Chapter 324 - My CO Stash #24 - Fate: True Bizarre by SocialistBukharin (JoJoXFateZero)

-Dang I've already suggested most of this guy's fics here... From SI Shinji, to SI Dio to now, Jotaro going ORAORAORA in the Nasuverse/ Even if most them aren't completed yet, we're still getting free content so cba to ask for more~

Synopsis: 'Yare Yare...' Jotaro Kujoh planned to spend the holidays with his family when the Speedwagon Foundation notified him of some anomalies in Japan. The Fourth War will now have a crazier shine than expected. No Yaoi.

Rated: T

Words: 29K

Posted on: fanfiction.net/s/13557611/1/Fate-True-Bizarre (SocialistBukharin)

PS: If you're not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can't copy links on mobile (´ー｀)

-I'll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan't more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)

Chapter 1

Staring from the mirror by his right side, a pair of green eyes blinked impassively at the moving scenery outside of the train.

Yet, despite the blank composure he had adopted in his lone sitting, Jotaro Kujo was far from calm with how the situation had gone for him and his family.

This development, the one that had seen him take the first plane back to Japan and a train that was currently leading him to one of the cities in the Kumamoto Prefecture he had never heard about up until now, had come out of nowhere.

And there was no denying about it, it was still leaving him as pissed as it did back when he was first called about it.

The specialist had been making plans for some time now to spend the soon to arrive holidays with his wife and daughter.

Jolyne had missed him a lot, and his work had seriously limited the means to be around at home… and that was ironic considering how annoying it had been back in his own childhood to deal with a barely-present father.

But while Sadao Kujo was forced to take numerous commission at once to sustain a family of three in which only he was working to support, Jotaro didn't have the same luxury as even his wife had her own job to keep up with.

And that's why, despite the inc.u.mbents request from his boss, the young man had been quite keen to make preparations to stay at home for the holidays.

He was curious to see more about his two-years old daughter, to be there to see if she was now able to walk around home or just not.

But much to his immense dismay and undeniable annoyance, this event was now delayed upon further notice as he had been called for something that needed his presence.

The Old Man's tone had sounded fairly urgent at the phone, and the importance behind some of his words were more than enough to get the young Marine Explorer to comply with the fact he had to be there to check on this particular city.

The Speedwagon Foundation had been active for some time now in checking for any supernatural event. Anything that could be connected to Vampires, or mostly DIO, was considered top priority that only the most experienced of Stand Users were meant to take upon.

Jotaro had yet to fight any of those bloodsuckers, but he had plenty of situations where he ended up facing Stand Users in the last seven years.

It wasn't something constant, and he had to admit that he had been slacking off a bit with the use of ｢Star Platinum｣.

The powerful Stand that had once matched up against Dio's ｢The World｣ had slightly weakened in these few years, and worst of it all its unique Time-Stopping ability had lessened with the lack of proper training.

What once allowed him to stop time for 5 seconds was now only available to him for 2 seconds, 3 if he wanted to put further strain on his fortitude, but 2 was the viable decision for most of the non-threatening circ.u.mstances.

A pity, but there was no reason in his mind to further improve in something that actually didn't help him much during his daily life. And that was ignoring how busy his life already was with the multiple papers he had to compile, most of those being reports that were all related to the studies he was still in the process of completing.

Taking a moment to sigh at the infuriating instance that saw him leaving home so suddenly and with little chance of warn his wife, Jotaro mused over what he was actually meant to try and find in this 'Fuyuki Town'.

There was a chance that some servants of DIO was acting up to try and bring back their former master, and the proof of it was detected by some instruments that had been created back in the 40s.

Robert E. O. Speedwagon, the founder of the organization that the Marine Explorer was somehow tied with, had been studying the odd happening within the Japanese city for some years before passing away.

Something bizarre was indeed happening within the seemingly tranquil town, and the evidence that the old man had sent him via email confirmed to him this little guess.

In 1934, about sixty years ago, the city endured some difficult and straining months after the massive explosion caused by a gas leak that devastated a considerable amount of Fuyuki.

While the event was tragic, the real issue was that the extent of the damage wasn't matching with any previous cases of explosions caused by any leaking from a gas-pipe.

Suspect had driven for more investigations from the first CEO of the Speedwagon Foundation, and the resulting effort brought up some doc.u.ment recovered from Nazi Germany.

A battalion of SS troops had been dispatched in Japan in that precise month for mostly unknown reasons.

Several journals having been recovered and studied over this specific subjects, and some light had been shed over the fact that a possibly ominous event having happened in that year to have led to that much destruction.

What truly rekindled the investigation had been a couple of letters having arrived to Joseph Joestar, his grandfather.

Despite the advancing age and the incapacity to now keep up with most of the threats still lurking around, the old man was still a formidable asset in terms of knowledge and planning.

Decades spent either making mistakes around, sharpening his wit, and winning battles had refined his mind well enough to make him even now an incredible advisor to ask council to.

The letters themselves lacked any signature, and they didn't have any other clues that could've helped in the process of tracing back the possible sender.

Consulting some private investigators proved to be a fruitless effort, but still there was the issue connected to the content of the letters and… it was what had driven the old man to actually call his grandson over this very topic.

There was a plot being executed as of now in Fuyuki Town. Something nefarious, and particularly dangerous if not approached with utmost caution.

What truly had burned a hint of nervousness within his mind was the fact that the mysterious letter-writer had been fairly explicit in bringing up his own name.

'Jotaro Kujo needs to investigate the situation'.

Quite straight-forward, but also worth of endless concerns over why he was the one that had to be sent in this specific mission.

The first theory had been that this was just a big trap waiting for him just to spring in action.

It was just too blatant and… that was what truly make it easy to dismiss. Having faced numerous enemies with their own unique mindsets over lying some ambushes along the way during his missions, Jotaro was well-aware that simplicity was never something that people were keen to use to this extent.

There was much more than what the situation looked like, but he was sure that a full-fledged trap having been prepared just for him was unlikely, or at least too sudden.

Most of the servants that were still loyal to DIO barely knew the identity of the one man that had killed the blond vampire, and there wasn't a proper connection between them all to try and find out the answer to this 'horrible question'.

The Marine Explorer stopped in his thoughts as he noticed that the train had started to slowly come to a full stop.

They had reached the main station within the city, a small section that seemed to be barely busy as of that moment, and it offered the chance to Jotaro to disembark without having to deal with large crowds.

His mind slowly tuned out from the direct connection to reality as he took his bags out from the proper compartment where he had left those, his first priority being leaving the stations and make his way right to where his hotel room, the one that had already been paid by the Speedwagon Foundation, was.

Fuyuki was a good stop for tourists, and that had been discovered in relatively moderate surprise as he continued to read the brochure detailing the town.

The place had received many subsidies from the government, allowing for the urban scenery to prosper more and develop in a proper modern city.

Some quarters were still stuck to a style that reminded him of early Showa period architectural style, something back from high school that had survived in the depths of his mind, and this very detail created an oddly pleasant sight over the entirety of the city.

Not too old, but not too much 'modern' as Tokyo or Osaka were.

Stepping outside the principal building that connected training leaving and coming to the city to Fuyuki proper, Jotaro took a brief moment to give a look around and try to get a proper glimpse of the kind of place he was supposed to stay for a while.

He had been asked by the old man to stay in this city for two weeks, just enough to verify the truthfulness of the dangers predicted by the letters and, if nothing suspicious happened in these few days, he was allowed to make a quick return to his family and enjoy some holidays with them.

At this point, there was no reason for the young man to not ask for some peace and calm away from the nuisances created by the long-deceased Dio Brando.

He was tired of having to clean up the messes left around by the blond bastard, and perhaps he should've seriously refused this kind of task.

As he started to walk towards where his hotel was located, Jotaro reached for the cellphone he had left by the pocket of his long white jacket, quickly composing the number that was connected to the one back home.

At this time of the day, his wife had to have been at home and he had planned to have some proper conversation now that there wasn't much of a hurry for him to have.

He was already in Fuyuki, perhaps he should have been a little more worried about the fact it was starting to get dark now that the night was approaching, but he first needed to talk with her and Jolyne.

There was silence, with the phone properly establishing contact back to his wife's but still not offering a mean to talk with her.

More minutes of silence passed and an irritated Jotaro ended the call that was being left unanswered.

Maybe he should have expected this by how angry the woman had gotten when they had last called, he couldn't help but admit that he could have offered some more details before departing from the United States.

A tired sigh left his lips as he put his phone back to the pocket where he had left it before.

But just as he did so, he failed to notice the shorter orange-haired fellow walking around the corner.

Considering the vast difference between the two individuals' respective sizes, the Marine Explorer merely recoiled a little at the impact, while the other part stumbled backward on the floor.

"Ouch, why don't you mind where-" The boisterous remark ended abruptly as the younger fellow stood up from his fallen state. Wide brown eyes stared in a mix of shock, fear, and awe as the fool noticed Jotaro's height.

"You're tall."

Green eyes narrowed at the sudden comment, but before the dark-haired man had the chance of reply to it, the young man quickly skipped around him, humming happily as he rushed away from the scene.

"I'm sorry, pal, but I'm quite late," The orange-haired moron muttered childishly, rendering the seriousness of that sentence quite void within the context.

Jotaro gave a look behind, staring at the retreating figure for a while before shaking his head and turning his attention forward and… right onto the small book that had fallen to the floor.

It wasn't something from his own possessions.

The lack of titles related to any piece of literature he liked or that it didn't seem themed after marine biology were stark clues that this book truly wasn't his.

He slowly took up, bringing it up to attention and… the first thing he noticed was the oddly familiar stench coming from it. He had already smelt something this putrid before, his eyes narrowing at the notebook for a moment before actually opening it.

Soon, realization struck in his widening eyes as he finally got a full glimpse of the horror within this journal.

The content was written in red ink- no, it was blood. Curiosity drove him to read the first paragraph available, and his face grew ashen-colored at being reminded so much of that diary.

Demons, summoning and… resurrection.

His blood boiled as he turned around to track down the possible owner of this dangerous paper, his eyes settling to the still visible silhouette of the young man still running around.

Even in a full sprint, Jotaro knew that he couldn't catch up this possible servant to Dio.

And so, for the first time in months, his eyes hardened as he felt his Stand appear to his side.

"｢Star Platinum: The World｣!"

Reinforcing his legs thanks to ｢Star Platinum｣, the Marine Explorer rushed recklessly across the street and right towards where this young man was going.

His mind was quick to elaborate the need to actually see where this fool was going, a strong gut feeling telling him that the situation was far worse than just a single bastard on the loose.

Thus, as the ~Time resumed its course~, the man decided to actually tail the orange-haired teen right up to where he was 'late' for.

It's been a while since he had to shadow someone around an unfamiliar place, but much to his relief the situation was a little more accommodating compared to Egypt.

Ten minutes passed silently, his mind keeping full attention over the unsuspecting youth as he finally arrived to the final stop of his wandering thorough the city.

There was nothing bizarre from the lone figure, just a degree of creepiness born from the overly-childish manner he had while walking around.

Nobody was paying much attention to him, yet Jotaro couldn't help but feel even more sure that he had found one of the issues within town.

And his suspicions were confirmed when the young man carefully forced the lock of entrance door of one of the houses within this part of town.

Whistling about without a care for the world, he paid little attention to his surroundings as his lockpick finally unlocked the mechanism keeping him from entering the normal house.

The young biologist blinked at the sight, his pace slowing down to a sluggish one as he carefully waited for the orange-haired man to finally enter inside the house before stepping a little closer.

There was some silence at first, and ｢Star Platinum｣ peeked from the opening of the door to see what was going on.

Tip-toeing across the hall, the intruder smiled eagerly as he looked at the light coming from what seemed to be a kitchen room.

His smile twitched, his posture tensed up for a moment… and then he lunged inside.

The silence broke as a loud scream shredded the little veil of quiet, urging Jotaro to move closer and see what was happening.

A man snarled, his wife standing closely behind him while their son trembled from the table to the side, at first unable to grasp what was happening.

The attacker was chuckling, pressing even more the knife he had plunged onto the man's guarding arm and twisting it on his flesh.

The father of family gritted his teeth in visible pain and the dark-haired Stand User noticed a glint coming from the unoccupied hand of the orange-haired killer.

Another knife!

Feeling like this situation required some support from his part, Jotaro didn't hesitate to project ｢Star Platinum｣ towards the unaware murderer.

"｢Star Platinum: The World｣." A softer activation of his powerful ability, the time stopped before his eyes and enabled his Stand to quickly punch to the wrist holding the unused dagger.

A swift 'ORA' broke that part of the arm before ｢Star Platinum｣ returned back within himself.

~Time resumed its course~, and the effects of that single attack were evident from the mere instant that the time-stop ceased.

Blood partly exploded by the damaged wrist, forcing the now agonizing attacker to drop his second blade to the floor out of the unconscious instinct created by the sudden pain.

The distraction was enough to also provide time for the family man to recover, his unharmed arm c.o.c.king his fist to the side as he punched the aggressor straight into his face.

A yelp and a crack, the murderer recoiled in surprise at the turn of things, but the chance of thinking properly over the unlucky twist was interrupted when the lone punch was followed by a brutal beating.

Having his family threatened by a weirdo, bleeding quite profusely from his arm, and seeing such an infuriating face, the unknown man didn't hesitate to take revenge at the unwarranted assault.

Jotaro shook his head at the sight, knowing by the time that the suspected DIO's follower had fallen to the ground that the police was going to take care of this sc.u.mbag.

He was no Stand User, and thus there was no reason to be worried about prison being unable to properly keep the monster at bay.

...Then again, that was if the judge assigned to his trial would offer the orange-haired man actual prison time instead of the capital punishment.

The lack of hesitation, the overall eagerness behind his actions. It wasn't a stretch to see that this wasn't the first crime of this kind he had committed.

With a quick nod to himself, the Marine Explorer left the premises of the house and the specific district, his mind returning to the fact he had yet to find the hotel he was supposed to stay by.

Moving swiftly across the sleepy streets of Fuyuki Town, Jotaro quietly managed to make his way to the Hyatt Hotel without much of an issue, quickly gaining access to his temporary room as he prepared to what was going to be a long night for him.

By having recovered what looked to be something similar to his diary, there was no doubt that he had to call once more the old man to confirm that something strange was happening in town.

It was just strange that he had met just a follower, unwilling to believe that whatever cell of DIO's servants was just so limited… especially with the material he had just recovered.

Yet, as he checked on his phone, the man couldn't help but scowl at himself at the five unanswered calls displayed within the device. Those were all from his wife.

Groaning at the unfairness of the situation, Jotaro decided to first focus on contacting his grandfather before trying anything else for now.

And while Jotaro Kujo settled for what was going to be two odd weeks to spend in this part of Japan, the 'real event' happening in the background had already started.

AN

Yare Yare… I think I'm going outright insane.

I mean, first a DIO SI, now a JojoXFZ crossover. We're transcending the heavens at this point and… there is so much that is left willingly unexplained as a first chapter.

But a quick recap so some people can understand from both series:

- The Year is 1994, Jotaro Kujo is currently 24, Jolyne is 2, and this story is set about 4 years before Part 4.

- There is a one-sided correlation between the Magus Association and the Speedwagon Foundation;

- Caster hasn't been summoned and there is a Servant Slot available for someone to pick up;

- Polnareff is currently MIA after departing for an investigation in Italy;

Chapter 2

That night turned out to be a sleepless one for Jotaro Kujo.

Sitting by one of the chairs within his hotel room and stealing some glances by the large window to the side that offered quite a sight over the night scene of Fuyuki, the man was trying to piece up himself and the few clues of what seemed to be a troublesome mystery.

While he had been stressed enough that his body would have preferred to rest for a while after having gone through a flight from the USA to his homeland and then a train trip to reach this city, his mind had been active and restless over what had happened a couple of hours earlier.

The horrible content held within the journal he had recovered from who he had initially presumed to be one of the remaining followers to DIO turned out to be far worse than he had expected it to be.

This wasn't a copy to the Diary he had found after beating the dangerous vampire in Egypt, the one he had burned after giving it a brief glance to and mentioning nothing about to nobody else, but something that focused on an objective far more nefarious.

A demon, or a supernatural being that just transcended the comprehension of human knowledge, summoned via a ritual that made use of… magic.

The mere mention of the fictitious element within the text was more than enough to finally prompt a call to the old man, his interest in getting some support surpassing his necessity to keep things simple.

The situation just couldn't work with simple, especially with 'demons' being mentioned so early on.

Joseph Joestar was quick to show worry about his situation, the grandfather to the Marine Explorer having mentioned already during their trip to Cairo that he had long faced elements a little worse than just vampires in the past.

But demons? That was something that none of the Hamon users that had once made the bulk of the Speedwagon Foundation's active group had to ever deal with.

And while Jotaro had swiftly inquired about the chances of sending the book back in New York for the old Joestar to study through the mail, perhaps with some extra precaution to avoid any curious postal worker from doing anything stupid with it, his proposal was shot down almost immediately.

"You know better than me that we can't just take that risk, Jotaro," Joseph reminded quietly. "We still don't know the extent of the underground working for DIO's last servants, and we've already captured a handful of malicious-intented people trying to enter our respective homes."

A legitimate concern, the memory of finding out that someone had started to stalk his wife around had his blood already boil in frustration.

"So, what I'm supposed to do with this?" The follow-up question was a must, he still needed some guidance over what he was supposed to do with this.

If there were demons already roaming around, it was best to preserve it, but still… he couldn't help but feel unnerved by having it around.

"I will be sending a group of specialists from the Foundation to try and aid you for the preservation of that paper, but you'll have to keep it close to you all the time."

The young man sighed and nodded to himself, almost ready to groan at the annoyance provided by that very unpleasant development.

The call didn't continue for much longer after that, the old man promising to contact him once more by the time he had gotten a clear time for when the group of researchers was supposed to arrive in Japan.

With silence resuming its hold over his hotel room, Jotaro still felt… irritated.

The restlessness had drained him of his early interest of merely glaring at the seemingly harmless book, and his attention had quickly moved away from it as he decided to spend some time dealing with part of the paperwork he had brought from work.

With his eyes giving the utmost attention at the content of the reports, the Marine Explorer spent about four hours trying to get through this paper and… he sighed.

'Why things couldn't just get simpler?'

It was two in the morning when Jotaro stopped from his session of signing and writing reports, his attention reaching the single TV in the room, prompting him to check for any interesting programs that could have been broadcast right now.

He sighed when he turned on the device, using the small remote to browse through the various channels there.

Some where the national ones, while some were limited to the geographical area he was currently staying by.

In the end, he settled for the local news as a particularly news popped up that got his attention.

"-Ryuunosuke was confirmed as the responsible for three other cases of multiple murders, all families, and his distinctive pattern was revealed to be a strange pentagram drawn within the scenes of the crimes with the victims' blood-"

Disgusting. While the young man that was Uryuu Ryuunosuke was confirmed to be a mere murderer, the sheer depravity perpetrated by his contorted mind wasn't something to scoff at.

One of those few individuals that just were difficult to suspect about, especially with how 'hard-working' this one was.

A 'Freeter', someone that was employed to do only the simplest jobs that were meant to be done quickly, the bastard just looked to be the most innocuous individual possible, and yet the malicious note within the crimes was enough to prove his mental instability.

Without wasting too much time waddling over this news, Jotaro decided to pick up his phone and move back to his bed, sitting by the mattress as he checked on his contact list.

He stopped at a particular name, his eyes bearing a degree of nervousness while contemplating whatever it would be correct or not to already call back home.

In a normal situation, Jotaro would usually answer the phone by the time his wife called… and yet there had been instances where he would find himself busied or distracted by something at work or while doing tasks for the old man.

The woman was mostly understanding as up until now the activities had never required staying too far from home, and she had already met Joseph Joestar to know how much messy his 'past' was.

But now that he was supposed to work so far from home and having missed a couple of calls from her? He couldn't deny that the interest to try and contact her himself was intensifying the more he pondered over this matter.

He sighed, his back leaning back down to the mattress as he stared at the light-gray ceiling.

"Good grief," He muttered quietly, his conflicting thoughts making the whole decision even more difficult to take.

But just as he continued with his efforts to solve this frustrating dilemma, his musing were cut short by the very moment he felt his phone vibrating by his hands.

Quickly bringing it up, he eyed the display in an effort to understand what kind of notifications it was.

A message.

He frowned at the lack of an actual phone number registered as a sender. In a general case, when a phone wasn't known by the receiver it would just be mentioned as 'Unknown Number', and yet the phone had indeed failed to label the sender in this peculiar instance.

A frown developed by his features as he slowly opened the message and started to read its content.

Mr Jotaro Kujo,

You might not know who I am, but I'm distinctly aware that you're trying to investigate the case regarding the events surrounding Fuyuki City.

While I can't provide with any information about how I know about you, nor how I was able to get in contact with you, I can assure you with my utmost honor and respect that my intents towards yours are genuinely for the best.

Right now, you've found a crucial clue that surely got you to adopt an understanding close, but not too much, with the real issue unfolding within Fuyuki.

But since I can't myself provide you with further hints over the real problem, I can give you a single unquestionable clue for your next step.

Visit Fuyuki's Church.

With high regards,

A friendly observer.

His mind was clear of any thoughts at first as he finished to draw out what he had just read from that message.

Concern had stirred at the possibility that he was being watched even now, and that the one responsible for this monitoring wasn't someone affiliated to the old man or anyone at the Speedwagon Foundation.

Yet the interesting element presented by this ominous message was giving him a degree of interest over the true extent of this situation.

The book… it was part of the problem, but not the origin of the problem itself. There were perhaps more journals like this, and maybe more people trying to spawn demons within the city.

But why? To what end?

The more he thought about this, the more he felt compelled to actually pursue some answers quickly over this troublesome subject.

Jotaro moved back to his desk, having left there a folded map of the city he had brought by the station, and he started to search where the Church within this city was.

It was odd to learn that Fuyuki had a Catholic Church, it was even odder that it was one of the few cities with a substantial amount of Christian believers.

Japan was mostly Shinto-Buddhist, with just a minority of other religious elements to exist along society's lines.

Yet the fact that this non-negligible town had a mixed population between Shinto and Catholic… it was quite interesting.

Despite the late hour, the Marine Biologist didn't waste time in preparing for a quick trip to personally see if the Church could truly provide him with any answers to his growing questions.

The streets were deserted at this point, with the entire city still sleeping as just a handful of individuals actually were wandering around the place.

Jotaro had gotten a proper path to reach his destination, keeping himself by entering the local park and making a large detour through the cities to avoid any ambushes along the ways.

For some reason, the very idea that some bizarre creature could be already lurking around was enough to keep him attentive for any sign of dangerous situations coming his way.

He was granted an uneventful walk, and yet the worries were still there as he started to walk up the staircase that led to the large building he had noticed while approaching.

This wasn't the first time the young man had to visit a church. With his mother having been born by a family that was inherently Anglican, Jotaro was aware that he himself had been baptized by Christian rite and that some of the teaching expressed by Holly were all connected to the Bible.

It wasn't anything outright annoying, and yet some of that knowledge and politeness had persisted even now as he stepped inside the solemn building.

The light of the candles used to keep the main room illuminated was dim, ominous, and yet lacking of any proper danger to the religious site.

A lone man was kneeling in front of the podium, his attention directed at where usually a statue of Jesus Christ should be.

His pace slowed sluggishly down, with his eyes fixed upon the elder priest there as the Marine Explorer continued to approach deeper in the room.

There was a slight pause that he took once he was close enough, his blue eyes patiently staring as the man seemed to finally notice his presence.

Getting up from the floor and standing up, the priest slowly turned around and revealed minor surprise at seeing the Marine Biologist.

"Forgive me, young man," The elder bowed briefly. "I wasn't expecting any visitor at this time of the day. I suppose you're here to pray-"

"I was told that I would've found answers by seeking the Church," Jotaro interjected with a flat tone, bringing out the journal he had brought with himself and showing it to the surprised priest. "I wish to understand what is happening in this city. I know something strange is going on in Fuyuki."

His surprise expanded over this words, and his widened eyes stared at the book now in front of him.

There was a brief pause, with the elder trying his best to understand what the young man might be talking about, yet the suspect was enough to draw him to make the first move.

"May I… take a look at that book?" The question was polite, legitimately proposed as he hoped for some more clarity over the matter.

Jotaro tensed up a little, still showing no change in his impassive expression as he contemplated about handing the book so suddenly… but then again, he had his Stand ready to snatch it away from the elder's clutches if the worst happened.

A quick nod and the priest was given the text for him to study.

By merely opening the first page, the old man felt dread appear on his face as the first thing he noticed was the 'ink' used to write the content of the paper.

Blood, the first sign that this wasn't a literary piece he was going to be pleased with.

And indeed he wasn't. The way the summoning ritual for Servants was described in these pages was outright despicable and hideous, bringing up a degree of evilness that just disgusted the man.

There was no doubt about the true objective of the tome, and yet the terms used to progress the ritual chant were just dreadful and written with malicious intent.

The priest closed the book, eyes narrowing with some anger over the journal he had just took notice about.

"I understand the concerns that drove you to visit the church, young man," The elder started with a tense voice. "But could you please tell me how did you end up obtaining this dangerous book?"

Jotaro's eyes glinted surprise at the change of mood within the man.

Perhaps this 'simple' priest knew more than he had expected… and maybe he was also implied with what was happening in the city.

Some concerns rouse at the sudden question, but he decided to offer the barest possible.

"I stopped a criminal from going ahead and follow the instructions there," He answered calmly. "I still wish to understand what is going on, priest."

The pressure starting to get exerted by Jotaro managed to make the elder realize that he wasn't the one in control of the conversation despite the circ.u.mstances favoring him in that very moment.

The surprising development making him question to whom he was currently speaking about, perhaps a wayward Magus passing by Fuyuki that was unaware of the Holy Grail War.

"It's… It's a rather complicated predicament, young man," The priest tried to plea. "But if it's not asking too much, I would like to know about your name."

The Marine Explorer sighed. "Good grief, old man, you're starting to annoy me now. I want to know what is going on with this city and what are those 'beings' supposed to represent."

There was even more pressure, some sweat now rolling off the elder's forehead as he pondered over the absurd development he was being subjected first and foremost.

Gulping nervously, the priest stared back at the fellow with an uneasy look. "I can't provide any information without being aware of whom I'm talking to, young man."

….

Jotaro sighed. "Jotaro Kujo."

There was a pause, then a perplexed blink from the old man and… the priest nodded.

"I'm Father Risei Kotomine, and it's a pleasure to-"

"Spare me the pleasantries, Kotomine," The young man interrupted with even more annoyance dripping from his words. "I made a question, I provided you with my name, and I want some answers now."

Strong, incredibly irritated, and not someone to trifle with.

Risei now knew exactly the individual before himself, yet he just couldn't just imagine how and why the young 'Joestar' was sent to investigate the events currently happening here in Fuyuki.

Jotaro Kujo, the name had been one of the many that had been recognized by the Church as one of the individuals worth to be supported in their missions.

Despite the lacking connection between the Holy See and the Speedwagon Foundation, the strong bond directed at the Joestar Family stemmed from the deed of Jonathan Joestar himself.

The gentleman that vanquished Dio Brando the first time, then his grandson and Caesar Zeppeli defeated the threat created by the Pillar Men, beings that were so close to achieve a degree of power that easily transcended the limits of the Dead Apostles and perhaps came close to outright Types.

Finally there was the man in front of him, the one that properly killed Dio Brando when he was restored to life while trying to make some attempts to secure a powerbase from the very moment he was freed from his slumber.

He could still remember the reports of Executors sent to dispose of the vampire. The experienced men sent to the mission quickly murdered in cold blood by their target, creating an outright state of emergency within the Church over this newest threat.

Jotaro Kujo was the one that ultimately destroyed DIO, the one that brought an end to his brief reign of terror.

While there was no official confirmation of this, there were some rumors that the pope himself had wanted to offer some medal to praise the bravery and dutifulness displayed by the young man currently in his church, but that the general consensus had opposed this situation to avoid bringing awareness to the Speedwagon Foundation over the activities of the Holy See.

His mouth dried up at the thought that he could easily become a Master if provided with enough resources and knowledge.

A worthy opponent to Kirei and Tokiomi, and perhaps one of the best candidates to secure success in the Holy Grail War.

The signs were all there for him to be allowed to make an attempt to summon a Servant, yet he couldn't see any telling marks by his hands.

Maybe the Grail had yet to decide?

"I suppose I can offer you some… enlightenment over what is happening here in Fuyuki," Risei allowed with a careful tone, now well-aware that he was threading on some dangerous waters with this young fellow.

The explanation was quite curt compared to what he was truly aware about, with the elder avoidingto mention the identities of the Masters and their Servants, but offering a full-fledged answer over the Holy Grail War's rules and circ.u.mstances.

Jotaro was… surprised, confused, and also worried with this newest development.

Some competition made by some mysterious group, which the priest had been reluctant to provide details about, was trying to acquire the wish-granting power allowed by a 'Holy Grail'.

It was outright bizarre for him to learn about this in such a manner, but there was no reason for him to doubt with the proof provided by some doc.u.ments the priest allowed him to keep.

Nothing too private, it was all regarding the standard rules of this strange event unfolding here in Fuyuki.

The murderer he had stopped, that Uryuu bastard, was supposed to become one of the Masters and…

Now there was a proper reason for him to say and see for this situation to be dealt with swiftly and with the utmost attention.

If that psychopath had almost managed to enter this foolish competition, there was no way to know how many other crazy individuals were also going to try and acquire this artifact, to make some unknown wishes to come true.

He almost let a chill down his spine at this part of the discussion, but eventually Jotaro managed to get through it all without much of a big reaction.

With more clues given and a somewhat trustworthy individual there to ask more about the events in the city, the Marine Explorer left the Church without much of a proper salute, his mind shifting its focus on gaining some rest and contact his grandfather.

Meanwhile, Risei took a moment to digest what had just happened, almost ignoring the presence of his son approaching him the very moment that the young stranger had left the premises of the building.

Kirei looked as neutral as possible, yet the priest could see a curious glint unfold by his eyes.

"Father, what should we do about Jotaro Kujo?"

Chapter 3

Things had gone down a completely unexpected way.

Her little book should've done the trick.

She had thought that Uryuu would have been more than capable to easily secure the requirements needed to summon someone she trusted to make things interesting in Fuyuki Town.

Gilles would've been the optimal choice, yet any other apprentice could've easily fit with her little interest in sowing sorrow and madness within the already-corrupt ritual of the Holy Grail.

She had noticed, it had been so easy.

It would've been quite embarrassing if she hadn't considering how absurdly insane the cup was right now.

It made her giggle, but just briefly.

There was little to be amused about as she pondered over the curious and, most of all, unexpected turn that the situation had taken.

Jotaro Kujo.

The name meant just a little to her, as maybe she had heard it for a reason or another.

She knew many names, her patience was endless but her attention span wasn't just going to allow her knowledge to be expressed with much-needed details over this peculiar subject.

A fascinating man with an even fascinating gift.

Of all things that could've surprised her, it had to be someone that had just began dabbling in the Moonlit World.

The irony was sweet and delicious, but her curiosity was a gluttonous thing and she was far from satisfied with what she got from such a little glimpse.

The intrigue had sparked with the gift, a manifestation of one's soul that actually failed to get attention from Gaia itself.

The Will of the Planet was known to reject abnormalities, yet this peculiar case had skipped her sight… perhaps even willingly considering the apparent normalcy surrounding such a curious individual.

She had his appearance memorized like a rigorous scholar, and she got a taste of that mysterious and somewhat endearing personality of his.

Simple, humble, but terribly good.

It was a shocker that someone that could get so threatening so suddenly was actually someone that believed in the good of this silly world.

She wanted to slap him, to call him a dummy, and perhaps extrapolate the Mystery coating his entire being.

Yes, Francesca Prelati was perhaps running out of coffee, thus her capacity to think had gone down a giggle-worth drain, but that didn't mean that she was going to let go of such a fine specimen now within her range of action.

The book had been dormant, enough for the runes to pass unnoticed to both the fascinating human and the snooping priest.

Enough to leave the young man in a state of security. It was obviously a lie to say he was safe until he kept that book around himself.

Even his manifestation would've failed to contain the magical note imprinted within the pages, and yet she wasn't just going to torture the blissfully unaware man.

No, Francesca thought again with a delightful tone, Jotaro-chan needed to be put through a challenge before she truly acted towards him.

A test to see the full extent of his potential in multiple life-threatening situations.

A test to confirm the vast array of opportunities that a Living Mystery was offering before her eyes.

She was almost drooling when the man had gone to sleep, his slumber sounding and seeming so relaxed and so 'trustful' of his surroundings.

A pity that the situation was quite the opposite.

Her book glowed a little, a soft red light soothingly washing over Jotaro's face as the complex spell indicted by the Hellish Priestess started to take action.

The idea was simple, but the practice was going to be a painful process to put through with how complicated her plan was over the delicious mind of one individual.

The first thing that she could see in that odd pseudo-dream she was trying her best to create was… a dark sky.

The moon had yet to rise up, and the sun had just disappeared in what she could depict as the perfect dusk.

What a marvelous sight she was being bestowed with as the rest of the scenery started to get more clear before her giddy eyes.

The setting was one of a big city, one that had a mix of modern buildings and… Egyptian homes.

She blinked.

Egypt? Why would a simple man like Jotaro-chan be in a place so far from home?

With her curiosity rousing even beyond the little walls she had built over her growing excitement, her eyes scanned all over the general area in which she was yanked into.

Then she settled to look at the curious scene developing just by her right side, her attention fixing over the familiar young man donning his usual white hat and long jacket.

He seemed to be rushing towards another individual, this one looking quite old and… frightened.

She could already feel her amus.e.m.e.nt stirring at the scene, imagining what the elder was running from but, like before, her expectations were-

"｢The World｣!"

A powerful energy surge echoed all around her, and she could feel her mind and body coming to a sudden halt as the entire world froze before her eyes.

Shock filled her brain, her stare fixed forcefully on the scene as she noticed a sole individual moving through the frozen setting.

The one that chanted the 'spell' that ensnared the entirety of time at his will, he moved quietly between the two individuals, smiling before turning his attention to the elder.

The blond was wearing something very… bizarre considering the current age and mentality, yet the style somehow seemed to fit well with his posture and eager tones.

And this miasma coming from his life-force? It felt just so… inhuman~!

"Isn't this amusing? Once more I got you to watch your beloved grandfather get subjected to the vast power of my Stand," He glanced back to the furious-looking Jotaro. "How does it feel to be proven wrong? That your mighty ｢Star Platinum｣ didn't manage to save someone you care for!"

A slim knife appeared by his right hand, aiming the throwing dagger at the paralyzed old man as a smile twitched by his lips.

"Like before… You're useless!" The blond cackled madly. "Useless! Useless! Useless! Useless! Useless! Useless! Useless! Useless! Useless!-"

The dagger shifted in his grasp. "USELESS!"

The knife soared through the air, stopping mere instants from plunging right in the throat of the unaware old man.

HALT!

The inhuman being stood quiet for a while, shaking his head before turning once more at Jotaro, staring straight into his light-blue eyes.

"Do you understand, Jotaro? I've gained consciousness over your threatening state, but I know that you're a far cry of the danger you represented just a couple of years ago," The blond stated with sheer amus.e.m.e.nt and intrigue. "And I wonder if your determination has dulled the same way as your usurpation. Please… prove me, DIO, that you still have something within your soul!"

Gah! Why wasn't I told that someone this much arrogant and funny was around!

Francesca was breathing heavily as she felt time finally resume, the knife slamming into the unsuspecting throat of the elder, almost killing him instantly as this 'DIO' rushed suddenly at Jotaro.

"Show me, Jojo! Show me how fast your fists are!"

She finally saw it, the Gift- there were two of those. Both looked humanoids, yet they seemed to have clear differences that made each other stand out compared to the other.

Her attention was turned in raw wonder and eagerness as the two titans clashed with impressive ferocity and rapidity.

A rain of ORAs and MUDAs soon filled the air, her ears enjoying the combination of both 'melodies'.

It was pure chaos, and Francesca was absolutely drooling over the endearing sight.

This was beyond any degree of insanity she had spent time delving into. It was beyond the thirst she held for the curious question that Gilles had in the past inquired him about.

She wanted to jump in, to embroil more madness to the absolute carnage unfolding in front of her.

Yet the moment shattered as DIO was suddenly overwhelmed in that struggle, surprise painting over the inhuman being's face as he was sent careening away.

A pity that the clash had so little… but maybe it was about time that she seriously moved her attention to her real objective.

Jotaro Kujo still had to join the Holy Grail War, and she needed to conceptualize two requirements to make his stay here in Fuyuki a healthy and long one… at least long enough to allow her to catch him off-guard when the time was right.

Within his mind, Francesca could already feel the echoes of his Soul and the connection between him and… his Stand?

The term sounded so abstract, yet so concrete. Painfully so from the ugly mess that the blond's face had been turn into.

A fluctuation, the Mystery itself behind the bond between humanoid and 'user'. It was there, what she was waiting for right now.

But it was weak.

Too weak to allow her to make a little trick with the remaining spot in this War.

She needed more energy to be produced by such connection before any attempt could be made.

She needed Jotaro-chan to put a little more effort in his 'defense'.

Manipulating a dream required just a small amount of her attention, but soon she managed to 'boost' the dangerous opponent to the human.

The blond stood up, his yellow jacket gone, revealing his black shirt and bulky muscles. His hair were now standing up all at once, his eyes had turned red… and he now had some green lipstick.

Now, that was an unexpected detail needed to indicate someone's boost.

Perhaps her brain was really falling apart with some cup of coffee.

"Jotaro, your punches- You've never faltered, the opposite! You've actually improved-" The devilish figure stated in truthful awe. "But now I, Dio, have to ask? Who else became part of your life? Who else do I need to slaughter before your eyes before you to finally prove how futile your attempts are?!"

The sudden demand was met with an incensed look from the human, the man advancing towards the recovering enemy with a quick-paced rush.

"Your family expanded? Did you perhaps marry and-" His smile widened, a chill going down Jotaro's spine. "You're a father, aren't you?"

The final question was matched with a degree of fury that didn't seem truly part of Jotaro's own personality.

It stemmed from the calm and collected fellow, gone was the logic as it was being replaced by untold anger.

And Francesca was more than happy to capitalize upon the opening created by the curious dream version of this monstrous character.

The bond was flowing with energy, and her hands were trembling in excitement as she finally started to go through the quick process to finalize her desires.

She now was sure of it. Jotaro had to be in this War- no, he had to be in so many other events.

The brutality of his soul, the magnitude of his fortitude.

Gah! I want to break him so badly! I NEED TO TORTURE HIM INTO A PET~!

But for now the witch would've to keep herself from jumping at the delicious prey, her attention mostly diverted at the important spell that needed to be planned out.

Summoning was a feeble thing to accomplish after having observed since the First War, yet she wasn't just going to mess things up right now.

She couldn't allow herself to ruin her chances of endless amus.e.m.e.nt this soon!

The concept was simple, but terribly difficult to put on reality because of how 'ideal' the plan was.

The bond between Stand and its User.

Perhaps there was a catalyst, and maybe there was even a correct label for the energy exuding from these metaphysical beings.

But what truly made the Mystery exist, what made Gaia unable to truly rot away the unnaturalness of such phenomenon… it was producing an absurd amount of magical power.

It was so sweet, almost like sugar, but she couldn't just take a greedy dip in that delicious sight.

She needed to act strong, bravely, and with the best debauchery planned in her mind.

A giggle, it was finally done.

She could sense the command seals forming by Jotaro's hand, the call being issued through the Grail and into the Throne of Heroes.

A Spirit was going to answer soon, and while Francesca couldn't stay around to see whom was lucky enough to be picked by the 'lottery', she knew a few details that would matter immensely.

Whoever this spirit was, it had to be as fierce, stubborn… and strong as Jotaro.

And what a joy it was going to be to see who was the lucky bastard!

Ah~, a pity that I like to stay in the dark most of the time.

The dream-world collapsed shortly after, the cackling coming from Francesca being the only thing that truly brought realization in Jotaro's mind that what had just happened was the resulting effect of a 'bad night'.

A pity that the truth is so much worse than he thinks it to be!

Sweating profusely, Jotaro woke up in a moment of utter panic, stress and complete fright.

It was rare for the latter emotion to come around and disturb him so early in the morning, and yet that dreadful dream had managed to get him as much agitated as he could.

His mind flashed the images of both his wife and Jolyne, the very ones that were so close to him and that had been seen as targets by the DIO born in that nightmare.

Terrifying, shocking and- He wasn't alone in the room. A figure was standing at the edge of the bed and… she was smiling at him.

"Good morning, Master!"

Loud, upbeat and… annoying.

She had curious purple hat with golden details and a small spike reaching upward. Long dark-brown hair reaching below her waist, her vibrant pink eyes were showing a degree of eagerness that was already rotting his teeth.

Donning a white robe with orange lines that barely covered for her bikini(?) and underwear, the woman was holding what looked to be a strange staff with a large ring atop of it.

He frowned, confused by this sudden greeting as he prepared to unleash a furious beating against the intruder.

How did she get inside his room?

The door had been closed with some chairs the 'night' before as his paranoia had urged him to block the easy entrance with some obstruction. It had been a gut feeling, and yet he couldn't deny that he truly felt like someone had tailed him down to the place.

Worry had been a constant feeling to keep him wary, but nothing odd had happened… except right now as he stared at this crazy woman.

"Who are you."

It wasn't a question, but an order. Many would've been offended by the blunt and disrespecting tone, yet the subject of his distrust merely gave him a bigger smile… making him shiver because of it.

"I'm Xuanzang Sanzang, I will teach you the ways of Enlightenment shown to us by Buddha and..." She paused for a moment in that happy introduction, looking a little nervous for a moment while pondering what to say next. "And I… uhhh- my class is Caster!"

...What?

His brain lost some moment while silence resumed in that room, numerous thoughts rushing around and reminding him of the current ordeal he had been thrown into.

Holy Grail War, Magi, Servants-

And now Caster.

His eyes narrowed at the woman, questioning with his own knowledge about whom this 'Xuanzang Sanzang' could be.

Nothing popped initially, yet he could've sworn that he had heard about a name like this before somewhere in his childhood.

One of the history lessons from Elementary school… which he couldn't exactly remember as of now.

But while he had hoped to be granted enough time to make his mind how he was supposed to react to this sudden development, his hopes were dashed away as the 'Servant' resumed with her bubbly chatting.

"Is everything alright, Master? You look like you aren't feeling that well. Are you sick. or maybe you're stunned by this introduction? I could've presented myself better, I'm sure of that but-" She stopped again, frowning at something before nodding. "By the way, can I call you 'Disciple' instead of Master? It sounds quite odd as I relate Master to Teacher and, since I'm generally the teacher I-"

"Will you calm down already?" He asked with a brief hint of sarcasm, feeling his entire being itching to shut the trap to the annoying Servant in front of him- actually, how she got in there?

Risei had mentioned that there had to be a ritual to summon, and he had been sleeping up until now.

"I didn't summon you. How did you get in there?" The dark-haired man inquired suddenly, sparing little room to deflect the topic of his question.

Pink eyes widened at the immediate query, yet her smile was still there, having just lessened at the rude attitude used against her.

"Well, that can't be, Disciple," She admitted with some genuine seriousness. "In fact, you're already sporting the command seals. Those are available only to the ones that summon Servants. In our case, you summoned me."

As Caster brought up this last detail, Jotaro's eyes trailed down to his hands and… there were some red marks on the back of his right hand.

It was similar to the form of the staff that the woman was currently holding, yet there were some half-circles forming at both sides of the ring.

Dread surged almost instantly in his chest, realization striking deeply as he came to the fact that he was now part of whatever crazy circus was unfolding in this seemingly normal city.

"Still, I think you were saying something about being certain that you hadn't summoned me… which is fairly odd to hear considering the circ.u.mstances," The Servant persisted with her presence in that trail of thought. "Care to elaborate on that, Disciple?"

"Those seals weren't there before I went to sleep, and I certainly didn't make any rituals to summon a Servant," Jotaro affirmed without much hesitation, yet his tone was slow and careful to deliver the answer to that curious question. "And I don't remember giving you permission to address me like that."

"Well, I can't certainly accept becoming an 'apprentice' when I'm the one that could teach you about the sermons and the mantras," She rebuked without hesitation. "In fact, what is your current degree of devotion towards Enlightenment."

Equal to nothing? It wasn't like Jotaro wasted too much time pondering over religious issues.

Especially with the fact that many religious figures were condescending… just like DIO.

Ignoring that question, his eyes trailed around the room, trying to find any clue for any break-in.

There was no way that someone had managed to create this situation from afar.

He had to be present, he had to be there to be 'bestowed' with the seals and… yet the room looked just as he had left it the day before.

The Marine Explorer pondered about this for a while, and despite the fact that he was granted some silence from Caster, he soon found out that more silence didn't mean outright peace with the upbeat woman.

The curtains he had set to cover the sunlights from blasting him with blinding effects were yanked aside by the smiling Buddhist, and Jotaro was stunned and annoyed at the same time.

"Ah! So this is Fuyuki Town, the place where the Holy Grail War is set to happen very soon," The woman eagerly commented as she gazed over the scenery provided by the window. "Truly a curious location, one that makes me wonder and dread about the various secrets that this place has and-"

While the Servant was lost in her monologue, the Stand User's attention was pulled away from the scene as he noticed his phone vibrating by his bedside.

He reached for it, glancing at the display and sighing in relief at the name there.

Joseph Joestar.

Without wasting time in staring at the device, he accepted the call and brought the object near his ear.

"Old man."

"Jotaro, you know better than anyone else that I want you to address me as your Grandfather- or even Jiji."

Jotaro sighed at the reply, realizing that Caster was surprisingly still going with her own speech, starting to mention what to Jotaro seemed to be tales about some 'journey' and a… 'monkey'?

"The situation has taken a drastic turn," The young man stated with some hesitation, unsure about how much he should explain to the old man without making things too awkward. "Somehow, I ended up summoning one of these Servants that the priest talked about yesterday."

There was some rustling on the other side of the call. "Is that so? Anything that you're concerned about this kind of familiar or-"

"She's mostly annoying. Quite a pest than a true threat."

"She? I hope that you're not telling me a lie, Jotaro. Did you really end up summoning one of these 'Servants', or are you having an affair behind your wife's back?!"

The irritation from the elderly figure was somehow coated with some curious nervousness.

Quite an odd combo of emotions coming from someone as calm as the old Joestar.

"Good grief, as if I would've ever consider betraying my wife's trust, shitty old man," The Marine Biologist rebuked with incredibly annoyance, even making use of the nickname he had bestowed to Joseph back during their trip to Cairo. "You were there at the wedding, and you know how much I love her."

…

"I'm… I'm sorry, Jotaro. I didn't mean to sound so disrespectful- it's just that this entire situations sounds-"

"Like some prank- a crappy one to that," The Stand User concluded with a sigh. "I understand. I feel like this is odd but- Right now I've this tattoo on my hand and- actually, can you check on something?"

"Sure, what is it?"

"'Caster' mentioned that her name was Xuanzang Sanzang. I wish for you to check on that for more info," The man provided the curious detail, hopeful that some proper answer would arrive with a research made by the old man. "I wish to know a little more about my new… ally."

"I understand and- Jotaro, do pay extra attention on your surroundings," Joseph pointed out with some nervousness. "This situation- I would say that it's similar if not worse to what had happened in Egypt and-"

"I will pay be on guard for any odd situations from now on," He agreed with a quick nod. "Also… are there any news about Polnareff?"

"He is still sending some rare reports, but he has mentioned that there are some complications regarding the state of his own investigations," The old Joestar admitted. "I will try to get in contact with him through phone call. It shouldn't be that difficult."

"Understood, I will call if anything new arise."

"And I will go through the database to look more into the data correlated to your 'Servant'. Once again, be careful, Jotaro."

The call ended there and the young man stared at his phone for a while as he pondered over what he was supposed to do from there.

He stared at the display, now showing nothing but the contact list as he scrolled down to his wife's phone number.

"Hey, Disciple?"

His stare lifted slowly to the annoying woman, she was still smiling.

"Maybe it's about time you prepare yourself some breakfast. it's important that you start the day with a healthy meal," Caster pointed out, and soon Jotaro found himself thrown inside the bathroom in his hotel room.

It was ample enough to allow some movements, yet the man decided to stand close to the door as he stared at the display of his cellphone once again.

Finally, he mustered enough courage to go through with his need to call his wife.

There was silence, except for the small noise made by the device to try and establish connection with the other phone.

This time, he was granted relief in the form of a familiar voice.

"Jotaro-kun, is everything alright? You missed the last calls and-"

It's been a little long since he had called her and… that was starting to become an issue.

"Everything is… alright. I'm just a little bit tired and going through the jetlag," He interjected quickly, taking a moment to sigh calmly as she worried over him. "Is everything going well back home?"

"Just the usual workload. Jolyne has been getting quite cranky as her Daddy isn't around for her to play with," The lovely woman commented, making the fellow Marine Explorer flinch at the fact that she was bringing up this argument.

"This work is important. I know that the old man can be a moron, but this time the situation is fairly serious."

"How much serious? Is everything really alright there, Jotaro-kun?"

He flinched again, knowing that he was so close to mess up with this explanation. He couldn't just tell her that he had stumbled into some deadly competition, so… he merely hummed.

"I'm fine, Lena, and the situation is just… messy. Nothing truly worth of concern."

"And I will still worry until you tell me the truth," She half-begged. "I know you don't want to be pushed like this but- I need to know where you're going and why you can't give me any answers."

"As I've said, it's something between me and the old man," Jotaro replied with some hesitation. "I don't wish to see you to feel bad about it. It's nothing that is either dangerous to me."

"But you need to be there instead of Mr. Joestar."

"Yes."

…

"I suppose you need to end the call," She muttered with some sadness. "I will resume my shift soon and-"

"I will call back once you're free," The Stand User interrupted with a tense smile. "I'm sorry that I couldn't answer to-"

"I believe when you say that you're still recovering from the jetlag, just not over-exert yourself too much about it," She stated with a sigh. "Still, don't run into anything dangerous. I know you well enough to see your troublesome bad luck shoving you into anything threatening."

"I see and… see you soon."

Another sigh. "See you soon, my lovely dummy."

There was some silence as the call ended, and Jotaro sighed as he knew that the day had yet to begin and… he was already facing some headaches.

He could hear Caster's footsteps just outside the bathroom, probably pacing and waiting for him to be done with his tasks.

Good grief, what an annoying woman that he ended up partnered with.