Owari no Seraph / Seraph of the End: Protectorate

Chapter 10: Convergence

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Don't say you weren't warned!

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Chapter 10: Convergence

Somewhere, nowhere, anywhere, everywhere: The throne room: the tall man dressed in black walked casually up to what all the myriad universes acknowledged as the very center of Power itself. Seated on the throne—more of an impressively comfortable and custom-designed armchair, actually—was the humanoid figure whose realm this was. He attired in what appeared to be red coveralls with a black undersuit that came down his arms, and in the "V" shaped open part of his upper garment, with black work boots on his feet. No flashy adornments; the monarch of this realm and so many others had no need of such things.

But floating over his head was a red flag with his own personal golden sigil: that of Dama Kan, the Destroyer God.

Seated next to him was the eye-catchingly beautiful woman dressed in a white, frilly dress, fringed in purple, the same color as her hair. "Father? Mother? I have just been made aware of something I think you'd want to know about."

"Oh, please, son," said the being on the throne, "Can't it wait? Even Destroyer Gods need a breather, once in a while."

"Very well," said the man in black. "I'll just save this for later." He turned to go away."

"Wait." The black garbed man turned. "You know me well enough to know I have to see what's so important that it'd come to your attention so soon after we got back, son. So give, already. Spill."

"It's this." He raised his palm upward, and a cone of light sprang from it, forming a holographic image in the air. Both parties on their respective thrones leaned forward, gazing into the images thus displayed.

Then the red-garbed figure stood up, an expression on his face like a fast-building thunderstorm.

The Dama Kan was angry.

A low rumble spread throughout the entire complex, permeating every stone in the palace and far beyond, causing ripples to criss-cross in the pools outside. The attendants—inhuman beings that looked like a cross between a bear and a wild boar—rushed to activate certain controls hidden behind the curtains on the side wall.

The woman in white jumped up and grabbed her love's arm. "Come on, son! I think we're about to do some traveling!" she shouted, excitedly.

But the man in black had already firmly latched onto his Father's elbow. "I'm ready, mom!" He was just as excited, perhaps more so.

There was a roar that reverberated throughout the palace and far beyond, and a blinding cyclone of energy sprang up around them. The rooftop doors barely had time to move out of the way; the energy cylinder spiraled through them like a waterfall in reverse. Within, had one been able to see, three forms were flying through the Void Outside the universe, outside all universes, moving at an impossible speed towards an impossibly distant pinpoint of light so far away, mortal eyes would have been unable to see it, even with instruments. But these three hadn't been mortal for a long time now.

Behind them, the attendants sighed in relief. At least they wouldn't have to replace the roof, this time.

…...

Asuramaru returned to their quarters to see an unwelcome sight: Yu was twisting and turning in the bed. He hadn't been gone that long; the narcotic might have worn off, but Yu should still be sleeping off their night's little adventure. With the speed of long practice, he tied up his hair, slid out of his dress, and slipped into bed with Yu. "Yu? Honey? What's wrong?" Usually, after their ritual, Yu slept like a rock.

Yu only moaned softly, twisting and turning, hands opening and closing. He was obviously dreaming, but about what?

But Yu didn't wake up, nor did he murmur anything about what could be troubling him so. The worried Maru all the more. "Okay, lover. Hold on. I'm coming in." And with that, he effortlessly meshed brain wave patterns and slipped into Yu's sleeping mind.

A kaleidoscope of indescribable colors and shapes. Usually, Maru knew from experience, dreams, any dreams, partook of the mortal's waking life. After all, that was all mortals had to work with. But this...this was completely different. Asuramaru could find no frame of reference, nothing familiar in Yu's mind. This worried him all the more; was Yu losing his sanity? C'mon, Yu, where are you? If he could just locate Yu's core mind, he could drag him back to the real world...but it was nowhere to be found. Yu! Where are you? Come back to me! Please!

I have to find you!

But even though Maru exerted his formidable powers to the max, he still could find no trace of Yu anywhere in his head

….

Krul awoke with a splitting headache. What…? Oh. Right. She thought she'd controlled her intake, but apparently this time she'd had a bit much.

Wait. She was in her own bed. She clearly remembered being in the throne room, going over endless reports…

So that meant someone had put her here. Oh, no. Who could it have been? Whoever it was, her little secret was totally blown.

Then she noticed she wasn't alone.

Mika was stretched out beside her, face up, apparently completely unconscious, his sword drawn, body composed and relaxed. Oh, no. Had Mika found her out?

Had—gods forbid—had she attacked him?

But a quick examination revealed no signs of assault. He was alive, his breathing deep and normal, there were no bite marks on his neck or body anywhere she could see, and his clothing was unmarked and undisturbed. "Mika? Mika! Wake up!" She jostled him. "Mika!" He made absolutely no sound and did not move.

She hit a button on her nightstand. "General? Get up here. Bring a medic."

"At once, My Queen."

Mika stirred, and Krul's heart leaped. Maybe he was okay. "Mika? Mika! Wake up!" She jiggled his hand.

"I...my Queen, I…" He reached up and rubbed his eyes, as though coming out of a deep, deep sleep. "I...wait!" He suddenly shot to his feet, sword in hand, scanning the room. "My Queen, get behind me! The Dark Man!"

She came up to him and took him by the arm. "Stand down, Mika. We're alone here now…" Something about his words and his actions struck some kind of special chord within her, a chord that began to vibrate all the stronger with each passing second. "There's no Dark Man. It's all right." Gradually, she got him down from combat mode, to where they were just sitting, on Krul's bed. Mika was holding his head as though it hurt. "Mika? What do you remember?"

"I...My Queen, I came in, and, and you were kneeling on the bed, facing me. But, but behind you, there was this, this tall man in black. He...he had white hair, he was holding something in his hand. I remember thinking there seemed to be something strange about one of his eyes… I raised my sword, of course...but that's the last thing I remember. My Queen!" He turned to her. She could hear the sounds of the emergency medics coming. "You are alright, aren't you? He didn't harm you?"

She smiled at him. "No, Mika, he didn't do anything to me. Probably because you interrupted him." Something occurred to her, some impulsive behavior….well, why the hell not, anyway? "You saved me, Mika." And she reached up and gave a very surprised Mika a thoroughly sensuous kiss, full on the lips. "Thank you, my Knight," she whispered in the ear of a very surprised First Knight.

Surprised, but... That kiss!

The EMT's, along with Guren, were now pouring into the room. Guren, who was accompanying them, had his left hand on the scabbard of his sword, ready to draw it with his right, should there be need. "General. Please see that Mikaela Hyakuya here, gets a full medical examination and any treatment he needs. And General," now she turned to him. A very serious Rose Queen was back. "I want you to review every security measure, security cams, everything." She nodded to Mika, now being loaded onto a gurney ("I'm perfectly fine! See to the Queen!"). "My Knight, here, saved me from some villainy; he spoke of a man garbed in black, who had white hair, and odd looking eyes.

"I want to know who, here in the castle, fits that description."

…

An increasingly alarmed Asuramaru was still searching in the kaleidoscopic madness that was somehow connected to Yu's dream. Searching, searching…

Far, far off—although distance was hard to measure in this realm that seemed to have no distance—he could see two nodes of power, incredible power, like miniature suns approaching. They seemed to be approaching rapidly, although speed, like distance, was nearly impossible to gauge. {{Beware, Ashura Tepes,}} said a voice in his mind, {{they are coming. You must prepare.}} Somehow, he could tell it emanated from the two cells approaching him.

{{Where is Yu?}} he demanded of them. {{What have you done with him?}}

{{He is not our concern. Your world, all that you know, is in danger. You must prepare.}} Now they were closer still, and Asuramaru could make out more detail about them. They seemed to be humanoid beings, but unlike any humanoids he'd ever seen: a man and a woman, flying at incredible speed towards him.

{{Who are you?}}

{{It is not who we are, but what we are.}}

{{What is that?}}

{{Hope.}}

…

Maru's features firmed up. He wasn't going anywhere without Yu, no matter who or what was approaching. Then he heard a gasp behind him. Whirling around, he saw…

...himself.

…..

"Who...who are you?"

"I'm...Asuramaru." Maru could feel the Other reaching out with supernatural senses identical to his own. "Asuramaru Tepes. Who the hell are you?"

"I'm Asuramaru. Or…" Maru's eyes narrowed. "Or maybe I'm an Asuramaru?" There was something oddly familiar about the slender form floating in front of him, about his aura, not just his overall features, but... "Wait!" He thrust out a finger towards the other. "I recognize you! You're that, that version of me that went out into the snow to die, after you thought you'd killed your Yuichiro!"

The Other drew back, alarm on his features. "And just how the fuck did you know about that?"

"Because I the fuck had a dream about it. I thought it was only a dream." He paused, again narrowing his eyes. "Except it wasn't just a dream, was it?"

The other Asuramaru's face was a study in confusion. "This seems to be getting a bit...complicated."

….

What might best be described as "moments earlier," if time had had any meaning in this place: "Father, I believe I'll go on ahead, if you don't mind. See what new information I can gather."

"Do that, son," said the figure in red. "Rize and I will be along shortly. I think it safe to say," and here, he smiled a feral smile, "I think it safe to say that matters will change dramatically once we arrive, so, yes, a little soft recon is in order before that happens. But be warned," he said, solemnly, "I sense the Others are approaching. Don't engage them on your own. I know you've grown in power, but you're nowhere near as mighty as they are, and your mother would give me no end of grief if I lost you. Wouldn't you, dear?" He turned and gazed fondly at the purple haired women flying along with him.

"At least a million years of it. Maybe longer, love." She turned to Ken. "So do be careful, son. Besides, you promised Mai you'd take her to the fair. Don't disappoint her."

"I won't, mom." He pecked her on the cheek. And with that, the Uplifted, highly evolved being once known on another Earth as Ken Kaneki split away from the others, and slipped through the aether between worlds towards their target.

….

An indescribable nothingness that was also everythingness: "So you survived? Yu rescued you?"

"Well, technically," said the other, crossing his arms and turning slightly away, "it was Gekkoin who rescued us both. He said Yu's little human friend insisted."

Maru's mouth quirked in a lopsided smile. So this version of him still had some issues about being rescued by a "mere" human. The other cast a nervous glance at the two approaching nodes. "What are they?"

"They haven't been too forthcoming with that information," said Maru, "But we'd best get somewhere out of their wa—*" Then they both heard another gasp, whirled around there in the emptiness / everythingness and saw…

...yet another Asuramaru, but this one had a bulging, distended belly. He had his hands up over his mouth, an expression of utter surprise on his face, as he took in the two others. The other two looked at him, then, as one, their eyes dropped to his protruding tummy.

"This isn't what it looks like!" said Ashura Tepes, a panicked look in his eyes.

"I sure hope it's not!" said the other two, in perfect unison.

"As do I," said yet another, strange, slightly deeper voice. They all turned to see a vampire in a night-black cloak and pants, complete with red-lined cape, wearing a white ruffled shirt, and carrying a cutlass-style sword. The sword itself glittered with the purple and black of a cursed weapon.

"Wait!" said the Asuramaru with the lump on his belly. "I know you! You're the Vampire Prince from the story book!"

To be continued…