Disclaimer: I do not own Owari no Seraph (Seraph of the End). I write this for your enjoyment only. This fic 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 16: The Pain of Bloodthirst
November 20, 2020
A run-down neighborhood somewhere in the Nagoya prefecture
Mikaela took a deep breath as he tried his best to ignore the dryness in his throat while he walked down the empty street. He was in a run-down neighborhood with rows of abandoned houses to either side. *1* Before leaving Sanguinem, Mika, Lacus, and Rene were given orders by Queen Krul to capture any humans they found on the way to Nagoya and now here he was.
For some reason, the surroundings reminded Mika of when he was still living in Sanguinem with Yuichiro, Akane, and the rest of their brothers and sisters. In the underground city where the only way to tell night from day was by the dimming of the lights, Mika had managed to time his trips to Ferid's mansion and back carefully with a pocket watch his then-benefactor had given him. Even now, Mikaela still carried it on him to ensure that he drank a vial of Krul's blood three to four times a day in a timely manner to control his thirst.
Considering how much vampires craved blood, most would drink at any and every chance they got. And if Mikaela weren't so desperate to hold onto what was left of his humanity before he found Yuichiro, he might have given in and joined them as well. However, every time the blond was tempted to do so, he would recall how he and his orphanage sister would cringe every time they had their blood drawn at the "blood farms" back in Sanguinem. In Mikaela's case, he was also trading his blood illegally for favors to a silver-haired vampire lord who would later become the bane of his existence.
And thanks to Ferid Bathory as well as his own naiveté and foolishness, Mikaela Hyakuya ended up becoming the very thing he (and Yuichiro) hated most: a vampire. Not only that, Mika's mistake also ended up costing his other orphanage brothers and sisters their lives through no fault of their own.
Knowing this, Mikaela had expected Yuichiro to reject him right after she discovered what he had become. Part of Mika even hoped that she would destroy him just so that he wouldn't have to live with the pain of her rejection. But as luck would have it, not only did his sister accept him as he was, she was actually relieved to find him alive and well—at least as well as someone in his position could be.
Unfortunately, their reunion was short-lived, considering that it happened right in the middle of a raging battle in Shinjuku. Mika's plan to take back his sister was even further complicated by the fact that she was now bound and under the influence of another man, Guren Ichinose, just as Mika himself was bound to Krul Tepes as her favorite knight as well as adopted son. *2*
Even long before seeing him in Shinjuku, the blond knew exactly who Lieutenant Colonel Guren Ichinose was. Both Ferid and Krul had warned Mikaela that the older raven-haired man was likely to be his biggest obstacle to finding and saving Yuichiro. And as much as he wanted to take his sister away from the person he believed to be most dangerous to her well-being, Mika was still wise enough to know that he wouldn't be able to change Yuu's mind about Guren overnight.
After all, she had lived under the older man's influence for nearly five years after they were separated while believing Mikaela was dead the entire time.
Even so, Mika refused to let that be a deterrent to his desire to save his sister. The fact that Yuichiro still wore and treasured the gold heart-shaped locket he had given her before they were forced to part gave Mikaela hope that his own influence on her was still strong. With enough luck and persistence on his part, the blond was sure he would eventually be able to turn Yuichiro away from her guardian.
As Mikaela pondered about how he was going to convince Yuichiro to leave Guren and the Demon Army behind, he suddenly heard screams of terror erupting from several young children coming from the intersection to his right.
Out of the corner of his eye, the blond saw a little girl about eight years of age trip over a piece of rubble on the street as she desperately tried to get away from her pursuer, a vampire with a mop of shoulder-length purple hair tied into a half-bun that Mika knew all too well.
Catching up to the child with ease, Lacus grabbed her from behind before she even hit the ground. Lifting the little girl up until she was eye-level with him, the purple-haired vampire gave her a cheeky grin that almost made Mika's stomach turn just by looking at it.
"Nooo! Please, don't hurt me!" the girl cried with tears in her eyes as she struggled in his grip like a fish on a hook.
"Hold still, brat," Lacus said in a crass tone. "We don't kill livestock; I just want a little sip of your blood, is all."
Not giving the child a chance to protest, Lacus was about to sink his fangs into her tender neck before he suddenly felt her small body being snatched out of his grip. For a moment, the purple-haired vampire was confused until he looked behind him and saw Mikaela standing a few yards away with the frightened girl in his arms.
Glaring at his blond companion, Lacus demanded an explanation for spoiling his fun (and snack).
"Hey, what the hell, Mika? I said I wasn't going to kill the brat! I just wanted a sip of her blood!"
Mikaela shot him a dirty look as if he were only too happy to have a reason to rebuke his companion.
"And you expect me to believe that?" he asked coldly. "We both know it's never just a 'little sip' with you, Lacus. If I hadn't stopped you, you would have sucked her dry."
"And what if I had?" Lacus challenged, baring his fangs. "Why do you care? Unless…"
Mika raised a brow when he saw the other vampire's displeased expression slowly change to one of amusement, slightly confusing him.
"Unless what, Lacus? Do you suddenly find something amusing about all this?" Mika demanded as he put the girl back down and quietly shoved her behind his back like he did with the first girl he shielded from his purple-haired companion back in Shibuya after saving her from a Horseman of John.
"Oh, nothing… except now that I've gotten a better look at that kid, I notice she has black hair and green eyes. Just like your beloved Yuu-chan! Now I get it! You have a penchant for saving human kids, particularly girls who look like her!"
At the other vampire's remark, Mika's eyes widened and he gasped softly. Now that he thought about it, the first girl he protected from Lacus also had black hair and green eyes, just like Yuichiro.
And now that he knew, there was no doubt in Mika's mind that Lacus was going to start chasing and biting any girl or young woman resembling Yuu just to rile him.
Not wanting to give Lacus the satisfaction of knowing he was absolutely right, Mika tried changing the subject.
"Never mind that, Lacus. Don't you have something more important to do?"
Before the other vampire could answer, both Mika and Lacus heard a familiar, reprimanding voice cut in to prevent yet another argument between them.
"That's enough, you two," said Rene sternly as he quietly walked up to them.
From the look of things, the older raven-haired vampire had been aware of what had just happened between Mika and Lacus but chose not to intervene until they looked like they were going to argue. Such a pacifistic stance was just like Rene Simms, who disliked exerting any unnecessary effort into keeping the peace among his fellow guards.
As Rene had far more self-control than Lacus and was therefore unlikely to snatch a drink from any of the children while on duty, Mika trusted him to protect the child. He gently persuaded the little girl he had previously been shielding to head to Rene's side.
"It's all right, child. He'll take you to join the others," Mika said gently.
Despite being a vampire now himself, the blond still had a knack for making human children comfortable enough to trust and obey him as he once did with the other Hyakuya orphans under his protection, including Yuichiro herself.
Wanting to get out of this awkward and potentially dangerous situation as soon as possible, the little girl obeyed and quickly walked over to Rene while trying to avoid Lacus's hungry gaze.
Taking the child's hand, Rene was about to lead her away when he noticed that Mikaela looked a bit paler than he usually did. The tiny beads of sweat forming on Mika's brow as well as look of discomfort on his face didn't escape Rene's notice either.
"Are you all right, Mikaela? Do you need to drink?" he asked, more out of concern that the blond would end up useless if he collapsed from hunger then for his actual well-being.
Mikaela himself was aware of this but shook his head in denial.
"No, I'm fine for the moment. I also have enough… stock to last a while longer," he insisted.
Lacus folded his arms and gave his blond companion a skeptical look.
"Seriously? You've been drinking nothing but the queen's blood for years. And don't bother denying it because it's also been an open secret in Sanguinem for years- your pretty blue eyes are a dead giveaway. *3* And no disrespect to Her Majesty, but don't you ever get tired of it? I, for one, like a little variety in my glass, so to speak. If I were you, I'd take the chance to drink right now since there's no guarantee the nobles in Nagoya will allow us to do so freely once we get there; they do have different laws for their domains, in case you didn't know."
Trying not to let his irritation at the purple-haired vampire show on his face, Mika shot him a look of cold indifference and said:
"Well, I'm not you, Lacus. You need not concern yourself with my tastes. And right now, it doesn't include the blood of humans."
Lacus rolled his eyes, obviously not buying Mika's claim but having no time to argue.
"Fine," he said. "Since you aren't going to drink, how about making yourself useful and help us load these kids onto the choppers? We're supposed to present them to the nobles in Nagoya as gifts."
Mika sighed and nodded. Although he didn't appreciate Lacus's condescending tone, he chose to conserve his precious energy rather than retort as usual when the other vampire grated on his nerves. Wanting an excuse to get away from Lacus and finally ease his thirst at the same time, the blond finally decided that he would take a minute to have a drink of Krul's blood after all.
"I will," he said sharply before turning his back to Lacus and Rene. "Just go on without me for now. I'll catch up in a minute. Now, if you will excuse me…"
Without waiting for his companions to answer or give their approval, Mika quickly made his way behind a nearby house before taking out a vial of his dame's precious blood, the sweet nectar that sustained the life she had given him after Ferid had ended his first.
Mikaela had lied, and he knew it. Honestly speaking, he truly did crave human blood, and the urge to consume it came closer to overpowering him every day
Every time he saw other vampire soldiers drink freely from the humans they had cut down in battle, Mika found himself wanting to join them, to give into his feral hunger. But every time he felt himself about to cave, he thought of Yuichiro and remembered how her face would twist in disgust whenever she and Mika had spied the vampire guards back in Sanguinem nipping and sneaking drinks from the livestock kids when they thought no one was looking.
Mikaela couldn't bear the thought of Yuichiro looking at him like that, like a soulless monster that only knew how to kill. So, he always ended up denying his cravings to the point of pain.
But now, his craving for human blood was becoming a need just as much as a desire. Krul's warning echoed in his mind once again as Mikaela pried open the lid of one of his few remaining vials and poured the contents into his mouth. He had long since given up on trying to sate his hunger with food and water like he did when he had first woken up as a newborn vampire; it didn't take Mika long to discover that he no longer had a human digestive system when he soon found himself throwing up anything and everything he tried to eat and drink besides blood, even water. *4*
To his surprise, neither Krul nor Ferid had tried to dissuade Mikaela from ingesting what they knew he wasn't supposed to those first few months after he was changed. He often heard them say it was a normal phase for fledgling vampires who were not yet ready to accept their new existence and dietary requirements until they had no choice when their need for blood became too great to ignore.
Mikaela had long since passed that stage when he finally started drinking Krul's blood on a regular basis after abandoning his futile attempts to sustain himself on a human diet. But now, the blond was quickly approaching the next stage of his vampirism as his craving for human blood grew stronger. Mika only hoped he could hold it off until he found Yuu again.
Trying not to think about that fast-approaching day, Mikaela slowly rolled the scarlet liquid around on his tongue for a moment as if to savor the taste before finally swallowing. As soon as the blood went down his throat, Mika realized to his horror that it wasn't enough to stem his cravings.
No… the blond thought frantically as he clutched the front of his white uniform. Krul's blood is hardly working anymore! Why? Why does it have to be now?!
If he weren't concerned about Lacus and Rene noticing, Mika would have desperately fled back to the city to find something—anything— to try and quell his thirst be it the blood of an animal or a dying human.
Instead, Mika resisted the temptation and made his way to the open field behind the neighborhood. He watched thirstily as the captured children were loaded onto helicopters.
As expected, his two companions were waiting for him while other vampire soldiers were taking count of the children. Out of the corner of his eye, Mika spotted another young girl, a red-head, who had her hair tied up in twin ponytails, reminding him of Krul whom he had been feeding off of for years. The hairstyle combined with her sleeveless dress, left her neck completely exposed. Even from a distance, Mikaela could see the veins stand out on the girl's pale skin and the scent of her blood seemed to beckon to him, to take what he needed and wanted so badly.
Blood…human blood… I want it… Mika thought as found his mind wandering towards Lacus's way of thinking. Just a sip…it won't hurt…
Normally, Mikaela would be appalled to find that he had anything in common with Lacus other than being a vampire. As Krul's adopted son, he was also her enforcer when it came to making sure his fellow vampire guards and soldiers did not sneak human blood when and where they weren't supposed to whether it was directly from the livestock children or taking more than their permitted share from the blood banks.
But now that the queen's blood was losing its effectiveness at sating his thirst, Mikaela found himself fighting the same urges, the same temptations as his brethren. And when the girl he was eyeballing turned briefly to make eye-contact with him, the blond finally lost it.
Before he realized what he was doing, Mikaela launched himself into the air and with his vampiric speed, he had the young girl pinned to the ground by her throat before she even knew what hit her. Although Mika had managed to hold back enough not to snap her neck, the girl gagged as she struggled to breathe, let alone scream, in his tight grip.
Baring his fangs in hunger, the blond was about to sink his fangs into the child's throat when he heard an annoying familiar voice behind him.
"So, it looks like you're going to drink after all, Mika! I knew you couldn't resist!" Lacus snickered. *5*
Ironically, it was the taunting of his purple-haired companion that finally snapped the blond out of his blood-lust. Using a great deal of willpower, Mikaela had managed to pull himself from the brink and loosened his grip on his victim's throat. As soon as he released her, the girl quickly stood up and ran crying into an older boy's, possibly her big brother's, arms. It was then that Mikaela realized that he had just traumatized an innocent child, just as Ferid had traumatized Yuichiro by killing the rest of their siblings as well as fatally injuring Mika himself in front of her.
No… he thought in despair. What have I done? I could have killed her! And for what? Just to quench my thirst? Yuu-chan would never forgive me if she knew!
Hoping that drinking directly from Krul once he returned to Sanguinem would help, Mikaela decided that he would do everything he could to suppress his cravings and slowly stood up.
Ignoring the shit-eating grin on Lacus' face, Mika took a deep breath and looked towards Rene instead. Like always, the older raven-haired vampire had watched the entire spectacle in silence. The blond knew his companion could have stopped him but chose not to because he saw no point in it; they both knew the nobles in Nagoya would not miss the presence of one dead human child if Mika had sucked her dry.
Looking at him, Mikaela thought he saw something akin to pity in the other vampire's eyes and instead of reprimanding him for his lapse in control, Rene simply said:
"If you're going to drink, Mikaela, now is your last chance."
Mika sighed and shook his head in denial.
"No. I don't want any."
Rene raised a brow but refrained from calling him out on his lie.
"Are you sure?" he asked instead.
"Yes, I'm sure."
Rene sighed and rolled his eyes. He knew Mika was lying, but, if the blond willfully chose not to drink and sate his blood-thirst, so be it.
"Very well then…" he said before turning to the other vampire soldiers. "Close the hatch," he ordered. "We'll meet with the rest of Lord Crowley's troops in Nagoya."
"Yes, sir!"
As the trio watched in silence, the helicopters finally took to the air and with them, Mikaela's last chance at finally satisfying his growing craving for human blood, at least for a while. Part of Mika was relieved that the temptation was finally removed from his presence, yet part of him also regretted not giving in to his desires, his need, when he still had the chance.
Not that it matters anymore… Mika thought sadly as he pulled his cape closer to his body before picking up the pace to catch up with his two companions. Even if I'm no longer human, even when I finally do break, as long as I can save Yuu-chan from those humans, from that dangerous man she calls her mentor, then that's all that matters…
Footnotes:
1. Neither the manga nor anime explicitly state where Mika, Lacus, and Rene were collecting human children for the nobles in Nagoya but I surmised that it was probably somewhere on the way there.
2. In the anime, the nature of Mika's relationship with Krul comes off as being ambiguous. Considering that she "kissed" him to turn him, some may see their relationship as being semi-romantic/sexual but in the manga, she calls Mika her "self-centered son" so I see their relationship as more of a parent/child one.
3. A vampire drinking blood from another vampire is considered taboo and hence forbidden. But because Mika still retains his original eye-color after being turned, it was likely that the other vampires in Sanguinem already knew or at least suspect that Krul was sustaining Mika with her blood but nobody questioned it because she was the queen and Mika was her favorite.
4. After being turned, a vampire can no longer derive nutrition from anything but blood so I assume they would throw up anything else they attempt to eat or drink.
5. In the anime, Lacus is calmer and more collected than Mika but slightly more expressive emotionally than Rene. For my AU, Lacus takes delight in riling Mika about denying his need for blood as well as affections for fem!Yuu.
