Chapter 28

The 28th chapter of Claymore by Norihiro Yagi, first published in the May 2001 issue of Shonen Jump.

Short synopsis
Miria uses her Phantom technique to get Helen, Deneve and Clare to safety and attack the Male Awakened Being, but she is pinned down and tortured. As Clare approaches the Awakened, it seems unable to hit her with a single attack, although she makes no effort to dodge.

Miria recovers the injured
Miria faces the Male Awakened over her friend's bodies. The Awakened mocks her, saying that she has the intelligence required of a warrior, but one who is too intelligent will not live long. It mentions that it disposes of the warriors sent to kill it, in order to stay alive. Miria quickly moves Deneve to safety, estimating that she has a 50:50 chance of survival. The Awakened seems to impale her with a claw attack, but Miria appears near Clare, surprised that she is still alive. Another attack appears to hit her, but Miria escapes with Clare and Helen, giving the latter the same odds as Deneve.

The Phantom technique
The Awakened realises that Miria can use brief bursts of yoma to move at such speed she appears as a phantasm, and that this is the source of her title 'Phantom Miria'. However, he suggests that her sparing use of the technique indicates a weakness. Drawing on her yoma, Miria charges the Awakened, then circles in a trail of after-images, and stabs its arm. Phantoming away from another attack she slashes its arm, and circles again to slash its back. Helen, recovering enough to speaks, ask why Miria didn't use this power earlier. Clare tells her that the Phantom technique must be a last resort, putting strain on Miria's mind. Normally she might use it as many as 20 times, but Clare has counted 30 Phantoms already, Helen asks how Clare knows so much when her number is so low.

Miria defeated. and Clare's power
The Awakened finally manages to pin Miria down with its forearm. Telling her that she gave all she had, but reached her limits the Awakened drives its long tongue into Miria's abdomen and essentially rapes her with great pain. Angered, Helen tries to go to help, but is bleeding so badly she falls to all fours. Crying, she states that she can do nothing, and that this is true despair. Deneve is still out, but Clare takes her sword and stands.

'Despair? After only this? I've known a greater opponent and faced true despair.'

Helen wonders aloud how her wounds permit her to stand, Clare walks slowly towards the Awakened. Contemptuous of her strength, it aims a claw attack, but misses, as Clare continues to calmly approach. A barrage of claws gets the same result, as Miria and Helen watch Clare in amazement.