Chapter 12 (Catastrophe)

Chapter 12 is the twelfth chapter of the Seraph of the End: Guren Ichinose: Catastrophe at Sixteen manga.

Synopsis
Mahiru and Guren survive Ferid's attack, and they each acquire a part of the slain chimera. While Mahiru feels the Hyakuya Sect are aware of what happened, she is prevented from leaving by Shinya who has spell tags ready. He suggests to Guren they capture her to stop the path she is on from developing.

Interested in her sword and information, Guren charges at Mahiru with Shinya's backing. Truly, he seeks to acquire a sample of the chimera which he gains. After she departs, Sayuri and Shigure along with Goshi and Mito join them. As they speak, Guren thinks how he almost killed them, and from his healed arm he feels the influence of the demon speaking.

Passing out, Guren awakes in the Ichinose house having been in a coma for a month. Sayuri asks if she can fill the hole in Guren's heart that Mahiru left behind, yet the answer is no. Contacting the Imperial Moon Research Institue of Sorcery, Guren reveals someone has developed a demon curse thought impossible where it has affected him. Calling Shinya over the phone, Guren asks about the missing piece of the chimera. Acquiring it and learning the Hyakuya Sect are aware Mahiru betrayed them, Guren means to head to Nagoya.

Characters
List of characters in order of appearance:
 * Ferid Bathory
 * Mahiru Hīragi
 * Guren Ichinose
 * Shinya Hīragi
 * Shigure Yukimi
 * Sayuri Hanayori
 * Mito Jūjō
 * Norito Goshi

Summary
Mahiru slashes at Ferid where the impact sends the chimera's remains flying, but is blocked effortlessly by him. Where the impact fills the crater, Ferid remarks how humans have already come up with such technology to handle the demons, and how good for them. After Mahiru backs away from a clash of sword strikes, Ferid taunts whether she is running away. Kicking Mahiru in the head hurls her away some distance and Ferid states that they are done. Standing between them, Guren defends Mahiru as Ferid bids the human goodbye. With them both crashing into the side of the crater from the force of Ferid's strike, Guren thinks how this is the strength of a vampire.

Guren is asked by Mahiru whether he is still alive, to which he comments Ferid is hilariously strong. Informing him that vampires have seven times the physical capacity of humans, Mahiru adds that Ferid is not bothered by them at all. All the while Ferid is noting how they blew the chimera to bits. Detailing how vampires perceive humans as cattle, Mahiru explains how they do not care about power struggles among humans, they only live underground for eternity where their scoiety is visualized. As Mahiru wishes to know what Ferid is doing here, he sees that they are still alive. Deeming it amazing, Ferid questions whether they are really human.

Demanding that he answer her, Mahiru reiterates her question on why Ferid is here. From what he has heard, humans are working in a field which they should not be allowed to investigate. Balancing some remains on the chimera on his shoulder, Ferid remarks how it is scary, that humans have always liked these sort of things. Speaking the world is going to end very quickly if they touch this forbidden spell, Ferid also comments that he thinks that sword of hers is also a bit of a crazy thing before judging human greed to be so disgusting.

Inferring that he is here to punish the greedy humans like them, Mahiru hears from Ferid that livestock cannibalism is not their concern. Raising that they survived his sword attacks, Ferid is not sure whether Mahiru and Guren can still be considered humans. Guessing it does not matter really, Ferid walks on his way. Damning it, Mahiru says if only the power of the demon curse was completed. Holding a talon of the creature, Mahiru feels the Hyakuya Sect has already realized the chimera is dead. As she recommends that Guren had better leave now, a magical pattern forms around Mahiru's feet.

Having regained consciousness, Shinya is holding a spell tag and answers Guren how was he supposed to sleep when his fiancé is getting along quite well with her ex-boyfriend. After Mahiru questions if Shinya is saying he was awake from the start and pretended to faint, he replies if he did not do that, she would not have told them the truth. When Mahiru affirms it is because Shinya is not good enough, he laughs that he is trying to do his best. Shinya speaks to Guren for them to work together and capture Mahiru, if left unchecked she will be destroyed. With Guren asking if Shinya really likes Mahiru that much, he does not know. Deeming himself a puppet who has been trained to be like this, Shinya asks Guren what about him.

Answering that Mahiru is someone who he has long forgotten about, Guren adds that he is interested in her sword and the information that she knows. With his sword ready, Guren announces he will stop her. Raising that he knows she is far stronger than him, Mahiru continues that right now the difference in power is too great. As Guren charges at her, Shinya uses spell tags to cover Mahiru's legs in them. Blasting them away, Mahiru avoids Guren's strike but finds a part of the talon she is holding has been sliced off. Seeing that is what he wanted, Guren tells her to not get so cocky and he will catch up with her soon. Fine with that, Mahiru states she will be waiting for him at the end of the same road.

Watching Mahiru leap out of the crater, Guren hears Shigure and Sayuri call for him, where Mito and Goshi are also awake again. Retrieving the talon, Guren thinks if he brings this piece of chimera back to house Ichinose to study it, he can get the power to outsmart the Hiragi family and Hyakuya Sect. Wondering what about Mito and Goshi, a demon visage appears with the words to just kill them. With smoke coiling around his arm at the part where it was reattached after being cut off, Guren hears a voice speak how if they can prove that they were killed by the chimera, no one will ever know and they will take all the power. The demon rests its hands on Guren's shoulders while speaking he can do it.

With Mito thanking Guren for saving her again, and Goshi commenting he just keeps helping them out, Guren entertains the talon while a phantom form of Mahiru drapes herself around him. Speaking to take the power quickly, together with her they will sink to the bottom. Shinya places his hand on Guren and questions whether he is going to turn into Mahiru. As Mito says next time if something goes wrong she will risk her life to protect him, and Goshi adds they are friends after all, Guren thinks he tried to kill them. Raising if he made the same choice as Mahiru then they would not have needed to save her, Shinya asks Guren what he thinks of this. Replying that he is a little tired, Guren then collapses.

Opening his eyes, Guren is overlapped with the demon and asked did he not want to kill all of them. His friends are depicted lying on the ground, and the demon tells him to not worry, he will soon be able to do it, to kill people and his own comrades without hesitation. Asking who this is, the reply is it is him. Where Guren stands, a horned shadow details how just like him it is obsessed with the feelings of revenge and ambition, before announcing that it is the demon. Finding that shadows are creeping up his body, Guren hears he has already stepped into the same world like Mahiru. The demon has been waiting all its life for a strong and greedy person like Guren, then welcomes him to the world of the black demon.

Waking up, Guren recognizes the room he is in is the Ichinose estate in Aichi. Sliding the door open, Sayuri reacts to him being awake and reveals he has already been in a coma for a month. Everyone said that he would never wake up again but Sayuri does not believe in them. Pleading for him to not do any more dangerous things like this, Sayuri questions why does he not just live here peacefully. After Sayuri mentions how Guren's father kept his distance from the center of power, he thinks how bowing his head to the Hiragi family is like living in fear like a slave. Speaking to Sayuri he states if she does not want to follow him anymore he will release her from the position of a servant.

Not meaning it that way, Sayuri answers that is not what she is talking about. Up until now Guren has always likes Mahiru, where Sayuri thinks to bring her back is the reason he keeps moving forward and gaining power. Sorry for saying these strange things, Sayuri feels if Guren is fond of Mahiru then there is no room left for her. Realizing what she said, Sayuri is alarmed. After Guren laughs in response, Sayuri questions if he is in pain then asks if she can fill the hole in his chest. Sayuri adds she has great admiration for him.

Thinking that if Sayuri was not following him around then she could have been a perfectly normal high school girl, Guren then speaks that she is an idiot. Affirming she is one for feeling this way, Sayuri has only ever thought about it twice. While they laugh, Guren states he cannot respond to her feelings. It is not like he hates her, but rather has his hands full with ambition and no time to spare, then tells Sayuri to give up. While Sayuri feels that means she still has a chance, it is based on Guren's prior words that he does not hate her, so that means he likes her. As Guren wonders what kind of development this is, Shigure enters the room to put and end to the scenario.

Poking Sayuri's cheek, Shigure questions if sneaking a round is not a bit too much. Having watched over her as a close friend before her words to Guren, now Shigure can no longer do that. Reminding Sayuri that Guren has been unconscious for a month, Shigure urges her to exercise some self-restraint. After Shigure asks him how his health is, Guren checks his arm and remembers Mahiru's words that he is not human anymore, where his soul already has a little bit of demon mixed into it. Questioning what is happening to his arm, Shigure answers the fracture in his left arm is recovering at a breathless pace and he can take off the cast in about half a month.

Determining that Shigure does not know anything about his right arm, Guren concludes before he lost consciousness it was already fine. Asking that Shigure give him her phone, the one that is not bugged, Guren contacts a member of the Order of the Imperial Moon Research Institute of Sorcery. Although the demon curse was one that could not be developed, Guren reveals someone has succeeded. By touching their techniques he may have been cursed. The member will get to work on investigating the curse inside Guren and proceed with the development of demon curse research.

Enquiring about the missing piece of the chimera, Sayuri is asked for Shinya's number. Situated at a cafe, Shinya queries who this is. Mentioned the phone has not been tapped, the reply is because he is not important to the Hiragi family. Noting that Guren is finally awake, Shinya interacts with some cats nearby as he speaks. Remembering that they thought Guren was dead, where Mito could not stop crying, Shinya turns to the reason for this call. Asking about the piece of that chimera, Guren questions if Shinya took it, or the Hiragi family. Sharing that he has hidden it, Shinya is told to give it back, but does not think he can conceal this from the Hiragi family and the Hyakuya Sect while transporting it to Aichi.

Revealing that he has been approached by the Hyakuya Sect, Shinya details they are asking for information because Mahiru had betrayed them. It seems that they will tell them all about the demon curse and the chimera to some extent in exchange. Together with himself, they will destroy the Hiragi family from the inside. Guren tells Shinya he talks too much.

At school, Guren enters class where Goshi and Mito are also present. Welcoming him back, Shinya questions if he has not arrived a bit too late. As Guren replies he had a lot of things to do, the teacher calls for silence. As Shinya continues to share that there are a lot of interesting reports here as well, Guren says he still talks a lot, where Shinya retorts he still has the same foul mouth. While Guren, the sleeping beauty, was breathing in a noisy manner, Shinya divulges the war has come a long way so they should work together. Commenting how his war has already started since he was a kid, Guren then addresses how it is so hot.

In the corridor, Shinya presents a Neko Cafe paper bag which has the piece of chimera inside. Asking what he is going to do with it, Guren replies his research institute will investigate it before he heads on his way. Questioning if he is on his way to Nagoya, Shinya mentions they have school tomorrow, yet Guren claims he will be back soon as he walks with Shigure and Sayuri.

Heading through a neighbourhood, Shinya feels it is so lively as students partake in a running activity. With a child showing the medal won and sharing their happiness, Shinya considers the matter.

Chapter notes

 * This chapter adapts from:
 * Catastrophe book 2 - chapter 7 (p. 316-326), epilogue
 * Guren has been in a coma for a month after passing out having used the cursed gear sword.
 * Guren's father is envisioned for the first time.
 * While the demon lives in the sword, it can still make contact with Guren since its power was used to heal his dismembered arm.
 * Shinya has been contacted by the Hyakuya Sect.