Devouring Monarch: Rebirth of the Profane Phoenix

"Danos, a mage primarily. However, when beside Asura even mages need to hone their bodies and combat abilities. Even his women aren\'t allowed to slack in this area." Sigurd nodded before holding her eastern bamboo sword and taking a stance. "Survive three strikes, and you pass the first test."

Danos nodded his head, swirling with flames as he prepared to fight.

"Do you think he\'ll get smashed in a single blow again, big guy?" A blue-haired male, a little shorter than Danos with a shield and spear, whispered to a bald male with a stocky build.

"Danos will do his best." Belial Montclair, the son of Mander, responded. His bald head and huge physique, like a bear, stood out, wielding a giant axe. He was a warrior who specialised in earth magic and vitality. "Do not mock a fellow brother, Vergil."

The next moment, Sigurd moved like a bolt of lightning attacking Danos from all angles. She weaved through the gaps in his defence, striking him and sending him flying into a nearby tree.

"Guh!" Danos slammed against it before falling on his ass. He looked at her in confusion before shaking his head.

Sigurd walked towards him, putting her sword away and lifting him off the floor with a single hand, her gaze ferocious. "You dare say you will protect my husband with such a pitiful defence? Why bother using magic in such a flashy way when it only serves to distract you from battle!?"

She glared at him. "Get your shit together, or I will find a replacement. Is that clear?" Once he nodded, she tossed him to the side and turned back to face the group with a sullen aura.

"Y-Yes, ma\'am!" Danos\'s voice sounded strained, the blood leaking from his mouth, the damage inflicted by Sigurd\'s thin wooden blade.

Vergil, Belial, and the others could only sigh in sympathy for their brother\'s fate.

"Though Garret and Glade might rate your skills high for your ages, please understand the level at which Asura improves. He has surpassed you all in four months. I do not ask you to become gods or mighty beings, but while fighting beside my husband, you will focus on your duty and avoid showing off or flaunting your egos."

Sigurd glanced at all of them, her eyes scanning the group. "Besides Asura, you will no longer be children. If you are weak and powerless, he will discard you, or quite honestly, you will just die without any achievements. Only those with the will to overcome their weaknesses may follow him."

"Hah... I thought she was supposed to be the motherly one." Vergil whispered, thinking she couldn\'t hear him.

"Vergil Calman!" Sigurd bellowed, a sharp glint in her eye as she drew her sword. "Come, it is your turn."

"H-Hey, how did you know!?"

"I have been watching from the moment you all arrived here. A single glance at you lot revealed a lot. Only you had that foolhardy arrogance, and you haven\'t yet become an adult, so I assumed you would not learn until hit or humiliated." She smirked.

"Asura doesn\'t need brats who can\'t even defeat a woman."

"Y-Yes, ma\'am!" Vergil\'s confidence deflated and was replaced with fear.

***

Sadly, Vergil suffered a worse fate than Danos, while Belial and Alexander Ravenshaw, a former noble who was saved from debt and slavery by Garret, performed the best but only survived two hits. After teaching each student, she divided them into smaller groups based on their strengths and sent them home with new homework to complete.

The homework, of course, was agonising solo practice.

"Phew... those boys, though a little rough around the edges, do have some promise," Sigurd whispered as she felt a presence entering the hall behind her.

"Sorry for making you deal with them. The knights and Glade are too soft and won\'t train them like you do." Garret pulled a spare seat and sat across from Sigurd, his face a little more relaxed than in the past. Now, he left most of the duties of the territory to Asura, Verana, and Sigurd before he spent more time with Ophelia.

"Hmph, you\'re getting old, Garret. Once upon a time, you\'d train them 24/7 without any breaks." She smirked.

"Hoh, sounds like the Sigurd I knew would have done that, too."

"Well, I don\'t want Asura to beat me that easily. He seems strict, but to his friends, this sweetness almost rivals the treatment of his wives. Though I will train them at least to the level of the Valkyrie." Sigurd paused and tapped her blade after thinking back on the first session.

"Hey, Garret. How is he doing on the social side of things? He has few friends in the territory, and the rest are from the academy and church." She asked, tapping her fingers on the desk. "He needs more connections, so we should use this school for that.

Nobles who missed the cut, merchants seeking to gain a pipeline." Her eyes shone, but all that Garret could see was her love for his son and it made him feel a sense of joy. The sword saintess became his daughter-in-law!

"Asura doesn\'t push himself too far with those matters. He handles nobles well but puts little effort into gaining those connections. In truth, he probably carries a shadow from the past, being disdained and treated badly due to his no-mag status, and at the moment, his focus is on the war with the cult and making his women happy."

Garret looked outside, his mind wandering as he stared at the peaceful landscape. "In truth, that boy is very mature, but he often has trouble expressing himself and putting others above him. The lack of pride is his greatest weakness."

Sigurd stood up, stretching her arms while following his gaze and staring at the sky. "I\'ll make him proud of himself and help cover his weaknesses until I can teach him and help guide him to become the strongest king."

Garret smiled while thinking of what Asura might say, hearing Sigurd\'s declaration. He would probably get mad. "We\'re doing all of this for your future. Hopefully, the war ends quickly so he can finally focus on the territory."

"Nonsense," Sigurd grumbled. "Asura will keep doing what he wants. He likes fighting and training more than politics."

"True." Garret chuckled before standing up and picking up his coat. "Anyways, I\'ll be off. Ophelia must be worried about me."

"Then go and spend time with her. You\'ve both worked hard lately." Sigurd smiled with a playful smirk. "As Asura\'s wife, I\'ll work hard to cover his weaknesses until he can stand on his own."

Garret nodded, taking a moment to recall their first meeting. "Ophelia did ask if you would join us tonight. She\'s making your favourite meatloaf and peaches and cream for dessert."

Sigurd stopped in her tracks before facing him again, her face bright red and her eyes misty. "I\'ll join you two in a bit. Make sure not to start dinner without me."

"Alright, see you in a few."

Sigurd nodded and returned to the desk where her training results lay scattered. However, in the centre were dozens of letters... all beginning with similar words, \'Dear Asura,\' \'Darling,\' \'My beloved,\' not just on the desk but the bin beside her desk was full of scrunched-up love letters all written by this sword master.

"I better burn these again before someone sees them!"

***

"I\'m sorry for dragging you out here today, darling."

Asura shook his head. "It\'s fine, I wanted to talk with you away from the others, too."

"Really?" Lucia was surprised, her black eyes widening as she stared at him. "Then, can you hold my hand tighter?" She asked, a weak smile appearing on her face as he gripped her hand tighter.

"Like this?"

"Y-Yeah." She stuttered. Her voice sounded like she was about to cry. "Thank you for bringing me with you."

"Of course, Lucia. You\'re going to be my wife." He realised that from the moment they slept together, she changed; the old flirtatious Lucretia seemed to become more shameful for her. Or rather, she turned into a rather lovely woman.

"Asura." She suddenly called his name with a gentle smile. "If you ever feel like I\'m not useful or if I\'m a burden... Please tell me and let me know what I can do to change that."

"Just smile and stay beside me!" Asura stopped and turned towards her, placing his hands on her shoulders and looking into her eyes. "Be yourself and not who others want you to be. Be my Lucia and no one else\'s!"

She blushed before wrapping her arms around his neck and leaning in close. "That\'s good. I wanted to hear those words from you."

The two stayed silent after that and gazed into each other\'s eyes with a warm smile. Lucia liked to hear his words of support and affection, while Asura was always glad to give them.

Lucia stepped back, letting go of him after noticing the time; though she loved him, Lucia, much like Helliana and Verana, made sure not to abuse their time together and really put Asura first at all times. Though this worried him, he didn\'t want them to hold back on his account.

"Let\'s wait a bit longer. I want to be with you longer, Lucia." Asura said with a powerful voice while holding onto her tightly, pulling her into his chest, wrapping his arms around her back.

Lucia\'s eyes widened once more before relaxing, a tear falling down her cheek as she buried her face in his chest. "I want that too! I want to be with you forever!"

The two stood in silence after that. Asura closed his eyes and stroked Lucia\'s hair as she did the same while smiling. A moment of silence under the moonlight before they would do battle once again.

After a while, the two were forced to part, but when Lucia left him, she no longer looked so down. Her mood had changed, and on her finger was a ring he gifted her before departing on this trip. A beautiful red jewel decorated it, and she held it up to show it off to the moon with a wide smile on her lips.