The King Sentenced Me to Death, but the Beast Revealed My True Identity — Part 2

Previously: Nineteen-year-old Leo is thrown into the colosseum to face a deadly beast, but a single scar on his arm changes his fate and exposes a royal conspiracy.

The Legend Reborn

The crowd erupted into a frenzy of whispers and shouts. The legend of the Shadow Dragon’s slayer was sacred to the empire, a hero who had supposedly perished twenty years ago along with his entire family. Now, looking at Leo and the protective stance of the legendary black lion—a beast known only to submit to the bloodline of the true protector—the truth was undeniable. Leo was the lost heir to the champion of the realm.

King Robert gripped the stone railing of the balcony, his knuckles turning white.

"Silence!"

the King bellowed, his voice cracking with uncharacteristic panic.

"The boy is a fraud! Guards, execute him and the beast immediately!"

But the royal guards hesitated. Striking down the son of their greatest hero, especially under the watchful eye of a sacred beast, felt like committing sacrilege. High Cleric Thomas stepped forward, raising his hands to appease the restless crowd. "Your Majesty," Thomas murmured, his voice magically amplified across the colosseum. "If this boy truly bears the mark of the protector, to spill his blood on this sacred sand would invite the wrath of the heavens upon your rule."

Leo stood up slowly, his hand resting on the thick black mane of the lion, which let out a low, warning rumble. Looking up at the throne, the foggy memories of his early childhood suddenly clicked into place. The fire, the screams, the betrayal—it hadn't been an accident that took his family. It had been an assassination orchestrated by the man wearing the crown. "You feared my father," Leo shouted back, his voice steady and strong. "And now, you fear me." Furious, King Robert drew his own golden sword, ordering his personal elite guard to bypass the hesitant soldiers and take Leo's head.