Something felt strange when the human in front of them stopped stretching. Before, he had a calm look and a hint of excitement at fighting all five of them, but now he looked at them with a certain indifference—at least, that's what the completely white Nartheis noticed. On top of that, those black and golden eyes observed them as if evaluating them.
"You're too weak for me to take with me"
"Human—"
"Rispe, calm down"
Before the humanoid fox could finish speaking, the white being extended its hand toward Enrico, concentrating magic at the tip. It felt a similarity between this human's presence and that of the Nartheis, so it had to verify.
'Let's see if you're a Nartheis'
The mana pressure in the air changed the instant the white hand extended. The ice around them creaked—not from cold, but from distortion. His mana wasn't being released normally; it was being compressed into a single point, as if trying to pierce something invisible.
'As I thought… weak'
Enrico didn't move aside. The panther moved his body before the attack even finished forming. The ground exploded beneath his feet as he advanced in a straight line, shattering the frozen snow. The distance vanished in an instant, and his hand was already on the white being's face before the magic could be released. No technique—just force. The white head snapped backward, and the entire body was dragged dozens of meters, crashing through a frozen house and only stopping upon hitting the mountain.
For a second, everything fell silent.
Then the other four moved at the same time, rage in their eyes. The bear charged forward, crushing the ground with each step. The fox vanished and reappeared beside Enrico with ice forming in its hands. The seven-horned one raised its arm, gathering heavy mana, and the boy was already behind him.
"Devour"
Enrico turned his body naturally, his hand slicing through the air as he activated Devour. There was no glow, no sound—only emptiness. The fox froze mid-motion. Its body trembled for a moment, as if something had been pulled from within, and then it began to disappear, completely consumed without leaving a trace.
"What is that?"
The boy instinctively stepped back, but it was too late. Enrico was already in front of him, and his fist pierced through the chest without resistance. The void opened inside the Nartheis's body and consumed it rapidly. Half of it vanished before he could react, and the rest was swallowed soon after.
"Damn human"
The bear arrived with a heavy attack, trying to crush Enrico, but missed—because Enrico was already below it, gripping the monster's paw. The ice around them cracked under the pressure as Devour activated again, this time slower. The bear's arm began to disappear from the tip, pulled into the void. The monster tried to resist but couldn't. The void pulled harder, consuming the arm, the shoulder, and soon the entire body until nothing remained.
"With that, only two left"
The seven-horned one finally released its magic. An absurd mass of mana descended like physical pressure. The air grew heavy, and the ground sank. Enrico raised his gaze and mixed fire with deep water in the palm of his hand. The energy didn't explode—it condensed, forming a short blade that vibrated between extreme heat and water.
"Boiling Blade"
He took a step, ignoring the pressure trying to hold him, and passed through the attack. The blade cut through the Nartheis's body without resistance. For a second, nothing happened—then the effect appeared. The body began to boil and freeze at the same time. Cracks spread as vapor and ice emerged together. Before it could react, Devour activated, and the entire body was pulled into the void. He looked at his own hand, clenching it into a fist before turning back.
"Now only you remain"
Only the last one remained—the white being, still alive, half its body destroyed but slowly regenerating. In its eyes now was hesitation, and in its movements, extreme caution.
"This really is a presence similar to a Nartheis"
"What a surprise, you noticed"
Enrico walked toward it without hurry. The silence around them was broken only by the wind. The Nartheis tried to speak again, perhaps attempting an alliance judging by its expression, but couldn't finish. Enrico's hand touched its face, and for a moment nothing happened. Then the void appeared again, stronger than before, pulling everything at once. The white being tried to resist. The space around them distorted, even the snow began to be sucked in. The ground cracked, and the mountain trembled slightly—but it was useless. The body began to disappear little by little—first the face, then the neck, and the rest of the body—until absolutely nothing remained.
"Well, even if they were weak, they can still be useful"
Silence returned completely.
Enrico stopped his next step as he tried to walk and let out a sigh. His eyes returned to normal. He breathed once as if nothing had happened, looked around seeing only destroyed snow and ice, then turned his attention back to the line of fire still connected to the ice. The mana was almost complete. He simply sat down to wait while, inside him, the energy of the five was slowly absorbed—without waste, as if they had never existed.
"You're clever for interfering with my plan"
'I knew you had something in mind'
With a snort, the panther relinquished control so Enrico could take over again. Its plan had been to use Enrico's body when his mind would be inside another body in the true dungeon. In the original story, it was explained that while the mind took over a new body, the original remained somewhere in a mental space within the user's own mind. The panther had intended to use that to create opportunities to take over his body in the future. Since the body would be unoccupied, it would be the perfect moment.
[Good job]
Back in control, Enrico placed his hands on the ground and lay down. He couldn't let that Nartheis take control of his body during those two months—it would be dangerous. That was why he allowed it to take over now. Of course, they were beings who, in some way, followed the same path—he was certain of that.
'I know… I just can't shake this strange feeling that I can't fully trust him'