Sending A Bigger Monster: A Hellsing/Tokyo Ghoul Crossover Fanfiction
- Thread starter Xavier Rall
- Start date
Xavier Rall
Merely an aspiring writer.
- Location
- Dunellen, NJ
Rize has not yet appeared in this story, but I will address that at some point.
- Location
- Canada
I like when stories invoke the "always a bigger fish" rule. Especially when said fish makes sure that people know: things have changed.
Xavier Rall
Merely an aspiring writer.
- Location
- Dunellen, NJ
Things haven`t finished changing yet, and these people (Tokyo Ghoul) still have no idea (that I`ve yet revealed) just how much bigger this particular fish is. And no worries people, I`ve recently hit on new streaks of inspiration, so expect a new chapter, maybe even two, before the month is out.
I will be utilizing stuff that I`ve already revealed in earlier chapters that haven`t seen much use of late, as well as recent spoilers from the Tokyo Ghoul:re manga.
Last edited:
Ch. 8: They Don`t Know Anything About Anything
Xavier Rall
Merely an aspiring writer.
- Location
- Dunellen, NJ
A/N: Sorry it took a while before I finally got around to posting this, but look on the bright side, it`s here in time for Halloween!
<video>
<Greetings to the men and women of the Commission of Counter-Ghoul. My name is Seras Victoria, the Ripper of the 10th Ward and the No-Life Queen of the Vampires.>
After Mado and Amon`s mysterious envelope from the Ripper`s subordinate was revealed to be a disk, the CCG tested and tried it a dozen times over for viruses and malware before deeming it safe for viewing. This was the first time that this video was being shown to general CCG personnel, but Marude sincerely wished that she hadn`t made the video at all.
<What is a human? Scientists say they`re just animals, descendants via evolution of monkeys and apes. Theologians will state that humans are beings with immortal souls that possess gifts of intelligence, self-awareness, reason, and conscience.>
He sat quietly, watching the video being played on the massive screen. It displayed the image of a young, red-eyed, blond European woman garbed in a flowing red dress with a black-and-red sleeve covering her left arm, a wine glass filled with blood that she toyed with in her left hand. This was the first solid image of her that they had ever received, making the video a goldmine of information for the profilers.
<What is a monster? The dictionary says that it is something or someone that greatly deviates from normal appearance or acceptable behavior, generally of rather threatening disposition and action.>
Marude would have liked to sit somewhere further back from the large screen, but considering every other seat in the lecture hall had been filled by Investigators and other CCG personnel and that he had himself taken a seat at the front so as to address everyone, it couldn`t be helped. Besides, he`d already seen this video.
<But, no one is ever satisfied with such clean answers, which simply fail in our minds to encompass the full reality these words entail. When you toy around with these two questions and the myriad possible answers to them for a long time, you can come to some rather startling revelations about yourself and the people around you. You soon realize that the difference between the two is not as simple to distinguish as it is the diets of two different species. You learn that someone you think of as a human can also at the same time be the vilest monster at heart, and that even the worst monster you could have ever known still has one final spark of humanity left inside of him.>
Still, he couldn`t help but grit his teeth at the sight of that girl, lounging like an entitled little bitch on that velvet throne of hers, speaking in that unnaturally smooth voice with an intentional dramatic flair, like she was playing the role of the villainous mastermind in some cheesy superhero movie or corny drama. And she- no it- dared to lecture him on humans and monsters?!
<But still, I`m sure that you all agree with me when I say that there is nothing more precious in this world than humanity, that intangible quality by which a being is able to taste and enjoy the full fruits of life itself until their death. But it`s only when confronted by a crisis that a person can come to find what they truly are, and then decide what to make of it. If a person confronts such a tragedy with both feet planted firmly in the ground and refuse to surrender to it, even if it threatens their very lives, only then can they truly embrace their human life.>
How can she know what it`s like to be human? he thought. After he had watched this video the first time around, the questions she had poised had haunted his mind, forcing him to look at everything he`d done just a little differently as he struggled to comprehend where her questions had come from. Even now, he could feel them poisonously circulating in some dark corner of his mind.
<But what happens if a person is confronted by tragedy and they run away from it, rather than stand against it? Such a one will never truly appreciate the gifts they have been given, for they are too weak to bear the full burden of a human existence, becoming nothing but a dog, barking and biting at the behest of others all his days. But then what happens if that person cannot escape from that tragedy, and surrender to it, allowing themselves to be broken by it, and lose that vital piece of humanity from their being? When their own free volition is no longer sufficient to maintain their existence, and they substitute it with the pain and agony of others to drive them forward, they become a monster, a pitiful creature forever inflicting suffering and forever seeking an escape from its own.>
He had nothing but contempt for ghouls, as the creatures gave the world nothing of any real benefit, and brought humanity only death, suffering, and grief. He had seen literally hundreds of people have their hearts be broken upon learning that a member of their family or one of their friends had been killed and eaten by a ghoul. That they had died at the hands of an inhuman monster born from the pits of Hell that had then subsequently defiled the sanctity of their body by treating it as nothing but meat. And he hated it when one of these creatures spoke like this, trying to lay claim to some nonexistent portion of humanity, trying to convince good people to believe their words and be lured into a trap just as they stab them in the back.
<So now, I will ask you two questions: Are you a man, a dog, or a monster? And what are the people around you? Men, dogs, or monsters?>
But that was precisely the problem with the Ripper. He honestly had no idea whatsoever why the Ripper was the media firestorm that she was. Any and every ghoul that somehow managed to gain personal attention from the public was a verifiable monster. But, because of her vigilante-style targeting of ghouls and leaks to the press from the CCG offices (they still didn`t know where they came from), she had become a topic of furious debate, dividing public opinion of the ghoul, and actually causing people to question the CCG.
<Only you can answer those questions for yourselves. And these are the same questions that I intend to pose to Tokyo when night falls on the Vernal Equinox.>
And with this video, she could now directly poison the minds of anyone and everyone who watched with every word from her mouth.
<If you want a preview, I`ll be watching the cherry blossoms in the Imperial Gardens in the afternoon of that festive day. But I will only entertain three guests from the CCG and I will tolerate no interruption in our private little meeting. Make sure to choose wisely who you send.>
Now she had issued them a challenge they could not afford to refuse, let alone lose.
<And now, I`m afraid I must be going. (She stands up) So much to do, so little time to do it. So I`ll leave with one final statement: (She holds out the wine glass in front of her) I`m coming for you. (She crushes the glass in her fist, letting the blood drip from her hand and flow down her sleeve) All of you.>
The video ends, and the screen is frozen with the image of the No-Life Queen`s bloody fist held forward, a mocking grin fixed on its face. Both Marude and the gathered Investigators are silent.
Marude turned back to the crowd.
"Gentlemen, this video was delivered to us only two days ago. Last night, the entire population of detained ghouls in Cochlea was either captured or outright slaughtered, and
our investigation into it has found that there is no security footage or eyewitness accounts that can tell us precisely how this attack was carried and who exactly was involved.
Judging by the evidence found, we have concluded that this was the latest assault by the Ripper, although it is clear that she is not working alone, and appears to be acting as either the spokesman or leader of an organized gang of ghouls with unprecedented strategic ability."
There was a lot of murmuring that could be heard, a lot more than usual. Their nervousness and apprehension shone clearly.
"Due to these latest developments, a press conference is going to be held later today by Chairman Washuu and the Board, where they will officially declare the Ripper to be an SSS-class ghoul, re-codifying her as the No-Life Queen, and naming her public enemy number one to the city and people of Tokyo."
There was shock on their faces. The last ghoul to be given this kind of attention from both the CCG and the public was the One-Eyed Owl, who earned the SSS rating by destroying an entire CCG branch office single-handedly. Marude took a breath and steeled himself even more for his next words.
"To put it very simply, we are at war."
Akumo POV
This was the last straw.
Ever since he had a family, he had always had to live a balancing act of not only ensuring his family`s safety, but also their happiness. When he started out in the CCG, it wasn`t as much of an issue, as he wasn`t very well known. But after he became a rising star, he soon gained a lot of unsavory attention from the inhuman creatures. This was driven home when his family received a death threat in their mail. Although he was able to satisfy himself by hunting down and killing the gang that sent it, he never got over the fear of some other ghoul getting his family. A fear that was compounded when he learned his daughter and her friends had been attacked by a ghoul.
He had been struggling even more with the question when he learned that she was only still alive because another one of the monsters had decided to let her go instead of eating her. Although he was able to ensure her protection for a while just in case she was being targeted (his wife and daughter had argued with him about its merits daily), his concerns for his family`s welfare only grew with every confirmed kill by the Ripper – the same ghoul that, for some strange reason, spared his daughter, and who he feared might come back for her.
As soon as the meeting had ended, the first thing Akumo did was call his wife and tell her that she and the family needed to get the hell out of Tokyo immediately. Sakura, unfortunately, wasn`t in favor of the idea, citing what the neighbors, their friends, and extended family would think, on top of how the children would struggle with the situation and the fact that she would have to give notice to her boss on her situation without getting subsequently fired in the process, which could take until tomorrow to get done, considering she had today off. Conceding for the moment, he said that they would discuss everything in greater detail when he came home.
The rest of his day at work went by in a daze. By the time he was driving home, all he could recall doing was the vague fact that he had worked with planning new daily patrols all over the city, especially the 10th Ward, assigning different men to different teams for tasks ranging from checking surveillance cameras all over the city and sifting through online message boards, blogs, and other websites to scouring underworld sources for any information on the No-Life Queen`s whereabouts, compatriots, and history. By the end of his day, all he really cared about was his family. And the delicious dinner he knew that Sakura was probably cooking. He was again glad that he could come home a little early to
enjoy it with everyone else.
After arriving at home and parking the car, he walked right into his house. He smelled curry, making his mouth water.
"I`m home!" he shouted.
"Welcome home, honey," Sakura said, with a warm smile.
"Hey Dad, long time no see," Michi said, food in her mouth.
"DAD! Did you kill any ghouls today?" Mamiru exclaimed excitedly.
"Pleased to meet you, Mr. Matsuzaka," a new voice spoke up.
No. This had to be a nightmare. It simply couldn`t be here now of all times.
The new figure rose up to meet him.
He had to be very careful how to handle this. He knew that there was no way he could destroy this monster by himself, and since it had so far shown no interest in harming his family -yet- and since it had spared his daughter before, there was a real chance that his family would be left unharmed. All he had to do was make sure that he didn`t spook the
monster.
"I-I`m sorry, I`m afraid we haven`t met before, Miss-?"
"Victoria," she replied, bowing and straightening again. "Seras Victoria."
After accepting her greeting, he took his seat at the table across his wife, then accepted from his daughter a serving of his wife`s curry with rice. As he took the first bite, he looked over at his "guest."
She looked back at him with crystal blue eyes. Unlike the blood-red eyes filled with the dark emptiness of sadistic arrogance that he saw in the video from earlier that day, the eyes he saw here were bright with both quiet happiness and a deep sorrow that, despite all of his training and knowledge telling him otherwise, his instincts told him were genuine. In the video, she had been dressed in a powerful red dress. Here, she had on a pair of jeans and a pink hoodie with brown gloves on her hands. In the video, he saw a powerful, terrifying monster that would enjoy watching someone die a slow and painful death. Here, he saw a young woman, barely more than a girl – someone who distressingly reminded him of his daughter Mika.
"Uhm, Dad, why are you staring at Seras?"
Akumo`s attention immediately snapped to his other daughter, Michi, who had noticed that he had been focusing all of his attention on the European girl rather than his family.
"Oh, sorry. It`s just that I`ve been going through a very stressful day at work and as soon as I come home, there`s a stranger sitting at my table with my family eating my wife`s food."
"What? Am I not good enough for your wife`s food?" Seras asked, teasingly. "Do you have to give your approval to anyone who wants to eat your` wife`s food?"
"I have three treasures in my life: my wife, my children, and my wife`s cooking."
"Isn`t that technically only two things, Dad?" Michi stated. "I mean, without Mom, you no longer have her cooking."
"Okay, you`re right. But still, since I`m not familiar with you, what brings you here?"
"Oh, well Dad, I invited her over," Michi said.
Akumo suspected as much. "How do you know each other?"
Seras replied. "I`m here as part of an overseas university study program for the semester. I first met Michi a couple of months ago, and she has been a big help for me finding my
way around town. She`s also helped me improve my computer skills considerably and been simply a big help with my research project."
Akumo was curious about what she would say next. "What are you researching?"
Seras smiled. "The role of the occult throughout history. The thing is, people have believed in magic for millennia and continue to do so even today. What I`m studying is not only what specific abilities people have ascribed to occult powers and forces and the means by which they were reputed to be used, but also specific times in history where interest in, and even attempted use of, the occult has had a direct impact on history."
"You mean people have used magic before?!" Mamiru shouted.
Seras laughed a little. "Well, they`ve certainly tried. Ancient Egypt is reputed to have had its own court magicians and medieval Europe saw thousands burned at the stake for witchcraft, both men and women. One Native American chief called Prophet apparently cast a spell of invulnerability on his warriors before sending them to fight the Americans at the Battle of Tippecanoe, which they lost. Even more recently, the Nazis in World War II, on top of everything else, launched studies into occult magic to further their agenda and attempt to gain otherworldly powers."
Akumo was immediately intrigued. He could see that at least some of the information they had gathered was accurate. She was displaying signs of thorough education and a real fascination with occultist materials. He still wondered why, however. Although the CCG found the tidbit with occultism trivial, he felt that there had to be some deeper reason for the fascination, one that could quite possibly explain the enigma that is Seras Victoria.
"So, are there any examples of the occult in Japan?" he said. Seras turned toward him. "I mean, you are currently staying here in Tokyo, right?"
Seras` complexion became thoughtful. Then she answered. "Stuff that the West would judge as occult doesn`t really as far as I know play a major role in overall East Asian history, aside from Shi Huangdi of the Qi Dynasty in China, as he allegedly pursued an immortality-granting elixir. Although, I have done some research on Abe no Seimei and the magic system called onymoudo during my time here, and I have found that there was a possibility of certain factions and families in Japan throughout history also trying to obtain otherworldly powers for their own benefit or seeking a means to immortality so as to garner immense rewards from the emperor."
Akumo nodded, taking another bite of curry. Then he asked his final question: "Why are you so fascinated with the occult?"
Seras just smiled softly and chuckled to herself, with a sad look in her eyes. "Let`s just say for now, that it`s been a very big part of my life for a very long time."
Seras POV
As she walked out the door, Seras felt her heart clench. This was something it hadn`t done since Pip had died. There was no wonder for this, after all.
Even though she completely unable to savor a single bite or sip of the dinner put before the family, literally forcing herself to eat all of the unsatisfying dinner, she had thoroughly enjoyed the friendly conversation shared around the table, from Michi`s time at school, with her friends Nanami, Yoriko, and Touka (Michi was the only who knew she was a ghoul and Touka that she was a vampire`s familiar), to Mamiru`s over-the-top bad jokes. She also enjoyed the banter that the parents had between each other, something like which she had not heard since she was a small girl, thirty years ago.
She absolutely hated what she was about to do.
"Wait!" She stopped, turning to look at Michi`s distressed and furious father standing behind her.
"Why?" he asked.
"Why what?" she replied.
"Don`t play dumb with me, Ripper." She knew that this was going to happen. "You invaded my home, ate dinner with my family, and held them hostage against me without their knowing all so that you could spite me! And not only that, but you`ve been messing around with Michi, with my daughter, for months on end, forcing her to play your sick little game while you went about on a murder spree. You may have saved her life, but that doesn`t give you any right to control her life!"
It truly pained Seras to watch the man berate her. She knew, ever since she had consumed Captain Bernadotte, that she was nothing but a monster. And her fifteen subsequent years of service to the Hellsing Organization only compounded this fact. And it destroyed her when she had learned from Michi herself how much her father loved her, and how much she loved her father.
She had lost track of how many times her father had told her how proud he was, whether it was for straight A`s or even just for swimming the whole length of the community pool. Akumo Matsuzaka had been nothing but a kind and nurturing, if somewhat overprotective, father. Seras couldn`t help but think that her father would`ve been much the same as he.
He stepped right into her face. "You better stay the f***ing away from my family, or else, SSS-rating or not, I will absolutely murder you."
Seras closed her eyes, and canceled her slight use of illusions. She looked at him with her real red ruby eyes, and he stared right back. She narrowed her pupils to cat-like slits, startling him a little. "I`m afraid you`re mistaken," she declared, her voice resonating. "Your daughter died two months ago, and the only reason she continues to walk the earth is because I still permit it." She turned and walked away, ignoring his confused calls after her, before he heard his wife shriek, and he rushed inside.
Tears of blood ran down her cheeks, as she felt Michi re-enter her being, who joined her in bemoaning their collective fate as Pip worked to comfort them.
Seras flew off into the sky as the day finished surrendering the sky to the night.
Unknown POV
He sat at his desk, sorting through a host of files on his computer, while his mind was focused on a host of other tasks.
Katsuo, how are things going with the Yakuza? he communicated, as he continued scanning through city archives.
Let`s just say that being a vampire makes taking over the underworld of a city TONS easier, the youth replied. Right now, literally all of the big name families and organizations are under my control, either directly or indirectly, and I can literally get dirt on practically everybody in the city from cops to the prime minister himself. The only group that I can`t get much insider info on is the CCG itself. All I need to do is clean up one or two loose ends from my takeover and my trail will be clean and the city will be mi- hers.
I hope that you don`t become too reckless. The man replied. He found a file pertaining to the Washuus. He downloaded it like the others. We don`t want to be busted by the metropolitan police of all people. Also, after you made that errand for Seras to Investigators Mado and Amon, they saw your face. They managed to get a sketch artist and run it through the system, and they know everything they need to in order to bring you in.
Relax, man. Katsuo Ishikawa replied. I`ve already burned all my bridges to my past life. Besides, we`ve got you, the lovely Ms. Kita and Her Majesty`s little pet demon possessing your former partner to keep track of the CCG`s movements, so we`ll know when they make a move. Speaking of which, how are we keeping track of the ghouls? Those guys we released doing their job?
Perfectly, he stated, as he copied the selected files to a flash drive. Thanks to them, we now have information on every organized ghoul group in the city, and the majority of the unorganized as well. We`ve also finally got the whole 24th Ward mapped out, thanks to the werewolf. Honestly, it`s pretty scary how easy all this is turning out to be.
Hey, did Seras ever tell you about Millennium? Katsuo asked.
Yes, and your point is?
She learned from those Nazi leftovers that the biggest advantage that vampires have over humans and ghouls is their ability to infiltrate just about any organization with near-impunity. These people were never trained to deal with an enemy that can literally become their friends and allies.
That`s a very good point. Still, we can`t take chances. We need to make sure that the CCG`s attention stays away from those of us within the CCG now.
Hey, that`s what Masahiko and Haruka are for, aren`t they? What with their fancy new weapons and all, they can probably kick anybody`s ass to kingdom come. Gotta say that
Seiichi`s got a brilliant and twisted mind for weapons. Combine that with all our vampiric OP-ness, that man could destroy the world.
No kidding, the man laughed. He heard someone approaching. He returned his computer to normal operations. I`m afraid I have company. Can`t allow myself to be distracted.
Time to answer a curious question? Katsuo asked.
Shoot.
Why did she make you her first fledgling?
He paused a moment, composing his answer. She told me that I reminded her of herself.
The door opened. He stood up from his desk, as the door to the task room opened. "Greetings, Special-Class Investigator Shinohara."
"Rank 3 Junior Investigator Renji Fujiyama. There`s something I need your help with."
<video>
Chapter 8: They Don`t Know Anything About Anything
Marude POV<Greetings to the men and women of the Commission of Counter-Ghoul. My name is Seras Victoria, the Ripper of the 10th Ward and the No-Life Queen of the Vampires.>
After Mado and Amon`s mysterious envelope from the Ripper`s subordinate was revealed to be a disk, the CCG tested and tried it a dozen times over for viruses and malware before deeming it safe for viewing. This was the first time that this video was being shown to general CCG personnel, but Marude sincerely wished that she hadn`t made the video at all.
<What is a human? Scientists say they`re just animals, descendants via evolution of monkeys and apes. Theologians will state that humans are beings with immortal souls that possess gifts of intelligence, self-awareness, reason, and conscience.>
He sat quietly, watching the video being played on the massive screen. It displayed the image of a young, red-eyed, blond European woman garbed in a flowing red dress with a black-and-red sleeve covering her left arm, a wine glass filled with blood that she toyed with in her left hand. This was the first solid image of her that they had ever received, making the video a goldmine of information for the profilers.
<What is a monster? The dictionary says that it is something or someone that greatly deviates from normal appearance or acceptable behavior, generally of rather threatening disposition and action.>
Marude would have liked to sit somewhere further back from the large screen, but considering every other seat in the lecture hall had been filled by Investigators and other CCG personnel and that he had himself taken a seat at the front so as to address everyone, it couldn`t be helped. Besides, he`d already seen this video.
<But, no one is ever satisfied with such clean answers, which simply fail in our minds to encompass the full reality these words entail. When you toy around with these two questions and the myriad possible answers to them for a long time, you can come to some rather startling revelations about yourself and the people around you. You soon realize that the difference between the two is not as simple to distinguish as it is the diets of two different species. You learn that someone you think of as a human can also at the same time be the vilest monster at heart, and that even the worst monster you could have ever known still has one final spark of humanity left inside of him.>
Still, he couldn`t help but grit his teeth at the sight of that girl, lounging like an entitled little bitch on that velvet throne of hers, speaking in that unnaturally smooth voice with an intentional dramatic flair, like she was playing the role of the villainous mastermind in some cheesy superhero movie or corny drama. And she- no it- dared to lecture him on humans and monsters?!
<But still, I`m sure that you all agree with me when I say that there is nothing more precious in this world than humanity, that intangible quality by which a being is able to taste and enjoy the full fruits of life itself until their death. But it`s only when confronted by a crisis that a person can come to find what they truly are, and then decide what to make of it. If a person confronts such a tragedy with both feet planted firmly in the ground and refuse to surrender to it, even if it threatens their very lives, only then can they truly embrace their human life.>
How can she know what it`s like to be human? he thought. After he had watched this video the first time around, the questions she had poised had haunted his mind, forcing him to look at everything he`d done just a little differently as he struggled to comprehend where her questions had come from. Even now, he could feel them poisonously circulating in some dark corner of his mind.
<But what happens if a person is confronted by tragedy and they run away from it, rather than stand against it? Such a one will never truly appreciate the gifts they have been given, for they are too weak to bear the full burden of a human existence, becoming nothing but a dog, barking and biting at the behest of others all his days. But then what happens if that person cannot escape from that tragedy, and surrender to it, allowing themselves to be broken by it, and lose that vital piece of humanity from their being? When their own free volition is no longer sufficient to maintain their existence, and they substitute it with the pain and agony of others to drive them forward, they become a monster, a pitiful creature forever inflicting suffering and forever seeking an escape from its own.>
He had nothing but contempt for ghouls, as the creatures gave the world nothing of any real benefit, and brought humanity only death, suffering, and grief. He had seen literally hundreds of people have their hearts be broken upon learning that a member of their family or one of their friends had been killed and eaten by a ghoul. That they had died at the hands of an inhuman monster born from the pits of Hell that had then subsequently defiled the sanctity of their body by treating it as nothing but meat. And he hated it when one of these creatures spoke like this, trying to lay claim to some nonexistent portion of humanity, trying to convince good people to believe their words and be lured into a trap just as they stab them in the back.
<So now, I will ask you two questions: Are you a man, a dog, or a monster? And what are the people around you? Men, dogs, or monsters?>
But that was precisely the problem with the Ripper. He honestly had no idea whatsoever why the Ripper was the media firestorm that she was. Any and every ghoul that somehow managed to gain personal attention from the public was a verifiable monster. But, because of her vigilante-style targeting of ghouls and leaks to the press from the CCG offices (they still didn`t know where they came from), she had become a topic of furious debate, dividing public opinion of the ghoul, and actually causing people to question the CCG.
<Only you can answer those questions for yourselves. And these are the same questions that I intend to pose to Tokyo when night falls on the Vernal Equinox.>
And with this video, she could now directly poison the minds of anyone and everyone who watched with every word from her mouth.
<If you want a preview, I`ll be watching the cherry blossoms in the Imperial Gardens in the afternoon of that festive day. But I will only entertain three guests from the CCG and I will tolerate no interruption in our private little meeting. Make sure to choose wisely who you send.>
Now she had issued them a challenge they could not afford to refuse, let alone lose.
<And now, I`m afraid I must be going. (She stands up) So much to do, so little time to do it. So I`ll leave with one final statement: (She holds out the wine glass in front of her) I`m coming for you. (She crushes the glass in her fist, letting the blood drip from her hand and flow down her sleeve) All of you.>
The video ends, and the screen is frozen with the image of the No-Life Queen`s bloody fist held forward, a mocking grin fixed on its face. Both Marude and the gathered Investigators are silent.
Marude turned back to the crowd.
"Gentlemen, this video was delivered to us only two days ago. Last night, the entire population of detained ghouls in Cochlea was either captured or outright slaughtered, and
our investigation into it has found that there is no security footage or eyewitness accounts that can tell us precisely how this attack was carried and who exactly was involved.
Judging by the evidence found, we have concluded that this was the latest assault by the Ripper, although it is clear that she is not working alone, and appears to be acting as either the spokesman or leader of an organized gang of ghouls with unprecedented strategic ability."
There was a lot of murmuring that could be heard, a lot more than usual. Their nervousness and apprehension shone clearly.
"Due to these latest developments, a press conference is going to be held later today by Chairman Washuu and the Board, where they will officially declare the Ripper to be an SSS-class ghoul, re-codifying her as the No-Life Queen, and naming her public enemy number one to the city and people of Tokyo."
There was shock on their faces. The last ghoul to be given this kind of attention from both the CCG and the public was the One-Eyed Owl, who earned the SSS rating by destroying an entire CCG branch office single-handedly. Marude took a breath and steeled himself even more for his next words.
"To put it very simply, we are at war."
Akumo POV
This was the last straw.
Ever since he had a family, he had always had to live a balancing act of not only ensuring his family`s safety, but also their happiness. When he started out in the CCG, it wasn`t as much of an issue, as he wasn`t very well known. But after he became a rising star, he soon gained a lot of unsavory attention from the inhuman creatures. This was driven home when his family received a death threat in their mail. Although he was able to satisfy himself by hunting down and killing the gang that sent it, he never got over the fear of some other ghoul getting his family. A fear that was compounded when he learned his daughter and her friends had been attacked by a ghoul.
He had been struggling even more with the question when he learned that she was only still alive because another one of the monsters had decided to let her go instead of eating her. Although he was able to ensure her protection for a while just in case she was being targeted (his wife and daughter had argued with him about its merits daily), his concerns for his family`s welfare only grew with every confirmed kill by the Ripper – the same ghoul that, for some strange reason, spared his daughter, and who he feared might come back for her.
As soon as the meeting had ended, the first thing Akumo did was call his wife and tell her that she and the family needed to get the hell out of Tokyo immediately. Sakura, unfortunately, wasn`t in favor of the idea, citing what the neighbors, their friends, and extended family would think, on top of how the children would struggle with the situation and the fact that she would have to give notice to her boss on her situation without getting subsequently fired in the process, which could take until tomorrow to get done, considering she had today off. Conceding for the moment, he said that they would discuss everything in greater detail when he came home.
The rest of his day at work went by in a daze. By the time he was driving home, all he could recall doing was the vague fact that he had worked with planning new daily patrols all over the city, especially the 10th Ward, assigning different men to different teams for tasks ranging from checking surveillance cameras all over the city and sifting through online message boards, blogs, and other websites to scouring underworld sources for any information on the No-Life Queen`s whereabouts, compatriots, and history. By the end of his day, all he really cared about was his family. And the delicious dinner he knew that Sakura was probably cooking. He was again glad that he could come home a little early to
enjoy it with everyone else.
After arriving at home and parking the car, he walked right into his house. He smelled curry, making his mouth water.
"I`m home!" he shouted.
"Welcome home, honey," Sakura said, with a warm smile.
"Hey Dad, long time no see," Michi said, food in her mouth.
"DAD! Did you kill any ghouls today?" Mamiru exclaimed excitedly.
"Pleased to meet you, Mr. Matsuzaka," a new voice spoke up.
No. This had to be a nightmare. It simply couldn`t be here now of all times.
The new figure rose up to meet him.
He had to be very careful how to handle this. He knew that there was no way he could destroy this monster by himself, and since it had so far shown no interest in harming his family -yet- and since it had spared his daughter before, there was a real chance that his family would be left unharmed. All he had to do was make sure that he didn`t spook the
monster.
"I-I`m sorry, I`m afraid we haven`t met before, Miss-?"
"Victoria," she replied, bowing and straightening again. "Seras Victoria."
After accepting her greeting, he took his seat at the table across his wife, then accepted from his daughter a serving of his wife`s curry with rice. As he took the first bite, he looked over at his "guest."
She looked back at him with crystal blue eyes. Unlike the blood-red eyes filled with the dark emptiness of sadistic arrogance that he saw in the video from earlier that day, the eyes he saw here were bright with both quiet happiness and a deep sorrow that, despite all of his training and knowledge telling him otherwise, his instincts told him were genuine. In the video, she had been dressed in a powerful red dress. Here, she had on a pair of jeans and a pink hoodie with brown gloves on her hands. In the video, he saw a powerful, terrifying monster that would enjoy watching someone die a slow and painful death. Here, he saw a young woman, barely more than a girl – someone who distressingly reminded him of his daughter Mika.
"Uhm, Dad, why are you staring at Seras?"
Akumo`s attention immediately snapped to his other daughter, Michi, who had noticed that he had been focusing all of his attention on the European girl rather than his family.
"Oh, sorry. It`s just that I`ve been going through a very stressful day at work and as soon as I come home, there`s a stranger sitting at my table with my family eating my wife`s food."
"What? Am I not good enough for your wife`s food?" Seras asked, teasingly. "Do you have to give your approval to anyone who wants to eat your` wife`s food?"
"I have three treasures in my life: my wife, my children, and my wife`s cooking."
"Isn`t that technically only two things, Dad?" Michi stated. "I mean, without Mom, you no longer have her cooking."
"Okay, you`re right. But still, since I`m not familiar with you, what brings you here?"
"Oh, well Dad, I invited her over," Michi said.
Akumo suspected as much. "How do you know each other?"
Seras replied. "I`m here as part of an overseas university study program for the semester. I first met Michi a couple of months ago, and she has been a big help for me finding my
way around town. She`s also helped me improve my computer skills considerably and been simply a big help with my research project."
Akumo was curious about what she would say next. "What are you researching?"
Seras smiled. "The role of the occult throughout history. The thing is, people have believed in magic for millennia and continue to do so even today. What I`m studying is not only what specific abilities people have ascribed to occult powers and forces and the means by which they were reputed to be used, but also specific times in history where interest in, and even attempted use of, the occult has had a direct impact on history."
"You mean people have used magic before?!" Mamiru shouted.
Seras laughed a little. "Well, they`ve certainly tried. Ancient Egypt is reputed to have had its own court magicians and medieval Europe saw thousands burned at the stake for witchcraft, both men and women. One Native American chief called Prophet apparently cast a spell of invulnerability on his warriors before sending them to fight the Americans at the Battle of Tippecanoe, which they lost. Even more recently, the Nazis in World War II, on top of everything else, launched studies into occult magic to further their agenda and attempt to gain otherworldly powers."
Akumo was immediately intrigued. He could see that at least some of the information they had gathered was accurate. She was displaying signs of thorough education and a real fascination with occultist materials. He still wondered why, however. Although the CCG found the tidbit with occultism trivial, he felt that there had to be some deeper reason for the fascination, one that could quite possibly explain the enigma that is Seras Victoria.
"So, are there any examples of the occult in Japan?" he said. Seras turned toward him. "I mean, you are currently staying here in Tokyo, right?"
Seras` complexion became thoughtful. Then she answered. "Stuff that the West would judge as occult doesn`t really as far as I know play a major role in overall East Asian history, aside from Shi Huangdi of the Qi Dynasty in China, as he allegedly pursued an immortality-granting elixir. Although, I have done some research on Abe no Seimei and the magic system called onymoudo during my time here, and I have found that there was a possibility of certain factions and families in Japan throughout history also trying to obtain otherworldly powers for their own benefit or seeking a means to immortality so as to garner immense rewards from the emperor."
Akumo nodded, taking another bite of curry. Then he asked his final question: "Why are you so fascinated with the occult?"
Seras just smiled softly and chuckled to herself, with a sad look in her eyes. "Let`s just say for now, that it`s been a very big part of my life for a very long time."
Seras POV
As she walked out the door, Seras felt her heart clench. This was something it hadn`t done since Pip had died. There was no wonder for this, after all.
Even though she completely unable to savor a single bite or sip of the dinner put before the family, literally forcing herself to eat all of the unsatisfying dinner, she had thoroughly enjoyed the friendly conversation shared around the table, from Michi`s time at school, with her friends Nanami, Yoriko, and Touka (Michi was the only who knew she was a ghoul and Touka that she was a vampire`s familiar), to Mamiru`s over-the-top bad jokes. She also enjoyed the banter that the parents had between each other, something like which she had not heard since she was a small girl, thirty years ago.
She absolutely hated what she was about to do.
"Wait!" She stopped, turning to look at Michi`s distressed and furious father standing behind her.
"Why?" he asked.
"Why what?" she replied.
"Don`t play dumb with me, Ripper." She knew that this was going to happen. "You invaded my home, ate dinner with my family, and held them hostage against me without their knowing all so that you could spite me! And not only that, but you`ve been messing around with Michi, with my daughter, for months on end, forcing her to play your sick little game while you went about on a murder spree. You may have saved her life, but that doesn`t give you any right to control her life!"
It truly pained Seras to watch the man berate her. She knew, ever since she had consumed Captain Bernadotte, that she was nothing but a monster. And her fifteen subsequent years of service to the Hellsing Organization only compounded this fact. And it destroyed her when she had learned from Michi herself how much her father loved her, and how much she loved her father.
She had lost track of how many times her father had told her how proud he was, whether it was for straight A`s or even just for swimming the whole length of the community pool. Akumo Matsuzaka had been nothing but a kind and nurturing, if somewhat overprotective, father. Seras couldn`t help but think that her father would`ve been much the same as he.
He stepped right into her face. "You better stay the f***ing away from my family, or else, SSS-rating or not, I will absolutely murder you."
Seras closed her eyes, and canceled her slight use of illusions. She looked at him with her real red ruby eyes, and he stared right back. She narrowed her pupils to cat-like slits, startling him a little. "I`m afraid you`re mistaken," she declared, her voice resonating. "Your daughter died two months ago, and the only reason she continues to walk the earth is because I still permit it." She turned and walked away, ignoring his confused calls after her, before he heard his wife shriek, and he rushed inside.
Tears of blood ran down her cheeks, as she felt Michi re-enter her being, who joined her in bemoaning their collective fate as Pip worked to comfort them.
Seras flew off into the sky as the day finished surrendering the sky to the night.
Unknown POV
He sat at his desk, sorting through a host of files on his computer, while his mind was focused on a host of other tasks.
Katsuo, how are things going with the Yakuza? he communicated, as he continued scanning through city archives.
Let`s just say that being a vampire makes taking over the underworld of a city TONS easier, the youth replied. Right now, literally all of the big name families and organizations are under my control, either directly or indirectly, and I can literally get dirt on practically everybody in the city from cops to the prime minister himself. The only group that I can`t get much insider info on is the CCG itself. All I need to do is clean up one or two loose ends from my takeover and my trail will be clean and the city will be mi- hers.
I hope that you don`t become too reckless. The man replied. He found a file pertaining to the Washuus. He downloaded it like the others. We don`t want to be busted by the metropolitan police of all people. Also, after you made that errand for Seras to Investigators Mado and Amon, they saw your face. They managed to get a sketch artist and run it through the system, and they know everything they need to in order to bring you in.
Relax, man. Katsuo Ishikawa replied. I`ve already burned all my bridges to my past life. Besides, we`ve got you, the lovely Ms. Kita and Her Majesty`s little pet demon possessing your former partner to keep track of the CCG`s movements, so we`ll know when they make a move. Speaking of which, how are we keeping track of the ghouls? Those guys we released doing their job?
Perfectly, he stated, as he copied the selected files to a flash drive. Thanks to them, we now have information on every organized ghoul group in the city, and the majority of the unorganized as well. We`ve also finally got the whole 24th Ward mapped out, thanks to the werewolf. Honestly, it`s pretty scary how easy all this is turning out to be.
Hey, did Seras ever tell you about Millennium? Katsuo asked.
Yes, and your point is?
She learned from those Nazi leftovers that the biggest advantage that vampires have over humans and ghouls is their ability to infiltrate just about any organization with near-impunity. These people were never trained to deal with an enemy that can literally become their friends and allies.
That`s a very good point. Still, we can`t take chances. We need to make sure that the CCG`s attention stays away from those of us within the CCG now.
Hey, that`s what Masahiko and Haruka are for, aren`t they? What with their fancy new weapons and all, they can probably kick anybody`s ass to kingdom come. Gotta say that
Seiichi`s got a brilliant and twisted mind for weapons. Combine that with all our vampiric OP-ness, that man could destroy the world.
No kidding, the man laughed. He heard someone approaching. He returned his computer to normal operations. I`m afraid I have company. Can`t allow myself to be distracted.
Time to answer a curious question? Katsuo asked.
Shoot.
Why did she make you her first fledgling?
He paused a moment, composing his answer. She told me that I reminded her of herself.
The door opened. He stood up from his desk, as the door to the task room opened. "Greetings, Special-Class Investigator Shinohara."
"Rank 3 Junior Investigator Renji Fujiyama. There`s something I need your help with."
Xavier Rall
Merely an aspiring writer.
- Location
- Dunellen, NJ
Look at it again. RENJI is the vampire, NOT Shinohara.
zaiaku
The Ignorant Guru
- Location
- Alamo, Texas
I don't think he really understands that part yet. Unless he saw Michi flow into Seras.
- Location
- Canada
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TortugaGreen
Constantly out of the loop
- Pronouns
- She/Her
Xavier Rall
Merely an aspiring writer.
- Location
- Dunellen, NJ
Just a question to everyone who likes reading this story: what do you like the most about it?
Asterion
People think I'm Crazy 'cause I make no Sense
- Location
- The Island of Endless Stories
Seeing how Seras interacts with the TG World
- Location
- Chicago
The fact that I can giggle at the fact that everyone is greatly underestimating the threat of seras and the gang.
Stripes
Genre-Savvy Anti-Nihilist
- Location
- Nizhniy Novgorod
Full scale, non-Crack Hellsing stroy is enough for me.
"The Video"? *Alucard flicks off mainly tear* "That's my Girl!"
Asterion
People think I'm Crazy 'cause I make no Sense
- Location
- The Island of Endless Stories
I'd love to see that actuallyFull scale, non-Crack Hellsing stroy is enough for me.
"The Video"? *Alucard flicks off mainly tear* "That's my Girl!"
An Omake of Alucard using Schrodinger's power to watch this world and Seras like a Tv Show
Xavier Rall
Merely an aspiring writer.
- Location
- Dunellen, NJ
I'd love to see that actually
An Omake of Alucard using Schrodinger's power to watch this world and Seras like a Tv Show
I`ll put that into consideration. No guarantees, however.
Xavier Rall
Merely an aspiring writer.
- Location
- Dunellen, NJ
I have a general idea at this point of how I want to finish this story, but I want to do so as completely and well-done as possible. What issues do people still have with this story that can be properly fixed and addressed? Are there plot holes I am unaware of, characters who need more time in the limelight, either original or from Tokyo Ghoul canon? Just note, here are some things that will not change:
1. Alucard will not make a canon appearance in "Sending A Bigger Monster" to the effect that he physically manifests himself - an omake of his observation of these events is not guaranteed either. No other canon Hellsing characters not already introduced into the plot will appear either, at least not in the Tokyo Ghoul universe.
2. Seras can only make vampires out of virgin male humans. How she has female vampire subordinates will be explicitly explained at a later date, but how they`ve been created has already been implied by recent developments. The reason as for why ghouls haven`t been vampirized yet will be explained in the future.
The next chapter is in development and I HOPE (no guarantees people) to have it finished by sometime tomorrow.
Also, here`s a bone I`m throwing to those who are theorizing what direction this story is taking:
We`re getting there, people. This story won`t drag on for too much longer.
1. Alucard will not make a canon appearance in "Sending A Bigger Monster" to the effect that he physically manifests himself - an omake of his observation of these events is not guaranteed either. No other canon Hellsing characters not already introduced into the plot will appear either, at least not in the Tokyo Ghoul universe.
2. Seras can only make vampires out of virgin male humans. How she has female vampire subordinates will be explicitly explained at a later date, but how they`ve been created has already been implied by recent developments. The reason as for why ghouls haven`t been vampirized yet will be explained in the future.
The next chapter is in development and I HOPE (no guarantees people) to have it finished by sometime tomorrow.
Also, here`s a bone I`m throwing to those who are theorizing what direction this story is taking:
One, a lot of very specific details have been left out in some areas and other things have been left hanging, all of which has been done ON PURPOSE. Two, keep the source materials well in mind, as the latest material on both Hellsing and Tokyo Ghoul will be utilized to powerful effect. And three, why so much reference to the occult and immortality? If you can connect all three, then you will have an idea of what the endgame looks like.
We`re getting there, people. This story won`t drag on for too much longer.
- Location
- Canada
Given that the Ripley Scroll is a recipe for the Philosopher's Stone and immortality, I'd hazard a guess that the plan is a benevolent (mostly) vampire council to oversee and mediate human/ghoul relations, what with the stone's properties of changing materials' very natures.