Fifth Night's Scarlet Dance!

Clack, clack, clack.

The time for the ball was drawing near.

Led by attendants, people streamed into the ballroom. They seemed to have already forgotten Captain Cook's earlier warning, their memories erased by the cruise ship's rules. This was all for the sake of the bet between Wu Wang and William.

For the wager to be completed, the ball had to take place. If no one dared to attend, the bet would be void.

Amidst the crowd, Bei Lang felt a knot of worry in his stomach. Wu Wang hadn't returned since leaving that morning.

If he had truly met with misfortune, then the only hope left was him and Xiaoxiao.

At the thought, he glanced nervously at the attendants, who were already lined up neatly around the room. Even Number Five had silently returned to her post. Her dance partner had not appeared, and she would rather stand guard than choose someone else.

Now, no attendants would be providing protection. The guests could only fend for themselves.

Dong—

A bell chimed, officially declaring the start of the ball.

"Ladies and gentlemen!"

A passionate voice rang out, and all eyes turned toward the entrance.

"Welcome to the Mary Cruise Ship!"

The large, closed doors swung open once more. A tall man in a magnificent formal suit strode in, his face hidden behind a classic English mask.

"The Fifth Night's Ball is named… the Scarlet Dance!"

He exuded an undeniable air of nobility. The hand holding the microphone was incredibly fair, its slender, well-defined fingers almost mesmerizing. A charismatic smile played on his lips.

"Allow me to introduce myself."

His voice filled the hall.

"My name is William Jelmon. I am the creator of the Mary, the host of this ball, and a simple, unadorned pianist."

The entire hall erupted. For decades, the identity of the ship's host had been a mystery. Now, for the first time, he had appeared openly before them. They were desperate to learn more about this legend.

Numerous powerful and influential people tried to approach William, but they were all stopped two meters away from him, blocked by what felt like an invisible wall.

Under the watchful eyes of all, he walked straight to the center of the ballroom floor.

Snap!

With a snap of his fingers, a piano appeared out of thin air. It was pure white, its design exquisitely beautiful. Tonight's Sound of Joy would be played by William himself. This did not violate his bet with Wu Wang.

After all, the Sound of Joy would play whether he was here or not. It was an inherent rule of the cruise ship.

As for Wu Wang… heh. That insane warrior probably wouldn't be making it here to enjoy this wonderful ball.

William's gaze swept the crowd, instantly landing on Bei Lang and Xiaoxiao. His stare sent a chill down their spines. Bei Lang, knowing what might have happened between them and William, broke out in a cold sweat and instinctively shielded Xiaoxiao behind him.

This gesture only made William smile with contempt. He knew the Black Cat lady would appear to fulfill the bet. He knew all too well how much strength the desire to survive could generate.

Thump, thump, thump.

The surrounding spotlights all converged, making William and the piano glitter brilliantly. He basked in the familiar feeling of being the center of attention. It was just like when he and Mary were passionately in love, when he was invited to perform at every ball. The powerful and wealthy of that era had looked at him just like this, with Mary's fervent adoration shining from below the stage.

Soon, all of it would be his again.

"Everyone! The ball now officially begins—"

CRASH!

A loud crash shattered the impending celebration. The familiar sound made William's brow furrow. He vividly recalled Captain Cook's tragic fate from the day before yesterday, which had also been interrupted by Wu Wang.

Everyone spun around. The sound came from the same entrance William had used just moments ago.

The stage lights began to flicker.

A young man in a mysterious and elegant greyish-black suit stood posed, one leg raised from having just kicked the doors open. Every detail of his outfit, from the cut of the lapels to the small decorations on the buttons, exuded nobility. A unique brooch pinned to his chest added an avant-garde touch.

His entrance was no less splendid than William's. In fact, his grand finale arrival completely stole the show.

But his appearance also made William breathe a sigh of relief. It didn't matter if he was stealing the spotlight. As long as it wasn't that magenta Decade Tokusatsu Suit.

"My friend, it seems you are late."

William adopted the graceful demeanor of a gentleman.

"But no matter. The ball is just about to begin. Your presence will make it all the more splendid."

He completely failed to notice the look in Number Five's eyes from her post by the wall. It was a look of utter excitement, her eyes welling with tears of joy. On the entire cruise ship, she was the only one who had seen Wu Wang's true face.

The person who had just appeared, looking like a young nobleman… who else could it be but Wu Wang?

As if on cue, the young man's lips curved into a brilliant smile upon hearing William's invitation.

He opened his arms and declared, "Before the ball begins, allow me to perform a magic trick for everyone."

His voice made both William and Bei Lang freeze. It sounded vaguely familiar.

Since Wu Wang had been wearing the Decade helmet during his time on the ship, his voice had been distorted, carrying a slight echo. Now that he had taken it off, no one recognized him at first.

"This magic trick is called the Living Person Transformation!"

With that, he completely ignored William, who was now frowning by the piano. The young man gently shook the corner of his suit, and a red cloth appeared in his hand. He placed his other hand under the cloth and slowly lifted it.

The crowd stared, a mixture of foreboding and curiosity in their eyes.

He abruptly whipped the red cloth away.

A head appeared in the young man's hand, its ferocious expression frozen in a look of utter despair.

"Ah! A dead person!"

"What… what is that!"

"It's still dripping blood! That's a real human head!"

The crowd instantly descended into chaos.

Both William's and Bei Lang's pupils contracted violently. They both instantly recognized the head.

It belonged to the Black Cat lady!

Her shoulder-length hair hung from Wu Wang's grasp like a waterfall, draping limply on the floor. The unwillingness and emptiness in her eyes were fixed straight ahead, staring directly at William, as if questioning why it had come to this.

"Oh, oh, oh, everyone relax," Wu Wang said cheerfully. "This beautiful lady has merely lost her body. The only injury is that her neck has been severed. It's just a case of localized necrosis."

He smiled.

"But I've already administered sufficient treatment."

Hearing his words, the chaotic crowd looked on in bewilderment.

Localized necrosis? The woman was just a head! How could anyone possibly treat that?

Wu Wang's smile was faint. "The only way to treat localized necrosis is to… Pull a Great Stunt."

The crowd stared, utterly confused.

At this point, how could William not know who the young man before him was? A flush of pure rage crept up his neck. Just as Wu Wang had promised, he had Pulled a Great Stunt.

William slammed his fist on the piano. In a flash, he appeared before Wu Wang, furious and flustered, reaching out to grab his throat.

But Wu Wang unexpectedly shoved the Black Cat lady's head into William's arms and, in turn, grabbed William's wrist.

William instantly felt the Strength within his body become inert. The rules of the bet prevented him from generating any power to directly harm Wu Wang.

He roared, "You cheated! You remember everything! You violated the bet first!"

"No, no, no, Mr. William," Wu Wang said, shaking his head mockingly. "Since your strength is still restricted, it means our bet is still in effect. Are you afraid?"

He looked at the terrified crowd around them.

"You, who possess such great power on this ship, are you afraid of losing to a mere mortal like me?"

His expression grew more devilishly charming. It wasn't that these powerful people had never seen a dead person. They had just never witnessed such an insane act. To pull out a still-dripping head in front of everyone… that magic cloth hadn't been red at all. It had been dyed red by blood.

In their minds, his image was becoming more and more like a demon from Hell. Under the flickering lights of the ball, they could almost see horns of sin twisting and growing from his forehead.

The power of the 【Fear Monger】 began to radiate through the room.

The entire hall fell silent. No one dared to even breathe loudly in front of him.

Facing William, who was still trying to speak, Wu Wang simply raised his blood-soaked thumb. He pressed it against William's cheek and slowly, forcefully, dragged it across his face.

He drew a bloody, cheerful red smile on William. The gruesome smear transformed William's handsome face into the mask of a clown from some absurdist comedy.

Wu Wang's arrogant, unrestrained voice echoed through the ballroom.

"The bet isn't over yet."

"Now, allow me to announce."

"The Fifth Night's Scarlet Dance…"

"Officially begins!"