Ladros screamed in pain as the foot planted on his chest lifted, only to kick him across the forest. "I'm going to deal with him; you all deal with Salamander." Alucard then raced after Ladros as Salamander tried to follow, only for Asta to lead the charge.
Following the gaping maw of mana that was Ladros was very easy. 'It seems he can't control how much mana he absorbs, nor can he stop it.' Alucard applied his mana skin before creating a longsword with his magic.
Since he already knew how annoying it was to fight one such as himself, he didn't bother casting spells that would only fuel Ladros. Instead, he opted to beat the man to death; physical means were much easier than trying to overwhelm him with mana.
Although he could probably do it, the smart option was to just cut his head off and burn the body, or eat it. He didn't give it much thought as he continued chasing his prey through the forest. Twice already, he'd used his portals to get closer as Ladros would suddenly shoot after any witch he found.
Alucard knew he must be panicking since he was so desperate for mana, but with Alucard and the Witch Queen herself interfering, he stood no chance. He finally seemed to realize this as the witch he'd been chasing disappeared once again, and Alucard landed behind him.
"Why? Why can't you let me go!" He demanded as he hurled a wave of destructive mana. Alucard sidestepped the sloppy blow and closed the distance. "You're just like me, I can feel it. We could rule this world together, taking the mana from all who would try and control us!"
Seeing none of his blows landed, Ladros used Reinforcement Magic on himself, pouring in as much accumulated magic as he could as the first of Alucard's blows arced towards him. He cried out when the blade sliced through his flesh, unused to such pain.
"How!" He demanded as he poured more mana into his body, causing it to swell. "For years, nothing has been able to pierce my skin; my magic should be taking yours!" Though he tried his best to put more distance between them, more and more wounds accumulated across his body as Alucard followed him with his bloody blade.
'Hmm, a good thing I didn't use any spells. This man could probably be a threat if he were able to absorb, say, a blow from Salamander, such a creature made of mana would super-charge him.'
With near contemptuous ease, he severed Ladros's foot as he tried to flee once more. The man collapsed against a tree, screaming as he clutched his bloody wound. "Why? At least tell me why!" He howled as Alucard finally answered. "There can only be one."
After wiping his blade of blood, Alucard stored the weapon before creating a barrier around him. After reinforcing it and placing wards to keep any prying eyes away, he turned to the corpse and consumed it. Feeling the mana surge within him, he was glad he'd chosen not to use spells; such a monster might have even been trouble for Julius, not any longer.
When he emerged from his shell, he felt the air thicken. A pulse of mana revealed the problem: Asta had lost control. Not wanting Mimosa to be endangered, he raced towards the anti-magic signature that was Asta as he sensed the forest watching him.
'Of course, she would do something like this.'
When he reached the clearing that had been made from the battle, he found Salamander missing, and all of the Black Bulls hung up on crosses made of blood, with Asta holding his blade an inch from Mimosa's throat.
'Please don't do anything rash, I trust you.' Mimosa sent a short message, as one from Vanessa had also reached him. 'Stall the Queen, I have a way out.'
"Is this how you want to be known, Witch Queen?" Alucard called out to the figure hiding in the trees as the Witch Queen emerged from her hiding place. "I'll be accepting your surrender now." He snorted, as if she were nothing more than a joke.
Her scowl showed her displeasure as she tried to inch Asta's blade closer to his lover, only for her control to waver. 'What?' She pondered before movement caught her eye.
She tilted her head back as a spear of lightning pinned her to the tree behind her. "I don't like that look in your eyes." Alucard snarled as the Queen's pink hair fell across her face, no longer concealed by the headpiece.
"Asta, or whatever your name is. You know what to do." Alucard suddenly says before disappearing. Everyone tied to the crosses is confused before the Witch Queen ducks once more as the battle commences.
Immediately, she uses her Blood Magic to bring Asta into the fight as he tries to quickly work things out with the Devil inside him. Alucard doesn't hesitate to create a slew of monsters for him to fight as he focuses on the Queen.
'His mana is nearly as much as that man. His body also seems to reject my magic, how distasteful.'
'She's not as strong as Yami said she was. Either she's gotten weaker, or Yami wasn't at his peak.'
They raced through the forest as dozens of trees fell. Seeing this battle would be drawn out, the Witch Queen turned and raced back to her hostages, but Alucard beat her to them. She stared in shock as he dissolved the blood holding Mimosa.
"Are you hurt?" He asked quietly while scanning every inch of her body, "Yes, just alarmed." She said as he nodded, opening his storage space. "Stay inside for now, I can't fight any worry about you." He said as she glanced at her friends, then went inside.
"How do you have that magic?" The Queen demanded as Asta landed beside her. "I have no answer for you, prepare to die." Asta was there in an instant to block the torrent of spells launched at the Queen.
His body was unable to handle the strain, however, so the Queen was forced to use her Blood Magic to heal Asta's body faster than it was being damaged. 'Hmm. I'd be lying if I said I didn't want to kill him, but Noelle would be sad, and Mimosa might complain.'
That simple line of thought was what saved Asta as Alucard teleported behind him and kicked him towards Vanessa and the others. The Queen took advantage of this to send Asta after Vanessa's friends as she faced down Alucard.
Already knowing she couldn't match him at range, the Queen formed a massive scythe of blood as she lashed out. Bringing out his longsword once more, Alucard parried her blows as he closed the distance. As the two began their deadly dance, Asta got closer to planting his sword in Noelle's neck.
Just as his blade was about to pierce her, Vanessa felt something within her snap, as Asta's sword plunged into the blood cross holding Noelle up. The Witch Queen glanced over incredulously, but Alucard kept her attention on him as she commanded Asta to kill Finral.
He raised his blade, his body shaking as he fought for control against the Queen's magic, when his blade fell. To everyone else, Asta missed once more as the blood cross holding Finral collapsed, but to three individuals, they saw the truth.
Finral's head was split in two. Until a small crimson cat lightly tapped his head, and fate was rewritten. Enraged, the Witch Queen tried to break free from the battle, but Alucard didn't let her go as he slashed at her legs, forcing her to defend them.
Vanessa watched as Asta raised his blade against Fanzell, and again the crimson cat saved his life by lightly padding across Asta's blade. Feeling the drain from sustaining such a creature, Vanessa directed the furry animal to Asta, finally freeing him.
"NO!" The Queen screeched as she felt her control over Asta slip away. Taking advantage of her distraction, Alucard finally closed the distance and lashed out with his sword, only for her to parry it. But before she could remove his head, he disappeared before appearing behind her and kicking her to the ground.
Before she could rise, Alucard fell like a comet as he crushed her leg. The various bloody crosses holding everyone fell in on themselves as the Witch Queen screamed in pain. She tried to rise, but Alucard planted a foot on her chest, "Stay down."
As the Queen tried her best to stifle her cries of pain, Alucard opened his storage space as Mimosa walked out and took in the devastation. 'Really?' Her face seemed to say as Alucard huffed and took his foot off the Queen. He stepped aside as Mimosa healed her and Vanessa spoke with her 'mother'.
"I see you've broken free from your chains, somewhat," Alucard commented upon seeing Mars present. Mars nodded, though he did place himself between Alucard and Fana. "Who are you?" Fanzell said as his wife smacked him.
"Don't antagonize him!" She hissed as Alucard almost felt sorry for the man. He then ignores the bickering couple as he checks on Asta. "Don't smother him yet, Noelle, unless you want an audience." He said as she nearly jumped off the ground.
"I have no idea what you're talking about." She blushed furiously as he leaned down to inspect Asta's arms. "They should be totally healed within a week. Don't do anything stupid and you'll be fine." He then cast a healing spell as a campfire blazed to life.
He glanced at Mimosa as she sat next to him, keeping an eye on Vanessa and the Queen, who were still speaking to each other. "Let me see your grimoire." He said to Asta, who looked confused, but handed it over. 'Ah crap, I just handed the one guy I know nothing about my biggest secret!' Asta realized the second it left his hands.
'Hmm. This is the same little devil that fell through the gate, to think it ended up here.' Alucard inspected the grimoire before opening it and flipping through the pages. "How strange, it doesn't resemble any script I know." Mimosa mused as Noelle and Asta moved closer to take a look.
"Yeah, I've never been able to figure out what these words say," Asta admitted as Noelle forced him to relax again. "Can you read them?" Mimosa asked as Alucard stared at a particular page.
He read through the information, taking note of several key things that even Astaroth had never told him. He suspected that even the devil within this grimoire, and even Asta, may not know what they have in their possession.
"No. I've seen a few texts like these, but even Father might struggle to piece these words together." He handed Asta back his grimoire, and he stood once more. "I'm ready to return home. Are you my dear?" He extended his hand to Mimosa, and she took it as they departed from the Witches Forest.