her Cannon. Lolita went for her hammer. I am here to stay and wait for them to regroup here, then we wait for the custom portal Estes will designate inside the warehouse, but I assume someone is still missing. Something about 'Hovering Blade'?"
"It's Fanny," Alucard explained. "Hadn't seen her fly in a while. Last time I met her she told me that she had to run errands near the Land of the Dawn."
"Like what, zigzag around the canopy? She mapped the whole dang forest, if you're wondering."
"Analyzing battle strategies?" Alucard guessed. "She's our GPS. With her work there, it's nearly impossible for her to scout out for the operator."
Chou replied, "A guard unit was meant to. Didn't make it alive."
Then, the door burst open, and Layla, Bruno and Lolita went in.
"We got them!" Bruno cheered. "Comms is faulty, so I couldn't con- Oh… Kay," he stopped when he saw Alucard.
Layla reached in for a hug. "Where have you been?"
Alucard shrugged. "I had guard duties. Can't leave the Clan that easily. Weirdly enough, no hunt was initiated."
Lolita wasn't too surprised. "Is this what we've been waiting for?"
"The War? I hope not, but it seems like the universe demanded it inevitable."
"All we know is that we should wait for Estes get here."
And it's what they did. Their nervousness slowly, yet gradually increased by the passing time. Bruno aimlessly made freestyle tricks with his energy ball. Lolita and Layla tinkered with their weapons, checking for any material degradation and possible upgrade. Chou sat down on the floor and began his meditation. Alucard, however, was trying to concentrate in order to search for the voice in his head.
And then…
Alucard, are you there?
"I GOT SOMETHING! SOMEONE'S TALKING TO ME TELEPATHICALLY!" the demon hunter began, but then lowered his voice. "Who is this?"
This is Yinsen, mate! Listen, Estes taught me basic mind reading to warn you of the impending attack! You need to get to the portal, now!
"What?! Which portal, what attack?!"
Chou's curiosity amplified. "Something wrong?"
"There's an attack on Eruditio. Bruno, Lolita, check outside. The three of us will join you later. Go!"
Bruno and Lolita rushed to the door.
The portal is on the entrance of this Zephyr building. The Royal Convoy is there and they'll hold off the horde for the civilians to get through. Get there in time, since Estes can't keep up the portal's hostility filter for long. Good luck!
Alucard turned to Layla and Chou. "A demon attack is engaged in Eruditio. We need to race to Zephyr Corps. And escort as many civilians as possible."
"I'm getting the operator," Bruno called.
"Layla, join Bruno and Lolita, they might need help."
Layla stood up and grabbed her Cannon. "Got it." She reached for the door. The distant sound of gunfire was heard. Chou quickly disabled the med bay and carried the unconscious operator with him. The remaining two went out the storage room door and to the bakery's main doors.
There was no demon in sight, yet the citizens of the city began to run to the same direction…
"They're heading for Zephyr Corps.," Chou explained. "Maybe Estes gave them enough time to race for it. C'mon, we have to find the others."
The towering skyscraper wasn't that far, but with the current situation, it seemed like it needed to cover a couple of miles to get there. Alucard and Chou saw Layla, readying her Cannon for any threat.
"Calm down, Layla," Alucard said. "We need to get to Zephyr Corps. There, we'd round the civs to the makeshift portal." Layla quickly nodded and joined the civilians in running.
"The slums!" Chou exclaimed, worried. "Has it been attacked yet?"
Suddenly, a steel cable pierced the wall next to the duo. A red-haired woman zipped via the said cable, technically flying. She wielded two katanas.
"So, what took you long?" Fanny asked.
"Estes warned us about the attack. Have you gathered Intel?" Chou replied.
"The demons charged all in from the south side. No casualties, but it's a mess."
Alucard asked, "Did they break through the wall?"
Fanny shook her head. "They climbed over it. They made a pile of bodies of themselves and threw the spare on the other side. There are lots of Ravagers and a few Hellbats, and one Reaper, as far as I know."
"Ravagers and Hellbats are easy," Alucard said. "But a Reaper, you can't take alone."
"I will scout for more attacks and rescue civs. You stay in guard and find any more in a 5-block radius. After that, you get out of there." Fanny shot two steel cables to a faraway building and zipped.
"I wonder how she could fly with ease. Her invention must be a tough one to control," Chou said.
Alucard replied, "She told me that she taught herself, but I don't really think she could do all that. Let's try and get moving."