Countess Cavendish Castle, Edinburgh, Scotland

There were already two of five parts of the door that were taken by the girls, still missing two more parts and in this the three remaining parts are in a search that the other three groups are doing in the biggest parts of the castle where they are present, Hellene and Marianne going through the catacombs of the castle, Diana and Akko by the botanic garden and Croix by the coliseum, each one was going by a different part where they will have to go through some difficulties by the way, that is full of creatures of the night and some of them waiting specially to arrive and face their own, filling up the challenges ahead.

Marianne and Hellene passed to the catacombs and they're already facing a totally new place, full of drawers with bones and skeletons, with more morbid creatures, that part that was the most subterranean of the castle, they started walking through those corridors, attacking the skeletons that went up to the duo, but they still managed to deal with a little bit of tranquility those monsters attacks, until they were very united, even at the attack time, one joined the other's back, taking care of the surroundings, with McLaren punching the monsters using her powerful fists and Leblanc hitting the monsters at a distance.

Hellene: After all those copies we faced, this castle is really going to be full of surprises, can't wait to have more fights on this place, this place is really awesome, but a bit cold.

Marianne: I've come so far down that I already imagine that we will end up on the other side of the world if we keep on digging like this, or else we are digging to go to hell haha.

The duo kept going down the corridor, defending themselves from the flying skulls that went towards them, and also from skeletons, some armed with their own body parts, being as clumsy as Leblanc herself, since they got close to the girls and many times tripped or caught their own limbs, which ended up making them fall the same way.

Hellene: The watch is very good, but I ended up spending too much.

Marianne: Let's try to spend as little as possible, collect a lot of hearts, it's going to happen that at the end of this path there is some creature that wants to attack us, you can be sure that there will be.

Hellene nods, as they go down the corridors, arriving lower, again the castle has a more cavernous appearance, having even a more prison-like appearance only in this case being guarded by creatures of the night and the things trapped were another of them, where skeletons opened the cells and revealed werewolves that were facing the duo that were already going to defend themselves from the creatures' attacks.

Marianne: Now creatures like you become love.

Hellene: Fuck you, I don't look that ugly.

Both of them started getting more in formation and Leblanc jumped, leaning the whip on a hook that she saw hitting the creatures with her feet. Hellene was punching the werewolves practically on equal footing and noticing that the creatures were stronger than the common McLaren appealed to throw fireballs, starting to incinerate one by one. On the other side Marianne, on the other side, was whipping them, some of them unintentionally, managing to protect her girlfriend from being caught from behind, what was already opening the way, since there were no more cells to open and with that the skeletons were running scared in that corridor, throwing themselves into a hole at the end of it.
When they get close they are surprised by a lapid that falls right in front of them, this lapid had a face and started to throw fireballs towards the two that were dodging and with that together they were thinking of a way to attack that thing.

Hellene: I'll give you a boost and then you give me more boost.

Hellene throws Marianne towards a hook, she catches herself with the whip, then McLaren jumps towards her girlfriend, leaning on her legs, throws herself harder and goes towards the lapid, making a volley with both feet that hits the giant lapid, which breaks into pieces, catching fire and opening the way for the duo to continue exploring the castle.
Taking advantage of the moment, the redhead jumps into the hole where the skeletons threw themselves, calls for her girlfriend, who gets off the hook, then jumps into the place, being held in her arms by the dhampir. When they arrive there they find a somewhat different environment, some goblins were running and setting fire to the different corners of the corridor, setting those cave walls on fire.

Hellene: I never thought I would see dumb creatures before.

The goblins themselves often ended up hitting and burning each other, some dying by themselves on the way, since those didn't follow the pattern of following the duo, going in a random route, even floating and in turn marking the way with fireballs floating in the air, Hellene soon began to attack, she was throwing fireballs too, which was spreading more, noticing that that place the fireballs lost the physics of gravity the redhead stops throwing.

Marianne: Leave it to me.

Marianne was starting to take steps forward whipping around, which was starting the fire, opening more path through the corridor, besides hitting some goblins that continued on the same path, she was able to pass with more tranquility, little by little opening the path in the corridor until reaching another hole, then the two look deeper and notice that there is a light underneath, but there is also what seems to be water. Hellene pushes her girlfriend, who falls and screams. McLaren throws herself and falls before her girlfriend, who is held by her arms, then she is slapped on the face.

Marianne: Don't ever push me like that again!

Hellene just kept waving her hands signaling that she would stop and with that they stopped at another point of the cave, falling into a cave, full of lakes, there some creatures have already heard and realized the presence of the two, what skeletons have already started to move, along with bats flying towards the two, that were starting to walk through the open area, that had some wooden bridges that were broken.
They quickly left the water that was with some creatures wanting to attack them, on the surface was full of crabs that were a little faster than normal and were going towards the pair.

Marianne: The meat from those things is very good, it rarely appeared in Sarah's castle, she always left a little bit for me and my mother to eat.

Hellene punching a crab really hard: where this has meat... Ahhh... Inside.

She caught that piece of meat with a strong punch that went through the strong exoskeleton, warmed it up with fire and gave it a taste, showing an expression that she liked the taste of the creature, but even so she continued with the attack, Marianne on the other hand was taking care of the rear, with the several bats that were going towards the duo, they kept on the way, killing creature by creature.
Passing by that place, following the path soon familiar faces appeared, with mermans jumping out of the water all the time, as always being victims of the duo attacks.

Marianne: Those were the only ones missing.

They reach a passage, walking down the corridor, they come across giant buers that were spinning down the descent to the next part of the castle, the two hit the creature hard, with ease going down the ramp, reaching another part of the castle, this one was a corridor with a light water, It started to go alone through the narrow corridor, while mermans jumped out of it, only Marianne was managing using the whip, Hellene with her hands was giving more impulse to the raft to go faster.

Marianne: We are already back again in another cave, it looks like we are going to face something deep in hell the way it looks.

The raft passes through the corridor, reaching another underground floor, this one already had a waterfall on the tip, through which the water was falling on that side and with that the duo jumped to the side, staying on the surface, since the raft was destroyed with the strength and power of the water that was falling.
The duo went the way they had, on it some crabs started to get on top of them trying to surround them, but McLaren used some of her magic, concentrating some spirits and then she uses a soul steal, recovering some vigor on both girls.
Some skeletons come running out to attack them, but they make fun of the ones that don't show much to Marianne and Hellene who simply find it routine to attack these creatures, but little by little they started to have more difficulties again.

Marianne: Those little skeletons are rubbish, an insult to us.

Hellene: If the main monster is a skeleton like that then it will be even dull, after facing those copies, they were more work than those things hahaha.

Both started to come across some witches that were starting to fly towards the two, skeleton witches, shooting spells, flying on brooms, they were already dodging, Marianne hit with the whip on the broom in one, ending up flying out, kind of scared, she climbed on top of that broom, hit the witch, kept flying, trying somehow to get control, but crashed into a stalactite, which fell on top of a group of crabs that was going towards Hellene, killing them on the way.
McLaren manages to take down the witches simply with the spirit spells that are easily hitting them falling off the broom, freeing up a bit more path in the corridor, reaching another session where they are facing a small pond.

Hellene: I guess we'll have to swim.

Marianne: Hellene I can't swim and I can't even hold my breath underwater.

Hellene looks at her girlfriend, starts to put her hand on her chin, then holds her hand, jumping into the water, diving as fast as she can, Marianne holds on tightly to her girlfriend, then they stop at the surface, it was just a little hole where they would have to pass if they wanted to get to the other side, another more open part of the cave, but a little drier.

Marianne coughing: Ahhhh hell that's too bad, you didn't even think of me, I'm not super human no.

Hellene: I managed to look the other way and noticed that there were no creatures, plus it was just a swim to the surface again, I wouldn't stay swimming for long, I know your limitations love, now come on, we should be close.

Walking through the cave the duo marvelled at the place, where they had many crystals, a much more beautiful setting than before, precious stones, a lightness with waterfalls, candles, and some creatures, one of them was a man who appeared with a straw hat that began to want to fight with the duo.

Hellene: Come on, a guy like that wants to get at us.

McLaren fought against it, hitting a single punch that ended up making the creature dissolve, they continued, more creatures appeared, wisps that started to chase them, only these ones were different, being totally corrupted, of a purplish colour, the two were dealing with them until with tranquility, but when they were walking more the situation tightened a little when they had some Cù Siths facing one of the bridges behind them and in front they had wisps, surrounding everything around.
Hellene soon made sure to use the sub-item of the clock, stopping time all around, and with that punched the crystals around, managing to catch them, throwing towards the canine creatures and also the flying fireballs until time turns and the creatures are mostly hit, clearing more way.

Marianne: Have you stopped time?

Hellene: It was necessary, you could end up dying, now let's fix those that are left.

Both started to hit the remaining Cù Siths, passing by the bridge they had to deal with mermans as usual jumping out of the water and also fireballs going towards both of them, since they had bone pillars that were hitting McLaren, who was slightly irritated by the burns on her arm, she punched a stone nearby with some crystals and threw it towards the pillars that were falling one by one, Marianne was dealing with the creatures around her, using even the cross once.

Hellene: Did you have that all the time?

Marianne: I'm being careful, I can't just use it without thinking, we might end up running into a more dangerous creature.

Hellene: You're right, from the looks of it everything is leading up to us meeting this creature then.

They go passing through the bridge, with some difficulties because they are always surrounded, they manage to get to the end, where there was a ghost piper playing a flute and making these wisps follow them.

Hellene: What? A spirit creature? What the fuck!

Marianne went up with the whip, but with her it ended up being efficient, the vampire killer showed that was managing to hit the creature, what McLaren starts to help hitting the wisps that were going up the girlfriend, releasing the way, what was little by little hitting the monster that was playing the bagpipes.
With some hits, the ghost disappeared and with that the wisps went together, clearing the way for the couple that had only one corridor to go, but this corridor seemed to have a little bit of water and with that both of them looked at each other.

Hellene: I know you're not close to water, but we're going to have to pass through here, luckily the water doesn't go past the shin, so it's quiet, you can walk, there are no creatures of the night either.

Marianne trusts her girlfriend, stepping on the water, she notices that it was not very deep, it was only a little bit lower for Hellene, it covered even McLaren's shin, she started walking through the corridors of water, slowly looking and checking every part of the way, taking the necessary care, but there was no creature, luckily for the pair, until some goblins suddenly appear, both of them jump with fright and start trying to get them away from them.
The small creatures are climbing them, but soon Hellene gives a blast with magic, scaring them away from getting close to her own body, and then she takes them away from her girlfriend that gets a little bit traumatized.

Marianne: Die!

Extremely angry Marianne was lashing out everywhere, causing the goblins to be killed one by one in this process, ending up not being able to get so close even running from fear, with that Hellene could notice that they came out of a hole, she punched the wall near the holes, burying the exit of the same, creating even a very thick layer of that, which was also slowly flooding that part, being possible to hear the screams of those creatures.

Hellene: Is everything all right my love?

Marianne: No! These things kept rubbing that thing in my face...

Hellene punched even harder on the wall, leaving the hole on one side more buried, then they walked through the corridors, where they could notice that some candles were being lit, until they arrived in a place that looked like a circular arena, when they passed by there they noticed stones falling on the two exits, which signalled that it was another place where they would fight with the creature of the night of the castle.

Hellene: As I expected, another creature of the night here, they really love our presence.

An equine creature appears from the water, with a scaly body and a unicorn horn, it starts trotting, some wisps are surrounding it, the duo was already preparing to attack, the creature submerges into the water, which makes us notice that the water is deeper there, At that moment, McLaren waves to his girlfriend and jumps into the lagoon, while Leblanc goes up the wisps that are circling around, which are coming out of some holes.

Marianne: Now I can spend at will! Let's see if you can hold your own against Marianne Leblanc!

From some holes she could notice that wisps were coming out, and with that Marianne started taking out of her pocket bottles of holy water, filling them in the hole and finishing each one of the sixteen creatures that were coming out, some even entered the water and managed to survive to disturb Hellene.
Down at the water a fight started between Kelpie and McLaren, which was getting more complicated because the equine creature had agility and strength under the water, what the redhead couldn't even in the form of a wolf, being constantly hit from one side to the other, what was making the dhampir more irritated, She tried to cut it, she tried to use spells, but the creature gave her more and more attacks, even getting one that ended up giving a hole in her shoulder and with that raising a little blood in the water.
Marianne was plugging the fifth wisp
hole when this happened, noticing the blood rising, she jumps in the water even without knowing how to swim she goes sinking and throws to some crosses, she also tries to whip but the strength of the water is too much for the human, Noticing that she could be hit by a horn of the equine creature, McLaren well hurt gives a propulsion with everything, being hit on the back by a Kelpie's stab, but luckily she manages to jump out of the water together with Leblanc who is spitting some water and coughing too.

Marianne: Hellene! Baby! You're alive!

Hellene: I'm still a dhampir, that thing won't kill me like that, I just need a Soul Steal.

Hellene does a soul steal taking souls from the wisps that were going to surround the girls and with that she recovers the injured shoulder, she stands up while Marianne coughs and Kelpie himself appears out of the water to spit fire, hitting McLaren who is complaining of pain, Leblanc defends herself with the cross that catches the monster head on.
The McLaren keeps on punching near the wisps and starts to create a pressure in each one of them, which keeps getting closed, sporadically the Kelpie would emerge to throw fire on the two girls who were taking cover in order to defend themselves. At that moment they have a genial idea as the wisps are piling up.

Hellene and Marianne: Let's boil the water!

Hellene starts to use fireball spells to heat more the water where Kelpie was, it was already noticeable how the water was getting warmer, the creature emerged and Leblanc distracted it using the cross hitting it from time to time, that was little by little getting more and more irritated with the movement of the water, until without more pressure they end up bursting the holes of the wisps that were covered, many of the creatures got out of there, the French woman takes cover hiding herself.

Hellene: Come and get me!

Hellene jumps into the water, with everything, comes across Kelpie swimming with everything facing her, being caught with a graze cut by the horn, McLaren swims with everything down the wisps go following her, along with Kelpie, she reaches the bottom, Kelpie does the same thing, then McLaren hits a fireball spell that makes the wisps explode, the momentum takes her out of the water besides generating heat, so much that the redhead comes out all red and sore with the water boiling on her body.

Hellene: Soul Steal!

Using the spell to steal souls she recovers a little from her injuries, she gets up a little breathless, the water gets hotter, steam comes out and bubbles, with that Kelpie goes out to the land form and with that McLaren gets excited.

Hellene: Now we'll see who is stronger little horse, I'll finish him off and you finish the rest of the wisps my love.

Marianne nods, she uses the sub items to help opening this path, putting holy water in each hole, which is gradually being covered, meanwhile McLaren was getting the best of the equine creature that on earth had the agility of a normal horse, what was making it easier for the redhead that was jumping from one side to the other in the form of a wolf, dodging the attacks that were given and attacked.
Soon the wisps
holes were all plugged and with that the way for Kelpie to be defeated was becoming more open.

Marianne: There are two in this game and I am also here to join the fray.

Hellene was getting a smile on her face, she was starting to hold Kelpie by the horn as the creature walked forward and prepared a fireball, but was soon hit by a whip followed by a cross thrown by Marianne who arrived behind the creature who turned and went to scorch Leblanc, only to end up taking a strong punch given by McLaren hitting the fire towards the water.

Hellene: Lay one finger on my wife and I will make you know hell in an instant.

Hellene started punching the creature, stopping the time, getting some crystals, even pulled out the horn of the Kelpie itself, throwing it against the creature, which was hit as soon as time returned to normal, what ended up leaving the creature hurt, to the point of falling into the water, screaming equine sounds that were echoing throughout the cave, at the same time the creature tries to transform itself, but McLaren gets crystals in her hand, jumps into the water, stops the time again, with all her strength throws more of them, quickly.
Time goes back, hitting more of those rocks with more impact due to being underwater, the creature swims to the surface, ends up head-butting McLaren since it ran out of horns taking it to the surface.

Marianne: Go Love!

Leblanc gives an extra strength, hitting it with everything using the whip and with that the creature in the air ends up burning, staying only in a skeletal form, then starting to dissolve, becoming only a pile of ashes that fell on the hot water, with that Kelpie was defeated, With that another creature of the castle was defeated, with that one more vial ends up appearing for the girls, Hellene feels more vigorous, already Marianne also, the two panting see the stones move and give the passage for both to pass, they go walking through the corridor and are surprised again with combats.

Marianne: Oh fuck off, these things keep coming up!

Hellene: I swear that after this I will rest as much as possible.

Marianne: The worst of it is that this seems to be just the beginning.

The two go attacking the mermans that were emerging jumping from the water in that corridor, it wasn't so big, so they were managing with some ease, passing through there dealing with the creatures calmly, they arrive at a room, where there is the fragment of the door that they so much needed, relieved the two kiss and hug each other.

Marianne: Finally! We've done it!

Hellene: Worst of all there's more, next time I'll choose the botanical garden, at least there won't be the long way around.

The two open another door, since the teleportation platform was not there and with that they face a corridor full of creatures with some skeletons armed with arquebuses, taking a shield they protect themselves and with the few hearts that were left Leblanc was opening the way until they reach another room, there was a teleportation platform and a chest, in this chest when they open they notice that has a cannon inside, with that they take the chest without touching what was inside. They
go to the teleportation platform, being quickly transported to the central hall, where they meet with the trio of Amanda, Jasminka and Constanze and also with the duo of Lotte and Sucy, the two go towards the two arriving kind of surprise.

Amanda: woah we didn't even notice you guys coming, looks like it was complicated huh, all that blood on your clothes, not to mention you look like you got really wet.

Hellene: We faced our own copies and an aquatic unicorn, I almost died to that thing, it gave some very deep cuts, they could have taken my heart or my head, but lucky for me the monster was dumb.

Marianne: And we also found the door fragment, now all that's missing is... The only thing missing is Croix, my sister and Akko, they must still be having the hardest time, we also found a chest, with something that will interest Jasminka.

Marianne hands the huge chest to Jasminka who on opening it notices that inside it had a cannon when touching the Antonenko she can feel an energy emanating from it and a glow went from that cannon to her hand cannon which became a little better, having a little more improvements, coming with a note which was written "Infinity, you will not need to carry ammunition anymore, just insert a cannon ball by pulling the infinity lever and you can use as many ammunition as you want having only to wait 30 seconds for each shot".

Jasminka: I have infinite cannon now, I don't need to carry much weight anymore.

Amanda: That's very good my love! We'll be able to shoot more often, your gun is the best among the lot and if you can move with more agility it will make our missions much easier.

Jasminka: Still I have to count to 30 to shoot each time, it's a bit faster than it usually takes me to arm each shot, so still I'm happy, we can save time that way.

Hellene: Great, the one with the cannon shoots faster, you'll be able to clear the way better that way, you have no idea how good your help can be, you gave me a hard time, I was really afraid of being hit by your ammo.

Amanda: And so you want to hear how our part in the castle went?

Hellene and Marianne nod their heads, they start to listen about the routes that the trio of Amanda and the couple of Lotte and Sucy did through the castle, telling every detail, O'Neill telling about the prison, how he saved some people from dying, they were even narrated by one of the prisoners. Lotte and Sucy told about the library, how they had a good job when it was time to defeat The Great Hand, since the exit was buried and they had to dig, making McLaren have a good laugh with the magic that Yanson said she used.

Hellene: Hahahaha! Shovel Magic, that was a good one, put this girl with ropey arms to work, that's really good, the skinny girl lifting weights, I really wanted to see that.

Sucy: Atleast we came out unscathed, you almost died to a horned horse, so the strongest of us almost died in that castle.

Hellene: You wouldn't last a second in my part of the castle, your arrows would be of no use, even more so when facing your own copy, imagine being hit by an arrow from your own copy.

Amanda: You say that, but you have never known the real hell, that prison is treacherous, that Ghost piper not to mention, I couldn't hit it because it was a spirit.

Hellene laughing: That ghost? It's even stupid, me and Mari finished it with a blink of an eye, we only need her whip, that thing is easy, easy to defeat, the wisps were more work than that ghost hahaha.

Lotte: Woah! Woah! Woah! No discussion girls, let's admire that we have one thing in common, we made it through and we now have three fragments of the door.

They were talking in a relaxed way, at that moment Bernadette was also looking at the crystal ball relieved to see that her daughter succeeded, the other daughter was observing that she was having quite a battle with one of the creatures of the castle, having a smile on her face.

[Bernadette: Hellene, congratulations, you have succeeded my daughter, that was a close one, I really think that Kelpie took it hard, but I am happy that she is succeeding, I am confident that they can really put an end to all of this and you too Diana, I know that this fight is taking a lot out of your emotions, but unfortunately they are the ones who want to opt for this].

Bernadette walked to the window holding that crystal ball, floating right in front of the moon that was emitting a bluish colour, the sky was already dark at that hour, showing that a good amount of time had already passed inside, even more so since at the time it still gets dark a little earlier than normal. Cavendish was left still thinking about her daughters and how they had matured a lot.

Three of five, only two fragments to go, Bernadette Cavendish's castle little by little is being more unravelled and explored, being only a matter of time until the infamous return to come across Elizabeth who is behind that door waiting for the girls to pass by, so that the second phase of the castle starts, where things are going to get much more complicated.

See you, kelpie witches...