Dear readers,

Welcome to the Final Synthesis – or Final Mix version – of Seraphim Blood: Immortal Reign. I hope that if you are returning to the story, that you like the additions and the clean ups; however, if your new to the story, then I hope you enjoy it and I look forward to hearing from you.

Disclaimer: I do not own Seraph of the End. It and its counter parts – Seraph of the End: Guren Ichinose, Catastrophe at sixteen. The novel – belongs to Takaya Kagami.

Claimer: Anything that is not original canon or content belongs to me.

Enjoy.

{Prologue: The World of Blood}

{January 3rd 2016}

The shadows of the inner city of Sanguneim gave way to a pale, near blinding white light that showed a pristine, white marble upon the floor, carved into towering, roman pillars, lined with gold leafing in cathedral-like details. Despite their desperation, the children took in the beauty of it, and the sense of hope that filled them as they saw the white stairs and the large, dark doorway that would lead them to the outside world. Sapphire-blue eyes, belonging to a twelve year old boy named Mikaela looked around, taking it in momentarily alongside his family while his brother, of the same age – but a bit younger – stood next to him, staring into the open mouth of the door. It was as they walked into the light that a chuckle met them.

"Hahaha…hello, little lambs." The voice sent a creeping chill up the spines of the three eldest children; because it was the voice of the Noble who had aided and tormented them all: Lord Ferid Bathory, the Seventh Progenitor. The group closed in as the clack of the man's black boots echoed across the chamber.

"I was beginning to wonder if you'd show up," he stated as he placed a hand upon his hip, a coy smirk appearing upon his lips as the children closed in together again. Mikaela felt a sense of fear and unease curl up within the pit of his stomach while the black-haired, emerald-eyed boy named Yuuichiro stood beside him with two of the youngest children clinging to his left arm as their sister, a girl with chocolate-brown-hair and mocha eyes named Akane tried to ease their tension. Mikaela felt one of the younger girls grip his arm as well, hiding behind him in the process.

"This isn't good…" the thought traced across twelve-year-old Yuuichiro's mind as he kept his eyes upon the Vampire before them, his entire body tensing as he did.

"Awh! Just look at those faces. You know, I love the expressions humans make when all their hopes have been dashed…." He smiled in a knowing manner as Mikaela felt his body start to shake.

"It's so intoxicating that I can't seem to stop playing this game," Ferid said in a slightly jovial tone. Akane felt her breath catch in her throat while Yuuichiro looked to his brother.

"What game? Ahh!" Mikaela pulled the map up, panic lacing through him as reality crashed down.

The sound of wind and rustling fabric brushed past them, knocking Yuuichiro to the ground while the map was blown from Mikaela's hand. The sound of a yelp and a snap was heard, forcing the group of children to turn in terror as they saw the Vampire crouched ever-so-slightly over the tiny form of one of the youngest in their family: Emiko. A few drops of sharp-red blood dropped upon the snowy marble, staining it as Ferid removed his fangs from the little girl's throat.

"What a pity….died so quickly," he said as he dropped her body to the ground in a lifeless heap. Unrelenting horror swelled within the children, as a portion of Mikaela's mind started to shut down as the instinct to run began to take over.

"No! No! No! Emiko, she….can't be dead! No, this isn't how it's supposed to be! No!" Mikaela's fears started to overcome him, the sense of helplessness beginning to cause his convictions to get his family out of Sanguneim to waver.

"DAMN YOU!" the sound of his brother's voice caught his attention, causing him to turn as the boy pulled out the gun and fired it: missing Ferid who only laughed as shock appeared upon the black-haired boy's face.

"Well, well. I believe that is my pistol," Ferid said as he began to walk in an almost thoughtful manner.

"Sneaking it past me took a cunning that few possess. I'm impressed, Mika. I never expected to be this entertained; it makes me hungry for more," he stated while he continued to walk. Yuuichiro kept his gaze upon the monster before them, fear and anger causing his small frame to shake while Mikaela did his best to reign in his fear.

"So, does that fire of yours need rekindling? What if I told you that the map you stole was the genuine article? That all you have to do is make it past me and you'll be back in your world!" Yuuichiro swallowed a lump in his throat as the other children curled close to Mikaela and Akane; the pistol in his hand feeling unnaturally heavy and cold.

"It'll be hard to chase you once you've made it outside. The question is whether or not you can make it there," Ferid stated as a finger was pressed to his bottom lip, a sadistic smirk gracing his features.

"This is a trap….he's toying with us….it's just a damn game to him…." Yuuichiro thought as he stared at the Vampire. Despite the innate sense of this though: he still had to try, and he knew that very well.

"Get going!" he turned to look at them. Their frightened faces etching themselves into his memory as he stared at the two boys and girls curled in terror by Mikaela and Akane.

"No! Yuu we…" the boy narrowed his eyes as Mikaela stared onward at the scene, seeing the desperation in the other boy's eyes.

"Move it!" he raised the gun into the air and fired, scaring the younger children into running.

"Yes, that's it…." Ferid raced after the children as Mikaela continued to try and find a way to stop what he felt was coming while Yuuichiro – quiet, reclusive, cry-baby Yuuichiro – tried to be brave for those he loved.

"We'll hold him off! Just run!" he called for them: but it was too late.

Ferid slid by the five of them, splashing blood across the white marble. A body fell to the ground, Mikaela feeling himself try to speak while nothing came forward as another splatter of blood danced across the marble. Then another, and another: all accompanied by the rushing of blood. Yuuichiro moved forward and was shoved – nearly stabbed – when he tried to block Ferid but failed. The boy slid across the ground, hissing in pain as he felt a sharp sting appear in his ribs as he forced himself to his feet and watched in horror alongside Mikaela as the blood of their family soaked the once pristine marble a garish red.

"I'm begging you…." Mikaela's voice came out weak, frail, and terror-stricken as Yuuichiro felt every fiber of his being scream at him to find a way to stop what was happening; even though he knew he was powerless to do so. Another wave of blood washed through the air in a brief burst.

"LEAVE THEM ALONE!" tears gathered in Mikaela's eyes, pain and misery washing over him.

Ferid stood in front of the stairs with the sole-survivor of his little game standing before him. Yuuichiro looked to the girl and took in a sharp breath, unwilling to let the words die upon his tongue.

"Akane! Run!" he called, hoping she could move in time, but her body froze in terror.

"NO!"

"Let me savor the misery as you lose everything you hold dear," Ferid said as he moved his hand, a sharp cut appearing upon the joint of Akane's shoulder and throat as blood burst forth and she collapsed to the ground. Yuuichiro stared, disbelieving at the carnage before him while Mikaela stood beside him. In his moment of mental absence, the blonde-haired boy had moved towards him, breaking his concentration and forcing him to meet his gaze.

"It's okay Yuu….don't forget…" emerald met sapphire as he stared at the boy's hollow eyes and realized what he intended to do.

"Don't do it Mika….please, snap out of it….don't act rashly! Please!"

"The two of us, we're family…" he reacted to late as Mikaela grabbed the gun from his grasp, startling him as pain reached his arm alongside the registration of other pains that up till this point the black-haired boy hadn't noticed.

"Hey! Mika! Don't!" the blonde charged the Noble.

"Haha~ Sweet Mikaela, I'll miss your company most of all; and the lovely meals," Ferid stated as Yuuichiro took off after his brother, trying desperately to match his pace and stop him.

"No one else can die! Mika please, don't leave me! Don't do this!"

The blonde approached, trying to attack the Noble Vampire who swiped but missed only to grab Mikaela's shirt and run him through the abdomen. Blood poured from the wound, causing Yuuichiro to freeze in his steps. As the boy reached up and tried to shoot the vampire, but was stopped as Ferid – the loathsome monster that Yuuichiro swore he'd never forget or forgive – severed the blonde's arm in a single strike, sending in sliding across the floor with the gun.

"Run…Yuu…." The boy coughed up blood and in that instant, something else took over the boy. Yuuichiro acted upon instinct alone, grabbing the gun and rush forward as quickly as his body could before he hit the vampire squarely upon the arm, tugging at his clothes to get his attention off of his brother. Ferid turned, Mikaela was dropped from his grasp and the Vampire stared directly into electric-green eyes.

"Die…"

The gun went off for the third, and final time that night: piercing the right lobe of the Seventh Progenitor in the process. In that instant, Yuuichiro took in a deep breath, the unnaturally stagnant scent of blood surrounding him as he tried to keep his bearings. His breathing sounded far too loud in his ears, his vision had tunneled, his heart rate elevated to a point that some part of him knew wasn't healthy. Every part of his body felt numb, detached: void of everything. He stood there in the silence, listening to the still nothingness and then; he heard someone breathe. Emerald eyes turned towards the chocolate-brown-haired girl nearby him and ran, sliding to his knees before her as he looked to her injuries and tried to stop the bleeding in hope of saving her life.

"No more….please….no more…I don't want to lose them; please, someone….help us…"

"Y-Yuu…" the boy looked up as Mikaela coughed out his name and relief flooded him.

"Mika!" he called to him, letting him know that the boy had been heard. Tears began to spill from his eyes as he looked back to Akane who felt his hands press to her wound, trying in vain to save her while warmth spread through the injury in a faint manner.

"Listen….to me….Yuu….I…" blood spilled forth from the girl's mouth, causing her to cough as he looked to her and then to Mikaela who kept his gaze upon the boy's form as he tried to remain coherent while Yuuichiro did all he could think of to save them both.

"Please, Akane…I can save you! Please…let me…" what would he do? Why did he feel as if he could save her and Mika? He took in a shaky breath, his mind racing while his heart eased into a lulled rhythm.

"Yuu, please…take Mika and run – get him to safety….please…" she begged him and emerald eyes welled with tears even further as he shook his head.

"No! I can't leave you behind too I can't!" he told her this but she slowly smiled, the life in her eyes steadily fading as she forced herself to reach up and place a hand to his cheek.

"Please…Yuu…just go…" he leaned down to her, pressing his forehead to her sternum in hopes of finding some way to heal her even though he could hear her heartbeat beginning to fade.

"No, Akane…I'm not going to leave you behind. Your family! I can't do that!" he stated, tears sliding down his face as Akane looked at his woeful expression and heard Mikaela coughing, taking in rattling breaths as he tried to survive his wounds.

"Hyakuya Yuuichiro!" she said his name sharply to gain his attention.

"I can't leave you behind knowing that you're just going to die alone! I can't….hmmm!"

Akane reacted quickly by pulling him down with the tiny fraction of strength she had left and placed a gentle kiss to his lips. It was a bitter kiss that tasted of tears and blood, but it felt warm and gave her some peace of mind. Yuuichiro stared onward at her in shock as she smiled and slowly, her hand fell from his cheek and to the floor with a deft thump while he took in a deep breath, shock worming its way into his body as some part of him overcame his cognitive thinking and he stood, grabbing Mikaela's severed arm and walking towards the blonde boy who by this point was far too weak to protest as he was pulled up onto his brother's back as they walked up the staircase and out of the chamber belonging to the vampires.

Mikaela was barely conscious as he felt wind rush past him and the warmth of his brother near him. He smelt earth and blearily saw the tunnel they were in was filled with roots and vines with old-style lanterns hanging above their heads. The movement increased, the other boy who was carrying him running as fast as he could to escape: to outrun the monsters that were inside the dark behind them. It was as the faint touches of icy air met them that the black-haired boy screamed, pain evident in the sound as he once more took in a deep breath, screaming at the top of his lungs to somehow remind himself that he was still alive.

It was in that moment that they reached the edge of the mineshaft they had been in that ice and snow met them and the two of them tumbled down the hill, sliding down the snowy slope and came to a stop at the bottom of it. Yuuichiro looked to his brother, curling around him, not caring about the cold as he tried to save the last member of his family. They were out, they were going to be okay somehow. The boy took in a series of shaky breaths, his focus remaining on his brother as he tried desperately to think of a way to save him. However, in his moment of focus, the sound of footsteps greeted him and while he recognized that the people coming towards them weren't human, all sense of reasoning within him shut down.

"A boy?"

Soon, the two of them were in the back of a truck, wrapped in blankets heading somewhere that would give them safety and save Mikaela's life. However, neither of them forgot this day. It had all began with a desire, to change things from how they were and it had went on to be a mission for their salvation and even further it became a journey through dark twists and turns through towering gothic structures. The blinding white of the chamber room that had whispered hopes of freedom to them, but it led to something else as well: misery.

It lead to bloodshed, tears, pounding hearts and the end of all they knew. It was on that day, the day that they had hoped so desperately would grant them freedom, but it ultimately cost them everything they held dear and left them with only each other. They were now two brothers facing an unknown world, where everything they once thought they knew was changed and bloomed into a harsher reality than what they had left. But they both knew, it was an escape, this crushing loss meant they would fight not only for vengeance, but for a future where others would never suffer as they had and that in due time: they would make the blood-sucking beasts pay for their transgressions.

{…}

Author's Note: This prologue closes the gap between Seraphim Blood: Immortal Reign and the upcoming Seraphim Blood 0: Feral Children. Currently, I'm working on several stories at once, so this story will be updated in Seasons which I've planned to be around 10 chapters a piece so to give me time to get things fleshed out and work on the other stories as well, which does include Immortal's Masquerade, and Seraphim Blood II: Distant Prayer. Hope you enjoy this so far, and I'll be looking forward to your reviews.

Sincerely,

ShadowDragon94