Devouring Monarch: Rebirth of the Profane Phoenix

Chapter 92: The Darkness Inside - Asura's Plot

The second day of the assessment ended as the night of the southern wilds closed in. Asura and Xavida led the others with over 350 points, while Mu Xue trailed by over one hundred points.

"Husband~, are we not going to do it tonight?"

Xavida's lustful amethyst eyes flickered in the dark forest the pair had yet to return to their base.

"I can make it worth the time~ hehe, don't you like the feeling of my little mouth?"

"..."

She latched onto his arm with her white tail gently swaying, now wearing a black and white maid outfit like Mu Xue but underneath a light chain mail bra and stockings that protected her legs and chest.

'This girl keeps tempting me like a witch... If I could afford to stop, does she not think I'd already be doing so?'

Tonight was a very important moment for Asura because of a rumour in the past that claimed the princess discovered something in the southern reaches of the forest on the third morning.

Or rather, he slept inside the place on the second evening.

"If you come with me tonight, I'll do anything you want tomorrow. I promise."

"Really, but what if I just want to roll in bed and make breakfast, dinner and supper together with no fighting?"

"Then that's not too bad either."

"Hehe. It's a promise!"

Xavida's white tail wrapped around Asura's, their tips poking each other as if they were folding their little fingers for a childish promise.

'She is too adorable. I don't want her to come with me... But her life won't be all love and happiness.' Asura's eyes shimmered in the moonlight as they dashed across the forest, ignoring the weak stage two monsters. 'Soon... Her uncle will make his first move.'

"Hmm? What's wrong, husband?" Xavida turned to face him with sparkling, lovely eyes, causing his chest to ache.

"Will you forgive me if I make you do bad things?"

"I will do anything you ask, no matter how bad others might see it. Since it's for you, it's the right thing for me."

Her gaze, atmosphere, nothing changed when she replied.

Instead, it felt like she believed those words completely with zero doubts, causing Asura to be shocked for once.

'Ah... My heart skipped a beat. How can she say such things with that face? I am too lucky to have this woman as my spouse.' Asura's hand grasped her cheek, their bodies elevated, using their wings to traverse the forest and avoid obstacles. 'I won't let you win...'

"I love you, Xavida."

"Hah!?"

The white dragon's cute face turned a deeper shade of red than Asura's cheeks as her wings fluttered and flapped, almost dropping from the sky. Caught by his cheap shot, she wrapped herself around his body and bit into his neck.

"Cheater... don't say such things when we're flying. I'll bite you!"

"Hahaha, you're already biting, ahh stop it hurts!"

While flying south across the night sky, both dragons enjoyed the company of the other, almost getting too excited and burning the forest with their deadly dragon breath.

****

Six hours later, Asura and Xavida stood on the other side of the river where the Prince and his knight were sleeping.

The monsters prowled, searching for prey but even the strongest in the south was a Stage Three monkey.

"Asura. I worry, what if the academy finds out? He's the Prince, after all."

"Don't worry, your lovely head. Those crystals shimmering with a dull brown hue stop any academies from recording here."

"They can't watch?"

"Nope, and the secret that the Prince found... It's something that can help us both greatly."

Asura didn't wait long; he watched Xavida calm down, and her gaze became like the one he first saw when she entered the gate and had no allies.

'I must not betray her trust.'

He stepped forward before taking out several of the bodies he had stored after killing the assassins the day before.

'Now to set the scene...'

Xavida watched Asura from the side, although playing tricks like this was dirty and underhanded. However, she knew he was doing this for her to avoid any doubts.

So she followed and helped him set the scene to be more believable.

***

After the pair finished, the scene looked like a struggle occurred with a swordsman fighting her best to defeat the enemy, overwhelmed. A wind-type spell seemed to cut apart several of the cultists, making the Prince's teamwork obvious to any.

'Thanks to this dark element, I can remove my scent and mana, replacing it with anyone I've fought before.'

Xavida's soft hand pulled Asura's arm before she pointed forward...

The armed knight Emma stepped out of the cave with a sleepy prince, Valos, as if on time. Both of them heard the noise that he made on purpose.

"Who goes there? This is the camp of his highness Valos Silvara! Stand back and state your affiliation!" Emma yelled with a powerful bellow.

Prince Valos yawned before rubbing his eyes. "Emma... Why did you wake me.... it hurts to walk...Eh!? Assassins!"

Asura's lips twitched; this guy was a rotten actor, and he wasn't sure if he should feel pity or laugh since the knight Emma seemed to enjoy his performance.

"Assassins!? Prince Valos, stand back; I'll kill these fools!" Emma unsheathed her beautiful white crystal sword, glowing brightly as the mana inside exploded, creating a blinding light that removed all shadows.

The pair revealed both wore the cultist robes and seemed slightly different to their usual selves, but it was Asura and Xavida.

Emma narrowed her eyes before shouting. "Assassins. You dare wear those robes! Die!"

'Too easy.' Asura grinned before Xavida's hand slipped into his, holding his hand tight with a single squeeze before she released it and pushed his body back, holding two daggers.

Her body shot forward like a comet, twirling across the air, using the trees to kick off and build more and more acceleration.

"I'll do it, Asura."

Xavida's voice sounded hollow, causing Asura's chest to ache again. He nodded before focusing on the Prince, taking slow paces forward, at ease as Emma focused on Xavida.

"Earth Blade!" Emma swung her sword, releasing a sharp stone blade towards Xavida.

A fierce shockwave erupted as the Prince screamed, "Noooo, Emma!"

Before she could even adjust, Xavida's body, like flashing lightning, sliced her flesh with dozens of light attacks with her daggers, flying around the knight, rebounding off the trees like an actual speed-type assassin.

Prince Valos stumbled forward, his weak body tripping over a tree root. However, Asura caught him, lifting his weak body and placing him on the floor.

"W-who are you! Emma, save me!"

As Xavida toyed with the knight Emma, carving the woman's flesh with a dull, emotionless eye. Prince Valos's gaze snapped to Asura as if staring into hell.

With a single punch, his fist almost broke half the teeth in the Prince's mouth, and a loud bang and thud sounded from the sheer weight of the blow.

Prince Valos screamed, rolling on the floor, trying to crawl away with his shaking hands. However, Asura's foot slammed into his ankle, snapping the bone, then the mana density shattering the shards into countless tiny bits, the intense pain causing the Prince to throw up blood.

"Your Highness. Stop crawling like a worm. I need you to understand a few things." Asura's cold, emotionless voice caused the Prince to piss himself in fear, curling into a ball.

"P-please... mercy... Father will pay you anything... I am innocent...."

"I don't care about your father. He should thank me for removing a waste of resources like you... The next thing you need to understand... That death is too kind a thing to grant you. What you did to me... to those girls...

to her!"

The sight of Mu Xue, who returned home, her face disfigured from a certain acid that healing magic could never cure... She was concerned that if she took revenge, they would accuse Asura.

So Mu Xue took the acid to her face and did nothing to the prince, only to return home and spend the rest of her life in agony each night.

'Those tears and her agonised cries of pain.... because of your vile nature and my useless body... I will crush you into pulp... and make you drink the same poison!'

Asura's fist descended like a meteor, shattering the Prince's arm and causing Valos to scream, begging Emma to help him. But his blows never stopped, like his soul's frustration and bitter feelings flooded out. Asura's assault was relentless.

Yet Xavida sliced her Achilles tendons, causing the knight Emma to kneel in the dirt, her face pale as the Prince screamed.

"Emma! Save me... please...."

"Prince Valos... Forgive me. I failed you..."

Xavida held her dagger towards Emma's throat before Asura nodded, allowing her to finish this act.

A sanguine spray of blood covered the prince's face... A strange look on his face seemed to resemble the realisation that Emma was dead.

His body trembled, even with his arms, legs and body broken, tears and snot pouring from his face. He looked at Asura with eyes of hatred, wrath and vengeance.

"You... I will kill you, everything you value... I will crush them.... burn them.... have them gang raped until pregnant, then smashed to death by orcs the moment they give birth! You dare take her from me...

Emma.... EMMA!"

Prince Valos screamed Emma's name, his hatred and wrath so great that Asura chuckled before nodding to Xavida. She then tossed the corpse of Emma into the arranged spot while vanishing into the shadows.

He asked her not to watch his vile acts, not wanting her love to be distorted.

However, Asura didn't realise...

From the beginning, this act changed the nature of Xavida; her eyes were cold and ruthless when facing the enemy, now dull and filled with a sense of madness. As if needing Asura to make the strange, twisted feelings of guilt and excitement go away.

Asura took out a small vial of purple liquid. The scent was like melting rubber and burning grass, but this potion caused Mu Xue the pain in his first life.

"Y-Y-You cultist bastards!"

The prince firmly believed that the cult handled the attack. He wasn't smart and even should they use special magic to examine the scene.

Thanks to Asura and Helia's power supporting him, even a Stage Ten would only see that the cultist attacked him thanks to their changed mana and voices.

"Now then, prince, enjoy this wonderful drink I made just for you!"

Prince Valos spat at Asura, cursing him to hell. Yet, thanks to Asura's earlier damage, he couldn't resist.

"Open wideeeee~"

The Prince's mouth refused to open, so Asura broke his jaw and poured the liquid while, with his spare hand, he crushed the Prince's eyes with the thumb of his spare hand.

Underneath the mask, his face was horrific... like a true devil.

'Mu Xue... Please forgive me. I can't kill him in the academy, or they'll find out, but I will destroy this man piece by piece... Until his mind snaps, and he can't live anymore. Even if you are now fine... I dedicate this revenge on him to you, who died for me.'

Asura poured the liquid down Valos's throat, the Prince screaming like a pig about to be slaughtered before vomiting the disgusting liquid, but Asura pinched the Prince's nose and sealed it.

His body trembled and convulsed as the acid burned his organs, bringing the prince to the brink of death.

However... he would never actually die from this, only suffering eternal torment, unable to see, walk, talk or even use the bathroom alone.

"I hate you, all of you... Don't think I will be gentle with my revenge... Drakkur... Silvara... the Dragon Empire!"

Prince Valos's screams and curses echoed throughout the forest until he lost consciousness, while Asura stepped into the cave and took the items he wanted.

Asura vanished into the darkness before returning to base with Xavida, waiting for the third day to start.

A day the kingdom of Silvara would never forget.