Chapter 7 (Catastrophe)

Chapter 7 is the seventh chapter of the Seraph of the End: Guren Ichinose: Catastrophe at Sixteen manga.

Synopsis
After a month since the assault, Guren resumes his show of appearing weak to other students. Shinya defends him from some bullies but they also display hostilities since they know Kureto is watching. The Hiragi's have found out the Hyakuya Sect is the enemy. Since Guren survived he is a suspect. On the Hiragi family's lack of information, Guren thinks to seek out the Hyakuya Orphanage. On the way he comes across Shinoa, who shares a message for Guren to not go there since Mahiru is planning to betray the Hyakuya Sect.

Characters
List of characters in order of appearance:
 * Guren Ichinose
 * Mito Jūjō
 * Norito Goshi
 * Shinya Hīragi
 * Kureto Hīragi
 * Sayuri Hanayori
 * Shigure Yukimi
 * Saitō (remembered)
 * Mahiru Hīragi (visualized)
 * Shinoa Hīragi

Summary
The sun shines as students train outside. After the assault on the school last month, over half the students were killed. The six hundred first year students have been reduced to one hundred and eighty. Half the members of Guren's class changed as well. Mito wonders whether Guren can afford to be gazing off during training, so aims a punch at him. Other students chuckle at Guren not defending himself. Finding that she has been acting weird since Guren pushed her out of harms way, Guren asks Mito upfront could it be that she has fallen in love with him. If she is involved with him, Guren warns she will make a lot of rivals so advises her to flock together with her genius classmates and distinguished families. Deeming him cruel, Mito pushes Guren over.

Joining him, Goshi comments that Mito just thinks Guren saved her life. Voicing that it is tiring being born into a prestigious family, constantly having to become stronger, Goshi says for them to get along since they are classmates and all and leaves Guren with the thought. With a trio of students smirking what the Ichinose scum is lazing about for, and asking how about he be their opponent this time, Guren finds them much easier to deal with. With Guren on the floor, Shinya arrives to say if they wish to bully the weak, they should not bully something like that, they could very well catch the Ichinose scum's disease. Announcing that he would bully this trash instead, Shinya instructs them to get back to their training.

Shinya shares that the Hiragi's found out that the Hyakuya Sect is the enemy. An internal investigation has begun where a special operations team is being led by student council president, Kureto. Warned that he could be picked off next, Guren replies all this work for a piece of trash like him. Shinya feels they have a motive, on top of that he secretly looked at Guren's evaluation. It mentions how someone that weak would not have been able to survive the raid. Informing Guren that he is being targeted, Shinya adds monitoring is occurring right now. Mentioning the third year's school building, class 1's window, Shinya adds for Guren to not turn his head though or he will notice. Scratching his hair and making the figure out, even though Guren knows he is being watched he cannot feel his presence. Third year Kureto Hiragi was the one who was competing with Mahiru to become the next head of the family.

Suggesting that Guren hit him so that Kureto does not think there is something going on between them, Shinya avoids his strike before kicking him. Sayuri is accompanied by Shigure when asking Guren did anything happen today. Guren answers Shigure that the mark on his cheek is because Shinya was helping him play the fool since he has caught the attention of the student council president. Shigure and Sayuri are aware of him as like Mahiru in that he enrolled at the top of the class, and maintains that position still today. Further, Kureto is regarded as strong, wise, calm, and rumored to be the next head of the Hiragi family. Guren considers a guy like that turning his suspicions on him to be convenient.

Practically speaking, with Mahiru's betrayal, and the Hyakuya Sect contacting him, right now the one losing this war of information is the Hiragi family. Recalling Saito's words on if he wished to get in touch with the Hyakuya Sect, he should please tell the director of the orphanage where the boy he was with goes, Guren wonders if before the full-scale monitoring starts, should he contact the Hyakuya Sect. Not sharing his thoughts with Sayuri and Shigure, he says for them to head to the supermarket with them not having not been in three days. Meanwhile Guren is going to gather some info. Contemplating how the spies have separated, Guren heads to a games arcade and notes the monitoring is still short of people.

Just past here is the Hyakuya Orphanage, and Guren contemplates it is where they kill off the parents of children who have special abilities, and keep them there for experimenting, or so the rumors say about the place. Spotting her in the middle of a residential street, noting the same grey hair, Guren asks the girl before her if he can help her with something. Confirming he is Guren Ichinose, and asking who she it, Guren asks perhaps she is a relative of Mahiru. Introducing herself as Shinoa Hiragi, it is as Guren thought and he asks what might the little sister of Mahiru need from him. Shinoa has a message from her sister. When Guren wonders what that might be, Shinoa states there is no need for that creepy smile, she has heard from sister who he really is. While Guren is afraid he does not understand, Shinoa lists the Hyakuya Sect, demon cursed gear weapons, and Mahiru selling out the Hiragi family and gaining more power for the man she loves.

Changing his tone with what Shinoa mentioned, Guren asks what she wants with him. When Guren questions whose side she is on, the Hiragis or the Hyakuya Sect, Shinoa replies whichever is more interesting. Twirling round, Shinoa shares she is just a kid and does not care about authority or power. Her sister is exceedingly talented, so she is not expected to be, although Shinoa thinks her training is about halfway there. Revealing a black spell tag, after a wind based detonation, Shinoa elaborates how just now she moved with the intent to kill Guren. Not feeling she could touch him with just that, Guren asks again what Shinoa wants. Just here to relay a message, Shinoa says it is to please not come to the Hyakuya Sect, her sister intends to betray it.

Chapter notes

 * This chapter adapts from:
 * Catastrophe book 2 - chapter 1, chapter 2 (p. 205-217)
 * Kureto Hīragi and Shinoa Hīragi are introduced.