The morning sun rose above the clouds, and Kyoka had seemingly been the only one awake. So, in lew of that, she decided that it would've been a good idea to take a walk around the old abandoned school. As she walked the halls, she saw Izuku, sitting by his lonesome. "Hey there Green Bean," Kyoka said, sitting next to Izuku, recognizing that the greenette seemed troubled. "You okay?"

Izuku was silent for a moment, his hands clasped together by his knees, his back hunched over, and his overall demeanour seeming… sad. Disheartened, almost. Nevertheless, he was still able to respond to Kyoka's question, even if it was a quiet "...I suppose."

"Remember, it's okay to talk about your feelings Izuku... I'm not going to call you a crybaby if you let it out. Kira kind of dropped a bomb on us, I'm still recovering from it." Kyoka admitted, fiddling with her jacks as she nudged her friend with her elbow.

Izuku let out a dry chuckle in response, glancing at her with a soft smile. "How is it that you are both the queen of sarcasm, and one of the nicest people I have ever known? I mean... you just have this weird knack for comforting people," Izuku responded, causing the purplette to huff out some air, repressing a snicker.

"It's kind of the whole reason I'm a hero," Kyoka replied with a yawn, which made Izuku snort. Ever since learning that there could be ghosts in the building, she didn't get a lick of sleep.

At least until Johnny made room for her in his sleeping bag. Despite her tough nature, she truly was a softie at heart. A softie he felt more than comfortable confiding in.

She was the first classmate, not counting Johnny, to learn about One For All, and she had proven just how loyal she was to her friends, not only helping him with his confidence issues but also maintaining the secret a bit better. He trusted her with his life.

"It has more to do with the part where Yoshihara revealed that the abuse she suffered was because she was Quirkless. I...I can understand that pain. Not to the same extent...never to the same extent. Kacchan was cruel...but he wasn't evil, hell, he's trying to make up for his mistakes! I guess I'm...in the same boat as JoJo, in a way...only able to slightly know how she feels."

"Is that why you bent a chair into a pretzel?" Kyoka quipped, causing the green-haired let out a nervous chuckle, rubbing the back of his neck.

"In my defence, it wasn't hard to bend. It was pretty rusty," Izuku replied, a sheepish look on his face.

"You didn't even use your Quirk, did you?"

There was a brief moment of silence. The silence was broken when Izuku sunk himself a little bit lower, staring at the ground. "Nope..."

Kyoka chuckled at the boy's awkwardness, then sighed. "I understand. My problems were just normal teenage anxiety and a lack of body positivity. Compared to the other people here I'm just a baby-"

"That's not true. Everyone has their own problems... I would never disregard yours," Izuku said, interrupting the girl as Kyoka smiled.

"Trust me, Mr. 'I fought the Hero Killer and won because I wouldn't mind my own business,' I know. It's what makes you such a great hero, you'd never disregard someone in need of saving, no matter how mundane or life-threatening the problem is," Kyoka said, earning a smirk from Izuku.

"Says the girl who killed Susan for the Joestar Family."

"Never said we weren't in the same boat, I'm just better at subtlety," Kyoka remarked. "Kira's story was about what I would describe to be the worst of humanity. Every single individual, besides Kira and her saviours, was utterly despicable."

"Including that 'hero.'" Izuku said, bitterly. "They made a vow to protect the innocent...heroes are supposed to help people, and this hero just... checked in, didn't dig deeper. They were just so... negligent."

"There's a difference between a pro hero and a true hero, Izuku. You are a true hero... to other people... it's just a job. It's actually kind of sad..." Kyoka said. "Stain was kind of right... he just, had a very flawed judgment...although we probably shouldn't expect much from a murderous psychopath."

"We're going to be different," Izuku stated, a determined look in his eyes.

Kyoka turned to the OFA user to find a determined look on his face, a look that she had grown used to. There was a moment of silence between the two as Kyoka reached down to take his hand, gripping it in a gesture of friendship.

"You're damn right, Izuku Midoriya."

"I know I am, our group has proven me right on multiple occasions now... I wish someone had been there for her. I mean, Dabi saved her, he's a serial killer. Once again... it goes to show that no one is truly good, or truly evil." Izuku said, grimacing. "Someone should have saved her sooner... and to think, her version of me has no clue about any of this!"

"It's not like we can help her with that situation... she has her own world to go back to, her own problems. I think we did more than enough by just listening to her." The purplette shifted her weight, still uncomfortable from the recent revelation. "Sometimes you just need to get things off your chest, if anything we lightened the burden she has been carrying. I suppose... you just have to have faith in your other self when it comes to her, don't you?" Kyoka replied, giving the green-haired boy a reassuring smile.

"I guess..."

Kyoka sighed and ruffled Izuku's hair, standing up. "You and your saviour complex... try not to mope around too much, the merger is spreading... it's only a matter of time before the shit hits the fan, so we all need to pitch into finding that kid," Kyoka stated as Izuku stood up as well.

"Don't worry Kyoka...my head's still in the game. Thanks, you're the best friend anyone could ever ask for," Izuku thanked, Kyoka giving him a thumbs up.

"Right back at you, Greenie."

In the streets of Morioh, a lone duo was tracking down Karl. Josuke had nudged the two together to cement the shaky trust that had formed between them. Johnny narrowed his eyes upon seeing the text on his phone. "Shit...that's not good..."

"What is it?" Yoshihara asked, curious.

"Midnight just encountered a doppelganger of herself...luckily my dad intervened before they touched. Looks like your surrogate mother had a pretty close shave," Johnny said, turning to Yoshihara. "She is safe, though."

"Good. You told me about your mother... is it alright if I ask about your father?" Yoshihara asked, deciding to start the conversation. She and Johnny had crossed the threshold of suspicion, and she knew it was important to build the trust with her newest ally.

"Well, for starters my dad isn't a horrid pile of skunk meat like my mother was. He's a bit... reserved, not unlike you, but he has a good heart beneath it all. He isn't without his flaws of course... he left me with that woman in an effort to protect me from his enemies, which enabled her. Once he found out about a bit of it, he sent me to live with my great-grandfather, Joseph Joestar," Johnny explained, earning a raised eyebrow from Kira.

"Enemies... you mentioned that one of them was responsible for crippling you," the blonde asked as Johnny shrugged.

"Yep... his worst fears realized. He... was pretty opposed to my return to UA after that. Although I managed to beat him in a Stand Battle, alongside Gyro, so I could prove to him that he didn't have to worry about me anymore. In a way...I'm surpassing him now."

"It sounds like you look up to him," Yoshihara noted, earning a half-hearted smile from Johnny.

"I do. My dad... he was my hero, the opposite of my mother in every way. Even when I was still living with her, all I could think about was how cool he was. When I went to live with Gramps, he told me how my dad saved the world...twice. The stories I heard of his accomplishments, they were a light in the darkness," Johnny let out a dry chuckle, earning a raised eyebrow from the blond at his side as he continued.

"I wanted to follow in his footsteps, I wanted to protect and preserve the Joestar legacy because it gave me purpose. In the end... I emulated him, Gramps, and Uncle Josuke... I wanted to be them. Ultimately... that's what made my feelings of worthlessness worse. I felt like I didn't measure up. It was only thanks to the Steel Ball Run, Gyro, Izuku, and Kyoka...that I forged my own identity separate from those who came before me. Only by becoming my own man, with my own purpose did I finally cast those demons aside."

Yoshihara nodded, pursing her lips together in thought. Johnny had a flawed, but loving father, while she never knew hers. If what Johnny said about the Joestar bloodline was true, and they were inherently good people... maybe she would've been better off if her father had lived.

Scratch that, she definitely would have

Johnny still had his share of issues, but he was someone who genuinely cared about the people around him, and someone who got his life together despite the torment his mother put him through. In some small way... she envied him.

Suddenly the Joestar held out his hand, stopping Yoshihara in her tracks. "Hey, what's...?"

Then she felt it... killing intent. 'Someone's nearby…' Yoshihara thought, narrowing her eyes. She did a once over of the area, the chilling quiet unnerving her ever so slightly.

"There is something here...something that's giving me the creeps," Johnny muttered, his eyes shifting. "It's... quiet, too quiet... and cold..." He paused, his eyes narrowing. "We have company,"

"I feel it too. Someone who really doesn't like us as well, joy," Kira replied, shifting into a slightly more aggressive stance. Something she learned from Nemuri—her Nemuri, that is—a sign that indicated hostility to whoever thought it necessary to fight.

The two observed the area around them. Scattered rocks, the Angelo stone—which, upon seeing them, made a grunting sound like it always did when it saw someone; a few abandoned cars, one of which had its lights on, and a stray cat. Neither of the two summoned their Stands, but they did have them on the back burner in case something happened.

"Where the hell are they?" Yoshihara muttered, her eyes dancing from left to right, swapping spots with Johnny, who already had his index finger extended and pointed at the ground, ready to shoot out a nail bullet if the situation required it.

"They're camouflaged... most likely," Johnny said, his eyes landing on the Angelo stone. Then, something in his mind clicked. "Hey... the Angelo stone… I know you've probably never seen it. Or maybe you have. But… doesn't it look a little taller than it should be?" Johnny questioned as Yoshihara glanced at it.

"What about it? I don't see any change," Kira said, Johnny, humming in response.

"I see. Well, my uncle has taken me to see it numerous times in the past. One time Kyoka and I even had a picnic in front of it. Now that I'm seeing it, it's about a foot taller than usual," Johnny said, pointing his extended finger at it, a nail bullet primed and ready to be shot. "Seems a bit suspicious..."

"...under normal circumstances, I would say that you're being paranoid... but considering our enemy remains unseen, I know better than to assume it's nothing," Yoshihara said, summoning Killer Queen as soon as her eyes landed on the rock. A small bubble began rotating on one of Killer Queen's fingertips, something that Johnny took note of.

'She's unconsciously using the Spin...interesting. Oh boy, Spin Bombs...that's actually terrifying. It's like Stray Cat on steroids,' Johnny thought, shuttering a little bit. 'Wait until Gyro hears about this…'

Johnny gritted his teeth and shot the excess rock of Angelo, popping off around two shots. The cluster of rocks fell to the ground, laying still. Both of them kept their eyes trained on them for quite a while.

"That was totally a diversion," Johnny muttered.

"Definitely." Yoshihara agreed, frowning. "The question is...for what?"

Their enemy was completely camouflaged, concealed from their view, but they could hear them rustling around, getting closer. While on the outside, Johnny kept on a cool and composed expression, on the inside, he was berating himself.

'Shit...why is it that we never bring Kyoka along when we need her?! She's our goddamn tracker! Johnny asked himself. She would've found this guy by now...' Johnny thought, a small bead of sweat falling down from his forehead.

After another minute of the tense silence passed, a disappointed huff came from… somewhere.

"You aren't the Kujo I was looking for... I was looking for Josefumi Kujo."

Johnny whipped around in the direction of the voice, only to find a pile of rocks waiting for him. "Anyone you know, Yoshihara?"

"No...this voice is unfamiliar to me." The blond replied, a wave of uneasiness flowing through her. "What he would want with Josefumi, I haven't got a clue," Yoshihara replied, narrowing her eyes at the rubble, Killer Queen poised to fire its bomb.

"Yoshihara? Not Yoshikage? I do remember that kid referring to you as a 'she'... are you sure you're not a man?" The voice asked, a mocking tone to it. "I bet you just got bored of the seafaring life, so you dyed your hair and had some work done... isn't that right Yoshikage?" The voice replied with callous mockery. A taunt designed to throw Yoshihara off, no doubt.

It somewhat worked.

Yoshihara turned towards the voice and shot a bubble bomb in its direction, lighting up the section of the street where a pile of rocks was laying. In a blink of an eye, the rocks to the left of it shifted slightly to the side of the explosion.

She fired again, and the rocks moved just out of the way, mere inches from being blown to smithereens. This bastard was toying with her.

'Is he the rocks, or is he manipulating them somehow?' Yoshihara thought, attempting to calm herself down. "Seafaring? Was Yoshikage Kira a sailor?" She asked Johnny, trying to take her mind off of the frustration this new opponent was giving her.

"No... he was a salesman. This guy might be from a third world," Johnny turned to Yoshihara. "Be careful, he's trying to provoke us," Johnny stated as the voice spoke up again.

"You look a whole lot like the Joestar Statue...interesting." Their enemy continued to speak, this time focusing on Johnny. "I wonder... if you will meet the same fate...?" The voice mocked, hatred in its voice as Johnny scoffed.

"I have no idea what you're talking about," The former jockey responded, gripping his wrist a little tighter than he had before as to steady his aim. "I'd rather you show yourself instead of hiding like a coward, but I suppose I'd be expecting too much of you."

"You'll meet me soon..." The voice began, a snide tone to it. "But first, let me size you up."

That's when a flower pot hit Yoshihara in the back of her head, shattering upon impact. The blonde stumbled forwards, grunting as she fumbled to keep her balance.

"KIRA!"

Johnny shot another flower pot in midair, but the shards came for Yoshihara regardless, stabbing into her shoulder. Yoshihara, who at this point was already bleeding from her head wound, bit her lip as she began trying to fish the shards out of her skin. "I... appreciate the attempt... but don't do that again."

"Noted," Johnny said, a grimace plastered on his face as a flower pot bashed into his knee, making him stumble before he caught himself. Flower pots of all types were being dragged towards them, getting faster the closer they got to the two.

"You see, all I had to do was touch you." A man emerged from the road, his rocky skin turning into flesh. He had shoulder-length, greenish-black hair with a set of bangs, cold black eyes, and a headpiece made of leaves and vines. Dark green leather-covered his entire body, along with metallic spikes protruding from almost every angle.

"Huh, didn't know that cactus was the latest fashion trend." Johnny quipped. "I see what you did, you cut a human-shaped hole into the concrete, laid in it, and somehow turned yourself to stone so we'd walk right over you, that way you could put your ability on us. Smart... a little over the top... but smart."

The man smirked, putting his hands in his pockets as Yoshihara stumbled to her feet, Killer Queen cracking its knuckles. "You shouldn't have shown yourself, bastard. You—"

Just before Yoshihara could finish her taunt, a flower pot smashed into her chest, knocking her breath clean out of her lungs.

"I don't think I'm in any danger." The man replied. "I've fought Killer Queen before. Soft & Wet too... I killed Josefumi Kujo in my universe and crushed him between two rocks. Yet... he lived on... but maybe I can finish the job with you. I am Yotsuyu Yagiyama... and it really doesn't matter what version of you I face, I will wipe you from the face of the Earth!"

Yoshihara made a noise as she stood up, just as Johnny was knocked down by a pot to the back. "That's it... I'm done with this..." Killer Queen emerged and closed the distance, batting aside a few pots as it clashed with the enemy's stand

It was adorned with spikes, just like its user, and its pink spiky head was encased in what appeared to be a glass dome. Its pipe-like arms locked with Killer Queen's, and Yostsuyu smirked as the two Stands grappled for superiority.

"I Am a Rock, both my Stand's name and an accurate statement about myself. I am a rock... I am an island! A mere human such as yourself is no match!" Yotsuyu taunted. "Perhaps, if you have some version of me, I can spare him the trouble of having to deal with you!" Yotsuyu spat, I Am A Rock and Killer Queen stared at each other, both with dead expressions on their faces.

"I don't care what your problem is," Yoshihara replied, blood running down her face, making her look slightly unhinged. "Just... leave... us... ALONE!"

Killer Queen won the contest of strength and forced I Am a Rock to its knees, though Yotsuyu seemed unbothered by it, even if his body language didn't show it. Just as Killer Queen was about to deliver a killing blow, Tusk ACT 4 suddenly grabbed her by the back of her jacket and threw her halfway across the street. Tusk then switched to its ACT 3 form as Johnny shot the floor, creating a personal wormhole.

"JOHNNY, WHAT THE HELL?!" The blond yelled as she used her Stand to cushion her fall.

Johnny retreated into a wormhole and eventually emerged from one beside her, the wormhole closing. "Don't attack so recklessly, we were taking a beating back there. We need to get out of his range... formulate a plan."

"I had him," Yoshihara said, glaring at the former jockey, only to earn one right back.

"No, you didn't. Those flower pots were still coming after us, he was only grappling with you so you'd be distracted...so don't glare at me as if I didn't just save you." Johnny snapped back. "You said you would trust me, that includes my judgement. If we just dick around in his range, we'll be turned into a fucking flower garden faster than Gyro can scarf down a pizza."

Yoshihara stared at Johnny for a moment, before giving him a reluctant nod. "You're right, I apologize. You're probably more experienced with this sort of thing than I am," Yoshihara said, bowing her head.

"I'm a bit further in the year than you are, that's all. Just... don't throw caution to the wind, and we can come out of this alive," The brunette eased up a bit, keeping an eye on the opponent. "His range is short, once we got to a certain distance, the objects stopped following us," Johnny noted, narrowing his eyes at the opponent.

Yotsuyu glared at them from across the street and melted into the shadows. This was a very crafty opponent, one that wouldn't hesitate to murder them. He was ruthless, relentless... and with his bizarre ability to turn into stone...

"How did he do that? He became part of the road..." Yoshihara muttered. "He has a Stand, so it can't be a Quirk..."Yoshihara deduced, rubbing the back of her head.

"I think... no, I know, that man isn't human," Johnny replied, worried. "You felt it right? The sort of... chill, that came with his presence. I've only felt it around non-humans, like... Santana, or the Necromancer... zombies... but this guy can walk around in direct sunlight," Johnny noted, Tusk returning to its ACT 4 appearance.

"I'm afraid I'm not familiar with any enemies other than the human variety... but yes, I felt it. There was something inhuman about him..." Yoshihara squinted her eyes, putting a hand to the back of her head. "Ow..."

Johnny took note of the blond's wobbly stance. Getting bashed in the head like that definitely wasn't good for your health, and while she was far from down for the count, just a brief encounter with this stand was enough to wound her pretty bad.

Not that he was any different. His back had clay shards embedded in it, and he was bleeding pretty badly. It seemed as though the flower pots were aiming for his heart...

This was a Stand that existed only to kill.

"This is Rohan Kishibe's house," Josuke said, gesturing towards it as if he were a real estate agent. "Inside, you can find a snobby, no-good weasel too busy drawing his stupid manga to help us! Either that, or he's already been sent to the other universe. He never comes out when he's writing so it's hard to tell," Josuke said, an annoyed expression on his face.

Gyro snickered as Josuke went up to the front porch and pointed at a table.

"This is where I beat him in a dice game by substituting my shape-shifting friend Mikitaka for the dice, which inadvertently caused his house to burn down! It was a glorious blaze, forever burned into the memories of all who witnessed it," the pompadour-haired man said, a proud smirk on his face as Josefumi raised an eyebrow.

"How does some porch-top gambling lead to arson?" Josefumi asked, confused. In response, Josuke shrugged.

"I have no idea. The guy didn't even care, he wanted to keep playing in the middle of the inferno. I suppose I have to give him credit for his tenacity," The pro hero responded, smiling.

"They secretly like each other," Kyoka muttered to Josefumi. "Mr. Josuke just likes to pretend that he hates the guy, and vice versa."

Josuke opened Rohan's mailbox, and stuffed what looked to be a dirty sock inside, and descended from the porch with satisfaction. Wherever his frienemy was he would get a warm welcome once he got home.

He hoped Johnny and Yoshihara were alright, he had sent the two of them to scout on their own in order to get them to work together. He couldn't help but notice parallels between the blond and his nephew...

Except even Susan, someone who had done considerable damage to his family, couldn't compete with the disgusting actions of Yoshihara's mother. It was no wonder the alternate Kira ended up becoming a sociopath...

Sociopathy was brought on by unthinkable trauma, as a way for the victim to cope with the pain. They became unfeeling out of necessity, as a defence mechanism... and Yoshihara's story definitely warranted that.

He kept it from the others of course. Yoshihara had earned his respect, and he no longer considered her a danger. Instead, he felt sympathy for her... and he hoped that she would at least find some semblance of happiness, someday in the future.

"Any signs of Karl yet?" Josuke asked, and Kyoka shook her head.

"No sights, or sounds. He's hidden himself good this time, although I'm worried it might be too good, at least on his end. I'm sure we can find him... but if he's locked down somewhere, it might be without food or water. He's a scared little kid after all... there's no way he planned ahead," Kyoka said, a look of worry on her face.

"He's been sending opponents at random, no correlation... all he's doing is reacting out of fear," Izuku chimed in. "If only he'd just let us talk to him, we could end this... but the more we try to find him, and reason with him, the deeper he hides... the deadlier the enemies," Izuku noted, an uneasy look adorning his face.

"Until our worlds both get blown to kingdom come," Josefumi said, crossing his arms. "Just chasing him isn't enough, there has to be a way to communicate with Karl, or an opportunity to get close to him."

"Maybe..." Josuke ran a comb through his pompadour, before wincing.

"What is it?" Kyoka asked, walking up to her mentor.

"Nothing...just some leftover pain from my fight with the Enigma Boy," Josuke said, testing his knee. "...I think..."

Kyoka's face fell. "Johnny...?"

"Not sure yet... like I said, it could be me."

"Don't worry Mom, I'm sure Johnny is fine," Josefumi said, and Kyoka turned to him with an eyebrow raised in confusion.

"Mom?"

"I...er...sorry, I meant Jirou. Wonder where that came from?"

Kyoka narrowed her eyes, puzzled, and went back to worrying about Johnny. 'I swear to God Johnny Kujo... if you're hurt, I'll kill you.'

'Kyoka's going to kill me.' Was all that Johnny could think as he and Yoshihara dragged themselves through the streets, concerned and terrified civilians either giving them looks or fleeing.

Those who did try to help were quickly pushed away. No need to involve innocents in this fight.

"I'll give Yagiyama this...he's pretty good at making himself scarce. We could be entering his range for all we know." Johnny said, his eyes shifting towards the scenery, trying to figure out where the enemy was.

"It's almost… terrifying…" Yoshihara admitted, keeping an eye out for any suspicious movement in the shadows or on the roads. As soon as Yoshihara stepped forward, another flower pot began to shake and move towards the blonde.

Yoshihara's and Johnny's eyes widened, the blonde taking a step back, the pot smashing the ground the moment it did, turning into several shards on the ground, along with some dirt, the roots of the plant, and the flower in the pot itself.

"He's here," Kira said flatly, her Stand appearing behind her.

"Question is, where?" Johnny replied, a nail bullet spinning on his middle finger.

Silence befell them once more. Something in the air shifted, and then, I Am A Rock appeared once more, this time behind a pole. "THERE!" Johnny shouted, shooting a Spin bullet at the Stand, only for it to dodge. The fingertip entered the Stand's range, and then, the bullet came rocketing right back at Johnny, the brunette not having enough time to react as it shot through his right shoulder.

"Johnny!" Kira said, alarm in her tone of voice as the brunette flinched, blood squirting from the small hole in his shoulder. Yoshihara dropped down to his level, Killer Queen keeping its full height, staring I Am A Rock down with hatred and malice.

"Damn…" The boy groaned, gritting his teeth together. "I'm lucky that wasn't an infinite rotation shot. Not that I can make it anyway without my horse, but still…" Johnny groaned, glaring at the Stand, no longer in its range.

"Fools." Yotsuyu's voice rang out through the streets, the two's ears perking at hearing his voice. "I Am a Rock can deflect anything that is in its range. Anything but another Stand, of course, but that doesn't matter, now does it?" Yotsuyu spat, his tone mocking once again. The ground shifted, and then, the bits of the shattered pot began to shake.

"Kira! Look out!" Johnny said, only for Yoshihara to not move at all. The pieces floated upwards and hurled themselves at Kira. "KIRA!"

Before they could close in on her, however, they exploded into nothing but smoke, Yoshihara smirking.

"Huh?" Johnny thought, looking up at Killer Queen, who had its thumb closed down on its hand. 'But when…?'

"Nice try, Yamiyagi. But while you were busy redirecting that nail bullet, I blew up that pot so it wouldn't activate on us," Yoshihara spat as Yotsuyu growled, the Stand's uncaring expression shifting to one of annoyance.

"Quiet, Yoshikage. I don't care about your meaningless taunts," the inhuman snarled, Yoshihara, knitting her eyebrows together with contempt. "You're just as insufferable as the person I knew you to be in my universe. Always sticking your nose in places where they shouldn't be," Yotsuyu ranted as Yoshihara huffed.

"My name is Yoshihara. Get it right. I don't even know what the hell you're talking about," Kira growled, to which Yotsuyu let out an amused laugh.

"Yoshihara, Yoshikage, who cares. You're still a Kira. It doesn't matter if in this universe you changed your gender or not, or if you really were born a girl, the fact still stands… you'll die here, by my hands instead of Damos's" Yotsuyu spat, the man pulling himself out of the grey wall, right in front of the stop sign.

"Besides, either way, you'll die the same way my version of yourself did…" Yotsuyu began, I Am A Rock cutting the traffic sign in half as it began to throw itself in Kira's direction all the while Yotsuyu had a deranged smile on his face. "Through the abdomen!"

Killer Queen put itself in front of the pole, a bubble bomb appearing on its fingertip. Tusk also tried to intervene but was too late. Both Killer Queen and Tusk were too slow to stop it.

The jagged end of the metal pole stabbed into Yoshihara's stomach region, the stop sign sticking out on top, while the now blood-covered end stuck out of her back. Blood vomited out of her mouth as she stumbled backward, Johnny's eyes widening.

"KIRA!"

"YES! DIE, YOSHIKAGE KIRA!" Yotsuyu shouted, a triumphant look on his face as Yoshihara's pupils shrank. For a split second, Killer Queen's right hand glowed a dark purple, and then, it stopped before the Stand faded away. Johnny snapped his eyes over to Yotsuyu, a glare in his eyes.

'Think Johnny, think. You can't do much against him. You shoot at him, and he'll redirect it. Tusk overpowers him, obviously, but…' his train of thought stopped as he looked over at Kira, who had now fallen, blood trailing from her mouth, her eyes now closed. 'I can't leave her to die. I can't rush in, either. I have to do something… and that something is to take cover.'

As soon as Johnny finished that train of thought, he ran over to Kira, ignoring his shoulder pain and grabbing the blonde's shoulders before dragging her around the corner. He needed some way to call for backup.

Yotsuyu smirked, slinking away into the shadows. Confidence flowed through his veins, a triumphant feeling surging through him as his smirk turned into a smile. But even if he was confident, and even if he had backed them into a corner, he still didn't know what this other Kujo could do. He'd be a fool to pursue them right now. At least, in an obvious way, that was. He'd have to take a more covert approach.

Unbeknownst to him, however, a pair of dark purple, fiery lights stared at him as he melded into the shadows of an alleyway.

Josuke, Josefumi, Izuku, Gyro, and Kyoka were making their way back to the school. Their search for Karl turned up nothing, as expected, though also as sad as it sounded. For whatever reason, they couldn't pinpoint an exact location. He was last at the Morioh Grand hotel, but now, it was as if he had dropped off the face of the earth.

"Damnit…" Josuke muttered, brushing his hair out of stress. 'The longer this goes on, the more my Morioh will begin to merge with Josefumi's and Yoshihara's universe.'

"We should go out looking some more later," Kyoka said, a discontent look on her face. "He's gotta be out here somewhere, right?"

"Yeah, I—" Josuke started, but immediately stopped when his right shoulder spiked in pain, causing him to shrink into himself, grasping his right shoulder with his left hand. "OW, Shit!" Josuke shouted, Izuku's eyes widening.

"Are you okay, Josuke?!" Izuku asked as Josuke winced.

"Yeah, I'm fine…" Josuke replied, lifting his hand, only to see no wound. His eyes widened, and then, they immediately narrowed. "Johnny… he… he got shot in the shoulder by something… we have to—"

Before he could continue, however, they heard a thud coming from even further behind them. It was Josefumi, on his knees, clutching his stomach area, coughing relentlessly. "A-Ack… w-what the—?" Josefumi began, coughing even more as Gyro rushed to his side.

"What's going on?!" Kyoka shouted, looking at both Josuke and Josefumi as the former put two and two together. A grimace came over his expression, his eyes narrowing.

"It's Kira and Johnny. They ran into a Stand User. One that Karl sent after them. And by the looks of things, they're in deep trouble. We have to find them, and fast!"

Anxiety shot through everyone. Someone who could beat Johnny? Or at the very least put him in a sticky situation? 'That hasn't happened since The Steel Ball Run and Funny Valentine. Just who the hell did that kid send after us?' Gyro thought, his frown turning sour.

Meanwhile, Josefumi was confused. He only ever felt pain like this when his father had gotten seriously injured, or he had a kidney stone. But since his dad was in a completely different universe, how the hell was he feeling this connection?

'What the hell is going on?'

-To Be Continued-

Hi, DJH here, and I'd like to say: GET CLIFF-HANGERED!