Back on the grassy, silent, misty, tree-y road again. Marco felt more coerced to move forward rather than confidently willing. He genuinely felt as if someone tied a rope to his heart and just kept on tugging and tugging until he reached them. There was even faint burning sensation beneath his chest too that felt akin to rope burn. Wasn't enough to hurt, but it'll definitely keep him awake and moving.

Marco walked on with a strong stride and a wary head. With every step he took, his view shifted this way and that as he anticipated the next strike of whatever or whoever wished him harm. He gingerly took a finger to the back of his neck to check for blood. Nothing yet.

He eventually deduced that the Brand the maiden referred to had to be this complex scar on his skin. And it apparently attracted harmful, evil spirits that wished to kill or possess him. How he got this brand and why it attracted beings of ill ilk involved information that has yet to be uncovered. What mattered was finding his past, though it slowly and surely eased into him as his journey went on. How that happened was also something that has yet to be determined. The memories just kinda came back out of nowhere. That was another mystery to solve. It seems that the pile of questions grew rather than diminish.

And another thing. He still hadn't the foggiest idea of what all of this was leading towards. Getting out of here? Finding a certain someone? Finally being at peace? This whole quest sounds like one, never-ending circle. Moving forward just to go back. The only question is, will that circle unwind and become a straight line towards a much clearer goal? Or will it just be an unfinished sentence forever left on an ellipses for all eternity?

Marco's ears perked up when a sharp, elongated sound cut through the silence. He stopped dead in his tracks so his footsteps wouldn't suppress its clarity. Since his scar wasn't reacting, he thought it safe enough to stop and listen closely.

It sounded like it came from up ahead. It was a bit tough to describe, but the closest that Marco could come up with was some sort of weird... breathing. It wasn't anything he could recall ever hearing before, but it sounded like it was being emitted by a human mouth.

"Koooohhhhhh..." Upon further inspection, the sound goes on for several seconds, then ceases, then starts again. Deep exhales intersperse within what he surmised to be a complex breathing exercise of some kind.

Like the tugging on his heart, Marco's ears were tugged by the noise ahead. His whole being was tugged by his general curiosity.

What was someone doing out here doing weird breathing exercises? Shouldn't they be in their heavenly homes like everyone else was? Weren't they worried of possibly getting attacked by unfriendly specters?

These questions and perhaps a few more unthought as of yet swam through the boy's mind as he made his way. The sound became louder and clearer as he traveled on. Eventually leading him to a dense, obfuscating wall of shrubbery that was around double his height. This puzzled him quite a bit since the only plant life he ever saw as he traveled through these open pathways were trees. But then the maiden's words echoed in his mind and placated every question and concern he ever had.

Space is convoluted.

With a shrug Marco put his hands through the brush just as he usually did with a wall of fog. Though he barely caressed it when the breathing abruptly stopped and followed by an uttering of words.

"Gents, is that you?" Spoke a soft, masculine British voice on the other side. "Gene? Master Ken?"

While Marco's worries about the source of the sound being a monster were quickly dashed upon hearing his presumably friendly voice, he wasn't sure how to respond to his call. Apparently, he was expecting people to meet him at this particular spot, and Marco had no idea how he'd react if it turns out he was neither of them.

Well, since he was lingering in silence, now he can't just walk right through. He didn't know if the person on the other side was paranoid enough to attack immediately nor was he aware of what he was capable of.

"Gene, if you're trying to scare me again, it's not going to work this time. Trust me."

Well, he sounded friendly enough. And he appeared to have some playfulness to him as well. Eh, might as well-

"Life Magnetism Overdrive!"

Marco yelped and violently recoiled as all the leaves suddenly flew away from him like they were being sucked into a powerful, industrial-sized vacuum, creating a wide parting of the bush that made way to a big circular clearing.

And in the middle of it was a tall, blue-haired young man with a very muscular build, wearing a blue vest and a pair of blue jeans. Every leaf that went away hovered around him while his entire being was enveloped in an golden aura that sparked small bursts of electricity every few seconds.

Silence washed over the entire area as two gazes were locked brown to blue in an awkward staring contest. Marco, very faintly, shivered beneath the stranger's towering, broad frame and his apparent power over nature. While he was absolutely sure that the man standing before him was friendly, he couldn't help but be mildly intimidated regardless.

"Erm... come in?" The young man sheepishly said as he still held up his hands as well as the floating leaves.

Without a word, the still-shaken teen sauntered past the parted bush. The second he entered the clearing, every leaf immediately went past him, golden light trailing behind them as they flew their way back home. And with the light flickering out of view upon their homecoming, the natural door was closed.

"H-how did you do that?" Marco asked as he was still gripped by his shock and awe.

"Oh, controlling the leaves? 'Tis but a result of my longtime Hamon training." He casually answered as he scratched the back of his neck.

"Hamon?" The teen raised an eyebrow as the word landed on his tongue and his mind but never quite settled.

"Oh, pardon me." The man apologized as he brought a hand to his temple. Sheesh, even his fingers were buff. "I'm used to speaking with people who are already aware of the abilities I hold. It's quite the rarity to meet a new, unfamiliar face. Other than the occasional passing spirit that is."

"So, was that you making that weird breathing noise just minutes ago?" He asked, harkoning back to the reason he came here in the first place.

"Ha. It may sound strange, but that particular type of breathing is a crucial part of channeling my Hamon. I've not much reason to do so anymore, but I shan't allow death to be an excuse to shirk my training."

"So what is that anyways? Some kinda magic martial art?"

"Ah." The man raised a scholarly finger. "A common misconception. Hamon itself is not the Martial Art being practiced. But rather, the solar-based energy that flows through one's body as they practice the actual Art of Sendo."

"And that golden light just now was Hamon?" Marco asks as he pointed a thumb towards the closed "entrance".

"Indeed."

"And you can control nature and stuff with it?"

"Well, not so much control nature, but rather, work in tandem with it. It allows you to manipulate the environment, whether natural or otherwise, in a way that befits and enhances whatever fighting style you're accustomed to. Its main uses also include, but are not limited to, healing wounds, affecting the physiology of organic matter, and, most important of all, combating vampires and any other manner of undead or cold-blooded creatures. All while utilizing power that is comparable to the sun."

"Whoa..." Marco was at the edge of his proverbial seat as he listened to the man's explanation. "You fought vampires?"

"And zombies..." He bashfully scratched his face. "Though that was... ages long passed."

"And you used the power of the-" Marco emitted a sharp, shocked gasp and his eyes and jaws widened. "Are you the sun that I'm looking for!?" He blurted out absentmindedly, a certain Knight of Sunlight's words internally jumped in place.

"Am I the sun that you-" He was confused at first, but then a knowing look immediately etched itself on his face. "Ohh, you must have conversed with Sir Solaire."

"You know him?"

"Why, he happens to be my student." He shined a warm smile as he spoke. Marco recalled that he mentioned someone helping him "become the sun". "While he certainly has the aptitude and potential, his eccentricities leave him... somewhat lacking in improvement and technique. Regardless, his peerless zeal is something to be admired, which is why I have never given up on him. His childlike dream of 'becoming the sun' is something I can never bring myself to prevent him from fulfilling."

"Do you..." The boy was almost afraid to ask, but nervously did so anyways. "Uh, do ya think you could... teach me some of that, too?"

"Hmm..." The man rubbed his chin as he pondered. His eyes scanned all around Marco's body, to which the boy felt like he was being judged for a crime he didn't commit. "Well... I wouldn't mind having one more student, but I'm afraid class is not in session at the moment. I'm expecting to meet some friends, actually."

"Oh." Marco's head hung in mild dejection.

"However." The man raised a finger again. "I can help you get started by merely teaching you the single most important fundamental aspect in the Art. The controlled breathing which allows you to manifest Hamon in the first place. It won't take long and we can do it before they inevitably come here."

"Ok!" The boy responded, his body straightening in excitement and a smile of child-like glee plastered across his face. It was like learning Karate for the first time again. "Oh wait, I never got your name."

"Ah yes, of course!" The man slapped his forehead in self-chastisement. "Where are my manners? My name is Jonathan Joestar, but my friends call me JoJo. I wouldn't mind if you did the same."

Jonathan extended a hand in friendly greeting.

"Nice to meetcha, JoJo. Name's Marco Diaz."

Their open palms met and fused into a firm, warm handshake.

"What...?" A remark slithered from beneath Jonathan's breath after he withdrew his grip.

"Something wrong?"

"Er." The tall man said as he looked at his palm in what looked to be disbelief. "It's nothing. Uh... So Marco, are you ready to take your first step into the world of a mystical and versatile Art? It's not as powerful or deadly as my friend Ken's martial art, but I'd like to imagine it's close."

"I think with my Karate training, I'd be able to handle it if I do say so myself." Marco proudly stated as he held a thumb to his chest."

"Oh, so you already practice a Martial Art? Well then, this just might make things a little easier."

"Alright, so how do we get this started?"

Jonathan straightened his posture and exuded a scholarly aura as he spoke. "First. You must find the appropriate stance with which to facilitate the proper flow of Hamon from your bloodstream to the rest of your body. More advanced practitioners are able to achieve this with multiple stances, but for a beginner such as yourself, we shall start with one. It is different for everybody, which is why this is the most difficult part when first summoning your Hamon."

"There isn't an end-all-be-all stance for doing that?"

"Indeed there isn't. Sendo is a very flexible art and as such, the practitioner must also be flexible in mind, body, and spirit. Observe."

Jonathan proceeded to stand in such a way where his beefy legs were moderately spread apart. Then his right hand, with its fingers spread apart, hung in front of his face. His left hand parted from his body and faced diagonally downwards. And then, with his lips in a perfect "o" and his nostrils flared, he absorbed as much air as he could. Finally, with all the gusto and spirit that filled every fiber of his being, he commenced his distinct, elongated exhale.

"Koooohhhhhh..."

Golden, flame-like energy began enveloping Jonathan's stout form from head to toe as his breathing went on. Many minuscule symbols that looked like "コ" rose from the uppermost parts of his body. Sparks of electricity snaked and crackled around him every couple seconds.

Then he switched to another pose, while still maintaining the flow of Hamon. He narrowed the distance on his legs and he held his left forearm across his stomach while his right arm arched parallel to his head. His open right palm hung above his clenched left fist.

He switched to one more stance where his torso tilted to the side and both arms were spread wide. Each arm was bent in a slight obtuse angle with each hand still kept the same way. The golden aura as well as his breathing remained unabashed. Now he was just showing off.

Jonathan's body loosened as he released himself from his stances and stood straight. He looked to Marco with an encouraging look.

"Now you try. See if you can find the stance that feels natural and comfortable to you. Try not to break or pull anything when doing so. Ha ha!"

The student stood there tapping his chin and gazing into the grassy ground as he ran a slideshow of stances in his mind. While his years of Karate training lended him plenty of poses to choose from, he was searching for the pose. The one that would strike fear into the hearts of his adversary's. The prime symbol of his skills and prowess as a fighter. His signature stance that would etch itself upon the minds of all who bear witness to this lean, mean Martial Arts machine.

A lightbulb flickered to life above his head and he snapped his fingers. The moment of inspiration was just short of an "A-ha!"

Marco's body stiffened and practically embedded his feet into the ground as he put one foot diagonally forward and one bent towards the opposite side. A flat, open palm pushed forward, with the other arm kept low and bent in a way that has the forearm parallel to his other arm and facing the same way.

"Is that the stance you choose?" Jonathan asked.

He simply nodded.

"Alright then. To prepare the exercise, one must first be clear of mind and tranquil of heart. Make absolutely sure that your respiratory and cardiovascular systems are well in order. Any deficiencies with either will make this impossible. Do you suffer from any issues of the sort?"

He simply shook his head. His eyes closed in order to narrow his focus and easily grasp the full breadth of the exercise.

"Good. Now draw within as much air as you possibly can, with every opening. Your mouth and your nostrils, I mean. But don't open your mouth too wide. Wouldn't want to accidentally swallow any spirits. Ha ha."

The pupil did as was asked. His lips were loosely puckered into a dot as his nostrils flared wide. He inhaled as much as he could all while still maintaining his stance without so much as a hair on his head budging an inch. Nothing but endless black filled his vision. His current sensei's voice and his own breathing were all that hit his ears.

"Once you have drawn in the air and absorbed all the oxygen, you must push not only with your diaphragm, but also your heart. Compress your throat just slightly as you exhale. Keep your breathing steady and stable and do not let it waver for even the briefest of seconds."

Once again, he followed the instructions to the letter. And with all the willpower and determination he held within his spirit, his breath flowed forth.

"Koooohhhhhh..."

Marco began feeling a relaxing heat caress his entire body. Electricity coursed through every inch of his nervous system. Sharp tingles surged throughout various parts of his skin, followed by quiet crackling could feel a fire resonating within his heart and even his soul. It was intense, but it was more empowering than harmful.

It almost felt like he injected some of Solaire's weird drink into his bloodstream and its effects were much stronger and everlasting as a result. It was a feeling that he just might get addicted to.

Marco opened his eyes and they, along with his jaw, expanded to cartoonish widths as he internally gushed over his success. While it was the same type of energy that Jonathan conjured up, it was outlined by a faint reddish tint that give him the impression that he really was on fire.

"JoJo, I did it! I summoned my Hamon!" He said with biggest, happiest grin on his face and the shiniest sparkle in his eyes.

"Goodness, you're a natural." The master complimented as he hovered an astonished hand over his mouth. "Are you sure you haven't used it until now?"

"No, this is the first time." He said as he surveyed his entire body.

"Did you have any family members that did?"

"Pretty sure no one in my family can do something like this. Heck, I don't think they even know this exists."

"Hmm..." Jonathan took an inquisitive hand to his chin once again. "What type of harsh situations have you endured in your past life?"

"Uhh." Apprehension mildly marred the mirthful moment he was having. "Why do you ask?"

"Well. The thing with Hamon is that only one in ten thousand people have the talent to learn and apply it effectively. In addition, part of driving it comes from the suffering and pressure one bears while going through harrowing ordeals in their lifetime. Although Sir Solaire had the capabilities and the potential necessary to propagate Hamon, his started out like... a series of small droplets. While yours is like a wellspring or a geyser."

"But that's good right?"

"Of course. It's excellent, I might even say." Jonathan's mood fell just a tad bit, delving into the realms of seriousness. "But the thing is... your Hamon... it's nigh on par with mine. And you claim that this is your first time. So what I'm trying to figure out is how much pain do you carry on your shoulders that allowed such talent to bloom forth in the first place."

"Um..." Marco dipped his toes into despondence as he spoke. "I... was bullied a lot in school... I think there was more, but I don't remember. And yeah, the gatekeeper wasn't able to bring back my memories, either."

"Really now? That's quite unusual indeed." Jonathan spoke sincerely. "There's still plenty I'm ignorant to in regards to this... Astral Realm. Perhaps it's a possible, yet rare occurrence among souls to have amnesia of some sort."

"Well, the way she reacted to my situation made it seem like I was the first she was unable to do anything about."

"What did she say to you?"

"She said I was Branded and a Bearer of the-"

"WRRRYYYYYYY!"

"Gah!" Jonathan yelped and subsequently jumped back as a man came up behind him and screeched directly in his ear. Marco's body stiffened as he was also taken off guard by the loud and piercing shriek.

"C'mon Johnny Boy, y'know ya gotta stay frosty when you're out here." Snidely spoke the young man. "Never know when they start lettin' vampires in the Nexus."

"Goodness Gene, was that really necessary?" Jonathan chided as he checked if his hearing was still the same after all that.

"Of course. I just love messin' with ya, big guy." Gene said as wrapped a facetiously friendly arm over Jonathan's shoulder, to which the latter responded by leering at him.

Gene looked to be around Jonathan's age as well as his height and build. He wore a black leather vest with long coattails trailing behind him. The lack of sleeves showed off his heavily tattooed, muscular arms. Black pants and black boots bordered beneath a black leather belt that wound around his waist. Short, light brown hair spiked back and crowned his scalp.

"So, you gonna introduce me to the little guy?" The brash man insisted as he pointed a finger towards Marco.

"Oh, right. Um." Jonathan waved a hand between the two as he made the quick introductions. "Marco, this is Gene. Gene, this is Marco."

"Nice to meetcha, buddy." Gene amiably greeted as he presented his fist.

"Pleasure's mine." Marco met his knuckles with his own in a quick fist bump.

"Whoa." After he drew back his hand, he peered at his own knuckles in confusion.

"You ok?" Marco asked.

"Uh yeah... you just uh, gotta good punching arm is all." He said disingenuously. The boy didn't think much of it.

A loud rustling came from behind them as another tall, muscular man cut through the thick wall of flora. He looked somewhat similar to Jonathan, but his somewhat spiky hair was a dark brown and his face was more slender and held a serious expression that equaled to that of Brad Armstrong's. He wore a blue vest not unlike Jonathan's, but it distinguishes itself with gray broad shoulder pads. Also like Gene, he wore a pair of black jeans alongside a pair of black boots. He came in carrying three folded lawn chairs in one hand and a large paper grocery bag in the other.

"You made Master Ken carry everything? It was supposed to be your turn today, Gene!" Jonathan rebuked his troublesome friend as he threw his hands down.

"Hey hey, don't yell at me." The defensive man held two hands in a stop motion. "He was the one who told me you were talking to someone. So I just... decided to check it out. Besides, he was cool with it."

"Don't push the blame on me." The other man said. He had a deep voice that seemed to belie nothing whatsoever. "I made a simple observation and he just ran off and let everything fall to the ground. It was a miracle nothing was damaged."

"Wait, so all of you guys just chill out here on the regular?" Marco asked, scratching his head.

"Yup." Gene answered with a nod. "Every weekend or so. Well, weekend according to us, that is. We synchronized our clocks and calendars."

"Why do you guys hang out here instead of your own homes? Aren't you afraid of getting ambushed by spirits?"

Jonathan proceeded to explain. "Because the transitory passages provide a spiritual atmosphere that allows our respective energies to flow seamlessly and more fluidly, giving us a feeling of unprecedented serenity. Sure, our own abodes could provide something similar, but it is not quite the same. The dimensional barriers that prevent wandering spirits from entering our home mitigates the full depth of the astral energy that they would otherwise be capable of emitting."

"And each of us are spiritually powerful enough that spirits dare not draw within close proximity." The other man explained. He extended a hand towards Marco. "By the way, my name is Kenshiro. 64th Grandmaster of Hokuto Shin Ken. A pleasure to make your acquaintance, Marco."

"Wait, how do you know my name?" He asked as he shook his hand. When Kenshiro withdrew, he looked to his hand and back to Marco with a mildly puzzled expression. The latter neglected to notice.

"Ken's hearing is second to none." Jonathan pointed out.

"Yeah, if it wasn't for that, I wouldn't have the chance to scare the piss outta Johnny." Gene spoke with a smug grin.

"Anyways." Ken grabbed everyone's attention. "We should prepare everything as usual."

"Oh yeah. Here Ken, lemme set the chairs up."

And with that, an incomplete enclosed circle of chairs was created smack dab in the middle of the round grassy clearing. Everyone dug within the brown paper bag that was brought in by Ken and obtained their desired food and beverage. Jonathan, acting as the gentleman as he is, offered his chair to Marco, to which the latter refused and opted to sit upon the grass instead. The blue haired gent also offered some of his snacks and drinks to Marco, to which he also refused.

"Sorry we didn't bring anything for you." JoJo humbly apologized, even though the circumstances were reasonable. He sat to Marco's right."We didn't expect to have a guest."

"Nah it's fine." The teen said with a dismissive raise of his hand. "Besides, I'm not hungry. Or thirsty."

"Nobody is while they're here." Gene pointed out as he gulped down a strawberry. He ate out of a plastic box full of them as he sat a few feet in front of Marco.

"How come you guys got all these groceries, then?"

"You can never forget the feeling of being human." Kenshiro solemnly spoke, then he took a bite out of some jerky. He chewed and swallowed before continuing. "Eating, drinking, sleeping. They're optional now, but our minds refuse to deny what our bodies once habitually required. We cannot escape human nature even in our hereafter."

"Ken, how do ya even consider yourself human when you can go without food, water, and sleep waaayyyy longer than most anyone?" Gene asked. He finished his container full of strawberries and took to reclining in his chair, causing its joints and limbs to creak beneath his weight. He leaned his head on his hands and stared deep into the foggy sky.

"Knowing your circumstances Gene, how do you consider yourself human?" Ken sharply, yet calmly rebutted.

"Tch. Ya got me there."

"Whaddya mean by that?" Marco asked as his gaze shifted to the left towards Ken.

The Grandmaster briefly exchanged glances with Gene. The latter shook his head, to which the former nodded his. Ken then looked back to Marco.

"Perhaps you should ask him yourself."

The hooded teen's inquisitive look shifted to Gene. He silently longed for an explanation and possibly a fun story that delved into his prior life.

"Ain't much to say, kid. I just fought a lotta demons and other weird shit when I was alive."

"Oh c'mon, now I know you've got more than that." Marco said as he narrowed his eyes suspiciously.

Gene sat up and leaned forward in his chair and rested his forearms on his legs. His deep gaze went from the sky to Marco's eyes. "These guys've already heard my story so I don't wanna bore them by telling it again. Why don't you tell us yours instead? You're the more curious case here."

"Uh, me?" The teen pointed a finger to himself.

"Well, you're the only guest here, so yeah. You seem pretty young to be here. In a place for dead heroes, no less. So what's your story, dude?"

"Um, I-"

"He doesn't remember anything." Jonathan spoke on Marco's behalf.

"I asked him, not you Johnny." Gene looked back towards the boy in question. "Well?"

Marco began with a deep sigh. "No... he's right. I don't. I mean, I mostly remember my childhood memories, but that's about it. I dunno anything more than that. I don't even know what caused me to... come here."

"Hold up, so your memories are completely lost?"

"Not exactly. I mean, I've been gettin' them back slowly and surely, but even I dunno how that's happening."

"What did the lady at the gate tell you?"

"Just keep going forward and I'll figure everything out from there."

"She also mentioned that you were a Branded and... something else that I didn't get to hear because a certain someone decided to act out juvenile antics." Jonathan shot a swift sour glare towards Gene, who merely responded with an aloof shrug and a smug smirk. Then he turned back to Marco. "What else did she say?"

"Well, she said I was also a 'Tethered Soul of the Blood Moon and a Bearer of the God Hand."

The silence and the tension that followed shared air space with the omnipresent fog that filled the entire area. Both Jonathan and Kenshiro shared looks of silent astonishment which were then fallen on Gene, then back to Marco.

The former didn't look as taken aback as his friends. In fact he looked more pleasantly surprised than anything. His lips curved in the smallest fraction of a smile while he quietly chuckled.

"What? Do you guys know something?" Marco looked as visibly shaken as the ones standing by his side. He felt a chill slither down his spine and a cold sweat nesting on his face.

"Marco." Gene's deathly serious attitude compared to his earlier behavior made him flinch. "This is a weird thing I'm about to ask you to do, but bear with me. I need you to pull up your sleeves."

He loudly gulped. "M-my sleeves?"

"Yeah. Pull 'em up."

With a slow, uncertain nod, Marco obliged. Without really giving it much thought, he slid his left sleeve up first. It revealed a tan, somewhat muscular arm that was free of any blemishes or hair. His worried eyes landed on the man in front of him, silently asking him what the point of all this was.

To which he responded. "The other one."

With a soft sigh through his nostrils, he pulled up the last red sleeve. And to his surprise, there were blue swirling tattoos going from the base of his shoulder and converging up to his wrist.

"Yeah, that's what I thought. You're missing the circle, though." Gene pointed out as he held up and flashed the back of his right hand for the boy to see.

"What... what is this?" Marco asked as he peered down the length of his arm. "What does it mean?"

The tattooed man leaned further forward in his seat. "Look man. I dunno how you managed to get the God Hand and get branded by the dudes of the same name. But all you need to know is that you were in some pretty deep shit before you got here."

"Dudes with the same name? What're you-"

"Ah ah ah." He put up a hand to deter Marco from pressing any further. He leaned against his chair once again, this time putting one ankle over the other. "If that blind chick's words are anything to go by, then you gotta figure all that out on your own. I'm here to hang with my bros, not spoonfeed some kid I just met. In the meantime, just relax. Take a load off. I can tell you definitely need it."

"How can I relax when everything you just said put me on edge? Why can't you just explain it to me now?"

"Kid, do you really wanna doubt the words and commands of a freakin' Great One?"

"G-great one?" Marco gulped and his body recoiled at the sound of those syllables.

"Yeah dude. As in, something so powerful that it can kill you just by existing. And by their nature, they know all and see all. Well for her, not literally for obvious reasons. But you get what I mean. And I'll tell ya one more time. Chill. We're here to hang out, not stress out."

Taking his grave words to heart, he slumped and leaned further back against his arms. Marco noticed that the tugging in his heart hasn't come up in a while. Not since he got here. He decided to take the reprieve to follow Gene's advice and simply relax. At least there weren't any spirits around to attack him and even if there was, these three warriors would most likely dispatch them no problem.

Everyone else eased up just the same and continued consuming their snacks and drinks in peace and quiet. Gene eventually loosened up himself and broke the ice.

"So Marco, d'ya remember if you had a girl back home?"

"A... girl?" The word was almost like it came from a foreign language.

"Yeah. Y'know, like arm candy? Cuddle bug? Smooch buddy? Anything like that?"

"Is that what you called her?" Jonathan quipped while shooting the biggest shit-eating grin. Gene responded with a middle finger to his face while maintaining eye contact with the guy he's primarily conversing with.

"Well..." Marco scratched the back of his head as he rifled through his brain for answers. "I mean, there was this one girl that I liked since kindergarten... but we never shared anything more than... a nod."

"Damn... sorry you sorta kicked the bucket before you even got a chance to talk to her." Gene spoke somberly. "You seem like pretty cool guy. I think she would've come around eventually."

"You really think so?" Marco expected ridicule as he got from some of his classmates, but he was instead pleasantly surprised and grateful that Gene-despite being the sly joker that he has presented himself to be thus far- was instead kind to empathize.

"Yeah man. Takes a cool guy to know a cool guy." An instant, barely audible snicker came from Kenshiro. Gene had to have heard it because his pupils darted to the Grandmaster's direction for a split-second.

"Well, what about you guys?" Marco asked, trying to get everyone else to contribute to the conversation.

Silence fell once again as the two men on each side wistfully stared into the green grassy ground. Gene shifted his gaze from Marco to the sky as he remained in his chilled, leaning position. Then, one by one, counterclockwise starting from Marco, they threw names in the air.

"Erina."

"Olivia."

All eyes were on Kenshiro when he delayed on his contribution and allowed the uncomfortable silence to linger. His stern, grave gaze remained adhered to the ground beneath his feet. He clenched his fists so tightly that the stretching of his skin and the cracking of his bones very faintly resounded. He hefted possibly the heaviest sigh in existence as he finally joined the others.

"Yuria..."

They all suddenly became downtrodden upon uttering the names of their lovers as if it was a scar Marco inadvertently ripped from their flesh. The mood being dampened was a severe understatement. More like it drowned. "Sorry if I brought back some bad memories. I didn't mean to ruin your guys' buddy day."

"It's not your fault." Kenshiro assured. "It's just... no matter how much time you spend with the one you love. Whether it was decades or a millennium before your time inevitably comes... It never feels like it was long enough."

"You loved her that much, huh?" Marco asked with great sincerity.

Ken nodded. "I never brought myself to seek another lover once she passed away. She was the most important aspect of my life. Even when she wanted me to be happy and find someone else to love, I unwaveringly kept her in my heart even to this moment. I couldn't be truly happy without her."

"And you just... lived the rest of your life never truly finding happiness?" The teen asked.

"Let me impart a small lesson to you, young Marco. The power of the Martial Art I practice, Hokuto Shin Ken, lies not within one's strength, combat capabilities, or skill. The true foundations of its might lie within the knowledge of one's love and sorrow. If you can fully understand the very core of these concepts, then you are well on your way to mastering the Hokuto Style. In fact, I believe these ideas are what determines the true power of a person. Not wealth, societal influence, or physical prowess. But love and sorrow."

"Oh, I see." Marco said as he absentmindedly held a hand over his heart.

"And it's no secret to any of us that you are bearing quite a heavy burden on your shoulders." Kenshiro perceptively stated. "And there is something deep within that's beckoning you, isn't there?"

The teen said and did nothing but stare at Kenshiro incredulously. The Grandmaster's facial expression scarcely changed, but the most negligible hint of a smile could be percieved if one would squint hard enough.

"Y'know, you never did say what that girl's name was, now that I think about it." Gene commented.

"Yes, Marco. Since the rest of us told you ours, it's only fair that you too should tell us the name of the object of your affections." Jonathan added.

Just then, Marco's entire body stiffened intensely when he felt an audible crack from deep within his heart, like an instantaneous, yet powerful strike of lightning. Images. An overwhelming collage of tiny images filled his eyesight for but a fraction of a second. They were all so small, yet he was able to see exactly what each and every single one comprised of.

And then something started to rise up his throat and spread throughout the rest of his body. A word. It bounced around every wall of his mind like a small child driven by a particularly severe sugar rush. It beat against his eardrums repeatedly at countless beats per second.

No, it wasn't just a word. A name. It was rooted deep in his mind all along, primed and ready to be heard across the Multiverse. A name that smoothly glided off his tongue without a semblance of apprehension or hesitation. With a blinding gleam in his eye and a blistering blaze in beneath his breast, he spoke with as much clarity and certainty as was humanly possible.

"Star..."

A/N:

Fun fact: Did you know that Marco's voice actor/seiyuu in the Japanese dub of Star vs. also voiced Jonathan Joestar in the JoJo's Bizarre Adventure Anime?

Fun fact nii: Did you also know that, according to the Star vs. Guidebook, Marco has strangely extensive knowledge of monster pressure points, one of which causes a monster to explode?

I swear, I didn't know that last one until yesterday and I planned out this chapter way before then.