The Namanari Awakens

"The Namanari Awakens" (目覚めるナマナリ) is the thirty-eighth chapter of the Seraph of the End: Vampire Reign manga series, written by Takaya Kagami and illustrated by Yamato Yamamoto.

Synopsis
The Moon Demon Company rendezvous at Nagoya Airport, where they planned to use a transport chopper in order to escape from the vampires. However, there is no chopper. Shinya states this mission was devised by Kureto, and the Moon Demon Company decides to abandon its mission and rescue Guren instead.

Meanwhile, Crowley confronts Ferid about giving information to the humans, which he eventually admits to. Ferid points to Guren Ichinose as the one behind this plan. Guren is actually a namanari, a human just short of becoming a full demon and consisting of two beings sharing one body and splitting up their time in control of it.

Guren kills the noble beating him under the possession of Mahiru. He points his sword at Krul Tepes and states that Krul will help him conduct an experiment on the Seraph of the End at Nagoya Airport. Krul identifies Guren as a messenger from Mahiru.

Summary
Shinoa Hīragi and her squad, sans Yu, run in the Nagoya Airport for their rendezvous. Mitsuba says the attacks against them have stopped, but the vampires are most likely still pursuing them. Kimizuki asks Shinoa if she has more information on their assignment.

Before Shinoa can answer, Rika Inoue approaches her, grabs her by her bow and yells at her for being alive. In tears, she blames Shinoa for the deaths of her comrades because Shinoa protected a vampire. She punches Shinoa, and Shinoa stops Kimizuki from interfering. Shinoa apologizes, but Rika does not accept it and draws her sword. She knocks Shinoa down and gets on top of her, telling her to apologize with her life. Shinoa orders her squad members against attacking Rika. Rika does not stab Shinoa but yells at her to give her friends back.

Makoto Narumi touches Rika's shoulder and tells her to calm down. He says he will take it from here since he is the squad leader. Then, Shinya Hiragi arrives with Guren Squad, sans Guren. Shinya says it is not up to Narumi who is disciplined.

Narumi asks him what he is going to do. He says they came this far on their orders, even after losing their commander, because they thought they were really doing something. He says he cannot see why they came here because no one is waiting for them and bloodsuckers will catch them soon. He asks if this decoy mission was meant to be a suicide mission from the start. Shinya does not answer. When prompted by Norito Goshi, Shinya says Guren told him a transport chopper was supposed to be waiting there for them to escape with. He says they were supposed to then use the chopper to fly to Shinjuku, where a trap is supposed to be lying in wait for the vampires.

There is clearly no chopper waiting for them.

Shinya reveals this plan was devised by Kureto, instantly alarming Guren Squad. Shigure Yukimi and Sayuri Hanayori, Guren's aides, decide to abandon the mission and rescue Guren.

Narumi asks for an explanation. He can accept a meaningful suicide mission as long as Guren gives the order, but he says the Moon Demon Company obeys Guren alone, not Shinya Hiragi. He says they are sick of the Hiragis, who sit safely above them and give out orders. Shinya tells him that is enough. Narumi asks Shinya who many of them he thinks will follow orders from a higher ranked officer who orders them to march to their deaths. The company becomes disgruntled and asks what they should do.

Shinya wonders if Guren wants him to protect their lives or continue the mission. When Narumi demands an answer, Shinya tells him to shut up and says they will abandon the mission. Guren says their official orders are to hold position in Nagoya Airport, but he says they will instead plan to rescue Guren. The soldiers appear relieved.

Dead human soldiers decorate the city intersection of Nagoya City Hall. An enraged noble vampire orders troops to chase after and kill the humans who fled north. Crowley Eusford reveals that five nobles were killed, and all of their whereabouts were known.

Guren is on his knees with his wrists in cuffs behind his back. He sits before Krul Tepes and a few of her soldiers. He reflects back on Yu yelling at him to set a good example. Guren plans to make a show of resistance and then talk enough in order to send the vampires to Shinjuku tonight, where Kureto can take care of them.

The angry noble grabs Guren by his hair and raises up his face, reminding him of his face and telling him to tremble in fear. Guren spits in his face. The vampire curses and kicks him. He begins beating Guren, threatening to kill him. Guren wonders when getting beat up became so exhausting. He plans to let the vampire beat him more to make it seem more convincing.

Ferid Bathory approaches Crowley. Crowley says there is "too much fun" going on, so Ferid must be behind it somehow. He accuses Ferid of leaking information to the humans, but Ferid says he hates fools who betray their comrades more than anything else. Crowley does not buy it and then says the thing that gets him is that Ferid sold out his location to the humans as well. He asks Ferid to explain that. He says he thought he was part of Ferid's faction.

Ferid points out that Crowley was entertained, and Crowley admits that. Ferid asks for thanks for sending something to liven up Crowley's boring day. Ferid says having a member of his own faction attacked makes him less likely to be suspected. Ferid admits to giving the information to humans, but he says someone even more twisted than he pulled the strings this time and points to Guren Ichinose, who lies beaten on the ground.

Crowley says Guren does not look like it, but Ferid says that Guren is a namanari. A namanari is a human one step short of becoming a full demon. He says there are two beings in Guren's body, and they share their time in control. He says one half is the idealist who wants to save his friends and followers. He says the other half is possessed by the vengeful spirit of Guren's dead lover, a perfectionist who reduced herself to a demon in order to get what she wants.

Guren begans to mention Shinjuku, and his personality switches. Ferid says to watch as the real monster comes out.

Guren tells the angry noble to get his disgusting hands off of him and says he will die if he touches him again. As Mahiru possesses him, he beheads the vampire. Krul mocks his triumphant expression, and Guren draws his sword on Krul.

Guren says he is going to conduct an experiment on the Seraph of the End at Nagoya Airport and demands that Krul assists him. Krul recognizes him as a messenger from Mahiru.

Characters
List of characters in order of appearance:

Gallery
Manga panels provide a visual overview of the events of Chapter 38 with depictions of the characters, Seraph of the End world and scenarios.