Devouring Monarch: Rebirth of the Profane Phoenix

Asura woke from his fleeting dream, opening his eyes to discover two beauties lying upon his chest, bathing in the morning sunlight.

'It's morning. That dream, those memories... Were they mine?'

He gazed at Mu Xue, her blue hair draped across his chest, watching him with endearing eyes. His memories of death and defeat still lingered. Asura then reached out to stroke her frozen horns.

A bitter cold spread through his fingertips, before the owner clawed his chest like a lonely cat.

"Asura, are you alright? You kept calling my name in your sleep."

Her words snapped him back to reality, watching her beautiful ice-blue eyes with warmth. Asura felt the memories of the strange vision seeping through his fingertips like sand—only the name Muru and her resemblance to Mu Xue remained.

"I think I had a strange nightmare."

Asura looked down at her lovely face, curling her soft pink lips into a smile. Then, climbing his body, she placed a kiss on his warm cheek.

"You have me now, Asura. Forget those silly nightmares."

Mu Xue's words were comforting, and the feeling of her body wrapped around his right was blissful. He had little knowledge about the elves, but there were rumours about the current queen that she killed her lover when she was a princess. Asura held her in his arms, and they snuggled together as he drifted back into a blissful sleep.

Sometime later, Asura woke once more, stretching out his weary limbs and gazing at the sleeping beauty next to him. This time, there wasn't a dream or vision. Instead, the sun seemed to rise higher, and their departure approached.

"Lucia, Xue'er. It's time to wake up."

The girls opened their eyes, and their hunger for his warmth was apparent.

"Mmm... my body feels so energetic."

"Asura, let's sleep a little longer~ okay?" Mu Xue spoke with a seductive tone, her arms wrapped around his neck while trying to tease him.

Before the three of them left the bed, Asura glanced at the high sun outside. The sun shone down on his hair like it did yesterday, and he felt no fatigue despite his adventures from the previous night.

"Let's bathe before we leave. I can carry you both. I want to spend the last time together before breakfast."

Asura slipped out of bed, his right arm grasping Mu Xue while lifting her over his shoulder, letting the spare quilt wrap around her body, while Lucia enjoyed the same in his left arm, her light body as if a shadow on his arm.

They passed the empty hall and entered the bathroom. Asura desired to savour the hot bath—the time he had together was fleeting.

As they soaked in the warm water, Asura sensed Lucia's curious eyes on him as she lay between his legs. "Will you miss me after I leave?"

"Of course. We won't be apart for too long, but even a day causes me great anguish."

Mu Xue sat beside Asura while washing his shoulders. Her eyes narrowed before she squeezed his muscles out of jealousy. "And me?"

"Xue'er, I miss you the moment you leave my sight... The two of you will always have a place in my heart."

Asura smiled at Mu Xue, running his hand through her soft hair. The sweet scent of peach shampoo filled his nose, drawing him in like a moth to a flame.

"So how much will you miss me... us?" Mu Xue asked, her face lingering inches from Asura's.

"My love, I'll miss you more than anything else in this world." Asura's hand caressed her soft cheek before gazing into her eyes with his thumb.

"Hmph... silver tongue."

With a smile, Mu Xue kissed him, but she broke it too soon, leaving Asura wanting more. "If you show other women such affection, then I'll have to kill them..."

"Don't worry, Xue'er. I don't plan to chase after more women..."

"Oh my, then what if those women come seeking you first?" Lucia added while her hands massaged a strange oil into Asura's muscles.

Asura had nothing to say; he knew of the dangerous desires that Mu Xue hid and that she could genuinely kill any woman who came for him. Her desire to possess him was an obsession.

However, he didn't want their last hours together to be filled with such horrible talk, so he helped to rinse the two and finish their bath.

"Come, let's get dressed."

***

After their bath, they exited the bedroom to see their breakfast laid out on the dining table. The room was quiet—sitting at the table were the women who would leave for the south later today, Lorem in her royal knight outfit, the black underclothes with red tabard and dress covered in chain mail and plate armour.

Beside her, Xavida didn't wear unique clothes—instead, her black uniform with leather armour added seemed to be the Academy's armour uniform instead of the usual outfit.

Verana would be leaving with the princess and Asura, so it seemed she remained upstairs as a sign of respect to the other women in the mansion while the maids stewed a rather hearty morning meal for the group.

"Morning Lorem, you look so lovely in that armour." Asura couldn't help but mention her figure. She looked brave and beautiful, with her crimson hair tied in a side ponytail and her soft red eyes glistening.

"Thank you, my dear. It makes me happy you say that."

Lorem smiled gently, blushing at his comment. Her cheeks burned with the same ruby hue as her eyes.

From the moment she became intimate with Asura, she felt herself returning to her younger age when she was less confident and obsessive about her love towards him.

Xavida raised a cup to her lips while rubbing her stomach with a wry smile. "Sorry, girls. It seems Papa prefers other women to Mommy..."

Lorem blushed in embarrassment at Xavida's remark. "He cares about you a lot! It's just we only recently reunited after so long!"

"Hmph doesn't change the fact that his seed grows in my stomach right now..."

What Asura found confusing about this scene was the power dynamic between the two women. Lorem, a woman who has reached the pinnacle of this world, and Xavida, a young woman barely reaching half of Lorem's strength, treated her like she was weaker than her, and he wondered why.

"Sorry, Xavida, it was rude of me to ignore my lovely dragon princess." Asura's body vanished from the arms of Mu Xue and Lucia, who both sat in their seats with smug grins, watching as Xavida's strong front melted instantly the moment he hugged her from behind and placed a single hand upon her stomach.

"Mmm... Don't just rub someone's stomach, stupid..."

Xavida spoke softly, her hand falling atop his while he sneakily kissed her lips to silence her complaints. Despite only being together a short while, her fondness for him was incomparable to anyone else—even Mu Xue felt the sheer magnitude of Xavida's love for Asura, and that's why they didn't destroy her when she was selfish.

Asura's hands snuck up her body, reaching her ample breasts before grasping them with a light squeeze. Her teeth bit his tongue before she turned away, the scales on her cheeks turning dark pink, and her green eyes closed tightly as she pushed him into his seat.

"Behave yourself, or you'll make me angry."

Her cheeks burned with embarrassment, and her mind was already scheming. Her eyes occasionally glanced at Asura's handsome face.

After everyone sat down at the table, they enjoyed their breakfast.

He watched the table with a soft gaze, his heart and mind focused on the fact that these women would be leaving his side for at least the next two days, and it made him feel powerless.

'I asked Sigurd to help my father... Now it's too late to get her to help me.'

Asura wished Amalia could have been here today, but because of her close relationship with Sigurd, he made his sister stay there before deployment and promised to take her on a trip around the city when the battles ended.

"Everyone..."

The closer the time came to departure, the heavier his chest became as all the women looked at him with stupid looks before everyone began laughing together.

"Darling, you're too obvious to your feelings..." Xavida's bright voice started the women's comments off.

"My dear, don't worry. I promise to be here annoying you in a thousand years."

"Asura... this side of you, I've never seen it before, so cute," Lucia whispered before, pecking his cheek.

The three women hugged him tightly, their eyes almost filled with tears. They kissed him and, while holding their cases, left the mansion, leaving only Asura and Mu Xue.

"Husband... Wait for me, okay? It's only a few days, but it feels like a lifetime..."

"Yes, Xue'er... I'll be waiting."

Mu Xue took off her armoured robe, the chains rattling before she pulled out a small flower created with ice, placed it in Asura's hair, and then clipped it shut with magic.

"This way, part of me will always be beside you. Should I be in danger, this will guide you to my side."

Mu Xue's delicate finger pointed at the flower—her magic, scent, and power would guide Asura to her location when in danger. Because she knew his skills and abilities well, he could track her with this tiny flower, even if it cracked into a million pieces.

"Now, farewell, my beloved husband..."

She smiled lovingly at him, leaning in and kissing his lips passionately for over six minutes, making her breathless before she darted away with wet eyes, leaving Asura alone in the empty mansion.

"I have to be stronger... How could it become so hard to see them leave...?"

Asura gazed out the window as the carriage from the Academy, already filled with the rest of their units, picked them up. Xavida waved at him through the window. Lorem peeked over her shoulder while acting more stoic than usual, and Mu Xue avoided looking.

She placed her hand against the window as it departed, creating the flower's imprint on it.

'That shy girl...'

"It's about time I do what I can... There are two days before I leave."

Asura looked into his palm, at the Rank Six Teleportation token in his grasp, something he asked Lorem to lend him while she left.

He wanted to look into the strange dream from last night. Part of him said this involved his fate and romantic link with Mu Xue.

However, there were more important things to do... Despite Asura not caring about a tiny amount of improvement in the past.

Now, he had to make use of the limited time available to become stronger.

"Verana, are you coming with me?"

A black flutter of hair suddenly hid behind the doorframe while her beautiful red eyes peeked out before nodding. "I will come."