The Max Level Hero Has Returned!

Chapter 678

"Blue Ribbon, can you wait a moment?" Davey asked.

Silently, Blue Ribbon glanced up at Davey, nodded, and turned into light before finally going back to the scabbard.

The expressions on the faces of Sauron's large army, which was waiting for Davey on the other side, were serious. It starkly contrasted with Davey, who spun Red Ribbon leisurely as he sauntered into the Sanctuary of the Demon God. Each member of Sauron's army wore grim expressions as if they were prepared for death. Though he disapproved of Sauron's stubbornness, Davey accepted it.

Woosh! Slap!

Sauron fiercely lashed his flame whip, causing an enormous power to burst forth and his body to transform. Thus, his appearance as a blond-haired boy vanished, replaced by a gigantic being with a staggering height of five meters. And at a glance, the creature looked like a mythical monster.

What remained of Sauron’s body were just bones that were hard as metal. But then, a flame that embodied life power began to flicker inside him, as though to signify he was alive. With its black skeleton, golden eyes, and gigantic horns, the creature screamed of a power that was astonishing even among demons.

With a determined expression, Sauron looked at Davey, who had set Red Ribbon down on the ground and went closer. Sauron then started moving.

Sauron declared, "You are a human who trampled over our race and usurped the throne, and I, Sauron the God of War, shall never serve a human as king!”

Following his mighty roar, the flame whip he wielded began to strike the air and ignite flames.

His army of demons then began to move.

At that moment, a unique mana began to gather in Davey's hand. It was a high-grade mana, an evolution of mana itself, which he began to use after he had elevated the level of his spirit.

[Power Word Kill]

[I Declare Death.]

Words of Death was a different kind of magic.

Davey's voice, which was imbued with his will, blended with mana, and the single statement he uttered began to actualize. What was already a hopeless situation for them now only warranted mourning. Eventually, black raindrops began to pour from the sky and deliver death.

***

Unable to support his massive body, Sauron gasped for breath as he knelt before Davey, who was surrounded by countless corpses presumed to be from the demon race.

All of them died. Befitting for demons who revered the Balrog King, who craved fights, they resisted ceaselessly, and Davey decisively executed them until the last demon fell.

”Humans are lucky indeed.,” Sauron muttered quietly as his life slowly faded away. “Demons tend to respect the strong after going through the Balrog Ceremony. Even though I still don’t accept you as the Demon King, I have to admit that you’re strong. ”

"Are you satisfied now?"

"What do you intend to do with the Demon World?"

"It seems like you guys think this land is barren and harsh."

“…”

“This land, in my opinion, is more appropriate for demons than for humans.”

"Countless demons die of starvation each year. They fight among themselves due to a lack of resources."

As Sauron said this, Davey noticed a certain flicker in Sauron’s dimming eyes.

"Isn't that a good thing from your point of view? You love fights."

"No race wishes for the death of beings that are precious to them," Sauron replied.

Davey walked past the slowly dying Sauron, who was still on his knees. He then said, "Then you should have looked for a way to survive."

"That was the invasion of Tionis. I did not like the vampire's method, but the demon race did not have the time and resources.”

"At least you did not participate in the war."

“…”

“I suggest you rest well instead of watching over this world in your spirit form.”

Silence followed Davey’s remark, but it didn’t last long. A tremendous power erupted from Sauron, as though his last power was being squeezed out. He summoned what was left of his power that was imbued in him, and he then transformed once more. His appearance that was only five meters tall morphed into a gigantic form that boasted a height reaching dozens of meters. At the same time, his power also increased immensely.

"I'll resist until the very end, even if I must blaze up myself," Sauron declared. He was a fighter, after all. He did not shy from combat. "Come, mighty one. I shall pour everything into stopping you."

As Sauron’s great determination radiated off of him, Davey nodded and said, “Sure, if you want.”

***

Rumble! Boom!

Sauron the Balrog ’s power had become significantly stronger, and its intensity was undeniable, as if proving that there was a reason he was feared by other demons.

The surroundings trembled with his overwhelming presence, and his massive flame whip crashed down on Davey and the ground. Not only did it shatter tens of meters of the ground that quaked, but it also destroyed everything within its reach.

Relentlessly, Sauron pursued Davey, who managed to fend off the attacks calmly but was being driven back.

-Roar!!!

Red Ribbon's blade was caught by Sauron's whip, and Red RIbbon was unable to instantly cut through the whip because it was made of fire that wasn’t based on the law of physics.

Thud!!!

Sauron immediately took advantage of the moment Red Ribbon failed to cut through the whip. He pulled it back and delivered a hit with his massive fist to Davey’s abdomen. It was as if a giant was stepping on an ant.

That one hit sent Davey flying and ultimately crashing into a nearby mountain.

"You are strong!!! And so, I will pour every bit of my power into this!” Sauron bellowed as he charged into the Deathly Domain Davey had laid out.

Boom! Bang!

After a series of collisions, Sauron moved with an unusually fast pace for his enormous size. He obliterated everything in his wake and reduced everything in his path into flames and ashes.

Then, as he was being pushed by Sauron’s onslaught, Davey noticed that the giant vanished.

Thud!

At that moment, a great fire billowed from behind Davey, and Sauron's fist struck him from the side, sending him flying into the air. Sauron then clung onto Davey quickly, ready to incinerate him with a colossal storm of flames. The whip became a tornado and engulfed Davey completely. But Sauron was far from done. He continued to lash out randomly like a god of destruction, smashing Davey against the ground and rocks.

But despite being swirled in the giant tornado, Davey managed to release a condensed light beam at Sauron, breaking one of Sauron’s horns and creating a huge hole in his ribs The attack, which was something even the Immortal King, First Lich Nyx, would avoid facing head-on. But Sauron, true to his warrior spirit, continued his charge without caring about the damage he had obtained.

"This is the end!"

After tossing Davey into the air with the whip's end, Sauron stretched his relatively uninjured right arm.. He tried to overwhelm Davey by having a dreadful power fill his fist with surging demonic force.

Meanwhile, the demons who were watching from a distance wondered if Sauron could defeat Davey.

But the light in Sauron’s eyes was dying out.

***

Sigh… sigh…

Sauron staggered as he gasped for breath. It was clear that his vitality was draining away, and his condition was anything but good. Still, he managed to recover slowly by merely closing his eyes.

“Maybe I have defeated…” Sauron mumbled.

“You’ve put in a lot of effort.”

Sauron’s eyes widened upon hearing Davey’s murmur. Light then flashed in his eyes when he saw Davey silently emerge from the completely collapsed ground.

“…So this isn’t enough.”

“No. You did well enough. Quite impressive, actually.”

It was not a sarcastic compliment. Considering Sauron absorbed the power that did not suit him and yet managed to exhibit such astonishing strength, the fight he put up was worthy of admiration, and Sauron deserved respect for all his effort, despite being an opponent.

Cling…

Davey combined Blue Ribbon and Red Ribbon, creating Super Ribbon. He then walked toward Sauron silently, positioning and tilting the sword he held vertically. Then the spirit of Super Ribbon was summoned, blending into his body, just as white wings that were dozens of meters in size faintly appeared behind his back.

"You would not say that's all you got, would you?" Davey asked.

"No!! There's more!!"

Seeing Sauron still burning with a tenacious fighting spirit, Davey smiled and said, "That's right. It gives me a reason to show you this."

‘Take pride. Facing an enemy with the level of a demigod spirit and holding your ground this far means you've earned the right to walk the path of a hero. Of course, such a power and the process of becoming a hero is a different matter entirely.’

Right then and there, the white wings on Davey’s back expanded, revealing their massive presence in a fluttering motion. Davey then snatched his sword and took a step toward Sauron.

-ROAR!!!

Sauron, as if he no longer had his whip, bent his upper body and charged as though he intended to use his remaining horn to strike. He charged tens of meters in length as the last stand of a lord left alone after all his subordinates had died.

In response, Davey fluttered his wings and slowly ascended into the air. He pulled back his right hand, which was holding Super Ribbon, and then supported the tip of the sword with his left hand.

"Take a good look before you die."

Sword Lord Ares had developed a secret technique to cut through Perserque using a longsword.

Just then, Davey’s red eyes sparkled as he said:

[Long Sword]

[Masterpiece]

[No-Name King]

The stroke of Super Ribbon, imbued with lightning and flames, cut through both the sky and the ground, splitting a large area of several dozens of kilometers.

***

In the end, Sauron, the King of Balrog, was defeated. No matter how much power he used, the difference in power between Sauron and Davey was too evident.

The fallen Sauron did not say anything as he lay on the ground. Most of his body had vanished, leaving only his head. Despite this fact, he did not die just yet. But that didn’t mean it was still possible for him to survive for much longer.

"Truly impressive," Davey commented.

Sauron's fading eyes looked at him as he asked, "That sword... Is it a part of you?"

"Congratulations. I just showed you the Sword Lord’s secret technique. At least you’re as strong as the Demon King Perserque.”

Had it been any other Demon King, there was a chance Sauron could have seized the full power and spirit of the Demon King.

"Three thousand years ago,” He started to say, but then he fell silent for a brief moment. "If I had existed back then... Could the outcome have been different?"

"No."

Sauron laughed hollowly at Davey’s blunt response. He then said, "It's an unfair world, isn't it?"

The light in Sauron’s eyes disappeared as death finally claimed him.

Throughout the Demon World, word had already gotten out about Davey and his feats. Some had even witnessed him fight Sauron in battle, so they wouldn’t try anything funny in the future. It meant no further complicated mind game and engaging in politics were necessary.

Davey silently approached Perserque, who was shedding tear after tear. He then wrapped his arms around her.

"Davey, why must lives that don't need to end... end?"

Rather than blaming Davey, she seemed to be more resentful of the reality.

"They say the best victory is one without bloodshed… But sometimes, there are fools who insist on pushing their beliefs, even if it means shedding blood."

Collective selfishness resulted in a spirit of sacrifice and belief, and they were indeed terrifying.

Hearing Davey’s remark, Perserque buried her face in his chest, nestled in his arms, and began to sob quietly.

The demons that died today were the descendants of the demons Perserque had taken care of as the Demon King, although she had been reluctant about it. Watching their deaths wasn’t easy for her at all.

***

Sauron’s army had been the only one in opposition of Davey, but the army was eliminated now. No one stood in Davey’s way as he entered the Sanctuary of the Demon God after leaving the rest of Saruon’s demon alone like the Balrog King had requested.

Given that Yushir was working with Astaroth, who held the key to the sanctuary, Davey still had access to it.

The Sanctuary of the Demon God was considered the center of flood damage. The Demon God was a real god who existed and was also a fictional one that was worshiped by demons. Like humans, demons also believed that Goddess Freyja was the Goddess of Mercy. So it was amusing to watch how the two sides serve the same god while also pushing each other away and accusing one another of heresy.

"Are you satisfied now?"

Yushir, who was following Davey gave an answer that didn’t really answer his question. "It would be somewhat unrealistic to expect anything more. Sauron was a great lord, but if sacrificing him could save the rest of the demons from strife, then it’s good.”

Hearing her words, Davey looked directly at her and said, "Listen.”

“…”

“Why are you trying to search for this person in Tionis?"

She had mentioned to Davey before that she wanted to look into Tionis to find someone.

If his guess on who it might be was right, then that would be quite an ironic situation.

"It's not for you to worry about," Yushir finally answered.

"Is that so?"

"However... I am searching for the person who has the other half of this pendant."

She showed Davey a crude pendant with a sacred engraving on it. But he didn’t know anyone who had such a pendant. So was his guess wrong?

He could really see Aina in Yushir’s skills and movements. But it didn’t seem likely that Yushir would just teach anyone her moves and skills.

The pendant was merely a shattered piece, but its tip had been melted and reshaped. On top of that, it was just hanging on a leather strap. Not that such a detail mattered much.

"Right,” Davey briefly dismissed. He then proceeded to ask, "So what will you do now?"

"I've fulfilled my contract with Astaroth, so I'll receive my reward from him and head to Tionis."

"I thought I destroyed the barrier dividing the Underworld Mountains and the Demon World."

“Didn’t you know?” Yushir asked as she tilted her head.

"What?"

"The barrier might be gone, but some power still remains, preventing demons from entering. Exactly speaking, it keeps the demons from wandering and getting lost, because they are unable to leave the Underworld Mountains.”

Even though Lavatein had cut through the barrier, the curse that was passed down from the previous generation seemed to still be affecting the demons. In contrast, Davey and Iro were unaffected by the curse's aftermath, and so, they only needed to breach a single layer to pass through the entire barrier that divided the Underworld Mountains and the Demon World.

"Find your own way then."

"..."

As Yushir quietly turned around and left, Davey peeled his attention away from her. He then entered the Sanctuary of the Demon God, the only place where he could potentially let Perserque undergo Metamorphosis.

Not having Princess Davey from the dream-like world with him, making Perserque undergo Metamorphosis in any place was nearly impossible.