My Soul card is a Reaper

Azzy's heart thudded painfully. He knows that he is the reincarnation of the founder and it felt like he was the one who killed his own wife. "So, Celeste... was she—"

"She returned to her original form, just like every cosmic jewel," Uriel interrupted again, "the Jewel of Light. Captured by Michael once more, before Void (Space) transported it to a distant location in the cosmos."

Azzy stood there, speechless, his mind spinning with the weight of the story. He couldn't help but feel disgusted by Michael's acts. It's an irony that such a shameless conspirator is revered by many.

Uriel continued. "After capturing the Jewel of Light again, Michael used it to create Celeste once more. But this time, he didn't stop there."

Azzy's brow furrowed. "What do you mean?"

"After seeing failures two times in a row, Michael realized that cosmic jewels are not immune to death and vulnerable to attacks from greater strength either way. In order to keep his next creation safer, he added fragments of the Jewel of Life into it," Uriel explained, his voice flat but heavy with significance. "After that, he then directly planted her into the womb of a Nephilim living in the mortal world."

Azzy blinked in surprise. "A Nephilim?"

Uriel shrugged. "Well, he was worried about Jophiel and other angels who were against the return of our Lord. In order to hide the jewel's existence away from cosmic entities, he chose a Nephilim in a mortal world. In the mortal world, there won't be powerful enemies and the jewel of life's fragments would give her incredible healing powers. It will keep her safe until she reaches the demigod stage." His eyes then darkened, his gaze unwavering as he added. "And to ensure that no one with ill intentions would destroy his plans, Michael took further precautions. He sent his own sword to protect her. Agatha. As her strength improves significantly, a portion of Agatha's power also gets unlocked."

Azzy's mind raced. "incredible healing power? Nephilim mother? Agatha?" His eyes widened in revelation at once. Taking a deep breath, he asked. "Is it Claire?"

"Yes," Uriel replied with a nod. "That person… is Claire."

Azzy's heart skipped a beat. "Claire? You're saying that Celeste… is reborn as Claire?" So, they were also lovers in the previous life?

Uriel nodded slowly, his expression unreadable. "As fate would have it, both of you were not only reincarnated... but you fell in love with each other. But Michael, acting quickly, made sure to separate you before your bond could grow too strong. Before you could even form a deep connection with his daughter."

Azzy's fists clenched involuntarily, anger bubbling up inside him. "So, it was Michael's fault, all along?" He suddenly felt a tinge of regret blaming Claire. He should have pursued the truth a tad bit longer instead of moving on, that fast.

"Yes," Uriel confirmed. "Everything seemed to be going according to plan. But something changed when Michael finally planted the Lord's soul fragment in Claire. Something went wrong during the fusion process, and Michael ended up in a state of hibernation. He fell into a deep slumber. Others think that he is missing but in reality, he is in a deep state of hibernation, which requires pure divinity to wake him up. So, as a result, Claire was hunting down fallen angels and outer gods, extracting their divinity and supplying it to her father."

Azzy's mind raced. "So, if Michael's out of the picture, what stopping Jophiel or others from acting against her? She is only a demigod."

"That's because…" Uriel said, his voice carrying a cold finality. "In his absence, Adam—the Supreme Angel's first-ever creation and our Lord's son—became Claire's master."

"Adam?" Azzy repeated, remembering the incident when he challenged him for a spar. Back then, had that punch landed, he would have truly obliterated from existence. "I suppose he too wants the Supreme Angel to return."

"That goes without saying," Uriel explained. "Under his guidance, not only has Claire gotten stronger at a rapid pace, but the fusion between her soul and the Lord's soul fragment also intensified."

"And once the merge is complete?"

"Once Claire becomes transcendent, once she enters the God Realm as you mortals call it,…" Uriel's voice faltered, as though even he struggled with the weight of what he was about to say. "The fusion will be complete. Claire will cease to exist forever. The Supreme Angel will be reborn, and with that rebirth, the cosmos will fall into chaos once again as the three tribunals (Chronos, Life, and Space) swore to Zeus not to be involved in the affairs of celestials unless the entire universe is in the verge of collapse. Countless worlds will be destroyed as a result in case a war will erupt between Elysium and Olympus."

Azzy took a step back, his mind reeling. "What are you saying? That Claire... will cease to exist? That everything she's become... will be gone?" He doesn't pay too much attention to the consequences but more to the fact that Claire will be gone for real.

"Yes," Uriel replied softly. "There will be no more Celeste or Claire or even the Jewel of Light."

Azzy felt a surge of panic, his thoughts swirling. "Then… there's no way to stop it? No way to save her?"

"Only her death can save her. It is necessary to stop the resurrection," Uriel said flatly as if the matter were already decided.

Azzy turned toward him, eyes wide. "What? You can't be serious. You're talking about Claire's death." His voice trembled with disbelief.

Uriel met his gaze, unshaken. "Yes. Her death is the only way to stop the Supreme Angel's resurrection. As soon as the other Archangels realize that Michael is in hibernation, some of them will undoubtedly try to kill her. And they will do. In that situation, only you can save her—and also put an end to this whole mess once and for all."

Azzy shook his head in frustration, his chest tight with anger and confusion. "How can I save her? How am I supposed to stop all this from happening?"

Uriel's expression remained emotionless, but his next words made Azzy freeze in place. "Well, it is because the Angel of Death… is none other than you."

Azzy stared at him, wide-eyed and stunned. "What?" he screamed, his voice raw with shock.