Only a short while ago, the two sides had been fighting to the death, and he had even nearly slit the other's throat.
But the situation changed in an instant. Facing the oldest of those who had occupied a position among the "Shichibukai"
for decades, neither he nor Katakuri dared show the slightest overconfidence.
A temporary alliance had become the most reasonable choice.
If they kept fighting among themselves, once the Lord of the Blood Sea appeared, none of them would likely leave this battlefield alive.
The two leaders exchanged glances and turned their weapons toward the same target-the tide of the dead was still pouring out of the darkness.
Below the control room, the laboratory Tieshidaino had left behind was crowded with figures in white coats.
They bustled around **'s classical coffin, electrodes and cables entwined like spiderwebs, dragging a fairy-tale scene of slumber into a cold, hard jungle of machinery.
Indicator lights flickered, and streams of data scrolled across the screens:
"Cerebral cortex signals activated."
"Neurotransmitter secretion stable."
"Motor system feedback normal... only the final step remains."
Without a soul, this perfect body was ultimately just an empty shell that would never open its eyes.
Beside the coffin, a man with long gray-white hair sat in a metal chair, allowing the technicians to secure a heavy headset to either side of his skull.
"Sir, you may feel a stinging sensation during the memory extraction."
"No matter."
Alucard closed his eyes.
He had endured the searing flames of war, piercing blades, and betrayal by his closest kin-the pain of ** had long since lost its weight.
A faint electrical hum began.
"Beginning Brain Chip data transcription."
"Please focus on recalling every detail about Lady Elizabeth."
That name fell into the sea of blood like moonlight.
Many years ago, he