Just as Hellboy leapt into the deep pit, the Last Battalion finally arrived in the skies above London.
A total of five airships sailed grandly over the city.
Advanced Intelligence Mechanics (A.I.M.) technology had been sufficient to keep the city oblivious to their approach, but the moment the airships dropped their camouflage, everyone could see the zeppelins emblazoned with that infamous insignia on their prows.
Soldiers inside roared classic anthems, geared up in equipment sponsored by A.I.M., ready to manufacture a living hell.
The Major stood atop the lead airship, waving his hands like the conductor of a grand orchestra.
With his movements, the war officially erupted!
Descent chutes opened on the airships. Soldiers with grotesque grins tugged at the slightly ill-fitting equipment on their backs and dropped from the flanks of the zeppelins.
Bomb bay doors opened at the bottom, and countless explosives rained down from the heavens.
The city's residents had received notifications, and most were hiding in civil defense shelters. Even those who hadn't made it to the shelters in time locked their doors and windows, huddling in their homes, shivering and praying they wouldn't die in this hour.
The Major stood atop his airship, conducting the symphony of war, but all the elegance and composure he projected seemed only ugly and filthy in this moment.
War brings only trauma; death breeds only hatred.
The war the Major launched had no purpose. He simply wanted a war, and so he made one.
It was disgusting, and it was mad.
"What is that!?"
Soldiers deploying on the ground shouted toward the sky.
They had assumed this war wouldn't begin with an air raid, so they hadn't committed many resources to anti-air firepower. After all, in modern warfare, penetrating the airspace of a nation's capital unnoticed should have been nearly impossible.
Satellites, radar, and various covert observation devices should have detected any air raid well in advance. Even if Britain hadn't prepared extensive air defenses, they should have seen it coming.
But now, it was too late to correct the mistake. The enemy had already begun their airborne invasion.
Those hideous monsters, barely recognizable as human, began their assault. Some wielded firearms and stormed the defensive positions, while others had fully transformed into beasts, collapsing old buildings with sheer physical impact.
They casually dug through the ruins, pulled out unconscious civilians, and stuffed them directly into their mouths.
This was, from the start, an asymmetric war between Transcendents and ordinary humans!
Just as the various defensive lines tried to relay messages to their superiors, traitors tempted by "eternal life" appeared in key command facilities, initiating a bloodbath within the scattered headquarters.
The only good news was that these traitors hadn't had time to undergo the demonic modifications; they were merely the weakest class of vampires. After all, demonic modification made it impossible to maintain a human appearance, and they had needed to remain undercover.
Against ordinary vampires, as long as one possessed specially treated weapons, these dregs could be effectively injured or killed.
Inside the Central Dispatch Center, Integra and Walter watched as soldiers in British military uniforms pointed guns at them.
In fact, everyone in the dispatch center was being held at gunpoint.
"You have nowhere to run, Hellsing, and you too, Sir Penwood!"
A man wearing a Lieutenant Colonel's epaulets spoke arrogantly, his eyes glowing with a crimson light. He was a traitor to humanity, one of the first to forsake his country for the promise of eternal life.
Had he not held a high position, he wouldn't have been privileged to know the specific location of this dispatch center.
"We are an organization dedicated to fighting vampires. We have battled them for over a century. And you, mere infants of the night, dare to show your faces before me?"
Integra sat upright at the table, speaking with utter disdain to the soldiers pointing guns at her.
Although she had anticipated traitors, she hadn't expected them to be bold enough to appear directly in this room. This unexpected development made Integra grit her teeth in silent frustration.
"Is it for that so-called eternal life? How foolish! Walter!"
Integra's voice was as heroic and commanding as ever. Just the way she called Walter's name conveyed her contempt for the vampires before her.
Walter, standing to the side, took two steps forward. Micro-filament wires, barely visible, shimmered like a veil in front of him.
"Walter, former Hellsing Trash Disposal Specialist. Allow me to demonstrate just how frail you truly are."
Walter bowed slightly as he spoke, fulfilling the necessary etiquette.
To him, speaking to these monsters felt superfluous.
In the blink of an eye, the wrists of the vampire soldiers were severed by the wires, their hands and weapons falling to the floor. Walter had only just straightened his back.
It wasn't that he couldn't slice through the metal guns to prevent accidental discharge; it was simply that the soldiers nearest to him weren't worth the extra effort.
Vampires were no longer human. The moment they stood up as corpses, they lost their nervous reactions. Even with severed muscles, their hands wouldn't tighten to pull a trigger.
So Walter saved a little energy. For him, time had long since exacted its toll on his body. Old age was an end no human could avoid. If he could spare himself some exertion, he would.
"Fire!"
The traitorous commander screamed in terror. In the next moment, all the vampire soldiers opened fire on Walter.
In that short instant, the commander realized that Hellsing's combat power was something he couldn't hope to face. He only hoped his subordinates could buy him a chance to escape, though he knew it was a delusion.
Walter was a human powerhouse known as the "Angel of Death." Having once fought side-by-side with Alucard, these newly turned vampires were truly no different from infants to him.
The dense hail of bullets was stopped dead by the net of wires in front of Walter, resulting in nothing more than a few scattered sparks.
In the next second, every vampire was sliced into multiple pieces, collapsing to the ground as their consciousness was instantly extinguished.
"Trash disposal complete."
Walter adjusted his gloves and spoke respectfully to Integra.
To dispatch all enemies simultaneously with the final strike, he had used a bit more force than usual. His fingers felt slightly sore.
"I expected there would be traitors, Sir Penwood."
Integra didn't flinch. She held her cigar, speaking calmly.
She didn't respond to Walter but focused her attention on the portly man sitting opposite her, whose forehead was stained with sweat and blood.
Penwood. This British official was nervously clenching his hands.
The man never hid his cowardice; it was practically his nature. Everyone who knew him knew he was a bit soft.
"Sir Hellsing, I may be incompetent, but I am not base," Penwood said with a trembling voice, his eyes sweeping over the vampire remains on the floor.
The scene that had just unfolded was a bit too stimulating for him. His name had never been in the combat order of battle. The dispatch center was supposed to be a secure area; only the appearance of traitors had put him in danger.
Penwood had never considered becoming a monster in exchange for eternal life. He was trustworthy.
"You can evacuate now. MI5 personnel will escort you to the location of the other officials."
Integra stood up. She had more important places to be. Out of concern for an acquaintance, she added this advice.
MI5 would have received the alert the moment the attack started. Reinforcements would arrive shortly, enough to escort Penwood to safety.
"I... I will stay."
Penwood took out a handkerchief and carefully wiped the blood from his forehead. Though his body still trembled, his will was exceptionally firm.
He had been entrusted with guarding this place. He knew it was because he had no talent for combat. Everything here was strange to him; he didn't know how to do anything other than answer the phone.
But staying here was his duty.
"Do you know what you are doing? All command posts are likely compromised. There is no point in you staying here."
Integra remembered that this slightly soft, portly man was the first outsider she had met when she took over Hellsing as a child. Compared to others, she felt a certain closeness to Penwood.
He had helped her handle the aftermath of troublesome events many times. Integra couldn't bring herself to ignore him completely.
"This is the dispatch center. What if a command post repels the vampire attack and asks for further orders? What if there is important intelligence to convey? This place cannot be left unmanned."
Penwood finally calmed down a little, though his trembling body still betrayed his fear.
His voice shook as he spoke, stuttering at times, yet no one could question his resolve.
The dispatch center was vital. That was why Penwood, a high-ranking official, was placed here. He was one of the few people who could be trusted.
"Sir Hellsing, everyone has something they must do. You should go where you are needed. Leave this place to me. I will not let the vampires use the dispatch system to transmit their messages."
Penwood's forehead was covered in beads of sweat again, but his eyes were extraordinarily determined. His trembling began to subside.
"Sir Penwood... you are not incompetent."
Integra did not look Penwood in the eye. She turned her back before speaking.
The vampires wouldn't give up attacking this strategic location. By staying, his fate was sealed.
Although Penwood had practiced fencing, he was never a brave warrior. Faced with a vampire attack, he could only die along with the equipment here.
Integra said nothing more.
Just as Penwood said, there were places that needed her more. The reserve force led by Seras needed her command.
Hellsing had no spare capacity to protect Penwood.
"Walter, let's go!"
Integra called to Walter and left without looking back.
After her figure disappeared, a faint voice could be heard: "Don't die."
Integra was gone. Now, it was down to Penwood and the communications staff.
"You may evacuate. It is enough if I stay here alone."
Penwood clasped his hands tightly together. His voice was faint, but clear enough for the staff to hear.
Penwood knew exactly what was coming. He didn't want these soldiers to die with him. He needed to fulfill his duty because he was an official of this country; this was his dignity and persistence.
"What nonsense are you talking about? You don't even know how to use the equipment, sir," a soldier sitting at a console laughed loudly.
How could humans bow their heads to monsters?
"Indeed. This is where we are needed. We have no reason to leave."
"I'm continuing attempts to contact other command posts to see if anyone has good news."
"I'll move all the detonatable explosives here. Even if we die, we'll take those bastards with us!"
The soldiers ignored the danger and continued their work with intensity.
A few guards began moving explosives. Everyone remaining here had accepted their death.
Penwood sat upright at the table. His trembling had ceased.
Silence became a strength, like charcoal that burns intensely without visible flame.
He calmly took the detonator handed to him by a soldier and sat quietly, looking at the map.
London was the heart of this country. Penwood wanted to take a good look at the full picture of this city.
Before long, intense gunfire and the heavy sound of military boots squelching through blood could be heard from the corridor outside the underground bunker.
Penwood understood what was happening. It was the sound of MI5 reinforcements fighting the new wave of enemies.
Everyone present knew that when the noise came from the blast door, it would be the moment their life or death was decided.
The soldiers left their posts, drawing their sidearms and preparing for battle.
Their weapons had undergone preliminary modifications. While they could hurt the Third Reich's vampire soldiers, they would be ineffective against the double-modified monsters of the Last Battalion's elites.
"Gentlemen! It has been an honor serving with you!"
Penwood gripped the detonator tightly. If the things breaking through the barricade were those vampire scum, he would not hesitate to blow this place sky-high.
However, the person who entered was not the enemy he expected.
With a loud boom, the door, blocked by various obstacles, was smashed open by the body of a vampire soldier that had been reduced to meat paste.
As the passage opened, everyone saw a figure holding a massive battle axe.
"What a hassle. Why is the dispatch center under Elizabeth Tower?"
Luke Cage's voice rang out timely. He kicked aside the blocking vampire corpse, smashed through the remaining debris, and walked in.
Luke and Jessica Jones had been sightseeing at Elizabeth Tower (Big Ben) when the Last Battalion attacked.
By the time they figured out who the enemy was, the MI5 reinforcements had already been slaughtered by vampire soldiers. The corpses had even become food for the monsters.
A soldier with half a breath left told Luke about the dispatch center, so Luke and Jessica came.
They slaughtered every vampire on the way and arrived here.
"Luke, why do you care about that? Just chopping up those disgusting vampires is enough!"
Jessica followed Luke through the opened passage.
She flipped her hair irritably. It was stained with enemy blood, making her feel extremely uncomfortable.
"Hello, Mr. Penwood. We met at Hellsing."
Seeing the stunned Penwood, Jessica immediately spoke with a warm smile, then patted Luke on the shoulder.
"We don't know what plans you have, but protecting you is no problem."
Jessica wiped her axe on Luke's clothes as she spoke casually.
"You can fulfill your duty, but you can put down that detonator now. Until we die, you are safe," Luke said with a booming laugh.
"Luke, you're better suited for protecting people. I'm going upstairs to chop those disgusting things. The stench is totally wasting the perfume I put on today."
Jessica waved at the still-dazed Penwood, then turned to leave.
"Jessica, take this!"
Luke pulled a cosmic helmet out of his backpack and tossed it to Jessica.
Jessica's body wasn't as invulnerable as his, so some protective gear would be useful.
"Luke, see you tonight!"
Jessica caught the helmet and jammed it onto her head, not even tucking her loose hair into the base.
"Check on St. Paul's Cathedral for me! We were supposed to go there!" Luke shouted after her, then pulled out a bottle of strong liquor and took a swig.
Although both he and Jessica liked to drink, Jessica often told him to cut back. Luke didn't really mind, but he hadn't had a good drink in a long time.
"You want a shot?"
Luke looked at Penwood and raised the bottle. Drinking alone felt like something was missing.
"When the war is over, I'll treat you to the rare collection in my cellar," Penwood said somewhat dazedly, then struggled to unclench his hand from the detonator.
Gripping it for so long had made his palm numb.
"Hellboy, what are you waiting for? Pull out the sword!"
Rorschach spoke impatiently.
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