Difference between revisions of "Remnant 1"

Revision as of 16:00, 28 September 2020

Remnant 1, or otherwise known by his alias Arman Wan, is the first remnant of Paladin Decen. During his conception, Arman was raised a warrior and a member of the Argen church. Having battled many celestial and mythological figures before meeting Guardian Merrow Rivenlight, and aiding his progenitor's Guardian to unite others of his kind to defeat an even greater threat ever imaginable: Mogul, The Prime Aspect of Sin.

Stoic, and fearless, just like his parent Paladin, but at the same time, compassionate from his teachings of Priest Pollux, Arman was considered the greatest and most powerful of the Remnants until his demise at the hands of the Prime Aspect. Possessing superhuman regeneration and reflexes that were unaffected by the Remnant Reduction, Arman's survivability in the battlefield rivals Decen, and greatly surpasses his Remnant brethren.

R1 possesses two large magical swords: Pariah, and Loz-Q which he uses in battle. Pariah was smithed by the Makers, and utilized Celestial Steel, a near indestructible metal capable of cutting through celestials and magical entities. Loz-Q was smithed by The Undine, a race of Boreans who used Zephyr Bronze, which is capable of weakening other metals due to its extremely low temperatures.

Backstory

"The Power of the Paladins shall bring upon a new age, from which you will be the progenitor. The stem, the seed for which numerous branches shall grow. Think. Think about what you should have done, how you should have lived your life. And the Power shall flow through you." - Elder Paladin Rolah

Awakening

A young and preteen R1 awakens several feet under the dirt, having been manifested from Decen's consciousness, R1 was in stasis until his body developed enough to move on its own. The Remnant digs his way out of the ground and finds himself in the backyard of an old hut, which is tended by an elderly yet well built man, and a younger woman.

The man protects the girl upon seeing R1, and grabs his sword, telling R1 to back off. The Remnant is incapable of understanding language and perceives the sword as a threat, and instinctively rushes forward, disarming the man and pinning him down.

The man tries to punch R1 in the face, but his fist is caught, and R1 discovers he has superhuman strength, launching the man into the roof of the hut. The girl retreats within the structure as the man attempts to put down the Remnant, only to find his strength completely overpowered. R1 launches the man into several plants.

R1 approaches the man to finish him off, but is shot in the back several times by the girl, who is now wielding a crossbow. The crossbow dampens R1's powers and he loses consciousness.

R1 regains consciousness to realize that the man has spared his life, on the girl's command. The girl introduces herself as Lyra, and explains that the man, Kaius, is her protector. She is the daughter of Eria, who is the descendent of the demon king Diablos, making her a possible reincarnation for the demon to return. Because of this, the winged warriors of The Silver City have relentlessly hunted her down, in an effort to kill her before Diablos reawakens. With the death of the Paladins, the "Silver Warriors" have made the decision to eliminate her to avoid fighting the demon. However, R1 is unable to understand anything Lyra is saying, and Kaius deduces that R1 is incapable of language, which may have been the reason he had become hostile upon seeing the sword.

Lyra holds R1's hand and assures him that she means him no harm. The warmth of her gaze provides R1 with the indication that the two are not hostile, calming the Remnant down.

Growing up

Several months have passed, and Lyra discovers R1 has matured and grown at an unusual pace, his body having reached near adulthood. Kaius teaches R1 to speak English, and teaches the Remnant mannerisms, while Lyra offers to give R1 lessons on the crossbow. However, R1 finds himself inept with ranged weapons, preferring to use a sword.

Lyra and Kaius ask R1 if he has a name, as they had found him emerging from the ground. R1 explains that his memories are very hazy, but believes he had a life before this. The one thing he does remember is the name he was given. "R1". Unfortunately, due to still being relatively new to English, Lyra interprets his name as "Arman Wan". Kaius and Lyra begin calling R1 "Arman", after the nickname begins to stick.

A few more weeks pass, and R1 becomes slightly fluent with English, and is able to understand the language. Helping Kaius with his hunt, the two head out.

Arman asks Kaius how he met Lyra, and Kaius explains that he was tasked to protect her by the townsfolk who had raised her when she was young. When the Silver Warriors descended from the skies to pursue Lyra, the townsfolk attempted to reason with the winged intruders that bloodshed is not the solution. Unfortunately, all the settlers were slaughtered. Lyra's father, Cetus, begs Kaius to look after his daughter, and proceeds to aid his fellow townsfolk in holding off the Silver Warriors, sacrificing himself to save Lyra.

Before Arman can respond, a massive explosion from the hut distracts and sends the two into distress. Kaius and Arman return to the hut to discover that Lyra has been attacked by a Silver Warrior, who Kaius recognizes as Caile, Gatekeeper of the Sixth Pillar. Kaius tells Arman to protect Lyra, but Arman, seeing the hut as his home, in pieces, becomes enraged. Arman draws his sword and engages Caile.

Remnant 1 vs. Caile of the Sixth

R1 slashes at Caile, who deflects the Remnant's swipes with her wings, however discovers that the boy possesses superhuman strength, and is blown away. R1 pursues the angel while Kaius tends to Lyra.

R1 and Caile exchange blows, but Caile notes R1's inexperience with the sword, and easily outmatches the Remnant, slashing at his stomach. R1 falls to his knees, allowing Caile to swipe once more at the Remnant's face, sending him through several trees.

Caile believes she has won, but sees Arman emerging from the ruins, his wounds regenerating and healing at an alarming pace. R1 and engages Caile once more, with Caile continuously damaging R1, to no avail as the Remnant's regeneration is too much for her to handle. Arman swipes at a depleted Caile, cutting her face, causing the angel to become angry. Caile grabs Arman and flies to the skies launching him several thousand feet into the ground. The shock of the fall sends the Remnant unconscious.

Aftermath and Nomadism

R1 regains consciousness and discovers that Caile had been too injured to fight Kaius, and had retreated. Kaius and Lyra tended to the Remnant, only to realize he had already fully healed from his wounds. Lyra asks R1 what he is, and R1 is unable to answer, unsure of the answer himself.

Kaius notes that if Arman masters the sword, he might be able to fend off and possibly defeat the Silver City, but Lyra tells her protector that this isn't up for them to decide, as bloodshed is not a solution. The trio look at their destroyed hut, and scavenge as many resources as possible to look for a new home.

Mercenary Days

Arman, Kaius, and Lyra travel to the village Amod, where they are greeted by the townsfolk who introduce themselves as the Amodites. Kaius asks the Amodites for a place of refuge, but the villagers tell the nomads that they cannot trust them.

Lyra offers them their services as mercenaries, as she reveals that they are capable of combat. The Amodites agree to the terms, and allow the trio to stay in their village in exchange for taking up offers.

Arman, Kaius, and Lyra spend the next few months working as mercenaries to the village, defeating bandits, destroying soul beasts, and protecting the townsfolk. Over time, Kaius and Lyra gain fame, and are appointed to members of the Village Council. Arman, unfortunately, is not recognized for his deeds, leading to him becoming an outcast. Due to his strange powers of regeneration and his superhuman strength, he is regarded by the townsfolk as a monster. Deeply hurt by this, Arman decides to leave the village alone, without letting Kaius and Lyra know.

Reimos

While walking around the outskirts of the village, Arman discovers a secret cult that has been rumoured to abduct villagers for sacrifices. Arman foolishly interrupts the ritual and attempts to fight the cult and put them up for arrest. Arman defeats the cult members, but one of the cult members calls Arman a fool, and frantically tells him to end the ritual. Unable to comprehend what a "ritual" is due to his still developing English, Arman does not end it, causing the hellspawn Reimos to emerge and be loose.

Reimos slaughters the cult members, and declares himself to be free. Arman draws his sword and attempts to engage Reimos, but Reimos swats the Remnant aside, laughing at R1's foolishness. R1 regains his composure and attempts to fight Reimos again, but Reimos blasts Arman with Darkfire, bypassing his healing factor and defeating the Remnant.

Arman awakens in an underground room, and is tended to members of the cult. The members tell Arman that the hellspawn is now on the loose, and need all the manpower they can get to return him to the Underworld. Arman asks the members how that is possible, and the cult members tell the Remnant that they noticed his superhuman strength, meaning he might have the means to wield the legendary celestial slayer. Pariah.

R1 Obtains Pariah

R1 and the cult members enter The Labyrinth, a dungeon with numerous traps and dangers. Arman ignores these traps and takes the damage head on, his regeneration keeping him from dying. The Remnant leaps platform to platform until he reaches a room.

The room contains Pariah, a powerful steel blade that glows white, but is guarded by a heavily armoured angel. The angel introduces himself as Yule, The Mind, and tells the Remnant that if he seeks the blade, he must defeat him.

R1 engages Yule, but discovers that his blade is unable to penetrate the angel's armour. Yule's immense strength combined with his battle axe knocks R1 all across the room. Yule remarks that R1 possesses incredible regeneration, but lacks the strength. Arman continues taking punishment from the angel as the cult members attempt to provide the Remnant moral support.

Yule's axe catches R1's skull and launches him into the side of the room, cracking it. Yule tells R1 that the only reason he made it to the room was that he relied on his powers. This causes R1 to clutch his head in pain, as memories flood his consciousness. R1 sees the memories of a boy, that looks very similar to him, climbing the platforms of what appears to be another realm, cursing and telling himself that he relied too much on his powers and that he should have trained his body as well.

Yule is taken aback, having seemingly seen the vision too. R1 gets to his feet, but is confused as to why Yule looks horrified. Yule calls R1 a child of a monster, and backs away, offering the Remnant the blade in exchange for his life. R1 asks Yule what he means by this, but the angel is terrified, begging for mercy.

The cult members meet with Arman and see that the angel is in a weakened state. The cult members are also confused, and one of the members asks Yule why he is terrified, and what he means by Arman being the child of a monster.

Yule tells the cult members that when he fought Arman, his powers seemed very familiar, and upon seeing the vision that Arman had emitted to him due to his telepathic powers, realizes why. His powers were similar to that to Decen of Acadia, the Paladin of War. Arman doesn't understand, but upon hearing the name, experiences another vision, this time of a boy having his neck choked by a towering orc, his sinister face, eyeing him with utmost evil. The boy's neck cracks as he goes limp, his soul dispersing into pieces.

Yule also experiences the vision, and horrifyingly confirms his most feared suspicions: Arman is the Remnant of Decen. The angel retreats, blowing a hole through the roof of the labyrinth, and leaves. The shockwave of Yule's retreat destroys the magical casing barring Pariah, and the Remnant takes the sword, strapping it to his back. The cult members tell R1 to go to the surface, and face off against Reimos once more, this time with the Celestial Slayer.

Remnant 1 vs. Reimos

The cult members tell Arman to battle Reimos, explaining that the hellspawn must be weakened enough for the ritual to work and return the monster back to the Underworld. Arman runs to the village, where he hears the sounds of battle, and discovers that Lyra and Kaius have been battling the hellspawn alongside the Amodites.

Reimos has slaughtered a number of the townsfolk. Kaius attempts to swipe at the monster, but Reimos's Darkfire keeps him at a distance. Lyra's crossbow bolts do no damage, and Reimos tells the two that he will destroy this entire village, and claim his territory.

Arman leaps from the top of a building, and slashes down, cutting deep into the Hellspawn's shoulder. Reimos roars in agony and launches the Remnant away with Darkfire. Arman falls to the ground and is saved by Lyra, who is angry as to why Arman had left without letting her or Kaius know. Arman explains that he had set the Hellspawn loose by interrupting a ritual from the cult members, and that because of this, Reimos is now on the loose. Feeling responsible, Arman vows to defeat Reimos himself, getting up without listening to Lyra.

R1 engages Reimos, and the hellspawn blasts the Remnant with Darkfire. Pariah absorbs the flames, and R1 manages to unleash the torrent in a powerful slash, severing the hellspawn's arm. Reimos growls, and tells Arman that wielding the Celestial Slayer means nothing. R1 and Reimos clash, but R1 quickly realizes his superhuman strength is not on par to that of the hellspawn's and is sent flying into a hut.

Reimos leaps into the air and smashes R1 further into the ground. Picking up the boy, Reimos opens his claw, and blasts the Remnant's face with Darkfire, damaging and burning his skin.

Reimos stops and realizes that his side has been pierced by Kaius, who managed to close the distance. Reimos, in rage, fires a torrent of Darkfire at Kaius and knocks him into the ceiling of the hut. R1, seeing his friend's charred body, becomes enraged, and slips out of the hellspawn's grip, grabbing Pariah, and piercing Reimos' chest, weakening the monster.

Still in a rage, R1 jumps in the air, using the lodged sword as a foothold, and begins repeatedly punching the hellspawn in the face; Remnant and Hellspawn stumbling out of the hut and landing at the foot of the Amodites as well as the cult members. The cult members see their chance and begin chanting, invoking a return ritual to send Reimos back to the Underworld.

Reimos gets to his feet and tries to stop the cult members, but Arman also recovers and charges, ramming into the monster and sending multiple punches to the hellspawn's midsection. However, Reimos is too durable, and Arman realizes his superhuman strength is not enough to deal any damage. Reimos grabs Arman's face, and slams him into the ground. Imbuing his claws with Dark Energy, Reimos begins punching Arman's face as the Remnant sinks deeper and deeper into the ground.

While Reimos is distracted by Arman, the cult members continue their chant, while Lyra runs to Kaius' side, realizing that her protector is still alive, but in terrible condition.

Reimos is about to deal a finishing blow, but his fist is caught by Arman, who's rage has completely taken over his body and mind. Arman glares at the hellspawn, and tells him he will not lose, seeing visions of the same boy, having realized that this boy is none other than Decen of Acadia. R1 opens his hand, and Pariah comes flying to its new master, cutting through Reimos' chest once more. The monster is severely weakened, the runes of the invocation now slowly retrieving the hellspawn's essence. R1 gets to his feet, and using the flat of Pariah's blade, slams Reimos further into the rune. Arman retreats as Reimos roars in defiance, but is ultimately banished back to the Underworld.

Arman turns around to see Lyra and a severely injured Kaius. Lyra is in tears as the two tend to their friend.

Aftermath and the Search for the Cure

Kaius is revealed to have been sustained permanent injuries for which recovery is not possible. Lyra vows to find a cure, but is interrupted by the Amodites, who banish R1 out of the village for aiding the cult members and unleashing a hellspawn that slaughtered many.

Lyra pleads to the Amodites for a second chance, but Arman's banishment is final. R1 tells Lyra that he will leave and not worry her and Kaius, but Lyra tells the Remnant that he is family to her as well. If Arman goes, so do they.

That night before the trio set off, Kaius gains partial consciousness, and tells Lyra that should he die, she now has a new protector: Arman. Lyra tearfully rebukes this thought, and scolds her current protector for thinking this way, swearing that she will find a way to cure him. Kaius brushes the girl's hair and tells her that no matter what they tell her, no matter who her bloodline is, she is what she makes of herself. Her adherence to morals and acceptance is what prevents Diablos from arising. Her fate as Diablos' reincarnation shall be bent. Twisted.

Arman sits outside, inspecting Pariah. The blade glows with a white light in the darkness, illuminating the forestry. Suddenly, a vision flashes in his eyes. A beautiful young woman, perhaps the same age as Lyra, looking back at the Remnant. Her hair, bright green, and her eyes, the same colour. Piercing. Calculating.

For some reason, Arman knows this lady's name.

Merrow Rivenlight, The Guardian of Decen.

The Silver Priests

Lyra leads Arman, who carries a dying Kaius to the city of Argen, home of the silver priests who serve the Silver City. Arman is confused as to why Lyra would take the trio to the city that wish for her death. Lyra explains that the silver priests are loyal to the Silver City, and thus must know Celestial Magic, which is restorative in nature. Meaning they must have a solution to cure Kaius' Darkfire wounds. As the Silver City and the Underworld have been long fated enemies.

As the trio continue their journey, Lyra begins to become increasingly annoyed at Arman's lack of understanding of the world, eventually becoming frustrated with the young Remnant. Without Kaius to teach and act as R1's mentor, Lyra is forced to show the Remnant how the world works, a role she is not used to taking on. This eventually results in Lyra calling R1 a brainless idiot, hurting the Remnant's feelings. Lyra apologizes and confesses that she is under tremendous stress. Her protector she had known all her life is dying before her very eyes. She is being hunted by the angels of the Silver City, and the fact that they are going to them right now to beg for a cure. All of this stacked on the prophecy that she will one day be the vessel for the demon lord Diablos, it has taken Lyra everything she has to keep moving forward.

Lyra dons a disguise, and approaches the civilians, seeking for medical attention for Kaius. The civilians call for emergency support, taking the man to the healers, who treat him. Lyra and Arman wait outside.

Lyra watches as the civilians continue on their day, and begins to contemplate whether or not her views of The Silver City were just. For the longest time, she had blamed the Silver City, and all those who serve them for the death of her family. All the cause for her pain, as the Winged Warriors hunted her. However, seeing the civilians kindly take the trio in, treating Kaius' wounds, she ponders if her feelings on the Argenites were valid.

An elderly priest approaches the two, having noticed that Kaius was being treated by the healers, and deduces that Kaius and Lyra have a strong bond. The priest introduces himself as "Pollux", offering the two support from the church he serves. Lyra is hesitant to leave Kaius alone, but Pollux reassures her that he is in safe hands.

On their way to the church, Arman is in awe at how developed the civilization of Argen is. Pollux observes this, and asks Arman if he is new to this world. Arman tells Pollux that his first birthday will be in three days, causing Lyra to nearly choke. However, Pollux is unfazed by this, and explains that he has encountered many magical species in his time taking in refugees and nomads.

Arman and Lyra spend the next few months under the care of Pollux and the church. While Lyra routinely checks up on Kaius, Pollux has taken the mantle of Arman's mentor, teaching the boy the ways of the Silver City. Lyra is initially against this, as she still harbours an intense hatred for the Winged Warriors, however, seeing that Pollux's teachings were not hostile in any form, permits Arman to follow Pollux.

Pollux teaches Arman how to read and write, how to properly address strangers, mannerisms, and Silver City politics. Arman also learns morals and ethics. It is during this time, where Arman begins to truly mature and evolve into a kind, compassionate, and civilized person. Under Pollux's teachings, Arman becomes a member of the church, hosting regular services with the old priest, and becomes accepted into the community of Argen, and achieving a high ranking position as Priest Medula, under the tutelage of Pollux.

Lyra, on the other hand, becomes increasingly impatient, as Kaius' wounds have seen no progress, despite these past few months. One day, Lyra checks up on Kaius, and discovers that his progress has not improved, but rather, worsened. Enraged by this, Lyra grabs the healers and demands an explanation, sparking fear amongst the infirmary. Lyra is asked to calm down by one of the senior healers, and to approach things objectively, but Lyra escalates the situation by physically attacking the guards, telling them they don't know what Kaius is to her.

During a ceremonial baptizing to officially declare Arman's allegiance to the church of Argen, the Remnant is interrupted by a member of the church, that Lyra has started a violent situation at the infirmary. Arman profusely apologizes to the committee and to Pollux, and rushes to the infirmary.

Lyra has defeated a majority of the soldiers who attempted to solve the situation, and Arman intervenes, attempting to calm Lyra down. However, Lyra sees Arman's robes, and calls him a traitor, asking if he has decided to join the Silver City, choosing them over her and Kaius. Lyra once again reminds Arman that the Silver City seeks to destroy her, and that they are only here for Kaius' sake.

Arman tells Lyra to stop, but Lyra continues, revealing her disguise and that she will extract the cure from these healers no matter what. At whatever the cost. She will not let her protector die. Lyra's identity reveal causes shock amongst the members of the infirmary, and Pollux, who manages to catch up to Arman.

Lyra tells Arman to choose: her, or the people of Argen. Because if he is to continue with his ways, he might as well leave her. Arman thinks back to his months with Pollux. How Pollux had treated the Remnant like a son, and how the people of Argen treated him like family. Arman thinks back to how Lyra had gotten upset at him just because he was unfamiliar with the world, still too young to understand the situation she was in. Arman thinks back to how he was secluded from the people of Amod, and how when he left, Lyra was more angry than concerned for his safety. Pollux puts his hand on the young Remnant's shoulder, and tells him that no matter what he chooses, he will still be like a son to the old priest.

Arman tearfully tells Lyra that he chooses the people of Argen. However, he will do his best to restore Kaius. Lyra, in immense hurt and turmoil, renounces her relationship with the young Remnant. Taking Kaius from the bed, Lyra announces that she no longer wants anything to do with Arman.

Several soldiers from the Argen army enter the infirmary, after receiving word that the descendent of Diablos is among them, but Pollux dismisses them. Lyra tells Arman that he is dead to her, and that she will find a cure herself, without his help: By travelling to the Underworld, and searching for a way to undo the Darkfire. Arman is in shock, telling her that such a task is too dangerous, and tells her he will come, but Lyra angrily dismisses the Remnant.

Lyra is escorted out of Argen, along with an injured Kaius. R1 watches the two leave the city, as Pollux comforts the young Remnant.

Adulthood

Arman initially wishes to pursue Lyra, explaining that she will die from the Underworld, however Pollux tells the young Remnant that doing so is unwise. Lyra is immune to the dark effects of the Underworld, being the descendent of Diablos. However, R1 is not, and his regeneration will not be enough to withstand the darkness, essentially nullifying it.

Arman still vows to one day find Lyra, even if it means venturing to the Underworld. One of Argen's military guard recognizes Arman's determination, and introduces herself as "Trista". Trista notes that R1 possesses incredible regeneration, superhuman qualities, and is somewhat skilled in swordplay. However, his abilities can be further trained, and offers to introduce the young Priest in Training to the fighting style of the Argen.

R1 spends the next few months training with Trista and the Argen army, assisting them in their battles, conquests, and adventures, while also serving the Argen church under Pollux's teachings. These months turn to years, as R1 reaches full adulthood, achieving the rank of Centurion in the Argen Guard, and Priest Proxima, member of the church. R1's skill with Pariah has become expert level, from years of fighting alongside the Argen guard, and with his services to the Argen church, Arman now possesses the love and trust of the city of Argen.

One night, an adult R1 stands on the balcony of the church, after having treated an elderly Pollux. R1 unsheathes Pariah, and once again inspects the weapon, its glow illuminating the surroundings. The Remnant hadn't received a vision ever since the day Lyra had left him. R1 suddenly remembers his promise. That one day, he will have grown strong enough to overcome the darkness of the Underworld, and find Lyra.

Sensing R1's uneasiness, an elderly Pollux asks R1 if he still remembers his promise. R1 confirms this, and asks his mentor if he is strong enough to find Lyra. However, Pollux explains that the power he has gained is still not enough to overcome the darkness of the Underworld. R1 is confused, as his years of fighting alongside the Argen Guard has made him strong. His regeneration has evolved to the point of being capable of holding off entire legions of undead, hellspawn, and enemy soldiers. His skill with Pariah has reached to the point of being capable of holding his own against Trista herself, who's swordplay is unparalleled in all of Argen. Even Arman's superhuman strength, has become stronger, with R1's fully developed body.

Pollux laughs, and tells R1 that it isn't physical strength that he lacked, but rather his spiritual resilience. To withstand the darkness of the Underworld, R1 needs to be pure. In the heart. R1 asks Pollux how to achieve this, and Pollux smiles, telling Arman that he must have the priest's blessing. Arman is in shock, as he understands what must happen.

For R1 to achieve this, he must receive the blessing of Pollux, at the cost of the old priest's life.

Suddenly, the walls cave in, as explosions fill the city.

The Underworld Invades

Arman shields and protects Pollux, unsheathing Pariah and quickly cutting boulders into pieces, preventing any from hitting the Priest. Arman grabs Pariah and leaps out of the building, to be greeted with two hellspawn.

The hellspawn recognize an adult Arman, remarking that he was the same boy who was unable to take down their brother, Reimos. The two charge the Remnant, R1 easily dispatches the two, stating that he is no longer the same person Reimos had fought, and that he has become far stronger. The two hellspawn watch in disbelief as Pariah absorbs the Darkfire, and as R1 closes in, slicing the two with blinding speed.

R1 rushes to the Argen Guard, commanding the soldiers to take and protect Pollux.

Remnant 1 vs. Underworld Army

R1 turns to face multiple hellspawn, who are being held back by the Argen Guard. R1 assists his brothers and sisters in battle, protecting the city, and dispatches hellspawn left and right. The hellspawn are in awe at the power of the Remnant, and retreat behind a bigger and much more powerful hellspawn.

R1 faces the hellspawn general, as the two armies face off.

Trista stands by R1's side, but the general growls, telling the people of Argen that he wishes to battle the legend himself. The being who had slain his brethren, who had battled his brother, Reimos, and lived to tell the tale. The Hellspawn General wishes to fight Remnant 1, in one on one combat.

R1 nods at Trista, who commands the Argen Guard to back down, as the two armies circle around R1 and the General in a giant arena.

R1 unsheathes Pariah, which glows white with energy. Arman asks the general for his name, and the general introduces himself as Troja Shel, the brother of Reimos Shel and Arcel Shel. Troja had risen to the rank of general, commanding the armies of the Underworld. Seeing his brothers as inferior, one having defected from his kind to live among the mortals, and the other having been defeated by Arman, Troja vows to avenge his brother's honour. By killing R1.

Remnant 1 vs. Troja Shel

R1 and Troja clash, but even with R1's improved superhuman strength, he is still overpowered by the much larger, much more powerful hellspawn. Troja laughs as the hellspawn swipes his fist, sending the Remnant flying. Although he had gotten stronger, Troja declares that he is not Reimos. And that Reimos had entered the world untrained, while Troja had been training since conception.

Troja fires a torrent of Darkfire at R1, who absorbs the flames with Pariah, closing in and swiping at Troja's face. However, the hellspawn predicts this, and dodges, slashing at R1 with his claws, dealing immense damage. R1's shredded body hits the ground as the hellspawn cheer. Troja celebrating.

Arman's body regenerates, as the Remnant gets to his feet. Troja is enraged, and engages Arman once more. However, Arman quickly understands Troja's fighting pattern, having somehow adapted to the hellspawn's technique, and outpaces the monster, slicing and disabling his arms, then leaps to the air, slicing Pariah right through Troja's face.

Troja, in disbelief falls on his back, as R1 lands on top of the Hellspawn General's chest, seemingly victorious. R1 positions Pariah to Troja's neck, about to finish off the general. However, this is interrupted, as black lightning erupts from Troja's body, powering up as Troja pushes R1 off, sending the Remnant flying once more.

Troja's speed and strength have now been boosted from the dark powers of the Underworld, and begins outpacing R1, pummelling and disarming the Remnant. Troja pins down Arman and begins clawing at the Remnant, out damaging his healing factor.

Arman, now losing consciousness, looks onward at the armies of Argen. His comrades in shock as their greatest soldier is brutalized before their very eyes. Trista glaring at the General and about to call in the armies to intervene.

Arman suddenly experiences a vision unlike any other.

Reawakening

Arman wakes up, realizing he is in another memory. He is in a different place, and for some reason, it's almost like a different world. R1 looks around, and takes in the environment. Dark and cloudy. Rain pouring from the skies. It is night, but all around, the buildings are of a different kind. Not the type seen in Argen, and not the type seen in Amod. These buildings seem... advanced.

The vision moves forward, and Arman witnesses the same monstrosity holding Decen by the throat, declaring to end the Paladins. A woman screams Decen's name, alongside another being, his face disfigured heavily. The monster drops Decen, and leaves, as the woman grabs Decen. Despite her protests, the much larger dark being grabs the woman and runs from the monster, leaving Decen's body sprawled on the ground.

R1 approaches the Paladin, his progenitor, and watches as the body begins to dissolve, bits and pieces flying into the air at incomprehensible speeds.

Arman is interrupted by a voice behind him, and he turns around, realizing that it is the woman, her hair green. Merrow Rivenlight looks Arman up and down and remarks on the resemblance. R1 asks Merrow what she wants, and if she is the cause of his visions. Merrow smiles, and tells the Remnant that it has been too long since she has seen a face like his again, but tells him that when he is ready, to seek her. To find her, to truly understand his origins, and where he has come from, and his purpose.

Arman asks Merrow if she is real, but Merrow dismisses this, and tells him that he must become stronger. This link was established because Arman had subconsciously created it, as he seeked strength. As of now, he is unable to defeat Troja, and needs more strength.

Merrow asks Arman if he really believes strength is enough to win, and Arman tells Merrow that strength is absolute in this fight. Merrow sighs and tells Arman that his progenitor, Decen of Acadia, always had the same mentality, and that even after using the Power of the Paladins, it never left him, and ended up being transferred to his Remnants.

Arman is upset, and Merrow senses his discord, asking if this fight with Troja is the only reason he seeks to become stronger. R1 responds that he wants to become strong enough to defeat Troja but also to find Lyra, and save Kaius. Arman wishes to find Lyra and properly apologize, and after all these years, he has been training for that reason.

Merrow tells Arman that what he seeks is not just strength, but also love. Familial love. Just like Decen always did, even if he didn't want to admit it. However, he has already achieved this, with Lyra, Kaius, Pollux, and the members of Argen. Just like Decen had with Merrow and Sentry.

The strength that lies from the people around him, that is the strength Arman always had, just ready to be tapped into.

Arman awakens from his vision, and instantly dodges Troja's finishing attack. Troja powers up once more, breaking through the Remnant's defences, and sending him back with a powerful shockwave. Troja closes in to swipe once more, but Arman has suddenly already predicted this, dodging and countering.

This cycle continues, with Troja dealing damage, then being countered. Despite landing blows, Troja discovers that he is being ground down, as R1's regeneration keeps him from gassing out.

Troja roars in frustration, asking how Arman is capable of keeping up despite having powered up already. Arman realizes that he has developed the ability to analyze Troja's increasingly elevating fighting pattern. The power of Combat Intuition, unlocked from using the strength of his allies and family.

Arman dodges and weaves through Troja's last ditch attacks, seamlessly evading his attacks and powers up Pariah, who has absorbed a substantial amount of Darkfire. Arman leaps into the air and delivers a powerful slash of Darkfire, which incinerates both Troja and half the hellspawn armies.

The Blessing and the Search for Lyra

With R1's powerful attack, the armies of the Underworld retreats, leaving Argen's armies victorious. The Argen Guard carry Arman on their shields, rejoicing in their victory.

That night, Arman was given the customary honours for bravery and utmost performance in battle by Trista. After the ceremony and party, Arman finishes conversing with the Argen nobles and tends to Pollux, who has decided to give Arman his blessing. However, Arman does not want to see his father die.

Pollux tells Arman to stay strong and true to himself. Out of all the many years Pollux served as a priest to the Argen church, he had never met someone as unique as Arman. Despite the time they spent together, Pollux is still human, and is ready to depart to the afterlife. Pollux thanks Arman for providing him something he had never thought of having ever since choosing to walk the path of the Priest: a son.

A tearful Arman receives Pollux's blessing as the old priest dies in peace, with a loving smile on his face. The resultant blessing imbues Arman with new power, boosting his Regeneration and overall abilities. Arman opens his hands, as he discovers he now possesses a silver glow just like Pariah. The glow dissipates as Arman closes his father's eyes, and commands several of the house maids to arrange a memorial service for the high priest of Argen.

Arman sets off to enter the Underworld, through the Scar of Hades.