Back in Gonogah, Felsen's firstborn son, Maxwell, learns of the inheritance and determines to contest it.  He challenges Chandler to a duel to the death.  The winner takes the kingdom.  As Chandler is a child, however, Maxwell will accept any champion Adriana names to fight in his place.  Adriana chooses Philip to fight at the new moon and Aden is sent as a hostage to insure Philip's cooperation.  Before he leaves, however, he tells Adriana that they must win Gonogah, even if it means cheating.

 

Ione tells Adriana about the sad history of his people, conquered by the Ebene.  He mentions the Aki, Gonogah's equivalence of the Phoenix Fighters.  Most of them were wiped out when the Ebene took over, but some still exist.  Adriana realizes she has the opportunity to begin a fresh assult on the Ebene from within, so she decides to go to Gonogah and try to learn about Maxwell.  Meanwhile, Aden, who has the run of the palace despite his hostage status, switches the Ebene toxin with water to prevent Philip from turning into Philip Dragmire again.

 

That night, Drefan, Maxwell's best friend, takes Aden and a few other Ebene nobles to a dance club.  There, Aden is startled to realize that Adriana is the star attraction.  Adriana dances for Drefan, who gets drunker and drunker and begins to tell tales about Maxwell.  Through his ravings, both Aden and Adriana learn that Maxwell's greatest weakness is an Ebene liason named Lori who has refused his affections.  Aden then uses some money Ione gave him to "purchase" Adriana for the night.  Alone, he instructs her to break into Kazuo's old room and find some form of Ebene identifcation.  She does and quickly sends Lucien to deliver it to Aden.

 

Using Kazuo's identifcation, he calls on Lori and pretends to be an Ebene spy, sent to give her instructions.  He tells her it is in the Ebene's best interest for Maxwell to lose the fight and instructs her to get Maxwell drunk the night before the fight.  She obeys and when Philip arrives for the duel the next evening, Maxwell is incredibly hung over.

 

The fight is fairly one sided as Philip dominates over the ailing Maxwell.  Time and time again, Maxwell attempts to get Philip to surrender, but the champion refuses.  Soon, Philip has Maxwell at his mercy.  Maxwell surprises everyone when he announces that knows the Phoenix Fighters have cheated, naming an immortal champion.  Philip still refuses to surrender, so Maxwell declares he intends to blow up the arena.  Before anyone can stop him, he activates an explosive on his signet.  Aden drags Drefan to safety and Ione throws himself over Adriana.  As the explosion subsides, they realize the room is unstable, so they rush to the throne room where Chandler is named king.  Adriana surprises everyone when she asks Ione to serve as his coregent until he comes of age.  Ione agrees and promises to bring the Aki back to power.  A second front has formed.