The shoppers came back with some food and a few bottles and jars, but things like clothes didn't interest them at all.
They didn't run into any trouble and made it back home smoothly—faster than Kid, actually. When Kid came back with two more Claymore girls, no one even blinked anymore. Everyone was just curious about where he kept finding all these Claymores. Didn't Tora say they were rare resources, scattered all across the continent? Why did it seem like Kid had a secret stash?
Irene had met Rafaela a long time ago. Back then, Rafaela had still been a trainee, training alongside Teresa. Even then, Rafaela had already lost one eye. She was a unique Claymore with no rank at the time. Now, seeing her supporting a stranger, Irene couldn't help but wonder what was going on.
When Irene and Ophelia learned the woman was Luciela, they were both stunned. That was the infamous Abyssal One of the South—what was she doing here??
Then it was story time. Rafaela told everything about her and her sister, not holding back a thing.
After a long silence, Irene said, "I didn't expect the Organization would resort to something so dangerous."
"It's risky, yeah. But they already succeeded. The current No. 1 and No. 2 are the result of the Twin Project. They're a pair of twin sisters who've mastered synchronized awakening through demonic resonance. Their strength is no joke." Such a critical piece of intel, and Rafaela just dropped it so casually.
The four Claymores held a long meeting. They all had plenty of resentment toward the Organization. Honestly, it came down to Director Rimuto's lack of basic management skills. He tried too hard to crush their humanity and ended up pushing them in the opposite direction. Instead of destroying their hearts, he just drove them underground. Without any proper guidance, their loyalty had crumbled.
With the Abyssal One of the South gone, that massive demonic aura vanished. The news spread across the continent like wildfire. The hidden Awakened immediately started making their move to claim that prime territory.
With her God's Eye, Galatea could clearly feel several massive demonic auras moving south. Most of them were solo-level Awakened. If they teamed up, they might even have a shot at taking down an Abyss-level threat.
Galatea knew something big was about to go down in the South.
But the Earthlings had no clue. After shopping, they acted like they'd finally adapted to this world and relaxed a little. Even though Zhang Dong had hyped up the demon threats, people needed to see things to believe them. And they hadn't seen any yet, so they didn't believe.
Kid, on the other hand, could feel it—several powerful forces were heading south. He immediately realized the mistake he'd made. With the Abyss gone, the South had become a power vacuum. Now the Awakened were eyeing it, ready to pounce and seize territory.
But then Kid had an idea. Maybe this was a chance for his group to finally take this "Einstein Star" seriously. He could show them that just like Earth, this place had its own top-tier powerhouses. It also had heroes who protected the world—like the Claymore girls.
So Kid went to find the four Claymores and ask for their help.
The Claymores had built a simple wooden hut outside the village. They didn't live among the Earthlings.
When Kid arrived, they were in the middle of sword training. Ophelia and Luciela were no longer Awakened, but they still seemed to sense demonic energy. In fact, that sense had become even more sensitive. It was like losing their self-healing ability had sharpened their other senses.
Clang—
As their greatswords clashed, sparks flew. The two of them now wielded strength on par with Awakened Beings. Unlike before, when Claymores had to rely on releasing demonic energy to enhance their power, now they could maintain 100% of that power all the time, effortlessly.
This kind of control was unprecedented. Even Irene and Rafaela were stunned, a bit jealous too. This kind of controllable strength was basically perfect. As long as they protected themselves during battle, everything else was just right.
Luciela, having retained her Abyss-level power, felt like her body could fight forever.
Clang clang clang—
Their speed suddenly surged past what the naked eye could follow. Irene watched, feeling like her so-called high-speed sword was nothing special anymore. That technique used partial awakening through demonic energy to boost sword speed, but now, just through normal movements, they were already that fast. She was truly in awe.
Kid saw the two girls, dressed plainly in long skirts and cloth shoes, dancing through the air with swords so fast that the temperature around them was rising.
Eventually, Ophelia lost. Abyss-level strength was just too overwhelming. Even though all Claymores were made using the same base material—flesh blocks—their power still depended on their own talent. With great talent, one could become a monster like Teresa, who could take on anything. If not for her soft heart that got her ambushed, no one on the continent could've matched her.
With poor talent, even their Claymore looks couldn't pass inspection.
"I need your help," Kid said, telling them about the wave of Awakened Beings heading south.
Luciela's expression darkened. "The South is my territory. No one touches it. I'll kill them all and make sure they don't leave alive."
"You're not an Abyss anymore," Kid replied with a grin. "They probably won't be scared of you now. I just need you to help out when things get critical."
"You want your soft-boned teammates to fight Awakened Beings?" Luciela scoffed. She never minced words. As the strongest among the four restored Claymores, she looked down on every Earthling besides Kid. "You trying to get them killed?"
Kid chuckled. "I know how strong Awakened Beings are. That's why I came to ask for your help. I just want them to see what they're really up against. Maybe then they'll be more cautious on future expeditions."
Hearing that, the others finally understood.
"You really think for them," Luciela sneered. She had that 'the world owes me a million bucks' look on her face, even toward Kid. Even though he turned her back into a human, she didn't show any gratitude.
At least she never mentioned eating human organs again—like she'd conveniently erased that part of her memory. But her overbearing attitude? Still the same.
"Think whatever you want. Irene, Rafaela—you two shouldn't join in. You're still Claymores. If you release your demonic energy, the Organization might track you down." Irene was still missing both arms. Neither of them objected.
Ophelia, though she only had one hand, still had her strength.
With two restored Claymores stepping in, that was more than enough to shock the Earthlings into taking this planet seriously. This was going to be one hell of a show. It would also be the first time the restored Claymores fought for real—maybe they'd be even stronger than before.