1551
Chateaumorand, France
10 years have passed since Laura McLaren's execution, things became quite different in Europe, the frequency of creatures of the night increased a lot, but not in the surroundings of the castle of the Countess Cavendish, but in some castles around Europe, a wave of vampirism and demonic pacts was prowling around many places, even if Dracula's curse is only in a receptacle, Seeing what Bernadette was able to do, pacts with death were being sealed, with that it was the task of multiple bounty hunters, even from far away lands to come to Europe for the huge opportunity that was given, in this a specific trio saw a benefit in these hunts.
Atsuko Kagari, Japanese immigrant. born on 25th June 1531, brown hair, 1.61m tall, crimson eyes. Since she was a child, she fled from her Japanese family and decided to settle in the first expedition ships that came to the island, as a way to escape. As the years went by, the poor girl had to work practically as a slave in these ships, together with a Philippine friend, called Sucy Manbavaran, born on 31st December 1531, pink hair, 1.63m tall, red eyes. For some good time, until in 1548, both manage to run away together, when the pink haired girl uses a potion, both of them ran away from the hands of the Portuguese, and went exploring through Europe, still knowing only a little more than Portuguese and the native language from where they came, besides their appearance calling some attention, the flight continued until they met after passing the border of Spain, with a European with a different hair from the dark hair of the Spanish and Portuguese for which they were going after the two fugitives, only in this they finally found themselves free when they passed the border and settled in France next to a witch hunter from Scandinavia.
Lotte Yanson, from Swedish Finland, she travelled with her family around Europe, performing exorcisms and using her magic with spirits to gain some funds, until Lotte eventually separated from her to follow her own path, to get more funds so that when she returned to Finland she could help her family. They all met in France at the end of 1549, during which time the blonde haired witch taught the two Asians two other European languages and also helped them in many of their missions in exchange for money, which helped a lot to negotiate Akko and Sucy's freedom from the Portuguese.
With that the trio started to travel around Europe looking for support and to earn some more gold, mainly settling in France, where they kill creatures of the night in exchange for some money. Atsuko uses as weapon a katana, even with a powerful weapon the Japanese girl is a little clumsy, she uses a little of this as a style of combat, as it confuses the enemy in some cases. She is a slender person and chooses not to use many weapons besides potions that is throwing with the intention of poisoning creatures, she is an excellent thief, her agility is her greatest strength. Lotte is a sorceress, she can speak with the spirits and summon animals with her magic, her weapon is her spell book and a staff that she carries, which enchanted even a lot, both Kagari and Manbavaran that little by little are learning how to use these spells, even if in a somewhat beginner way.
In January of that year they decide to start right away with a mission, at the request of a local noblewoman called Sarah Bernhardt, the group starts a mission to rid the castle of Countess Bernhardt of the hands of an ogre that occupied Chateaumorand, it had already been a few days, having killed most of the girl's family who managed to successfully flee the place, luckily the trio was strolling around there and got the proposal of this mission while staying in a local tavern, With an offer they couldn't refuse of a bag of Tournois Free coins, equivalent to 4 kg of gold, what made the girls excited to go to action, the noble asked them to finish with the ogres and other creatures of the night that invaded the castle and with that she would offer the triple in amount of gold, making them much more excited with a fat reward like that.
In this they already go for the action in the same night invading the castle, the trio shamelessly enters by the entrance door, from there they are attacked by a group of Wargs that go towards the same, Akko, already arrives with the katana giving cuts that makes the creatures have their heads cut off, bats also go towards the trio, Lotte invokes birds that go to the attack of the flying mammals and skeletons also start walking towards them, but Sucy throws potions towards them that end up exploding, the potion also worked as an explosive and this already marks that they are coming ready for the action.
Akko: Another triumphant entry for the crimson team!
Sucy: Akko that name is ridiculous, it can't be that you are actually going to give us that name for when they call us.
Lotte: I thought it was a cute name, it's just like us, the three of us wear clothes with something red to match, and you both have red eyes, at first I thought you were creatures of the night.
Akko: Bleh! You'll see we're creatures of the night and we want to eat your guts.
Sucy: Make potions with your blood and then drink it, we'll cut you open.
Lotte: Cut that one out, let's focus on the mission, the creatures here are not messing around.
The two show their tongues to Lotte and continue their way through the corridors of the castle, killing some creatures of the night that came along the way, gargoyles, bats, medusa heads, wargs, they dealt with all the dangers around until they arrive in one of the rooms and look at a room full of gold, Sucy stares with a glint in her eyes, but is soon barred by Lotte and Akko.
Sucy: Oh come on, we'll talk about it being the ogres who looted this gold, there's a lot more here than she promised to give us, it's the minimum for freeing the castle from the hands of these ogres.
Lotte and Akko: Sucy!
Akko: We have a code of honour since we left Portugal and we promised ourselves that we would not loot anyone and another she will realise when we leave, let's kill this ogre, I don't want to be seen as a common thief, let's go, we will gain credibility and all the money in the world one day, it is not enough that people look down on us because of our looks.
Sucy: Alright you nag, let's get the ogres out of this castle.
From there the trio leaves through the corridors of the castle, Akko is opening the way with her Katana, hitting every monster she sees in front of her, Lotte, on the other hand, is looking delicately and carefully not to call too much attention to what obviously the two others didn't listen very well, going any way she can to hit the creatures of the night, Sucy was throwing potions and Akko was cutting any one she saw in front of the creatures.
On this way they arrive at a room and there was an ogre sitting while two maidservants of the castle are sitting with collars on their necks and ropes attached to chairs, they even have an expression of relief when they see the trio of huntresses coming, at the same time the ogre gets up.
Ogre#1: Hahaha, another group of hunters came here? What do they want? A reward? Is that daughter of Countess Bernhardt really getting it, or is it the fear of us taking over the whole village of Chateaumorand?
At that time Sucy only throws a melting potion that catches the ogre that starts to take steps backwards struggling of pain for catching the face of the same that had started to melt, with this he goes screaming of pain and soon Akko looks at Sucy, going up to the ogre with the katana, but when going towards the same, he almost hit the Kagari with the strong arms that he had, that ended up taking a cut of the Katana.
Ogre#1: You'll need more than that if you want to make a cut with that little knife, now you've provoked too much.
The ogre's skin was too thick, the katana only ended up making a very superficial cut on the creature's skin, with that Akko, ends up retreating and getting closer to her friends in an attempt to defend herself using the katana to not get hit, Lotte was preparing a spell to summon creatures. Sucy throw another potion towards the ogre, who defends with his arm and is feeling the rashes, but then appears a hippogriff that goes towards the attack, the ogre with difficulty could not hold against the hippogriff and that was where Akko saw a gap, ran out the back of the hippogriff and gave a strong and precise stab in the head of the ogre, that ended up gushing blood everywhere, killing the creature once and for all.
Akko then had trouble getting the sword out, pulling hard, until she finally managed to get the katana stuck in the ogre's skull almost hitting Lotte and Sucy with the force she did to get it out, but then she just picks up the sword and stands up, a little with her red clothes already dirty with blood.
Sucy: Akko, are you blind by any chance? You almost killed us together.
Akko: It's not my fault if these ogres have thicker skins than armour, it even seems that I am penetrating a thick layer of leather, I have just about broken my blade, this way I will have to take it to a blacksmith, that's part of the reward for fixing the blade of this sword and the worst of it is that most of them don't know how to fix such a sword.
Sucy: Less talk and more action, sitting here idly is not going to give us any reward
From there the trio went another way noticing that the ogre had nothing too much, managing to free those two maidservants who ran out of there, but soon it was possible to hear the screams of the maidservants followed by the sound of bones breaking and also the sound of something being crushed, a chimera had appeared and devoured the two maidservants, scaring the girls who saw them and only shrugged.
Sucy: People never wait for us, a castle like that full of creatures and they expect us to be cool, ah that's disgusting.
Sucy throws a potion, then Akko uses her katana cutting the lion head of the creature that ends up dying on the spot and then catching some fire, showing that it is a creature of the night, then they keep walking straight until they reach a fork in the castle and that way the trio look at each other.
Sucy: I'll go that way and you two go that way.
Akko: But no way, if there is gold on the way you will end up stealing it, so Lotte goes with Sucy, I follow the path alone.
Sucy: And risk you dying at the hands of the monsters, the way you're so impatient? Better Lotte go with you, I promise I won't steal any coins, I'll just focus on clearing the way, I really promise, don't be suspicious. Look, I can't go out all rashly now, you'll end up wasting potions wildly, now is the time for stealth, if I kill the ogre leader before you do it will be useful.
The two of them look at Sucy who is still waving her hands, but then they give in, allowing Sucy to go alone through the fork of the castle and this way the Manbavaran with grey skin even gets smiling, from there she follows through the fork already practically entering stealth mode.
Akko and Lotte follow by another corridor, in this some few creatures are attacking, but they are only imps, which are not much to Akko's Katana, Lotte doesn't even use her magic to attack the creatures, saving up for a more crucial moment, while Kagari slices each imp as if it was nothing.
Akko: Now all the fun is gone, there are only weak imps, this way I will end up spending all my sword cutting the sword of these pests.
Lotte: Good thing it's easy, at least we have less chance of dying.
Akko: I really wanted an extra challenge, our last missions have been so easy, I wanted to be like the great Chariot Belmont, who everybody talks about so much.
Lotte: Even the great Chariot Belmont is gone and must be dead now for wanting challenges, I know it's more fun, but even for the last ogre you narrowly missed becoming one of the spirits I always talk to.
At that moment Akko and Lotte continued their ways through the corridor, coming across a door, where there was another ogre, this one was without hostages and without wasting time Kagari goes up to him, but when she hits him with the sword, she only ends up making a superficial cut on his arm, which is almost hit with the arm and in this way she walks towards the Japanese woman who is on the floor.
Ogre#2: Very weak and useless, that sword is pathetic, more like a knife.
At this time Akko goes walking backwards trying to stay in a more defensive position, until the ogre gets closer, Kagari closes her eyes turns her face expecting the worst that can happen is to be hit and try to dodge, so much that she stays with her sword up, but in a blink of an eye the ogre is hit by a creature and falls to the ground, it was a wave of birds and spirits invoked by Lotte, along with sword glyphs, Yanson saved the Japanese girl's life at that moment that was relieved.
Lotte: Looks like the challenges didn't stop there, so you better watch out Akko, or things could get pretty tight.
Akko: That was a close one, but it was the fault of that stupid sword, now let's go, there's still a whole castle to clean.
The two leave that room while the ogre disappears with a spell of soul capture that Lotte does causing the ogre to go to her book and that way the two leave that room and in that corridor they go towards a staircase where they go up, when they arrive in the end they come across a room in a tower and in it there was a girl, a girl holding a whip and that appeared to be thin, with straight dark hair, what appeared to be one of the servants of the palace, she noticed the presence of the two girls and breathed relieved.
? : Finally people around here, I thought I was going to have to fight these ogres alone, but after I saw how destructive they are I was just a coward and stuck here in mistress Sarah's room.
Akko: We are clearing this castle of the creatures of the night, the best thing to do is to get out of here safely, we have cleared the way enough, come with us.
? : If I can fight alongside you it will be great, I want to face these ogres face to face and be able to help, the damned killed my mother and mistress Sarah's mother, I will not forgive them.
Lotte: It's too risky for a girl like you to venture into this castle, the best thing you can do is run away from here while there's still time.
? : No! No more being a coward! I have been here since the invasion of those ogres, I haven't eaten for two days, I am already without food and the water will soon run out, I will not be a coward and wait to die or not honour the death of the mother of my best friend and my mother. I am Marianne Leblanc and I will be as brave as the great Chariot Belmont was.
At that moment Akko and Lotte shrug and that way Marianne, takes a whip and also takes a sword, that way she joins the duo that allows her to join, which could be advantageous, since they would have someone who knows more of the castle and would know where they are walking, instead of going without any direction through the place.
Meanwhile in another part of the castle, Sucy was sneaking through the walls, killing every now and then some bats and skeletons that noticed Manbavaran's presence using her stealth skills, which is not a problem to her. She arrived at the room of another one of the ogres and this way she was hiding, preparing the ground, leaving some bottles of explosive potions on the floor in specific places, waiting to set a trap for the ogre, who had not noticed the presence of them yet, the same was only sitting on a shelf of what seemed to be a library of that castle and was eating a piece of meat of some deer that was found in the forest. With the explosive potions planted, Sucy throws a potion towards the ogre's face that makes him furious with his face melting and at the time he looks directly at the Filipina that shows tremendous confidence.
Ogre#3: You wretch! You'll swallow that potion! I will not forgive you strange gray-skinned girl!
Sucy is just laughing and at that moment the irritated Ogre goes running towards Manbavaran, full of hate, but he ends up stepping on Sucy's traps, the explosive potions that end up catching him, on the first row the ogre falls on the floor and with the impact is thrown forward catching on the second row that the impact was enough to throw it towards the ceiling and this way ended up leaving it being impaled by spears that the filipina left armed on the ceiling making the third ogre end up dying and slowly falling on the floor due to the head be impaled, this way the pink haired huntress even laugh sadistically.
Sucy: Another one of my traps, now I'm going to enjoy here since the two girls are not bothering me and see if there is anything interesting.
Sucy being the greedy person that she always was walked through the abandoned library and nothing to find any gold coin, leaving her a little frustrated and this way she followed the way through the castle. Through the corridors she was furtively sneaking, without calling much attention, just killing what was necessary of animals, so much so that she stopped using potions and started using her other weapon that were poisoned arrows.
Bats were the Manbavaran
's biggest drawback, they were always easily knocked down and then had the arrows captured back, because Sucy didn't want to lose any of them, after all it was a risk that couldn't be taken. On the way the two "groups" end up meeting and surprisingly the Filipina is surprised by the presence of Marianne who has joined the group.
Sucy: Apparently a stupid woman wants to take a risk.
Lotte and Akko: Sucy!
Marianne: I'm just here to try and save my mistress's castle, I don't want any trouble.
Sucy: Whatever, at least we have a cannon fodder in case the ogres attack us.
Again Lotte and Sucy rebuke the Manbavaran that as always is all acid with the way of expressing herself, in the corridors they arrive in a corridor where there are two doors, but they look at a bush that is moving, then it starts to release some branches that go towards the girls trying to impale them, this way Sucy throws a potion in the bush that starts to have a reaction and blooms, revealing a rose where inside it had a naked woman. Which even leaves Lotte surprised, looking quickly at her book.
Lotte: A Venus Herb!
Sucy: Fuck what that is, I just know it's time to prune that plant.
Akko: I am with Sucy, let's nip this evil in the bud.
The three of them start to get defensive, jumping back and trying to dodge the branches that come out of the ground trying to impale them, the woman inside the rose keeps throwing some roses full of thorns, which makes it even more difficult, since on the other side the roots of the grass blocked the door.
At this moment Marianne also simply runs without any worries going towards the danger, the girl can barely hold the sword that was too heavy, but surprisingly she is not hit and manages to reach the rose, where the naked woman hides inside the rose that ends up having the petals shield being cut, but not everything is flowers, The Venus Weed hits Leblanc with a branch that grazes her and she falls on the ground with her shoulder bleeding, but the worst doesn't happen because Sucy launched a poisoned arrow and Akko mounted on a hippogriff jumped towards the woman and hit her with the katana decapitating her and this way she freed the way for them to move on. With the fallen Venus Weed they go to the door and the Manbavaran already shows displeasure with the behavior of the servant who joined them.
Sucy: You barely know how to wield a sword and now you're here with us, you'll only end up dying like this.
Marianne: I didn't die and I helped clear the way for you to hit the arrow into the Venus Weed, you're welcome too
The two are just quiet and open the door where there are two ogres grouped together, one is armed with a sword and the other with a club, on their side on the throne hangs the heads of the two lords of the castle, Sarah Bernhardt's parents and also in the corner looking half crying all wounded, is Marianne's mother who is in shock.
Marianne: Mother!
Ogre#4: Ah so it looks like the little girl has finally stopped playing hide and seek, now all that's left is your little friend and daughter of the Count and Countess, bring her here! That's an order.
Marianne's mother: Don't obey those ogres, run away from here girl, you shouldn't be here! They are very dangerous! I...
Marianne's mother could barely finish her sentence and ended up being hit on the head by a powerful slam from Ogre#5, who just got fed up and just ordered and pointed to attack the girls, since they are bounty hunters. In Leblanc's head came only memories of her own mother who she believed to be dead, but then she saw her being murdered right in front of her in cold blood, which put trauma and fury in front of her that went running towards the two ogres tearfully, at the same time the trio screamed for her not to go, but dominated by feelings the girl goes running towards the two ogres.
Ogre#5: How pathetic, she joined the bounty hunters and still wants to get on top of me.
Overcome by tears and a bizarre wave of luck, without even knowing how to wield a sword, Leblanc was dodging the ogres' blows, at this time Lotte was already preparing a creature summoning, Sucy was also aiming with a poisonous arrow and Akko was another one who was only preparing with a sword, going up to the two ogres to help Marianne who was dealing alone with the two creatures.
And she did not deal so badly, thanks to luck, she dodged a fatal hit of sword and also of club,furious she hit with a slash on the wrist of the ogre#5 and the sword enters in the wrist of the same being half stuck, what she goes forcing to shoot. At that moment ogre#4 was going to attack the castle maidservant, but she is saved by the gong with Akko jumping on it and hitting with the Katana right in the eye of ogre#4 who agonizes and then falls to the ground dead.
Marianne manages to take the sword of the ogre's wrist that was bleeding and having difficulties to catch the club, the same with the impact falls clumsily back and the blade of the sword is with a broken part inside the wrist of the same, turning that sword useless and in that way she goes whipping in a useless way with fear, shouting angrily at the ogre that was only laughing.
Ogre#5: It's simply useless, those lashes of yours are tickling my body.
The laughter of the ogre came to an end when Sucy launches poisoned arrows that catch the face of the ogre and also throws potions towards it, Lotte summons a hippogriff that attacks the same ogre, hitting it with a charge towards the wall of the castle and this way Akko finishes everything with a precise stab with the Katana on the head of that ogre that falls dead on the ground. At that moment Marianne is getting surprised watching the trio working in sync and with the death of that ogre everything around in relation to the creatures of the night turns to dust, starting to dissolve, indicating that that was the root of all evil in the castle and once again the service of the girls was ready.
Sucy: We finally managed to get rid of those damn creatures of the night, now it's time to get that gold.
Akko: You as always only care about gold, even with everything we do to help others.
Sucy: Are you going to give us anice little speech? Are you going to say that you don't want this gold either?
Lotte: Enough you two, we have finished a mission, that's the important thing.
Akko: We managed all this thanks to Marianne's help, she and her little way of doing things was essential to help us kill those ogres, even if we didn't mean to, we were very lucky, I admire the courage of someone who takes a risk without knowing very well how to use their weapons in order to save others, it is a risky courage, but I was once like her and it is thanks to that that I am here today.
Marianne was kneeling just watching the destroyed body of her own mother, breaking into tears, after all, even with a mission accomplished, there were still sacrifices that had happened, deaths, all this to be able to fight the forces of the ogres, at this time the trio of girls even felt empathy for the girl, who saw with her own eyes that she was losing someone special.
Marianne: Mama, I was a coward, I couldn't save you, I will never forgive myself for that, I should have faced those ogres before and been brave, I should have sacrificed my life to save at least the minimum, your life, I, I will never forgive myself for that, I promise that from now on I won't be a coward anymore and I will always do my best to try to save all the people I care about.
Sucy: You would end up in a pile of mashed meat like a mashed potato just like your mother, your cowardice saved your life, now honour your mother and don't act inconsequentially.
Lotte and Akko: Sucy!
They both slap the Manbavaran on the head and then go to Leblanc, where they feel empathy for her, giving her hugs, while Sucy stood with her arms crossed just ignoring all that melation. Then the three of them hold the dead body of Marianne's mother and walk out of the castle, and at this time Leblanc just asks her to be alone for a while and go bury her own mother's grave, where she just wanted to honour her loss. The trio then return to the town and go to where Countess Bernhardt is, who is relieved to see the girls returning from the castle.
Sarah: You guys are back! How wonderful and so you made it?
Sucy: Mission accomplished, and about our gold?
Lotte and Akko slapping Manbavaran on the head: Sucy!
Sarah laughing: No need to scold your friend, I am one to keep promises, come with me and I will get the gold from the castle, now that I know the castle is safe.
The girls go with the countess towards the castle, arriving on the way and observing Marianne on her knees looking at the grave where she left her mother buried still crying a lot and with that Sarah even goes to her friend and gives her a hug trying to console her and relieved also to know that she is alive.
Sarah: Mari you're alive! You're all right! That's wonderful to know! I thought the worst could have happened.
Marianne: The worst has happened... My mother, she died, those damned ogres killed her in front of me
Sarah: Oh Mari... I understand how it is, I saw my parents dying in front of me too, don't worry as you will always have a helping hand to help you.
After this moment Sarah gives her friend two pats on the shoulder, leaving her in peace, and this way she goes walking in the castle, to the room where the bags of gold are, delivering bags with considerable amounts, which Sucy doesn't even complain about, she even stares at that amount of money and then holds on to it. In this Sarah even promises that she will get a carriage for the three of them to continue the journey in greater comfort, which was another wonderful thing, since they always had to venture out walking through Europe. As
they leave the castle they come across Marianne standing up with her chest full facing the girls, the same one a little taller than the trio with her 1.66m tall arrives wanting a very simple proposal.
Marianne: Sarah, I can't stay here, I won't be a coward anymore, I want to go on a journey to finish off these creatures of the night one by one, I will make them know who Marianne Leblanc is, I will make my mother proud.
Sarah: Are you sure about that Mari, you barely know how to wield a gun.
Marianne: We need to have somewhere to start and I am not going to stand here while these creatures of the night are destroying families and killing innocent people, so please, you three, allow me to join you.
Sucy: You are going to be a very useful cannon fodder, so at least this way we have an extra life when it's time to go on to the next mission.
Lotte and Akko slapping Sucy: Sucy!
Akko: Fine by me, but you will have to train a lot more, I don't want to risk a life, because what we face are serious missions, we are all the time dealing with life and death.
Lotte: The same thing Akko said, I enter into agreement, you can join us for your adventure, we will teach you what we know, but know that it is not easy at all, I am not that good with attack, but I know my way around when it comes to magic, we kind of work on using our skills together.
At that moment Marianne gives a very tight hug to Sarah who also returns the affection in the same way, the two say goodbye and Bernhardt even prepares a bag for Leblanc, with some gold that fills Sucy's eyes, already starting to like the presence of the countess's friend.
The trio has just managed to recruit a new ally in these adventures of hunting creatures of the night, the Frenchwoman Marianne Leblanc, a clumsy girl who does not even know how to wield a sword, but is so lucky that everyone is impressed by the fact that she achieves things in such a silly way.
See you, huntress witches...