May 28, 2024 update: Updated the entire chapter with minor changes or additions.
The next morning, Sakura and the girls are off for another practice session under Kotaro's guidance. Today is the girls' second (well technically their first if your name isn't Sakura) performance and the importance of a decent concert means Kakyoin and the boys are temporarily banned from entering the shed. They don't mind it because right now, Kakyoin, Avdol and Gyro tell everyone of the Stand they encountered last night in the living room.
"It sounds like you encountered ｢Black Sabbath｣." Bucciarati revealed after Kakyoin described what the Stand looked like. He's sitting on a couch between Narancia and Mamezuku, his hand resting on his chin.
"Black Sabbath?" Kakyoin repeated. He and the others form a semi-circle around the two as they look at him curiously after hearing he seems to know the enemy Stand.
"Yes. From what you told me about its appearance and ability, I believe you, Avdol and Gyro did encounter Black Sabbath." He explained.
"Okay so what exactly is Black Sabbath? What kind of ability does it have? All I know about it is it lurks in the dark." Gyro questioned.
"It's a Stand of a capo named Polpo," began Narancia. Everyone has their eyes on him as he tells more, "His Stand was part of the recruitment process, wherein Polpo gives a potential recruiter a lit lighter which they must keep it on for 24 hours. If they happen to reignite it after the flame is put out, it will trigger the Stand and initiate the actual test required to join Passione."
"As for how the test works," Bucciarati continues from where Narancia left off. "Your soul will be pulled by Black Sabbath so it will stab you with the Arrow. If your soul can handle the strain of the Arrow piercing you, you will gain a Stand and admit you to Passione. But if your soul is too weak, then you'll die."
Their explanation surprises everyone because of the high mortality rate when it comes to getting pierced by an arrow for a chance to gain a Stand. As for Kakyoin, Johnny, Gyro and Mamezuku, this is the first time they heard about the arrow and its Stand-attaining properties, so they're surprised there are other methods in having a Stand aside from being born with one. Avdol himself already knew about the Arrow, but he choose to keep it quiet.
"Woah seriously? You'll die if you're not eligible to have a Stand? That's too harsh," responds Gyro.
"It's one way to weed out anyone too weak to join Passione. It is harsh, yes, and I do not like how human lives are discarded like trash by Polpo, but the mafia doesn't tolerate any weaklings." Bucciarati maintained.
"Are you okay telling how your mafia organization works to us strangers? I have every belief you two are willing to keep your mafia's secrets to yourselves even though you two are out of the organization for many years." Mamezuku asked.
"I have no intention of telling all of you some things about Passione but the event from last night lead me and Narancia to at least reveal the recruitment process," he responded. "Do not worry however. We're not gonna silence all of you because of that."
"Well, we hope you two won't." Kakyoin sincerely hoped.
"Say, I've been wondering…" Gyro began asking after a though came to him on whether a Stand User may die ir not if pierced by the Arrow. "If someone who has a Stand got pierced by the arrow, what would happen? Will you gain a secondary Stand or just die?"
"Far as I know, no. Getting pierced again potentially grants you an upgrade to your existing Stand," answered Bucciarati. "What I mean is, if your Stand is stabbed by the arrow, it will evolve to a stronger form based on your strongest desire. Whatever form your Stand will take, it will gain an overwhelming amount of power compared to its base abilities, or even enhance those existing powers."
"*whistles* That sounds impressive! Though as much as I want to see if my Stand can evolve, I don't wanna risk it."
"Going by that logic, you put yourself in danger. In danger of dying to an arrow, actually." Mamezuku flat out stated.
Johnny, who is standing next to Gyro using the cane, gulps over the thought of Gyro dying the second time and leaving him alone again. Sighing over his action last night, he says, "I wished you hadn't left last night. You just have me worried over and over when you didn't return." He looks at him with an annoyed expression after calling him out.
"Hey, my curiosity got the better of me, alright?" He defended but the deadpan look on Johnny's face shows he's not buying it.
"Just… don't go doing something behind my back again, okay?"
"Fine. I'll try not to." Gyro shurgged.
"Y'know… Something's odd about Black Sabbath."
They heard Narancia say, who is tapping his chin thibking about Black Sabbath's attack last night. Turning to Bucciarati, he says, "Bucciarati, Polpo died many years ago, right? If so, how come his Stand appeared?"
"I was thinking about that. It shouldn't be possible for Black Sabbath to appear because its user has died. Unless…" Rubbing his chin, Bucciarati remembers Gyro's statement on how he, Sakura, Ai and Junko suddenly turned human before getting attacked, mentioning that they felt pain when they normally shouldn't as a zombie and how the latter two could suddenly see Stands. The fact that they become human makes the threat of second death possible. After Kakyoin and Avdol disposed the enemy, their skin starts cracking before shattering to reveal they are back to being zombies. This also made Stands unseen to Ai and Junko again.
"…Unless Black Sabbath's appearance coincided with Gyro and the girls becoming human temporarily."
"What do you mean?" Avdol asked.
"It is possible the Stand's appearance is tied with an 「unknown phenomenon」 that caused Gyro, Sakura, Ai and Junko to look human and put them at risk of suffering injury or dying. You three did mention their skin shattering after you killed Black Sabbath, right?" He looked at Gyro, Avdol and Kakyoin.
"Yes we did." Kakyoin nodded.
"Then it's possible someone, likely a 「Stand User」, has something to do with Black Sabbath's 「revival」 and turning them, for a lack of better word, back 「alive」 so they were prone to getting injured or even dying." Clasping his hands together, Bucciarati says, "And considering signor Tatsumi made a big deal about protecting the girls and Saga from enemy Stands, it's safe to say we're in for a hunt towards an unknown user hiding somewhere. Guess I have to step up to ensure the 「unknown threat」 is stopped."
"Does that mean you're gonna lead us then, Bucciarati? You said you are stepping up, right? It's natural you'll be chosen because you used to be the leader of our team when we were in Passione! I'm excited to be your underling again!" Narancia smiled at the thought of following Bucciarati again and working together with his new friends. So far, they all seem pretty cool, and he wonders too what Stands they have.
"I'm… still considering it Narancia…" That's Bucciarati's reply. Though he really means it when he said he must step up his game and get serious in his group's bodyguard roles after discerning everyone's lives are endangered, he's still doubting himself and wondering if he can find his footing as a zombie. All he can hope is his resolve is still burning within his soul, like how he kept on going after Giorno healed his corpse due to it.
As the conversation shifts to a casual one regarding the mafia organization the two used to be in, something they try keeping quiet despite Bruno's statement about not killing then as if he's still a mafiosi, Kakyoin wonders how Sakura, Ai and Junko are faring. He hopes they are doing okay after getting nearly killed by Black Sabbath.
"We better be careful from now on."
Sakura is leaning on the railing of the terrace outside as she watches the sky and sea with a worried look. It's currently afternoon, only an hour left before the idols' second performance is slated to take place in Saga Castle. As much as she's worried if the performance is gonna be okay after she's the only one practicing again, she's more worried about how things are gonna be after witnessing an enemy Stand attack. Recalling Ai and Junko's downcast looks earlier over how they almost died from a Stand and witnessing the threat it poses, on top of their misgivings about Kotaro's idol group project, Sakura can't help but share their feelings too regarding the potential enemy Stands that will attack her, Kakyoin and the others. Kakyoin's group may have Stands to defend themselves and the girls, but do they have what it takes to take on against powerful enemy Stands? She surely hopes so after seeing what Kakyoin and Avdol can do with their Stands, both of which are quite impressive.
As she wonders what kind of Stand she will have, she hears a rough voice from her side, "Oi."
"Hm?" Turning to her right, she almost blanched at Saki's mean glare as she bites a dried squid with such ferocity. It appears she's still looking down on her as she says through gritted teeth, "You wanna die?"
"S-Sorry for interrupting!" Sakura apologized, turning around to leave her alone until Saki stops her. Walking up close much to her discomfort, she zooms her face close to her petrified face as she asks, "Why do you still listen to Shades back there?"
"Y-You mean Kotaro-san?"
Flinching when Saki pounds her fist on the railing, she continues scrutinizing her with a scowl. "I'm not like you. I do what I want, and I only got respect for people with ｢guts｣!"
"…What is it that you want, Saki-chan?" Sakura asked to gauge her intentions.
"Take the whole damn country over." She answered.
"Why?"
Seeing she's not understanding her, Saki scoffs before walking away from Sakura with hands on her pocket. She stops when Sakura speaks up. "Saki-chan! Do you want to, just once, try and-"
"Hell no."Shutting her down, the former biker leader leaves, mumbling and cursing something in her mouth.
Watching her leave, Sakura can feel her worry increasing regarding Saki's harsh behavior to her and Ai and Junko's unwillingness to participate. She wanted everyone to get along with each other and yet, the girls are not taking being an idol seriously. How is she supposed to remember if the girls are going to continue like this?
At this point, gaining a Stand feels easy compared to being an idol.
"The most important thing isn't technique, it's ｢heart｣!"
Kotaro mumbles through the paint brush he's holding with his mouth as he applies a small amount of makeup to cover Sakura's scar. He and the girls are inside the black van of the parking lot where the producer puts on their disguise for today's performance. "｢Put your heart into it｣ and you can ｢color other people's hearts｣! That's ｢makeup｣."
"I'm sorry. I didn't catch any of that." Sakura replied with eyes closed, feeling her forehead being applied.
"Holy crap! This might actually work!" Saki exclaimed with a smile from her side, amazed over the makeup making her appear as a living human.
"Yugirin, you're sooooo pretty!" Lily complimented the older zombie joyfully as they looked at the mirror to admire themselves, calling her with a nickname.
"Am I, now? You are quite lovely yourself, Lily-han." The courtesan returned serenely.
Ai and Junko check out their makeup in two hand mirrors in silent amazement. Remembering their downcast states during "practice" regarding getting almost killed by Black Sabbath last night, Sakura wonders if they're going to be okay.
Meanwhile, the fledgling idols' bodyguards are outside the van, taking in the air as they wait for Kotaro to finish applying the girls' makeup. Since fourteen zombies can't fit in a single van, a new addition is implemented on the ceiling of the van, which looks like a glass sphere half-embedded above the seats showing a spacious interior of a limo, which houses an extra seven to ten seats and comes with windows. Entering the sphere like the way Bucciarati and Narancia used to enter Coco Jumbo not only puts them in the seats automatically, but it also gives them a view of the outside through the windows that can be closed or opened like normal. To put it simply, it's basically like a secondary vehicle interior to accomodate fifteen of them. Inversely, they can exit the extra space through the same sphere embedded on the floor and they will appear sitting in the main seats. It's safe to say the mysterious Stand User put a lot of thought into implementing such a feature for these zombie guys ro use and prevent the van from overloading.
Also, before they all left, the producer put them all in makeup back in the mansion to minimize the workload needed in putting fourteen zombies in their disguise. Though Narancia and Johnny initially protested, they changed their tune when Kakyoin explains it's for disguising themselves as humans. A disguise that impressively masks their zombie states.
"I probably said this a million times before, but I can't get over the fact my makeup makes me look human!" Narancia exclaimed with a smile, looking at himself with gusto.
"I agree. Mr. Tatsumi sure has put his heart and soul into it so much in disguising ourselves as humans." Bucciarati concurred, not minding Narancia's enthusiasm.
"Yeah. Our disguise is so impressive that I have to remind myself that I'm still a zombie due to how good it is." Kakyoin smiled as he said this.
"He even knows what appropriate skin color some of us have." Avdol nodded, wondering if he's back to being a human again because of how good his makeup is.
While the four are busy admiring their makeup, Johnny, Gyro and Mamezuku are looking around the parking lot with the two jockeys being amazed how far the modes of transportation have evolved. They didn't expect technology would improve in making transportation much easier compared to carriages, horses and old-fashioned vehicles of their era.
"Hey Johnny. How much are you betting I can use these things? I wanna see how advanced technology has become and compare it to horse riding." Gyro challenged, not minding his disguise due to being focused on looking around with wide eyes.
"Maybe you can, if you learn how to use a… car, that is." Johnny responded, not hiding that he's gawking at the number of cars of varying sizes and colors are in the parking lot.
"Plus, you need to learn a lot of road rules and acquire a driving license so you don't get in trouble with the law. Oh, and lots of money." Mamezuku added, slightly amused by their reactions.
Once every zombie is fully disguised, they all leave the parking lot into the concert venue inside Karatsu Castle.
"Everyone, make sure we don't find out we are zombies!"
As Kakyoin's groups occupy the audience area and checking if it's safe as part of their bodyguard "duties", Sakura and the girls are in the backstage waiting for their turn. She chooses this time to remind the girls through whispering to them after noticing they are so engrossed in their disguises so they wouldn't be found out as zombies as the last thing they want are getting shot or sliced. Saki however doesn't seem worried, if only because she's really liking her makeup.
"That'll be a piece of cake! There's no way they can tell! SUPER EASY!" She shouted, causing Sakura to nearly panic when everyone looks at them. "And to be honest, right now, I'm hot as hell!" She chcked out herself more in a hand mirror.
"I get it, I get it!" Sakura lightlt chastised her, permitting her not to speak more before she accidentally spills out their secret. Just then, a staff member approaches the group.
"Sorry for the wait. Could the members of 「Green Face」 head to the stage?"
Thinking he got the name wrong, Sakura replies, "Um, actually… We're called Death Musume."
"Starting today, you're called ｢Green Face｣!"
Kotaro declared, opening the sliding doors wide and walking.
"Ah, Kotaro-sa-"
"Listen up! You've gotta show these people the Green Face of your hearts…!" He declares, moving his hand to emphasize his point.
"I have no idea what that means-" She attempted to ask him what his statement meant only for the producer to shout and point his finger somewhere enthusiastically.
"OKAAAAAAAY! GET GOING! GO, GO, GO, GOOOOOO!"
Lights were dimmed on-stage as Sakura and the girls are shined on by the main lights. Watching from the audience, their bodyguards sat on certain spots like Kakyoin and Avdol sitting in the front, Johnny and Gyro found sitting to the right, Rai choosing to sit on the left alone, and Bucciarati and Narancia situated behind the audience. Since the audience is full of elderly, everyone, including the metalhead duo (who seem to be the only fans the idols made so far and have come here wondering if the girls are gonna perform another metal concert) stick out like a sore thumb.
As the spotlight is on them, Sakura hopes that some way or another, the concert will come out okay. With Saki still acting hostile over her presumably having no "guts", Ai and Junko still traumatized of being under attack by an enemy Stand and Yugiri, Lily and Tae (the former two being the only members getting along with each other well) being passive but still not participating, she fears their second performance could crumble any moment. Turning to Kakyoin and seeing he's watching her, she feels comforted by his presence.
Holding back Tae when she tries to move, Sakura addresses the audience with a nervous smile. "I-It's nice to meet you all! We're Green Musume!A-Ah, I mean, ｢Green Face｣!"
"Green Face?" Kakyoin repeated with a perplexed look, blinking twice. "Did Kotaro change the name at the last minute?"
"He did," replied Avdol, sharing his expression over the name change as well. "He should have thought of a proper name before this. Green Face doesn't suit them, especially when we all have blue faces."
"Geez Kotaro. You suck at naming or something?" Narancia muttered, similarly baffled over the naming choice like the two.
"B-By the way, I'm Number One and this girl is Number Zero and going down the line, Number Two, Number Three, Number Four…" Glancing to Saki, Ai and Junko, she turns to her right and is surprised when Yugiri is kneeling on the floor. "…er, Number Five and Number Six. Green Face is an idol group trying to revitalize Saga. Our singing and dancing are a little green too, but we practiced hard!"
"…Did they though?" Johnny wondered. "I assume the girls didn't practice and Sakura only bothered to."
"Seems like it, with Sakura being the one doing the speaking and all." Gyro stated.
Hoping for the best, Sakura turns to Saki, Ai and Junko as she announces, "L-Let's do it." She raises Tae's hand as she exclaims, "Yeah!"
Standing in the backstage, Kotaro clicks his finger as he says, "Music. Come on."
BGM: Yomigaeru (The starting instrumental part before the first lyric)
Pop music starts playing and Sakura proceeds to dance, swaying to the beat. Unsurprisingly, Saki, Ai, Junko and Lily aren't dancing but Yugiri and Tae appear to follow Sakura, with the former sticking to what she did when she's alive in the 19th century and the latter acting like what an unawakened zombie would do. These two stuck out.
"What…is this?" The chubby metalhead questioned, having gone here to hear the girls scream their lungs out more together with his lanky friend, appearing dismayed.
Analyzing the performance, Rai mumbles, "I'm guessing the performance is gonna be terrible at best or a disaster at worst… unless something unexpected happens. Something like… a miracle, though I highly doubt it."
As the music swells into its first verse, Sakura is about to sing when she notices Tae walking to the direction of an old man eating dried squids in the front. "T-Tae-chan!?"
BGM Stops
Uh oh. This spells trouble. Kakyoin is about to stand up and intercept her with Hierophant Green when Sakura grabs Tae's arm when she tried to jump off the stage. "Tae-chan, stop!" She shouted, pulling the zombie back reacting to her instinct which is harder than expected. Undeterred, Sakura pulls Tae with all her might…
…and in the process, Tae's arms are detached.
"AHHHH!" Sakura shouted again, realizing the trouble they were going to be in.
"Crap!" Kakyoin exclaimded, standing up in shock. Avdol and the others react like him as well.
To make matters worse, Tae hits the floor hard enough her head launches out of her neck, bounces up in the air much to Sakura and Kakyoin's continued horror.
"There she goes!" Lily exclaimdd, watching Tae's head fall to the elderly holding a dried squid with her mouth opening with the intent of biting him…
As the audience in the front looks at Tae in surprise, the old man, unfazed he's holding a moving head, sees that she's looking at the dried squid he's holding. "Want some?" The elderly kindly asks, offering Tae his dried squid. The beheaded zombie bites it with gusto and chews with a happy look. She is then picked up by Sakura, who claims, "Ta-daaaa! It's a trick, a-a little trick! It's a ｢Handead Power｣!" She extended her hand for emphasis. Tae's headless body runs past her, eliciting a shocked shout from her. "Saki-chan! Catch!" She throws Tae's head back to the stage as she moves to grab her body.
Catching in her arms after calculating where it's gonna land, Saki, with Ai and Junko watching by her side, looks at Tae chewing the squid with a curious look. "…Doesn't that hurt?" She asked, seeing she's not feeling any pain despite being beheaded, or is too busy tasting the squid to feel it.
"O-Okay! This is another trick!" Sakura claimed again as she pulls Tae's body back to the stage. "It's ｢Undead Power｣!"
The audience buys into Sakura's claim that it's all an elaborate magic trick as they clap their hands. Even the metalhead duo and bodyguards are impressed. "I must say, I'm surprised," commented Avdol with a smile. "Sakura sure knows how to put up a magic act."
"I'm surprised too. I hope nothing can go off the rails after that little hiccup." Kakyoin really hoped, still standing up to see if the "threat" is gone.
Once Tae's body is on the stage, Sakura snatches Tae's head off Saki's hand and puts it back. Her relief is cut short for not even a second when Saki, amused of the entire schtick, pulls her head off her body, stating, "It's not like it's your head!"
"Saki-chan!"
While the audience continues getting impressed except their bodyguards after seeing Saki get too eager, Sakura snatches the head from her and tries to put it back only for Saki to push her, exclaiming, "Screw you!" Catching the head, Saki proudly presents it to the audience, stating, "Man, your head would pop off with your helmet like this!"
パァン
The sound of slapping echoed as Tae's head slams into the wall behind the girls before sliding down. She's still eating the dried squid as Sakura, having enough of Saki butting heads with her, shouts in her mic to her surprised face. "COULD YOU TRY TO HIDE THE FACT THAT WE'RE ZOMBIIIIEEEEES!?"
Everyone goes silent over Sakura's bold remark, especially the guys who are freaking out on the inside when it looks like Sakura is accidentally exposing their zombie secret.
S-Sakura! What are you saying!? Retract your statement!Are you trying to expose yourselves!? Kakyoin thought too late, fearing the worst…
So fearful he was he's in for another surprise of his (un)life.
"You're not even trying to hide it! What kind of idols with heads that come off? How could we possibly be human?! What kind of human can do that? Is your brain rotting too, you stupid ZOMBIEEEEEEEEEEE?!" Sakura angrily shouted, daring to stand up against Saki.
"Alright bitch, BRING IT ON! You sure got some guts, and now? I'm gonna kick your ass all the way to Hoto Shrine!" Saki responded back, not wanting to have her way drilling into her.
"If they find out we're zombies, we're extra dead! Are any of my words going through your head!? If you can't take this for real, then you're the zombie whose deal will be head for trauma that don't heal! How many more times before you regret it!? How many cops shoot us until you finally GET IT!?"
As this goes on, the zombie guys are left amazed, and worried, over their argument. Watching closely, Gyro notices their body movements are similar to how the three rappers move from last night. "Hey, I think I'm seeing where this is going." He guessed somewhat eagerly.
"Huh? What do you mean, Gyro?" Johnny asked.
Kotaro, seeing where this is going and taking advantage of it, holds a microphone and proceeds to beatbox as Sakura and Saki, with the lights dimming to red, continue their argument through ｢rapping｣.
BGM: DEAD OR RAP
You think I'm just gonna roll over for you and agree?
I died riding and now you want me to be an idol zombie?!
If the other choice is acting like a suck-up snot
You coulda left me in the ground, I'd rather rot!
Yugiri strums a shamisen to provide some music as she nods along the beat. Lily happily plays along, putting Tae's head back and holding a microphone to her mouth, who promptly chews it. Lily takes it in stride as she encourages the audience to clap along in beat as Sakura is next to rap her lines.
I can't remember who I was before this all went down
But on the stage, I felt something click...
I'm not goody-two shoes, and nobody's clown.
I'm just trying to do more than be a worthless brick!
Who cares if you've got memories in your head?
You won't see your friends
And your Tamagotchi's long dead!
We're done, got it?!
Nothing's gonna change about that!
HELL NO, we're not done!
We're just getting started!
We've got to keep moving ahead!
Or we'll just be the walking dead!
Even if we have died, we only stop when we decide
So stop running, and ride again!
Kick some ass
CAPTAAAAAAAIN!
Feeling she has mouthed Saki off, she turns her attention to Ai and Junko to address their reluctance in becoming idols again despite being both former idols.
And that goes for the two of you standing there!
Gonna act like losers when you're the celebrity pair?
You've got all the talent in the world
But the two of you girls are giving up without giving it a whirl!
Quit coming up with excuses about why you can't win!
If you got a little chance, try to do that then!
Even a zombie can do it if she tries,
And when you prove it, it shows dead souls can rise!
The audience is enjoying the rap number, not minding it's unforeseen because they are entertained. What they didn't expect more is Sakura willing to spit out rhymes against them, specifically the elderly, as well.
Yo, that goes for all you old folks, too!
Tell anyone who talks about golden years to go screw!
Napping in the porch in the afternoon? Not you!
They're worried about a low rate of birth?
Show them all what silver's worth!
If they wanna blame you for everything anyway
Keep active and show you're here to stay!
BANG!
BGM Finishes
Sakura ends the rap battle but throwi- no. Slamming the microphone to the floor. Three seconds later, the audience cheers Sakura and Saki uproariously for the rap battle they conducted. They didn't or chose to not pay much attention to the lyrics, not that it matters when their argument spirals into singing out lines accompanied by a catchy rhythm and beat. The cheer is such that the girls are surprised over the praise they are getting. "Their reaction…"
"…For real?" Saki is astonished, looking at every single elderly person cheering for them.
"I've… I've never seen anything like that before…" The chubby metalhead cries in joy over what he and his lanky friend watched. "It feels like her head are about to pop off any second…" His lanky friend added.
"Of all the probabilities I calculated, this is one possibility I didn't expect…" Mamezuku muttered in surprise.
"Woohooooo! Gooooooooo Green Face!" Narancia shouted in joy.
"Hahahaha! Never thought those two would end up in a singing battle." Bucciarati added in amazement.
Whistling in approval, Gyro says, "Those two sure got heated up on the stage. I guess rapping isn't really that bad after all. Right, Johnny?"
"Yeah… This is my first time listening it and I'm captivated immediately." Johnny concurs, smiling as he claps.
Avdol is smiling from what he and Kakyoin watched, stating, "The change in genre is unexpected but Sakura and Saki made it work somehow. Don't you agree Kakyoin?"
"…I guess." He replies, looking at Sakura still surprised from the cheer she and the girls are getting.
"We did it again." Sakura uttered, wrapping her head that their second performance went off in a sudden but successful one. She's with Kakyoin, also trying to wrap his head that it went off in a hitch despite almost getting exposed.
"First, screaming in a death metal concert and now, an impromptu rap battle? You sure know how to adapt well to any situation, Sakura. You rap really well, by the way" Kakyoin congratulates her, making the redhead girl sheepishly chuckle
"O-Oh, it's nothing. I'm just... adapting to the situation like you said, that's all! Haha..." She humbly insisted.
"Hey, Sakura!"
Sakura turns around and sees it's Saki who called her. Believing she may have insulted her too much and she's probably irritated, she tries to apologize. "Um, sorry about earlier..."
"You've got ｢guts｣, after all!"
"Huh?" She and Kakyoin let out when they heard her expressing praise.
"Never thought you'd start rapping like that! I love it!" She puts one arm around her shoulder as she continues, "Plus that egg-looking head of yours reminds me of my Tamagotchi."
"Egg-looking?" Looking closely to her head, Kakyoin sees where Saki is getting at. At least he thought. "Hmm, you do have an egg-shaped head Sakura."
"Huh? Seriously…?" She raises an eyebrow over his remark.
"Just my observation. Don't take it seriously." He shrugged with a chuckle.
Saki looks up in the sky, now seeing that being an idol isn't gonna be so bad. "Idols, huh? Might be a decent way to take over, come to think of it."
Uh, today wasn't very idol-ish, though. Sakura thought with an abashed smile. Despite that, she's happy the performance didn't become a disaster.
"You mean that in a good way?" Kakyoin questioned.
"Of course! As much as I'm pissed I may never gain a Stand, maybe being an idol is a better option. And take my mind off believing I have the potential to have one."
"Well, as long as you don't want to cause trouble, then alright. Glad to see there's no more friction between you and Sakura-san."
As the disguised zombies watch them, the staff shakes hands with Kotaro, congratulating him and telling him to come again if he feels like it. He turns to Sakura and smiles, silently thanking her for the performance she did.
As the sun sets, the evening passes by without incident.
To be continued
Onomatopoeia:
パァン (Pan) - Slapping
After a whole month of writing and delays, I finally got to finish the second chapter!
Hello everyone! Sorry if you waited so long for the second chapter to be finished. Life got in my way in the form of schoolwork, doing tasks for my family and my brothers using the computer so long that I can't get to write and edit this chapter. Sure I got a phone to write and edit it but to properly prepare a fanfic for updating, I have to use a computer since the functions is pretty much advanced compared to writing on a phone.
Also, it was supposed to be two weeks that I must post a new chapter but as stated above, it wasn't possible. But enough about my daily life. Let's go to the author's notes, shall we?
As you can see from the last scene of first two chapters and in the first chapter adapting episode 2 of Zombie Land Saga, everyone, except Tae, have been awakened. Since there are now fifteen characters I have to write, the three chapters took longer than I thought it would be, especially when I added the first Stand battle in the form of Black Sabbath. Then again, I would have supposed to write seventeen characters but I have to remove two characters so I can focus on the fourteen zombies and our crazy producer.
Who are these two characters, you ask? Why, it's Josuke Higashikata and Okuyasu Nijimura.
I originally planned to include the two in the fanfic and play the role similar to Jotaro in Part 4 but after thinking on where the fanfic shall go, I decide to axe them. As much as I want Josuke to interact with Rai considering he knows Gappy despite being different person and Okuyasu being, well, Okuyasu even after two decades later, as stated above, I want to focus more on the zombies and Kotaro for worldbuilding purposes.
Speaking of cut ideas, I originally intended for Saki and Yugiri to gain a Stand later in the story or its sequel. After much consideration, I chose to not let these two have a Stand, with Sakura being the only idol explicitly stated to see and gain a Stand. However, I may change my mind if you really want them to have a Stand. While I'm not planning Saki and Yugiri to have one in this fanfic, I may consider it when the sequel rolls around.
And also, there's a Zombie Land Saga movie in the works, so I guess I have to write and integrate it to the AU... Nevetheless, I'm excited for the movie to come out as much as I'm excited to watch Stone Ocean when December comes!
So! How do you think I wrote the characters? Are they not OOC? Did I hit their personality right? Or is there something I need to consider regarding them? I hope I'm doing them justice like Johnny, who have definitely changed after Steel Ball Run to remind you all who finished reading Part 7, otherwise feel free to tell me where I got their character wrong. I want nothing more than to be faithful to their personalities while I consider the combined elements from both anime.
As for the enemy Stands they will encounter in the fanfic, I decide to use Stands from various Parts. It's not like I'm lazy or anything because I came up with original Stands for this fanfic, which includes Sakura's Stand, but because I find some Stands to be my favorite due to their abilities, versatileness, and even the users themselves. In this case, I chose Black Sabbath to be the first enemy they encounter. What Stands I may add in this story? Well, you will have to read the next chapters and find out. While there may be Stand battles, I'll make sure to give the zombies some breathing room so they don't get to fight Stands continuously and take time to know each other, with the girls singing and dancing their way and bring Saga to attention through their idol duties.
Also, there will be differences on how an enemy Stand operates compared to their apperances in JoJo, like Black Sabbath having average defense to give Gyro a fighting chance, especially when the fight is set at night. The Stand has become formidable, which is required to give Sakura, Ai and Junko an impression, but making sure it's not as tough like when Giorno and Koichi fought it. This is the very first enemy Stand after all, so I hope I gave Black Sabbath justice while making sure it's not as difficult and tough due to being the first in the line of Stands who will kill the idols and bodyguards. I imagine that the enemies are gonna get tougher, especially in the end.
With all of the important things to know being laid out in the author's notes, I'm signing off to enjoy life and write the third chapter. Have a good day and please stay safe, everyone!