You know you could probably skip this chapter I'm sure nothing important happens.
I don't own Claymore.
Chapter 11: The End of the Beginning
Clare walked through the forest, the daylight pouring in through the spaces in the leaves above as she passed without a sound. She stopped. "How long do you intend to follow me?" she asked without turning around to her companion.
"As I told you my life is yours." Jean stated simply. "Even if it take a while I will not leave your side until I have repaid that debt."
Clare inwardly sighed and turned to face her. "Boy. What an inconvenient personality to have. To us saving others and getting saved should be totally banal." She turned back around. "Besides I've already received my compensation from you."
Jean raised a brow at this. "What?" Clare turned and swinger her sword around in Jean's direction missing the warrior completely but annihilating the tree behind her. Jean remained passive but impressed. "Superb. Does that mean you can already freely choose which targets to avoid and which ones to hit?"
"This move is something I have obtained from you." Clare stated. Jean raised her brow again, still unsure as before. "Until recently I did not think the quicksword as something that could be controlled. I just assumed it was part of the nature of the technique, the concept of control didn't even occur to me. But seeing you in that dungeon changed my way of thinking. Keeping your human heart while your body awakened, you showed me something I thought impossible before. It was surprising, but at the same time I realized the strength of pure human will is strong. And that's when I thought of trying it and threw away all my previous conceptions about the quicksword and tried controlling it through will alone." She turned to face Jean again. "The result was a quicksword that reacted to yoki, and while I wouldn't call it complete it was thanks to you I came up with it at all."
Jean simply stared at Clare, thinking on the words. But a sudden sound from the side quickly drew the attention of both Claymores. 'Well, I did find you, but there are two of you." The new figure stated. "Which one of you is Clare?" asked the figure, who was another Claymore, the one known as Rafaela.
Jean's eyes widened. "Impossible I didn't sense anything at all." She said. Clare grimaced as she recognized the emblem from Miria's carvings.
"You seem surprised." Rubel noted as he stepped into the scene. "Out of all the Claymores she is the best at suppressing her yoki, making her perfect for undercover business." He paused for a moment thinking. "Well, rather than suppression it just comes from years and years without ever using yoki.
Clare looked surprised at the sight of her old handler and reached for her blade. "Don't." Rubel advised. "Even if you both attack you can't win against her, she's a little special you see."
Jean gritted her teeth. "Galatea… what did you do with her?"
Rubel mused. "Abandoning her mission… telling such blatant lies… that is clearly traitorous conduct against the Organization. After she gave her report… she was executed on the spot." Clare and Jean gasped in unison. "That is what I would like to tell you anyways. But sadly she's still quite useful to the Organization. Taking her previous merit into account we spared her life. She'll keep getting tough missions but if she manages to survive… well, good for her then.
Clare and Jean both grimaced. "What… about me then? Am I to be executed when we get back?"
Rubel gave a little chortle. "Nah… because you did stuff like manage to save allies despite being on the run, the Organization will pardon you, that is if you do exceedingly well on your next mission."
Clare relaxed a bit. "A… mission?
"A group of awakened beings have appeared in the North and have killed number seven along with a few others, your task will be to eliminate those monsters." Rubel explained, Clare and Jean both attentive to the details of their new assignment.
"Of course we can't just send one or two people to do it, so you'll actually be part of a task force. The Organization is actually a little shorthanded right now so they're willing to let a few things slide to keep out forces up." Clare paused and Rubel frowned. "I don't see why you are hesitating at this. This is a one in a lifetime chance to absolve you of your previous transgressions and let you back into the good graces of the Organization."
He shrugged his shoulders and turned to leave. 'Oh well, I'm certainly in no hurry. After all you both now know we can track you down and behead you before you even have time to react." He began to walk away but then stopped. "Oh right, almost forgot. The boy with you he was captured by slave traders and carted off to the north." Clare gasped at this. "Being the location of both your mission objective and your personal goal, the north seems to be the place to be for you."
Clare gritted her teeth. "Rubel… you bastard."
Rubel put his hands up in defense. "No misplaced suspicions now. Everyone knows that the young slaves are always carted off to only two places, boys head north while girls are shipped to the east. Because…" he said with a small yet sinister grin. "The north and the east are always short on manpower." The three Claymores were silent at this. "It's not like you had many choices anyways. In fact it seems to boil down to one of two things for you… survive or die."
A distance west of Clare and Jean…
A Claymore walked briskly through the town, along with two other following shortly behind her. The usual gawk and stars followed the warriors as they strolled by, the gazes not leaving until they were out of sight. A man in a long trench coat watched as they walked by, sipping on tea as they passed. "Seven, eight and nine." He thought. "That's how many have passed through here today." his eyes narrowed. "Something's drawing Claymores to the North. But aside from a few scant towns, there's only…" he grimaced at the thought as the mental image of a long silvery haired man entered his mind. "Isley. That bastard's been making a small army for himself for decades, with that many awakened beings under his command, the north is indisputably his, the organization know this, so why?"
He relaxed a bit and closed his eyes. "Let's see…" He reached out with his senses. "Nine… thirteen… eighteen,,, twenty-two… twenty-four…" He opened his eyes. "Twenty-four warriors? Against Isley's force? That isn't a fight, it's an execution. The Organization's cleaning house, having all these warriors killed. They'd all end up dying and they wouldn't even put a dent in Isley's numbers, and those last two I felt, unmistakably Clare's and someone else's, perhaps a single-digit, but why would she…" he paused for a moment then smiled.
"Ah, so that's what that disturbance was that I felt in the west, Riful, you spiteful old bitch… what are you up to?" He drank the rest of his tea, then produced his pipe, stuffed and lit it, breathing in the fumes and letting them back out, the smoke wafting and encircling him. "Hmm… never mind her for now. If I don't do something, Clare and all the rest will be annihilated off the face of the planet. That being said even if I help out, the chances of any of them surviving fall below five percent, and winning? Forget it. Even I can only really handle one or two at a time, maybe three if they're not particularly strong. But… I can't just let them die, not if there's even a fraction of a chance to do something about it." Eli stood up inhaling deeply before looking to the sky. "No choice. Time to head to the home region, back to Alphonse."
In The Northern Town Pieta…
The townspeople looked around astonished looks on their faces. "Oi, What is this?" One whispered to another "Claymores. This place is crawling with those silver eyed witches."
Clare and Jean had just arrived, wearing newly issued Claymore outfits, and were looking at the worn down town. "The northern town of beginnings, Pieta."
"I have received equal compensation from you. So as I said, there's really no need for you to follow me around any further, Jean." Clare reiterated.
"I would hardly call that equal." Jean replied. "Besides even if I left you and returned to the Organization, they'd just send me on this mission anyways."
Clare looked at her and sighed. "God, you really are-" she stopped as she sensed a blade being drawn and coming at her.
Clare quickly blocked it, before identifying the attacker and looking a little surprised. "Hahahahaha! So you're still alive, eh? It's been a while Clare!" the boisterous Claymore shouted with a grin.
"Helen." Clare said, before a sword strike came flashing beside her head, knocking Helen away. Helen back flipped and landed in a crouch. Jean was about to follow up when a blade was pressed to her throat. Jean winced as her assailant addressed her in a calm voice. "Don't disturb the greeting of an old friend in such an unrefined fashion. "Deneve." Clare said addressing the second Claymore.
Jean frowned, twisting her arm and knocking Deneve's sword away. "How undignified for a greeting. Even between old friends something like that requires gratitude.
Helen sneered. "What's this Clare? You teamed up with some stuck up bitch again? Oi! What's your number? I'm twenty-two and she's fifteen, so let's hear it."
Jean backed off but kept her sword at the ready. "My name is Jean. I am ranked number nine."
Helen's mouth dropped as Deneve merely observed. "What the hell? That's a single-digit! Why does it look like you're treating her as a higher rank?"
"She saved my life, therefore it is her's right now." Jena responded.
Helen looked dumbfounded. "I see. But you know she's number forty-seven right? That's dead last, dead last! A single digit serving miss dead last? What the hell?!
Jean stepped forward, as if in defense to Clare. "My life was saved by Clare. In what way are our ranks relevant to that fact?"
Deneve looked at her for a moment the closed her eyes and smiled, sheathing her claymore. "I see. I thought single-digits were impossible to get along with… but apparently that is not the case after all. I am number fifteen Deneve. Sorry for that just now, but Helen had no ill intentions. Please believe that much."
Jean sheathed her sword. "No, I overstepped my bounds as well. Those weren't words to friends who fought side by side. Forgive me."
Helen looked between the two before bowing her head slightly and smiling to Jean. "I'm number twenty-two Helen, sorry for acting up by the way." She put her hand behind her head and smiled awkwardly to Deneve. "Oh boy, now I feel a little awkward."
"You're just a natural born trouble maker." Deneve responded.
A Claymore with long wavy hair stepped forward to address everyone. "Please everyone assemble. There will be a synoptical explanation for this operation now. My name is Flora, I am the Organization's number eight."
"Huh, so that's number eight huh? Don't see several single-digits at once every day." Helen then addressed Flora directly. "If there are more than one single-digits then that mean the one with the highest rank is the leader right? So, is it you?"
Flora turned to her. "No, there is one ranked higher than me and she is the leader."
"Huh?" Helen questioned, wondering who it could be. Then a warrior appeared with a long silvery shag cut. "Miria!" she shouted. As Deneve and Clare looked similarly pleased to see a familiar face.
Miria smiled at them. "It has been a while, so we were actually able to all make it back to each other alive huh?"
The other Claymores whispered to each other in awe. "That's number six, Phantom Miria."
Miria turned to address everyone present. ""Everyone, thanks you for your effort of gathering here from your own districts. My name is Miria, my rank is number six. I will serve as your leader for this operation. There are probably some among you who already know the details, but I do believe there are quite a few of you who came here without hearing anything and were then shocked when they learned about the number of casualties that this case has cost already. The mission this time is the extermination of several awakened beings that have formed a group and are now causing mayhem in these northern lands of Alphonse. We are this many because we will face a multitude of awakened beings."
Many of the warriors gasped at the news. "Impossible!" one shouted. "A multitude of awakened beings?! But awakened beings never form groups!"
"This is the reality." Miria stated. "The fact is that number seven and several other warriors who were trusted with this before have already lost their lives."
Another round of gasps went off at the news, before a boisterous voice broke the small pause. "If you're wetting your pants already, just run away now, you prissies." The voice originated from a long pale haired woman who had a rather bulky and muscular appearance. "Our duty is to kick yomas ass any time, any place. Someone who looks at the enemy and gets scared is just too damn useless. Better if you quit before you start." Miria gazed at the brutish warrior, unimpressed while other Claymores scowled at her.
"Who's that? Pretty arrogant, and she's carrying two swords." Helen whispered to Deneve.
"Number eleven Undine." Deneve identified. "The two sword style is part of her persona as the self-proclaimed 'Strongest of all the Claymores'. But if you ask me flaunting around those muscles which really aren't needed outside of battle in such an ostentatious manner makes her nothing but a show off."
"Whoa…"Helen said surprise at Deneve's open disgust.
Undine overheard and looked their way. "What was that just now?" she asked Deneve. "Who're you talking to, huh?"
Deneve was unperturbed. "Sorry, I didn't intend for you to hear that, my voice seems to be rather loud by nature."
Undine sneered. "Heh… very interesting, you bitch."
"Come on, stop it already Dene-" Helen began when she heard an argument behind her.
"You want trouble huh?" One Claymore asked another.
"Fine with me! Just try it!" another replied.
"Try saying that again!" The first said.
"You're the one who should watch her mouth!" the other retorted.
"Try that when we're fighting an awakened being! If you can that is!"
Open arguments began to happen all across the clearing as one Claymore insulted another and retorts were fired back.
Helen sighed, leaning on Clare's shoulder. "Oh man… even if you draw four or five of them for an awakened being hunt, there are always some people who have to act retarded. Poor Miria."
Miria watched the scene unfold and sighed, taking a step forward to intervene she was beaten to the punch as another warrior stepped forward. Flora stepped forward as the ground around her exploded, gaining the attention of all around her. "Everyone, please be quiet. Miria has not finished yet." He eyes narrowed slightly. "Those of you who think they still won't be able to shut up I will take care of personally." There was silence and even a few glares but nothing more as Flora turned to Miria. "Well then, if you would be so kind to continue Miria."
Miria stepped forward. "Sure."
Helen watched with astonishment. "What the Hell was that? All the snow around her was just blown away."
"She merely drew her sword and made a single swing." Jean explained. Clare and Helen looked to her as she continued. "The Organization's number eight, Flora. Also known as 'Windcutter' Flora. She outclasses every other warrior when it comes to drawing her sword, slashing, and sheathing all in a split second. She is said to be the number one at drawing so quickly the eyes can't follow in any case."
Flora looked over to the trio. "Jean." Flora addressed.
"Oh, excuse me. Please continue." Jean apologized.
Flora shook her head. "No. Since you are a single digit too, please come here."
"Ah yes, you're right." She acknowledged.
"Number eleven Undine, Number thirteen Veronica, please step forward." Undine and a warrior with braided hair in a ponytail stepped forward to join Miria, Flora and Jean.
"Each of you will be a commanding officer. All in all we are twenty-four people, I will now form five teams with us as the five leaders. Each team's strength will range between four and five people. In other words, the same kind of teams normally used for awakened being hunts." The four acknowledged with a nod as Miria turned to the remaining warriors. "Alright then. I will separate you into teams. The assigning will be conducted having an optimal degree of our battle potential's distribution in mind as a goal. There will be no objections."
"Number fourteen Cynthia: Number thirteen Veronica's team. Number fifteen Deneve: Number eleven Undine's team. Number seventeen Eliza: Number nine Jean's team. Number eighteen Lily: Number eight Flora's team. Number twenty Queenie: Miria team. Number twenty-two Helen: Veronica team. Number twenty-six Zelda: Undine team. Number twenty-seven Emelia: Jean team. Number thirty Wendy: Flora team. Number thirty-one Tabitha: Miria team. Number thirty-five Pamela: Veronica team. Number thirty-six Claudia: Undine team. Number thirty-seven Natalie: Jean team. Number thirty-nine Karla: Flora team. Number forty Yuma: Miria team. Number forty-one Matilda: Veronica team. Number forty-three Juliana: Undine team. Number forty-four Diana: Jean team. Number forty-seven Clare: Flora team. That's all." She finished, looking to the warriors.
"My team consists of four people meaning the others should have five people. Is there anyone who has no team yet?" There was silence. "Alright then use today to get used to each other. It's not really a special strategy or anything. The regular basics of one team against one awakened being don't change. If we come up against two or more awakened beings we will counter with two or more teams as well. Don't try anything heroic. Stay your distance and make sure that under no circumstances do you fight more than one of them at a time. The operation starts tomorrow. As you should be feeling the fatigue from the long journey. Rest your bodies well today."
A few hours later…
The winds howled as the snow came down over the mountains. Clare entered a cave where Miria, Deneve and Helen waited. "Yo, I hope you weren't followed." Helen said to Clare.
"Just like you and the others here I'm rather bad at getting along with people. Which is why I wasn't particularly interested in where the others went."" Clare replied.
Helen raised her sword, gaining the attention of the others. "Well, let's commemorate our reunion." She said.
The four interlocked swords as Miria spoke. "I'm glad to see you all alive and well."
Helen snickered. "Anyways, our position hasn't been quite as dangerous as yours. How has it been going?"
Miria sighed. "I've been basically using every trick in the book, and somehow I managed."
Helen sensed a presence outside and turned towards the entrance. "Who's there? Show yourself!" she ordered. In Walked Jean. "You…" she turned to Clare. "So, you were followed after all, Clare!"
"No you misunderstand." Clare replied. "Jean is in the same situation as us."
The three exchanged looks of surprise as Jean addressed them. "I see. So you are that kind of comrades. I didn't intend to spoil a reunion between veteran friends, but I do believe this concerns me as well."
Deneve and Helen gave pause, but Miria simply nodded her head. "I see, alright then." She turned to Clare. "I would like to hear the rundown, Clare please explain."
Clare nodded. "Okay…" with that Clare told the story of her encounter with Riful and the rescue of Jean.
After which Miria spoke. "Recovery from a completely awakened body, I can't believe it. Most likely the result of extraordinary will power, I doubt it's something that we could do as well."
Jean simply gave a blank look as Helen's jaw dropped. "What's with the face?" asked Deneve.
"Wait a second, what is all this Clare?! How on Earth did you get out of such a hopeless situation?!" Helen asked astonished. "Riful? Galatea? Abyssal Ones? What the Hell?"
Miria then spoke up. "I already noticed earlier but, that right arm is different too right? The arm of someone pretty powerful, whose?" she asked.
"Huh?" Helen asked. "Right arm?"
"Sorry, but I can't tell you that." Clare responded. "Only this much, I did lose my own right arm in battle and the right arm I have now is in fact borrowed from a certain person."
Miria stood up. "A while ago I heard you were on the run from the Organization. Never mind about the arm, your situation in general doesn't seem to be looking too good."
Clare replied. "But that's not just me. It's something that can be said about you four… no, about all twenty-four who have gathered here at this time as well." The other three stood in silence. "How would you assess the whole operation's chances of succeeding?"
Miria entwined her fingers. "For this operation… the chances of success are zero."
"What?!" Helen burst out.
"Maybe if this was just about a multitude of awakened beings, we could somehow pull through. Or rather even if chances were slim it wouldn't be impossible for us to succeed. But with the presence of the one behind them, whatever elaborate tactics and strategies, whatever reinforcements and whatever else we may try it all becomes utterly futile."
"The silver king of the North, Isley." Clare finished.
"You knew?" Miria asked.
"Yeah, I heard it in that last battle from Riful of the west." Clare replied.
"The abyssal one, Isley." Helen repeated slowly.
"This unusual conduct the awakened being have been exhibiting was something caused by Isley from the start. In other words, the true scale of this operation is the extermination of not only every single awakened being in the north, but also the abyssal one, Isley." Miria continued.
"Every awaked being and the abyssal one Isley?" Helen repeated. "There's no freaking way we can do that! What the hell is the Organization thinking?!" Helen caught herself as she realized how loud she had bellowed.
Miria continued. "Most likely, the Organization is merely trying to buy time with this. We will serve as a roadblock for the awakened beings who are steadily marching south. They left the numbers down to five with the Organization ready for use, in addition to them, they singled out the ones who appeared to be the most obedient and sent all of the rest to the north. 'There are as many replacements as we want.' 'If we lose them, we can just make new ones.' That is what the Organization is thinking. We are nothing but a bulwark against the north that will eventually crumble and fall. In other words, we are completely expendable."
Far outside of Pieta…
Three cloaked figures stood out in the snow, looking towards the town. "Oh, so this is Pieta?" asked one.
"If you don't go through there you have to make your way through the harsh mountain ranges on either side." Another observed. "It really is the town where the northern lands begin." The third quipped.
"But they sure gathered quite a bunch, how many are there?" the first asked.
"Err… wait a sec… twenty… twenty-four people." The second informed.
"Ahahah, that's more than half of them!" the first replied. "In the end, it's not like it will matter how many are there though."
"So… what do we do?" The third asked.
"'Do'? We were only asked to do front line reconnaissance." The second reminded.
The first began to morph. "Since so many of our 'junior brethren' have assembled, it's a good opportunity to give them a proper welcome."
The group in the cave stirred as they felt the release of the massive yoki, as well as the Claymores in Pieta. "Damn it! They have taken the initiative!" Miria cursed as she ran out followed by the others.
"Now see… I can't allow something like that." A voice cut in.
"Huh?" the large armored awakened being turned towards the source of the voice. It was a silvery haired man dressed in a hooded trench coat and a huge bandaged cross-like object on his back. His eyes were hidden by goggles with dark glass. "Heh. You got some guts for a human. I'll bet they're delicious."
The second man widened his eyes. "No way, that's impossible…" he said taking a step back.
The armored awakened being turned his head towards the man. "What are you talking about?"
"Don't you guys recognize him? That's Elijah!" The man said pointing.
The being winded his eyes and turned back. "Impossible, I heard he died."
Eli spoke. "Afraid not. Your friend is right. It's me, Eli."
The being then threw back its head and laughed. "Hahahah! I don't believe it! A single digit from the male times! A living relic! Here of all places!"
Eli chuckled lightly at the thought. "Yes I suppose we all are relics, huh?"
The being ceased his laughter. "Well, now Elijah, I can't believe after all this time you still haven't awakened."
Eli shrugged. "I guess it's never interested me."
"Hmm…" The being paused. "We were just about to go over there and annihilate the Claymores over there, you're not part of this, so just leave and we might not kill you."
"And if I don't?" Eli asked.
"Isn't that obvious?" The second man asked as he too morphed along with his compatriot. He into an armadillo and the other into a large armored insectoid.
"Listen Elijah." The armored being said. "We could kill you right now, if you don't take this chance we'll have to crush you. Even if you escape, know that all of the north is Isley's now, even now he moves his army to crush that pitiful force of Claymores."
Eli drew his sword and dropped his coat, assuming a stance. "Then I'll make this quick."
The beings roared and charged.
Miria arrived in town with the others and surveyed the scene, she had expected many deaths and much destruction of the town before she even had a chance to get there.
But there was nothing.
The townspeople were perturbed by all the Claymores with their swords drawn for battle but everything seemed fine.
"What's going on here?" she thought as she and the other raced for the entrance of the town, where all the other Claymores had gathered. "We felt a large yoki, where is it?" Miria asked.
One of the Claymores, Queenie, spoke up. "Can't you tell? They're out there." She said pointing into the driving snow. "We felt four yokis all power up out there, but it looks like they're fighting."
"Fighting? As in each other?" Deneve asked.
She nodded. "I guess they had some sort of disagreement, lucky huh?"
One of the yokis suddenly went out. "One of them is dead." Miria observed. Another soon followed, only two remained. "What on Earth is going on here?" The third finally wavered and then quit, the forth disappeared quickly after. "They're suppressing their yoki." Miria said. "Everyone! Get in formation and prepare for battle!"
The warriors complied and some gathered on rooftops, the villagers all huddled inside, waiting for the worst.
A silhouette appeared in the distance, it was heavily cloaked and walked with slow gradual steps, then in a flash it disappeared and reappeared in the center of town. The figure looked up to the sky. "HAHAHAHAH! Come on out denizens of Pieta! Do as I say and your deaths will be mercifully quick!"
The Claymores appeared in an instant in the square in the center of town. "Undine team move in! Everyone else on stand-by!" Miria ordered.
Undine smirked and drew her blades. "No sweat. This'll be over in an instant."
The figure's mouth opened revealing a set of large jagged teeth and yellow orbs glowing beneath its hood. "Come and try." It said motioning with its fingers in a "bring it" gesture.
"Don't fall for such obvious taunts! Use caution!" Miria ordered. "We are twenty-four warriors in five teams! If we go as planned we will succeed!
Undine grunted. "Yeah, whatever."
The being chuckled. "You should listen to her. She's much more intelligent than you."
Undine scowled. "That is it!" she bellowed and charged with her tam following close behind. The being ran forward and from beneath his cloak produced two massive claws on either hand. Deneve was the first to strike as she came from the side with a swing, the being caught the blade with its metallic fingers and grinned at her.
Juliana and Claudia came from behind and struck one going high and the other going low, the being let go and jumped and ducked at the same time, going between the blades then it kicked both in the gut sending the two across the pavement. Undine brought her swords in from the sides as it stood up, it quickly put up its claws in defense and blocked the incoming blades, it then planted its foot in her face causing Undine to stumble back.
Zelda came from above as she attempted to strike it down. But just as it seemed her blade made contact, the being's head split in two then its neck and all the way down its body till there were two brings, who dogged out of the way, jumping in opposite directions.
Miria's brows furrowed as some of the other Claymores gasped. "Two now?"
The beings smiled at each other the one who had dogged left still held up his massive clawed hands to continue, the other though had massive sinewy arms and legs. "It seems that I've been torn up about this whole affair." The clawed being said. The muscle bound being cackled to the sky. "My thoughts exactly! I always knew great minds think alike!" The clawed one turned to his clone. "But why stop at two? The more the merrier!" he bellowed and with that both beings shuddered and each produced a second set of clones, after which the clawed one shuddered again and produced a third clone, making five nearly identical beings.
The third had hands the size of watermelons and as black as night, it pounded them against the ground shattering the pavement. The fourth had two small claws on each hand, but they suddenly extended and retracted, acting like long sharp whips with blades along the sides, into a building causing the structure to collapse. The last had two large blades for each arm, large butcher-esq blades. "Five teams right? It'll be fair this way!" They said in unison, now all of them bellowing, before four of the five disappeared, the sinewy one staying behind as the other scattered in different directions around town.
Miria gritted her teeth. "Flora team, after the one with arm whips! Jean team, after the large fisted one! Veronica team, after the clawed one! My team, follow me after the bladed one! Undine team, stay here and deal with the muscular one!"
The Claymores dispersed to the different parts of the city. Undine held up her swords and grinned. "This is gonna be fun." She and her team charged.
Flora's team arrived just in time to see the whipped one reach forward to grab a girl. Wendy rushed forward and struck at the tentacle, the blade bounced off but receded as the girl turned and ran. Flora came from behind and quickly tried to behead the being but to no avail as it blocked with an armored tentacle.
Lily, Wendy and Karla jumped in the air preparing to strike down. The being simply roared and knocked away Flora, then using the moment to fire its arms up toward them. They blocked and caught themselves as they fell back to the ground. Clare then rushed forward with her blade in hand. The being turned its attention to her. Flora called out to her. "Stop! You're too weak all alone!" The being brought down its arms on her only for her right blade arm to disappear for a moment and in a flash severed one of the arms.
The others widened their eyes at this and the being roared in pain using the other arm to wrap around her ankle and throw her into a building causing her to bounce off the stone and hit the hard ground, dropping her claymore in the process. Flora jumped to her aid. "Clare! What was-" she was interrupted as the being swung its whip arm across, nearly hitting them as they jumped to the roofs. The others all gathered together on the roof top the five of them staring down on the awakened being who simply snarled at them.
"This guy's tough!" Wendy observed.
"Yes, he is quite the adversary." Flora nodded. "But I have an idea, you three stay on the roof for as long as you can, lure it up here, Clare and I will take care of the rest."
"Are you kidding?" asked Lily.
"No. This'll work. I just need to guys to buy me and Clare a little time." Flora replied.
With that she disappeared over the other side of the roof as Clare followed. The being wasted no time as it extended its arms up towards them, the Claymores knocked them away and the being roared and jumped high into the air. The three watched as it extended its arms again as it fell towards their roof, they knocked the arms away again and the being landed on the roof top. Just then the roof top exploded upwards as Flora and Clare appeared. "Ready Clare?" Flora asked. Clare nodded and the two in unison moved their arms without sight or sound. The being froze for a minute before it exploded in a mass of pool and blood. "Nice work everyone."
Veronica's team arrived to see the clawed being waiting for them. He stuck out his tongue and licked his lips, drool seeping from his mouth.
Helen gave a disgusted look as Veronica stepped forward. "Okay everyone, charge!" she ordered.
Cynthia tried for a downward strike from above but the being was too fast, dogging to the side and slamming its foot into the side of her face at the last minute sending her flying away. Pamela and Helen charged together towards the being the swung in unison, but both their blades were caught by the metallic fingers of the being.
Veronica, seeing an opening rushed forward, the being grunted pushing Pamela in the way, only for Veronica to gracefully flip over her and slash downwards , cutting off the arm holding Helen's blade as the being hissed in pain and the warriors backed off for a moment. The clawed entity held its stub left arm with its right, hissing and snarling. "This is the chance to finish him!" Veronica shouted. All five charged forward, Matilda slashed first the being jumping back in defense. Veronica, Cynthia and Pamela jumped high into the air and in unison pointed their blades down. The being snarled and tense its legs, preparing to move when it felt a quick and sharp pain in its legs, it looked down to see that they had been sliced off by a long whip like arm and turned its head to see the smirking face of Helen. The being landed on its back and the three came down hard, their Claymores impaling him threefold.
Helen retracted her arm. "Heh, wasn't so tough."
The large fisted awakened being smashed through a door in a nearby house, it looked around till it spotted a man and a woman cowering off to the side. The being began to rush towards them, till Eliza came crashing through the window, drop-kicking the being in the side of the head, sending it through the opposite wall. Eliza looked to them. "Go! Get out while you can!" she shouted to them. They complied as quickly as they could, while the being picked itself up then rushed her, bringing its enormous hand down on her. She quickly blocked with her claymore, only for the unexpected weight to push her into the ground, Emelia and Diana rushed in and flanked it on its sides. The being grunted, preforming a quick spin with its arms outstretched, the massive fists knocking into the warriors and sending them flying away.
The being then stepped out onto the street, Natalie charging and bringing down her blade, the being raised its hand and deflected the blow. Jean observed as the others fought. "Hmm… normal attacks won't cut it. No choice then." She began to twist her arm over and over again, the tension building up in her body. The claymores tried striking against the foe, their blows were useless against the thick hide. "21… rotations" she thought, then she charged, the being took notice and knocked the others away with ease, Jean held her arm forward and the being seemed to be tensing the muscles in his arm. "Now!" with that Jean let the tension release as her arm began to spin rapidly into a drill, the being attacked with the blunt of his hardened knuckles. The sparks began to fly as the drill seemed to not be enough and the being grinned, but then stopped, a crack appeared and the drill exploited it as it continued annihilating the being's fist, going all the way through the arm and eviscerating the head. Jean caught her breath as it was over, the other warriors pleased at a job well done. "Finished."
The sinewy being laughed as another blow bounced off his hide. "Please… is this all you got?" it said blocking Claudia's blow, then grabbing her and throwing her into Zelda.
Undine gritted her teeth, frustrated at the huge mass of muscle that was her enemy. Deneve stood next to her. "Commander, if I may?"
Undine turned to her, but didn't take her eyes off the being. "What is it?"
"I think I may have a plan. If you can distract the being I think I can help turn the tide of this battle." Deneve replied.
Undine snorted. "Heh. Right, fine then have it your way. Just try not to fuck it up!" she shouted charging at the being as he knocked Juliana away. Undine brought a double blow down with her swords, the being blocked with the long of his arm, the blades barely making incisions in the sin. The being smirked but then its smile dropped as it felt something in its chest. It looked down to see the tip of a claymore protruding from its sternum. The being's muscles slightly relaxed. Undine, taking advantage of its distraction retrieved her blades and jumped up and came back with a downward slash, cutting off the massive arms of the being. The being stumbled back, looking from one severed stump to another before looking to the sky and letting its head slide back and fall to the ground.
Deneve sheathed her blade, satisfied with the finishing blow. Undine gave a cocky smirk at Deneve who simply returned it with her usual look of indifference, with the exception of a small grin playing on her lips.
Miria's team arrived in time to see the bladed being cut down a denizen of Pieta. Miria was the first to charge forward, the being stuck out at her, only for her form to disappear, it then stuck behind and hit a target cutting Miria across the stomach. "Miria!" the three shouted in unison.
Miria stood up. "Don't worry about me! Yuma! Look out!" she warned, but too late. Yuma who had looked away saw as her sword arm and claymore flipped into the air, she crouched down in pain and cried out as Queenie and Tabitha charged forward and struck. The being raised it arms and blocked the duel attack, jumping back a ways as Miria tended to Yuma. "Are you alright?" Yuma nodded slightly through the pain and Miria stood up, and rushed the being. The being stuck out and hit the after image, then it stuck behind itself and hit another, and another and another all around it. It then looked down at it feet, there was Miria poised to spring and she did, bringing her blade up with her, bisecting the being with a single blow as the two halves fell away from each other. Miria sighed. "Good. It's over."
The remains of the five pieces each began to convulse again, the remains of the four who ran off began to race back towards the center of town as the respective parties followed. The piece flowed into the remains of the muscular being, the being then stood up as a dark, mist-like substance began to swirl around it. All twenty-four warriors watch with confusion and uncertainty as the mist substance began to spin around fasted and faster, until final it dispersed, revealing a man dressed in a hooded trench coat, his face obscured by the hood, who simply raised his hands and began to clap slowly. "Very good ladies, truly excellent work." He said beginning to laugh. "For your first time, you weren't so bad. A little improvement could be used, but overall, it was fantastic."
Many of the warriors were taken back by this sudden change in attitude, Helen spoke up. "What the FUCK?!"
He turned to her with a grunt. "No need for such language."
Miria was the first to step forward. "I think what she means to say is that we weren't expecting… this."
The man looked to her and laughed. "Hahahahaha! And what were you expecting? For me to honestly try and kill you all? And then proceeded to annihilate this entire city?" Their continued expressions of confusion gave him their answer. "Heh. Well that was the point." Some of the others' expressions changed from confusion to curiosity. "If you didn't believe it was real, you might not have put forth your best effort and I would have had a harder time evaluating you effectiveness within groups, your strengths, your weaknesses, etcetera."
"And why would you want to know that?" Miria asked.
He looked to her. "Come now, Miria. You are smart enough to realize why you aren't?"
Helen looked to Miria now. "What he talking about, Miria?"
"The reason I put together this little… scenario is for three reasons, the first I have already explained. The second is for experience, both in working in teams and against facing awakened beings as some of you haven't experienced either. Thirdly, it's to know how to best prepare you for what is to come." The man said.
Undine snarled. "We could have died you bastard! Some of us have already sustained injuries from this little so-called 'scenario'!" She said motioning across to several warriors who sustained many bruises and scrapes, the worst of all Yuma who still had a bloody stub where an arm used to reside.
"No." Miria said after a moment's thought with her eyes closed. "We were never in any danger, were we?"
There was a wicked and toothy grin beneath the hood. "Now you begin to comprehend, don't you?"
Undine looked to Miria. "Comprehend what? What is he talking about?"
Flora then came to sudden attention as she realized something as well. "I see so that's how it is."
Undine then turned to her. "What are you guys talking about?"
Deneve and Clare felt it too, as their bodies began to relax. "It's like that huh?" Deneve remarked.
"What they are talking about is simple. None of this is real." The cloaked figure commented.
"What?!" Helen and Undine shouted simultaneously.
"We're being manipulated right now? Aren't we?" Miria asked. The man simply gave another toothy grin before raising his hand and snapping his fingers once. The scenery appeared to alter itself immediately, all the warriors were standing together in the square, the man was gone but his presence was still felt by them.
"It's not so hard really, once you get the hang of it, although manipulating so many minds at once is taxing, especially after my warm up with those beings from before. Still, the basic things like your sense of sight and hearing and touch are easy enough, but everything you saw you should treat as though it actually happened." The voice of the cloaked man said echoing around them.
"Why don't you come out and show yourself, then? If you're only here to help?" Helen asked to the sky.
"In due time, I'm sort of a fan of flashy entrances. In the meantime let me offer some parting advice… high ranking warriors, you can't take the beings on alone, you need to learn to rely on all the warriors under you, not just your own strength. Lower warriors, you must work together if you want to live work as a team and you may yet survive. And to all, beware… the time of battle draws near." The voice was then silent, replaced by the howling of the winds of the north.
Undine crossed her arms and huffed. "Psht. Some help that was." She said, before her armor suddenly exploded off of her leaving only her pants and enough cloth on her front to cover her breasts. "What the-"
Helen chuckled. "Guess that's what you get for being lippy." She smirked before her armor did the exact same thing.
Deneve looked to her with a plain expression. "That same to you it appears." She said with the slightest hint of a smirk. Helen just glared before Miria spoke up.
"On the contrary it was, we managed to learn how to fight as a team without there being any danger involved." She said motioning to the previously injured Claymores who were now without a single injury.
Undine crossed her arms. "I don't like this… are we just pawns to you? This kind of formation is unreliable from the start." She scowled as Miria looked to her. "The lower ranks were almost completely useless as I expected, we would have been better off trying to put all the fighters on one unit while all the others who can barely handle a yoma on the other, have them on standby while the real troops take care of business." She then glared deeply. "Depending on your answer I may stop cooperating."
Flora took a step forward. "There weren't any casualties right?"
Undine turned to her. "'Casualties'? What just happened wasn't even real!"
Flora gave a blank expression. "That may be true but we five teams each went up against what could be considered an awakened being, and thus each of us has gained some experience in what a fight would be like against an awakened being."
Undine raised a brow at the logic, now waiting for her to continue. "There really is an immense difference between providing support for the real battle group from behind the front lines and personally fighting an awakened being, sword in hand. Furthermore if there are low ranking numbers in a team, the high ranking numbers battle become harsher as well. The burden of responsibility becomes that much greater. So what Miria is trying to achieve with her choice of teams is to make all of us gain routine in fighting awakened beings and to raise the higher numbers' proficiency. In other words, to raise the entire groups' potential. Isn't that right Miria?"
Miria simply looked to Flora with a blank expression while Helen grinned. 'Wow, that's Miria for ya! She really put a lot of thought into this."
Deneve frowned and furrowed her brows. "Damn, that idiot."
"What is it?" Helen asked.
Deneve continued to frown. "It would have been better to keep letting Miria playing the high-handed leader. Ruining that impression by explaining her true reasoning was unwise."
Helen raised a brow. "And what does that mean?"
Deneve glanced around at the other Claymores. "Well, it seems some have realized it already. Our leader has com e to the conclusion that with our current battle potential, the mission is almost certain to fail."
Undine snarled even more before turning around and beginning to walk off. "Bah! This fight was a pointless one anyways! That there was an overbearing way of handling it didn't change it at all." she turned to one of the Claymores, "Oi! Where's our supply room? , here?! The black suits should have prepared one!" she bellowed.
Pamela pointed. "It's in the warehouse next to the inn over there." Deneve watched the large muscular Claymore stomp off as Clare walked up next to Miria.
"So she noticed." Clare said.
"Yeah. I wonder how many noticed in all." Miria wondered aloud. "In any case, even with that supposed benefactor on our side, it's not like we have a way out. Any way you turn it, this is a last stand. Using the desperate strength of cornered animals to try and cut a way through with brute force. That's the last shred of hope we have." She finished looking to the sky.
Deneve walked through the city towards the warehouse on the request the she would restock Helen's armor and clothes. She spotted the building and entered, rows of armor lined the walls. "Hmm… more than enough spare equipment."
"Who's there?!" a voice demanded from the next room.
Deneve recognized the voice of her commander. "It's me, commander. I came to pick up some armor as a favor to Helen."
"I'm getting dressed right now! So you better damn stay where you are!" Undine shouted through the door.
Deneve raised a brow. "That's an odd thing to say to a comrade." She noted before looking and noticing two claymores lying nearby, Undine's twin swords. "There's one thing I'd like to ask commander. What's up with this second sword? The emblems are different."
"Shu8t the hell up!" Undine barked. "I picked it up from some sucker who got done in. You got a problem with that?!"
"If a warrior dies, her claymore become her gravestone." There's no way you wouldn't know that." Deneve countered.
"Dead people don't need swords!" Undine argued from the other side of the door. "Plus, this was some low ranked no-name anyways!"
Deneve inspected the sword. "For some 'no-name sucker's' sword, you seem rather fond of it, gripping it in your sword hand."
"Huh? What are you trying to say?" Undine asked.
"Looking at your behavior, it seems like you are only brash and rowdy." Deneve started walking towards the door. "But if one actually thinks it all through, the conclusion could as well be you are doing and saying all of this for your comrades sake' sake."
Undine heard as she approached. "Stay away! Aren't you going to listen to your commanding officer?!"
Deneve opened the door, a small arrogant smirk gracing her lips. "I see. So this is your true form." She said beholding the true lithe form of Undine, looking even less built then most other Claymores as opposed to her more muscular façade.
The wind howled fiercely as Clare and Flora stood in the driving snow on the outskirts of town. "So what's your business with me out here, Commander Flora?"
Flora turned around, drawing her blade. "I'm terribly sorry about this… but I will have you participate in a contest between the two of us… at full power." Clare gave a blank look but drew her sword as the two charged each other.
10 minutes later…
Clare and Flora continued the exchange until Clare backed off and broke the engagement. Flora frowned. "Why are you holding back? What I saw back there wasn't something petty like this. Is it that you won't get serious with me as your opponent?"
"I'm sorry to disappoint you, but this is my real power." Clare replied. "You have probably already noticed, but this right arm isn't mine."
Flora looked disapprovingly at her. "That is irrelevant. What I want to see is all of the power you have at your disposal right now. Your sword running at high speed and my windcutter, they both work with a split second acceleration of the sword and enable an incredible number of consecutive attacks. They are similar techniques. I want to know which is superior."
Clare sighed. "Pathetic." Flora looked slightly astonished by the insinuation. "To me the strength, rank, superiority, inferiority, of techniques between fellow warriors are such small things, I would even say they're worthless. Killing as many awakened beings as I can, that's all that matters to me."
Flora sighed this time, sheathing her sword but keeping a tight grip on the handle. "You don't understand. One important thing to know in a battle against an awakened being is to accurately know the power of each warrior. That directly affects the organization of the battle and how it unfolds. Whether they want to or not those with power command those below themselves. That is the responsibility that befalls them." Clare was the one speechless this time. "Prepare, I will now preform a windcutter, depending on the outcome I will ask Miria to change the list of commanders."
Clare took a deep breath and tightened her grip on her sword. "Quicksword. That is the name of the technique I will show you right now. I'm sorry. But I cannot control the minute movements of it. I won't take responsibility if I end up killing you."
"I don't mind." Flora replied. "On the contrary, should it be that powerful, that would be delightful. However don't take my windcutter lightly either. What you saw before was only for a finishing blow, don't think it was the extent of my power." She tightened her grip. "This time full power, both of us."
With that they each took a step forward and swung.
Undine glared up at Deneve with tears in her eyes as Deneve simply stared back. "You bitch…"
Deneve looked at her with a plain expression. "What's wrong? Why are you crying and trembling like that? Are you that terrified by the feeling of your body going over the limit?" Undine widened her eyes. "There is no doubt that the feeling of approaching the limit is terrifying. The desire for power, the craving for blood, and the feeling of lust boiling over through your entire body, an instant in which you feel the black knot of emotions deep within."
"You sound as if you've gone even deeper." Undine shot back.
"This is definitely common knowledge, no need for suspicions." Deneve replied. "Well, in any case, the experience is a heavy burden on weak and cowardly warriors."
Undine scowled. "Huh?! What's that supposed to mean?!"
"Originally, you are a mostly useless frail warrior. You are timid too, but by never leaving the side of a close friend who became a warrior the same time as you. You somehow managed to survive." Deneve inferred. "However someday that close friend loses her life in battle, and ever worse, it was because you are so weak. You who are left behind take up her sword and a resolution: To become stronger than anybody else, so that none of your friends are forced to experience sadness like that again. Through constant yoma release, you gain a muscular form and adopt the title of 'strongest' warrior. To get your two swords approved by the organization."
Undine was dumbfounded. "Y-you… how did… how did you…?"
I didn't." she replied. "Presuming the generic outlines I simply deduced the rest. In the world we live in, it's not an especially rare story." Undine grunted. "That aside, let me tell you another story that actually happened." She looked to the ceiling as if trying to recall the memories by closely inspecting the boards of wood. "Once a certain warrior long ago had an older sister, they had the occasional fight but for the most part got along. When the house was attacked by yoma the first thing the sister did was push her under the bed. Because of the smell of their parents corpses on the bed the yoma took no notice of her. Under the bed she just watched as her sister was violated and torn apart. Extinguishing her voice by firmly covering her mouth with her hands."
Undine's expression softened greatly as she listened. "In the end she lost her whole family and was carted off to the east to become a warrior. Despite the fact that she desperately wanted to avenge her sister, she became a defensive type, because no matter how much she wanted to avenge her sister, the girl couldn't stop thinking 'I don't want to die.' Falling into despair after realizing this her fighting style became more and more self-destructive until one day an irritating fellow warrior her own age decided to try and become friends with her. Since the other warrior was so annoying she decided to tell her story and reject her bluntly. But the warrior carelessly said the following: 'Of course we want to stay alive at any given time! We are human!' It's not like those two sentences caused a complete turnover for her, but they're probably the reason she's still alive, even now. Well, this has nothing to do with you though, just another mundane little story." Undine simply blinked before raising her hand and looking at the palm. "Anyways don't tear yourself apart all alone here. Remember you have comrades. Us who will support you with things you can't do by yourself. That's what a team is about commander Undine."
Clare was face down on the ground, a myriad of deep marks in the frozen dirt between her and Flora. Flora heaved before her upper torso exploded in a torrent of blood as she fell to her knees. Clare sat up and the two warriors looked to each other. "In terms of speed you win. In terms of force and precision, I win. The overall power is about on par." Flora concluded, through huffs of exhaustion
"If the power are on par, I believe the one with more precision should be more deserving to stand on top." Clare replied.
Flora smiled a little. "Well, all right. Though I do regret losing the title 'Fastest sword among the warriors' a little. There was one other thing, just for a moment didn't you…" she stopped, the shook her head. "No, never mind. It's trivial in a situation like this." She reached out her hand for Clare who took it as they exchanged smiles. "Let's make sure we definitely survive this battle together."
A few miles away from Pieta…
Eli sat in a cross legged position on a small outcropping of rock above the snow. "Good, trust breeds effective teamwork, I'm glad they're all getting to know each other a little better." He though back to his own days as a warrior. "I wish we had more of that sort of comradery back then… well, I suppose there's no point in dealing with the 'What ifs'."
He began to focus his yoki. "Time to see what the opposition is like…" He reached out and far to the north, till he felt the presence of the awakened beings like beacons in the dark, thirty of them mostly spread across the far northern towns but unmistakably making their way towards Pieta. He then felt another one, this yoki was greater than any of the others. "Rigardo…" He felt around some more, confident that none of them could sense him from this distance. "I've found the army and the lieutenant, but where's the commander?" he wondered.
Hours before… Far, far to the North…
A boy ran through the ruins of a former town, broken windows and torn apart buildings as far as he could see, but not a soul around save himself. He panted as he continued to look around, part out of mild exhaustion and part out of the cold wind and snow baring down on him.
"What is this?" Raki asked looking at the ruin. "What happened to this town? It was normal when I got here. What happened while I was being held in that dungeon?" Raki noticed a dark haired girl a distance away, she was walking slowly as a piece of the ruined architecture above her began to give way. "Watch it!" he shouted running and diving for her, pushing her out of the way as the debris fell. "That was a close one." He said, he then looked down to see his hand was on her breast, he took it off quickly, blushing. "I'm sorry for suddenly jumping you." He apologized. "Are you hurt? Any wounds?" he asked.
She turned around to face him, saying nothing. She was a skinny, pre-adolescent girl with short brown hair and brown eyes. She paused for a moment, looking into his face, she then wrapped her arms around his neck and leaned in close. Raki blushed deeper at the sudden intimacy. "Wa-wait a moment!" he protested.
"Ooooooi!" a deep yet soothing voice called out in the distance. Raki looked up as a man approached. He had a youthful, pretty boy appearance with long, silver hair.
The man raised a brow as he saw the girl holding tightly to Raki. "Oh, so that's where you were. What happened?"
"This kid smells nice." The girl stated. Raki blushed even deeper than before.
The man looked surprised but then smiled. "Heh. It's rare for you to have an interest in someone. Is he from the same region as you?"
Raki stuttered still blushing red as a tomato. "I-I lived far south form here, until I was abducted and brought here." He stammered.
The man nodded. "I see… from the south you say? It must be the warm scent of the south that's attracting her to you." He looked off into the distance for a moment. "Yeah… I really want to take her south already…"
"Erm." Raki started as the man returned his attention to Raki. "Do you know what happened to this town? Could it be that it was destroyed by some strange monsters?"
The man looked like he was about to say something but then closed his mouth for a moment, as if changing his mind. "You can relax. They don't seem to be in the area anymore." The wind picked up. "But it's really cold out here. Let's return quickly, you can come along!" he said cheerfully. Raki looked to him questioningly. "Normally she doesn't get attached to people easily. So keep her company for a while!" he said with a gleaming smile. He outstretched his hand to them both. "Well then let's go… Priscilla." He said.
The next morning…
Raki awoke to the sight of Pricilla's clothed breasts in his face. "What… is this?" he asked himself getting out of bed without disturbing her. "When did she… I went to bed alone last night!" he said astonished he hadn't felt her earlier.
Raki heard the sound of whooshing in the next room. He saw the silver haired man was swinging around Raki's sword with great elegance and grace, fast and strong and agile. The form of which the sword was handled reminded him of how Eli had handled his blade. The man took notice of Raki and stopped, greeting him. "Good morning. Did you sleep well?" he asked.
Raki looked to the sword. "Th-that's…" Raki began
The man looked to the sword. "Oh this? I found it lying around in the town I found you in. I thought it such a good sword that I just couldn't leave it behind."
"I see..." Raki explained.
The man gave an inquisitive look. "It is yours? I was already thinking it's, not the kind of sword I have ever seen around here before."
"No… I lost mine… some time ago."
The man frowned but then smiled quickly. "Here then, I think it needs an owner." He handed the sword to Raki. "It's a good sword, treat it well."
Raki was apprehensive. "Could it be that you were a famous swordsman in the past?" he asked. "I mean the flow of your blade is beautiful, so few unnecessary movements. It looks very polished."
The man chuckled mirthlessly. "A long time ago I gave it a try. But I gave up soon."
Raki frowned. "Really? Seems like such a waste, you move so well." He tightened the grip on his sword. "W-would you please teach me how to use a sword? I… I want to become strong."
The man looked questioningly to the boy. "What for?"
Raki blushed madly looking to the ground. "There's a certain person I want to protect… no I just want to be by her side." He looked into the man's face with determination. "That is why I wasn't enough power to not have to worry about me anymore, and if possible enough power to save that person."
The man looked to the boy for a moment then turned around and grabbed one of a pair of swords hanging decoratively above the fireplace. He then turned back around, sword in hand. "Becoming strong isn't easy. Once you have power you can lose it again as well. And above all else, you may even need to sacrifice your own life for that power." The man swung the sword, stopping just short of Raki's head. Raki didn't flinch. "Do you have that kind of resolve?"
Raki's face was stern. "Yes. I do."
The man smiled. "Alright then. I will teach you everything I can."
Raki bowed before him. "Thank you very much!"
The man chuckled. "I like that look in your eyes. Maybe you really can become strong."
Raki smiled before his stomach made a loud grumbling and he blushed, again embarrassed. The man chuckled again. "Come to think of it you haven't had anything to eat since you got her have you?"
"N-no." Raki answered tentatively.
The man's face suddenly became stern as he whirled around facing the south. Raki raised a brow at the sudden action but said nothing as the man turned back around, smiling again. "Sorry, but there's something I have to attend to. Help yourself to whatever food you can find in the house, there's plenty."
Raki returned the smile. "Thank you very much."
The man then looked as though he just remember something. "That's right I didn't get your name."
"I'm Raki." He replied. "I form the plain around Doga to the south."
"I'm Isley. Isley from Alphonse." The man said introducing himself.
"Isley… from Alphonse." Raki repeated slowly trying to commit it to memory.
"And she is Priscilla." Isley said pointing over Raki's shoulder, he turned to look to see the sleeping form of Pricilla wrapped around his neck. He fell over in surprise.
"What the-? She still sleeping? How?' Raki questioned looking to her.
Isley shrugged. "Somehow she really likes you. Get along well!" Isley said turning to leave. "Well then enjoy yourselves." He said as he closed the door behind him.
Raki sighed as he set Pricilla back in the bed, he then examined the room. "A beautiful room and plenty of food. I wouldn't call it decadent, but it sure is over abundance." He thought admiring the house. "I wonder what he does for a living,,, that guy…" He remembered how he had awoken to Pricilla's breasts and remembered how he had hugged Clare in much the same way.
Pricilla stirred in her sleep slightly and whispered faintly. "Watching… far away… familiar…" she said in her sleep, but so softly Raki didn't notice.
Isley entwined his fingers as his lieutenant gathered in front of him to report. "So those three didn't come back?"
Rigardo nodded, a dark haired man whose bangs hung in his eyes. "I told you those three weren't suited for reconnaissance. I knew they would go and rampage right off the bat. If you had let me go instead…"
Isley waved a hand. "No, that's alright. Whether they returned or not didn't matter to me anyways. We know now that a force has gathered in Pieta that is enough to take out those three." Rigardo raised a brow as Isley continued. "I figured right away, that there were none who would follow the order to simply do reconnaissance and back, so I chose the weakest three whose loss wouldn't really affect us anyways. Another thing, 'If you had just let me do it'? That's not something I want to hear from the one who goes into the worst blood frenzies when he gets started, isn't that right silver eyed lion king?"
Rigardo grimaced. "Could you please not call me that? If possible."
"Sorry, I'm digressing into the past." Isley replied. "In any case they have a large force so I say we respond in kind. This is a good time. Gather all who are just messing around here and there at the moment!" Isley looked directly at Rigardo. "Take all twenty-seven with you. Annihilate Pieta." His gaze softened. "Basically, a place where no lifeform exists whatsoever, that's what I want Pieta to become. Don't leave a single rat or bug alive. So that people won't even be able to call it 'Pieta' anymore." Rigardo nodded turning to leave. "One other thing, I felt something earlier…"
"You… felt something?" Rigardo asked.
"Yes, as if someone trying to find me from so far away." Isley.
"What could that mean?" Rigardo asked.
"It means someone other than the Organization and myself have a hand in this. And this third hand feels like…" Isley paused.
Rigardo raised a brow. "Feels like what?"
Isley paused then waved his hand. "Nothing. Forget I spoke of it. It was probably just my mind playing tricks on me." Rigardo nodded then left the room, shutting the door behind him. Isley turned to the window, the sight of falling snow meeting his eyes. "Could you really still be around… Elijah?"
Eli opened his eyes with a start. Heaving breaths in the snow as sweat beaded down his forehead. "Damn it,,, that was way too close… Isley is still far away… but that other yoki…" Shivers went up and down his spine, Eli raised his fist once and pounded the ground. "Damn you Isley... what the Hell do you think you're doing?!"
Back in Pieta…
All the Claymores had gathered, all of them standing in the same room, Miria at the head sitting in a chair in front of a table. On the table was a yoki suppressant pill, Miria used her claymore and divided the pill into halves. "All of you will take one of these before battle." She said holding up one half.
"Half a yoki suppressant pill?" one of the warriors, Karla asked.
"If you take just half, neither will your yoki be suppressed nor will you lose the ability to sense yoki. You'll be able to fight same as usual." Miria explained. "But lose consciousness the instant the flow of yoki stops, the effects of the pill kick in."
Some of the Claymores gave confused looks as Flora spoke up. "In other words, we'll be able to play dead."
"Tomorrow's battle isn't a battle to win. It's a battle to survive." Miria explained. "But even if we just abandon this mission and run away, we'll become targets for the Organization's purge. That is why I want a reality in which all of us were 'killed in action'." She paused for a moment before going on. "I think you understand as much as I do. The chances of survival are incredibly low. In fact you could call it saving a few by sacrificing many." Miria grimaced deeply. "I'm sorry. But no matter how hard I think this is the only way to survive I can come up with. I know it's inexcusable but…"
"That's great!" came the booming voice of Undine, earning the stares of the audience. "In a suicide mission even having a shred of hope is pretty damn good already! And this plan is fair, strong ones and weak ones both have a chance to survive. Even everyone surviving is unlikely but not impossible."
"That is the spirit!" a voice boomed from the entrance way. "Even if the chance is one percent I say fight for that!"
The crowd turned to the doorway to see a goggled, silvery haired man standing in the entrance way, grinning like an idiot. "It also occurs to me while you may not think you have good odds of survival, I think I can lend a hand in that regard."
Clare recognized him immediately. "Eli…"
Miria stood up from her chair. "Is that so? And why would you do that?"
"Let's just say I have a vested interest in your survival." He replied. "After all, it's not like this is our first meeting." He said altering his voice, the audience recognizing it as the same one from before.
Undine was the first to speak. "Ha! Big talk messing with our heads wasn't exactly a show of power! I bet without your little mind games you'd be easy to beat!" she boasted.
"Is that so?" He asked, beginning to release his yoki.
The faces of many of the Claymores fell as they began to feel the massive power. "It's like a greater awakened being's aura…" Jean whispered.
Miria's face remained unaltered. "I see you have great strength."
"Of course. It was I who defeated the scouts on the outskirts of town, most likely saving the lives of both you and many townspeople." He said matter-o-factly. Miria was silent. "Please I needn't thanks, it only cost me an arm and a leg, and in this case that's not just a saying. But enough about that, I need you to follow me outside for a moment."
The crowd turned their attention to Miria who said nothing but followed Eli outside where he stood, sword in hand. "That's a pretty big sword, even larger than normal claymores." Undine stated looking at the blade.
"Way to state the obvious there muscles, what's next you going to point out how it's sharp and pointy?" He asked with a sneer.
"What the Hell did you just say to me?!" Undine growled grabbing her blades. Miria put up a hand and Undine stopped, relaxing a bit but still glaring at Eli.
"Why have you called us out here?" Miria asked.
"I need a proper assessment of your skills." Eli stated. "Fight me, you can even come at me all at once if you prefer, though I'd probably get a better reading from a one on one."
"And you couldn't do that before when you were manipulating our senses?" Miria asked.
"Doing that any further would be pointless. When it comes to manipulating an opponent's senses it's like a mental and yoki tug-of-war, if I win said war your sense are mine if I lose, you resist and shrug off the manipulation. Trying to simultaneously manipulate twenty-four different yokis is neither cheap nor easy. Besides, I only did that to give you experience in dealing with awakened beings and acting in your little groups." Eli explained. "Now I need to be sure what it is you're thinking when you hold your blade."
"What we're… thinking?" Helen asked.
"Exactly, I'll give you a demonstration." He pointed to Undine. "Undine right? Fight with me."
Undine looked to Miria who nodded, Undine gave a wicked grin and drew her blades stepping into the middle of the square with Eli. "You're going to regret this." Eli only smiled. Undine rushed at Eli with quick blows, Eli paired them with skills as she and he continued to exchange blows. Just as she prepared to lash out again, Eli held up a hand and she withheld her blow, grinning. "Had enough?"
Eli looked to her and smiled. "Yes. I've assessed what I've needed. Strong blows mixed in with quick light blows. Partly balanced, partly not. Quick to anger, arrogant, brutish, yet a… softness about you." He assessed. "And fear in your strikes."
"Fear?" Undine asked. "I'm not scared of anything!" she boasted, but Eli turned around already, now pointing to Flora, who stepped forward.
"So Flora, they say you are the fastest blade of the warriors." Eli said, addressing his new opponent.
"Perhaps." She replied, glancing to Clare for a moment.
"Then show me this 'Windcuttrer' technique. I'm very interested to see it." Eli said.
"Yes. I think with you I can show off some of my power." She said stepping towards him.
They both walked towards each other slowly, then passed now standing where the other stood, still facing the directions they were walking in. Eli smiled a small incision appearing on his cheek, Flora winced a little as her face produced three distinct cuts, slightly bloodying her face. "Focused, precision striking, sacrificing power and speed for accuracy. Disciplined, kind, soft-spoken, obedient, prone to lectures, talks down to people… and also fearful."
Flora raised a brow at the assessment but none said nothing as Eli then motioned towards Jean, who complied, stepping forward. "So I hear you have the greatest thrust of the warriors, Jean." Eli stated.
Jean nodded. "That is what they say. I suppose you'd like me to demonstrate?"
"If you'd be so kind." Eli said.
Jean did as she was told and began to twist her arm in preparation for the technique. "I should warn you, this is a pretty devastating technique."
"If you manage to slay me, you'll have no trouble surviving. Now give it your best shot." Eli replied.
Jean nodded, pointing her sword at him and began to untwist her arm, faster and faster, until it became a rapidly spinning drill. She charged at him with the technique, Eli raised his sword, drew it back, and with a single thrust, hit the tip of his sword against the tip of hers, stopping the technique from moving any further forward, but still rotating, making a loud screech in protest. Miria, along with every other warrior, widened their eyes at this. "Impossible! He stopped her drill sword with another thrust! And he did so by hitting the tip of the spinning blade with the tip of his own! And he's still maintaining it!"
The sword eventually slowed down and Eli withdrew his thrust, smiling at the bewildered Claymore. "Good technique, creative, effective against enemies with thick hides, halt the tip however and the technique is rendered useless. Disciplined, loyal, self-sacrificing, arrogant, prideful, and fearful."
Jean like Flora before her raised a brow. "Three of us? Fearful?"
Eli then turned his attention to Miria. "Now if you'd be so kind…" he said to her.
Miria stepped forward and the warriors played close attention now, their strongest present warrior versus this mysterious man. "You're stronger than Undine, faster with the blade than Flora, have a mightier thrust than Jean, just who are you?"
"Someone who's had many years to practice." He replied. He and Miria raised their swords in unison, the Eli charged Miria slashing at her, only for his blade to slice clean through her and her image to disappear. "An after-image." She appeared behind him and slashed, only for her blade to do the exact same thing. The continued slashing through each other's images for about five minutes. Miria stopped panting at her exertion of using her signature technique so many times, Eli was breathing heavy but not with nearly as much force as Miria. "Hmm. A defensive technique. Raise your speed in an instant to not only dodge but create a split second opening between the time you do it and the time they realize its isn't you. Very cleaver, it's sneaky, underhanded, I like it. Excellent leadership skills, skilled tactician, tolerant, respectful, cautious to the point of hesitant, suspicious, slight paranoia, pessimistic… and fearful, how unfortunate."
"How dare you!" Helen barked. Eli turned his gaze to her. "Miria is the bravest warrior I know! She has done everything in her power to save us! How dare you try and insult her! I should kill you where you stand! Show you what real fear is!" she bellowed, drawing her blade. Some of the other Claymores drew their swords in agreement while others where slightly hesitant to try and take on the powerful man before them.
Eli sighed. 'You don't understand." He said drawing his blade up holding it parallel to his body. "Much can be learned from combat, feelings especially. You know what their blades tell me? When they try and strike me they say 'I'm afraid to cut' when they protect someone else they say 'I'm afraid of letting them die' and when they try and parry my strikes they say 'I'm afraid of dying'. Your leaders' blades speak to me only of mindless irrational fear." He turned to Undine and Jean. "Fear of letting others die." He turned to Flora. "Fear of being weak." He looked around to the other Claymores. "Fear of dying. And the worst of all…" he said turning back to Miria. "Fear of failure. Each and every one of you has fear in some form. It's understandable, given the circumstances, yet at the same time utterly pitiful." He gave a disgusted look. "Fear so bad I can feel it around me, permeating the air like a noxious gas."
"That's simple then, we stop being afraid. Fear is a choice." Flora said, maintaining her composure.
"No it's not." Eli replied. "Fear isn't a switch you can just turn on and off in your brain. It comes from the most basic instincts of living beings to survive. Bravery, courage, valor, these are the choices that can be made." He looked to each of the warriors. "You need to trust in your comrades and in yourselves, and take resolve in your blades." He swung his sword to one side. "When you block 'I will not be killed!'" he swung his sword to his other side. "When you protect someone, 'I will not let them die!'" Eli then swung his sword straight up. "And when you strike…" he swung it down, causing a crash as he created a large scar in the pavement. "'They die!'" he turned back to Miria. "That's what it means to have resolve in your blade. You each need to behave in your teams as if limbs apart of a greater body, and I can help with that."
Miria spoke. "That's… I don't even know what to say except, yes you're right… I am afraid, but I can find the resolve in my blade." She turned to her subordinates. "Just as I believe in each of you can do the same!" she said raising her sword as the other warriors followed suite.
"Let's hope your faith isn't misplaced." Eli said with a small smile.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa." Helen interjected. "What? Are we serious? We're just gonna let this guy join us?"
"We can't exactly look a gift horse in the mouth." Flora replied. "Besides, if you're worrying about him betraying us, don't be. He's already taken out three awakened beings. If he wanted to kill us it's probably within his ability to do so. The fact that he hasn't means that his help is valid."
"Besides." Eli said looking to Helen. "Would it really be wise for me to try and take on all of you at once? Perhaps I am the strongest one here, but if you attacked me all at once… I would definitely be at a disadvantage."
Helen crossed her arms. "I still want some sort of proof of you willing to help, insurance against future betrayal. Do you have anyone who will vouch for you?"
Eli smiled a bit wider, showing teeth. "Yes I do. You." He said waving his hand.
"What are-" A sharp pain ran through Helen's head she dropped her blade and cradled her head.
Deneve quickly tried to aid her, she then turned on Eli drawing her sword. "What have you-" She stopped as Eli held up a hand, pointing to Helen who now started to relax as the pain quickly receded.
She stood up, now looking to Eli in a different matter. "You…"
Eli continued to smirk. "Yes me. You remember now don't you?"
Deneve then recognized Eli as well. "Yes, I remember from back in Paburo."
Miria, recognized him as the man from Paburo. "That's right… Helen was remembering something when her head started to hurt and she forgot. Was that him? Did he just undo whatever that was back then?"
Helen then spoke louder. "I met this man some time ago. He was in a back water village where I was hunting yoma. He pointed out the man and then disappeared. Hours later the village swarmed with yoma, no survivors best I could tell, and if there were any, they'd been long gone. I… I went past my limit there. I was awakening, and then I fought an awakened being and then…"
"Then I stepped in, killed the being, reversed the awakening process before it was complete and left you to pick up the pieces." Eli finished. "Essentially you owe me your life."
Helen was silent, looking at the ground now. Miria started up. "So why was she not able to recognize her savior back in Paburo?"
"The mind isn't actually all that complicated, it is delicate though." Eli explained. "Think of the mind like a well, surface thoughts on top, like what you're planning to do in the next few minutes or what do you want to eat later that day, simple everyday thoughts that lie on the surface of the mind. Deeper in there lies the subconscious, memories and secrets. When her mind recognized me I simply added 'weight' to the memory so she wasn't able to bring it to the surface of her mind where she could 'see' it. I plunged it to the depths of her subconscious where it had stayed till I now undid the 'weights' and it rose from the murky depths of her mind."
"I see." Miria replied. "So then, you saved her life, I suppose the word of Helen that you saved her life is worth something." She said looking to Helen who simply adverted her gaze with a mixture of embarrassment and gratitude. "And I think I've realized just who you are… Elijah of the Empty Heart."
"Indeed." Eli said now looking to all the warriors. "I didn't think that anyone was old enough to remember the old names, you've been doing some intel gathering of your own haven't you, or has someone been talking about me behind my back?" Miria said nothing but gave a quick glance to Clare before Eli addressed the rest of the warriors. "You have all been sent here to die. I'm sure you've realized that by now. Whether it be because you're too rebellious, too dangerous, or simply too unpredictable, you all have been sent here to die, and I can help you to survive."
Clare now stepped forward. "I, too, can vouch for this man." Many Claymores raised brows at this sudden input from the lowest ranked warrior. "I, like you, have seen his strength first hand. He can be a great asset to us, and if we are to survive this battle we need all the help we can get."
Miria put a hand on Clare's shoulder. "Well spoken Clare." She turned to the audience. "I trust in Clare's and Helen's belief, what say you?" she said raising her sword. The others did the same in a sign of agreement. Miria turned back to Eli. "You have our trust for now. So, how will you help us? I would need to rearrange the teams, or you could go by yourself after these beings, acting as your own squad."
"I'm afraid either of those would be ineffective. Being the strongest one, I need to be able to help you all out at once so all of your chance to survive are significantly increased." Eli replied.
"And how do you plan to do that?" Miria asked.
"Like this." Eli said reaching out with a hand he touched her forehead his yoki mixing into hers. "You can hear me now right?"
Miria took a step back. "What is it?" Undine asked. "What did he pull this time?"
"I projected my thoughts into her by concentrating my yoki and syncing with her's. Through this technique not only can I speak to you, but I can see what you see and hear what you hear. With this I can act as a yoki relay and issue orders or advice from far away, and no team will be completely without the ability to communicate." Eli explained. "It's a difficult technique though, and while you're synching with me you drain a little bit of my yoki, and with twenty-four people… it'd be difficult, but this is the way in which I would be most effective in helping."
"But how does this help?" Undine asked.
"The main problem with your teamwork from before was that you didn't know each other's strengths and weaknesses. You need to be able to know what the other members of your team are doing at all times, like working the limbs of your own body. By doing this your efficiency as a team will grow exponentially." Eli explained. "Synching with twenty-four people's different yoki wavelengths is a bit hard though, despite the fact I'm great at manipulation and my yoki is pretty malleable. So I need the leaders to act as secondary relays between their subordinates and myself, so I can better control the technique."
"In that way, not only will you be able to have eyes everywhere, but can also issue warnings, commands and at the same time act as a high speed communicator." Mira finished.
Undine crossed her arms and made a face. "I don't really get it. Why can't he just do that and fight at the same time?"
"A technique of that caliber would require great concentration and effort on the one using it. Trying to do that and fight at the same time? Very doubtful. In fact, I doubt he can even move while this technique is in effect, am I right?" Flora asked.
"That is… correct." Eli replied. "I'll need to be in a building nearby, probably in the middle of town where I'll have the maximum range to use this technique." He looked towards the horizon. "I sense them approaching, they will be here in force within a few hours in the meantime we should evacuate the city and prepare the best we can, probably best if we try this technique a few times, make sure I can effectively use it."
Miria nodded. "He's right, the citizens need to be evacuated. Everyone get to it! When you're done report back here! The fight is almost upon us!" with that the Claymores scattered, many giving Eli passing glances as they went their separate ways.
Eli motioned towards Clare to follow him she complied as they found themselves in an alley.
Once they were alone Clare turned to him. "Where is he?"
Eli was silent for a moment not wanting to meet her gaze, but she pressed him. "Where… is… he…" her voice seemed to drop, lower and with more anger. Eli pulled a secondary sword from his back and Clare recognized it instantly.
"That's…"
"Please, Clare, calm down and let me-" he was interrupted as a fist came and hit his cheek. He touched it and looked back to Clare who was on the verge of tears.
"Y-you, you lost Raki!" she said, trying the best to contain herself.
"I know. I'm sorry." He replied to which she only punched him again. He didn't turn his face back as she continued to speak.
"He's been sold to the slave traders in the North!" Clare said.
"So you've heard." Eli replied mulling over his words. "I promise you Clare, we will find him."
"How do you know?" she asked.
"What does your heart say?" he asked.
She was silent but fell forward into his arms as Eli wrapped them around her in a meaningful embrace, stroking her hair and trying to sooth the heartbroken warrior. "He's alive, I know it." She said giving a muffled reply.
Eli smiled, his eyes also beginning to well with a few tears. "I believe your heart is right. Raki is a survivor. We'll find our way to him. I promise."
Hours later…
Pieta was empty. Hollow except for the twenty-four warriors and the one ex-warrior, who sat in a nearby church nearby the town square, his mind concentrating deeply as he prepared the technique. The wind blew fiercely as if anticipation of what was to come.
"Was everyone evacuated?" she asked the nearby warrior, Tabitha.
"All of them have been transported to a city south of here." She replied.
"How's the morale?" Miria asked.
"We're all ready to follow you to wherever to may lead us Miria." Tabitha replied
"I see." Mir a said, closing her eyes for a moment, taking a breath then opening them. She sensed as they approached. "Just as I thought, completely different from what Eli took on before, how many of us can survive?" "Well then, it is time."
Miria nodded to Undine who nodded back, taking her two swords and clanging them in the air.
Eli heard the signal and began the technique. He reached out with his yoki and connected with Miria, Flora, Jean, Undine, and Veronica. "Connection established, everyone hear me?"
"Yes."
"Of course."
"I do."
"What do you expect?"
"I can."
"Good, now I will guide your yoki's to synch with your team's members." Eli concentrated harder linking the five yokis each to four others, save Miria's who had three. "There. Everyone is linked. I'm not sure how long I'll be able to keep up this technique, so we'd better make it count."
"Here they come."
Far to the North…
Islay took notice of something from the south, Raki and Pricilla accompanying him, all on horseback, atop a ridge.
Raki noticed Isley's sudden interest in that direction. "What is it?"
"In a far-away place, lives, like candles, are burning brightly against the harsh wind. They are soon to be blown out. I'm thinking of how lovely that is…"
Raki made a face. "Eh?"
Isley closed his eyes for a moment, then opened them. "Let's go. By the time we arrive, it'll be all over."
Back in Pieta…
The warriors fought ferociously against the beings, acting in formation and picking up each other's slack in the face of the great adversity.
Emelia and Eliza jumped out of the way of an attacked by an armored awakened being acting as distraction as Jean got in close and used her drill sword to take the being.
An armadillo being chased Flora's team across the rooftops before stopping, as Clare and Flora appeared ran their lightning fast blades across the being, decimating its body as it cursed them.
A young man appeared among the carnage, observing the battle, his long dark bangs falling in front of his eyes. "We have lost three, they haven't lost any yet, how peculiar. In fact I'd say it's nothing short of a miracle." He scanned the area. "One…two, three…four, five. Five strong warriors, and something else… they're guiding their warriors through yoki synch, how innovative, and also drawing our forces in one by one to crush them individually… how cunning. Impressive, that they are trying to somehow cut a path to survival in this completely hopeless situation." He closed his eyes for a moment. "Sorry, but I can't let any more of our forces being taken out." His eyes began to glow bright silver and his body began to morph, growing large claws and fangs, now resembling a three meter tall silver-gray humanoid lion.
The warriors and Eli took notice. He gritted his teeth as the strain on the technique caused the veins to pop out on his body. "Shit! It's Rigardo!"
Miria's face dropped in horror as she sensed the presence. "The silver eyed lion king? Rigardo? Why is he here?"
Rigardo tensed his muscles as Eli sensed the increase in yoki. "Shit! Get away! He's going after the leaders!"
Veronica barely got the message when Rigardo appeared before her. "Wha-?"
"One." The being said before bifurcating the warrior, her top torso flying through the air and landing nearby as her bottom half fell backwards.
The Claymores watched in horror, Cynthia gripped her blade tightly, attempting to cut the being before it disappeared again. Eli struggled as he felt Veronica's life slip away from him, without her Cynthia, Helen, Pamela, and Matilda were also cut off from him now. "Shit! I got no time to reestablish the connection! Undine! Watch out he's after you next!"
Rigardo appeared behind Undine right as she got the message, barley having time to turn around before he relieved her of her arms and then with a quick slash across the chest put down the muscular warrior for good. "God… damn… it…" she whispered falling to the ground.
Deneve watched in horror as her leader fell, and also felt the assisting presence of Eli begin to leave her. "Undine!" she screamed.
Eli's teeth tightened even more his vein's popping profusely and his gold eyes practically popping out of their sockets with the strain. "Damn it! Undine's down! I can't sense her team anymore! Jean watch out he's headed your way!"
The lion king appeared just as told as Jean prepared for him, holding up her blade. "Jean!" Clare called out.
"Protect Flora!" Jean ordered. As she desperately tried to block the being's faster than lightning blows. "He's going in order! Next is…" she was cut off as Rigardo punctured her through her stomach.
Clare's anger hit a fevered pitch. Her yoki began to release in doves. "You BASTARD!" she bellowed charging the lion king only to knock her away and quickly deal a killing blow to Flora., using his claw to cut her right down the middle head to toe. Rigardo then let out a mighty roar, the great sound reverberating along the buildings and causing warriors to drop- their blades in fear. He then spotted his next target, Miria, he moved to attack her only to be blocked by Helen and Deneve, Clare following up as she tried to strike him from behind. He dodged easily looking at the three as they guarded their leader.
"Move aside." he growled. "I haven't an interest in weaklings."
Clare growled back. "You bastard! I'll kill you!"
He snorted. "Big words, for a weakling." he skirted past the three coming close to Miria. "I'm sorry, but you must die." He said before dodging out of the way as Helen's arm came down where his head had just been. Deneve and Clare began to engage him.
Miria called out to them. "Clare! Deneve! Helen!"
"Stay back!" Helen ordered. "His target is you!"
"They're right Miria! If I lose you this technique will fail completely, I can't concentrate on reestablishing some of the connections at the same time trying to keep you alive."
Helen nodded in agreement. "He's right Miria! You're the last leader! If you die the technique will fail before he can continue to reconnect to the rest! Haven't you been able to sense it? The other team's members have been dropping like flies! We can't let you die!"
Rigardo slashed Deneve's and Clare's shoulders as the warriors fell to the ground along with the lion king. He pointed his claws at them and Clare screamed a warning. "Evade! Deneve!"
Deneve didn't know what happened as parts of her body exploded in large cuts. Clare appeared with a hole in the ground beside her as Rigardo raise a brow, then Clare knocked a a blow away as he retracted his claws. "Good perception, most of them died without realizing what they were cut or pierced by." Clare gritted her teeth, releasing more power as the lion king aimed again. "This one doesn't learn. Rushing recklessly is futile." He sensed an incoming blow an jumped high into the air as Miria swung her blade.
Miria cursed as she missed and Clare called out to her leader. Rigardo looked to the warrior. "So the leader make her debut?" He said piercing her only for her to fade away. "What?" Miria appeared behind him. "I see. Fitting movement for a commander." He said as Miria slashed at him only for his image too to fade away. "A match for me. But only in speed."
Helen rushed to an injured Deneve's side. "Deneve! "
"What a sad performance in the end I couldn't even land as single attack." She uttered with weakness.
"Pull yourself together! It's not over yet!" Helen barked. "Don't just give up like that!"
"Don't bother with me… help Miria and Clare…" she whispered. "They are essential to this battle, their life or death will determine the outcome."
Helen nodded. "Ok! You just stay here and heal wounds, Clear?!" she shouted. "Eli! Make sure to lend her some of your power!"
"I'm already on it." Eli replied. Helen nodded as she returned to the battle.
Deneve held up her hand looking at the blood. "Shit… what a mess. Number fifteen? Don't make me laugh! 'Don't tear yourself all apart alone'? 'Remember you have comrades'? What a load of crap!" she said tears streaming down her face. "Never mind about protecting Undine… I can't even land a single blow on that bastard to avenge her!" she wailed clenching her fist. Eli heard the lament but said nothing as his mind became silent.
Miria and Rigardo continued to exchange blows as Clare tried to catch up. "That man can easily keep up with the mirages. No, more like Miria's only able to keep up with him by using those mirages. Slow… why is my body so slow?"
Rigardo landed a glancing blow as the two continued their engagement. "What wrong?" he asked appearing behind her. "Your speed is dropping are we approaching your limit?" Miria landed as Rigardo then attempted to land a killing blow, only for her to fade again. "Oh? So you can still do it?" he asked. "Well… that's what I would like to say." he said his claws dripping with blood as Miria's shoulders exploded with blood, dropping to her knees. "Dodging my attacks completely is no longer possible for you, too bad. This is the end." Helen and Clare appeared behind him as Rigardo frowned. "Small fry get in the way. You're running my entertainment." He said putting his hands to each of them and repulsing them away with great force. Miria appeared behind him. "If you thought you caught me off guard. You're mistaken." He said as his claws extended and bent behind him, piercing Miria in several places. He held her there for a moment. "Not a mirage this time I see." He retracted his claws and began to turn as Miria fell, raising his hand. "I will cut off your head and it will be over."
Clare continued to release yoki as she tried to fly toward him, but time seemed to slow as she approached him and he began to swing his arm. "Damn… again… Why is my body so slow? If only I was faster… I could have saved Jean and Flora… If only I was much faster… faster… faster… faster… faster… If I was only faster…"
Rigardo's blow never came. He looked down to see a stump where his arm used to be. "What is this?"
Helen called out to Clare as she looked to the warrior, now much different. "I can't believe it." Rigardo said looking at his stump again. "Running between me and her and cutting off my arm, all in a split second, and at a speed that made even me lose sight of her for a second." He looked to the warrior whose legs had become larger, metallic, and hock-jointed.
"What is that?" Helen asked with disbelief.
"Only awakening her legs? Impressive." Clare bent her legs and was gone, Rigardo acted immediately, jumping into the air, a small chunk of his leg disappearing as a building in the opposite direction exploded, as if something crashed into it. He pointed his claws at Miria. "This is a pain… I might as well kill the injured one first." but he couldn't react as Clare appeared beside him, blade in hand, and he put up his own just in time to block the blow. He and Clare began to engage as Rigardo gritted his teeth. "Having only one arm is pretty inconvenient." He knock Clare away, trying to get his arm before it was impaled by a blade, then disappearing, Helen reappearing some distance away, Miria in one hand and her sword hand impaling the arm.
She smirked. "You used to be offensive type right? That mean you can't regenerate instantly."
Rigardo growled before Clare came again, swinging it in an attempt to kill him. He dodged, appearing behind her. "Don't get cocky because you managed to get one arm." He was about to counted before Clare disappeared again some distance away, cracking the concrete in her wake. She charged at insane speeds. "I see. You can't even keep up with yourself with all this acceleration can you?" he said stepping to the side as another building exploded. 'Once you start moving minor adjustments become impossible, If I just step to the side you can't adjust, you can't even brake. And for an unnatural awakening there will be a great price to pay for that."
Clare breathed heavy as the damage of self-inflicted wounds began to show. "Clare you have to stop!" a voice sounded in her head. "If you don't you'll soon…"she interrupted him with a loud roar, her sudden burst in yoki forcing the connection to break as Eli felt a huge pain through his head in recoil.
She and Rigardo continued to fight, Rigardo side stepping Clare's insane speeds and Clare trying to break herself with her sword and hands as she and he competed for an edge. 'When attacking as well as dodging the movements are too big on anything you do, you can't follow up. And it looks like it consumes much stamina on your part as well. For this battle that's too unwieldy, after all it's only a makeshift awakening."
"Still not enough…" breathed Clare before a blade interrupted the fight, Helen's stretching arm begging to recoil as her sneak attack failed.
Rigardo snarled. "You're in my way trying to attack from a distance." He charged her. Clare appeared between them with a slash but kept moving past as the lion king sneered. "Couldn't save them this time." He said begging to strike before noticing Clare was right beside him. "What?" She slashed at him only for him to dodge, jumping into the air as she followed. "How? Did she bring her insane speed under control?"
Clare snarled. "Not enough… more… MORE…" she and Rigardo continued to circle one another at high speeds, Clare now managing to stop herself by planting her feet deep into the ground with each step. Clare's arm then awakened, becoming a large claw with blades, Rigardo snarled at the new transformation. Clare continued after him now with Blade and Claws into the air as Rigardo barely deflected the blows. "NOT ENOUGH… STILL NOT ENOUGH… MORE… MORE… MORE POWER!"
"Stop it!" Helen bellowed. "Don't go any further!"
Clare snarled. "KILLING JEAN… KILLING FLORA… HOW DARE YOU!" she bellowed, her right arm now also begging to morph.
Rigardo watched with fascination at the young warrior's transformation. "You realized the one way to defeat me. An awakening of all four limbs." He beheld as he right arm grew blades, still holding the claymore. Rigardo smiled, awed by her power. "Magnificent." Clare eviscerated his torso completely, his legs falling backwards and his head, neck and shoulders landing a distance away.
Deneve sat up with amazement. "She… she did it..."
Miria sat up in Helen's arms as she called out to the warrior. "This is bad…"
Helen set Miria down as she tried to come over to Helen. "That's enough! Hold yourself back Clare!" as she approached Clare's bladed limbs attacked the ground before her. "Wha-?"
"Don't come any closer. The blades aren't under my control anymore!" Clare said.
"What does that mean?" Helen asked.
"Helen… Cut off my head." Clare replied, her body continuing to morph out of her control. The three warriors were taken back at the request. "Because this is an incomplete awakening somehow I was able to preserve my mind, but the body's transformation is too far gone already. I cannot go back."
"What the hell are you saying?" Helen asked, though suspected the answer.
"With my last remaining strength, I will stop the blades on my body for a moment, in that moment cut off my head." Clare answered. "Sorry for making you do this…"
"Bullshit! It's not decided whether you'll awaken or not yet! Don't just give up!" Helen argued.
"There is no one else who can do it without getting too close." Clare replied. "Please… Helen…" her body continued to morph. "There is no time! I myself know best that I cannot return. Please, let me pass on as a human!"
Helen closed her eyes and winced. 'Damn it Eli! Isn't there something you can do?"
Eli shook his head, though she couldn't see. "As it is… my limit has almost been reached as well, right now I'm trying to keep alive those warriors who still have a chance of making it, if I stop doing that to help Clare, they will succumb to their wounds and die. Not to mention even if I wasn't doing this technique, I couldn't guarantee a reversing of the process."
Helen nodded raising her sword, her arm ready to extend. "I'll never forgive you… for making me do this…" she said tears I her eyes.
Clare made a toothy smile. "Thanks… I owe you… Helen…"
Helen closed her eyes, ready to extend. "Goddamn it!" her arm was stopped as someone grabbed hold, she look to see it was Jean, a large wound still visible through her torso. The three warrior were taken back by the warrior they thought dead.
"JEAN!" Clare called out in a mixture of surprise and happiness.
Jean smiled kindly. "An exact reversal of that time… Clare…" she said weakly.
Clare took the meaning immediately. "Stay back! This is different! I am not like you! It's too late for me!"
"That time… you made my awakened self human again…" she said seemingly lost in thought.
"No! Stay back! My body no long-"Clare began, before realizing she had already impaled Jean several times. "Jea-" she stopped as she looked to a peaceful Jean who stared into her yellow eyes with a kindness.
"Turn back." She said simply. "Since it's you. You should be able to. Turn back" Clare was speechless. "There, now I have returned those words from that time, and what I owed you."
"No way… Jean… why did you do this?" she whispered.
"Listen closely Clare." Jean requested. "Align your energy with mine. Just like that time. You pulled it off once already, you can definitely do it again. I will restore you with my remaining life force. If the two of us do this, I'm sure it can work."
"No Jean!" Clare bawled, her eyes gushing tears. "Get away from me right now and focus your yoki on healing! If you do that…"
"You should understand Clare, I'm an offensive type warrior. The wound in my stomach was already lethal. Let me at least use what little life I have left for your sake." She replied, her smile still kind. She then released what little energy she had left. "Do it with me now Clare! Align your yoki with mine!" The warriors began to align their energies as Clare began to morph again her monstrous features receding little by little. "If I think about it, maybe I really did die that time, and continued to live on only for this moment." she mused.
Clare continued to cry as she felt Jean begin to slip away. "No you are wrong! Your life is yours! It belongs to nobody!"
Jean smiled once last time, now closing her eyes. "Let me express my gratitude again. Thank you, Clare. I am glad to have met you." Clare continued to call out Jena's name but she could hear it anymore as all sound faded from Jean's mind. "Live, Clare!" Clare was suddenly back, her body back to normal, and Jean dead at her feet.
Clare looked down, dropping her sword as she cradled the warrior's head. "No… this can't be true… Please… please open your eyes… Jean…" Clare whispered. "How can this be?!" she wailed her eyes still streaming tears. "Why did you die? I'm the weakest of all warriors! Then why are you the one who is dead and not me?" She let out a mournful wail as she sobbed.
Miria stood up, looking around at the recent carnage, the fallen warriors, and the being closing in. "I can feel the yoki of six warrior including us. The enemy's number hasn't decreased in ages." "This is as far as we go…"
"I'm afraid so…"Eli replied. "I'll keep as many of you alive as I possibly can."
Deneve got up and walked over to the still form of Undine. "As long as you have the one from your friend long ago, that should be enough as a gravestone… commander." She then picked up Undine's blade, placing it on her back. "Sorry, but I'll be taking this one, Undine."
The remaining warriors gathered together as the beings closed in. "Time for the flashy showdown then." Miria remarked.
Clare was still sobbing over Jean's body when Deneve walked over and kicked it to the side, drawing the attention of every warrior but most of all Clare who looked up to Deneve in surprise. "How long are you going to sit there? Do you want Jean's death to be in vein?" Clare was speechless. "Unable to protect your commander, and in the end even using Jena's life, you are alive right now. Don't forget the weight of the lives you carry, or do you want to kill Jean Flora and the others again right here?" Clare clenched her fists standing up, tears still in her eyes. "You who were able to take revenge are better off. My war for vengeance starts here." She said wielding her new second blade.
The beings circled in until they surrounded the warriors, now back to back. "Let's go this is out last battle." Miria ordered, gripping her blade tightly.
"See you all on the other side." Eli said before his mind went silent once more.
Organization Headquarters…
"How is the situation in the north?" one man asked.
"They have engaged twenty awakened beings in the north, the number of casualties is unknown."
"What about Isley's movement?"
"Still far from Pieta." Another replied. "He's moving south at human speed."
"So it's all just one of Isley's whims… How vexing… But it looks like thanks to that we have gained some more time." The man observed. "Is Alicia still not completed?"
"She doesn't pass ninety-five percent for now. We need just a little more time." Another replied.
"I see that means the warriors in the north will just have to buy you time until Alicia is completed right?" a feminine voice cut in.
"Galatea." The aging man observed. 'How rare for you to show your face at the Organization voluntarily. Don't you have things to do?"
"I do it fact." She replied. "Because half of my comrades have been sent to the north, I have been rather busy. But since new entries have been filling our ranks I somehow managed. By the way aren't these investments a little premature with so many warriors still fighting in the north?"
"It's only a matter of time before they are obliterated." He replied. "This is, of course, regrettable. For the Organization, losing twenty-four warriors in a manner like this is a severe loss and at the same time an annoying state of affairs."
Galatea scoffed. "What a shameless thing to say. There's no way the Organization would not have known about this beforehand. Getting rid of warriors who have shown rebellious streaks while conveniently having them act as a roadblock is your real motivation right?"
The man waved a hand. "You should stop putting forward these unjust suspicions. It would be a pain if this got into ears of people who can't keep their mouths shut. Don't think you'll be treated special forever, the Organization's next 'eye' is being trained even as we speak."
"I see the training of a more docile 'eye' and under the pretext of are surveillance you will have the new eye observe the north." She deduced. "Nearby will be number five Raphaela, who await those who abandon their 'duty' of serving as a roadblock under the name of 'punishment for insubordination'. Is that about right?
The man grimaced as a new voice cut in. "See that's exactly what we mean. We keep telling you that these kind of delusions are a bad habit. "After a multitude of awakened beings appeared in the north we received a request to exterminate them all and ever though we sent twenty-four warriors overwhelmed by the northern beings' unforeseen unity and simultaneous assault we lost all of them. That is the only truth to both the Organization as well as the warriors."
"More like 'trying to lose'. Isn't that right?" Galatea asked.
Rubel smiled. "Oh but of course, the outcome isn't decided yet after all. In any case just return to your area obediently. I sympathize with your feelings about your comrades."
Galatea simply scoffed and left the room as the elder man grimaced. "It seems like it would be wise to speed up the completion of the next 'eye' as well. She is superb but she has lived too long, and once they live too long they begin to have dangerous thoughts. Warriors that die within a moderate amount of time are the best."
Back in Isley's place…
Isley and Raki continued to spar.
"Good you're doing well! Sharper! Continue attacking without halting even the sword's movement! Steadily! Continually!" Isley instructed before Raki fell on his face, Isley's blade next to it. "You're actually not too bad. Your balance is pretty good, hell I'd even say you're a natural!" he compliment the boy helping him up. "Have you ever trained with anybody before?"
Raki thought back to Eli. 'Well I-" he was interrupted as his stomach growled again and Isley smiled.
"I guess we should call it a day then. We should rest anyways, the blizzard stops tomorrow." Isley said.
Raki watched with admiration as Isley walked away. "He's awesome using his sword without hesitation! It's like he doesn't even want to hit me! Rather it feel like he's guiding my blade with his will. It feels kinda like…" He thought back to other silver haired man. "I should have listened to his instruction more, but if I stay with this guy I can become stronger! Maybe even surpass Eli with the blade!"
Raki thoughts were interrupted by Isley "Raki, I don't see Pricilla anywhere, she might have gone outside. Can you go and look for her?"
Outside of Isley's place…
Raki wandered in his coat calling out into the snow for Pricilla's name. "Man why would she go outside in this blizzard?" he then noticed something on the ground, Pricilla's coat. "Pricilla's coat? Why is it just lying here?" he looked up and saw Pricilla standing naked over a ridge. "Pricilla!" he called out to her. She turned around with tears in her eyes. "What's wrong?" he asked, then looked to the coat he walked over and put it around her. "Anyways put this on. Never mind catching a cold, at this rate you'll freeze to death." he looked to the girl. "I wonder why but when I look at this girl… I think of Clare…Even though her face and vibe are totally different… why?"
"So this is where you were… Just wandering around as you please… as usual." Isley cut in from behind.
Raki turned around with a start. "Erm… I can explain this, Isley!"
"Disappeared… many, many have disappeared…" she whispered.
"What has?" Raki asked.
Isley looked up. "Yes many, many have disappeared, only six small lights remain."
"The constellations has gone dark, the lights once connected now dim alone." Priscilla said.
The warriors in the distance fought on.
Raki looked to them both. "What is this about 'disappearing'?" he asked.
"Another gone. Three remain." Pricilla said.
"It's about tiny lights in a faraway place, they are disappearing one by one." Isley explained.
"One more has disappeared." Pricilla said. "The last two are strong, much stronger than the other lights, but fickle as well. One of them went out, only one remains…" she looked to the sky. "And now all the lights have disappeared, the lost light hides its flame and seeks to glow faintly."
Isley raised a brow, he was sure he had only felt six. Ah well, it would be gone soon anyways.
Hours later…
Eli finally took a break, coming out of his hiding spot in the cathedral, walking past the massive debris in the main hall. He walked out the doorway, now door-free and beheld the carnage. Pieta had been decimated, no building left untouched. "Damn, only seven? Was that the best I could do?"
Miria was a ways away clenching her fists. "Was seven really all I was able to save?" she muttered to herself. "There must have been something… a better way… anyway… did I really…"
Miria was picked up by Deneve and Clare. "Look at us, Miria. These are the lives you have saved." The live warriors, Deneve, Clare, Helen, Cynthia, Tabitha, Yuma, looked to their leader and she back to them. "Nobody is cursing you. As long as we understand the feelings of those who died it will be alright. We were really fortunate to have you as a leader. I believe that from the bottom of my heart."
Eli grimaced as he approached. "If anyone is to blame it is me. I couldn't save more than you seven. Forgive me. Many of them whom I tried to save were already too far gone and I was only prolonging their suffering, others had been wounded so mortally that the chances of me doing anything useful were none. And others…" he paused. "Others I could have healed but let go to prioritize those who had the best chances of living, I'm sorry I wasn't stronger." He bowed his head in shame.
Helen walked over to him putting her hand on his shoulder. "You don't have to apologize either you big idiot. You did the best you could."
Cynthia got up brushing herself off. "At any rate, it looks like this is the end."
"No, this isn't the end." Eli replied. "This isn't even the beginning of the end. Only the end of the beginning. And we have much work to do."
Weeks later… Outside of the Organization's headquarters…
"So… Pieta has fallen..." a man in black said. "The awakened beings from the North split up to go east and west, and it seems half of them are on their way here. I wonder if Isley is aware of Alicia's existence…"
"Who knows?" Another man in black replied. "But even if he doesn't know about Alicia, he might have predicted that we'd make preparations like this. Isley's as cunning as ever, we were a hair's breadth from this turning into a crisis for the Organization. Thank God we completed Alicia in time."
Galatea stood nearby, looking towards a long blonde haired warrior clad in black. "So this is Alicia/ This is actually the first time I've seen her. But more than ten awakened beings are headed this way, what is she supposed to do all alone?" Galatea noticed another person approaching Alicia and it was an exact look alike of Alicia. "There are two Alicia's? This is…" She took notice of their different emblems, recognizing the second one. "No… the other one is number two Beth. So… those two are twins? But what's with the completely black uniform?"
"You seem surprised by those two." Rubel cut in from behind. "She is also known as 'Alicia the Black'. Because she hardly ever appears in the area she's assigned to, there are many who only know her name. But actually Alicia and Beth are both called 'The Black Ones'."
"Is there any deeper meaning behind those black uniforms?" She asked.
Rubel gave his small knowing smile. "You will understand when you see it. Brand new uniforms aren't worth paying for when they're fighting."
"What?" she asked.
Just then a horde of beings appeared before Alicia and Beth. 'They are… eleven all in all. All of them above average at least…" Galatea thought.
The being heading the group looked down on the two black clad warrior. "Huh? That's it?! BOOORING! We had so much more fun in Pieta…"
Neither Alicia nor Beth moved a muscle. The man in black spoke to them. "Attack. Alicia."
Alicia began to release large amounts of yoki. "You really want to do this? All alone?" Alicia's body morphed and changed drawing astonished looks from Galatea and the beings.
"It… it can't be…" she whispered. She and the beings beheld the awakened from of Alicia. A humanoid bladed creature, sharp appendages sticking out of her head, neck and torso while also running up and down the length of her arm.
"Sh… She awakened?!" the being said, absolutely caught off guard. "No wa-" It started before Alicia cut him off with a quick slice to his head. The begins all tried to engage her, but her small form and quick speed allowed her to evade her attackers as she took out the beings one by one.
Galatea was astonished. "Im-impossible! How can this be? She still only attacks her targets even though she awakened?" she took a quick look to Beth who stood motionless with her eyes closed. "'Soul… link'…?"
"As expected from you Galatea. You are quickest to understand these kinds of things…" Rubel commented. "By using twins to create warriors for the Organization, we have a complete congruity of yoki, and through strict training we succeeded them in making them merge their spirits. Therefore even if one of them preforms a full release of yoki as long as she entrusts her spirit to the other she can awaken with losing her heart. That's the theory behind it, in simple terms. Well, it's not as simple as it sounds, but that is the broad principle behind it, not unlike how you align your yoki to manipulate opponents."
"Certainly, even I can't align yoki perfectly. But it does seem possible when you use the same yoma to transform a pair of twins into warriors." She paused for a moment. "But then those two must…"
"Correct." Rubel replied. "Almost none of their 'self' remains. They have almost no intellect aside from what is needed to fight the enemy. Because from their infancy they were taught nothing but how to align their spirits and how to destroy the enemy. And thus someone who can oppose even the abyssal ones, the strongest number one in the annals was born."
"This is probably a little late… but you people make me sick." She replied.
Rubel simply continued to grin. "All of this is only done so the Organization can keep protecting humans from yoma."
Far to the west…
"It's been a while… Dauf." One of the beings started, facing the former number three. 'How the mighty have fallen, former number three. Living the retired life in such a backwater place? Well, you Isley and Rigardo never got along, even when we were still Claymores." Dauf said nothing. "Rigardo…him becoming one of Isley's comrades surprised me, because he always thought he was the better one. Using out awakening as a pretext he challenged him to a duel, after getting his ass handed to him he finally swore loyalty to Isley. Well anyways, the trends of this age are obvious. Opposing Isley like that to support this little country girl from the west, you picked the wrong side." Suddenly a spike rammed itself into the being's face, boring all the way through the skull and out the back.
Dauf wiped his mouth, where the spike had originated. "Sorry 'bout that. The story was getting kind of long and I had to burp."
The beings gritted their teeth, preparing to attack, when suddenly a rain of large tendrils came down, impaling many of the brings. "Tsk tsk… You really don't seem to understand." A small feminine voice cut in. Sitting atop Dauf's shoulder was the small human form of Riful, her arm the source of the tendrils. "I think out of all of us here, I know the true nature of that man Isley the best." The beings recognized her and one of them tried to rush and strike her. Dauf smacked him away with a strong hammer fist, knocking the head clean off as the other being watched. "It was probably you who were the ones who picked the wrong side."
Elsewhere… In the South…
Isley looked to the sky admiring it as he stood in a field of flowers. "A beautiful sky. I haven't seen such a blue sky in quite a while."
A feminine voice broke him from his thoughts. "How cruel. Splitting your comrades between East and West then going south when they have all perished. They probably never imagined that they would become cannon fodder to slow us down."
Isley sighed. 'Truth be told. I don't like groups."
"What a coincidence, me neither." The voice replied. "Anyways I knew all along what you were trying to do."
Islay smiled turning towards the source of the voice. "That makes things easier. So let's get started right away." He faced a woman with long hair which she wore in bunches, with a long dress with lots of ruffles. "I've come to take these lands, Luciela of the South."
Elsewhere…
Pricilla stared out the window towards the south. "Won't you eat anything Pricilla? This is good!" Raki chimed in. "I cook pretty well southern style." She didn't move. "You don't have to worry so much. It's a little far but he will be back soon, that what Isley said." The table began to vibrate. "The table is vibrating, an earthquake?"
Back in the South…
The field had exploded as Luciela landed on a small rock plateau. Large spikes stuck out from the ground in all direction around her. Luciela smirked. "Weren't you the one who suggested we fight in our current forms to avoid ruining these lands, which we both desire, too much?"
Isley returned the smirk. "Well that was indeed my intention. But…" He looked to her, his arm now a large, metallic and bow-like. "I can't say, 'As expected what a mess' either at this point can I?" he pointed the bow towards her drawing back an appendage. "And weren't you the one who broke that promise first?" He let go of the appendage firing a bolt.
Luciela, deflected it. "How rude. Doesn't that mean you are accusing me of lying?" she said, whipping out two large serpentine tails from underneath her dress. She drew one close, small mouths with sharp teeth lined up and down the length of the tails. "I had these all along. Looks like you didn't notice them because they were hidden under my dress though."
Isley smiled wearily. "Oh boy, that's really hard to swallow."
"Yours is the meat that's so disgusting I can't even swallow it though." She shot back.
Isley sighed. "No good after all. No matter how long I live… I can't win against women when it comes to being witty." He released his yoki fully and began to transform.
Luciela smirked. "I see so this is how it turns out after all." Isley finished transforming into a huge, sleek, black centaur with glowing, pupil-less, ice-blue eyes, his arm still looking something akin to a bow. "I prefer the transformed you… so much better than that pretty boy form." She commented.
Isley drew back, aiming five bolts at her and released them into the air. They flew straight up as Luciela watched. "Where are you aiming?" the arrows suddenly turned and impaled her. "I see once you transform your arrows home in on their own accord, plus the power and velocity are in a different league too… How regrettable I liked the scenery around here so much…" she too transformed, her body morphing into large humanoid with feline hind legs, a cat-like head with two gaping jaws, one atop the other, gold cat-like eyes, jagged, bony plates on her back, thighs and elbows and two long, muscular tails. Isley fired a second barrage, the bolt hitting their target but not getting through as mouths manifested at the arrows' points of contact. "Despite what I said earlier, I am in fact a rather bad eater."
Islay observed then transformed his bow into a shield as his right arm became a lance. "No tricks. I will attack frontally."
"A straight on charge? Very well…" she said tensing her body. "I will be so kind to devour every ounce of your flesh."
The two clashed with a large explosion.
Back outside of the Organization's Headquarters…
Galatea sensed something to the east and south.
Rubel noticed. "What is it Galatea? Do you see something?"
"No." she answered. "I can't sense anything at this range normally… am I just seeing things? Just a few steps away are Alicia and Beth who rival the abyssal ones, and we are surrounded by a number of awakened being at above average level. It's very possible I just misread something. Anyways…" She looked to the carnage left in Alicia's wake. "So many awakened beings in such a short time. So this is what is to be expected from someone who was specifically created to destroy the abyssal ones?" she looked to Alicia and Beth, now essentially the same person. "Since the Organization's top three have gathered already, I want to have a little talk with those two."
"Don't." Rubel advised. "As I said earlier they haven't a real mind. Especially returning from their awakened from is a delicate moment each time. Especially on Beth, because in the end it's upon her whether Alicia is able to return properly or awaken in full capacity. Well this technique is only possible with twins, we tried with normal sisters before and it failed catastrophically."
"Could that be the former number one…?" Galatea wondered aloud.
"Whoops, did I say too much?' he asked with a smile. "We have you under surveillance because you ignored orders and are sticking your nose into things that aren't your business. Leave now."
"What became of the other sister from that time?" Galatea asked.
Rubel paused. "She still has that wounds she received long ago and still wanders around. Trying to settle the score. Then find a place to die herself."
Back in the south…
Islay and Luciela continued their clash as Rafaela, step by step, came closer to the fight.
Many years ago…
Luciela roared as her awakened form took hold. "Luciela is out of control!" a man in black shouted. "You have to pull her back!"
"No it's too late!" another shouted.
Luciela roared again, "Shit go back… go back..."a voice whispered desperately. Rafaela clenched her left eyes, tears streaming out of the other. "Go back! LUCIELAAAAA!" But the being simply faded into the distance.
Later…
"Most of the Organization has been annihilated. Even counting the trainees more than half of our warriors are gone. All because of one single mistake." A man in black lamented.
"Some had the opinion that it was too dangerous to rely on normal sisters for this. Looks like the selection of human specimens will be the focus this time." The other replied.
"Yes… Selection…" the first agreed. "The little sister who kept the spirit this time was too weak. Rafaela wasn't strong enough."
Elsewhere…
Rafaela lay on her bed looking to the ceiling. Rubel entered the room, looking at the bandages over the left eye. "Looks like they mopped up the floor with you." He commented. "What's up with your eye? Even if you're offensive you should be able to regenerate it." He then noticed something with a smirk. "Tsk tsk… You're suppressing yout yoki even now? That's futile at this point. You couldn't be thinking something gas absurd as brining Luciela back are you? Or is this your idea of atonement for letting your big sister become something like that?" Rafaela said nothing. "Heh. Probably both."
"What happened to Luciela?" She asked.
"She went south, with this Isley of the North, Riful of the West and Luciela of the South all neatly split up excluding the east." He explained. "Even so thank God there weren't any unnecessary conflicts. IS seems like she will line up nicely with the other two as the third deserving the name 'Abyssal one'. The Organization plans to play the observer for now. How you will we dealt with hasn't been decided yet. It's likely they will strip you of your rank."
"Strip me of my rank?" she repeated.
"Such measure is rarely taken by the Organization… But this case will probably cause major repercussions for the Organization." He continued. "Motivating you, who has power equal to Luciela, and an incident like Luciela must be avoided at all costs, is probably what they are thinking. Especially right now after losing your big sister, it wouldn't be surprising if you just abandoned yourself. 'Don't confront', 'Don't touch' seems to be the general consensus."
"As if I'm already dead." She said bitterly.
"In a way… yes." He agreed. "You will be a dead warrior erased form the list of the organization. Dead people like you should act like dead people. Stay quiet and try not to stand out too much."
Later…
Rafaela wandered the streets of some random town, cloaked and scared.
"Did you hear about the Zemas?" One of the townspeople said, Rafaela overhearing. "Recently they had twin girls and the suddenly one of those black cloaks from the Claymore people came to visit and insisted they hand them over."
"This is rare." Another said. "Those Claymore people might take orphans as they please. But I've never heard of them directly approaching parents and asking them for their kids."
Later…
Rafaela sat on the forest floor, taking a breather.
"Hey sis, are you a normal human?" a young feminine voice cut in from behind. She turned around to see a young girl her blonde hair curly and in a ponytail. "I thought I felt a little yoki from you, so small it seemed like it would disappear at any time."
"A trainee from the Organization?" Raphaela wondered.
"Ah, as I thought. Why is your yoma energy like this?" the girl asked.
"Do you have a sister?" Rafaela asked.
"Nah, I don't." she replied.
Rafaela placed a hand on the girl's forehead. "Thank God."
A man came crashing through the forest. "Damn, so you were in a place like this again." He grabbed her arm. "How many times have we gone through this? Stop this crap already!"
"Oi!" Raphaela called out to him. "Did she come here, running away from training?"
He sneered at her. "None of your business! Don't stick your nose into…" he recognized her. "Ra-Raphaela! Why are you here?"
"Never mind that, does she run away from the organization often and comer to this town?" She asked.
"Ah… yeah." He answered. "No matter how many times we tell her she doesn't listen. She's a problem child, we don't know what to do with her."
Raphaela observed the girl. "I can't believe it! Even if it's closest town from the Organization. Despite the moderate distance. This is the wilderness in which yoma and wild animals roam."
"Are we done?" He asked. "I was told to bring her back to the Organization quickly."
"Hey little miss what's your name?" She asked.
"Teresa."
Later still…
Raphaela sat in a dark cave as the rain poured heavily outside.
Rubel entered from the downpour. "Gosh, what a terrible rain! Doesn't look like it will stop any time soon either."
"Good job finding me here." She said.
"Maybe I can't read yoma energy. But my intuition works pretty well." He replied. "Then again even if I could… it would be futile to look for you with the way you are now."
"So? What business do you have with the deceased?" she asked.
"Teresa's dead." He informed, gaining a reaction from Rafaela. "At the same time we lost numbers two through four. The result of the next candidate for the next number one awakening. She was still extremely inexperienced as a warrior, but the result was something beyond even the abyssal ones."
"And?" she asked. "What do you want me to do about it?"
"Return to the Organization." He said. "You will be given a number too. Losing all the numbers one through four and even the next candidate for number one, the Organization is short on people. We want everyone with even a little power to be on our side. And keeping your yoki hidden like that we want you to engage in covert ops for the Organization."
"What do I gain from this?"
"Information on the abyssal one of the south, Luciela." Rapahela's interest was piqued at this. "Because a new strong one has appeared they abyssal ones can't stay 'In the abyss' as they have been, mostly likely all three of them will begin to make moves. In a battle between the abyssal ones at least one of them should die, and the one to lose her life might be Luciela." He paused. "I asked once before if you suppress your yoki because you want to save Luciela, but no… what you really want is to kill her, right?" Raphaela was silent. "That is your correction of the mistake you made yourself and at the same time the reason for you living. So, those conditions aren't bad for you." He reached out with his hand towards her. "Come Raphaela, we need your power." She took it. "From now on you are the Organization's number five."
Back in the Present, the battlefield of Isley and Luciela…
Isley stood among the wreckage, his lance broken, his shield battered, and missing a section of his cheek as his teeth showed. "Damn, I was so close."
Luciela fled through the forest, badly injured. "Damn! Damn that man! I definitely won't forget this!" Luciela felt her power fade, growing smaller and smaller until she returned to her human form. "I can't keep my awakened form. I used too much energy. Damn at this rate he will…" she then sensed something and turned around to see a face she hadn't seen in a great many years. Tears began to fall down her face as she beheld the scared face of her sister. Rafaela remained impassive as she gripped her blade tightly. She held her arms open wide for the warrior. "Raphaela… Raphaela… all this time… all this time I wanted to see you." She choked out.
"Sister." Raphaela whispered then dropped her blade rushing over and hugging her sister. "I'm so sorry sister… if I if I had only been stronger…"
Luciela smiled with tears. "That's okay, that's okay Raphaela, it's not your fault. "
"I wanted to see you too…. And I wanted to apologize… I'm so sorry sister… I'm so sorry…" Raphaela whispered.
"It's not your fault…" Luciela replied. "He is to blame for all of this! He hurt me so much and stole these lands from me!" Raphaela's face then became impassive again her facial features unseen by her elder sister. "Please lend me your strength! He's at his limit too! If it's you… if you awaken now you can surly beat him in his state!" she said at the newfound prospect of defeating one of her longtime rivals. "Yes if it's us, if it's the two of us we can do it! Not just the south but all of the lands could be ours!" Luciela felt Raphaela's grip tighten around her back. "That hurts Raphaela. My whole body is exhausted so I'm a little…"
"Sister…" Raphaela whispered. "I'm so sorry sister at that time if only I had been stronger…" she began to release her yoki for the first time in years and her grip began to grow tighter and tighter.
Luciela began to panic. "Wha-what are you doing? Raphaela? What are you doing?!" Raphaela ignored her and continued to squeeze. "Please stop it!" she pleaded. "I wanted to see you so badly all this time! All this time! So why?!" she wailed. "I'll give you half of all those lands, no if you want that even more! Much, much, more! So please! Please!" she pleaded.
SNAP
Luciela remained still as her body went limp Raphaela held it there, still embracing her sister.
"I love you big sister."
Okay so one or two months come and gone, maybe a little more. Who care's as long as it's updated right? Well… about that. See, this is fun, really it is, but unfortunately I can't keep up. To be honest lately I've had to drag myself to try and do this, and it's hard to be unmotivated and write a good story at the same time. So starting now, this story is on a hiatus, I don't know when I'll be back, could be months or years, if I even remember. I'll come back eventually, probably, just not anytime soon, and I felt this was as good a place as any since this is where there time skip takes place, plus I made this my longest chapter to fate as a bonus for you who have stayed with me for so long, you know who you are. Anyways Epsilon is calling for me right now and if I don't answer her she gets kinda pissed so until next time (whenever that is) stay golden, and thanks for reading.
