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Esdeath didn't hesitate for a second when she agreed to Edgar's offer.
No doubt.No delay.Even if there wasn't a deal on the table—Even if that whole "contract" thing didn't exist—The strong have the right to dominate the weak.
And here, in front of Edgar...
She was the weak one.
Plus, she was the type to follow her desires, no matter what her morals said.Giving herself completely to this demon?She didn't feel the slightest bit of resistance.
"Then from now on, both your soul and body belong entirely to me,"Edgar said with a sly smile tugging at his lips.
After everything he'd done, he'd finally claimed a top-tier subordinate.
Not bad. Not bad at all.
Esdeath nodded and asked curiously,
"So what do I need to do?""Are we signing another contract or something?"
Edgar shook his head.
"I'm going to perform a reincarnation ritual—turn you into a demon. That's how you'll become my servant."
"A demon...?"Esdeath paused for a second.
Then her eyes lit up.
Didn't that mean she'd get even stronger?
She looked at Edgar, eager.
"Got it. So what do I do next?"
A demon transformation ritual, huh...This was starting to sound pretty exciting.
"First, take off your outer clothes," Edgar said casually.
Esdeath blinked, a bit confused.Did she hear that right?
After a moment of silence, she moved slowly, then held her outer coat in her arms and asked,
"Like this? Is that enough?"
Edgar looked her over and nodded.
"Yeah. Leave the rest to me."
As he spoke, he slowly reached out his hand.
No way...No way—
Esdeath's cheeks flushed bright red.
This... This is the ritual?
She wasn't ready for this at all!
They just met! What if this demon thought she was some kind of shameless woman?
Should she act more reserved? Pull back a little?
Before she could finish spiraling, Edgar extended his index finger and squeezed out a few drops of golden blood.
"Esdeath? What's wrong?"His tone was casual, but something about her expression was weird.
She was totally overthinking this, wasn't she?
"N-Nothing..."Esdeath's body tensed as her face burned with embarrassment.
She'd totally misunderstood...
So embarrassing.
Edgar just shook his head and dropped the blood onto her skin.
The second it touched her, a searing heat shot through her body.Her pupils narrowed in response.
As the ritual progressed, strange glowing symbols began to form midair.
Thump.
Esdeath trembled as the sound of her heartbeat echoed through the tent.
It felt like something inside her was about to explode.
At the same time, glowing lines of data began appearing on her skin:
[Name: Esdeath]
[Race: Demon]
[Master: Edgar Lucifergus]
[Level: LV39]
[Skill: Absolute Zero]
[Absolute Zero: Master-level control over ice powers—beyond human limits.]
"Level 39, huh..."Edgar nodded to himself, satisfied.
As expected of Esdeath.
She had just become a demon, and she was already near the upper limit for high-class demons.
Then his eyes locked onto her skill:
"Absolute Zero..."
His gaze sharpened with interest.
No matter what it really did, anything with a name like that definitely wasn't simple.
And honestly, it fit Esdeath's vibe perfectly.
But even more important...
Edgar summoned his own status panel:
[Name: Edgare Lucifergus]
[Race: Primordial Demon]
[Level: LV54]
[Authority: Primordial Demon Transformation]
[Servants: Grayfia, Shiho Miyano, Akemi Miyano, Esdeath]
[Skills: Demon Contract, Demon Summon, Infinite Mana, Magic Heart, Magic Gunner, Demon Lance, Demon Mask, Absolute Zero]
There were a few noticeable changes.
For one, Esdeath had been added to his list of subordinates.
And he had a new skill—Absolute Zero—now among his own abilities.
More importantly, his level had gone up significantly.
This was the value of a high-quality servant.
Meanwhile, the ritual had come to an end.
Esdeath stood frozen, feeling the power now flowing through her new body.
This must've been the same energy Edgar had just used on her.
Besides that, her back and tailbone were starting to itch.
If she had to guess...
Probably wings and a tail. Demon-style.
At that moment, Edgar handed her a document.
"What's this?"She accepted it without thinking, looking a little confused.
"Your status screen," Edgar explained simply.
Esdeath gave a nod and began studying it seriously.
LV39.
According to her master, that meant she was now a high-ranking demon.
So even among demons, her power wasn't weak.
Her eyes flashed with determination.
She had a goal now.
And she'd keep climbing higher.
Then her gaze dropped down to the skill:[Absolute Zero]
"So that's why I feel so much more in tune with my ice abilities."
Esdeath read through the description and felt a wave of excitement.
Even though she'd just been reborn as a demon...
Her power had already multiplied several times over.
"Thank you, Master, for granting me this power."Esdeath dropped to one knee, looking up at Edgar with deep reverence.
"You really are obsessed with getting stronger, huh..."Edgar smirked, a mysterious gleam in his eyes.
"In that case—"
"—I've got another way to make you even stronger."
The moment he said that, Esdeath's eyes lit up.
"Then please, Master," she said, voice full of anticipation."Make me stronger."
But as soon as she finished speaking...
She realized Edgar was suddenly standing very close.
"???"
She blinked, confused.
Wait a minute...
Something felt off—
Mmph—
Her lips were suddenly sealed.
She felt like her entire body had turned to dough, and Edgar was kneading her straight into himself.
Then—
A strange, intense sensation hit her.Hot. Solid. Overwhelming.
Th-th-th-this...
A flash of panic crossed Esdeath's face. Her mind flooded with emotion, too much to process.
She forgot her name.
She forgot where she was.
Right now, the only thing she knew—
Was that she belonged to her Master.
And she would give him everything she had, as his loyal servant.
Edgar's eyes grew serious.
He poured everything he had into helping Esdeath grow stronger.
"..."
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