Devouring Monarch: Rebirth of the Profane Phoenix

Asura awoke to the outside, becoming loud while leaving his pleasant dream. He could feel Vela's warm body wrapped around his chest. At first, he wanted to just roll in bed, teasing Vela for another round, but then it hit him. They weren't at home!

'I need to avoid anyone seeing me leave her tent. Thankfully, the nobles are quite lazy. But the instructors.'

"Nn, don't go."

The moment he tried to climb from her embrace. Vela bit his chest and clung onto his back like a koala, unwilling to let him go. Her little teeth almost pierced Asura's skin.

'This little wolf princess!'

Since taking her virginity last night, the changes in her body seem to have created a huge transformation.

Her beauty was high before, but it was now perfected and polished, like an empress rather than the princess before.

Vela's Silky white hair cascaded over her buttocks, the soft texture smooth like velvet. Her long lashes became long and silvery white like her hair. Not only her beauty but the muscles on her arms, legs and abdomen seemed to have adjusted and left her with a very athletic yet erotic figure designed to entice the man she clung to.

He liked firm, well-shaped, large breasts, curvy hips and a nice plump behind full of meat and muscle.

'Vela looks more like the queen than her mother does. Her face is more sculpted and severe, with her narrow. Yet wide eyes, small nose and those thick red lips on her well-formed jaw and cute cheeks.'

She gave true meaning to the words often used when a girl lost her virginity, 'becoming a woman.'

Asura stood with her wrapped around his body. The scents of the evening and a slightly sour scent, which probably came from their breakthrough, also permeated the bed and this body. So, instead of rushing out, he gave up and began filling a bath, using his magic.

'Hmmm?'

The moment he thought of filling the bath, his entire core swirled. A feeling of excitement flowed through Asura's body, giving him slight tingles down his spine before the fire and water elements mixed and dropped into the bathtub.

What shocked him was the speed and lack of any thought or effort on his part.

He just thought of a hot bath using flames and water, and the green fluid rapidly spread through his mana veins, and a single droplet surged to his fingertip.

'This is pretty good. Some of the magic I couldn't make work before might work in battle now.'

****

Asura didn't know which flavour of bath oils she preferred, so he chose a soft scent that wouldn't draw too many men's eyes to her. He was still a little jealous, especially after her sudden transformation.

*Splash*

The pair landed in the bath after he hopped inside, creating a loud splash and also jogging the poor princess awake, who gasped before fluttering her long lashes at Asura's face.

She didn't complain; instead, she showed a radiant smile, like the world was perfect, and kissed his cheek with a loud smack.

"I can't believe it. Last night finally happened. It was so much better than my fantasies and dreams!"

"Oh, so my perverted little princess dreamt of doing naughty things all the time?"

Suddenly, a woman spoke from the entrance in a worried tone. "Your Highness, is everything alright? I heard a loud noise."

However, Vela didn't respond. Instead, she leaned forward, letting the bubbles flow between her cleavage and pressed herself against Asura's chest. "Fufu, every time we trained, I stole the cloth you used to wipe sweat and used it at night until the scent faded."

She traced her finger across his slightly tanned muscular chest before winking at him, her more adult and mature face displaying a strange, seductive charm.

"I'm fine. Leave for an hour. I am taking a bath and don't wish to be disturbed."

Vela spoke with a low, commanding tone while her hips rubbed against Asura's member with captivating movements like a complete succubus!

"Yes, Your Highness."

"Now then, since the nuisance is gone, shall we have some fun?" Vela asked while biting Asura's ears, her amber eyes both fierce and wistful.

After that, nobody approached the tent for an hour, according to Vela's request, allowing them both to enjoy a wild and thorough clean in the bath while drying themselves vigorously on the bed and against the pillar holding up the tent.

Asura soon left the tent, using his shadow clone to help him avoid the female knight with a red face standing close to it.

'Vela will have to explain herself to this knight, haha.'

****

Thanks to his new speed and increased level, Asura reached his tent before roll call and merged with Unit Nine, waiting in line with the two hundred other students in his group. Sadly, Clarice still gave him a wary look and avoided him.

However, Akkrum seemed to have accepted what happened and instead thanked Asura greatly.

"Asura, don't worry about Clarice. He will come around. I mean, if you hadn't shown your strength, we both would have died!"

'At least someone knows gratitude.'

"Yeah, that's right, Akkrum, stop acting like that! If not for Asura, we'd already be dead."

What shocked Asura was the girl they saved also spoke for him, although losing her friend left her eyes swollen with red rings around them. He was thankful she survived and could keep fighting.

Asura faced the front because he sensed a powerful existence approach; the feeling made his skin tingle, but the reaction wasn't to run or fear. Instead, he felt the desire to fight, to attack.

He felt forced to hold himself at bay while closing his eyes for a moment to calm the raging ocean within him; since the core gained this strange ocean that wrapped the crust and mantle, making it look like a strange planet, he felt his emotions became more honest and powerful.

"Eyes forward, do not speak. Listen to my orders, or die. I am Barbatos, the knight who shall lead the Units from five to ten. Know your superior. Never break orders!"

"Yes, sir!"

Most people called out naturally, likely feeling his imposing height and aura pulled it out from them, but Asura didn't speak. He just nodded with both hands behind his back.

'I want to fight him, to crush his arrogant throat.'

From his odd desires, Asura knew that this wasn't some spell or condition but his true feelings.

This man was causing him to lose control by his mere presence.

No, it wasn't just Barbatos but all the higher-staged knights; Asura wanted to fight them, to beat them so brutally they couldn't resist him.

He felt that after evolving, Azoth's memories and persona became more synchronised with him, almost to where he could soon see more of the past.

'Or is it because my true nature is closest to Azoth instead of Auros or Sura?'

"Good, I will assess you today."

Barbatos's piercing gaze swept past Asura and Akkrum with a cold snort.

Before he returned to Asura with a strange gleam on his face, the surrounding students seemed to tremble while Asura's crimson orbs gazed into the depths of Barbatos and his colossal figure, which was baring down upon him.

"Your name."

"Asura."

There was no need for family honour or names. Barbatos remains a knight with a single name. Thus, Asura would do the same. He wanted to do anything to bring them both to the same level.

"Step forward,"

The massive man's tone was full of a killing intent that caused most of the students to fall on their asses, and a few even peed their pants, but Asura was different. He didn't have the same fears as a human. Instead, he stepped forward, with a hand on his silver blade, and watched Barbatos with eyes like a feral wolf.

Barbatos was only testing them. Asura knew it was only a simple test of character. Yet he wanted to use this blade to cut the man before him.

His bones were shaking, and his veins began pumping fiery blood and tranquil liquid. Anima, he called Animus. Asura's clenched fists tightened his grip, almost pulling the pommel from his sword, yet his face remained unchanged. He showed no aggression and controlled his excitement through light breaths, becoming as calm as a lake on a winter morning.

Barbatos turned his head to the side while scratching his black stubble. His firm jaw looked like the roots of a sturdy tree, with a round but sharp and angular nose.

"Haha, well done. You are the first student who has survived my will, and you still want to rip my face off, eh?"

Asura suddenly felt the powerful aura that made him want to explode, disappear, and become like a cool spring breeze blowing on his cheeks.

'He suppressed his pressure on purpose!'

"Well done, boy, but don't get ahead of yourself," Barbatos said while raising his massive chin. "My name is Barbatos, and I am the Ninth-stage Knight that will guide you into battle. Asura Fenix, I wondered what character you might have to leave her to you. However, it seems the princess has good eyes."

It turned out that Barbatos was a good guy!

When Asura first saw him, he did not know why he wanted to rip the man's throat out, and his action was embarrassing, considering that Barbatos wasn't trying to force him.

"Haha, don't worry about it. Young man. The fierce will and desire to surpass me were the exact feelings I wanted to draw out. It's a unique trait of the Goliath tribe." Barbatos looked around at the various students, stopping at those who kept standing with a nod before he continued.

"We can control our willpower into a sort of aura that draws out the true nature of our enemies and allies. Thus I wanted to test my students, to feel their true nature. You didn't want to kill anyone but the one that challenged you. What a great candidate you are."

'So it can test enemies and new cadets and boost allies' morale. Amazing. I never studied about goliaths much. How interesting.'

Asura knew the candidate Barbatos meant was, in fact, the future king. Since he mentioned Vela's eyesight, it seems the knights knew about their passionate night and morning together.

Which also meant Lorem would know and might be a little jealous.

'Damn!'

"Now then, today we will perform a march south towards the former village of Hilbram."

"Sir!"

"Why is a mere village important?"

A curious cadet with brown hair and green eyes asked Barbatos.

"Humph, This village is the only one that connects to the southwestern island passage between Romanica and Silvara. If they can create a solid foothold on this land, we will suffer battle on three fronts; from the intelligence we have discovered, the Cult of the Fallen Sun seems to have infiltrated at least two of the five major powers.

Thus, we cannot afford to take our time and stop this war with a single clash in each direction."

The students nodded, while some seemed confused.

The first years didn't start the tactical courses or ones aimed at leaders over fighters; thus, they didn't seem to understand the gravity of the situation fully. They still believed Silvara was the strongest nation able to fight all others alone, but that wasn't true.