Honoka's Bizarre Adventure: μ's Is Unbreakable
Chapter 14: The Red Arrow (Part 2)
Previously on Honoka's Bizarre Adventure!
Honoka-chan, reporting in! Things got really bad, really quickly! At Otonokizaka Yanigihori-san approached us, and revealed she's a Stand user! But while we were still processing that, Maki succumbed to some kind of illness because of a Stand attack, and now we're in a fight with another Stand user that can fly!
Something feels wrong though… I'm getting a really bad feeling in my stomach! I can't show it, but I'm scared. But I need to go! For Maki! For μ's!
"What the hell are you guys doing here!?"
"I could ask you the same think, Akeno-san!" Honoka yelled back in response, glaring at her old enemy.
The scene outside of Yoshida Stadium quickly become chaotic as the girls of μ's encountered the two Arrow Hunters that had gone to investigate, and now fighting seemed like it was about to break out before the main event as Honoka and Akeno argued at the front, both refusing to back off.
"This is a private matter," Miano spoke up, trying to be the calm one of the two as she stepped forward. "Wakaki is our problem. Let us fight and deal with her," she asked μ's, hoping that this argument could at least be solved without fighting. It was getting dark, and she didn't believe the generators for the stadium were on. She didn't want her and Akeno to fight Wakaki in the dark, and while she would've appreciated Honoka and Hanayo's physical presence she felt more distractions would've been detrimental to the battle. "So just buzz off, alright?"
"She has our friend though!" Rin challenged, stepping forward. "She kidnapped Maki-chan! We need to help out!"
"… Shit," Akeno cursed, stepping back and leaning in to Miano's ear. "They're not gonna go away with that in mind."
"We don't need the non-Stand users though…" She broke away from Akeno. "Do the rest of you have Stands?" Only Aya raised her hands, and Miano groaned. "Shit. They'll be a liability!"
"Yeah, but we can't pretend three more Stand users wouldn't be good… goddammit, the boss is gonna kill us for this," Akeno commented. "But we don't know what she's capable of… aw, man. Fuck it?"
"Fuck it."
"Alright, you can all come," Akeno said to the group. "But non-Stand users stay in the back when the fighting happens! I don't want to babysit you people! It's not our faults if you die," Umi and Rin nodded, and the two began to go into the Stadium itself, still under construction.
"Why a place like this, anyways?" Rin asked, after a few minutes of uncomfortable silence. "It's not even done, it's really creepy…"
"Hell if I know. I don't even get why the Yoshidas are building it. It's never gonna compete with the Sapporo Dome," Akeno said. "Maybe it'll be better for the Eastern League in baseball? Would be a lot cheaper and still pretty nice… smaller sports venues. Still though, everything about this place is weird."
"Since it's not fully built yet it's probably a good place to hide… hey, wait a second," Miano stopped, and everyone stopped with her. "Why was there nothing to keep us out? No obstacles or anything, road signs, barricades… we just waltzed right in her! And Wakaki is expecting us…"
"It's a trap," Honoka explained, much to everyone's surprise. They all already knew that of course, but that Honoka would speak up first came as a shock. "She probably got rid of all the stuff so we could come in. We're gonna be fighting her in her environment. Still though… it's weird we saw nothing. She probably got rid of it, but…"
"It feels like this was set up even before then?" Umi asked, and Honoka nodded in response. "Akeno-san, Miano-san, what do you know about her? I know you talked to Hanayo and Rin about them, but any new information would be good."
"I already told them everything we know. Wakaki was always a creepy, sadistic bitch and I never liked her," Akeno replied. "All I really know about her Stand is that it looks like a bird. Did you two see it?" Akeno asked to Honoka and Hanayo, who nodded. "See! Bird Stand!"
"I know what I saw," Miano said. "I don't… let's just not let our guard down around her Stand. Something weird is going on…" And as they walked past the concession Stand, there were now several signs leading to the unfinished Stadium. "… Really weird."
"It doesn't look like we have much choice. We don't know where she is…" Aya said. "And if we split up, she could pick us off one by one," she said with one of her yawns.
"Aya-san, are you OK?" Rin asked. "Your blood pressure…" But Aya smiled, patting her head to reassure her, earning a smile.
"Fuck it. We're not babies, all we can do is go straight ahead," Akeno said, following their direction. "If nothing else, I don't thinks he was expecting me and Miano. Even if she's noticed us, we got her completely outnumbered. Five Stand users!"
"My Stand isn't good for combat. I will stay behind with Rin and Umi."
"… Ok, four Stand users!" Akeno said, annoyed that Aya had withheld that until now. "Alright, everyone, you ready!?"
"Time to fight on!" Honoka said, raising her fist into the air.
"We'll save Maki-san no matter what!" Hanayo declared, Rin happy to see her so confident. And so they made their way to the field itself, the sun almost completely set and the sky enveloped in a brilliant twilight. "Hey… I thought they said the stadium wasn't gonna be ready for a few years, but it looks almost done!" The playing field itself, the stand rows, and even a giant screen to see the game was already finished.
"Maybe they're working on electricity and stuff?" Rin asked. "This is getting weirder!"
And so they walked to the center of the stage, only for the headlights to beam on them, catching them off-guard.
"Welcome one and all, to the grand unveiling of Yoshida Stadium! I'm so glad you could be with us tonight!" A voice blared over the speakers, the girls frantically looking around.
"Wakaki! Where are you, you miserable bitch!?" Akeno yelled out, 「Good Girl Gone Bad」taking her place next to her. 「All Star,」「Momoiro Clover,」and「Union of the Snake」were quickly summoned to their masters sides, ready to fight.
"E-everyone, up there!" The screen for the stadium turned on, revealing a very relaxed Wakaki grinning at them as she waved at the camera. "And over there!" It only took a moment later to find her sitting in the bleachers, microphone in her hand.
"And we even got a few pissant flies who decided to show up uninvited… oh well, the more the merrier! Welcome, everyone, I hope you enjoy the scenery! It may not be as big as Sapporo Stadium, but nonetheless it is within the hopes of the Yoshida Conglomerate that this lovely stadium will become a popular hotspot for smaller, local competitions and leagues!"
"Hey, I was right about the Eastern League!" Akeno couldn't help but be just a little proud of her prediction, earning a smile from Miano despite the gravity of the situation.
"It means a lot to me you could all make it! A stadium is a stadium, so let's grace it with the ultimate grand opening; a battle between Stand users!" Wakaki declared. "Would you, my lovely contestants, have anything you'd like to say?"
"Where's Maki!?" Honoka yelled, taking a few steps forward. "Bring her out, right now!"
"… Eh?" Wakaki asked, leaning forward. "I can't hear you!"
"Where is Maki!?"
"Yell louder!"
"WHERE IS MAKI!?"
"… Eh!?"
"WHERE!? IS? MAKI!" Honoka even put her hands around her mouth, the tension quickly dropping.
"… Wait, what the fuck am I doing? I brought this with me…" Wakaki asked, grumbling as「Hawkwind」appeared next to her as Wakaki took out a megaphone, having her Stand knock it over to the opposing girls, with Honoka catching it. "Now speak up!"
"Where's Maki!?" Honoka yelled, Wakaki's grin soon returning. "She has nothing to do with this! The arrow, us, anything! We're here anyways, so let her go!"
"Why are you even doing this!?" Akeno yelled into the megaphone. "You already left the Hunters, so what's the point of this!?"
"Oh, I got my reasons," Wakaki replied. "Nothing personal. Professional shit, you know? When the boss tells you to do something, you just do it. Even if it's a pain in your ass."
"The boss… there's no way the boss told you to do this!" Akeno yelled into the megaphone.
"Not your boss, idiot…" Wakaki said with a sigh, "But hey. Work is work, no matter who you work for, I guess."
"Tch… that's it? And you're just so happy with betraying out trust?" Akeno asked, glaring. She thought of her own actions not too long ago, how she was plotting to overthrow their boss and install herself as the new leader of the Arrow Hunters. Just hearing Wakaki's words stung her, and she was filled with guilt over her old plans. "Can someone like you even know loyalty!?"
Wakaki actually went quiet, her smirk fading. "Don't you presume you know anything about me," she snapped at her former ally. "You're far from the first I've stabbed in the back, but make no mistake; I know loyalty. There is but one person in this entire world for whom I would give absolutely anything, even my life for. It's nothing a wretch like you could possibly understand," she replied, the group now stunned.
Akeno-chan… Miano thought, looking at her friend, before taking the megaphone. "I know a thing or two about that kind of loyalty," she announced, taking a deep breath. "There was… nothing I wouldn't do for Akeno, absolutely nothing! But… even this… even this is too far! Fighting Kousaka and Koizumi helped me realize that… what you're doing is wrong! So just… give them back their friend and lets all go our separate ways!"
"Miano…" Akeno said quietly, before Miano took her hand in her's.
"We are bounded eternally… but that doesn't mean we have to be slavishly loyal! Maybe if you came back… maybe things could even work out! Just… just… there's been so much pain and fighting, can't we just work out one ting nonviolently!?"
"Nonviolently? What kind of drivel is that!? A Stand is a reflection of your soul made for battle! To be a Stand user is to live a life of battle, up until the end! You understand my loyalty!? Yeah right! You and everyone else can just go to hell, while I show you how a true Stand user stands proud!" And then she turned to face Aya and the non-Stand users. "Oi. I want to talk to Tsuji."
Honoka looked over at Aya who nodded, before walking over and handing her the megaphone. "Yes… Wakaki?"
"Have you forgotten your place in the world?" She asked. "Maybe you didn't know it was me… but the moment you saw me you should've immediately left! The fuck is your problem!?"
"Aya-san?" Rin asked, looking up at her. "You know her?"
"… I wish for these children to be safe," Aya replied. "I want to see this Maki girl return home safely. I won't leave until I do."
"You understand you're a traitor now, right?" Wakaki asked with a grin. "I don't think the bosses are gonna be very happy about this. But if you just leave, I'll keep it between us! How does that sound?"
"Not until Nishikino Maki is safe," Aya said, standing her ground. "Not until the girls of μ's have all their members back!"
"Suit yourself, but don't say I didn't warn you!" Wakaki said as she snapped her fingers, as「Hawkind」roared, the caws of dozens of birds filling the air before they crawled out from under the bleachers.
"The birds… everyone, look out!" Umi yelled, as both she and Rin got behind Aya and「Cinderella,」their arms outstretched. "Akeno, Miano, the bird are being controlled by her Stand!"
It didn't take long for dozens of birds who were concealed, hiding in the bleachers to pop out, flying towards the girl. "Give me a break… Wakaki, this is what you had in mind!? I was getting worried!" Akeno said with a grin, her Stand cracking its knuckles. "How lame! The rest of you can all stand back, I can probably take this!"
But Hanayo saw another problem. She's too far away to hit from here. Maybe if I throw something by her I can swap locations? Or I can send someone else up there? No… she's probably expecting that! She's too confidant despite having so many Stand users against her, is she that confidant we can't win? I'm sure she knows how all our Stands work, so she's probably thought of the possibility!
The birds began to swoop down, circling at their enemies before attempting to claw at them, but they were just birds. Even「Cinderella」swiped and shooed off the birds with ease. "Enough is enough! Just some goddamn flying rats, if we gotta get through a few, then whatever!" And with that「Good Girl Gone Bad」punched one swooping in, instantly killing and maiming the bird.
"Ewww… poor thing," Honoka responded, 「All Star」swatting away from.
"Come on, this is a battle! Her tactic is obvious… she's gonna have these distract us by going for our eyes and junk when she descends! It's gruesome, but if we take them out the threat is negated! I know it might be a little gross for your fancy, pretty Idols, but—"
"AKENO! LOOK!"
Miano's eyes were wide open, her face paling as she looked over where the bird was. "The bird… the bird…!"
"What about it? Come on, there's no way you can be… O… Oh God… w-what the fuck!? What the fuck is this!?"
"What's… oh no!" Hanayo gasped as she rushed forward to see, hands over her mouth.
"… Its… it's a man…!?" It was Honoka's turn to look in horror as she looked where the bird had landed, the corpse of a naked man now lying there… a terribly broken naked man, mutilated by the impact done to him when he was a bird.
"Kyahahaha! Got you good, didn't I!?" Wakaki was roaring with laughter in the bleachers. "Oh man, that look on your face, awesome!" The screen for the arena was now closed up on Akeno's face, but when looking around Honoka saw nobody controlling the cameras despite their focus.
"I… I killed… Nonono!" Akeno took a few steps back, breathing hard and nauseous. "I didn't… I didn't…! I'm not a murderer! I couldn't have, oh God, fucking hell! Fuckfuckfuckfuck!"
"Congrats on your first kill, Akeno-chan! Aww, it doesn't feel good?" Wakaki's laugh become a quiet giggle as Akeno fell to her knees, emptying the contents of her stomach as Miano embraced her. "Ewww… come on, the janitors aren't hired yet!"
"You… you couldn't have known- you're not a killer!" Miano told her, kneeling down with her. Akeno was pale in horror, unable to even bring herself to stand up. "She tricked us! Don't… don't blame yourself, please!"
Honoka ran to pick up the megaphone, her horror giving way to anger. "Don't tell me, all these birds… they were people!?"
"Oh no, just a small handful!" Wakaki replied. "Mostly homeless people, so don't you worry thinking that you killed someone worth thinking about! Most of them are other animals I turned into birds. But… you can't tell which ones they are, huh? If you didn't care about killing people this wouldn't even be a problem, but I can see why you prissy heroic-types are getting concerned, now! In fact, now that the big reveal is out of the way… why don't I introduce you to someone you've been wanting to see again?" She whistled, and soon a familiar figure appeared by her side, walking from concession to the bleachers.
"M… Maki!?" Honoka yelled in horror, observing her friend. Her arms had been replaced by wings with black feathers that gave way to red, and she was naked from the waist up although her entire torso and back was covered by red feathers, and even her lips seemed to be protruding.
"I think she's gonna be the most beautiful in my collection," Wakaki said, cupping Maki by the chin. "I think she's turning into a crimson sunbird. I actually don't know that much about birds, but I was looking it up before you got here… You're gonna be a beautiful girl, aren't you?" She asked, Maki cooing in response. "I think I'll keep you away from the battlefield. You're too pretty to risk being killed by dumbass brute bitches like Akeno down there, aren't you?"
"F… fuck you…" Akeno whispered with a glare, uncaring that Wakaki could not hear her.
"You're evil incarnate," Honoka declared, her first balled. Not since Fuhai had she felt such outright anger and hatred for another human being. Fuhai had terrorized her family and hospitalized her father, and now Wakaki had tricked her ally into killing somebody and was taunting her about turning Maki into a bird. She was someone she would never, ever forgive. She grit her teeth, taking a step forward. "You're not getting away with this! Do you understand me!? I'm going to kick your goddamn ass! You… you absolute monster!" She screamed into the megaphone.
"Honoka… I've never seen her so angry," Umi observed, eyes wide open. Honoka wasn't the kind to get angry in general, just annoyed. To see her so utterly seething with rage was something she had never seen, a side to Honoka that she didn't even think could possibly exist. It occurred to her right then outside of the sparring with μ's this was also the first time she had ever seen her truly fight. This new Honoka that didn't not exist before that day with the arrow… or had it always lied inside, she wondered, and had simply needed a catalyst to be unleashed?
As ashamed as she was to admit it, part of it scared her. But Rin then held her hand. "They'll win… that's all that matters!" Rin said. "They'll win and we'll get Maki back!"
"You're right," Umi said, shame coving over her. Her best friend was about to fight, and here she was, feelings cared for having never noticed something! When did I become so useless!? She asked herself, watching onwards. Honoka, no matter what kind of person you are… I will always believe in you, no matter what!
"And what's so wrong with that? Being a monster?" Wakaki asked, standing upwards, and climbing onto her Stand's back. "When you don't care about what other people think of you, nothing like that matters!"
Hanayo's eyes widened. "She's gonna enter the stadium!" she yelled. "Akeno-san, please! If you can't fight… you need to leave!"
"D-don't tell me what to do," Akeno said, getting up with Miano's help.
"What happened was terrible… b-but we have to fight! We can grieve and cry later!" Hanayo yelled, surprising everyone around. "Please… if you can't fight right now, get behind Tsuji-san! Its ok… it's ok if you can't fight," she said, giving her a friendly smile. "You've already endured something terrible… so let me and Honoka take care of the rest if you must! You're still one of the strongest people I've ever met!"
"Aaaaaah! I love this brave and confidant Kayochin, nya!" Rin yelled, earning a little blush from Hanayo. "B-but don't focus on me!"
"… Jesus, how can I let myself get showed up after something like that?" Akeno asked, her cocky grin returning as「Good Girl Gone Bad」returned, the girls glaring at the birds overhead. "This is gonna be tough, not killing any birds… Be super careful."
"Yeah, but we can do it," Honoka began, her own grin forming as she was encouraged by Hanayo's words. "After all, we're the good guys here, so we can't lose! So let's kick some ass, girls!"
And so Wakaki took to the skies above, circling above. And then her Stand swooped down, the rest of the birds around her.
"S-shit!" Akeno wasted no time turning her Stand's fists and upper arm into titanium. She was careful not to swipe at the birds too harshly, trying only to nudge them around and keep them out of her hands. And then she noticed「Hawkwind」swooping in for a massive tackle. Even when blocking it the sheer size of Wakaki's attack was enough to knock her back, and the tackle continued to head onto Hanayo.
"S-swap!" She threw a yen coin in her pocket as far as she could, barely avoiding the attack, only for more birds to start circling her. "C-come on, I really don't want to hurt any of you!" She yelled knocking a few birds away.
"We need to think of something! We can't really focus on –ow, fuck! – everything!" A bird scratched Miano's cheek enough to draw blood, and a few more on her arms. "D-damn birds! Didn't the Americans make a fucking movie about this!? How did they solve it there?"
"They never resolved it, dumbass!" Wakaki said with a laugh, taking the air once more, outside of anyone's strike range.
But Hanayo ran towards her coin. My Stand can probably throw this hard enough to reach her even up there! And then I can swap- but nearly ten birds immediately surrounded her. "T-that isn't fair!"
"Bitch, I don't play fair!" Wakaki said with a laugh. "Face it! You can't keep up with me!" She declared, taking high into the air.
"This is bad, we underestimated her!" Miano laughed. "Four Stand users, and she's laughing at us! And none of us are weak too… What do we do!?"
"Maybe… I have an idea!" Hanyo grabbed her coin. "I was thinking of swapping with the coin, but… I can swap other people too! So… swap!" But nothing happened. "S… swap! Why won't it work!?" Hanayo looked at「Momoiro Clover,」but didn't see anything amiss. "I… is she too far!?" It occurred to her she had never tested this power with extreme ranges, never anything more than 30 feet. Was that her limit? "I-If I had thrown this into the air and swapped with it when I was 30 feet in the air…" She gulped; glad she didn't try it now. Furthermore, she had never really attempted bringing people straight to her like she was planning. It was beginning to occur to her that perhaps she did not fully understand her own limitations.
"Dammit… I feel so useless!" Rin yelled out, frustrated. "They're all fighting for our friend, and I'm… just over here! I can't… I can't do anything!"
"Rin, we talked about this," Aya said, giving her a comforting smile. "I can't really do much over here either… you've done all you can. There's no shame in that. If you could do more, you could. But… what's the point of making yourself feel worse? Even if my Stand was meant for fighting, my low blood pressure would tire me out… but at the least, I can keep you away from the worst of it," she said, swatting a bird away.
Umi grasped Rin's shoulder. "We're here… we could've run, but we didn't. That has to be worth something, right?" But oh, how she wished she could do more too. "There's one other thing that's really bothering me though… this fight… nobody can come out on top," she observed. And sure enough, the thoughts were racing through the rest's heads as well.
This was an almost perfect stalemate. None of them could attack Wakaki when she was airborne, but they would have an even chance if she remained grounded. And the controlled birds could not do any serious damage to the girls. The only way for Wakaki to come out on top would also be to put her in her enemy's strike range, even if only for a few moments. And when there were no birds, her most major advantage, divided attention would be lost.
Wakaki realized this too of course, but had a plan. She considered herself fortunate she did not consider herself a fair fighter. She knew the more time the girls had to think the more solutions would appear before them, and she was determined to keep the momentum at such a place they could not plan around it. The birds descended on the girls once more, with over thirty surrounding Hanayo in particular.
"H-help!" Akeno and Miano rushed over to her side, while Honoka stood her ground. "N… no wait! Actually, leave me be! She's planning something!"
And sure enough,「Hawkwind」swooped down once more, this time ignoring the enemy Stand users entirely to focus on Aya and the Stand-less schoolgirls next to her. With those two as my hostages, I'll be invincible! I'll be able to attack while they'll stay scared of hurting their friends! Thanks for coming, you idiots!
But Aya sprung into actions, using her Stand to shove them as hard as she could and rushing forward. "Not… not on my watch! Girls, run!"
Wakaki glared as「Hawkwind」and「Cinderella」collided. 「Hawkwind」of course was much faster, but Umi and Rin ran off to gain more ground, ruining her plan for the time being. "You idiot! First you're a traitor, and now you're directly standing in my way!?" She demanded. "A worthless Stand user like you shouldn't even be alive! All you're useful for is fixing one of our fuck-ups now and then! Some fucking prissy makeup bitch that's trifling with things she shouldn't, that's you! Get lost! Do you understand me!?" Wakaki was irate enough she dismounted her Stan to grasp the other woman's shirt. "Do you have any idea who you're trifling with!? I'm the Yoshida's emissary!"
"… You know… I think you'd be cuter with a different face."
"Eh!? What are you babbling about!?"
Aya refused to show fear.
"I'm a cosmetologist that dabbles in the mocked field of physiognomy… I was even mocked for it in beauty school. But I believe in it absolutely, the power of the shape of the face, and quite frankly, Wakaki? I think you'd be more beautiful without one!" Wakaki's eyes widened as she noticed「Cinderella」appear once more, swiping at her face as she jumped back. "Damn…"
There was a silence, and then a scream. "YOU BTICH! YOU BITCH YOU BITCH YOU BITCH!? WHAT THE FUCK DID YOU JUST DO TO ME!? WHAT THE FUCK WAS THAT!?"
"I was really hoping to take your whole face, or at least your nose or mouth, that would've finished you… phew," Aya said, keeping her calm. "But hey, I was able to do more after all."
Wakaki's enemies approached, looking at the sight before her; Wakaki clutching the left side of her face, in absolute rage. "FUCK YOU! FUCKYOUFUCKYOUFUCKYOUFUCKYOUFUCKYOU! I'LL KILL YOU! I'LL KILL ALL OF YOU!" She yelled, her composure gone as she lowered her hands, giving her enemies a clear look at what she had done.
"W-whoah… Way to go, Tsuji!" Honoka yelled.
"I thought she'd look cuter with a smooth face, so I wanted to remove everything… was hoping she'd suffocate without her nose and mouth," Aya explained, as Wakaki glared at her and Honoka; her left eye had been completely removed. Not torn out, hot slashed, without a single trace of any kind of physical violence… it was just smooth flesh now, and Wakaki only had half her vision. "I never thought「Cinderella」could be used in combat, the idea just came to me out of nowhere. More effective than I thought…"
If that had been my nose or mouth, I'd be dead! Wakaki thought, not even caring about her lost eye. The only way she could get her eye back would be at Aya's mercy, which she knew would never be given. But at the least, she could kill her! And so「Hawkwind」focused on Aya, cawing loudly, not realizing her mistake until it was too late.
"Honoka, get ready! Swap!" A coin thrown by「Momoiro Clover」flew through the air, right by her face. "O… s-shit!"
A moment later, Honoka Kousaka was right in her face, grinning. "Yo."
"Hawk-"
But the assault began a second later.
"FAITOFAITOFAITOFAITOFAITOFAITOFAITOFAITOFAITOFAITOFAITOFAITOFAITO FAITO DAYOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"
It was a particularly brutal Stand rush as well, pummeling Wakaki, with the last punch's vibrations sending her flying. A bit too much than Honoka had intended, the force had sent Wakaki flying past her allies, but the damage was still severe. 「Hawkwind」screeched and swiped its wing at「All Star,」who proceeded to deliver vibrating karate chop to it, severely damaging its wing before the Stand retreated next to its master.
Wakaki gasped as she felt the pain reflected onto her right arm. "S-shit… I-I let them get the better of me-" she cursed, groaning as she mounted her Stand once more, holding her head. "F-fuck…" The blow had taken its toll on her; she was barely standing at this point. She was confident a few ribs were broken, but thankfully not her arms or legs. Everything hurt like shit, but she still had a battle to win. She could heal and rest up later, after expecting a bonus from Kira.
But then, everything changed in a moment.
"SPECIAL DELIVERY FOR A 'HOSHIZORA RIN.'"
All but Rin could hear the new, robotic voice as a Stand jumped from the top of the screen, advancing towards the Stand-less girl. The Stand was pink and black, with a black base body and what looked like pink 'clothes' covering it. To Honoka it looked like pink short-shorts and a crop top, with long brown hair tied into a ponytail and a flower in its side. In its hand was the arrow, visible to even to Rin.
"T… that pink and black Stand!" Akeno yelled out, jumping back. "I-It's here now!? Seriously!?"
Hanayo gasped. "I-is that… is that what I think it is!?"
"Yeah! Back when we were beating up you and Hoshizora, this is the Stand that we saw! It pierced you with the arrow, and probably me, Miano, and Honoka too!" Akeno yelled out. "It said something similar… 'Special delivery for a Koizumi Hanayo!'"
"S… So that thing wants to give me a Stand?" Rin asked, blinking. "N-Now!? Really!?"
"RECIPIENT OF TARGET CONFIRMED: 'PIERCING OF THE ARROW TO ANYONE THAT IT CAN ACCEPT DUE TO FIGHTING SPIRIT,' AGE, GENDER, AND MORALITY NOT CONSIDERED AS FACTORS," the pink and black Stand said. "BEGINNING PREPERATION OF DELIVERY."
"W-whoah!? Don't I get a say in this!?" Rin couldn't hear of course, but she did notice the arrow pointing towards her. Hanayo ran ahead, standing between them.
"Give her a choice!" Hanayo yelled. "It's not… it's not your choice to decide this for her!"
"UNAUTHORIZED INPUT. ONLY STAND MASTER MAY CHANGE COURIER INSTRUCTIONS FOR DELIVERY," the Stand said. Wakaki wasted no time, her Stand rushing forward in an attempt to claim the arrow. She didn't care what Kira said; only one of the six arrows were currently unaccounted for, and that took priority over everything.
"Everyone, look out!" Miano yelled. "Akeno, take my Stand!" She yelled, running forward as「Union of the Snake」wrapped itself around GGGB, her Stand soon cased in titanium. It was a great wall, but「Hawkwind」flapped its wings and took to the sky, before diving down. The birds also began to swarm, as she focused on her target.
"Swap!" Hanayo switched places with the pink and black Stand, taking the blow as she was slammed into a wall. She knew the priority had changed; she couldn't get her hands on the arrow! Unfortunatly the pink and black Stand didn't appear too intelligent, beginning to advance towards Rin once more. "I-If you're gonna do it, at least do it later! Or help us beat her, please!" She yelled, groaning and holding her head. It felt like a truck had just hit her head with that attack.
"YOUR BATTLE IS OF NO CONCERN TO ME. ONLY THE DELIVERY OF PACKAGE TO ITS TARGET," the seemingly Automatic Stand said, walking towards Rin once more.
"… If… If I take a Stand, I can fight…!"
Wakaki roared, her Stand rushing forward once again. Hanayo was still recovering from the attack and tried to swap once more, but by the time she had regained her focus Wakaki had succeeded in attacking the new stand, but she not succeed in gaining the arrow, which had been thrown from the pink and black Stand in the chaos. "Dammit!" Wakaki turned around, but now that its mission was interrupted the opposing Stand grabbed the bird Stand's legs, immobilizing it and pulling it to the ground as it tried to take off. "Let go of me!"
But it had landed near Rin.
"S-stupid girl, don't do anything you'll regret!" Wakaki warned, her Stand pecking the other. Goddammit, the Red Arrow is barely worth keeping around, sometimes!
"What I'd reflect… is staying behind! I'm not… that strong! I'm insecure about a lot of things! Gender, how I look, how other see me… that's why I wanted to protect Kayochin so much. I thought it gave me a place in the world, even if it was temporary! μ's and the rest too… I was only doing it for Kayochin. But now… I want to fight for myself!" Rin yelled, grasping the arrow in her hand. "I'm my own woman! Even if the world disagrees, I'm myself! This power… a reflection of myself! I know Kayochin doesn't need to be saved or protected anymore, she's strong enough to protect herself! That's why, instead!"
"W-wait! Stop! You don't know what you're doing! The kind of life you'll live! Isn't it already hard enough with this tranny shit!? Now this!? You have no idea what you're messing with!" Wakaki yelled. But Rin ignored her entirely, her eyes a glare and voice a scream;
"Instead of just wanting to protect Kayochin and supporting μ's for her sake, I want to sing, dance, and fight alongside them as equals! I want to stand with them on the stage and in battle, because that's what I want to do, because I love them!"
And with that, Rin plunged the arrow into her own heart, glaring even as she coughed blood.
"RIN!" Hanayo yelled, scrambling over. But then, Rin ripped it out of herself, an all-too-familiar yellow glow surrounding her.
Sure enough, the wound had instantly closed.
"So, come on out, Stand!"
And so, the power materialized fully, next to her. Even Wakaki was silent as she watched the new Stand form next to her.
It was a smaller Stand, standing at just a little over a foot and a half once it stood upright. It resembled a robotic cat that was standing on its hind legs. The Stand's body was a yellow metal with a teal spot on its stomach, and a metal tail nearly as long as its body. Its arms looked more like black tubes, almost as if they were made of plastic as it stood upright. Highly flexible to boot, as the Stand could clearly move these limbs. Its head was shaped like a cat complete with cat ears, but it had no visible eyes, mouth, or nose. Instead its entire face seemed to be an LED screen, with two red dots glowing to signify the Stand as 'awake.'
"My Stand… that's you, right?" The stand jumped at its master's ask, saluting her and her eyes took a different shape to show its happiness: ^^ "Alright… alright! And… I see everyone's Stands to!" She said, noticing the new figures around her. "That hurt, but… alright! Yeah… if it's yellow, it's Rin-chan!" Rin declared, pumping her fist and rushing forward. "Even though I have no idea what you do, I'm in this fight too, now!"
"What a joke... how are you gonna stand toe-to-toe with me before even understanding your Stand?" Wakaki asked, her grin returning, hiding her worry. She was a veteran Stand user, an assassin that had proven her ability to fight against multiple opponents in the past. Dirty tricks, deceit, as long as it brought her to victory, she would take any road it took. But now the factors were multiplying at a rate she could no longer be sure of what would happen. To Wakaki a battle was like a game of chess played with a ten second timer; and she had severely underestimated her enemies and their potential. And now, there was another factor.
"I don't know, but I'm not going to stand around doing nothing!"
"DELIVERY COMPLETE. RETURNING TO BASE…"
"W-wait a moment!" Umi yelled, rushing forward and grabbing the Stand by the arm. "When you pierced Honoka… you pierced my hand too! Why!? I don't seem to have a Stand… s-so why me, too!?" She asked. The Stand seemed ready to leave, but paused for a moment instead, before turning to face her.
"ACCIDENTAL DELIVERY OF POWER. THE ONLY INTENDED RECIPIENT WAS 'KOUSAKA HONOKA.' YOUR HAND WAS JUST IN THE WAY WHEN I WAS REMOVING IT," the Stand explained, Umi and those around her falling quiet. "IF YOU WERE CAPABLE OF TRUE POWER, YOU ALSO WOULD HAVE EXPERIENCED A DELIVERY. YOU ARE FORTUNATE THE STRAIN DID NOT OUTRIGHT KILL YOU."
Umi was crestfallen. So, it was a fluke, she thought to herself, letting go. She wasn't like the rest after all. This power wasn't meant for her, it was an accident, an accident that should have killed her. She smiled gently; if nothing else, her answer had finally come to her.
"Then why didn't it kill her!?" Honoka asked, stepping forward. "Don't you dare talk about Umi-chan like she's worthless! And she can see Stands too! Answer that!? I bet your user is sitting safe and quiet somewhere far away… so don't you dare insult Umi like that!"
The Stand paused, as if its owner long away was debating on what to do next. "… IT IS POSSIBLE THE ARROW SAW THE REMANTNS OF STRENGTH IN HER, AND GRANTED HER A SLIVER OF POWER," the Stand reasoned. "INCOMPLETE POWER, WAITING TO BLOOM… IF I HAD TO GUESS."
"And… who are you anyways!?" Honoka asked. "Why are you waking up so many Stand users in this city!? Us!? The Arrow Hunters!? That bastard that wanted to hurt my family!? I want answers!" Even Wakaki seemed insignificant in the wake of these potential answers.
There was a pause, and then it spoke.
"FOR 'ALLIES.' I AM LOOKING FOR 'ALLIES,' FOR THE FIGHTS THAT STILL LAY AHEAD. FOR LOVE LIVE."
Honoka was stunned by the answer. "L… Love Live? What does Love Live have to do with any of this?"
"…"
"H-hey! I'm asking you a question!"
"DELIVERY COMPLETE. RETURNING TO BASE."
Honoka was going to ask more as the Stand began to try to leave, but was forced to bring her attention back to「Hawkwind」charging once more, this time glaring as she stood her ground. "Umi! There's almost nobody in the world I respect and love more than you!"
It was enough to make Umi's world stand still for a second, as「Hawkwind」and「All Star」collided, but this time「All Star」stood her ground, even as its heels were pushed back in the dirt.
"Stubborn, aren't you?" Wakaki asked, her grin returning. "You know… As much as I wanna kill you all, you're a more interesting lot than I thought! Good thing for you I didn't go all out in the beginning…"
"I love the implication you still would've won!" Honoka yelled, her Stand punching the bird, that then proceeded to peck her Stand's shoulder, opening a wound in her own shoulder. "I'd never lose to someone like you! Never! None of us will!" She yelled as the other girls began to close in. But one was much faster than the rest: Rin's Stand, along with its extremely athletic owner closed the gap before anyone else could.
"Alright, let's go, nya! Stand… do what you do best!" She demanded, the red lights of her Stand's face taking on a different pattern: "!"
From its robotic paws emerged four claws, all resembling a real cat's; and secreting from them was a purple liquid of some kind. The Stand was athletic enough to leap onto the bird's back, scratching Wakaki herself. Wakaki yelled out, punching at the Stand herself, but doing little. "G-goddammit, get off me!" Eventually she finally grabbed the Stand and threw it off, as it made a beeping sound that almost sounded like a hiss. Noticing all four of her enemies closing in once more「Hawkwind」did a spin, striking the approaching Stands with her own Stand and knocking them back. Wakaki glared as Rin's Stand in particular charged on all fours, the small robotic cat being extremely fast. But she was able to strike the Stand once more, before having her Stand jump back. "Dammit…" She wiped away at her forhead. She was sweating a lot more than before, and she felt… more tired than usual? She had her Stand jump back more, sending the birds controlled through her Stand. Light-headed, too! What did that Stand do to me? She thought, inspecting the scratch and seeing something purple and liquid. "… Did it… p-poison!?" Wakaki recognized how she felt; it was like she had a fever! That small Stand was making her sick… and who knew how much worse it would get!?
As fate would have it, much worse, much more quickly.
"Everyone, I got it!" Honoka yelled as the birds advanced. "Just break their legs or wings! It still sucks… but then we won't have to worry about killing anyone!" Honoka had found out what Wakaki was desperately hoping they would not during the calm of the storm; and her now five opponents wasted no time incapacitating the birds that were meant to divide their attentions. "Sorry Mr. Birdie… I really have nothing against you, honestly! I'll donate to a bird sanctuary or something later!"
"Alright… I guess that's it. You're really making me bring out the big guns," Wakaki said, grasping the Red Arrow imbedded into the Stand's head, groaning as she felt power surge through it. And the Stand's bird cawing became like a demonic roar as it once again grew in size.
"D… Do Stands usually do that!?" Rin asked, alarmed.
"What the fuck!?" Miano yelled, her Stan wrapped tightly around her to in defense.
"Technology advances… like I told that other girl… every day the world changes, in a billion different ways! You either keep up with the times, or get left behind!" Wakaki yelled out, her Stand approaching. Without even needing its wings, at its new size, just hopping on the ground was like a full sprint.
"Miano!"
"I already know! 「Union of the Snake!」" And Miano's Stand wrapped around「Good Girl Gone Bad,」becoming like a massive club. She swung it into the bird Stand's side, and while it did knock it back a few feet, even the raw destructive weight that once almost brought Honoka to her knees was not enough to incapacitate the artificially evolved Stand. "H-holy shit! She's not holding back!"
「Hawkwind」roared, jumping into the roar and flapping its wings to gain altitude, before letting itself fall and use its weight against「Good Girl Gone Bad」and while it rose the metalized Union to block, unable to dodge with the massive weight added to it, Wakaki's attack still crushed her Stands, Akeno screaming as she felt what felt like an anvil was dropped on her body. Even with her injuries Wakaki was a serious threat, especially now that she was fighting head-on.
"Hanayo-chan! Together!" Honoka yelled, sprinting ahead.
"Alright!" Hanayo yelled back, sprinting forward. "Both of us together…"
"Let's kick some ass, μ's style!" Honoka said with a grin, 「All Star」and「Momoiro Clover」both taking one side of the Stand and unleashing a barrage of punches. 「Hawkwind」and Wakaki made no real reaction to the pummeling at the Stand's side, a pummeling that almost certainly would have been fatal against even a resilient opponent. "How's that, Wakaki!? Still feel like underestimating us!?"
"… Yes, as a matter of fact, I do."
Wakaki's grin said it all: having taken virtually no damage from even the point-black barrage she went in for another wing sweep, striking not only the two opposing Stands, but their owners directly, sending them flying.
"T-that's unreal!" Hanayo yelled, having been launched a good fifteen feet and landing right on her face with a harsh collision with the ground. "S-She's so much stronger!" But Honoka just sprinted again as she got up, sprinting towards the hated enemy.
"Jackhammer Punch!" She yelled, foregoing a barrage of blows in favor of just trying to land one devastating one on Wakaki. The wince of pain on Wakaki's face showed it had some success, but a headbutt from the Stand was enough to send Honoka to the ground once more. "F… fuck!"
Umi and Aya could only watch in horror from the sidelines as the tables had turned. The five girls tried their hardest, but simply could not keep up with this new form's overwhelming strength. She watched Rin and her Stand attempt to charge once more, but Wakaki simply jumped over them, even getting a slice at Rin's back with her Stand. "Sonoda… they might not win this," Aya said, her heart racing.
"Don't say that! They… they have to win this, they have to!"
"I'd… I'd heard rumors about that girl, but… this is more than I imagined. Y… you should run," Aya instructed. "Run as absolutely far as you can, and call the police and tell them to come here. I'll be the last distraction so you can run off…"
"I… I…" That's all Umi could do, wasn't it? This was like when she was a little girl, hiding behind the tree, but worst. She wasn't watching other kids having fun; she was watching her friends die. And all she could do was run. "I… I shouldn't…"
"Coooo…"
Aya and Umi gasped in surprise as they saw Maki approach them. In the heat of the fight. She had walked out of the bleachers, heading towards her friend not fighting. "N-Nishikino-san…" Umi gulped as she saw her mutated form and dazed eyes. "I… I'm sorry. I'm so sorry this happened to you, this is so disgusting…" She wanted to hug her, but didn't know if she was in pain in her half-bird form. "I… I'll take you somewhere safe. While they fight her, lets flee, OK?"
But Maki shook her head.
"W-what's that supposed to mean!? We can't fight against this! She's fighting all five of them and winning! I… I need to get you to somewhere safe!" Umi grabbed Maki's left wing, but she pulled away, shaking her head. "W-well!? What do you want!?"
"… Cooo… f… fi…"
"Eh? Maki, I can't hear you!"
"… Fi… ght…"
"Y… you want to fight her!? You don't even have a Stand! I don't have a Stand! That's crazy talk, Maki!"
"… Fig… ht… on… f-fight… fight on… fi… fight… f-f-f-fight… on…"
Faito dayo.
There was a battle raging inside Maki's heart and soul. The more Wakaki's infection spread, the more appealing becoming a bird was.
No school. No drama. No more fighting with her parents. No more being a pawn of her father's wishes. Her family had torn her away from her best friend to go to a school she didn't even want to go to just to make themselves look good, so she could make connections for the family by mingling with commoners to dispel the elitist rumors of the esteemed Nishikino family.
She could just be a pet bird. No stress, no worries, just eating, sleeping, and flying into the open air. Wakaki did say she would take good care of her, after all.
And had time reminded a few months, perhaps even weeks, she might have simply given into it. After all, a life without pain or loneliness, what more could you ask for?
"Fi… ght on… M… M…"
"M-Maki, take deep breaths," Umi instructed, trying to make sense of the situation. "Fight on… what?"
"… Fight on… μ's…!" That one was a yell, just barely loud enough to get the attention of the combatants. "Fi… fight on… μ's! Fight on… μ's! F-fight on… fight on… ev… everyone… μ's! Fi… Fight…!" The tears were streaming down her face, but she still cheered in encouragement. "Be… at her…! Beat her…! Fight on… fight on μ's! Fight on μ's! Fight on μ's!"
Maki's mind felt like it was chained to a rock. A rock that was thrown into the ocean, barely floating up by some miracle. She kept slipping under the water, but then she would rise up to get a few precious gasps of air. She was losing her fight, but this part of her that loved μ's, that loved her friends refused to simply give up.
She thought of her first true, actual friend, as well.
"So, this is where we say goodbye, right?"
"… Yep."
"You know, Maki, it kind of fills me with envy you get to go to Otonokizaka."
She remembered Omine crying.
"I really wanted to go to the same school as you. I really wanted to go to Otonokizaka with you."
Maki's relationship with her parents was a strained one, and while she respected their authority as her parents, ever since she had begun highschool, Maki did not know if she loved her parents anymore.
But she did love the girls of μ's.
But she did love Omine.
And she wanted to see both again.
I'm not dying like this! I'm not a bird! I'm not an animal! I'm a human being! I'm a living breathing human being! I'm not a bird! Please, beat her! I'm… I'm trying my best here too, everyone! I can't do it alone, so please!
"Fight on… everyone! Fight on!"
Wakaki was stunned; never before had someone resisted this Stand's transformation like this. But she was dizzy and lightheaded as well. The combination of this fever and the strain of the Red Arrow was taking a toll, and Wakaki took to the air once more. Then, suddenly, she felt the effects of the fever vanish. "Ah…!"
It only has a range of about 100 feet! As long as I get distance if I get poisoned again, I'll be able to deal with this easily! This isn't over, not by a long shot! The Red Arrow is hurting me but… Right now, I can make a fatal blow- a divebomb from this height is almost always fatal! I'll take you out… Hoshizora! That Stand's agility is a threat worth taking out now!
Dammit… dammit! Umi thought, walking past Aya.
"G-get back! This isn't a place for you!"
"I don't care… they said there was a kind of power in me, right!?" Umi thought to herself, thinking back to that day she first met Honoka. Hiding behind that tree, watching her and the others play, and how Honoka had approached her.
"Tag! Now you're it!"
She didn't want to just sit around and let her friends fight like this all alone. "You're inside me… aren't you!? The voice! You… are in me! Pleas! I'm asking you… I'm asking you to help me!" She almost felt on the verge of tears, but suppressed them. "Fight on… fight on! I want to fight on! So please, come out!"
"… I am a fragment of power."
Umi's eyes were wide as saucers at finally hearing the voice return.
"Rather, you should grow more, and let me come to you more naturally in the future… to use me now might have terrible consequences on your underdeveloped will."
But Umi was determined. "If I'm not determined enough to use you now, I'll never be! So please… I'll accept any consequences that come with it! So please… please! If you're really a part of me, respond to that!"
"… If this is what you wish…"
The deep blue aura around her was small and weak, far more so than anybody else's Stand auras. But nonetheless, a blue rose blossomed from Umi's palm, which she instinctively knew to pull out. Aya stayed quiet as she watched, her own Stand disappearing. These children, μ's… what are they, even? To have such raw potential?
The rose was unnaturally long, and once pulled out of Umi's hand curved and became solid. And then shortly afterwards came a single string, and a single arrow in her hand. Instinctively Umi knew what to do, readying her arrow. "A quiet shot, in the calm of the typhoon…"
「Sleepy Storm.」
"Love Arrow… Shoot through the heart!"
The arrow ripped through the air at high speeds, far faster and for far longer than it should have for even a talented archer like Umi through her years practicing archery. It fired and traveled to its target, only able to notice when it was far too late. "W-what the fuck is that!?" Wakaki was fortunate enough to see it in time to dodge what would have been a fatal blow through her heart, but the piercing of its wing was enough to send the Stand and its user crashing to the ground. "Oh God…" The throbbing in her head was becoming far too much. Between the impact of her crash and the wounds suffered to「Hawkwind」she had not choice but to practically crawl to the Red Arrow to deactivate its power boost, lest she pass out. "Worthless piece of shit…" She paid no attention to the surrounding girls, instead punching and even kicking her Stand. "They said you'd be perfect, but beyond traveling around, you're useless! Red Arrow, ultimate weapon my fucking ass!"
"Its over, Wakaki!" Akeno yelled, the girls soon circling around her. But it was the two new Stand users that Wakaki looked at, before laughing. "What's so funny?"
"You know, I'd be in a lot better mood about this if I had my damn eye…" Wakaki said, wiping sweat from her brow. "Otonokizaka Idol Study Club, μ's… you're really something else," she admitted, ignoring her former allies. "That so many School Idols are now Stand users who weren't selected for the Greatest Concert…"
Wakaki was in a terrible situation. With「Hawkwind」in this state she could no longer fight. There were no more tricks she could pull off with「Hawkwind」that would grant a new edge. In this current state, she was completely, and utterly defeated. But, Wakaki had been so consumed by rage this entire battle she forgot the most important thing about herself, and about fighting:
"I love Stands," she told her enemies. "A reflection of yourself, the real you that everyone hides is made visible in a Stand. When you see a Stand, you see the real person, behind all the bullshit and lies… Your Stands are magnificent, I have to admit. I was approaching this fight the wrong way from the beginning."
"Honoka-san, I don't like this…" Hanayo said, assuming a defensive position.
"I was just following orders to kill you… when observing your Stands in full should've been my priority! Field data for the Red Arrow? There's forever to do that," she began, grabbing the construct in her Stand's head. "So, its about time I showed it to you. The reflection of my soul!"
Before anyone could react, she pulled the Red Arrow out of「Hawkwind's」forhead, and the avian Stand and all the transformed birds screeched, all the birds, and thankfully Maki returning to their former state. Aya rushed over to Maki, catching the unconscious girls' fall, before turning back to an unspeakably bright light radiating from her Stand.
"W-what's going on!? I can't see!" Rin yelled, covering her eyes; it was like looking into the sun, nobody could both look and observe what was happening.
"When a man dies, his Stand disappears with him. The reflection of your soul dies with the owner, that makes sense, right? So, a genius had an idea… why don't we take the reflection of someone's soul and imbued it into another object? So that others can use it after the original owner's death?"
"What the fuck!?" Akeno yelled. "D… don't tell me-!"
"「Hawkwind」isn't really my Stand. I was just borrowing it using the Red Arrow," Wakaki revealed. "This is the first version of this weapon… Ideally I'd just be using the Red Arrow on my own Stand, but I can't put it in without transforming it," she said. "I'm not so pissed now, so I'm not interested in killing you all now, no matter what the orders are… rather, I want to really see it. I want to see how your reflections stand against my own. Come on, the six of you are the only ones to beat me when using that Stand, so do me proud! I really will kill if you disappoint!"
The glow vanished, and a brilliant golden light surrounded Wakaki as a new figure stood behind her. A Stand at roughly 6'0 in height, covered in a brilliant gold armor. To the girls it resembled a knight in golden plate armor, with a white cape flowing behind it, like some hero of justice. From behind the helmet were two glowing red eyes, and what escaped from what they could only assume was its mouth was a demonic roar.
"Beautiful, isn't she? Like a killer in the sun…"
Akeno and Miano both charged, with Miano planning to constrict her so that Akeno could pummel her. Yet as the distanced was closed, something happened.
Wakaki backstepped. At seemingly the absolute most perfect time, casually even, she backstepped and avoided Miano's attack, and seemingly… walked away from Akeno's punch, from both herself and her Stand. "W-what the hell!?" Akeno yelled, eyes widening as she noticed her Stand right in her face. "S-so fast!" She couldn't avoid the new Stand's devastating punch, hitting her right in her diaphragm, not only sending her flying but leaving her unable to breathe ad she reeled in agony, Miano rushing to her side a moment later.
"L-Let's go!" Rin had her Stand rush forward, running in a zig-zag patter on all fours. To top it off her Stand leapt into the air, doing several flips in the air as it raced towards Wakaki. Rin was quickly learning to compensate her Stand's lack of physical strength with its incredible agility, but once again Wakaki casually dodged it, simply stepping to her side. Her own Stand wasted no time in picking up the robotic kick, punting it and sending it flying into its owner hard enough to send both flying back. "O-owwwwww!"
"R-Rin! You… swap!" Hanyo looked around for anything to throw, before checking her pockets; her wallet hadn't fallen out! She threw it to begin her attack, but something strange happened. It was like she knew it would happen. She was casually walking away from the direction of her thrown wallet, almost the moment it had left her Stand's hand. But in the span of only a few seconds, she had gained tremendous distance just by walking. Far more than she should have, but Hanayo could not pin point one thing amiss. She was just walking normally, not even speed walking…
Yet she had nearly walked half the length of the stadium in only a few seconds! "N-no way!"
"Yeah way," Wakaki said, making her way towards the School Idols. "This is me. This is the real me. Cool, isn't it?"
Honoka said nothing, calmly approaching her. "You know, I don't usually like this fighting, but I really want to punch out some of your teeth."
"I'd invite you to try…" And the two girls approached with their Stands summoned, and then, the flurry of fists collided in the air.
"FAITOFAITOFAITOFAITOFAITOFAITOFAITO-!"
"Take hold, 「Thunder Road!」"
「Thunder Road」was able to keep up perfectly, their Stands evenly matched in both power and speed. "I still think you're a bitch and I hate you, but you know what? You're interesting, Kousaka. I'll give that much," she said, not breaking concentration from the fight itself.
"Too bad I can't say the same!" Honoka yelled, trying to find a break in her defenses. "You're the worst! How can you do things like this to Maki!? To your allies!? This power… this Stand is meant to protect people! The power of the Stands should be used in self-defense!"
"What a load! The power of the Stands is the power of gods! The arrows were created by that man so long ago so as to cultivate their power… even this planet itself was chosen to wield this power. Using it for the benefit of others… that's why you're getting left in the times!" She grinned as she noticed Umi readying another arrow. But when fired it only took a twirl of her head to dodge it, and something else happened: despite moving at seemingly the same speed as before「All Star」was completely overwhelmed, taking a barrage of punches it had no chance of avoiding no matter how hard she tried, knocking back Honoka and her Stand. "Being a Stand user is like being a god in this world. If you can't accept that, then you're no better than all the common humans!"
"And what's so wrong… with being a human? It sounds better than being like you, Wakaki! I'd rather surrender this power than be like you!" Honoka yelled, Wakaki's grin still not fading. Even with a missing eye and what she was pretty sure was a broken rib, she seemed to be enjoying this.
"Kyahahaha! Well then, why don't you prove your resolve! I'm getting a little bored of this playing field, so let's go inside, everyone!" And Wakaki walked calmly into Yoshida Stadium, her enemies in hot pursuit. But even as they sprinted at full speed, they could not seem to catch up to the walking girl.
I'm putting an end to this, Wakaki! Honoka thought. No matter how dangerous the enemies, how sadistic or evil, or smarter than her, there was one thing she knew; she would never let people like Wakaki and Fuhai have their way, no matter what.
Even if that meant laying her own life on the line, again and again.
Aya stayed quiet as she watched the girls chase after Wakaki. She removed her blouse, glad she wore an undershirt for the meeting she was suppose dot attend and wrapped it around Maki, so the poor girl wouldn't be half naked upon waking up. "Fight on, eh? Who would've thought, me, fighting… And you helped inspire that Sonoda girl. I don't know if you can hear me, but you should be proud," she said with a smile. She was so focused on Maki, she didn't even notice a certain pink and black Automatic Stand standing behind her.
"Girl, you better not be doing anything illegal. This place ain't open to the public now, so I don't know what you'd want to do here… but you seem like a smart and pretty young thing, it'd be a shame if you went down a bad path now!"
"Rest assured, sir, I'm not here to cause trouble," Eli Ayase said, paying her taxi driver in cash. "I have personal reasons, that's all."
"Alright, miss…" The taxi driver said, before driving off, leaving Eli standing alone she calmly walked inside, prepared for battle.
Next time on Honoka's Bizarre Adventure!
Chapter 15: The Red Arrow (Part 3)
Stand profile: ? (Currently in "Wakaki's" possession)
Stand Name: Hawkwind
Namesake: English band of the same name
Type: Long-range Stand
Stand Cry: None
Appearance/Personality: Hawkwind resembles a giant hawk with jet-black feathers with its head being only a bird's skull, with lights inside its eye sockets symbolizing its eyes. It stands at nearly ten feet tall on its own, growing roughly another six feet when under the "Red Arrow's" power up. It does not appear to have any personality of its own, but it is as loyal to Wakaki as it was to its previous master while bound to the Red Arrow.
Abilities:
• Bird transmutation and control: Hawkwind's signature power is that those that are cut by its feathers will transform into birds, and htis power also works on animals as well. Once the target is fully transformed, as a bird they will be under the owner's complete control, who can also use them to spy on targets, for everything they see and hear can be relayed back to the Stand user. If the Stand is defeated (or in the case of the Red Arrow, recalled) and loses consciousness however (natural sleep does not count towards this limitation), all those transformed by the Stand will revert back to their natural state. Furthermore, if a bird is killed, it will change back to its normal form upon death.
Stats:
• Destructive Power: A
• Speed: B
• Range: A
• Precision: A
• Durability: B
• Development Potential: B
Stand profile: Umi Sonoda (Incomplete Stand)
Stand Name: Sleepy Storm
Namesake: Schiller song of the same name
Type: Tool Stand
Stand Cry: None
Appearance/Personality: Sleepy Storm in its current, incomplete state takes on initially the form of a blue rose, which then transforms into a bow for Umi to wield, materializing arrows out of Stand power to use against her enemy. The Stand itself seems sentient and calm, often giving helpful advice to its owner at certain situations and possesses extraordinary insight. However, as the Stand is only a fragment of itself at this moment it cannot manifest long enough to give more useful advice constantly.
Abilities:
• Velocity and Aim: The arrows shot by Umi appear to fly much farther than an arrow launched by a human girl of her build should be able to, and without losing velocity or impact speed. Furthermore, Umi's aim seems to be exceptionally improved as well, able to hit targets that are a great distance away and moving with terrific precision. With the Stand currently in a fractured state though, its full abilities and potential are unknown.
Stats:
• Destructive Power: C
• Speed: C
• Range: A
• Precision: A
• Durability: E
• Development Potential: A
Kept you waiting, huh?
Well, that was a hell of a month! First half of March? Amazing! Awesome birthday, awesome vacation, awesome weather, and more! Unfortunately when I got back I had several midterms and papers to do! Fun! I was hoping to at LEAST finish this arc up in March, but I was so preoccupied with school I could barely do anything. Hell, even this month is gonna be busy, what with a major paper due in two weeks. But at least I can write now!
Thank ya'll for waiting so patient, and I hope this chapter was worth the wait! Love you guys, may ever road take you to a memory of Great Days!