Disclaimer : I don't own Claymore
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A short distance away from the Holy City of Rabona, within a mass of solidified Yoki, a war was being waged. In her epic struggle against the seemingly unbeatable being whose power was far beyond even the Abyssals, and her personal nemesis, Clare had received the unexpected help of several of the souls that inhabited the void they were currently in, a joining of powers to try and defeat Priscilla.
All of it for naught. One by one, they had been ruthlessly defeated, though some had lasted longer, but in the end, Clare was only one left standing.
Eyeing her enemy with a mix of hatred and anxiety, gauging her next move, Clare thought of her companions.
Former Number Four Ophelia, the most eager for a fight against Priscilla, had gone down first, unable to mount the faintest resistance. Then Raphaela and Luciella had faced her, the sisters teaming up and chaining combination upon combination of dizzying moves that would have overwhelmed anyone else, yet had been batted aside like nothing.
Then... Clare's breath hitched in her throat at the memory of her appearing from nowhere, beautiful and serene as ever, the only one who had ever managed to push Priscilla back, and the person who started it all. Here in this mindscape, Teresa of the Faint Smile had faced her killer once again. How long had the battle gone on? Hours? Days? Clare couldn't tell, but the two titans had kept going, neither able to gain the upper hand, each giving as good as they took, both refusing to give up. Eventually sheer dumb luck had allowed Priscilla to deliver a crippling blow to the mighty Teresa, leading to her defeat shortly after.
And now, Clare was the only one left, and it all rested on her. And despite her own dire situation, she wouldn't back down; revenge for her fallen comrades would be served.
Clare's glaring silver eyes never left Priscilla's calm brown ones as she launched another assault that unfortunately failed to hit its mark, leaving the Claymore to curse silently as she was left wide open for Priscilla's retaliation. Beads of sweat were forming on her tense face, knowing that she was on her last legs, and one solid hit was all it would take to finish her.
Priscilla was well aware of this too, the Awakened having sustained only minor damage throughout the battle and standing pretty much unscathed. Even though her face was blank, Clare would see the hidden triumph in her eyes and the subtle twist of her lips at her imminent victory.
"Now it's my turn." Priscilla said dispassionately yet eagerly at the same time. "Are you ready?"
"Bring it on." Clare snarled angrily. "Do your worst."
"As you wish. Now…"
Clare mentally braced herself, silver eyes as hard as steel, the hopes of many souls on her shoulders.
Priscilla smirked viciously as she called the final blow. "B5, B6, B7."
"NOOOOOO! DAMN YOU! YOU SUNK MY BATTLESHIP!" Clare roared in fury, ripping her sheet of paper to shreds and sulking despite the comfort that Priscilla's previous opponents offered her.
Unfortunately it seemed that Priscilla was also unbeatable in games, including Rock-Scissors-Paper and Go Fish.
Grinning, Priscilla made another mark on a board that now read 'Priscilla : 999 - Others : 0', even as Clare angrily demanded yet another rematch. Privately, the undefeated Awakened vowed to thank Raki for teaching her those games, not that she would ever confess that she had never managed to win a single game against him.
Hey, even fighting each other had gotten boring after a while, so they had to find other ways to occupy themselves.
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"ACHOO!" Raki sneezed loudly even as he huddled under his blanket, having discarded his soaked clothes to let them dry near the fire.
All his female companions were in the same situation, and while part of him really wanted to enjoy the view of the very attractive warriors, his noble, chivalrous heart refused to take advantage.
Heck, he had even refused Helen's offer to share body heat.
But damn, he still couldn't understand why their ship had suddenly begun sinking without any reason.
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Author note : would you believe I've had this thing done several weeks ago? Unfortunately Shieky wasn't available for proofreading so it was delayed quite a bit, which is why it doesn't fit recent manga events. Oh, and I know some people are wondering when a new outtake will be out, but honestly I have no idea - there's not much to make fun of lately in the manga, especially after seeing Clare stitched up like that; kinda killed my mood…