The King Sentenced Me to the Colosseum, then the Legendary Beast Knelt Before Me

The Judgment of the Arena

The scorching sun of the capital beat down mercilessly upon the white sands of the grand colosseum. Thousands of spectators filled the towering stone tiers, their bloodthirsty cheers merging into a deafening roar. In the center of the arena stood Leo, a twenty-year-old youth clad in a simple cream-colored tunic. His straight black hair clung to his forehead with sweat, but his eyes remained remarkably calm. He looked up toward the royal balcony, where King Robert sat in his glittering crown alongside High Cleric Thomas, whose draped white robes fluttered in the hot breeze.

With a dramatic wave of the king's hand, the heavy iron portcullis on the far side of the arena ground open. From the darkness emerged the Shadow Beast, a massive black lion with eyes that glowed like molten sulfur. The crowd gasped as the giant predator caught sight of Leo and charged, its heavy paws kicking up clouds of dust. Leo did not run. As the beast lunged, he fell backward onto the sand, the massive creature looming over him with bared fangs.

But instead of tearing him apart, the lion stopped. It sniffed the air, its gaze falling upon a deep, stitched scar running down Leo's right arm. To the absolute bewilderment of the crowd, the terrifying beast lowered its head and gently licked the scar, letting out a low, rumbling purr. High Cleric Thomas stood up, staring in utter disbelief. From the front rows, a young spectator named Toby pointed and shouted,

That scar belongs to the warrior who defeated the Shadow Dragon!

The collective gasp of the crowd was deafening. King Robert’s smug smile instantly turned to a mask of pure shock. The truth they had spent five years trying to bury was unraveling in a single moment.