Hiragi in a Cage

Hiragi in a Cage is the seventy-second chapter of the Seraph of the End: Vampire Reign manga series.

Short Summary
Shikama Doji tries tempts Shinoa but fails. All three living Hiragi siblings are being examined for possession, and they find out more history about Shikama Doji. Yu and Mika enter the lab while tied up, and Yu announces they want to turn back to being human and are willing to be experimented on.

Long Summary
Shikama Doji manifests, and Shinoa enters her mind to communicate with him. He explains that he can't show her his true form unless she opens up her heart to him. He says he won't possess her because he's busy trying to possess someone else. He tempts her to lower her barriers against him. He tries to convince her she would be fine no matter what before then offering up some of his personal memories. He tries to bribe her by saying those memories may save Kureto, but she says her own life is more important. He says she might be able to discover how to turn Mika into a human, and Shinoa's heart beats more loudly. Shikama Doji then suggests there is a way to return Yu's humanity to him.

When she tells him to stop, Shikama Doji tells her that the demon and angel in Yu will eventually erode away his mind. When Shinoa calls him a demon, Shikama Doji says he's actually not a demon and will reveal what he is if she lowers her walls. He points out that Shinoa really does want to save Yuichiro and says he will eventually possess her instead of Kureto. He says that there has never been a vessel of her caliber in all the hundred years he has possessed the Hiragi Family.

Shinoa wakes up while yelling at Shikama Doji to shut up. She finds herself sitting up in a hospital bed in a plain room. Guren is there monitoring her. He explains that Kureto, Shinoa, and Seishiro are all being examined because the demon who possessed Tenri Hiragi is now on the move.

When Guren asks her if her scythe has anything to do with Kureto's condition, she advises Guren to look into it. She reveals that the thing possessing Kureto is trying to possess her as well and has been trying to possess her for as long as she can remember. She says it also went after Mahiru in the past. She says Mahiru gave up her life and her relationship with Guren in order to save her from it.

Guren advises her to get some sleep. When she asks if Guren wants her to offer some restitution for ruining his relationship with Mahiru, Guren says the past is never coming back and advises they focus on what's here and now. Meanwhile, Mahiru sits next to Shinoa on the bed.

When Guren leaves the room, he reveals that the entire room is actually within the laboratory of the Demon Army.

Seishiro is tied to another bed and yells to be released. Mirai is chained and lying down in a cage while Shiho Kimizuki and Yoichi watch over her.

Even Kureto has handcuffs on. Shinya teases him and then laughs, making Kureto feel better by fulfilling a desire and strengthening Raimeiki to fight against Shikama Doji. Kureto explains that he just has self-destructive desires to wallow and apathy and not care about anything. When Guren walks over, Shinya informs him that Kureto is a masochist. They tease Kureto briefly, and Guren reveals that Shinoa has been affected but isn't bothered by Shikama Doji at all. He also reveals that it went after Mahiru before. He explains that Mahiru protected her until Shinoa became capable of handling it herself. When Kureto asks if there is a means to prevent it from taking over, Guren says he'll save him even if there isn't.

Yu and Mika are escorted into the lab while being tied up. Yu shouts, and Shinya mentions that someone is too full of energy. Yu asks Guren if this is the lab since it's just the place they wanted to go. Yu asks Mika to say something with him, and Mika says this isn't the appropriate time. Yu then shouts out that he and Mika want to be human again, so they came to let the scientists experiment on them and asks how they can help.

Mika looks mortified while Shinya and Guren are speechless.