Glastonbury, England
The group of girls is following their journey, they stopped at the first city of the route to rest and also to refuel, before they really start to make long trips and they really did when they went towards the city of Glastonbury on the third day that they were on the island. With this long journey they end up arriving at sunset in the small town, the intention was not even to arrive in that city, but to follow the path to Bristol, but some events in the city changed the route to stay in that location, especially because it was getting dark and at night they could run the risk of appearing many thieves and also some creatures of the night.
At the castle of the Countess Cavendish there was also some planning going on before they reached the city. Bernadette talked to a creature of the night that lives in the surroundings and granted power and help for it to stop the group, the Black Annis witch, for which already terrorized the places around,but this time would have the Cavendish help with invocations of creatures and also a little more power, what was something that she was surprised, since she would be able to accomplish what she always did in a more intense way, just needing to kill the girls to ensure that she continued with all that power.
It was at dusk on that winter day, it was starting to snow along the way, the group of girls were talking among themselves about the path and the journey, approaching the city, also excited to be closer to reach Hellene, since the journey was already quite long, they were planning to go to Bristol, but something was about to happen that would change that route completely.
Akko: It's snowing, it's been so long since I've seen snow, it always brings me a feeling of nostalgia, when I was a child and played there in my hometown, but it brings me a bit of fear, when I ran away from home and lived in this cold.
Diana: We're almost in Bristol, but now that it's getting dark I think we'd better move our stop to another city nearby.
Croix: I will do just that, better than risk losing our cargo to some clever thief or creature of the night.
They end up arriving at the city of Glastonbury, where the people there are walking in a very peaceful way, strolling around, but with the day getting dark they go into hiding.
The group leaves the horses and the cart with the things stored in a chest in a stable, paying to leave it for at least a day, then they walk to an inn, where people were drinking and talking, they ask for a room for everyone and also something to eat.
Attendant: You must be outsiders I presume, welcome to Glastonbury, this is known as the city of witches, here is the only safe place in all of England where witches or anyone related to magic can live together in peace and from what I presume the blonde is a summoner.
Croix: We came here just to have a look around, the intention was to go to Bristol, but as it was getting late very early, we stopped here because it was the closest city, but we never heard of this city's fame.
Attendant: They say that years ago before the witch hunts around here there was a portal that led to a school of magic, its name was Luna Nova, only that it seems to be a myth, the older people tell us that before 1517 it was common to have witches around here, real witches, only that they disappeared, they used the city as a portal to go from one place to another, nowadays we only have to deal with the dangerous witch Black Annis, but she is a wicked witch.
Akko: Black Annis?
Senior customer who sits next to the girls: Pardon my intrusion, but I kept hearing that you were talking about the dangerous Black Annis, well, anyway, allow me to tell you about her and the encounter I had when I was still young. My name is Miranda Holbrooke, I used to be a student of this legendary magic school which was later destroyed and even burnt down by witch hunters sent by the church. Black Annis was a former teacher who corrupted herself to power, her name was Anne Finnelan, she ended up getting so greedy and thirsty for power wanting to be the headmaster of that academy of witches, but unfortunately she ended up making a demonic pact with death and did not expect the consequences, today she haunts the city, killing children and adults, sending the tower of Glastonbury as a trap to devour them.
Sucy: And would you have a bounty on her head?
All: Sucy!
Miranda: If someone manages to defeat Black Annis, the whole city of Glastonbury would thank them, anyway I wouldn't risk it if I were you, she's powerful and even the most experienced hunters haven't had such a good fate.
Croix: Well, our focus is not on being mercenary hunters, so we're just going to hang out here, we're not going to risk a mission like this when we have our main one to do.
Miranda: You'd better focus on this mission of yours, after all Black Annis is a danger beyond the proportion you expect.
In this conversation it was possible to hear the desperate people screaming for help, also running in the city, the girls stayed inside without interfering in what was happening, even if they felt like it, but they end up being forced by the call when they hear knocking on the inn's doors, this way a group of gargoyles knocks down the wooden door and go flying in all around going up to the hungry people. Miranda and the attendant hide behind the counter of the establishment, the group already starts to get their weapons, quickly Diana and Akko go up to the gargoyles, managing with great ease to cut the creatures.
Akko: Itseems that the call to mission comes to us, it is impressive.
Sucy: Not that it's a bad thing, it's the perfect excuse to get trained and ready for the main mission,
Akko: Stop lying Sucy, you are only interested in the reward.
They slowly manage to clear the way through the inn and as they leave the streets they notice that it was infested with gargoyles, there were many of them, a proportion that they had never seen before, they were simply scurrying about, devouring the inhabitants or trying to enter the houses of the same, in this way the girls are drawing the attention of the gargoyles to them.
Marianne: No calls for us!
Marianne was already getting terrified, with the army of gargoyles flying towards them, Sucy and Croix were shooting towards them and not only them that were with arrows and firearms, other inhabitants of the city were also giving a force and also some that were witches, for the relief of the group, in this way they stay looking at each other and go to one of these witches trying to talk.
Diana: Out of obsequiousness, could you tell us the location of Black Annis' hideout?
Witch#1: Follow this street until the end, there will be a park and in this park there is a tower, that is where she hides, but know that it is a path with no return, no slayer who ventured there ever came back.
The same ones just shrug without giving in to the pressure, they go on, killing some gargoyles that are on the way, but at least things are less worse, since the city dwellers gave that strength, because many of them are witches and with that the creatures of the night were not such a big problem, but as they got closer the volume of gargoyles was increasing even more. But
Diana goes without fear using her vampiric powers, to open the way, she throws fireballs towards them, and Lotte invokes creatures to fight against her, Sucy also doesn't hesitate and throws poison arrows towards them, Akko also tries to open the way her way. The same ones soon manage to enter in the tower, of there in the side of inside they did not have so many gargoyles, until it was strangely more empty, only that of the nothing of the land zombies had been appearing that they were going until the girls and also bats.
Akko: It looks peaceful here.
Croix: Too quiet.
They go killing the creatures that are appearing without much work, for them it's just a walk, the only one with more difficulties is Marianne that goes running with fear and without wanting to hit the deadly blows or she simply put the whip in that way getting to hit them miraculously, little by little they go going up by the tower, always in the safety and watching well, when arriving at the second floor the things weren't that calm anymore.
Possessed armors and ghosts started to fly towards them, besides some holes on the floor that led to stakes that were specially placed to catch anyone who tried to cross that part of the tower. Giant spiders also started to appear and in this ends up being the thing that makes the strongest of the group hide, she has arachnophobia.
Akko: Diana, are you afraid of spiders? They're big, but you're a powerful vampire.
Diana: Just kill those things! Bloody spiders!
Akko even gets some laughs, with Cavendish hiding behind her with fear of the creatures and this way the Japanese girl goes killing them, using the katana, opening the way, even without Diana the girls are still managing to follow the route, through the corridor of that floor of the tower, even managing to make many of those creatures fall in the holes of that floor. The bats were also very present, but Lotte was using her book to capture the souls of them and getting that way also improving the power of the book, not only that but she was getting the soul of a spider that was left before Kagari killed it, all by Cavendish, who bizarrely being the bravest, was afraid of those creatures.
They arrive at the stairway to the third floor, there they are being interrupted by the presence of creatures that looked like jelly walking by the walls and also the floor, they sneezed an acid that was dissolving everything that was alive around, being well noticeable when Sucy gave an arrow in a bat and the same when falling in the creature was dissolving including the bones.
The girls were giving steps back, Croix gave a shot, but the ball simply dissolved inside the creature, Akko tried to attack, but only saw the sword have a beginning of corrossion and with that she even stopped trying to attack, what was up to Lotte, she was using a soul sucking spell and even opened the book, this way the girls were taking care of what was around, attacking the possessed bats and armors that tried to get close to them, even Diana attacked again, since they didn't have spiders.
Sucy: It's kind of ironic how the strongest of us all is terrified of spiders, this way we'll never make it through if we go on a mission where it involves killing a giant spider.
Diana: You wouldn't understand, these creatures are disgusting and frightening, I have a genuine fear when I think of all that, ahhhhh, they are frightening, it's complicated to explain, I've always had this fear since forever.
Lotte finally managed to take those goo from the way, this way they continue the way, they went up the stairs of that tower and on the third floor a shot almost caught Marianne's head that was the first one to put the head on the third floor. That bullet was being fired by a skeleton that was together with the group of others that were at the end of that corridor that gave in the stairway and they were in attack position.
Musketeer skeletons were at the end of a corridor that also had two possessed armors armed with huge swords, besides a sword that seemed to be flying, but that was just a spirit, besides many bats that were going towards them.
Marianne: That part is all fucked up, what the fuck, there's only strong creatures, you go, I'll follow.
Sucy: Fearful.
Croix goes ahead preparing her arquebuz and quickly she appears shooting and almost gets hit, but she manages to hit one of the skeletons that was also armed with an arquebuz, there were three of them, in formation. The meridies was already preparing another shot, the possessed armors were going towards the girls, walking slowly and the flying sword too, Sucy appears next, launches a sacred arrow that pulls that spirit back, revealing the silhouette of a girl, then she runs taking cover before almost taking a shot, Lotte appears next, she creates a fire barrier right in front of the armors and also the spirit that stops going forward, Meridies then finishes arming a second shot and she shoots catching the second skeleton, almost not being hit, this way the girls open the way little by little.
Croix: One more and the way will be clear for us.
Akko: Wonderful because I can't stand these bats around me anymore.
The close attack girls were being harassed by the bats and also protecting the others with their swords and Marianne's whip from attacking them and in turn giving an attack to finish with the archbats skeletons.
Then Croix took the opportunity to shoot one last time and precisely the skeleton didn't have time to react, it was destroyed and this way the girls with the closest attacks ran, they went to the armors, Sucy threw a homemade bomb towards the creatures to open the way for Diana, Akko and Marianne to jump and this way the two with sword went to attack the armors and the one with whip managed to defeat the spirit holding the sword, with the magical powers of that weapon, but the armors also ended up dying somehow. Leaving only the stairway to the last floor, where the witch Black Annis would be, they even take a deep breath and gather at the door of it.
Akko: At last we have arrived.
Diana: Let's defeat this Black Annis lassie soon, from what I noticed we have come a long way, there are many skeletons around here.
They go up the stairs, when they reach the last floor, they come across the hall where there was the creature with bluish skin, fallen hair and the same was sitting while devouring in the greatest tranquility the arm of what seemed to be a baby, in that place it was possible to notice the strong smell, Not only that, but the bodies of dead and quartered people, it was notable that many of these were with the flesh eaten, since the skeletons were with some pieces hanging and so Marianne even gets with her hand in her mouth and then puts her head out the window vomiting.
The other girls also look at that very disgusted and the witch appears with open arms, after releasing that piece of "meat" she went all full of herself to the girls that were getting an expression of disgust mixed with disgust, being very noticeable how they were not even a little comfortable with that situation, the witch makes a point of making a whole presentation before going into action.
Black Annis: Welcome to my living room, as you can see we have dishes of different types, from the looks of it I see some of you have come to make a home delivery, a pity they are such lean meats, look at that, the greyish one is just bone, the most filling here is the lilac-haired one and the cabbage-haired one.
Croix: If you want to devour us you will have to fight for your food, we are not going to take it easy, if we have come this far you can already tell that we are not going to take it easy with you Black Annis.
Black Annis: If this is how you want to do it, this is how I will do it, so get ready because I love to play with my food.
Diana at that moment feeling the strong smell and also a lot of blood, and flesh was getting a bit feeling her heartbeat accelerating, she was having a strange feeling of her vampiric instincts coming to the surface, so much so that she started to emit light puffs, as if she was getting her instincts to the surface, she was walking towards the witch slowly, the same was getting all in attack position.
Diana: Wryyyy! Black annis, ye'r aff tae pay fur everything ye'v dane.
Black Annis: Looks like the cabbage is looking to be the first on the plate to be devoured.
Akko: Diana is not going alone you even dropped your sword, you are going crazy.
Diana: Hing aff us! hing aff us against that damn thing! Wryyy.
The girls look worried to Diana, but they prefer not to mess with her mainly because behind them they were starting to be attacked by the creatures of the night, the same ones were going to where they were, this way they would have to defend themselves also on that side of the worst that could happen. Akko was getting worried with Cavendish, she was walking slowly in a strange way, her nails were growing.
The Black Annis was casting a spell in Diana's direction, but she dodged it and with an uncommon speed hit a scratch on the witch's chest, who fell backwards and lay on the ground walking backwards, this while she kept walking like that and emitting a few puffs followed by a wry, as if she was acting on the purest vampire instinct, something that the witch didn't expect to be dealing with.
Black Annis: What are you?
Diana: A'm yer wirst nightmare. Wryyyy.
Black Annis: A pathetic human like you couldn't have managed to bruise my flesh with fingernails.
Diana: 'n' wha says a'm human?
The Black Annis was going up to Diana also wanting to get a scratch, but the Cavendish simply dodges with an enormous easiness, none of the scratches catches it and in that way the Scot takes by the wrist of that witch and gives a twist, facing her with those deep red eyes, the bluish creature screams of pain and in that hour it was that it gave a little for the girl of platinum hair to give a few steps back with the hand in the ears, due to the sound waves provoked by the witch, who was noticing that.
She was screaming, this way Diana was covering the ears and walking backwards, what was making Black Annis more excited, at the same time strange that way of attacking from Cavendish.
Black Annis: I don't know what you are, nor how you manage to do this, but I do know that you resemble my master very much, it will be a pleasure to delight me with such a delicious dish.
Diana: 'n' ah will hae tae feast oan carrion.
The Black Annis goes up to Diana, only that it dodges easily, even stunned by the screams, she hits a scratch on the back of the creature that tries to scream again, only that the Cavendish goes quickly cutting the throat of it that cannot scream anymore, it was slowly getting stunned and was the gap for the Scottish woman to start walking slowly to start the attack on the creature.
Diana: Wryyyy, Prepare fur yer end.
Diana goes with everything towards Black Annis, stabbing her nails on her chest, then she started scratching her constantly, throwing the witch on the floor that was falling all wounded and full of bleedings, around, the Cavendish then takes the sword, that is giving a burning sensation on her hand and stabbing on the body of the blue skin creature, that is giving muffled screams and catching fire.
The Scottish girl's hands were coming out a little bit of steam due the burning of the sword and then the creature was being killed, along with the other creatures of the night, leaving only the girls and with that they celebrate looking at her that was getting still panting and puffing while talking Wryyy. Akko was the first to celebrate.
Akko: We did it, Diana we managed to defeat Black Annis.
Diana went up to Akko strangely and gave a scratch on Kagari's face which almost caught her eye, then put her against the wall, was emitting vampiric sounds to the Japanese girl that was just weirding all that reaction, she was grabbing the neck of the girl with crimson eyes, was licking the region and when she was going to bite, she looks at her friend's expression of fear and for a while she comes back sane, she gives a few steps back, looks around in fear.
The Scottish girl felt embarrassed, she was out of control and she was still with her vampiric powers, with that she looks around and jumps from the window of that tower, which worries Akko who goes running to it watching Diana running down the hill.
Akko: Diana!
The girls also find Cavendish's reaction strange, so Akko impulsively goes to the window, she jumps from it, being held by Lotte's spell that uses a glyph to cushion her fall. The Japanese woman follows the Scottish woman to try to talk, although she is not succeeding since she only runs away.
On the other hand Croix was tearing Black Annis' head off and putting it inside a cloth bag to have a proof that they managed to capture the witch, which made Lotte and Marianne slightly irritated to see that Sucy was also helping Meridies to do that.
Marianne: Can you two only think of your own pockets?
Lotte: Sucy didn't you see that Akko might die? Diana got all out of control and now our Akko has gone alone out of control following her, let's go to her.
Croix: You two stay calm, this is a vampire instinct thing, she won't kill Akko, when she trusts the person and creates a bond with them, she can at most attack, but I believe by Diana's reaction, she will soon return to normal, the same happened to me 9 years ago, I have a scar on my chest because of that event.
Marianne: Are you sure we can trust that? She just tore Black Annis apart like it was nothing, Diana in that form is simply a monster that is impossible to stop.
Croix: I am more than sure, not only that she trusts Akko, but also that there is something else that will make her go back to normal, Diana is falling in love with your friend, I could notice the signs very clearly, they are very similar to mine with Chariot Belmont. Let's go back to the city, soon they will get right, we already got the biggest trophy.
Marianne: But didn't she say it's wrong for women to fall in love? She doesn't deny it all the time, even if we joke about it, it's really real that she has this feeling, she's...
Croix: As much as I do, she's gay too, but don't tell anyone but yourselves about it, Diana doesn't like to remember that, because she remembers all the bad things they do to people like that. She lost her mother because of it, she almost lost the other one, but now seriously, there is a bigger problem we have to pay attention to, I heard Black Annis say that Diana looks like her teacher, that can only say one thing...
Marianne: That her mother is alive?
Croix: Dracula is still alive, she survived the fight against Chariot, so it could be that Diana's mother either killed my Belmont, or else something happened and this is already making me think a lot of things, we have to continue this mission, let's get Hellene as an ally and then we will go to Edinburgh, I personally want to finish Dracula, I want to take revenge on her if really my Chariot died in the hands of that creature.
Croix was getting a bit irritated just thinking about the probability of maybe losing his future wife at the hands of Bernadette Cavendish, a bit for knowing that she is alive, which puts a whole panorama on this mission and also makes them reflect a bit about it all.
A little away from there, near a tree, Akko was running towards Diana, following Cavendish who was trying to run away, but she soon leaned against that tree and sat down crying, the Japanese girl was getting close to her, trying to find out what happened to the Scot, trying to console her.
Akko: Diana?
Diana: Get out of here Akko! I don't want to hurt you and I don't want to hurt anyone I'm a monster!
Akko: Diana... You are not a monster, it's okay, you saved us from the hands of Black Annis, we are okay because of you.
Diana: I let my instincts take over again, I thought I was a controlled creature, now look what I did to your face, you almost lost your sight because of me, who will say what can happen next, I thought I was a controlled person, but always that curse comes back to me.
Akko: You only got out of control once, for me you are the most controlled person I know, you are not a monster, you are Diana, the most righteous person of all, you are anything but out of control and even out of control you managed to defeat that ugly witch.
Diana is still left crying a bit, she wipes her tears away and Akko helps too, then Cavendish goes to put her hand in front of Kagari's eye, but Kagari just pushes it down and gets a smile on her face, even with that cut making some blood keep falling on her face.
Akko: You bet, this will stay on me as a mark of our friendship, I will look in the mirror every day and remember that I got this when you saved my life, it will stay in my memory as the scar of the journey I lived next to such a nice person like you Diana.
At that moment Cavendish was silent, with Kagari holding her hand, with a smile on her face the Scottish girl started to get flushed cheeks, then the two embrace, which makes Diana have a memory when the same thing happened 9 years ago only it was with Croix with almost the same words, when the little cabbage-haired girl killed a hare by instinct and went berserk devouring it.
Akko: Let's go back to the city, the girls will be worried about us, they should be there by now.
Diana only agrees with her head, half silent, she was quite embarrassed for that moment, the two go walking from that hill and go back to the city of Glastonbury, where Croix arrives with a bag in his hand walking to the centre of the city, where when she takes it from the bag she reveals the head of Black Annis to all the people that starts to cheer for Meridies, and all the group of huntresses for the mission accomplished.
Soon the duo also arrives there and they already find the whole movement strange, Diana arriving with an expression of disgust, much like Marianne was looking at that decapitated head of the blue
witch.
Diana: Croix, that's disgusting! You're holding the head of a dead creature, no need to show it off as a trophy, we already know we killed Black Annis, now get rid of it.
Croix: Diana you're back! How wonderful!
The two also arrive at the centre of town and with that Croix gives the head of Black Annis to Miranda Holbrooke, who was there and then the same delivers a bag of gold for the girls that are celebrating with a smile on the face, also the whole town celebrates the death of the witch, thus going to party that night with dances and music.
The group of girls returns to the inn, where they stay in their rooms, talking a little about the situation, including Croix notices Kagari's scar.
Croix: Cool ScarAkko, did you also decide to get a scar of the moment?
Diana: Excuse me in any way for the cause of concern, I ended up getting out of control by smelling human flesh and stuff, I ended up acting on pure instinct, I promise to try and control myself, I don't want to cause any more chaos.
Sucy: If you say you are sorry for doing the mission, then I want you to have more reasons to be sorry.
Everyone: Sucy!
Sucy: Oh come on, I can't be honest, we had the pleasure of winning all this money, not to mention that everyone will hear about the group of huntresses that is saving city by city, they will call us more, they will honour us, who knows, one day we might even get a real title for our courage and help.
Diana: Greedy as always Sucy, but I won't make a point of acting in this wild and uncontrolled way again, I've already decided that I will only carry out the missions in the most controlled way possible, I don't want to cause unnecessary and widespread chaos, no more making people suffer because of me.
Akko: One way or another, you will always have the support of all of us here, we are all your friends, we are here to support you and we will not give up for anything, our journey still has a lot to do, soon we will be in Ireland with one more on our side.
Sucy: Some of you are more than friends from what I can see.
Akko and Diana: Sucy!
The girls go for a relaxed laugh at a lighter moment like that, but Croix just goes on thinking about something else, she felt a bit in need of getting it off her chest when she heard what Black Annis said and soon reveals to Diana about it too.
Croix: Diana, your mother Bernadette Cavendish is still alive, Black Annis while fighting you said you are just like her master, meaning your mother is alive and is possibly behind these creatures attacking us.
At that moment Diana gets another shock in her head, she sort of gets no reaction at all, just quiet, not knowing how to react to that news that possibly the Countess Cavendish was alive and that she would have to deal with her when she went on her journey to find Chariot Belmont.
See you, killer witches...