Countess Cavendish Castle, Edinburgh, Scotland

The journey through the castle still continues, although Chariot had already returned to normal and got rid of the mind control, there were still some things that were happening in the meantime, the main group of girls were starting to arrive in the penultimate area of the castle before reaching the fortress where Bernadette was waiting for them, the clock tower is the next step for the girls to reach the vampire, but for that they will have to pass through the most difficult area of the whole place, which will be full of challenges and many extremely strong and powerful creatures, all this while the other group was also going towards the meeting with them, the great moment that will determine what this journey will lead.

After the defeat of Elizabeth the six girls pass through the door that gives in a room that already shows that they were in the clock tower, kind of already facing some gears, besides the jellyfish heads present there, but that wasn't even the main tower, it was just a mechanism one, also present there are again flea mens with armours that are jumping from one gear to the other trying to hit the girls with everything.

Akko: These little midgets around here, what a pain in the ass, I hate having to deal with these things, but come on.

Diana and Hellene already went ahead flying dematerialized, simply distracting the flea men that ended up jumping and falling from the high gears and crashing on the ground while the girls below dealt with the jellyfish heads and other of those flea men that were still alive, Lotte uses a glyph and Marianne and Akko climb on top of the magic, which then propels them all the way up, arriving at the same point where Diana and Hellene were.
Then Lotte and Sucy were the next to propel themselves and this way the two dhampirs get out of hanging upside down with their feet supported on a pipe, they get out of there and still with some creatures pass through the door, where they find an open area where it's already possible to see the castle fortress getting huge and close and also the clock tower.
That whole open part of the castle was where an open hall was and there were some creatures dancing in front of the place, besides the broken bridges, what they are taking advantage of and going forward, but they are soon noticed by ghost skulls that are going towards the two.

Diana: Remember when we were children and the clock tower was one of the places we played? It was prettier, it wasn't in ruins, there were even some little devils that used to play with us, they were very friendly with us.

Hellene: Passing through here brings back some of those memories, Mama Laura loved this place, she always came here, or else she went to the alchemy lab that was near here, only it's moved, to think that now we're killing creatures that used to be our friends, that's what pisses me off the most.

Diana: That's basically what happened to me when I left here, it was a shock to go out killing creatures that were used to being so friendly to me suddenly became hostile, I had to go out with my sword cutting and clearing the way, helping Croix I had to save her life several times, it amazes me how she got that far, but here we are, come on.

The six go running and jumping from bridge to bridge of the fragments, right in the middle of that path where it was full of creatures walking from side to side underneath, including some archer skeletons that were trying to hit the girls, but Sucy was there to save a little hitting the creatures trying to commit something against the group.
On the bridge itself also appeared some spectral swords that were being knocked down by attacks from Diana that passed dematerialized then made cuts, already Akko was opening from the front since the path was full of flea mens with armors.

Akko: As always these things come to us, but they fall apart very quickly with my cuts.

Hellene: You don't even leave the best for us, they all come already chopped up back here.

Marianne: You can keep chopping Akko, I don't see a problem, at least that leaves only the easiest creatures to kill for us, at least what comes this way.

They continued crossing the bridges, dealing from time to time with jellyfish heads and ghosts of skulls flying towards them while they crossed the broken bridge, arriving to a part where they had pillars that in them they had pectorals and a crossbow, Lotte uses her glyph spell and propels Sucy that gets an improvement for the crossbow, She can shoot arrows that go to a higher speed, but the one who got the pectoral was Marianne who got lighter and has a higher resistance, from the two pillars the two jumped from there and went back to the ruins, continuing the path, until arriving at the final parts of the bridge, where they see the clock tower very close, which is one of the highest parts of the castle.

Akko: The clock tower, soon we will be at the fortress.

Diana: This is always considered the most dangerous place, my mother always told me that the monsters near the fortress and also the clock tower are the most dangerous, this at least when she went to the castle and told me this from the time when my mother Bern wasn't dating her.

Akko: I imagine, when you get close to her the challenge has to increase, after all who would want a group of hunters to get to the fortress and come and kill her, so it makes sense.

The girls enter the clock tower and there they come across mechanisms, gears, pendulums, cloaked knights, jellyfish heads, chains, belts, harpies that were throwing daggers and some sharp parts through which the girls would have to be very careful if they want to go through there. Marianne and Akko even swallow their saliva when they see what they are going to have up there, while Diana and Hellene simply snap their necks, feeling very calm.

Diana: That will be fun.

Hellene: No doubt about it, sis, quite a challenge.

The two stare at each other and walk away from there dematerialising, while Akko and Marianne stare at each other with a slightly angry look on their faces, starting to notice some kind of strange behaviour from the dhampir sisters, so much so that they stare at each other, talking about it.

Akko: I get the impression that they are wanting to do everything on their own, don't you think so Mari? Since Elizabeth was defeated we've kind of fallen by the wayside.

Marianne: I'm sure, they're too distracted by these creatures, I think what Diana said about going alone with Hellene to the fortress and this way of fighting alone already shows that she's sure to act on her own.

Sucy: Let's stop talking and help the girls, they need help, come on.

Lotte uses the glyph, propelling Akko and Marianne upwards, they go about helping Diana and Hellene hitting some cloaked knights from behind who wanted to take a hit that way, with that Leblanc attaches herself to one of the gears using the whip, then helps Akko stand on top of it, fighting off the harpies who kept firing daggers at Kagari who then helps the Frenchwoman climb on top of the gear, standing practically halfway up the tower.

Akko: Thank you Mari, you are wonderful.

Marianne: We have to help each other, you always say that.

The two join hands and together they are facing the harpies. Leblanc was clumsy enough to fall off the gears, but lucky to fall right on top of a cloaked knight that made her fly up, she jumped and stayed a few floors up, giving the whip to Kagari to climb as if it was a rope, at the same time Sucy and Lotte were also climbing and Leblanc was helping them, hitting the creatures around her using their weapons, while up there Diana and Hellene were practically alone taking care of the monsters that were appearing, the two were practically in a synchrony with McLaren throwing the Cavendish that was practically passing with a huge facility by the cloaked knights, the redhead was hit by some of the spectral swords of the monsters, but she ended up catching them with her hand and then she took the chance to throw back at the creatures, after that she was throwing punches, where they ended up dematerializing and clapping their hands smiling.

Hellene: Until doing the mission with you is quite fun sis, you are good with the sword and know how to use the powers the way I can combine them with my blows.

Diana: I'm just trying what I can, we're almost at the top.

Hellene: And the girls?

Diana: We are clearing the way for them, we kind of have to practice a bit, I don't want the girls to go with us when we go to talk to their mother.

Hellene agrees with her head and with that they continue attacking the creatures around them, going up little by little to reach the top, kind of clearing the way for the other four that were climbing little by little, with Lotte's help they throw themselves higher, where they lean on gears and the four of them together manage to hit the monsters that were surrounding them, getting a support with Diana and Hellene that cast spells and with that they have the way free besides hitting some monsters with their own weapons.

Akko: We are almost at the top, almost there.

Up there Diana and Hellene reached the door of the top and with that they were finishing with some of the creatures remaining there, with Cavendish hitting some cuts along with Hellene that was throwing fireballs and punching some creatures that came close, little by little it was getting more free, but when they reach the door, they notice that there is a note written with paper, having the letters a little messed up, with a terrible writing.

"yu nid two konfront, we're goin kill, you defeat uss, ky to door yo had, signet the impz, Nicko, Cerberus, Synca, Plov, Carrot y Cas"

Hellene: Looks like we won't be able to open this without defeating the imps down there, I remember some of these names.

Diana landing: So it looks like we have to enter the tower's trapdoor, you can see that the doors are well marked by the imps, well, anyway, let's wait for the girls and help them.

The other four were going up, dodging the monsters, finally Marianne is the first to reach the top, she gets a little out of breath, having the help of Hellene who feels the extra weight, with a great help from the dhampir she manages to climb the four girls who reached the highest part, at the door that indicates the exit to the castle fortress, but they were faced with the same message.

Akko: What a badly written business, it sounds like the English that Diana speaks when she is embarrassed, or Hellene trying to flirt with Marianne haha.

Blushing Diana: Dinnae blether that wey aboot mah scots accent, ah kin keep mah elegance, tis ye that mak's me a bawherr fair affronted whiles.

Sucy: So we're going to have to face imps up there, that's going to be easy, easy, those things are just pathetic, we've killed several of those already.

Diana recomposing: Only these are not common imps, they are from the elite of hell, they are rational imps, these are not simple invocations, they are from people who died and went to hell, keeping a lot of their personality when they died, they are intelligent and know how to use malemolence, so be careful.

The six get together getting under the trapdoor where Marianne uses the whip on the door, pulling down and this way releasing a staircase, where they go up by there where they found the corridor already having some paintings with blood and pentagram drawings, with a very weak light the place was dark, this until the point of lighting up the whole place and the six imps appear waving to the girls.
Cerberus and Plov were with firearms, Synca with an axe, being the only female of the whole group, Carrot with a assassin knife, Nicko using a spear and finally Cas who didn't use any weapon, only his fists, their leader stood up being Cerberus.

Cerberus: Welcome to the Imp fest.

Nicko: We will poke your guts out.

Carrot: And have you banished from this world, joining us in hell, where the party is much more fun.

Synca: Hmmmmm, it's been a long time since I've seen any hunter girls around here, it'll be interesting, are there any of you who are older? I would love to send you girls to the ditch afterwards.

Marianne: We will send you all back where you came from, we are prepared for that, you are welcome to come, we are not like the last hunters who came.

Carrot: You are right, I know the two dhampirs, we are aware of their powers, but I will still put them to sleep quickly with our strength.

With this speech given by the creatures, they are in a fighting position and the girls take the opportunity to prepare themselves, they take cover and dodge the shots given by Cerb and Plov that almost caught the six since they were using a different type of arqueabuz that can shoot faster.
Sucy soon launches some bombs and soon the imps are dispersing, hiding in the walls, some even hitting head on with the girls, Synca almost hit Akko with the axe, who dodges quickly, starting a fight between the weapons, having to dodge the strong attacks of the imp.

Synca: Woah what strong arms girl.

Meanwhile, Diana went up the two imps that were shooting with arquebuses, she managed to disarm Plov but Cerberus took cover, what ended up making the Cavendish come to chase the leader that even hit a graze shot on the dhampir face, Lotte took advantage of the gap, cast some spells against the imp that was armed not allowing him to take the gun, this way managing to make the girls get more area to fight.
Hellene and Cas had the upper hand in a fight that McLaren was demonstrating that she was in the advantage and with a bigger ability, since the dhampir powers were much superior in relation to the troll, what was being evident in the punches that the red haired girl was hitting and also the quick dodges given with the dematerialized Hellene.
Sucy was almost hit by Carrot's knife that gave a strong blow, on the wall, which she dodges and gives an arrow that catches the hand of the goblin that gives a whimper of pain.
Finally Marianne was almost cut by the spear that Nicko used, but the same clumsy troll ran and took a tumble where it passed with the spear grazing the arm of Leblanc who hit a whip on the head of the troll that was passing the hand feeling some pain.

Nicko: Ahhhh, I just wanted to do a good job, the mistress said she would be proud of me.

Marianne: A shame you met with slayers like us, I'm really going to make you go to, woah, that was almost.

Nicko gets up and tries to hit Leblanc, who is dodging, using the whip she manages to disarm the juggernaut, then she punches the monster that ends up being thrown backwards.
Meanwhile Akko kept hitting blades with Synca that was finding and forcing even more the blade against the Japanese, who was weakening with the impact of the female imp.

Synca: What moves and what a slender body, you really would be a fine one of a devil, I would love to go out with you.

Akko making her blade strike with her axe: I already have someone! Even if I die here I won't stop thinking about that person.

Synca: Oh how cute, a human who is living a romance, too bad she won't be able to live up to it, I have to say that a human who is in a homosexual romance is to be respected, I will have the honor to kill you and I will respect you there in hell.

Akko then gives a headbutt, followed by a kick in the middle of the legs and a pull of the tail, that she ends up almost hitting with her sword on Synca's blade, with that the two jump back and face each other panting, even the demoness ends up with a smile on her face watching that scene, the two attack each other again.
Meanwhile Diana arrived close to Cerberus and he hit with everything a shot with the arquebus that caught the Cavendish's chest, leaving a wound there that she soon hit with the sword on the monster's chest that cries out in pain.

Diana: You have done the last thing you could have done in your short life on earth, now go back where you belong creature from hell.

Cerberus: Goodbye Cavendish, it has been a good time working for you, I will return, but soon someone will call me back.

Diana takes the sword from the imp who is bleeding and Cerberus is the first to fall, then she cleans the sword and watches the other girls fighting against the demons. Hellene was another who was getting it with ease, throwing a few punches that stunned Cas, with a more powerful one she simply managed to get her claws in and through the chest of the imp.

Hellene: Now I have to put an end to all this, goodbye Cas, see you when I die and go to hell, but it won't be today that we meet.

McLaren takes her hand off the chest of the creature that is burning until it goes down to the ground in a pentagram, in this she goes with Diana and watches the others dealing with the demons, Akko and Synca were getting more equal since Kagari was going for her style of fighting more to win, Marianne and Nicko were being clumsy with each other, eventually hitting each other, Sucy shot arrows at Carrot, managing to defeat the imp too, using the blessed arrows and finally Lotte who was using magic barriers to defend herself from the shots given by Plov who managed to recover the arquebus.

Diana: Wonderful, Sucy did it too, now all that's left are the other three.

Hellene: Mari is really having a hard time, can she manage, even though she is so clumsy.

Marianne goes running from the imp Nicko hanging herself on a watch cylinder, Nicko does the same hooking herself on a side pipe with the spear and with that hits Leblanc in the back, almost narrowly hitting the Frenchwoman with the spear but she used the kick to complete a turn and in that she made a leg lock on the imp, starting to give some whips on the head of the imp that ends up with one of the horns torn off and with that the black haired one releases the leg wrench making the demon fall with everything on the ground, getting hurt with that fall, where she ended up falling on one of the gears.

Marianne: Whew, that demon was going to stick me all over.

Meanwhile Akko was leaving in a melee combat with Synca, the two were still trying to give cuts with their weapons, but the Kagari soon manages to dodge with style, she takes advantage of the gap and gives a cut that takes the arm of the imp who ends up feeling pain, then she feels a kick given by the Japanese that makes her release the axe labrys and to finish the brunette hair sticks the katana in the chest of the creature.

Akko: I'm sorry it has to be this way, but I need to get this over with, you were actually a pretty nice little devil.

Synca: I'll see you in hell, you're not bad yourself, you know how to fight.

Akko takes out the Katana and with that sees the imp gushing blood everywhere with her chest open until it starts to catch fire, signalling that she was dead, giving one more to count, only two more imps to go and in that Kagari joins Diana, Hellene and Sucy with the group of those who managed to defeat the demonic creatures.

Akko: Demons who can fight and are aware of who they are, I liked this place, although Diana and Hellene will make the challenges of this castle pretty dull for us.

Akko after this monologue stays watching Marianne, who dodged almost being hit by Nicko's spear that went flying towards Leblanc who used the whip to screw on the imp's weapon and in that pushed the creature forward, giving a punch which she then shook her hand for feeling some pain when hitting the monster's face with everything and she even keeps blowing leaving her girlfriend laughing a little.

Marianne: Now it feels like I've just punched a wall, what a strong face this demon has.

Nicko gets up from that gear, points the spear at Leblanc, throws it with everything the Frenchwoman dodges, but it was just a tactic of his to throw it to the wall, which he took advantage of to take it out of there and spin, Marianne dodges throwing herself off the ground, with both feet she fits a kick that catches the demon's chest and with that causes him to be thrown again, but in this he tries to come back, but is hit by a whiplash that stuns him and makes him fall injuring himself some more with the fall.

Marianne: Now let's see if it's really all that.

Marianne takes the demon's spear in her hand and throws it towards it that was still getting up which luckily only catches it in the shoulder, getting tightly stuck there and leaving the creature screaming in angry pain, trying to find a way to get out of there.
Meanwhile Lotte managed to hit another spell, she opened the book and was managing to get the soul of the imp Plov into her summoning book, with an ease she was almost succeeding, until her hands start to hold the demon, pulling it into the book and it was such a boost that it even made Yanson jump back.

Lotte: Wow! I got another one, a imp for the book of invocations.

The blonde even takes a look and notices the presence of the imp holding an arquebus as a summoning figure inside the book, containing some of the summoning information, she then goes up with the glyph going to the other girls, being that only Marianne was left, who was facing the only and last living imp, Nicko, who gets up from there with the spear on her shoulder, struggling, the monster takes the spear from there and flies back to Leblanc, facing the French girl who was a little bit panting, but at the same time willing to fight.

Nicko: You all aren't so bad, but I can still beat you, I won't give up, I was the one who was talking to the Countess the whole time, I was the one who texted her about you.

Nicko went flying half staggering, trying to hit Leblanc that easily was dodging, but in this if of being too confident, Marianne ends up taking a stumble and falls taking the demon along that almost hit with the spear, but in a movement she takes advantage and gives a stab in the heart of the imp, then was rescued by Hellene who dematerialized and the demon was all bleeding on the floor half thrown and getting in pain.

Nicko: Ahhhhhhhhhh! You... You did it, I let you down my mistress, I failed to protect you, please tell mistress Bernadette that I tried, even if you think I'm an enemy.

Hellene: I will speak, you have disrupted our route and given our friends a rather interesting challenge, but we have a bigger thing ahead of us, we don't want to kill the mistress, she is my mother, why the fuck would I want to kill my mother?

Hellene takes out the spear and then the creature starts screaming of pain, it is on fire, Nicko the last imp dies and in this way McLaren even lowers her head crying a little, but she has the friendly shoulder of her girlfriend who arrives at her side giving some tapie then is embraced by the Frenchwoman who is taller.

Hellene: To think we all used to play around in these corners of the castle, I remember they used to play lots of games with us in the gardens, but now we had to kill them.

Hellene then goes up in bat shape carrying Marianne, the girls in the middle of all the mess are starting to look for the pages, what was already complicated that was full of drawings by the part of the main mechanism of the tower, a mark that the imps were leaving so that somehow the way of the girls was hindered, but they were able to find a chest that began to open, revealing the key. Diana is the one who takes it and with that they go down, arriving in the corridor of the clock tower, opening the door of that tower once and for all. Where they come across a corridor.

Diana: Now from here we will get to my mother, I can't wait to see her again.

Akko: Me too, I want it to be over soon, we have been here for a long time, I never thought we would be in a castle hunting monsters for hours, I thought it would be something much faster.

Hellene: This hell will soon come to an end, I trust that we will put an end to it one way or another, just to have come out of those ruins and seen my sis again and have the chance to see my mother is already worth it all.

Marianne: I really wish I could see Chariot Belmont, I thought she might be here, I hope she is where Croix and the other girls went.

In that they were seeing in that corridor, they pass through the door, coming across a bridge where it had some rails in the middle, kind of serving as a cart platform, which they could hear the sounds of that thing coming closer, the six entered in a defensive position, looking at the place, little by little it was appearing the light of a lamp, from a cave the mine cart came out and was with the rest of the girls there. Chariot, Croix, Amanda, Jasminka and Constanze, which caused Akko and Marianne to get a twinkle in their eyes and hold hands, excited, since finally the Belmont Du Nord, had shown its faces.

Akko and Marianne: It's her!

The mine cart approached the girls, bumping right up against the plates made to hold the machinery, they got out of the mine cart and made a point of all there greeting each other, talking to each other, in a friendly way, keeping the interaction going, then came Marianne and Akko towards Chariot the two kind of kept giving those analyzing looks, Belmont was a little embarrassed with all those looks from the duo.

Marianne: Woah! So you're Chariot Belmont? Really? Your stories were a huge inspiration for me, since childhood I was told how you were the best creature hunter in the world, that you have the blood of the legendary Trevor Belmont.

Akko: I have been listening to your stories since I left Spain, you were inspiring, I never gave up on being a hunter, it was at a time when I was getting tired of hunting monsters for not having challenges, but your stories made me think of continuing, I decided to make this journey to go to you as a form of personal achievement, now that I see you I understand the reason for so much admiration.

Chariot: Hahahaha! Children who admire me, I never thought I would see this again, well two well grown women, I didn't imagine I would be remembered so much, even more for my disappearance, but yes I am the one, I came back here from the world of the dead... I'm joking, no need to be afraid, I was controlled by the hands of a priest who is working here in this castle, he was the same one who sent me here 10 years ago, unfortunately the church betrayed us.

Croix: Yes, and I had warned you back then that asking for a pardon for homosexuality would not work, they would not want to allow that, they would do everything to erase your history, but now let's go, the castle is waiting for us.

Akko: Now there are eleven of us and we can get it over with...

Croix adds: Actually this is just the beginning, our real villain is not Bernadette, who is behind all this is Daryl the sister of the Countess of this castle.

Marianne and Diana shocked: What?

Croix: Before we go up I will tell you the truth, or at least what I am theorising.

Croix little by little tells Bernadette's two daughters what really happened, the reason why Daryl is behind all this plan and all the bad things that have been happening in the world, revealing the truth to the pair of dhampirs who are in shock, practically speechless.

The clock tower has already been a passage, all that's missing is the last place of the castle, the one that will still have many challenges ahead, the great and immense castle fortress that will be full of dangers, what is already impressive is that as soon as it returned, the Chariot Belmont will again force itself into action and take risks.

See you, clock witches...