Chapter 1 (Catastrophe)

Chapter 1 is the first chapter of the Seraph of the End: Guren Ichinose: Catastrophe at Sixteen manga.

Synopsis
Guren Ichinose, 15, cuts apart some shikigami who mean to have him die before coming across their master, revealed to be a girl. Shigure Yukimi and Sayuri Hanayori investigate the murders of high school girls at a love hotel. At a crime scene, police officers including Daigo find a deceased girl produce a monstrous hand before it is destroyed by Guren. After returning home, Daigo finds his sister Mizune again. Their background with an abusive father who was invested in a religious cult is recalled. Mizuna, who was left alone asks Daigo to embrace her. When Guren arrives, the upper body of a monster emerges from Mizuna's spine which attacks him. With Daigo's assistance, Guren saves Mizuna and ends the murder plots of schoolgirls, instigated by a member of a cult, Hina.

Summary
Sorcerers and onmyouji are part of a mighty organization that is manipulating the world with the power of darkness. Guren is 14 and asks a shikigami who sent her. After asking if he is interested in the body of a woman and wants to try it before he dies, the shikigami has a spell tag placed on her which explodes. For his action, Guren is beset by others then decapitates the shikigami. Holding his sword the final one, Guren orders the name of their master or she will die. Replying for Guren to not think that the Ichinose clan will last forever, the shikigami curses Guren that he will die. After decapitating her, Guren states this place that she curses is under their jurisdiction, and not to curse without permission. Placing a spell tag on the mask, Guren speaks she cannot escape from him. After noticing a fragrance, Guren finds that the sorcerer who appeared nearby is a girl. She wonders if ending her is that easy, surely the religious Ichinose clan knows about her power. Announcing he will hunt her, Guren says to not be too scared and wait for him.

Students discuss a story where a junior high girl was killed in a love hotel. In class, reports of a serial murderer are detailed and how far people would go to earn money. Within a hotel, Sayuri Hanayori showers and Shigure Yukimi informs a man it is her first time doing something like this. The man orders Shigure to take it off, he will pay 100,000 Yen with 50,000 for each of them. When Shigure mentions she would like money, the man asks if she is a virgin, if so she can have 70,000. Pressuring her to take them off, Shigure removes her clothes. After Sayuri joins them, and Shigure mentions that she does not want to be seen naked by anyone except Guren, they discuss a mission to complete together. Ookami interrupts by taking ahold of Shigure, who responds by twisting his arm around. Answering a call, Sayuri details that while they were here a junior high student was again raped and killed at the love hotel next door.

Police officers observe a girl with a fox like shikigami mask over her face bound to a spell tag adorned pentagram on the wall. Daigo Aoyama is overcome at the scene and speaks how it is part of the rapes and murders of students in Aichi. There have already been twenty such cases but only six publicized cases. With it related to sorcery, the inspector and officer discuss how a sorcerer will be coming, the person in charge of the "Mikado no Tsuki". Asking if the Aichi prefectural police are really stupid, Daigo states religion does not matter. With him restrained, Daigo says to not think they can erase an incident this large, he will write about it on the Internet and sell it to the media. Guren joins them and is asked if he is the sorcerer from Mikado no Tsuki. Observing that it is an ancient technique, with the other murders around town also involving pentagrams, Guren thinks when completed there will be a huge curse released upon Aichi. After Daigo comments whether the inspector should be letting this brat in the crime scene, Shigure overhears his comment. Sayuri arrives and the officers learn Guren's Ichinose house identity. Daigo takes issue with Guren touching the body and is led away. With this a religious affair, Daigo asks Guren what if he is a spy, or the culprit. Vowing to catch him, Daigo says such a thing would not be allowed in modern times, a dubious religion with power in this rural area.

Guren along with Shigure and Sayuri begin their activities. Removing the girl's shirt, Guren sees a smaller pentagram on her chest and identifies it as a technique from the excommunicated family. Meaning to disrupt the ceremony, Guren is beset by the now animated girl. Grabbing her face, it has been a while since Guren heard a curse and asks if this is a god. Answering it is a god of vengeance, the being develops a large hand and moves to grasp Guren. Appearing behind her, Guren pulls the large arm out the being's mouth which results in the girl falling. For the time being, Guren will break the barrier that is being set up around town. Bidding the curse to return to the caster and go to the grave, a ginormous pentagram across the city lights up. Within a house, a shikigami's mask fractures. As Sayuri praises him and Shigure questions whether he found the caster, Guren addresses the girl who was murdered. Stating it is terrible to die by a curse, Guren's religion does not believe in afterlife, but if there is one she should rest in peace. Guren thinks he knows where the caster is and says for them to check it out.

As Daigo wonders about the sorcerer from the Mikado no Tsuki, and a false religion eating this town, he considers the strange things did not start recently. It is why he left home ten years ago. Recalling his childhood with his sister, Mizuna Aoyama, Daigo was pushed by his father and commented how after his mother's death he started drinking so much. Stating his father was addicted to a strange religion that was taking his money, Daigo was told to shut up. His father said Mikado no Tsuki will bring his mother back before punching him. Revealing to Mizuna that he was going, Daigo said one day he will come back and take care of her. Daigo ran away from that city leaving behind his younger sister, ten years have passed since that day. Returning home, Daigo finds Mizuna who is happy to see him. Asking how thier father is, and having heard he went out, Daigo checks his watch to see that it is around 10 am. After asking whether their father is still obsessed with that suspicious religion, Daigo hears Mizuna say that she does not talk to him much these days. Meaning to talk to father when he comes back, Daigo says he will take care of Mizuna and shares th he bought a house just for this.

While they sleep, Daigo awakens to Mizuna on top of him, asking for them to embrace. After Mizuna explains that people who love each other embrace one another, Daigo replies that they are siblings. Wondering if Daigo is unable to do so since she feels unclean, Mizuna does not answer what father made her do. Saying that Daigo came back too late, Mizuna remembers as a girl her father returning with the caster from Mikado no Tsuki, who said he could finally bring back her mother. Answering that the caster was, Tenkon was named, then her father explained that he and Mizuna can birth her mother again, Hina will help them. As her father ripped at Mizuna's clothes, he said if her mother returns everything will be alright, Hina says so. After Mizuna swung around with a knife, her father's throat was cut. Announcing that he could resurrect both of them, Hina questioned what would Mizuna do. Elaborating how nothing of value can be obtained without sacrifice, Hina asked what can Mizuna offer to obtain that happiness. Wanting to live with her brother again, Mizuna accepted the mask from Hina.

Presently, Mizuna reiterates for Daigo to embrace her. Everything will alright if he sleeps with her, Tenkon said so, that they would be able to birth mother and father. After being kissed, Daigo falls backwards and thinks this such a thing is the reason why he ran way. Guren enters the room and declares it is over now. The sorcery of a corrupted relative, it is forbidden to invoke in this area. After Guren raises his sword, Daigo moves to protect his sister. Although he is knocked away as Guren promised to deal with Mizuna, Daigo tackles him and says this time he will stay here.

As Daigo speaks to Mizuna he notices her state, where her spine has expanded which forms into a large demonic upper torso above her. It has a large left arm and a blade where the right arm would be. After Daigo is kicked away by Guren out of the path of its strike, they hear Mizuna beg for him to not look at her. The demon attacks and after Guren defends he asks if the girl is Daigo's sister. Replying he cannot save her, the best Guren can do it kill Mizuna to remove the curse. However he can do it if he uses Daigo, a curse for her to live. Unsure if he can return Mizuna to normal, Guren states he is a sorcerer, not a god, he can only curse. Daigo is to decide now, will he curse his demon sister to live and be cursed as well. Sharing that he wants to be with his sister, Guren accepts the curse and places a spell tag on Daigo. Cursing the demon with real magic, Guren slices it apart. Within a shower of blood, Daigo hears from Guren where Mizuna is. She appears unharmed and floats into Guren's arms. The fox mask lies broken and spilling a blood like substance.

A few days later, Guren is training with a wooden practice sword near a stream. Daigo joins him and shares he intervened in the police and public reports to make sure the issue is not blown up. After asking if Guren wants anything more than this, Mizuna is asked about. She is in hospital, one that Mikado no Tsuki manages where she woke from a coma today. The person who cursed Daigo's sister was not from Mikado no Tsuki and had been excommunicated decades ago. Stating that Guren was not the culprit, Daigo thanks him for saving his sister. Guren says the curses in this area are under their jurisdiction, he caught the person behind this, the case is closed. That day, Daigo asked Guren why he was training to get stronger when he seemed to have everything, when the world was not ruined yet.

As a child, Guren is pushed over with Mahiru led away. Regardless, Guren still believes in the future and moves forward, even still, it is not good. People with greater power carry greater burdens. The stronger one is, the more he affects, and he who curses others will become cursed too. Such is a tale of destruction.

Chapter notes

 * Guren Ichinose and his two retainers, Sayuri Hanayori and Shigure Yukimi are introduced. Mahiru Hīragi also debuts at the end.
 * The events of this chapter did not occur in the light novel. In the light novel, the beginning was a 6-year-old Guren and Mahiru speaking with one another only to be violently torn apart. This would be adapted in the following chapter.

Characters
List of characters in order of appearance: