It seems like only yesterday that I stood there upon that cliff top, looking down into the abyss of my life. Everything that I had ever loved taken from me. Defeating the Lords of Shadow had been a hollow victory. Now I was on a journey, a journey that I could never imagine in my darkest nightmares. As I stood there contemplating my fate, a voice entered my thoughts, a cry for help that I could not ignore. A debt was owed, a life for a life and what was left of my broken humanity felt obliged to do the honorable thing to repay that debt.
"Looking back now, I realize that none of us has any real control over our fate. We are like leaves on the wind to be blown wherever we may." Luz read from the ancient travel book.
She was just finishing Chapter 13 of the story of her Ancestor, Gabriel Belmont. He was just another legend that had gone through hell and back to save the world that betrayed him. And to her family, was Gabriel who brought the most shame since the path he took lead him down into darkness, and he became what he had always fought against. Luz didn't care for what he became, she pitied Gabriel for all the crap he was put through. Becoming a monster, she saw was a way to ensure that he could never make it right.
"Show me the picture." King said to Luz.
"Not now, King." Luz said as she reread the passage silently this time. But King was stubborn and climbed on Luz's head, looking at the picture of the Demon Castle.
"Hah! I can draw better than that." King said confidently. "You know, they once called me the King of Artists."
"I thought you were the King of Cuties." Luz said with a smug look on her face as King yelled. "IT'S KING OF DEMONS. Ugh! Doesn't matter. What's important is that my followers would leave me offerings in fear of me!"
"Sure they will."
"Alright. That's enough story time." Eda said. "We got a business to run. You never know who's gonna show up today."
Then Luz replied "Eda, I don't think you've noticed...but there hasn't been anybody all morning!"
It was true. Heck, the entire street was as empty as a desert as a tumbleweed even rolled by.
"Is it the weekend or something?" Luz asked. "Where is everybody?"
"Wait...don't tell me it's that time of the year again." Eda asked in fear.
Then Luz saw too familiar faces coming their way, Gus and Willow, and they looked happy.
"Luz! Something amazing is happening today!" Gus said excitingly as he held up a flier.
"Really? What is it?" Luz asked as Willow showed her the flier. " It's the annual covention! Student witches get to see all the types of covens before they're placed in one. There's even a mystery guest this year!"
"Oh. Well, good for you guys." Luz said simply.
Willow then said. "You don't sound too excited."
"Well, I just don't see the reason as to joining a coven. From what I've seen, it's like you can only practice one form of magic."
"That's exactly what is, Luz." Eda jumped in. "Joining a coven is saying goodbye to all other forms of magic and giving up your magical independence to be part of a crooked system."
Willow and Gus drop the flier and clear their throats.
"Uh, ahem."
"Eh, but, you know, no judgment." Eda said.
"Right. You guys are cool." Luz added.
"In any case, I haven't been to one since we were girls."
"Wait...'we'?" Luz asked, catching that plural.
Eda cussed to herself as she let that slip
Luz, now acting suspicious, asked "What else are you holding out on me?"
"Hey, I promised to tell you everything you want to know about your family." Eda argued. "Isn't that enough?"
"Well, I'm not telling."
Eda crossed her arms and looked away from Luz, who, with an unamused look on her face, took out her whip and did something that no one saw coming. She struck Eda on the ass.
"OOOWWWW!" She screamed, clutching her backside as she looked back at Luz, who looked like she was ready to strike again. "ALRIGHT, ALRIGHT, ALRIGHT! How about, instead of tell you, I take you to he covention?!"
"...Sure. It's not like I didn't want to go anyway." Luz said as followed Willow and Gus to the Covention.
Eda growled as she held her butt in pain, saying "Grr. With the whip, kid's gonna grow up to be a dominatrix."
Outside the Covention building, Luz and king were helping Eda put a cowl over her head, stuffing her enormous hair into the thing.
"Gotta keep a low profile." Eda grunted.
"Do you really have to look this way." Luz said while shoving at Eda's hair. "You look like a giant mishapen lolipop.
Eda then asked her "Do you think all of my wanted posters are for petty theft?"
"...Yeah."
"Well, partly." Eda said. "But the thing is that not joining a coven is against the law, and I'm considered to be a wild witch."
Luz took a second to process that before saying "...And that's supposed to be a bad thing? All you do is just practice all kinds of magic."
"Exactly!" Eda said. "This whole place is everything I'm against. If I'm recognize by anyone, I could get arrested...again."
"Maybe this informative event will inspire you to join a coven." Willow said, right before Eda used a spell circle to pull her hood over her face.
"Let's get this over with."
Heading inside, they could already several booths set up, each with a sign for one coven or another. From the ceiling hangs nine large colorful banners. Luz took in how colorfully alluring the place looked.
"...Wow."
"What you see before you are just the main nine, but there are hundreds of covens to choose from." Gus said.
Then Willow listed "There's Flower Coven, Artist Coven, Big Dog Coven, Small Cat Coven, Tiniest Cat Coven-"
"Sounds more like school clubs then covens." Luz interrupted.
"You got that right." Eda added.
"Well, just take a look around and see if anything peaks your interest." Willow said as they continued to walk. But, not before a random pedestrian showed up and looked suspiciously at Eda.
"Excuse me, ma'am. You look familiar." He said. And before Eda could to anything, a brick was thrown at the guy's head, knocking him down. Eda looked to see that Luz was the one who threw it.
"You can thank me later."
"I could've handled that on my own." Eda said, unamused.
"What were you gonna do? Throw a bag of chips on the ground as a distraction?" Luz asked.
Eda answered. "No!" Then she pulled out a bag. "It's Hex Mix."
"Hmph."
"...Anyway, where'd you get the brick from?" Eda asked.
"From those guys." Luz pointed to a bearded witch in a hard hat and Tiny Nose standing next to a pallet of wood and a pallet of bricks.
"That's the Construction Coven." Willow said as the witch grabs both pallets from the bottom and tosses them in the air. The materials fall down to perfectly construct a small house. "One of the Main Nine. They use Power Glyphs to increase their strength."
They watched as Tiny Nose gets a glyph stuck to her nose as her eyes constrict, and then she goes crazy with power.
"I am the Destroyer of Worlds!" She says as she tosses the other witch aside and then picks up a giant hammer. Other witches show and tried to stop her from wrecking the place.
"Hey, that's the opposite of construction!"
Luz did find some interest in this, since she did know about Glyphs thanks to one of her dreams.
Returning to life time and again since the ancient middle ages, the evil lord Dracula has driven people to terror. Each time Dracula returned from the dead, the Belmont clan fought him in shadows, wielding the holy whip. Through their efforts, humanity avoided darkness, securing prosperity. But early in the 19th century, having lost their ability to resist the darkness, those in positions of power at the time began to search for new ways to counter Dracula. The organization, Ecclesia, was born then as one of those countermeasures. Many organizations were established with the same goal, and day after day they conducted their studies diligently, but each was dissolved when they failed to produce satisfactory results. But that was when Barlowe, the leader of Ecclesia, finally made a surprising breakthrough that could stand up against Dracula.
That dream had barely anything to do with her family, but she still had it anyway.
"Incredible." She said.
"Incredible." Her voice seemed to echo before she looked behind her and saw a light blue double of herself. But the moment she saw it, she brought out her whip and struck the double, making it poof into nothingness.
"Whoa. Take it easy, Luz." Gus said as he walks over to two other witches, responsible for the illusion of Luz. "You've been taken in by the allure of the Illusionist Coven. We like to magic with a hint..." He disappears in a cloud of smoke, reappears a few feet to the right. "...of showmanship."
He bows as the other two appear beside him. This made Luz calm down a bit.
"I see..." She said simply.
"Why were you on edge when you saw that illusion?" Willow asked.
"Let's just say my family's got a bad history of seeing...double." Luz answered. "All these covens seem cool and all, but it still feels like there's a catch."
"Right you are, Luz. Look." Eda said , pointing to a witch, joining the Illusionist. A seal in the shape of a mirror appears on the witch's wrist, light blue lines running from it up his arms and face. He pales slightly as the lines fade. "When you join a coven, all other magic is sealed away from you. For now on, that kid can only do Illusion spells. But since I never joined a coven, I can do all kinds of magic."
She proved her point by making a ball of fire and a ball of water appear in her hands, then making them disappear instantly. But this made Luz bring up something.
"You did join the Brotherhood of Light, though."
"Because they understood where I came from." Eda said. "And their cause was just."
"Fair point." Luz said. "Come on. Let's go see what else is here."
As they walked, King was given a complementary pen from someone of the Fortune Teller Cover. He decided to take advantage to see just how many free gifts he could get. Luz, Willow, Gus and Eda stopped at a doorway flanked with guards, as something big seemed to be happening today.
"What's this about?" Luz asked.
"It's the Emperor's Coven!" Gus yelled out excitingly. "You think they'll sign my forehead?"
"Only one way to find out!" Willow said as they both ran inside. Luz was about to follow after them when she saw Eda looked like she wasn't going anywhere.
"Eda, you coming?" She asked.
"Nope. Out of all the Covens, this one's the worst." The Owl Lady said.
"I get it, Eda. But it's either this, or spending the rest of the day, dodging the police. And you do know your face is plastered everywhere, right?"
She pointed to show that Eda's wanted poster was in fact on every inch of the side of the walls. And, that person Luz knocked out with a brick had recovered and was already talking to a guard about when he saw Eda.
"Yeah, that's her! Right over there!"
"Uh-oh. Uh, Luz! Wait up!" Eda said as she ran inside. They now sat in what looked like a stadium as dozens of the chattering audience looked excited for what they were about to see. All except for Eda.
"I guess we're gonna see what all the fuss is about, huh?" Luz asked.
"Let's just see this mess." Eda said as they both remained while Principal Bump showed up, rising out of the floor in a spiral of green magic. The spotlight was n him as the crowed applaud his entrance. Then, he used magic to summon a mic.
"Hello, Bonesborough!" He said out loud. "Now, students ask me all the time, 'Principal Bump, what's the height of magical achievement?'"
"Is it this?" Some witch kid said, increasing the size of his head greatly, accidentally crushing the student next to him. Bump was not amused.
"Wow, I have failed you as a Principal." He said, grabbing the mic and clearing his throat. "Ahem. It's being selected to join the best of the best. And there are none better than the jewel of the coven system..."
Three witches of the Emperor's Coven appeared beside him.
"And the enforcers of His will, the Emperor's Coven."
While the rest of the crowd was in awe, Luz wasn't buying it.
"Sounds like propaganda to me."
"Mhmm." Eda agreed.
"Hey, Luz! Check it out!" Willow and Gus showed that Gus did in fact get his head signed by the emperor's coven. She thought it was funny and gave him a thumbs up.
Then Principal Bump said "Feast your eyes on this elite force, each member handpicked to help usher in a new age of controlled magic."
Each Coven guard traces a white spell circle above their head. One produces a jet of flame, another water, and the third lightning. The three elements come together in a firework that turns to confetti, then Luz is confused about.
"Really? That's it?" She asks.
"When does the Elite Force get here?" Eda joked and laughed about.
he Coven guards are now holding the same elements in balls between their hands.
"Members of the Emperor's Coven have access to all- yes, all forms of magic." said Bump. "Ooh. Aah."
Then the audience goes "Ooh. Aah."
Luz, unamused, said "These people will be entertained by anything."
"But... only the best can ascend these ranks. Some day that could be one of you!"
He points to Amity, who is in the audience, and she squeals in glee. Luz was actually surprised to see her hair.
"Isn't that the minty haired girl who's life I saved a while back?"
The three guards grab their capes and disappear in flashes of white light.
" And now, I'm pleased to introduce the esteemed leader of this coven and this year's mystery guest." Bump said. "You know her, you love her! Lilith!"
That name caught Eda off guard, as it did the rest of the audience. A bright flash of light near the ceiling turns into a blue raven sitting on a branch. It flies off the branch to the stage, landing to reveal a woman in a long-sleeved two-tone dark gray dress and dark gray laced boots. She also had an inverted kite-shaped sky blue gem located on her sternum, which was attached to her dress. Along with her attire was a coven mask and cape, that she tossed aside to reveal herself. This was Lilith, a woman who is very familiar to Eda, and this caught Luz's attention.
"Say, that woman kinda looks like you."
"Don't remind me." Eda said in a low tone."
"Thank you all." Lilith began to speak. "It wasn't easy for me to rise to the top. I also started from humble beginnings."
"Like me?" The big headed kid said.
"Now I have the highest honor of enforcing the Emperor's will." She continued on. "So be more! The Emperor's Coven awaits you!"
She spins, creating the raven illusion again. It spreads its wings before bursting into balls of light. Lilith poses with her arms out, smirking, while Eda glares at her. She took this as her time to leave, with Luz trailing behind her.
"I'm sensing some tension between you and that woman."
"Forget it, Luz." Eda said. "I'm going home to wash the coven funk off my skin."
"I'll meet you there then." said Luz. "I'm gonna keep looking around."
She looked everywhere but where she was going, as she accidentally bumped into someone.
"Hey! Watch where you're- Oh. It's you."
Luz recognized that voice as she saw that Amity was in front of her.
"The human." She said.
"That's right." Luz replied. "Didn't I save your life that one time?"
"I could've handled that situation myself." Amity retorted.
"Right. That's why I found you hanging from a gooey net." Luz said with a smirk, but then shook her head. "Look, we're getting off the wrong foot here. So, let's start over. I'm Luz."
She extended her hand for a shake, but Amity just stood their looking at it.
"I appreciate you assistance back then, but you should leave." Amity said plainly. "This covention is for Witches only.
"Yeah? Well, I showed up anyway." Luz said, putting her hand away. "And I may not be a witch, but I'm still a magic user?"
"What's the difference?"
"From what I know, Witches are always meant to serve." Luz explained. "But as just another magic user, I'm only loyal to myself."
"Please. There is no greater honor in the Boiling Isles than to serve under the Emperor himself." Amity said.
Luz replied "Great. And while you're wishing to become the slave of a corrupted nutjob, I'm under the watchful eye of a powerful witch and a ferocious demon."
Amity looks over Luz's shoulder as she asks "Is that your ferocious demon over there?"
Luz turns around to see King, decked out in coven merchandise, walking towards them. Two bakers are walking behind him.
"Cupcakes in my tummy-tum makes the King say yummy-yum!" King rhymed happily.
Luz wanted to slap herself in the face after seeing that.
"So you'll join the Baker's coven?" One of the baker witches asked.
"Hmm...Nope." King said as he swiped another cupcake off the tray and runs towards Luz. "Oh, hey, Luz! Look at all those offerings-WAH!"
He tripped on the scarf he was wearing the cupcake flew out of his hands. As Luz helps him up, King was about to go for his cupcake when Amity stomped on it.
"Oops." She said cockingly.
"Hey, what gives?" Luz asked.
Amity answered "It was an accident."
"The hell, it was. You apologize right now."
"I'm not gonna apologize to two weirdos who shouldn't even be here." Amity said with her arms crossed.
Luz was gettin pissed off as she said "I saved your life, and that's the thanks I get from you?"
"You didn't save my life, you just made me look like a fool." Amity said. "So why don't you just go back to whatever it is you came from."
"I'm not going anywhere. You might as well deal with it." Luz growled. "And if you're not gonna take me seriously, then maybe I'll show you just what I can do."
Then Amity asked "Are you threatening me?"
"...Better. I'm challenging you." Luz said. "To a duel!"
This caught the attention of everyone around them as they gasped at their sound of it. Amity then get up close and looks Luz straight in the eye.
"...I accept." She said in a low tone. "Shall we set the terms of this duel?"
"If I win, you apologize to me and King. And give me a 'Thank you' for saving your life."
"Fine with me." Amity agreed. "And when I win...you leave the Boiling Isles forever."
"Deal." Luz said angrily. She extended her hand, and Amity drew a spell circle before shaking.
"The everlasting oath is sealed." She said before beginning to walk away. "Meet back inside the theater in one hour. Let's see what kind of Magic User you are."
Luz glared at her before pulling out her light medallion and stares at for a second.
"...I'm gonna need some help."
Eda was continuing to find her way out of the building when she was spotted by the one person she didn't want to be around right now.
"Edalyn?" Lilith said, making Eda turn around to see her along with a few students of Hexside. Eda no longer saw any need of her hood, so she pulls it down. "It is you. It's been a long time, Dear Sister. You're looking good...for a trash collector."
"Wasn't really planning on being here today." Eda said. "But I just had to see the leader of the Emperor's Coven in action." She then leans down the kids and tells them "You know, when we were kids, Lilith was so excited to see the Emperor's Coven, she peed a little."
This made the kids laugh, and had Lilith blush as she decided to not to put up with the embarrasment.
"T-That's all for today." She said, dismissing the kids before turning back to Eda. "You shouldn't even be here. You're a wanted criminal. Unless...I don't believe it. You're here to join the Emperor's Coven!"
Lilith took hold of her sister's in glee and hope. But Eda immediately lets go and backs away.
"Please...you should know me better than that by now." She tells her sister, making her lose all hopes she once had.
"You think being covenless makes you so much smarter than everyone else. But while you run from the law like a degenerate, I'm mentoring the next generation of powerful witch students into the world."
Eda replied "I joined something better than a coven. A Brotherhood, and it helped save me. They helped me in ways that you couldn't think about."
That one hit Lilith hard. For years, has she believed that the best and only way to help her sister was to get her join the Emperor's Coven along side her. But in ever attempt to do so, Eda pushed her away as if Lilith meant nothing to her. And after all this time, had she begun to suspect her role as Edalyn's sister and Head of the Emperor's Coven. But she would not speak out against the Emperor, not yet...
"And for your information, I took in a pupil as well." Eda then said. "And I'm willing to bet that she could wipe the floor with any of your prissy little blue bloods."
"Is that a challenge?" Lilith asked, leaning closer.
"Oh, it is a promise." Eda replied, also leaning in.
"Eda! Glad you're still here! We need to talk!" Luz screamed as she came towards the two witches. "Huh, I was right. You two almost look like twins. Anyway, I challenged Amity to a duel, and I need your help."
Then Lilith smiled confidently as she said "Mmm, it seems your student has met my strongest protégé." She then kneels down and examines Luz. "And look at those ears. Is she human? Where did you even find one of these?"
Lilith's hand came close to touching Luz's ear, but then she smacked her hand away, much to Lilith's surprise.
"Keep your hands to yourself, missy."
This made Eda chuckle.
"Fine then." Lilith said as she then drew a spell circle, and suddenly, all the wanted posters of Eda around the place turned to dust. "For one day, Eda, you won't have to hide from the law. But only because I wish to see just how good of a mentor you are."
And with that, Lilith walks away.
"Alright then." Eda says before taking Luz by the hand. "Come on, kid. Time to get ready for bloodshed."
"You're not really serious, are you?" Luz asked.
"Nope. But you never know what could happen."
A little while later, Eda had put on a sweatband that mostly held her hair as Luz sat down a crate. They were going over strategy on dueling scenarios.
"Okay Luz. I'm coming at you with a ball fire. What do you do?"
"Best bet for me would have to dodge as quickly as possible." Luz said. "It's not like my whip can deflect fire."
"Now, Luz. I want to listen carefully to what I'm about to say." Eda then says to her pupil. "Being a Belmont, or a warrior in general is more than just using a weapon. It's having skills and abilities that are either learned or inherited."
"Like the magic I've done before." Luz added.
"Exactly." Eda commented. "With or without the whip, you've already inherited great power. What you need know is to master it."
But then Luz said "I'm not sure what other kinds of magic I can do."
"Think." Eda told her. "Who in your family was a master at magic?"
Luz thought about it for a second before answering "Well, there was Juste Belmont. He was capable of using elemental magic. But even he didn't learn it right off the bat, he got it from books and other stuff."
And then, it hit her. She's had dreams of Juste and wrote down about the artifacts and abilities he could do. Taking out her journal from her bag, she flipped through it towards the page where Juste was at.
"But so can I." She said, leaving Eda confused as then begins reading about something. And after a few seconds, Luz closed the book and stood up.
"Eda, give me a target." She said as Eda drew a spell circle and a ball of light appeared in front of Luz. It reminded her of the stars in the sky, or the brightness of the sun, even giving off heat that could warm someone during the winter. And for a moment did Luz seen some kind of glyph appear in the spell circle Eda had drawn. She would have to make a not of it later. "Perfect." She said as she then clutched her fist and focused on her target.
"Wind."
Sticking her fist at the target, a ball of energy had come firing out of her and hitting the target with ease. Both Eda and Luz had their jaws drop by this, but then smiles grew on their face as Luz looked down at her fist while Eda put her hand on her pupil's shoulder, proud of this turn of events.
"Nice going, kid."
Meanwhile, Lilith was training with Amity, who was summoning her abominations to do her bidding and attack. But while that spell was working out perfectly for Amity, Lilith could sense the fear coming from her.
"Excellent work, Amity." She told her student. "I have full confidence in you being able to put that human in her place."
"...I'm honestly a little nervous." Amity admitted. "I've seen what that human could do. She was able to scale walls and ran faster than anyone I know. And she was even able to take on a golem of stone and abomination goop."
"Not to worry, Amity." Lilith said, generously while putting her hand on Amity's shoulder. "I can sense your magic growing stronger by the minute. Trust me, that human girl stands no chance against you."
Amity appreciated Lilith's compliment, but still felt like there was more than what she could do. And then a thought approached; Amity thought back to when she first saw Luz fight against the stone golem, using both her whip and bo staff made of light. Maybe, if she had a weapon like that...
"Abomination...combine."
Lilith wasn't sure what Amity was planning when she saw her extend her arm to the abomination. It melted down into the floor and slugged its way towards its master, where it wrapped itself around her arm and solidified into a purple-colored, menacing looking gauntlet. Amity examined it before swinging her arm, and a long purple whip of the abomination goo came from the gauntlet. This surprised Lilith, but still left her impressed.
"Very interesting, Amity." She said. "But why use a weapon?"
"The human used a whip." Amity answered. "I figured I'd fight fire with fire."
"A whip?" Lilith was caught off guard by this. She's heard stories people who wielded an enchanted whip against monsters for centuries; she didn't want to believe this human girl, could possibly be one of them.
Back in the stadium, a crowd of people came to watch the dual take place as Lilith and Amity are standing on the dais, while Eda and Luz are standing opposite them. Lilith took the opportunity to introduce this main event.
"Beloved citizens, the Emperor's Coven proudly presents an impromptu demonstration of the sort of witch we seek every year. Introducing Amity Blight."
The crowd cheers as Amity smiles and waves at them.
"Woo, Amity!"
Then Lilith continued, saying "...Versus some human girl."
It was then that Eda presented Luz, to whom the crowd merely murmured about.
"A human?"
"Humans can't do magic!"
"She's definitely not Amity!"
Guz and Willow exchanged while Luz stood where she was, arms crossed and with an unamused expression, Eda following suit.
"Okay...let's ruin these assholes' evenings, shall we?" Luz said as she stepped forward.
"Just a moment. I wanna give you something." Eda said, throwing a thing over to Luz, who caught it in her hands. It was another medallion, but this one was gold and red crystals instead of blue. Luz could feel dark, almost chaotic energy flowing through it. Luz recognized it as a shadow medallion, another relic from the Brotherhood of Light. "Use it wisely." Eda told her. "Not many people are fond of Shadow Magic."
Luz gave her a nod as she pocketed the medallion. Then the bell rang as she and Amity took a stance in the arena. Amity cracked her knuckles while Luz cracked her neck, and then Amity began to cast a spell.
"Abomination...Rise!"
And suddenly, a huge abomination came out of the ground, groaning loudly and towering over the two girls and surprising the heck out of them. But Luz held her ground and showed no fear
"Whoa." Amity said before staring confidently at Luz. "Alright, human. Show me what you got."
"You asked for it." Luz said as she brought out her whip. She jumped as high as she could get before swinging the whip and striking the abomination in the head. Lilith saw this and was shocked to see the whip in Luz's hand, as her fears had been realized.
"...She's a Belmont."
As the whip struck the head of the abomination, it exploded, causing it to rain down goop on some people in the audience and on both Luz and Amity. Luz spat out some goop that landed in her mouth while Amity merely wiped it away from her head, growling in anger.
"You're fancy whip's not gonna save you this time!" She yelled out as she commanded her abomination to attack. It's head regrew and this time, it ripped it off and threw it towards Luz, who dodged as quickly as she could. She then headed straight for it, striking the legs of the abomination, causing it to fall down. Amity was nearly squished by her own creation before she jumped out of the way, and seeing Luz in front of her, she figured now would be the chance to try that new trick of hers. Extending her hand, the abomination goop came towards her and reformed the gauntlet, which Amity then swung the whip of towards Luz. This caught Luz, and rest of the audience off guard, to see Amity using a weapon similar to Luz's.
To Luz, it caused her to flashback to the memory of Gabriel Belmont, who during the time of his path of darkness, used shadow magic to forge a whip of his own blood, manifesting himself in a shadowy gauntlet. This was all to familiar as Luz dodged Amity's attack, backflipping away from her.
"So now, you're copying me?" Luz said, landing on her feet. "I guess Witches don't have a sense of originality."
"Yeah, well I bet you don't have this!"
And suddenly, Amity swung her arm to bring out a wave of daggers made of abomination goop. Luz flipped above them and saw the goop had solidified and sharped to the edge when thrown. Then Luz advanced on Amity as their whips clashed and entangled together.
"Don't you got anything new?" Amity asked.
"How about THIS?!" Then Luz's whip ignited on fire as it burned through Amity's whip and made her back away. It was the Shadow Medallion, using Chaos Magic as Luz was surrounded by a glowing red aura, looking bloodthirsty. And it sure scared the heck out of Amity, as she asked "How did you do that?!"
"Magic runs in my family!" Luz yelled as she then used her Shadow Magic and aray of fireballs towards Amity, who was barely able to block it. Her gauntlet can hold on much longer against the flames as it felt like her arm was on fire. After the fireballs, Luz came in hard and swung the whip at Amity's gauntlet, making it shatter and sending the witch girl back, tumbling. The crowd roared in amusement by how Luz managed to gain the advantage over Amity as the Shadow Magic died down, and she ignited her light magic, turning her whip into a bo staff once more. Spinning it three times, she points the end of the staff straight at Amity's face, who looked pretty scared at this point.
"...Yield."
And it was then that Amity noticed the medallions glowing in Luz's pockets, which made her snap in anger.
"You...cheater!" She yelled out while getting back on her feet. "You're using relics to give yourself magic!"
Then Luz put her staff, making it revert back to the whip as she looked Amity in the eye and said "Well, we never established ground rules, did we? No one said anything about not using relics. For all I know, you probably used something to amp up your magic!"
"I would never!"
"Hold on. I'll be the judge of that." Eda said as she came down, along with Lilith as Eda noticed something on the back of Amity's neck.
"What are you-?"
What Eda peeled off the back of Amity's neck was a shock to everyone. "A power glyph from the Construction Coven!" She yelled out, making the crowd gasp and even shocking Amity.
"That explains the 25 foot abomination." Luz said on the side, watching the goop melt away into nothingness, all the while Eda rubbed the fact that her sister cheated all in her face.
"Ah-ha! Yes, yes, yes-yes-yes! You cheated. Perfect, prissy Lilith cheated. Hot dang, I love coventions! La-la-la-"
"I only did it because I figured you'd cheat!" Lilith argued.
"I didn't though!" Eda said. "I just helped Luz awaken magic she already had!"
"But...I didn't know." Amity said in a breaking voice. Sounding distraught, she ran out of the stadium and Luz watched, feeling bad about all this.
"Ah, crud." She said before facing Eda. "I'm going after her. Hold onto these for me." She tosses the medallions back to Eda, who decides to have a little fun with Lilith.
"So...how does it feel, realizing your no better than me?" She asked Lilith.
"Knock it off, Eda." Lilith ordered. "You're making a scene!"
"You cheated. Hey, where's the Rhyming Coven? What rhymes with 'cheated'?"
"Stop acting like a child!"
"You were defeated, don't get heated, get your stank face treated."
"Rhyme one more time." Lilith growled. "I dare you!"
"Okay, I'm done." Eda said, pausing for a second before... "Because my rhymes are depleted!"
"THAT'S IT!" Then, Lilith summons her staff and hits Eda with a blast of energy, sending her towards the wall behind the dais. The audience gasped, but Eda only smirked.
"There she is!" Summoning her own staff, Eda spins it in a circle before blasting at Lilith. The elder sister does the same and their beams of energy clash.
Meanwhile, Luz was searching the Covention for Amity, only to find her at a corner near the bathrooms, sulking. She knew Amity would rather be alone right now, but she need to make things right between them.
"Amity, I-"
"Seriously?!" Amity yelled out at her. "Just leave me alone!"
"I'm sorry for what happened back there." Luz said. "I didn't mean to embarrass you like that."
"That's all you've ever done since you got here!" Amity yelled, advancing on Luz. "First school, and now this! You made me look like a fool in front of the Emperor's Coven. My future! You think it's so easy doing magic, do you?! I have been working my whole life to get to the top! You've lost! Therefore, you need to leave! Because you can't do magic!"
Luz didn't say a word, but instead glared at Amity as she held out her hand and in the palm of it was a ball of fire. It sure as heck surprised the heck out of Amity as she almost fell backwards, had Luz not grabbed her with her free hand and got her back on her feet. The feeling wasn't entirely unpleasant, as Amity was awestruck by Luz's sudden power.
"How did you-?"
"It's like I said, Amity." Luz interrupted. "Magic runs in my family."
Amity then asked "Who is your family."
"...House Belmont."
Amity has heard the name of Belmont before. She thought they were just bedtime stories of wicked hunters who fought against monsters, creatures and even witches just like her. But to think that this girl was a Belmont was something that she was not ready for. She had only thought that she was just using relics, but to see that magic naturally to her, a human girl, is really something else.
Eda and Lilith's duel, where Lilith is spinning her staff. When Eda's attack stops, she pushes her hand forward, her spell circle turning into a burst of magic. Eda takes a few steps back, spinning and drawing a spell circle on the ground. She lifts her hand, creating a growing pillar of wood that splits Lilith's attack. The pillar bends, its owl face hooting lowly. Lilith stares at it, then teleports away from its approaching beak. The dual was becoming too rough for the audience to handle as stray magic ends up raining down on them, forcing them to flee. Two new owl faces extend from the large pillar. Eda draws four more spell circles on the opposite side. Lilith easily teleports away from all of their beaks, destroying one on the ground, then three in the air with a grunt. Eda smirks and spins her staff, creating an orange shield as Lilith hits it with magic and her staff. The shield cracks, but Eda's expression doesn't change. Owlbert's eyes glow. He flies into Lilith's face, interrupting her attack. He hoots and pulls her hair.
"Ow, ow, ow-ow-ow. Ow-ow-ow-ow-ow!"
Eda brought down her shield, ready to finish this.
"Say goodnight, sister."
She spins her staff and smacks the butt of it into the wooden pillar. A large owl's face forms right next to Lilith, and with a hoot, it captures her in its beak. Owlbert lands back on Eda's staff. She smiles at him, then looks concerned when she sees the flaming hole in the new owl tube's side. Then Lilith appears directly behind her.
"Enough of this." She says, as Eda is then thrown to the side of a wall, making another crater. Lilith smirks as she approaches her sister, who struggles to get back up. "You days are numbered, Edalyn. It's time you submitted yourself and join me in the Emperor's Coven."
Spitting up some blood, Eda looked at her with a scowl and said "You just don't know when to take a hint, do you?"
"I'm doing this for your own good, Edalyn." Lilith said, grabbed Eda by the hair. "Once we're together and we've finally cured you of your curse, we can take care of the Belmont."
That one made Eda wide-eyed. She had totally forgotten to tell Luz that her family would be considered a threat to the Boiling Isles, due to the power she held. To hear that her sister would even threaten Luz, a child, was enough to set her off. Eda growled at her sister, and Lilith was caught off guard as Eda had suddenly transformed into the Owl Beast. Lilith found herself pushed back by the beast, which suddenly transforms back into her sister, who then has Lilith on the ground this time, with the back end of her staff directly next to Lilith's head.
"Threaten Luz again...and I rip out your heart and eat it raw."
"Edalyn! Your curse! How did you-?!"
"I got over that a long time ago." Eda said while pulling something out from behind her. "Call it a gift from a true friend."
And suddenly, a blinding light surrounded Lilith's vision as a few moments later, Eda vanished nowhere to be seen. Eda managed to slip away, within her hands a weapon that she had gotten from a friend. In the shape of a cross, with the blade of a harpoon, a retractable stake at the butt of the weapon. It was a weapon of the Brotherhood of Light…a Combat Cross.
"…Thank You, Victor."
Back to Luz and Amity, Amity was amazed by what she had just learned about Luz, having gotten a peak inside her journal.
"It's incredible..." She said. "To hear that humans can do magic..."
Luz then said. "I can show you more...if I'm able to stay.
Sighing, Amity traces out a spell circle and drags Luz's hand into it. Their hands glow briefly, and the circle disappears.
"The oath is unbound." She tells Luz as she begins to take her leave. "Now, you may stay."
"I guess I'll see you around then?" Luz asked her.
"...We'll see."
And then after she left, King showed up to see Luz. She was a bit surprised to see the little demon covered from head to do in covention merchandise, but all thought it was cute and funny.
"Hey, Luz. What'd I miss?" King asked.
"Oh, nothing much." Luz simply said. "I see you've had some fun today."
"Yeah. But then people kept expecting me to join them. If anything, they should join me!"
"Heh. Right, O' Mighty King of Demons."
"Exactly!" King exclaimed, bringing out a bag and giving it to Luz. "I also got you this." And then, he climbs inside. "And they have so many uses! Away, fair chariot! Away!"
Luz pats his head as Eda soon rejoins them.
"Let's get out of here." She told them, walking ahead of them.
"So...did you work things out between you and your sisters?"
"...About that..." Eda said. "We need to talk when we get back to the house."
"Works for me." Luz said as they exited the place.
Meanwhile, inside a dressing room, Lilith walks inside without a word and walks over to a compact mirror on the counter. It opens to reveal a tiny demon woman with red skin, blue hair that covers her right eye and a cloak that covers her mouth. It was Kikimora, assistant to the Emperor.
"Lilith, I see you let The Owl Lady get the best of your temper." She said in rather monotone voice. "Just remember what Emperor Belos has promised to you."
"Yes, yes. I know. But we have a bigger problem at hand now." Lilith said.
Kikimora than asked "And what might that be?"
"There's a Belmont here on the Boiling Isles."
Kiki's eyes dilated after hearing that.
"…I shall notify Emperor Belos immediately. Focus on your task at hand."
"I will capture my sister." Lilith replied. "You have my word."
"Very good." And with that, Kikimora signed off, leaving only Lilith to look at her reflection.
"You're finished, Edalyn. I will get you, and then finish the Belmont myself..."
Oh my gosh. This took way longer than I thought. But I like how it came out, so I hope you enjoyed the chapter. And I'm gonna leave you guys with this question...
Should Amity and Boscha...become Devil Forgemasters?
Hope to see some answers and be ready for the next chapter.