Chapter 216 — Silence!
5 min read ·
The little girl stared with her mouth open, tears still on her face but mixing with something approaching hope.
Damian pinched her cheek gently, then handed her to her mother.
"Everything will be okay now."
He, Ariana, and Zavier walked out of the house.
The three men floated behind them, suspended by telekinesis, their feet dragging through dirt as they were pulled along like captured animals.
****
[Tranquil City - Emergency Mobilization]
The call went out through every Mafia communication channel simultaneously.
IMMEDIATE SUMMONS. ALL MEMBERS REPORT TO HQ.
Hundreds of Mafia members dropped whatever they were doing and rushed toward headquarters.
The streets filled with the sound of cars and motorcycles, engines roaring and headlights cutting through darkness.
The police were alerted, their emergency channels lighting up with reports of massive Mafia mobilization.
The mayor received a panicked call from his security chief, his hands shaking as he tried to understand what crisis had triggered this response.
Powerful figures throughout the city – business owners, company leaders and underground operators – all felt the shift in atmosphere and locked their doors, praying they weren’t the target.
****
[Mafia Headquarters - Main Hall]
Damian sat in a chair behind a large table, a glass of alcohol in his hand, saying nothing as he waited.
He just drank, his face expressionless, his presence radiating something dangerous.
Ariana and Zavier stood behind him like sentinels, their earlier warmth replaced by professional coldness.
The three men knelt to the side, fear in their eyes as they realized exactly how badly they’d miscalculated.
Mike arrived first, his A+ rank Aura flaring with concern, his weathered face showing he knew something terrible had happened.
Marco Chen, Pavel, Katya – all the senior members filed in quickly.
Alessio entered with his own group, the fourteen-year-old’s face showing mature concern beyond his years.
People kept pouring in – hundreds of Mafia members filling the massive hall, their voices a confused murmur.
Then... the Unnamed Four arrived – Gregor, Vash, Yara, and Castor – standing far in the back, observing with professional interest.
Finally, Edrin led the Academy students in, all of them looking confused about the midnight emergency summons.
When everyone had gathered, the doors slammed shut with ominous finality.
Bam
"..."
Silence fell as hundreds of eyes fixed on the obviously drunk Damian sitting behind the table.
Mike’s stomach dropped as he noticed the three kneeling men, recognizing one of them.
’Oh no. No no no. Not him. Please tell me he didn’t–’
Damian stood slowly, holding his glass, swirling the liquid inside with deliberate movements.
His expression was completely empty, drunk but focused.
"Say, Old Man Mike."
His voice carried clearly through the silent hall.
"There were many times I asked you to keep careful watch on our men. To make sure discipline was maintained. Every time I brought this up, you assured me you had everything under control. That you’d been in this business for decades. That you were careful about these things."
Mike’s face went pale.
"Yes... I repeatedly warned everyone about conduct–"
"You repeatedly warned everyone."
Damian’s voice was flat and emotionless.
"And yet, tonight, purely by chance, I happened to come across three of our men attempting to rape a helpless widow and her young daughter."
"..."
The silence that followed was deafening.
Every face in the hall went pale, hundreds of eyes shifting to the three kneeling men with mixture of horror and fury.
’They’re dead! They’re completely fucking dead!’
The Unnamed Four exchanged glances, curious how Damian would handle this test of his leadership.
Mike opened his mouth to speak, but Damian’s drunk shout cut him off.
"SILENCE!"
The word cracked like a whip, making everyone flinch.
Damian looked across the assembled crowd, his crimson eyes sweeping over hundreds of faces.
"I promised this city my protection. I promised them safety. And tonight, I had to apologize – actually bow in apology – to a helpless woman because my own men thought being Mafia meant they could do whatever the fuck they wanted."
His voice became colder.
"Clearly this idea has infected your minds... You’ve forgotten what we stand for."
The men gathered clenched their fists, shame mixing with anger at the stupid idiots.
Alessio and those closest to Damian gritted their teeth, furious that their leader had suffered such embarrassment, their eyes turning murderous toward the three kneeling men.
Damian smiled, but the expression held no warmth.
"Power... power really makes people drunk, doesn’t it? Makes them forget who they are and what they represent."
His voice rose to a shout.
"WHO IS THE LEADER OF THESE THREE? STEP FORWARD!"
Thud Thud
A middle-aged man stepped forward on trembling legs, his face showing he knew what was coming.
He was also one of Mike’s old friends. A veteran who’d been with the organization from the beginning.
"Selena. Give me one of your daggers."
Selena hesitated, then handed over one of her twin blades.
Mike’s voice cracked with desperation.
"Sir, it wasn’t his fault! If you want to punish someone, punish me! I’m responsible for–"
"..."
Damian looked at him with empty eyes and said nothing.
He handed the dagger to the middle-aged man.
"Cut off one of your fingers."
The man broke out in a cold sweat, his hands shaking.
"Sir... please. It wasn’t my fault. I didn’t know they would–"
Damian tilted his head slightly, his voice becoming almost conversational.
"You’re their leader. When your men break the rules of the Mafia, you pay the price. That’s what leadership means."
The man didn’t move, paralyzed by fear.
SLICE!
Before anyone could blink, Damian grabbed the dagger and severed the man’s entire hand at the wrist.
"AHHHH!"
The scream echoed through the hall, blood spraying across the floor.
Every other squad leader in the room broke into cold sweat, suddenly looking at their own men with fierce suspicion.
’Have any of them broken rules? Am I about to lose a hand? Or worse?!’
Damian clicked his tongue.
"Tsk tsk. You should have just cut the finger when I gave you the choice... Now you’ve lost the entire hand."
"..."
He looked across the assembled crowd, his presence overwhelming.
"This is a warning for all of you. Don’t take advantage of my kindness toward my own people. Don’t forget – I built this Mafia on the bodies of hundreds of men. I can end it the same way."
"..."
Suffocating silence!