I will return

64

Zarkos, with adrenaline overflowing, had already won seven fights. His smile grew wider with each victory, convinced that he had finally regained his touch. *Perfect,* I thought, with malicious satisfaction. The demons under my control had obeyed my orders well, allowing themselves to be defeated to inflate Zarkos's arrogance.

With a wicked gleam in my eye, I grabbed the microphone from the broadcast booth and announced, giving my voice a special lilt:

—Ladies and gentlemen! Today is a day of shared struggle. Three more matches before the main event of the night, and now... a surprise for our champion.

The audience murmured excitedly as I continued.

"Zarkos, you have the honor of facing someone very special... someone from the audience." Attention sharpened as he pointed to the section: row H, seat 15 in the blue aisle.Immediately, a spotlight illuminated the designated seat, and I could see the surprise in Zarkos's eyes. His smile faded as he recognized Daphne in the crowd. She was also puzzled, but before she could react, Fred gave her an encouraging push.

Daphne calmly entered the ring, with that confident and defiant smile, reminding Zarkos, surely, of the time he had effortlessly kicked her ass. A memory that had come back to haunt him. My voice echoed in my mind, *Because of you I lost all the souls I had gathered for two years, Zarkos... for that time and for your betrayal, today you will pay for your disloyalty.*

The audience was on the edge of their seats, and I knew it was the right time. Speaking in the narrator's voice, I added:

—But tonight's special entry is still missing. Are you ready for a surprise guest? Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you...*The Jackal!*

I closed my eyes, and when I opened them again, I was in the ring. My transformed body projected a menacing shadow in the ring, hidden under a mask that gave me an imposing and monstrous air. No one here knew what I was about to face, and that thought filled me with a dark satisfaction.