The Max Level Hero Has Returned!-Novel

The dokkaebi judge slowly opened his mouth again. "The One that Will Receive Judgment, Davey O'Rowane. You will be given a chance to speak before your judgment is finalized."

"What is your reason for giving me the chance?" Davey asked.

"I believe you know it better," the judge replied.

Davey nodded quietly, his gaze shifting around the surroundings.

"Kill... me..."

"Anguish..."

These beings, screaming in pain and anguish after being pierced through by the blades of hell, were probably the ones who had received judgment before Davey. He had no way of knowing if they were beings that had originally existed or were just created in this dream world. However, there was one thing he was certain of.

"When it comes to someone's judgment, how do you judge them?" Davey inquired.

"Judgment is made by weighing the karma of the One that will Receive Judgment. It is my responsibility as the judge overseeing the Karma of the [Dead]," the judge explained.

"What are your criteria?" Davey questioned further.

"The taking of another's life," the judge responded.

Davey grinned. "Then that means someone's karma will inevitably grow if they accidentally step on an ant, right?"

"Just because you and the ant are of different sizes does not mean you have any reason to step on them," the judge stated.

Those words made it clear to Davey that this was a completely unreasonable world where logic did not exist. Since that was the case, he had no qualms about what he would do next.

Silently, Davey created a fireball in his hands.

"The One that Will Receive Judgment! Davey O'Rowane! What do you think you're doing here?!" The jury exclaimed as they watched him play with the fireball.

Though the power he had accumulated in his body might have been lost upon entering this place, the power in his soul remained. For Davey, who had been slowly regaining his powers due to the stark disconnect between his body and soul, his soul being unleashed like this provided him with the freedom to do as he pleased.

"This is my final question, Judge in charge of the murderer's karma," Davey declared.

“...”

"What right do you have to pass judgment upon me?"

The sound of something breaking and shattering faintly rang in Davey's ears. In the first place, they had no qualifications to pass judgment.

"Kill or be killed. How do you judge people in situations like that?" Davey questioned.

"The laws stipulate that those who bring harm to others will be judged in the same manner once they die and come to this place," the judge responded.

"And what qualifications do you have to pass judgment and make such decisions?" Davey challenged.

"What?" the judge reacted.

"I took care of and dealt with the person who harmed me. Do I have any reason to entrust such matters to you? You are not even one of those shameless and brazen gods. You are merely pretending to be one. You do not have the right to judge others," Davey asserted.

Upon hearing Davey's words, the two pairs of twins from the jury jumped up. Then, a huge spark emerged between them as their skin turned a bright purple. Slowly, their bodies began to merge until they fully combined together.

The four members of the jury quickly merged, emitting a powerful energy from their combined bodies. Then, the dokkaebi judge slowly rose from his seat and grasped the gigantic saw knife by his side.

All the tortured beings, suffering in pain, vanished as if they were nothing but illusions when a massive spark appeared and consumed the place. The once hellish location transformed into an empty space. Witnessing this, Davey immediately released his hold on Illyna, simultaneously dispelling the blinding light magic he had cast on her.

"The One who Will Receive Judgment. By choosing this path, you have forsaken the path of reincarnation," the judge declared.

"That's where you're wrong, you judgmental bastard," Davey retorted.

Flames erupted, engulfing the dokkaebi judge's body as he wielded the gigantic saw knife. With his power unleashed, the empty space turned crimson, with lava appearing and flowing throughout as the previously cool and refreshing air burned away into nothingness. These flames were no ordinary fire; they were flames that consumed the soul.

"Firstly, I am in my spiritual state, not dead. I am merely a wanderer sent to this place by the will of someone of higher rank, a rank you can't even fathom. And secondly, it doesn't matter whether you acquit me or convict me. I am someone who never had a path to reincarnation in the first place," Davey declared.

Illyna looked at Davey in shock and awe upon hearing his words. However, he didn't give her any time to process as he embraced her, holding her hands tightly and placing Caldeiras in her grasp, activating it and pointing its blade toward the judge.

"What are you doing?!" Illyna exclaimed, her face turning red. But her resistance quickly subsided as she heard Davey's next words.

"Stay still. I will teach you the Sword Manipulation Technique," Davey instructed.

In response, she shouted, "Use me however you want! I'm ready!"

In simple terms, what was happening here was...

"This is nothing but the rightful punishment for those who attempted to deceive the world's providence..."

"If there are unjust and corrupt laws, we must tear them apart and amend them immediately."

Was an unfair law even considered a law? Indeed, unfair laws should be abolished and amended to serve everyone. However, those who lacked the power to do so could only live in compliance with such laws. No one had the right to judge someone as good or evil based on such ludicrous standards.

With those standards, the winner between two individuals seeking to kill each other would be deemed good, while the loser would be blamed and considered evil.

"Come. Show me your resolve!" Davey challenged.

The flames enveloping the dokkaebi judge's entire body began to flicker as Death Energy seeped through his pores. The dokkaebi's divine flames were not ordinary flames; they were transcendental in nature.

Normally, fighting against water or flames was already challenging. However, the difficulty was further heightened due to the ridiculous penalty imposed on Davey by Goddess Freyja, prohibiting him from killing. This meant that Davey couldn't deal with the situation solely with his own hands.

As always, quick-witted Illyna understood Davey's intentions. And because of that, Davey didn't need to handle everything personally.

There was a strong possibility that she hoped Davey would break the taboo and lift her divine restriction, allowing her to unleash her powers and act freely. If he did so, she would have a justification to tighten her leash on him.

Goddess Freyja, who had placed Davey in this predicament, must have assessed that her control over him had weakened. As a result, she chose to restrict Davey and reinforce her hold on him. Was it a divine punishment? That was merely an excuse.

"Close your eyes and follow the movements of my body. Relax," Davey instructed, waiting ten seconds after she closed her eyes before proceeding.

He gradually activated the holy mana within his body. This served as evidence that the place did not impede his usage of holy mana. In an instant, a tremendous amount of holy mana flowed around him.

Davey remained unaware of the intricacies of the Demon Lord's power, making it somewhat challenging to harness it at this moment. Therefore, he chose not to utilize it. Additionally, holy mana that emulated the power of a higher-ranking divine being would be effective against foes like the dokkaebi before him.

The first to attack was the purple giant wolf, formed after one pair of twins from the jury merged. The several-meter-high wolf vanished in an instant, only to reappear with its mouth wide open, seemingly eager to swallow Davey whole.

"Urgh..."

The force it exerted was immense, so much so that it began to disrupt the gravitational field of the space, causing unease and nervousness in Illyna.

However, Davey paid no attention to it. He simply allowed Illyna to follow his movements as he grasped her hands holding the sword. He was confident that by demonstrating it once, Illyna would be able to learn it.

With her exceptional talent in swordsmanship, Illyna had the potential to grow even further if given the opportunity. Her talent was unmatched.

However, mastering such advanced sword manipulation to assist Davey was a different matter. It would undoubtedly take her a significant amount of time to fully grasp and learn the technique, despite her remarkable abilities.

Davey moved Illyna's hands slowly and gently, guiding the spinning motion of Caldeiras and releasing it into the air above them.

At the same time, the holy mana extended from Davey's body and gradually merged with Illyna's mana, blending together until they became one. The combined holy mana enveloped the sword body of Caldeiras, causing it to float in the air. Davey then directed the sword's tip towards the charging gigantic wolf.

"Ah..." Illyna exclaimed, closing her eyes and experiencing the unexpected yet natural and precise movement of the holy mana within her body. Her flushed cheeks and slightly parted mouth revealed her complete fascination. However, Davey should have realized that Illyna's reaction wasn't solely due to the state of the sword, but for another reason...

As the wolf drew closer, Davey unleashed the united and compressed holy mana, his hands moving slowly on Illyna's hands. A tremendous and dazzling flash erupted, engulfing the surroundings and cleaving the purple wolf, which had aimed for Davey's neck, in half.

But the surge of sword energy didn't stop there. It continued its trajectory, piercing through the air and reaching the body of the colossal dokkaebi judge, who wielded a massive saw axe.

"It appears the scales are tipping in this direction, don't you think?" Davey remarked.

“...”

"By judging others as evil based on your own biased standards, you have become one of those evils."

Ultimately, the judgment of good and evil depended on the outcome of one's victories or defeats. Davey might be self-centered, but he would never lose a fight, whether it meant remaining good or turning to evil. What if he were to lose? Then he would indeed become evil.

Such was the nature of life for all beings in this world, a rule they lived by. It also answered the question of whether Davey preferred to bully others rather than liberate them through death.

***

In this unidentified world, Davey immediately recognized that it was far from being a typical realm. The sight of the River of Souls confirmed his suspicions that this was not the ordinary underworld. Instead, it was nothing more than a crude replica of the afterlife. Consequently, the existence of proper rules in this world was out of the question.

With the demise of the dokkaebi judge, the overseer of the Dead's Karma, a significant transformation occurred. The multitude of condemned souls, subjected to dreadful punishments, were suddenly liberated, causing a massive dispersion of souls that scattered in every direction.

Simultaneously, the region engulfed in flames and the desolate desert, both territories without an owner, began to crumble and collapse.

"Could this be considered as the complete annihilation of the world?"

"Indeed. This world has lost its purpose and its intended targets.”

"Just like that, the world that existed within the realm of the gods' dreams... Ah, you truly surpass understanding.”

It was understandable. Davey had, after all, obliterated a world to make his own stand.

"Ordinarily, the deceased lack the power to exact vengeance upon judges in this manner. Most of a living being's power resides within their physical form."

While it was possible to store power within the soul, the amount paled in comparison to what resided within the body.

When Illyna and Davey crossed the gates of judgment, they were considered deceased. Consequently, their physical powers were restricted, and they could only utilize the strength of their souls.

However, Davey's situation differed. His soul had been fortified within the Hall after departing from his body. Moreover, Davey was not known for his physical prowess but rather his mental strength. With his body restrained and limited, the disparity between his soul and body vanished, allowing the power within his soul to awaken fully. Even though he was prohibited from killing, it was not overly challenging for him to eliminate such adversaries. He simply needed to employ Illyna's body as a vessel for his own power. It was a convoluted and twisted logic, but circumstances forced him to employ such peculiar reasoning.

As Davey clutched Illyna tightly, they ascended higher into the air, looking down upon the sea of molten lava and flowing rocks beneath them.

It was evident that Goddess Freyja's will had interjected itself into the realm of death presided over by the dokkaebi and the four jury members, intending to eliminate all living beings within. The concept of eradicating that which was deemed no longer useful was prevalent in this scenario.

"Speaking of Goddess Freyja..."

"Yes?"

"I find her to be unexpectedly ruthless. Don't you agree?"

"I can't say for certain, but once you discover the truth, you may no longer view Goddess Freyja as the benevolent deity you once believed her to be. It would be best to retain your current perception."

To Goddess Freyja, humans were merely one of the races inhabiting the world she cherished. Despite being revered as a benevolent deity, her actions couldn't be unequivocally deemed as benevolence. Her ultimate objective was to safeguard the world and maintain the delicate equilibrium between life and death. If someone from the Holy Empire, who regarded Goddess Freyja as the patron deity of humans, were to hear such a statement, they would immediately cry blasphemy and potentially ignite a war.

"What is the name of the Sword Manipulation Technique you demonstrated earlier?" Illyna inquired.

"It's called Splitting the Stars," Davey replied.

It was a technique that resembled a sword descending from the heavens, effortlessly cleaving through anything in its path. Considered one of the most challenging techniques within the Longsword discipline, its effectiveness varied greatly depending on the practitioner's skill.

"I honestly have no idea," Illyna admitted calmly. While she had been confident in her ability to learn anything Davey taught her, the overwhelming complexity of the sword technique left her feeling despondent. She recognized that her experience was still insufficient to attempt mastering such a technique.

"But I don't believe it's impossible," Illyna said, mustering a smile. However, her smile quickly faded as she solemnly expressed her hope, "I pray that those who have accumulated good karma but received unjust judgment find their way to a favorable destination."

Illyna bitterly observed the departing souls, knowing that despite being used as mere test subjects by Davey, they would inevitably be reborn and granted new lives. This amalgamation of souls contained both the virtuous and the wicked, yet the biased judge of this world had disregarded this fact.

Soon after, a fissure materialized in the sky. Davey swiftly accelerated and hurled himself into the rift, venturing toward the new world.

"I've heard there are seven trials. That means we have six more gates to pass before leaving this place."

"Will you be alright? You mentioned that you can only depart if you're acquitted."

"If it doesn't work, I'll just overturn everything like I did earlier."

Of course, unless Goddess Freyja decided to intervene once again.

"What if Goddess Freyja decides to intervene?"

"That's highly unlikely. However, if by some chance she does, we'll devise a strategy that best suits the situation," Davey explained.

Illyna was taken aback by Davey's words. "Is it dangerous?"

"Well, half of our success will depend on luck."

There was always the possibility that things wouldn't go entirely in Davey's favor. If that were to occur, he would have no option but to resort to the methods he had diligently concealed. During his time learning survival skills from Hercules, it had become customary for them to engage in conversations.

[A powerful enemy threatens your home! What will you do?]

[The answer to that is very simple. Stopping the enemy’s attack is nothing but a mere stopgap measure. The best course of action is…]

[Hunt your enemy before it could even pose a threat to your home and survival.]

Following that teaching, Davey found himself compelled to learn the overpowering yet reckless body reinforcement method. This method was none other than the same technique used by a monstrous being capable of casually shrugging off world-catastrophic-level magic attacks with their bare body.