Chapter 12

The twelfth chapter of Claymore by Norihiro Yagi, first published in the May 2001 issue of Shonen Jump.

Short Synopsis
A Yoma is easily slain by a long-haired, smiling warrior. The village chief thanks her and tries to give her the money but she simply says that a man in black will collect it later. When he worries that they might give it to the wrong person, she heartlessly says that the Organization will treat the situation as though the town never paid, meaning that they will not lend their aid again. The warrior meets a man in a black cloak, who gives her the next job. He reveals her to be Teresa, a warrior who can kill any monster using only the smallest amount of power. She reaches a village and appears to go berserk, killing people all around until they finally reveal themselves to be Yoma in disguise, hiding in that village and striking others. She kills six and takes care of the last one that uses a small girl as a disguise. As the Yoma falls back, the girl looks back at Teresa.

The Faintly Smiling Warrior
The severed arm of a Yoma flies through the air as stunned townspeople look on. The Yoma, himself shocked, tries to recover, but is cut apart by a faintly smiling Claymore. As he attempts to rise, she stomps his head down and finishes him off.

The Claymore then flicks the blood off of her sword, the droplets splattering on the townsfolk. When one makes to speak up against her, she coldly stares him down until he backs off. The leader of the town is next to approach her and attempts to give her payment, but she states that she doesn't need it and that a stranger dressed in black will come to collect the money later. Concerned about the brief description, the leader asks about what would happen if the money is given to the wrong man. The Claymore simply replies that she herself doesn't care, but such a mistake would be treated as if the town never paid. If that were to be the case, then no matter how many Yoma attack the village, no more Claymores will be sent to help. Still smiling, the warrior then warns the town leader that when villages fail to pay, she's heard that many Yoma will show up a few days later and completely wipe them out. Frightened, the town leader exclaims that the village will not fail to pay, and the Claymore tells him that is a wise choice.

Outside the Town
Afterwards, the Claymore leaves the town and is met by a man dressed in black. He asks her if she's scared another village again, to which she glances at him and says that she merely told the truth. If a village fails to pay, the Organization never again lends its aid, no matter what happens to the town afterwards. The man in black, named Orsay, agrees that her words or true, but contests that she makes things sound like the Organization itself sends the Yoma after the towns that do not pay. Smiling, the warrior says, "Oh? You mean we don't?", and the man grimly smiles back. He then tells her to be careful about what she says, for the Organization's job is to kill Yoma, and they would never do such a thing as she implies.

Orsay then gives out her next job, which is in a town called Theo that lies two days to the west. The Claymore asks if there's any more information, but when Orsay asks if she needs more, she replies that she does not. The man in black's final words to her are to simply find the Yoma and kill them, and after saluting, she leaves.

Musing to himself, Orsay's inner monologue reveals that the warrior's name is Teresa, warrior number 182 of the seventy-seventh generation of Claymores. He goes on to reveal that no matter what Yoma she faces, she can slay them without exhausting her Yoki energy. In turn, her face never contorts, and she always seems to wear a faint smile when the Yoma are slain. For that reason, she is known as Teresa of the Faint Smile, the strongest woman among the Claymore ranks. Orsay then corrects himself, saying that Teresa is not the strongest "woman," but rather, the strongest "creature."

The Town of Theo
In the town of Theo, the townsfolk are seen going about their daily lives when Teresa appears at the entrance. Two men are momentarily confused, but then, in a flash, Teresa cuts one of them down, saying, "That's one." The townspeople immediately begin to panic, as it seems the Claymore is murderous and has turned against them. Another man tries to speak up against her, but his head is quickly bisected as she says, "That's two." The warrior then appears by another man who is trying to run, saying, "That's three," and she slices off the top half of his head. A fourth man exclaims that the Claymore has gone mad, but she suddenly appears behind him with the words, "That's four." The man turns to look at her before his body falls apart into two halves.

Suddenly, two other man transform into Yoma. The Claymore smiles and tells them that they should have summoned their power the moment they saw her, and then the Yoma attack. The first is swiflty cut in two while the other is then stabbed through the throat. Claiming that no matter what the Yoma do, it is ultimately useless, Teresa then decapitates the second monster.

Behind her, the townspeople are shocked, but then one begins to scream. They then discover that all the bodies, which they thought were human, were actually Yoma in disguise. Teresa turns to the people and says that they are part of a very lucky village. As it turns out, there were seven Yoma living there and the request for the hunt actually came from another town. The Yoma were feeding upon that people of the other nearby towns while living quietly inside of Theo. However, when Teresa counts the corpses of the Yoma she has slain, she realizes that there is one missing. Turning to the frightened townspeople, she wonders what would happen if she does not find the remaining Yoma, and then she appears behind a man holding a small girl. Scorning him for thinking he could use the child as a shield, the man is suddenly bifurcated, his blood splashing all over the girl. As Teresa looks down upon the scene, the girl turns to look up at her in amazement.

Characters In Order of Appearance

 * Teresa
 * Orsay