Disclaimer: I do not own Owari no Seraph (Seraph of the End). I write this for your enjoyment only. This story is an alternate version of the Nagoya arc with differences from the original; please refer to the footnotes at the end. Once again, I would like to thank my beta reader, ResidentialPsycho, for her help in making this fic possible. Enjoy and please review!
Chapter 9: A Son's Plea
November 11, 2020
Sanguinem Imperial Palace, Progenitor Council Meeting
"Is it really necessary for me to be here, Ferid?" Mika asked in a tone that bordered on impatience and rudeness as he followed the silver-haired vampire lord down the halls of Sanguinem Imperial Palace heading towards a meeting room.
Instead of being offended, Ferid turned around and merely smiled cheerfully at the younger vampire when they finally reached the door.
"Why, Mika, dear! Most of our kind would consider it a great honor to come before the great progenitors! And since you are the adopted son of our queen, it's only fitting that you be present. That is a prince's duty, after all."
Mika scoffed. "I don't care about titles, honor, or power. I only agreed to be turned into this… this thing so that I can live on and search for Yuu-chan. But then again, you'd know all about that, wouldn't you, my lord?"
As usual, Ferid simply brushed off Mika's accusations. "Now, now, Mika, that was all in the past. Let bygones be bygones and get on with our lives, shall we? Being angry about the past isn't going to change anything and we both know it."
The blond vampire glared at his ex-benefactor but he knew Ferid was right. He also knew that if the progenitors have indeed called for him, it would not be wise to refuse them.
"Fine! Let's just get this over with!" Mika snarled as he tried to ignore the ache in his throat.
Asides from performing his duties as a so-called vampire prince as well as a soldier of the vampire army, Mika also needed to see Krul as soon as possible to sate his thirst and hoped the progenitor council meeting would not take too long.
Delighted that he had the younger vampire's cooperation, Ferid turned back towards the door to the meeting room and opened it before Mika could change his mind. Without saying another word, the silver-haired vampire lord made a gesture for him to follow.
As soon as they were inside, Mika forgot his displeasure at Ferid for dragging him to a meeting he wanted no part of and looked around the room in curiosity. For the most part, the room was spacious and empty except for the projection screens that lined the walls with the visages of the world's most powerful vampires looking through them at the vampire queen of Japan who sat on an elegant throne-like chair in the middle.
When Krul saw Ferid, she scowled but her expression soon changed to surprise when she noticed that Mikaela was standing right behind him. The blond vampire also noticed and quickly realized that Ferid had lied to him yet again and that he wasn't actually supposed to be here. But it was too late and Mika could not leave without rousing even more suspicion from the progenitors so he remained silent and allowed Ferid to do the talking.
"My apologies, I hope I did not keep my lords and ladies waiting too long," the silver-haired vampire lord said as he made a polite bow before the higher-ranking progenitors.
"Enough with the formalities, Ferid Bathory!" one of the other vampire lords said impatiently. "We demand a report on what happened in Shinjuku!"
Ferid threw his hands up in the air as if the gesture would appease his betters.
"But of course, my lord!" he said in his usual cheerful manner that made both Mika and Krul resist the urge to roll their eyes before he finally got serious. "Though I have already handed in a written report that recounts most of the details, I shall be happy to provide a brief summary of the Battle of Shinjuku again in case my lords and ladies did not get a chance to look at it."
For a moment, everyone was silent. Although Krul, Ferid, and Mika were the only ones who were actually in the meeting room, the advanced projection screens the other progenitors were looking through made it feel as if they were actually all there in person.
"Go on, Lord Bathory…"
Ferid cleared this throat before continuing. "To keep it simple, the humans are gaining power at an astronomical rate; they are driven by greed, ambition, and lust for power so they have once again delved into the forbidden."
"Is that so? Even after what happened eight years ago, they still haven't learned their lesson?"
"Should that come as a surprise?" Ferid asked as Mika and Krul listened in silence. "You all know as well as I do that humans have been repeating the same mistakes over and over since the dawn of time. I know that is of no concern to any of you but what we should be concerned about is that this time, their actions can pose a serious threat to vampire kind. Observe!"
Reaching into his pocket, Ferid took out a small projection device and proceeded to play a holographic video in the center of the room. Mika shuddered and did his best to resist closing his eyes and turning away when he saw a replay of Yuichiro's horrific transformation and deadly rampage on the battlefield of Shinjuku. Even the progenitors, who were normally not easily impressed, were shocked and started demanding answers.
"What is that thing?" they demanded. "Ferid is right; this could be a threat to us!"
Pleased that his higher-ups were finally acknowledging his importance, Ferid clapped his hands to catch their attention.
"So there you have it, my lords and ladies! It's as clear as day that the humans have finally managed to weaponize the Seraph of the End or at the very least, come close to it!"
"But how can that be?" another progenitor demanded. "Third Progenitor Krul Tepes foiled that plan when she destroyed the Hyakuya Sect in Japan eight years ago!"
Krul, who had been silent the entire time as she tried not to glare at Ferid, finally spoke up with her usual coolness and poise.
"That is correct. Eight years ago, I eliminated the Hyakuya Sect and killed every child bearing the seraph genes with my own hands. Not one escaped."
Upon hearing Krul's revelation, Mika's eyes widened as he did his best to keep a gasp from escaping his lips when he realized that not only was he not supposed to be at this meeting, he wasn't even supposed to be alive at all.
Ferid grinned when he caught the younger vampire's expression even though Krul remained calm as if she thought nothing of lying to the rest of the progenitor council about the true fate of the Hyakuya children, namely, Mikaela and Yuichiro.
"Oh, is that so? Queen Krul was supposed to do that? Why, I had no idea! So did you really kill all of them, my queen?"
Krul's expression hardened as she casually rested her cheek in her hand. "That's what I said, didn't I?"
"If that is so, then how has the humans' research come this far?" Urd Geales, second progenitor and current leader of the vampires, demanded. "Asides from the Hyakuya Sect, no other organization within or outside of Japan has made any significant progress."
"Yes, that is true but humans can be very determined and deceptive. It's possible that they could have hidden their progress from us. In fact, wasn't there another organization of spell-casters in Europe who were also experimenting with the Seraph?" Ferid asked in feigned curiosity.
"They are gone. I destroyed them myself," said another progenitor with a child-like appearance, before setting his eyes on Krul. "But I must confess that I have doubts about Queen Krul."
"And just what do you imply, Lest Karr?" the vampire queen asked in a sweet voice, her eyes glittering dangerously.
Like Krul herself, Lest Karr had the stature and appearance of a young teen, having been turned when he was only fourteen years old. And like the pink-haired vampire queen, he held the rank of a third progenitor and ruled over Western Europe, including his native Germany.
Ignoring Krul's not-so-subtle warning not to pry into her affairs further, Lest continued.
"What I imply is that if you have mishandled your management of Japan, I may have to step in and take over since any failure on your part can carry grave consequences for all vampire kind."
Krul gritted her teeth as she finally stood up and glared at the other progenitor through the projection screen for his audacity.
"Watch your tongue, Lest! I will not be lectured on my duties by a mere child!" she snapped as she pointed a shaking finger at him.
Instead of being offended, Lest merely chuckled as if he found Krul's threat more amusing than intimidating.
"What do you mean, 'child', Krul? We're only two hundred years apart. Besides, when it comes to power and leadership abilities, I believe I am the stronger and more competent one."
Before Krul could make a nasty retort and rile the rest of the progenitors, Urd finally cut in.
"Cease this, both of you. As for you, Queen Krul, if you say you completely destroyed the Hyakuya Sect, can we trust that you did so without fail?"
Forgetting Lest for the moment, Krul looked Urd in the eyes and said: "I do not fail. Ever."
For a moment, a silence fell over the council as if they weren't sure whether or not to believe her before Urd finally sighed and spoke again.
"Very well, Krul. We will trust your word. As for the humans, how do you propose we deal with them?"
Resisting the urge to shoot Lest a smug look of victory, Krul answered. "Our objective has not changed; we will deploy our full army to smite every human who stands under the banner of the Japanese Imperial Demon Army."
"Excellent. That will suffice so begin at once. We trust that you will emerge victorious, Queen Krul" Urd said before he finally spotted Mika out of the corner of his eye and his brows rose. Turning to Ferid, he asked:
"By the way, Ferid, who is that young man behind you?"
"Oh, him, my lord?" Ferid asked innocently with a playful expression as he turned back to look at Mika but not before taking a moment to enjoy the bead of sweat that was forming on Krul's forehead. "Why, he's my most favorite servant, and I can't bear to have him leave my side even for a moment!"
Another third progenitor, Nix Parthe, glared at the silver-haired vampire lord for his careless words. *1*
"Have you lost your mind, Bathory?!" he demanded harshly. "This is the Progenitor Council and even you are normally not permitted to attend, let alone a servant!"
Urd sighed and placed a hand over his head as if trying to ease a headache. This was supposed to be a council of the world's most powerful vampires yet he felt as if it were a classroom of unruly children he had to discipline.
"Silence, Nix. Ferid's flights of eccentricity are not new and in case you haven't noticed, we do have more pressing concerns at the moment" he said sharply before turning back to Krul.
"I wish you luck, Queen Krul. Please don't disappoint us. That will be all; I hereby conclude the session of this council."
It took all of Krul's willpower to wait until the last of the progenitors' visages vanished from sight upon the conclusion of the meeting before she turned on Ferid in a fit of rage and made a swiping gesture with her arm, the motion causing a gust of wind powerful enough to shake the foundations of the room and send pieces of the tile floor flying everywhere.
"Careful, my queen, you could really hurt someone doing that!" Ferid cried out in mock fear as he hid behind Mikaela.
"Don't fuck with me, you bastard!" she screamed. "What the hell were you thinking, bringing Mikaela here?! I swear, conspire against me and I tear you into so many pieces even the vultures won't find you!"
"Oooh, scary! But you really can't do that, now, can you, my queen? If I die or suddenly disappear, the other progenitors will wonder why. And think of what secrets can reach the council upon my death. You will undoubtedly be the first one they suspect, Queen Krul. I can only imagine what they'll say. 'Who would have thought that Krul Tepes was personally involved in the Seraph of the End?'"
Krul gritted her teeth and if she didn't know that the disgusting silver-haired vampire lord was absolutely right, she would have made good on her threat and killed him where he stood.
"Aww, come on now. Don't look at me like that," Ferid cooed. "After all, it was my fault that little Yuu escaped and that you had to turn Mika to save him. If the other progenitors ever find out about that, I'll be just as susceptible to punishment as you, and I certainly don't want that to happen!"
The pink-haired vampire queen narrowed her eyes at him as she forced herself to calm down.
"What're you playing at, Bathory? What's your end in all this and what're you really after?" she demanded.
"Well isn't it obvious?" Ferid asked playfully as he finally stepped out from behind Mika. "I just want to be friends. After all, you are I are now partners in crime. We share the same secrets, after all."
"You bastard…"
"Come now, that's no way to talk to your new best friend, my queen. In any case, I think I'd best be going now but please consider my words. And remember, I do love you!"
With a final pat on Mika's shoulder, Ferid Bathory turned and left the room. When the silver-haired vampire lord finally left, Mika released the breath he was holding and his knees buckled as if he no longer had any energy to stand.
Forgetting her displeasure towards Ferid, Krul's expression changed to one of concern as she quickly moved to catch the younger vampire before he collapsed.
"Mika, are you all right?" she asked gently.
But instead of answering her, Mika suddenly looked at Krul with a rabid expression on his face, grabbed her, and bit her in the neck. The sudden movement startled the queen at first. But when she realized how starved the blond was, she relaxed and did not resist, allowing her fledgling to take what he needed.
"I'm sorry, did I keep you waiting too long to be fed? It's all right; take as much as you need…" the queen cooed and took Mika into a motherly embrace after he had finished feeding.
When the young blond finally realized what he had just done, he quickly released Krul and suddenly pushed her away.
"I..I'm sorry, Your Majesty!" he apologized, fully expecting his dame to berate him for his insolence, especially after her spat with Ferid. But to his surprise, Krul merely smiled and said:
"It's all right, I understand. It's not just you; we all get a little ravenous when we haven't had enough blood. Even progenitors are no exception."
Relieved that Krul was not angry at him, Mika sighed in relief. "I see…thank you for understanding. If it's not too much to ask, can I have a little more blood to store than usual?"
"Of course, Mika, I can give you as much as you need. Or want."
"Thank you, Krul. You have my gratitude…what's wrong?" the blond asked as soon as he noticed her smile turned into a worried frown.
Instead of answering right away, Krul slowly approached Mika and gently took his face in both of her tiny hands.
"You are feeling it, aren't you?"
"What do you mean?"
"My blood… Its losing its effectiveness in sating your thirst, isn't it?"
Mika was startled at Krul's claim and tried to deny it. "No, of course not! I'm just getting thirstier from exerting so much energy into my duties while trying to keep Ferid off my back at the same time, that's all!"
"Mika, please don't lie to me," Krul scolded like a disappointed mother catching her child in a lie. "Remember, I've lived as a vampire much longer than you have and can tell that you will have to drink from a human and soon. If you don't, you will become a mindless demon. I believe I already told you this a long time ago."
Mika sighed and nodded as he recalled the time he finally had to give in to his thirst and drink from Krul shortly after he had been turned because he could no longer eat or drink like a human.
"Yes, I remember. I'm sorry. But that is not what concerns me now. I must know if what Ferid and the other progenitors say is true: Were you supposed to eliminate the entire Hyakuya Sect and their test subjects, including me and Yuu-chan? If so, then why did you spare and hide us? Why would you put yourself at risk for doing so? What's in it for you?"
Krul was silent for a moment as if thinking about how she should answer him before saying:
"That… is something you do not need to know. In fact, it would better for you if you didn't."
Mika gritted his teeth. Despite the fact that Krul implied that she was protecting him by withholding the knowledge he sought, the blond grew angry but forced himself to remain calm. After all, the pink-haired vampire queen was his dame as well as a high-ranking progenitor; he knew he could make her do or reveal nothing against her will and that it would be unwise for him to even try.
And so, the best Mikaela could do was politely request the information he desired. After taking a moment to think about it, the blond took a deep breath and tried again, hoping his words would make Krul reconsider her decision.
"Queen Krul…mother… when you offered to save my life by making me a vampire, I knew you weren't really giving me a choice and that you would have turned me no matter what I said. Even so, I still served you loyally these last four years and never once have I disobeyed your orders or questioned your decisions until now. Is it too much to ask that you grant me this one answer, this one favor, in return?" *2*
Upon hearing Mika's plea, Krul's expression softened.
"That is the first time I've ever heard you call me 'mother,' Mikaela. Very well, then. If it's that important to you, I will tell you why I spared you as well as Yuichiro and the other Hyakuya orphans." After taking a quick glance around to make sure they were truly alone in the room, the vampire queen walked over to Mika and whispered her secret in his ear.
The blond almost stumbled over. "Are you serious?" he exclaimed.
The queen nodded as she gently took Mika's face in her hand, her thumb gently brushing over his lips.
"Next month, we're attacking the humans again, and we won't be holding back; they are too dangerous a threat to take lightly, especially with Yuichiro in their hands. If abused, her powers will cause a disaster the likes of which the world has never seen and it will be far worse than the epidemic of eight years ago. To prevent that, I'm giving you a secret mission: you will conveniently become 'missing in action' when the attack begins. Use this opportunity to find Yuichiro and bring her to me. I will take care of the rest."
Mika swallowed nervously. Although the blond did not relish the idea of bringing Yuu back to the city where she nearly got killed trying to escape years ago, he knew he had to comply or at least pretend to comply with his queen's order because this was likely the last chance he was ever going to get to find his orphanage sister.
And as much as he hated to admit it, Yuichiro was probably better off with him and Krul than the humans anyway; she couldn't stay with the JIDA any more than she could be allowed to fall into the hands of the other vampire progenitors.
"Yes, mother. As you command."
Krul smiled as she leaned over and gently placed a kiss on Mika's forehead. As her adopted son and favorite warrior, Mikaela Hyakuya was her pride and joy. And to protect his identity as a seraph, Krul had forbidden the other vampires in Sanguinem from drinking Mika's blood on the pain of death.
"I love you like you were my own son, Mikaela. I understand why you want to save Yuichiro so badly but I must warn you that with things the way they are now, your love for her will only bring you pain. I won't lie to you: children who bear the seraph gene are destined to live tragic lives. Many will die tragic deaths as well. And that's if they're lucky. The unlucky ones, if their genes permanently activate, become angelic monstrosities that live on forever." *3*
Mika gasped at this horrifying revelation. "Is that Yuu-chan's fate? Is there any way to prevent it?"
"There are only two ways to save her from that fate: kill her or turn her. One or the other."
"Is there no other way?"
"Not that I know of. I'm sorry, Mika. Now that you know this, do you still want to go to her?"
The blond was silent for a moment. Every word Krul said was likely true but even so, Mika knew the answer he must give.
"Yes."
Krul smiled sadly. "I knew you would say that. And to be honest, I do not blame you, Mika. Your Yuu-chan has become a fine swordmaiden and a very lovely girl. Just as I always thought she would."
Mika was startled at Krul's confession. "What? Did you know all this time that Yuu-chan was a girl?" he asked incredulously.
Krul chuckled. "Of course, I did, Mika! I make it my business to know these things! And besides, did you think the vampire doctor I assigned to your little family's care all those years ago would not tell me the truth about her?"
"I see," Mika said as he tried to hide his embarrassment about the fact that his adoptive mother knew the reasoning behind his obsession with finding Yuichiro all along. "But even so, I must find Yuu-chan and save her no matter what," he said with renewed determination.
"I know, Mika. I know. Do what you must. But remember what I said."
"I will."
Footnotes:
1. Nix Parthe, the other third progenitor besides Krul and Lest, was originally named "Gabel" in the fan translation of the manga but when the official translation was released, his name was changed to "Nix".
2. In canon, Mika tries to attack Krul out of anger for keeping her true intentions a secret from him but in my AU, I've made him a bit more rational in trying to get her to talk so that their conversation about fem!Yuu will flow more smoothly.
3. Although not explicitly stated, it is implied that children who bear the Seraph gene live tragic lives and die tragic deaths since all of the Hyakuya children, including Yuu and Mika have had rough starts in life. In the canon manga, male!Yuu is on the verge of losing his humanity to the seraph due to his genes.
