Honestly, I seriously doubt that Ao is actually dead. It feels more like another bait from the author to set up a twist, like when Nezumi stabbed Ao in the neck and everyone thought he was dead, but he miraculously survived. Making him survive a stab only to later be decapitated offscreen, shown in a poorly filmed video where we only see pieces, doesn’t make much sense. Even if the intention was to shock, the scene has no impact because I’m already completely numb to this story.
I think it’s probably a scheme between the doctor and Petro. The doctor told Petro that Ao still had things to accomplish before dying. But let’s say he really is dead now. Do I care? Not at all. The author missed the chance to make his death truly meaningful when Nezumi stabbed him in the neck. At that moment, his death would have been genuinely shocking, and for me it was, until it was revealed that he survived.
Thanks for the chapter!