Disclaimer: I do not own Owari no Seraph (Seraph of the End). I write this for your enjoyment only. This story is an alternate re-telling 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 12: The Road to Ebina
November 19, 2020
Outside Shinjuku City Walls
"So where are we going, Shinoa?" Yuichiro asked her squad leader as she helped Yoichi and Kimizuki load their supplies onto an old military truck large enough to accommodate both theirs and Satoshi's squad along with their supplies. To avoid the risk of getting separated from taking two vehicles, everyone agreed that it was best to take only one.
"The lieutenant colonel informed me that we are to meet his squad as well as the rest of the MDC at Ebina rest stop before heading on to Nagoya with them," Shinoa answered before turning to her fellow squad leader, who happened to be looking over his list on things to bring.
Satoshi nodded. "Yeah, I got the order too. It was a bit sudden but not really surprising considering how the circumstances of this war can change anytime."
"Or any war," Daisuke added humorously as he walked up behind his squad leader.
Without turning around, Satoshi asked: "Is that everything, Daisuke?"
"Yes. We should have just about enough food and water for both our squads until we reach Ebina."
"I made sure to bring some blankets, too," Mitsuba called over her shoulder after handing them to Takeshi who was already on the open backseat of the truck. "We probably won't need them since the drive is just a few hours but just in case we find ourselves having to camp out someplace overnight again."
"Wait, did Guren tell you exactly when we had to be at Ebina, Shinoa?" Yuichiro asked curiously as she paused from her task of handing the water gallons over to Kimizuki.
Shinoa shrugged. "He said he expected everyone to be there at 1400 *1* hours, so we've got plenty of time," she answered.
"Well, since it's just past 900 hours *2*, we should be able to make it if we leave within thirty minutes or so," Satoshi said before finally turning to Daisuke when he noticed that the Harada twins were nowhere to be seen. "Hey, where's Risa and Riku?" he demanded.
"They'll be here shortly," the red-haired boy answered. "Riku said she and Risa wanted us to have a hot breakfast-to-go and promised to make it quick so I saw no reason to argue with her."
Satoshi sighed. "I swear, Dai, you indulge the girls a bit too much, especially Riku. I know you're very fond of her, but we can't afford any unnecessary distractions, especially if we're going to make it to Ebina on time." *3*
Daisuke sighed threw his hands up, wishing his squad leader and best friend would loosen up a little.
"Ok, ok, Sato. I'll remind the girls then. Sheesh, lighten up a little, will ya?"
Satoshi was about to rebuke the other boy for his loose tongue when Shinoa cut in.
"Now, now, Satoshi, I agree with Mr. Niwa and the twins. This could be the last hot meal we're going to have for a while, so we may as well take advantage of it. If you haven't experienced living on nothing but field rations for an extended period of time yet, I can tell you that it's no fun."
Knowing that Shinoa was probably right, Satoshi decided to let Daisuke's comment slide, so long as he did not make a habit of it.
"I suppose so, Shinoa. You probably speak from experience, am I right?"
"Yes. I can't tell you how grateful I was to finally have a home-cooked meal after living on field rations the last time I had an away mission that lasted more than two weeks." *4*
"Do you think this assignment in Nagoya will last that long?" Daisuke asked curiously.
Shinoa shrugged. "Hard to say. Missions can be very unpredictable and last anywhere from a few days to a few weeks, even months. We should get the details from the lieutenant colonel once we meet him in Ebina."
Yuichiro frowned at the mention of her guardian. She hadn't spoken to Guren much since her "interview" with Kureto and honestly wasn't looking forward to seeing him again any time soon. But Yuichiro also knew she wouldn't be able to avoid seeing or speaking to Guren forever.
Yoichi, who had become a bit more sensitive to Yuichiro's emotions over the past few weeks, gave his squad mate a look of concern.
"Hey, Yuu, are you alright?" he asked gently while trying to avoid mentioning the man he knew was on her mind.
"I-I'm fine!" Yuichiro stammered as she tried not to let her discomfort show. "If Guren expects us to be at Ebina by 1400 hours, we should be heading out soon."
"We will as soon as Risa and Riku get here," Mitsuba said as she finally boarded the truck to wait for the twins.
"They better not take too long. I'd rather not get chewed out by the lieutenant colonel just for a hot meal," Kimizuki muttered as he pushed his glasses up his nose from the driver's seat.
"I'll go get them!" Mitsuba offered and was about to get off the truck when she saw Shinoa make a gesture for her to sit down again.
"No need, they're here!" she said cheerfully before turning to face the Harada twins who were carrying two large insulated lunch totes each. "Oooh, that smells so good!" Shinoa squealed in excitedly. "What did you two make?"
Risa giggled as she handed her the totes she was carrying.
"We made omelets, bacon and biscuits as well as some freshly squeezed orange juice," she answered. "These two bags should have enough food and drink for your squad while Riku's should have enough for ours."
At the mention of food, Takeshi found his stomach growling and had to refrain from drooling.
"Wow, you girls actually made an editable breakfast this time?" he asked excitedly as he leaned over the rail of the truck slightly. "Way to go! For a minute there, I was actually worried…"
The brunet boy never got to finish his sentence before he felt Mitsuba smack him none-too-gently on the back of his head.
"Hmph!" she snorted, not liking to have a reminder of her own failed attempt at making an omelet. Takeshi yelped in pain and rubbed the back of his head but did not dare to say anything that might anger Mitsuba further.
At the sight, Yuichiro found her face breaking into a grin and laughed merrily. Although the ravenette knew it was impolite and insensitive to find amusement at the expense of her squad mate's mistakes, she was secretly glad to have something to get her mind off of Guren, even for a moment.
Mitsuba, however, didn't quite see it that way. Especially since she got up at the crack of dawn that morning to make or at least attempt to make everybody breakfast alongside Shinoa and the Harada twins.
"Well, I'm glad someone finds this amusing!" she scoffed while crossing her arms and giving Yuichiro a glare that did little to hide her embarrassment over the memory.
"Aww, come on, don't be upset, Mitsu," Yoichi said as he struggled to contain his own laughter. "Everything still worked out, didn't it?"
"True," Shinoa agreed. "Anyway, is everyone ready now? We can eat on the way, but we really should get going if we're going to reach Ebina on time."
"You're right," Satoshi agreed. "I take it Kimizuki will be driving?"
"Yes. He has the most experience of us all so it only makes sense that we let him drive."
"Hey, I have experience too!" Yuichiro insisted as she reached down from her seat on the truck and tapped the pink-haired boy on the shoulder before continuing. "You know, I can drive, Kimizuki. So why not let me do it?"
"Yes, I do but I think it's best if I drive for now. You can sit in front and read the map to me; it would help a lot. If it'll make you feel better, you can drive later when I need to rest," Kimizuki replied, hoping his offer will pacify Yuichiro.
Disappointed but not wanting to argue with Kimizuki and waste time, Yuichiro sighed and accepted.
"Ok, I understand."
"Good, Yuu. Hey, Shinoa! Satoshi! Ready when you are!" the pink-haired boy called out to their squad leaders.
Taking the hint, Shinoa and Satoshi finally gave the order for both squads to board the truck so they could get going.
"Let's go, everyone!" Shinoa said in her usual cheerful manner. "Next stop, Ebina!"
"Right!"
SSSSSS
Tomei Expressway, somewhere between Tokyo and Nagoya
"Hey, Kimizuki, do you know how much longer till we reach Ebina?" Yuichiro asked casually as she set down the map she was reading to her pink-haired squad mate.
"Hard to say," Kimizuki answered. "The map only gives directions, not the time frame for travel. But since we've been on the road for about two hours now, I predict we should get there in about another two. That is, if we don't run into any trouble."
"Hmm…I guess you're right, Kimizuki," Yuichiro sighed as she took a brief moment to look up at the sky from her seat on the passenger side.
Although Yuichiro knew this wasn't going to be a picnic, she had to admit that it was a nice day to go out for a drive. The weather was perfectly warm for a November day and there was not a cloud to obstruct her view of the clear blue sky.
The sky that reminded of her Mikaela's eyes.
Shinoa, ever so curious, could not resist the urge to tease the other girl. For she knew Yuichiro well enough to know that her thoughts were occupied by the handsome blond vampire they saw in Shinjuku whenever she engaged in long periods of silence.
"Hey, Yuu, what's on your mind?" Shinoa asked playfully while ignoring the eye roll she was getting from Mitsuba, who was sitting across from her on the backseat of the truck they and the rest of their companions were seated while Kimizuki and Yuichiro sat up front.
Without turning around, Yuichiro answered: "I was thinking of what a nice day it is. It's perfectly warm and sunny and the sky is so blue that it's easy to forget the world is ruined."
At Yuichiro's answer, Shinoa turned to the Harada twins and winked. Catching on to her drift, Risa giggled.
"Is that all, Yuu?" she teased. "I'm sure you've noticed that the world has been ruined every day for the last eight years."
"And that the sky has always been blue, at least most of the time," Riku added with a grin. "But the sky is not what you're really thinking of, is it?"
Yuichiro scowled. She knew perfectly well what her friends were implying but was determined not to take the bait.
"Never mind that. There are more important things we should be concerned with now."
"Oh, come on, Miss Hyakuya!" Shinoa teased. "You're always so serious! All work and no play makes Yuu a dull girl! I know your duties are important, but you need to learn how to enjoy life too! Oh, I know! While we're on this route, why don't we stop by the Hakone Hot Springs? You have been there, right?" *5*
Yuichiro frowned at the mention of the famed tourist spot back when the world was normal.
"No, I haven't. But my parents have. They often left me at home with my grandmother and later by myself after she passed away to go there."
As soon as they heard Yuichiro's surprising revelation, the other girls ceased their teasing and felt bad for bringing it up. Even Mitsuba was overcome with pity for her rival squad mate.
"Oh…I'm sorry," Shinoa apologized. "I had no idea."
Yuichiro shrugged her shoulders as if the memory no longer bothered her.
"It doesn't matter anymore; my parents are both dead. I don't miss them much since they passed away when I was really young."
Mitsuba frowned as she gave Shinoa a silent look that told her to be more careful with her words around Yuichiro. The boys, on the other hand, knew better than to say anything about the subject and choose to listen silently while looking down at their demon weapons. Kimizuki drove on, listening but not speaking.
Shinoa was about to make an attempt to change the subject when everyone suddenly heard a loud roar coming from some distance ahead of their truck.
Looking past Kimizuki's and Yuichiro's shoulders, everyone in the back saw a single Horseman of John in the distance, running towards them at break-neck speed.
"Shit, a Horseman of John!" Satoshi cursed. "It must have detected our presence and is coming after us!"
"What are we going to do?" Daisuke asked in a panic as he reached for his demon whip.
"I know! Why don't Takeshi and I try shooting it down before it can reach us?" Yoichi suggested before turning to his fellow sniper. "What do you think?"
Takeshi nodded. "Good idea, Saotome! Though that Horseman still looks a bit too far to hit."
"It's all right! At least try to slow it down long enough for us to get away!" Shinoa ordered before turning to Satoshi to seek his approval.
The other squad leader unbuckled his seat-belt and stood up.
"Yes, do as Shinoa says!" he told Yoichi and Takeshi. "But in case it's not enough, I'll take that Horseman down myself!"
As soon as Yuichiro heard that, she unbuckled her own seat-belt before turning to face Satoshi.
"Wait, Sato! I don't think you should take that monster on by yourself while we're moving this fast. Let me help you!"
"Ok, but let's see if Saotome and Saehara can take it down first!"
Yuichiro said nothing but sat back down and pulled Asuramaru onto her lap. Looking ahead, she saw two demon arrows, one green and the other red, fly over her head as Yoichi and Takeshi attempted to shoot the approaching Horseman of John down.
But while both archers were able to hit their target, it was, as she predicted, not enough to immobilize the creature or stop it from running into them head-on from this distance. At best, their arrows slowed it down just a little.
Kimizuki also noticed and broke into a nervous sweat but since he had his hands full with driving the truck, there was nothing the pink-haired boy could do but rely on his squad mates to take care of the problem at hand.
"Shit, it's not stopping!" he cursed. "Yuu! Sato! It looks like we're gonna need you to take care of it after all!"
"Way ahead of you, Kimizuki!" Yuichiro said with a grin as she stood up and withdrew Asuramaru from its sheath before turning to Satoshi. "Ready, Sato?" she asked the blue-haired boy.
Sharing Yuichiro's excitement at the opportunity of a quick thrill, Satoshi returned her grin as he withdrew Krad from its sheath.
"Of course! Ladies first!"
"Just so you two know, I'm not gonna stop or slow down!" Kimizuki warned from his seat in the front without turning around. "I can't risk damaging the vehicle so make sure you get rid of that Horseman quick!"
"That's fine, Kimizuki! There's no need for you to do either anyway!" Yuichiro exclaimed as she turned to Satoshi and nodded her head in the direction of the approaching Horseman of John.
Taking the hint, the blue-haired boy braced himself alongside Yuichiro and followed her as she jumped off the truck and used her enhanced demonic speed to reach the Horseman of John before it could collide with the moving vehicle. Together, both sword fighters were able to destroy it quickly with Yuichiro slicing off the creature's spidery limbs to keep it from moving any further while Satoshi delivered the killing blow by decapitating it.
After destroying the Horseman of John, both Yuichiro and Satoshi used energy waves from their swords to clear the corpse from the road so that the truck carrying the rest of their companions and supplies would not run into it.
"Ok, we're done here, Shinoa!" Yuichiro called out from behind the truck, expecting her to order Kimizuki to slow down and stop so that she and Satoshi can rejoin their squads.
But unfortunately, the purple-haired brat had other plans.
"Don't slow down, Kimizuki! Just keep going!" Shinoa ordered while tapping the pink-haired boy on the shoulder.
"What?" he demanded without turning around.
"Just do it!" she insisted before standing up from her seat and playfully waving at Yuichiro and Satoshi.
"Bye, bye, you two! Meet you at the Ebina rest stop when you get there!" Shinoa laughed while ignoring the glare Mitsuba was giving her as well as the bewildered looks from Yoichi and their other companions from Satoshi's squad.
"What the hell?!" Satoshi exclaimed as he stared after his fellow squad leader in shock while the truck disappeared into the distance.
Yuichiro gritted her teeth. "Don't be surprised, Sato," she growled. "This is probably another one of Shinoa's stupid jokes."
"Is it? Well, I am not laughing!" Satoshi said angrily. "She can't seriously be expecting us to walk the rest of the way to Ebina, can she?!"
Sighing, the ravenette sheathed her sword and gave her blue-haired companion a moment to do the same after he managed to calm down.
"Whether she does or not, it doesn't look like we have a choice. Let's go, Sato," Yuichiro said flatly as she began walking.
Not relishing the idea of a long and tiring walk, the blue-haired boy cursed Shinoa but knew Yuichiro was right.
"Fine," he said. "Let's go, Yuu."
As luck would have it, Yuichiro and Satoshi came upon their other companions an hour later. That was, when Shinoa finally ordered Kimizuki to make a stop on the side of the road to re-fuel the truck from the portable fuel tank they carried out of the city along with their supplies.
"Hey, you two, need a lift?" The purple-haired girl teased when she saw Yuichiro and Satoshi approach.
Neither of Shinoa's victims was in the mood for jokes and glared at her.
"You do know that we're going to be late because of this, do you, Miss Hiragi?" Satoshi demanded.
Unconcerned, the purple-haired girl brushed off her fellow squad leader's words as if they were nothing serious.
"You worry too much, Mr. Hiwatari! Lighten up a little! You're only going to be young once so may as well have fun and enjoy it, right?"
"If we were normal kids living in a normal world, I might agree with you, Shinoa. But in case you haven't noticed, we're soldiers fighting in a war against vampires and your stupid pranks can end up costing us dearly!" Yuichiro spat as she shook an accusing finger at her squad leader.
Shinoa threw her arms up in mock surrender.
"My, so serious, Miss Hyakuya! I swear you grow more like Guren every day!"
Tired of being constantly compared to her guardian and mentor, Yuichiro sighed and finally decided to drop it. As upset as she was over Shinoa's prank, Yuichiro knew that what's done was done and the only thing they could do now was to move on to their destination and hope Guren wouldn't be too upset when, not if, they arrived late.
"Forget it, Shinoa. I don't want to hear it. Let's just finish re-fueling and be on our way ASAP."
Much to Yuu's relief, her squad leader finally ceased her teasing and became serious again.
"Ok, Yuu. Whatever you say."
SSSSSS
"Let me drive, Kimizuki," Yuichiro said quietly as she held out her hand for the car keys when the group boarded the truck again so they can continue their journey.
The pink-haired boy raised a brow and gave his squad mate a look of concern.
"Are you sure? Both you and Satoshi have been walking for a while before you caught up to us. Aren't you tired? I know this is also my fault for going along with our squad leader's idiotic stunt, so I don't mind driving us the rest of the way."
"It's ok, Kimizuki. I need to practice my driving skills anyway" Yuichiro insisted.
Sighing, the pink-haired boy gave in and handed his squad mate the keys.
"Ok, I understand. But promise to let me take over if you're feeling tired, ok?"
"I will."
After being on the road for about an hour in silence, Shinoa decided to try and reconcile with Yuichiro and Satoshi.
"Hey, Yuu, are you still upset? You know I didn't seriously intend to let you and Satoshi walk the rest of the way to Ebina," she apologized to her subordinate whose back was turned to her as she was driving the truck in Kimizuki's place. As for the pink-haired boy, he sat on the passenger side this time to read the map guiding them to their destination.
Satoshi shot her a dirty look. Apparently, Yuichiro wasn't the only one who was still ticked at Shinoa.
"Thanks, Miss Hiragi, that makes us feel so much better!" he said sarcastically.
As a soldier, Yuichiro was no stranger to discomfort and hardship. But that did not mean she appreciated being forced to exert unnecessary energy because her squad leader felt the urge to play a childish prank that would most certainly end up making both squads late to their destination.
"I hope you're ready to answer to Guren for this, Shinoa," the ravenette said without emotion. "As for me, the last thing I need is another lecture from him on punctuality. Especially since we have such an important mission ahead of us!"
Understanding dawned on the purple-haired girl as she realized her subordinate's true concern.
"Is that what you're afraid of? What your guardian will say? Come on, Yuu, it wouldn't be the first time we got chewed out by him; how bad can it be?"
Yuichiro scowled. She and Guren weren't exactly on speaking terms right now and the ravenette tried to avoid any kind of confrontation with her mentor over the last two weeks. But now that it was inevitable they were going to be late because of Shinoa, Yuichiro knew she was going to get an earful from the man when they arrived in Ebina.
"Hey, look," Daisuke cut in. "What's done is done, no point in arguing about it now. Why don't we focus on the mission instead? As I recall, neither you nor Satoshi have filled us in the details; I'm sure the lieutenant colonel must have confided in both of you before we left Shinjuku."
Satoshi sighed and pushed his glasses up his nose. While he was still displeased over Shinoa's prank, he knew there were more important things to worry about.
"You're right, Daisuke," he said. "When the lieutenant colonel called me and Shinoa into his office yesterday, he told us that he got orders from the top brass to lead the entire MDC into Nagoya to eliminate a group of nobles settled there."
"But why?" Yoichi asked.
"Yeah, what's the point of doing that?" Takeshi added.
"Because the vampire nobles are marching their armies from the Kansai region into Nagoya," Shinoa explained. "Considering that we've witnessed their power in Shinjuku firsthand, I'm sure all of you realize what will happen if the nobles make the first move and attack Tokyo."
"It means our army will be wiped out in the blink of an eye," Risa surmised.
"True…" Riku agreed. "Even with all our technological advances, the vamps are still so much stronger than us. The only way we have a chance of taking them down is to catch them by surprise."
"And just how are we going to do that?" Daisuke demanded.
"Simple," Kimizuki answered without lifting his gaze from the map he was reading or turning around. "I assume the lieutenant colonel plans to lure the nobles away from the base one by one so they can be eliminated easier?"
"Correct," Shinoa said. "Accordingly, we are to exterminate the nobles one at a time. And army intelligence pinpoints the location of at least ten of them in Nagoya."
"So basically, we're going to strike before their reinforcements from Kansai arrive and wipe out all the nobles in Nagoya, is that it?" Mitsuba asked.
Shinoa nodded. "Yes, that about sums it up."
"Wait a minute…" Risa began. "How do we know this isn't a trap? The vamps are way smarter than this; don't you think they would be able to see through the lieutenant colonel's plan easily?"
"Well, whether that's the case or not, we have our orders…" Satoshi said dryly. "We'll just have to put our faith in Miss Hyakuya's mentor, isn't that right, Yuu?"
Yuichiro was silent for a moment as if she was unsure on how to answer. Despite his past dishonestly with her, the ravenette knew this dangerous mission was likely not Guren's idea and that he was merely following the orders of his own higher-ups, probably that of the lieutenant general, Kureto Hiragi.
But not knowing what else to say, Yuichiro nodded in agreement before answering:
"Yes, that's right. We're just going to have to trust Guren. All of us."
Footnotes:
1. In military time, 1400 hours translates to two o' clock in the afternoon.
2. 900 hours translates to nine o' clock in the morning.
3. In the anime, DN Angel, Daisuke becomes romantically involved with Riku Harada when he realizes he does not truly love her sister, Risa.
4. In canon, Shinoa actually lived off of microwavable meals as a young child. She only got home-cooked meals whenever she visited Guren, Sayuri and Shigure.
5. In Japan, Hakone is a popular tourist spot noted for its onsen, "hot spring resorts", which attract both Japanese and international visitors due to its proximity to the greater Tokyo metropolis and to Mount Fuji.
