Raphael has been dragging Claire for quite, not listening to her words of complaints. He still have been in deep thoughts about the two of them until he finally heard her yelling to make him stop. "—DAMN IT RAPH, LET ME GO!! AREN'T YOU LISTENING!?"
"What!?—ah shit, I-I'm sorry... I didn't mean to—" Claire was then able to pull back her arm as he loosen his grip.
"Get your hands off of me!"
"Claire!"
"I know you're someone superior than me, but that doesn't give you the right to treat me like this!" It scared Raphael to see Claire this upset.
Right now, their bond is nothing more like the thinnest thread that is bound to snap anytime. If that thread ever snaps, Claire will definitely drift away from his reach which he can't afford to happen at all cost. "I'm sorry, okay!? I really didn't mean to do that... it's just—"
"Look, I just want to take a break right now. So please just leave me alone." Before Claire can even walk away, Raphael stopped her by holding on to her arm. She sighed heavily. "For pete's sake, what now!?"
"Wait!... Please, just wait... can't we just talk for a moment?"
"Talk about what exactly?"
"I-I... I..." Claire crossed her arms and gave him a dissatisfied face, making him even more speechless. "What? Spit it out already!" She demanded.
'I want us to start over like you said', is what was going on through Raphael's mind, he can't forget how she told him that they can always start again. Though he can't bring himself to tell her just yet.
This new version of Claire is just so different that it's like she's a different person only with an appearance he's familiar with. It was clear he was having second thoughts about this but he doesn't want to let go of her just yet.
"...if you plan to keep me here without saying a word, then I'll be taking my leave." Raphael can't stop her from leaving anymore, he already lost his chance to tell her the words he wants her to hear.
He sadly stares at her leaving. "Claire..."
"And—" She turns her head to look at him for a moment. "—just forget about me. I have no idea what your relationship is with the past Claire Duvent, but I'm not interested about that in the slightest." And she continues to walk away.
Those words have shaken Raphael to his very core, he have always feared being abandoned by Claire and to think that it just happened. "T-That's not—that's not what you told me!! Claire!! You said we were gonna start over! This is!—Claire!! Come back here!!"
"Oh? Did I say such a thing?... would you really believe some rhetoric clichèd words?!" She laughs mockingly. "Things don't always stay the same, Raphael. Grow up and move on already."
The thinnest thread that connects them snaps. Raphael could no longer do anything to repair the bond he lost. He leans against a wall as he sorrowfully watch her disappear from his sight.
When Claire made it back to the dormitories, she lays down on one of the empty beds and groans. She thought Raphael would be more stubborn but she's thankful that he didn't pest her further. Though she expects that he might start pestering her again when he gets a chance.
She sighs and takes a look at her pin. "Still 114th huh." Despite doing her best for the power source retrieval mission, her rank has not risen one bit.
"Haa... what a bummer." Claire knew it.
Ranks does not change simply because of performance in missions and battles. She always knew what her superiors said was a blatant lie, although she also knew of the truth behind the ranking system.
The pins attached to them are said to determine the ranks of strength and power that every special soldier are showcasing at the battles they fought, yet that wasn't the case at all. The pins rank these soldiers by the number of lives they have slain.
And for every life a soldier have slain, both the shifter weapon and the body of its host strengthens, thus rising their rank as well. Having the shifter weapon taste the blood of countless lives being slain makes it forcefully draws more of its host's potential to become stronger and agile so they can continue to feed their shifter weapons, which explains the super strength and speed that top fighters display.
So the shifter weapons aren't just some tool that people can use for themselves, it's more of a double edged sword that grants people strength and agility so it can be fed more while also decreasing its host's lifespan.
"I'll work harder next time..." Claire told herself as she yawns and falls asleep.
Meanwhile, after losing trail of their target and failing to take the Power Source, Captain Yi Xuan of the I.E.A.'s 3rd Airborne Brigade heads to the Solace District to make a report to the Lt. General that's taking charge of seizing the Solace and Rhombus Districts.
He sweats nervously knowing that this might upset the Lt. General. "...g-greetings, Lt. General Joaquin."
As Yi Xuan enters the tent where lt. General Joaquin is staying, he finds his superior sitting down and leisurely having a cup of coffee. "Captain Yi Xuan, what brings you here?" Asks Joaquin after his sips on his cup.
"I'm here to bring u-unfortunate news—"
"Right, before that, give me a hand and bring over some of the salvaged goods for inspection." The lt. General pinched on his nose bridge, "I'd like to take a load out of my mind right now, it's a headache being responsible for taking over a huge territory."
Learning that the lt. General wasn't in the best mood, Yi Xuan withdraws from saying anything further for now. "O-Oh, is that so..."
"Ho, you understand as well, Don't you Captain?"
"I can somewhat relate... being responsible for something huge and all can be really stressful."
"And being in a higher position takes more responsibility!" He shakes his head in dismay. "I don't understand why I signed up for this."
"A-Alright sir, I'll bring you the salvaged goods shortly!" Yi Xuan steps out of the tent and exhaled as if he was holding his breathe. "Gah!!... maybe I'll tell him about it a little later..." he doesn't want to anger the lt. General who is quite infamous for his outbursts of rage.
Yi Xuan then looks for a soldier that'll lend him a hand. "Hey you!..." he points at a guy that passed him by. "Help me carry the salvaged goods to general Joaquin."
"Yes sir!" The young man answered.
"Then follow me." Then the two goes to the loaded truck and went inside the cargo to bring some of the salvaged goods with them.
There was not much people around when they went in the cargo. Sleek who appears to be an ordinary I.E.A. soldier have thought of this to be the perfect set up to take over this new identity of a higher position.