The Max Level Hero Has Returned!-Novel

Chapter 434: I Alone Am the Honored One

"It should have been like this from the very beginning," Astaroth remarked.

Upon hearing Astaroth’s words, Sleesia, who was riding on the back of a gigantic wyvern while trimming her nails, smiled seductively. “It’s more interesting to enjoy the fun slowly.”

The march of the large army brought forth an overwhelming pressure on anyone who saw them. For some reason, Astaroth felt uneasy and restless despite his long-cherished dream finally coming true.

“Still, it’s a relief. Thanks to your help, I am able to clean up those scrubby and disgusting piles of dirt,” Astaroth stated.

“Did you really think that you have gotten rid of them?” Sleesia countered.

Astaroth frowned at the teasing tone that coated Sleesia’s question. He insisted, “Even though we have received your help, it’s still our proud and majestic demon’s great army that killed them.”

“Well, if that’s what you think, then continue to think like that.”

“Then, are you telling me that they disappeared on their own?!” Gluttony retorted, his irritation evident in his voice.

Gluttony, the leader of the radical vampires who had joined forces with Astaroth, possessed considerable power and force. However, despite his anger, Sleesia simply turned to look at him silently. A strange atmosphere draped over them, compelling Gluttony to step back with a cough.

“Cough! No matter what anyone says, this is the merit of our alliance!”

"Pfft… Right, this is it. This is why I like you all. You act quite pure and naive even though your purpose is very ugly and dirty." Sleesia giggled, expressing her growing fondness for them.

"Grand Duke! It's that human!"

Then, they saw a boy jumping out of the quiet fortress. An ordinary person would have already died if they had jumped from that height, but the boy was still standing tall. In fact, he was advancing casually toward the demon army as if everything he did was normal.

"What? Is he trying to stop my great army by himself?"

"No matter how strong or amazing that human is, it won't be possible."

The strength of a powerhouse would eventually reach its limits. It was ridiculous to think that a single human could halt and win the battle against 400,000 strong troops composed of several high-ranking demons and monsters.

Then, they watched the boy, who was slowly walking forward, kneel down on one knee and bow with his eyes closed.

"Ha! It seems like he's about to surrender, Grand Duke! Hahahahahaha!"

"Hmm… It's too late."

They had already killed the envoy they had sent for negotiation. Of course, it did not matter. Even if they had accepted the proposal, the outcome would have still been the same.

"It looks like that human being has finally realized that we're not an enemy he can win against," Gluttony said.

However, Astaroth felt that something was strange. Did the human truly kneel because he wanted to surrender?

Clatter.

At that moment, Sleesia, who had been lying down leisurely, suddenly jumped up with a firm expression on her face.

Simultaneously, a bright and blinding light flashed around the boy as a colossal being exuding an eerie and skull-numbing aura appeared behind him.

'G-Goodness! What the hell is that?!'

This reaction was only natural. After all, they were unaware of the existence of the grandmaster-class mythical beast, the King of Mythical Beasts Megalodria. The presence of a gigantic dragon-like being emitting pressure far beyond that of Nyx made their skin tingle and heads numb.

Even so, Astaroth still could not fathom why Sleesia’s expression was so stiff. Even if she wasn't stronger than that dragon-like being in terms of strength, she would definitely not be any weaker.

The answer to his question came the moment the kneeling boy slowly stood up. Astaroth watched as the two swords in the boy’s hands changed, fusing into a single sword with a transparent blade measuring around 110 to 120 centimeters in length. At first glance, the sword seemed intangible. However, that was not really the case. Like ink spreading in water, a blue and red tint began to spread from deep within the transparent blade.

The boy stroked the blade of the sword silently before lifting it up. Simultaneously, a sheath emitting a dark light appeared around the sword's blade.

Thud…

The boy took one step forward. It was just one step, but Astaroth could feel a subtle flow of power in the boy’s body, which he had thought did not contain any kind of power at all. This was the first time he had felt mana coming from the boy’s body.

‘He definitely did not have any shred of mana before, right?’

One of the boy’s hands held the hilt of the sword, while the other held its sheath. And slowly, very slowly, the boy tapped the hilt with his fingers as he dragged his feet back and moved into position.

Astaroth, who had been pondering over what the boy was doing, instinctively felt the danger and immediately flew back.

Slash…

It was just one eerie and creepy slash. However, when Astaroth came back to his senses, he was greeted by a very terrifying scene.

***

There were 400,000 enemies, including the high-ranking demons, and Davey's main target—Sleesia—stood in front of him. In order to eliminate Sleesia, he had to quickly slaughter all of the demons here. He had judged that these demons would not contribute to maintaining the balance of this continent.

‘I’m sorry, but all of you have to die here.’

[What an amazing sword. It has a very surprising power too.]

Davey lightly caressed the blade of Super Ribbon, the combination of Red Ribbon and Blue Ribbon, as he heard Megalodria's voice, tinged with doubt and bewilderment, in his ears. Then, he slowly drew his sword.

The moment Davey let go and released all the power he had been suppressing, a type of madness he was not accustomed to started to slowly dominate his entire being. This madness was distinct from the usual lapses of madness and impulses he had experienced so far. Nonetheless, it was still nothing for Davey, who had overcome them time and time again.

After suppressing his madness as much as possible, Davey glared coldly at the black sea of enemies marching before him.

[There’s something that I really want to say to you.]

Davey remained silent at the Observer’s words.

[Thank you very much.]

After that, a gigantic and unusual magic circle appeared around Davey, spinning swiftly like a lock being opened with a key. Then... with a flash, the magic circle broke apart.

A moment of silence ensued. Davey, having determined that the time was right, finally began to summon all of his strength.

‘Well then, let’s get started.’

[Transcendental Longsword]

The Sword God’s Longsword and…

[Paladia-style Galactic Spear]

The profound spearmanship of [Astrea], Davey’s swordsmanship teacher who hailed himself as the King of Conquest, fused together in his hands. All Davey desired and needed was to unleash a strike that combined all the strength in his body.

The Sword God and the King of Conquest, Astrea, were the two individuals who had pursued the most destructive swordsmanship and spearmanship techniques.

[Divine Sword Quick Draw]

[Unearthing the Outer Core]

Everything happened in a blink of an eye. A bright and blinding flash appeared before the terrain was split.

Crack, crack, crack, crack!!! Boom!!!

The sword light that emanated from Davey's blade appeared to be endless, as though it would stretch on forever. It caused the dense earth beneath to vanish, as if cleaving the very world in two to reveal its core. Whether they were ordinary demon soldiers or Sword Master-class demons, anyone struck directly by the sword light produced by the slash vanished without leaving a trace behind.

As for those who managed to avoid a direct hit? They were sent hurtling backward, powerless, until they crashed heavily onto the distant ground.

“Uwaaaaaack!!!”

“Keuaaaaaack!”

“What, what the hell?!”

Shock, screams, and confusion lingered for a long time within the ranks of the demon army's main unit. They couldn't ascertain how many of their comrades had vanished in a single attack.

“Three more times,” Davey commanded.

As far as he could recall, Sword God Ares required just one attack to dispatch this many enemies at once. Nevertheless, no matter how much of their powers and skills he had absorbed, it remained impossible for him to match their level. In fact, the only person whose skills he was closest to was the Thousand-day Blacksmith Surtr.

The demons who had survived the sword light generated by Davey's swordsmanship skill couldn't divert their gaze from the devastating aftermath. It appeared they had finally comprehended the gravity of the situation.

Naturally, the men remaining within the fortress behind Davey mirrored the same dumbfounded expressions on their faces as they observed everything from atop the walls. Davey even glimpsed Eurina, whom he had incapacitated earlier, being supported by one of the soldiers, her mouth agape as she stared at him.

“Megalodria, it’s time to move.”

The Azure Sky’s Storm Dragon King Megalodria slowly flew to the sky.

[Did you say that you were Shane’s disciple?]

“You can say that.”

[He… He wasn’t as strong as you.]

Davey grinned at Megalodria’s words. “No. That human is awfully strong. He had reached the point where his body could withstand the full power of the mythical beasts, right? I had designated him as my primary target, but in the end, I could only manage to catch him with Rho Aias after he had been turned into a bloody mess.”

'This is precisely why one must choose their enemies wisely. You never know, you might be dealing with a monster among monsters, right?'

[What a shocking display of power. There’s nothing to worry about, I will go.]

“Take them to safety,” Davey said as a purple magic circle emerged from within his body.

The identical magic circles that had appeared to Davey's right, left, top, and bottom: circles he had already employed before: began to spin, converging into a stunning and intricate multi-directional magic circle.

“Welcome to our weather forecast. Today, you will be experiencing heavy rain accompanied by intense thunderstorms.”

[Natural Disaster Series]

[Summoning Lightning]

Boom!!!

The size of the lightning bolts was drastically different from those Davey had unleashed upon the former Count Lington’s Orderm Territory to cleanse it of chimeras.

In a similar manner, a thick and heavy rain began to pour down, accompanied by a deluge of lightning bolts. Both the bolts and the rain scorched and obliterated everything, as if striving to create a sinkhole. The most unsettling aspect? The lightning bolts didn't dissipate upon striking the ground; instead, they crept and sprawled widely across the earth.

It was nothing short of a massacre. The demons, who had entirely forgotten they were charging toward the human base, now struggled desperately to escape Davey’s clutches after he had unleashed hell on earth.

‘That’s why I told you, no? You should have chosen your sides well. It would have been better if you chose to side with the young and pretty Demon Lord instead of that old and rusty old man.’

While there was a possibility that Perserque might be older than Astaroth, it didn't really matter. It wasn't any of Davey's concerns.

“Yaaaaaaaaaa!!!”

At that moment, a few of those who had been left in awe by his earlier sword strike managed to break away from the main unit and charge at Davey.

There were approximately ten of them: high-ranking demons fortunate enough to have evaded the sword strike's sweep. It seemed they had chosen to confront Davey and engage in combat rather than be swept away by the lightning rain, as they observed the lightning avoiding Dave's vicinity.

“Bastaaaaaaard!!!”

A robust demon lunged at Davey, wielding a colossal hammer. This was the same demon who had seized Davey by the collar during his visit to the demons’ stronghold earlier. He grinned, having successfully charged at Davey unhindered, paying no mind to his surroundings or his body. Yet, before he could revel in his triumph, his leaping body suddenly froze in mid-air.

“Keheok?! What the hell is this?!”

“It’s telekinesis. It might be difficult for individuals like you, who are solely accustomed to manipulating demonic energy, to comprehend.”

Telekinesis usually only had the power to move lightweight objects and couldn't feasibly manipulate something weighing hundreds of thousands of tons.

[Devil Ylgr’s Crowd Suppression]

[Finger Flick]

As Davey advanced toward the demon suspended in mid-air, he raised his right hand, tightly curling his middle finger.

Boom!!!

Then, a massive shockwave erupted as the ground, tens of meters deep, was upended by a simple flick of his fingers. The heavily built demon? He vanished without a trace after taking a direct hit from Davey. Well, the outcome was only natural: Davey didn't and wouldn't show them any mercy.

“Next target?”

The demons, having encountered Davey before, lost control of their bodies. They collapsed one after another, their wide, frightened eyes fixed on Davey as if he were a monster. Among them, one figure stood out the most: none other than Grand Duke Astaroth.

Certainly, Grand Duke Astaroth was powerful. However, luck had simply not been on his side.

“You, you monster. How... How can a human possess so much power?” Astaroth murmured.

Meanwhile, Davey gazed toward the spot where Sleesia should have been. She remained unresponsive. Davey had intentionally directed the first attack toward her as a gift, wondering if she had appreciated it.

The ground cracked and tore, forming a chasm that was tens of kilometers deep. Yet, this height meant nothing to Sleesia. In fact, Davey could already sense a considerable force gradually emanating from that crevice.

Davey gently unsheathed his sword as he advanced toward the immobilized Astaroth.

Swoosh!!!

Traces of the same disaster that had unfolded earlier began to reappear. Well, Davey did mention he only needed three minutes to handle 400,000 formidable enemies, didn't he? Regardless of how many demons had gathered here, their numbers would be meaningless if they had no means to stop Davey.

Astaroth stared at the deep crack, repeating the action two, three times. Davey noticed the will to fight slowly draining from his face, replaced by helplessness and despair.

Then, Davey stated, “This is the fate that awaits you after living among monsters for a thousand years.”

Furthermore, due to his accursed ability to remember everything perfectly, the actual volume of memories stored in his mind was much higher than average. If his memories were compared to those that ordinary people retained, Davey would possess tens of thousands of years' worth of information.

“Nonsense…”

“I don't care whether you choose to believe it or not. What matters is what I'm about to say. The war ends here.”

Astaroth stiffened at Davey's words.

“You may have initiated this war, but I will be the one to conclude it.”

“Bastard! You're a monster! A monster!”

“That's not something someone like you, who has been wreaking havoc and consuming this world, has the right to say.”

Astaroth's eyes widened upon hearing Davey's statement. “What do you mean?”

Davey could have easily finished him off, yet he chose to explain. “In this world, neither demons nor humans should achieve complete victory.”

This was true for the original Tionis Continent as well. Failing to grasp Davey's meaning, Astaroth merely screamed and ranted about his long-term plans being foiled.

“Your Demon Lord was well aware of the threat I posed. That's why she used Recall. It's a reminder that all living beings should temper their greed.”

“Graaaaaaaaaa!!!” Astaroth screamed, struggling to escape from Davey’s telekinesis.

Astaroth's desperate struggle caused the power of telekinesis binding him to tremble. He proved remarkably resilient for someone who had accepted the entirely incompatible power of the Abyss into his body.

However, how could an easy-level monster compare to a high-leveled repeat player who had already conquered the ultra nightmare level? That player was none other than Davey. He stood on par with a seasoned RPG gamer who had jumped into this realm wearing nothing but underwear.

Astaroth tightly bit his lip, blood trickling down his chin as he glared up at Davey with resentment. Nevertheless, Davey merely aimed Super Ribbon at his neck, causing the image of a teenage girl to materialize slowly on his back.

Simultaneously, Super Ribbon mirrored Davey's movements, manifesting an identical sword in his hand and adopting the same posture, pointing the sword at the demon.

At that moment, an immense surge of power overflowed from Super Ribbon's blade, while a pair of wings with a span of tens of meters unfurled from Davey's back. The appearance of these wings exponentially augmented Davey's abilities. Was this the effect of the sword's power? Yes, indeed.

At this juncture, Davey felt it safe to assert that Super Ribbon was the true Divine Sword, surpassing even Caldeiras. After all, Super Ribbon had been temporarily forged by merging Davey's powers with two Divine Sword-level blades. It seemed fitting to bestow that title upon the sword.

[Super Ribbon will lend Father her strength.]

Super Ribbon, a fusion of the young and adorable Red Ribbon and Blue Ribbon, exhibited a more mature and composed demeanor in contrast to her precursors, who had to totter around adorably with their short legs. With her reddish-blue hair cascading down to the middle of her calves, she resembled a stunning young woman.

Davey's heart swelled with gratitude upon hearing her composed and serene voice. As he observed Super Ribbon directing her sword toward Astaroth's neck, he addressed her, saying, “Super Ribbon.”

[Yes?]

“You should call me Royal Father.”

Shwaaaaaaaa!!!

Davey's relaxed and composed tone stood in stark contrast to Astaroth's desperate expression, as he fought for his life.