Seraph of the End · Chat

An abandoned street somewhere in Kyoto, Japan. The high-rise buildings and shopping streets of the past have all been reduced to ruins due to that experiment. The surroundings are utterly dilapidated, with broken concrete and steel rebar scattered everywhere. The asphalt road on the street has buckled from long-term neglect, and the roars of the Four Horsemen of John echo constantly from all around. Not far away, the Seventh Progenitor, Ferid Bathory, is sitting in the passenger seat of a green military vehicle, while the Thirteenth Progenitor, Crowley Eusford, sits in the driver's seat. Sitting in the back seats of the green military vehicle are Yuichiro Hyakuya, Mikaela Hyakuya, Yoichi Saotome, Shihou Kimizuki, Mitsuba Sangu, and Shinoa Hiragi. Having completely defected from the Japanese Imperial Demon Army following the decisive battle between the vampires and the Demon Army in Nagoya, they have already embarked on a journey to find Guren Ichinose. Their goal is singular: to find Guren Ichinose. (Probably, anyway—Ferid's true motives remain uncertain.) But at the very least, on the surface, they have formed a group of companions united by this common objective. Ferid glances through the rearview mirror at the group sitting in the back, who are murmuring about something unknown, and lets out a soft chuckle. His tone is frivolous, carrying a hint of punchable smugness. "My, my~ Are my dear companions secretly discussing some earth-shattering secret behind my and Crowley-kun's backs? Why not share it so Crowley and I can hear it too? After all, we're all in the same boat now~" Mikaela Hyakuya furrows his brows slightly, just about to snap back, but Yuichiro Hyakuya beside him is uncharacteristically calm. He holds his temper, glances at Ferid, and remains silent for a moment before speaking. "That guy Guren... what the hell is going on with him? I absolutely refuse to believe he'd betray his comrades! I'm going to find Guren... Hey, Ferid, since you just said we're companions, at least give us some intel, will you?" As soon as Yuichiro's words fall, Ferid chuckles softly, as if he had anticipated Yuichiro would ask such a thing. He reaches out, taps his chin in feigned distress, and begins to list names off like he's reading a menu. "He certainly wouldn't betray his comrades~ But you see, the real Guren is already dead and has been possessed~ And those companions of his, they've actually been dead for a long time too. Guren Ichinose, Shinya Hiragi, Sayuri Hanayori, Norito Goshi, Shigure Yukimi~" "How is that possible?! How could they all be dead?!" Yuichiro Hyakuya yells, his brows deeply furrowed. Mikaela Hyakuya, sitting beside him, directly holds Yuichiro down and says, "Yuu-chan, it doesn't look like he's lying to us." Hearing this, Shinoa Hiragi can no longer sit still, cold sweat seeping from her face. Because to them, as humans, the people Ferid just mentioned are very much still alive in this world. "Eh, eh, eh! Wait, how is that possible? You're lying, right..." "Everyone is dead? Is this some kind of joke?" Yoichi Saotome frowns, speaking up in confusion. Shihou Kimizuki glances at the smiling Ferid and lowers his voice. "Looking at that Seventh Progenitor, it doesn't seem like he's messing with us..." Mitsuba Sangu furrows her brows, lowering her voice to speak to Shinoa beside her. "Shinoa, did we really choose the right companions?" She casts a suspicious glare at Ferid. The corner of Shinoa's mouth twitches. She doesn't immediately respond to Mitsuba; clearly, this intel has exceeded anything she could have imagined. Ferid smiles softly and is just about to continue saying something when he is interrupted by Crowley, who is driving in the seat beside him. "Ferid-kun, we have plenty of time to talk about things like intel. Right now, someone has appeared not far ahead of our car, and it's unclear whether they're a friend or a foe," Crowley says. At Crowley's words, Ferid and the others all look forward. At this very moment, you appear in their line of sight.