𝙘𝙝𝙖𝙧𝙖𝙘𝙩𝙚𝙧(𝙨); Ashborn (Brilliant Fragment of Light)/(Shadow Monarch)
𝙬𝙖𝙧𝙣𝙞𝙣𝙜; a little bit of angst, mentions of betrayal
𝙣𝙤𝙩𝙚𝙨; this is my first time writing for a fandom/character so it might be a little rough. I might make a few edits here and there in the future. Also Ruler reader in the first half.
• You're likely not a human if you were together before he became the Shadow Monarch. Maybe one of the Rulers? Someone from their troops?
• You knew him before he knew you. He was kind of hard to miss since he was once one of Brilliant Fragments of Light. Talks about him amongst your fellow Rulers were common as well.
• He's a busy man of high ranking, well respected and admired by many. He's not someone anyone thinks they could approach lightly but contrary to those beliefs, Ashborn would never turn down any of his companions who come to him.
• You're probably the one to approach him first. It could be anything like reporting the status of the army to him or just asking him a question out of curiosity, if you're bold enough. Either way, now he's aware of who you are.
• As your interactions become more frequent, he slowly grows more curious about you as well. Expect deeper and longer conversations too.
• Sometimes you'll find yourself training together and although Ashborn has never been one to flaunt his abilities, he'll pull off a hard stunt or move just to impress you. You can see the corners of his eyes creasing slightly under his helmet when you show your admiration or praise him.
• (Bellion has some competition)
• It takes some time but eventually the both of you grow close enough that he feels safe to share his fears and concerns to you about the wars and how much it pains him to see the others get hurt.
• He's so used to being the strongest, the reliable pillar everyone can lean on. You're the only one who gets to see him like this. Vulnerable. 𝘞𝘦𝘢𝘬.
• After you cross that threshold, you can see him being a lot more open and affectionate towards you. It includes small things like asking you how your day was, waiting for you to catch up to him and asking if you need help with anything.
• Kissing isn't really known by him or any of your kind, for that matter. Instead, you'll get affectionate head bumps (helmet to helmet), nuzzling your horns or faces together, holding hands and brushing your wings with one another.
• He'll become more protective of you, especially during the wars. Even though he can't always be by your side, he'll make sure none of the more dangerous opponents come your way. Checking up on you after every fight in also a must.
• Give him your love and loyalty, he will return it tenfold. But beware, betray his trust and you will burn in the fires of his anger. Yet...
• ...He could not bring himself to hate you even as you sink your spear into his back and fly off with the rest to kill his Master.
• Whether you are a Ruler or human or anything else, you will have to have a lot and I mean A LOT of patience with this man. He has already been betrayed twice which has left him a little more than distrustful and paranoid about others.
• Unlike his Fragment self, he pushes away anyone who tries to approach him. He refuses to entertain any sort of conversation unless it's with his shadow soldiers, even then their interactions are limited to business.
• He's not taking any more chances. He's had centuries of time to build up the walls around him so it's going to take more than just a few words for you to break down each and every one.
• Lot of cold glares, short & direct answers and getting ignored. Don't take it to heart. Being dismissed is still better than ending up on the wrong side of his greatsword.
• Its going to take a long time before you can earn even a smidgen of his trust. He is constantly doubting what your true intentions are, whether you're lying to him or not or if you're just trying to exploit his weaknesses (if he even has any).
• The key is consistency and knowing when to give him space. Try not to accidentally anger the ancient being. That's how you end up as fertilizer for the World Tree.
• Don't force him to do anything he doesn't like and recognize the cues when you should take your leave. Slowly, you'll find him starting to relax around you. It's not an easy process but eventually, he will acknowledge you and respond to your greetings or small talk.
• Ashborn will likely begin observing you from afar, taking note of your behavior and intentions. When he sees you are sincere in wanting to get close to him and not hurt him, he will gradually start to open up more.
• You won't notice exactly when it happened but Ashborn has already warmed up to you and your presence. He still has his doubts but he's weaker to his emotions than he thought...
• He will remain defensive but in rare moments, his true personality shows through, revealing the weary and kind-hearted being underneath.
His fingers twitch against his sides for a split second–claws flexing on instincts before he forcibly relaxes them. You had already reassured him that the cut on your arm was an accident but he still seemed on edge. He mutters something like, "Foolish creature...you are already fragile as it is." And quickly walks about before you notice the hint of vulnerability.
(He offered to have one of his shadow soldiers follow you around to keep you safe but of course you immediately turned it down.)
• You've become somewhat of an emotional pillar for him and although Ashborn doesn't show it, his feelings of not being good enough (not only as a lover but also as a warrior and protector) haunt him constantly. Your words of reassurances mean more to him than you might think.
• He would show his affection in subtle yet meaningful gestures: He would walk close to you, slightly shielding you with his body or cloak at all times, offering you words of encouragement when you seem to be struggling and remembering small things you mentioned in earlier conversations.
• The most you'll get from him in terms of physical affection (for now) is hand holding. At first, he's hesitant but he doesn't realise how touch starved he is until his fingers curl around yours. He had almost forgotten how it felt to touch another person after being surrounded by nothing but the cold and shadows for years.
• The warmth of your hand lets him know that you're here, safe and alive.
• His love is selfless, caring for you before himself. He loves you with everything he has and he will give up anything just to keep you safe. He has lost everything else, he doesn't want to lose you too.
• • •
Here is something no one asked for but I had fun writing this. I got side tracked a few times and there was a lot more I want to include but couldn't in the end. I want to make a Rulersona one day...yes.....
The dynamics between the characters in Solo Leveling and the relationships they share (both romantic and platonic) are really interesting despite most of them being rushed. But Ashborn and the Rulers? HEART WRENCHING AGONY. And I am an absolute sucker for it. Sadly, this wasn't really explored in either the novel or the manhwa or even Solo Leveling: Ragnarok, which I 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 cry over because please, I just want some Ashborn and Ruler content...
(Spoilers ahead for the anime only people)
In the novel, it's mentioned that the other Fragments of Light trust and respect Ashborn the most amongst themselves. So much so that they were willing to disobey the Most Brilliant Fragment's orders to kill Ashborn in favour of not only sparing his life but begging for his forgiveness as well. Even his soldiers were willing to follow him to death when everyone else rebelled. So yeah, he sounds like a great guy.
I feel it's more tragic considering the nature of their relationship and the roles they were forced into. I imagine that they're already fully grown from the moment they were born from the fruits of the World Tree, whether they slowly develop inside the fruits or just manifest like that is a different mystery. The command, 'Obey the Absolute Being and fight the Monarchs', is ingrained into their minds in that moment itself.
They have no caretaker figures in their life except the Absolute Being who is distant and shows little to no concern for them. Not to mention they were also heavily brain washed from the start so I can't even begin to imagine how that affects their psychology. They were soldiers who really only had each other to rely on. I wonder how they felt when they realized they would need to go against Ashborn, when they knew nothing they said would change his mind. His loyalty and devotion, the same thing that they used to admire so much, were now the biggest obstacles between them...
“The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few” _ Spock, Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan
Ashborn had every right to break down too since everyone he trusted his whole life betrayed him and the cause they were all fighting for together. His entire troop died in front of him and he was the only one who survived. And in his rage, he ended up slaughtering thousands more of his kind and continued the war they had so desperately wanted to end. The cycle starts anew.
I'd like to think none of the Fragments of Light could bring themselves to truly end his life so they left him to succumb to his wounds instead. A twisted form of mercy but the road to hell is often paved with good intentions. Further more, I bet it felt like rubbing salt to Ashborn's wounds when they decided to rename themselves as 'Rulers' after the death of his Master.
• • •
I didn't expect to be blasted by so many new notifications the moment I opened the app. I'm so glad there are people who enjoy reading my head canons and brainrot <3 I love my centuries old being made of shadows and crippling depression. I really want to post about the upbringings of the Monarchs and the Rulers next but my schedule is so irregular...
Things to consider before you do the deed with Ashborn (and why you should sleep with him).
If you're actually reading this, you either like the corrupted knight trope or you need help. Either way, congrats, all your life choices led to you wanting to screw a shadow. (I don't blame you, he's hawt.)
Moving on, is it actually possible to do it with him? According to my very non-biased opinion: yes, absolutely. You've probably thought about this topic before too (or not if you're not jobless like me) so lets discuss a few things together.
Things to consider:
1. His height:
This is something I'm still questioning myself about. From reading the light novel and manhwa, we can conclude that Ashborn, as well as the other Monarchs and Rulers, are TALL but we don't know exactly how tall.
In the novel, Rakan (the Beast Monarch) was described to be well over 2 meters (that means over 6'6 feet). I'm assuming that applies to the other Monarchs and Rulers as well. Ashborn definitely reaches 7 ft or close to that if you count the horn on his helmet (cheater). However, in the manhwa, Bellion was shown to be taller than that and I mean MUCH TALLER. He looks at least 10 ft tall (or over?) and just a reminder that 6'6 ft is not short, at all. I don't know about you guys but my 5 ft ahh is already struggling to just make eye contact with someone standing at 7 ft.
There was the panel where Jin-Woo (6'3 ft) and Bellion stand together and just–Look at that height difference! 𝙘𝙧𝙞𝙚𝙨 Also look at how huge Ashborn's face is compared to Jin-Woo and I'm sure that's not just armour.
I don't know if it's only Bellion that's freakishly tall or it's just the artists giving some effects. If you don't mind the size difference though, then good for you. I pray you survive the night.
2. The armour:
Not much of a problem with this one since he can definitely take it off. I'm 99% sure his body isn't just a few hunks of metal and shadows and that he actually has a body below all that armour (If his body is the armour, he'd still be hot). It wasn't directly shown in the manhwa but in the light novel, it was mentioned that he took off his helmet in front of Jin-Woo.
The problem is, imagine you were trying to get into the mood and his stupid armour sorry Ashborn is poking you everywhere. Those edges are sharp and they will definitely cut your skin (sigh the things we do to screw Ashborn.) Another problem could be the amount of time it takes to take that thing off.
Example: You're in bed, your face is all flushed and your lips are swollen from kissing. Your body feels hot to the touch and you can already feel the moisture soaking through your clothes. You're eagerly anticipating his next move when you suddenly hear: *click* *clack* *thud* *click*
You look over and he's taking his armour off. He glances up at you, raises his hand and says 'Just a moment' before he starts pulling on the metal plattings covering his body again. He takes about 15-20 minutes to remove everything and you just sit there, waiting. I really, REALLY hope that he can just swoosh it away like Jin-Woo.
He probably looks the same as the other Rulers below his armour, just that he's made of shadow. Also, what if he took off his helmet and you're just greeted by the sight of Jin-Woo's face staring back at you (bc of that 'we are one' business). So now you're just laying in bed with a more archaic and boomer version of Sung Jin-Woo...
3. His body:
I've thought about his body and what he could do with it more times than I'd like to admit. Does he have a cock? I'd like to imagine he does. Even if he doesn't, I hope he can just manifest one using his shadows (does that count as a strap on?) The Rulers don't really have to mate to reproduce. They just burst out of the World Tree's fruit like fruit flies. So, do they even have reproductive organs?
They are identified as males though so maybe they do (??) But just don't use them. Also, if he's really 10 ft tall then...oh boy. Your first night together might also end up being your last (jk).
Why you should sleep with him:
Do you even need a reason for this? Have you SEEN how he looks? His body? The abs? Those thighs? The claws?? He'll either treat you gently (because you really are fragile compared to him) or fold you in half. In the latter case, you won't be able to walk for a couple of days.
Aftercare will be amazing though and I'm sure of it. He'd also be a very loyal partner unless you were doing it as a casual thing though I can't really imagine him as that type of person.
I won't write too much since it might get boring and I might want to write headcannons about this separately in the future. Thank you for reading my nonsense. Expect more Ashborn content from me (if I'm not procrastinating).
I don't understand why there aren't more people going crazy over Ashborn like I am...
I MEAN I've seen a few people bUT COME ON! I get that people like characters like Sung Jin-Woo more (don't get me wrong, I like him a lot too.) But I need more people talking about Ashborn as well. He deserves all the love and attention too.
Look at this absolute unit of a man! He's built like a tank and probably hits like one too.
Your cloak isn't going to hide ANYTHING from me!!! (Anyways)
Despite being the OG Shadow Monarch, he doesn't get much attention which is just sad since he has such a good character design (*AHEM*) and interesting background. Even Igris and Bellion get more stuff than him (his own shadow soldiers *cries*). That's also probably due to the really small amount of screentime he got...
Actually, I am really glad that people are starting to talk about him though. Now I don't have to hide my interest in him and be scared that people will judge me for being the weird person who likes the really buff, brooding shadow warrior.
Hopefully, he'll get more hyped up once he appears in the anime (after 10 years maybe). Until then I'll have to survive on whatever I can find about him to feed my hungry soul.
This definitely won't be the last time I talk about him either.
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