Helmut: The Forsaken Child - H.F.C Chapter 408 (Part 1):

Heavy footsteps descended from above.

Helmut sheathed his sword.

The moment the figure walking onto the podium came into view, the cheers died down, replaced by hushed murmurs.

The one who appeared was not the Grand Duke of Renosa.

The Emperor—the one who stood at the pinnacle of the Empire.

Merely by standing on the podium, the majesty radiating from his entire being imposed silence upon the crowd.

As his sharp gaze swept downward, a deep voice resonated through the air.

“Now, here stands the victor of this martial arts tournament. Do you have a wish to ask of me?”

Helmut raised his hand. The iron mask felt solid in his grasp.

The moments when he had hidden his identity, concealed himself, flashed through his mind like arrows.

But now, he no longer needed it.

Helmut cast it aside like a shackle. As the mask and his disguise fell away, his true appearance was revealed in full. Some gasped, others stifled their breaths, and a few cried out.

A moment of absolute victory.

The sky was dazzlingly clear, yet the darkness clinging to Helmut seemed to absorb the light pouring down upon him.

Black eyes, black hair. His appearance, as if carved from the abyss, bore an uncanny resemblance to the Grand Duke of Renosa.

Drawing in the gazes of the entire arena, Helmut made his declaration.

“My name is Helmut. I seek the rightful place that should have been mine.”

In this Empire, this land, this light—no one would ever again drive him back into the Forest of Roots.

The Emperor slowly asked,

“And who might you be.”

“One who carries the blood of Renosa. I am the legitimate heir of the Grand Duke of Renosa.”

At Helmut’s unwavering answer, the audience erupted into chaos.

Was it true? A hidden son of the Grand Duke? But who would dare lie before the Emperor? And right there stood the Grand Duke himself!

Above all, Helmut resembled him too closely. Anyone who had seen the Grand Duke even once couldn’t deny it.

Just as the Emperor was about to speak again, a loud shout rang out from behind.

“Do not listen to him! He wields a wicked power!”

Servant, having recovered from his wounds, staggered to his feet. Desperation filled his voice as he cried out.

“As a Holy Knight, I testify—this man carries The Seed of Darkness!”

His face twisted with hostility.

What had pulled him from the shock of defeat was the undeniable truth before him: a man bearing the Seed of Darkness.

What scheme was this, claiming to be of Renosa’s bloodline? A wanted enemy of the Temple. He *must* be eradicated.

If the Temple was watching, they would surely dispatch forces to eliminate him immediately.

Amidst the growing unrest, the Emperor dismissed him with indifference.

“This is the victor’s time. The defeated have no right to speak.”

Servant’s eyes widened in disbelief. He glared at the Emperor, fury boiling over.

“He carries the Seed of Darkness! To spare him is treason against the Temple!”

A cold smile curled on the Emperor’s lips.

“In this Empire, none stand above me. To speak of treason is absurd.”

“Even the Emperor cannot possibly—!”

Servant’s words were cut short. Knights had already ascended the stage, subduing the Holy Knight.

The Emperor watched as he was dragged away like a dog, his neck gripped and arms bound, before turning his attention back.

By now, another ruler had stepped forward to stand beside him.

The Grand Duke of Renosa. His presence on the podium extinguished any lingering doubts—for the victor bore too striking a resemblance to him.

The Grand Duke’s face remained impassive as he looked down at the one claiming to be his son.

Yet his eyes burned with an odd intensity.

“Grand Duke of Renosa, what say you to this man’s claim?”

The Emperor’s question, amplified by the podium’s magic, echoed throughout the arena. Helmut met his father’s gaze squarely.

Their eyes locked. For the first time, Helmut saw a face that eerily mirrored his own future.

Perhaps the Grand Duke, too, saw his past reflected in Helmut.

Cold, dry, nearly colorless—yet in this moment, heat radiated between them.

Not warmth, but a simmering intensity, unseen yet seething from within.

This was no tender reunion. But it was a promise—and the certainty of that promise. Helmut felt its unshakable presence, solid as stone.

The Grand Duke was a man who kept his word. And Helmut had proven his worth.

Moving a boulder was no easy task, but once set in motion, it could not be stopped. Helmut had moved a mountain.

The Grand Duke spoke.

“He is my legitimate heir and the successor of Renosa. No objections will be entertained on this matter.”

A wave of shock rippled through the audience. One astonishment piled upon another, leaving mouths agape in speechless paralysis.

The Emperor’s lips curved.

“The victor shall receive the tournament’s rewards—and whatever else he desires.”

The Emperor’s decree was law in this Empire.

And with that, the comprehensive martial arts tournament came to an end.

Otaku_Tensei

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