The Max Level Hero Has Returned!
chapter-384

Just one glance was enough to tell that the attack was extremely dangerous. Perserque, who sat on Rinne’s shoulders, pondered deeply before releasing the cloth that wrapped the staff cradled in her hands.

The staff in question was none other than the Transcendence Demise, which Davey had reluctantly given to her. However, he had imposed a condition that she could only touch it momentarily.

Unfortunately, Davey was preoccupied with the arrival of the King of Mythical Beasts, Azure Sky’s Storm Dragon King Megalodria, from another dimension, and didn't have the opportunity to retrieve it from Perserque.

Perserque's contemplation didn't take long. She leapt off Rinne's shoulder, using her mana to levitate and return to her original form. Rinne immediately stopped running and observed the peculiar Perserque.

"Rinne has a question. We are in the midst of fulfilling Sir Davey's orders. It would be best for Rinne to escort Lady Per and retreat swiftly," Rinne suggested.

"Just wait a moment," Perserque responded calmly, closing her eyes.

Simultaneously, demonic energy, a power unique to demons, began to seep slowly from her body.

The body Perserque currently possessed wasn't the one created by the demons. As a result, she had to undergo several processes to harness her soul's demonic energy and adapt to her new form. Consequently, she hadn't fully regained her former power.

Given their dire situation, Perserque had no choice but to employ this efficient method to extract power that surpassed her current capabilities. However, she understood she could only summon a limited amount of power. Therefore, she decided against utilizing an excessive amount of demonic energy to aid Davey.

Additionally, Archbishop Alice was retreating alongside them, and Perserque couldn't afford to inadvertently cause harm to Davey. Nevertheless...

"This individual is different," Perserque murmured.

The Transcendence Demise in her hand was unique. Gazing affectionately at the staff's unparalleled power, which only Davey could fully unleash, Perserque resonated with the mana surrounding her.

"As I suspected, returning this to Davey would be a tremendous waste."

[Grow quickly.]

Boom!!!

With her words, the gradual increase in mana, which also expanded the sphere of blazing white flames, suddenly surged at an overwhelming speed.

The Transcendence Demise possessed the ability to amplify or diminish the effects of magic. Although Perserque could only tap into a fraction of its power, it proved to be more than sufficient.

Reverting to her smaller form, Perserque calmly floated back and settled on Rinne's shoulder, wearing a serene and refreshed expression. "We know nothing. Let's go, Rinne."

"Rinne greatly values Lady Per's decision," Rinne affirmed, giving Perserque a satisfied thumbs-up after witnessing the distant transformation of the white light.

"Oh my god... You're all insane... What?! Are you truly determined to reshape the entire landscape right here and now?!" Alice, the only one who expressed disbelief and hesitation, exclaimed. Her eyes remained fixated on the escalating magic, far beyond their current location.

***

The surge of mana didn't directly extend across the severed space, yet the gathering and manifestation of power right before Megalodria sent a shiver through its feathers, leaving them rigid.

‘Something’s wrong! The opponent is a very special human.’ Megalodria had no choice but to think this way.

Storm Dragon King Megalodria had been a long-time companion of the Mythical Beast Summoner, Shane Scrift, revered as the Supreme Hero. Through his journey, Megalodria had climbed the ranks, eventually earning his current title as the King of Mythical Beasts. Reflecting on his vast memories and experiences, he realized that encounters like this were rare.

At first glance, the human before Megalodria appeared to be nothing more than a child. However, witnessing the human effortlessly block his attack with a single broken arm made Megalodria realize that his situation was far from favorable.

In fact, Megalodria could barely sense any mana within the boy's body. Even for someone like him, who had lived for an extensive period, this phenomenon remained inexplicable. The only conclusion he could draw was that his own condition had deteriorated to the point where he couldn't measure the immense mana possessed by the boy standing before him.

As expected, the boy proved to be truly formidable. Megalodria, already utilizing a significant portion of his power to resist the brainwashing, quickly surmised that victory wouldn't come easily in this battle.

During their confrontation, Megalodria was involuntarily transported back to this small island. It was an act completely contrary to his own will, and it was there that he encountered the boy once again.

The boy's words were strange and surprising. He spoke as if he not only knew Megalodria but also the other two beings hailed as the King of Mythical Beasts. Megalodria couldn't help but suspect a connection between the boy and the enigmatic woman who had invaded the Lux Continent.

With such thoughts racing through his mind, Megalodria found himself in an intensely tense state. He couldn't afford to die like this. The best course of action was to regain his strength, overpower the boy, and escape this place. To achieve that, he had to postpone the fight, even if it meant resorting to force. Megalodria hadn't anticipated that things would unfold in this manner.

“My… My god… What the hell is that…?”

Some of the paladins from the Orthodox Heresy Inquisition, who were on standby, murmured in shock at the sight of a pure white sphere materializing in the dark sky. The sky itself was obscured by the gathering dark clouds, a result of Megalodria's powers.

The sphere emitted a blinding light as it spun vigorously above them, growing in size while devouring mana from its surroundings. This spectacle left the paladins awestruck.

Megalodria had severed the space and bought himself at least two or three days to accumulate his power. However, it didn't take long for him to realize that his actions merely granted the boy more time, not himself.

Although Megalodria couldn't hear the boy's voice through the barrier of the severed space, he could read the boy's lips mouthing, "It would be great if you could unleash this as soon as possible, right? Don't worry, I'll make sure to deliver a powerful blow."

Only then did Megalodria realize, "Ah, it wasn't me who needed time. It was him."

Assured that he had bought enough time, the boy openly began to prepare, seemingly unconcerned about his defenses. It appeared as if the Spirit Kings and unidentified beings he summoned to confront Megalodria on the island were nothing more than empty threats.

Megalodria had made a grave error in judgment because he couldn't gauge his opponent's mana. In the end, he had inadvertently given his opponent ample time to prepare, leaving himself with no choice but to confront and fight the enemy immediately.

He wished he could somehow mend the rift and engage his opponent right away. However, Megalodria knew it wouldn't unfold so smoothly. There was a high chance that the boy wouldn't miss the opportunity to strike the moment he saw Megalodria attempting to repair the rift. It simply wasn't a viable option.

The problem lay in the fact that Megalodria couldn't guarantee his own safety once the magic, in the form of the pure white sphere, directly struck them.

“Call… Call the leader right away!” the paladins cried out in a hurry.

Not long after, a man garbed in black robes emerged from the church of the Orthodox Heresy Inquisition, his gaze fixed upon the radiant sphere of light that rivaled the sun.

"What... What should we do, Leader?"

"What kind of magic is this...?"

Despite the fear evident in the paladins and priests of the Orthodox Heresy Inquisition, their leader, Collosus Griam, exuded an air of confidence. He then spoke words that diverged completely from Megalodria's expectations. "Do not be afraid, for God's Apostle is with us."

The impact of those words was immense.

'No.' Megalodria yearned to refute them, but the power eroding his will had grown too strong, rendering him incapable of mustering the energy to speak. His head throbbed intensely, as if it were on the verge of splitting, yet that human before him spouted utter nonsense.

"At first glance, that magic may appear terrifying, but it is nothing more than an empty façade. Don't you agree?"

Grrrrrrrrrrr!

Megalodria felt an overwhelming urge to scream at Collosus Griam upon hearing that question, but he was unable to do so. The power eroding his rationality prevented his voice from escaping, allowing only a growl to emerge.

‘Gather all your priests and prepare defensive magic. It is the only way you might survive this ordeal. If that thing strikes you, there won't even be time to utter your final words,’ Megalodria desperately thought.

"Behold! God's Apostle reveals his magnificent and formidable form!!" exclaimed one of the priests.

"That's not it! Can't you see my feathers? They're all standing on end!" Megalodria tried to convey, but his voice failed to reach them.

"I see!"

"As expected of God's Apostle!"

Megalodria, unable to comprehend the source of their blind faith, once again abandoned his overestimation of the human race on this continent. Even the most foolish fool wouldn't display such idiocy.

‘You damn fools! That's not it at all! Cast defensive magic and create defensive magic circles immediately! Hurry! Time is running out. Otherwise, even my hard-earned life will be…’ Megalodria's thoughts trailed off, unable to be voiced.

"Well then! Let us all pray! We are under the protection of God's Apostle. There is nothing for us to fear! Who am I?! I am someone recognized by God's Apostle! I am different from that wicked and corrupt saint who employs sorcery and witchcraft!" Collosus declared, rallying the paladins who immediately raised their weapons and cheered with fervor.

‘Damn it,’ Megalodria thought, desperately searching for a way to escape this dire situation.

All he desired was to survive and break free from the bondage that forced him to serve these individuals. If that meant pushing his body to its limits, as long as he could separate the space from that magic...

"Please, look at that!" a voice exclaimed.

As if influenced by some unknown force, the magic cast by the boy suddenly expanded multiple times in size. Cold sweat trickled down Megalodria's body. He felt as though a dagger loomed directly above his head, his feathers bristling while the scales on his body quivered and trembled.

‘This... This isn't right, you bastard,’ Megalodria thought, astounded.

How could a mere human, a replaceable existence, possess the power to magnify such a colossal magic several times over?

At that moment, Megalodria's mind went blank. He knew that even if he exerted all his strength, it would be difficult to halt that magic. He gazed at the detestable individual who unleashed this spell, only to see an eerie smile gracing the boy's face. It was as if the boy knew exactly what thoughts were racing through Megalodria's mind...

“Don’t worry! No matter what kind of magic that is, it is nothing in front of God’s Apostle!”

“Wooooooooah!”

“As expected of God’s Apostle!”

These fanatical believers, convinced that Megalodria was God's Apostle, held firm in their belief that he could overcome any obstacle. The cracks in space would soon mend themselves... In fact, some of them were already beginning to heal. However, despite this knowledge, Megalodria remained unable to use his voice to warn them.

Caught in the midst of the frantic situation, he had no choice but to exert every ounce of his strength to ensure his own survival. In the end, all Megalodria could do was gather and shape an immense breath composed of lightning.

‘Ha… I don’t care what happens to you bastards anymore.’

Megalodria did not care about what would happen to them anymore.

‘I will survive this one way or another. I will cut off the space once again and protect myself.’

Megalodria intended to create the illusion that he had completely eradicated the space surrounding him, enabling him to escape.

However...

"The crack has closed!" exclaimed one of the paladins, referring to the rupture that had formed due to the spatial disturbance.

"Now! Let's attack! The enemy is vulnerable! We have nothing to fear!"

Upon Collosus Griam's command, the paladins charged toward Davey O'Rowane, the boy at the center of the conflict. But Davey was not one to be intimidated by their oncoming momentum.

"Have you waited for this moment? How should I put it? My apologies, but I think my gift for you might be a bit too generous. You won't be able to protect a single soul here."

Regardless, no one would dare to restrain Davey or hinder him from causing havoc. And so, Davey redirected the immense blazing white sun that had grown exponentially in the sky toward the ground.

Thud!!!

Witnessing the overwhelmingly powerful sphere of light descending toward the ground, Megalodria unleashed the entirety of the Breath he had amassed.

The outcome was clear. Megalodria, enveloped in energy to repel the attack, regained his senses and immediately voiced his thoughts. It wasn't the commanding and majestic voice of the King of Mythical Beasts, but the tone he had often used with his contractor in the past. "Ha... Damn it... Do as you please. I no longer care."

The water that encircled the island, as well as the island itself, evaporated and vanished from view. All that remained in the aftermath was the receding brilliance of the blinding flash of light.