An Ancient Game of Tag

"An Ancient Game of Tag" (太古でカケッコ) is the one hundred and twenty-third chapter of the Seraph of the End: Vampire Reign manga series, written by Takaya Kagami and illustrated by Yamato Yamamoto.

Synopsis
Accessing a memory, Yu and Mika realize how far back in time they have reached from the late Cretaceous dinosaurs alive around them. Since they are his memories, Yu wonders if that means he must have been nearby. They spot Mikaela who lives as a seraph descend into the area. Mikaela draws a shadowy eye like entity from a lizard he is familiar with. Mikaela speaks to the eye that father is calling and flies away, Yu and Mika can only run after them.

After Yu gains energy from eating, Mika is able to assume his demon form where they are both able to reach the mountain with ash rising from it. Nearing the summit, a thin light appears from the crater. Mika motions for Yu to look where they discover what appears to be a civilisation made of ringed structures and towers. Throughout the air are seraphs, and floating black eyeball like beings. Yu and Mika see that this is bigger than they thought.

Characters
List of characters in order of appearance:


 * Yūichirō Hyakuya (appears as a child while in a memory, seen presently when returning briefly to eat)
 * Mikaela Hyakuya (appears as a child while in a memory)
 * Mikaela (as a memory)
 * Yu (Homunculus) (as a memory)
 * Shikama Dōji (mentioned only)

Summary
As a child within a memory, Yu speaks for the large door before him to open. Asking that it show him what happened in his past, Yu finds through it a landscape with the ocean before him. Speaking to Mika nearby, Yu says how it is just ocean and so hard to tell how far back in the past they are with just that. After Mika states that it will be more obvious in a minute, Yu wonders how. Saying for him to just take a look, Mika promises Yu he will know in an instant. Hearing a "kree" like sound, Yu turns to see what said that.

The sound comes from one of the Pteranodon in the area, of which Yu finds one near him. Startled, Yu drops to the ground however the Pteranodon's claws are able to make contact and seize his clothes, something that Mika is also shocked by. Lifted into the air, Yu finds he is being flown towards a Tyrannosaurus ahead.

The Tyrannosaurus roars which alarms both Yu and Mika, yet is is the Pteranodon's leg that it bites onto. After Yu has fallen to the ground, Mika runs over to check him. The Pteranodon has its neck in the jaws of the Tyrannosaurus, where Mika directs Yu to run as they take their chance to escape.

Checking round to view non-hostile ones nearby after the others seen, Yu fumbles his words as he attempts to process that there are dinosaurs here. Appreciating the situation, Mika gets what Yu wants to say. Once Yu manages to blurt out there are dinosaurs, Mika gets how he feels. Relaxing into a state of awe, Yu excitedly raises with Mika how there are real, live dinosaurs. Mika figured he would be excited.

Surveying the dinosaurs before them, Yu marvels at how they are the real things. When Yu speaks how he is looking at real dinosaurs, Mika notes these are his memories. Asking if he is serious, Yu questions whether he was born in the age of the dinosaurs. After Mika says not to ask him, Yu then checks whether humans even existed back then.

Answering no, not even close, Mika details how the humans they recognize today only evolved 10,000 to 20,000 thousand years ago. Hearing that, Yu questions when was the time of the dinosaurs, to which Mika replies something like a hundred million years. As they both think on the matter, it is contemplated how Yu exists in the present day, as he did eight years ago when the catastrophe occurred. Humanity evolves 10,000 years ago when Yu existed then, and 100 million years ago during the age of the dinosaurs, Yu exists.

Scandalized, Yu demands to know what the heck is going on with his past. While Mika ponders the matter, Yu has questions on whether he is a dinosaur. After Mika jokes he is probably a dinosaur on a mental level, Yu addresses how if this place is in his memory then does that mean that he would have to be nearby. Although deeming it a good question, Mika is not sure.

Noticing a rustle nearby, Yu and Mika find a small lizard has appeared. For Yu's question on whether he had to have been nearby for this to be his memory, Mika points to the lizard. Yu reacts by saying no, just no. It is the age of the dinosaurs, and Yu continues to say at least let him be some big, cool one.

With the lizard looking their way, Mika notes it is staring at them. Agreeing it is, Yu states it has got to be a coincidence. Where it appears to be staring right at them, Yu gives some thought on whether the lizard is seriously him. Yu and Mika hear the words "found you" spoken and look to the speaker.

His six seraph wings outspread, Mikaela appears in the vicinity. Alive, Mikaela picks up the passive lizard and remarks so that is where it was hiding. This scenario is observed by Yu and Mika who have hidden themselves behind some trees. Speaking to Mika how Mikaela is here, Yu checks does that mean this is Mika's memory, not his own. Observing him, Mika wonders whether Mikaela is really him.

Mikaela opens the lizard's mouth and a shadowy sphere of darkness bursts out. The shadowy mass has a single large eye within its center. As Yu and Mika look on in shock having seen something pop out, the shadowy orb boings around Mikaela who laughs with delight, he knew right away where it was. Speaking to the shadow, Mikaela tells it how father is calling.

As the orb settles on his shoulder, Mikaela uses his wings to fly into the air. Seeing how they are flying away, Yu turns to Mika to ask if they know how to fly in the memory. Giving it some thought, Mika makes an attempt to try yet he and Yu see his jumping is unable result in flight.

A mountain with ash rising from it is in the distance, and is what Mikaela with the orb is seemingly flying towards. On the ground, Yu and Mika run after them. Yu asks if they really have to run after them, and with Mikaela unable to be seen anymore there is the concern they will never catch up. At this rate there is the further worry on could they possibly get stuck here.

When Yu checks whether Mika could eat some of his desire and get stronger, an attempt is made. Although Mika can generate curse like energy in his eye he says to Yu it is no good. Just coming this far took a whole ton of desire, and Mika adds he does not have the strength to let his power go berserk. After Yu asks does he not have enough desire for him to eat, Mika clarifies it is not that, rather calories again.

Understanding, Yu announces he will go and eat quick. Feeling that is good, Mika means to keep running so they do not lose sight of them. To continue as they have been, Yu says he will be back in a sec and closes his eyes. As Mika states to make it quick, Yu vanishes from the memory. Alone, Mika looks to his side to see a dinosaur. Feeling this is freaky, Mika focuses on heading after Mikaela and the shadow and hopes he can keep up.

Blinking, Yu is conscious in his physical body back within the Sea of Trees around Mt. Fuji. Telling himself how Mika is right, now that he realizes it, Yu finds he is starving. After commenting how this memory stuff is so fuel inefficient, Yu enjoys eating. Finding it tastes so good, Yu is full again and takes his seating position. Saying aloud to Mika how here he comes, Yu closes his eyes to return to his child form back in the memory.

Looking round, Mika finds Yu has reappeared. Announcing that he is back, Mika feels it is great and can detect Yu's strength is back too. When Yu enquires if he has not lost them, Mika replies probably not. Turning to how Yu's strength is back, Mika instigates his demon powers with his horns and tail manifesting on himself as a child.

When Mika as a demon happily tells him it is working, Yu feels it and is also keen for them to go. Both able to leap into the air, Yu and Mika can make out a figure near the smoking mountain. Concentrating on the winged entity, Yu updates Mika how it is that way, who has also noticed it. Landing having gained the view, Mika mentions how they are heading in that direction past the mountain. Mika directs them to run, which Yu is happy with.

Bounding through the forest, Mika and Yu's demonically powered speed has them reach the base of the mountain. Taking to walking up the rocky landscape and fatigued, Mika says how it is the other side of the cliff as to where they are headed. Walking behind him, Yu sees that Mika's demon tail has gone. Raising what he has noticed, Yu informs Mika that he is not a demon anymore. Yu also does not feel any strength either, so Mika states they will have to conserve energy. It is too easy to burn through it way too fast. Focusing on climbing, Yu and Mika approach to mountain summit of which there is a column of smoke rising ahead.

Arriving first, Mika reacts to the view he sees and ducks down. Wondering what it is, Yu asks whether he lost sight of angel Mika. With Mika silent, Yu asks is there something on the other side of the cliff. Rather than answer directly, Mika points for Yu to witness what he saw firsthand.

Looking over, Yu is astonished at the scene that Mika also stares silently at. A thin beam of what appears to be light shines at an angle upwards, and yet it is the formations on the ground that Yu and Mika behold. Within the mountain crater are man-made appearing structures, from rock like towers to concrete circular walls.

Amongst the towers there are a number of seraphs as well as a secondary species of the dark orbs that bear an eye. The thin beam of what appears as light from one of the circular structures on the ground shines high into the air. As this scene, from the time of the dinosaurs, sinks in for them, Yu and Mika look to one another in disbelief.

After Yu acknowledges that there are a bunch of guys who look like the First, Mika adds there are weird eyeballs too. Asking what era this is again, Yu checks if it the age of angels, to which Mika states that is a good question. Mika agrees with Yu that this is bigger than he thought.

Quotes
"It's just the ocean. It's hard to tell how far back in the past with just that."

- Yu opens a door to memories further back than in Ancient Greece.

"Just take a look. I promise. You'll know in an instant."

- Mika says for Yu to see for himself what he has already realized.

"I know. I get what you wanna to say."

- Mika when Yu is trying to speak that there are dinosaurs in the memory.

"Wooow! Mika! Real, live dinosaurs!"

- Yu's excitement at the dinosaurs around them.

"What, seriously?! Then I was born in the age of dinosaurs?!"

- Yu's response to Mika saying these are his memories.

"No. Not even close. The humans we recognize today only evolved 10,000 to 20,000 thousand years ago."

- Mika answers how humans were not around during the time that Yu was seemingly able to form memories.

"What the heck is going on with my past?! Am I a dinosaur then?! Am I?!"

- Yu's outrage at having memories from the time where dinosaurs roamed the earth.

"Hell... If this place is in my memory... ...Then doesn't that mean I have to be nearby?"

- Yu considers whether a past version of himself would be nearby after thinking what he could be.

"It's the age of the dinosaurs. At least let me be some big, cool one."

- Yu's statement on being a cool dinosaur.

"Found you!"

- Mikaela's first words in the series, where he has not found Yu and Mika in the memory, rather a shadowy being that he can discern within a lizard.

"So that's where you were hiding."

- Mikaela having picked up the lizard.

"Wait a sec. He's here? Doesn't that mean this is your memory, not mine?"

- Yu speaking to Mika after having seen Mikaela arrive.

"Aha ha! I knew right away."

- Mikaela happy to see the shadowy orb having known it was hidden inside a lizard.

"C'mon. Father's calling."

- Mikaela speaking for the orb to come, and referring likely to Sika Madu as father.

"Uh, they're flying away. Do we know how to fly?"

- Yu turns to Mika for the answer having given that Mikaela and the orb are flying away in the memory.

"Good! I'll keep running so we don't lose sight of them!"

- Mika intends to follow Mikaela while Yu returns to gain energy for them to continue.

"Yep, this is freaky. I hope I can keep up."

- Mika is by himself as he sees a dinosaur nearby yet is resolved to keep Mikaela in sight.

"They're headed in that direction. Past the mountain."

- Mika keeps Yu informed where Mikaela and the sphere has headed.

"Ah. You aren't a demon anymore. I don't feel any strength, either."

- Yu sees that Mika's tail has disappeared and the energy needed to traverse the memory has also diminished for himself.

"We'll have to conserve energy. It's too easy to burn through it way too fast."

- Mika planning with Yu given their demon based power has faded.

"There're a whole bunch of guys who look like the First."

- Yu comments to Mika regarding the seraphs they are seeing and how their wings resemble Shikama Doji's.

"What era is this, again? The age of angels?"

- Yu's question considering a seraph like civilisation during the age of the dinosaurs.

"This is bigger than I thought."

- Yu's perspective after having seen dinosaurs and then seraphs in his memory.

Cover Details
Yu and Mika appear as children, the form they took on when accessing a memory of the ancient past starting in the previous chapter 122 "Calories for Travel". The color of their clothing in this memory is revealed here, Yu finds himself in a burgundy T-shirt of which the short sleeves are black. His shorts are a lighter tone of black compared to his trainers. Mika wears a cream colored, short-sleeved hoody, with navy blue shorts. His dark blue socks are within dark colored shoes. Both Yu and Mika appear happy traversing a green landscape with foliage and what appears to be a cliff beginning behind them on the left. Also behind them are the huge feet of a blue-tinged theropod dinosaur. Possibly the Tyrannosaurus that is seen within the chapter, it is the first view of a dinosaur in the series as memories from the ancient past are come across. The title and creation details are featured in white at the bottom of the page.
 * The "Open. Door. Show me what happened in my past." text is seen again at the start of the chapter, with Yu from a different angle, as he proceeds to engage with the means of accessing a further past memory.
 * The door from within Mikaela's chamber from the dark ages of Greece era opens into an open world, one from prehistoric times.
 * Rather than tell him outright what is there, Mika guides Yu to look and see for himself. He would do this again in pointing for Yu to see the structures within the mountain crater.
 * The sound of one is the first instance of Yu being aware of them, where he would see at least four Pteranodon in the vicinity.
 * It was established that Yu and Mika could be physically affected by memories, for instance able to be pushed over by people walking into them in the previous chapter. While they could not be seen then, here it appears that Yu and Mika are now able to be outright noticed by at least one Pteranodon, unless it was pure coincidence that the past being happened to swoop down in that area, where Yu in the memory could have his clothing caught by its claws. Yu and Mika also suspect a lizard, albeit one with a shadowy eye within it, was able to perceive them in the memory they were accessing.
 * After being dropped to the ground, Yu experiences pain from the fall in the memory.
 * Absorbing the fact that there are dinosaurs around them, there are Pternodon, Tyrannosaurus, Iguanodon, a larger Deinonychus-like being and sauropod related dinosaurs around. These species of dinosaurs existed during the Cretaceous period, that has a time frame from around 145 to 66 million years ago. Mika's midway answer of dinosaurs living something like a hundred million years ago is accurate, more so for these specific species of dinosaurs.
 * After Yu manages to find his words, the shock of dinosaurs, and being caught in a memory, are replaced with with feelings of excitement at their presence.
 * As Yu marvels at the dinosaurs, Mika addresses how they are in his memories. Further, Yu's memories come from a time before humans evolved. From Mika's comments about him not being sure that Yu is human, he may have been aware of these dinosaurs existing in the previous chapter having viewed such memories then.
 * It is considered how in the present day, eight years ago at the Catastrophe, when humanity evolves 10,000 years ago, and the age of the dinosaurs 100 million years ago, how Yu exists at all those points.
 * With these revelations, Yu reacts with outrage as to what is going on with his past, and has legitimate questions on whether he is a dinosaur.
 * Given that these are his memories, Yu raises the notion that would mean he would have to be nearby. A plain, simple-looking, small lizard appears, which is immediately pointed to by Mika as the Yu nearby.
 * Commenting how it is the age of the dinosaurs, Yu is in favor of himself being some big cool one.
 * The lizard is felt to be staring right at Yu and Mika. This may be probable that a lizard that existed in the past could discern Yu and Mika who have entered a memory if this was possible for the Pteranodon. Alternatively it may have been the shadowy like being within the lizard that could focus on Yu and Mika. Probably, the entity within the lizard was focused given it may have sensed Mikaela approach.
 * "Found you!" are the first words spoken by Mikaela, who has only been seen deceased in the later, yet still ancient past times of Ancient Greece.
 * During the Cretaceous era, it is revealed that Mikaela was alive. He also wears clothing, far before humans evolved to create them.
 * In response to Mikaela arriving, both Yu and Mika respond by hiding to observe him and the lizard from a distance.
 * As Yu thinks this may in actuality be Mika's memory since Mikaela is there, Mika's thoughts on whether Mikaela is really him.
 * The lizard allows Mikaela to pick it up and be handled, where it is shown to have had a shadowy mass with a very large eye able to conceal itself inside.
 * The eye entity is similar to a black sun in terms of being a spherical shadowy mass. This one is more animated, capable of bouncing and displaying reactions similar to a sentient being. The single eye it bears is strikingly similar to the eye that Mika came across while entering Yu's memories in Chapter 104 "The Same Dream".
 * Mikaela was able to locate a small lizard, and perceive what was in it through some means. Such senses also seem to allow him to know that his father is calling.
 * The father said to be calling is very likely to be Sika Madu for he said that Mikaela was his child. Additionally an indication that Sika Madu was around during this time and location.
 * Seeing if they can, Mika finds they are unable to fly in the memory after Mikaela. While they may be unrelated to his demon capabilities, Mika was seen to possess seraph-like wings in Chapter 93: "Desire Within Desire" which have not been seen or commented on since.
 * As Mikaela flies towards a volcano, based on the ash rising from the mountain, Yu and Mika run after him on foot.
 * There is the concern that Yu and Mika could get stuck in a memory.
 * While Mika tries he is unable to generate power to grow stronger, his energy source is not just desire but calories from Yu as well.
 * Reacting to the need for calories, Yu returns his consciousness to his physical body, where he is seen vanishing from the memory.
 * Although considered fuel inefficient, eating until he was full allowed Yu and Mika to access past memories revealing Sika Madu and his disciples, as well as allowing the past Mikaela to be seen. Eating again enabled this point of the prehistoric past to be reached where dinosaurs could be viewed, along with further new details that Mikaela was alive and with an unknown entity.
 * By heading back to eat, Yu could swiftly return with Mika within the memory who has kept up with pursuing Mikaela.
 * Able to feel Yu's strength, Mika enhances his own by generating his demon horns and tail which appear to factor into the strength he is able to employ.
 * Although Mika as a memoryless demon was seen as a child with horns and a tail, this is the first instance of Mika as himself with his memories in his child form bearing his demon features.
 * Benefitting from the calories and desire Yu has, Mika can use his demon powers to leap into the air of which Yu is able to do alongside him.
 * Desire and calories from Yu energizes Mika, who energizes Yu where they both benefit from the demonic based power.
 * While the power of appearing at another point in a memory, such as in Chapter 110: "Expose the Past to the Sun" where Mika could essentially flick between memory points, where neither flight is not possible to navigate a memory, Mika and Yu could still use a demonically enhanced sense of speed to physically make their way over the land in this memory. This leaves both of them appearing fatigued. Mika also appeared weary after circles to memories into the past were formed. Rather than exerting power, it appears the further back memories are is the largest factor in how much power is consumed.
 * Yu has never commented on Mika having a tail, this is the first time he indirectly acknowledges it. Having noticed it is gone where he is walking behind him, Yu simply words it as Mika is not a demon anymore in the context of what it means for both their strength having been diminished.
 * There is smoke rising from the mountain Mikaela flies towards. Even there as Yu and Mika near the summit, it is not visible at all once the civilisation and a thin beam of what looks like light comes into view. The line angled high into the air is not visible even from a distance where it should plausibly be. It would not be impossible for an illusionary power to have been established there, the buildings and thin light would be secure in its location, where dinosaurs and other beings around may be deterred from entering the area on account of a possible illusion of volcanic activity namely the ash.
 * Yu refers to Mikaela as angel Mika.
 * This chapter reveals a civilisation established during the era of dinosaurs. While demons occupy their own realms, and seraphs can materialize in similar settings, it is a physical location on Earth where seraphs were also present.
 * The rock formations of the seraph civilisation are predominantly individually thin and tower high into the air, but are generally not higher than the more natural appearing surrounding mountain range. Some structures resemble very large selenite crystals in shape, where some appear melted in parts. It may be a different type of rock, or the same one that has been carved and fashioned into what resemble tall modern day buildings. Some of these buildings appear to feature pipe like creations, and wide vertical window like points. Pipe like features are also seen on the two large ringed structures in the area. One is larger in circumference and has higher walls that the other, and it is from a point off the middle where a single thin laser-like beam of light shines into the air. In the next chapter, this light like manifestation was clarified to be a long thin physical structure.
 * There are two species that reside in this civilisation, the first are seraphs and the second are dark orb like beings with a single large eyes, both of which float among the structures.
 * They may be the same ones focused on between the panels, yet there are at least nine seraphs depicted in what may very well to be their true form of a cloak surrounding a dark fire in their head section, along with a long thin tail.
 * Upon seeing the seraphs, Yu comments how they resemble the First.

Gallery
Manga panels provide a visual overview of the events of chapter 123 with depictions of the characters, Seraph of the End world and scenarios.