Helmut: The Forsaken Child - H.F.C Chapter 407 (Part 2):

A holy knight possessed the combined advantages of both a mage and a swordsman. It was not that Helmut was going easy on him—he had paused mid-battle for fear of accidentally killing him.

‘I won’t hesitate this time.’

As long as he didn’t deliver a mortal wound, the man could be kept alive. Helmut would keep his reason and fight to perfection.

But just then, Servant raised his sword while making a gesture akin to prayer.

“Lumen’s sacred sword shall annihilate all darkness that exists.”

A stir ran through the crowd. His sword glowed so brightly that it flooded the entire stage in white.

No one had expected Servant to unleash the sacred sword’s power in such a manner.

Yet his enemy was someone who wielded the fearsome and evil Seed of Darkness. It was only natural to draw fully on the sacred sword.

Divine radiance spread through Servant’s entire body, as though permeating every inch.

Like suddenly sprouting wings, his body grew incredibly light, bursting with explosive power.

The sword itself was sheathed in a massive surge of holy power, wrapping around it like Vis.

‘This is all I can manage at my current limit,’ Servant thought.

A fierce gleam shone in his eyes.

He had been the chosen wielder of Lumen’s sacred sword for less than three years. With Servant’s capabilities, he could not yet draw out the sword’s full potential.

Among Lumen’s legacies, the sacred sword possessed the second-greatest holy power, right after the sacred barrier in Forest of Roots. Even tapping into a fraction of that power was tremendous.

‘A sacred sword, huh? The entire thing is a mass of holy power.’

The intensity of that divine force momentarily halted Helmut in his tracks. Although the Seed of Darkness was sealed, he could still defend himself with Vis against ordinary contact with holy power.

But there were limits. If he were struck even once by that sword, the raging divine energy could infiltrate his body, break the seal, and incinerate the Seed of Darkness.

The very nature of holy power was to repel demonic beasts.

‘Then I just won’t let him land a single blow.’

Whether it was possible or not was irrelevant. Hadn’t he already achieved what others deemed impossible time and again?

All that mattered was doing precisely what he set his mind to.

This time, Servant made the first move. *Bang!* The spot where Helmut had stood caved in.

His movement was shockingly swift. The sacred sword, shining so brightly it dazzled the eye, closed in on Helmut.

Even as Helmut tried to retreat, Servant pursued like a hawk. Helmut met the sword head-on and deflected it upward.

*Kigigiging!* Holy power traveled down Helmut’s blade and burned his palm upon contact. It was scalding in that brief instant of clash.

Helmut twisted his body and tried to thrust at Servant’s flank, but Servant turned as well, meeting him with a counterattack.

Not a single blow could get through. Helmut kicked off the ground, pulling away.

After several exchanges of attack and defense, Helmut’s palm and forearm stung as though scorched by fire.

‘We’ll get nowhere like this.’

Just brushing past Servant’s sword was enough for the holy power to scorch him like flames. The only way to defend against that was with Vis.

Helmut drew upon his Vis more deeply. The Vis that had been entirely channeled into his sword now flared, wrapping him in ashen mist.

Though the Seed of Darkness was sealed, some degree of demonic energy had already merged into his body.

Servant shouted in a raw voice at the sight of Helmut cloaked in that dark aura.

“Such evil power!”

‘That damn “evil” nonsense again.’

There was no point in tiny, probing attacks or blocks. One decisive strike would determine the outcome.

Servant, apparently swollen with pride from tapping into the sacred sword’s power, needed to be taught a lesson: whose swordsmanship stood above whose!

A deadly gleam flickered in Helmut’s eyes. Servant lowered his stance and charged, aiming at Helmut’s legs.

Helmut dodged that horizontal slash by leaping straight up.

Servant immediately swung his blade upward from below. Helmut brought his sword down with all his weight.

*Kagagang!* The two blades clashed, locked against each other.

Neither man could afford to pull back or shift aside. They had both risked a head-on collision. Each had confidence in his own power.

Their swords caught, ashen Vis and brilliant holy power collided fiercely.

Holy power greedily devoured the demonic energy it touched.

The dark aura mingled with Helmut’s Vis was scoured away, so that the ashen hue began to fade.

And what emerged was Helmut’s pure Vis.

Fully matured, his Vis was a soft, beautiful azure—a color Helmut himself had not seen since his early childhood.

Even Servant flinched for a split second at the sight.

In that moment, a savage smile tugged at Helmut’s lips.

He overwhelmed his enemy with the true power of his Vis.

Vis surged explosively from Helmut’s sword. It still held traces of that shift from ashen to blue, and with that, his blade began pressing down upon the sacred sword.

If this was the full extent of Servant’s strength, Helmut would simply crush him with superior force.

“Krrgh…”

Servant resisted with every ounce of strength he possessed. He poured out everything he could muster.

Yet his sword was being pushed back. The gap in power was undeniable.

His god, his faith, his sword—everything was collapsing before him.

He had never before tasted defeat, and now it loomed mere inches away. His heart went cold, and his blood froze. It was like the chill of death.

*Kiiing.* In one fleeting instant, the equilibrium was lost.

Helmut’s blade raked across the hollow of Servant’s chest. *Seogeok!* It carved a wound just above his heart.

Blood spurted like a fountain, staining his white uniform entirely in red.

*Clatter.* The sacred sword slipped from his grasp and clanged heavily to the ground.

The holy knight dropped to his knees, eyes wide in shock. Overwhelmed by defeat, he could hardly feel the pain of his wound.

Stripped of Lumen’s blessing, he was nothing but a vanquished human.

“My victory.”

With that brief declaration, a profound silence fell over the stage, stunned by the unbelievable battle they had just witnessed.

Then cheers and applause burst forth. Thunderous cries celebrating the victor’s triumph.

It mattered not to the crowd that darkness had beaten light, or that Lumen’s holy knight had been toppled.

What mattered was the electrifying battle that had just ended, and that the one standing before their eyes was the winner.

The one who had claimed victory and would seize the colossal rewards of the martial arts tournament.

“Dark! Dark! Dark!” The crowd roared his alias, cheering until their voices cracked.

Helmut lifted his chin proudly. His gaze fell upon the highest seats, where silence still reigned even in the midst of all this commotion.

That was where the rulers of the Deus Empire and the Principality of Renosa were seated.

Helmut raised his sword high, its blade shimmering a pale blue as it caught the light, pointing it toward the air.

Right there, at the tip of Helmut’s blade, stood the Grand Duke of Renosa.

*I have proven my worth.*

*Now it is your turn to respond.*

And at last, there was movement from that direction.

Otaku_Tensei

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