"It's not as if you've ever thought of me as a good person, right, Junior?" Van Helsing lowered his gun's muzzle, gazing through the shadow of his hat brim at Lucius in the moonlight.
Lucius' scarlet pupils were filled with vigilance towards Van Helsing. Gripping his weapon tightly with his hand, as if Lucius would immediately draw his knife and split the man apart as long as this suspicious man made any movement.
But in Van Helsing's eyes, this wasn't vigilance against the enemy, but fear.
"All those years… You still haven't grown up at all, Junior."
That look in Lucius's eyes was very familiar to Van Helsing. It was the same look that Lucius had given Van Helsing at the time. When the two young vampires huddled in the abbey corner, watching the humans who had suddenly entered this monastery during their first encounter a few years ago.
It was a look of rejection, or mistrust, of anyone, or to put it bluntly, it's his usual look!
He held his sister's hand tightly, the only thing he had left. As if everyone in the world was trying to hurt him. It was like that a few years ago, it's still like that even after he grew up. Back then, Van Helsing had no choice but to accept it. After all, they were strangers when he first met the young vampire siblings, he had a hard time telling them apart, which one was the brother, and which one was the sisters. The only difference was Van Helsing knew the one who was always frowning was the older brother, while the timid and had a soft smile on her face was the younger sister. It was the exact reason why Lucius could be sold at a high price in some underground casinos. Because he was too pretty for a boy!
Although he had repeatedly tried to sell children to underground casinos, he was a veteran. Always managed to rescue the children during the pinch. And of course, the 'children' were no other than Lucius alone, disguised as a girl.
As a child, showing such a repulsive expression was a little cute, Van Helsing thought of Lucius as a small Tsundere child. But now that he had grown up, it's not cute at all! As a child, Lucius looked like a girl who attracted many pedophile male customers. But now, his appearance had changed into a striking youth that no woman will ever ignore. But that murky attitude hadn't changed at all!
During their journey around the world, Van Helsing had taken Lucius to see the beauty of the world. And his animosity towards humans had diminished somewhat. But that burning accident… had dragged Lucius into darkness completely! But Van Helsing didn't regret what he did. He never regretted letting Lucius witness his sister's burning at stake. The cruel sentence that burned the last bit of love he harbors for the world! Because from that moment on, Lucius possessed the heart of a true monster! The heart that grows stronger! Not just to protect his small desire like protecting his sister!
It was Van Helsing himself who had completely buried what's left of Lucius' trust and compassion for mankind, pushing him into the never-ending darkness.
For what? It's because he bears the name 'Alucard'!" He was a vampire. He belongs to the darkness. This rotten world ruled by humans only stood in the way of the vampire's growth. Now, he had grown up. Continued spreading darkness upon the world, unleashing his hatred on humanity. And he had succeeded. Abandoning his conscience, he had the power of his own. But that power came from a monster's mind, not a true vampire.
Van Helsing stood amidst the devastated city, looking at Lucius.
"I told you, I'm no longer a kid you can bully!" Lucius slightly drew his Yamato Blade out of its sheath.
Once again, the cigarette butt on Van Helsing's mouth fell to the ground. Slowly extinguishing the cigarette.
His hatred for humanity could never be washed away, no matter how many people he had killed.
But a hunter would never hate his prey. Because only then could he call himself a hunter. If he still kills something with hatred, that means he still cares about it! In that case, there are no differences between him and the prey.
It's time to teach the boy one last lesson.
Van Helsing lowered the brim of his hat, leaving only one eye reflecting the large, exaggerated moon in the sky. There wasn't much to say about the Italian moon, but it could never be this big, this round… In this heavily polluted world, this kind of mesmerizing giant moon existed only in legend. But today, the moon was in full bloom, as if welcoming something. Displaying the most beautiful side of itself ever.
"Are you trying to say that you've gained power? Right, you already gained your vampire power." Van Helsing lightly glanced at the A-ranked Espers who were being cornered by the dead souls unleashed from Lucius' Dead River. This already means that Lucius had absolute power over the world!
"Strong, immortal, walked with the shadows…" Van Helsing was deeply satisfied with Lucius' growth!
"And? The few surviving humans in the world want to abandon the light and follow the Destroyer?" Lucius drew his Yamato Blade and put on combat stances, "Sorry, it's too late now! I want all and every human to drown in despair!"
"Humans? Destroyer?" Van Helsing touched his hat and decided to tell Lucius everything he knew, "Junior, do you really think your sister would be caught by the church was a mere coincidence?"
"Of course, it's not! You're the one telling them about her, right?" Lucius answered him indifferently, "That's why I have to thank you for branding my hatred for humanity right on my chest! Even right now, this mark is still excruciating me!"
It's not enough. It will never be enough! Lucius really didn't know how he survived all these years. After his sister's demise, Lucius no longer held the will to survive. But this man had made him remember one thing! Hate! This man also taught him another thing, revenge! This was the only thing he held on, the only thing that kept him alive. Nothing else but revenge! To push mankind to the brink of extinction!
Now that Lucius had done it, 99% of humanity was dying under despair!
But it's not enough… even after exterminating the whole world, he still can't extinguish the hatred he holds for humans. Killing with anger, wielding the sword with hatred… Lucius only realized how barbaric he was!
Because Lucius….
Cares too much about those humans!
"I thought the secret would remain hidden. But it seemed like I can no longer hide it from you. But Junior, do you know that? You've grown up now. A good hunter won't kill prey that hasn't reached adulthood. Killing cubs doesn't give the satisfaction of hunting. And it will also cause the poor prey to disappear, and you won't be able to hunt interesting prey again."
Van Helsing put away his extinguished cigarette, took off his hat, placed the cigarette and silver pistol on the hate, and tossed it aside. "A few years ago, when I first met you, you were weak and small, even my gun was trembling! But now you have completely turned into a murderous devil!"
"So? What are you going to do?" Lucius looked at Van Helsing's slow, rhythmic movement and felt an oppressive force coming from this man called Senior.
"Of course to…" Van Helsing removed the eye patch covering his eye, "…do what a vampire hunter should do!"
Lucius' scarlet eyes widened. His vampire blood that flowed in his body carried the blood of a creature called dragon… Facing this man, his bloodline was triggered.
Because a monster facing a stronger monster must make itself stronger as well!
The huge moon hung low behind Van Helsing. And the man's eye beneath the eyepatch was a radiant golden luster!