Devouring Monarch: Rebirth of the Profane Phoenix

The damage caused by the cultists exceeded Asura's expectations. Huge gaping holes and burning craters lingered at the outer walls, with knights and crusaders fighting each other in a brutal melee. Neither side seemed to have the advantage, while Asura couldn't see any of his women on the walls.

'Where are they?'

He would have noticed if they suffered a serious injury or died, so Asura didn't worry too much. Instead, he led Grom and the orcs towards a broken part of the wall with low-rank monsters and cultists swarming inside. "Let's go, Grom, show me the strength of your people!" Asura's voice boomed while he pushed forward.

"Hah! Let us go, brothers, to win back our freedom!" Grom's body shot forward, followed by his brothers all roaring "For Grom!" at the top of their lungs while Asura kept his eyes open, making sure the archbishop didn't attack them.

"Aid me, knights of Utgard!" Maria's voice, filled with determination, echoed through the chaos. "They cannot get further! The city must be protected!" Her eyes filled with exhaustion while she tried her best to fight.

The city of Utgard was under siege, and they were the last line of defence. Maria, her body covered in dirt and blood, flicked small crackling bolts of fire at the cultists. The dark embers burned the flesh of her targets; however, the Crusaders, with their huge shields, blocked them, deflecting them against the Utgard knights and their allies.

'The battle is too intense.' Asura's mind raced, watching as knights grasped sharp blades from the ground and stabbed cultists from behind. All the nature of honour and courage seemed to rinse down the drain; all that mattered was victory and survival.

'Forget it, let's help.'

With his black sword, Asura leapt onto the wall, his wings flapping to boost his body. The broken and damaged walls were filled with cultists, and few knights managed to survive. "Well, sorry, but your path ends with me."

"Who are you!?"

"Don't think you can beat us, fool!"

The cultists began to mock him, their hands forming gestures while chanting dark magic. However, Asura just dashed forward, his blade creating a swirl of darkness enveloping over ten cultists as his body teleported across the wall, ten metres away.

"Gah!?"

"Agghh!"

Asura didn't look; the blood seeping from the sword's edges and the sound of bodies collapsing told him the story he needed. His eyes narrowed, filled with a terrifying glint, while looking at the many surviving cultists.

Though he could only use his void magic and physical body, Asura's strength still matched that of a Stage Ten warrior.

**

Meanwhile, on the opposite side of the castle, a group of crusaders fought against a young woman. Her left arm transformed into a blade of ice, a beautiful blue mist enveloping the blade as she stepped forward with her left foot, her gaze focused on the enemy.

"You are not welcome here, cultist scum!" Mu Xue's voice, serene and beautiful, echoed across the empty wall. A moment before, their disgusting magic vapourised the entire unit of knights guarding the eastern entrance.

"Disgusting monster, you dare take the form of a woman. We will crush your filthy form and destroy your soul!" The leading crusader with a powerful divine aura stepped forward—behind him, six shield knights with flails slowly swayed to build momentum.

Her face didn't change, and Mu Xue didn't respond; instead, her body tapped off the ground. Like a dancer, she moved with grace and speed beyond that of a normal knight. She didn't have any special magic or skills other than her sharp blade and agile body.

A blue stream of ice followed her movements, a flutter of her ice wings boosting her speed as she appeared in the range of the crusader, his shield slammed forward. The steel was a bastion as if to stop her blade in its tracks.

However, Mu Xue's changes after becoming a devil couldn't be underestimated.

"Forgive me for my foul play." Mu Xue's soft voice sounded like a bell from beside the crusader before a gentle whistle of wind followed.

The next moment, a flash of blue lit up his shield, her left arm now longer, with a much thinner blade sliced through his shield and arm, both dropping to the ground as she twirled around. In a mesmerising sight, her beautiful blue kimono followed her movements before her second blade reaped the crusader's life, cutting through his neck.

"Gaa!?"

Blood sprayed from his headless corpse while the shield knights behind him, too slow to react, lost their leader.

"Leader!?"

"Ah.... he's dead!!"

"Run... we must run!!"

"Kill her!"

They panicked, fear filling their hearts after his death. Now, becoming nothing but headless chickens trying to escape and attack her due to their fight-or-flight responses. However, Mu Xue's speed and deadly blades cut through them like a sword through tofu.

"Haa..." Mu Xue released a soft sigh, her eyes closing while she returned her right arm to normal. It was the first time she had used both arms as weapons, and it made her feel a sense of loss. She felt like she had lost more of her humanity and honour as a knight.

"However, this is what I must do for victory: discard those stupid notions and focus on helping him reach the top." Her voice was still like a gentle winter song on the frigid wind.

She glanced towards where he was fighting. Her eyes flickered with bright blue magic, and she could feel him and his fight.

"Asura keeps fighting, then so must we." Her eyes closed before looking around for another group of enemies or allies to assist. "There, found you." She whispered before jumping off the wall, rushing along the side using her wings of ice to elevate herself and leap to the upper platform, where more crusaders and cultists lingered.

***

The defence of Utgard seemed to be even with the Crusaders, who created a great difference due to their overwhelming strength against the Utgard knights. However, that was only until the Valkyrie began to land and take part in the battle.

Ignis stood in her silver battle garments. Her silver spear and beautiful hair danced in the centre of the city. A few hundred metres from the breached walls, yet behind her, hundreds of Valkyrie stood with their swords, spears, and shields ready to protect the inner walls.

Her eyes narrowed as she faced off against a huge army of Crusaders and their cultists. "You are not welcome in this city, for my master will soon take control and banish you all to the abyss!" Ignis began to believe in her master's strength after watching his battles and training against the queen and Duchess Valerie before departure.

With a shout of confidence, she began to release her magic aura. "My Prince cannot fall to the likes of you!" Ignis pointed her spear towards the leading Crusader with a massive greatsword and pale blue eyes.

The cultists didn't seem to care for her words, or maybe they were restricting such thoughts and could only focus on battle.

However, the commander was different.

He looked at Ignis, ready to attack him and shook his head. "Oh, what lovely words from a defile existence like yourself."

"How dare you—"

"DO NOT INTERRUPT A REAL HUMAN YOU INFERIOR GARBAGE!" His voice bellowed. It seemed the commander hated Ignis interrupting him.

"You are nothing more than inferior beings born out of jealousy! Because of your shortcomings, you decide to throw your anger at those who can do what you cannot!" The commander continued.

"You—you bastards!"

"Calm down."

A gentle voice resonated within the Valkyrie ranks.

They all turned to the source. Their eyes opened wide as they saw a beautiful, red-haired woman in an exquisite white dress and chain mail suit underneath.

She looked charming, with her golden eyes like the sun and a small beauty mark beneath her eye. Valerie dressed similarly to the Valkyrie, holding her black and red spear and small round shield, looking at the crusader with a charming smile.

"There is no need to get angry because of such an inferior man. Instead, attack and crush them, as your master and commander would desire." Valerie didn't raise her voice, shout or scream, instead speaking with a soft and lovely voice.

It wasn't hard to guess she would be supporting them in battle—those who knew of her identity felt a sense of relief. The Valkyrie let out a breath, losing their anger and rage and instead returning to their pristine mindset.

The Valkyrie took heart in her words and smiled. They placed their spears forward in a threatening manner, pointing them towards the army of cultists and the leader, the Crusader.

"How laughable, the slut of Drakkur comes here and acts like a warrior! Fine, let my blade carve you apart and rid this world of another abomination! Men, attack them!" The Commander seemed elated that Valerie appeared, likely due to her being a creature of darkness and a vampire.

The cultists attacked in a frenzy. Their bodies moved swiftly, covered in their blood-red cloaks and with swords, axes, and other weapons.

However, just as they were about to reach the Valkyrie, Valerie ran forth and impaled the first person she saw; with her left hand, the blood spurting from his wound suddenly twirled, forming a vortex. "Ah~ blood of the fallen, slay my enemies! Blood Barrage!"

The blood exploded from the vortex, creating hundreds of small blood bullets which struck the incoming cultists. Their bodies were ripped apart and shredded, being nothing more than training dummies for Valerie and the Valkyrie.

They found this girl, who was known for her sexual appetite, was actually a powerful mage, causing their belief in their master to skyrocket.

As Valerie arrived, the Valkyrie unit quickly charged alongside her.

"Ignis, we'll take the left and centre. You deal with the right!"

Their magic coursed through their bodies, forming a thin magical armour of fire and wind. Their speed rose rapidly, and their spears, shields, and swords appeared sharp, like hawk talons, ripping through the enemies' flesh and bone.

"Destroy the Valkyrie with everything you have! Leave none alive! We will pave the way for our masters and, if necessary, throw away our lives for the cause!" The greatsword of the Crusader slammed into Valkyrie's abdomen, cleaving her in half, before Valerie and Ignis blocked his second strike with their black spears, creating a huge burst of sparks and sending the pair back several steps.