Claymore, Vol. 7

Claymore is a dark fantasy manga by Norihiro Yagi, serialized in Monthly Shonen Jump from 2001 and later moved to Jump Square. The story unfolds in a world where demons take human form and devour human innards: humans, unable to defend themselves, must rely on female warriors known as "Claymores"—women infused with demon flesh who gain superhuman strength, yet are feared and shunned by humans and constantly face the fate of losing control of their powers and becoming Awakened Beings. The protagonist Clare voluntarily becomes a Claymore out of gratitude, following in the footsteps of Teresa of the Faint Smile, who once saved her, and sets out on a journey. This volume (Volume 7, originally titled "The Qualifications to Fight" in Japanese) collects chapters 34 through 39, continuing from Volume 6's "The Endless Gravestones" arc and unfolding the "Qualifications to Fight" storyline. As the journey progresses, Clare and her companion Raki encounter more perilous foes, and the story begins to focus on the theme of "what one fights for, and whether one has the right to keep fighting," while the tense relationships among the Organization, warrior rankings, and Awakened Beings in the world are further developed. This is the seventh volume of the series and should be read in conjunction with the first six volumes.