Disclaimer: You know the drill by now.
Italics indicates thought.
Underlines and italics indicates Saito's thoughts
Bold and italics indicates a location.
Bold text (Outside of any normal context) indicates a time period.
The trap was closing, and the mage could only see one way out:
Either he would sacrifice himself to allow Cruz passage,
or all he had hoped and dreamed of would be destroyed.
When faced with the decision, it was a no-brainer:
and Cruz faced the darkness of Chaos alone.
He emerged with the seal after seeing the Count,
But that was only the first part of his task...
-Prophecy di luce e di ombre: Lines LXI-LXVII
Chapter 6: Soma's Realization
Last time on Requiem of Shadows:
The task increased in difficulty many-fold as two of the remaining three teams faced major battles before escaping with their objectives. Now, only the Oricaltos remains, but time is slowly running out. With Shaft pulling out all of the stops, it will be one hell of a task to get Soma and his friends back to the forge. But first, Saito had to locate Soma...
Open-Air Market: Tokyo, Japan
Time Period: 2040
At long last, the day has finally arrived. Saito got up from his cot and stretched, his joints cracking slightly as he prepared for one of his nastier ordeals. He walked out to the weapons stall that he had set-up nearly a week ago, and he reminisced about how he had first encountered a fairly enchanting young woman with a very special connection to Soma Cruz...
Begin Flashback
As soon as Saito had passed through the Time Gate, he arrived at his destination. Looking around, he immediately noted a black orb sitting on a small altar immediately to his left. That must be the gate to Dracula's Castle, the mage thought, slightly amused. He then proceeded down the long staircase, and was slightly surprised when he ran into a fairly young woman.
The girl looked up, slightly surprised to see that someone other than Soma was there. Her light brown eyes were wide with astonishment as she took one look at the auburn-haired mage. She then smiled gently and extended her right hand. "Welcome to Tokyo. My name is Mina Hakuba, and my family is the one charged with protecting this place from the forces of darkness. My guess is that you have traveled a long way." Saito nodded, a little suspicious of this strange girl. "How were you able to tell that I wasn't from around here?" "My boyfriend taught me how to read the air currents, and he also taught me how to sense when a portal is being opened." Saito's eyes narrowed once again as he looked carefully at Mina. "I take it that your friend happens to go by the name of Soma Cruz?" Mina nodded lightly and then smiled. "I would love to introduce you, Mister..." The mage slapped his forehead almost instantly after she had stopped speaking. "Crud! I knew that I had forgotten to do something! My name is Saito Onago. Please, just call me Saito." Mina smiled before bowing. She then beckoned for Saito to follow her into the main portion of the shrine.
Here, she introduced Saito to her family, and she also showed him a few things that belonged to Soma, including the original design template for Cruz's trademark weapon, the Claimh Solais. In addition, she showed the mage all of the seals that Soma had used in his battles against the Cult of Darkness four years before. When she had finished showing the mage all that had to do with Soma, she asked him a question. "What are you going to be doing here?" "Me? I'm a weapon-maker. As a matter-of-fact, I need to head down to the open-air market in order to set-up shop. Maybe you could come down and see me sometime." "Sure!" the young woman exclaimed before bidding Saito goodbye.
End Flashback
That had been six days before, and Mina had kept her promise to come see him the very next day. She was quite surprised at the speed with which Saito was able to create weapons, even custom-made blades that would have otherwise taken months or years. The two became fast friends, and when Saito saw how interested Mina was in one of the small sickle-shaped charms that he had hanging over his sign, he handed it over without question. However, he first modified it to do two things. First, there was a compulsion that Mina would give him the charm for safekeeping on the day that Soma came with her. Second, he managed to meld a summoning aspect into the charm, making it possible to summon Death's Scythe at a moment's notice. He added this second effect when he noticed how Mina was constantly fingering the charm whenever she talked to the mage. He made sure that his hair was presentable, and he also made absolutely certain that Soma would see the hand-lettered sign hanging in front of his stall. The sign read as follows: Onago Weapons: If you can name it, we can make it! He sighed aloud and waited, hoping that Mina would keep her promise and bring along Soma.
Hakuba Shrine: Tokyo, Japan
"Hello Mrs. Hakuba. Is Mina here?" "She's finishing with her hair right now, Soma. She should be down in a minute or two." Soma Cruz slowly shook his head, slightly amused. His silver eyes danced with a gleeful enthusiasm, and yet he appeared fairly calm. At nearly 6'3", Soma had reached the height of his growth at the age of twenty-four. His frost-white hair was neatly combed, and he wore his traditional white coat and black turtleneck. However, he had also added a pair of dark-blue jeans, and he wore two rings on his right hand. The first ring, commonly referred to as the Soul-Eater, resembled an ordinary man's ring. However, it had a tiny jet-black orb topping it, and it occasionally glowed on moonless nights. The other ring, Soma's Chaos Ring, was a constant reminder of what he had nearly become five years ago. The band was white gold, and it bore a blood-red stone with the Chaos symbol floating within it. In addition to those two rings, Soma also wore a slim chain around his neck, to which he had affixed the Blood Jewel, an almost insignificant blood-red ruby that took the form of a teardrop. While he waited for Mina to finish, he looked down at both rings thoughtfully. He then removed the Soul-Eater Ring, and placed it in his coat pocket. He had promised Mina a gift, and he thought that the ring would be perfect. "I'm ready to go, Soma," called a voice from the top of the stairs, and Soma looked up, smiling gently at his girlfriend. "Come on. You were telling me about this one weapons stall that you wanted to show me, and I want to get there before all of the crowds." Mina giggled before waving goodbye to her parents and heading out the door, followed closely by the human reincarnation of Dracula.
On their way to the market, the couple ran into two old friends...
Soma found himself ambushed shortly after he came down the steps. Picking himself up, he brushed off his jeans and looked over at his friend, a slightly pissed-off look appearing on his face. "What did you do that for, Dan? You know how jumpy I am, especially since today is the anniversary of when I first learned what I really am." The Belmont smiled quickly, and Soma could not help but compare his friend to the man's grandfather, Julius. They both had the same hair and eye color, but Daniel was more experienced with the world around him. Hell, he has a girlfriend that would be considered an outcast in most societies, if they knew what she was... The Belmont had opted for a white long-sleeved shirt, a black leather jacket, and black jeans. Also, much to Soma's relief, he revealed an inner pocket in his coat which concealed the family weapon. "Thanks for bringing along VK, Dan. I have a feeling that we may need it before the day is out." The Belmont nodded before motioning the couple further up the street. "Come on, you two. Ria said that she would meet us at the market." Soma nodded, and the trio continued their journey.
Once the trio had reached the market, it was easy to tell which stall Mina wanted to go to...
The Belmont eagerly waved at his girlfriend, and the trio immediately walked over to Saito's stall. Soma's eyes narrowed slightly when he saw the sign, but then his eyes drifted up to look at the stall owner. He leaned forward, looked around twice, and then whispered across the counter. "I can sense vampire and human, but what else are you?" The auburn-haired, ice-eyed young man chuckled dryly before responding. "I am also part angel and part dragon. My name is Saito Onago," he added onto the end, extending his right hand to the young man. Soma reached over and shook his hand before turning to introduce his friends. "I'm sure that you already know Mina. As for these two, I would like to introduce you to Daniel Seth Belmont and his girlfriend, Riala." Saito nodded at both of them and then he leaned across the counter. "Mina, weren't you saying that there was something wrong with your pendant yesterday?" he asked lightly, silently invoking the first modification that he had made. She handed the pendant over without question, and then the mage turned back to Soma. "Is there anything in particular that you want me to make?" "Well, that depends on what you actually can..." Saito leaned forward and dropped his voice to a whisper. "To tell you the truth, Cruz, I can make any weapon if I am given the proper materials." Soma looked over at Dan and then nodded. The Belmont moved to block Soma from plain view, but he was stopped when the mage raised his right hand. "The only ones who can see us are those who would be specifically looking for any of us."
Soma nodded before opening his coat and reaching inside. His hand dove past the plain material and into the inter-dimensional pocket where he stored most of his weapons. The heir to Dracula's power smiled when his hand connected with one particular hilt, and he carefully removed the sword before laying it on the counter before the mage. Saito whistled lightly as he ran his hands along the spine of the sword. "A Final Sword. This is a fairly excellent piece of work, and I will be happy to modify it for you. What kind of sword do you want?" Soma leaned forward and placed his left hand casually on the edge of the sword. "I was wondering if you would be able to make one particular weapon out of this. However, I have no Alastor soul to give you." "Ah. So you want me to reforge Claimh Solais, correct?" Soma nodded, but then he nearly swore aloud as the blade bit into his palm. Saito, however, smiled at this. "Would you mind giving me your sword-hand? That way, I can custom-make the hilt." Soma offered the mage his right hand while carefully trying to remove his left from the Final Sword without losing any more blood. After Saito had finished taking measurements, he winced slightly as he saw the cut on Soma's palm. "OUCH! That's gotta hurt!" Cruz shrugged, but his expression was slightly worried. "This thing will heal quickly, but I am more worried about the forging process. I'm not sure, but I think that my blood will have a negative effect on the blade..." Saito let out a low chuckle before shaking his head. "Actually, you just contributed the final catalyst to make the sword even stronger than it originally was."
"WHAT? What are you talking about?" The mage's answer was cut-off when Soma heard a harsh voice call-out his name. He turned to his left and nearly swore aloud. "Soma Cruz! At long last, I will be able to finally end your miserable life as a human." "I highly doubt that, Celia," Soma snarled, noting that the priestess was accompanied by two familiar shadows. He called out to these two in a slightly mocking tone. "Still taking orders from her, Dario? I thought that you would have struck out on your own by now." The flame-haired man sneered at Soma before conjuring a fireball in his palm. "Finding a new employer was great, especially since he gave me back my powers, without Aguni to hold me back." Cruz silently cursed at this new development before turning to the other shadow. "The last time that I saw you, Blinov, was right before you were ripped to pieces by Menace." "Well, death was boring, but I still managed to gain new powers," the blonde-haired man sneered as he began to charge a ball of black energy. However, he was stopped short when Celia raised a hand. "I will deal with Cruz, Dmitrii. You take care of the Belmont. Dario, be a dear and kill Mina for me?" "With absolute pleasure," Dario snarled as he hurled the fireball directly at Hakuba. However, he was stunned when the magic was deflected by an unknown force. "What in the hell...?"
"You are going to have to try much harder than that if you hope to get past my barrier, idiot," Saito called from inside his stall. He then turned to Soma and dropped his voice to a whisper once more. "Give me five minutes, and I should be back with your sword." Soma nodded, and then reached into his coat before drawing out the Nebula rapier. He looked to his left, and noted that Daniel had already drawn VampireKiller. Saito raised his voice slightly and called out to the wielder of the legendary whip. "Belmont! Guard Hakuba with your life, and make sure that Soma survives until my return." The young man nodded before tapping the lapel of his jacket twice. The color and style immediately changed, but the material remained the same. Soma raised an eyebrow before quietly commenting. "Heh. It appears that you have mastered the shifting abilities of that thing." Dan smiled, and then he prepared to fight Dmitrii. Already, the Belmont's hand was drifting to the small pack of twenty cards that he held at his waist. Celia saw this and laughed aloud. "Do you actually think that the Graves' Cards will do you any good, boy? I can already counter them without even thinking, so don't even try."
Daniel Belmont, however, grinned wickedly as he drew the cards with his left hand. "There is something wrong with your logic, and it is now time that I prove it. You see, these cards were strengthened by an unknown magical source in the year 1835, making them exponentially stronger than they were five years ago. Let's see how well you can handle dealing with the extra power!" he called as he activated his first combination, changing VampireKiller into a holy sword. Celia made a few simple gestures and then cast her spell, but her eyes widened in shock when she saw that nothing had happened. Her lips pulled back into a snarl, and then she made another gesture. Immediately, a red seal appeared on the ground, and Soma knew that his task was about to become much more difficult. Celia confirmed this by summoning Gergoth, the massive beast that had given Soma a major headache four years ago. Cruz cursed under his breath, and prayed that the mage would soon return with his weapon.
Onago's Forge: Draconia
Time Period: N/A (Exists outside of space and time)
The weredragon returned to his forge and immediately sought an empty room to work in. However, he soon figured out that it would be best if he asked the Forgemaster for help. Hector agreed, and the two got to work. First, Saito wiped Soma's blood off of the edge, and stored it in a small vial. He then set to work shaping the blade, while Hector crafted the hilt. After two minutes, the first portion of the job was complete, and it was time to add in the elemental portion of the weapon. Saito smiled as he poured Cruz's blood into the mixture, knowing that the blade would truly belong to the reincarnation once his bare hand connected with the hilt. This he quickly explained to Hector before making sure that the hilt was firmly lodged in place. "By using blood as a catalyst, I was able to accomplish a few things. First, this blade will be able to use and absorb any elemental attack, at the whim of it's wielder. Second, this blade will be able to shift form, also according to Soma's will. Third, Claimh Solais will be bound to him once he touches the hilt, because I used his blood in the forging. Finally, this blade will not break until the day that he dies, because I used Soma's blood." Hector raised an eyebrow in amazement. "You will have to explain more in-depth when you return." The mage nodded, picked up the newly finished sword with gloved hands (for he feared tainting the blade if he used bare fists), and then rushed back towards the Time Gate. Everyone got out of his way, and he smiled as he felt something settle over his right shoulder once again. He then disappeared, back to the year 2040.
Open-Air Market: Tokyo, Japan
Time Period: 2040
Soma nearly swore aloud as Gergoth fired a destructive beam at his head. Ducking under it, he immediately began to wonder if Mina was safe. He looked over to his left, and found that Dan was in a vicious sword-duel with Dmitrii. Cursing the timing of the mage's departure, he noticed that the beast was about to breath a toxic cloud at him. He began to backdash, but it was too late. The poisonous cloud raced forward to engulf him, but then it mysteriously dispersed. Celia looked up to see what had caused the attack to cease, and then she immediately began to curse the weapon-maker. Soma's eyes widened as he looked at the blade that had been planted, point-down, in the nearby pavement. The detailing was perfect, right down to the traditional sparkles surrounding the blade. "I told you that it would take me five minutes, Cruz," Saito called from above the battlefield. "Now pick up your sword, and you should notice a few differences." Soma did as he was told, and he realized that the mage was telling the truth.
For starters, the blade weighed absolutely nothing. The last time Soma had held the sword was just after his battle with Menace, when he had been forced to drop the blade and flee for his life. He remembered that the sword had originally been fairly heavy, but yet surprisingly easy to wield. The next thing that he noticed was how much stronger the blade was. He lunged forward and nearly planted his weapon in Gergoth's left eye, but the beast jerked out of the way at the last second. Soma ended up cutting-off a large flap of skin, but he was slightly surprised by this. Originally, he would not have been able to even pierce Gergoth's hide, much less take out a chunk of it. Third, he noticed that the blade had a swirling aura, and he looked up at the mage quizzically. Saito laughed out loud before explaining. "Think of that sword as an extension of your soul, Cruz. It has the ability to take on whatever shape and element that you wish. It is also capable of absorbing any and all elemental attacks, and even reflecting them if you want." Soma smiled before tossing the mage a salute, but then his expression grew somber. "I need you to find Mina, fast. I'm not sure exactly how long she will be able to hold-out against Dario." "Give me the Blood Jewel, and I will go find her." Soma removed the gem from his neck chain and tossed it up to the mage. "While you are at it, could you return to the Hakuba Shrine and grab the third Seal for me?" Saito saluted the frost-haired young man and then smiled. "As you wish, my liege." He then vanished, determined to find Mina and help her before it was too late.
Meanwhile, Dario is having trouble keeping up with Mina. However, the young woman is tiring fast, and Bossi knows that it will only be a matter of time...
Mina turned down one of the back alleys and sprinted towards the ladder resting on the side of the building. Once she had reached the third platform, she stopped briefly to catch her breath before continuing her climb. I don't know how much longer I can do this. I just hope and pray that Soma is safe... "Trust me, Hakuba. Your boyfriend is fine." Mina looked up, and then she smiled when she saw Saito leaning down to lend her a helping hand. Dario was down in the alley, looking up and cursing luridly at the mage before he began to climb. As soon as Mina had reached the top, Saito attempted to pull her along, but she refused to move. "I am tired of running from this man. It is time that I face him, and teach him a lesson in humility." Saito paused for a moment before slowly nodding his head. This is it. Now it is time to see if my theory was correct... He removed the sickle charm from his pocket, and then he began to twirl it around. Much to Mina's amazement, the tiny charm grew in size and shape. As soon as the mage whipped the newly-summoned weapon out to his left side, Mina recognized what he held. The staff was nearly as tall as she was, and it was topped with a wicked, down-curving blade.
"Death's Scythe," she whispered in awe, but then her eyes grew wide as Saito offered it to her. "You want me to use this?" The mage nodded his head, and his face was solemn as he drew Death's Robe out of his own inter-dimensional pocket. "I would also like you to try this on as well." Mina gently smiled and nodded before accepting both gifts. She quickly left the scythe hovering in mid-air as she tried on the robe. However, she immediately noticed that something was missing. "Does Soma still have the Blood Jewel?" The mage shook his head before offering the gem to her. "I asked for it right before I promised to look for you." Soma's girlfriend smiled before accepting the stone, and then she placed it at her throat, locking the clasp that held the robe together. An immediate transformation came over her, and Saito bowed his head as she slowly raised her hood. So. It appears that I was right all along. Ah, well. Too bad for Dario, Saito thought with a grin as he vanished, heading directly for the Hakuba Shrine.
Dario reached the roof mere moment's after Saito had departed. Grinning wickedly, he drew Laevatain with his right hand and conjured a decently-sized fireball with his left. "I'm going to enjoy making you suffer, girl," he snarled as he hurled the fireball at the hooded figure. However, he was shocked when Mina merely pointed the scythe at him. The skull on top of the staff absorbed the hit, and then it glowed red for a moment. It was at this time that Dario finally noticed that there was something, well, different about the way Mina looked. Not only was she wearing a hooded robe and carrying a nasty-looking scythe, but her eyes were also glowing acid-green. That's not normally a good sign, especially since she just absorbed one of my better attacks. I'm going to have to be more careful around her. He looked to the north, and then he smiled when he saw a large red cloud appear on the horizon. Celia had sent reinforcements, and it was truly perfect timing. He turned around and lunged at Mina, but she blocked his attack with a downward motion. She then slapped him across the face, sending him reeling. He reached up and felt his injured jawbone, and then his green eyes narrowed. "I would love to stay and chat, but I need some more time. I hope you enjoy becoming bat food!" he called as he sprinted away, leaving a slightly confused Mina behind.
She looked up in order to see a red cloud, and then nearly swore aloud. She adopted a fighting stance, and waited for the first attack. So this is Bat Company. It doesn't really look like much, she thought as she dodged the mass of sonic waves that emerged from the swarm. Shifting to her left, she swung the scythe, and was surprised to see the bats scatter before her. However, her surprise faded away when the swarm regrouped behind her and then collectively lunged. She spun on her heels and dealt another blow to the swarm, but then she had an idea. What about that attack that Dario used against me? Is it possible for me to use it against these creeps? She didn't have time to consider the consequences as she extended her right hand towards the swarm and called on her own magic. The fireball that emerged from her palm was much larger than the one that Dario had thrown, and it quickly engulfed most of the swarm in red flames. The bats collectively screeched once as they dropped to the ground, and Mina breathed a sigh of relief. She stopped, however, when she noticed that there was a small seal hanging in the air. Acting quickly, she traced the pattern as she had remembered it, and all of the bats disintegrated, leaving behind a mid-sized blue orb. The sphere shot forward, and Mina gasped in shock and surprise when it entered her chest. She then collapsed onto the rooftop, breathing heavily. "What just happened to me?"
"It was as I had originally thought," came the mage's voice, and Mina looked up at Saito. There was a puzzled look on her face, but then she realized what that blue orb had been. Her now green eyes grew wide with shock and horror, and she dreaded the answer to her next question. "Where did this power to absorb souls come from?" Saito chuckled lightly before wrapping an arm around Mina's shoulder. "Don't worry about it. You will eventually get used to it. Besides, it's not everyday that you learn that you are the newest incarnation of Death." Mina stopped in her tracks, horrified. "What are you telling me? Am I now the Reaper, the Harvester of Souls?" Saito slowly nodded, but then he raised his right hand to stop her from asking any questions. "I know that this is hard to accept, but please, hear me out before you go and do something brash. When Dracula disappeared in the year 1666, Death also happened to vanish. You were chosen for a very good reason, Mina, and it is because you are so close to Soma."
Mina nodded, finally understanding. "Am I now like Soma? Is it possible that I could also gain new abilities by collecting souls?" Saito nodded, but then he looked worriedly to the north. "I think we should be going now. Soma probably needs the seal, and Dmitrii is probably being a thorn in Dan's side." Mina Hakuba, the newest incarnation of Death, smiled and nodded at the mage before utilizing her newest soul. She immediately transformed into a large black bat, and Saito allowed his wings and tail to become visible once again. The two then hurried north, towards the battlefield in the open-air market.
We now rejoin Daniel and Soma, who are fighting for their lives against a force that could kill them both...
Daniel nearly swore aloud as he ducked under Dario's sword. Turning to his left, he then sprang backwards as Dmitrii tried to remove his head. The two men smiled wickedly as they circled the trapped Belmont, but neither of them took notice of Dan's girlfriend until she actually struck. One moment, Dario was smirking at the Belmont, menacingly swinging his sword. The next moment, he was stumbling back, cursing viciously at the werecat clinging to his back. Riala had unsheathed her claws, and she was using them to slash the man's face repeatedly. He attempted to shake her off, but she only dug her claws in tighter. He swore aloud and then turned to face Soma, who had his hands full dodging Gergoth. He smiled wickedly before lunging, but he was disappointed when Soma turned and blocked before rushing forward to continue his fight.
Dmitrii Blinov was smiling wickedly as he and Dan circled one another. "It is only a matter of time before you fall into darkness. Embrace it while you still can." The Belmont returned the evil man's smile as he shifted his blade from one hand to the other, searching for an opening. "I'll never give-in to the darkness. Besides, it's time that I end this!" With that, he shifted VampireKiller back to normal and lashed out hard, leaving the man with an open wound just under his left eye. Dmitrii snarled as he wiped the blood away. "You will pay for that blow, Belmont," he snarled as he lunged forward. However, he quickly ran into Dan's next combination, the ice sphere, and he found himself unable to move. The wielder of VampireKiller nodded in satisfaction at his handiwork and then turned to see if Soma required any assistance. He quickly saw that there was no need, because Saito had finally returned, bringing both the third Seal and Mina.
Soma was spinning hard and fast, dodging blows from both Gergoth and Dario when Saito arrived on the scene with Mina in tow. "Hey, Soma. Catch!" the mage called as he tossed Dracula's reincarnation the Seal. Soma turned, caught the seal,and saluted the mage before ducking under the beast's beam attack once more. He then raced forward and activated the Disc Armor Soul. The large circular blade appeared out of nowhere before attaching to a small chain hanging from Soma's wrist. He looped the blade forward twice, splitting Gergoth's head wide open, before deciding that it was time to use the seal. Casting it into the air with his right hand, he was quickly satisfied that he remembered the pattern. He traced the seal in one smooth motion and watched as the body collapsed into the gateway, leaving behind a blue soul-orb. It rushed at Soma, and then, much to his surprise, it passed him in order to enter Mina. Cruz spun around and raised an eyebrow in surprise. His girlfriend merely smiled and shrugged before looking down at Dario.
The man's face was an absolute mess when Riala finally decided to let him go. He stumbled over to Celia, and then he turned and used his powers to free his partner. Dmitrii was worse-for-the-wear, with a nasty-looking whip cut directly under his left eye, and several long scrapes from where the Belmont had slipped past his guard. Celia raised her eyes and stared at Soma and his friends. The hatred was clear in her brown eyes, and she sneered once at the group. "You have not seen the last of us, Soma Cruz. We will return and destroy you!" "In your dreams, Celia Fortner. Now go crawling back to your master and beg him for a second chance. He might be willing to hear you out. That is, if he happens to be in a good mood." The priestess glared at Saito, and the hatred in her eyes grew deeper. "What do you know about our master, you fool?" "Well, I know for a fact that he hates me and those I worked with for crushing him nearly three months ago. I also know that he has a fairly foul temper, and that it is best to remain on his good side." Celia's jaw dropped at this statement and she sputtered for a few moments before she snapped at the mage. "You know nothing of him?" "Oh, really? Then let Baal know this: I am he who is, he who was, and he who is to come; and there is nothing that he can do about it! Tell him that, and then tell him that the message came from the Oricaltos, the one going by the name of Saito Alexander Daniel Michael Nathaniel Alan Jeffrey Onago. Now GO!" he roared angrily as he tossed them into the black Time Gate, sending them back to 1666.
Soma turned to the mage, impressed. "Nice going, my hybrid friend. However, I know that we have not seen the last of them." "I hate to say this, but I agree with you, Soma. However, it will be a long time before they can reconnect that Gate. In the mean time, we have work to do." "What do you mean by that?" "Well, we need to reenter Dracula's Castle, and you need to enter the Chaos Realm once again." "But why do I need to do that? I already beat Chaos!" Soma protested, but he fell silent at Saito's next words. "Because you are the only one who can utilize the Seals, and Dracula is the only person who possesses the Chaos Seal. He should be waiting in the final room to give it to you." "But how could he do that if he is trapped in the past?" The weredragon grinned wickedly before replying. "His body might be trapped, but his soul is free to wander the Chaos stream. He will be waiting, but first, we need to grab the Paranoia Seal." Soma nodded, and then the group continued on their way. However, Soma paused when he felt something strange happening inside of him. "Is it just me, or am I regaining all of the souls that I lost five years ago?" Saito smiled gently before nodding his head. "Because we are going to return to the original castle, you get all of your old powers back. You might want to try combining a few of them once we enter the castle." Soma shrugged, not quite understanding what the mage meant, and Saito smiled once more. "I'll explain it once we reach the shrine. Fair enough?" "That's fine with me."
Once the group had stopped at the shrine, Saito turned to look at the Belmont. "That was an interesting combination of cards that you used back there, kid." The young man smiled before shaking his head. "Thanks, but from now on, please just call me by my middle name. It just sounds better." Saito nodded before continuing with his statement. "You have learned much of your heritage, but there is also much more that you could learn. However, I need to ask you a favor..." "Go right ahead," the younger Belmont responded, running his hands through his hair. "I need you to go find your brother. His expertise will be required in the upcoming battles." Seth raised an eyebrow, but he refrained from speaking. "Do you want me to find Yoko Belnades and Genya Arikado as well?" The mage thought for a moment before shaking his head. "Nah. I have a feeling that Arikado may be waiting for Soma and I. Besides, Yoko is over in New York for a conference, and I don't think that she wants to receive any disturbing news just yet." The Belmont nodded before turning to his girlfriend. "Come on, Ria. Let's see if we can dig-up any leads on my brother." The blue-haired, ice-eyed young woman nodded at her boyfriend before turning to Soma. "Just be careful, Soma Cruz. The castle has changed, and nothing is as it seems. Look with your eyes, but see with your mind." She then turned and walked away with Seth. Saito leaned over and whispered to Cruz. "Remember her words, Soma. They might end up saving your life."
Dracula's reincarnation nodded at the mage before turning back to Mina. She shyly held out the Paranoia Seal, and Soma gracefully accepted it. It was at this time that he first noticed the change in Mina's eye color, and he immediately became suspicious. He rounded on the mage and opened his mouth to deal a scathing remark when Mina spoke-up. "Listen to me, Soma. This had to happen to me. It's the only way that we will ever be able to set things right again." Soma looked over at her, slightly worried. "But what about our relationship?" he asked, slightly disappointed. Mina lifted his head and smiled at him. "I'm still the same girl, silly. It's a little like your condition. I mean, you have Dracula's soul inside of you, and yet you are still the man that I know and love. Think about it for a moment." Soma sat down, considering this new piece of information. He then smiled and looked up at Mina. "I wonder if I will be able to give you copies of all of the souls that I already have."
At this comment, Saito smiled. "You don't need to worry about that, Soma. Someone anticipated our movements, and they decided to create a few Doppelgangers of you. They have all of your soul powers, so it shouldn't be too difficult for us to obtain them." Mina smiled before nodding her head, and then Soma looked at his two companions. "Well, let's get moving. After all, we don't exactly have all of the time in the world." Saito nodded, and then the three proceeded up to the altar where the black sphere was resting. Each placed their right hand on the orb, and it immediately transported them to the entrance of Dracula's Castle. Saito smiled grimly before looking at Soma and Mina. "Here we go!" he called as he opened the front door and stepped inside. He was closely followed by Soma and Mina, and then the door closed and locked behind them. There was no turning back now.
Author's note: Well, that was an interesting piece of the puzzle, and a few other pieces are also in place. What sort of nasty surprises await within the walls of Castlevania? What other sorts of traps has Shaft left for our friends, in addition to those already mentioned? What new powers will be gained, and what will happen to Soma Cruz when he once again enters the throne room? The answers will be found in my next chapter, Search For the Seal, Part 1. Please remember to READ AND REVIEW. Thank you.
Author's note2: I based Daniel "Seth" Belmont and his girlfriend on a few other stories that I read over the years. However, I am not claiming credit for these characters. Rather, I give that credit to David Knight. Dave, that was an excellent piece of work that you did on Twilight of Destiny. Thanks for the inspiration.