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"So you're the divine bird, Caladrius."
Edgar looked up at the sky and spoke calmly. "Your information checks out. You're qualified to become a pet of my retinue."
What filled his vision was a massive white bird, wings spread wide enough to blot out the sky. Its feathers were pure as snow, flawless and radiant.
Its face carried an air of solemn authority, as if it wore a jet-black mask, radiating a sense of sacredness that forbade any disrespect.
In Edgar's eyes, this so-called divine bird was unquestionably a genuine Demon King–tier existence.
And more than that, its aura was fundamentally different from the monsters he had encountered in this world.
Its very existence lived up to the name "divine beast."
"Interesting. You weren't affected by my trial of the mind at all. That makes things a bit troublesome."
The divine bird studied Edgar, hesitation flashing briefly in its eyes.
In that case…
Did this person count as having passed the test, or not?
Edgar smiled. "Why is it troublesome? When you get down to it, that's your own problem."
"You set up these trials because you wanted a master whose body and mind were both strong, didn't you?"
"And the fact that your power couldn't affect me at all already answers that question."
Hearing this, the divine bird nodded thoughtfully.
"You're right. That does make sense."
But then it examined Edgar more closely, its expression suddenly changing.
"Wait."
"You're not a demon. You're not any known race either. Just who are you, exactly?"
"So what if I'm not a demon?" Edgar replied. "Does that really matter?"
"Of course it matters."
The divine bird shook its head. "I will only form a contract with demons. No one else."
"So, regrettably, you should leave."
Edgar sighed. "That won't do. I don't really care, but my followers would be heartbroken."
"If it comes to it, I'll just have to force you to submit."
The moment those words left his mouth, the divine bird's gaze turned icy.
"Unknown race, that joke isn't funny at all."
"I'm not joking."
Edgar met its eyes, his own expression cooling.
So many pointless rules.
He had already taken in a star spirit. One more wouldn't make a difference.
"Hahaha! Interesting. If you think you can defeat me, then go ahead and try."
The divine bird burst out laughing.
But beneath the laughter was seething rage.
Make it submit?
What a joke.
It was the divine bird Caladrius.
Even a Demon King wouldn't dare act so insolently before it.
This time, it would teach this man a lesson he would never forget.
Boom!
A terrifying aura erupted as the divine bird shot forward like a falling meteor, carrying overwhelming force straight at Edgar.
Bang!
The surrounding air rippled visibly.
A raging shockwave tore through the land, shredding the ground with ease.
The divine bird's expression changed in shock as it realized that its charge had been stopped by Edgar's magic barrier.
And not only that, the barrier hadn't even wavered from start to finish.
How was that possible?
Poison was what it excelled at most, but its physical strength was by no means weak.
Otherwise, what right did it have to set trials of both body and mind?
But Edgar's magic…
It was terrifying beyond belief.
"That's it?"
Edgar's voice sounded, and before the divine bird could react, it saw a fist rapidly filling its vision.
Bang!
A single punch slammed straight into its face.
The sheer force caused the air to explode.
Its massive body was sent flying uncontrollably, smashing a gaping hole through a distant palace.
"Cough… cough…"
It spat out a mouthful of blood, staring at the approaching Edgar with shock and fury mixed together.
"That was just a greeting. You'd better think carefully about what you're going to do next."
Edgar spoke with a faint, knowing smile.
To him, an ordinary Demon King–tier opponent was simply not enough.
"Damn it. Don't look down on me!"
With a furious roar, countless white feathers shot out, blanketing the space toward Edgar.
Every single feather was infused with deadly poison.
If this were the outside world, that poison alone would be enough to wipe out an entire nation.
Facing all of this, Edgar didn't dodge or retreat. He merely raised one hand slightly.
The Demon Spear, Infinite Magic Barrage.
The instant the Demon Spear manifested, countless magic bullets tore through the sky to meet the attack head-on.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Feathers and magic collided as if hundreds, even thousands, of shells were detonating at once, filling the air with deafening explosions.
Howling shockwaves and clouds of smoke swept through every corner of the battlefield.
In the next moment, the feathers shattered into fragments.
Endless magic bullets slammed into the divine bird, detonating violently.
Under the overwhelming force, its pristine white feathers were soaked in blood.
"Ahhh!"
As it screamed in agony, terror suddenly seized it.
Edgar's figure had vanished.
Then, instinctively, it looked up.
Edgar was already above its head, falling straight down.
Boom!
An unimaginable force crashed over its body, as if an entire mountain were pressing down on it.
It couldn't resist at all. Dragged from the sky, it plummeted and smashed into the palace below.
"How can the gap in power be this huge…"
The divine bird was filled with disbelief.
It had thought that even if Edgar was stronger, its own deadly poison would at least give it a fighting chance.
Now it realized how naive that thought had been.
The difference between them might not even be on the same plane of existence.
Almost instinctively, it began to struggle.
Terrifying magic surged, mixed with lethal poison, spreading violently in all directions.
No matter how it struggled, even as the poison corroded the surrounding palace into nothingness, it could not penetrate Edgar's magical defense.
The raw power of its magic couldn't shake Edgar in the slightest.
In the next moment, the divine bird stopped struggling.
A pitch-black gun barrel was pressed against its head.
"So. Submission or death. Pick one."
The divine bird fell silent for a moment before speaking.
"Powerful one of an unknown race, I can give you my egg."
"Consider it an apology for offending you. What do you think?"
As it finished speaking, a crystal-clear egg appeared before Edgar.
"Don't underestimate this egg. It will grow according to your magic and your spirit."
"What kind of form it takes when it hatches will depend entirely on you."
"Believe me, this is absolutely a priceless treasure."
The divine bird spoke carefully, doing its best to emphasize the egg's value.
Edgar took the egg into his arms and replied calmly, "I want the egg, and I want you too."
"…"
The divine bird's mouth twitched, falling silent once more.
But sensing the gathering power within the Demon Spear, panic finally set in.
This man truly didn't care about killing it.
Quickly, the divine bird said, "Honored master, from now on I will be your servant."
As it spoke, it tried to form a contract, but Edgar interrupted it.
"Forget it. I'm not interested in you."
"Sign a contract with my follower instead."
The divine bird froze in place, wondering if it had misheard.
But when it met Edgar's serious gaze, it didn't dare say a word in protest.
It could only nod, feeling utterly humiliated.
"Fine. I'll awaken the two of them right now."
Before it could even act, however, Eve and Akame slowly opened their eyes.
"…"
Just what kind of monsters were these people, anyway?
"..."
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