Disclaimer: You know the drill by now
Extraneous: Ditto

Celia had been chafing under the yolk of Shaft,
and Dario was just a little ticked.
Since Dmitrii had sided with the ultimate dark,
it was decided that he had to face his end.
He fell at the hands of the Zombie Master,
but the Dark Priest was far from finished.
In a last-ditch attempt, he tried to eliminate
the Lord of Chaos, Soma Cruz.
He failed, leaving the Lord of Terror alone
to face the wrath of the Oricaltos...
-Prophecy di luce e di ombres: Lines CX-CXIX

Chapter 15: Shaft's Last Stand
Last time on Requiem of Shadows:

Zephyr had been defeated, and Saito and his allies moved onwards. Smashing their way into the Pinnacle, Christopher Belmont, Orlox, and Karina dueled and defeated the King of Flames, Aguni. After a rather brief break, the allies continued onwards, heading into the Demon Guest House (remember, we are talking about the Inverted castle here!). Soma told of his experience fighting the Puppet Master, shortly before Walter, Galatea, and Sonia entered the room. However, once the monster arrived, Saito and those waiting outside were in for quite a shock. Apparently, the demon, once known by the human name of Mephisto Conrad, had a bit of a history with Galatea. The anger and frustration boiled-over for both, but it was the succubus who had the last laugh. The King of Marionettes collapsed into a pile of smoldering ashes, and the way was cleared.

Meanwhile, Dmitrii and Celia were arguing the merits of having sided with the Dark Priest. When it was Dario who brought-up the final thought-provoking question, both of the others were stunned. For once, Bossi was using his head instead of his fists, and he was actually getting results.

Next was the duel with Paranoia, and this fight also had unique implications. The mirror-fiend fell to one of Jennifer's Cosmic Arrow attacks, and as he lay dying, he informed the Oricaltos (and all of those who were reading) of two additional facts. Of course, the only way that he knew them was that he was a servant of the Dark God, more specifically, the King of Delusions. However, onto the two new pieces of information. The first is the true name of the Dark God, which is Amaltezerial. The second piece of information entailed that the War of the Dark God would occur in the year 2080.

As the group was preparing to leave the room, a rather nasty altercation started between Galatea and Etna. It eventually spread into a general brawl, and after trying for several minutes to end the fighting, Saito left them to their own devices. He headed out towards the Marble Corridor, where he would be forced to face his worst nightmare. After nearly forty-five minutes, Soma noticed that he had vanished, and put an end to the fighting. They raced-off to try and catch him, but it was too late. Saito had entered a rather personal Hell, and there was no turning back.

Allow me to explain: There are no male demons inside the Marble Corridor. That, and the fact that almost all of the demons in the first section were allied with Shaft. However, this didn't really matter to the Oricaltos, since they all died at his hands while Soma and the others were looking-on. Upon learning that the next two sections were divided between Order and Chaos, the weredragon considered his options and decided to allow the Count to join him. This gamble proved to be rather successful, and when they reached the end, both of the guardians had already been slain by Baal, allowing them to proceed directly to Celia and the others.

Fate certainly has a strange sense of irony. Once Soma and the others had arrived, Cruz proceeded into the room with four others. Upon entering, they found a rather heated argument between Dmitrii and Celia. Dario was just sitting off to one side, watching. That changed once all three noticed the newcomers. Dmitrii threatened Soma, but the young man allowed Aramis the pleasure of dueling with him. At the same time, Yoko challenged Celia, and Mina decided to finish her duel wit Dario, leaving Soma and Laharl, who had also come to watch, alone. While Mina was busy defending herself, she sent Dario's sword into one of the cameras in the upper corners of the room. This proved to be a blessing in disguise, as neither Dario nor Celia really wanted to be fighting. After Aramis had run Dmitrii through, destroying another camera, he settled down to watch with the Overlord and Soma. Celia and Yoko made short work of the remaining two cameras, and the doors finally opened. After some lighthearted conversation, the allies moved onwards, preparing for their greatest challenge yet: the Dark Priest, Shaft. We now join the preparations in progress, just outside of the Boss Room doors...

Following Saito&Co: Boss Room: Inverted Observation Tower: Castle Dracula (inverted): Walachia Province: Transylvania
Time Period: 1666 AD
Time: Nearly three hours have passed since the battle against Celia, Dario, and Dmitrii

After taking an hour-long break to rest and prepare, Soma and the others had once again begun their destructive march towards the lair of the Dark Priest. As they passed through the halls leading downwards, Alucard reminisced about his battles against Shaft, and then he and Richter Belmont decided to compare and contrast their methods for dealing with him. The discussion was rather amusing, and it kept most of the group happily occupied. However, Saito knew better than to be distracted. There were still two more battles to be won, and the Oricaltos was once more tiring of all the fighting. Rather abruptly, he turned to Soma. "So, how do you think the fighting will end?" The reincarnation of Vladislav Tepes III il Dragulia paused for a moment, and then shrugged. "Your guess is as good as mine. However, I just want to go home right now. All of this fighting is really starting to piss me of." "Trust me, the feeling is mutual. Let's go finish this idiot off then, shall we?" "Agreed."

After a minor debate, it was decided that a majority of the group would remain outside while the rest headed-in to deal with Shaft once and for all. By unanimous vote, Saito and Soma were elected to enter the room, and each decided to bring two others along. Soma selected both Dracula and Mirer, while the Oricaltos chose Alouette and Setsuna. When all were ready to go, Soma attempted to enter by tracing the Patriarch's Seal, only to have it rejected by the door. He turned to look at Saito. "Well, what happens next? I mean, that is the most powerful seal that you know, correct?" "Hmm... You're right, of course, but I think we're looking at this from the wrong angle." Soma looked slightly puzzled, and turned to the Count for an explanation. "I think I understand what Saito is saying. Because Shaft is a force of Order, he will seal the door against his polar opposite." Soma's eyes lit in that moment, and he traced the Chaos Seal with absolutely no hesitation. The door shuddered once before slowly and rather stubbornly opening, revealing a darkened chamber. Looking around at the others, Saito took a deep breath, and then he nodded to Soma. The young man returned the gesture, and then the six marched into the room. The doors sealed after the last person had crossed the threshold, plunging the room into darkness.

This darkness did not last, as a rather large number of torches suddenly burst into flames, giving light to an otherwise bare room. Soma stared around in wonder, and the others could not help but do the same. Outside, the room had looked rather small, but inside. Now that was a different story! The room had a rather large, vaulted ceiling that appeared to go on forever. The walls were widely spaced, and the marble floor seemed to be giving-off a dull sheen. Shaft stood before the exit, the hood of his royal-purple robe raised over his face, his eyes glittering angrily. "I should have known that Celia and Dario would betray me. However, that no longer matters. Now that all of you are here," he said, indicating the group of six with a sweep of his arm, "I no longer need them around. They are, how would you put it, expendable." Dracula narrowed his eyes before stepping forward. Drawing Claimh Mortuous, he pointed it directly at Shaft's chest. "No more of your games, priest. It's time that I extinguish your life once and for all!" "We shall see," Shaft called with an amused grin as the walls began to light-up with a series of glowing runes.

Saito looked around, and upon seeing the runes, he began to inwardly swear. Those are draconic! How is it possible that Shaft can utilize runes that he can't even read? Quite simple, my boy. I dont' need to read them in order to understand them. WHAT? How is that possible? Well, it all started when I received an offer that I couldn't pass-up, from a certain figure calling himself the Dark God. "Amaltezerial," Saito hissed, causing Setsuna to look at him rather strangely. "You are also a servant of the Dark God, then?" "That is correct, Oricaltos. And as his chief summoner, I have the ability to raise any and all of the Generals of Darkness. Are you prepared?" he snarled as his hands rose and began the arcane gestures of the summoning. Immediately, several of the runes slid from the walls to the floor, forming a series of five seals. These then cracked and split wide-open, unleashing their contents.

Saito nearly groaned aloud as he saw the too-familiar faces of his foes. Headhunter, Zephyr, Dulhallan, Dmitrii, and Cerberus. Oh why did he have to summon the hellhound? I have no clue, but one thing is for sure: We need to get rid of them, and fast. I wholeheartedly agree, Vlad. These idiots have to go! Take your pick, ladies and gentlemen! the mage called as he rushed towards Zephyr, leaving the others with their choice of opponents. Mirer drew his sword, and then leveled the point at Dmitrii's chest. "Blinov is mine." "That works for me!" Setsuna called as began to circle Dulhallan. Alouette sighed before sending a fireball at Headhunter, causing the monster to dodge to his left, and leaving both Soma and Vlad with one option apiece. "Do you want Shaft, or can I have him?" Soma asked, and Vlad shook his head before smiling. "Go and have fun, Cruz. I will deal with Cerberus."

Saito "flickered" his hands into claws before staring-down Zephyr once more. "King of Distortion. It looks like we will be having our rematch sooner than expected." "Agreed," the red-haired monster snarled, flexing his claws as he prepared to charge. "Ready?" "GO!" the Oricaltos called as he charged across the floor, raking his left hand towards Zephyr's face. However, the time-wizard managed to bend backwards, swaying to avoid the stroke. He then came to a standing position once again, slashing across Saito's face, opening a series of parallel slashes under the diralec's right eye. Saito snarled as he circled, murder shining in his eyes. "It's time to kick this battle up a notch."

Mirer and Dmitrii were circling one another, testing their strength. Rather abruptly, the vampire lunged forward, his sword aimed directly at the man's left eye. Dmitrii raised his sword to block, but failed to notice that Mirer's left claw was already rising. By the time he saw it, it was already too late. The metal claw sliced into Blinov's neck, opening his jugular vein and spilling his lifeblood all over the floor. Mirer watched until the body stopped twitching, and then he smiled and nodded in satisfaction. Turning, he heard a yell from the Count, and just in the nick of time. "INCOMING!"

"INCOMING!" Vlad yelled at the other vampire as he dodged another fireball from the hellhound. The projectile soared across the room, and ended up scorching the wall where Mirer had been mere seconds before. The vampire nodded his thanks before launching a few bolts of lightning at the over-sized, three-headed dog. Only two of the five bolts connected, and as Mirer rushed over, it became apparent that his aim had been true. Cerberus snarled at both vampires, limping along on his front legs alone. Pausing for a moment to charge-up, the hellhound then unleashed a white laser blast that plowed a mini-trench between the two. The Count and the other looked at one another, and then they scrambled apart, aiming projectiles at the beast's heads from a distance.

Meanwhile, Setsuna was having quite a blast fencing with Dulhallan. Both his cross-topped staff and the undead knight's lance were constantly being deflected. "Thanks for the workout, but I think it's time to end this," he said, and the head nodded from a rather safe vantage point on the floor nearby. The monster then immediately stabbed forward with his lance, but this time, the result was anything but routine. CRACK! The wooden shaft snapped as it came into contact with the cross on Setsuna's staff, and the hybrid smiled. "Game over," he called as he then stabbed forward, running the specter through. The eyes blinked only twice more before both head and body dissolved into ashes. Setsuna allowed a brief smile to cross his face before turning around and mentally calling to Alouette.

The angel smiled when she got the hybrid's message, and she instantly began to press her assault. The series of rapid attacks forced the shape-shifting demon backwards, and since he was so focused on Alouette, he never knew that he was backing directly into the cross on Setsuna's staff. By the time he felt the burning sensation, Alouette had already opened his throat with her razor chain before turning and launching a fireball at Cerberus. The hellhound snarled as the projectile hit his left flank, but he ignored it in favor of launching another blast at Dracula, only to have it dissipated by one of Setsuna's barrier talismans. The King of Vampires nodded at the hybrid before continuing his attack. "Hellfire!" The attack connected, and Cerberus gave a final shuddering whimper before collapsing to the floor, dead.

Soma and Shaft had been circling one another for the past several minutes when the frost-haired man abruptly rushed forward. The lunge caught Shaft by surprise, and before he realized it, the Dark Priest had been backhanded nearly across the room. Turning and snarling at Soma, he once again began the summoning gestures. "Let's see how well you like facing the King of Dementia!" he roared as nearly all of the other runes formed a blood-red seal on the floor. Soma grinned as he suddenly realized exactly what Shaft was summoning. "Oh, come on. Is Gergoth really the most powerful that you have left? This should be a piece of cake!" With that, he drew Claimh Solais, and set his stance. Gergoth shook it's head, snapped once at Shaft, and then turned it's attention to Soma. It opened it's maw and was preparing to launch the dreaded beam attack when something was thrown across it's path. Snorting, it turned to look at the thrown object, a look of pure malice in it's eyes.

That something was Zephyr, who had been picked-up and rather bodily flung across the room by the Oricaltos. Saito followed-up the throw with outspread wings and claws, ready to land the final blow. The time-wizard shifted to his left in an attempt to dodge the speeding hybrid, but he didn't move far enough. The two collided in a blur, and the fighting was too fast for Soma's eyes to follow. He did, however, see Saito plunge his hand into Zephyr's chest, and he watched in satisfaction as the time-wizard once more collapsed into ashes.

Turning back to his own fight, Soma ducked as Gergoth fired the laser once more. Lunging forward, he stabbed his blade between the beast's eyes, and then poured his energy into it. The King of Dementia let out an unearthly scream as the holy energy cooked him from the inside-out. He then collapsed into a sorry pile of dust, as Soma once more turned his attention to Shaft. There was murder in his eyes, and the Dark Priest knew it. Shaft turned to look at Dracula, terror shining in his eyes. "Please, my lord. Save me!" "You brought this upon yourself, Shaft. Of all the idiotic things that you have done in the past, you had to choose the one that offended me the most. Now die!" He nodded at Soma, and Cruz nodded in return. He then spun on his heels, bringing the Solais around at neck height. There was a sickening slicing sound, and the doors opened as Shaft's headless body fell to the floor. "In Nomine Patris, et Filii, et Spiritus Sancti:(1) Ashes to ashes, dust to dust. Amen," Saito intoned before turning to look at the final door. He then called-out.

"Hey Baal!" "What is it, Saito?" "Do you mind if we get some sleep? After all, I don't really want anyone to drop dead in the middle of our battle." "...Good point. I'll allow it. Besides, I've been up since 3 AM anyway." Saito shook his head and chuckled. Dang, man. You keep a schedule like mine! You really aren't kidding, and I can tell that much. Yup. Anyway, see you in the morning! Don't keep me waiting too long, Oricaltos. I won't. I promise. Turning, he looked at Soma. "If you don't mind, I need to rest for the coming fight." "Same here," Cruz replied, and then he gestured for the others to come in. "Okay everyone, listen-up: Sleep now, fight tomorrow!" "Agreed," everyone else responded as they each found an open spot on the floor. Within minutes, they were all asleep. Saito was the last one to close his eyes, and he couldn't help smiling at the peaceful expressions on the faces of the others. To think that these men and women have been through Hell, and they still have the strength to keep on going. I'm surprised, too. Ah, well. It looks like we will be finishing this tomorrow. Yup. SEE YA!

1 "In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit" (Translation from Latin)

Author's note1: THAT went rather quickly! And it looks like I was wrong about not learning more about the Dark Generals (oops!). Anyway, only one more and the epilogue, and I can call this done! What new surprises will Baal unleash against Saito and his allies? And what will happen once the battle is over? Saito appears to be planning something, but what is it? Find out in my next chapter, Gifts of the Oricaltos. As always, please remember to both READ AND REVIEW. Thank you.