The Awakened had speed and strength, but no longer craved internal organs. The controllable weapon the Organization had always dreamed of was now a reality—created under Kid's hand. And this battle was the best proof of that.
Although the restored Claymores weren't perfect—their bodies didn't heal instantly if injured—they were completely in control of themselves. That alone made them far superior to Awakened Beings. More importantly, they had no youki, yet could still sense youki. That meant they could ambush and take down Awakened enemies with ease.
The battle ended. The soldiers began cleaning up the battlefield. The corpses of those giant yoma were massive. Digging holes just to bury them would take time. Of course, the scientists came to collect samples too. Their research on parasitic cells hadn't broken through yet. They wanted to save people, but without a treatment available, all they could do was keep studying.
Still, based on how things worked in this universe, even galaxy-level diseases could be solved by Earth. Because Earth had so many "cheats." Not just superhero cheats—even the villains had their own. Kid thought to himself that among all these overpowered people, these scientists should be able to show off some Earth-style cheat power of their own.
After this real battle, Luciela finally understood her current strength. And her ambition ignited again. Maybe this time, she really could build a nation of her own in the South.
In fact, every Claymore girl went through stages of growth.
First was childhood, raised among humans. Some had happy lives, others suffered. That experience shaped their personalities—and for many, the traumas of childhood were the very reason they became Claymores. Like Clare, Priscilla, Ophelia… they chose to become Claymores because of what happened to them as kids—either because of Claymores or yoma.
After childhood, some joined the Organization willingly, others were sold into it. These little girls trained under brutal, cruel conditions. Inside the Organization, they formed all kinds of bonds—rivalries, friendships, grudges. Dealing with all these relationships, the Claymore girls fought hard to survive and become official warriors. They each found their own reason to keep going. Some even turned to yuri for emotional support. This stage was emotionally repressed, but at least they still had a goal.
Then came the fusion. Only a few survived to keep training. They began learning combat techniques, accepted their rank, and were assigned to specific regions. From then on, it was an endless life of killing. Some died in battle. Some Awakened. Others, knowing they wouldn't live long, sent out black letters asking trusted comrades to grant them a clean death.
Claymores wandered the continent, misunderstood and hated, without friends. They seemed free, but it was really just loneliness.
If a frontline Claymore didn't Awaken, her lifespan usually didn't go past ten years. Some died on their very first mission. That was the life of a guardian Claymore on this continent. Nothing worth bragging about. They died anonymously, leaving behind only a sword grave. No one even left flowers.
The other option was Awakening. There were many examples of Claymores who Awakened. And most, aside from a change in "diet," returned to normal lives. They blended back into the human world, living however they pleased. Of course, a few chose to seize territory and became enemies the Organization tried to eliminate.
Luciela had Awakened. She'd let go of the Organization's past and returned to the innocence of childhood. But now that she was free, ambition began to grow. Maybe at first she just wanted to imitate the Abyssals of the West and North and fled to the South to escape the Organization. But over time, she planted her feet firmly there. She started to believe the South belonged to her. That obsession she had with stories of lords and city rulers as a child made her cling to the land even more than the Western and Northern Abyssals. No one could take it from her—no one.
So that night, Luciela left without a word.
"Big sister?!" Rafaela was shocked when she couldn't find her and shouted around in a panic, hoping Luciela would hear.
"No use yelling. Your sister left last night. She's been gone for several hours now," said Kid as he walked over.
Rafaela knew Earthlings used some strange unit called 'hours,' and understood that meant a long time. "Which direction did she go?" She had to bring her sister back.
"Won't help even if you go. She went south. Looks like she still wants to be the Southern Lord. You won't be able to call her back." From the look in Luciela's eyes, Kid already knew.
She couldn't leave her sister alone. Rafaela quickly packed up, though there wasn't much—just a few spare clothes.
Neither Irene nor Ophelia tried to stop her. They couldn't even if they wanted to. This was something between the sisters. In fact, both Irene and Ophelia supported her. Among Claymores, once a friendship formed, it was unshakable. They always put themselves in the other's shoes.
"Wait." Kid called out to Rafaela, pulled a cloth pouch from his pocket. "This is your pay for today."
"Thanks!" Rafaela took the pouch, turned, and headed south. She was going to find her sister.
Kid believed she would. The South might be vast, but Luciela wouldn't stay low-profile for long. Soon enough, her actions would catch Rafaela's attention. Then the Organization's. Then the whole continent's.
"Alright, for the next little while, I need you two to help with something." Watching Rafaela leave, Kid turned to the two remaining Claymores. "We'd like to study the differences between Claymores and yoma. Draw some blood and run a few physical tests."
They had no idea what Earthlings wanted to do. But after Kid promised again and again it was totally safe, the two eventually agreed to cooperate—mainly to give Kid face.
Actually, the scientists had only just realized, after seeing their amazing performance, that Claymores weren't normal people. So they asked Kid to invite them for tests. They wanted to see how different they were from normal humans. Of course, Kid had already warned them that Claymores borrowed yoma power.
The main focus was Irene, since Ophelia was now a normal human. Her cells were just incredibly active, like a battery fully charged. But in Irene's blood, they found parasitic cells too. Unlike those inside yoma, the cells in Claymore blood appeared to be dormant.
A major discovery: parasitic cells didn't always turn someone into a yoma. If used correctly, they could produce unexpected results—like giving someone immense power.
Completely removing the cells was nearly impossible. But could they be suppressed? Put entirely into dormancy? If so, could someone be restored? The scientists now had a brand-new direction for research, all thanks to Claymore blood.