Falmouth, England
The girls managed to cross the English Channel, after a crossing that was a bit disturbed by the presence of Mermans and Cthulus, the six girls arrived in England, where they will continue their route, being lucky enough to stop in a beach near a city, that was also near a castle, but when they arrived things didn't seem so wonderful, As soon as they arrived they were faced with people screaming and running around the city, when they looked to the skies there were gargoyles flying and also some other creatures, like zombies and skeletons attacking the people who tried to enter their homes but were chased, this when they barely arrived in another country, they would already have to put things in action.
Sucy starts shooting arrows towards the gargoyles, Akko and Diana are going to face the skeletons and Lotte keeps summoning skeletons and gargoyles to counterattack the creatures. Croix is left taking care of the bags and Marianne is another one who decides to go up, even though she is quite scared.
The people running on the town didn't help much, there were screams that were heard everywhere, people falling on the ground and gargoyles climbing on top of those people tearing their flesh, one of them was running, a dark haired girl, that was almost saved by Leblanc that gave a whip to that gargoyle before it opened its back.
? : Thank you you saved my life.
Marianne: Run to a safe place, this place is very dangerous, you can leave it to us and we will save this place.
The girl obeys and walks away trying to find refuge, meanwhile Leblanc is being surrounded by several gargoyles and with fear she lashes out everywhere, incredibly hitting several of them, showing some of her exaggerated luck, which bizarrely saved the life of the French girl, who was clearing the way. With the screams and accent, soon the rescued girl realized something about the girl.
? : You crossed the sea? You came here and are saving us.
Marianne: It was dangerous there too, I just hope you don't want to expel us because we come from the other side.
? : Itdoesn't matter where you came from, if you saved our lives that's what counts, by the way my name is Mary, I am the daughter of the Duke of Falmouth, if you really manage to save the city I will grant you a nice stay.
Marianne smiled and then continued with the protection of the city, always being clumsy, even stumbling, but even so the gargoyles were killed with the whip with a mere touch. On the
other hand Diana and Akko were opening the way through the streets of the city, trying to find where was the source of all this invocation, they were walking and nothing to find a bigger and stronger creature, it was just a wave of creatures that kept appearing in the city.
At that they look to a windmill and notice that from there some gargoyles were coming out, what they pointed being there the place where was the main creature, from there they both look at each other and go in direction to that same windmill, a boy that was taking refuge until alert the two girls.
Boy#1: That mill is dangerous, I've never heard of anyone surviving.
The two just shrug and follow the path towards the mill, still being attacked by the gargoyle wave and noticing how it was getting more complicated they go back to the city and decide to go where Marianne is.
The same was running from an army of skeletons, the same ones were wanting to attack them, but soon the duo look at each other and go towards them with the swords simply making little case of the creatures full of calcium.
Akko: Skeletons Mari? They are so weak.
Marianne: There are a lot of them and I was running away from the gargoyles as well.
Diana: Whatever, we're going to need help now, we found the source of all these creatures, it's the mill at the top of the town hill.
The three go from there to where the other girls are, Sucy and Lotte go to protect the things, along with Croix who was shooting arrows at the creatures that got close to their bags. The same ones inform about the creature that may be in the mill controlling everything, they just nod their heads, trying to find a plan.
Croix: We have to go, but we can't leave things.
Mary: there are the girls who saved my life, stay here gentlemen.
Marianne: We can ask the town guards to look after our luggage and one of us stays here while the others go on a mission.
They nod and two minutes later, Croix, Sucy, Lotte, Akko and Diana head towards the mill, leaving Marianne to take care of the bags.
Marianne: Because I opened my mouth, I knew they would leave without me.
Mary: Well at least you saved my life, I'm already grateful for that, you can trust me to take good care of your bags.
Marianne: I don't want to test their trust, even if last time I saved the city, I'm not in the mood to put my life at risk, and I'll protect you too.
And in fact Marianne was there to protect, since some creatures also appeared going towards her and also towards the castle guards that pointed their spears at them, only that it was practically useless, the gargoyles were simply pierced, but kept attacking, on the other hand Leblanc with the whip could dissolve quickly each one of those gargoyles with ease.
Meanwhile arriving at the mill, the girls were opening the way with much more easiness pushing the creatures further back and this way they managed to gain access to the inside side, where they could notice that there is a huge tree shaped creature that is controlling everything, emanating an abnormal purple glow.
Diana: A damned tree, someone planted one here and now it's causing this, when it gets too powerful, it's able to summon creatures and control them, it feeds on the souls of people that the creatures it summons end up killing or devouring, the more deaths it causes, the more powerful it gets, but that's strange, a tree of those proportions should have killed the entire city by now at the very least.
Akko: I don't know yet, but we have to focus on pruning that thing.
Sucy: Let's set this thing on fire! Trees are weak when it comes to fire.
Diana: No! We can't cause destruction, we'll try to defeat this thing in a more traditional way, fire is only a last resort.
On the other hand, Sucy and Croix stay supported on a higher part of the mill, aiming their weapons to the tree. Lotte, on the other hand, opens her book and prepares a spell to drain the souls from the tree, reducing little by little the power of the tree, which is very efficient, with some souls going towards that same book.
The tree defends itself, summoning creatures to delay the girls, specially Lotte, which changes Croix and Sucy focus to shoot the creatures that were going to Yanson's direction, so that she would not run any worse risk, because those monsters could cause a lot more damage, besides getting in the way of her souls' capture.
In the city Marianne was getting more and more upset, since the creatures stopped appearing, the city was getting cleaner and cleaner, even the castle guards were able to deal with those several types of monsters, that stopped appearing.
At the mill Diana and Akko arrived at the trunk of the tree and gave a cut together, in the stem of the tree, only that it only caused very superficial cuts, to the point of only marking that tree and they were even frustrated.
Diana: What we were thinking, a sword will never cut that.
Akko: But I know what will.
The Kagari goes dodging the creatures and branches, after observing an axe hanging on the wall. Diana on the other hand only gets confused, fighting against roots that went towards her and also creatures, sometimes even appealing to turn into a bat and that way with everything hitting the monsters that attacked her.
Akko goes dodging the way she does, pretending to be drunk and not knowing anything, to confuse the enemy, the Cavendish on the other hand was beginning to feel that the tree wanted to surround her, because it was forming a dome on top of it, but luckily the Japanese girl caught the axe, threw it to the Scottish girl and the same cut those roots that were covering her.
Diana: Leave it to me, I will cut down that tree, I have more physical strength, that could be good for you.
Akko: I'll cover it.
Diana started hitting the tree's stem hard, which made a good amount of wood fly, taking advantage of the powers she has as a vampire, the uncommon strength is one of them, Akko was taking care of the Cavendish's rear, looking at the creatures that were getting close, they were dividing into two groups, one that attacked the Scottish and the other that attacked Yanson that was sucking the souls of the tree, slowly weakening it. Little by
little the creatures stopped staying with bigger groups, Croix was already managing alone while Sucy could focus on taking care of the rear of Diana and Akko, since there the group was focusing more and more on attacking the two that were defending themselves from the many monsters.
Akko: Damn they are a lot.
Sucy: They will be less if you stop complaining.
Akko: Sucy! You showed up to help.
Sucy: I didn't come to let you die anyway.
Akko: Ignorant...
The group of creatures stopped focusing on Lotte and this time they decided to try to attack only Diana that was giving cuts and more cuts in the stem of the tree, with her strength, it was notable that was starting to open a hole, even being a thick stem, would not take long for that to be pruned once and for all.
Because of that the group of creatures was increasing and focusing on attacking the girls, but soon the tree was weakening, Croix was with the archabuz shooting where would be the "eyes" of that cursed tree, getting the inside side and making it weaker, Sucy on the other side was pouring potions on the root of the tree, that was getting more rotten.
Akko: Keep going, we're doing it!
Far away from there in Scotland, in the castle of the Countess Cavendish, she observed everything with a smile on her face, seeing the dynamics of the group that managed to work well in order to destroy that creature that she herself placed. Kind of free from listening to Ursula complaining, since she was preparing the castle to receive the slayers that would come.
Bernadette felt a little proud to see her daughter managing to get so far, but on the other hand she also observed her other daughter and saw her alone in a corner of the ruins of the castle, she was at that time devouring the blood of some hunter that risked entering the place.
[Bernadette's Thought: Poor Hellene, she seems to be acting only on instincts, in all these years I could barely go back to make amends with her, I even forgot about my girl, how much she is going through, because of these damned humans who made her go through this terror, she doesn't deserve this, I hope Diana and the girls will come after her].
? : Why not bring her to our side mistress, your daughter must be a powerful vampire, at least then we can have someone who will get rid of the other traitor.
At that moment Bernadette gets angry, she grabs the vampire who said that by the neck and stares at her angrily, the same one just stays quiet and terrified, then Cavendish releases her and from there she just takes a deep breath so she doesn't end up doing the worst, she just gives her clothes that clean trying to show that she is imposing.
Bernadette: I have made up my mind and Hellene is Laura McLaren's daughter, she will simply have my wife's genius, that is to say, it will not be easy to convince her to be on that side, especially as I have not seen her for 10 years, she must surely have some resentment of me, so being so, let's just leave things as they are, understood Barbara.
Barbara: Master, I understand that you have a feeling for your daughter, but I have to point out that Diana is a traitor, she has joined the enemy, she will come here and kill us all, even though I saw that you are doing something with that cursed tree you summoned.
Bernadette: Since you know about the cursed tree then I don't need to explain everything else, anyway, please leave, I'm already getting a bit irritated with this, I know Diana is on their side, but I can't do anything but stop her from getting here, you have no idea how much it hurts to have to keep invoking creature by creature, just trying to stop her. Trying to kill my own daughter who turned against me.
Barbara just obeys Cavendish, she goes towards where there was another vampire practicing her blows, hitting some animals, she used her nails, she was the wife of the countess' subordinate. Hannah England, the two were once Diana's childhood friends, but who at the moment are touching reality and back at work serving the countess.
Hannah ends up stopping hitting the creatures and goes to Parker to talk a bit about her and the moment she went to talk to the Countess.
Hannah: What a privilege, you went to talk to the Countess herself and she called you. So you managed to convince her of extra things?
Barbara: Love have more respect, the countess will never stop hurting for that mortal, since I know myself in this place I remember how attached and honeyed they were, but seriously now, she is still trying to get over her traitor daughter, honestly it disgusts me to know that our Diana is on the side of the humans.
Hannah: Let's try to seduce her to our side, who knows she'll give in, we'll have another powerful one between us and she's still a vampire who can stay in the sunlight, she doesn't die like us, besides she must be 20 now, just imagine the body she must not have today, we can call her for something more if you know what I mean.
Barbara only gets a malicious smile, agreeing with her wife's idea, then they both go one towards the other, exchanging kisses and caressing each other, they're both in that vampire condition for a few years, being daughters of two of Bernadette's victims and getting the same curse, who can't control her instincts at the moment, as she was hunted at the time, the two girls just overcame the death of their parents and went on with their lives, they even loved to have that vampire power in their hands.
Back to the south of England, Diana was cutting the stem more and more reaching the half of it where this way Akko jumps towards it to give a kick, but nothing happens, it wasn't enough yet. The Cavendish keeps hitting that trunk, the creatures that she sent were already very weak and could barely get close without disappearing, they were easily defeated by the girls.
The Scottish girl gave another blow with the axe and this time she let go of it and prepared herself, starting to run towards the tree and then giving a two feet volley that ends up knocking it down, only that it also causes a huge damage to the mill, but that was necessary, the trunk finally was separated from the root, the tree this way was rotting and then it was turning into dust, in contact with the sunlight, it was falling apart more and more.
Diana: Damn trees are also weak to sunlight, there's something I could never notice, that might be a good thing when we go up against these creatures.
Akko: We finally pruned that thing, now let's go, I hope they don't complain about the mill getting destroyed.
The group is walking back to town, slowly people were leaving without fear, there were no more creatures left, Marianne stood there waiting talking to Mary about her journey and everything else just to relax the time, the bags were still in place too, to everyone's relief.
Marianne: Oh you've arrived, it took a while, I was a bit worried.
Sucy: If you saw the tree we had to cut down you would know why it took so long.
Akko: We had nothing, it was Diana who kept on chopping until the tree fell down, we were just providing cover, in fact I was the one who found the axe.
Diana: I don't care who it was, we can only say that the mission was accomplished and that we managed to free the city from the cursed tree that kept devastating and causing deaths. Ah and sorry for the windmill, we tried our best, but we couldn't save it, I overdid the attack and ended up knocking down part of the structure.
Mary: That mill has been abandoned for decades, it is useless, it only goes on to indicate whether it is windy or not, anyway, thank you all very much, now come with me, I will reward you very well for the great job you have done.
Just hearing the word reward, Sucy's eyes already grow, she gets all excited, without even looking like she had to go through a whole combat against the monsters, they go with animation to the Duke of Falmouth's castle, which is right on the edge of the sea, from there the same is all imposing on the throne.
Mary tells her father about everything that happened, as the girls solved the problem and with that the same one was listening, being surprised with the history, kind of already having the notion that the city was being attacked to a good time by the hands of those creatures of the night, only he didn't have the notion that it was because of a tree that grew inside of the mill and if it fed of souls.
Duke of Falmouth: As heroines, for saving my dukedom and my city from the hands of these creatures I will allow you to spend the night in the chambers of my castle, also as a way of honouring you I will arrange a carriage and horses for you, I imagine the journey across the English Channel must have been laborious, I have only to congratulate you on your strength.
The girls get a smile on their faces, then they are led by a servant to where they would stay in their quarters, they were not so luxurious, nor very precarious, they were average, there they had beds for everyone and also some comfort, besides a window with a view of the whole city. Mary takes advantage of the moment and also begins to be interested in listening to the girls' journey.
The girls tell her some parts, she writes everything down in a piece of paper that was in her hands, being amazed to know that some of them came from so far away, others that already have a long history and hunting experience, Diana was on the other hand lying a little, hiding to be a dhampir so that things wouldn't be so complicated for the girls, she tells that she was adopted by Croix, but soon Brooks becomes suspicious.
Mary: I know you're the daughter of Countess Cavendish of Edinburgh, the stories about her have reached us, we know about her green hair and red eyes, but since you saved us from the hands of the creatures of the night we're not going to do anything.
Diana: It's... Countess Cavendish, I, I think it best that.
Mary: You can relax, don't despair, I know you have the fear of being hunted, but you are safe here, I have nothing against someone who saved the town and my life, you came at the best possible time, by the way, does this imply that you have supernatural powers like your mother? You can only eat blood? What's it like to control those instincts, let me see your fangs? Wow you really do have fangs! That's amazing.
Akko: Woah, woah, woah, don't be so curious at that point, it's already bothering Diana, it's already being too invasive.
Mary: A thousand pardons, I just wanted to know.
Diana coughing: I have some powers, yes, as a hybrid I am immune to some vampire weaknesses, running water doesn't affect me and even less sunlight, I don't drink blood, I eat like any human being, but blood especially can serve to heal me, I have total control over my instincts and I don't like to talk and risk exposing my prey, people get scared.
Akko: Oh you have such cute little fangs, I want to squeeze your cheeks.
Diana just blushed at that moment and tried to distract herself without thinking about what she just heard, but she heard it loud and clear, getting her hand on her face after turning the same, she heard that compliment with Akko's smile and was getting that hammering in her head, as if she had heard those words passing slowly.
The girls around noticed this and were making the point of teasing, especially Sucy who was poking Kagari's flushed cheeks that also ended up embarrassed by what she just said.
Croix: Looks like the curse of love is going to catch someone else haha.
Diana: Croix, stop thinking these outrageous things, I'm not in love, I was just dulled by a compliment, oh by god, why do you think it's such a thing, I can't even fall in love, I'm immortal, it would be horrible to watch the person I love grow old and then die while I continue the same thing.
Sucy: So it already shows a sign that if you were not immortal you would have feelings for Akko.
Akko: Oh stop thinking silly things, let's focus on the mission girls, you think too much about something that doesn't even exist, I'm just Diana's friend and rival.
Diana: I'm not a rival to a bar fighter lass, my level doesn't need to be that low, oh heavens, why do you insist on this rivalry? Why have you guys decided to think about romance now? It's not even right for two girls to love each other, if someone finds out the church on the spot will make our lives a living hell.
After that they even got quieter, even though it didn't make that much sense, after all it was just an attempt of Cavendish to divert the subject from the main one which involved her feelings for Kagari, even though they weren't showing that much.
They were talking in a more relaxed way, trying not to get into the subject of romance, although Mary was getting interested, writing everything down in a notebook that was in her hands. She was getting the ideas of that adventure and opening a smile on her face, just imagining for a thing that came to Brooks' mind. Minutes later she already wrote down what she could fit in that notepad and with that she opened a smile on her face.
Mary: Not for nothing, but this would make a great book, your story could make an interesting one, I wish I could live all this, but I have always lived here being the perfect daughter, if my father finds out that I know how to read and write he would be very angry with me.
Akko: Book?
Mary: A romance book between a creature of the night and an adventurous human being would be interesting, I'd just have to make it between a man and a woman, because otherwise the church would end up making me hunted, but it's interesting, you guys gave me the idea I needed, I'm going to write such a book in my spare time and I'll see if people will like it.
Diana: I have always enjoyed reading good novels, it will be a good idea on your part Mary, books are always a way to escape from this cruel world, I love the immersion they provide, you know this can be a good opportunity to encourage people to read and understand things more, you are one person who can make this a reality, reading helps people a lot to understand more the world around them.
Mary agrees with her head, then she leaves the girls' quarters and they even have a smile on their faces when they know that Brooks has a whole plan to create a book, with her leaving the quarters, the girls are more relieved and this way they open a map, where they mark an X where they have already arrived bypassing the route and already determining where the next city will be that they would follow the path towards Ireland.
Croix: From here we will head west and stop at Wadebridge, we will go round the island of Great Britain, until we reach the point where we will have the shortest possible boat crossing, we know what it was like to cross from France to here, now we need to make a safe route.
Lotte: We can cross straight to Dublin as well, there is a way to do such a trip on a ferry with several people, the risk would be lower.
Croix: That's an option too, but let's be safe, go up to Scotland, then we go from Port Patrick and cross the Irish Sea at one of those beaches nearby, then we follow the road south, it's the long and safe way, creatures of the night are constantly attacking us.
Akko: Too many people seeing us in action can draw too much attention especially towards Diana, we have to think of a safe crossing, although I wanted an extra challenge, but I want to get out of this adventure alive too.
Diana: I agree with Croix's plan, let's take the long and safe route, Hellene has waited 10 years, a few more days won't make her any angrier, just being able to spend a little time back in the land I came from already gives me a chill, I hope no Scot recognises me and wants to hunt me down for it.
The girls went on discussing a plan to try somehow to perfect it, to be in a safe way, so that it wouldn't end up in an even more risky way, because there is the matter of the Countess Cavendish that can make things difficult for Diana and the closer to Edinburgh, the easier she gets to be recognized by them.
Meanwhile, far away in Paris, France, things were going from bad to worse with Chloé Deppailer at the disciplinary school, she was getting irritated to stay there, she got to a girl who had a similar appearance and put her against the wall to try some crazy plan.
Chloé: Next Estelle, do you want to earn some gold coins? I will pay you very well, all you need to do is simple.
Estelle: What do you want me to do Chloé?
Chloé: You're a lot like me, so I want you to pass yourself off as me as far as you can hold on, I'm out of here, I can't take this place anymore.
Chloé hands a bag of coins to Estelle who is already all delighted, accepting at once, so the two go to the Deppailer's room, the same is giving that change in her look to leave her even more similar. The blonde takes the opportunity to put on a brunette wig and goes with some bags of gold in her hand, furtively escaping from that academy. She hides, trying not to be discovered. She goes passing by the corridors, hiding from the ladies there and also launching some potions that release a gas that puts the people to sleep, this way she puts a mask that was very used by doctors at the time of the black plague.
[Chloé's thought: now it's just to continue walking here in the greatest safety, without being discovered and get out of here, I also need a horse and I'll have to get weapons on my own, plus I can't go around looking like this, my blonde hair is easily recognisable].
Chloé goes sneaking until the exit, from there she finally gets to pass through the gates and goes running in direction where it would be a vegetation, from there she just hears the people shouting "come back here", for the same one that was hiding in the high grass, escaping of a definitive form in the middle of those trees, she was doing everything of furtive form, arriving to take off her clothes, putting on a scarecrow with wheels that was already positioned there after she paid a person to leave that scarecrow, she pushed the scarecrow and was getting dressed behind a tree, where she left running as if nothing had happened, using this time a red wig, she was walking like a normal maiden on the road, even waving her fan.
On the other hand, the academy's security guards caught a scarecrow thinking that it was
a real person and this time they ended up being fooled, Chloé Deppailer managed to escape, but they didn't have the notion that it was the same one that escaped, she even opened a smile while she was walking by the road and leaving that academy behind, arriving in the inside side of Paris.
Chloé: Diana Cavendish, you haven't escaped my hands yet, I'm still going to get your head as a prize, it's no use trying to run away from Chloé Deppailer.
The Deppailer goes hopping, heading to a trip to hunt Diana Cavendish, although she has no idea that she has already crossed the English Channel and she's not even in France anymore, but that's still no reason for her to give up the journey of hunting her, still believing she's doing the right thing or at least she's just being moved by envy.
After so much trouble finally the group can rest in a comfortable bed, this time on the other side of the sea, about to start another long journey in the lands of the island of Great Britain that will still have many challenges ahead for the girls that will have to deal with creatures of the night that will not stop appearing.
See you, British witches...