Devouring Monarch: Rebirth of the Profane Phoenix - Chapter 508

Chapter 508: A Victory In the West?
Meanwhile, at the western front, Drakkur’s coastline was under brutal and endless assault from the undead armada. Cannonballs, poison capsules and spiked bombs… all flew at the ships and city walls, protecting Drakkur’s land from invasion.

“Admiral! We cannot hold them for much longer!” A bloody sailor held tight onto the ropes of their ship, keeping the sails down to increase their speed. The range of the Drakkur ships was now shorter than the undead dreadnaughts that seemed to have evolved during the war.

Their undead cannons now had a range that felt unreal.

“Calm down, men! We must close the distance and protect our beautiful land! Don’t let these filthy undead drop your morale!”

Verena didn’t stop fighting—since the start of the war, she used her special shadow magic talent to create dozens of clones to help the strongest ships survive. If a ship sank, she would teleport a clone to another ship close by to save those who went overboard.

‘I am exhausted… but I cannot stop.’

‘Your Highness, if I fail will you forgive me? I tried my best…’

She still held great affection towards her sister’s fiancé and the father of her mother’s future children. Yet Verena didn’t let those things hold her back.

Instead, she carried the logic of her being Verana’s shadow at birth.

They were twins… sisters, and thus, even when exhausted, she found a sense of comfort in these thoughts.

“It’s too dangerous, your grace!”

“We must flee… at least you should escape, return to your main body and prepare for the future battles on land!” Her first mate on this ship and a devoted knight of Drakkur shouted, his right arm missing; in this battle, he gave everything and yet now, at the end.

The man remained devoted to Drakkur!

“I cannot!”

“Our King, Asura will NEVER abandon our people! Have faith… if you cannot believe in him yet, believe in me that would follow him until death!”

At first, the sailors and knights hated this woman, which was a dark mark on their duchess.

The original belief was twins were an omen of doom.

Thus, they were raised as shadows to replace the older twin should they die.

This situation led to many becoming insane and broken. And yet Verena endured, and from being hated by the soldiers in a few months, they adored her and how hard she worked to save their lives.

“Admiral…”

“Haha, well you can call me Verena at the end! It’s been a pleasure to fight with all of you.”

Their ship led the vanguard, part of the first line of defence and now outnumbered several ships to one. They rushed towards the enemy, ready to ram and detonate themselves to cause damage to the enemy.

BANG—!

BOOM—!!

A huge barrage came from the enemy’s lingering starboard—hundreds of bone spheres cannoned through the air; they would surely destroy this ship and the other five in charge.

However… the five images of Verena stood at the edge of the deck and held two sabres. Identical movements, while her body glowed with a black and red light, her hair turning a dull red as she used the vampiric blood of the Drakkur.

“I will fight beside you until the end!”

“Captain, we’re in range!”

“Hurry!”

“NOW SHOOT THOSE BASTARDS! LET US GO DOWN LIKE BEASTS!”

Verena’s lips curled into a small smile—she looked at the sky full of spheres of death as her clones leapt from the boats like shooting stars.

Her blades began slicing through the sky to protect the boats.

“Your Grace!”

“Hurry and shoot… support her grace!”

“Princes Verena!”

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In the distance, watching from the port of Drakkur’s outpost and the fortress that covered their coastal port. Verena, in a neat military uniform, suddenly stumbled and collapsed.

She was only able to remain standing as she held the stone wall with one hand.

“Urk…. Hnng….”

The moment a tremendous explosion appeared on the horizon, her body trembled. Dozens of cuts formed on her face, oozing with blood for a moment before rapidly healing.

Yet the future duchess became pale, vomiting blood as she gripped the stone so tight it cracked into dust.

‘Damn it…’

“Admiral Verana! Are you alright?!” A female knight tried to hold her up, but Verena wiped her mouth and swatted her hand away.

“How is the battle, what about the forward defensive lines?!”

“Our side… has almost been obliterated; however, our numbers are still over fifty warships… and twenty destroyers. Admiral Verana… can you see?”

“Urgh…” Her hands fell around blindly—the impact of losing so many of her clones left her blinded temporarily as her brain and nervous system healed. It was a skill even her mother and sister couldn’t master. No, rather, the only reason she evolved this far was her determination to change and improve herself.

If compared to Lucia’s abyss clones, they were probably superior at this moment and had a key ability that saved their naval forces against the mass of undead.

“We have to call for reinforcements… when will the ships from Silvara arrive?” Verena mumbled under her breath. Despite all odds, she knew if those ten thousand men and women survived and made it there in time…

‘We have a chance…’ She clenched her teeth, trying to hide her pain.

‘Just a little more… I can endure…’ However, there were several silver strands of hair fluttering in her hair.

Originally a vibrant red, pushing herself over and over caused her to lose vitality before being able to restore it.

Though she didn’t become upset or feel wronged by Verena, this was her atonement for the things she did in the past.

All because Asura punished her and told her to repent.

‘Brother-in-law… I will do my best…’

However… when she tried to stand up, her legs suddenly became listless, and she collapsed.

“Ack… I can’t feel them…” Verena experienced similar feedback in the past… be it losing her sight, taste, sense of smell… or the feeling in her arms. Yet this time, it felt stronger—her eyes gazed at the knight holding her up with a sense of defeat. ‘My clones can still fight… I cannot stop here.’

“Bring me a chair… we must NOT damage the men’s Morale!” Verana shouted.

In rejection of her current state, she leaned against the wall, using her elbows to prop her body up, gazing at the distant sea with her narrowed eyes.

‘If Drakkur falls here… Silvara will collapse like dominos!’

“Urgh… Lady Verena!”

The knights behind her could only watch in silence as they brought out the requested wooden seat.

Verena glanced at it, slightly looking down at her unresponsive legs as they hung loosely from her waist.

‘Goddess… if you exist… please, I won’t be evil again, just help my men survive a little longer!’

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BOOM—!

Not long after she began managing her clones to improve the second and third lines of defence, the entire horizon exploded with flashing purple and white light. The water rose to great heights before smashing against the 30ft tall stone walls, almost washing the nights atop them away as the ground shook.

“What’s happening?!” Verena called out while two knights held her chair down.

“It’s a massive force of unidentified ships!”

“Huge cannons have fired upon the undead fleet, it must be an ALLY!”

“Hundreds… there are hundreds of ships, warships, destroyers… and dreadnaughts!” More cries from lookouts came back and forth—the war on the open seas continued for hours. Yet, gradually, they watched a sudden miracle. Their forces dwindled, fighting to the end, and suddenly, an entire fleet appeared via a magic sphere and began destroying the undead.

“ITS KNIGHT CAPTAIN DANOS!”

“His Highness Asura’s Phoenix knights and Her Majesties Imperial Valkyrie!” A scout’s cry, the emotion and tears in his voice clear as the shaking and intense cannon fire continued, like they were trying to destroy the world itself.

Verena’s lips parted with a slight tremble as a slight smile grew. She couldn’t control her emotions. The depression and feeling of death loomed, yet the phoenix flag appeared… tears dripped from her eyes and quickly wiped away as she took a deep breath.

‘Brother-in-law… you sent help?’

“Amazing… amazing!” The female knight standing by the future duchess’ side seemed to have lost herself in excitement before remembering her position. “It’s Her Grace, Lady Verana’s personal warship! Admiral, your sister is leading the attack!”

It was a known truth that the sisters struggled to get along, and even though it began to heal, thanks to Asura’s intervention. The words of her scouts caused the young woman to clench her fists.

‘Sister…’

“Don’t press the attack; prioritise supporting their forces and rescue any wounded. Send the Second Defence line forward, and use the Third and fourth lines to save troops that are shipwrecked!”

“Let them take the glory, we only need to stop the undead from escaping.”

Verena wanted to launch the entire fleet in a huge assault but knew that even now, the undead outnumbered them greatly. Thus, support and recovery were better in the long run.

‘I believe that a fleet from the southwest will come… we need to hold on and wait.’

‘Brother, you will definitely take action… I will buy the time for you! So they cannot return to the east!”

Her face burned with energy and joy that revitalised her spirit. However, the injuries sustained by losing dozens of clones at once and maintaining the rest ate away at her stamina.

‘Hnng… it’s fine… this pain is worth it for brother’s victory!’ Verena held onto hope and was rewarded with good news shortly afterwards.

“It’s the Southern forces! They’re sailing toward us at top speed from the southwest!”

As the man cried out, more reports followed about the boats of the southern nobles, a mixed fleet and even if they only sought glory.

There were more than a hundred ships!

However… there was something wrong because despite sending their main force to the West… the commanders and leaders of their navy seemed to be absent.