Chapter 127 and Possibilities for Mikaela's Character Progression
i'm trying to piece together my thoughts on how this is supposed to be developing our understanding of Mika's character, and what this means for his overall character arc.
Time and time again, we witness Mika's selfless actions—and how far he's willing to push himself just to ensure that the people he cares about are safe. We've already seen Mika kill himself on three separate occasions: and each time has been of his own volition and sacrifice.
I saw someone on Twitter mention that perhaps the moral theme of ONS will turn out to be that Yu must learn to let go of Mika, but I don't think this is the case.
Yu has always had a passive role in relation to every time Mika has decided to off himself. As a homunculus, he was kicked out of the fighting area between Mikaela and Paimon; as an empty vessel, he simply waited for Sika Madu to resurrect Mikaela; as a human, he was ordered/forced by child Mika to run away, and then forced to watch vampire Mika give his life to protect him.
In other words, Yu has never had a choice on whether he could "keep" Mika around, because he was never actively partaking in the choice.
Moreover, I think that what this means for our current Mika, is that he must actually learn to be selfish. He must learn to put himself before others.
Every time Mika has died, in one way or another, it was for someone else. Mika choses to die, time and time again, because he has this self-perceived notion that the happiness and well-being of other's whom he cares deeply about is above his own.
I think this also ties into Mika's horrendous self-image and self-worth—which we see mostly when Mika is a vampire, and briefly as a demon.
Of course, this brings up a lot of questions as to why Kagami handeled vampire Mika the way he did for so long, but I digress.
Throughout the entire story of ONS, Mikaela has always been selfless; not just in death, but also in life. He gives himself up to Ferid to provide for his orphan family, he holds Seraph Yu back from killing his squad, he comes to the aid of the Shinoa squad despite quarreling, etc.
So, I think that now—especially because not once do we ever see demon Mika's face in chapter 127 as the entire ordeal occurs—Mika must realize he can't be selfless. He can't just keel over and die for others. He needs to start being selfish and wanting things: he needs to want to live. It's ironic, because Yu even tells Mika when they reunite in chapter 36 that he won't listen to anyone who so easily throws their life away.
Perhaps Mika's learned selfishness will play a key role in ensuring Yu is able to resurrect both humanity and Mika. Selfishness does share a similar weight to the seven sins biblically, and given just how biblical ONS is, perhaps sin itself will aid in the ordeal.
Anyways :') Please feel free to add your own commentary in reblogs/comments, offer your own insights or counterpoints. This is invitation for discussion!
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