With a powerful finishing blow that demonstrated the perfect synergy between the elements of reality, the Hero of Nature landed the final hit. BOOM! A massive multicolored pillar of pure, destructive energy tore through the sky as Maximus' Infinity Smash obliterated everything in a 15-kilometer straight line. Fortunately, the attack occurred in a vast sea filled with only saltwater and no inhabitants. Otherwise, it could have killed millions of people in an instant. Crack! Crack! As the blinding light subsided, two enormous figures came into view: the Titan Hero and the Cherufe. This time, however, a massive 500-meter-long right arm passed right through the mythical monster's chest, creating a gaping hole. The Titan Hero breathed heavily, his body pulsing with the residual energy from his attack. "It is done." he said, his voice barely above a whisper. Crumble! As the light in Cherufe's eyes finally faded, the battle came to an end. Shatter! Shatter! The colossal, one-kilometer-tall body shattered from the inside out, crumbling like pottery on the ground. Amidst the rubble and debris that fell into the turbulent deep sea below, the only thing that remained intact was the core of the mythical beast, now lying in Maximus' palm. He gazed down at the massive, glowing orb, a sense of awe and wonder washing over him. The Cherufe's core was a staggering 150 meters tall, despite its spherical shape. It emanated condensed world energy that could obliterate everything within a 50-kilometer radius, many times more powerful than a nuclear bomb. The surviving soldiers in their flying ship soon arrived to safeguard the core, which Maximus had gently placed on their deck. The core of a mythical creature that was close to the level of a 6th stage saint was a national treasure, and as per the laws, only the imperial authorities were authorized to keep it. Woosh! Kahn, disguised as Atreus, also carefully flew over the location without revealing his Dimensional Law skills to the Hero of Nature. To Maximus, it appeared as though the work was solely done by the legendary artifact that Atreus had received from his master, which had stopped Cherufe from using its abilities so that Maximus could finish the job. To him, all Atreus had done was activate the formation and watch from afar as he fought the mythical being by himself. However, there was no sign of pride or entitlement on his face. Even he knew that had the blue wolfkin not appeared, the long-drawn battle would have ended in his defeat the moment his world energy reserves were depleted. As he thought back on the battle, Maximus couldn't help but feel a sense of gratitude towards Atreus. He knew that the wolfkin's help had been instrumental in their victory, and he made a mental note to thank him later. But he also couldn't shake the gut feeling that there was more to Atreus than met the eye. He wondered what other abilities the blue wolfkin possessed or how capable he was in a frontal clash. Shing! Shing! Maximus finally deactivated his divine ability called the Izanami's Champion and turned into a 2-meter-tall and muscular human. "Thanks to you, we managed to end it." he spoke to Atreus, appreciatively. "All I did was use the formation. My contribution is not even worth mentioning." responded Atreus humbly. Though he knew the truth, Kahn chose to keep it to himself. He had spent all of his cosmic aether reserves to kill Cherufe's dimensional body inside the true dimension, in a single, powerful move that had paved the way for Maximus to land the final blow. Despite his crucial role in the victory, Kahn decided that it was best to let Maximus take the credit. He knew that the Hero of Nature was a symbol of hope and inspiration to many, and that acknowledging his own contributions would only detract from that and might as well bring him unnecessary trouble later. [What do you think, brat? Isn't he super powerful even for a chosen Hero?] asked Rathnaar. [Yes, he is. And he did all that without his divine weapon. He is much more experienced in combat compared to the Hero of Fire I fought. If not for my Dimensional Law abilities, I don't think even I would've survived that last move of his.] Despite his own impressive skills and cheat codes, Kahn was not one to underestimate someone with greater strength, especially when they possessed such formidable abilities. ---------------- After the chaos had subsided and the surviving soldiers had left with the mythical creature's core, Maximus and Atreus found themselves alone, looking out over the vast sea and the innocent aquatic creatures that had perished in the battle between the two powerhouses. "May I ask you something personal?" questioned Atreus who was taller than Maximus by 1 meter. "Go ahead." Atreus turned to Maximus with a curious look, his voice filled with genuine curiosity. "Why did you choose to fight and not run for your life even when you were at your last straw?" he asked, eager to understand his comrade's motivations. Maximus paused for a moment, his gaze fixed on the horizon. "I fought because I had to." he replied at last. "Running away would have meant abandoning my duty as a hero and leaving innocent lives at the mercy of that beast." "To be honest, that sounds like a lie you prepared in advance. Tell me honestly." said Atreus, being immodest in his question. To this out-of-the-line behavior, Maximus let out a small smirk and replied calmly… "The world where I come from wasn't so full of magic, world energy, or these gigantic monsters. Someone like a Saint would be akin to a God in our eyes. As for my reasons… it started when I was but a child." he spoke in a heavy tone. "One day, the enemies of our country invaded and killed everyone in our village. My grandfather barely managed to save and escape with me while my parents and all of my relatives were mercilessly slaughtered. I lost everything I had back then." he spoke, revealing a traumatic past. "Later, we immigrated to the capital, looking for work to survive." he continued, his voice tinged with a hint of nostalgia. "My grandfather was the blacksmith of our village. He was a skilled craftsman, and he managed to get a job even in those difficult times." He paused for a moment, as if lost in thought. "But life was not easy even for an old man. My grandfather worked tirelessly, day in and day out, for minimum wage just to put food on our plates. We lived in a small wooden hut that could fall with a strong downpour, and it was all we could afford." he sighed heavily, the weight of the memories evident in his voice. "Despite all the hardships, my grandfather was a kind and loving man. He worked hard to ensure that I had a good upbringing, and I will always be grateful for that." As he spoke, it was clear that the memories of his childhood were bittersweet. He had learned to appreciate the simple things in life, and had developed a deep sense of gratitude for the sacrifices his grandfather had made for him. "A decade later, my grandfather also died. I lost the only family I had in the world and truly became an orphan." he spoke somberly. The surroundings turned grim as Maximus tried to light up the mood with his smile as if it wasn't something worth getting sad over, yet the pain in his eyes betrayed his smile. "Since our kingdom was frequently at war, I enlisted in the military as it was the only way for me to cope with loneliness in my life. I spent 15 years of my life in service to my kingdom. I rose to the rank of a Lieutenant in the military and commanded hundreds of warriors under me. But even after sacrificing my life to the Gods of my world, for the sake of my people… They were eradicated by the enemies in the end." he explained his situation. "So that's why… I failed to protect one home. I'm not losing another." he revealed his reasoning on why he kept fighting. "I don't mean to be rude, Lord Hero. But there's something I'm curious about." said Atreus. Kahn was curious about one thing… Something he shared in common with Maximus. "This world is not yours. People or the authorities of the Beast Empire do not like you either. So why do you keep fighting for their sake?" he asked without restraint. Both the Hero of Nature and the Hero of Darkness shared a common trait - they were hated simply for being who they were. The world held a prejudice against them, and they had no one to protect. Even Kahn, the Hero of Darkness, had very few people he cared about in this world. The idea of fighting for empires and billions of people whom he did not know, had no responsibility towards, and did not even care about saving, still eluded him to this day. How could anyone be willing to risk their life for the very people who detested them, berated them, and wished they would just disappear? For Kahn, this was a concept that he could not comprehend. He was a man who had experienced firsthand the bitter sting of rejection and hatred from those around him in his past life. But again… Maximus lightly chuckled and responded… "Maybe it's my paradigm. It's the soldier in me who just can't mind his own business when he sees the lives of people in trouble. Besides, growing up in those years with my grandfather, he used to tell me this one thing." he elaborated. "It is easy to bring chaos and destruction in the world with unimaginable power. However, even the most powerful man is powerless when it comes to bringing everlasting peace and prosperity." his firm voice echoed in the surroundings. The world was always plagued by suffering and inequality, and even those with power had done nothing to change that. "You can't create order and security without causing bloodshed. That is something even the strength I have can't achieve without sacrifices. My grandfather… he often told me…" said Maximus and his mouth turned heavy, thinking of the one man who raised him to become who he was today. "Those who have been blessed with power have a responsibility to the world…" he recounted his grandfather's teachings. "The powerful have the responsibility to protect the weak."