I don't own Jojo's Bizarre Adventure or My Hero Academia!
Please enjoy this story to your heart's content!
P.S.: Please leave a review behind! Whether it be constructive criticism or simple fanfare, I really appreciate it as it helps stay motivated with these stories!
Edit: I have no idea why the chapter is showing up in ALL Bold font on mobile. I hopefully it is fixed now! Sorry for any inconvenience.
Chapter 17: Tusk Act 2
"T-Tusk…?"
That was all that Johnny could bring himself to utter as he continued to stare bewilderedly at the newly morphed pink, mechanical insect hovering before him. Despite the floating proof a mere foot from his face, he couldn't believe his eyes. Confusion and shock mixed together like a murky whirlpool within the confines of his mind, muddling his efforts to try and process exactly what happened. This proved difficult, however, as his senses were still tingling from the overwhelming force from the Spin. The raw sensations he felt left him breathless, let alone made it very difficult to focus on anything.
"Chumin~in!" Tusk chimed softly, one of its antenna swaying from its stunned master to the equally dumbfounded Catboy behind him. Hotei's ears flickered back and his tail stood on end under the unsettling gaze the pink creature sent him. Though it lasted only a moment before its attention was now solely on its master, letting out another resolute chime before floating closer. Johnny twitched back only once at the sudden approach, but not out of fear—he doubted that he could even feel fear with his nerves so numb at the moment. Merely Tusk's approach shook him out of his shock, letting his reflexes kick in.
"I… What the heck is that…?" asked Present Mic, finally finding the nerve to actually commentate once more. "Is… is that Johnny's Stand?!"
"…It appears that it… evolved?" Aizawa answered. Though the hesitation in his voice made it quite clear that he wasn't sure of his conclusion.
"Evolved?! Is that even possible?! Oi, Tim! You're the expert on Stands so let's get your professional opinion on… whatever the heck just happened!"
Silence met the radio hero's questions for a mere moment before the cowboy answered in a subdued tone. "… I told you before… this is a first for me... I can only make a few guesses at the moment, but... I sincerely haven't the faintest clue why or how Tusk changed like that…"
Johnny would've snarked at that rather unhelpful admission, but their words were nothing more than a mute buzz at the moment. All his focus was completely set on the metal dragonfly that kept getting closer. Raising up a tiny hand to its now jagged mouth, it let out what sounded like a soothing chime before quickly hovering off to its user's still raised hand. The light-brown haired youth didn't know what to make of the gesture, but such thoughts were discarded when he noticed a new addition to his limb. Now complimenting the little glowing stars patterning over his hand was a much larger golden variant that was grafted on the back of his palm by four stitches.
"What…?" he said just as Tusk raised a finger before touching the golden star. The whirlwind that had raged on his index finger previously suddenly condensed. It spun around the end of the fleshy digit for a moment before circling around to completely encompass it in a cylinder shape. Yet the sensation didn't stop there as the intense rotation suddenly came to life around his middle finger.
"W-Whoa… This rotation…." Awed by the sudden development, clarity struck Johnny like a thunderbolt as the rotations grew stronger by the millisecond. "Using my fingers as an axis… it's spinning like a drill…!"
Suddenly the nails burst off his fingers as if shot of a cannon. They sailed through the air with a sharp hiss as they raced towards their intended target: red haired catboy.
Hotei blinked only once before lunging off to the side. No sooner did he leap away did one of the bullet passed his head to smash into the stadium wall while the other crashed into the floor with a mighty impact, tearing apart the concrete and tiles before leaving craters that none of his previous bullets could ever hope to achieve.
"Such power…" uttered Johnny, staring at the sizable hole and the damage the nail left in their wake. Looking back to his hand he blinked when noticed something incredibly odd. All the remaining nails on his hand were now spinning in a drill-like fashion as the first two. Whenever he used Tusk previously he could only shoot one nail at a time, but now they spun in tandem with the golden ratio. However Johnny noticed that his index and middle finger had yet to grow back their nails. Normally it wouldn't take too long before they grown a new set, but now there wasn't any hint of them. Just what the hell was going on?!
"I see…" Johnny blinked before snapping upward to see Hotei straightening up with Cozmic Travel however close behind. "I don't know what's going with your Stand… and judging by your expression neither do you, but I can tell that your power got a boost. However…" His red furred tail flickered back and forth as golden eyed silts narrowed at the American. "Just because they got a bit more kick to them doesn't mean they'll be able to catch me. Especially with Cozmic Travel watching my back… with that said… I think it's time to end this, Johnny!"
As the catboy's words rang in his ears, Johnny barred his teeth defiantly, raising up his still spinning fingers. Yet deep down, he felt his entire being shake as he knew Hotei was right. If he couldn't hit his foe, then what was the point of this power up anyway! In the end, he hadn't improved at all! As an inkling of despair started to wrap around his heart, Johnny prepared to make his last stand… only to pause when something flicker across the floor.
Blinking, he looked down and saw a line trailing after a small, dark hole that crept across the ring.
"What the hell…?" Raising an eyebrow, Johnny watched in bewilderment as the mysterious trail quickly creep towards Hotei. He wasn't the only one to notice as more than a few murmurs echoed throughout the stadium, puzzlement hanging in the air as the audience tried to make sense of what they saw. Even the catboy himself tore gaze away from his foe to stare in bewilderment as the black hole swirled only a foot away from him. Hotei barely had a moment to even blink before it slipped up his right foot and settled across the side of his leg. The trail then vanished without a trace, leaving only the black hole remain.
Suddenly blood gushed out of the small hole now attached to Hotei's leg the moment it settled. Staring wide eyed at the crimson trickle that now stained his gym clothes, he let out an agonized yell before clamping a clawed hand over the wound. The stadium erupted into an uproar at the shocking development, with Present Mic demanding to know what just happened while Midnight called out to Hotei to see if he was alright.
Gaping at the chaotic spectacle for but a moment, Johnny lowered his gaze back to his remaining spinning nails before turning to Tusk. The evolved Stand let out a solemn chime at his unspoken question, that this was indeed his doing and not some kind of freak occurrence. Gulping dryly at the confirmation, Johnny turned his attention back to the catboy… only to pause when he noticed something that made him blink. The hole his nail drilled into the floor was gone with the crater where it was once was as the only evidence of its existence.
"No way…." Johnny went very still as the dots quickly connected together, shaking the foundations of his very being as he turned to face. The hole Tusk had created didn't just vanish… it moved! Was this because of his Stand's new form or the result of learning lesson four? Or perhaps a combination of the two? Whether the case, the bullet-hole had moved, leaving that trail in its wake, and attacked Hotei automatically!
"Wait… if they attack automatically then…" It was then Johnny finally remembered that Tusk had fired off a second nail-bullet from his fingertips.
Peering passed the ring, Johnny narrowed his gaze as a dark hole was already blazing across the open field leaving another thin trail in its wake. Hotei must have realized this as well as he whipped his head back to glare at the ominous pit that drew closer to him. Baring his sharp fangs, he sprang forward with his good leg through a portal he created before stumbling to the opposite side of the ring.
The spiraling hole, however, proved to be more ferocious than anyone suspected.
Spinning across the ring to where the portal was starting to dissipate before burrowing itself through it and popped onto the other side beside Hotei. Bulging eyes threatened to pop of out of their sockets as the catboy barely had time to twitch before the homing pit slid up the back of his leg. It crawled up his spine before creeping along the back of his left arm, settling just right above the elbow. With a fleshy pop, more blood spilled out the new wound for but a moment before Hotei slapped his hand over the wound. Pain was riddled across face as he bared his teeth into an awful grimace, looking like they were about to crack as he tried to keep himself from screaming again.
"The hole is attacking…." uttered Johnny, his eyes glued to his foe for a moment before flickering back to his hand. Seeing the second hole move confirmed Johnny's suspicions, but it was the beautiful feeling he felt from them that sparked an epiphany within his soul. Their rotation was alive. Even if his nail-bullets became holes, the Spin is alive within them. Not only that... the Spin didn't die when it becomes a hole.
He had finally achieved the infinite rotation that Gyro had talked about.
A whirlpool of emotions welled up inside of the young paraplegic for a moment, wiping clean the anxiety and fear that had tried to wrest control of his heart mere moments ago. Pride, joy, and euphoria all threatened to overwhelm him, but they were kept at bay by another emotion that bubbled up from the depths of his soul: confidence. It towered above all else within his mind as he held up his star-covered hand towards Hotei.
The catboy must've felt Johnny's eyes as he turned away from his bleeding arm to lock gazes with him. Yet Hotei flinched when he noticed the dark, burning flames mingling together with the sky-blue eyes that stared back at him. Tusk chimed loudly as he hung behind its user, mimicking his pose all the while staring menacingly at the catboy.
"Lesson Four…. Pay Your Respects!"
"Where the hell did this come from!?" demanded Monoma, his eyes flickering between the giant, pink dragonfly and the blood that now stained his classmate's limbs. "That cheap Class A bastard… to think he was hiding this power the whole time!" He wasn't the only one currently freaking out as his classmates all had similar, yet varied reactions to the whole battle. Most wondering just what the hell was going as they worried over Hotei's wounds.
"No… that's not right," observed Kendo, a bit of cold sweat rolled down the side of her cheeks as her eyes couldn't keep away from the American's Stand. "The look on Joestar's face a moment ago… he didn't know what was happening just as much as Hotei…"
"Then how is he able to do that?! If he didn't have this… whatever this is beforehand, then there has to be something that must've triggered such a change in him." Now practically foaming at the moment, the smooth haired blonde turned away from his classmates to glare at Class A. "Oi! You Class A schemers knew about this didn't you? So what is this? What did Joestar just do?!"
"You know… calling us schemers sounds very hypocritical coming from you, dude…" commented Sato, rolling his eyes for a moment before setting back on the duo in the ring. "And for your information, Johnny never told us anything about… this!"
"Yeah! This is completely new to us!" affirmed Kaminari with several of his classmates nodding in agreement.
"Johnny would've told us if Tusk could change from a cute little elephant to a giant, robotic dragonfly!" asserted Mina.
"Besides… Johnny isn't the type of guy who holds back, ribbit," noted Tsuyu, tracing a finger around the tip of her chin as she couldn't take her eyes off her foreign classmate. "If he already had this power beforehand, he would've used it at the start of the match to take down Hotei."
"Indeed, that seems to be Johnny's way of doing things," agreed Ida as he pushed back his glasses. "No matter what the situation is, he always tries to end a fight as quickly as possible. That's an admirable way to approach things if I do say so myself."
"Ok… but that doesn't explain how or why Tusk suddenly changed like that!" Uraraka pointed out, waving a frantic hand at the ring. "Or how the bullet holes moved! Just what is this power?!"
As the rest of his classmates and peers repeated similar questions, desperately trying to figure out what just happened, Midoriya's mind was abuzz with activity. From the power he felt radiating from the ring, to Tusk's transformation, to even the bizarre nature of the moving bullet holes, all of them whirled in his head. Yet one thought stood above all else as Gyro's words still rung in his ears: Johnny had finally understood Lesson Four. While he knew about its concept of potentially reaching infinite power—which was supported by the demonstration he got first hand mere moments ago—it still didn't explain why Tusk had changed.
Was this a side effect from learning its true meaning? No that didn't make sense. Stands are the representation of the soul and the Spin is something entirely different from them. So what could've been the cause? Going over hundreds of possibilities and assumptions within his mind, the messy green haired youth decided to simply question the catalyst of this mental strain.
"Gyro… is this a result of Lesson Four of the Spin?" he asked, tearing his gaze away from the incredible spectacle to stare at Gyro. His question caused everyone to blink before turning their attentions towards the Italian, who leaned against the railing, not once taking his eyes off his protégé.
"Well?! Spill it already, Goldtooth!" demanded Bakugo, raising a crackling fist as he glared down from his seat at the Italian. Silence met the explosive youth's demands, causing him let out a menacing growl as he practically jumped out of his seat… only to pause as Gyro turned to face him and the rest of their class.
"...I don't know what caused Tusk to change—that took me by surprised as much it did for you guys—but the holes moving just now… that's most likely because of Lesson Four of the Spin." Midoriya gulped at the confirmation, but most his classmates—excluding Uraraka, Tsuyu, and Todoroki—merely gave the Spin user confused looks.
"What is Lesson Four, Gyro?" Yaoyorozu asked politely. "You mentioned a couple times before to Johnny, but I don't think you ever explained it to us."
"It sounds pretty important judging by how stiff Johnny was before he left to get ready for his match," observed Jiro.
"Oh right. Forgot that most of you were dinosaurs when I first explained the lesson to Johnny." They grimaced at the unpleasant memory, but Gyro was already moving on. "Well… It would take too long for me to explain, but the short version is that it's a lesson about the Spin which allows people to access the Golden Spin. With it, one can achieve something called the infinite rotation and have access to boundless energy."
"Huh?!" That immediately drew more than a few gasps from his classmates, some, like Mineta, had their mouth practically unhinged from the rest of their jaw as they stared at the Italian.
"A power that uses infinite energy?!" demanded Monoma, leaning over the edge of railing that divided the classes' boxes. "There's no way something like that could exist?!"
"Y-Yeah! That's impossible!" agreed Tetsutetsu, sweat rolled down his cheeks as he joined his classmate to stare at the back of Gyro's head. "You're making that stuff up!"
"Even with powers like Stands, there's no way anyone can do that!" asserted Kamakiri as he moved to get out of his seat… only to pause as a giant hand appeared in front of him and the rest of his classmates.
"Let's let him finish explaining before deciding whether it's impossible or not?" Kendo said firmly, her burning gaze bearing down on her trouble makers until they wisely sat back down in their seats. Letting out a sigh, she then turned back to Gyro. "Please, continue on with what you have to say."
Gyro gave her a golden smile before turning back to his own class. "As I was I saying, the Golden Spin allows a user access to infinite energy, but it's much more than that. Again, I don't have time to explain the fuller details, but to put it simply Johnny is applying the Golden Spin into his nail-bullets. This allows him to control them directly instead of simply using them as a simple bullet. But the Golden Spin doesn't die once a nail-bullet has hit is mark, it's simply transferred..."
"And now that Golden Spin is in spiraling in the bullet holes… they can move and attack any target Johnny wishes!" concluded Midoriya as he felt the hair on the back of his neck stand on end. "With the Golden Spin he can practically turn anything as a source of infinite energy and a powerful weapon!"
Gyro raised an eyebrow for a moment before grinning. "Not bad, Midoriya. You already got the core of the concept! But I should remind you that it's not that simple. There's a bunch of other stuff related to the Golden Spin and the infinite rotation that makes it so powerful—such as intense concentration and mental imagery. But there are limitations and under normal circumstances… moving the bullet-holes would be next to impossible. It would take a tremendous amount of practice or concentration to achieve that status, let alone understanding it right after learning the true meaning behind Lesson Four." Suddenly his gaze flickered back to the ring, curiosity shining brightly within his emerald orbs. "Hmm… now that Kamakiri mentioned it… I wonder if Tusk's evolved form boosted Johnny's control over the Spin like my Stand does for me… Perhaps an upgrade of some kind?"
As the rest of his class, as well that of Class B, muttered and talk amongst themselves over Gyro's words, Midoriya felt the gears turning in his head. This new information regarding the Golden Spin was breathing taking to say the least, but it was the Italian's final musings that struck a chord in him. If Stands were a reflection of the Soul, then the reason they could evolve… is because the soul got stronger or matured somehow. Midoriya knew it was a very rough theory with no hard evidence backing him up at the moment, but it did make sense. Especially when it came to Johnny learning the true meaning of Lesson Four.
In the end, however, it didn't really matter. At least for now anyway. What really counted was whether or not this new power could help Johnny win this match. Turning his gaze back to the ring, ignoring the increasingly loud and heated debate between both Class A and B, Midoriya prayed that this new evolution from Tusk would be key for his friend's victory.
Clenching his teeth to hold back a bubbling scream that tried to claw out of his throat, Hotei reluctantly let go of his bleeding arm before dicing apart a strips of cloth from his gym clothes with his claws. As he carefully tore the blue fabric off his body, Cozmic Travel aided its master by applying pressure to the gaping holes to stem any more blood loss. While they were both small, it was best to treat them quickly before continuing on with the match. Especially with the lingering feeling of the holes boring into his limbs still fresh in his mind! That had been quite the shock. Not enough to dull the pain, unfortunately, but a shock none the less. Who knew Johnny had such power?! Though it was quite clear from the paraplegic's earlier expressions that he had little clue on what just happened with his Stand. Although a small part of his mind was curious on the how and why the little pink elephant managed to evolve into a completely different species, Hotei was more concerned on what other tricks it had up its sleeve.
Was moving holes the only thing it can do or was there more to it than just that? Did evolving improve its own physical capabilities? Could it create bigger holes with the increased power behind it?
Such questions dominated the red haired catboy's mind. Admittedly, these thoughts weren't simply for coming up with a strategy against this new towering obstacle, but also to distract himself from the burning sensation he felt as he started to apply the fabric to his wounded leg. Biting his lip to hold back a budding grunt, Hotei made sure to wrap the make-shift bandage tightly, but paused when his fuzzy ears flickered at the distressed yells coming from the stands.
"H-Hey! This is getting out of hand!" yelled a hero with a falcon-like theme costume.
"Yeah! That kid is seriously hurt!" bellowed an elderly man with creases lining his balding head.
"Someone get him to Recovery Girl already!" screeched a young woman with dark black hair that was stylized into thick twin braid.
"Hey, Midnight! Do your job and put the match on hold or something!" roared a fat man with sunglasses.
"Stop the match!"
"Stop the match!"
"Stop the match!"
The discontent echoed off the walls of the stadium, though Hotei noted that not all joined in on the chant. Flickering his eyes back and forth, he saw that many heroes, as well more than a few civilians, simply stoically watched on patiently. Whether it because of Aizawa's words earlier or simple curiosity on what will happen in the match, Hotei couldn't say. But it was also loudly clear that the other half of the audience weren't all too pleased with the sudden bloody turn of events.
For her part, Midnight quickly walked over to Cementoss, who leaned forward to listen in private conversation. Both teachers' eyes flickered back and forth between the two contestants, but their expressions gave away nothing as the seconds dragged on.
As for Johnny… His gaze never once strayed away from Hotei. A bright dark flame blazed brightly within the pits of his pupils, threatening to burn everything to ground. It sent a shiver down the catboy's spine, especially as the American had a star covered hand, fingernails all spinning and waiting to be released at any moment, still trained on him. But they had yet to be let loose. Feeling his ears press back, Hotei wondered why Johnny was suddenly hesitant now, especially after he gained a power up.
Was it because pity or being a fair sport and waiting for his opponent to patch himself up? No. Hotei knew enough about Johnny by now to know that wasn't his style. If anything he would've shot him again the moment he had the chance. Then the only other option was… because he waiting to see if he was disqualified for taking things "too far", as half the crowd like to put it.
In that moment, the burning sensation in his arm and leg was forgotten as he digested the injustice that was bearing down on not just him, but also the light-brown haired youth. Feeling anger threating to boil over from deep within his stomach, Hotei knew what he had to do in order to fix this situation. Inhaling deeply till his lungs felt like they were about to explode, he released it all out in a bellowing howl!
"ENOUGH!" So loud was the roar, some in the stands actually jumped out of their seats in fright. Silence quickly met the catboy as everyone's gaze landed slowly on him. Midnight and Cementoss stared at him in puzzlement at his sudden outburst and even Johnny blinked at him in surprise. Clicking his tongue at the crowd's cowardice, Hotei took another deep breath before committing with what he had to say. "Don't you dare end this match! I can still fight! These kinds of injuries aren't going to slow me down! So stop thinking that I'm weak and need to be babied! Besides… it would be an insult to not only myself but to Johnny!" The cripple blinked at him again, tilting his head to the side as Tusk gave a solemn chime. "We worked our butts off to get where we are… and right now, Johnny's efforts gained him a new power from his Stand..."
Turning to face Johnny once more, his eyes narrowing as he locked gazes with the burning, dark gaze that flickered brightly, Hotei gave him an understanding nod. "If our resolve was too weak to continue after getting a few scratches… we would've never made it passed the first round! So don't insult us by demanding we should end this after everything! Let us finish like true heroes! Isn't that what Plus Ultra is all about?! Right, Johnny!?"
Despite all eyes landing on him, Johnny continued to stare intently at the catboy. Gently patting his shoulder with a mechanical finger, Tusk let out a somber chime before fading back into its user's body. Though his nails never once stop their rotations. Seconds dragged on for a silent eternity until finally the young American gave a nod. "You're god damn right!" he yelled, making sure that everyone heard him crystal clear.
"Well said, boys!" applauded Midnight with a resounding clap from her hands. Approval shined within her sky blue gaze as she licked her lips suggestively at the two boys before giving her whip a mighty crack. "Such magnificent resolve! Truly embodying the very spirit of our school's creed! I can't think of any better reason to allow these passionate boys to continue their fight! So let's give these a hearty PLUS ULTRA for their will power!"
Despite their earlier apprehension, the crowd didn't hesitate for a moment before howling out encouraging cheers and supportive roars for both boys. Though Hotei's ears flickered when they picked up a few apologies trying to mingle in with the roaring ovation.
"The match between Johnny Joestar and Galileo Hotei will continue!" announced Cementoss, earning another cheer from the audience as he turned to give each boy a steadfast look. "You both may resume fighting, but remember, if I think things are getting out of hand, I will stop the match.
Hotei couldn't help the toothy grin that quickly split his lips, only wincing once as Cozmic Travel finished bandaging his arm. Giving the block-like teacher a nod, he turned to face Johnny, the slits of his eyes narrowing as his tail curled behind him. "Before resume our little brawl, I wanted to say I accept my injuries as proper punishment for underestimating Tusk," he admitted, gritting his teeth as he tightened the remaining knot that bound his leg wound. "I let my ego get the better of me before, but now I'll devote everything I have to beating you!"
"Hmph… I won't hold back either," said Johnny, a small grin twisting upwards as he met Hotei's challenge. A hint of gratitude shining brightly in his eyes right beside the dark flame. "No matter what you throw at me, I'm still going to make it to the top!"
"Heh! That's the spirt, Johnny!" A joyous fire burst to life within the catboy's heart at the American's words. It quickly spread to every inch of his being, numbing the pain of his limbs completely, if for a moment, as his fanged smile stretched back even further. Cozmic Travel quickly got into a stance behind its user while Johnny steadily raised his star-covered hand a bit higher as he got ready for the finale of the match to begin.
Silence filled the arena once more as both boys simply stared each other down, neither moving an inch as seconds dragged on endlessly. Cold sweat dripped down Hotei's cheeks, everything muscle within his body felt tight and ready to spring to life under a moment's notice as looked for the sign to begin...
As if a gun went off, both boys suddenly made their moves in lightning quick succession.
"Cozmic Travel!" roared Hotei as his Stand leapt forth to form a portal just as two nail-bullets sailed across the ring. Not wasting a second to watch as the bullets smashed into the other side of the Stadium, the catboy jumped through a second portal. Landing on his good leg, he twirled around to swipe at Johnny's blindside with his right claw… only to pause midway when he caught movement from the corner of his eye. Snapping his head to the side, his eyebrows shot to his scalp at the sight of a hole trailing a mere meter away from him. Just one glance at the cripple's increasingly missing fingernails told Hotei that Johnny was adapting far quicker to his Stand's new power than he initially suspected.
Holding back a curse, Hotei felt himself yanked back by Cozmic Travel before both threw themselves into another portal. Crashing to the floor with a thud, the red haired youth bit his lip to hold back a scream as he landed on his injured leg. Instead he quickly pushed himself off the ground with the help his Stand before whirling around in a complete circle. Already two holes were coming at him from his left side while the third one rushed at him head on. Grimacing at the sight, he prepared another portal for his escape, but just before he could jump through it, he noticed something odd. The hole farthest away from him was starting to slow down.
Slower and slower they crept until it finally stopped all together about five meters away from their target. It wasn't the only one to suddenly halt as the second farthest hole came to an abrupt end only a few centimeters closer than its partner. So entranced by such a startling display, Hotei barely registered that the remaining bullet-hole inching near his right. With another power yank, Cozmic Travel picked him up and threw him into another portal.
Even as he felt to the floor once more with a crash, hacking up a nasally cough and white hot pain shooting up his leg once more, Hotei didn't even acknowledge them. Shock still clouded his mind as the revelation that the holes had a fundamental weakness: they only lasted for so long! Whether it was by limitations of the Tusk's new powers or Johnny not yet having full control over his Stand's new potential, Hotei didn't care. All that matter now was a very good chance of winning this game in his current condition.
And it was quite clear from the menacing grimace that spread across Johnny's face that he knew this as well. It was more than likely because of this revelation that Johnny didn't immediately firing off another nail-bullet from his fingers. Instead conserving his dwindling ammo unless he was sure of victory.
Quickly having Cozmic Travel pull him off the ground, Hotei seized this opportunity to think. If he remembered correctly, Johnny managed to fire off five shots from a hand, meaning that he only had half his nails left. Though that little to help Hotei's situation. Attacking the cripple's blindsides wasn't the best strategy at the moment, even with Cozmic Travel, since he was hyper aware of his surroundings at the moment. And with the catboy's injuries starting to ache, especially with the repeated crashes into the cold, stone floor, it was becoming problematic to keep his usual acrobatic pace. Under normal circumstances, Cozmic Travel would've unleashed dozens of long range attacks by now with its teleportation, but in Hotei's condition, its full potential was limited to defense. Without using its main power for offensive, Cozmic Travel only had a range of a frustrating few meters.
It was a troublesome little situation he got himself in, but Hotei wasn't deterred in the slightest. If anything, it made his heart pump harder as the thrill of the fight took hold of him once more. In these situations he had to go Plus Ultra in order to win! If he couldn't find an opening in Johnny's defenses, then he'll simply make one!
Baring his fangs at the American, Hotei jumped through another portal that appeared behind Johnny. Lunging forward with his good leg, he only got managed to take a single long step before his prey swung around to shoot another nail at him. Before it could reach its mark, Hotei was yanked through another portal by Cozmic Travel. Yet he didn't stop through one opening this time. Portals appeared and disappeared left and right as Hotei hobbled through them all, circling around the ring as Johnny tried to keep up. He let out several curses before firing off two more shots at Hotei whenever the catboy slowed down for a moment, though the best he could get was merely graze his clothes or skin just before the catboy jumped through another portal.
The crowd roared at the show both boys put on, both their names spilling from their lips as they cheered and cheered until their voices became hoarse.
This went on for nearly half a minute, with Cozmic Travel carefully guiding its master around the moving holes, before Hotei finally saw his big chance. Johnny had finished firing off his ninth nail-bullet and he briefly looked down to check his remaining ammo, momentarily taking his eyes off his opponent. Grinning, Hotei didn't waste any time before allowing Cozmic Travel to pull him into another portal two meters behind Johnny's right shoulder, just barely out of his line-of-sight. With a deep breath, he lunged forward with a sharp claw raised to end their duel… only to pause at the sight of two holes swirling around from Johnny's front. Feeling the hairs on the back of his neck, Hotei could've swore that there was only one hole currently chasing after him, not two! Quickly shaking himself out his shock for the moment, the catboy jumped back into Cozmic Travel's waiting arms before they escaped through another portal.
Appearing some distance away from the paraplegic, Hotei patted his aching leg only to pause when his eyes caught something rather concerning. Two holes were torn at the tip of Johnny's right shoe.
"Shit! I forgot about his toenails!" So shocked by the distressing discovery, Hotei barely noticed another toenail bursting apart the ruin shoe until it was already midway across the ring. Growling defiantly, the catboy let himself get dragged by Cozmic Travel though another portal. Appearing at the edge of the ring, far away from the pursuing holes, Hotei knew he had one last option that he could take. Breathing in a steady breath, Hotei's gaze met Johnny's briefly for a moment—fiery tenacity clashing against the endless tide of dark resolve—before jumping through a newly made portal beside him.
Expecting the catboy to appear behind the young, handicapped jockey once more, the crowd let out puzzling murmurs when he failed to show up. Indeed, Hotei seemed to vanish without a trace. Little did they realized that instead of looking at the ring, they should have turned their gazes to the heavens if they wanted to find the red haired youth.
Falling like a blazing comet, Hotei grinned from ear to ear as he sailed through the air. If he couldn't best Johnny on the ground, then the next best option was use some superior air power. He had to thank a certain brunette from Class A later for giving him the idea. Though to ensure his ambush was a success, he teleported several meters above the audience's line of sight so they wouldn't give away his position until it was too late. Mentally preparing to have Cozmic Travel cushion his landing the moment he was in ranged in Johnny, Hotei raised a clawed hand and as he fell faster and faster towards his target.
However, his heart stilled and the world ground to a halt as Johnny suddenly spun upward to aim a foot at him.
"No way…" uttered Hotei, though his words was lost to the wind as he descended. Chaos spread across his mind like wild fire for a brief moment, only to be washed away in a sea of clarity… and rising terror. It was all planned. Everything from protecting himself with a solid defense with his toenails to deliberately saving his bullets, it was all carefully prepared by the cripple to herd Hotei into a position that would making avoiding attacks in his current condition nearly impossible. A tiny part of the catboy's mind couldn't help but praise such a well-played strategy by his opponent, but it was quickly drowned out by the sea of pure desperation and panic as the first nail-bullet burst apart what little remained of Johnny's right shoe. Waving his arms wildly in the air, Hotei tried to steer himself through the air, but only managed to move a few inches before the nail-bullet sliced a thin red line through his side.
Crying out at the pain, Hotei gritted his teeth as he glared down at Johnny who was already launching more nails at him. He could've escaped, used Cozmic Travel to reach the ground safely again, but Hotei wouldn't back down now. While he knew that the pain from his limbs and side was starting to cloud his mind and judgement, he was committed to see his plan through to the very end. It was sink or swim for the catboy, but he was more determined to bring home the gold!
Roaring defiantly, Hotei used Cozmic Travel to jump through portal to portal as nail-bullets sailed passed him. He couldn't stray too far from his path otherwise he would lose his chance to get within range of Johnny, but this also put him directly in the line of fire. Even with Cozmic Travel, it was almost impossible to avoid the spinning nails, especially in his weakened state. Some scraped and tore apart his clothing, creating lines across his body. Thankfully none of them managed to get a direct hit, but the pain Hotei endured was becoming quite excruciating. So much so that he barely realized how close to the smooth floor of the ring until he was two meters away from it.
Feeling his ears pull back and his tail standing on end, Hotei cried out, flailing his arms wildly before a portal appeared in front of him. Flying through it, he landed on the floor with a mighty crash, rolling across cold stone until he came to an abrupt stop by Cozmic Travel. Resisting the urge to upchuck his lunch, Hotei shakily let himself be dragged to his feet by his stand. Though they both went still when their eyes landed on Johnny… only a few feet away from them now. And judging by the missing nails on both hands and feet, the latter of which now poked out of his completely ruined shoes, he was completely out of ammo.
Despite how weak and weary he felt, Hotei couldn't help the smile slowly crossing his face. "Well, well… looks like it's my win, Johnny…" Flashing the paraplegic another grin, the catboy prepared to give Cozmic Travel the order to—
"No, Hotei…" Hotei blinked at the sudden retort, cocking his head as Johnny flickered his right hand behind him. Instead of despair, panic, or even resignation, the dark flame that burned with his eyes shine brightly in overwhelming resolve. "The winner of this fight… is me. Not you." Pulling his hand back, Johnny held something that caused Hotei's sense of victory to completely come crashing down.
In Johnny's hands was a smooth, spinning stone ball.
Johnny repressed any sense of relief he felt the moment Hotei got within the perfect range he wanted him to be. It was a long and arduous plan, one that he knew had only a very slim change of actually playing out as predicted—which it mostly did, but he still had make a few adjustments at certain points—but everything could still very poorly in a matter of seconds. Crafting the Stone Ball out of the floor with his remaining nail had been rather tedious, especially with the short amount of time he had to work with before shooting everything he had at Hotei moments ago, but now… now he had a good chance of success. A fifty-fifty chance, but one he was willing to take a gamble on.
"From this distance…. I won't be able to miss…" panted Johnny, carefully cocking the Stone Ball back slowly into a throwing position. "With this Stone Ball, I can definitely knock you out even if you used your Stand. So… you're move, Hotei…!" Materializing behind him once more, Tusk let out an intense chime as the dark fire burst anew with Johnny's eyes, meeting the catboy's own golden gaze.
For a moment, Hotei could nothing more than gape soundlessly at daring threat… then a purring chuckle soon escape his lips before rolling into full blown laughter, surprising Johnny. "Hehehe… Nyahaha! I see!" he laughed, placing a hand over his gut to keep himself from doubling over in a giggling fit. "So this was your end game all along, huh!? I should've figured that you would've pulled such a crazy scheme like this… and with a spinning ball like Gyro's no less!" Wiping a tear forming from his eye, the mirth and giddiness in his gaze was quickly replaced by harden determination as he stared down at his opponent. "So you're saying you're faster than my Cozmic Travel, huh? Well, let's test this theory out, shall we…? Just like in your American old western movies… let's see who has the quickest draw, Johnny!"
A hush quickly fell over the stadium as the two young boys were stiff as statues, their eyes never once leaving each other's. The cheers and roaring encouragements were snuffed out as all eyes were drawn to the two combatants. Everyone could taste the thick intensity radiating off them and knew that the slightest of movements or sounds would set off this incredible climax. The tension was starting to weigh heavily down as the seconds dragged on for what seemed be an eternity of waiting. All wondering who would make the first move…
When it the moment finally arrived, it came so swiftly and suddenly it stunned everyone as both boys moved as one.
"COZMIC TRAVEL!" roared Hotei. Cozmic Travel already leapt over its user with a sparkling fist speeding like a shooting star towards the paraplegic's face.
Neither blinking nor flinching at the Stand quickly bearing down at him, Johnny's hand flickered forth like the crack of a whip. The Stone Ball sailed out of his hand as if one of his nail-bullets, zooming under Cozmic Travel's arm in a blink of an eye… before smashing into Hotei's chest with a resounding smack that echoed throughout the stadium!
Coughing hoarsely as the Stone Ball twisted intensely into his chest, fluffy ears pressed firmly back along the catboy's head while his tail frantically waved back and forth as he stumbled back a few steps. All the while Cozmic Travel abruptly stopped a few centimeters away from Johnny's face. It quivered for a moment before fading away in a sparkly dust. Yet even as his Stand dispersed, Hotei refused to fall. Spittle leaked down the corner of his lips as he stood shakily, but his eyes golden gaze never faltered from Johnny's. Gasping in any breath that he could manage, he merely stared at his foe for what seemed the longest time… before a satisfied smile split his face in two.
"Heh… well played, Johnny!" he congratulated sincerely. Letting out a sigh, he closed his eyes before falling with a slam onto the cold floor of the ring.
No one moved or dared utter a single syllable as they digested what just happened. Even Johnny held his breath for a moment as he stared at Hotei's motionless body and the still ever present smile on his lips. Only Midnight seemed unaffected by the climax of the fight, quickly rushing over to the catboy's side before checking his pulse and breathing. It didn't take more than a few seconds before she stood up raising her whip towards Johnny.
"Galileo Hotei has been knocked out!" she announced loudly and clearly for all to hear. "The winner of the final match of the first round is Johnny Joestar!"
As if a cannon went off, everyone in the audience burst into thunderous applause and cheers. They clapped and howled in delight at the epic conclusion to quite the bizarre, but none the less entertaining, match. Even those who had doubted and pitied the young paraplegic joined in with the cheers. Praising his efforts and victory while commending Hotei for putting one hell of a fight. Some of them even started to chant his name, quickly spreading across the arena like wildfire.
"Joestar! Joestar! Joestar! Joestar!"
So loud was the chanting that it nearly drowned out the passionate commentary of Present Mic and his fellow commentators. However Johnny didn't pay the increasing loud cheers or the even louder Radio Hero or his companions any attention.
Releasing a heavy breath, he leaned back with relief at finally winning the fight. It had been one hell of an uphill battle, but in the end, he finally managed to advance. Turning his head to the side, he stared at the unblinking pink dragonfly that hovered close to him. He didn't know what exactly caused Tusk's transformation, but he was glad that it did. There was no doubt in his mind that he would've lost without the help of his Stand's abilities and for that he was incredible grateful.
"Thanks…" he said. It was short and simple, but he knew that there was no need for embellish his gratitude when it came to his Stand.
"Chumin~in!" it chimed with a nod, before slowly fading back into its user's body. Yet as the last little toe entered his body, Johnny felt something so bizarre and wondrous that it instantly caught his breath. Tingling to life for the briefest of seconds, the cripple watched wordlessly as his legs twitched before completely falling still once more. Feeling his world grind to a halt, Johnny rubbed his eyes, unable to believe what he saw. But he did feel them move. This wasn't a hallucation or a lingering high from the adrenaline in his system. Even though the feeling only lasted a few seconds before they became dead weight again, his legs had moved just like before all those months ago! Whether it was because of his Stand evolving or his understanding of Lesson Four or perhaps a combination of the two, Johnny didn't care. All he could was relish the lingering feeling of his legs moving again, even if it was only for a short time.
Yet he soon snapped back to reality when a couple of nurse bots set down stretchers beside him and Hotei. Before he could utter a single protest, he was lifted up and gently placed onto it.
"Recovery Girl wants to give you a once over after all the stunts you pulled, Johnny," said Midnight, walking over to place a gentle, but firm hand on her shoulder. "She was quite insistent about, especially seeing how you got kicked in your back by your own horse."
Blinking at the mention of the appaloosa, Johnny's gaze flickered left and right before finally landing on a couple of staff members leading Slow Dancer out of the inner arena.
"Don't worry about her. We'll make sure she's properly stabled and fed while you rest up. You both earned it."
Letting relief washed him for a moment, Johnny let out a sigh before laying back into the stretcher. The adrenaline high was starting to wane, allowing the aches and pain he endured to slowly assert themselves quite forcibly now. Midnight's advice was starting to sound really appealing and a quick trip to Recovery Girl would really help him out in the end.
Especially when he realized with horror that his next explosive opponent wouldn't show him any mercy in the slightest.
"Just when I thought I had to deal with just one brazen boy from your class this year, you prove me wrong within the same round!" chided Recovery Girl, leaning back into her chair after finishing applying her quirk to their newest patient. "Honestly… First I had to deal with the drawback of Midoriya's power, but now you go and intentionally hurt yourself with your horse! You're lucky your spine didn't shatter upon the moment of impact!"
Johnny huffed at the elderly hero, but winced when she poked at his tender side with her cane. His shirt had been taken off, exposing his slim chest that didn't have a single scratch anywhere to be seen thanks to Recovery Girl. Although if he was being perfectly honest with himself, the procedure felt like it took more out of him than fighting Hotei. Flickering his gaze to the side, his eyes landed on the catboy, the satisfied smile still plastered across his face while he slept soundly in the bed on the far end of the room.
"I'm used to it by now…" he grumbled harshly. "Done it so many times since last summer that I don't feel that much pain any more… Besides, already can't feel anything below my waist, so I got to take every advantage I—Agh!" He yelped suddenly when the syringe-like cane smacked his arm.
"That's no excuse to continuingly break yourself! You want to be a hero, right? Then you need to think of protecting and maintaining a healthy body to achieve that goal first before doing crazy stunts like that." Scowling at him for a moment, Recovery Girl released a sigh as she leaned back into her chair again. "You're just like Midoriya… Honestly, it amazes me how reckless you two are sometimes."
"Hmph… Maybe it's because life likes to throw us shitty hands and we're just trying to do what we can to survive…"
Frowning at his words, Recovery Girl eyed him for a moment before saying, "Perhaps... but life doesn't always deals bad hands. Sometimes a lucky break is all you need to change your life around. And if that day doesn't come… then make it come."
Eyeing the old heroine from the corner of his eye for a moment, Johnny turned his gaze to his hands. The stars were nowhere to be seen, but his fingernails were finally slowly growing back. "Make it come, huh…" he muttered. He clicked his tongue at that, but he couldn't deny that it was sound advice. After all, he had been fighting tooth and nail for that day since meeting Gyro and Midoriya.
"That said… it still doesn't excuse your disregard for your own health!" The needle cane came down for another whack at Johnny's shoulder this time. The paraplegic held back a mix of a growl and yelp, snapping his head to side to give the old woman a piece of his mind… only to lean back as she gave a rather intense aura. "If you want to work for that big break, then you're going to have to take better care of your body. And if I have to, I'll give you plenty of incentive to stay out of trouble. One way or another I'll see you become a hero even if I have to drag you there by the nose."
Feeling the hairs on the back of his neck standing on end, Johnny couldn't possibly imagine what kind of incentives she had in mind, but seeing that determined shine in her eyes… he knew she would carry it out to the letter. With force if necessary! Just how the heck did a sweet old lady have such a overwhelming disposition?!
A sudden rap on the door was all the warning the both of them got before it was nearly burst down by a flood of people.
"Johnny!" Nearly all of Johnny's classmates cried as they barged in, some tripping over one another as they tried to squeeze in through the doorframe before swarming around his bed. Blinking in bemusement, Johnny could only stare as each of his peers wore awed expressions. Though he noted that among the assembled crowd, Todoroki and Bakugo were nowhere to be seen.
"You were incredible out there, Johnny!" congratulated Sero.
"You were super manly, Johnny!" exclaimed Kirishima, smiling excitedly as he slapped the light-brown haired youth's shoulder lightly. "That last duel at the end, it was almost like you were out of a Clint Eastwood flick!"
"Or something from John Wayne," added Shoji, folding his arms thoughtfully.
"Definitely a real cowboy at heart," chuckled Jiro, a small smile gracing her lips.
"Your moves were even more magnifique than that dazzling Stand you fought," praised Aoyama.
"Yeah, but you know what's even more awesome?" said Ashido, getting up and close to Johnny, forcing him back as she was bearing down on him. "Your Stand! It was so cool watching it transform and turn into that giant dragonfly mecha!"
"Hmm, but even though it lost its cuteness, it certainly has its own charm," ribbited Tsuyu. "Though I'm more interested with how it was able move your bullet holes around. That's a pretty powerful ability considering it can pretty much go anywhere and penetrate any kind of armor. At least from the initial impression I got, ribbit."
"It does have rather unique advantages," commented Yaoyorozu. "Though it's clear that there are some drawbacks from it as well. Sacrificing rapid-fire attacks for more powerful, yet limited shoots is definitely a double-edge sword."
"Plus your shoes getting ruined every time you use it is totally a buzzkill," added Kaminari with a shake of his head.
"He could always wear sandals if that is the case," suggested Sato.
"Oh! I know the perfect place to get more than a few spares!" Hagakure bounced happily beside the American's bed.
"Maybe we can get the support course to make him some custom boots," beamed Uraraka before turning to fully to face Johnny. "You were so awesome out there, Johnny! I was on the edge of my seat when you had your final stare down with Hotei!"
"It was quite intense," Ida agreed, "but I expect no less from Johnny to come out on top after everything he achieved since the start of the Sports Festival."
"Truly an admirable feat for a turnabout victory," Tokoyami nodded solemnly. "Especially with your Stand evolving into a testament of your growth."
"Growth sure, but now it lost chick magnet factor," lamented Mineta, earning more than a few baleful gazes from his female peers. "Sure it looks cool now, but chicks love small and cute things!"
"Quiet you," uttered Jiro before stabbing Mineta in the back of the end with her earphone jack. The little grape ball yelped before collapsing almost immediately into a twitching pile.
As the girls started to gang up on Mineta, taking this as an excuse to get back at him for tricking them into wearing the cheerleading outfits earlier, Koda took the opportunity to give Johnny a quiet thumbs up.
Maneuvering politely passed his classmates to stand beside Johnny's bed, Midoriya held his notebook held firmly to his chest as a warm smile beamed off his face. "Nice work out there, Johnny," he said sincerely. "I knew you would make it to the second round, but I didn't think your Stand would evolve the moment you learned the true meaning behind the Golden Spin! This raises so many questions on how Stands work and how much they relate to the Spin! Or perhaps it was completely unrelated and simply a consequence. Not to mention does this mean that Tusk can't turn back and use its other abilities? If the new form is supposed symbolize growth then perhaps…"
As his peers slowly leaned back from the muttering fanboy, Johnny could only stare blankly at him. Without a word, Tusk suddenly phased out of his body, causing Class A to stand back a bit to give the giant dragonfly room—some of them even gaping in awe as they examined every little detail of the Stand's new form. Yet they all paused when the Stand suddenly morph for a split second before returning to its original little elephant form.
"So it can turn back, huh?" muttered Johnny as the rest of his class gathered around the little pink Stand to stare in awe as it started to change back and form on a whim. Like the others, he wondered if Tusk's change was permanent or not, but he was glad it wasn't. While its new form was a major boost for him, losing its rapid fire ability would've cost him a lot in future battles. Especially with facing Bakugo very soon…. Though now that he thought about it, he wasn't entirely sure that just because it can return to its elephant form at will meant that it had all of its original powers now. Scratching the back of a hand, he knew that he had to truly test Tusk's new capabilities more thoroughly later.
Suddenly a hand slapped down on his shoulder, startling him back to reality as he snapped his head upward. Gyro's golden grills beamed brightly as he stood over his pupil. He didn't say anything, not that Johnny needed to hear anything from him. The approval and proud satisfaction glowing off his face spoke far clearer than any mere word the Italian could think of.
"Alright that's enough!" said Recovery Girl, emphasizing her point with a sharp tap of her cane along the floor. "You can visit my patients after they had their rest. You're already making enough of a ruckus as it is! So go back to your seats or anywhere else and leave me these two to me."
"Yes ma'am!" Though most of them sounded very reluctant about leaving Johnny, they quickly exited the room one by one, especially with Recovery Girl herding them out with her cane. Gyro gave his pupil one last pat while Midoriya gave him a hesitant nod, clearly wanting to stay a little longer, before both followed after the rest of their class. Yet as soon as the last student exited the room, the door slowly opened to admit a new figure.
Carefully walking into the Nurse Office, All Might nodded to Recovery Girl, still wearing his ghastly true form, before walking over to sit in a nearby chair beside Johnny's bed. The small grin on his lips emphasizing his skeletal features to a frightening degree would've off put anyone else, but in a way it was oddly calming to the young paraplegic.
"You've really pulled quite a heroic feat today, Johnny," he praised. "I'd hoped you would make it through the first round, but for you to evolve your Stand and come out on top… you truly went beyond your limits!"
Feeling heat starting to rise in his cheeks, Johnny fought not to blush under the praise from his childhood hero. Even if his words made him feel warm on the inside. "Thanks…"
"Don't start praising him just yet, All Might," chided Recovery Girl, slapping her cane into the ultimate hero's arm. "I won't have you fill his head with reckless thoughts like you did with Midoriya. I already have enough trouble dealing with one trouble maker, I will not have two on my watch." Stunned, Johnny could only stare blankly as the elderly woman continued to berate All Might. Not just at the audacity of Recovery Girl reprimanding the Symbol of Peace, but the mere fact that she knew his greatest secret as well. And was clearly informed about Johnny's own discovery of the truth otherwise she wouldn't have said his heroic name so openly. Did any other U.A. staff members also know or was she the only one?
"My apologizes, Recovery Girl. I'll try harder from now on…" All Might said sincerely, carefully eyeing the held up cane for a moment before turning his attention back to Johnny. "I must admit, Johnny… when I first saw your Stand, I didn't expect it would take on another form. Though I should've expected the possibility considering how determined you are…"
That immediately caught the youth's undivided attention. "Wait… you know what caused Tusk to change? I thought… well, since Mountain Tim said he didn't know what was going during my match, this was something entirely new…" The pink elephant echoed it user with a curious chime before slowly fading back into his body.
"It is new. It's something that nobody has ever seen before! But… I've seen enough Stands throughout my life of fighting villains and upholding the peace. While none of them had anything close to what just happened to Tusk earlier… I do know that some Stands are effected by the resolve of their user. From experience, I've seen weak Stands able to take on powerful foes just by the sheer will power and the creativeness of their users. In theory this makes sense since Stands represent the soul so if their user experiences something akin to mental and spiritual growth, then so could their Stand." He lifted his gaze up for a moment, shining blue orbs meeting Johnny's own burning gaze. "I guess the theory is no longer a theory, but an actuality now… though I do have ask… what was the cause for your growth, Johnny?"
Feeling the hairs raise on the back of his neck, Johnny felt images quickly pass and went in his head as he continued to meet Symbol of Peace's powerful gaze. He didn't even need a second to know the answer. Allowing a smile cross his lips, Johnny leaned back as Tusk reappeared in its mechanical dragonfly form, surprising both All Might and Recovery Girl. "Heh… I learned to pay my respects."
Author's Note: I'll try to keep this short since I'm sick with a cold at the moment, but god dang, this took longer than I originally suspected. Mainly because summer work has started again for me at the beginning of May and has left me tired a lot after work hours. So I'm trying to balance out writing this and relaxing with videogames or reading or anything else after at the moment-A little side note: Don't ever play a strategy game while writing, you will be stuck playing FOR HOURS without end until you win or lose the final battle! Anyway, after all said and done, I really hope you like this chapter. Yes it's not as big as the last one, but I am trying to keep things a bit smaller, but always more than 10k of words!
As for this chapter itself, I really like writing the last portion with Hotei. I was fun and creative, and I tried to make sense as best I could why Johnny won despite Hotei technically having a better suited Stand against the cripple. Plus I personally like the finale of the fight, always favored old western showdowns and the famous quick draw scenes like in any Clint Eastwood movie or anything else old western.
At any rate, the next chapter will be the final chapter for the Tournament Arc, or at least I hope it will be the final if things don't get overly long, with Johnny facing KING EXPLOSION MURDER HIMSELF! And while I know many of you will be disappointed with me saying that the next chapter will end the arc, but the arc itself is already long enough as it is. The thing about these kind of Tournament arcs is that you never want to linger too long of them. They need to be well paced and without any filler. Meaningful combat and some fanservice, but anything meaningless is in my opinion boring... The only exception to filler is when it is super over the top awesomeness! Other than that, I don't want to go into super detail for most of the fights in the last half of the tournament arc. Just quick mentions to keep the pace going.
Anyway, the next chapter won't be until Mid-July or Early August. No promises on whether this schedule will stay the same, since I detest breaking promise. But I will try to make it on time next time!
ALSO! Not to spoil the next arc after the end of the tournament arc, but it's going to be an original arc of mine! That's right. I've said before I was going to move my original arc until after the tournament arc so please stay tune for it. Again, don't want to spoil anything, but I will simply say the title of the arc: Dream On. As to what that means, well... I'll let you all find out later! :3
Anyway, the song reference for the title is Tusk. Why am I using the same title again even though I already did that earlier in the first official chapter? Well its a tribute to everytime both Tusk and Johnny evolves into stronger and better. I personally think its fitting.
Before we get into review responses, here is Hotei's stats. I was going to do Tusk Act 2's stats also, but since I'm still feeling ill while writing this, I want to simply go for a short explanation of my character's power and stats. Anyway, here we go!
Galileo Hotei:
Quirk: Catwalk - A mutation Quirk that gives Hotei catlike features and the strengths of a cat. Though whether or not it can evolve is unknown even to himself.
Personal Stats:
Power: 3/5
Speed: 4/5
Intelligence: 3/5
Technique: 4/5
Cooperativeness: 5/5
Cozmic Travel: A humanoid Stand that uses the power of teleportation! It's range quite long, but can be limited due to both Hotei and Cozmic Travel needing to see a location first in order to create a "hole" in space to teleport. When not using its teleportation, its average range is around a few meters at most. Despite these draw backs, its a really powerful stand, but depends on the creativeness and cunning of Hotei himself.
Stats:
Destructive Power:
Speed: B
Range: D - A (Depends on whether Hotei is using Cozmic Travel's teleportation skill)
Durability: B
Precision: C
Development Potential: B
And that's that for the stats! Now onto the review responses, which will be short, cause again, my cold is kicking my ass at the moment.
kerrowe: Thank you! I try my best to build up something and deliver a good pay off!
FrancisVamp0822: Thank you! And yeah, Gyro's current state of mind isn't doing him any favors at the moment which unfortunately led to his defeat. But I hope you will enjoy the finale of Tusk Act 2 vs Cozmic Travel!
gold crown dragon: I'm not sure whether I will make a Stand called "Modern Crusaders", but I do admit it's a good Stand name. So the possibility is there! Thanks for enjoying my story!
Killusion: Thanks! :3
BackFlowTorrent: Thanks! I try my best to make sure every character I write to fit their original personalities! It would be an disservice is I did anything less for any of them! Thanks again for your kind words!
Hercules8: Thank you so much for your kind words! I really tried my best with introducing both Stands, been planning that scene for a long time! Anyway, I hope you enjoy this latest chapter!
jalen johnson: Awww thank you for your praise! It really means a lot to me and I appreciate your words! I hope to continue to please you and everyone else with future chapters! :3
Pherix2003: Thanks for reading my story! And as answer to your questions, Hotei's Cozmic Travel isn't like Funny Valentine's D4C Love Train. Cozmic Travel can only teleport its user around, while Love Train takes any potential threat or misfortune and transfer it to someone else around the world. As for Hotei's quirk, is a mutation quirk. Mutation quirks are often regarded as making their users physically stronger while sacrificing other potential abilities like Explosions or Creating Ice or Electricity, etc. For Hotei himself, his cat-like mutation allows him to have the strengths of a cat. As to what kind of cats, that would be spoilers~! At any rate I hope this answers your questions. Also as for the part about Hagakure, I'm not sure myself at this time. Horikoshi has yet to reveal her own backstory and the full potential of her abilities, but I believe he'll do her justice in time. And in that same vein I hope to do my best with her in my story as well!
Guest: Thank you so much for your inspiring words! Really, it warms my heart seeing someone get inspired by my own stories! As someone who wants to become a professional author one day, I cant thank you enough for saying something like that! It really does keep me going when I'm feeling a bit down! I hope to continue to please you and everyone else by continuing this awesome story of mine!
Well that about wraps up the review responses and everything else! Thank you so much for reading this chapter my friends! I do hope to continue to write a worthy story for you all to enjoy! Until then, I hope you all have a nice and wonderful day!
Sincerely, Count Chaos
