Owari No Seraph: The Taming of the Demon, Chapter 1: Old Friends

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Okay, people. This is probably a huge mistake on my part, but most things in my life seem to be, so what the hell. I was watching some episodes of "Seraph of the End," and got so depressed, I had to write something to lift my spirits. So here it is. Read and review!

Oh, and I don't own any part of the "Owari No Seraph" franchise, of course.

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Chapter 1: Old Friends

"Captain," General Ansen saluted Yuichiro Hyakuya as he entered the base. Yu saluted back.

"General. It's good to be back." And it was. The wars against the Purifiers had been long, bloody and vicious, and they were by no means over. But Yu's team had located and destroyed several of the Purifiers' underground bases. Yu still shuddered when he remembered what they'd found.

The base was as good as any home he'd ever known. So, yes, good to be back.

"I've arranged for you to have quarters on the northwestern section. It's in a quiet area…I thought that might be to your taste."

Yu bowed. "Thank you, sir. Yes, I could use some…quiet."

Flashback: the tortured vampire on the rack, begging. "Please kill me. Please." "Yes, sir. Some peace and quiet…would be most welcome." I just wish I could quiet my mind.

Another man joined them. "Sargent Nobisaki here, will show you to your quarters. Do you have any luggage?"

"No, sir." He'd arrived with one suitcase and a dufflebag. "I tend to travel light."

"Good sense, in these troubled times. Well, I'll see you around, Captain." Again he bowed, a gesture Yu returned.

As they were walking through the hallway towards the northwestern apartments, Yu couldn't help but be impressed by the furnishings. Evidently the base was sufficiently well protected that it could afford to decorate its walls in style. He admired the wall hangings, the tapestries, the encased swords—normal swords, of course, not cursed weapons. "So what are they doing with the cursed weapons these days?" he asked Nobisaki as they walked. Recent improvements in weaponry had made what were once ordinary swords into incredibly effective weapons, without the accompanying baggage of dealing with demons. But the cursed weapons, and contracts with demons, were still required for greatest efficiency and lethality. Yuichiro's own personal weapon, a blade forged from meteoritic iron, was, in many ways, nearly as powerful as his old blade, the sword of Asuramaru.

The sergeant shrugged. "Last I heard, some of them were reserved for new recruits." The Japanese Imperial Demon Army was still recruiting. The recent wars with the Purifiers, as well as remaining elements of the Vampire State, had taken their toll on the troops, and new recruits, replacements for fallen comrades, were always needed. "But some of the more troublesome ones were to be taken to the museum. Probably the best place for them."

"Indeed." He was having to hold back from asking about Mikaela Hyakuya, his childhood friend and, for all intents and purposes, a brother, who'd turned vampire not long after he and Yu had been reunited. Mika had been under the care of Krul Tepes, third progenitor of the vampires, and former vampire queen of Japan. And, younger sister to-*

They turned a corner, and Yu saw something that struck him as odd. "Excuse me, Sergeant, but what is that?" He indicated a low box, almost like a small coffin, over in one corner.

"That? That's the sword of Asuramaru."

Talk about coincidence. "It's in a box?" He saw a padlock on it. "Why isn't it in the armory, or the weapons storage area?"

Nobisaki shifted uncomfortably. "It's because nobody can touch it."

"What? Why?"

The man shrugged. "I don't know, really. All I've heard are rumors. They say anybody tries to touch it, or pick it up, gets, like, instant horrible nightmares flooding their brains. They always end up dropping the sword and passing out. That's even if they try to pick it up with tongs or something. One guy even had to be taken to the infirmary. His heart stopped. They were able to save him, but he said he wasn't about to touch that sword again, orders or no. So they built that box over the sword, mostly so nobody would come along and try to pick it up, not knowing. It's creepy as hell." He shuddered visibly. "You couldn't pay me enough to try."

Yu stopped, looking, his hand on his chin. "Hm. Instant nightmares, huh?" He approached the box, speculatively. "Do you suppose I could try?"

"It's locked, and only the top brass has the key. Besides, why would you want to?"

"Oh, just…curiosity."

…..

Later that night: Yu stole softly through the darkened corridors, approaching the box containing the cursed sword. It proved ridiculously easy to pick the lock, and he opened the lid.

Within lay the sword in its sheath, just like he remembered. He extended his hand…

…and picked the sword up. He waited a moment, expecting the nightmares to start. But they didn't. "Ah. So." He smiled.

Back in his quarters: He placed the sword in an upright stand he had, and drew the magical lines around it, taking care to add the new sigils he'd learned from the elders across the eastern sea. Then he pricked his thumb, dripping one small drop of blood onto the precise spot. Here we go.

He found himself on the astral plane. Asuramaru was standing on an image of the sword, which appeared to be stuck, point first, into the ground, with his back to Yu, arms crossed in front of him. The demon was perfectly balanced on the tip of the hilt. His dress, like his hair, was blowing in the astral wind. "So," he said, without turning around, "You came back."

"Yes. Yes, I did. How have you been, Asuramaru?"

"Why do you care?"

"I care. How have you been?"

The vampire demon hitched his arms a bit higher, his features turned away from Yu. "I'm fine. Now go."

"I don't think so. Not yet." He looked around at the sky, with its attendant illusory clouds. It hadn't changed. "Like what you've done with the place."

"I could not be less interested in your opinion."

"Why won't you let anyone touch the sword, Asuramaru?"

There was a pause, then the demon half-turned his face and said, "I'm tired of humans. They disgust me: deal breakers, world destroyers. I've no wish to have anything further to do with them. Which is why you should go. I tire of this conversation."

"But you let me touch it. Why?"

"Simply to let you know I want nothing to do with you, or any other human, ever again. Now go. I want to be alone."

"You've been alone a long time, Asuramaru." No reply. "Asuramaru…one reason I'm here. Back when we first met, and I was trying to bond with you…I told you I'd be your friend."

"You lied."

"Yes. Yes, I did. I was only trying to use you, to get power to save my family. I was lying.

"But I'm not lying now. I want to be your friend, Asuramaru. Whether or not you'll be my friend isn't something I have any say-so over…but I will be your friend. And I'm not lying this time."

"Oh, how sweet. Guilty conscience, maybe?" The demon snorted. "Well, just take your little 'friendship' and go. I don't want it or need it. Just go. You disgust me."

"Alright. I'll go…for now. But I'll be back, Asuramaru. I'll be back."

The next night: Asuramaru was still standing on the illusory sword, arms crossed, looking up at the sky. "Have you been standing there all this time?"

"What if I have?"

"You know, you're acting awfully angry at me for some reason. Why is that?"

"Oh, I don't know. Maybe something about a broken promise? A betrayal or two? No, couldn't be that. That's just what humans normally do: betray people. But I get your point: I'm not a people, just a thing, a thing to be used. Well, I've had enough of it. Nobody will ever use me again, ever. Including you."

He tilted his head at him. "But you still allow me to touch the sword. Nobody else can. Why?" But the demon made no reply.

And just then, something occurred to him. "You can't keep me from touching the sword, can you?" No reply. "Hm. Now that's…interesting." He smiled mischievously, rubbing his chin.

Very interesting, indeed.

Third night: "This is getting tiresome, human. Say what you have to say and go."

Yu sat, cross-legged, on the ground, or rather, the illusion of it. "I really just wanted to know how you've been. It's been a long time since our bonding."

"Not long enough."

"So how have you been? All this time, I mean."

The demon huffed, his dress blowing in the wind. "Fine. Now go."

"You keep telling me to go, but you allow me to touch the sword. So you know I'll return, sooner or later. Don't you?" No reply. He brought up a knee, resting his wrist on it, bracing himself with his other hand, and continued to study the demon. "You know, High Command is considering putting the sword in the museum of cursed weapons. After all, nobody can touch it, so what good is it? I mean, that's the rationale."

"Sounds like something humans would do. Something's no good? Just stuff it in a closet somewhere and forget about it. Perfectly reasonable."

"Do you want that?"

Another pause. "It…wouldn't be the worst existence. I presume there'd be other cursed weapons there, other demons attached to them."

"Right. You wouldn't be alone anymore."

"There you go again. I'm used to being alone."

"Are you?" Again, the demon made no reply. "Asuramaru, when we were bonded, you weren't alone anymore, for the first time in I don't know how long. Even through all the fights we had, you trying to possess my body…I think you kinda liked it. You got used to not being alone."

"Well, you're wrong. I hated every minute of it. I couldn't wait until I possessed your body; even though it was only temporarily. At least I got what I wanted. For a time. Then you got it back…well, I suppose I should have seen that coming. Didn't matter, though, in the long run. But at least I got rid of you for a time.

"Now get out and go. You're beginning to bore me."

Okay, thought Yu, with an inward smirk, time to shift gears.

The next night. "Alright, Asuramaru, this time I come bearing gifts."

"Really? You're going to give me your body, your soul? Why do you suppose I even want it anymore?"

"Nothing like that. You said you were bored, so I'm going to bring certain elements of the mortal world here."

Now Asuramaru turned and stared at him, arms still crossed, angrily. "And I would want that exactly why?"

"You'd have some nice things here. I mean, look at this place. It's too bare. And you've been standing on the end of that sword too long. It can't be good for your feet. Look at you: you don't even wear shoes. Yeah, this place could definitely use some sprucing up. I've got a nice sofa for you, complete with a really soft futon with a silk-screen picture of Krul Tepes on it…"

"AAAACK! Why would you even have such a thing?! On second thought, don't tell me!"

"…some ferns…no, wait," he made a pretense of looking around, "they wouldn't live here, that sunlight is an illusion. Okay, plastic ferns. And I've got a nifty e-reader you can have…" This was fun. It was the first time he'd seen any expression on the demon's face besides hostility. Now he was worried.

"Mortal, sometimes I wonder about your sanity. Are you seriously trying to buy me? To get on my good side—presuming I have one—with toys?"

"Why do you presume I'm trying to buy you?"

"I'll tear up anything and everything you send!"

"Then you'll be surrounded by garbage." He shrugged. "Your choice."

The being who'd once been known as Ashura Tepes turned back to his deliberations. "I was right," he muttered, under his breath. "Humans are scarier than demons."

Yu collected his stuff the following night. He carefully drew the circle, taking great care to include the binding curse into it, with the modifications he'd read about. He got out the scroll he'd found, the one Command didn't know about, that he'd found in the Purifier base. It had seemed like the genuine article, and he'd wondered why they had it. Well, matter for another time. Okay. Showtime.

Strategy: annoy the hell out of a demon.

The salt circle glowed its usual white glow, the lines extending into the floor. He waited for the transfer to be complete, waited for the artifacts—which were crowding up his room—to become transparent, a sure sign they were being transported into Asuramaru's realm…

…And a surprised looking Asuramaru sprang into existence within the circle. "Mortal…what have you done?"

To be continued…