the course of the game, Soma meets additional characters that aid him in his quest: Genya Arikado, an enigmatic government agent and disguise for Alucard, the son of Dracula; Yoko Belnades, a witch and member of the Belnades clan; J, an amnesiac man drawn to Dracula's castle; and Hammer, a soldier from the military ordered to investigate the events occurring at Dracula's castle, although he abandons this mission and sets up a shop to sell Soma equipment (potions, weapons and the like). Graham Jones, a missionary who believes he is Dracula's reincarnation, serves as the game's antagonist. The characters were designed by Ayami Kojima, who had previously worked on the characters in Castlevania games such as Castlevania: Symphony of the Night and Castlevania: Harmony of Dissonance. Due to the game being set in the future, Kojima's designs are notably more contemporary, utilizing modern clothing, in contrast to the medieval attire that characters from previous games wore. Story The story begins in the year 2035, when Soma Cruz is visiting Japan as a transfer student and living near the Hakuba shrine. During a solar eclipse, he visits the Hakuba shrine with his childhood friend Mina Hakuba. He and Mina are then drawn into the eclipse, landing in a mysterious castle, where they meet a government agent named Genya Arikado. Arikado reveals that they are in Dracula's castle. After a group of monsters appear and are dispatched by Arikado, one of the monsters' souls is absorbed by Soma. Arikado explains this as the awakening of Soma's "power of dominance". Arikado then directs Soma to enter the castle and seek "the master's chamber". As Soma proceeds through the castle, he confronts several characters, each present due to a prophecy related to Dracula's powers. Graham Jones, a missionary that has come to the castle, befriends Soma. Graham explains the nature of the castle and reveals that Dracula, long thought to be immortal, was destroyed for good in 1999, and that his powers will be passed down onto his reincarnation. When Soma proceeds further into the castle, he meets the witch Yoko Belnades, who is present on the orders of the Roman Catholic Church. Yoko is looking for Graham, who she believes is dangerous and the inheritor of Dracula's powers. She clarifies the nature of Soma's powers, revealing that they are not necessarily evil, but inherent to Soma himself. Later, Soma encounters Hammer, a member