Devouring Monarch: Rebirth of the Profane Phoenix

Seere's eyes widened at the sudden blow. He couldn't contain his anger, the rage which grew inside him as he glared at Asura. A look of insanity filled his expression, and his aura exploded in a chaotic storm of power.

"How dare an inferior existence wound me!"

His silver armour gleamed before a disgusting sound echoed.

The next moment, another arm grew from the socket, pale and lacking the same muscle as his previous one.

"You will die!"

—Woosh!

Asura's eyes narrowed.

He could observe and watch all of Seere's movements. His strength was nothing like the loss he had suffered a month ago as he watched the silver knight fly towards him with an unstable aura.

Seere screamed as the light of madness appeared in his eyes, causing the air to tremble and distort.

'He has lost his mind!'

A small smirk grew on Asura's lips as he held his father's sword tight in one hand. The wings on his back extended as they regenerated and fluttered rapidly, like a dragonfly.

"Good! Now I won't have to hold back!" He laughed.

A thick aura wrapped around Asura before he intercepted Seere's attack, their spear and sword clashing in midair, causing an explosion to erupt between them. The force from it spread into the surroundings as a massive shock wave expanded from their location.

"Come one, is this all you have Seere?"

"Grrr! Shut your mouth, insect!

—Clang!

—Crackle!

The spear and sword clashed once again in an exchange of blows as the sky seemed to shake and ripple around them.

Different from before, the power of Seere's blows decreased even further, his face dark, with veins bulging from his forehead, each blow sending his body shooting back several metres, while Asura's lips curled into a larger smile. A strange and somewhat evil laugh escaped him.

"Are you afraid?" Asura mocked. "Your movements are becoming slow!"

"I am not scared!" Seere yelled as his aura increased to another level.

Incredible pressure bore down on Asura, forcing him to the ground. The moment he touched it, cracks began to appear. However, he could see the strain on Seere when using this aura. He was destroying himself, the silver knight twirling his spear, as a black and green swirl of magic appeared at the tip.

'He's desperate...'

Asura could see the blood flowing from the corner of the knight's mouth, the strain he placed on himself. It would be hard for him to heal himself, but if he didn't use his full power, then there was no change. He could barely match Asura right now.

The almost unlimited vitality of the world tree inside his body and spirit continuously restored his stamina and magic while rapidly healing any wounds he had suffered.

"Phew..."

King Asura grasped his father's black sword, tapping the ground with his feet, before gritting his teeth, tensing and putting all his power onto his thighs and calves and lowering his hips. The earth and dirt under his feet flew to the back, and his sword was placed at an angle. He was ready to pounce and attack, just like a predator hunting its prey.

"Come!"

Seere's eyes looked corrupted, now completely black. His muscles bulged and distorted, a sign that he was surpassing his physical limits. Even the Abyssal Monarch needed to follow the laws of the universe, but he was breaking those limits.

Asura could see the veins popping out all over his enemy's skin. His mouth opened in a bizarre shape as he let out a battle cry.

"DIE! YOU MAGGOT!"

His speed instantly tripled with a sonic boom. However, even though he moved faster, he could see Asura's smile as the human's wings flapped twice before he jumped at Seere, his sword held high. They were moving so fast that the air seemed to rip and shatter from the force.

The next moment, a loud crackle of thunder could be heard in the sky as the clouds were forced away from their clash. An enormous blast of energy erupted and exploded, covering the sky in darkness. Below, on the ground, a shock wave blew through the trees, flattening many of them.

Ulvar's walls shattered into rubble and debris; soldiers evaporated into blood mist on both sides.

A huge dust cloud spread, rising into the sky. Inside the dust storm, the clashing of blades and a roar could be heard.

—Clang! Clang! Clang!

A sonic boom echoed once again as a silver streak of light was blown back and crashed to the ground, creating a deep hole and sending the surrounding earth shooting up into the air.

"Damn it!" Seere shrieked, his face in a feral snarl, a crazed look in his eyes, which seemed to glow in a black light, but his body refused to move... convulsing, he gazed up at the man watching him silently. Blood dripped down his shoulder, and a gaping wound could be seen there.

"Healing..." Seere growled as an aura surrounded him. The wound on his arm started to close slowly, but then the flesh and meat started to deform, bubbling and swelling into a strange shape.

"What?! What's happening?" The silver knight's voice echoed. His panic was visible as his body twisted and deformed.

"Oh my... Seere, my magic cannot keep you alive forever."

An eerie voice... like nails on a chalkboard, raspy... and slow, a voice that didn't seem alive.

Seere gasped, and he raised his head in fear.

"You shouldn't have pushed yourself past your limit, or maybe I underestimated that little human. No then... Seere, it seems you've overused your power and now... YOU ARE MINE! HAHAHAH!"

A skeleton appeared in the sky... no aura, no atmosphere... nothing.

'Who is that... why does it feel so creepy!'

"No... you can't do this... Mortis!"

"Ah! You can't even move... can you? I think you'll find... I can do what I want right now."

Seere could only grit his teeth. His whole body trembled, not in anger, but fear... terror as his arms exploded... his legs swelling up and twisting, filling his body with immense pain and agony.

Asura could only watch this in silence. He couldn't move or do anything. Not that he didn't wish to or wasn't strong enough. But he could sense it. Instinctively, he knew what Mortis would do! The moment he rushed into that area, the one Seere called Mortis would attack those behind him... Helia and Lorem.

"Another Abyssal monarch... is this the one who helped empower the demon empire, or rather turned them into an undead kingdom?"

"Hahaha!" Mortis's voice laughed. "He is mine. Finally~ I am so grateful, Asura Phoenix."

"Grateful... What do you mean by that?"

"Exactly what I mean, this annoying bastard kept trying to kill me, his aura a little troublesome to deal with... of course, when he is at 100%, haha!"

"Ah... you dirty lich!" Seere screamed before Mortis grasped his bone staff and thrust it into the chest Seere; with no hesitation, the sound of flesh tearing and bone snapping echoed as the Abyssal Monarch convulsed, choking and vomiting black blood from his mouth.

Asura's gaze sharpened. 'I should move back...'

He took to the sky. Mortis's aura seemed to have increased, but not greatly.

"Where are you going, little bird?"

Mortis called out before turning to face Asure, a twisted smile on his lips. "Now then, since Seere is dead. I should deal with you, as according to my contract."

—Woosh!

Before Asura could even blink, two lances of black aura shot past his cheeks. The Abyssal Monarch of death gazed at him with a lifeless atmosphere.

"Die."