An Elevator to Paradise

"An Elevator to Paradise" (楽園エレベーター) is the one hundred and twenty-fourth chapter of the Seraph of the End: Vampire Reign manga series, written by Takaya Kagami and illustrated by Yamato Yamamoto.

Synopsis
Traversing the civilisation of seraphs, Yu and Mika search for Mikaela. Unable to locate him in what transpires to be a huge city, they are both keen to search the area. From the sky, the city forms a star shape.

By sheer chance they see Mikaela pass, and Mika holds a nearby eye to follow him upwards. Atop a building, Yu and Mika see Mikaela fly into the highest tower. Using their demon powers, Yu and Mika follow, but fall back when when Mikaela mentions his father.

Entering the base of the tower, Yu and Mika follow a seraph through into what is called the tower of Babel, a project to return those who enter to paradise. Entering an elevator, Yu and Mika are taken to the highest floor. Sika Madu is awaiting there.

Characters
List of characters in order of appearance:


 * Yūichirō Hyakuya (appears in his child form while in a memory, as well as presently seen)
 * Mikaela Hyakuya (appears in his child form while in a memory)
 * Mikaela (appears in a memory)
 * Yu (Homunculus) (as a memory)
 * Shikama Dōji (appears as Sika Madu while in a memory)

Summary
As Pteranodon fly above, within the civilisation of seraphs both Yu and Mika observe their environment. Multiple seraphs and eyeball beings float among them in the memory from the prehistoric past. Commenting that he does not see any humans anywhere, and that it is just angels and more angels, Mika adds this must be an angel city or something.

After Yu acknowledges how none of the seraphs can see them, Mika has the reminder that they can still be run into though. As Mika says for him to be careful, Yu narrowly avoids being bumped into by a floating eye entity. Asking where are they to go now, Yu wonders do they just have to look for angel Mika. When Mika asks about that, Yu clarifies he means that angel that looks like him, with his own image of Mikaela coming to mind. Mika hardly finds it the most imaginative name.

Wondering where Mikaela went, Yu states there are so many angels flying around to the point he is unsure they will find him. Pointing to some floating translucent tablets nearby, Mika says for Yu to look, he thinks that is some kind of map over there. Heading over to the floating tablets, there are text and circle like designs on them, however neither Mika or Yu are able to read it.

While Mika feels this is Yu's memory, Yu replies it could be Mika's. After Mika asks what now, Yu displays a great sense of excitement as he asks whether Mika wants to wander around the place looking. While Mika questions if he realizes how huge this place is, Yu is sure if they go in every building he is sure they will find Mikaela eventually. Shocked at the idea, Mika asks if Yu is serious. From what they saw looking down from the mountain, Mika raises how this city is ten times bigger than Shibuya or Shinjuku.

Asking what else are they going to do, Yu addresses how they do not have ton of choices here. With Mika indecisive, Yu is satisfied that decides there. Enthusiastic, Yu runs ahead and says for them to go. In response, Mika notes how Yu is optimistically charging off. Finding that much positivity is impressive, Mika feels he could probably learn from it. Running past the seraphs and eye beings in the memory, Mika calls for Yu to wait for him. As they head through the buildings, above the view from space shows the sun set over the shining seraph civilisation that forms a pentagram star shape on a section of the world.

Sitting with their backs against one another and weary, Mika first speaks to say this is impossible, they will never find Mikaela in this huge place. Agreeing, Yu also notes the sun is going down too. After Mika observes things were looking dark enough even without that, Yu agrees and adds he is getting hungry. When Mika addresses how it is not easy staying this far back in the past, Yu wonders if angels eat. On the topic, Yu asks if Mika saw any restaurants, specifically any ramen places.

Noticing that now Yu cannot get food off his mind, Mika asks if he wants to zip back to grab some. As Yu gives it some thought, a feather descends near to him and he looks up to find Mikaela and the eye being, the former who is carrying some ice cream. At a loss for words, as Yu tries to find them, Mika still with his back against his asks what is up. When Yu manages to blurt out ice cream cones, Mika sees he is right, in reference to an ice cream place that he can see. As seraphs float around the sign, Mika sees there is an ice cream thing there. After Yu shouts out no, Mika wonders whether he does not want any. Able to speak it now, Yu announces angel Mika.

Also shocked to find Mikaela who they have been looking for, as he flies upwards, Mika then realizes perhaps this is bad. Checking whether he is not super hungry right now, Yu answers yes. Asking if Yu can chase Mikaela, Mika's concern is if he has the strength. Alarmed at the possibility of losing Mikaela now, Yu requests that Mika run. Promptly vanishing from the memory, Yu will go and eat quick. At the same time Mika commences running while raising how it is him again who has to do so.

Blinking, Yu is conscious as he physically is in the shack within the Sea of Trees around Mt. Fuji. Heading to the next room to eat, Yu wonders how many times are they going to do this. Continuing to run in the memory, Mika panics that he is losing Mikaela again. Asking how it is fair that Mikaela can fly, Mika then notices an eye being to his right. Having an idea, Mika leaps onto the eye being and holding onto it he is transported up into the air.

Carried by the eye being upwards, Mika is happy to find he is nearing Mikaela ahead. Where Mika is suddenly taken off to the side, Mikaela in the memory appears happy with his two ice creams. Reacting to the change in direction, Mika drops from the eye and lands atop a rock like formation. Continuing to run, Mika says yikes in response to the ledge he finds himself on. From his vantage point, Mika looks as Mikaela and the eye being fly towards the center of the long thin tower at an angle in the city.

Seeing that Mikaela is heading to that tower, Mika then finds Yu materialize beside him. Happy to be back, Yu then finds the ledge he is on before remarking how they are really high up. Pointing it out, Mika tells Yu he thinks angel Mika is going to that tower. Looking, Yu sees it is the one that rises into the air. Reacting to the height, Yu addresses that super-huge tower going all the way up into the sky, and how that is where Mikaela is going.

Enlivened, Mika wonders if Yu is not itching to climb all the way to the top. Mika thought Yu liked high places. Having figured Mikaela might be going there, Yu had thoughts that if he kept picking high places then Mika would start to think he was dumb or something. After Mika jokes being dumb is one of the new things he is good at, Yu guesses he has got to work hard so he can get even dumber. Onto something, Mika tells Yu he has got that right. Since Yu is trying to save everything, he would need pudding for brains to believe that.

Beaming, Yu says good point and is keen for him and Mika to do this. Ready, horns appear on Mika as an aura radiates from Yu. Using their demonic power, Yu and Mika leap and bound to reach where Mikaela is. On either side of him, they hear Mikaela speak how he has got some ice cream today. Where Mikaela was talking aloud at the time, he wondered if father would be happy as he considered how they can eat them together later. Both Yu and Mika hear this.

Suddenly descending, Yu and Mika land on the ground and look to one another. For the word used, Yu asks Mika whether "father" means Mikaela meant the First. Feeling probably, Mika answers the same for Yu's question on whether the First eats ice cream having noted there were a whole bunch of angels in line for it. While such a scenario is not what Yu thinks of when he thinks of angels, Mika returns their focus to going to check out the tower. Seeing Mikaela in the air, Mika observes him go to enter the tower via one of the rectangular entrances situated in the side of the building.

With Mika having seen the point he went in, Yu says for them to climb up from here. After Yu asks which floor did Mikaela went in, Mika says for him to hang on. Attempting to count the floors, Mika goes from ten to thirty before concluding there is no way he can count that many given the size of the tower. Slumping in response, Yu demands to know why then did Mika pretend he could count, where he had a cool pose and everything. Gleeful, Mika decides because it made him look smart. When Yu questions how are they supposed to fight if they are both dumb, Mika laughs and says for them to come on. If they just go up the tower, they should find something.

Entering the rectangular entrance to the tower, Mika and Yu are awed by the interior. The circular walls are around the thin tower itself, where seraphs are present in the area. Before a dark square, one of many that line the tower, a seraph awaits a communication from a window above one. A beam of light connects the window to a halo that appears where a face would be in the seraph's fire based head. The square in the tower has now become an entrance for the seraph to pass through.

A voice announces the seraph's identity has been confirmed. Yu and Mika watch as the seraph is welcomed to the Tower of Babel. Mika reacts to the name. Within the circular outer wall, where the inner tower rises apparently into space, the purpose of the Babel Project is detailed by the voice to return them to paradise. By making use of Unrailed technology, there is an intention to do something. What is not heard though, where the seraph is entering the tower itself Yu and Mika both seize the chance to also head through the door while it is open.

Leaping past the seraph, Mika and Yu find themselves in an inner room with elevators fitted to the high walls around the inner column of the building. Where they float in this room, seraphs and eye beings with them make use of the elevators. Yu looks to Mika before they approach one such elevator. Within, there are buttons without numbers visible. As Mika counts them, he then asks Yu which floor. Since angel Mika went up, Yu feels they should start on the highest floor.

Seeing the button at the very top, Mika pushes that one. Both Mika and Yu rise upwards as they are taken up the elevator tube. They are brought to a room appearing as if is located in the night sky. Flat screens are suspended in the air around Sika Madu who is seated in a floating chair. Yu looks to Mika and says there Sika Madu is, where Mika concurs they found him.

Quotes
"I don't see any humans anywhere. It's just angels and more angels. This must be an angel city or something."

- Mika speaks with Yu as they traverse a memory of a seraph civilisation.

"So where do we go now? Do we just hafta look for angel Mika?"

- Yu's question for Mika having entered the civilisation of seraphs.

"Still, where'd he go? There're so many angels flying around I dunno if we'll find him."

- Yu wondering where Mikaela went.

"Look. I think that's some kind of map over there!"

- Mika notices several flat surfaces suspended in the air.

"Wanna wander around the place, looking?"

- Yu's excitement at the new area they are in.

"From what we saw looking down from the mountain, this city is ten times bigger than Shibuya or Shinjuku!"

- Mika stunned at Yu wanting to explore every building to find Mikaela.

"Eesh. Look at him optimistically charge off. That much positivity is impressive. I could probably learn from it."

- Mika comes to embrace Yu's keenness to explore.

"Y'know? I wonder if angels eat. Didja see any restaurants? Any ramen places?"

- Yu gives some thought to what seraphs could eat after considering how hungry he himself is.

"Wow, you're right! There is an ice cream thing there."

- Mika observes ice cream existing in the seraph civilisation.

"I'm losing him again! How's it fair that he can fly?!"

- Mika's concerns to himself as he attempts to not lose sight of Mikaela.

"Yu. I think angel Mika's going to that tower."

- Mika updates Yu having successfully kept track of where Mikaela was heading.

"Yay! I got some today! I wonder if father will be happy. We can eat them together, later!"

- Mikaela speaks aloud regarding the ice cream he has acquired, which he plans to share with Sika Madu.

"That's... Not what I think of when I think of angels."

- Yu considers ice cream and angels around it.

"C'mon. If we just go up the tower, we should find something."

- Mika says for him and Yu to head up the tallest tower that Mikaela flew into.

"Identity confirmed. Welcome to the Tower of Babel."

- Seraphs having an identification based system, and revealing the name of the tallest tower.

"Welcome to the Babel Project. The purpose of this project is to return us to paradise. By making use of unrailed elevator technology, we will..."

- Hearing the purpose of such technology seraphs had access to during Earth's prehistory.

"Angel Mika went up, right? Let's start on the highest floor."

- Yu discussing which elevator floor to access, where the top one would take him and Mika to Shikama Doji.

Cover Details
The feature image for chapter 124 is a scenario that heads straight into the story. The first being seen is that of a Pteranodon, of which more than one are flying above the structures that make up the seraph civilisation. Sounds are heard from the Pteranodon, and from sound effects of two individuals walking on the ground. The next page would confirm them as Yu and Mika. The Seraph of the End creation details as well as the chapter name are gathered into the third panel, which is mostly that of the seraph civilisation.
 * Based on the quartz like formations in the city that the buildings are also possibly sculpted from, and the reflective nature of the flat surface that Yu and Mika walk on, it is possible the entire seraph civilisation is made of such crystalline materials.
 * From first seeing it in the previous chapter, Yu and Mika have formally entered the seraph civilisation and are walking through a section of it.
 * Although seen one their own and groups, it is not uncommon for a seraph to be accompanied by an eyeball being.
 * In imagining Mikaela, Yu envisions him with Mika's hair style.
 * For the name Yu is calling him, Mika does not find "angel Mika" as the most imaginative name.
 * What are seen as maps are featured in this seraph civilisation. Suspended in the air through some means, these translucent dark boards resemble glass panes. On them is writing of some sort, along with overlapping circles of various sizes.
 * Neither Yu and Mika are able to read these maps, despite them both thinking it could be either of their memories.
 * While they are searching for Mikaela who they followed to this settlement, Yu is very keen to look around the place and explore.
 * From the view from the mountain they were on, Mika feels this seraph city is ten times bigger than Shibuya or Shinjuku.
 * Although stunned at the idea that Yu would want to check everywhere, Mika comes to find his optimism impressive.
 * A part of the city or not, a scene of small and jagged rocks that appear to glisten with light are seen.
 * Likely unknown to Yu and Mika given the height they could view it at, but the seraph civilisation's buildings are positioned so that when viewing it from space it forms a colossal pentagram shape across a section of earth.
 * Having been exploring until night fall, both Yu and Mika are visibly weary from the excursion.
 * Upon getting hungry Yu thinks about ramen, and has thoughts on whether angels eat.
 * A descending white feather signals the approach of Mikaela who Yu by chance sees passing.
 * Where it not only exists given the time period and denizens of this city, but ice cream has been acquired by Mikaela. Not appearing as a scoop-like ice cream, it is more of a soft-mix machine made type.
 * There are signs seemingly made up of the same substance as the maps that feature a great amount of text along with symbols of ice cream. Before these signs are seraphs that appear capable of engaging with these features.
 * In trying to alert Mika that he has seen Mikaela, Yu can only blurt out ice cream before being able to say who he has seen.
 * As Mikaela flies upwards into the air, Yu returns his consciousness to his body to eat in order to acquire further energy so that he and Mika can continue their memory delving.
 * While they cannot be seen, Yu and Mika can still be physically affected by what is in the memory. Using that to his advantage, Mika leaps onto an eyeball being to allow himself to be carried up to where Mikaela is flying.
 * Reaching a height, Mika sees Mikaela flying ahead to the tall thin tower that is slanted at an angle. At points up these tower are thin rectangle like openings that can serve as entry points to the building.
 * When rejoining a memory, Yu is appearing near to where Mika is, much to his surprise when he arrives on a ledge.
 * In activating their demon power, horns appear for Mika where Yu radiates a fiery like aura. They are able to leap up to where Mikaela is flying with their powers active.
 * Speaking aloud, Mikaela mentions he managed to get some ice cream today and wonders if his father will be happy. Having been called by him in the previous chapter, Mikaela had returned to the city. In the time since Mikaela had acquired ice cream and meant to eat it with Sika Madu later.
 * Upon hearing Mikaela refer to his father, both Yu and Mika fall back to process whether he means the First.
 * Giving some thought to angels, that they may be consuming ice cream is not what comes to mind when Yu thinks of them.
 * For the towering height of the building Mikaela enters, he heads into a section that is near adjacent to buildings around that height of the tower which are still relatively low to the ground.
 * An outer wall is around the tower, the base so the structure itself seemingly reaches deeper underneath.
 * Technology of some sort is involved with the seraph civilisation. A beam of light can connect with a seraph to identify them, and grant access to an inner section of the tower.
 * While appearing the same, seraphs have identities.
 * It is revealed that a halo like construct can appear in the otherwise fiery areas where seraph's heads would be.
 * The Tower of Babel is introduced in the Owari no Seraph manga.
 * Verbal communications can be shared, in a language that can be understood by Mika and possibly Yu as well. It was Mika who reacted to the Tower of Babel mentioned.
 * The Tower of Babel project's purpose is freely announced to return an "us" to paradise. Rather than being a seraph outpost established on Earth, the civilisation could house those who were for whatever reasons unable to return to their paradise through other means. Technology is used for this, namely an unrailed elevator mechanism.
 * Before they are able to hear what the rest of the announcement was to say, Yu and Mika took their limited time chance to head through the access point to deeper within the tower.
 * Within the tower is an inner column. A feature of the tower, or a support, it could even be an energy source to elevators on the side which it is connected to by lines on the ground.
 * Even though they are capable of flight, seraphs and eyeball beings employ these elevators to reach points in the tower.
 * The buttons in the elevator do not appear to have number indications of which floor they would lead to.
 * The elevator buttons layout resembles the Tree of Life.
 * In choosing the highest button, Yu and Mika are taken to what seems an open room. A glowing floor can hold a floating chair of which Sika Madu sits on. He has before him a number of levitating screens.
 * The screens before Sika Madu range in size, and brightness. Text is visible on the one closest to him, and another one above.

Gallery
Manga panels provide a visual overview of the events of chapter 124 with depictions of the characters, Seraph of the End world and scenarios.