Devouring Monarch: Rebirth of the Profane Phoenix

To the east of the southern wilds, leaving a neutral port. A huge battleship departed with the fallen sun emblem on its sails.

It carried over fifty hooded figures in red. All stood on the top deck and watched the grand cardinal, who was channelling a display spell.

"Look, my brethren! Our Divine Son has completed his first trial!"

"Kill the lizard!"

"Divine Son!"

"Praise the Abyss!"

This simple event changed the current mood of the cultists after losing over two hundred of their new members to the royal guard's relentless ambushes.

"Now I know you all feel sorrow for our lost brothers."

"However, the birth of our Divine Son! Thanks to their sacrifices, Bishop Cairn could distract the dragon to awaken our Lord, so do not be disheartened."

"But Praise their efforts for our divine cause!"

"PRAISE!"

"PRAISE!"

A mass of thick magic gathered on the battleships from starboard cannons as they turned their divine fervours into a rain of cannonballs aimed at the southern wilds.

"Die, Silvaran scum! Long Live the Abyss!"

Dozens of shots burst from the cannons repeatedly as the Grand Cardinal vanished from sight into his private quarters, yet the fire he lit caused the cultists above to fire shells upon the forest, killing dozens without care.

***

Underneath the deck, it became an extravagant and luxurious hallway leading to a small room filled with a black table with seven red chairs, and at the centre of the table was the emblem of the fallen sun.

"Oh? You seem very happy. Felix!" a sensual woman's voice sounded.

The cardinal sat on his long bench, lounging as his robes parted, revealing his pale flesh. Now opposite a mature woman—she was beautiful and carried a deep scent of darkness.

Her raven hair danced along the shifting waves, gently rocking the boat as cannons fired above deck and her alluring red eyes.

"To what do I hold the pleasure of meeting the Duke of Drakkur's wife on such a wonderful day?"

"Oh, you fool... do you need to ask?"

The woman's eyes glistened like gemstones as she swayed her plump hips towards the cardinal, kneeling between his thighs as she massaged his taut leg muscles.

'This woman...'

'How long has she been sharing a bed with me instead of her foolish husband? No. This is a mere clone, but the intent is there, at least.'

Her long tongue slid along his thighs before parting his robes completely, her seductive gaze almost capturing the hardened cardinal's heart as she narrowed her devilish eyes and unravelled his belt.

"Well~ I see that boy truly is the divine son you all wanted to find so desperately?"

"Oh? You speak as if you know him?"

The more she spoke, the more Felix needed to keep his guard—the moment her fingers touched his shaft. He realised his delight over the divine son cost him the victory, and this time, she would wring out all the information she desired.

"Oh, my~ didn't you know? That boy is going to marry my eldest daughter, Verana. Although I wish it were Verena, that girl is so reckless, but she reminds me of myself when I was younger, already controlling an Eastern prince using her body."

"Isn't Verena the shadow heir? It's dangerous to tell me this, you know... oh....!!"

A wet sucking filled the room as the cardinal's head flicked back. Yet he felt something strange. Was a human woman supposed to feel this way... A nagging feeling in his mind each time he met her.

He lost.

There was no victory for the fallen sun here... His tower crumbled, and she emptied and devoured the well.

The Duchess of Drakkur(?) swiftly wiped her mouth, her tongue alluringly teasing the spent cardinal as she swirled his essence around her mouth before swallowing with a loud gulp and removing her robes.

She sat beside Felix and whispered into his tired ears. "Fufu, to think you believe I ever let you touch my real body? Hahaha, thanks for the information, Felix."

"Y...You are more greedy than an abyss beast!"

"Oh, my~ you know our clan's origin. Should I kill you now?"

'This woman... Only this woman I cannot extract myself from.'

'Of all the noble and holy women who swear to be chaste... this woman is the only one who never surrenders to any man! It makes me want to conquer her!'

Grand Cardinal Felix didn't show above deck for the next two days.

When they found his body, he could barely move or speak; his blood was drained, and his body was bound by a magical spell much stronger than even the archbishop of his cult.

'That witch... She tricked me! It was all an illusion and tricks, everything! A damn vampire abomination fooled me! She has all the cards to negotiate with our archbishop. I never thought there would be an engagement promise between the two families!'

"How could I let her trick me into sleeping with her damn familiar!"

****

⁜ Duchess of Drakkur POV

A beautiful woman leaned lazily.

'What a stupid man, there was never a chance it would be the real me. My body lives and breathes for one man alone... and he is still dead.'

After learning more news about the divine son, her body and face were more devilish and sensual than ever. She sat on a large black throne surrounded by beautiful maids as she looked down at her daughter.

"Verana..."

"Yes, Mother," Verana answered with no emotion or tone, her eyes dull.

"You will marry the heir of the Fenix clan and make him obsessed with you. This is a Raven Order, do you understand?"

The surrounding knights, maids, and servants sucked cold air as they heard her voice. The fate of failing a Raven order as the Drakkur heir means to die and let your shadow take over the role of crown princess.

Verana's face twisted in disgust and bitter defeat.

"What is that face? Are you complaining, Verana?"

Verena watched from the second floor in the shadows, her face and aura almost identical to her mother's, with alluring makeup and sensual movements.

"Sister, I will make sure you fail!"

Whereas Verana's face was natural yet carried a sense of noble beauty neither of the other women possessed.

"I have no complaints. Asura Fenix is a very appealing man. However, I refuse to use magic and tricks to win his affection and would ask you also not to get involved!"

Suddenly, four shadow clones wrapped around her body, stroking her cheeks, shoulders, hair and neck. All of them were her mother, whispering and teasing her in a way nobody but Verana could hear.

"Oh? This is a little surprising for you, who hate relationships between men and women, to accept so easily. Has my little girl finally grown up? Does he get you hot and bothered?"

"!!!"

Verana's eyes closed as she felt her mother's shadow magic prying secrets like candy from a baby.

For the first time, the Duchess of Drakkur praised her daughter...

"You have good taste. I will give you two years since you weren't supposed to attend the academy till the eastern prince came. How about you go early and resume your studies?"

'Since Verana is into Asura Fenix and Verena is already sleeping with that damn Eastern prince. I win either way. I will pick the strongest of the two and make him my puppet. As if my daughters could compete with my abilities.'

The Duchess of Drakkar was a vile and deceitful woman—however, because of Asura's changes, she would send his supposed worst enemy to face him soon after the assessment competition ended.

'However, if he's truly the Divine Son... the lies of having a husband can finally be discarded. Because my husband will have returned to me!'

Now that the wheels of fate were turning faster, nobody on the continent knew what would come next.

*****

⁜ Mu Xue POV

Meanwhile, two days after the destruction of the western and south of the Southern Wilds, the assessment ended early because over fifty students died in the barrage of cannons two days after the dragon appeared.

Mu Xue sat while waiting for Asura to appear from the portals. Although she didn't know the results, her heart told her she and the princess must have won after slaying so many Stage Three monsters in the last five days.

'Asura... I have missed you so much. My body is empty... and needs your touch.'

"Xue! I wonder how many points we got, haha. I am so happy you were my partner!" Vela said with a cheerful voice. Her clothes looked perfect, but her flesh and muscles were a complete mess underneath her bones.

The healing elixir Mu Xue gave her kept her standing, but it was almost over—Mu Xue was no different. Her mental and physical exhaustion was more than the princess's.

Yet she wanted to meet Asura, her beloved master.

Mu Xue smiled before hugging Vela. The two developed a sisterly relationship over time and so got along well. They both liked Asura, and although Mu Xue realised her love was more passionate, she accepted Vela.

'If she hadn't stopped me, I would have been in danger several times trying to find him.'

"Vela... Do you think Asura is okay?" Mu Xue asked before the princess stroked her hair.

"Of course, he is fine. Asura is stronger than us, after all... Besides, he promised me, and I trust him."

Mu Xue nodded before noticing Asura appearing with Xavida, gripping his waist as she kissed his cheek.

Suddenly, it was like some kind of electricity shocked down her spine. Asura felt different. His face, smile, eyes, focus, aura... Mu Xue felt her face turning red as she stepped forward... her breathing became erratic as she could feel the blood in her veins pulsating as if they needed more room...

Step by step, she approached him. Her body moved subconsciously until Asura stared into her eyes... Mu Xue realised she felt like prey being hunted by a predator as Asura walked towards her.

"Mu Xue..."

Before he could speak, she attacked, like a mantis, her body faster than before, reaching the level of Xavida when using her Stage Four power... as she kissed him wildly, the state almost identical to Xavida when he showed his bloodline improvements in the forest.

Mu Xue's hands ripped his armour apart as she bit Asura's lip, drawing blood while pressing his body against the portal frame as she used her magic to force it closed.

"Master... Master.... Mashter... I love you... I love you!!!"

Their tongues entangled as Xavida fluttered away. Her eyes seemed to understand the situation as she landed beside the princess, smiling strangely as if seeing something good.

"Xavida... Why are they kissing?"

"Ehehe... It's because Mu Xue loves Asura as much as I do... So she will also be his wife."

Vela blinked before her eyes widened. She couldn't help feeling strange, a burning in her chest as she watched Mu Xue dominated by Asura in public.

The moment he turned things around, a barrier of shadow covered them completely as Vela watched with a gaze that screamed, 'Ah... I want that too!'

Yet she held herself back as Xavida hugged her arm and giggled.

"Don't worry. Asura will kiss you next, princess. He will love you, too."

"...Why do you think so... heh?" The princess spoke slurred while Lorem and the rest of the royal knights appeared, only looking at the shadow prison and shaking their heads.

"To be young."

"Ah... what a lucky boy."

"What a lucky girl!"

"Kids these days..."

With this, the assessment was over.... a week early, but it ended.

For Asura and Xue, their long kiss and cuddle wiped out the memories of the end. They almost missed the scores being called out.