Hiragi in a Cage

"Hiragi in a Cage" (檻の中のヒイラギ) is the title of the seventy-second chapter of the Seraph of the End: Vampire Reign manga series, written by Takaya Kagami and illustrated by Yamato Yamamoto.

Synopsis
Shikama Dōji tries to tempt Shinoa but fails.

All three living Hīragi siblings are being examined for possession, and they find out more history about Shikama Dōji.

Yu and Mika enter the lab while tied up, and Yu announces they want to turn back to being human and are willing to be experimented on.

Summary
Shikama Dōji manifests, and enters Shinoa's mind to communicate with her. He explains that he can't show her his true form unless she opens up her heart to him, also that he won't possess her because he's busy trying to possess someone else. He tempts her to lower her barriers against him to convince her she would be fine no matter what before then offering up some of his personal memories. Shikama attempts to bribe her by saying those memories may save Kureto, but she retorts that her own life is more important. He says she might be able to discover how to turn Mika into a human, and Shinoa's heart pounds louder. Shikama Dōji further suggests that there is a way to return Yu's humanity to him.

As Shinoa tells him to stop, Shikama Dōji told her that the demon and angel in Yu will eventually erode away his mind. When Shinoa calls him a demon, Shikama Dōji says he's not one, and will reveal what he is if she lowered her walls. He points out that Shinoa truly does want to save Yuichiro, and remarks that he will eventually possess her instead of Kureto. Shikama states that there has never been a vessel of her caliber in all the generations he has possessed the Hīragi Family.

Shinoa awakes screaming at Shikama Dōji to be quiet, and finds herself sitting up in a hospital bed with Guren monitoring her. He explains to Shinoa that her, Kureto, and Seishiro are all being examined because the demon who possessed Tenri Hīragi is now on the move.

Guren asks Shinoa if her scythe has anything to do with Kureto's condition, and she advises him to look into it. Shinoa expounds that the thing currently possessing Kureto, is attempting to possess her as well, and has been trying to her whole life. She adds that it went after Mahiru in the past, when she gave up her life and her relationship with Guren in order to save her from it.

Guren encourages Shinoa to get some sleep. When she inquires if he wanted her to offer some restitution for ruining his relationship with Mahiru, Guren says the past is never coming back, and advises that they need to focus on the present. Meanwhile, Mahiru sits next to Shinoa on the bed.

When Guren exits the room, it revealed that the entire room is actually within the laboratory of the Demon Army.

Seishirō is tied to another bed and yells, demanding to be released. At the same time, Mirai is chained and lying down in a cage with Shihō Kimizuki and Yoichi watching over her.

Kureto is shown with handcuffs on, and Shinya teases him, making Kureto feel better by fulfilling a desire and strengthening Raimeiki to fight against Shikama Dōji. Kureto explained that he just has self-destructive desires to wallow and apathy and not care about anything. When Guren approaches them, Shinya informs him that Kureto is a masochist. They tease Kureto briefly, and Guren reveals that Shinoa has been affected, but isn't bothered by Shikama Dōji at all. He additionally disclosed that it went after Mahiru before. Guren elucidates that Mahiru protected Shinoa until she became capable of handling it herself. Kureto questioned if there is a way to prevent it from taking over, Guren answers he'll save him, even if there isn't.

Yu and Mika are escorted into the lab while being tied up. Yu shouts, and Shinya comments that someone is too full of energy. Yu queries Guren if this is the lab, since it's just the place they wanted to go. Yu asks Mika to say something, and he claims that it isn't the appropriate time. Yu then cries out that he and Mika want to be human again, so they came to let the scientists experiment on them, and begs for their help.

Mika looks mortified while Shinya and Guren are left speechless.

Characters
List of characters in order of appearance: