Chapter 1057: Chapter 395: The Death of Aiwass

“The thing called self-esteem…”

Princess Noel subconsciously wanted to retort.

But she fell silent for a moment, then took a deep breath and, biting her lip, nodded: “Maybe, you’re right…”

At this point, self-deception has no meaning.

She was merely avoiding the problem, or rather… she was simply courting death.

After realizing her mistake, Princess Noel did not continue to choose evasion.

“…Perhaps courage is not all that I have left.”

She spoke in a low voice, her words as incisive as a surgeon’s knife, cutting into her own vulnerability: “Rather say… it’s exactly the opposite, I’m seeking courage through these means–if I can survive a crisis where I’m one foot from death, maybe I can persist through despair until dawn. After all, slicing flesh with a blunt knife is always more painful than with a sharp blade.”

“Hmph, good that you understand.”

Aiwass looked at the reinvigorated Princess Noel, his lips slightly lifting: “But, this is the New Moon Ritual. Let me declare in advance, I will not spare you–when it’s time to kill you, I shall indeed strike.”

“No matter, it should be so. But let me declare in advance, I will not meet death passively.”

Princess Noel lifted her head and looked at Aiwass with a serious face: “When you say ‘I no longer need to cooperate with you,’ that’s when our battle begins.

“But I can swear, I will not ambush you… and I hope that you will not do so to me either.”

“I swear upon the name of Candle Master.”

Aiwass nodded, answering earnestly.

Having said this, he turned back to look at the guests.

After Andrea was petrified by him, the guests once again returned to calm, only their expressions changed from “joyful” to “joyless,” no longer dancing in the ballroom.

Clearly, the portrait had shifted towards “Friends Without Laughter,” and the music had once again resumed the initial sadness and soothing tone.

Such a level of anomaly was a hint in itself–

If the banquet were to continue normally, culminating in “Celebration and Revelry,” that would correspond to “Friends with Laughter” or “Endless Feast,” which is to fix the story as “everyone rejoicing together, celebrating the Banquet Master’s ascension to Angel Envoy”; but if all the guests were killed, finishing the task of “Madness and Slaughter” would correspond to “Friends Without Laughter,” which is “after the death of Zagreus, those who killed him, or came to celebrate, are all lured and completely slaughtered”…

–So what does “Funeral and Sacrifice” correspond to?

“Wait, sacrifice…”

Aiwass suddenly turned to look at the pure white statue of Sizhu, his pupils contracting slightly.

He realized what that choice meant–

If Cain is fake, Sasha is fake, but they both appear at this banquet… Apart from it being a “sham enticing everyone to come and kill them,” there’s another opposite interpretation.

Sasha’s appearance is also different from Sasha the nun… One could understand that she is indeed not Sasha, but rather “an imposter of Sister Sasha”!

Then, following this line of thought, one could also explain why Cain appears so weak.

Because this is itself a grand ritual.

The essence of Mystical Skills of transcendence–Ritual Studies–is to substitute strength with weakness.

By using a lower-order “symbol,” confusing the information between the two within a specific realm, so as to substitute for a higher-order entity in the Dream Realm that only sees information!

“—-Imitate another’s actions so thoroughly that others cannot distinguish between the two.”

Aiwass remembered, this is the basic principle recorded in the foreword of Ordinary Ritual Studies.

Although he had long been able to perform Great Rituals, and the Great Sin Scholar himself had an amplification ability for rituals, Aiwass actually rarely had the chance to use rituals. Essentially, the rituals he conducted were either for promotions or as aids to sealing Phantom Demons.

Because he didn’t have the need for “defeating strength with weakness.” If there ever was such a need, the Phantom Demons he sealed could confront them, thereby making himself “the stronger one.”

Now, Aiwass’s mind recalled many aspects of Ritual Studies knowledge.

A funeral–a ceremony that is inherently sacred.

Through this means, souls of immense strength can find Parthia. Even the deceased of the Fifth Power Level, or even the Sixth Power Level could be buried through completing a funeral.

The question then arises… what is a ritual that can influence the Sixth Power Level in the Material Realm imitating? What is it confusing?

The ritual for peaceful Sleep to prevent the birth of Undead, where did it originate?

Who was the first deceased to be buried? Why does their soul rest? Why can the earth contain their soul?

“…Amber.”

Aiwass murmured.

–The first to be buried in the earth was indeed “Taboo.”

The so-called earth that allows souls to rest is [Amber]!

If this is the case… That little Winged One girl curling up and Sleeping inside the amber crystal, it is highly likely that she is not Amber.

But [Taboo]!!

The layer covering her outside is the actual amber!

Even when Taboo was buried, there was only Silence; the souls of mortals naturally cannot defy this natural order.

Since the sacredness of a “funeral” is enough to involve the realm of Pillar God… Even itself being a reenactment of Pillar God’s deeds. That means, the rituals concerning the funeral can reach out to the Pillar God…

At this thought, Aiwass took another glance at the pure white, eerily smiling statue of Candle Master.

“I understand now…”

Aiwass took a deep breath, feeling somewhat perturbed by this promotion ceremony.

He suddenly stepped forward, standing beneath the effigy of Candle Master, addressing the silent guests:

“The host has perished… now I shall officiate the funeral.”

The young Pope spoke with a heavy voice.

Upon hearing this, the guests’ faces bloomed with smiles once again.

Aiwass looked toward Princess Noel: “Please give me a silver knife.”

“A ritual dagger? Alright…”

Although Princess Noel did not fully understand what Mr. The Sun wanted to do, she still reached for the silver platter on the table.

Her pupils shone with a bright yellow light, and the silver platter melted in her hands into a sharp silver ritual dagger.

Aiwass looked around before using it to slice open his own wrists.

The guests, seeing this, became excited.

They gathered around Aiwass, while Princess Noel was completely at a loss about what was happening.

But the next moment, she suddenly screamed in panic–

–Only to see Aiwass fiercely plunge the ritual dagger into his own eye socket, gouging out his eyes!

“As the Banquet Master, I offer the eyes of mercy…”

Aiwass’s voice became mournful and ethereal.

Branches suddenly sprouted from his right eye, blooming a white flower.

“And we, for the Banquet Master, offer our flesh and blood.”

The people chorused: “To the endless grand banquet!”

Someone knelt before Aiwass, guiding the blind Aiwass to place his hand on their neck.

The next moment, Aiwass’s dagger swiped across their throat.

Their blood did not fall to the ground, but rather a strand of golden Divine Blood flew up in reverse–being drawn out and scattered over the white Sizhu’s Holy Icon!

The Sizhu’s Holy Icon, stained with a few specks of blood, radiated brilliance.

This was certainly not something mortal blood could accomplish.

Princess Noel’s pupils dilated: “This is… why?”

“Because they ate the Banquet Master’s flesh and blood.”

Aiwass mechanically continued beheading, speaking softly in between: “Now is the time of repayment.”

This was the ritual of the Candle Master.

“The Banquet Master wanted to travel to the Dream Realm, so he mercifully held his last banquet in life–offering his own flesh and blood to the guests.”

Aiwass replied, also interpreting this painting: “He held a dragon slaying feast and died fighting. His flesh and blood were, according to his wishes before death, consumed by the dragon-slaying heroes. That is the Dragon Clan’s… ‘Hero’s Banquet.’

“They had no enmity with the Banquet Master, instead, they admired his generosity. Therefore, after Sister Sasha completed her self-sacrifice and ascended to the Dream Realm, these friends who had once tasted Dragon Blood and flesh gathered together.

“In order to rise to the Dream Realm together and to attend the ‘Endless Grand Banquet’ hosted by the Banquet Master, they prepared a ritual–to imitate and recreate Sister Sasha’s ceremony.

“A sacred funeral… a ceremony of self-dedication.

“And since it is to imitate Sister Sasha’s ritual, there must be someone to act as the blind officiant.

“She was not there to host the dance, but to guide the souls of the guests into the banquet…”

Thus, the Banquet Master would become whole again.

The flesh and blood once offered have now been returned, and He will become even more sacred than before.

Only one thing differs.

A piece of the Banquet Master’s liver was secretly hidden by one of the guests, and hence He was never complete.

–That was not the “Fool’s Liver,” but the “Banquet Master’s Liver”!

“This is not a painting with a mistaken detail, but the ‘history’ that indeed occurred… I was too arrogant.”

When all the guests had been killed, the Sizhu’s Holy Icon was still not fully smeared with blood.

The guests that Andrea killed certainly affected Aiwass–if not for that strike, it would have been just perfect.

Aiwass sighed.

He handed the bloodied ritual dagger to the now somewhat terrified Princess, speaking calmly: “Ever skinned anything? Help me out.”

“No, I haven’t…”

“No worries, it’s not difficult. Cut off my hands, cut off my feet, peel a piece of skin from my back, and then kill me–the remaining blood should be enough. My divinity should be sufficient for this ritual.”

Aiwass said gently: “Don’t worry, this isn’t a stab in the back from you… it is my own request.”

“… Are you preparing for resurrection?”

The Princess gripped the ritual dagger, her hands trembling incessantly: “Kill me to… resurrect?”

Her remaining bit of sanity did not allow her to comprehend Aiwass’s deranged act: “Do you… want to win this badly?”

“If you don’t hold the determination to surely win, how can you face all the hardships of this world?”

Aiwass countered.

He smiled encouragingly: “If you don’t want me to rise from your corpse, then just fight hard to survive.

“–If I cannot awaken, I will bless you in the Dream Realm, my lady.”