At this very moment.
Giant Prince Wolfram was performing a cursing ritual in an open area near a village.
Scattered all around were pieces of human corpses.
While they were still alive, their skin had been peeled off intact. Now, the fronts of those skins were covered with Iver's name, while various crimes and causes of death had been written on the backs.
The skins had been crudely sewn together, overlapping to form a drumhead. Inside the drum were the hearts of the dead.
Giant Prince Wolfram sat cross-legged on the ground with his eyes closed. He was completely naked.
His hands beat rhythmically against the human-skin drum, producing an ominous cadence.
"This is not a curse. This is a divine revelation."
He spoke in a low voice. "I appeal to the King of Sin and Punishment: this person is guilty and deserves punishment. With the blood of the Punishment Demon, I beseech a divine revelation to deliver a fair judgment."
There were eight skinned corpses, but nine hearts.
This was not Amber's Sacred Number "9," but "8+1."
The ninth person's heart alone had been taken, while his body had been directly devoured by the Giant Prince, ensuring that it was completely destroyed in the Material Realm. This was to distinguish it from 9.
--When the Sacred Number was eight, it foretold the Serpent Father.
For 8 represented infinity and cycles. At the same time, it was only one step away from the extreme of numbers--for if perfection were reached, there would be no need for transcendence or progress. This was the foundation of transcendence.
Yet eight corpses possessed nine hearts, signifying a heart that was "one more than 8." This symbolized the Fallen Angel who had once rebelled against the Serpent Father. This cursing ritual foretold the enshrinement of