NOVEL SIMPLE Chapter 76
A scene where countless weapons spread in the air turned a bright orange, reminiscent of a battlefield ready to turn the city into ashes.
The Disaster God of War had descended.
Regnas, who was watching, felt his breath hitch.
Soon, indiscriminate bombardment would begin.
After days of artillery bombardment that had turned the ground to ashes, the absurdity of war aimed once more at the Immortal Fortress. It seemed determined to leave the fortress in ruins again.
‘…I should have known that putting Max in front was the right call.’
Until the moment Edanant pulled out the Blood Shadow Sword, he couldn’t shake off his hesitations.
Finally, Edanant revealed the Reverse Divinity.
As he looked at the expanding divine authority of the Disaster God, Regnas clicked his tongue at Maximilian’s confident stance, ready to accept the artillery fire again, as he was always willing to face it head-on.
“Die, you bastard!!”
“……”
With intense curses and bombardment, the fervor of war erupted.
The fear born of human-made disasters.
Artillery shells, comparable to a dragon’s breath, poured down like a torrential rain. The sight of heat rays filled with fierce energy falling down resembled the apocalypse.
“Altair. Procyon.”
Maximilian drew two Holy Swords simultaneously.
White Star Altair.
Black Star Procyon.
The contrasting colors of black and white scattered an eerie glow as they left their sheaths.
Like the wings of a fierce raptor, Maximilian spread the tips of Altair and Procyon wide. Without hesitation, he faced the divine punishment of the Disaster God.
“……”
The sky turned entirely orange.
If swept away by the bombardment of the Disaster God, even the flesh would be obliterated.
First thing to do was to dodge it.
Colliding head-on would be foolish.
Yet, Maximilian still chose to accept the full-frontal battle.
Was it out of pride as the hero that led them to victory? Or was it his determination not to yield to the divine authority of the Disaster God as a hero?
As the black and white sword energy shot forth from his blades, he awaited the artillery fire. When thousands of shells approached, he unfolded a splendid sword dance.
────!!
─────────!!!!
Maximilian’s audacious action boiled down to an absurdly simple offensive: to cut down and obliterate every falling shell like a heavy rain.
A foolish move.
It was absurdly reckless.
To defy artillery fire capable of turning a massive metropolis into the Stone Age with sheer brute force. No one would dare attempt such folly.
“This won’t be easy.”
Yet he was Maximilian.
The strongest hero who even defeated the Undying Demon King.
He undoubtedly possessed divine powers and techniques capable of turning even life-threatening situations upside down.
───────!!!
The ground shook violently.
The heated air reverberated and created a fierce wind.
He swung the black and white sword energies fiercely, resembling a bird flapping its wings. Soon, the shells that had rained from above began to explode before reaching their target.
Explosion sounds followed in rapid succession.
Because Altair and Procyon mercilessly cleaved through the divine authority.
“Edan, how’s Father doing?”
“Shut your mouth! You bastard of the Hohenberc Family!”
As many sparks fluttered in the wind, the Apostle of the Disaster God landed on the ground. Maximilian gave a shrug to Edanant, donned in dark armor, and opened his mouth.
It was an incredibly brazen question, and Edanant gritted his teeth and spat out curses.
“I don’t get why you’re angry.”
“What?”
“There was an unavoidable problem. You must have realized that by now.”
“Fuck, your actions almost led to the demise of the Hohenberc Family multiple times!”
Edanant swung his gauntlet-clad fist.
Maximilian crossed the grips of Altair and Procyon to block it.
Boom───!!!
When the fist collided with the blades, an explosion occurred. Edanant’s punch detonated upon meeting Maximilian’s defense, possessing explosive force equal to a high explosive bomb.
He turned the armor of the Disaster God into a weapon.
A power distinct from the one he had spread in the air with many explosive instruments.
“Ouch, that hurts….”
“From now on, bite down hard.”
Edanant, fully armed with high explosives, was incredibly tricky to deal with. Maximilian, pulling back for just a moment, clicked his tongue at the tattered state of his gauntlet.
He should avoid close combat.
Had he not reflexively pulled back, he would have been swept away by the explosion.
“I don’t understand why you’re angry, but.”
“It’s alright. You’ll naturally learn when you get beaten to death.”
As Edanant stepped forward, the armor of the Disaster God split, revealing sharp blades. It was creating weapons following the explosive bombs.
This wouldn’t be easy.
Maximilian sighed heavily.
*
Ariel, tasked with protecting Edanant, swallowed hard as she watched the rain of bombardment from the sky.
Was he thinking of destroying the country?
Buildings began to ignite under the descent of the Disaster God of War.
She couldn’t help but tremble.
Wasn’t the Disaster of Innocence completely ravaging the kingdom that worshipped the Earth Mother?
The beautiful vampire with flowing black hair felt ecstatic and clenched both hands, seemingly eagerly anticipating that one day the Disaster God of War would bring ruin to both the Empire and the Holy Kingdom.
‘That guy is the hero of the Holy Kingdom…! Could it be that the hero who defeated the Undying Demon King is the brother of the Seer?’
Though she had wandered the Chaos Realm for three years, she had heard of the “Strongest Warrior”.
The Hero of All Times.
Maximilian Argon Hohenberc.
An existence known as the “Strongest Hero of All Times”, born once every thousand years.
The strongest warrior who led the Saintess Party through many adversities to the final chapter and became the embodiment of nightmares loathed and feared by both the Demon King’s Army and the Cultists.
“A monster…!”
Each time Maximilian swung his sword, the cannons firing at him were swept away. He was not only countering Edanant who was targeting him but also aiming at the divine authority of war in the sky.
There was not a shred of opening.
The warrior wielding the dark and white Holy Swords was practically unbeatable.
“I’ve heard the rumors. They say you got into a relationship with Princess Elizaveta…. Quite the smooth talker.”
“Shut your mouth already!!”
Thunk──!!!
With a fierce explosion, Maximilian was pushed back.
Once again, Edanant had thrown a punch laced with high explosives.
“I have no feelings for Princess Elizaveta. So before I left, I declared an annulment of engagement. I figured empty hopes would only make the parties involved look pathetic. It was my way of showing consideration.”
“……”
Thud thud thud thud thud thud!!!
Maximilian extended the black and white Holy Swords.
A pitch-black gravity field emerged, simultaneously forging a white blade of cold.
Having known the abilities of the Holy Swords from the Holy Kingdom better than anyone, Edanant swallowed hard and took a step back. Both Altair and Procyon showcased terrifying divinity.
“You must have gone through many hardships till now. But I departed without hesitation, believing in you.”
“You’re just spouting nonsense.”
“This is sincere. The true protagonist who led the Saintess Party filled with many failing students safely to the end is none other than you. Hmmm… I didn’t expect you’d have romantic ties with imperial princesses.”
“Don’t suddenly create a cozy atmosphere. That kind of sweet talk won’t fool anyone.”
As Edanant clenched his fist, almost thousands of explosive weapons were newly generated and aimed at Maximilian.
Maximilian extended Procyon while unleashing the gravity field.
Woosh─!
Woosh woosh─!!
As the gravity field, drenched in pitch blackness, spread out, it dropped all the bullets. However, shortly after, the cannons began to fire again, creating holes in the gravity field.
Not only that.
Edanant pointed the tip of the Holy Sword towards Maximilian, who had manifested the gravity field.
“I’ll put a hole in that stony face of yours, you damn parasite.”
“…you certainly don’t hold back with your brother.”
“Brother? Why do you think you’re still on the family registry?”
“…….”
With a sound slicing through the air, a sharp blade flight came hurtling toward him, ripping through the pitch-black gravity field. It was seizing the moment of vulnerability created by the bombardment.
The sharp blade approached right in front of him.
But Maximilian showed no signs of fluster and swung Altair.
“Not the face. Beatrice will be sad.”
“Who cares?”
The warmonger raised the golden Holy Sword high.
Then the hero released the black and white Holy Swords.
‘Did you think I expected you’d be rusty from playing love games? Damn, you’re still as incredibly strong.’
True to the title of the strongest hero, Maximilian occupied the rank of the mightiest. Having gone through countless real battles, the Hero of Reversal was as solid as forged steel.
An opening?
That kind of luck could never happen.
To crush steel, one had to become steel themselves.
At the center of the ruins turned to rubble, Edanant and Maximilian, upon finishing their momentary standoff, dashed towards each other. At the same moment, the bombardment and gravity fields clashed with a colossal roar.