[Quickly look for a partner and start dancing!]
As if it had been planned beforehand, the Guild members quickly paired off, forming groups of two.
The same happened for the ’NPCs’ that didn’t belong to the Guild.
Before I knew it, everyone had paired up but me.
Ah, shit…
I desperately looked around in hopes of finding someone who was alone, but it became quite clear to me that everyone had paired up.
’What do I do?’
Dang~
A gentle tune rang in the air, and everyone began dancing.
I was the only one who wasn’t dancing, and…
“…..!”
The host’s head turned in my direction.
He stood in silence, his expression calm and devoid of any emotion.
He was waiting. Waiting for me to move.
But…
I didn’t have a partner.
How could I move without one?
Damn it.
Damn it, damn it!
[Do you not have a partner?]
Eventually, his voice rang, and I felt several people turn their attention towards me.
I could see from their faces that they were confused as they looked at me.
’Who is he?’
’…Why does he not have a partner?’
’I’m sure that we assigned an even number so that this situation wouldn’t occur. What group is he with?’
The situation was starting to spiral in the worst way possible.
[So…?]
My heart sank as I heard the host’s voice once more.
The movements of those around me eventually stopped, and so did the music.
Silence.
Hundreds of eyes focused on me.
And the words simply left my mouth without a thought.
“I already have a partner.”
[You already have a partner?]
The host looked around.
[Where? I do not see your partner.]
“…That’s because I haven’t called for them yet.”
[So that’s the case…]
The host smiled, his eyes directed towards me.
I knew in that moment that if I didn’t do anything, I’d be done for.
I took a deep breath.
’I’ll be fine. This should work.’
It was going to work.
…It will work.
Under the watchful eyes of everyone present, I slowly brought my hand forward.
A black hand grasped my hand right after, and a dark figure materialized before me.
The faces of everyone present changed as the Nightwalker materialized, but I promptly ignored them and fixed my attention on the host.
“Is this good enough?”
The host didn’t answer immediately. He just stared at me in silence.
I felt like losing my mind in that moment.
Quickly decide! Just accept it already!
[Wow, what a grand entrance! Who would’ve thought you’d suddenly make your partner appear like that!? Impressive!]
The host turned to the piano and flicked his hand.
Dang!
The music resumed, and so did the dancing.
I did so too.
But just as I moved, I felt the nightwalker squeezing my hand tightly.
’I know, I know… resist.’
I looked towards the bright lights above.
The Nightwalker’s greatest weakness was light. It could hardly move within the light, and it was slowly starting to poison it. I could practically hear its screams in my mind.
Feeling the strength it put in my hands as it began to move with me, I knew that it was in pure and sheer agony.
However, I had no other choice.
’Resist for a bit. I’ll recall you back when this is over…’
[Come! Dance to your heart’s content! Show me what you’re capable of!]
The host’s voice rang as I focused all my attention on the Nightwalker.
I was trying my best to keep it from fading on the spot.
But its movements were slowly starting to stiffen. I didn’t have much time.
Tzzz!
But a faint sizzling sound reached my ears.
“….!”
I felt a lump form in my throat when I saw it coming from the Nightwalker as its figure started to dissolve before me.
No, no…
I just need a few minutes. That’s all I need!
As if understanding my thoughts, the Nighwalker tried to resist, the sizzling slowing down.
I took a step forward, the Nightwalker matching my tempo.
The Nightwalker was attuned to my thoughts, able to see the images in my mind and mirror them with uncanny precision. Following the dancers from my memories, its movements flowed seamlessly, almost as if we had rehearsed them countless times.
The Nightwalker was much better than me.
And as a result, I let it lead the dance.
I merely followed from that point.
’Hold on. Just hold on…’
***
Who the hell is he?
By now, there was not a single person who wasn’t aware of the strange Jester-like figure.
He had come out of nowhere and suddenly taken the spotlight.
Dang!
His figure glided across the ball floor, his movements in sync with the strange black creature, as the pair’s movements were almost flawless. Beneath the bright lights of the chandelier, the two shone brighter than anyone present.
The sight was one for the eyes, but at the same time, it made everyone grow alert.
This Jester…
Who was he?
He wasn’t in the scouting report.
The scenario had deviated from what they had originally been told by the scouts.
Some inwardly panicked at the thought. There were times, occasionally, when such incidents occurred, and in such times, the difficulty of the gate would oftentimes increase, and so would the mortality rate.
Not only that, but there was something more crucial than that.
With the sudden changes occurring in the scenario, their preparations and everything planned to tackle the gate, would they still be able to stick to them?
“Don’t panic. Keep doing what we’ve planned.”
Zoey’s voice quietly whispered to her dance partner as she tried her best to maintain calm.
The situation was bad, but in such a situation, the most important thing was to remain calm.
She wasn’t the only one who was like this.
After the initial shock, the other guild members resumed their dance, and the ball went on full swing once more.
For now, this was the most appropriate response.
…It was just a pity that one of the groups stumbled as a result of the sudden situation.
[Great! Amazing! Wonderful!]
The host showered the surroundings with praise, his eyes darting all over as he looked extremely pleased with what he was seeing.
Everyone danced to the best of their abilities, but only one group managed to pull the host’s gaze more than once.
It was the Jester and the black creature. Their dance commanded the room, every step pulling attention like magnets. And just when they seemed impossible to ignore, smoke began to curl from the creature’s body, its form growing lighter with each movement, fading, yet still dancing.
The sight…
It made them look even more imposing.
Dong!
The two moved with such grace and elegance that they even managed to absorb the attention of the NPCs.
Zoey clenched her teeth, trying her best to dance to her best abilities.
But even she… felt inferior to the Jester.
And then—
The tune in the air mellowed, and the Jester pair began to slow down.
The dance was coming to an end.
Da Da—
From fast to slow, the pair matched the slowing tempo of the music, steam rising out of the black creature’s body, becoming more and more pronounced as it started to surround the two.
Everyone slowed down.
All eyes on them.
And soon, the last notes played.
Da Da!
With the final notes echoing across the room, the Jester came to a graceful stop, his posture poised and elegant as the black creature before him started to fade, dissipating entirely into the air.
“…..”
The surroundings turned quiet, and everyone came to a stop.
[Bravo!]
But the silence was fleeting.
With thunderous applause, the host showered the lone Jester with praise.
[Wonderful! How wonderful…! That was an amazing performance! You almost had me impressed!]
Almost?
That wasn’t enough to impress it? The hearts of many started to sink as a realization soon dawned on them.
It was just as they feared.
The difficulty of the scenario had increased.
[I truly admire the grace of your movements. They flowed with such smooth elegance, and the tempo was spot on. But… there was something missing. A soul. Yes, it was flawless, yet it felt… empty.]
The host began to give criticism to the Jester’s performance as he stood in the middle of the hall without moving.
He simply accepted the criticism without any words.
And as the host finished his words, he turned towards a specific group.
[Now, talking about the group that impressed me the least…]
Panic flashed across the faces of the pair under scrutiny. They opened their mouths, as if to speak, but the host cut them off before a single word could escape.
[Everything about your performance was appalling and unimpressive. I’m afraid that this is it for you.]
He waved his hand once.
Bang!
That was all it took for their heads to explode.