CHAPTER 85: A CAUSE WORTH FIGHTING FOR
Thanks to shrimpy for the translation! The pictures are from the scanlation by Binktopia.
Rubel
Once again we begin with Rubel. Last month I didn’t have much to say about him since I was pretty confused. But this time I tried to organize my thoughts and came up with a theory. Rubel is conducting a dangerous experiment named ‘Clare’. His approach is: either get stronger or die.
Let’s start from the beginning. As any experimentator Rubel is full of curiosity. It began when he first met Clare. She came to him with Teresa’s head and became the first person to willingly turn into a Claymore. Considering her age at that time, it took a lot of guts. But it didn’t end with that. She fought hard to keep up with other trainees and, even though she was a lot weaker, managed to survive. Rubel took an interest in her, and watched over her progress. Maybe he even cheered her on in her quest for revenge. Number 47 killing an Abyssal one would be quite a spectacle. This lasted till Clare half-awakened in Rabona.
After the half-awakening Clare became a threat. If the Organization would learn what happened, the mainland force allied with the DoD would have a serious problem. That’s when Rubel decided to kill Clare. He sent her and the other half-awakeneds on a series of suicide missions which ended with the Northern Campaign. He suspected that they survived that one too, but as far as he was concerned if they kept a low profile, he could let them live.
The third stage began when, after 7 years, the survivors appeared once again. This time with a clear goal: to destroy the Organization. The existence of the Ghosts is still a threat for Rubel’s side, but they are also valuable as powerful enemies of the Organization. He adjusted his strategy accordingly. He wants to make them stronger, so that they would not fall in the hands of the Organization. He decided it would be good if the Ghosts joined forces with someone like Raphaela. That was the purpose of his whole story. He just wanted to give them the info about Riful, Renee and Raphaela. He never expected that they would actually go and fight an Abyssal to rescue a complete stranger. Even a person like Clare wouldn’t do that. A for Luciela and Raphaela, Rubel’s words gave me hope that after awakening Raphaela’s mind will be in control and that she and Clare will join forces.
All in all, he wants to help the Ghosts so that they become stronger, but if they die he won’t be troubled…well, maybe a bit disappointed. As for his relationship with Clare, I think he is interested in her as an experiment not as a human being. Moreover, he keeps making one mistake. He isn’t scared. Clare and Miria have the power and the brains to destroy any kind of scheme he comes up with.
Uma
Uma’s attitude in this chapter gave me a lot to think about. When the issue of facing Riful came up, she reacted almost violently. It seemed she was terrified. What will happen with her when the Ghosts will confront the Organization? They will have a very small chance of survival. Moreover, if she really is so scared, why did she follow the rest on this campaign? Was it a sign of solidarity? Or maybe she didn’t want to be left alone? If the latter is true she might simply run away at some point or even betray the Ghosts if the other side will offer her safety…well, maybe I’m reading too much into her reaction but fear makes people do strange things.
Helen
The story that Helen told Dietrich was smart. From the perspective of an ordinary Claymore it is more probable that the Organization has some special forces than that there are deserters who were able to survive for several years. Moreover, deserters wouldn't try to draw attention to themselves by attacking the Awakened and even if they decided to kill it they should have killed Dietrich too. Paradoxically, Helen’s crazy behavior makes her story look plausible. But she might have slipped up earlier…
The scene above was awesome. It reminded me that Helen can stretch her limbs. If she ever turns into a partially awakened being (like Clare) this ability will be probably her main way of attacking. It is a common youma ability and we saw it used many times but maybe she will use it in an interesting way. Nevertheless, this ability is a sign of half-awakening, and showing it to Dietrich was a mistake.
Dietrich
Finally, we meet a Claymore that makes the present generation look good. She’s fast, strong, has good reflexes and can apparently jump very high. Moreover, with the amount of attention given to her, she is shaping up to be an important character. Dietrich is a bit similar to Miria. She thinks fast, cares for her team and has a sense of honor. I also think that sooner or later she will figure out that something doesn’t add up in Helen’s story. The question is, what will happen with her? Will she become an ally? Or maybe an enemy who will help to make the Organization’s side look more humane?
Another question is why does she look better than numbers 3 and 5? Is it just because Riful can make anyone look bad? 
But honestly, she showed some good moves. She managed to dodge both Ghosts and was much faster than Helen. Maybe she is moving upwards in the ranks or maybe she is another half-awakened.
But more importantly… we should change her name. Most of you are probably aware that ‘Dietrich’ is a boy’s name. So, before anything happens with her, let’s choose a nickname
The Chat on the Cliff
The conversation that Helen and Deneve were having was a great source of information. We learnt that the Organization has a shortage of high-ranked Claymores. The only reason that comes to my mind is that they are looking for Renee. That sure shows how important is the Organization’s Eye and how much they are afraid of Riful’s plans.
Another issue mentioned was the age of Claymores. Helen says that Clare is like a spoiled brat. But what age is considered ‘old’ or ‘young’ for a Claymore? It is about time we learnt how old Clare is (or anyone else for that matter). There must be some kind of average age for Claymores, since at one point it was said that Galatea was getting old.
The Map
The map in this chapter shows many important places in the Claymore world. Among others it shows Irene’s hideout, which only fueled speculation on whether she really got killed. Personally, I'm sure that Raphaela didn't spare her life. Not because it's impossible but rather because having Irene appear out of nowhere for the second time would be bad storytelling. The 'returning from the dead' cliché cannot be used too often… but now that I wrote this I'm wondering what I will write if she really does come back
Conclusion
This was a better chapter than the one last month and that’s why this review is far longer. Also, thre was a lot of great shots, so much so that I had a problem with choosing only few. I hope that the action will pick up soon and Renee will awaken the sisters (and Isley will appear and Clare will meet Raki and Priss and…) See you next month!
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Originally Posted by natli
