Kakyoin couldn't have think this morning would turn out like this.

When he was with the Crusaders (the group is never named, but Polnareff liked the idea of them being called 「Stardust Crusaders」. No one complained, and the name stuck for the most part). He would take a bath, adjust his hair and clothing, eat breakfast, have a chat with his friends, and then set off to another location, occasionally encountering an enemy Stand User. It was a dangerous endeavor, but if he were being honest, it was as close to normal as being a Stand User could get.

However, sitting next to Sakura in a dimly lit basement containing a jail cell for some reason, surrounded by lights that accentuate the creepy mood and twelve mindless zombies roaming around emitting unearthly groans may be the icing on the cake compared to the bizarre sights he has already witnessed.

Never mind the fact that he and Sakura are alive… as zombies, fully conscious and in control of their bodies.

If he's being honest, as much as he does not want to, it's better if he stays dead just to avoid this absurd scenario.

Staring at the back of the chalkboard with nervous eyes, Sakura was trying her best to comprehend that this was her first day as a living undead after being resurrected. Ignoring the kimono woman, the little girl, the blonde man struggling to walk properly, a boy who looked like a lady striding around with outstretched limbs, and the long-haired black woman kneeling near the chalkboard, Sakura was close to admitting that she may had seen it all.

Meanwhile, Kakyoin glanced behind him to see Avdol, the braided man and the stitched-up girl clutching the bars while moaning eerily. If he remembered correctly, Avdol had forced Jotaro to turn himself in when his Stand or "evil spirit" began manifesting as Magician's Red. Perhaps Avdol was doing the same thing even though no one is behind bars?

Taking note of the blonde woman holding her arms out straight, the lone cowboy with one arm raised and a man with zipper motifs prancing next to a girl covered in bandages while clutching his left shoulder, Kakyoin resisted the urge to shake his head. Their moaning and mindless trudging isbgetting to him now, prompting him to almost use Hierophant Green to tie them all up. Trying to get his mind off of them, he turned to Sakura and started a conversation. "So... did you get a good sleep last night?"

Looking into his eyes, Sakura shakes her head and replies, "No. I was wide awake because I tried in vain to remember anything. The fact that I came back to life as a zombie is what kept me up the whole night."

Well, good thing we're zombies because we might not need any sleep," Kakyoin yawns despite himself. "Otherwise, you would be deprived of any energy."

Sakura says, "I don't think that's good."

A door swinging open snapped their attention to the man who brought them back to life. Named Kotaro Tatsumi, he walked to the center with a greeting to start the day. Once he stood at attention with his arms plopped on his waist, he exclaimed, "Goooood morning, ladies and gentlemeeeeeeeen!"

Standing with the chalkboard behind him, he ignored the mindless zombies and focused his eyes on the two zombies currently sitting. When he saw they weren't returning the greeting, he walked to them and moved his face closer as he repeated, "I said GOOOOOOOD MORNING!"

"G-G-Good morning...!" Sakura stuttered on her greeting, getting nervous from Kotaro being so close and shouting right next to her ear.

"Good morning," Kakyoin greeted calmly.

"A correct response!" Kotaro exclaimed. "You two will be working with your respective teams, so a little respect is required for cooperation. If you don't have any respect, then no one will acknowledge you, just like the others."

"...They're still acting as zombies they are. When do they start acting normal?" Kakyoin pointed out the mindless zombies who are obviously not awakened yet.

"Oh, they will be sooner or later," he said as he felt something rubbing against his leg and looked down to see it was the zombie poodle. "Ah. Hey there, Romero. Good job wrangling the girls and guys in today." He complimented the dog before dropping a piece of dried squid from his breast pocket onto the floor. The dog smiled at the treat before digging in.

カブッ!

Whether their imaginations are kicking in or he can transform somehow, Romero suddenly looks like a big scary dog as he eats the squid with ferocious intensity. Tellingly, Sakura shrieks and tries to scoop away on her seat while Kakyoin is unnerved over his appearance.

Note to self: Let's not feed dried squid to dogs, especially zombie ones. He thought as a precaution.

"And so here we are." Kotaro returned to his original position. "Let's work hard to get you all to cooperate together to turn these zombie girls into idols, and have the zombie guys protect you rotten girls...starting today!"

With the exception of Sakura and Kakyoin, none of the zombies appear to be listening and continue prancing around.

Wondering if this was the part where he would reveal more details about last night's events, Kakyoin took the opportunity to ask him, "Can I ask you a question?"

"Sure. Ask away," Kotaro nodded with his hand pointed like a gun.

"Will you elaborate on how you intend to make Sakura and the other girls idols, while also using us, Avdol and the others, to protect them from enemies, all in an effort to save Saga?" He felt awkward phrasing his question, particularly the part about saving Saga through creating an idol group. No doubt he sees the plan as ludicrous and insane.

"And why was I chosen as an idol?" asked Sakura, agreeing with his thoughts too.

"As for your question Kakyoin-kun, yes, I'll explain more. And as for you Sakura-chan, it's to save Saga."

"...By ｢being an idol｣?"

"That's right," he nodded with utmost seriousness. "In this day and age, regional idols are becoming a thing of the past, but because of that, the competition has died out as well. You'll capitalize on that to save Saga which is itself on the verge of becoming a thing of the past. And boom," Flipping over the chalkboard revealing something written on it, Kotaro shouts the name of the project with confidence, "We call it the ｢Zombie Land Saga Project｣, baby!"

Noticing something odd about the board, Kakyoin points it out. "...The chalkboard is upside-down."

"Huh?" Looking at the board, he sees the words are upside down. Realizing this, he quickly flips the board again before turning it around, now showing the name of the project properly. "There. Happy now?" Kotaro asks.

"I am," Despite the bizarre situation he's in, Kakyoin never hesitates to crack a smile.

"W-Wait a second please!" The two looked at Sakura having concern written on her face. "I... I don't remember anything from when I was alive. So asking me to be an idol or to save Saga is..."

"No need to worry," Kotaro interjected. "The others have even more baggage than you."

Kakyoin raises an eyebrow. "Does that include the zombie guys and Avdol?"

"Who else Kakyoin-kun? In fact, these three have even more baggage than the rest of the rotting zombies and you two. Trust me when I say that. Their pasts are too haunting enough that I feel an ounce of pity on the three," he points to the man with zipper decorations, a guy who looks like a lady and the crawling man. His statement makes the two curious as to how do they have more baggage than them. As for Kakyoin, he could wonder how him having no friends due to his belief that everyone would never understand him because he has Hierophant Green be considered less baggage or on par to these three.

Speaking of which, it's about time the two learned who these twelve zombies are. Spurred by this thought, Sakura asked, "Uh, and they are...?"

"Curious?" teased Kotaro.

"Of course we are," Kakyoin replied, folding his arms as he waited for their introductions. "In fact, this girl has bitten Sakura thirteen times since this morning. I had to remove her from Sakura's body exactly thirteen times." Sakura lifted up her arm to show the long-haired, creepy woman, the same one they encountered last night, biting her arm.

"They're...｢legends｣."

"Legends?" The two parroted in unison.

"That's right. ｢Legends｣." Kotaro repeated, holding a dried squid in his hand for the woman, who let go of Sakura's arm when she sees it and hungrily bite it. "They're the legendary girls and boys I have chosen and revived to save Saga. And together with you two, they will form two ultimate teams!"

Kotaro points dramatically to the blonde-haired girl as he starts introducing the so-called legends. "She conquered all of Kyushu at the turn of the century as the leader of the 「Dorami」 biker gang! Cower before the Legendary Biker Boss, SAKI NIKAIDO! ! ! !"

Leader of a biker gang, huh? Kakyoin looked at the girl warily after hearing her title.

…I-I hope I don't get on her bad side! As for Sakura, she felt kmmediately nervous when she heard she's the leader of a gang.

Pointing to the puffy haired girl still gripping the bars, Kotaro shouts, "This girl singlehandedly gave rise to the 「idol boom」 of the 1980s! The Legendary Showa-period Idol, JUNKO KONNO! ! !"

Kakyoin's eyes widen when he hears Junko's name. Junko Konno? The idol who perished when the plane she's in crashed? Looking over the white-haired girl still holding the bars, Kakyoin did not expect she's the one and the same. While he may not know her well, he did hear about her and her tragic death.

Gesturing to the woman in kimono, Kotaro states, "From the turbulent time spanning the death of the shogunate into the 「Meiji era」, the legendary courtesan known only as... YUGIRI! ! !"

Shogunate? Meiji era? Sakura could not help but be surprised that Kotaro had managed to revive someone from the Meiji period. By that point, her body would have withered into bones.

Heck, she and Kakyoin would have withered to bones too given many years have passed after their deaths.

Turning to the twin-tailed kid with an exposed heart, Kotaro continues, "After her debut on a long-running period drama, she left her mark on every network in the nation's 「prime-time shows」! Legendary Child Actress Prodigy... LILY HOSHIKAWA! ! !"

So even a young kid has died, Kakyoin solemnly thought, reminding again of his untimely death.

Child actress prodigy? Wow. She must be really good for someone so young. Such a shame she died too young, Sakura complimented and expressed pity, sharing Kakyoin's feelings about her dying so young.

Pointing two fingers at the short-haired girl, the man in suit reveals, "After the year 2000 when all the major idol groups were at war, she was the implacable center for the number-one group 「Iron Frill」! Legendary Heisei-period Idol, AI MIZUNO! ! ! !"

Looking at the Heisei idol, Sakura has a feeling she... recognize that girl. Wait... Isn't she...?

Pointing to the zombie chewing the dried squid, he introduces her lastly. "｢The Legendary TAE YAMADA｣! ! ! Aaaaaaaand they will be joining you on your-"

"W-Wait a second, just a second!" Sakura stops him from continuing, noticing the last zombie girl has an anti-climactic introduction compared to the others. "That last one..."

"｢The Legendary TAE YAMADA｣!" Kotaro repeated.

Unconvinced, Sakura says, "I'm sorry, I don't think I heard you. The legendary..."

"...｢TAE YAMADA｣!" He finished without elaboration.

"Uh, isn't there... Anything else?"

"DOES THERE HAVE TO BE?!" Kotaro shouted as he shoves his face close to her again, looking irritated.

Shrieking when he unexpectedly gets close to her again, Sakura says, "B-B-But what's her legend about-"

"WHO SAYS A LEGEND HAS TO BE ABOUT ANYTHING?! ?!

"Then isn't she just a normal zom-"

"WHAT MAKES YOU LEGENDARY THEN?! GO ON, TELL THEM! OR IS IT THAT YOU'RE NOT A LEGENDARY ONE, HUH?! YOU DUMBASS ZOMBIIIIIEEEEEE! ! ! ! !"

"THAT'S ENOUGH! ! !"

Kakyoin's voice cut through Kotaro's words loudly enough to stop him from pestering Sakura. The two turned to see him glaring at Kotaro for intruding on her private space and his obnoxiously shouting. Arms folded, he said, "Don't try to discomfort her any longer. She has a lot to take in, so please take it slow."

After staring at him with a blank look, Kotaro concedes, stating, "Alright, if you insist," He shrugs his shoulders, seemingly not regretting screaming to her face.

Seeing Kakyoin intervene for her, she turns to him and says, "Hey, you didn't need to do that."

"I have to. You don't exactly look confident the whole time. I was concerned," he replies. "Also, it feels like I'm going deaf from all the shouting."

Giggling at the last part, Sakura smiles and says, "Well, thanks for standing up to him."

"Anyway! Back on the topic in hand..." Kotaro yells to get their attention back. "Now that I introduced you two to the girls, it's about time for the zombie guys to be introduced!"

Like earlier, he dramatically points to Kakyoin's friend hugging the wall next to the cage, making him pose. "An Egyptian fortune teller and friend of Kakyoin, he is one member of the group who ventured towards Egypt to ｢kill an evil vampire｣ and save a member's own mother! The Legendary Fortune Teller, MUHAMMAD AVDOL! ! ! !"

Avdol... Never thought that I would say this as a zombie but... it's good to see you again. Kakyoin smiled at Avdol, glad that someone he knows is present.

Evil...vampire? Sakura can feel her spine shivering just from thinking it. What kind of journey did Kakyoin and Avdol embarked on to reach this vampire? And did they really encounter this vampire? Or do vampires exist?

Posing with two fingers pointed, the man in a white suit is in the spotlight as Kotaro shouts, "A member and capo of the infamous Italian mafia called ｢Passione｣, he and his team have betrayed the boss in order to usurp him and reform the organization from within! Legendary Caporegime, BRUNO BUCCIARATI! ! ! !"

Wh-Wh-What?! A-A member of a m-m-mafia!? Sakura is shocked Kotaro has revived a member from a mafia, much less a high-ranking member. If she's hoping not to make Saki angry, then she better hope Bucciarati does not look at her with killer eyes lest she positively melt under his glare.

While Kakyoin isn't as surprised as she is, he is wary a member of the mafia is recruited like the girl from biker gang Dorami.

Pointing dramatically again to the messy-haired boy standing with his arms spread wide and head tilted up, Kotaro reveals, "Another member of Passione working under Bucciarati, this kid will not hesitate to follow his leader's command to accomplish his team's goals, even if it means ｢betraying the boss｣! He's the Legendary Soldato, NARANCIA GHIRGA! ! ! !"

Oh, he's with Bucciarati? Kakyoin thought. Although he seemed young like him, he could tell Narancia was not someone to be trifled with if Bucciarati was willing to betray his boss, not to mention being part of a mafia.

W-Wait, Narancia's a boy? I thought he was a girl! On the other hand, Sakura is certainly not expecting to learn his real gender. His outfit, thin build, and androgynous voice have led her to believe he's a girl. Other than that, she better hope Narancia doesn't look at her the wrong way too.

Pointing towards the man lying on the ground with his head turned one side and limbs spread out a little, Kotaro exclaims, "Former ex-jockey formerly afflicted with paraplegia who is not around these parts alongside his friend and the planter man, having such a disability will not deter this man from participating a transcontinental horse race in order to ｢walk｣ again! The Legendary Jockey, JOHNNY JOESTAR ! ! ! !"

Kakyoin perks up when he hears Johnny's last name. "Huh? Did you call him...｢Joestar｣?" He asked about his last name in curiosity.

"Yup. You heard me. Johnny Joestar." Kotaro reaffirms.

"...So, if he's a Joestar, is he...a lost relative?" He inquired, wondering what Johnny's connection to the two Joestars he knows.

"No, he's not."

Two blinks he made before Kakyoin asks again. "Then, who is he? And why is he called-"

"If you want to know why he's a Joestar, let's say he's... not around here originally alongside his friend and the braided man. And no, I don't mean they're from a faraway country or city. If you're still confused, which you likely are, hold that thought for a while 'cause I will tell you in a day or two. Is that clear?"

"...Okay?" He drops the subject, curiosity and confusion still etched on his face. He's wondering who exactly is Johnny Joestar and what makes him and the two as-of-yet-introduced zombies peculiar.

As for Sakura, she is surprised to learn he's formerly a paraplegic; now she sees it makes sense he is crawling instead of walking. She did see him having trouble standing up properly, meaning he was experiencing lingering effects of his paraplegia. So that's why he has trouble standing up. If what Kotaro says about him is true, then he must be impressive.

"Moving on!" Kotaro points to the long-haired blonde man with a raised hand. "A dear friend of Johnny and a participant to the race, he is an executioner for the Kingdom of Naples who participated in the race to win amnesty for a child in death row, and also an expert of the mysterious ｢Spin｣ technique! He's the Legendary Executioner, GYRO ZEPPELI! ! ! ! !"

E-Executioner...? Warily looking over Gyro, Sakura marks him as the fourth person she hopes not to get on his wrong side or else she'll die the second time.

As for Kakyoin, he wonders if his last name rings any bells. He must have heard of the last name, probably from Joseph or Avdol when he and the others talk during their downtime

...And what's this about the Spin?

"And last but not the least," He lastly points to the man in jumpsuit lying on his back near a seat. "Hired by a family patriarch as a secret plant appraiser and fruit grower, he helped two acquaintances of the patriarch's family to recover a ｢mysterious fruit｣ capable of healing one body part but in exchange of turning the other part to stone! Legendary Plant Appraiser, RAI MAMEZUKU! ! ! ! !"

Plant appraiser? Hmm... Guess the vines on his jumpsuit and grape decoration on his hat aren't there for show. Kakyoin mused, looking over his outfit.

"Aaaannnndddd there you have it! These are the zombie guys you will work with Kakyoin-kun!" Kotaro finished in a bombastic voice. "You're part of a team filled with Stand Users who will guard the up-and-coming zombie idols and fight against enemies that will threaten the girls and Saga!"

"Stand Users huh?" Looking at his soon-to-be teammates, Kakyoin has this to say about his team. "I must admit. This is an interesting and bizarre group I ended up in. But if what you said about the others aside from Avdol is true... then I'm willing to work with them as fellow Stand Users," Aside from Magician's Red, he's curious of what Stands Bucciarati, Narancia, Johnny, Gyro and Rai have. If Kotaro knows or is aware about Stands, then he must work together with them to protect Saga and the girls. The circumstance around it may be bizarre, insane even, but he can accept it due to having Hierophant Green his whole life.

Now if only they snap out from their mindless states, he's willing to work with them sooner.

"It is indeed bizarre, but I assure you. Your group will be the best bodyguard group there ever is!" The shaded man declared.

"Kotaro-san, Kakyoin-kun. Can you two explain to me about Stands already? I think this is the perfect time to tell it, right?" Sakura's curiosity and slight impatience led her to ask it, getting Kakyoin and Kotaro's attention to her. Remembering that he was about to explain what Stands were about yesterday until Kotaro forces him to save it for tomorrow, he guesses it's about time he tells her about it.

After getting Kotaro's permission, he begins explaining to Sakura what's the deal about Stands.

"If you want to know, Stands are physical manifestations of a person's life energy that is psychically projected in any form. They represent one's fighting spirit, desire, or passion and gift the user with extraordinary abilities. They're called Stands because they appear standing next to their user, ready to act under their command. Those who have Stands are called ｢Stand Users｣ and each individual user has different types, forms and abilities based on a user's psyche."

Upon hearing his explanation, Sakura is amazed. To think such a phenomenon exists that is formed from one's psyche and gain unique powers...

Musing over his explanation, she took note on the fact that Stands appear near their user when they're called. If that is true...

"Kakyoin, when we first encountered the zombies last night, a humanoid figure appeared in front of you and fired emeralds against them," she reminded him of the events last night. "Could that be your Stand?"

"Yes. Hierophant Green is my St-"

He didn't finish his reply when he realized the implication behind Sakura's words. He's not alone here as Kotaro, despite his eyes behind his shades, does have a hint of surprise on his face.

"...Wait. What did you just say, Sakura?" asks Kakyoin with eyes wide as he double-checks her statement.

"About the humanoid figure I saw last night, was it your Stand?" She repeated, not finding their surprised faces odd.

Believing he may had misheard her, Kakyoin summons Hierophant Green before asking, "Can you see my Stand hovering near me?"

"Ah! Yes! ｢I can see it｣! The Stand from last night!"

There is silence between the three aside from the groans of mindless zombies prowling about and the sound of a Stand dispersing. It would be three seconds before Kakyoin and Kotaro broke the silence with a surprised "WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAT!?"

"Whawawawawawawa-!? W-W-What's wrong?"

"SAKURA-CHAN! DID YOU... DID YOU JUST...!?" Kotaro zoomed close to her face for the third time as he's having a breakdown of a sort.

"Did you really see my Stand!?" Kakyoin inquired with an equally shocked expression, standing up and joining Kotaro in facing her, albeit not too close.

Confused and almost freaking out as to why they're so shocked but seeing they're waiting for her answer, she nods affirmatively. "Y-Yes. I-I did see your Stand, Kakyoin..."

Seeing she's really sure she can see Hierophant Green, especially with her eyes evidently looking at it, Kakyoin stands up straight and rubs his chin in thought, still processing the fact Sakura saw Hierophant Green. "I can't believe this... How can you see my Stand, Sakura? You obviously don't have one."

"Um... Am I supposed not to be seeing it normally?"

"You weren't supposed to," Kotaro replied, pushing his shades and calming himself down. "Only Stand Users can see other Stands. If you don't have one, you can't see them at all."

"Really? But... If that's the case then, why can I see them?" asks Sakura, now finding her ability to see Stands odd.

"Who knows? It is puzzling to be sure," Kakyoin shrugs. "But you want proper answer, perhaps you... have the ｢potential｣..."

"The potential?"

"The potential to ｢gain a Stand｣," he revealed. "There's so much I don't know about Stands in general but whether you will gain one or not, we'll just have to wait and see." Remembering that Kotaro knows about Stands, he turns to him and asks, "If I'm curious Tatsumi-san, can you see my Stand?"

"No, I can't," he stated simply. "I don't have a Stand like I told you last night so obviously I can't see them. As for how Sakura can see your Stand, even I'm curious if she can potentially summon her own... BUT!" Pointing one finger to Sakura, Kotaro reminded her of her role. "I must remind you, Number One, that you're an idol first and foremost, so whether you think you can summon a Stand or not, that's irrelevant when you and the zombie idols are about to have a stimulating performance ｢tonight｣!"

"Well, I admit I- W-W-Wait. Performance...?" Sakura repeated confusedly.

"And tonight?" Kakyoin added.

"That's right! Your first appearance as an idol iiiiiiisssss…! TONIGHT! ! ! ! !" Kotaro announced grandiosely, confidence lacing his tone that isn't shared by Kakyoin and especially Sakura.

"…"

"…"

"WHAAAATTT!?"

A crowd consisting of heavy metal fans are waiting outside the Geils Live House, all eagerly waiting to hear the music and scream their lungs out as the metal music swells. Among the crowd, one tall guy with a lanky frame and a short chubby guy are present, both wanting nothing more than to hear the sound of metal scream in the dead of night.

Their attention changed from waiting to get inside the venue to the black van braking at the red carpet. They watch Kotaro and Kakyoin, with a skeptical look on his face, exit the van from the front and open the sliding door where six zombie girls and Sakura step out. To make sure the girls and Kakyoin aren't outed as zombies, Kotaro put them all in a makeup, and expertly so as the seven look pretty and, in case of Kakyoin, handsome and indistinguishable from before they died. This is something the two conscious zombies are impressed with and would have complimented Kotaro if it weren't for the even more absurd situation he put Sakura and the mindless girls in.

While the zombie girls in disguise follow Kotaro, including the reluctant and anxious-as-hell Sakura, Kakyoin takes his time to look at the crowd, noticing the stares perpetuating from them as they wonder why seven girls are here in a venue dedicated for the heavy metal music. Some of them, mostly female, look at him with indifference though some seems to admire him for his looks.

...This is not gonna end well. Kakyoin shakes his head before following Kotaro and Sakura inside.

In the stage, the metal band rouses the hardcore fans of their music, earning them cheers and shouts over the song crashing to their ears. As the show goes on, in the backstage, Sakura looks at a poster she's holding in her trembling hands. Remarking the rock-inspired art isn't idol-like at all, she's questioning what Kotaro is thinking choosing this venue for the first ever performance of ｢Death Musume (Name Pending)｣.

Speaking of Kotaro, he is currently facing the brunt of a one-sided argument from Kakyoin over his decisions this night.

"Look, I'm telling you! This is crazy!" Kakyoin insisted. "Their 'first performance' is guaranteed to be a disaster!"

"I assure you, Cherry Boy," Kotaro remains unmoved, calling his nickname as a way of concealing his identity. "I have everything under control here. I know what I am doing is seen as absolutely absurd, but please be aware that I have a specific reason for choosing the girls' first ever performance here."

"If you have everything under control here, then look at the other girls!" He pointed to the prowling zombies in disguise, all of whom are wearing their "stage performance" outfit including Sakura which are actually casual clothes. "Related to my first point, them being unawakened spells disaster for their upcoming performance, don't you think!?"

"Hey! Hey! Hey! No, no, no!"

The three turns to Tae, who is chewing an earpiece. A staff member attempts to stop her from chewing it more as he says, "You can't go gnawing on that! It costs lots of money!"

Once he gets it off of her, the staff leaves the room to clean the saliva off, leaving Tae to stare at him before she continues her mindless prowling. "See my point there?" Kakyoin started with folded arms.

"I agree! Tae-chan's gonna bite someone at that state!" Sakura concurs, standing up to stare Kotaro with pleading eyes.

"..."

"..."

"...So. What do you think of the special makeup skills I learned in Hollywood? Nobody's noticed that there are zombies here," Kotaro purposely switched the subject to the makeup put on Sakura, Kakyoin and the zombie girls. The two didn't like he dodge the main concern, with Sakura stating, "That's not the real issue here!" Turning to look at the mirror, her pouting face softens as she, admittedly, liked Kotaro's work on putting their disguise. "Although, it's impressive."

"I agree. You must have put some practice before you perfected applying makeup to disguise us as humans." Kakyoin admits, looking at his reflection.

"I hope you're not bothered that a guy like you has to use makeup. Obviously, can't let everyone know you're a zombie, right?" Kotaro replied.

"I do not mind at all if it means keeping our identities secret," He shrugged, looking at his hands and face. Hmm, I wonder what could I add to my face? Maybe a lipstick?

At this moment, the lead singer let out a scream through a megaphone, riling up the cheering audience. The scream is loud enough it can be heard through the walls.

Tae continues prowling until she hears the scream and accompanying rock music. She stops for a moment to comprehend it...

...And started head banging aggressively.

Surprised over her weird act, Sakura stammers, "W-W-What!? What, what, what is this!? What's going on?!"

As she and Kakyoin stare at Tae head banging in shock, Yugiri and Ai proceed to imitate Tae, surprising the two more. "W-What the hell?" Kakyoin mutters as he turns to look at them in surprise.

Junko, Lily and Saki follow suit, creating a group of zombies head banging from the heavy metal music that found its way to the backstage. Naturally, the two couldn't be more bewildered.

"No, no, no!" Acting quickly, Sakura borrows six dried squids from Kotaro's breast pocket (who remains impassive to their odd gesture) and stuffs it in their mouths to make them stop.

While Sakura struggles to calm Tae down, Kakyoin asks what just became of them.

"Let's just say a little ｢stimulation｣ is needed to make them conscious. That is exactly what I did when you two weren't woken up then." Kotaro responds. "This is also the reason why I choose this venue in order to wake the girls from their mindless states.

I better not ask what I did while I was still a mindless zombie. He kept in mind, feeling a little bit undignified by imagining his actions before he "woke" up. A thought came to him about the zombie guys left in the mansion, prompting him to ask him. "If you want the girls to wake up, then what about Avdol and the other Stand Users back in the mansion?"

Smiling, he answers, "Trust me, Cherry Boy. I'm already doing that even before we left for the venue."

Back in the mansion, Romero is keeping watch to the undead Stand Users banging their heads down to rock music coming from a boombox. The dog barks approvingly before leaving the basement as the guys continue their "stimulating" experience.

"If you don't have any more questions, then I would like to announce that Sakura and the girls got this on the bag!" Kotaro declares with a confident look in spite of the ridiculous situation the two found themselves in.

"No I don't!" Sakura remarked after Tae stops and chews on dried squid, facing Kotaro with a nervous face. "That should be obvious!"

"You must not have common sense if you think the six mindless zombies 'got this in the bag' like you said," Kakyoin shakes his head, more or less staying on Sakura's side. "Though as much as I like to make you stop this madness from delving further, I guess it's too late for that, huh?"

"...I don't get it. What are you two so worried about?" Kotaro sincerely asks. Kakyoin has to calm himself down before he puts his fist to Kotaro's face over his indifference as he feels his patience almost at its limit. Sakura shares his reaction too, really feeling her exasperation at Kotaro.

"What am I- How can I do anything but worry!? Me and Kakyoin here are the only ones that are awake and it's really obvious the others are zombies!" Walking to Kotaro, she adds, "And isn't a performance the kind of thing you gotta do a bunch of practice for?! What exactly are you ｢expecting｣ me to do?!"

Seeing she's riled up, Kotaro puts his hands on her shoulders to stop her outburst.

"Just trust your instincts." He said simply.

"...Tae-chan might bite somebody." She recalled her earlier statement.

"A little biting never hurt anybody." He responded with a reassuring smile.

"...Are you stupid?" Kakyoin interjected to mock his denseness.

"LISTEN UP!"

Feeling themselves gearing up to listen to what he has to say, Kotaro says, "Nobody in that crowd is expecting a damn thing from you all. That goes for me and Kakyoin, too. Not even a little bit."

"Then-"

"...And that's why!" Sakura swallows what she's about to say when Kotaro still has something to say to her. "That's why you have to blow their expectations away! You will turn Saga...no. You will turn the entire world on its head!"

"...We will?" Sakura softly mutters in thought.

A staff member enters briefly to tell them that they're on before leaving to prepare. "Death Musume (Name Pending), you're up!"

"Have some faith. You can do this." He finishes with a reassuring smile.

Kakyoin looks at him, mouth agape over his absolute confidence in his plan to save Saga through reviving the girls as zombies and making them idols.

His speech just now... Even in the face of absurd and insurmountable odds, Kotaro is confident in his plan to save Saga. Even though Sakura and the girls are unexpectedly thrust in their first ever performance as an idol group without practice, Kotaro holds absolute faith in them to succeed as part of his project. Kakyoin thought, feeling somewhat roused up by the man in shades' resolve. While having to team up with other undead Stand Users to fight against a common enemy is manageable, him reviving zombie girls to form an idol group may sound insane but, combined with his actions, desires and his speech, I can't help... but feel...

"Kotaro-san..." Sakura seems to share Kakyoin's thought, seemingly roused up by Kotaro's daring speech...

"I can't do it," She stated affirmatively with stern eyes staring into his eyes covered by sunglasses.

...not convinced. At all. Even Kakyoin is doubtful.

Silence reigns for few seconds, letting Sakura's words sink into Kotaro's head...

...

...

"OKAY! IT'S A GO! GO, GO, GO, GO, GO, GO, GO, GO, GO!" He clapoed his hands with utmost conviction, willing to see Death Musume's first performance to start.

On the stage, Death Musume (Name Pending), consisting of Sakura as Number One, Saki as Number Two, Ai as Number Three, Junko as Number Four, Yugiri as Number Five, Lily as Number Six and lastly, Tae as Number Zero, stands, or prowls around in the case of six, in front of the indifferent audience, who are all wondering why seven girls are doing here when heavy metal music is the theme here. They're so indifferent that they paid no heed to the six's odd movements and groans as they care more about heavy metal music, not seven cute girls in casual attire and likely performing with pop music typical for the idol genre.

Feeling her nerves getting whacked to its limit, Sakura tries to maintain her composure as she says, "U-Um, well, good evening… W-W-W-We are D-Death Musume!"

"Just spit it out girlie! You better not make fun of death metal!" The chubby man shouted annoyingly.

"And what are idols doing here anyway?" His lanky friend asks, questioning their presence.

"R-Right! Y-You can all call me N-Number One!" She introduces using her codename as per Kotaro's request.

"I don't care! Just start already!"

"It's just gonna be crap, anyway!"

The crowd starts murmuring and booing "I-I'm sorry!" They're so mad! What do I do? What do I do?! She thought in panic. Kakyoin, please...! Help me!

Behind the stage, Kakyoin and Kotaro are watching the anxious Sakura and the girls minding their business. The former has a sympathetic look directed at her. He can't see much of the audience, but he can tell from the indignant murmurs that they're not interested in the soon-to-be idol girls at all.

"I can tell this is gonna be a disaster." Kakyoin tells Kotaro, sounding exasperated. "Are you sure they're up to this?"

"They will be soon." Kotaro remains rooted in his decision. "Just have to wait for the ｢cue｣..."

"The cue?" He raises an eyebrow over the specific word. This is the first time he's watching an idol group performance, or what can be constituted as a 'performance', but he can tell it's gonna involve singing and dancing. He guessed that based on the few times he heard or watched Junko sing when he was young so he has to admit, he's curious and wondering where this will lead.

Meanwhile, as Sakura dreads the worse, she notices Tae staring at the audience, specifically the lanky and chubby duo.

She roared before jumping towards the duo with an open mouth.

I knew it! A surprised expression is present on her face as Sakura watches Tae land on the chubby guy, who is surprised she dared to perform a stage dive when their performance hasn't even started yet. As Tae shouts ferociously, seemingly with intent of biting him, Sakura gets off stage and pulls Tae to prevent the situation from escalating further. "Tae-chan! C-Cut it out!" Once she's pulling Tae back to the stage while the audience look at the long-haired woman in shock, Sakura feels utterly defeated, feeling pessimistic that things are going to be bad. I just knew it! She thought in despair.

While the two remarks on Tae's ｢brutal｣ move, Kakyoin puts his hand on his face, having guessed what Tae is gonna do when she's staring at the audience. I knew it... He thought in discontentment.

Just when the two thought it would end in absolute failure, Saki kicks a megaphone lying on the floor. The sound it makes seems to have the audience's attention, including Saki. All the while, Sakura is dismayed at such a huge mess she's in.

Then, when Sakura notices the audience's eyes are on the group, Kotaro sees the ｢cue｣...

"MUSIC, COME ON!"

Heavy metal music plays, surprising the audience, the metal duo, Sakura and Kakyoin, the latter two almost getting deafened by the music.

W-W-What...? What is this...? What's going on!? Sakura thought in panic, her ears ravaged by strumming guitars and pounding drums.

"RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGHHHHHHH!"

Amidst her panic, Saki yells through the megaphone as the audience excitedly cheers, obscuring Sakura's startled scream.

Meanwhile, Kakyoin recovers from getting deaf before asking, "W-What...? What's going on here? This music..." Eyeing Saki as she continues screaming, Kakyoin wonders how Kotaro had this kind of music to be used in their performance. He must have known the venue was gonna be filled with metal fans so he must prepare it in advance. As for how he got it if he hasn't borrowed it from other bands… "Tatsumi-san, did you... compose this music?" He asks the manager.

"Being a manager of an idol group, it's appropriate to have one composer for the girls to sing," Kotaro explains, smug smile evident on his face. "If there's no composer, obviously you have no music."

"I see... I'm surprised you made this music for the performance." Kakyoin seems impressed by Kotaro's work for the song. "Well, the genre does not fit to an idol group but-" He turns back to the girls only to be more surprised when the girls sans Sakura and Saki started head banging aggressively. "W-What in blazes?!" He exclaims over the sight.

Amidst the cheering audience, head banging zombies and Saki continuing screaming on a megaphone, Sakura can feel her sanity reaching its peak. It doesn't matter how hard she tries, the overall sheer insanity is getting to her. Her first performance, taking place in Geils Live House filled with heavy metal fans and backed up by the same genre for the performance and the unawakened zombies having no care for the world as they head bang vigorously, is surely having an impression on her. So much so that she's facing down as she's at her limit, more than ready to let it all out to the world...

"RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHH!"

Eventually, Sakura screams her heart out, surprising Kakyoin due to the ferocity and unexpectedness. "S-Sakura!?"

Among the audience, the duo notice something about the girls, including Sakura, as they head bang alongside screaming Saki. "What... What is this? What are they doing...?" Looking closely, they see that their headbanging is unnatural and over-the-top, which isn't possible unless you really want to strain your neck and spine just to achieve it. Not that they cared, as they enjoyed the sheer, menacing ｢metal｣ feeling with vigor.

Meanwhile, Sakura realizes something as she instinctively lets her body respond to the music. This feeling... Where have I...? As she looks up at the colorful stage lights shining down on the girls, Sakura experiences a flash of memory in her head depicting her among the audience cheering for an idol group on the stage shined on by colorful stage lights.

Just like how it appeared quickly, it disappeared before she can think about it, not that it matters as she's still performing, or in this case, screaming her lungs out, rousing the audience including the lanky and chubby duo as Death Musume (Name Pending) head bangs aggressively.

"RAAAAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHH!"

Number One then dives to the audience on her back, feeling the thrill of performance.

"Sakura..." Kakyoin mutters her name, thinking this is one night he would not forget...

The tweets of the birds ring in the cool morning air as Kakyoin and Sakura sit on a bench in the mansion's terrace. It is morning and the two reminisce about the events last night, specifically the girl's first on-stage "performance".

Romero sits on the floor near some singing birds with the two. Sakura looks down with a downcast expression, feeling under the weather despite the performance last night not ending in a disaster surprisingly while Kakyoin, with arms folded, looks up on the sky absent-mindedly admiring the nice weather this morning. Compared to Sakura, he isn't in low spirits as her.

"I knew this wouldn't work..." He heard Sakura say. Whether she wants to say it quietly or not, she doesn't seem to care. "There's no way... There's no way I can be an idol singer. Last night's events prove that."

"Hey look," Kakyoin speaks up, turning to look at her. "I know there's a 'slight' chance your performance could have ended in disaster but surprisingly, it went okay, if a bit crazy. And as I'm embarrassed to say it to you, you got quite a killer scream." He didn't notice her shaking form as he continued speaking. "Sure it doesn't fit you as a supposed idol but considering you got so eager and go with the flow when the performance kicked into high gear, perhaps you have what it takes to be an idol given enough practice. Oh, and the music must fit to the genre I think are expected for idols."

When it seems like Sakura is about to explode with flurry of emotions, she sighs deeply. She sees Kakyoin wants to cheer her up out of her low mood, especially when the "performance" didn't really become a disaster. Mostly.

When the feral girls are about to go down the stage and ravage the audience after the head-dropping performance, Kakyoin swoops in and has Hierophant Green tie them up quickly before they have the chance. He, Sakura and Kotaro (forced by him) would then pull them backstage and to their van, much to Sakura's relief as she didn't want to deal with the girls all by herself.

"I guess you're right," Sakura earnestly agreed, looking up to the sky. "In fact, when I let all of my lungs out, I... have a flash of memory."

"You did?" He asked with curious eyes.

She nods. "Yes. It's very brief but I see myself cheering for a five-member idol group on the stage alongside the audience, shined by lights and all."

"Anything else?"

"No. That's it." Thinking about her memory, Sakura wonders how important that brief flash of her life could be.

"...Idols, huh? Perhaps you must have admired them if you're cheering them on." Kakyoin suggested.

"Hmm... Now that you said it... When I remembered it, I feel...happy and... elated." Sakura taps her chin in thought.

"Then that means you must have adored idol singing. Call it a guess but perhaps the reason Tatsumi-san wants you to be an idol is because of that. You have a desire to sing for the audience." He proposed a conjecture from that assumption.

"...Perhaps. But who knows? I can't still remember anything." She reminded him, letting out a sigh.

"But it's a start. It might take a long time for you to recover your memories but I'm sure you will remember who you are," Kakyoin assures Sakura, putting her hand on her shoulder to comfort her more. "And remember this Sakura. You have me by your side." He smiles reassuringly. He may have known her only for a day at most but after hearing what Kotaro wants for both of them, having to settle with his new lease on life as a Stand-using zombie bodyguard for a fledgling zombie idol group and Sakura's amnesia, Kakyoin has no obligation to come back home or meet with either Jotaro or Polnareff as he chooses to accept his new undead life. Also, as much as it pains him, he does not want anyone he knows to see him as a zombie, nearly thirty years after his death.

Sakura feels the same way as him but feels more troubled than him regarding being thrust into the spotlight not long after she is woken up, having to accept she is now a zombie and has amnesia. As such, she appreciates any form of encouragement even if the one who empathizes with her problems is someone she barely knew for one day. Returning his smile, Sakura nods happily and says, "I'm glad to hear you say that. Thank you for sticking by my side, Kakyoin."

"It's my pleasure." Kakyoin nodded, glad he managed to lift her spirits up.

Before they can enjoy the peaceful morning and nice weather more (unaware of the feathers on the floor where the birds that were with Romero were standing), screams, shouts and panicked, angry words are heard coming from the room near them, accompanied by crashing objects. Kakyoin and Sakura go back inside to see what the ruckus is. Stepping inside the room, they see Tae standing in the center, staring blankly in the air. "Tae-chan?" Sakura calls her in confusion.

"HEEEEEEEEEEEELP!"

Turning to their left, they see the fearful expressions of Ai huddled near the fireplace, Junko hugging the wall with her back and Lily doing the same next to a door. Aside from them, Avdol stands near Ai, ready to summon his Stand evidenced by his hand gesture and stance, Johnny kneeled in front of Junko curiously pointing one finger with a ferocious look and Narancia has a switchblade pointed to Tae as he glares hard on her.

"What is this...?" Ai questioned.

"Somebody, please, do something!" Junko pleaded, gulping out of fear.

"I-I'm s-s-scared!" Lily started as her heart beats rapidly out of fear.

"That woman... What is wrong with her?" Avdol inquired calmly.

"You better stay back unless you want to get shot!" Johnny warned.

"What he said! I'm not one for a rude awakening, puttana!" Narancia exclaimed.

The fact that they're speaking and acting normally clues Sakura and Kakyoin to one conclusion: they've been ｢awakened｣.

Hearing groans from their right, they see Saki, Yugiri, Bucciarati, Gyro and Mamezuku all grouped together and waking up due to the noise.

"What is going on...? What is all this commotion?" asks Yugiri.

"Maaaaaan, that was a good nap." Saki lets out a big yawn while stretching her arms.

"Agreed. I feel refreshed, like I have worn brand-new clothes after a bath." Gyro nonchalantly concurred.

"Something seems... off." Bucciarati noted while rubbing his eyes.

"Looks like it. I don't think I'm in a villa during winter." Mamezuku pointed out his observation of the room unfamiliar to him.

At this moment, Mamezuku noticed Sakura and Kakyoin standing in the doorway, followed by Bucciarati, Gyro, Saki, Yugiri, Ai, Avdol, Junko, Johnny, Lily and Narancia. All of them have questioning looks as they stare at the two with wary and inquisitive eyes.

Noticing their sickly appearances, Avdol asks, "Kakyoin, what's wrong with your and that girl's eyes and skin?"

Perking up and seeing they want answers, Sakura stutters for a response. "H-Huh? Uh, w-well…"

Before she can answer, Kakyoin puts his hand on her shoulder, letting her know he will speak about their situation. Walking a few steps forward so he is in the center and holding Tae by her arm, he says, "Avdol, everyone, do not panic about what I'm about to say. We are all in a mansion in Saga Prefecture which is now our residence starting this day, operated by a man named Kotaro Tatsumi. If you're wondering why Sakura, Tae-san and I have green skin and red eyes, we're not the only ones here because, well..." He takes a deep breath before revealing, "Let's just say everyone in this very room have died at some point but came back to life as ｢zombies｣."

Their reactions are expected when they hear his answer despite his plea that they do not panic.

While Saki, Yugiri, Avdol, Gyro, Bucciarati and Mamezuku are surprised but didn't express it in an overreacting manner, the same couldn't be said for Ai, Junko, Lily, Johnny and Narancia.

"W-WHAT!? Zombies?!" Ai shouted in disbelief.

"I...d-died...?" Junko stuttered.

"ARE YOU MESSING WITH ME RIGHT NOW?!" Narancia exclaimed, staring hard at him.

"I'm with this kid here," Johnny concurred, pointing his finger to Kakyoin too. "That's a far-fetched claim if I ever heard one."

"But, looking at myself just now, my heart is outside and my skin looks weird. Maybe... He's not lying." Lily replied, believing Kakyoin's assertion.

"This is... surprising." Avdol stated simply, looking at his arms. He certainly did not expect to wake up and hear he is now a zombie. Turning to Kakyoin, a friend he never thought he would see again, he asks, "Can you tell us about this Kotaro Tatsumi, Kakyoin? Perhaps he can shed light to our situation."

Before Kakyoin can respond, Sakura beats him as she decides to greet everybody in the room with a simple greeting...

Through a shout after taking a deep breath.

"GOOOOOD MOOOOORNIIIIIIIIIIING EVERYYYYBOOOOOOODYYYYYYYYYYYYY!"

Sakura's shout is so loud it can be heard outside the mansion, almost obscuring the sound of bird's cry flying in the air.

And thus, that one loud greeting starts the ｢bizarre adventures｣ of Sakura, Kakyoin and their fellow zombie idol singers and Stand Users to ｢save｣ Saga Prefecture.

To be continued

Onomatopoeia:

カブッ (Kabu) - Hard bite

HELLLOOOOOOOOOOO EVEEEEEERYYYYYBOOOOOODDYYYYYYYY!

...

*clears throat* Excuse my enthusiastic shout. I was just excited to start a fanfic starring the ｢LEGENDARY｣ zombie girls of Zombie Land Saga and the ｢FABULOUS｣ zombie guys or JoBros and a Joestar of JoJo's Bizarre Adventure. Ever since I watched Zombie Land Saga to sate my curiosity, it became one of my favorite anime of all time thanks to its characters, awesome music, interesting plot and mysteries, funny moments and the idol premise. Before I watched the anime though, I was growing uninterested in watching anime and reading a manga until I decided to give JoJo a try just to, like Zombie Land Saga, sate my curiosity and because of the memes I'm seeing...

...And that's where it propelled JoJo to become my most favorite manga and anime series of all time thanks to its characters, unique artsyle, intricate plots, immense fabulousness, creative and insane fights and, most of all, the bizarre adventures that occur across the eight parts. And there's no sign that the series is stopping anytime soon as a ninth part, tentatively titled JOJOLANDS, is announced by Hirohiko Araki, the mangaka of JoJo and the Stone Ocean anime is on its way to be released in December. This is a good year to be a JoJo fan.

I would like to add anything related to JoJo due to my admiration to it but it's gonna take long so let's cut to the chase, shall we?

Living Things is a JoJo and ZLS crossover where Kakyoin and Sakura are resurrected as zombies along with others by the man in shades named Kotaro Tatsumi through the girls becoming idols to bring joy to the populace and attention to the prefecture and the guys using their Stands to protect it against enemy Stands. My desire to write a brand new fanfic that isn't Sonic and Touhou lead me to think up on my favorite anime where I then had the idea of having dead JoJo characters such as Kakyoin be revived as zombies.

AlsoIjustwantmyJoBrosandoneJoJotoliveagainaftertheirtragicdeaths.

In the initial process of choosing which JoJo character I'm gonna put in the fanfic, I originally intended for Kakyoin, Bucciarati, Narancia, Johnny and Gyro to be the ones who got revived. But after thinking clearly on the content of the fanfic and which characters deserve a second chance in life, I eventually included Avdol and Rai because I find them cool and likable.

As for how Avdol got revived despite being disintegrated completely and Johnny, Gyro and Rai getting to the original universe? You'll have to find out. I'm estimating that I'm gonna reveal how the three transported to the original universe near the middle or end of the story, with hints as early as the next chapter.

Andalsobecausethey'remyfavoritesandIhavethepowerofimaginationatmyfingertips.

One more thing related for the JoJo side of the fanfic is that this takes place after Made in Heaven but located in the original universe. I believed that because Pucci didn't complete the reset when he's killed, his vision of "Heaven" didn't come to fruition and as such, the universe reverts back to the original or resets again to a new universe resembling the original. I admit, it's interesting writing the fanfic when this takes place after Pucci failed to remake the entire universe in DIO's image. While the implications aren't important and only plays a minor role in the story, I want to put it here so that you may understand...if you've read or watched Parts 1-6 beforehand.

And if it's not obvious in the summary or the first paragraph of the chapter, there are and will be SPOILERS concerning the events of JoJo and revived characters, including the Part 7 and 8 characters. Not sure how much but just reading the summary and first chapter should clue you that you're in the spoiler territory.

Going over to the ZLS side, I'm planning this fanfic to be based on the first season's episodes. Some of the episodes will be different as I inject JoJo fanfare to the mix and I'm planning to completely come up with some new chapters unrelated to the anime. And as for you all wondering if I'm including the second season, it's obvious I'm gonna include it since some pieces of info in chapters I am planning in my head has references to what was revealed in the second season. With that in mind, don't worry about me excluding the second season of ZLS.

One last thing. This fanfic is gonna be cross-posted between and Archive of Our Own but because I'm not invited and signed up to the latter site until at least next week, I'm not writing its second chapter yet. I want readers from both sites to experience my take on Zombie Land Saga and JoJo's Bizarre Adventure crossover.

I believe I said everything about what this fanfic is all about. There are some things I like to put in the author's notes but I'm gonna save it until the next chapter and the next one after. And with that, I bid you all adieu.

Stay safe and healthy everyone!