Black Asura

Ashura the Black is the sixth chapter of the Owari no Seraph manga.

Summary
The chapter starts with Yu Hyakuya receiving his grades for a recent test that were supposed to determine how ready he was to be fit with Cursed Gear - He earned a big fat ZERO in all subjects. Shinoa promptly spots a chance to bully Yu, swiping his papers and showcasing his shame to everyone in class. Shiho Kimizuki takes a look Yu's papers, and scoffs as he shows off a row of perfect scores in every subject from his own test results. This leads to yet another brawl between the two, with Guren coming in around that time to speak with the teacher Saiyuri. The two stop their fight to talk to Guren and get a straight answer about their Cursed Gear. Guren sneers, and unsheathes his sword, plunging it into the ground. Demonic power rages its way through the ground, causing most of the students to collapse on the ground. The problem students, Shinoa, and Yoichi were the only ones still standing after feeling the power of Guren's blade, with Yoichi not even affected and wondering why everyone was in such agony. This display was more than likely Guren's real reason for showing up, to see if Shinoa's claims about these boys' abilities were true. He then announces that the ones still standing will test for Black Demon Weapons, right then and there.

Yoichi's character is called into question though, despite him having the highest resistance to demon power. Demons are manipulative beings that feast on negative emotions like greed, and are willing to snare meek and submissive hearts like Yoichi and bend them to their will. Guren contests though, that his potential still needs to be realized. Letting Yoichi just continue to sit through class when his body is more than ready to house demonic power would just be a waste of his potential, even if he has something of a frail and mousy personality. Yoichi also has someone to avenge, an older sister that was butchered by vampires when the boy was really little. He watched the entire thing while hidden under his bed. Yoichi grits his teeth and shouts his desires for a chance to take a Black Demon Weapon, so that he might have the power to protect his friends. Yu goes a little cold inside, realizing that the timid Yoichi is just like him, underneath it all.

At long last, the fated hour had come for Guren's handpicked candidates to claim their own Cursed Gear. They begin their ceremony underground, and the procedure seems rather cut and dry - Stand in front of the weapon they want, touch it, and if they can withstand demonic influence and temptation, then the weapon is theirs to command. However, the Black Demon Weapons house the most powerful and destructive demons, completely in a different category from the one Yu encountered previously from the axe he touched. These weapons were only for exceptional individuals, and it was time to see if Yu, Kimizuki and Yoichi were among them. Knowing that Guren was there to cut them down himself if they became possessed, Yu eagerly stepped into a spell circle, touched the katana that was resting in front of him, and unsheathed it.

The room vanished around Yu, and he was left with a familiar white horizon - he was with a demon at that moment. He is also faced with a very familiar trick that the previous demon tried to access, using his family against him. Yu barks at the demon to stop wasting his time with lame tricks and to submit to him. The demon skewers him, and realizes that Yu had seen this trick before from another demon. The demon Yu contended with from that axe was known as a Myo-O demon, apparently the lowest of the low in terms of power and rank. Yu still persists though, and the demon concedes that his strong desires were attractive qualities to demons, and therefor agreed to lend Yu its power. However, the demon adds the pro quo that he has to abandon positive emotions like love in order to access the demon's power. Yu struggles though, and convinces the demon that using his power to protect his loved ones is in itself a more greedy ambition than living for the revenge of lost loved ones. The demon agrees to his terms, so long as his heart remains strong. The moment his heart falters, the demon would take over completely. The demon introduces itself as Asuramaru, and notices how strange its new master is - apparently, about ten percent of Yu is not human. Asuramaru warns Yu not to trust humans, whom likely altered his DNA through experiments. Before Yu can find out anymore, the demon vanishes in a miasma of smoke, and he awakens in the underground chamber with his sword in hand. Kimizuki is there as well, with a pair of huge knives sheathed casually at his side.

However, the first thing they are commanded to turn their weapons on is Yoichi, sitting perched on a small ledge with a demonic composite bow. It appeared Yoichi was possessed!

Chapter Notes
-Guren visits the class to finally give his chosen candidates the chance to take the test for the Black Demon Series for real.

-The demon Yu made contact with previously was just a lowly worm compared to the members of the Black Demon Series.

-It is revealed that at least a small portion of Yu is not human, a quality that not even an ancient and powerful demon like Asuramaru can determine.

-As of this point, Yu and Kimizuki have succeeded in taming their weapons. What are they going to do about Yoichi, though?