The attack came.
Joey heard it through his bug. The First Prince's side caught some of it, too.
The private guard under attack sent back just enough intel—right before communication broke.
But after that, everything… stalled.
No follow-up.
No retaliation from the Ninth Prince.
No escalation from the First.
As if the incident ended with just the First Prince's soldier being attacked.
Both sides knew better.
The First Prince knew his man hadn't died.
But he wouldn't be taking orders anymore.
The Ninth Prince needed that same soldier to understand his own ability.
It was a checkmate in silence.
—
Seventh day of voyage.
No new assassinations in Room 1012.
Satope had been taken away by Royal Army—
People started to believe he really was the killer.
Joey kept his daily routines.
But several of the bugs he'd placed… were gone.
Destroyed.
The First Prince was moving again.
But Joey couldn't be sure who the next target would be.
He just had to ensure that the Tenth and Eleventh Princes survived until after the banquet.
And besides, the First Prince wouldn't strike now. Not before the banquet.
The Ninth Prince posed a bigger threat.
He couldn't afford to provoke him prematurely.
—
Eighth day, 6:00 PM.
The princes' bodyguards started entering the banquet hall—those who signed up to perform, anyway.
Guards without performances weren't allowed in.
So Kurapika had registered for a performance too.
Joey and Hisoka, acting as support, stayed behind.
They had their own job to do.
Once Melody activated her ability, both would move—splitting into doppelgängers to cover ground.
7:00 PM, VIPs and nobles from the upper decks entered the hall.
Staff assembled the stage. Techs ran last-minute checks.
Joey arrived accompanying the Twelfth Prince.
Once she was seated, he and Hisoka withdrew to the corridor outside.
8:00 PM, the banquet officially began.
This time, it was a royal musical showcase.
Each prince had something lined up—except one.
—
Midway through, the emcee took the stage.
"We have unfortunate news.
Though the Eighth Prince wished to 'change the world with tonight's performance'...
she has fallen ill and will not appear."
Joey and Hisoka exchanged glances outside the doors.
No words needed.
Kakin would never admit a prince's death publicly.
The "illness" was a lie.
The Eighth Prince had been eliminated.
Still, the schedule adapted smoothly.
Melody's piece was pushed earlier, and the Tenth and Eleventh Princes' duet remained as the closing act.
Everything proceeded… according to plan.
Curiously, both the First and Second Princes were absent.
No official reason given.
But to Joey, this was perfect.
It made things… easier.
—
Kurapika's act came in the second half.
A piano solo.
Joey checked the program—
Most performers were people Kurapika had personally recruited.
Basho with his rap.
Izunavi with a rock performance.
Melody's flute, of course.
Kurapika's piano.
It felt like a hunter-sponsored infiltration.
Joey thought,
"If I and Hanzo performed too, we'd just about own the whole damn stage."
Bisky was still in detention.
But she'd be back tomorrow.
Her accusation against Satope had lacked concrete proof.
8:10 PM.
Joey slipped in his earpiece.
Hisoka already had his in.
Same model. Kurapika had one too.
—
Royal Guard commander Shulricov had seen the earpieces.
But he assumed they were a manifested ability, some kind of psychic comms.
If it helped them coordinate, so be it.
—
9:10 PM.
Kurapika's piano solo ended.
Melody took the stage.
Joey and Hisoka turned up the volume.
The noise drowned out the outside world.
Shulricov's gaze flicked to them.
But he was too late.
The moment Melody blew that first note…
The world froze.
A stillness fell over the hall—every mind drawn into Melody's flute.
Even Shulricov, stoic as ever, lost himself in the sound.
Joey and Hisoka moved instantly.
Each created a perfect clone,
then Joey pulled out a scalpel.
—
Their operation had been rehearsed countless times.
Joey sliced into the clone's chest, activating Golden Experience.
His nen, already prepped and condensed into a "wallet" state, was funneled into the doppelgänger.
These copies couldn't last forever.
Once their aura ran dry, they'd dissolve.
But for now? They could hold for a day or two.
That was plenty.
—
37 seconds later…
Joey and Hisoka were gone.
In their place stood two "princesses" in royal guard uniforms—
the Tenth and Eleventh Princes themselves.
They turned and ran toward the prep room.
Waiting there were their originals—
plus Ginny, the hunter stationed as their extraction contact.
Meanwhile, Joey and Hisoka opened the banquet doors—
Only to see Kurapika motioning for them to stop.
Something was wrong.
Joey's eyes swept the room—
And landed on Nasubi Hui Guo Rou.
The King.
Eyes closed, facing the entrance.
Waiting.
He hadn't moved.
Hadn't spoken.
But he knew.
Joey whispered through mouth movements only:
"Proceed?
Or abort?"
Kurapika didn't answer.
But Joey already had a sense—
If the King wasn't stopping them…
Now was the best time to act.
Until something else caught his eye.
The Fourth Prince's guardian beast.
Bloodlike fluid dripped from its head.
Its eyes locked onto Joey.
Its neck extended like a snake—
Its mouth opened.
A grotesque tongue-weapon shot forth.
It was targeting him.
Joey's instincts screamed.
Resist?
Fight back?
He could activate Weather Report, but his aura was split.
He was in Specialist Mode, unable to use Weather Report at full power.
Only about 60%.
Not enough to crush the Fourth Prince's beast.
Worse—if he used Killer Queen, he might give away his trump card.
If the beast survived, it might learn to counter the First Bomb.
The decision had to be made—now.
Joey flared his En,
engulfing the Fourth Prince and his beast in a surge of aura.
Weather Report appeared on his shoulder.
A standoff.
If the beast advanced even one inch—
Joey would attack.
But the beast's eyes bulged in fury.
Its mouth opened—revealing a mutilated face hidden within.
Then, Kurapika shook his head.
Abort.
Joey sighed.
Withdrew his En.
Took a single step back.
The beast paused,
then lunged again—faster.
But it met a bullet of nen—shot directly into its mouth.
Its forked tongue tried to block—
but the nen pierced through.
More shots followed.
Joey didn't stop there.
As soon as the volley hit, he shut the banquet doors.
The mission was over.
Kurapika had made the call.
Joey respected that.
Besides, the intel was priceless.
The Fourth Prince's beast was powerful, yes—
But not invincible.
The nen blasts had injured it.
Its defenses weren't absolute.
And it hadn't retaliated further.
Didn't chase them.
Joey guessed it needed conditions to act.
Probably malice detection.
That would explain why it hadn't attacked Kurapika.
Kurapika had suppressed all hostility—
flawlessly.
Hisoka gestured.
"Now what?"
Joey replied with a shrug:
"We wait.
For the next chance."
—
The beast had likely disabled its own hearing ahead of time.
It had sensed Melody's power—
maybe through a moment of subconscious hostility from her.
Even if unintentional.
That was enough.
Joey sighed.
He had miscalculated.
So had Kurapika.
Melody's flute was supposed to be their trump card.
But now, that route was closed.
They still had the First Prince's promise…
And the video proof of the assassination on the Eighth Prince.
—
Back in the hall, 49 seconds into Melody's performance…
Joey and Hisoka's clones reached Ginny and the two princesses.
Using prearranged signals, the real Joey and Hisoka swapped clothing with the princesses.
Then—
The Eleventh Prince, Fugetsu, whispered "Third Deck, Room 3001."
A glowing door appeared on the prep room wall.
Joey opened it—
a low, dark crawlspace stretched beyond.
He crawled through quickly—
arriving at another door.
He opened it—
And there stood Piyon, tech support and rebel genius.
"Prince Fugetsu," Piyon said calmly.
"It's me. Joey."
Though he looked like the princess, his voice was unmistakable.
Piyon raised her phone.
"Nice cosplay. Genderbend? You got style~"
Joey tossed her a notebook and memory card.
"Everything's in there. Secure them. Price doesn't matter. Thanks."
Behind him, the real Fugetsu and Kacho crawled in.
"You'll watch them?"
"Of course."
Joey asked,
"Need me to change their faces? I've got 30 seconds."
They shook their heads quickly.
"No need. Kite already arranged that," Piyon said.
"Alright. I might send another guest soon. Be ready."
And with that—
Joey vanished back into the crawlspace.