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Dining room.
Edgar sat at the head of the table, his retainers spread out on both sides enjoying their meal.
The three fallen angels were also seated at places of honor.But their attention wasn't on the food at all.
"Lady Raynare, have you noticed we seem… stronger than before?"
"Mittelt, you felt it too?"
"So it wasn't just my imagination."
The three exchanged glances, a flicker of unease and curiosity in their eyes.
If they had to point to a cause, it would be last night.But…This much of a power boost? It was just too absurd.
"Stop whispering over there," Edgar cut in."Your little level-up has everything to do with me."
With a casual flick of his hand, he sent slips of parchment floating over to them—detailed status sheets.
"This is…?"
Their eyes shifted ever so slightly as they read.They'd become devils, yet somehow still retained their identities as fallen angels.And apparently… they could still keep getting stronger?
Thinking about it like that, their earlier doubts didn't sting quite as much anymore.
"All right, now that everyone's done eating, it's time to get to work."
Edgar wiped his mouth, then led his followers into the living room. He waved his hand lightly toward the floor.
Vmm!
A dark-purple magic circle flared briefly and vanished.
The next moment, Issei Hyoudou—frozen into an ice sculpture—appeared on the ground before them.
"Raynare, prepare to extract the Sacred Gear from his body."
"Yes, Master."
She got to work immediately, while Edgar watched the entire process with interest.
He had to admit…Whoever came up with this extraction method was a genius, with an uncanny grasp of Sacred Gear mechanics.
The only real downside?Once the Sacred Gear was removed, the host was guaranteed to die.
Vmm!
Under his watch, a brilliant light began to shine.From Issei's chest bloomed a crimson glow—
And in the next instant, a gauntlet appeared in Raynare's hands: deep red all over, inlaid with green jewels, shaped like the talons of a dragon.
"This is… the Red Dragon Emperor's Gauntlet?" ×3
The three fallen angels were stunned, their eyes going wide.They never expected the Sacred Gear inside this boy to be something of this magnitude.
"What's the Red Dragon Emperor's Gauntlet?" Shiho Miyano asked curiously.Of all the knowledge she'd picked up recently, Sacred Gears were still a gap.
"It's one of the highest-class Sacred Gears," Raynare explained, taking a deep breath. "They're called Longinus—God-slaying tools. If used properly, they can grant their wielder power surpassing both gods and devils."
"That's right," Edgar said in agreement. With a wave of his hand, the gauntlet dissolved into a streak of light and flew into his grasp.
"Oh, and deal with the body."
"Yes, Master."
The three fallen angels got busy—Well, not exactly busy.They didn't even need to touch the corpse, just reduced it to ashes with their light powers. The real chore was scrubbing away the traces on the floor afterward.
Edgar ignored all that. His attention was fixed on the Red Dragon Emperor's Gauntlet in his hand.
Longinus chose their own wielders.Even if he held it now, this was only the beginning.
He let his magic flow, using the method Raynare had taught him earlier, trying to forge a bond with it.
…Nothing happened.
"…"
His gaze turned cold, a dangerous edge creeping in. A faint smirk tugged at his lips.
So it had a will of its own.
Boom!
His magic flared violently.If his earlier approach had been polite…Now, he was using brute force to make it submit.
Vmm!
At last—something stirred.
A deep, resonant dragon's roar echoed in the depths of his soul. Edgar's eyes lit up. He followed the invisible pull, closing his eyes.
When he opened them again… the world had changed.
All around him was endless crimson, like the entire realm was burning—though the flames gave off no heat at all.
"So… you bring me here, but don't show yourself?" he said coldly, looking upward.
ROOOAAARRR!
The sky split with a deafening roar, shaking the world itself.
A massive shape spiraled through the heavens—A dragon, scales the color of molten crimson, radiating crushing pressure from every inch of its colossal frame.
The moment he saw it, Edgar knew.This was one of the Two Heavenly Dragons—The Red Dragon Emperor, Ddraig.
"Devil, abandon this foolishness. You're not worthy to be my host," Ddraig's voice rumbled, claws flexing as arcs of flame rippled in the air.
"Hmph. I don't think that's your decision to make," Edgar shot back, voice like steel. "If I set my eyes on something, I will have it—Even if I have to erase your will to get it."
Ddraig froze for a beat, then burst into booming laughter.
"Interesting. You are very interesting. In all the countless ages, you're the first to dare speak to me like that. You really mean to erase my existence and take full control of the Boosted Gear?"
"Ha ha ha! If you think you can… then try."
With each word, his draconic aura swelled, shaking the very fabric of the crimson space.
He was the battle-hungry Red Dragon Emperor—Born for war, destined to die in battle.Back in ancient times, had he not angered devils, angels, and fallen angels all at once… his fate might have been very different.
Now this devil dared to taunt him.His long-slumbering battle lust surged to life.
Edgar looked up at him and smiled faintly. "In that case… I'll see you off personally."
As the words left his mouth, long black wings burst from his back, and a tide of crushing magic rolled out like a storm.
"..."
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