The Dark Lord returns at a most desirable time--when no Belmont is there to answer the call. Shanoa's efforts will have to be enough as she squares off with one of the more concentrated versions of the Count. Dracula's assault is spread over a two-stage battle, the first of which is pretty standard fare: The teleporting Dracula will randomly unleash a flurry of fireballs; four spherical energy clusters, alternating high and low; and the fatal ray, which causes eight such rays to rain down at once. Dracula will attack an up-close Shanoa with a swipe of his cape and punish a flying Shanoa by canceling any current attack with a column-of-flame spell. When he's done playing games, at which point he'll usher the duo into the second stage of battle, he'll supplant the usual fare with more deadly attacks, including a vicious high-kick; the "soul steal," in which the quickly teleporting Dracula grabs onto Shanoa and sucks her blood in order to replenish his health; the destruction ray, which instead rains down eight consecutive rays wherever Shanoa is standing; two swarms of bats sent waving in either directions; and eight hellhounds, released one after another, that generally disract Shanoa as they crowd the area by running and jumping about.