Our Goals

"Our Goals" (僕らのゴール) is the one hundred and nineteenth chapter of the Seraph of the End: Vampire Reign manga series, written by Takaya Kagami and illustrated by Yamato Yamamoto.

Synopsis
Yu climbs a radio tower while Mika wonders why. Calling for Mika to join him at the top of Tokyo Tower, they both view the the ruined world. Not concerned that they are being chased, Yu accidentally falls as Mika addresses how they cannot die anymore. Yu wanted to see the world where his thoughts concern everyone who died.

Only ever thinking about his family, Yu clarifies he had to save Mika. Desiring Yu to be happy, Mika reminds Yu of how his squad said they loved him. Stating that Yu already left him when he first escaped the vampires, Mika tells Yu he can learn to like Shinoa and make a family with her. Yu asks how he can if Mika is not in it. Refusing to give up, Yu says leaving Mika is like telling him to die.

On what he means to do, Yu details how he and Mika haven't decided anything yet. While Yu does not have a plan, he wants Mika to come up with one that involves bringing everybody back including him.

Characters
List of characters in order of appearance:


 * Yūichirō Hyakuya (flashback as a child too)
 * Mikaela Hyakuya (flashback as a child too)
 * Akane Hyakuya (mentioned only)
 * Guren Ichinose (mentioned only)
 * Shinoa Hīragi (mentioned only)
 * Yoichi Saotome (mentioned only)
 * Mitsuba Sangū (mentioned only)
 * Shihō Kimizuki (mentioned only)
 * Shikama Dōji (mentioned only)
 * Asuramaru (vizualized)
 * Hyakuya Orphanage Family (imagined)

Summary
As Yu climbs a radio tower, Mika calls to ask whether he is listening to him. Questioning how high up he is planning to go, Mika asks further why Yu is climbing this anyway, to which he answers they are almost at the top. On whether he has heard the saying that fools and smoke rise to high places, Yu guesses he is the fool. While Mika states now is not the time to stand out, Yu reaches the summit and announces to him that they are here.

Surveying the cityscape from the top of the tower, Yu marvels how awesome the view is. Called to look, Mika asks if it is the scenery he means. Amazed at how high up they are, after Mika comments that he sounds dumb right now, Yu eagerly claims it is seriously awesome and for him to come. After Mika says he has already established that part, Yu happily tells him to just come up here.

Detailing that this is Tokyo Tower, Mika mentions it is over one thousand feet tall which is a lot to climb. Taking note of what was said, Yu is impressed that Mika knows a lot then asks him whether he likes Tokyo Tower that much. When Mika replies that it is common knowledge, Yu interprets that as meaning that everyone must have liked Tokyo Tower a whole bunch. Although Mika does not know about that, he joins Yu at his position where they both survey the landscape.

After a moment of surveying the view, Mika states that maybe people did like it. Explaining that it was pretty famous, Mika adds it was once Japan's tallest communications tower. Coming to agree with Yu that it is an amazing view, Mika delineates that it is the world where everyone used to live before everything was destroyed. Turning to the matter of how Yu knows they are being chased, Mika wonders why climb all the way up this thing. In response, Yu questions that if he stands up here on the very top then does that not make him the tallest person ever. Befuddled at the sentiment, Mika then witnesses Yu merrily reaching for the sky as he announces he is on the top of Tokyo Tower.

In his joy, Yu falls from the top of the tower. Calling his name in alarm and reaching for him, Mika and Yu are unable to grasp one another's hands. As Yu falls, Mika observes that it is not like the fall will kill him since neither of them are human anymore. To himself, Mika processes whether Yu had to climb up here if he was just going to fall anyway.

Landing on his feet, Yu happily notes that he did not die. Having fallen all the way from up there, Yu sees he is still totally fine. Descending to the ground himself, Mika hears Yu say he is alive. Knowing what that was, Yu elaborates how it is called terminal velocity. Partway down, air resistance stopped him from falling any faster. Accordingly, Yu informs Tokyo Tower that he won. Clapping sarcastically, Mika feels that was a "listen to me" look from Yu. Responding that he finally noticed, Yu claims he has looked this way for a good two hundred years now, to which Mika jokes how it was that long.

Asking why Yu climbed to the top of the tower, Mika reminds him that they cannot afford to stick out right now. Rather than answer the question, Yu queries who would not want to climb it since it is the tallest building around. Mika asks what the reason really is, where Yu kind of figured that he should look and really see. When Mika asks what it is he is looking at, Yu responds everyone, namely the world the catastrophe destroyed and everyone who died in it.

This whole time, Yu mentions he was only ever thinking about himself and his family. As Mika listens, Yu says further that he just had to save his family. Taking ahold of his hand, Yu is clear that he just had to save Mika. While Mika ponders this, Yu lists Akane, the kids, Guren, and Shinoa, so long as he could save the family that took him in then Yu did not care about anything else. Agreeing, Mika says if Yu is happy then that is all he needs.

Affirming that Yu's happiness is his own happiness, Mika cautions him to not go getting greedy. Laughing slightly, Yu addresses whether that involves letting Mika die while he goes on living. Of the view that Guren is trustworthy enough, Mika advises Yu to leave this to Guren. Confident of this since Guren likes Yu, there is also Shinoa who Mika raises where he asks Yu if he remembers what she said at the end. What Yoichi, then Mitsuba too, and Kimizuki all said at the end was that they loved Yu. Where they begged him not to go, Mika states Yu must have heard that.

Where Yu heard his squad say they love him, Mika addresses how this is how he answers them, before questioning if he is sure this is what he wants. Giving it some thought, Yu asks Mika what if it were him. If he were in his shoes, what would he have done. Returning the question, Mika asks what would Yu have done if he were in his shoes. Serious, Yu asserts he will not give in. Reacting to that, Mika takes to ordering Yu to go, he already turned his back on him and left once so he should keep going and live.

Remembering as children how they attempted to escape the vampire city, Yu recalls how Mika pushed him away in order for him to escape and survive which presently rouses anger in him. Continuing, Mika yells as long as Yu is alive he can build a new family, that is the simple truth. That Shinoa girl likes him, so Mika directs Yu to learn to like her back. Instructing him to make a new family, Mika presses Yu to have kids, smile, and live.

Commanding Yu to stop his stupid obsession with him already, Mika orders him to not cling to the past, it is over, and it all ended that day. As a child it is remembered how Yu tearfully ran away from Mika who was left mortally wounded on the floor. That day, Mika states that Yu chose to leave him behind and start a new life. Awaiting a response, it comes in the form of Yu shouting how Mika thinks he can start a new life if he is not in it.

Irate and whopping him, Mika says how many times does he have to tell Yu, it is over. Responding in kind, Yu says for stupid Mika to shut up. Proceeding to seize and then butt heads with him, Mika orders Yu to give up, who answers no. The same command is rejected again, before Mika resorts to stating that Yu will give up, then please will he do so. As Yu lies on the ground, Mika damns the situation.

Asking aloud why nothing ever goes his way, Mika feels his whole life nothing has ever worked out. Upset, Mika says how he is Yu's demon, and in eating his desires he can feel how strongly he does not want to give up. Looking upwards, Yu speaks that he is sorry to Mika for leaving him behind. That is what he wanted, and Mika adds for Yu to just give up on him and live his own life. Sharing how he could have chosen to die with him that day instead, Yu says to Mika it is not like he has a big reason to live.

Wanting Yu to live anyway, Mika states everybody struggles their hardest to live. Answering that he has lived enough, Yu speaks how he considered suicide everyday. When he stuck it out, doing what it took to live this long, Yu says Mika could at least praise him for that. Crying, Yu protests that Mika was gone but he stayed alive and did not die for this long, and so he deserves a compliment for that.

Where Mika is silent, Yu states if he was just going to give up on him he would have offed himself that day and saved himself the trouble. Not doing that, but staying alive, Yu is happy to say because he did he got Mika back. Now Mika is saying for him to abandon him again, Yu laughs that is not happening, it is like telling him to die. On what he is going to do, Mika raises whether it is sacrifice the world to bring him back to life, exactly like the First wants Yu to do.

Tapping him, Yu states that Mika is supposed to be the smart one which leaves him confused. They have not decided anything yet, and Yu notes further they have not thought for themselves one bit, only done what Guren or the First told them to do. Feeling that Guren is amazing since he is making choices, Yu adds he is even willing to be the bad guy if it means getting what he wants. Bringing in the First's conduct, Yu raises with Mika how he said that the First had abandoned Asuramaru.

Asuramaru is remembered when Shikama Doji indeed said he had no further use for him, and it is something Yu and Mika heard. The First is willing to do anything to bring Mika back to life, and Yu processes that he is thinking, he knows what he wants to do, and what battles he has to win. As Mika considers that, Yu asks what about them. Having not thought about anything, they also have not made any choices. Claiming further that they are kids, Yu frames them as pieces in somebody else's game.

While Mika gives some thought to their situation, Yu questions what game they could play and where do they stand. Wondering who do they help, betray, Yu asks Mika what do they have to do. Before, Yu said he had a plan so Mika asks what it is. As for what plan, Yu does not have one, much to Mika's chagrin. There is one thing Yu understands though, that he and Mika are still stuck in those days. With Sanguinem envisioned, Yu explains they are still trapped and helpless just like they were when the vampires had them.

They had way less power than they do now, yet Yu says to Mika that he still thought his hardest to come up with a crazy plan to get them out. Avowing that Mika is smart, Yu knows that better than anyone. Sure that if Mika puts his mind to it, Yu continues that he can come up with a plan that will get them both out alive this time. As Mika thinks, he then raises so Yu's plan was to dump it all in his lap. Not entirely true, in response, Yu declares that his job is to be the brawn, if any vampires show up, he will chop them to bits.

Wondering what would they have to do to win, Mika raises even if Yu does not have a plan doe he have ideas. Immediately affirming yes, Yu maintains he has got bigger plans than Guren or even the First. What Yu wants is to bring everybody back, including Mika. Feeling there is the idiot, Mika states neither Guren nor the First can pull that off, but Yu thinks he can, who replies yes because he is dumb. When Yu mentions did he know dumb people and smoke rise to high places, Mika asks if he really has to do this.

It is why Yu climbed to the top of the highest place around, he wanted to get a good look at everybody they are going to save. Announcing to Mika that they are going to save everybody, it is not just their family but everybody. After Mika asks whether Yu wants him to think up how, Yu confirms that. It has got to be easier than getting a bunch of kids away from vampires. When Mika states he makes it sound easy, Yu says for him to not worry, he knows he can do it. If they try it and it does not work, Yu is content to state they will both just die.

If everything really did end way back on that day, Yu questions what is wrong with dying. With the choice being them saving everyone or dying together, Yu feels either is fine. That makes it super easy, and Yu says it is the same goal they decided on way back when. Having zero intent to live all on his own, Yu speaks how Mika had better use those smarts of his and come up with a plan that lets them win. As children running towards the exit of Sanguinem are visualized, Mika and Yu as children are leading many orphans out of the city and happy to be doing so.

After consideration, Mika resolutely says for them to do it and he will come up with something. Yu feels it is great, and says for the both of them to get out of this crappy world together. Yu and Mika fist bump after coming to an agreement for the direction they would like to take.

Quotes
"This is Tokyo Tower, y'know. It's over 1,000 feet tall. That's a lot to climb."

- Mika's knowledge of the tower that he and Yu climbed.

"Whoa, you know a lot! Do you like Tokyo Tower that much?"

- Yu impressed by Mika knowing the 1,000 feet tall tower, and feeling that means he likes it.

"Well... Okay. Maybe people did like it. It was pretty famous. It was once Japan's tallest communications tower. It's an amazing view."

- Mika seeing the sight from atop Tokyo Tower.

"It's the world where everyone used to live... ...Before everything was destroyed."

- Mika's perspective on the cityscape before him.

"So. Yu. You know we're being chased. Why climb all the way up this thing?"

- Mika's patience in trying to get answers from Yu who is focused on other matters.

"Because if I stand up here on the very top... ...Doesn't that make me the tallest person ever?"

- Yu's jubilance at being at the top of a tower given previous tense situations.

"It's not like the fall will kill him. Neither of us are human anymore."

- Mika reflects that neither he nor Yu can be killed in this manner anymore.

"Ooh! I didn't die! Whoa! I fell all the way from up there... But I'm still totally fine!"

- Yu joyfully registers he survived the fall from the top of a tower.

"I know what it was! It's called terminal velocity! Partway down, air resistance stopped me from falling any faster! So I win, Tokyo Tower!"

- Yu's physics based knowledge, and triumphant attitude to surviving a fall.

"Hey, Mika? This whole time I was only ever thinking about myself and my family. I just had to save my family. I just had to save you."

- Yu takes ahold of Mika's hand as he specifies what he means by family.

"Akane. The kids. Guren. Shinoa. As long as I could save the family that took me in... ...Then I didn't care about anything else."

- Yu mentioning orphanage and squad members as family.

"Me too, Yu. If you're happy, that's all I need. Your happiness... ...Is my happiness."

- Mika agreeing with Yu's feeling of saving family, with a focus on his happiness.

"Guren's trustworthy enough. Leave this to him. He likes you."

- Mika speaks favorably of Guren to Yu where a resurrection based plan is in mind.

"And that Shinoa girl. Do you remember what she said at the end? Yoichi too. And Mitsuba. And Kimizuki. At the end... ...They all said they love you. They begged you not to go. You must've heard that."

- Mika had heard and reminds Yu what his squad said back in the Akihabara chamber.

"No, dammit! Go! You already turned your back on me and left once! So keep going! Live! As long as you're alive, you can build a new family! That's the simple truth! That Shinoa girl likes you! Learn to like her back! Make a new family with her! Have kids! Smile! Live!"

- Mika remembers Yu's squad and after hearing that Yu won't give up on him he speaks for him to do so.

"Drop your stupid obsession with me already! Don't cling to the past! It's over! Gone! It all ended that day! That day... ...You chose to leave me behind and start a new life!"

- Mika speaking of the day when as children Yu escaped the vampire city while he was left mortally wounded.

"How can you think I can start a new life... ...If you aren't in it?!"

- Yu's anger at Mika telling him to leave him for others.

"Why? Nothing ever goes my way. My whole life, nothing's ever worked out. I'm your demon. I eat your desires. I can feel how strongly you don't want to give up."

- Mika tearfully notes how he can't get Yu to leave him.

"That's what I wanted. Please. Just give up on me and live your own life."

- Mika replies to Yu when he says sorry for leaving him behind.

"Live anyway. Everybody struggles their hardest to live."

- Mika's views on Yu saying he had no big reason to live.

"I've lived enough. I considered suicide every day... But I stuck it out, doing what it took to live this long. You could at least praise me for that."

- Yu discussing a difficult topic with Mika.

"You were gone! But I stayed alive and didn't die for this long! I deserve a compliment for that!"

- Yu cries as he shares his anguish with Mika.

"If I was just going to give up on you... ...I would've offed myself that day and saved myself the trouble. But I didn't. I stayed alive. And because I did, I got you back. Now you're going to tell me to abandon you again? Ha ha! Not happening. That's like telling me to die."

- Yu sharing his feelings with Mika after he said to leave him.

"Then what are you going to do? Sacrifice the world to bring me back to life? Exactly like the First wants you to?"

- Mika's question for Yu and his thoughts on the possible path ahead.

"We haven't decided anything yet. We haven't thought for ourselves one bit. We've only done what Guren or the First told us to do."

- Yu beginning to arrange with Mika on what their course of action is to be.

"Guren's amazing. He's making choices. He's even willing to be the bad guy if it means getting what he wants."

- Yu fondly considers Guren in deciding what he could do.

"The First is willing to do anything to bring you back to life. He's thinking. He knows what he wants to do... ...And he knows that battles he has to win."

- Yu speaks what Shikama Doji is doing to restore Mika, and notes the lengths he would go to.

"But what about us? We haven't thought about anything. We haven't made any choices. We're kids. Pieces in somebody else's game. Then what's a game we can play? Where do we stand? Who do we help? Who do we betray? What do we have to do, Mika?"

- Yu's change of pace where he considers what is good for them, and forming a plan with Mika.

"Plan? What plan? I don't have a plan."

- Yu answers Mika's question on what the plan he mentioned before is.

"But. There is one thing I understand. The two of us? We're still stuck in those days, Mika. We're still trapped and helpless... ...Just like we were when the vampires had us. We had way less power then than we do now... ...But you still thought your hardest. You came up with a crazy plan to get us out. You're smart. I know that better than anyone. And I know that, if you put your mind to it... ...You can come up with a plan that'll get us both out alive this time."

- Yu speaking in detail how he sees his and Mika's situation, and seeing him as the way out of it.

"So your plan was to dump it all in my lap?"

- Mika checks what Yu's plan really is.

"My job is to be the brawn, y'know! If any vampires show up, I'll chop 'em to bits!"

- Yu's excuse for leaving the plan for Mika to do, but rather than dumping on him, Yu is still committed to being supportive in a way he feels he can be helpful.

"What would we have to do to win? Hm... Even if you don't have a plan, you've got ideas. Right?"

- Mika is open to the idea, yet asks Yu if he has any suggestions.

"You bet! I've got bigger ideas than Guren! Or even the First! What I want is to bring everybody back, including you!"

- Yu happily states his desire to resurrect everyone, not choose one option from just restore Mika, or resurrect humanity only.

"That's why I climbed to the top of the highest place around. I wanted to get a good look at everybody we're gonna save."

- Yu gives a reason for climbing to the top of Tokyo Tower to Mika.

"Yep! Think, Mika! It's gotta be easier than getting a bunch of kids away from vampires."

- Yu encourages Mika to think of a plan to save everybody.

"Don't worry. I know you can do it. And if we try and it doesn't work, we'll both just die!"

- Yu believing in Mika, yet having an answer in case of the possibility that they fail.

"I've zero intent to live all on my own... ...So you'd better use those smarts of yours. Come up with a plan that lets us win."

- Yu's firmness in what he wants, and asking Mika to enact their plan.

"Okay. Let's do it. I'll come up with something."

- Mika agrees to Yu's plan to help restore everyone.

Cover Details
The feature image for chapter 119 features solely Yu, in color, with a focus on the right side of his face. His left eye unseen, Yu appears pensive on a matter.
 * Successfully escaping the underground facility in Akihabara, it transpires that Yu and Mika have reached Tokyo Tower.
 * Tokyo Tower is introduced in the Seraph of the End manga. Mika is correct that it is over 1,000 feet tall, this second tallest structure in Japan is 1,092 feet.
 * Paying attention to Mika describe the height of Tokyo Tower, Yu also feels that must mean he really likes it.
 * Yu's fall from the tower clarifies that neither he nor Mika can die from such a fall where they are both not human anymore.
 * Although not shown to be studious, Yu is aware of how terminal velocity factored into his fall.
 * Although joking that he has known he has a listen to him look for about two hundred years now, there are past Yu's that have existed hundreds of years ago. That aside, it seems a joke and should not be construed as Yu remembering something from the ancient past.
 * Three different reasons are given for Yu climbing the tower. The first is a joyous claim that it makes him the tallest person ever, the second is a similar remark that he just wanted to climb the tallest thing around. Both concern Yu just being at ease after the sheer tension of previous scenarios, yet thirdly Yu also uses it as a chance to say how he wanted to see everything that would be restored.
 * In desiring to save his family, Yu specifies it concerns Mika.
 * Although fleeing them, Yu lists Guren and Shinoa among other names of family who took him in.
 * If Yu is happy then so is Mika, where the latter adds his happiness is his own happiness.
 * Where there was suspicions, and a need to find out plans due to the anticipated danger associated with them, Mika now considers Guren to be trustworthy and feels Yu should leave this to him.
 * Raising how his squad said they loved Yu, which he heard, Mika addresses how is Yu sure answering them like this is what he wants.
 * With the situation being that Yu has left a family that loves him, and is now alone with him, for his happiness Mika presses Yu to leave him for them. Something similar happened in chapter 90: "Because of Mikaela" where Mika was turning into a demon he did not want Yu to be upset rather be happy with his squad who he saw coming to retrieve him.
 * After Mika speaks that Yu already turned his back and left him, Yu remembers that it was Mika who pushed him away as a child to ensure that at least he could escape. Where Mika states that he left, yet Yu was the one pushed away, it fills hi with anger.
 * From Mika's words that Yu should learn to like Shinoa back, he knows that he is not already romantically attracted to her.
 * Out of a desire to see Yu happy, Mika directs him to make a family with Shinoa and have kids with her where he believes this would give Yu the happiness he wants for him.
 * Saying he has a stupid obsession with him and to not cling to the past, Mika also attempts to have Yu leave him by saying it ended the day Yu left when they were children.
 * Just as Mika felt like he wanted to die, but the answer is to not have him die rather help him feel better, perhaps on some level Mika really did not want Yu to leave him and start a new life yet he did, a grievance simultaneously raised in this conversation where Mika is also attempting to have Yu accept he can leave having already done so.
 * For all Mika's directives for Yu to return to Shinoa and his squad, and start a new life without him, Yu answers how can he if Mika is not in it. Rather than escaping and starting a new life, Yu reveals he was suicidal and had no reason to live.
 * Yu affirms that Mika asking him to leave him is like telling him to die.
 * By themselves, Yu and Mika discuss thinking what they would like to do where they have been previously acting in accordance with what others want.
 * Speaking highly of them, Yu feels Guren is amazing and the First too for making choices, even if it means they are willing to be seen as bad. Yu is further impressed at them willing to do anything, where they are thinking, and know what they want to do.
 * A conversation is had on who they may have to betray as Yu and Mika discuss their pathway.
 * Comparing their present situation to themselves as children, trapped and helpless against vampires, Yu encourages Mika to think of a plan to get them out of what they are in now.
 * When Yu is mentioning his job is to be the brawn, vampires are the foes in mind that he is to chop up, perhaps in an indication of who he regards as a threat.
 * What Yu wants is to bring everybody back, including Mika. He fled a scenario, leaving his squad included, that involved a limited scale resurrection.
 * This would seem to entail a different type of resurrection. In chapter 114: "Everyone's Goals" one method had two options available. Restore Mika as a human only. Or resurrect all of humanity. Yu seeks a resurrection spell that can restore Mika and resurrect humanity.
 * Happy with the goal to save everyone or die together, Yu states he has no intention of living by himself and would rather die with Mika.
 * With Yu resorting to Mika to think of a plan to resurrect humanity, Mika agrees to come up with something.

Gallery
Manga panels provide a visual overview of the events of chapter 119 with depictions of the characters, Seraph of the End world and scenarios.