Enrico activated Fire Steps and began moving around Vergel, maintaining a calculated distance while searching for an opening in his opponent's defense.
However, before he could find an opportunity to attack, he noticed that the black sword in the prince's hands was beginning to release a terrifying amount of magic. Black flames flowed along the blade, completely enveloping it and extending all the way to its tip.
Vergel raised his sword, and his expression became even more excited as he felt the power he was about to unleash.
"Black Blade and Shadow Magic: Forge of Eternal Shadows!"
The shadow magic merged with the black flames, expanding the blade until it transformed into an enormous sword surrounded by incandescent darkness. The pressure released by the weapon made the surrounding air tremble. In the next instant, an explosion erupted from the blade, striking Enrico and sending him flying away. His afterimages disappeared one after another, unable to keep up with the speed at which his body was hurled down the corridor.
Enrico managed to regain his balance before hitting the ground, but his expression had become more serious.
'Just as I thought. If I can't defeat him in this form, imagine what will happen when he transforms.'
Vergel was considered the fifth most powerful boss in that dungeon, at least among the Nartheis commonly found there. In reality, however, he was the hidden boss, someone who deliberately concealed part of his power because he found it amusing to toy with his opponents before revealing his true strength.
Enrico couldn't make the mistake of underestimating him. If he allowed the fight to drag on until Vergel decided to abandon his restrictions, the situation would become much worse.
'If I want to survive, I'd better activate everything I have.'
There was only one way to guarantee his victory: defeat Vergel before he transformed. To do that, Enrico would need to use all his abilities and fight in the best condition he could achieve at that moment.
'Total Concentration!'
As soon as he activated the technique, Enrico's perception changed completely. Everything around him seemed to disappear, and his attention focused entirely on Vergel, who remained standing before him. Although his vision stopped registering the details of his surroundings, his body and mind still retained information about the space around him, allowing him to move without completely losing his awareness of what was happening.
Magic began overflowing from his body, transforming into flames that spread around his arms and legs. The entire corridor seemed to tremble under that pressure. Even the areas that had begun darkening with the arrival of Vergel's magic were illuminated by Enrico's fire, which refused to allow darkness to dominate that place.
Vergel watched the scene with an increasingly broad smile. In response, he also released his magic, allowing the shadows and black flames to envelop his body. It was as if he refused to accept the darkness dominating the castle being replaced by his opponent's light.
"How amusing! Do you really intend to engage me in a contest of power?"
Enrico gave a small smile.
"I told you that you would have fun, didn't I? And just so you know, this is only the beginning."
"Then show me!"
Enrico's smile disappeared. He needed to concentrate more and more magic to enhance his own body, taking advantage of the effects of Total Concentration to push his physical abilities to their limits. At the same time, his contract with Lunaris caused mana to overflow through his veins, strengthening him even further.
'What do you think of my level now, System?'
[Considering the combination of everything you have, your percentage "would be" at ninety percent at this moment. Even so, it won't be enough.]
'I know.'
Enrico disappeared from his position and appeared before Vergel, attacking with his spear. The weapon collided violently with the black sword, producing a shower of reddish sparks. Enrico's flames spread across the metal, attempting to devour the darkness coating his opponent's blade.
Vergel, however, reacted immediately. He spun his sword and changed the angle of his block, causing the black flames to spread across the weapon's surface. The shadowy fire consumed the red flames attempting to envelop it, extinguishing them before they could reach the prince's body.
Enrico realized that he wouldn't be able to overcome that ability simply by increasing the intensity of his fire. Therefore, he took advantage of the spear's movement and released a jet of water from its tip, launching it at Vergel with tremendous force. The water's pressure tore through the space between the shadowy flames, forcing the prince to react before the attack could strike him directly.
"You have a second magic? What a pleasant surprise!"
Vergel slashed through the air with his sword. The black blade split the jet of water into two parts and burned away the magic sustaining it. The two resulting waves lost their shape and evaporated before reaching the prince.
Without giving Enrico time to reorganize his attack, Vergel disappeared into the shadows and reappeared beside a destroyed pillar. Enrico understood that he needed to force him to abandon those advantageous positions, so he created a fire bow and fired a series of flaming arrows at the area.
The projectiles illuminated the corridor and bombarded the area around the pillar, consuming the shadows that provided cover for his opponent. Vergel was forced to leave, but as soon as he revealed himself, he charged directly at Enrico.
The two clashed in close combat once again. The black sword collided with Enrico's weapon, and the force of the impacts spread through the corridor, tearing fragments from the already damaged walls. Enrico tried to maintain the pressure with rapid movements, alternating between his spear and sword to prevent Vergel from finding an opening.
However, the sword he was holding was already beginning to develop cracks. Each collision with the black blade worsened the damage, and Enrico realized that he wouldn't be able to keep using it much longer.
"Looks like that sword won't last much longer, human."
Vergel raised his own weapon and delivered a vertical slash. The black blade descended with crushing force, consuming the flames surrounding Enrico's sword and destroying what remained of its resistance. Enrico had to leap backward and abandon the weapon before the impact struck him directly.
The sword crumbled into ashes, leaving him without his second weapon.
Without wasting time lamenting his loss, Enrico gripped the spear with both hands and concentrated fire magic along its shaft.
"High-Temperature Blade."
The flames spread across the metal, merging with the weapon's surface until they formed a reddish-orange edge, intense enough to illuminate his fingers.
Despite his new preparations, Enrico knew he needed to change his strategy.
'This won't work. I need a plan.'
He stomped hard on the ground and charged at Vergel, beginning a fierce sequence of attacks. His movements were so fast that three consecutive cracks echoed through the corridor, accompanied by an explosion that shook the walls.
Vergel dodged the first strike, twisting his body to avoid the spear's tip. On the second, he managed to block the attack with his black sword, causing the two weapons to collide violently. However, when he prepared to counterattack, Enrico altered the spear's trajectory at the last instant.
The third strike pierced the prince's defense and penetrated his armor, opening a deep cut. The incandescent tip left a trail of red light in the air before passing through Vergel's body.
"What...?"
For a brief moment, Vergel couldn't understand what had happened. He only realized the danger when he felt the wound and saw Enrico's magic still spreading through the affected area.
His smile disappeared.
Fire and shadows mingled around his body, forming a black flash. The energy released by the explosion struck Enrico and sent him flying away, forcing him to halt his advance before he could take advantage of the wound to continue attacking.
"Huff... Huff... Just as I thought, it wasn't enough. If I use my strongest move now, it'll be the same as asking to be killed."
[This guy is tougher than I thought.]
"Huff... Whose fault do you think that is?"
The two stared at each other as they retreated a few steps, trying to catch their breath. The corridor where they had begun fighting practically no longer existed. The walls were destroyed, the floor had been torn open in several places, and rubble covered the space between the opponents.
Even while wounded, Vergel seemed satisfied. He ran a hand over his mouth and wiped away the black blood trickling from his lips, keeping his eyes fixed on Enrico.
"Excellent... Show me more power, so we can burn throughout the entire night!"
Enrico maintained a neutral expression and pointed at the prince, as if he were about to make a perfectly serious observation.
"I'm sorry, but if I had to choose a type of man, I'd prefer someone more feminine."
Vergel's smile disappeared, and his expression also became neutral.
"Really? If you want, I can transform into a woman so we can continue."
Enrico brought a hand to his chin, displaying an interest that seemed completely genuine.
"Interesting. Tell me more."
The person behind the System seemed to spit out the drink they were having, unable to bear that absurd conversation in the middle of such a dangerous battle.
[Enrico, stop fooling around and see if you can win this fight already!]
Enrico's face took on an expression of profound disappointment, as if he had just lost a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. He sighed and turned his eyes back to the prince.
"I'm sorry, Prince, but a killjoy has shown up. It seems we won't be able to continue."
Vergel merely nodded, maintaining the same neutral expression, as if he perfectly understood the situation.
"That's a shame... Burn My Damage!"
The black flames surrounding Vergel's sword immediately spread across the wound on his chest. The fire consumed the edges of the deep cut, and the wound began to close before Enrico's eyes. Within a few moments, the prince had recovered much of his condition, as if he had ordered his own magic to destroy the damage he had suffered.
'Damn it, I want that sword so badly! But only someone with black fire magic can use it.'
[I'm very sad about that.]
Enrico was still thinking about the possibility of obtaining that weapon when a terrifying magical pressure emanated from Vergel's body. The intensity of the power immediately changed his expression. The prince had made it clear that he still had much more to show, and that energy was proof that the fight was about to become even more dangerous.
Enrico covered his body with mana and retreated, adopting a defensive stance. He enjoyed fighting, facing powerful opponents, and evolving during battles, but he wasn't foolish enough to ignore the risk of dying.
"Where do you think you're going? I know you still have much more to show!"
Vergel's voice came from behind him.
Enrico's eyes widened when he realized that the prince had crossed the distance between them and appeared behind him, his sword already raised to deliver the next blow.
There wasn't enough time to escape completely.
The black blade descended, and an explosion of devastating energy spread through the corridor, obliterating everything in its path. Pieces of stone were hurled in every direction, and the already damaged section of the structure was completely destroyed, opening an even larger hole amid the rubble.
"Obliteration Slash!"
The power of that attack was absurd. Few beings inside the dungeon would be capable of withstanding a technique of that magnitude without suffering severe consequences. For the weaker Nartheis, simply being struck by the destructive wave would be enough to reduce their bodies to fragments.
One of Vergel's subordinates, who was nearby, witnessed the explosion and believed that everything was over. Smoke covered the corridor, preventing him from seeing what remained of the area. However, before he could confirm the intruder's death, he felt something tightening around his neck.
The Nartheis froze for a moment, overcome with fear. When the smoke began to dissipate slowly, he managed to make out a figure behind him. Enrico was covered in wounds, his body visibly battered by the attack, but he was still standing.
The human tightened his grip around the subordinate's neck and kept him under control, preventing any attempt to escape. Then, before the frightened Nartheis's eyes, his appearance began to change. The features of his face shifted, his body structure adjusted, and little by little, he assumed the exact appearance of the one he had captured.
"Sorry, but I'm going to borrow your appearance."