On planet Einstein, there existed a mysterious species known as the Dragon's Descendants. No one knew where they came from, or how long they'd been around. They were hermaphroditic beings, nearly four meters tall, capable of irreversibly transforming into massive super-monsters that could devastate entire battlefields.
It was because the Dragon's Descendants chose to side with one of the two nations on the War Continent that the Claymores came into being.
After a Dragon's Descendant died, their flesh would decay rapidly. So the organization captured them and kept them alive, harvesting their flesh to create Claymores. The untransformed and transformed flesh were fused to make a rot-resistant material. Some extra ingredients were mixed in and implanted into young girls. Those who survived the process became Claymores.
But even Claymores weren't perfect weapons. Humanoid Claymores weren't strong enough to fight the Dragon's Descendants. Once they awakened, they became full-blown demons and would lose control. So the organization focused their research on creating controllable awakened beings. They tried using youki synchronization to regulate both awakening and recovery. This type of paired Claymore system was called the Twin Project.
Rafaela and Abyssal One of the South Luciela were the first test subjects of the Twin Project. Unfortunately, it failed. When Luciela awakened, Rafaela's youki couldn't restrain her older sister. In the end, Luciela turned into an Abyssal One, and Rafaela lost sight in her left eye.
But Rafaela witnessed a miracle. She saw Ophelia come back to life and return to her original form, no longer an awakened being. That gave her hope. She wondered if the same treatment could work on her sister. So she left the organization once more and traveled south alone to find Kid. She was going to ask him to help her sister.
In a small town near the southern territory, Rafaela found Kid just as she hoped. At that moment, Kid was admiring a statue of the Twin Goddesses.
"You're looking for me?" Kid didn't even need to turn around. He already knew Rafaela had come for him—she wouldn't have stood behind him for so long otherwise.
"Yes." Claymores were basically all cool, older-sister types. No nonsense.
Kid could feel that Rafaela was emotionally worked up—probably thinking about her sister. He guessed her motive and said, "Come on. Let's grab some local food. We'll talk while we eat."
Rafaela didn't say a word and followed Kid. With two freaks walking side by side, the people around them gave an even wider berth.
On the way, they ran into Haozi. His eyes widened in disbelief. His admiration for Kid surged like a tidal wave. They'd only been apart ten minutes, and Kid had already duped another girl.
The stone-paved street was slightly uneven. Rafaela's special iron battle boots clanged loud and clear on the slabs. Her metal sword sheath on her back gave off a faint hum. That sound—cold and hard—was the sound of a Claymore. Enough to make demons shiver.
"What do you want to eat?"
"No need." Claymores only ate once in a long while. That's how they maintained those amazing bodies.
"Boss, what specialties do you have? Bring us three of your best." Kid had no idea what was good around here, so he ordered blindly. The owner quickly nodded and headed off. Around them, the other customers lowered their heads, scarfed down their food, paid up, and left. In no time, only Kid and the Claymore were left in the hall.
To them, a Claymore meant killing. No one wanted to get caught in the crossfire.
The owner looked at his empty shop and felt like crying, but he didn't dare offend a Claymore. All he could do was grit his teeth and serve the food.
Honestly, there wasn't anything tasty here. Humans were treated like food in this region. Who had time to develop cuisine? They just boiled things randomly, sliced them up, sprinkled on some salt, and called it a dish.
The three dishes all looked about the same, and Kid had no appetite at all.
"You're Rafaela, right? I didn't guess wrong."
"Correct." Rafaela clearly wasn't used to asking others for help. Her face was stiff, unsure how to start the conversation.
"I know your situation. Your sister is Abyssal One of the South, and your eye was stabbed blind when she awakened."
Hearing Kid lay it all out like that made Rafaela even more awkward. She had planned to tell her story first, hoping to move him emotionally. Now she didn't know what to say.
Suddenly, Kid's gaze landed on the Claymore strapped to her back. He didn't have a Claymore himself. Irene and Ophelia were more like hired help—their Claymores still belonged to them. Kid had never tried to take one for himself.
But since Rafaela wanted his help, he figured he needed some kind of payment. Studying a Claymore wouldn't be a bad deal.
As a fair, impartial, and transparent Earthling, Kid's universal principle was "exchange." Whether or not it was a fair trade wasn't the point—what mattered was that something had to be exchanged.
Just like how he hired those two Claymores as guides—he paid them in real money. No coercion, no favors owed.
With that in mind, Kid got straight to the point. "You want me to help your sister regain her true self."
Rafaela nodded mechanically, completely on the passive side the whole time.
"But I can't promise anything," Kid said. "With Ophelia, that was a 'try anything on a dying horse' situation. Total luck. A blind cat catching a dead rat. I happened to save her, and she lost her craving for guts. But with others? I can't guarantee the same result. Your sister might die."
Kid's blunt honesty made the worn-out woman fall silent. She was weighing the risks. He'd made it clear—he had no certainty. Abyssal One of the South could die.
But thinking of her sister turned into a man-eating monster, Rafaela had to make a decision. Try it and risk death? Or let her stay the way she was?
"It's okay. Please help my sister."
"In that case, you'll need to give me something in return," Kid replied bluntly. "I want the Claymore on your back."
A Claymore was the most important thing to a Claymore warrior, second only to life itself. It was their only dignity.
Rafaela pulled the blade from her back and drove it into the floor with a firm gaze. "Deal."
The Claymore was about 1.3 meters long, double-edged, with a smooth handle perfect for a girl's grip. It was one of the hardest substances on the planet. Not even the strongest awakened beings could break it.
The metal armor Claymores wore was already super tough, but awakened beings could chew it up like snacks. Yet no one had ever broken a Claymore. Even their teeth couldn't bite through this ultimate blade—one of the finest forged items in this world.
Kid slowly reached out and grabbed the hilt through his glove, smiling faintly. "Deal sealed."
Whoosh!
Kid drew the sword in one smooth motion. The blade let out a soft ring, making Rafaela raise an eyebrow. This guy really was something—he swung the sword so easily right from the start.
"Interesting!" The Claymore was heavy. Definitely heavier than any human-made weapon. Thinking about how these girls fought with such blades made Kid feel a wave of tender sympathy.
"Alright then. Let's go meet your sister." Kid didn't want to waste time. Time to find Abyssal One of the South and test the sword—or rather, to treat her.
If someone's sick, they need treatment. Sometimes that treatment just happens to be a sword. Or maybe medicine.