Many days later…
The natural environment of the region had shifted gradually, becoming unbearably hot and humid. At first, they crossed a rainforest, but that soon gave way to the scorching sands of a blistering hot desert.
Naturally, they were attacked en route by monsters, most notably by a Tarantula, a Minotaur, and most recently by a Scorpion girl. Each of them stood no chance against the combined efforts of both Luka and Giorno, further enhanced by Sylph and Gold Experience.
"Phew…She was pretty strong." Luka panted, sweating buckets after their sealed foe had run away.
"This is useless. We can't last much longer like this." Giorno was in a similar situation, severely exhausted from his constant use of Gold Experience and Sylph.
"Are you finished yet? There's nothing to do around here when I go on my nature stroll. All I could do was catch a couple of insects." Alice said as she proudly showed off several scorpions in an insect cage.
"Uwah!" Luka gasped and backed away.
"Alice, why did you catch these?" Giorno tiredly asked.
"Well…I was wondering if I could eat them." Alice proposed thoughtfully.
"Like hell, you could!" Luka exclaimed, looking ready to puke.
"Actually-" Giorno started.
"No! No more animal facts!" Luka groaned, hurrying off to get to Sabasa.
After a while, the group came across some clothes and luggage sitting in the middle of the desert.
"What... Is that...?" Luka wondered aloud, looking around at the scattered junk.
"What the heck? Did they melt away by the heat?" Alice asked in puzzlement.
"I don't think humans can melt like that... I wonder what happened. Hm? What's this? What's an expensive lamp doing here..?" Luka questioned, looking at the lamp, before picking it up and dusting it.
Suddenly purple smoke started emerging from the golden object, a monster appeared from it, as Alice hid.
She looked mostly like a normal human woman with her ample chest exposed, but her ears were long and pointy like an Elf.
"Uwa! What the!?" Luka startled.
"… A genie?" Giorno sighed, not wanting to deal with this in his state.
"I was called... I shall grant you one wish." The Genie declared.
"Now, what is your wish? No matter what it is, I shall make it come true." The Genie inquired, swaying her breasts in front of the duo.
"I don't believe that you have the power to do so… And stop trying to seduce us already, it's not going to work." Giorno complained.
"Now, state your wish. Do you desire wealth? Power? Or... the ultimate pleasure? I bet you desire pleasure. Shall I give you a taste of my sexual skills?" The Genie seductively whispered in Luka's ear.
"Oh crap! What the hell am I thinking!? Ilias, please forgive me!" The short man yelled out, as he shook his head.
"...I don't have any wishes you can grant. There's just a goal I must achieve!" Luka continued, regaining his composure.
"...I see. You have strong wills. I like men like you. I'll give you a special service..." the Genie said, as her energy surged, some of her power entering their bodies.
"I wish you well in your travels..." the Genie said, going back to her lamp.
Still surprised, Luka picked up the lamp.
Giorno merely shook his head, feeling somewhat rested after that energy transfer.
"Should I keep this lamp so there aren't any more victims...?" Luka pondered.
"...Sheesh. I thought you were going to jump her with how excited you looked." Alice said in an irritated tone.
"I just felt weird for a moment! But... I shook off the temptation..." Luka said while blushing.
"...Pervert. You're so repressed your desire overflowed at the slightest temptation. Once we get out of Sabasa castle, it looks like I'll need to squeeze everything out of you again." Alice declared.
"Eh...!?" Luka said while blushing and trembling.
"Oh my… Do I hear romance in the wind?" Sylph teased as she reappeared.
"Most likely, but they won't admit to it." The blonde agreed.
Despite Luka's continued prayers, they did not reach Sabasa by the end of that day.
"Uuu... Why the hell did I agree to this..." Luka lamented, as he cooked the scorpions Alice had caught.
"...You should thank me." Alice declared, unphased by Luka's complaints.
"As long as it's cooked properly, they should be edible." Giorno reassured.
"...Hmph. It's fine, isn't it? Everything you make turns out good." Alice said with a small smile.
"...That doesn't make me feel better about eating scorpions." Luka whined.
"Uhg... We should have been at Sabasa castle already." Luka lamented tearfully, as he ate his scorpion.
"...Don't cry, you idiot." Alice insulted, as they finished their meal.
"…" Giorno took a bite out of his scorpion, finding the flavor somewhat appetizing. He'd read that they had a slight fishy and jerky-like taste. He was delighted to have found out that was no lie.
"Mmm… This is pretty good." He complimented, receiving a smile from Alice and a rather sad look from Luka.
He went to bed with a full stomach that night, relishing in the cool night air.
The next day, Giorno created a bird that guided them to their destination in earnest.
For the first time in two weeks, they had entered civilization.
"There are a lot of merchants…" Luka commented.
"Indeed." Giorno let his hands wander towards any strangers who got too close to him in the crowded streets, taking a coin or two from their purses.
"Oh? Is this the Sabasa Castle's special dish? A piping hot Sabasa Fish packed with hot-hot vegetables, flavored with special Piriri spices?" Alice questioned in a hungry tone.
"...Do you want to eat it?" Luka asked her.
Alice quickly nodded her head like an excited child, a trail of saliva escaping her lips as she smelled the dish.
"...It's expensive you know. We can't afford it with the money we have on hand..." Luka said dejectedly, looking at the prices.
"Mr. Adventurer! The baptized Hero price isn't too expensive!" the clerk offered.
"Err... I'm actually... Not baptized..." Luka confessed.
"Gah! This stupid half-hero boy! How come you aren't a baptized Hero at such an important time!" Alice yelled angrily.
"...Sorry." Luka apologised dejectedly.
"Actually… I'll take three. I can afford the non-baptized price." Giorno intervened, placing a small bag of coins on the table.
"Ohh?! Right away sir!" The clerk took the payment and presented them with their food.
"How did you- never mind! Mmm… Delicious." Alice gorged herself on the meal.
"I didn't know you kept money hidden away, I guess I should too. Considering Alice's appetite and all." Luka chastised himself.
"Right, hidden away." Giorno looked away for a second, noticing a guard staring right at him and freezing.
"Ah... Ahh! Those swords! Hmm... You're a little young..." a soldier suddenly gasped, stopping to look at Luka and Giorno, before adopting a thoughtful expression.
"I'm sorry, but will you come with me to the castle?" the soldier suddenly requested.
"Eh...!? I didn't do anything wrong!" Luka protested fearfully.
"...No, it's nothing like that. Anyway, just come to the castle. It won't take long... You just need to listen to a story." the soldier explained.
"My fish…" Giorno looked back at his empty hand, already knowing who stole his ill-gotten meal.
"Mmm… Sho good!" Alice declared while stuffing her mouth.
"What do you think, Giorno?" Luka asked.
"I think it should be fine. I don't think Alice will mind at all." Giorno nodded.
They found themselves in the audience hall of the King himself.
A rough and strong-looking man stood in front of them, sizing them up with interest.
"Excuse me... Were you brought here to hear the King's request too...?" Luka asked the man he thought to be a warrior.
"That cape, those robes… You're the King of Sabasa, correct?" Giorno guessed, taking an inquisitive look at the large man.
"Yes... I am the King." the ruler replied.
"Ah, the King. Well, I... Eh!?" Luka stopped, his brain catching up with the man's words.
"I'm the ninth King of Sabasa." the huge man declared.
"...I...I'm sorry! Please excuse my rudeness before!" Luka swiftly apologized.
"Excuse me for saying this, but you don't look like what a King should look like. You're certainly more… battle-scarred." Giorno commented.
"Heh, I don't mind. I used to be a warrior before I was the King." The King smiled at his comment.
"...Hmm... You have good eyes. You look pretty young, so I wasn't sure of your ability." the King commented, looking at Luka.
"And you're certainly a quick-witted one… I like that. Nice muscles, by the way, young man." He looked down at Giorno's chest.
"Travellers, I wish to ask you something that must remain confidential. It's very important. If it gets out to the citizens, it will be a huge incident." He declared.
"I... I understand..." Luka said, with a nervous swallow.
"The fact is, my daughter... That is, the princess... She was kidnapped by a monster." the King confessed with a dark face.
"The princess was kidnapped!? As a Hero, I can't sit still at that!" Luka declared resolutely.
"...A fake one." Alice reminded.
"Please tell me more, King." Luka requested, ignoring Alice.
"It was midnight, three days ago... I was awoken by the sound of shattering glass from my daughter's room. When I ran there, my daughter was gone... The only thing that remained was a letter." the King explained.
"A letter...?" Luka inquired.
"The monster who took my daughter left it. In horribly hate-filled writing, it had one word on it. Pyramid. Having the princess being kidnapped is a horrible thing to befall the country. To avoid an uproar, this must remain a secret. That's why I've been searching for a person capable of saving her in secret..." the King continued.
"I see..." Luka said thoughtfully.
"I've interviewed a few so far... Even though they introduced themselves as Heroes, they all looked pretty pathetic. But even though you're young, I feel something from you... Young travelers, will you please save my daughter?" the King requested.
"Perchance… Do you have that letter?" Giorno asked, interrupting the flow of the conversation.
"Of course… Here it is." The King handed it over to the blonde boy.
"Yes… I can track her down with this. Or at least the one responsible for kidnapping her." Giorno confirmed.
"Really?! How!?" The King asked in amazement.
"Oh right, Gold Experience…" Luka muttered.
"Lovely, our very own Deus Ex Machina. At least this won't take too long. Once we get back, I want as much Sabasa fish as I want. In return for saving your daughter, of course." Alice jumped in, eager to take advantage of the situation.
"Gold what now?" The King asked in confusion.
"It's this ghost that haunts my friend, he can do a lot of strange but helpful things with it." Luka explained.
"A ghost? You… really are something else." The King looked towards his greatest opportunity for getting his only child back.
"I can turn this letter into a living being and get it to return to the person who wrote it." Giorno nodded.
"Then the dawn after you save my daughter, you shall become her husband!" the King joyfully declared.
"I'm sorry… What did you say?" Giorno froze in place.
"I can tell your friends here have something going on, correct?" The King observantly commented.
"I uh…" Luka blushed.
"Looks like I was right then, which means you're the one who will marry her. You will become the next King of Sabasa." He pat the blonde's shoulder.
"Oh dear, looks like we'll have to leave Giorno behind. He'll be far too busy with his wife to adventure with us." Alice teased.
"...Anyway, I'll entrust this matter to you. I'm asking both as the King of this land and as a father." The King requested, bowing towards the retreating trio.
"I am not marrying that princess." Giorno refused, reconsidering his aid in light of that new information.
"...That King was pretty impressive. Being stuck as a King doesn't seem like it fits a man like him." Alice commented.
"...What are you talking about?" Luka said in confusion.
"Heroes, I shall take you to the nicest Inn. Please have an enjoyable rest..." A soldier declared.
"Ah... Thank you..." Luka politely thanked him.
"We'll be able to sleep in a nice Inn tonight..." Alice said in a happy tone.
"Better than in a sleeping bag at least, maybe I'll be able to take a bath in the meantime." Giorno sighed, happy to have some time off.
"But... Before that, shall we search for some information? I want to learn more about the Pyramid and Gnome..." Luka trailed off.
"If it's information you're after... We found an information dealer earlier. Shall I take you to the jail?" the soldier helpfully provided.
"Oh... That would be helpful!" Luka agreed, before making a confused face.
"A jail?" Giorno parroted.
"Oh... Darling! Coming all the way here to meet me! Good things sure do come to those who wait..." Amira the unfortunate Lamia said in a happy voice.
"...Why were you thrown in jail? What were you doing in Sabasa castle?" Luka inquired.
"There was no reason for them to throw me in here... If I had to say... It must have been because I was so hideous looking..." she voiced out in a sad tone.
"Amira..." Luka called in a sympathetic tone.
"She barged in here, didn't she?" Giorno asked one of the guards.
"That's right! She won't leave either, no matter what we say!" A guard complained, glaring daggers at her.
"The true reason... They give me three meals every day..." Amira confessed, uncomfortable under Luka's gaze.
"Oh, how interesting. Luka, shall we stay here for a while too?" Alice proposed.
"Sure, live here forever. By yourself. Anyway, Amira. Do you have any information to sell?" Luka asked the unfortunate Lamia.
"Money isn't needed. All I want is your love." Amira singsang, before making a few strange sounds.
"I have a horrible story for you today... I heard the princess was kidnapped!" Amira said in a shocked tone.
"I already heard that from the King." Luka deadpanned.
"As expected of my darling! Then, what kind of information were you hoping to hear about?" Amira asked in a dreamy tone.
"Do you know anything about Gnome?" Luka inquired.
"Gnome...? The Earth Spirit? I know a little... There's a town called Safaru a little bit north of this place. It's said that nobody lives in there any longer, and it's in ruins... But the people who lived there worshipped Gnome." Amira explained.
"Were they animists...?" Luka pondered.
"But they died out... They migrated to other towns and left Safaru in ruins... But there have been some strange sightings in the ruins recently. Tiny mud dolls have been seen walking around restlessly." Amira continued.
"Mud doll...? Do you think that's Gnome...?" Luka questioned.
"I don't know any more than that... Maybe it's a normal monster that appears in the area? Or possibly something that was created to worship Gnome?" Amira hypothesized.
"That isn't Gnomey. But it might be one of her familiars..." Sylph added.
"Sylph..." Luka said, looking at the small spirit that emerged from his body.
"Oh... You look delicious. Is this delicious morsel your companion, Darling?" Amira asked with a hungry tone.
"Something like that... What do you mean by familiar, Sylph?" Luka questioned the small spirit.
"Gnomey makes dolls out of mud for fun... She makes them move with her magic and plays with them." Sylph explained.
"I see... So if those mud dolls are seen, that must mean Gnome is close by?" Luka deduced.
"It must! Yaay! I'll get to play with Gnomey after so long!" Sylph joyfully laughed, before disappearing.
"Is there anything else you want to know? I'll find out anything for you, Darling." Amira said in a dreamy tone.
"Then... Do you know anything about Undine or Salamander?" Luka asked.
"Even I don't know anything about them... But before our next meeting, I'll find out more..." Amira promised.
"Thank you, that would help me out a lot." Luka said gratefully.
"Don't mention it. I'll be waiting for my reward. Now, Amira is going to start on her journey. I shall find out, whether it be through hell or high water... Get it? Fire and water. Undine and Salamander." Amira said, ruining the already bad joke even further.
"Ah... Yeah..." Luka said uncomfortably.
"Then, until next time..." Amira finished, as she awkwardly crawled out of the dungeon.
"Why do I feel so disgusted at being indebted to her?" Luka questioned.
"I don't understand her either. She seems to live among humans pretty effortlessly." Alice commented.
"I think I'd say she's just doing whatever she wants..." Luka disagreed.
"She's tenacious, even if she is annoying at times." Giorno complimented.
Before leaving the castle, they encountered a retainer.
"The wife of the first King of Sabasa Castle was a monster. That is, the royal family's bloodline contains monster blood..." The chief retainer explained.
"Are you allowed to talk about such a thing so openly...?" Luka questioned in a hushed tone.
"It's no problem It's a known legend. The royal family doesn't hide it. Rather, they take pride in it." The chief retainer assured.
"Oh... Is that so...?" Luka asked in surprise.
"Hmm... A King with such a nice viewpoint. It seems as though he's the closest human to your ideal society, Luka. Better than a discriminating fake Hero who still believes in that Angel's silly prohibition." Alice remarked.
"I... I don't discriminate! I just... Believe in the prohibition..." Luka said uncomfortably.
"Haven't you technically broken that rule already?" Giorno pointed out.
"No! That doesn't count!" Luka blushed heavily.
"...Idiot. If Ilias told you to jump off a bridge and die, would you?" Alice pressed.
"...She wouldn't ask that..." Luka weakly countered, before rushing off.
"What is the pyramid? Why, it's a giant labyrinthian dungeon made by monsters thousands of years ago. According to the legends, it appears as though it was made for some sort of trial." a scholar explained.
"A trial...?" Luka asked.
"The Dragon Seal trial is what it seemed to be called. There used to be an old document in the library about it... But it was lost a few years ago." the scholar lamented.
Giorno narrowed his eyes, having some suspicion after he'd heard those claims.
Along the way, they passed by the local church, and Luka decided to see if he could help, noticing a priest with a rather miserable expression.
"South of here is the Witch hunt village. The female lord arrests villagers and travelers accused of being witches. She tortures them until they confess, then executes them. Anyone accused is arrested right away. Regardless of age or sex, she prosecutes any suspects." The priest mournfully explained.
"What!? That's horrible..." Luka exclaimed in horror.
"I am a man that serves Ilias. I cannot allow monsters or witches to continue living. But that woman's acts are in excess. The guilty and the innocent alike are being killed by her." the priest lamented.
"That's inexcusable!" Luka yelled in rage.
"Calm down. Don't you already have to deal with the princess and Gnome?" Alice reminded.
"...So what?" Luka asked in an uncaring tone.
"...Are you serious?" Alice said, lifting an eyebrow.
"I can't let such a horrible thing happen. Just like monsters attacking humans, I can't have humans attacking monsters." Luka explained.
"We're certainly taking on a lot of quests here, don't you think we should calm down a bit?" Giorno asked, though his request went ignored as Luka stormed off.
They had even encountered another Mermaid Inn, which was a surprising sight for a desert-based town.
Once more, this Queen Laura had been mentioned. Giorno had a feeling about this queen, though it certainly wasn't a good one.
They reached their designated Inn, having been provided free accommodations by the King.
"Luka... Can you please hear me out?" Alice suddenly said, sitting down on one of the comfortable chairs.
"S...Sure..." Luka said, taken aback by her unusually meek tone.
"You want to make a world where monsters and humans can coexist. At first, I thought you were just a naive idiot. A stupid boy playing childish Hero games." Alice started.
"I remember you saying that when we first met..." Luka reminisced.
"But... My first impression was wrong. You seem more aware of the absurdity in this world than I thought. You aren't like the others who want to be regarded as a Hero... For some reason, it feels more like you're aiming to be a martyr..." Alice trailed off.
"Ruining your body for your beliefs. As if dying would be preferable to being unable to attain your desires. It's as if you're constantly looking for a place to die for your beliefs. How did someone like you come to be like this?" Alice pressed.
"My father was... Killed by a monster." Luka ground out in a harsh tone.
"I see... That must have been painful for you. But that doesn't make sense. If a monster killed your father, why don't you hate them?" Alice inquired.
"There was a reason for monsters to want to kill him... He was the founder of Ilias Kreuz." Luka explained, hidden fury in each strained word.
"Ilias Kreuz... The anti-monster terrorist organization?" Alice asked in realization.
'I see now…' Giorno thought to himself, that detail explained a lot.
"...Before he met that Lazarus guy in Port Natalia, my father was an adventurer. Lazarus and my father met, and along with two others, decided to go to kill the Monster Lord. But... they failed on the way." Luka elaborated.
"...That's a common story. Many heroes following that same desire have failed on the way." Alice responded neutrally.
"But... After his failure, my father's intentions became distorted. My father and Lazarus founded Ilias Kreuz after that. With my father as the leader, they started to commit terrorism all over the world. Casting aside his desire to be a brave Hero, he became a terrorist. I never want to be like him." Luka concluded.
"I see... Is that the cause of your reckless behavior?" Alice deduced.
"...Of course! I'd rather die than lose my way like he did!" Luka yelled out.
"In the end, he was killed by a monster... After killing so many monsters himself, he in turn was killed." Luka recounted.
"...You have a complicated frame of mind." Alice commented.
"...I wasn't happy that he was killed. But if I went out for revenge to kill the monsters who were acting in revenge then what!? Will a relative of that monster then kill me in revenge!? How long would the revenge killings continue? I don't want that!" Luka shouted desperately.
"That's true... that's good. Endless chains of revenge need to be severed." Alice agreed.
"That's why I have to change this world. Even if I have to trade this body with the same blood as my father..." Luka trailed off, gripping his fists.
"...Idiot. Willing to trade your life for something like that." Alice insulted.
"E... Even if you say that... If I want to achieve something so big, I have to risk everything..." Luka declared painfully.
"You're trying to reverse your father's actions. But confronted with such a big target, you think your only choice is to throw your life at it." Alice remarked.
"What do you know!? I..." He started.
"You have nothing to atone for, Luka. The sins of the father do not fall on your shoulders." Giorno interrupted, standing up and marching right to his ally.
"...You're carrying the crimes of your father on your shoulders. Trying to atone for him, you're willing to die. That's why you're so eager to throw your life away." Alice pressed.
"Atonement for my father's crimes...? I... No! I..." Luka stammered in obvious conflict.
"What your father did is irrelevant to you. The crimes of your father don't extend to the child. That's why even if you kill yourself, you can't excuse his crimes. If you constrict yourself to that viewpoint, you will die without accomplishing anything." Alice continued.
"How can you ever achieve your dreams as a dead man? Your resolve is impressive, but that can't help you if you die pointlessly." Giorno added, getting right in his face.
Luka closed his eyes, his breathing slowing down slightly.
"...But I am a Hero. If I'm defending the oppressed, I won't regret my actions." he declared resolutely, as he opened his eyes again.
"If that's what you've decided, I don't care. As long as you aren't throwing your life away because of your father. I don't want you to die in such a stupid manner..." Alice remarked.
Giorno pat his shoulders, looking him in the eyes as if he was reading his soul.
"You've already learned from your father's mistakes… You're not him. So stop this self-destructive behavior." He let go once he finally saw their words stick.
"...I get it. I'll be careful. But it's strange... Having you encourage me like this." Luka commented.
"...Hmph. I have my reasons. Seeing someone being tied down by their parents is just too pathetic to leave alone." Alice scoffed.
"Were you the same? Was your mother frustrated by trying to kill the Monster Lord and turned to horrible deeds?" Luka asked, unintentionally lifting the mood.
"My mother WAS the Monster Lord! ...You take idiocy to new levels." Alice sighed, as she wrapped Luka up in her tail.
"Uwa! What are you doing all of a sudden!?" Luka yelped in surprise.
"I'll leave you to it. Please don't be too noisy." Giorno swiftly retreated into his designated room for the night, thankful that the walls of their lodging were thick.
"Gold Experience…" Giorno muttered, imbuing life unto the letter the King gave them. The paper morphed into a small dove.
"Wow… So cool! Can you make anything you want?! What about a lion? Maybe a bear?" Sylph inquired while grinning like a child who found a new toy.
"Too big. I haven't really tried doing so anyways, impractical in fights." Giorno answered.
"But you can make big trees, why can't you make big animals?" Luka countered.
"…" Giorno didn't reply to that, taking the time to think about his argument.
It was true, he never made a big animal before. The biggest he ever did was the occasional snake, maybe the cloned Coco Jumbo.
"I… should probably experiment with that. Thank you for reminding me about that, Luka." Giorno relented, releasing the dove which flew ahead of them.
"I don't typically like detours, but this King of Sabasa doesn't seem like a bad man. If it was indeed one of my subordinates, I can't overlook this kidnapping." Alice declared.
"I think it has more to do with the feast you were promised if we succeeded." Giorno commented, glancing at her.
"No, no… This is for coexistence." Alice lied, salivating at having even more specialty fish in her grasp.
The dove led them to the Pyramid, circling around the large structure.
"It's much bigger than I expected…" Luka spoke in awe.
"It's much bigger than I expected." A voice in front of them parroted a few seconds later.
A woman clad in armour and blonde hair, not much different than that of the King stood before the entrance to the Pyramid.
At that moment, the dove glided down and landed at her feet. There it remained staring at her, indicating who they were looking for.
"Excuse me, do you have business in the Pyramid as well?" Luka politely asked, walking up to her.
"I do… Who are you?" She inquired, looking at the trio of individuals.
"Are you going to help the person caught in the Pyramid too?" Luka asked, oblivious to who she was.
"…That won't be necessary, Luka. We have her already. You're the princess." Giorno deduced.
"Eh?! Wait! How do you-" She panicked.
"That blonde hair, those blue eyes. The fact that you're a warrior too, just like your father. You weren't kidnapped, you came here of your own accord." He concluded, stunning her into silence.
"I…I-uh…" She muttered, looking ready to run away if necessary. Her legs refused to move though, already being tangled by some vines which she only noticed when it was far too late.
"You scare me sometimes… But good work anyways. We can have a feast!" Alice celebrated.
"You came here by yourself… Why?" Luka asked the princess.
"I came to take the Dragon Seal Trial, okay!? For the one I love! Please don't take me back home… I need this." She whimpered.
"That trial… You're in love with a monster?" Giorno recognized the name, having read some information when he researched this region. Luka's ears perked at that mention.
"Yes… I need this trial. I want to prove my love to her." She looked ready to cry at this point.
"Giorno…Let her go." Luka nudged his shoulder, before the vines heeded his command and untangled themselves from her feet.
"We can help you if you want… I don't want you doing this alone. We promised the King to bring you back." Luka offered.
"Help her? This is just because she mentioned loving a monster isn't it?" Giorno questioned.
"Well…If we do haul her back home, she'll just run away again. It's way too dangerous for her to do it alone!" Luka argued.
"With you…? Are you going to be a burden?" She skeptically looked at Luka and Giorno.
"That's quite insulting. Especially since we could have just hauled you back home." The suited gangster replied, glaring at her.
"Okay, okay. I'm sorry. I wouldn't mind the support." She backed off.
"Ugh… Fine, go ahead. I'll wait here. There won't be any food in there anyways." Alice grumbled.
"Sheesh… Shall we go… What's your name, anyways?" Luka inquired.
"How rude, shouldn't you introduce yourself first?" The woman pointed out.
"Ahh, sorry. I'm Luka, a Hero…Apprentice." He meekly stated.
"…Giorno Giovanna. Not a Hero." The blonde male coldly answered.
"I'm Sara. I'm aiming to be the top swordswoman. But I'm still in training." Sara introduced, holding her sword tightly.
"How did these vines grow?" She asked, looking down at her feet.
"Oh…That's a long story." Luka muttered.
Entering the Pyramid, Sara was given a basic description of what Gold Experience was.
"I can't believe that… A ghost is just haunting you forever?" She asked, slightly in awe.
"He's fine. I don't mind the company." Giorno shrugged off her question.
"Okay… by the way. Is that silver-haired woman your lover?" Sarah asked Luka, making him blush heavily.
"That isn't it! She's my travel partner!" He denied, turning crimson red.
"Oh…I'm sorry. I didn't mean to offend you. I don't have a problem with you and Giorno being together." She apologized, making the situation even worse.
"No! We're not like that! I'm not… He's not!" Luka stammered.
"Luka and Alice are involved." Giorno answered truthfully.
"Enough of that! You said you were doing this trial for your lover?" Luka recovered from his embarrassment.
"Not my lover… It's a one-sided love right now… My love lives in isolation, devoted only to the sword. I doubt they even remember me." Sarah said in a sad tone.
"Lives by the sword? And she's a dragon?" Giorno's eyes widened.
'No…must be a coincidence. Not everything is always connected, Giorno…' He thought to himself.
'What if it is, though?' Sylph teased.
Giorno stopped in his tracks, glaring ahead of them. Luka followed suit, feeling a disturbance in the wind.
"Guys?" Sara also stopped, looking confused.
A female covered in bandages emerged from the darkness ahead.
"Humans undergoing the trial… If you wish to proceed, you must defeat me." The Mummy declared.
"I will defeat you and continue the trial!" Sara shouted, drawing her sword.
"Those bandages, are they considered part of you?" Giorno questioned, staying far back.
"Yes, they are… I'll use them to milk you dry after all~" She drawled out seductively.
"Giorno! We can't miss in a space like this!" Luka nodded at his friend, initiating a new version of a combined attack.
"I agree… This won't last long." Giorno summoned both Sylph and his stand, projecting a gale force in his palms which further boosted the speed of his throws.
The knives sliced through the Mummy's bandages with ease, severely crippling her ability to react.
"What?! You fight with kitchen knives?" The Mummy stumbled back, dodging any knives aimed at her main body.
The knives he purposefully threw against the walls and floor glowed a bright golden hue as they transformed into a staircase made of vines and tree branches.
Luka wasted no time in running up that staircase, preparing to deliver a supercharged Demon Skull Beheading.
He leaped from the final step, falling with great speed towards his enemy. Another unseen force propelled him even faster, sending Angel Halo crashing into the Mummy's exposed head.
The force of the blow sent shockwaves throughout the room along with a dust cloud.
"It's over…?" Sara sighed; a bit disappointed that the monster had been dealt with in such an easy manner.
"Phew… We've gotten even stronger." Luka stepped back from his sealed opponent.
The various plant life transformed back into knives, which Giorno collected for later use.
"Did those bandages just move?!" Sarah yelled, frightened as the fabric scurried off.
"Angel Halo, it seals away our defeated foes. Depletes their energy until they cannot maintain their original form." Giorno quickly explained.
"Seriously? First a ghost and now a magic sword?! This is unfair!" Sara pouted, looking envious.
Giorno decided not to bring up the Goddess Sword in light of her jealousy.
"You're a lot stronger than you look, but you're still not as strong as they are." Sara commented as they continued walking.
"They must be really powerful, then." Luka said.
"Of course… No matter how strong you get, you'll never match up. I wonder where you are now…Ahh… My lovely Granberia." Sara sighed in a dreamy tone.
"Who's this Granberia?" Luka asked, praying to Ilias that it was just an unfortunately named dragon who shared her name with the one he knew.
"She's very famous! You must have heard of her She's one of the Four Heavenly Knights, wielding a giant sword… What's with that face? Is it so strange for a human to fall in love with a monster?" Sara questioned.
"Ah…No. It's nothing you need to be concerned about." He looked away, unwilling to tell Sara that Granberia had personally challenged them not too long ago.
'Hehe… I was right!' Sylph bragged in their minds.
"Calm yourselves down… Something is coming." Giorno felt a large presence slithering towards them.
"Yeah… I can feel it in the wind. It's a lamia of some kind." Luka guessed, drawing his sword.
"Under the instruction of Sphinx, I cannot let anyone weak pass, I shall eat you all here." The Cobra declared, eyeing up her latest prey.
"Get out of our way! To finish the trial, I need to get by!" Sarah demanded, running up to the Cobra and slicing her with her blade.
The thick almost metallic scales harmlessly deflected the sturdy blade from doing any major damage, but it was clear the Cobra still felt pain.
"I shall feast upon you!" The Cobra Girl pounced on Sara.
Just before she could coil around her, Giorno managed to push her away and take her place.
"Foolish human! I'll squeeze you until you suffocate!" The monster laughed maliciously, tightening around Giorno who didn't struggle at all.
"Ah!" Sara panicked, hitting the tail of the monster with all her might.
The monster plunged her fangs into her prey, eager to inject her venom. Just before they made contact with flesh, they were stooped by some unseen force.
"What?!" The Cobra girl squeezed around Giorno even tighter, hearing popping noises as bones began cracking under her pressure.
"Death Sword Chaos Star!" Luka aimed his devastating attack right at the back of her head, having used Giorno's distraction to sneak up behind her.
"Argh!" The Cobra Girl was forced back, letting go of Giorno who dropped on the floor.
"You, okay?!" Luka asked, keeping his attention on the Cobra.
"Fine…" Giorno got back up, glaring at the trio of sword users.
"You'll pay for that!" The Cobra rushed towards them, baring her fangs as she attempted to bite Luka.
"Gold Experience!" Giorno called out, his stand rushing to intervene.
The monster's fangs were smashed to pieces before she even got close to the short male, sending her reeling back in unimaginable pain.
Time itself distorted around her, slowing down to a crawl and amplifying her pain tenfold.
Both Luka and Sara took their chances, slashing the unresponsive monster until she was engulfed in light.
The light soon faded, revealing a cobra lying on the ground in agony. Its open mouth had bloodied and shattered fangs.
"Thank you for the assist Giorno but…I kind of feel bad." Luka winced.
"I get she attacked us, but isn't that a bit much?" Sara felt similarly, a mixture of gratitude for Giorno and sympathy for their foe.
"Fine, fine. I should expect nothing else from you." Giorno grabbed the cobra, fiddling around in her mouth before letting her go.
The now healed snake slithered off at high speeds, unwilling to ever deal with that pain again.
"Jeez… I feel outclassed. Thanks for saving me, no way would I still be standing after being squeezed like that." Sara sighed.
"It's not a problem, only a few of my bones broke." Giorno reassured.
"Is he always so stoic?" Sara complained, looking over at Luka.
"You get used to it, especially after you see him cut his arm off. Or when he set himself on fire." Luka nodded.
"He did what?! Sara went pale at that admission.
"Can I ask you a question? How did you fall in love with Granberia?" Luka inquired as the group walked along another corridor.
Sara smiled almost like a proud mother, before telling them in great detail how Granberia had saved her life.
"I see… she does seem to be the chivalrous type." Giorno commented.
"I haven't seen her since then. But I want to meet her, again… That's why I spent all my time since then training. I was a complete amateur three years ago…But now I'm pretty amazing, huh?" She boasted, looking for praise.
"Right… You have a way with that sword." Luka complimented her, feeding her ego.
"What's so special about this trial? I understand you need to travel here to marry a dragon, but what is this place testing?" Giorno asked, changing the subject.
"There's this law that dictates who they can get married to." Sara answered.
"This Dragon Seal Trial, much like the Mermaid law. At least in the way that one needs raw strength to be worthy to marry their lover." Giorno rolled his eyes.
"And Granberia has no idea you're doing this?" Luka inquired.
"Of course not, I haven't seen her since our first meeting. I couldn't let her see me again until I was a suitable woman for her." She looked down at her feet. "Luka, you and Alice are together… Do you have any advice for someone like me?"
"Eh?! This again?!" Luka blushed.
"Advice? Be confident, she would probably like her lover to be someone sure of themselves. No stuttering, no roundabout meanings of your words." Giorno advised.
"Hmm… You're right, but I just can't keep it together whenever I even think about her! I can't imagine staying calm around her." Sara squealed like a schoolgirl having her first crush.
"What if this still doesn't work? Even if you pass the trial?" Luka asked.
"That can't happen… We can overcome our racial barrier!" She resolutely answered.
"See? That's much better." Giorno complimented, making her smile.
"Monsters approaching…" Giorno stopped, losing his faint smile.
"More lamias?" Luka whined, feeling their presence in the wind.
"I wish I had wind powers…Or a ghost" Sara drew her sword in preparation for their fight.
Three of the red-skinned monsters they sensed appeared from the darkness, including one juvenile lamia.
"Sorry, but we cannot let you pass." The oldest said.
"Sphinx said to only let the strong humans pass by." A smaller one said.
"She said we can feed on any weak ones!" The youngest one sang.
"There's only three of them… One for each of us." Sara ran ahead, rushing in to attack the oldest.
A knife quickly struck the shadows to her side, revealing a fourth lamia about to ambush her.
"Not so fast… I caught you at the last moment." Giorno glared at her.
"I almost had your friend… You have good senses. I like that…" The second-born winked at Giorno, appreciating his attractive features.
"Four of them…" Sara retreated in line with her allies.
"We outnumber you… It's best to give up. We'll give you the ultimate pleasure.
"Confident yet incorrect." Giorno transformed the embedded knife into a mass of vines, catching the youngest lamia off guard and wrapping her in an unbreakable prison.
"Eh?! No fair! What is this!" She whined, clawing at the vines to free herself.
Each scratch only hurt her, much to her confusion.
"I wouldn't do that if I were you, the damage dealt to my creations is reflected back." He boasted, trying his best to attract their ire and goad them into making a mistake.
"Get him!" The oldest charged at him
"Free her, you fiend!" The third born followed suit.
"Thunder Thrust!" Luka blitzed right into the side of the oldest, hitting her unexpectedly with a speed she did not expect.
She crashed into a wall, leaving her younger siblings to be picked off.
"Get out of our way!" Sara demanded, engaging in a fight with the second-born lamia.
"Gold Experience!" Giorno drew his blade, pointing it at the third born.
Luka rushed off to continue his battle with the oldest lamia.
While they were certainly a troublesome force together, being isolated and kept from coordinating proved to be the best option.
One by one the lamias were sealed until only the youngest remained in her prison.
"Thankfully, they took the bait." Giorno dusted his clothing.
"What about her?" Sara asked, feeling proud that she managed to hold her own against a monster, even if Luka was the one to finish the trio off.
"I'm sorry… Please don't seal me." She whimpered.
"Let her go…" Luka said, watching as the vines holding her in place transformed back into a knife.
"Oof!" The lamia gasped as she landed on the floor, before she scooped up her sealed siblings and slithered off in another direction.
They soon reached the central chamber, marking the end of their journey to reach Sphinx.
"Hieroglyphics… Beautiful design." Giorno ran his hands over the ornate drawings and markings.
"I'm glad you like them, weak human." A disembodied voice rang out.
"What?!" Luka turned his head towards the center of the chambers, finding a large monster who appeared out of nowhere.
Giorno and Luka froze up, feeling the presence of the monster whose power felt overwhelming. If they fought her, they stood no chance as they were.
The monster was made up of a collection of animal parts, a lion's body, wings, and even literal serpents sprouting from her back. The human portion resting on top of said amalgamation looked bored, resembling a snake with her appearance.
"Sphinx…" Giorno kept his arms close to his bundle of knives. He prepared to make a quick exit if they were attacked.
"Indeed, I am the master of this Pyramid. I am the judge that watches over the deaths of those who would attempt the Dragon Seal Trial." Sphinx coldly confirmed.
…
"If I deem you unworthy, I shall swallow you whole. Do you wish to continue?" She warned.
"Uhm…E-excuse me… Could I ask a question?" Luka asked in a very nervous tone.
"I have no reason to answer your questions. The only thing I will acknowledge is whether or not you will take the trial. Leave if you are not." Sphynx demanded, waiting for their answer.
"Then, we'll take it." Luka answered before Giorno could discuss it with them.
"What is the trial? Do we have to fight you?" Sara asked, unaware of the power imbalance.
"Impossible… Then no one would have ever completed this trial successfully." Giorno commented, attracting the giant monster's attention.
"What? Why?" Sara asked, as Giorno did his best to keep his raging emotions tucked away under the false mask of stoicism he always kept up.
"It is as your friend said, that would be impossible. Rather, the final trial tests your intellect. You must answer my riddles, I prefer the wise… Fools deserve nothing more than to be food." Sphynx declared.
"Riddles?! W-well… At least we have Giorno here…" Luka gulped, not confident in his ability to answer the inevitable questions.
"Yeah… And I studied this a lot growing up. I'm sure we can do it." Sara laughed a bit, if only to convince herself of her success.
"…" Giorno calmed down at this revelation, this was a lot better than an unwinnable fight.
"Now, I ask of thee… What goes on four legs at dawn, two at noon, and three at dusk?" Sphynx questioned.
'Really?' Sylph asked no one in particular, even she could answer this.
"Humans!" Luka answered before Giorno could even process the ridiculously easy riddle.
"Everyone's heard that one…" Sara commented.
"Correct, four as a baby… Two as a walking adult and three as an elder supported by a cane. Not that I needed to explain it…" Sphynx confirmed, amused by the relief on the faces of her latest guests.
Little did they know how bad this next question was going to be for them…
"…Then we shall proceed to the next question. Why am I asking you questions?" The monster questioned, fully expecting them to fail at this part.
"What?!" Sara and Luka panicked.
Dead silence followed soon after, with no one having any reasonable thought process.
No one except a certain blonde Joestar.
"Hold on a moment… That first question… It isn't a trick to lure us into a false sense of security." He thought aloud.
Sphynx observed him with renewed interest.
"Could it be that it was a hint?" He realized, though Luka and Sara didn't seem to get where he was going.
"The purpose of this trial is to find humans worthy to marry dragons… Since they are monsters, they operate on a much different lifespan than any normal human. The books I've read place them at somewhere around one thousand years at least." Giorno continued, pacing around.
"That riddle you just told us put it into a monster's perspective. A human life is extinguished in what feels like a day to them, yet they will remain…"
"Thus… you're asking us these riddles to make us understand how short our lives are compared to them. That even if we marry them, we'll be long gone before even a tenth of their life has passed. You wish to understand the thoughts on our short our time on this planet is."
"I believe the word for this is called transience. The understanding of human lifespan and how limited you are in life." Giorno continued on his rant.
"My apologies… I believe the answer you were looking for was understanding the transience of mankind." He concluded after realizing he'd monologued, stunning the entire room.
"…Wow." Sara remarked, feeling like she was put through a lecture by her father.
Luka looked proud of his friend, an almost satisfied smile on his face.
"Correct… The life of a human is frail and short. Yet mine is so long…"Sphynx trailed off, her expression turning sorrowful.
"Now the final question. In other words, this shall decide everything." She declared, as the trio held their breath. "Why are you taking this trial?"
"…" Giorno wanted to say something, but he had no legitimate reason to be here besides helping Sara.
"…" Luka was in a similar situation, unable to answer.
"...Do you not have an answer? If you do not give me your reason, I shall not acknowledge you." the Sphinx reminded.
"Sara… You're the one with the reason to be here. Not Luka or I." Giorno said, looking her in the eyes.
"Hm... Your words are true. Then, I shall ask the girl. Why are you taking this trial?" the Sphinx repeated.
"Me?!" She yelled, panicking at the sudden pressure.
"Confidence is all you need…" The blonde reminded her, encouraging her to speak her mind.
"I'm sorry, but I can't give you a good reason... I'm just doing this to get closer to the one I love!" Sara declared, making the monster go silent.
"What... Is that not good enough? Would "for honor" or "for justice" have been better?" Sara asked nervously.
"Why would you hesitate to answer with that? This Dragon Seal trial is intended to be for marriage between man and monster. However, none have attempted it thus far with that as their reason. So far, the desire for the riches contained in this Pyramid have been their goal. Are you truly taking it in the name of love? Four legs at dawn, two at noon, and three at dusk. That is, a human. Nobody but you has discovered the true nature of this trial. Attempting to marry a monster... Do you not realize the fatal flaw? The short-lived nature of man?" Spinx questioned.
"Yes… Even if a human marries a monster, they will never live as long as their partner" Sara looked down at the ground.
"...Correct. It is inevitable that the monster will be forced to watch their partner die. The human may have had a satisfactory life... But the monster will be forced to live on, separated from their love for far too long..." Sphinx said in a sorrowful tone.
"Well... That... Wait... Are you talking about yourself!?" Sara asked in sudden realization.
"A thousand years ago, I loved a human. He was the Hero Sabasa, the Emperor of the Burning Sands." Sphinx recounted.
"Eh...!?" Sara exclamied, her eyes widening.
"The first King!?" Luka asked in disbelief.
"Now it makes sense... You wanted to share your experience with others." Giorno muttered.
"Correct. Our child became the next lord of Sabasa Castle. For generations, the descendants of our child have ruled over this land." Sphinx continued.
"So that's what happened..." Luka said thoughtfully.
"My love slowly aged, as I could do nothing but watch him die. I wanted to use my magic to turn him into a monster to prolong his life... But he refused. He wished to face his death as a human. We were together until his death. Then I was alone..." Sphinx kept going.
Sara was silent.
"It was possible for me to die as a human. There is power in this world that can seal a monster as a human. If I used that, I could have met death together with him... But I did not. I was scared of death. If my love and I both died, none would remember him in this world. Having every memory of his life vanish from this world terrified me. Thus, I was separated from my love by death... For a thousand years, I have been alone..." Sphinx concluded, before turning to face Giorno.
"You understood my questions… You're so young but have the eyes of a man who's been through so much. Tell me… What would you have chosen? If you were in my shoes?" Sphinx requested.
"…I'm no stranger to losing those I care for. But no matter what happens, the living must continue the will of those who have fallen." Giorno answered, surprising both Luka and Sphinx.
"We're all just sleeping slaves…" He muttered, ending their conversation.
"How cruel… To have a young man like you think in such a manner. Fate has dealt you a difficult hand...For one who loves a monster, the true trial is ahead. That is all I wished to say." Sphinx concluded.
"...I understand. I will never forget your pain. When I'm bound together with Granberia, what will I do... When the time comes, I won't forget this." Sara declared.
"I... won't forget either." Luka agreed.
"You three have passed the trial. Now I shall present you with the proof of your accomplishment!" Sphinx declared as her energy surged.
"Eh...!?" Luka exclaimed, as a small emblem of a dragon floated over the back of their hands, marking their skin.
"I didn't want this… I hope she doesn't get the wrong idea." Giorno muttered, looking at the small tattoo.
"Oh crap, you're right. We need to get you some new gloves… I hope we don't run into her before then." Luka covered his hand with his glove.
"Huh? Who's this 'she'?" Sara inquired.
"Someone I'd rather never meet again." Giorno answered.
"Anyways, we should get you back home. Please don't run away again… Your father was really scared." Luka advised.
"Before that, I would like to bestow you with this… A magical item, kept in my Pyramid, though it's no longer amusing to keep thieves from trying to steal it." Sphinx interrupted, presenting them with a yellow orb.
"Another one of these?" Luka commented.
"Eh, take it. I don't have any interest in magical items." Sara offered.
"Very well…" Giorno took the item.
"Huh… First the bandits and then Kraken. This is our third one…" Luka noted, depositing the orb into a bag.
"It's used to revive the Holy Wings, but you require all six. You may do as you wish with it." Sphinx said.
"The Holy Wings?" Giorno muttered, receiving a confused glance from Luka.
"I said I have lived in solitude and regret for years. But now I see it was not in vain. After a thousand years, I can once again see the flame that burned brightly in his eyes… In yours Sara." Sphinx said.
"In me…" Sara parroted.
"…Now farewell humans. Like him, continue to lead a noble life." Sphinx said, vanishing into a portal.
Sometime later…
"Heroes! You saved the princess! As King of this country, I give you my thanks!" The King said gratefully in a boisterous tone.
"Th.. Thank you..." Luka said nervously, as the King got up from his throne and approached them.
"...And allow me to thank you again as a parent. Luka! Giorno! Thank you! Thanks to you my daughter was saved!" The King humbly thanked them again, vigorously shaking their hands.
"Ah... Don't... Mention it..." Luka stammered, shaken from his intensity.
"Now, as I promised… Sara will be your bride." The King offered.
"I refuse. She already has another in her heart." Giorno declined rather quickly, having already practiced what to say with Sara.
"Your words make me glad, Hero. Will you not support my love, Father?" Sara asked, knowing her father would have to give up.
"I'll support your love, Princess. King, would you also support your daughter?" Luka gracefully added, further trapping the King.
"So it's unanimous… Even if I wanted to marry her, she wouldn't want it." Giorno concluded.
"Errm… I can prepare something." The King relented, still looking quite focused on Giorno.
The grand feast began in earnest that night, with Alice having worked up quite an appetite doing nothing.
"Sabasa fish! The lemon sauce is amazing…" She happily munched on the endless supply of food.
The King continued to pester Giorno all night, trying his utmost best to convince him to marry his daughter.
"Please? To be her husband and act as the viceroy of this country… Is this not something you would like?" He practically begged.
"No… But where is Sara? Surely you could hear it from her again." Giorno simply declined for what seemed like the one-hundredth time.
"Sara is still preparing… Could you go to her room and escort her here?" The King requested.
"… Hmph." Giorno huffed, eager to leave this annoying conversation.
He was quickly let into her room upon knocking, seeing Sara dressed up in a pure white dress.
"Your father is certainly annoying… Are you ready to join the feast?" He asked.
"Huh? I've been ready for a while; my father told me to wait here until I was called." Sara explained.
"Errghhh! Ahh!" The King grunted; the sound of metal being crushed filling the room.
"Oh, I'm sorry. It appears as though I crushed the doorknob. It looks like we'll need to repair the door before we can open it. I'll get a craftsman, so please wait an hour." The King quite happily claimed.
"Father?! What are you doing?" Sara shouted, looking a bit embarrassed over the situation.
"I'll say it again. Please wait an hour while I get the craftsman. Oh what bad luck. For a young man and woman to be alone in a room with nobody able to enter no matter what. But I'm glad it's Giorno with you. Absolutely anything he does will be forgiven since he's the hero who saved you." The King loudly exclaimed, obviously hinting at what he wanted them to do.
"Now then, I won't be back for an hour!" He declared, stomping down the hall.
"What should we do? Should we break the door or window?" Sara suggested.
"No… We're above the ground floor. Breaking the door though…" Giorno considered.
Sara and Giorno sat on her large bed, looking at the door.
"I'm really sorry, Giorno. It seems that my father really likes you." She sighed.
"But… If you don't do anything in this situation, would you not be shamed? It may not be good enough, buthow about I repay you for what you did for me?" She asked, moving over towards him.
"Actually, I was thinking... How about I help you with your hair? It looks in dire need of some care. I have nothing but the best in terms of beauty products as a princess you know." She bragged.
"...I'd like that." Giorno agreed.
Moving towards the door, he transformed the entire door handle mechanism into a harmless ladybug and pushed it open with no resistance.
"Lead the way, princess." He offered.
"Don't mind if I do..." She smiled, taking his hand and guding him towards her personal bathroom.
The following morning...
"Are you okay, Giorno? I didn't see you the entire night…" Luka asked in concern.
"I'm fine…" He lied, having spent some time being serviced by Sara, but not in the way one would expect.
"You didn't even say goodbye… Maybe it would have been too heartbreaking for the two lovers to do so?" Alice teased.
"I'd rather never go back…" He muttered as they left the city. He was sure the King would not cease his efforts to force the two of them together.
"Hora… Was she that good?" She continued.
"Are you wearing make-up? And your hair..." Luka pointed out.
"Perks of being a hero to the royal family, I suppose." He simply stated as they made their way to this Witch Hunt Village. Sara had been kind enough to give him some of her stocks, which he'd been more than grateful for.
'I've never seen anyone decline such an offer from a Princess like that… Most guys here would kill for that kind of opportunity.' Sylph commented.
'I'm not like any man here…' Giorno answered, ending the conversation as he walked behind the bickering Luka and Alice.
AN:
Minor changes to how this goes versus canonically. Giorno and Sara develop a small friendship, instead of the other thing she does when Luka gets trapped with her.
Next chapter is going to be much darker and serious. Going to explore the similarities of the pivotal moments that made Giorno and Luka who they are today. And how the Lord of Witch Hunt could have been them had they strayed from their paths.