Luca watched the guards' astonishment, then that look in Maldo's eyes... a look unlike anything he was used to seeing in him.
He asked him, his tone tinged with suspicion.
"What are you doing here?"
"You have a lot of questions today," Maldo replied calmly and sarcastically, without turning to look at him. Then he continued walking forward with steady steps until he reached the middle of the courtyard.
All eyes were on him, but he seemed not to see anyone and was not interested in their presence.
Luca rubbed his hair in frustration, sighed, and immediately followed him.
Maldo stopped in the middle of the square, glanced at everyone present with a silent look of contempt, then a slight smile appeared on his lips, carrying a hint of defiance.
"Who wants to fight me?!"
"Oh, things are starting to get interesting." Luca laughed lightly, liking or being satisfied with the situation.
At that moment, the guards froze in their places, some of them taking a step back, others staring at him in astonishment.
In the end, this was not the same boy they had known a few days ago... It seemed as if something mysterious had changed in him, turning him into a completely different person.
Their faces reflected conflicting emotions of shock, fear, and confusion that they could not hide no matter how hard they tried.
One of the guards stepped forward with confident strides, a tall, heavily built young man whose body showed signs of strength and combat experience. He was the largest of them all, yet a sarcastic smile appeared on his face before he laughed mockingly and said:
"I'll do it... Let's see what you've got, kid."
Despite the enormous difference between them, Maldo did not back down an inch. The comparison was like a giant facing a dwarf, yet he stood firm, a slight smile on his lips, his eyes never leaving his opponent. Then he nodded in agreement and planted his feet firmly on the ground, as if he were part of it, ready for any sudden movement.
A murmur of excitement rose among the guards, and they quickly gathered around them in a tight circle, their eyes fixed on the arena. At that moment, Luca was floating beside his friend, his eyes sparkling with curiosity and amazement, as if they were eagerly waiting to see what skill Maldo would reveal in this test.
Maldo was well aware of the huge difference in strength between him and his opponent, yet he did not back down. He knew that victory would not come through strength, but through maneuvering and exploiting any opening that might give him a chance to win with cunning.
The huge guard rushed towards Maldo quickly, his fists raised, his eyes flashing with defiance.
Maldo did not rush to meet him, but simply took a step back, using his opponent's weight and momentum against him. When the guard tried to throw a direct punch, Maldo bent down lightly and nimbly, as if his body were flowing with the air, dodging the blow at the last moment.
He didn't stop there, but began to maneuver cleverly between the scattered pillars in the arena. He moved with calculated caution, opening small gaps, pushing his huge opponent to chase him relentlessly, while the guard continued to advance violently without succeeding in hitting his target.
Suddenly... Maldo stopped.
He let his body slump slightly, his shoulder leaning forward, his breath coming in gasps as if it were about to stop. To onlookers, he appeared completely exhausted, his legs unable to bear his weight any longer.
The guard smiled a premature smile of victory, thinking that his prey had finally given up. He raised his arm high and gathered all his strength in one thrust, aiming for the knockout blow.
But Maldo... had been waiting for this very moment.
In a flash, he bent his body to the side, then raised his head with a sly smile, his eyes shining with cunning. In a sudden movement, he lunged forward and jumped over his opponent's shoulders, wrapping his arms around his neck with lightning speed.
He used the guard's weight and momentum against him, twisting his body as if winding a thread around a solid axis. Then he pulled with surprising force, bending the giant's neck at a critical angle, causing everyone watching the scene to freeze in place.
Clap! Clap! Clap!
"Wow... you're not bad at all, kid!" Luca smiled as he clapped enthusiastically, his laughter reflecting his joy and sincere admiration.
Maldo jumped off the giant's body, leaving his opponent collapsed on the ground without resistance, while the guards whispered from all sides, their voices mixed with surprise and disbelief.
"This is crazy! This little boy?!"
"He knocked down the strongest man among us!"
"How did he do it?!"
The guards were overcome with a mixture of curiosity, confusion, and disbelief, but they quickly began to move, jostling to form a passage in the middle of the circle, as if paving the way for something greater.
Through that passageway, Don Dante appeared with confident steps, composed in his movements, with Daniel at his side, his eyes sparkling with calm concentration.
The whispers stopped abruptly, and Dante's features trembled for a moment when his gaze fell on the giant guard lying on the ground, then he whispered in surprise:
"What the hell is going on here?!"
As soon as his eyes met Maldo's, who was still standing confidently on the fallen guard's back, he gasped in shock, his voice loud as he shouted:
"It's you! Did you defeat him? Impossible!"
Maldo closed his eyes for a moment, as if his mind was diving deep into his fragmented memory, searching for those familiar features. Then he suddenly remembered.
This man... he's the Don.
He has no colors, unlike Daniel standing next to him.
Strange! There must be an explanation for this strange situation.
He thought deeply, then opened his eyes again, his gaze turning into a deadly glare, thirsty for blood, accompanied by an unyielding determination.
"Yes... I did it. And it's not impossible.
Because I will become stronger... stronger than everyone here! Sir," said Maldo as he calmly advanced, step by step, toward Don Dante.
Don Dante was not angered by Maldo's manner of speaking, but his eyes seemed transfixed by the fierce look that covered Maldo's entire face. He laughed a deep, powerful laugh that filled the arena with its echo.
"Hahaha...
Look at you... Your features, your voice, and that look in your eyes have changed... I like it better now."
He lit his cigar slowly, exhaling smoke around him, then continued.
"I was wrong. I should have put you in the dark room from the beginning."
Luca suddenly appeared around Don Dante, like a ghost sneaking out of thin air, and began to hover around him quietly, his eyes flashing with a dark red glow that signaled danger. He said in a low voice, dripping with anger:
"That bastard pissed me off." Then he tilted his head toward Maldo.
"Make that bastard trust you... This is your chance."
Maldo watched him silently, his mind working quietly as he looked at Luca, whom no one else could see. The words echoed in his head.
Luckily... no one else can see this idiot.
Maldo took a deep breath, calmly straightened his clothes, and then stared at Don Dante with steady eyes. "I think you're right... so I'll always be ready to serve you. I'll do whatever you want."
Daniel stood silently, his hands clasped behind his back, a calm smile on his face as usual. But when he heard Maldo's words, his expression changed for a moment; his hands relaxed slightly, and his eyes widened slowly, as if he were trying to comprehend what he had just heard.
"What is this boy after?" he wondered.
Don Dante calmly approached Maldo, then blew a cloud of smoke directly into his face.
"Oh... Let's see how you serve, boy."
Maldo quickly moved his hands to clear the smoke from his face and said in a steady voice.
"Maldo."
"What?" Don Dante raised his eyebrows in surprise.
Maldo repeated his words more clearly, his eyes unblinking:
"I am Maldo... not this boy."
"I don't care." Dante exhaled smoke from his mouth again, then turned and walked away, his voice echoing behind him with derision.
At that moment, Maldo turned to Daniel, only to find him looking at him with a calm smile, as if silently evaluating what he had done.
Daniel nodded at him, as if to say silently, "Well done."
Then he turned and walked behind Don. Dante walked with calm steps, maintaining his usual composure and calmness.
As soon as Dante and Daniel left the arena, the guard who had been lying on the ground quickly got up, grabbed his dagger with determination, and rushed towards Maldo to stab him.
Maldo noticed him coming and braced himself for any sudden movement, but before the guard could reach him, Luca raised his hand. Luca's eyes glowed again, and a threatening look appeared on his face.
At that moment, the guard felt something strange running through his chest. His body suddenly froze, his eyes widened in surprise and horror, and the air disappeared from his lungs. He began to writhe and pull at his neck in despair, screaming in a broken voice:
"What the hell is going on?!"
Then blood flowed from his mouth, and he fell to the ground motionless, leaving the courtyard in a state of shock.
The rest of the guards suddenly stopped moving, panic etched on their faces. No one could understand what had just happened, or know the reason behind their colleague's sudden collapse, but a deep sense of fear overwhelmed them as soon as they looked at Maldo.
They began to slowly back away at first, then quickly ran toward the exit, as if the ground itself was pushing them away from this frightening scene, unable to face what they had seen or approach the little boy who had caused all this terror.