Chapter 533: No Way Out

[Outside Military Police Headquarters]

Squad Ten stood frozen among the crowd, watching their leader kneel in blood before four ancient monsters.

Helena’s body moved before her mind caught up, her legs carrying her forward, her hand reaching toward where Damian knelt.

But an iron grip closed around her wrist, stopping her cold.

"Girl."

The Sword Demon’s voice emerged barely above a whisper, carrying weight that made her freeze completely.

"Don’t try to do anything, or you’ll die a horrible death."

His blindfolded face remained pointed forward, his features showing no emotion.

"The ones who have come are among the most cruel human beings on earth."

Helena’s breath caught, her eyes tracking between the Sword Demon’s weathered face and the four robed figures.

’Cruel? These are supposed to be heroes who saved humanity, who–’

"All the extremist faction leaders are here."

Sicar’s whisper cut through her thoughts, his pink eyes wide with something approaching fear.

"Kinsley, Ashford and Cross Patriarchs haven’t been seen in public for years. What’s going on? Why would they all show up now?"

Regulus’s voice came from behind them, grave and certain.

"Don’t tell me they want to kill him."

His black eyes tracked Damian’s kneeling form.

"It won’t be the first time they killed a talented commoner who got too strong, too fast."

The words landed like stones in still water, ripples of understanding spreading through Squad Ten.

****

The crowd kept growing, more military personnel arriving from nearby barracks, reporters who’d been covering Damian’s return now recording something entirely different.

But the four Patriarchs didn’t seem to notice or care, their attention focused solely on the boy kneeling before them.

Royce Patriarch broke the silence, his orange eyes tracking across Damian’s crimson hair with something unreadable in his expression.

"I believe all three of you can already sense it. He has no blood of his, none of the markers we’d recognize."

His hand gestured dismissively toward Damian.

"The resemblance is just a coincidence."

"Coincidence?"

Ashford Patriarch’s grey eyes narrowed, his features showing skepticism.

"There are too many coincidences at play here, don’t you think Brother Royce?"

His grey hair shifted in the wind, his ancient robes moving with it.

"Crimson hair, crimson eyes, appearing from nowhere with talent that defies normal progression curves..."

His gaze tracked across Damian like a predator studying prey.

"And now, entering a Giant portal alone to save people and to kill a Young Chief."

Something shifted in his expression.

"That kind of reckless courage and every single damn thing about him..." His voice dropped lower. "It reminds me of someone we all knew very well."

Silence crashed down across the field, heavy and suffocating.

Tap Tap Tap

Kinsley Patriarch stepped forward, his movements casual, his blonde hair catching the light.

A smile curved across his features, the expression warm and friendly in a way that made Damian’s survival instincts scream.

He stopped directly in front of Damian, close enough that his shadow fell across the kneeling figure.

Then he crouched down, bringing his face level with Damian’s, that smile never wavering.

"Whether it’s a coincidence or not..."

His blue eyes gleamed with something that might have been amusement.

"We’ll find out today, won’t we?"

Then he straightened, turning to address the assembled crowd, his voice rising to carry across the entire field.

"Seventeen years ago, me and my brothers gathered at the Bloodworth estate to celebrate the birth of twins, the sons of their family head."

His tone remained conversational, almost cheerful.

"The entire family was filled with joy that night. Children playing, parents laughing, everyone celebrating new life..."

His expression gained mock sympathy.

"But sadly, all of them died that very night."

Gasps rippled through the crowd, not expecting the Patriarch to talk about the Bloodworth Massacre.

"Due to a series of unfortunate..."

Kinsley paused, his expression thoughtful.

"Accidents."

The word landed like a stone dropped into still water.

"At last, the tragedy even struck the twins themselves."

His hand rose, gesturing casually.

"The eldest son was taken away by his beautiful aunt, hoping the accidents wouldn’t reach him."

He tapped his chin, the motion almost playful.

"What was her name again? Silvester Bloodworth, if I remember correctly."

His gaze dropped back to Damian, those blue eyes burning with intensity that contradicted his pleasant tone.

"I still remember their screams to this day."

Damian’s eyes tracked sideways, looking anywhere except at Kinsley’s face.

His hands pressed harder against his thighs, the only outward sign of the rage building in his chest.

’Don’t react...’

The thought came cold and absolute.

’Don’t show anything, don’t give him what he wants, just–’

Kinsley continued, his voice never losing that cheerful quality.

"The youngest son was taken away by his mother to hide in a portal while his father kept me and my brothers company."

A pause, his smile becoming gentler somehow.

"Such a brave woman, that one. Walking to her death with a baby in her arms..."

His head shook slowly, as if in sympathy.

"I heard that both of them met with an accident as well."

Silence crashed across the field, every person processing what they were hearing.

Then Kinsley’s expression shifted, becoming brighter, like he’d just remembered something delightful.

"But you see, recently I discovered an interesting piece of information that was hidden extremely well."

He leaned closer to Damian again, his voice dropping back to a whisper.

"A man by the name of Alaric Valcor also happened to be stationed inside that very portal."

’No.’

Damian’s breathing stopped completely.

"The same portal where the youngest Bloodworth son died alongside his mother."

Kinsley’s smile became radiant.

"What a remarkable coincidence, don’t you think?"

Murmurs exploded through the crowd, pieces clicking together with terrible clarity.

"Wait, does that mean–"

"The timing matches–"

"Alaric Valcor saved him?"

"Is he saying Damian Valcor is actually–"

The whispers built into a roar, understanding spreading like wildfire.

Kinsley’s hand shot out, fingers tangling in Damian’s crimson hair and yanking his head back with brutal force.

Crack

Damian’s neck strained at the angle, his scalp burning where hair pulled against roots.

Kinsley brought his face close, that smile never wavering, his voice emerging soft and almost gentle.

"Tell me, boy."

His blue eyes bore into Damian’s crimson ones.

"By any chance, do you happen to be the son of... Darius Bloodworth?"

Silence fell across the entire field like someone had cut all sound.

Thousands of people held their breath, cameras focusing, every eye locked on Damian’s face.

Damian’s mouth remained closed, his jaw clenched so tight his teeth ached.

Blood continued dripping from his reopened wounds, pattering against frozen ground.

Then Kinsley’s pleasant expression cracked, his smile vanishing as his voice exploded across the field.

"ANSWER ME!"

The shout carried command that made weaker awakeners stumble backward, pressure slamming outward in waves.

Damian’s mouth opened, his lips forming the beginning of words.

But his thoughts scattered before sound could emerge.

’I can’t say anything.’

The realization hit cold and certain.

’They might have skills or artifacts to detect lies.’

His mind raced through possibilities, through options, through desperate gambits that all ended the same way.

’If I confirm it, I’m dead. If I lie and they catch it, I’m dead. If I say nothing...’

His breathing came shallow, blood filling his mouth where he’d bitten his tongue.

’There’s no way out.’