January 16, 1989

"M-My final… Emerald… S-Splash…"

Noriaki Kakyoin muttered those words weakly as Hierophant Green returns to him after it fired a stream of emeralds to a clock tower's face, destroying its hands and causing it to stop working.

Being sure he had DIO cornered by creating a 20-meter radius web using his Stand's unraveled tendrils, Kakyoin was confident in his plan to figure out the ability of his Stand, The World, while also killing him for good measure since the web is sensitive enough that any slightest touch or movement will cause it to shoot out emeralds at DIO. From the moment DIO was trapped within the web, he has the century-old vampire surrounded with no means of escape.

It didn't go as planned, however. As soon as the emeralds are about to hit DIO, he summoned his Stand, and before Kakyoin expected it, all the emeralds shattered and he was suddenly blown away across the air with a hole in his abdomen. He then crashed into a water tank, the impact adding to his excruciating injury so fatal that he couldn't talk and move his hand or even his whole body. Right there and then, he could only lay there as blood flowed out from his large wound, unable to do anything except feeling the agonizing pain coursing through his body. Remembering his parents who were unaware of him joining the Crusaders months ago, he apologized for making them worry over where their son could be after going to school and disappearing suddenly.

His thoughts shifted focus on how DIO had broken through the 20-meter radius web and emeralds easily, noting that it happened simultaneously and without any slight delay in time. After thinking hard on that phrase, specifically the word "time", and replaying the moment DIO summoned The World and the emeralds shattering in his head, Kakyoin realized what The World's ability is. Despite puking up blood in straining himself, he mustered the last of his strength to shoot his final Emerald Splash at the clock tower as a clue for Joseph Joestar, who is currently facing DIO with seething teeth. That clue being DIO can stop time.

It's a… m-message. It's… t-the best… I can d-do… Joestar-san… Pl-Please understand… P-P-Please… figure… i-it… o-o-out…

With his last thought hoping Joseph would figure out his final message and impart it to Jotaro and Polnareff, Noriaki Kakyoin closes his eyes for the last time, allowing the cold grasp of death to claim him.

…for twenty-nine years.

April 7, 2008

I'm gonna be the girl I want to be!

Starting today, Sakura Minamoto begins her second year of senior high school, moving to turn off the laptop playing a song from her favorite rising idol group, Iron Frill.

Today is an exciting day for her because she has the application papers she's gonna carry to an agency hiring idol singers. She's usually a clumsy girl, but she refuses to let that trait get to her as she is more than just being clumsy. Having admired Iron Frill, especially its leader, Sakura was inspired to be like her idol and become an idol singer herself so she can sing her heart out to her supporting fans with a big smile on her face.

That same smile remains on her face as Sakura grabs her bag and rushes out of her room. Coming down the stairs, she slips her feet into her brown loafers and, after tapping her foot to make sure they're snug fit, heads outside. Instinctively shielding her eyes from the rays of sunlight, she almost feels disoriented, but she doesn't let it impede her smile or enthusiasm for the day.

That way, I know there are gonna be days full of thrills and excitement waiting for me!

With the bright sun beaming down on her as if she's an angel, Sakura greeted the wonderful weather with a nod. Breaking into a sprint, she makes her way to the front gate as she exclaims, "Ittekimaaaaaaas-!"

ドグシカァァーァァァ

Then suddenly, a truck rammed into her.

If anyone was present, they would witness this accident from different camera angles, including the driver's view. Oh and in slow motion too, one that clearly shows her head getting the brunt of the impact from the van's windshield before launching away.

Everything slows down as Sakura is flung up high in the air without warning, letting go of her bag and papers. Her eyes and mouth are seen agape, as if she's reacting to the sudden appearance of a truck crashing into her.

A lone crow flies higher in the sky as Sakura's body falls to the ground on her side, a sickening crack being heard coming from her head, effectively ending her short life if the truck hadn't done so already. Her expressionless and dull eyes stare blankly into the air, visible for the world to see.

And just like that, Sakura Minamoto's days full of thrills and excitement would never come to fruition due to her unexpected death…

…until ten years later.

Splashing rain and rumbling thunder are the first things Sakura hears after waking up.

With her eyes already open, Sakura groggily got up. Seeing she was in a dark room with a dimly lit window, she could barely make out the lamp stand and chandelier in the darkness, both of which were turned off. Common sense would dictate turning either one on to illuminate the room, but right now, she is confused and afraid. What had just happened to her? And most of all, why was she lying on the floor instead of being in her bed?

Before she can think more, a creaking noise is heard coming behind her. She shrieks and turns her frightened eyes towards the source of the sound, which is an ajar door caused by a gentle breeze making it swing back and forth.

"…Eh? Is… someone there…?"

Her fear vanished quickly however, when her eyes happened to fall on a man slumped against the wall next to the door, just barely visible in the darkness. Even before her eyes happened upon him, she was sure she heard a soft whimper behind her as she woke up.

Relieved to see she's not alone but concerned and curious about him, she stands up wobbly and moves to his slumped body. Kneeling before him once she's close, she can make out the appearance of the man more clearly. He's a rather tall and handsome teenager wearing a slim-fitting green gakuran school uniform that shows his physique quite well, with his brown shoes matching his attire. His hair is colored red with a tinge of pink, distinguished by a single, large and twisting bang hanging before his face. Cherry-shaped earrings adorn his ears, which is a rare but not uncommon sight to see from a man.

After she's finished examining him (and swooning over his handsome face), Sakura shakes his shoulder to wake him up. When he doesn't, she shakes him harder, hoping she didn't startle him so much when he wakes up…

…Which is exactly what happened next.

"UWAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"

"KYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"

Their screams lasted for a while until the man stopped when he realized he wasn't sleeping anymore. Gasping for air, his face changed from terror to confusion when he noticed he's in a dark room, prompting him to look around. "Huh? What… What happened? W-Why is it so… dark in here…?"

Breathing quickly as she calms herself down after screaming her lungs out, Sakura turned back to the awakened man and watched him become confused on where he was. Believing he's in a similar situation as her, she speaks up to get his attention. "Hey. Are you alright, mister?"

"Huh?" The man realized someone was kneeling before him. Squinting his eyes, he saw that it was a pretty and shapely girl with long red hair tied in strands by a blue-and-pink polka dot ribbon hanging to the left side of her head. She wore a typical female high school uniform, which consisted of a dark blue coat or blazer that reached down to the hem of her pleated white skirt, a white dress shirt, a dark blue ribbon with white stripes along its edge tied around her collar, white socks, and brown loafers. A wide strap was securely fastened beneath her breasts, holding her coat tightly against her body. With crystal blue eyes that accentuated her beautiful face, his calm lavender eyes seemed to bore into hers, as if he were entranced by her beauty.

His stupor broke by gasping, remembering what he was supposed to be doing.

"Ah! T-That's right! DIO! I must tell the others his secret before it's too late!"

Standing up straight immediately, the red-haired man moved to the nearby door in a hurry. He would have gone through it if Sakura hadn't stopped. "Huh? H-Hey, where are you going?"

"Hm?" Turning his eyes back to her, he realized he had almost left the girl behind. "Oh. Sorry. I… almost forgot you were here," he addressed her politely, removing his hand from the door handle and facing her completely. "I apologize for almost leaving you alone."

Seeing that he had her full attention, Sakura breathed a sigh of relief because she would have to chase after him if he did leave the room. Standing up shakily and dusting off her skirt and coat, she replied, "It's alright. You were too rattled to notice me after you woke up. I'm guessing it was because… you were having a nightmare, right? You did scream suddenly after I woke you up."

Flinching in response, the man couldn't bring himself to deny it; he vividly remembered his nightmare. Of him chasing DIO, of Hierophant Green getting hit by DIO's Stand, of him trapping DIO to kill him, and finally, of DIO stopping time before finishing him off with a fist through his gut-

He shakes the unpleasant thought as he takes a deep breath to ease his mind before replying, "Well, I-I… did have a nightmare, but it's… it's nothing to worry about."

"Are you sure?"

"I'm fine. I'm just… processing that I, or we, are in quite a predicament."

Though unconvinced, Sakura decided to let it slide, figuring finding their situation must be their first priority. "Okay. Just seeing you fine is good enough for me. Oh, we haven't actually introduced ourselves yet," she smiled and asked, "If you wouldn't mind, can you tell me who you are?"

Returning her smile with his own, he introduced himself to her, "It's Kakyoin. Noriaki Kakyoin. You can call me by my last name if you like. I don't mind being referred to as my last name exclusively."

Sakura could feel her face heat up over his smile. As if she didn't have any doubts he was everything a woman had ever imagined an ideal man would look and act like… Shaking her head out of that thought, she introduces herself next. "Nice to meet you, Kakyoin-san. I'm… Sa...Saku- Sakura… Mina…moto…" She seems to have trouble saying her name as if she's having trouble remembering it, but she ignores the strange feeling as she finishes introducing herself to her new acquaintance. "Right, I'm Sakura Minamoto. Call me Sakura if you like."

"The pleasure's mine, Sakura-san." Kakyoin returns the greeting, finding himself comforted by her voice. He doesn't know why, but for some reason, that sweet voice of hers could possibly be complemented by singing. It would sound like heaven to his ears.

Now knowing their names, Kakyoin moved on to the next and most important question related to their current predicament. "Now that we know our names, can you tell me where we are? You're the first one who woke up, so I assume you took a look around, right?"

Her beaming smile turned to a frown upon being reminded of their situation. She shook her head, stating, "Sorry. When I woke up, I was lying on the floor and I didn't have time to look around when I saw you. At most, I don't know what we are doing here or what this place is."

"That so? Figures…" he sighed. Taking note of the architecture of the room, squinting his eyes through the dark to do so, he asked, "Apologies if I'm being too curious but… can you tell me what country we are in?"

"Country? We're in Japan," she replied, curious as to why he would ask such a question. She hadn't noticed Kakyoin's eyes briefly widening in surprise upon hearing they were in his home country when she next spoke, "Why do you ask, Kakyoin-san?"

"Just… wanted to clarify," he claimed. Wanting to figure out their situation more and where they are, he next says this, "So… shall we head out of this room and explore the place? We've been here long enough."

"All right, but please stay close. I don't like the pervasive mood here. It's creeping me out."

Abiding to her request, Sakura and Kakyoin exit the room. With their eyes in full attention, they see that they are at the end of the hallway near the window, and it is just as dark here as it was in the room they had awoken in. Checking the window first, they see a long terrace extending outside and the rain splashing the night sky with its clear, gray color. Judging from the height, they must be on the second floor.

"Hmm… I believe this isn't a normal house," guessed Kakyoin. "It's hard to tell due to the darkness, but I think… we're in a mansion."

"A mansion?" Sakura repeated.

"It's only a guess, but I believe we are in a mansion judging by the structure and the balcony outside."

Accepting his hunch for now, the two proceed away from the window and move forward, still keeping their eyes peeled. The creepy mood in the air got on Sakura's nerves quite well; she stayed close to Kakyoin, even hiding behind him. Kakyoin didn't mind her getting close to him, seeing she's the most fearful of the two. As for the question of why they were here, she would rather let it stay unanswered and just up and leave. Still, it was probably better if they explored before leaving, so they could see what kind of place they were in.

At the same time, a lot of questions race through Kakyoin's mind. From what he remembers, he was fighting against DIO alongside Joseph, with Jotaro and Polnareff chasing them somewhere in Cairo, Egypt. Then, when he had DIO cornered, he was killed. Although he wants to dismiss it as a vivid nightmare, he has this dreadful feeling that it might have actually happened. If it did, then why is he alive when he should be dead? And what was he doing here in Japan when he was supposed to be in Egypt?

As the two continued walking, they spotted what looked like a window on their right and promptly turned towards it…

ガシャンッ

…Just as something, no, someone came out through the glass unexpectedly.

ズドン

It took them two or three seconds before they turned around to see what had just passed them.

"Eh?"

"What the?"

What they saw left them speechless as shivers ran down their spines.

"HUH!?"

ゴゴゴゴゴゴゴゴ

Limbs contorting quickly and unnaturally as she straightened her body, the creepy woman raised her face, revealing sunken red eyes and bluish or greenish skin to the two frozen in shock. She has long dark hair that has two noticeable large strands spread out slightly from her normal bangs, bandages on her head, neck, collar area and left leg, and ragged black dress held up by a white thin rope on her waist with gray knee-length socks and black shoes, all of which accentuates her ghostly appearance, not helped when she stands up creepily.

"Uuunnnngh…" Groaning as her eyes bore into the two with her sunken gaze, the woman raised her arms forward and took two slow steps before instantly charging at the two.

Sakura cried out in panic as she dove out of the way. Kakyoin, however, didn't react in time since he was too shocked to respond. Instead, he instinctively grabbed her arms in defense, snapping out of his stupor just in time for them both to fall onto the floor.

"Kakyoin!" Sakura shouted.

"D-Damn it! Get off me, you crazy woman!" he commanded, struggling to stop the thrashing arms that were almost too strong for him. His face scrunched up in disgust as the crazy woman screamed hysterically and splattered saliva on his face. Seeing how she seemed to make biting motions, coupled with her ghastly and rotting appearance, and putrid smell emanating from her body, Kakyoin guesses what this woman is.

This woman…! Don't tell me she's…!

Having had enough of the zombie woman, Kakyoin grunted as he exerted enough strength to raise his arms against her strong grip before he threw her aside.

"Aggghhhh!" The woman cried out. Breathing heavily, Kakyoin quickly stood up, ready to get away from the woman.

"Kakyoin! Over here!" Hearing Sakura's shout, Kakyoin turns to see her behind a door she found while he had the woman in his grasp. Noticing that she is motioning him inside, he sprints towards the room and once he's inside, Sakura quickly closes the door. The zombie woman left outside begins to bang on the door, desperate to continue pursuing them. They, in response, back away from the door…

"Whoawhoawhoa-! WAAAH! ! !"

"Huh? Sakura!"

Reacting quickly when Sakura trips backward, Kakyoin grabs her arm and pulls her back. She was then cushioned on him with her head resting on his chest and his hands wrapping around her back. Such an intimate contact surely makes her flustered, coloring her cheeks red.

"Are you all right?" he asked out of concern.

"Y-Yes… Thank you for… pulling me to safety…" She sighs, finding herself enjoying being so close to him. Whether Kakyoin realizes it or not, he lets go of her after seeing she's fine.

Their relief is cut short when they hear something shattered. They turn to see a hand had pierced through the door's window, allowing the woman to peer through with one eye.

As if the sight of a zombie woman persistent on her pursuit is scary enough, multiple figures rising up with harrowing groans alert the two. Turning around when they heard it, flashes of lightning illuminated the room, allowing them to see who the figures were.

Much to their horror, these figures are, like the black-haired woman, zombies.

"W-What!? More zombies!?" Kakyoin exclaims in disbelief.

"T-This… This must be a… a nightmare… R-Right?" Sakura fearfully hoped, forgetting she had just woken up a couple of minutes ago.

ドドドドドドドド

Aside from the zombie woman, there are 11 zombies in total in this room, consisting of 5 girls and 6 boys. The girls include:

A blonde woman with green and orange streaks of hair tied in a ponytail wearing a red varsity jacket, orange tie, white buttoned shirt, and long skirt, bearing stitches on her arms and bandages in various parts of her body;

A woman with short slate blue hair adorned with tiny yellow flowers, completely wrapped in bandages beneath her blazer, yellow long-sleeved vest, and slate skirt;

A puffy white-haired woman with thin twin-tails in black and white sailor fuku, having stitches and patches of skin in various colors (blue, green, cyan, and white) across her body;

An auburn-haired woman with a scar around her neck, wearing a red and white checkered kimono with a purple collar and a green skirt;

And finally, another puffy, bright blue twin-tailed kid with an exposed heart, wearing a hair decoration emblazoned with stars, a green blazer, and a gray skirt.

As for the boys:

There's a man with short black hair adorned with two hair clips wearing a white suit covered in black spoon-like symbols and zippers in shoulders, chest and waist with an open cleavage revealing a lace top;

A teenager with messy, purplish dark hair, tank top and pants joined by orange headband, wrist straps and skirt;

A man with blonde shoulder-length hair wearing a knit cap adorned with pink stars and a horseshoe over an image of a rearing horse and blue clothes consisting of a hooded, short-sleeved top over a longer-sleeved purple undershirt that has thick lines and two patches of purple hearts in his shoulders, yellow feather with black-spotted tip rising from under his collar, striped wristband and pants, both studded with pink stars;

Another blonde-haired man with square patches of facial hair lining his jaw wearing a wide-brimmed hat with a pair of goggles around the brim over his back-length hair, dark purple leather shirt lined up by small green balls, arm bands, tan pants, a belt with buckles showing a pair of hands pointing to his crotch, holsters housing two green balls, cowboy boots and a cape;

And lastly, a man with dark blue or black hair sporting two braids wearing a green jumpsuit with darker green vine and peapod embroideries over a light-colored shirt with a tie and green and yellow bomber hat with seven small balls resembling grapes in the front.

Curiously, the last three figures have blue, green, and orange painted lips respectively, as if they are wearing lipstick, and the shoulder-haired man seems to be having trouble walking or even standing up properly, choosing to crawl instead.

As for the last man and zombie overall, Sakura is naturally horrified and intimidated because he's the biggest zombie. But Kakyoin is shocked beyond belief when he recognizes the broad-shouldered man in the back.

A-Avdol!?

His eyes are not playing tricks on him as Muhammad Avdol, the Egyptian fortune teller and member of the Stardust Crusaders recognized by his Bantu knot-style hairstyle, white headscarf, long red robe with elbow-length sleeves, orange scarf, gray pants, necklace made up of engraved medallions with the biggest one showing an ankh resting on his chest, tassel and metallic bracelets, is present among the eleven zombies. Seeing his friend in the flesh, moaning creepily with arms stretched out, Kakyoin is stunned to see Avdol not only somehow here, but as a zombie like them.

As he stands in shock over his friend walking slowly with hands out forward together with the other zombies, Kakyoin finds himself being pulled away by Sakura on his sleeve. She is more than eager to get out of the room as she does not want to be eaten by zombies tonight. Once they're near the door separate from the one they came in and occupied by the zombie from earlier, Sakura tries to open it but she's having difficulty due to her panicking.

Meanwhile, Kakyoin stares at the eleven zombies groaning and walking slowly with their arms stretched, including the black-haired zombie that entered, seemingly intent on feasting on their bodies.

As much as he dislikes attacking a friend like Avdol or a kid, he has no choice in the matter.

Sorry everyone, but I can't let you all get us. He thought, regretting what he would do next but knowing it is necessary.

Panicking at the thought of getting stuck to be eaten by zombies, Sakura hugged the door with her back and asked frantically, "What should we do? What should we do!?"

Staying mostly unfazed as he stared at the slowly approaching zombies, he took a deep breath before doing something extraordinary.

"｢HIEROPHANT GREEN｣!"

Multiple white tentacles with complex green spots and patterns materialize in front of Kakyoin. The tentacles all combine to form a humanoid being with yellow mechanical eyes and a mask covering its mouth. White-colored pieces of armor cover various parts of its body, but much of its green skin, reminiscent of a shiny melon, remains exposed. The Stand strikes a pose by kneeling and pointing one finger while raising its head up after twirling in the air.*

ドゴーンッ

As if this night couldn't get any weirder (or freakier), a humanoid being appeared in front of Kakyoin, who was covered in a green aura, facing the zombies with a steely gaze. He also struck a pose with his hands forming gestures near his face and waist and having a determined and dramatic expression.**

"E-Eh? What…? W-What am I…?" Sakura stammered, wondering if she was imagining the masked humanoid or perplexed by his flashy pose.

Without delay in Kakyoin's action, Hierophant Green gathers liquid energy in its hands. Once the charged energy is sufficient, Kakyoin then shouts, "NOW! Take this you zombies! Emerald… SPLAAAAAAASH!"

ドッバアーッ

Emeralds shoot out from its hands rapidly, hitting the zombies hard enough to make them fall backwards. Any stray emeralds that missed them hit the walls, floors and furniture, but not the windows. Once they're writhing on the floor, Kakyoin disperses Hierophant Green and turns to Sakura, who is left gawking and amazed at his technique. "Hey! What are you standing there for? Open the door!"

"H-Huh? Ah! R-R-Right!" Snapping out of her stupor, Sakura hurriedly opens the door, which thankfully did. "It's open!"

The two didn't hesitate to run out of the room, moving as fast as they could. They ran down the stairs to the first floor while the zombies picked themselves up and futilely chased after them at a snail's pace.

Eventually, Sakura and Kakyoin find the genkan of the mansion and immediately head outside through the rain, panting from the force exerted on their legs as one objective is in their minds: get away from the mansion.

After spending many minutes dashing through the rain, not caring that they are soaking wet, the two stop running to catch their breath after thinking they are far away from the manor they had woken up in. They are really tired due to what they've witnessed and the fact that they've been running non-stop. With a potential zombie apocalypse seemingly imminent, no one can blame them.

"We… We made it… We made it out…" Sakura panted, her hands nestled on her knees.

"We gladly did…" Kakyoin concurred, combing his now wet hair with his hand. He can't wait to properly comb his hair after this is over and figure out what to do.

Once they stabilize their breathing, the two are made aware of the rushing river next to them. Turning their heads toward it led them to spot a stone erected beside it. Written on it were kanji denoting the name of the river as well as the prefecture.

｢Choda River｣
｢Saga Prefecture｣

"Sa…ga…?" Sakura said, curiosity lacing her voice.

"We're in… Saga Prefecture?" Kakyoin added, looking surprised and puzzled the most out of the two. He finds the name "Saga" familiar to him even though it feels like this is the first time he heard the name. How odd… I have a strange feeling that I might know that name… But why?

Before he can think more about it, a voice pipes up in the splashing rain. "Heeeeeeey! You two! You can't be out this late!" It's a policeman, lazily trudging along the soaked sidewalk while pulling his bicycle. He next asks, "What's the matter? Are you two lookin' to be arrested? 'Cuz I'll arrest you two!".

Seeing someone who is not a zombie appear, the two walk up to him as he speaks up about how he wants to go home because his underwear is soaked. "Officer! Thank goodness! We need help!" Sakura pleaded. As they move closer, the policeman stops for a moment and squints his eyes on the two…

ゴゴゴゴゴゴゴゴ

…which is quickly replaced by terrified eyes as he drops himself and his bicycle on the ground and scurries away from the two with a fearful look, not caring he gets even more wet. "W-Wha…! Y-YOU! YOU TWO…!"

Perplexed by his scampering, the two were about to ask what the matter was, only to be alarmed when the scared policeman pointed his gun at the two, freaking them out. "Y-You two…! STAY BACK! W-Wha… W-WHAT ARE Y-YOU TWO!?"

"Huh? What are we…?"

They get more confused over his odd statement and his sudden change in behavior, until Sakura and Kakyoin happen to see a mirror above a pole near them. Out of curiosity, they look up to see why the policeman is scared of them enough to pull a gun on them…

The reflection was obscured at first, but a flash of lightning illuminates the mirror, revealing their pale faces having sunken cheeks, red eyes, and greenish or bluish skin. They have scars also, with Sakura having a long, stitched-up scar over her forehead, while Kakyoin has two smaller, clean scars lining his eyes vertically.

Such scars, eyes and skin color were found on the zombies back in the mansion…

With all of these in mind, the two realize to their horror that they are actually… zombies.

Meaning, counting them, there are fourteen zombies in the mansion in total…

Lightning again flashed above them, illuminating their face to harrowingly show they are not imagining this, which also accentuates briefly their decaying appearances…

ドガッ!

Two gunshots cut through the pouring rain and their thoughts. They both looked down and saw holes in Sakura's neck and Kakyoin's chest.

Tense seconds had passed as Sakura and Kakyoin looked behind them and saw the terrified police officer shakily holding his gun with smoke coming out of the barrel. The former stares for a moment before her body gives out on her and she lies on the ground with her hair and limbs sprawled out around her, agape at the realization she was now a zombie. For her, this is the pinnacle of this terrifying night.

"Sakura?" Kakyoin looked down in surprise and concern, seeing her face showing that she was spent and not having the strength to look at him. He slowly turned to the policeman and, without thinking, took a step forward in a daze. This prompted the policeman to stand up quickly and step backward, shouting, "S-STAY BACK! You… You… ZOMBIE…!"

"Hold on! T-This… This has to be some kind of mistake…!" He pleaded, refusing to believe that he was a zombie.

"I-I'M WARNING YOU! I-IF YOU DARE STEP CLOSER, I'LL…!"

バグォッ

A shovel slammed onto the back of his head, stopping his manic words and knocking him out.

"Huh?"

Blinking in surprise, Kakyoin stared at the now-unconscious police officer lying face down on the wet ground, then to the newly-arrived brown-haired man slightly taller than him holding a shovel. Dressed in red vest, white shirt, black bowtie, pants, a coat hanging from his shoulders like a cape, and most peculiar of all in this time of night, black sunglasses, the man walked towards Sakura while holding an umbrella and shovel neatly with his left hand, who looks up at his face showing a passive and neutral expression. Tiredness soon caught up to Sakura though, so she closed her eyes.

Seeing that he doesn't seem fazed or scared by the fact that they are zombies and likely knows what's going on based on this, Kakyoin gets his attention. "Hey."

"Hm? What is it? If you thought I was ignoring you, then no. I haven't forgotten you're with Sakura-chan," the man turns to him while replying in a dismissive tone.

Hearing him utter Sakura's name despite not having met him yet, Kakyoin is now determined to really know what's happening. From this, he asks, "What's going on here? Why am I and Sakura zombies? And speaking of zombies, what are the other zombies, including Avdol, doing in the mansion?" He stares him down, telling him silently that he'll not be satisfied until he gets an answer. A proper and satisfying answer actually.

"...As for the first and third question, I'll explain tomorrow," the man replied. "As for the second... ｢You're dead｣."

"I'm… I'm what?" He sputtered, blinking in apparent denial.

"You died." He repeated. "If you want proof, check your abdomen."

"...My abdomen?"

Feeling nervous all of a sudden, Kakyoin unbuttons his shirt and looks down. He lets out a hitched gasp when he sees the proof.

ドドドドドドドド

Kakyoin could only widen his eyes in shock at the bandages wrapped around his abdomen. While he could feel his wound had apparently healed and was filled with flesh, it did not comfort him; along with his sickly skin, this was proof that The World did punch through his gut.

Meaning the nightmare of DIO killing him was all too real…

Shakily putting his hand on where he thought his gaping wound would be, Kakyoin feels his breath rattling as memories of his death play in his head. "It… It can't be…" Try as he might, he didn't have it in him to deny the reality that he did truly die fighting against DIO, getting a hole in his abdomen for his trouble. "This… A-Ah… I-I…"

"Look," the man put his right hand on his shoulder, snapping him out of his thoughts as he said, "It sucks knowing you died with that bandage covering your wound as a zombie, but don't fret. You get to have a 「second chance」 in life along with Sakura-chan here. And also, for the sake of comfort, you two are not the only ones who died so horrifically and abruptly."

"…Only one?" Confused at first, Kakyoin realizes what he's talking about. The man is referring to the twelve zombies back in the mansion. Glancing at the sleeping Sakura, he notices the scar on her head, leading him to believe a head trauma may had killed her.

Avdol is not left out, as he sacrificed himself for Polnareff and Iggy's sake before DIO was fought. Sadly, the latter dies shortly after Avdol does.

He didn't recognize anyone else back in the mansion, but he could obviously tell they had died just like him. Again, counting him and Sakura, there are fourteen zombies accounted for.

However, this begs the question of why he, Sakura, Avdol, and the others were revived as zombies. "Hold on, I don't think I really understand the bigger picture here. Why did Sakura, Avdol, the others, and I come back as zombies? I know you said you would answer tomorrow, but I really need to know now."

Rubbing his chin in thought, the man says, "Perhaps I should lay the bare facts for you if you and Sakura go back to the mansion, which, by the way, is now your 「residence」. I'll disclose the rest next morning because, right now, I need sleep. Sooooo, let's move fast if you really want to know now. Preferably to the van just a few blocks away. Yeah, I managed to track you two down when I realized you two ran outside." He walks past Kakyoin, but not before telling him to carry Sakura back since his hands are full before leaving him to process his thoughts.

Once the man left, Kakyoin turned to the girl still asleep on the ground. After a few seconds standing in mild contemplation, he let out a sigh before he scooped her up in his arms and started walking back on the sidewalk towards the van the strange man told him about. He could only hope he got some answers later and tomorrow, because right now, he's too confused and tired to comprehend the fact that, in an act against fate, he had come back to life.

In the mansion's living room, Kakyoin sits on a couch alongside Sakura, who is currently sleeping next to him. With arms crossed, he patiently waits for the man in the suit to appear while keeping watch over her. Throughout this time, his mind has to grapple with the fact that he has been resurrected as a zombie. With the sealed wound on his abdomen serving as a reminder of how he died, he can only wonder just why he, Avdol, Sakura, and the others have been resurrected. If the man isn't planning to cause a zombie apocalypse thankfully enough, then what is his reason?

Kakyoin sighs, wanting to believe this is still all a dream in spite of reality splashing down on his face like rain.

A few seconds later, the red-haired man senses movement beside him. Guessing that she is waking up, he turns towards her so she can see him and doesn't panic thinking she is alone.

Waking up to see she's in a somewhat familiar room considerably brighter now than it was earlier, Sakura moves her head around in curiosity until she sees Kakyoin sitting beside her. "Kakyoin?" She called out.

"Sakura, glad to see you're awake," he said with a small smile. "I was beginning to wonder if you were going to continue sleeping after you passed out an hour ago."

Seeing him with green skin, red eyes, and two scars lining his eyes, Sakura remembered what she looked like and, believing she was only imagining it, stood up and scampered to a nearby mirror. Looking into the reflection, she saw that, to her dismay and horror, she has green skin and red eyes too, in addition to a large scar on her forehead.

"What the hell… This… This isn't real… This must be a nightmare!" She exclaimed in denial.

"As much as I want to deny it, we 「came back to life」 after we died," Kakyoin stated simply, walking towards her. Sakura turned to him as he added, "Whether I want to call our resurrection 「a blessing or a curse」, I suppose we should accept that we are back in the living world."

Though he seems calm, Sakura can sense he's conflicted on being resurrected. Understandable, considering they got revived without their consent.

Curious as to how Kakyoin died, Sakura asks, "Um… I don't want to pry on you but… If I may ask, how did you… die, Kakyoin?"

Flinching and going still for a moment upon hearing her question, Kakyoin sighed before unbuttoning his shirt. The red-haired girl would have freaked out and blushed at the thought of him potentially undressing had she not seen the bandages wrapped around his abdomen. Her eyes widened in surprise, wondering what necessitated such a volume of bandages on him as opposed to the bandages worn by the other zombies she had seen earlier except for the short-haired girl.

"Sakura, you may not be able to see it fortunately since it's covered by bandages but…" He pointed his finger to where his large wound was. "I met my end when a fist rammed through my abdomen. If that's not enough, I was thrown into a water tank, where I have died of blood loss due to my large wound and my entire body being paralyzed to the point of being almost unable to talk…" he explained solemnly, feeling uncomfortable remembering and telling the details of his death.

A gasp escaped from her mouth as Sakura covered her mouth in shock from what she heard. "W-What…? That's… That's horrible!"

Kakyoin grimly nodded, stating, "It is. And even if it's apparently healed, I can imagine a hole on my body in full display, even if I'm revived as a zombie…"

Shuddering at the mere thought of his death, questions arose over how he could have died that way. He wouldn't have died like that unless someone was deranged and strong enough to kill him in that manner. Out of concern for the man, she asked, "Who… who killed you, Kakyoin?"

The man pondered his next response. As much as he wanted to answer her, he was concerned about whether or not she could accept an explanation that involved a century-old vampire killing him with a Stand that could stop time. This was likely her first exposure to the supernatural, and he needed to respond carefully…

…or simply leave it unanswered for a while.

"I'll answer once I believe you are ready to accept the circumstances surrounding it." That's his vague response.

Confused as to why he's hesitant to tell her, Sakura sees he's not going to answer anymore, so she drops it. "Well… okay. If you insist, I won't ask again. You don't seem to like talking about your death."

"I am, but I'll manage. Thank you for your concern anyway," he replied gratefully. "Now that I told you how I died, how about you, Sakura?" Kakyoin asked next, buttoning his shirt back. "How did you get a scar on your head? I assume it's from… head trauma, right?"

With her being next to answer, Sakura tries to remember how she died.

Keyword "tries" as no matter how hard she did, she can't remember.

In fact, she can't remember anything at all.

"Oh no… Oh no oh no oh no Ohnoohnoohnoohno!" Sakura has a nervous breakdown, clutching her head as she tries in vain to remember anything.

"S-Sakura? What's wrong? Is everything alright?" Kakyoin asked worriedly.

"N-No. I'm… I'm not alright…" Sakura let out, breathing heavily with her eyes darting around almost frantically.

"Why is that?"

"Because… Because…"

"B-Because what…?"

"BECAUSE I CAN'T REMEMBER ANYTHING!"

Closing her mouth with her hand after shouting suddenly, Sakura stares at Kakyoin, who flinched and looked surprised by her sudden outburst. "Ah! I-I'm sorry, Kakyoin! Sorry for making you jump!" she apologized as she bowed repeatedly.

"D-Don't worry Sakura. It's fine," Kakyoin assured her. Hearing what she shouted now, he asks, "So… What was the reason why you can't tell me how you died? Is it because… you can't remember?"

Snapping out of her stupor, Sakura gloomily nods, stating, "Yeah… I can't remember who I am. Whether my life, hobbies, parents, where I was born or even my own death, I can't remember 「anything」."

"I… see…" He let out, feeling more worried for the girl because she got the short end of the stick compared to him. So she got 「amnesia」 huh? Could something that gave her a big scar on her head cause her to lose her memory? He wondered, staring at the scar on Sakura's head. Wanting to lighten the mood, he states, "Well, at least you can remember your name."

"Ah, right. My name…" She goes pondering silently. "What is my name again?"

"Your name is Sakura Minamoto."

Hearing someone else speak up, the two turn their heads to see the same man in a suit and shades standing before them. While he looks the same as earlier, he's curiously carrying a zombie mutt covered in different stitches and one eye shut on his right hand, wagging its tail with its tongue out. Also, as noted by Sakura, there's also a dried squid on his left breast pocket.

Recognizing him, Sakura stated, "Ah! You're the man from earlier!"

"Yes. The same man who knocked the policeman out cold with a shovel," Kakyoin recalled rather bluntly. "It's about time you show up."

"Apologies if I kept you two waiting," the man said, pushing the bridge of his sunglasses. "My name is Kotaro Tatsumi," he introduced himself. "Starting tonight, you two are under my management as long as you both follow every word I say. If you do, then there will be no problems."

Comprehending his words, the two wonder what he meant about them being under his management. In response, Sakura replies, "I'm sorry but I don't understand what you're saying…"

"Same here," concurred Kakyoin. "But before you tell us more, can you tell us what the current year is? Since we died many years ago, it's likely that many years have passed since then, so knowing the current year is important for us to learn more about our situation."

"…It's 2018." Kotaro answered.

"2018?!" The two exclaimed in unison, not expecting the gap between the year they died and the current year would be that big. This is especially true for Kakyoin, who remembers it was 1989 when he died, so to hear almost thirty years have passed since then is quite shocking, to say the least.

"You heard me. ｢2018｣. Sakura Minamoto died ｢ten years ago｣ while Noriaki Kakyoin died at least ｢twenty-nine years ago｣. Both of you came back as zombies alongside the others," he continued, not skipping a beat. "As to why I revived you two as zombies, you two will work together as ｢Number One｣ and ｢Cherry Boy｣ with your respective groups to ｢save｣ Saga Prefecture!"

"Number One? Cherry Boy?" Sakura repeated the titles given to them with incredulity.

"And… What's this about saving Saga Prefecture?" Kakyoin inquired, wondering if Kotaro is going to tell them the reason why they had been revived.

As if what Kotaro is saying doesn't sound absurd enough, he goes on to grab Sakura's chin, causing her to blush. Kakyoin blinks in disbelief at Kotaro's actions (and somewhat incensed) as Kotaro continues, "Number One is the codename you will undergo as an idol. Like I said, there'll be no problems if you follow my words, so you don't have to worry about anything."

"Idol?"

"Yes. I'll turn you and the other zombie girls into ｢idols｣!" He made this bold statement.

Before Sakura can reply back, Kotaro lets go of her chin and turns to Kakyoin. Questioningly, he grabs his chin too. Such a gesture almost flusters Kakyoin, who would have a feeling so complicated if what Kotaro said to him doesn't surprise him.

"As for you Cherry Boy, you and the other zombie guys will use your ｢Stands｣ to protect the idols as bodyguards and fight against an enemy ｢Stand User｣ and their horde of ｢enemy Stands｣ lurking in Saga Prefecture!"

"What!? S-Stands!?"

Surprised, he forcefully removes Kotaro's hands off his chin. Looking at him with a shocked and prudent look, he never would have expected he brings up Stands, making him become wary of him.

He knows I have a Stand the whole time? If that is the case, then does that mean he must have resurrected me and Sakura as zombies through-!

"No. I don't have a Stand and didn't use them to revive you two as zombies. My method of resurrection is completely ｢unrelated｣ and ｢different｣ to Stands." Kotaro guessed his line of thought and quickly made this declaration.

"Huh?"

Wondering if he heard it right as his wariness vanishes immediately, Kakyoin asks if he used a Stand to revive them.

"I did not." Kotaro affirmed.

"…If you didn't use a Stand, then… How did you revive us?" Kakyoin asked this important question.

"Have you watched a zombie movie before?"

"…Yes?"

"And there's your answer!"

There's a moment of silence before Kakyoin, unconvinced, states, "That doesn't explain it."

"And that's aaaaaall you'll ever get from me!" Kotaro maintains his stance on the matter, more or less telling Kakyoin that, 'I will not reveal the secret of my zombie revival process so deal with it.'

Still wanting to know exactly how, Kakyoin was about to ask again, firmly this time, when Sakura chimes in. "Um, excuse me…" The two turn to her as she asks, "What is this about… Stands? You were surprised when you heard Kotaro-san mention it, Kakyoin, so may I ask… what is a Stand?"

Having almost forgotten again Sakura is present, Kakyoin found himself fumbling with his words, wondering if, and how, he could explain it to her. "Stands? W-Well, you see… Stands are-"

"You can talk about what Stands are next morning, which is also when I'll explain more about what I revealed to you two about saving Saga." Kotaro interrupted, seeing they have dragged this conversation long enough.

Still unable to digest what he's saying so absurdly, Sakura again sks, "How do we exactly 'save' Saga?"

Kotaro stares at her in silence for three seconds. He then clears his throat before he repeats what he told Sakura and Kakyoin…

…In a bombastic display, complete with shouting and one clenched hand raised up high in the air.

"IT'S THROUGH MAKING YOU GIRLS BECOME ｢IDOL SINGERS｣! AND THE GUYS USING THEIR ｢STANDS｣ TO ｢PROTECT｣ THE SOON-TO-BE POPULAR GIRLS AS ｢BODYGUARDS｣! AAAAAAALL TO ｢SAVE｣ SAGAAAAAAAAAAAA! ! ! ! !"

Hearing his nonsensical reason to "save" Saga Prefecture, Sakura and Kakyoin could only say one word describing succinctly their reactions and feelings over his bizarre motivation.

"…What?"

To be continued

Stand Analysis:

Hierophant Green (Stand Master: Noriaki Kakyoin)

Destructive Power: C
Speed: B
Range: A
Stamina: B
Precision: C
Developmental Potential: D

Hierophant Green is a long-distance Stand having the ability to unravel its entire body into tentacles or tendrils for various purposes like using it as a rope, avoiding damage to its user and weaving a sensitive 20-meter radius web that detects enemy movements. It is also capable of entering inside a person's body to forcefully control them, although Kakyoin used it rarely due to its inhumane nature. Its most noticeable technique is Emerald Splash, which lets Hierophant Green fire a barrage of emeralds after gathering energy in liquid form on its hands before discharging them as emeralds. While certain individuals can block and deflect the attack and isn't quite powerful, its blast range, shotgun-like launch, and high speed make this quite a capable technique under the right strategy.

* - The pose Hierophant Green made before Kakyoin lunged at Mannish Boy during Death Thirteen's fight.

** - The pose Kakyoin made during Tower of Gray fight.

Onomatopoeia:

ドグシカァァーァァァ (Dogushikaaaa) - Car crashing into someone

ガシャンッ (Gashan) - Glass shattering

ズドン (Zudon) - Thud

ゴゴゴゴゴゴゴゴ/ ドドドドドドドド (Gogogogo/Dodododo) - Dramatic tension

ドゴーンッ (Dogon)- Close-up emphasis

ドッバアーッ (Dobbaaa) - Sound of Emerald Splash

ド ガ ッ (Doga) - Gunshot

バグォッ (Bagou) - Shovel smacking