Devouring Monarch: Rebirth of the Profane Phoenix

Chapter 58  Stage Four vs Dark Phoenix - The Waking Phoenix

The world was broken... the wonderful citadel was covered in flames. Even the black obelisks showed cracks and damage as Asura's body lay under the final monolith that flickered with embers of flames and strange black plumes.

'Am I dead...? It hurts to think... Even this place is falling apart...' Asura's body was covered in bloody cracks, his lower body destroyed along with many of his organs, only kept alive by the vigorous healing of his twin hearts. Alas... they were damaged by the torrent of blows from that Stage Four monster that had torn the arteries and veins in various parts of his body.

"Why did you ignore me again... just like last time..." A gentle but scolding tone sounded—the voice was beautiful, like a melody from an angel singing praise.

'Who are you... Why is it so dark?'

His eyes, once able to see almost two hundred metres without focus, now struggling to see a few centimetres... a flash of pale skin, lovely golden eyes... black feathers that were glossy and soft.

'Who are you... where is Brian?'

"Don't move... don't speak, just relax. I will take care of everything... Now I can help you..." Each time she spoke, he could feel the newest bloodline that began to awaken differently from the others.

He could sense this bloodline was special and felt as if it encompassed his entire being, not a foreign bloodline but... 'It's like it was there from the start...' There was a sudden pain... in all of his organs as Asura's body began to flail and convulse, but the woman's soft hands gently caressed him, holding him in place. Asura continued to struggle, his tongue almost bitten off before she used her arm to block his mouth, allowing his sharp fangs to bite into her flesh.

"Ugh... that's it, do not fight it. Let my blood help you... It is all I can do for you now." Her soft voice never scolded him and only soothed and affirmed him as her spare hand stroked through his raven hair while humming a familiar but strange melody.

Like heated wine, delicious and warm blood flowed into his mouth... A sensation he felt when cultivation with the other girls began to circle through his body.

The woman's blood slowly healed his broken veins and bloody organs as he screamed and wailed from the pain of being burned by a thousand suns. 'More... I need more!'

Asura felt a desperation he had never felt in any of his lifetimes. In fact, because of his peaceful first life, he lacked a truly needed component for a warrior: the will to fight and the desire to survive to fight once again.

He had been stopped the moment he felt that monster's density. The first time, he was utterly powerless and dwarfed. It triggered the memories of his lowest point and caused his entire body to shut down... Then, he was utterly destroyed within an inch of his life.

'I want to fight... I need to go back... Xavida is waiting... Stand up, Asura... I cannot be this pathetic!'

The Rebirth Monolith seemed to be reacting to his intense feelings—It began to pulsate with strange alternating flames... one fierce, as if made to destroy the world... burning everything in its fiery path and another... rejuvenating, protecting and invigorating the earth and surrounding air...

Suddenly, with a loud howling boom, two flames danced around the single obelisk: a black flame filled with dark, raven phoenix plumes and another red flame filled with crimson plumes like two huge wings.

They spread into the sky of Asura's spirit world as the broken citadel began to recover the crushed bricks, smashed glass and even the damaged Monoliths all hummed and vibrated as a link of black and red feathered chains connected them all to the Rebirth Monolith.

"So you managed without my guidance... Always... my dear other half, you never surprise me."

To this phenomenon, the beautiful raven beauty looked up to see its dark but enveloping glow and smiled gently. 'I must fight! Even if my bones are broken, my organs are crushed! I have to fight for myself and the women I love... for the future!'

'No...

...I Will fight Because I want to fight!'

⟪ Dark Phoenix Arts⟫

—Ode to the Waking Phoenix: A Song of Annihilation and Rebirth.

****

⁜ Lorem POV

When she saw Xavida's call for help, her body dashed from the break room and rushed to the teleportation device to react to each of their talismans. "How... why did the camera malfunction!?"

A moment before the monster appeared, the entire system went down, and she was forced to reboot it from scratch completely. Her eyes were blazing as she currently ignored the pain from her curse.

Seeing the glimpses of that creature in a Fully Manifested elemental armour., It was clear to her that the enemy was a Stage Four Abyss walker... 'Those bastards aren't meant to appear in our protected zones... who the hell let one inside, and why at this time!?'

Lorem was panicking because she had finally found a male phoenix to heal the pain she suffered by removing her curse.

To her, the appearance of Asura resembled more than just a rare mate. He was a symbol of her redemption for failing to protect Athea all those years ago. In the distant past, she had committed a critical failure in protecting the first queen of Silvaria... Even the current royal family had no idea other than the one who took the crown, who would be given information from the first queen and each successive ruler upon taking the throne.

The truth was that the first queen did not have any children, and the person who continued her rule was an orphan whom she raised into a powerful and faithful warrior knight, and the first queen's maiden name was, in fact, Fenix.

Althea carried the Fenix clan's main bloodline. However, at the time, the Fenix clan were filled with strife and bloodshed due to greed and hatred, and thus, Athea took a large portion of her bloodline and gave it to the person she chose as her successor.

That successor was the current Queen's ancestor and the Princess's great-ancestor.

Although she was stunned watching the sight, Lorem believed that Asura was her fated partner for another reason, which made her heart tremble even more.

A familiar past, his distant but similar looks, atmosphere, and name.

'This must be fate... No, it is fate; he is my destiny, and somebody tried to kill him!' 'Somebody who is in this academy.'

*** Nôv(el)B\\jnn

Ba-Dump....

Ba-Dump...

Lorem's eyes were closed as she felt the nostalgic feeling of the talisman sending her through space and time towards the place it was opened... even now, she could feel a high level of magic density, almost trying to close this portal down by force.

"Insignificant Worm, Do not get in my way!" She snarled in anger.

Her hair began to flutter, two red feathered wings fluttering as the density that seemed immense was crushed... in an instant, she began to materialise but more than half a mile off target!

"No... I won't make it in time!"

⟪Scarlet Phoenix Arts⟫

A sudden force began to swallow her powers... like a waterfall, her power was devoured rapidly.

"Eh? Why...?" Lorem's power was taken... her raging flames started to build as she was about to blow away the huge earth spell about to smash into the two students... yet something ate her power... her arts...

Suddenly... A broken body stood with half a leg missing... his right arm severed...

'Asura!?'

'You... are so tattered, run!" Lorem's body shot forward, using all the power she could muster after being drained... but the huge chunks of earth began to drop like comets from the sky...

"NOOO!" Flames exploded from her entire body. Even her tears began to burn with a scarlet tint, as if her blood was burning along with her magic.

She could hear a male's song... like a chanting verse...

The feelings filled her with an eerie sense of the end... but a warm and gentle feeling like a lover's embrace as everything returned to the start...

⟪ Dark Phoenix Arts⟫

—Ode to the Waking Phoenix: A Song of Annihilation and Rebirth.

"In the embers of despair, a broken form,

Asura's hymn, a Phoenix, I transform.

A dance with shadows, a song of strife,

Guarding love's flame, the essence of life.

Through the abyss, my spirit does soar,

Eerie whispers of an end, a love to restore.

The flames of destruction, crimson and bright,

Yet, in their midst, rebirth takes flight.

Oh, hear the echoes of this fervent spell,

A lover's embrace, where destinies swell.

From the embers, a rebirthed devotion,

Defying darkness with a blazing emotion.

In the hymn of the waking Phoenix's call,

my resilient rise endures through all."

His chant was constant as flames began to swirl, the huge rocks closing in as his left hand pushed forward, broken fingers bent and twisted while a black flame danced around his body.

It was a mystical scene with layers of feathers forming a mantle.

 A violent red flame formed a violent ball, devouring the mana from the world, a simple orb of pure destruction aimed towards the incoming rocks...

The monster was caught off guard by the huge pressure of Lorem's magic and flames burning away its power and resilience as they billowed and burned his body.

⟪Dark Phoenix Arts⟫

—Flames of Annihilation.

The moment his palm thrust forward, the ball of flames exploded into a massive explosion of fire and destruction. Its power shook the ground before shattering the incoming earth spells as the rocks turned into dust and ash...

⟪Crimson Phoenix Arts⟫

—Flames of Rebirth.

"No! Abyss... Must Return!!!" The monster screamed, trying to create a strange black portal, but black flames and feathers tethered it to Asura's body.

Lorem's body flew forward, her arms open as she watched Asura begin to fall backwards. His body was beyond repair...

His organs were barely functioning as his two hearts were damaged... yet there was a sudden flicker of black fire that swallowed his body and wrapped the monster like infernal chains, devouring it into nothingness... leaving only ashes...

"ASURA!"

Lorem's arms grasped his body, her body landing with a crash as Xavida, who was slowly recovering from her critical condition due to the blood of Asura pouring into her wounds, barely opened her eyes...

"Bad guy... you are a cheater..."

Xavida's eyes closed as Lorem looked at her wounds... they were already healing as Asura's blood was inside her... but when she turned around, the entire body of Asura was now enveloped in a mixture of crimson and black feathers...

A sudden sensation of relief and attraction overwhelmed both women as he devoured the entirety of the Stage Four monster after stealing Lorem's flames to boost his own on instinct... Causing his bloodlines to refine, purify and synthesise over and over and over until the energy was completely devoured...

"You... damn man, I won't forgive you if you die!"