The Samurai of Mexica below heatedly admired the warrior’s resolve to die, and fervently glorified the War God’s mighty name. Unknowingly, the Rain Divine faded to the corners, erased from existence in the ceremony.
Observing all this, Xiulote nodded calmly.
In all the sacrifices, the most important were those in front of the Chief Divine’s Temple. Twelve Elder Priests divided into two groups, conducting the sacrifices simultaneously, alternately invoking prayers.
"Chief Divine, supreme and mighty, He forgives the nobility Mitlantecuhtli of the Otomi, accepts his final conversion and devout repentance, and leads him to the beautiful Divine Kingdom for eternal peace!"
"Chief Divine, omnipotent, He judges the Divine Descendant Olaltecuhtli of Xilotepec, condemning him for the sins of his lineage and his rebellious acts, and casts him into the burning Abyss, to suffer eternally!"
The obsidian dagger slashed again, holy liquid sprinkled on the stone steps. Devout hearts carrying souls were taken by the Sacred Fire, while sinful hearts with souls tumbled down the steps. These were the first batch of sacrifices to the new divine, exhibiting two starkly different deaths.
Hearing the eternal judgment of the priests and witnessing this rise and fall of souls, all the nobility, Samurai, and citizens were profoundly shaken. At this moment, the Chief Divine began to surpass the War God and the Sun God, becoming the highest entity, deeply ingrained in the hearts of the citizens of the Capital City.
The Elders made their offerings one after the other, until the sun rose to the center, and the third act was the proclamation.
At high noon, the blazing sunlight radiated boundless might, just like the mythically supreme Chief Divine.
At the pinnacle of the Great Temple, the High Priest once again raised the Sun Divine Staff, proclaiming loudly. Immediately, hundreds of the Priesthood throughout the Great Temple repeated in chorus, calling out continuously.
"As the sun rises high, Chief Divine Huitzilopochtli ascends to the highest! He is supreme and mighty, omnipotent. He has devoured the body of the Feathered Serpent Divine, taking over the old divine’s priesthood, and the Feathered Serpent Divine is dead!"
Hearing this statement, beneath the towering Great Temple "boom" resounded, faces of the citizens of the Capital City blank and terrified, incredulously questioning one another. Following this, well-prepared priests narrated changes in the divine myths, infusing a new ideology between the lines.
Xiulote smiled faintly. This was the proposal he insisted on, the Feathered Serpent Divine must die, never to be demoted to a Saint! Henceforth, both his body and priesthood belonged to the Chief Divine. And those along the coast who worshipped the Feathered Serpent must convert to the Chief Divine, erasing the image of the Feathered Serpent Divine completely. Those who disobeyed would be utterly eradicated!
Hearing the young man’s resolute proposal, the High Priest, although initially noncommittal, ultimately nodded in helpless agreement, "to eliminate the grand latent threat from the East."
"As the sun rises high, Chief Divine Huitzilopochtli ascends to the highest! He is supreme and mighty, omnipotent. He rules over all divines, controlling all priesthoods and powers, He is the Divine of all Divines!"
Upon hearing this, a wave of astonishment and exclamations arose beneath the luminous Great Temple. As the Guardian God was again elevated, the citizens of the Capital City felt joy from deep within, yet were genuinely puzzled. At this moment, the prepared priests guided the people to collectively praise the Chief Divine’s mighty name, using devout prayers to dispel all doubts.
This time, the praises lasted for two quarters of an hour, covering the old beliefs with the resonance of faith. The High Priest’s expression solemn, divine-like over those below. Where his Divine Staff pointed, the praises intensified suddenly. After a moment, watching the citizens deeply engaged, he nodded in satisfaction.
"As the sun rises high, Chief Divine Huitzilopochtli ascends to the highest! He is supreme and mighty, omnipotent. He grants victory and lands, He craves Holy Blood and divine wars.
Everything will wither, Samurai return to the Divine Kingdom. Only Holy Blood can perfect the sun, vanquish the evil moon, and illuminate the endless darkness! Only a divine war can let the Chief Divine devour all that belongs to other divines, granting us omnipotent and eternal protection... Holy Blood, divine war! Holy Blood, divine war!!!"
At this moment, beneath the sacred Great Temple, the shouts already reached a peak. Nobles anticipated this, their expressions acknowledging; Samurai bloodthirsty and excited; civilians anxious and confused... all emotions gradually guided into fervent and intense chanting, until tens of thousands vocally exhaustedly shouted:
"Holy Blood, divine war! Holy Blood, divine war!!!..."
The earth-shaking noise startled distant birds and made the Lake of Texcoco’s waters also ripple. Along with the spreading shouts, priests in various communities also led their followers to join the intense chorus, tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands, millions, until the entire Lake Capital City!
The call to war boomed like continuous thunder, exploding across the expansive heavens and earth. An endless aura of might descended, carrying the Mexica people’s fiery will!
Foreign envoys and merchants were terrified and prostrated themselves on the ground, trembling fearfully, turning powerlessly and praying deeply towards the direction of the Great Temple. Intense unease and fear rose within each foreigner’s heart, crushing their will and resolve to resist.
Only after a while did the terrifying howls gradually cease. Every citizen of the Capital City’s face bore the reverence and submission following the collective frenzy, Xiulote as well. His face flushed from shouting, his chest throbbed with excited heat waves, calming only after a long while.
Thereafter, in the communities of the Lake Capital City, priests no longer praised the Feathered Serpent Divine of the new year but praised the elevated Chief Divine. Chief Divine above all divines, omnipotent!