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 3: Where Loyalties Lie, Part II

"Yoichi! Kimizuki!" Yuichiro cried as she ran up to the glass and placed her palms on the flat surface. So far, both her squad mates looked unhurt despite being strapped tightly to the chairs and gagged to keep them quiet.

Turning around, Yuichiro glared at Kureto.

"What's the meaning of this? Why get my squad mates involved? What do you plan on doing with them?" she demanded.

The older man smirked. "If you answer my questions truthfully, nothing. If not…"

Turning to Aoi, Kureto nodded and Yuichiro watched as the older woman flipped a switch on a nearby wall which prompted an instant reaction from Yoichi and Kimizuki on the other side. Though neither boy showed any signs of being in real pain, both were clearly uncomfortable with the electric charges from the chairs they were sitting on. It wasn't hard for Yuichiro to figure out Kureto's plans for Yoichi and Kimizuki if she chose to defy him.

As if reading her mind, the lieutenant general continued.

"Good that you understand, Miss Hyakuya. I was told that you know your American history quite well so surely you must also know what those chairs are capable of. Though they were originally used to execute criminals in the west, they can also be quite effective at torture if modified correctly. So I suggest you not try anything funny if you don't want to see your friends fry."

Holding up what appeared to be a file of papers in his hand, Kureto continued.

"When issuing Black Demon Series weapons, we investigate the background of potential wielders very thoroughly. However, when we searched your records, we found very little on you, Miss Hyakuya. Even more peculiar, all your legal documents identify you as male, including your birth certificate. But from what I can see, you are clearly not. So how did you manage to obtain a Black Demon Series weapon in such a short time? And how did your friends as well since we didn't find much on them either? Who are you really? Where did you come from, and what is your mission here?"

Yuichiro hesitated as if she wasn't sure on how to answer the lieutenant general's barrage of questions.

"Mission? I don't understand what you mean, sir!" she answered in a strained voice while trying her best not to panic.

Unfortunately, Kureto took Yuichiro's reply as a sign of defiance. Turning to Aoi again, he nodded.

Without saying a word, the blonde woman increased the frequency on the chairs which resulted in Yoichi and Kimizuki crying out in muffled pain through their gags in the room next door. Knowing that the boys would be cooked alive if this continued any longer, Yuichiro turned back to Kureto.

"Stop! It would be pointless for you to kill two perfectly good soldiers for nothing since I can't tell you what I don't know!" she cried.

"Then tell me what you do know and I promise your friends won't suffer anymore, Miss Hyakuya," the older man replied calmly.

"Tsk, fine!"

As soon as he knew he had Yuichiro's full cooperation, Kureto gave the order to turn off the chairs.

"Aoi, that will be all."

The blonde woman obeyed and once the chairs were off, Kimizuki and Yoichi panted in relief. Both boys were sweaty but otherwise did not appear seriously hurt. And as relieved as Yuichiro was, she knew Kureto could change his mind about frying her squad mates alive anytime if he didn't like what she told him.

"Now let's continue, shall we?" the lieutenant general said casually as if he were interviewing Yuichiro for an office job instead of threatening to torture her friends further if he didn't get the answers he wanted.

"According to your records, you were held prisoner in the vampire city from the time you were eight years old until you were twelve before escaping. At that time, your family was murdered by a vampire and you have vowed to take revenge by destroying all of them. Is that right?"

"Yes, that's right."

"Good. After that, you were rescued, taken in, and raised by Guren Ichinose as his ward. The question is, why? Why did he save you? What exactly are you to him, Miss Hyakuya?"

Yuichiro's breath hitched in her throat at Kureto's unexpected inquiry. Although a bit intrusive, the ravenette had to admit that it was a fair question because in all the years she had lived under Guren's protection, Yuichiro never once thought to ask him why he saved her or what she meant to him.

Unfortunately, that didn't stop one arrogant and audacious bastard from coming to his own conclusion.

"Oh, I get it!" Seishiro snickered. "You're his little plaything!"

Yuichiro clenched her teeth and her cheeks burned with humiliation at the outrageous implication as she glared at Seishiro and her hand quickly flew to the hilt of her sword, a scathing reply about to pass her lips, but to her surprise, Kureto quickly beat her to it.

"That's enough, Seishiro!" he said sharply as he made a gesture to silence his ill-mannered brother before turning back to Yuichiro, his cold and calculating expression now one of genuine curiosity.

"Is that true?" he asked. "I'll admit, girl, you aren't bad to look at…"

Yuichiro blinked in confusion at the lieutenant general's words as if she was unsure whether to be flattered or insulted. But the ravenette supposed that coming from someone like Kureto Hiragi, it was probably a complement. So she said nothing and allowed him to continue.

"But you seem a little young for Guren's tastes. And you look nothing like Mahiru."

A dozen questions raced through Kureto's mind at Yuichiro's suggested relationship with Guren that he did not think was a possibility until now. Staring at the younger girl in wonder, Kureto could not help thinking: how Guren managed to keep this little gem a secret from him?

Forgetting her anger towards Seishiro, Yuichiro stared at Kureto in confusion.

"What? Who's Mahiru?"

Kureto brushed her question off. "Never mind that…" he said coldly before changing the subject again.

"As for your last name, Hyakuya, is it really your family name or are you of the Hyakuya sect?"

"No, my family name was Amane. Hyakuya was just the name of the orphanage where I lived with my brothers and sisters." *1*

"Then are you aware that the Hyakuya Sect is the largest spell craft organization in Japan? They routinely collect orphan children and used them for human experimentation and to test out new forms of magic. You and your siblings were likely lab rats used in their secret experiments. I understand now, this is starting to make much more sense; Guren must likely be trying to use something the Hyakuya Sect put inside of you, girl."

"Nii-san…" Shinya interrupted. "You didn't bring Miss Hyakuya here to see if she was really a spy of the vampires, did you? It's actually Guren you suspect, not her."

Ignoring his brother, Kureto attempted to confirm what he had just told Yuichiro but the younger girl's expression told him that she had no idea what he was talking about.

"I see… the look on your face tells me you really don't know anything. That actually comes as no surprise since it's just like Guren to keep his guinea pigs in the dark. But enough of that; how about you come work for me instead, young lady? Let me be your guide and I promise I'll help you find the answers you seek," the lieutenant general offered as he held out his hand for Yuichiro.

The ravenette did not answer right away but instead gave Kureto a dirty look.

"After what you just did? Why should I trust you? I kept my end of the bargain and told you what I know. So I think it's about time you do the same, sir. I want you to release Yoichi and Kimizuki at once!"

The older man's brown eyes glittered dangerously at her audacious demand and for a moment, Yuichiro thought he might attack her before Kureto suddenly burst into laughter.

"You're very charming, Miss Hyakuya!" he exclaimed. "Spirited too, I like that in a woman! So I choose not to be insulted no matter how rude you are."

Turning to Aoi, Kureto finally gave the order he promised Yuu.

"Release the boys; we're done here."

"Yes, sir," the blonde woman replied as she pushed a button on a nearby intercom and called for some guards to undo the restraints binding Yoichi and Kimizuki to the electric chairs in the other room.

After the boys were released, Yuichiro turned back to the glass and did a cursory examination of them to make sure they weren't seriously hurt. As if reading the younger girl's mind, Kureto said from behind her.

"Don't worry about them. Since they're both Black Demon wielders, their injuries will heal quickly."

"Oh, and that makes everything just fine and dandy now, doesn't it, sir?" Yuichiro sneered as she spun around to glare at the lieutenant general. "I don't know what's going on between you and Guren but at least he wouldn't stoop to such despicable acts as this."

Kureto laughed. "I know; that's why I'm always a step ahead of him. In any case, your choice was the correct one; if you had taken my hand just like that, I might have killed you. After all, any man or woman who is so quick to betray their friends is of no use to anyone. That will be all, Miss Hyakuya. You and your friends can go home now, good day."

And without another word, Kureto, Seishiro, and Aoi left the room. Only Shinya stayed behind. When Yuichiro noticed that he didn't leave like all the others, she turned to him with a none-too-pleased look.

"What the hell was that all about, Shinya?" she demanded.

The major general frowned and shook his head.

"Honestly, I'm not sure, Yuu. By the way, I apologize for being a bit rough with you back there but I had to put on a convincing act for my brothers that I didn't know you. For both my protection and yours."

Yuichiro sighed. "It's all right, Shinya, I don't care about that. If I was afraid of being hurt, I would have never joined the Demon Army and I'm sure you wouldn't have either."

"True…" the older man agreed. "Anyway, I think you should get going now, Yuu. Even though your friends weren't seriously hurt, I'm sure they'll appreciate your help getting out of here; the sooner the better."

"Yes, you're right…" Yuichiro agreed. "Anyway, I'll talk to you again later, Shinya. Have a good day."

"You too, Yuichiro…" he replied as he watched her leave.

As soon as the younger girl was gone, Shinya's smile grew into a sad frown. After what she had just heard and experienced today, he knew it was inevitable that Yuichiro would confront Guren about it and feared she would be crushed when her guardian confirmed Kureto's words as the truth.

But unfortunately, there was nothing Shinya himself could do about it, regardless of how much he may care for both Guren and Yuichiro. He knew it was something they were just going to have to work out on their own.

"Good luck, you two…" he muttered. "You'll both definitely need it."

SSSSSS

"I'm telling you, Shinoa, Yuichiro is in love with that blond vampire!" Mitsuba Sangu, who loved juicy gossip, insisted to her squad leader who was sitting on the stone bench next to her as they waited for their raven-haired squad mate to finish her interview.

Shinoa laughed. "Well, can you blame her? As much as you hate vampires, even you have to admit that boy was quite a looker!"

Before Mitsuba could reply, they both heard the sound of footsteps and she and Shinoa looked up to see the girl in question walk out of the building with Yoichi and Kimizuki limping behind her. Though neither boy had a scratch on them, their bodies were obviously shaken up from being strapped to electric chairs and tortured by voltage. As the more fragile of the two, Yoichi leaned on Yuichiro for support while Kimizuki, who was far more robust, managed to walk on his own.

Startled, Mitsuba quickly got up and ran over to them with Shinoa following suit.

"Oh, my god, what happened!?" she cried.

Yuichiro gritted her teeth and snarled.

"That interview was total bullshit! The Hiragis…" she trailed off as soon as she saw her guardian enter the courtyard. Before Mitsuba could ask what Yuu meant, her squad mate furiously stormed over to Guren and demanded answers.

"Guren, you better start explaining yourself!" she snarled.

The lieutenant colonel hitched his breath slightly as if he were expecting this and allowed his ward to continue.

"Kureto said that I, as well as the rest of my brothers and sisters at the Hyakuya orphanage, was experimented on like guinea pigs by some shady-ass sect or cult practicing spell craft. Was he right when he said you saved me because you wanted to use me!?"

After a moment of silence, Guren sighed and said: "Yes, he is correct. I don't exactly have the luxury of saving anyone who doesn't serve a higher purpose. So what? Are you going to start sulking now?"

As hurtful as her guardian's words were, Yuichiro was too proud to let her disappointment and sadness show on her face. Forcing herself to calm down, the ravenette shook her head.

"No… regardless of your reasons, I would have died if you had not found me. But that's in the past. What matters now is if I can be useful in our fight against the vampires and… if I can get Mika back." As upset and disappointed as she was with Guren, Yuichiro knew she still needed him. And from the look on the older man's face, he knew it too.

"Like I've said before, everyone here is your family, including me; we'll work together to get your brother back. And as I've promised, I will teach you how to use Asuramaru to its full power," Guren said gently as if he were attempting to pacify and appease his ward.

Guren always knew that he would have to tell Yuu the truth eventually, but never wanted her to find out this way. Though Guren wasn't exactly sure what Kureto said to upset Yuichiro, he did know that his superior had an unfortunate talent for twisting words to suit his agenda and wasn't above lying or manipulation to gain other people's trust and loyalty.

Only this time, Kureto wasn't lying and they both knew it. However, he was wrong about one thing: Yuichiro was not just a weapon to Guren. Although the lieutenant colonel would never admit it, he did care for the girl and it made him proud when others praised her beauty and spirit as well as her intelligence and skill with the sword that was the result of his intense training.

Turning to Shinoa and Mitsuba, Guren said: "Take Yuichiro back to the women's dormitory until you are all summoned to the mess hall for dinner. The doctor has not yet given his approval for her to be up and about. As for Yoichi and Kimizuki, I want you two to check into the medical bay as soon as possible to make sure you are healing properly. Understood?"

Although they still had many unanswered questions, the squad felt it best to obey their superior's orders without further ado; everyone knew they will have plenty of time to think about what he said later.

"Yes sir," they answered in unison.

SSSSSS

Later that night after the other soldiers had their dinner and retired to their dorms for the evening, Yuichiro found herself unable to sleep. Sitting up in her bed with only the moonlight shining through her window to illuminate her room, the girl hugged a pillow tightly to her chest as she thought about the events of the day as well as everything she had learned.

Her guardian had told her not to trust the Hiragis, but how did she know if Guren himself was any more trustworthy? Was Kureto right when he claimed that Guren valued Yuichiro only as far as she was useful to him? Did Guren really see her as nothing more than a belonging, no different than the sword he wore around his belt?

Though Yuichiro desperately wanted to believe in his words, she had to acknowledge the fact that her mentor had not always been honest with her about his intentions. Perhaps Mikaela was right; perhaps the humans were just using her and nothing Guren had ever done for her, given her, was intended to be free. Not his protection nor his guidance.

And certainly, not his love.

Despite herself, Yuichiro found her eyes misting with tears.

Why? She thought. Why do I care so much what Guren thinks of me or if I actually mean anything to him?

Knowing that she wasn't going to find her answers tonight, Yuichiro prepared to turn in when she heard a soft knock at her door. Curious to see who would pay her a visit at such a late hour, she went to her door and asked:

"Who is it?"

"It's us, Shinoa and Mitsuba!" the purple-haired girl called from the other side. Wondering what her squad mates wanted with her, Yuichiro opened the door and beckoned for them to enter.

"Yes, what can I do for you?" she asked as soon as Shinoa and Mitsuba were inside. As if in answer, Mitsuba revealed what she had been hiding behind her back: a plate with a slice of chocolate cake, Yuichiro's favorite dessert.

Shinoa smiled and said, "We thought you might still be awake, so we've brought you this dessert to cheer you up."

Yuichiro laughed softly as she took the plate Mitsuba offered, picked up the fork next to the cake, and started digging in.

"Aww, thanks but you didn't have to!"

"It's ok, we wanted to," the blonde girl insisted. "We know it's been a rough day for you so it's the least we can do. The Harada twins were disappointed that you couldn't join us for lunch today, but we told them that you weren't feeling well. They understood."

"I understand but it really wasn't necessary. I'm a big girl, I can take it."

Shinoa frowned and shook her head.

"No, it's not good to hold your feelings in like that, Yuu. We're your friends and we want you to know that we're here for you no matter what and if there's anything you want to talk about, you can always come to us."

"Oh…well, thank you. That means a lot to me."

"Yuu, are you still thinking about what the lieutenant colonel said?" Mitsuba asked, a look of concern crossing her delicate features.

When Yuichiro hesitated to answer, Shinoa gently touched her arm.

"Listen, I know Guren is a bit rough around the edges and though he has a funny way of showing it, he truly does care about you."

"I really wish I can believe that, Shinoa, but I can't ignore what I learned from Kureto today."

"Look, I know what my big brother told you might be disturbing, but don't believe everything he says. He and Guren have been rivals engaged in a battle of wits for as long as I can remember. And I'm sure nii-san would say anything to turn you against him whether it's the truth, a half-truth, or an out-right lie. He's my own brother and even I don't trust him so neither should you."

"Does he have any reason to lie?"

"Considering how much he seems to dislike the lieutenant colonel, I'd say yes," Mitsuba answered. "It wouldn't surprise me if Kureto tried to turn you against Guren just to spite him." *2*

Yuichiro was silent a moment as she considered Mitsuba's words. What the blonde girl said did make sense though she could not shake that fact that there was at least some truth in what the lieutenant general claimed about her guardian.

"You know…" Shinoa began as she tried to change the subject.

"Yes?"

"I don't know if you've ever noticed, but you're actually the envy of nearly every young girl in the Demon Army."

"And why is that?" Yuu asked curiously.

"Well, do you know how many young ladies have their eyes on your guardian? And notices how he showers you with attention and affection while never even paying them any heed?"

Now that Yuichiro thought about it, she was never really able to make friends with other girls in the Demon Army or at school. Except for Shinoa, Mitsuba, Risa, and Riku, they've always looked upon her with contempt and Yuu had been so obsessed with exterminating vampires, she never thought much about it until now.

"Well, if they knew how difficult Guren is to deal with sometimes, they probably wouldn't envy me so much," Yuu snorted.

Though it was true that her guardian was handsome, brave, and intelligent as well as a gifted commander, he could also be insufferable at times with his snide comments and cocky attitude.

He was also a man whose contradictory actions often confused Yuichiro. Guren had trained her just as hard as he would have if she was a boy, expecting her to practice the sword skills he taught her to perfection while at the same time, doing everything he could to keep her off the battlefield as much as possible, either because he didn't want her to get hurt or didn't have enough faith in her ability to fight. With him, Yuichiro could never tell.

"I know Guren can be difficult. And sometimes his words can be misleading. But as long as I've known him, he's never betrayed his comrades and I don't think he's about to start now," Shinoa said gently.

"One thing we do know for sure is that you can trust Guren more than any of the Hiragi top dogs, except for Shinya," Mitsuba assured.

Yuichiro looked down at her plate with the chocolate cake nearly gone.

"I see."

"Right. Well, it's late and we better get going," Shinoa said as she gently took Mitsuba by the arm to escort her out. "We just wanted to check up on you and help you feel better."

Yuichiro smiled as she put the last piece of the cake into her mouth.

"I do. And thank you for the cake; I really appreciate it."

"You're welcome, Yuu. Good night and sleep well," Mitsuba said as she made a gesture for Yuu to return the empty plate to her.

After Yuu handed it over, she bid both her friends good night. When they left, Yuichiro was finally able to fall asleep soon after crawling into bed, and, with better peace of mind too.

Maybe I am lucky… lucky to have such friends… the ravenette thought before sleep claimed her.

Footnotes:

1. In canon, it is implied that male!Yuu does not remember his original surname or much of his parents except that they tried to kill him. Fem!Yuu does remember her parents better as well as her original surname.

2. In the LNs, Kureto is hinted to actually be quite fond of Guren as he promotes him in the military under his power and protects him from the wrath of the other Hiragis. For my AU, Shinoa and Mitsuba is not aware of this and assume Kureto and Guren greatly dislike each other.