Luna Nova Castle, Luna Nova, Wales
The girls defeated Elizabeth once and for all, putting an end to the encounters with the vampire and former student of Luna Nova, who had a whole history connected with the academy of witches that had the place. Diana ended up using a new power of the sword that she had left for the moment that was the tension that was accumulated from each cut so that this way she could hit with an increased intensity, this after the death take the shield of Cavendish that was a weapon somewhat useful for the girls, by the power that was shown against the cursed tree. Leaving the journey through the vampire's castle even more complicated to be accomplished due to these conditions.
The eleven girls went down the tower and walked through the open field killing any creature of the night that tried to risk getting close to them, being a very easy passage since they were already used to that, besides having a good numerical advantage to accomplish the mission. The group soon arrived until the castle where the huge door was opened revealing the inside side with the huge hall opened and with that as soon as they pass by the door the flame of Daryl appears again wanting to communicate with the girls to try by all ways to put terror.
Daryl: At last you've finally made your appearance in this castle, now you'll know what real terror is, I won't be as merciful as my sister was, Diana, it seems you've already noticed this by losing your much loved protective shield, now you no longer have this little thing that would protect you so much, what a pity, I'm even touched by this, really a pity, if I wasn't also laughing at the whole situation, it was well deserved, don't underestimate my castle, you'll have your graves right here!
The flame disappears, the eleven girls are only a little bit furious with the presence of the vampire and soon when they arrive they come across a group of minotaurs that came with everything to attack them, with their axes they went on top of them and soon Diana made sure to test her new powers by dematerializing in front of one of them and reappearing near the head, managing this way to decapitate the creature, leaving the girls around even surprised with the Cavendish's speed.
Akko: Woah so you got Elizabeth's power? That's cool.
Akko was almost hit by the monster but was saved by Marianne that caught the whip on the creature's leg pulling it and making it fall on the ground being the gap for Kagari to go up using the blade and decapitate the monster too and this way they kept progressing through that hall, finishing killing the remaining minotaurs, what was already different from Bernadette's castle since the whole environment was also more intimidating and showed how they didn't want to see visitors around.
Only they end up arriving at a fork, showing that they had two paths ahead of them, both of them even looked at each other to decide.
Diana: One way or another we will end up splitting up, so let's split up into groups.
Amanda: I go the right way with my girlfriends, I don't mind being at a disadvantage.
Lotte: Let's go with you three then!
Chariot: I am going the left way, I feel a strange energy coming from that place, who is coming with me.
Hellene: I'm coming too!
Diana: Let's take the left-hand path too, so there are six on one side and five on the other.
They agree with the head, give the hands and this way is determined that by the way of the right would be Amanda, Jasminka, Constanze, Lotte and Sucy, while in the way of the left, would go the great majority composed by Diana, Akko, Marianne, Hellene, Chariot and Croix, where they all give until that hug because you never know if that could be a first or even a last time of all that, this way the eleven are separated in six and five for each direction.
Both ways didn't have many differences, the priority was to cross the castle and arrive until Daryl defeating her once and for all, at the corridor where the girls were passing it looked like a normal school corridor, only having the presence of some undesirable creatures, in case of zombies that were using magic to try to hit the girls, at least at the left way.
Diana: As expected, she would fill this place with monsters.
The six soon became more in formation, starting to attack and destroying the candles on the way to pick up hearts in this way advancing through the corridors of the castle, where the way would have some challenges ahead, Diana was experiencing the accumulated tension of the sword, which was gathering as the zombie witches were casting spells, while Hellene continued to punch creature by creature, experiencing more of the power of the gauntlets which the punches hit with the same intensity that she used to use the vampire strength.
Hellene: Fuck these things are so cool, thanks mum, I can punch everything straight without my hands hurting and I have the same strength as before.
Marianne: I just hope you don't use it for other things my love.
Hellene gets a little blushed and goes on punching the creatures trying to ignore it, while Diana let the tension of the sword accumulate, making it stronger, until the strong red glow starts to come out and with that she goes in front of everyone and gives just one cut that goes out through the whole corridor sweeping as if it was nothing, cutting the creatures bodies in the middle until arriving at the end where it was marked on a wall with a deep cut and with that the Cavendish goes even breathing relieved, in the same way the girls also, having a free corridor, that even so still continued to come out zombie witches of the rooms' doors what they went just running to avoid the combat.
At the end of the corridor was already full of witches again and with that they stop what Hellene was using the gauntlets punching the Claymore of Diana until it was reddened as the creatures were attacking, being defended by Akko, Croix, Marianne and Chariot by the distance, until the sword tensed enough and with that the Cavendish gives the cut to clear the way behind and they continue more ahead in the castle.
Diana: Thanks sis!
Hellene: I thought of it at the last minute, I didn't imagine it would be that useful.
At the end of the corridor they went up a staircase and in it they already had other obstacles, skeletons going from one side to the other with swords and also bone pillars trying to hit them, but that was soon decimated when Chariot got some holy water from one of the candles and with that she already showed what she came for, using a Hydro storm the staircase was released and this way they went up.
Chariot: Easy, easy, these things really think they're going to beat us like this.
They went up the stairs and found another corridor still full of zombie witches and also some bats, all going towards them, who remained calm and patient, just waiting for the attack, the whip duo together with Akko went on top of the creatures, while Diana and Hellene were building up tension in the sword, which curiously also started to emanate a light in McLaren's gauntlet, who also started to feel something.
Hellene: Sis I think the gauntlet also has that power.
Diana: That's wonderful so let's test to see that.
Hellene goes up to one of the creatures and hits a cumulative punch of tension and in hitting the monster, ends up causing the zombie to be thrown towards a row of others and hit the wall with such force that it looked like a sandbag falling apart, which McLaren even looks at the hand in wonder, already Diana also helps and goes forward sweeping the path with her sword, giving the usual cut.
Hellene: Woah that's wicked.
Diana: Stronger even than the punches when you were hybrid.
Hellene: It's not that big a deal, but still we might have a chance against our aunt.
They continued on the corridor opening the way, as the other was a parabola-shaped corridor that led to a staircase at the end, Diana and Hellene used the new tactic of joining their weapons by tensing one another, which they even did at the end of the corridor when they reached the staircase, while Chariot used the hydro storm again. This time McLaren even abused a little and gave a punch all tensioned on Cavendish's sword that emanated a light so strong that it could already serve as a lamp, when they went up the next floor the corridor was a little more challenging.
The presence of witches, some of them even flying on brooms, skeletons, bats, even panthers that were all waiting for any advance from the girls, but Cavendish arrived to show what she had in store. Simply giving a slash that came to a kick that the Scottish lassie even slipped backwards, holding the blade with both hands.
Diana: I don't think even I could handle that one.
The cut was simply sweeping everything in front of them, even the wall didn't save itself starting to be broken in the middle and it was passing through the whole corridor, getting to cross the walls, until opening a hole that reached the outside and with that the others even look astonished for the Cavendish's blade that was already preparing itself walking forward. She
went after the rest of the creatures that were waiting for them, which went on top of the Scottish lass that was holding the tension of the lightning spells cast by the zombified
witches as the other girls arrived.
Akko: We can defeat Daryl with that, now I see confidence, but seriously how they managed to build up tension like that.
Hellene: My gauntlets, but I don't think it's going to be that easy either, she could be watching us right now knowing how to strategise against our blows, so we'd better just watch out.
Akko agrees with the head, when arriving he notices that the corridor was emptying a lot as Diana simply used her power to dematerialize and go finishing with the monsters, only remaining the rear, where the girls are giving their way, already Diana takes advantage of that and dematerializes to hit another cut tensed, that ends up killing the creatures around and cleaning the corridor by the front until the door that is feeling the Cavendish cut.
Chariot even uses a Hydro storm to take care of the back and with that they all go running to this door that was with a symbol of Luna Nova, when they pass through it they already notice that there's a kind of classroom and from the blackboard starts to come out a witch with her arms open and laughing.
Witch: Ah hahahaha! We have our first students in years, welcome to my class, where we will learn what's after death!
The teacher writes some things on the board putting her name "Mrs. Finnelan" starting to throw the tables towards the girls that are already dodging, while she is also drawing things on the board and those things are coming out and materializing in real things, in this case in knives and with that the first one to go up was Diana taking an impulse from Hellene's gauntlets that was taking care of the chairs being thrown, Cavendish was going up Finnelan that was dodging her.
Finnelan: What a poorly disciplined student, you will have to suffer a punishment for that.
At that time the witch throws several daggers in the direction of Cavendish who is defending herself from some of them until suddenly Akko appears jumping from one of the desks and almost hit the teacher from behind who dodges the attack, disappearing by jumping through the board and that way appearing in another on the other side where she was only with her face out and was shooting knives coming out of the board.
Akko: Apparently she's not that dumb, but we'll work something out.
Diana nods her head, soon the witch is surprised by Chariot who jumped from one of the flying tables and hit a whip on the board that ended up causing her to come out of that and materialize near Diana and Akko who almost got a cut if it wasn't for the barrier tables she made to protect herself and fly off on a broomstick getting supported by a chandelier, but soon she would have her peace disturbed when a shot hits the ceiling and the witch makes sure to dodge the bullets that Croix was firing.
Croix: You forgot me, because I can play too.
Finnelan: How many badly behaved students are in this class, I will have to punish so many people and how much lack of precision these students have, the shots are not even hitting me.
Croix: And they really aren't.
Hellene was signaled, she went jumping from table to table that she had already destroyed used the accumulated punch of the gauntlet hitting the ceiling while Croix kept shooting at the chandelier, which was making that way the object fell from the ceiling as it cracked and that was when Marianne took advantage, she was right in front of it, jumped up to the witch, wrapped the whip around her body and threw it towards Chariot who almost hit the whip if it wasn't for the witch's barrier to protect herself, but didn't expect also the surprise attack of Leblanc who hit with everything the creature's back that even gets hurt well, but ends up grabbing the Frenchwoman by the neck.
Finnelan: A student with such lack of discipline should be punished immediately...
It was just as she was about to say that Hellene appeared to punch the witch with everything she had, with a cumulative punch of tension making her hit the wall and with that because it was close to a painting she dematerialised entering through it before being cut by Akko, who jumped on the spot towards the witch.
Hellene: You are the one who will be punished immediately!
The frame is soon shot by Croix and with that the witch had no other choice but to materialize in another frame that was with Diana waiting on the side and Cavendish made sure to use her intelligence drawing on that frame knives going towards Finnelan who reappears and had to use some barriers not to be hit by the blades, but ended up being hit by one or the other and this coming across Cavendish in front of her that was already to give a cut and with that the witch defends herself with a dagger that was stuck in her thigh and she goes advancing on the creature that dematerializes and she does the same.
Starting to follow Finnelan until a point of the two stop in mid air and with that the Cavendish was going to give a cut but she is defended by a shield used by the witch that due to gravity she leaned on a broomstick staying seated while the Scottish was falling but soon she was saved when Hellene jumps to catch her sister and with that leaves her safer on the ground while Croix was shooting the witch that was flying.
Hellene: We are human Diana, remember that we can't fall from that high without running the risk of dying.
The witch was dodging shot by shot given by Croix, but Akko and Marianne were taking a good look around the place, already having a good notion, Chariot too, was jumping from table to table. The Belmont soon arrived at the top of the place, leaning on the roof's beams where she used the whip to pull Finnelan's broom with everything making it free fall and with that Leblanc and Kagari started jumping from table to table, each one in an opposite direction trying to hit the creature that was falling.
Right at the moment they get close the demonic teacher uses a shield with the Japanese but she doesn't defend herself from Marianne's whip that was useful to wrap her with the whip and that way being useful so that Chariot after throwing herself hit a very strong whip.
Hellene and Diana meanwhile reached the ground and with that they were creating tension with their weapons, to launch a definitive attack against the witch, Finnelan soon dematerializes from the attacks and with that he tries to find a frame to hide, the girls go after the frame and when they attack they notice that there was nothing, with that Croix goes shooting one by one, to provoke the exit of the creature out.
Croix: It's no use hiding, we'll find you!
Arriving on a last frame was where Hellene and Diana had already separated to stay on strategic points, when the witch escapes from the remaining frame she didn't expect the presence of McLaren who throws a full punch at Finnelan who is thrown by the powerful punch arriving to the other side where she had Cavendish with a tensed cut and this way she without hesitating much, but the demonic teacher uses a magic shield to protect herself which even so was not so enough since it broke and with all the impact served to throw her backwards, where was the gap that Akko needed and the Kagari positioned just raised the blade right in the middle of the path of the witch being thrown, hit well in the back with a stab that left giving the biggest cut under her body to the point of also pushing a little Japanese by the speed of impact and with the body all torn she reaches Hellene back that gives a hammer blow with all the power throwing her against the ground and thus spreading the guts everywhere. What she went little by little trying to regenerate.
Chariot: Hydro Storm!
Finnelan: You... You wretches, it won't stay like this, the mistress will know that you are trying to kill her, you will be punished for your lack of discipline.
And with that the witch's body is dissolving and starting to disappear, until an orb appears, in it there was a symbol of a triskellion, the girls were looking a little bit apprehensive, until the curious Marianne ends up touching it and with that she feels everything being emanated around her, a greenish glow starts to stay around Leblanc that looks in a strange way to the hands. The chairs around the whole room start to fall causing the biggest bang, an incessant noise, forming a pile of rubble even due to the fight.
Marianne: I feel a strange thing, an energy, like I've always had this, but it's awakening now.
Leblanc points to a chair, managing to use some of the magic as she notices that it helped her to be able to levitate the object and in that she lets go afterwards on the spot and stares in wonder at her own hands, delighted that she got that improvement, that she was getting blessed by magical abilities.
Hellene: This is magic my love, now you can use some spells that we can soon learn, but let's keep going, this castle won't wait for us like my mother's.
And it's really not to be expected, so much that the door from where they left opened and a small army of several creatures appeared, but soon Leblanc managed to use a spell to close that door and even push the creatures away, holding on with a bit of strength and with that the other five are getting bigger pieces of wood where they use the thrown knives as nails, with the help of Hellene who was using the gauntlet to fix it, until the French girl couldn't hold on any longer and was even a bit breathless.
Hellene: Mari, are you all right?
Marianne: I'm fine, but holding a door like this is heavy, I felt the weight of these things holding the door quite a bit, now let's get out of here.
Croix: I'm going to leave a little surprise for these guys.
Croix takes a bomb from his pocket and with that he straps it against the door's timbers, with an activator, as soon as they break the boards the tensioned rope will activate a bomb and that way they went running to the other door, where they found a corridor where it was full of spears and some pendulums with axes.
Diana: Wonderful.
The Cavendish was the first to pass, dematerializing and easily dodging those traps, already checking the surroundings, the others went in a careful way, Chariot always passed as if it was a real amusement park jumping from one side to the other with great ease, Akko and Marianne were the ones who had more difficulties, but little by little they managed to use their brains and pass in the smartest and fastest way.
In the middle of Kagari and Leblanc's way, it was already possible to hear the sound of explosions, indicating that the creatures broke the door's protections, but it wasn't enough to reach the girls.
Being the last ones to pass through there, they take a deep breath relieved and quite breathless and with that the others will even giggle while the duo gets their cheeks inflated.
Akko: Oh come on, you're all humans more used to these things, I'm surprised Hellene didn't get a cut on those huge tits of hers.
Hellene: You need a lot of agility, smartness too, it's just that everything just seems slow to me, when you're used to being a vampire you have to think fast all the time, but here you can be calm.
Diana: I had a good time, I wish there were more runners like this, this way at least I can have a good rest.
All of them look at Diana with an expression of being fed up and with that they open the door to the next corridor, where when they get there they face a cliff, where at the bottom there were some spears and with that Croix took some ropes, was firming on a pole and with that released until down there where the girls were looking with a little bit of fear, already the Cavendish simply dematerialized until down there where she sent a signal with the thumbs showing that everything was calm, but it only seemed, until some creatures appeared that were being thrown against the spears.
Akko: Do we really have to do that?
Hellene: Honestly this rope will take too long, I'm going to help my sis, I'll see you downstairs.
Marianne and Akko even try to stop McLaren from a possible death, but she simply use her cunning, hitting the wall with the gauntlet using the impulse of the punch to project herself against the corridor where Diana was and with that she was hitting the creatures down there with ease, throwing many of them against the lances.
Chariot on the other hand threw a rope against the other wall and stuck it against the lanterns, this way she was running jumping towards the wall and stuck on the rope, where she was jumping from a rope to the other as if she was walking on a flat ground in the most tranquility, arriving at the bottom with a huge tranquility, also starting to fight against the creatures.
Akko: How do you manage?
Croix: I wanted to know too, now leave it to me, I'll help you, go one at a time or the rope might snap and you both die.
Croix jumps to the rope on the other wall and goes down, sliding with great tranquility, arriving close to where the part that divides the corridor from the wall begins. Marianne and Akko take stones, paper, scissors to see who ends up going down and Kagari is the one who loses.
Akko: Fuck, that's no good, you were born with your ass turned to the moon, you're the luckiest of us all.
Marianne simply shrugged and with that Akko went down the rope, rappelling, a little afraid she went gently, seeing some demonic creatures hitting the walls which made her loosen up a little and go down until she got close to Croix where Meridies leaned upside down with her arms raised and asked Kagari to give a boost. Even scared, the Japanese girl jumps down the rappelling rope and with one hand she holds Croix's two hands. Croix also gives an impulse that causes the Japanese girl to be thrown to the inside, but for Leblanc's bad luck the rope breaks and the others save Croix from a certain death.
All shouting: Marianne! Wait for us, we're coming to get you!
Marianne was looking down, getting thinking it would be a weight, she was seeing the bloody spears full of demon bodies being dissolved and becoming bones, until there was nothing left falling on the spears, but Leblanc didn't think twice, she jumped and was already getting scared, but with the whip she moved fast and by the luck she caught well on a hook where the Frenchwoman's weapon gives a light screw being enough for her to use it as a pendulum and this way the girl managed to hit a kick with everything on a demon that was there and throwing it against another spear pit in front of them.
Marianne: Now we are all here.
Hellene: That was very risky love, you could die!
Marianne: And your punch throwing itself didn't it? Now let's get a handle on this, better than standing here complaining.
Croix: The hook saved you, the same I tried to grab the rope to make me hold Akko, well now let's move on, unfortunately the best course didn't stay with us, kind of the ex vampires are too greedy and took the main course right away.
The girls were finishing off the rest of the demons there, throwing them against the spears, kind of like Diana was building up more tension in her blades and with that she was able to sweep the remaining demons more easily, making the girls manage to kill the creatures but there was still one thing missing when all of them were killed and that was to go up on the other side.
Hellene: Whew, now I understand the fun of it all, for a castle that wants to kill us it looks like fun, but we'd better be a bit careful.
Diana: I'll take the opportunity and see if it's safe up there.
Diana soon dematerialises to see the top and then she goes back down and becomes a little more tense, while the girls go on trying to find a solution to climb that pit of spears.
Diana: There are two giant armours waiting for us up there, they didn't notice me, only I could see that we are going to have a fight soon when we arrive.
Hellene soon has an idea, she gets the spears with the gauntlet, breaks the tip of them and when she takes all the tips she goes to a wall and punches hard against the wall making a hole and creating a kind of staircase, which she is doing this to go climbing, she even gets to test to see if it can stand its own weight, but it ends up giving in and breaking right away, luckily she didn't fall in the spear pit for having already taken all the spears and with that she supported herself to get back on top.
Marianne was trying to use her magic and started to push back some blocks, managing to make a more artificial staircase and this way helping the girls to gain more access, but soon she was getting a little out of breath and tired.
Hellene: Good my love, your idea is also brilliant, you can do it Mari! You will manage to do this one for all of us.
Marianne: It's kind of heavy but I'll do what I can.
Marianne was pushing more blocks, from that high 12 metre high wall they would need to cross to the other side, with the blocks pulled back it was already being possible for Leblanc to sort of make the blocks the way she wanted them.
Meanwhile in the throne room, there was Daryl watching everything and she was getting angry hitting hard against the side of that throne as she saw what was going on through the crystal ball seeing that Finnelan was defeated and the girls were advancing little by little through the castle getting close to Cavendish.
[Daryl's Thought: Wretched! Damn them! I swear I'll make them pay! Damn them! Ahhhh! I can't believe they managed to defeat Finnelan with such intelligence, I knew I should have asked Death to take away the weapons Bernadette gave me, now I'm in big trouble, especially this sword of Diana that could be the end for me, damn it! But I won't let myself be defeated so easily, I still have all the power in the world, they won't go that far yet! I doubt they'll get past my daughters].
Disgusted Daryl just tries to be content with the situation of a possible defeat, even being all egocentric she is not one to underestimate the enemy, even more knowing that they were the ones who defeated Bernadette.
Little by little the girls get closer to Daryl to put an end to what will be the definitive part of this duel for the destiny of humanity against the vampire who has caused so much harm to the family and also all the people around, who were affected by the greedy intentions of Daryl Cavendish, it will be a matter of time before they reach the room of the great vampire.
See you, demon witch...