ATTENTION: I DO NOT OWN ANYTHING OF FATE SERIES OR JOJO'S BIZARRE ADVENTURE. ALL CREDIT BELONGS TO THE CREATORS AND THEIR CORRESPONDING PARTNERS!
-{Lost Butterfly}-
-{XVIII}-
"Come on, Onii-chan! Come On! Pleaaaase! Please!"
Hizoku turned into his locker, shielding himself from the younger girls poking him in the shoulder. "Ugh. Leave us alone…" He groaned.
Not taking no for an answer, Kokoro and Kurumi grabbed each side of their brother's shirt, spinning him around. "Come on, you did this yesterday! Hmph! One day we'll miss the bus and it will be your fault!" Kokoro whined.
Kurumi shook her head, "Procrastinating is a very bad habit." Next, they seized his ankles, finally forcing the boy to react.
"Oi Oi! Let go! I'm driving home with Sora today! Leave me alone!" Quickly pulling himself away, Hizoku held his hands up, ready to defend against any more schemes from his sisters. "Why don't you guys get on the bus like you usually do?! Why today?!"
Puffing her cheeks, Kokoro crossed her arms. "Because…!"
"Mom wants you to drive us home because of the accidents happening in the city. She doesn't want us to take the bus. Also, we feel safer in the car. No one bothers us there!" Kurumi informed him.
"Okay, well, I don't care! Just go ahead anyways. I'll deal with moms complaining letter." Hizoku yawned.
"You always do the opposite of what you're told!"
"This isn't fair," Kurumi whined.
Hizoku shrugged, "Hmn, not listening."
"Please!" The schoolgirl didn't care that she was starting to cause a scene, begging her brother like he was some overlord to plead with.
"No." Hizoku didn't budge.
"Please, Oni-chan! I'll clean your room for a week! Or a month! Just please take us with you!" A whimper escaped from Kurumi as her brother laughed in her face. It was useless. The rebellious teen wouldn't budge.
Rather than trying again, Kokoro just huffed. Her sister tugged her sleeves towards the exit, no sign of waiting up for their older brother. "Come on, the bus is coming…"
"This is ridiculous! You can't keep doing this to us! I'm telling Mom!" Kurumi howled.
Flipping her off, Hizoku just gave her a final: "Bite me." Pride swelled into a smile, watching Kurumi's face fall into dead shock. Guess he got the last word.
Every afternoon, Hizoku always drove his friend, Sora, home while they listened to music in the car and talked about obscure things he didn't want his sisters to overhear. Plus, they were so uncool! But ever since the city has become increasingly dangerous, their bus schedules and routes became less frequent. It was either the early bus or taking Hizoku's car home.
Hizoku sighed before gently smacking Sora, who was lucky enough to witness the whole thing happen. "Oi, quit laughing."
"Hey man, it was kinda funny to watch," Sora admitted.
"You try having two sisters who just bitch and complaint to you all the time. OooOOooh! You need to do this! You need to do that! You're this! You're that! It's just a headache man." He facepalmed.
Sora shrugged, "You sure your mom is going to be fine with that? I don't want you getting grilled again."
"What's the worst she's going to do? Make me cut my hair again?" Hizoku rolled his eyes, closing his locker.
"Maybe. Since I clearly remember you crying a river when your dad got on your case to make you do it." The other boy reasoned.
Clearly, Hizoku wasn't a big fan of this little throwback, "Hey! I was growing it out to look cool and he was just being an ass about it. Plus, we're all getting home! So unless they make up something- which they probably will -like I ditched them and piss my dad off even more, I'm just not even going to give it any more thought than it needs."
Sora followed Hizoku into their car, tuning the radio to their local rock channel. Slightly head-banging, he got Hizoku to join on a remake of the current guitar solo playing in the car. After the school parking lot traffic and finally getting on the road, Hizoku's phone started to ring.
Kokoro. Ignored.
His phone rang again.
Kurumi. Ignored.
Raising the volume of the song to a more than obnoxious level, Hizoku just kept laughing and singing with Sora, careless of his phone ringing endlessly. Throwing up some rock and roll signs while dropping off his fellow peer, Hizoku sped off, turning down the volume to his radio. Man, how long has it been? Time sure flies when you're having fun.
His pocket vibrated more violently than ever before.
Kokoro
Letting out a sigh, Hizoku answered the phone on speaker. "Ugh… what?! What could you two possibly want from me right now?!"
"Good Evening, Hizoku-kun, yes? Are you by any chance related to Shiho, Kokoro?" An unexpected male voice echoed over the phone.
Hizoku's throat tightened like a knot, "Y-Yes. I'm their brother. W-Who is this?"
"My name is Father Kotomine. I wish to bide a moment of your time to talk about…"
"...Shiho, Kurumi: Deceased at the scene of the accident. Shiho Kokoro: Deceased at the scene of the accident. Cause of death: Blunt force trauma and consistent crushing."
Hizoku shivered, standing meekly behind the police tape and emergency vehicles. An endless stream of tears reflected the red and blue service lights. Gasping for air, Hizoku hardly faced his blanket-covered sisters.
Every time his arm reached out towards their final resting place, it fell limp at his side. Hizoku tried imagining being able to see them one last time; to hold them close and share a laugh maybe. But now, he was eternally damned to hold himself.
Kirei disembarked the parked Speedwagon Foundation truck, holding a bible in his hands as he read to the deceased. "...I know that my redeemer lives and that, in the end, he will stand upon the Earth. And after my skin has been destroyed, yet in my flesh, I will see God. I, myself, will see him, with my own eyes. I… and not another. How my heart yearns for the dead and beats for the angels to meet them at judgment's gate. Amen."
How could this happen? Why did this happen? He just saw them over an hour ago! How could a thing like this happen? 25 passengers. No survivors. Not to mention the 50-car pile-up on the Fuyuki Freeway. That's a whole other animal of injuries and deaths. The questions kept flowing the more Hizoku looked at the flipped city bus.
His lip kept dribbling until Kotomine's shadow covered him completely.
Looking at the priest's calm expression, the teen held out his hands. "Father- How…?"
"HOW DID THIS HAPPEN?!"
THUMMMMM!
The Hand scraped away the space between Rin and Okuyasu, pulling her out of the way of Chili Pepper's sudden ambush. Despite catching Rin and avoiding harm, the enemy stand had a sneer glued from cheek to cheek; all while it held up its pinky finger in the air.
"Okuyasu-?" Rin's blood ran cold.
SLICE!
"GAAAAAAAAAH!" Okuyasu screamed, his left forearm split clean off the elbow. The rest of the bus erupted in a belligerent shriek.
Not often on your way home do you get to see a punk teen get his arm cut off. Blood covered him and Rin with a seemingly endless flow.
"Oops! I missed it!" Chili Pepper giggled while seizing Okuyasu by the throat. "You act like you are some hot-shit ace in the hole! But up close you're nothing but a mindless delinquent! You even make me look like a saint! From that day I glanced into your bull-dog looking eye sockets, I could tell you're just as dense as a rock! AHAHAHAAaaaa! Now let me show you how IT feels!"
Okuyasu plowed through the roof of the bus, caught by Chili Pepper conveniently waiting on top. "How does it feel, Okuyasu?!"
"Nijimura-kun!" Rin yelled.
Driving his heel into the punk's rear, he dispatched Okuyasu through the hole, back into the aisle. Mercy found no place in this fight. It only hid behind the sadistic laugh of Red Hot Chili Pepper. "How does it feel?!"
KICK!
A roundhouse kick knocked him out cold. The entire bus fell silent, only occupied by the sound of the roaring engine. Chili Pepper climbed over him again, coiling his fingers into his throat.
"I'm sorry, I can't hear you! Answer me when I ask you a question, you block-headed idiot! Watch carefully, Tohsaka! You're next! Now, Okuyasu- LET US have a chat!"
POW!
Reinforcing her leg with a thin layer of magecraft, Rin thrusted her shin into Chili Pepper's crotch.
The stand's eyes were ready to pop out of their sockets.
She karate-chopped his neck before a vengeful roundhouse kick to the stomach.
It was the break of focus that caused the bus to swerve into a few cars, knocking them into the sides of the street.
Chili Pepper popped up, pinning Rin down from behind. He clutched her neck, throwing her into a group of little girls who were all screaming bloody murder. Once apprehending the unconscious Okuyasu, Chili Pepper grabbed his severed arm to smack him with it. "Why are you hitting yourself?! Why are you hitting yourself?! Why are you hitting yourself?! This bus' battery is enough to power me beyond any stand or servant!"
"Nijimura-kun! Get up! Come on! Get up!" Tohsaka pleaded, rolling down to the floor.
Pinning Rin and Okuyasu together, he started choking them both. Chili Pepper even leaned in and licked Tohsaka's cheek.
"Anything you wish for me to tell Joseph Joestar on your behalf?"
"Gaaugh!" Rin squealed. She took a swing at Chili Pepper, only to be shocked by a sudden burst of volts!
"Gaaaaaaugh!"
"I like this job… I LIKE IT!"
Despite bleeding and squirming in agony, Rin refused to let him go out like this. As long as Okuyasu possessed his stand and agreed to their alliance, she had to ensure his survival as well as hers. There was no more hiding it. She needed help. "ARCHER!"
WHOOOSH!
A torrent of violent wind turned Red Hot Chili Pepper's attention away from strangling his targets. This was something he wanted to see with his own eyes. Feeling the mana of another servant, Chili Pepper laughed at a deadman walking.
"Archer…"
Snarling towards the white-haired Archer down the block, Chili Pepper sat tight in the driver's seat, gripping the wheel like a little kid holding their Christmas present.
"Now there's an Archer…"
Okuyasu gagged back to life, repeatedly trying to suppress his own screams. Rin quickly pulled him away from the front, positioning herself over his body. Quickly scanning his injury, Tohsaka had no choice but to try and stop the wound. "Nijumura-kun! I need you to stay with me!"
"Gaaaaugh! Aaaaug! And Aaaaauglll these people! Aauuugh! Looking at meeeeEEEE!" He kept squirming around, tears rushing down his face.
Grabbing his stump, Rin placed a jewel to her lips, breathed on it, and then pressed it into his arm; followed by a short incantation. The jewel gleamed intensely, burning his wound shut instantly. Okuyasu's screaming was breaking her focus.
"Quit being a big baby! What happened to the tough delinquent who will crack people's heads in for their friends, huh?" She blabbered. This was partially her fault, but Okuyasu wasn't that smart enough to figure it out.
Was he?
After some more sniffling and hiding his face, Okuyasu attempted to sit up on the ground. "I underestimated the bastard- and- I didn't listen to you, Tohsaka. I'm- sorry. You were right. I shoulda just taken yer direction. You're the smartest 'ere by a landslide."
Whether it was Okuyasu using his brain or the pain bringing him some onset delusion, he managed to flare up Rin's cheeks so suddenly. "Save the praise for after we get out of here! Come on, stand up, Archer's handling this."
"E-Eh? A-Archer-?"
Ahead of them, Archer summoned forth his bow. The battered servant honed in on his target with a crow's malice.
Chili Pepper has run far too rampant, causing too much destruction; even death. Archer witnessed the crossfire's aftermath firsthand, pulling himself out of that devastating pile-up on the freeway.
No more.
As painful as it was, everyone on board bore witness to the Holy Grail War.
Rules were Rules.
It was his curse. He wanted to be a hero, right? So a 'hero' he would be.
The servant approached the bus, slowly treading the steps of his past. He advanced into a jog, all before engaging in a full sprint towards his target. Locking eyes with the enemy stand, Archer pulled the string back, firing a strange-looking arrow at the bumper; an arrow with a rope attached to one end.
Chili Pepper was practically foaming out the mouth from excitement, ready to see Archer's next move. How was he going to engage him in combat?! How could he possibly stop the bus and get everyone off safely? That is what heroes do, right?
His smile dropped once the servant slid under the bus, letting it pass right over him. What?! What kind of tactic was that? Was Archer truly that much of a coward?!
No, Archer thought ahead. His choice, while deceiving, was far more tactile than one could think to counter. He distracted Chili Pepper long enough for This Means War to grab Okuyasu and Rin, hauling them out the back of the bus.
"Archer missed?" Chili Pepper whispered to himself, confused. This was a bit too suspicious.
Chilli Pepper's eye detected the violent wobbling of streetlights and collapsing traffic signals in the rearview mirror. One by one they fell like dominoes, yanked out of the ground with the force of a thousand men. The rope ran out of lead.
"Oh."
Pulling the front bumper, the rope flung the front of the bus from under itself; a complete flip being completed. Chili Pepper's encore ended in a devastating conclusion.
BOOOM!
"Holy shit." Okuyasu shivered. The sounds of the people's screams faded in a sudden hush. There were only the cackling sounds of electrical sparks. "What have we done?"
"We survived." Rin coldly responded, "Now get up. Let's go see Josuke and get you fixed up."
"Thanks." The punk teen gave grace to Archer. Standing up, he watched his companion march towards a side alleyway. "T-Tohaska! Hey! Archer! What the hell did you do? The people!"
"What was necessary." He quickly answered.
Shirou shut his eyes as tightly as he could. The only thing he could wish for next was the sweet release of death. There wasn't anyone who could possibly help him in this situation! No last-minute saves, no surprise stand attacks, or even servants would come to his aid. The slice came down onto his head.
WHIFF!
And stopped on a single hair thread.
"You know, now that I think about it, you have more use alive than dead. As much as I would love to kill a brat like you, there's more I can make you do." Alessi lowered the ax and held little Shirou's head with his hands. "You remind me of the last child who gave me trouble. But, I learned. I improved. Way to go, me."
Set emerged once more. But rather than take its normal form and path, the stand expanded, creating its own shadows and pockets of shadows. Alessi revealed himself to have become a full-fledged magus. While relatively newer at the craft, he had 10 years to develop his skills.
"Let go of me!" Shirou struggled.
"Hush hush, little Shirou. Here's what you are going to do for me. You're going to stay quiet and show me where Joseph Joestar is. Then you're going to tell me which people are the friends you came with. For every friend you point out, you get a piece of candy."
While disgusted at the treasonous bribe, Shirou would be an idiot to turn down free candy! But this man said to tell him where his friends were or die. Shirou didn't want to die. Not little Shirou! Hanging his head low, he submitted to his captor.
"That sounds good, right? I mean, I could always turn your face into a giant pulp! But, actually, that would raise suspicion. But, if I hit where the bruises don't show!"
THWACK!
"A-Ack!"
Alessi speared Shirou in the gut.
Feeling his ribs pierce his innards, a swift cry left the child.
SMACK!
Shirou tumbled on the ground in tears, gagging uncontrollably. "P-Please stop! Help! Someone! Help!"
PUNCH!
"Aaah! Stop! Please!"
THWACK!
Alessi laughed at Shirou's cries. He kept striking him without remorse. "Do it! Call your friends! See if they'll come!"
"Gaaaah! No! Aaaaah! Gaaaaaaah!" Succumbing to the abuse, Shirou vomited after another punch in his gut. There was a mix of today's meals and blood.
No one would come. No matter how hard he cried, no matter how loud he screamed... no one came. Curled up on a ball, Alessi kicked him into a corner. "Get up, Shirou Emiya. Surprise me that I didn't choose a helpless little brat to lead me to victory. Get up. If people come in they will get suspicious. They will have to die too. Do you want to be the reason more people die, Shirou?"
Darkness imprisoned him. The pain kept him grounded. No matter how slow Shirou tried to rise, agony consumed his will. But the people! Shirou couldn't just let more people die because of him! He needed to stand up for himself. He needed to stand for them! One foot after the other wiped his tears and stifled his cries.
"Aah~. Very good Shirou." Alessi patted his shoulder. "A strong brat who cooperates is truly one in a million. Remember that if you act out, you will get that beating once again. Then? You will die."
What was more terrifying than being escorted out by the larger man? The fact that death loomed over him like a shadow.
Shirou's magic circuits powered down. He was now truly powerless. If Shirou ran, he died. If he screamed, he died. There was nothing else he could do but comply.
On the bottom shelf, behind large gift shop hoodies, Taku cupped his hands over his mouth. Eyes bloodshot and teary, he stifled his cries as best as he could he was alone. "Yumi… Minako… Seishou…" ~Sniffle~ "Mommy…" Taku peeked from his hiding spot, checking for a clear coast. The only things accompanying him were the remaining fetus' of his friends and chaperone. "Minako…"
Out of panic and fear, Taku took off from the gift shop, running as fast as his little legs could take him.
"Finally, about time." Josuke watched the large Yacht approach its designated spot. "Don't know why Shirou's taking forever. Kid better not be buying ice cream for the whole damn block."
"I would hold him to that, Jojo," Rin muttered behind Josuke.
"Gah!" The teen jumped. "Don't scare me like that, Tohsaka. Whoa. Tohsaka, Okuyasu, you guys don't look so- WAIT WHERE'S YOUR ARM?!"
Okuyasu looked like he had seen a ghost, "I dunno. Don't wanna talk about it."
"Jojo, would you be so kind as to fix us up?" Rin had all kinds of cuts on her face. Her hands bore bruises like a boxer and her shins puffed-up purple.
Crazy Diamond's arms emerged, resting on each teen respectively. "What the hell happened to you guys?"
"That bastard, Chili Pepper, happened." The punk scowled. "Took my arm and an entire bus with 'em! I swear, when I get my hands on him again he'll wish he were dead!"
Rin sighed, "Red Hot Chili Pepper hid inside a battery of the commuter bus. He hijacked it, sending Nijimura-kun and me through a sick assassination attempt. I never understood how powerful that stand was. He was able to overpower us and stand up to Archer using the bus's battery alone."
"He was able to beat Saber and Crazy Diamond using the electricity from our home," Josuke added. "If he gets a hold of a greater power source, there's a chance he can stand up to Jotaro-san."
"I keep my faith in Kujo-san, but I may have to agree with you on this," Rin confessed. After witnessing Chili Pepper firsthand, an adaptive stand like that has the power to level any skilled magus and stand user.
Okuyasu looked at the stump of his arm. The sealed end was glowing, but the rest of his arm was nowhere to be seen. "Uhhh, Josuke. How long does this usually take?"
"I don't know. I can't say as of recently. Crazy Diamond's just been… weaker." The crippled teen admitted.
"Don't say that," Okuyasu whined.
"I'm telling you the truth! What else do you want to hear?" Josuke fired back.
"I can't believe I'm saying this again, but Nijimura-kun is right. Your stand's strength relies on your willpower. The lower the willpower, the weaker the stand. It's your fighting spirit. Watch how you refer to yourself, Jojo. The warrior within hears and is moved by it." Rin informed him. "Take out Crazy Diamond."
Josuke blinked in awe. The stand emerged as two large arms on each side of him. They presented themselves in the air and waved.
Okuyasu waved back.
Rin wasn't so amused. "Is that all?"
"Yeah, that's all," Josuke murmured.
"That's not good, no, that's not good at all." She started to pace around them.
"Tohsaka?" Okuyasu called out.
She stopped in front of Josuke, staring him down like a predator to its prey. "Jojo. Your fighting spirit has dropped so dramatically that your stand only materializes as arms. If you keep up this brooding, soon there won't be a Crazy Diamond."
"W-What do you mean?" Josuke leaned back.
"Within a couple days, you went from having a full mobile stand to a set of arms. I don't doubt that they are any less powerful, but the product remains the same. Magus' who have had stands lost them by losing their fighting spirit. Whether they suffer a tragedy, lose their abilities, or are beaten beyond recovery, they lose their stand if they lose their will to live." The situation was more serious than she realized. Rin had been so caught up with Okuyasu that she hadn't even thought to reach out to the 'Jojo' in her life.
Wasn't Shirou keeping him in a good mood?
"Great…" The pompadour groaned.
Rin held up her finger, "Listen, Jojo. If you want to be able to protect yourself and Shirou, you need to get out of your own head. Whatever you are thinking or telling yourself isn't doing you any good. It's making you weaker."
"Way to lay it in easy, Tohsaka." Okuyasu huffed.
"I don't like the new you. I know it's hard being like this, but I'm working on figuring something out as soon as possible." Before Rin could continue, she halted at Josuke's-
"Really? Are you doing everything to fix me? What about your mage's association? Your books? Your rocks? Something! I can't do anything like this and the fact that you think I can is just going to get us killed!" He blurted.
…
…
The other two teens remained speechless. Rin's eyes were shaded by her hair, turning around and facing away from Josuke. "You know what, Jojo? Maybe you should stay back. An attitude like that is bound to leave you with no allies."
By the perplexed expression Josuke wore, Okuyasu knelt beside his friend for comfort, "Look, I ain't that hardcore about it, but you should really be thinkin' better thoughts! No 'ifs' 'ands' or buts!"
"Well-"
"No buts!" He declared, "I know it ain't easy. But, give Tohsaka time. She's tryin' her hardest."
Josuke moaned. Reflecting on what he's become, the young man felt a pit swell in his stomach. First, he lost his legs and now he's losing his heart? Come on! Where was that Josuke fighting spirit he always had! "Alright. I'm sorry. I'll try to think of better thoughts. I'm just stressed about this whole thing. The old man gets off the ship and the first thing he sees is his son in a wheelchair. What kind of reaction do you think he's gonna have?"
"I dunno. You never know till ya find out. So quit the bad talk and get ready for-" Okuyasu turned around, but the boat still remained in front of them. It still hadn't docked. Rather, it was slowly floating away from them. "What's takin' them so long?"
"I don't know, Nijimura-kun." Rin tried to get a better look at the boat. She spotted it when she first arrived with Okuyasu. It was drifting.
Josuke squinted. "The radar isn't spinning. Doesn't that mean all communications would cease?"
"Yeah." Okuyasu blindly agreed. "Somethin' ain't right."
"Only one way to find out. Archer, get us up to the boat." She looked back at the crippled teen. "We're going to rendezvous with Joseph Joestar. Wait here for Kujo-san and Emiya-kun."
"Great." Before Josuke could give them any more time of day, Archer seized both Okuyasu and Rin. Josuke rejoined his lovely companion known as solitude. "Now Shirou's taking forever. Where the hell is this kid?"
Sitting at a table that overlooked the pier, Alessi sipped on his iced tea. There was another iced tea in front of little Shirou. While the larger man sat back in confidence, the younger boy slouched forward; physically and mentally defeated. He was forced to look through a little pair of binoculars to find Joseph Joestar and Co. Every minute he didn't have an answer, Shirou felt the blade of the ax rest heavier on his neck.
"I see them. They- They just got on the boat." Shirou murmured.
"Oh really? Which ones? Who are they?" Alessi swooned. "I need to know what they look like. You may have forgotten their names but I'm sure you recognize them."
"The girl in the red. I can't remember her name. And there's a boy in dark blue. He is… um… oh." The auburn boy was put off by Alessi's snakish laughter. Feeling the larger man's hand pat his head roughly, Shirou cringed in his chair; he even let out a whine.
"Yes! Very good Shirou-kuuuun! As a reward, you may take a sip of your drink! Watch as Set and my Shadow Magecraft bring the strongest of fighters into weak little children! Hahaheeeee! Very good, me."
Descending onto the deck, Okuyasu and Rin kept clear of any passing Speedwagon Foundation members. The goal was to find Joseph Joestar. Heading towards the stern, the teens weaved through doorways into a bar area. They crawled behind the counter to use it as a temporary hiding spot.
"Everything seems in order," Rin whispered. "We just can't be discovered by these people. Easier for me, not so much for you."
"I'll try my best, Tohsaka," Okuyasu assured her.
Nodding with approval, she gave him a small smile, "Good. Archer is searching for Joseph Joestar as we speak. We just need to get to him and then calmly introduce ourselves."
Okuyasu noticed Rin's face starting to gain a slight tint of red. Her hands even had a reflection from sweat. "Tohsaka? Are you ok?"
"Ok? Of course, I'm ok! When am I not ok?! It's just Joseph Joestar- one of the most commended magus in history and living legend -no big deal." She yell-whispered. Rin visibly froze for a moment, quickly standing up. "Archer found them. Next floor above us."
"Sure... Alright, I guess we're doin' this." Okuyasu followed.
Before the both of them stepped into the hallway, the sounds of rushing footsteps thundered towards them. Rin quickly yanked Okuyasu back into the room, pinning themselves against the wall in a hush. When the steps entered the room, both teens vanished without a trace.
Two Speedwagon Foundation members entered the lounge, opening a box with a key. "Go alert Mr. Joestar and his guest that we are experiencing a medical emergency with the captain."
"Yes! What exactly happened?" The other member asked.
Retrieving the first aid kit from the box on the wall, the first Speedwagon Foundation member made haste. "He was found unconscious on the ground, his body burned to a crisp. Judging by the fried com systems, we believe he was electrocuted."
"But the equipment is state-of-the-art! There shouldn't have been a malfunction!"
"We can run a check later! The captain is barely breathing!"
Watching both members' feet from behind the couches, Rin and Okuyasu rose with haste. Electrocuted? From state-of-the-art technology? Communications knocked out? This was all too suspicious. By the look both teens had on each other's faces, they reached the same conclusion.
"You think it's Chili Pepper?" Okuyasu questioned. He would have sworn he would have remained trapped with the crashed bus. At this point, anything could happen.
"Very much so. We need to find Joseph Joestar!" Rin took off, guiding Okuyasu behind her.
With the medical accident happening on the bridge, most of the boat was in a frenzy. Different Speedwagon Foundation members attempted to fix communications; some were scared they would be electrocuted like their captain. With open hallways leading right to the room of Joseph Joestar, Rin and Okuyasu made it effortlessly. While Rin wanted to take credit for her expert navigating skills, she would have been called out by Archer for not mentioning his guidance.
Stepping through the doorway, Rin spotted Joseph sitting on a couch, looking out the window. Hesitant to step in at first, she followed behind Okuyasu as entered. Besides a bowl of fruit on the coffee table in front of him, there wasn't much else added to the room. Maybe two sets of baggage in the corner, but that's it.
"So this is Josuke's dad? His body is huge but he's a rickety-looking geezer." Okuyasu whispered.
THWACK!
Rin lightly slapped his shoulder with a pouting expression, "That is Joseph Joestar! He's a living legend in the mage's association! He was responsible for guiding human history itself and even saving the world!"
'Relax, Tohsaka. Your ambition is showing.' Archer spoke to her via spirit link.
"Stop listening in! Go alert Kujo-san that we made it to Joseph Joestar. Let him know the situation on the boat and hurry!" Dismissing her servant left both teens without another form of firepower. Regardless, Rin remained ready with her Jewels. She counted on The Hand as well.
"You there."
Joseph's old voice grabbed the attention of both teens. Once they both faced him in awe, the old man softly smiled. "What are your names?"
"It's Okuyasu." The punk answered.
"It is an honor to meet you, Joseph Joestar. My name is Rin Tohsaka, heir to the Tohsaka bloodline and daughter of Ex-Crusader, Tomioki Tohsaka. I hope we can get along just fine."
"Okuyasu. Rin." Joseph repeated.
"We are Josuke's friends and-" Okuyasu was cut off by Rin's-
"And we are magus as well. I am of course a Magus of the Tohsaka while Okuyasu here is a Stand User. But yes, we are Magus!"
Joseph put his hand to his ear, "Eh?"
"We are Magus," Rin said a little louder.
"Eh?" Joseph repeated, clearly hard of hearing.
"We are Magus!" She shouted.
"Oh! You guys like to make juice?" The old man faced them once more with a light smile.
Rin rushed over, quickly yelling. "WE ARE MAGUS!"
Unaware of any frustration, the old man shrugged. "Oh, so you two are magus. Must be rough. By the way, Min, Osomatsu, I can't seem to find my cane. Do you know where it is?"
"E-Eh?" Rin couldn't believe this.
Okuyasu scratched his head, looking at the cane that rested in the old man's hand. This guy must have seriously lost his marbles. If anything, he felt bad for Rin! She seemed to look up to him like she looked up to Jotaro!
"S-Sorry about that!" Joseph started to laugh. "It was in my right hand! Hehe."
"Good Grief…" Rin and Okuyasu sighed in unison.
"I know my eyes haven't been the best, but I think you're missing an arm, Oyoketsu." Joseph squinted.
"Um, no sir! I think that's your eyes just playin' tricks on ya! Yeah!" He leaned into Rin. "Oi, how long is this thing gonna take to get here?"
"I don't know! With Josuke's stand power weakened, it could take a few more minutes. I'm a magus, not a fortune teller."
A Speedwagon Foundation member stepped into the upper lounge, catching Rin and Okuyasu off guard. "Mr. Joestar. I've come to collect the luggage of you and Mr- Excuse me! This room is reserved for Mr. Joestar and authorized Speedwagon Foundation Personnel! Please Vacate Immediately! Wait- what happened to your arm?!" He reached for his radio.
"W-Wait!" Okuyasu shouted. "We aren't strangers! We're here because a dangerous person is coming after Mr. Joestar! We need to be here to protect him!"
Not buying it, the Foundation member retrieved their radio to transmit an alert. He stopped when Rin stepped up with her hands in front of her skirt. "We are close associates of Jotaro Kujo! Our names are Okuyasu Nijimura-" She pointed to the punk. "-and Rin Tohsaka. Yes, the Rin Tohsaka. My father was Tokiomi Tohsaka and he worked with the Speedwagon Foundation 10 years ago. Okuyasu is fine. He lost his arm to the enemy stand that is after Joseph Joestar! I am also a master in this Holy Grail War. Please! You must believe us."
"Alright. I'll confirm it with our coordinator. For now, Mr. Nijimura, Miss Tohsaka, please vacate the area." The crewmember politely instructed.
ALERT TO ALL CREW PERSONNEL ON BOARD! THIS IS A CODE RED! OUR CREW HAS STARTED TO RAPIDLY AGE BACKWARDS! I REPEAT! OUR CREW IS STARTING TO RAPIDLY AGE-
The transmission ended with static coming from the radio, leaving everyone in the room in shock. Flickering overhead lights didn't make the situation any less sinister. Emerging from the room's shadows, formless creatures with axes manifested. All five of them were enough to surround Rin, Okuyasu, Joseph, and the crewmate.
"Tohsaka. What should we do?" Okuyasu asked.
"Okuyasu. Erase them!" Reinforcing her arm and leg, Rin propels herself forward into one of the creatures. "Protect Joseph Joestar!"
The crewmate instantly shouted, "Wait! Don't touch them! We have documentation of this stand ability from years ago! With the power to return anyone to a helpless fetus state, Set inflicts the curse onto anyone who touches the shadow!"
She suddenly stopped. Rin halted in front of the shadow creature and created distance across the floor.
"That's right! Keeheeheeee! Combining the teachings of shadow magecraft with my stand, SET's abilities are far beyond anyone's comprehension! You will soon return to nothing but a helpless state! All of you!"
One creature covered the crewmate entirely, exposing them to the true power of Set. Okuyasu wouldn't go down easy. The Hand emerged, erasing two of the shadow creatures near him. A third swung its axe down, slashing him across the back.
"Gah!" The punk rolled across the floor. The cut stung like a thousand bees piercing one particular spot. Worst? It was far from over. Two more shadow creatures manifested. "G-Get away!"
THUUMMMMM!
The Hand erased one of the newly arriving shadow creatures. When another axe came down, it kicked the enemy in the face before releasing a volley of punches into its body. Behind Okuyasu, a stray shadow lunged forward! The Hand received a slash across the face, its user reflecting the wound.
"DAMMIT! Go to hell you mother-!"
THUUMMMM!
"It doesn't matter! As long as I have mana, I can keep creating more!" Alessi cackled through his stand. Two of the shadow creatures grabbed Joseph under his arms, dragging him towards the balcony.
Feeling her circuits pulsing with anticipation, Rin knew she had to attack without touching them! Okuyasu was distracting the shadows long enough for her to stand up and aim her arm at the leftmost shadow. "Gandr!"
BOOM!
The shadow disintegrated the second the Gandr shot passed through it. Rin turned around and shot the crew member free with a lower-grade Gandr. Two shadows were eradicated. One more kept poor old Joseph hostage. It remained formless, using its arms to keep him up and tilt him near the rim.
"If you don't want to end up like your other specter buddies, let go of him and kindly jump off the edge," Rin advised.
Rather than chortle or poke fun at the Tohsaka mage, the shadow started to evolve. It gained a defined set of buff arms, legs, and a humanoid appearance. The altered version of Set became an identical doppelganger to its owner. Manifesting himself through Set, Alessi got to look at Rin through his own eyes.
"I'm sorry, but in a moment your opinion won't even matter. You already feel it, don't you? The reverting of your magic circuits, shrinking in height and cracking of voice. Despite you briefly passing through Set's shadow, you should revert to a defenseless child any second! That crewmember is doomed to a worst fate and so is JOSEPH JOESTAR!"
Set plunged its shadow through Joseph before clasping him by the throat.
"NO!" Rin shrieked. Overcome with might and sheer Tohsaka willpower, the pig-tailed magus bolted towards Set. She couldn't let one of the great magus of her time be killed before her eyes. That old man can't swim. He was doomed to rest at the bottom of the marina forever. But not her. She leaped to try and catch the old man. But by the time she hit the water, there was no more 'old man.'
SPLASH!
[JoJo's Bizarre Adventure END 01 - Roundabout: YES]
"TOHSAKAAAAA!" After erasing the rest of the shadow creatures, left with a couple more scratches, Okuyasu spat fire toward the shadow avatar. "You- You heartless little shit! I'll kill ya for this, ya know? I'll fuckin kill ya for hurting Tohsaka and Josuke's dad!"
"THERE IS NOTHING YOU CAN DO! I've done it! I've killed Joseph Joestar and the bratty Magus girl! They are probably choking on his own blood while uncontrollably sinking! Well then, stand user! When we are done, I will be happy to discipline you for talking back to an adult!" Controlling his own avatar through Set, Alessi had his famous shadow ax back in his grasp.
"And your next line is, 'That's Impossible!' toyu~!"
"That's Impossible! W-Wait what?!"
To Be Continued ===}
Its good to be back, isn't it? Hell yeah! I know this chapter is more on the short side, but it would have been so much longer if I kept writing. We were looking at like 12,000+ words. So I was given an amazing idea of where to end the chapter for now! I promise! One more chapter and then we move to a Heaven's Feel related arc and push the story along! This arc is just special. Its a gift I wanted to give the JoJo community and all you amazing people who read and love this story! Thank you for waiting and all your amazing love and support! It truly is motivating.
Now! This amazing arc sees the return of our favorite part 3 child abuser! That was not serious in the slightest. Alessi is scum of the earth. But with Tohsaka and Okuyasu faced to make tough life-altering decisons, they soon realize that their own selfish actions have consequences. Josuke remains fighting the mental battle of losing the mobility in his legs and his fighting spirit. With Jotaro doing all he can to track down the user of Whitesnake, it seems another character had been roped into this mess. A test OC as one can call it.
But there is a lot to come in the final chapter of the arc which I will work on as soon as possible. Hopefully I don't make yall wait so long. I've been hooked on my other fic, A Demon's Cry. I also need to work on Unlimited Stand Works. I'll get to that next! Thank you all for waiting and enjoy this next chapter and my ending gift to you all! Follow! favorite! Review! I love yall so let us show this story some more love! It has grown huge and I am all for it!