Kureto Hīragi

Kureto Hīragi 「柊 暮人, Hīragi Kureto」 is a supporting character of Seraph of the End: Vampire Reign. He is the Lieutenant General of the Japanese Imperial Demon Army and is expected to become the next leader of the Hīragi Family as well as the Japanese Imperial Demon Army. His ambition is to exterminate vampires from Japan, and have the world under the control of the Japanese Imperial Demon Army.

He also appears in the light novel series, Seraph of the End: Guren Ichinose: Catastrophe at Sixteen.

Appearance
Kureto is a tall, young man with short black hair and red eyes. He has thick eyebrows that zigzag up at the ends.

He wears the standard JIDA(Japanese Imperial Demon Army) uniform which consists of a black tailcoat with red details including the shoulder epaulettes with gold trim, an aiguillette worn on the right shoulder with a crescent moon decoration, and two rows of gold buttons on the front. Along with that, he wears a pair of white gloves, an armband on his left arm, and a white web belt with a gold waist-plate. He also wears the uniform trousers with black shoes.

Personality
Proud and powerful, Kureto doesn't tolerate any disrespect from lower-rank families. He is manipulative, ruthless and treacherous (as Shinoa calls him a "monster"), and will not hesitate to abandon his comrades if he no longer finds them useful. In fact, he finds that being able to abandon your own friends as a 'strength'. He expects everyone to submit to him with absolute loyalty, and as such, is very confident with himself, his plans and his actions.

Kureto has an ambition of wiping out every vampire on the planet and intends to rule the world, stating that he will turn it into a "vampire-free paradise." He plans to gather every surviving country and unite them as one, making Japan the center of all nations (i.e. world domination). Guren comments this as "something a kid would make up.".

Despite his harsh personality, he possesses a sense of self-righteousness and sees anyone who is willing to sacrifice others for pure greed and with no goal as evil.

History
Raised to lead the Hīragi family, he was always inferior to Mahiru.

Volume 1
The English omnibus with volumes 1 and 2 comes out January 26th! Be sure to buy them!

Volume 2
The English omnibus with volumes 1 and 2 comes out January 26th! Be sure to buy them!

Volume 3
Kureto calls Guren at the end of class and orders him to go to the student council room during lunch the next day.

During lunch the next day, Kureto calls Guren and orders him to meet with him. Aoi delivers Guren to the gymnasium basement where Kureto has Shinoa Hiragi wearing makeup that makes her look as if she has been beaten and tortured. Kureto asks Guren about Mahiru, but Guren denies knowing anything. He reveals that he did not actually torture Shinoa and that this was all just to gather information.

Since he already knows Guren and Shinoa know each other, he says he will kill Shinoa first. He grabs her by the neck and threatens to break her neck when Guren charges him.

Mahiru sends Kureto a message telling him to do as he pleases, and tears briefly form in Shinoa’s eyes. Kureto orders Guren to either hold onto Mahiru or kill her, and he says he will permit them to marry because he wants to keep her in the family. Kureto states she is stronger than him. Kureto sends the IP address to Guren, and Guren sends a message to Mahiru.

Mahiru calls Guren, and Guren puts the phone on speaker. Guren, Shinoa, and Kureto all speak to her. Mahiru twists the conversation and repeatedly states that all of the events occuring since the first Catastrophe volume are his doing. She reveals the special ops he sent after her just now are already dead. A student rushes in and reveals that this entire conversation was just broadcasted over the whole school.

Kureto releases Shinoa and Guren.

That night, the Hyakuya Sect attacks the school. During the chaos, Guren calls Kureto and reports on Mahiru. He asks Kureto to kill him if he loses control during this experiment and says he is going to the school.

Volume 4
Kureto orders Shinya to go to the school after the Hyakuya Sect attacks.

With the help of Shinya and Sakae Ichinose’s cooperation, Kureto helps arrange saving Guren, who has been possessed by Noya.

Volume 5
Kureto calls Mahiru and explicitly describes how he will torture Guren, but she only laughs and tells him she is going to Kyoto.

Kureto visits Guren and orders him to kill Mahiru within forty-eight hours or else he will kill Guren’s father and the rest of the Mikado no Tsuki. He calls Aoi, stating that Guren betrayed them and cut him down. He orders Sakae’s death, but this is all a ruse in order to trick Mahiru. Aoi is aware that this is all a lie.

Guren and his group escape to the roof and steal Kureto’s helicopter before heading to Kyoto.

Volume 6
Despite Kureto’s objection, the council heads overrule him and decide to execute Sakae for his arrogance.

Guren calls Kureto, who sends in a helicopter after Guren cuts of Shigure’s arm when Saito attacks. Shinya calls Guren, stating he bugged Guren’s room, and Guren says he accidentally chopped off Shigure’s arm while trying to cut a radish. They meet at Guren’s apartment that night, and Guren informs Kureto about Saito. Shigure’s arm is successfully reattached.

On December 10th, Kureto sends in Guren and his gang to take care of students that have become possessed by demons at the school. Mahiru appears as a vampire, but she escapes.

On December 20th, Kureto leads 200 soldiers to destroy one of the Hyakuya Sect’s research facilities, but Lucal Wesker intercepts them with a group of vampires. He lets them go because he only drinks the blood of children.

On December 23rd, Guren investigates the abandoned Hyakuya Orphanage in Shibuya. Although reports from the Nii and Kuki families say the children have been killed, it appears they were alive recently. Mika’s diary is dated for December 18th. Guren informs Kureto, who realizes the Nii and Kuki families are traitors. Mahiru then arrives in front of them with the Nii family army.

Second Shibuya High Arc
Lieutenant General Kureto Hīragi first appears in chapter 5 of the manga. Although he does not say anything, he is at a big meeting with the higher-ups, an Lieutenant Colonel Guren Ichinose is snoring during it. Guren leaves the meeting shortly afterward.

Shinjuku Arc
He reappears with Major General Shinya Hīragi with the Shibuya Main Army in chapter 14 at Shinjuku, effectively saving Guren and Moon Demon Company from Seventh Progenitor Ferid Bathory. He arrives too late to witness Special Private Yūichirō Hyakuya's transformation and gives no sign later on of knowing that it even occurred.

He orders his troops to capture the vampire nobles alive. Although they successfully capture or kill many non-noble vampires, the nobles escape without any loss.

Post-Shinjuku Arc
In chapter 16, Kureto summons Special Private Yoichi Saotome, Special Private Shihō Kimizuki, Special Private Yūichirō Hyakuya, and Mitsuba Sangū to the Shinjuku Central Army Headquarters First Office. Yoichi and Kimizuki are taken first, and they are bound and interrogated. Mitsuba receives a promotion to Second Lieutenant because she is a member of the prestigious Sangū family, even though she was useless during the battle.

When Yu arrives, a starving imprisoned vampire with broken chains jumps at Yu,and Yu kills him without hesitation. Kureto says it was a test to weed out traitors. He claims this makes at least one verifiable occasion with reliable witnesses where Yu killed an unarmed vampire without hesitation, but he says it is only one occasion.

In the First Office, Kureto orders Yu to show him his swordsmanship without activating his demon curse. Shinya warns Yu against trusting Kureto. Kureto orders his demon, Raimeiki, to possess him, effectively activating his gear at an advanced level. Yu calls him out on cheating, but he has a sword at his neck before he gets far. Yu complains that was not fair, but Kureto says the battlefield is not fair. He says he approves of Yu obeying his superior's orders without question and states that it is hard to believe Yu is a subordinate of Guren--until Yu attacks Kureto from behind while he is talking, and Aoi Sangū, his aide, blocks the attack, saving Kureto. He takes back his words and states that Yu is definitely Guren's subordinate.

Kureto orders Shinya to attack Yu next and since Yu knows nothing of manifestation-type demons, the fight ends quickly. Although Shinya declines to give his name, Kureto provides it, saying that Shinya was originally from a junior branch family and was despised for it. He said that if Yu wanted to kill Shinya, no one would care.

It turns out that this interview was largely to fish out a vampire spy hiding in their ranks, and Kureto was testing both Shinya and Yu. Kureto snaps his fingers, and a pair of soldiers drag Yoichi and Kimizuki into the room. Both boys have been disarmed, bound, and gagged. Kureto says he will kill them if Yu resists. He says Yu was a rare talent, who qualified for a Black Demon series weapon in a short time. Although this is also true for Yoichi and Kimizuki, Yu is the only one who did not have a thorough background check done first. He asks Yu about his origin and mission. When Yu is confused and denies knowing what he was talking about, a soldier stabs Kimizuki through the left shoulder. Kureto orders Yu to tell him the truth and then orders Yoichi to be stabbed as well. Yu says he will tell them everything he knows, and Kureto simply says that no one goes against the wishes of the Hīragi family.

Kureto asks Yu if he is a survivor of the Hyakuya Sect, which was once the most powerful organizations in Japan. Confused, Yu answers that it was the just the name of the orphanage he grew up in. Kureto explains that the Hyakuya sect was an organization that used orphanages to collected orphaned children for numerous insane human experiments. He states that Yu and his family were probably just a batch of Hyakuya guinea pigs. He says Guren is trying to manipulate whatever experimentation the Hyakuya did to Yu for his own purposes.

Kureto asks Yu to become his subordinate, but Yu says he does not care and asks for Yoichi and Kimizuki to be released. Yu says that Guren would never stoop this low, and Kureto states that is why Guren will never catch up to him. Kureto says that if Yu stepped forward to become his subordinate, Kureto would have killed him. Kureto releases the three soldiers.

Kureto asks why Guren saved Yu. He tries to bring Yu to his side but then tells him he would have killed Yu if he agreed. Kureto lets Shinoa's squad leave.

Nagoya Arc
In chapter 23, Kureto has a group of five vampires outside in the sunlight, starving and bound by chains. He wants to see if he can force them into becoming demons, but the ones who do become demons are much weaker than the replicas of the stronger weapons. Guren says Kureto will not have him killed because he is useful. Kureto asks Guren about how he created so many successful candidates of the Black Demon Series, which Guren answers with luck. Kureto reveals that any person who bears a Black Demon was a human experiment at some point, but mastery is rare even with that. He requests that Guren share the fruits of his experiments with the Hīragi. He asks if Guren is planning a coup, which Guren denies.

Guren asks him what hostage Kureto has for him today, but Kureto says he has been too busy since the attack to kidnap any of Guren's aides.

Kureto reveals his dream to Guren. First, he wants to eradicate the vampires of Japan. Then, he will crush any surviving human organizations and unite the world under the JIDA. Kureto asks about Guren's ambition and asks him to join Kureto if its smaller than that. Guren says he is already following Kureto.

Kureto reveals that the vampires use weak and simple strategies because they underestimate humanity. Vampire enclaves do not get along or share information, and the nobility is responsible for keeping the society under control. By eliminating them, the remaining vampires will fall apart. He says there are 25 vampire nobles in Japan, and claims to know where ever single one of them is. His information is gathered from child spies he sends into vampire cities, which Ferid seems a little too happy about.

Kureto explains that vampires do not bother to remember the faces of humans because they are too cocky and only see humans as brainless livestock.

Kureto assigns Guren a suicide mission. Before the vampires bring down their army on Tokyo one month from now, Guren must launch a pre-emptive strike with a force of 100 soldiers and his three black demon wielders. He will attack Nagoya, wipe out the vampire nobles, and conquer their base. In the meantime, Kureto will lead the rest of the army elsewhere. He is using Guren as a distraction, although killing off nobles will help their cause as well. Kureto declares he will show Guren a world where the humans make the vampires into cattle.

Kureto reappears in chapter 32. He has has Angels prepared for transport in large crates. Angels 6 and 7 are mentioned specifically. On their father's orders, Major General Seishirō Hīragi arrives with some soldiers in order to assist Kureto. He informs Kureto that their father will not tolerate failure, but Kureto laughs and tells him their father can be angry in Hell. The two argue, and Kureto's aide and another soldiers wipe out the unit Seishirō brought with him before he notices. Aoi informs him that preparations are complete.

When Seishirō hears that Kureto is getting on a helicopter, he asks where Kureto is going and says the vampires are headed to Shinjuku to attack them. Kureto states he will imprison the vampires in Nagoya. Seishirō says he will report Kureto for defying their father, so Kureto draws his sword. Seishiro panics and begs for his life. Kureto says that Seishirō's obedience to those in power makes him useful, so he tells Seishirō to wait in the brig until he returns with "supreme power." Kureto does not explain his plans to Seishirō.

Kureto's aide informs him that the subject is in unstable condition with severe pain. He orders the drug dosage to be increased to force it back into submission. When she informs him that action may kill the subject, Kureto simply says humanity will die if it does not hold out anyway.

The only status report he has from Guren is, "Everything's fine." He laughs and orders his soldiers to hurry.

He reappears in chapter 39 with Aoi. He identifies himself and congratulates them on their successful mission. He says that, thanks to their glorious sacrifices, humanity will now achieve complete victory over vampire-kind. He says he will take over now and orders them to put down their weapons and be at ease.

Shinya asks what exactly is going on.

Kureto ignores his question and asks where Guren is. When Shinya states Guren has been captured by the vampires, Kureto asks which personality let that happen. He asks if Guren really intends to fool him, which puzzles Shinya. Kureto mocks Shinya and asks if he has not figured it out yet. Kureto states that Guren's original and weaker personality is desperate to save everyone and liked them enough that he probably tried to put on a brave face. When Shinya asks for more information, Kureto orders him to be silent.

Kureto orders Aoi to kill the "sacrifices," and he disarms Shinya when Shinya demands that Kureto wait.

Narumi approaches Kureto and asks what he is talking about. Kureto asks who he is and restates his order for the soldiers to drop their weapons. Narumi points out how many of them have died already and says it is his responsibility to keep his subordinates safe.

Kureto remarks on Narumi's passion and asks for his name. Shinya quickly shouts at Narumi to not tell him, but Kureto says Shinya cannot do anything to protect him anyway. Shinya pleads with Kureto to just let them leave.

Kureto says that he is in a particularly good mood today, which makes Rika relieved.

Immediately afterward, he says that everyone is going to die anyway and orders the experiment to begin. Aoi launches chains from the ground at the surviving members of the Moon Demon Company. The chains stab at the survivors and hang their corpses in the air.

Narumi falls to his knees, asking what just happened. Shusaku screams at Narumi to run until a second chain pierces through his chest. Enraged, Narumi charges at Kureto. Kureto smiles and says they had a glorious death for the sake of humanity's future. He says his actions are just and right.

Kureto tells Shinoa that he will let her live so long as she obeys him, but she orders everyone to flee. Kureto orders her death, and three chains launch at her. Yu suddenly appears and deflects the attack, surprising Shinoa.

Continuing in chapter 40, Kureto notes that three of the surviving soldiers are Guren's soldiers with the black demons. Chains erupt out of one of the trucks. Mika, Yu, and Kimizuki block them. Kureto says the black demon wielders have matured and muses having them for himself but says that their owner will dispose of them.

An army of vampires arrive, cursing the insolent humans for their recent attack.

Kureto summons his own army and orders them into battle to buy time for the experiment to be completed.

The vampires and humans wage war. Guren walks onto the battlefield, sword in his hand. Kureto announces to Guren that it is time to begin. He warns Aoi that Heaven will smite them, but they will take that power and control it. He orders his soldiers to bind the seraph completely.

Mirai Kimizuki erupts from the van and floats in the sky. She has four large, feathered wings and a single long trumpet before her. Her eyes are dark with peculiar markings on her irises. She curses the sinners and says ruin will fall down upon them. Kimizuki recognizes her, shocked and horrified.

Chains erupt from the remaining van and pierce through Mirai, making her scream in pain as a magical circle appears behind her.

A black aura appears from Mirai's back. The soldiers announce that the fifth trumpet is transforming into an angel of destruction to smite mankind. Although they have not offered enough sacrifices yet, they have achieved the proper state, and Kureto's subordinates claim they are successfully controlling a Seraph of the End. He orders Aoi to feed the rest of the sacrifices to the demon Abaddon to stabilize it. The demon's power rushes out and consumes nearby vampire and human soldiers while they look up in horror.

Natural Abilities
Kureto is very charismatic and rational in making decisions to get out of Mahiru's plan and tries to defeat her every possible ways he can especially making sacrifices to achieve his objective. Kureto also appears to be a capable swordsman while growing up. He knows his power alone isn't enough and needs subordinates like Guren to help him along the way. Kureto is a type of serious person in making his subordinates be submissive and obeyed his every order he wishes. He would even go so far as to threaten them to do his work. Since his late teen, Kureto was able to square off with Guren in a one-on-one sword fight evenly. At that time, furthermore, Kureto can completely control the power of his cursed gear weapon with him in hand. This was something which Guren couldn't do so if left on his own. He lectures Guren's desires as the need to be self-control when his demon weapon is still being also suppressed with a seal unlike himself, who perfectly tamed its power. This was shown when Kureto quickly overwhelms Guren's physical strength and speed while going all out with his newly-formed power, cornering him by the wall one-sidedly during their sword fight and won. Even during his adulthood, Kureto is perceptive about Guren's agenda until now, thinking he was planning a coup and doing things his own way behind the shadows. He also holds some knowledge about Guren having a second personality before Shinya learns of this news.

Cursed Gear

 * Raimeiki 「雷鳴鬼 lit. Thunder Demon」: A possession-type demon weapon of the Black Demon Series. It takes the form of a katana. It's ability appears to enshroud its host with streaks of energy as both a defensive and offensive mechanism.

Trivia

 * Kureto 「暮人」 means "dusk person."
 * Hīragi 「柊」 means "holly."
 * Kureto likes fishing.
 * In chapter 14, Kureto promises to give Guren a reward for his efforts in Shinjuku. It turned out to be chocolate ice cream.
 * According to the official fanbook:
 * Interest/Likes: [Interests] A bright future for mankind / An environment where his subordinates can work easily [Likes] A good pillow for sleeping
 * Favorite food: Black tea / Carbonated drinks
 * What he looks for in the opposite sex: Females who can give birth to superior children / Females who aren’t obedient to him

Manga

 * "Well done, Lieutenant Colonel Ichinose. Good job for a piece of trash from an insignificant junior branch family."--Kureto to Guren, Kureto's first line in the manga, Chapter 14, "Everyone's a Sinner"
 * "Whoever defies humanity... defies the Japanese Imperial Demon Army... or dares defy us, the Hīragi family... must be taught a very thorough, painful lesson."--Kureto against the vampires, Chapter 14, "Everyone's a Sinner"
 * "He's Major General Shinya Hīragi. Like Guren, he's originally from a junior branch family, and is detested because of it. So if you want to kill him, go ahead. Nobody will care."--Kureto to Yūichirō when Shinya declines to give his name, Chapter 17, "Cursed Guinea Pig"
 * "Because you were stupid enough to be a vampire spy... I had your 'friends' knocked around a little."--Kureto to Yūichirō, Chapter 17, "Cursed Guinea Pig"
 * "This is the Japanese Imperial Demon Army. No one goes against the wishes of the Hīragi family."-- Kureto to Yūichirō, Chapter 17, "Cursed Guinea Pig' 
 * "When you were so honored as to be adopted into 'the Great Hīragi Family,' didn't it bring tears to your eyes? Isn't that right, Shinya Hīragi ?"--Kureto to Shinya, Chapter 17, "Cursed Guinea Pig"
 * "Yūichirō Hyakuya. Become my subordinate. I will guide you."--Kureto to Yūichirō, Chapter 17, "Cursed Guinea Pig"
 * "But what you did illustrated your weak point. No matter what happens... you cannot betray your friends. Family. Lovers. Romance. Friendship. You know those are all emotional attachments that must be cut... but you're incapable of severing them. That makes you weak. You are unworthy of being a leader. But... that is precisely why I trust you, Guren. You can't betray your friends. You will never be a threat to me."--Kureto to Guren, Chapter 23, "Ambition in the Demon Army"
 * "But if you have no vision, no end goal, then you're better off dead. Anyone who sacrifices others for simple greed, with no vision... They're evil."--Kureto to Guren, Chapter 23, "Ambition in the Demon Army"
 * "First, I'm going to eradicate all vampires in Japan. Then, I'm going to find all other surviving human organizations and crush them... uniting the entire world under the Japanese Imperial Demon Army. Japan will be the center of the world. I will build a vampire-free paradise."--Kureto to Guren, Chapter 23, "Ambition in the Demon Army"
 * "So shut up and follow your orders. If you do... I'll show you a world where humans make the vampires into cattle."--Kureto to Guren, Chapter 23, "Ambition in the Demon Army"
 * "If I fail now, all of humanity will die. Father can feel free to be as mad at me as he likes... in Hell."--Kureto to Seishirō, Chapter 33, "Crowley in Control"
 * "You and the other incompetent pieces of trash who've never stood on the front lines can sit down, shut up, and watch."--Kureto to Seishirō, Chapter 33, "Crowley in Control"
 * "After today, I'm going to be the hero who saved the world."--Kureto to Seishirō, Chapter 33, "Crowley in Control"
 * "Soldiers! I am Lieutenant General Kureto Hīragi!  One of the rulers of the Japanese Imperial Demon Army!!  Well done on your successful mission!  Thanks to the glorious sacrifices of the Moon Demon Company, humanity will finally achieve complete victory over vampire-kind!  I shall take over from here.  All of you put down your weapons and be at ease!"--Kureto to the survivors of the Moon Demon Company shortly before he orders their execution, Chapter 39, "The Beginning of the Plan"
 * "Hah! You're kidding...  That moron.  Which personality let that happen?  Or...  Does he really mean to fool me?"--Kureto to Shinya about Guren being captured, Chapter 39, "The Beginning of the Plan"
 * "What? Haven't you figured it out yet?  Ah well.  His original, weaker personality is still desperate to save everyone... and he did like you, so he probably tried to put on a brave face."--Kureto to Shinya about Guren, Chapter 39, "The Beginning of the Plan"
 * "It's time to begin. Aoi, kill the sacrifices."--Kureto commanding Aoi to kill off the surviving Moon Demon Company soldiers, Chapter 39, "The Beginning of the Plan"
 * "Are you telling me to ignore his insubordination? Ah well.  I am in a particularly good mood today.  Plus, they're all going to die anyway.  Begin the experiment."--Kureto to Shinya and then Aoi about Narumi's insubordination immediately before Aoi kills the surviving soldiers, Chapter 39, "The Beginning of the Plan"
 * "Don't fuss. Theirs was a glorious death for the sake of humanity's future.  Thanks to the few sacrifices of this experiment, many will be saved.  This... is just.  It is right."--Kureto when Narumi reacts to the annihilation of his squad at Kureto's command, Chapter 39, "The Beginning of the Plan"
 * "Don't resist, Shinoa. Obey me and I will let you live.  You are technically a Hīragi after all."--Kureto to Shinoa before ordering her death, Chapter 39, "The Beginning of the Plan"
 * "DO NOT FEAR THEM!! Today is the day that humanity conquers vampire-kind!!  But first, we must buy time until the experiment is complete!!  STAND UP AND FIGHT FOR HUMANITY'S NEW FUTURE!!"--Kureto to his troops, Chapter 40, "Trumpet of the Apocalypse"
 * "Here it comes, Aoi! Heaven is going to smite those who dared to break its taboo...  But we will take that power, and we will control it!!  Don't let the seraph escape!  Bind it completely!!"--Kureto to Aoi, Chapter 40, "Trumpet of the Apocalypse"