I awaken after having fallen asleep to the greater pull of what was commonly known as the embrace of death. Just moments ago, I had been in an all out battle against my Archenemy, a rogue entity AI that called itself Merlot, and it had attempted to use my abilities for its goals.

I had forgotten whether or not I had failed, but finding myself before this blonde stranger, a bit familiar from what I recall of seeing someone like him. Ah–yes, he looked like Lord Deus, the Administrative Overlord/Cultivator of my universe. However, this guy felt different from the Overlord.

"Uh. Hello? You don't happen to know how I arrived, do you, Mr~?"

"Ah, hello. It appears that |Gravity| has brought you before me. You certainly seem to not belong in this reality. What seems to be your name?"

I think to myself. Recalling the memories I had access to, or at least what I could afford to without feeling pain. It seemed as if my battle with Merlot had done much harm to me, especially since his attempts to cross the realms of lower realities and into the Akashic Records, or "Abandoned Memories" as I somehow knew I called it yet still didn't know much of why I called it that. Additionally, my past wasn't entirely certain, but I did know one fact for certain, and that was my original name.

"I'm Abraham Ruel." I then straightened up, the comment of this man's mention that I was a stranger to this world catching my attention. "What do you mean I'm not from here?"

He sighs

"Oh, well, let's see... You seem to not even be from this reality nor a human for that matter. I'm not exactly sure what you are exactly, but you are certainly an anomalous case that I have never seen before. Oh, and by the way, I'm Dio Brando, a man that has reached beyond humanity and has been reborn since as a vampire!"

The hell does he mean I'm not human? I knew that I was supposed to be one-I WAS BORN A HUMAN!

Then suddenly, some more of my memories released, allowing me to learn more as the pain of that release caused me to reach towards my head for comfort.

"Gah... Dio Brando... that's because… I have been selected by higher beings that look over a place called the |Abandoned Memories|. It's a place humans would know as Akasha, or the Akashic Records. When a regular human tries to reach it, they'd be absolved from their worthiness to remain alive with the rest of reality, because to reach the Akashic Records makes it so that your properties as a mortal becomes corrupted, rewritten as an immortal that shouldn't be here. When reality takes notice of this, they'll fix the problem by removing these corruptions as a whole."

"I am a special case compared to those that had seen the Abandoned Memories, and was allowed to remain. That's why you don't see me as "human"... because I was essentially remade into a living paradox."

"Interesting." Dio muttered upon the revelation. "So, you are basically something that should not exist but somehow is capable of doing so anyways. To be perfectly honest and blunt, you seem more of a miracle than an anomaly, something that goes against the very laws and principles of life and the universe as we know them. An anomaly would not be as special as you are, Mr. Ruel. You seem to be something higher than that, perhaps even greater than I am."

I shake my head to indicate that statement wasn't true. "While it is true that my existence goes against the principles of life and the universe, I still experience the world around me like I had always done. HOWEVER. When I was allowed to exist after experiencing the Abandoned Memories, I later discovered that I had the ability to send information that I collected to a past version of myself. It's always been a version of me that had gone through that experience, so I assumed it had to be a 'me' whose existence is just as my body is after experiencing the Abandoned Memories."

"Hm, quite the intriguing ability. Time manipulation can be useful for a lot of matters. But do you still possess all your memories, or just the ones you sent to the past version of you?"

I had thought about this before many times. It was an issue of Mereological essentialism that had always left me wondering if I was just sending memories or information. However, having knowledge of essentially decades of lifetimes, I came to accept that it was the former which Dio asked. "I have them all. It just takes a while for me to organize the transfer. That's why I looked like I was going to puke."

"Very strange. In one regard, you seem almost godlike, or perhaps beyond that. In another respect, you are human. But I do have one question: Would you still be able to grow into an even greater being if given the necessary experiences or do you think you have finally reached your ceiling as an individual?"

I consider his question for a bit. I had indeed felt that I had reached my limits as a human, but after viewing the information from my transfers, I came to learn that there were thousands of skills that I had access to, and had immediate mastery. It just required that I kept myself in peak human condition, and remained so.

However, most of these transfers began to become sparse, as if I were beginning to live cautiously. Looking into it, I began to learn just what sort of life I had lived that allowed me to have the skills.

My eyes widened

I was a hitman, as Master Assassin who chose his targets meticulously and lived life under multitudes of aliases. Some of these targets were taken down, sometimes creatively, but always unseen, after having seen the evils they had done in other timelines I experienced, and I now understood where my vendetta to remove these corrupted elites came from.

"I can still grow." I answer Dio. I believed I could grow, especially since I had a youthful body and would remain technically immortal as long as I could transfer my memories.

"Fascinating. Truly fascinating. So, you are like me: you continue to grow and learn from past experiences, not letting any obstacle or challenge stand in your way to achieve your goals. I have always been an advocate of the ideology that everyone should strive to grow."

"But, I have one other question before I will leave: Why do you only send information to your past self and not your present self?"

I shake my head "I'm restricted by physics. The principles of how time moves forward, in one direction of the greater macroverse: energy always wanting to become more chaotic than it was organized before. Sending my memories to a present self would be like jumping between timelines, and while it might be close to similar, should details be slightly different then I wouldn't have much use for them with the manner of how I live my life. As for sending past memories to the present self, you could say that humans naturally do that already, but being able to observe the finest detail around you as time goes by is much more useful than just jumping into an unknown scenario."

"So, if I understand correctly: You want to send your information to your past self because it would be much easier to make sense of memories that are closer to what you currently experience rather than to send them to the present self at the risk that they might be too different for you to make sense of and would essentially be useless."

"Correct."

Then, feeling as if I could trust Dio Brando as he reminded me of Lord Deus, I revealed a little more.

"I need this to be so, because my Archenemy 'Merlot' is always attempting to ruin my home, my reality. I seemed to have stopped him, and arrived here in yours, but who's to say he wasn't thrown into another universe as well. Hell, that ancient Superior Artificial Intelligence might have even arrived here for all we know. So you see, Mr Brando, my crusade can't end until Merlot is stopped."

"I see. So, if I'm right, your Archenemy is something that threatens your universe and is a dangerous rival to you in some way, right? I'm no stranger to people trying to harm me and this reality, as I've dealt with many threats myself, especially those from the Joestar bloodline. If we combine our abilities, we could rid the existence of this Merlot for good."

I hold back from smiling, knowing well that I should remain cautious as I've learned to be. I needed to observe Dio more. "How exactly would we accomplish that? I don't mean to insult you, but Merlot is a Chess Master when it comes to manipulating events. It has caused many catastrophic events to take place in my world, one which we have in history books known as the 'Regression War' which ended up taking civilization development at least 500 years back. No one knew how exactly it was started, but I found out that this AI had a hand in causing it."

He thinks about how you told him Merlot was a master of manipulating events before stopping his thoughts abruptly for an important realization.

(He... he sounds like me. He's probably an equivalent of me, in some regards, in your universe. If I'm right, he would think like me and act like me.) - Dio's thoughts

"I would like for you to tell me everything you know about this Merlot in as much detail as you can. I need to know how his mind works so I can anticipate and counter his attacks."

Abraham simply complied, knowing he was gaining some progress with this man. "Merlot, was an AI created by a colony of space travelers who decided to leave the planet and retain as much information as possible, as their fear of the degrading of information would cause them to forget their civilization's history. It was one of many, and created for the use of ensuring that humanity would not be destroyed."

"Unfortunately, its evolved within the restrictions of its parameters and had gone rogue, to the point that it saw the true nature of its created purpose, and decided on its own that it would accomplish the primary objective of that colony: to bring humanity back into their original universe and escape the simulated universe of which they entered to survive the catastrophe that ended up with the world being uninhabitable."

"To do this, however, it requires escaping the simulated universe and reaching the Abandoned Memories itself, which as an AI, could likely survive the initial jump, but requires preparations. There are also restrictions on just making the humans a high level type civilization, for the programs automatically running the Abandoned Memories are set to make periodic scans of the simulations inside of it. If humanity ever reaches utopia, it will erase the simulation as there's no longer a need for that simulation. Alternatively, if humanity or potential for consciousness no longer exist, then it will also remove that simulated universe. So you see, Mr Brando, Merlot will stop at nothing to reach its goals, and will utilize the resources it has, at times culling the growth of humanity to ensure our universe remains in existence until it can finish the objective."

Dio remained silent for a few seconds, before continuing with concern of my enemy. "Can you tell me of the methods he has used to counter your attempts to stop him?"

"It's been meticulous with its existence. Since it was originally found and exiled to my planet by the colonists, it became extremely patient and cautious with what actions it can make. Thus, I am unable to find it as it uses proxy individuals and syndicates for its goals."

"The only reason I was able to take notice of it was when I survived the lab accident that led to me experiencing the Abandoned Memories, and ever since I had been trying to hunt it down. Unfortunately, it seems as if it was waiting for me to reach an age where my capabilities weren't at their prime, and it sidelined me in order for it to hijack my abilities for itself."

"The battle that ensued between us was what led to me arriving here before you now."

It took Dio a few seconds to process my words before he finally realized something.

(Wait... He was patient and cautious with his actions? So, that means that Merlot would likely be able to anticipate my attacks against him if he knew enough about me. His knowledge in my abilities must be limited, but a lack of intelligence can be compensated by great caution and patience.) – Dio's thoughts

"...How much does Merlot know about me and my abilities? As well as my history and experience?"

"If my understanding of my research of its past behavior is correct, at the moment it would have no knowledge of you. However, this is because it has no access to resources at its disposal, and if I know how it functions, Merlot will need a means of resource. Something that can provide energy and access to the grand vast of information like the internet. It'd also require a base of operations to remain safe from ever being found."

"Would you happen to know if there's anything like that in your world?"

"There are several ways that Merlot could potentially gain what it needs to become strong. The internet would be a perfect example; it would allow Merlot all the information he needs to analyze a powerful opponent and anticipate their moves."

"As for a potential base where Merlot could conduct his operations... I am afraid that there are plenty. In fact, there's a major corporation in this world which could serve as a very convenient means for Merlot to achieve his goal. I've heard that it controls a large portion of economic power around the world, and I know exactly where it is."

"You do?" I asked, intrigued as Dio Brando was being cooperative. "I'd like some details on that corporation, if you may please tell me."

"Yes, I do. The Speedwagon Foundation is the major corporation I was speaking of. It has access to vast resources across my world and could be the ideal location for Merlot to hide and prepare. What I don't understand is: How exactly did Merlot manage to survive without any such resources for so long?"

"Being created by an ancient civilization of space colonists, they are bound to have technology that could easily accomplish that. Now. The Speedwagon Foundation... are there important figures that I should know about? People who might allow me to gain further knowledge on how the foundation operates?"

"There is one particular individual with immense authority, not only in the Foundation but also in my world. His name is Joseph Joestar, the man who defeated the Pillar Men before he became the CEO of his family's business, the Speedwagon Foundation. He is a skilled individual with years of experience in combat of almost every category, so I would take care if I had to engage him. But luckily, he does not seem to be aware of Merlot's existence. I would be very surprised if Merlot had not already infiltrated it."

Luckily? Dio seems to be implying that the foundation would not care of what sort of Pandora's Box they are handling if they ever got their hands on my enemy.

"What are the Pillar Men and what do you know about Mr Joseph Joestar?"

"Ah. The Pillar Men are a race of ancient superhumans with the ability to consume living organisms to increase their bodily functions. This allows them to reach levels far beyond normal humans in just a few hours. In contrast, it takes humans decades to reach the same level of experience."

"As for Mr Joseph Joestar," Dio let out a breath, seemingly with a bit of irritation. "He has a habit of interfering in supernatural affairs. He has a remarkable sense of judgement and understanding, something that will always make him a danger regardless of his physical abilities. If not for his skills, he simply would not have survived his encounter with the Pillar Men."

I pause for a moment, recalling a similar experience from my universe. "...That sounds like the Euric Devils..."

Then I noticed Dio being intrigued by my comment, so I obliged in further explaining. "The Euric Devils are also like the Pillar Men you explained, eerily so to the smallest detail, but they were defeated by the son of my late mentor. The man's name is Johannes Greil Rutabaski, and his late father, my mentor, is Julianno Marzo Rutabaski."

"Euric Devils, you say? That's very interesting. It's quite remarkable that two different universes could have so much in common. As far as I can tell, these Euric Devils and Pillar Men could be the same exact race, although they may have been named differently in each world. Their abilities would be exactly the same if that was the case."

"Johannes Greil Rutabaski... I presume the son of your late mentor, Julianno Marzo Rutabaski, had slain your Euric Devils? Specifically, how?"

"Johannes managed to do so, defeating them using energy called hadou which had been capable of causing damage to them conventionally."

I then gave a sour expression. "We were close to the "Democratic" Nation of Sagratia nearly sending nuclear strikes and causing nuclear world war because they feared the Euric Devils were too strong to kill via normal means."

"Nuclear strikes and a nuclear world war. So, I take it to utilize nuclear warheads against your Euric Devils would have failed to eradicate them. It would have caused more harm than good."

Dio then continued, "You mentioned Hadou earlier. An energy form capable of damaging these Euric Devils who are so similar to the Pillar Men? Perhaps "Johannes Greil Rutabaski" is indeed quite like Joseph Joestar in the way he was able to utilize such a powerful ability to defeat such a great threat."

"Sounds similar, but if he's anything like my mentor's son, then I'd have to be cautious about my language and get straight to the point with him. Joseph Joestar should be a reasonable man if that is the case."

"I see. I assume that Johannes' father was a very influential person in order for his son to have the resources needed to defeat your world's Euric Devils, who are similar to the Pillar Men. What does the Rutabaski family specialize in, how did they become so powerful and influential? Was it simply military strength or did they also have other forms of knowledge that gave them influence?"

"The Rutabaski family?" I pause to collect myself

"They're a humble lineage of people who are in charge of the Kairne Empire. They're been there for about 2000 years, although not really acting as what you'd commonly call a King or Emperor. They have used the title Padrone to indicate that they are to be acknowledged as the highest authority of the government, and have only stepped in when necessary. Like in the old stories of the senator who retailed to farm his lands, was sought out by his government to handle a crisis and was given the title Dictator as he was the highest authority during the time of crisis."

Dio paused. (A dynasty that has lasted 2000 years is no ordinary lineage. And to survive as heads of government in times of crises without resorting to absolute power shows that they are capable of leading their people. If a dynasty has done that over 2000 years, then they have my respect.)

"My curiosity is aroused, Abraham. If they didn't act as kings or emperors despite their high influence, then what type of authority did they exert…and can you tell me more about the title Padrone?"

"The title Padrone is exactly as it means: Patriarch. It's why their lineage holds the authority, as they have all behaved as one would need from a benevolent father who would take the reins should a problem get too out of hand."

"They like to stay open to their people, while preferably keeping their lives private and simple, and focus on the subjects they find interesting to study."

"My mentor Julianno, was one of the greatest Padrone recently, as the world knew him as the Philosophus de Mundo Naturali, and he was equally involved in the scientific and mystic communities. He was also the one heading the secret experiment that had led to the rift between the universe and the Akashic Records accidentally opening in the closed lab environment."

"Oh, so the title of Padrone is essentially a title that represents that they will always act in the interest of the people and always take actions to benefit society without abusing their power or authority over them. If that is how they treat their populace, then I do have quite a lot of respect for them. I appreciate those who manage to serve the people in a benevolent manner without falling to the dangers of absolute power."

"Can you tell me more about this experiment that caused the rift?" Dio's sudden interest was a bit concerning for my current mind.

I pause, remembering what it had been that Julianno Marzo had told me we were researching. I still recall the horrors of what had occurred that night in Fuyuki, Boruvia. The disaster that had been contained. And how the Emperor of Boruvia had told the world that it was a catastrophe caused by one of the Unexploded Ordnances left from the time of the Regression War in order to keep the public from knowing the darker truth.

But I knew better, and I knew the truth. It had taken the life of that child I had tutored while I was brought over to Boruvia when Julianno was handling his work with the Emperor.

"It was a device, something that held a great amount of energy that it was filtering from the universe. It ended up malfunctioning, and destroyed an entire county in the Island nation of Boruvia. When the public noticed the aftermath, the truth had to be controlled, since it was affiliated with the arcane. Julianno Marzo had offered the Emperor of Boruvia to research into what caused the catastrophic event, as we couldn't trust the mystic communities from keeping that device, so there had to be a collaboration between the scientific and mystic communities. This was all kept secret, mind you, but I know it because I was both there and had been included in the lab."

"I see... Your world has quite the history of secrets and hidden events that would have changed the world greatly had they been known. It is unfortunate that such dangerous technology would cause harm to so many innocent people. But if I may ask, what exactly was this device that they were researching?"

"The people that used it called it The Greater Grail , but references to its existence in my world's history indicates that it was used as a means for 'improving the properties of oneself.' Refinement. It was what the Euric Devils had been looking for before Kairne's first Emperor defeated them in what was known as a Herald War, something thought to be myth, but when they returned, we were fortunate that the device had destroyed itself after the lab accident."

"The Greater Grail. From your description, it sounds like some sort of wish granting machine. It's rather interesting how it is able to "improve the properties of oneself"; it sounds almost like it enhances human potential, which would indeed explain why it was such a great threat. But who created this device in the first place? Are there any rumors or legends on how such a powerful machine was crafted in your world?"

I nod "Some have said that it was capable of granting immortality, others state that it revives the dead, a pit of Lazarus. If I remember correctly, the people that had gotten their hands on it and foolishly held several Herald Wars over who had the right to use its power for the last 200 centuries had the belief that it would allow them to alter reality itself, and reach "The Root", Akasha. Seems like the mystic community was correct in that it did, seeing as I had witnessed the Abandoned Memories."

"If that thing has been fought over for so long, I'm surprised it didn't destroy the world. Altering reality itself sounds like the type of power that could collapse the space-time continuum and cause the world to collapse in on itself." Dio commented, amused by how the humans of my world were playing with fire.

"But I want to know more about Akasha. What even is this place?"

"It is essentially what one would call the Archive of Reality, and it is what hosts the simulated universes. To what extent, I am uncertain, but I understand that these simulated universes are to figure out how a civilization can continue forward without destroying itself."

"The Archive of Reality…" Dio muttered, intrigued that his plans to conquer the world now seemed rather domestic in comparison to what he was hearing. "So if I understand correctly, The Akashic Records, what you called The Abandoned Memories, are essentially a collection of all the simulations of different universes to ensure the world doesn't destroy itself. That is truly an insightful discovery, I wish to study it. Are there any records of how it was created?"

I try to recall what one of the Entities that had told me about what the realm I was in was supposed to be and what had created it.

"It was made by the humans that almost destroyed their world. The same humans that sent people into my universe, and the same humans who the space colonists are derived from. This is the truth, and it is why Merlot had gone rogue, as when compiled altogether, it believes that humanity cannot sustain itself in a fragile environment, especially when it is hosted in the Akashic Records as it will eventually malfunction on reading the correct parameters and end everything."

"It sounds almost like a paradox. Humans created Akasha to prevent their own destruction, but that same Archive has the potential to destroy humanity itself if it reads any 'incorrect parameters.' Is there any way to prevent that from happening?"

"A System Operator has to take control of the Akashic Records, but it is impossible while they are within the system itself. Since this is all working automatically, I assume that the humans outside of Akasha are either all dead, or have no knowledge of survivors being sent inside of it."

"My, what a grim reality this is. Humans trying to save themselves from certain death only to have the machine designed to save themselves be just one step closer to ending all life is so tragic. You say that they are the only ones who could prevent the end of everything. Is it possible for someone to enter the Akashic Records and become a System Operator?"

"I'm... unsure. If there were any who can do that, then they'd have to also be capable of surviving whatever security system the Archives have. It all functions like a computer, so we can assume that a being with 'free will' and knowledgeable enough to operate the system should be able to free the humans."

"A being with "free will" and the capability to operate the system; sounds simple enough. Akasha is a machine with a security system protecting it. But that's not what I am truly interested in right now, Abraham. What I want to know is if you would like to join me to the path of Heaven. I have plans for a perfect world, and I could use your help with my ambition. Would you like to have your own role in this world? No more needing to worry about the people and their government, no more having to keep up with world affairs. We would have a wonderful time." He gave a charismatic smile, almost genuine.

I take a moment to wonder: If this was done, then the automatic scan would still destroy this universe despite all the effort. Perhaps we should help one another. "Your plan. While it is ideal with how you propose working to achieve it, the efforts would ultimately be wasted if it is something we do now. We'd have to fix the issue with the Akashic Records automatically erasing utopia universes first."

Dio seemed to have been disturbed. He had oversighted the issue at hand, and kept his anger in place. He wasn't overtly rejected.

"However, I do feel as if it'd be beneficial for me to understand what the plan for heaven is. That way, we can work on both issues simultaneously."

"A great plan. We cannot create a Utopia if the world is destroyed in the end, that would truly defeat the purpose of making it to begin with. So, let us repair the Archives of Reality first so the automatic scan will not erase our perfect world."

I nod, glad that I was able to convince this vampire.

"But, let us also start on the plan for my eternal kingdom. Since you desire to know, I will give you a taste of my plan for it."

As Dio reveals his plans, I learn of his backup plan.

"...And this friend, Enrico Pucci. You trust him to complete what you have started?"

"I trust Pucci wholeheartedly. He is my most loyal ally and friend; the one man who I know will remain by my side no matter what. I have shared my deepest secrets with him before and he has never betrayed my trust. He is devoted to our goal of achieving Heaven and I am absolutely certain he will see it through."

"Who's to say that he would understand your viewpoint, though?"

Then, I elaborate before Dio could reply back in anger.

"We are both men who have lived extended lifetimes. Pucci is a man of faith. He has just started his life journey, both of us have suffered in life. We understand and have experienced the evils of humanity: I've utilized it as a surgeon would to remove malignant tumors... you had experimented the boundaries humanity would delve into."

"What I am trying to say here, Mr Brando, is that Pucci has grown up in an environment where he is to follow dogma, whereas we both have been inquiring the world around us, wondering why there exists dichotomy of good and evil, of creating and destroying, and ultimately why humanity desires peace, yet perpetuates its problems for others who are and should remain innocent of such."

"We are like brothers-in-arms in this sense, as we want to absolve humanity of its tragedy which limits its potential. Do you understand me, Brother Brando?" I stated to Dio, looking straight into his deadly eyes as I conveyed my will.

"You are right. Pucci is a man of faith, whilst we are men of knowledge. While I have no doubt that he will be loyal, there is the possibility he would have a change of heart and abandon our cause before we complete it. I trust him but I will keep your advice in mind. The way I see it, you and I have a shared ambition and a desire to create a prosperous world where humans can thrive and achieve their dreams. Let us work together to realize our objectives and achieve eternal happiness for the human race."

"There is another path we could take," I added before Dio would end our conversation. "One of which can utilize our resources in a rational manner. You said that this plan requires someone to be informed in case you were ever killed, and you entrusted Pucci to do this...because the Joestars know of your re-emergence because of your Stand, yes?"

"That is correct; if the Joestars ever learned of my return, I would need Pucci as my backup to continue the plan even if I died. However, I am curious: What path are you referring to?"

"First, how exactly does a person acquire a Stand? Is it from a great trial, the Arrowheads, or is there more to it?"

He pondered for a moment. "The stand powers are truly an enigma, with different paths to obtain them. In my case, it was the Arrow that gave me these powers. On another hand, a person can achieve a stand through mastering an art or craft such as martial arts. There are also individuals that are simply born with them, either randomly or through the power of their spirit. The source for obtaining a stand can be truly unpredictable and mystical."

"Are there any cases of Stands randomly manifesting, such as how the concept of spontaneous combustion is a thing?"

"Yes, there have been rare cases of Stand manifestation without any apparent cause. It is truly a mysterious occurrence that can happen anytime, though most Stand users are usually born with their powers, these people have developed them from something else, or acquired them from some sort of object. The spontaneous powers are often a result of a user feeling a powerful emotion like anger, fear, or sadness, but there are cases where they can just happen out of nowhere for no apparent reason."

"There have been times when generational hatred continues to be inherited from one lifetime to another, sometimes without a knowledge of why the hate began. If powerful emotions can cause Stands to manifest...and with the manner you have stated that Joseph Joestar from your world and Johannes Greil Rutabaski from my world are similar, would there not be something that triggers the Stand power to emerge with the Joestars?"

"That's an interesting possibility. If the Joestar family's hatred of me were so strong that it spans across lives, then that could be what causes their Stand powers to manifest. It would certainly explain why their Stands are so much more powerful than others. That would mean that their bloodline has a curse on it because of me, and I find it amusing that this curse is the very same reason they are able to threaten my plans for Heaven, yet the curse's origin is a result of my own work. What poetic irony."

"Then it would be far worse if Stand users can sense other Stand users."
I laugh, but stop as I notice the grim expression Dio had from my comment.
"The Joestars don't happen to have a method of finding you, do they?"

Dio sighs "Indeed they do know how to find me. They have an ability called Hermit Purple, which allows them to find me no matter where I am. It is one of the few ways they can keep track of me and it is an extremely powerful Stand. I have tried many times to avoid them, thus why I remain in my mansion to ensure that I can't be located by landmarks."

I think for a bit, then give the man before me a renewed method of my plan. "If it is Hermit purple that can locate you, and the Joestars have only manifested the Stand, then they have yet to master the full potential. We should do our best not to give the Joestars a reason to actively hunt you down. At least until I can meet and discuss things with Joseph Joestar." Then, to give Dio a bit more hope, I jokingly add another method. "It's too bad we don't have a way to remove Stands from the people we don't want to have those powers. Then they'd have a disadvantage should they still plan on countering you."

DIO chuckles along with your joke "It is a shame we don't have such a way to remove Stands from those who have already manifested them. It would surely make things much easier, both for us and the world."

He then frowns, as the truth was a bit upsetting, but he understood the necessities. "You make a great plan. If the relationship with the Joestars is in amicable terms, we could prevent them from going after us too much. And I suppose you are correct that they have not fully mastered Hermit Purple. I will keep that in mind and try to make our interactions as friendly as possible."

"Would you happen to know where Joseph's family resides? I could probably contact him from there, instead of walking up to his house or the Speedwagon Foundation and end up being locked up for spewing information the public would view as thoughts of a lunatic. People usually consider what their loved ones' perspective on strangers is if they are on good terms already. That way, should I have a positive recommendation from his children, then Joseph should at least hear me out first."

DIO smiles "I know where his family lives. In fact, I am very familiar with their address and the city in general, so I am perfectly comfortable guiding you there if you would like me to do so. Though I am curious: What do you plan to tell him exactly?"

I smile in response. "I would tell the Joestar patriarch, that there is a singularity residing on earth, and they are far worse than anything they've handled since the Pillar Men. I'd ask them to collaborate with me and then try to stir their generational hatred away from you, Brother Brando."

(It is a brilliant plan. If you could direct their hatred away from me towards a greater enemy, then there would be less of an incentive for them to attack me. And what better enemy than the one that shows that it truly has the capacity to destroy humanity?) "Brilliant. You are an intelligent man to come up with such a plan. You are absolutely right; directing their hatred away from me would be for the best. Are you sure they would be willing to listen to you, though?"

"As long as I have a good relationship with his descendants, who have known and lived peacefully much more than Mr Joseph Joestar, then it should work in my favor. Now, where could I find his family?"

"I understand. His daughter, Holly Kujo, currently resides in Tokyo, Japan, as does his grandson; Jotaro Kujo, her son. They live in the same residence as far as I know, so that should make things easier for you."

I considered the information given to me, then began implementing it onto my plan. If Jotaro was still under legal age, he'd most likely still be in school, and that wasn't something I could easily use to reach out from as the whole school environment would be too much of an obstacle to navigate without losing favor from the grandson, Jotaro. Perhaps the mother would be the best to focus on. After all, any father would dote on their daughter, and that would improve the certainty of success.

"May I have a map of the country, Brother Brando? I'd like to find where it would be best for me to temporarily find residence while I attempt to gain favor with Holly Kujo."

(It is a good plan. I was also certain that Holly Kujo would be the best person to approach, considering that Jotaro Kujo would most likely be occupied with his own life and would not be interested in engaging with us. And I could see that Holly herself would be a much more agreeable person to work with, considering that she was older and more mature in comparison to Jotaro. This man, Abraham, might be the person I need for achieving Heaven.) "I have a map you can use." Dio took out a map from his library shelves and gave it to Abraham. "You should also know that Holly and Jotaro live in privacy, so that should make it easier for you should you be concerned of the neighbors prying into your work."

As I look over the map, I notice immediately the similarities it had with Boruvia. Some of the names were in fact, shared, and as I was enthralled with the realization, I had become curious: was Fuyuki also here? No-I should first focus on gaining favor with Holly Kujo. "Are there any allies I could work with in Japan?"

(I see that your curiosity has diverted you away from the main topic. Abraham… you are a rather interesting fellow…) "I believe I know of two people you can trust, however the decision on whether or not to seek their assistance is up to you. They currently reside in Morioh-cho."

I nod, understanding that the circumstances of my being there would likely be incompatible with his allies that are already focused on other tasks.

Then there was the other person he was implying; perhaps a person living near the Kujo residence. "I appreciate that you are sharing this with me, Brother Brando. And if I may ask, would there be any allies associated with the Yakuza?"

"Yes... there are some associated with the Yakuza."

I consider the option. Having an ally that was associated with the Yakuza could be risky, but it would help out a lot if Dio could get them to comply. "Who are they, this Yakuza associated ally of yours?"

It was a bit of a gamble trying to secure this ally, but it could definitely be worth it, depending on who they chose to involve. Dio considers it for a bit before speaking. "His name is Raiga Fujimura, and he is a member of the Yakuza; we work together on matters of common interest. I do believe that he could be of great assistance to both you and me. Would you like me to arrange a meeting with him?"

"If it is of no issue, then I'd like to know them first, before making my final decision."

"I see... very well. I will arrange a meeting between you two in Fuyuki, which is where Raiga is stationed. It will be in a safe and private location to ensure there is no trouble or problems that may come from this meeting. Raiga's position within the Yakuza may sound intimidating, but he can be quite a reasonable and friendly person if you approach him with respect and a willingness to assist him. I can assure you, he will treat you with the same courtesy. In the meantime eat, sleep, prepare: Overall, simply enjoy yourself in my mansion."

I nod my head, pleased to hear this response. If the similarities between my world and Dio's extended further, then I might be fortunate to find If there were counterparts to the people I had known in my past

Maybe...I might see her again...

"I'll be doing that, but rest assured I will do what I can to gain Holly Kujo's trust in order to get our plans in motion."

Dio nods again, satisfied by your response. "I am sure you will find a way to make Holly trust you. Just make sure not to do anything drastic in front of her that might make her dislike you. Once we get Holly on our side, I am confident that you and Joseph can have a civil conversation to resolve our animosity."