Hopefully, A Better World (A Castlevania Season 3 and 4 Fanfiction)

Chapter 3: Deepest Betrayal

Sumi and Taka knelt above Alucard; his naked body bound to the bed with iron rings. They held daggers in their hands, waiting to strike. 

'What's happening?' Alucard asked in shock, straining against the iron. 

'You've been lying to us,' Taka snarled. 

'I have not.' 

'You have. Because everybody lies to us. Everybody hides things from us.' Alucard strained again, his power flickering. 

'You won't help us. Because nobody helps us. We will work out how to move this castle,' Sumi said. 

'We will find all your secrets. We will use them to build our own empire.' 

'I gave you everything,' Alucard said, straining again. 

'No, you didn't,' Sumi snapped, leaning close to Alucard. 'Nobody does. We've been lied to and cheated across half the world. Do you expect us to believe that you and Alyx are different?' 

'I tried to be. So did Alyx.' 

'You haven't taught us magic,' Taka said bitterly. 'You won't move the castle. You're just like all the others.' 

'Please!' Alucard cried out, desperately. 'I know your lives have been hard. But the world is not against you. I am not against you.' 

'Of course not,' Taka said after a moment of consideration, and the twins crossed their blades together, ready to stab into Alucard as one. 'You're already dead.' He strained again, and cried out, falling to the bed just as his sword was summoned, slashing across the throats of Sumi and Taka. They knelt there, still for a moment, and then letting go of the blades, they collapsed to the bed. 

'I told you my father didn't like magical weapons,' Alucard said softly. 'I did not say I didn't use them. I never lied to you.' He laid there as the twins bled out onto the bed, still bound. 

The sun rose on an ugly morning. Alucard walked, carrying a picnic basket full of foraged food as always, the burns and abrasions from the iron rings still evident on his body. 

'I suppose I could have put up big signs all over the place,' Alucard mused, walking up to the castle. 'Do not enter. Danger of death. Abandon all hope. That sort of thing.' As he walked up to the front steps of the castle, the bodies of Sumi and Taka were impaled on wooden poles, placed at the foot of the steps as a warning, while crows mangled their bodies. 'But this seemed to work well enough. For dead old dad.' A dark look crossed his eyes as he entered the castle, the grand doors shutting behind him. 

Almost every day was overcast and gloomy after that. After a few days, Alucard had more than the two rotten bodies of Sumi and Taka impaled on spikes outside, and it seemed to serve as a warning to those passing by, for no one came near the gates. Alucard exited the castle one grey day to relieve himself, and after several days of holing himself up in the castle he was haggard, his face taking on a pallor shade, his features drawn and sharp with sadness. He heard the sound of a horse coming towards him, and promptly turned, heading back towards the castle. The horse whinnied, and he turned to the animal, then growled in resignation, stalking back down the steps. Gently taking the hand of the dead man strapped to the saddle, he found a small missive tied to his hand. Unrolling it, he read. 

'To the Alucard of the castle. Oh, for God's sake. Why am I "the Alucard" now? To the Alucard of the castle. We, the people of Danesti, beg your aid. Night creatures, vampires and terrible demons assault us, and we know not why. Our defences weaken and our numbers dwindle. Please, sir, save our souls.' He looked to the dead man, lowering the missive. 'Save our souls.' He looked at the map on the back of the missive. 'That's a good 20 miles away.' He stepped forward and reached for the man to pull him off his saddle, and the horse whinnied loudly. 'You can shut up,' he snarked, and pulled the man off the saddle, laying him on the grass. 'And you still kept on riding,' he muttered to the dead man, 'until you died from the pain or the blood loss. Or both.' He turned and walked back towards the castle, ascending the steps once more. 'You stay right there,' he called to the horse. 'I'm not done with you yet.' The horse whinnied again. 'A bit less of your shit, please.' 

The light of the morning gave way to the evening, and Alucard and Alyx buried the man together, wordlessly. When they returned to the castle, Alucard poured a bowl of water, looking into the mirror. 

'Oh my God,' he said softly. 'I'm turning into Belmont.'