"Father Anderson, do you require our assistance? We could at least make crossing the River of Blood an easy task for you."
The Major's words dripped with malice; they had no intention of providing the help they offered.
Everything about this corpulent man was displayed to the few people present through the small screen. His mechanical body, stripped of human skin, was enough to unsettle any ordinary person.
In truth, the Last Battalion had lost the capacity to provide any meaningful combat support. The organization had very little strength left, yet their operational objective was still one step away from completion.
Even if they had enough power for one last stand, they wouldn't waste it here.
His offer was merely intended to disgust Father Anderson.
Anderson, for his part, would never cooperate with the likes of the Last Battalion.
Perhaps Maxwell would have accepted the help with a clear conscience. That man never cared about the methods used; he simply wanted to become a superior being. If he could gain an advantage, he wouldn't care about things like stance or morality.
In fact, this entire war was a tacit understanding formed between him and the Last Battalion. His name was undoubtedly on the list of those who had fanned the flames of this conflict.
But the one in charge now was Father Anderson—a man who never showed leniency to evildoers.
"In your dreams!"
Father Anderson spat out these three words with a cold, solemn voice, then stepped directly toward the River of Blood.
His pace was firm and fearless, as if this battle were nothing more than an invitation to afternoon tea.
Those chosen by Valor fear nothing. Moreover, he had been looking forward to this battle with Alucard for a long time.
"Since you didn't get to see Integra, if you die, is there anything you wish for me to convey?"
Father Anderson spoke with his eyes closed. For Integra, a lady worthy of respect, Anderson did not mind offering his regards.
However, he did not mention Seras. Alucard understood Anderson's implication: Seras was not on the list of those he would spare.
If Alucard died, Seras's only fate would be death.
"Wait until I am on my deathbed; I will ask you to pass on my message then. For now, let us focus on what is before us."
Alucard, maintaining the form of Vlad the Impaler, had no desire for conversation. His eyes always betrayed a sorrow that could not be dissolved.
Seated upon a throne of corpses, resting his hands on the pommel of his longsword, his neatly trimmed beard gave him a distinguished, martial appearance.
"I hope we meet again, Father Anderson."
"Give me information on Hydra!"
The Major stopped smiling. On the other end of the transmission, Rumlow's giant hammer smashed onto the desk in front of the Major, punctuating his demand.
With that, the brief communication came to an end.
S.H.I.E.L.D.'s decapitation squad had finally reached their destination. It appeared the Last Battalion no longer had the ability to stop them.
Their combat personnel had been thrown into the battlefield right at the start. Those remaining above were merely technicians.
Or rather, just dregs who had chosen to betray their country and identity for the sake of "eternal life."
"Now, it is just us, Alucard."
Father Anderson raised his bayonets to form the shape of a cross before his chest, waves of fire burning around his body.
At this moment, Anderson finally opened his eyes wide, his expression shifting into that ferocious, fanatical look he wore in battle.
"Monster, just die quietly! Amen!"
With a resounding roar, Father Anderson's body streaked through the air like a trail of fire, plunging into the souls within the River of Blood like a bayonet.
He moved with incredible speed, charging into the encirclement of the blood river in the blink of an eye.
Among the remnant souls, aside from ordinary people who had died of plague, one could see Alucard's subordinates from years past, soldiers who died in World War II, and the Paladins who had been killed trying to crusade against Alucard.
The strength of these entities varied. The powerful ones could entangle beings like Steve, while the weak ones were like walking corpses, only able to slowly reach out and claw.
Among the souls that remained, the ratio of powerful ones had increased significantly. Anderson's charge was by no means easy.
Father Anderson let out roar after roar of indistinct meaning, forcing his way closer to Alucard.
His bayonets sent sprays of blood flying into the air as he carved a path through the river. Anderson no longer had the luxury of dodging the gore.
His priestly vestments were stained with blood, yet he did not look wretched; rather, he looked tragic and solemn.
Paladin Heinkel Wolfe and Nun Yumie Takagi stood guard; one drew a handgun, the other unsheathed the katana at her waist, positioning themselves to block anyone from reaching Maxwell.
They watched Father Anderson's performance in silence.
Since Anderson did not wish for Maxwell to become a monster, it didn't seem to matter if they waited a little longer.
As the humans who understood Father Anderson best, they did not believe their teacher would falter in a battle of this magnitude.
For now, their only job was to keep a close watch on Maxwell.
Maxwell was waiting for his opportunity to sacrifice himself. The moment Father Anderson needed help—regardless of whether Anderson wanted it or not—Maxwell would drive the Holy Nail into his own heart.
The firelight flashing in mid-air danced through the River of Blood. The cold glint of bayonets no longer distinguished between piercing and slashing.
The bayonets harvested the souls of the dead like scythes. Amidst the flashing holy flames, the souls of the dead were burned away bit by bit, as if being purified, returning to their original forms before finding release.
Father Anderson's figure advanced toward Alucard with unwavering determination.
The path was arduous, but neither of these two men would fall easily.
Not far away, Walter stood rooted to the spot. His body flashed alternately with a divine azure light and a pitch-black radiance.
The battle between Gabriel and Mephisto's clone was ongoing. For now, they seemed to be evenly matched, though it was unknown when this eerie balance would be broken.
The power Mephisto's clone had obtained had been largely consumed by the continuous fighting. What remained to be seen was how much of a price the Angel Gabriel was willing to pay to secure victory.
Meanwhile, inside the crashed zeppelin, the remaining forces of the Last Battalion were engaging Steve and his team.
The moment Steve stepped onto the bridge, the Werewolf Captain stomped heavily onto his shield, sending Steve flying backward like a cannonball.
Rumlow and Matthew launched a pincer attack from the left and right, directly intercepting the powerful Werewolf Captain.
Kaecilius, on the other hand, slammed headfirst into First Lieutenant Rip van Winkle, physically pinning the twisted vampire woman against the wall.
(End of Chapter)
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