Boom!
Clare flew backward like a cannonball. Her Quick Sword was easily blocked by Priscilla.
"Everyone, go! Cover Clare!" Big Sis Miria gave the order, and the other six Claymores charged forward.
Whoosh!
A sharp slicing sound cut through the air—it wasn't a sword, it was six arrows!
Isley had made his move too. He knew Priscilla only had one target. Let her kill that person and calm down. No one else should interfere.
The six Claymores were pinned to the ground by the arrows. They couldn't assist for now.
"Sis, we have to help them."
"Why?" Luciela just wanted to watch. It's not like those people had anything to do with her.
The scene was chaos. Some were watching, some were hurt, and two were locked in a deadly grudge. A non-human incident happening in a human city—humans had no choice but to flee.
"So weak!" Even though the scent of Teresa was there, Clare was far too weak. Priscilla was disappointed. She could only kill Clare to express it. "You can only die."
After crashing through two walls, Clare climbed out of the rubble, blood trickling from the corner of her mouth. Priscilla really was terrifying. Clare thought hard—how could she possibly defeat her?
What should she do?! Release her yoma energy. Enter the form that had killed the Lion King.
Clare went half-Awakened in an instant. She was ready to go all-in to kill Priscilla—even if the cost was full Awakening, she didn't care.
"Kill, kill, kill!" Half-Awakened Clare lost all reason and charged at Priscilla like a beast.
Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang!
Her four blade strikes vibrated furiously, but still had no effect. Priscilla blocked them all with just one hand.
"What kind of monster is this?!" Miria felt chills all over. Clare had used the same technique to kill the Lion King, and now it did nothing? Just what was that one-horned Awakened Being?
"So weak. Too weak!" Priscilla needed stronger pressure to feel satisfied.
It wasn't just that her attacks didn't work. When Priscilla attacked back, Clare actually got hurt. The compressed air alone from her movements slashed Clare's face like a blade, leaving deep cuts.
"How can something like this exist?" Clare was completely overwhelmed. Her comrades couldn't even help—because of the Northern Abyssal surveillance, they had to stay out. "Damn Awakened Being…"
Cursing wouldn't stop it. All they could do was watch.
The shockwaves from the fight made normal people cover their ears. Quick Sword and quick blocks—both so fast they stunned everyone.
Slash!
Poor Clare's left arm—transformed into a blade—was sliced off. Now she was left with only her greatsword. Blood poured down, painting a tragic picture on the ground.
"Clare!" Worrying wouldn't help.
Priscilla was set on killing this weakling filled with a stench that disgusted her. No one could stop her.
"Priscilla, stop!" Out of nowhere, Raki stepped onto the battlefield, bloodied, standing in front of Clare. They met again—but who'd have thought it'd be like this? "Priscilla, you're not that kind of person! Snap out of it!"
"Raki?!" Of course he was the male lead. Even if he barely appeared, everyone still remembered him. The moment he showed up, two people stopped because of him.
Well, more like paused.
Seeing Priscilla stop, Raki smiled—just as he'd expected. He knew Priscilla was still the same cute little loli deep down. Not a monster.
"Priscilla, stop fighting already," Raki said again, pushing forward.
Smack!
Raki's face swelled up as his neck was snapped sideways. It hurt so bad his tears rolled down. But that's what he got—he was asking for it. And the one who hit him was none other than Priscilla.
"You're useless now. I only didn't eat you before because you carried her faint scent. But now you're worthless. Get lost," Priscilla said coldly.
"Priscilla, that's not true. You're actually really kind inside!" Raki pushed on like a hot-blooded manga protagonist. No matter how many times he got hit, he believed his determination could move her and bring back her true self.
Stupid Raki.
This time, it wasn't just pain—it was blood. Priscilla blasted a huge hole in Raki's chest. His lungs were completely destroyed. He was beyond saving. He stared at Priscilla in disbelief. They'd gotten along so well… or so he thought. He didn't know this world was full of illusions, and those who fall for them always end up getting hurt.
"Raki?!" Clare cried out in despair, a flicker of reason returning. This was the second person who had truly cared about her… and once again, Priscilla had killed him. Another death!!!
"Ahhhhhh—!"
Clare was about to Awaken… but stopped.
Everyone was stunned. Was that even possible? Coming back from the verge of Awakening? That was ridiculous.
But that's just how Clare was. The seed Kid had planted saved her once again.
"No!" Without Awakening, how could Clare defeat Priscilla? She struggled to lift Raki's broken body, sobbing uncontrollably. Her tears streamed down her wounded face, falling onto Raki's.
In one final burst of consciousness, Raki raised his hand and wiped away her tears. "Clare… I'm glad I got to see you again…"
"Raki~"
Blood welled up from Raki's throat, silencing him. Clare knew he was dying and could only hold him tight.
Poor boy. But he wasn't going to die—because Kid had arrived. Even from a distance, he had sensed the deep abyssal yoma aura. There was no way Kid would miss such a dramatic scene, so he showed up just in time to see Raki heavily wounded.
"His lungs are destroyed. Get out of the way!" Kid charged into the battlefield, snatched Raki from Clare's arms, and pumped Ripple energy into his body like it was free.
"Raki!" Seeing Kid arrive, Clare finally felt a little peace of mind. She picked up her greatsword again. Ignoring her injured left hand, she wasn't done fighting yet.
One more round—Clare charged in again. Got knocked back. Charged again.
Even Isley, the Northern Abyssal One, had never seen such a stubborn Claymore. She knew she couldn't win but still kept pushing. No, this wasn't just pushing—it was throwing her life away.
"Last-ranked idiots really don't have brains," Luciela commented, unimpressed. What was the point of this suicidal fight? If she wanted to die, why not just slit her own throat?
Rafaela wanted to help but got blocked by her sister.
"What are you doing? You want to die too? Don't you see the North Abyss doesn't allow anyone to intervene? Back then, if I had Awakened, I might've been able to go toe-to-toe with him. But now, even though I'm still strong, I can't take any serious injuries. I won't be able to shield you from his arrows," Luciela said grimly. "For now, it's best we just watch."
Meanwhile, Priscilla was toying with Clare like a cat playing with a mouse. In a little while, she'd be dead for sure.
Clare's body was covered in fractures. Even the arm she'd borrowed was about to break. But her willpower pushed her to her feet again.
Kid couldn't take it anymore. While healing Raki, he shouted, "Teresa, if not now, then when?!"
Clare could barely hold her sword. She stumbled forward a few steps and collapsed—yet, right at that moment, the falling greatsword was caught in mid-air.
Blood—Priscilla's purple blood—splattered high into the sky.
A curly-haired blonde figure held the greatsword and launched a swift attack on Priscilla. She landed the first blow.
This was… This was… a Substitute Attack!!!
Clare had collapsed, her eyes barely open but still clinging to consciousness. And the figure who had suddenly appeared, transparent as if not truly present, held the sword and kept fighting.
If this wasn't a Substitute, then what was it?