Devouring Monarch: Rebirth of the Profane Phoenix - Chapter 365

Chapter 365: The Cost and gains of Victory

“Asura!” Xavida’s body transformed into a dragon and tore through the skies before landing beside the fallen Asura. “Oi… Don’t just lay there… get up.” Her body returned to her human form as she lifted his shoulders.

His body, covered in burns and wounds, slipped into her arms. Xavida leaned close, listening to his chest before a smile came to her face.

Ba-dump!

Ba-dump!

When she heard both of his hearts beating, although slowly with powerful thumps. “Good… you’re okay, Asura…. wake up.” Xavida’s hand wrapped around his cheek and kissed his lips with a brief touch. “That’s enough, time to get up. I’ll forgive you… if you get up now. You can’t spend it asleep.” She held him closer, not minding the blood.

“Haha… to think you were the first one to my side.” Asura’s eyes opened slightly. Though he looked terrible, it was more exhaustion than because of his injuries.

Xavida pushed him away and climbed to her feet, crossing her arms. “W-why do you look like you’re about to die? Hmph!”

Asura didn’t seem bothered by her words and looked up at the sky. “Haha… I see… Your ass looks great even when you’re mad.”

“Asura, shut up!” Xavida straddled his waist and began pushing down. “How can you make such comments when your face is bloody and beat up?”

“Oi! Are you trying to kill me?” He grabbed her hips before her butt pushed against his body.

“It’s revenge for tricking me!” Xavida shouted in frustration as her cheeks turned bright red.

“That doesn’t make sense,” Asura said weakly.

“Be quiet and behave!” Xavida covered his mouth with her lips again before running her fingers through his hair.

Their long kiss ended when a series of voices echoed from outside the crater. Xavida’s face became a little dark as she clicked her tongue and slapped Asura’s face, “Hmph… it’s because you made all that noise. Now everyone is here and getting in the way!”

She helped him sit up, and they looked at the people gathering above the crater. Even before they entered the crater, they could hear the angry and worried complaints directed towards Asura.

“Wow…” Asura couldn’t help but become a little depressed when he saw them approaching.

“Husband! How could you be so stupid!” Valerie kicked Verana away, her blood wings propelling her forward as she hugged Asura’s neck, as she twirled around his body, kissing his cheeks, lips, nose and neck; seeming to be exhausted. She was covered in dirt but didn’t seem to care as she pressed her forehead against his, tears welling in her eyes. “Why do you always show off and use your body like that? I thought you were going to die!”

“I’m sorry, Valerie, but I wasn’t going to let such dangerous people survive after hurting you and the others.” Asura smiled as he patted her head.

Thud!

Verana kicked her mother’s body away before replacing her

“Verana… ” Asura smiled.

“My dear Asura… how could you do this to me?” Verana bit her lower lip and raised her hands. “I want to hit you. But I’m also afraid you’ll die!” Her hands hovered over his chest before slapping his chest without strength. “We tried to finish the fight without you, so how did you end up in this state… and why are you always naked after a battle!” Verana’s hands slipped around his back, hugging him. “Can’t you realise how much stress you put me through every time you use your body like this?”

“I’m sorry,” Asura said with a smile, not minding her questions as he watched the others. “Don’t worry, I’ll be fine after a while.”

“You might be, but the city is in ruins… If any of the residents survived, they will probably be traumatised.” Lorem walked towards them in her neat black and red robes while gazing at Asura, who looked horrible. “Can you let go of my husband, Verana?”

Verana glanced at her Lorem and shook her head, burying it into Asura’s chest.

Lorem sighed and sat down, gently pulling on Valerie’s sleeve. “Come, you shouldn’t hog Asura to yourself. Let us look at his injuries and make sure there isn’t anything else wrong. We can scold him later.”

“I don’t mind the scolding now,” Asura said while petting Verana’s head. He felt quite amused seeing how the women interacted with each other. Helliana stood on the opposite side of Lorem, but she didn’t speak. Instead, her gaze remained on Asura’s body as though she were waiting for Verana to step aside.

Xavida’s tail wrapped around Asura’s waist as she glared at Lorem. “Who says we can scold him? My Asura should be treated better! Darling, it’s okay. I will keep you safe!”

Asura smiled as he gently removed Verana’s arms from his neck and rose to his feet, revealing his entire body before a flash of blue light flickered, and Asura felt a cold sensation envelop his body, a nostalgic and soothing feeling.

“Mu Xue, you tried really hard, didn’t you.” Asura petted his lovely devil maid, who had used her power to cover his body. “I feel much better now.”

“Husband…” Mu Xue cried, nuzzling her head against his chest as though she was trying to drown herself in his body. “I was worried…”

Asura smiled as he touched Mu Xue’s head as though he were praising a pet. “Where’s Maria?”

Mu Xue looked up at him, confused. “I don’t know. They didn’t arrive yet.”

“They didn’t? I see; they should arrive soon, though. It’s a good thing you all managed to survive.” Asura asked with a hint of curiosity.

Asura looked around and noticed a few people didn’t seem to be there, though the faint sounds of steel clashing made him realise the battle hadn’t ended. Rather, the abominations couldn’t stop even after their creators died. “So, who is leading the army?”

Lorem cleared her throat, “Ahem… It’s your wife, the princess. She insisted you would be alright and that she would finish what you started. Ignis and Amalia are supporting her, while Lucia protects her from danger inside her shadows.”

Asura smiled and sighed. “I see… then you are all safe.”

Lorem and Xavida stared at each other as though they were communicating telepathically before their eyes returned to Asura.

“What?” Asura asked in confusion when he noticed the glint in their eyes.

“Asura! Put on some clothes, please think of our feelings seeing that dangling around!” Lorem pleaded while her cheeks were bright red.

“Your body is full of wounds, and yet your demon seems to be excited!” Xavida whined.

“Um…” Asura chuckled as he looked at Mu Xue in his arms and then the others. “Ah… sorry, I didn’t really feel the difference, my bad.” Asura gave a wry smile before wrapping his body in a simple black robe while letting Mu Xue stand on her own. He cracked his neck and looked towards the damage his battle caused to the city.

“Is this what happens in a city without any form of barrier or protection?” His thoughts go back to his primary goal of creating a barrier using the Romantican kingdom’s holy item to protect both kingdoms.

“Hmph!” Xavida snorted at Asura as she crossed her arms under her chest. “Stop dreaming about other women in front of me; my blood will boil over again.”

“Husband.” Valerie’s arms slipped around Asura’s waist, and she rested her chin on his shoulder. “Husband, what should we do now? You defeated the enemy, but our house is damaged… Where will we live?” The mature woman used the most sultry and cute voice she could, the mature woman’s charm causing Asura’s lips to curl into a bitter smile.

“Sorry… I’ll fix everything when I can, so don’t worry.” Asura turned towards Valerie and patted her head. “Do you all have a place to stay until the house is fixed?”

“Of course!” Xavida snorted. “It’s not like we are poor. Besides, you seem to enjoy the feeling of a shattered home too much. There’s no reason to rush, right?”

“Asura! The battle is over. It’s time for you to fulfil your promise!” Verana pulled on his hand before wrapping her arms around him again, “I’m thirsty~ let me drink.”

***

Meanwhile, the knights and Valkyrie massacred the leaderless abominations. Ignis, who tore apart a monster, stepped back to support the princess. “Are you sure you don’t want to rush to his side, princess?”

“No, we have to finish what he started first. Besides, I know he will be fine.” Vela’s lips showed a lovely smile as she took her blade and cut down another enemy, her right hand releasing a burst of magma into a group of monsters. “Let’s finish this and welcome him back with a smile. Ignis, Lucia!”

Lucia’s body was covered in the remains of monsters, her six clones fighting in various parts of the battlefield as she heard Vela’s words. “Yes, Princess!” Her voice was different from her clone’s, coming from the shadows underneath the princess.

“Ignis, lend me your strength. Amalia looks a little tired.” Vela requested.

“You can count on me, princess.” Ignis covered her body in a silver aura before dashing towards where Amalia fought against several larger monsters.

Lucia’s eyes stared at the battleground for a moment before a smile came to her face. “Asura… it looks like he’s alive.”

“I never doubted he would lose,” Vela whispered while stepping forward, her eyes focused on the destroyed city and the dwindling enemy before her.

***

One hour later, the battle finally ended, with soldiers who weren’t injured now clearing the battlefield and stacking the enemy corpses up to burn.

Meanwhile, the Valkyrie began helping heal the wounded with their light magic, leaving Vela and Lucia to wait in the main tent for Asura to arrive.

“He’s taking a long time… that’s dumb boy,” Lucia complained while Vela sat at her table with a tranquil face, sipping at her cup of herbal tea.

“You know what the other girls are like; the Drakkur women will need to drink his blood; Mu Xue and Xavida, who are especially clingy, will want his attention and to make sure he’s okay… Then the most important woman, Royal Knight Lorem will be the one worried the most, but will act harsh because she cannot be a maiden when not in private.” Vela explained, finding her husband’s situation amusing.

“But why doesn’t he send us a message and let us know he’s okay?” Lucia sighed before looking out the flap in the tent. “I have a feeling those women will smother him if he doesn’t.”

“Hahaha… I doubt he can die from such a small incident.” Vela giggled to herself before continuing. “My husband doesn’t like to play favourites, so he likely spent this time appeasing all of them at once. Then he will come back to us, so do not worry or get jealous, Lucia.”

“Pfft…” Lucia looked at her, then sighed, ” What a Husband… Do you know how tries to treat us? Isn’t it like an eight-headed dragon wanting all the heads to be happy?”

“Well, not exactly the same treatment,” Vela explained while walking up to Lucia, pulling on her hands and resting her chin on the knight’s shoulder, “After all, I am his only true wife, haha.”

“Princess… I will hit you. Do not joke around.” Lucia pouted as she continued to stare outside the tent flap.

“Don’t be silly, look. Here he comes.”