Brother and Sister

"Brother and Sister" (兄とイモウト) is the one hundred and sixteenth chapter of the Seraph of the End: Vampire Reign manga series, written by Takaya Kagami and illustrated by Yamato Yamamoto.

Synopsis
Yu demands infinite power from Asuramaru, who feels what he wants is impossible, and mentions how Mika is against this too. With Krul appearing, Asuramaru wonders aloud to the First whether he should let Yu absorb him, or resist. Asuramaru is unsure what he should do to make the First keep his promise to save his sister.

In ancient Greece, as a vampire Ashera hunted slave traders to learn the whereabouts of Krul. A lady of an estate is said to have been buying children for their blood. Finding Krul tied with swords through parts of her body, Ashera frees her, but finds she passes away.

Sika Madu descended and spoke how Krul could be awoken. He warns immortality would be a hell far worse than anything a slave has experienced. After Ashera cries that he wants to see his sister, Sika Madu dripped some blood to raise Krul as a vampire.

Characters
List of characters in order of appearance:


 * Yūichirō Hyakuya
 * Krul Tepes (flashback as well from ancient Greece)
 * Asuramaru (flashback as Ashera Tepes too in ancient Greece)
 * Mikaela Hyakuya (referred to as "demon")
 * Shikama Dōji (flashback from the ancient Greece, where he was known as Sika Madu)

Summary
In the coffin chamber underneath Akihabara where the bodies of Yu and Mika's orphanage family, and Mitsuba's parents are kept, among many others, Yu falls to his knees in front of Krul. Addressing him, Krul speaks for big brother.

As lightning crashes down in Asuramaru's realm, Yu speaks to him to demand he give power. Telling Yu not to bother, Asuramaru states this is impossible for him. After Yu announces he needs infinite power, Asuramaru questions what would he do with that. Not answering, Yu orders Asuramaru to give it to him. Casting a glance at him, Asuramaru discerns that Yu has already taken in another demon's power, in reference to Mika, and he cannot read his heart through the interference.

When Yu repeats his demand for power, Asuramaru speaks how that demon is against it too. Instructing Yu to stop already, Asuramaru adds this is not what he truly wants. His hand trembling and Yu's eye ever-demonic, he shouts to give him power. Picking up that a mist like substance is materializing, Asuramaru checks behind to see Krul appear in his vision.

Commenting how she is here, Asuramaru pays no mind to Krul but looks upwards to the starlit sky above the thunderous clouds. Asking aloud whether this is still part of the First's plan, Asuramaru requests that he please tell him. The question Asuramaru has is whether he should let Yu absorb him, or should he resist. As the lightning continues to surge, Asuramaru calls which should he choose to make the First keep his promise to save his sister.

In ancient Greece, within a poor hamlet, a group of men ran through the streets. Shouting that there is a monster, Ashera was the one pursuing them. Leaping onto a man, Ashera bit his eye out. Spitting out the eye, Ashera told the slave traders to say where their leader was. Swiping a man's head off, Ashera repeated his question.

When a man pointed to another running away that he was the leader, Ashera slashed apart someone. While running, the leader of the slave traders panicked that was a vampire, and had concerns of the monster catching him. Appearing in front of him, Ashera asked whether he was the leader. Asked why he is doing this, Ashera replied it was because he had one question. Instructed to answer, the slave trader refused since he felt Ashera would kill him as soon as he did.

After Ashera confirmed he would kill the slave trader, the man responded then he would not answer. Insisting that he will, Ashera mentioned that he was using the same methods he used. What the man did to his slaves, Ashera was doing to him. Detailing how the slave trader beat them until they begged for death, at which point he laughed, Ashera was sure that the man would only be too happy to give him his answer so that he could die.

The slave trader tried to flee, but was pushed to the ground by Ashera. Pain or release were the options, at which point the slave trader questioned why him when there are dozens of other slave traders in this area. Ordering him to answer, Ashera enquired whether he sold Krul Tepes. Gathering from his face that he did, Ashera then asked to who.

With the full moon high up in the sky, Ashera bounds through the city streets. Thinking of Krul, he has learnt that she has been taken to the estate of a woman who was said to have found a ritual for eternal life and beauty. To supposedly achieve this, she was buying children in order to drink their blood.

Reaching the estate, in response to armored guards armed with spears and shields asking who goes there, Ashera struck their heads off. Set on his rescue, Ashera cut down other guards who gave the order to kill him. All the while, Ashera pleaded for the target of his rescue to still be alive.

Breaching the doors brought a large room into view where girls were bound with restraints, with blood intermittently covering the floor. Wondering where Krul was, Ashera found she was not there. Unable to see her, he was concerned whether she was already dead.

A woman screamed, and Ashera entered a room where blood was dripping into a footed bowl. Restrained with her hands bound by chains to the ceiling, Krul was kept there with many thin swords piercing through her arms, torso, and legs.

As Krul stirred, Ashera was shocked at the scene. When the woman screamed that there was a monster, Ashera became murderous. Outraged that she was calling him a monster, Ashera lunged at her and drove the woman so she broke against the wall.

Cutting the chain holding Krul and catching her, Ashera ran with her outside. Having no idea of what he should do now, Ashera then found Krul attempting to speak. Saying how he came, Krul commented how she cannot see him. From blood coming from her eyes, Krul may have had them removed. Speaking for her to not talk, Ashera tried to assure her it will be okay and promised he will do something.

Wondering if this was just a dream, Krul shared how she dreamt this a lot. When things were really bad, she would see her brother coming to rescue her. Thinking to provide his blood, Ashera cut his wrist to draw some. Hesitating, Ashera did not know what was next. Mentioning how if it was a dream. Krul felt that was okay. At least once, before she died, Krul got to see him. Krul passes away and Ashera sees her on the ground.

Using his wings, Sika Madu descended to where Ashera and Krul were. As Ashera spoke for his sister, Sika Madu stated she could come back. Detailing that Ashera would have to make a decision, Sika Madu explained that if Krul was brought back now, she will never be able to die again. Sika Madu said how immortality is a torture and hell far worse, and lasting far longer, than anything any slave has ever suffered.

Asking whether Ashera was all right with that, Sika Madu raised how his sister was dying in peace. He asked did Ashera want to see her so badly that he would pull Krul into hell. As tears fell, Ashera cried that he would do it. Even if it was hell, Ashera wanted his sister back.

From an incision on his wrist, Sika Madu dripped his blood over Krul. As Krul's body violently reacted, Ashera called her name in alarm. The wounds on her arm healing, Krul opened her eyes which then become slitted. Gripping her chest, Krul screamed as her newly formed vampire teeth were shown.

Regarding the scene, Ashera reflects how that was how he put a curse on his sister.

Quotes
"Don't bother. This is impossible for you... Yu."

- Asuramaru's response to Yu demanding power.

"Well, great. You've already taken in another demon's power. I can't read your heart through the interference."

- Asuramaru sensing Mika who he refers to as a demon, and indicating the limits of his perception given the situation.

"But that demon is against this too, right? Stop already. This isn't what you truly want."

- Asuramaru seems aware that Mika does not favor Yu's decision to fight for him rather than resurrect humanity.

"Is this still a part of your plan, First? Or is it not? Which is it? Please tell me. Should I let him absorb me? Or should I resist?"

- Speaking to the starry sky above the thunderstorm, Asuramaru seeks Shikama Doji's guidance on what to do in response to Yu.

"Which do I choose... ...To make you keep your promise to save my sister?! Tell me, First!"

- Asuramaru's possible motive for helping Shikama Doji.

"Answer me, slave traders. Where is your leader?"

- Having bitten out a man's eye, Ashera had questions.

"Oh no! Gods no! That... That's a vampire! If that monster catches me..."

- The slave traders speaks aloud to himself as he runs from Ashera.

"No-no! I refuse! You'll kill me as soon as I do!"

- Unwilling to answer Ashera's one question as the slave trader feels he will share in the other slavery participants' fates.

"Oh, you will. See, I'm using the same methods you do. What you did to your slaves, I'm doing to you. You'd beat them and beat them and beat them... ...Until they begged you to kill them. But you just laughed. I'm sure you'll be only too happy to give me my answer so you can die."

- Aware of the slave dealer's conduct, Ashera is confident he will answer his question.

"Why?! Why me?! There are dozens of slave traders in this region! Why does it have to be me?!"

- The slave dealer's response to choose between pain or release.

"The lady of the estate... They say she found a ritual for eternal youth and beauty. She was buying children so she could drink their blood."

- Ashera considers the background of the woman whose residence Krul has been taken to.

"Don't worry. I'm coming to rescue you. But, please... All I ask... ...Is that you're still alive."

- Ashera's thoughts on Krul as he arrives at the estate.

"Who's that?! Kill him!"

- The guards of the estate spot Ashera.

"Eek! Monster!"

- A women in an estate with girls having their blood taken calls Ashera a monster.

"Or... Is this... ...Just a dream? I dreamt this a lot... When things were really bad. I'd see my brother... Coming to rescue me."

- Krul speaks having been found by Ashera.

"Oh! Blood! Have mine! But... I don't know what's next!"

- Ashera thinks to provide blood to Krul but is unsure of the consequences.

"But if it's a dream... ...That's okay. At least once... ...Before I die... ...I got... ...To see you."

- Krul's final words.

"She can come back, Ashera. She can still be awoken. But you will have to make a decision. If she's brought back now... ...She'll never be able to die again. Immortality is torture. A hell that's far worse... ...And lasts far longer than anything any slave has ever suffered. Are you all right with that? Your sister is dying in peace. Do you want to see her so badly... ...That you'll pull her into hell?"

- Sika Madu is very clear that Krul can be brought back, yet it would be a curse, and leaves the decision to Ashera.

"I'll do it. I want to see her. Even if it's hell... ...I want my sister back!"

- Ashera cries that he wants to bring Krul back to life.

"And that... ...Was how I put a curse on my sister."

- Ashera, seemingly retrospectively regards Krul being raised as a vampire.

Cover Details
The cover for chapter 116 is an uncommon case of featuring an in-universe situation that is part of the chapter story, rather than a feature image depicting a scenario not involved with the story. Despite having been thrown into the ground to break it by Krul in the previous chapter, Yu falls to his knees here to perhaps indicate he had attempted to move again from his crater location. Remaining before him, Krul looks to Yu as she speaks to big brother, who would be the demon Asuramaru within Yu.


 * In response to Yu demanding power, Ashera appears to be aware of events in answering how this is impossible for him.
 * Wanting to see what Yu would do with infinite power, Asuramaru finds another demon prevents him from reading his heart.
 * It is not stated whether Mika is actively preventing someone from reading Yu's heart, or if it an active effect of a demon's presence.
 * Although seemingly news to Asuramaru that Yu has already taken in another demon's power, Asuramaru speaks how that demon is also against Yu's actions too. Asuramaru may have been able to see that Yu had made a new contract, yet it is drawing upon the demon power that prevents him reading Yu's heart.
 * A rippling force signals Krul's appearance into Asuramaru's realm. Krul does not have a contract with a demon, yet seems to be able to enter one's domain, further it is entering someone else's demon sphere.
 * None too impressed that Krul is here, Asuramaru asks aloud for the First to advise whether he should let Yu absorb him, or resist.
 * Questioning what he should choose for the First to keep his promise to save his sister, this may be Asuramaru's motive for following his directions.
 * In chapter 79 "Eternal Hell" after Ashera was turned into a vampire, he was asked by Sika Madu whether he had something to live for. Finding Krul was a purpose, and this chapter 116 shows the nearest events after Ashera was changed.
 * Having taken to killing slave traders, Ashera searches for the one who sold Krul.
 * Ashera used the same methods slave traders used on those they enslaved, and had no qualms about killing them as they were similarly merciless.
 * According to the slave trader there were dozens more in this region.
 * Unreliable records of Elizabeth Báthory claim that she bathed in girl's blood to retain her youth. Possibly the inspiration for the lady of the estate in ancient Greece, in the Seraph of the End universe it is not mentioned whether a ritual was magically feasible in granting eternal youth and beauty. While the lady was said to be drinking the blood of children, it does not appear that she was a vampire herself, where Ashera who found her was.
 * Using his hands, Ashera could effortlessly cut through the armor that guards wore which included tower shields.
 * In Chapter 69 "The Day the Sun Was Lost" Krul and Ashera were separated and sold into slavery. Where Ashera was sold by a slave dealer to Sika Madu, and then transformed into a vampire after surviving Yu's seraph attack, Krul had ended up at the estate of a woman who was taking the blood of girls. Krul was found with various swords through her and her blood being collected into a bowl.
 * Overcome with a particularly strong anger at being called a monster by someone who was in the environment of stabbing girls for their blood, Ashera crushes the speaker.
 * Part of Krul's torture appears to have included having her eyes taken out.
 * Registering that transferring blood is involved, Ashera thinks to give his to Krul.
 * Apparently able to track him, Sika Madu arrives before Ashera at the point that Krul passes away to speak that she can be brought back.
 * Upfront that if brought back that Krul would never be able to die again, Sika Madu clearly explains that he feels immortality is hell, and checks if Ashera is sure he wants to resurrect her.
 * Even if it was hell, Ashera makes the decision to bring Krul back.
 * It is shown that Sika Madu's blood was used to sire Krul, and raise her as a vampire.
 * All of Krul's injuries heal and if here eyes were fully lost they were re-created. Her eyes appeared regularly, before becoming slitted like a vampire's.
 * Apparently a thought in retrospect, Ashera considers Krul becoming a vampire was the moment he put a curse on her.

Gallery
Manga panels provide a visual overview of the events of chapter 116 with depictions of the characters, Seraph of the End world and scenarios.