Devouring Monarch: Rebirth of the Profane Phoenix

Meanwhile, 5000 miles south of the Silvaran capital city. Flames dance upon the hilltops. Many small towns and farm villages burned to ashes. The animals and birds flock to the north to avoid certain death as darkness never seen seeps into the motherland.

All that bordered the southern coast became a memory.

The villagers of Hilbram watch their billowing smoke on the horizon. They fortify their poor wooden walls, with only aged town guards who have seen far too many harvests and green youths who have enjoyed too few.

"Hank! What should we do!" A middle-aged man in patched leather armour holding a wonky spear with a rusted tip beseeched a handsome male with a scar on his cheek.

Hank, a former knight of Silvara who fell in love with Hilbram and his future wife Melody, retired here after injuring his right shoulder.

Since then, becoming the leader of the town watch and guard.

He held his old broadsword tight in hand, the memory of their daughter buried in the corner of his vision as he closed his eyes and remembered his beloved wife. 'Dear Melody... the enemy will soon defile our beloved daughter's grave. Please grant your foolish husband the strength to fight back and protect this small village.'

"The enemy is a bunch of monsters and a small company of knights. We can fight them."

Hank's deep voice echoed through the room as he began preparing himself for combat, looking at each of the men who would likely die with him.

He felt a sense of regret.

'If only I didn't quit training and became happy with my current state... Then my beloved Melody and my cute girl Marie would still be here!'

"Prepare the slings, grab the bows from the storage; this battle determines our future! Everyone, please help! Those who can use healing magic stay in the church and prepare for the wounded. Wind element users take their bows and shoot! If you miss them, SHOOT AGAIN!"

Thanks to Hank's powerful voice and muscular figure, the village rose from despair... Their broken morale and courage soared as the enemy's war drums sounded.

"We will fight to the end!"

***

The silver light of a blade cut through the air.

"HANK!?"

"AHHH!? HANKS DEAD!!!"

"RUN!"

A silver light cleaved a man in half while gigantic monsters tore apart the pathetic wooden wall. Their thick hides absorbed the few arrows that struck them; dozens of women screamed and fled in terror as mounted knights chased them down with couched spears.

Terror enveloped the village like a 30ft wave crashing down on the coast, their pitiful resistance for nought as the inside of the church echoed with the whimpers and cries of the victims...

"Prince Valos!"

A handsome male shouted to the leading monster, his arms penetrating the abdomen of two men trying to defend their children desperately.

"What?"

"Oh? It's Aldric the little Duke!"

Valos spoke with his two heads, the strange mutation of his body slowly creating two separate monsters.

One had black armour covering his entire body, with long, jagged teeth, and the other had pure white armour. His arms elongated with sharp claws, now drowned in the organs of the poor villagers.

However, they never stopped the entire method of speaking or replying at the same time with their distorted and disgusting voices.

"Your Highness, the village seems to have nothing of value. Will we be moving on?"

Aldric Cavallio, the newest Duke, joined the council after killing his father. Because of his betrayal and corruption, the prince, in his current twisted state, could easily manipulate and twist him to act out his bidding. The fifty knights were Aldric's most trusted elites.

Now, like savages, they were killing and brutalising the villagers and women after breaking all the rules and laws of knighthood.

"Hmmm, fool! We will wait here!"

"Why should we act like fools? That slut will send her little academy ants soon enough."

While speaking, the two faces became lost in pleasure, their eyes narrowing with a deep blush on their cheeks as their claws toyed with the organs inside the men they stabbed.

Aldric felt a little queasy when dealing with the monsters and this demon.

However, there was no choice. He either suffered mental anguish, or this monster would kill him or use the information and proof stolen from his mansion and estate to make him suffer.

"Understood. Then we should set up camp inside the village or burn it to the ground and make our camp atop those hills to the west."

"Your call."

"Hehehehehe, more... let's eat more!"

Aldric turned his back and walked away, the agonised screams of women sounding from behind him.

He desperately tried to block the sounds of their limbs being torn apart, bones broken, and their flesh eaten by the monster who used to be Prince Valos.

****

A few hours later, in the Helios forest west of the southern wilds.

Prince Valos strolled through the forest with an excited look, a bloody path leading deeper into the forest with dozens of human footprints seeming to flee from him desperately.

"Silly women...."

"We will devour them and make them part of our power!"

The twisted man spoke in both voices as he neared a small snap of a branch, followed by the terrified sobs of a small group of women huddling together.

"I told you idiots that you could live if you avoided me for four hours... A shame only three have passed!"

"Hehehe, such a delicious feast!"

"Ahhhh!"

"Noo...!"

"Please don't hurt us!"

"We will do anything! I can give birth to your child!"

Valos eyed them before his face twisted into disgust, memories of that woman who caused him this pain and the man who destroyed his manhood, making it impossible for him to reproduce even while becoming a monster.

"Mages who defy me! Do you think you deserve such a thing!? Plead and beg all you want!"

The black-armoured Prince lifted his left arm, pointing it at one girl staring at him with tearful eyes as he gritted his teeth.

Then, like a flash of lightning, his arm expanded and grabbed her throat; the woman tried to cast a spell, but the moment he closed his fingers, her neck cracked... almost dying instantly before his arm dragged her body to him while contracting.

"No, please, don't kill her! I am a virgin! Please, just eat me!"

The girl, who looked about 18, was blonde and had bright blue eyes. Valos drooled when looking at her wide hips and large breasts.

She looked a little like his sister... and the white Valos suddenly leapt into the air, his abdomen splitting open...

A disgusting mouth appeared with sharp teeth and drooling with highly acidic saliva.

"You're so big and tasty~ I bet you're a virgin! Your womb is pure and healthy~ unlike that slut!"

The blonde screamed while trying to escape, her hands and legs thrashing around as she tried to get out of his grip, only for her arm to hang in front of the disgusting mouth, which snapped shut.

"AAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!!!!"

A chill went down the survivors' spines as the girl's scream sounded. The gigantic mouth began to crunch and chew her arm the next moment.

The sickening sound of meat and bone being eaten and swallowed caused their minds to break.

His stomach digesting it in front of their very eyes as Valos' second mouth giggled to itself and prepared himself, the sharp claws on his hands flaying the woman he chose.

"All of you will become our power!"

"HeheheHEHEhehehe, I can feel her magic... her power is mine!"

The Prince spoke with a terrifying glint in his eyes. His black body flexed to make himself look bigger and stronger in their eyes, and the white Valos hung his tongue out, the fingers of the girl twirling along the fleshy mass before he swallowed them once again.

"Run!!"

"Ahh.... mommy help...."

"..!?"

*****

Meanwhile, back in the Royal Academy.

"The enemy has begun their major offensive in the south. We received word from several small villages and towns that the Romania Duke Aldric Cavallio and their knight master Siegfried Verheist are in charge of the current invasion."

Lorem's eyes looked solemn as she stood on the auditorium podium with her battle gear on. Many royal knights also stood behind her. Even Lucia stood in the group—although one of her supreme shadows, it still showed the students how serious this matter was.

"From this afternoon, we will split the entire academy into units and forces. Please understand that the threat is not only the south, but the Monster Kingdoms again attacked the Phoenix Glade, while Drakkur is supporting their troops against the Demon Empire."

'!!!'

Asura watched silently, feeling the two girls grasping his hands and feeling weak. He couldn't be in three places at once, and the timeline continued to speed up faster, leaving him stretched thin without rest.

The idea of locking his women away for the battles appeared in his mind, although he knew they wouldn't allow it, let alone the entire situation needed them to take part to grow and evolve...

'Damn, why is it happening so soon?'

"That is why you will assemble in the designated area once we call your name and give you a number."

Lorem's voice sounded louder this time as her face became expressionless; her eyes even appeared empty.

"Then, please announce the student units!"

Many students frowned at being called a unit or force.

Several students just came to this academy for their families and the easy honour of graduating—none believed there might be a war or conflict so soon.

"Unit 1 comprised all the members of Class 1 through the four years."

After that, the other units started calling specific people to join certain units and forces, which made Asura feel hopeless and separated many people.

The reason Asura felt so worried was because of a simple fact that led him to feel angry. They assigned Mu Xue, Xavida, Lucia and Amalia to Unit 5 but not him.

'They will fight in another unit...'

Asura felt their hands grasp him before pushing their bodies against him. He knew that being in a different unit only meant their departure would be different. The first five units would depart tomorrow, while the others would depart in three days.

The academy was preparing for the worst-case scenario where all the forces must fight. If even the royal knights left the capital to go to each combat zone, the danger exceeded the limits the kingdom could withstand.

However, Asura knew this wasn't their genuine attack; it was a simple test to judge their reaction times and deployment techniques and many students would die because of hidden spies and hired assassins.

'I must ask Sigurd to help me, to protect those I love...'

He hated being selfish, asking his new lover to do something for him for nothing.

But Sigurd wouldn't let him die, nor would she want him to die or the people he cared for.