Chapter 18 - A Losing Battle

"What you're doing is a violation! You of all people here should know that better, so leave that woman be and return to the base!!" Gunther yelled, completely infuriated with Raphael's stubborn behavior.

"Hear that!? Let me go already!!" Claire tried to pull back her arm from Raphael, but he won't budge at all.

"...fine, if I'm intervening with her duties, then I'll have no choice but to stay here!" He announced.

"Are you insane!? You're supposed to rest and recover back at the base!" Claire knew that he won't stop bothering her if he doesn't go away, though Raphael just ignored her complaints.

"Got a problem with me staying then?"

"Tch. If you want to get yourself killed, that's your problem." Gunther turns his back on them and leaves to go back into battle.

Now that Claire is stuck with Raphael, she won't be able to go all out anymore. This man might get in her way of achieving a higher rank. Currently, she is now ranked 154th. Claire atleast wanted to reach the 120th place before they have to retreat.

Raphael then brought her to a safe space and ordered her. "Stay here! This is an order as your superior."

"My commanding superior here is Bernadette! You're in no position to order me around!!"

"Can't you just listen to me!?—woah!!" He instantly leaps back when Claire decided to attack him with her shifter katana. "Claire!! What the hell!"

"There's no use talking with you!" Her shifter transformed into a shifter spring, letting her escape from Raphael.

"Claire!! That damn—" he immediately chases after her. To his surprise, Claire was too fast and he lost sight of her. "Damn it! Damn it!!" There were also a lot of things that keeps getting in his way.

From what Raphael can see, E.D.L. soldiers are struggling with great difficulty to fend off their enemies. The I.E.A. are slowly taking over the grounds that E.D.L. were defending. Enemies were able to penetrate to their defense lines and E.D.L. soldier were decreasing at a great rate. This is without a doubt a losing battle for the E.D.L. Their territory here in the North-West will soon be conquered by I.E.A.

The chaotic mess in the battlefield sent him into panic. "I gotta find her! I gotta take her somewhere safe!!" He can't bear to have Claire risk her life again.

When Claire made it far from Raphael, she noticed how everything around her became more chaotic than before. Allies in the frontlines were scattered dealing with multiple opponents. There's also a lot of explosions and bombardment were going on behind the formation of E.D.L. in the battlefield.

"W-We're losing!" She made a step back thinking that she'll retreat until she heard a voice crying for help. She saw an ally that got stuck under a huge chunks of rubble and ran up to him. "Help!... Please help me g-get out of here..."

"Save your energy, I'll help you!" She was attempting to remove the rocks, but she was interrupted by an enemy attack. A few bullets flew towards them, hitting and killing the person she was trying to help out. "Shit!"

An enemy then decided to approach Claire. "Give it up, stupid Earth protectors! And die along with this planet that you love so much!..." This enemy had her right arm shifter transform into a gun and aimed it at Claire.

"I'll be merciful enough to kill you instantly and spare you from the tormenting pain."

"How arrogant of you!" Claire got on stance. "I won't get killed so easily."

"Fine, let's do this the hard way!!" The enemy attacked first, her rapid shooting managed to shot Claire twice on the abdomen.

"Aghh!!" Claire failed to dodge on time because of how fast it happened, she fell on the ground and couldn't handle the intense pain of being shot in a vital part.

"Hah! Really foolish... if you obeyed me in the first place, you wouldn't be suffering like this." The enemy continued to observe Claire as she writhed in pain. With every wince from Claire, the enemy let out a laugh that was completely devoid of any empathy or compassion.

Claire was both in pain and infuriated, she never felt this insulted before. Though from up close, she can see that this enemy before her wasn't so ordinary. The enemy's pin that indicates the rank of their strengths explicitly shows that she is the 2nd most strongest fighter from I.E.A.

It was the wrong choice to confront this person. Claire never stood a chance against this person as the gaps in their strength and power are tremendous. "I'd love to watch you more, but I still have important business to attend to." Then the enemy walks away, leaving Claire to die slowly.

Despite her grave situation, Claire forced herself to stand up. She can't bear to let this enemy get away with what she's done to her. Without a word, her shifter transformed into a cannon and directed it at the enemy. "...!"

Unexpextedly, the enemy was able to evade her attack. She looks back at Claire with excitement in her eyes. "My, my!! Still kickin' and fighting are we!? I like that!"

Claire didn't even had time to process the shocking turn of events when at a blink of an eye, the enemy was already closing in on her. "Ahh!" Luckily, Claire dodged the spear that the enemy was striking her with.

Claire may have dodge but her enemy's attacks doesn't end there just yet. The enemy swung her spear at Claire's direction, almost slashing through her. Despite in a weakened state, Claire used her shifter katana to block her attack. The enemy put pressure on her spear even when her attack is being blocked, she is really forcing it to cut through Claire.

"Interesting! Using a shifter weapon on a right leg? I admire talented people like you." She said. "And even on the verge of death, you're still fighting back! I wonder how long you will last."

Claire was trying hard not to fall back. "Err!!... shut up!!"

"So far, you're one of the weakest and yet the most courageous foe I've met. I'll acknowledge the efforts you're putting out, so how about you tell me your name?—!" Claire got to fend her off and made a distance between them.

"Ah! You got away!" It impressed the enemy how well Claire was doing. Almost as if she was never injured at all.

Claire stands proud and tall in front of her enemy. "Acknowledging me huh?... I am Claire Duvent, and I'll be the one to take you down!!"