Chapter 201: Crimson Banquet (Part 1)
Franklin stared at the other party and said in a deep voice, "You know nothing about us."
Luini poked his head out from behind the door and laughed, "Wikipedia says you're extremely cruel thieves. I think that's an exaggeration. How about I help you correct that?"
Feitan, who had long been irritated, finally couldn't hold back any longer. He drew the sword from his umbrella and said, "It does need correction. It should say we show no mercy to those who piss us off."
Seeing Feitan's stance, Luini, with half his body exposed, quickly waved his hands. "Don't get excited. I have no intention of fighting the Troupe. In fact, I'm here to assist you. Our first step is to eliminate all the other families!"
But Feitan seemed uninterested in his explanation, simply adjusting his grip on the sword and pointing it diagonally toward the ground.
Luini, completely oblivious to the shift in atmosphere, continued, "The reason I attacked people here was solely to target the Cha-R Family. After wiping them out, we'll move on to the Xi-Yu Family, and then the Kakin Royal Family!"
Luini grew more and more excited as he spoke.
"Once we've killed them all, we'll seize this ship, return to the original world, and turn everything upside down!"
"The person you're looking for is on the first floor. I can take you there right now. Join forces with our Heil-Ly Family and let's destroy this world completely!" Luini shouted wildly at the three Troupe members before him.
His answer, however, was an icy blade.
In an instant, Feitan appeared in front of Luini and thrust his sword into the man's forehead.
Luini's face still wore its deranged expression—the strike was so fast he didn't even have time to feel pain before meeting his end.
"I have no idea what nonsense you're spouting," Feitan remarked coolly as he smoothly withdrew his sword, sending a spray of crimson blood splattering.
With Luini's death, his ability vanished. The boundary between the front and rear halves of his body was cleanly severed by spatial distortion.
Luini never imagined he would die like this. His boldness in appearing before the three Troupe members stemmed from absolute confidence in his ability, believing he could retreat behind the door even if the Troupe attacked.
What he didn't realize was the vast gap in their capabilities.
Feitan's speed was simply too fast for him to activate his ability in time.
These Heil-Ly Family members, before obtaining their abilities, were merely twisted, abnormal ordinary people—how could they possibly stand against the likes of the Troupe?
At that moment, the bespectacled young master of the Cha-R Family arrived at the scene, alerted by his subordinate's report.
He first glanced at Luini's severed body lying in a pool of blood, then looked up at Feitan and the other two, smiling as he said, "We've confirmed reliable information: the person you're searching for will appear at tomorrow's banquet on the first floor. I'll take you up there now."
...
"Boom!!"
It was thunder.
The sky, clear and boundless just moments ago, had unknowingly become densely overcast with dark clouds.
Such was the harsh weather at sea.
Bang! Clatter!
The wind blew open the windows of the Twelfth Prince's room.
Twelfth Prince Momoze quickly stood up, looking at the man standing by the window, and said, "Lord Mord, the wind is rising."
"Yes, the wind is rising. A storm is coming soon," Mord murmured as he gazed out at the boundless night sky.
These days, the movements of various factions had hardly escaped his perception.
Mord was also curious about what kind of symphony tonight's banquet would play!
Ambition, revenge, ideals, survival, destruction, the long-cherished wishes of a clan... Everything everyone pursued would intertwine, collide, and bloom at this banquet!
"The Sunday banquet will begin shortly. All princes are requested to attend on time."
The announcement for the banquet echoed from the room's broadcast.
"Lord Mord?" Momoze stood behind Mord, visibly still somewhat nervous.
"Let's go," Mord turned, placing a hand on her head, and smiled. "Everything will end tonight."
As they stepped out of the living quarters,
Mord spotted the Thirteenth Prince's group. The Sixth Consort initially moved to speak with Momoze but shrank back upon seeing Mord.
Clearly, that slap had instilled deep fear in her.
Mord's terror had seeped into the Sixth Consort's very soul.
"Yo, long time no see," Mord greeted Hanzo and Bisky among the Thirteenth Prince's guards.
Though they were on the same ship, this was the first time Hanzo and the others had seen Mord.
Recognizing his former savior, Hanzo eagerly stepped forward to greet him.
Bisky, carrying the Thirteenth Prince on her shoulders, showed how much the prince now trusted her. It was her presence that had gradually soothed the prince's anxious heart and lifted the spatial barrier in the residential area.
Bisky looked at Mord, paused for a moment, and said, "Thank you for saving the old man."
He'd almost forgotten—this guy was the chairman's disciple.
Over the years, the two had crossed paths many times.
Mord chuckled, glanced at the Thirteenth Prince on Bisky's shoulder, and remarked, "Tonight's banquet will be quite lively."
With that, he turned to leave.
"Lord Mord, wait for me!"
Hearing Mord depart, Momoze bowed to the Sixth Consort before hurriedly trotting after him.
The scene left the Thirteenth Prince's guards utterly bewildered.
They couldn't tell which of the two was the prince.
Among everyone present, only Bisky knew Mord's true strength. After the incident with Netero, she had visited the chairman in the hospital.
To this day, Bisky vividly recalled the scene.
"Bisky, you know, before I died, I finally witnessed the pinnacle of martial arts, the pinnacle of Nen. Hahahaha, I'm so happy."
Lying in the hospital bed, missing an arm and a leg, Netero laughed like a child, his eyes shining as he spoke of it.
In other words, the man before her was the strongest in the world today.
Through her interactions with Mord, Bisky believed she understood him. A man like him wouldn't bother with pleasantries—not for a prince, nor even for the old men high up in V5, if he chose not to engage.
Bisky withdrew her gaze, turned to look at the Thirteenth Prince on her shoulder, and smiled again. "Your Highness, let's go. I heard there's a concert to watch tonight."
"Really? Then let's hurry! Concert, concert!" the young prince cheered happily.
As they approached the banquet venue, Mord encountered the group of the Fourteenth Prince.
When Mord brushed past Kurapika, he whispered something in his ear. The latter shuddered briefly before quickly regaining his composure.
Kurapika glanced at the Fourteenth Prince in Princess Ola's arms, a trace of hesitation in his eyes.
The two groups entered the banquet venue one after another.
....
"Thank you for your patience, everyone! Tonight's banquet officially begins now!"
"Today's theme is a concert hosted by the royal family. Please enjoy it to the fullest!" the host shouted enthusiastically from the stage.
Several opening performances quickly heated up the atmosphere.
Apart from the Kakin royal family, the banquet attendees consisted of wealthy elites and celebrities.
Although their presence was well concealed, Mord still sensed several familiar auras, knowing that some old friends had arrived. His gaze swept over each prince one by one, the corners of his mouth lifting slightly into a smile.
Tonight, it remained to be seen who would be the first to lose patience and make a move.
The warm-up performances concluded.
The host took the stage and announced, "We sincerely apologize for interrupting with some unfortunate news. Although the Eighth Prince had declared that he would use today's performance to change the world, His Highness has had to withdraw from tonight's banquet due to illness."
"But please don't worry! There are still many other meticulously prepared, spectacular performances tonight. Please enjoy yourselves until the very end of this banquet!"
According to the originally planned schedule, each prince was required to present a performance at tonight's banquet.
The first to appear were soldiers under the First Prince. They performed military music, singing with passionate fervor—undeniably highly infectious.
Just as everyone's attention was captivated by the performance on stage, the private soldiers of the Second Prince, Camilla, began to move. No one noticed their unusual behavior.
Since their performance was next, everyone subconsciously assumed they were heading backstage to prepare.
"The next performance will be by the Second Prince's team! Their act is called the Ritual Dance!"
The music began—a religious dirge that sent chills down one's spine.
To Mord, the attire and dance moves of the thirteen people on stage seemed utterly bizarre.
"This is a dance performed in the Kakin Empire to honor their ancestors," Momoze explained from beside him.
Just as the dance reached its climax, the thirteen performers suddenly and simultaneously drew daggers from their robes.
At that moment, the thirteen directions they faced corresponded precisely to the thirteen princes present.
"For the Kakin Empire!"
The thirteen shouted in unison, and in the next moment, each called out the name of the prince they represented.
"This dance is dedicated to the First Prince!"
"This dance is dedicated to the Second Prince!"
"This dance is dedicated to the Third Prince!"
...
As soon as the words fell, their eyes filled with determination. Gripping their daggers with both hands, without the slightest hesitation, they plunged them directly into their own chests.
"Interesting." Mord glanced toward the direction of the Second Princess Camilla, a smile spreading across his face.
Camilla's move could be described as an open and straightforward scheme.
Right at the banquet venue, in front of everyone, she was having her Cursed Assassination Squad carry out their assassination missions against the other princes.
Mord had just heard from Momoze that ancient sacrificial dances were said to involve offering lives, a practice that persisted until modern times when this outdated custom was finally abandoned.
Moreover, the curses didn't take effect immediately—they required several hours. Therefore, even if someone found it strange, they wouldn't connect it to the assassinations.
The most brilliant part of the whole affair was that Camilla had included herself in the plan.
Originally, the thirteen members of the Cursed Assassination Squad were intended for the thirteen princes besides her. The sudden death of the Eighth Prince had instead created the perfect opportunity for her.
The squad member on stage who shouted the Second Princess's name was actually cursing the Eighth Prince, so it wouldn't affect Camilla in the slightest.
In this way, she could not only eliminate all her competitors but also perfectly clear herself of any suspicion.
None of the princes in the Kakin Kingdom were easy to deal with.
What a pity.
Clang!
The thirteen on stage had prepared themselves for sacrifice. Just as they were about to stab themselves with their daggers, a clear, crisp sound suddenly reached their ears.
Before they could react, they had already plunged their daggers downward.
But the next moment, they realized they weren't dead.
The pain in their chests made them look down. Seeing the daggers in their hands suddenly broken in two, expressions of shock appeared on all their faces.
They couldn't understand how their daggers had suddenly shattered. The remaining half of each dagger could only pierce the skin.
"Clap clap clap clap clap clap!"
Before the Cursed Assassination Squad on stage could recover from their shock, enthusiastic applause erupted from below.
In the eyes of these nobles and wealthy individuals, the performance was truly spectacular, especially the final scene, which perfectly captured the essence of ancient sacrificial dances.
Unlike these ordinary people, the princes below sensed something amiss from the squad members' reactions.
Particularly the First Prince, who was at odds with the Second Princess Camilla, immediately dispatched his private guards to escort the Cursed Assassination Squad off the stage and remove them from the banquet venue through the backstage area.
The Second Princess sat in her seat, watching everything unfold, her face pale with anger.
What had just happened occurred too quickly—even she hadn't seen what transpired.
She would never doubt the loyalty of her subordinates, so she refused to believe that the squad members would retreat at the critical moment.
Then she noticed the broken blades on stage.
Camilla's eyes flickered. That meant someone at the scene had intervened at that moment, instantly severing all the daggers in the Cursed Assassination Squad members' hands.
What was most terrifying was that after doing all this, no one had noticed—not even the squad members on stage, who were directly involved.
Was it a Nen Ability?
Spatial movement? Or time stop?
The thought that such a formidable enemy was hidden at the scene made Camilla's pupils contract sharply.
Now it was clear that the Cursed Assassination Squad couldn't be relied upon. Without completing the final step of public suicide, the curse's effectiveness would be greatly diminished.
At best, it could only cause the cursed target to fall seriously ill.
It wouldn't play a decisive role in the current succession war.
Now I can only rely on myself, on my Cat's Name!
Camilla bit her lip, her gaze sweeping over the other princes present one by one, trying to discern something from the expressions of the various factions.
Meanwhile, Camilla wasn't the only one making such observations.
Clearly, everyone had noticed the peculiarity of the earlier performance.