BANG!
"Do you have any idea what you're doing?"
'Of course I do.'
"It's just a broken arm. It doesn't matter."
'I don't want you to keep fighting if it means risking your life like that.'
"Listen, just because you're a patient doesn't mean you get to tell me what to do!"
'I am being serious!'
It wouldn't have been an exaggeration to call this a full blown argument. Yet, even in the face of Accelerator's abrasive and unyielding attitude, Yuuki Konno refused to back down. As his Master, she was prepared to stand her ground.
"Tch."
Her stubborn persistence was the one thing that could force Accelerator to look away in irritation.
This girl was the same as that other guy.
Why did they insist on worrying about a villain like him?
The mood was beyond foul, and he had no intention of lingering in the hospital. Accelerator instantly vanished into his [Spirit Form], leaving the room in a swirl of shadows.
'...'
Yuuki could only watch him go, her heart heavy with a mixture of helplessness and worry.
If she had a choice, she wouldn't have wanted Accelerator to face the world's dangers alone.
But her body was paralyzed, a prisoner to the bed and the machines that kept her alive. The most she could do was experience the outside world through the shared senses of her Servant's link.
Furthermore, her own magical reserves were far from impressive. She was, by all metrics, a mediocre Master.
She wasn't an esper, and she certainly wasn't a magus.
Because of her illness, she was forced to wait here in silence while the war raged on outside.
If she had summoned any other Heroic Spirit, the situation would have been a disaster from the start. It was only because Accelerator was truly a monster in his own right that they were still in the game.
'If only I could do something to help him...'
The thought was a constant prayer in her mind.
"Miyu, is this your Stand?"
"Yes..."
"Does it have a name?"
"Uh... it's [Sakuzuki]."
"[Sakuzuki]?"
Homura watched as a small, ornate cup began to float in the air between them.
Fine golden patterns were etched into its surface, and it radiated a faint, holy light that made it look less like a manifestation of the soul and more like a legendary [Holy Vessel] from ancient mythology.
"I can feel that it's still in a very early stage. It's like a newborn baby."
"But even so... I think it can be useful to us."
Miyu didn't elaborate on the origin of the name, choosing instead to focus on its functional potential.
"Is that so?"
Homura decided to trust Miyu's intuition.
"It doesn't look like a combat-focused Stand."
"Is it a long-distance manipulation type?"
Upon being summoned into this world, both Masters and Servants were granted a basic understanding of the local power systems. Consequently, the concept of Stands was already familiar to them.
"No. To be more precise, it's closer to an equipment type."
At Miyu's command, the floating vessel dissolved into a ribbon of golden light. It began to coil through the air like a river of liquid sun.
"An equipment type? It can become a weapon or a tool?"
Homura felt a flicker of hope. If it could provide her with a new weapon, it might be the variable they needed to gain the upper hand.
"It might not be exactly what you're imagining. Right now... there is only one weapon stored within it that we can use."
The expression on Miyu's face was one of profound nostalgia, and it made Homura pause.
She could see the traces of old sorrow and a deep, simmering frustration hidden behind the young girl's eyes.
"But it's okay."
"With this, I'm sure you can win, Archer."
Miyu shook her head, forcing the memories into the back of her mind as she gave Homura a bright, determined smile.
For the current version of the magical girl, this was likely the one power she needed most.
The ribbon of golden light suddenly surged forward, diving into Homura's chest.
"This is?!"
Homura gasped as she felt the foreign energy flood her being, her eyes widening in realization.
Subaru Natsuki and Kid Goku had followed the blood trail for several blocks before the trail went cold. Without anything else to go on, Subaru decided to continue their search for other Masters in the city.
"It's so weird. I haven't eaten anything since yesterday, but I don't feel hungry at all. My stomach isn't growling or anything."
"Ahaha! Maybe your body just decided you don't need to eat yet?"
As they walked past a street vendor selling sandwiches, Goku's stomach had let out a low, inquisitive rumble.
Subaru had immediately scrambled to distract the boy before the hunger fully manifested.
He was beyond terrified.
If Kid Goku's appetite finally woke up, he was as good as dead.
While the "God" had graciously converted their money into local currency for this era, Subaru was sure that a single Saiyan meal would bankrupt him in minutes.
This was a Saiyan!
A literal black hole for food. How many years would he have to spend washing dishes to pay for a single afternoon snack?
Fortunately, he was able to use his own magical energy as a Master to stave off the boy's biological needs for the time being. If he hadn't been able to do that, he would have been at his wit's end trying to manage Goku's stomach.
"Mr. Jotaro... do you think we're actually dreaming right now?"
"If I had a choice, I'd prefer to believe that was the case."
Inside the luxury sports car parked along a shopping district, both Rohan Kishibe and Jotaro Kujo looked like they were staring into the literal abyss.
"What's wrong, Master? Mr. Jotaro?"
"Those two over there... aren't they just another pair of Master and Servant?"
"Is something wrong with them?"
Amber sat in the back seat, looking at the two men with a confused expression. One second they were having a normal conversation, and the next, the atmosphere in the car had turned cold enough to freeze water.
She turned her gaze to the two figures walking down the sidewalk, an older boy and a smaller one with a tail.
"Wait... wait... wait... wait..."
Rohan's usual cool, professional demeanor had completely vanished. He sounded like a broken record player.
He pointed a shaking finger toward the window.
"This has to be a foul! It has to be cheating!!"
"How the hell is someone able to summon Son Goku?!"
"To be honest, if my life wasn't on the line, I'd be getting out of this car right now to ask for an autograph and a photo."
"That's actually Son Goku!"
Rohan shouted the reason for his shock, his hands trembling with a mix of excitement and terror.
"Son Goku?"
Amber tilted her head, failing to grasp the significance of the name.
Was it the Great Sage Equal to Heaven from the ancient Chinese legends?
"Here."
Jotaro reached over and tossed a manga volume onto the back seat.
Amber looked at the cover and then at the small boy on the sidewalk. Their features were identical, right down to the spiky hair and the prehensile tail.
"Wait... is he a fictional character?"
"What? You can actually summon something like that using a ritual?"
"If that's the case, can't we just read the manga and learn all of his weaknesses? He should be easy to counter then!"
Amber's logic was sound, but it was met with a pair of grim, silent stares from Rohan and Jotaro.
"If you're thinking of making him a target, I strongly suggest you abandon that idea immediately."
Amber was stunned. Even the stoic Jotaro Kujo sounded rattled.
"Is that child really that powerful?"
She couldn't understand what kind of strength a boy named "Son Goku" could possibly possess to make these two veterans look so "Pessimistic."
"It's not a question of whether he's strong..." Jotaro began.
Rohan immediately picked up the thread.
"If this is the version of Son Goku who has already faced King Piccolo, then we need to start wondering if Morioh Town is even going to be standing by the end of this war."
"It's hard to explain the scale of his power in such a short time. He might look like a small child, but you need to understand one basic fact about the strength in that tiny body."
"That boy is likely dozens of times more powerful than even Star Platinum."
[Translated and Rewritten by Shika_Kagura]