The Max Level Hero Has Returned!-Chapter 1226

The Max Level Hero Has Returned!-Chapter 1226

Chapter 1226
The role reversal with the worlds and their hearts was finally completed. As if it had been waiting for it all along, the rules of the world seamlessly switched the roles of the two dimensions. Even so, the heart of the shattered dimension—having been frozen due to losing both the living beings and the energy that should have been circulating—couldn’t immediately perform its new function.
“
Guhk!!
”
Though the prayers of the newly awakened Saintess Shuneria, along with Reina’s pure white divine power, helped restore people’s vitality, that was only a temporary measure. Ultimately, the real limitation of their survival strategy lay in how long their mana could last.
Though weaker than before, the creeping collapse still persisted.
One of the mages struggled to face reality, panic in his voice as he shouted, “I... I don’t think we can hold on much longer!”
Even though the hearts had been swapped, the residual collapse clung to the world desperately like a chronic illness, continuing to gnaw away at it.
‘Was this a miscalculation?’
Reina could feel cold sweat running down her back. Just earlier, she had pettily given a bit of her corrupted energy to Shuneria, even though protecting the people there was what Davey wanted and her duty.
She began to realize that her power alone wasn’t enough to stall the collapse, at least not long enough for the heart to stabilize. She wasn’t sure what to do, and even contemplated summoning Davey. Unfortunately, she didn’t have the power to call Davey down.
She wasn’t the only one feeling helpless. It was very fortunate that a Saintess awakened her stigmata, but it was clear that it could only buy so much time.
The tension built and built until Shuneria, quietly praying, suddenly lifted her head and declared with unwavering determination. “I will bring my god down here to help us.”
Everyone, including Princess Myurin, looked at her in shock.
“Saintess?! What are you saying?!”
Once considered a traitor by the mages of the empire, the awakened Saintess Shuneria had come to be revered by those very same people.
“Is... that even possible?”
“I don’t know why, but I think it will be! We can’t protect this place until the end, no matter how much time we try to buy ourselves. That’s the reality.”
The more Shuneria spoke, the more Reina felt something twisting inside her.
‘He’s the god I serve. The god only I should serve. So why is some girl who just received a stigmata acting like she has the right to call him down?’
A strange darkness stirred in her chest, though she swallowed it down, keeping silent.
“I didn’t think that was possible...”
“The god is watching this unfold. I’m sure of it,” Shuneria said with conviction. “Please hold out until then.”
Seeing began to pray even more intensely, Reina scoffed under her breath.
‘Ridiculous. Does she think Davey is some kind of being she can just summon whenever she wants?’
She said nothing, but her silence clearly expressed her contempt.
‘
Go ahead and waste your energy, see how far that gets you.’
Shuneria continued to pray, an even more intense surge of holy power erupting around her.
“What the...” Reina muttered, eyes narrowing.
‘No. No, no. Why are you responding to her? You’ve barely even met her.’’
She recognized that divine energy immediately and made a long face.
He was the one she served. The only being she pledged her everything to. She felt an unexplainable wave of grief wash over her, seeing him answer someone else’s call.
Zzzzt!!
However, as could be expected, the newly risen Shuneria ultimately failed to summon Davey.
“
Ahh...
” She staggered and gasped. Her face was pale, and she was drenched in sweat.
Reina couldn’t help but feel satisfied.
That was when Shuneria turned to look at her. “It seems my stigmata alone isn’t enough. Please... help me.”
Reina smirked and let out a scoffing laugh. “
Hah!
You think gods just show up because someone asks?”
All sense of manners or pleasantries was gone, her tone openly mocking. Yet, somehow, Shuneria and Princess Myurin both believed that she was genuinely happy despite the mocking.
“As if you can do anything just because you got a stigmata slapped on you. Not a chance.” Reina retracted her holy power and slowly stepped forward. She reached out her hand and smiled as if she’d won some challenge. “You can’t do it without me, can you?”
“
Hehe...
” Shuneria chuckled softly, like she’d just figured something out. “Yes, I can’t do it alone. That’s why I’m asking you for help. Please.”
“
Tch.
I wasn’t planning to, but I guess I’ll help just this once.” Overwhelming power flowed from her body and connected with Shuneria.
Shuneria quickly emanated an immense amount of holy power, far stronger than before. She closed her eyes and prayed.
[Come and hand over your blessing. I need it.]
It was an unholy-sounding prayer. So much so that Princess Myurin shouted, flustered, “W-Wait! You can’t pray like that! That’s blasphemous! Saintess?!”
Yet, Shuneria didn’t answer. The answer instead came from the sky, still tearing apart and collapsing.
Princess Myurin’s eyes flew wide open as something descended.
Executioner Mage Ennis, leading the mages, stared blankly at the sky.
“No way... don’t tell me...” she muttered in disbelief.
She had suspected something about that man, thinking he must have incredible power. However, she had dismissed him as an angel or a servant of a god.
Such a paltry estimation couldn’t have been further from the truth.
“He was a god...” she muttered, her voice echoing through the stunned crowd.
One by one, people looked up and saw something magnificent descending from the sky.
They fell to their knees without even realizing it, facing an overwhelming force being exuded from the figure.
“
Ah. Ahhh!
God descends!!”
“God is descending!!!”
As the fervent cries erupted, the figure in the sky, Davey, looked down silently at the collapsing heavens. He moved his lips, as if muttering to himself. Executioner Ennis, blessed with sharp vision, read his lips and couldn’t help but wear a blank, exhausted expression.
[Jesus, all the things I have to deal with... unbelievable.]
Crack!!
The collapse ceased instantly.
* * *
First was an omen indicating the world’s end, all living beings joining hands to resist the collapse. Then came the awakening of the Saintess, and the descent of a god. Everyone who witnessed that moment in the Nacha Empire would never forget it for the rest of their lives.
Having moved back to the imperial audience chamber, Princess Myurin stood drenched in cold sweat, her head bowed low. “I beg your forgiveness. This lowly creation failed to recognize the Creator and acted with unforgivable foolishness...”
While there hadn’t been a coronation, Myurin was effectively the Empress of the Nacha Empire.
Yet, despite her position, she had bowed deeply and spoken in the most respectful tone imaginable. Not a single other person in the room even dared to speak.
Mage Executioner Ennis; the lowest-ranked executioner, Shardran; Summoner and Executioner Yura, who had once called forth Megalodria; and even Captain Alvo. Every one of them mirrored the princess’s solemn behavior, heads bowed in silence.
At the head of the large table in the chamber sat a man wearing a complicated expression.
“Sorry, but I’m not the kind of god you think I am,” Davey said with a faint smile.
“But we saw your descent with our own eyes... Please forgive our failure to recognize you sooner, our disrespect—”
“I said drop it.”
His curt tone made Myurin flinch and take a step back. “M-My apologies...”
“You’re really full of apologies,
huh?
” he said in a flat tone, then turning his gaze towards Reina. “You did well.”
“It wasn’t that difficult, but... Why did you summon us down here?”
“Now that the dimensional role swap is complete, I came to take you back.”
Hearing that he had come just to take her back made Reina feel oddly delighted. Such a conclusion to the affair was only natural, yet it nonetheless made her feel so jolly to hear. Oddly enough, she felt like she had won some competition.
Davey redirected his attention to Shuneria. “Nice prayer, by the way.”
Shuneria awkwardly mumbled, “
Uhhh.
Well... that’s...”
“What? Didn't you tell me earlier to come down and hand over my blessing? Did you leave my divine power in your safekeeping or something?”
Startled by his bluntness, Princess Myurin and the other executioners stared at Shuneria in disbelief.
‘The Saintess truly prayed like that to a god... and it worked?’
Their minds were still reeling from the absurdity.
“But that’s how the revelation told me to pray!” Shuneria suddenly answered with confidence.
“What?”
“I definitely received a revelation! It said that’s how I should do it!”
“I never sent any revelation,” he corrected.
“B-But my prayer... it clearly reached you—”
“Saintess! Even though you’re a Saintess, addressing a god as ‘you’ is—!” Princess Myurin jumped in to stop her, alarmed.
Davey simply raised a hand. “Enough! I didn’t gain divinity just so people would treat me like some holy figure. Just speak to me normally. It’s way more comfortable that way.”
Myurin bit her tongue.
“You’re sure that the revelation happened?”
“Yes, when I inherited the stigmata.”
“Goddess Freyja....” Davey let out a long sigh.
She had told him to go through what she had after getting his own Saintess. It was almost like a parent saying just wait until your kid acts the way you did.
“Forget it. Anyway, is that the end of the collapse?”
“Yes. Everything’s been resolved.”
“Looks like the vitality is circulating properly again,” he said calmly. He then rose from his seat. “Well then, let’s go. We’re done here.”
“Y-You’re leaving already?!”
Ennis, a mage who had never once believed in any gods, spoke as if she was speaking the absolute truth, “Your Highness, divine beings aren’t meant to remain in the lower realm for long...”
Davey gave a smirk. “I’m not like ordinary gods—that sort of thing doesn’t apply to me.”
“
A-Ah.
M-My apologies!”
Their change in attitude made Davey feel uncomfortable. The more polite they became, however, the more Reina seemed to act like she was on a high horse. For some reason, she felt strangely proud.
“That’s right. He’s that incredible! That’s why only a Celestial like me is worthy of serving him.”
“What nonsense are you spouting now?” Davey shot back, and Reina pouted back at him with a sulky glare.
“Can’t you just let me have this one moment?!”
“No one asked you to serve me. I already said to just treat me like you normally would.”
“Well, I don’t want to!”
Davey sighed deeply. “Princess Myurin.”
“Y-Yes!
Ah
—what is it?” She had answered with formal respect, then caught herself and awkwardly shifted back to her usual tone.
“As far as I’m concerned, there shouldn’t be any more problems.” Startled by his polite wording, she said nothing, so Davey continued, “She may be a handful, but she inherited my stigmata. Please treat her well.”
Davey gave a nod toward Shuneria.
“You have my word. As the Saintess of the nation, she’ll be treated with the dignity she deserves.”
It was only natural that she would receive respect after so many people had witnessed the descent of a god and the performing of miracles. They had watched a single gesture wipe away the collapse. Of course, what Davey had actually done was redirect vitality to circulate in place of the unstable heart. Yet to onlookers, it could only be perceived as an absolute miracle.
It was unthinkable for them to mistreat a Saintess who served that same god.
“Shuneria.”
“Yes?”
“Well... Never mind. What’s done is done,” he muttered as he turned away. “Just don’t do anything weird with the stigmata. You better not make me scold you.”
“I promise! I’ll never do anything that would bring shame to your name.”
Hearing the seriousness of her reply, Davey gave a small nod, satisfied. He then extended his hand to Reina. “Let’s go. We need to begin the purification.”
“Knew it! I am the only one who can help, right?”
“What?”
“Nothing... Let’s just go already.” Grinning for no clear reason, Reina eagerly grabbed his hand.
“W-Wait! Are you really just leaving like that?!” Shuneria asked, shocked.
“Don’t worry, I’ll visit again.”
“She’s right! C-Can a divine being just drop by like that?!” Princess Myurin shouted, completely forgetting any sense of sacredness. Unlike her panicked voice, she was smiling like a child who had just been given a gift. “You’ll come back, right?”
“Sure... If I have time later.”
Ssss.
A brilliant surge of white divine power burst forth from his body. Basking in the reverent stillness that followed, his figure faded into light and vanished.
They had experienced the sighting of a god! It was a direct encounter. Even if he had once been human, the divinity he let out was undeniable.
“
Haaah.
I feel like my lifespan just dropped by a few years...” Princess Myurin stood dazed, staring at the spot where Davey had vanished. Her expression then twisted into a sort of pout. “Saintess Shuneria. Is there... is there a single case where love between a human and a god has actually worked out—Saintess? ...Saintess?!”
Only then did she realize someone else was missing.
“Where’d she go?!”
It was fine that Davey and Reina had disappeared. It was to be expected. Why Saintess Shuneria had vanished as well, though, Princess Myurin had no idea.
* * *
In another space, a flustered voice abruptly shouted, “What the—why are you here?”
Davey and Reina, who had just arrived in the destroyed dimension, couldn’t hide their confusion as they turned toward the awkwardly smiling Saintess.
“
Ummm.
I-I’m not really sure myself, but... more importantly...” Shuneria trailed off, then pointed toward Reina. Her cold, dead stare was locked squarely on her. “Could you... maybe calm her down? She’s really scaring me right now...”
Davey glanced at Reina and frowned. “Reina...?”
However, her mind was already full of other thoughts.
‘Why the hell did that woman follow us all the way here?’
That thought looped in her head like a broken record, repeating again and again.
“Reina?”
Sling!
Without realizing it, she was already summoning white energy swords into both hands.
“Reina.” His voice struck her ears again, this time a bit sharper.
Finally, she snapped out of her thoughts and returned to reality, the energy swords vanishing in an instant. Reina turned to Davey with a tight, forced smile. “Yes?”
“You good?”
She quickly waved her hand. “Yes, I’m fine. Really.”
“Then why’d you summon those swords?”
“
Oh.
That? Instinct.” As she flashed a bright smile, her fiery eyes drifted back to Shuneria.

.
!
Chapter 1226