Arc 3: Crazy Noisy Killer Town Girls
Chapter Seven: I Need A Hero


Masaru breathed when he was done. In and out slowly, just like Dio told him to.

He did it. He conquered the Boss Demon. All this time he lived in fear of the stench of alcohol and cigarettes, of not knowing when a strike could come out of nowhere, or of being abandoned for being a shitty son. None of that scared him anymore. He was just shaking because of nerves.

Everyone else stood back. Dio had told them that these battles had to be fought on their own. The masked-guy protested until Monaka and Nagisa. They weren't shitty adults but they weren't babies either. They had been given enough help to last a gajillion lifetimes.

The Boss Demon was breathing slowly as well, but he wasn't in control. He saw Masaru's friends, Dio, and Dio's friend and had demanded answers from him. Maybe it was because of the other bodies in the room, but he was even threatening to hit him in front of others. Nothing like how he was with the cops.

There might have been a time where Masaru was afraid, but it wasn't now. It couldn't be now. Not when Dio was expecting him to use his My Hero.

It was like watching those old movies when his Demon was asleep. The villain's blows that might have torn apart the innocent bystanders was easily contained by My Hero's own blows. The Hero moved too swiftly for most of the Demon's blows and now had the strength to not only take them, but throw it back ten times harder.

The Demon was now just a pummelled piece of meat lying on the ground. He was still alive, somehow, despite bleeding all over and crying like Masaru would.

Who was the brat now?!

A hand touched his shoulder and the anger stopped. It didn't go away-it must never go away, that was what Dio said-but it simply froze in place. Peace of mind, the real thing and not whatever Jataro thought it was, came to Masaru.

"Total and utter defeat. Just as I knew it would be." Dio said, towering over Masaru like a King even as he crouched down. He spat on the body and glared down at it. "A shitty drunk like this could never defeat My Hero. Masaru, you've made me proud."

"But he's not dead." Masaru thought he was supposed to kill the Demon. "My Hero can kill him. Make it hurt. I can do it, Dio! Just like you said."

"No. Not yet." Dio stood and walked towards the couch of the living room, where an ashtray and half-empty bottle of alcohol sat. Taking both with each hand, Dio walked back and stood tall against the Demon that Masaru had just defeated.

"Dio," His friend's voice shook as he talked. "What are you-"

"Demons like these, who act so cruelly towards their children. Treating them like scum when it is their duty to protect them," Dio tilted his hand and the alcohol began to stream out of the bottle onto the Demon, moving it so that it soon covered his whole body. "They deserve to know what Hell feels like."

It took a few seconds of the Demon's panicked screams for Masaru to realise what Dio was doing. The Demon shook its body and began flailing its fists and legs, grunting in pain, as it tried to escape. My Hero was quicker. Sure, it wasn't nearly as strong as Holy Diver, but it still looked cool. It was a mix between a knight in shining armour, a big white cape flowing behind it with the red symbol of a sword breaking a planet, but it had big hands as if they were boxing gloves.

Perfect for keeping the Demon down on the ground.

"Have I ever told you about how I killed my father, Masaru?" Dio asked, the last few drops coming out of the bottle. Masaru knew the story of what Dio's dad was like. An old and dark demon who killed an angel and tortured Dio until he rose up and slew the Demon himself. "I made sure every bit of it hurt. That his last few moments were spent lying in pain and agony as his body was corrupted from the inside. We don't have time for that now, but I, Dio, intend for you all to know the same feeling of putting people like him where they belong." Dio passed the ashtray, with a still-lit cigarette inside, to Masaru's hands. "Powerless and uselessly clinging to life."

This was the test. Masaru had to prove that he was willing to put it all on the line for their cause. For Hope, for the others, and for Dio. The Demons before had been killed quickly and randomly, the Warriors forced to act before they could scream for help, but now this had to be slow. This had to be painful.

It had to be ten years of hurt and torment in a matter of moments.

Masaru looked at My Hero. It was all covered in scars and bandages inside that armour. Masaru looked at the Warriors of Hope. All of them the victims of Demons. Masaru looked at Dio. The man who saved them and transcended the path to adulthood; to becoming a Demon.

The man who would take them to Heaven if they'd only help him spread Hope.

Masaru finally looked down on the Boss Demon. It was whimpering apologies and begging for him to not do this, to remember that they were family. He had never seen his father like this and yet it felt so familiar. It was nearly enough to make him hesitate.

Then he remembered why it was familiar. It was the words he'd say in his mind as his father knocked out teeth and kicked his chest. The words that could never reach a Demon's heart.

The cigarette was thrown, the ashes met the alcohol, and the Boss Demon was swallowed entirely by fire.

A choked squeal came from the Boss Demon and the smell was like cooking really stinky meat, plus he could hear Dio's friend vomiting against a wall, but Masaru didn't care. The Warriors of Hope were jumping and cheering, celebrating his bravery, while Dio simply stood and gave a soft smile and nod of his head. Masaru had proven himself worthy of being the leader of the Warriors of Hope.

After all, if the Hero couldn't kill Demons, then how could he serve the King?


"Who the hell thought this was a good idea for home defence and battlefield recovery?" Togami muttered to himself, as Gold crushed the skull of the last Murralsee under its foot. The heat of the burning building did nothing to weaken the Stand's stomp. "The Towa Group have explaining to do."

The Muralsee had become a niche product after the world had seen the Mutual Killing Game. Few wanted to be protected by a machine that looked just like the tormentor of Class 78, and those few mostly lived in Towa City itself, refusing to deny their beloved benefactors anything. They even bought into that stupid kid's show.

The only benefit to the riots outside would be the final end to having to see these damned machines. Togami couldn't even take joy in that when knowing that hundreds had to die for that. It was easier before he had met Class 78-that is, met them again-and found himself attached to others.

Enough of the past. I need to focus. Togami had five agents of the Neo-Togami Group with him when he came in to rescue Naegi's little sister, and now he was down to two. Reaching the evacuation point was going to be a fight and he doubted he'd avoid casualties, even with Gold, with all the Murralsee running about.

If it hadn't been for his Stand and Hacking Gun combined, they might have been overwhelmed already. It was obvious now that this had been a trap. Togami needed to get out and warn the Future Foundation.

"Have they finally made their move?" Togami asked himself. He had heard tales of the Remnants of Despair, the parts of Dio's army that survived the death of their master and now roamed aimlessly, causing violence and pain wherever they went.

There were some in the Future Foundation who blamed Naegi for all this. If he had somehow kept Dio from destroying the Stand Arrow, they might have created their own army to match the Remnants of Despair, as if he could have stopped him. Togami knew better. He had been in that final battle.

It didn't make it easier to accept that the Remnants were out there with Stands of their own.

I'll just have to trust in Gold to fight them off. Togami thought to himself as he turned back to his men. Technically, they were Kirigiri's men, but their loyalties were to Togami, not the Future Foundation. Just how he and Kirigiri wanted it. "Alright, everyone," He said, looking to the agents just ahead of him, as another part of the building collapsed from the flames. "We're taking the stairs down. Just grab the bodies and get moving-"

It was then that the floor collapsed. Where there was once solid ground, now there was just open air as Togami felt himself plummet down, glasses flying off his face. The fire had been more destructive than he realised, just able to look down enough to see that at least seven floors below had either collapsed or were likely to break under his weight. If he didn't break his fall, broken legs would be the best he could hope for.

Gold reacted quickly. The form, once an exact copy of Togami but as gold, turned to a semi-liquid state and wrapped itself around him. Normally, it would then take the shape of armour and serve as protection, but not now. If he hit the ground in solid armour, the inside of it-Togami himself-would still take too much damage. If he was wrapped in something that would absorb more of the impact, his injuries would be fewer.

There was nothing for the agents. Gold was only enough to save himself and they had all known the risks of this mission when they took it. It had only been because of luck that they had the hope of recovering the bodies of the fallen, now lost to the flames and wreckage.

Togami didn't know how many floors he fell, he felt himself crash through three but that was only out of what was still intact, but the final landing took the wind out from him. The cold liquid gold almost rushed down his throat when he opened it from shock, but he willed it back and had Gold return to its original state. The semi-liquid flowed away from his body and he tried his best to stand up again.

Thankfully, the worst damage seemed to be having the wind knocked out of him and a sprained left knee. Inconvenient, but nothing that would stop him from reaching the evacuation point. If it hadn't left already. The agents he sent should have been enough to rush Komaru Naegi onto the helicopter, but there was no accounting for outside factors.

That Hacking Gun he gave her should have been ample enough defence in the right hands. Only he doubted if those hands were hers. She seemed to be constantly at the point of tears and had no idea what was going on. Had she heard anything about the outside world during her capture? Would she have enough composure to get herself where she was needed?

He'd have to find out for himself. He was in a corridor similar to the one he had just been in before the fire sent him falling. The floor he landed on wasn't too badly damaged by the fire, mostly spread by falling wreckage in this area, and was likely either the second or first floor. The surviving two agents were lost, there was nothing he could do about that.

The priority is getting myself out of here. If this was a trap, I can't afford to be captured here. Togami gritted his teeth at the thought of some Remnant of Despair out-smarting him. Byakuya Togami is no one's pawn. They'll pay for-

The sound of clapping ended his train of thought. Togami turned his head to the right to find out the source of the noise and narrowed his eyes, recognising the figure from the file.

He did look a bit like Naegi, didn't he? If someone had stretched Naegi until he was long and thin as a reed, threw on dishevelled clothing on him, and dyed his eyes grey. Of course, they'd also have to expose him to such horrors that it turned his hair white and rid him of every last shred of what made him the Ultimate Hope. If someone turned him into a shell of his former self and sent him out as some sick parody.

No one knew if he was truly with the Remnants. Reports spoke of him as a madman who went around preaching hope as if he was Naegi. Only his version of Hope was crooked and distorted. That tragedy should be welcomed as a way of wiping out 'weak hope' and replacing it with 'strong hope'.

Whether he had simply been driven mad by what his classmates did, or was a Remnant of Despair, Togami was sure of one thing.

He was right where this freak wanted him to be.

"Nagito Komaeda." Togami said, as he readied Gold for anything. "I'm guessing you were the one who planned out this ambush?"

"For the Ultimate Progeny to think trash like me could plan something like this...I'm so honoured." Komaeda said, elated at being noticed. He giggled and scratched the back of his head. "Actually, you falling here was just my luck. Otherwise, I'd have had to climb up nine flights of stairs to meet you. I was just here to pick you and Komaru Naegi up. I got caught in some bad business here, thinking it'd be safe from all the despair until now, so I need the two of you to come with me. Orders from above."

"Orders? So the Remnants have a new leader." Togami kept himself from sounding like it was a question. Maybe he could bait information out from him.

"Nothing like that. They're the same fallen wretches they've been for a while now. Though it's not like I'm any better; daring to think trash is better than an Ultimate, even a fallen one. Especially when I'm no better." Komaeda said. His face then fell as he bit his lower lip. "It hurts, you know. Having to fight and defeat an Ultimate like you."

"Be glad then. Because you'll be lucky enough to experience defeat by one of the Ultimates that slew Dio." Togami smirked.

Not even a second passed before dozens golden bullets shot out from Gold's head and chest and aimed straight downwards towards Komaeda's chest. Togami would need Komaeda alive; whether as a hostage to escape this city or to bring back and gain information from, so he avoided the head. Not that it mattered. Komaeda was quick enough to leap back and avoid the barrage.

The shock of their impact caused the floor to shake as Komaeda slithered back into the hallways. It seemed like he was planning on something when the corridor ahead of Togami shook as well. One minute, Komaeda was there, and then the next there was a pile of burning rubble collapsing on top of where he stood and buried him whole. A burst of fire from the mound forced him to look away.

It seems his Luck doesn't work that differently from Naegi's. Whether he's buried under all that or not.
Togami had to get out of the building fast, and forget Komaeda. At this rate, both of them were going to be buried under the rubble of this building. Yet, just as Togami turned to leave, he heard the debris behind him shake and groan, forcing him to turn back. Just my luck.

Gold threw its right hand to the edge of the tiny hill of burning wreckage and it burst from a solid hand into a pile of liquid gold, the bullets gathering towards it, as the top of the heated wreckage burst off. Togami knew it would be a Stand, the fact that Komaeda saw Gold's bullets was enough proof of that. What shocked him was what the Stand looked like.

For one, there were two of them. Both were just slightly taller than Komaeda was and looked completely identical apart from their heads. One head looked like a motorcycle helmet whose screen went up to the top of the skull and had the word 'Miracle' right where its face should be. The other had a more robotic face, with its screen only consisting of a rectangular line going from ear-to-ear, or rather where its ears would be, just where its eyes should be. The word 'Tragedy' was written along that line.

On the right was 'Miracle' and on the left was 'Tragedy'. The left one was divided between the top half which was nearly completely transparent barring lines showing where its skin should be, and the bottom half filled up with swirling reddish-black colour. The one on the right was the same only the colour was a whitish-gold and filled up three-quarters of its body instead.

"All that burning wreckage and the worst was a few cinders on my face." A voice rasped out, partially choked by ash, as Komaeda's head emerged from the wreckage. He was right. The worst Togami could say was that the right cheek was slightly burnt. Well, that would be lying. The worst he saw was that damn smile on Komaeda's face. "I really am lucky toda-"

Bullets shot out from the pile of liquid gold as if it was a machine-gun turret built into the ground itself. They tore through blackened wood and other building materials going straight for Komaeda's head. Even when he was restrained, he managed to shove his head back and only scratch the front of his chin.

Not to mention exposing his neck for Gold's attack.

Gold flung its left arm across and five golden discs fired from the limb, spinning straight towards the throat to slice it open. It wouldn't be enough to kill, but Komaeda would have to rely on Togami's use of Gold to prevent death from blood-loss, unless his Stand had a power for it. Either way, Togami could only benefit.

Both of Komaeda's Stands threw their arms to intercept the golden discs, which embedded themselves into the four arms that protected Komaeda. The back-half of the discs that were not stuck in flesh shattered and became thin blades to shoot straight ahead. At this distance, and from where Togami stood, it was harder to direct them but as they shot forward, the sight of blood and Komaeda's soft moan of pain was enough.

Togami felt safe enough to advance. Dashing forward, he had Gold slam its fists against both of Komaeda's Stands, sending the two of them flying back. Komaeda himself, the scratches on his cheeks like a cat's whiskers and in complete contrast to the dark red ooze on his sleeves, was blown back as well.

It was a funny thing about Gold. Togami could only ever really manipulate its shape from a distance of about ten metres. Any more than that and it was useless, the fragment either maintaining its shape or disappearing entirely. It was infuriating at first, especially when Asahina's Stand had a better range itself.

Like most challenges, however, this one only served to hone his skills and sharpen his mind. Yes, he had a range restriction of ten metres, but he had all the freedom in the world within those ten metres. Gold could change its shape into anything, so long as it didn't require more of itself than it could give.

For example, Gold could sacrifice its legs and body weight to stretch one of its arms long enough to catch Komaeda in mid-flight. The impact of the sudden stop hit Komaeda like a whip-crack, and the Remnant of Despair did nothing as he was dragged towards Gold's other arm to be caught in a firm grip.

It was lucky that he had caught Komaeda in time. Any further and Komaeda could have escaped Gold's grip entirely.

"You're coming with me." Togami's tone brooked no argument. The building above was crackling and falling apart above them, the fire finally spreading below from the debris. They were blessed to have avoided any fire here. "The Future Foundation has questions for you and you're going to answer them. Who's behind the riots in this city will be a good one to start with."

Every alarm in Togami's head blared when he heard Komaeda chuckle. It wasn't just because it was an ugly laugh, one that rasped and seemed to suck in breath rather than release it. It was a sign that something was wrong.

That this had all been a trap.

"How can this be called good luck?" Komaeda asked, smiling yet upset. Laughing while also crying. "I'm about to utterly and completely humiliate an Ultimate. I'm going to tear down a beacon of hope. One of the people who helped the Ultimate Hope slay Dio! This isn't a Miracle, this is a Tragedy."

Those words triggered Togami's instincts. He looked around Komaeda across the room even as it creaked and moaned from the pressure above. Where were his Stands? The two that were meant to be standing by his side. Did they disappear when Komaeda had been caught?

No. Togami didn't know how he could have missed them when the right one-with the word Miracle on its helmet burning bright-was bathed in pure white-gold light. Its whole form shook and stirred as it seemed ready to burst at the seams from having to contain such energy. The one on the left had increased the amount of black light within it, but that one had only been two-thirds full.

Turning his attention back to Komaeda, trying to see if there was any giveaway in his eyes, Togami saw that what tears there had been were gone.

"Oh well," Komaeda said to himself, shrugging his shoulders. The display of emotions had been overcome like a sandcastle against a tidal wave. "I guess that's just how my luck goes. After good comes bad, and after bad comes good. I guess it's only proper that it's the same with Get Lucky."

At the sound of those last two words, the Stand on the right exploded. It was a strange explosion. There was no impact nor was there sound. The white light within simply made the gold-tinged body-shaped container burst and then there was something. The one on the left, tinged with silver and nearly full with black light, remained impassive as ever.

That was when the corridor ceiling collapsed.

Gold's grip had to be released so that it could throw Togami back and away from the wreckage. Komaeda himself stumbled back enough that he seemed to avoid the burning debris as well, along with the cloud of ash and smoke that spewed from the collapse. Togami himself got a mouthful of the dust and fell to his knees coughing his lungs out to remove the foreign intrusion.

Togami's vision was blurry with tears from the smoke and his ears rang from the close contact with the building's collapse. He could barely hear and see the sound and sight of dozens of Murralsee breaking into the room he and Komaeda were in. Arms smashing through the windows and floor tore through glass and wood to bring about the draconic faces of his once-tormentor. Dio's avatar during the Mutual Killing Game.

Where's the Hacking Gun? He wondered. The useful weapon had been given by the Towa Group and had managed to wipe out dozens of Murralsee at full-power, only it had slipped his mind when the floor above had collapsed and his priority was to save himself. Not that it would have helped, upon seeing the few shards of the mega-phone on the floor to his left. Did Komaeda's Stand have something to do with this? Or was it always broken?

There was nothing else for it. Gold would just have to fend them off while Togami looked for escape. He could get about twenty metres if he used Gold's ability to act as a duplicate, but that'd rely on him navigating his way out of the city alone. If he was leaving, it'd have to be with Gold by his side.

That was when a rock struck the bridge of his nose. Bone didn't break, but it certainly cracked. Gold was already smashing its fists and legs through the Murralsee and could do nothing to protect its master from tiny projectiles being thrown over the mound of debris in the corridor. Komaeda's Stand clearly had a spiteful side to it.

All the while Togami tried to navigate through the smoke rising into the room, the heat causing him to sweat into his suit, and the Murralsee slowly smashing their way through what the fire hadn't destroyed. Not to mention he didn't have his glasses, normally not necessary for good vision, but definitely for an excellent standard.

"Uh oh, looks like you've filled up too. I guess it's time for a Tragedy." Komaeda's voice sang into the air as Gold, despite its best efforts, couldn't stop one or two Murralsee approaching him.

In hindsight, he wasn't sure if it was a good thing or not that there was a final loud crack, causing the Murralsee to look up. The building was finally about to completely collapse. Gold rushed to cover Togami in its armour again, a final protection against the weight of an entire apartment complex, but he knew it wouldn't matter.

Luck. What a dangerous Talent. Togami grimaced as fire and darkness consumed both him and Gold entirely.


It was only when they were just leaving the hospital that Komaru finally noticed that the green mist wasn't coming from the hospital.

"You can do magic too?" Komaru couldn't keep the awe out of her voice. No wonder Fukawa was able to cut through all those Murralsee, when she used her taser. "Did those kids stab you with an arrow as well, Fukawa?"

Komaru Naegi was just your normal girl until a few years ago. Then she became your normal girl who had been kidnapped and locked in an apartment for about two years now. Right now, she was your normal girl trying to survive in a crazy apocalyptic hell-scape filled with giant androids killing everyone.

The only weapon she had was the Hacking Gun that Togami had given her and that had been changed for 'game balance' by Servant. All she could do was aim and hope that the bullet would somehow hit the thin eyes of the Murralsee. It often took a lot more shots than it should and Fukawa had to save her sometimes.

Touko Fukawa. Komaru didn't know how long she could have lasted on that rooftop without Fukawa being there to save her. Or should she say Genocider Syo saved her? Either way, she had gone from being slaughtered in that weird 'Demon-Hunting Game' to being saved from danger. All Fukawa needed was a pair of scissors and she was cutting through the Murralsee like a hot knife to butter.

Did the Future Foundation have one of those strange arrows? But then why did the kids call Monaca magic? Was she somehow related to their creation? She certainly knew enough to have Servant stab Komaru straight in the spine with that golden arrow. For a brief moment, Komaru had thought she died right there.

Only the wound soon healed and, before she knew it, she was told that she'd have to use her power if she wanted to survive. But what power? What had they meant? All questions she might have asked were forgotten after she got dropped from the airship and sent plummeting down on a parachute. She barely had time to cover her skirt.

So here she was now. Being hunted down by a group of children who all had spooky ghosts behind them, and now able to use magic itself. Komaru knew she wasn't alone in this; there were others being hunted down as well, but she had to escape first. There was no way that she could survive in Towa City.

Komaru was normal. She didn't have a Talent, wasn't all that smart, and wasn't that strong either. There was no way that she could be like Fukawa and just cut through all this. All she could do was rely on Fukawa to protect her and lead the way to safety, after she agreed to help.

Even if she can be grumpy and mean, she's still helping me. Maybe I'm being ungrateful. Komaru told herself. After all, Fukawa's magic seemed a lot better than hers.

"It's not magic, Omaru. It's science." Fukawa said, jolting Komaru out of her thoughts. Her protector glared. "You've been infected by an unknown virus and your body's ability to fight infection manifests as what we call a Stand. Though how someone like you is somehow able to have one is amazing in itself. You were probably the sibling who got days off school because of a constant fever."

"Not really. That was always my big brother." Komaru said, deciding to go with Fukawa's explanation. It wasn't the strangest thing to happen today, and she was happy to talk about her past. "He'd get sick from anything."

"Yeah, and you probably had fun playing nurse." Fukawa's face changed from a glare to something else. Her index fingers touched and her face was blushing while muttering just loud enough for Komaru to hear. It was like when Fukawa was having her dream earlier. "'Time for your sponge-bath!' All to see him naked."

"It wasn't anything like that!" Komaru and Makoto were just siblings. Not even the modern mushy type either, but they'd argue over a lot of stuff. She never tried to play nurse! Well, maybe not never. "I may have put a flannel on his face to help wipe the sweat off. But that was because our parents were out at the time!"

"Sure." Fukawa said, although she didn't seem to believe a word. Komaru let out a whine and shuffled in place, wondering if Fukawa really thought she was like that. "What's it called?" The question came out of nowhere. Komaru's mind went blank and she tried to figure out what Fukawa meant before she got mad- "Your Stand, Omaru! What's your Stand called?" Fukawa snapped, jolting Komaru into action.

"It's name? Ummmm..." Komaru had a name for it, but she didn't know what it meant. What if Fukawa heard it and thought it was dumb. Better to play it safe. "What do you think it should be called?"

Fukawa definitely didn't like that answer. "Don't just lump responsibility onto me. Stands have names that you know instinctively! Why would I call my Stand Smells Like Teenage Spirit otherwise? You think I like advertising how long it's been since I had a bath?"

"Alright. Alright." Komaru said, surrendering to Fukawa's iron-will. She had tried to not say anything about the other smell as well. "We Built This City." She confessed.

As she said the name, We Built This City emerged from her and moved to her side. If there was only one good thing to say about what Servant did to her, it was that she now had a cute friend to spend time with. The 'Stand' looked just like Komaru, but with a silvery chrome skin that made it look like a UFO from those old movies, and its ahoge twitched from left to right as if it was removable.

There's no way it is though. Komaru said to herself. That'd be way too cool for someone normal like her.

No. The power of We Built This City came in the form of its shield. Komaru closed her eyes and thought hard, what she thought was the needed activation, and she could feel We Built This City twist and expand around her. Now she was in complete darkness but also total security.

It had first emerged when she was on the roof and dozens of Murralsee were coming towards her. Komaru had crawled into the ball and begged for someone to save her when the shield emerged. Confused, but grateful, she had thought she was safe from the assault until she realised how little air there was. The constant clanging of metal against metal didn't help her thoughts.

If Fukawa hadn't been there to save her, she didn't know what she'd do.

Now in a happier place, even if it was a wrecked city under a blood-red sky, Komaru decided to play around with the power. She wondered how the shield even worked when the top retracted in a circular motion, causing the rest of the shield to move down until it was a ring in the ground, the material moving to reform We Built This City.

Komaru concentrated and it went back to forming a shield again, only now she could tell that the shape was like an egg shape if it was stretched out. Moving a foot up, the shield even moved in on the floor, making her realise that We Built This City protect her from below as well. This was amazing!

This is the perfect Stand for me. Komaru beamed as she played with making the walls of the shield go up and down, up and down, for fun. For someone like her, who couldn't do anything to save herself, We Built This City was great for her. She turned to Fukawa.

"What do you think?" She asked. Fukawa's Smells Like Teenage Spirit was great for attack, and Komaru's We Built This City was great for defence, so the two made a perfect team, right?

"I think it's a coward's Stand. So it fits perfectly for you." Fukawa replied.

Komaru's bottom lip wobbled and We Built This City, reforming itself again, drooped after hearing that cutting remark. A coward's Stand? Komaru might be a coward, but there were nicer ways to say it. Not to mention she hurt We Built This City's feelings as well!

Maybe she was just being grumpy because helping Komaru escape was distracting from her rescue-mission. Though Fukawa had such awful names for her friends that maybe she was always like this, apart from with Togami. Maybe she just didn't understand what it meant for Komaru.

She wasn't amazing or cool like Fukawa. Komaru was just a normal girl in an abnormal situation who needed to get out of it as fast as possible. Once she was somewhere safe, she could start trying to find help finding her family. It wasn't like she could do anything here.

We Built This City disappeared as Komaru readied her Hacking Gun, which was more of a mega-phone but its name was cooler to say, for the move ahead. She and Fukawa were wasting time just talking when they could be spending it helping her escape this place and from those kids.

As long as I have Fukawa to protect me, we'll get out of this city in no time. Komaru told herself. She and Fukawa had Stands, she had the Hacking Gun, and Fukawa definitely knew what she was doing.

What was the worst that could happen?


"You still feel like crying, Omaru?" Fukawa asked, hearing Komaru sniffle again. They had just entered the lobby of the hotel and Komaru still hadn't entirely gotten herself together. "If we're going to enter the subways, you might as well get it out of your system."

"No. I can't cry right now." Komaru said. Fukawa had to hide her shock at the strength behind that voice. "We need to see if this person needs our help."

Maybe Fukawa was wrong about her. The idiot's little sister may have been a useless cry-baby, but there were moments where she seemed to show promise. Where she showed that she could actually grow up and face the dangers ahead.

It was just a shame that they were rare. Komaru was one of those girls who spent most of their life telling themselves that they couldn't do anything and took an perverse pride in that. Fukawa didn't think it'd be this difficult to guide a Naegi towards those kids. Where was the fire to spout some positive drivel?

I didn't expect her to be a total flake and coward. Fukawa was constantly being made to take the lead. Every time Komaru expressed an opinion, she just backed down the second Fukawa offered criticism, gave up hope whenever she felt doubt. Most of the time, she was just crying about her situation to the point where Fukawa could do a perfect impersonation. 'Waa, I'm normal. Waa, I can't do anything. Waa, protect me, Big Bro, with your strong arms.'

Fukawa didn't shut down when the Swimming Idiot's brother...exploded. Fine. Just say what it was. He was moving across the water one moment and then he was dust in the wind the next. Fukawa could face it. She didn't collapse into a pile, having to be picked up and told to move forward. Not that it didn't shock her either.

It happened so fast.

But what did Komaru expect? This game-the word sending a familiar chill down her spine-was designed by those kids to kill every last one of their loved ones. They clearly had counter-measures to take out Stand users. We Built This City couldn't protect Komaru from an explosion inside her stupid shield, and Yuta's Run For Home couldn't even summon a shield. All it did was let him run on water.

Couldn't do anything about exploding bracelets, could it? Fukawa cynically thought to herself. What did Komaru and Yuta think would happen? That'd it be that easy? Fukawa could tell she was going to have to drag Komaru towards this fight, at this rate.

A part of her hissed about this betrayal. This girl, Naegi's little sister, was going on about how special Fukawa was and how smart she was and her thanks was being sent into battle. But so what? Komaru was probably just saying that to make Fukawa do everything for her. The second she was free, she'd ditch Fukawa for her big brother.

She didn't want to think about Komaru in the Killing Game. She'd have probably bowed to Dio the second he showed off Holy Diver.

Maybe there was hope for her though. Komaru had been the one to spot the children standing outside the hotel door, almost as if they were guarding it, and were acting differently. The others were playfully pointing the Murralsee towards the adults they saw, or were acting like kids, but these ones didn't dare leave the hotel lest an approaching Murralsee wasn't ordered away.

The shadow by the window on the twelfth floor had something to do with it.

Komaru had insisted they investigate to see if it was another person being Hunted, until Fukawa pointed out that it could be a trap, which made Komaru immediately give up, forcing Fukawa to insist they go out of disgust. Was she going to have to do everything for this potty-head?

So here they were. Of course the hotel elevator wouldn't be working. That'd make it easy for them. Instead, they had to move up by the staircases in constant fear of ambush. At least the lights were still on and both girls were free of the thick and ever-consuming dark. Not to mention that they managed to make it up without meeting any Murralsee.

Now if only they didn't have to climb up ten flights of stairs.

"We-we need to catch our breath." Komaru wheezed the words out as she fell against the wall to the right of the stairs. She still had enough breath to whine. "These staircases are too big."

"What? Is your head too big and it's weighing you down? Or just your thighs?" Fukawa replied. She had never been athletic, what was Komaru's excuse.

"You're tired too, Fukawa. And my head and thighs are a normal size and weight for a girl my age." Komaru mewled.

Another two flights of stairs and absolutely no Murralsee encounters later, which Fukawa was glad about as it meant less reminders of Holy Diver, they had arrived on the floor where the shadow waited. There were kids wearing those damn helmets just by the corridor, but these were different as well. They just played quietly and kept their space from a certain door to the right of the corridor left of the stairs.

Who was this person? A Stand user, most likely, but whether they would be an ally or enemy depended on what they did. Fukawa motioned for Komaru to flank one side of the door as she would another. They had to be careful to not make them panic, but also get the drop on them if this was a tra-

Komaru knocked on the door. "Hello?" She asked, with that dumb loud voice of hers. Fukawa was frozen in shock. "Whoever's in there, it's okay to come out. We're not enemies like these kids or the Murralsee."

What the hell are you doing? Fukawa screamed without making a noise. She heard the sounds of someone stepping towards the door and readied her taser and scissors. What if the Stand user was going to try and escape or-

"No autographs. Can't you read the sign? Or is reading too difficult for people nowadays?" A curt voice replied from inside the room. He didn't sound the least bit afraid. If anything, he sounded dismissive.

"What sign? There is no sign." Fukawa snapped, awed by the man's ingratitude. Did he mean the piece of paper lying a few doors along? "Why the hell would there still be a sign? Signs don't matter right now, if you bothered to look out the window."

A loud scoff came from the other side of the door. "So the staff still aren't doing anything about these thieves. Acting like they have better things to do than-forget it. Hang on, I'll show you a new one." The voice said, the sound of something being written on paper filling the dead air.

Underneath the door, paper slid out and Komaru turned her big head down so fast that Fukawa thought it'd break something. A gasp came out and Fukawa readied herself for anything. A few steps could be heard and then she felt a firm grip on her arm before being spun around. What was Komaru doing? Was this the work of a Stand?

Gah! That expression was too sunny. "Fukawa, look! It's Pink Dark B-"

The door slammed open and Fukawa could only watch in horror as Komaru's face literally peeled off to reveal paper with writing on it. Fukawa had only moments to see the kind of information written on it, like Chest Size: 81cm (she knew it!), when a hand extended and began to write in the margins of the paper. Just as the ink on the pen dried, and the papers closed up again, Fukawa just managed to read the writing.

'I will ensure that Rohan Kishibe is not disturbed in his work. I will protect his manga'

She threw the taser against her forehead and kept a tight grip on the scissor blade as she turned to look at this Stand user in the eye. Whatever his Stand did, it required seeing whatever was on that sign first.

"Try it and I'll show you what a real Stand can do." Fukawa warned.

That got the creep's attention. He had black hair slicked to the side, a light-blue shirt that didn't even cover his midriff covered by a silver jacket that was as small as the shirt, and a red hairband that was jagged on the bottom. It was his teal eyes that caught her attention. Where they once held contempt, now they were wide with shock.

Or it might have been the sight of her with a taser against her head, and a scissor-blade to his throat.

"Stands?" He asked, his voice shaking somewhat. Whatever composure he lost was regained and his eyes narrowed again. "How the hell do you know about Stands? Do you have a Stand?"

"We are sorry for intruding, Rohan-sensei." Komaru's grip tightened as she gave a slight bow in apology. She began to walk back towards the stairs, dragging Fukawa with her. "We will ensure your work is not disturbed."

"Omaru? Let go of me." Fukawa tried to struggle against Komaru's grip but it was useless. Her man-hands were just too strong. We Built This City even grabbed her taser so she couldn't become Syo. Her only rescue came when the weirdo rushed towards Komaru and opened her face again, removing the writing he had put in her. Fukawa snapped the second she was free. "What the hell even is that?"

"Shut up. Explain." The creep replied. Fukawa was stunned silent, which the man before her took as a sign of stupidity. "Where did you get those Stands from?"

"Where did-do you not know who I am?" She knew that Naegi got all the fame for killing Dio, but Fukawa contributed. A cruel smile came to her head as she realised what this was. "I see. Are you one of those hikikomori who just hide in their rooms all day to jack off? That's some dedication, to ignore everything that's happen, all to focus on your big-boobed waifus. Maybe drawn a porno or two while your parents pay for this? That Stand must be helpful in making people support that lifestyle."

The creep scoffed again and looked at Fukawa as if she was poop on his shoe. "This coming from someone like you? Let me guess, you spend most of your days indoors in the dark and have no friends because you don't trust others? You barely take care of your own body and are rejected by others? Please. One look at you and I can see that you're the cliche aggressive shut-in character. Not even a good one that turns the genre around its head.

"As for myself, I don't deal in those shitty characters drawn by hacks to satisfy their sexual urges and win over editors who put merchandising cash over artistic merit. The characters I draw have body proportions relative to the average human's to ensure realism." He said, his voice growing bitter as he rambled on. "When I draw art, it's done to portray a real world to the reader. Not some masturbatory fantasy."

"So you're a manga-artist with pride? Like being king of the trash." Fukawa supposed people felt pride about a lot of things. It didn't mean it was worth that pride. Just because this guy could make his fan-service a bit more subtle than the 'average' mangaka

"Fukawa, don't be rude! Do you know who this is?" Komaru's voice cut through. She sounded appalled that it was Fukawa who didn't know who this guy was. "He's Rohan Kishibe, the famous manga artist. Excellent art, realistic characters, he's only ever broken schedule three times in his entire career. One of those was because he was busy moving from the Shonen Jump offices to his room here! I forgot he lived in Towa City!"

"I got tired of dealing with hacks." Rohan said, turning away from Fukawa to face Komaru. "So you're a fan?"

"Well, I'm more into Shoujo manga myself, but sometimes I like to read other stuff." Komaru said, shuffling in place with a blush. She was acting as if she was meeting a celebrity instead of the next evolution for people like Yamada.

"Wow, you two can bond over being into shitty manga." Fukawa said, refusing to hide her mockery. Komaru gasped in horror, while Rohan barely gave her a side-glimpse.

"My manga is not shitty." He was in clear denial of his own lack of artistic merit.

"All manga is shitty." Fukawa replied. Komaru made a soft growl of indignation.

"No. Most of it is." Rohan jabbed the air ahead of Fukawa's collarbone at that. If that was how he wanted to play it with a real writer then-

"Fukawa! I won't let even you disrespect shoujo manga like that." Komaru caught her attention, and Rohan's, with that. Fukawa was shocked. Something so stupid ignited a fire within her? "I may only read a book once a week but those stories of love and a girl's entrance into adulthood help guide generations. And Rohan-sensei is a great artist. Sure, his works are a bit niche, and they can be really dark, and they were shonen so I didn't read it that much, and especially less now that it's in Seinen Jump." Komaru mumbled those last few words out. Maybe it was realising what she was saying, or Rohan's less than impressed look. "But still! Pink Dark Boy is great. It's like To-Love Ru or Sword Art Online or Fairy Tail, even if it's way sadder. So maybe it's more like Bleach and-"

"You think Pink Dark Boy is like Bleach? Fairy Tail? Sword Art Online?" Rohan asked. Fukawa didn't recognise any of the names, she assumed it was manga, but she could tell Komaru was on dangerous ground.

"Sorry, I forgot that last one isn't manga." Komaru said to herself. She then nodded to affirm her words, not knowing that she signed her own funeral.

"Heaven's Door." Rohan opened Komaru's face up again and wrote a command. Fukawa had to compliment him on his writing speed; it matched hers when she hit inspiration. "Go read some other person's manga. I have no need for readers who just take what they're given regardless of quality." He said.

With the command 'I will not try to communicate with Rohan Kishibe' inscribed, and the paper closing over her face again, there was nothing she could do. Komaru struggled to try and say something to Rohan, and failed, so she instead turned to Fukawa to probably relay a message. Only that seemed to fail too.

Just how powerful was Heaven's Door?

Rohan ignored Komaru's struggles and turned his full attention towards Fukawa. The children standing by the corridor and other hallways didn't even react, probably having the same kind of commands written into their very skin and flesh.

"I noticed that there were people knocking at the door, but I thought those were just fans who tracked me down and editors demanding shitty changes. I have a drawing of Pink Dark Boy on the door and normally just use Heaven's Door while they're distracted by the artwork." He explained, as a tiny silver humanoid wearing a stupid hat emerged behind him. "Who gave you the Stand? I thought the other Arrows were locked away somewhere. How did some homeless girl like you get a Stand without one?"

"H-Homeless? It's not my fault the Future Foundation were cheap on clothes! You try finding clean water in this city." Fukawa snapped, before seeing the look in his eyes. The look of confusion when she said 'Future Foundation'. Did he really not know what was going on outside? "You really don't know anything about what happened on the outside, do you?"

"Why would I?" He asked, as if doing otherwise would be strange. "The Towa Group lets me explore their nature projects for research, after I used Heaven's Door on their President, and the world outside Towa City is unnecessary until my next research trip. Editors just come in for food and drink and I have e-mail correspondence with people who interest me. It's mostly for research. All this time, I've been working on my manga and finishing it up. After Pink Dark Boy: Morioh Town suffered from poor taste by readers, I went to Seinen Jump and have tried to move on." Rohan was acting like his personal life was what mattered here. "Did something happen?"

"..." Fukawa decided to delay explaining the The Tragedy in favour of finding out about this 'Heaven's Door'. That name itself gave her the creeps. It reminded her of Dio talking about 'Heaven'. "When did a Stand Arrow hit you? Who was holding it? Was there someone there? Tall, blonde, well-defined figure, go by the name 'Dio'?"

That got Rohan's attention. His Stand even locked up in place as there was something strange behind his eyes. Vulnerability. "I thought there'd be no one else. No one who remembered-" Rohan regained his senses and sighed, walking towards his room again. "I'll show you where I got my Arrow and you tell me everything that's happened in the last year and a half. Especially the part about Dio Brando."

"Fine." Fukawa looked at Komaru, who was starting to sniffle at her inability to express herself. "Also take out that command from Omaru. It's not her fault that you two have different styles of lacking in taste or artistic appreciation." She demanded, which made Komaru stop sniffling and become annoyingly happy again.

"Only after you explain everything." Rohan replied. He didn't seem happy about the thought, or maybe Fukawa's words. Walking through his door, he jabbed a thumb forward and to the right. "I also have a shower in my room. Use it."

Fukawa ignored that insult and both she and Komaru entered the mangaka's room. It was close to what she expected in that stacks of papers were lying next to the desk where drawing supplies were arranged to ensure the easier access to drawing their porn or whatever. Another desk next to it held a computer for communication and research, at least if the internet was still up. Beyond that was a bed and doors that led to other rooms.

The hotel itself looked swanky and the state of the door itself, nice and well-kept, was enough to tell Fukawa that this was less a room and more a suite. A suite with a living room, used for drawing lame manga, and access to a bathroom and bedroom. The walls were filled with pictures of a person who looked just like Heaven's Door only different in many ways, making Komaru gasp in awe, where there weren't shelves filled with books.

It was disturbingly similar to Fukawa's own room.

Except mine is a temple to good literature. This is an Otaku's Paradise. Urgh, just the thought of having to rely on some otaku who thought he was an artist was enough to make Fukawa retch. But if he knew about the Arrow, and had a Stand of his own, then she had no choice.

Rohan pulled out a picture from the top drawer of his desk. It was a picture of him holding a Stand Arrow. "Alright, I guess I should start with the beginning. This Arrow is one of six that were being sold in an auction in Egypt. I only stumbled onto it by chance. I was visiting Egypt for manga research and...other things. When I saw the auction, for my own reasons, I big high. Probably my entire life savings. It didn't matter. I needed to get one of these at any cost. Hope's Peak out-bid me though, so I had to use Heaven's Door to make them forget about the sixth and I stole the last one. If you want to know the location of it now, you'll have to tell me what I want to know."

"Wait, you had that Stand before the Arrow?" That couldn't be. All the papers the Future Foundation had said the same thing. You needed direct contact with the virus to get a Stand. She pointed a shaking finger at him. "How's that even possible? How do I know you're not some Remnant of Despair? Or a member of another one of Dio's little cults like those kids?"

"First, you need to take a shower." Rohan's sharp words took Fukawa aback. What did he just say? "Your stench is atrocious. It's like you decided to just throw on whatever you felt like wearing today and thought it'd be fine if you added some deodorant."

That was it. Fukawa had no choice but to lay down the law and pull rank. So long as she didn't see any copy of Rohan's own drawing of 'Pink Dark Boy'-a stupid name for a stupid character-she'd be fine. Komaru could back her up as well. You didn't need to communicate with an enemy.

Fukawa jabbed her finger at Rohan's chest and stepped forward.

"Listen you piss-poor excuse of a writer, I write real books that have real impact unlike your doujinshi and I won't-" Rohan raised his hand and moved it in the air as if he was drawing something. It was too late before Fukawa realised what he was drawing, his Heaven's Door manifesting itself and forcing her face to open into pages. When it was done writing, the pages closed and her face was normal again. Well, as normal as a sweating fit and howl of panic could look. "W-What did you do to m-?"

She stopped talking, not by her own will, and walked towards a door knowing where it led to despite having never been in there before. Her status as the Ultimate Writer gave her some unique skills. The ability to churn out a best-seller in one week, able to devour tomes in a day, and one other skill. A skill that made her stomach sink in horror.

'I will wash myself until I no longer stink.'

Please let the shower have some hot water left. Fukawa inwardly begged, as Komaru leaped onto her body to try and weigh it down. It was no use, no matter how chubby Komaru was. All she could do was pray that the hotel still had water running in that shower. Or that it'd be enough. If there was no more water, then she'd have to-have to use-the- Need to become Syo. Can't let self wash in toilet water. Don't act like an idiot like Omaru.

Touko Fukawa never knew she could hate anyone as much as she hated Rohan Kishibe.


They weren't kidding. Rohan thought to himself. The scent of rotting flesh slithered into his nose and wouldn't leave, nor did the sight of dozens-if not over a hundred-corpses lying there with faces etched in horror. These children are Dio's minions.

When he heard the story from Komaru and Fukawa, he had thought they were exaggerating. Rohan may have isolated himself from the world in this city for a few years, too frustrated to keep on pretending that this was real, but the world couldn't have ended the way they said it. Even when he used Heaven's Door to see if they were lying, they were telling the truth.

But that didn't mean anything! Not with those two pathetic characters barely worthy of even an effortless manga made to made a few Yen. You had Komaru Naegi who just accepted whatever trash or opinion she was given, as if she had stopped mentally ageing after five, and just followed Fukawa's lead. Fukawa-the so-called Ultimate Writer-who wallowed in her own hypocritical filth.

They could have been fascinating. Komaru as the girl locked away in an apartment complex to control her brother then released into the world, Fukawa as a girl struggling to hold back her dark side when constantly poured with society's hate. As with a lot of things in this world, however, expectation became disappointment fast.

Almost regret not letting her wash with the toilet water. He only stopped her when he decided that he'd need their cooperation. Smells Like Teenage Spirit had a lot of potential, and he didn't feel like testing if Genocider Syo-even if she turned out to be interesting-would be affected by a command on Fukawa. The three of them agreed to travel together to find a way out of this damn city, on the condition that they would return to collect his manga.

But all thoughts of escape fell when they were caught in this trap. The kid was too far away for Heaven's Door and was content to talk about how he was going to kill them. His Stand growled behind him, a child's version of a knight that had bandages seeping out from the gaps in its armour.

Rohan had only ever heard of Dio Brando and the stories of his evil, before...everything, but this was proof that his legacy could even last into the end of the world. That a child could kill so many and stack their bodies as if they were trash. Fukawa had closed her eyes to it, but Komaru and Rohan couldn't do it in time.

There's still time to change the second act. We got the bodies all wrong. Look at how the outstretched limbs aren't going limp. Rohan silenced the voice in his mind. He needed to focus on the battle ahead, rather than readying for edits to the manga chapters he hadn't given to his editor yet.

"Tch, so you're the typical psychotic-child killer type." Rohan said, stepping forward and glaring at Daimon. The kid himself didn't seem to appreciate the show of defiance. "I've seen your kind plenty of times. I'll give points for being original in that you're not just all sweet and innocent before revealing the insanity, but this is the kind of stuff you'd get from an everyday anime. I wouldn't even put you in as a side-villain in my manga."

"Shut up! I don't need that kind of crap from some Demon who thinks he's so smart." Daimon snapped, putting his hands to his side like he was a DC hero before raising his right fist in triumph. "When I'm done with you, I'll stick your head up your ass! Then I'll make my own manga and it'll be all about me and the Warriors of Hope killing demons!"

The crowd of children screamed their approval. If Rohan had to guess from what he heard, the stories of children ordering those machines to kill adults, they were nothing but brainwashed goons. The helmets not only protected from and allowed them to control the machines, but also made them slaves to Daimon's will.

Komaru and Fukawa probably weren't thinking that. They were too busy watching in horror at a ten year-old talking about how he was going to kill them all. How he was going to keep killing adults.

"B-But you'll become an adult too." Komaru said, barely able to keep the tears away. "You can't stop ageing! You're just killing innocent people for no reason."

"I'll never become a Demon! I'll die before that happens. I'll be like Dio, the strength of Demons with the purity and hope of a child!" Daimon howled. He was speaking through his teeth now, Rohan thought his rage might have made him do something stupid. "My Hero will rip your chests open and use your guts like lassos to catch the remaining Demons in this city. They'll be stacked so high that all the children can use it as a ladder to Heaven."

The audience roared their approval for Daimon's pledge. It looked like the fight was about to start.

"We can't hesitate, Omaru. At any cost, we have to stop these kids." Fukawa said. "Their Stands alone probably added to the pile."

Her words were firm but the way she tried to avoid looking at the pile of corpses undermined her. The fact that someone like Komaru was still standing despite that sight said something about her. Something that made her worth something to Rohan. If only she wasn't such a coward most of the time.

Daimon was shaking in place now. Rohan had thought he was feeding off the energy of the crowd, until he saw My Hero. The Stand that was gripping the sides of Daimon's arms tightly enough that it had to be leaving marks.

He's afraid. It''s forcing him to not look afraid.

"That's right, I'll protect everyone. The King can be there so the Hero will take his place in the charge. No matter the wounds, no matter how much it hurts, My Hero will heal them all. If I need to be quick, it'll make me lightning. If I need to be strong, it'll make me an inferno. If I need to be tough, it'll make me a boulder. All I have to do is believe in myself!" Daimon screamed those words at the top of his lungs.

Why wouldn't he? He was having to rival the cries of his adoring people. The leader-but not the real one, Rohan could smell the cliche of a fake leader a mile away-looked like he was fuelled by the crowd itself. As if their bloodlust and thirst to see a fight was making him stronger. Rohan, Fukawa, and Komaru readied themselves for the fight.

But for all of Daimon's bluster, he couldn't keep the fear out of his voice. Out of his own body.

"I can be a hero for children everywhere. That's what he said. Just so long as I believe in myself. So long I don't get scared of the pain. Of the hurt. Of the senseless violence of Demons." Daimon's voice was quieter now, still fighting the general hum of his child army. His right arm was even shaking. That itself seemed to stoke his anger. "I'm not scared! I'm not scared of the Demons anymore!"

The stench of death remained, Rohan even eyed a few maggots falling from their banquet to the earth below, but all of that was ignored. The tears on the edges of Daimon's eyes, the way his whole body shook with fear and rage, and the hatred he was directing towards his own arm. Jotaro hadn't been lying when he told them about the loyalty Dio inspired in his followers.

The kind of people who fell for his charms.

Masaru Daimon could deny it all he liked but his body knew the odds. The adults he killed had been fearful and unable to see where his Stand could tear them to shreds, or could do nothing against the machines he commanded. Rohan doubted he ever faced other Stand users before. The demons he thought he overcame had the same powers as him.

Not to mention Komaru's mega-phone. Now not even his Murralsee could defend him.

Daimon reacted as all children did when encountering a situation that they couldn't control. They screamed, wailed, and hit everything around them.

"Stop it!" My Hero let go of Daimon's arms so that he could turn his back to them. He raised his right hand and slammed it against his shaking left arm, before My Hero joined in with its own fists. "Stop shaking! I'm not scared! I'm the hero! The hero of all children! I have to be like Dio! Strong like Dio! Never afraid of death or being killed! Never afraid of battle!" Both he and the Stand hit slowly but firmly. Even on the ground, Rohan could see bruises being left. "Weak! Weak! Weak! Useless! Useless! Useless!"

"That's enough...please..." Komaru begged, Fukawa on her right unable to do anything but watch in horror as well.

"He's the real deal." Rohan whispered to himself.

This was the twist! The child who thought himself the leader, but still couldn't control his body's instincts. He wasn't some emotionless blank slate, nor was he the stereotypical 'do horrible things with child-like joy' archetype. The abuse he suffered was probably physical in nature, and now he was repeating it to himself.

Once, Rohan himself might have been shocked at his current mood. At the thrill in his blood at the sight of Daimon's breakdown. But this wasn't the sick joy in the suffering of another but amazement that someone in this world was breaking out of their mould. After so many years of disappointment and failure, finally Rohan was seeing something new! Something that inspired him!

This was what he needed to truly start fighting again! To feel like this world was more than some prison he was stuck in for all time!

A whole minute of self-abuse passed before he finally stopped. Daimon's left arm was now covered in purple bruises and barely seemed to move in contrast to its earlier shivering. The crowd were still roaring their approval for their hero's self-loathing just as much as they did for the blood of the adults. It didn't matter to them. They were just following orders.

Daimon stood to face them, eyes watering from the pain, as My Hero stood behind him in a heroic pose. Bandages seeped out from the armour and began to wrap themselves around Daimon's arm, one second they gripped it as tightly as an anaconda on its prey, and then the next second they seemed to sink into his skin.

The bruises began to disappear. Not all of them, and not entirely for those affected, but they were disappearing.

"I controlled it. Just like Dio told me to. I controlled my fear. Now it's all gone." Daimon stuttered the words out. Whether out of pain, fear, or madness was unknown. "Now it's ready for the battle."

The Hero of the Warriors of Hope released a long and broken laugh.

Komaru's face was streaked with tears and her whole body was wobbling. We Built This City had emerged but was covering hazel eyes as if to make it go away. "We're not Demons. We won't hurt you. So please just stop."

"It's no use. They're insane, maybe before Dio even met them. Living and dying doesn't mean anything to them." Fukawa readied her taser and kept a grip on the scissors in her hands. The green mist of Smells Like Teenage Spirit seeped from the blades. "We have to fight them to the end."

"All I need is for him to see either a manuscript of my work, or any drawing of Heaven's Door. It can even be in the air." Rohan said, readying his pen. Three on one would make this easy.

"Like I'll let you get that close!" Daimon raised his right arm and snapped his fingers.

From his right, among the audience, a console came flying out into the air and straight towards him. Catching it, throwing it to the ground, and pulling a lever, Daimon somehow made the ground below shake from something. All Rohan needed to see was the golden drill burst from the ground to begin running back with Komaru and Fukawa.

The machine looked like a giant version of My Hero with two exceptions. The first was the drills it had instead of hands and the second was the massive Murralsee face on its chest. It didn't stop the machine from moving backwards and crouching so that Daimon could walk on top of its head. My Hero was right behind Daimon, holding him steady, and laughed with its master.

"Mark Guyver and My Hero together can't be beat. We're the unstoppable trio." Daimon boasted as he toyed with the levers. Mark Guyver's drills began to whirr loud enough that it almost drowned out the crowd itself.

"Foul play! This is foul play!" Fukawa screamed.

"What do we do?" Komaru asked, looking to Rohan and Fukawa for guidance. Rohan resisted the urge to snap at her.

She could be a great protagonist, if she only had a spine and the will to do something for herself.

"You two keep it off me while I draw in close enough. If I can use Heaven's Door, I can take him out in one punch." Rohan didn't know what Genocider Syo was like, only her profile for research purposes, but he didn't trust her to handle this properly.

All he had to do was knock the kid out and then use Heaven's Door. Them he'd be able to see what he could find out about escape routes.

"We can't just beat up kids!" Komaru whined. Did she realise where the hell they were.

"It's the only chance we've got, Omaru. Besides, your Hacking Gun that Master gave you is up against a machine. I'm sure it'll work." Fukawa spoke with a rare determination, glaring straight at Daimon. Rohan counted the seconds before she inevitably ruined the moment. "Or not." She muttered as an aside.

"Why don't you sound more confident?"

"If you don't think you can do it, then fine. Just give me the mega-phone and I can handle the machine myself."

"Fukawa won't let me!"

"Because he's untrustworthy. Don't give him a hostage!"

Rohan Kishibe restrained the urge to assault the two girls and instead focused on the Mark Guyver.

My Hero's powers seemed to include healing, but Daimon's words said something different. Fast, tough, and strong. Could it do all three at the same time? Or was it at different times? Whichever one it was, he had to keep his guard up no matter what. He wasn't going to be stuck in this city while it burnt to the ground and he certainly wasn't going to die here.

He was going to live, get out with his manga, get the publishing back on track, and then begin work on the next part. His big send-off to Pink Dark Boy. It'd just be seven years of seeing what the readers think of it and seeing if there was any hope for manga.

But first he, Komaru, and Fukawa had to win this fight.


On top of a roof of a nearby building, three figures watched the trio who was having some kind of debate outside the subway entrance. It seemed like they had some bruises and cuts on them, but none of them looked as bad as they should have been. It might have been impressive if it weren't obvious that their teamwork was atrocious.

But who could blame them? It was hard to coordinate when only two people could actually harm the big machine while the third kept trying to get close. 'My Hero' hadn't just been a healer. It could move in the blink of an eye for one moment and then hit like a truck the next. Not to mention that both it and its user were on top of the Mark Guyver itself.

It took all three of them everything they had to destroy that robot. Once the Mark Guyver became a raging drill-shaped inferno, there was no way that the kid's Stand could have protected it in time. At least, that was what Murray had told the others from his scouting mission. He had managed to sneak into one of the leaders' arenas and watched the whole thing happen.

That was the whole reason that the rescue team had split up, two of them staying on the ground floor while the rest moved up high, all to see just who these people were.

The girl in glasses and the man in the headpiece kept arguing and sniping whenever they could, you didn't need to hear them to tell, and the girl in the middle was trying to play peace-maker. What she got as thanks was two sharp tongues attacking her.

Hiroko kept a watch on them. Sure, she didn't have Haiji's binoculars or Murray's self-proclaimed super-vision skills, but she had a few years on both men and had instincts to guide her. The instincts of a mother seeing if her son was making friends, and of a delinquent planning a fight with some posers. That was enough to match even a robot like Murray.

She wouldn't make a fight out of it though. Murray was naive about these things, which made sense for a machine that only had a few days of self-awareness. Not like the horde that was tearing this place down.

"The poor girl. She keeps being bullied by those two." Murray said, shaking his head at the sight of the girl in glasses and the man with a strange hair-piece scolding the girl at the centre. Hiroko agreed. She looked too cute to seem so dejected. "Shameful what young people do nowadays. Isn't it, Haiji?"

"It's not like she's doing anything about it. She could at least stand up for herself." The Resistance's fearless leader replied, not taking his eyes away from the binoculars as he surveyed the scene around them.

"Give her a break, Haiji. Look at the bracelet," Hiroko said, letting out a last bit of smoke as her cigarette ran out. "Poor girl's probably stuck in this hell-hole."

She felt a bit of pride when she saw the girl perk up, even if the other two around her weren't so happy about it. Good for her. Don't let the situation and mean words of others keep you down, that's what Hiroko taught her son and look at him now. It was nice to see someone else live that way.

Especially after everything that happened these last few days. Months in Hiroko's case.

"Does the mission change?" Murray asked. His head turned with a mechanical whine as he stared down at Haiji. "You are the leader here."

Hiroko watched him think. Haiji may have led these little expeditions but he rarely took risks like these. She wouldn't be surprised if they were left to fend on their own for a while.

"...No. If Ishimaru is trapped in there, then a Stand user is trapped in there. If we want to get everyone out, we'll need all the help we can get from the victims of these kids." Haiji replied, removing the binoculars and standing up. The three of them were waiting by a roof of a building facing the subway entrance that the girl and her friends had just entered. He turned to Hiroko. "Is the back-up team ready to move in? I know where they'll probably head. We can meet them up after securing Ishimaru."

"Cool head as always." She said, offering a slight smile. Hiroko even winked at Haiji. "You know she has a soft-spot for you. Doing all this and letting her tag-along to find her kid."

"If another child managed to avoid the Murralsee then we'll need their help. If the people back at the base have an issue with pragmatism, they can take it up with us." Haiji replied. It might have seemed too robotic, but Hiroko knew how some young men could create when an older woman came onto them. Plus he wasn't the kind of guy who put pleasure before business. "Is Smoke On The Water ready?" He asked.

"Yeah. Ishimaru will recognise it too." Hiroko prayed that he was safe. When this game had started, both had travelled together for a few hours before getting split up. After she found the Resistance, she had made it a priority to get out and gather the others on this little Kill List. She'd been lucky that Haiji and Murray had a similar idea and let her tag along. "How about you two? That last mission didn't exactly go smoothly for you, Murray."

"So long as there are people in need, I am ready to assist." Murray replied, the bright blue-white armour contrasting completely with the stealth element they had going for them. Not that the hero of the Resistance knew much about subtlety.

Still, the injuries he got from each run was starting to concern her. It was right to save everyone you could, but ignoring how it was tearing off parts of your armour every time was something else.

Haiji sighed and stood up from his crouching position, dusting himself off. Neither his coat nor his hair moved that much against the wind, but Hiroko could tell that he wasn't exactly pleased by how either moved. She had the feeling that he'd have gotten a hair-cut if he wasn't constantly leading these rescue missions. Not that Hiroko minded; leaders were meant to stand out.

It was just a shame that he could be so dour and boring. You couldn't talk to the guy without feeling like he was keeping you at a distance. Still, considering everything that happened, maybe he just didn't want to form links with anybody. If you didn't get too attached then you didn't collapse when they died.

Better than what was happening in the base.

It wasn't right; what those kids were doing. Even if they were only kids, they should have known about basic decency. It was enough to bring back some of that dark energy from her delinquent days that motherhood had otherwise smothered. But Hiroko had to keep her cool for the team. She couldn't let them down now because she had a hot head.

Hiroko was surprised that Haiji didn't order the television screen showing those cruel tortures be destroyed. Though, going by the looks on some people, they'd have rioted if that happened. They wanted to know if their loved ones were safe, even if the answer was obvious. So the TV stayed to bring more despair.

Haiji provided the brains, but the entire camp would have collapsed if Murray hadn't been their heart. There wouldn't be a camp if it wasn't for Murray.

"Murray's right. We can't afford to worry about minor injuries when people are getting killed around us. A leader's got to be ready to take the risks he expects others to. If we can secure Ishimaru and the three of them, it'll be worth a few scars and bruises."

"Easy for you to say, with your Stand. Not everyone's is so suited for fighting Murralsees." Hiroko replied. Smoke On The Water was good, but it was nothing compared to Haiji's. The thought of its appearance made her smile coyly. "It's too bad she can't see your Stand either. It's definitely got a cuteness-appeal to it." She said teasingly.

Haiji's Stand emerged to regard her words, its feline-style face tilting to the side and looking completely neutral. It was the same as its master. Hiroko waved to see if there would be a reaction but the Stand simply ignored her and went back to scouting out the area as Haiji probably wanted it to.

That's Killer Queen for you. Cold as ice. Hiroko thought to herself. It didn't mean she wouldn't want to be on the wrong side of its power. There were too many times where those bombs had been the difference between life and death during the recovery missions.

A few minutes passed after the three entered the subway, the male of the group insisting on everyone carrying the crate, before Haiji felt confident that they weren't going to see any Murralsee pop out to flank them. Haiji pulled out a walkie-talkie and pressed down on the button.

"Move out." He commanded.

She had heard that he was the President of Towa Group's kid but those were the moments where she couldn't believe he wasn't already President. It was like the kid had memorised the book on leadership skills and had it imprinted into his brain. Hiroko even couldn't disagree with the less tactically wise decisions.

After seeing Shinobu cry like that, begging for someone to help her find her kid again, she'd have honestly thought less of Haiji if he hadn't agreed to bring her along to look for the kid while they searched for adult survivors. If Hiroko was ten years younger, or at least didn't have a son closer to Haiji's age than she was, she might have given him a shot as well.

He'd have to trim those fingernails first. Gonna put somebody's eyes out, if he isn't too careful.

Masaru Daimon/My Hero: Retired


Stand Stats

We Built This City
User: Komaru Naegi
Stats

Destructive Power: D
Speed: C
Range: C
Durability: A
Precision: C
Developmental Potential: B

Abilities

Creates shield around user that cannot be penetrated but user cannot escape from. At full-power, the Shield is air-tight and even outlasts user itself. Stand can be deployed towards those within 10m range of user but must be de-activated if already in use.

?

My Hero
User: Masaru Daimon
Stats

Destructive Power: B
Speed: B
Range: C
Durability: B
Precision: D
Developmental Potential: C

Abilities
User can heal from wounds suffered and lessen pain from attacks. Directly relative to level of 'will to fight'.

Can enhance attacks by self directly or indirectly. Directly relative to level of 'will to fight'.

Stand is capable of increasing strength, speed, or endurance at cost of other two.

Run For Home
User: Yuta Asahina
Stats

Destructive Power: D
Speed: B
Range: E
Durability: D
Precision: C
Developmental Potential: C

Abilities
User is capable of running on any surface so long as they maintain or increase pace.