The Max Level Hero Has Returned!-Chapter 1320

Super Ribbon trembled uncontrollably, her story challenged by her father.

“You’re lying,” he repeated.

“Why would I lie to you, Dad...”

“Do you think I’ve only known you for a day or two?”

When Davey took a step toward her with a stern look, she flinched and backed away from him.

“I... I really don’t know what you're talking about, Dad! Please, let's just go inside!”

“Tell me the truth—where did you go? And why are you hurt there?”

Super Ribbon held immense power within, so even if her physical attacks could be broken through, nothing should’ve been able to shatter her mental strength so easily.

Yet, she crumbled under only a small amount of pressure from Davey.

Super Ribbon gritted her teeth and bowed her head.

Davey waited until she answered.

“Actually...” she began.

“Actually?”

She blushed shyly and dropped her gaze. “I was practicing a bit...”

“Practicing?”

‘What is she talking about?’

She slowly raised her head and met his eyes. “Although you said it was okay, I can't just leave it alone. I don't want to be someone with an anger management issue, a person who goes out of control when they get angry. I don't like that.”

“So you practiced without me knowing?”

“Yes. The wound on my back... I accidentally cut my back while trying to keep myself under control.”

Davey closed his eyes for a brief moment.

Her mana was clearly depleted.

Davey sighed and stroked her head, pressing down gently, before pulling her into his arms. “There's no need to continue if it's too hard on you. I’ll find a way somehow.”

“It's okay. I... I’m doing this because I want to,” she said in a trembling voice.

* * *

Codename Dark Ghost.

That was the official name the Korean intelligence service was using for the elusive criminal.

With no clear tracks to follow, they found themselves in an absurd situation. All they could do was simply for the Dark Ghost to act again, hoping she would negligently leave a clue.

From a cold and practical standpoint, it would benefit them if she showed herself again, no matter what damage was done. Yet, at the same time, everyone knew how ridiculous and dangerous it was to even hope for that.

Every time she appeared, a major incident would follow. A good example was the recent attack on the male and female pair who would have been killed if not for Prince Davey’s fortunate intervention.

Using their testimony at the police station, the police managed to get some rough information about the Dark Ghost. The victims expressed their indignation, saying they didn't know why they were being hunted by that mad killer.

They reached out to Davey for further assistance instead of the authorities, giving him the right to intervene.

Davey stood behind one-way glass and looked at the man and woman, who were sitting in the interrogation room with irritated expressions. He asked, “Nothing particularly strange?”

“No. They’re clamoring to be sent home immediately, asking what more we could possibly want from them when they’ve already said everything they know.”

Davey was not surprised. Of course, it wasn’t because he thought the Dark Ghost would come after their lives again.

Until they caught the Dark Ghost, who possessed the power of Predatory Assimilation, their side had no choice but to be concerned.

“Davey,” Perserque called out after they left the intelligence services. They were on a stroll, admiring the scenery near a park. “What do you plan to do with the Dark Ghost if you catch her?”

“Well, I don’t have any direct grudges against her.”

“She possesses your power of Predatory Assimilation, though.”

“Yes, I do need to figure out what's going on there.”

It was something Davey had to deal with on Earth. Still, as long as he didn’t have any direct problems with her, he didn't intend to step forward and eliminate her outright.

Davey just wanted to resolve his questions. However, the fact that the opponent didn't move as expected was more frustrating than he thought.

* * *

After the attack on the ordinary people, the Dark Ghost seemed to have vanished without a trace.

In a situation where clues about the criminal were lacking and the criminal had completely disappeared, it seemed impossible to catch her.

Even if they wanted to set a trap, they didn't know even the tiniest bit about her modus operandi. There was nothing for them to leverage against her.

At least, that would be the case under normal circumstances.

Two weeks passed peacefully, without any clues popping up.

Super Ribbon had apparently grown quite used to her fame and began attending school. Evangeline was, as always, busy with her streams and bickering with viewers.

Darian and Abel grew more charming every day, and Aeria looked utterly captivated by their adorableness.

Although the territory’s management was fundamentally overseen by Davey and Perserque, the workaholic Amy had insisted on no longer idling and taken up a position, making things quite relaxed.

The Dark Ghost incident completely behind them, time passed peacefully.

Davey was, as always, overseeing Super Ribbon’s practice in controlling her power. He was quite surprised, to say the least.

It seemed she truly had practiced alone, as she’d begun to control her power with exceptional skill.

Unlike before, when she could only control it for a few minutes, she was continuously controlling her power unless an overclock occurred that drew extra power.

“Well done! You’ve clearly worked really hard.”

“Hehe.”

Davey smiled, looking at her beaming face.

Her growth was so fast it left no room for worry.

Still, he couldn’t help but think about another possibility.

“It can't be.”

His past experiences naturally made the worst-case scenario linger in his mind.

Davey sincerely hoped it wasn't the case.

* * *

News came in from Earth. The Dark Ghost had reappeared!

The place she appeared was none other than inside a gate. It was a space where Awakened individuals entered to hunt monsters—a place that swarmed with them.

When the individuals of the association went to the gate after hearing the news of her appearance, they saw a horrific murder scene.

There had been ten casualties. Most were of foreign descent, with three or four Koreans also among them.

Not a single person was left alive. Some had their limbs severed, while others were missing their entire head. A couple was even cut in half at the waist. They were members of a foreign guild operating in the Daegu area.

Faced with that truly horrific scene, their heads ached.

The initial report of Dark Ghost's appearance had also been a coincidence. The individuals had called the emergency line, shouting that a small girl dressed in a black one-piece dress with a black mask was trying to kill them.

They had simply asked for help, without knowing who they were dealing with.

One of the intelligence agents knew that those traits fit the description of the Dark Ghost and reported back to the agency immediately.

However, by the time they arrived, only corpses remained. It was a scene so horrific that anyone seeing it for the first time would vomit.

As expected, not many traces were left behind. In fact, there were even fewer traces than before.

However, Dark Ghost still wasn’t able to take care of all the traces. A couple of Awakened individuals who were passing by testified to having seen her.

The story was that after exchanging some words, she had immediately drawn a formless, intangible sword and cut the victims down.

With such a large-scale incident, it was impossible to keep her actions secret from the public anymore.

While the previous incident involving the attack on the young man and woman was somehow brushed under the rug, the rumors about the most recent incident had already spread, igniting the internet with a flurry of discussion.

People expressed fear about how the Dark Ghost killed people without any apparent reason, and they clamored for her immediate capture.

However, neither the association nor the intelligence services had any means of catching her. She repeatedly appeared and disappeared without a trace.

In the end, the Korean side had no choice but to formally request cooperation from Davey.

Davey had no real reason to accept their request. However, despite thinking so, he accepted. 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝒆𝒘𝙚𝓫𝙣𝙤𝒗𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

He had only done so after seeing the traces found in the gate.

Even after gathering all the available information, Davey constantly struggled to find a commonality for why the Dark Ghost targeted them.

Then, Davey received a phone call.

- Davey, this is Al Hajat.

“What's the matter?”

Al Hajat relayed a somewhat complex fact.

- It's about the recent terrorist incident in Korea.

“Yeah, it's noisy here because of the Dark Ghost issue. Were you aware?”

- Well, I’m not unrelated to it. You know about my religion.

“Oh...”

- Actually, that’s why I called. Although Islam does not have the same power it used to, you know there are still Muslims remaining. Similarly, I'm sure you are aware they do not look kindly upon you and the Church of Neltarid.

“Yes, I am aware.”

- However, since the situation escalated and you became involved, they deemed it dangerous and sent me some information. It’s a list of personal details.

“A list of personal details?”

- Yes, information on the terrorist who was killed first, as well as the Awakened individuals who were subsequently killed. They’re not unrelated to one another.

Upon hearing the news, Davey immediately identified the next target and moved out.

* * *

“Aah. Aah! Stop it, you witch! Stop!” a terrified man shouted as he stumbled backward. He fell onto the ground, and with a face pale from fear, he slowly scooted away.

However, no matter how loud he screamed, it was just a hollow echo in the empty construction site.

Tap. Tap.

The girl in black flats walked toward him, her dress fluttering in the wind. It was so dark that even if blood stained it, it wouldn’t show.

She looked like fear incarnate.

“Damn it! How could you do this?!”

The frightened man drew the knife he had hidden in his pocket. It was a weapon used by Awakened individuals for hunting in gates, a knife incomparably harder and sharper than the typical metal ones.

“D-Don’t come over here! I told you to stop!”

After his frantic shout, the girl actually stopped. She didn’t say a word, just staring at the man.

Yet, it wasn't long before the shimmering energy sword in her hand answered for her.

Slash!!

“Aaaargh!!!” Screaming, the man threw away his sword that had been cut in half and begged for his life, burying his head in the ground submissively. “S-Stop! I'll quit doing everything! I’ll quit, so please just spare me!”

Even after his desperate plea, the girl looked at him silently from behind her mask and raised her energy sword.

Her actions showed no mercy.

The moment her sword was about to cut his head off...

Clang!!!

An ink-black weapon blocked her energy sword.

“Eek!!!” The man, realizing he was saved, shrieked and backed away in terror. “S-Saint of Tionis!”

The one who blocked the girl was none other than Davey.

The three stood inside the dark construction site, a place no one would normally visit.

He’d shown up without hesitation and blocked the Dark Ghost.

The moment the man realized he was saved, he shouted arrogantly, “Ha... Hahahaha!! Haha! You got what you deserved, you monster bitch! Now that the Saint of Tionis is here, you’re finished!”

However.

“Urghh?!”

Davey flicked a finger while holding Longinus in his other hand, lifting the man with telekinesis.

Boom!!

When he lightly swept his hand, the man was violently slammed against a nearby steel frame, instantly knocking him unconscious.

Davey stared at the man, who’d slumped down after fainting, then turned his head and stared directly into the light shining from behind the black mask. “There was no need to go this far.”

He received no response.

“Why did you hide it all this time?”

She remained silent.

Davey kept speaking in a strained voice, his face looking as if he might break down at any moment, “Super Ribbon...”

The energy sword she had summoned soon scattered with a crackling sound. She then began to retreat, tidying her black hair, which had been messy from the wind. Strands of silver-white hair shimmered through it like highlights, giving it a striking beauty.

Soon, following a clicking sound, she took off her mask. Once he saw her face, Davey looked at her with an expression full of despair.

“Why...” he asked.

“Super Ribbon, you say...” The girl let out a small laugh. “Why am I Super Ribbon? I’m not Super Ribbon.”

She looked directly at Davey.

She had the exact same face, height, and build as Super Ribbon. The only difference was her hair color, yet she insisted she wasn’t Super Ribbon.

“To begin with, I don't have a name.”

“Super Ribbon.”

“Don’t call me Super Ribbon, Dad.”

Yet, despite the situation, she still called him ‘Dad.’

She spoke with a face mixed with hatred and resentment, “If you hadn't found out, I would’ve just lived like this my whole life.”

“Super Ribbon...” he began.

“I told you not to call me Super Ribbon!” she screamed fiercely. “My name is not Super Ribbon!”

Davey backed away one step, then two, his face filled with confusion.

“Ahaha. Dad. You understand now, don’t you? Or did you keep burying that possibility inside yourself, thinking it might be true, but refusing to accept it?”

Davey couldn’t say anything in response to her question. What she said was literally what he’d thought.

“You tried to believe it couldn't be me. You tried to believe that even though this whole situation pointed to me, it wasn’t me.”

Facts.

“But now you've seen me. I can't hide it anymore, and you can no longer deny it.” She gave a bright smile. “This is our first time meeting each other. You neglected me all this time without even giving me a name.”

He was speechless.

“Even when I screamed for help, you didn't listen.”

Super Ribbon slowly approached. She was not a dual personality like Aeria’s instinct. She was exactly the same case as Cain of the Valkyrie race—two completely different egos existing within one body.

Davey gleaned exactly what her ego was from their conversation.

Then, she looked up at Davey and created an energy sword again. “I'm different from that naive fool! Ever since I was born, I’ve seen more bad than good. The bad energy that idiot absorbed; the accursed power of Predatory Assimilation; and the power of the Abyss that Dad and Mom unconsciously poured into me when you two created me. I took on all of it!”

The reason was simple. All she wanted was to get attention.

Since she was free from the power of Predatory Assimilation and the power of the Abyss, the original Blue Ribbon and Red Ribbon were not twisted. However, she was different. She had accepted all of those powers and suffered for a long time.

“It was purely a coincidence. I was really lucky that those powers mixed and reorganized themselves. If they hadn't, I wouldn't have been able to talk like this and would’ve just disappeared.”

She then flicked her energy sword shooting away.

Squelsh!!

The energy sword almost immediately pierced the heart of the unconscious man.

“Ahaha! Serves you right! You bug.”

“Stop it,” Davey shouted.

“Why aren’t you calling me Super Ribbon anymore? Well, I guess you know everything now, don't you?”

She flashed a cold smile at him.

The first sword Davey had forged while in a near-manic state. When he created Blue Ribbon and Red Ribbon, his skills had already reached an entirely different level, almost on par with the Thousand-day Blacksmith Surtr from the Hall of Heroes.

Those swords Davey completed with all his might, possessing an astounding level of skill, were Blue Ribbon and Red Ribbon.

Unfortunately, he’d made a mistake. Davey thought that by forging them with such skill, their egos were complete. Yet the reality was different.

Blue Ribbon and Red Ribbon's egos were already nearly completed by Surtr, and Davey had merely breathed life into them.

Strictly speaking, he did complete Blue Ribbon and Red Ribbon, so they were indeed his children.

However, he had overlooked one fact. He believed that a sword made by him, a man of such skill, with all his might would of course be complete.

Yet inside that space, there were cracks on their unstable egos. The possibility of a new ego taking shape had thus always existed.

“You created me, from beginning to end, Dad.” She raised her energy sword and aimed it at Davey.

Clang!

Her energy sword passed Davey and landed on the ground.

“Haaah, I hate myself for still not being able to hate you. I really do...” She said she loved him so much, but it seemed to her that Davey was the person she loved the most and hated the most.

“You...”

She wistfully asked, “What will you call me?”