When Avaris opened his eyes, a chilling transformation swept over him. His once warm gaze turned as black as the abyss, his hair shifting to a deep shade of midnight, and his aura exuded a palpable menace that seemed to suffuse the very air around him. In that moment, he was no longer just Avaris, but something far darker and more primal.

Without hesitation, Avaris shot towards Niccoli with alarming speed, his movement causing a rift in the air itself. Within the span of a blink, he had reached Niccoli, his hand closing around the lich's throat in a vice-like grip. Time seemed to freeze as the suffocating necrotic magic that had engulfed the area ceased, leaving an eerie stillness in its wake.

Niccoli struggled against Avaris's hold, his eyes wide with panic as he gasped for air. Despite his formidable powers, he was helpless in the grip of Avaris's newfound strength. Each desperate attempt to break free only seemed to tighten Avaris's grip, his expression impassive as he held Niccoli firmly in place.

The scene was surreal, almost ethereal, as though frozen in time. The surrounding chaos of battle seemed to fade into the background, leaving only Avaris and Niccoli locked in a deadly embrace. The air crackled with tension, the atmosphere heavy with the weight of impending doom.

"Y-You! What are you doing? How can you withstand my magic? Why can't I use my magic?" Niccoli struggled, his voice strained with disbelief and frustration.

On the sidelines, Leonel and the others watched in astonishment as Avaris floated in the air, his grip on Niccoli's neck unyielding.

In that moment, their concern shifted from Niccoli to Avaris. There was something about him that sent shivers down their spines, an aura of power and menace that seemed to emanate from his very being.

Avaris's smile widened, revealing rows of sharp teeth, and multiple horns sprouted from his head, his skin turning dark. "You think that I'm weak just because I don't like to use my powers? You believe that we fear you because we left you alone? You think you can defeat us, Lord Azazel and his warlords?" Avaris's voice dripped with disdain as he addressed Niccoli.

"Then let me tell you right now. We left you alone because you don't pose a threat to us. Not one of us. Any time, we can kill you," he continued, his tone laced with malice.

Niccoli forced a twisted smile, his eyes flashing with defiance. "You think you can scare me? I'm the one who's doing the scaring here! I am Niccoli Ven Faust, the greatest magic user in all of the Netherworld!"

Avaris's gaze narrowed to slits, his expression darkening. "Looks like I'll have to remind you why we were the strongest in the first place."

Dark veins snaked out from Niccoli's skin, crawling into Avaris's hand. With a grimace, Niccoli choked and growled, but he could neither move nor breathe as Avaris's grip tightened.

Niccoli's face turned ashen, drained of life, as the dark energy consumed him from within. With each passing moment, Niccoli's struggles grew weaker until he lay motionless in Avaris's grasp, his eyes wide with disbelief.

And then, with a swift and decisive motion, Avaris unleashed a surge of dark energy, channeling it directly into Niccoli's body. The lich convulsed violently as the necrotic energy tore through him, reducing him to nothing but a smoldering husk.

With a final gasp, Niccoli's struggles ceased, his lifeless eyes staring up at Avaris in mute disbelief. "Know your place, you maggot," Avaris hissed, his voice dripping with contempt as he crushed Niccoli's neck with a casual flick of his wrist.

Niccoli crumpled to dust, the surrounding area returning to its original form as the chaos subsided.

Leonel and the others were immediately transported out of the castle, while the Ven Faust mansion began to crumble around them. Undead and spectral beings fled the crumbling structure in a frantic rush to escape.

"What . . . what just happened?" Isolde muttered, her voice filled with confusion.

"I . . . I do not know," Leonel replied, his mind still reeling from the sudden turn of events.

Roz followed the conversation with bewilderment etched on his face.

"Hey! You filthy mortals down there!" Avaris thundered, pointing an accusing finger at Leonel and the others.

Startled, Leonel, Roz, and Isolde looked up to see Avaris descending with a smirk on his face. But something was different. Avaris appeared shorter, almost childlike, and his once ashen skin had darkened. His golden hair turned dark, and his eyes gleamed with an eerie darkness. Multiple intimidating horns sprouted from his head.

"Ahahaha! I see that you're still alive, mortals! Now come, venerate me! I am the warlord of greed. In exchange for your lives, what do you offer me?" Avaris's voice echoed with a sinister tone.

Leonel and the others exchanged wary glances.

"Is he right in the head?" Roz asked, his voice tinged with concern.

"It looks like he has changed," Leonel observed.

"A good whacking might bring him back to his senses," Isolde said, her hand hovering over her gun.

Avaris's face darkened. "Filthy mortals, how dare you raise your weapons against me? Lord Azazel and the others might have welcomed you, but you're still just weak mortals. A good beating will put you in your place!"

"W-wait . . ." Leonel took a step back, confusion evident in his voice. "Are we going to fight him next? What's going on here? This isn't what Ren told us."

The warlords were supposed to aid them, not turn against them!

"Hey! Avaris, calm down!" Leonel attempted to reason, but Avaris merely unleashed raw primal magic from within his body.

"We're not leaving here until I've hammered in your bones who you're dealing talking to!" Avaris shouted, his voice echoing with menace.

"He's like Niccoli," Isolde commented, and Roz nodded in agreement.

"Stop insulting him and do something to bring him back to his senses!" Leonel urged.

"Pay for your sins!" Avaris bellowed, dark energy forming around his hands. "Shadow Vi–Augh!"

Before he could finish his sentence, however, Avaris collapsed to the ground, his form reverting to the Avaris they knew. Lethargia stood behind him, still yawning.

"Good . . . I knocked him in time . . . ," she mumbled sleepily.

She then looked at Leonel and the others with half-closed eyes. "You're lucky . . . I woke up from Avaris's dark aura . . . or you would have . . . di . . ."

After barely finishing her words, Lethargia collapsed back onto the ground, snoring softly.

Leonel and the others exchanged bewildered glances, their mouths agape. Just what had happened?