Seraph of the End 3: Guren Ichinose: Catastrophe at Sixteen

Seraph of the End 3: Guren Ichinose: Catastrophe at Sixteen (終わりのセラフ3 一瀬グレン、16歳の破滅) is the third book of the prequel Seraph of the End: Guren Ichinose: Catastrophe at Sixteen light novel series and third novel overall to Seraph of the End, written by Takaya Kagami and illustrated by Yamato Yamamoto.

It is the first half of the second English omnibus published by Vertical.

Characters
List of the characters in order of appearance:
 * Shinya Hīragi (Prologue)
 * Mahiru Hīragi (Prologue)
 * Guren Ichinose (Chapter 1)
 * Mitsuki Iori (Chapter 1)
 * Sayuri Hanayori (Chapter 1)
 * Shigure Yukimi (Chapter 1)
 * Mito Jūjō (Chapter 2)
 * Norito Goshi (Chapter 2)
 * Kureto Hīragi (Chapter 2)
 * Yūichirō's mother (Chapter 3)
 * Saitō (Chapter 3)
 * Tanaka (Chapter 4)
 * Aoi Sangū (Chapter 4)
 * Shinoa Hīragi (Chapter 4)

Prologue - Night and Day
Shinya's talent is recognized by one of the Order of the Imperial Demon kindergartens, and he is removed from his home and family. He survives by mastering spells, illusions, and fighting techniques. As he kills his friends and rival fiancé candidates over the years, he begins to constantly grin in order to keep calm and unnerve his opponents. At ten years old, Shinya wins the right to be bred with Mahiru Hīragi, and the Hīragi Family adopts him as her fiancé. She meets him and rejects him because she is in love with Guren Ichinose, but they decide to pretend to be a couple in front of the Hīragi Family.

Chapter 1 - A Demon's Paw
It is mid-August. Mitsuki Iori uses herself as an experimental subject by injecting her left wrist with Guren’s demon-tainted blood. The hand transforms, leading Guren to amputate and then slay it when it suddenly grows into a monster and attempts to eat Mitsuki. Due to the wills of the occult researchers, Guren gives them permission for minimal human experimentation.

Chapter 2 - The Mice Will Play
It is August 20, 2012. Guren recalls the love story 500 years ago that led the Hīragi Clan to scorn the Ichinose Clan. Shinya passes a note to Guren, stating that the Thousand Nights are going to meet at 2 a.m. at the tennis courts in Hikarigaoka Park that night. Norito, Shinya, and Mito invite themselves to Guren’s place to get all "chummy-chummy."

Chapter 3 - Demon and Mouse
Guren’s team plays shogi for the first time. Meanwhile, Yūichirō Amane’s mother appears on the news screaming about killing her demon child while her apartment is consumed by flames. She dowses herself in gasoline and attempts to light herself on fire, but firefighters tackle her to the ground before Saitō appears and stops the broadcast.

Guren and Shinya arrive at Hikarigaoka Park on stolen motorcycles at 1:30 a.m. to witness a meeting of the Thousand Nights, but a vampire kills all eight members prior. Guren and Shinya barely manage to escape with their lives.

Chapter 4 - Demonic Attraction
It is August 21, 2012. The students play shogi during lunch until Guren meets Kureto, who appears to be torturing Shinoa but in truth he just put torture makeup on her, seeing no point as Shinoa hasn't done anything wrong or knows anything and besides even if she does know something, her training can allow her to resist. Mahiru tricks Kureto into appearing like a traitor over the intercom. The human personality of Mahiru meets up with Guren later, and they make love.

Mahiru slays the vampire who chased Guren and Shinya the previous night. The Thousand Nights wages war against the Imperial Demons. Out of his desperation to save his friends, Guren grasps the cursed sword Noya, which Mahiru tainted him with in book 3.

Guren Ichinose’s catastrophe begins.