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 Shibuya/Shinjuku 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: Shadows from the Past, Part II

"Tomoe, I'm scared, what are we going to do?" eight-year old Yoichi whimpered as he clung to his eleven-year old sister in fear.

It was the night of the apocalypse and Yoichi and Tomoe Saotome had just returned home from visiting their next-door neighbor when they saw cars crashing and people screaming in the streets as they collapsed from the virus. When they went to search for their parents, the young brother and sister pair found them dead in the living room just like the people who died on the streets outside.

Before they could even have time to grieve, Tomoe heard someone breaking into the house through the back door and sensing that it was an intruder with malicious intent, she quickly grabbed Yoichi by the wrist and forced him to follow her upstairs to his room, locking the door after they were both inside.

Even so, the young girl realized that this wouldn't be enough. So thinking quickly, she quickly shoved her little brother under his bed.

"Wait, Tomoe, what are you doing!?"

Instead of answering, Tomoe gently caressed Yoichi's cheek and said: "Don't come out from under the bed for any reason!"

Before Yoichi could protest, he heard the sound of the door being kicked open and heard someone walking in, giving Tomoe no time to find someplace to hide herself since the bed was not big enough for both of them to hide under.

The brunet boy's eyes widened and he was paralyzed with fear as he saw the booted feet of the intruder from beneath the bed approach his sister and lifted her off the ground. Before she could even scream, Yoichi heard the sickening sound of fangs piercing flesh and had to clap a hand over his mouth to keep from screaming in terror as he saw Tomoe's blood splatter on the floor before a voice that sounded like it came from outside the room, call out.

"Hey, Lacus, quit fooling around; we just got a call from headquarters and should be heading back. I don't think I need to tell you that we should also be collecting livestock, not snacking on them; I'm sure the queen would be highly suspicious if you and I were to come back empty-handed."

"Fine. I promise not to snitch any more drinks until we get back to Sanguinem so there, are you happy, Rene?" the vampire named Lacus answered as he dropped Tomoe's lifeless corpse to the floor which landed right in front of Yoichi.

Rene sighed. "Never mind that, let's just get going before the queen chews us out for being late."

After the two vampires left, Yoichi stared at his dead sister in silence before he found his voice again.

"Tomoe?"

As if in answer, "Tomoe" opened her eyes, which were the same shade of olive-green as his own and gave him a distorted smile that was totally uncharacteristic of the sister he loved.

Grabbing Yoichi and pulling him out from under the bed before forcing him to stand, she looked him straight in the eye and said:

"No, dummy. Your sister is long dead. She died because of you. Because you were too cowardly and weak to protect her."

Like Kimizuki before him, Yoichi was able to catch on quickly.

"I see… you're not really Tomoe but the demon inside that bow I picked up, are you?"

"Very good. You're smarter than you look, Yoichi Saotome, I'll give you that."

Instead of getting angry that the demon would mock him with his sister's form like Kimizuki, Yoichi merely laughed nervously.

"It's not very nice of you to imitate my sister, you know…"

The demon scoffed. "Did you expect demons to be nice? I take back what I said about you being smarter than you look. You tell everyone you want to join the MDC to avenge your sister yet at the same time you hate fighting and conflict. You are much too gentle, innocent, and pure-all qualities I despise. You wouldn't make a suitable master at all."

"No, that isn't true, I do want to avenge my sister!" Yoichi protested.

"Do you really?" the demon mocked as she suddenly grabbed Yoichi, who was now a sixteen-year-old boy again, by the throat and pinned him to the wall. "You may grieve for your lost sister but deep down, you're glad you survived, even at the expense of her life. Admit, Yoichi, you sacrificed Tomoe to save your own skin!"

The brunet boy brought his hands to "Tomoe's" wrist and tried to force her to release him but the demon could tell that it was a weak attempt; she knew he was physically stronger than that.

"How pathetic! Even a mouse can put up a better fight than that! If you aren't even willing to fight for your own life, how can you fight to protect the lives of others and avenge your sister? You can't have your cake and eat it too! But have no fear, just give me your body and I'll get your revenge for you!"

As she said this, the demon laughed with glee and released Yoichi's throat before grabbing him by the shoulders and pulling him close so she can sink her fangs into his neck, her face completely distorted until she looked nothing like his beloved sister.

When he finally felt "Tomoe's" sharp fangs sink into his neck, Yoichi's eyes widened as he let out a blood-curdling scream…

SSSSSS

Yoichi gasped as his eyes flew open. Like Kimizuki before him, the boy's pupils were cat-like and two small horns protruded from his temples.

Shinoa, who had been keeping an eye on Yoichi while Yuichiro was fighting Kimizuki, called out to Guren and Sayuri.

"Sir, Yoichi's finally awake!"

Turning his head in the brunet boy's direction, Guren frowned with disappointment when he saw that Yoichi fared no better than Kimizuki in trying to conquer his demon.

Sighing, he placed a hand on his head and muttered "I suppose having one out of three pass is better than none..."

"Now what are we going to do?!" Sayuri asked frantically as she shot a glance towards Yuichiro who was still trying to fend off the possessed Kimizuki.

"We have no choice. Yuu, listen to me, Yoichi didn't make it either! You may have to eliminate him and Kimizuki if they don't wake up!" Guren called to his ward who still had her back to him.

Startled, Shinoa glared at her superior.

"What? You must be joking, sir! There's no way Yuichiro can fight both of them alone!" she protested while making a gesture towards the dueling pair, one of whom was possessed by his demon.

"She's fought multiple attackers before, Shinoa."

"This is different and you know it!"

"So what will you do, Miss Hiragi? If you're so concerned for Yuichiro, why don't you do the dirty work and kill the boys yourself to spare her the burden of a guilty conscience?"

Taking the hint, the purple-haired girl summoned her own demon weapon, a dark, elegant scythe and prepared to rush to Yuichiro's aid. Having known Guren since she was a young child, Shinoa could tell when her superior said one thing and meant another. While ordering Sayuri to stay put, he was actually giving Shinoa the green light to assist her friend under the guise of eliminating the boys.

Rushing towards Yoichi, Shinoa brandished her scythe, intending to block him from interfering in Yuichiro's and Kimizuki's duel but he anticipated her move and jumped towards the ceiling, hiding behind one of the gargoyle statues overlooking the demon ceremonial chamber.

"How delightful!" Yoichi giggled. "Five puny humans just ripe for the picking! I think I'll start with those two fighting over there since they're too busy being at each other's throats to even notice me!"

Although nobody in the chamber could see Yoichi, Yuichiro's sharp hearing picked up the sound of a bowstring being drawn from behind her though she did not dare to take her eyes off Kimzuki for even a second. For the first time, the ravenette found herself truly at a loss as to what to do to defend herself against a second attacker.

As she tried to think of a way to distance herself from Kimizuki so she can face Yoichi, who was now possessed as well, Yuichiro heard the sound of an arrow being released and flying towards her. The girl knew that if she did not move aside, the arrow would hit her but if she did, it might hit Kimizuki instead. Either way, someone was going to die or at best, be seriously injured.

Thinking quickly, Yuichiro lashed out with her right leg and managed to kick Kimizuki away, hoping it would buy her some time to fend off Yoichi before he could recover enough to attack again. But when Yuichiro finally turned around, she saw to her surprise that Shinoa had beaten her to it, using her scythe to deflect Yoichi's arrow and keep it from hitting either her or Kimizuki.

As annoying as she may have found Shinoa in the past, Yuichiro was now relieved and grateful that the other girl had chosen to step in and cover her back. *1*

"Thanks, Shinoa, I owe you one!" she exclaimed.

The purple-haired girl grinned before turning around, her back touching Yuichiro's.

"You're welcome, Yuu, but this isn't over yet! We still have to find a way to make the boys wake up so you take care of Kimizuki while I handle Yoichi!"

"Right!"

Leaving Yoichi to Shinoa, Yuichiro turned back to face the pink-haired boy who had just managed to get back on his feet and charge at her again. When their blades clashed once more, Yuu tried to reach out to him in the only way she could think of.

"Kimizuki! Please, listen to me, I know you're in there! Whatever you're seeing, it's not real! The demon is using your anger, frustration, and guilt to manipulate you and you need to snap out of it! Think of your sister! What will happen to her if you die here? Mirai needs you so wake up!"

Although Kimizuki did not cease his attacks right away, Yuichiro could tell that her words must be getting to him because he started to falter and hesitate more between each blow he sent her way. Deep in his subconscious mind, Kimizuki thought he heard a familiar feminine voice that was neither Mirai's nor the demon's speaking to him.

That's right… he thought as he slowed down his attacks against the demon in his mind. This is all a test, I was such a fool not to see it sooner!

"What's the matter, Kimizuki?" "Mirai" taunted. "I'm right here! So do what you've been meaning to do and just kill me already! Kill your sister and all your problems will be solved!"

The pink haired boy shook his head as he lowered kitchen knives he had attempted to kill the demon with, which were really his twin swords in the waking world.

"No…I understand now" he said calmly. "My sister needs me. While I may get frustrated from time to time, it does not change the fact that I love Mirai and want to save her. Your tricks won't work anymore so give your power to me, demon!"

Now that Kimizuki saw through her illusion, the demon pouted.

"Drat… you're stronger than I thought. Very well, I'll accept your victory and lend you my power. But if you ever falter in your conviction, even for a second, your body is mine. Deal?"

The pink-haired boy grinned. "Deal."

"Good. My name is Kiseki-o. Call for me whenever you're in need of my power. Now open your eyes, Shiho Kimiziki!"

As soon as their contract was completed, the illusion faded away and Kimizuki found himself back in the demon ceremonial chamber and saw Yuichiro standing in front of him with her sword drawn, making him realize that he had been attacking her in the real world under the illusion of attacking Kiseki-o.

When she saw that the pink-haired boy appeared to be back to his normal self, Yuichiro lowered her own sword and asked:

"Kimizuki, are you ok?"

"Yeah…" he answered as he placed a hand on his head and closed his eyes for a moment. "Thanks, Yuu. For reminding me why I'm doing all this."

Yuichiro smiled. "It's good to have you back, Kimizuki. But we still have Yoichi to worry about."

Kimizuki was startled. "What?"

"Yoichi's possessed, same as you were. We have to find a way to bring him back. And that means assisting Shinoa!"

"Dammit!" Kimizuki cursed as he raised his twin blades again. Looking over Yuu's shoulder, he could see Shinoa locked in her own duel with the possessed brunet boy, deflecting one arrow after another while painstakingly trying to avoid harming him.

"Hold on, Shinoa, we're coming!" Yuu cried as she rushed to her friend's aid. Now that they had Kimizuki back on their side, it should make things a lot easier or so she hoped.

Sayuri, who had been watching the two duels in silence, stole a quick glance in Guren's direction and saw that he was shifting uncomfortably on his feet while palming the hilt of his sword nervously. Though he had told her to stay put while forcing himself to do the same, Sayuri could tell that this was just as nerve-wrecking to Guren as it was to herself.

For unlike Kimizuki, who was more strong-minded, Yoichi was just as frail mentally as he was physically. And despite their best efforts, neither Yuichiro, Kimizuki, nor Shinoa could seem to bring him back.

"What do you think is happening inside his subconscious?" Yuu asked Shinoa as she assisted her friend in deflecting Yoichi's arrows.

"I'm not exactly sure" she answered. "But have a strong feeling that he's reliving his sister's death and being tormented by his guilt for not being able to save her."

"So that's it…" Yuu murmured as she sheathed her sword. "It looks like we're going to have to take a leap of faith. Shinoa, I need you and Kimizuki to step back and let me take care of this."

"What? Are you nuts?!" the pink-haired boy demanded as he stepped in front of Yuichiro with his twin swords crossed to protect her in case Yoichi tried to take another shot at them. "Take your sword back out or he'll kill you!"

Yuu shook her head. "No… please get out of my way, Kimizuki. I need both you and Shinoa to trust me on this."

Kimizuki opened his mouth to protest when he felt Shinoa's hand on his shoulder.

"No, Yuichiro's right. We need to trust her."

Though Kimizuki strongly disliked what Shinoa was proposing, he knew that they had little choice since none of the tactics they've tried so far had worked in bringing Yoichi back.

"Fine… but if something goes wrong, I'm stepping in no matter what you say, Shinoa. That goes for you too, Miss Hyakuya."

Yuichiro grinned. "That won't be necessary. But thanks for the offer" she said as she clapped a hand on Kimizuki's shoulder before walking past him to confront the possessed Yoichi, who had drawn back his bowstring to shoot again.

As everyone else in the room watched, the ravenette tried to reach out to Yoichi, hoping that he was still somewhere in there.

"Yoichi…" she began gently. "I won't harm you no matter what. Because you're one of the purest souls I've ever met and you would never harm your friends; such a vile act is completely against your nature."

To this, the demon in Yoichi's body laughed, distorting the younger boy's innocent face with malice.

"How naive you are, girl! Your friend is gone and his body is mine so why don't you just die already?"

Kimizuki and Shinoa tightened their grip on their weapons in case Yoichi were to fire at Yuu but found to their surprise that the younger boy's hands faltered as if he were hesitating to fire. Yuichiro noticed it too and saw it as a sign that Yoichi could indeed hear her.

"Yoichi, I know you're in there! No matter what anyone says, you're stronger than you think! You can do this, Yoi! Come back to us and we'll beat the fangs together!"

Yuichiro bit her lip as she saw Yoichi's hands start to shake a little harder, indicating that he was still struggling to conquer the demon inside his subconscious. The girl had already done the best she could and did not know what else she could say to wake her friend up.

Fortunately, Yuichiro didn't have to say anymore before her guardian took over.

"Dammit, Yoichi, are you going to keep running away and watch more innocent people like your sister get killed again?! Wake up and face your fears like a real man!" Guren shouted.

Though her mentor may have sounded harsh, Yuichiro had to admit that this was probably the push Yoichi needed to conquer his demon. Having more life experience than his ward, the lieutenant colonel was smart and sensible enough to know that sometimes a combination of gentle coaxing AND harsh demands were required to get results.

And he was right.

They're both right…Yuu and Guren. I can't keep running nor can I protect anyone if I'm not willing to fight or put myself in harm's way. Yoichi thought as he brought his hands up and used all his strength to force the demon that was sucking his blood away from his neck and spun her around, slamming her against the wall until their positions were reversed.

"I won't run anymore…" he said calmly as he tightened his grip the demon's shoulders. "Yes, I know Tomoe died protecting me. I know there was nothing I could have done to save her. But I also know she would want me to go on with my life and be happy. And so, I will honor her memory by doing everything I can to protect and help others. And to do that, I need your power so give it to me, demon!"

"Shit, I don't believe it! How can a weakling like you possibly fight me!" the demon cursed before finally acknowledging defeat. "Fine, you win for now. I'll lend you my power, Yoichi Saotome. But make no mistake, should you ever revert back to the spineless wimp you were, your body is mine, got that?"

"Fine by me!"

"Good. Now wake up, dummy!"

Yoichi gasped as his horns vanished and his eyes reverted back to their normal state. But not before he released the arrow he had originally aimed at Yuichiro.

Fortunately for both of them, Yoichi had subconsciously shifted his position slightly out of his desire not to harm Yuichiro and the arrow flew past her shoulder, just slightly nicking her skin before hitting the wall behind her and vanishing.

Now that he was completely awake, Yoichi dropped his bow and ran into Yuichiro's arms while bawling his eyes out when he realized what he had almost done.

"I'm sorry!" he cried. "I almost killed you!"

Taking pity on the younger boy, Yuichiro gently patted the back of his head and ruffled his soft wavy hair like she did when they first met.

"There, there you silly goose. I'm fine as you can see. It's good to have you back, Yoi", she teased.

Although relieved that all three of his subordinates had finally succeeded in conquering their demons, Guren found himself scowling when he saw Yoichi hug Yuichiro too tightly for his comfort. And for the second time. Clearing his throat, he once again moved to part them.

"Ok, ok, now what did I tell you brats about too much PDA? I'll puke if you get snot all over each other."

Sayuri and Shinoa, who had also witnessed the entire scene as well as Kimizuki, could not help stifling their laughter.

"Now, now, sir, what's the harm in letting these two have their moment? They earned it." Shinoa teased.

Guren rolled his eyes. "Never mind that, brat." Turning to Yuichiro, Yoichi, and Kimizuki, he said: "You all did great today. I hope the three of you will take this a valuable learning experience in teamwork. Especially, you, Yuichiro. You probably wouldn't have been able to save Kimizuki or Yoichi had Shinoa not covered your back."

"Yeah, yeah, I know. I finally get how important it is to work as a team. You happy now?"

"With you? Considering how long you've been unable to get teamwork into that thick skull of yours, I'm absolutely ecstatic" the older man answered as he rolled his eyes towards the ceiling again, his expression almost humorous before he became serious again. "In any case, I want you all to forget about something as petty as revenge. Your new purpose is to protect humanity and honor the memories of those who couldn't be saved."

Ignoring the reaction of everyone else in the room, Guren gently placed his hand under Yuichiro's chin and lifted her face up, forcing her to look into his eyes just as the demon impersonating him in her illusion did.

"That goes for you too, Yuichiro. Forget your old family. The people here today are your new family so live for them and stop chasing shadows from the past that will forever elude you."

Though she did not argue, Guren knew his words hit Yuichiro very hard when he saw her frown and reach for the heart-shaped locket around her neck and closed her fist around it, making him narrow his eyes in distaste. He never told her much he despised that trinket because he thought it held her down to the past like an anchor.

"Anyway", Guren continued, "Now that you all finally have your own demon weapons, it's time to put them to good use; I'll be sending you to the front lines tomorrow."

Sayuri gasped. "Sir, you don't mean…"

"Yes, Sayuri. If this was peacetime, I would gladly give the kids a few days to recover from their test but we're at war now and there's no time to waste; the vamps have already made their move and have their sights set on Shinjuku. We can't let them re-take it or it will put all our effort into Shinjuku's liberation three years ago to waste."

"Yes, sir, I understand," the younger woman said as she glanced the newly ordained MDC members.

Though she had never been one to question her superior's actions or words, at least not too often, Sayuri thought Guren had been a little too harsh in telling Yuichiro to forget her orphanage brothers and sisters. She knew Guren especially disliked Mikaela in particular since his expression would always darken whenever Yuichiro mentioned the blond boy or whenever he looked upon her locket for more than a few moments. *2*

But Sayuri knew there was no time to dwell on that. Like Guren said, there were more far more pressing matters at hand.

SSSSSS

"Hey, Mika, it's not good to fall asleep now, you might miss an important announcement."

The blond vampire shot his purple-haired companion a look of annoyance from his seat on the cargo jet. Out of sheer "luck", Lacus had winded up sitting in the seat across from him along with Rene who, ironically, was asleep.

"I'm perfectly awake, thank you" Mika shot back.

Lacus smirked. "Really? In that case, are you aware that the Demon Army may attack us in the districts of Ikebukuro, Shibuya, and Shinjuku?"

"Yes, I heard it all. You might want to tell that to Rene, though."

"No need" the raven-haired vampire spoke up without opening his eyes. "I already knew. Despite what you might think, I do pay attention at briefings."

"Oh, that's good. Saves me a lot of trouble, then." Lacus said coolly as he placed his cheek in his hand.

Much to Mika's relief, the other vampire finally shut his trap and said no more, leaving him to sit out the rest of their trip in silence along with the other vampire soldiers who were lost in their own thoughts.

Which was usually where their next drink of blood was coming from. And when.

Such was the price of being a vampire with superior strength and reflexes to humans. And while he too, craved blood like all the others, Mikaela Hyakuya had a stronger desire to keep it at bay.

And that was to find his long-lost orphanage sister, Yuichiro Hyakuya.

Footnotes:

1. Shinoa takes out her scythe but does not actively participate in male!Yuu's and Kimizuki's fight against demon-possessed Yoichi. In my AU, Shinoa actively assists fem!Yuu by fighting Yoichi so that she could face Kimizuki without fear of being shot.

2. Sayuri was not present during male!Yuu's, Kimizuki's, and Yoichi's test for their cursed gear. For my AU, she is out of concern for fem!Yuu whom she helped Guren raise.