Devouring Monarch: Rebirth of the Profane Phoenix

Asura felt Mu Xue's hand touch his shoulders.

The cool temperature of her palms soothed his memories of the horrible memories of Azoth's last moments. Being forced to watch the two women he loved most fight to the death as he faded into the darkness was harder than he thought.

Although Asura believed his women needed to have a healthy rivalry, he never wanted to see it escalate to them killing each other.

'I never want them to go that far. I must never become weak or die like Azoth. Then, I should become stronger, no! The strongest existence, so they never have to endure that fate again!'

Asura closed his eyes, taking deep breaths as Mu Xue's delicate fingers brushed along his body, fastening his buttons and adjusting his clothes with adept hands.

'That's right, she has been doing these things for so many years. I can never forget how irreplaceable Mu Xue is to me.'

Mu Xue silently supported Asura as he settled his emotions and grabbed his coat. Asura wrapped her in a tight embrace before slipping on his overcoat. His movements were smooth and graceful. It seemed as if he was simply born to be elegant and rule over others. Yet he didn't leave their embrace.

Instead, he gazed into her eyes and felt the sparkling eyes of Mu Xue felt different.

Not the usual eyes of affection and respect, but even deeper now, he felt a tinge of madness, and the obsession no longer masked. Original content from M-VL-em|p,yr

"Are you alright, Mu Xue? I feel you have become more enchanting suddenly."

"Does master feel this way? This servant is still the same!" Mu Xue smiled in joy at his compliment and wore an innocent expression on her face.

Asura contemplated her words, feeling strange in his heart.

"You are not just my servant, but someone I would never let go. Even if I had to cheat death."

The moment he mentioned cheating death, her eyes widened, becoming slightly wet before she pressed her head against his chest, her cool fingertips grasping his cheeks.

"Master doesn't need to worry about death. Your servant will protect you! So no one can take you away. If anyone dares to scheme against you, your servant will gladly exchange her life for yours."

Asura remembered the scene of the golden lance piercing Muru's chest, causing his two hearts to throb violently.

"I will never permit that to happen!"

Mu Xue cupped his face and kissed his lips as her eyes gazed into his, displaying nothing but her affection towards him as they sparkled brightly with an ice-blue light as if casting magic.

"Please promise me that you will never give up on living for my sake, no matter what happens! We are together forever, and I will let nothing separate us!"

Asura frowned at her words but couldn't resist her innocent expression, which he felt was unusually important. The feeling and tone of her words were more serious than when she flirted with him.

Instead, he accepted her words but with his own added.

"Then you must promise me you will never give up your life for my sake. I order you to live, be happy and find a way so that we can both survive together. I don't believe in rebirth or the next life. I only want to spend eternity with you, who stands before me now."

His words seemed to cause chaos in her mind, and she suddenly froze, her fingers trembling and her body going into shock.

Asura didn't realise how much his words had impacted her. After all, he didn't know she would regain the memories of their past life, so he was unaware of the destiny she now accepted or the significance of his words.

When he sensed something wrong with her, he lifted her chin, only to find small droplets of ice dripping from her eyes as she looked at him with the most pure smile and gentle gaze since they met.

"Do you mean that? You will never abandon the present for the future?"

"Of course!" Asura wiped the tears from her face. "Don't you believe me?"

Mu Xue's body relaxed, and she wrapped her arms around him, feeling relieved. She smiled and said, "I do! I will never forget your words!"

Asura observed her, feeling a little surprised. It seemed his words had strengthened her resolve. But he felt that her feelings and her words became heavier, and she sought more from him, even though he didn't understand why she was so moved.

After wiping her eyes, he kissed her lips and saw the twinkle in her eyes return.

"Shall we skip training and go for a walk in the forest?" Asura suggested, holding her waist and smiling.

Mu Xue was stunned but couldn't hold back her smile. "Is Master trying to charm this servant into submission?"

"Would you agree if I said yes? Maybe I want you to submit to me for eternity."

With the sweetest smile, she replied. "This servant will give you her eternity~ so you must treat her well, Master."

Asura smiled, kissing her forehead and whispering. "Eternity it is! Now, let us leave."

Together, they left the training grounds, arm in arm.

Mu Xue leaned against him and glanced at him with the most beaming smile he had ever seen. Her body and atmosphere seemed to become soothing and calm, and she lost the slight uncertainty of the past.

Asura knew her mood had changed and smiled at her as they disappeared into the forest, his demonic flames eradicating their presence and hiding them from others while driving away weak monsters.

In the centre of the dark forest, the two strolled happily, until finding a beautiful clearing together that easily dispatched the weaker monsters without loosening their embrace and finally reached the source of this forest's name.

A huge black tree with grey leaves and a beautiful aura.

Asura narrowed his eyes as he sensed the enormous Magic reserves inside this tree.

"This is..." He sensed a faint connection to it.

The heavy and dark feeling also reminded him of last night's dream. Mu Xue looked like she didn't seem to sense anything but smiled at the beautiful tree.

"Master, isn't this a Black Moon Tree? It has survived so long in such a dirty environment. How could such a wonderful tree survive in the land of humans for 5000 years?"

Asura understood now that his blood had created this tree. Or rather, Azoth planted this tree when he left his child with a small group of humanoid protectors; this tree symbolised himself and his presence, who would always watch over the child.

"It's been a long time—back then, you weren't even a sapling," Asura muttered, stepping forward as his hand touched the bark, feeling it vibrate the moment he touched it. Like a dog might when its owner returns after a long vacation.

As the grey leaves turned pitch black and flickered without wind, a sense of vibrance and vitality filled the forest.

A moment after that, all the surrounding trees in the central area transformed, turning darker and taller.

"Asura?"

Mu Xue saw a swirl of black leaves all dancing around him, like a mystical scene. Her lips curled into a smile as she gazed at him with doting eyes.

"It truly is him." She muttered, the sound blocked by the howling of the wind and leaves that danced in the air.

"Ah... are you drinking my blood? It seems I made you lonely for far too long..."

Asura sensed his energy flowing outwards and entering the roots of the Black Moon Tree, recognising it and increasing his strength.

As if in response to his words, the Black Moon Tree grew before their eyes. Its branches were now five meters thick, and its height expanded rapidly.

Mu Xue was in awe but felt surprised when several grey leaves flew at Asura and buried themselves into his palms. She soon found herself looking at a line of black blood symbols on his left arm.

She observed his actions with joy while lifting her arms, which began throbbing; the symbols created on the surface changed, rewritten. Different from the poor lettering that previously transformed her arm, these words were nostalgic and identical to her memories, as the letters sank into her flesh and etched onto her muscles, bones and even her veins, but this time changed both her arms.

The dance seemed to last hours, but only ten minutes passed before the forest became new, revitalised, and filled with life.

The Black Moon Tree reached over 50 metres high and 10 meters wide as the nearby trees multiplied in size several times. The once-dead and dreary forest became lively and thriving, with a fog-like atmosphere shrouding it and gathering into a haze in front of the two. Its mist seemed to block off this central area from the outside.

Allowing only the two of them inside.

"Asura, are you alright?" Mu Xue's arms no longer felt painful but natural, like she could summon Hyouka as part of her body instead of a mere sword.

"It is fine," Asura answered Mu Xue with a smile.

"But it seems this tree has become greedy." His head turned towards the trunk, where the beautiful young woman stood. A forest Nymph with black hair and eyes sat on the thick roots while gazing at Asura with curious eyes.

The moment Mu Xue saw her, her eyes brightened before realising this was the tree's true form, or at least her new form.

"Is this...?"

"It's her—Black Moon. Right?"

"Mm! Papa!"

"Eh? Papa, you're speaking about me?" Asura pointed to his face.

"Nn!" Black Moon nodded and giggled happily as she jumped down from the tree.

Mu Xue's heart warmed upon hearing her voice; she saw nothing but an innocent and cute girl.

'Who would have thought she would be so adorable?'

"Since you are so cute, from now on, your name is Noir Fenix, okay?"

"Noare? Noarr? Peenix?" The forest Nymph tilted her head before Asura stepped forward, wrote the letters and spent several minutes teaching her.

Mu Xue couldn't help but touch her cute head as Noir sat on Asura's knees, nodding.

"So cute..." Mu Xue whispered.

"Noir Fenix is a good name. Hehe."

"What do you say to Mu Xue?"

"Thank you! Mu-Mama" Noir smiled brightly, causing Mu Xue's heart to melt at how adorable she was.

"I think she is much cuter than a human baby."

"True. Well, you helped me plant her, so technically, her words aren't wrong. She grew up using both our--" It was at that moment that Asura realised he spoke of the past life so casually without speaking about it before he felt a sense of guilt towards Mu Xue; however, rather than a question or confusion, he felt her cooling body wrap around his back, and her soft lips kiss his neck.

"Mmmm, I know, I know everything, but you are Asura to me and always will be."

"Did you dream... or remember?"

Mu Xue didn't answer straight away. Her breathing was deep as she caressed his left hand that held Noir as her body pressed against him from behind.

"We swore to meet after death, right? Isn't this proof of destiny? We should be together."

With her words, Asura felt a strange sensation in his mind and spirit palace. The devil monolith ran smoother, and he felt the connection with Azoth becoming solid. And realised that before he knew it.

Azoth's shattered soul had become one with him; now, the image of Azoth would manage the devil monolith after Asura kept his promises.

'Looks like I can't leave that little elf princess alone. Let's also help her aunt too. I owe Azoth that much.'