My Soul card is a Reaper-Chapter 946: Azzy and Azrael (Part-1)

He motioned toward the ruined city. "Look around you. They did all this without even wanting anything. It’s instinct to them. Trying to teach her good doesn’t do anything."

"She is repenting," Orion retorted. "She wishes to walk the righteous path. That alone demands protection."

"Protection?" Alex raised a brow. "She is one of the Four Demonic Mothers. With a thought, she can produce a demon army. And you want to... what? Hug it out?"

Orion didn’t answer. His aura did.

A burst of divine energy exploded from his body in response.

BOOOOM—

A shockwave shot outward, blowing apart the golden chains like paper threads. Cracks spread even further across the Compassionate Buddha, but Orion didn’t care. He stepped forward, placing himself between Naamah and Alex.

"Naamah is under my protection."

The words echoed like a decree.

Below, Selene snapped out of her trance and instantly shouted: "Orion! What are you doing?! She’s a demon!"

Orion glanced down briefly, expression unwavering. "A demon can turn good, too. Everyone deserves a second choice. We just didn’t give one to her. Now, I intend to give her."

He then looked into Selene’s eyes, turning a bit serious. "Do you stand with me... or not?"

Selene’s facial expression froze for a second. Her lips parted. However, she couldn’t answer.

Alex then sighed softly. "Oh boy... that’s not a good sign."

Shaking his head, he said, "You’re too young. And arrogant. Believing your compassion can rewrite a demon’s nature... that’s a cute dream."

He lifted his hand, and the air around him thickened with divine power. "You’re causing more trouble than doing good. You know what? Forget this long talk."

Then his eyes narrowed, a flash of killing intent replacing the playful grin. "When you free yourself, come find me at Ouroboros Guild."

Without any explanation of his words, Alex acted in the next instant. His aura flared up, shooting a dark pillar in the sky, causing a thunder rumbling in the clouds.

Orion’s expression sharpened as he felt the extreme pressure on his body. Naamah also flinched behind him.

And then, Alex’s body blurred.

PAKH—!!

His palm slammed right into Orion’s chest with a force that tore through the sky like a sonic boom.

The entire 300-foot Compassionate Buddha shattered instantly, exploding into ribbons of white-gold light. Orion’s body was sent hurtling backward like a meteor, smashing through two buildings.

"ORION!!"

Selene and Elise screamed together, their voices cracking in surprise.

On the ground below, Naamah flinched, her trance fully broken now. And whatever feeling she had earlier, now replaced with fear this time.

As the survival instincts took over her body, she stood up in a panic, trying to invoke the reverse summoning to return to the demon world.

But she barely lifted a meter before...

"Activate, Divine Imprisonment."

FWUUUUM—

A glowing seal burst open beneath her feet.

A perfect circle of divine runes blazed into existence, rising like a cage of light.

Alex didn’t even look at her directly; he only cast a sideways glance with a bored expression.

"Trying to run like the others? Hmph."

And then he clicked on the next skill: "Chains of Destiny. Activate."

Golden chains erupted upward like serpents and wrapped around Naamah’s wrists, waist, wings, and ankles—locking her in place and yanking her upward until she dangled helplessly in the air.

"NO—!" Naamah gasped, struggling as the chains burned her skin.

But she couldn’t break free at all.

Alex then rose higher into the sky, pulling her along behind him like a helpless prisoner.

He turned a full circle in the sky as thousands of Arcana Masters, civilians, hunters, military personnel, and even Ren Tianyu looked up at him in confusion and shock.

Many were still kneeling.

Many were frozen.

Many had no idea what had happened in the last two hours.

And those who didn’t dare to move at all.

Alex smiled faintly and raised his voice so the entire city could hear him: "People of Ashenford, the threat has been subdued."

The crowd murmured in confusion, many still trembling, but Alex continued anyway, not caring whether anyone believed or understood him.

"The demon incursion has been halted. Their leader has been eliminated. I will be taking this prisoner for interrogation."

He tugged slightly on Naamah’s binding chains, making her gasp as she was jerked upward.

"We must uncover who opened the gates for the demons, why they targeted this city, and whether this was a random massacre... or an assassination disguised as one. So I advise all Arcana Masters... do not follow me. Do not interfere. And do not attempt to stop me. When I was done with the interrogation, I will hand over the results to the government authorities. Until then..."

He lifted his hand and pointed toward the sky. "I’ll be taking my leave."

With Naamah in tow, bound and struggling, Alex shot upward into the bleeding-red sky like a golden comet—leaving behind a city in ruins, and a group of experts who looked utterly frozen between rage, confusion, and disbelief.

However, no Rank-9 dared chase him. They just focused on the surroundings, and then, letting out a sigh of relief, collapsed to their butts.

Meanwhile, Selene and Elise didn’t waste a second. They flew straight toward the half-destroyed building where Orion had been launched like a rag doll.

"Orion!" Selene shouted as she crashed through the broken wall, sensing his presence. There—beneath a mountain of debris—Orion lay unconscious.

His breathing was ragged. His chest rose only slightly. His divine glow was gone.

Selene stumbled to his side, her hands trembling. "Orion... Orion...!"

But Elise suddenly stiffened.

Her pupils shrank for a second as her Arcana spirit’s voice echoed in her head.

Without hesitation, Elise knelt beside Orion. She suddenly grabbed the edge of his ruined shirt and tore it apart

Selene snapped, "Elise! What the hell are you—"

She froze mid-sentence. Because on Orion’s torso, glowing faintly through his skin... was an eye-shaped seal.

It pulsed once, like a heartbeat, then dimmed. And then once again pulsed again, before dimming again. It looked as if it were alive and blinking.

Selene’s eyes widened, her breath hitching. "A... a seal?" She leaned closer, voice trembling. "This... I feel nothing inside his body... not even his divinity. A seal that can suppress even attribute energy?"

Elise swallowed hard.

Meanwhile, far from the ruins, far from the city, far from the chaos...

On the shadow moon of the Arcana world;

Inside a silent pocket dimension, a 17-year-old Azrael was seen hanging suspended mid-air.

His wrists, ankles, waist, chest — everything was bound by shimmering divine chains. Several divine spears also hovered around him like a forest of death — pointed at his throat, skull, heart, spine, legs, arms.

It was placed in a way that trying to struggle will make them piercing the boy.

The moment he tried to move—

CLINK—!

His expression was filled with pure frustration. "Tch... this damned place..." he muttered under his breath, voice hoarse.

Little to his knowledge, Half of his face — the half that had been scorched, mutilated, burned beyond recognition was now completely healed. His skin was smooth. New and Unscarred.

As Azzy materialized before him, Azrael’s pupils contracted to needle points. "You..." His voice shook, only slightly, but enough. "You look just like me..."

Azzy met his gaze calmly with hands behind his back and maintained an expression as unreadable as deep water. "Yes," he said softly, "that’s because you are me."

Azrael blinked once. Twice.

Then confusion twisted into anger. "What? I don’t understand."

"You don’t need to understand immediately," Azzy replied, taking a slow step toward him. "But yes. You are indeed me. Well, not exactly me. You are a different version of me who shouldn’t exist. You come from a destroyed timeline, and somehow, you ended up in mine."

Azrael’s brows furrowed sharply. "Another timeline?" He shook his head violently. "What kind of bullshit—this all must be another illusion!"

With a violent roar, he jerked both arms—

CLANK—SHING—!

A dozen divine spears instantly pierced his shoulders, ribs, and thighs.

Blood splattered in mid-air but never reached the ground—because the chains absorbed every drop.

Azrael’s scream echoed in the closed dimension, raw and furious.

And then right away, the seal beneath Azrael lit up...

FWOOO—SH

All of his wounds healed in seconds, knitting flesh together as if time had reversed only for him.

Azrael panted, body trembling with rage, frustration, and helplessness. His voice cracked as he shouted, "WHAT DO YOU WANT FROM ME!?"