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 4: Remnants of a Lost Lover
November 9, 2020
"Good morning, Miss Hyakuya. You're up bright and early today! And I didn't even have to come drag you out of bed this time," Shinoa joked as she approached Yuichiro who had her back turned to her.
At the sound of her squad leader's voice, Yuichiro turned around and gave her a look of annoyance. They both knew why she was here at such an early hour; Yuichiro was supposed to meet up with Guren so that he could teach her how to use her demon sword to its full power. And to avoid causing unnecessary damage to their surroundings, they agreed to meet atop of an old building outside of JIDA Headquarters.
"And since when did I ever need you to drag me out of bed, Shinoa?"
The purple-haired girl laughed.
"I was just joking, Yuu. But seriously, I'm curious to know what you're looking at? Some cute boy getting dressed somewhere?"
"Why do you always think such dirty thoughts, Shinoa? I was actually looking to the west."
"In the direction of the vampire city? Because that's where Mika is?"
"Correct. Sanguinem is actually underground, beneath Kyoto. But I know exactly where it is. After all, I spent nearly five years of my life there."
"Wow, I'm impressed, Yuu! You must have incredible vision to be able to see Kyoto all the way from Shinjuku!" Shinoa teased and she placed her hand above her eyes in a gesture similar to a military salute and gazed in the direction her friend had been previously.
Yuichiro rolled her eyes at the other girl's joke.
"Well, no, I can't actually see it with my eyes. But I can envision it within my mind. I know Mika is there and I'll definitely get him back!"
"Because he's your brother, right?"
Yuichiro smiled. "That's right! And when I'm busting Mika out of there, you're gonna help me!" the ravenette said excitedly as she pointed a finger at her squad leader.
"Oh, do I really have to?" Shinoa pouted in a sing-song tone.
"Of course you do! We're friends, aren't we?"
"But not too long ago, you said you didn't really need any friends if I heard you right," the purple-haired girl teased.
Yuichiro scratched her head, slightly embarrassed that her squad leader remembered her reluctance to make new friends not too long ago.
"Yes, you did, Shinoa. But even I have to admit that it would be a bit difficult for me to rescue Mika by myself," she confessed.
Shinoa laughed. "I'm just kidding, Yuu. Of course, I'll help rescue your brother; we all will. But before you even think about storming Sanguinem, you need to learn how to use your cursed gear properly or you won't last long."
"Yeah, I know. Guren said the same thing," Yuichiro agreed as she looked around for a sign of her guardian before frowning when she saw he was nowhere in sight. "Dammit, what could be taking him so long? He was the one who told me to come here early. And the baka has the nerve to complain when I'm late for anything!"
"Well, I was told that there was a late officer's meeting last night so that's probably why your guardian is running late. He's normally quite punctual."
"I know. But since Guren's not here, do you think we can get a head start without him? You've been in the MDC longer than I have. So surely you must know how to use your cursed gear to its full potential."
"You're right, I do. And I can teach you in Guren's place if you want. From what I've seen so far, you've done a pretty good job at fighting the bloodsuckers even with only partial knowledge of your demon sword's power. That's quite an impressive feat. But I agree with your mentor that you're going to have to do better than that if you want to get your brother back. You'll have to learn demon materialization or possession if you want to increase your power."
"Ok, Shinoa, so what exactly is demon materialization and possession and how does it work?" Yuichiro asked as she withdrew Asuramaru from its sheath and turned the blade up and down.
Though she knew Guren was supposed to be doing this, Shinoa took it upon herself to show her subordinate the basics of how to summon her demon to the human world so she can make full use of its power.
"It's precisely as it sounds, Yuu. But if you need a more thorough explanation, it's a state in which you let your contracted demon come out so you can use its special power," Shinoa explained patiently. "I don't want to bore you with a long explanation so I think it would be easier to just show you. Watch…"
Yuichiro nodded and watched as her squad leader took what appeared to be a small black wand the length of a chopstick out of her jacket pocket and twirled it around in her fingers. To Yuichiro's amazement and wonder, Shinoa's wand became longer and larger until it reshaped itself into the scythe she used in battle.
And the scythe wasn't alone; it was accompanied by a dark, smoky, amorphous creature with a wide mouth, long fangs, and a pair of jagged horns that curved behind its head. Within the creature's mouth was a glowing eye-like orb as well.
"May I present to you my demon contractor, Shikama Doji, or Shi-chan, as I like to call her!", Shinoa proudly announced as she smiled cheerfully.
Yuichiro stared at the demon her squad leader had introduced casually as if it was a normal human. While the creature stared back at her just as curiously with its glowing "eye," it did not make a sound.
"So this is materialization? Your demon is not very sociable, is she? And how do you even know if it's a 'she'?"
Shinoa laughed. "That's because demons can't talk in the outside world; they can only speak to their human contractors through their thoughts and dreams."
"So basically, through telepathy, correct? Is that how you know your demon is female? Because she told you?"
"Correct," Shinoa answered. "Assuming she's telling the truth, that is."
"Curious, but your demon doesn't look anything like mine."
"Of course not, Yuu. Not all demons are humanoid and they come in all shapes and sizes too. Some may look human, others may look more like animals, or a huge cloud of smoke like mine. Some can also go between the real world, and the world of their human contractor's mind. There are even some that can take a human and non-human form." *1*
"I see. So does that mean I can make Asuramaru materialize out in the open like that too?" Yuu asked curiously.
Before Shinoa could answer, they both heard a male voice cut in.
"That would depend on your contracted demon's nature."
Turning, both girls saw the man they had been waiting for since they arrived at the rooftop of the old building casually strolling in on them.
Not knowing or caring why her mentor was late, Yuichiro went straight to the point.
"Can you please clarify, sir?"
"Of course," Guren said before continuing. "Whether or not your demon can manifest in the human world depends on if it's the type to take hold of the wielder to make them stronger or the type to use its special ability once it comes out. For example, my sword is the former, the possession type."
"Interesting…" Yuu said. "How do I know which type my demon is? Should I ask him?"
Guren smirked as he unsheathed his own sword.
"No need. I know a faster way to find out. Take out your sword and try to activate the curse, Yuu. I'll do the same."
"Oh, are we going to cross swords again?" Yuichiro asked excitedly as she pointed Asuramaru in Guren's direction. "Sweet! This is just what I need to start my morning!"
Although she said nothing, Shinoa could tell by her friend's tone that she was still displeased with her guardian for his deception as well as tardiness. And from the look on Guren's face, he knew it too.
But now was not the time to bring either topic up.
"Don't order your latte just yet, Yuu..." the older man warned softly before stretching his sword arm to the side and calling for his demon contractor.
"Possess me, Mahiru…" he said softly.
Upon hearing the familiar name, both Yuichiro and Shinoa gasped when they saw a shadow in the shape of a young woman with glowing red eyes appear besides Guren, gripping his shoulders from behind. That one moment the ravenette faltered was all her guardian needed before he sent a wave of dark energy her way, knocking Yuichiro off her feet and onto her back several yards away.
"Yuu!" Shinoa cried as she made her demon and scythe vanish before rushing to her friend's aid.
"Wh..what was that?" Yuichiro gasped as she sat up on her knees and clutched the front of her uniform. To say that her mentor's demon gave her bad vibes was an understatement.
Shinoa, on the other hand, had her own questions, but they had to wait until after she helped her friend back on her feet.
"Yuichiro… I really think you should stop now; you're still weak from what happened in Shinjuku and I don't want you to overexert yourself."
"But…"
"No buts, Yuu! You still have plenty of time to learn demon possession and I can also teach you how to do it; Guren isn't the only one who knows. Right now, the most important thing is to wait until you're a hundred percent better before we proceed with your training any further."
Upon seeing the pleading look of concern in her squad leader's eyes, Yuichiro sighed and relented.
"Fine…" she said. "We'll do it another day."
Relieved that Yuichiro wasn't going to argue with her on the subject further, Shinoa said:
"Good. I'm guessing you haven't had breakfast yet since you were in such a hurry to get here this morning. Why don't you go to the mess hall and order us some? I'll catch up with you later; I just need to talk to Guren alone for a minute."
"Ok… see you in a bit then."
Guren watched in silence as Shinoa gently helped Yuichiro dust off and straighten out the creases on her uniform from her fall before she finally left. After Shinoa was sure the other girl was gone and out of earshot, she suddenly summoned her demon weapon once again while giving Guren a less-than pleasant look.
"Shi-chan, please kill him!" Shinoa ordered politely.
Shikama Doji moved to obey but, being the more experienced demon wielder and fighter that he was, Guren easily deflected Shinoa's attack with the dark energy of his own sword.
But the purple-haired girl wasn't easily deterred and used the cover of the smoke her demon provided to slip behind Guren and place the blade of her scythe over his throat.
Instead of being intimidated, the older man merely looked at Shinoa with an expression of indifference.
"Well, what are you waiting for, Miss Hiragi? If you're going to kill me, then just do it," he said simply.
"Don't mock me," Shinoa said coldly, her cheerful demeanor gone and replaced with one of seriousness. "I know you can easily dodge my attack if you wanted."
Knowing that the younger girl was absolutely right, Guren did not try to deny her assertion.
"You're right, Shinoa. But in all honesty, I wouldn't mind having you take my life."
Shinoa laughed bitterly. "Ha! You mean as atonement for killing my sister, Mahiru? How stupid do you think I am? I heard you calling out her name just now so she's really not dead, is she?"
"No, you are wrong about that, Shinoa. Your sister is dead. Dead and gone. She perished after completing the development of the cursed gear and won't be coming back. It was her sacrifice that preserved what is left of humanity," Guren said matter-of-factually.
"Oh, but that's not all there is to the story, is it?" Shinoa challenged. "You see, my sister was never one to care about the world. She just wanted to be with you, that's all. Mahiru loved and longed for you like no other. But fate wouldn't let you two be together so she tried to fight it by becoming involved with demons. In fact, my sister was so obsessed with her research that she became a demon herself and met her demise. And the hand that finally destroyed her was that of her lover, you, Guren Ichinose. Am I correct?"
The lieutenant colonel was silent for a moment before finally answering.
"You're more perceptive than you let on, Shinoa; you are indeed Mahiru's little sister."
"Never mind that…" the younger girl said impatiently. "I'm right, aren't I? My sister isn't really dead, is she? She lives on inside that sword as your demon contractor, I know it. So is that why you've been experimenting on Yuu? Because Mahiru is telling you to? Are you possessed by her? What are your plans for Yuu? And should the time come, will you sacrifice her just like you sacrificed my sister? Because if that's the case, I must insist that you cease immediately."
Instead of answering Shinoa's questions, Guren responded with ones of his own.
"Oh, and why do my plans for Yuichiro concern you so much, Miss Hiragi? Could it be because you still have those same lingering feelings for her that you did when you thought she was a boy? Or is because you see her as replacement of sorts for your real sister?"
"Neither," Shinoa answered smoothly as she pulled her scythe behind her back before making it vanish. "All I'm saying is that if you're using Yuu because Mahiru told you to, I will put a stop to it myself one way or another."
At the accusation, Guren pointed the dark blade of his sword at Shinoa and sneered.
"Because Mahiru told me to? Don't look down on me like that, Shinoa. I'm not so weak as to let myself be possessed by a demon, even if she is your sister and my ex-lover. Yes, if you must know, Mahiru does live on inside this sword. But I am the one who's in control; I'm not possessed by her."
"Oh really? Would you even know if you were? What if I said I didn't believe you?"
"Well, that's your problem," the older man said coldly as he sheathed his sword and started to walk away. Before he finally left the building rooftop, Guren turned back to Shinoa.
"This is the only time I'll ever have this discussion with you, Shinoa. You may be displeased with me but I suggest you not bring up your sister with Yuichiro if you really care about her feelings."
"Even if I say nothing, do you really think she won't find out sooner or later?" the purple-haired girl challenged.
"Then I'll deal with it when and if the time comes. Good day, Miss Hiragi," Guren replied before turning and leaving Shinoa without another word.
SSSSSS
So thirsty… need blood… Mikaela thought tiredly as he staggered down the streets of downtown Sanguinem while ignoring the curious glances the young livestock children were sending his way until he manage to find a hidden alley between two old buildings.
When the blond was sure he was out of sight and earshot, he finally allowed himself to lean against the wall and slowly slid to the floor while clutching the front of his vampire guard uniform and panting heavily.
Krul will see me tonight… I just have to hold out until then… Mika thought as he tried to steady his breathing.
As if reading his mind, the blond heard a familiar (and unwelcomed voice) calling out for him.
"You know, Mika, you really should stop fighting your thirst and start drinking human blood. Don't you want to be young and beautiful forever? And why suffer needlessly when you don't have to?"
Looking up, the blond saw the last person he wanted to see, especially at a time like this.
"What…do…you…want, Ferid?" Mika hissed softly while trying to hide how painfully thirsty he was.
"Now is that any way to talk to your concerned commander?" the silver-haired vampire lord teased. "I've been looking for you all morning because I'm worried about you."
Before Mika could tell Ferid that he didn't need or want his concern or pity, they both heard a child's voice cut in.
"Excuse me…"
Turning, both Mika and Ferid saw a young brunet boy who appeared no older than ten years of age, approach them. Like all the other children in Sanguinem, he was dressed in a white livestock uniform.
Putting on his most charming and polite smile, Ferid said:
"Yes? What is it, child?"
Trying his best not to look intimidated, the boy cleared this throat and answered.
"I was told that if I offered my blood to you, you would make life easier for me and my brothers and sisters."
Ferid raised a brow and feigned ignorance.
"Really? Now who told you that? Was it you, Mika?" he asked as he turned to the younger vampire.
Instead of answering, Mikaela shook his head fiercely. Not that it mattered to his ex-benefactor.
Seeing a chance to finally break the blond, Ferid suddenly grabbed the boy by the throat and lifted him into the air, causing him to gag.
Forgetting his thirst for a moment, Mika jumped up and grabbed the older vampire's wrist in an attempt to make him free the boy before he choked to death in Ferid's ironclad grip.
"Stop, what do you think you're doing?!" Mika demanded.
"Why, I'm doing you a favor, Mika!" Ferid answered in mock innocence as he used one of his talons to prick the boy's skin from his neck. "Go on, drink his blood and I promise you'll feel a lot better!"
Mikaela shook his head again, refusing to take the bait.
"I refuse! You know it goes against the law of our queen to drink directly from humans, Ferid. Now let the boy go!"
The older vampire gave him an incredulous look before sighing and finally releasing the boy. Both of them knew Mika could make Ferid do nothing against his will. But it would not look good for the vampire lord if a certain adopted son of Queen Krul decided to rat him out for breaking one of the strictest laws of the vampire city.
"Tsk, you're such a goody two shoes, Mika! Kind of ironic when you think of our colorful history together. Or is it really because you're afraid of what your darling Yuu-chan will think?"
Ignoring Ferid, Mikaela gently helped the young boy to his feet. Watching Ferid drop him to the cold ground reminded Mika of the time Yuu tried to save him from having his blood drawn by the harvesting machine when he was already so drained from "donating" blood to Ferid the night before.
As a result, she was nearly strangled by the vampire worker handling the machine before their benefactor had arrived and saved both their lives.
"Are you all right, child?" Mika asked gently.
Surprised that a vampire would show any concern for his well-being, the boy stared at Mika in astonishment.
"Yeah, I think so," he answered after he had finished coughing.
"Good…" Mika said. "You'd best get out of here, quick. And don't ever offer your blood to any vampire again. Especially him. Not if you don't want to end up like me. Now, go."
Taking the hint, the boy gulped and ran off without another word. After he was gone and out of earshot, Mika turned to glare at Ferid once more.
"All right, Ferid, what do you really want? You didn't come here just to ask me to drink human blood."
"You're right, I didn't," the older vampire confessed. "I actually came here to ask you to come to the next progenitor council meeting with me."
Mika was puzzled. "The progenitor council? What could they possibly want with me?" he demanded.
"Well, I don't want to spoil the surprise, my dear Mika. It would be so much more fun if you see for yourself."
Not waiting to see if the younger vampire would follow, Ferid turned and walked away, all while whistling a happy tune.
After his unwanted visitor was gone, Mika finally allowed himself to lean against the wall once more. As if his thirst wasn't bad enough, he also ended up exerting even more energy trying to save a human child from Ferid. Which was the last thing he needed.
"It's so painful, my love…" the blond gasped. "But I'll bear it. For you…"
Footnotes:
1. In the LNs, Shinoa's demon Shikama Doji is described as having a humanoid appearance when they communicate in her mind. It has been hinted and suggested in the series that demons are capable of taking both human and animal/monster forms though some may be restricted to one or the other.
