Second Trumpet

The Second Trumpet, also called the King of Salt (塩の王), is a Seraph existing in the Seraph of the End series. Its existence within Yūichirō Hyakuya was noted by his demon, Asuramaru. Through human experimentation, the Second Trumpet's consciousness emerged, where its powers were partially restrained by Yu's demon. In a murderous state, the Second Trumpet desired and acted to kill humans as sinners.

Appearance
Existing within Yu, the King of Salt's golden and amber colored eyes, with a black sclera was an indicator in what it looked like. Unlike other seraph's, such as the Fifth Trumpet and the Sixth Trumpet who had feathered seraph wings, the King of Salt's wings from Yu were a shadowy black in appearance on account of the demon power of Asuramaru acting to restrain the seraph's influence. Where the other two seraphs had four wings, the Second Trumpet only ever had two wings visible, and only one on occasion.

Personality
Upon the transformation, the Second Trumpet was exceptionally hostile. Judging humans as sinners, it spoke that they must die and acted to do that using Yu's sword. Its moments of calm are when articulating humanity's perceived transgressions and the annihilative consequences that will follow. The King of Salt can also focus on and momentarily civilly interact with vampires and demons. It ordered a vampire to not interfere with its goal of killing humans, and questioned who a demon was with one before it. Facing attack from another seraph, the Second Trumpet acted to defend itself before focusing on slicing apart a conjured demon rather than the seraph itself.

History
A Yu from the past was seen with six seraphim wings and was kept in the company of the first vampire, Sika Madu. The present day Yu was experimented on by the Hyakuya Sect led by Saitō where he would come to bear the Second Trumpet. From the Sixth Trumpet's words, it may have been a specific mission assigned to the Second Trumpet to be the one who would destroy the world.

Story
The King of Salt's influence partially emerges during the battle of Shinjuku. After Yu had ingested Cursed Gear Stimulants given to him by Shinoa Hīragi at Guren Ichinose's direction, at seeing his squad captured by vampires where their blood was being drained, in his mind Yu found seraphs fluttering about. After a violent transformation occurs, the Second Trumpet acting in Yu's body leaves him a deranged murderous being. Advancing towards Shinoa, the seraph in Yu would find the Cursed Gear sword it is wielding endured by Mikaela Hyakuya. Instructing what it knew to be a vampire to not get involved, the Second Trumpet focused on attempting to murder Shinoa, before her embrace of Yu confined its presence, leaving Yu unconscious.

At Nagoya airport, when the Fifth Trumpet in Mirai Kimizuki generates Abaddon, a gargantuan pillar of light signals The Second Trumpet's activation. Its two shadowy black wings again indicated its influence kept in check by Asuramaru, yet the light continued to pour into the sky until fired at by Abaddon with seraph Mirai. In the air, the Second Trumpet speaks how the time had come. Tainted humans that had reached for the forbidden shall become pillars of salt. A number of jagged salt based formations defend against a second emission from Abaddon. Forming a long sword out of what it could conjure, the Second Trumpet leapt into the air and ran across Abaddon to cut the monster apart.

Remaining airborne, the Second Trumpet announces the end, that on this day the cycle of human greed and desire shall crumble as naught but pillars of salt in the wind. Facing Asuramaru who has appeared, the King of Salt asks who he is before watching as Asuramaru speaks with Yu about turning him into a full demon to control the seraph. Shouting for Asuramaru to be silent, the Second Trumpet declares humanity sees its end today. Noticing Yu's sword react, the seraph bellowed for humans to cease this and not reach further into the forbidden. When two demon horns appear from Yu's head, the King of Salt's influence falters, where its still visible wings do not stop Yu tumbling to the ground.

The Second Trumpet's power is planned to be resorted to in order to rescue Krul Tepes and Ferid Bathory from fifth progenitor, Ky Luc and the seraph emerges through Yu during preparatory training. Breaking into the roof of Ferid's manor, the seraph within Yu uses both of its dark wings to fly towards Shinya Hīragi. A wing is still partially visible when Yu is himself.

Visualized, with Asuramaru's help the seraph is activated when Yu assails Ky Luc. Enraged, the force of the King of Salt's hand against Ky Luc generates a blasting wave to those below. An extendable tongue wraps around Ky Luc's arm, and flying past has it cut into his neck. The seraph keeps Yu standing after being struck with a ranged attack that breaks into the ground. The tongue wrapping round Ky Luc's leg helps keep the vampire noble restrained for other attacks targeting the vampire.

Making it in-front of Guren to bear Ky Luc's hand, after a hole is blown through Yu's chest where his heart is crushed, the King of Salt's power regenerates the injury before landing and standing nearby. Within Yu it faces Ky Luc even with others nearby then its wings fizzle out as Yu drops to his knees. Its murderous state during the battle is remembered by Krul who sensed her brother.

Within Asuramaru's realm, the King of Salt's effects linger on Yu where the wings are fully formed with the seraph's trumpet held in Yu's demonic appearing clawed hand. Its influence has half of Yu's face and eye altered, yet releasing the trumpet restores his hand to what it was. While the shadowy seraph wings disappear there, one remains on Yu physically as he recovers in a tank.

At Guren's residence, in response to the musical notes played by the Sixth Trumpet's instrument, the King of Salt within Yu reacts of its own accord. After conjuring a trumpet of its own, the Second Trumpet with Yu's eyes clouded over glances towards Mika before moving closer to the other seraph, passing through a barrier unchecked that causes others to rebound off it upon contact. Indifferent to a ranged attack on the barrier from Mika behind, the seraph makes some audible communication to the Sixth Trumpet. Facing him Yu answers the other seraph he approached because they are the same kind. Deemed broken, Yu is targeted for death by the Sixth Trumpet where with that a new unblemished King of Salt will be born.

While Yu retains his own mind, the King of Salt's trumpet is held by him and is an effective defence at batting away the forming Four Horsemen of John projectiles fired at him from the Sixth Trumpet. The strength helps him cut away the chains binding the Sixth Trumpet, slice apart fully materialized Horsemen, and then indent the seraph's trumpet. After the Sixth Trumpet takes to the air, Yu's shadow seraph wings can form to allow him to join the other seraph. In speaking to the sixth Trumpet, Yu is not seen as a seraph yet the power there helps him endure the Sixth Trumpet's ranged attacks and keep him airborne to block the seraph's trumpet with his sword.

Whether through the demon or seraph influence, or a combination of both, Yu appears more seraph like in that he looks murderous in his fight against the Sixth Trumpet. The King of Salt's influence is not enough to stop Yu articulating his wish to save Kimizuki's sister, his friends or family, neither call upon his demon to grant more power. Continuing to battle in the air the power helps with fending off the seraph's trumpet being used as a physical weapon, then tackle the Sixth Trumpet to the ground that generates an explosion. Keeping the Sixth Trumpet pinned, Yu appears in his seraph state but can call for the medicine required to save him and then watch as the boy rises into the air before attempting to catch him. Seraph Yu is happy to see that the youth is alive and with seraph power no longer required, Yu's shadowy wings appear to fade where he is physically restored to normal as well.

Powers and Abilities
Salt generation forms defensive and offensive powers of the Second Trumpet's disposal. Jagged formations can be created almost instantaneously which only appear brittle, the strength can withstand an emission from Abaddon that is able to break through buildings. Physical ornate weaponry can be produced, once a sword was materialized it could cut across a colossal sized monster as if the skin were paper. Through the sheer volume of it, and the speed at which it could be generated, a wave a salt could engulf humans and Horsemen which literally rendered them as salt to collapse to the earth. The Second Trumpet announced how it would turn those before it into pillars of salt, which based on what else it could do would be a perfectly feasible capability.

Capable of flight, the King of Salt could keep Yu positioned in the air without a need to move its wings. Leaping great distances was also effortless. Possessing a great endurance, seraph Yu could physically withstand holes punched through his chest, where a tremendous regenerative ability could allow him to recover from such an injury.

Yūichirō Hyakuya
Making up about a tenth of Yūichirō Hyakuya, who was experimented on by the Hyakuya Sect, the Second Trumpet can act through Yu's body when conscious. While the King of Salt harbors a great resentment of humanity, it occupies a human's body.

Asuramaru
The Second Trumpet had its power and influence restrained by Asuramaru, who is Yu's demon that inhabits his Cursed Gear. In its rage the Second Trumpet was apparently not aware of this and acted to do what it could with the capabilities it had. Seeing Asuramaru before it, the seraph asked who he was. Told it is not the one being addressed, where Asuramaru was speaking with Yu, the seraph resumed in its fury directed against humans.

Guren Ichinose
Through needle injected drugs from Guren Ichinose, and ones added to Cursed Gear Stimulants the seraph transformation can be induced by the Lieutenant Colonel of the Moon Demon Company. The Second Trumpet's presence was relied on to stall for time at the battle of Shinjuku. It was also brought forth by Guren in training sessions to prepare to fight against fifth progenitor Ky Luc. Then in that battle, the seraph's power helped save Guren from being struck by the vampire.

Crowley Eusford
With its power fuelling Yu, the King of Salt attacked Crowley Eusford, a thirteenth progenitor vampire. In training sessions, the King of Salt's influence would be kept in check by this vampire noble.