They soon entered as Dario was waiting for them, but Alex's hunch was completely correct, Dario stood in front of a large mirror, but his reflection was that of a titanic demon, but whether he was aware of it or not, it was different as he spoke. "What took ya so long?" Soma huffed as he drew the Durandal great sword for combat.
"Let's finish this. I'll show you why you can't become the dark lord."
"Hah! Even Belmont was no match for me. You think a punk like YOU can win?"
"Tell me, Dario, do you think I am weak?" Alex voiced as Dario shook his head.
"You got some real fight, a lot more than me, Teach, but I got a bone to pick with this punk right here, so stay out of this fight, this is between me and Cruz." Alex paused before he nodded, none of them noticing the puddle of water zooming across the room and slipping into the mirror as Dario spoke. "I am a criminal, let's get that straight, and I don't claim to be anything else, but for me, this power... it is a rush of something new, something exciting."
"So you would rather be dominated by your own power?"
"It's better than just having it and not using it." Dario voiced as he continued. "So don't act as if you know!" He moved into stance before he shouted. "It is always survival of the fittest! That is how my life has been so let's see you try to survive in this fight!" The two clashed with power and strength, it was clear that Soma was not going to go easy on Dario as he laughed. "That's more like it, looks like you got one hell of a boss, I like that, gives a guy some space to rip loose on some big hits."
The two clashed across the room like powerful champions as flames roared and was blocked or cut by the tempered blade before Dario and Soma slid, panting as each other tried to get up to continue the fight before Dario toppled with a cut to the leg and Soma fell backward to some nasty burns before he spoke. "You... have got... a lot of fire... Man, I'm startin' to think you guys... are a better choice than being a dark lord... gives direction, you know..."
"Yeah..." Soma grunted as he tried once more. "Now let's... finish this..."
"Nah... I'm tapping out..." Dario breathed as he continued. "I should be scared, afraid... I got no more power and... I can't feel it now, you jokers got me... You got the demon fused with my power... didn't you...?"
"You knew...?" Shanoa inquired as Dario chuckled as he spoke.
"Knew it all along, damn priestess lady got me more power, but it got me thinkin', and got my answer in Belmont..." Dario pushed himself up as he continued. "My soul was protectin' the demon, making that whip think I was solely human, ain't gonna do much if his power can't hurt a guy like me. The only way you could have grabbed me and snatched my power is through this stupid mirror, found that prick Paranoia, but didn't feel like playing around." He slumped backwards as he voiced. "Some chance that slipped out of my grasp..." He exhausted out before the party tended to him after mending Soma before Celia arrived in voicing to Soma.
"You are much more than I had imagined."
"I came as I promised. Let's stop this stupid chase." Soma voiced as Celia 'agreed'.
"Very well. I can agree to that..." Something was off as Soma voiced with his great sword resting its blade on the carpet.
"You don't seem to be too concerned about this. It's as if you knew this was going to happen."
"Well, who am I to say? But there is more than one way to make a dark lord." Soma narrowed his brow as he spoke, the candidates were out of the picture, what else could Celia use to make a dark lord.
"You don't give up, do you? There aren't any more dark lord candidates."
"That may be true... But the game isn't over just yet." Soma was silent as Celia placed the location to go to for the final confrontation. "The center of the castle. I shall await for you there."
"Another trap? I thought we were gonna end this."
"Trust me, we will... But first, there is something that I wish you to see. I shall be waiting." She warped away with a laugh as the party picked up the Fifth Magic Seal, the Seal of the Horror before Soma asked.
"Where is the center of the castle, Alex?"
"It would be in the Garden of Madness, but..." Alex hummed with resign as he spoke. "Do you want to tread the path of Matias, tread the path of Dracula?" Soma paused before he hung his head as he spoke.
"No... but how do you mean that?" Alex breathed as he spoke.
"Celia spoke of more than one way to make a dark lord, Matias turned to dark magics in spite of God, turning himself into a vampire, but Dracula only began his reign of fear and disaster when Alucard's mother was killed, plunging him into anger and sorrow, what if Celia did that to you?" Soma grimaced before holding the talisman still around his neck as he spoke.
"I have to see Celia stopped, Genya said that Mina was protected, but still the doubt..."
"It makes you afraid, that is okay..." Soma nodded before he headed off as Alex turned to Blackmorre holding Dario. "Let's get Dario back up to speed, I will teach him mentally while recovering the fragments of his power to remake it, apart form Dracula's essence." The being nodded as Alex worked, Shanoa and Mist wishing Soma luck as he headed down to the center of the castle...
It was a real mess to get there, but with the Seal of the Horror he entered and found his fears to be real as he Mina mounted on a cross of a mutated tree, but he felt... something off about her, but still it was her image. "Mina!" She reacted the same as she called out, an emotional trap then.
"Soma!"
"Soma Cruz. Behold, the last moments of your loved one's life." Celia gestured and energy formed to her fingers as Soma called out, in a desire to save her.
"Wait! Stop!" But he was too late as the beam cut through, into the heart and out the collar as blood flowed out to Mina's dying voice.
"S-Soma..." She then died on the tree as Soma cried out.
"Mina!" He turned his grief to rage at Celia as he spoke. "You..." Dark energies surged into his body as he continued. "You heartless wench..."
"It certainly wasn't easy spiriting her away." Celia seemed pleased as she spoke. "Go ahead. Hate me. You hate me enough to wish death upon me, don't you?"
"You... You'll pay for this..." He felt the energies surge into him, much like when he was turned into the physical embodiment of Dracula's power, soon to fell into the spirit of Dracula.
"The power of chaos is gathering... I was right." Celia continued as she remained pleased. "Now hate me more. When your hatred peaks, the new dark lord shall emerge." Soma nearly replied in accepting it before he stopped and spoke again, the energy still gathering.
"That is just Mina's Homunculus, isn't it?" Celia looked surprised as Soma floated back down, but allowed the energies to flow into him, they going to something else and he had a feeling of what or who it really was. "You couldn't spirit her away in the first place, she was far too protected, enough to send me a letter and a talisman to protect me, I would have broken my promise to her if I yielded to my own anger, my hatred, but I don't need it, I have someone waiting for me, and a mentor who tutored me while in the castle." He pointed at Celia as he spoke. "You won... in a way, I am gathering this power of chaos, but it is going to someone else, someone who killed himself to latch onto me in the first place, someone who wanted to know everything about the power he possessed." Genya arrived to stop it, but was too shocked when Soma shouted in directing it all into the fake Mina.
"So, give it up, Dmitrii Blinov, and get your moronic butt back into the real world, you prick!" The energy surged into the body that was enveloped in light before floating down and molding itself out before it cleared to the very person that Soma called out to Celia's shock.
"D-Dmitrii."
"I should thank my lucky stars for making good my escape." Soma frowned while standing strong as Dmitrii monologued. "I managed to loosen myself when the boy's emotions shifted momentarily."
"Yeah, with outrage that you outright killed yourself and latched your soul onto my power." Dmitrii suddenly frowned at that as Soma spoke. "Your power is a magical mimic, in doing that, you latched on to Dominance to copy it well enough to hold it in your body." Dmitrii didn't look too pleased to be exposed like that by a mere boy, more so that the boy KNEW what had been done, he couldn't even figure out the whole mentor part, it was divided from him somehow before Celia recovered some.
"Y-You obtained the same power as Soma Cruz?" Dmitrii recovered to monologue.
"When I fought the boy, I confirmed one thing. Dracula's heir need not be the inheritor of the dark lord's power. I only need to possess the same ability to become the true dark lord's heir. And of course, only I could gain that ability." Genya stepped in front of Soma whose body was starting to give into exhaust of holding it all in and then unleashing the power into the new vessel for Dmitrii.
"I won't allow that."
"Have patience, Arikado. Or perhaps I should address you with your real name?"
"His name is Alucard." Soma voiced as all were shocked to hear it as Soma spoke. "I'm aware, I HAVE been aware since the eclipse, so that is no real victory for you, you daft moron." He recovered enough strength to stand back up again as he huffed. "Does becoming the dark lord really mean that much to you?"
"I have told you before. I wish to learn what my power signifies." He then addressed the cult leader. "Celia. I must gain dominance over more powerful demons. I will surpass the boy."
"So be it." Celia was pleased of the turn of events as she spoke to Soma. "Soma Cruz, I take back what I have said to you. It seems that death is your only destiny." She warped them away before Soma spoke.
"Arikado, where do you think they've gone?"
"I imagine that they've gone to the basement of the tower next to the castle."
"The Condemned Tower, then." Soma huffed as he spoke. "Great."
"There must be a portal to the dark side that fuels the castle's existence." Soma nodded as Genya turned to Soma. "Don't do anything rash. You're not in any shape to fight now. Let us handle this."
"Sorry, but I am going to pull a Trevor on you." Genya blinked as Soma spoke. "Dmitrii is a watered-down Graham now, he has less control, less focus, and that power is still mine. I need to be the one to stop him before he unleashes an unhealthy abomination on the world." Genya was silent before he spoke.
"I would rather you not, Soma, let Julius and I go in first to test the waters." Arikado headed off as Soma breathed with the party arriving to help him out.
"You doing okay?"
"Honestly... yikes." Soma breathed in getting fixed up. "I can't believe how slow I was, you gave me that hint at the throne room and I just puzzled it out right then, like come on, I am faster than that."
"You'll be fine, it is often to see the simple pieces when it is not told about." Soma nodded as Dario had joined them with hands in his pockets as he spoke.
"To think, that nosy punk was faking dead to get a ticket of power, that is just weak, but he can't use anything else magical against us, right?"
"He has control of Dominance, but that will be his downfall, my concern is saving Celia, with dark powers, there will always be the need for some form of tribute to fulfill the goal." Dario nodded as Alex asked. "You ready?" Dario beamed with his shadow forming behind him before becoming a matching image of Agni.
"I was born ready for some skulls to bash." They headed to the Condemned Tower where Julius inquired as to Arikado's request there.
"Break this barrier? It's definitely possible. But there's no guarantee that I'll have energy left to fight."
"Without your power, it's impossible for us to get through. They have to be stopped, at all costs."
"..." Julius paused before nodding. "Well, I suppose this is an emergency... Fine. Stand back." Arikado nodded in stepping back before Julius roared with power, the surge great still while it was focused on the seal before them. "YEAAAAAAH!" Dario beamed as he spoke.
"Damn, the old man was holding out! That was a lotta power there!" The Grand Cross shattered through the barrier before Julius panted.
"Ungh... The barrier... It's gone."
"I'm sorry..."
"Go already! There's no time for chitchat."
"Right." Arikado leapt in before Julius turned his attention to the party, he didn't seem too upset with Dario before he spoke to Soma.
"Soma? Growing old is a horrible thing." That got a reaction as Dario clamped his mouth and nose shut to keep from laughing while Shanoa and Mist were unrepentant while Soma nodded with Alex rolling his eyes.
"Just relax. Don't worry. We'll take it from here."
"All right. I'm counting on you. Don't let me down, team." They nodded as they leapt on into the depths for what waited in the Mines of Judgement. The foes gave them a workout, no problem, even Dario was getting in on the action with his combined attacks of flame and Agni strikes before they reached the bottom and found a familiar foe as he appeared from darkness, draped in a cloak and wielding a titanic scythe as he spoke.
"We meet again, young Conjurer, you seem to be doing well and you have brought both my lord's raw fire and his original host with you."
"Pleased to see you once more, Death." Alex answered as Dario blinked in surprise before pointing, Agni doing the same in terror.
"This bone priest is Death, as in THE Death, bossman?"
"Yep." Dario looked back before he exhaled and spoke.
"I am gonna regret this..." Dario stomped forward as he shouted. "Hey, Death, I want to see how I measure up, even if I ain't the dark lord or Dracula, I still want a fight!"
"Then a fight you shall have, Dario Bossi." Alex nodded as he projected a barrier before the two clashed as Soma spoke.
"Are you sure to be letting him... fight Death?"
"He'll be fine, I got him thinking and using his recovered power to do a bit more work, besides..." Dario blazed through a burst of sickles as Alex continued. "He wants to see if he can beat Death, he knows that he might not measure up, but he is willing to fight for the chance to be better, so many of my own students want to prove themselves by taking on the best that the world has got, Dario is someone I can help understand that as well." He dodged before Death took a bit more damage as he exclaimed.
"Well done, now let's see if you can handle more of my power." His form changed to a opened robe with surging red energy as he swung his scythe at Dario, pushing him to move faster and dodge a near lop of his head and bashing back the giant skulls before he grimaced as he slid.
"Ain't nothing so tough as this... this is the power of Death, he's strong, stronger than what I got with bare hands..." Dario quickly pulled out a pair of pistols and spoke. "...But I ain't done yet! Agni, let's heat him up!" Agni roared before Dario unleashed a torrent of rounds into Death, each bullet coated in flames before he slumped backwards with melting guns dropping as Death spoke.
"You fought well, greater than any have come, you will make an excellent master of my lord's fire, keep it safe." A Seal opened and he went into it with a burst of black and sickles, the battle won as Alex strolled over to Dario and spoke.
"You feeling better?"
"I just got a fight with Death... does that mean I'm immortal now?"
"Doesn't work like that."
"Man..." They lifted him back up before continuing on, heading into the abyss where Celia and Dmitrii were waiting with powers beyond their own will...