The Sky Awaits Them Both

"The Sky Awaits Them Both" (空は二人をミテイル) is the hundred and third chapter of the Seraph of the End: Vampire Reign manga series, written by Takaya Kagami and illustrated by Yamato Yamamoto.

Synopsis
Yu finds himself in a dream world involving Nagoya, the location where Mika found him in the past and was turned into a vampire. In the store Yu seeks out Mika to save him.

While Kimizuki with Yoichi and Mitsuba wonder when Yu will awaken, they along with Guren, Krul and Mahiru hear from Shinoa that the first will wake. Shikama Doji, given the chance, declines to possess Shinoa and instead leaves saying he will rescue Yu and Mikaela.

When Mikaela is found and spoken to he has no idea of who Yu is or the location. Yu feels it is Mika otherwise he would not have chosen this store. Uninterested in discussion, Mikaela attacks Yu as a demon intending to possess a human. When Yu gains a edge in the combat Mikaela heads outside and sees a coliseum around the city and seems familiar with that. Dark substances are present and assault Mikaela, who wonders whether these memories come from his world, or Yu's.

Summary
Yu holds Mikaela in the middle of the street and promises that he will save him. As Mikaela cries, Yu places his hand on his chest and is then in another location lying on his back. Looking around and wondering where he is, Yu sees that the sky is red. Calling for Mika and saying that he is here to save him, Yu recognizes the store where Mika found him again in Nagoya. He remembers how Mika bit him and became a complete vampire. Heading into the store Yu announces he is going to find Mika.

While Yu is physically unconscious within the spell circle, Yoichi and Kimizuki observe where the former asks if Yu is going to be okay. Kimizuki notes that Yu is not waking up at all and says aloud for him to finish the spell. Speaking for him to not make them worry, Kimizuki addresses Yu as an octopus face before illustrating to the others what he means with Yu's mouth. Mitsuba and Yoichi laughed at the scene. Guren hears from Shinoa about how she is losing control of Shikama Doji and he is going to wake up. Krul reacts to the news and Mahiru says to Guren about how she is going to take another dose of the suppressant. Although Guren is against it, Mahiru injects herself in the neck and voices how she is going to crush every one of the first's cells in her. As she falls Mahiru, is caught by Guren and then calls to Shinoa.

Within her mind, Shinoa as a demon holds her scythe in Shikama Doji and sees that he is waking. The first notes Shinoa has taken another dosage of that drug but he knows how to handle it now. Shinoa means to keep him here and Shikama Doji finishes her sentence that it is to protect Yu, and will help her with that. After Shinoa is disarmed of her weapon by the first she raises walls around herself. Shikama Doji observes how the heart walls are strong yet if she had lowered them he would have wholly turned her into a demon so she would not have any worries at all. The first is not interested in Shinoa though, neither does he answer what he was looking at. Shikama Doji says he must be on his way to save his precious Yu and Mikaela.

While Shinoa questions what he means by saving Yu and Mikaela, the first replies he has no need to speak of that yet, and it is none of her business. Bidding her farewell, Shikama Doji explains that staying inside the hearts of two sisters was riskier than he anticipated and thinks he will leave before thanking Shinoa for everything. Unable to get further clarification and with the first departing, Shinoa offers herself for possession. Although he casts a glance towards her, Shikama Doji says he can sense the desire to save Yu is hidden in the corner of Shinoa's heart. Urgently replying she does not care, Shinoa effectively orders Shikama Doji to come over here and possess her. The first answers no, and reveals he is abandoning her. In all the millennia Shinoa and Mahiru are the first to ever surpass the parameters of his plan and make him feel fear. Reverence and beauty are also contemplated, but regardless the first has his objective to complete. When Shinoa conjures a scythe, Shikama Doji informs her that is his power and dismisses it.

Navigating his way through the store and asking if Mika is there, Yu hears then sees Mikaela. Following him, with the comment on whether this is tag or something, Yu finds Mikaela atop Mika's sword awaiting him. Mikaela greets the human then asks how he knows his name when is has not been provided yet. Yu recalls how Guren warned him that Mika is a demon now so would not remember him, but raises how if he had forgotten him then Mika would not have picked this store. While Yu feels he does remember him, Mikaela states he has no idea who Yu is. Unfamiliar with the location so asking him what this place is, Mikaela wonders if it is somewhere important to Yu.

Although Yu feels that Mikaela chose the store location and not him, as he begins to express his unfamiliarity Mikaela decides he does not care; nothing matters at all anymore. Getting started instead, Mikaela draws his sword and asks if Yu is aware of the rules. Acting as a demon Mikaela speaks how they eat human desires and possess their bodies, which makes Yu his prey. After directing Yu to hold still and let allow himself to be devoured, Yu happily responds that he does not mind if Mikaela would like to 'nom' on him. It is recollected how Guren discussed how if Mikaela kills him to come back to life would he want to go on after Yu was gone. With that, Yu amends his conduct since if he let Mikaela beat him he would wind up crying after. Consequently Yu cannot allow him to win, plus he promised everyone he would come back alive. He conjures his cursed gear sword causing Mikaela to acknowledge that Yu already holds a demon.

Ready for combat Yu says to who he sees as Mika that he is not going to let himself be eaten. Mikaela judges them brave words but will make his deepest desires run wild. Leaping, Mikaela declares he will eat Yu alive. As he blocks, parries and evades Mikaela's sword attacks Yu then asks if he is ready and slices outwards of the building above Mikaela. Springing away, outside Mikaela has a view of the entire city but with the addition of a coliseum like wall around it. Registering the site, Mikaela wonders if this is the inside of that human's heart. There are many dark orbs in the air above the coliseum and Mikaela feels he has seen this place before. Black suns and a warped, false soul are considered as Mikaela thinks what are these memories. Speculating whether the human was right, Mikaela ponders whether this is the inside of his heart, or Yu's world. The uncertainty continues until the dark orbs each generate electrical appearing powers. Mikaela is joined in the air by Yu who announces here he comes and wonders who this human is.

Chapter notes

 * After placing his hand into Mikaela Yu awakens in another dream world, with a blood red sky above Nagoya which is encircled by a coliseum.
 * Although Nagoya is not referred to by name, the city is the location of the store where Yu had Mika drink his blood for the first time.
 * A recollection shows Mika embracing Yu and biting him to become a complete vampire, which occurred in Chapter 36.
 * Mahiru physically injected a second dosage to try and contain the first and Guren was concerned her body could not handle another dose.
 * Shikama Doji has awakened despite the two dosages from Mahiru, which he can handle now, and Shinoa's efforts as a demon with her scythe in him.
 * He speaks how it was Shinoa who took another dosage of the drug, although it was Mahiru physically nearby to Shinoa who injected the substance.
 * Rather than try and turn Shinoa into a complete demon, or even possess her when afforded the opportunity, instead Shikama Doji leaves to complete his objective involving saving Yu and Mikaela.
 * The first says that staying inside the hearts of Mahiru and Shinoa was riskier than he anticipated. He speaks freely of how they instil fear into him.
 * Shinoa's desire to protect Yu has been hidden in the corner of Shinoa's heart according to Shikama Doji.
 * Addressed as Mika, Mikaela asks Yu how he knows his name when he has not told it him yet. Mikaela has no idea who Yu is and no familiarity with the store location.
 * Mikaela engages Yu in combat as a demon out to possess a human. He fights with what appears to be Mika's sword that Mahiru used in the spell circle.
 * While Yu was fine with allowing who he saw as Mika to devour him he remembers Guren's words (from Chapter 101) that if Mika were to kill him to come back into the world, would he want to go on without Yu there, and so decides to have him submit instead.
 * The railway tracks and power lines above them seen only on the cover of Chapter 100 and nowhere else are visualized here seemingly in the context of whether Yu and Mika would want to go on if one of them had perished. There are buildings on either side of the four train tracks.
 * When Yu has his Asuramaru sword materialize Mikaela can see he already holds a demon but apparently does not connect it to the specific demon and weapon that attacked him along with Gekkouin and Kiseki-o.
 * While Mika does not recognize the store from the present day, his memory is stirred outside where there is the addition of a large coliseum like arena around the modern day city of Nagoya.
 * The dark substances that were last seen within large lab like cylinders and floating above Yu's head in the past during Chapter 79 are present here in large numbers. In response to Mikaela's presence each of them fire an electrical like current. The blackened discharge that is emitted into the sky resembles that being released from Mika in Chapter 90 and in particular from Chapter 94 as a demon transformation was believed to be taking place.
 * Mikaela wonders whether this environment is from his heart or Yu's.

Characters
List of characters in order of appearance:

Gallery
Manga panels provide a visual overview of the events of chapter 103 with depictions of the characters, Seraph of the End world and scenarios.