Here's the penultimate chapter. And boy are we getting into something interesting. I may just make an alternate Juni Taisen story to expand more on this, or feature the warriors' new backstories in Phantom Thieves Origins (I am rewriting that, after all). Disclaimer: I don't own Jojo's Bizarre Adventure, the Persona series, Lupin the Third, or any other referenced media.

Fifty-Seventh Caper: The Killer's Carnival, The Repulsion of Civility

The mysterious Duodecuple approached the collected individuals, all of which using generic humanoid holograms so as to preserve anonymity. Twelve in total. "Greetings, those of you who have agreed to act as patrons for our legendary Zodiac Warriors. I'm glad to see their loss to the equally legendary Phantom Thief Joker and his partner Phantom Thief Violet has not turned you all away." 'One loss does not a failure make,' one of the patrons pointed out, 'Their skills did not diminish with the loss and they all continued to have successful missions afterward.'

"Well, we will soon see which of them will reach the top of the ranks," Duodecuple said, "And this year, we have an additional challenge." He held up a calling card. "Duodecuple, we are the Phantom Thieves Joker and Violet. Tonight we will steal The Repulsion of Civility from your possession." "Given the nature of our work I technically count as a criminal," Duodecuple noted, "I have offered Joker a challenge, and if he succeeds in fulfilling his promise, I have offered him the location of the final Joestar Collection piece."

'Just steal the piece?,' another patron asked, 'That seems too easy for the new Emperor of Thieves.' "Indeed," Duodecuple replied, "But here's the challenge. Twelve of our targets have a key somewhere on their bodies. If Joker or Violet gets the key first, that target will be worth less points to our assassins. If an assassin kills a key-bearer, the key will be destroyed. The Phantom Thieves will need all twelve keys to unlock the chamber with the painting, which has been lined with a special material that can negate Stand power. Only I know who the key-bearers are. So you see, it is the ultimate test for both thieves and assassins!"

'You've certainly thought this challenge through,' yet another patron noted, 'Perhaps there is a side bet for whether or not Joker and Violet can succeed?' 'I'd go for that bet,' a fourth patron said, 'But I'd recommend the betting pool be smaller than the main gamble. After all, two wild cards won't change how the war ends, only make it more up in the air which of the Warriors will win in the end.' Duodecuple chuckled. "Very well, if you wish to make such a wager from your private accounts, I'll not stop you."

Joker and Violet were already keeping an eye on the initial meeting. "Think Duodecuple will keep his word?," Violet asked. "He's a djinn," Joker pointed out, "When he makes a promise he keeps to it. It's how he can grant the wish of the winner of the Juni Taisen." Violet looked in on the contestants. "Looks like they're chomping at the bit to get started. So we have to find out who each of the key-bearers are. Now doubt each has a heart-rate monitor linked to a bomb. It'd be the best way to remove each key once the target is dead. Just who are the targets, anyway?"

"Death-row inmates, mostly," Joker said, "A good way of killing off a good number of them and reducing prison populations to free up space. Only the absolute worst are selected. Hardened serial killers, cop killers, Neo-Nazis, gangbangers, terrorists, cultists, you know the type." Violet nodded. "Looks like one's sneaking in already. See the glow in his pocket?" Joker grinned. By now their thieving skills had gotten so sharpened that they could practically see the best thieving opportunities, almost like a third eye with which they could detect the thieves' road and who to pickpocket.

A sudden explosion had rocked the building where the Warriors met up, sending most of them scattering. Only Toshiko stayed behind, having spotted a target on the hit list. "So you survived my bomb," he said with a manic grin, "And you're a good-looking one too." "Sorry buddy," Toshiko said, "My body is already spoken for. A certain ripped rabbit. And guaranteed he survived as well. I wonder if you have one of the keys Joker's looking for. I'll just have to kill you and find out. Inoshishi, Warrior of the Boar! Killing Bountifully!" As she opened fire on the terrorist, she saw Joker slip in and steal the first key. She scoffed in annoyance as the target blew up after dying from numerous bullet wounds.

Michio grinned as he saw another target trying to sneak through the city. "When a barking dog catches you, he doesn't bite. But when a biting dog catches you, he doesn't bark but laughs." He leapt down and sank his fangs into the should of the target, injecting his poison. This one didn't blow up. "Not a key-bearer," Michio noted, "I was hoping to rob Joker of his chance. This is the only way we can hope to score a victory. Our Stands are just too niche otherwise. His previous altercations with us made that clear." Michio grinned when he saw another on, leaping in front of him. "Dotsuku, Warrior of the Dog! Killing by Biting!" Before he could bite the new target, Violet appeared him. "Yoink!" She pulled out another key.

Ryoka sighed as yet another target didn't explode. "Better to be a chicken's beak than a bull's tail, but while a chicken's beak digs deep what it finds may not be food." She looked through the eyes of her numerous bird friends. "There are a total of five-hundred and forty targets, each having a certain point value to them. And the key won't necessarily be on high-point ones." She then dodged out of the way as yet another target tried to backstab her. She smirked. "Niwatori, Warrior of the Chicken! Killing by Pecking!" She called in her birds to swarm the man, only to gasp in annoyance when a familiar gloved hand reached through the shadows to grab yet another key.

"Even a monkey can fall from a tree," Misaki noted as she took down yet another target, "And too much talent can make a sage fall to earth. Look you guys, I know you're excited by my outfit, but I'm actually wearing a leotard under my jacket." She sent another guy flying into a wall, the explosion indicating that he had one of the keys. "Oh, did I manage to stop them?" A quick jingling was heard above, Misaki looking up to see Violet with two keys in hand. "Guess not," Misaki said as she turned to the others, "You know this is the most people I've ever killed in a job. But such is the rules here. Can't win if you don't kill. Sharyu, Warrior of the Monkey! Killing Peacefully!"

Sumihiko looked on as his traps killed yet another target. "Advertise mutton, sell dog meat. After all, goods are only as valuable as the price people will pay for them. And I've had to rely on my more subtle traps instead of grand explosions since otherwise I wouldn't know whether or not I got a key-bearer. And each warrior is only allowed forty-five kills total." He grinned as more targets approached. "Hitsuji, Warrior of the Sheep! Killing Deceptively!" Several explosions went off, and in the chaos Sumihiko spotted Joker flying off on his Stand's wings, another key in hand. "How many have they gotten by now...?," Sumihiko wondered, "At this rate they'll win their challenge..."

Yoshimi quickly snapped the neck of another target. "You can't judge a horse you haven't ridden, or a man you haven't lived with. To ride demands courage, and to share a home demands more." He checked his counter. "I'm about to hit the limit. I'm at thirty kills out of forty-five allowed. The rule is in place to insure each warrior is allowed an equal chance to win. Of course with the keys in place, it really shakes up the odds." He spotted another target, who had just gotten his pocket picked by Violet. "She ran off with another key... Well, hopefully this target is worth enough points to make up for the drop." He took a charging stance. "Uuma, Warrior of the Horse! Killing Silently!"

Takeyasu chuckled as he torched yet another target. "A half-dead snake can still strike. And while a headless snake may not have a leg to stand on... A snake never needs legs in the first place." Nagayuki shrugged. "And those who paint a dragon should remember the details, like a dragon who hides at night keeping in mind the moon's revealing light. But why are we suddenly spouting old Japanese sayings?" "I dunno," Takeyasu admitted, "Maybe we got all philosophical after being taken in by the Tatsumi family. Shame only one of us can win, but at least with two of us working together we can split the pot." "And share our wish," Nagayuki noted.

They both grinned as several more targets came out of the woodwork. "They seem eager to attack us," Takeyasu noted. "Of course," Nagayuki said, "After all, if they can somehow kill one of us or escape, they get to live." They both aimed their weapons. "Younger Tatsumi, Warrior of the Snake! Killing for Money!" "Elder Tatsumi, Warrior of the Dragon! Killing for Money!" As flames and ice scoured the area, Takeyasu spotted two figures darting about through the attacks. He sighed when he saw two explosions just after the figures disappeared. "Might as well spray paint the wall saying, 'Joker and Violet waz here'. At least this Joker treats his Harley with respect." Nagayuki chuckled at the reference.

"Only a fool would hope that a stump would kill a rabbit twice," Usagi noted, "Of course if stumps could hunt rabbits to begin with the fool's hope would certainly be rewarded." He finished counting the undead made by his Stand. "I'm at forty-four. I can only make one more friends, then I'll need to program them all to die so the others can finish. Only four of us still have kills to make." He spotted Joker as he dodged another target, soon making off with another key. "Aw... This last one's not gonna be worth much, and since he'll blow up I can't make a new friend. Oh well." He approached the target, who blanched at the coming horde. "Usagi, Warrior of the Rabbit! Killing Psychotically!"

Kanae smirked when she saw another target approaching. "To kill a tiger you have to enter its den. Of course, you may still get eaten, but you'll never know until you're inside. I may be drunk off my ass most days, but that doesn't mean I'm stupid. There's a handful of targets left, and I heard nine explosion in the distance. So the only question remaining is... Have those two thieves gotten any keys?" She adopted a predatory stance. "Tora, Warrior of the Tiger! Killing in a Drunken Rage!" As she made to slice apart the target, she briefly glimpsed Violet leaping in before leaping away, with something glinting in her hand. Once she finished the kill, Kanae looked around. "Was that a drunken hallucination...? Hope so..."

"Only ten targets left," Eiji noted as he finished another kill, "And two keys remaining." He looked at the sky. "Only a fool plays a harp to stop a raging bull, but it might tug at the heartstrings of a bull that loves music." He struck at another target, only for Joker to appear behind him, another key in hand. Eiji sighed as the target exploded. "How many is that?" "I'm not allowed to tell," Joker admitted, "But I will say that only one key remains either way, and Violet's searching for it. You'd best finish off your quota." Eiji noticed another target trying to run and nodded. "Ushii, Warrior of the Ox! Killing Systematically!" Joker chuckled as the Ox rushed off. "Phantom Leader, Joker of the Shadow! Stealing Covertly!"

Tsugiyoshi spotted the final target just as Violet took the last key from him. Tsugiyoshi smiled as he took out the target. "As the saying goes, a mountain's great labor may yield naught but a mouse. But at least it will be a resolution." He sheathed his weapon. "Nezumi, Warrior of the Rat! Killing All!" Violet nodded. "Phantom Smuggler, Violet of the Light! Stealing Gracefully!" 'And thus the final target is claimed!,' came Duodecuple's voice, 'The total points have been tallied, and the winner is... Nezumi!' Tsugiyoshi smiled. "Now... I wonder what I should wish for..."

As Tsugiyoshi was directed to a small building for a post-tournament interview, Joker and Violet finished placing the keys to open the room containing the painting they were after. It depicted a man in a tuxedo and top hat carrying a watch and having a rat's head. "Once Duodecuple is finished with the interview," Joker said, "We'll speak with him in regards to the final collection piece." Violet nodded. "We're almost there. The only piece remaining is The Glittering Plumage." "It's been a long time," Joker noted, "But it will certainly be worth it in the end..."

Next time, Duodecuple keeps to his word and uses his vast powers to locate the final Joestar Collection piece for Joker and Violet. It's in the hands of a member of a popular rock band who is more than a little corrupt. But what makes this last caper so complicated, is the location in which the final target is hanging out. Read and review.