May 27, 2024 update: Added, changed and fixed up the entire chapter's grammar and paragraphs to satisfactory levels. Nothing new is added.
After finding a back entrance, Ai is currently outside crouched near the bushes and the mansion's gates, wondering to herself what kind of place did she end up in. Shaking the thought off, she moves to climb up the iron fence when she hears Sakura's voice calling her name.
"Ai-chan? Are you here? Ai-chan?"
Not wanting to be seen, Ai ducks in the bush. Crawling underneath, she turns her head to Sakura's direction, silently hoping she didn't find her hiding in the bush. She turns her head forward to escape the mansion undetected…
…Just as Junko enters the view, red eyes, rotting skin and all.
"WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!"
"KYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!"
Their screams continue for four seconds, loud enough for Sakura to hear them so shes moves to the bush to see them hiding. "Ai-chan! Oh, and Junko-chan too. What are you two doing?"
Seeing they are spotted, Ai and Junko pick themselves up and turn to the fences as they answer Sakura's question simultaneously.
"Isn't it obvious? I'm leaving."
"I'm leaving this place…"
Grabbing the bars, Ai attempts to climb up as she states, "Why should I have to put up with this nonsense?" As she tries to go over the fence, Sakura pulls her back down a little worriedly, saying, "No, no, no. You can't. It's dangerous out there."
"You mean like that video he showed us? There's no way that's gonna happen." Ai claimed.
"Me and Kakyoin got shot for real!" Sakura responded, putting her hands near her neck.
"That Tae girl frightens me" Junko timidly said. "I have no idea what she's thinking. And the way she bites…"
"I-I felt the same way, but it's okay once you get used to it!" As she tries reassuring the scared girl, averting her eyes off Ai, the bandaged girl takes the opportunity of Sakura being distracted to climb back up. Sakura notices her however so she grabs her again. "Ai-chan, wait! Stop!" She pleaded, trying to pull her back down again.
"Let me go!" Ai insisted a little irritatingly, tightening her grip to the bar.
"No!" The two continued holding on to their contrasting desire until Ai's arms came off with an audible pop. The arms hold on to the bar tightly as she and Sakura falls on the ground, the force of landing causing Ai's eyes to come out her sockets and fly up with an audible pop too. Right in front of Junko.
"WAAAAAAHHHH!"
After poor Junko has another fright of her day, the eyes fall to the ground, bouncing and rolling away from her… into someone's feet.
"Hm?"
Looking at the eyes seemingly staring at him, Gyro Zeppeli kneels on the ground to grab them. He then watches the eyes roll around his palm. He appears to be amused, cracking a smile watching the eyes roll around like a ball. Nyo ho ho ho hoooo! Wonder if I can use my eye this way? Probably like the time I had the Corpse's eyes when it was on my steel balls!
"Hey! I-I can't see anything! Everything's dark! W-Where are my eyes?!" Ai exclaims in panic, sitting upright and looking around wildly with her empty eye sockets, contributing to make Junko freaking out more. "HEEEEEE!"
"Oh, right here." Walking over to Ai, Gyro carefully puts her eyes back in her socket which in turn gives her vision back. Blinking repeatedly to adjusts her returned vision, Ai recognizes him to be the same man who she bumped into earlier. She next sees him waving his hand close to her face, saying, "Can you see my hand waving in front of you?"
"Y-Yes, I do." Ai confirmed.
"Alright." Turning to her arms still grabbing the iron fence next, Gyro points at them and asks, "That your arms holding the bars of the fence?"
"Yeah… Can you put them back, too?" She pleaded as she stands up.
Without saying a word, Gyro grabs Ai's detached arms off the fence and reattaches them back through her long sleeves. After feeling them attaching snugly, he lets go and says, "There you go. Anything else you need me to do?"
"No, that's enough," replied Ai, bowing slightly with a sheepish face. "Thank you, Zeppeli-san."
"Don't mention it!" He nodded, cracking a smile. Now that her issue is solved, Gyro looks at her, Sakura and Junko, his eyes narrowing suspiciously as he guesses their plans for this night if they are out a little late in the night. "Soooo… what are three zombie girls doing out here this late? You're not planning something behind our backs, are you? LIke, trying to leave the mansion?"
Ai and Junko avert their gazes, confirming it to Gyro, but Sakura quickly clarifies her intentions to the tall cowboy. "Actually, I'm not planning to leave. Ai-chan and Junko-chan are. I'm only out here to stop them from leaving because I don't want them to end up dead again like the video Kotaro-san showed us."
"Video? You mean… the one about zombies getting mauled in his weird… contraption?" Gyro asked, scratching his chin in confusion.
"Yes, that's the one. Like I said, I'm trying to reason with Ai-chan and Junko-chan because I don't want them getting killed so gruesomely."
"*sighs* Like I told you, it's not gonna happen. I only want to leave the mansion and not partake in this insanity." Ai insisted, moving in to climb up the fences once more.
"I agree. I don't want to be in the same room as Tae-san. She could chase me around again and bite me…" Junko said, following after Ai. They were about to proceed on with their plan against Sakura's wishes when Gyro spoke up.
"If you two do get out, what are you gonna ｢do｣ next?"
"Eh?" The three turned to him after noticing his slightly cold tone of his voice. Unlike the jovial or laidback self he showed earlier, he became serious this time, frowning as he stared at the two with arms folded.
"If you two did got out, where are you ｢going｣ next?" Gyro continued so he lays out the consequences of their actions they may only realize if they are far enough from the mansion. "Are you going back to your hometown? Perhaps seek help from someone else? Or maybe find a place to live in?"
Unnerved by his words, Ai is about to ask irritatingly what he's on about only to be interrupted. "Even though you want to escape, ｢remember｣ that we're ｢zombies｣. And based on what that man showed us in his… what was the word again?"
"Video." Sakura assisted.
"Yes, video. What Kotaro showed us this morning will more than likely would happen to us zombies. We will be pretty much killed again because the public won't accept moving corpses roaming around. If you do end up leaving without considering the consequences, I can tell it's not going to be easy because you two are zombies."
His words seem to be getting to them as Junko stutters to say something. "W-Well..."
"As much as this is a shock for us, let's be glad that Kotaro guy gave us a place to stay after resurrecting us. As much as his plan sounds crazy even by my standards, I believe he's really serious on giving us a second chance in life. Now I'm not disregarding your intentions because I do understand why you two felt this way… but think of the consequences of your future actions first before you enact it. Last thing you want is regretting it later..." His blunt but well-intentioned words directed at Ai and Junko is effective as they become silent, unable to deny him. It also has an effect on Sakura as well, agreeing with Gyro even if he has to be direct and be a little harsh about it. Since the two reluctant zombies might be reconsidering their stances now, she is hoping the two wouldn't try to set foot outside the mansion after hearing the former executioner out…
"Okay! I had said more than I need to, so I need to get moving." Gyro said suddenly, his stern persona vanishing.
Blinking in confusion, Sakura asks, "Moving? To where?"
"Outside!" He answered. "I'm curious how much the world has changed and what was it like after a century have passed so… I'll go take a walk."
"…H-Huh?"
Recoiling in shock over his reply, the three girls watch Gyro effortlessly climb over the fence on a single jump and lands outside. Adjusting his hat after, he turns to the girls and asks, "So you three want to join me? If not, then go back inside and don't bother getting out. I can handle myself."
"G-G-Gyro-san, W-WAIT! Don't go OUT!"
As Sakura attempts to convince Gyro not to leave, Ai and Junko look at each other and to Sakura climbing over the fence once Gyro starts walking. They're made unaware of two pairs of eyes watching them from the back door.
"Come on, Gyro-san. Let's go back. It's dangerous out there."
"Relaaaaax Sakura. It's nighttime so I'm sure no one's around this late."
While four zombies are out walking in the public, Sakura is trying to convince Gyro to go back out of fear they'll be exposed and killed. He in turn reassures her in a casual tone, seemingly aware of what he's doing but being sure no one's out this late. If there's a chance they're gonna be seen, they make a break for it. As this goes on, Ai and Junko follow the two despite their better judgement, baffled over his decision just after putting some sense on them.
As for why these two are following them? Well, they thought it wouldn't be bad if they see how much the world has changed too, many years after their deaths.
Eventually, the four arrive to a shopping district, not far from the mansion. Passing through the entrance, Gyro asks them what the place is.
"I think it's a… shopping district." Ai answered.
"Shopping district, huh? Interesting."
They haven't gone halfway through when Sakura tells Gyro to turn back a little desperately. Gyro is really enjoying what he's seeing so far, so much so that at this point, he's getting a little annoyed over her pestering him to return.
"For God's sake Sakura, can you stop worrying for a minute? I get what I'm doing will increase our chances of being exposed but I came prepared when the chance presents itself." His hand subtly hovers over his holster when he said it.
"B-But still! If someone does see us, one of our heads are gonna explode!"
"Please don't say that!" Junko pleaded instantly.
"Or someone will punch us to mush!"
"If you're that worried, then go back by yourself." Gyro told her with a sigh. They are passing by three circular windows showing show their reflections. Gyro notices himself in the reflection, only realizing he hasn't looked at himself until now. He then takes a good look on his body, with Ai and Junko doing the same.
Concerning their bodies' state after death, Ai sees bandages wrapping nearly her entire body and Junko feeling disturbed over her stitched-up body, like she's created by Dr. Frakenstein. Seeing them feeling distressed on how they look like as an undead, Gyro vaguely remembers how he met his demise so he lifts his shirt up. He's not surprised (though also distressed) to see first a sizable hole on where his heart is, traced by three long stitched wounds originating from his left hand, hips and stomach. He remembers next how his final battle against Funny Valentine went and how many wounds the president inflicted on him that caused internal injuries, especially to his heart. As he studies himself more, he realizes he has holes on the side of his head.
What's this? Are these… bullet wounds? Did Valentine shot me just to make sure I stay dead…? In front of Johnny? Tch, if I ever encounter him again, I would gladly pound his face with my steel balls many times 'til I'm satisfied!
"Come on you three… Let's go back." Sakura pleaded for another time, getting more worried the more they are out.
"Do you seriously think zombies can pull off being idols?"
Ai remarked, gleaming over to Sakura with a critical look. "Why are you agreeing to all of this so easily? He's got you dancing to his tune. Are you stupid?"
Taken aback from her harsh statement, she thinks over her words first before replying back, looking at her reflection, "Maybe I am… Maybe I haven't really thought it through… But, the other day, when we all went on the stage together, I felt really ｢strange｣." Remembering the "performance" at Geils Live Housing last night, she reiterates the events, "My heart must be buzzing, like I was really ｢happy｣… I don't remember my life before I became a zombie but I get the impression I've felt something like that ｢before｣. I want to feel that way again. I want to know what it really is. So I want to get on that stage again… That's all I want." She finished her reasoning, glancing back to Ai and Junko, both of whom seem astounded over her resolve. Even Gyro agrees, whistling in fascination and approval.
"Hearing you say that makes me look forward to you girls' performance tomorrow. That ｢resolve｣ of yours is guaranteed to make you retreive your forgotten memories," he commended. Sakura, feeling invigorated thanks to his words, was about to say something in response when she hears him say this, "Huh? Hey, what's that weird-looking vehicle doing there?"
The girls look to where the Italian cowboy is pointing at. A black car pulls up in front of the entrance gate where three guys come out from it in hip hop clothes. They start beatboxing, rapping and dancing, rhythmically walking towards the four.
Yo, yo, yo!
Check, check, check!
Sakura, Ai and Junko huddled up together in a circle while Gyro stares at rapping trio in puzzlement, asking, "Why are they… singing like that?"
"Because they're rapping." Ai answered.
"Rapping? What's that? A genre of music?"
"W-We must go now! Those guys are kinda scary!" Sakura urged the three to move as the three rappers are close to seeing them. All the while, they dish out verses about the three girls they're interested in while ignoring the tall guy.
Mike check, yo!
Yo check it! These chicks are out really late,
Maybe they're like us, cruising for a date?
Yo, screw you man, you make me do the work,
When you push me around, you look like a jerk!
Yo, yo, yo! How about you let me hit them up then?
If you end asking, they'll wanna be "just friends."
"They're coming this way. They're coming this way. They're coming this way!" Junko repeated in panic.
"What should we do? What should we do?! What should we do?!" Sakura did the same.
"They sing so weird. Yet somehow… I want to join in!" Gyro quipped.
You girls wanna do some karaoke? A little song and dance?
We know a place open late if you don't got plans!
If you don't have money, it'll be our treat, okay?
As they come across a second path, they see someone pulling theirr bike blocking the way. The four proceed forward only to see it's a dead end. The four purposely face away to prevent anyone from looking at them, especially when there's a nearby lit lamp post. Speaking of which, the rappers are getting near within talking range to the three girls when someone joins in the rapping.
You're up late boys, I wanna know why.
Or do you think I'm gonna walk by?
Sakura recognizes the voice, glancing backwards a little in dread, which is noticed by Gyro. "Hey, what's wrong?" He whispered.
"Damn it man. We didn't even do anything." The man with a backward hat stated in dismay.
You wanna pick up girls, is that your game?
'Cuz I can throw your butts in jail, it's all the same!
Remaining calm, Gyro hopes nothing could go wrong as he plans for the four to sneak by while they're distracted, hovering his left hand to the left holster. Alright, you three. Don't make any movements or noises so we can-
"Officer, please, help us!" However, Ai foolishly calls for the officer's help.
"Ai! What the hell?!" Gyro whispers in panic, moving to stop her along with Sakura and Junko, only for them to realize they stepped in the light. He realized too late what they have done. Ah crap. We got seen… He sums up their thoughts, expecting the rapper trio and policeman to react aggressively to their zombie appearances…
However, what happened instead puzzled them because their reactions go on an unexpected route.
"Huh? Hey you! Is that a cowboy outfit you're wearing?" The policeman asks.
"Me?" Gyro pointed at himself.
"You sure got guts, going out in public with that on. And… that belt! What are those engravings pointing at… O-Oh my! That's indecent! Showing that out in the open… You really wanna get arrested?" He threatened, giving him a dirty look even though he's most likely joking.
…
…
…
"AAAHH! WATCH OUT! There's a zombie nearby!"
"WHAT!? WHERE!?"
ガシャンッ!
Taking advantage of their distraction, Gyro breaks the light bulb in the lamp post with a steel ball, concealing him, Sakura, Ai and Junko in darkness. This elicited surprised shouts from them.
"MOVE IT GIRLS!"
Soon realizing why Gyro broke the light bulb, the three didn't hesitate to follow Gyro making haste out of the shopping district, running back back to the direction they came from. They're so focused in running that they haven't noticed a moving shadow following them.
Unbeknownst to them, an unknown figure is watching them from behind the stairs. Once they are gone, the figure left the area.
"We… *pants* We escaped them. *pants* Somehow…" Sakura said as she catches her breath, holding her knees while slouching. Right now, these four are on the street leading to their home where they take a breather near a pole after running for about a minute. Junko and Gyro are sitting and leaning against it respectively, while Sakura and Ai chose to stand.
After he gathered his bearing, Gyro proceeds to berate Ai for her decision back there. "Ai, what the hell were you thinking asking someone for help!? Did you forget we are zombies or what? You almost exposed us to them!"
"I-I was trying to ask for help to turn those rappers away! It's just… never crossed my mind about what will happen next, that's all!" She attempts to defend herself, feeling ashamed of her reckless thinking.
"I just gave you and Junko a speech about thinking of your actions, and you forget it minutes later…" He shakes his head with a sigh. He rubs his head with a chuckle since he's not entirely blameless here. "Though, admittedly… perhaps I shouldn't have pushed my luck too far, huh?"
He shoots a sheepsish smile to Sakura, leading her to sigh, "Like I told you so, Gyro-san…" Her exasperated face turns into confusion next as she asks, "Son umm… Why didn't those guys freak out when they see us? The light from the lamp post is on so obviously, they would see us as scary zombies, right?"
"I was wondering about that…" Junko said, standing up and looking at the three. Before she can say anything, she does a double take with surprise. "Huh? Sakura, Ai, Gyro, what's up with your appearance?"
"Our appearance?" The three repeats in unison.
"Yes. Your skin and eyes… They look, um… ｢normal｣." She pointed out unsurely.
"Normal? If we were to look normal, we need to apply makeup to-"
Sakura looks at her hand and stops mid-sentence when she sees her arms and hand aren't gray colored. "Huh? My arms… They look fine!"
"What?" Blinking, Ai takes a good look at herself to see her skin and her hands aren't rotting and devoid of bandages. Surprise takes her hold as she says, "Huh? What is this? W-Why do I look like I didn't become a zombie?"
"Holy moly, you're right! My arms look human again!" Gyro said, checking his skin and seeing no sign of his stitched wounds and discolored skin. He glances at Junko and sees she looks normal too. "Junko! You don't look like a zombie too!"
"R-Really?" She checks her hands and gasps. "Y-You're right…! I look human again!"
"How did we become normal? We haven't applied makeup to disguise ourselves." Sakura inquired in disbelief, thinking she was imagining it.
"I believe we didn't. But if we look like we're still alive, that's a good thing, right?" Ai suggested, feeling hopeful for the first time.
"I suppose. Maybe this might be the reason why those four men didn't freak out." Junko reasoned.
While the two are somewhat happy, Sakura and Gyro are suspicious.
ゴゴゴゴゴゴゴゴ
"Don't get your hopes up you two. There's no way we became normal suddenly." Looking around, he begins keeping his eyes peeled, intending to catch anything suspicious.
"I agree with Gyro-san. It is pretty unusual that we look human when we haven't applied makeup for disguise," concurred Sakura, moving closer to Gyro. "I don't know why but… I think we need to go home. I-I'm not liking being here now…"
"That's a good idea. C'mon you two. Let's return before Johnny and the others notice our long absence."
Following his words, Sakura, Ai and Junko follow Gyro down the street, keeping close behind him and looking around to see if there's anything suspicious. At this point, Ai and Junko become suspicious too like Gyro and Sakura, now seeing that becoming human all of a sudden is really unexpected.
The four zombies are passing near the small park when Junko stops walking when she looks up and sees something that made her flinch. "Huh?"
Noticing she stopped, Sakura asks, "Junko-chan? What's wrong?"
"I… I thought ｢someone｣ was standing near that slide just now," she pointed to the slide. "But when I turn to look again, it's gone."
"…Maybe you're seeing things." Ai suggested.
"No. I'm sure I ｢saw｣ someone. It's tall, wears black clothing and… looks creepy." She insisted, looking around this small park worriedly.
"C-Creepy…?" Sakura gulped.
"It certainly looks like it to me."
As their conversation goes on, Gyro believes Junko is not seeing things, because he did saw someone near the slides just now. He didn't pay attention to it at first because he thought he was imagining it until Junko brought it up. And if he considers what she said about the individual they saw…
ブフゥ
!?
Standing still in shock and dread when he heard a strange sound, Gyro senses someone walking behind him. Their footsteps can be heard, which sounds like they're walking on the surface of water. Sweating anxiously, Gyro dares to turn around and see who's behind him, even if his common sense told him not to or else something bad will happen to him. After doing it slowly, he swiftly whirls around, steel balls at the ready…
…Only to find nothing. "Huh?"
"Gyro-san? What's wrong? Why did you suddenly-" Sakura starts to ask, looking at him worriedly along with Ai when a scream erupted.
"AAAAHHHH!"
! !
Hearing Junko scream, the three turn to where they heard her only to be shocked by what they're seeing.
Wide, terrified eyes are present on Junko's face as she finds herself grabbed by her shoulder by a large humanoid being designed after a Venetian costume, clad in black Venetian hat and cloak. Its hands and collar are adorned with arrow motifs while a mask completes the Venetian look.
"Wh-What… What is THAT!?" Ai asked in shock. Sakura and Gyro didn't answer her as they stared at the humanoid holding Junko with its hands.
ドドドドドドドド
As Junko stammered in fear, the Venetian humanoid, in a voice vibrating with echo, declares, "You! You must be the chosen one!"
"W-What? What is it saying!?" Sakura inquired, feeling terrified over its appearance and mannerism.
"I offer you two paths, but you must choose one that will lead to salvation…" The humanoid brandishes an arrow from its mouth, making it clear to everyone and its captor of its intention. "Will you become one of the chosen or do you proceed along the path of death...? For this, you'll receive this arrow!"
"Ah... A-Ahhh..." Junko stammered in fear, realizing she's about to die again.
"JUNKO-CHAN!" Sakura and Ai call out her name.
"Get your hands off her!" Gyro shouted, throwing his steel ball to the humanoid being. "OOORA!"
ドーグォォン
Two metals making an impact is heard when the steel ball strikes its face, causing it to lose grip of Junko and be flung from the force. As soon as she was free, Sakura and Ai quickly grabbed her away from the enemy. The spinning ball returns back to Gyro as the enemy sinks into the ground like water. Wha? The ｢enemy｣! Taking note of it, he moves away from the park, following after the three girls.
Gyro huddles near the girls, turning to Junko looking positively scared after her life flashed before her eyes. "Hey! Are you alright?" He asked.
"I-I'm… I'm f-f-fine…" Despite saying that, Junko is freaking out and almost cries after getting nearly killed by the arrow. "I-I thought I was g-g-gonna die the s-second t-t-t-time…"
"I-It's okay Junko-chan! We're with you so please stay strong!" Sakura comforted her.
As the redhead soothed the stuttering girl, Ai turned to where the humanoid appeared. Wondering what exactly she saw, Ai asks, "What… What was that?"
"What was what, Ai?" Sakura replied.
"That thing in a black cloak and hat... Who, or what exactly is it?" She clarified, believing her eyes were not fooling her.
"It's a ｢Stand｣."
"A what?"
"A Stand. An ｢enemy Stand｣, to be precise." Gyro reveals, charging his steel balls in accordance with the Golden Rectangle. Sakura, Ai and Junko look at him as he continues explaining what he saw. "Judging from its appearance and the fact it sunk on the ground as if it's made of water, I'm confident we are up against an enemy Stand."
"An enemy Stand…?" Sakura said with a concerned look, not really expecting she's facing an enemy so soon.
"You heard me. There's no doubt about it." He firmly stated.
"A Stand…?" Ai is freaked out that the very first Stand she ever saw is a cloaked masked being holding a retractable arrow in its mouth to stab someone. It certainly leaves an impression on her, and Junko too considering she is almost killed by the enemy. Hm? I ｢saw｣ a Stand? Didn't Kakyoin-san said only Stand Users can see other… Stands… Ah!
Ai realizes why she's a little perturbed she saw an enemy Stand. "Hold on, I… I can see Stands now!?"
"What?" Sakura and Gyro utter in surprise.
"I-I think… I can see it, too. Too close for my comfort, unfortunately…" Junko revealed, surprise overtaking her fear and dread momentarily.
"Huh? But...how?" Sakura questioned.
"I-I don't know! I was…seeing it clearly to me, I'm sure of it!" She takes a step backward, causing a ripple to form around her foot…
ドギャン
"AI! BEHIND YOU!"
"Eh?"
Whirling around to see what made Sakura and Junko panic, Ai sees it's the cloaked Stand that appeared behind her suddenly. She shouted in surprise as the Stand grabs her neck before she can react. Attempting to pry its hands off her neck, she tries kicking the Stand, but her legs simply passed through it without harm. The Stand simply lifts her up in response, rendering her immobile and helpless. Even worse, she's starting to suffocate as the grip tightens, which is odd considering she's a zombie and didn't experience pain when her arms and eyes were removed before they went outside. That is if she didn't become "normal".
"AI-CHAN!" The two girls called out in panic.
"Oh no you don't! ORA!"
Gyro throws a spinning steel ball toward one of its hands. The Stand sees this and catches with its left hand to stop its trajectory. That is a mistake however, as despite the trajectory stopping in its grip, the ball keeps on spinning.
"Hm?"
シュル シュル シュル シュル
Wondering why it keeps spinning, the Stand realized too late that its hand is burning from the friction done by the steel ball. Accordingly, it cried in pain, letting go of the ball and Ai as well. The former Iron Frill leader didn't hesitate to get away from the Stand as she caught her breath as the steel ball returned to Gyro's hand to be charged in his holster. Acting quickly, he threw the second ball onto its face. Like what the first ball did to its hand, it continues to spin in its place, causing damage from the heat and friction caused by the Spin.
"ANOTHER SHOOOOT!"
ガン
Swinging back his arm to amplify the speed and strength, Gyro throws the first ball back to the enemy, this time to its face. The combined might of the spinning steel balls and impact done causes a crack to appear on its mask as it cried in pain. "AAAaaaaAAAAaaggGGGggghhHHHHHHhhhhh!"
The steel balls return to Gyro after doing enough damage. The Stand proceeded to sink back to the ground to recuperate. Taking the time to look after Ai, Gyro turns around and sees Ai acting like she saw a ghost, with Sakura doing her best to comfort her like she did to Junko. "Ai-chan, are you okay?" She asked her
"I-I… I am… Never t-thought I… would be facing… the Stand up close. I-It's…scary…" Her behavior spells doubt to her statement, though she thanked Gyro for his quick help.
"We are scared here, but Gyro is strong!" Sakura reminded her and Junko. "I don't know how Gyro caused the balls to continue spinning but he's doing a good job fending the enemy off!"
Chuckling from her compliment, Gyro decides to reveal what he imbued the steel balls with to help calm them down. "If you wanna know how I did it, it's through a technique passed down to the Zeppeli family that I'm glad to be a part of. It's called a ｢Spin｣.
"The Spin? Wait, Kotaro mentioned it when he introduced you to me and Kakyoin." She recalled.
"Did he, now? Well, regardless, if you want to know how I stand a chance against that enemy Stand, the Spin is a technique that involves a perfect or near-perfect state of rotation to imbue an object with a unique form of energy that can be applied for multitude of uses, including offense and defense. While it sounds easy on paper, it takes a lot of time to fully master the Spin, as Johnny can attest to."
"Johnny-san?"
"Yup! I taught him ｢five lessons｣ in utilizing a Spin, which helped him grow stronger and gradually regain his use of legs." He explained, spinning his steel balls in his holster. "I can go on explaining more about the Spin and how the Golden Rectangle works in relation to the technique leading to a Golden Spin but we're in a middle of fight here, so let us focus on that, shall we?"
As if reacting to his words, the Stand appears, this time far from the four. Eyeing the Stand, Gyro immediately throws a steel ball when it charged forward, curving along the way to catch the Stand off-guard, which it did when it made contact. The Stand didn't stop however, continuing rushing despite the spinning ball defacing its mask more. Eyes widening in surprise, Gyro throws the second ball, but it missed when the enemy dodged to its side. The first ball returns to Gyro's hands as the enemy are close. Naturally, the three girls freak out over the thought of some of them being grabbed.
"Crap!" Gyro cursed, bolting out of the way and out of reach. The enemy didn't stop however as it continues chasing after Gyro, who quickly picks up the steel ball on the ground and charges it. To his surprise, the Stand is fast, catching up to him in less than two seconds. He throws one ball against it only for the Stand to swat them away. In desperation to get away, he tries to kick its face but the Stand is faster than him, reacting quickly to grab his ankle and stop his attack.
"Uh oh."
He wasn't surprised when he's thrown on the ground on his back. "AGH!" He grunted, feeling the blow on his head and back.
"GYRO-SAN!" Sakura shouted, worried over Gyro getting cornered. The cloaked Stand looms over him, keeping its grip on his ankle so he wouldn't escape.
Despite the enemy looming over him threateningly, Gyro remains calm though he's sweating in fear. "Fed up with me pitching balls to your face? Would you like it when I doooo… THIS!"
ボクゥーゥゥッ
Putting the spinning ball on his captured leg, the Spin energy imbued on the ball transfers to his leg, causing it to harden before propelling it to kick upwards, hitting the enemy's chin and losing its grip on him. Flipping in the air, Gyro pitches the ball to its torso before getting away from the enemy and quickly scooping up the other steel ball on the ground. The ball returns as the Stand lies on the ground in pain.
Regrouping with the three astonished of his trick to get out of its grip, Gyro checks his right ankle, having felt the Stand's tight grip. He wonders if it wants to break his ankle just to force him unable to walk properly. "Well, that could have gone worse. Good thing I transferred the Spin energy on my legs to kick that prick's face."
"That's... That's incredible!" Sakura exclaims.
"I know, right? Now then, let us see if a couple more throws can-" He didn't finish what he's saying when he noticed the enemy is nowhere to be seen. "Huh? Where did the Stand go? Did it disappear under my nose again?" He inquired, confused as he looked around for any sign of the enemy.
"It was...right there." Junko pointed, also confused like Gyro.
"Did it sink to the ground when we weren't looking?" Ai wonders, feeling nervous of the thought of the Stand hiding in plain sight until it sneaks on any of the four and attacks.
"E-Everyone! Please stay close to each other! The Stand could be-"
バッギョン
Sakura takes a step backward while she's in the middle of proposing a strategy, and in an instant, the Stand appears between her and the three. Taken aback in shock, she didn't act in time before she was grabbed on her neck and forced on the ground, making it so that the enemy looms over her.
"SAKURA!" Ai and Junko shouted in shock.
"HEY! Keep your hands off her! OOOOORA!"
Gyro hurls the two balls to get the enemy off Sakura but, learning from its mistake, the cloaked Stand simply smacks it back to Gyro, who didn't react in time before he got hit by his steel balls. "GAH!"
"Gyro!"
Ai and Junko were about to tend to him when Gyro, lying on his side while grunting in pain, stops them from going to him, telling them, "Don't you worry about me! Worry about Sakura!"
Heeding his words, the two rushed towards Sakura, who is quivering from the sight of the arrow from the Stand's mouth, seeing she's about to be killed by an enemy Stand. "Which path will it be? Life? Or death? Only through this arrow shall reveal it all!" It declared grandiosely, preparing to stab the terrified girl…
…Until green tendrils hold its arms from behind. "Hm?"
Before it can react, another tendril wraps around its neck, causing it to retract the arrow and let go of Sakura to try and remove them. "NNGGGHH!" Unfortunately for the Stand, the tendrils lift the Stand up in the air, with the one grabbing its neck tightening to strangle it.
Blinking in surprise, Sakura recognizes the patterns of tendrils belonging to a Stand she knows… "Hierophant Green?
Looking around, she, along with Ai, Junko and Gyro glancing at their direction, see Kakyoin and Avdol standing behind them, their eyes glaring straight into the enemy Stand being hanged by Hierophant Green.
ドドンッ !
Making their appearance more dramatic than it needs to be because they are posing, Kakyoin turns to the four and asks, "Are you all alright? The enemy Stand didn't cause you enough trouble, we hope?
"W-Well, it did cause us trouble but everyone's fine, Kakyoin!" Sakura admitted, becoming relieved assistance has arrived unexpectedly.
BGM: Noble Pope (Stardust Crusaders [Departure] OST)
Unlike these four human-looking zombies, the two retained their zombie appearances, Kakyoin is wearing pajamas while Avdol does not have his robe and accessories on. Inversely, the two notice they're disguised like humans even though they know the four haven't put any makeup on.
"You four, why do you look human?" Avdol asked in response.
"Oh, us? Well… We don't know," admitted Sakura. "We suddenly realize we look alive some minutes ago, which is when we got attacked by that Stand," she pointed to the Stand still hoisted up in the air. "It managed to catch all of us before you two appeared, with me being the last. If you two hadn't showed up, I would have been stabbed by the arrow…"
"Is that so? Well, I suppose we should go and dispose of the Stand now before it causes more trouble for us." Kakyoin's tone didn't hide his anger against the enemy Stand for endangering the four, especially Sakura. As much as he likes to see it suffer, taking it out quickly is needed to end this fight.
"You four rest up. Let me and Kakyoin finish this fight," suggested Avdol before assuming a stance. Moving his arms around freely before bringing them together with his hands making an ethnic gesture, he shouts the name of his Stand with gusto, commanding it to come out. "｢MAGICIAN'S RED｣!"
Another humanoid Stand bearing an avian's head, sharp claws, toned upper body and fiery bracelets and legs wearing Arabian shoes lets out a great cry as it was summoned by Avdol, signifying its eagerness to participate in the fight.
"KRAAAAAAAAAAHHH!"
ドゴーンッ
The four are amazed by the appearance of Magician's Red, feeling the heat even byits appearance alone. Whistling in approval, Gyro says, "Wow. that's an impressive Stand you have, Avdol. I'm guessing you're gonna incinerate our enemy using… ｢fire｣?"
"Of course. That is what my Stand can do: ｢controlling fire｣. Or in other words, ｢pyrokinesis｣," he replied with a smile. "Why else should i and Kakyoin be here for?"
"Please do it! Before that Stand has any chance of attacking any of us!" Ai insisted, getting close to Sakura and Junko for comfort.
Moving into action to assuage their fears, Kakyoin throws the enemy in a position for the two to hit the enemy. Hierophant Green charges its hands with enough energy to shoot out many emeralds as it can. "EMERALD… SPLASH!"
"CROSS FIRE… HURRICANE!" Avdol shouted as Magician's Red shoots out a flaming ankh from its mouth, crying uproariously.
ドカァァァンッ
The two attacks combine to create a sparkling explosion caused by the fire and emeralds attacking the enemy without remorse. This, alongside Gyro doing hefty amount of damage caused by the steel balls and Spin, finally kills the enemy off, who howls in pain as it disappears while smoldered by residual flames. "NGOOOOOOOOOOOOOoooooooooggghhhhh..."
Seeing the enemy is defeated, Gyro lets out a sigh of relief, stating, "Phew. It's over…"
"I'm glad none of us are killed…" Sakura sighs too, grateful for Kakyoin and Avdol appearing in time.
ボキボキ ボキボキ ボキボキ
Before anyone could relax, they heard something cracking. It seems to be near them as the sound is loud and clear. "Where is that sound coming from?" Kakyoin asked, his head whipping around
"AAAAAH! E-EVERYONE!" They heard Junko scream in horror.
"Junko-chan? What's-" Sakura stops mid-sentence when she sees Junko's skin cracking. Eyes widening in shock, Sakura asks, "J-Junko-chan! What's wrong with your skin!?"
"I-I don't know! When I heard the cracking sound, I saw it came from me!" She responded, looking at her hands riddled with cracks. She looks up only to be more horrified when she's not the only one whose skin is cracking as Sakura, Ai and Gyro's skin are chipping as well. "S-Sakura! Ai! Gyro! Your skin is cracking too!"
"W-What!? What's going ON!?" Ai is freaking out over the sight of her skin fracturing.
"The hell is this!? Don't tell me this is another one of that enemy's ability!" Gyro hopes it is not the case as he tries to keep a cool head despite panicking like Ai and Junko on the inside.
Trembling in fear, Sakura turns to Kakyoin and Avdol, both of which are sharing their panic even if their skins are not cracking apart. "K-Kakyoin! Help us!"
"I-I…! I don't know how!" This was his response. He wanted to say more but with a solution nowhere in sight, he's stressing over this terrifying sight.
ガシャンッ
Just when they thought it couldn't get any worse, their skin shattered like glass accompanied by the appropriate sound. Kakyoin and Avdol are dreading to see what the four will look like when it appears their skins shatter to reveal…
…their zombie forms?
"Huh?" Kakyoin lets out in confusion, shared by Avdol and the four zombies looking at themselves and each other. Of all the things they thought would happen, they didn't expect they would turn back into zombies.
"W-What?" Sakura stuttered, blinking in surprise when she saw they're fine. "What just... happened?"
"We… turned back… to being zombies… somehow." Gyro replied, still processing that they went back to normal, or what can constitute to being normal.
"But… But how? How did this happen?" Junko questioned.
"…I don't know…" Ai answered, unsure too.
While the mystery would hang in the air like a vulture circling the desert to scavenge the corpse of its prey, nothing bad had thankfully happened, which is a relief especially when they have defeated their very first enemy Stand lurking in the shadows of Saga. While Kakyoin, Avdol, Gyro and Sakura are glad things went back to normal for the time being, the same couldn't be said for Ai and Junko since this is their first time witnessing an enemy Stand assault them and almost getting killed by one. If this is how enemy Stands will act, the two are dreading for their lives from thinking about the potential Stands that will soon attack them in the future.
With this, they are feeling more unsure they can perform as idols if their lives are threatened by the enemy Stands.
"Ai? Junko? Are you two alright?" Avdol asks after noticing their doleful states.
"Huh? Oh. We are fine. We're just… tired." Ai makes up a lie that is slightly true in regard to them being tired. "Can we go back? We don't want to be out here for long…"
"…I agree. We should heed Sakura's and Gyro's words before we got killed the second time…" Junko implores, reminding everyone that any enemy Stand could attack them at any given moment.
"That's a good idea. Come on everyone. Let's go back."
Following Kakyoin to the mansion, Gyro sees the girls are distressed from the fight they're forced to witness. Wanting to lift the mood, he says, "Say Kakyoin, did you follow us while you're in your pajamas?"
Sheepishly rubbing his head and cursing him from mentioning it under his breath, Kakyoin states, "I… didn't have time to change."
Everyone is busy taking note of his attire that they didn't notice Kotaro watching them from behind the pole some meters away.
That's one enemy Stand down. Ai and Junko should have stayed inside but I do see why they try to run away. But if they haven't, ｢Black Sabbath｣ wouldn't have tried killing them. It's thanks to those three flamboyant Stand Users that Black Sabbath will not lurk in the shadows to terrorize people anymore. What Kotaro thought before he took his leave.
To be continued
Stand Analysis:
Black Sabbath
Destructive Power: E (A - When grabbing someone)
Speed: A
Range: A
Stamina: C
Precision: E
Developmental Potential: E
Black Sabbath is an automatic Stand who lurks in the shadows to seek any living beings and stab them using the arrow hidden in its mouth so its captor can either survive and gain a Stand or die trying, whether they want it or not. As its power draws on shadows, it is quite powerful and fast enough to grab someone before they can act, tough to withstand even the harshest blows when it's moving quickly and has the long range required to grab anyone it first sees.
Magician's Red (Stand Master: Muhammad Avdol)
Destructive Power: B
Speed: B
Range: C
Stamina: B
Precision: C
Developmental Potential: D
A close-range Stand with the head of a bird on top of its humanoid body, Magician's Red can generate fire that Avdol manipulates freely, allowing him to shoot it as projectiles, form shapes, control how powerful the fire is, and even detonate them.
Various techniques have been formed related to the Stand's fire-controlling ability. This includes Cross Fire Hurricane, its special variant, Red Bind and Life Detector.
Onomatopoeia:
ブフゥ (Bufuu) - Black Sabbath's voice
ドギャン/バッギョン (Dogyan/Baggyon) - Black Sabbath appearing
ドーグォォン (Dogoon)- Hard hit
シュル (Shuru) - Steel ball spinning
ガン (Gan) - Steel ball hitting someone hard
ボクゥーゥゥッ (Bokuuuu) - Hard kick
ドドンッ/ドゴーンッ (Dodon/Dogoon) - Dramatic entrance
ドカァァァンッ (Dogaaaaan) - Explosion
ボキボキ (Bokiboki) - Cracking ice or glass