Castlevania: Requiem of Sorrow Chapter: Current
ISDFLog_Agent:Cruz_Soma[X]
Date:2037.01.26_Log01
For a while after the "With Light" incident, supernatural events around the world quieted down considerably.
Even my own Power of Dominance was inactive.
This peace only lasted six months.
Now, seeing a ghost or a demon is an everyday thing.
Citizens of every nation are terrified.
They're afraid to even leave their own homes, but they're not even safe there.
This is the reason I joined the International Supernatural Defense Force.
I was asked to join ISDF after defeating Dmitrii Blinov, who had been overtaken by the abberation we have dubbed "Menace."
I joined without hesitation.
I didn't want these evil monsters roaming this earth any longer.
I fear that things will soon get very bad.
I pray to God that I am wrong.
Soma__LOG\e
Soma closed the device. He felt scared. Devils were getting more and more common. He was worried about Mina's safety.
"Soma, you look worried," Arikado asked, appearing silently behind Soma.
"Ever since these creatures have started pouring into our world, I've been getting this strange feeling. I can handle a certain amount of souls, but there are just too many monsters. I can't take more souls at some points, and it feels like I'm going to explode." He sighed. Arikado gave him a little pat on the back.
"Come on, Soma, let's go see Yoko. She should be able to help."
Yoko's Soul Release ability was extremely helpful. It made Soma feel less overwhelmed by the souls now residing in his body.
A ghoul started rising up from a puddle of blood on the ground. Soma kicked its head off before it could stand up. "Damn, they're rising more quickly than usual. Not that I couldn't take out an entire line of them with a swift sliding kick," Soma said quickly, trying to put Arikado's mind at ease.
As they walked down the street, they saw Yoko running toward them. "Soma, it's terrible!" she shouted. "Someone's kidnapped Mina!"
Soma stopped dead in his tracks. "What did you say?" He stared at Yoko, waiting for the words to sink in. Without warning, he dashed up to her, grabbing her by the shoulders, shouting, "Who did it? Where did they go?"
"It was an unfamiliar woman. I don't know her, but she seemed to know you, Mina, Julius and myself. I saw riding on a devil's back, toward the east," Yoko said quietly, obviously jarred by Soma's sudden outburst.
Soma started running, but Arikado grabbed his collar, jerking him back. "Where do you think you're going, Soma?"
"I'm going to find Mina and bring her back!" he snarled. He swatted Arikado's hand away, rushing away with a Black Panther soul.
Yoko started to run after him, but Arikado grabbed her collar, jerking her back. "Where do you think you're going Yoko?"
"I'm going after Soma to make sure he doesn't get himself killed," she said, grabbing Arikado's hand, "and you're coming with me!"
Arikado, having long ago learned not to question human women, ran with her, pulling out his ISDF phone. He pushed a button on it, and a shadowy figure appeared on the screen. "Boss, Agent Soma Cruz is in pursuit of a suspicious individual who has kidnapped Mina Hakuba, I'm requesting replacements to cover my and Yoko Belnades' assigned areas. And I'd like to call in a favor to Julius Belmont if you can manage getting him."
"Request granted, Agent Arikado. As for Julius, he's here. I'll send him to where you're going. Over," the shadowy figure said, and the screen went to static.
After about a day of rushing at maximum speed over land and ocean, Soma arrived at a shadowy castle about 20 miles off the coast of Tokyo. It was held in place by a floating island about 30 feet above Soma. He growled at the ledge, which seemed to be taunting him.
Out of nowhere, a giant fish surfaced behind Soma. He looked back at it. "So, Rahab, we meet again. What do you want, you overgrown carp?"
Rahab just looked at him, devoid as always of any emotion. It dove back underwater, leaving Soma hovering with the power of the Medusa Head soul.
"What's wrong, fish face? You scared?" Soma shouted after it, but it had already vanished into the blue abyss. Without warning, Rahab shot out of the water from just underneath Soma, pushing him up to the ledge. Soma recognized his chance and grabbed the ledge. He pulled himself up and looked at Rahab. "Did you just… help me?" Soma looked confused. Why would a past enemy of his be helping him?
Soma felt a cold, dark presence behind him. He'd felt it before. It was something he'd felt twice. He turned slowly, anticipating a sharp blow, but none came. He saw Death floating behind him. "I don't have time to fight you, Death," Soma said, trying to control his voice. Death caused this intense fear every time you looked at him. But it was slightly different this time. Soma couldn't feel the killing intent that Death normally had.
"Do you think I want to fight you, Soma Cruz? We have had our differences in the past, but this time, I'm on your side," Death said, his chilling voice causing Soma to shudder. "Something dark is happening in this castle. But I can't enter because of this," he continued, throwing his skeletal hand backwards. It stopped dead, resisted by some transparent force. The spot where Death's hand was being resisted seemed to refract. "I believe this may have something to do with Dracula, but whoever it is that is doing this is unknown to me. You know that I hate those who blaspheme the name of Dracula, right, Soma?"
"Don't talk to me like we're friends, Death. Remember that I'm the reincarnation of Dracula?"
"True enough, Soma Cruz, but I still believe that this situation is suspicious. There should be nowhere that I can't go; yet this barrier stops even me."
"So, you want me to go in to investigate? How do you expect me to get past the barrier?"
"The barrier rejects all spiritual bodies, but your physical body will be able to enter."
"Alright. I'll go. I have business here anyway," Soma said, walking towards the barrier.
"Wait," Death commanded. He halted Soma with his boney hand, sending a massive chill through Soma's spine. "If you go beyond this barrier, you may not be able to leave until you break it down. Be careful, Soma Cruz," he said, recalling his hand into his robes.
Soma nodded. "So this is what it's like to make a deal with Death," he noted as he crossed through the barrier. He had barely set a foot inside it when he felt his insides tearing themselves apart. He screamed as the multitude of souls he'd collected over the past months rushed out of his body, escaping into the confines of the castle ahead of him. He collapsed, only able to utter a single word, "Mina…" With that, his consciousness faded from him, and Death vanished, saying only, "May you awaken and succeed, Soma Cruz. If you die here, your soul will never belong to me."