Claymore Fan Fiction / Neon Genesis Evangelion Fan Fiction ❯ Neon Genesis Claymore ❯ The 75th Generation ( Chapter 1 )

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Disclaimer:  We all know Gainax owns all things Evangelion and Norihiko Yagi is the god of Claymore.  If they or their legal proxies insist on this story disappearing from existence it will.  Its not like I’m in this for the money.

Chapter Version 2.0

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Chapter 1:  The Seventy-Fifth Generation

The village chief could hardly control his trembling at the sight before him.

He had seen ‘warriors’ of the ‘Organization’ before.  Like them, the one standing in front of him now was slight of build and clad in the same form-fitting silver clothing and minimal grey armor as her collogues.  The huge sword that gave them their colloquial name ‘Claymores’ hung on her back.

That, however, was where the similarities ended.

Unlike her sisters, this one’s short hair was a light shade of blue instead of pale blonde.  Even the symbol hanging from her collar was strange.  Instead of the usual geometric pattern of straight lines like a branch, this warrior’s personal emblem looked like two ovals that touched each other in something like a figure eight or "00".

But what truly chilled the chief to the bone were her eyes.  A normal Claymore’s silver eyes were frightening enough, but this one stared at him with eyes that were blood red.

The entire aura she gave off was that of a cold, calculating and murderous demon.

"W-We have the money r-ready for you once you’ve d-defeated the youma," the chief stammered.

"A man in black will come to collect it when I am done," she answered in a quiet, flat voice.  Without another word she then turned and headed back outside to begin her hunt.

The moment she stepped out of the chief’s home everyone hurried indoors at the sight of her.

She walked to the center of the village’s main square and then stood completely still with her eyes closed.

‘It is close by,’ she concluded, sensing the beast’s yoki energy.  Her upper lip curled into a small snarl.  ‘It is pathetically weak.’

She walked down a side street for a block and stopped in front of a small nondescript house.

‘It is here.’

Almost faster than the eye could follow she burst through the front door, eliciting screams from the woman in the house’s kitchen.  She was not her target.  In a flash she drew her sword and decapitated the man sitting by the fireplace, her eyes never changing color.

"You’ve killed my husband!" the woman shrieked.  "You murderer!"

With a flick of her wrist the Claymore shook the purple blood and gore from her sword and smoothly slid it back into the small rack on her back.

"Your husband has been dead for some time," she said coldly and then walked out the door.

"W-What do you m-mean?" the woman stuttered and then saw to her horror that the appearance of the corpse had changed, revealing it to be a monstrous-looking youma.

The woman’s scream could be heard for several blocks around.

The Claymore walked back to the square.  "The job is completed," she announced and then walked out of the village and into the surrounding woods without saying anything more or looking back.

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Once well into the forest the warrior stopped and sat at the base of a tree.

She did not have to wait long, as a figure in a hooded black cloak soon appeared.

"How did the job go, Rei?" the man asked.

"One youma dispatched."

"Were you injured in any way?"

For a moment she glared at him as if insulted.  "It was feeble.  I killed it before it even had a chance to transform."

"As befitting the Organization’s Number One."

The man pushed his hood back, revealing his dark glasses and jaw-line-hugging short black beard.

"There is already another job awaiting you in a town 2 days north from here called Hisarlik.  The youma there has already killed and eaten five people."

Rei stood.  "I understand," she said and started off on her journey.

"Oh, by the way…  Once you have completed this job you are to report to the Organization for an examination."

Rei stopped and turned.  "An examination?"

"It’s just routine.  As you are the top warrior we have, your health is of particular concern."

Rei nodded and went on her way.

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In a district some distance away another youma was meeting a similar fate.

"Yaaaaaaaahhhhhhh!" the Claymore yelled as her eyes turned gold and she leapt into the air, coming down on her target and neatly slicing it in two.

"Yes!" she said triumphantly with a pump of her fist as she sheathed her sword.

She turned and regarded the stunned townspeople watching her with a haughty smile.  "My work here is done.  If anyone asks, tell them the Organization’s next Number One, Asuka, was here."  With that she flipped some of her flaming red hair over her shoulder and left.

She too then walked into a nearby forest to meet her ‘handler’.  Finding a shady spot to her liking she drove the tip of her sword into the ground and then sat back against it to await his arrival.

"Did you collect the money?" she asked when she heard footsteps coming up behind her.

A pale bald man in black clothes, dark glasses and a black fedora held up a large bag.  "But of course," he answered smoothly.

"What’s my next job, Rubel?" she asked without turning her head around to look at him.

"You’ve been pushing yourself quite hard lately.  Don’t you think you deserve a short rest?" he asked with mock seriousness.

She stood and fixed her silver eyes on him.  "Don’t joke with me.  If I’m not killing youma, I want to be on my way to killing youma."

Rubel chuckled.  "Fine.  Fine.  Three days east of here is a village called Amarna."

"Yes, yes.  I know it."

"It seems a group of youmas has descended there.  They’re killing people at quite a clip."

"How many youma are there exactly?"

"Unknown."

Asuka smirked.  "Excellent."

She pulled her sword out of the ground and holstered it.  "Well, then, I’m off."

"We were arranging for two other warriors to meet you here and then proceed to the job."

"I’m Number Two.  I don’t need any help."  ‘And you know it too, you fucking jerk.’

"As you wish.  It’s your life.  We’ll send them along as backup just in case."

Asuka scoffed.  "I’ll see you after I’m finished."

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Far to the east, in Sutafu, a young woman hurried through the corridors of the Organization’s headquarters.

"Senpai!" she said as she came to an open doorway.  "We need to get to the Council Room!  We’re already going to be late!"

Ritsuko looked up from her work and regarded her assistant with a mildly annoyed expression.  They were dressed alike in the dull silver pants and long-sleeved shirt all Claymores and trainees wore.  And, like trainees, the collars they wore were devoid of any identifying symbol.

With her silver eyes and blonde hair Ritsuko was a full-fledged Claymore, unlike her assistant, whose hair and eyes were still quite brown.

"I’ll be ready in a moment, Maya," she said to her fretting underling. 

Ritsuko hated meetings with the Committee.  They always made it abundantly clear how they felt about her subordinate and her, since both of them were unusual.  Ritsuko was a warrior who had never been assigned a symbol or sent out to hunt youma because of the weakness of her yoki.  Maya, on the other hand, was what was snidely referred to as a "failed creation"; the blending of her flesh with that of a youma had not gone well, resulting in something that wasn’t quite human and wasn’t quite a warrior either.

The only reason either of them was still alive was because they were both very intelligent and had therefore been put to work in other ‘capacities’ by the Organization.

Finally, Ritsuko stood with a huff.  The old men always asked such inane questions about the ‘Project’.

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As they entered the Committee’s chamber Ritsuko could tell by her yoki that Maya was shivering behind her with nervous fear.  Usually such a display of weakness would have annoyed her, but in this case Ritsuko fully understood Maya’s trepidation.  Walking into this room was indeed very unnerving.

The large stonewalled room was completely dark except for a small shaft of light coming down in the center.  The men of the Committee could not be seen sitting in the shadows.  Only true warriors were allowed to look upon them at meetings such as this.

"You failures are late," came a voice, immediately reminding them of their lowly status.

"Your last minute change to the requested subject of my report made that inevitable," Ritsuko shot back as she and Maya stepped into the light.

"Watch your mou-"

"Enough," came another, more authoritative-sounding voice.  "Report."

"Simply stated, it is my opinion that the proposal for revising the timetable for the Project is ill-considered.  There are a great many risks that could be more definitively minimized by keeping to the existing schedule."

"And if we were to lose either Number One or Number Two in the meantime?" asked a third voice.

"Given that we are talking about our top warriors, losing them to youma is highly unlikely.  However, as you correctly implied, that is the one cumulative risk that speeding up the schedule would reduce."

"But you firmly believe that the increases in other risks more than offset this?"

"Yes.  Therefore I do not think that accelerating the schedule is the wisest course of action.  I need not remind the Committee that some of the failure modes of the Project are catastrophic, either for the Organization, humanity or both.  We must do everything we can do to reduce the attendant risks."

"What would you recommend to reduce the risk of losing the First or Second if we were to decide to keep to the original schedule?" the first voice asked.

"I would recommend that they not be sent on Awakened Being hunts.  That should reduce the risk of their loss adequately."

"They will both find that suspicious, Asuka in particular."

"The time for them to learn of their parts in the Project is fast approaching in any case."

"Would you suggest we curtail the activities of Number Four in the same way?"

"No.  We can't afford to limit the number of single digits available for hunts too drastically.  Besides, her part in this can be met by another warrior with similar abilities.  As far as the Project is concerned, she is expendable."

"Fine," said the authoritative voice.  "Now, tell us about the status of the boy."

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A few days later, just to the west of Sutafu, in the town of Lagash, a teenaged boy was cooking breakfast when a sudden commotion announced the arrival of his guardian in the kitchen.

The buxom, scantily-clad, lavender-haired young woman pulled a dark brown bottle off a shelf, uncorked it, guzzled its contents and then let out a full-throated "Yeeeeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhh!" before flopping down in a chair at the table.

The boy sighed.  "Misato, must you drink ale like that first thing every morning?" he asked for what he was sure was at least the hundredth time.

She waved him off.  "Oh, Shinji, always worrying…  Now hurry up with the food or I’ll be late for work!"

The boy just shook his head.  As slovenly and messy as Misato was Shinji was truly glad to be with her.  Two years earlier she had been his teacher at the local school, and had taken him in when his uncle had died.

‘Yeah, if she hadn’t been kind enough to look after me I’d probably have been sent north in the slave trade like most orphan boys by now,’ he reminded himself.

"So, what are your plans for today, Shinji," Misato asked as he served the food he’d cooked onto her plate.

"I’ve got my apprenticeships this morning and then I’m meeting Touji and Kensuke this afternoon."

"And what mischief do you plan on getting into then?"

Shinji colored slightly.  "Nothing!  We’re just going to hang out!"

"Okay, okay.  Like I’ve always said, you can do whatever you like, just don’t get any girls in trouble."

Shinji turned a deep red.  "Misato!"

She winked at him.  "You’re so fun to tease!"

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"So where are we going?" Shinji asked his friends later that day as they headed out of the village.

"Kensuke thinks he’s seen her again," Touji said with a roll of his eyes.

"Not this stuff again…  Ken, you shouldn’t mess around with them."

"But they’re not allowed to hurt us!" Kensuke answered.

"No, they’re not allowed to kill us," Touji corrected him.

"Come on!  If she’s the one I saw last time, she’s really cute!"

Shinji sighed.  "Claymores are anything but cute."

"I wonder if this is her district?" Kensuke mumbled to himself.

"See, he’s already blocked us out," Touji observed to Shinji.  "If we don’t stick with him who knows what sort of trouble he’ll get into."

Resigned, the two boys followed their Claymore-obsessed friend into the forest.  They went down paths they had known since childhood for the better part of an hour until they came to a small ledge overlooking a tiny clearing.

"Quick!  Get down!" Kensuke whispered.  He crawled over to the edge of the path and looked down.  Sure enough, there, sitting against her sword, was a Claymore roasting a sizeable rabbit on a campfire.

"See, didn’t I tell you she was cute?"

Touji and Shinji cautiously peered over the ledge and saw the Claymore, her eyes closed as if sleeping. 

"Who would have thought any of them would wear her hair in pigtails?" Kensuke added excitedly.  "And those freckles!"

"Calm down dude!" Touji whispered harshly as Kensuke moved further out on the ledge to get a better look.  "And don’t go out so faaaaaaaaaaaaarrrrr…" he added as the ledge gave way and all three of them tumbled down the incline and landed directly in front of the Claymore.

The boys got to their feet and dusted themselves off as she watched them silently with her silver eyes.

"Sorry if we disturbed you," Shinji apologized.

"At first I thought you might be bandits," she said to them.  "But then I realized bandits would never have made so much noise."

Touji reached over and punched Kensuke on the arm.  "You idiot.  She knew we were here all along."

"Come on," Shinji said.  "Let’s go."

"Are you crazy?" Kensuke exclaimed.  "I’ve never ever gotten this close to one of them before.  And she actually talked to us!"

"Don’t mind him," Touji said to the warrior.  "He’s completely insane."

The girl chuckled.  "That’s alright.  I don’t mind having a little company.  Would you like some of this rabbit?  I think it should be about done."

"We really shouldn’t take your food," Shinji replied sheepishly.

"Oh, there’s more than enough here for me.  We don’t eat much."

Kensuke immediately shot over and sat on the ground next to the Claymore.  "Really?  How often do you need to eat?  What do warriors like to eat?"

The barrage of questions continued unabated until Touji smacked the back of his friend’s head.  "Just shut up already."

"Um…" Touji then stammered after getting his first close look at the girl.  "W-What’s your name?"

Her cheeks colored a little due to the look in his eyes.  "I’m Hikari."

"What’s your number?" Kensuke blurted out.

"Ken, don’t be so rude!" Shinji admonished.  "I’m Shinji," he added with a slight bow.  "And these are my friends Touji and Kensuke."

"It’s nice to meet you," Hikari replied.

"So, what’s your number?" Kensuke again asked.

"Ken!"

"It’s alright," Hikari said with a shy smile.  "I’m Number Four."

"Holy cow!  A single digit!" Kensuke exclaimed.

"A what?" Touji asked, confused.

"Claymores are ranked according to their strength," Kensuke explained.

A pained look crossed Hikari’s face briefly.  "Please don’t call us that to our faces."

Touji smacked the back of Kensuke’s head again.  "You moron!  You insulted her."

"Oh, sorry," Kensuke mumbled.

"It’s okay," Hikari replied.

"So, do you have a nickname?" Kensuke then hesitantly asked.

Hikari laughed.  "You really do seem to know a lot about us.  I didn’t think anyone outside the Organization would know about that."

"You have nicknames?" Shinji asked.

"Well, some of us develop special talents or fighting moves, and we sometimes get referred to that way."

"Like Flying Mana or Red Devil Asuka?" Kensuke asked.

Hikari laughed again.  "That’s right.  You see, Mana is the quickest on her feet of all the current warriors."

"And Asuka?" Shinji asked.

"Her hair’s still got its original red color, oddly enough… and she can be a bit much to deal with sometimes.  She has a serious temper."

"So do you have a nickname?" Kensuke repeated.

Hikari nodded.  "My specialty is sensing and manipulating yoki.  I am the ‘eye’ of this generation."

"Hikari the Eye?" Touji asked.

"Yep."

"What do you mean by ‘generation’?" Shinji asked, as he started to dismember the rabbit with the small utility knife most boys his age carried.

"We warriors are classed into groups called generations.  Since the Organization was founded there have been seventy-five generations."

"Wow!  This is so cool!" Kensuke exclaimed.

Touji shook his head.  "Deep down I think Ken here wishes he could be a warrior like you."

Hikari became downcast.  "No.  No, you shouldn’t."

"Is it that hard?" Shinji asked sympathetically.

Hikari sighed.  "It can be lonely at times… and the process of becoming a warrior was not a pleasant one."

"Why did you decide to become one?" Touji asked.

Hikari turned her head away.  "I… I really don’t want to talk about that."

"Oh, sorry," Touji apologized.

"No problem," Hikari said and then took a bite of the rabbit leg Shinji had given her.

"Do you know all the other single digits?" Kensuke asked.

"Well, Asuka and I joined the Organization at about the same time and same age, so we’re pretty good friends.  She’s Number Two.  Besides her, I know Mana, who’s Number 6, Motoko, who’s Number 8, and Mayumi, who’s Number 9."

"How about Rei?"

Only Shinji noticed the fleeting expressions of fear and revulsion that crossed Hikari’s features.

"Number One?" Hikari asked in a near whisper.  "I’ve seen her fight, but I’ve never spoken with her… and I’m glad of it."

"Why’s that?" Touji asked.

"Her yoki is very, very powerful.  For someone like me it’s quite unsettling just to be around her."  ‘She’s a monster,’ Hikari added to herself.

"So she’s a lot stronger than anyone else?" Kensuke asked, almost drooling over all the information he was getting.

Hikari chuckled.  "I think so, but Asuka would disagree…  She’s itching to try taking over the top spot some day."  She tossed her rabbit bone into the fire.  "But enough about we warriors now.  Tell me about yourselves.  What town do you come from?"

For the next half hour the pleasant conversation continued until Touji noted how late it was getting.

"We really should get going," he said and stood.  "I need to get back to my sis."

"You have a sister?" Hikari asked.

Touji nodded.  "Yeah, and she’s sort of sickly.  I spend a lot of my time looking after her."

‘How sweet,’ Hikari thought and then asked, "What about your mother?  Can't she look after her?"

Touji scratched the back of his head shyly.  "Um…  She died when I was little."

"Oh, I’m sorry to hear that."

"Actually, none of us have moms," Kensuke added.

Hikari nodded.  "I know how hard that is…  I lost my family when I was little, too."

A heavy silence descended for a moment until Kensuke asked, "Why don’t you ever come into Lagash?"

"Well… we… frighten people."

"But warriors pass through our town all the time since Sutafu is so close.  We’re used to seeing you."

"Next time you’re around here you should come and stay at my dad’s inn!" Touji blurted.  "It’s a lot better than sitting in the woods."

Hikari smiled.  "That would be nice change of pace, I think…  Perhaps I will."

"It’s right off the town square."

Hikari stood.  "Thank you for the company, boys, but I really think you should be getting home now."

Taking the hint the three friends quickly said their goodbyes and departed.

Once they were gone Hikari turned to regard the trees behind her.  "I could sense you waiting.  Thanks for letting me have some time with them," she said.

A diminutive figure completely wrapped in black save for his eyes stepped out of the forest.  "They seemed quite taken with you, especially the tall one."

Hikari smiled.  "I liked them too, him in particular."

"Friendship with humans is not for us."

Hikari sighed sadly.  "I know, Ermita, but it was nice to pretend for just a little while."

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A week later Rei reported to the Organization and soon found herself standing naked before her handler and Ritsuko.  Her indifferent stare at the wall showed just how little the seemingly embarrassing situation affected her.

"How is she progressing?" the handler asked.

"Her maturation rate has slowed considerably in the last six months," Ritsuko answered.  "I think she’ll be ready for the next phase within a year."

"The old men don’t want to wait that long anymore."

Ritsuko scowled.  "I know.  I’ve tried to tell them that rushing things at this juncture could be disastrous, but they don’t seem to want to listen."

"Perhaps they have a reason."

"I haven’t heard anything.  Have you?"

The handler shook his head.  "No.  As far as I know the scenario remains unchanged.  However… I think I will have one of my little helpers look into it."

"Isn’t that dangerous?"

"Only for him."

Ritsuko shook her head at his indifference to the human lives he so casually manipulated.

"What about the boy?" he then asked.

"I haven’t had a chance to talk to his caretaker recently.  I will rectify that as soon as I can."

"Do it before I leave day after tomorrow."

"As you wish."

He began to head out the door.  "Will I see you later?" she asked hesitantly, but hopefully.

He stopped in the doorway.  "Come to my quarters after sunset," he said without looking back, and then proceeded on his way.

Ritsuko then turned to Rei, who had not moved during the entire conversation.

"You can get dressed now," Ritsuko said to her.

Rei turned her head to regard the Project leader.  "What am I to do then?"

Ritsuko shrugged.  "I suppose you’re free to do whatever you want."

"Whatever I want…" Rei echoed quietly with a confused look.

"Just get dressed and leave!" Ritsuko said pointedly.  ‘God, how I hate her.’

After Rei had left Ritsuko glared at the doorway she had just exited.  ‘If only she wasn’t so strong I’d… Oh, what am I thinking?  She’s Number One and I couldn’t even earn a number.  She could probably snap my neck as easily as I can snap my fingers.’

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Down on one of the Organization’s practice fields a group of eleven-year-old trainees was being put through their paces.

"No!" their instructor hollered.  "You’ve all got to be smoother.  Stop.  Drop.  Roll.  Turn.  Strike.  Don’t try to blend the moves together, but flow from one to the next.  Now try it again!"

He continued to watch their efforts intently until Rei’s handler appeared on the field.  "Alright," he then shouted as he headed towards the visitor.  "Pick up practice swords, pair off and start sparring!"

"Kaji," the hooded man said as he came up beside him.

"Sir."

"I have just learned that the Committee is considering moving faster with the Project."

"I had heard the same."

"Do you know why?"

"No, sir."

"Find out."

"Yes, sir."

The handler turned to consider the trainees.  "How is this group doing?"

"They have the usual mix of potentials."

"That one there is one of the two sisters, isn’t she?" the handler asked pointing to a girl with long hair.

"Yes, she’s the older one, Luciela."

"How are they coming along?"

"I believe they will exceed expectations."

"Good, but I hope we don’t end up having to rely on them."

Suddenly, all the sparring came to an abrupt halt.

"Hey!  Why did you…" Kaji began to admonish his charges until he saw who had just entered the yard.

"Rei, what are you doing here?" her handler asked.

"I did not know what to do after my examination, so I sought you out for instructions."

"I was just leaving.  I have other matters to attend to.  Perhaps Kaji here can put you to good use.  After that you can spend the rest of today and tonight in the dorms."

"Understood."

Kaji groaned inwardly as Rei regarded him with her red eyes, waiting for a directive.  He then handed her a practice sword.  "Anyone of you girls want to try sparring with her?"

He was relieved when no one was foolish enough to volunteer.

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Late the following afternoon Misato was busy at her desk preparing for her next day’s lessons when someone walked into the otherwise empty classroom.  That the person was covered head to toe in a dark hooded cape that obscured her face immediately told Misato who it was, as did the slight tingling between her breasts.

"Hello, Ritsuko," she said tiredly.  "What brings you here?"  ‘As if I didn’t know.’

The Claymore pushed her hood back.  "How I hate having to wear this damn thing…  It makes me look like one of them."

"Trouble at work?" Misato asked sarcastically.

"No more than typically…  I’ve been sent here, as usual, to ask about Shinji."

Misato sighed.  "There’s nothing new to report really."

"Has his growth slowed any more?"

"Hard to say."

"You haven’t been checking it lately, have you?"

"It would seem weird to him to check more often than I already do.  I can only use the standard motherly excuses so often."

Ritsuko nodded.  "The Committee is thinking of accelerating the timetable."

"What?" Misato asked, clearly unhappily surprised.

"I’ve told them I’m against the idea, but I thought I should tell you it’s a distinct possibility."

"T-Thanks for the heads up."

Ritsuko slid her hood back on.  "That’s all I really came here for, to tell you.  Be prepared for anything."

"I’ll try."

Ritsuko stopped in the doorway, looking at Misato over her shoulder.  "It’s too bad we can’t go out to a pub like friends our age should."

"Yeah.  It is too bad."

Misato felt a lump in her throat after Ritsuko had left.  ‘If only things had been different back when we were kids…  If only that hadn’t happened.’

She got up from her chair and gazed out the window. 

"Poor Shinji."

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Author’s Notes:

Version 2.0:  Altered the story timeline by moving the girls from generation 70 to generation 75.  This will affect the ending of the story, giving it an additional twist.

Don’t know about Claymore?  Here’s the Wiki entry: 
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Claymore_%28manga%29

Go read the manga.  Watch the anime.  ZOMG!  It's teh Clare!

In terms of spelling names and places I've kept to the 'official' Viz translations as much as possible.  That's why, for example, it's 'Sutafu' and not 'Staff', as has appeared in scanlations.  One exception to this is my use of 'youma' ('ghost').  No dictionary I checked used the spelling 'yoma' that the Viz version of the manga uses.

Anyway, this story is set about 20 to 25 years before the events in the Claymore manga, which mostly involves the 78th Generation.

Do people still use the euphemism "in trouble" for a girl getting pregnant?

Gee, who could Rei's handler be?

I like Rubel in the manga.  I think pairing Asuka with him has the potential for comedy and pushing her buttons.

Ermita & Hikari?  Well, Ermita is paired with Galatea the Eye in the manga, so I decided to stick with that.

What's the Project?  There's one very large hint in here for Claymore manga readers.  The Project is also the reason Rei and Asuka don't exactly look like regular warriors.  More on that in Chapter 2.