Axel Amsel

* Cerberus High 1
* Cerberus High 2
* Prototype Comic

> *“Little Red, Little Red… Seems like you haven’t had a real taste of what this hellhole has in store for mere humans like you.”*
>
> — **Axel Amsel**

**Axel Amsel** is one of the protagonists of the *Cerberus High* series. He is a 16-year-old werewolf-canid who was the captain of the Cerberus Cheer Squad until he eventually joins Kazuki Akai and Sherbet Summer’s Take-Down Squad. Axel is also the younger brother of Xiomara Amsel, the leader of The Brazen Youths league of assassins. He makes his debut in the **A Mere Human Arc** when he tries to make Kazuki join his cheerleading squadron.

## Background

### Early Life

Axel Amsel was welcomed into the world inside the log cabin shared by his mother Zoella, his father Adalard, and his four-year-old sister Xiomara. Zoella dies a week after Axel was born, leaving Xiomara to take care of her baby brother as Aladrad fell became a neglectful achaholic. However, the older Amsel sibling was just as cold to him as their father was. This caused Axel to become severely attention-starved as a child and so he would often go off deep into the woods to spend time with the local animals. This is where he also had the freedom of practicing his agility. He would always return home covered in scratches and sniffling and in return, Xiomara would treat his wounds but not before scolding him for his recklessness.

One night, after waking up in a cold sweat, 10-year-old Axel discovers Xiomara missing from her bed and later found out from his father that she ran away to Cerberus High. Axel then spends the next four years devoted to training in the woods more frequently, anticipating he and his sister’s next fateful encounter beyond the walls of the notorious school.

Axel becomes quite the teenage heartthrob once enrolling at Cerberus. Using his boyish looks and silver tongue to his advantage, he becomes captain of the Cerberus Cheer Squad. He sees this rank up as one step closer to overthrowing Xiomara in the school’s hierarchy. His plan truly gets put into fruition during his second year where he learns of Kazuki Akai’s existence.

## Appearance

Axel Amsel is a young male of average build with brown eyes and short dark brown hair. He possesses a dark complexion with small pointed ears as well as an unusual patch of facial hair along his jawline; all this being a standard characteristic of those with werewolf blood.

### Cerberus High

His default outfit is a short-sleeved tunic with a mainly indigo and black color scheme. He has shoulder cutouts that are embellished with light periwinkle straps which also appear down his shirt. He wears rolled up indigo jeans with white triangular plates on the cuffs. For shoes, Axel is seen wearing simple black flats.

### Cerberus High II

As an adult in the sequel, Axel rocks a beard and wears a white shirt that is exposed thanks to his dark blue button down shirt that is kept open. For bottoms, he wears apricot capri pants with large pockets and dark blue sandals on his feet. His outfit's accessories consist of a blue band on his right wrist and a matching bandana on his left ankle. Axel is stated to still have his scars from being shot by Rey.

## Personality

Axel has a lot of pride in his werewolf blood and his cheer squad; disrespecting any of those things would get send him in a childish temper tantrum. When he was first introduced in the story, he spoke in a very condescending and belittling manner, referring to Kazuki simply as “Human” and “Little Red”. It is discovered that this was all a facade as he felt that instilling fear into Kazuki was the best way to make him join his side before Xiomara got to him first.

As the story develops, Axel is shown to be a loyal companion who genuinely feels regret for what he did to Kazuki when they first met. Axel also earns the trust of Sherbet, viewing her as a little sister he never had. They still bicker from time to time but it’s more lighthearted and heartfelt.

It is no secret he’s gone through his fair share of admirers. However, all the relationships he’s had at that time were purely superficial, only using his good looks and charisma as a way to rank up in the hierarchy. The only way you could tell that he’s really crazy about someone is when he drops his smooth-talking facade and shows his true, soft-hearted self. Axel develops feelings for Kazuki due to him being the first human Axel’s ever met that matches him in skill. Sherbet is aware of this and teases the werewolf to no end while also acting as his wingman. Kazuki also finds himself slowly falling for the werewolf but hasn’t fully understood those feelings yet.

Axel has a soft spot for small critters such as chipmunks and rabbits due to them being his only source of companionship as a child. Whenever he is in a state of extreme happiness, he sprouts a wolf tail unconsciously.

## Abilities and Powers

* **Were-form:** Axel is able to transform into anthropomorphic at will. He usually only transforms his arms to slash his enemies with.
* **Energy Detection**
* **Regeneration:** Being a werewolf, Axel’s body is able to heal any wound it sustains but at the cost of a lot of his physical strength. The only attack he can ultimately die from is one that takes damage to his heart or brain.
* **Enhanced Strength**
* **Charm:** He knows how to use his silver tongue to his advantage. He’ll charm almost anyone to get what he wants, regardless of gender.

## Trivia

* According to Blanc Isolde in Chapter 14, Axel didn't stop wetting the bed until he was 9 and had worms up until that point too.
* In his design in the prototype comic, Axel’s wolf tail was always present and he wore Xiomara’s black choker.

## Quotes

### Cerberus High I

* (to Kazuki Akai) “The name’s Axel Amsel. I’ve been sensing an immense power coming for you and my people want it,”
* (to Kazuki Akai regarding his "special training") *“I was thinking about starting small, y’know. Death by a Thousand Cuts but without the death part. Mitzy and Roxy can give you five hundred each.”*

### Cerberus High II

* (to Kazuki Akai) “Morning, babe.”
* (screaming to himself) “FOR THE EARTHHHHHH!”