Disclaimer: See the Prologue.
Extraneous: Also see the Prologue in order to see all of the marks that will be used.
He emerged with the Seal after seeing the Count,
But that was only the first part of his task.
The second portion would be crucial in order for the mage to succeed.
Soma's new task? Escaping from the keep with both the Seal and his own skin in one piece.
It was not as easy as it seemed, but they all managed to pull through.
Now that the force had been assembled, there was only one thing left to do:
They had to return to the past, in order to save the future
For all of humanity...
-Prophecy di luce e di ombre: Lines LXVI-LXXIII
Chapter 9: What Lies Beyond: Battle of the Black Door
Last time on Requiem of Shadows:
Saito decided that it was time to retrieve Yoko Belnades, and simultaneously reveal the fact that he, the Oricaltos, was not some piece of fiction. Upon his arrival at the site of the conference, he was greeted by two familiar faces. After finding his way to the room, he was admitted by Yoko, who was slightly annoyed by the actions of the head of the meeting, Cardinal Jason Rikelto. During lunch, the issue about the Oricaltos was raised, and Baal (who had managed to sneak-in by posing as a Jesuit Brother) purposely provoked Rikelto, hoping to get a rise from him. The plan worked beautifully, and Saito was about to interrupt when the group received a call from an unknown location. Needless to say, the call was put through, and the Cardinal received a nasty shock.
"Greetings from the eclipse" were some of the first few words out of Soma's mouth as he then launched into a tale about why he was calling. As it turns out, Rikelto had tried to kill-off Soma two years before, but his plot was foiled by a rather timely package from Yoko. As the Cardinal was busy fuming, Saito stepped forward and revealed himself, just before Baal put his own plans into action by grabbing Yoko and transporting both of them, in spirit , back to 1666. Saito was quick to follow, and the young witch was forced into making a decision between Order and Chaos. Siding with her friends, she chose Chaos over Order, and was changed into a vampire by the recently-freed Vlad Dracula. As her spirit faded from the past, Baal revealed the reason why he needed Saito's aid. The Oricaltos agreed to help the man, and then the two proceeded back to 2040.
After returning to the present and answering a few questions from the congregation, Saito wished Soma and the others luck before ending the call. Immediately afterwards, Saito and Baal carried Yoko and Rikelto to the basement, just in time to be involved in a battle involving Celia Fortner and her two constant pain-in-the-ass allies, Dario Bossi and Dmitrii Blinov. Celia had already summoned the time wizard Zephyr, so Saito merely had to get his attention. After helping Marjoly to knock-out Fortner, Saito proceeded to begin his assault on Zephyr. This gave Seth Belmont enough breathing room to shift VampireKiller into sword form and begin to force Dmitrii back. Meanwhile, the Cardinal finally managed to free himself from the weight of Celia, and he promptly charged at Baal, only to be tripped by the quick-thinking young man. After being lifted-up and tossed into a concrete pillar by a newly-awakened Yoko, the Cardinal reverted to his demon form and charged. However, he did not anticipate that Yoko would draw a blade on him, and he ended-up on the floor with a long gash running down his right side. He was then forcibly rolled onto his back before Yoko knelt on his chest, discharged a handful of lightning into his face, and then proceeded to drain him of blood.
After several more minutes of fighting, Saito discarded his sword in favor of going toe-to-toe with Zephyr. Shifting his hands into claws, he began a furious exchange of blows. Meanwhile, Dario had made the mistake of trying to attack Marjoly with his bare fists. He paid a hefty price when she flipped him onto his back before placing her foot forcibly on his throat, ending that particular duel. However, the remaining two duels were still going strong. Soon enough, though, the battles came to an abrupt end. After nearly three and a half hours of fighting, Zephyr mistimed a block and had his throat slit by Saito, who then promptly drew the Fourth seal on his forehead and banished him back into the darkness. A full minute later, Seth disarmed Dmitrii, and the fighting finally ended. After little debate, it was decided that Baal would return to 1666, taking the delinquent trio with him. After wishing the quartet luck, he disappeared, and then Saito led the group back to the closest Dimensional Gate, in Grand Central Station.
After dropping-off the trio in his forge, Saito proceeded back to the eclipse, in order to find that several more bosses had been defeated by the rest of the group, including nearly all of the remaining Doppelgangers. After chatting briefly, the group was interrupted by several cries of pain. Upon realizing who it was, Soma and Saito acted in concert to save the draconic-turned-Alura Alicia. After completely destroying the dark Alura Cora once more, Saito gestured towards the black door, and Soma nodded. It was time to once more face his destiny. As he crossed the threshold, he was enclosed in the darkness, and was lost from sight. We now join him, seconds after he has passed beyond the eyes of the Oricaltos...
Following Soma: Beyond the Black Door: Floating Gardens: Castle Dracula: Eclipse
Time Period: 2040 AD
It has been too long since I was last in here, Soma thought to himself as he walked forward. After taking two steps, the room lit-up, and Soma's eyes suddenly grew wide. The long chamber resembled a mausoleum. There were bodies everywhere, and the entire room was covered with gore. He nearly gagged, but then he remembered Alicia's message to him. "The succubus is a skilled illusionist, and only Vlad could see through her tricks. If he truly possesses the Master's soul, then he should not have any problems." He immediately smiled, and his vision began to clear almost instantly as he allowed his full powers to manifest. In the end, only one of the so-called "illusions" remained. Soma smiled and strode forward, already loosening his blade in preparation for the battle to come.
The woman's blood-red eyes narrowed slightly when Soma walked through the door. She tried to keep a small chuckle to herself when she saw his eyes go wide, and she nearly laughed aloud in triumph while he gagged. However, he refused to just back down, and as she watched in horror, he sprouted crimson-and-black feathered wings, and then he began to stride forward passing through her illusions as if he could not see them. She gazed around frantically before realizing the awful truth as he stopped less than two feet from her and bowed. "H-h-h-h-how could you have seen through them? Those were my greatest illusions, and you passed through them without even looking ill!" Spreading her leathery wings, she leapt into the air with an angry cry. "WHAT ARE YOU?"
Soma smiled as he watched the succubus rise into the air. Spreading his wings once more, he rose until he was looking eye-to-eye with the woman. "I am the human reincarnation of Count Vladislav Tepes III il Dragulia." As soon as he finished speaking that name, the woman gasped and grabbed at her heart. Her wings fluttered slightly, and Soma rushed forward to catch her before she could reach the ground. Now that he was so close, he could not help but admire her form. The succubus had long, bright-red hair that was hanging in tangles to nearly her knees. She was stripped to the waist, and Soma turned away, blushing furiously. If I were anything else, then I would have fallen by now. If you were anything else, you would have been DEAD by now, the young woman scornfully responded. My illusions do not maim. They kill. I must congratulate you on being the first mortal man to pass through them unscathed. Please tell me, what is your real name? My full name is Soma Alejandro Cruz, and I am here to retrieve the Chaos Seal.
At these words, he heard a throaty chuckle come from the succubus. "My name is Galatea, and I was trapped in the lower regions of the keep until the end of last year. That was when Shaft released me. I was sooo hungry that I went tearing through the castle devastating nearly everything. I drained every single male demon that I could find, and I also took out a fair number of female demons before arriving here. I've been waiting for you ever since." Soma's eyes widened with shock. "Are you telling me that you are the reason why the passages were relatively clear of anything except for armors and skeletons?" "Exactly, Master Soma. Anyway, now that you are here, my task is truly done." She heard someone snort from the doorway, and then she heard an unfamiliar voice call out across the room. "Hardly, Galatea. Your task is only beginning." She sat-up, looking curiously at the young man resting in the doorway. "What are you talking about?"
Saito sighed as he came further into the room before kneeling at her side. "You see, Vlad knew that you were going to be freed, but he didn't want you to die when you encountered Soma. He wanted us to give you a second chance, and so he sent us a subtle message." Soma thought for a moment, but then it dawned on him. He turned to the weredragon. "Are you saying that those red Soul-Keepers belong to her?" "Precisely." Soma slowly shook his head in stunned disbelief. "I think it's all starting to make sense now. He knew that there would be five outsiders, and he also knew about Karina and Orlox. Why didn't I see this earlier?" "Maybe that's because you weren't paying much attention to the details earlier. Come on, Soma. It's time that you head back into the Chaotic Realm once again." "Agreed, but what are you going to do with her?" Cruz asked, motioning to the limp woman in his arms. Saito smiled easily before lifting her into his arms. "I'm going to heal her, and then let her handle a few of the remaining bosses. After all, if there are Soul-Keepers for her..." "...then it would make sense if there was a Doppelganger as well," Soma finished. "I'll see you when this is all over." "Good luck, and Godspeed, Soma." With that, the two parted ways. Soma went into the Chaotic Realm, while Saito returned to the other room.
Following Saito: Just outside of the Black Door: Floating Gardens
The Oricaltos came out of the black door and stopped once he had reached Alicia. Bending down, he laid the young woman on Alicia's last remaining petal. He then slowly shook his head as he began to concentrate. He spoke only one word after that, but it was enough. "Brisingir." With that word, the blue flames flowed down from his hands, bathing both the succubus and the draconic in healing fire. When the flames finally died down, all of their injuries had been healed. In addition, Alicia had also been transformed back into her draconic shape. Her curse had been broken, and all was right with the world. At least, for now anyway, Saito thought to himself as he stood up. Looking over at Mina, he smiled gently. "If you don't mind, I need to be heading out. After all, I still need to face my own Doppelganger." Mina nodded, and then she watched him go. As he went out the door, he called one last phrase. "Watch over both of them in my absence." And with that, he was gone.
We now join Soma as he journeys deep into the darkness.
Following Soma: Chaotic Realm
Cruz seemed to be wandering aimlessly, but he remembered the pattern that he had followed the first time. It was all a fairly large spiral, leading to the very center, where Chaos itself had existed at one time. He moved through silently and swiftly, slaying everything that crossed his path. As he drew closer and closer to the center, he felt stronger and stronger. He began to pick up the pace, spreading his wings and literally flying through the passages until he finally came to one particular branch that he remembered. He smiled suddenly as he turned into a side-passage, searching for one particular item. What he did not expect to find was a decently-sized bag. However, a thought soon crossed his mind, and he smiled as he took the bag and stored it in his inter-dimensional pocket. Heading back to the main passage, he soon reached the core.
Core: Chaotic Realm
As soon as Soma stepped through the door, he thought that he was looking at a perfect reflection. Then he blinked twice. So this is my final test. I must wage war against myself if I am to achieve the Seal. So be it. With that, he drew his sword and set his stance. The copy did likewise, a sneer crossing it's face. They circled for a few seconds, and then the copy summoned his Gaibon Familiar, while Soma himself summoned his Alura Familiar, Lily. In an instant, the copy charged, swinging his sword hard and fast, only to find that it had been caught in Lily's snare. The Alura smiled for a moment, and then she screamed in agony as the Doppelganger shifted his blade to a fiery form and slashed through her vines on his way to lashing Soma across the face repeatedly. Soma's hand darted up and came away bloody, and then something happened.
Something deep inside of Soma Cruz snapped, and his eyes shot open, burning with rage. The copy's eyes suddenly widened with shock when Soma spread his wings once more. This time, they were two different colors. His left wing was darker than the deepest of pitch, and his right wing was a blazing white. His left eye was burning a deep red, while his right was glowing silver. But what stunned the Doppelganger the most was the near spontaneous healing of all of his wounds. Even Lily was healed, and the young Alura was in shock at the display of power that her Master was showing. When Soma finally spoke, his voice had dropped two octaves, putting even the deepest of bass singers to shame. "This is the end of the line for you, Doppelganger. I now know both who and what I am. My full power has now been unleashed, and you have brought this misery upon yourself." He looked up, and then his eyes narrowed to slits as his body blurred. The copy could not follow his motions, and the flaw proved to be fatal. Soma ran the duplicate through in a heartbeat, and then he felt a rush of power send him back into his normal form. The glow soon faded, leaving his wings and eyes normal.
"Well done, Soma Cruz. You have truly found your own soul." Cruz spun on his heels, raising his sword to run the man through when he suddenly froze. Wait just a minute! I know that voice. It's the one that always told me to never give-up, even when things seemed hopeless. Turning and bowing to the specter, Soma smiled as he raised his head. "It is a pleasure to finally meet you face-to-face, Count Dracula." "The feeling is mutual, Master Cruz. Come, we have much to discuss..."
Following Orlox: Boss Room: Inner Quarter
The vampire walked into the room, and the door closed silently behind him. He heard what sounded like an orchestra, and curiously proceeded into the room. What he saw there made his jaw drop in amazement. A lone monster was standing before a massive swarm of locusts. However, that was not the amazing thing. Rather, it was the fact that the monster seemed to be conducting the insects through a perfect rendition of Mozart's Symphony #40. Orlox could only watch in astonishment as the locusts, which he had always thought to be only a nuisance, perform one of the most complicated orchestral pieces of all time, without missing a beat. When it was finished, Orlox could not help but clap for the beast, and he turned around, slightly surprised, before remembering to bow. "I take it that you would be Abaddon, correct?" "That is correct, Count Orlox. My guess is that you were sent by someone that I know, correct?" Orlox smiled before he drew his sword once more. "Forgive me, old friend. Soma was one who freed me, and I have a job to do." Abaddon smiled before swirling his baton. Immediately, the locusts took-off and began to circle. "I won't make it easy for you, and you know that, right?" Orlox snorted as he raised his sword into an attack posture. "I never expected anything less, Abaddon. Let's go." "Agreed," the infernal conductor called as he changed his baton into a rapier before charging, the locusts almost immediately swarming around him in the form of a living shield. Orlox snarled and conjured a rather large fireball in his hand before hurling it at the insects, crisping several thousand. Abaddon visibly winced as his coat tails caught. "Damn it! And I just got this thing dry-cleaned, too!" "WHOOPS! Sorry about that!" The remaining insects scattered, and then they began to dive at Orlox. He scrambled forward, and lunged at the conductor. Abaddon blocked and then countered, and the fight went back and forth for several minutes, until both were covered in multiple wounds. But then, Orlox pulled-off his final trick. Reaching into his pocket, he drew out a small vial and threw it in Abaddon's face. As soon as it shattered and the contents spilled out, Abaddon started to choke. "What...did you throw...on me?" "Holy water. Why are you asking?" Orlox asked as he stabbed forward once, impaling the giant insect. Almost immediately, the Bullet Soul rushed up Orlox's sword and entered his body. At the same time, the remaining insects stopped diving at him. He breathed a sigh of relief before exiting to the Marble Gallery.
Following Galatea: Boss Room: Underground Cemetery
As soon as the succubus entered the room, she immediately spread her wings and lifted-off the ground. The Doppelganger, unable to stop it's charge, rammed head-on into the door and collapsed in a boneless heap. "Well that was anti-climactic," she said as she stabbed him through the heart and absorbed all of the souls from the copy. Looking around, she smiled when she saw that the passage to the Underground Gallery had been opened. She shrugged, folded her wings, and headed-off, hoping to reach the end of the passage before Mina could catch-up to her.
Following Saito: Boss Room: Forbidden Area
Time: Two hours after Soma entered the Chaotic Realm
The Oricaltos passed through the corridors like a force of nature, dispatching everything in his path. No monsters could stand in his way, and they all knew it once they had seen what the mage did to Rahab. The great serpent did not stand a chance when the mage entered the room and removed it's head in a single stroke. From that point forward, the passageways were relatively clear, at least until he reached the last boss room before entering the Abyss. Here, he paused momentarily to catch his breath, and it was nearly the death of him. Looking up, he noticed multiple pairs of eyes shining in the darkness, and he shifted to his left in order to avoid a rather nasty blast attack. Slowly turning so that he could always see his foe, he called out into the darkness. "I don't have time to play games with you. Reveal yourself now, and I may let you live." There was a pause, and then a soft voice coming from behind him caused him to pause. "Who are you, what are you, and is it possible that you could heal me?" Saito spun on his heels, and then his jaw dropped in shock as he recognized the figure that was hiding in the shadows. "Medusa? Is that really you?"
The figure slowly nodded as she moved into the light. The gorgon appeared to be in terrible shape. There were scars all over her body, several of the snakes appeared to be dying, and many of her scales had started to rot. Saito slowly shook his head as he set about answering her questions. "My name is Saito Onago. I am a hybrid combination of angel, vampire, human, and Ultima Kaiser Dragon. As for the last question: well, to tell you the truth, I'm not really sure if I can completely heal you. But if you want, I'll do my best." "That would be fine with me," she said, smiling at the mage. Saito closed his eyes and began to concentrate. It would take some effort, but he hoped to be able to reverse part of her curse as well. He offered a silent prayer before he began his healing rites. Almost immediately, the weredragon's body was bathed in a white glow, while Medusa's aura appeared as a sickly green. "Who did this to you?" Saito whispered, fearing the answer that she would give. "Shaft," the woman sighed, confirming the worst possible fears of the mage. He slowly shook his head before opening his mind and casting his thoughts back towards the Forge. Lamington! I need your help for a healing rite. Why do you need my help? Who exactly are you trying to heal? Medusa. There was a brief pause, and then the Seraph responded. Stay where you are. I will be Gating in shortly. Hurry, Michael. I don't know how much time she has left. He cut the mental connection and settled down to wait. He soon heard whispers coming from the nearby corridors. "What in the heck...?" "What's an angel doing here in a Chaotic place such as this one?" "I don't know, and frankly, I don't want to."
Michael soon stepped into the room, and he clamped one hand over his mouth in order to keep from gagging. The stench of venom was nauseating, and he immediately began to wonder how Saito was able to stand the smell. "That might be due to the fact that I'm part dragon, Seraph." "Very good point, diralec. Now, where is she?" Saito led the young monster into the center of the room, and the Seraph's eyes grew wide as he tried to assess all of her injuries. Looking over at the mage, it was clear that the angel was worried. "You were right to call me here. If you had waited any longer, then we might not have had the chance to heal some of these wounds." The mage nodded grimly, and then the two got to work.
An hour later, after many prayers and several healing spells...
Medusa slowly opened her eyes and sat-up. Blinking lazily, she looked around, slightly confused. "What happened to me?" she asked aloud, running her hands through her hair. Wait a minute! Since when did I have hair? Grabbing a single strand in her fingers, she pulled it before here eyes, and then she gave a start. Saito smiled easily before calling out from one side of the room. "We succeeded in partially removing your curse, Medusa. As a result, your hair is back to normal. However," the mage added, hanging his head in shame, "we were unable to give you back your human body." Much to his surprise, he felt a rather strong hand lift his head. Staring into a pair of vibrant green eyes, the mage blinked twice before noticing the smile on her face. "All I wanted was the snakes to be gone. I don't really care about the rest," Medusa said, her eyes glittering softly. Turning around to look at the Seraph, she gave a small giggle when she saw Saito's eyes widen slightly. She bowed in the direction of the head angel, allowing her blonde hair to cover her face before she brushed it back once again. "Thank you for everything that you have done to help me. Both of you," she added as she turned to look at the mage, a small smile crossing her face. "I will not forget this." Lamington coughed lightly, catching her attention once more. "I thank you for being so cooperative, Lady Medusa. However, I still have a few things that need to be finished, so I must be on my way." "Take care of yourself, Michael," Saito called as he reopened the Dimensional Gate that led directly back to the Forge. "I'll see you when this is all over." "Until then, Oricaltos. Good luck, and may the LORD watch over you forever." "AMEN." With that being said and done, Saito headed into the Abyss, while the Seraph returned to the Forge.
We now join a discussion already in progress...
Following Soma: Core: Chaotic Realm
"So what you are telling me is that Shaft raised Menace in the past?" Soma cried, outraged that Shaft had the nerve to summon the nastiest of all unnatural demons. "I'm afraid so, Soma, and that is precisely the reason why Baal was asking for my help. You see, he has a slight problem..." Soma listened intently as Vlad recalled all that Baal had related to him back in the castle. When the Count had finished, Cruz mulled over what must have been going through the demon's mind. He opened his mouth to speak, but then he noticed something lying on the floor nearby. Walking over, he picked-up the object, and then whistled lightly. Turning back to the Count, he held up the object. "Do you think that this is the sword that Baal wanted?" The eyes of the Count widened when he saw the blade in his reincarnation's hands. It resembled a broadsword at the moment, but he knew that it was capable of changing with a single thought of the wielder. "Yes, I do believe that you are holding Cthrek Goru." He grinned before holding out something else to Soma.
"My time here grows short, so I want you to take this." Soma bowed before tossing Cthrek to his left hand and reaching out with his right, taking the Seal and leaving something else. Vlad looked down, slightly surprised. "Why are you giving me the Chaos Ring? This is yours after all, correct?" Soma shook his head before smiling at the older man. "I'm still wearing the one that was meant for me. Anyway, just think of it as a gift for helping me to reach my full potential." Vlad smiled as he began to fade, and then he spoke one last time before disappearing altogether. "I look forward to seeing you in 1666. Try not to take forever though? It is getting a little boring being stuck in a cell with nothing to do." Soma laughed aloud before responding. "I'll keep that in mind, Count Vladislav Tepes III il Dragulia." "Until we meet once more, Soma Alejandro Cruz." And upon speaking those final words, the Prince of Darkness returned to his prison cell in 1666, with the satisfaction of knowing that he had foiled Shaft's plans.
As Soma makes his way out of the Chaotic Realm, we join Orlox as he prepares to face another Doppelganger...
Following Orlox: Boss Room: Marble Gallery
Well, this is it, Orlox thought to himself as he entered the blue door. It slammed loudly behind him, but he paid no attention to it. Rather, he was focused on the figure in the middle of the room. The copy opened his silver eyes and smiled wickedly at the vampire before drawing his sword and summoning his Harpy Familiar. The bird screeched angrily at Orlox and began to climb, failing to notice when he pulled a small baton from one of his pockets. By the time the beast had started it's attack dive, however, it was already too late. Abaddon to my aid! Orlox called out mentally as he pointed the baton directly at the monster. There was an ominous buzzing sound, and then the locusts arrived, swarming through the cracks in the floor, ceiling, and walls. They all focused on swarming around the Harpy, providing Orlox with a window of opportunity to attack the Doppelganger. The two clashed swords briefly before they circled one another, looking for an opening. It was the copy of Soma who struck first, faking a cross-swing and then switching directions. However, Orlox was not fooled by the move, and he immediately darted forward, his sword scoring a hit on the copy's left side. Undaunted, the man recalled his Harpy and called on his Alura, hoping that she would be able to heal him. Unfortunately, he forgot about the locusts.
As soon as he had recalled his Harpy, the locust turned on him instead, swarming around and diving constantly. As soon as the Alura had been summoned, the blue plant-monster's eyes grew wide as she saw the look that the hungry insects were giving her. "I can't concentrate on healing you with so many damn insects trying to take pieces out of me, sir!" she cried out as she tried to defend both herself and her Master from the angry swarm. To say the least, she was unsuccessful, and she was soon weeping softly as the hungry locusts removed large chunks of her petals and vines. Meanwhile, Orlox was still attacking, and the Doppelganger was growing weaker and weaker. Eventually, with a soft whimper, the Alura disappeared, and then Orlox rammed his fist into the copy's ribs. The fake Soma doubled-over, wincing in pain as he felt something leaking out of his chest. Orlox smiled before taking a step back, allowing the locusts to finish the job. In a matter of minutes, there was nothing left of the Doppelganger except for a collection of glowing spheres, which suddenly shot into the vampire's body. Bracing his feet on the floor, Orlox arrested his slide and breathed a sigh of relief. Mine is finished, and it's about time, too. He grabbed the recovery orb and then turned around, heading back towards the teleport room.
Well, we know that Orlox is done! Now it's time to check in on the others...
Following Karina: Chamber of Distortion
Well this is strange, Karina thought to herself as she wandered around the relatively empty room. Seeing movement, she tilted her head curiously before walking over to investigate. However, her senses told her that something was very wrong, and she stopped just in time to avoid being skewered. The Doppelganger frowned slightly before raising his sword and spreading pitch-black wings. Karina smiled as she spread her wings and drew both of her swords. This is going to be an amusing duel, she thought to herself as they both lifted-off and began to circle, waiting for an opening to begin attacking. Much to the duplicate's surprise, Karina made the first move, lunging across the circle in an attempt to impale her opponent. He grinned wickedly as he blocked her stroke, and then activated his Devil Guardian Soul just before punching her in the face. Karina reeled back, grimacing as she gingerly touched her broken nose. She then hissed at the Doppelganger, baring her fangs at the nuisance. "You'll pay for that blow, bastard," she snarled as she lunged forward once again. This is too easy, the copy thought to himself as he prepared to punch her once again. However, he did not anticipate that Karina would grow a long, scorpion-like tail and lash out at him. He yelped in pain as the stinger scored his cheek, and he felt a slight flush as the poison entered his system. He smiled as he prepared to activate the Giant Slug Soul, and the grin was still on his face when he toppled to one side. He had forgotten to deactivate his Devil Soul, and it ended up being the death of him. Literally.
Following Galatea&Co: Boss Room: Underground Gallery
As the trio of women entered the large room, Alicia could not keep her jaw from dropping in amazement. This place is huge! At that point, she noticed the reason why the room was so large, and she swallowed hard. "Um, guys? I think we have company." Galatea was the next one to notice the hulking figure, and she immediately spat out a curse. "Galamoth. I should have known that you would be here." "Ah, Galatea. It has been so long since I last heard from you. Did you enjoy your rampage before finally coming to your senses?" "Silence, you idiotic demon!" The low, sinister voice caused the great beast to stop in his tracks, and he looked down, slightly curious. "Death? Is that really you?" "In a sense, yes you idiot! It's me! Who else were you expecting, the Count?" "Well, I was hoping for a rematch, but it looks like that may not happen anytime soon." "Ask, and ye shall receive," a voice called from the doorway, and Galamoth's eyes grew wide. "What in the name of...? How in the hell did you get free?" The man laughed before replying easily. "To tell you the truth, I have always been free. Then again, you've never heard of reincarnation, have you?" Galamoth shook his head, and Soma sighed aloud before letting his voice go back to normal. "You wouldn't be able to understand it anyway. After all, you are serving Shaft."
Nodding at the trio, he spread his wings and launched into the air, gathering light energy to unleash one of his new attacks. Alicia also launched into the air, focusing her energy into her fists as she prepared to release an attack that was too-familiar. "TSUNUM!" she roared as she lashed out, her palm facing the gigantic minotaur as the hellfires boiled from her palm. The color of the flames was a light green, as opposed to the silver flames released by the diralec. However, the flames were just as lethal, and Galamoth screamed as the flames continued to spread. Turning to Soma, the younger draconic nodded before dropping to the ground, signaling that Soma was now free to release his attack. His eyes now narrowed slits, Soma began to chant aloud, sending chills down the spines of all present as he prepared to unleash his attack.
By all of the powers in heaven and hell,
I unleash thee once more upon the universe.
Powers unknown and powers-that-be:
Erase this fool from all of history!
FINAL DESTINY!
The blast that emerged from Soma's hands flared white for a moment, but then it shifted into a glimmering rainbow as it reached out to touch the dark beast. Galamoth's screaming ended as soon as the beam had touched his face, destroying it instantly. The power of the blast continued to travel downward, destroying his body and leaving only a spirit behind. "Curse you, heir of Dracula!" the spirit screamed as he prepared to smash Cruz into the ground. However, the young man merely smiled before he reached into his pocket and drew out something small. This he tossed at the great spirit, and then he traced a strange design in the air before him. Immediately, the Seal became active, draining all power from the spirit and locking it away in the realm of darkness. Cruz smiled as he reached out and caught the Chaos Seal before landing on the ground again. "Come on, you guys. We need to get back to the Entrance Corridor and wait for Saito." They followed him back to the teleport room.
With only one obstacle left, will they all make it out alive? It's up to Saito now, as he prepares to face his final opponent...
Following Saito: Boss Room: The Abyss: Castle Dracula: Eclipse
As Saito entered the final chamber, he knew that there was no turning back. Relaxing his mind, he drew his sword and then opened his eyes, meeting those of his opponent. Silver met black, and then the Doppelganger made his move. Spreading his red-and-black wings, the copy lunged forward, hoping to impale the mage. Saito spread his own wings and drifted backwards, blocking the stroke as he counter-attacked without a second thought. He then swung across his body, catching the copy in his left side. The man winced before lashing out at the mage once more. Once again, Saito blocked and countered, scoring another hit. It was soon obvious to the Doppelganger that he could not keep-up the pace. Switching tactics, he summoned his Gaibon Familiar and began to launch spears and knives at the mage. Undaunted, Saito knocked the projectiles out of the air using his tail and then he swung his wings forward to unleash a few projectiles of his own. "Wing Shards!" he called as the sharpened projectiles flew out and rammed into the Gaibon, destroying it in a single instant. Saito then lunged forward, launching several knives of his own, clipping several feathers from his opponent's wings. They circled each other once again looking for an opening.
The circling finally ended when the mage charged forward, determined to end the madness. The two men clashed swords before Saito wrenched the man's sword from his hand before he "flickered" his hands and lashed out hard, laying open the man's chest and leaving him reeling. It was the opening that Saito was looking for, and he thrust his hand into the copy's chest, his fingers closing around his heart and crushing it in an instant. The Doppelganger collapsed, and all of the souls rushed up his arm.The diralec smiled, and then reached out with his mind. I'll be out in a minute.
Teleport Room: Entrance Corridor
Saito came out of the room and looked up at the rest of the group, smiling easily. "We are finished here, correct?" "You bet!" Soma called as he raised the Chaos Seal. "Speaking of being finished, I have something for you." Saito raised an eyebrow as Soma reached into a small bag that he had and pulled out a silver ring which bore the Chaos insignia on a small golden topaz. "Are you sure about this? I mean, I thought that there was only one Chaos Ring!" "Apparently, there are several, and I have all of them with me right now," he said with a grin as he raised the bag. "Well then, let's get moving!" Saito called as he opened the Time Gate one last time. "All of you guys need to go first, since I'm the one who opened the Gate." Soma nodded before offering a hand to Mina. She giggled and took it, and then they passed through the portal. Orlox and Karina were the next two to pass through the Gate, followed closely by Alucard and Maria. Alicia looked back at Saito and smiled as she gestured for Galatea to go ahead. As soon as the succubus had passed through the Gate, the portal flickered, and Saito smiled as he took the young draconic's hands in his own. "It's time for you to go home, Alicia. Please let Master Alexander know that I am alright, and take care of yourself." Alicia's eyes filled with tears as she wrapped her hands around Saito's waist, hugging him tightly before gently releasing him. "Just be careful, okay?" Saito smiled and nodded as he ushered the young woman through the Gate. He soon followed her, shifting the portal back just before crossing the threshold. It's time that the REAL battle begins, he thought to himself as he sealed the Gate behind him. It's good to be back home.
Author's note: Yet another chapter in the books here. And now it's time that we shift from the future to the past. It has been a long hard road, but the worst is yet to come. Everyone has returned to the Forge, but the preparations are not yet complete. What will happen after the new army is ready to go, and Saito leads them back into 1666? What sort of diabolical tricks has Shaft saved for his own defense? And what will happen when Dracula is released from his cell? Find out in my next chapter, The Beginning of the end. Please remember to READ AND REVIEW. Thank you.
Author's note2: Jeikobu, please do not just give me a "PLEASE UPDATE SOON" review right after I post a chapter! I'm working as fast as I can. Thank you.