The Max Level Hero Has Returned!

Boom!!!

A huge explosion erupted, accompanied by a deafening sound that echoed throughout the area. The magic spun fiercely, carrying flames capable of burning anything they touched. Its power had grown to an immense scale, thanks to the Transcendence Demise, a move Davey presumed was executed by Perserque.

"Hoo..." Davey knew that despite being the one who unleashed the magic, he wouldn't be safe from its aftermath.

As soon as he witnessed the crack mending, he released the magic and swiftly ascended into the air. His eyes narrowed sharply as he observed the white sphere of flames sweeping away everything in its path, including the sea and the entire island.

Although the magic didn't consume the entire continent, the resulting shockwave alone was enough to trigger a tsunami at its weakest.

"Hmm... Let's handle it," Davey muttered.

The moment those words escaped his lips, a colossal, colorless shockwave hurtled toward him. Reacting swiftly, Davey drew out Blue Ribbon and swung the blade, simultaneously twisting his body to evade the tremendous power of Breath. It could devour anything and even rend and twist space itself.

[Longsword]

[Splitting the Mountains]

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

Although Davey wielded Blue Ribbon, a sword with a cheat-like and overpowering ability, it remained impossible for him to fully suppress the shockwave at once. The resounding sounds confirmed this fact.

Boom!!!

A portion of Megalodria's Breath was forcibly redirected upwards, accompanied by grating sounds. Davey could only shake his head in disbelief as he witnessed the clouds in the sky rupture under the tremendous force.

"Look at that, someone is recklessly strong, huh?"

Even after delivering an immensely powerful blow, it appeared that Megalodria still possessed enough strength to launch a counterattack. Gradually, the light faded, revealing the unfolding aftermath of the tragedy before Davey's eyes. The island had been completely upended when the difficult-to-control White Nova collided with it, causing it to shatter.

To be honest, the power Davey unleashed was more than enough to obliterate this small island. However, he was somewhat surprised to see certain parts of the island withstand the impact of the magic.

"This..." he murmured.

What emerged was an ancient ruin, over 10,000 years old, similar to those found in certain parts of the continent. Some of the stones protecting the ruins displayed an unusual resistance to mana. While Davey hadn't conducted a thorough analysis yet, he could discern their identity based on the color and structure of the walls. There was a high possibility that the foundation supporting the island itself was connected to these ancient ruins.

Descending from the sky, Davey kicked the scorching ground several times before closing his eyes. Slowly, he reopened them, taking in the scene once more.

[Gnoass.]

[Ellaim.]

The Earth Spirit King and Water Spirit King appeared in an instant. It was as if they had been waiting for this moment. Both of their expressions were grave and somber as they drew the maximum power that they could produce.

“The enemy…”

“He’s coming. Gnoass, spirit harmonization.”

[Contractor. With the current state of communication between us, that’s impossible.]

"I am the one who makes the call. Move it," Davey said with a smile, as a blue light flickered from within the smoke.

Simultaneously, a violent and piercing wind hurtled toward Davey. The speed and range of the attack were overwhelmingly intense, leaving him with no means of evasion. Such was the sheer threat posed by the attack.

[Then, you have to take responsibility for your own safety.]

Simultaneously, Gnoass' colossal body disintegrated into a pile of dust, which then transformed into ethereal light that permeated Davey's being. As a result, his black hair changed to a shade of brown.

Interestingly, while Davey was intimately acquainted with Gnoass, the spirit remained unfamiliar with him. This disparity rendered any straightforward calculations utterly futile and rendered them useless.

Crack, crack, crack, crack!!!

Davey crouched down, witnessing his skin rapidly thickening and becoming robust as the bone-chilling wind mercilessly battered his exposed body.

Boom!!!

A colossal shockwave erupted, causing the wind to abruptly shift its course and collide against his form.

Shwaaa!!!

"Hiss!" Davey hissed, crimson droplets of blood splattering onto the ground. Yet, he had no time to dwell on such matters. With a sense of urgency, he firmly grasped Red Ribbon, who had been swirling around him, and closed his eyes momentarily.

[Heavenly Destroyer Ghostly Sword]

[Slaughter in the Dark]

It would be foolish of him to attempt to locate his opponent amidst the dense smoke obstructing his vision. Davey abandoned his reliance on sight and relied on his senses to intercept the incoming attacks. Dozens of red sword blades shot out from his weapon, slashing through the gray haze.

Baaaaaang!!!

Megalodria abruptly emerged from the shroud of smoke, emanating an aura of fury provoked by the attack that compelled him to reveal himself.

"It hurts, doesn't it?"

Megalodria appeared worn and exhausted, with three out of his four pairs of wings lost and some of his feathers charred. Although he had suffered considerable power loss, his resilient scales endured the assault. Surviving and even mounting a counterattack after facing such a one-shot kill magic was an impressive feat for a grandmaster-level entity.

[…]

Observing Megalodria's silent, red gaze fixed upon him, Davey lifted Red Ribbon and directed it toward the beast. Recognizing that engaging in conversation at the moment would serve no purpose, his priority was to bring Megalodria under control and remove him from the situation.

Davey remained uncertain whether the King of Mythical Beasts comprehended his intentions or not. However, Megalodria puffed out his chest and emitted a resounding roar.

In that very instant, another colossal bomb materialized, composed of suffocating winds and intense pressure—an attack capable of warping and distorting space. The destructive force surged relentlessly toward Davey.

***

Amidst the ongoing catastrophic battle, an individual quietly emerged from a small hole in the ground. This person was none other than Collosus Griam, a man who had held a position of power for a considerable duration as the leader of the Orthodox Heresy Inquisition under the Holy Empire Valcias. Collosus had long considered himself someone who had made significant sacrifices for God's cause.

"Ah, aaaah... This is not good," he murmured.

The loud and formidable explosions erupting all around far surpassed his expectations. Collosus possessed keen eyes and could discern that the boy was utilizing extraordinary magic. However, because he had managed to survive and remain unharmed, thanks to the power bestowed upon him by the woman who granted him his current abilities, he understood that the magic was not entirely invincible.

When that woman imparted a portion of her power, replacing his own strength and compelling the colossal King of Mythical Beasts to become his subordinate, Collosus believed there was nothing in this world he couldn't accomplish. He firmly held the conviction that there was nothing to fear. After all, even the immensely powerful black dragon that had caused a tremendous upheaval across the entire continent paled in comparison to the King of Mythical Beasts, who radiated a presence akin to the sun.

But... but... things had taken an unexpected turn. Could a young boy, born and leading a life entirely disconnected from divinity and holy power, truly grow so potent in such a short span of time simply by receiving the stigmata, the symbol of a saint?

And contrary to Collosus' belief that not a single hair of the apostle could be harmed...

Bang!!!

[Groaaaaaaaar!]

The scene unfolding before Collosus' eyes was completely different from his expectations. The Azure Sky's Storm Dragon King and the King of Mythical Beasts, Megalodria, were unable to keep pace with the boy.

Collosus had assumed that Megalodria would easily evade the first attack with a slight movement. However, he was proven wrong as the beast suffered a fatal blow. This severe injury hindered the King of Mythical Beasts' movements and became a primary reason for him continuously being pushed back by the boy.

The greatest concern lay in Prince Davey's power. Collosus discerned that the prince's abilities were not derived from holy magic. Moreover, he wielded a swordsmanship that surpassed that of a Sword Master. Prince Davey's combat prowess was so formidable that Collosus couldn't help but question if such immense power could truly emanate from a human body. Additionally, the prince exhibited magic at the 9th Circle, which emerged whenever his opponent's defenses revealed a gap.

Of course, this didn't imply that Megalodria's status as a grandmaster-level being had been utterly discarded.

Clang!!!

Prince Davey crashed onto the ground, blood trickling from his chin amidst the resounding echoes of space tearing apart. Yet, Megalodria showed no signs of relenting. Swiftly, the beast ensnared Davey with his tail, slamming him repeatedly onto the ground in rapid succession. Ordinary individuals, and even masters who had surpassed human limitations, would struggle to survive such a relentless assault.

However, an obsidian vortex of energy, distinct from dark mana, manifested around Prince Davey's body as he shattered the tail constricting him. Then, akin to a deranged individual, he unleashed a barrage of attacks.

The speed was so staggering that Collosus struggled to keep up. What was worse, with each collision between Davey's attacks and Megalodria, a tremendous shockwave radiated outward, relentlessly hammering against the shield shielding Collosus.

‘It’s fine… It’s going to be fine… Her power is not something that will be broken by that bastard’s attacks.’

Collosus firmly believed that he would remain unscathed regardless of the circumstances. Even if every paladin and priest of the inquisition were wiped out, he considered his own safety paramount. After all, as long as he survived, he could recruit replacements. However, a disquieting sound of cracking and shattering reached his ears, unsettling him.

"No, it can't be!" Collosus exclaimed in surprise as he gazed up at the shield that had been shielding him.

At first glance, the gray protective barrier appeared to be holding steadfastly. Yet, after enduring several stray attacks, it began to fissure and splinter.

Boom, boom, boom, boom!!! Baaaaang!!!

“Keuaaaaack!!!”

Once again, black energy surged out from Davey's body, coalescing into sword-shaped blades that swiftly hurtled toward his adversaries. The blades not only targeted Megalodria, who evaded the assault by rolling away, but also homed in on Collosus, who had never even considered evading the attack. The impact caused the shield to quiver and tremble with great intensity. It was at that moment that Collosus realized the gravity of his predicament, his feet desperately attempting to carry him away from the scene.

In the current situation, the woman to whom he had pledged his loyalty was absent, rendering him devoid of her protective presence. Even the King of Mythical Beasts, Megalodria, was incapable of shielding him. The only defense he had was the gray shield, and if it were to be destroyed, he would be left utterly defenseless against the aftermath of the clash between these two monstrous beings.

Swoooooosh!!! Bang!!!

In Collosus' desperate attempt to flee the island, he witnessed a stream of black energy surging right in front of him. Caught off guard, he stumbled and collapsed onto the ground, his eyes widening in fear and astonishment.

As he turned his head to glance behind him, he caught sight of the boy wearing a devilish smirk, watching him intently while engaged in the ongoing battle with Megalodria.

"This... This bastard?! Impossible!" Collosus exclaimed, his disbelief echoing in his voice.

The realization struck him like a thunderbolt—those stray attacks were not random but intentionally aimed at him. The understanding caused his jaw to quiver.

Collosus had never anticipated experiencing the same sense of fear and terror he had felt when facing the woman who had become his master. Yet, as he stared at the boy before him, he couldn't escape those emotions. Although the impact of the boy's power was lesser than that of the woman, there was an ominous and gloomy aura surrounding his strength.

‘That… That guy is the Saint that is being hailed as this continent’s hero?’

A chill ran down Collosus’ back as he urged his stiff legs to run once again after watching the two continue to fight once again.

***

After observing the surviving member of the inquisition fleeing from the battle, Davey calmly closed his eyes. He knew that whether or not he pursued, the individual would resurface eventually, once he had decimated the entire area.

Davey had yet to fully examine the power that had compelled Megalodria into submission. He believed it to be the power of the Abyss, which also seemed to encompass Collosus Griam, the leader of the Orthodox Heresy Inquisition, who had survived the explosive aftermath.

In truth, Davey only needed to activate a small portion of Taboo's Karma to counteract that anomalous power. He had confirmed this when he directed several sword energies toward the protective shield shielding Collosus.

Slowly, Davey opened his eyes and directed his gaze toward Megalodria. He judged that it was sufficient for now. He had no intention of killing the mythical beast. However, as others had warned, subduing someone was far more challenging than simply ending their life. And that was precisely his objective—to suppress Megalodria.

Like the stumbling Megalodria, Davey's own body exhibited signs of distress. One of his arms had been crushed to the point where instant healing was impossible. Numerous wounds and injuries adorned his body, causing blood to trickle and stain his clothing crimson.

‘He’s a really difficult guy to catch.’

Davey crouched down slowly as Megalodria’s glinting red eyes looked at him. Then, he reached for something inside his pocket plane.

The Mythical Beast Summoner was a trait ability user. Trait Ability Users were beings that were born as mutants and would appear sporadically all over the world. Davey could not raise Megalodria because he was basically not born as someone that could raise a mythical beast.

However, that did not mean that there was no way at all. Of course, Davey still had to go through some trial and error to achieve the effect that he wanted. That was why it was necessary that he keep Megalodria moving in the way that he wanted him to.

[Transcendental Weapon’s Liberation]

Davey took a deep breath as he pushed his hands deeper into his pocket plane and searched through the translucent items that were floating around before finally grasping what he was looking for.

[Heavenly Demon’s Card Album]

The Heavenly Demon’s Card Album was something that he received from his card maker teacher.

‘Right. Let’s go with this one.’ Davey acted swiftly, without a moment of hesitation, as he opened the card album and retrieved one of the blank cards.

He threw it into the air, and instantly, a brilliant light emanated from within the card, expanding in size until it transformed into a gigantic card several tens of meters tall. The radiance intensified, giving rise to multiple colossal cards that tightly enveloped Megalodria's body. The spinning cards exerted a strong force, making it difficult for Megalodria to resist.

"This is a monster ball, you bastard," Davey exclaimed upon sensing Megalodria's reaction to the unusual phenomenon.

Without delay, Davey activated his pre-casted magic, causing a massive magic circle to illuminate beneath his feet.

Apart from Perserque's unique power, the Demon Lord's magic possessed theoretical peculiarity surpassing that of ordinary magic. It exceeded Davey's expectations by a significant margin. This magic required demonic energy, and since Davey had become the Demon Lord, it meant he already possessed a certain amount of demonic energy within his body.

[Demon Lord’s Transformation Magic]

[Great Gravity]

The gravitational field of the entire area shifted, causing everything to feel unusually heavy. In this altered environment, Megalodria's movements became sealed, and the intense light emitted by the rapidly spinning cards mirrored the cards' movements, persistently wrapping around Megalodria's body.

‘This mythical beast…is mine now.’