Alucard

Alucard (アーカード Arukaado) is a vampire; as well as an intelligent scientist known throughout the world for her contributions to Magitech over the last two centuries. She is the second of her kind to appear in the Sun Trilogy, after Elmenhilde Tepes, though whether they have any relation is unknown as of now.

Appearance
Alucard, as of the current time, bears the form of a young girl with greenish-yellow eyes, and has long blonde hair often tied up to the side in twin-tails that reach to her waist. as well as short bangs over her forehead. Her hair, however, is also worn long, at which point it extends past her rear; these are usually in times of relaxation and bathing. Alucard's outfit appears to be rather old fashioned, befitting of her age, though by the time of Dusk, fashion trends come and go often enough that many from centuries ago have become popular fads once more. She wears a white collared shirt with puffed shoulders, gold bars attached to her upper arms, as well as a red ribbon with a gold clip on her collar, and black leather gloves to cover her hands. Alucard also dons a reddish-brown vest over the shirt, in addition to skin-tight latex with chaps, and a series of brown leather belts which she uses to holster her gun. Her shoes are ordinary cowboy boots, covered in the same reddish-brown material as her vest.

Rather notably, Alucard outright states her current form is a body she "chose" a few centuries ago (possibly around the time she met Giselle; the implications of this form and her relationship with the fellow immortal woman are unknown), and that this is not her original form. Alucard has actually forgotten what her original body looked like, and doesn't even remember if it was male or female, as she changes bodies every few centuries, and form amd shape are meaningless to her. Rather comically, Alucard tends to forget even what this body looks like; while she knows it's female, when Eris questioned her appearance, Alucard had to give her nude form a once over in the mirror to remember exactly what she looked like, showing how easily she takes her appearance for granted.

Personality
Alucard is a woman whom, above all, holds a fervent passion for the sciences. Through some unknown reason, she has used her extensive immortality as a means to delve into the depths of scientific practices. While it is unknown how talented she is in the field, nor how much ingenuity she has shown with her ideas, they are presumed to be quite high. She appears to be quite attuned to the use and development of new technologies, possibly have created a theory similar to Magitek - though this is debatable. Also, she is quite fond of reading, further indicating at an academic personality; contrasting her appearance.

Furthermore, Alucard is, in conventional terms, bisexual. Her immortality has lead her to experiment with numerous forms, both for playful and necessary purposes. She appears to enjoy enticing men and women alike - though she doesn't do so extensively. It should be noted that sexuality means little to Alucard, for her original gender and sexual preference is completely anonymous to her.

As a Vampire, Alucard feeds on human blood. She does so quite readily, mainly because it's her only source of living. However, her fondness for humans has lead her to also be quite the benevolent soul. She believes that helping them develop as a race will atone for her 'sins' of feeding. Due to how calm she seems, however, and the fact that she has never mentioned testing other ways of feeding, this statement appears to conflict with her own actions very often.

Equipment
Sandalphon (サンダルポン Sandarupon): Alucard's preferred weapon is an antique heavily modified Smith and Wesson Model 500 double-action revolver; it is powered by Magitek, and specifically crafted from Orichalcum. Alucard had this weapon customized for special purposes with a traditional 6-shot cylinder as opposed to the Model 500's original 5-shot cylinder; further modifications the gun has are targeting sights, and porting on each barrel to reduce recoil and muzzle flip. Sandalphon also has an obvious extra barrel underneath allowing for a double shot, and the cylinder has also been modified to release on the right to reload rather than the usual left, as Alucard shoots with her left hand. The gun also has a molded wooden grip and an intricate blue rose design carved into the left side of the gun, interestingly enough. Sandalphon has infinite-use and is capable of amazing feats, thanks to being powered by Magitek as well as Alucard ingenious use of the weapon. It is capable of holding 36 shots at once, and it is reloaded by a breaking mechanism that tilts the barrel and cylinders at an angle, allowing the ejection of spent cartridges and the placement of fresh rounds, ending with a flick of the wrist that snaps the barrels back into place. Three projectiles are fired at once, allowing for only six shots per reload. Instead of bullets, Sandalphon is shown to fire special rounds, which, when leaving the barrel of the gun, enlarge and transform into sharp blades which home in upon Alucard's targets, dealing piercing damage.

Dagger: Alucard keeps a small, ordinary dagger at her waist that she is adept at using as a melee weapon and a projectile. Due to being partial towards her Sandalphon, the dagger itself has no name, special properties, nor does it commonly see action. Automatons (オートマトン, Ōtomaton lit. Acting of One's Own Will): Like several other scientists that dabble in Magitek or it's equivalent, Alucard has long since discovered Magitek's aptitude for weapons, and, much like Namisuki Garale would after her, began to create Automatons, machines capable of acting on their own, but typically existing to follow orders from their creator either as soldiers, servants, or companions. Chronologically in the context of the Sun Triology, Alucard created her first Automatons a century or so before Daybreak began, with the assistance of Giselle Mercury, a friend and fellow scientist. Alucard's Automatons range from servants to soldiers, and she has created a vast amount over the course of the centuries leading into Dusk that she has all but perfected the art, creating two types of Automatons; those that are obviously robotic, and human models. Both models, however, are powered by Lacrima, as opposed to the magic power of the owner.

The robotic models are almost exclusively combat based; the only exceptions being the smaller models which are used for intelligence gathering or similar activities. Combat-based models are usually the size of an average human, but can be much larger and taller, and are not necessarily human-based when it comes to body structure. These robotic models have various abilities and magics that vary depending on the type of Lacrima used to power them; different Lacrima that Alucard procures will give an Automaton different types of magic to wield. However, they also wield many conventional weapons, such as missiles, daggers, bullets, and the like. They are also capable of detatching limbs to reveal cannons that fire blasts composed purely of magical energy.

The Automatons that most resemble humans are typically female in appearance, and these Automatons are used most commonly as maids, servants, etc. As she lives alone, Alucard has created several human-based models in the past century simply for companionship, and values the ones she is especially close to like one would value their own family and friends. Despite the human-based Automatons being primarily servants or maids, Alucard has taken to creating Automatons that appear human and can fight, after making the observation that the body build of a human begets better fighting abilities to an Automaton, and now, it is not uncommon for Alucard to have several combat maids on standby. While the Automatons may appear human, this is done through a synthetic human skin covering, underneath is a "skeleton" composed purely of metal. If one was to burn the skin off the Automaton off, it would not harm them, but it would reveal the robotics underneath.

One similarity both Automatons have is their Lacrima. The Lacrima is the focal point of an Automaton; it's heart. Alucard, after studying her own body and realising how it was linked by her powerful magical energies, incorporated this trait into her own mechanical constructions. The Lacrima binds the energy Automaton together; even if they are disassembled and broken into pieces, so long as the Lacrima remains intact and whole, the Lacrima will pull together and reassemble the Automaton, resembling a kind of regeneration. The pieces gather together aroind the Lacrima, and thus, to the observant viewer, this is a notable weakness and easy to spot. In a humanoid Automaton, the Lacrima is always located where the heart would be. In a more mechanical looking Automaton, the location tends to vary. On a final note, Alucard has stated her research into robotics was done in tandem with Giselle, both seemed to delve into the field for different reasons, and Giselle herself came up with a concept similar to the Automatons that Alucard seems to view as superior to her own.

Stigma (スチグマ (代替血) Sutiguma): One of Alucard's inventions that she created several centuries ago, Stigma is "false blood", a substitute that Alucard feeds on during long travels with human companions she will not kill. Stigma, quite similarly to animal blood or demon blood, provides no nutritional value to Alucard's body, and it also has no flavor. However, it satiates her thirst, and prevents her from craving the blood of human friends. Stigma, however, does not substitute human blood, and Alucard will need to feed again at some point to keep from starving; Stigma simply staves off hunger during long travels with human companions. Alucard carries Stigma with her in small vials; one vial is equivalent to feeding on an entire human. One thing Alucard regrets about Stigma is it's inability to replace human blood entirely.

Ways of Combat
Master Markswoman: When Alucard cannot use her magic, or simply does not feel like relying on it, her primary form of combat is the revolver affectionately referred to as Sandalphon. When firing Sandalphon, Alucard is noted to always have very keen accuracy, a benefit of her vampire biology. She rarely ever misses a shot, and these shots have a tendency to obliterate everything in their path. She is capable of even firing shots to a target that isn't her immediate line of sight, be it at the side of her, or behind her, with little care in the world and still hit the target in question. Due to this, her opponents, no matter the form of combat they employ, tend to have a difficult time fighting Alucard due to the sheer accuracy of her shots. What is interesting to note that she can use her twirling gun for a practical purpose: when faced with oncoming projectiles, she can twirl her gun in the opposing attack's direction to deflect it. Alucard is both graceful and fluid in her movements and attacks, interchanging rapid fire with precision strikes designed to disorient, disable and neutralize her opponents quickly. Additionally, Alucard possesses several tricks and skills associated with her gun, such as being able to ricochet her shots against solid surfaces, making them unpredictable, and initiating attacks from otherwise impossible angles. She frequently employs this tactic, using the environment as her weapon to bombard her opponents with attacks from all sides, and then capitalizing when their guard is open. She has also demonstrated the ability to control the trajectory of her attacks causing them to bend along a curved path, or circling to strike her opponent's blind spot. Alucard's spatial awareness is keen in this regard, firing towards or away from her opponent and using all her combined skills to create a deadly labyrinth of bullets to assault her foes.



Expert Hand-to-Hand Combatant: In battle, aside from her Blood Magic, Alucard is known for extensively employing unarmed combat, and to possess great proficiency in doing so. Befitting her build, her style is a delicate one, rather than using crippling damage, she spins around acrobatically and leaps around, flipping and jumping, utilizing multiple rapid attacks rather than the slow damaging strikes of larger characters, complemented by her high physical ability, with her strength making her blows highly damaging, and her speed allowing her to land them in extremely fast succession. When employed alongside her Blood Magic, her unarmed blows become far deadlier. Due to her movement, she has been able to engage in midair confrontations, reaching her foes with a leap and then bombarding them with a barrage of kicks, and she is able to block and even counter-attack assaults from behind without the need to turn her back.

Physical Attributes
Unique Biology: Vampires, due to their status as undead entities, have biology that differs from humans, changing the internal workings of their bodies as soon as the transformation is completed. Many of the changes done to the body tie into her inability to die, however, others contribute to her existence as a whole. Quite similarly to a Slayer, Alucard's lungs and stomach are much more durable than a normal humans, she can breathe in or ingest toxins with little to no harm to herself, though this appears to vary with the amount taken in. As a vampire, she feeds solely on blood, and is unable to digest solid food anymore; much to her regret. She quite plainly states that only the blood of humans is compatible with the vampire's digestive system; animal blood or demon blood can be ingested, but has no nutritional value to the vampire body at all. Alucard no longer has a beating heart, however, blood still flows strong within her veins; it is implied the strong magical energies of a vampire carry the blood throughout the body, and it works identical to human blood. These same magical energies are what tie her body together, and enable her regeneration, detailed further below. While Alucard has to breathe, as her blood still requires oxygen as much as a human does, she is able to hold her breath for much longer than a normal human, around a full hour at any given time. This would imply that the transformation from human to vampire increases the amount of myoglobin in the body tissue, allowing for her body to hold oxygen far longer than that of a human. True to the statement, the flesh of a vampire of much darker than a human, bordering on black instead of the normal red. The flesh of a vampire also takes three decades to fully be digested when eaten. Vampire skin is also known to be highly susceptible to sunlight; prolonged exposure to the sun will cause the vampire to combust. Alucard, however, has long since overridden this weakness, according to her, as a young lady of 900. She now only feels mild discomfort in sunlight.

Entoxicating Aroma: Quite possibly to aid in hunting humans (though Alucard points out that, as strong as vampires are, this is superfluous), Alucard has a scent that is noted to be particularly alluring to humans, stating that they smell "pleasant" at the least. Notably, however, beings with Esper or Demon blood find the scent of vampire repulsive, activating a knee-jerk "flight" reaction from their bodies. Animals also tend to vacate the area when Alucard arrives; even sharks and dolphins clear the waters.

Enhanced Senses: The transformation from human to vampire also heightened Alucard's senses, enabling the woman to use her senses to detect things that humans themselves tend to not notice. When it comes straight down to sight, Alucard's eyes are far sharper than a humans, colours become vibrant, and, much like an owl, they take in every bit of light, even in darkness. Her depth perception also far exceeds that of a human. Much like a Slayer, Alucard also has a vastly increased sense of smell. If her eyesight can be compared to a hawk, her sense of smell could be compared to that of a dog; however, this is inaccurate, as Alucard's sense of smell exceeds even this. Alucard's sense of smell allows her to percieve an entire area across time, able to pick up the scent of who was there for up to 48 hours prior, precisely what their clothes were made of, what shampoo they may have used in their hair, and several other specific details. However, it is at it's most useful when it comes to hunting; a vampire's sense of smell is pivotal in a hunt, when they used it for tracking prey by the scent of their blood. Alucard mentions that, when comparing the blood fo different creatures, like humans, animals, and demons, human blood smells the most delicious, while the blood of demons and animals smells inferior. She is also able to detect differences in the scents of blood between individuals; if the scent is one she is familiar with, such as Eris or Kratos, Alucard can detect who has entered the room based purely on the scent of their blood. Her sense of hearing also far outstrips that of a human, as she can hear movements from miles away, and even the heartbeats of living creatures are detectable by her ears. This sense, however, is apparently at it's best when she is concentrating on sounds. Alucard states that she's learned to filter out many noises so that her sense of hearing, while still superior to a humans, doesn't pick up unnecessary sounds that would drive her mad.

Biological Immortality & Regenerative Factor: As a vampire, Alucard is very difficult to kill, however, she possesses a different type of immortality than Elmenhilde — while Elmenhidle is a vampire, she is a unique situation, different from Alucard. Due to being undead, Alucard cannot die in the natural way, she doesn't die of old age, and is unable to succumb to diseases and the like. Even assaulting the woman's body in an attempt to slay her will often prove fruitless, as Alucard possesses a very strong regenerative factor; she can even regenerate from being vivisected, or having a fist-sized hole blasted into her torso. There is a limit, however, to Alucard's regeneration. Alucard's body is linked together by her magical energies; if her limbs are severed, she can restore them by simply reattaching them. However, for a complete regeneration, the severed body part no longer has to be "alive". As such, if a limb was severed from Alucard's body, but kept safe, hidden away, it would never regenerate; Alucard would have to find the limb herself and reattach it. If Alucard's head was severed, she can survive this and reattach it, however, if it was to be taken and locked away in a safe underwater, she would remain conscious and alive, but unable to regenerate the head as her body would never decay. It also takes 30 years for a creature to digest the flesh of a vampire; if Alucard's arm or leg was eaten by a large creature such as a dragon, unless Alucard personally retrieves it, the limb will not regenerate until it's been completely digested. Unlike traditional vampires, Alucard also lacks a weakness to sunlight. She implies she had one, a few thousand years ago, but now she simply "dislikes" sunlight. The only way to ensure Alucard dies when she is killed is to completely destroy the body; she is unable to regenerate without an 'anchor' so to speak.

Blood Consumption: As is to be expected of a vampire, Alucard feeds solely on blood, and, solely on the blood of humans. She has stated that, much to her regret, the blood of humans is the only blood that appears to be compatible with her vampire biology; despite human and animal blood not having any real different biologically, a vampire's body appears to be unable to process either animal or demon blood. While consuming blood does the basic job of feeding Alucard, it also makes her stronger. The more blood Alucard consumes, the stronger she becomes, and due to how long she's been alive, as well as the thousands of people Alucard has consumed, this has greately contributed to her immense magical energies.

Blood Magic
Blood Magic (血の魔法, Chi no Mahō): Blood Magic is a special Caster Magic that grants Alucard the ability to manipulate blood. The magic itself seems to be common with vampires, as Elmenhilde, the only other vampire shown in the Sun Trilogy, specializes in it as well. Alucard is capable of manipulating it into various weapons as well as offensive and defensive maneuvers. Due to the nature of her own powers, Alucard can also control the state that blood is in; enabling her to solidify blood though forming a seal of sorts around it to form powerful tools and weapons as a substitute for her weapons as well replicate herself though an unknown method, making carbon copies of herself to serve the purpose of causing a credible distraction. With Blood Magic, Alucard's blood has a physical form used for destroying objects, blocking enemies' attacks and picking up objects. Normally, she shapes her attacks into the form of demonic apparitions, which she can use in various ways. Alucard is also able to fade herself into blood on the ground to move swiftly, dodging efficiently and making surprise attacks. But, if she is caught while in a tangible form, she is then vulnerable to attacks. When pushed to her limits, Alucard can drain the blood from her body and wield her maximum strength remotely as an almost invulnerable, winged blood mannequin. Indeed, she has also stated that she is capable of manipulating opponents' blood; but this has not been shown as of yet, thanks to how unruly the potential of it is.

Other Skills
Limited Telekinesis: Alucard possesses moderate telekinetic ability; a skill she's implied to have learned purely for the use of retrieving severed limbs when they are within her line of sight. The ability itself isn't particularly useful in combat, as the push and pull of her telekinesis works best with objects of light weight.

Immense Intellect: Alucard also happens to be very intelligent; giving her a intellect and capacity for manipulation; both good and bad, and she has a great talent for analyzing and observing everything in her presence, allowing her to quickly understand a person's pattern of thinking and better manipulate them. She is well-versed in the history, strategy, tactics of the world, and is privy to knowledge previously unknown to many, such as being capable of creating Magitek, as well as the obscure method in which to make one. Lastly, she has also shown herself as a powerful and flexible tactician, capable of adjusting seamlessly to any given combat situation, if not plan out events well in advance. She understands the strengths, weaknesses and mannerisms of her enemies and creates strategies to achieve victory.

Trivia
<!--*Rather ironically, despite being a vampire, Alucard's abilities all seem to have angelic naming. She shares this trait with Yomi:
 * Like several other vampires in other works of fiction, this vampire in particular is named "Alucard", which is quite obviously Dracula spelled backwards.
 * Gaghiel — "Roaring Beast of God"
 * Zeruel — "Arm of God"
 * Iruel — "Terror of God"
 * Iblis — "He Who Causes Despair"