The King's Chambers

"The King's Chambers" (王のヘヤ) is the ninety-eighth chapter of the Seraph of the End: Vampire Reign manga series, written by Takaya Kagami and illustrated by Yamato Yamamoto.

Synopsis
The demon that resembles Mika as a child observes Mika and Yu and means to protect the world they are in. Asuramaru, Kiseki-o and Gekkouin see the demon as Sika Madu's son, Mikaela and do not intend to have the king escape and set about gaining access to the world he is in.

Guren and Mahiru are searching for Mika as they plan to convert him into cursed gear.

Shinoa asks Krul what her sister done. Eight years ago Krul remembers Mahiru beginning to arrange a pact with her where she asked to be turned into a vampire to see it through.

Presently Krul strikes at Shinoa who is defended since it is actually Shikama Dōji who is in control of her body. Krul declares him their real enemy but the first states that Mikaela is his child he is trying to save. Guren and Mahiru come crashing into the room where the first is weakened by their presence. Guren shouts to Yu that they are starting the cursed gear rite. Shikama Dōji contacts Ashera to instruct him to capture Mikaela's soul before the humans do.

Characters
List of characters in order of appearance:
 * Mikaela Hyakuya (As a child)
 * Yūichirō Hyakuya (illusionary Yu with his and Mika's orphanage family, envisioned by Asuramaru, and present)
 * Demon Mika
 * Asuramaru
 * Kiseki-o
 * Gekkouin
 * Raimeiki (Mentioned)
 * Byakkomaru (Mentioned)
 * Shikama Dōji (Mentioned as master Sika Madu, possessing Shinoa)
 * Mahiru Hīragi (Flashback as well)
 * Guren Ichinose
 * Shinya Hīragi (Mentioned)
 * Shinoa Hīragi
 * Krul Tepes (Flashback as well)
 * Shihō Kimizuki
 * Yoichi Saotome
 * Mitsuba Sangū

Summary
Within the world Mika found himself he rests with the illusionary Yu on either side of a family member and they are observed by a cloaked demon. As Yu and Mika prepare cup noodles the demon wonders who they are are. Whilst he does now know the demon finds Yu and Mika precious and has to protect this place for them. Stepping outside into a neighbourhood area he notices a coffin in the street. The demon practically decides to keep this world safe and make sure no one else sneaks in by conjuring large spiked crosses.

In another location Kiseki-o and Asuramaru peer over their coffin. Kiseki-o thinks he should be able to get in without the king noticing but he is struck and lifted into the air by one of the crosses that has come through. Feeling that some of his power has been taken Kiseki-o asks Asuramaru to help get him down. Doing so Asuramaru asks how was the king. Kiseki-o replies that he is powerful but it is not what Asuramaru meant. Stating that the king does a lot of damage Asuramaru questions whether Kiseki-o is going to die. With the human he is possessing having learned to let loose more Kiseki-o feels devouring some of his desire will allow him to manage. As Kiseki-o wills himself to heal they consider that his death would interfere with their plans. Asuramaru asks how was the king again and Kiseki-o replies that he is normal, absorbed in his own world of pleasure. Maintaining that world is going to require a lot of human desire and Asuramaru states that is a problem. If he attempts to possess people at random in the search for desires it would be difficult for them to track him. Opening a connecting pathway to pour desire into the world for the king is the plan.

To open the path Kiseki-o is told to hurry up and heal but the two of them will not be enough to contain the king. Gekkouin is called for aid and appearing he confirms his memories had returned the moment the king woke up. Unlike Asuramaru he is concerned about the wound Kiseki-o has endured and he asks if Asuramaru understands how one shows worry. Gekkouin then asks what about Raimeiki and Byakkomaru. If all of them die now there would not be anyone to carry out the plan so those two have not been called yet. Agreeing with Asuramaru that they need to open a path before the king escapes, Gekkouin adds that should that happen then Sika Madu will be disappointed in them. Kiseki-o needs ten seconds to be healed enough to open the path.

Meanwhile Gekkouin glances to the cross sticking out the coffin nearby. Feeling the king is strong Gekkouin says as much should have been expected from the first's child. Needing a little more power he calls out to Yoichi for it and then produces a multitude of arrows. Asuramaru is impressed at all Gekkouin needs to do to get power and how he is on good terms with his human. When Gekkouin questions if Asuramaru is not that close with his he thinks about Yu calling him his friend and considers it a good question. Kiseki-o is ready and summons a coffin. This is slammed into the ground by a cross. With the speed at which the king can attack Kiseki-o intends to open several and says for them to go in one that stays open. Many coffins levitate in the air and Gekkouin directs his arrows into an open one. In his world the king is stood atop a rooftop and knows that invaders are coming. From the coffins that appear a mass of arrows fire out of one and fly towards him. Grasping them and left unharmed the king's response is to devour the invaders' desires.

Elsewhere Guren is running with Mahiru in tow. As they hurry Mahiru agrees that Guren is the type to complain as he does it to Shinya and the others all the time. It always ticked her off since Guren should only be complaining to her. Mahiru says she will listen to all his worries and solve all his life problems. Guren answers that his biggest life problem was meeting her. The real problem is that Guren let his demon go a little too berserk and now he is sore. Mahiru is healing his shredded muscle fibres so they do not turn necrotic but it will take at least ten hours to heal completely. With no time to rest Mahiru asks how much longer the curse-amplifying drug they injected into Mika is going to last. Once it wears off soon Shikama Doji will be able to locate him much more easily and they assume he will go and capture Mika right away. Before that happens Mahiru says they need to find Mika and convert him into cursed gear. After injecting herself with a needle Mahiru says it is something that suppresses the cells of the first that were both injected into herself and Shinoa. Guren continues running with a non weightless Mahiru holding onto him. They are against demons and the first and are further conscious that they themselves had been defeated before.

Outside the city of Shibuya, Shinoa asks for Krul to please tell her what her sister did. Yu listens as Krul thinks back to eight years ago in the vampires' third capital of Sanguinem. Mahiru spoke of how Krul's brother had been stolen by the first. For her part Mahiru was born into a cult created by the first and her own body had been implanted with the first's own cells. As she had her scythe materialize Mahiru gave a show of how despite her self-proclaimed charms she was not even permitted to fall in love. Her entire life had been calculated and was seen as ultimately a dance choreographed by Shikama Dōji. Mahiru shared that it was already decided that the year then on Christmas day that she was going to die as a sacrifice at the moment the upcoming calamity destroys the world. Whilst she voiced it was so unfair Krul did not care about her life story and only wanted to know where Ashera was. Mahiru answered that just as she has been, Ashera is also being used by Sika Madu to this very day. Seizing her Krul ordered Mahiru to tell her where Ashera was. Asking her for patience Mahiru used a needle to suppress the first since she would like their pact to remain secret so they can carry it out without Shikama Dōji overhearing.

After falling to the ground from the injection Mahiru said that her internal organs were rupturing and she could not heal them since the drug was too potent. Not wanting to die yet with people to protect until Christmas, Mahiru spoke that she and Krul need to work together. Their interests ought to be in line and at that point Mahiru sought to have Krul prevent her dying by turning her into a vampire. Krul questioned what Mahiru was after. It was the same thing she wanted, Mahiru desired her life to be in her control not the first's, neither the cult's and not event fate's. Mahiru would be the one to pull the strings in her own life.

Presently Krul looks to Shinoa before her and asks which one she is now. Shinoa is unsure of what Krul means when she asked whether this was still all part of her plan. Leaping towards Shinoa and striking at her Krul finds her hand blocked by a barrier in front of Shinoa who now has six large wings. Shikama Dōji informs Krul that was not nice as it is revealed that his consciousness is the one in control of Shinoa's body. Whilst Kimizuki along with Yoichi and Mitsuba are shocked Krul announces to them that their true enemy is Shikama Dōji further proclaiming that he wants to use both Mahiru's sister and Mikaela in his experiments. Silencing Krul with a hand the first speaks to the others that Mikaela is his precious child and they are trying to save him. Shikama Dōji in Shinoa's body adds that they are the only true ally the squad has.

The first drops to their knees and can feel their consciousness fading. Guren crashes through a window with Mahiru as well. Mahiru shouts it is good that the drug is working. Yu and Yoichi are surprised to see Guren who instead speaks to Krul that she went too far away. As Krul replies that they knocked her out Kimizuki learns that Guren and Krul know one another. Guren addresses Yu that they have no time and they will start the cursed gear rite. They plan to turn Mika into cursed gear and then have him attached to Yu before the first can get him. As Yu registers the move Guren states to Mitsuba and Kimizuki that they are putting up a barrier outside whilst Yu considers Mika turning into cursed gear some more. The first is steady as he telepathically contacts Ashera to alert him that the humans are headed to an unspecified 'there.' Asuramaru is with Kiseki-o and Gekkouin in the world the king is in and have him surrounded. Asuramaru is told by the first to capture Mikaela's soul before they humans do which Asuramaru says is understood.

Chapter notes

 * The demon whose hand began to emerge from Mika in chapter 92, with his cloaked body appearing in chapter 94 and seen fully as a child in chapter 95 was here in chapter 98 revealed to not be Mika being transformed into a demon in child form but as the past Mikaela, Sika Madu's son.
 * The Devil's Coffin ability can be used as an access point between other demon realms. It can invite Gekkouin to where Kiseki-o and Asuramaru were located. It could also be used strategically to infiltrate other worlds whether furtively or by summoning many and gaining access via one that remains open when they were being forcibly shut.
 * Kiseki-o and Asuramaru are seen speaking with Gekkouin where all their memories have returned. Seen discussing matters together for the first time they had formed a plan which they are carrying out. It involves helping Mikaela maintain the world he is in and is in line with what Sika Madu likes.
 * The substance that Guren injected into Mika's hand that was shown in Chapter 92 is here revealed by Mahiru to have been a curse-amplifying drug.
 * Mahiru states that cells of the first were injected into both herself and Shinoa. She is able to suppress them using some contents of a needle.
 * Whilst she was floating and is a demon Guren comments on how Mahiru is not weightless anymore.
 * Guren letting his demon go a little too berserk had shredded his muscles. Mahiru said it would take at least ten hours for her to heal him.
 * Eight years ago in Sanguinem Mahiru says she was using a suppressant so that Shikama Dōji did not hear the details of her pact with Krul. This suppressant was also rupturing Mahiru's organs so she used the chance to have Krul turn her into a vampire. This would keep her alive, and far stronger, whilst where Krul was concerned she had the incentive to comply with this bestowment of power so she could learn further details about the location of Ashera.
 * In attacking her Krul displayed that rather than Shinoa it was Shikama Dōji possessing her who was in the room with them. The expression of surprise from Shinoa in chapter 96 and the earnest appeal from her in wanting to hear about her sister in the previous chapter 97 may in actuality have been Shikama Dōji hoping to learn the missed details of the pact.
 * Krul asserted that Shikama Dōji was their true enemy and stated that he wanted to use two people in his experiments. These were Shinoa and Mikaela although for the latter Krul was not clear in whether it was Mikaela Hyakuya or Sika Madu's son Mikaela.
 * Guren and Mahiru make it to the squad's location outside of Shibuya and set about initiating a rite to turn Mika into cursed gear. They will then attach him to Yu before the first can get him. By themselves Guren and Mahiru say they are to turn Mika into a cursed gear but tell Yu and the others that Mikaela is the one who will be bound.
 * Having entered the world where both Mika and Mikaela are Asuramaru is contacted by the first to capture Mikaela's soul before the humans turn him into cursed gear.

Gallery
Manga panels provide a visual overview of the events of chapter 98 with depictions of the characters, Seraph of the End world and scenarios.