Devouring Monarch: Rebirth of the Profane Phoenix

"Haa..... ha....."

Vela's body trembled as she stepped forward, her hand grasping her nodachi stained in blood as she looked down at the corpse at her feet.

"Why...?"

A pale-skinned male with crimson eyes. His handsome face looked peaceful as his eyes closed forever.

She just cleared the twentieth floor in a desperate battle that almost caused her to die dozens of times, yet each time she almost lost, the enemy would become gentle and stop his relentless attack...

Her fingers brushed through his raven hair, the long and beautiful strands fading into mana as they returned to the tower of death, causing her to feel emptiness with neither answers nor relief.

'I know it's not him...'

Vela could tell this wasn't her Asura because she didn't stand a chance, even using her manifestation in the real world. However, this Asura was as gentle as the real deal.

"But..."

He fought like the man she met in the royal academy as they first fought in the tournament for the first years.

Then, she clashed with him in the southern wilds before finally meeting him in the sword saints' private training area.

She relived all her encounters and training with him on this twentieth floor.

There was no other enemy but Asura.

"Never mind, let's take my reward and leave..." Vela said in a low tone.

Despite her usual elegant voice, the sorrow and exhaustion were clear as day. She closed her eyes, slowly taking deep breaths, trying to calm her racing heart and the pain she endured each time her blade penetrated his body.

Vela experienced many faces of Asura and saw things she didn't see in reality, such as his efforts in the forest when arriving at the academy.

He underwent extreme training each night with Mu Xue, Sigurd, and even his sister.

"Asura never stops. Even when he spends hours making us all happy, he trains, studies and tries to improve."

Her fingertips remembered the sensation of his face when she killed him for the first time.

The feeling of his chest when her sword penetrated his heart and how soft his hair felt when she killed the Asura whom the cult of the fallen sun abducted and became corrupted.

She didn't realise the depths of her feelings for him until now, nor did she know why she kept replaying her memories of Asura while going through the tower of death.

However, now she realised... the small flicker of affection didn't appear from nowhere. Her affection started when he challenged her for the first time in the tournament.

Maybe when he confronted her brother when they first entered class, her eyes settled on his figure.

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"It's stupid, but killing him in this tower hurt me as If I killed the real thing." Vela clenched her fist, strolling out of the room and entering the portal with a conflicted heart.

Yet, at that moment, the floor trembled as if answering her statement.

"..."

Vela froze before looking back in horror, her eyes widening with fear and anticipation.

"A... Asura?"

He and Verana were holding each other, a scene that she believed could never happen after watching him for weeks, listening to the stories of the other women, and yet here it happened. A pain grew inside her, like a sharp claw grasping her heart.

Vela didn't care about another person being beside him, not in the past... However, something important seemed to have changed inside her heart. She bit her lower lip, slowly taking a step forward, but before she took another, her heart shook again.

The sharp claw squeezed tighter, and a bitter expression surfaced on Vela's beautiful face as she saw Asura caressing Verana's cheek. 'He ignored me... is this still the twentieth floor, and I failed to clear it!?'

"Damn it..." Vela ground her teeth, the bitterness becoming more pronounced on her face before turning around.

However, as her body turned, she saw no portal, only a stone wall with dark, mossy stones. Vela's brows furrowed, and her mouth became dry with an abrupt sense of crisis.

'That's strange. Where is the portal to leave this floor? Did I miss something?'

As she inspected the wall for a sign or any traces of mana, Vela thought, but there was a sudden realisation in her heart.

The feelings of denial finally cleared as a voice called out to her.

"Vela?"

'Don't cry. We're not dating. Don't cry. There are many women beside him. How can a princess cry over a small hug?'

Vela reassured herself, trying not to show jealousy at seeing Verana in his arms. Yet, despite the pain of rejection, it felt like the tower sensed her feelings and trapped her.

"This damn tower..."

Vela's fingers grasped her nodachi, the resentment causing the black blade to shake in her hands.

'Does that mean I have to kill them to leave this floor!? These are his clones. If I kill them, I'm no better than those disgusting cultists!' Vela's trembling fingers slid against the handle of her nodachi, yet as she turned around, she froze as her eyes saw only Asura... It seemed Verana left as the purple portal flickered showing someone left for the next floors.

"Vela... How long have you been on this floor?" Asura asked.

Vela's shoulders tensed at his question, her eyes widening momentarily as if she couldn't believe what he said. 'Do I say, now... before? What is the right answer!?'

"N... not long," Vela answered in a stutter.

She didn't understand why she couldn't answer correctly. No, she understood why.

'It's because I don't want to look stupid. I don't want to admit my true feelings to him... Nor can I forget that these hands just killed him countless times!'

Vela admitted her faults, her lies. She knew this Asura was HER Asura. He wasn't the same Asura she needed to kill, yet they were the same.

Her hand moved before she could stop herself. Her slender fingers reached for Asura's shoulder, her heart racing excitedly at the mere contact. She could feel his warmth, unlike the cold and dead bodies she killed.

'Is he real?' Vela mumbled softly, her fingers squeezing his shoulder firmly.

Asura smiled, his hand reaching for her trembling hand. His face looked warm, with narrowed eyes showing his slight dimple. Her feelings became stable, and she hugged his chest tightly, her face buried in his tunic. "Are you alright, Vela?"

She felt safe and free of the intense sorrow and regret of killing him repeatedly.

"Asura... can I stay with you for a while?"

Her eyes glimmered with a delicate expression of hope and relief, her scarlet lips quivering slightly at his touch.

"You don't have to ask, Vela..." Asura didn't seem surprised by her words. His warm eyes showed the same tenderness as Verana's. He welcomed her into his arms, stroking her hair gently with a wide smile.

'Ah... it's this face. He shows this to Xue, Xavida, and even that woman. Is this the face he shows the women he loves and cares for? Can I consider myself the same as them? But I am not like them.

I cannot accept sharing. I am the crown princess. It hurts my pride to feel below them all,' Vela thought to herself.

He leaned forward and kissed her forehead, guiding her away from the portal. "It must have been hard on you," he said.

Asura's words were so natural, so warm and earnest.

It felt like he knew what she experienced, as the soft words cracked Vela's fragile shell, her hand trembling first...

Then tears suddenly trickled down her cheeks.

The last floor's stress, fear, and loneliness almost broke her completely.

Vela wanted to feel his warmth and regain some sense of stability. Asura was her lifeline, even though she knew others would find her affection shallow or childish... He was the prince who appeared, guided her and showed her an alternative path in life, breaking away from her mother's plan!

Vela couldn't control her emotions. "It's not fair..." she whispered in a low tone as he clung to her. She didn't know whether she felt mad because of Verana herself or if it was at Asura...

She didn't know where to direct her frustration. "I... I almost died on this floor... and then... you held that woman so gently. You...

You never held me like that," Vela mumbled with a pout, the angry words increasing in volume as if trying to convey the storm of emotions in her heart. "I know, you said you need time... but I killed you so many times... and you never let me stay with you."

"When will you accept me?"

"You said you like me..." Vela stood looking up at him, her face a mess, lips trembling as her cheeks streaming with tears while scrunching her lovely eyes.

Asura looked stunned at first, but then, as he seemed to digest her words... His eyes glowed as if realising she suffered far more than he realised or thought. "Killed me?" He whispered in a low tone, his hand rubbing her cheek before pulling her back into his embrace.

Vela's face buried in his chest as she hiccuped and rubbed her face.

"Over and over, I kept meeting you again, in different places, times, and always..." Her tears smeared against his clothes, her words furrowing Asura's brows.

Vela remembered everything vividly, seeing every moment of the time they spent together and how each moment of her blade cutting him hurt her so much as if to stain all her memories with him.

"The tower... seems to hold grudges, huh?" Asura said with a brooding face. His brows were tight, his eyes narrowed, and he wrapped his arms around Vela's back. His firm embrace didn't allow her to leave.

Vela relaxed her body, sinking into his embrace. 'Even if it was just for a few moments, I feel... I'm at ease with him by my side.'

"Is there something I can do to help you?" Asura asked with a serious face.

He didn't seem to care how many times Vela killed him in the tower or the specific details. All he did was comfort her and blame the tower instead.

Vela calmed herself, slowly wiping the tears and snot with her sleeves. Her lips were still red, but her face flushed, her eyes red and swollen from crying. 'How embarrassing...'

"Forget it... I know what the tower is showing us is not real."

Vela collected herself, putting on a calm facade with a smile. She even lowered her head to appear submissive. However, the charming smile that bewitched Asura was fake.

She felt fragile before his fingers lifted her chin and his face approached. "Vela, please don't pretend with me. No matter what is wrong, I am here to listen and make you feel better."

Before she could deny his claim, his lips covered hers, making her eyelashes flutter.

His lips were soft and firm. However, even more than his touch, she felt the sincerity of his words, the warmth of his mouth, the sweet taste enveloping her as it delved further into her mouth, entwining with her tongue as his hands clutched her tightly.

'He's washing away everything... I fell light-headed and so good.'

The gentle kiss made her realise she wasn't alone anymore. She no longer had to fight her battles and struggles alone, and the knowledge helped soothe the turmoil in her heart as her worries melted under his lips.

Their tongues collided sensually as their hot breaths and moist saliva intertwined, leaving her limp as her breathing became heavy and fast, causing her chest to rise and fall with each gasp of air.

The kiss broke apart with a thin trail of saliva still connecting them. Asura's face watched her, his lips curled into a smirk, a soft sigh escaping as he leaned back against the wall.

Vela felt her legs weaken. Her hand leaned against the wall beside Asura while her other hand wiped off her lips. The slight taste lingered on her tongue as she spoke in a low whisper. "You're unfair..."

Her body pressed forward against Asura. "It's not fair how you treat all of us so well; how could I run to another man when you envelop me in this warm, comforting feeling!?" Vela looked into Asura's eyes, but he remained silent for a while, staring at her with his intense eyes.

'What am I saying? It was so nice, and I am so happy. I could die right now and be happy!'

"Haha... sorry. You are too lovely, and I won't allow you to run to another man."

Asura laughed out loud before kissing Vela on the lips once more. His lips were full of passion and confidence as they pushed hard against hers.

She felt his tongue enter her mouth and forcefully wrap around her own, drawing a sweet moan from deep within her chest that vibrated between being crushed by his body as he flipped her against the wall.

A different kiss... violent and very erotic...

It made her feel dominated and ravaged by his roughness, yet pleasurable enough for her mind to turn blank and want more.

Vela's hands soon changed from pushing him away instead of gripping his shoulders for support. Asura didn't relent when she was gasping for air and pushing him away.

"We have to stop...." She finally pushed him away before leaning on his chest with her head. A strange, cool feeling on her lips when it was no longer locked with Asura's.

Asura stroked Vela's hair gently with a tender smile.

"Then, shall we have dinner, my princess?"