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 readers, Residential Psycho and Falchion1984, for their help in making this fic possible. Enjoy and please review!
Chapter 30: Death Comes from Above Part I
"Guren?" Yuichiro repeated with a bewildered expression on her face as if she thought the man before her was just an illusion. Especially considering that she, along with the rest of the MDC, had left him to die at the hands of the vampires after he was captured.
Her guardian and mentor smiled. One might think he'd been waiting there for her all along, as if this was another training excursion from fonder times, rather than a day mired in ominous portents. Even with his uniform torn up, his hair mussed, and the fact that he was covered in dirt and dried blood, Guren was still a handsome sight to behold as he always had been in her eyes.
"Yuichiro... I'm so glad to see you're safe! What are you just standing there for? Aren't you going to give me a hug?"
Under normal circumstances, Yuu might have jumped into his arms but this time, she noticed that something was a little off about Guren; his smile seemed distorted and a little sinister, nothing like the warm smile she was used to seeing when praising her for a job well done. Not only that, Guren's eyes had glowing red rims around the violet irises that seemed to glow with an eerie light. When he noticed that Yuu had not made any attempt to move, the lieutenant colonel opened his arms and made a beckoning gesture.
"What's wrong, Yuichiro? Aren't you glad to see me? You've been looking for me all this time, and now here I am. So be a good girl and come here..." he cooed, another act that was rather uncharacteristic of him as commander of the Moon Demon Company.
Ok, something really isn't right, Yuichiro thought suspiciously as she tightened her grip on Asuramaru and prepared to raise it against her mentor. For while Guren had always been protective of Yuichiro, she had never known him to be as openly affectionate as he was being now.
Not surprisingly, the girl's movement did not go unnoticed by her guardian, and he smirked. However, instead of reaching for his own sword like she thought he would, Guren lowered his arms and did the last thing Yuichiro expected him to do in a situation like this.
He opened his mouth and started to sing one of her favorite songs from Evanescence, a popular American band from the early 2000s. *1*
"Meet me after dark again and I'll hold you
I am nothing more than to see you there…
And maybe tonight we'll fly so far away
We'll be lost before the dawn…"
Yuichiro gasped, her eyes widening. Of all the times and places Guren chose to sing to her, it had to be here and now? Suspicious, Yuu was about to demand that her mentor explain himself, but he did not give her the chance and continued, this time tapping into his demon's power to ensure that Yuichiro could hear his voice and only his voice, sending her into a trance that drowned out everything else around her..
"If only night could hold you where I can see you, my love,
Then let me never ever wake again…"
As he slowly ended the new verse, Guren's voice rose slightly and smoothly, working its magic on the younger girl without her realizing it.
Although every instinct she possessed screamed at her to stay away-or better yet, run away, Yuichiro found herself slowly moving forward as if her mentor's voice was an irresistible lure, one that was even strong enough to overpower her gut feeling that she might be walking into a trap.
As he saw her approach, Guren's smile grew wider and he sang the next verse to keep his ward moving.
"And maybe tonight we'll fly so far away
We'll be lost before the dawn…"
Out of habit, Yuichiro gave in to her own desire to join Guren's song despite the fact that this was neither the time nor place to do so. Not only did her mentor's voice drown out Yuu's ability to hear anything else, including the desperate warning cries of her friends, even the stench of death and destruction about her seemingly vanished. It was as if the miserable state of the world was a distant memory, a nightmare long since over, and she was back in the home where he had raised her.
"Somehow, I know that we can't wake again from this dream
It's not real, but it's ours…"
Now that he knew he had the younger girl in a trance, Guren himself started moving towards Yuu slowly while his voice continued to charm her.
"Maybe tonight we'll fly so far away
We'll be lost before the dawn…"
As he approached Yuichiro, Guren made a gesture that she recognized when he wanted her to vocalize. As he expected, Yuichiro knew exactly when and how to do so with every song she was intimately familiar with and obeyed before singing the final verse.
"And maybe tonight we'll fly so far away
We'll be lost before the dawn…"
After their impromptu duet performance, Guren opened his arms and beckoned to Yuichiro once more.
"Good job, Yuu. Your voice is as lovely as ever. Now, come closer…"
Before Yuichiro could take another step, she suddenly heard the voice of Mikaela calling out to her. For the last few moments, Mika had been trying to catch her attention but was unable to do so until he caught up to her and Guren.
"Yuu-chan, stop!" he cried, his strained voice finally snapping Yuichiro out of her trance. "Whatever you think, whatever you believe, that man is NOT your guardian!"
Guren's smile vanished and he found himself scowling at the blond vampire for trying to keep Yuichiro away from him.
"Don't listen to him, Yuu," he growled. "Now come here…"
The older man's cold and threatening tone finally made Yuichiro stop in her tracks, his request now starting to sound more like an order. When he noticed her taking a step back, Guren quickly drew his sword and charged forward with a speed that should have been impossible for an ordinary human.
Before Yuichiro could make a run for it, he quickly grabbed her by the shoulder and forcibly turned her around. As soon as Guren had his ward secured against his chest with one arm, he quickly raised his sword with the other and pressed the blade against her throat.
"Don't move," he hissed into her ear.
"What do you think you're doing, Guren!?" Yuichiro cried in shock. *2*
Apparently, she wasn't the only one. Mika, Shinoa, and Satoshi as well as the rest of their squads who had finally caught up with Mika, were stunned as well. Their superior officer's unexpected action made them freeze in their tracks, not daring to do anything out of fear that he would hurt Yuichiro.
"Lieutenant colonel, what is the meaning of this!?" Shinoa demanded as she made a gesture with her arm for both her squad and Satoshi's to stay back.
Instead of answering, Guren pressed his sword's blade against Yuu's throat slightly, inserting just enough pressure to nick her alabaster skin. Mikaela gritted his teeth when he heard his sister wince in pain and tightened his grip on his sword when he saw Yuu's blood trickle down her throat to stain the collar of her uniform.
"Let her go, human!" he snarled.
Guren sneered as he tightened his hold on Yuichiro.
"Not a chance, vampire, she's coming with me. I do appreciate you bringing her here but as you can see, your assistance is no longer required."
"Everyone, be careful; the lieutenant colonel is possessed!" Shinoa warned when she finally realized what was going on.
"What are you talking about!?" Satoshi demanded.
Shinoa shook her head before answering. "I was stupid for not realizing it sooner, but Guren is possessed by the demon in his sword: my elder sister, Mahiru Hiragi!"
At hearing the purple-haired girl's revelation, the nearby soldiers all turned their heads in shock and fear to see Guren, who had always pampered his ward, holding a blade to her neck.
Everyone except Mikaela, who had fully expected such treachery from the man. The blond could care less what was going on with their superior officer and ignored Shinoa's warning. Before anyone could stop him, Mika charged forward, intent on taking Yuu back by force, something Guren easily saw coming.
To secure his prize, Guren quickly flung Yuichiro behind him, making sure she was beyond the reach of Mikaela and anyone nearby, before he turned around and met his adversary's sword with his own.
Locking swords with Mikaela, Guren easily held his ground. Which startled Mika because he was sure he put more than enough strength behind his attack to force back even a Black Demon wielder, at least slightly. Before the blond could change his strategy and make another move, Guren suddenly grabbed Mika's left wrist with his free hand, yanked him off his feet with astonishing ease, and pulled him close as though he were a unruly child in need of being disciplined…fatally.
"Give it up, vampire," Guren hissed in Mika's ear as soon as he was close enough. "Yuichiro is mine. She belongs to me."
Mikaela gritted his teeth as he struggled to break free of the older man's iron-clad grip.
"Never!" he snarled. "Over my dead body!"
Guren laughed as if that was the funniest thing he ever heard.
"As you wish!" he said gleefully as he released Mika and prepared to attack again.
Under normal circumstances, it would be foolish for a human to throw away the advantage Guren just had and they both knew it. This alarmed Mikaela and made him realize how confidant and capable the older man was in his strength and abilities.
Which was a giant red flag.
As they watched the blond vampire and demon-possessed lieutenant colonel clash, Shinoa, Satoshi, and the rest of their squads found themselves at a total loss as to what to do. Shinoa wanted to use the distraction Mikaela provided to rescue Yuichiro but found that it was impossible to reach her from their current position without going through the two men fighting in front of them first.
And even though Mikaela himself was now a complete vampire with the blood of third progenitor, Krul Tepes, in his veins, Guren was the more experienced fighter and his enhanced demonic strength made him more than capable of fighting the blond on equal terms.
Either way, whomever took Yuu would do so over the other man's dead body.
Yuichiro groaned as she slowly opened her eyes. The first thing Yuu noticed when she came to was how her left hip ached terribly and wondered how it came to be before she suddenly the events of the last few moments; the impact of her fall after being thrown like a rag-doll by Guren was enough to stun and immobilize her for a brief time. Sitting up, Yuichiro gasped when she saw the surreal scene before her:
Guren Ichinose and Mikaela Hyakuya, the two men she held most dear to her heart, were once again at each other's throats. And this time, it looked like they truly intended to fight to the death.
"Guren! Mika! Please, stop!" Yuichiro cried.
As soon as she opened her mouth and called to her guardian and brother, Yuichiro immediately regretted her words. Mikaela froze for a split second and, taking advantage of his distraction, Guren plunged his sword into the blond's chest just as Mika had done to him in Shinjuku. He twisted the blade, and demonic energy rose from his sword.
"MIKA!" Yuu screamed, forgetting everything else that was going on around them and quickly got up. She had to act quickly and stop Guren before he activated the curse on his demon sword and killed Mikaela.
Knowing what Yuichiro intended to do, Mikaela cried out for her to stop.
"Yuu-chan, no!"
Before Yuu could respond, Guren quickly dislodged his sword from Mika's chest and spun around to face his ward who, in turn, unsheathed Asuramaru and charged at him before shifting to a more cautious stance.
"I am very sorry, Guren, but I cannot let you harm Mikaela," Yuichiro said, speaking with solemn, deadly calm even as her voice cracked with restrained emotion, tears in the corners of her eyes, betraying the dread in her heart at this confrontation.
Upon seeing his ward take the stance that himself had taught her, this time with her sword trembling, Guren grinned and laughed as if he found her challenge amusing rather than intimidating.
"Do you really think you could beat me, Yuichiro? I was the one who taught you everything you know about sword fighting!"
Yuichiro shook her head. "No, not everything, Guren," she said defiantly while reflecting on others who have schooled her, even if unwittingly, in the past. Asides from adopting several of her mentor's techniques, Yuu had also incorporated numerous moves from other sword-fighters, such as Mikaela, Satoshi, and even Crowley Eusford, into her own.
But despite this and the fact that she tried to sound confident, everyone present saw that Yuichiro was obviously shaken. This was not like the times she and her guardian had sparred when he was teaching her the way of the sword. She was seriously ready to fight him, to the death if necessary, to protect the boy she loved.
As if reading her mind, Guren asked, "Can you do it, Yuichiro? Can you really bring yourself to kill me?"
For a moment, Yuu thought she saw a hint of sadness in her guardian's violet eyes, eyes that looked as if they could see into her very soul. Guren knew his Yuichiro, knew that even if she could fight him, she would not be able to kill him.
Hoping to convince her to come quietly, Guren lowered his sword and offered Yuu his hand.
"Come with me, Yuichiro," he said gently, his voice sounding heartbreakingly similar to how it did during his rare moments of tenderness. "If you obey, I will not harm Mikaela, and we won't have to fight."
For a moment, Yuichiro hesitated, as if considering Guren's offer until she heard Shinoa call out to her.
"No, don't listen to him, Yuu! Guren is not himself! He's possessed by his demon, possessed by my sister! You can't trust him as he is now!"
After hearing Shinoa's warning, Yuichiro regained her resolve and resumed her stance. Knowing that the younger girl would not yield to him after what she had just heard, Guren decided that he would have to take her by force after all. Ignoring Mikaela, Guren raised his sword again as if to accept Yuichiro's challenge when he heard Kureto Hiragi's voice calling out to him.
"Guren, it's starting!"
Forgetting his ward for the moment, the lieutenant colonel raised his sword to the sky instead, the demon markings appearing on his skin as he prepared to do his commander's bidding. *3*
"Drink…" he commanded in an emotionless tone while glowing chains burst seemingly out of nowhere to wrap themselves around his arm and sword. "Fuel your rage with the blood of humans, demons, and vampires…"
As if on cue, Guren suddenly turned his sword on both humans and vampires alike, brutally and mercilessly slaying all within his reach without mercy. Oddly enough, he ignored Shinoa and Satoshi's squads, possibly because he saw the weaker soldiers as targets more easily and quickly cut down.
Yuu, Mika, and the rest of Shinoa and Satoshi's squads as well as soldiers from both the human and vampire armies watched in shock and horror at their commander's indiscriminate slaughter of his allies and enemies.
Little did they know that the worst was to come. Numerous chains emerged from the large, mysterious crates that Kureto had brought out onto the battlefield at some point. Like starving monsters, the tentacle-like chains pierced the bodies of soldiers both human and vampire alike. With a loud explosion, the box collapsed, and what emerged was… was…
An abomination.
For a moment, all present were blinded by a brilliant flash of light that seemed to set the heavens ablaze before subsiding to reveal, much to everyone's befuddlement, what appeared to be a young pre-teen girl with tawny brown hair dressed in a plain white gown. But her appearance was nothing like that of an ordinary child. She was paler than even death could have accounted for, her skin laced with dark purple runes, and her eyes deep pits of black with gold irises that can almost kill with a look.
As if all that wasn't enough, two pairs of snow-white wings tipped with gold, burst from the girl's shoulders as she hovered in the sky like a divine being passing judgement on everyone below her from the vampire progenitors and top officials of the Demon Army to the common soldiers of both sides-all of whom forgot their long-running battle with one another for the time being and stared up at her in awe.
"Who...what the hell is that?!"
"Is it a demon?"
A hundred questions raced through the minds of everyone present as they slowly processed the surreal sight of the creature in the sky before one of the Krul's aides finally found the right answer.
"It's…an angel!"
Even Kureto Hiragi, the man who had unleashed the fearsome creature on mankind and vampirekind alike in the first place, was stunned speechless for a moment. When he managed to find his voice again, Kureto turned to Aoi.
"It's coming, Aoi! Our punishment for daring to break the taboo is at hand! But even if God himself is against us, we will take control of the Seraph of the End and bend it to our will! Humanity will prevail!"
As loyal as she was to her superior officer, even Aoi Sangu found herself shaken at Kureto's brazen and blasphemous remark. And while she was never one to be religious, a part of Aoi feared that the God whom Kureto had dared to mock would strike him down with a lightning bolt from the heavens for his hubris. *4*
Nevertheless, she obeyed and relayed her superior's orders to their subordinates.
"You heard him!" she shouted. "Don't let the seraph escape! Bind it completely!"
Unfortunately, none of the soldiers in the Demon Army moved to obey right away. Even the vampire soldiers stood rooted to the spot, no less dumbstruck by terror than their human counterparts. Neither young novice nor centuries old veteran could do more than tremble in horrified awe at the sight of the seraph.
As for the creature itself, her lips curved into a smile that appeared anything but angelic, as if amused by the inability of humans and vampires alike to raise their weapons against her.
"Wrenched sinners…have you come to see the light?" she asked in an eerie mono-toned voice that sent chills down everyone's spines, even the ancient vampire progenitors. As expected, no one could bring themselves to answer and the seraph continued.
"I bring the light of one million suns…
Foolish, insignificant creatures, do you really think you can stand against a god with your pathetic weapons?
Before the endless night, there will be endless day…
Come face me! Your faith will not save you!"
After finishing her prophecy of doom, the female seraph waved a hand and a golden horn appeared before her. Before anyone could react, she leaned forward slightly, took a breath, and blew on it.
The resulting explosion was ear-shattering, especially to the vampires who had heightened senses, including hearing.
Like the rest of his brethren, noble and common vampires alike, Crowley Eusford clapped his hands over his ears, an expression of genuine pain betraying his normally serene features for the first time in centuries. When he realized that Ferid did not seem as bothered by the sheer cacophony of the seraph's trumpet nor the explosion that followed, Crowley was about to question the other vampire lord before noticing the plugs in his ears.
Why am I not surprised? He thought with a roll of his eyes. There was no doubt in Crowley's mind that Ferid had a hand in all of this and was expecting such an action from the newly awakened seraph hovering in the sky above them.
And as always, Ferid took the necessary precautions to protect himself. Unfortunately, he didn't let even his closest ally in on it. Not that Crowley was surprised by that either.
"Oooh! Now that's what I call a spectacle!" Ferid praised in a sing-song tone with a clap of his hands like a child taking delight in watching an entertaining show instead of an apocalyptic crisis.
If he were anyone else, Crowley might have made a condescending remark about Ferid taking their situation far too lightly, even for a vampire progenitor. But knowing that this was Ferid Bathory, and that his antics were only to be expected, Crowley said nothing and watched as earth itself seem to come to life, splitting and collapsing in some areas while rising and forming rigid ledges in others. The result was an uneven battle ground that made keeping one's balance difficult whether human or vampire.
However, fighting each other was the least of their concerns at the moment.
"Hey, who is that girl?" Takeshi asked as he placed an arm across his forehead and squinted his eyes to get a better look at the god-like entity in the sky without straining his eyes from the bright light she emitted.
"Careful! You don't want to go blind!" Yoichi warned even though he himself also dared a look out of curiosity.
While no one had any idea who the supposed angel of destruction hovering above them in the heavens was, Kimizuki recognized the frail face and form of his cherished younger sister, even with the demonic runes covering her body, her glowing gold eyes, and the fact that she was paler than even death could have accounted for.
"No… it can't be…" he gasped.
For a moment, the pink-haired boy's mind refused to register what was right before his very eyes. And too late did Kimizuki realize what a fool he had been to leave his sickly and vulnerable sister in the hands of the very people who catered to the whims of a family as corrupt and power-hungry as the Hiragis.
"Hey, Shinoa…" Mitsuba began when she noticed the seraph girl's striking resemblance to Kimizuki. "Isn't that…?"
Before her squad leader could reply, Kimizuki himself confirmed what Shinoa and Mitsuba has already suspected.
"Mirai!" he screamed as he stared at the frightening creature that was, or had been, his younger sister before turning his growing rage on the man whom he believed was responsible. "You bastard! What have you done to my sister?!" Kimizuki demanded, no longer caring that he was out of line speaking to the Demon Army's second-in-command in such a manner.
Instead of being angered at Kimizuki's outburst and insolent demand, Kureto ignored him as if the pink-haired boy was beneath his notice and gave his next order.
"Do it, Aoi! If the soldiers will not act, resort to Plan B to capture the seraph!"
"Yes, sir!" she obeyed before turning to the box where the angel had been contained only moments before.
Closing her eyes, Aoi mumbled a Latin chant that resulted in the chains that were previously used for human sacrifices to rise into the air and pierce Mirai through the chest, arms, and legs. Such a brutal attack would have made any normal creature scream in agony. But now that Mirai was a seraph, she seemed indifferent, as if she barely even noticed she had just been stabbed in multiple places. If anything, her expression only betrayed vexation at being restrained.
Not that Mirai's lack of discomfort at being impaled was of any consolation to Kimizuki, who was enraged that the Hiragis had been using his sister as a guinea pig in their blasphemous experiments behind his back instead of treating her illness as he had expected.
"You fucking bastards!" Kimizuki raged. "I did not agree to put my life on the line in service of the Demon Army for this!"
Before Shinoa could order him to refrain from doing anything rash, the pink-haired boy raised his twin swords and charged towards Kureto with the intent of cutting him down, not caring that he was about to commit a blatant act of mutiny that would have easily gotten him executed on the spot.
Unfortunately, Kimizuki never made it to his target; he had barely managed to move a few yards before Guren quickly blocked his access to Kureto by stabbing him in the abdomen. Though for some reason Kimizuki couldn't fathom, the older man had deliberately avoided his vital organs.
"You, stay put," Guren said coldly, his eyes betraying no emotion as if he thought nothing of attacking his own subordinate, even if said subordinate's intended actions were justified.
"What…the…hell…" Kimizuki hissed in pain as he clutched his wound and glared at Guren after watching him withdraw his cursed sword. Ignoring Kimizuki's glare, he made a quick swipe to get rid of the blood on the dark blade like it was filth.
As painful as the wound was, Kimizuki did not fear for his life because he knew it was not fatal and that his demon would heal it quickly. And as much as he hated to admit it, Kimizuki also knew that if his superior had truly wanted to kill him, he would have already done so.
Yuichiro, however, did not share his confidence and quickly rushed to defend Kimizuki in case Guren had second thoughts about sparing his life.
"Guren, what the hell has gotten into you?!" she demanded as she quickly ran up to her mentor and pointed the tip of her own weapon right at his throat.
Unfazed by his ward's outburst, Guren's simply smiled and called her bluff. Like before, it was the same distorted smile that made her realize something was not right with him. It was almost as if someone else was controlling his words and actions like Shinoa had claimed.
And knowing that made Yuichiro even more hesitant to fight the man who had raised her from childhood.
"What's wrong, Yuu?" he asked coldly. "Why do you hesitate now considering that you were ready to strike me down earlier to protect that creature you call 'brother'?"
"I…" she began before finding herself at a loss for words.
Realizing that Guren was up to his old tricks again, Mikaela called to Yuichiro to get her attention.
"Don't listen to him, Yuu-chan! He's just trying to confuse and capture you so stay away from him!"
Hearing her brother's warning had the opposite effect and confused Yuichiro even further. As a result, she found herself unsure of whether to engage Guren in serious combat or run away like Mika urged. Yuu became even more baffled when she saw her guardian suddenly grimace as if he were in pain. The red rims around his violet irises seemed to fade for a moment and tears started flowing freely down his face.
"R..run, Yuu…" Guren pleaded, his voice breaking.
Yuichiro gasped when she realized that Shinoa and Mikaela were right: Guren's words and actions were indeed controlled by his demon. And now that she knew this for a fact, Yuichiro could not bring herself to raise her sword against him and found herself as frozen as those who had gaped in terror at the seraph moments before.
And that split-second of hesitation on Yuu's part was all Guren needed. Drawing back his katana, his expression hardening once more, the older man made a quick jab to her chest in the very spot where Crowley had stabbed him back at city hall. And like the vampire lord before him, Guren had deliberately avoided hitting any of Yuichiro's vital organs in order to capture her alive.
Not that it made the wound from Guren's sword piercing her chest any less painful for Yuu herself to bear, physically or mentally. The shock at her mentor's act coupled with the cruel expression on his face was so great that Yuichiro couldn't even scream. She collapsed to the ground after Guren drew back his sword, her blood pooled beneath her.
Enraged at what the older man had just done, Mikaela charged at him with murderous rage in his ruby eyes, his fangs bared like the true vampire he now was.
"Bastard!" he screamed. "For that, you die!"
"No, Mika, let us handle it!" Shinoa insisted as she and Satoshi rushed past Mikaela with their weapons drawn to attack Guren simultaneously and keep him away from both Yuichiro and Mikaela.
Although they were every bit as appalled as Mika over Guren's attack on Yuu, the two squad leaders kept their emotions under control knowing that their commander was possessed and not totally in control of his own actions.
"Shit!" Satoshi cursed as he and Shinoa locked their weapons together against Guren's. Even with their combined strength, also enhanced by the power of their demon contractors, holding Guren Ichinose off was no easy task. "Where the hell does he get this kind of power?!"
Shinoa, who knew exactly where, thought it best to keep the truth from her fellow squad leader. Because she also knew that her sister was no ordinary demon.
"Never mind that!" Shinoa answered in a strained voice before calling to Mika without turning around since she did not dare to take her eyes off her possessed commander for even a second.
"Mika, listen! Guren only wants Yuu, so Sato and I will hold him off for as long as we can while you get her as far away from here as possible!"
Mikaela did not need to be told twice and quickly took the badly wounded Yuichiro in his arms and ran in the opposite direction.
This is all my fault… the blond thought grimly. I should have never brought Yuu-chan here no matter what she said, and now she's hurt because of me…
Under different circumstances, Mikaela would have indeed taken his sister as far away from the battlefield as possible. But Yuichiro's wound was deep, causing her to lose blood fast, and he feared whatever demon she was contracted with might not be healing it fast enough to save her life. Seeing no other option, Mikaela finally turned to the one person he knew had any chance of saving Yuichiro.
After watching the spectacle between the Yuu, Gurem, and Mika himself, all while keeping silent, Krul finally smiled and made a beckoning gesture to the blond running towards her.
"You've made the right choice, Mikaela. Bring Yuichiro to me; my blood will heal her, and she will finally be safe."
Though Krul spoke barely above a whisper, Mika easily heard her. Clenching his teeth as he tightened his hold on Yuu, Mika hated himself for what he was about to do. The last thing he wanted was to condemn his beloved sister to the same fate as himself. But at the same time, he could not bear to see her die either.
Yuu-chan might hate me for this… Mika thought sadly. But if it means she'll live, then I'll gladly bear it… Forgive me, Yuu-chan, but I can think of no other way to save you…
As if in answer to his thoughts, the girl in question stirred slightly in Mika's arms.
"Mmm…" Yuichiro groaned softly before suddenly wincing in pain from attempting to move.
"Yuu-chan, hold still! You need help and I'm going to make sure you get it!" Mikaela said sternly.
"Wh…what do you mean, Mika? What happened?" she asked while struggling to keep her eyes open.
"Simple: your mentor has betrayed you. As I always knew he would."
"But…"
"No buts!" Mika replied fiercely. "I did tell you earlier that if I sensed even the slightest hint of deceit on part of your friends, including him, I'm taking you away from them. Now, I'm making good on that promise."
Yuu wanted to argue but could not find the strength to do so. Not that she or Mika had the luxury of time to argue. Seeing the startled expression on Krul's face ahead of him, Mikaela took a brief moment to look over his shoulder to see one of his worst fears being realized.
As if Mirai Kimizuki being turned into a monstrous seraph wasn't enough, a second being was slowly starting to form behind her. At first, the unknown creature started out as reddish black mist until it finally manifested as a gigantic full-blown, but strangely transparent, demon.
Instead of shaking in fear at the monster he had just created and unleashed on mankind as well as vampirekind alike, Kureto Hiragi reveled in his success at finally accomplishing what was long thought impossible by everyone else, yet feared would happen.
"Ahh, it's finally here! The Devil of Destruction has appeared from the Fifth Trumpet! It's more than I can ever hope for!"
Although she managed to maintain her cool composure in front of her superior, the man she had been conditioned and groomed from birth to obey and serve, Aoi Sangu found herself struggling to repress a shudder and even started to consider whether his plan was indeed unwise after all. *5*
"Aoi!"
The blonde lieutenant nearly jumped when she heard her superior call her name. So lost was she in her thoughts that Aoi failed to notice Kureto trying to catch her attention until she saw the slightly impatient look on his face.
"Is something the matter, Aoi?" he asked as if reading her thoughts. "I trust you are still with me?"
"Of..of course, sir! Forgive me, I was just so in awe of the seraph that I lost myself there for a moment," she stammered.
Kureto raised a brow and gave Aoi a look as if unsure whether or not to believe her. But fortunately for Aoi, the lieutenant general decided not to press the issue of her seemingly wavering loyalty and turned back to look at Mirai as well as the new monster that was floating in the sky behind her.
"What's the control status, Aoi?" he asked instead.
After taking a moment to observe the fully-formed, yet transparent, monstrosity behind Mirai Kimizuki, Aoi answered.
"It looks like we weren't able to get enough sacrifices to manifest the Seraph of the End completely. But I believe we can still work with it like this, sir!"
Without turning around, Kureto nodded in agreement with his first lieutenant. "Yes, I believe you're right, Aoi. We did it; mankind has succeeded in controlling the Seraph of the End!"
It was times like these that Aoi was grateful that Kureto's attention was not on her, something that she secretly reveled in under normal circumstances. Ever since the lieutenant general had bestowed the honor of being his second-in-command as well as most trusted confident upon her, Aoi had made Kureto's wishes, ambitions, and desires her own. But after witnessing the spectacle unfolding before her eyes, she could not help but secretly wonder if breaking the taboo was truly for the good and benefit of mankind as he had claimed.
And if the rewards would outweigh the costs.
Which was about to get heavier yet.
As if on que, the monster bound to Mirai started to expand like a poisonous red fog and slowly dissolved the bodies of every being it came into contact with, be it human or vampire.
Mikaela clenched his teeth at the gruesome sight as both the humans and vampire soldiers struggled to get away from the deadly mist that set out to consume them as sacrifices, including Yuichiro's allies from Guren, Shinoa, and Satoshi's squads.
Trying not to think about what would happen if Yuichiro's other friends and allies failed to escape the creature that was trying to consume them, Mikaela turned his attention to her instead. The wound Guren had inflicted upon his ward was deep but not fatal, assuming that she got treatment soon enough.
"Mika… we can't leave the others behind just to save ourselves…" Yuu said weakly.
Mikaela shot her a stern look. "I'm sorry, Yuu-chan, but there is nothing we can do for them now. You told me to believe in your friends once so why not try taking your own advice for a change?"
Unable to refute Mikaela's words, Yuichiro reluctantly fell silent. Even if she could think of anything to say, the ravenette simply had no more strength to do so and finally closed her eyes to slip into the comfortable oblivion of unconsciousness.
But she soon discovered that even her coma offered no escape. For as soon as Yuichiro closed her eyes, she found herself back in the hazy and cloudy world of her mind and Asuramaru standing before her; the trumpet she had coveted the last time they had met within her consciousness was lying on the ground between them.
"So, you've returned, Yuu…" the demon boy said calmly.
"Yes… I don't think I need to tell you why?"
"Do you really want to save everyone so badly? Even your guardian who had just betrayed you?"
Yuichiro smiled. "Why do you ask questions you already know the answer to, Asuramaru?"
Asuramaru returned her smirk. "Always the wisecrack, aren't we, Miss Hyakuya? So, is that it? You're going to turn your back on me just like that? And I thought you trusted me…"
"I do trust you, Asuramaru. And I hope you don't take this the wrong way, but I'm afraid your power won't be enough for me to achieve my objective."
"So, you're really going for the trumpet this time, aren't you? You do realize that once you do, there's no turning back? It will erase whatever is left of your humanity and turn you into something else entirely."
"I'm well aware of the consequences, Asuramaru," Yuichiro said sharply as she bent over and picked up the golden horn between her and her demon contractor. Asuramaru frowned in disappointment but made no move to stop her this time. Still, the demon made one more attempt to dissuade his mistress from what they both knew was the worst decision she could possibly make.
"Is there nothing I can say that will make you change your mind?"
"No, I'm afraid not. I know what I must do, Asuramaru. Even if it means I won't be human anymore, it's a sacrifice I would gladly make if it means I can protect those I love."
"Love…" Asuramaru repeated softly. Although he was loathed to admit it, the demon admired Yuichiro's courage and conviction. He also could not help but wonder if he himself had ever been fortunate enough to have someone to love or be loved by as much as Yuu did during his mortal life. All Asuramaru knew for certain was that he had a twin sister who was alive out there somewhere, even though he could recall neither her name nor her face.
"Yes… now if you'll excuse me," Yuichiro said as she quickly raised the trumpet to her lips before Asuramaru could change his mind and decide he was going to try and stop her after all.
But the demon boy merely frowned and watched as his mistress blew on the cursed trumpet, committing the one act they both knew would alter her fate and destiny for good.
Strange, why do I even care what this foolish girl does? I must have gotten soft… he mused. None of his previous human contractors have ever been able to stir his emotions or make him genuinely care for their well-being the way Yuichiro did. Not the ones who didn't end up getting possessed and killed anyway.
Meanwhile, back in the real world, Mikaela suddenly felt Yuichiro's body grow warmer in his arms like it did back in Shinjuku. So much so, in fact, that just holding onto her burned his skin and made his eyes water from the pain.
Opening her eyes once more, Yuichiro looked into her brother's bewildered face and gave her only warning:
"Put me down and get as far away from me as you can, Mika. NOW."
Under normal circumstances, the blond would have refused. But his sister, or rather her body, wasn't giving him a choice in the matter: Yuichiro's temperature rose so rapidly that Mikaela was finally forced to drop her. All he could hope was that she wouldn't be hurt too badly once she hit the ground, especially with her wound.
It never happened. Before Yuichiro could even get within a foot of the ground, she transformed into a frightening anomaly herself in a blinding flash of light and deafening explosion that could be heard for miles as well as emitting a force of energy powerful enough to split the clouds.
Even if he had wanted to, Mikaela had no time to put a safe distance between himself and Yuichiro, and quickly found himself flying through the air at breakneck speed as if his sister had just become a hurricane and he'd been blown away by the gale. Mika had fully expected every bone in his body to break or shatter as soon as he made contact with the cold, hard ground and braced himself for the impact when he suddenly felt himself being caught by a strong pair of arms.
Cracking open one eye, the blond was surprised to find himself in the gentle, but firm hold of his vampire mother. It was only her unnatural strength as a third vampire progenitor that kept both of them from being swept away like so many of the other lower-ranking vampires as well as humans who were unfortunate enough to be within range of Yuichiro's sudden transformation.
"Are you all right, Mikaela?" Krul asked gently, concern for him apparent in her large ruby eyes, her long hair billowing around them like a pink cloud.
"Krul… it's Yuu-chan…" he began, not knowing quite how to explain the situation to the vampire queen.
Not that Krul needed any explanation.
"Yes, I know…" she said quietly. "I was afraid something like this might happen…"
"Is there any way to stop it and bring her back?" Mika asked with a hint of desperation in his voice.
Krul was about to say she wasn't sure when both her and Mika as well as everyone around them for miles heard Yuichiro give out an ear-piercing scream several octaves above that attainable by either a human or a vampire.
"This is like Shinjuku all over again, only worse…" Mika breathed, his throat dry as he and Krul watched helplessly while Yuichiro opened her pitch-black wings, this time four instead of two, and took to the air.
Like the first time she transformed, her uniform was torn asunder and hung from her body in tatters from the violent transformation. But modesty was the last thing on Yuu's mind at this very moment.
And that was assuming her mind was even her own.
"W..what the hell is THAT?!" Daisuke gasped as raised an arm to shield his eyes from the brilliant light that Yuichiro had emitted.
"It's Yuu!" Yoichi answered before turning to his squad leader. "What are we going to do, Shinoa!?"
Shinoa and Satoshi, who had retreated and joined the rest of their squads after holding off Guren long enough for Mikaela to escape with Yuichiro, looked at each other before facing their two squads with blank expressions on their faces.
"I don't think there's anything we can do at this point, I'm afraid!" Satoshi answered while trying his best to make sure he was loud enough to be heard over the din.
Unfortunately, his answer wasn't very encouraging to his and Shinoa's subordinates and it showed on their disappointed faces even though they knew he was likely right.
Kimizuki, however, did have hope that something good would come out of Yuichiro becoming a seraph herself.
"My sister… please save her, Yuu! You're the only one who can!" the pink-haired boy shouted desperately at the top of his lungs while hoping that someway, somehow, his transformed squad mate could hear him.
If Yuichiro had, in fact, heard Kimizuki, she gave no indication of it. Instead, the ravenette looked down from her perch in the heavens and regarded all those on the earth beneath her coldly. Even Kureto Hiragi, who was not a man easily unnerved, looked up at Yuichiro with apprehension in his eyes, watching helplessly as she manifested a sword of brimstone and forced Mirai Kimizuki back with a powerful gust of wind as well as dissipating the incomplete monster of mist behind her.
"What is that?" he asked calmly while trying not to let his voice betray his inner nervousness.
Aoi Sangu, who had not yet mastered the art of concealing her true feelings as well as her superior officer, finally started to express a bit of unease.
"I… believe it's another seraph, sir. Another Seraph of the End!" she answered.
Kureto narrowed his eyes as he looked up at the creature who is, or was, Yuichiro Hyakuya.
"Impossible," he said coldly. There can be only one Seraph of the End, the one that serves humanity. Aoi, have the troops destroy that new seraph."
Easier said than done… Aoi thought grimly but obeyed her commander nonetheless.
"Yes, sir!" she replied before turning to the remaining human soldiers who at least appeared capable of fighting. "All soldiers, aim at the pillar of light! Do whatever it takes to destroy the new seraph!"
Yuichiro sneered when she saw the human soldiers move to obey Aoi and Kureto by aiming their weapons at her while the vampire soldiers waited for the orders of their own superiors, who, ironically, were at a loss as to what to do.
"That shall not be allowed," she began coldly in a mono-toned voice. "I shall bring down Heaven's wrath upon those who dare break the taboo. Now, you will share the fate of Sodom and Gomorrah; may brimstone and fire rain down upon thee!" *6*
Before any of the human soldiers could so much as pull the trigger or unleash any of their weapon's powers on her, Yuichiro raised a hand and made a downward swipe with it as if commanding the heavens to do her bidding. Those on the ground watched in awe as the clouds slowly started to gather around Yuichiro before the sky turned red while cracking thunder. And, as she promised, the heavens started to rain brimstone and fire the likes of which had not been seen since the Old Testament.
Upon seeing death coming from above, soldiers on both sides forgot their orders and panicked. Their willingness to obey their superiors were one thing, but their ability to do so was another. And there was nothing soldiers on either side could do but run for cover from the destruction raining down on them from the heavens.
Even Kureto could no longer hide his growing fear and quickly grabbed Aoi by the arm before urging her to follow him beneath the wreckage of a nearby aircraft. He knew there was no guarantee their safe haven will hold up for very long, but it was better than standing out in the open. Out of the corner of his eye, the lieutenant general noticed that Guren had not moved from his spot and looked up at Yuichiro in the sky as if he had no fear of being struck down by the rain of death his ward was bringing down upon everyone.
Instead, Guren gave a glazed stare and lazy grin. He had looked death in the face many times before and this time was no different.
"Atta girl, Yuu. Make me proud…" he whispered.
As if responding to her mentor's goading, Yuichiro raised her hand once more to send another hailstorm of fiery death upon the humans and vampires on the ground below her.
"You are naught but insignificant insects, blasphemous creatures who don't know your place! Your endless and pathetic greed will cost you everything you hold dear, including your very lives!"
Before Yuichiro could make good on her new promise, she heard a voice coming from inside her mind.
"No, Yuu. Stop."
Yuichiro blinked and saw in her mind's eye, a feminine-looking demon boy with horns and long, flowing purple hair.
"What?" she demanded. "You dare give orders to me, you stupid little gnat?"
Ignoring the insult, Asuramaru continued.
"Don't kill mindlessly. Isn't that the opposite of what you really want? To save everyone?"
Yuichiro sneered at her demon contractor and tried to appear unmoved by his inquiry.
"And just who the hell are you to tell me what I want?" she demanded.
Asuramaru was not easily fooled by the girl's false demeanor and smirked.
"Quiet, you nasty little angel. I was talking to Yuichiro, not you."
For a moment, Yuichiro's golden eyes returned to their original green color. And when Asuramaru was certain he had her attention and not that of the seraph possessing her body, he offered Yuu his hand.
"Yuu…" he began calmly. "Listen to my voice and remember the promise we made each other: I said I would give you power to save your brother as well as all those you hold dear. And in exchange, you would help me find my own lost sister. You can't do either if you lose yourself to the seraph. Let me help you suppress and control it. Accept me and become a true demon. Then, and only then, will you be able to master the seraph and bend it to your will."
After making his promise, Asuramaru paused to wait for Yuichiro's response. For a moment, Yuichiro faltered and hesitated before finally realizing the logic of his words and reached out to take her demon's hand.
"Very well…"
Relieved that his mistress was willing to cooperate, Asuramaru quickly grabbed Yuu's hand and held onto it tightly before she could change her mind.
"You made the right choice, Miss Hyakuya. Now revert and I will take care of everything."
"Revert…" Yuichiro repeated slowly and closed her eyes, allowing Asuramaru to take over. As soon as she did so, the wings vanished from her shoulders and Yuichiro started plummeting towards the earth.
Footnotes:
1."Before the Dawn" is an unreleased Evanescence song. David Hodges sings backup vocals for the song. The song was recorded during the 2001-2002 demos. It seems to have a similar meaning as "Anywhere". It is about a couple trying to escape or leave somewhere.
2. Demon!Guren is somewhat kinder to fem!Yuu than he is to male!Yuu in canon. He tries to persuade fem!Yuu to obey him by playing on her semi-romantic affections for him.
3. Guren and Kureto have a complex relationship. They appear to be adversaries on the surface but are more like business partners and rivals in secret.
4. Hubris means excessive pride, ambition, and confidence. The ancient Greeks refer to hubris as pride great enough to offend the gods. In my fic, Kureto's hubris is feared by Aoi to offend God himself.
5. The canon Aoi Sangu was brainwashed from birth to serve specifically Kureto Hiragi in any way he desired and to never doubt or question him in any way. For my fic, I gave Aoi more of a conscience and ability to think for herself instead of just obeying Kureto blindly.
6. Sodom and Gomorrah were notoriously sinful cities in the biblical book of Genesis, destroyed by "sulfur and fire" because of their wickedness (Genesis 19:24). Sodom and Gomorrah along with the cities of Admah, Zeboiim, and Zoar (Bela) constituted the five "cities of the plain," and they are referenced throughout both the Old and New Testaments and the Qurʾān.
