Seraph of the End 4: Guren Ichinose: Catastrophe at Sixteen

Seraph of the End: Guren Ichinose: Catastrophe at Sixteen (Volume 4) is the fourth volume of the Seraph of the End: Guren Ichinose: Catastrophe at Sixteen light novel series, which includes Guren's past with Mahiru and his encounter with many characters of the manga sequel, Seraph of the End: Vampire Reign.

It is expected to be published as the second half of the second English omnibus.

Prologue
Guren Ichinose contemplates what he should do while facing imminent failure: 1) give up, 2) keep trying anyway, or 3) fight to fulfill your ambitions and risk losing everything else. Guren chooses option three.  He is filled with desire and despair.  In a small alley, he risks his humanity and grasps the demon weapon Noya.  He senses the Apocalypse begin.

Chapter 1
Guren hears a voice calling his name and awakens in a completely white space in his heart. The demon Noya tempts him with power and approaches him. He chats about Mahiru and says that Guren will turn into a demon regardless of whether he accepts that power or not. Guren touches Noya and willingly gives up his humanity, leading Noya to mock him for making the wrong choice. He says it is unacceptable for a human to give up on his humanity while he is still human. Everything goes black, and power overwhelms him.

Guren wakes up with the sword in his and a motorcycle next to him. He hears war going on all around him but no longer feels any pity or empathy. His desires encourage him only to kill, and he mutters about needing a sheath to suppress the demon's will before getting onto the motorcycle.

Chapter 2
Shinya kills an enemy Hyakuya Sect member on the streets of Hachiko, Shibuya by cutting his throat after the assassin attacks him, and a witness begins screaming. The screaming attracts the civilians' attention, and they do not notice the corpse right away. Shinya grabs the witness and redirects everyone's attention to the body, starting a chaos and distracting everyone from him. Using his opportunity to escape, Shinya sneaks away and uses a spell to keep himself from being seen.

Other Hyakuya Sect members appear on the streets as madness ensues.

He calls Kureto and reports. Kureto orders him to come to school to lead his squad members. He says the situation is to kill or be killed but little is known about the enemy. Tenri Hiragi is assuming command to negotiate the situation. When Shinya says he no longer has any value since his fiancée betrayed them, Kureto tells him to make his stand with the Hiragi. Shinya is surprised that the state of war is bad enough to give merit based on achievement rather than on birth hierarchy. He asks Kureto if he as some kind of goal, and Kureto says he lives to guide the Hiragi and gain power and privileges for them. He sees people as empty shells molded by their environments. He says Shinya needs only to submit to him.

Shinya steals a motorcycle from an innocent passerby and drives through the chaos to First Shibuya High.

In the meantime, Mito is holed-up in the audio-visual room with her classmates begging for guidance behind her. She puts a chain and talisman on the door to form a barrier. There is a chunk of wood lodged in her right thigh from the battle. Facing death, she reflects on how she should have lived life differently.

The enemy breaks down her barrier and kills off the classmates Mito tries to protect. Recognizing her red hair as a marker of the Jujo family, they only capture her alive.

Goshi used his illusions to help Sayuri, Shigure, and Mito escape earlier, but he is now hiding in the stall in a girls' restroom. He is using a an illusion to make the door to the restroom invisible. He tries to figure out how to escape, but the window is too small for him to squeeze through. Goshi hates putting forth effort to do things and reflects on his superior younger brother, who is certain to become the next family head.

The enemy notices his illusion and breaks in, defeating Goshi easily. Goshi thinks even his brother would lose to them. He surrenders but then refuses to betray his comrades. The enemy reveals they have already captured his younger brother. One of the Hyakuya Sect members brings his knife down on Goshi.

Guren arrives, killing many Hyakuya Sect members, but Noya is mostly in control. Noya causes Guren to kiss Mito and grows horns, fangs, and claws.

It is revealed that Mahiru cast an illusion over the entire school.

Mito and Goshi narrowly escape while Shinya and some Mikado no Oni soldiers seal Guren within the school. Shinya contacts Sakae, who is willing to give his research over to the Mikado no Oni and accept any punishment so long as they save Guren.

Epilogue
Mito, Shinya, and Goshi play video games at Guren's place until Mahiru appears. Guren attacks her, and they fall from the twenty-fifth floor. Mahiru uses her sword to stop her fall, and Guren is badly injured but recovers.

Characters
List of characters in order of appearance: