The Max Level Hero Has Returned!-Novel

"Haa... Haa!!"

A boy sprinted desperately through the forest path, his teeth gritted as he glanced back at the little girl clutching his hand and running after him.

The girl was his sister. Although they were not nobles, they had lived relatively comfortably among the common folk due to their parents' good fortune. The situation they now faced was nothing short of shocking.

Who could have imagined? The Freyja Sect was dominant across the continent, but that did not mean all other religions were oppressed. There were sub-gods acknowledged even within the Freyja Sect. The Sun God, Sylus, and the Moon Goddess, Krias, were prime examples. In the beginning, the main Goddess Freyja created the Sun God Sylus to illuminate the world.

Then, to allow Sylus to rest, she created the Goddess of the Night, or the Moon Goddess, Krias. This was mentioned even in the ancient scriptures of the Sect's main monastery. The Sect saw no reason to oppress the minority who worshiped Sylus and Krias, as everyone knew these two deities were derivative beings of the main Goddess, Freyja.

The siblings' parents were among the few followers of the Sun God, Sylus. The territory where they lived largely operated on an alchemical energy system that harnessed sunlight. This was where special cells, forming the energy core of golems used for building castles, were produced and were famous among the alchemy circles.

Given the focus on harnessing the sun's power, it was natural that the entity of the Sun God, Sylus, was held in higher regard than anything else. Most of the people in the Furas Kingdom's Coldum territory, where the siblings lived, were believers in Sylus rather than the main Goddess Freyja. Despite it being a small territory with only 100-200 inhabitants, this was a significant issue.

"Haa... Haa! Brother... Brother!" The cute little girl, panting as if on the verge of death, whimpered.

"Don't stop! Run! We have no choice but to keep running!"

The desperate escape seemed to have no end in sight. But one thing was clear: no matter what, he had to get his only sister out of this forest. To escape from those madmen.

"Ahh!"

But unlike her brother, who had grown tough through hard work alongside their father, his sister, weak of body, could not keep pace. Seeing her legs give way, the brother hoisted her up.

"Get up! Quick!"

But the situation was too dire for the girl, whose strength had left her legs.

"Br-Brother... I'm scared..."

"I'll carry you! Quickly!"

He tried to carry his sister and run, but as just a boy himself, there was a limit to how fast he could go.

"Aaargh!"

Inevitably, while struggling to run with his sister on his back, the fleeing boy was pierced in the leg by a silver arrow.

"Aargh!" He screamed in agony, falling and releasing his sister, rolling on the ground with gritted teeth.

"Ahh!" The little girl, terrified, tried to rise with great difficulty.

If only it weren't for the ominous metallic sound emanating from her neck.

"No..."

"No, don't!"

Despite an arrow piercing his leg, the boy desperately screamed at the sight of the silver sword hanging around his sister's neck. And into the boy's ears came a detestable voice, a girl's voice.

"That's not going to work. It's not. What would we do if you just ran away?"

With the clink of chains, a teenage girl with striking golden hair appeared. The compassionate smile on her face and the symbol of the main Goddess Freyja, the tightly held cross, made her appear infinitely merciful. However, the boy knew better.

That mad zealot, what unspeakable deeds she had committed in her own domain! Not only the neighbors, but even his own parents had been mercilessly killed. There was no way they could have been unaware of it.

As a stoic knight harshly subdued him, the boy desperately reached out his hand to protect his little sister. Could it have been because of her uncommon beauty, which was not typical of commoners, since their childhood?

The young girl, who had grown up beautifully, taking after her mother's genes, was indeed a beauty who held the hopes of many within the domain. Yes, her face was the problem. The lord, who had his eye on his younger sister, tried to arbitrarily take her away under the pretext of sponsorship.

Was it fortunate? At the very moment he tried to snatch away his sister with his eyes wide open, the prince of the kingdom, who had come to inspect the domain, sternly reprimanded the corrupt noble and protected the sister. However, the lord, bearing a grudge, reported his sister to the Inquisitors.

He claimed she was a demon in human form. His evidence was as follows: the potential of her uncommonly beautiful appearance. The fact that she had bewitched the majority of the people in the domain was the reason. Was there a need for any other reason? There was not.

Eventually, the Inquisitors stormed in. The domain was reduced to ashes, and the number of survivors from the domain was minimal. It did not seem like the lord had wanted all of them to die, but the situation had already reached this point.

"Stand up. I distinguish between sinners and evildoers and am infinitely merciful to sinners."

With a broad smile, she pulled out a small cross from within her robe and thrust it toward the little sister. The brother tried to stop it with all his might, but...the cross had already gradually turned black.

"Oh my, she really was a demon. There's no helping it. We must burn the sins and purify her into a pure being. Prepare the cross. I need to offer prayers for the repenting sinner."

At that moment, as the knights tried to bind the girl...

A giant shadow from the sky momentarily darkened the ground before disappearing.

"Hmm?"

"What was that huge thing in the sky just now?"

The knights and the 1st Class Inquisitor, Clonnie O’Priscille, realized a bit too late that something had flown across the sky. They looked up, but the sky that had been dark just a moment ago was now perfectly clear.

"1st Class Inquisitor, just now..."

"Don't waver. Evil always tries to shake our faith at our sides. That's why we must steel our hearts and perform our sacred duty."

With a composed statement, the girl was lifted. The knight who appeared, carrying a large coffin, took out a folding cross from within it, set it up, and tied the girl on top of it.

"I'm sorry. In order to repent for your sins, we must hang you on a cross made with sincerity... This is also a trial, so please repent."

"P-Please, save me. I... I don't want to die..."

"Oh my, you can solve everything by repenting. The divine Goddess Freyja is waiting with an open heart for your repentance."

As she said this, flames began to flicker on Clonnie's hand.

"The divine flame will purify you."

"I... I don't want this... I don't!! I don't!!!!!"

She screamed and struggled with all her might, but the girl's weak strength was not enough to break free from the restraints of the cross. Then, just as the flame was about to engulf the cross and her body, everyone witnessed it. They saw the bright red flame being sucked away before it could consume the cross.

"What's this?" Clonnie, slightly perplexed, frowned as she watched the girl's execution.

"1st Class Inquisitor!"

At the knight's shout, Clonnie lifted her head and saw a giant being standing confidently in front of her. Her eyes widened slightly. The being, covered in flames, was none other than the legendary bird of flame—a phoenix, as if from a fairy tale.

After the phoenix let out a resounding roar and devoured all the fire, it turned its gaze downward toward Clonnie, who stood there in silent astonishment. Slowly, a determined expression spread across her face as she began to unsheathe her sword.

But before she could even draw her sword, a strong impact struck her weapon, causing it to retract back into its sheath and fall to the ground, partially embedded.

"..."

"Burning a perfectly healthy girl in broad daylight."

It was a calm female voice.

"It seems true that when the public enemy disappears, only conflict remains."

Clonnie, with dilated pupils, stared at the woman speaking with composure. Her gaze toward Reina, the woman in question, was filled with intense hostility.

"Ah, the Warrior of Light. Rumors precede you, Reina. Why do you interfere with this sacred heresy trial?" Clonnie questioned.

Reina took out a small crystal ball from her bosom. Then, she inquired, "Why interfere...? What crime has this child committed that would warrant setting her aflame?"

"That? Bewitched by demons, or perhaps a demon themselves. Of course, all, whether sinners or villains, shall be saved by the mercy of our benevolent Goddess Freyja..." Clonnie responded.

"Crazy woman."

"..."

"I must have been insane to think we could have a conversation. More importantly, it seems you possess fire-based abilities."

With a deafening sound, several knights were swiftly stepped on and suppressed by the phoenix's fiery talons. The remaining knights hastily drew their swords. But in a flash, a thundercloud descending from the sky burned them to a crisp while they still wore their armor.

Witnessing the swift cleanup of their surroundings by the two divine entities, Clonnie said to Reina with contracted pupils, "A hero who should stand for God's duty is corrupted... It is truly regrettable."

At her genuinely remorseful tone, Reina coldly sneered, "There's no one more dangerous and difficult to communicate with than a fanatic. You fit that bill perfectly, you madwoman."

As Reina calmly spoke, she twirled her spear with a nod.

Simultaneously, Clonnie O’Priscille, who had slowly drawn her sword from its half-buried sheath, enveloped her body in eerie flames and began to speak, "The holy trial sent down by God, the path of thorns... I will gladly tread upon it..."

With her words, flames began to ripple across the area. The silent Reina sought a way to subdue Clonnie when the eyes of the phoenix, which was suppressing the knights, ignited.

"How dare you! Your paltry fire dares to challenge mine!"

Enraged that Clonnie's fire tried to overpower its own, the furious phoenix decided to unleash its anger without restraint.

Shocked by the sudden onslaught of the phoenix, Clonnie looked up at it, but the phoenix began to peck mercilessly at her with lightning speed. While she was advantageous in handling flames, this situation equally favored the phoenix. The heat, which even penetrated through the mana shield, differed slightly from that of Reina's.

“You! You! You!”

"What's this?!"

This situation was beyond Clonnie's expectations.

* * *

"…"

Amy was exceptionally reliable. While not particularly outstanding in the economic field, her ability to maintain the status quo made her incredibly capable. That was why Davey entrusted her with the territory. The talent to sustain a territory for a prolonged period without crossing any boundaries was, in a sense, the most impressive.

"..."

Davey narrowed his eyes at the numerous fallen goblins, trolls, and ogres. This place was still undeveloped but part of the territory. Davey had periodically dispatched the Decepticon Fleet to clear out goblins, especially. But why had so many monsters appeared in the middle of the territory?

"While the magicians of the Magic Tower and the territorial guards worked hard to prevent further damage... three people were seriously injured during that time."

"Where did these bastards come from?"

Amy shook her head in response to his question. "Nowhere. It was as if the air itself split open, and they emerged from it."

As she spoke, Davey pressed the skin of an ogre. There was something subtly different about this ogre compared to the ones on the Tionis continent.

"Any other abnormalities?"

"Well, they displayed power far beyond the average monster...and there were witness statements..."

"Tell me."

Amy hesitated before speaking. "Their eyes glowed blood-red...like berserkers. They said it was the most chilling gaze they had ever witnessed in their mercenary lives..."

Similar instances had occurred before with the petrified giant and Chandra Minea's avatars. While examining the traces of the monsters, Davey discovered something unusual.

"Bring the witness."

Amy looked puzzled by his stern expression, but he was focused on that trace. It was a feather that didn't belong to goblins, trolls, or ogres. However, that feather felt incredibly familiar.

Undoubtedly, it was a feather from one of the three Grandmaster-class beasts, Azure Sky’s Storm Dragon King Megalodria, the transcendental being.