"AAAAHHHHH!!!!"
Subaru Natsuki heard a familiar, agonized scream echoing through the school building. A relaxed, easy smile spread across his face.
BAM!
An explosion rocked the interior, followed by a thick cloud of smoke and a dark silhouette that came tumbling out of an upper floor window.
THUD!
The figure hit the ground with a sickening impact. Charred and smoking, it didn't look like an individual who was having a particularly good day.
And yet, Subaru didn't seem concerned in the slightest.
"Well, I was away for a little while, but from the looks of things, it hasn't been that long."
He reached up to scratch his messy hair before continuing his walk toward the center of the campus.
'Do you really not need it?'
'Yeah, I suppose if something truly impossible happens later, I might give you a call. For now, let's just keep that wish on reserve.'
'I'll do the same.'
Recalling the final moments of the encounter in Morioh, Subaru couldn't help but feel a sense of satisfaction.
At the very least, he had participated in a truly fascinating adventure.
Furthermore, he now possessed a personal commitment from the "Strongest" version of Jotaro Kujo. It was a safety net that ensured he didn't have much to worry about for the rest of his life.
"Subaru!"
As if sensing his presence, the charred figure on the ground lunged forward, grabbing Subaru's leg with a desperate grip.
"What did you do this time, Kazuma?"
Subaru looked down at his friend, a look of amused resignation on his face.
"Hey?!"
Before he could react, Kazuma's hands suddenly clamped around his neck, pulling him down to the pavement.
"You've got a lot of nerve talking like that!!!"
"It's because you disappeared during the special training Tanya ordered! I had to take your place and I got blasted as a substitute!"
"Ugh... okay, sorry about that."
Subaru let out an awkward laugh as he realized why Kazuma was radiating such a heavy "Aura of Resentment."
He really didn't know exactly how long he had been gone from this world.
But given the current state of affairs, it seemed the interval hadn't been long enough to cause any lasting alarm.
"Hmph. You certainly have some guts."
"To cut class in broad daylight and then show up with such a casual look on your face...!"
The high-pitched, authoritative voice came from above. A small girl with blonde hair and brilliant blue eyes was looking down at them from a windowsill.
Tanya Degurechaff.
Along with Subaru, Kazuma, and Ainz, she was a classmate who shared a similar "Isekai" background.
While she looked like a dainty young girl, her true identity was that of a battle-hardened imperial soldier from another world, one who had earned the moniker of "The Devil" and was a formidable Combat Mage.
"Tanya, please, calm down."
"Ainz, don't try to stop me."
"A necessary punishment is required. If we don't handle this now, it'll set a bad precedent for the future."
BANG!
A gunshot-like roar echoed through the air. As Subaru was sent tumbling across the ground, he found himself thinking that this noisy, chaotic environment was exactly where he belonged.
Ah... it really is lively here.
As the saying goes, once you've experienced enough, you just get used to it.
In this school, what kind of storm hadn't they already weathered?
Other worlds, the massive battles of the JoJo universe...
His life was certainly full of twists and interesting turns.
But fortunately, Subaru was a man who was exceptionally good at adapting to his surroundings.
At the very least, every day was interesting.
"Subaru-kun!"
Lying on the ground, he looked up as a silver-haired half-elf and a blue-haired maid came running toward him from the gate. The corners of his mouth tilted upward.
"Yeah... this isn't bad at all."
"I'll have to tell everyone about what happened eventually."
"They're definitely going to be shocked."
Outside the school gates, two figures stood watching the commotion in the courtyard.
"Seiya, look! This place is just as energetic as ever, isn't it?"
"Wait! Why are you leaving already?!"
"It's time for my training session."
"You! We're in a safe world now, can't you just give it a rest already!!!"
***
"Your world really is a mess, isn't it?"
"Oh? You've already grasped the situation that quickly?"
Amber led Jotaro through the area, her movements light and casual as they walked.
Her companions noticed the tall, muscular man following her, but since Amber was acting so comfortable around him, they didn't immediately move to intervene.
"I've already processed the information in the books you brought me."
"With such a deep-seated hatred between the two groups, it's not something you could have resolved through ordinary means."
Jotaro didn't seem bothered by the suspicious looks he was receiving. Instead, he simply flipped through a few more of the books he had collected.
Different worlds always possessed unique fields of knowledge.
Like Rohan Kishibe, Jotaro possessed a certain level of intellectual curiosity regarding the unknown.
What were the biological properties of organisms in other worlds?
Were there any unique marine species?
How did the dolphins in this reality develop?
The power of [Star Platinum: The World Over Heaven] had given him a new avenue for research.
As long as he didn't use it for destruction, it was an incredibly convenient ability for a researcher.
He could travel between realities to observe different oceanic ecosystems.
This was the primary reason he had allowed Rohan to accompany him.
Like himself, Rohan was a creator who valued "Reality" over "Fantasy."
In the manga artist's own words: "A manga must have a sufficient sense of truth!"
Therefore, experiencing reality first-hand was crucial for his work.
Jotaro could respect that perspective.
After all, a scientific paper or report couldn't be written based on imagination alone.
Upon arriving in Amber's world, he had found the situation to be even more chaotic than he had anticipated.
The divide between normal humans and [Contractors] was far too wide.
With multiple factions attempting to manipulate the conflict for their own benefit, the idea of resolving the issue through diplomacy or standard methods felt like a pipe dream.
It was no wonder Amber had been so desperate for a wish.
"Amber, who is this guy?"
"Oh, don't worry. He's a new friend who's come to help us handle a few problems."
"Is he a [Contractor] too?"
"Well, in a certain sense, I suppose you could say that..."
Jotaro ignored the exchange as Amber explained his presence to her comrades.
"So, what kind of world do you want this to be?"
"A world where [Contractors] and humans can coexist?"
"Or..."
He sat down on a sofa with a level of indifference that radiated a heavy sense of pressure to those around him.
"Well... if it's possible..."
Amber turned back to him with a smile, her voice quiet as she began to describe her vision.
***
"Is this really enough?"
Jotaro stood on the roof of a skyscraper, looking down at the crowd of people moving through the streets below. He turned his head toward Amber.
"It's more than enough."
"A world where I can live a peaceful life with him... it was a dream I once thought was entirely out of reach."
"Not to mention, achieving such a complete conclusion... I couldn't be more satisfied."
Amber looked down at the street below, watching a group of familiar faces walking together. Hei, the [Black Reaper], was among them, his expression relaxed as he spoke with his companions.
"Yare yare daze..."
"Every one of you seems to be carrying an incredibly heavy past."
"I suppose that's why you were chosen in the first place."
Jotaro pulled the brim of his hat down, a quiet note of reflection in his voice.
"Heh... that's all in the past now."
"Now, I'm just a human living in a new era."
"Just a normal person who has emotions and will eventually grow old and die."
Amber's words were honest and carried no trace of lingering regret.
It was true.
A world where she could live a normal life with Hei and the others... there was no better conclusion she could have asked for.
There was no longer a conflict between [Contractors] and humans.
There was no longer a need for sacrifice or the constant fear of losing a comrade.
All that remained was a perfectly ordinary daily life.
[Translated and Rewritten by Shika_Kagura]