OnS Theories (22S). First Theory - The Third Mask
Hello everyone! Good evening or good morning! I hope everyone’s been doing well! Today we start with a new season of theories, and of course, there are secret ones that I’ve been meaning to update which of course they’ve been popping thanks to the aid of the spanish fandom!
P.S: Theories are held within a neutral view and ships are excluded!
You might wonder what does a third mask have to do with Owari no Seraph, but, before I keep going with this, I must mention that this theory in fact will have its opposite in terms of one sole topic, the theory that will touch the same topic as this one, will be titled as the Third Eye or the Eye that Sees All (Of course, this is a topic that so far has been discussed elsewhere according to my friends within the spanish fandom along friends from Tumblr)
If many have heard, within Japan, there’s something that can be labelled as a proverb.
Said proverb mentions that humans in fact have three masks or faces.
The first one is the one that we display to the world in general, it is a fine layer made for the world we face; the second one, it’s the one we show to family members and friends, which is close people that belong to our circle or what it could be denominated as a place of comfort.
But according to said proverb, the third one is one that us as human beings never show to anyone in particular, it is one that is reserved to one’s self and it truthfully shows who we are and what we are.
Link for more information:
https://www.theodysseyonline.com/mask-wearing
To be fair, the first time I’ve read about this was long ago, way before I joined the fandom, it was a picture that spoke about said proverb, and of course, thanks to the latest chapter, it came to mind
Therefore, the main question is, what does this have to do with the latest chapter?
If many might recall, the latest chapter left quite an impact with, according to what some readers in the fandom stated, a disturbing image:
Image taken from Seraph of the End: Vampire Reign - Chapter 104
Indeed, the scene shows a human Mikaela being stared deeply with a huge eye in a space of absolute darkness, but, why is there an eye on the first place?
It is known that a battle took place way before this event happened; and of course, the demon Mikaela got awareness that Yuichiro Hyakuya once meant something to his former self, to the one that had a human heart and eventually had a change on his lifestyle until reaching the current point of his existance, but due to the same statement which is “save” to save Yu; he pried further within Yu’s heart and such action of course meant cutting Yu’s head in order to reach the depthness of his heart:
Image taken from Seraph of the End: Vampire Reign - Chapter 104
But despite how easy it looked for the demon Mikaela to pry on the depthness of Yu’s heart, it is well known that the heart is a more delicate matter compared to other problems the body could face, what do I mean?
The human heart is complex, it isn’t filled with yes or no, but just as certain LN, the heart could be compared to a flower, said flower could have thorns, roots, leaves, a flower, or none in there reflecting the struggles said person faces against the World and the society that exists within said world, thus leading to the first thing I mentioned above, and that is precisely where the three faces/masks play their role, what do I mean?
With how the manga has gone so far, it’s very well known that Yu has displayed the first two masks in the whole story, the first mask is the one of a guy that is confident on his abilities to get out of any problem he faces, it could be said that he’s a brave character that is willing to risk everything in order to succeed.
The second mask that he has shown so far, is the one that only Guren, his friends and Asuramaru have seen, what do I mean?
Yu to certain degree has shown his weak side to them, they’ve seen him feel grief, pain, sadness, anger, frustration, among that self sacrifice pattern within him, which until late chapters, they made sure that he remembered they’re there for him as well:
Image taken from Seraph of the End: Vampire Reign - Chapter 102
In Asuramaru’s case, this was before the gears the First Progenitor set into motion began, what do I mean?
That’s correct. Before Ashera remembered his past along his role as an Apostle, he did worry about Yu’s emotions to certain degree, and that can be reflected on how he supported him in chapter 90 by acknowledging he had to learn why Mika gave his life for him.
But now, the third mask is in fact reflected by such dark space, where there’s no light, where no one should enter but of course, the demon Mikaela took all the risks to enter and of course what greeted the demon Mikaela was the depthness of Yu’s heart and who he really is, which it’s very directed by Mika’s in the latest chapter.
And of course, the eye, said eye plays a role within this proverb of the three masks/faces:
Image taken from Seraph of the End: Vampire Reign - Chapter 104
Said staring eye is in fact the very depthness or rather, the third mask that Yuichiro never shows to anyone in particular, it’s something private of him where his desires,ambitions and darkness resides; it’s a place where no one except him must know, and the very fact that Mika managed to enter, and he was displayed as a human it’s one of the things Yu’s depthness and real self believes in, which is to make him a human being.
But what does the eye itself reflect?
Correct. A world absorbed by darkness. What do I mean?
While it’s true Yuichiro shows a cheerful personality, there’s a vast amount of darkness within him, said darkness doesn’t mean he’s evil but rather, the damage within his heart is too much to the point he no longer sees a ray of hope; the way his lifestyle has carried away along the hardships he has faced, ends up leaving him to the criteria that many aspects of the events are his fault:
Image taken from Seraph of the End: Vampire Reign - Chapter 104
Such dark thoughts reach a point on which the very bottom lies with darkness, and only is met with a gaze starting at the absolute darkness but, within this, there’s something readers have stated or wondered and that is the fact that Mika was shown as a light, but, is there a meaning to this?
Discussing with a friend, Wisely, from discord, at first I considered it as a path to display Mikaela’s walk through the path of darkness, but now after giving it some thought, it goes beyond that, what do I mean?
There’s one thing I’ve mentioned before, and, along with this, it’s the very desire Yuichiro has asides from the dark thoughts he has when it comes to see drastic situations, what could it be?
Redemption and Salvation.
Back in chapter 102 when Asuramaru asked Yuichiro why he was fixated with Mikaela, along asking his real desire, Yuichiro dismissed it by stating countless times his desire was to save Mika:
Image taken from Seraph of the End: Vampire Reign - Chapter 102
The dark corner or the fear that holds binded Yuichiro is the fact that he seeks salvation, but how can I state this? Is there a proof to such statement?
In fact, there is, and it goes in the psychological point of Yuichiro’s character; and of course, as readers, you might have noticed that Yuichiro is willing to save everyone, which of course, to an average human, there would be certain limitations, but in contrast to the behavior of other characters with Yu’s; Yu doesn’t mind who, he goes aimlessly stating he’ll save them to the point of taking drastic decisions but, within this, there’s the role of seeking redemption and salvation.
Yuichiro grew up burying the words: “demon spawn”, “devil”, “monster” within his heart,such words took the shape on which he believed that was the truth despite how he managed to end up reaching the Orphanage; but, by the time he found Mikaela, he was doubtful whenever it’d be good or not to stablish a bond of friendship with him along the kids of the Orphanage; instead, he kept his distance but worrying about them since he feared something would happen to them due to his very existance.
But now, it can be said that the very moment Mikaela saved him and made him run away from the place his newfound family perished, and the fact that Yu managed to meet Mika again only made him reach that saving Mikaela would give atonement. What do I mean?
It is common to hear that people go confess their sins in order to receive redemption, forgiveness, mercy, salvation of the soul and atonement. For Yu, the fixation of Mikaela isn’t only due to the value Mika holds as his family, but also, it is a mean to seek salvation and atonement for his existance.
The very fact he never spoke about such thoughts gives an insight that such distorted way of thinking or reasoning should be kept in the dark which of course, gives a very nice insight of the three faces proverb.
Whenever the demon Mikaela finds the truth or not, will be up to the author.
What do you think dear readers?