The Max Level Hero Has Returned!
chapter-381

Fwoosh…

Bright red drops of blood, a stark contrast to the darkness, began to gather and coalesce into the form of a woman.

"Urk..." The woman, a marquis-level vampire and a member of the radical faction, vomited a mouthful of blood.

Among all vampires, this woman was considered special and eccentric.

"This is not interesting," the woman murmured, a frown marring her face.

Her sole concern was finding something truly captivating. Initially, she had no desire to participate in any kind of battle. However, due to a single human, the radical vampires, whom she often utilized, had collapsed and vanished.

That particular human had defeated them in war. To make matters worse, there was a human Warrior scouring and eliminating the remnants left from the conflict. But that wasn't the end of it. She believed that the human she was interested in, Davey O'Rowane, had created and spread the virus among them.

The woman was evidently just a half-vampire. It had originally been very challenging for her to tap into the powers of a low-ranking vampire, let alone a high-ranking one like a marquis-level vampire. However, there was one aspect that compensated for this flaw in her body.

Despite being nothing more than a half-vampire, with the core of the Philosopher's Stone embedded within her, she could exhibit resistance and power on par with pure-blooded vampires. It also allowed her to resist that monstrous virus. However, this didn't mean that she was completely unaffected by the attack. In fact, unlike the moderate faction, who had fled long ago, the members of the radical faction had either transformed into monsters or been killed. The tragedy had left only a few of them behind.

The problem arose when she encountered Reina while wandering around the continent for her own purposes, and she narrowly escaped death. For someone like her, Reina's force and power were beyond shocking.

Since the vampires had made this decision, they had gathered information about humans from various fields and had become aware of the extent of mankind's strength. However, all of their plans had been ruined by the very first variable to appear: Davey O'Rowane. If it had been just Davey's existence, they could have easily found a way to maneuver around him and the risks he posed.

The problem arose when the second variable and powerhouse emerged in the form of the Warrior of Light, a scenario they had not expected. Reina, a young woman, possessed an unmatched force. Well, that was except for that monstrous human they were familiar with.

The bigger issue lay in Reina's knowledge. How could one corner vampires? How could they inflict fatal injuries upon them? These were the things that Reina, the human, knew well.

Unlike Davey O'Rowane, who used overwhelming power to dismantle them, Reina, who stood with the weak, utilized her knowledge and tricks to confront the vampires, who sided with the strong. And with her immense force, the outcome became a catastrophic disaster that struck fear into the members of the radical vampire faction.

Most of the vampires had been slain, leaving only a few clinging desperately to life. At this point, Milpieu realized that she could no longer continue her experiments and studies with the radical faction. She could only save her own meager life by breaking away from their ranks.

However, due to the grave injury inflicted upon her, the terrible virus that spread among the vampires during the war had an opportunity to wreak havoc in her body.

"Ugh..." Milpieu could only groan, her screams muffled by the blood, something vampires lacked, that gurgled out of her throat as she collapsed onto the ground. "I can't die like this... There's still something I have to do..."

If Milpieu were to die in this state, everything she had done so far would be in vain. So, she desperately summoned the strength within her body, retrieved the medicine she kept, and shoved it into her mouth. The medicine's bitter and pungent taste swirled in her mouth. However, her blurred vision did not recover for some reason.

"Blood... I need blood..." Milpieu mumbled with great difficulty before eventually collapsing on the ground.

The collapsed Milpieu felt someone stepping lightly on the ground and approaching her. As the steps grew closer, the scent of blood also grew thicker which made her twist her neck and raise her head on instinct. And through her hazy vision, the half-vampire saw the figure of a girl with black hair and bright red eyes that glinted underneath the mage’s robe that covered her body.

***

Fwoooooooooosh!!!

The wind whipped loudly around them as they stood on Alecsied Island. This small maritime island, with a diameter of only a few kilometers, was situated in the northernmost part of the continent and belonged to the Holy Empire Valcias. It also housed the Orthodox Heresy Inquisition, an independent division within the Holy Empire. In fact, even within the Holy Empire, it was quite difficult to obtain information about their precise whereabouts.

This small island was originally not a place where many people would gather, especially if they had no special business there. Essentially, it could be described as empty. However, such a description was highly inappropriate given the current situation.

A confrontation had unfolded between the 28,000 soldiers of the Holy Empire Valcias and the 5,000 Heresy Paladins. The inquisition had blocked all entrances to Alecsied Island, as if they were willing to protect it at any cost, even their own lives. This was a Holy War, the result of the civil war initiated by the inquisition within the Holy Empire.

When viewed from above, it felt as though the entire island was packed with people. One could observe a significant disparity in numbers between the Holy Empire's main church and the independent group, the Orthodox Heresy Inquisition. However, anyone with eyes could discern that fighting based solely on numbers was utterly meaningless in the current situation.

“Urgh!” Archbishop Alice, whose face had already turned pale, hurriedly covered her mouth before vomiting.

She fell to her knees after transferring through space.

Pat, pat!

Davey silently patted her back, and Alice could only cover her mouth with one hand, shame coloring her frowning face as she asked, "What...in the world is that?"

"Well, how do I say this? Basically, that's him," Davey calmly replied, looking up to see glaring red eyes staring down at him from the sky.

The moment Davey appeared, Megalodria ceased sending out its Fear. Its nonchalant aura gradually transformed as its red eyes flashed, and its four pairs of wings, now recovered, flapped. Dark clouds instantly began to gather in the sky.

Perhaps due to a battle already underway before Davey's arrival, bodies were scattered across the island. Those who survived were being overwhelmed by the paladins of the Orthodox Heresy Inquisition. This was the result of their initial attempt to charge into battle, a battle they were forced to retreat from without accomplishing anything after Megalodria made its appearance.

The reason for the current lull in the battle was most likely the presence of the damned King of Mythical Beasts, Megalodria, floating in the sky and overlooking the battlefield.

"Goodness... What creature is that?" Alice wondered.

"Out of the way," Davey instinctively grabbed Alice's shoulder and pulled her behind him upon realizing that the bastard had been staring at him for a prolonged period. He quickly extended one of his hands behind him, summoning his mana.

For once, he had to consider the amount of mana remaining in his body and how much it was lacking. If he intended to attack Megalodria consecutively, he had no choice but to utilize something other than mana. The problem was that he found himself in an unfavorable situation where he couldn't use his dark mana, which had gradually transformed into demonic energy after his awakening as the Demon Lord.

Observing Rinne's firepower, he could tell that it was impossible for her to even graze Megalodria's skin with her most powerful strike. As for Perserque, her magic was exceptional and efficient. However, the issue was that she had not fully recovered yet and could only defend herself and those around her once.

‘This is why it’s better if no one is watching…’ Davey thought to himself as he pulled out all of the remaining mana in his body.

If it was not enough, then he would have no other choice but to borrow some mana that had gathered in Blue Ribbon and Red Ribbon.

[8th Circle]

[Mirror Force Reflection]

Boom!!!

A storm of incredibly powerful and intangible spears shot through the air the moment Davey cast his own magic. It was just one shot, but the attack carried immense power, akin to Divine Spear Longinus' one-shot, one-kill nuclear-bomb-like spear attack.

However, the most dangerous aspect of this attack lay in the fact that it did not rely solely on attack power or brute force. It focused on stealth, making its trajectory and shape difficult to grasp. This attack was Megalodria's primary specialty, and Davey was intimately familiar with it. What did that mean? It meant that he could easily detect and deflect it.

The instant the attack made contact with Davey's magic, the powerful force of the attack slammed his outstretched hand away.

Clang, clang, clang, clang!!!

Even the 8th Circle defensive magic was instantly destroyed.

“Ugh…”

As his magic was forcibly destroyed, Davey became the one to bear the rebound. However, despite the pain, he couldn't afford to be dazed. He had to demonstrate to the bastard in front of him that, even if it was a lie, he couldn't be killed by its power at that moment.

In truth, Davey desperately needed time. However, he wasn't foolish enough to reveal such a weakness to his opponent, who was currently flustered by the deflection of his main specialty. Essentially, what Davey needed to do was put on a facade of false bravado and make Megalodria believe that he would be the one to lose if the fight continued.

Shiiiiiiing…

After grabbing Blue Ribbon, Davey immediately pulled out all of the mana stored in the two blades’ body one after the other.

‘Red Ribbon, can you lend Dad your mana?’

—Yeah! Red Ribbon can do it well! Red Ribbon can endure it!

At the same time, Blue Ribbon brought out one of her two powers, the spirit mana, and fused it with Davey’s own spirit mana.

[Come out, you idlers. It doesn’t matter how much spirit mana you use, make it look like you guys are all big and strong. Come out looking all cool and majestic.]

As if responding to Davey's words, the space tore apart, and streams of water began to gather in the air. The ground twisted and turned, forming a giant figure that protected the soldiers of Valcias. The display of power was so magnificent and majestic that the onlookers could only gaze in awe at the two Spirit Kings from the ground.

With the arrival of Gnoass and Ellaim, the aura surrounding Megalodria gradually grew heavy. Their appearance alone conveyed an immense sense of power. Gnoass manipulated the ground as if it were an extension of his body, while Ellaim summoned vast amounts of water, shaping it in the air and around the island.

Davey also summoned the two divine beasts, Vermillion Bird Fire Chicken and Azure Dragon Rumble, positioning them to surround Megalodria. Azure Dragon Rumble was naturally aggressive, and his appearance seemed to indicate a strong dislike for Megalodria.

On the other hand, Fire Chicken responded with intense anger, fixing a sharp glare upon Megalodria. It was as if the creature felt that Megalodria had taken attention away from his own father. In essence, Fire Chicken was fulfilling his duty even without any specific orders from Davey.

‘Since he’s doing a good job and acting very well, I’ll make sure to give him a delicious snack later.’

—Kihyeeeeeeeeck!!!

Witnessing the enraged Fire Chicken, the silent yet angry Rumble, and the presence of the two Spirit Kings, Megalodria couldn't help but look at Davey in astonishment, now fully aware of the concealed power beneath his exterior.

The abrupt appearance of these four colossal beings cast a blanket of silence over the entire area. It was so hushed that not even a breath could be heard. However, Davey wasn't finished yet. He further intensified the already oppressive atmosphere.

“Listen well. This might be your first time seeing me.”

‘But I know you very well.’ Davey emphasized this fact to Megalodria.

“If you want to fight, then let’s go. Last time it was Shandra Minea, now it’s you. Let me guess, is Behemoth going to come over next? However, let me tell you this. If you’re thinking of going against me by yourself, then all I can say is you’re batshit crazy.”

[What an arrogant human.]

Megalodria reacted to Davey’s words properly at first. However, when its eyes flashed red, it struggled to voice out its thoughts.

[I… am… the king of… mythical… beasts… Shane’s… second… mythical beast…]

Observing Megalodria struggling to speak, Davey approached his two Spirit Kings and two Divine Beasts with a deliberate pace.

"What you're doing now is nothing more than a mere disturbance to me. I am not a knight, so I won't play the role of a gentleman who waits for his opponent to reach their optimal state before striking. If my opponent is weakened, I won't miss the opportunity to deliver a decisive blow. And right now, you are indeed weakened, aren't you?"

Did Megalodria truly believe that Davey would let this opportunity slip and wait for him to recover? In response to those words, Megalodria tightened its front paws, displaying signs of nervousness.

Davey's mana was on the verge of depletion, but Megalodria also needed time to recover from his excessive use of power. Moreover, the current situation was unfamiliar to both of them. They both understood the need for recovery.

However, Megalodria only perceived Davey as a dangerous opponent, guided solely by its intuition. It remained oblivious to the fact that the human before it also required time to recuperate.

[Human… You’re dangerous.]

The paladins of the Orthodox Heresy Inquisition all turned to look at Megalodria in shock when they heard its somber voice ring.

[I…. Cannot die in this place yet.]

After leaving those words, Megalodria pulled all of its remaining power, drawing out all of the power in it to…postpone the battle.

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

Megalodria used its own power, the power of storms, to cut off the space around it. It created a dome that surrounded it and the Orthodox Heresy Inquisition’s paladins. Then, it secured a space that could protect them and maintain their safety before landing on the ground and grumbling.

“This shameless bastard!!!” Davey angrily shouted as he rushed forward.

Bang!!! Bang, bang!!! Bang!!!

Davey swung the heavy Longsword multiple times in his attempts to strike at Megalodria. However, due to the shattered space and the severed mana connection, he was unable to land a solid blow on his opponent.

Both the forces of Valcias and the Orthodox Heresy Inquisition stood motionless, unable to intervene, as they witnessed the confrontation unfolding between Davey and Megalodria. They could only watch in awe, unable to take a step forward.

[Three days… This space will remain for three days. I admit the fact that you’re a dangerous bastard. That’s why I cannot beat you with my current state.]

No. If Megalodria fought with Davey right here and now, then it would have a higher chance of winning. Wasn’t it a moron? Well, this was the reason why people should know how to bluff their way out well.

"Damn bastard!!!" Davey shouted furiously as he swung his sword at the disconnected space in front of him.

He even resorted to punches and kicks, but to no avail. It was only natural. Since the space had already been severed, it couldn't be broken by attacks that hadn't crossed that crack between dimensions.

"Since it has come to this, then fine. Recover? Sure, go ahead and recover. Let's finish this once you're fully restored," Davey said calmly as he turned around.

Simultaneously, the furious expression on his face vanished, replaced by a calm and serene countenance. His rapid shift from enraged fury to nonchalance was akin to removing a mask, leaving no trace of what had just transpired.

Alice, who observed the situation from a distance, couldn't help but frown in confusion as she witnessed Davey's sudden change in expression. The same bewilderment filled the faces of the paladins and soldiers from the Holy Empire's main church—they could only stare at him blankly.

‘Good acting should be able to trick both enemies and allies, no?’

Megalodria was now very conscious of Davey. The space would only break once it fully recovered. That meant that Davey’s safety was also guaranteed for three days.

‘You might be able to trick him but you can’t trick him forever… Right… You still have to subdue him in three days, no?’

‘That guy will be hell bent on killing me. However, I have to suppress him without killing him. Only by catching him will I be able to know why those crazed beings are being sent here.’

Why couldn’t Davey just talk with it? Although he could hold a conversation with Megalodria, Davey could tell that the mythical beast was brainwashed, albeit not completely.

Engaging in a conversation with someone who was not in their right state of mind would make it challenging for Davey to discern the truth from lies. If Megalodria had been brainwashed and fed him false information, it would put Davey in a precarious situation, not Megalodria.

Ultimately, Davey concluded that he would only be able to extract accurate answers from Megalodria once the brainwashing had been lifted and he had returned to his normal state. It was only then that he could engage in a meaningful conversation with the King of Mythical Beasts.

‘But what in the world are you going to do in those three days? Your body is already working to its limits to recover your powers. There’s no other way to speed it up any more than this…’

“There’s one,” Davey answered as he grabbed the key, which was emitting a golden light, from his Pocket Plane.

The key was none other than the dimensional key, a dimensional key that was now fully charged.