I do not own Claymore in anyway.

Breaking Free

Christopher sat in his room, feeling for his youki that was buried far deeper than he remembered. As he sat there the door to his room opened and Rubel walked in.

"We have work for you." He grinned as he straightened his hat over his bald head.

"I'm listening."

"We want you to go to a town to the west; we believe that the hit squad we sent will be faced with difficulty."

"So you left out details." He grinned. He had known Rubel since he had first joined and deemed him to be a friend to him. It was him that had told the higher ups to let him live and serve in secret or dangerous missions, and for that he was thankful.

"That's irrelevant. Just go and if necessary help out you female comrades." He said. With that he left and travelled quickly until he reached the mountain where he felt the 4 warriors and the awakened being that they fought.

"They don't stand a chance." He growled as he moved closer, but out of detection range. He saw the being and recognized that form.

"Jacob." Christopher growled as he watched the former number five fight the four woman. He then spat out his tongue and ripped off the left arm of one of the woman sending her falling off the mountain. After spitting it out it said something that he couldn't hear that enraged the other into attacking.

"Fool. He's just egging you on." He growled as he moved the long white cape on his back into a more comfortable position. As the one fell into the trap the other moved in and blocked his attack with her blade.

"47!" the woman shouted.

"47? What is such a low ranking warrior doing here, and how is she able to block his attack?" he whispered, becoming intrigued. After a second the tongue wrapped around the woman and flung her into the ground. With that the one woman who fell into the trap released her youki and extended her arm past Jacobs multiple appendages, lopping off three of them. Soon after he had reattached them and was attacking her back. Jumping over Jacob the one who had fallen off the cliff moved in between them and chopped off the attacking arms. During her absence she had grew the missing arm back.

"Impressive. That is not a combat skill, but to have the ability to use it she must be high ranking." Number 47 then returned to the battle as Jacob regrew the missing arms "I better get ready to fight myself. They won't last much longer."

During the break in the battle the leader said something that caused Jacob to respond.

"I'd heard that Miria no. 6 had extensive knowledge, but you made one major mistake. You should know what it is." He said. After a brief moment of shock the leader, Miria yelled "Wait! Are you…?"

"What? Is something upsetting you girlie?" he asked. Miria looked back over her shoulder and realization flashed over her face.

"Well… I guess it's time…I gave you a taste…of true despair." Jacob sighed. Moving faster than they could follow he struck while Miria shouted "All of you…RUN!" But it was too late as he shoved his arm through the warrior who had powerful regeneration abilities. Miria then struck, yoma energy pouring out of her. Dodging he leapt into the air and sent his claws into 47. The warrior with the extending arms tried to attack him but he moved behind her and slashed down her back, leaving only Miria standing.

"So… how does it taste?" he asked, showing his twisted nature "It's too bad, isn't it? I think you've made a fine warrior. You're smart, with good instincts. For warriors it's not just about strength. They won't live very long if they're not smart. And yet if they are too smart they won't live long either."

"What are you? She asked.

"Like you said… the remains of what was once a male warrior. No more, no less. I dispose of the warriors that are sent to kill me to stay alive. That's all."

Before he could react Miria moved at a speed that Christopher had never seen before. With a single step she had grabbed the one with regerative powers and had moved her out of the way.

"This is no time to be worrying about your friends. You'd do well to worry about yourself." He snarled as he sent his claws into her, or so he thought because as soon as they made contact they passed right through her without even doing any damage. She appeared standing above 47 seeming to see something that looked promising. Jacob then leapt into the air to attack Miria yelling " Now you're finished! Time to die!" As he sent his claws into her and smashing his hand where she was standing. Not realizing what had happened she had disappeared and reappeared with the other two, laying them down by the third.

"Heh heh heh. Now I see. For a brief moment you can move at a frightening speed. In that instant you are faster than any other warrior. Even among your comrades, no one can match your speed. You must be a single digit. You move like a phantasm. You must be the one called … Phantom Miria. How fitting." He said, showing his analyzing powers "But I sense weakness. You don't keep it up for long. Could there be a reason for you being so cautious?" Miria then began unleashing her youki " Let's see… if your technique will prevail against me." Then she struck moving with such speed that all Christopher could see was her after images. No matter how hard Jacob tried he could not keep up with her amazing speed. However after several minutes he could see that the technique was taking its toll as she was finally caught.

"You really gave it your all. But I knew that it couldn't last. I had only wait for you to reach your limits" Jacob boasted. With that Christopher struck, losing his usually controlled temper as he knew what would happen to her. Before Jacob could react he had sliced of the tongue that was extending toward Miria and the arm that held her in place.

"What on earth?!" Jacob bellowed.

"Are you all right?" Christopher asked Miria as he looked at her. There was something about her that awoke his desires, something that he had not felt since he had become a warrior.

"I'll be fine, but who are you?"

"Yes who are you warrior?" Jacob asked, clearly angry.

"You forgot about me already? Now that is rude Jacob." He grinned.

"How do you know my name?!"

"You served under me as number 5. Back when I was number 3. I am Christopher the unconquerable." He grinned as faced Jacob.

"What? A male warrior?" Miria asked. Christopher then struck with speed that rivaled many in the organization but with more precision and force. After slashing off several arms and slashing out his right eye he stopped when he felt something familiar. Stepping back he saw that number 47 was up and was going to fight.

"So the weakest of them still wants to play?" Jacob asked as he sent his claws at her, but just before they hit she moved slightly and dodged them. After she got close enough she sliced off one of his arms, leapt into the air, which caused him to send his claws at her which she quickly sliced with a circular motion of her sword. He then tried to wrap his stump of a tongue around her but she sliced through it landed on what remained, flipped onto his back and chopped off the four arms that were up there. She then tried to stab him through the neck but the scale plate on tit stopped her. She was then thrown off and kicked further away.

"What is with you? I can't tell if you're strong or weak." He complained.

"You're fine when reading yoma energy but switch to offense and you lose power." Miria began after she had stood up "You have to attack in an instant or better yet read his yoma energy while releasing your own. Otherwise it's pointless. In short you need practice."

"It's a powerful technique but you are not ready to use it in combat." Christopher agreed.

"I know that. I know already!" she snapped as she rose.

"Wait! I have something to tell you. You see…" Jacob said desperately.

"Watch out… below us." 47 said.

"Even in this condition I'm still a single digit." Miria said. Christopher just nodded, knowing that Jacob intended to attack from below. And as predicted his five claws burst from the ground, one at 47 and two each at himself and Miria.

"There are many things that I want to ask but since you won't tell us." Miria said as the three of them took a fighting stance.

"Lets go. And don't fall behind you two." Christopher grinned as he released the smallest amount of youki.

"Same to you." Miria smiled as the three of them struck. Leaping higher than the other two he aimed his strike for the armored portion of Jacobs's neck.

"Wind Fang." He growled as he sent the slash with five percent of his yoma energy through Jacob. Once he was dead did they check on the other two.

"How is she?" the one with extending arms asked.

"Not good. She used all of her energy regenerating her arm, so her stomach wound isn't healing. It all depends on her own strength." Miria said.

"So why aren't you hurt worse? You took more blows than the rest of us."

"Her vital organs are intact. With a little time, her wound should heal." Was the answer.

"Now there is something I need to ask you both. It's extremely important to all of us, so I need you to answer as honestly as possible." Miria began "Has there ever been a time when either of you have almost awakened?" This peeked Christopher's curiosity, her had never heard of a partial awakening. After a brief pause 47 answered.

"Yes. Awhile ago I fought in Rabona cathedral, I exhausted my strength and made the mistake of forcing my yoma power to its limits. I felt a rush of suffering and ecstasy. Somehow I was able to pull myself back." She said calmly.

"Same with me." The other one began "I got carried away and lost control. The impulse to awaken was too strong, just like it was for the males. But I was able to turn back and repress it." She explained "It happened to Deneve too. She told me about it. It was when she was trying to discover her limits."

"When was that?" Miria asked.

"Around the same time as me." She answered.

"Then answer this… have either of you caused problems with a client or for ordinary folk?"

"I have, a few times. Because of the code I have never taken a life but I have come close. For Deneve, it wasn't other people. She's more the type to stir up trouble against her own kind."

"I see. And that leaves a low-ranking warrior who disobeys orders and runs wild from time to time. And a male who has somehow survived until now." She began "All the warriors here, except him, have are troublemakers who have come close to awakening."

"I don't get it. Are you saying that there's something behind this job?" the one who was friends with Deneve shouted.

"This is only speculation but it's my theory that we we're problem cases who were sent to fight an awakened being that we were no match for."

"Then where do I fit in?" Christopher asked "I was sent here to ensure that you lived."

"I think that they wanted you dead so they sent you here to make it convenient for them or for you to awaken in the battle and kill us." Miria said.

"Where do you fit in?" 47 asked "You don't look like an awakened being, or a problem case."

"I nearly awakened, too. On my third hunt for an awakened being, I realized that I was hunting an old friend. I hacked off its arms and legs and was about to push the blade into its throat when I realized it was her. Until that moment she hadn't said a word, called my name or reverted to her original form to show me her face. From that moment on I swore to take revenge on the people who made me what I am today." She said.

"Then you didn't awaken?"

"Ahh… so it seems. I knew that I'd lost control of my yoma power, but I tried my best to surpress it. I think I also hated that she was the one who had pushed me to that point."

"She?" Christopher asked.

"As I was saying… after that, I plotted my revenge against the organization. I won't forgive them for what they did to my body, or treating us like we are expendable. I did my best to look dutiful, but I was secretly investigating the organization. I was looking for a weakness. And that's how I learned the organizations greatest secret."

"What do you mean "Its greatest secret"" the one with extending arms asked.

"Some things are better left unsaid. If I told you there would be no turning back." Miria said calmly.

"So you learned something that the organization wants to hide, and now they are trying to get rid of you?" 47 asked.

"Like I said, it's only speculation. But we do have one thing in common." Miria asked.

"I have one more thing to ask. Has anything changed in us since we came close to awakening?" 47 asked.

"Each of you must have felt something. Before awakening and after, the quality of our yoma power is clearly different. It isn't limited as it was before. And now and then, you feel pangs of hunger. We four have already awakened." With that 47 seemed calm while the other reacted in shock and angry confusion.

"You're not serious! Don't lump me together with those monsters! We aren't like that! I have no desire to eat human intestines!"

"Let me explain." Miria began "It's not that we have fully awakened, but rather, we're in a half awakened state. Most fully awaken in one step but we have stopped short of that for some reason. Or we may gradually awaken."

"No. Wait!"

"Limb expansion and massive regeneration powers are possible at the outer limits of one's yoma power. You used these without difficulty in a fight only after you came close to awakening didn't you?" This caused her to be silent "After you've crossed over, returning to normal should be impossible."

"Then… then… what will happen to us? Are we going to just sit back and watch ourselves awaken?" Deneve asked once she regained consciousness.

"Deneve!" the one woman shouted, seeing her friends awake.

"I'm sorry, that's all I know. We could of avoided awakening all together or be slowly moving towards it. Either way… we won't know when and where we could awaken. All we know is that the situation is precarious." Miria said. After a pause Deneve pushed herself forward.

"Alright I'll be the test case. Watch closely." She said.

"Watch what?"Miria asked.

"This." She replied as she unleashed her energy.

"Stop it Deneve! If you force your yoma power in your condition…" Miria began.

"Shut up and watch. If I don't force it and try to regenerate then I'll die anyway. Let's see if I can release all of my Yoma power at once. If I were in a half awakened state I can use it to heal this wound instantly. And then without fully awakening, I should be able to return to normal. But if I can't do that and I awaken… then don't hesitate to kill me."She said as the power poured out of her. Without hesitating Christopher, 47 and the other Claymore grabbed their swords.

"Helen! Clare! Christopher!" Miria exclaimed.

"Deneve, you're an old friend. We won't let you suffer." Helen said.

"Right. We won't fail you." Clare agreed.

"You death will be swift if necessary." Christopher said with a grim face, as the three of them readied their blades. With that her power burst forth with a flash of light, and Christopher was sure that she had awoken. Without a moment's hesitation the three of them had the blades at her throat.

"Give me a break. I'm back." She said as the dust cloud cleared.

"Deneve!" Helen exclaimed.

"Hmph. That was close." Miria said.

"How is the wound on your stomach?" Christopher asked as he offered her a hand up.

"It's fine. It finally closed up." She said.

"Enough of this madness. You came back, but you may not be so lucky next time. There is too much we don't know. If you want to keep your human consciousness, you'd better not be so reckless."Miria admonished.

"I know. I could live without another risk like that." Deneve agreed. Suddenly Clare turned and seemed wary.

"What is it Clare?" Miria asked.

"I think that we are being watched." She answered.

"Don't worry. I've checked the area. I don't sense our comrades aura's from here to the mountains. And even if someone were beyond that they couldn't know we were here." Miria said, reassuring them.

"We will part ways now." Miria said "Go back to your regions and your posts. We may have been misinformed about the job but we carried it out. That's all we did. It would be too risky to join now against the organization. We know nothing and we suspect nothing… we finished our job and went home. That's what we want them to think. But don't let your guard down, even for a moment. Be careful with every step you take. Meanwhile, follow orders and keep a low profile. Try to stamp out your images as trouble makers. They're in no hurry to get rid of us, so we should get away with this for awhile. Except for me."

"But what will you do now, Miria?" Clare asked.

"I'm past the point of no return. I'll keep investigating the organization. Our awakening doesn't leave us much time, so I'll let you know as soon as I find something out. Don't do anything until you hear from me." She explained.

"Besides, she won't be alone. I will be helping her." Christopher said.

"Don't worry. Your powers have grown since you almost awakened. You'd rival any single digit. In the unlikely event that you have to fight with one of your comrades you won't be overwhelmed. You can imagine the strength of those below me from having seen me No. 6. Numbers 6 through 9 are about the same. If you had to take any of them one on one, you should be able to handle them. The problem is numbers 5 and up. To tell the truth there is a big leap from 6 to 5." She then took her blade and drew five symbols into a rock face. Looking at them he didn't recognize a single one, even though they were the numbers of 1 through 5.

"These are the marks of the top five. Remember them. From the right it's No.5 Rafaela, No.4 Ophelia, No.3 Galatea, No.2 Beth, No.1 Alicia. Each of them is a monster. If you meet any of them, avoid engaging them." She explained.

"There is someone higher." Christopher said as he added one more symbol in front of Alicia.

"Who's is that?" Miria asked looking at the simple cross shape. She then saw that the symbol was his.

"That's right. I am Christopher the unconquerable, organization number 0." He said "But you have nothing to fear from me. I will work with you, I have no loyalty to those who have imprisoned me."

"Everything I have said up till now is only speculation. There's no clear evidence that the organization is trying to dispose of us. Remember that. You don't have to view our comrades as enemies. But be careful. Never let your guard down around anyone." Miria said as she put her sword in front of her the blade facing them. They each raised their sword and had the tips overlap .

"May we live to meet again." Miria said marking their bond. With that the other three left leaving him with Miria.

"Will you being coming with me to headquarters?" Christopher asked.

"Yes. I need to give my report. And there is something that I want to ask you."

"I'm listening."

"When you saw Clare there was a look in your eyes. How do you know her?" she asked.

"I met her once. Before she became one of the warriors. Back when she was normal. I was sent to kill the traitor Teresa, and she was traveling with her." He replied as they climbed down.

"But the reports say that it was an awakened one who killed her."

"That's true. I couldn't bring myself to kill her, once Clare had stepped in front of her. It reminded me of when I was allowed out more often. But with your help I will find a way to escape and finally live my life."

"So you would choose to live for yourself instead of fighting with us."

"No, I never said that. I will fight with you. Who else could oppose Alicia and Beth? Besides, it goes against my nature to leave such a beautiful woman in distress." He grinned as he looked back at her. After a sight blush she punched him muttering about him. They soon returned to the organization and he was soon locked away again, biding his time until he could do as he pleased.