Countess Cavendish Castle, Edinburgh, Scotland
Two groups split up into different routes, Akko, Lotte, Sucy, Hellene, Marianne and Diana took the main route towards the castle fortress where on the way they will still encounter some creatures that will be around getting in the way, mainly Elizabeth, who is waiting attentively for the Cavendish's presence. The other group on the other hand was formed by Amanda, Jasminka, Constanze and Croix, who were heading towards the royal chapel, since Meridies received the signal that Chariot would possibly be there and this time with the glasses in hands it would only be a matter of time for her to find out the truth and this way be able to save Du Nord from a prison that she has had in her head for all these 10 years, finally she will be free of this burden, but for this the four of them will still go through some beautiful difficulties on the way to the castle.
The four of them passed through the door, arrived at a corridor where they were already facing some flea men that were jumping from one side to the other, some even mounted on dragon skeletons all over that space, which was already a way for each of them to train their skills with the shots they had. Croix was showing a lot the speed and precision, taking advantage that she could have 10 shots in hands she was knocking down the flea men with an enormous easiness, impressing even Amanda that was with the crossbow practically competing with Meridies.
Amanda: You are really fast at shooting, will you want to compete with me who kills more?
Croix: The time for you to load arrow by arrow I have already unloaded half my shots, apart from the fact that Constanze is the one who is hitting more than us.
And really the Lombard was correct, the little girl was hitting the shots with tremendous precision, giving the shots as if it was nothing through the corridors and catching more targets than Amanda and Croix that remained talking among themselves, little by little that corridor was getting emptier and safer, since the amount of monsters was decreasing and with that the four were leaving a cover, opening more way in the corridor arriving until the door, where they faced a cave and in it there was a mine cart with four lined up, they look around there was nobody, no monster.
Croix: That's very strange, are we going to have to deal with some creatures inside that cart, I don't remember entering something like that when I went in the castle, until because who went the chapel route, I went the one outside where I found myself in Diana's room.
Amanda: What are we waiting for then, come on!
The four get in each one of the carts, Croix shoots a lever that was present, activating this way the rails and a mechanism that gives a push in the cart making that thing starts to run on the rails, what was starting to pass through a dark corridor, full of bats where the girls took cover, not to be hit by the creatures, little by little that cave was opening and had platforms with skeletons that had swords in hand and also axes,Meridies was soon starting to shoot them so they wouldn't throw themselves on the carts, the same way the others were doing, and Jasminka soon realized that behind also had other creatures that were following them, werewolves that were running after them, Antonenko shoots the ceiling and that causes a burial behind blocking the passage of most of the creatures behind, but also earth tremors.
Croix: Don't shoot at the ceiling! It could bury us too!
Jasminka listened to Meridies warning and was more careful, shooting the skeletons that were left over, which ended up being a powerful shot anyway, being saved for more special occasions, so much that Constanze stayed by her side to help, while in front stayed Amanda and Croix, always keeping their eyes open, they reached a part where the cart started to go down, holding on tight, in this even creatures stopped appearing.
They were screaming, Amanda was enjoying every moment, as well as Jasminka, while Croix and Constanze were terrified, and with that the cart gets lower going at full speed, where it faces a field full of devils and some jellyfish heads that were floating from one side to the other, they were trying to shoot as fast as they could, since they were still at a certain speed, reaching a looping through which they held very well including with the things and even made the cart give a slight reduction of speed, getting smoother.
Croix: Why all this? I don't doubt at all that if the castle had all this in my time Chariot would have loved to spend it all.
Amanda: I'm already loving it, these little cars going down the tracks like this, full of dangers, this is the best adventure I've had in my life, how could I never think of coming here before? This castle is just perfect!
Constanze gave a grunt and the girls soon got back to concentrating looking ahead, they started noticing that an army of skeletons was going in front of her, what was also practically a bowling alley for Jasminka that shot and was knocking down several that were going ahead until the cart was running over some bones and losing more speed, the few that were left were going behind, the girls were simply trying what they could to clear the way, but they were too many, Croix even tried to throw some bombs, but it seemed that they didn't want to finish with all the skeletons that were jumping from one side to the other, until the cart arrived in an ascent, where it definitely lost speed, then it started to go down, but it stopped, which was being taken by a device and the skeletons still kept following, but soon Jasminka was giving a way, shooting and dispersing most of them, who tried to get close.
Amanda: Shit! Now we're being attacked by the whole army of skeletons in this castle, this is so cool!
Croix: Cool is not dying, we have to manage to fix this, you don't have any sub items in hand?
Amanda uses hers which was a cube that went bouncing off the floor and ceiling which didn't have much accuracy in an open field, Croix bucks a candle and gets lucky, she managed to get it to end up dropping a holy water, she concentrates well, takes a deep breath and raises her finger trying to do something she's seen Chariot do before.
Croix: Hydro storm!
A light emanates around Croix and then a rain from the inside of that area starts to fall, ending up hitting all the skeletons around, since it was a rain of holy water, even making the girls have a rest in that climb that the cart was going to make, for a portion of time they found themselves free of that storm of monsters, but they were also being wet by the holy water that rained, Croix even takes the opportunity to give a rest in that cart, and prepare more ammunition, since he would still have more.
Amanda: That was a close one, you really saved us Croix, I didn't know you could use such cool powers.
Croix: I much less, at least now we are safe, I still have hearts for more, only I will save it, this attack is only for emergencies, now let's focus, there must still be a long way to go.
The storm stopped right at the time that the cart reaches the top and with that appears a mechanism that gives a kick that pushes more to give speed, in this they also enter in a cave corridor, which had armed knights that were throwing axes.
They were already preparing to shoot those, using the weapons they were being knocked down, mainly with the Meridies
shots that in only one hit they could take care of, one of them came to fall on the cart and was armed with a spear, but Amanda fight against him, getting to dodge the spear, taking it and sticking it in the chest and then letting go to the side, then she took the same spear and threw it at a creature that was right in front.
At the rear there were also some skeletons that were running armed with swords and axes, but they were less of a problem when Jasminka shot, a little more turned to the ground, since she could make everything collapse with the power of the shots from her hand cannon, Constanze was also helping, she shot the ones that were left and came out still in one piece to chase, one of them got to hold on to the cart, but soon released with a kick from Antonenko.
But things soon tightened when the cart stopped in the middle of the way, on a platform, on it started to appear goblins and knights with armor that were jumping to the side inside the cart.
Croix: You want hand-to-hand combat?
One of those knights tries to axe Croix, only she dodges, takes his weapon, hits him in the head, then Amanda uses her sub item causing that piece of cube to bounce more than anything else causing a nice damage to the creatures and almost hitting Jasminka and Constanze, Antonenko was just using brute force, punching and kicking the goblins and Braunschsbank was taking the sword of one and cutting the head of anyone who got close, only that things were getting tighter and tighter, they were getting more and more surrounded and in this the Meridies found themselves with no option, it was this or die.
Croix: Hydro Storm!
Again she uses the power and ends up freeing the skin of the girls just in the time that a knight was going to give a blow to Amanda, and little by little the creatures were being hit, being the gap that Meridies needed, she took the crossbow and hit the lever, causing the carts to move forward again and that way they were able to have a path.
Amanda: Saved by Croix's magic again.
Jasminka: Thank you Croix.
Croix: It was an emergency, there were too many of them, I couldn't risk our integrity that much, now at least we are safer, I hope this cart path will soon be over, I want to get to Chariot soon.
Amanda: I could go on forever, these things are so much fun. Hey Cons, we could build one of these things, a trolley track where you go up and down a path, like here.
Constanze just nodded, even though she thought the idea was a little scary, and the cart left that part of the cave again, starting to go in another downhill course, but this time it was going around in a curve as if it was going down a funnel, gaining more and more speed, The girls even held more firmly as the cart was getting momentum, even some creatures were falling trying to hit the girls, but it was too fast, even some of them tried to throw axes and spears at them that were dodging, or trying to hit them, trying what they could to not be hit.
The cart was arriving until the lowest point, already with a lot of speed, in another cave corridor, there were some goblins aiming arrows and barely caught the girls that dodged and then shot back, hitting them that were falling in the rails, others ran trying to attack them, some managed to jump to the cart, others were run over, those that jumped and managed were killed by shots as soon as they got close.
Amanda: Now that these things have been jumping around we're going to lose more speed, but damn, just when it was getting fun.
Croix: Is that your concern? How nice that we are going in a more normal way.
Little by little the cart was losing more speed, starting to get a more stable speed, but that was for a short time, since when passing that cave again ends up coming to a descent and this is much steeper, coming to make the cart gain even more speed, than ever before and was going like that until you reach a rise.
At the top of this climb there was a giant monster that was throwing barrels towards the girls, they started shooting at him, he was screaming more and more of pain, until he ended up dying and this way he fell in the cliff that was next to these tracks, the cart was going up and barrels were rolling, some even hitting that thing and that's when Croix ended up again using the Hydro Storm to save the girls skin, just when another army of goblins was coming running after them.
Amanda: Just when we were going to have a way down, it happens.
Croix: That descent was a real terror, I never thought I would end up almost vomiting because of that, good thing I used it just in time when those goblins from that cave would appear to attack us.
The storm dissipates, Jasmina takes the opportunity to bury that cave with a very precise shot and with that the goblins had nowhere else to go, having to stay buried, on the other hand the cart reached the top and was following the route, going straight, entering another tunnel, this one already had more monstrous creatures, besides the jellyfish heads that started to appear to make the girls hell.
They were armed with swords, but of a higher grade, and began to use their attacks of cuts and rays of light that were passing through the entire corridor, they were being shot at, but they protected themselves with magical barriers, at least against normal shots, since Jasminka's were having more effect, making those knights even take steps backwards, With that the other girls were focusing on hitting the medusa heads that were more vulnerable, the armors were soon defeated and with that the way was clear, the cart kept going until the end of the tunnel, where it suddenly started to gain speed, in a fast corridor, what the girls were holding on.
Amanda: Yes, that's wonderful! I love this place! It goes faster!
Croix: That sounds very strange to me.
The cart was gaining more and more speed, reaching the tip, where the girls didn't notice, but it was right where the rail reached the end only that there was no more bridge, the bridge was broken, the cart jumped with everything and then began to fall, the scared girls all jumped together, Croix held on to a broken iron beam of the rail, The other girls were holding on with her, one by one grabbing the leg of the other, Meridies was making strength and little by little she was getting up, making the necessary strength to have a floor, she was the first to climb, helping the other girls, until the four were safe.
Amanda: Yeee Haw! That was the best thing that ever happened in this castle! I loved every second of it, that trolley part was just amazing, that near death experience at the end was quite an adrenaline rush! Let's go again!
The three face O'Neill with that look of upset and not wanting to go back, the Irishwoman understands and with that they continue through the final tunnel, where there isn't much to walk, besides the final platform, which indicated where the trolley route ended, so much that they go up there and notice that the place showed signs of being the royal chapel, Croix even stands still admiring the door that had the stained-glass windows, passing her hand through it and thinking about her girlfriend who is being controlled.
Croix: I am coming Chariot, I have not given up a second of you my love, I will never give up, even if I die for it, I am here and I am going to free you from the hands and control of these monsters of this castle.
Amanda: Well I think it's hard for her to get out of control, if she came to the chapel royal, surely some priest brainwashed her, you know how the church is.
Jasminka and Constanze slap O'Neill who gets even a little inflated cheeks, but Croix just gets a little laugh at the situation, and agrees a little with his head.
Croix: Lucky it's not that Amanda, lucky it's not, she was always very devoted to the church, she even tried to explain her how rotten the whole system is, how it's just an institution that uses our heads to rip off gold and control what we can think and do, she even understood that, but she never stopped having an unshakable faith, even being homosexual like me, in the end she ended up here, she still has a spark of Chariot, but the Ursula part is controlling her, it must be a persona they used to control my Chariot... I'm sure of it.
Amanda: I was always against everything from the church, my parents were very devout, but when I found out the truth I was disgusted, I rebelled against everything and ran away from home, they never cared about me, especially when I met these two and honestly Croix, you can count on us, we will help you to free Chariot from this control.
Croix pats Amanda on the shoulder twice, then they go through the door, upon noticing, it was still a bit cave looking, but as soon as they all passed some stones start to fall signalling that a creature is about to appear, and that they will have to face, a small pile of stones starts to move, in it the creature is revealed, a huge stone golem looking somewhat intimidating.
Croix: Shit! A Golem! Our weapons become rather useless, this thing won't even feel our shots, the rest are just Jasminka's and look, we're really in a complicated situation, I didn't want to say anything, but we'd better think of a strategy.
At this time ghosts with flying skulls also appear, which Constanze shoots and the shots don't catch at all, but Amanda's arrows catch in full, what they are already formulating a way to defend themselves. The golem starts to walk towards the girls, Jasminka shoots and the creature defends with her hand, leaving a bit of a crack and a cannon ball that stays stuck in that hole, what the monster makes sure to shoot back with less intensity, just passing Antonenko.
Croix: This thing is really powerful, but it has a weak point, Jas, shoot where the creature's Star of David is, that's where the weak point is, it's usually hidden, if you hit it you can end up making it disassemble entirely.
Amanda: Ah finally this arrow was good for something, now I can actually use it for something.
Not only ghosts were appearing, but also some Cloaked Knights, that were starting to attack the girls with the spectral swords, they were dodging and hitting some shots, but these took more time to die, besides being agile, Jasminka was trying to find some gap to try to hit the weak point of the golem that was going towards her, Antonenko tries to hit the monster head, but nothing solved, only left some cracks, she then has an idea, waiting the 30 seconds of each shot she goes running distracting the monster that sometimes punched the ground making the stone stakes appear, but the Russian dodges with a calmness, while the girls were having bigger problems with the cloaked knights.
Croix: Those things are common in the clock tower, not here, those creatures are hell to kill.
Amanda: And those ghosts too, I hope that golem is defeated soon, I trust Jasna I know she will make it.
A cloaked Knight ends up hitting a grazing cut on Croix, who is left with an open wound on the shoulder, only Meridies still hits back with a piercing shot that caught the monster's head that ended up dying, Constanze was taking care of two at the same time, jumping back, giving some precise dodges and with that coming to have bigger gaps to shoot, impressing even Croix, the girl was simply silent and deadly.
Jasminka shot another shot right in the shoulder of the creature, which ended up cracking a part near the arm, then she let the shot load a little more, she went running away from the creature that was still following her, but she was persistent, getting another shot and hitting the other shoulder, the golem was trying to return the cannonballs. Noticing this continuous attack some Cloaked Knights were focusing on hitting Antonenko that was dodging them until using the sub item of the dagger that had caught to defend itself, until being protected by Constanze that gave a very accurate shot to the monsters.
Jasminka: Thank you cons.
It was enough time for the golem to hit Antonenko with a stone that caused her to be thrown to the other side of the arena, she narrowly missed ending up on a spear on the wall, which she caught and threw towards a Cloaked Knight that was about to stab her. Jasminka gets up, picks up the weapon, concentrates aiming at the golem that still continued to walk towards her, and takes a very accurate shot at the monster's waist, leaving another part cracked.
Constanze and Croix are surrounded again by Cloaked Knights, with that Meridies decides to appeal a little, noticing the situation she uses a Hydro Storm, that goes affecting the ghosts and the monsters with the spectral swords, saving the girls from some attacks that could end in a fatal way, but the golem remained intact.
Amanda: How come this thing hasn't died yet? You used the holy water rain.
Croix: Golems are holy, immune to holy water, you should already know, we are going to a chapel, practically using holy objects becomes useless, including holy water, it is only strong with forces of darkness, against the holy it is only water, besides that the golem's weak point is not even that, it is hidden in some random part of the body.
Amanda: I see, now we're really screwed.
Croix: Let's distract the golem, let's leave its weak point exposed.
The three agree and go shooting at the creature that turns to them, the golem starts to walk backwards and Jasminka makes a shot that gets the back of the head of the creature, but the stone monster just gets angry, turning to Antonenko and throwing stones everywhere, some of them hit her leaving her a little hurt, the girls go on shooting, Croix even tries to use totally piercing ammunition, but it only gets stuck inside the monster's body, she tries every way.
Jasminka even so gets up and takes a sledgehammer, she runs towards the golem, goes dodging the stone stakes that are made on the ground, jumps supporting the foot on one which almost does not make her cut and with a hammer in the chest, ends up causing a tremor in the monster that slowly disassembles and then falling into a piece with heaps of stone, which leaves Antonenko even relieved and celebrating, only that as she was walking forward and the storm was dissipates the monster was being rebuilt.
Croix: Jasminka! The golem has regenerated! Get out of there!
The golem punches Antonenko that makes her be thrown forward, hitting a wall, at the same time it revealed that the Star of David was on the left thigh, what Meridies tries to shoot, but it doesn't cause any damage, it only ends up leaving the ammunition stuck on the monster that starts running towards the girls, they are trying to escape and Jasminka is getting up weak and full of pain in the body, she notices the girls running away and is trying her best to help.
Croix: The left thigh! The weak point is the left thigh!
The golem punches a wall, almost hitting Croix who propels herself forward using her powers, still shooting at the monster that was following her throwing rocks, the Cloaked knights and ghosts were starting to appear again, Jasminka grabbed her hand cannon, The monster appears with the spectral sword, but soon Constanze is going to give a way and Croix too, getting the perfect opportunity for Jasminka.
She aims the sword right where she was, concentrates, taking a deep breath, with the cannon she fires a shot that catches the star of David that was on her thigh which leaves the golem starting to crack, then exploding flying stone everywhere, causing them to have to dodge as fast as possible while the creatures were being stoned, Croix manages in time to grab a shield and she goes throwing it to the girls and also to herself, protecting herself from the golem's explosion that even so ended up causing a nice damage to that arena and the shields, leaving mainly Jasminka well hurt.
The potion bottles soon appear, Antonenko is soon back to her full disposition and then she is received with a hug given by the two girlfriends that were being very affectionate with her, even giving some kisses to the girl, already Croix gives two pats on the shoulder of the brave Russian girl that managed to handle the Golem that not even they could, with the defeat of the monster all the other creatures disappeared and the way to the chapel was released.
Croix: Now yes, let's go to the royal chapel, I never went to that part of the castle, the one who went that way was Chariot, I don't even know what happened afterwards.
Amanda: We will know now, the truth will come out, we will rid Chariot Belmont of those manipulative spirits, I am sure that after this things will get better, this part of the cart was quite fun even, this castle itself is being my most fun adventure in my entire life, I never thought I would live such an epic moment in history.
Croix: I hope we don't have to resort to real violence, I don't want Chariot to end up in a fight to the death, the last thing I want is to end up killing my beloved, that would be the biggest shot in the foot, my luck is that we don't have a pact involving that.
Amanda: Sometimes I can really empathize and respect Diana and Hellene because of this, they have already accepted that their destiny one way or another is going to end up with them having to fight against their own mother, but they show a bravery that to me is to be admired, a situation like this I wouldn't even know what to do, their mother should be a good person, even with mine which is rotten I can't imagine killing her.
Croix: Now come on, soon we will end up meeting them too, at the end of this chapel there is a path that leads to the castle fortress, I suppose it might be another trolley ride that you love so much.
Amanda even opens a smile from end to end with her face, starting to walk out of there, more excited, with that they go to the door opening they are faced with a spiral staircase, only that is a long staircase they will have to pass, since there are some creatures waiting for them, besides barrels catching fire being thrown to the ground by a skeleton orangutans that was at the top. In the uppermost room of this chapel was Ursula, somewhat breathless, she sat on a chair and kept pounding the table angrily.
Ursula: Damn, damn, damn! This lilac haired wretch isn't enough that she finished off my monsters, she still came here to follow me, ahhhhhhh, I can't believe she really wants to insist on this thing, I'm not Chariot!
Voice of Chariot: The truth is coming out, your control over me will end once and for all, I will finally be free of your rottenness, you disgraced bishop!
Ursula: I don't accept that! I won't accept it! Never! Never! I belong to this body I am Ursula Callistis, I am invincible! I am the greatest! I am the lady of this castle! I who woke the master! I who made all this possible! No! No! No! Get away from me, you bastard!
Voice of Chariot: You get out of me, the body was always mine, you took it from me, you finished me off, all because I was about to defeat your master, I had to live in this prison for ten long years, ten years that I know how you are all traitors! Such wretches! How rotten you are! I was devoted for almost 20 years of my life to your beliefs! All I've gained is to have my mind controlled! I don't give a damn whether I'm accepted or not! You are the cancer of society, Countess Cavendish was right when she wanted to do away with you!
Ursula: Quiet! You're just a hallucination of mine! Get out of here! Die! Die! Your Croix will die the moment she gets here! She'll never defeat the creatures in the chapel! Never! And she will die! Even if she gets to me! I will show no mercy!
Ursula was out of control, she went whizzing off into the middle of nowhere, since there was no one there, just a hallucination of Chariot right in front of her, who was already quite disgusted with everything that had happened.
After the dangerous ride with the mine cart, they finally made it through the entire course almost dying from the dangers and many creatures, but this is still only the beginning of the journey through the royal chapel, where the real challenge begins, where the truth will come out and finally Chariot can perhaps see herself released from her control.
See you, minecart witches...