Volume 1

## Chapter Chronology

Volume 1 of **Armageddon: Death of a King** was finalized on August 11th, 2022. This volume marks the debut of the Armageddon series and introduces the world, characters, and conflict that will be explored throughout the series. It includes the first seven chapters of the series: ***Death of a King***, ***Pride vs Humility***, ***Gessler's Death***, ***Destined to Be a Leader***, ***Dessalines' Pride***, ***The Dreadful Huntsman***, and ***Hebi's Dynasty***.

## Summary

### ***Chapter 1***

#### ***The Palace of Zaidan***

*"Father please hold on,"* cried Terr. *"You can't leave us,"* yelled Cael. Cael shared the same sentiment as his brother Terr when it comes to their father but while Cael wanted to improve the military, Terr wanted to be peaceful and go with an economic approach. The Emperor spoke for one last time *"I want you two to fight together as brothers and not as enemies."* The Emperor died not long after that. Cael and Terr started to argue about who would get to inherit the throne as the glue that once held them together is now gone.

Both princes drew their swords as they got ready to fight for the throne. The fight starts with Cael performing **Chōjisenpō** (丁字戦法) but was countered by Terr's **Nōgyō** (農業). **Hebi Mendax**, one of the Emperor's retainers, stepped in and used a summoning called **Nix Palatium** covering the room in ice and ending the fight.

Hebi suggested that they should hold Armageddon instead, *"Each side has to choose fifteen fighters to represent them in Armageddon."* With both princes agreeing to the terms, they went their separate ways and met up with their strategists, not knowing Hebi's plans and true intentions. After picking all fifteen of their fighters, both princes met up with the Royal Blacksmith, **Uma Laboriosi**, to make weapons called Cursed Artifact to assist their fighters in the upcoming tournament.

#### ***The Snakes' Plan***

A flashback then shows a meeting that happened a year before the start of Armageddon. The meeting was held because some of the retainers disliked the shift from a militaristic nation to a commercialistic nation. The Emperor dismissed their concerns so the disgruntled retainers formed a secretive coalition, the Laplace Liberation Army, and held a meeting. Their plans were simple, assassinate the Emperor and overthrow the current Royal House. They all agreed on the idea of Armageddon and planned to coerce Cael to join them.

Hebi revealed to be the Leader of the Laplace Liberation Army, went searching for the Five Heavenly Artifacts (**the Black Grimoire**, **the Holy Grail**, **the Codex**, **the Akashic Records**, and **the Book of the Damned**) so that their plans could go smoothly. Hebi and **Kitsune "Alchemy" Alchimia**, the Royal Alchemist, are seen retrieving the Codex from Kitsune's Lab and the Black Grimoire from a vault named **Pandora's Box**. With the other Heavenly Artifacts too heavily guarded, Hebi ended his search quest there.

#### ***The Day of Armageddon***

On the Day of Armageddon, both princes got into their carriages and made their way to the colosseum in the city of Megiddo where Armageddon will be held. Three hooded figures can be seen observing from atop the city walls. As the princes arrive, figures from throughout history can be seen cheering for their respective princes. The princes then got escorted to the colosseum and as they made their way to their respective balconies, Cael said *"You and your businessmen will not be victorious, I have all of the good generals on my side and I have picked the best of the best."* Terr unphased by what Cael said replied *"It's not only about having the power but also the skill and character."*

The silhouettes of all fifteen fighters for both sides are revealed. Both Cael and Terr then started thinking about who to send for the vanguard fight of Armageddon. Before Round 1 gets announced the two brothers are set to duel, and the winner gets to choose the announcer for the event. Cael draws his sword and performs an attack that is faster than light, **Shock and Awe**, creating a huge dust cloud. The two brothers fought in the dust, wanting to win, albeit for different reasons. As the dust cloud settles, Cael can be seen knocked unconscious by Terr. Terr ended up going for the Legendary Rider, **Paul Revere**. Revere gets transported to the colosseum and is briefed on what he would do as the announcer.

Uma enters the **Akashic** **Lounge**, a place where the fighters can stay to wait for their turn, and gives each fighter a ring that contains their respective Cursed Artifact. The silhouettes accepted their rings and chose to either spectate from the crowd or from the lounge itself. One of the silhouettes made their way to the roof of a watch tower to observe the fight. The vanguard fighter for House Terreus is seen talking to someone near the gates of the arena.

###### ***Announcement***

Revere declares the start of Armageddon and announces the vanguard that will represent House Terreus. *"His strength unmatched, his skill was one of the catalysts that started the Neutral Country, the man rumored to be able to move mountains. Father of Switzerland and Muscle of Uri, **William Tell**!"* Tell walked through the arena gates, readying himself for the fight to come. *"His pride unmatched, self-proclaimed destined ruler of his people, the man to realize Papillon's vision. Father of the Haitians and Tiger of Haiti, **Jean-Jacques Dessalines**!"*

### ***Chapter 2***

#### ***Starting the Fight***

Jean-Jacques Dessalines then rode through the arena gates and laughed at Tell, thinking that Tell is an easy-to-kill opponent. Dessalines said *"I'm supposed to fight this old man? He's probably struggling to even lift up his crossbow right now." "I see you're quite prideful Dessalines, I hope it doesn't affect the fight,"* Tell said as he laughs. *"I'll never lose to the likes of you,"* replied an agitated Dessalines. Tell then declared, *"Well, today is the day you'll learn some humility."* An annoyed Dessalines pretended to still laugh as he brandished his cursed artifact, **Louverture**. Tell looked down at a worn-down crossbow that is revealed to be his cursed artifact, **Küssnacht**. Dessalines then started laughing at Tell, he then said *"Hey old man, do you expect to beat me with that broken thing?"* Dessalines dropped to his knees as he laughed, almost making him faint and getting disqualified.

Dessalines then got up and started by dashing towards Tell and performing **Horn of Revolution**. Tell had already analyzed footage of Dessalines so he deflected it with a perfectly timed **Tyrannicide**. *"That was just a fluke, you won't be so lucky against my next attack,"* said Dessalines. Dessalines goes in for another **Horn of Revolution** but Tell deflected it with **Tyrannicide** again. An angered Dessalines said, *"You must think this is so funny, well let's see if you can dodge this!"* Dessalines goes in for a third **Horn of Revolution**, this time impaling his sword into Tell's dominant arm, his left arm. Revere then comments, *"Wooah! Dessalines has impaled Tell in his dominant arm, what will Tell do now?"*

Tell was knocked away and incapacitated for a few seconds. Seeing that Tell was incapacitated, Dessalines started taunting him. Dessalines then gets ready to end Tell early before getting punched in the face, The punch broke two of Dessalines' front teeth and knocked him down. Dessalines got up and screamed, *"YOU BASTARD!"* Tell then stood up and continued to punch Dessalines. *"You'll receive the same punishment Gessler got,"* Tell remarked.

The silhouette that climbed atop one of the watch towers is revealed to be **Simo Häyhä**. Häyhä seems to be intrigued by both fighters fighting styles and is pleased that he got to see the fight to its fullest. Häyhä is seen conversing with a silhouette through a device, the silhouette said *"You better be careful, we can't have you die before your round."*

Tell started marking the ground with an X as he continued his barrage of punches. Tell then lured Dessalines into the middle of the X. A battered Dessalines "gained" the upper hand and stabbed his sword into Tell's left arm. Dessalines then said, *"Not so tough now are you?"* Tell then smirked and replied to the comment Dessalines had made by performing **Gessler's Death** shattering **Louverture** angering Dessalines. **Arnold von Winkelried**, who is revealed to be Tell's adoptive son and the person Tell talked to right before the fight had started, and **Ueli Rotach**, Tell's adoptive grandson, can be seen celebrating after **Louverture** shattered.

###### ***Backstage Observation (Cael's Entourage)***

*"What is Dessalines doing,"* said Hebi, *"Louverture is not supposed to break this early."* A silhouette commented, *"Tell most likely trained after his death and has developed new techniques that perfectly counter Dessalines' style."* The silhouette is revealed to be the Royal Strategist, **Karasu Acuti**. Karasu then continued by explaining, *"Gessler's Death made a gigantic shockwave that shook Louverture so violently that it shattered into thousands of pieces."* *"Hmm so that's* *the embodiment of the Dreadful Huntsman, Türst,"* Hebi stated, he then asked, *"What is Dessalines supposed to do then?" "Don't worry, Dessalines still has tricks up his sleeves,"* Karasu replied.

Karasu then contacts someone, *"Can you hear me?" "Loud and clear,"* replied the silhouette. *"Try to go for a peaceful and diplomatic approach for your round, if he denies it then we could rally the people to our side by saying that they are the ones that want blood,"* Karasu said. *"Noted, I'll make sure to do that, thank you for the tip, Wise One,"* replied the silhouette.

###### ***Backstage Observation (Terr's Entourage)***

*"Let's go!!!!"* celebrated Terr, *"This should demoralize them a bit." "My lord let's not get too cocky,"* said the silhouette. *"I know, I know, but it's still exciting to see **Louverture** shatter, it means they're down a weapon,"* said Terr. *"While that is true, Tell has to tread carefully from now on, that maneuver of his costed him a great deal of his energy,"* replied the silhouette.

###### ***Search Quest***

*"Kitsune, can you go get **him**?"* asked a silhouette, *"We can't afford to lose a fighter like him."* Kitsune then set off to find a fighter that wandered away from the colosseum. Häyhä overheard the conversation and wondered, *"I wonder who they are referring to."* Häyhä then went to go report his findings to Terr and his entourage.

###### ***Arena Explained Chapter 1***

*"The arena for Round 1 was hot and humid due to the customized side Dessalines had demanded. His custom gate and side of the arena gave him a home-field advantage but the illusion broke almost instantly just after the first few clashes. Thank you for listening to my ramble, Traveller,"* spoke a hooded figure.

### ***Chapter 3***

#### ***Where Peace Began***

William Tell can be seen sitting on top of a hill and having a meeting with three figures who are revealed to be the Three Eidgenossen, **Arnold von Melchtal**, **Werner Stauffacher**, and **Walter Fürst**. *"Should I take the offer?"* Tell asked. *"We have thought pretty hard about the offer and I think it's better for our people if you accept this deal,"* replied Fürst. *"Please promise us that you will uphold the will of our people,"* said Melchtal, while Stauffacher and Fürst nodded. *"I promise,"* replied Tell.

###### ***Spring of 1275***

William Tell was born into the world during the Bloody Spring Massacre of 1275. He was born to two farmers who died not very long after his birth. Tell's mother told his father to sprint and never look back. If he had he would have seen her get raped, murdered, and mutilated. Tell's father ran for miles and miles before collapsing due to the injuries he endured. A wandering knight found the crying Tell and the lifeless body of his father. The knight pitied Tell and took him in while burying his father.

###### ***Budding Justice***

The knight trained him how to fend for himself in the wild. During this time he picked up the hobby of hunting. But just like his biological parents, his new father figure would soon be killed in battle when he was just twelve years old. A saddened Tell ran into the woods and came across a Will, the soul of a legendary, mythological, or historical figure. The Will introduced itself as the soul of the Dreadful Huntsman, **Türst**. The Will of Türst offered a soul bind with Tell. Tell decided to accept so he can get stronger and get vengeance for his family.

Tell trained in the woods with the guidance of Türst for a decade. He then re-entered the world and found out that it was more chaotic than when he left it. A group of three men calling themselves the Three Eidgenossen approached him and explained everything. The three men took a blood oath of brotherhood and formed a force that fights against the Habsburgs. They asked him if he wanted to join their cause but he rejected them by saying, *"I have unfinished business, I'll think about it when I deal with it."* The three men accepted the answer and wished him the best of luck.

#### ***Gessler's Death***

Tell settled down for the time being and had a son, **Walter Tell**. On 18 November 1307, Tell decided to visit Altdorf with Walter. Altdorf was run by **Albrecht Gessler** who had decided to raise a pole under the **Gerichtslinde**, hung his hat on top of it, and demanded that all the townsfolk bow before it. Tell refused to bow to it and got arrested. Gessler was intrigued by Tell's famed marksmanship, but resentful of his defiance, so he devised a cruel punishment. *"You two are to be executed! Unless you can shoot an apple off your son's head in one try,"* said Gessler.

Tell split the apple with a bolt from his crossbow. Gessler then noticed that Tell had removed two crossbow bolts from his quiver. Gessler asked, *"Why did you remove two bolts from your quiver, Tell?"* Tell was reluctant to answer, but Gessler promised that he would not kill him. Tell then replied, "*Had I killed my son, I would've killed you with the second bolt."* A furious Gessler yelled, *"Guards! Look him up!"* Gessler had promised to spare Tell's life but would imprison him for the remainder of his life.

Tell was being carried in Gessler's boat to the dungeon in the castle at **Küssnacht** when a storm broke on Lake Lucerne, and the guards were afraid that their boat would sink. *"Lord, can we please get these shackles off of the prisoner so that he can help us,"* pleaded one of the guards. Gessler gave in and told his guards, *"Get these shackles off of him."* Tell then steered the boat to a rocky place and leapt out. Tell then ran to Küssnacht with Gessler and his men in pursuit. As they reached the **Hohle Gasse**, Tell turned around and with his second crossbow bolt assassinated Gessler.

#### ***Battle of Morgarten***

Tell then met with the Three Eidgenossen and accepted their offer. In 1315, Tell would participate in the Battle of Morgarten. Tell saved a young soldier going by the name of Arnold von Winkelried during the battle and he later adopted him. Tell then started training both Walter and Winkelried for a decade before returning to lead as a Swiss revolutionary leader. In 1354, Tell died while trying to save a child from drowning in the Schächental River in Uri. Both Winkelried and Walter would honor their father's legacy by becoming heroes of the Swiss themselves, the Hero of Sempach and the Lord of the Forest Cantons respectively.

### ***Chapter 4***

#### ***Instability***

Jean-Jacques Dessalines was taking a nap when a figure came and knocked on his door. Startled, Dessalines got up and opened his door only to see a letter on the ground. It read, *"Dear Mr. Dessalines, We would like to inform you that you have been invited to sit down with Prince Cael to discuss some matters. Sincerely, the Royal General."* Dessalines then leaves his **Paradise**, a living place made specifically for a soul, to go down to the capital of the Empire, **Zaidan**.

###### ***Humble Beginnings***

Jean-Jacques Duclos was born on September 20th, 1758, into slavery on a plantation named Cormier. His father had given him the surname of his owner like his two brothers, Joseph and Louis, before him. He worked as a laborer in sugarcane fields for about two decades and even reached the rank of Commandeur before being sold away. He was bought by an Affranchi going by the name of Dessalines, who he later took the last name of, and worked for him for about three years before he joined a slave uprising.

#### ***Instability Continuation***

*"Such good memories,"* Dessalines says as he makes his way to the **Zaidan Palace**. *"The Caravan has arrived at the palace, Sir Dessalines,"* states the driver. Dessalines gets escorted to the meeting room and is greeted by Cael. *"Welcome, Dessalines,"* greeted Cael, *"I have some pressing matters to discuss."* Dessalines asked, *"And what is this matter, may I ask?" "Armageddon has been called and will be held. I want you to be a participant,"* stated Cael. *"I see, I think I must accept for my people, and to uphold my pride,"* replied Dessalines. Cael then replied, *"I'm glad you have accepted my invitation Mr. Dessalines, I hope to see you win later this month."*

###### ***Haiti's Rise***

In 1791, Jean-Jacques Dessalines joined the slave rebellion of the northern plains led by a trio of sworn brothers seeking to end slavery; **Jean François Papillon**, **Georges Biassou**, and **Jeannot Bullet**. All three men had their own unique fighting style that Dessalines would later incorporate into his fighting style. Papillon's style was graceful, Biassou's style was quick and powerful, and Jeannot's style was wild and unpredictable. Dessalines led slaves to victories after victories and got the attention of Papillon. *"You are an impressive young lad, I want you to serve directly under me as my lieutenant,"* said Papillon.

Dessalines would see many injustices committed against his people during his travels and swore to eliminate the root of the evil, the Whites/Colonists. That was when he came across the Will of the Demonic Lady, **Ladjablès**. She promised that if they were to soul bind he would receive insurmountable power. Dessalines agreed and continued on his journey. The Will then explained that his powers will multiply the angrier he gets.

Dessalines then met a rising military commander Toussaint Bréda, who would later be known as **Toussaint Louverture**, a man also born into slavery. He was fighting with Spanish forces on Hispaniola. In 1794, after the French declared an end to slavery as a result of the French Revolution, Toussaint Louverture switched allegiances to the French. He fought for the French Republic against both the Spanish and British, who were trying to get control of the colony of Saint-Domingue. Dessalines was inspired by Louverture and followed him, becoming a chief lieutenant to Toussaint Louverture and rising to the rank of brigadier general by 1799.

Dessalines commanded many successful engagements, including the captures of **Jacmel**, **Petit-Goâve**, **Miragoâne**, and **Anse-à-Veau**. In 1801, Dessalines quickly ended an insurrection in the north led by Louverture's nephew, General Moyse. Dessalines gained a reputation for his cruel "take no prisoners" policy, and for burning homes and entire villages to the ground. The rebellious slaves were able to restore most of Saint-Domingue to France, with Louverture in control. The French initially appointed Louverture as governor-general of the colony but after some deliberation decided to re-instate slavery in Saint-Domingue.

###### ***Leclerc's Campaign***

**The French Republic Leader** then dispatched an expeditionary force in 1802 to restore French rule to the island. An army and ships led by General **Charles Leclerc** were sent to recapture the island. Dessalines fought against the invading French forces, with Dessalines defeating them at the **Battle of Crête-à-Pierrot**. During the battle, Dessalines and his 1,300 men defended a small fort against 18,000 attackers. To inspire his troops at the start of the battle, he waved a lit torch near an open powder keg and declared, *"I will blow the fort up should the French break through!"* The defenders inflicted extensive casualties on the attacking army, but after a 20-day siege, they were forced to abandon the fort due to a shortage of food and munitions. The rebels forced their way through the enemy lines and into the **Cahos Mountains**, with their army still largely intact.

#### ***Instability Climax***

*"His fighting style is amazing,"* stated Cael, *"He's not going to lose to whoever they are going to send." "That's not all my lord," Hebi replied, "Have you ever heard of Wills?"* *"I think I've heard of them, they can grant humans extraordinary powers,"* replied Cael. *"Well, Sir Dessalines has an interesting one I would like to show you."*

### ***Chapter 5***

#### ***Haitian Leader***

The French soldiers under Leclerc were accompanied by mulatto troops led by **Alexandre Sabès Pétion** and **André Rigaud**. Pétion and Rigaud, both sons of wealthy white fathers, had opposed Louverture's leadership. They had tried to establish separate independence in the South of Saint-Domingue, an area where wealthy *gens de couleur* were concentrated in plantations. Toussaint Louverture's forces had defeated them three years earlier.

After the Battle of Crête-à-Pierrot, Dessalines defected from his long-time ally Louverture and briefly sided with Leclerc, Pétion, and Rigaud which led to Louverture easily getting arrested. An angered Dessalines switched sides again, bringing Pétion with him. By November 1802, Dessalines had become the leader of the alliance with the blessing of general Alexandre Pétion. Leclerc died of yellow fever and was succeeded by Rochambeau. The two sides fought one last time at the **Battle of Vertières**, the victor of this battle would decide history. Dessalines and his alliance came out victorious marking the end of the war.

#### ***Back to the Arena***

Häyhä made his way to a silhouette and said, *"Kitsune has been told to search for "**him**,"* he looked around before continuing to speak, *"I don't know who he is but Kitsune is on her way to get him and I thought I'd let you know." "What? Why on Earth would Cael go for **him** this early on?"* said the silhouette, *"Thanks for informing me, I'll notify Terr about this."*

With **Louverture** broken, Dessalines decides to end it by using his main cursed artifact, **Vertières**. Dessalines performed **Vertières: Papillon** and lacerated Tell's torso. He then follows it up with **Vertières: Biassou** lacerating Tell's torso again. Tell looks down at his torso which now has a defined X-shaped indent that is dripping with blood. Arnold von Winkelried is seen balling his eyes out as he sees Tell, his adoptive father consecutively gets hit by Dessalines' **Vertières** techniques while Albrecht Gessler can be seen laughing at Tell. Many in the audience are shown to be sick at the sight of the battle.

The Three Eidgenossen are seen being concerned for Tell and discussing how it's near impossible for Tell to win in his current state. Tell retaliated and hit Dessalines over the head with **Küssnacht**. As Dessalines tried to perform a technique with **Vertières**, Tell cancelled it by knocking **Vertières** out of Dessalines' hand. Dessalines picked up **Vertières** and backed away as he performed **Vertières: Jeannot** creating forces strong enough to slash Tell from afar. Tell deflects most of the slashes back at Dessalines by performing **Tyrannicide** with his punches.

###### ***Backstage Observation***

*"So these were the tricks you were referring to,"* said an ecstatic Cael. *"Quite impressive I must say,"* said Hebi. *"We mustn't lose the vanguard fight so we should still be careful,"* said a silhouette. Cael then replied, *"How can Dessalines lose? There's not really a way for him to recover from this." "We still don't know the full capabilities of Tell so we should tread carefully,"* replied the silhouette. *"She is right,"* said Karasu, *"Until we know for certain the limits of Tell and his Will, we shouldn't get too cocky."* *"Relax guys, it's not like Tell can even pull anything off, even if he had other tricks, in the state he's in right now,"* said Hebi. *"That's exactly what they want us to think,"* replied the silhouette who is revealed to be the Royal General, **Raion Principa**. *"If we start getting too cocky they could use it to their advantage and rally the people against us,"* Raion continued. *"Whatever, it's not like they could really do anything,"* replied Cael.

###### ***Search Quest***

Raion then contacts Kitsune. *"Have you found **him** yet?"* asked Raion. Kitsune replied, *"I have an idea of where he is but I can't pin point it yet." "You better hurry, we can't have him getting in trouble before his round starts,"* said Raion. *"I know, I know, but you don't have to worry about **him** that much,"* replied Kitsune. *"He's one of our best, he's the only one that will be able to beat Terr's trump card,"* replied Raion. *"Wait, only? Why didn't you tell me that sooner? I'll get right back to searching for **him**,"* replied Kitsune before going back to searching for ***him**.*

###### ***W-Force***

Two silhouettes can be seen debating on what to do. *"Well if our embodiments join different sides we can even out the battlefield,"* said one of the silhouettes. *"I know but you might accidentally cause the Caelestians to win,"* replied the other silhouette. *"We just have to trust Terr, his trump card should land us the win,"* replied the first silhouette, *"You should go and try to intercept Kitsune, if she finds **him** we might lose our trump card."*

*"My lord, I think we should call in our trump card now instead of waiting as Kitsune is going to get **him** right now,"* said the first silhouette. *"What?!? Why would they go for **him** this early?"* said Terr. *"They most likely felt a bit threatened by Tell and might be going for **him** because they think we are going for our stronger picks first,"* replied the silhouette. *"I see, can you go get our trump card for me? I know he's a bit hard to reach but we have to play it safe,"* replied Terr.

### ***Chapter 6***

#### ***End of the Vanguard Fight***

Dessalines then collected all of his strength into his hands so that he could perform his ultimate, **Haiti's Rise**. Seeing that Dessalines is getting ready to perform his finishing move, Tell mustered up the strength to perform a weakened version of **Tyrannicide** to hinder Dessalines' plan. **Tyrannicide** ended up hitting both of Dessalines' shoulders and pinning him to the ground. Dessalines pulled the crossbow bolts out of his shoulders and declared, *"I am the one chosen by heaven to lead, I will not be defeated by an old man."* He then got ready to charge at Tell, Tell also got ready to go for his ultimate made specifically for Dessalines. Tell used **Helvetia** while Dessalines used **Haiti's Rise**. A flashback then shows Tell promising Winkelried that he would win the fight. **Huldrych Zwingli**, **Nikolaus von Flüe**, **Leonhard Euler**, Alexandre Sabès Pétion, and **Henri Christophe** are seen arguing about whose attack is going to hit first. Euler concluded, "There isn't any way he would be able to hit first, he is on his last leg and the prospects of him having enough energy is slim to none," "But he has to try, he still has a chance," interrupted Flüe. "The old geezer has no chance, don't get your hopes up," says Christophe. "I think he'll be able to do it," said Zwingli, Pétion continued by saying "Even though it is true that our lord seems like the obvious winner we can't count Tell out til' he dies."

Tell then put all of his remaining energy into **Helvetia** allowing it to hit first, piercing Dessalines' heart and killing him almost instantly. Ladjablès' Will disintegrated as Dessalines took his final breath. Walter Tell, Arnold von Winkelried, Ueli Rotach, and the Three Eidgenossen are seen celebrating while Albrecht Gessler looked pissed. But Tell didn't come out of it unscathed as his left arm was snapped clean off. Revere announces, *"And the winner is WILLIAM TELL!"* Tell collapsed after being declared the winner of Round 1. *"Father!"* screamed Tell and Winkelried as they jumped into the arena to help their father. Tell was then rushed to the infirmary.

While in the Akashic Lounge many silhouettes of both sides celebrated Tell's victory and/or showed their respect for him. *"I guess that old man had it in him after all,"* said one of the Caelestian fighters. *"He did good, Dessalines really should've had some humility,"* said another Caelestian fighter. *"Tell is extraordinary, I hope he recovers from his wounds,"* said a Terreus fighter.

Häyhä can be seen making his way to a shooting ground where he meets five figures practice. He then readies his rifle and gets a headshot on the target. *"Nice shot,"* said one of the figures. Häyhä silently nods as a thank you. *"Still as quiet as ever,"* said another figure. Häyhä then finishes up and plans to go meet up with someone. Häyhä then walks away while being watched by a silhouette from above.

###### ***Backstage Observation (Cael's Entourage)***

*"HOW DID DESSALINES LOSE?!?!?"* said a panicked Cael. *"We had told you to not get too dismissive of Tell and his Will,"* replied Karasu. *"Ladjablès granted an overpowered ability but Dessalines' experience couldn't stack up to the experience Tell had during his time on Earth,"* explained Raion. *"Hebi you promised me that this was a guaranteed victory for us,"* cried Cael. *"I'm truly sorry my lord I was so focused on getting an unbeatable warrior that I dismissed the idea that Tell was a perfect counter to Dessalines,"* said Hebi.

###### ***Backstage Observation (Terr's Entourage)***

*"Nice work Ramanujan, your pick of Tell was the perfect counter to Dessalines. We aren't going to be very lucky next time though,"* said the excited Terr. *"That wasn't me, it was all them, they had left the backdoor open and I had just entered through it,"* replied **Srinivasa Ramanujan**. He then continued, *"Has he gotten our trump card yet?" "No not yet, it'll take a while,"* said Terr.

###### ***Search Quest (Faust's Journey)***

The silhouette sent to intercept Kitsune is revealed to be the Will of the Drive for Knowledge, **Faust**. Unlike ordinary Wills, Faust was a type of Will called an **Evolved Will** or an **Incarnation**. Incarnations have a body of their own unlike their unevolved counterpart but can still transform back into a tiny Will if needed. *"I have my eyes on Kitsune, watch my back I'm going in,"* said Faust. *"Don't worry we have your back,"* replied the silhouette. Faust gets ambushed by Kitsune as he enters the building. *"You know what you're doing is wrong, right?"* said Faust. *"We will serve our lord unlike those treacherous retainers and people like you,"* replied Kitsune. *"We know you guys quietly set up the Emperor's death, we aren't idiots,"* continued Faust. *"That isn't true at all the Emperor's mind was being poisoned by the likes of Terr and we only put him out of his misery,"* said Kitsune. Faust then announces, *"I'm going to end your search quest right here, right now."*

As the fight commences, Faust uses a summoning called **Mephistopheles' Charm**, incapacitating Kitsune long enough for Faust to continue his assault. Faust then performs **Cursed Knowledge** casting hexes all over Kitsune's body that burns her. Kitsune gets a hold of herself and uses a summoning called **The Maelstrom** casting unimaginable winds that blow Faust away temporarily. Before Faust was blown away he brands one of Kitsune's burn marks so that he can track her. Kitsune uses the distance created by Maelstrom and frantically runs away.

*"I've been found out and I can't hold for long, I blew him away with Maelstrom but he is going to find his way back to me,"* said an afraid Kitsune. Hebi is the first to reply and reply by saying, *"Relax, our bests in the army can't even survive Maelstrom. Who that Terr sends would be able to survive that?" "One word, Faust,"* said a frustrated Kitsune. *"Oh crap, alright I'll send you ten of the Royal Guards to protect you,"* said Hebi. *"TEN?!?! You just said that our bests couldn't withstand Maelstrom and you're sending them to protect me from the lunatic that can tank it?"* said Kitsune.

### ***Chapter 7***

#### ***Faust's Journey***

Kitsune was then shot in the shoulder by Faust's backups who summoned a shield before Maelstrom was used. *"Hands in the air Kitsune, you are under arrest for assassinating the Emperor and conspiring with the revolutionaries!"* shouted the Royal Investigators. *"I don't think I am going anywhere,"* said Kitsune. She started by performing **Gekkō no Miryoku** (月光の魅力), stunning all but one of the Royal Investigators arresting her. She then performed **Seimei no Nai Mezame** (生命のない目覚め) and killed everyone that fell under her technique before turning around to get rid of the officer that survived. The uncharmed officer teleports away and reports everything to HQ before being burned to death by Kitsune.

*"Your fun is over Alchimia, I won't hesitate to kill you if you move,"* said Faust. A startled Kitsune replied, *"How did you recover and find me so quickly?!!?!?!" "I placed a tracker on you before you blew me away,"* said Faust. *"Alright then, I am going to be executed anyways so show me what you got,"* replied Kitsune as she charged at Faust. Faust with a blink of an eye snatched the Codex that Kitsune had chained to her belt. *"It is time for me to end your shenanigans,"* said Faust as he uses a summoning called **Serpent of Eden** and decapitates Kitsune. Faust would then track down and kill all ten Royal Guards sent to protect Kitsune. *"I got rid of her,"* Faust told the silhouette. The silhouette replied, *"Good, good, I'll tell Terr the news."*

###### ***Back at HQ***

*"We've completed the mission, my lord,"* said the silhouette. *"It is sad to see Alchimia go like that though,"* said Terr. *"Although I am saddened by the death of Madam Kitsune she did conspire with the revolutionaries and we can't let her get to **him** this early in the tournament,"* replied the silhouette.

*"We've lost all connections to Kitsune, sir,"* said an operator. *"Dammit! They got Alchimia,"* replied an angered Raion. *"No..."* replied a saddened Karasu as he teared up. Cael and the three retainers with him mourned for their lost ally and swore vengeance. *"This does mean that we have also lost the Codex as it was with her when she left,"* said Hebi. Hebi then started to think back to how this all began.

#### ***Hebi's Dynasty***

Hebi Mendax was born on June 25th, the 34th Chronicle. He was born into the Hebi family, one of the seven noble houses in the Empire. Hebi was trained from childhood to serve the heir. His sly and cunning personality made him an effective diplomat and assassin. He would be the first to follow the heir on his adventures across the continent. The heir would collect a travelling partner from every city that he visits. Hebi would become one of the Twelve Retainers upon the Emperor's coronation gaining the title of the Royal Assassin. Hebi would also get access to the summoning of **The Serpent** after reaching the rank of a Retainer. On December 21st, 0th Chronicle, the Emperor would open a gate to connect worlds as he opened **the Rift at the End** with the help of **the Philosopher's Stone**. Spirits from our own universe would start crossing over and calling the kingdom home. At the same time, some spirits would become Wills, Incarnations, or even Constellations.

Hebi along with the other Retainers would help the Emperor conquer every nation on the continent and make it become what it is today, an Empire. As years passed, the Emperor settled down and started to steer the Empire in the direction of a merchant nation rather than a militaristic empire Hebi had envisioned. He along with five other disgruntled retainers planned to assassinate the Emperor and crown a puppet of theirs who would push the nation back on the "right path."

#### ***The Snakes' Plan***

The flashback from before then continues showing Hebi and Kitsune's travels to get the Heavenly Artifacts and information on the best candidates for Armageddon. Hebi asked, "*Are you kidding me right now*?" *"No, I seriously think he would be a great fighter,"* replied Kitsune. *"But he isn't a fighter,"* said Hebi. *"I know but his knowledge on diseases would allow him to take on any spirit even if they have a will that is an Incarnation,"* said Kitsune. *"Alright I guess we should put him on our roster and get Raion to contact him,"* said Hebi.

#### ***Alchimia's Memorial***

*"Today we have gathered here to mourn the loss of one of our comrades,"* says Hebi as Cael, Karasu, Raion, and two other silhouettes hold a quick memorial for Kitsune during the intermission of Armageddon. *"We shouldn't be gloomy for long my comrades, we should instead take revenge on those who have wronged us,"* said one of the silhouettes. *"**The Fallen Demon** is right, we shouldn't dwell on this event for too long,"* said Cael. He then continued, *"As a matter of fact, why don't you go and avenge our fallen comrade."* *"With pleasure, my lord,"* replied the silhouette. Hebi then asks, *"Can someone go and guard the entrance to the vault."* *"Already ahead of you,"* replied Karasu over the connection as he arrives at the vault. Cael then asks, *"Everyone's in position?"* Everyone replied with yes. *"Alright then let's not lose any more rounds,"* Cael declared.