Devouring Monarch: Rebirth of the Profane Phoenix

Chapter 107: The Reward Ceremony - Hidden Tales

? Lorem POV

The entire arena produced a strange tension. Whether from the battleship attacking the forest and the assassins who attacked the prince.

This year was much worse than the past decade. Lorem furrowed her brows as she examined the crowd of students.

Hers alone, with ten fewer people.

'I will never forget this, you cultist bastards. Not only did you try to kill Asura...'

'But so many of my lovely students!'

Filled with emotions, she finally took the stand and cleared her throat.

"Greetings, new students of the academy. Congratulations on surviving the first-year assessment."

A quiet clap followed because most of the first years were in a state of shock.

The horrific experiences of the assessment from the forest being destroyed by a dragon flame that claimed the lives of five students.

Then, the bombing wounded seventy and killed over fifty.

"Many of you might be filled with a deep emotion of loss, defeat and sorrow. However, you cannot dwell on such feelings. Instead, focus on the fact that you survived this event and will become stronger thanks to the loss."

'What are these lame ass lines... Who wrote them? Was it Bernette?'

"Ah..."

Lorem seemed to get irritated speaking with such a polite tone. She brushed her long red hair, thick like a lion's man, behind her ears. Then slammed down on the wooden podium, almost shattering it into pieces—if not for the regenerative magic cast upon it.

"Stop being pathetic. Do you think those guys would give two shits if you died instead?"

"If it makes you feel so much anger, resistance, and outrage..."

Lorem's entire body began glowing red, her flames vibrating with an aura that reached even the most distant people, filling them with a sense of power.

"Then get stronger and crush the enemy yourselves! You are here to become warriors! Mages and knights!"

"Show them why you attended this academy! Let your enemies remember your names!"

"Let your parents sleep easy, knowing you will protect them from harm! Instead of thinking, you are weak and spineless. Show your loved ones that they don't have to worry!"

"Those who lost someone, dear, I can only tell you to grow stronger and stop worrying about them in the upper realms!"

As her phoenix feathers rained across the stage in a glorious sight, Lorem's flames suddenly illuminated the scores on the board in the next moment.

Suddenly, the audience exploded with cheers, fists punching the air, and magic radiating from all kinds of students, regardless of elements, cultivation stages, or talent.

"Yeah!"

"RAH!!!!"

"Princess Vela! We love you!"

"Mu Xue! You are amazing!"

"Asura! Asura! Asura!"

'The little bastard... I can't believe that a Stage Four Beast died... I have to make sure he trains harder. Otherwise, he's body will become unbalanced, and he'll be a paper tiger if he rushes to the next stage....'

Lorem smirked before stepping down as Bernard took over. His words were boring, as the entire auditorium was now celebrating.

[First: 1,200 points - Asura Fenix and Xavida Bahamot]

[Second: 500 points - Vela Silvara and Mu Xue]

[Third: 112 Points - Juniper and Dave Fielding]

[Fourth: 98 Points - Petra and Bernard]

She cared little about celebrating or staying. As her task was done, Lorem headed towards where Lucretia waited. Both knew that the fight between Asura and the cult wasn't some kind of assassination. It was something different.

'They spoke of a holy son... Please don't let it be him.'

***

? Sword Saintess POV

Sigurd sat beside Amalia, who didn't participate in the assessment like others because of Asura's appearance.

"My lovely disciple. You chose to endure my trials instead of this wonderful chance to train with your brother. Are you disappointed?"

"No... I am happy—brother looked so relieved when he returned through the gate."

She gazed at the horrible appearance of her disciple: bruises, marks from where her bones broke, the skin, dirt and filth covering her once white leather and cloth outfit.

'This girl tried so hard, but her brother is a genuine demon...'

Her eyes watched the handsome male, who seemed perfectly fine.

You could never believe he entered the assessment a month ago compared to the other exhausted students covered in injuries and filth.

'I watched his fights... It's like he is born to fight. Each time he won or lost, his strength and skills would increase rapidly.'

Sigurd hugged Amalia, who seemed to have fallen into a light sleep.

She hummed a gentle tone while stroking through her hair. "Asura... the training you endure is going to be increased tenfold. Otherwise, your strength will distort and ruin you forever."

While Sigurd carried Amalia away from the stadium, she pondered what to do for Asura.

'He lacks many things, but the biggest thing is balance. If he doesn't temper his body with inner energy soon... Ah... since he's your brother and you love him more than you should. I'll make sure he leaves this academy with a perfect foundation. He will probably surpass the stages these kingdoms use before then...'

She chuckled while heading back to the academy with Amalia in her arms.

'After all... Your brother is the divine son of those bastards!'

The moment before she entered her private residence, the golden barriers that prevented even the kingdom from spying on her flickering as she gazed at the palace.

"This kingdom is going to need its heroes soon... That thing the king has created, he doesn't understand—it is no longer his son."

****

Meanwhile, inside the deepest dungeon of the castle, in a dark room, deep claw marks cover the walls with blood and flesh spread over the prison, chains broken apart in half.

A figure knelt on the floor, gazing at a mirror image of itself. However, there was one difference. One side had pale skin, sharp crimson eyes, fangs, claws, and a tail. The other side had tan skin and a black sclera with gold irises and horns.

Both sides smiled, revealing their razor teeth as they whispered in sync.

"Soon... we will be free, brother."

"...Who are we?"

Suddenly, footsteps approached, both heavy and slow.

A man stood in front of the prison cell. He wore a robe that concealed everything except his face, which looked into the cell with a horrified expression.

The king's lips trembled, looking at the state of his son.

"Do you regret what you've done?" Asked the pale side of the monster.

"..."

The monster wearing his son's skin remained silent. It refused to speak to this man.

The king sighed before turning around.

"Father... Why don't you release me?"

"Don't call me that. You are no longer my son. Instead, a creation made from my stupidity."

"So cruel... after everything I endured. Everything I suffered..."

The creature laughed hysterically as the king left, ignoring the sounds of madness echoing through the castle dungeon; then a woman's scream sounded... A maid whom the king himself locked in the room below.

She was the prince's 'meal' as the sickening crunch of her bones sounded. Her wails and screams ended quickly as silence fell upon the dungeon again.

Only slurping and chewing echoed for the rest of the night.

'Forgive me, for I lack the strength to take his life... I will accept your punishment for this failure. My wife.'

The king thought as tears streamed down his face.

'Even if you despise me, hate me, curse my existence for eternity. I still love you, even though you have never thought of me more than a tool... Even though you married me out of obligation.'

'...'

Inside a secret chamber in the king's bedroom, a woman dressed in luxurious silk clothing lay unconscious, a child in her womb pulsating with a soft glow.

The secret of the prince's birth... a woman who looks almost identical to the queen was her cousin and a member of the Silvaran royal family.

Because of a prophecy, the queen used forbidden techniques and impregnated the Silvaran princess, who willingly offered herself to save the kingdom with a female heir.

However, the child's birth caused a mutation in the princess... making her infertile. Thus, the man who married her would lie with another woman to produce the second child. Someone who could never inherit the throne.

Whether the queen hated her husband or mother for this decision was unknown. However, the result changed her completely.

The kind and benevolent princess that the kingdom adored and loved... To a cold and brutal queen who did everything to protect the kingdom.

"You sacrificed your womb and rights to become a true mother for the kingdom. In honour of your actions, please allow me to keep this ruse until the end."

The king kissed the woman's forehead before leaving the secret room, hiding any traces of his presence.

"My foolishness... It will destroy this kingdom and everyone within. Forgive me for failing you."

Meanwhile, inside the dungeon. The creature licked its bloody hands clean, gazing at the corpse of the maid.

"Mother... Father... Soon, I will return home."

"We will return home."

"And Kill, Asura Fenix and that filthy lizard."

"Kill? Why not thank... we are here because of them."

The creature laughed hysterically, splitting into two sides once again.

One pale and the other tanned. Two beasts who shared the same body.

Two halves of a whole.

"Thank them? No, brother... They will suffer our wrath and pain. We will force them to repent for abandoning us."

"Repent?"

"Yes... Only then will we forgive them. Isn't that right, brother?"

"Hahahaha!"

"Hehehehe!"

Their insane laughter echoed through the dungeon as the moon shone in the sky, bathing the land in moonlight.