Chapter 6

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

Short Synopsis
As the Yoma continues to pick off more people, Clare is almost caught by the soldiers again who come to their inn. She is saved by a combination of swallowing the pills in time and Raki defending her by saying that she was the kindest, most gentle person he knew. When they left, he insists this was true, but Clare coldly denies this. That day, she visits Father Vincent for the latest update and a list of suspects. That night, she is caught by the soldiers yet again and exposes herself as a Claymore. She easily defeats them but is distracted by a scream within the cathedral. Racing inside, she comes across the latest victims and the Yoma itself. She engages in battle but is injured trying to protect the soldiers.

More Victims
Within the cathedral, two guards hear something but one dismisses it as nothing. When he turns to his comrade, he finds the other's head gone and a Yoma looming out of the darkness.

That morning, Raki wakes to find Clare sitting by the window, her eyes silver once more. The pills only last half a day and she has to keep taking them. Just as she states that she senses something in the cathedral, the door bursts open and guards enter. Clare manages to pull her hood over her head in time to conceal her eyes but the soldiers are on a Yoma search and, soon, the soldiers that Clare fought, Galk and Sid, arrive. Sid recognizes Clare's build, theorizes that a Claymore had been in town that night, and throws back her hood.

Thankfully, Clare was able to take the pills in time and her eyes are dark. Sid is not convinced, however, and suggests that she may have found some way to conceal her eye color. Raki bites Sid and shouts that Clare is the most kind and gentle person he knows and   thatSid has no right to talk about her in such a bad way. Sid is about to retaliate, but Galk holds him back and the guards leave.

Clare stares astonished, saying that it was amazing how quickly Raki could come out 'with such nonsense'. Raki insists that the only lie he told was that Clare was his sister. Clare coldly brushes this off, saying that she would defend him if she was in his situation.

The Suspects
Clare and Raki visit Father Vincent again at the cathedral, who informs them that two soldiers have been killed the previous night with all the marks of a Yoma attack. He adds that five people have been killed in a single week. Clare notes that this is too many for a single, ordinary Yoma. She theorizes that it is a 'Voracious Eater', a Yoma that has grown older and more powerful - thus the increase in appetite.

Since Clare cannot sense the Yoma with the pills, she asks the Father for a list of people who were in the cathedral during the Yoma attacks. Father Vincent replies that the church was sealed off from the outside, so Clare realizes that it must be someone on the inside. So, she asks him for a list of names of people who were in the cathedral at night. These names include the head bishop, a priest, many monks and the captain of the guard. Clare tells him not to trust them as Yoma could fool even family members.

Clare leaves the cathedral feeling uneasy, as though she is missing one crucial fact.

The Fight on the Rooftops
That night, Clare ventures outside again with the intentions of hunting down the Yoma. Unfortunately, she is caught again by Sid and Galk, who recognize her as the 'kind and gentle sister'. Clare asks them to leave, as she has an important task, but the pair attack her anyway as they must hold up the law that anything unholy must be eliminated.

Both attack her but she uses combined agility and a pair of shortswords to avoid them. Realizing they have to take a different strategy, Galk takes hold of one of her swords to hold her still while Sid throws his knives at her. She manages to deflect them with her cloak alone and kicks Galk to free herself.

As she stands victorious, Sid stares in astonishment at her inhuman power.

The Attack in the Cathedral
A scream then comes from within the cathedral. Clare leaps off the roof and the pair follow her. Against the rule of the church, the guards on duty open the door, allowing Clare to race inside before they realize she is there. As she enters the gloomy cathedral, she is able to sense a Yoma but, due to her pills, she cannot determine an exact location. She comes across the latest victim of the Yoma, just as the monster itself looms up behind her.

The Yoma is enormous, much bigger than normal. Sid and Galk rush in with the intent to attack but Sid's daggers are useless against it. The Yoma leaps forward, about to kill the pair, but Clare rushes forward, taking the blow herself.

Characters In Order of Appearance

 * Galk
 * Sid