Scene 2 – The Black Card (Kuro no Sho)
The episode opens with Clare in town having slain three Yoma. She begins to walk away from the scene. Raki asks why she doesn’t take a bit of money for herself, for food and clothing. She tells Raki that someone from the Organization will be by to collect the fees and provide her with new clothing and any other physical goods that she needs. We hear Raki’s stomach growl, and Clare slays an unnamed reptile in response.
Having cooked the giant, vaguely lizard-like creature, Raki starts to voraciously eat the flesh of the beast. Clare takes only two bites from the meat and this prompts Raki to inquire if it tastes bad. However, she responds by saying that it is all that she needs to eat. She then tells him that Claymores do not need to eat but every two days, and can last an entire week without drinking water. She also tells him that she somewhat wishes she were human since it is such a luxury she no longer can experience.
Raki starts to ask Clare more questions about her life. She tells him that her path was difficult at first, but she chose it freely, and then begins to clean her sword. At that moment, Raki asks her about the symbol that is emblazoned upon her sword. She tells that after reaching a certain skill level each Claymore is giving a personal assignment and a symbol that distinguishes them from one another. Raki then asks her when she was given her emblem. Clare doesn’t answer the question she gets up and leaves after telling him to stay put. Raki assumes she has to the bathroom.
The scene changes and a pale man calls out to Clare; he is from the organization. He inquires about the boy she is with. She tells the man that he is only her cook and he won’t get in the way of her missions. The man examines her injury and remarks that while she is fine, she must make sure not to be hit in any vital areas otherwise she would die.
She gets dressed in the new clothing that the man brought her. The man starts to consider what would happen if Raki should see her like this. He then warns her against being too emotional, as she could be the on to get hurt. As he starts to leave, he gives her a black card. Clare opens it and is taken back by the symbol that the message contains.
The next day Clare and Raki arrive at a village, the inhabitants are unsettled by their appearance. They go to an inn, for the benefit of Raki, the innkeeper is concerned that there are Yoma afoot since he saw a Claymore at the edge of town some time back. Clare tells the innkeeper that there are no Yoma around.
However, Clare does ask the innkeeper if the Claymore was headed in the direction of the Schiele Mountain. She then tells Raki that she will return in a short while. The man from earlier with sunglasses appears from upstairs and starts to speak to Raki. He says that Raki seems to know very little about Claymores and that while he knows that Claymores are half human and half Yoma, it doesn’t seem that he is aware of the fact that only women have really ever been successful as Claymores. He also says that the human half restrains the Yoma, and therefore the Yoma abilities are only used for combat.
However, it seems that as those abilities are called upon, the Claymore in question becomes closer to a Yoma. Therefore, eventually the Yoma aspect of their being will overcome them. When that happens, the organization will have to kill them.
When he hears this, Raki runs off in fear to catch up to Clare. When he does, he frantically asks her if she is turning into a Yoma. She tells him that he doesn’t have a complete understanding. She shows him the black card. Clare tells him that each Claymore is given a sword and a black card to keep within the sword.
When they know that their limit has been reached, a Claymore gives their card to the one closest to them so that person can kill them while still being human. In the case of Clare, the black card was sent by an individual that entered the organization at the same time as she did and together they comforted one another through training.
The other Claymore, Elena, appears and greets Clare. She says that she only remembers the good times with Clare. She is disheartened by the fact that they trained together is her who has fallen first
Clare and Elena
She realizes that she lacks the ability to strengthen her soul any further, and therefore wants to die by Clare’s hands while she is still a human being. She begins to undergo a hideous transformation into a Yoma while Raki holds Clare and begs her not to slay Elena (this is the starting point of Raki getting on my nervous. Always begging Clare to stop and think. This is life and death Raki. Move aside). Clare ignores his request and cuts down the other Claymore, who thanks her as she dies.
Elena’s final resting place is marked with her sword. Overlooking Elena’s grave, Raki tears up. Clare tells him that they supported each other and were best friends. When asked by Raki how they can still fight with so much suffering, Clare tells him it’s because it’s the only reason they exist.
