"That's the power called a Stand. As fellow Stand users, Rohan-sensei and I will find a way to deal with that killer. So don't worry."
The girl's pure, sweet face curved into a smile, but the confidence behind it went well beyond her years.
"Morioh has plenty of righteous Stand users. We'll join forces and send that bastard to hell."
"...I see."
A question that had haunted Reimi for years had finally been answered. She felt something inside her come unknotted — and at the same time, a new layer of unease and worry settled over her.
"Even so, please — be careful. I don't want... to see anyone else in this town killed."
"Don't worry, Reimi. We'll bring you the answer you're hoping for."
Just then, Inori made a decision.
—Yoshikage Kira, you will not live through tonight.
She would go to Kira's home and lie in wait. She wouldn't give him a single chance to react. She'd use King Crimson's overwhelming assassination capability to drive a fist through his chest before he knew what was happening — and after that, it wouldn't matter how powerful his bomb Stand was. As for why Part 8 Stands were appearing here... she'd worry about that afterward. The point was she wasn't giving Yoshikage Kira a moment to breathe. Who knew if his Killer Queen might suddenly upgrade?
"Let's go, Rohan-sensei. We've got a case to investigate."
"...Don't include me in your plans without asking."
His mouth complained but his body was perfectly cooperative. Inori knew that was just how he was, so she didn't press. She turned to make her last goodbye to Reimi before setting off.
"Wait! In-Inori!"
The self-proclaimed detective had never given her name, but Reimi had locked the name Rohan called her firmly in memory.
"What is it?"
"The Stand... the marble. You forgot it."
Inori looked at Reimi's pretty face, then at the marble in her palm, then at the Soft & Wet still standing beside her.
"Keep it with you for now."
"Eh?"
Reimi hadn't expected an answer like that at all... w-would that mean she was a Stand user now?
"Look — you're the only witness to this case right now, and you're a victim too. If that man finds out where this place is and decides to come back for revenge, that would be a problem."
A faint smile touched Inori's lips as she explained.
"But I have no idea how to use this... You should take it back. It's your power."
Reimi looked at Soft & Wet, baffled. The Stand's skin was strangely round and smooth, and standing there hunched politely it looked like one of those guileless robots she'd seen in manga — having something like that around her and Arnold should be fun. Still, she knew that a ghost like her, no matter how strong the power, couldn't do much with it. Better to leave it with Inori, who could use it to find the killer.
"It's all right. This guy's not very strong, but his ability is genuinely interesting... try playing with it a few times and you'll figure it out." Inori smiled mysteriously. "Just don't go too wild with it~"
"...Are you really sure? Inori, this is such a precious gift..."
"It's fine. I'm only leaving it with you for the time being."
"Sooner or later, I'll come back to collect it."
—On the day I have the power to give you a body again.
From that day on, Morioh acquired a new urban legend: the street behind Kameyu Department Store became known for strange phenomena. Sometimes people walking there would slip for no reason. Sometimes a hand pressed to the wall of the Owson convenience store would stick fast, like to taffy... and sometimes a person walking alone at night would suddenly go blind, only to hear the voice of a ghost named "Reimi."
...
...
Inori's Stand, King Crimson, in its first upgraded form — ACT1 Everlasting Crown — derived from the Perfect Void Genome of the Guilty Crown world. Its core ability was therefore to seize the Stands of other Stand users for her own use, and Inori could hand those extracted Stands to other people to wield as well.
Reimi might be nothing more than a spirit, but Stands themselves were energy that attached to the soul. There was no problem at all with her using one. Inori had two reasons for giving her a Stand. First, in case some dangerous element she wasn't aware of came after the girl, Soft & Wet would make a perfectly reliable bodyguard.
Second, just to give the poor girl trapped in the ghost alley something to do. Soft & Wet looked harmless and adorable, and its abilities had massive room for creative development. In the hands of someone as bright as Reimi, there was no telling what new tricks she'd come up with.
Inori had the invincible King Crimson. She didn't really need Soft & Wet's abilities, and any time she wanted, she could just go strip a new Stand Orb off another user.
"So what do we do now?"
Once they were clear of the alley, Rohan finally let his unease show.
"What do you think?"
Inori looked at him.
The young man who was usually so unshakably confident was pale now, his head lowered slightly, half his face buried in shadow, his lips pressed thin.
It wasn't hard to guess what he was thinking. If this were just a horrifying story from fifteen years ago, that would be one thing. But that girl was his lifesaver. Reason told him not to get involved in something this dangerous. And if he closed his eyes to it, his conscience would never let him rest.
"I want to go to the cemetery."
"There are some things... I need to confirm in person."
Inori watched the tension in his face for a moment, but didn't object.
"Sure."
That saved her the trouble of explaining to him why she'd already locked her sights on Yoshikage Kira. Inori was more accustomed to working alone anyway. Having someone at her side always made her feel constrained. Even in the last world, except for the final battle when she'd needed Shu's Void, she'd preferred to fight by herself.
"You're not coming with me?"
Rohan lifted his head, a touch puzzled.
"I have something more important to take care of... Rohan-sensei, good luck."
The girl tucked her hands behind her back and smiled.
"...All right."
Rohan answered with a slight stiffness, adjusting his collar.
He'd been trying every way to shake this woman off, and now that she was actually walking away, he felt — strangely — a little reluctant... It was barely past noon and they'd already been through so much together. Having a partner around to talk strategy with, to bounce ideas off — that had been kind of interesting.
—Tch, what am I thinking? The sooner this wicked woman disappears, the better.
...
...
Starting from Morioh Station, in the villa district to the northeast there was a resort, and Yoshikage Kira's house was nearby.
She just had to find the one with "Kira" on the door plate, hide herself, and the chance to kill him would come... Thinking that, Inori couldn't help feeling a little tense. God — she was about to take down the final boss? She'd only been in this world two days. In the Guilty Crown world, beating Gai and Eve had taken her almost two years.
Of course, that version of her wasn't comparable to who she was now.
The earliest Inori didn't have Epitaph and could only use Time Erasure. Her resolve, too, had been nothing like what it was now. Things were different now. She had four powerful Stands at her command, and she knew every one of Yoshikage Kira's abilities inside and out. There were many, many ways she could defeat him.
Lost in thought, she'd reached a quiet stretch of road. Few cars passed here. Both sides of the street were lined with grass and trees.
A cold wind blew in her face. Inori paused for a second.
She pulled out the map again, wanting to double-check she hadn't taken a wrong turn. And at that exact moment...
Suddenly, from very close behind her, came the piercing roar of an engine!