Shinoa Hīragi

Shinoa Hīragi is a character in Seraph of the End, predominantly of the Seraph of the End: Vampire Reign manga series. She also appears in the prequel story Seraph of the End: Guren Ichinose: Catastrophe at Sixteen light novel series, and the manga adaptation of it. Shinoa is from the prestigious and rich Hīragi Family, and the younger sister of Mahiru Hīragi. Working with Guren Ichinose, she was appointed as Yūichirō Hyakuya's supervisor during his suspension. A sergeant of the Japanese Imperial Demon Army, Shinoa is additionally a member of the Moon Demon Company where she is the leader of the Shinoa Squad. Not partaking in the strife that undermined her family, Shinoa tends to her duties yet is fond of teasing others, including Yu, and Mitsuba Sangū who she was acquainted with. The other two members of her squad are Yoichi Saotome and Shihō Kimizuki, who she leads in campaigns against vampires that have assumed control over a ruined world. In combat, Shinoa generates her Cursed Gear scythe, using the power of her demon, Shikama Dōji. She would become aware of Mikaela Hyakuya's family ties to Yu. Open to discussions that Guren was using them, Shinoa would also entertain ideas that she was using her own squad. She remained concerned about human experimentation on Yu, where she was also experimented on as a child. The whimsical aspect of her personality would be challenged on a mission in circumstances involving defeating vampire nobles, where her squad was joined with another, Makoto Narumi's. In response to her brother, Kureto Hīragi massacring his own troops, Shinoa ordered her squad to leave the army, with help from her adoptive brother Shinya Hīragi. With her developing feelings, Shinoa would increasingly realize Shikama Dōji's pernicious effects on world events. Ultimately possessed by him, her humanity was shattered away and her being was targeted by the emerged Hyakuya Sect directed by Saitō. With her mind back, Shinoa is firm in defending her squad. In the light novels, Shinoa is described as a short, adorable, and beautiful young girl with shoulder lengthened ashen hair, the same as Mahiru's. The large bow on the back of her head is a dark shade of magenta, which is at the end of a twisted braid. She is described by Guren as having clear, piercing amber-red eyes that seemed to stare out at the world, and skin so pale that it was almost transparent to her blood. On her left arm, Shinoa has a black shackle. She wears a black sailor-like uniform with ten yellow buttons along the side of the dress. Placed before the last set of buttons, Shinoa wears a silver belt, and on her hands are white gloves. There are two green stripes around the wrists of the uniform. On the neck side, she wears a dark pink bow tie. As a teenager, Shinoa has grown taller, but is still notably shorter than many other people her age. She has a petite, thin figure, and now has her hair is pinned up at the back with a magenta bow, with side braids featured. While her natural eye color is a brownish orange, after being possessed by Shikama Dōji, her eyes become a pale yellow, with thinner irises and pupils. In her supervisor role, Shinoa wears her school uniform, a sailor fuku which consists of a grey blouse with black cuffs that have teal trim in the middle. It has a black sailor-style collar with has teal trim and a single five teal petal design in the middle. The ribbon of the uniform is also teal and is tied in the front and laced through a loop attached to the blouse. The bottom is a black skirt. She wore it with dark blue knee high socks and white shoes. Being a member of the Moon Demon Company, Shinoa is often seen wearing her Japanese Imperial Demon Army uniform. This consists of a long-sleeved black coat with a standing collar, which has a magenta bow tie around it. The coat has two rows of gold buttons on the front, light green details including the shoulder epaulets, which has a fourragère passing under and around her right side. Along with that, she wears a pair of white gloves, an armband on her left arm, and a white web belt with a gold waist-plate. Shinoa also wears the standard black skirt, dark gray thigh-high socks and knee-high black boots. Her casual appearance does not differentiate much from her army uniform. The minor differences are that she does not have her gloves along with the bow tie on her collar, and wears a white long-sleeved dress shirt with a camisole over it. Possessing a sarcastic, apathetic attitude, Shinoa does not put much emotion into her words. She loves teasing others and is quite dry-humored. Shinoa generally tends to smirk before teasing or performing her antics towards others, delighting in placing them in uncomfortable situations. She can be proud and facetious but has a nice, joyful and cheery part of her. With the possibility raised upfront, Shinoa does not shy away from displaying a manipulative side. Shinoa does have a vulnerable complex about her short stature when Yūichirō and Shihō teased her for being too short to drive a car. She laughs smugly before proceeding to materialize her cursed gear to physically teach them a lesson. Showing that she does not care about the conflict inside her family, Shinoa claims that family conflicts are what caused the death of her older sister.[6] Unlike Kureto, she lacks ambition and only wants to serve the army well. Shinoa explained to some soldiers that she does not actively seek a rise in rank, and her lack of ambition (and Mahiru overshadowing her) is what caused her to be cast out from her family. Due to her upbringing, Shinoa grew up without knowing what a sibling is, and never truly cared about anyone until her current squad was formed. Shinoa shows surprisingly little emotion when discussing her sister's death, suggesting an emotional detachment to people she knows. While she may also keep her friends away at an arm's length, she greatly respects Yu's resolve and feelings toward his family so acts to help him. In Catastrophe at Sixteen, Shinoa is revealed to be a lonely girl, shut away in an apartment on her own. With high expectations of herself, Shinoa thought how her older sister was a once-in-a-century genius and so she could not live up to these expectations. Whilst Mahiru remained her only friend, in the end, the demon possessing Mahiru consumed her humanity, and that shattered Shinoa's resolve to form bonds with others. When Shinya and Guren offered to take care of her after seeing the mess in her apartment, she pushed them away, claiming that they are only there to use and exploit her. Shinoa's lack of faith in others caused her to believe that she can only rely on herself, as there is no one else to trust. Because of this, she believes in people less overall and is more negative about matters. As a leader of her squad, Shinoa takes a calm and strategic approach to situations. Heavily supporting team work with a focus on maintaining formation, Shinoa encourages, mostly Yu, to stick with it. Effective at directing others in explaining the scenario at hand, and what they need to do, Shinoa also guides Mitsuba to take the lead in a sustained effort to empower others. In conflict she issues warnings about a foes capabilities, and strategizes on what their best response to a threat should be. Moving to defend others from attacks, Shinoa also shows a willingness to work with other teams not of her own. Her personality while fighting is steady and momentum is used to keep her scythe actively swinging around defensively, and into foes. At times, in a battle she lacks self-control and can get distracted, and angered. It was not until after she lost the mock battle between her squad and Guren's three-person squad, did Shinoa finally realize the fear of losing someone important to her, and even a tiny mistake or her pranks can cost her family their lives. Also, she and her squad can grow even stronger and the closer they grow, the more powerful they shall become. She developed feelings for Yu, in which she is uncertain of. This is shown more when Shinoa later speaks with Shikama Dōji. Shinoa keeps her developing emotions for Yu in reserve, as she says she wants to keep her feelings "professional". Practically, this is done to not indulge her demon with desires that could result in her possession. Her carefree side serves as a mask for matters she keeps to herself. After being possessed by Shikama Dōji, her personality changes drastically. Shinoa becomes violent and ruthless, attacking anyone who might pose a threat to her (under Shikama Dōji's influence). This is largely shown when she defends herself from Ferid by cutting him apart in multiple areas, then viciously attacking Crowley. It reaches the point where Ferid has to breathlessly advise others to run from her. In this state, Shinoa also located Guren, Shinya, Kureto and Mika with the belief that there was a plot they were discussing, where she wanted to join in. She has also developed the power to cut off one's head with her fingertips or hands which she appeared eager to do immediately without any warning or hesitation. Restored to herself, Shinoa attempted to console Mitsuba who was upset, while dealing with her own aching body. Resorting to humor for the situation, Shinoa resolved to intervene at learning that Yu had been kidnapped and Guren had betrayed them. After another challenging ordeal, Shinoa again acted pragmatically in locating water considering the limited resources. In embracing the merriment she instigated, it may have bordered on recklessness given the circumstances. Speaking earnestly is done when Shinoa is making a case on how Guren with Mahiru were helping interfere with the First's plan for her own benefit. Emotional then, Shinoa is also moved to tears in beseeching Yu to come back after he enters a demonic state. Although initially relieved that Yu had returned to his senses, Shinoa quickly gathers what the situation is and tells Yu to not go. When Yu does leave, Shinoa exhibits a previously unseen remorseless streak in uncaring comments on the state of Asuramaru, and even speaking about killing Mika to get Yu back. Where her status as a Hiragi may come into it with her older relatives out of commission, the ruthlessness extends to civilians.