What kind of level was that? As far as Victoria knew, Enrico was supposed to be at Circle Three, just like her. However, the strength he had just demonstrated seemed to surpass even the level of a Circle Four user, the rank Deymon had just reached.
"How...? This guy really..."
"I want you to do something for me."
Victoria's eyes widened. Without her noticing, someone had grabbed her by the shirt and brought her right in front of Deymon and Nivren. Looking at the hand holding her, she recognized Enrico. The boy had appeared beside her and transported her there in an instant, without giving her even the chance to react.
"You'll deal with that Nartheis while I take care of Deymon."
Victoria was extremely confused by the order. A slight sweat trickled down her face, although she herself didn't seem to realize just how nervous she was.
"... Why don't you finish him off yourself? Your level seems to be higher than theirs."
Enrico briefly glanced to the side before turning his attention back to the opponents in front of him.
"I have personal matters to settle with Deymon. So make sure you don't become useless, Rank 1."
After putting her down, Enrico turned his attention back to the two opponents in front of him and took a step forward. Deymon and Nivren immediately assumed fighting stances, preparing for the next attack.
"Let's go somewhere else."
Suddenly, Deymon felt a hand grab his face. Before he could even react, Enrico had already seized his arm and begun dragging him along the ground without showing the slightest effort.
The force applied was so absurd that everything they encountered along the way was destroyed. The dragging only stopped when Enrico violently hurled Deymon directly into the center of the city square.
"No one will bother us here. After all, this is the least crowded square."
Deymon brought his hand to his face, touching the spot where Enrico had grabbed him. A few scratches marked his skin, but what truly bothered him wasn't the pain. It was the humiliation of having been treated that way, as if he were someone completely incapable of putting up a fight. A growing fury took hold of his chest.
Before him, Enrico tilted his head slightly to the side, maintaining the same indifferent expression.
"Come on, Deymon. Show me that power you wanted so badly to present to the world. I want to see what your Corruption Magic is capable of."
"You'll regret this!"
Deymon brought his hand to his chest and activated the core embedded in his body. The object began to spin, absorbing the mana in the surroundings. His hair floated even more intensely, and a black aura erupted around his body.
Pushing off the ground, he charged violently toward Enrico.
"Corrupted Hands!"
Grabbing Enrico by the arm, Deymon hurled him against the ground. He then created ten black spheres and repeatedly launched them at the same spot, causing a series of explosions.
Leaping into the air, he concentrated an enormous amount of corrupted mana and unleashed all of its power upon his opponent, causing an even greater explosion.
"Poisonous Corruption!"
Deymon then descended with a violent kick against Enrico and released the mana accumulated in his body. The force of the impact sent the boy flying toward the place where Victoria was standing.
He had done it on purpose. He wanted to demonstrate that, just as Enrico had treated him earlier, he could also throw him from one side to another as if he were a simple piece of cloth.
'I'll kill him!'
Increasing his own speed, Deymon pursued Enrico's body while it was still flying through the air. His staff began concentrating another attack, which he launched directly at his opponent's abdomen. The mana explosion struck Enrico head-on.
'I won't even give him time to think...'
Without allowing any pause, Deymon prepared another blow and fired a second spell, this time aimed at Enrico's face.
However, the boy, who until that moment had received every attack without reacting, twisted his body in midair and let the magic pass beside him. In the same movement, his leg struck Deymon's head with absurd force, making his brain shake inside his skull.
'What was that?!'
Deymon lost strength in his legs and his balance, beginning to fall backward. Before he hit the ground, however, Enrico grabbed his body and punched him directly in the face. The impact caved in part of his face and broke several of his teeth.
"Deymon, you're wasting my time. Hurry up and show me the power of your Corruption Magic!"
Even with those empty eyes, there was an obvious expression of anger and contempt on Enrico's face. This made Deymon bite his own lips so hard that they began to bleed.
"Why is it always you who makes me feel so inferior?! You damn bastard!"
Absorbing even more mana from his surroundings, Deymon began pushing his body's limits. His physical structure was already showing signs that it wouldn't be able to withstand such an enormous amount of magic.
"I'll kill you, you bastard."
However, before Deymon could unleash even more power and end up destroying his own body due to the overload, Enrico, without even realizing the danger, shoved one hand into his mouth, interrupting his attempt.
"You know, you talk too much. So, to help you fight better, let's get rid of that tongue of yours."
Deymon felt terrible pain as Enrico pulled his hand back, ripping out his tongue completely. He immediately brought his hands to his bloodied mouth, trying to rely on the regeneration provided by his transformation. He just needed more magic. He was sure of it. If he could absorb a greater amount, he would be able to restore his body and turn the situation around.
"It seems you still haven't realized..."
Confused, Deymon had no time to react. Enrico kicked him directly in the knee, crushing the joint and deforming his leg. Immediately afterward, he shoved a finger beneath his chin, grabbed his jaw, and slammed his head against the ground, cracking the surface.
"AAAAAHHHHH!"
"Looks like you managed to regenerate your tongue, didn't you? That's fine. I'll just rip it out again."
With dark eyes, Enrico punched Deymon in the ribs. The brute force was enough to pierce his body, making him shudder in pain. Then, a series of blows struck his face, which began to become completely disfigured by the power of each punch.
It was then that Deymon noticed something terrifying and humiliating about that fight.
"WHY?! WHY AREN'T YOU USING MAGIC?!"
Enrico held his head with both hands and drove his knee into the middle of his face. The impact broke his nose and caved in part of his skull. His eyes, which already had a dark appearance, seemed even emptier.
"Does trash at your level deserve to make me use magic?"
With his pride completely crushed, Deymon tried to cross his arms to protect himself from the next knee strike. However, Enrico hit his guard with such force that both arms were broken. His knee continued forward and struck his face again, crushing his nose even further into his skull.
[Temporary Pact: Mana for Physical Strength]
[The user can receive a mana sacrifice seal, completely emptying their reserves to access the Perfect Body. In this state, the user reaches the peak of their current body's physical capabilities and can enhance them to the extreme.]
[The user can only make two exchanges per day: one to access the Perfect Body and another to return to their normal state. The maximum usage time is five minutes. If the user fails to make the exchange within this period, they will be unable to use magic for an entire year.]
This ability was supposed to allow Enrico to reach the level of a Circle Four user at his physical peak, considering the natural capabilities of his body. However, that body was one of the two best in the world, alongside Victoria's. For that reason, even while at Circle Three, Enrico had managed to reach the physical level of a Circle Five user.
The major limitation was that he couldn't use any amount of mana while in that state.
The disadvantages were considerable. Even though he had reached the level of a Circle Five user, if he failed to make the second exchange within the established time limit, he would lose an entire year of magical training. This would keep him stuck at that physical level, even if he dedicated that entire period to developing his circle. It might take four to six years for his body to finally reach the level of a Circle Six user.
Another problem was that, even if his body had evolved to reach the physical capabilities of a Circle Five mage, that didn't mean that, upon advancing to higher Circles, he would continue maintaining a two-Circle advantage. After all, the difference in power between each Circle increased progressively, making every advancement much more significant than the previous one.
"GET AWAY FROM ME, YOU BASTARD!"
In desperation, Deymon released an explosion of mana using the maximum amount of energy he could still control. The discharge managed to push Enrico away and inflict some damage to his chest.
However, at that moment, Deymon could no longer think about anything other than escaping.
'I need to run! If I can survive, I'll be able to come back in the future and...'
His thought was interrupted before he could even take his first step. Enrico's fist struck his face with brutal force, smashing it against the ground.
Without giving him time to react, the boy raised his hand and delivered another blow, this time with his palm extended, as if he were wielding a blade. The movement pierced Deymon's face, cutting through his nose and continuing until it reached approximately halfway through his head.
Enrico slowly withdrew his hand, showing no haste.
"What happened? Show me how far Corruption Magic can go! Isn't that why you did all this? Is your magic really that useless?"
"Shut up..."
He stepped on Deymon's chest, driving his foot deep into his body. Blood spread across the ground, and the pain sent the boy into a state of shock. But that was far from the end. Immediately afterward, Enrico began striking several vital points throughout his body, causing even more suffering.
"Stop... AAAAHHHHH!"
Tears of blood streamed down Deymon's face. He could barely breathe anymore, and each new blow seemed to turn that fight into a true hell. He felt his bones breaking one after another, while Enrico took care not to kill him.
"Stop? First, answer a question. Who was responsible for coming up with this plan? Was it someone named Jago?"
Deymon's eyes opened slightly. His reaction alone was enough to confirm Enrico's suspicions. As if he had found one last opportunity to escape that situation, he began preparing to answer, moving his bloodied mouth.
"Yes... It was him... This plan was his idea... So... the only thing I ask... is that you at least kill me... quickly..."
Deymon received a punch to the stomach before he could finish. The impact made him spit blood, some of which splashed onto Enrico's face.
"What are you talking about? You want me to kill you quickly? I still have one minute to make you suffer."
To Deymon, who could barely keep his eyes open anymore, Enrico looked like a true monster. The boy raised his fist again and landed a deep blow to his skull. Then another. And another.
His punches continued striking Deymon without interruption, while the system tried to get his attention.
[Enrico, I know you're angry, and so am I, but calm down. If you fight Jago, I don't believe you'll be able to do anything against him, even if you maintain this level of power.]
'Don't worry. I have a plan.'
Enrico grabbed Deymon's arm and began pulling it with brute force. With a violent movement, he tore it off completely, making the traitor let out another agonizing scream. For a brief moment, Enrico shifted his eyes to the left with an expression of contempt, as if the scream were nothing more than the annoying buzz of an insect near his ear.
Then he raised his eyes to the sky and spoke his next words, preparing his fist for another blow.
'Hey, you damn Nartheis inside me... I know you're watching everything. So, how about we make a deal? Just for today?'