Chapter 202: Crimson Banquet (Part 2)
The Second Prince's curse squad was merely the beginning of this blood-soaked banquet.
The Third Prince's performance segment proceeded without any issues, featuring only professional dancers on stage.
The ordinary audience below remained unaware of the tense atmosphere, still clapping and cheering enthusiastically. However, the princes and their subordinates had already heightened their focus, prepared to respond to any sudden developments at a moment's notice.
"Next up, let's welcome the Fourth Prince's team to the stage! Give them a warm applause!" the host announced loudly from the platform.
No one responded.
The host called out once more.
There was still no movement from backstage.
Just as the host was about to investigate what was happening, the massive backdrop on stage suddenly rippled with spatial distortions.
"Is this some kind of magic act?"
Murmurs of curiosity rose from the audience.
A pitch-black steel pipe emerged from the backdrop.
While ordinary spectators wondered what the pipe could be, the private soldiers of the princes and their Hunter bodyguards paled dramatically.
"Everyone, get down!" someone shouted urgently.
Before the words fully left his mouth, a thunderous explosion erupted in the hall. A table beneath the stage suddenly burst apart as if detonated, sending debris flying through the dust. People seated nearby were thrown off balance, stumbling and collapsing in all directions.
Crimson blood instantly stained the floor. A portly wealthy man—previously identified by Kacho during the last banquet as the lecherous old man from RG Consortium who kept staring at him—was thrown back five to six meters after taking a direct hit, his head exploding like a watermelon and scattering across the floor.
The incident unfolded so abruptly that few could process what had happened.
Moments earlier, everyone had assumed the Fourth Prince's team was about to perform a magic trick.
In reality, the performers from the Fourth Prince's team now lay motionless on the cold backstage floor, never to rise again.
"It's a spatial-type Nen Ability. Someone is coming through the wall."
At times like these, only Nen users could grasp the true nature of events.
"Hahaha! Kill them! Kill them all!"
A maniacal laugh echoed from behind the stage backdrop. As the steel pipe fully emerged, the crowd finally saw it for what it was: a heavy firearm, wielded by a burly, slightly overweight man, its barrel still smoking.
He wasn't alone in emerging from the bizarre spatial distortion.
There were 21 of them in total!
Each radiated a thick, murderous aura—the kind only found on desperadoes with multiple lives on their hands.
"That madwoman!"
The Fourth Prince glared up at the group on stage, his face dark with fury.
These sudden intruders were none other than the traitorous executives of the Heil-Ly Family who had betrayed him!
"Perish, all of you! This filthy world can only be cleansed with blood!"
Another man raised his submachine gun and opened fire on the audience below.
These so-called elites and celebrities were, after all, ordinary people—utterly unprepared for such carnage.
Chaos erupted instantly.
Screams, sobs, and cries for help filled the hall, weaving together into a macabre symphony of terror.
People began fleeing the banquet hall. With numerous guests and moving attendants, the frantic escape caused secondary injuries like crowding and trampling.
After the barrage of gunfire, only thirteen locations in the hall remained completely still: the twelve princes and King Hui Guo Rou of Kakin in his distant VIP box.
"Killing one Nen user levels you up by 10! Killing a prince gives 50 levels directly!"
The Heil-Ly Family maniacs, gazing at the crowd below
"The sensation of both killing and being killed—being able to savor both flavors simultaneously, isn't it just exquisite?" Mord gazed at the other's agonized expression and chuckled softly.
Thud!
Patuyui's corpse slammed heavily onto the ground, unmistakably and irrevocably dead.
Since they so enjoyed the thrill of killing, why not let them experience it by turning it on themselves?
Throughout the entire process, Mord's composure and effortless adaptability made it seem as though he were merely brushing off a speck of dust.
The other princes clearly noticed the situation as well, their eyes uniformly reflecting shock.
...
"Ahhhhh, what is this thing?!"
Divirares, a civil construction worker and Enhancement-type Nen user, stared in terror at the giant black Doraemon that had suddenly appeared before him. Before he could react, it flattened him into a pulp, then transformed into life energy to revive the Second Prince Camilla, who should have been dead.
"Thud!"
In contrast to the Second Prince Camilla, the First Prince Benjamin was far more direct and brutal. He seized his opponent's body with both hands, lifted it high, and tore it in two.
The unlucky member of the Heil-Ly Family was ripped apart and thrown to the ground, blood splattering everywhere.
Though every one of the Heil-Ly Family members was a twisted lunatic, their psychological distortions didn't equate to strength. Many of them had been ordinary people before gaining abilities through Morena—hardly a match for the princes' private soldiers and experienced hunters.
In comparison, the Heil-Ly Family members were practically amateurs.
They were only capable of killing ordinary people without abilities.
Of course, there were a few exceptionally troublesome individuals among them.
For instance, one possessed the ability to transfer matter—enabling him to move the substance of any attack. He could absorb damage inflicted on anything touched by his right hand and release it onto anything touched by his left. (He had to touch the objects at the moment the damage occurred, or it would have no effect.)
This individual alone caused significant trouble for the Fifth Prince's side, single-handedly killing many private soldiers.
During tonight's bloody banquet, the difference between having Nen users as guards and not was starkly evident. This was especially true for the Fifth Prince, whose private soldiers lacked Nen abilities and who had chosen not to hire hunters—making his situation dire.
His side suffered the heaviest losses throughout the assassination attempt. In the end, it was only through the intervention of his Guardian Spirit Beast, which used poison that happened to counter the opponent, that he narrowly avoided being killed.
Although the Third Prince's private soldiers also lacked Nen abilities and he hadn't hired hunters, he had a powerful father.
His biological father was the leader of the Xi-Yu Family, one of Kakin's three major underworld forces.
The Xi-Yu Family also had Nen users among their ranks.
"Ahhh, what are these things?!" A Heil-Ly Family executive stared in horror at the blood-red threads coiling around him.
Standing before him was a young man with a mournful expression—Zakuro Custard, an executive of the Xi-Yu Family.
Those eerie blood-red threads were emerging from the wound on Zakuro's neck.
"Thank you. It truly takes immense courage to cut yourself willingly," Zakuro remarked, watching the incapacitated Heil-Ly Family member growl in frustration.
This ability to freely manipulate his own blood was called "Bloody Mary." To utilize it effectively, Zakuro typically carried several blood packs for emergencies.
"Queen Oito, let's leave this place first," Kurapika said from a corner of the hall. After effortlessly subduing a Heil-Ly Family madman with his chains, he coordinated with several other guards to escort Queen Oito and the Eighth Queen out of the banquet hall.
At this critical moment, no one had the attention to spare for them.
Before departing, Kurapika first glanced at Mord, then subtly swept his eyes toward the Fourth Prince's direction. Without further hesitation, he led Queen Oito's group away.
The other princes were also taking action in their own ways.
The Ninth Prince had begun his move as well. Though this sudden assassination attempt wasn't part of his plan, it presented an even better opportunity.
He looked toward the distant private room where Hui Guo Rou was situated. The King's Guard stationed outside had clearly suffered attacks from the Heil-Ly Family too.
"Your Highness Ninth Prince! Do you realize what you're doing?!" A King's Guard stationed before King Hui Guo Rou's private room stared wide-eyed at the Ninth Prince pointing a gun at him, disbelief evident in his expression.
Could the Ninth Prince have orchestrated this assassination attempt?
"Don't overthink it. These sudden attackers have nothing to do with me," the Ninth Prince said, as if reading the other's mind. "Take me to see Father."
"Let him in."
Just as the guards were uncertain how to proceed, Hui Guo Rou's voice came from inside the private room.
Hearing the command, the guards could only lower their weapons and allow passage.
Thus, the Ninth Prince entered alone, pistol in hand, standing before Hui Guo Rou.
Hui Guo Rou understood this son of his well, knowing exactly why he had come.
"It's too late."
"No, there's still time!" the Ninth Prince responded firmly.
"Didn't you already consent to the ceremony?" Hui Guo Rou said coldly.
"But you never told us it would involve princes killing each other! What happened to the Eighth Prince was like this, and tonight's music banquet is the same. How many more must die before you're satisfied, Father?" the Ninth Prince exclaimed agitatedly.
"I don't know who's behind tonight's attack, but the ability to handle emergencies is an excellent measure of one's qualification to become king. This is a particularly important aspect of the Succession War," Hui Guo Rou replied without any change in expression.
Despite the major commotion in the banquet hall, the numerous deaths, and even the Ninth Prince before him having just survived a bloody battle, he remained calmly seated in his private room, overlooking everything happening outside.
Hui Guo Rou's indifference to life thoroughly enraged the Ninth Prince—among the dead were his private soldiers.
"I see. In that case, this is my answer!" The Ninth Prince raised his gun, aiming the dark muzzle at King Hui Guo Rou's head. "Either immediately announce the termination of the Succession War, or die by my bullet."
"Now you must make a choice!"
In the Ninth Prince's view, the root cause of all these troubles was this very succession war. Only by stopping the succession war would all conflicts dissipate like the wind.
Facing the Ninth Prince's death threat, Hui Guo Rou remained expressionless and slowly stated: "The succession war has already slipped beyond my control and begun operating autonomously. Even if I intervene, it would be futile."
"All you need to do is say the word to stop it!" the Ninth Prince retorted loudly.
"I refuse, because this is your... your succession war!"