The silhouette of Alucard, formed from a pool of blood, suddenly manifested between the Gorosei. The crimson fluid danced around him like flickering flames, and under the astonished gazes of the five men, his humanoid form gradually solidified.
"Alucard!"
"So, you really didn't die."
The Gorosei stood ready, their guards up. The member in the traditional robes drew his katana with a sharp ring, shouting to the others, "Go and activate the National Treasure! I'll hold him back!"
They were men of self-awareness; they knew that without the National Treasure, they stood no chance against Alucard in a direct confrontation. Their only option was to have some delay him while the others rushed to trigger their trump card.
The blond Gorosei slammed a button at the corner of the desk. Instantly, a piercing siren wailed throughout the Holy Land. Within the palace, the standard white lighting shifted to a flashing, ominous red, signaling a dire state of emergency.
"Intruder! There is an intruder!"
The Government troops stiffened, entering a state of combat readiness in an instant.
Fleet Admiral Kong sat with his arms crossed before rising and stepping out of his office. He turned to Chaton, who was following behind, and asked, "Where did the alarm originate?"
Chaton replied with a slight mumble, "According to the reports... it's the Gorosei's private chambers."
"What?"
Kong's mouth hung open in an exaggerated display of shock. The Gorosei? That was the deepest, most secure part of Mariejois. Even if someone broke in, they should have been intercepted layer by layer from the outside. How could they simply appear in the inner sanctum?
"If they truly slipped in undetected, the enemy must be a master of stealth. The Gorosei can handle themselves, but go and establish a defensive line. Ensure the enemy doesn't escape."
"Understood."
Having witnessed the battle at Spring Queen Island, everyone in the Government held the Gorosei's strength in the highest regard. They believed no one could win a frontal clash against them; their duty was merely to block the exits and prevent a retreat.
…
Inside the Gorosei's room, the blond member and the one in robes had already unleashed their abilities. One held his blade unsheathed, while the other expanded his spatial domain to encompass the entire room.
Alucard, by contrast, remained seated on the sofa, motionless. After a long silence, he cast a sidelong glance at the two. "What's wrong? Without your National Treasure, are you nothing more than five old men waiting for their coffins?"
"I'll go first."
Refusing to be baited by Alucard's provocation, the blond Gorosei struck. He compressed and concentrated the density of the room, a tactic identical to the fight at Spring Queen Island, attempting to trap Alucard within a pressurized space where he couldn't move a muscle.
"You used this same trick a year ago. You really do rely too much on that treasure; not a single bit of evolution."
From the outside, the space around Alucard began to warp and twist, and his body began to assimilate into the distortion.
The blond Gorosei curled his lip into a cold sneer. "Stubborn to the end."
He signaled the robed Gorosei, who nodded in understanding. With his left hand gripping the scabbard and his right tight on the hilt, the swordsman twisted his wrist, unleashing a blizzard of sword flashes in a single breath.
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh, whoosh—
A continuous barrage of strikes rained down on Alucard. Whether it was dozens, hundreds, or thousands of cuts, Alucard's body was eventually reduced to fine powder.
Yet, the two Gorosei showed no joy. Their expressions remained indifferent. "He'll regenerate soon, won't he?"
The other nodded. "Yes. He hasn't deactivated his immortality yet. We just need to stall him until the National Treasure is active."
They waited for the minced flesh trapped in the spatial distortion to reform as it had in the past, but suddenly, the blood and meat vanished entirely.
The blond Gorosei's eyes widened. Thinking he was seeing things, he rubbed his eyes and looked again, but his dense spatial zone was undeniably empty.
"He... he escaped?"
The robed Gorosei was horrified. "How is that possible? Your ability is supposed to make escape impossible!"
The blond member shook his head, bewildered. "I don't know. Logically, this space can only be broken; it can't be bypassed. The space is still intact, so why..."
…
Meanwhile, in the Secret Chamber of the National Treasure...
The other three Gorosei had reached the chamber at top speed, having already alerted the heads of the three Celestial Dragon families.
"Alucard is alive? That is a surprise."
Oseinofica was stunned for a few seconds before returning to his usual arrogant self, laughing boisterously. "So what? Last time, only two of the Gorosei and Nedseo were enough to seal him for over a year. Now that all eight of us are here, what is there to fear?"
The others felt a sense of relief at Oseinofica's words.
The Gorosei with the long white beard nodded. "Very well. Activate the National Treasure."
"I'll do it."
Oseinofica used his Supreme Grade blade, Oodenta Mitsuyo, to slice his palm, letting the blood flow. Just as he was about to press his hand onto the wheel containing the ten ignition points, a gunshot rang out. A bullet exploded against his outstretched right hand.
BANG!!
His flesh tore open, and Oseinofica's burly frame was forced back several steps.
BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG!
A succession of shots followed, with countless bullets flying toward the activation wheel of the National Treasure.
The Gorosei with the crescent-shaped mustache reacted quickly, activating his spatial ability. A golden, swirling spatial portal opened in front of the wheel, absorbing the bullets before they could damage the device.
"Oho, so that's the switch to the National Treasure? Fighting here seems perfectly appropriate, then."
Alucard slowly emerged from the shadows of the corner, shocking the three Gorosei.
"How did you get here?!"
"What happened to the other two?"
It was impossible to reach this place simply by walking. This was a secret chamber known only to the eight of them in all of Mariejois. Unless Alucard had been tailing the three of them the entire way, he couldn't have arrived here.
But if that were the case, how could they have been followed for so long without noticing?