Chapter 10

A few days later, after bidding farewell to the three low-rank warriors, Deneve encountered a meeting that would change her life forever—the girl she named Clare.

That day, Deneve posed as usual in front of Duran's camera, serving as a model. Duran, as always, took various seductive poses for the photoshoot.

"There's another one, so this time it's free!" Deneve had already killed the second demon without any hesitation. However, just as Deneve was about to leave, her leg was grabbed.

The girl was dressed in dirty clothes, with a dirty face and brown shoulder-length hair, a little girl who had just reached her prime.

The little girl looked at Deneve with her big, watery eyes, but Deneve was not moved and kicked the girl to the ground without any courtesy.

Of course, Deneve didn't use much force; if she had, the girl would have been split in two.

The little girl was not discouraged and stood up to hug Deneve again.

Duran watched this scene repeat several times with interest until a villager suggested that Deneve take the girl, who had been brought by the demon, with her.

Deneve saw the villagers' disgusted expressions and knew that if the girl stayed, she would certainly die. So, like most female Claymores, Deneve picked up the girl and planned to find a new village to send her away.

The next day, Deneve sent the girl to a couple who agreed to adopt her. Deneva left the girl without hesitation.

Duran, who had been following Deneve, suddenly spoke, "What a good little girl, she's doomed!"

Deneve stopped, her gaze as sharp as a sword, and looked at Duran, "What did you say?"

"I said that little girl, no, that little girl is doomed! If she doesn't die, she'll be ruined," Duran said, shaking his head.

"Why?!"

"What do you think of the status of Claymores on the continent?"

"People are afraid of us warriors!" Indeed, the organization's Claymores call themselves warriors, but people on the continent call them Claymores.

"That's good. Since they are all afraid of you, would they be willing to raise a child brought by a Claymore? And I saw the couple's eyes wandering just now; it's clear they have other intentions." Duran saw Deneve's face turn cold and continued, "That little girl will probably be sold, either to become a lowly prostitute or to die from unknown torture. I can't think of any other outcome."

"Why didn't you say this earlier!" Deneve was very unhappy.

"Didn't you dislike that girl? Didn't you think she was a burden?"

Deneve did not answer but turned around and went back.

When she returned, she saw the couple negotiating with a group of burly men. Some of the rough men were touching the little girl, and Deneve lost control.

The sword rose and fell, taking lives.

"You are a Claymore, you can't kill people! Don't kill me, ah—"

Deneve's face was cold as she picked up the little girl.

Under the moonlight, the lake was calm. Deneve told the little girl her name and named the stubborn girl who hugged her legs Clare!

Duran used his camera to record the moment Clare hugged Deneve, moved to tears. When Deneve was killing people, Duran did not stop her; he closed his eyes and pretended not to see because of the blood.

Although they were just a few bandits, Deneve broke the iron rule that Claymores cannot kill humans. But Deneve finally realized, "It turns out that the one saved was myself!"

"My name is Deneve, and you will be called Clare."

"D-e-n-e-v-e" The girl hadn't spoken in a long time, and this might have been her first words in years, "C-l-a-r-e"

Duran captured another beautiful scene, two women who saved each other, hugging.

Deneve and Clare, the names of the twin goddesses, but both were women with hard lives.

Ever since Clare learned that Deneve was the name on the moon, she became even more dependent on Deneve. When she was imprisoned and tortured by demons, she saw words appear on the moon, though she didn't know how to read them. She only heard others say, "Deneve, the smiling goddess." At that time, she was praying for Deneve to save her, and now her dream had come true; she was really saved by the goddess whose name was written on the moon.

"Clare, call Deneve 'Mom' from now on." Duran urged, then said with a thick face, "Does Clare like me?"

Clare turned her head and ignored Duran. In Clare's heart, Duran was an enemy who was competing for Deneve. Although Duran had many good things, Clare would ignore him after getting them.

Finally, the extermination team arrived. The first low-rank warrior team was easily defeated by Deneve. But the organization would not give up easily, so the strongest extermination team in history came.

Deneve's face was calm as she told Duran to take care of Clare and faced the four-person extermination team. The top five warriors out of 47, No. 2 Priscilla, No. 3 Elen, No. 4 Sophia, and No. 5 Riful.

Priscilla, the No. 2 with the greatest potential, the high-speed sword No. 3 Elen, and others were considered the strongest team in the extermination force.

Deneve's superior combat skills and high sensitivity to demon aura allowed her to predict the warriors' movements. Even the fastest high-speed sword in history could not avoid being completely countered by Deneve. The only one who could match Deneve was Priscilla, the No. 2 Claymore with astonishing potential.

Priscilla, with top-tier strength and speed, had only one flaw: lack of experience.

The clash of Claymores, their graceful figures, left Duran spellbound. Deneve's large sword flew, her defense was impenetrable, and her attacks were swift and fierce. Priscilla had almost no defense, only offense, relying on her beast-like instincts to parry Deneve's large sword.

"Why?!" Priscilla, who had just come out of the organization with the great ambition to sweep away all demons and dedicate herself to the organization, now faced a setback—the strongest Claymore, the smiling Deneve.

"Why are you so strong?!" Priscilla was conflicted, "Clearly a sinner, why don't you die?!" Her large sword felt heavier, "Why, Dad."

But Deneve, with only a small wound on her forehead, still maintained her smile. In Priscilla's eyes, she was a smiling death god.

Deneve raised her large sword, and Priscilla bared her neck to accept her fate.

"No, Deneve!" Elen shouted; she couldn't let Deneve kill the organization's most promising warrior.

Deneve's large sword paused, then fell heavily but did not cut off Priscilla's head, "I've become soft-hearted."

"Clare, let's go." Deneve didn't call Duran because she knew he would follow without being called.

"Why? Dad!" Priscilla released her demon aura, "Clearly just a sinner."

"Priscilla, stop releasing your demon aura. We lost," Elen said loudly.

"Why? Ah—"

"Bad, the demon aura release has exceeded the limit."

"Ah—D-e-n-e-v-e must be killed—" Priscilla's body had already transformed, growing wings.

Deneve felt a powerful demon aura, "Awakened?"

"D-e-n-e-v-e" Priscilla stood in front of Deneve, "I don't want to die." She shed tears and dropped her large sword.

"I'm sorry, I can't help you anymore." Deneve felt some pity for Priscilla.

"K-i-l-l m-e" Priscilla cried, "Before I become a demon."

Deneve nodded, "I'll grant your wish." She drew her large sword and approached Priscilla.

"Thud—" The sound of the sword cutting through flesh and bone, Deneve's hands holding the large sword flew off.

Priscilla had awakened, and her extended arms had already picked up the large sword on the ground, cutting off Deneve's hands.

Deneve, shocked, saw Priscilla's large sword getting closer. In just a moment, Deneve's head would be cut off.

"D-e-n-e-v-e—" Clare screamed in terror.

The three Claymore exterminators who arrived also watched this scene with fear.

'Clank—' A brief collision sound.

"Ah—" Priscilla had fully awakened, but her large sword was blocked by a figure.

"Deneve, quickly reattach your hands, don't get them reversed." Duran still had the nerve to joke.

"D-e-n-e-v-e, sniff sniff—" Clare ran to Deneve's side with the two severed hands.

Deneve was drenched in cold sweat, feeling the sensation of death for the first time. She had been too naive to believe the words of an awakened one.

Duran steadily blocked Priscilla's large sword with just one finger, "I've never been this angry."

Unconsciously, Duran had already fallen in love with Deneve.

"Ah, I'm hungry. After killing you, I'll go find some organs to eat." The awakened Priscilla didn't even consider Duran and the others.

"Ridiculous, just a monster." Duran sneered.

Duran successfully enraged Priscilla, and her large sword danced like a storm. But Duran blocked all of Priscilla's attacks with just one finger.

The Claymores watched in shock, wondering if this was even human. Duran's speed had completely surpassed their imagination.

"This time, I'll do a public service." Duran's right hand paused, stopping Priscilla's large sword in mid-air, "Just a demon, nothing more."

Priscilla's beast-like instincts sensed Duran's killing intent. She wanted to run, but her instincts refused to abandon the large sword.

"Die!" Duran shouted, raising his left hand and pushing it towards Priscilla, "Ah—"

The light from Duran's left hand shot towards Priscilla's upper body, enveloping her entire upper half.

The light dissipated, and Priscilla was left with only her legs. The abyss-level Priscilla died, killed by Duran's energy blast. Duran turned the large sword between his fingers and threw it to Clare, "Here, for you."

Clare knew there was no danger and was overjoyed, trying to pull out the large sword, but her strength was too weak to move it.

Elen took the large sword, "Girl, this sword can't be given to you. Although Priscilla was killed after awakening, we still need to give her a tombstone."

Clare looked at Elen taking the large sword, then at Deneve's expression, and could only watch as the large sword became a tombstone.

"Your Claymore ways are truly unique." Duran stood next to Deneve and Clare.

"It's just tradition. The Claymore's sword mark is more important than our names." Elen's voice carried a hint of sadness.

"Deneve, this extermination failed, but the organization won't let you go. What do you plan to do?" Elen, though she always saw Deneve as a rival, was still concerned for her.

"Mind if I interject?" Duran suddenly appeared.

Duran's strength was evident to all.

"My suggestion is that Deneve and Clare travel with me." Duran felt his face turn red.

This time, Deneve surprisingly didn't speak, and Clare looked back and forth, unsure of the situation.

"Seeing this vast world doesn't sound bad." Deneve thought for a long time and finally gave a roundabout answer to Duran.

Duran's heart shouted "Yes," this was his first love.

'Puff—' The time machine emerged from the universal capsule.

Duran picked up Clare and jumped into the time machine, then Deneve followed.

"Goodbye, Claymores!" The time machine rose into the air and disappeared into the void.

Elen looked at the sky with a complex expression, then turned, "Let's go! There's still a lot to do."

"Right." The Claymores shouted in unison.

After the Claymores left, Duran's time machine reappeared. Duran had discovered that the time machine's energy was insufficient, so he had to return. Don't worry about why the time machine would return like a car without gas; these are minor details.

"Since we're back, let's explore this world first. I still have many photos to take."

"Whatever you say!"

"Great, let's go, travel the world!"

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