POV Narrator:
The battle against Daryl is reaching its last stages, this time Diana and Hellene have only five minutes until they could defeat Daryl at once, or a rain of molten iron could fall on top of them, in the middle of a fight where both are extremely injured, even more in a situation like that, where both lives depended on that, the extreme of the extreme.
On the other side the group was soon arriving and would face the situation, where everything was even more tense because the place of the arena was different, and discover that the lives of Diana and Hellene could be in huge risk.
POV Akko:
We must already be arriving, I imagine that the place is close, the last time I saw everything was before she went to the last stage in the auditorium, I am sure that we are arriving, only that it seems a little different from the way, as if they were with huge walls, where we see as if there were an alarm and a timer with a countdown, showing 4:44 and going second by second.
"What is this countdown? Daryl is putting this place down?' Officer Morris said.
We listen to trembling next, as if several stones fell around us, but they were not stones, they were golens, five of them on top of that, what I was already preparing my defensive, I didn't expect something like that, until I end up leaning against Laura and Mariannne preparing to start the attack, the agents are pointing their weapons, they are shooting and nothing.
"Guns would be de least effective ding to dat one..." Well as Mrs McLaren says this Officer Morris takes a shot with her revolver that blows the biggest hole in the golem.
"What did ye mean Laura?" she said, even blowing the barrel of her gun.
"An ordinary gun is one ding, your revolver modified to use magic is another, dat ding has much more destructive shots" Mrs McLaren said.
"Let's concentrate on defeating everyone soon and move forward," Marianne said.
I agree and with that we go to another golem, the agent Morris keeps pointing the gun and getting cover of Diana's mother, who is using the force to distance the golem before they hit them, we have a hard time with the only one of them, But soon Mari gives a way, she goes around the creature with a rope knocking it down and with that I go using a metamorphosis spell where I turn into an elephant and fall right on the face of the creature which has its head all crushed, I go back to normal and notice that it was a good spell.
"That's right Akko, let's go for it, let's finish these golens with our creativity" said Leclerc and I go on thinking about attacking the next golem, already seeing that one of them was also shot by agent Morris.
Meanwhile in the battle against Daryl...
POV Diana:
I notice that the time is rolling with a stopwatch in front of me, but I dinnae let myself be intimidated by that, I keep my concentration very strong on what's in front of me, now I can't let myself be beaten, but I'm tense and very hurt, I need tae keep calm, before everything ends up getting worse, Daryl just keeps circling us and soon my sister goes on top of her with everything, the two of them meet with their arms, I decide tae help.
"Ye're nae alone in this sis" I tell her coming through with everything.
I go for what looked like a volley, but Daryl dodges me, as well as using magic tae stretch her arm making like a snake, biting my leg and throwing me against the wall, but in this too she is hit by my mana with a punch tae the stomach and she goes on tae start gaining a bit of an advantage.
"Don't forget me" said my sister.
"Do you really think your muscles will hold their own against me?" She said intimidating us.
My sister is soon pushed by an air current and almost falls towards the middle where has the molten iron sea, I see that and go running towards her and also tae Daryl that was going tae hit her, but by an agility
movement I can give a bigger propulsion, what I see my aunt in front of me, she throws me against the wall, where later I go starting tae be involved by a snake seeming that everything was becoming an illusion.
My sister was also feeling the same thing, I saw her fighting snakes, while Daryl was just with her arms open invoking them in our direction, one of them goes squeezing me very hard, but I remember the second word of the staff.
"Phaidoari Afairyngor!" When I say it I manage tae free myself since the snake has been cut and sae I already say the third word.
I lean on the ceiling with the hook and throw myself towards Daryl, who notices my presence and she starts tae defend herself using a magic shield, I lean on it and start tae use a glyph right in front of her that walks back and starts tae summon snakes in my direction, only that my sister arrives, I jump back and activate the glyph that throws a freezing cold over the platform, besides catching Daryl a little, being the intention tae try tae freeze her.
"Do you really think you can do that? The ice will melt instantly in this heat," she said, and I had been sweating for a long time, the heat here has been devastating tae my body, but I can handle it.
"Danks sis, I was about to faint in dis heat, now I can stand a lettle more" said my sister.
And how this helped, she hit a punch right in the face of Daryl that was trying tae defend herself, but she dinnae expect tae be hit in sequence, showing the vigor she had, what I was already having an idea here, I go starting tae use my magic tae cool more the place around, what I go freezing the platform, in this even my sis slips and helped her tae dodge an advance of Daryl with a snake and she takes the opportunity tae go in my direction.
I use the third word of the staff and escape over the top then I use the first while in the air and shoot an arrow which she ends up dodging easily.
"I knew it" I say as I notice her dodging and then disappearing I duck as I fall tae the ground noticing it was her and then spin into a crawl, where my sis delivers a hook that catches right on Daryl who goes a few steps back, a little more bruised than before.
"Wretched! Damn you! But do you really think that's going to give you enough time? You've only got two minutes now, I think you'd better decide soon, either you take the staff or I'll have to take drastic measures" she said.
"I am nae afraid of yer drastic measures" I say boldly.
Daryl disappears, I turn around trying tae hit her, but she seems tae have multiplied into several, what me and Hellene go going up and I am thrown by a spell that catches my arm, I feel a horrible pain coming on, like my arm has been hit by a truck, I start screaming in pain and crying.
"Those drastic measures, I have more where those came from" She said and I was already remembering where I had seen spells like that.
"Sis! Is everything alright?" said my sister and I handed the staff with my other arm in her hands.
"Finish it with all yer might, I'll try my best here' I say with my arm still hurting and even trying tae heal something, but nothing was solving, I'm still full of pain.
I think my arm broke, Daryl disappears again and multiplies, this time I notice the purple ball coming all the way towards me, I dodge it, while my sis casts a spell towards Daryl that catches it, she really is stronger than me in combat, I go trying what I can with the broken arm, I only have one now.
I'm still drawing a glyph tae hit Daryl, right in the middle of the ground where the trap hole is, sae I'm making a cold air current start tae be sprayed upwards, being able to protect us from the heat and giving even a more icy air although it causes the biggest thermal shock down there.
"Is that all you can do with one arm?" Said Daryl mocking me as she defended herself from my sister by going upstairs.
"Who are you to say anything? You're barely 'olding on to me" said my sister.
Less than two minutes tae go, the clock is still counting down, soon the rain of molten iron is going tae fall on us, I'm trying tae do something, but Daryl is dodging Hellene and soon comes tae me, she just hits a kick on my injured arm that makes me fall near the hole and cancel the freezing spell.
"Diana!" Said my worried sister after I screamed in pain and Daryl was about tae step on my injured arm, she went up and I only saw my aunt holding her by the neck wrapping it with a snake arm.
"No more letting the children play, it's time to make this clear, either you sign this contract or your little sister will boil in molten iron" She said and I watched my sis even coming tae release the staff as she was being squeezed and Daryl stepped on my arm.
I scream and yell in pain for her tae stop, but I see my sister pull out the prosthetic and start walking with it while being squeezed, it was kind of giving an impulse and punched Daryl in the face who turned her face all in shock releasing my sister who is even a little breathless, and soon returns the prosthetic tae her hands, which was very useful tae save me, I'm still a little too hurt, but I think I can get up, with the help of my sister, she takes the staff in hand, we go holding together.
"You just forgot one ding... I only have one hand" said my sister, who had the biggest smile on her face as we held the staff together.
"Noctu OrfeiAude Fraetor!" We said the first word and made a magic arrow.
When shooting Daryl at once creates a magical barrier barring the arrow that even sae was pushing the arrow that was beginning tae be dragged by the ground until arriving at a wall where it was supported by there still trying tae avoid the power of the arrow and together we were already preparing another.
"Enough!" She said, letting go of the shield and even managed tae undo the arrow, but at that moment we shot another that she dodged and reappeared teleporting beside us, my sis went tae punch and she held back with her hand.
The battle against the golens was coming to an end, with everyone brought down by the power of alltogether...
POV Akko:
Time is closing, we managed to finish off the last golem with one punch that Laura threw and broke the golem into little pieces by hitting its head so hard that her hand even turned a little red with the amount she hit it, but I could notice that the calmness in the look of Diana's mother was huge too.
"Okay, now let's go! De girls 'ave to be rescued soon, we 'ave less dan two minutes to solve dis" said Mrs McLaren.
"These golens are really hard to fall" I say a little breathless.
"Let's save the girls, they must be in danger" Mari said.
We went on through the corridor, the lights were passing, as if it was an alert, we were arriving in a room even a little bit hot, as if we were in a boiler, this way Diana and Hellene will die boiled with this, this must have risen from the 12 degrees that were inside to more than 40 degrees at least, I wonder how the girls must be dealing with the heat that is doing now.
We arrived in the middle of a big gate, on it was the other side, but we couldn't open it, neither with buttons nor pulling anything, the countdown just kept going.
"Dey will end up being killed dis way, Daryl trapped dem in a boiler of molten iron" Their mother said.
"How are we going to open it from here?" I say worriedly.
"We're goin to have to push through" she said.
Laura was arriving and was punching the door with all the force that she had, me and the girls were trying to push to open, but nothing happened, until we caught a crowbar and we joined our forces but it seemed that all that thing does not want to move, even being in seven of us, it was not force enough to open the gate just to break in the middle that crowbar.
"Damn it! Oh, shit! Oh, shit! Oh, shit! Oh, shit! Damn it! My daughters are going to die!" Said Mrs. McLaren punching the door and I kept noticing until her hands filled with blood, becoming quite sore, until Agent Morris and I held her back.
"Calm down Laura, there is a way we can cancel this, they will find another way out of it" said agent Morris.
"De only way out of dis is with de fifth word, but I don't even know if dey have found it yet, or if dey have tried to use it as a form of combat, since it is only useful for mobility" Diana's mother said.
"They are with Shiny Rod, we can only believe" I say trying to really believe.
Back in the arena with just one minute left...
POV Diana:
I'm already getting extremely tired, I can't believe I'm going tae end up dying like this, my arm broken and melted into hot iron, even my sister is getting exhausted and Daryl and I aren't even going tae be able tae stand up, but we have tae put an end tae this.
"Daryl, since we're getting out of here, have ye stopped tae think of a way out? What if I sign the contract? Are ye really gonna let me melt into that iron? What about my sister?" I tell her, she's still staring at me angrily.
"Stop asking questions! I don't care about anything, just sign this contract, I don't want to die on molten iron, how hard is that? You have less than a minute, only I can help you with this, just go!" She said and I'm nae going tae give up the contract anyway, sae much so that I raise my middle finger.
"Sae let ye swallow iron with us then, congratulations on taking down the Cavendish family, ye and I will die here then" I tell her.
"Ahhhhhhhh! don't say that you bastard" she said furiously going at me, but my sister appears in the middle.
It dinnae help much, she takes out a force to push Hellene that was exhausted and Daryl arrived in me tae give a punch, I take tae the point of getting dizzy, then a kick in the broken arm that makes me screaming of pain, I think that must have been heard from a distance, I feel my arm being stepped hard by her, I cry and a lot, until my sister appears, kicking Daryl out that at that moment was getting exhausted, tae the point of sitting on the floor supported by pipes.
"There are less than 30 seconds left, I can see that you are not going to give up for nothing this title of leader of the Cavendish, well my congratulations for dying in a uselessness like this, you could cooperate and I would let you live in peace with your family with Laura McLaren, but you chose the stubbornness, I think this will be our end, all I have to do is clap my hands" She said and I'm already tense that I'm going tae die, almost accepting my fate.
Wait a minute... Mama Laura's tip, she said that we could escape from any situation with the fifth word, that we just need tae remember that story and I immediately look at Daryl and also Hellene, I take the staff in hands I see my aunt just laughing, I go feeling the power and the brightness of it, it's a sign that this was all that was waiting fae us and I was being kind of blind tae all that.
"Okay you can kill me with that thing, shoot a magic arrow through my heart, come on Diana, don't you want to avenge your mother Bernadette and honour her after all I've done? At least you'll die finishing doing something you always wanted to do" she said.
"When traditional and modern forces mingle, the gates to an unknown world is unlocked!" I say this while feeling the power of the staff.
"Civilliadura Lelladebura!" As I say it my sister says it too and I notice that the staff has turned into a broom, with only 10 seconds left.
"A broom? Do you think you can fly away and get out of here? How pathetic" she said, and I mounted the broom and then gave my hand tae my sister who climbed on.
"Come on, Daryl! Ye dinnae want tae die too! We have tae try everything!" I say tae her giving her my hand, she was just denying it and time was running out.
"You're pathetic just like Bernadette" She said getting up and then jumping out of the hole towards the sea of molten iron, soon me and my sister went flying towards her tae pick her up with her hand, I'm with one good arm holding the broom, the broken one I'll try tae pick up, but only if she holds my hand.
I look up and see that the liquid was starting tae fall, I look down and reach Daryl's hand, I'm even relieved, but she slaps my hand and shows the middle finger, while I was being involved in magic, transported from
one side tae another place, stopping in a corridor where they were all there, I fall on the floor half wounded and I just keep thinking about that image in my head.
"Diana! Hellene! My children are fine!" Mama Laura comes towards us and gives us the tightest hug that I end up screaming from catching my broken arm.
"Mum, Diana broke 'er arm, take it easy with 'er" said my little sister.
"Sorry... I am mega worried about you girls, I thought you were goin to die in the molten iron, when I 'eard your screams and de time coming to an end, I was screaming for you not to die" She said and I even notice that Mama Laura's fists are bleeding.
"We managed tae escape from the trap, but nae all of us did, the fifth word saved us, only Daryl dinnae want tae save herself..." I say half-heartedly.
"We tried to help 'er, in de end she threw 'erself into de molten iron pit and de last ding we saw was 'er slapping Diana's hand and showing 'er middle finger then we disappeared and it was all over..." said my little sister.
"Oh no... She really did rather accept death dan defeat, what corruption doesn't do to someone, Daryl could 'ave de happiest life in de world, but she ended up choosing de path of destruction, she got de end she wanted for 'erself... Anyway, let's go back to Luna Nova then, you two are very 'urt" Me and my sis just nodded in agreement.
"I'm sorry fae everything mommy... We shouldn't have done this" I say tae her, patting our heads.
"Many dings we shouldn't do, but you were brave and good hearted people until de last moment, you understood de meaning of de fifth word, you were witches who 'ave empathy, you went after saving even de one who was de worst person in your lives, even after everything she did, you tried to save 'er"
I even look at the agents and all the others, they send me signals with their thumbs, like I'm a hero, but I dinnae feel like one, I even feel bad fae nae having her safe, but at least this is all over, I imagine Brooke must be very happy now, just by her expression ye can tell, sae much sae that she soon comes tae us.
"Thank you with all our hearts for everything you have done, you have brought peace to mine and my mum's heart, we are so grateful that you have put an end to this" Brooke said tae us.
"I just dinnae want her tae die, I wanted her tae be arrested and surrendered, but apparently she chose another path" I tell her.
"I don't care how it ended, with Daryl being defeated once and for all that brings me peace, now let's go, I want to go back to Luna Nova to study and enjoy the moments beside Mirage" Brooke said excitedly.
And off we went leaving that factory, already feeling very wounded, I really dinnae know how I stood it, my arm is having an unbearable pain with all this, but soon I'll be able tae be treated and be ok, I hope, at least now I can be in peace, even if that disturbing image of Daryl falling into the molten iron pit stays in my head. I feel guilty fae her death.
POV Narrator:
All of them were leaving through the forest of Arcturus going towards Luna Nova, after all the investigation was done and so the case of Daryl Cavendish will be closed... At least that what they thought, because inside the factory, in the boiler room, there was Daryl all in one piece, she had used a last resource, a magic barrier potion that made her protected from the hot iron and the tempeture for five minutes, so she could have time to hide and started climbing that wall to reach the exit that was finally opened.
"They really thought I died, but they can't wait to see that I'm going to make a comeback like that" said Cavendish, who as she left looked at two feet standing nearby.
"You proved to be a flaw in our plan Daryl Cavendish" Said the female voice, where soon the witch goes recognizing the face, noticing the silhouettes and the familiarity especially with the clothes.
Daryl was getting an astonished face, she couldn't imagine that this person would be the so acclaimed boss, someone who really didn't have the impression of being responsible for everything that's been going on
lately, getting even incredulous for everything she saw, a face until strangely young, with the hair combed back, holding a cane.
"You? Are you the boss? You of all people? It can't be that you are like that?" Cavendish said in amazement.
"I am who you least expect, I wanted to give you one last glimpse of who I am before I die" Said the mysterious woman who points the cane at Cavendish's head and then fires with everything catching her forehead.
Daryl received a very intense shot on the forehead, starting to fall in the middle of the molten sea of iron, this time already falling dead in the middle of the scalding and yellowish water melting quickly and mixing with the material, while the boss looked at everything very carefully, seeing Cavendish's body being completely destroyed and having a very unexpected end.
"Unfortunately that's what you collected Daryl, you were a vital piece in this plan of mine, but from the looks of it I'm going to have to act soon, before those witches come and try to change things, you blew it, I trusted you for that, now melt away and never show up again" Said the boss.
She immediately turned her back and disappeared into the darkness, disguising herself again so that no one would suspect again who this probable witch was, someone who has the power to control everything, who only with her presence was able to kill someone who everyone swore was dead, but who is now a certainty.
Meanwhile in Luna Nova, the girls were making their way back to the courtyard, badly bruised and coming across Professor Nelson with her arms around her waist, quite furious at the four girls running away from class to solve the Daryl issue, but then getting concerned as she noticed the bruises on Diana and also her constantly putting her hand on her arm.
POV Diana:
Finally this is over, I couldn't take it anymore, all this pain ahhhhh, soon I will be able tae recover, I really hope that the girls won't be punished fae all this, mainly because Nelson dinnae seem happy with our absence.
"May I know what the ladies have gone to do?" she said until my mother walked in.
"Dey've gone to sort out something more important dan your class Nelson. We have just returned from an intense battle with Daryl Cavendish, now she will never disturb my children's peace again, unless you think my daughters' safety is not important" Mum said tae them.
"Under the responsibility of the WCI, it is nae the students' fault that they walked out of class" Officer Morris said.
"Well, we will see with the headmistress Holbrook, now I just have to say that Miss Cavendish and McLaren should go to the infirmary immediately, the others will stay with me and we will also talk at the headmistress, including Brooke, I saw that she disappeared for kidnapping and we need to solve her issue here, that's all I have to say, rules are rules and are made to be followed, not broken, you know that very well" said the teacher tae us and nae fae her tae take it lightly.
"I am going to the infirmary with my daughters, but I also want to sort dis out with Headmistress Holbrook" My mum said.
"Well, she is not here in Luna Nova right now, she said she was passing through town for a meeting regarding the Luna Nova estate and the negotiation of prices plus expenses, you know? Important stuff " said the teacher.
Soon we both are following with mommy, going tae the infirmary, where I can't stand the pain in my arm that was practically torn by Daryl, I even feel my skin all destroyed by all this, the nurse arrives and she goes with some potions, besides also spells, arriving in my arm and I go screaming of pain just by her passing her hand.
"Very well, it seems we have a broken arm here, for that we will need to use some magic, it will hurt a little bit, but soon you will be fine" Said the nurse who pulled my arm making me scream in pain, then she poured the potion over it.
I go feeling torn inside, screaming in pain everywhere, but mostly feeling my arm breaking apart I hope I will be fine after all this, then the pain will pass, I have cried litres of tears here just tae recover.
"There you go, now just keep your arm in a sling for four weeks and the magic will do the job of restoring your muscles which were well destroyed by the shrapnel from your bones, in a short time you will be fine, the bones are already restored, but the muscles take longer, now let's take care of the rest"
After the care session...
Now I am much better, I still have pains, but they are nae more muscular pains, less worse than the pains I felt in my bones, that there was making me crazy, fae the nine witches, well now that we are well it is time tae sort things out.
"Let's go tae the board, I want tae see what they will do with all the lassies, it is nae possible that they will be punished".
"Oh and I was forgetting, Diana Cavendish, you have to rest for a week in your room, I'll give you the certificate, if you want you can even call me to look after her when you need me, just contact me by mail and she'll come to my room right away" said the nurse and I just shrugged.
"It's okay, I'll be fine, I just think it's a loss to miss a week of school because of this, I can get things done... Ahhhh" I say with a bit of pain.
"You can't force yourself Diana, your broken arm is precisely the right one, you can't write while your arm is like this, your muscles need rest" said the nurse tae me and I feel a bit bad for all this.
"Don't worry daughter, we will all look after you with great care, soon you will be able to go back to doing your lessons and what you like too" Mum said.
POV Narrator:
Daryl Cavendish Stewart (1975-2019), was finally defeated in the midst of a battle that was quite intense between life and death, but that ended with the death of Cavendish who was murdered not with the molten iron when she killed herself, but with a shot in the head given by the boss of it all, which on one hand makes things more tense for revealing someone behind all this, without the girls knowing, on the other hand a relief, since Diana, Hellene, Laura and Brooke will finally be able to live calmly without the threat of Daryl around causing terror to them.
You're gonna carry that weight...