Devouring Monarch: Rebirth of the Profane Phoenix

Chapter 123: A Duel Between Leaders

Garret Fenix saw the Shang warriors flee like cowards and felt confused.

'Aren't they allied to the undead? Lyndwrym does trade with the cultivation empires, yet their arrogance and betrayal during withdrawal puzzles me.'

His thoughts faded because many Stage Fives orcs stepped forward. Garret Fenix frowned but clenched his sword, covered in blood and orc flesh. He lifted his blazing sword proudly, gazing at the attacking orcs.

'No... this is my chance. To buy time for the others to recover!'

"I am Garret Fenix, Earl of the Phoenix Glade, who dares face me!"

A single orc stepped forward, his body taller than the average male but shorter than most orcs, wearing black metal armour covering his body and face, with one arm torn off.

"I am Asran, the bloody of the Monster Empire! Commander of the great legion that brings you to the brink of destruction and despair! Fight me, Garret, Fenix!"

Garret sensed a powerful stage five aura burst forward as he grinned, ignoring his weakness.

'Finally, someone worth fighting. An orc with both backbone and intelligence!'

He stepped forward, clasping his flame sword, smiling in anticipation. The enemy used a short but deadly serrated blade that was thick.

The humans and orcs around the two stage-fives stopped moving. A sudden change in the battle happened as the orcs smashed their chests, left thud, right thud—stomping and howling.

Garret Fenix focused his mana while clashing his fist and roared at his enemies, surprising all who had never seen a human act barbarically.

"What an opportunity! This fight, Asran, I accept your offer!"

Knights stamped their feet; metal thuds mixed with wet, fleshy thuds formed a strange melody of war as the humans tapped their shields using their swords.

The booming, heart-thumping sound pumped the veins of the knights; Garret's fire danced, slowly engulfing the ground as it shrank, only covering his sword and body before he and Asran charged forward, crossing the few metres instantly and swinging their swords.

With immense pressure, Garret's flaming sword smashed into the orc's blade; Garret's sword sent flaming embers shooting from the blade while Asran's weapon started releasing a whirring saw sound the serrated blades began vibrating.

The two's feet moved left and right as they blocked each attack, swinging with more vicious speed and power, causing their feet to slide into the mud, making deep pits.

"Good!"

"Yargun!" (Great! In Orcish)

Garret slashed his burning sword against the orc saw, shaking the skies each time the weapons met. Blood exploded at a frightening rate, causing screams as soldiers from both sides moved away.

As many weakened humans and orcs fell dead from the shockwaves of their clash, causing the duel to widen as fewer enemies hindered their movements.

The two slowed suddenly before circling each other, evaluating and planning their next move; their guards were so high and tight that sparks flew off from the shuffle of their boots or blades as they appeared.

'This orc, he's really good. I wish he were my knight.' Garret mused internally, making him evaluate his next move as the two attacked again, mixing feints with sweeps.

The sound of steel crushing became white noise as the orcs enjoyed the intense combat between an equal opponent.

Blood flowed much faster as Asran's wound-closing effect wasn't quick enough to stop Garret's fiery blade's flamed explosions and hacks; Asran began fighting on the defensive because of his loss of strength and speed, while Garret seemed to get faster, more powerful each time they clashed.

Garret admired his movements and mastery, grinning like a madman. 'I feel young again!'

Roars and hollering made him realise his mistake of enjoying the clash, remembering why it occurred, why he became the lord despite his wife leaving him, and why he fought!

'For the people, for my wife... and my beloved children! All three of them.'

Asran used his youthful body, twisting to avoid a heavy blow from Garret; as the saw blade clashed with the enormous sword, it cracked the blade and shattered the tip.

"Al Ver-ta!" (I Got you! - Orcish)

His lighter sword lifted in the air, ready to slice across the chest of the unprepared Garret, only to see a strange grin on the old man's lips, confusing the orc before he saw his target vanishing into the fire!

"WHAT...!?"

****

****

"How long before we arrive at Lyndwrym, Vuldra?" A woman in silver and black armour asked aboard a huge airship flying towards the Fenix territory.

Her bright blonde hair waved in the icy winds as her crimson eyes looked below with a sense of boredom. She didn't look like the other women, who all had silver hair and eyes, but it likely meant her rank was higher as she sat on the soft sofa watching out the windows.

"In two hours, lady Aurora," the female holding the helm reported politely while saluting, shocking the beautiful lady slightly because no human would salute another female.

'We are allies with the Fenix territory until their earl refuses our queen's request. Hmm...'

'Well, he is her first love, after all.'

Suddenly, in the distance, in the rough location of the Lyndwrym fortress, a huge pillar of fire exploded. The heat seared the air, felt even this far away, as Aurora's lips curled into a smile.

"Oh~ it looks like the kingdom just gained another rare Stage Six knight... How amusing, Garret, you finally stopped being stubborn and took a step towards forgetting about that bitch who left you?"

The pillar was nearly thirty metres high and ten metres wide, engulfing everything close; the only living being present was the owner and creator, the Earl Garret Fenix, resulting in the total obliteration of the enemy, along with thousands of orcs and monsters, causing him to roar into the heavens, drawing many fleeting gazes to his direction.

*****

"Oh? That old man managed to break through, well... It might sour our plans, but a mere Stage Six is nothing compared to my Shang Dynasty." Shang Luo whispered while drinking a strange potion on the airship. Beside him, a person with strange attire suddenly whispered into his ear.

"What!? My sister is missing!? She was supposed to be beside that little sword saintess! Who is messing with my plans? Find out now, or I will kill you myself!"

The man suddenly glared into space and laughed slightly.

"Haha, I understand; the sword saintess is just bait to draw those Fenix dogs into submission, but to kill my sister..."

"My beloved sister was so gentle... Find out which group killed her or awaken her true body to see if she has the memory of her killer."

His body glowed silver, the surroundings turning purple before his handsome visage froze and vanished.

Shang Luo blinked his icy grey-green eyes with a glare at the airship captain, startling her as she turned, wearing a jade gown. "You will be my partner tonight. Make sure to wear that dress."

The captain's face became sour before gritting her teeth. Nobody could go against the Shang family in the empire after they destroyed their superiors and rivals, the Mu family... The entire empire changed.

***

Meanwhile, back at ground zero, where the beautiful green clearing now turned into ash and charcoal, Garret Fenix stood with a slightly more youthful face, his hair long and red, with his muscular body exposed to skin like a baby.

"You were a good opponent, Asran."

"...Ghn...k..."

The orc lay on the ground, his body charred but still living. Garret narrowed his eyes and approached before lifting his giant broadsword coated in flames, cracked and almost destroyed.

He tilted his head slightly, ignoring the cheering behind him; he stepped towards the orc, turning the sword above his head and facing the blade towards his chest.

"It was my honour to fight you, and I will take your life now."

"Nograk Warmug...." (Great Warrior... -Orcish.)

Asran lay back as Garret's sword penetrated his chest. Asran grinned, spitting blood out, appearing happy before Garret swung down, cleaving the orc's body into three pieces as the flames vaporised the orc's corpse.

"Lord!"

"The orcs, they are fleeing!"

"Should we chase?"

Garret watched the army, once too many to count, now seemed to have less than a thousand remaining.

"No, let us go home and recover. There is information that the demons are attacking our northern port... and my son is defending Wolfsheim!"

"Surely you don't want to fight..."

"Haha, no... I will wait for him to bring his three future brides home and news of his victory. He is an adult; this is his last test as my heir."