Claymore, Vol. 3: Teresa of the Faint Smile (Claymore, #3)

Clare manages to defeat the yoma, but expended too much of her yōki in the process, bringing her on the verge of "awakening." Raki's emotional and moral support enables her to revert back to normal.

In a flashback, Teresa, the strongest Claymore of her time, inadvertently saves a young, mute Clare. Seeing Teresa as her savior, Clare attempts to follow Teresa, despite Teresa's refusal to allow her to accompany her. After Teresa is accosted by a group of bandits, she allows Clare to follow her after seeing her determination. One of the bandits, who had gotten their hand cut off by Teresa the previous night, returns and attempts to rape Teresa, but is attacked by Clare. The bandit turns on Clare, but Teresa, willing to break Claymore law, which stipulates that Claymores cannot kill humans, forces the bandit to retreat. After this, Clare regains her sense of speech and reveals that she knew of Teresa's sorrow of having no purpose in life, causing Teresa to shed tears and embrace Clare.