Chapter 13

Alucard and Demir stood facing each other. Demir stared daggers into Alucard's mocking eyes. "So, this is how our final battle is to be. I hope you know I will enjoy wiping your name clean from the memory of the world." He said confidently.

"You know if you're going to destroy me, then do it! Don't stand there talking about it!" Alucard challenged.

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Integra was rushed back to Hellsing manor. Walter had Doctor Travallian see to her right away. Quickly he stitched up Integra's hand and looked her over. She still had the sword with her. She looked down at it while the doctor wrapped her hand.

"Is that..." Walter began.

"Yes. The soul of Lilith now resides in the crystal of this sword. For now I must hold onto it until I figure out what is to be done with it." Integra said. Then she looked toward Seras. "Captain Victoria, where is Alucard?" She enquired.

"He stayed behind to deal with Demir and Aiesha. He told me to stay with you to keep you safe." Seras answered.

"Let him deal with the problem then. Now that Lilith's power has been extinguished, they're power will not be as great as Alucard's. He should be able to deal with the two of them without much problem now." Integra replied.

"Sir Integra, what happened to you back there with that sword?" Seras asked.

"I can't really explain it. The moment I caught it was as if something entered me. It was almost as if I had some sort of out of body experience." Integra answered looking down at the sword. "She did say it was not of this world..."

"Sir, I'd like permission to go visit with Zoey for a little while." Seras requested.

"Permission granted."

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Back at the Abbey:

Demir raised his hands. A wooden chest began to rise. He sent it flying straight toward Alucard who simply waved his hand sending the object crashing against a wall. It splintered into a thousand pieces. Alucard looked unmoved by the display.

"I hope you intend to throw more at me than that. If this is the best you can do, I'll just destroy you now and be done with it. I will not waste my power upon such foolishness." He growled.

"That was merely a demonstration. Let's see how you enjoy this." Demir replied as his eyes began to glow. Thunder began to rumble in the sky. Without warning four bolts of lightening struck burning large holes in the old abbey's roof. Alucard found himself surrounded by a cage of electricity as the bolts sprouted into web like threads effectively closing him in.

He chuckled darkly. "Impressive." Alucard said looking through the electric confines.

Demir made a swirling mostion with his left hand. The cage of lightening became a blinding whirlwind as the bolts began to spin. He looked on confidently thinking Alucard would not make his way out of this trap. Demir's eyes widened in amazement when the brilliant twister suddenly diminished to practically nothing. At first all he could see was a slithering mass of inky black shadows. Then Alucard emerged from the cloud completely unharmed.

"If I were a less powerful vampire you would have fried me." He said nonchalantly.

"I guess I'll just have to try a little harder." Demir replied.

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Seras stood by Zoey's bed. Zoey slowly opened her eyes to see her friend standing beside her. "Seras, where is Alucard?" She asked.

"He's taking care of unfinished business. Don't worry about him Zoey. Alucard has been to hell and back with a smile on his face. He can take care of himself. When it's all said and done, Demir and Aiesha will just be a bad memory." Seras answered.

"What of their plans?"

"They have been thwarted. Lilith's soul is trapped inside the jewel of a strange sword given to Sir Integra. And the sword is in Sir Integra's custody as we speak. She won't let anything happen to it."

"Good. I'm glad she is all right. What about Stewart? Is he all right?" Zoey asked.

"He's fine." Seras answered. "You're becoming rather taken with him." She commented.

"I think I am. He seems to be growing on me." Zoey replied.

"He's a good man. He can be moody sometimes and isn't always the most emotionally open person in the world. But he is a good man." Seras said.

"Seras, I'm worried about what will happen to me when this is over."

"Don't worry Zoey. I know Sir Integra isn't the warmest person, but she is a fair person. She'll make sure you will be well cared for." Seras replied reassuringly.

"You should get some rest Zoey. I'll be back to check on you later."

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Demir had given an impressive show of force with the lightening. But now it was Alucard's turn. He stood perfectly still as his eyes began to glow. An entire section of benches began to slowly rise. Alucard slashed the air with his arm and the wooden structures went flying toward Demir. Before he had a chance to move he found himself assaulted with wood and metal.

For a moment there was silence. Alucard stood waiting for retaliation. Splinters and chunks of wood went flying in all directions as Demir stood amidst the rubble. His eyes flashed wildly and the hunks of wood suddenly burst into flame. The burning pieces began to lift from the ground. With a snarl Demir sent the floating bonfire straight toward Alucard. But before the flaming projectiles could hit their target, a gust of wind blew through the halls extinguishing the flames. The missiles became nothing more than smoldering splinters as they fell harmlessly to the ground.

"Are you going to spend this battle hurling things at me, or are you going to get serious?" Alucard asked.

The tone of Alucard's voice annoyed his opponent. Demir's expression grew angry as he bore his teeth at the elder vampire. Alucard was unmoved by the display.

"Oh what's wrong? Am I getting to you already? I thought I'd actually be able to flex some muscle against you. You're a true vampire, and this is the best you have to offer? How dissapointing."

"Enough! You want to see what I'm capable of, so be it!" Demir barked angrily. He looked over at the door broken from the cage that held Seras. He jerked his hand toward the bars. They began to detach from the wood slat that held them together. The bars shot toward Alucard. Before he could move, he found himself impaled in ten different places. The heavy metal spears shot through his hands, arms, legs, shoulders, chest and one went right through his neck. The force of the impact was so great Alucard was thrown against the wall and effectively nailed to it by the bars.

Demir's anger turned to satisfaction seeing his old enemy's body motionless. His mocking eyes seemingly closed forever as blood dripped from the numerous wounds. He walked toward Alucard's limp frame as it continued to bleed.

"How does it feel to have a taste of your own medicine Impalor!" Demir spat.

As he was about to turn away, his eyes widened. Alucard's body melted into a huge red blob. His maniacle laughter echoed throughout the halls of the old abbey. Demir looked around sharply hearing his rival's voice all throughout the room. He looked to where Alucard's body had been pinned against the wall by the bars. Now only the bars remained. The red blob began to pull together. The scarlet hue blackened over and inky tendrils began to reach from the now writhing mass.

Demir watched with both revulsion and amazement as Alucard's body began to reform. As quickly as he had been wounded, Alucard now stood as if nothing had happened. Every wound, every trace of blood erased as if the bars had never touched him. He flashed a purely demonic smile at his advesary.

"Now that is more like it!" He barked. "But I believe you only get one shot using me as a pin cushion." Alucard replied arragontly as his shadows began to work their way around the bars and melted them until they pooled into a mass of smoking, ruined metal. Demir growled seeing the weapons reduced to a useless mass.

"Now that I've taken care of that little formality, I think it's time we upped the ante on this little duel of ours." Alucard said as a black cloud began to form and swirl above the two vampires.

"What do you think you're doing?" Demir asked in a demanding tone.

"I grow tired of this place. I have a much more appropriate location for our battle to continue." Alucard answered as the he began to rise. Before Demir could do anything a mass of writhing shadows lashed around his upper body. As much as he struggled, he found that he could not break himself free. Alucard's body was swallowed up by the now swirling void followed by that of his rival.

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Integra sat at her desk looking at the mysterious sword and the now blackened crystal at the center of it's blade. Walter and Peter Fergason remained with her to keep her safe. She was not in any relative danger, but she was still weakened by the events of the evening. And in the case that Demir should escape Alucard's grasp, they would be there to defend their leader.

"What should be done with the sword Sir Integra?" Walter asked.

"We shall wait until Alucard has destroyed the targets and returns to the Hellsing mansion. Then I will decide what is to be done with this sword. For now it must remain here in my custody. Any damage, even the tiniest crack to this crystal, and we're all in a lot of trouble." Integra answered.

Seras entered Integra's office. Integra, Walter and Fergason all looked to see her walk in.

"How is the young lady?" Integra asked.

"Zoey's sleeping at the moment. I thought she should get some rest. She's been through so much." Seras answered.

"I agree. She should not have more stress put on her than is necessary." Integra replied.

"Sir, I'm concerned about what will happen with Zoey after this is over. She doesn't really have any family to go back home to. Even if Alucard erases her memory of everything that has happened to her, she's been exposed to true vampires. Others of our kind will be able to smell it on her. She'll be victimized all over again if her mind is altered and just set back into the normal world." Seras said.

Integra took a drag off her cigarillo and exhaled the smoke. Walter and Peter weren't sure what the young leader would do. The Hellsing commander's look was stern but pensive.

"I want you to understand that this organization exists for the purpose of protecting this country from the armies of the night who seek to do it harm. Hellsing is not a charity institution. But seeing as the young lady didn't have much say in being brought here thanks to Alucard, I suppose this one time I can bend the rules. But she'll have to earn her keep here just like the others. I will assess what skills she has and that will determine her place in this house." Integra answered.

"Yes sir. Thank you sir." Seras replied.

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Demir hit the ground with a thud. He got to his feet to find Alucard standing before him with a sadistic smile on his face.

"Do you know where we are?" Alucard asked calmly.

"I don't care what place you've chosen. I only want to end this battle and be done with you once and for all." Demir growled.

"This happens to be the Tower of London. Many unfortunate souls have spent their last days in this place. Both the guilty and the innocent have been tortured and executed in this very tower. There are those who believe the souls of the condemned still haunt its walls." Alucard began.

"Anne Bolin was one of the wives of Henry the Eighth. She failed to produce him a son, so he conviently had her placed here. Of course he couldn't just toss her in the tower and forget about her without a good reason. She was accused of adultery and witchcraft. She was beheaded soon afterwards. Whether or not the charges were true had no relevence to Henry. He just wanted to move onto his next wife and have the son he so desperately wanted. And then there were two young princes locked up in the tower. Supposedly for their own safety. They were never heard from again."

"Enough with the history lesson! Let's finish this battle!" Demir barked.

"Really, and I thought you would like this tower's bloody reputation." Alucard said.

"I could honestly care a less." Demir growled.

"That's the problem with vampires like you. You never truly appreicate the suffering of others." Alucard replied. With that he raised his hands calling upon his unearthly powers. Black shadows writhed and enrobed him in a cocoon of darkness.

After a moment two large and long clawed paws emerged from the mass. The shadows dissolved revealing Alucard in his hellhound form. Several pairs of fiendish red eyes stared maniacally at Demir. The vampire smiled wickedly at the devilish canine that now stood before him poised and ready for the strike.

Demir enveloped himself in a white mist. The vapors swirled around him as he too began to change his form. The hellhound form of Alucard heard an ominous growl eminate from the mist. The monsterous dog grinned bearing an impressive row of razor sharp teeth and two very enlongated fangs. The battle was about to go to the next level.

The mist disapated revealing the form of an abnormally large tiger. As soon as the beast formed, it took an attack posture and sprang toward the hellhound. The hound also lept foward meeting the monstrous cat's agression with his own.

Fur and flesh smashed against each other as the two monsters began to clash. They hit the ground with a heavy thud. The two beasts rolled around biting and clawing each other. Bloody lacerations formed and heeled over and over as they sought to tear each other apart. Soon the spot where the fought was littered with blood and fur.

After several moments hellhound and tiger stopped their brutal attacks upon each other. They stared at each other with pure hatred. As amusing as it was, Alucard grew tired of clash and decided it was time to take a more direct approach. He called upon his shadows again and took human form once more.

Demir also took back human form. He glared at what now stood before him. Alucard had reverted to the warrior known as Vlad Dracula. He wore black leather pants and a matching long sleeved tunic with black knee length boots. His hair cascaded to his waist and, his normally clean shaven face now showed a beard and mustache.

"Appropriate don't you think?" The leather clad vampire growled. He held out his hand as shadows began to rise from his palm. Within seconds the tendrils formed the shape of a sword and solidified and turned a metallic silver color.

Demir formed his own sword as well, but his blade was curved in the shape of a crescent as opposed to Alucard's broad sword. Again the two faced off circling each other. They stopped and glared at each other a second longer before Demir made the first move rushing toward Alucard with his sword raised. Alucard gripped the hilt of his sword with both hands holding it to his chest so that the blade faced upward.

He raised it a split second before Demir's blade struck. Metal clanged against metal as sparks began to fly. The two vampires swung furiously at each other trying to hack each other to pieces. Demir drew first blood slashing Alucard across the chest. The laceration healed as quickly as it was made. Alucard retaliated by making a sizable gash in Demir's shoulder. He hissed and quickly backed off as his wound too healed quickly.

Again and again the blades struck each other as Alucard and Demir clashed. Swords slashed and cut the air faster and faster until they were nothing more than silver blurs. The battle quickly stopped however, when Demir found his sword hand suddenly missing from arm. He looked in shock to see it had flown several feet across the room. Caught off guard he didn't see Alucard lunge forward and impale him through his right shoulder.

With the blade still deeply embedded in his flesh, Demir found himself pushed against a wall. With the profoundest enjoyment, Alucard twisted the blade around. Demir howled in pain as he grabbed at the blade. But the only result was his other hand being sliced in half. He looked down to see all five fingers along with half his palm fall to the ground.

Blood poured from his body as he felt the blade of his enemy grind through muscle, tissue and even bone. As that blood poured, Demir felt his strength beginning to wain. Now that he no longer had his dark mistress to call upon, his powers had been diminished to that of an ordinary vampire. When Alucard was done torturing him, he slowly drew the sword from Demir's shoulder.

The weakened vampire fell to his knees. His body shook wracked with spasms of pain. He looked up at Alucard with pure malice. He bore his teeth. His eyes glowed with nothing short of utter hatred. Alucard only stood over him with a demonic smile.

"Cursed be you among the damned Vlad Dracula! God will not have you! The Devil will not have you! May you remain a dog of humans for all eternity!" Demir spat.

"And you can give the sultan my regards." Alucard snarled as he swung his sword one final time. Demir's head was quickly seperated from his body as it went flying across the room. It landed with it's face twisted in malice and agony. Then the entire body, including the severed parts became nothing more than ashes.

He looked down at the piles of dust and waved his hand. Wind from out of no where scattered the ashes to places unknown as Alucard reverted to his usual appearence. The black leather replaced by his charcoal grey Victorian suit and red leather coat. With hat and glasses in place, Alucard vanished from the tower to return to Hellsing manor.

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