The Max Level Hero Has Returned!
chapter-331

In an instant, the tide of war changed. The soldiers gained confidence as they clashed against their enemies, aided by the appearance of the gigantic sacred firebird. It seemed to be assisting them, and with the white specks of light fluttering around them, the soldiers' fear slowly melted away, as if washed in a bright and holy light akin to a miracle from God.

Even the elderly man, who had once struggled, now displayed tremendous strength and power as if he had been training for a long time.

"Graaaaa! You bastards! Even if I die here, I'll make sure to take you down with me, damn bastards!" The old man roared, hurling his halberd at an enemy and grabbing a dark wolf's snout with his bare hands. He twisted the wolf's jaw apart and swung its massive body around like a blunt weapon. His overwhelming display of physical strength and muscles defied his age. This was made possible by the hundreds of pure white magic circles floating in the sky above them.

"Ha! Ha!" A young boy, who had become a mercenary at a tender age and trained his swordsmanship to compensate for his weakness, moved with shocking momentum after receiving the physical strengthening buff. His skill with the sword and increased power allowed him to swiftly cut down anything in his path.

The initial wedge formation had long disappeared, but it no longer mattered. The battlefield had devolved into chaos, and maintaining a formation served no further purpose. The battlefield itself had become a disaster after the countless human soldiers received tremendous buffs on their backs.

—Vwooooooooo!!!

The gigantic black minotaur, which had been overpowering the human soldiers with its blunt weapon, roared as it took several steps back under the relentless human attacks. Eventually, it succumbed to exhaustion and sustained a fatal injury. The humans surrounded the fatally wounded minotaur and attacked it mercilessly from head to toe. It died in misery, having underestimated the humans who slaughtered it like a swarm of worker ants.

Despite their smaller numbers, the humans, with the buffs that made them seem more than human, clearly had the upper hand in the battle. Their victory seemed assured.

“This… This is ridiculous…”

And that was not all. Two beings posed the greatest threat on the battlefield.

Shiiiiing… Slash, slash, slash, slash!

With a single swing of her weapon, dozens of enemies were torn apart and slashed in half. Warrior Reina, who fought at the vanguard, was simply a monster on the battlefield. Her presence and the way she effortlessly cut down anything that crossed her path with her woldo covered in a white aura blade with flecks of gold silenced those who questioned her power.

—Kihyeeeeeeeck!

Similarly, the gigantic firebird displayed its majesty as it soared through the sky, devastating parts of the battlefield.

Killing each soldier was an incredibly difficult task. Their commander, a human woman, possessed a terrifying and overwhelming power that exceeded Gorgon's expectations. Additionally, there was a firebird, which he believed to be a phoenix, that incinerated his troops and left them helpless, while sparing the human soldiers from harm.

Gorgon's troops were weaker than the main unit, which should never have been the case. Considering the strength of the corrupted monsters, powerful blood beasts, and the demonic beasts from the Demon World, this outcome was unexpected. However, the humans quickly turned the situation in their favor, effortlessly manipulating it as if they had been anticipating it.

"Fools!" Gorgon shouted furiously as he stabbed one of the nearby humans through the neck.

Their rapid recovery sent a shiver down his spine, but Gorgon remained confident that they couldn't resurrect through magic after being instantly killed.

“Die! Bastard!”

“Go die!”

Essentially, it felt like they would always rise again as long as they had a sliver of life left, which significantly boosted the soldiers' morale and fighting spirit.

Whenever Reina approached the area where Gorgon wreaked havoc, he would retreat. He refused to face the human woman with her formidable power, opting to run away instead. Gorgon's instincts told him to retreat immediately, but he stayed and continued fighting due to his sense of duty.

Gorgon was the one who defied the main unit's orders and initiated contact with the human army, attacking them first. Allowing the enemy troops' morale to soar like this and suffering defeat was unforgivable. Even if he survived the battle, returning with such disgrace would only lead to his death.

Reina slowly approached the frozen Gorgon, pointing the blade of Longinus at him, and said, "My benefactor told me to deliver this message to you."

Silence filled the air.

"An empty cart makes the most noise. Given your loud mouth and the fuss you made earlier, it seems you're quite weak."

"This... You damn son of a bitch!" Gorgon shouted, provoked by Reina's taunt. Discarding his instinct and reason, he let rage consume him as he lunged at the human in front of him.

Baaaaang!!!

Gorgon unsheathed his enormous sword and swung it wildly at Reina, shouting like a maniac, "Bitch! I'll personally tear your limbs apart! I'll rip your body to shreds, drink your blood, and kill you myself, bitch!"

Reina calmly lifted Longinus and deflected Gorgon's frenzied strikes. Then, with practiced ease, she stepped forward, her mana surging.

[Longsword]

[Splitting the Mountains]

Slash!!!

Her swordsmanship, characterized by overwhelming force, came into play. Although Reina wielded the spear Longinus instead of a sword, the heavy blade of the spear easily sliced through Gorgon's sword and body, instantly cleaving him in half. The attack was so powerful that it created a massive pit several meters behind Gorgon. Despite the death of the man leading a 150,000-strong army, his troops felt no sense of emptiness or dissent.

The vampires, who held the lowest rank in the hierarchy, roamed aimlessly after losing their leader. Although stronger than humans, they couldn't withstand the relentless and powerful attacks from the buffed madmen, and they were quickly overwhelmed. What made it worse was that their leader was slain, leaving them in a state of hopelessness.

However, the vampires' noble pride prevented them from retreating or surrendering. Unlike the demonic beasts and blood beasts easily felled by the enemy onslaught, the vampires fought on. In the end, only one remained, but even that vampire eventually fell.

Despite outnumbering the humans almost threefold, their reckless and unwavering assault led to their complete annihilation.

Reina wiped the blood from Longinus' blade and left those who were thoroughly frightened by her reckless style of fighting. She looked at the pristine blade of Longinus despite having fought for so long with a sigh and mumbled, “What amazing durability…”

Then, she surveyed the soldiers who had fought alongside her. She slowly raised her spear to the sky, a proclamation of their victory. Witnessing this, deafening cheers erupted throughout the area.

“Waaaaaaaaaaaah!!!”

They had expected to lose the battle, yet they emerged victorious by a landslide. The soldiers' morale skyrocketed. This wasn't just a simple victory; the unexpected and astonishing method they employed had a profound impact on the troops.

"Long live Warrior Reina!"

Amidst the cheers, voices praising Reina rang out.

"Long live!"

The one who provided the buffs should have received the most praise, but that person merely observed from a distance. It was as if they had orchestrated the situation.

***

Saintess Candidate Alice marveled at the incredible things Davey had accomplished in this place. The holy magic he wielded operated on a different level from what she had seen before.

In fact, Alice had already witnessed traces of it during the incident in the Duchy of Felicity. Rumors circulated that the lingering holy magic in the air resulted from the awakening of Caldeiras, Princess Illyna's sword.

Alice sensed the immense significance and awe-inspiring nature of Davey's feat. The Saint standing before her was a genuine monster.

“Goodness… what did I just witness in that short amount of time?”

“Oh, Goddess!”

One of the intermediate priests from Freyja Religion, who participated in this war to treat the injured, had an incredulous look on his face. He said to Alice, “My God… Did I just witness God’s Miracle?”

“What in the world…is he…?”

"Even if he's the Saint, this is beyond belief."

"Though Saintess Candidate Alice believed in him, I was still reluctant to believe in him… I'm ashamed of my previous doubts."

Although he hadn't actively participated in the war, the man before them had single-handedly turned the tide. While the soldiers considered it a miracle brought about by Reina, the priests who stood beside him knew that it was the man watching from a distance, Prince Davey, who had truly ended the battle.

Davey possessed powers that even the Pope of the Holy Empire could not match, a realization that left the priests astounded.

"Urk..." Prince Dave groaned, his body trembling.

Yet, the sight only deepened the priests' respect and awe. Their eyes gleamed as they looked at him.

"Goodness... He doesn't even care for his own well-being..."

"Ah... This is the grace of God!"

Davey's groan and sneeze were caused by the dust from the battlefield, but the priests were so captivated by their reverence that they paid it no mind.

This was the true face of the Saint, the protagonist of numerous rumors circulating throughout the continent. However, there were still many aspects they couldn't comprehend. Thus, the priests left Davey to observe the situation while awaiting Alice’s words.

Saintess Candidate Alice, silently observing, finally spoke. "The Saint is someone who has received God's love."

“However…”

"And the more he loves and values life, the stronger he becomes."

The priests stared at Alice in astonishment, their eyes widening as they contemplated her words. A profound emotion flickered across their faces once they grasped the meaning.

"By God... That means he..."

"How deeply does he care and love this world?"

Even the Holy Empire's Pope couldn't rival his power. Without witnessing or using transcendental-class holy magic, the priests had no way of comprehending the extraordinary nature of Davey's abilities. They simply found it amazing and awe-inspiring.

"But it's truly astonishing. I never imagined I would witness someone bolstering the entire army like that..."

"Indeed! A Saint who cherishes and loves the world!"

Rather than delving into the intricacies of the holy magic, the priests focused on the underlying meaning of the power they had witnessed. Deeply moved by this display, they knelt in prayer as if they had received a divine revelation.

"Ah... Goddess Freyja, forgive our arrogance..."

"We are forever grateful for allowing such a noble and magnificent existence to dwell among us..."

"May God be with you..."

Alice thought to herself, ‘Believe what you want to believe.’

Regardless of his sainthood, Davey's displayed power was real, and it reflected the nobility of his heart. However, as Davey had repeatedly stated, each person was free to think as they wished. They were free to indulge in their own illusions.