Welcome back! This is the 39th chapter (not counting the previous two short announcement notes) of Living Things! Similar to this chapter's old version, it will cover the zombies finally defeating Xero at last after turning the tables on him in the last chapter, and learning exactly how Linkin Park works. As such, other than changing the ending scene and revising the paragraphs, the scenes mostly stay the same.
However, there is a surprise in the end, right after the battle is over. One that throws the zombies out of the loop.
Speaking of old version, to those who've been following this fic had already noticed most of the third act's chapters are gone. That's because due to some elements from previous chapters changing, (original) characters omitted, and some chapters splitting in half to avoid word clutter. I have to make noteworthy changes to the deleted chapters to prevent inconsistency when going over from this chapter to an early chapter and vice versa. Was deleting most of third act's chapters drastic? I suppose so since I am fine letting them be especially since except for the final battle, the deleted chapters will mostly stay the same contentwise. But for the sake of continuity consistency and better editing, I deleted them. My apologies for confusing or inconveniencing you and I hope you understand.
Oh, one last thing. This fic is listed in the TV Tropes "Fanfic Recs" section a long time ago. While I'm happy, I noticed there's two versions listed underneath it: "Original" and "Definitive Edition". Just to be clear, I deleted the second version, so now this version is the main one. For those who can edit pages on TV Tropes, please fix it so newcomers won't be wondering why they couldn't find the second version after clicking it. Thank you.
Now then. Shall we proceed with the chapter? Enjoy!
"Agh… N-Nnngh, ahaaagh…"
It's unbearable. The searing pain. It's unlike any pain he felt. Don't get him wrong, he did expect to be in a lot of pain during the fight, but not to this extent.
W-Why… Why does it hurt… s-s-so much? Xero whimpered out, finding he almost couldn't set his thoughts straight. I-I expected the emeralds would hurt when it hit Linkin Park, but… n-not so intensely! A-Aaaargh! It… It's not fading away soon. This… excruciating pain!
Xero gasps for air, willing his body to move despite the agony. With great difficulty, he rolls around until he's lying down, then puts a hand on the ground to create a rift to fall into. However, he soon learns a small crack is all he can muster and five seconds later, he gives up when his trembling arm and head throbbed achingly the more he wills his Stand to work. "Aack…!"
He clutches his head, his teeth grinding in an effort to endure it. Coughing out blood, he instead pushes himself up, though not without difficulty too. "G-Gggkkk! Hnrrrgh!" He's in so much agony that he doesn't hear footsteps approaching from behind until he notices shadows falling on the ground in front of him.
Dread creeping up in his mind, Xero maintained an (unstable) composure as he slowly turned around. He sees seven pairs of footsteps first, then he looks up. He didn't dare look into their eyes if only because his body throbbed uncomfortably, nearly sending him lurching.
Seven members of Rianima casted down their glares on Xero, regarding him as a miniscule pebble on the road. Bucciarati, Johnny, and Avdol stood in the center, primed and ready to kick him while he's down while Kakyoin, Narancia, Gyro, and Mamezuku flanked on their sides. For five seconds tops, they glowered at their injured enemy who's close to panicking judging by his gasping of air and pupils darting around in his semi-wide eyes. Then Xero noticed Bruno's left hand move.
Panicking, he rose up on his feet (ignoring the unpleasant pain). "LINKIN PARK! STOP-!"
"ARI!"
ドゴォ！
Unfortunately for him, Bruno is quicker - Sticky Fingers punches the summoned Stand's face, and by proxy, Xero's too who has a fist-sized mark on his cheek. Then the inevitable beatdown occurs.
"ARI ARI ARI ARI ARI ARI ARI ARI ARI ARI ARI ARI! ARRIVEDERCIIII! ! !"
"BGYAAAAAAAHHHHHHH! ! !"
Dishing out a very strong last punch, Bruno sends Xero hurling in the air until he slides across the icy ground roughly for a few meters. Lying with his limbs sprawled out, everything in his blood-soaked, twitching body covered entirely in zippers pouring out more blood has gone numb from the incredible pain. He must have gone near-catatonic at this state, but thankfully (or not), he's semi-conscious.
I-I… I don't understand… W-Why am I in so much a-agony after Linkin Park 「itself」 got attacked. I was hit a little earlier and the injury I received then wasn't so extreme so why- Wait. Linkin Park itself being attacked? Causing an excruciating pain to erupt in me… Ah! …Don't tell me! My Stand is… my 「weakest point」? When Linkin Park was hit, it not only 「disrupts」 my ability and 「dispels」 it by shattering, but puts me in a great amount of pain? Nnrrrgh, i-if I knew this would happen, I could've made preparations and clarified 「one hit」 is all I want. Curse this then-unknown vulnerability of mine!
Unaware of his frantic thoughts, pretty much every zombie beamed in joy after seeing Xero suffer. Even the ones who are less likely to find satisfaction watching others in pain or too good-hearted to think about it are smiling at his schadenfreude.
"Hahahaha! Look at him writhing on the ground in a pool of his own blood!" Narancia exclaimed with a smile, pointing a finger at him. "That's what you get for toying with us like we're nothing!"
Yugiri cannot help but giggle at her companion's response. "It may have taken long for you seven to land a direct attack, but at last, karma has caught up to him."
"And unfortunately for him, we're not done yet!" Kakyoin remarked. He and Rianima approached the enemy again with the intent of snuffing his life for good. They only have to wait for Linkin Park to come out.
Meanwhile, failing to open a rift below him again, Xero cursed internally. It appears he couldn't use his power whenever he's in a lot of agony caused by Linkin Park getting hit, much to his frustration (he can still call out Linkin Park, albeit with great difficulty and causing his head throb more). This… This won't do. He doesn't want to die while feeling every part of his body screaming in agony.
He needs to retreat. He must get away from them so he can recover. Even if it means stalling his suicidal plan for a day.
Ugh! I-I feel like throwing up! He grasped his head again when a nauseous feeling popped up after trying but failing to summon Linkin Park. Come on! Need to… recover…! Must… get away… from them…! Rolling face down again, Xero opts to crawl away. Crawl away… Must… crawl away!
In full view of Rianima and Franchouchou, Xero drags himself across the ground while emitting groans and gasps of discomfort. Naturally, they don't take kindly to his escape attempt.
"So he's trying to crawl away and escape? Hmph, never thought he would devolve into attempting a cowardly move." Mamezuku snorted.
"Yeah, well it's not like we'll be sympathetic because he's mewling in pain. He totally deserves it," remarked Gyro. "If only I could summon Ball Breaker like you six can do, I would've finished the job. But oh well. I'll just hang back and let you guys have fun."
"I'm not the kind of person who'd wish something like you said to happen to my enemy. Borders on sadism," replied Avdol as he assumed his usual battle stance. "But that doesn't mean I disagree. He really deserves it after opposing us for so long."
As of this time, Linkin Park comes out from Xero's back, though it struggles to maintain its form as it flickers in and out of existence. Like its user, its back is facing them. "Heads up! Linkin Park has emerged again!" Narancia warned.
Bucciarati's face darken. "Well he won't be needing to use his ability again when he's dead! Time for you to die!"
Sticky Fingers is about to rip his body to shreds but someone acted first - three bullets whisked past him. "Huh?" Bruno stopped advancing just as the bullets hit Linkin Park's back. No sooner they hit, the Stand swiftly disappeared.
"AAAAAAAAAAAARRRGGGHHHHHHHHH! ! ! !"
And Xero howled fiercely, throwing his upper body up with an anguished look. He laid unmoving again, twitching more prominently. The zombies turn to the one who fired those bullets with questioning looks. "Johnny-san? Why did you shoot his Stand's back?" It's Kakyoin who asked the blonde man, who has one finger aimed as proof.
Peering at Xero's coat stained with blood, Johnny didn't wait to answer. "To see why Xero insisted to us that we must target his Stand instead of him. However, that's not the main reason - I can't help but notice he appeared to be going through a… lot of pain. More than he should have," he mulled in thought, watching the writhing Xero. He next turns to Cherry Boy and asks, "Kakyoin. How strong were your emeralds when they struck Linkin Park?"
"Oh? Hmm… About as hard as real emeralds or sturdy rocks?" He answered as best as he could.
"I see. I believe even your weakest Emerald Splash could injure him even a little. And yet," he looked at Xero. "He's 「acting」 like you really hit him 「too hard」."
"What? Well, to be fair, I might have enforced some firepower in the emeralds, but…" Kakyoin realizes where Johnny is going and can't help but become curious. Same goes for Bucciarati.
"What about when Sticky Fingers pummeled him? Did you notice what kind of pain he was in after I sent him away with one last punch?"
Johnny rubs his chin in thought before he replies. "I'd say based on his scream earlier, the damage he got must have… 「doubled」. While Sticky Fingers have incredible strength as a close-ranged Stand…" He eyes Xero for a moment again before continuing, "…Xero shouldn't be in so much anguish like he's in. He could've staggered but that's it. But for some reason, his first instinct is to get away from us instead of fighting back. Something about it rubs me the wrong way. Like we're missing a piece of a puzzle here."
"And so, I shot three bullets to Linkin Park's back to test my small theory. I did it under Tusk ACT1 by the way, meaning the bullets I shot are 「weak」," he added. "But he screamed loudly and 「acted again」 like my bullets did a number to his back. Something that shouldn't normally happen even if he's injured."
Everyone processed his theory, with Ai, Yugiri, Kakyoin, Avdol, and Mamezuku glancing at Xero struggling to move his limbs after he gathered his motor functions back. They heard him groan and spat out blood in his attempt to push up only to fall back down; nonetheless, he continued a few times. Keeping Johnny's words in mind, they become curious to know what's really happening to him after Linkin Park got attacked by Hierophant Green's emeralds and Sticky Fingers. Even for seasoned Stand Users, the way Xero is experiencing untold amounts of agony is unnatural. They foresaw he would get hurt when they managed to pull one over on him, but this… This was more than they expected.
As someone who's predisposed to learn any info no matter how irrelevant or small it is, Bruno decides to bite. "Hmm, when you put it that way, I came to agree it's 「unusual」. Xero wants us to kill him by attacking his Stand, but could he have foreseen this? I have a belief he didn't."
"Yeah, that's interesting and all but can that wait!? That asshole managed to get up because of your hesitation, and has Linkin Park out!" Suddenly, Saki warned in an impatient tone, pointing at Xero now crouching against his searing pain. Facing them, he's glaring deliriously at them while a near-transparent Linkin Park hovers behind. "Better kill him now before he escapes, or worse!"
"Saki, wait! Let's try interrogating him so we-"
"No time! Xero's about to act," Rai interrupted Kakyoin. He extends his untangled wires from his right arm towards Xero while sprinting at the same time. "Killing him and protecting Franchouchou is our main priority instead of discussing and learning something new about our enemy. We already weakened him enough so we must take our chance and put an end to this fight, and his life!"
"But, Mamezuku-san!" Junko tried protesting.
Like a ripple on a water spreading out, everyone except her, Bruno, and Johnny become fixated on defeating Xero once and for all, starting with Mamezuku using Doggy Style in aiming his disentangled left arm into a long wire rope and grabbing Linkin Park's neck.
グンッ
Xero has his hands on his neck instinctively. Huh? My neck…? His eyes widened after guessing Mamezuku's next action. Ah! If Linkin Park is to be strangled… No, no, NO! I don't want to die that way!
Panic filling his mind, Xero tugs the wire with Linkin Park's help. When it senses resistance, they pull the wire with all their might.
"Whoa!" Shouted out Mamezuku as he's flung up high in the air.
While a little surprised, he keeps calm. Looking down with fast tracking eyes, he notes he's about ten feet above Xero, then sees a space between two trees to Xero's right. He narrowed his eyes determinedly. If I could get through that space while my wires are latched on Linkin Park's neck…
Yes. He could extend his other arm between those trees and pull himself through it. As to what he is doing to end Xero's life, well… it's not going to be anything but pleasant.
Adjusting his disentangling body in mid-air, Mamezuku shoots his right arm toward the narrow space. Once he's holding onto a tree, he activates Doggy Style's retracting property and lets himself be pulled through it rather easily thanks to his unraveled body. Then he reverts back, gets behind a tree he's holding, and retracts his left arm still choking Linkin Park.
"Aaaah!"
ズシィィィン
Xero slammed into the trees, realizing to his horror Linkin Park had stopped five meters away, which is its range limit. As for Peel Planter, he planted his feet on the ground behind a tree to strengthen his pull. Doggy Style, as usual, stood behind its user. Then the strangulation starts, and Xero lets out gurgled sounds.
Uaaagh! M-My neck…! A-Aaargh! ! Too tight! TOO TIGHT!
Linkin Park held the noose and began pulling it away in hopes of preventing its user from getting strangled. Xero thrashed his feet around with hands in his neck, emitting choking sounds next as his breathing gets hampered. In spite of Linkin Park's strength, Rai strangling the Stand weakens it, hampering its hold. For Xero, it's like his windpipe is slowly being crushed as a result of Linkin Park's pain amplified back to him. Blood soon spilled out from his mouth and his eyes appeared to be bulging.
Rai's only response is to tighten the wire noose further. Even then, he senses Linkin Park mustering a high amount of strength he couldn't hope to match. At that rate, it's gonna snap the wire. I'm gonna need my friends' help. Hmm, I never thought there would come a day I would say that without hesitation. Not that I don't hate it.
"Hey! Some of you help me!" Mamezuku shouted to the watching zombies. "I'm gonna need at least three people to grab the long wire to fight back against Xero's resistance. To those interested, help me now!"
The zombie girls and boys look at each other, wondering who's volunteering. Someone immediately signed up so he can pay Xero back for getting his face clobbered twice. "Count me in! Guess I won't need Aerosmith to kill that cazzo!" Narancia bellowed a little enthusiastically.
"Me too! Me too!" Saki didn't hesitate to accept, doing an elbow grease before following Narancia. "Can't miss the chance to trounce that bastard!"
"This is… unexpected. But if it works, I ain't complaining." Gyro shrugged before he followed.
"Wait, please. Can we just, umm… shoot Linkin Park to its head instead of strangling him?" Kakyoin suggested this, feeling a little bad over Xero gagging helplessly. "Not saying he deserves it but maybe… this isn't 「how」 he wants to die."
"I'm sorry Kakyoin but we mustn't forsake this chance," Bucciarati immediately declined as he walked through the trees alongside Narancia and Gyro. "Stay behind if you want. Let us three be the ones to finish him off. I also don't want the girls to be stained by having killed someone regardless of if they deserve it."
"But, Bucciarati-san…" Kakyoin tried to reason, but any words died in his mouth.
"Ugaaaa!" Tae surprisingly joined in as the last one.
And so, three Italian boys and two Japanese girls pulled Mamezuku's wires hard. Their efforts are instant as Xero croaked out a suppressed scream, sensing his windpipe crushed tightly and blood pooling in his throat - it won't be long before his voice gave out. The zombies watching from the sidelines have mixed reactions: reluctant anticipation of his defeat (Ai, Yugiri, Avdol), pity (Junko, Lily, Kakyoin), or both (Johnny). Watching his life ebbs slowly and excruciatingly… Is this right? Does he deserve this way to die? Even for a despised enemy like him? Junko, Lily, Kakyoin, and even Johnny perhaps think so.
Still, seeing the enemy who carried such confidence and bravado in the beginning of the fight, only to be overwhelmed by the zombies on the losing end is nothing short of gratification and pleasure for the zombies. No matter how powerful their enemy seemed to be, there is bound to be a weakness that they must exploit. As a result, he's going to die a slow and painful death of asphyxiation. They wouldn't wish this for anyone regardless if they are allies or enemies, but this time, they make an exception after everything he did to disturb their undead lives for his selfish motivation.
"Ghhckkk! A-Aaaakkk!" Xero wrenched out, his thrashing legs slowing down. By this point, his face looks pale due to oxygen deprivation.
"He's weakening! C'mon guys! Pull the rope harder!" Narancia bellowed, grunting as he mustered some strength to pull further.
"Hnrrrkkkk! Gah…! G-Gaaahagh! Ohoughk!" Tears and bloodied saliva trickled out from his eyes and mouth respectively. He's losing his strength in his arms and legs, and his head starts to feel woozy. His vision is getting blurry as a result, signifying his brain is losing oxygen. If this continues, he'll grow weaker until he loses all energy to fight back.
Watching with wincing eyes, Junko meekly protests, "…Isn't this… too much? Can he be… killed by something other than strangulation?"
"Maybe… Maybe there is," agreed Lily, wishing to avert her eyes off Xero. "Even if I want him to be stopped, this is too cruel."
Avdol sighs. "I understand you don't like how grueling Xero will be killed, but he must be restrained so he wouldn't try hindering us with Linkin Park. In fact, we may now have an idea how he utilized his power. The leaves being shot out as projectiles, appendages created from a river split in two, two blizzards, and teleport from one place to the next…"
"…So I guess we're on the same page?" Kakyoin wondered.
From the groups' meaningful look, the redhead knew they arrived at the same answer they've been chasing for the majority of the fight. "…Yeah. We are. And we wouldn't have if not for Lily-chan here." Ai nodded at Lily's direction.
"Uh huh! What Ai-chan said!" Lily affirmed. "I believe Linkin Park's main ability… is to turn his 「imagination」 into 「reality」!"
Even if they figured out how the once-elusive Stand works, Number Six's answer is surprising. "Imagination? Into reality?" They heard Johnny parroted.
"What do you mean, Lily-han?" Yugiri asked. "What does that relate to everything we saw him…did…" She trailed off to consider the implication, then gasped. "…Could it be? Is… Is that why…?"
Gyro has the same expression as Yugiri, and the rest follow soon after. "You're kidding? Imagination? You mean, Xero parting the river, teleporting himself or us to a different place, freezing Tae here-"
"Hungh?"
"-blocking the projectiles with blocks of snow, and everything he did without having his Stand out after all of that…?"
"…It's all because of his 「active mind」!" Ai finished with a disbelieving look, an expression the rest also shared. "No wonder we took so long to figure it out due to how outlandish and disjointed the effects were!"
"In hindsight though, with the knowledge he's able to do all that using his 「imagination」, it actually makes sense!" Junko added.
"Xero achieved those feats through his imagination alone?" Narancia considers the implications. "If Xero only needs to use his imagination, he could've forced us to lose or have us die on the spot, without any of us touching him… Wait, oh shit. He can do that on a whim!?" He gasped.
A chill crawls their spine up as dread clouds over their heads. "That's, that's… That's so unfair! How come he has a bullshit ability that can possibly let him end a fight as soon as it started!?" Saki exclaimed.
"Only he knows," replied Avdol. He glanced back to the still struggling Xero. "I suppose he's not really exaggerating when he compares his Stand to the likes of 「The World」. He could've easily put us at a disadvantage through his 「imagination」 or 「mind」 alone."
"W-Well… We're lucky Xero didn't go that far," gulped Lily. "Fortunately, hitting his weak spot, that is Linkin Park, must've destroyed his grip on reality while putting him in so much pain. Oh, there's also the wave-like ability he called 「Tabula Rasa」 where everything he altered via his Stand reverted back to before he started changing them. Along with 「Spatial Rift」, those must be related."
"We can discuss Linkin Park later, right after Xero dies." Johnny told them. As of this point, Xero is severely weakened due to lack of oxygen given he eventually stopped flailing his legs. His breathing turned into gasping and his eyes drooped, yet he remains stubborn to cling onto life.
Nonetheless, it won't be long before the zombies strangling him are done. They just need to tighten the wire rope. On that, Bruno has an idea of applying their combined weight into a zipper wide enough to fit three of them.
"This has gone long enough. You four! Get in the zipper so our weight will crush his neck at last." He conveyed the idea to them. Aside from Tae, they understand his intentions.
Narancia smiled. "Ah, I get you. Okay! We'll follow your lead!"
Bruno nodded. "Good. On the count of three, we'll jump into this zipper at the same time. One… Two…"
"W-Wait…! WAIT! T-The five of you! Stop! P-Please stop for a moment!"
The five zombies jumped. "Huh? Who… Who spoke to us just now?" Gyro asked.
They look at each other and once they see neither spoke, they turn to Bucciarati, who's also confused as them. Rai questions him next. "Bucciarati-san? Did you say something to us?"
He shakes his head. "No. I haven't opened my mouth. I mean, the words suddenly… popped into my head. Is that the right phrase to describe how it felt?"
"Yes it did! I'm… communicating via telepathy!"
They heard it again. Or actually, the words appeared in their heads. "…Waaaaait. The voice… did it belong to…?" Saki narrowed her eyes.
It's not only these five who sensed foreign words invading their minds - the rest of the group, including the normally passive Tae, looked at each other in puzzlement over who's "speaking".
"Hoooh?" Tae hummed out.
"Is someone speaking to us? In our heads?" Junko asked.
"YES! I'm speaking to you thirteen through telepathy!"
Everyone froze upon recognizing it's Xero's voice. Shocked, the zombies turn to the silver-haired man remaining in the same position despite implausibly talking in their minds. Since he's still being choked, there's no way he could communicate normally.
"Huh?! It was you!? You're talking to us?!" Narancia exclaimed behind him.
Panic is written on his face, and if few of them didn't see it first, then his next set of words certainly would. "Through… telepathy! Thanks to 「Linkin Park」, even if it proved difficult! This is the only way I can deliver my words to all of you while I'm being… c-c-choked."
"Hearing" him communicate through telepathy, they go wide-eyed that he possibly confirmed what Lily and Mamezuku considered about how Linkin Park works. His next statement definitely proves what they suspected. "And… And yes! Lily-chan is 「correct」! Linkin Park allows me to use my 「imagination」 to 「manipulate reality」, as long as the 「location」 I'm in and the 「given objects」 matches how I think! Since there are people around me, I'm having a telepathic conversation with you! There! Here is your answer!"
The group looked at each other in silent contemplation. So they were right. Imagination is what fuels Linkin Park. Anything Xero can imagine - anything at all - will become reality provided the location fits what he's imagining according to him. Such outstanding power at the gothic man's hands… Like Saki said earlier, it's unfair, blatantly so.
"Listen! I-I don't have enough strength to keep up my telepathy because I'm becoming dizzy from the… the lack of… oxygen. So… please listen to my request! They sense the invisible link weakening as per his words. Give me a 「quick death」! Any deaths would do! Not having my life choked out!
There's the topic of wanting to be killed again. At this point, they're getting irritated over his wish of being granted death via attacking Linkin Park. Groans are heard coming from Saki, Narancia, Ai, Gyro, Johnny, and Kakyoin to make their discontent clear to him.
"You're still hung up with that, huh? Me, Bucciarati, Narnacia, and Mamezuku are doing as you asked us to! It won't be long, alright? We're gonna grant you the death you sorely wanted from the start."
"B-But! But! Not like this! An agonizing manner of death… I don't want that…" Xero protested. "I understand if I deserved it considering I gave you twelve a hard time but… I wished for a quick death, like getting shot headfirst!"
"…Would snapping your neck work?" Bucciarati decided to humor him.
"Yes! Any quick death counts! That's how I want to die! Someone like me doesn't deserve to exist in this reality so I welcome the sweet release of death… I made the decision many months ago that I would give my life out to be snuffed by any of you except Franchouchou. Believe me, you will do Saga a favor by extinguishing my life and once that's over and done with, your worries from now on will be protecting Franchouchou as they continue setting up concerts in the future! *BZZZZT*"
They must have heard the telepathic link definitely close to cutting off, a sign of Xero's life reaching the end "U-Uuurghhh… My vision is… getting dark… Are you gonna… strangle me to death…? Do you want me to die this way? All I want… is a quick death. Not an agonizing death. Please, grant me a quick… d-d-death…"
…
…
…
"I'm very sorry but," sighed Bucciarati. "We got this far enough I'm afraid I must refuse. Narancia! Gyro! Saki! Tae! Jump!"
The four zombies nodded or let out affirmative sounds or groans. Xero's eyes opened up wide. "NO! NOOOOO! ! !"
The five zombies, including Mamezuku, jump into the zipper at the same time Bruno and Sticky Fingers, after forcing Linkin Park to let go of the noose, pull the wire with all their might, exclaiming, "We're done here!"
べギョォ
With five zombies' combined weight and Zipper Man's strong pull, the noose at last breaks Xero's neck, crushing his windpipe and throat without mercy. "AAAAACKKKK-!" He last reached out with his left hand for a few seconds as a series of disturbing gurgles came out from his mouth. Ai, Junko, and Lily averted their eyes while trying to ignore his last choking sounds. While the rest do not shy their eyes away, even they're very disturbed by his brutal death.
After what felt like hours in a span of three seconds, Xero's body went limp, his eyes and mouth remaining open while blood trickled out from his lips. His neck has a noticeable indented mark around it not unlike Yugiri's stitched neck. Seeing it on him makes her unconsciously raise her hand to her neck.
Since Linkin Park vanished after pain spread out through its translucent body, the wires recoiled back to Mamezuku. He, Bucciarati, Saki, Narancia, Gyro, and Tae climbed out of the zipper and came out next so they could take a gander at Xero's lifeless body sitting against a tree. While most of them are relieved and satisfied Xero finally bit the dust, they can't help but feel a little bad they chose to strangle him until he's dead, as much as they want to deny it. One thing they noticed is his corpse's skin turning gray - why such an oddity happened, they felt like they didn't need to question it other than being the consequence of his extreme strangulation.
"So… It's over." Kakyoin let out in a relieved tone, sighing next.
Right afterwards, their human skin shattered away, reverting to their zombie forms. The relief in them is immense though Junko and Johnny pointed out their makeup is gone.
"Must have washed off when we were on the river." Ai suggested.
"Through his 「imagination」 as he confirmed," added Rai. "Which I have to say… I'm impressed you found out during the whole chaos when Xero let his power loose and showcase how powerful he could be if he has a reason." He nodded at Lily with a small grin.
Lily bashfully rubs her head, not minding his compliment. "Oh it's nothing. I might have only got it on the first try."
The two joined the others surrounding Xero's corpse to look at the man who proved himself to be a formidable opponent only to die an agonizing death via asphyxiation.
No one said anything as they looked down on his corpse, feeling immense relief and satisfaction that the enemy who endangered their lives and kept himself in the shadows until this fateful evening had died. His body rotting out in the cold is all that remains, and they should do something with it. Like burying it somewhere or incinerating it with Magician's Red. That's what Avdol, Bucciarati, Narancia, Gyro, Mamezuku, Saki, and Yugiri think.
At the same time however, Ai, Junko, Lily, Kakyoin, and Johnny can't help but regard Xero's lifeless body with pity even if they wanted this to happen. They're not so sadistic to picture him dying from asphyxiation.
Clutching both hands in front of her chest, Junko shed little tears for the deceased Xero. "He… He didn't have to die so horribly," she meekly protested. She senses their eyes drilling on her as she says more, "I didn't like how he spent his last seconds struggling to breathe as the rope coiled more tightly around his neck. Was there… another way he could have… *gulp* died?"
"You mean… if we could've killed him quickly and painlessly?" Kakyoin guessed. Junko nodded.
"Maybe we do," replied Bucciarati. "A quick snap of his neck or swift punch to his head should kill him without needing for him to suffer in agony. However, to ensure he wouldn't use his power, targeting his Stand took priority. To be fair, he did request to be killed through this unorthodox method."
"What Bucciarati-san said," agreed Rai. Shaking his head, he turns to Junko and other concerned girls and says, "I know it's not a pretty sight and you girls disagreed, but choking Linkin Park restraining seemed like the only way to prevent him from activating his power. If Bruno here told me to let him go in exchange for a quick death, I would have obliged, but as you saw, he didn't."
"Well I was so focused on finishing him off that I didn't consider a different option at the time." Bruno admitted.
Once Junko becomes quiet, she, Lily and Yugiri look back to Xero's corpse, mourning him in their heads in spite of him having threatened their lives without hesitation. This goes for three seconds until Saki clears her throat to announce an important statement she's been meaning to tell after the fight is over.
"Aaaaanyway, with this prick gone from this world, I think the obstacle preventing us from walking some meters away from this specific area should be gone because Linkin Park is not active. I'm sayin' this in case you forgot due to the confusion this fight made."
Sure enough just as she thought to her amusement, some of them nearly forgot. Kakyoin in particular looks like he was caught doing something bad, emphasized by his almost panicked response, "Ah, that's right! Sakura! We… We must find her, Kotaro and Romero! Quick everyone, let's go!"
Without hearing their responses, Kakyoin moves ahead, his worry for Sakura nearly overwhelming his rational thought.
Also worried for Sakura, Romero, and to a lesser extent, Kotaro, the zombies follow Kakyoin, subsequently leaving Xero's body behind. Avdol, Bucciarati and Gyro would have stopped Kakyoin from running, but Tae, Ai, Saki, and Lily soon followed. They didn't get to shout at them to stop because they're far ahead, so they follow after them, hoping those three are safe somewhere like Xero claimed, if he's not lying.
Speaking of Xero, Junko stops for a moment to look at his corpse with a doleful look. Even though he tried to kill her and her friends, she can't help but feel remorseful of how helpless he was when he got seriously hurt before dying via crunching his neck. She thought of closing her eyes out of respect and to give him a sense of closure but she doesn't have time for that when her friends will get too far ahead of her. Also, Sakura, Kotaro and Romero's safety must take priority instead of giving respect to an enemy.
"Even if you're our enemy, I'm sorry you have to die this way. May you find peace in death."
Shuddering out a shaky breath, Junko moves to follow her zombie friends, leaving Xero's body lying against the tree behind…
ガシッ
"Eh?"
But she stopped when she felt her leg being grabbed. Something like… a hand holding onto her left heel…
Blinking twice, she looked down behind her. What she saw fills her head and chest with shock… and great fear…
For the one who's latching to her heel with one hand… is Xero. The man who has his neck crushed. Who died by suffocation. And who should've lay dead. Yet impossibly, he's looking into her eyes with face raised up, his own eyes open unblinkingly and lip slightly parted.
ゴゴゴゴゴゴゴゴ
Struck silent, Junko stared into Xero's dull eyes with eyes wide, her brain trying to process what she's seeing. Asking if this horrifying sight is happening. That she could be only imagining it due to stress. That Xero himself is somehow still… alive.
"…Urrrrrgh…"
A groan escaped from Xero's mouth as he moved away from the tree and lay down on his front, reaching his right hand out. That's when Junko stopped denying what she's seeing… and screamed like she's the first one to stumble upon a murder scene.
"EYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! ! ! ! !"
BGM: Choujin Saisei/A Superhuman Reborn (Phantom Blood OST)
Freaking out of her mind, Junko shakes her leg to get Xero's left hand off. In her haste, she tripped and fell. She didn't stop as she tried crawling away at the same time. All the while, she continued screaming so loud her groupmates must have heard her by now.
"GET OFF ME! GET OFF ME! I SAID GET OFF MEEEEEE!"
To her increasing horror, Xero's grip remains strong no matter how much she shakes. He's now grabbing her leg with both hands and groaning as he inches close to white-haired zombie, probably with ominous intentions.
"AAAAAHHHHH! NO! NOOOO! ! D-DON'T COME ANY CLOSER!"
Becoming desperate, Junko kicks his face with her other leg. Each time she kicks, it grows fiercer, helped by her zombie physiology enhancing her average strength. On her tenth kick, she broke his nose; that seems to work enough to force Xero to let her go. He next threw his hands to his face with a loud howl to cover his bleeding nose.
Finally free, Junko scrambled away with a whimper, partially regretful and scared. Next, she heard her name being called out. "Junko! Junko, we heard you screaming! What's the matter?"
That was Saki running back to the scene. The rest accompanying her also came running back after noticing Junko isn't with them or is taking so long to join. Immediately, Junko rises on her feet and zooms straight into Saki's arms, nearly stumbling along the way. "WAAAAAHHHHHH! S-S-SAKI-SAN! EVERYONE!" She wailed on her shoulder while hugging the perplexed zombie tightly.
"Whoa, whoa! Junko! What's wrong? What got ya so scared?" Saki asked, putting her hands on the wailing girl's shoulders
Letting out a stuttering breath, Junko raised a shaky finger and answers, "I-It's Xero… He… He…"
Her reply was unnecessary since they're already glancing at who's in front of them. Like poor Junko, they stand agape in shock over what they're seeing.
"Huh? HUUUUH!?" Gyro stepped back instinctively, gaping at the impossible sight of thought-to-be-dead Xero slowly rising up on trembling legs.
"What in the world…?" Yugiri quietly gasped, shock and fear etched on her face as she held her mouth over her open mouth.
"Eh? EHHHHH!? Xero…!? He… He…!" Lily's heart burst out of her chest beating rapidly in response to the unnerving sight.
"Are we… Are we actually seeing this? I-It's not just me, right?" Kakyoin wanted to believe the blood-stained corpse standing up with some difficulty is just their imagination. There's no way, and as in no way, the… corpse standing before them is still living. His skin remained gray and a bruised mark remained on his neck as a sign of how he was killed.
And yet, seeing his slouched form standing before their eyes, blood gushing out and panting in pain but otherwise breathing… They cannot bring themselves to deny what's in front of them. As much as they don't like the only conclusion, they're forced to accept this fact: Xero is alive.
Like these thirteen.
ドックン ドックン… ドックン ドックン…
The blue-skinned zombies didn't make a move as they stare disbelievingly at Xero, who's also staring at them back… with unfocused, dull eyes flowing with tears of blood. Then he hoarsely says this that sends shivers down their spines.
"Fran…chouchou… Ria…nima…"
To be continued
Onomatopoeia:
グンッ (Gun) - Ropes grabbing a body part
ズシィィィン (Zushiiin) - Ropes suddenly pulling
べギョォ (Begyou) - Noose tightening
ガシッ (Gashi) - Grabbing sound
ドックン ドックン (Dokkun dokkun) - Sound of heartbeat, different from lovey-dovey type
Yugiri
Japanese name: ゆうぎり
Status: Zombie (current), Human (formerly)
Birthdate: November 23, 1863 (Bunkyū 3), October 13, 1863 (Lunar calendar)
Chinese Zodiac: Pig
Date of death: December 28, 1882 (Meiji 15) (on Butsumetsu)
Cause of death: Execution by beheading
Gender: Female
Age: 19 (physically); 155 (chronologically)
Eyes color: Red (Zombie); Crimson red (Human)
Hair color: Light brown
Blood type: Unchecked
Ethnicity/Nationality: Japanese
Height: 165cm (5'5")
Weight: 48kg (105 lbs.)
B/W/H: 94/62/89 (I)
Occupation: Idol singer (as Franchouchou's Number Five); Courtesan, dance instructor, swordfighter (formerly)
Birthplace: Meiji-era Tokyo(?)
Likes: Collecting fans, Amazake (Sweet sake), Red
Dislikes: Yuzu
Title: The Legendary Courtesan
Image song: Saga Jihen
Johnny Joestar
Japanese name: ジョニィ・ジョースター
Stand: Tusk
Horse: Slow Dancer (Appaloosa)
Status: Zombie (current), Human (formerly)
Birth name: Jonathan Joestar
Birthdate: April 8, 1872 (estimated)
Zodiac: Aries
Date of death: November 11, 1901 (on Butsumetsu; death confirmed on November 12)
Cause of death: Head fatally crushed by a boulder
Gender: Male
Age: 29 (physically); 146 (chronologically)
Eyes color: Red (Zombie); Blue (Human)
Hair color: Dirty blonde
Blood type: Unchecked
Ethnicity/Nationality: American
Height: 165 cm (5'4'') (estimated)
Birthplace: Danville, Kentucky, USA
Occupation: Bodyguard (as Rianima's Nail Jockey); Equestrian (Part 7; formerly), Equestrian coach (Part 8, formerly)
Likes: Gyro Zeppeli, Slow Dancer, chocolate, fruits
What his zombie body looks like: His head is covered in many bandages from top to neck. His eyes, mouth, nose, ears and hair aren't covered. There are also some stitches on his arms, torso and legs, though they're covered by his clothes.
Title: The Legendary Jockey
Music theme: Steel Ball Run (Fan-made theme by Friedrich Habetler)
Finished!
Surprise! Just when the zombies thought they won the fight with Xero dead, he springs back to life in spite of his neck getting crushed and suffering numerous wounds and injuries! Poor Junko is scared as the first person to witness him coming back to life. How could this be? Did Xero actually survived his injuries? Or is there… something else in play. Like the sound of heartbeat heard in the background after "Xero" stands up…
On the bright side, our zombie heroes have figured out Linkin Park's main ability at last: manipulating reality through Xero's imagination. Just using his mind alone, without summoning Linkin park, Xero is allowed to do anything with his imagination alone. Anything. It can be a simple move like walking on water, freezing someone, and seemingly teleporting, but he's not exempt from doing a complex action like moving trees close off-screen, causing a blizzard, creating blocks of snow as a shield, shooting out leaves and twigs from trees, and discharging a gust of gale from his palm. Basically, as long the place he's in matches what Xero can imagine, he can control reality with just a thought.
But it's not without a weakness or two. As demonstrated in the previous chapter's ending scene, attacking Linkin Park will revert every changes made similar to Tabula Rasa, albeit in a violent manner. What's more, anything that hurts Linkin Park will reflect double the amount of pain back to Xero; during this, Xero couldn't summon Linkin Park, create rifts, and use his imagination, or else he'll be bombarded by a massive headache. Lastly, though no one figured it out yet and isn't depicted yet, excessive use or the imagination being too heavy and more complex may disrupt reality in a slow manner - this manifests as cracks in mid-air. That's where Tabula Rasa comes in to prevent damage in reality from becoming permanent.
With these weaknesses and setbacks, it ensures Linkin Park wouldn't go overboard unless Xero wants it, and stop it from being too overpowered. Yeah, he's a main antagonist and needs a powerful Stand ability I put these limitations in for balancing purposes. And stop him from breaking the story in half.
Alright. That's enough rambling from me. In the next chapter, we'll learn the whereabouts of Sakura, Kotaro, and Romero. Not only that, three women who appeared in two previous chapters (one of them being "SAGA of a Zombie's World Part 2") will show up. That's all I can say regarding their identities.
That's enough rambling from me, so if you'll excuse me, I have to wait for the Switch 2 Direct later at night. See you next chapter and hope you have a great day/night!