YT YouTube2Text

YouTube2Text → Transcripts → What If the Emperor of Mankind Came Into Hellsing Universe?

What If the Emperor of Mankind Came Into Hellsing Universe? — Transcript

by GRIMDARK40k · 26,331 words · 5,001 segments · language en · Watch on YouTube

Open in transcriber Summarize with AI Download SRT/VTT

Full transcript

0:00In the grim darkness of the far future,
0:04there is only war.
0:08The multiverse is a tapestry of infinite
0:10realities, each with its own immutable
0:14laws.
0:15But what happens when a being who has
0:17shaped the destiny of trillions, a god
0:20who denies his own divinity, tears
0:23through the veil between dimensions?
0:26What happens when the master of mankind,
0:28architect of the imperium, falls into a
0:31world where faith has genuine power and
0:33the dead refuse to stay buried?
0:36London, 1999.
0:40The city sprawled beneath a blanket of
0:41fog and neon, unaware that reality
0:44itself was about to fracture.
0:47It began with light. Not the pale
0:50illumination of street lamps or the
0:52flickering glow of television screens
0:54behind curtained windows, but a column
0:57of impossible golden radiance that split
1:00the night sky like a spear thrust from
1:02heaven itself.
1:04It erupted above the temps, a pillar of
1:06psychic fire so intense that every
1:09sleeping mind in the city jolted awake
1:11with a gasp, hearts hammering, skin
1:14slick with sudden sweat.
1:16The light screamed in frequencies beyond
1:19sound. A clarion call that resonated in
1:22the soul rather than the ear.
1:25Then it fell. The figure plummeted from
1:27the breach in reality, trailing
1:30streamers of golden flame that burned
1:32away the fog in an expanding sphere.
1:35He struck the north bank with force that
1:37shattered cobblestones and sent cracks
1:39spiderwebing through the concrete
1:41embankment.
1:43The tempames itself recoiled. water
1:45surging backward in a momentary wave
1:48that left the riverbed exposed for three
1:50heartbeats before crashing back with a
1:52roar.
1:54In the crater, surrounded by smoldering
1:56stone, the emperor of mankind rose. He
2:00stood over 10 ft tall, clad in golden
2:03armor that seemed to drink in the city's
2:05light and reflected back transformed,
2:08purer, more terrible.
2:11His face was ageless and ancient
2:14simultaneously
2:15possessed of a beauty that mortal minds
2:17struggled to process without weeping.
2:21Dark hair fell past broad shoulders. And
2:24his eyes,
2:26his eyes burned with intelligence that
2:28had witnessed the birth and death of
2:29civilizations that had guided humanity
2:32from the age of stone to the age of
2:34stars.
2:36The emperor took a breath, his first in
2:39this new reality, and tasted the air.
2:42Prometheium exhaust, human fear, the
2:45copper tang of spilled blood, and
2:48underneath it all, something that made
2:50his lip curl in recognition and disgust,
2:54the stench of the undead. His psychic
2:57senses unfurled like the petals of some
2:59vast predatory flower, sweeping across
3:02London in an invisible wave.
3:05Millions of human minds blazed before
3:07his perception. Tiny candles of
3:09consciousness, fragile and brief. But
3:13scattered among them were absences.
3:15Voids where souls should burn, but
3:17instead existed as hungering shadows.
3:20Vampires.
3:22Dozens of them lurking in the city's
3:23shadows. Parasites feeding on humanity's
3:26blood. And one
3:29one was different.
3:32The emperor's gaze turned southeast.
3:34toward the Helsing estate in the
3:36countryside beyond London's sprawl.
3:39There a presence dwelt that was neither
3:41wholly dead nor truly alive. An ancient
3:45thing bound by chains of blood and
3:47command. A monster leashed to serve
3:49those who should have destroyed it
3:51millennia ago.
3:53Humanity,
3:55the emperor said, his voice resonating
3:58with harmonics that made nearby windows
4:00crack.
4:02has grown complacent in my absence.
4:05He stepped from the crater, golden boots
4:08meeting undamaged pavement, as if the
4:10destruction ended precisely where he
4:12willed it.
4:14The city's emergency services would
4:16arrive soon. He could hear their sirens
4:19already converging on his location.
4:23But before he dealt with this world's
4:24authorities,
4:26before he began the inevitable process
4:29of assessment and judgment,
4:32he needed to understand what manner of
4:34reality he had fallen into.
4:38The emperor reached out with his mind,
4:40sifting through the psychic impressions
4:42embedded in London stones and steel.
4:45Centuries of human memory flowed past
4:48his consciousness.
4:49wars and plagues, kings and commoners,
4:52the slow evolution of civilization.
4:56And woven through it all, the secret
4:58history that mortal minds were never
5:00meant to fully grasp, the shadow war
5:03between humanity and the creatures that
5:05prayed upon it.
5:07He saw the Helsing family's long
5:09crusade, the Vatican's militant arm,
5:12Iscariat, wielding faith as a weapon
5:15with genuine efficacy that would have
5:17amused him had it not been so
5:18philosophically offensive.
5:21And something else, a group called
5:24Millennium, artificial vampires created
5:26through perverse science preparing for
5:29some grand design.
5:32The Emperor's expression hardened.
5:35This universe was small, limited to a
5:37single planet's concerns, but the
5:40fundamental equation remained unchanged.
5:43Humanity besieged by supernatural
5:45predators, weakened by ignorance and
5:48superstition, desperately needing
5:50guidance from one who could lead them to
5:53supremacy.
5:54If you want to see more crossover
5:56battles and unexpected universe
5:57collisions, hit that subscribe button
6:00and drop the name of a character and
6:02universe you'd want to see in the
6:04comments below. Let's explore the
6:06Infinite together. Police vehicles
6:09screeched to a halt at the cordon.
6:10Officers spilling out with weapons
6:13drawn.
6:14The emperor regarded them with the
6:16patience of a father watching children
6:18play at war.
6:20They shouted commands he had no
6:22intention of obeying their firearms
6:25tracking his movements with admirable
6:26discipline but laughable futility.
6:30He could kill them all with a thought.
6:32Could reach into their minds and snuff
6:34out consciousness like pinching candle
6:36flames,
6:38but they were human, and humanity,
6:41despite its infinite capacity for
6:43foolishness, was sacred to him.
6:47Instead, the emperor simply walked
6:49forward.
6:51The bullets came as he knew they would.
6:53The officer's fingers tightened on
6:55triggers as some primal instinct
6:57overrode their training and a wall of
6:59gunfire erupted across the embankment.
7:02Muzzle flashes strobed in the darkness.
7:05The reports echoing off nearby
7:07buildings.
7:08Every round stopped 3 in from the
7:10emperor's armor. Frozen in midair by
7:13invisible force. They hung suspended in
7:16a cloud of copper jacketed lead. Dozens
7:19of bullets caught in a telekinetic grip
7:21as casual as breathing.
7:24He gestured and the bullets dropped
7:26harmlessly to the ground with a musical
7:29clatter.
7:30"I am not your enemy," the emperor said,
7:34his voice carrying effortlessly over the
7:36dying echoes of gunfire.
7:39"But neither am I your supplicant.
7:42Contact your government. Tell them that
7:44one who has walked among humanity since
7:46its dawn has arrived to audit what you
7:48have become.
7:50He could feel their terror, their awe,
7:53the way their minds bent like grass
7:55before a storm, trying to comprehend
7:57what stood before them. Good. Fear was
8:01the beginning of understanding,
8:04and understanding was the first step
8:06toward accepting what must be done. The
8:09Emperor turned his gaze skyward toward
8:12the stars he could no longer reach,
8:14toward an imperium that existed in
8:16another reality entirely.
8:19He was cut off, separated from the great
8:22work that had consumed his existence for
8:24longer than this civilization had drawn
8:26breath.
8:28But perhaps that was acceptable, perhaps
8:31even necessary.
8:34In the Imperium, he had been forced into
8:36the role of god emperor, worshipped by
8:39the very masses he had sought to
8:40illuminate with reason. Here in this
8:44small and ignorant world, he could begin
8:46again, could show humanity what it meant
8:50to cast off the shackles of supernatural
8:52tyranny without the compromises and
8:54failures that had plagued his previous
8:56efforts.
8:58And if he discovered a way to return to
9:00his own reality,
9:02well, then he would bring the lessons
9:05learned here back to an Imperium that
9:07desperately needed them.
9:10But first, he needed to deal with the
9:12most pressing heresy, an organization
9:14that employed a vampire as its weapon
9:16against other vampires.
9:19The sheer philosophical offense of such
9:21pragmatism over principle made his jaw
9:24tighten. The Hellsing organization would
9:27receive his judgment soon enough. The
9:30emperor began walking through London
9:32streets, leaving the stunned police
9:34behind. His psychic presence rolled
9:36before him like an invisible wave, and
9:39everywhere it touched, the supernatural
9:42recoiled. A lesser vampire feeding in an
9:45alley burst into golden flame midbite,
9:48reduced to ash before it could scream.
9:51A ghoul shambling through a cemetery
9:53collapsed into dust as his attention
9:55swept past. He was the anathema, the
9:59antithesis of all that was unnatural and
10:01corrupt.
10:03And in this world of shadows and blood,
10:05he had arrived to bring the final dawn.
10:08The Helsing estate sprawled across acres
10:10of carefully manicured grounds 30 mi
10:13southeast of London. Its Victorian
10:15architecture a monument to old money and
10:18older secrets.
10:20Within the mansion, subterranean levels
10:22in chambers designed to contain things
10:24that should not exist. Alukard felt the
10:28disturbance ripple through reality like
10:30a shock wave through still water.
10:33He sat in his preferred chair, a
10:35throne-like piece of furniture that had
10:37witnessed centuries pass. reading a worn
10:40copy of Bram Stoker's novel with the
10:42sardonic amusement only the genuine
10:44article could muster.
10:47The book fell from his hands as every
10:49supernatural instinct he possessed
10:51screamed a warning his conscious mind
10:53struggled to process.
10:55Something had arrived. Something that
10:58burned.
11:00Alikard rose in a fluid motion, his
11:03crimson coat swirling around him like
11:05congealing blood. His shadow stretched
11:08and writhed across the stone floor.
11:10Dozens of eyes opening within its
11:12depths. The gazes of souls he had
11:14consumed over centuries of feeding.
11:18They all turned in the same direction
11:20toward London, toward a presence that
11:23radiated power so intense it registered
11:26as physical pain to his undead senses.
11:30Master," he said, his voice carrying
11:33through the mansion's intercom system
11:35with prednatural clarity. "We have a
11:37problem."
11:39In her office, three floors above, Sir
11:42Integra Fairbrook Windgates Helsing set
11:45down her pen and reached for her glasses
11:47with hands that did not tremble.
11:50She had inherited control of England's
11:52greatest supernatural defense at 13
11:54years old, had commanded the most
11:56powerful vampire in existence since she
11:59was barely more than a child, and had
12:01learned long ago that the words, "We
12:04have a problem from Alikard
12:07meant something truly exceptional had
12:09occurred."
12:10"Report," she said crisply, already
12:14reaching for the encrypted phone that
12:15connected directly to the roundt
12:17conference.
12:19Something has entered London, Alikard
12:22said. And there was an unfamiliar edge
12:24to his voice. Not fear precisely, but
12:28recognition of threat.
12:30Not vampire, not human, not anything I
12:34have encountered in four centuries of
12:35unlife.
12:37It burns, master. Burns like the sun
12:40concentrated into human shape.
12:43Integra's mind raced through
12:44possibilities, discarding each as
12:46quickly as it formed. Escariat
12:50Anderson's regeneration is holy fire
12:52given form. This is older, more primal.
12:57It feels like Alikard paused, searching
13:01for words to describe the indescribable,
13:04like standing before the concept of
13:05humanity weaponized. My shadows recoil
13:09from it. The lesser vampires in the city
13:12are dying, master. I can feel them
13:14winking out like candles in a hurricane.
13:18She pulled up the police reports already
13:20flooding into Helsing's intelligence
13:22network. Witnesses describing a pillar
13:24of golden light, a figure in armor
13:27emerging from a crater by the temps,
13:30bullets stopping in midair.
13:33The Metropolitan Police Commissioner was
13:35already screaming for answers she did
13:37not have.
13:39Arm yourself, Integra commanded. We
13:42leave in 10 minutes. Walter, prepare the
13:46vehicle in full combat loadout.
13:49Already done, Sir Integra. Walter C.
13:52Dores's cultured voice came through the
13:54intercom. The aging butler who served as
13:57Helsing's retainer and weapons
13:59specialist had anticipated the order
14:01before she gave it.
14:04Though I feel compelled to note that if
14:06Alukard is concerned, perhaps a more
14:09cautious approach would accomplish
14:11nothing. Integra finished.
14:14If this entity is hostile and powerful
14:16enough to trouble our pet vampire,
14:19caution is simply a slower path to the
14:21same confrontation. We meet it on our
14:24terms with our strength clear.
14:27She stood, adjusting her suit jacket and
14:30checking the magazine in her Walther PPK
14:32out of habit more than necessity.
14:35Against something that made Alukard
14:37uneasy, a pistol would be approximately
14:40as useful as harsh language.
14:42But Sir Integra Helzing did not meet
14:44threats unarmed, regardless of their
14:46nature.
14:48The emperor walked through London's
14:50streets with the unhurried pace of one
14:52to whom time had long since lost its
14:55urgency.
14:56Crowds parted before him instinctively,
14:59their subconscious minds recognizing
15:01something their conscious thoughts could
15:03not articulate.
15:05Some stared, others looked away, unable
15:08to bear the weight of his presence. A
15:11few dropped to their knees in
15:12spontaneous genulection, moved by
15:15instincts buried in humanity's
15:16evolutionary memory.
15:19He paid them little mind. His attention
15:21focused on the psychic architecture of
15:23this world. It was fascinating in its
15:26limitations.
15:28A single planet, no warp travel, no
15:31communication across the stars. Humanity
15:34confined to one sphere, ignorant of its
15:37potential, prayed upon by supernatural
15:40parasites that should have been
15:41exterminated millennia ago.
15:44And yet there was something here, a
15:48resilience.
15:50Despite the vampires and ghouls that
15:52hunted in the shadows, despite the
15:54ignorance and superstition,
15:56humanity endured, thrived even. Perhaps
16:00there was hope for this iteration of his
16:02species. The emperor's contemplation was
16:05interrupted by the arrival of the
16:07Helsing vehicle. An armored transport
16:10that rumbled to a halt 30 ft from his
16:12position.
16:14The civilians who had been following at
16:16a respectful distance scattered,
16:18recognizing the organization's insignia
16:20and wanting no part of what was about to
16:22occur.
16:24The door opened and Sir Integra stepped
16:27out.
16:29She was young, perhaps 30, with short
16:32blonde hair and steel- rimmed glasses
16:34that did nothing to soften the cold
16:36authority in her blue eyes.
16:39She wore a man's suit-like armor, her
16:42posture radiating command that had been
16:44bred into the Helsing bloodline over
16:46generations of supernatural warfare.
16:50A cigarillo burned between her fingers,
16:52the smoke curling up into the night air.
16:55The emperor studied her with interest.
16:58Here was nobility, genuine aristocracy
17:01of purpose rather than mere lineage. A
17:04woman who had inherited duty and
17:06embraced it without flinching. Admirable
17:09in its way.
17:11"I am Sir Integra Fairbrook Winding
17:13Gates Hells," she announced, her voice
17:16carrying clearly despite the urban noise
17:19around them.
17:21You have entered England without
17:22authorization, caused significant
17:25property damage, and according to our
17:27instruments are causing the spontaneous
17:30death of every lesser vampire within a
17:32mile of your position.
17:35Explain yourself.
17:37Straightforward, direct.
17:40The emperor approved.
17:42I am called many names, he replied, his
17:46voice resonating with harmonics that
17:47made Integra's hand tighten on her
17:49pistol reflexively.
17:51In the reality from which I come, I am
17:54the emperor of mankind, architect of the
17:56Imperium, unifier of humanity across a
17:59million worlds. In this reality, I am
18:03simply one who has arrived to assess
18:05whether your species is worth
18:07preserving.
18:09The words hung in the air like a
18:11pronounced sentence.
18:13"That sounds remarkably like a threat,"
18:16Integris said evenly, though the emperor
18:19could feel her pulse quickening,
18:21adrenaline flooding her system as fight
18:23orflight instincts wared with iron
18:25discipline.
18:27"It is an observation," the emperor
18:29corrected. "I have walked among humanity
18:33for more than 40,000 years. I have seen
18:36civilizations rise and fall, watched
18:39humanity reach for the stars and fall
18:41into darkness,
18:43guided your species through its most
18:45critical junctures.
18:47Tell me, Sir Integra Helsing,
18:51why does your organization employ a
18:53vampire as its weapon? Why does humanity
18:56here treat with monsters rather than
18:58exterminate them?
19:01Integra's jaw tightened. Because
19:03pragmatism trumps idealism. Alukard
19:06serves the Helsing family absolutely. He
19:09has protected England from supernatural
19:11threats for over a century. I will not
19:14apologize for using every tool at my
19:16disposal to defend my nation.
19:19Even when that tool is an abomination
19:21against nature itself,
19:24the emperor's eyes blazed brighter. Even
19:27when you chain a predator and pretend it
19:29is domesticated,
19:31your pragmatism is the compromise that
19:33will doom your civilization given time.
19:37And your idealism, Integra shot back,
19:41sounds like the ravings of a fanatic. I
19:43deal with reality, not philosophy.
19:47Before the emperor could respond, the
19:50shadows around them began to writhe and
19:52coalesce.
19:54Alukard materialized from the darkness
19:56between street lights, his form pulling
19:59itself together from pure shadow.
20:03He stood behind Integra, a tall figure
20:06in crimson with eyes like blood moons
20:09and a smile that promised violence.
20:12The emperor turned his full attention to
20:14the vampire, and Alikard's smile
20:16faltered.
20:18They regarded each other across 10 ft of
20:20London pavement. the master of mankind
20:24and the no-life king, immortal and
20:26undead, human pinnacle and supernatural
20:30parasite.
20:32The air between them seemed to
20:33crystallize, reality straining under the
20:36weight of their opposing natures.
20:39You,
20:41Alikard said slowly, his voice dropping
20:44an octave into something that resonated
20:46with ancient hunger
20:48are the most interesting thing I have
20:50encountered in 400 years.
20:54And you, the emperor replied, are an
20:57obscenity that should have been
20:58destroyed the moment you first died.
21:01Alikard's grin widened, showing too many
21:04teeth.
21:05Master, I like this one. May I kill him?
21:09No, Integra said firmly, though the
21:12emperor could sense her calculating
21:13odds, weighing options, running through
21:16scenarios in her tactical mind.
21:19Not yet. First, we determine if he's an
21:22enemy or simply incredibly rude.
21:26The emperor almost smiled at that,
21:29almost.
21:30I am neither your enemy nor your ally,
21:32Sir Integra. I am a force of nature and
21:36I have arrived in your world at a
21:38curious moment. My psychic senses detect
21:41preparations for war. Artificial
21:43vampires gathering in numbers that
21:45suggest invasion rather than
21:47infiltration.
21:49Tell me,
21:51are you aware that something called
21:53Millennium is preparing to assault your
21:55nation?
21:57Integra's expression flickered just for
21:59a moment with surprise before returning
22:02to its mask of control.
22:05Our intelligence suggested movement, but
22:09within 3 weeks, the emperor continued.
22:12They will deploy approximately 1,000
22:15vampire soldiers in a coordinated
22:17assault on London itself. Their goal is
22:20not conquest, but chaos. War is an end
22:24unto itself.
22:26He tilted his head slightly, which
22:29raises an interesting question. What
22:31will you do when your pet vampire is
22:33insufficient to stem such a tide?
22:37I will do, Integr said coldly. What the
22:40Helsing family has always done. Whatever
22:43is necessary to protect England.
22:47The emperor nodded slowly. Here was the
22:50crux of it, the fundamental question
22:52that would determine his course of
22:54action in this world.
22:57Could humanity here be salvaged,
22:59elevated to supremacy over the
23:01supernatural?
23:03Or had they compromised too deeply with
23:06the very monsters they should destroy?
23:10Sir Integra Hell Singh with her
23:12pragmatic employment of a vampire weapon
23:14and her unflinching acceptance of duty
23:17represented everything the emperor both
23:19admired and despised about humanity's
23:22survival instinct.
23:24He would give her a chance to prove
23:26which impulse deserved to win.
23:29Then we shall see Sir Integra if your
23:32necessities align with the greater good
23:34of your species. I will observe your
23:37preparations. I will watch how you
23:40conduct this coming war and when it is
23:42finished.
23:44The emperor's eyes blazed with golden
23:46fire.
23:48I will render judgment on whether
23:50humanity in this reality deserves to
23:52continue under its current leadership.
23:56I don't recall, Integra said isoly,
23:59requesting your approval.
24:02You did not, the emperor agreed. But you
24:06have it nonetheless.
24:08Consider it a gift from one who has
24:09guided your species since before your
24:11ancestors learned to forge bronze.
24:14He turned and began walking away, his
24:17departure as absolute as his arrival.
24:21"Master,"
24:22Alakard murmured, his eyes tracking the
24:25emperor's retreating form with the focus
24:27of a predator watching prey it cannot
24:29quite classify.
24:31"What is he?"
24:33Trouble, Integra replied, lighting a
24:37fresh cigarilla with hands that trembled
24:39only slightly.
24:41The kind that makes our usual problems
24:43look refreshingly simple. The major sat
24:46in his command center aboard the Graph
24:48Zeppelin Deskeetu, a dreadnot of an
24:51airship that defied modern aviation
24:53through sheer Nazi engineering audacity
24:56and the liberal application of
24:58vampirepowered systems.
25:01Banks of monitors displayed intelligence
25:03feeds from across England. Each screen a
25:06window into the final preparations for
25:08Operation Sebr.
25:10The glorious invasion that would baptize
25:12London in blood and fire.
25:16He was a small man, unremarkable save
25:19for the manic gleam in his eyes and the
25:21smile that never quite reached them.
25:24His fingers steepled before his face as
25:26he watched footage captured by
25:28Millennium Surveillance Network.
25:30a pillar of golden light, a figure in
25:33armor, and the spontaneous immolation of
25:36three of their lesser operatives who had
25:38been foolish enough to remain in London
25:40proper.
25:42"Magnificent,"
25:44the major whispered, his voice carrying
25:46the reverent tone of a man witnessing
25:48art.
25:50"Doctor, are you seeing this?" The
25:53doctor hunched over his instruments, his
25:56grotesque form made more unsettling by
25:58the childlike excitement in his voice.
26:02Yah, hair major. The energy readings are
26:05unprecedented.
26:06This entity, he registers as human
26:09baseline, yet the psychic output exceeds
26:11anything in our database. He is not
26:14vampire, not werewolf, not any
26:16categorized supernatural.
26:19He is something new. The major
26:22interrupted, his smile widening.
26:25Something that makes our little war
26:27infinitely more interesting.
26:29Tell me, doctor, what happened to our
26:32agents when they came within proximity
26:34of this emperor?
26:37Spontaneous cellular combustion, the
26:40doctor reported gleefully. Not fire
26:43precisely, but an expression of energy
26:45that treats undeath as an error to be
26:47corrected. Our freak chips simply
26:50stopped functioning. The subjects
26:52reverted to human corpses and
26:54disintegrated within seconds.
26:57The major leaned back in his chair, his
27:00eyes distant with calculation and
27:02delight.
27:04A being whose very existence is anathema
27:07to vampireism. How wonderfully
27:09inconvenient for the Helsing
27:11organization.
27:13They cannot use their pet monster
27:14against him without risking Alikard's
27:16destruction.
27:18Shall we adjust our timetable? The
27:21doctor asked. If this entity opposes
27:24supernatural beings, he may interfere.
27:27No.
27:29The major's voice cut through the
27:31question like a blade.
27:33We accelerate nothing. We delay nothing.
27:37War must be conducted with artistic
27:39precision. And art cannot be rushed or
27:41altered for the convenience of new
27:43players on the stage.
27:45If this emperor wishes to participate in
27:48our opera, then he shall have a role.
27:51Everyone has a role in war, doctor.
27:54Everyone,
27:56he gestured to one of his subordinates.
27:59Lieutenant Zoran, what is your
28:01assessment?
28:03Zoran Blitz lounged against the far
28:05wall, her tattooed face twisted in a
28:07sneer.
28:09He's powerful, Ya, but power alone means
28:13nothing. I've ripped through the minds
28:15of the powerful before. Turn their
28:17thoughts against them.
28:20Let me take First Lieutenant Rip Van
28:22Winkle's aerial unit and a dozen of our
28:24best. We'll test this Emperor, see if
28:27his mind is as protected as his flesh.
28:30No, the major said again more firmly.
28:34You will do no such thing. This being
28:37radiates psychic energy that makes our
28:39instrument scream. Your illusion
28:42techniques would be like throwing tissue
28:43paper at a bonfire. You would die. And
28:47while I find death beautiful, I prefer
28:49it occur according to my orchestration,
28:52not premature improvisation.
28:55Zoran's scowl deepened, but she held her
28:58tongue.
29:00The major's word was absolute within
29:02millennium.
29:04We observe," the major continued, rising
29:08from his chair to approach the largest
29:09monitor.
29:11The emperor's image filled the screen.
29:14Golden armor, burning eyes, a presence
29:17that the camera struggled to capture
29:19without distortion.
29:21We watch how he interacts with Helsing,
29:24with his Scariot, with the world that
29:26has no context for his existence. And
29:29when Operation Sebast begins, when our
29:31thousand warriors descend upon London
29:34like a plague of iron crosses and fangs,
29:36then we shall see how this emperor
29:38responds to the most beautiful chaos
29:40humanity has ever orchestrated.
29:43"What if he opposes us?" the doctor
29:46ventured. "Then he opposes us," the
29:49major said with a shrug. And we learn if
29:52his philosophy can withstand a thousand
29:54artificial vampires tearing through the
29:57civilization he claims to protect.
30:00What is ideology against the purity of
30:02violence?
30:04What are his 40,000 years of experience
30:06against the simple perfect truth of war?
30:10He turned to face his command staff, his
30:13smile now radiant with anticipation.
30:17Gentlemen,
30:18we have been gifted an audience member
30:20who may actually understand our
30:22performance. The Helsing sees war
30:25as duty. The Scariot sees it as holy
30:28crusade. But this emperor, he has waged
30:32campaigns across galaxies, commanded
30:34armies that eclipse nations. He knows
30:37war as we know it, not as means to an
30:39end, but as the ultimate expression of
30:42human will.
30:44You think he'll join us?" one of his
30:46officers asked skeptically. "Join us?
30:50No, but appreciate us." The major's eyes
30:53gleamed. Perhaps at the very least, he
30:57will bear witness. And is that not what
31:00every artist craves, an audience capable
31:03of understanding the masterpiece?
31:06The Helsing Estates's war room had been
31:08activated for the first time in months.
31:11Maps of London covered the walls, marked
31:14with known Millennium positions and
31:16suspected infiltration points.
31:18Intelligence reports piled on the
31:20central table, each one painting a
31:22grimmer picture of the forces array
31:24against England.
31:26Sir Integra stood at the head of the
31:28table. Walter to her right, Saras
31:31Victoria, Alikard's fledgling vampire to
31:34her left. The young police officer
31:37turned undead stood at attention. her
31:40massive Harkconan cannon resting against
31:42her shoulder, blue eyes wide with barely
31:44controlled anxiety.
31:47The Emperor's intelligence was accurate,
31:50Walter confirmed, his aged fingers
31:52sorting through reconnaissance data.
31:55Millennium's forces have increased
31:57activity along the coast. Submarine
31:59deployments, aerial reconnaissance,
32:02encrypted communications, suggesting
32:04coordination for a major operation.
32:07Timeline matches his prediction.
32:092 to 3 weeks before assault.
32:13How could he possibly know that? Saras
32:16asked, her voice still carrying traces
32:18of her former humanity's confusion.
32:21He only just arrived. He hasn't accessed
32:24our networks or psychic precognition,
32:28Integra said flatly. He reads the future
32:31like we read yesterday's newspaper, or
32:33he extrapolated from psychic
32:35impressions, or any of a dozen abilities
32:37we have no context for understanding.
32:41She drew on her cigarillo, exhaling
32:43smoke in a thin stream.
32:46The method matters less than the
32:47accuracy. If he's correct about
32:50Millennium's numbers and timeline, we
32:52need to adjust our defensive strategy.
32:561,000 vampire soldiers," Walter said
32:59quietly. "Even artificial vampires
33:02represent a significant threat. Our
33:04forces are stretched thin as it is.
33:07Alakard can destroy dozens, perhaps
33:10hundreds, but even he cannot be
33:12everywhere at once.
33:14Which is why the Emperor's
33:15interferences, both blessing and curse,"
33:19Integra replied, "His presence destroys
33:22lesser vampires autonomously. Simply
33:25standing in London, he creates a dead
33:27zone that could devastate Millennium's
33:29ground forces. But but he also
33:33represents an uncontrolled variable.
33:36Walter finished.
33:38We don't know his goals, his methods, or
33:41whether he considers us allies, or
33:43simply temporary conveniences.
33:46Integra nodded grimly.
33:48I've contacted the roundt conference.
33:51They're analyzing what little footage we
33:53have.
33:54The prime minister wants answers I
33:56cannot provide. The Vatican has likely
33:59detected the disturbance as well.
34:01Iscariat will be mobilizing if they
34:03haven't already.
34:06Master Alikard's voice echoed through
34:08the room despite his physical absence.
34:12He remained in his chambers, recovering
34:14from the unsettling encounter.
34:17I have been considering our golden
34:19visitor. He radiates power, yes, but
34:23more than that, he radiates certainty.
34:27The absolute conviction of one who has
34:29never encountered a problem he could not
34:32solve through force of will.
34:35Your point? Integra asked. Such
34:38certainty makes one predictable. He sees
34:41vampires as abominations to be
34:43destroyed. He sees supernatural threats
34:46as obstacles to human supremacy. If
34:49Millennium attacks London with a
34:51thousand vampire soldiers, the emperor
34:53will respond. Not because he allies with
34:56us, but because he cannot allow such
34:59creatures to run rampant through a human
35:01city.
35:03So we use him, Integris said slowly. Not
35:07as a weapon we control, but as a natural
35:10disaster we can direct.
35:13Like calling down lightning to strike
35:14your enemies, Walter mused. Dangerous
35:18but effective if properly managed.
35:21Saras shifted uncomfortably.
35:24Sir Integram, is it wise to treat
35:27someone that powerful as a tool? What if
35:30he considers it manipulation and turns
35:32against us?
35:35Then we deal with that when it occurs,
35:37Integra replied. But right now,
35:41Millennium poses the immediate
35:42existential threat. The emperor's
35:45judgment of humanity can wait until
35:47after we've ensured there's a humanity
35:49left to judge.
35:51She stubbed out her cigarillo and
35:53straightened.
35:55Walter, contact our intelligence assets.
35:59I want continuous surveillance on the
36:00emperor's movements. Saras, begin
36:03preparing defensive positions throughout
36:05London. Coordinate with the Metropolitan
36:08Police and Armed Forces. Alukard.
36:12Yes, master.
36:14The vampire's voice dripped with
36:15anticipation.
36:17Stay away from the emperor unless
36:19absolutely necessary. I will not have
36:22our greatest weapon destroyed because
36:23you couldn't resist testing yourself
36:25against something that burns undeath
36:27like kindling.
36:29A low chuckle echoed through the room.
36:31You know me too well, master,
36:34but I make no promises. Four centuries
36:37of unlife have been tediously boring.
36:40This emperor is the first thing I've
36:42encountered that might actually be
36:44capable of killing me permanently.
36:47The temptation is
36:49considerable.
36:52Integra's jaw tightened. Control
36:54yourself or I will command you to remain
36:57in your chambers for the duration. Am I
36:59understood? Silence. Then understood,
37:03master.
37:05But Integra knew her servant well enough
37:07to hear the lie in his acquiescence.
37:10The emperor stood at top the Tower of
37:12London, the ancient fortress that had
37:15witnessed a millennium of England's
37:17history. The temps flowed dark beneath
37:20him. London's light spreading in all
37:22directions like a galaxy viewed from
37:24above.
37:26It was a small galaxy, limited and
37:29finite,
37:30but it held potential.
37:33He had spent the night walking among
37:35humanity, listening to their thoughts,
37:37tasting their fears and hopes.
37:40They were ignorant, yes, but not
37:43irredeemable.
37:45They had built this civilization without
37:47guidance, had survived despite the
37:50predators that hunted them.
37:53There was strength here, resilience that
37:56reminded him of humanity's earliest days
37:58when survival itself was an act of
38:00defiance against a hostile universe. But
38:04they had made compromises,
38:06employed monsters as weapons, accepted
38:09supernatural threats as manageable
38:11rather than eradicable. The Helsing
38:14organization's very existence
38:16represented everything wrong with
38:18pragmatism unconstrained by principle.
38:21And yet,
38:23the emperor's psychic senses detected
38:26the approach before physical
38:27manifestation occurred. Space twisted,
38:31reality bent, and a figure materialized
38:33from the shadows at the tower's base,
38:36not through any door or window, but
38:38simply appearing as if he had always
38:40been there, and was only now choosing to
38:42be noticed. Alexander Anderson stood in
38:44his black cassich, his blonde hair
38:47falling past stern features, arms
38:49crossed over a chest that concealed
38:51regenerative abilities that bordered on
38:53immortality.
38:55Blessed bayonets lined his sleeves, each
38:57one capable of piercing vampire flesh
39:00and burning unholy essence. Behind his
39:03round glasses, green eyes assessed the
39:05emperor with the focus of a warrior
39:07priest who had sent thousands of
39:09monsters to their final judgment.
39:12I am Father Alexander Anderson, he
39:15announced his Scottish brogue thick with
39:17righteous fervor, paladin of the
39:20Vatican, executioner of the unclean, and
39:23servant of the Almighty God. And you,
39:26whatever you are, radiate power that
39:28makes every holy relic in my possession
39:31scream warnings.
39:33The emperor turned to face him fully.
39:37Here was something different from
39:38Integra's cold pragmatism. A true
39:41believer, one whose faith had been
39:43tested in blood and steel until it
39:46became unbreakable.
39:48I am no vampire, the emperor said. No
39:52demon, no threat to your god's faithful,
39:56provided they do not interfere with my
39:58purpose.
40:00And what purpose would that be? Anderson
40:03descended from his crouch, bayonets
40:05sliding into his hands with practiced
40:07ease.
40:09You arrive in a pillar of light. You
40:11destroy the undead with your mere
40:13presence. You speak of judgment upon
40:15humanity itself.
40:17Forgive me if I find that concerning.
40:21Your concern is noted and dismissed, the
40:23emperor replied.
40:25I have no conflict with the Catholic
40:27Church, Father Anderson, despite our
40:30philosophical differences regarding the
40:31nature of divinity.
40:34Anderson's eyes narrowed.
40:36Explain.
40:39You believe your power comes from God. I
40:42know it comes from your own will,
40:44channeled through symbols and rituals
40:46that focus human psychic potential.
40:50What you call faith, I call
40:52self-actualized determination.
40:55What you worship as divine, I understand
40:58as evolutionary advantage.
41:01The temperature around them dropped 10°.
41:04Anderson's grip on his bayonets
41:06tightened until his knuckles went white.
41:09Heresy, he breathed. Blasphemy of the
41:13highest order.
41:15Truth. The emperor corrected.
41:18I have lived since before your church
41:20existed. I have seen religions rise and
41:23fall like tides. Your faith is powerful,
41:26Anderson, more powerful than you know.
41:29But not because of external divinity,
41:32because of the strength within you. that
41:34you attribute to something else.
41:37For a long moment, they stood in
41:39silence.
41:41Then Anderson threw back his head and
41:43laughed. A sound like breaking glass.
41:47Beautiful and terrible.
41:50You're either the devil himself or the
41:52maddest thing I've ever encountered. He
41:54said, "Either way, the Vatican will want
41:58words with you."
42:00Archbishop Maxwell is convening a
42:02conference regarding the coming storm.
42:05Millennium's heretics plan something
42:07blasphemous, and Helsing's pet vampire
42:09will be insufficient to stop it.
42:12"I am aware," the emperor said. "I have
42:16foreseen the assault. 1,000 artificial
42:19vampires descending on London like
42:21locusts. The major orchestrating chaos
42:24for its own sake.
42:27Then you'll help us," Anderson asked,
42:30suspicion waring with hope in his voice.
42:33"I will help humanity," the emperor
42:35replied. "Whether that aligns with the
42:38Vatican's goals remains to be seen. I
42:41have no love for organizations that
42:43employ monsters, but I have even less
42:45tolerance for Nazi resurrections who
42:47pervert science to create abominations."
42:51Anderson nodded slowly. the enemy of my
42:54enemy. Then for now, for now, the
42:58emperor agreed.
43:00The priest began to fade back into
43:02shadow, his departure as supernatural as
43:04his arrival. But he paused half
43:07manifested and looked back.
43:10One more thing, Anderson said, "You
43:14claim to have lived 40,000 years. You
43:17speak of guiding humanity. Tell me, in
43:21all that time, in all those millennia of
43:24watching my species crawl from caves to
43:26cities,
43:27did you never once feel the touch of
43:29something greater?
43:31Never sense the hand of God moving
43:34through history?
43:36The emperor's expression remained
43:38impassive,
43:39but something flickered in his golden
43:41eyes. a memory perhaps or a moment of
43:45doubt from an age before certainty had
43:47calcified into absolute conviction.
43:51I have felt many things, Father
43:53Anderson, but I learned long ago that
43:56attributing mystery to divinity is
43:58humanity's greatest weakness.
44:01What you cannot explain, you worship.
44:05What you worship, you cannot control.
44:08And what you cannot control will
44:10eventually destroy you.
44:12or save you," Anderson replied. "We'll
44:16see which proves true when Millennium
44:18comes." Amen.
44:20He vanished completely, leaving the
44:23emperor alone at top the tower once
44:24more.
44:26The pieces were moving into position.
44:29Heling seeking to use him as an
44:31unwitting weapon. Millennium viewing him
44:35as a fascinating addition to their opera
44:37of violence. Iscariat, uncertain whether
44:41he represented salvation or damnation.
44:45And he stood at the center of it all. A
44:47being without context in this universe,
44:51carrying the weight of 40 millennia and
44:53the memory of an imperium that spanned
44:55the stars. The coming war would test
44:58more than military might. It would test
45:01philosophies, faiths, and the
45:04fundamental question of what humanity
45:06should become when faced with
45:08supernatural threats. The Emperor smiled
45:11grimly. He had waged the Great Crusade
45:14across a galaxy. A single city would
45:17suffice for now. Below, London slept.
45:21Unaware that its fate had become a
45:23proving ground for forces it could not
45:25comprehend. The emperor walked London
45:27streets as dawn broke over the city.
45:30golden light spilling across the temps
45:32in a way that seemed almost reverential
45:35to his presence.
45:37Humans rushed past on their morning
45:39commutes, their minds humming with
45:41mundane concerns, bills, relationships,
45:44careers, the thousand small anxieties
45:46that defined mortal existence. They
45:49parted around him instinctively,
45:52their subconscious minds registering
45:54something their conscious thoughts could
45:56not process. He had spent the night in
45:58contemplation and reconnaissance,
46:01his psychic senses mapping the city's
46:03supernatural geography with methodical
46:06precision.
46:08Lesser vampires had fled or been
46:10destroyed. Ghouls had retreated to their
46:13master's layers.
46:15The shadow war that had raged for
46:17centuries beneath London's surface had
46:20been temporarily disrupted by his mere
46:22presence.
46:24But his attention now focused on
46:26something specific.
46:28A psychic signature approaching from the
46:30southeast accompanied by the distinctive
46:32energy pattern of blessed silver and
46:35consecrated steel. The Vatican's forces
46:38were mobilizing. And they were not
46:40subtle about it.
46:42A convoy of black vehicles rolled
46:44through the early morning traffic with
46:46the authority of those who answered to
46:48powers beyond national governments.
46:51They bore no markings. But the emperor's
46:54enhanced senses detected the holy wards
46:57woven into their armor plating. The
46:59blessed ammunition stored in their
47:01weapons lockers, the prayers etched into
47:03every surface. The vehicles stopped in a
47:06semicircle around him. Doors opening in
47:09synchronized precision.
47:1120 regenerators emerged. Vatican
47:14assassins who had been granted Alexander
47:16Anderson's gift of resurrection. Holy
47:18warriors who could survive wounds that
47:20would kill ordinary men.
47:23They wore black suits and carried
47:24crosses openly, their eyes hidden behind
47:27sunglasses that failed to conceal the
47:29fanatic devotion burning within.
47:32And from the central vehicle stepped
47:35Archbishop Enrico Maxwell.
47:38He was young for his position, perhaps
47:40in his mid30s, with platinum blonde hair
47:43styled immaculately and features that
47:45might have been beautiful were they not
47:47twisted by ambition and religious
47:49fervor.
47:51He wore white robes that marked him as
47:53Vatican elite, and he carried himself
47:55with the arrogance of one who believed
47:57himself God's chosen instrument.
48:01"Behold," Maxwell announced, his Italian
48:04accent lending his English a theatrical
48:06quality, the anomaly that has set London
48:09ablaze with rumor and fear. "Tell me,
48:13stranger, do you kneel before God's
48:16representative on earth?"
48:18The emperor regarded him with the
48:20patience of stone regarding the wind.
48:23I kneel before no one, Archbishop
48:25Maxwell. I am humanity's shepherd, not
48:28its supplicant.
48:30Maxwell's smile was cold.
48:33Heresy, then how refreshing to have it
48:36stated so plainly. The Vatican has
48:39observed your arrival with great
48:40interest. a being of immense power,
48:43antagonistic to the undead, appearing
48:46precisely as the forces of darkness
48:48gather for assault.
48:50"Some in the Holy Sea believe you are an
48:52angel sent to aid us in the coming
48:54tribulation."
48:56"And you?" the emperor asked. "I believe
49:00you are a tool," Maxwell replied
49:03bluntly. "Whether forged by God or devil
49:06matters less than your utility.
49:09Millennium prepares to unleash an army
49:11of vampire abominations upon this
49:13Protestant nation. Helsing's resources
49:16are insufficient.
49:18Escariat's forces, while righteous, are
49:21limited in number. But you,
49:25his eyes gleamed behind his glasses. You
49:28destroy vampires simply by existing near
49:31them.
49:32Imagine what you could accomplish if
49:34properly directed.
49:36Directed? the emperor repeated, his
49:40voice dropping to a register that made
49:41the regenerators shift uncomfortably.
49:45You speak as if I am a weapon to be
49:47aimed, Archbishop.
49:49I assure you, I am not.
49:52Everyone is a weapon, Maxwell countered,
49:56stepping closer with the confidence of
49:57one protected by 20 holy warriors.
50:01The question is merely who wields them.
50:03Join his Scariot. Lend your power to
50:06God's righteous crusade. When
50:08Millennium's heretics descend upon
50:10London, we will meet them with holy fire
50:13and your unique abilities. Together, we
50:17will cleanse this land of Protestant
50:19compromise and vampire filth alike."
50:23The emperor's eyes blazed brighter, and
50:26Maxwell took an involuntary step
50:27backward.
50:29You speak of cleansing, the emperor
50:32said, his voice resonating with
50:34harmonics that made windows rattle in
50:37nearby buildings.
50:39But your motivations are political, not
50:42practical.
50:44You see millennium's assault as an
50:45opportunity to embarrass Helsing, to
50:48discredit Protestant England, to expand
50:50Vatican influence.
50:52You would use humanity's suffering as a
50:55stage for sectarian theater.
50:58Maxwell's face flushed.
51:00"How dare?" "I dare because I have
51:03watched your species since before Rome
51:05was founded," the emperor interrupted.
51:09"I have seen countless religions rise,
51:12each claiming exclusive divine mandate,
51:14each willing to sacrifice human lives on
51:17the altar of ideological purity."
51:20Your church is no different. You dress
51:23your ambition in holy vestments, but it
51:26remains ambition nonetheless.
51:29One of the regenerators stepped forward,
51:32bayonets sliding from his sleeves.
51:35You will not speak to his excellency
51:36with such. The man stopped mid-sentence,
51:40his eyes going wide. The emperor had not
51:43moved, had not raised a hand. But the
51:46regenerator suddenly found himself
51:48unable to complete the thought. His mind
51:51pressed against an invisible wall, his
51:54will subsumed beneath psychic pressure
51:56that threatened to snuff out his
51:58consciousness like a candle flame.
52:01"Stand down," the emperor commanded, and
52:05the regenerator's arms dropped to his
52:06sides despite his best efforts to
52:08resist. "I will tolerate no violence
52:12born of wounded pride."
52:15He released his psychic grip, and the
52:17man staggered backward, gasping.
52:20Maxwell's expression had shifted from
52:22arrogance to calculation.
52:25You are psychic, a powerful one.
52:28Interesting. The church has dealt with
52:31psychics before, witches, heretics,
52:34those who dabble in powers beyond human
52:36kin. They all burned eventually.
52:39Your church burned scientists,
52:42philosophers, and healers, the emperor
52:45replied.
52:46those who threatened its monopoly on
52:48truth. I am beyond your capacity to
52:51threaten Archbishop.
52:53But I am not your enemy, provided you do
52:56not make me one. Then what do you
52:59propose? Maxwell asked, regaining some
53:02of his composure. You reject Helsing's
53:05pragmatism. You reject the church's
53:07authority. What path do you walk?
53:11My own, the emperor said simply. When
53:15Millennium attacks, I will defend
53:17humanity.
53:19Not because Helsing commands it, not
53:21because the Vatican ordains it, but
53:24because that is my purpose. I will
53:26destroy the vampire soldiers, not as
53:28your weapon or Integra's tool, but as
53:31the Anathema, the force that has opposed
53:34supernatural corruption since your
53:36ancestors lived in caves.
53:39Maxwell studied him for a long moment,
53:42then slowly smiled.
53:44You are either magnificently arrogant or
53:47something genuinely transcendent.
53:50I confess myself uncertain which
53:53very well walk your own path but know
53:57that a Scariot will be watching
54:00and if your actions threaten the
54:02church's interests
54:04you will do nothing. The emperor stated,
54:08"Your regenerators are formidable
54:10against vampires and mortal opponents.
54:13Against me, they are less than insects.
54:16Your blessed weapons would shatter
54:18against my will. Your prayers would die
54:21unheard. I say this not to threaten, but
54:24to establish reality." "We can coexist,
54:28Archbishop Maxwell, but only if you
54:31accept that I am not subject to your
54:32authority."
54:34The Archbishop's jaw tightened, but he
54:37nodded curtly. "For now, we have common
54:40cause. Millennium's abominations must be
54:43destroyed. If you fight them, Iscariot
54:46will not interfere. Beyond that," he
54:50shrugged. "We shall see what God wills."
54:54He turned to leave, then paused. "One
54:57question, if I may. You claim to have
55:00guided humanity for 40,000 years. Yet
55:03humanity has suffered endlessly. Wars,
55:06plagues, atrocities beyond counting. If
55:09you are our shepherd,
55:11why have we bled so profusely?
55:14The emperor's expression darkened.
55:17Because I learned, Archbishop,
55:20that shephering requires allowing the
55:22flock to make its own mistakes.
55:25Every time I imposed my will,
55:27absolutely, humanity rebelled.
55:30Every time I revealed myself openly, I
55:33was worshiped as a god. Precisely what I
55:36sought to prevent.
55:38So I walked among you hidden, nudging
55:41rather than commanding, hoping you would
55:43evolve past your need for external
55:45guidance.
55:47And has it worked? Maxwell asked.
55:51I am still trying to determine that. The
55:54emperor admitted. This universe presents
55:56an interesting test case. Humanity here
56:00has no knowledge of my existence, no
56:02Imperium to venerate me against my will.
56:06Perhaps here I can finally implement the
56:08Imperial truth without it being
56:10corrupted into the very theocracy I
56:12sought to prevent.
56:14Maxwell laughed. A genuine sound, sharp
56:18and humorless.
56:21You seek to destroy religion while
56:22radiating power that makes men want to
56:24worship you. The irony is exquisite.
56:29Very well, emperor. We shall see whose
56:32truth prevails when the blood flows.
56:35The Vatican convoy departed, leaving the
56:38emperor alone once more.
56:41His psychic senses detected other
56:43observers. Hleing surveillance teams
56:46positioned throughout the city.
56:48Millennium scouts operating from
56:49concealed positions. Ordinary humans
56:52recording footage on their mobile phones
56:54that would spread across this primitive
56:56information network.
56:58The emperor was beginning to understand
57:00the nature of this world's conflict.
57:03It was not merely supernatural versus
57:05human, but competing philosophies of
57:08survival. Heling's pragmatic compromise,
57:12Iscariat's religious absolutism,
57:15Millennium's nihilistic worship of
57:17violence as art. All of them were wrong,
57:20each in their own way. But he would not
57:23impose his will by force. Not yet. He
57:27would observe, judge, and when
57:29millennium's thousand vampires descended
57:31upon London, he would demonstrate what
57:34humanity could accomplish when guided by
57:36one who had transcended their
57:37limitations without abandoning their
57:40essence. The sun rose higher, and London
57:43went about its business, unaware that
57:45three great powers now circled like
57:47predators, preparing for a feast. Hell
57:50Singh fortified its positions. Iscariat
57:53mobilized its holy warriors. Millennium
57:56counted down to glorious chaos, and the
57:59Emperor stood at the center, a force of
58:01nature awaiting the storm.
58:05His thoughts turned to the Imperium.
58:08He had left behind, or perhaps ahead,
58:11depending on how one measured
58:12dimensional displacement.
58:1510,000 years into that reality's future,
58:19he sat upon the golden throne, a corpse
58:22god sustained by the sacrifice of a
58:24thousand psykers daily, worshiped by
58:27trillions as the god emperor despite his
58:29lifetime of opposing such veneration.
58:32Here he stood free, unbound,
58:37capable of implementing his vision
58:39without the weight of 10 millennia of
58:41accumulated dogma and theological
58:43calcification.
58:45Perhaps this displacement was not
58:47accident, but opportunity.
58:50The Emperor's lips curved in something
58:52that might have been a smile. The Chaos
58:54gods had sought to destroy him by
58:56casting him into another dimension.
59:00Instead, they had given him a
59:03laboratory,
59:05a world where he could test his
59:06philosophy without the compromises and
59:09failures that had plagued the Imperium.
59:12And if he succeeded here, if he could
59:15guide this small world's humanity to
59:17supremacy over the supernatural without
59:20becoming their god, then perhaps there
59:22was still hope for the Imperium. A
59:24psychic pulse rippled through his
59:26awareness.
59:28Alukard prowling the shadows of London
59:30despite Integra's orders, drawn toward
59:32the emperor like a moth to flame. The
59:35vampire's curiosity was becoming
59:37dangerous. He wanted to test himself to
59:41discover if the emperor could truly
59:43destroy him permanently. The desire for
59:46ultimate death. How very human in its
59:49way.
59:51The emperor turned and began walking
59:53toward the vampire's position.
59:55If Alakard sought confrontation,
59:58better to have it now before
1:00:00Millennium's assault complicated
1:00:02matters. Better to establish dominance
1:00:05clearly. So, the no-life king understood
1:00:08the hierarchy. Besides, the emperor
1:00:11found himself curious as well.
1:00:15Alukard had consumed millions of souls
1:00:17over centuries of feeding. He was not
1:00:20merely undead, but a gestalt entity, a
1:00:23collective consciousness wearing the
1:00:25skin of Dracula.
1:00:27How would such a being interact with the
1:00:29anathema? Would the souls burn
1:00:32individually? Or would the emperor need
1:00:34to unravel the entire psychic
1:00:36architecture that held them together?
1:00:38Only one way to discover the answer. The
1:00:41emperor's pace quickened, his golden
1:00:44armor reflecting the morning sun in
1:00:46blinding flashes.
1:00:48Across the city, Alukard's grin widened
1:00:51with anticipation.
1:00:53Two immortals drawn together by the
1:00:55gravity of their opposing natures.
1:00:58The collision would illuminate much
1:00:59about the rules of this new reality.
1:01:02They met in an abandoned warehouse
1:01:03district along the tempames, a stretch
1:01:06of industrial decay that London had
1:01:08forgotten, but never quite demolished.
1:01:12Rusted shipping containers stood like
1:01:14monuments to Commerce's past, and the
1:01:16skeletal remains of cranes stretched
1:01:18toward a sky heavy with clouds.
1:01:22The location had chosen itself far
1:01:24enough from civilian populations that
1:01:27collateral damage would be minimal,
1:01:29isolated enough that surveillance would
1:01:31be difficult.
1:01:33Alukard stood in the center of the
1:01:35largest warehouse, his crimson coat
1:01:37pooling around his feet like congealed
1:01:40blood.
1:01:41His arms hung loosely at his sides. But
1:01:44the emperor could sense the coiled
1:01:46readiness in his posture. the predatory
1:01:48focus of something that had hunted and
1:01:50killed for four centuries.
1:01:53Behind his orange tinted glasses, eyes
1:01:56like blood moons tracked the emperor's
1:01:58approach.
1:02:00"You came," Alukquard said, his voice
1:02:03echoing in the cavernous space. "I
1:02:05wondered if you would ignore my
1:02:08invitation."
1:02:09"Your presence was hardly subtle," the
1:02:12our emperor replied, entering through
1:02:15the warehouse's main entrance.
1:02:17The doorway seemed to shrink around him.
1:02:20Reality struggling to accommodate his
1:02:22scale.
1:02:24You have been following me since our
1:02:26first meeting. Vampire
1:02:28Integra commanded you to keep distance.
1:02:31Yet here you are.
1:02:34Alikard's grin widened, showing too many
1:02:36teeth, far more than any human mouth
1:02:38should contain.
1:02:40My master commands, and I obey usually.
1:02:45But she also understands that I am a
1:02:47monster kept on a leash, not a tamed
1:02:49dog. Sometimes the leash slips.
1:02:54"You seek death," the emperor observed.
1:02:58His psychic senses reading the layers of
1:03:00desire and madness that comprised
1:03:02Alikard's consciousness.
1:03:04"Not mere destruction, but true
1:03:07annihilation.
1:03:09You have existed for so long that
1:03:10oblivion has become attractive.
1:03:13You wonder if I am capable of granting
1:03:15it.
1:03:16The vampire's expression flickered.
1:03:19Surprise, then something approaching
1:03:21respect.
1:03:23Most see only the monster, the killing
1:03:26machine, the weapon Helling aims at its
1:03:28enemies.
1:03:30But you see deeper.
1:03:33Yes, I want to die. Have wanted it for
1:03:36longer than I care to remember. But not
1:03:39just any death. A death that matters. A
1:03:43death earned against an opponent who
1:03:44doesn't simply match me, but transcends
1:03:47me.
1:03:49"I am not here to grant your wish," the
1:03:51emperor said flatly. "Your existence
1:03:54offends me, vampire. You are an undead
1:03:57parasite sustained by consuming human
1:04:00souls. Every moment you continue to
1:04:03exist is an abomination against the
1:04:05natural order. But you serve a purpose.
1:04:09You protect humanity from worse
1:04:11monsters.
1:04:12that gives you value, however
1:04:14distasteful I find it.
1:04:17How pragmatic, Alukard said mockingly.
1:04:21And here, I thought you were an
1:04:23idealist. The great emperor who despises
1:04:26compromise, willing to tolerate a
1:04:28vampire because he's useful. What would
1:04:31your imperial truth say about that? The
1:04:34emperor's eyes blazed brighter, and the
1:04:37temperature in the warehouse dropped.
1:04:40Frost began forming on the metal
1:04:41surfaces, spreading outward from where
1:04:44he stood.
1:04:46Do not mistake tactical patience for
1:04:48compromise, creature.
1:04:51When millennium is destroyed, when this
1:04:54world's immediate supernatural threats
1:04:55are neutralized,
1:04:57you and I will have a reckoning.
1:05:00Until then, you serve at Integra's
1:05:02command, and I will not waste resources
1:05:05eliminating a tool that has utility.
1:05:08resources," Alakard repeated, tasting
1:05:11the word. "You speak as if destroying me
1:05:15would cost you anything. Prove it. Show
1:05:18me what you are, Emperor. Show me if
1:05:20that golden fire of yours can burn away
1:05:23400 years of accumulated damnation."
1:05:27Without warning, Alikard's shadows
1:05:29exploded outward. The darkness that
1:05:32comprised his essence erupted like a
1:05:34tsunami of liquid night, filling the
1:05:36warehouse from floor to ceiling.
1:05:40Within the shadows, eyes opened,
1:05:43thousands upon thousands of them, each
1:05:45belonging to a soul the vampire had
1:05:47consumed.
1:05:49They stared with the vacant gaze of the
1:05:51devoured, their consciousness subsumed
1:05:53into Alukard's gestalt being.
1:05:56hands emerged from the darkness,
1:05:58grasping, reaching, pulling at reality
1:06:01itself. The Guya Emperor stood unmoved
1:06:05as the shadow wave crashed against him.
1:06:08Where the darkness touched his presence,
1:06:11it burned.
1:06:12Golden fire erupted along the boundary
1:06:15between his aura and Alikard's shadows.
1:06:18The anathema nature of his being
1:06:19reacting to undeath like an immune
1:06:21system attacking infection.
1:06:24The souls within the shadows screamed,
1:06:27not in pain, but in sudden recognition.
1:06:32They saw something they had not seen
1:06:33since their consumption.
1:06:36Hope of release.
1:06:38Alukquard snarled, pulling his shadows
1:06:41back before more souls could be
1:06:43annihilated.
1:06:45Interesting. You don't just kill
1:06:47vampires. You unmake them. Strip away
1:06:50the stolen life force. Burn the souls
1:06:53free from their binding.
1:06:55I am the antithesis of your existence.
1:06:58The emperor confirmed. My presence alone
1:07:01weakens you. Sustained contact would
1:07:04unravel the psychic architecture that
1:07:06holds your stolen souls together. You
1:07:09would not simply die. You would cease
1:07:12and all those you consumed would be
1:07:14released to whatever afterlife this
1:07:16universe provides. Then why haven't you
1:07:18done it? Alukard demanded, his form
1:07:21coalescing back into human shape. Why
1:07:24stand there explaining when you could
1:07:26simply end me?
1:07:28Because, the emperor said, and something
1:07:31in his tone suggested genuine
1:07:33consideration.
1:07:35You are more than the sum of your
1:07:37atrocities.
1:07:39You were human once, Vladis, prince of
1:07:43Wakia, defender of Christendom against
1:07:45Ottoman invasion.
1:07:47You fought for humanity before you
1:07:49became its predator. That memory,
1:07:52however, buried beneath centuries of
1:07:54vampirism, deserves acknowledgement.
1:07:58Alukard stared at him, the perpetual
1:08:01grin finally fading.
1:08:03You speak of Vladepus as if he still
1:08:06exists. He died five centuries ago. I am
1:08:10what remains, the monster he became when
1:08:13he rejected God and embraced damnation.
1:08:16Nothing is ever truly gone, the emperor
1:08:19replied. Consciousness persists. The
1:08:22core of what you were remains, however
1:08:24deeply buried. You bound yourself to the
1:08:27Helsing family, seeking redemption
1:08:29through service. You hunt monsters,
1:08:31hoping to find one capable of granting
1:08:33you the death you cannot give yourself.
1:08:36These are not the actions of a simple
1:08:38predator. These are the desperate
1:08:40struggles of a soul seeking purpose
1:08:42beyond predation.
1:08:44For a long moment, silence filled the
1:08:47warehouse. Then Alikard threw back his
1:08:49head and laughed. A sound like breaking
1:08:52glass and tearing steel. Beautiful and
1:08:55terrible.
1:08:57"You're insane," he said. "But without
1:09:00the mockery of before, absolutely
1:09:03magnificently insane. You stand before a
1:09:06creature that has slaughtered thousands,
1:09:08consumed millions of souls, and you
1:09:11speak of redemption.
1:09:13What are you really, God? Devil,
1:09:17something that transcends both?
1:09:20I am human, the emperor said simply. The
1:09:25first and finest example of what
1:09:26humanity can become when it refuses to
1:09:28accept limitations.
1:09:30I have lived 40,000 years not through
1:09:33supernatural corruption, but through
1:09:35perfection of biology and will. I am
1:09:38what your species should aspire to.
1:09:41Power without compromise, immortality
1:09:44without vampireism, supremacy without
1:09:47selling your soul.
1:09:49Then why do you burn with power that
1:09:51feels divine? Alukard pressed. Why do
1:09:55blessed weapons and holy symbols pale
1:09:57before your presence? Why does my undead
1:10:01essence recoil from you the way it
1:10:02recoils from Anderson's faith?
1:10:05The emperor's expression hardened.
1:10:08Because faith is psychic power given
1:10:10form. Your reaction to blessed weapons
1:10:13is not divine judgment but your own
1:10:16psyche responding to focused human will.
1:10:19Anderson believes with such intensity
1:10:21that his conviction manifests as
1:10:23tangible force.
1:10:25I do not believe. I know. I am human
1:10:29will perfected and weaponized across 40
1:10:32millennia of existence.
1:10:34You recoil for me because I am what you
1:10:37can never be. Truly, completely,
1:10:40transcendently human.
1:10:42Alukard absorbed this, his eyes distant.
1:10:47If what you say is true, if faith and
1:10:50divine power are simply human will in
1:10:52religious costume,
1:10:54then everything I've experienced,
1:10:56everything I've believed about my
1:10:57damnation
1:10:59is self-imposed. The emperor finished.
1:11:03You believe you are damned, so you act
1:11:05as the damned. You believe you are a
1:11:08monster, so you embrace monstrosity.
1:11:11But belief can be changed. Vampire will
1:11:14can be redirected. Even one as farf
1:11:17fallen as you could potentially. No.
1:11:21Alukard's voice cracked like a whip.
1:11:24Don't offer me hope. Don't suggest
1:11:26redemption. I've waited through oceans
1:11:28of blood. I've torn children from their
1:11:31mothers and drained entire villages dry.
1:11:34Whatever I was, as Vlad Tepz died when I
1:11:36chose damnation over death. This isn't
1:11:39self-imposed suffering. This is justice.
1:11:43I am the monster, and monsters deserve
1:11:45only destruction.
1:11:47Then why do you hesitate? The emperor
1:11:50asked. Why not simply walk into
1:11:52sunlight? Remove your coat, your hat.
1:11:56Stand beneath the noon sun and let it
1:11:59burn you to ash. Why bind yourself to
1:12:02Helsing if you truly believe you deserve
1:12:04only destruction?
1:12:06Alikard's hands clenched into fists.
1:12:10Because I'm a coward. Because despite
1:12:12everything, some pathetic part of me
1:12:14still hopes for meaning beyond
1:12:17slaughter.
1:12:19So I serve. I hunt other monsters. I
1:12:22pretend that somehow eventually this
1:12:25service will balance the scales.
1:12:26Foolish, isn't it? No, the emperor said,
1:12:31and his tone carried unexpected
1:12:33gentleness.
1:12:35It is the most human thing about you.
1:12:38The vampire's head snapped up, meeting
1:12:40the emperor's burning gaze.
1:12:43You want to know what separates you from
1:12:45true monsters? The emperor continued.
1:12:48True monsters feel no guilt, seek no
1:12:51redemption, hope for no meaning beyond
1:12:54their appetites. The fact that you
1:12:56torture yourself, that you seek death
1:12:58while simultaneously grasping for
1:13:00purpose, these are human traits,
1:13:03vampire, corrupted and twisted by
1:13:06undeath, yes, but fundamentally human
1:13:09nonetheless.
1:13:12What are you suggesting? Alikard asked
1:13:14wearily.
1:13:16I am suggesting the emperor said that
1:13:20when Millennium's assault comes, you and
1:13:22I will fight on the same side.
1:13:25Not because I approve of your existence,
1:13:28but because you represent a question I
1:13:30find genuinely interesting.
1:13:33Can something as corrupted as a vampire
1:13:35be reclaimed for humanity? Can the
1:13:38undead be redeemed?
1:13:41And if the answer is no,
1:13:43then after Millennium is destroyed, I
1:13:46will unmake you personally. I will burn
1:13:49away the stolen souls, dissolve the
1:13:51psychic bindings that hold you together,
1:13:54and grant you the true death you claim
1:13:56to desire.
1:13:58But I will do it knowing I gave you one
1:14:00final chance to prove that even monsters
1:14:03can choose humanity."
1:14:05Alukard stood very still, processing
1:14:08this. Then slowly, deliberately, he
1:14:13straightened his hat and adjusted his
1:14:15coat.
1:14:16When he spoke, his voice carried none of
1:14:18its usual mockery.
1:14:21You're either the crulest being I've
1:14:23ever encountered or the kindest. I
1:14:26genuinely cannot determine which.
1:14:29Very well, Emperor. I will fight your
1:14:32war. I will destroy Millennium's
1:14:34artificial vampires and protect the
1:14:37humans you claim to shepherd.
1:14:39And when it's done, if you still find me
1:14:42wanting,
1:14:44I will grant you oblivion, the emperor
1:14:47confirmed.
1:14:48But it will be an earned death, vampire.
1:14:51A meaningful end. That much, at least I
1:14:55can promise.
1:14:57The warehouse fell silent, save for the
1:14:59distant sound of the tempames lapping
1:15:01against the embankment.
1:15:03Two immortals who should have been
1:15:05enemies had instead forged something
1:15:07that transcended alliance. A compact
1:15:10born of mutual recognition that both
1:15:12walked paths no others could understand.
1:15:16My master will be furious that I
1:15:18disobeyed her orders," Alakard said
1:15:21finally, a hint of his usual grin
1:15:23returning. "She commanded me to avoid
1:15:26you."
1:15:27"Then we shall not inform her of this
1:15:29meeting," the emperor replied.
1:15:33Let Sir Integra believe her commands are
1:15:35being followed. Tactical deception
1:15:37serves our purposes better than open
1:15:39defiance.
1:15:41Lying to my master, Alikard mused. You
1:15:45continue to surprise me, emperor. I
1:15:48thought you dealt only in absolute
1:15:49truth.
1:15:51Ideal in necessary truth. The emperor
1:15:54corrected.
1:15:56There is a difference. Integra need not
1:15:58know we have reached an understanding.
1:16:01Let her continue to view me as an
1:16:03uncontrolled variable and you as her
1:16:06obedient weapon. When Millennium
1:16:08attacks, reality will correct her
1:16:10misconceptions.
1:16:13Alukard nodded slowly. 3 weeks. That's
1:16:16how long until the major's opera begins.
1:16:19What will you do until then?
1:16:22Continue my assessment, the emperor
1:16:25said. This world is small but complex. I
1:16:28wish to understand its factions, its
1:16:31power structures, its potential for
1:16:33evolution. And I will prepare for the
1:16:36cleansing that must come.
1:16:381,000 artificial vampires represent a
1:16:41significant supernatural force. Even I
1:16:44cannot destroy them all instantaneously.
1:16:48But you can destroy many. Alikard
1:16:51observed.
1:16:52Your presence alone creates a dead zone
1:16:54for lesser vampires.
1:16:56The major's freak soldiers are
1:16:58artificially created, weak compared to
1:17:01true vampires. They'll burn like paper
1:17:04in your fire.
1:17:06Perhaps, the emperor agreed. But the
1:17:09major is not a fool. He knows I exist.
1:17:12He knows my capabilities. He will have
1:17:15planned for my interference.
1:17:17This invasion is not merely military
1:17:20conquest.
1:17:21It is theater, performance art waged
1:17:24through violence.
1:17:26The major will ensure I have a role
1:17:29whether I choose to accept it or not.
1:17:32You speak as if you understand him.
1:17:35Alukard said, "I understand all variants
1:17:38of madness," the emperor replied. "In
1:17:4240,000 years, I have encountered every
1:17:45permutation of human pathology."
1:17:48"The major is a nihilist who has found
1:17:50meaning in meaninglessness,
1:17:52purpose in purposelessness. He wages war
1:17:55not to win but to experience the
1:17:57perfection of violence itself.
1:18:00Such men are dangerous precisely because
1:18:03they cannot be reasoned with or
1:18:04threatened.
1:18:06They have transcended fear and hope
1:18:08alike.
1:18:10Then how do you stop them?
1:18:12The emperor<unk>'s eyes blazed with
1:18:14sudden intensity.
1:18:16You give them what they want, war in its
1:18:19purest form, and then demonstrate that
1:18:22their philosophy is insufficient.
1:18:25You match their violence and exceed it.
1:18:28You prove that meaning exists even in
1:18:31chaos, that purpose transcends nihilism.
1:18:35You break their aesthetic by showing
1:18:37them something more beautiful than
1:18:39destruction.
1:18:41And what could be more beautiful than
1:18:43war? Alukard asked. The emperor's smile
1:18:47was cold and terrible.
1:18:49Victory. 16 days remained until
1:18:52Millennium's projected assault.
1:18:55The Emperor had established himself in
1:18:58an unexpected location. Not the Tower of
1:19:01London with its historical weight, not
1:19:03Buckingham Palace with its political
1:19:05symbolism, but a top the Shard, London's
1:19:08tallest building.
1:19:11The observation deck had been quietly
1:19:13cleared by authorities who could not
1:19:14articulate why they felt compelled to
1:19:16obey.
1:19:18Only that refusal seemed impossible when
1:19:20faced with his request.
1:19:23From this vantage point, he could
1:19:25observe the entire city spread below
1:19:27like a living organism.
1:19:29His psychic senses extended across
1:19:31London sprawl, monitoring the movements
1:19:34of factions preparing for war. Hell
1:19:36Singh fortified defensive positions.
1:19:39Iscariot positioned its regenerators at
1:19:41strategic points, and somewhere across
1:19:44the channel, Millennium's fleet waited
1:19:47for the major's command.
1:19:49But the Emperor's attention focused
1:19:51inward as much as outward.
1:19:54He had spent the past week analyzing
1:19:56this universe's fundamental structure,
1:19:59and his findings disturbed him in ways
1:20:02he had not anticipated.
1:20:05This reality's metaphysical architecture
1:20:07was simultaneously simpler and more
1:20:09problematic than the Imperiums.
1:20:13There was no warp here, no immaterium
1:20:16teaming with demonic entities born from
1:20:18mortal emotion.
1:20:20The supernatural threats were localized,
1:20:23individual, manageable on a tactical
1:20:25level. But the very absence of the warp
1:20:28created a philosophical paradox that
1:20:31challenged the Imperial truth at its
1:20:33foundation.
1:20:35In his universe, faith had power because
1:20:37it fed the chaos gods. Dangerous, yes,
1:20:41but explicable through psychic
1:20:43mechanics. Here, faith had power for no
1:20:46mechanistic reason he could identify.
1:20:50Anderson's blessed bayonets work not
1:20:52because of psychic feedback loops, but
1:20:54because something in this universe's
1:20:56structure acknowledged the concept of
1:20:58holiness as objective reality.
1:21:02It was as if this universe had been
1:21:04designed by a theist.
1:21:07The emperor found this deeply offensive.
1:21:10Troubled thoughts for one who claimed
1:21:12certainty, a voice said from behind him.
1:21:16The emperor did not turn. He had sensed
1:21:19the approach, a psychic signature that
1:21:21registered as human but moved through
1:21:24space in ways that violated conventional
1:21:26physics. Warrant Officer Schroinger
1:21:29materialized from quantum superp
1:21:31position. The Catboy who existed in all
1:21:34states simultaneously until observed.
1:21:37He wore the uniform of Millennium's
1:21:39forces, his hands tucked into his
1:21:41pockets, his expression one of cheerful
1:21:44curiosity.
1:21:46The Emperor's anathema nature should
1:21:48have burned him instantly. He was, after
1:21:51all, a vampire of sorts.
1:21:54But Schrodinger existed in a state that
1:21:56precluded such simple categorization.
1:21:59"Hair major sends his regards,"
1:22:02Schrodinger said, sitting cross-legged
1:22:04in midair as if gravity were optional.
1:22:08"He has been observing you with great
1:22:10interest. He wanted me to deliver a
1:22:12message." "Speak," the emperor
1:22:15commanded, finally turning to face the
1:22:18boy.
1:22:19The major wishes you to know that he has
1:22:21prepared a role for you in Operation
1:22:23Sebr.
1:22:25He understands you will interfere. In
1:22:27fact, he counts on it. A war without
1:22:31worthy opponents is merely massacre. And
1:22:33massacre lacks aesthetic merit. You are
1:22:37to be the wild card, the element of
1:22:39chaos within his carefully orchestrated
1:22:41symphony.
1:22:43Your major mistakes me for a participant
1:22:45in his theater. the emperor said. I am
1:22:49not performing for his amusement.
1:22:52Schroinger's smile widened.
1:22:54Yeah, but that is what makes you perfect
1:22:57for the role. The unwilling actor who
1:23:00believes himself the director
1:23:02Mayor finds such dramatic irony
1:23:04exquisite.
1:23:06You will fight to protect humanity and
1:23:09in doing so you will elevate his war
1:23:11beyond mere military engagement into
1:23:14genuine art.
1:23:16Art," the emperor repeated, his voice
1:23:19dropping dangerously.
1:23:21"Your major weaponizes philosophy and
1:23:24calls it creativity.
1:23:26He dresses nealism in aesthetic language
1:23:29and pretends it represents meaning.
1:23:32But all his carefully orchestrated
1:23:33violence amounts to nothing, sound and
1:23:36fury, signifying exactly what he claims,
1:23:40nothing at all."
1:23:42You misunderstand, Hair Mayor,"
1:23:45Schrodinger said, his tone becoming more
1:23:48serious despite his youthful appearance.
1:23:51"He does not claim war is meaningless
1:23:53because nothing matters. He claims war
1:23:56is the only thing that matters because
1:23:58it is the purest expression of human
1:24:01will.
1:24:02In battle, all pretense falls away.
1:24:06politics, religion, philosophy, all
1:24:09reduced to the fundamental question, who
1:24:12survives?
1:24:14A reductionist position born from trauma
1:24:16and sustained by cowardice, the emperor
1:24:19replied.
1:24:20Your major experienced war's horror, and
1:24:23rather than transcending it, he
1:24:25fetishized it. He made his inability to
1:24:28find meaning beyond violence into a
1:24:30virtue.
1:24:32Schroinger tilted his head, considering
1:24:34this.
1:24:36perhaps. But is your position so
1:24:39different? You have waged war for 40,000
1:24:42years. You built an empire through
1:24:44conquest. You crusade against
1:24:46supernatural threats with the same
1:24:48fervor Hermeor brings to his opera. Are
1:24:51you not also defined by violence?
1:24:55I wage war as a means to an end. The
1:24:58emperor said to create a civilization
1:25:01where war is no longer necessary. Your
1:25:04major wages war as an end unto itself.
1:25:07We are not the same.
1:25:10Are you certain? Schroinger asked.
1:25:1340,000 years of war and still humanity
1:25:16requires your shephering. Still monsters
1:25:18threaten your flock. Still you take up
1:25:20arms again and again. Perhaps you and
1:25:23Hair Major are more similar than you
1:25:25wish to admit. Both eternally bound to
1:25:28violence. both unable to exist without
1:25:31conflict to define you. The Emperor's
1:25:35eyes blazed and for a moment
1:25:37Schrodinger's quantum state flickered,
1:25:40threatened by psychic pressure that
1:25:42sought to collapse his superp position
1:25:43into a single vulnerable reality.
1:25:47But the boy stabilized, grinning
1:25:50impishly.
1:25:51You cannot kill me so easily, hair
1:25:53emperor. I exist everywhere and nowhere.
1:25:57To observe me is to define me. But I
1:26:00remain undefined until that observation.
1:26:03I am Shreddinger's cat-made flesh,
1:26:06simultaneously dead and alive until you
1:26:08open the box.
1:26:10Quantum manipulation,
1:26:12the emperor observed, his anger cooling
1:26:15into clinical interest.
1:26:18Your consciousness exists in superp
1:26:20position across multiple probability
1:26:23states. Fascinating.
1:26:26Your major's scientists achieved
1:26:28something remarkable even if they did so
1:26:31in service of monstrosity.
1:26:34Hair doctor is very proud. Schroinger
1:26:36agreed. But I did not come merely to
1:26:39deliver messages. I came to ask you a
1:26:42question. Ask
1:26:45when you destroy Millennium's forces.
1:26:47And you will. We know this. What will
1:26:50you do with the survivors?
1:26:53Hair Major expects to die gloriously in
1:26:55his perfect war. But what of the
1:26:58soldiers who simply followed orders? The
1:27:01scientists who created weapons because
1:27:03they were commanded to.
1:27:05Will you punish the tools for how they
1:27:07were used?
1:27:09The emperor considered this. Those who
1:27:12chose to serve Millennium's nihilistic
1:27:14vision bear responsibility for that
1:27:16choice. But those who were conscripted,
1:27:19coerced, or deceived.
1:27:22Judgment must be proportionate to
1:27:24culpability.
1:27:26How disappointingly rational,
1:27:28Schrodinger said. I hoped you would be
1:27:32more absolute. Purity is so much more
1:27:35dramatic than nuance.
1:27:38Purity is the refuge of simple minds,
1:27:40the emperor replied.
1:27:43I am many things, but simple is not
1:27:45among them. Now deliver your major's
1:27:48message and depart. I have preparations
1:27:51to complete.
1:27:53Schroinger saluted mockingly.
1:27:55Hair Mayor says, "I look forward to
1:27:58seeing what you truly are when the blood
1:28:01flows.
1:28:02Will you be the shepherd protecting his
1:28:04flock, the tyrant imposing his will? The
1:28:08warrior who finds meaning through
1:28:09victory, or something else entirely?
1:28:13Something even you do not yet recognize?
1:28:16Those are his words, not mine.
1:28:20Tell your major, the emperor said, that
1:28:24I will be exactly what this situation
1:28:26requires.
1:28:27Humanity's judgment upon those who would
1:28:29prey on it. And when his thousand
1:28:32vampires are ash, he will understand
1:28:34that philosophy, no matter how artfully
1:28:37expressed, cannot withstand absolute
1:28:39force.
1:28:41We shall see, Shreddinger replied. And
1:28:45then he simply wasn't. Not teleportation
1:28:49or shadow walking, but quantum
1:28:52decoherence,
1:28:54ceasing to exist in this location
1:28:56because he chose to exist elsewhere
1:28:58instead.
1:29:00The emperor's psychic senses detected no
1:29:02trail, no residue, nothing that could be
1:29:05tracked.
1:29:07Millennium's capabilities were more
1:29:09sophisticated than he had initially
1:29:11assessed.
1:29:12The major was not merely a madman with
1:29:15an army. He was a strategist who
1:29:17understood that modern warfare required
1:29:19innovation as much as firepower.
1:29:23The emperor returned his attention to
1:29:25London below. But his thoughts churned
1:29:28with uncomfortable questions.
1:29:31Was Shreddinger correct?
1:29:33After 40 millennia of warfare, had he
1:29:36become so defined by conflict that peace
1:29:38was no longer achievable?
1:29:41The Imperium he had built was
1:29:43perpetually at war against chaos,
1:29:46against Zenos, against internal heresy.
1:29:4910,000 years after his internment on the
1:29:52Golden Throne, humanity still fought for
1:29:54survival rather than flourishing.
1:29:57Had he failed? Not tactically. The
1:30:01Imperium endured vast beyond
1:30:03comprehension.
1:30:05But philosophically,
1:30:08the imperial truth had been corrupted
1:30:10into the imperial cult. His attempt to
1:30:14free humanity from religious
1:30:15superstition had resulted in his own
1:30:18deification.
1:30:20Everything he had built became a mockery
1:30:22of his intentions.
1:30:25Perhaps that was why the chaos gods had
1:30:27sent him here.
1:30:29not to destroy him, but to torment him
1:30:32with the possibility of success in a
1:30:34smaller, more manageable reality,
1:30:38a universe where he could potentially
1:30:40implement his vision without the
1:30:42compromises that had doomed the
1:30:43Imperium.
1:30:45Or perhaps this was simply another test,
1:30:48another crucible through which he would
1:30:50emerge, either validated or broken.
1:30:54The emperor's contemplation was
1:30:56interrupted by the sensation of multiple
1:30:59psychic presences approaching.
1:31:02Not hostile precisely, but wary.
1:31:06He recognized them immediately. Integra
1:31:08Walter and Saras Victoria approaching in
1:31:11an armored vehicle that crawled through
1:31:13London traffic below.
1:31:15They wish to speak with him to
1:31:18coordinate perhaps or to extract
1:31:20promises of alliance that he would not
1:31:23give.
1:31:25Either way, the conversation would be
1:31:28illuminating.
1:31:30He waited as they ascended the shard
1:31:32through conventional means, his patience
1:31:35infinite.
1:31:37When the elevator doors opened and
1:31:38Integra stepped out onto the observation
1:31:41deck, she did so with her characteristic
1:31:44composure. Though the emperor sensed the
1:31:46tension in her posture.
1:31:49Emperor, she said, foregoing
1:31:52pleasantries.
1:31:53We need to discuss what happens when
1:31:55millennium attacks.
1:31:57Do we? The emperor replied mildly. Yes.
1:32:02Integra lit a cigarillo, the flame
1:32:05briefly illuminating her face in the
1:32:07fading daylight.
1:32:09You've been questioned by the roundt
1:32:11conference. The prime minister wants
1:32:14assurances that you won't destabilize
1:32:15the nation. The military wants to know
1:32:18if you'll coordinate with their
1:32:19defensive plans. And I
1:32:23she paused, choosing words carefully.
1:32:26I need to understand if you're going to
1:32:28help or simply make everything more
1:32:30complicated.
1:32:32I will destroy Millennium's vampire
1:32:34forces, the Emperor said simply.
1:32:39Beyond that, I make no promises.
1:32:42Not good enough, Integra replied
1:32:45sharply. London has 8 million civilians.
1:32:49When a thousand vampire soldiers attack,
1:32:51evacuation is impossible. Containment is
1:32:54our only option. That requires
1:32:56coordination between Helsing, the
1:32:58military, Iscariat, and yes, you. Will
1:33:03you work within a command structure, or
1:33:05will you operate as a lone agent?
1:33:08I am not a soldier in your army, the
1:33:11emperor said. I will not take orders
1:33:13from you or your government,
1:33:16but neither will I ignore tactical
1:33:18realities. If coordinating with your
1:33:21forces increases human survival rates, I
1:33:23will do so. If operating independently
1:33:26proves more effective, I will do that
1:33:28instead.
1:33:30My priority is humanity's protection,
1:33:33not your chain of command.
1:33:36Walter stepped forward, his aged voice
1:33:38carrying quiet authority.
1:33:41Sir Integra, perhaps we could establish
1:33:44a communication link. If the emperor
1:33:47provides updates on his movements and
1:33:49intentions, we could coordinate without
1:33:51imposing formal command structure.
1:33:55The emperor considered this acceptable.
1:33:59Provide me with a communication device
1:34:01compatible with your systems. I will
1:34:03relay information that serves tactical
1:34:05purposes, but I will not justify my
1:34:08decisions or submit plans for approval.
1:34:12Arrogant, Integra muttered,
1:34:16but she nodded to Walter, who produced a
1:34:18militaryra radio transceiver from his
1:34:20case.
1:34:22This operates on encrypted frequencies,
1:34:25Walter explained, handing it to the
1:34:28Emperor.
1:34:29It will allow direct communication with
1:34:31Helsing Command and if necessary,
1:34:34military coordination centers.
1:34:37The Emperor examined the device with
1:34:39mild interest. Primitive by the Imperium
1:34:42standards, but functional.
1:34:45He attached it to his armor with a
1:34:47thought, psychic manipulation,
1:34:49integrating it into his systems.
1:34:5216 days, he said. Your intelligence
1:34:56confirms this timeline.
1:34:59Satellite reconnaissance detected
1:35:01unusual activity in Millennium staging
1:35:03areas. Walter confirmed. Naval movements
1:35:07suggest imminent deployment. We estimate
1:35:1014 to 18 days before assault begins.
1:35:1416. The emperor repeated with certainty.
1:35:18The major has a sense of theater. He
1:35:20will choose a symbolically significant
1:35:22date, Saturday, January 19th, the
1:35:26anniversary of something relevant to his
1:35:28ideology.
1:35:30Integra's eyes narrowed. How can you
1:35:33possibly precognition?
1:35:36The emperor replied, "I perceive
1:35:39probability streams and identify the
1:35:41most likely outcomes. The major is
1:35:44predictable in his unpredictability.
1:35:47He will choose timing that maximizes
1:35:49dramatic impact. January 19th satisfies
1:35:52his aesthetic requirements.
1:35:55Sarah's Victoria, who had remained
1:35:57silent until now, finally spoke. Her
1:36:00voice carried the uncertain quality of
1:36:02one still adjusting to undeath.
1:36:05Your Majesty, I mean Emperor, will you
1:36:09really destroy all the Millennium
1:36:11vampires, even though some of them might
1:36:14have been forced into it?
1:36:16The emperor turned his full attention to
1:36:18her, and she flinched slightly under his
1:36:21gaze.
1:36:23"You questioned my methods before I have
1:36:25employed them," he observed. "Why?"
1:36:29"Because."
1:36:31Saras hesitated, glancing at Integra for
1:36:34support before continuing. "Because I'm
1:36:36a vampire, too. I didn't choose this. I
1:36:40was dying. And Master Alikard turned me
1:36:44to save my life. If you destroy vampires
1:36:47just for existing, does that include me?
1:36:50The question hung in the air like a
1:36:52pronounced sentence.
1:36:54Tell me, Sarah Victoria, the emperor
1:36:57said, his tone unexpectedly gentle. Do
1:37:00you feed on human blood? Medical blood
1:37:03bags, she replied quickly. I've never
1:37:06killed anyone to feed. Sir Integra
1:37:09provides.
1:37:10Do you control your hunger or does it
1:37:13control you?
1:37:15I I control it mostly.
1:37:19Sometimes it's hard, but I don't give
1:37:21in.
1:37:22And if given the choice between
1:37:23remaining vampire or becoming human
1:37:25again, which would you choose?
1:37:28Sarah's blinked, clearly not expecting
1:37:30the question. Human? Absolutely human? I
1:37:35never wanted this. I just That's it. I
1:37:38didn't want to die.
1:37:40The emperor nodded slowly. Then you are
1:37:43not my enemy. Saras Victoria,
1:37:47you are a human cursed with vampirism,
1:37:50fighting to retain your humanity despite
1:37:52supernatural corruption.
1:37:55That struggle has merit. When I destroy
1:37:58Millennium's vampires, I will be
1:38:01eliminating those who have embraced
1:38:02their predatory nature, who revel in
1:38:05their superiority over humans. You who
1:38:08despise what you have become and fight
1:38:10to control it. You represent hope, not
1:38:14corruption.
1:38:15Tears, blood tears formed in Saras's
1:38:18eyes. Thank you, she whispered.
1:38:22Integrous expression softened
1:38:24fractionally.
1:38:25Your majesty, I do not thank me for
1:38:29basic moral discernment, the emperor
1:38:31interrupted.
1:38:33Saras Victoria is not a monster. She is
1:38:36a victim struggling against her
1:38:38condition.
1:38:39There is a difference and I am not so
1:38:42absolute that I cannot recognize it.
1:38:45He turned back to face London, the
1:38:47setting sun painting the city in shades
1:38:49of gold that matched his armor.
1:38:5316 days, he repeated.
1:38:56Prepare your forces, Sir Integra.
1:38:58Coordinate with his Scariot if you must,
1:39:00though I suspect Archbishop Maxwell will
1:39:03prove more hindrance than help. Ensure
1:39:06civilian evacuation routes are
1:39:08established for zones that become
1:39:10untenable
1:39:11and accept that when millennium's
1:39:13assault begins, chaos will reign
1:39:16regardless of planning.
1:39:18War is entropy given form. All we can do
1:39:22is channel it toward acceptable
1:39:23outcomes.
1:39:25You sound like you're looking forward to
1:39:27it, Integra observed. I am not, the
1:39:31emperor said quietly. I have fought
1:39:34enough wars to last a million lifetimes.
1:39:37Each one is a failure, proof that reason
1:39:40and diplomacy were insufficient.
1:39:43But if war is inevitable, better to wage
1:39:45it with overwhelming force and end it
1:39:48decisively than to allow it to
1:39:50metastasize into prolonged conflict.
1:39:53He glanced back at them, his eyes
1:39:56blazing in the gathering darkness.
1:39:59When millennium's vampires descend on
1:40:01London, I will show them what humanity
1:40:04is truly capable of when guided by one
1:40:06who has perfected its potential.
1:40:09The major wants theater.
1:40:12I will give him tragedy. The kind where
1:40:15the villain realizes too late that he
1:40:17was never the protagonist of his own
1:40:19story.
1:40:21Integr smiled coldly. I think I'm
1:40:24beginning to understand why Alikard
1:40:26finds you so fascinating.
1:40:29Do not mistake understanding for
1:40:31approval, Sir Integra. Your vampire
1:40:33serves you well, but he remains an
1:40:35abomination.
1:40:37When this war ends, that reckoning will
1:40:39come.
1:40:41Then I suppose we'll deal with that when
1:40:43the time comes, Integra replied. For
1:40:46now, we have a common enemy. That will
1:40:49have to be enough.
1:40:52The emperor did not respond, returning
1:40:54his attention to the city below. 16 days
1:40:57until the major's opera began. 16 days
1:41:01to prepare for the cleansing.
1:41:0316 days until he proved whether his
1:41:05philosophy could withstand its greatest
1:41:08test, defending humanity without
1:41:11becoming the tyrant they would worship.
1:41:14The sun set completely and London's
1:41:17lights blazed to life like stars brought
1:41:20low to earth.
1:41:22War was coming and the emperor of
1:41:24mankind stood ready to remind this small
1:41:27universe what it meant to face the
1:41:29anathema. Saturday, January 19th, 1999
1:41:3410:47 p.m. The Millennium Armada
1:41:38appeared over the English Channel like a
1:41:40vision from hell's own archives. A fleet
1:41:43of aircraft that should not exist,
1:41:45sustained by technology that violated
1:41:47known physics and powered by the unholy
1:41:50fusion of Nazi engineering and vampiric
1:41:52essence.
1:41:54At its center, the graph zeppelin the
1:41:57sket dominated the sky, a derigible the
1:42:01size of a naval destroyer, bristling
1:42:03with weapons and trailing dozens of
1:42:05smaller craft like a queen bee
1:42:07surrounded by drones.
1:42:10Aboard the flagship, the major stood
1:42:12before his command screens, his small
1:42:15hands clasped behind his back, his eyes
1:42:18gleaming with the fervor of a conductor
1:42:20before the symphony's first note.
1:42:23Around him, Millennium's officers
1:42:25maintained their stations with the
1:42:27disciplined precision of true believers
1:42:30preparing for religious ecstasy.
1:42:33"Gentlemen," the major said, his voice
1:42:36carrying clearly despite the engine's
1:42:38roar. The hour has arrived. Operation
1:42:41Sebr, the glorious wind from the east,
1:42:45begins now. 1,000 vampire soldiers stand
1:42:48ready to descend upon London. Decades of
1:42:51preparation culminate in this moment.
1:42:53History itself holds its breath.
1:42:56He turned to face them and his smile was
1:42:59radiant.
1:43:01Some will call this terrorism. Others
1:43:03will name it warfare. But we, we who
1:43:07understand the purity of violence, the
1:43:09poetry of destruction, we know this for
1:43:12what it truly is, art. We are not
1:43:16invading England. We are painting a
1:43:18masterpiece in blood and fire, and the
1:43:20canvas is London itself.
1:43:23The officers responded with crisp
1:43:25salutes, their faces reflecting the same
1:43:28manic devotion that burned in their
1:43:30commander.
1:43:31"Begin the assault," the major
1:43:34commanded. And remember, this is not
1:43:37about conquest. This is about the
1:43:40experience of war itself.
1:43:42Let them see what true dedication looks
1:43:44like. Let the emperor of mankind witness
1:43:48what happens when philosophy meets fire.
1:43:51Let this night burn so brightly that
1:43:53even God turns away in shame or awe. The
1:43:57deployment began from the underbelly of
1:44:00the graph zeppelin and its accompanying
1:44:02vessels. VW was
1:44:06what rockets launched in cascading
1:44:08volleys, not the crude weapons of World
1:44:11War II, but modern iterations enhanced
1:44:14with precision guidance and explosive
1:44:16payloads designed specifically to
1:44:18shatter London's infrastructure.
1:44:20They scream toward the city like falling
1:44:22stars. Their engine roars a mechanical
1:44:25hymn to destruction.
1:44:27And behind the rockets, the vampires
1:44:30deployed.
1:44:321,000 freak soldiers dropped from
1:44:34altitude in specialized containers.
1:44:37Their artificial vampireism allowing
1:44:39them to survive impacts that would
1:44:41pulverize normal humans.
1:44:44They wore the field gay uniforms of
1:44:46vermocked soldiers. Each one armed with
1:44:49modern assault rifles modified to fire
1:44:51blessed silver ammunition.
1:44:53Millennium's twisted joke on the weapons
1:44:55traditionally used against vampires.
1:44:58They fell on London like a plague of
1:45:00iron crosses.
1:45:03The emperor felt the assault begin
1:45:05before the first rocket struck.
1:45:08His psychic senses registered the death
1:45:10toll. Climbing. Civilians caught in the
1:45:13initial bombardment. Emergency
1:45:15responders rushing toward danger.
1:45:17Soldiers mobilizing to defensive
1:45:19positions.
1:45:20The city's panic washed over him in
1:45:22waves. Millions of mines suddenly
1:45:25confronting mortality.
1:45:27He stood at top the shard still, having
1:45:30maintained his vigil through the
1:45:32preceding two weeks.
1:45:34Now he rose to his full height, golden
1:45:37armor blazing as he channeled power that
1:45:40had been held in reserve.
1:45:43It begins, he said into the
1:45:45communication device Walter had
1:45:47provided.
1:45:49Millennium's forces are deploying across
1:45:51seven primary zones. I am detecting
1:45:54approximately 1,000 vampire signatures
1:45:57with concentrations heaviest in
1:45:58Westminster, Camden, and the city of
1:46:01London. Civilian casualties are already
1:46:03mounting.
1:46:05Integra's voice crackled through the
1:46:07speaker. Tense but controlled.
1:46:11Acknowledged. Heling forces are
1:46:13mobilizing. Alikard is being deployed to
1:46:16Westminster. That's where Millennium's
1:46:18command structure appears strongest. Can
1:46:21you? I will begin neutralization
1:46:24immediately, the emperor interrupted.
1:46:27But understand, I cannot be everywhere
1:46:30simultaneously.
1:46:32My effectiveness is limited by
1:46:33geography, not capability. Prioritize
1:46:37civilian evacuation. I will create dead
1:46:40zones where vampire forces concentrate.
1:46:43But human military must handle perimeter
1:46:45containment.
1:46:47Understood, Integra replied. The RAF is
1:46:51scrambling interceptors to engage
1:46:53Millennium's air support. British army
1:46:55is establishing defensive cordons. God
1:46:58help us all.
1:47:00The Emperor terminated communication and
1:47:03stepped off the shards observation deck.
1:47:06He did not fall so much as descend with
1:47:08purpose. Psychic energy cushioning his
1:47:10drop as he plummeted 300 m to the street
1:47:13below. The impact cratered pavement,
1:47:16sending shock waves through surrounding
1:47:18buildings. Car alarms triggered in
1:47:21cascading waves, windows shattered,
1:47:25but the emperor was already moving. His
1:47:27enhanced speed carrying him toward the
1:47:29nearest concentration of vampire forces.
1:47:33Westminster burned. The historic heart
1:47:36of British government had become a war
1:47:38zone in minutes. V1 rockets had torn
1:47:42through Big Ben's tower, leaving it
1:47:44listing at a dangerous angle.
1:47:47Parliament itself blazed from multiple
1:47:49impacts. The tempames reflected orange
1:47:52fire light, turning the river into a
1:47:54stream of molten copper.
1:47:56And through the smoke and flame,
1:47:58Millennium's vampires prowled like
1:48:00hunting packs unleashed.
1:48:03They were not the elegant predators of
1:48:05Gothic fiction. These were soldiers,
1:48:08disciplined, coordinated, efficient.
1:48:11They moved in squad level formations,
1:48:14covering each other's advances,
1:48:16communicating through radio headsets.
1:48:19When they encountered civilians, they
1:48:21did not drain them slowly for pleasure.
1:48:24They killed with mechanical precision,
1:48:27then moved to the next target. War
1:48:29assembly line, death as logistics
1:48:32problem. The major's aesthetic made
1:48:35manifest. The emperor entered
1:48:38Westminster like a meteor strike. His
1:48:40presence detonated across the psychic
1:48:42plane. A shockwave of pure anathema
1:48:46energy that every vampire in a/4 mile
1:48:48radius felt like a knife to the brain.
1:48:52They turned as one. Artificial instincts
1:48:55screaming danger. Even as their training
1:48:57demanded they assess the threat.
1:49:00What they saw defied comprehension.
1:49:03A figure in golden armor burning with
1:49:05light that hurt to perceive. striding
1:49:08through fire and debris with the
1:49:09inevitability of an avalanche.
1:49:13Where his gaze fell, reality seemed to
1:49:16sharpen, colors intensifying, shadows
1:49:19retreating, the very air growing heavier
1:49:21with presence.
1:49:23The vampires opened fire. Blessed silver
1:49:26ammunition, rounds that had been
1:49:29specifically prepared to harm
1:49:30supernatural entities, poured toward the
1:49:33emperor in a wall of automatic fire.
1:49:37Dozens of assault rifles discharged
1:49:39simultaneously, their muzzle flashes
1:49:42strobing in the darkness. Every round
1:49:45stopped 3 ft from his armor.
1:49:48The emperor gestured and the
1:49:49telekinetically suspended bullets
1:49:51reversed trajectory.
1:49:53They accelerated back toward their
1:49:55sources at twice their original
1:49:56velocity, punching through vampire
1:49:59skulls with devastating precision. 20
1:50:02freak soldiers collapsed simultaneously.
1:50:05their enhanced regeneration inadequate
1:50:07to repair catastrophic brain damage.
1:50:11But regeneration was irrelevant when the
1:50:13emperor's attention focused on them.
1:50:16Golden fire erupted from the corpses.
1:50:20Not conventional flame, but the anathema
1:50:22nature of his being made manifest. It
1:50:25burned not flesh, but the supernatural
1:50:28essence that animated undead tissue. The
1:50:31freak chips embedded in their bodies
1:50:33sparked and melted. The vampiric
1:50:36corruption that sustained them dissolved
1:50:38like mist before the sun. Within
1:50:41seconds, 20 vampires became 20 human
1:50:44corpses. Their brief unlife terminated
1:50:46absolutely.
1:50:49The surviving freak soldiers fell back.
1:50:52Their training waring with supernatural
1:50:54terror. Their radios crackled with
1:50:57commands from superior officers,
1:50:59ordering them to regroup, to coordinate,
1:51:01to focus fire on weak points.
1:51:05But the emperor had no weak points. He
1:51:07advanced through their defensive
1:51:09positions like a force of nature.
1:51:12When they concentrated fire, he
1:51:14reflected it. When they attempted
1:51:17flanking maneuvers, his precognition
1:51:19anticipated every movement.
1:51:22When they called for heavy weapon
1:51:24support, rocket launchers, grenades,
1:51:27improvised explosives, he detonated them
1:51:30telekinetically before they could be
1:51:31deployed.
1:51:33And always, always his presence burned
1:51:36them.
1:51:38The freak soldiers began to understand
1:51:40in the final moments before annihilation
1:51:43what it meant to face something that
1:51:45existed specifically to destroy their
1:51:47kind.
1:51:48This was not a battle. This was
1:51:51extermination.
1:51:52They were insects before flame, shadows
1:51:55before the sun, corruption before purity
1:51:58weaponized.
1:51:59The emperor showed no mercy because
1:52:01mercy implied they had the capacity for
1:52:04redemption.
1:52:06These were not Saras Victoria victims
1:52:09struggling against their condition.
1:52:12These were willing participants in
1:52:13Millennium's ideology, soldiers who had
1:52:16chosen to become monsters in service of
1:52:18nihilistic violence. They had made their
1:52:21choice. He would honor it by granting
1:52:24them oblivion.
1:52:27Westminster's vampire concentration was
1:52:29neutralized within 10 minutes. 73 freak
1:52:33soldiers reduced to corpses.
1:52:3514 more fled toward other zones. Their
1:52:38morale shattered.
1:52:40The emperor let them go. They would
1:52:43spread panic among their fellows,
1:52:45degrading Millennium's coordination.
1:52:48But even as he achieved this tactical
1:52:50victory, his psychic senses detected the
1:52:53broader situation deteriorating.
1:52:57Camden Escariat's forces had engaged
1:52:59millennium, but were being overwhelmed
1:53:01by numbers.
1:53:04Alexander Anderson fought like a saint
1:53:06possessed, his blessed bayonets carving
1:53:08through vampires with holy fury. But
1:53:11even his regeneration had limits.
1:53:14Archbishop Maxwell coordinated from the
1:53:16rear. His tactical acumen hampered by
1:53:19arrogance and overconfidence.
1:53:22The city of London, Saras Victoria, led
1:53:25a helling rapid response team. Her
1:53:27harkcon and cannon demolishing vampires
1:53:29with explosive rounds.
1:53:32But she was retreating toward defensible
1:53:34positions as freak numbers proved too
1:53:36great for her fledgling abilities to
1:53:38counter.
1:53:40And somewhere in the chaos, Alukard
1:53:43hunted. The no-life king had been
1:53:45released with Integra's full authority.
1:53:48His power unchained for the first time
1:53:50since the emperor's arrival.
1:53:53The vampire moved through London like a
1:53:55red shadow. His twin pistols, the Casal
1:53:58and the Jackal, thundering as he
1:54:00destroyed Millennium soldiers with
1:54:02surgical precision.
1:54:04But Alukard was playing with his prey.
1:54:07The Emperor could sense it. the
1:54:09vampire's enjoyment of the hunt, his
1:54:12pleasure in testing himself against
1:54:13coordinated opposition.
1:54:16He was not fighting efficiently. He was
1:54:18savoring the experience. Unacceptable.
1:54:22The Emperor's mind reached out across
1:54:24the distance, psychic communication
1:54:26piercing through Alikard's consciousness
1:54:29like a spear.
1:54:31Vampire,
1:54:32you waste time with theatrics while
1:54:35humans die. Fight properly or I will
1:54:38come to your location and finish what
1:54:40you started.
1:54:42Alakard's mental response carried
1:54:44surprise then dark amusement.
1:54:47Ah, Emperor, I was wondering when you
1:54:50would notice.
1:54:51Very well. No more playing. Let me show
1:54:55you what I'm truly capable of when the
1:54:57leash comes off. The vampire's presence
1:55:00suddenly intensified across the psychic
1:55:02plane. The shadows of London seemed to
1:55:05deepen, spreading like ink through
1:55:08water. And from those shadows, Alikard
1:55:12released his true form.
1:55:14The emperor felt it. Millions of souls
1:55:17screaming in unison as Alikard's
1:55:19consciousness expanded to encompass them
1:55:21all. The vampire was no longer a single
1:55:24entity, but a gestalt, a horde wearing
1:55:27human skin. His shadows erupted across
1:55:30three city blocks, drowning millennium
1:55:33soldiers in an ocean of darkness
1:55:35populated by the eyes and hands of the
1:55:37devoured.
1:55:39It was horrific. It was effective and it
1:55:43was exactly what this situation
1:55:45required.
1:55:46The emperor nodded in grim approval and
1:55:49turned his attention to the next crisis
1:55:51point.
1:55:52The Graph Zeppelin II hung above London
1:55:55like a floating fortress. Its weapons
1:55:57batteries reigning destruction on
1:55:59defensive positions. British military
1:56:02interceptors engaged Millennium's escort
1:56:04fighters. The night sky torn by tracer
1:56:07fire and missile contrails.
1:56:09But the flagship itself remained
1:56:11untouchable, protected by altitude and
1:56:14anti-aircraft systems. The Emperor's
1:56:17eyes blazed as he calculated
1:56:19trajectories and probabilities.
1:56:22Then he began to rise. Psychic energy
1:56:26manifested as visible force, lifting him
1:56:29from Westminster's burning streets. He
1:56:31ascended like a reverse meteor. Golden
1:56:34light trailing behind him as he
1:56:36accelerated toward the durigible.
1:56:39Anti-aircraft fire tracked his approach.
1:56:42Automated systems identifying him as an
1:56:44aerial threat and unleashed torrent of
1:56:47high explosive shells.
1:56:50The emperor tore through the barrage
1:56:52like it was rain. Shells exploded
1:56:54against his psychic shields, their force
1:56:57dissipating harmlessly.
1:56:59He adjusted trajectory mid-flight, his
1:57:02precognition allowing him to navigate
1:57:04the optimal path through overlapping
1:57:06fields of fire. Within 30 seconds, he
1:57:10had covered 2 mi of vertical distance.
1:57:13The graph zeppelin the seu's hull loomed
1:57:16before him. a vast surface of armored
1:57:19fabric and metal plating, bristling with
1:57:22weapons imp placements and decorated
1:57:24with massive iron crosses that seem to
1:57:26mock the very concept of sanctity.
1:57:30The emperor extended his hand toward the
1:57:32derigible superructure and he unmade it.
1:57:37Telekinetic force refined by 40,000
1:57:40years of practice focused on molecular
1:57:42bonds.
1:57:44The metal began to scream as its atomic
1:57:46structure was forcibly rearranged.
1:57:49Rivets popped like gunshots. Armor
1:57:52plating buckled and tore. Support beams
1:57:55twisted into abstract sculptures of
1:57:57tortured steel. Inside the graph
1:58:00zeppelin, alarms shrieked as structural
1:58:03integrity collapsed.
1:58:05The major watched his command screens
1:58:07display catastrophic system failures
1:58:09across every section. He did not panic.
1:58:12He did not rage. He simply smiled wider,
1:58:16his eyes gleaming with the ecstasy of
1:58:18one witnessing exactly what he had hoped
1:58:20to see.
1:58:22Magnificent,
1:58:24he whispered.
1:58:26The emperor comes for us personally.
1:58:29We have earned his full attention. What
1:58:32greater honor could warriors ask for?
1:58:35Hair Major, the doctor shouted over the
1:58:38chaos. We must evacuate. The ship is
1:58:42The ship is our stage, the major
1:58:45interrupted calmly. And every stage must
1:58:48have its finale. Sound the evacuation
1:58:50order for the crew, but we remain. I
1:58:54wish to meet our golden guest face to
1:58:56face. The emperor tore through the
1:58:59derigible's hull like parchment. He
1:59:01entered the command center in an
1:59:03explosion of metal and fire. His arrival
1:59:06so violent that three officers were
1:59:07killed instantly by shrapnel.
1:59:10The survivors scrambled for weapons, but
1:59:13the major raised his hand, commanding
1:59:16them to stand down.
1:59:18"Emperor of mankind,"
1:59:21the major said, his voice carrying
1:59:23clearly despite the wind howling through
1:59:25the breached hull.
1:59:27"Welcome aboard the Graph Zeppelin 2. I
1:59:30am honored that you chose to visit
1:59:32personally rather than simply destroying
1:59:34us from afar."
1:59:36The emperor's gaze swept the command
1:59:38center, assessing threats and
1:59:39calculating optimal termination vectors.
1:59:43But his attention settled on the major.
1:59:46This small, unremarkable man who
1:59:49radiated such profound conviction that
1:59:51it bordered on a psychotic break.
1:59:55Your invasion fails, Major. I have
1:59:58destroyed 300 of your soldiers in the
2:00:00past 15 minutes. Alukard eliminates
2:00:03dozens more as we speak. Escariat's
2:00:05forces rally. British military
2:00:08establishes containment. Your grand
2:00:10opera concludes in defeat. Does it? The
2:00:13major asked genuinely curious.
2:00:17How do you define defeat? Emperor. If my
2:00:20goal was conquest, yes, we have failed.
2:00:23But if my goal was the experience of war
2:00:26itself, the pure beautiful chaos of
2:00:28violence unchained,
2:00:30then we have succeeded beyond my wildest
2:00:33projections.
2:00:35You stand before me now, having torn
2:00:37through my flagship like an avenging
2:00:39angel. What could be more perfect?
2:00:43The emperor's expression hardened.
2:00:46You worship entropy. You mistake
2:00:48destruction for meaning. You are a
2:00:50cancer celebrating its own malignancy.
2:00:54And you, the major replied,
2:00:57are a tyrant who mistakes control for
2:01:00purpose. You claim to shepherd humanity.
2:01:04But you offer them only the choice
2:01:05between submission and irrelevance.
2:01:08At least I am honest about what I am. A
2:01:12monster who loves war for its own sake.
2:01:15What are you truly beneath the golden
2:01:18armor and philosophical pretensions?
2:01:21The emperor raised his hand. Psychic
2:01:24energy coalesing into destructive
2:01:25potential that could atomize the major
2:01:27and everyone present.
2:01:30But he paused.
2:01:32Not from mercy, not from doubt, but from
2:01:36recognition that the major's question
2:01:37deserved an answer. Not for the major's
2:01:40benefit, but for his own clarity.
2:01:44I am, the emperor said slowly, what
2:01:47humanity requires me to be. Shepherd
2:01:50when guidance is needed, warrior when
2:01:53threats emerge, tyrant when chaos must
2:01:56be suppressed.
2:01:58I have been all these things across
2:02:0040,000 years because humanity's survival
2:02:02demanded it. And when this night ends,
2:02:05when your corpse is ash and your
2:02:07ideology forgotten, humanity will
2:02:09continue. That is the only metric that
2:02:12matters.
2:02:14The major's smile never wavered.
2:02:17Then kill me, emperor. Grant me the
2:02:20glorious death I have orchestrated this
2:02:22entire invasion to earn.
2:02:24Let my final moment be at the hands of
2:02:27the greatest warrior humanity has ever
2:02:29produced.
2:02:31What more beautiful conclusion could my
2:02:33opera have?
2:02:35The emperor's eyes blazed brighter, and
2:02:38the major, still smiling, closed his
2:02:40eyes and waited for oblivion. The
2:02:43emperor's hand remained raised. Golden
2:02:46fire gathering around his fingers. Power
2:02:49sufficient to erase the major from
2:02:51existence concentrated into a single
2:02:54devastating release. The command cent's
2:02:57surviving officers held their breath.
2:03:00Caught between duty and
2:03:01self-preservation,
2:03:03uncertain whether to flee or die
2:03:05alongside their commander.
2:03:08But the emperor did not strike.
2:03:11Not because he hesitated, not because he
2:03:14doubted his judgment,
2:03:16but because his psychic senses detected
2:03:18something the major had not mentioned,
2:03:21something hidden in the derigible's
2:03:22lower decks that transformed this
2:03:24confrontation from simple execution into
2:03:27tactical complexity.
2:03:30Hostages.
2:03:32The emperor's awareness pierced through
2:03:34the graph zeppelin structure,
2:03:36identifying the cargo hold where
2:03:38Millennium had imprisoned approximately
2:03:40200 British civilians.
2:03:42Captives taken during the initial
2:03:44assault kept alive not from mercy, but
2:03:47as insurance against precisely this
2:03:49scenario. The major's eyes opened and
2:03:52his smile widened as he watched the
2:03:55emperor's expression shift.
2:03:58Ah, the major said softly.
2:04:01You found them. The civilians we
2:04:04collected during our descent. Insurance
2:04:07seemed prudent. Even the most powerful
2:04:09warrior might pause when innocents hang
2:04:12in the balance.
2:04:14Tell me, Emperor, does your absolute
2:04:17conviction extend to sacrificing 200
2:04:19humans to eliminate one enemy commander?
2:04:23The emperor's jaw tightened.
2:04:26You use humanity as a shield. You hide
2:04:29behind the very lives you claim to
2:04:31despise.
2:04:33What happened to the purity of violence,
2:04:35Major? This is cowardice dressed as
2:04:38strategy.
2:04:39It is pragmatism, the major corrected,
2:04:43his tone carrying genuine amusement.
2:04:46I am a warrior, yes, but also a
2:04:48commander. My death serves my aesthetic
2:04:51perfectly, but only if it occurs at the
2:04:54proper moment. Dying now with my forces
2:04:57still engaged across London, with the
2:05:00opera still building toward its
2:05:01crescendo, that would be premature. An
2:05:04artist does not rush the final act.
2:05:08You mistake yourself for the
2:05:09protagonist, the emperor said coldly.
2:05:13You are not the artist, Major. You are
2:05:15the paint, crude pigment to be applied
2:05:18and discarded.
2:05:20Perhaps the major agreed. But even paint
2:05:24can choose where to splatter. Kill me
2:05:26now and the graph zeppelin's automated
2:05:29systems will detonate the holds. 200
2:05:32humans die instantly. Or he spread his
2:05:36hands in mock generosity.
2:05:38You can allow me to complete my
2:05:40performance. The hostages will be
2:05:42released when the battle concludes. Win
2:05:44or lose, they serve no further purpose.
2:05:48My word as an officer.
2:05:51The word of a Nazi vampire commander,
2:05:53the emperor replied. Worthless.
2:05:57The word of a man who has never lied
2:05:59about his nature. The major countered. I
2:06:02wage war for aesthetic reasons. Yes, but
2:06:06I am not needlessly cruel. The civilians
2:06:09serve a tactical purpose currently. Once
2:06:12that purpose ends, I gain nothing from
2:06:14their deaths. Unlike you, Emperor, I do
2:06:18not pretend my violence serves higher
2:06:20morality. I simply execute it with
2:06:22style. The Emperor's mind raced through
2:06:25probabilities and solutions.
2:06:28He could tear through the ship's
2:06:30systems, disable the dead man switches,
2:06:32neutralize the explosives, and extract
2:06:35the hostages in approximately 47
2:06:37seconds.
2:06:39but 47 seconds during which the major
2:06:42and his officers could activate
2:06:43contingencies, trigger fail safes, or
2:06:46simply detonate everything out of spite.
2:06:49The risk calculation was unacceptable.
2:06:53You have orchestrated this scenario
2:06:55carefully, the emperor acknowledged,
2:06:59forcing me to choose between immediate
2:07:01justice and civilian preservation.
2:07:04You use my own principles as weapons
2:07:06against me.
2:07:08I use the only leverage available, the
2:07:10major replied. You are stronger, faster,
2:07:14more powerful in every measurable way.
2:07:18But you are constrained by your purpose
2:07:21to protect humanity.
2:07:23I am constrained by nothing except my
2:07:25own aesthetic sense. That a symmetry
2:07:28creates opportunities for those clever
2:07:30enough to exploit them.
2:07:34The emperor slowly lowered his hand. the
2:07:36gathered energy dissipating.
2:07:40Very well, Major. You have earned a
2:07:41temporary reprieve.
2:07:44But understand,
2:07:46when your invasion fails, when your
2:07:48soldiers are destroyed and your grand
2:07:50opera concludes in ashes, you will
2:07:53answer for every human death tonight.
2:07:56And I will ensure your end is neither
2:07:58glorious nor meaningful. It will be
2:08:01simple erasure. The punishment for those
2:08:04who waste my time with theatrics.
2:08:07We shall see, the major said, his smile
2:08:11never faltering.
2:08:13The night is young, emperor. Many
2:08:16movements remain in this symphony.
2:08:19Perhaps I will earn my glorious death.
2:08:22Perhaps you will prove less constrained
2:08:23than you believe. Or perhaps.
2:08:27His eyes gleamed with genuine curiosity.
2:08:31Perhaps you will discover something
2:08:33about yourself you did not expect.
2:08:36War has a way of revealing truth.
2:08:39The emperor turned without another word
2:08:42and tore back through the hull breach,
2:08:44descending toward London with controlled
2:08:46fury burning in his veins. The major had
2:08:49proven more sophisticated than
2:08:51anticipated, not through power, but
2:08:53through understanding that even absolute
2:08:56force could be maneuvered with proper
2:08:58leverage.
2:09:00It was a lesson the emperor had taught
2:09:02countless enemies across 40 millennia.
2:09:05True strength lay not in capacity for
2:09:08violence, but in willingness to employ
2:09:10it without hesitation.
2:09:13The major had reversed that equation,
2:09:16using the emperor's reluctance to
2:09:17sacrifice innocence as a weapon more
2:09:19effective than any freak soldier.
2:09:23Unacceptable.
2:09:25Below, the battle raged with renewed
2:09:27intensity.
2:09:29Alukard had fully embraced his released
2:09:31state, his shadows consuming entire
2:09:34blocks as he systematically annihilated
2:09:36Millennium's forces.
2:09:39But the vampires method was inefficient.
2:09:41He toyed with his prey, savoring their
2:09:44terror, prolonging engagements for his
2:09:46own entertainment.
2:09:48200 freak soldiers had fallen to his
2:09:50guns and familiars, but 300 more
2:09:53continued their assault across London's
2:09:55eastern districts.
2:09:58Iscariot's forces held Camden through
2:10:00sheer fanaticism and Anderson's near
2:10:02immortal regeneration. The paladin
2:10:05carved through vampires like a holy
2:10:07threshing machine. His blessed bayonets
2:10:10finding hearts and skulls with surgical
2:10:12precision.
2:10:14But even he showed signs of strain. His
2:10:17regeneration slowing. His movements
2:10:19fractionally less precise.
2:10:22The Vatican's regenerators fought with
2:10:25suicidal courage. But Millennium's
2:10:27numerical advantage ground them down
2:10:30through attrition. And throughout it
2:10:32all, civilians died.
2:10:36Not in vast numbers, the initial
2:10:38evacuation protocols had moved millions
2:10:40to relative safety. But in the hundreds,
2:10:43those too slow, too stubborn, or too
2:10:46unlucky to escape the combat zones. Each
2:10:49death registered on the emperor's
2:10:51psychic senses like a tolling bell,
2:10:54marking failures he could not prevent.
2:10:57This was the fundamental problem with
2:10:59war. Even overwhelming power could not
2:11:02be everywhere simultaneously.
2:11:05The emperor could destroy a thousand
2:11:07vampires in minutes if they conveniently
2:11:09gathered in one location.
2:11:12but spread across London's vastness.
2:11:15Operating in dispersed squad level
2:11:16formations, they forced him to choose
2:11:19which humans to save and which to
2:11:21abandon to their fate. It was the
2:11:24calculus he had performed across 40,000
2:11:27years. And he despised it no less now
2:11:30than he had during the Great Crusade's
2:11:32bloodiest campaigns.
2:11:34The emperor descended into the city of
2:11:36London's financial district, Kee, where
2:11:39Saras Victoria's defensive position was
2:11:42collapsing under sustained assault.
2:11:45The young vampire fired her Harcon and
2:11:47cannon with desperate precision. Each
2:11:49explosive round destroying freak
2:11:51soldiers in spectacular fashion,
2:11:54but ammunition was finite and the enemy
2:11:57was not.
2:11:59"Fall back!" she shouted to her helling
2:12:02support team. Ordinary humans armed with
2:12:04blessed weaponry, brave but hopelessly
2:12:07outmatched.
2:12:09Retreat to secondary positions. I'll
2:12:11cover. The emperor materialized beside
2:12:14her in a flash of golden light. Saras
2:12:18actually yelped in surprise, nearly
2:12:20dropping her cannon. Your majesty, I
2:12:23we're being overrun. There's too many
2:12:26and they keep coming. And silence, the
2:12:29emperor commanded not unkindly. Conserve
2:12:34your ammunition. I will handle this.
2:12:37He stepped forward, placing himself
2:12:40between Saras's position and the
2:12:42advancing freak formations.
2:12:45Approximately 60 vampires converged on
2:12:47their location, moving with tactical
2:12:50discipline that would have impressed
2:12:51Imperial Guard commanders.
2:12:54They spread out, established overlapping
2:12:56fields of fire, prepared coordinated
2:12:59assault.
2:13:01The emperor simply raised both hands.
2:13:04Psychic lightning erupted from his
2:13:06palms. Not metaphorical energy, but
2:13:08literal electrical discharge channeled
2:13:10through telekinetic manipulation of
2:13:12local atmospheric conditions.
2:13:15Bolts of golden lightning arked across
2:13:17the battlefield, each one targeting a
2:13:20vampire with precognitive precision.
2:13:23The freak soldiers convulsed as millions
2:13:25of volts coursed through their bodies,
2:13:27cooking them from within. But electrical
2:13:30damage alone would not kill vampires
2:13:32with their regenerative capabilities.
2:13:35So the emperor added the anathema.
2:13:38Where his lightning touched, golden fire
2:13:42ignited the supernatural destroying
2:13:44essence of his being transmitted through
2:13:46the electrical medium.
2:13:49Vampires burst into flames that consumed
2:13:52not flesh but the undead corruption
2:13:54animating them. Their screams cut off
2:13:58midcry as their freak chips melted and
2:14:00their stolen life force dissolved.
2:14:04Within 20 seconds, 60 vampires became 60
2:14:07corpses.
2:14:09Sarah stared, her mouth open in shock.
2:14:13That was I've never seen.
2:14:17You have witnessed what humanity can
2:14:19become when it transcends limitations,
2:14:22the emperor said. Remember this, Saras
2:14:25Victoria. You struggle against
2:14:27vampirism, fighting to retain your
2:14:29humanity despite supernatural
2:14:31corruption. That struggle has value. But
2:14:35the ultimate goal is not to master
2:14:37vampireism.
2:14:38It is to shed it entirely and reclaim
2:14:41what you were.
2:14:43Is that even possible? Saras asked, her
2:14:46voice small.
2:14:48I do not know, the emperor admitted.
2:14:51Your condition differs from alukards.
2:14:54You were turned recently, your human
2:14:56soul still strong. Perhaps with
2:14:59sufficient willpower and proper
2:15:01guidance, the vampireism could be burned
2:15:04away while leaving your essential self
2:15:06intact.
2:15:08It would require psychic surgery of
2:15:10extraordinary precision.
2:15:12But
2:15:14he paused, considering,
2:15:17"When this war ends, if you truly desire
2:15:20it, I will attempt to restore your
2:15:22humanity. No promises of success, but I
2:15:27will try."
2:15:29Blood tears formed in Saras's eyes. "You
2:15:32would do that even though you hate
2:15:34vampires. I hate what vampires
2:15:37represent. Parasetism, predation,
2:15:40supernatural corruption.
2:15:42But you, Sarah Victoria, are not truly a
2:15:45vampire. You are a human infected with
2:15:48vampirism.
2:15:50There is a difference. And if I can cure
2:15:53that infection,
2:15:55the emperor's expression softened
2:15:57fractionally.
2:15:59Then perhaps not all of this night's
2:16:01horrors will be irredeemable.
2:16:04Before Saras could respond, the
2:16:06emperor's communication device crackled
2:16:09to life.
2:16:10Emperor, this is Integra.
2:16:13The director's voice was taught with
2:16:15stress.
2:16:16Alakard reports massive supernatural
2:16:18surge approaching from the south.
2:16:21Something beyond normal freak
2:16:23signatures.
2:16:24We think Millennium deployed a special
2:16:26weapon, possibly one of their elite
2:16:29operatives.
2:16:30I sense it, the Emperor confirmed, his
2:16:34psychic awareness already tracking the
2:16:36approaching presence.
2:16:38Designate
2:16:40target is broadcasting on open channels.
2:16:43Calls herself Rip Van Winkle,
2:16:46Millennium's first lieutenant. She's
2:16:48torn through our southern perimeter
2:16:50defenses. 12 casualties confirmed. 34
2:16:53wounded. Her ability appears to be some
2:16:56form of impossible marksmanship.
2:16:59Single musket ball that never misses,
2:17:01never stops, continuously pursuing
2:17:04targets until they're destroyed.
2:17:07The emperor's eyes narrowed. A cursed
2:17:10weapon. How very predictable.
2:17:14I will neutralize this threat. Continue
2:17:17coordinating primary defensive
2:17:18operations.
2:17:20He turned to Sarah's.
2:17:23Hold this position until reinforcements
2:17:25arrive. Do not pursue fleeing enemies.
2:17:28Let them run. Focus on protecting
2:17:31civilians, maintaining defensive
2:17:33integrity. Understood?
2:17:35Yes, your majesty. Siras saluted, her
2:17:39earlier despair replaced by renewed
2:17:41determination.
2:17:42The emperor launched himself southward.
2:17:45Psychic propulsion carrying him above
2:17:47London's rooftops at supersonic
2:17:49velocity. The sonic boom of his passage
2:17:52shattered windows below. But he
2:17:55calculated the acceptable collateral
2:17:57damage against the cost of delayed
2:17:58response.
2:18:00Rip Van Winkle stood at top a burning
2:18:02apartment complex in Surk. her musket
2:18:05cradled casually as she surveyed the
2:18:07destruction below. She was tall and lean
2:18:11with asymmetrical red hair and thick
2:18:13rimmed glasses that gave her an almost
2:18:15bookish appearance until one noticed the
2:18:18manic gleam in her eyes and the way her
2:18:20fingers caressed her weapon like a
2:18:22lover. Bodies littered the street below,
2:18:25palsing soldiers, metropolitan police, a
2:18:28few unlucky civilians.
2:18:30Each had been killed by impossible
2:18:32shots. Bullets through eye sockets from
2:18:35a mile away. Rounds that curved around
2:18:38cover. Projectiles that pursued fleeing
2:18:40targets through buildings and vehicles.
2:18:43She hummed Vagner's ride of the
2:18:46Valkyries. As she reloaded, her voice
2:18:49carrying clearly in the night air.
2:18:52The Emperor landed 30 m from her
2:18:54position, his arrival cracking the
2:18:56rooftop beneath him.
2:18:59Rip Van Winkle turned and her smile
2:19:02widened with delight.
2:19:04Ah, dear Golden Hair Major said you
2:19:07would come. He said you would burn so
2:19:09very bright. He was right. You are
2:19:12beautiful like a star brought low to
2:19:15earth. It will be such pleasure to kill
2:19:17you.
2:19:19You mistake confidence for capability,
2:19:22the emperor replied. Your weapon is
2:19:24formidable against conventional
2:19:26opponents. Against me, it is a toy.
2:19:30We shall see. Rip Van Winkle sang,
2:19:33raising her musket. My magic bullet
2:19:36never misses, never stops, never
2:19:39surrenders. It pursues its target until
2:19:42either it strikes or reality itself
2:19:44breaks.
2:19:46Can your golden fire stop inevitability?
2:19:50She fired. The musk ball erupted from
2:19:53the barrel with a crack-like thunder,
2:19:55but it did not follow a normal ballistic
2:19:57trajectory.
2:19:59Instead, it curved through the air like
2:20:01a living thing, adjusting its path
2:20:03mid-flight as it locked onto the
2:20:05emperor's position.
2:20:08The projectile glowed with sickly green
2:20:10light, supernatural energy binding it to
2:20:13its purpose.
2:20:15The emperor did not dodge. The bullet
2:20:18struck his psychic shield and stopped,
2:20:21hovering 3 in from his chest plate. It
2:20:24vibrated with frustrated energy, trying
2:20:26to force its way through the invisible
2:20:28barrier, but the emperor's will was
2:20:31absolute.
2:20:33Impossible, Rip Van Winkle breathed.
2:20:37Nothing stops Dared Zalberg. Nothing. I
2:20:41am not nothing, the emperor replied.
2:20:45I am everything your cursed weapon is
2:20:46not. Order against chaos, reason against
2:20:50superstition, human perfection against
2:20:53supernatural corruption.
2:20:55The bullet continued struggling, its
2:20:57green glow intensifying as it burned
2:20:59through whatever reserves of mystical
2:21:01energy powered it. But the emperor's
2:21:04shield did not waver. Finally, with a
2:21:07sound like breaking glass, the
2:21:09enchantment shattered.
2:21:12The musk ball fell harmlessly to the
2:21:14rooftop, now nothing more than a lump of
2:21:17lead. Rip Van Winkle's eyes widened
2:21:20behind her glasses.
2:21:22Nine nine is ML. The emperor raised his
2:21:26hand and she flew backward, telekinetic
2:21:29force gripping her like a giant's fist.
2:21:32She slammed into the rooftop's edge, her
2:21:34musket clattering away, her breath
2:21:36driven from her lungs.
2:21:39Your major uses you as a weapon, the
2:21:42emperor said, approaching her slowly. He
2:21:45sends you to die against an opponent you
2:21:47cannot defeat. Not because he believes
2:21:50you will succeed, but because your
2:21:52failure serves his aesthetic. You are a
2:21:55brushstroke in his painting, nothing
2:21:56more. I am, Rip Van Winkle gasped,
2:22:01struggling against his psychic grip. I
2:22:04am Millennium. I serve dear Major's
2:22:08vision.
2:22:10You serve a madman's vanity, the emperor
2:22:13corrected. And now you will die for it.
2:22:15Not gloriously, not meaningfully, simply
2:22:18efficiently.
2:22:20He clenched his fist and ripped Van
2:22:22Winkle's body ignited with golden fire.
2:22:25Unlike freak soldiers, she was a true
2:22:28vampire, one of millenniums, elite,
2:22:30turned through genuine vampiric blood
2:22:32rather than artificial chips. Her
2:22:35regeneration was formidable, her
2:22:37vitality impressive.
2:22:40But against the anathema, regeneration
2:22:42was irrelevant. The fire consumed her
2:22:45from within, burning away the
2:22:47supernatural essence that animated her
2:22:49corpse.
2:22:51She screamed, a sound of genuine terror
2:22:55as she felt her existence dissolving.
2:22:58The souls she had consumed over decades
2:23:01of vampireism burned free, released from
2:23:03their binding. Her flesh collapsed into
2:23:06ash, her bones blackened and crumbled.
2:23:09And within seconds, nothing remained but
2:23:12dust scattered on the London wind.
2:23:15The emperor stood alone on the rooftop,
2:23:17the cursed musket lying powerless at his
2:23:20feet.
2:23:22One of Millennium's elite operatives
2:23:23eliminated in less than 3 minutes.
2:23:27But even as he achieved this victory,
2:23:30his psychic senses detected the broader
2:23:32tactical situation continuing to
2:23:34deteriorate.
2:23:36The major had orchestrated this invasion
2:23:39with diabolical precision, not to win
2:23:41militarily, but to create maximum chaos
2:23:45and force the emperor to make impossible
2:23:47choices about where to deploy his power.
2:23:50Save civilians in the east and
2:23:52Escariat's forces collapse in the north.
2:23:55destroy Millennium's air support and
2:23:57ground forces overwhelm defensive
2:23:59positions, pursue elite operatives, and
2:24:03freak soldiers rampage through
2:24:04undefended districts.
2:24:07This was the Major's true genius,
2:24:10recognizing that even gods could be
2:24:12defeated through logistics and
2:24:13coordination.
2:24:15The Emperor's jaw tightened as he
2:24:17calculated the remaining freak soldier
2:24:19concentrations and estimated time to
2:24:22neutralization.
2:24:24400 vampires remained operational.
2:24:28Without his intervention, British and
2:24:30Helsing forces would eventually prevail,
2:24:33but casualties would reach unacceptable
2:24:35levels.
2:24:36Potentially thousands of additional
2:24:38civilian deaths, hundreds more military
2:24:41personnel lost.
2:24:43With his intervention, that number could
2:24:46be reduced to hundreds of civilian
2:24:47casualties, and dozens of military
2:24:50losses. but only if he abandoned his
2:24:53pursuit of the major.
2:24:55Only if he let the mastermind survive
2:24:57while eliminating pawns.
2:25:00The calculus was clear. The choice was
2:25:03obvious, and the emperor despised it
2:25:06nonetheless.
2:25:08He launched himself back toward central
2:25:10London, where the densest vampire
2:25:12concentrations threatened the most
2:25:14lives. The major would live to see his
2:25:17opera's conclusion. But when the final
2:25:19curtain fell, his fate was sealed. 2:34
2:25:23a.m. Sunday, January 20th.
2:25:27London burned, but the tide had turned.
2:25:30The emperor moved through the city like
2:25:32a cleansing fire. His presence alone,
2:25:35creating dead zones where freak soldiers
2:25:37simply ceased to function. He had
2:25:40refined his technique over the past 3
2:25:42hours, no longer needing direct
2:25:44confrontation to destroy Millennium's
2:25:46forces. His psychic aura expanded in
2:25:50controlled bursts, washing over entire
2:25:52districts and burning away vampiric
2:25:54corruption like infection before
2:25:56cauterization.
2:25:58300 vampires eliminated through
2:26:00systematic advancement.
2:26:03Another 70 destroyed by Alikard, who had
2:26:06finally stopped toying with his prey and
2:26:08embraced efficient slaughter. Escariat's
2:26:12forces, reinforced by the emperor's
2:26:14intervention at critical moments, had
2:26:16held their positions and begun counter
2:26:18offensives.
2:26:20British military, initially overwhelmed,
2:26:23now coordinated with supernatural allies
2:26:25to establish containment zones,
2:26:28but the cost had been severe. 417
2:26:32civilians dead,
2:26:34123 military personnel killed.
2:26:37Significant portions of Westminster,
2:26:40Camden, and Southern reduced to burning
2:26:42rubble. Big Ben's Tower had collapsed
2:26:45completely. Its famous bells now silent
2:26:48forever. Parliament's historic chambers
2:26:51were gutted by fire. The London Eye,
2:26:54somehow caught in the crossfire, listed
2:26:57dangerously over the Tempames. And still
2:27:00the Graph Zeppelin II hung in the sky,
2:27:03its weapons sporadic now, but its
2:27:05presence a constant reminder that the
2:27:07major orchestrated this carnage from
2:27:09relative safety.
2:27:11The Emperor stood at top what remained
2:27:13of the Tower Bridge, surveying the
2:27:15battlefield. His armor was scorched in
2:27:18places splattered with ash that had once
2:27:20been vampires.
2:27:23But he remained functionally undamaged.
2:27:25His power unddeinished despite hours of
2:27:28sustained combat.
2:27:30His communication device crackled.
2:27:33Emperor, this is Integra. Final freak
2:27:37concentrations are being mopped up by
2:27:39combined forces. We estimate perhaps 30
2:27:42to 40 vampires remain operational,
2:27:45scattered, and disorganized.
2:27:47The invasion has failed tactically.
2:27:50a pause. But London is devastated. The
2:27:54prime minister is demanding answers. The
2:27:57Queen has been evacuated to secure
2:27:59locations. The international community
2:28:01is screaming for explanations.
2:28:04And that damned durigible still floats
2:28:06above us like a monument to our
2:28:08inability to end this.
2:28:11The major honors his word regarding
2:28:12hostages, the emperor replied. My
2:28:16psychic senses detect no hostile intent
2:28:18toward the civilians aboard his vessel.
2:28:21He keeps them alive because they serve
2:28:23his purpose, preventing me from simply
2:28:25destroying the graph zeppelin.
2:28:28Then we're at an impass, Integris said,
2:28:33frustration evident in her voice. We
2:28:36can't assault the ship without killing
2:28:37innocents. We can't leave it hovering
2:28:40indefinitely.
2:28:41What do you suggest?
2:28:44I suggest the emperor said that the
2:28:47major desires confrontation.
2:28:49He has orchestrated this entire invasion
2:28:51to create specific circumstances.
2:28:54Circumstances that will reveal something
2:28:56he wishes to see. We will give him what
2:29:00he wants but on our terms.
2:29:03Explain.
2:29:04Alukard hungers for meaningful combat.
2:29:08The major represents one of the few
2:29:09opponents who has challenged him
2:29:11intellectually rather than merely
2:29:13physically.
2:29:15Their confrontation is inevitable. The
2:29:18major has ensured it through careful
2:29:19manipulation.
2:29:21But Alikard will not fight carefully. He
2:29:24will not consider hostage safety or
2:29:26collateral damage. He will simply
2:29:29unleash his full power and revel in the
2:29:31destruction.
2:29:34You want to send Alikard alone into the
2:29:35graph zeppelin?
2:29:37Integra's tone sharpened. That's suicide
2:29:41even for him. The major will have
2:29:43prepared counter measures, traps,
2:29:44contingencies.
2:29:46Yes, the emperor agreed. Which is why I
2:29:50will accompany him, not as ally, but as
2:29:53insurance. I will ensure the hostages
2:29:56are extracted safely while Alukard
2:29:58satisfies his need for confrontation.
2:30:01The major gets his dramatic finale.
2:30:03Alikard gets his meaningful battle. The
2:30:06hostages survive. And afterward, I will
2:30:09personally ensure thee. Major's death is
2:30:11neither glorious nor memorable.
2:30:14Silence then.
2:30:16You're using Alikard as bait.
2:30:19I am using Alikard as Alikard wishes to
2:30:22be used as a weapon pointed at worthy
2:30:25opposition. He has earned this
2:30:27confrontation through his service
2:30:29tonight. Let him have it with
2:30:31appropriate supervision.
2:30:34He won't like being supervised, Integra
2:30:37warned. He will tolerate it, the emperor
2:30:41replied. Because the alternative is me
2:30:44destroying the graph Zeppelin with such
2:30:46overwhelming force that nothing remains,
2:30:49including his opportunity for the battle
2:30:51he craves.
2:30:53Another pause. Very well. I'll give
2:30:57Alikard the order to assault the graph
2:30:59zeppelin.
2:31:00But emperor, if this goes wrong, if
2:31:03those hostages die because you
2:31:05miscalculated,
2:31:07then I will accept responsibility,
2:31:10the emperor said simply. But I do not
2:31:13miscalculate.
2:31:15Trust in my capabilities, Sir Integra,
2:31:17even if you cannot trust my methods.
2:31:20The transmission ended. The emperor
2:31:23reached out with his mind. Psychic
2:31:25communication piercing through London's
2:31:28chaos to find the vampire's
2:31:29consciousness.
2:31:31Alikard, the graph Zeppelin awaits. The
2:31:35major has orchestrated this entire
2:31:37invasion to draw you to him. Will you
2:31:40grant him the confrontation he desires?
2:31:43Alikard's response was immediate, tinged
2:31:46with dark anticipation.
2:31:49Oh, yes.
2:31:51I've been saving my appetite for that
2:31:53little man.
2:31:55He thinks himself an artist.
2:31:57I'll show him what true artistry looks
2:31:59like when painted in his own blood.
2:32:03You will board the graph Zeppelin with
2:32:04my blessing," the emperor continued.
2:32:08"But understand I will be present as
2:32:10well, not to fight your battle, but to
2:32:14ensure civilian casualties are
2:32:16minimized.
2:32:17You may have your confrontation with the
2:32:19major. I will handle everything else."
2:32:23You want to watch, Alikard observed,
2:32:26amusement coloring his mental voice. You
2:32:29want to see what happens when the
2:32:31monster you've judged unworthy faces the
2:32:33monster who judges himself perfect.
2:32:37Interesting.
2:32:39Very well, Emperor. Let us both ascend
2:32:41to that floating theater.
2:32:44But when the major and I dance, do not
2:32:47interfere. Some performances are meant
2:32:49to be duets, not symphonies.
2:32:52Agreed, the emperor replied. But
2:32:56remember our compact. This battle is
2:32:58your test, vampire. Prove yourself
2:33:01worthy of redemption or prove yourself
2:33:03worthy only of destruction. The choice
2:33:06is yours.
2:33:08They converged on the graph Zeppelin's
2:33:10position. Two immortals ascending toward
2:33:13a floating fortress drawn by different
2:33:15motivations toward the same inevitable
2:33:18confrontation.
2:33:20Alukard rose through his shadows, his
2:33:23form dissolving into liquid darkness
2:33:25that climbed the air like smoke.
2:33:28The emperor ascended through psychic
2:33:30propulsion. Golden light trailing behind
2:33:32him like a comet's tail. They arrived at
2:33:36the durigible hull simultaneously. Two
2:33:38opposing forces united temporarily by
2:33:41common purpose.
2:33:43After you, emperor, Alikard said, his
2:33:46grin wide and feral. Age before beauty,
2:33:51monstrosity before divinity, the emperor
2:33:54replied dryly and tore open the hull
2:33:57with telekinetic force. They entered
2:34:00together. The Graph Zeppelin's interior
2:34:03was a maze of corridors and compartments
2:34:06designed for military efficiency rather
2:34:07than comfort.
2:34:09But Millennium soldiers had abandoned
2:34:11their posts. The Emperor's psychic
2:34:14senses detected only minimal crew
2:34:16remaining, most having evacuated during
2:34:19the battle's chaotic height.
2:34:22Only the command center remained fully
2:34:24staffed and only because the major had
2:34:26ordered them to stay.
2:34:28The Emperor and Alikard moved through
2:34:30the corridors with shared purpose, their
2:34:33footsteps echoing in the emptiness. They
2:34:36spoke little. What was there to say?
2:34:39Both knew this convergence was
2:34:41inevitable from the moment Millennium
2:34:43had deployed. Both recognized the majors
2:34:46manipulations for what they were. And
2:34:49both in their own ways accepted the
2:34:51roles assigned them. They found the
2:34:54hostages first, secured in the cargo
2:34:56hold as intelligence had indicated.
2:35:00217 civilians, men, women, children,
2:35:05huddled in terrified silence.
2:35:08Guards who should have been watching
2:35:09them had fled, leaving only locked doors
2:35:12between the captives and freedom. The
2:35:15emperor gestured and the locks
2:35:17shattered. Psychic energy flooded
2:35:20through the hostages minds, not
2:35:22controlling them, but guiding them,
2:35:24showing them the safest evacuation route
2:35:26through the damaged durigible.
2:35:29They moved as one, following his mental
2:35:32directions without conscious
2:35:33understanding, flowing toward emergency
2:35:36exits and evacuation equipment.
2:35:39Impressive, Alikard observed. You
2:35:43puppeteer them gently. I would have
2:35:45simply commanded. You prefer to suggest.
2:35:50Free will matters, the emperor replied.
2:35:54even when exercising it leads to
2:35:56suboptimal choices. These civilians will
2:35:59evacuate because I have shown them the
2:36:01path, not because I have stolen their
2:36:03agency.
2:36:05Philosophical distinctions that make no
2:36:07practical difference, Alikard said. But
2:36:11I suppose that's what separates us. You
2:36:14care about the method. I care only about
2:36:17results.
2:36:19Which is why you remain a monster, the
2:36:22emperor noted. and I remain human. They
2:36:25continued toward the command center.
2:36:28Leaving the evacuating hostages behind,
2:36:32the Emperor's psychic senses monitored
2:36:34their progress.
2:36:36They would reach safety within minutes,
2:36:39descending via emergency repelling
2:36:41equipment to British military positions
2:36:43below.
2:36:45The major's final leverage was
2:36:47dissolving,
2:36:49and he knew it. They found him in the
2:36:52command center standing alone saved for
2:36:54the doctor and warrant officer
2:36:56Schrodinger.
2:36:58The surviving command staff had been
2:37:00dismissed, sent to their deaths or
2:37:02evacuations. It mattered little.
2:37:06Only the core leadership remained,
2:37:08waiting for their guests with the
2:37:10patient anticipation of those who had
2:37:12choreographed every step of this dance.
2:37:16Gentlemen, the major greeted them, his
2:37:19arms spread wide in welcome.
2:37:22The stars of our opera finally take the
2:37:24stage together. Alukard, the monster who
2:37:27wishes to die. The emperor, the tyrant
2:37:30who wishes to save. And me, the artist
2:37:33who wishes only to witness perfection.
2:37:35What a cast we have assembled.
2:37:38Your hostages are evacuating,
2:37:41the emperor said flatly. Your leverage
2:37:44is gone. Your invasion has failed. Your
2:37:48soldiers are destroyed. Surrender and I
2:37:51will ensure your death is quick.
2:37:54Surrender.
2:37:56The major laughed. Genuine delighted
2:37:59laughter. Why would I surrender when the
2:38:02performance has finally reached its
2:38:03crescendo?
2:38:05No, Emperor. The hostages served their
2:38:08purpose, keeping you distracted while I
2:38:11prepared the true finale.
2:38:13And now,"
2:38:15he nodded to Schroinger, who smiled and
2:38:18placed something on the command console.
2:38:20A small, unremarkable device that pulsed
2:38:23with sickly green light.
2:38:25"What is that?" Alikard demanded, his
2:38:28shadows beginning to writhe.
2:38:31"Inurance," the major replied. "A
2:38:34quantum destabilization bomb, for lack
2:38:37of better terminology.
2:38:40Schroinger's unique existence allows him
2:38:42to exist in superp position across
2:38:44multiple states.
2:38:46This device weaponizes that principle.
2:38:50When activated, it will collapse every
2:38:52quantum state within a half mile radius
2:38:54into a single catastrophic outcome. The
2:38:58graph zeppelin will cease to exist. The
2:39:01surrounding airspace will cease to
2:39:02exist. And everything within that
2:39:05sphere, including all of us, will be
2:39:07reduced to fundamental particles.
2:39:10A suicide weapon, the emperor said, his
2:39:14eyes narrowing. You threaten mutual
2:39:17annihilation.
2:39:19I promise mutual annihilation, the major
2:39:22corrected.
2:39:24Because that is what I have wanted from
2:39:25the beginning. Not victory, not
2:39:28conquest, but the perfect ending.
2:39:31We die together, locked in combat, our
2:39:35philosophical opposition resolved
2:39:36through the ultimate equalizer. Is that
2:39:39not beautiful?
2:39:41That is insane. Alukard growled, but his
2:39:45grin had returned.
2:39:47But I suppose I expected nothing less.
2:39:51Very well, Major. You want war to the
2:39:53last breath? You want to drag us all
2:39:55into oblivion? Then come, let us paint
2:39:59our masterpiece in each other's blood.
2:40:02The emperor calculated rapidly. The
2:40:05quantum bomb was genuine. His psychic
2:40:07senses detected the unstable probability
2:40:10field surrounding it.
2:40:12Disarming it would require manipulating
2:40:14quantum states beyond his current
2:40:16capabilities.
2:40:18Destroying it might trigger premature
2:40:20detonation.
2:40:22and the major's hand hovered over the
2:40:23activation switch, ready to collapse all
2:40:26possibilities into extinction.
2:40:30"You cannot win," the major said, his
2:40:33smile radiant. "If you kill me, my hand
2:40:37triggers the device. If you disable me
2:40:40psychically, the doctor activates it as
2:40:43contingency.
2:40:44If you flee, I detonate it anyway to
2:40:47ensure our mutual destruction.
2:40:50The only choice you have is how we die.
2:40:53Fighting gloriously or fleeing feudally.
2:40:56There is a third option, the emperor
2:40:59said quietly.
2:41:01Oh. The major's eyes gleamed with
2:41:03curiosity.
2:41:05Please enlighten me. I let Alikard have
2:41:09what he wants, the emperor replied. His
2:41:12battle with you uninterrupted. And while
2:41:14you two indulge in your mutual death
2:41:16wish, I remove this entire section of
2:41:19the derigible from reality.
2:41:22The major blinked. I
2:41:25I'm sorry. What? Teleportation on
2:41:28massive scale, the emperor explained,
2:41:31his eyes blazing as he gathered power.
2:41:35I will transport this command center
2:41:38with you, Alukard, and your quantum bomb
2:41:41to an isolated location where your
2:41:43detonation harms no one. The Tempame's
2:41:46estuary, perhaps sufficiently distant
2:41:49from civilian populations, adequately
2:41:51remote for your mutual destruction to be
2:41:53merely a curiosity rather than a
2:41:56catastrophe.
2:41:58You can't possibly, the doctor began.
2:42:02The emperor's psychic power erupted.
2:42:05Reality screamed as he tore a hole
2:42:07through dimensional space. His will
2:42:10overriding physical laws through sheer
2:42:12force of conviction.
2:42:14The command center lurched, its
2:42:16connection to the rest of the graph
2:42:18zeppelin severing as it was pulled
2:42:20through the psychic portal he had
2:42:21created.
2:42:23Schroinger vanished, his quantum nature
2:42:26unable to maintain coherence through
2:42:28dimensional transition.
2:42:30The doctor stumbled, his instruments
2:42:33sparking and failing. The major's eyes
2:42:36widened with something approaching
2:42:37genuine surprise.
2:42:39And Alukard laughed. A sound of pure
2:42:43delighted madness. The command center
2:42:46materialized above the Tempame's
2:42:48estuary, 20 mi from London. Suspended in
2:42:51midair through the emperor's telekinetic
2:42:53hold.
2:42:55The lights of the city glowed distant on
2:42:57the horizon. The water below stretched
2:42:59black and cold.
2:43:02There, the emperor said, his voice
2:43:05resonating with effort. You have your
2:43:07stage major. Remote, isolated,
2:43:10meaningless. Fight your battle. Detonate
2:43:13your bomb. Die your glorious death, but
2:43:16do it where your nihilism harms no one
2:43:18but yourselves.
2:43:20The major stared at him, then at
2:43:22Alikard, then back. And slowly,
2:43:25incredibly, his smile returned wider
2:43:29than before, tinged with something
2:43:31approaching respect.
2:43:33"You absolute madman," he said softly.
2:43:37"You actually did it. You gave me
2:43:39exactly what I wanted while stripping
2:43:41away all meaning. A private stage for a
2:43:44performance with no audience. A glorious
2:43:47death that signifies nothing. The
2:43:49perfect synthesis of giving me victory
2:43:52while denying me triumph.
2:43:55Yes, the emperor agreed. Now fight your
2:43:58battle or detonate your device. Either
2:44:01way, this opera concludes here and now.
2:44:04Alikard stepped forward, his shadows
2:44:07exploding outward. Finally, no
2:44:10interruptions, no distractions. Just you
2:44:13and me, Major. Let's see if your
2:44:16philosophy can withstand 9 million souls
2:44:18screaming for your blood. The major's
2:44:21hand moved toward his sidearm. his
2:44:23expression ecstatic and the emperor
2:44:25stepped backward, his form beginning to
2:44:28fade. "Wait," the major called out.
2:44:32"You're leaving? You won't even watch?"
2:44:35"No," the emperor said, his voice
2:44:39growing distant as he prepared to
2:44:41teleport away.
2:44:43"Because you don't deserve an audience,
2:44:45Major. Your death will be witnessed only
2:44:48by the monster you created through your
2:44:50obsession with him. No glory, no
2:44:53artistry, just two damaged beings
2:44:55destroying each other in the darkness.
2:44:58That is my judgment upon you. Not
2:45:00execution, but irrelevance.
2:45:04The major's face twisted. Whether in
2:45:06rage or appreciation, the emperor could
2:45:09not determine.
2:45:11Then he was gone. Returning to London
2:45:13through the same psychic portal he had
2:45:16used to transport the command center.
2:45:18Behind him, in the isolated darkness
2:45:21above the Temp's estuary, Alikard and
2:45:24the Major began their final dance. Two
2:45:27philosophers of violence, locked in
2:45:30combat that would end only when one or
2:45:32both ceased to exist.
2:45:35The quantum bomb pulsed with increasing
2:45:37intensity, counting down to inevitable
2:45:39detonation.
2:45:41And the Emperor turned his attention
2:45:43back to London, where the real work of
2:45:45protecting humanity continued. The
2:45:48emperor materialized on the embankment.
2:45:50The psychic strain of mass teleportation
2:45:53evident in the slight dimming of his
2:45:55golden aura
2:45:57around him.
2:45:59London struggled to process what had
2:46:00occurred. Emergency services
2:46:03overwhelmed. Military forces securing
2:46:05perimeters. Civilians emerging from
2:46:08shelters to witness their city
2:46:09transformed into a war zone.
2:46:12The graph zeppelin the two now missing
2:46:15its command center began its death
2:46:17spiral
2:46:19without the major's coordination and the
2:46:21control systems housed in that section
2:46:24the massive derigible lost stability.
2:46:27It listed sharply its engines sputtering
2:46:30and began a slow but inevitable descent
2:46:33toward the tempames. The emperor watched
2:46:36dispassionately as it crashed into the
2:46:38river with a tremendous splash. Its
2:46:40hydrogen cells miraculously not ignited
2:46:43during the battle, hissing as water
2:46:46rushed in through torn compartments.
2:46:49No explosion, no final conflration,
2:46:54just an ignaminious end to Millennium's
2:46:56flagship,
2:46:58sinking into the temps like any other
2:47:00defeated vessel.
2:47:03His communication device crackled.
2:47:06Emperor, what the hell just happened?
2:47:10Integra's voice carried equal parts
2:47:12relief and fury.
2:47:14One moment the graph zeppelin was
2:47:16intact, the next its entire command
2:47:18section vanished and Alikard's psychic
2:47:20signature disappeared with it.
2:47:23I removed the major and your vampire to
2:47:26a remote location,
2:47:28the emperor explained, his voice steady
2:47:31despite the exertion.
2:47:33They wished for private combat. I
2:47:36granted it along with sufficient
2:47:38isolation that their mutual destruction
2:47:40will harm no one.
2:47:43You you just teleported an entire
2:47:46section of the derigible.
2:47:48Integra's tone shifted to something
2:47:50approaching awe. That's not possible.
2:47:54The energy requirements alone are
2:47:57irrelevant when one has 40,000 years to
2:47:59refine psychic disciplines, the emperor
2:48:02replied.
2:48:04The major threatened detonation of a
2:48:06quantum destabilization device.
2:48:08Disarming it was impractical.
2:48:11Removing it was simple.
2:48:14A long silence. Then is Alukard going to
2:48:17survive this. Unknown. The emperor
2:48:21admitted. He faces an opponent who has
2:48:23orchestrated everything to achieve
2:48:25mutual destruction. Armed with a weapon
2:48:28that can collapse probability itself.
2:48:31The vampire's regeneration is
2:48:33formidable, but not infinite. He may
2:48:37prevail. He may perish. He may achieve
2:48:40the meaningful death he has sought for
2:48:42centuries.
2:48:44And you're fine with that.
2:48:46Integra's voice hardened. Just
2:48:49abandoning him. He made his choice. The
2:48:53emperor said, "I offered him the
2:48:56opportunity for redemption through
2:48:57service.
2:48:59He has served admirably tonight,
2:49:01destroying hundreds of millenniums
2:49:03forces. But when given the choice
2:49:06between tactical withdrawal and glorious
2:49:08combat, he chose violence. That is his
2:49:11nature. I will not mourn a predator who
2:49:14finally found prey capable of killing
2:49:16him.
2:49:18Another silence longer this one.
2:49:21Finally,
2:49:23if he dies, I will hold you responsible.
2:49:27That is your right, the emperor
2:49:30acknowledged. Though I suspect you
2:49:32underestimate your servant's capacity
2:49:34for survival. Alakard has endured for
2:49:38centuries because he's not merely
2:49:40powerful. He is cunning. If anyone can
2:49:43survive the major's final gambit, it is
2:49:46him. As if in response to this
2:49:48statement, a psychic shock wave rippled
2:49:51across the emperor's awareness.
2:49:5320 mi distant above the Tempame's
2:49:56estuary, reality itself convulsed.
2:49:59The quantum bomb had detonated. The
2:50:02Emperor's senses perceived the event in
2:50:04exquisite detail. Probability fields
2:50:07collapsing. Multiple timelines
2:50:09converging into a single catastrophic
2:50:11outcome. Matter and energy dissolving
2:50:14into fundamental particles.
2:50:17The Major's command center ceased to
2:50:19exist along with everything within a
2:50:21half mile sphere.
2:50:23The doctor erased the quantum device
2:50:27consumed by its own detonation. The
2:50:30major annihilated in the perfect ending
2:50:32he had orchestrated.
2:50:34And Alikard,
2:50:36the vampire's psychic signature
2:50:38fragmented, scattered across the
2:50:40dimensional boundaries like shattered
2:50:42glass.
2:50:44The emperor felt the moment of
2:50:46dissolution. 9 million souls screaming
2:50:48in unison as their container was
2:50:51destroyed. consciousness dispersing
2:50:53across reality's quantum foam.
2:50:56But there, a thread, a fragment, a
2:51:01single point of coherent identity
2:51:03holding together against entropy's pull.
2:51:06Vladep,
2:51:08the man beneath the monster, refusing to
2:51:10surrender, even as reality itself tried
2:51:12to erase him. The emperor's eyes widened
2:51:15fractionally. Remarkable. Even faced
2:51:19with complete quantum dissolution, the
2:51:21vampire's core self, the human buried
2:51:24beneath centuries of corruption,
2:51:26maintained coherence through sheer will.
2:51:29He would reform eventually.
2:51:32It might take days, weeks, perhaps
2:51:35months. But Alikard would claw his way
2:51:38back from effective non-existence
2:51:40because the alternative was unacceptable
2:51:42to whatever remained human in his
2:51:44psyche.
2:51:46Your servant lives. the emperor said
2:51:49into the communication device. Barely
2:51:53dispersed across dimensional boundaries,
2:51:55his consciousness fragmented but not
2:51:57destroyed.
2:51:59He will return, though diminished and
2:52:01weakened.
2:52:03When he does, ensure he understands the
2:52:06price of his hubris.
2:52:08He's alive.
2:52:10Integra's relief was palpable. Thank
2:52:13God. I thank you, Emperor, for not
2:52:17letting him die alone.
2:52:20I did not save him. The emperor
2:52:22corrected. He saved himself through the
2:52:25strength of will that makes him more
2:52:26than simple monster. Remember that when
2:52:29judging him, Sir Integra
2:52:31Alikard is damned, yes, but he is also
2:52:34stubbornly, frustratingly human in ways
2:52:37that matter.
2:52:39The emperor terminated the communication
2:52:41and surveyed London's devastation.
2:52:44Dawn approached, the sky lightning from
2:52:47black to deep purple, stars fading as
2:52:50the sun prepared its inevitable return.
2:52:54In that growing light, the true scope of
2:52:57Millennium's assault became visible.
2:53:00417 civilians dead as he had calculated.
2:53:05123 military personnel lost.
2:53:08But those numbers, terrible as they
2:53:11were, represented success rather than
2:53:14failure.
2:53:15Without his intervention, without
2:53:17Helsing's coordination, without
2:53:19Escariat's fanatical defense, the toll
2:53:22would have reached thousands.
2:53:26Still, 417 souls extinguished.
2:53:30417 lives ended because the major had
2:53:33decided London would be his canvas for
2:53:35philosophical expression.
2:53:37unacceptable.
2:53:39The emperor's jaw tightened as he made a
2:53:42decision. The major was gone, yes,
2:53:45erased from existence by his own weapon.
2:53:49But millennium still existed. The
2:53:51organization's infrastructure remained
2:53:53intact, hidden in facilities across
2:53:55Europe. Scientists who had developed
2:53:58freak technology. Officers who had
2:54:01coordinated this invasion. foot soldiers
2:54:03who had committed atrocities in service
2:54:05of nihilistic ideology.
2:54:08They would answer for their actions. Not
2:54:10today. Not while London required his
2:54:13attention for recovery and
2:54:15reconstruction.
2:54:16But soon, when the immediate crisis
2:54:19passed, when the dead were buried and
2:54:21the wounded healed, the emperor would
2:54:24turn his attention to Millennium's
2:54:26remnants. and he would show them that
2:54:29escaping divine judgment was simple
2:54:31compared to escaping his. The next 48
2:54:34hours passed in a blur of coordination
2:54:36and consequence management.
2:54:39The British government, initially
2:54:41paralyzed by the scale of the attack,
2:54:44mobilized under the emperor's subtle
2:54:46psychic guidance.
2:54:48The prime minister, still reeling from
2:54:50the realization that vampires were real
2:54:52and had nearly destroyed London, found
2:54:55himself making decisions that aligned
2:54:57suspiciously well with optimal recovery
2:55:00strategies. The international community
2:55:03demanded answers. The emperor provided
2:55:06them, not directly, but through
2:55:08carefully crafted psychic suggestions
2:55:10that led investigators to conclude this
2:55:13had been a terrorist attack by an
2:55:15extremist paramilitary organization.
2:55:18Supernatural elements were classified,
2:55:21hidden, relegated to conspiracy theories
2:55:23that mainstream media would dismiss.
2:55:27Humanity was not ready for the truth.
2:55:30Not yet. Escariat
2:55:32withdrew back to Vatican territory.
2:55:34Archbishop Maxwell surprisingly subdued
2:55:37after witnessing the emperor's
2:55:38capabilities firsthand.
2:55:41Alexander Anderson departed with a curt
2:55:43nod of respect. The only acknowledgement
2:55:47the paladin would offer to one whose
2:55:48philosophy he despised but whose
2:55:51effectiveness he could not deny.
2:55:54And through it all, the emperor worked.
2:55:59He walked among survivors, his presence
2:56:02providing comfort they could not
2:56:03articulate.
2:56:05He guided rescue teams to trapped
2:56:07civilians, his psychic senses, detecting
2:56:09life signs beneath rubble. He stabilized
2:56:12collapsing structures through
2:56:14telekinetic reinforcement, preventing
2:56:16secondary casualties. He burned away the
2:56:19last scattered freak soldiers who had
2:56:21survived the initial purge, ensuring no
2:56:23vampiric remnants escaped to breed new
2:56:26horrors.
2:56:28On the third day after the invasion, Sir
2:56:31Integra Fairbrook Windgates Helsing
2:56:33requested a private meeting.
2:56:36They met in what remained of the Helsing
2:56:37Estates war room. The mansion had
2:56:40survived the assault intact.
2:56:42Millennium's forces had focused on
2:56:44London proper rather than rural targets.
2:56:48But it felt diminished somehow, as if
2:56:50the weight of recent events had drained
2:56:52vitality from even stone and steel.
2:56:57Integra looked exhausted, her
2:56:59characteristic composure frayed at the
2:57:01edges.
2:57:03She had not slept more than a few hours
2:57:04since the invasion began, coordinating
2:57:07recovery efforts while simultaneously
2:57:09managing the political fallout.
2:57:12Her cigarillo burned between her
2:57:14fingers, forgotten.
2:57:17"The queen wishes to meet you," she said
2:57:20without preamble. "The prime minister as
2:57:22well. They want to offer you I don't
2:57:26even know what. Knighthood, command
2:57:28position in the armed forces, cabinet
2:57:31level advisory role.
2:57:34I decline, the emperor said simply.
2:57:38I am not interested in titles or
2:57:40political authority within your
2:57:41governmental structure.
2:57:43I told them you'd say that. Integra
2:57:46replied with a ghost of a smile. But
2:57:49they insisted I ask. What do you want,
2:57:52Emperor? You've saved London. You've
2:57:54proven your capabilities beyond any
2:57:56doubt.
2:57:58What comes next?
2:58:00The emperor stood silent for a long
2:58:02moment, considering the question,
2:58:05what did he want?
2:58:07In his original reality, he had wanted
2:58:10to unite humanity under the imperial
2:58:13truth to free his species from religious
2:58:16superstition and supernatural threat
2:58:18through reason and force.
2:58:21That dream had failed.
2:58:23corrupted by time and necessity into the
2:58:25very theocracy he had sought to prevent.
2:58:29Here in this smaller universe, he had
2:58:32been given an opportunity to try again,
2:58:35to implement his vision without the
2:58:36compromises that had doomed the
2:58:38Imperium,
2:58:39to prove that humanity could triumph
2:58:41over the supernatural, without becoming
2:58:44monstrous itself.
2:58:46But Millennium's invasion had revealed
2:58:48uncomfortable truths. He had been forced
2:58:51to compromise, to allow the major to
2:58:54live temporarily because hostages
2:58:56provided leverage. To coordinate with
2:58:59organizations whose philosophies he
2:59:01despised, to accept casualties he could
2:59:04not prevent because even omnipotence had
2:59:06geographical limitations.
2:59:09The imperial truth demanded absolutes.
2:59:12Reality provided only gradients.
2:59:15I want, the emperor said slowly, to
2:59:19understand whether humanity in this
2:59:20universe can be elevated to supremacy
2:59:23over supernatural threats without
2:59:25requiring a tyrant to guide them.
2:59:28Helsing employs a vampire as weapon.
2:59:32Iscariat channels faith into genuine
2:59:34power. Your military develops
2:59:37contingencies for enemies that should
2:59:38not exist. You have adapted to the
2:59:41supernatural rather than seeking to
2:59:43eliminate it. I want to determine if
2:59:46that adaptation is strength or weakness.
2:59:49You're still judging us, Integra
2:59:52observed.
2:59:53Always, the emperor confirmed. That is
2:59:57my purpose. To assess, to guide, to
3:00:00intervene when necessary, and withdraw
3:00:03when possible.
3:00:05The imperium I built in my reality
3:00:07failed because I could not remain
3:00:08distant. I became the god I sought to
3:00:11deny. Worshiped despite because of my
3:00:15power.
3:00:17Here I have the opportunity to avoid
3:00:19that fate, to protect without
3:00:21dominating, to guide without commanding.
3:00:24And if we fail your test, Integra asked
3:00:27quietly.
3:00:29If you decide humanity here is
3:00:30irredeemable,
3:00:32the emperor's expression hardened.
3:00:36Then I will implement the Imperial truth
3:00:38through whatever means necessary and
3:00:42hope this iteration proves more
3:00:43successful than the last.
3:00:46Integra met his gaze unflinching.
3:00:49Then I suppose we'd better not fail.
3:00:53She stood adjusting her suit jacket in a
3:00:55gesture that restored some of her usual
3:00:57authority.
3:00:59For what it's worth, Emperor, I don't
3:01:02agree with your philosophy. I think your
3:01:04absolute certainty is dangerous.
3:01:07I think your dismissal of faith and
3:01:09supernatural power as superstition
3:01:12ignores evidence literally surrounding
3:01:14us.
3:01:16But
3:01:17she paused, choosing words carefully.
3:01:21But I also think you saved thousands of
3:01:23lives during Millennium's assault. I
3:01:26think your power used responsibly makes
3:01:29you the single most effective defensive
3:01:31asset on the planet. And I think despite
3:01:35your claims of cold rationality, you
3:01:37care about humanity in a way that makes
3:01:40you more than the tyrant you fear
3:01:42becoming.
3:01:44The emperor almost smiled at that.
3:01:46Careful, Sir Integra. Compliments from
3:01:49you are rarer than Alikard's restraint.
3:01:53Don't let it go to your head, she
3:01:55replied dryly. You're still an arrogant,
3:01:58interfering, philosophically inflexible
3:02:01pain in the ass. But you're our
3:02:03arrogant, interfering, philosophically
3:02:06inflexible pain in the ass. At least for
3:02:09now. At least for now. The emperor
3:02:12agreed.
3:02:14They stood in companionable silence. Two
3:02:17leaders who would never fully agree, but
3:02:19could at least respect each other's
3:02:21commitment to humanity's protection.
3:02:24Finally, Integra asked the question that
3:02:27had been weighing on her.
3:02:30When Alukquard returns, and you say he
3:02:33will,
3:02:34what happens then? You still consider
3:02:38him an abomination. You've promised him
3:02:40either redemption or destruction. Which
3:02:43will it be?
3:02:45The Emperor's eyes blazed as he
3:02:47considered the vampire's fractured
3:02:48consciousness slowly coalesing across
3:02:51dimensional boundaries.
3:02:53That depends, he said, on what emerges
3:02:57when he reforms.
3:02:59If he returns as the monster who revels
3:03:01in violence, he will face my judgment.
3:03:05But if he returns as the man struggling
3:03:07against his own damnation,
3:03:10the emperor's voice softened
3:03:12fractionally.
3:03:14Then perhaps there is hope even for the
3:03:16damned.
3:03:185 days after Millennium's invasion,
3:03:20Saras Victoria approached the emperor
3:03:22with a request that took him by
3:03:24surprise. She found him at top the
3:03:27repaired tower bridge, watching the
3:03:29temps flow past as reconstruction crews
3:03:31worked on damaged buildings throughout
3:03:33the city.
3:03:35She climbed the stairs with vampire
3:03:37speed, but stopped respectfully at a
3:03:39distance before speaking.
3:03:42"Your Majesty," she said, her voice
3:03:44steady despite obvious nervousness.
3:03:47You said
3:03:49during the battle you said you might be
3:03:51able to cure my vampirism
3:03:53to make me human again. Did you mean
3:03:56that? The emperor turned to face her
3:04:00studying the young vampire who had
3:04:02fought with such determination to
3:04:03protect civilians during the assault.
3:04:07She had saved 17 lives through direct
3:04:09intervention, carried wounded to safety,
3:04:12held defensive positions when more
3:04:14experienced soldiers had broken. She had
3:04:16proven herself worthy.
3:04:19Yes, he said. I meant it. The procedure
3:04:24would be dangerous. Psychic surgery of
3:04:26unprecedented precision, burning away
3:04:29vampiric corruption while preserving
3:04:31your essential consciousness.
3:04:34The success rate is uncertain.
3:04:36You might emerge human. You might emerge
3:04:39dead. You might emerge as something
3:04:42between states, neither alive nor
3:04:44undead. Are you willing to accept those
3:04:46risks?
3:04:48Saras swallowed hard but nodded.
3:04:52I am. I hate what I've become. I hate
3:04:55drinking blood, even from bags. I hate
3:04:59being faster and stronger than human
3:05:01while knowing it's because I'm a
3:05:03parasite. I want to be me again. Just
3:05:08me, not some supernatural thing wearing
3:05:11my face.
3:05:13The emperor's expression softened, a
3:05:16rare occurrence that transformed his
3:05:17stern features into something almost
3:05:19gentle.
3:05:21"Then we will make the attempt," he
3:05:24said. "Not today. You need time to
3:05:27prepare mentally, and I need to analyze
3:05:29your specific vampiric corruption to
3:05:31determine optimal approach.
3:05:34But within the month, we will try. If I
3:05:37succeed, you will be the first vampire
3:05:39in this universe's history to reclaim
3:05:42humanity after transformation. If I
3:05:44fail,
3:05:46then at least I tried. Sarah finished.
3:05:50That's more than most vampires can say.
3:05:53Indeed, the emperor agreed. She
3:05:56hesitated, then asked, "Why do you care?
3:06:01You could just destroy me like you
3:06:02destroyed all those millennium vampires.
3:06:05Why offer to help?
3:06:08Because the emperor said, "You represent
3:06:12what humanity should be. Unwilling to
3:06:15accept corruption, fighting to retain
3:06:18your essence despite supernatural
3:06:20influence.
3:06:21Choosing to protect others even when
3:06:23transformation has given you power to
3:06:26dominate them.
3:06:28You are not a vampire, Saras Victoria.
3:06:31You are a human cursed with vampireism.
3:06:35There is a fundamental difference and I
3:06:37will not punish you for circumstances
3:06:39beyond your control.
3:06:41Tears, blood tears formed in her eyes.
3:06:46Thank you. Just
3:06:49thank you. The emperor nodded,
3:06:52dismissing her with a gesture that was
3:06:54not unkind.
3:06:56When she had gone, he returned his
3:06:58attention to London's skyline, watching
3:07:00the sun set over a city that had
3:07:02survived Apocalypse.
3:07:04Millennium was defeated. The major was
3:07:07erased. His thousand vampires were
3:07:10destroyed.
3:07:11But the Emperor knew this was not
3:07:13conclusion, merely prologue. This
3:07:16universe contained other threats, other
3:07:18monsters, other philosophies that would
3:07:21challenge his own.
3:07:23The road ahead stretched long,
3:07:25complicated by factors he had not fully
3:07:28anticipated.
3:07:30But for now, in this moment, he had
3:07:33protected humanity without becoming
3:07:34their tyrant. He had wielded absolute
3:07:37power while respecting free will. He had
3:07:41proven, at least to himself, that the
3:07:44Imperial truth could be implemented
3:07:46without the failures that had plagued
3:07:48the Imperium.
3:07:50It was a beginning, nothing more.
3:07:53But beginnings mattered. The emperor of
3:07:56mankind stood vigil over London as night
3:07:59fell. His golden armor reflecting the
3:08:01city's lights like a beacon. Wars would
3:08:04come. Threats would emerge. Judgment
3:08:07would be rendered. But tonight, humanity
3:08:11had survived.
3:08:13And that was enough. 3 weeks after
3:08:15Millennium's failed invasion, London had
3:08:18begun the long process of healing, Big
3:08:21Ben's tower was being rebuilt, its
3:08:23reconstruction symbolizing Britain's
3:08:25refusal to bow before terror.
3:08:28Parliament's chambers were gutted and
3:08:30restored, every stone laid with defiant
3:08:32precision.
3:08:34The dead were honored in ceremonies that
3:08:36filled Westminster Abbey, their names
3:08:39carved into memorial walls that would
3:08:41stand for generations.
3:08:43The living moved forward as humanity
3:08:46always did, carrying their scars but
3:08:49refusing to be defined by them.
3:08:52And in the shadows of this recovery, the
3:08:54Emperor of Mankind prepared to fulfill
3:08:56his promises.
3:08:59He stood in a specially prepared chamber
3:09:01beneath the Helsing estate, psychic
3:09:03wards etched into every surface to
3:09:05contain the energies about to be
3:09:07unleashed. Saras Victoria lay on a
3:09:09medical table at the room's center, her
3:09:11eyes wide but determined, her hands
3:09:14clenched into fists at her sides.
3:09:16Integra watched from the observation
3:09:18window, her expression carefully
3:09:20neutral. Walter stood beside her, his
3:09:22aged hands clasped behind his back.
3:09:26They had both witnessed impossible
3:09:28things in their service to Helsing. But
3:09:30this attempting to cure vampireism
3:09:33itself transcended everything they
3:09:36thought they understood about
3:09:37supernatural corruption.
3:09:40"Are you ready?" the emperor asked
3:09:42Saras, his voice gentle despite its
3:09:45power. "Yes," she whispered. "Whatever
3:09:49happens, thank you for trying."
3:09:52The emperor placed his hands above her
3:09:54chest, not touching, but hovering inches
3:09:57away. Golden light began to emanate from
3:10:00his palms, growing in intensity until
3:10:02the entire chamber blazed with
3:10:04illumination that seemed to pierce
3:10:06through matter itself.
3:10:09His consciousness dove into Saras's
3:10:11being, psychic senses tracing the
3:10:13vampiric corruption that had rewoven her
3:10:16physiology.
3:10:18He saw the changes wrought by Alukard's
3:10:20blood. enhanced cellular structure,
3:10:23supernatural regeneration, the hunger
3:10:26that burned in her veins like acid.
3:10:29But beneath it all, he found what he had
3:10:32hoped to discover. Her human soul intact
3:10:36in fighting, refusing to surrender
3:10:38despite the transformation.
3:10:41With surgical precision born from
3:10:42millennia of experience, the emperor
3:10:45began to burn.
3:10:47Golden fire erupted within Saras's body,
3:10:50not consuming her, but targeting only
3:10:53the vampiric corruption.
3:10:55She screamed, her back arching, every
3:10:58nerve alike with agony as the anathema
3:11:00nature of his power stripped away
3:11:02undeath cell by cell. Her enhanced
3:11:05regeneration fought against the purging,
3:11:08trying to restore what he was
3:11:09destroying, creating a war within her
3:11:11flesh. The emperor's will proved
3:11:14stronger. He burned away the
3:11:16supernatural elements while
3:11:18simultaneously using biommancy to
3:11:20rebuild human equivalents.
3:11:22Where vampiric cells dissolved, he wo
3:11:25new human tissue. Where corrupted blood
3:11:28boiled away, he stimulated her bone
3:11:30marrow to produce fresh mortal
3:11:32hemoglobin.
3:11:34Where the hunger had carved pathways
3:11:36through her nervous system, he
3:11:37cauterized and rrooed.
3:11:40It was the most delicate work he had
3:11:42performed in centuries, requiring
3:11:44absolute focus and unprecedented
3:11:46precision.
3:11:48Integra gripped the window frame, her
3:11:50knuckles white.
3:11:52"She's dying," she said, her voice
3:11:55tight. "Her vital signs." "She is
3:11:58transforming." Walter corrected quietly,
3:12:02his eyes never leaving the scene below.
3:12:04"Look at her aura. It's changing from
3:12:07undead to something else.
3:12:10The process lasted 17 minutes, an
3:12:14eternity measured in Saras's screams,
3:12:16each one tearing at the emperor's
3:12:18resolve.
3:12:19But he did not stop. Could not stop. Her
3:12:24survival depended on completing the
3:12:25transformation, and hesitation now would
3:12:28doom her to existence, trapped between
3:12:30states.
3:12:32Finally, with a soundlike reality
3:12:35sighing in relief, the process
3:12:38concluded.
3:12:40The golden light faded. Saras collapsed
3:12:43back onto the table, her body convulsing
3:12:45once, twice, then going still.
3:12:48The emperor stepped back, his power
3:12:51dimming, exhaustion evident in his
3:12:53posture for the first time since his
3:12:55arrival in this universe.
3:12:57Is she? Integr began. Saras's chest
3:13:01rose, fell, rose again. breathing.
3:13:07Not the unnecessary panime vampires
3:13:09sometimes performed, but genuine
3:13:11respiration.
3:13:12Her heartbeat, once a sluggish rhythm
3:13:15maintained by supernatural animation,
3:13:17now a strong, steady pulse of purely
3:13:20human biology.
3:13:22Her eyes opened and they were blue. Not
3:13:26the red tinge blue of a vampire fighting
3:13:28her nature, but clear human blue.
3:13:32I'm, she whispered, her voice. I'm warm.
3:13:37I'm actually warm. And I'm hungry. Not
3:13:39for blood, just regular hungry. Like I
3:13:42haven't eaten in days. Oh god, it
3:13:45worked. It actually worked.
3:13:48She sat up, tears streaming down her
3:13:50face. Clear tears now, not blood. Her
3:13:54hands trembled as she touched her face,
3:13:56her arms, marveling at the simple
3:13:59miracle of human sensation.
3:14:02The emperor steadied himself against the
3:14:04chamber wall, the strain evident.
3:14:08You are human again, Sarah Victoria, the
3:14:12first vampire in recorded history to be
3:14:14cured rather than destroyed.
3:14:17Remember this. Remember that even
3:14:20supernatural corruption can be overcome
3:14:22through sufficient will and power. You
3:14:25are living proof that redemption is
3:14:27possible.
3:14:29Thank you. she sobbed. Thank you. Thank
3:14:33you. Thank you.
3:14:35Thank yourself, he interrupted.
3:14:38Your human soul held together through
3:14:40the transformation.
3:14:42Without that foundation, no amount of my
3:14:44power could have saved you. You fought
3:14:47for your humanity, and you won.
3:14:50Integra's composure finally cracked. She
3:14:54pressed a hand to the window, her
3:14:55expression one of wonder mixed with
3:14:57something approaching religious awe.
3:15:00If you can do this, if you can cure
3:15:03vampirism itself,
3:15:06I can cure one vampire who retained
3:15:08enough humanity to provide an anchor.
3:15:11The emperor corrected.
3:15:13Alukard's condition is far more
3:15:15advanced. His human soul buried beneath
3:15:18centuries of corruption and millions of
3:15:20consumed souls.
3:15:22I do not know if he can be saved, but
3:15:25Sarah Victoria proves the possibility
3:15:28exists.
3:15:29In the days that followed, word of
3:15:32Saras's cure spread through the
3:15:34supernatural community like wildfire.
3:15:37Vampires across Europe, reacted with
3:15:40everything from desperate hope to
3:15:43furious denial.
3:15:45Some saw it as salvation, proof that
3:15:48their damnation was not permanent.
3:15:50Others viewed it as blasphemy and
3:15:53affront to the natural order of undeath.
3:15:56Three lesser vampires attempted to
3:15:58infiltrate England, seeking the
3:15:59emperor's intervention.
3:16:02He destroyed two, allowed the third to
3:16:04speak. "Please," the vampire begged, his
3:16:08ancient features twisted with
3:16:10desperation.
3:16:11"I have existed for four centuries. I
3:16:14have fed on thousands. But I remember
3:16:17being human. I remember loving, hoping,
3:16:21dreaming.
3:16:23Can you save me as you saved the girl?
3:16:26The emperor studied him with psychic
3:16:28senses that saw truth beneath deception.
3:16:32What he found was not encouraging. This
3:16:34vampire had reveled in his predation for
3:16:36centuries, had tortured and killed for
3:16:38pleasure as much as sustenance, had
3:16:41surrendered his humanity willingly in
3:16:43exchange for power.
3:16:46No, the emperor said simply. Sarah's
3:16:50Victoria fought against her vampireism
3:16:52from the moment of transformation.
3:16:54You embraced yours. The corruption runs
3:16:57too deep. Your human soul is not merely
3:17:00buried. It is dissolved, consumed by the
3:17:03monster you chose to become. There is
3:17:06nothing left to save.
3:17:08Please, the vampire repeated. I can
3:17:11change. I can it. You can die," the
3:17:15emperor interrupted. "It is the only
3:17:18mercy you deserve."
3:17:20Golden fire erupted and the vampire
3:17:23burned to ash, his screams echoing
3:17:25across the temp's embankment.
3:17:28The message was clear. Redemption was
3:17:31possible, but only for those who had
3:17:34never stopped fighting for it. One month
3:17:37after the invasion, Alukard returned.
3:17:40His reformation began as shadows
3:17:42coalescing in the Helsing estate
3:17:44subterranean chambers, the same cells
3:17:46where he had spent centuries involuntary
3:17:48imprisonment.
3:17:50The process was slow, agonizing, his
3:17:53scattered consciousness pulling itself
3:17:55together atom by atom, memory by memory,
3:17:59soul by soul. When he finally manifested
3:18:02fully, he was diminished.
3:18:05The millions of souls he had consumed
3:18:07over centuries were gone, scattered
3:18:10beyond recovery by the quantum bomb's
3:18:12detonation.
3:18:14What remained was Vladis,
3:18:17the original vampire, the man who had
3:18:20chosen damnation over death. Stripped of
3:18:22the power he had accumulated through
3:18:24centuries of feeding,
3:18:26he was still formidable, still capable
3:18:29of regeneration, superhuman speed and
3:18:31strength, shadow manipulation.
3:18:35But he was no longer the overwhelming
3:18:37force that had terrorized enemies for
3:18:39400 years. He was simply Alukard,
3:18:44the no-life king, reduced to his
3:18:46essential self. The emperor was waiting
3:18:49when consciousness fully returned. They
3:18:52stood in Alikard's chamber, immortal and
3:18:54undead, separated by mere feet and
3:18:57infinite philosophical distance.
3:19:00So, Alikard said, his voice carrying
3:19:03none of its usual mockery.
3:19:06I survived.
3:19:08The major gave me the death I sought,
3:19:10and I clawed my way back from oblivion
3:19:12anyway. How disappointingly predictable.
3:19:17You survived, the emperor agreed.
3:19:20Because some part of you refuses to
3:19:22surrender. The human buried beneath the
3:19:24monster, still fighting after five
3:19:26centuries.
3:19:28That is not disappointment, vampire.
3:19:31That is hope.
3:19:33Alakard's expression twisted with
3:19:35something approaching anguish.
3:19:38Hope for what? I am still damned. Still
3:19:41a predator? Still the creature that has
3:19:44consumed millions and will hunger for
3:19:46millions more.
3:19:48What hope exists for such as me?
3:19:52The emperor stepped closer, his presence
3:19:54filling the chamber with golden radiance
3:19:56that made Alukard's shadows recoil
3:19:58instinctively.
3:20:01The hope, he said, that you might choose
3:20:04differently. I have cured Sarah's
3:20:06Victoria of her vampirism. She is human
3:20:09again, restored to what she was before
3:20:12transformation.
3:20:14But her corruption was recent, her human
3:20:16soul still strong. yours. He paused,
3:20:21considering
3:20:22yours is buried beneath centuries of
3:20:24accumulated damnation. I do not know if
3:20:27you can be saved.
3:20:29Then why not simply destroy me, Alukard
3:20:32demanded. You have judged me unworthy.
3:20:36You have promised me either redemption
3:20:38or annihilation. I have failed your
3:20:40test. End it. No, the emperor said
3:20:45quietly.
3:20:47Because during Millennium's invasion,
3:20:49you made choices that mattered. You
3:20:52protected civilians when you could have
3:20:54simply hunted for pleasure. You
3:20:56coordinated with Helsing's forces rather
3:20:58than operating as lone predator. You
3:21:01faced the major knowing death was
3:21:03probable. And you did it to save
3:21:05hostages rather than for your own
3:21:07gratification.
3:21:09These actions, vampire, suggest that
3:21:12Vladepus still exists beneath the
3:21:15monster's skin.
3:21:17Alukard's eyes, those blood red eyes
3:21:20that had witnessed centuries of horror,
3:21:23widened fractionally.
3:21:25"You're saying what exactly?" "I am
3:21:29saying," the emperor replied, "that your
3:21:32judgment is postponed. You have proven
3:21:34yourself more than simple abomination,
3:21:37but less than redeemed.
3:21:39You exist in liinal space, and only you
3:21:42can determine which direction you move
3:21:44from here." Continue as you have,
3:21:47serving, heling, protecting humanity,
3:21:51fighting against your own nature,
3:21:53and perhaps redemption becomes possible.
3:21:57Surrender to predation, revel in your
3:22:00monstrosity, and I will grant you the
3:22:02oblivion you claim to desire.
3:22:06And if I choose neither, Alikard asked,
3:22:09if I simply exist, unchanging,
3:22:13then we remain in stalemate, the emperor
3:22:16said. And when your master's bloodline
3:22:19eventually ends, when the last Helsing
3:22:22passes and your binding dissolves,
3:22:25we will meet again. And then, vampire,
3:22:29your judgment will be rendered
3:22:30absolutely.
3:22:32They stood in silence. Two beings who
3:22:35had both lived beyond normal human
3:22:37comprehension.
3:22:38Both shaped by violence and duty into
3:22:41something greater and lesser than mortal
3:22:43understanding.
3:22:45Finally, Alikard inclined his head. Not
3:22:48a bow, but acknowledgement.
3:22:51Very well, Emperor. I will continue to
3:22:54serve, continue to fight, continue to
3:22:57hope, however futilely, that the man I
3:23:00was might somehow be reclaimed from the
3:23:02monster I became.
3:23:04But I make no promises of success. I
3:23:07have failed at redemption for five
3:23:09centuries. Another attempt seems
3:23:12optimistic.
3:23:14Optimism, the emperor said, is
3:23:17humanity's greatest strength.
3:23:20The Akari ability to hope despite
3:23:23evidence, to strive despite failure, to
3:23:26believe despite damnation.
3:23:29If you can maintain that optimism,
3:23:31vampire,
3:23:33then perhaps you are more human than you
3:23:35believe.
3:23:37The emperor turned to leave, then paused
3:23:39at the chamber's threshold.
3:23:42One final thing, he said without looking
3:23:45back. The major was wrong about you. He
3:23:49believed you were a monster who wished
3:23:50for death.
3:23:52But I have seen your core self, the
3:23:55consciousness that held together through
3:23:57quantum dissolution.
3:23:59You are not a monster who wishes for
3:24:01death. You are a man who wishes for
3:24:04absolution.
3:24:05There is a difference. And that
3:24:08difference, Alikard, is why I have not
3:24:11destroyed you.
3:24:13He departed, leaving the vampire alone
3:24:15in the darkness. Alikard stood
3:24:18motionless for long minutes, processing
3:24:21words no one had spoken to him in
3:24:22centuries. Then slowly he sank into his
3:24:27throne-like chair and laughed. A sound
3:24:30of bitter amusement and something that
3:24:32might have been hope.
3:24:34Absolution,
3:24:36he whispered to the shadows.
3:24:39After 500 years of damnation, the
3:24:42emperor offers absolution.
3:24:45Either he's the wisest being I've ever
3:24:46encountered or the maddest.
3:24:49Perhaps both. His laughter faded,
3:24:53replaced by contemplative silence. And
3:24:56in that silence, Vlad Tes, the man
3:25:00beneath the monster, wondered if
3:25:02redemption might truly be possible.
3:25:04After all, 6 weeks after Millennium's
3:25:07invasion, the emperor prepared to depart
3:25:10London. Not permanently, this world
3:25:13still required his attention, still
3:25:15demanded judgment upon its supernatural
3:25:17threats.
3:25:19But his immediate work was complete.
3:25:21Millennium's remnants had been
3:25:23systematically eliminated across Europe.
3:25:26Their facilities destroyed. Their
3:25:28scientists brought to justice both legal
3:25:30and absolute.
3:25:32London had recovered sufficiently that
3:25:34his presence was no longer essential for
3:25:36stability.
3:25:38And he had learned what he needed to
3:25:40know.
3:25:42Humanity in this universe could survive
3:25:44supernatural threats.
3:25:47They adapted, compromised, employed
3:25:49monsters against monsters when
3:25:51necessary.
3:25:52It was not the pure implementation of
3:25:55Imperial truth that he would have
3:25:56preferred, but it worked.
3:26:00More importantly, it worked without
3:26:02requiring a god emperor to guide every
3:26:05decision.
3:26:07Sir Integra met him one final time
3:26:09before his departure at top the fully
3:26:11reconstructed tower bridge.
3:26:14The city spread below them. vibrant and
3:26:17alive despite its recent trauma.
3:26:20"You're leaving," she said. "Statement
3:26:23not questioned."
3:26:25"For now," the emperor confirmed. "I
3:26:29will return periodically to assess
3:26:30humanity's progress, to eliminate
3:26:33threats beyond your capacity to handle,
3:26:35to ensure the supernatural does not
3:26:37overwhelm the natural.
3:26:40But I will not remain constantly.
3:26:43You must learn to stand without my
3:26:45shadow looming over you.
3:26:48And your judgment? Integra asked. Have
3:26:51we passed your test?
3:26:54The emperor considered the question with
3:26:55the weight it deserved.
3:26:58You have proven, he said finally, that
3:27:02humanity can adapt to supernatural
3:27:03reality without losing its essential
3:27:05nature. You employ monsters but remain
3:27:08fundamentally human.
3:27:11You acknowledge faith's power while
3:27:13maintaining secular governance.
3:27:15You compromise with necessity while
3:27:17preserving principles.
3:27:20It is not the path I would have chosen.
3:27:23But
3:27:24he paused something almost approaching a
3:27:27smile crossing his features.
3:27:30But perhaps that is the point. Humanity
3:27:33must forge its own path even when that
3:27:36path differs from what I would design.
3:27:39So we passed, Integra said, relief
3:27:43evident in her tone. You survived, the
3:27:46emperor corrected. Whether that
3:27:48constitutes passing depends on what
3:27:50comes next. But for now, you have earned
3:27:53the right to continue without my direct
3:27:55intervention. That is no small
3:27:58achievement.
3:28:00He turned to face her fully, his golden
3:28:02eyes blazing with intensity. Remember
3:28:06this, Sir Integra Fairbrook Windgates
3:28:08Helsing.
3:28:09I have given you a gift I never gave the
3:28:12Imperium. True independence.
3:28:15I will not command you. I will not
3:28:18demand worship. I will not impose my
3:28:21will except when absolute necessity
3:28:23demands it. Use this freedom wisely.
3:28:26Prove that humanity can triumph over
3:28:28darkness without becoming tyrannical
3:28:30itself. And if you fail,
3:28:34his expression hardened, then I will
3:28:37return and my judgment will be absolute.
3:28:41We won't fail, Integr said with
3:28:44conviction. Humanity has survived worse
3:28:47than vampires and Nazi invasions. We'll
3:28:50survive whatever comes next.
3:28:53I believe you will, the emperor said.
3:28:56And in that moment, he meant it. He had
3:29:00come to this universe expecting to
3:29:01implement the imperial truth to guide
3:29:04humanity forcibly toward perfection to
3:29:07repeat the patterns that had defined his
3:29:09existence for 40,000 years.
3:29:12Instead,
3:29:14he had learned that perhaps the greatest
3:29:16wisdom was knowing when not to act,
3:29:20when to observe rather than command,
3:29:23when to trust humanity to find its own
3:29:26way, even when that way seemed flawed
3:29:29and inefficient.
3:29:31It was a lesson that would have served
3:29:33the Imperium well had he learned it
3:29:3510,000 years earlier.
3:29:38But the multiverse offered infinite
3:29:40opportunities for growth, infinite
3:29:42chances to correct past mistakes, and
3:29:46the emperor of mankind, though ancient
3:29:48beyond measure, was still capable of
3:29:50learning.
3:29:52He stepped off the Tower Bridge, his
3:29:55form dissolving into golden light that
3:29:57spiraled upward into the morning sky.
3:30:00His presence faded from London
3:30:02gradually, like dawn retreating before
3:30:05full day until only the faintest psychic
3:30:08impression remained.
3:30:10A promise that he would return if
3:30:12needed, but a hope that he would not be.
3:30:16Below, Integra lit a cigarillo and
3:30:19watched him go.
3:30:21"God help us all," she muttered. "An
3:30:25ancient tyrant who thinks he's giving us
3:30:26freedom by not conquering us
3:30:28immediately.
3:30:29This should end well.
3:30:32But despite her sardonic tone, she
3:30:34smiled because London had survived.
3:30:38Heling had survived, humanity had
3:30:40survived.
3:30:42And sometimes survival was enough.
3:30:46The emperor of mankind departed into the
3:30:48spaces between realities, carrying with
3:30:51him the lessons of this small universe.
3:30:54The Imperium still waited in his
3:30:56original reality, 10,000 years into a
3:30:58future where he sat upon the Golden
3:31:01Throne. Worshiped as the god he had
3:31:03always denied being. But perhaps, armed
3:31:07with the understanding he had gained
3:31:08here, he might find a way to reach back
3:31:11through time and alter that trajectory.
3:31:15Perhaps the Imperium could be saved from
3:31:17its own devotion. Perhaps humanity could
3:31:20be elevated without being enslaved.
3:31:23Or perhaps this universe would remain
3:31:24his refuge, a place where the emperor
3:31:27could simply be what he had always
3:31:29claimed, humanity's shepherd rather than
3:31:32its god.
3:31:34Time would tell. The multiverse was
3:31:37patient, and he had all eternity to
3:31:41discover the answer.
3:31:43London continued its recovery, unaware
3:31:45that it had served as proving ground for
3:31:47questions that transcended dimensions.
3:31:51Alikard brooded in his chambers,
3:31:53contemplating the possibility of
3:31:55redemption.
3:31:57Saras Victoria lived her reclaimed human
3:32:00life with joy that made the emperor's
3:32:02sacrifice of power worthwhile.
3:32:06And somewhere in the ruins of
3:32:08Millennium's former headquarters, the
3:32:10doctor's notes remained hidden,
3:32:12containing secrets that would eventually
3:32:14draw the Emperor back for another
3:32:16confrontation with this universe's
3:32:18darkness.
3:32:20But that was a story for another time.
3:32:23For now, peace reigned. Fragile,
3:32:27temporary, hard one piece. And in a
3:32:30universe where vampires hunted and
3:32:32monsters prowled, where faith had
3:32:34genuine power and the dead refused to
3:32:37stay buried, peace, however brief, was
3:32:40the greatest victory humanity could
3:32:42claim.

About this transcript

This page contains the full transcript of What If the Emperor of Mankind Came Into Hellsing Universe? by GRIMDARK40k, generated from the public captions YouTube serves with the video. The transcript has 26,331 words across 5,001 segments, with the original timestamps preserved so you can click any line to jump to that moment in the embedded player.

What you can do with it

Use the transcript to take notes, quote the speaker, build a study guide, generate a summary with ChatGPT or Claude via the YouTube Summary tool, or export it as a timed subtitle file with YouTube to SRT. You can also re-open it in the transcriber to translate the transcript into 100+ languages.

Free YouTube transcript tool

YouTube2Text is a free YouTube transcript generator — no signup, no daily limit. Paste any YouTube link and get the full transcript instantly, with timestamps, click-to-jump, translation to 100+ languages, AI prompts for ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini, and exports to TXT, SRT, VTT, or Markdown.