In the flower garden
Issei Hyoudou was the first to wake up. He clutched his head and looked at the beautiful flower field before him, exclaiming, "It's so beautiful! Is this the Elysium of the Underworld that everyone was talking about?"
However, when Issei Hyoudou looked up and saw that the sky was still the red and black starry sky of the Underworld, his expression instantly turned grim.
But he noticed his unconscious companions beside him. He stood up and began to shake them, trying to wake them:
"Rias Senpai, wake up quickly!"
"Azazel-sensei!"
"Vali, you wake up too!"
It took Issei Hyoudou a while to wake his companions, but some were still in the center of the flower garden.
In the center of the flower garden, Asia, Irina Shidou, and Xenovia, who had fallen into the sea of flowers, also woke up one after another.
"Have you all woken up?" A voice as sweet as honey reached the ears of the three girls. They turned their heads and saw a beautiful blonde woman whose body below the neck was petrified, with only her head remaining flesh, smiling at them like a spring breeze.
"What happened to your body?!"
"Why is only your head alright?!"
"You're too pitiful like this!!"
The three of them originally wanted to greet her in return, but when they saw the woman's body, they stood up in surprise and asked with concern.
Ding! Ding! Ding! Ding! Ding! Ding! Ding! Ding! Ding! Ding! Ding! Ding! Ding! Ding! Ding! Ding! Ding! Ding! Ding! Ding! Ding~!
At this moment, a melody as beautiful as the aurora sounded, causing the Church Trio to close their eyes in ecstasy.
When they came to their senses, they found a handsome man with light blue hair, dressed in silver armor, crouching beside the woman, playing a silver lyre for her. The woman, in turn, looked at the man playing for her with eyes full of love.
"Asia! Irina! Xenovia!" Just then, Issei Hyoudou led the group, following the sound of the music, and arrived.
"Issei-san!" Asia, still enchanted by the beautiful melody, turned her head and cried out in surprise.
The gathered crowd remained silent, quietly listening to the wonderful music played by the silver lyre. Then, Azazel took a step forward, breaking the group's tranquility.
He nervously swallowed, and although he had already guessed the identities of the man and woman, he was still very surprised. He stepped forward and asked:
"Excuse me, are you two Orpheus and Eurydice?"
"Yes." "That's right."
Upon hearing this, the man and woman immediately acknowledged their identities.
"What!! Eurydice and Orpheus!!" Sirzechs and Michael, being more experienced, immediately exclaimed upon hearing their identities.
Issei Hyoudou, who was not yet familiar with the myth of Orpheus, tilted his head in confusion, asking, "Orpheus? Eurydice?"
At this moment, Kiba Yuuto came over to Issei Hyoudou and explained, "Both are figures from greek mythology, and Eurydice is Orpheus's wife."
"The two were deeply in love in life, but one day Eurydice was unfortunately bitten by a poisonous snake. When Orpheus arrived, Eurydice was beyond saving."
"Orpheus, in order to see his wife again, went alone to the dark Underworld, just to see his wife once more."
"Orpheus overcame many difficulties with his beautiful lyre playing and finally arrived before Hades, King of the Underworld, who allowed him to take Eurydice, but with one condition: he must not look back at her before leading her out of the Underworld."
Next, Azazel continued Kiba Yuuto's story, saying:
"But Orpheus broke Hades' condition just before reaching the Human World. From then on, the two were separated by life and death, and Orpheus died shortly after."
Hearing others recount his past story made Orpheus shed tears of self-reproach, clenching his fists.
And the more emotional women, upon seeing the protagonists of this tragic love story before them, also shed sad tears.
"But Lord Orpheus, why are you still in the Underworld and haven't reincarnated? And Miss Eurydice, why have you turned into a stone statue?" Sirzechs stepped forward, voicing everyone's questions. Everyone eagerly awaited Orpheus and Eurydice's explanation.
Eurydice spoke first: "Actually, when Orpheus broke the condition set by Lord Hades, I regained consciousness and was already in the flower garden of the Underworld."
"The Yin Soldiers and Specters all came here to tell me to reincarnate, but I refused, silently waiting here for Orpheus. Lord Hades took pity on me and allowed me to wait here."
"But the pain of longing gradually petrified my body, with only my head remaining unpetrified."
After Eurydice finished speaking, Orpheus was about to speak when Pharaoh unexpectedly arrived and continued the story, saying:
"And the reason Orpheus is here is for atonement. After his death, he entered the Underworld and came here, reuniting with his wife, but Eurydice was already petrified and unable to move."
"Orpheus requested Lord Hades to remove Eurydice's petrification, but he is currently a sinner and cannot receive Lord Hades's grace."
"However, Lord Hades, seeing the depth of their love, decided to give Orpheus a chance for atonement, requiring him to play beautiful melodies every day to purify the souls of the deceased in the Acheron River."
"Every time Orpheus purifies a thousand souls, one stone piece on Eurydice's body will recede. When all the stone pieces on Eurydice's body have receded, Lord Hades will personally send them into reincarnation, to be a loving couple again in their next life."
After hearing Pharaoh's words, everyone turned to Orpheus, their eyes filled with regret. There was actually a man in the world so deeply devoted, willing to forgo reincarnation for his wife, and forever play his lyre to purify the souls in the Underworld River.
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