"So you are the Divine Bird Caladrius."
Linde looked up at the sky, speaking indifferently: "Good information, qualified to become my Retainer's pet."
What met his eyes.
Was a bird whose wings spread out to cover the sky and sun, its entire body as white as snow.
On its majestic face, it seemed to wear a jet-black mask, giving it a sacred and inviolable feeling.
In his opinion, this Divine Bird was definitely a genuine Demon Lord Rank.
Moreover, its aura had a fundamental difference from the monsters of this world that he had encountered.
Perhaps its very existence truly lived up to the name of a divine beast.
"Interesting, you weren't affected by my mental trial. This is indeed a bit troublesome."
The Divine Bird observed Linde, a flicker of hesitation in its eyes.
In that case.
Did the other party really pass its test?
Linde smiled: "Why troublesome? Ultimately, it's your own problem."
"Isn't the very purpose of you setting up the trial to find a master who is equally strong in both mind and body?"
"And your power couldn't even affect me, which already explains a lot."
Hearing Linde's words, the Divine Bird nodded thoughtfully.
"Indeed, what you said makes a lot of sense."
Then, it began to scrutinize Linde, its expression subtly changing: "Wait a minute."
"You, you are not a demon, nor are you any known race. What exactly are you?"
"What, does it matter if I'm not a demon?"
"Of course it matters."
The Divine Bird shook its head and said, "Aside from demons, I will not form a contract with anyone."
"Though it's a shame, please leave."
Linde said helplessly, "That won't do. I don't care, but my Retainers/Subordinates would be sad."
"If it comes down to it, I'll just have to forcibly subdue you."
As soon as these words were spoken, the Divine Bird's gaze turned cold: "Unknown race, that joke isn't funny at all."
"No, I'm serious."
Linde stared into its eyes, his own gaze growing cold.
Where did all these ridiculous rules come from?
He had already taken in the Star Spirit.
One more wouldn't make a difference.
"Hahaha, interesting. If you can defeat me, then by all means, give it a try."
The Divine Bird burst out laughing.
But its laughter was filled with rage.
Make it submit?
What a joke.
It was the Divine Bird Caladrius.
Even a Demon Lord Rank couldn't be so presumptuous in front of it.
This time.
It would teach the person before it a lesson it would never forget.
Boom!
A terrifying aura erupted, and the Divine Bird, like a falling meteor, charged straight at Linde with unparalleled impact.
Bang!
The surrounding air rippled visibly.
The surging air currents transformed into a tangible shockwave, effortlessly tearing apart the surrounding ground.
The Divine Bird's expression changed to one of horror, as it discovered with alarm that its attack had been blocked by the opponent's magic shield?
Moreover, the magic shield hadn't even flickered from beginning to end?
How was this possible?
While she was most skilled in poison.
Her physical strength was by no means weak.
Otherwise, what right would she have to set up the two great trials of Body and Mind?
But!
The magic of the person before her.
It was simply too terrifying.
"Is that all?"
Linde's voice rang out. Before the Divine Bird could react, it only saw a fist rapidly growing larger in front of it.
Bang!
A punch landed squarely on the Divine Bird's face.
The terrifying force caused the air to explode.
The Divine Bird's massive body flew backward uncontrollably, crashing through a distant palace and creating a large hole.
"Cough, cough..."
She spat out a large mouthful of blood, looking at the approaching Linde with both shock and anger.
"That was just a greeting. You'd best think carefully about what to do next."
Looking at the Divine Bird, Linde spoke with a half-smile.
For him.
An ordinary Demon Lord Rank was simply not up to par.
"Damn it, don't look down on me!"
Accompanied by a roar, countless white wings shot out, enveloping Linde's direction.
Every single feather here contained her potent venom.
If unleashed outside.
With the spread of the toxin.
It would be enough to completely wipe out a nation.
Facing all this, Linde neither dodged nor retreated, merely raising his hand slightly.
Demon's Spear Infinite Magic Bullets.
The moment the Demon Gun appeared, countless magic bullets already tore through the sky, meeting the incoming attack directly.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
As feathers and magic bullets converged, it was as if hundreds of thousands of cannonballs exploded directly, turning into ear-splitting roars in mid-air.
The howling air currents, laden with smoke, impacted every corner of the surroundings.
The next moment.
Countless feathers shattered.
Innumerable magic bullets landed on the Divine Bird's body, transforming into terrifying explosions.
Under the eruption of vast power, the Divine Bird's pristine white feathers were already stained with blood.
"Ah ah ah ah..."
Amidst the Divine Bird's painful wails, it discovered with horror that Linde's figure had vanished at some point.
Immediately after!
She instinctively looked up.
She only saw Linde's figure already above her head, falling directly downwards.
Boom!
An unimaginable force swept through its entire body. The Divine Bird felt as if a great mountain was pressing down on it.
She was utterly powerless to struggle, only able to fall from the sky, crashing heavily into the palace.
"How can the power difference be so immense...?"
The Divine Bird's face was filled with shock.
She had initially thought that even if Linde was stronger than her.
With her own potent venom, she wouldn't be without a fighting chance.
But now, it seemed.
She had been far too naive.
The power of the two sides might very well not be on the same dimension at all.
Almost instinctively.
The Divine Bird began to struggle.
Terrifying magic, as if shaking heaven and earth, surged in all directions, carrying potent venom.
However, no matter how much she struggled, even if the venom had already corroded the surrounding palace completely.
But from beginning to end, the venom could not penetrate Linde's magic defense.
The power of the magic eruption could not even budge Linde by a single iota.
The next moment.
The Divine Bird stopped struggling.
Because the dark muzzle of a Demon Gun was already pressed against its head.
"...So now, submission or death, which do you choose?"
The Divine Bird was silent for a moment, then said, "Strong one of the unknown race, I can give you my egg."
"As an apology for offending you, what do you think?"
The moment the words fell, a crystal-clear egg appeared before Linde.
"Don't underestimate this egg. She will grow according to your magic and your spirit."
"What form she will take when she hatches will be entirely influenced by you."
"Trust me, this is absolutely a treasure."
The Divine Bird spoke cautiously, doing its best to explain the benefits of the egg.
Linde held the egg in his arms and spoke calmly, "I want the egg, and I want you too."
..."
The Divine Bird twitched its lips and fell silent again.
But feeling the magic gathering within the Demon Gun, she completely panicked.
This person really didn't care about killing her.
The Divine Bird hastily said, "Respected Master, from now on, I am your servant."
As it spoke, the Divine Bird wanted to sign a contract, but Linde interrupted it.
"Forget it, I don't fancy you that much."
"Sign a contract with my Retainer instead."
The Divine Bird froze, wondering if she had misheard.
But meeting Linde's serious gaze, she dared not utter a single word of refusal.
She could only nod, saying with immense grievance, "Alright, I will awaken the two of them now."
However, she hadn't made a move yet.
Eve and Akame had already slowly awakened.
"..."
What kind of monsters are these people?