Disclaimer: I do not own Owari no Seraph (Seraph of the End). I write this for your enjoyment only. This story is a continuation of my fem!Yuu AU series and is an alternate version of the Nagoya arc with differences from the original; please refer to the footnotes at the end. Since this story is also a direct sequel to my first two fics "Who She is Within" and "Broken Bridges, Mended Hearts", I strongly recommend reading them first before starting this one because I will be making many references to them. Once again, I would like to thank my beta reader, ResidentialPsycho, for her help in making this fic possible. I would also like to thank Kumi of Twitter/Tumblr for drawing the lovely cover art which can also be found on my Twitter/Tumblr/DeviantArt pages. Enjoy and please review!
Broken Bridges, Mended Hearts II
Chapter 1: What I Have Given You
November 8, 2020
Japanese Imperial Demon Army Headquarters, Shinjuku Branch Library
Yuichiro Hyakuya sighed in frustration as she set down the book she was reading and picked up the cup of hot chocolate on the table next to it before taking a sip. Ever since she was released from the hospital, the ravenette had been spending nearly all her free time at the JIDA headquarters library studying books on vampires, trying to find out everything she could about the monsters that were now at war with humanity for control of the world.
Fortunately, the library had information about vampires in abundance and as Yuichiro skimmed through book after book, she was surprised to learn many things about the bloodsuckers she so hated as a child that she never knew before.
Things such as how they were unaffected by garlic, holy water, and crosses like the ancient legends claimed though they truly did have a strong aversion to sunlight. Young and weak vampires would be killed instantly if they ventured out into the sun unprotected while older and stronger ones could survive but would suffer immensely.
Other interesting new things Yuichiro learned was how they could not reproduce like humans, would always look the same age as when they were turned, and how their hair would always remain the same length as well. The last detail was most peculiar since it did explain why older vampires such as Krul Tepes, Ferid Bathory, and Crowley Eusford did not, or more accurately, could not sport modern hairstyles, especially if they were born and turned during times when it was fashionable for men and women to have much longer hair than they did today. *1*
Although Yuichiro grew to like long hair, she couldn't imagine not being able to cut and keep her hair short if she wanted and thought the idea of a vampire's hair taking only minutes to grow back to its original length instead of months like a human's, was creepy. And crazy as it sounds, she actually found herself pitying any vampire who might have had a bad haircut before being turned since it meant that they would be stuck with a crappy hairdo for all eternity. The thought made her laugh for a moment before she became serious again. As interesting as this new information was, none of the books Yuu had read in the library so far had the answer she actually sought: how to make her orphanage brother, Mikaela Hyakuya, human again.
As she thought of Mika, Yuu smiled sadly. After leaving him behind in Sanguinem to save herself all those years ago, she had been wracked with guilt as she often thought about what he would be like if he had survived and grown as she had. Never did Yuichiro think she would find the answer to her question when she ran her sword though the blond young man who tried to kill Guren during the Battle of Shinjuku.
Even though she had not seen Mikaela in years, Yuichiro recognized him almost instantly the moment she got a good look at his face up close but he was not the boy she remembered. The last time Yuu saw her orphanage brother, he was bleeding profusely from a gaping hole in his chest inflicted by their benefactor and his right arm had been sliced clean off his torso, injuries that would have been impossible for a human to survive. Yet the young man before her looked very much alive, not to mention in perfect physical condition with two working arms as well as a pair of sharp fangs poking out from his lips.
Yuichiro tried to brush it off as a figment of her imagination, a hallucination caused by the stress of battle but when Mikaela tried to kidnap her while claiming that she was being used by the "humans", she finally realized the terrifying truth.
Her blond orphanage brother was no longer human, but a vampire himself, one of the very creatures she hated with all her being since it was a vampire who destroyed everything she held dear before she was rescued and taken in by Guren Ichinose.
"So here you are again. I'd thought I find you here when you were nowhere to be seen in the women's dormitory."
Startled, Yuichiro looked up from her seat to see her squad leader, who was like the annoying little sister she never wanted, standing before her.
"Shinoa, I didn't hear you come in. How long were you standing there?"
"Oh, like about five minutes or so. You were so preoccupied with what you were reading that you didn't even notice me come in."
Annoyed that the other girl had been practically spying on her, Yuichiro gave her a none-too-pleased look.
"What do you want, Shinoa? Can't you see I'm busy now? If it's not important, go away, please."
Shinoa laughed as if she found the other girl's demand amusing rather than insulting.
"Now, now, that's no way to speak to your squad leader. I've come to check up on you and as I do recall, your guardian said that you are not to be up and about until you've completely recovered from your injuries."
Yuichiro snorted. "In case you and Guren haven't noticed, I'm not a fragile little girl and you know as well as I do that our demon weapons speed up our natural healing and regenerative abilities; I'm perfectly fine now."
"Well, that's for the doctor to decide, not you," the purple-haired girl said as she refrained from mentioning the true cause of Yuichiro's coma and inability to remember almost anything she did during the Battle of Shinjuku. When Shinoa saw Yuichiro regard her with suspicion, she decided to change the subject.
"Anyway, what are you reading? Something hot and steamy?" Shinoa teased with a wink as she stepped closer and quickly snatched the book Yuichiro was reading from the table before opening it to the part where she had left her bookmark. And what Shinoa saw was not an erotic story like she expected, but a section on human-vampire conversion which quickly wiped the teasing smile off her face as she looked back to her friend. Although Yuu did not say so, Shinoa knew exactly what she was thinking.
"Yuu… have you been in here all this time trying to find a way to make Mika human again? If that's the case, I might have some helpful information; do you want to hear it?"
As soon as she heard that, Yuichiro's eyes lit up. "Really? In that case, tell me what you know!"
Shinoa laughed when she heard excitement in the other girl's voice. "Aww, you can be so cute and obedient when you want something!"
Yuichiro scowled. "Stop playing around, Shinoa!" she snapped and to her surprise, her squad leader did just that which stunned her since it was so rare for Shinoa to do anything she asked of her unless it was something serious.
Returning her face to a neutral expression, the purple-haired girl continued. "First of all, it's rare that a human becomes a vampire; the bloodsuckers like to keep their ranks tight and their numbers small. More importantly, within vampire society, the nobles are the only ones with the authority to turn a human."
Yuichiro was startled at the revelation. "You mean it wasn't by chance that Mika was turned? He was chosen?"
As she asked this, the ravenette recalled the painful expression on her brother's face when she asked him if he was no longer human. Yuichiro knew Mikaela hated vampires as much as she did and would never willingly allow himself to be turned into one.
Unless it was the only way he could live on and search for her.
Shinoa seemed to have sense her thoughts. "Do you know a noble who might have picked him?"
Yuichiro nodded as her thoughts wandered back to Ferid Bathory. "I think I do. At first, I thought Mika was turned by force, but now I'm not so sure. He must have had a good reason if he allowed himself to be turned."
Although Yuu neglected to mention what that reason was, both she and Shinoa already knew.
"That wouldn't surprise me at all," Shinoa said. "In fact, very few humans, if any, would ever want to become a vampire. Unlike us, they cannot eat or drink anything but blood and are constantly thirsty for it. They cannot enjoy sunlight or go outside during the day without sun protection, produce children, or grow and change over time."
"I know."
"Did you also know that humans who were turned unwillingly are usually those unfortunate enough to capture a vampire's fancy? When a vampire desires a human, they will pursue that human relentlessly to the point of obsession."
"But didn't you say that vampire law allows only nobles to turn humans?"
"Yes, but you should also know that vampires break laws just as much as we do if they want something bad enough. Yes, only nobles are permitted to turn humans and only for the purpose of replacing their fallen soldiers. But this law has been broken more often than not when a vampire falls in love with a human and cannot bear to lose that human to age and death. If the human feels the same way for the vampire who wants them, they may allow themselves to be changed willingly but most do not and those turned unwillingly grow to hate their creators as well as humans for we remind them of what they've lost."
As shocking as Shinoa's revelation sounded, it actually made sense once Yuichiro really thought about it. She had always wondered why the vampires back in Sanguinem treated humans with such contempt and always thought it was because they believed themselves superior and that humans were nothing more than animals that exist only to feed and serve them. But Shinoa's explanation made Yuu realize the reason many vampires hate humans was probably because they secretly envied them. Did Mikaela also feel the same way?
"What about the common vampire soldiers? How are they chosen?"
"They are turned by nobles who search battlefields during times of war for dying human soldiers abandoned by their comrades and superiors. Those vampires also grow to hate us as well because of the betrayal they suffered at the hands of their fellow humans."
When she noticed Yuichiro lapse into silence as if trying to contemplate what she had just heard, Shinoa continued. "You know, it's our duty to destroy vampires—all of them."
The other girl shook her head. "No, not him. All this time, I thought Mika was dead but now that I know he's alive, you must tell me how I can make him human again."
Shinoa shook her head sadly. "Unfortunately, there is currently no known way to reverse vampirism and to my knowledge, no vampire has ever been able to become human again. Believe it or not, it's actually army policy to kill any soldier who has been turned by the enemy. My brothers refer to them as 'mercy killings', the notion that we're actually doing those soldiers a favor. Personally, I think it's a load of crap; the higher-ups simply don't want to exert time, effort, and resources to find a cure for vampirism." *2*
"Oh… I see…"
Sensing the other girl's disappointment, Shinoa quickly tried to lift her spirits for she did not want Yuichiro to lose hope. "However, that doesn't mean there isn't a way for a vampire to become human again. I believe that the way to change Mika back does exist somewhere; we just have to find it."
Upon hearing that, the ravenette smiled. Her squad leader might be an annoying pain in the ass sometimes, but Yuu had to admit that Shinoa had a talent for giving others hope.
As if reading her thoughts, Shinoa reached for the gold heart-shaped locket Yuichiro wore around her neck, taking the delicate piece between her fingers.
"I've never seen you look so hopeful, Yuu. It's almost as if you've found a whole new reason to live. Tell me, is this pretty piece a gift from your handsome prince?"
Knowing that Shinoa meant Mikaela, Yuichiro blushed. "Yes… he gave it to me as a birthday gift when I turned twelve."
"It's real gold, isn't it? And I bet the ruby in the center is real too! The craftsmanship is exquisite; how on earth was Mika able to get something like this in Sanguinem?"
"Well… he bought it."
"How? This locket must have cost a fortune! And no offense, but I doubt livestock children have that kind of money."
"They don't. And Mika didn't. He bought this from our vampire benefactor and not with money, but his blood."
"Oh…" Shinoa exclaimed as she let go of the locket.
Yuichiro closed her eyes as she clutched the trinket tightly in her fist to her heart.
"I treasure this locket very much, not because it's real gold but because it came from Mikaela, because he risked his life for it. The noble he bought it from was very wealthy and the more valuable his gifts and favors were, the more blood he expected in payment. And he almost sucked Mika dry for this locket."
Shinoa took in a sharp breath upon hearing Yuichiro's confession. Since they had met, the other girl had always been extremely secretive about her past and to hear Yuu reveal something so personal was surprising indeed; it made Shinoa feel that her comrade was finally starting to trust her.
"Yuichiro… you don't really think of Mikaela as a brother, do you?" she asked curiously.
The ravenette blushed. "Well, I…" Yuu shifted uncomfortably in her seat, unsure of how to answer her squad leader when they both heard a voice over the library intercom.
"Special Private Yuichiro Hyakuya, report to the first office immediately."
"Hmm? I wonder what Guren wants now?" Yuu asked curiously, her discomfort completely forgotten.
Shinoa shook her head. "No, it's probably the Hiragi family who summoned you."
Yuichiro raised an eyebrow "The Hiragis? You mean the leaders of the Demon Army that got Japan back on her feet after the world went to crap?"
Shinoa nodded. "You really shouldn't keep them waiting. Go now…"
Yuichiro sighed and got up from her seat. As she was about to walk out the door, a thought came to her. Turning to her squad leader, she asked.
"Wait a minute, Shinoa, isn't Hiragi your last name? And Shinya's too?"
As if in answer, Shinoa laughed. "Ah, so you've finally figured out my secret! Took you long enough! I'm not just a sergeant, I'm basically royalty!" she joked before becoming serious again. "Anyway, if you want me to be honest, my father and brothers can be extremely intense and judgmental people, so be careful, ok?"
Yuichiro raised a brow at her squad leader's comment. Was Shinoa actually implying that her own blood relatives are wolves in sheep's clothing? If she had time, Yuu would have asked but knowing that it would be unwise to keep the Hiragi top dogs waiting, she merely nodded her head in acknowledgment and left the library without another word.
SSSSSS
After leaving the library, Yuichiro was about to pass the courtyard of the JIDA Shinjuku branch headquarters to get to the first office when she suddenly heard a voice from behind her.
"What's the rush, Yuu? Where do you think you're going so early in the morning?"
Startled, Yuichiro gasped softly before turning around and saw Guren standing right behind her. Like herself, he was clad in a new JIDA uniform since his previous one had been torn up during the Battle of Shinjuku. Guren's unexpected appearance out of nowhere made Yuu realize she had been in such a hurry to get to her destination that she failed to even notice him.
"Guren? What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be resting? From what I saw and heard, you were banged up pretty good back on the field."
As soon as he knew he had her full attention, Guren smirked. "I thank you for your concern, Yuu, but I am not so weak that I would require a whole week to recover like yourself. Anyway, I'd like to know why you're in such a hurry to meet the Hiragis?"
Yuichiro scowled. As used as she was to her guardian's snide comments, she was not in the mood to hear them now.
"What, did you expect me to just ignore them?" she demanded.
Instead of answering her question, Guren slowly approached her and for some reason, Yuichiro felt the slight urge to back away but held her ground. As soon as he was close enough, the older man leaned forward slightly and placed an arm behind her back. Yuichiro felt goosebumps rising on her skin when Guren curved his fingers slightly and slowly raked his nails down her back in a diagonal pattern, right over the scars from the wounds Ferid Bathory inflicted upon her after she had managed to shoot him before finally escaping the vampire city for good. Her guardian's unexpected touch made Yuichiro nervous how he knew exactly where they were, even under her uniform despite never seeing the scars himself, only hearing about them from Sayuri and Shigure.
"Do you remember the night you ran away from Sanguinem with nothing more than those shoddy clothes on your back and that little locket you're so fond of? What do you think would have happened if I had not been there? How long do you think you would have lasted outside the city by yourself with those painful injuries and no access to food and water? A few days? A week at most? Starvation and illness are very slow and painful ways to die, Yuu. If the cold did not claim your life, then hunger or infection from those nasty cuts on your back would have sooner or later. And that's assuming some rogue vampire didn't smell the blood and hunt you down like an animal first."
Yuichiro shuddered as images of that horrible night flashed through her mind again, making her recall the terrible pain of Ferid's razor-sharp talons cutting into her back like knives. She didn't need to be told or reminded of what her fate might have been if Guren, Sayuri, and Shigure had not been there to save her when they did.
Knowing that he had Yuichiro right where he wanted her, Guren smugly continued.
"I see you still remember that night vividly. I do too. I took you into my home, had my retainers treat your injuries, and fed and sheltered you ever since. I also taught you the way of the sword so that the Demon Army would accept and give you a shot at getting your revenge against the vampires. After all this time, don't you think you should repay me for my generosity?"
Not knowing what the older man was getting at, Yuichiro thought it best to remain cool and calm before answering.
"What do you mean, sir? Is my performance on the battlefield not to your satisfaction? I'd give my life for any of my comrades, even Mitsuba."
To this, Guren laughed softly. "I know you would, Yuu; I'm not questioning your bravery. What I want to know is where your loyalties lie."
"My loyalties?"
Annoyed that his ward was playing dumb with him Guren removed his arm from her back and squeezed her shoulders tightly until he can see the discomfort showing on Yuichiro's face despite her best attempts to hide it.
"Never forget that I was the one who took you in after you escaped from Sanguinem! Had I not found you, you would have stood no chance at survival outside the city!" he hissed.
Yuichiro stared at Guren. Why was he telling her this now? She was about to ask but after seeing his intense expression, the ravenette thought better of it and remained silent as she allowed him to continue.
"I was the one who taught you how to fight and protected you to this very day! From your education, to the clothes you wear, the food you eat, to the very bed you sleep in, all of this, I have given you, not the Hiragis, so don't you dare go wagging your tail to them!"
Yuichiro was startled at Guren's harsh words, her breath hitched in her throat as realization dawned upon her. For the first time since she met him, Guren was actually afraid—afraid of losing her loyalty. And to the people he despised most which was ironic, considering how he showed no fear in even the bloodiest of battles.
"Is that what this is about? You have some sort of grudge against the Hiragis? Well, if that's the case, then you have nothing to worry about. If there's something you should know about me by now is that I never betray my comrades."
For a moment, Guren forgot his displeasure and actually smiled. "Maybe. But you're wrong about one thing, Yuu: I am not your comrade."
"Oh?"
"I am your guardian, your superior, surrogate father or big brother, however you like to call me, but I am not your friend: I am your owner."
Yuichiro sighed sadly as she looked away from her guardian. She and Guren might have bickered constantly about everything else but this was the one thing she could not argue with him on.
"So is that all I am to you?" she asked bitterly. "A pet to be kept on a leash?"
Seeing that he might have gone a little too far with his harsh words, Guren felt a twinge of guilt and loosened his grip on her shoulders.
"I'm sorry," he apologized. "That was completely uncalled for. I guess what I really wanted to tell you is not to trust the Hiragis so easily, especially Kureto. I just don't want to see you get hurt."
Yuichiro smiled. "It's all right. Shinoa pretty much said the same thing."
Guren's expression softened as his gaze wandered to the gold heart-shaped locket Yuichiro wore around her neck. He knew it was her only true and most valuable possession asides from her demon sword, Asuramaru, and that it was a gift from her orphanage brother, the blond vampire who almost killed him in Shinjuku. Guren never liked that little trinket but at the same time, he could not bring himself to order that Yuichiro be rid of it knowing how much it meant to her.
"I thought she might say that," he agreed. "But it's not just the Hiragis you should be concerned with."
"What do you mean?"
"I know you've also been thinking about that boy…"
"You mean Mika?"
"I know this isn't what you want to hear, but its best that you forget about Mikaela. He is no longer your brother; he's just another vampire." *3*
Yuichiro looked about to make a sharp retort to her guardian's callous words but he quickly cut her off.
"I'm telling you this for your own good, Yuu; you'll never be able to exterminate all the vampires like you wanted if you have an emotional attachment to even one of them, and you know I'm right."
Yuichiro fell silent. Despite their constant bickering, she had never failed to obey her guardian's orders but forgetting Mika was the one thing she could not do.
"Guren, you know you can't just order someone to forget their feelings…"
In response, the older man, gently ran his hands down her arms as he leaned forward and whispered into her ear.
"I know. But it's not my feelings I'm trying to protect, it's yours. You belong to humanity and… you belong to me. Never forget that, Yuichiro Hyakuya."
Yuichiro could not help but blush at Guren's possessiveness. Not knowing how else to respond, she simply said:
"I know..."
Guren smiled before pressing a gentle, chaste kiss to the corner of her mouth. "Good girl. Now go. And remember what I've told you."
Yuichiro nodded. "Yes Guren," she said simply before running off and leaving him alone with his thoughts.
Footnotes:
1. In the Anne Rice novels, a vampire's hair will always remain the same length as when they were turned, meaning that if they had short hair, it will never grow any longer and if they had long hair, it will grow back to its original length very quickly, usually within 24 hours. In the movie version of "Interview with the Vampire", the hair grows back within seconds. From what I've seen of the latest OnS manga chapters, Ferid was completely bald after his sunlight torture but his hair grew back to shoulder length within minutes.
2. In canon, the Demon Army will kill their own soldiers before letting them get captured alive by the vampires. Shinya mentions that doing so spares such soldiers the pain of being tortured but most likely, it's more to protect the secrets of Demon Army than any real concern for them. Although not mentioned explicitly in the LNs or manga, the Demon Army is also likely to kill their own soldiers if they've been converted to vampirism too.
3. In canon, Guren fears losing male!Yuu's loyalty to the Hiragis. In my AU, he feels threatened by the Hiragis AND Mika. After realizing that Mika is alive and that he now has competition for fem!Yuu's loyalty and affections, Guren starts to become more possessive and manipulative to ensure that she remains loyal to him.