"Hoho... Hahaha!!"
"So, Jotaro is finally dead?"
"What a shame. I truly wish I could have dismantled you with my own hands."
Hidden within a dwelling devoid of all light, DIO received the confirmation he had been waiting for. A cruel, triumphant laugh bubbled up from his throat, echoing through the empty rooms.
While he was confident he could have eliminated his nemesis once his grand plan reached fruition, he had decided to prioritize safety. He had dispatched "That Man" to finish Jotaro before he could interfere with the upcoming ritual.
"It's a pity I couldn't savor his blood."
"But in the end, the result is the same. My greatest obstacle has been removed from the Board."
"Today... today will be the moment I transcend the limits of Fate itself!"
Already envisioning the magnificent future that awaited him, DIO was practically vibrating with a manic, unholy energy.
"Now... go and lurer them all to the designated location!"
He spread his arms wide, the shadows or the room seeming to dance around him.
"I've used the residence of this town to fulfill the numerical requirements for the sacrifice."
"The remaining participants... their lives are far too valuable to be wasted on simple sustenance."
"Your flesh... your souls... they will all become a part of the glorious entity that is DIO!"
***
"Berserker... that's rare for you. You actually decided to stay in one place for once."
Konno Yuuki floated beside Accelerator, looking at the stone-faced Servant who hadn't moved from his position by the window for hours.
"Hmph."
Accelerator offered a cold grunt but didn't bother to elaborate.
Since last night, the hospital had been besieged by hideous, mutated creatures that emitted a constant, jarring screech.
While he claimed he was only defending the facility out of a passing interest, he had been systematically neutralizing any creature that tried to bypass the perimeter.
Through his vector analysis, he had already deduced the nature of the invaders.
Humans.
Their biological composition was complex and unstable, but at their core, they were undeniably human.
It was as if they had been subjected to a sudden, highly aggressive mutagenic influence.
Blood.
He had detected an anomalous, "Black" element within their circulatory systems. Something that defied standard scientific categorization.
It seemed that the creatures understood the danger he posed, as they had stopped attempting to storm the hospital directly.
However, Accelerator couldn't simply leave.
His Master was currently a "Lying Corpse" in one of the intensive care rooms. Until she was stable or the threat was neutralized, he was effectively anchored to the facility.
"It's so strange... where is the morning shift?"
"I haven't seen any of the staff who were supposed to rotate in today..."
"What's going on?"
The voices of the few remaining nurses drifted through the corridors, filled with confusion and rising anxiety. They were busy making desperate phone calls to their colleagues, none of which were being answered.
And in that moment...
The hospital welcomed an uninvited guest.
Step... step...
"The morning is preternaturally quiet today."
"But that only serves to make our movements easier."
Yoshikage Kira checked his wristwatch and then turned his gaze toward the looming structure of the hospital.
Itachi Uchiha manifested beside him, his eyes closed in a moment of focused meditation.
When Kira looked at him, the shinobi slowly opened his eyes, revealing the cold, crimson depths of the [Sharingan].
"To think that Berserker's Master was hidden in a place like this."
"How ironically vulnerable."
Having received the intelligence gathered by [Saber] yesterday, Kira had decided to launch a decisive ambush.
"We have everything we need to neutralize Berserker. If luck is on our side, the monster might even be away from the facility."
"Hoho..."
With a complete lack of hesitation, Kira walked through the main entrance of the hospital as if he were simply visiting a local establishment.
"Hmm?"
Once inside, he noticed that the lobby was remarkably empty.
Under normal circumstances, a hospital of this size should have been a hive of activity during the morning shift.
"Ah... excuse me! Are you here for an appointment?"
A nurse with visible dark circles under her eyes approached him with a polite, if strained, professional demeanor.
"No. I'm here to visit a patient."
Kira replied smoothly, his tone perfectly measured.
He suppressed the urge to comment on the woman's fatigue, choosing instead to scan the surroundings for any sign of magical signatures.
Her hands were quite elegant, but now was not the time for his particular brand of indulgence.
Perhaps once the conflict was resolved, he could arrange for a more... private encounter.
"I'm not entirely sure which floor they're on, though."
"I'll just have a look around."
***
"What did you say...!"
"Jotaro-san and Joseph-san?!!"
Rohan's face went white as he listened to Josuke's report over the phone.
He couldn't believe the scale of the disasters that had unfolded in a single evening. The world was seemingly coming apart at the seams.
"Ugh... uwaaa!!"
Koichi fell to his knees, his face buried in his hands as he wept. The loss of his family was a weight that had finally shattered his composure.
"Koichi... Rohan-sensei..."
Okuyasu looked between his two companions, his own expression reflecting a rare moment of solemnity. He didn't know what to say to comfort them.
"How could this happen... was the [Time Stop] Assassin detected this morning Jotaro-san fighting for his life?!"
Rohan regained his focus, the pieces of the puzzle finally beginning to click into place.
"Josuke!"
"Did Jotaro-san leave any clues behind?!"
"He must have planned for this possibility!"
Rohan's contact with the man had been brief, but he possessed a profound, unshakable trust in Jotaro's tactical acumen.
"No."
"Jotaro-san didn't have time to leave anything."
"The lethal blow was delivered in a single, instantaneous moment."
"The old man managed to regain consciousness for a split second, though. He wrote down two characters... 'Eyes'."
At the mention of the word, Itachi Uchiha's visage immediately occupied Rohan's mind.
The only participant with a primary focus on ocular powers was Kira's Servant, [Saber].
But how could he have defeated Jotaro Kujo?
Jotaro was a veteran. He possessed [Time Stop]. Unless the opponent had a direct counter to temporal manipulation, Jotaro should have been the one delivering the execution.
It made no sense.
The mystery was only deepening.
"That [Saber]... he must possess abilities we have yet to witness."
It was the only logical explanation.
"Is it Yoshikage Kira's Servant?!"
"Master... I can sense [Saber]'s presence at the city hospital."
"What?"
"And he's not attempting to conceal himself. He's broadcasting his position as if he wants us to find him."
"Dammit! Is it a lure?!"
Rohan shouting into the receiver, his voice tight with desperation.
"Listen to me, Josuke! Wait for us to regroup!"
"Don't do anything reckless! As long as we collect the Dragon Balls, we can bring Jotaro-san and the others back!"
"If we get eliminated as well... then it's over for everyone."
Rohan's panicked plea was a logical attempt to prevent a complete collapse of their forces.
But for a young man fueled by a devastating mix of grief and fury, logic was a distant second to the need for justice.
"It's okay. I might be angry, but I'm still thinking straight."
"Just head toward the hospital. I'll meet you there."
The line went dead. Josuke looked toward the hospital on the horizon and began to run.
Yoshikage Kira.
He was going to end that man once and for all.
***
"Koichi, Okuyasu! We need to move! Now!"
"Josuke is going to engage Kira at the hospital!"
"What?! Kira is there?!"
"Koichi, there's no time to cry anymore! We gotta go help Josuke!"
Seeing his best friend heading into a life-or-death confrontation, Okuyasu grabbed Koichi by the collar and pulled him to his feet.
"I know..."
Koichi wiped his eyes, a flicker of resolve returning to his gaze.
He didn't know if his family was still alive, but he knew that as long as they won the war, the Dragon Balls could fix everything.
There was no more time for mourning.
The battle had begun.
[Translated and Rewritten by Shika_Kagura]