Rise of the Belmonts

Yoko Belnades paced in front of the alter with an archaic tome wrapped in human flesh. She flipped to the next page then back to the last. After over an hour of reading, she closed the book and turned to face the entire group. Julius, Justus, her fiancé John Hammer, as well as Alucard, Larua and Vampira, the Turkish Prime Minister, Soma, Sinopa Crevan the five-tail kitsune, and Giakanokus – a hybrid familiar fairy who looked more like a Visual Kei band member, or some sort of Japanese goth.

No one spoke. Yoko placed the book on the alter and folded her arms. "The incantation is legitimate. This man, Zobek…Death if that's what you all call him now…should be able to use these spells to bring the Belmont ancestors before Julius. All of them. And it will be a challenge. And it will be hard on Julius' body, but with that extra energy, the other spell to make him young again… that will work. However, not all of us can go over. This gate will only allow so many through before it has to recharge. Recharging takes a long time. There's enough power for a number of us to go over and come back. But if too many go, then not enough can come back."

Yoko turned to the Turkish Prime Minister. "You, sir, should go home. You have a mess to clean up and you'll need to make sure you can extract us from the castle when we return. Else we'll be trapped inside from the fallout. It will take money. We'll need detox showers, tents, scientists in hazmat suits… the works. You'll need bulldozers to shove irradiated dirt from the main entrance, and you'll need to make a deep dirt barrier to give us a clear pathway out. So you can't go. Soma, here, will help you get home by showing you how he got here. You'll wind up half-way across Romania, near Poinari."

"I understand," he said in a respectful tone.

Yoko turned to Soma and Justus. "You two will need to watch Julius while he is under. I'm not saying I don't trust the others, but it's better safe than sorry. We need to keep each other honest, here." She turned to Laura, Vampira, and Alucard. "All three of you are important. Laura will keep Vampira immune from damage. Alucard, this is your mission, so you have to go. But there isn't enough energy to get all of us back. So Hammer cannot go. I cannot go. Giakanokus and Sinopa cannot go. It has to be a small group. I'm sorry. Else we'll be stranded there."

"Who exactly is going?" asked Soma from behind.

She offered her friend a soft smile. "You. Justus, Julius, Alucard, Vampira and Laura. However, that's technically still two too many. So there is a spell we can do that will combine Vampira and Laura into one body. The effect is temporary but it lasts a surprisingly long time. Three months. There's a reversal spell for when you get back, because I doubt you'll be gone that long. But you have to come home before then, else one of you will be stranded. But the spell will keep Vampira's invincibility intact. As an added bonus, she will now be able to protect one another person at her choosing. So consider her a valuable member for one person at a time. You'll need her for whoever goes up against Satan if it comes to that."

Yoko turned to Julius and said, "I will make sure everyone leaves Castlevania alive. Alucard and the others need you and your nephew in this battle, and will need you both again in two and a half decades. So they won't stab you in the back. They can't. Lucifer couldn't beat Dracula and Dracula couldn't beat you, Julius. So you are important. And Death referred to your nephew as the 'Claws of Fate.' So let's hope that this truce holds."

She turned back to Justus. "Have you finished your errand?"

"I have. Ortega has been freed from the castle. Scylla made me feel uncomfortable again. And I'm ready to go."

She smiled. "Alright, well… the five of you must make it home to fight again else the world will end in 2060." She turned to Soma Cruz and hugged him. "I will keep an eye on Mina until your return. I promise."

"Thank you, Yoko. It makes me feel better to know she'll be safe." Soma reached over to Hammer and shook his hand. "Nothing to sell me before I go?"

John grinned. "Nothing new that will help you over there. And remember, Hell is full of conmen. Don't buy until you shop around."

"I hear you, man." Soma and John exchanged a brief hug.

Yoko cleared her throat and turned to Julius. "Okay, Mr. Belmont. Julius… it's time. While you're under, the rest of us will leave. We're going to use Soma's method of entry by leaving through the main chamber, upstairs. Stay safe. Look me up when you return so I can discharge all their souls back out of your body. They deserve to go back to Heaven and you will want your singular identity back again, trust me. Just remember, they're all as damage as you. Your PTSD might get worse. Try and hold it together."

"I'll do my best," said Julius with a firm nod. "We Belmonts are a disciplined lot."

"Yes, but you all suffered from poor social skills, too. Just keep your chin up."

"I'm stoic, from a long line of stoic people. We value work ethic, honesty and integrity above all else. We have a code of honor so that we don't become like Gabriel." He turned to Soma and Alucard, speaking to neither in general. "No offense." He turned back to Yoko. "Listen, whatever happens… happens. I'll handle it. But you'll be gone by the time I wake up, so I won't have help if things get bad. This is my burden and I'll handle it."

"Very well." She turned back to Hammer, the Prime Minister, and the two spirit familiars. "Let's get going then."

"Let's get started, Mister Belmont." The voice came from a man that seemingly stepped from the shadows. Zobek nodded to the assembled group. "It is comforting to see that you all take this situation quite serious. I trusted only Gabriel to handle this situation. And now that he's gone, I'll have to settle on those of you who he has forged in the heat of battle, or forged in hatred and fear. Are you all ready to begin?"

Alucard folded his arms. "And just what are we doing while you do this incantation with Julius Belmont?"

"Angels do not allow souls to be ripped from Heaven. Not without a fight. You'll be fighting lower-angels from Heaven's army."

Everyone froze. Yoko swallowed. "You didn't say we'd be fighting Heaven! What the hell? Is this some sort of manipulation?"

"Witch of Belnades," said Zobek, "you need to consider it. How would fighting lesser-angels benefit me in any way? Perhaps God understands, but whoever is a General in Heaven is going to follow the rules… and they're going to fight to keep the souls of Heaven inside of Heaven. Those of you who aren't staying… leave now. The rest of you, prepare yourselves. Don't worry about the angels. When slain, they return to Heaven from where they spawned. Their wings will mend in time. So don't worry for them – fight for Mr. Belmont." He picked up the book that was sitting on the edge of the altar. "This isn't going to be an easy fight. But it will be a good practice run for what will be ahead of you."

Hammer put his hand on Yoko's hip then nodded. "We should go. They won't ask nicely again."

Giakanokus, Sinopa, John and Yoko, and the Prime Minister of Turkey turned for the door as a group.

Laura and Vampira looked at one another. The vampiress cleared her throat and said, "Will our transformation hurt?"

"No. But it will be awkward if you've kept secrets from others. They will come out when you two are pulled apart. Also, you two, when combined, will be able to protect another at will. At this time, you'll need to protect Julius so the others can fight without having to defend him. So, we should bring the two of you together first. What shall I call you? Camilla? Carmilla? Millarca? Elizabeth?"

"Vampira."

Zobek eyed her then furrowed his brows. "A generic name that an eight year old could have thought up? Very well, then, Vampira. Sit upon the altar with your loved one."

Camilla narrowed her gaze at Death then sat upon the marble surface. She patted her knee and Laura hopped up then settled herself on her mistress' knee.

Silence.

Zobek put his palm on each of their forehead. After a moment they both fell back, along the altar in silence. The four eternal monks approached and began to chant. Zobek spoke over them, loud and clear, in an ancient language that far predated Latin. A glow emanated from the two bodies, causing everyone else in the room to avert their eyes. A moment later, Vampira and Laura were gone, replaced by a single body. A woman with the best of their facial features and the worst of their bodily features. A pretty face with an average body that had no curves or other desirable feminine features.

Not to say she was undesirable. She simply looked like a classy librarian. The clothes of both women lay on the altar, while the new woman sat adjacent to them, undressed.

Julius cleared his throat, looked back at the door that Yoko left through then frowned. "We'll need to find something to cover her body." He took off his longcoat and approached the female on the marble surface and draped it over her. "We'll need a name for you."

"Vampirella," she said in a soft tone.

Belmont rolled his eyes. "Enough with the stupid names that lack imagination. We're going to call you…" He trailed off then said, "something like… Jane Anne Cranstoun."

"Absolutely not," she sneered in reply.

Julius glared at her then turned to Zobek. "Can she drink and create other vampires in this form?"

"No. She's half Laura. She's half human, just as Adrian is half human. However she does retain her half of Dracula's essence."

Julius nodded slowly. "Miriam, then. Just as Miriam Blaylock couldn't create other vampires. Miri, if you will. Keep my coat until we find you proper clothing."

"Very well," she said, sliding off the altar. She slid her arms through the sleeves. The cuffs came to the tips of her fingers. She motioned to the marble slab. "Your turn, Julius."

He slid up onto the altar then nodded to Soma and Justus. "I'm trusting you two…I'm counting on you both."

"We won't let you down," said the werewolf before Soma could speak.

Zobek waved everyone into silence. "Let us begin, then."

He began an incantation and Julius' eyes rolled back into his head. He began breathing deeply, overcome by a heavy sleep.

Inside his mind, he stood inside an empty room…he recognized the small castle foyer belonging to the ancient Belmont clan. He looked around, alone. He began walking through the halls. Up ahead, he saw a man in a crusader's tunic with armor. "Excuse me?"

The man turned towards Julius and looked him over. Smooth, fine hair, a boyish face, but a soldier's eyes best defined him. "You may call me Baron Leon. What is thine name good sir?"

"Julius Belmont."

"Aye? We share a surname." Leon's eyes lowered, seeing whips on Julius' hips. "And an affinity for weaponry apparently."

"Indeed. This may seem difficult to understand but… I'm your descendant."

"Oh?"

"Yeah."

"You speak strangely, my good sir."

"Yeah. You've got a lot of personality."

"I cannae quite detect your subtle meaning. Is such a good thing, Mister Belmont?"

"Just…Julius will be fine. And I'm just…I'm surprised. Most Belmonts are quiet, and keep to themselves. You seem to have a little more personality than I thought."

"Ah. Quite so. Well, then, Julius. Where are we?"

"Home, apparently." The two walked together. They took stairs up to a top level where they heard the sound of fighting. Leon and Julius quickened their pace. By the time they made it into the master dining hall, the sounds of fighting were joined by laughter and playful banter.

Simon and Trevor faced off against one another, testing their skills with brilliant smiles. Sitting on the side with a serious gaze, Christopher and Juste had their arms folded.

A man approached the two and motioned to the group. "Hello, gentlemen. I am Desmond. Over on the facing wall are my sisters, Zoe and Dolores. And over there is Sid, Civil, Lias, Sonia, Raymond Andrews-Belmont, another Christopher, Christophe… or Christof maybe, another Simon, Richter, Kokoro, Sherry, Kresnik Werner-Belmont, Soleiyu and his father, also named Christopher, and Gaiden is on the far end. Oh, and another Simon."

Desmond pointed to the far wall. "That's Juste, another Christopher, and Reinhardt Schneider-Belmont and his father, Michael-Gelhart. And across the way, on the east wall, we have…"

"That will be enough. Thank you, young man." Julius walked past Desmond, immediately recognizing the last Simon – a young movie star who played in a Dracula-themed movie. He also recognized that man's son, Victor.

The oldest looking one of the group, Julius walked along the wall and approached Victor. He lowered to one knee and offered a weak smile. "Dad."

Victor's eyes widened then he reached up and put his hands on Julius' face. "Jules? Dear me, look at you. You've grown up. I thought when I died in 1999, that I would see you in Heaven shortly after. Why is the entire family here?"

"It's a spell from Death. I'm working with him to fight Hell, because that… that's what's next, now that Dracula is gone forever. Dad, I never got the chance to say goodbye. I…"

"It's okay. It's incredible to see you now. Why are we in the old family castle?"

"I'm unsure. But it seems we have more Christopher and Simons' than our family knows what to do with. And to think you almost named me Trevor."

Vincent cracked a hint of a smile. "Your mother told you that, huh? Good God, Julius. Let me look at you. I can't believe you've died. What happened?"

"Dad. I'm not dead. I'm the host of this… gala. And I'll be absorbing several souls to take with me into battle against Dracula's apparent enemy, Lucifer. I'll need the strength of the strongest of our kind in order to survive what stands ahead. We all know that Richter will be coming. Trevor, and the first Simon. Are a possibility. But I'd also like to take you."

"Julius, if what you say is true…that has a lot of strange implications, as we're all dead. You'd be taking us from Heaven. Furthermore, why take me? I died. My father was a movie star, who never trained me the way I trained you. That's why I died and you lived. The Morris clan cadet, the Schneider cadet branch, the Graves' family… they all have better and stronger ineradicable members than myself."

"You and your vocabulary," said Julius with a sad smile of remembrance. "You referred to kissing women as 'osculate.' I cannot believe I'd forgotten your fancy words."

"Ah, yes. My father was a movie star, son. I learned my vernacular causerie growing up in that world. So if you're not dead, but you're here with all of us… where are you in the real world?"

"On a marble slab in Castlevania. I'm with one of Simon's illegitimate sons, another side effect of his movie star life. The boy's father was also named Simon. But I don't see him here. I fear his soul may have been stranded in the Anti-Castle. But he's of Cristofor's branch, and has become a werewolf. His name is Justus and he's impressive."

"I see. Well. If you can only take a handful of us… then fight to know who is the strongest."

Julius nodded.

The room grew silent and Trevor shook hands with Simon I, in the center of the room. Julius nodded to Richter, on a nearby bench, then turned back to Trevor and Simon I. "Gentlemen. Trevor, Simon… you've gone up against Dracula twice. First to defeat him, and then you aided Hector to defeat him again. Simon the first, you've defeated him twice. And, of course, Richter… who defeated Dracula, then aided Alucard in defeating Dracula again, then was pressed as a memory into the whip, who was still mighty when John, Quincy and Jonny Morris got their hands on it. You tested future whip holders to ensure that they would be worthy. And I fought your memory imprint when I received it from Jonathan, in 1998, on my 18th birthday. You're all impressive and I'm honored to be amongst you all."

"We're honored to be amongst you," said Trevor. "You defeated Dracula once and for all. Forever. And he did not become reincarnated as an evil person. You even guided the new soul, Soma, to stay good and honorable. You are the greatest of us all."

"Thank you, sir."

"No," said Trevor with a smile. "Thank you. Can I ask you a question? How is Adrian? I think he called himself Alucard…"

"He's… well. He's actually in the room with my body right now."

Trevor nodded. "He's a better man than people have given him credit for."

"I see."

Trevor motioned to Sonia. "That's my mother. One of the few of us, besides Christopher," he said, nodding to one of the many Christopher's in the room, "Who went after Dracula out of duty, and not because a girl had been captured."

Most of the people in the room chuckled. Trevor grinned, then added, "We Belmonts' have a weakness for a pretty face, don't we? So you defeated Dracula once and for all. Did he coax you in with a pretty face?"

"Actually, no." Julius, surprised that Trevor seemed so friendly, folded his arms and said, "She was captured by Dracula. But I didn't know it at the time. Times were different in 1999. Cellphones weren't popular yet, so it's not like she was a ring away. Anyhow, she was a very liberal and strong-minded woman. I was very conservative in my values. I'd hold the door for her at the local Wal-Mart. She would walk through the adjacent automatic doors. I'd hold the car door for her. She would take the keys from me and go around to the driver's side. So when Dracula captured her from her college dorm room, she escaped. She slew fourteen monsters on the way out without any formal training. Then she found her way back to me and told me what happened. That's when I started amassing forces. With my father's help, we charged in and finished the job. Unfortunately…" he glanced over at his father and frowned then said, "I was the only one to walk out of there. And I didn't remember anything after that. People called me 'Jay.' That was it. Until thirty-five years later, when it all came back to me."

"Impressive story, Julius. What is… a cellphone?"

Simon asked, "What's a Wal mart?"

"What's an automatic door? Is witchcraft the norm in the modern day?"

Richter looked to his fellow Belmonts' then asked, "What's a car…door? And women go to college now? That's fantastic news. Maria was educated and it made a world of difference."

Vincent grinned. "Trisha-Janelle was a very headstrong girl. That reminds me, Julius, how many grandkids do I have?"

"She's married to someone else. She thought I died. I didn't find her again until December of 2035. She's the first person I looked up after I got out of Castlevania again. She called me a year later when she saw on the news that it came back yet again. She's doing well. Her oldest daughter is twenty-two, now. She's fresh out of college and put her degree first. Beautiful girl, too. Reminds me a lot of her mother. Boy if I was young again."

"That's a shame," Vincent said with a frown.

Julius shrugged. "Who knows. Maybe I will be young again. There's a lot of weird talk and I didn't believe any of it. But now I'm here with all of you. So maybe…anything is possible, right?" A hint of a smile tugged at the corner of his lips.

Vincent gave his son a pat on the forearm. "Continuing the line is very important. If my father," he paused and glanced over at one of the Simons, "wasn't so busy being a movie star, then the Morris family wouldn't have had to pick up our slack. That whip made a lot of Morris family members downright ill over time. You should have seen Jonathan when he brought me the whip. He looked as though he was dying of cancer."

Julius folded his arms again. "Let's get started and see who is compatible with me. I need to do something or I'm going to be dwelling on what's going on out in the real world. I'd rather keep busy."

Kokoro approached him, looked him over with a faint smile then said, "You look good for sixty-six years old, big brother. Let me be the first to test myself against your abilities. I've always wondered."

"I'm sorry you're here. I'm sorry I wasn't around to protect you."

"That was never your fault, Jay. You were a good big brother. We actually thought you died after dispatching Dracula… or worse, that you were trapped in the eclipse with the castle. I thought that all the way up until I arrived in Heaven and you weren't among the dead or reincarnated."

"How did you die, anyway?"

"I didn't have my big brother to protect me. It happened about twelve years ago. I supposed you were off wandering the world, looking for answers. So, why don't you show me what you've learned during your time on earth?" She smirked. "As they said in the olden days… have at thee."

X

X

Meanwhile…
Out in the 'real world'…

"Something doesn't seem right about doing this." Justus put his foot up on the body of a blue creature whose body radiated with soft light and no other distinguishable traits. He gave it a shove, pushing the body off of his claws. It slumped onto its back with a thud, wings splayed out behind it. No feathers, only light.

"Why don't they appear like they do in art and stuff?"

Soma twirled the sword given to him then gazed along its blade. "This sword is amazing. What did they call it again? And, to answer your question, I don't know."

"Something like 'Crissaegrim.' Yeah. It's pretty amazing. Look, I'm not going to lie, here; killing angels is really bothering me."

"Justus, I'm told they're just soldiers in Heaven's army. They fight whoever they're told to fight. Let them die an honorable death or…whatever. They come back in the afterlife, right? So they probably wake up wherever their day started, this morning."

"Soma, life isn't a video game! They don't just 're-spawn' at their home base or whatever!"

"I don't know what else to say, Justus. Let's just get ready for the next wave." Cruz withdrew a cloth square and wiped down the sword. He slid it into a sheath then withdrew the second one from his other hip. "They called this one the 'Valmanway. They look almost identical." He gave it a swirl with his right hand and put the oiled cloth away with his left. "For all I know, we're fighting the same handful of angels over and over and they just keep coming back. Let's hope that's not the case."

Justus opened and closed his claws a few times. "Why?"

"Because before long they'd learn how we fight then best us. That's what happens when you have experience in battle. You learn how your enemy fights, then you defeat them. How're you holding up?"

"Just peachy, Soma. This is getting tiring. How many waves have we fought so far? Five? Six?"

"That last one was number seven, actually." Soma Crus gave the Valmanway sword another twirl then glanced back to the hallway. He heard a noise coming from around the corner. "Get ready. Here comes the eighth wave. I think I heard that sixes are the number of the beast, seven is the number of righteousness and eight is the number of Heaven. So I expect the eighth wave to be…heavenly difficult. Or something."

"You're looking into this nonsense way too deeply."

"Justus, I've lived through this craziness twice. It becomes your life."

A flood of angelic warriors gushed into the room, weapons drawn.

Justus dove at the first one thorough the door and buried both claws into the being's upper torso. He was met with a shield in the face from another angel, knocking him to the floor. He slid to a halt then shouted back towards Soma, fully engaged with two other angels. "This really sucks!"

"Yeah, I know! I wonder how much longer it's going to be for your uncle to come out of his trans? And I wonder why they left us alone to fight this things!"

Justus ducked the swing of another angel and pounced on the one he'd already attacked moments ago. The angelic warrior fell back, planted his foot into Justus' torso then kicked him clear across the room.

The werewolf slammed into a wall then stood up gingerly. "They don't mess around, do they?"

"Afraid not." Soma swung his sword repeatedly, slicing and dicing at his attackers. "How come things never go exactly according to plan?"

"I don't know," Justus said, diving at the next being of pure illumination. "Seems straight forward to me!" He ended on a grunt, making impact at the end of his dive. Both he and the being went to the floor, wrestling about. "They should have kicked our asses, why aren't they?!"

Soma grunted, slashed, kicked then grunted again between two attackers. "They're the lowest soldiers on the line. You go up against one of those big-winged guys that tower over us… you can forget about it. Arch-Angels are even more powerful than that!" He put a foot up on the chest of one then shoved and dashed back at the same time, getting out of range from an incoming attack.

"I hope they hurry up with my uncle! They're starting to get pretty hard! Getting Ortega's body out of here was a cakewalk by comparison!" Justus stole a quick glance back at the arched doorway leading to the cathedral with his uncle on the slab.

Justus turned his head back to his attacker just in time to receive a glowing foot to his chest. He launched up and came crashing down over the church pews. They didn't collapse like in action movies. He crawled into the aisle, gasping for breath.

Soma saw that Justus had the air knocked out of him, and jumped over his attackers to slash at the being that approached the werewolf lying on the ground. He brought his sword down from above and split the angelic form into two halves. The being withered away but instead of disappearing, it condensed into an orb that slammed into Soma and knocked him backwards. He struck the arched doorway then gasped.

Justus got to one knee, still trying to catch his breath. All at once the room lit up with blinding light. All the angels were thrown backwards. The bright light struck a field around the altar. The brilliant incandescence dissipated; no angels remained. Soma dropped to his knees, panting. He put the point of his sword against the ground and leaned against the handle.

The werewolf crawled over to him, finally able to breathe in. He put a large paw on Soma's shoulder and, in a coarse voice, asked, "What just happened?"

"I… I absorbed the soul of an angel. And I used his power. I… I figured of black magic works against evil people, that white magic should work against good ones. And it did… and… it was draining."

They both looked back at Julius and the monks with a frown. Belmont remained silent, stuck in his trance.

"What's taking so long," Justus asked. He leaned back against the side of a pew.

"I don't know," Soma replied with a frown. "But I wish it would hurry up."

X

X

Julius Belmont landed on his feet then turned about. His ancestors sat about the small arena, cheering and clapping. Face to face with Richter, he saw the man drop into a slide then suddenly vault up feet first.

Julius dashed through him, intangible for a brief moment. He reappeared on the other side of Richter, just in time to grab the blue and white collar of his armored coat. Julius pivoted on his heel, Richter came to a halt, snatched from midair, and then the Middle Age fighter went across the floor, flung by his descendant.

Richter got to his feet. "You'll have to teach me that one."

"It's called Omnia Vanitas," said Jay with a huff to catch his breath. "You'll have to teach me that slide-vaulting thing."

"Perhaps you'll learn it soon enough through me instead of from me. But then you'll have my hot-headed temperament, too. Can you handle that? I'm not as disciplined as other Belmonts."

"I've heard you can take that hot-headedness and crush a weapon item and use it in ways that others of our kind could never do."

"I like to call it 'crash,' not 'crush,' but yes. I squeeze it in my hand. Why throw a bottle of Holy Water at a foe when I can rain it down on the room by splashing it to create a holy hydro storm, yes? This is nothing compared to Juste. His ability to dash about makes him the fastest of us, even more than me. And his mother, a Belnades, allowed him to use magic books and pair the magic with other items. You should see the shield he can create for himself with the cross boomerang. Most impressive."

Julius fixed his coat. "I could never understand why any of you carried more than one item at a time. My coat is large and has generous pockets. I carry all the items I'll ever need at any one given time. To have your abilities added to my own, we would make an impressive force."

"Aye," said Simon the First from the left. "And what else will you take? Chris's resolve as he showed when freeing his son, Soleiyu? Or perhaps Trevor's immense courage and healing personality? My endurance to survive through a curse beyond compare? Or perhaps your father's love?"

Julius tugged at his brownish beard. "It's difficult to choose."

Simon continued as the voice of reason. "Perhaps you should choose against us based on our flaws."

Julius cracked a thin smile. "I'm the oldest of you all to fight, and the only one who hasn't yet found true love. Seems I'm the most flawed."

"Aye," said Richter, dusting himself off. "But I'm the most hot-headed and likely to have my temper manipulated in Hell. Christopher and Trevor are the slowest of the group. Simon the First is the most balanced of the group and he has an excellent eye and steady hand. He can latch onto a fist-sized ring and swing across it with ease."

"I nearly died that way," Julius said with a smirk, thinking back to earlier when he met Sinopa after nearly falling into the pit of spikes. "I was doing it two whips at a time and they couldn't hold my weight."

"You may be running out of time," said Trevor. "You'll need to choose soon, young man."

Julius nodded towards Trevor. "Your personality might be…"

Trevor held his hand up. "I come off as friendly at times like this. But on the battlefield, you'll find that I also have a bit of a hot head. I come off as somewhat rude. Some call me confident, but you don't want my pride, young man. I'm solemn and cautious and don't make decisions very quickly. I let myself become duped and nearly died, only to be saved by a witch of all people. And then I married one. I'm not your best choice."

Julius nodded. "Very well." He turned to Simon. "I'll need your balance to help with Richter's short temper."

Simon grinned. "I'm like you, Julius. I fought Dracula out of honor and because it was my legacy, not because of a woman. I fought him twice, while wounded, and always maintain a positive frame of mind. I would be honored to join you on your crusade."

"Very well." Julius upnodded to Christopher, father of Soleiyu. "You, as well, please."

"I see you are combining a collection of Belmonts who have all gone up against Dracula and, or, Castlevania on multiple occasions."

"Yes. Belmonts who can get the job done repeatedly, against all odds."

Julius looked to Richter then to Juste. "Juste, you'd be the only one who hasn't fought Dracula more than once. But your mastery of spells will come in handy. I need you more than I need Trevor, despite the fact he's been in-line with fighting and surviving against Castlevania multiple times." Julius glanced back at Trevor, adding, "No offense."

"None taken. I'm the one who suggested you take someone other than me."

"Very well." He turned back to Juste and said, "Will you come?"

"I suggest Trevor," said Juste in a firm voice. "My spells come from spellbooks. You will not find such in Hell, just lying around. Hell has no need for a library. Unless, of course, you bring some with you when you crossover to Hell. At which point, I can help with your speed and the ability to defend yourself and your loved ones."

Trevor rubbed his chin. "Yes, but, Julius… you're working with a large group of people are you not? I was able to make an alliance with Hector, the Devil Forgemaster, a witch of the Belnades family, and Alucard, early on when he was still on the metaphorical fence regarding his role in life against his father."

Julius rubbed his chin again. "You both make good points why I should choose you and why I should not choose you."

"Juste, I might not be a snappy dresser like you," Trevor trailed off over a round of chuckles from about the area. "So…Shall we fight," asked Trevor, "to determine who is worthy between us?"

"A fine idea!" said Desmond. "We should see who, between them, is more worthy to win. Juste, with his powerful spells, and fast dash ability to elude attacks…and his flamboyant fashion…" Again, the assembled Belmonts chuckled amongst themselves. "Or! Trevor! Courageous! Powerful, opportunistic and intelligent and with the personality to make, and to work with various allies from different walks of life. That's a very important trait considering you're going to work with a group of allies."

"Seems it will boil down to the battle between book smarts and street smarts." Julius settled down adjacent to his father, Victor. "I can choose only five. I've chosen my father. I've chosen Simon I, Richter, Christopher – father of Soleiyu. This last choice is not one I can make on my own."

Desmond waved to the others. "Alright! Trevor and Juste! Let the battle begin!"

X

X

A/N: YOU CHOOSE! Juste from Harmony of Dissonance, or Trevor from Curse of Darkness and Dracula's Curse.

As you can see, I'm not completely going with the Lords of Shadow reboot. I'm using original Trevor and Simon, not the "Trevor is Alucard, Simon is the angry child barbarian," characters used by MercurySteam. But I DID make Vincent into Julius' father.

Castlevania has had too many reboots to "begin the series." Sonia, then Leon, then Gabriel. And things get a little weirder with each re-write iteration. And now it's hard to choose which direction to go, right? GET IT TOGETHER IGA! CHOOSE! Lol, you're making my job harder!

OKAY! This is the VERY LAST TIME I'm going to write an all 'information / conversation' based chapter. Now they're all going to Hell to fight for their lives. There's going to be a lot less conversing from here on out. SO TELL ME… WHO WILL JULIUS HAVE WITH HIM IN THE NEXT CHAPTER?! TREVOR OR JUSTE?! I leave the decision to you!

And tell me why you've chosen Trevor or Juste to win so I can say so in the story!

-K