Devouring Monarch: Rebirth of the Profane Phoenix

The heavy rain poured as if to extinguish the Fenix soldiers' desire to fight. Broken walls, destroyed towers, and monsters broke down the outer buildings as civilians hid within the inner sanctum.

Garrett Fenix fought desperately, caring for nothing but holding out and biding his time. However, his power was never infinite.

Felix Odon, Estin Calman, his imperial captain and the mage captain perished on the fourth day. At this moment, Garrett realised the battle had become a test, and his heart took a heavy blow.

'Our knights have suffered...'

'Our people have suffered...'

'Felix... you stole my pork during meals every day for seven years during our academy days, then repaid me with thirty years of dedicated service.'

'Estin, you married my maid despite being worthy of a noble house... Even after she passed on, you remained with me. You both left me behind. My Brother's...'

His melancholy face looked towards the sky, the bodies littering the fort with no grave or solace after death, orcs ravished their corpses for meat, and the undead feasted upon the others.

"Humans taste sweet; this fort is ours." An undead gloated from the outer wall, eating the remains of a young Fenix Knight.

"Disgusting. Do you monsters have no taste?" A human male with dark hair and almond eyes asked; he wore a strange robe and carried a longsword, likely one of the eastern cultivators who arrived to support the orc army and caused the fort's outer wall to collapse.

'I have to hold out and keep fighting...' Garret Fenix encouraged himself while Ophelia, exhausted and suffering from mana deficiency, pushed herself daily to help hold off the orcs and undead with her barrier.

Yet today, on the fifth day, Garret Fenix would attack the enemy. He knew many reinforcements were due, but his pride and anger at losing two of his best friends could never allow him to wait like a coward.

His only goal was to slaughter the orcs, so he used the last of his magic to create an impenetrable wall of flames.

'Asura, I pray you're safe. I leave the territory, your mother and sister's safety to you...'

Garret Fenix prayed before walking outside the gates, opening his arms wide with a crazy look on his visage. "I'll kill you all tonight..."

Ophelia was too weak to stop him—her barrier would falter if she stopped focusing, as the enemy's liches appeared today with dark magic.

She could only shed silent tears, along with Agatha, who used her mana to support the barrier, watching as Glade followed Garret and the other six knights, all friends who were mourning the loss of Estin and Felix, friends since they were children.

"Don't blame them, Ophelia... They are just idiots, too loyal to their fallen brothers." Agatha spoke softly before channelling more mana to her barrier—Ophelia sobbed because she had also lost two close friends.

"It's strange to see his true strength; I was so used to him yielding to me for the most stupid things... Now I look at his wide, dependable back and remember why I was fine with being his second wife. My husband is so damn cool!" Ophelia said before biting her lip and wiping away her tears.

Agatha nodded as they watched the knights march out—Garret Fenix unleashed his aura before rushing recklessly towards the orcs and undead mages.

The moment his flames touched the corpses of his fallen brothers like a beautiful bonfire night, they burnt and exploded into beautiful golden flames.

Garrett Fenix, Glade Estan, and seven elderly knights charged recklessly outside Lyndwrym Fort, slaughtering all orcs and undead who dared approach.

"Glade, Biron, Damon, Sid, Mander, Alexius, Fred, Charles, Adam. Let us fight to the end; let our brothers rest after their hard work to be reborn another day."

"HA! Lord Fenix, let us dance in hell tonight and slaughter these fiends to pieces!" Glade Estan yelled.

His knights used their remaining magic for a suicide charge.

The orcs and undead mages attempted to cast magic several times against the enraged Lyndwrym knights, but it was too sudden. As eight Stage Five knights' attack overwhelmed the monsters, convinced of victory.

'Even if only temporarily, the queen's message, reinforcements will come in six hours!'

They knew it was pointless. Despite that, they filled their hearts with rage, loss and hope.

Ophelia clasped her husband's ring—if he didn't return, she would break all the rules and curse the gods above if she lost Garrett. Agatha supported her barrier while crying.

It was a beautiful sight as the knights charged out on their steeds to follow their lord. All stage four knights, wounded or not, followed their lord, commander, and captains, their magic surging.

Many Stage threes knights rode behind them to support—there were few left, as only eighty Stage Four and seventy Stage Three humans were left.

They slaughtered hundreds of orcs, undead mages, feral orcs and dark wolf mounts of the orcs in minutes; there was no knightly finesse.

Garret swung his enormous sword, destroying stone, crushing bones and flaying flesh.

He wasted great strength and power, even to kill but one orc. To him, this was the most tremendous honour he could grant his fallen brothers to destroy the enemy and, for one night, let them rest in a free Lyndwrym.

There was something that he didn't know. His attack caught them off guard but also created doubt within the human reinforcements, who saw their small force crushed in a matter of an hour.

"Haa...Haaa.... Keep fighting. Don't let a wound or two stop you!"

Glade Estan shouted while battling desperately—Garret Fenix, seeing him suffering, stopped attacking aggressively before shouting, "GLADE, RETREAT!"

"But my Lord!"

"IDIOT! Your wife is pregnant; you should get back. Keep them safe, my dearest friend."

Garret Fenix ordered while Glade Estan smiled weakly. "Lord, I apologise; this is the end of our dance."

Searing fiery flames erupted as Glade Estan stabbed through the heart of his last foe, and he backed away; however, the moment he left, Garret fought harder, as if to cover Glade's hole.

'I should take my advice, but this feeling. How long, how long since I let my flames burn uninhibited? Is this... is this true freedom?'

Garret Fenix thought while realising the joy of battle as his magic surged rapidly—every slash destroyed more orcs, but the leader of the enemy forces had now recovered.

***

Meanwhile, watching his troops drop like flies on the opposite side of the battle, Asran felt frustrated. He gave a dark stare to the human male sitting beside him in green robes while calmly drinking tea.

"Shang Luo! What is the meaning of this? You said the old man would lose their fight if we killed a few stronger ones!"

Asran complained, and the man known as Shang Luo replied while drinking tea.

"You misunderstand—your orcs failed because you didn't finish the important one quickly. How can you blame my elite Shang warriors?"

"Important one?"

Shang Luo laughed. "Yes. That Fenix Whore, Ophelia Fenix. She controls that barrier; eliminate her, and those knights will collapse within fifteen minutes. Especially him."

His fingertip pointed to the old man, whose hair was now half-white, cutting through countless orcs and Shang warriors.

"Ah... I understand; it's Garret Fenix! I'll kill Ophelia right away!"

Asran grinned evilly, yet Shang Luo shook his head, causing Asran confusion before asking. "Why stop me!? Her barrier is stopping us from ending Lyndwrym today!"

"Oh, she isn't alone—other light mages keep it erect; the problem is her husband, and you took too long. We already told you this was a test to see how they would react to an overwhelming force."

Shang Luo sighed before taking another sip of tea and giving Asran a handsome smile, showing off his bright teeth.

"I am afraid our time working together is over."

"WHAT!?"

"YOU NEED US!"

"Hmmm?" His handsome face showed a slight sense of disgust before his fist crushed Asran's arm effortlessly.

"Pathetic—this mission was below even my subordinates in Shang. Eliminate them all; show no mercy, leave none alive and destroy Lyndwrym Fort completely. That was YOUR mission. We have more routes, and a better plan involving a lovely woman who will carry my child."

Shang Luo stepped towards Asran, who was crumpled on the floor, "I will take the Fenix territory with no bloodshed in two years. Why should I waste time here?"

"Ghh...."

Before Asran could speak or complain, Shang Luo vanished; moments later, all the support from his Shang warriors also pulled out after slaying all the undead and deformed monsters, leaving the orc's formations to collapse.

The battle was close to an end.