Yu and Mika (Episode)

"Yu and Mika" (優とミカ) is the tenth episode of Seraph of the End: Battle in Nagoya, twenty-second episode of the first season, and twenty-second episode overall of the Seraph of the End anime series.

Synopsis
The Moon Demon Company troops retreat from the battlefield.

Meanwhile, Mika struggles with his thirst and takes Yu into a convenience store. Despite his desperation, Mika is unable to bite a human child and releases him. Once Yu wakes up, Mika attacks him, and Yu does not resist. After the two disagree for awhile and Yu refuses to listen to what Mika has to say, Yu finally convinces Mika to drink his blood. Mika's eyes turn from blue to red.

Yu then convinces Mika to help the Shinoa Squad, and they drive to the Nagoya airport. Mika explains the Seraph of the End experiment.

The Moon Demon Company arrives at the airport, but no vehicles or helicopters are waiting for them. Kureto Hīragi, Aoi Sangū, and their forces fly toward the Nagoya airport while continuing experimentation on the seraph Mirai Kimizuki.

Summary
The remnants of the one hundred-person army sent to assassinate vampire nobles in Nagoya have come under attack by a large detachment of vampire reinforcements. Acting commander Shinya shoots one dead and orders a full on retreat to their rendezvous point at the city airport. Shinoa calls for her squad to fall back, but Narumi remains in shock over the deaths of Yayoi and  Tarō. Shinya brings him to his senses and they have no choice but to leave the deceased and escape whilst they can. As helicopters fly overhead, a badly wounded Mika carries Yu unconscious in his arms. Mika continues to bleed from his non-healing injuries and exhausted he collapses to the ground. He finds that his vials of Krul’s blood are either depleted or have been shattered. Though things appear bleak, Mika asks Yu to wake up since there is something he needs to tell him. Nothing stirs Yu from his demon induced unconsciousness, and Mika holds him close and cries into his chest. He realises that even though he has Yu again, time is running out.

Mika hears a sound, and sees it is a young boy. To try and heal his wounds he comes close to drinking from the child, but stops at being called a monster. Hurt by what just happened he returns to Yu and pulls him in from the cold. Once Yu is inside, Mika staggers away to seclude himself. In his mind, Yu regains consciousness. Asuramaru is with him and tells Yu that his devotion to those he cares about is overwhelming. Standing atop his sword, he states that Yu has no sense of right or wrong when protecting his family, and Asuramaru seems to consider and like that Yu is completely damaged goods. Yu has been unconscious for a long time and he asks Asuramaru what's happened to Guren, Shinoa and everyone else, but he does not know, only seeing what Yu’s eyes see. Though Yu continues to ask about Guren, Asuramaru says that there is a different family member here for him today that he should be worried about. Yu immediately awakens. Unsure of where he is, and hearing noises from the shadows Yu draws his sword as a precaution. He see’s the back of someone and asks if it’s Mika. With his mind set deteriorated and able to think of nothing but blood, Mika turns to the interruption and lunges at Yu. He knocks Yu's sword out his hand and pins him to the ground straddling him. Yu is unsure of what is going on with Mika asking repeatedly for blood but understands when he hears him say how painful it is. Without a second thought Yu moves his hand away to allow Mika to drink his blood, he closes his eyes and says he is sorry to Mika. Yu pulls him closer and is apologizing because he left Mika all alone and endured all that he did in that time. Mika comes to his senses and realizes what he almost done to Yu. He cries out in anguish and backs away, regaining composure he says he wasn’t himself. Yu is concerned and asks if he suffers that much if he doesn’t drink blood. Mika nods and again Yu blames himself for leaving him behind, but Mika reiterates this is not the case. Mika coughs up his own blood but keeps a distance from Yu not wanting to drink his blood. Mika says not to worry about him, he wants to use this time instead as he has something he wants to talk to him about. Yu won’t hear a word of it, not when Mika is dying. Yu ignores Mika’s defensive body language and asks what he can do, whether if drinking his blood will help Mika recover. Yu guesses he is right and he immediately opens his shirt collar so Mika can drink from his neck. The desire to drink blood cannot be fought anymore. Yu is not entertaining Mika’s hesitation and pulls his head in close and tells him to drink as much as he wants to save him. He holds Mika to stop him escaping and asks why he won’t drink when they are finally together again. Mika explains that it’s not that simple as if he drinks human blood even once it is a point of no return. Since now Mika has been half vampire that can somewhat sustain himself on other vampire blood though human blood will result in him becoming a complete vampire who will never age. Yu does not care about that, so long as it means Mika won’t die. He try’s another method and asks Mika do a tiny favour. Mika says no, Yu is holding Mika’s face between his hands and replies he is going to make him do it. Having fought the urge to drink human blood for so long, Mika is resolute to continue not doing so. He feels that maintaining this taxing fight trying not to become a "hideous monster" for so long, for Yu to suggest he become a vampire so easily is something he has difficulty coming to terms with. For Mika’s own well being, Yu does not want to see him become a vampire either, but says what else can he do. Trying anything to get Mika to drink, Yu points at him and says if Mika were to die, he is going to cry. Mika remains unfazed; Yu continues his attempts and somehow get through to Mika that being a vampire is far better then dying. Mika asks if Yu is joking, whether Yu is seriously asking Mika to become a vampire just for him. Yu affirms that as correct and asks if Mika has a problem with that. Yu also doesn’t want to hear about how hard Mika fought if he feels he is so willing to die now. Yu tests whether Mika is serious about dying by saying if he planned to die he should have done it quietly and secretly, and so clearly he wants to live. Mika answers it's because there is still that something he needs to tell Yu about, but Yu covers his ears and says he cannot hear him. Mika places his hands on Yu and try’s to get him to listen, but if Mika wants this then he will have to drink Yu's blood first, and live. With that, Yu rolls up his sleeve and slightly cuts across his arm with his sword, and says he is definitely not letting Mika die. Mika stares dreamily, at the blood spilling down Yu’s arm. Mika falls to his knees and with his face in his hands he tells Yu he is an awful person for this. Yu replies maybe, but reminds Mika that he was the one who welcomed that awful guy into his family. Mika says it was his mistake as he is going to become a monster because of him. Yu replies they are still family, no matter what Mika becomes. Yu kneels down feeling he is finally making progress, and Mika tells him it’s very painful and does want to drink blood. Yu is smiling reassuringly and holds out his arm and nods. At last Mika ceases resisting and lunges into Yu, biting into his neck to drink blood and survive. Yu returns Mika’s embrace and holds him close. They prop themselves up against a convenience store shelf and maintain physical contact until Mika has drank enough. Yu welcomes him back. Mika breaks away as the human blood begins to take its affect. He turns and smiles with the transformation complete as Mika’s blue eyes change into the deep red of a true vampire. Mika takes a moment to absorb this new reality, he finds it weird, that its now normal for him to stay alive by drinking his family’s blood. Yu alleviates how Mika could be feeling by telling him who cares, its not like they even give any thought to be normal. To put him at ease with his new vampire status, Yu begins to tell him something Guren told him once. Mika interjects to ask who this is; unaware that he himself fought and defeated the Lieutenant Colonel before at the battle of Shinjuku. Yu continues telling him that Guren was the one who cared for him when he had escaped outside. Guren told Yu even if the only reason to live is revenge, keep on living then someday someone who will need your help will show up, and that’s why Yu decided to stay alive. Even when he thought it was pointless, even when he thought that no one needed him Yu forced himself to stay alive, and the result is that he got to remain alive to see Mika again. Yu smiles and propounds to Mika for them to survive together, even if they struggle. He reiterates who cares if Mika is a vampire, and if it is that hard then Yu will find a way to turn him back into a human. Yu asks him to never give up and try to die, ever again. Mika cannot help but laugh, it was not supposed to be like this, he feels it was supposed to be him that came to save Yu, but Mika tells him that he has become stronger than before. Yu protests that he was always this strong, but Mika swiftly corrects him saying that he was a crybaby before. Yu shoots back that Mika is the crybaby, and after a tear rolls down his cheek they both laugh. Yu states that if Mika thinks he has become stronger than before, then it’s probably thanks to Guren, too. However, from what Mika knows he is certain this Guren is just trying to use him, though Yu doesn’t mind, since Guren is considered family. Mika listens as Yu says he was already dead when his parents abandoned him, but because Guren and Mika kept him alive, then Yu is still here today. Because of that Yu is not bothered if they both want to use him. Mika crawls over to him and stresses he is not like those humans, and that he would never use Yu. Placing his hand on Mika’s chin, Yu dreamily points out that Mika just drank his blood. He has his hand on Mika’s cheek and tells him he is kidding, he cares not about the blood. It then dawns on Yu regarding the situation the rest of the humans are in and he asks Mika to help him. Mika asks him what for, and he answers that his friends and family are in trouble, and for Mika to please come with him. Mika is shocked that Yu is planning on going back to those humans as Yu walks away. Without answering he disappears into the bright light outside. Mika follows him, snow has settled and the sun is setting as Mika implores Yu to listen to what he has to say. Not listening to what he has to say, Yu asks how much time has passed, and then if Mika knows what happened to the guys that were with him. Mika asks him to stop talking about humans already, and he just doesn’t know what kind of mind-control they did on him. Mika can state that the Japanese Imperial Demon Army have been doing human experiments on himself and Yu. Yu doesn’t pay any heed and continues to walk off. Mika grabs him by the shoulder and tells him to wait; Yu tells him not to get in his way as he searches for the others. Mika then decides drawing his sword is the best way to defend Yu, he will do anything to protect him. Yu says then he should help him and that he would rather die then fail to save his family. To this, Mika calls him a hypocrite, and points out that Yu just told him to survive even if he became a vampire. Though Yu is stern, Mika says he is not going to let him go, and again requests he listen to what he has to say, but Yu says the others are his family and Mika lowers his sword. He asks if Yu is talking about that girl and them, Yu affirms this and to tell him if he knows them and Mika confirms that he was saved by the girl with the scythe and her friends. Yu is excited both because he sees this as proof for Mika that they are good guys since they helped him, and that they should now go and save them. Mika relents saying he is only going to save those four and Yu gives him a running hug from behind in thanks. Yu takes Mika’s arm and asks where they went, he doesn’t know only that an airport was mentioned. Shinoa and the remainder of the Moon Demon Army regiment have ran and made it to the Nagoya airport, it lies deserted by people. Kimizuki asks what is going on, and Mitsuba notes there should be helicopters for them to escape in, but Yoichi observes there isn’t even a single car here.

Yu and Mika have commandeered a jeep and Mika drives them to their destination. Yu then brings up the fact that Mika wanted to talk. He tells Yu that the humans are using him as a subject for experimentation. Yu is aware of this but Mika elaborates further that it is a huge experiment that is causing Yu to be targeted by both human organizations, and vampires, from around the world. Mika explains that the failure of this experiment is what caused all the adults to die and nearly ended the world in its entirety. Yu questions whether it is his fault that the world was almost destroyed. Mika denies it is his fault, they were both just being used. The humans were responsible for this, and the Hyakuya Orphanage that they stayed in was in fact the lab for it, and the Japanese Imperial Demon Army took over that experimentation. It was the experimentation of the Seraph of the End. Mika states humans are ugly, driven by greed and cannot properly control power, and Mika can't leave Yu in the hands of people like them. Yu says that he is also human, and he wants to turn Mika back into one too, and so he can’t turn away from humans. Mika is wary that if they get a hold of him, they would end this world in a heartbeat. After a pause Mika asks Yu to run away with him. They will live quietly somewhere that’s far away. Yu questions if it’s a place the Demon Company or the vampires will not find, and Mika confirms that is right. Yu observes two birds flying together overhead, and he recalls it’s like the time they ran away before to escape the vampire city to get to a paradise, only that it cost them everything. Not only that but there was not even a paradise to get to, only the ruined world all around them, there is nowhere to escape to anymore.

Even so they still need to escape, Yu wants to discuss it with his friends, as they can help them both if they do decide to run. Mika notes Yu certainly trusts them and Yu assures him they are good guys and that Mika can also trust them as much as him.

The sky is filled with warplanes and Kureto walks along to see Aoi and his test subject. It is Mirai Kimizuki. She gasps for breath as a shadowy substance swirls around her. Her face is covered in distinct purple markings on the right side, she cries out in pain.

Characters
List of characters in order of appearance:

Gallery
Anime images provide a visual overview of the events of Episode 22 with depictions of the characters, Seraph of the End world, scenarios, artistic style among other areas.