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Mikaela Hyakuya and Krul Tepes: The Vampire Queen and the Golden Seraph: A Romance

Property rights belong to Kagami Takaya, Yamamoto Yamato, Furuya Daisuke, Shueheisa, Inc., and Shonen Jump and the numerous scanlators and translators of the online manga Seraph of the End. (終わりのセラフ)

This a Mika x Krul meta that I wrote two years ago yesterday.

If you have not been hiding under a rock in the world of Seraph of the End (終わりのセラフ) then you will have come to know the ship Yuumika or Mikayuu, which is the romantic pairing between Hyakuya Yuuichiro and Hyakuya Mikaela.

However, this essay will focus on the relationship between Krul Tepes and Mikaela Hyakuya, and why I believe it is a possibility of a romantic relationship between them.

When we first meet Krul Tepes and Mikaela Hyakuya, it is on opposite sides. Krul is a vampire, the Queen of Japan and over one thousand years old. Mikaela Hyakuya is an eight-year old human orphan whose parents had abused and abandoned him years before. On that day, Mikaela Hyakuya and the other orphans, including Yuuichiro, were supposed to be killed. Unknown to them at the time, Mikaela and the others had been human experiments by the Hyakuya sect, being known as “Seraphs.”

Krul, as the Queen of Japan, had a duty to kill all the Seraphs in the Hyakuya orphanage. However, she did not. Instead, what did she do? She transported the Hyakuya orphans into the underground city and kept them as livestock. Livestock, yes, having their blood taken by vampires, but alive. Why would Krul do such a thing?

In the first chapter of the manga, Mikaela is depicted as a cheerful and bright individual that taught Yuuichiro the meaning of family. He was the leader of the orphans, and selflessly gave his blood to Ferid in order for the orphans to have a better life. It is noted that the orphan has a nickname, Mika. His family members, including Yuuichiro, call him this as opposed to his full name. At age twelve, Mikaela and his family try to escape from the underground city, but Ferid catches them.

Mika’s arm is detached from his elbow, and is bleeding heavily from his wounds as Yuuichiro believes he is the last survivor of his family. Bodies of their family members surround him, and Mika is grateful that at least Yuuichiro got away. Several vampires come onto the scene are shown in Mika’s flashback in chapter 5 of the manga, and they immediately see Ferid on the floor with a surviving human child. One vampire raises his hand to kill Mika, but –

Krul enters the manga for the first time. Her first official line in the manga is to stop the unknown vampire to kill Mika. Her second line is “This human belongs to me.” At first glance, Krul appears similar to a child. With light pink hair and gothic clothing, she does not look like a queen in charge of thousands of her kind. However, it is immediately disregarded when she address Ferid.

She scolds him for killing “her” Seraphs and notes that one is dying. Ferid comments on her conduct, telling her that the Seraphs were supposed to be killed. He added that he should bring the matter to the Senior Council when Krul snaps and detaches his arm out of anger. After Ferid walks away, Krul focused on the dying Mika. She crouched down to her knees and tastes his blood for a moment before offering to give him eternal life. Mika weakly refuses.

Smirking darkly, Krul bites her lip with blood flowing down her chin as she crouches down onto Mika and…

Kisses him.

Mika screams as half-formed tears appears in his eyes. However, his emotion at this point is not the focus.

Krul could have turned Mika any way she wanted to. She had the power, knowing that he was a dying human. Instead, she kissed him to transfer the blood into his mouth. It is known that vampires are disgusted by any show of human affection and form of intimacy between humans. Why then, did Krul choose to kiss Mikaela Hyakuya in one of the most infamous ways of human affection?

We do not yet know of the relationship Krul and Mika had during the time-skip. However, we do know that Krul had been giving Mika her blood to feed as opposed to human blood. During the time shortly after Mika was transformed into a half-vampire in chapter 11, both the half-vampire and vampire were in her throne room. Krul is facing Mika, who is gasping as a human child is held captive in the room. Krul encourages Mika to drink. The blond continues to refuse. Krul then cuts her arm, and allows her blood to flow onto her wrist. Mika becomes agitated.

Crying with tears rolling down his cheeks, Mika continues to feed on Krul’s blood. However, Mika feeding on her blood is not easy for Krul.

She is sweating and breathing hard. It is not easy for her.

Still.

“You’re my dog now. My loyal servant…for all eternity.”

This sentence may cause some confusion among the readers. So then, does Krul only see Mika as her dog for all time? No. Look how she embraces him.

In hiragana, ぎゅうtranslates as hugging. However, the English version misses it completely. It is not a simple gesture of affection; it translates as a “big hug,” if you will.

Why does Krul initiate so much physical contact that her kind hate?

In addition to this note, chapter 43 has a mention of Mika’s reference to Krul. In the English translation, Mika stated that she raised him. However, in the Japanese raws, the kanji Mika uses is 飼う (かう, ramaj: kau), which is translated as to keep (as a pet or an animal). It can also translate as to feed, as in an animal in a morbid sense. However, does Krul truly treat Mika that way?

You would think with Mika’s hatred of vampires and self-hatred of himself because of what he is would cause him to hate the vampire who turned him. He hates Ferid, the one who wounded him to cause him to be turned into a vampire in the first place and slaughtered his family. But he does not hate Krul.

He cares about her.

When Mika was summoned by Krul, the pink-haired vampire was putting her blood into a vial for him. However, Mika was so thirsty that he caused the vial to shatter onto the floor as he roughly latched onto her neck. Any viewer of this scene would believe that Krul would be angry at Mika for his rough treatment. But she was not. Instead, Krul was amused at Mika’s actions. Mika, as soon as he regained his senses, looked horrified and apologized to Krul.

Look how at the sweat drop on his face, and of how violently he pushes Krul away from him.

“Oh…I-I’m sorry, Krul. I-I lost control.”

Since being turned into a vampire, Mika normally has an apathetic expression. Self-hatred and guilt over his family’s deaths, and thinking about Yuuichiro made him a shell of her former bright self, and he does not associate with many other vampires. Unless it is with Yuuichiro, Mika’s expression remains apathetic and dead. However, the concern on Mika’s face is not only limited to situations involving his last remaining family member. The emotional Mika is also present with his interactions with Krul.

During the senior council meeting, Krul looks shocked to see Mika there.

Later she states:

“Eight years ago I eliminated the Hyakuya sect. Every last one of the guinea pigs in the Hyakuya orphanage…who bore the Seraph gene…I killed with my own two hands.”

But she did not.

The Queen allowed one to escape with another by her side. After the meeting, Ferid and Krul converse about the Seraph of the End project again. Ferid explicitly tells Krul that meddling with Seraph of the End is a death sentences for vampires. However, Krul states nothing. When alone, Mika begins to question Krul and her motives. Krul then holds his hand and squeezes’ it behind his back, causing Mika to collapse onto the ground.

“I could end a puny life like yours.”

Krul continues to state of the reasons why Mika depends on her: feeding on her blood. She then releases Mika, telling him to trust her. She then tells him the reason why she is researching Seraph of the End. Mika is shocked, but Krul smiles and calls him “my selfish son.”

Now, many of you might also question of why I believe there could be a romantic relationship if Krul considers Mika her son. However, let us look at the relationship of another two characters: Hyakuya Yuuichiro and Ichinose Guren.

A year after Yuuichiro escapes and is confused for Guren’s son. Guren later corrects then but immediately calls him “his kid.”

Two other moments.

Guren treats Yuuichiro as his son, and sees his former self in the young man. However, does Krul treat Mikaela Hyakuya in a subordinate position, or treat him as an equal? I agree with the latter.

In the Japanese raws, vampires refer to the vampire they turned as 子(こramji: ko), which translates as child. However, Krul called Mika her son (息子、むすこ, romaji: musuko), which indicates her affection for him.

Krul orders Mika to find Yuuichiro. The vampire knows that Mika loves Yuuichiro and would do anything to get him back, and instead of giving him a mission to slaughter humans, she gives him an order to which corresponded to one of his deepest dreams. In another note, Krul referred to Yuuichiro by his nickname that his friends and family call him, which indicates that Krul cares for Yuuichiro because he is important to Mika.

When the Seraph of the End is revealed, Mika takes Yuuichiro and Krul tells him not to give his brother to the humans and that they should escape. The three are about to escape when Ferid appears with Crowley as a diversion and bites Krul on the neck.

She tries to make a deal with him, but look at this:

Krul stopped trying to make a deal with Ferid and…was more concerned with Mika.

Not herself.

Not the Seraph or the Seraph of the End.

But only Mika.

Krul tells Mika an incomprehensible message as a conflicted expression appears on Mika’s face before yelling at him to leave.

He does not want to leave, but she has told him to.

It is noted that Ferid stated that if he drinks too much of Krul’s blood, she would die. Why then was Krul giving Mika her blood for years despite the knowledge that she would die if a vampire drank too much? Why did she smile when after Mika regained his senses when he could have possibly killed her?

It is revealed in the later chapters that Krul being chained to her throne, bloody and unconscious. She is later seen hung upside down, blood slowly dripping onto the ground. Krul then reunites with Sato, one of the ancient vampires, and reminisces about a time one thousand years ago. Her older brother Ashura Tepes became a demon one thousand years ago to protect both of them. Krul had begged him not to, crying as she stated she didn’t want to live in this world without him.

It is unusual for a vampire as powerful as Krul to refer to her own kind as monsters. However, it is noted in the series that vampires usually begin hating of who and what they are, and attempt to resist any type of temptation human blood has to offer. However, vampires crave nothing but blood. If they do not drink blood, then the vampire turns into a demon. It was revealed in later chapters of the manga and the light novel that vampires begin to lose their human emotions. Shortly after being turned into a vampire, Crowley began to forget the faces of his comrades and of why he wanted to kill Ferid for turning him into a vampire. In the Japanese text, the sires of vampires refer to the vampires they turned as child. However, Krul did not refer Mika as her child. Instead, she referred to him in a more intimate form.

But I do not believe that her affection for him is a mother’s love for her son.

Mikaela hated himself for being a vampire and wanting to feed on human blood as Krul once did. It was also noted that vampires lose all human emotions at some point, and Mika himself noted that he is losing his feelings and love he had for his family except for Yuuichiro. Mika and the others are present when the punishment for Krul and Ferid is read. For ten days, Krul and Ferid were tied to crosses and placed into direct sunlight for ten days. There was also a possibility of both of them having the punishment for eternity. Both Ferid and Krul screamed from the agony and pain. Crowley commented on the punishment both vampires had to undergo, and did not appear to be concerned about Ferid’s agony. Mika continued to stare at Ferid as his body burned almost black in the sun, burning and screams of agony and horror echoing in the atmosphere. However, if Mika had no feelings for what happened to Krul, then why

Would this be his face?

Why would Mika have to look away when all the vampires didn’t care, including Crowley who seemed unaffected at Ferid’s agony?

Why would Mika look sad when Narumi mentioned Krul?

Yuuichiro states in the manga that they should save both Krul and Ferid. Mika had asked for what he would do, and agreed. At this point in the manga, the plot is focused on what occurred on the Apocalypse and the relationship between Guren and his squad, and their history with Hiiragi Mahiru.

It could be ten or twenty chapters before Yuuichiro, Mikaela, and the others save Krul and Mika.

Why does Krul want the Seraph of the End? Why did she choose to save Mika? Why does she care about him more than any vampire would?

The reason, I believe, is simple. Krul understands what Mika is going through. She has been where he is with her own brother who disappeared for one thousand years as a demon by being sealed in a sword belonging to Hiiragi Mahiru and then Hyakuya Yuuichiro. It can be argued that Krul only wants Mika to get to Yuuichiro, but I do not believe this is the case. Originally, perhaps, that was her end. However, I do not believe this is her intent.

Despite one thousand years passing, Krul is still the small child with tears in her eyes. She wants to see her brother again. Guren choose to revive his friends at the cost of so much life. I predict that Seraph of the End has the power to revive demons, vampires, into life once more. Krul wants the Seraph of the End to revive her brother Ashura in order to not being separated from him ever again.

This scene is almost exactly the same.

It could be ten or twenty chapters before Yuuichiro, Mikaela, and the others save Krul and Mika.

Why does Krul want the Seraph of the End? Why did she choose to save Mika? Why does she care about him more than any vampire would?

The reason, I believe, is simple. Krul understands what Mika is going through. She has been where he is with her own brother who disappeared for one thousand years as a demon by being sealed in a sword belonging to Hiiragi Mahiru and then Hyakuya Yuuichiro. It can be argued that Krul only wants Mika to get to Yuuichiro, but I do not believe this is the case. Originally, perhaps, that was her end. However, I do not believe this is her intent.

Despite one thousand years passing, Krul is still the small child with tears in her eyes. She wants to see her brother again. Guren choose to revive his friends at the cost of so much life. I predict that Seraph of the End has the power to revive demons, vampires, into life once more. Krul wants the Seraph of the End to revive her brother Ashura in order to not being separated from him ever again.

This scene is almost exactly the same.

“No! Don’t go with him! Who cares about some damn future? Don’t go! Don’t leave me alone in this world without you!”

“Yuu…forget about all of them and run away with me!”

“I’m your only true friend! I won’t try to deceive you! Those humans are only trying to use –”

Both participants wouldn’t give a shit if the world ended, or if everyone else would die. All Mika – and Krul – want is to have their brother by their side, and to never lose them again.

Because they are the light for their humanity.

Krul knows that Mika hates being a vampire. She had said before that there was no way for him to die in a normal way after being turned into a half-vampire. Therefore, despite the risk of Mika turning into a demon, Krul allowed him to drink her own blood despite causing her pain not because he is her pawn, her dog, or her son. Why then, after one thousand years, is Krul so kind to this former “live-stock?” Human emotions are supposed to have faded away from this time, but yet Krul is unflinchingly human in regards to Mikaela Hyakuya.

Krul Tepes loves Mikaela Hyakuya.

If the Seraph of the End is obtained, then there could be a possibility that Mika could become human again. That is Mika’s dearest wish, along to be with his brother Yuuichiro. We do not know if Krul would allow him to become human again, but we do have the interaction between them in chapter 41.

Krul did not gloat or smile at the sight of Mika turning into a vampire. She did not react in a way that she had before, smiling darkly. Compare this to before.

There was none of this in that chapter.

Krul simply told him that it was time to go with Yuuichiro.

She cares about Mika, not more about him being a vampire, in the end of the chapter.

Mika stated during the drive to Osaka that he is not certain if he trusts Krul. Why? The former Queen of Japan has been the only vampire kind to him during the four years of separation with Yuuichiro, and yet he stated that he is not certain of trusting her. It is because she is a vampire. Vampires were taught to be inhumane, and thinking of only blood and treating humans like live-stock. However, vampires are no more inhumane than vampires. They have a side to them that many are not willing to see.

Krul, did not, treat Mika as “live-stock.” The blond vampire continues to see the world with a narrow perception, and his view of Krul mainly as a vampire. What is Krul was human? In the famous chapter 13, there is this exchange between Mika and Ferid:

“Yes, I do hate humanity. But I hate vampires too.”

“Ooh, whatever shall you do?”

Mika hates vampires and humans. However, the only exceptions to this rule are Yuuichiro and Krul. A human and a vampire. Yuuichiro is the only family Mika has left, then what is Krul?

If she is not his mother or the vampire who used him as “live-stock,” then who is she to him?

#mikaxkrul #hyakuya mikaela #krul tepes #vampire #owari no seraph #guren ichinose #manga spoilers #light novel spoilers #romance

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