The Eve Of Battle
Episode 8 of Castlevania sees Striga unable to sleep, studying the maps and trying to decide the best course of action for the plan ahead. Morana tries to convince her to come back to bed but Striga is having none of it, anxious and needing to know all the intricate details for what’s to come. Meanwhile, Sumi and Taka discuss Alucard’s hospitality and contemplate leaving sooner rather than later. Inside the castle, Alucard guides them through the rooms and they try to encourage him to tell them his secrets. He refuses though, remaining cagey and guarded surrounding this idea. Saint Germain comes face to face with the creature in the dungeon. On the floor, smeared in blood, is the familiar symbol plastered around town. As this monster growls and begins to stir, Saint Germain charges up the stairs and straight into Sala’s path. Evading the truth around what he’s seen, Saint Germain tells him to flee before excusing himself out the church and back to town. Belmont finally gets through to the monk he has held captive and learns that Sala is using the Visitor, the creature in the basement, to do his bidding. Saint Germain bursts into the room, confirming as much, and telling them Sala is about to start enacting a plan involving the symbols they’ve seen around town. The time is almost upon them to act and they need to stop Sala before it’s too late. While Belmont and the others conjure up a plan to get Saint Germain into the Infinite Mirror, inside the church Sala and the other monks talk to the creature and inform it they’re going to strike at sundown. As the night closes in, Saint Germain and Sypha walk with the rest of the army up to the Priory and call out Sala while standing outside the doors. Only he doesn’t hear this as he’s too busy with the other monks in the basement. As the creature starts to salivate and grow in strength, Sala turns to the others and tells them “It is time!” As the final fight approaches, all our characters are on the cusp of war. For much of this season, the drama has built slowly with a couple of slow-paced episodes along the way to add to the world-building. With all eyes turning to the final two episodes, the door is left wide open for this anime to deliver a bloody, violent and brutal finale to come. It seems likely now that this one will end on a cliffhanger and if it does, let’s hope we don’t have to wait too long for the next chapter of this faithful video game adaptation.
