Disclaimer: See the prologue.
Extraneous: Also see the prologue in order to see all of the marks that will be used.
They had to return to the past, in order to save the future
For all humanity.
With the task now nearing it's end,
the Dark Priest has pulled-out all the stops
in an attempt to eliminate his greatest threat:
He is angel and demon,
human and dragon.
He is all, and yet he is none.
He is the Oricaltos, and naught can be done to stop him...
-Prophecy di luce e di ombre: Lines LXXII-LXXX
Chapter 10: The Beginning of the End
Last time on Requiem of Shadows:
Soma passed beyond the Black Door, and he made it through the lethal illusions of the succubus Galatea. Upon realizing what he was, she allowed him to pass after declaring that she no longer had a purpose. However, the Oricaltos intervened and revealed the reason for the extra Soul-Keepers: They were a subtle sign from Vlad that the succubus still had a purpose. The two men then parted ways: Soma headed into the Chaotic Realm, while Saito proceeded outside of the room to heal both the succubus AND Alicia, the cursed draconic-turned-Alura. He succeeded in removing the curse, and then he left the two women with Mina and the others as he sought his own Doppelganger.
Soma proceeded towards the Core, stopping only briefly to pick-up a decently-sized bag, which he later learned contained multiple Chaos Rings. Upon reaching the center of the realm, he was force to face his worst opponent yet: himself. The two dueled for a while, and then they each summoned a familiar: Soma summoned his Alura, while the copy summoned a Gaibon. But when Lily (Soma's familiar) was gravely injured, something inside of the young man snapped. Drawing his power directly from the Core. Soma underwent a frightening transformation before wiping the floor with his duplicate. When he had finished, Vlad emerged from the shadows to congratulate the young man on a job well-done. He then began to relate all that had happened to him.
Meanwhile, Orlox found himself in the Dance Hall, listening to Mozart's Symphony #40, as performed by only locusts and directed by Abaddon. When the performance was over, the two dueled, and it was only through the use of a small vial of holy water that Orlox was able to defeat his adversary. Galatea, meanwhile, had a very anti-climactic battle with her Doppelganger, which ended with his head meeting the wall. At the same time, Saito was moving through the lower passages like an avenging angel, destroying anything and everything in his path. Upon reaching the Forbidden Area, he had a run-in with a badly injured Medusa. After calling-in the Seraph to help heal her, the mage then proceeded into the Abyss, where he would meet his final challenge.
Soon enough, Soma and Vlad had finished their discussion, but then Soma noticed something lying on the ground. Upon closer inspection, it turned-out to be Cthrek Goru, Baal's long-lost metamorphic sword. Then, when Vlad handed Soma the Chaos Seal, he was shocked and surprised when he received a Chaos Ring in exchange. With that, the two different beings, one light, one dark, went their separate ways, promising to meet again in 1666. Meanwhile, Orlox managed to defeat his Doppelganger through a combination of sword skills and his quick use of the Abaddon Soul. At the same time, Karina was facing her copy of Soma. That one ended up killing himself through the use of the Devil Soul (the Dawn of Sorrow version, not the Aria one).
After she had finished with her copy, Galatea then led Mina and Alicia into the Underground Gallery, where the trio encountered Galamoth, who was itching for a fight. Unfortunately, he got creamed when Soma showed up and unleashed his new-found powers in the form of a Final Destiny attack that obliterated the body of the beast. Immediately after, he used the Chaos Seal to lock Galamoth's soul away before leading the group back to the Entrance Corridor, where they rejoined Orlox, Karina, Alucard, and Maria,
Saito was the last to finish his copy. After a fairly long period of circling one another, Saito rushed forward and ended the fight by putting his hand into his adversary's chest and crushing his heart. When he returned to the gates of the Castle, he opened the Gate to his forge and sent everyone except Alicia through. After a slightly tearful goodbye, Alicia returned to her home, and then the Oricaltos proceeded back to his own place. We now join the preparations in progress...
Following Saito: Onago's Forge: Draconia
Time Period: N/A (Exists outside of space and time)
Saito looked around at the group that he had assembled, smiling easily. "How far along are we in finishing our planning?" "Well, it looks like we need a few more weapons to be forged, but other than that, we are ready to go." Saito nodded at Laharl, and then he looked over at the rest of his audience. "How many of you need me to forge a sword for you?" He looked around the room, saw four raised hands, and then he smiled. "Well then, follow me!" he called to the quartet as he headed into one of the back rooms. They looked at one another, and then they followed him in.
Once they were away from all of the crowds, Saito turned to look at the four individuals. "Who wants to go first?" he asked, and Armster was quick to step forward. The mage smiled as he looked the vampire square in the eye. "Let me take a wild guess. You had a different design in mind than your other swords, correct?" The vampire nodded before pulling out a sketch and handing it over to the weredragon. Saito looked it over, nodded once, and then led him over to one of the anvils. "I already have the basis for the blade. Now all I need from you is a few ounces of your blood, and the exact measurements for the hand grip." Joachim smiled before holding out his right hand and making a small slash across his palm. Saito was quick to take the blood, in addition to the measurements before his wound healed. He then turned back towards the table, and poured the blood into the mixture before settling down to fashion the hilt. By the time he had finished, the blade was almost set. All that was needed was to push the hilt into place, and then the sword was done. He gestured to the vampire. "Take it. After all, it is your design." Joachim bowed to the mage before taking the sword into his hands, "imprinting" himself on the blade, making it his and his alone.
Saito next turned to Niteshade, who shyly stepped forward and offered her right hand to the mage. "It's a pleasure to finally meet the man who helped heal me." Saito turned away, slightly flustered as he murmured a soft "thank you." The mage then led her over to another anvil where he had all of his material laid out. "What sort of blade do you want?" he asked easily, and the young succubus thought for a few moments before answering. "If you don't mind, is it possible for you to create a cross-shaped longsword?" The mage smiled at her before nodding his head. "It will only take me a few minutes, but I will need some blood in order to mage-forge the sword, okay?" "Sure!" she said as she opened a small incision on her left palm. Saito collected a few ounces of blood before he healed her wound. Pouring the blood onto the blade, he waited for it to diffuse into the mixture before he could force-cool it and finish with the forging process. In the mean time, he worked on fashioning the hilts for the remaining three swords, having received the measurements for both Hector AND Charlotte at an earlier time.
Soon enough, the blade flashed a brilliant white, and Saito smiled as he called Niteshade over to the table. "I think your weapon is done, my lady." Niteshade flashed him a brilliant smile as she picked-up her blade and smiled. "Thank you for making this for me, Saito." "You're very welcome, Niteshade." The mage then turned to the Devil Forgemaster. "Hector? You're next." The man smiled at Saito. "Well, it's been a while, but I think I got the technique down now." Saito's grin widened. "Then let's go see what you can do."
Half an hour later...
"Well, that turned out rather nicely." "You really weren't kidding when you said that you got the technique down," Saito commented to the Forgemaster after they had finished working on both his weapon and that of Lady Charlotte. He was about to continue when he heard Laharl call him from the other room. "Saito! I think we have everything worked out now." "We'll be right there, Laharl," the Oricaltos called before gesturing for the others to go ahead. Once he had returned to the room, Laharl began to explain what he had in mind. "Well, I was thinking that we might want to divide into teams and each one of us could take a different section of the keep." "Well, that might work, but exactly how are we going to be divided?" Etna asked, slightly puzzled. Laharl was about to answer when Saito raised a hand. "I think that we should keep the teams that were originally sent out, with a few exceptions, of course." Laharl nodded, and then the Overlord and the hybrid began to discuss who would be on which team. In the end, they came-up with the following results:
Team 1: Saito, Soma, Mina, Adrian, Maria, Morian, Yoko
Team2: Setsuna, Reinhardt, Rosa, Malus, Carrie, Henry, Actrise, Cornell, Ada
Team 3: Jennifer, Gordon, Kurtis, Thursday, John, Elizabeth, Eric, Gwendolyn
Team 4: Croix, Alouette, Nathan, Camilla, Hugh, Katherine, Mirer, Charlotte
Team 5: Etna, Aramis, Orlox, Karina, Christopher, Soleiyu, Richter, Annet
Team 6: Priere, Culotte, Leon, Sara, Joachim, Niteshade, Walter, Galatea
Team 7: Laharl, Flonne, Nicholai, Rena, Hector, Julia, Trevor, Sypha
Team 8: Marjoly, Maderas, Juste, Lydie, Maxim, Caitlin, Simon, Linda
Team 9: Éclair, Homard, Lamington, Seth, Ria, Tim, Sonia
After all was said and done, Saito grabbed Kurtis for a few moments and pulled him into one of the back rooms. "What did you do that for?" the chartreuse Prinny asked suspiciously. "Well, I have a bit of a gift for you, Kurtis," the mage responded, a small grin crossing his face. "Gift? What do you mean by a gift?" "Well, in order to explain my gift, I'll need you to understand one thing: you have finished your atonement earlier than expected." "WHAT? You have GOT to be kidding me!" Saito smiled and shook his head, his smile only growing. "Consider this as a gift from the Seraph and I, Kurtis. By the powers of the light and the darkness: Return to your original form!" There was a brilliant flash of light, and when it had dissipated, it left behind a very confused-looking human. "What did you mean by 'return'?" "Why don't you look in the mirror and see for yourself, my friend?"
Kurtis turned around, saw his reflection in the mirror, and stopped dead in his tracks. How can this be? Is this even real? Or is it just a dream? Trust me, Kurtis. You're wide-awake, lemme tell ya. Welcome back to the human world, my friend. Will I still be able to pull-off the Pringer Beam? The mage laughed silently and then answered easily. Of course you will! Even though your form has changed, you can still use the rod. Speaking on the subject of weapons... Saito turned towards the wall and reached-up to one of the higher shelves. He smiled when his fingers wrapped around the sheath, and he came down almost gingerly. Turning back around, he offered the blade to a very surprised Kurtis. "This is your sword, Valmanway, commonly referred to as the 'Blessed Wind'. I used your blood in the forging process, and so this sword is best in your hands rather than mine." The emerald-eyed, green-haired man took the sword and bowed at the waist. "Thank you for the blade, Oricaltos, and the gift as well. I will never forget this."
Ten minutes later...
Everyone was waiting for Saito to come and open the gate. However, when he returned with an enormous grin on his face, Laharl immediately knew that something was up. "What did you do this time, Saito?" "Oh, nothing. He just gave me two gifts, that's all." Everyone turned towards the doorway, expecting to see the Prinny. When they saw him, though, they all stared in shock at the transformation that had taken place. Kurtis was now slightly taller than Gordon, and he had a lean build. His eyes were the colors of emeralds, and his slightly spiked hair was only two shades off. He was wearing a white lab-coat over a black bodysuit, and he smiled easily at Jennifer, ignoring the look of pure hatred that he was getting from Gordon. Saito saw the glance and almost immediately lashed out. GORDON! It's time that you put the past behind you, and make sure that it STAYS there when you move on. You two are no longer rivals. Get over it, man. Sorry about that, Saito. It's just that... It's been far too long. Agreed. "Let's get going, shall we?" the mage called as he opened the Time Gate back to 1666. He then allowed everyone else to pass before him, before finally entering the Gate himself. Look out Shaft, 'cause here we come!
Following Baal: Boss Room: Inverted Observation Tower: Castle Dracula (Inverted): Walachia Province: Transylvania
Time Period: 1666 AD
"Master Shaft! Master Shaft! It appears as if a Time Gate just popped-up out of nowhere less than twenty feet from the front gates!" Shaft was silent for a few moments, but then the meaning of the message dawned on him. His angry yell could be heard throughout both castles. "WHAT? That isn't possible. There is NO WAY in the name of Heaven or Hell that they could have opened that Gate..." "...unless Soma had possession of the Chao Seal," Baal finished, a slight smile adorning his features. Did you hear that, Oricaltos? Well gee, it was kinda hard to miss when he yelled it at the top of his lungs. Dude, THIS is going to be amusing! That really isn't saying much. Shaft kept ranting and raving, but then he turned to Baal. "I need you to go and make certain that the traps are all properly set, understood?" "Yes sir," Baal said, bowing as he left, biting his lower lip to keep from laughing in the poor man's face. I knew that he was in for a shock, but I think it might have been a little much for him...
(Author's note: From here on out, when I use a team name, it will be referring back to the teams that were formed earlier in the chapter. Just FYI.)
Following Team One: Entrance Corridor: Castle Dracula (Normal): Walachia Province: Transylvania
Time Period: 1666 AD (FINALLY!)
"All right, people. Is everyone ready to go?" When Saito had received a nod from each of the other leaders, he smiled and nodded. "Then good luck, and may the Lord watch over you always." With that, Saito led Soma and his friends through the main passageways, determined to find the Count before he could be moved. The group tore through the corridors, taking no particular direction until Saito raised a hand to stop the rest. Closing his eyes and opening his mind, he reached out to try and find Baal. Lord of Terror! Do you happen to know the current location of Count Dracula? He is waiting for you in one of the cells in the Underground Cemetery. Thank you! Saito's eyes opened once again, and he looked back at Soma, smiling. "He is waiting in the Underground Cemetery. Let's get moving." "Agreed," called Morian, who was eager to test his own powers. The parasite had been removed shortly after Adrian's return to the Forge, and D was relieved to finally be rid of the nuisance. As Saito led his team deeper into the lower regions of the castle, they began to encounter familiar foes, including Killer Dolls and the ever-present Medusa Heads. This gave both Yoko and D the chance to catch a few of the rarer souls, considering the fat that it was their first time going through the corridors.
After passing through Subterranean Hell and slaying Rahab yet again, the group continued on their way, until they reached a passage that Soma recognized all too-well. "We're definitely going the right way, I remember this from when I first came into the castle." He then fell silent, and Yoko immediately saw the reason why. The bloodstain where she had fallen had yet to be cleaned, and Soma looked back at the young witch, the regret rising in his eyes. It's not your fault that Graham stabbed me. I know, but I can't stop thinking about how helpless I was to prevent it from happening.Enough, Soma. It's time to move on with your life. Right. "It won't be long now. We are extremely close to the entrance of the cemetery."
Boss Room: Underground Cemetery (Normal)
The group soon managed to pass into the Boss Room. However, what they found there was a complete shock. As soon as they had entered the room, their path was barred by multiple snake-heads, but Saito could not immediately see the point of origin. However, when one approached and caught his scent, the origin of the heads soon became clear, as the young snake was clearly panicked to be facing a foe such as the Oricaltos. "Miss Scylla! Miss Scylla!" "Yes, what is it this time?" an irritated female voice came from the shadows. "The one who is leading them is the Oricaltos!" "What do you mean by 'the Oricaltos'? This is the first time that I have ever heard that title," she replied scornfully. "Then allow me to explain it for you in the simplest possible terms, woman. I am an immortal four-part hybrid of angel, vampire, human sorcerer, and Ultima Kaiser Dragon. My power knows no limits, and neither does my temper," he added, his eyes narrowing to slits. Almost immediately upon hearing those words, every single one of the heads settled onto the floor in a submissive posture. "It appears that you have given me no other options, my friend. I have no choice but to allow you and your friends passage," the figure said before moving into the light. Alucard slowly shook his head and smiled when the monster came into sight. "You haven't change much since I last saw you, Scylla."
The upper-body of a beautiful woman was resting on the heads of what appeared to be Cerberus. However, there were multiple branching tails that came down, each one ending in a snake head. Her blue eyes widened upon seeing who had spoken last. "Master Adrian! What are you doing here?" "We came to free my parents." "Well, in that case," she said with a slightly mischievous grin, "I'll just let all of you go. After all, I never wanted to be hear in the first place! Do you need the keys to open his cell door?" At this point, Soma smiled as he tapped the sword at his waist. "No, I have my own door-opener. It goes by the name of Claimh Solais." Scylla giggled before sliding off to one side, allowing the group to pass into the corridor beyond. It did not take much time to find the Prince after that, as Soma could already sense the aura of the man he had nearly become.
"Count Dracula? I suggest that you get away from the door, unless you actually want it to fall on you." The Prince of Darkness raised his head quickly. His eyes were blazing, and Soma smiled in spite of himself. "Who are you and why are you doing this?" "I thought that you would have recognized his voice by now, Father. After all, he is the one to whom you gave the Chaos Seal. There was a brief pause, and then Alucard stopped in his tracks when he heard another voice coming from the same cell. "Adrian? Is that really you out there?" "MOTHER?" Alucard was a little shocked, but he soon got over it. "I am very glad to hear your voice once again, Mom. It's been FAR too long." "You're right about that much, my son." The conversation was interrupted when Alucard heard a light cough coming from behind him. Turning around, he grinned sheepishly at Soma before stepping out of the way. "Sorry about that, Soma." "Nah, I'm fine. Besides, there is still much that we need to do after we are finished here." With that being said, Soma ran his sword along the hinges of the prison door, and it fell inward with a metal clang. Soma then bowed his head as he stepped into the cell, his eyes dancing as he held his right hand out to the vampire. "It is a pleasure to finally meet you face-to-face. My name, if you can't remember it, is Soma Alejandro Cruz." The vampire reached out and slowly shook the young man's hand. "It is truly a pleasure to finally see what my future holds," he said before trying to rise.
Dracula smiled before grimacing as he tried to move protesting limbs. "I have been stuck in this cell for far too long. Even WITH the brief respite that Baal gave me earlier was not enough to get used to being on my feet again." The brothers Tepes looked at one another before slowly shaking their heads and moving forward to help both Vlad and Lisa to exit the cell. Once they were all in the open corridor once again, Soma reached around to the back of his waist and drew something. He then handed it over to the Prince of Darkness with a smile. "If I believe correctly, this blade is yours, I want you to take it off of my hands. That way, I won't be tempted to try and 'imprint' on the blade." The immortal Count smiled as he accepted his sword once again. "I thank you for bringing me back my weapon. I had no idea where it went when Shaft took it from me." "Well, Shaft gave it to Graham Jones, mistakenly thinking that he could utilize the full powers of the sword. Unfortunately, he didn't have much of a chance to use it against me." At this point in time, the Oricaltos stepped forward, bearing a long, thin package under his left arm. "If I believe correctly, Lady Lisa, then this is your own blade, correct?" he asked cautiously as he unwrapped the package. Lisa's eyes widened in surprise and gratitude once she saw the designs on the scabbard. "Yes, that is definitely my sword, young master. Thank you for finding it and bringing it back to me." Saito slowly shook his head as he turned to the vampire. "I am sorry for not properly introducing myself. My full name is Saito Alexander Daniel Michael Nathaniel Alan Jeffrey Onago. But, for the love of all things and for the sake of my sanity, PLEASE just call me Saito." The Count smiled as he extended his own hand to the mage. "It is truly a pleasure to meet you. My full title is Count Vladislav Tepes III il Dragulia, but please, call me either Vlad or my adopted name, Dracula." "That's fine with me, Vlad," Saito said with a smile. "Come on. It's time that we see what else Shaft has done as far as remodeling the castle."
As Saito and his team, now with the additions of the Count and his wife, venture deep into the lower regions of the castle, the Overlord and his team find themselves in a rather sticky situation as they are passing through the Chapel...
Following Team Seven: Boss Room: Chapel (Normal)
"Well, well, well. What do we have here?" a sinister voice called from the upper reaches of the room shortly after the doors closed. Hector narrowed his eyes as he looked up, spotting his hated rival on one of the higher platforms. "It's time that we end this once and for all, Isaac." "Agreed, Hector," the Dark Forgemaster sneered before summoning his Innocent Devil most commonly known only as "the End". However, he was not the only one who had brought an Innocent Devil, and Hector was quick to summon one of his Battle ID's, namely Corpsey. It appeared in the form of a fairly large dragging zombie with a nasty-looking barbed sword in one hand, and a glowing stomach. The true Forgemaster drew both of his swords, shifted them both to beam-saber form, and then ignited them. He then grinned before beckoning to his opponent. "Come on, Isaac. It's time to finish what we started in 1480, shall we?" "Let's," Isaac snarled as he dropped to the ground, easily landing on his feet.
Meanwhile, multiple shadows were seen swarming into the room, but they stopped for a moment, and three of them took one particular shape before emerging into the light. Laharl blinked twice, and then raised an eyebrow as three Doppelgangers of Soma Cruz emerged from the shadows. The rest were traditional shape-shifters, and they circled around the group, closing in tighter and tighter. That is, until Laharl lashed-out with his sword, catching one of the copies of Soma completely by surprise. The others stopped, and then the injured one angrily motioned the Overlord forward. Laharl smiled as he took two steps and then settled into his stance. Almost immediately, the copy charged forward, swinging his sword across his body. Unfortunately, Laharl had already anticipated the move, and had raised his sword to block. He then attacked his opponent, but the copy managed to block his counterattack. The two circled, each seeking an opening, each unwilling to back-down.
Isaac had put away his spear and drawn his own beam-saber (final time you face him in COD). When he ignited it, Sypha couldn't help but laugh at him. After all, what guy in their right mind would want a neon pink beam-saber? He quickly snarled at her before turning back to Hector. He smiled wickedly, and then he called out a single-word command to his Innocent Devil. "Kill!" Immediately, the winged beast dove underground and began to make passes at Hector. However, he kept moving, occasionally stopping to catch his breath or to order his ID to use it's Bone Storm attack. The battle raged back-and-forth, and neither had the advantage for a while.
Laharl, meanwhile, was continuing to attack and be attacked by his opponent, but then he got tired of screwing around. Locking his sword against that of the Doppelganger, he then kicked the man into the far wall. After putting away his sword, he promptly began to charge energy in his fists. When he was satisfied with the power of the attack, he released the energy once more. "Overlord's Wrath!" The multiple golden spheres hovered overhead, waiting for the final gesture. Laharl sneered at his adversary before releasing the attack by flinging his arms down once again. "BITE THE DUST!" Immediately, the copy dissolved, leaving behind a number of spheres, which promptly rushed into Laharl's chest. The Overlord's eyes widened with shock as he absorbed all of the powers of his opponent in a single instant. He then looked over at his father, and nodded once before settling down to watch the next battle take place.
At the same time, the other shape-shifters were busy trying to take out Julia, Rena, Sypha, and Trevor. BUT, they were failing miserably due to the spells being cast at them. Sypha was, for the most part, using her Runic Lightning, while Julia cast Terra Star. Rena, on the other hand, was helping to heal Trevor while he went toe-to-toe with his own duplicate. They continued to exchange whip attacks, but then Trevor charged forward, connecting with a one-two punch that staggered his enemy. He then looked back at Rena and nodded. She smiled, closed her eyes briefly, and then released her spell. "Terra Wind!" The copy was easily lifted into the air by the cyclone, and it was repeatedly slammed into the ceiling before finally being dropped at the end of the attack. Trevor shook his head slowly and whistled. "Remind me to never make you angry." Rena smiled, but then she turned and looked at her husband, who was currently dueling with the second copy of Soma. Her expression was slightly worried, and she offered a silent prayer for her beloved's safety.
Isaac swung his blade down at Hector's head, only to be foiled again when the light Forgemaster crossed his swords and caught the blade a few inches from his skull. Isaac smiled and began to press down, hoping to force the blade closer, but Hector refused to yield. He eventually twisted to one side, allowing all three blades to fall away from one another, and then he brought both swords across his body, giving Isaac parallel slashes over his ribcage. The red-haired man hissed before lunging forward, seeking to plant his blade in Hector's stomach. The silver-haired man blocked with the saber in his right hand and swung hard with his left, leaving a gash on his adversary's left shoulder. Isaac backed away, hissing slightly in pain before adopting a different stance. Hector's eyes grew wide as Isaac drew the Chauvre-souris before lunging at Hector, laughing madly as the sharpened blade sliced through his armor, stopping less than an inch from the light Forgemaster's stomach. BUT, by attacking Hector up close, Isaac left himself open to a nasty counterattack. "Bone Storm!" Hector yelled, and Corpsey immediately obliged the request by launching several sharpened bone fragments at Isaac. The servant of Shaft stumbled backwards as he was hit repeatedly, giving Hector a little breathing room. Panting heavily, he looked over at his allies in order to see the older vampire block his opponent's lunge attack.
Nicholai Krichevskoy was having little difficulty finding gaps in his opponent's defense. After all, the copy was not used-to wielding a spear, and it showed. The former Overlord landed blow after blow, knocking his enemy's weapon aside time and again in order to land punishing blows, until he suddenly decided to end it. Leaping into the air, Nicholai summoned several spears of fire out of thin air, before launching them at his enemy. "Spear Storm!" The Doppelganger was pinned to the floor by the attack, and it soon dissolved, leaving behind a collection of spheres that poured their power into Krichevskoy. He smiled to himself, nodded at Flonne, and then turned to see if any of the others needed help. He knew better than to bother Hector, as the Forgemaster was fighting for personal reasons.
Rena had taken to dodging her duplicate's spells when her husband came out of nowhere to toss it into the far wall. The shape-shifter snarled, changing shape to match this new foe. It then charged at the former Overlord, determined to finish him off. Unfortunately, that was exactly what Nicholai was waiting for. He stepped to one side, and then smiled wickedly as his copy's eyes grew incredibly wide. It tried to shift form to the man that it was facing, but it was already too late. CRACK! With a single stroke of VampireKiller, Trevor finished the struggle against the second of the four shape-shifters before turning around and ducking his head in order to avoid a massive fireball. Rena, who was not happy at the timing, deflected the fireball over towards Flonne and her opponent, who were busy trying to hit one another with magic. The fireball, which had originally been meant to take out Sypha, instead burned-off several of the Soma copy's feathers.
Isaac was finally tiring, and Hector soon realized that he could no longer afford to dodge the constant attacks coming from his rival's ID. Blocking Isaac's attack once more, Hector suddenly felt a sharp pain enter his right side. Looking down, he grit his teeth in an attempt to lessen the pain. Isaac's ID had managed to sneak past his guard and ripped several long gashes in his side. Considering the fact that the beast's claws were poisonous, Hector immediately knew that he was in trouble. He continued to struggle, even though he knew that without treatment, he would be dead in a matter of minutes. Or sooner, Isaac thought with a grin as he lunged at Hector once again. But he did not anticipate that someone else would intervene. Rather than finding it's mark in Hector's chest, the Chauvre-souris was deflected upwards by the Longius. "Did you actually think that we would just sit-by and watch an ally fall? ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR DAMN MIND?" The former Overlord punched Isaac in the jaw, sending him staggering back. He then followed his blow, hoping to stab Isaac in the ribs, but the Forgemaster blocked with a natural ease. Meanwhile, Rena was working to bind Hector's injuries and administer the antidote, but she was slightly distracted by one of the remaining battles on the floor.
Flonne was not having the best time of her life. She was constantly moving, occasionally being able to fire-off her Holy Arrows attack without the risk of it being deflected. However, she knew that she could not win through the use of her magic alone. Sighing quietly to herself, she remembered something that the Oricaltos had told her just before they left the Forge.
Begin Flashback
Onago's Forge: Draconia
Time: Twenty-five minutes to departure
The fallen angel heard Saito call her from one of the other rooms. Picking-up her pace, she hurried into the room, only to stop and stare at the mage in surprise and wonder. "You called for me, Master Saito?" The mage looked up from his conversation with the Seraph, and he smiled at the young woman. "I'm sorry. We were just discussing a few more things when I remembered something that I need to give you." "Really? What is it?" she asked eagerly, and Saito looked up at the Seraph, as if asking him a question. Is this truly necessary, Michael? I mean, we can always wait until another time to do this... I'm not sure as to whether or not there will be another time, Saito. Besides, I have a premonition that she will need to use it during our upcoming trip. If you insist, Master Lamington, the mage responded with a mental sigh as he turned towards the back wall. As his hands found the hidden catch that unlocked a small storage compartment, he began to speak. "It was a long time ago when I was asked to begin forging angelic weapons. I started as a spear-maker, and ended -up in swords instead. This is one of my first pieces, and it is still one of my best." He reached into the compartment, wrapped his hand around the scabbard, and slowly drew the blade from its resting place. Passing it to the Seraph, Saito then proceeded to reseal the compartment before turning to face the young fallen angel once again. "I want you to take this sword, and use it well. I know that it will take you some time to learn how, and it is time that we do not have right now. However, I am more than willing to teach you the basics of sword-fighting if you are willing to learn."
Flonne swallowed hard before holding out her hands, and the Seraph carefully placed the sword there. As her hand slowly, almost tentatively wrapped around the hilt, she suddenly had a very warm, almost comforting feeling. It was as if the blade were made for her. She drew it slowly, and as soon as the blade was fully drawn, she stopped and stared at it in wonder. There were several symbols traced along the length of the sword, some angelic, and others demonic. "How did you do this?" she asked, slightly stunned, and the mage responded with a shrug and a small smile. "To tell you the truth, I never thought that the sword would come out like that. I just had a dream about it one night, and when I got up the next morning, I immediately began to work on it. That sword took me ten hours to forge, but it was well worth the effort." He then smiled brilliantly at the Fallen Angel. "Well, are you ready to learn?" "Yes sir!" Flonne responded enthusiastically, and then he began to teach her...
After twelve minutes of teaching her the basics about using a sword to defend herself, Saito bent his knees slightly and looked directly into Flonne's eyes. "Before we go our separate ways, I'm going to give you some advice that I received from my own mother: Man does not live by sorcery alone. Just try to keep that in mind, okay?" She nodded at the weredragon, and then she went to join Laharl at the Gate.
End Flashback
She murmured a silent prayer before putting her staff/bow away. Reaching back to her waist, she grabbed the hilt and drew in a single fluid movement. The Doppelganger's eyes widened when he saw that his enemy held a sword, but then he smiled as he materialized his own version of the Claimh Solais before charging forward. He silently cursed at Rena, who had managed to severely scorch his wing feathers, thus slowing him down. But then he smiled wickedly as he sped-up, utilizing the Black Panther Soul in an attempt to catch her with a lunge attack. Much to his surprise, she parried neatly before slashing him across the chest. He snarled, and then he rushed her again, only to have her sidestep his charge and trip him using her tail. She then lunged forward as he was bringing his head up, and her eyes widened with horror when her sword point passed completely through his throat. "I didn't mean to... What is going to happen to me?" she cried out to Laharl, who merely smiled and shook his head. After nearly seven years, she still feels regret for the things that she has done. Ah well. Once an angel, always an angel. Flonne didn't see the body dissolve, but she definitely felt when the souls rushed into her. Her eyes widened in shock and surprise, and then she turned and gently smiled at Laharl. "Never mind. I'll eventually get used to it." She sheathed her sword, pulled out her staff/bow once again, and rushed over to aid Sypha and Julia.
Meanwhile, Isaac and Nicholai were moving back-and-forth, attacking and countering without a second thought. Neither of them realized that Hector had finished recovering, at least until he brought his twin blades slashing across the back of Isaac's shoulders, forcing him to drop his spear for a few crucial seconds. It was more than enough time for Krichevskoy. With two swift movements, he disarmed his opponent, and then kicked him backwards. He staggered hard, and then felt a sharp pain coming from his stomach and his heart. Looking down, he could only gape in horror as he saw the two blue saber blades sticking out of his body. He then heard Hector speak one last time, just before he died. "This is for betraying me, and for setting up the death of my beloved Rosaly. Rot in Hell, Isaac." The Forgemaster nodded at the former Overlord, and then he looked over at his wife just in time to see the last two shape-shifters being flung into the air by the force of Laharl's Blazing Knuckle. He then smiled before calling out to Julia. "I believe that it's time to end this." "Agreed," she called, a smile crossing her face as she paused for a brief moment before unleashing the finishing blow. "Terra Fire!" she called, and then she watched as the great serpent rose and fried the final two foes. "Well, I guess that's the end of that," Sypha remarked with a sigh of relief.
As they made their way out of the Boss Room, they had no idea what other dangers lay in their future. Meanwhile, let's go check-in on our unlikely ally, the Lord of Terror...
Following Baal: Entrance Corridor (Normal)
Baal hurried through the hallways, passing them in a singular blur. Stopping to peer into the Boss Room, he noticed that the Hell Knight had been splattered all over the walls. OUCH! Must have been hit by a Dark Conjuration, he thought to himself, wincing slightly as he remembered the last time he was on the receiving end of the spell. He looked for any signs of passage, and then he smiled when he noticed that the door leading to the Dance Hall was still open. Well, I better go and activate the teleport rooms. After all, Shaft did bring back Jones for one last performance... Shaking his head sadly, he scrambled away, determined to locate the other teams before being forced to report.
Author's note: Sorry if I had to cut this chapter short. I've had a lot on my mind recently, but I hope this makes up for a few of my more boring chapters. Anyway, please remember to READ AND REVIEW. Thank you.
The madness has finally begun. Now that Dracula has been freed, what is Saito's next move? What other nasty little tricks await our heroes as they proceed deeper into this monstrosity? How are the other groups handling the challenges? Why is Baal wandering the lower keep when he should be staying in the Inverted Castle? And finally, what will happen when Soma and his friends run into a huge roadblock in the form of Menace? Find out the answers when I post my next chapter, The Problem with Menace.