Reborn As Noble

"Now, Kenjirou."

"Yes, my love?" he replied, turning to her with eager eyes, still filled with a sense of power.

But Zephyra didn't say anything.

She just raised her hand and made a small, graceful gesture with her fingers.

That was all.

Kenjirou blinked, momentarily confused.

Then, his body moved on its own.

Without thinking. Without resisting. His knees went weak.

He dropped to the ground, kneeling before her.

His eyes were wide, and his breathing was uneven.

He looked up, startled. "Why did I—?"

Zephyra stepped closer, her smile calm. She reached out and gently touched his cheek.

"You don't need to understand," she whispered.

She leaned in and softly brushed her lips against his forehead.

Kenjirou stared at her, heart racing. He felt confused, enchanted, and trapped.

Zephyra's smile grew even wider.

"You love me, don't you, Kenjirou?" Her voice was soft, like silk against his skin.

Kenjirou looked up at her, his eyes steady, heart completely given to her.

"Yes, my love," he said without hesitation.

A slow smile appeared on her lips. "Good."

She turned, her long cape fluttering gently as she walked a few steps forward; her voice echoed in the chamber.

"Now we have a mission to do."

Kenjirou stood up, determined, his eyes filled with loyalty and purpose. "Anything you wish, my love."

Zephyra glanced over her shoulder, her gaze sharp like a blade, yet filled with affection.

"Then let us begin."

Zephyra turned, her crimson cloak swirling behind her as she faced her gathered warriors—rows of elite Amazarak soldiers and towering generals standing at attention beneath the shadow of the ancient hall.

"Prepare the troops!" Her voice rang out like thunder, clear and commanding.

All at once, they dropped to one knee, fists over their hearts.

"Yes, my Queen!"

A smirk appeared on her lips as she raised her hand high. "We are going to invade and crush… the Halfling Kingdom."

A low growl of excitement spread through the warriors.

Then she looked at Kenjirou, her eyes gleaming like molten gold.

"And you, Kenjirou…"

He stepped forward, standing tall with pride, his new arm at his side.

"Yes, my love?"

"You will kill Gurdan, the Halfling King," she said coldly, "and absorb his celestial."

Kenjirou grinned, wicked and wild.

"As you command."

The first wave had begun.

Amazarak banners fluttered like war drums in the wind as the elite forces charged through the border between the Halfling Kingdom and Amazarak territory. Screams, clashing steel, and the scent of blood filled the battlefield.

At the front—laughing and reveling in chaos—was Kenjirou.

He swung his sword with brutal precision, cutting down halfling soldiers easily. Each kill made him feel alive—more than alive. Unstoppable.

Zephyra's voice echoed in his mind through their magical link.

"You know, Kenjirou…"

"Yes, my love?" he replied, his eyes wild with bloodlust.

"You can absorb them. Their strength, their mana… all of it. Make it yours."

Kenjirou's lips curled into a grin.

"Ohhh… you really are the best."

Then, he spotted the Halfling Captain, a tough warrior standing at the front lines, wounded but defiant.

Without hesitation, Kenjirou thrust his left hand—his cursed, gifted, powerful arm—deep into the captain's chest.

The Captain's eyes widened in disbelief. His mouth opened to speak—but no words came.

Kenjirou grinned as a dark mist began to rise from the captain's body. Like smoke from burning wood, the captain's form twisted, crumbled, and dissolved into mist—drawn into Kenjirou's left arm like a hungry vortex.

He inhaled deeply, and with it, the captain vanished entirely—his essence consumed.

Kenjirou exhaled, feeling power surge through his veins.

"Delicious," he muttered, his eyes glowing faintly.

Behind him, the Amazarak troops roared louder, their queen's champion growing stronger with every soul claimed.

"Now—" Zephyra's voice commanded authority as she rose from her war chariot, her eyes shining with triumph. "—we move to the next town. Leave no one standing."

Kenjirou stood in the center of the blood-soaked field, his armor stained with victory. He licked his lips, eager for more.

He raised his head, his eyes blazing with murderous intent.

"Kenjirou?"

"Yes, my love."

Zephyra's voice purred with pride and satisfaction.

"Good job on the surprise attack. I'm sure those halflings never saw it coming when we struck their border."

Kenjirou chuckled darkly, wiping blood from his blade.

"I'm just a humble lover, following the will of his beloved queen."

"My, my… how sweet," Zephyra cooed. "Now, listen carefully."

Her tone shifted to a commander's—sharp, commanding, and cold.

"Take command of the 5,000 Amazarak warriors under your lead. I'll return soon with more reinforcements. For now, focus on conquering this kingdom—every town, every village. Leave no corner untouched."

Kenjirou stood tall, his eyes scanning the horizon, already filled with smoke from burning halfling outposts.

"Understood. The moment they realize what we've done, they'll rally for a counterattack. I'll crush them before they get a chance."

"That's what I like to hear." Zephyra's voice faded for now, but her smirk lingered in Kenjirou's mind.

He raised his left hand, pulsing with new power, and turned to face his troops.

"We march!" he roared. "Burn it all down!"

Kenjirou charged into the village like a storm unleashed, his Divine Sword—a masterpiece reforged and enhanced by Amazarak's finest blacksmiths—gleaming with dark energy. With every swing, the air cracked, and halfling warriors fell like wheat before a scythe.

His laughter echoed over the area.

"Weak! All of you are weak! This is what happens when you refuse to kneel before the Queen of Amazarak!"

Blood splattered the ground as he spun through the streets, cutting down anyone who dared to resist—or flee. His new left arm pulsed with strange energy, feeding his frenzy and making him feel invincible.

The Amazarak warriors behind him, once disciplined and calculating, were now wild and merciless. They roared with bloodlust, caught up in Kenjirou's energy. His very presence, twisted by the celestial power within, spread madness and dominance.

Screams filled the air. Fires raged. The village—a peaceful place just hours before—was reduced to chaos and ash.

A halfling elder, trembling but defiant, stepped forward with a staff in hand.

"Monster… This land never asked for war…"

Kenjirou's grin widened.

"Then you should've knelt. Well...Too late now."

He raised his left hand. The elder's eyes filled with horror as smoke coiled from his body—and in an instant, he was gone, absorbed like the others before him.

Kenjirou inhaled deeply.

His eyes were wide with madness, his face twisted in a grin that was dark.

His laughter echoed across the scorched village like a death knell.

"MORE! MORE!!!!"

The Divine Sword dripped with blood as he turned toward the Amazarak warriors, many of them still soaked in the gore of the last skirmish. His voice dropped—dark, commanding, and devoid of humanity.

"SHOW THEM NO MERCY!!!"

He pointed toward the panicked survivors.

"Take the women. Do as you please."

He didn't stop there.

"Kill all the men. Burn their homes. Make sure not a single halfling forgets the name of Queen Zephyra!!"

( End of Chapter )