The Vermax Empire is one of the Fourteen Higher Nations of Humanity. These nations are the strongest, housing the most formidable Huntsmen known. The Vermax Empire lies in the Western Province and shares its borders with the Zullin Empire.
As one of the wealthiest nations, the Vermax Empire boasts refined battle suits crafted from the bodies of demons, creating one of the strongest defenses against demon attacks. Their approach to training future Huntsmen is ruthless, as they prepare to face the countless demons waiting to conquer the nations and plunge the world into chaos.
However, the Vermax Empire's wealth and strength also attract numerous enemies, leading to the creation of Huntsmen tasked with protecting the empire from both demons and rival factions. Now, they are preparing to pass judgment on one of their most notorious foes, the S-Class Assassin: the Deathmaker, who is responsible for the death of the Emperor's younger brother.
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Captain Rudeus and Princess Lily returned to the Empire after the incident. Their battle suits are designed to send information back to the Empire. The barriers meant to keep demons out were removed to allow the corpses to enter. The Deathmaker, still in chains, was dragged into the Empire while the Princess and Captain Rudeus rode horses.
Recognizing the Deathmaker, the soldiers cheered. Thousands of people waved at the Captain and the Princess while booing and throwing things at the Deathmaker. He sighed softly, smiling despite the chaos around him.
"It's quite a surprise to see that not only do the nobles hate me, even the commoners despise me as well," the Deathmaker remarked, still being dragged along.
"Are you surprised? How can someone who killed the Emperor's brother expect anything else? Prince Aiden was a champion of the Vermax Empire, and you killed him," one of the Huntsmen stated. He whipped the Deathmaker from his horse, causing him to grunt.
The Princess remained silent, unable to utter a word since the Deathmaker's capture. She continued riding her horse, focused on the path ahead.
"You're surprised? You killed Aiden because you were paid to, and you think there's nothing wrong with that?" the Huntsman said.
The Deathmaker chuckled softly. "I wonder what my fate will be in this Empire," he mused.
Upon arriving at the Royal Capital, Captain Rudeus dismounted alongside Princess Lily. The Deathmaker was surrounded by dozens of soldiers. The doors of the Royal Palace opened to reveal a masculine figure dressed in royal attire, brown hair and a long beard framing his face. He smiled at the Princess.
"Princess Lily, it's good to see you safe. We were informed of the incident and regret that we could not send forces to protect you," the man said warmly.
"Lord Rivers, I'm happy to be back in the capital. Demon hunting was quite fun," Princess Lily replied, smiling.
"That's good to hear. And as for you, Captain Rudeus, well done on guarding the Princess and exterminating those demons. For bringing the Deathmaker to us, you will be rewarded handsomely," Lord Rivers said.
"My Lord, it's an honor to serve the Empire. My only wish is to protect the Princess," Captain Rudeus stated, bowing his head.
"You wish to take charge of the Princess's protection? We will see about that. First, we will lock up the Deathmaker. He is the bastard who killed Prince Aiden," Lord Rivers declared.
"My, my... I really am in trouble, aren't I? I wonder why. I simply killed Aiden because I was paid to. Is there anything wrong with that?" the Deathmaker asked, only to receive a blow to the face from a soldier.
"Who asked you to speak? You are nothing but a dead man walking," the soldier retorted, pride swelling in his voice.
The Deathmaker sighed after receiving the blow. He remained calm while everyone watched, eager to see what would happen next.
"You're a dead man walking? You seem to have forgotten why they call me the Deathmaker. Do you wish to die?" he asked, his eyes glowing brightly green, even in chains.
The soldier who had punched him suddenly coughed up blood as a large hole appeared in his stomach. Blood gushed from his wound, and he fell heavily to the ground, dead.
"You truly are the Deathmaker. I hope the Emperor gives you a fitting sentence. Take him to the Lyxx. He is a maximum-level criminal after all," Lord Rivers ordered as the Deathmaker was dragged away.
Princess Lily watched as the Deathmaker was led off by the soldiers.
"Princess Lily, come with me. Your father is waiting," Lord Rivers said with a smile. The Princess nodded and followed him into the Royal Castle, accompanied by Captain Rudeus and several high-ranking Huntsmen and soldiers.
Inside, the Princess was greeted by guards and maids, the only daughter of the Vermax Empire. She had four older brothers, each vying for their father's throne.
"Lord Rivers, where is Father?" Princess Lily asked, slowly removing her gloves, still wearing her battle suit crafted from the body of an intelligent demon.
"Your father awaits you on his throne. He is eager to welcome you back," Lord Rivers said, causing the Princess to smile. She was excited to see her father again.
Having matched the battle suit, she still needed to fully understand the powers it held, as she was still a Huntsman in training. She entered the Emperor's throne room, standing before him.
"Greetings, Father. Your daughter stands before you," Princess Lily said, kneeling and bowing her head.
The Emperor rose from his throne, dressed in royal robes, and descended the steps.
The four royal princes of the Vermax Empire were present alongside other ministers. Emperor Argilac DelRoy of the Vermax Empire smiled brightly as he approached his daughter.
"You can rise, my beautiful princess," he said, pulling her into a warm embrace. "Welcome back, my beautiful daughter. It gladdens me to see you safe. I was worried when I heard an intelligent demon attacked you."
"Father, there was nothing to worry about. Captain Rudeus is quite capable," Princess Lily reassured him. "If I am to join the Huntsmen, I want to be under his command."
"I see. So, the Captain is quite capable, huh? Very well. If you pass your Huntsman's Assessment Test, you will be able to join his squadron," Emperor Argilac said.
"Thank you, Father. What about the Deathmaker? He saved my life," she asked, concern in her voice.
"I'm aware of that, Princess. The Deathmaker saved your life, but he is the one who killed my little brother, so he must be punished. Because he saved your life, he won't receive the death penalty, but trust me, my dear little bird, he will be judged," the Emperor declared.
Meanwhile: Lyxx
The Deathmaker was thrown into the deepest cage of the Lyxx, constantly watched by strong Huntsmen. They were authorized to kill him if he attempted to escape.
He sat calmly on the ground, staring at his cell with a soft chuckle. The chains binding him had been removed, but the prison facility was equipped with heat sensors, movement detectors, and surveillance monitoring his every move. It was also self-destructive, designed to hinder any escape attempts.
"So, Vermax has prepared everything to hold me down, huh? But they have underestimated me from the start. To them, the name Deathmaker is merely an assassin title, but they are wrong."
"There is one reason why I'm called the Deathmaker," he continued, causing a card to appear in his hand. The image of Princess Lily appeared on the card, along with her name.
He had chosen to be captured by the Huntsmen of the Vermax Empire instead of killing them all at once, and now it was all coming together.
"Princess Lily? She's kind of cute, though, but no hard feelings. It's just my line of work," the Deathmaker stated, slowly removing his eye patch to reveal his glowing red left eye marked with a cross.
"You are just another target of mine, Princess."
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