Chapter 16: Once In a Very Purple Moon
Despite the large concentration of criminals, no one recognized them. Or perhaps if they did, no one wanted to bring that information to light.
That was how they found themselves in a rare tavern that did not rely on the labor of Ants or Automatons. Its owner detested the idea of using slave labor. This quality allowed him to be relatively unaffected by the uprising.
Giorno liked the atmosphere, so he bought him out for an entire evening.
"A little extra… just to be sure you 'conveniently' forget about us ever being here." Giorno slid the bulging coin purse towards the owner of the establishment.
"…Anything you say, goes." The man more widely known as Conrad responded, quietly taking the money and preparing whatever his new members wanted.
"You have a habit of treating your crew?" A man called Arne asked, taking a sip of his beer.
"I like to get a read on the people I hire, especially those who know my true nature. I would have liked to take this a bit slower, but the situation earlier today…" Giorno started.
"Was perfect for a little jailbreak." Drustan interrupted, finishing his thought for him. The old and battle-scarred man looked surprisingly calm and collected for a previous leader of a bandit group.
"Yes, I had planned on a much more subtle version of your escape." He confessed, looking over the recruits as a cheery mood spread with the arrival of the first bits of alcohol they'd had in weeks or even months.
"I'm thankful boss, but how exactly did you realize we were there? I mean… from what you told us, not even the King knew we were being turned into batteries for his precious gatekeeper."
"Several factors: the first being the destruction of that Golem. I was curious about her power supply and took her core for myself. Therein I discovered that the spirits smelled traces of… well you know. And the rebellion allowed me to get onto their database, allowing me to find you."
"Right… spirits that you contracted with. Wish I had them 2 months ago, would have saved me a lifetime of trouble." Another recruit mumbled into his drink.
"Enough questions, why did you want us here?" An irate man loudly asked.
"To discuss how exactly we're going to structure our organization and our operations… Which I suppose we could start with seeing as you wish to move things along, Wilkin."
"Wilkin? You mean that official who embezzled a crap ton of taxes? How the mighty have fallen!"
A few of the men in the tavern laughed, making the subject of their mockery turn red with rage.
"You've been educated financially?" Giorno asked, walking right up to the older man.
"Of course I am! I was the pride of my family; I worked day and night to be recognized by that damn King and his ministry!" He insisted.
"Hmm… But your eyes wandered, did they not?"
"So what if they did?! Those fools got lucky! If that damn Ant hadn't conducted that audit…"
'A miserable one, but a talented ex-minister… Undeniably useful. I could use someone like this to ensure our inevitable fronts operate. Should probably never allow him to work alone though…'
"Enough already, we're all criminals of some kind. No need to antagonize your associates." He coldly stated, waiting for silence before he moved on with the real itinerary.
Later that night…
"And you're certain of this information?" Giorno asked as a much more placated Wilkin spouted on and on about rather confidential information.
"That's right, those magic scientists were the real deal. But ever since this mysterious benefactor appeared, a good few left. Something about not being happy with their work anymore."
"Hmph… That intelligence would go to waste. Perhaps they would be open to lending us their skills."
"Doubt it. They wouldn't join a gang, they're too high and mighty."
"Then see to it that they have something official to join. I want their expertise; I owe an ally a debt. These men and women might be what I need to repay that." Giorno ordered. "As well as a few other uses they may serve."
"Me? How would I even…"
"You and Squadra Logistica are the experts in making money and resources move. Or are you saying I was mistaken in appointing you as their Lieutenant?" His eyes narrowed, making the older gentleman squirm in his seat.
"No… Don. I can get it done."
"Thus, Yamatai is not a viable area for our operations as a criminal enterprise. Cross it off the list."
"Shit… So, we're restricted to here, San Ilia, Sabasa, and Port Natalia." Drustan clicked his tongue, annoyed with all the rules Giorno was insistent on pushing forward.
"In time, we may yet expand. We're not so powerful as to operate in such a blunt fashion. We're barely 40 men as it is. Well… 40 men and one monster."
"Monster?" A few of the men perked up at the mention of that.
"She's a reverse Lamia, one I recruited with her information-gathering skills in mind. Is there an issue with that?"
"No… I guess not. If you say she's alright, I can trust your word."
A few of the men assigned to his team grumbled but decided it best not to complain.
"Good, because it's your job to ensure she stays safe while she works."
"Never guarded a monster before… But sure thing."
"Squadra di Dicognizione and your Protezione team are on a vital mission. We need numbers, and Gold Port is teeming with gangs and criminals. Also... I want to know about something called the Holy Wings, ask her to look into that."
In the end, the process of establishing order and effective communications took much longer than he had hoped it would. He would certainly need to pick up the pace to actually make it to Luka.
Luka couldn't help but feel isolated, despite Alice's continued presence at his side.
"Almost a week without him… I hope he's doing alright." Luka prayed for his ally's safety as they entered the outskirts of the village.
"No monster can hold a candle to him… At least the usual ones." Alice reassured, taking a look around the desolate town as they dismounted.
"But still… There wouldn't be a point in getting here late. Therefore, it's up to me to save these people!" Luka exclaimed, noting how gloomy the people were. "There are soldiers and adventurers here, they must also want to defend the village!"
"Uh huh… Sure they are." Alice deadpanned, observing how excited these men were acting. "Giorno isn't the type to do pointless things, he'll be here."
"Okay… Let's go talk to these villagers first."
Luka was disheartened to find out that all the men were pretty much here to be attacked by monsters.
"Guh… I can't believe this." He sighed, ashamed after that last blunt soldier's remark.
"At least he was an honest pervert, unlike the rest of these guys." Alice huffed.
"Young man over there, would you like your fortune told? Since the village is in such a horrid state, I'll do it for free!" A woman in a red witch-like outfit offered.
"Sure..." Luka agreed, trying to get his mind off of his depression.
"Hmmm... I sense issues with women. There is surely going to be trouble with women ahead for you... Well? Did I get it right?" The woman questioned.
"Amazing! That's exactly right! How do I avoid it!?" Luka asked.
"That's just your fate. Surrender to it." She winked.
"What? That's awful..." Luka trailed off. "If Giorno were here, he'd tell me to fight on regardless of the outcome."
"Hmm… Giorno? Is he a friend of yours?"
"Yeah, we're split up for a bit, but I know he'll come. Anyway, why haven't you evacuated?"
"Even if trouble is coming, I won't turn tail and run. If the Succubi come, I'll just offer them my trade..." The woman replied rather casually.
"You have some guts..." Luka complimented, oblivious to her nature.
"By the way, do you know why the Succubi attack the people here?" The woman asked.
"Err... Because tonight their magic will be at their most powerful. So they all group together and attack at the same time... right?"
"...Too bad, but you're a little off. If it was an ordinary Purple Sabbath, you would be correct. But there's a different purpose this time... They're grouping up to fulfill... another purpose." She mysteriously declared.
"Another purpose...? What is it?" Luka inquired.
"Hehe... That's a secret. When tonight comes, you'll understand..."
"How do you know such a thing...? You must be a really powerful soothsayer!" Luka exclaimed in awe.
"Eh? Thanks… I guess." The woman shakily nodded.
"I wish Giorno were here…" Alice shook her head.
"Welcome, Hero. I'm the chief of this village." A green-haired woman greeted as she answered her door.
"He... Hello..." Luka waved at her, nervous for some odd reason.
"You know, right... Every 100 years, the Succubi attack this village in a large group. It's called the Purple Sabbath. And it's going to happen tonight."
"Yes. I came here to defend the village against that!" Luka declared.
"Hehe... That will be a big help. We can always do with more strong men..." The Chief giggled, sizing him up.
"Ye... Yes... Thank you..." Luka stammered with a slight blush.
"I'll be looking forward to it, Mr. Cute Hero."
"Le.. Leave it to me..." Luka assured, hastily leaving her home.
"You're serious…?" Alice couldn't believe how obtuse he was behaving.
"It looks like the Innkeeper evacuated." Luka commented as he left money on the counter for his room.
"Now I just need to wait for them to attack." He said as he sat down on a chair in the room he chose to stay in.
Before long, it was already becoming dark outside.
"Still no sign of Giorno…" Luka muttered, idly listening to the people outside chatting and moving about.
"I like you, so I'll give you this one word of advice." Alice interrupted his thought process. "It seems like you think the Succubi will attack from outside of the village. But the most troublesome part of the Succubization of the humans."
"Wait, what?! The women are going to turn into Succubi?!" Luka stood up, shocked that she was only bringing this up now.
"That's right… When the purple moon is full, women who hold potential will turn into Succubi one after another.
"Then… this is how Succubi breed? They turn human women into their brethren."
"Everyone always seems to imagine an army of Succubi descending on the city or something. But to welcome their new companions, some senior Succubi concealed themselves in the village beforehand. Following the guidance of those senior members, the newborns go wild. That is the true form of the Purple Sabbath."
"But I didn't see anything suspicious…"
"Ugh…" Alice complained.
"You don't think Alma Elma might appear?" Luka questioned, suddenly growing more worried.
"I doubt it. She may be the Queen of Succubi but she doesn't give a damn of her race's prosperity. Regardless… I told you what you needed to know. I'll only reappear after everything is settled."
"Right… Just have to stay awake." Luka pumped himself up as she disappeared from sight.
"I'm late…" Giorno huffed as his horse worked overtime to make the journey to Succubus Village.
"I didn't think organizing a gang would take so long… Seems like a lot of work." Sylph commented as the outskirts came into view.
"Naturally. The process for establishing teams relies on getting to know my people. Even more so for my lieutenants."
"Are you sure that mercenary leader was a good choice to keep them in line? What was his name again, Drustan?"
"He's the best fighter and has experience leading criminals. He'll keep them all in check, I can't afford to have them all captured again."
He finally crossed the threshold of the first street, truly entering real civilization.
"It seems we made it… Just before midnight too." Undine noted as he hastily got off his horse.
In a matter of seconds, Giorno spotted two suspicious women strolling about the place.
The two women made their way into a home, likely having been their own residence.
"Tch…" Giorno made a mental note of where they lived.
'Odd behavior for people about to be attacked by Succubi... Much too cheerful.'
He made his way to a bar, hoping to find any clue of where his ally was.
Inside he could only find a few rough and rowdy-looking men, who instantly turned hostile as soon as he walked towards them.
"Excuse me, signor? I'm looking for a friend of mine, short and purple hair." He politely asked.
"Eh? That kid? Last I saw, he went to the Inn." The man answered.
"What the hell is a signor?" The friend at his side asked.
"Grazie." The blonde nodded and was about to leave before the outside was bathed in a purple light.
A dull ache spread throughout his body, briefly distracting him.
"What the-" One of the men in the bar exclaimed before the lone woman in the establishment cried out in a mixture of pain and…pleasure?
She toppled over the counter she sat at, causing mass concern amongst the men.
Using his ability to sense life, Giorno felt her very life force shift in real time. What was once a human woman began to change into a signature only comparable to that of a monster.
More specifically, one that was eerily similar to that of Alma Elma.
"Impossible! Get away from her!" Giorno warned, only for his warning to go unheeded as a single worried soldier went over to check on her.
"Hungry…" The woman drawled, somehow having wings and a tail sprout out as the man helped her up.
"Huh?!" The man exclaimed, freezing up as her hands shot at his pants.
"Muda!" Giorno leaped into action, landing a Gnome-infused punch straight into the side of her head.
The once-human woman was flung into the back of the bar, crashing into the wall and sending a rumble throughout the quaint establishment.
"Gah!" The woman held her aching head, somehow feeling time distort.
"Succubus! They're here!" The men got into action, appearing more happy than shocked if anything.
"No! Get out and run!" Giorno ordered, calling Sylph into action as his foe got back up.
The men ran off without a word, hopefully to do their part in the defence of the village.
"Food… I'm going to devour you." She threatened, bursting forward and pinning him down.
A familiar signature approached the bar, leading to Giorno deciding to withdraw the spirits in favor of his stand.
"Be still… You're going to enjoy this." She smirked, trying to reach for his pants.
A glass bottle broke as it was rammed into her face, disorienting her enough for the coup de grâce.
"Like hell he will!" Luka declared, smashing through the window and slicing at her neck.
"What?!" The succubus was pushed back into range of Giorno, who punched her in the stomach as hard as he could.
A combination of blood and whatever she ate that day was ejected out of her mouth, leaving her collapsed on the ground.
"Don't hit her so hard!" Luka chastised as he drove Angel Halo into her chest, ending her resistance.
"No… Just a-as I got this power…" The woman complained as her monster features disappeared and fell into unconsciousness.
"Just as she got this power…? Is there something I'm missing?" Giorno asked as they took a few seconds to rest.
"Alice said something… About the Succubization of women!" Luka exclaimed as he recounted the story she had told him a few hours ago.
Needless to say, the blonde was not pleased with the new perspective on the situation at hand.
"And she didn't tell us this because?" Giorno questioned, furious but unwilling to show it outwardly.
"Eh…Um… I didn't really ask. Sorry, Giorno." Luka apologized.
"Don't be… I'm not angry at you, just frustrated that she couldn't bother to be more forthcoming with this information. I suppose that makes what I felt with my sensory ability cohesive."
"Come on! We need to deal with this!" Luka rushed forward, leading the way out.
"These men were in the bar…" Giorno pointed at a group of men who were left half-naked in the middle of the street.
"Ugh…" Luka looked away, slightly grossed out from the fluids left all over the place.
"Ahh!" A man moaned in the back alley before the thud of his body could be heard.
Turning his head, Giorno observed what couldn't be more than a child proudly showing herself.
"You can't be more than a teenage girl…" Giorno averted his eyes.
Another monster joined in the 'fun', revealing herself to be her elder sister.
"You guys look so strong… Sis, I want the blonde one." She licked her lips.
"Stand down… Fight against this. You don't have to indulge in this desire." Giorno said, hoping that they weren't too far gone.
"As if… I've never felt this kind of power before." The older sister shook her head, smiling almost maliciously.
"I feel so strong… But so hungry. Give me some of your energy…" The younger sister asked but truly demanded in practice.
"It's no use! They're drunk off the power!" Luka drew his sword and faced down the Mincubus.
"Tch…" Giorno squared up with the succubus who expressed interest in him.
In a matter of seconds, they both went after their targets, becoming intertwined in a short yet intense battle.
Alice chose to watch these events closely, hoping that the humans she grew quite fond of wouldn't lose in such a place.
Some strange part of her enjoyed watching Luka improve with each and every battle. She chalked it up to her pride as a teacher and nothing else. Definitely not anything else.
Yet as the battle raged on, the obvious winners became more and more apparent.
The younger sister was simply outclassed by Luka in every manner of speaking. Too slow to hit him that often and too weak to keep him down for long with his near mastery of Gnome.
It wasn't a surprise when he sealed her with an excellent usage of Demon Skull Beheading, the force of his attack creating rumbles in the block where their battle took place.
What was surprising was Giorno and his… odd lethargy. Ever since the strike of midnight, he'd been out of it. His usual snappy and proven instincts were slowed down and as far as she could tell, he looked more pale than usual.
He'd been making a lot of mistakes with the older sister, who by all means was the weaker monster.
Not that it mattered, since he'd just stalled enough for Luka to seal her anyway.
"Your energy… It's all messed up." She calmly noted from her hiding spot on the top of a building.
Closing her eyes and focusing on his energy, she could feel his usually refined and radiant signature in disarray. Almost as if something was fighting within his body.
But that couldn't be possible… He wasn't a woman, and-
"No… That can't actually be happening right now." Her eyes opened wide once she recognized the phenomenon.
Giorno's head was spinning, and a sudden wave of intense nausea afflicted him.
"There are so many Succubi around…" Luka muttered before he laid eyes on his ally taking a knee. "Giorno?"
"I-I'm fine… I just feel off." The blonde got up, using his sword as a cane.
"…You don't look fine." Luka frowned.
"No… It's just a bout of nausea. We need to think of a way to uncover the true masterminds of this plot. The ones responsible for this transformation." Giorno gestured towards the pair of women on the ground.
"Yeah, but the location of the elder Succubi is a problem." Luka pondered.
"I…saw two women earlier. In a big house, looked quite official. They moved with a strange sense of purpose." Giorno helpfully added.
"The Chief's house? That's right, we could ask them!" Luka ran off ahead, leaving Giorno to follow at a slower pace.
"Excuse me! Ms. Chief" Luka pushed the door open, barging into the home in a panic.
"Luka…wait…" Giorno entered soon after, looking at the women he encountered a few minutes before midnight.
"Hehe… you two made it all the way here? I guess the Hero and his friend are very special after all." The green-haired woman complimented, eyeing them up.
"Miss Chief? Did you notice any stra-" Luka started before Giorno reached out to hold his shoulder.
"Don't b-bother… They're the ones we're after. They're Succubi." Giorno confirmed, sure of his accusation upon getting a closer look at them.
They were the only women in the village not already having been turned into Succubi, which could only mean one thing.
"Heh… Looks like your friend is the brains of the operation." The pink-haired woman said before the two of them shed their human disguises.
"What?! No way!" Luka drew his sword, pointing it at the women.
"You were the elders all along… Quite the setup, being the village Chief and all." Giorno deduced.
"We're not humans who have been turned into Succubi. We were born as Succubi." The pink-haired monster explained.
"Our family has passed down the Chief position in this village from generation to generation. Every 100 years, we spread our seductive power into the village to turn the villagers into Succubi. That's the true purpose of the Sabbath." The Succubus Chief revealed.
"…Enough already, I do not wish to hear your ramblings." Giorno grimaced, shaking off the urge to vomit. For some reason, the feeling of weakness got worse once they actually entered the house.
"Huh?" The Succubi froze, caught off guard by his accusatory tone.
"Forget it… This is useless. You will be defeated, so that this madness may end." He said as he grabbed a handful of knives.
"We'll stop you!" Luka agreed, drawing his sword.
"Deal with the ritual, Witch. I'll handle these two." The Succubus Chief declared, allowing her ally to run off into another room.
"Be careful, we may need those two for their semen!" The Succubus Witch added as the door shut behind her.
"Ritual? What are you planning?" Giorno asked as his head pounded, Luka hadn't mentioned anything about a ritual in his explanation.
"Hehe… This year's Sabbath is not just to create more allies. It's a ceremony to bring back the Legendary Succubus Lilith, sealed 500 years ago."
'That's bad! Very bad!' Sylph worriedly commented.
Giorno flung his knives at her, having heard enough as is. No way was he going to have a dangerous Succubus let loose on the world, Alma Elma was more than enough.
The Succubus flapped her wings, creating a propulsion of air that sent them careening off course.
"We Succubi have no permanent home… But Lilith can lead us to the Promised Land! The wish of all Succubi is to bring Lilith back. When she comes back, we can make all humans into mere livestock for semen cultivation." The monster declared, much to Giorno's disgust.
"I won't let that happen!" Luka jumped him with a Lightning Sword Flash, having quietly summoned Sylph while she was having her speech.
"Gah!" The Succubus was forced back, grunting as her hands fondled his lower abdomen.
"Stop!"
"No!" Giorno yanked her off of him with his Gnome-infused grip strength and threw her into a nearby table.
"Hey!" She complained, crashing over a variety of books and cutlery. "Being so rough with a woman… The nerve of you!"
The Chief quickly pounced on the slower human, attempting to take him right then and there.
The strength he so proudly showed off faded away, leading to a false sense of security on her part.
"Gold Experience!" The man suddenly shouted, before what felt like a fist connected with her jaw.
"Argh!" Her body was sent flying upwards, just as Luka slashed at her unmoving body.
The painful feeling of having her energy sucked away by that sword was multiplied by what seemed like an eternity.
"It's useless!" Giorno commanded his stand to barrage her even after she was freed from her incapacitation.
"Muda Muda Muda!" His stand delivered an attack rush, pelting the Succubus with a flurry of life-energy-infused fists.
'It's slower than usual...' Giorno noted.
"Death Sword Chaos Star!" Luka yelled as his multiple slashes sliced clean through the last of her energy.
"Beaten by humans…" She whined, being sealed into a bat.
"Hey! Goldie? You don't look so good." Sylph manifested, worriedly inspecting the humanoid spirit.
"Is he… bleeding?" Undine asked, watching blood seep from a crack in his skin.
"…" Gnome couldn't help but feel just as anxious over the state of Giorno and Gold Experience.
"Oi Oi, Giorno. You aren't in any condition to fight." Luka knelt down at his ally who could barely get up.
"No… We need to stop this. I refuse to let them turn these men into slaves."
"I know you don't like to let me fight monsters alone…Just don't push yourself too hard."
The two of them confronted the last remaining elder, who busied herself with the ritual to call for whoever the legendary Lilith was.
"Ara…? How are you here?" Witch asked, taken aback by the prospect of her ally having been defeated.
"We beat her… Your Chief is done." Giorno said, feeling even worse in the room where the ritual took place.
"We won't let you revive Lilith!" Luka proclaimed.
"But she's already almost revived. Thanks to the chief, plenty of soldiers came to this village to 'assist' us." Witch smirked.
"That's why so many men stuck around then… Brought in by the news you so generously shared with them."
"Five more men's worth of semen is all I need… I figure we could get that much from you two." She licked her lips, calling forth her magical might.
In an instant the room was flooded by her sheer power, covering both men with a scent of sickening sweetness.
"She's no joke." Giorno warned.
Her gloves and hat somehow floated alongside her, with the latter growing a large tongue.
"Is that thing alive?" Luka grimaced, not entirely wanting an answer to that.
"Sure feels that way." Giorno confirmed.
"Take this!" She flung her tail at them at high speed, the tip quickly opening up to engulf their lower abdomen.
"Sylph!" Luka and Giorno sidestepped her tail.
"Lightning Sword Flash!" Luka quickly closed in, striking as fast as lightning.
"Ugh!" Witch grumbled, commanding her hat to attack him.
A bundle of throwing knives tore into her hat, spilling blood and gore all over the walls and floor.
"How barbaric!" Witch gagged, as the knives transformed into piranhas.
The sounds of flesh and fabric being devoured filled the room soon after.
Luka took his chance to climb a nearby wall, jumping down to land a Demon Skull Beheading.
"Gold Experience!" Giorno picked up a few knives, ordering his stand to throw them at her.
"Behave!" Her eyes flashed, catching them both off guard.
"Gaah…" Giorno collapsed onto the floor.
"Ah…B-breasts…" Luka dumbly mumbled, dropping his guard completely.
"Give it up… I'll make this feel good." The monster smirked as she pinned Luka down.
Cold steel quickly pierced into her back, followed by an unimaginable amount of pain.
"AHHH!" Witch screamed in agony, breaking her concentration.
"Eh?!" Luka snapped out of his daze, before plunging his sword into her exposed chest.
"H-how did you-" She turned her head, not understanding how his ally managed to attack her despite her powerful hypnotism.
"Did… we win?" Luka got up, pulling his pants up.
"No…we didn't seal her. Her life energy… it was transferred elsewhere." Giorno said, still on the floor and in a pitiful state.
A chill suddenly hit Luka, prompting him to turn around.
A magical square glowed brightly as two women emerged in a spectacular sparkle.
"We failed to prevent this…" Giorno grimaced.
"Why are there two of them?" Luka questioned, backing away.
Two blonde women, seductively fondling each other's bodies glanced at them both, giggling maliciously.
"Teehee… It's been 500 years since we last set foot on this world, hasn't it, sister?" The slightly taller one asked.
"That's right, Lilim… This world, so full of energetic young men… It's unbearable!" Her sibling answered.
"The taller one must be Lilith… and the other is her sister." Giorno stood up, begging his body to cooperate just a bit longer.
Both siblings greedily observed them, liking what they were seeing.
"These heroes look absolutely delectable, sister." Lilim practically salivated.
"Indeed… I want to devour all their energy." Lilith smiled at the thought.
"Guh…" Luka drew Angel Halo, pointing at them.
"That sword?" Lilim paused.
"Angel Halo… There's no mistake. A wielder of that accursed sword is standing before us." Lilith scowled upon making another discovery. "He does look familiar…"
"He looks like that horrible man from 500 years ago… Smells the same too. He must be his descendant." Lilim agreed.
"What?!" Luka backed away, not understanding what they meant.
"The anger and pain of the last 500 years…"
"Allow us to show you our grudge…"
"Gnome!" Luka called out, infusing his body with the Earth.
"Sylph!" Giorno joined him in his attack, grabbing Lilith and slamming her into the nearby throne with a quick burst of speed.
"Ah! Sister!" Lilim tried to intervene, only to have Luka leap down and slam his sword into her head.
"Muda!" Giorno tried to punch her, cursing his lack of energy and his failing body.
"Get off me…" The Succubus displayed a staggering amount of strength, throwing him off herself and hastily flying to her sister.
"Grr…" Giorno reorientated himself mid-air, landing on his back and rolling back to his feet.
Luka desperately fought off both Succubi at once, failing to keep them from sandwiching his body with their breasts.
Reaching down, he found no more knives in his belt, having used too many in his previous battles.
'Goddess sword… You're my last hope.'
Summoning Gnome as well, he blurred forward and slashed directly at Lilim's back with a Lightning Flash of his own.
"You're irritating!" Lilim grunted as a relatively big cut hampered her ability to fly.
This afforded Luka the ability to fight Lilith back, even if only buying enough time for them both to withdraw.
"They're too strong together…" Giorno huffed, unable to hold for much longer.
His concentration with the spirits broke, as did his grip on whatever strength he had left.
"No…" Luka knelt down, taking a moment to recover with meditation.
Giorno had no such ability to recover, his current state a far cry from his peak physical condition.
The sound of crackling behind him drew his attention, leading to him getting a risky idea.
The Lilith sisters finished an incantation, summoning a white square beneath the feet of their opponents.
Luka instantly guarded, as thousands of tentacles attacked all at once.
"Giorno!" Luka tried turning his head, watching his defenseless ally get harassed by the tentacles and remove his shirt for whatever strange reason. "Get up! You can't-"
"Make sure Sylph stays active… That is all I ask, Luka…" He weakly asked, sticking his arms into the fireplace.
"You're insane!" Luka watched in horror as his friend burst into flames.
'You'll die!' Sylph warned to no avail.
'You're going to kill yourself!' Undine tried to reach out to him.
His gamble paid off, the combination of his intense flames and Sylph burning the tentacles to charred bits.
"What is wrong with that human…" Lilith's eyes widened.
"Sister… I've never heard of a human doing such a thing." Lilim felt her stomach turn as Giorno writhed on the ground.
Despite his entire body being alight, Giorno clawed his way towards the sisters.
"Gaaaah!" He roared, clenching his fists and breathing in the power of Gnome.
Golden flames burnt in his pupils, oozing malice and hatred.
"WRRRYY!" He threw himself at them, grappling down the pair.
"Get away from us!" The Succubi cried, trying to avoid the insane human.
Lilith was unfortunate to be caught by her neck, struggling to fight him off.
"Too s-strong!" She coughed, choking on the smell of his burning flesh and suffering from asphyxiation.
"MUDA!" Giorno punched her with all his might, breaking the skin of her face.
"Sister!" Lilim was unable to do anything, having the last of her energy sealed by Angel Halo.
Lilith felt the life being squeezed out of her, doing everything in her power to push him away yet only suffering from extreme burns once her body made contact with him.
"MUDA!"
Another fist collided with her face, swelling her right eye heavily and burning her all the same.
Luka used a final Lightning Flash to end the remaining sister, watching her form dissipate out of his grasp.
The still-aflame blonde collapsed to the floor, rolling on the ground to put himself out.
"Undine, do something!" Luka tried to find anything that could put him out.
Undine quickly manifested, hosing him down with a torrent of high-pressure water.
"Ha… We won." He said with a raspy voice.
"What is wrong with you?! You're the most insane human I've ever seen!" Undine uncharacteristically screamed.
"It was a necessary risk. Without it, we'd have been at their mercy." Giorno defended, not particularly concerned with his burns.
"Don't ever do that again! You were the one to get on my back for my martyr complex!" Luka bent down at his side, deeply unhappy with his reckless gamble.
He dragged his ruined body back to the main room of the house and placed him into a seat.
"My well-being aside, what of the other men? There must be dozens of them on the verge of death."
"Maybe if we gather everyone around in one place you can invigorate them?" Luka suggested.
"…It's a slow process that requires delicacy. Some would die waiting if I treated each and every single one of them."
"This is beyond the scope of Giorno. Healing so many people while in that state is impossible." Alice reappeared, frowning upon smelling burnt flesh.
"Can't you help us? It doesn't involve fighting monsters." Luka asked, hoping for a positive reaction.
"…Too much effort. But perhaps I should heal those who are near death." She disclaimed.
"You could do that this whole time?" Giorno lifted his head.
"Of course, I could. I'm the Monster Lord. Sharing my vitality with some weaklings should be effortless."
She closed her eyes, chanting some words they didn't recognize before a large white flash engulfed the entire village.
"No…" Giorno sensed familiar signatures reappear, including the very monsters they battled.
"Alice! You just unsealed all the monsters!" Luka drew his blade as the Lilith sisters manifested into the physical world.
"I didn't mean to-" Alice looked properly shocked, showing some real emotion for the first time in a while.
"That radiant light…" Lilith commented.
"Just like Her Majesty," Lilim spoke, gazing at Alice with reverence.
"Now everything we went through was for nothing! We'll have to fight them again." Luka nervously gulped.
In came the Succubus Witch and Chief, having heard everything.
"That won't be necessary. Our dream has already been denied." The Chief answered rather bitterly.
"Our saviour…The legendary Succubus Lilith was defeated by a human again. It appears there is no promised land for us after all." The Witch added, avoiding eye contact with Giorno.
"Promised land… That's what you want?" Giorno questioned. "All this was for your own desire for power."
"…We are no saviors." Lilith acknowledged.
"Once again, we'll have no place to call home," Lilim complained.
"Are Succubi that driven into a corner? Unable to settle down anywhere, and forced to wander from place to place?" Luka asked, inserting himself into the discussion.
"Succubi cannot exist without humans. Yet human villagers do not accept us and won't let us live with them." The Chief explained.
"For good reason, you require them to eat. You almost killed the ones in this village." Giorno interrupted, drawing the ire of the Succubi.
"Lots of men agree to let us live with them… The problem is the women. Most humans are completely hostile to our presence. They will never allow Succubi to live in the same town they do." The Witch continued.
"And thus you decided to eliminate that problem. Turn the women into Succubi and that issue is resolved." The blonde concluded, not buying their sob story.
"But Succubi don't wish to endlessly be on the move. We wish to have a place to call home. A paradise where we can live without worry of starvation. A wonderful Succubus Village, where we can harvest human men like livestock." The Witch stated.
'These people… They're completely delusional.'
"From generation to generation, we've been planning to make our dream a reality. Biding our time until we could take over this village." The Chief added.
"We aren't dreaming too big. All we desire is just a small, nice little village. With men as livestock. Is that too much to ask?"
"I've heard some outlandish things before, but this is something else. Am I supposed to feel bad for you? Don't act like what you said was in any way, shape or form reasonable." Giorno scowled at her, utterly unmoved by that tirade.
"You said men are willing to let you stay with them… Is that before or after you've raped them into submission?"
The atmosphere of the room became very uncomfortable after that question.
"Wait! Don't listen to this guy! Don't give up on your dreams!" A youthful soldier rushed into the home.
Giorno turned his attention to the outside, sensing multiple life forms.
"We should work together to fulfill the Succubi's dreams! Your dream moved my soul…" A young man in the crowd shouted.
"Please let me be a domestic animal for you!"
"How could I resist that moving speech. I'll be a domestic animal, too! From the bottom of my heart…"
"I want to help you create a home you can call your own too!"
Not just this crowd, dozens if not over a hundred men from all over the village gathered to express their unanimous sentiments.
"You… accept us?" Witch confusedly asked.
"Of course!"
"We want to live with you Succubi!"
"Succubi and male livestock living peacefully!"
"Are you out of your minds?!" Giorno forcefully interjected, beside himself from the stupidity of these men. "I burned half to death for your sake and you wish to become their food?"
He stood up to confront the crowd, drawing frightened looks from them.
"Utterly… completely useless. This entire village is a lost cause. The men have given into their lust and the women have been turned to your side…"
"It's our choice!" A brave soul in the mass of men cried out.
"...You're right. It's your choice to be nothing more than food. But the same cannot be said for the ones looking to devour you." He pointed out.
"What...us?" A newly transformed Succubus timidly asked, keeping her eyes on the ground.
"I talked to your Queen... She spoke of the freedoms you so cherish as Succubi. And here I come to find out your greatest reproductive event spits in the face of your values."
"This is how it's been done for centuries..." Witch defended, not appreciating the tone or message of his rant.
"If these women had come to you of their own volition, that would be something else. But you forced your way of life on them. You violated the men physically, but you stripped away these women of their humanity without their consent."
"But I like it this..."
"I feel... stronger."
"I don't want to go back to being a human again."
Murmurs of similar sentiments echoed through the Succubi, further highlighting the pointlessness of his outburst.
"...So be it. You've won then, forced your will on humanity, and replenished your numbers. I'm finished here."
The atmosphere turned quiet, far too quiet for his liking.
"Wait!" Luka called out as he left.
"What? Surprised that I'm in disagreement?" Giorno turned around for a final time, looking at the surprised faces of not only the Succubi but Luka and Alice too.
Whispers began erupting in the crowd, much to his confusion.
"What's happening to that guy?"
"Look at his skin…"
"His eyes… They weren't like that before."
Glancing down at his abdomen, Giorno was horrified to see the burns he suffered begin shifting and filling out.
"You… What did you do?!" He demanded, getting up in the face of the Witch.
"I… don't know. This has never happened before." Witch nervously answered, wiping away some sweat from how maliciously he stared at her.
"Giorno… You said that you lied about having a monster for a parent. But are you sure about that?" Alice asked.
"That's not possible, Alice. It just isn't." He insisted. A mix of anger and fear in his expression.
"He's actually part monster?" Luka questioned, approaching him.
"If not your parents, then an ancestor of yours had the blood of one. Dark magic... has the power to mutate the physical body." Alice suggested.
"Yes... though only women were supposed to be transformed under the conditions of the Purple Sabbath and our magical ritual. If it as Her Majesty says, whatever potential you had was awakened." Witch theorized.
"Can't you help him?" Luka asked, concerned at this revelation.
"T-That isn't possible." The Chief quickly replied.
"Not even Angel Halo can help anymore... All the transformations are permanent now, the ritual is finished." Alice continued.
"Are you feeling alright? I know this is a lot to take in but-" Luka put a reassuring hand on his arm.
"Do I look okay, Luka?" He pushed his arm away, openly scowling at everyone around him.
"Even if you're a monster, it doesn't change anything! We still fight together; we still have the same dream."
"This is coexistence? This is a farce, of fools who wish to give up their sovereignty. And of monsters who view us as food, and no more. You may not care for your bodily autonomy but I do..."
With that he left the scene, not comprehending his new status as non-human.
The safety of the Inn allowed him to finally decompress, far away from the life signatures of the citizens already indulging in their desires.
Gnome manifested beside him on the bed, punching him in the side of his abdomen.
He groaned as the spirit of earth glared at him.
"You would truly fit right in with Salamander. As reckless and crazed as she likes her contractors." Undine joined the conversation.
"You're an idiot! And that's saying something coming from me!" Sylph poked his face.
"I know..." He looked up, inspecting himself in the mirror.
His eyes were more yellow than green now, but he had the feeling the last of that would fade away soon enough.
"I can hardly believe this is happening. It's unnatural."
Just like outside, his body quickly sealed any of his wounds shut. In under a minute of sitting there and watching it happen; he was completely spotless.
That would have been good news, if not for how deathly pale his skin was now. Before, he would have been considered a healthy shade, not the almost corpse-like complexion right now.
"Perhaps that was why your body was so weak? It's almost as if that hidden potential fought against your body to finally shine through. How odd for that to happen." Undine said, her eyes scanning over his body.
"Dark magic did this…"
"Even if it's diluted… A very powerful monster's blood can be awakened in special conditions." The spirit explained.
Quickly drawing a knife, he cut into his hand as a test.
Just like his burns, the cut sealed itself in a matter of seconds.
'How would I have any potential? There's no way for any of my ancestors to be non-human… I don't even…'
Thinking back to his time as the boss of Passione, he could only recall one artifact that he had the foresight to ask Polnareff about.
One he had sent Fugo and his squad to destroy. The only possibility was that someone in his ancestry had used the Stone Mask. But who was that desperate to throw their humanity away?
And what did that entail for him?
Polnareff hadn't been too forthcoming with his information, just enough to satiate his initial curiosity. He wished to handle that situation personally, but the Speedwagon Foundation had outright refused him.
Something about Kujo Jotaro not allowing the possibility of him interacting with it.
Maybe… he was fearful of this happening?
A knock on the door interrupted his thought process, followed by Luka and Alice hastily entering the room.
"I'm so sorry! I should have figured this out earlier… Now you got turned into a monster and-" Luka tried to apologize.
"It's my fault… I should have been clearer on how the Sabbath actually works." Alice confessed, seeing how badly he was taking this.
"Please… just give me some alone time. I can't speak to you two right now. I need time… to come to terms with this."
His allies understood his request and exited, giving him the privacy he desired.
Sleep did not come for him that night, his body completely ignoring any sort of biological process.
The next morning…
The mood of the village improved after Giorno's forced isolation that night, with men happily throwing themselves into their duties as livestock.
"We thank you for your help with our dreams being realized, even if not everyone agreed with the outcome." The Witch said as she and the other elder Succubi saw off Luka and Alice.
"I hope your friend is feeling better, I truly didn't wish for something like that to happen."
"He isn't taking things too well... I think it would be best to leave him alone." Luka replied, wincing at the thought of his ally ever encountering a Succubus again. Giorno had been gone when they checked in to see how he was doing this morning.
"Even though we were in control of this village for so long... We still couldn't freely ask for human cooperation." Lilim commented.
"Sister, immigrants are arriving from all over the world... All to give us their energy..." Lilith dreamily exclaimed.
"Errr... Well... Isn't that, uh... Great...?" Luka stammered uncomfortably.
"T...Travelers... G... Good... Ah... L... Luck..." A moaning man wished, shamelessly having his fun on the street.
"Ahh... D... Do your... Ah! Your best... We'll do... Ahhhh! Our best... Too..." Another said.
"You all too... Uh... Good luck..." Luka politely replied, agreeing with Giorno that this wasn't the desired outcome he wanted. If he wasn't so stupid, he'd have been able to stop them before the Sabbath.
He quickly left, uncomfortably approaching Giorno who seemingly did not acknowledge his arrival. He'd been here before dawn, unable to catch a wink of sleep.
"I don't ever wish to see this place again."
Neither of the other two had any objections.
Getting up from his sitting place in the shade, he was about to leave before the feeling of anxiety overwhelmed him.
He couldn't help but remember something funny Polnareff had said, something about a deathly allergy to the sunlight.
…
"Is something wrong?" Luka worriedly asked as he and Alice mounted up.
"I just have a bad feeling…" He slowly reached out from under the tree, watching his gloved appendage enter the sunlight.
Stepping out from under the tree, he felt a tingle on his skin.
A small but irksome pain spread on any part exposed to the light. Not enough to truly be an issue, but one that lead to some concern.
'You don't like the sun? Maybe your new skin is more at risk for sunburn?' Sylph suggested, not too far off the mark.
"Do you want to talk about it?" Luka asked as they left on horseback.
"My ability to heal has improved greatly, at the cost of my ability to tolerate any form of light," Giorno complained, feeling his skin burn.
"Light hurts you?" Alice asked, observing his skin closely.
"Sunlight, it would seem." He grunted, intending to spend some money for greater protection against a new weakness.
"…I don't know any monsters who burn in the sun. That… doesn't make any sense."
Alice continued to think, unable to come up with a good guess as to what race he belonged to.
Giorno hated this…
He hated the pity Luka felt for him, as well as the obvious guilt in his eyes.
He hated the sun burning holes into him, and the lingering bouts of weakness still present in his body.
But taking a drink from his canteen, he decided on what he hated most.
This seemingly unquenchable thirst…
AN:
So, I'm taking a few liberties with how vampirism works here.
It's said in Part 5 that Giorno's hair turns blond because of his late fathers genes. But we also know he's a Joestar given the birthmark. So his genetic makeup is pretty much a 50/50 human-vampire. Probably lower since Dio states that Jonathan's body is fighting against him in Part 3, which takes place long after Giorno is already born. This is important since it's proof some part of Dio is still inside of Giorno, despite Vampirism not being hereditary.
The Purple Sabbath probably makes use of Dark Magic, which is extremely effective in mutating people and animals. That's how we get the likes of the Ancestors and how Critical Ecstasy became a thing.
So what happens when the Purple Sabbath interacts with the body of someone with the genes of a Stone Mask Vampire? A possible mutation of those genes, turning the subject into a weird hybrid.
I didn't want this to just be him gaining advantages without all the downsides of being a Vampire though, so he still retains the weakness to sunlight. Albeit a lower intensity version of it, still one that can harm/weaken him though. That won't be the only light that can be a threat to him either. Lots of consequences in the future over this actually. Some might even say a breaking point.