Author's Note: The idea behind this story was one I wanted to use for a long time. I didn't actually thought on using it for a Castlevania fic, but relatively recently I went through both Anniversary and Advance Collections back-to-back, so you could say I got inspired, heh.

Chapter 1 - Sacrifice

The atmosphere in the courtyard was tense. Everyone currently in its confines waited, a range of emotions displayed among them. For Mina that was worry, glancing down towards the ground as she sat atop one of Hammer's crates.

"Soma…" Her voice was barely more than a whisper.

She then felt a hand over her shoulder. Glancing back up, she saw Yoko staring at her, a reassuring smile on the older woman's face.

"Don't worry Mina, everything will be alright," she said. "Soma will persevere."

"She's right," Hammer then said, also sitting down nearby atop another crate. "He has overcome everything this castle has thrown at him so far. No way he'll trip over the finish line."

"Indeed," Julius added as he walked over to the group, Arikado right behind him. "I can personally vouch for his strength. If anyone can defeat the chaos of Castlevania, it's Soma."

"He more than everybody knows what's at stake," Arikado said. "That drive will ensure he won't give up and give his all."

Mina mustered a small smile.

"Yes, that's right. We believe in him, after all. Soma will triumph, and come back to us."

"That's the spirit," Yoko nodded.

The mood was not to last, however. It came suddenly, a wave of dark energy reverberated across the entire castle, as a quake-like rumble was felt beneath their feet. Even with Arikado's barrier in place, they still felt the energy as it passed by them, making them glance up towards the top of the castle.

"What was that!?" Hammer quickly stood up.

"The castle is acting up," Arikado frowned.

"Something must've happened, then," Yoko said.

"But what? Is it good news? Bad?" Julius asked.

Yoko shook her head.

"It's hard to say. Either way, perhaps the battle is over?"

Mina stood up as well. She couldn't help but feel a sense of dread.

What? What is this feeling? She thought, placing a hand over her racing heart.

The worry from before was back, stronger than ever before. The pulse of dark energy… it couldn't be anything other than a bad omen.

Soma…

"No!" Arikado suddenly shouted.

Startled, everybody turned to face him.

"Arikado, what's wrong?" Yoko asked.

"It's the flow of chaos, it has become stronger," was the reply.

"What?" Julius' eyes widened. "But then does that mean-"

"Yes," Arikado's face hardened. "Soma… he failed."

"N-no… that can't be," Mina said in disbelief.

"Are you sure? How can you tell?" Hammer asked, skeptical.

"I can sense it," Arikado answered. "Soma is no longer resisting, which means he was overwhelmed by the chaotic energies. As a result, I can no longer slow down the flow of energy as well. Now that it faces no resistance, it's only a matter of seconds before Soma is fully consumed by it."

Yoko gasped.

"But if that happens, then Soma-"

"Yes, Soma as we know him will cease to be," Arikado said. "And in his place-"

"Dracula will be," Julius finished.

The gravity of those words were quick to sink in among those present.

"No! That can't be!" Mina quickly protested, as despair began to take her. "Soma… he promised! That he would get us out of here. He… he wouldn't…"

She hung her head, staring at the ground in shock. For a moment no one moved or speak, a heavy silence reigning in the courtyard. Until at last…

"So, seems there's one last thing left to do," Julius said, as he began to turn while grabbing Vampire Killer from its holster.

"Where are you going?" Hammer asked.

"You're not going to… kill Soma, are you?" Yoko added.

The statement made Mina snap back to attention, slowly gazing back up.

"I have to," Julius replied, his face serious. "It is my destiny as a member of the Belmont clan. Besides-"

He glanced slightly away, his frown deepening.

"He made me promise. That should he ever lose the battle, then I'll have to put an end to him."

"But, Julius-" Yoko began to protest.

"Leave it," Arikado suddenly interrupted. "There's nothing to be done. We must put a stop to this before it can begin. Now that he's the Dark Lord, Soma must not be allowed to release Castlevania from the seal and bring it back into the world. We cannot let history repeat itself."

"Even if it means killing him?" Hammer asked.

Arikado merely nodded in response. Hammer and Yoko did not protest further, simply looking resigned. Julius glanced back at them, specifically over to Mina. His eyes met hers. There was a pleading look to them, an unspoken request to desist. However, they both knew that wasn't going to happen.

"I'm sorry," was all Julius could say.

Thus, he turned his back to them, and began the march towards the front doors. They opened at his approach, almost as if beckoning him. He would soon step into the adjoining corridor and began the trek through the castle. The doors would then slam shut once again, blocking him from view.

No sooner it happened, Mina collapsed on her knees, as tear began to flow from her eyes. Yoko placed a comforting hand on her shoulder, looking down with pity at the weeping girl.

"Damn it all…" Hammer muttered under his breath, as he sat back down.

Arikado went back to glance towards the top of the castle, where he knew Soma now awaited. No doubt already aware Julius was on his way…

Thus, the wait resumed anew.

The following minutes would prove to be an agonizing wait. By now Mina had long calmed down, and was back to sitting atop the crate she was using previously. However, she was still, staring down emotionlessly at the ground, unresponsive to the world around her.

Arikado kept vigil over the castle still. He stared with a frown, watching, sensing, as things unfolded. From the very top distant flashes of light could be seen, indicating the fight between Julius and Soma was already underway. But even he could not tell who the impending victor was going to be.

"They're still fighting, huh."

Arikado glanced back to see Hammer approach. He came to a stop next to him, before then glancing up as well.

"Man, who knew it would've come to this," Hammer continued. "Talk about rotten luck."

"Yes, this is already one of the worst outcomes," Arikado said, glancing back up. "And we must stop it from becoming even worse."

"Yeah, that seal being broken, no?"

"Exactly," Arikado nodded, before frowning. "Although there is another concern we must address."

"Which is?" Hammer asked.

"Getting out of here."

Arikado glanced back. Over by the gate at the outer wall was Yoko. She was deep in concentration, eyes closed. Though at the same time there was clear frustration on her face.

"Have you made any progress, Yoko?" Arikado called over.

Yoko opened her eyes, and shook her head.

"It's no use," she said as she walked over to them. "I can't conjure up a portal no matter how much I try."

"That doesn't sound good," Hammer said. "We'll remain trapped here at this rate."

"It's all up to Julius now," Arikado said. "But time is running out. The eclipse has almost run its course. If he takes too long-"

A sudden rumble suddenly shook everything around them.

"Yeah, we can imagine," Hammer frowned, crossing his arms.

They went back to glancing up the castle. To their surprise, the flashes of light were gone.

"Huh? Did things finally calm down?" Hammer wondered.

"The battle must be over," Yoko said.

A sudden noise was then heard from behind them. Quickly turning around, they saw the gates opening, revealing the drawbridge, which led to nowhere.

"What the-? Why is it opening now all of a sudden?" Hammer asked, confused.

That wasn't all, however. On the ground not far from the now opened gate, a glyph materialized. It glowed for a second, before disappearing in a flash of light. In its place was left behind the prone lying form of…

"Julius!"

The three quickly rushed over to the fallen man. He was looking worse for wear, with injuries all over, including visible blood.

"Is he… dead?" Hammer dared to ask.

"No, he's still alive," Arikado sensed.

Yoko quickly knelt down next to the man, as she began to prepare a healing spell. As the magic did it work, the injuries disappeared. Julius let out a sudden yelp, as his breathing became erratic. He would soon calm down, but remained unresponsive, asleep.

"He'll live," Yoko said as she stood back up.

"So, not even Julius was able to stop him," Arikado said.

He looked all over the man.

"Hm?"

It did not escape his notice the Vampire Killer was nowhere to be seen.

"I'm surprised he's still alive," Hammer said. "You'd think the Dark Lord would've finished him off."

"Yes, but it seems he spared him instead," Yoko said. "Why?"

"Because he's still Soma."

Everyone turned towards Mina. She had stood back up at some point and was staring up to the top of the castle. She then turned around. Her gaze was still stoic, but it was not like before. It now looked determined, as if daring to feel hope again.

"He has to be."

"Mina, that's…" Yoko began but then trailed off, unsure how to proceed.

"She's right," Julius' voice was suddenly heard.

Turning back to him, they saw he was awake once again. He rose to a sitting position, albeit with some difficulty, still looking a bit pained.

"Hey, you alright?" Hammer stepped closer and held out a hand.

"Y-yeah," Julius nodded as he gripped the hand and was helped stand back up.

He then glanced over to Yoko.

"Thanks for patching me up."

"It's no problem," Yoko replied.

"What did you meant by earlier?" Arikado asked.

"It was just like in our previous battle," Julius replied. "The dark aura enveloped him fully, but I could still sense Soma's human spirit. It was fainter… but still there."

Julius quickly rushed into the throne room, where he finally came into a halt. His gaze went over the throne itself. There, sitting atop, was Soma. The young man still looked as Julius had seen him last, though his vampiric features had become more pronounced. A wine glass was held in his hand, and he stared back at Julius.

"Sorry I kept you waiting," the latter said. "Time to keep that promise I made you."

Soma said nothing as he flashed an eerie smile. He then threw the wine glass, which shattered upon striking the floor, its contents splashing against it. Finally, he stood up. As their gazes met, Julius' narrowed.

Hm? What's this?

His eyes then widened in surprise.

No, it can't be!

"Soma, you-"

But he would not finish the sentence, for Soma had extended his arm. A trio of fireballs emerged from his hand… and were heading his way! Julius quickly sidestepped, and the fireballs flew past him. He grunted, before brandishing Vampire Killer, and charged.

"But that's… how can that be?" Yoko was agape.

"It looks like Soma did not succumb as first thought," Arikado frowned. "Even now, he must be still fighting against the evil influence."

"Y-yes, that must be!" Mina nodded. "Soma has not given up!"

"Lost the battle but not the war, eh?" Hammer said.

"And that led to him not taking Julius' life," Yoko concluded. "Still-"

She frowned.

"It did not prevent the battle from happening in the first place."

"Say, what happened to that whip of yours? I don't see it anywhere," Hammer pointed out.

Julius made a face, as if still pained.

"I'm afraid it got left behind…"

Julius was on one knee, panting. His body ached all over, he couldn't stand up. The Vampire Killer laid on the floor a few steps away. Tried as he might, he didn't have the energy to stand up and reach for it. He gritted his teeth and grunted. There was no denying it.

He had lost.

Walking towards him was Soma. He bore once more that eerie smile, as if savoring his victory. He soon stopped just before the kneeling man.

"So, was this truly the full might of the man who once defeated me?" He said before scoffing. "Pathetic."

Julius glared at him.

"It seems I will have to take matters into my own hands after all," Soma continued.

Julius couldn't help but be puzzled.

What is he talking about?

"What are you-?"

Alas, with the adrenaline of the battle fading, and the injuries he sustained, he suddenly found himself blacking out. The last thing he saw was Soma's gaze shifting over to the fallen Vampire Killer.

"Hold on, this is making no sense," Hammer said. "What is he planning?"

"He's not going to release the castle, is he?" Yoko said.

"Surely he wouldn't," Mina said.

"Soma wouldn't," Julius agreed, before frowning. "But Dracula is another matter."

Arikado went pensive.

"Surprisingly, even now the seal has not been meddled with," he said. "Perhaps it is more proof that Soma still has some degree of control."

He shook his head.

"In any case, we must focus on getting out of here."

"Well, how are we going to do that?" Hammer asked.

"Yoko should be able to open a portal now," Arikado replied.

Everyone looked at him surprised.

"Huh? How can you tell?" Hammer was skeptical.

"The gate opening was not by happenstance. Before, Castlevania was not letting us leave; but now, with Soma as its Master, he might've ordered it to. A symbolic gesture, to let us know."

"He's fulfilling his promise after all…" Mina said.

"Well, now we're talking!" Hammer exclaimed as he did an air punch.

"Then we have no time to lose," Yoko said. "Everyone, gather around. We're leaving!"

"Wait!" Mina was quick to say. "What about Soma? We can't leave him here!"

"I'm afraid we must," Arikado said. "Even if we were to reach him in time, he would simply fight us again, wasting more time. In addition-"

Here he turned back to glance up to the top of the castle.

"He's not planning on leaving."

"W-what? No, that's can't be true!" Mina cried out. "Why would he think on doing such thing?"

Here she glanced around.

"Right, everyone? There's just no… way…"

But she trailed of. Their faces said it all, they did not agree with her.

"Young lady, I'm afraid he's right," Julius said. "He's the Dark Lord now, after all."

"But Soma is still in control, not Dracula," Mina pointed out.

"For how long, Mina?" Yoko asked. "He might've managed to cling to his humanity, but it might still be a matter of time before he finally succumbs."

Arikado went pensive upon hearing that, though said nothing.

"So that's it, then? While he's still in control, he plans to keep both himself and the castle still tucked away in the eclipse?" Hammer said.

"I can start to guess why he acted the way he did back there," Julius crossed his arms. "It might've been an act; to ensure I would strike him down. But since that failed, it forced him to do that instead."

"It's possible, though I'm afraid that come the next eclipse it might no longer be an act," Yoko said. "He will have fully become Dracula by then, and if nothing is done, then he will release the castle from the seal."

"But…" Mina wanted to protest, but then simply hung her head, gazing downwards once more.

Yoko placed a hand on the shrine maiden's shoulder.

"I know it's hard, Mina," she said. "No one wanted this outcome to happen, least of all Soma."

Yoko then sighed.

"But unfortunately it did. The best we can do now is try to accept it and move on. I'm sure it's what Soma would want, if what happened with Julius is any indication. He knows he will become Dracula, so he wouldn't want us to think of him as Soma anymore. So it won't interfere if we ever have to fight him again. Please understand, Mina."

"I… do," Mina replied after a few seconds, still looking down at the ground.

Yoko withdrew her hand, satisfied with the answer.

"Now then, I shall open up a gate."

She then began to focus her magic, preparing the spell. Everyone came closer, though Hammer first went to pick up one of his crates.

"Might as well deprive them of some of this stuff so they can't use it come next time," he said. "Shame I can't bring it all."

Unlike before, Yoko's magic found itself working. A glowing glyph materialized underneath them, as the magic energy swirled around them like a strong gale. A gate then opened before them. They were quick to fix their gazes on it.

To the point they failed to notice that Mina had made a step back, right to the edge of the glyph.

Then, when they finally began to feel the pull signifying they were about to be brought into the gate…

"Everyone."

They all glanced back. Mina looked at them, a small sad smile on her face.

"I'm sorry."

Then to their shock she stepped back, out of the glyph.

"Mina, what are you-!" Yoko called out, but it was too late.

Their surroundings got blinded with a bright light, and they saw her no more.

When the light receded, they were greeted by the Hakuba Shrine Torii. They had returned.

"We're back," Hammer stared amazed at his surroundings, before slowly setting down the crate.

"We did," Arikado nodded. "Just in time."

They all looked up. They managed to catch the fading form of Castlevania, as it disappeared into the ending eclipse.

"That girl, she willingly stayed behind," Julius stated.

"Mina, why…?" Yoko stared in disbelief. "Why did you do it?"

"Blimey, will she be alright in there?" Hammer asked.

"So long Soma remains in control, she will be," Arikado answered.

"And for how long that could be, I wonder," Julius frowned.

"If she can reach out to him, then perhaps…" Arikado trailed off.

Yoko sighed.

"I should've known," she said almost in a whisper, causing the others to stare at her.

"What do you mean?" Hammer asked.

"Soma and Mina… the two have been close friends since they were little," Yoko explained.

A look of understanding showed up on the men.

"Hmm, so that bond might just be the key for Soma to retain his self," Julius brought a hand to his chin.

"But will it truly be enough?" Hammer wondered.

"Even if not, it's very possible that Mina has… begun to feel more than friendship towards him as of late," Yoko said.

Though the revelation surprised them, Arikado seemed to be most affected by it.

"Are you sure? You mean that she-" he stopped upon seeing the witch nod, making him pensive.

"I see. She could not bear the thought of losing him, so she was willing to stay behind, with him," Julius said, before frowning again. "Still, it would come down to Soma. Does he feel the same? And did such feeling survive the influx of energy?"

"I would not worry on such things," Arikado said, quite confidently.

"How are you sure?" Hammer asked.

"Even Dracula was capable of love."

The answer left them speechless for a moment, not having expecting it.

"Now then, we must plan our next move," Arikado continued. "Until the seal manifests again, we must be ready to face whatever it brings."

"Hope for the best but prepare for the worst, huh," Hammer mused. "Well, I'm in. After having lived through all this, no way I'm walking away. I owe Soma that much at least."

"Yes, I will also give my all," Yoko nodded. "Though first, I must tell Mina's parents about what happened. Soma's too, for that matter. They deserve to know."

She grimaced.

"It's not going to be a happy conversation."

"It's alright, we'll tell them together," Julius said.

"Let's go, then," Hammer said as he picked up his crate.

With that, the three began to walk away. Arikado remained behind, as he gazed up into the sky for a moment.

"Mina Hakuba…" he began, "the path you chose to walk is not going to be easy. I can only pray that you will succeed. Still-"

A small smile graced his lips.

"If anyone can do it, it's you. Just as my mother did before, once upon a time. I await the day of our reunion with both of you."

With that, he turned around and made his leave.