CHAPTER FORTY FIVE: IT'S NOT OVER YET

Rimuto had calmly watched the massacre of his own claymores. He had already escaped in the midst of mayhem, protected by the other men in black. They have already prepared an aircraft that prepares for his escape.

"The experiment was a failure!" A nasal voice boomed out of the intercom.

Rimuto barely flinched. "Not really. We only lost because we failed to harness Merissa's great power. Give me one more chance. I will take over the laboratory again. Within 5 years' time."

"Hmph. You had better! Look how much alloys and resources we have wasted. Though the dragonkins are backward, we lack an natural advantage. We HAVE to get the claymores to realize WE are their kins. Those lizards will destroy everything! See to it, Rimuto-osa!"

Rimuto smirked and bowed. The queen has invoked his rank. Osa—highest rank of alchemists. Those who can produce elixirs for immortality—wasted on the claymores. AND not to mention make Frankenstein-like monsters like youma.

"The only way to kill a claymore… is to use OTHER claymores."

"Rimuto sir, are you going to use the flesh of awakened beings or deceased warriors?" A man in black lay prostrate before him.

"Neither. We should return to the basics… just use normal youma flesh. And I have just the idea where to get some claymores like that."

"You don't mean, the abandoned headquarters?"

"Precisely, Rado. I know you are just a lowly ranked member of the organization. But if you helped me, I will implore the queen to elevate your rank. Let's go! Those traitors would not know where we creates them."

"I'm scared, Azure. Where are the handlers? I'm hungry." A pretty blonde girl whimpered.

"Shut up, Yvaine." A bossy girl muttered. She was the oldest out of them, almost 13. It was embarrassing to be made into a claymore at the same time as girls who are barely children.

"It's ok, Kimerly is just as hungry as all of us. As the oldest, she cares more about us than herself, and thus is worried." This long haired girl winked at Kimberly. She was Kimberly's sister, and supposed to help the her gain the other girls' trust.

"Aren't you scared, little baby?" Kimberly asked the quiet Azure, unkindly.

Azure was easily the most beautiful out of all of them. Quiet and calm, she exudes an air of menace. "Whether we die or not is heaven's will."

Suddenly, they heard footsteps. Yvaine and Kimberly ran to the entrance. They started beating on the door with their fists. "Help! Help! We're in here!"

The doors were thrown open and a few men in black strode in. Some of them carried a bald man on a sedan.

"Here we are, sir." One man bowed. "It seems only 8 are left."

"Why are you yelling?" the man on sedan asked. "Claymores—calm killers with no sense of humanity, killing without blinking. Which only… one of you achieved." He gestured to Azure, who was still sitting cross legged at the back of the room, while the others have ran towards him. "What is your name?"

Azure kept silent and merely gazed at the man emotionlessly.

"Oi, he asked you a question!" Kimberly yelled. The long haired girl yanked at her sleeves.

"Azure." The girl finally spoke.

"Very well Azure. From now on I will be your personal handler."

"You can't do that, Rimuto-sama! You only handle number 1s!" The man who bowed said.

"Then it's up to you to train her well, Rado. Let's go!"

Azure did not know what was going on, but she does not care. Ever since she came home from school one day and saw her mother's corpse on the ground, she had lost all feelings. She would have sat there numbly all day, had a man in black not found her and brought her to the organization. She offers no resistance. She knew she would have died without the organization's help, and thus obeys the organization wholeheartedly.

She have no friends. With her are Yvaine, Kimberly and Kylie. Kylie was 9, pretty, popular and cunning. Azure just haz this bad feeling about her. Kimberly was just bossy. Yvaine, 8, was closest in age to her, but she was a total softie. She squirms at the thought of killing youma. She's a vapid airhead who rather chat about claymore fashion than killing youmas.

Rado was their trainer. Every day he subjected the 8 of them to training even harsher than what he used to do. Times have changed. Rado was under order to shorten the training period from seven to five years. He never told them what their jobs are, though Azure suspects is more than just killing youmas.

They all lived deep in the mountain ranges. And the weirdest thing is, Rado forbids them to use their youki. They are trained to fight like normal but elite human warriors.

Five years later…

"Rado, are they ready?" The bald man asked.

"Yes, Rimuto-sama."

"Out of all of them, who are the most powerful?" Rimuto asked.

"Azure by far. She is easily the swiftest and most adept swordsman out of all of them. She also has the best endurance."

"In other words, there's a mini Teresa under there?" Rimuto asked.

"Well, we don't know about her youki since they've all never needed to unleash it. But her agility is definitely S, Strength B, Mental S (best suited for our teachings), Sense A and Leadership B. She's a lone wolf and antisocial. Next is Kimberly. She has agility A, Strength S, Mental C (she is cruel), Sense C and Leadership A."

"Another potential top 5. How's the rest?"

"Kylie. She has agility B, Strength B, Mental D (she has now become totally insane, only muttering about missions), and Leadership E. Yvaine has agility D, strength D, mental C (she is really emotional), sense S, and no one listens to her. If not for her sense, we would have killed her off already, like what happens to failures. The rest… there's nothing to mention. "

"A less than average claymore. I am deeply disappointed in this batch. But it sounds like those 4 are ready. Subject them to the test soon."

"Yes, my lord." Rado bowed to Rimuto's departing back.

If they thought the test will be like last time, killing a real youma, then they are wrong. Rado smirked. Only the fittest will survive. Sorry my darlings, but your mission is far worse than killing youmas.

The eight of them were assembled. As always, Azure stood apart from all of them, while the rest gossiped and chit chatted. They were excited about the test.

"ATTENTION!" Rado shouted, as the girls returned to their positions. "The test will begin. Only four of you will be selected as claymores." Kimberly preened, while Kylie snarled. "Form into pairs!

Nobody wanted to partner Azure. Yvaine partnered someone equally bimbotic,

while Kimberly picked one of her followers. The remaining two started squabbling. "I don't want to partner Azure!" was their argument.

"Silence!" Rado shouted. "You!" He pointed at one girl. "Go partner Azure. Quick!"

Looking at him balefully, she unwillingly walked towards Azure. So unfair. Azure is top in EVERYTHING. I will look bad next to her. The other glared and stormed towards Kylie.

When they are all in position, Rado spoke. "Kill each other."

All the girls froze.

"You heard me. In order to succeed in this mission… you must train to be merciless killers. Kill your partner of five years, or be killed."

Yvaine and her partner started crying and hugging each other. Kimberly, being selfish, killed her follower who was more than happy to die. Kylie, hearing the word "mission", cruelly disemboweled her partner. Azure just sighed and lopped off her partner's head.

"I'm so sorry." Yvaine and her partner weeped as they stood in position. Closing her eyes, Yvaine blindly flailed, and was astonished to find that she had survived. Her partner lay dead on the floor. Yvaine fainted.

Rado sighed. "Congratulations to those who have passed the test. Azure, carry Yvaine in. You will be given your first mission."