Cassandra, the Awakened Being, makes her way to the Holy City of Rabona. As the Claymores keep a watchful eye on Cassandra’s progress, their actions are expedited by the fact that Priscilla, whose power is greater than an Awakened Being, is dead set on merging with Cassandra’s Awakened form. That spells disaster for everyone, so the Claymores have to get creative in order to prevent this monster of a merger…

Unable to defeat such overwhelming strength on their own, the Claymores find help in the least likely of allies. The intense Yoma energy surrounding Rabona seems to draw out the worst kind of crowd, and it’s up to the Claymores to decide who is friend and who is foe.

To complicate matters, another powerful being is attracted to Priscilla’s energy and engages her in battle. This being’s origins are shrouded in mystery. However, two things are made clear: its hatred of Priscilla and the Organization’s involvement.

A flashback of Priscilla’s youth is explored midway through the volume. Priscilla’s origins are illustrated with scenery of her hometown and the villagers who occupied it. As the flashback quickly turns nightmarish, Priscilla’s consciousness rouses us from her past back to the present, before the painful memories can overwhelm her. The powerful Priscilla is still haunted by the girl she once was.

Claymore has a unique and beautiful art style. Most of the characters are female, and the men that show up tend to have similar features to the women. However, I’m a big fan of the detail that goes into each character’s design. This skill is especially apparent in the grotesque figures that show up throughout Claymore. This volume in particular has many Awakened Beings, each with unique and fearsome designs which give the reader an idea of the atrocities they are capable of. Claymore’s character designs in both human and Awakened form only get better as the story progresses and the art improves. Much is revealed in this volume, and things are only going to pick up as the battles surrounding Rabona cross paths.

Glimpse into Priscilla’s haunted past and learn more about the Awakened beings who fill the pages of Claymore in volume 24, available here!

by Cat Rechsteiner