Chapter 6: Even in Death
AN: I'm off the anime here so beware of spoilers. I'm sorry for the delay but school comes first. More notes at the end so here a disclaimer.
I OWN NOTHING BUT SAMUEL. GW owns warhammer and I think funimation owns claymore.
The battle was hard fought on all sides. The awakened being had used its powers to make Undine under its control and the attacks of Clare and her sisters were doing nothing to its armor. The space marine charged forward smashing his blade over and over into the armor of the monster, the blades power field ripping it apart with every attack. The monster screamed in rage as Undine and Deneve sliced into its neck trying to cut through but to be stopped by the thick hide. They grunted with the effort tying to force their swords down. The space marine gripped his sword in a two-hand grip and brought it down on top, cutting though flesh and bone. The head flew into the air and gasped its life force steadily flowing away.
"You may have defeated me but I'm taking those two to hell with me." Its eyes flashed.
Two young claymores suddenly had their swords at each other's throats, but the space marine wiped out his bolt pistol and sent 2 shots one after the other through the monsters right eye in an explosion of gore. Flora and Clare leaped into the air blades flashing in the air to fast for the normal eye to see. The head exploded in a explosion of purple blood.
Clare landed lightly in a crouch. Getting to her feet she said. "Oh no, Miria is by here self. We have to help her."
"Don't worry." replied Flora "She can take care of her self"
XxXxXxXxX
"What are you." the awakened being that looked like a wasp screamed in rage. Its bloody stumps bleeding its purple blood onto the white ground
"YOUR END HERETIC." the dreadnoughts fist smashed down onto the awakened beings head. It exploded painting the front of the dreadnought with purple blood.
"At last Back to war." the machine chuckled, its exhaust ports streaming black smoke into the clear sky.
"That was incredible." said Helen
"Ha that was nothing, I seek a real challenge."
The dreadnought turned away and trudged into the town. Leaving the claymores starring after him.
XxXxXxXxX
"She's incredible."
"I heard that when she's fighting on a team she's better then the most powerful claymore."
"I can see why" Halt replied to Dirk who was taking potshots at the awakened being. Las-guns can recharge battery pacts from wall outlets or solar power if need be making ammo a non-issue. He looked out an aimed only to see the being exploded and fall in a heap, Miria landing lightly nearby.
"Were done here." Halt said "Conrad gets the girl down there."
XxXxXxXxX
8 hours after the first wave of awakened beings were defeated.
"Here they come again" yelled some unknown claymore.
Halt looked over the snowy land and swore. There were at least 8 of them, misshaped forms walking through the icy mist.
"Lets move men" he said, and the guardsmen followed him. They approached the space marine who had sat upon a step unmoving for at least an hour.
"Sir?" halt asked
"I know I can feel them coming." he replied. I hate this feeling, it feels evil and corrupted I need to destroy it. He paused "commissar will you honor a request?
"Of Corse."
"If I am to follow these warriors to the grave, that is fine, but do not follow me to death. If the battle seams lost, run, get out alive."
"Sir, we are Cadians were not afraid to die.
"Commissar, the Emperor is not done with you yet, you need to live to aid him when the time comes.
Halt sighed, "Alright, we'll do as you ask.
"Thank you commissar."
The man turned away and yelled orders as the telltale sound of the dreadnoughts assault cannon unleashed high caliber shells into the awakened beings. Samuel sighed, "So it begins."
XxXxXxXxX
The claymores were fighting hard but they kept coming they had lost 5 already of the 24 and only killed 2. This was changed by the dreadnought smashing through a house to roasting another awakened being with his heavy flamer "LET THE PROMETHIAN BURN IT TO A CINDER." came the booming roar. the being screamed as it roasted alive in its armor, the flames licking at it hungrily.
Suddenly the other awakened beings ran away into the storm.
"COWARDS COME BACK AND FACE ME!"
A figure appeared in the storm walking toward them like a specter rising from the grave.
"Well this is interesting I came here expecting only 24 claymores but I see they have some new toys. His body began to turn and shift becoming larger and more muscular.
"No, it cannot be, Rigardo the silver eyed lion king." Miria said quietly "Every one get back she screamed." suddenly the lion king appeared next to one of the captains killing her. Next he was next to Udine slicing through her body like it was tissue paper. "Clare protect flora." yelled Miria but it was to late, he had already killed flora in a quick slice. the red blood had turned the snow crimson.
"UDINE!" Tacticus roared. "I AM TACTICUS, OF THE EMPORER'S SWORDS SPACE MARINE CHAPTER." "FIGHT ME COWARD." the dreadnought strode forward to meet the lion king in battle.
"So foolish." the lion king said to him as he rushed toward the dreadnought scraping his claws across the armored sarcophagus.
"HA, MY TURN." the dreadnought unleashed a devastating barrage of shells and smashed the area were the awakened being was a second before. The snow, which lay thick upon the ground, was smashed away from the impact as the dreadnought crushed cobbled stone under it. The lion king appeared behind him quickly. severing coolant cables and fiber bundles with expert slices. The assault cannon fell silent as its control connectors were severed and the dreadnought roared. Smashing his fist again and again where his enemy was before but he was to slow. Again the lion king struck and the dreadnought fell sideways his legs would not respond to him now.
"If you were faster and a better warrior maybe you could scratch Me." he laughed at Tacticus. Suddenly the dreadnoughts fist latched around his leg. Servos wined as he put more and more power into it. Dragging the lion by its leg toward him
"EVEN IN DEATH I STILL SERVE. GOODBY MY BROTHERS, AND SISTERS." the exhaust ports flamed and his fist crushed the lion kings leg in a death grip pulling him closer. Then a rumble was heard as the dreadnought overloaded his power core." his vision slit went white as the body flew apart with the force of the blast. The claymores and guardsmen were forced to the ground as buildings crumbled. When the looked again the dreadnought was gone. Only his arm remained still clinging to the lion king, who had ripped it from the dreadnoughts sarcophagus who was standing far away.
"Well that fool was useless. Time to kill the last one." he turned to look at Miria but was knocked backward by a large shape that smashed into him knocking him into a nearby building."
The one eye glowing lens helmet of Samuel looked at the hole in the building. "You bastard, I'm going to kill you." next to him was Clare her eyes yellow and face contorted. the claymores knew that under his helmet Samuels face was the same.
The lion king smashed his way out of the house and proceeded to block every sword strike made at him on his way to Miria. Samuel forced as much power as he dared into a right-handed cut towards the lions arm. It struck slicing the arm clean off trailing blood along the blade of the sword.
"Arrrg that hurt. For that you freak I'm going to kill you first." the lion grabbed his arm, still fighting off Clare knocking her backward then reattaching it. Samuel tried the same maneuver but was hit in the head, his helmet went flying. Before he could stand. The lion had punched through his armored torso and through him. "Well that was easily." Samuel was held off the ground choking on his own blood. "Die you abomination of a claymore."
"I'm not a claymore" the space marine choked out. He then roared in rage and lunged up the lions arm for its throat grabbing hold and putting all his effort into choking the life out of the bastard. The lion fell backward under the weight of Samuel and he scrambled up to his face holding the lion's arm in his chest pinned. He struck his left arm rapidly into its face, each blow smashing the lions face before it ripped him off and threw him into a building. His mind was filed with rage as he struggled to rise using his sword to help him. But was smashed down by the lion who held a claw to his neck.
"Good by" the lion changed positions and grabbed a hold of his chest breaking through the rib layer and piecing his chest. He screamed and thrashed but the lion pulled ripping his primary heart out. Samuel fell, his second heart beating quickly to push more blood into his body. He heard the tell tale sound of a Melta gun firing and the clash of a blade, as he put all his power into healing himself. He hoped that he could do it before he passed out from blood loss. He managed to prop himself up and look as Clare attacked again. He was dying he knew. But he had to survive for the emperor and the fallen. He subconsciously activated his Sus-an membrane in the back of his head. He slowly felt his remaining heart slow down and stop. And his vision became white. His last act was to grab hold of his sword. The mighty warrior fell backward into the snow, for all intents and purposes dead to the world.
7 years latter an Awakened being hunting party
Clarice had woken up from the battle with the awakened beings. She looked around seeing them all dead. There blood everywhere and her fellow claymores were lined up unconscious but alive. She rose to see there savior was no were to be seen. She looked left to see 3 rows of claymore sword lying there in the snow.
A claymore burial ground? for the battle of pieta 7 years ago? She thought to her self. She inspected the swords to see that 7 were missing of the 24. That's strange I thought that all had died she thought again. She began to look for the other swords when her foot hit something with a clang. She pulled the cloak she was wearing tighter around her self-bending down to brush away ice and snow from the large sword laying there. It looked nothing like any sword she had seen. It was much too large and elegantly carved with markings on the blade and a black hilt with a cross guard made to look like the wings of an eagle. She picked it up marveling at it. But dropped it heavily as she saw what the hilt was attached to. A gauntleted hand still held the blade defiantly. She brushed off the arm and then the head to reveal a frozen face with a chiseled jaw and a scar across its left eye.
Was he present at the battle? She continued to brush off the body till she came into contact with his chest. The entire right side of his armor was destroyed leaving a huge hole. She was about to turn to leave when she heard a gasp. She whirl around to see the man had opened his eyes that had been frozen. The man gasped again and then rolled over as he choked on congealed blood spitting it out onto the white ground. She knelt down to help him but he held up a massive gauntleted hand stopping her and choked on more blood. "How long has it been since this" he croaked and motioned around him.
"7 years since this battle." she replied in shock.
"7 years!" he exclaimed followed by him collapsing. "Damn it hurts." he motioned to his chest.
"My god" how are you still alive." looking more closely there was a huge mass of scar tissue.
He grunted, "I had to shut down my entire body and let it repair its self, but it still needs work.
"I'll get you to a doctor."
"No need," he struggled up "get back" his body began to slowly mend its self as he forced power into it. His eyes turning yellow and veins popping. He felt the bones re-growing and ruptured lung heal. "That's better, now who are you."
"You're a Claymore." she looked at him in shock.
"Emperor damn it, No I'm not, I'm a space marine I just happened to be here when the battle happened." he bent over grabbing his sword. "Now I have met more than my share of Claymores through my time here, he swung it experimentally and swore placing it back in the sheaf on his back. He looked around his gaze settling on the swords. "Oh no" he walked slowly over toward them and bent down looking at the symbols. As he gazed over them he saw the familiar design of Jeans. "May the emperors light guide you Jean. He walked away stopping suddenly and started to laugh.
"How can you laugh, your comrades died there." Clarice exclaimed
"ha ha ha, you don't know. Well there were 24 claymores, and 3 humans, and my self. There are 17 graves. That means that 7 survived and the 3 guardsmen. He turned back to her. "Now, I have met more than my share of claymores but none with brown hair, I also see that you are wearing warm cloths, but because I can control my body temperature I assume that the other claymores could as well, I can also sense less of an aura from you then even my self which means, you are very low ranked. He turned away from her and glanced down seeing the familiar shape of his bolter buried in the snow. He grabbed it and snapped back the bolt inspecting it. He opened the mag and saw there were 4 bolts left in it. He placed it back in with satisfaction.
"Now this is true craftsmanship. He looked down the sight. "It fires a .75 caliber explosive armor piercing self propelled bolt that detonates inside the target. If I hit you with this you chest would explode. Which brings me to my next question who are you." he pointed the boltgun at her.
"I'm number 47 Clarice of the organization. And I recommend putting that away before my comrades get here." she said a lot more calmly then she felt.
"Stop grox shiting me I can sense your comrades, there all either incapacitated or a much weaker then I. I beat a number 11 in combat easily and killed more than my share of awakened beings. Killing you and your friends would be a cake walk."
Clarice took a step backward in shock at the anger the space marine showed on his face. "But your yoki level is lower than my own.
The space marine started to laugh again. "I don't need yoki to be a better warrior, just practice." Now I need to find my friends, so I'm going south." he started to walk away. Suddenly he stopped and raised his hand. "Emporer give you strength Clarice you going to need It." with that he vanished into the storm.
Warhammer words:
Grox: cow or cow like animal
Sus-an membrane: organ that allows a space marine to enter suspended animation for over 500 years.
need more information check out lexicanium.
AN: Well that took a long time. Sorry school attacked from behind so I have been busy. The good news is that I finished the other chapter and just to need to edit it. Also I have been thinking of making a Berserk/claymore crossover. If any of you want me to do it tell me and I'll get started I also take ideas very seriously so please tell me if you think this or any other story's I do can be improved. I love this story and will never give up on it so don't worry about me forgetting about it. Finally Read and review.