"Rohan-sensei?"
"Ah... if you're looking for Josuke, Okuyasu said some kind of mark appeared on his hand, so he rushed off to find Mr. Jotaro."
"I was curious about it myself and was planning to head over there. It might be a Stand attack, after all."
Having received a phone call from Rohan Kishibe, Koichi answered his questions with practiced ease.
"On my hand? No, nothing has appeared on mine. Rohan-sensei, why are you asking? Did you get one, too...?"
Koichi could hear the heavy, irregular breathing on the other end of the line--a sign that the usually composed artist was anything but calm.
"Listen to me, Koichi-kun. Josuke and I have been dragged into something far beyond the ordinary."
"This is on a global scale. It's reached a level where calling it a 'Stand attack' doesn't even begin to cover it."
Rohan spoke slowly, his voice tight as he clutched the Dragon Ball in his hand.
"WHA--?!"
Koichi jumped at the gravity of the tone. He knew that while Rohan could be eccentric and prone to exaggeration for his work, he was deathly serious when it came to actual threats. The incident with the Stand that clung to his back was proof enough that Rohan didn't lie about these things.
"Go find Josuke first. I'll be there shortly."
"Understood, Rohan-sensei!"
Koichi hung up, his expression grim as he took off running toward the Morioh Grand Hotel.
'This is bad.'
'Truly, truly bad.'
No one understood the weight of the name "Dragon Ball" better than a professional manga artist like Rohan Kishibe. Those orbs represented the power to destroy planets, to resurrect entire populations--they were literal "Miracles."
If the general public--people who had read the Dragon Ball manga--found out these things actually existed, even the most powerful Stand users would descend into a feeding frenzy to claim them.
Eternal life. Limitless wealth.
The power to become the undisputed "Strongest Stand User."
There were very few people on Earth who could resist the allure of such absolute power. Even Rohan himself felt a surge of "inspiration" he'd never felt before.
'If I win... I could wish for the power to travel through worlds.'
'I could see places no human has ever seen, gain fragments of imagination that no one else possesses... and draw the ultimate manga.'
The potential reward was so heavy it was impossible to ignore. And if a disciplined man like him was feeling the tug, then a "delinquent" like Josuke would surely be thinking of easy money and fame.
"I don't know how this ritual appeared..."
"But if it's real, I have to act fast."
Rohan looked down at the summoning circle he had placed in the center of his studio. He rubbed his chin, analyzing the strange, alien ritual.
"Using my own compatibility should result in a decent Servant summons."
"But choosing a famous catalyst would allow me to target a specific legend."
"Still... would a historical figure really be 'stronger' than a Stand user?"
Rohan wasn't being narcissistic; he was making a tactical assessment.
"Wait... if I use my own manga as a medium... who would I get?"
"What if I put a volume of Rurouni Kenshin into the circle?"
"The master of the Hiten Mitsurugi-ryu would surely be able to handle any other Master with ease..."
He stood with his arms crossed, deep in thought, unaware that the crimson ink on the floor was already beginning to pulse in response to his internal desire.
"Hey!"
"Hmm. Interesting."
"I feel like breaking into song."
"Don't you dare get in my way!"
"Ho ho. I was about to say the same thing. But for now... we are 'allies' on the same front, are we not?"
A massive, golden-haired man and a pink-haired man with an unusual spotted pattern sat in a private jet, engaged in a deeply unpleasant exchange.
'I'll slaughter you the moment this is over!'
'I'll erase you the moment we win!'
On the surface, they were cordial, even polite. But beneath the veneer, both were already planning the other's execution.
The pink-haired man was the hidden boss of a massive Italian organization. After being chosen by the ritual, he had immediately hidden the news from his prideful subordinates and rushed toward the "Final Battleground." While the Servant he had summoned was proving to be uncharacteristically rebellious, he had at least acknowledged the man's power.
They despised each other, and both were deeply wary of the other's Stand abilities. But both were equally certain of their ultimate victory.
The two "Kings" locked eyes for a split second before looking away, their thoughts perfectly aligned.
There can only be one Emperor.
And that Emperor... is DIO/Diavolo!
"WHOA, WHOA, WHOA!! Mr. Jotaro, listen to me!"
Jotaro Kujo stared at the babbling Josuke with a look of stoic exhaustion.
Chosen by a mysterious ritual?
Granting a wish after victory?
The story sounded like something straight out of a Shonen Jump manga. How was he supposed to take it seriously?
But then, Josuke pulled out an orange orb with four red stars. Jotaro froze.
"Josuke... let me see that ball."
"Huh?"
"What's wrong, Jotaro?"
The elderly Joseph Joestar watched his grandson's sudden change in attitude with curious eyes.
"How is such a ridiculous thing possible?"
Jotaro held the ball in his hand, his expression turning sharp.
"Wait... Star Platinum? Mr. Jotaro, what are you doing?!"
"ORA!!!"
Without a word of explanation, Jotaro summoned his Stand. Josuke cried out in alarm, but Jotaro ignored him, tossing the ball into the air and ordering Star Platinum to deliver a high-speed barrage.
"ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA!!!"
DUM-DUM-DUM-DUM-DUM!
"Whoa... amazing. It took all those punches from Star Platinum and didn't even get a scratch!"
Josuke's panic subsided, replaced by a look of genuine awe as he watched the orb fall back into Jotaro's hand, perfectly intact.
"It's the real thing."
"Old Man... it looks like something even more troublesome than Yoshikage Kira has arrived in Morioh."
Jotaro made his assessment as he gripped the orb.
"Eh?"
"What did you say?"
"This orb is called a Dragon Ball. It's an item from a manga... if you collect seven of them, they are said to grant any wish."
Jotaro, who had apparently spent some of his youth reading Dragon Ball, began to explain the lore of the artifacts to his grandfather and Josuke.
"I see... objects from fiction manifesting in the real world... and a war of unknown purpose."
"Anyone who knows what these are won't let this opportunity pass them by."
"Morioh is about to become a battlefield again," Joseph murmured, his voice low and serious. He could already imagine how many people would be driven mad by the lure of the Dragon Balls.
"Hehe. Doesn't that mean we should participate even more?"
"Wait... Josuke, what are you doing?"
"Well, the info said that using a 'medium' can call forth a similar Servant... so..."
"If I use Mr. Jotaro as the base... I should be able to summon another 'Invincible' Servant, right?!"
"I'm coming for you, Mr. Jotaro!!"
"Wait--"
"Hey!"
"DECLARE--!!"
[Translated and Rewritten by Shika_Kagura]