After returning from the date with Wednesday and Doll, Alex had to briefly leave America and return to London again. Alex had no intention of ignoring Integra, Maria, Alucard, and Seras, who were staying at the Hellsing Manor. He teleported directly into Integra's office right in the middle of her work process. When Alex appeared, Integra simply raised an interested gaze at him, as if asking why he had come.
When Alex explained the reason for his visit, Integra calmly set aside her pen and nodded. Alex smiled widely, but Integra still reminded him that she was not the type of woman who would waste time on banal dates, and if he wanted to arrange something special, it would be done the way she herself desired. Alex continued smiling and raised his thumb up. A small, barely noticeable smile appeared on Integra's face, and she waved her hand, making it clear that she was still busy with work.
"I'll free up some time in my schedule for you. In the meantime, don't distract me from working. Go do something else," Integra said, practically kicking Alex out of her office.
Hearing Integra's words, Alex slightly raised an eyebrow and pointed his finger at Envy, who was sitting among a mountain of documents with his head lowered. Integra only briefly raised her gaze to Alex and then lowered her head again, making it clear that she had said everything she needed to say. Envy simply raised his gaze to Alex as if he were the greatest traitor. Alex calmly ignored that look and left Integra's office.
Leaving the office, Alex thought for a moment until he heard the sound of rapidly approaching footsteps. Turning his head toward the sound, he saw Seras running toward him. Before Alex could even greet her, she had already jumped on him, wrapping her legs around his waist, and began quickly covering his face with kisses. Alex laughed as his face was showered with kisses and hugged Seras tightly in return.
Stopping kissing him, Seras immediately jumped down and dragged Alex after her. Alex didn't understand where she was taking him, but followed her anyway. A wide mischievous smile shone on Seras's face, as if her plan had worked perfectly.
After all, she had received a message from Enid that Alex was planning to come to Hellsing, and therefore decided to act ahead of time, before Alucard and Maria could do so first. Only when Seras led Alex out of the manor did she finally explain what she wanted.
"So you decided to act faster than the others?" Alex asked with a smile, looking at the excited Seras.
"You guessed it. And now… Where should we go? There are many places I'd like to visit," Seras said with a wide smile on her face, swinging Alex's arm and quietly humming to herself.
After finishing speaking, Seras took out her phone and showed several places she wanted to visit. Alex stood behind Seras and leaned forward to look. After reviewing several options, Alex suggested going to Tokyo. Seras immediately agreed to the trip to Tokyo without thinking, since there were many interesting places there.
Noticing how quickly she agreed, Alex smiled and wrapped his arm around Seras's waist. Seras leaned against him, and her black Hellsing uniform changed into more suitable clothing for a date. The next moment, Alex and Seras appeared on one of the many skyscrapers in Tokyo.
At that time in Tokyo, it was already nine o'clock in the evening, which was perfect for a date. Seeing the lights of nighttime Tokyo, Seras walked to the edge and looked down. Despite the late hour, the city streets were very lively.
"I want to try so many things… Sushi, ramen, sweets… And that arcade hall…" Seras began listing with a wide smile on her face, naming food and places she wanted to visit.
"Did we cross half the world just to do a food tour? Or for a date?" Alex asked with a smile, stepping onto the edge of the skyscraper next to Seras.
"Both," Seras replied with a smile, hanging on Alex's arm and looking straight into his eyes.
Alex chuckled at her answer and poked her nose with his finger, causing Seras to puff out her cheeks like an offended child. Descending from the skyscraper, Alex and Seras began walking through the streets of Tokyo, including visiting the famous crossing where there were crowds of people at any time of day. But unlike ordinary people who simply wanted to cross the street, Alex and Seras watched all the hustle and bustle while standing on the roof of a nearby building.
Holding a small plate of street takoyaki, Seras watched what was happening below with interest. Alex, meanwhile, ate a fish-shaped bun filled with red bean paste. He liked such sweets, which matched his love for sweet things.
After finishing her takoyaki, Seras reached for the paper bag in Alex's hands, which contained fish-shaped buns with red bean paste. Taking one, Seras bit off a small piece and squinted her eyes from the sweetness in her mouth.
"Interesting taste. I never thought beans could be sweet…" Seras said, taking another bite.
"It's a special variety… Where should we go next?" Alex replied, wiping Seras's lips with a napkin.
"To the arcade hall. I watched a couple of videos, and that place seemed quite interesting to me," Seras said with a smile, putting the last piece of the sweet bun in her mouth.
Taking out his pocket watch, Alex checked the time and nodded, showing that they still had time to visit the arcade hall. Seras immediately cheered up and took another sweet bun from the paper bag in Alex's hands. Alex looked wearily at Seras, who had once again taken his sweets.
Seras stuck her tongue out at him and, holding the sweet bun between her teeth, jumped down into the alley. Alex stepped forward and jumped down after her. Coming out of the alley, they headed to the arcade hall, ignoring the glances of passersby.
What Alex was glad about at that moment was that no one approached him after recognizing him as a character from a manga about himself. He once again considered it a very ironic joke that there was a manga about him. And he had already come to terms with the fact that there was no manga about Anos in any of the worlds he had visited. Seras noticed the strange expression on Alex's face as they walked through the streets of Tokyo and gently tugged on his arm.
"What's with your face?" Seras asked, drawing Alex's attention.
"Remember, I showed you the manga…" Alex said with a heavy sigh, rubbing his eyes slightly.
"The one where you're supposedly the Demon King and all that?" Seras asked, bringing her finger to her lips.
"Yeah. And we're in Tokyo right now… You can figure out the rest yourself," Alex said with a strained smile, wanting to light a cigar.
Seras tilted her head thoughtfully to the side. And she quickly understood what Alex was talking about. She had already dealt with this before when she and Alex were walking around London with Doll and Maria. During that walk, people approached them to take photos with Doll and Maria, thinking they were cosplayers, and Alex had to chase away all those persistent people. Thinking that Alex also had to deal with this, Seras couldn't hold back a smile. She found the situation quite funny.
"That's actually funny…" Seras said in a cheerful tone after Alex's words.
"What exactly is funny about it?" Alex asked, pursing his lips and looking tiredly at Seras.
"They don't know that you are you…" Seras continued smiling, cheerfully swinging Alex's arm.
Alex sighed and pinched Seras's nose so she wouldn't think about silly things at a moment like this. Seras squeaked slightly and swatted Alex's hand away, puffing out her cheeks in offense. Chuckling, Alex and Seras reached the arcade hall. And as soon as they entered, loud music, the sounds of working machines, and the voices of visitors hit their ears. Despite the time, the hall was full of people who had come to have fun with friends.
Seeing the number of visitors, Alex was already thinking of suggesting they go somewhere else. But just as he was about to voice his suggestion, he noticed that Seras, who had been standing next to him, had disappeared. Looking around, Alex saw Seras already standing in line to exchange money for game tokens. Turning to Alex, Seras waved her hand with a smile, calling him over.
Alex exhaled through his nose, feeling the gazes of visitors on him because of his height. Standing next to Seras in line, Alex literally towered over the visitors standing in front of him. The teenage boy standing in front of Alex and Seras turned around when Alex's shadow fell on him.
And turning around, he froze when he saw Alex towering over him. Alex lowered his head down, and the boy immediately turned away. Seeing this, Seras couldn't hold back and started laughing, burying her face in Alex's arm. Throughout their walk, she had noticed how passersby looked at Alex, who looked like a giant compared to them.
"Stop laughing… It's not you who has to duck to get through somewhere," Alex said, pulling Seras by the cheek.
"Sorry, but it really is funny… And how tall are you? You seem to be the same height as Alucard or a little taller?" Seras said, wiping tears from her eyes after laughing for so long.
"About 199 cm. I'm 1 cm taller than Carmilla… If she's not wearing heels," Alex said thoughtfully, stroking his chin.
Seras blinked in surprise upon hearing Alex's answer. Until that moment, she hadn't paid much attention to the fact that Alex was taller than her. But Seras quickly stopped thinking about Alex's height when it was their turn to exchange money for game tokens. Taking a small bucket of game tokens, Seras dragged Alex after her to choose the first game.
Because of the low ceilings in the hall, Alex had to duck from time to time so as not to hit the hanging lights with his head. And the more they wandered around the hall, the more Alex regretted coming to this place, especially when he hit his head on the ceiling light a couple of times. Alex tried not to burst out with loud curses after hitting his head again.
But seeing Seras's joyful face, he preferred to stay silent. After playing all the games Seras wanted to play, they reached the famous photo booth where couples usually take pictures. Alex stared blankly at this photo booth and was sure it would be difficult for him to squeeze inside.
"Can you even fit in this photo booth?" Seras asked, pointing her finger at the narrow booth.
"We'll find out now," Alex muttered, pulling back the curtain to enter.
Somehow squeezing into the photo booth, Alex beckoned Seras to him before he broke the booth. Seeing that Alex had managed to squeeze in, Seras clapped her hands lightly and immediately squeezed in after him, standing in front of him. After taking several fun photos, Alex climbed out of the photo booth without breaking anything, even though he really wanted to destroy this narrow and low structure.
Seras, however, was pleased with the photos they had taken and immediately hid them so as not to lose them. Alex and Seras spent time in the arcade hall until closing time. Seras left with a satisfied smile and stretched, thinking about where to go next. Alex suggested visiting local bars where they could drink and chat. Seras immediately agreed upon hearing this suggestion.
Taking out his phone from his pocket to find a bar that was open until morning, Alex found several near the arcade hall. Choosing the most decent one, Alex led Seras after him. Reaching the bar, they went inside. Inside the bar, Alex and Seras were met with a rather quiet atmosphere: office workers sat at tables drinking beer with colleagues, talking about work and everyday life.
Seras immediately liked this atmosphere of a Japanese bar compared to the usual British pubs she was used to. Alex pointed to a table in the corner and led Seras after him. Sitting down at the table, Alex placed an order, taking beer and snacks for two. While their drinks and snacks were being prepared, Seras looked around the bar with interest.
"It's so calm here that it's even unusual," Seras said, continuing to look around the bar hall.
"Well, the drunks are still making noise. But it's not as bad as football fans who suddenly decide to fight," Alex said, nodding toward the noisy office workers.
"You can't argue with that… Eh, I remember having to go out on calls in the middle of the night several times to break up football fans… It was just awful," Seras said wearily, leaning on the table and resting her cheek on her palm.
"I can understand you… And now you have to go out in the middle of the night to kill monsters," Alex said with a laugh, looking at Seras.
Seras turned to Alex and demonstratively rolled her eyes, kicking him under the table. Alex just laughed, taking a sip of the beer that the waiter had brought them. Smiling, Seras took her beer and dried squid, which she wanted to try as a snack. Alex and Seras continued sitting in the bar until morning.
Alex even explained to Seras the reason why some people stay in the bar until five in the morning instead of calling a taxi and going home. Learning that taking a taxi at that time was very expensive, Seras understood why some people preferred to sit in the bar until five in the morning to go home by train.
Leaving the bar at five in the morning, Seras was very pleased with this date. And most importantly — thanks to her nature, she didn't feel any intoxication after drinking so much alcohol.
"Whew, that was fun… Although I would never have thought that I would sit until five in the morning in a Japanese bar with my husband," Seras said with a smile, stretching slightly as she left the bar.
"And what's important is that it wasn't in another world. Although we could have done that," Alex said, lighting a thin cigar.
"Let's save that for the next date. I want to see other worlds… But it's better to do that later," Seras said with a smile, hugging Alex's arm and gently rubbing her cheek against his shoulder.
Alex kissed Seras on the head and immediately teleported out of Tokyo. The next moment, Alex and Seras appeared at the Hellsing Manor, in Seras's room. Seeing her room, Seras narrowed her eyes mischievously at Alex and immediately pushed him onto the couch. Alex knew where this was going and created a time barrier to extend his time with Seras.
After a long time, Alex left Seras's room, lightly rubbing the red bite mark on his neck. Alex thought about visiting Alucard, but Integra had texted him mentioning that she had freed up some time. Putting his phone back in his pocket, Alex still decided to stop by Alucard's, saying they would have a date later.
But when Alex entered Alucard's room, he saw that she was sleeping, so he didn't disturb her. Carefully closing the door, Alex headed to Integra's office. Entering the office, Alex saw Integra sitting on the couch with a bottle of whiskey and two glasses on the table in front of her.
"How was the date with Seras?" Integra asked, lighting a thin cigar.
"It was interesting. We tried street food in Tokyo, then visited an arcade hall, and in the end sat in a bar until morning," Alex said, sitting down next to Integra.
"A rather eventful date… But not for me," Integra said, leaning slightly against Alex's shoulder.
"I know what you prefer… Oh right. I brought some snacks from Japan. I think you'll like them," Alex said, taking out various Japanese street foods from his inventory.
Integra shifted her gaze to the abundance of food on the table and then looked at Alex. Alex continued smiling and, taking one takoyaki, offered it to Integra to try. Integra looked at the street food with disgust, making it clear that she was not going to eat something prepared on the street.
Sighing, Alex put the takoyaki in his mouth and offered Integra expensive sushi made in a proper restaurant. Integra didn't refuse the fresh sushi, but made it clear that she wouldn't touch street food. Alex had nothing against Integra's refusal and simply hugged her, pulling her closer to him. Integra didn't resist and only pressed herself closer to Alex.
Integra ate the exquisite sushi and couldn't deny the pleasant taste of fresh fish. After eating another portion with tuna, Integra looked at Alex, who was drinking whiskey along with a sweet fish-shaped bun. Alex turned his head toward Integra, noticing her intent gaze, and tilted his head to the side. Integra just shook her head and continued drinking whiskey, placing her palm over Alex's hand that was resting on her stomach.
"How are your plans going?" Integra asked, bringing the glass of whiskey to her lips.
"We're still waiting… Cas is still watching that dwarf Metatron while he rummages through dumpsters," Alex said, taking a sip of whiskey in response to Integra's question.
"Why is your brother watching this fake scribe of the Lord?" Integra asked with interest, turning her head toward Alex.
"This dwarf Metatron was Chuck's editor in the past… And soon Chuck should contact his editor," Alex said thoughtfully, setting his empty glass on the table and lighting a thin cigar.
"Why would he do that? Why would Chuck use Metatron again?" Integra asked with interest, taking the thin cigar from Alex's mouth.
"That idiot Chuck is obsessed with his plot. And as a writer, he can't just insert himself into his own story. He needs a reason to do it. And that's where Metatron comes in, who will help with that. And after that, Chuck will step onto the stage as the hero who must save everyone from the Darkness," Alex explained in a calm tone, looking Integra in the eyes.
"I think I understand what you're getting at… I would call this a rather mediocre way to become part of your own story," Integra said, bringing the thin cigar to Alex's lips.
"Such beings have their own problems with their heads. They just like to act like final villains in stories. And Chuck is no exception," Alex said, exhaling gray smoke and shrugging slightly.
Integra took the thin cigar from Alex and smiled slightly upon hearing his answer. Bringing the thin cigar to her lips, Integra asked about the rest of Alex's plans and what he intended to do. Alex saw no reason to hide anything from Integra and began telling her about his various possible plans in case of "what if." Integra listened attentively to Alex, occasionally asking questions about the parts that interested her.
Sitting in Integra's office until midnight, Integra got up from Alex's embrace and began to leave. Alex watched Integra leave and followed her. Reaching Integra's room, Alex thought that she was tired and wanted to go to sleep. But Integra herself had other plans for private time with her husband. And Alex left Integra's room only in the morning.
Until then, Alex had momentarily forgotten that Integra would simply take what she wanted and wouldn't ask for permission. After making breakfast, Alex returned to Integra's room, and by this time Integra had already woken up and was taking a shower. A couple of minutes later, Integra came out of the bathroom, drying her hair with a towel, and saw fresh coffee and a light snack consisting of sandwiches.
"You didn't have to bring breakfast to my room, husband… But I'm grateful," Integra said, walking up to Alex and kissing him on the cheek.
Alex smiled in response to Integra's display of tenderness. After breakfast, Integra kissed Alex on the lips and headed to her office to continue her work as the head of Hellsing. Despite freeing up her schedule to spend time with her husband, the rest of her work hadn't gone anywhere.
Sitting a little longer in Integra's room, Alex did a few things for the upcoming date with Maria. All that was left was to find Maria and invite her on a date. And finding Maria was not difficult for Alex. Alex approached Maria's room and knocked on the door. Maria opened the door, and a smile appeared on her face when she saw Alex.
"What brings you here, my Hunter?" Maria asked, letting Alex into her room.
"I came to invite you on a date, Lady Maria. Would you do me the honor of visiting the theater this evening?" Alex said with a smile, slightly bowing toward Maria.
"You don't have to do it this way. I've already gotten used to living in such a society… And I wouldn't mind visiting the theater in your company, my Hunter," Maria replied with a smile, placing her palms on Alex's cheeks.
"Ahem… I wanted to say that we should go. But the performance starts at six o'clock in the evening. And it's only ten o'clock in the morning now," Alex said, awkwardly clearing his throat and looking away.
"The girls were right when they said you're sometimes a bit silly about such things… It's okay, I'll wait. And any girl needs time to prepare," Maria said, kissing Alex on the cheek with a tender smile on her face.
"And I thought we would cuddle until it was time to go to the theater," Alex said in surprise, looking at Maria.
"That will be in the evening…" Maria said, bringing her face closer to Alex's.
Looking at Maria's face, which was very close, Alex leaned in and quickly kissed her on the lips. Maria returned the kiss, wrapping her arms around Alex's neck. After a short kiss, Maria pulled away from Alex, making it clear that now was not the time for his silly jokes and talk. All she wanted was to continue spending time alone with Alex. And Maria wasn't going to let him ruin this moment with his silly jokes. Alex had no objections to Maria's enthusiasm and kissed her back.
When leaving, Alex didn't forget to add that after the theater they would go to a restaurant. Maria nodded with a smile and waved goodbye to Alex. Leaving Maria's room, Alex thought about what to do with himself until the evening. He had planned the date with Alucard for the next day, and he was sure that Seras was still sleeping, since he hadn't seen her in the kitchen that morning.
The only option left was Integra's office. Having made the decision, Alex was going to kill time in Integra's office. And as soon as he came to the office of his eternally work-immersed wife, Alex was also forced to work.
When it was time to leave, Alex put aside the documents and quickly kissed Integra on the cheek before leaving the office. Alex reached Maria's room and knocked on the door. And before Maria opened the door, Alex used magic to change into an elegant black suit that was suitable for visiting places like the theater.
As soon as Alex changed, Maria opened the door, dressed in an elegant dress with a Victorian shawl around her neck. Alex couldn't help but compliment Maria's outfit, which made her cheeks slightly redden. Maria extended her hand to Alex, showing that she was ready to go. Alex gently took Maria's hand, and they went outside.
And to make this date just right, Alex preferred to drive to the theater by car. Helping Maria into the passenger seat, Alex closed the door and then got behind the wheel. Arriving at the theater, Alex handed the keys to the valet and led Maria inside. Presenting the tickets at the entrance, Alex and Maria went inside.
"There are more people here than I expected," Maria said, holding Alex's arm as she walked beside him.
"What made you think that, dear?" Alex asked, turning his head toward Maria.
"Spending time with Alice and Enid, I started thinking that people in modern society don't go to theaters… They visit cinemas where they show movies," Maria said, climbing the stairs to the second floor.
"Well… I think it's because not everyone can endure three hours watching some guy sing in green tights, dressed like a bush," Alex said thoughtfully, stroking his chin.
Hearing Alex's words, Maria covered her mouth with her hand, slightly laughing at such a silly reason not to visit theaters. Entering a private box on the second floor, Alex helped Maria sit down and then sat down himself. He was glad that he had bought tickets for a separate balcony closer to the stage, where there would be no strangers next to them.
Alex wasn't going to say that he had to use a few tricks to get tickets for these seats. And he wasn't going to talk about it. But what Alex definitely understood was that he would ultimately have to watch a singing man in green tights for three hours. Soon the performance began, and all of Maria's attention was focused on the stage.
Maria leaned against Alex's shoulder, holding his hand, watching the performance below. Throughout all three hours, Alex did his best not to fall asleep, not to yawn, and to pretend that he was interested in watching the performance. The only thing that brought Alex comfort was Maria's reaction, as she genuinely enjoyed the performance.
"We should have bought tickets for the opera," Alex muttered, wearily looking at the performance with the singing "tree" on stage.
"What did you say?" Maria asked, hearing Alex's muttering and getting distracted from the performance.
"I think next time we'll go to the opera. I'd like to listen to classical music," Alex quickly replied to Maria's question.
Maria looked thoughtfully at Alex and nodded. She considered visiting the opera on a date an excellent decision, since she also liked classical music, especially live performances. Maria herself was not against modern music. But because of where Maria came from and the upbringing she had, she preferred opera and theater more.
Stopping looking at Alex, Maria turned her gaze back to the stage, continuing to enjoy the performance. When the performance ended, Alex applauded more enthusiastically than anyone else because his patience had almost run out. Maria, sitting next to Alex, elegantly clapped her hands, fully appreciating the performance. Leaving the balcony, Alex sighed heavily.
"It was very hard for you, my Hunter," Maria said with a smile, holding Alex's arm as she walked beside him.
"It was very boring… And did you find it interesting?" Alex said with a strained smile, turning his head toward Maria.
"I would say it was interesting. I can't help but note that the actors tried very hard, conveying the emotions embedded in their characters," Maria said with a smile on her face, nodding.
"Next time we'll go to the opera. I won't endure another singing tree… If I want to look at a singing tree, I'd better visit a universe where such trees exist," Alex said with a chuckle, leading Maria outside.
"I'm even afraid to imagine what other creatures live in that world… A singing stone? Singing animals? Or the entire fauna sings in that world," Maria said with a smile, imagining such a world.
Alex imagined such a world for a moment and laughed. After all, he knew that such a world definitely existed, but that didn't mean he was going to travel to a similar universe where all living things sang songs forever. Waiting for his car, Alex tipped the valet and helped Maria into the car.
Starting the engine, Alex drove toward the restaurant where he had reserved a table. After a romantic dinner at the restaurant, Alex and Maria drove back to Hellsing. Alex escorted Maria to her room. And before Alex could react, Maria pulled him into the room.
"I did promise you a hug… So stay," Maria said with a smile, stroking Alex's cheek.
"Then I meant hugs…" Alex began to say, but Maria interrupted him by kissing him on the lips.
Having kissed Alex, Maria made it clear that now was not the time for his silly jokes and conversations. All she wanted was to continue spending time alone with Alex. And Maria wasn't going to let him ruin this moment with his silly jokes. Alex, for his part, had no objections to Maria's enthusiasm and kissed her back.
To be continued...
(I couldn't forget the other girls. So, right after the date with Alucard, Alex will return to America, and we'll move on to the final stage. I sat down again, thinking that I'd write about all the dates with the girls, and then we could move on. But when I'd written about all three dates, I realized it was time to wrap things up. You know what I mean. Romance and all that. Now I'll go eat and figure out how to squeeze it all in so it all fits together. Peace, love, and hugs.)
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