Devouring Monarch: Rebirth of the Profane Phoenix - Chapter 441

Chapter 441: The Empire’s Iron Fist
Outside the forest, on a dry plain of dead earth suitable for neither farming nor growth, the empire’s army stands ready for battle.

“Hurry, move the generators and align them!”

“Prepare the anti-magic Field!”

“Those inferior bastards will be crushed under our Empires mighty feet!”

Meanwhile, the allied forces of Silvara and Arachneas stand atop a beautiful wall created to protect the forest. The stone was resistant to magic, yet not perfect, with many places where the defence became thin due to the lack of numbers.

‘What are those strange machines…?’ Asura thought to himself while assisting in reinforcing the wall’s barrier to resist the distant catapults and trebuchet that would arrive within the next twenty-four hours.

“Ignis, Lucia, what did the scouting reports say? Do the dwarves recognised the enemies weapons?”

Ignis rushed to his side and knelt on one knee while pressing one arm across her chest.

“My Prince, the enemy seems to have some strange kind of generator, the dwarves who saw the images believe it to be an anti-magic barrier of some kind.”

‘Anti-magic… how annoying.’

“Anything else?” He asked. While watching the knights, arachne and Valkyrie aligning on the wall, there were even some orc and goblin archers in the gaps that looked menacing with decent bows and leather armour.

“The enemy forces are at least 5,000 right now, but the main force could be triple or quadruple that number, so Shizuka and Helliana are preparing for rotating shifts of guards and defenders so those who are wounded or exhausted can rest quickly!”

“I see, good work… Lucia what about you, how much information did your clones get?”

Asura felt that this was completely different to Romantica, because there he had the advantage from the moment he arrived. This time, the empire suddenly managed to cover the ground twice as fast as the initial estimate…

‘We barely managed to finish the boundary wall and start forming the plans for the outer city. How did they manage to travel the distance without using magic? The empire doesn’t have many skilled mages, if any.’

“My clones were able to assertain the enemy strength, with the average troop being at least Stage Five while the Captains Stage Six and Commander and Elite were between Stage Six and Eight.”

‘How?! This doesn’t make sense, even in my memories of the past life the empires strongest force reached Stage Six at most… Who is helping them? Is this really the benefit of their alliance with the demon empire?’

“I see… Our troops are at a disadvantage, ensure that all troops fight in groups even if it means we suffer damage to the walls. Ignore all duels!”

“Yes, My Prince!”

“Understood, My Lord.”

Ignis and Lucia vanished from his side with worried eyes. The situation was so bad nobody was being stupid or joking.

Because the enemy arrived earlier, the reinforcements that Silvara needed wouldn’t arrive for another two days at least, and there seemed to be some kind of force stopping them from sending any transmissions past the eastern border with Lyndwrym.

‘I feel like something is going against me in the dark…’

Asura’s fiery gaze flicked towards the distant enemy, his hand clenching due to the sheer number and power he could feel from them.

Not only in number, but weapons, armour and time. He felt overwhelmed and outnumbered, even though he could transform into his dragon or phoenix forms to win as a last-ditch effort. Asura realised that even his allies would suffer damage this time.

‘Is there nothing I can do?’

Asura’s thoughts were interrupted by a deep voice calling to him from behind, accompanied by the sound of armour and footsteps.

“Prince, you look troubled.”

Asura turned around to see the tall and bulky figure of Grom’Gaius, the strongest orc warrior in the forest, aside from himself. He trusted Gaius dearly but didn’t wish for his friend to lose too many troops. In fact, knights like Danos and Manfried became good friends with Gaius and the orcs thanks to training.

“Gaius, this battle will be difficult.”

“I understand, Prince, that is why I have ordered the stronger orcs to assist the human and goblin archers, and also have our best fighters watch the weaker troops that need to cast magic.”

‘Weaker troops…’

Asura couldn’t help thinking about the people who he had trained and who were now among the ‘weaker troops’. He couldn’t bear to think of the weakest being Stage Five when he remembered his pathetic self in the past. If Stage Five was so weak, then he wondered what kind of monster he was to be close to Stage Nine… He looked at Gaius with a bitter smile and nodded. “That’s good, remember this battle and victory will be determined how we weather this storm and avoid losses.”

“Victory…” Gaius grumbled, his face frowning as his hands clenched into fists. He was a proud orc, but one that knew he was no match for Asura. “Why do you not simply fly to the enemies’ camp and burn them all to ashes, Prince?” His honest words made Asura smile; in fact, he, too, thought this might be a good start…

However, something, a voice in the back of his mind, told him of some kind of danger, not to the other troops, but to Asura personally.

“I thought that too, Gaius, but the moment I was about to move… There was a sense of danger, no more like a premonition of my death the moment I did.”

“Hmmm?” Gaius seemed to be confused but then nodded. A moment later, while staring at the distant army, his eyes narrowed as his instincts screamed at him to retreat and flee, but he remained where he was.

“Something is wrong… Our instincts are screaming at us, but the enemy is too far away… How can this be? There are no powerful warriors in that group… Is this some kind of trickery?”

“Gaius, which way does this sense of fear and danger come from?” Asura felt it from all directions, and the threat was growing the closer the enemy got.

“That… It feels as if it is coming from the sky, but there is nothing…”

The direction that Gaius pointed was the sky above the strange machines guarded by five hundred elite warriors that were all Stage Seven. Asura noticed he felt danger from the machine itself, while Gaius felt it from the sky. ‘Do those machines do something in the sky? Are they some kind of weapon that will shoot into the air?’

“Gaius, let’s try and keep our distance from the enemies, I know this might cause dishonour for your warriors who want to jump into the battle like the valiant warriors they are. However, I do not wish to needlessly lose my dear friends.”

“It is fine, My Prince, I will relay the message.”

“Thank you, Gaius.”

With a smile on his lips, Asura watched Gaius walk back towards the warriors. ‘Such a dependable and honest ally and friend. I wonder why I didn’t trust him more in Romantica?’

Asura didn’t become as close to Gaius as Alan until the very end; although he knew the orcs were trustworthy, Asura was still a little socially awkward back then.

“Let’s prepare, it seems the enemy will soon begin their attack…”

His words were greeted by silence, the troops unable to hear his voice over the chanting empire troops.

Asura could feel the mana being drawn out and infused with the warriors, but they didn’t seem to cast anything. Instead, the aura began to flow into the machines that started to hum and shudder.

‘Is this some kind of mental support?’

While watching the army, Asura couldn’t help noticing that their army comprised pure humans. There were no other races at all.

‘Was this also the result of their hatred for other races…?’

Asura couldn’t think further, because as soon as he did, a loud screech sounded out from the army.

“FOR THE EMPIRE!” A roar of voices shook the very earth as they began to advance.

At that moment, the humming and shuddering machines started to release a strange blue glow, a thin layer of magic spreading out towards his troops.

‘What is this…?’

Asura couldn’t believe what he was looking at—it was so absurd and strange. He thought it was some kind of a joke because the blue layer could never be a barrier or anti-magic shell… So he let his guard down for a moment and prepared for the Empire’s troops that began to advance towards them.

“Archers, prepare to take them down! Load the ballista and fire when they enter our range!” Asura called out before the blue layer wrapped around his body, and the world began to collapse…

‘What is this?!’

“MY PRINCE!”

He heard Ignis and Lucia call to him, the tone in their voices filled with worry. However, he couldn’t react before his body began enduring agonising pain and vomiting blood, as he felt like his various bloodlines began to attack each other, tearing and pulling his organs apart in a violent seizure.

Asura’s body stumbled, holding the stone wall for support as he placed his hand against his face, a warm, sticky feeling coming from his nostrils and mouth and the pain inside growing worse. Then, before he could recover, the strange layer of blue light oscillated, making it worse. In a moment of clarity, his face pale a thought came to mind.

‘It’s a weapon that kills hybrids!’

He turned to Helia and shot a burst of wind at her body, sending her flying away from the blue layer that almost enveloped her.

“Gaius, Danos! Take her to Aracheas! Don’t allow her to enter that barrier!”

“Asura?! Why?!” Helia screamed as Danos and Grom’s battle chief grabbed her arms and dragged her away. The blue light didn’t affect the orcs, nor the arachne, but Ignis… Asura and surely Helliana would be affected.

‘Those dirty bastards…’

He could feel it… each of the monoliths was going berserk because of the strange barrier. His bloodlines were also in a state of frenzy, causing his Animus to tear himself apart from within.

This weapon was the source of their confidence.. not just him, and Ignis, but even the firebird that helped them earlier.. it was a weapon purposely to kill those who mixed their blood with monsters and beasts.

Asura kicked the stomach of Ignis, sending her flying into the forest. His eyes became dim, the intense pain like sharp knives slicing him apart constantly.

‘The only reason I am barely alive… is it the monoliths?’

“Crush the monsters! Kill those filthy humans that side with abominations!”

Like the roar of a beast, their words seemed rehearsed and practised. Unable to know, a shout came from the enemy… They were here, and the battle was about to begin.