Previously:
"The World: Grind time to a halt!" Giorno commands.
With Crazy Diamond's fist inches away from Giorno's face a surge of iridescent colour explodes from the mysterious figure Giorno summoned turning everything grey and time seemingly being stopped.
Chapter 5 - Kuoh Academy: Part 2
Flashback:
[Location: Human World - Kuoh Town, Park — Two-Years-Ago]
— Kuoh Town: Park —
A typical Park with trees, ponds, benches and grass fields can be seen. In the middle of the park lies a stone water fountain with a few coins that have been tossed into it.
The time is 21:30, with no one around the park was empty. The only sound that could be heard is the flow of the water from the water fountain, but the most noticeable thing present in the park is a mysterious dimly glowing orb falling to the ground. This orb is one of the missing pieces of the Dimensional Stand Energy and has been floating around the Human World, Underworld and Heaven trying to find a purpose. The aforementioned orb has been floating around for the past twelve years since it was first separated from the main energy source and is now dying. In a last effort, the energy tried something, to try to create something. In an instant the orb starts to morph and change shape into a human-like form, turning itself into something foreign from this dimension.
The humanoid figure takes on a familiar form of a sixteen-year-old that takes shape of man of average build. His height is 5'11 foot (180 cm) with a well-maintained pompadour with two small, curved spikes in the back. This is the boy that we know as Josuke Higashikata.
"W.. What? Where am I? Where did Koichi and Okuyasu go?!" Josuke asks with confusion not knowing where he is.
Josuke looks around the park and takes in his surroundings noticing the time of day. "It's night-time? What happened, I was just about to get lunch with Koichi and Okuyasu when... The sky when weird, time had seemingly started... Accelerating. I remember trying to call Jotaro and Giorno but neither of them picked up. What year am I in?"
The boy starts walking around Kuoh Town leaving the park in search of his friends, or any indication of where he was. Josuke comes to a sign that says "The best bathhouse in Kuoh Town, located at...".
"Kuoh Town?! What Kuoh Town, never heard of it?! Im not near Morioh, but looking at the culture it looks like I'm still in Japan." Josuke thinks out loud.
Suddenly an unknown voice calls out from behind Josuke. "So.. Who and what are you?"
Josuke jumps not noticing the person there. "AGHHHHH! Oh sorry, I didn't notice you there... wait did you ask who and what I am?"
The unknown voice nods. "I'll ask again, who and what are you?" The voice asks with a little bit more attitude.
"Oh, I'm Josuke... Josuke Higashikata and for what I am, I'm... human." Josuke answers and says the last part a bit sarcastically.
The voice responds narrowing their eyes. "Human? Yeah no shot, even if you had a Sacred Gear you wouldn't be able to give off an aura like that."
Josuke thinks to himself. 'Aura? What aura.. my stand? Can they sense my stand? Does she have a stand?!'
Josuke looks at the origin of the voice, A girl can with crimson red hair. This girl is known as Rias Gremory.
"Hey, miss I don't know what you're on about. I've had a long da~ night and need to figure out how to get back home." Josuke says starting to walk away from the girl.
"Im going to have to ask you to come with me, I have some more questions to ask you." The girl asks Josuke moving closer towards him.
"Hey... Ma'am, I have somewhere to be so I'm going to get goi~" Josuke announces but is cut off.
"My name is Rias and I'm no longer asking im demanding. I don't know what faction you're from, but this is my territory." Rias responds with pride in her voice.
Josuke narrows his eyes at Rias. "I have no idea what you are going on about, but I'm leaving."
Rias responds with frustration in her eyes. "I don't think that you've realised the situation that you are in, do not make us use force!"
Multiple people start appearing from magic circles around Josuke. "Oh, so you're a Stand User? I see how it is!" Josuke replies getting a weird look from Rias.
Rias responds with confusion on her face. "What Stand User? What in that biblical God are you talking about?"
The group start to close the distance between Josuke thinking that his words meant nothing but to distract them.
Josuke with a calm expression on his face calls out as the group close in on him. "Okay, I've had enough of this. Crazy Diamond!" Suddenly a ghost-like humanoid figure manifests behind Josuke.
The group shocked by this start to put distance between themselves and Josuke. Rias begins to speak. "What is that, what are you?! Is this some kind of Sacred Gear?!"
"This is Crazy Diamond, my Stand. Now leave me alone I've done nothing to you!" Josuke tells the redhead raising his voice with the last part.
Rias not knowing what Stands are adopts a confused expression on her face being noticed by Josuke. "Crazy Diamond? Sand? Is this a type of Sacred Gear? Rias questioned.
Josuke answers with an equivalent confused expression on his face. "A what... Sacred Gear? You don't know what a Stand is?"
Rias narrows her eyes as Josuke asks. "Would you like to come with us to speak about this in a more.. secure location?"
Hesitant at first Josuke agrees to go with the strange group.
Josuke can be seen being led by Rias in front of him with the mysterious group behind him to ensure he doesn't run away. They enter what looks like a school and head to a building that seems to be put to the side. After entering the building and sitting down Rias begins to talk.
"Okay Josuke, could you please explain what this power you call 'Stand' is?" Rias asks with curiosity.
Josuke is reluctant to answer questions about the girl. "I don't mean to offend you, or anyone... But I don't think I can currently trust you with that information."
Rias seemingly frustrated by this looks at one of the people in the group who gives her a nod. "I see, well to gain your trust I'll tell you who and what we are. Although I don't know your knowledge of the supernatural world we are devils and.." Rias stops when looking at Josuke who has started laughing.
Rias who's now annoyed questions the boy. "Why on Earth are you laughing at this?"
Josuke answers. "Hahaha d... Do you think I'm going to believe that shit? Hahaha."
Rias with a blank expression unfurls a pair of void black demon bat wings making Josuke's laughing abruptly stop and is exchanged for a terrified look on his face.
"W.. What the fuck?!" Josuke shouts with disbelief.
The group who are now standing around Rias also unfurl their wings.
Rias continues. "By that reaction is going to assume that your knowledge of the supernatural world is very little, if not none. In this world, there are three main factors 'The Devils', 'The Fallen Angels' and 'The Angels', although there are many other smaller factions and species like mermaids and vampires. So, I'll ask again what are you and what is a 'Stand'?"
After collecting himself Josuke speaks. "As I said, my name is Josuke Higashikata and I'm just a human. A Stand is the physical manifestation of the wielder's soul that depending on the Stand type will do the Stand User says. Stands all have abilities that could range from erasing space with a swipe of the Stands hand to changing any object into a bomb by simply touching it."
Rias with a shocked expression on her face as well as curiosity asks a question. "I see, so then Josuke what is your Stand's Ability?"
Although Josuke couldn't fully trust them he told them anyway. "Crazy Diamond's unique ability is to restore objects or organisms to their original state through touch."
Rias taking in all the information responds. "Would you be able to summon your Stand again so that I may observe it?"
Josuke Hesitant at first summons his Sand for everyone in the room to see. Rias and the group take in the appearance of the Stand and how it moves.
Rias thinks to herself. 'If I'm able to gain Josuke in my Peerage I'll have a massive advantage against Riser if I'm not able to find a way to end our engagement!'
"Josuke, would you be interested to become a part of my Peerage?" Rias asks getting shocked expressions from those in the room.
With Josuke's confused expression on his face returning, Rias explains what a Peerage is Evil Piece system and reincarnation into a devil.
Josuke sat on the chair thinking begins to talk. "Although I'm not rejecting the offer, I'd like to ask how far Morioh is from Kuoh Town."
"What is Morioh?" Rias asks with confusion.
"You know... Morioh, located in Japan's S City M Prefecture." Josuke answers with concern.
"My knowledge of Japan is very good and there is no such thing as a 'Morioh'." Rias answers.
With that Josuke wildly takes out his phone and starts searching for Morioh with no results coming to light. Josuke goes pale and feels sick, he drops his phone as he recalls the events of what happened before he come to the park.
Josuke recalls walking with two of his friends, Koichi and Okuyasu. They were heading to lunch knowing exactly what they'll get because they always knew what their future holds, they would know when would die when they would marry and many kids they'd have. As they were heading to a restaurant they realised that the sun started to set much early than it really should be catching their attention, within a moment it was pitch black causing Koichi to look at his watch to see if it was 2 am, but not just that it was then 4 am, 6 am and then 10 am with the sun coming back up. Time was speeding up causing everyone to go into chaos, the trio just stood there trying to think of what to do looking at the sky as the sun became a long yellow streak across it. The last thing Josuke remembers is trying to contact Giorno and Jotaro, but then the reality around him started collapsing around, swallowing him and his friends whole.
Josuke finishes recalling the events in his mind as tears start to form in the corners of his eyes before passing out, causing everyone to rush to his aid.Josuke would go on to join Rias' Peerage and after being reincarnated into a devil, he used up eight pawn pieces. Although Josuke would never be able to see his old friends from Morioh again, he would make new friends within the Peerage and those in Kuoh Town.
Although he became close friends with those in the Peerage he never told them about his origin. Sirzechs after finding out about this mysterious new type of power was discovered called Stands he had many conversations with Josuke to try to find out more, but due to Josuke not wanting to open up about where he and the Stand originated from they didn't get much.
Stand Name: Crazy Diamond
Stand User: Josuke Higashikata
Power: A
Speed: A
Range: D
Durability: B
Precision: B
Growth Potential: C
Still in Flashback
[Location: Dimensional Gap - Iridescent Colour Zone — Four Years From Present Day]
— Training Ground —
In the training, grounds can be seen fourteen-year-old Giorno Joestar training with Speedwagon who has given himself a physical body, the training being watched over by Giorno's father Great Red.
Giorno's normal training days would be with Great Red or Ophis finished by mental training with Speedwagon in Giorno's mindscape, but today Giorno is starting on his 'Physical Manifestation Training' (P.M.T) with Speedwagon. Speedwagon makes a physical body to help Giorno through this process rather than just being a voice, Giorno starts off his training by concentrating the D.S.E into his hands and forming an orb of pure D.S.D in front of himself. After a week the rate that Giorno was able to form the orb is shortened and the orb was much bigger, with Speedwagon satisfied he tells Giorno to throw it at one of the training dummies that were scattered around the training grounds. Giorno chucks the orb at the dummy and instantly evaporates it, with his energy now empty Giorno passes out.
A few more weeks go by and Giorno can now throw multiple orbs of D.S.E at the dummies at once without passing out, this shows Speedwagon that Giorno is ready for the next step in D.S.E training.
["Okay Giorno, it's time to move on. Please get into a standing position and repeat after me."] Speedwagon orders.
Giorno gets into a standing position he continues to listen to Speedwagon.
["Repeat after me please, 'D.S.E, Stand Category: Tarot Cards - The Chariot!"] Speedwagon orders.
Giorno prepares his body and repeats after Speedwagon. "D.S.E, Stand Category: Tarot Cards: The Chariot!"
In an instant, a ghost-like figure manifests behind Giorno. Speedwagon begins to speak. "This is the Stand 'Silver Chariot' my boy, congratulations for successfully summoning him!"
Silver Chariot appears as a thin, robotic humanoid clad in silver, medieval armour, armed with a basket-hilted foil. Although Silver Chariot is thin, it wields heavy plate armour spiked at the shoulder pads and elbow pads. Silver Chariot has a distinctive helmet with a jewel embedded in the forehead and several pointed-down projections protecting the mouth and cheeks.
["You have successfully summoned a Stand in the 'Tarot Card Category', Congratulations!"] Speedwagon announces with joy.
"Ahh... He's, so cool! What other 'Stand Categories' are there?" Giorno asks with curiosity.
["There are four categories for Stands, they are 'Tarot Card Category', 'Stand Arrow Category', 'Requiem Category' and 'Over Heaven Category'. All categories have good Stands and Stands that aren't useful in most situations."] Speedwagon answers.
Training continues and after a few months, Giorno can summon Stand Arrow Category Stands. The Tarot Card Category Stands are easiest to manifest apart from 'The World', 'Death' and 'The Star', Giorno would master them all at the age of seventeen. The Stand Arrow Category is the next easiest to manifest, Giorno would master the majority of them by the age of sixteen. The Requiem Category is the next difficulty level in terms of categories and is the Sacred Gear equivalent to a 'Balance Breaker', at Giorno's current age he can't currently manifest any Requiem Category Stands. The Over Heaven Category is the highest in difficulty level and Giorno can't currently manifest any Over Heaven Category Stands.
At eighteen-years-old Giorno can manifest all Tarot Card Category Stands and the majority of the Stand Arrow Category Stands. Giorno is only missing some due to them being part of the missing D.S.E fragments.
Flashback Ends
[Location: Human World - Japan, Kuoh Town]
— Kuoh Academy: Old School Building —
With Crazy Diamond's fist inches away from Giorno's face a surge of iridescent colour explodes from the mysterious figure Giorno summoned turning everything grey and time seemingly being stopped.
"Well... I think uncovering his ability went quite smoothly if you ask me." Giorno thinks out loud.
The figure that Giorno manifested is called The World and is a Tarot Card Category Stand. The World is tall and has a very muscular build. It wears a headpiece covering its face to the end of its nose, slanting at a steep angle from the base of its forehead to a peak situated above the rear of its head by about half its height, leaving the face of an inverted triangle visible to the front; somewhat similar to the Red Crown of Lower Egypt. It wears small, simple twin diving cylinders on its back, connecting via short, twin-ridged cables to the rear of its mask; perhaps secured by thick, ridged or puffed straps running from the rear of its waist over both its shoulders to its front. The back of both its hands bears the shape of a simple clock face. Its chin, the base of its abdomen, its crotch and its knees are topped by heart shapes. Plates on its shins, its footwear bears curved, sharply-pointed toes,
(Note: Credit to the JoJo fandom WIKI for the appearance description.)
Everyone and everything freezes in time, not even Shizuka could move. Giorno had stopped time making Josuke vulnerable. Giorno moves out of the way of Crazy Diamond's fist and kicks Josuke's legs out.
"How the hell does Josuke have one of the D.S.E fragments?" Giorno questions.
["That's something that you're probably going to have to ask him yourself chap,"] Speedwagon answers
Giorno sighs and begins to speak, his rage subsides and becomes calm. "The cogs of time have started to flow once again."
Suddenly the eary greyness of the world disappears and time beings again. Josuke abruptly collapses onto the floor and Giorno seemingly teleports.
"W.. What just happened?!" Akeno shouts rushing over to Josuke to see if he's ok.
Rias is speechless at the sight of another Stand and doesn't is too shocked to speak.
Kiba draws a sword and points it at Giorno making Shizuka stand in between getting into a defensive position.
This snaps Rias out of shock and runs over to Josuke followed by Asia who asks if he needs healing.
Josuke doesn't answer anyone but just looks at Giorno with tears in his eyes, he starts thinking out loud. He has also seemingly lost all of his anger.
"Th... That ability's similar to what Jotaro's was, but how..? That n... Name Giorno it can't be a coincidence... A stand?" Josuke mutters.
Josuke shouts at Giorno. "Who are you?! Do you know who Jotaro is?!"
"As I told you previously Josuke my name is Giorno... Giorno Joestar and I don't know who this Jotaro you speak of is." Giorno answers with a serious expression on his face.
Rias sensing the hostility around them speaks. "Ok Giorno, Josuke stop with this. The both of you get inside the building, NOW!"
Everyone enters the building including Josuke who is still shaken up. Giorno also follows, but not because he was told to, he follows them to ask Josuke questions. With everyone in the building, Rias Leads them to a room at the end of a hallway.
— Occult Research Club Room —
The club room is a wood-panelled room with Victorian-style sofas and chairs along the walls. One side is set up to be able to be used as a bath, and a large magic circle can also be seen on the floor.
Giorno and Shizuka sit on the sofa on the left and Josuke sits on the sofa on the right. Rias sat in the chair that had a desk overlooking the room, and the rest of the Peerage stood behind Josuke.
Speedwagon opens a mental connection to Giorno and speaks. ['I think I should reveal myself in this situation partner.']
'I seem so Speedwagon.' Giorno responds.
Rias is the first one to speak. "Now that everyone has had a chance to calm down let~" Rias cut off by Josuke.
"How do you have a Stand?" Josuke demands.
Suddenly a humanoid figure manifests behind Giorno and walks to the front of the room, in view of everyone.
The humanoid figure speaks. ["Giorno doesn't have a Stand, he has the ability to manifest Stands."]
Shizuka gets excited. "Ahh, Uncle Speedwagon why have you manifested yourself?" Shizuka asks.
Everyone in the room including Giorno responds. "Uncle?!".
["Well, I'll be the best one here to defuse this situation,"] Speedwagon answers Shizuka
["Hello all, I am Robert E. O. Speedwagon, but please call me Speedwagon it's a pleasure to meet you all."]
"Nice to meet you, Speedwagon," Rias replies.
"As in the Speedwagon Foundation?!" Josuke thinks out loud.
["Ah, you must be Josuke Higashikata, a pleasure to meet you as well."]
"What are you?" Josuke asks.
Speedwagon responds. ["I am the form that the energy within Giorno has chosen to use as a vessel for its consciousness."]
Rias asks next. "What is this energy you speak of?"
Speedwagon answers. ["Well as Josuke has seemed to entrust you with what seems to be his life then I guess you are all trustworthy. The energy Giorno possess is called Dimensional Stand Energy or D.S.E."]
Speedwagon then explains to Josuke, Rias and the rest of the Peerage what D.S.E is, all the Stand Categories and the missing fragments.
Josuke starts to speak."I guess that makes me a D.S.E fragment then. Are you going to kill me?"
Giorno frowns at this and speaks. "No, of course not. The only thing you possess as a D.S.E fragment is Crazy Diamond and you seem like it would be a waste to kill you. You could become a valuable ally as well as a friend.
Josuke who feels less anxious that he'll be killed asks another question, but to Speedwagon. "Do you know what happened to the other dimension and the people that were once there? Could they be here like me?"
Speedwagon with a sad expression on his face answers. ["well chap you see... That dimension collapsed in on itself due to the stand battle between 'Made In Heaven' and 'Weather Report'. The conclusion to the battle made it collapse, the fate of the people of the dimension is unknown to me, but I'll say that the Stands that Giorno doesn't possess aren't the ones that your friends possessed not making it possible for them to be fragmented."]
Josuke hearing that his friends aren't in this dimension sheds a tear for them. Seeing this Asia walks up behind Josuke and hugs him.
After a few moments of silence, Rias starts to talk. "Oh, Giorno... By any chance would yo~" Giorno cuts Rias off.
"No, I will not join your Peerage." Giorno preemptively answers.
Rias pouts at Giorno being able to tell what she was going to ask.
Speedwagon speaks up. ["Well I think that I've done my job now, so I'll be going ta ta."]
"Bye uncle Speedwagon." Shizuka waves goodbye. With that Speedwagon goes back into Giorno's mindscape.
"He can use every Stand, huh." Josuke thinks out loud.
"Not all of them, just a lot of them," Giorno responds.
Rias begins to speak once again. "By any chance Giorno... Would you mind giving this information and more of it to my brother Sirzechs?"
"I know who you're brother is and how that information could help him its just... What do I get out of it?" Giorno responds with a slight smirk on his face.
"Well I can't speak for my brother, so the reward would be discussed between the two of you." Rias answers.
"I see, if you set up a time and place I'll meet with him about it," Giorno responds getting a satisfied look from Rias.
Kiba starts to talk. "Hey, Giorno if it's alright, I'd like to know how you moved so fast in that fight you had," Josuke smirks knowing the answer.
"Although I don't mind telling you this information can leave this room, the ability I used called 'The World' allows me to stop time for eleven seconds," Giorno answers.
Rias' eyes widen at this followed by multiple shocked expressions around the room.
Giorno continues. "It wasn't that I was going fast, it was the fact that I moved during what I call 'Time's Blind Spot'."
Before any questions could be asked the school bell went off noticing that lunchtime is now over. Everyone inside the club room started rushing to class as they forgot it was the middle of the school day.
The school day progresses and it is now time to go home.
— Kuoh Academy: Front Gate —
"So Shizuka when did you start calling Speedwagon 'Uncle'?" Giorno asks.
"Oh... Umm well only recently, I've been talking to him via mental connection more that's all." Shizuka tried to hide a blush.
"Whatever... Aghh im, so tired. That time stop put a dent in my stamina." Giorno complained.
"Oh walk it off you'll be fine, just have an early night," Shizuka responds.
"Easy for a Dragon God to say," Giorno replies.
"Hey... Not so loud dummy!" Shizuka complains punching Giorno softly in the shoulder.
Before Giorno could retaliate he feels a strong magic signature arrive in the occult research club room.
"Hmm... Hey, Shizuka let's go back I'd like to check something out." Giorno asks.
Shizuka responds by nodding as she senses the same magic signature that Giorno does.
To Be Continued...
Hi, howdy. Thanks for reading chapter five I hope that you enjoyed it.
If you have any feedback, questions or issues please leave a review. Thanks and I'll see you next chapter!