The ritual restarted in a manner that no one had anticipated.
Those massive, pale wings wrapped in tattered bandages no longer radiated pure decay and decline; instead, they exuded a strange sense of holiness and redemption struggling out from the mire of sin and punishment.
Itmer's body became increasingly transparent amidst the brilliant holy light, as if he were about to transcend and ascend.
This was not a plunder, but a sacrifice of exchange and bestowal!
"Teacher... Father..."
Itmer's voice seemed to come from another dimension, ethereal and distant. He held Edward, pouring the humanity he had meticulously guarded for a hundred years—humanity that had never been corrupted—into the other's shell, which had contained only divinity and Darkness since birth, like a warm stream without reservation.
Simultaneously, a pure power of authority symbolizing 'The End' and 'Decay' was forcibly stripped from Edward's body, surging frantically into Itmer's already illusory form! He was actively absorbing the power of the Monarch of Decay!
And the two ritual daggers, personally crafted by Itmer and already merged into Edward's body, completely melted at this moment, returning the pure dual-Sequence powers of 'Prisoner' and 'Criminal' to their new Master—Edward.
Using himself as sacrificial offerings, Itmer bestowed his most precious humanity upon his 'Father,' while taking away the outer god's corrupt authority from him!
The light reached its zenith.
Itmer released his embrace, and his nearly transparent body slowly floated up, as holy as a newborn deity.
He did not look back at Edward, but simply turned around and cast his gaze toward the imprisoned Lin Huai and Thor in the distance. He didn't speak; he only bowed his head slightly and solemnly toward the two, his eyes filled with gratitude and liberation.
After doing all this, he floated toward that mass of flesh still writhing frantically nearby, composed of countless female characteristics—that which was once Kaelan.
The black-red flames that had originally clung to her body now seemed to find a new target, quickly wrapping around his holy spiritual body. Yet they caused no harm; instead, they draped over him like the most magnificent sacrificial robes.
Just like that, wreathed in raging flames, he unhesitatingly and gently embraced that aggregation representing pain and madness.
"I'm sorry..."
He apologized sincerely, his voice filled with endless guilt.
"Because of my schemes, your life was ruined."
At the moment of the embrace, the black-red flames burning the spiritual body, along with Itmer's own brilliant holy light of humanity, completely enveloped that mass of filthy flesh.
There were no screams, no struggling.
In that extreme light and fire, both the saint's spiritual body and the Demoness's remains began to dissipate together, turning into dust that danced across the sky, shimmering with specks of brilliance, until they finally returned to nothingness.
The ritual ended.
Edward stood in place, motionless. He slowly raised his hand, looking at his palm as if it were something entirely foreign.
A warm torrent of contradictory emotions surged within his body.
What... is this?
In his chest, something was contracting violently, bringing a sense of suffocation called'sadness.' The corners of his eyes became moist and burning as some liquid slid down uncontrollably.
He jerked his head up, looking toward where Itmer had disappeared. In those eyes that should have been pure black and lightless, a crystal-clear tear rolled down, then a second, a third... He—no, it should be him—this natural Mythical Creature, experienced the act called 'crying' for the first time.
The Darkness was receding, and those indifferent eyes belonging to a deity changed. Within the deep Darkness, pupils and irises re-emerged—a pair of bright eyes identical to Itmer's, shining with the light of humanity.
He looked at himself like this, as if truly knowing himself for the first time.
He waved his hand.
On the cross, the invisible restraints dissipated, and Loki's body was supported by a gentle force, slowly descending. The dense cracks on his soul body healed rapidly under the soothing influence of this power.
Edward then looked at Lin Huai, who had aged beyond recognition not far away, and waved his hand again.
The yellow-green aura of decay quietly withdrew from Lin Huai's body like a dispelled shadow. His withered skin became full again, his grey hair returned to black, and his hunched back straightened once more.
In the blink of an eye, Lin Huai regained his youthful appearance, though his face remained somewhat pale.
Edward paid no heed to the reactions of the crowd. He walked slowly to the spot where Itmer had finally disappeared, bent down, and gently picked up two items from the empty stone.
An eye so beautiful it made one's heart ache.
And a mosquito perfectly encased in yellow amber.
He looked up at the gradually dispersing thunderclouds, toward those faint gazes above the sky, and shouted loudly:
"This was his choice! So, this Beyonder characteristic of my main body—you can arrange it yourselves!"
After speaking, he turned to look at Lin Huai, who had just recovered and was wearing a pensive expression.
"I'm sorry." His voice carried an unprecedented sincerity. "For making you learn some painful truths."
"I finally understand why my child insisted on helping others for a hundred years. He lived for others for a century; I will take these eyes he left me to go see this... beautiful World."
He paused, his expression becoming solemn and dignified.
"When you need me, you may chant my Honorable Name. I am Edward Thornequist."
"The Overseer who walks on the edge of order;"
"The Master of crimes and imprisonment;"
"The Guardian of humanity who bears the shackles;"
"The Father of mortals who acts with mercy;"
"The failed Justiciar of the end."
As his voice fell, the wings behind him—which had turned from pitch black to pale white—gave a gentle flap. His entire being transformed into a streak of light and disappeared into the horizon.
On the entire coast, only Lin Huai, Thor—who had just woken up and rushed toward Loki—and Danitz, who was still completely lost as to what had happened, remained.
Lin Huai silently recited that brand-new Honorable Name, watching Edward's departing figure, and did not speak for a long time.
Finally, as if drained of all strength, he slowly, very slowly sat down where Itmer had disappeared.
He looked up at the night sky, which had regained its clarity.
"This is what you wanted me to see, right?"
He seemed to be speaking to the air, yet also questioning those high-and-mighty existences.
"You wanted to tell me that natural Mythical Creatures can also possess humanity, and... how to carry out this ritual."
His voice was filled with exhaustion and mockery.
"And I am the vessel responsible for preserving that humanity..."
"Fuck!"