My Soul card is a Reaper-Chapter 944: The Emergence of Azazel (Part-9)
For a long, breathless moment, the entire city came to a still. The rampaging demons hovered mid-air with wings half-spread. The Arcana Masters are frozen in their movements. The escaping Civilians suddenly knelt on shaking knees without fully understanding why.
And at the center of that all hovered a giant lotus throne, where the 300 ft Compassionate Buddha, Padmapani Avalokiteshwara, sat atop with calm dignity. Orion floated inside its chest and seemed as if he was in meditation.
His eyes were closed at that moment, and his current expression appeared soft, peaceful, and impossibly calm for someone who had been fighting against the carnal desires a moment ago
And then, as he opened his eyes, the entire lotus brightened for a split second, and a soft wind brushed across the silent battlefield.
Orion’s gaze shifted down to Naamah.
The demoness of lust was hovering stiffly with her wings trembling and her pupils shaking violently. Whatever playful charm she had earlier was gone, and she looked like a child cornered by a god.
"Friend... you have nothing to fear."
Orion’s lips curved into a gentle smile, and when he spoke, his voice wasn’t loud, but it still echoed all over the city as if he was speaking in a super ultra megazone with a kilometer range.
Naamah flinched at those words, taken aback by the tone. What threatened her wasn’t because of how divinity exuding from the avatar was paralysing her or something. It’s because she felt the first time, the feeling of warmth in her heart, something a demon could never have. And she didn’t know what to do with it. 𝓯𝓻𝓮𝙚𝙬𝓮𝙗𝒏𝙤𝒗𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝒐𝓶
Meanwhile, Orion continued to speak calmly. "You are a demoness of lust. And we are at war. You did your duty."
She blinked. "Duty?"
"If I fall into that trap, it is I who will commit sin. So the fault lies with me, not you. So, what are you feeling so afraid of?"
Her lips parted slightly, trembling. Her wings slowly loosened, no longer folded in fear. However, that feeling of warmth was so strange to her.
Orion’s expression softened further as he continued. "Earlier, you said that men waged wars for lust. That they betrayed kingdoms and destroyed their homes for it. But none of them ever found peace," Orion said calmly. "And those who did... have the nature of committing atrocities to keep what they gained. And such people would still wage wars and destroy their families for any other reason, too."
His gaze deepened, almost sorrowful as he added. "Nothing good ever comes out of those sins, whether for the one who committed it or for the sinner’s loved ones. Then what’s the use of committing those sins? That is why it is better to stay away from such sins. Better to walk forward instead of drowning in old desires. Better to seek something purer."
Naamah stopped trembling.
She couldn’t look away.
The Buddha’s lotus shimmered under him, golden petals unfolding a little wider.
The demonic aura around Naamah slowly dissipated as she stared at him. The seduction aura that always clung to her eyes flickered and dimmed.
And then, Orion raised a hand, palm facing upward. "Today," he said gently, "I shall narrate to you... The story of a monkey demon."
Naamah blinked. "Monkey demon?" She wondered.
For the next two hours, the city listened to the story he narrated.
Orion’s voice echoed with such a magical voice that every syllable resonated directly into the hearts of every single being in a 10-kilometer radius, basically the entire city.
He started narrating the tale of Sun Wukong, the Monkey King. How the monkey was born from a stone egg, rebellious and wild. How he mastered the 72 transformations. How he challenged the heavens, fought celestial armies, mocked emperors, and faced the wrath of gods.
Naamah found herself almost... enchanted. Her eyes slowly softened as she drifted closer without meaning to.
When Orion spoke of Wukong’s arrogance... She felt a pang in her chest.
When he narrated Wukong’s torment under the Five Finger Mountain... She unconsciously curled her tail inward, as though she herself was being crushed beneath a mountain.
When he described Wukong’s path to redemption, walking beside the monk Tripitaka... A warmth spread through her chest, almost painful.
And when Orion finally spoke of the Monkey King becoming a Buddha, her vision blurred.
In fact, the story wasn’t just alien and strange to her, but to every single person who was listening to the story.
Who was the Monkey King Sun Wukong? No one ever heard of this tale, neither a demon nor a human. Well, except for one person, Alexander... but even for him, it was just a myth, not a true incident.
Then why does this person narrating a fairy tale as some teachings? Alex couldn’t help but wonder. Still, he didn’t disturb him and quietly listened to the story, just like others, because his suspicions only increased about Orion’s identity being a fellow otherworlder.
After narrating his entire story, Orion went on saying, "If someone like him... a demon who battled the heavens could redeem himself—"
He lifted his gaze and met Naamah’s eyes. "Then someone as intelligent as you can too."
She froze at the compliment.
"Remember, friend... Repentance is the key. From repentance comes awareness. From awareness comes change. From change... comes freedom. And from freedoms comes free will to do the right thing. And from that comes true satisfaction."
A tear slipped down Naamah’s cheek, listening to all those words from him as if she was moved heavily. But Naamah didn’t understand what this feeling was in her heart... After all, demons could cry out blood, but never tears of sadness. They could feel anger and frustration, but they don’t have the ability to feel sadness. But she felt like she was about to cry in sadness. Those new emotions she felt in her heart made her confused once again. And in that confusion, she was attracted to Orion.
Her lips quivered as Orion then extended his hand toward her, "Come to the other side, Naamah, and repent."
Meanwhile, the city remained absolutely frozen.
Not one soul moved since he started narration. The only ones who seemed most immune to the teachings were Amon, Azazel, Ren Tianyu, and Alexander, but even they, except for Alex, everyone locked in their places in a bit of a trance, simply watching as though they were the audience of Orion’s preaching.
Orion was narrating to a single demoness, but his voice shook the hearts of an entire city. His compassion, amplified by the cosmic avatar behind him, seeped into every mind, mortal and demon alike, making them just listen to his preachings like ardent devotees.
Naamah slowly lowered herself onto her knees before the radiant lotus.
Her forehead touched the glowing lotus-shaped platform, and she spoke in a trembling voice. "I am willing to repent. Please guide me."
She raised her eyes slowly, staring at him the way mortals stared at saviors in myths.
And then something impossible happened.
One by one, like falling dominoes, everyone knelt except for the Nine-star Rank Arcana Masters.
All dropped onto their knees as though gravity itself increased tenfold.
When Orion finally finished the last line of the Journey to the West... suddenly, Azazel snapped from the trance.
"THIS HUMAN—"
His roar cracked the sky. "I WILL KILL YOU!"
The hatred in his voice shook the barrier around the city. He slowly raised a single, clawed finger toward Orion and the massive Buddha around him.
Just as he was about to attack, a streak of golden light sliced through the air.
WHOOOM!
Two divine arms from Alexander’s avatar shot an arrow formed from pure condensed golden flame.
Azazel flinched and barely sidestepped. The arrow scraped against the edge of his cheekbone, carving a burning line in his skin.
Slowly, he turned toward the throne once again, his original opponent.
Alexander sat there, crossing his one leg over the other and propping his elbow casually on the armrest as he said. "Azazel, I don’t know that human, but since he made my job absurdly easy... I’m not letting you touch him."
Azazel’s eyes narrowed. "You... cowardly rat..."
"Me a cowardly rat?" Alexander smirked, shaking his head, and then stood up. "Originally, I didn’t want to reveal my ocular abilities tonight... but thanks to our enlightened friend over there, the audience is... well, how should i say... pleasantly smaller."
At that moment, the divine armor cracked and dissolved into particles of golden dust. As Azazel narrowed his eyes, Alexander’s eyes changed. The whites turned black. The pupils fractured into rings of shimmering gold.
And then Alexander whispered: "Absolute Illusion— Activate."
