As far as Eric knows, Kageyama Shigeo is a kind-hearted, family-loving, and introverted young man. Throughout the series, he struggles to build his self-confidence, but thanks to the help of his friends, his younger brother, and his teacher, he eventually manages to improve himself by the end of the story.
Unlike Shigeo, Eric in his past life was a man with a bad temper, unfriendly, often rude, and sometimes indifferent to others... especially since the death of "that person". The point is, Eric and Shigeo have personalities that are completely opposite to one another.
If Shigeo were bothered during his free time, he might just be confused and happy that someone was talking to him, but not Eric Avent.
Especially if that someone was a large bird the size of a full-grown dog that had landed on his window without permission.
The bird was jet-black, like the night sky, with dark purple markings circling its entire body. Its talons looked razor-sharp, its eyes were a glossy red, and its beak resembled a sharp dagger.
"Wake up, Eric Ostheno."
Eric opened his eyes and woke up. He turned toward the source of the voice that seemed to be echoing inside his head, and found a bird perched on his bedroom window. Jeremy, who was sleeping on the bed across the room, didn't hear the voice. He was still fast asleep.
At first, fear enveloped him before giving way to irritation and anger.
"Kukuku… it's time for you to pay up according to our agreement, little boy…"
A flicker of understanding rose from his memories. Eric knew what the strange bird meant.
A few days before his duel with Alex Justitia, the previous Eric had made a deal with an unknown person from a mysterious organization to give him a self-enhancing artifact so that Eric could win. The artifact doubled the wearer's strength, but it turned out to still not be enough to defeat his duel opponent, Alex.
"I know the outcome, little boy. Kukuku! You lost miserably!" For some reason, the bird stuck out a long tongue like a snake.
"The artifact worked as intended, but unfortunately, you yourself were too weak! Now hand over your family heirloom to us!"
As the bird had said, Eric's agreement with the organization was that he had foolishly offered his family heirloom in exchange for the artifact. Upon learning all this, Eric gritted his teeth.
"Listen. I don't have any yada-yada heirloom or whatever, but consider this my repayment!" Eric held out a pouch containing his savings in coins.
The bird just laughed at Eric's antics. "Kukuku! That's a no-no, little boy! Fulfill our agreement or face the consequences!"
Eric's good intentions, which came from who knows where, were rejected by the bird. Eric then felt Mana swirling around him, and the bird suddenly spread its wings wide. The animal's red eyes glowed brightly, as if capturing Eric's attention.
"You will do as I say, little boy. Bring me your treasured heirloom..."
Eric's mind began to spin. Suddenly, he nearly lost control of his thoughts. "Yes, I'll bring you-" but a split second later, he broke free from that strange phenomenon.
Eric clutched his head tightly. He had felt this before, just like when he was being held by the banshee in that mansion. The strange body structure, the inhuman voice, and the unnatural magic... finally, it all made sense.
"You... are a demon!" Eric growled at the "bird." The being before Eric let out a deep laugh, "Kukuku! You've finally figured it out, little boy!"
"Bring me the gift of our pact!!!" the demonic bird's voice thundered inside Eric's head. The mind magic emitted by this bird was more potent and dangerous than that of the banshee.
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Eric, using his psychokinesis, tried to fight back against the hypnotic influence of the magic. The demonic bird intensified its magic with every passing second, but thanks to Shigeo's experiences and memories, Eric managed to defend his mind.
Not long after that, Eric looked directly into the bird's eyes with a look of intense fury on his face.
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"What a surprise… you managed to withstand my mental magic… but- quack!?" Before the bird could say another word, Eric grabbed its neck and vanished from his room and flew into the night sky.
Not to be easily deterred, the demonic bird repeatedly launched mental attacks, but they proved to be useless. Feeling he was already high enough in the air, Eric released the bird, and they locked eyes with the brightly shining moon as their background.
The bird finally released its demonic aura, sending a chill down Eric's spine.
"You! You insolent human!" growled the demonic bird. "How is it possible for you to fly!? You are a mere low Bronze Fire Mage!!!"
"Fuck you, asshole! You were the one who started this by blasting me with that mind magic!"
"Silence! Answer my question, insolent human! Are you hiding your power!?"
"You have no right to order me around, Colonel Sanders!"
The demonic bird choked, "Sand-Sanders!? You dare to give me a random name!? Have a taste of my power!!!"
"Bring it on, then!" The demonic bird released an even more suffocating aura. It was so dense and heavy that it would make any ordinary human succumb and become helpless. "Too bad, but our next human will surely be more-"
But unfortunately, Eric, with his psychokinesis, isn't an ordinary human. In response to the demonic aura, Eric also produced an aura so potent and thick that even the air around him became distorted.
"T-this killing intent...!" The demonic bird was startled to sense the killing intent emanating from the boy before it. This was the first time the creature had felt such a powerful aura since being summoned into this world.
Deep down, it knew that if this direct confrontation continued, it would eventually lose. The demonic bird let out a shriek as it shed several of its feathers. The feathers then transformed into shadows resembling the creature, multiplying until they obstructed Eric's vision.
"Annoying!" Eric blasted the feathers, dispelling them with ease. But when his vision returned to normal, he didn't sense or see any shattered feathers around him.
"Illusion spell…" he muttered and sighed. A moment later, he heard the bird's voice, as if echoing all around him.
"We won't forget your transgression, little boy…"
The voice grew fainter and fainter as it faded into the distance.
"We'll meet again... and you'll be begging for mercy!!!"
The silence of the night returned once more. Eric still hovered in the air. The cold air stung his body, and he clenched his fist.
"The next time we meet... I'm gonna roast you properly, little chicken!"