Defining a King

"Defining a King" (王とはナ二力) is the fifty-seventh chapter of the Seraph of the End: Vampire Reign manga series, written by Takaya Kagami and illustrated by Yamato Yamamoto.

Synopsis
The fight between Kureto and his father, Tenri, continues. With the help of Mirai and Abaddon, Kureto finally kills him. A mysterious being then appears before Kureto and introduces himself as Shikama Dōji, the First Progenitor.

Meanwhile in Osaka, Guren suggests the Hiragi Family is controlled by something. He asks Shinoa what Shikama Dōji whispers in her ear.

Summary
Kureto dodges Tenri's chain attacks and strikes him, but Tenri blocks his blade. Tenri complements him, and Kureto says Tenri is unworthy of the throne. Aoi then creates a barrier around Tenri and Kureto, which locks Tenri's chain serpents in place. Tenri teases Kureto for falling in love, and Kureto slices his head off.

Unfortunately, chains spurt from Tenri's body and return his head to his shoulders.

Meanwhile, Guren speaks with Shinoa Squad about the Hīragi Family being pawns to something else. Shinoa asks him why he joined Kureto and massacred their companions. Guren says Kureto was the same as Mahiru and struggled to walk the path of righteousness. When Shinoa says she ran away from the power struggle, Guren asks her if she thinks she completely got away from it. He reveals she was born fused with a demon and asks her what Shikama Dōji whispers in her ear.

Guren says that a Hiragi is born chosen by something and then struggles against it. Shinoa asks for clarification, and he says it means to struggle against the utter hopelessness staring her in the face.

Back in the capital, Tenri warns Kureto that a king needs no comrades and says Kureto is born to shoulder his destiny. Kureto says a king without people is no king at all. Tenri retorts that a weak king is no king and says Kureto's weakness will kill him.

Tenri then launches his chains at Aoi, but Kureto deflects the attack. In exchange, Tenri rips off Kureto's right arm and left leg at the thigh. Tenri scolds him for not changing in eight years and throwing himself in front of a worthless underling.

As Tenri tells Kureto that he disappoints him and plans to kill him and make new children, Mirai with Abaddon fire an attack at the barrier Aoi previously resurrected around Tenri. Kureto leaps out of the way and grabs his sword. Everything beyond Tenri's left shoulder and ribs is destroyed. Kureto stabs Tenri through the neck and scolds him for dropping his guard.

Kureto demands to know who the real enemy is, but Tenri says he will show himself before long anyway. He identifies this person as an old, cursed god, the god who cursed the Hīragi Family. He reaches toward Kureto's shoulder, but Kureto tells him to not touch him. Despite calling Kureto disappointing when compared to Mahiru before, Tenri now says Kureto is greater than Mahiru because he reached Tenri while maintaining a human heart. Tenri reveals he killed all forty of his own brothers and sisters, and he dies after naming Kureto the head of the Hiragi Family.

Appearing from the shadows and defying gravity as he floats above the vertical walls of a building, a six-winged pointy-eared man appears. When Kureto says Tenri called him an old god, the being says God is far more twisted than he. Kureto stabs it through the chest, and it greets Raimeiki, saying, "Welcome home."

Kureto swears to kill him, and the being says he has been struggling to die for quite some time.

A soldier notes that Kureto has given the signal and orders Mirai to prepare to fire. Aoi warns him that Kureto is too close to that thing, but the soldier says he is under strict orders from Kureto himself. As Mirai and Abaddon prepare to fire, the being orders them to halt, and the attack ceases, shocking the members of Kureto's rebellion.

The being reveals that the Seraph of the End experiment is his, not Kureto's, and it is not enough to kill him in the first place. He then grabs Kureto and says he shall possess him next. He sinks his hands into Kureto's chest, and Kureto demands to know his name.

In Osaka, Yu and Shinoa turn their heads as if they sense something before Shinoa feels a pain in her chest.

The being introduces himself as Shikama Dōji, the first progenitor of vampire.

Chapter Notes

 * Chapter 57, along with chapter 46: "Return of the Hero" and chapter 61: "Who Is More Bored?" use a different feature image to display the name and chapter number between the Japanese and English releases.
 * This chapter initially published "Shikama Dōji" as "Shigama Dōji" in the both the Japanese and English magazines. This was corrected for the manga volumes.

Characters
List of characters in order of appearance:

Gallery
Manga panels provide a visual overview of the events of Chapter 57 with depictions of the characters, Seraph of the End world and scenarios.