The Max Level Hero Has Returned!
chapter-433

Sleesia, as though subjecting Davey to an ordeal, compelled him to make a choice: catch the tumor or protect the humans. However, there was one crucial detail she was unaware of – Taboo's Karma.

A black wisp began to emanate from Davey’s entire body.

[Urk… Just gazing at it gives me goosebumps. It's as if it's rejecting everything…]

“The monsters of the Abyss follow their own laws. They will always transcend the laws of any world.”

Though entirely unreasonable, this was the harsh reality. Nonetheless, it didn't signify surrender. Given Sleesia's utilization of an unreasonable and absurd power on Davey, he found himself with no option but to release his grip and allow himself to absorb some loss.

Worms continued to wriggle out from the deflated flesh, hastening toward Davey before detonating just in front of his defensive magic. The ensuing acid explosion dissolved everything in its path, highlighting its menacing nature. However, it dissipated swiftly before reaching Davey.

Step, step, step.

[Ruler.]

At that moment, the ground in front of Davey twisted, revealing a clay soldier wearing a crown atop his head. This figure was none other than the Regent Clay Soldier. However, in contrast to its previous state, it appeared significantly battered and broken.

“You’ve reached your limits?”

[Forgive us.]

It appeared that Sleesia had finally unleashed her peculiar powers upon the demons, granting them strength that had crossed a boundary. This power, however, came at the cost of driving them to madness, to an extent where even the clay soldiers and stone statues could no longer contend with them.

[Furthermore, the higher-ranking demons have begun to mobilize. Our time is limited.]

Despite the urgency in his words, Davey didn't turn his head to acknowledge him. He simply crouched down, placing his hands on the deflated mass of flesh from which innumerable worms continued to emerge.

These worms, pouring out of the flesh, writhed and resisted fervently, as though rejecting Davey's touch. Undeterred, Davey activated his Taboo’s Karma and immolated the mass of flesh.

—Kihyeeeeeeeeeeck!

The mass of flesh ignited, accompanied by an ear-grating, eerie sound, until its final remnants vanished into nothingness. Sleesia likely believed that Davey wouldn't succeed in eradicating this tumor, regardless of the intensity of his firepower. However, this was nothing more than wishful thinking on her part.

Davey commanded a power that she could never have fathomed him possessing. Though it might have been fashioned for other intentions, it functioned flawlessly in disregarding the Abyss's existence. In essence, depending on how Davey harnessed it, it could become a DID (Damage Ignore Defenses).

“Thank you for your hard work, Regent. It’s time to stop holding out and just let it be.”

[But… Ruler.]

“That’s more than enough. The stubborn lady has finally made up her mind,” Davey said, looking away.

[They’re here! Get ready!]

Davey had just one opportunity. He nodded silently and proceeded cautiously. His final move involved leaving a body clone beside Perserque.

[Their numbers are staggeringly low... There are a handful of Black Dragons, Wyverns, a few high-ranking demons, and the soldiers loyal to them. Altogether, there are slightly over 50,000.]

Out of the 500,000 troops in the Demon Army, only 50,000 opted to follow the Demon Lord's commands. The rest? They aligned themselves with Astaroth, betraying the Demon Lord and contributing to the disruption of the world's balance.

As Davey had anticipated, Perserque couldn't fully manifest her powers in this realm. Why? Even though she now held the title of Demon Lord, she remained constrained by the memories she retained from her human past. Witnessing the resurgence of war with the humans further plunged her into a sorrowful quagmire.

In the face of this dreadful tragedy, Perserque found herself compelled to deeply contemplate her course of action. Despite the potential irreversibility of her choices, she opted to preserve more lives.

The demons constituted a unique race, functioning solely under the authority of the Demon Lord. Consequently, many of the powers and privileges vested in the Demon Lord were exclusively designed to serve the demons' interests.

[Recall]

It wouldn't be desirable to eliminate all of the demons, and allowing all of the humans to perish would also pose challenges.

Davey had already resolved the issue with Aeria and successfully extracted Sleesia from the equation. He had effectively kindled the will to resist and fight for survival within the ranks of the human Resistance Army.

Now, his remaining task revolved around confronting the entity that meddled with the Demon Lord's future, prompting the demons to betray their own ruler. In essence, Davey's focus lay solely on Sleesia, an entity that had no place in this world.

Davey gradually knelt down on one knee, simultaneously raising his hand in a distinct cross-like gesture. After a moment of silence, he rose to his feet once more and traversed through the dimensional space.

***

Everywhere bore the marks of scorching. The fallen bodies lay still, unmoving. Those in relatively good health had managed to preserve their lives, at the very least. However, those who had perished did so in a gruesome manner, leaving no trace of their former selves. This horrific outcome stemmed from a single battle.

The conflict hinged on the ability to sustain military provisions and endure for an extended period due to their inadequate numbers. Fortunately, the Resistance Army had held its ground reasonably well, thanks to the assistance of the clay soldiers. Yet, with the sudden disappearance of these formidable troops that had acted as their protective barrier, preventing the Demon Army's advance, chaos engulfed the human ranks. They dashed about like headless flies, succumbing easily to the demons' offensive.

“Ah… Aaaaah… My leg, my leg! Where did my leg go?!”

Some soldiers had succumbed to madness after losing limbs, while others lay motionless, resembling the deceased. Davey approached them quietly, assessing their condition and closing his eyes momentarily. Perhaps, in this grim situation, it was a small consolation that their affliction wasn't an illness.

“Davey!!! Where the hell have you been?!”

Upon reaching the fortress walls, Davey beheld an even more pitiable scene. He stood there in silence, surveying the wreckage that was once a stronghold.

Eurina, clad in lightweight armor, hurried to Davey as soon as she spotted him. “Hey! Where the hell have you been?!”

“I was attending to something important. It seems the fortress is in dire straits, huh?”

“An all-out war against the demons erupted the moment you vanished. Initially, the God’s Army that followed you allowed us to hold the line. But…”

However, just an hour ago, the entire contingent of clay soldiers vanished. The one who had given this order was none other than Davey. It was a necessary sacrifice to impart the realization he intended.

“Only a short time has passed since their disappearance, yet look at the result! The demons are overwhelming, and our forces are feeble. If the next battle ensues without the return of the God’s Army…”

At that point, they would be defenseless against the onslaught of high-ranking demons, devoid of the means to engage in a war of attrition. The fortress's resilience was contingent on the disparity between the opposing sides not being too vast.

Naturally, if the unprepared Resistance Army faced the Demon Army without the support of the clay soldiers, the outcome would be all too predictable.

“You're pondering the futility of victory, aren't you?”

Eurina fell silent instantly at Davey's inquiry. At that very moment, the other high-ranking commanding officers of the Resistance Army—Gren, the native orc, Arcturus, the seasoned guerilla of the Resistance Army, as well as several beastfolk and bushy-bearded dwarves—aligned themselves by her side, one after another.

Davey's gaze searched for Euris, a fellow villager, but found no sign of her. However, every individual present had, until a short while ago, been fervently proclaiming their determination to triumph over the demons and safeguard their homes. Yet, after a solitary battle, the countenance of each and every one among them had turned somber and melancholic. It seemed they had at last comprehended the terrifying might of their adversaries and the extent of their power.

“Tell us. Where has the God's Army gone?”

Davey shifted his gaze toward the crowned clay soldier that emerged gradually from the ground.

“Ah, ah! It's the God's Army! The God's Army has returned!”

Paying little heed to their almost fanatical reaction, Davey directed his query to the Regent, "Has everyone departed?"

In response to Davey's question, the crowned clay soldier nodded solemnly.

[That’s right, O’Great Ruler.]

“Alright. Good job. You should go now too.”

"D-Davey? What on earth are you saying?" Eurina exclaimed, her grasp on Davey's arms betraying her flustered state. She swiftly grasped the implications of Davey's words.

"They are deceased. Their time had to come eventually. They've reached their limits and can no longer fight on your behalf," Davey explained.

Davey's words weighed heavily on the atmosphere, the abrupt absence of their protective guardians shrouding them in a thick blanket of despair.

"You... What in the name of the gods have you done?!" A dwarf, driven to panic, charged at Davey with his short, stocky legs. Springing upon him, the dwarf seized Davey by his collar. "You!!! What have you wrought?! The enemy is nearly upon us, and you're sending them away?! Do you not grasp that it's because of them we've come this far?!"

"Then perhaps you should take matters into your own hands."

The dwarf scowled at Davey's response. "You hold no right to utter that!"

"That's right! Your strategy is impressive, absolutely! But what can even the greatest strategy achieve against a formidable foe, huh?!"

Davey wielded power surpassing the combined might of all the clay soldiers. However, this fact remained concealed from them. Remarkably, Euris had kept tight lips and never delved into the specifics of how Davey confronted Nyx. Their understanding was limited to the salvation wrought by the clay soldiers. As a result, they remained unaware of the extent of Davey's capabilities. Well, to be fair, Davey hadn't fully divulged certain aspects to begin with.

"We're in dire straits! The demons have dispatched an emissary! It's probably best if you all come out!"

The assembled group turned in the direction of the loud cry.

***

The envoy from the Demon Army arrived mounted upon a massive bone horse named Phantom Steed, its rider a high-ranking lich. Despite the disappearance of the First Lich Nyx, a considerable number of formidable liches with astounding powers still existed within the Demon Army.

"Foolish humans. How can you resist and hasten the end of your lives?" sneered the lich in a relaxed and carefree manner.

"Are you attempting to display the arrogance of a conqueror?!" Eurina, unable to bear the lich's taunting demeanor, shouted angrily from the fortress walls.

"Fu, fufufu. Well said, the arrogance of a conqueror. You're not far off. Is it not an established fact that an overwhelming power disparity separates us? How do you intend to overcome our formidable main force while you're all battered and bruised, simply because we've revealed a fraction of our strength?" The lich spoke calmly as he gradually withdrew a letter. "The Grand Duke Astaroth has issued an edict: surrender. If you surrender, he will spare your lives. He pledges to safeguard your right to existence and even provide you with a place to live!"

The lich's proclamation stirred unrest among the soldiers stationed on the walls. They fought this war to survive and defend their homeland. In the face of the clay soldiers' disappearance and an insurmountable disadvantage, many began to acquiesce to the words, one after another, realizing the potential wisdom in surrendering.

[That…]

“This bastard! Is he trying to ruin my plans, huh?!”

Grab—

The instant he heard the lich's proclamation, Davey seized hold of a soldier's halberd. In a swift, gleaming motion, he cleaved through the lich's head, obliterating it before the creature could even react.

Witnessing the lich dissolve into a burst of light, Eurina cried out urgently, "What... What in the world have you done?!"

"Wake up. Those who lose have no claim to human rights," Davey stated firmly.

Eurina flinched, her lips sealing shut at Davey's words. He was right. The words the lich uttered were nothing more than sugary lies woven to ensnare them. This war would never have ignited if the guarantee of their lives and homes, as the lich had promised, was genuine.

"Listen, all of you! These are merely the enemy's ploys! Have you forgotten the pain and suffering we endured in the past?!" Eurina's passionate cry reverberated, leaving the soldiers wide-eyed and visibly stunned.

For a fleeting moment, they had been swayed by the immensely tempting offer.