'Elves... I'm pretty sure those are elves.' Aldritch thought to himself as a faint smile appeared on the side of his lips. He scanned their ranks, his eyes landing on the various female elves. Unfortunately for him, he didn't see what he was looking for.
There were no big boob elves, or those with thick thighs, all of them looked rather slender with average and below proportions. Maybe as a compensation for that, they were all beautiful, despite appearing to be warriors.
'Well, nature does balance things out like that.' He thought to himself.
One of the elf's eyes narrowed, standing behind the one who took lead as their head. "This land belongs to the Emerald Court. If you seek conquest, you will find only death." He said. Though not loud enough, it was clearly heard by the vampires.
Aldritch smirked, his fangs glinting faintly. "Death has always been a close companion of ours. Let us see if your court is as strong as your arrogance."
The elves hesitated, clearly unnerved by Aldritch's confidence. Finally, their leader stepped back, his expression hardening.
"Very well. But be warned, your presence here will not go unchallenged."
As the elves retreated, Aldritch turned to Rindher, "well, at least you should know where we are now, how do we move from here? Even though I don't plan to start relations as soon as I arrive in this world, I also am not looking for a fight necessarily."
"Of course. Well, if we're within the lands of the Emerald Court, then..."
"We'll have to head east. If we wish to meet with Lodestar's people that is."
"I see... and it would seem, we are only at the beginning of this endless forest that stretches into the east for as far as the eye can see."
...
The elves from earlier returned quickly to relay the news of the intruders they had come across. It was unusual to see vampires after all, so seeing a lot at once could only mean trouble, and since vampires were known as sly beings, the elves did not trust the words of the vampires one bit.
Back outside, at the edge of the forest, Aldritch decided it would be best for them to wait a little bit and make contact again, so they can explain their desire to only pass through. After all, anyone would get the wrong idea if an entire army sized strangers suddenly marched into their territory.
"Think they'll bring friends?" Lina asked, stepping up beside Aldritch. Her long black hair fluttering in the wind, and her tone carrying just a hint of amusement and a tad bit of concern. Even though she felt the subtle fear of being in foreign lands and facing off against unknown enemies, she seemed to relish the prospect of battle.
"Well, if they don't trust that we are peaceful, I'm sure they'll bring an army," Aldritch replied calmly, his eyes scanning the treeline below. "Our only problem is that they mostly likely overestimate us since we'll be taken as the native vampires of this world. If information is accurate, those guys are feared for the most part, in this world."
Lina's expression became serious realizing their odds, "I see."
The elf's jaw tightened. 'Arrogance, just as the rumors say.'
With a sharp gesture, he signaled his troops to advance.
The elven army surged forward, their formation a testament to discipline and coordination. Arrows darkened the sky as their archers released a volley, but Sigmund's wards shimmered to life, redirecting the projectiles harmlessly into the ground.
While the elves were preoccupied, Lina's squad struck from the shadows. She led the attack and stealth squads followed behind her, with Olgud as their leader. The vampires moved with supernatural speed, slicing through the elves' flanks like razors, with relative ease. Unlike how it appeared, it seemed that not all the elves were elites, given how easy they fell.
"Aiii, I really didn't want to fight elves since they're on good terms with the human society, but then again, I'm no longer human..." Rindher said as he took reluctant steps, jumping down to join the fight, going for the leader as soon as his feet touched ground.
The elven mages unleashed their spells, bolts of fire and lightning crackling through the air. But Aldritch's forces countered swiftly, lesser vampires doused the flames, while Sigmund's traps exploded, creating chaos in the elven lines.
Aldritch watched it all with an almost calculated detachment, his crimson eyes taking in every detail. 'Rindher... well, gives me the opportunity.' Aldritch thought to himself see as Rindher so skillfully moved out of the way of the elf.
When the elves' leader stepped forward after a brief skirmish with Rindher, Aldritch descended from his vantage point to meet him below.
The elf leader struck first, his blade flashing with unknown enchantments as he aimed for Aldritch's chest. But Aldritch moved with inhuman speed, sidestepping the attack effortlessly. His claws extended instantaneously, and with a fluid motion, he disarmed the elf, sending his sword clattering to the ground.
'Wait, what's going on? Why is it so easy? Is he planning a trap or something?' Aldritch thought to himself, scanning his entire surrounding with his keen vision to see if there were any elves in hiding or something else. To his surprise, he found nothing.
"Certainly, this is not all your strength amounts to..." Aldritch said seriously, though, his opponent may have taken it as a taunt.
As the leader brought himself to his feet, several other elves who were standing behind him rushed forward, lunging at Aldritch. Instead of dealing with them directly, he raised his hand, invoking Blood Manipulation. The air thickened with the metallic scent as tendrils of blood rose from the battlefield, coiling around the guards and pulling them to their knees. He didn't need to use any of the blood he had in his blood bank, such was the advantage of fighting in such a battlefield for vampires.
Gripping the elf leader by the throat, Aldritch lifted him effortlessly. The elf struggled, his emerald eyes blazing with defiance.
"You've got to be kidding me," Aldritch said, his tone calm but laced with a bit of disappointment. "Go back to your Court or whatever. Tell them what you've seen here. Let them know that the Hellsing name is not to be trifled with. Well, also that we do not wish to fight any further if you just let us through." Aldritch said. He could not let go of the opportunity to use that line he had prepared beforehand, though, this occasion didn't seem to fit all too well now that he had used it.
With a sharp motion, Aldritch released the elf, sending him stumbling to the ground. The leader scrambled to his feet, his face pale but his pride intact. Without a word, he signaled his troops to retreat.
Aldritch's vampires fell back, allowing the elves to take away their injured. They had been careful not to kill any of the elves, but injuring them heavy, some even career ending injuries.
As he walked back, Aldritch opened his status window again to take a look at his stats, trying to understand exactly what made him so superior to the elf he just faced. For one who was the leader of the elven army, Aldritch surely expected more.
'Is there a faint chance that I may be that powerful? Or was he just weak...'