Chapter 10
Jotaro went over a stack of files that the Speedwagon Foundation had sent to him in the past week. Along with information about the bow and arrow, he had sought out another topic: Devils and Angels. It had become quite clear to him that none of this was an act during the fight with Angelo, and that he needed to inquire more about his new allies and possible future adversaries. He wasn't sure what they could dig up for him, but some information was better than none.
"We provided you with everything we could involving a bow and arrow around the Stand user incident." The SWF representative spoke over the phone as Jotaro continued to turn pages within the files. "We hope it can be of assistance."
"Thank you. At least now we know those photos we captured in Egypt ten years ago make more sense now." Jotaro sighed as he held up a single photo from one of the folders. On it was a small, elderly woman in rags for clothes. Her skin was dark and her face was covered in large freckles. Her hair was pale with age, unkempt and puffed up. In her hands was ancient looking bow and arrow. "Were you able to get any information on my other request?"
"Ah, information about Devils? Not much aside from the usual mythology in religions." The representative sighed before humming. "I'm not sure why you might ask for that, but I to trust your instincts. But there was something odd that happened while searching for some information on that…"
"What?" Jotaro asked, raising a brow in curiosity.
"You see, when our investigators went by more menial routes of intelligence gathering, they were suddenly blocked by the Roman Catholic church. It seems that they're hiding something." The man explained, causing Jotaro to furrow his brow.
So then it seems there are some people who know about their existence beyond a belief standpoint. It's not much of a surprise that the Catholic Church is the most aware. I'll be sure to ask Josuke's friends about it. Jotaro mused before nodding. "Alright then. Try to find out what information you can without their knowledge. They'll only deny and refuse if you try to go through them for the information."
"Understood, we'll do our best to do so. Is there anything else you need, sir?" The representative asked.
"No, that's it. Please contact me as soon as possible when you've learned something." Jotaro replied before hanging up the phone. He picked up the picture and a small number of files, putting them away into his duffle bag. He took a quick look at the watch on his wrist, seeing that it was half past eight in the morning. I should get going. Josuke and his friends will should be there waiting for me already.
"They wanna do what?" Josuke asked with a raised brow. Currently he, Issei and Asia had just departed from his house for the scheduled meeting with Jotaro. It was a sunday, and so they were free to meet in the morning without much trouble. They would finally discuss what would be done about the Stand users and the Devil that was apparently awakening them. Though this was not the topic being discussed by the group of three now. They had more mundane matters on their mind at the moment.
"Go do some karaoke! I think it's a great idea!" Issei informed the tall teen with a large grin. "Come on, it'll be fun!"
"I mean, I don't mind or anything but is it really okay for a bunch of guys to go together to do karaoke?" Josuke asked curiously, having never done it before. "That's usually somethin' guys do at a mixer or with chicks."
"Asia-chan's coming with us." Issei said, motioning to the blonde. "And we're going to ask Koneko-chan as well."
"I-I think it sounds like we'll have fun as well!" Asia added in her meek voice, offering a hopeful smile.
"I dunno…" Josuke trailed off, unconvinced for the moment.
"You know Matsuda and Motohama just wanna hang out with you. They're just making sure the conscience of the Pervert Trio is still okay." Issei told him, nudging his side.
"Yeesh, it's not like I didn't see them at school. Those jerks…" Josuke shrugged, but was unable to hide the small smirk at the edge of his mouth. Asia and Issei both chuckled but said nothing, knowing that Josuke was going to participate either way. He wasn't one to miss out on friendly events like that anyways. Asia's vision trailed away from the two as Josuke and Issei started to talk about their other options, her eyes landing on a rather beaten down house. She tilted her head in curiosity before widening her eyes. In one of the windows she could almost clearly see a figure move, making her grab Issei's sleeve.
"Issei-san, does someone live here?" Asia asked curiously, turning both boy's attention to her. Issei and Josuke glanced at the house in question.
"This place? No way. Never seen anyone come out of it since I've lived here." Issei shook his head before glancing at Josuke. "You?"
"No, it's the same for me. This place has been deserted for a long time." Josuke explained as he glanced back at Asia. "Why do you ask?"
"I could have sworn I saw someone in the window…" Asia declared, pointing to the window in question. "Maybe someone moved in?"
"No way. There would be moving trucks or realtors around this place if there was." Josuke pointed out, jerking a thumb at his house. "I would've noticed if someone was moving in or at least coming and going. My house is right down the street."
"How strange…" Asia muttered, looking back up at the house and tilting her head. "I wonder who it was I saw then?"
"Perhaps it was a ghost of the last person who lived here?" Issei offered jokingly, making Josuke give a small shiver.
"Hey, don't go saying stuff like that! It's right down the street from my house!" Josuke huffed as he turned around to look back at his house. "Ghosts are scary."
"Coming from a guy who's friends with a bunch of Devils?" Issei laughed before walking up to the gate of the home. "Come on, I'm sure a ghost is no big deal by comparison." He chuckled before looking back at Asia and pushing the gate open with one arm inside. "There's no one here, Asia-chan. I'll even take a look around and-"
Suddenly the gate was slammed closed on Issei's arm, causing him to grunt in pain as it was now jammed between the doors. Josuke and Asia widened their eyes as a teen stooped over the gate, pushing it closed with his foot. "Hey, who said you could look in my house, punk?" The teen gruffly demanded, his voice rather raspy. He was quite tall, standing just a couple inches shorter than Josuke. In a somewhat similar fashion he was spotting a pompadour, though it was far more tame and smaller, looking more in keeping with current fashion. He wore a dark blue school uniform with a golden plated dollar sign on the chest and on his collar. On his arm was written 'Billion' in all caps with the same written on his opposite shoulder but in Japanese kanji instead. He was rather dark tanned in skin tone with large round eyes and a distinctive facial scar, two half circles, tracing down his face from his scalp to his jaw line.
"Issei!" Josuke and Asia cried out in surprise before the former glared at the tall teen pinning the brunettes arm. "Hey, hurry up and ease off the door!"
"Don't tell me what to do. You're the one's trespassing on my dad's yard." The teen scoffed, glaring back at Josuke challengingly.
"I don't give a shit! Get-" Issei growled before using a bit of demonic strength to knock the door back with his shoulder, freeing himself. "-off!" The punk took a step back and raised a brow before smirking at Issei.
"Ho ho~, you're stronger than you look, brat. I'm impressed. You wanna fight now?" The teen challenged, making the brunette grind his teeth in annoyance.
"You didn't have to be an asshole! You could have just said something and told us to leave, bastard!" Issei snapped, pointing a finger at the taller boy.
"You're the one sniffin' around other people's houses, asshole. You're the bastard here." he retorted, crossing his arms as he took a step forward as if ready to fight. Josuke grabbed Issei's shoulder and pulled him away, glaring at the punk.
"Forget it, Issei. It's not worth the trouble." Josuke told him, trying to sway his friend from getting into a fight.
"He's the one who started it!" Issei growled, trying to break free from his hold and tempted to activate his Sacred Gear, even if it was some human punk.
"You should listen to your friend, brat. You might end up gettin' hurt." The punk laughed as he stuffed his hands into his pockets.
"Why don't you go back into your house, dumbass. You're the one getting him riled up." Josuke replied, narrowing his eyes at him.
"I can do whatever I want. This is my house after all." The thuggish teen retorted, grinning smugly at the two. "Why, are you gonna make me?"
"If you don't shut your mouth, I might!" Issei answered him first, gripping his fist in anger. Before the two could proceed any further, Asia moved between them, holding her hands up to the brunette.
"Please don't fight, Issei-san! We don't need an unnecessary fight." She told him sweetly, causing Issei's anger to dissipate for the moment. She then turned to the punk and held her hands together in pleading, her eyes shining with innocence. "I'm sorry that we trespassed on your property, sir. Please find it in you to forgive us."
Josuke and Issei watched as the punk blinked in shock before his cheeks reddened, his face becoming a bit goofy and nervous. He started to rub the back of his head and turned his gaze away from the blonde. "U-uh well, whatever I guess… just don't do it again…" He mumbled out, his tough facade falling before their eyes.
"Thank you so much!" Asia happily grinned, making the punk only blush further and turn his back to them in an attempt to hide his embarrassment.
"D-don't worry about it…" He mumbled, getting ready to head back inside his home.
"Asia's got that affect on most people, huh? It's kinda amazing…" Josuke chuckled as he smiled down at the blonde. Issei on the other hand was annoyed, his eyebrow twitching as he grabbed Asia's wrist and pulled her back.
"I don't like that guys face. Try to stay away from him if you see him again, Asia." Issei told the former nun, pulling her away from the house gate.
"H-he doesn't seem so bad." Asia suggested meekly but did as Issei motioned for her. The brunette took one last look at the punk's back in anger but saw something shine in the window. It suddenly shot forward and headed for Asia. Acting on instinct, Issei quickly pushed the blonde to the side and felt a sharp pain racked his body, not only from the pierce but as if he had been hit by a holy weapon, similar to when he was shot in the legs by Freed. He cried out in pain, slowly looking back to see that he had an arrow sticking out of his shoulder. "What the hell…?"
"Issei!" Josuke and Asia cried out in fear, both quickly to his side. The punk widened his eyes in shock as he looked back at the three before shifting his gaze upward toward a second story window.
"Big bro?!" the teen shouted in question, confused by his sudden move to shoot one of the kids up front.
"If you're wondering why I shot the arrow at the girl," The man spoke, his voice stern and serious, "it's because that one there is Josuke Higashikata, the one who defeated Angelo. The other boy is a Devil who assisted him in doing so. I was also curious about what would happen when a Devil was struck by the arrow. It would appear that Myrcella was telling the truth. His body didn't react the same way a new Stand user would."
"What did you just say?" Josuke muttered in shock, quickly pulling the arrow from Issei's shoulder and healing him with his Stand.
"What the hell is that? It felt like I was burning inside…" Issei groaned, the pain disappearing as Crazy Diamond healed his wound. The two inspected the arrow to find it with an antique design. The shaft was rather old and wooden, but the arrow head was peculiar, a design of gold etched in the middle shaped in a heart with a shining edge. Could this be the arrow Jotaro-san is looking for? Josuke mused, his eyes widening as he inspected it.
"Oh ho, so that's him, huh?" The punk scoffed, looking back at the tallest teen of the three, a blue aura surrounding him as he took an aggressive step forward.
"How did you know about Angelo? Are you guys Devils?" Josuke demanded angrily, clenching his teeth.
"Okuyasu. Make those three disappear." The man from the window ordered, causing the trio's eyes to widen as they realized that they were truly face to face with enemies. "Those three have found us, so now we have to get rid of them as to make sure none of their friends find us either."
"You got-," The boy, now known as Okuyasu, started before meeting eyes with Asia, who looked rather scared and vulnerable. He hesitated, not moving from his spot at first.
"Is something wrong?" The man in the window asked, the outline of his body crossing its arms.
"U-uh, nothing, it's just…" Okuyasu glanced back up at his brother before pointing at the blonde. "I don't mind gettin' rid of the guys big bro, but I don't know how I feel about gettin' rid of the girl. I'd feel kinda-" Suddenly some sort of tin box hit Okuyasu in the face as a new, much smaller figure appeared in the window.
"Who cares if it's some girl?! Just hurry up and get rid of her, servant! Do as you're told!" The new figure said, obviously a girl around their age despite her small image as she too was covered in darkness.
"Shit, there are more people inside?" Josuke muttered as he glanced at Asia and Issei, trying to devise a plan on how to handle the situation. They could try calling for help, but their enemy would most likely act faster if they tried. Maybe Asia can get out of here while we fight… He mused as he looked down at the arrow.
"O-oi, Elmy-chan! You didn't have to do that you know?!" Okuyasu complained, rubbing his nose where he was nail with the box.
"I've told you to call me master!" The rather high pitched voice retorted in anger. "Now hurry up and get rid of them! Looking at that girl is pissing me off!"
"A-alright, alright! Fine! Just stop callin' me your servant already!" Okuyasu complained sourly before turning back to the three and glaring. "Guess I've got no choice…"
"I-Issei-san…" Asia muttered fearfully, the brunette pushing her behind him.
"Just stay behind me, Asia. I won't let this bastard near you." Issei growled, holding out his arm and summoning his Sacred Gear. "Boosted Gear!" A green light flashed over his forearm before revealing his crimson bracer.
"I've got a better idea." Josuke declared, turning their attention to him. He held the arrow out to Asia, who took it in confusion. "Asia, get out of here as fast as you can. Don't stop running and head for the school. Get Jotaro-san and the prez to come. We'll stay here and keep them busy." he declared, turning his gaze to Okuyasu and watching him closely.
"B-but I don't want to leave you guys alone to fight!" Asia proclaimed shaking her head. "I want to help you both as much as I-" Josuke placed a hand on her shoulder and gave her a stern look.
"Getting out of here is the best way you can help us, Asia!" Josuke assured her, causing the blonde to pause. "You can't fight, but you can get us back up. That's the best way you can help us right now. So please, go!" He ordered. Asia hesitated for a moment, turning to Issei to see his response on the matter, but he was still focused forward at Okuyasu.
"He's right, Asia." Issei spoke without looking at her. "Don't worry about us! You know we're strong!" He told her confidently, giving a side smile.
"I'll see about that." Okuyasu scoffed as he took another step closer. Asia wordlessly looked at her companions before closing her eyes tightly and nodding.
"Please be safe, you two!" She shouted before turning around and running as fast as her meek legs would carry her.
"Hm. Smart move on their part, but not good enough." The older brother spoke before snapping his fingers. "Elmenhilde. Retrieve the girl and the arrow."
"Don't order me around, Keicho Nijimura." Elmy retorted in annoyance but took a step forward to the window, a small umbrella blocking the sun from her skin. Suddenly an array of bats shout out from the shadows, enough to blot the sun as they traveled overhead of Josuke and Issei.
"Wh-what the hell is that?!" Issei cried out in shock, looking back and forth from the window to the bats above him.
"Is that chick actually a Devil? I didn't see a magic circle at all…" Josuke muttered in question before looking over his shoulder toward Asia. "Shit, Asia look out!"
"Eh?" Asia mumbled before the bats surrounded her, causing the former nun to cry out in fear. From the flock of bats, a hand reached out and wrapped around Asia's neck and held her cheek before carrying her into the air and back to the house.
"Asia!" Issei and Josuke cried out in fear. As the bats retreated back into the window, Elmenhilde's body reformed with an unconscious Asia in her arms, the gothic loli smirking in triumph.
"Looks like I've acquired a new snack for myself~!" She giggled, her teeth barely touching the blonde's neck in mockery of the two boys. "And don't dare to call me a Devil. I am a pure blooded vampire."
"A vampire? You mean like the one Jotaro-san fought?" Issei mumbled as sweat ran down his brow.
"If you two try and call for help, she's dead. Try and take her back if you want." The man now identified as Keicho scoffed as he leaned against the frame of the window. "Now, Okuyasu. Hurry up and get rid of them."
"With the girl outta the way, no problem." Okuyasu chuckled as he took his hands out of his pockets.
"Get out of the way! We're taking our friend back!" Josuke growled as he and Issei got ready to charge the punk teen.
"No way." Okuyasu declared before suddenly a large figure erupted from his body, it's form muscular with blue and white coloring across it's body. It's attire was similar to football pads, though it has several spikes jutting from them. A towel-like object drapes over its shoulders, with a dollar symbol on one end and a yen symbol on the other. On each side of the Stand's face are blinders that cover its headlight-shaped eyes and limit its vision. On its right hand is a spider web outline. "I, Okuyasu Nijimura, will erase you both right here and now with my Stand The Hand!"
"Wh-what the hell?! A Stand user?" Issei muttered, hesitating as he looked at the figure. Josuke took a step forward, holding a hand out.
"Let me fight him, then. We don't know what kind of powers his Stand has." Josuke told him, narrowing his eyes carefully. Okuyasu only smirked, moving forward toward the two.
"Let's go!" The punk growled out, The Hand moving forward with it's right arm raised and a dark blue aura surrounding it as it made to swing at the two. Josuke didn't move, only allowing Crazy Diamond to appear. DORA! It roared as it landed a quick punch into the adversary Stand's jaw, causing Okuyasu to take the damage as well, blood spilling out of his mouth.
"If you don't move, I'm seriously going to mess up your face." Josuke warned him, preparing to strike again with his Stand if need be.
"I want a shot at him too for earlier…" Issei huffed, rolling his shoulder that was shot with the arrow. Okuyasu was still for a moment before rolling his jaw and spitting out some blood and turning to the two with a grin.
"You're pretty fast." Okuyasu chuckled, wiping his chin of blood, before turning his gaze to Issei. "But I doubt you are as much."
"Quit your blabbering and get out of the way!" Issei growled, far less inclined to play it cool as Josuke was currently. "I don't care if you have a Stand too, you're not half the man that Josuke is!"
"You sure know how to spout on, bastard." Okuyasu snarled, preparing his Stand for another attempt.
"Okuyasu." The punk stopped as he heard his brother call out his name, glancing back up at the window. "Using a Stand is the same as driving a car or a motorcycle. It doesn't matter what kind of monster you're driving if the driver is a dipshit with no skills or guts and maneuvers like crap when pressured."
"Come on, big bro. Don't say things that'll piss me off." Okuyasu complained, his attention purely on his brother now. Josuke raised a brow before glancing at Issei and motioning forward silently. "His Stand is a lot faster than I thought. And I don't know much about the Devil either."
"We're not playing around here, Okuyasu!" Keicho proclaimed firmly, pointing at his younger brother. "The Stand you possess, The Hand, is one of the most dangerous I've ever seen. It even gives me chills thinking about it. Be serious when you're using it. We don't need the Devils living in this town to know about our presence. We can't afford to let any of them leave alive."
"Hurry up and pay attention to your enemy as well, servant." Elmenhilde added with a scoff. "They aren't going to wait for you to finish talking after all."
"I got-what?" Okuyasu grunted before looking back where Josuke and Issei were previously standing. He quickly found the sidewalk empty, snapping his head back to see the two already walking toward the house. "H-hey! I was busy talkin'! That's not fair!" He complained, earning a sideways look from Josuke.
"You're pretty dumb, aren't you?" Josuke asked lamely, making the fellow Stand user recoil in shock.
"Wh-why? Why do you say-" Okuyasu started to question. That is until Issei struck him with his armored fist.
"We told you to get out of the way." Issei growled, watching as the punk was sent flying past the gate before looking back at Josuke. "He might be tough, but we need to move."
"Yeah, let's-" Josuke's eyes widened in surprise when he saw Okuyasu quickly push himself up to his feet, wiping more blood from his mouth.
"You bastard…" The punk hissed, sprinting forward to intercept the two. "I'll make you pay for that!"
"You just won't stay out of the damn way! I'm starting to get seriously pissed off!" Josuke growled as he stepped in front of Issei to meet the Stand user this time, Crazy Diamond appearing before him.
"Then go ahead and take your best shot if you can, bastard!" Okuyasu challenged gruffly, The Hand taking shape as well and reaching forward with its right arm, open handed. Josuke's Stand launched a punch forward to meet it, but instinct seemed to tell Josuke of some danger.
He's too confident in his right hand. He suddenly thought, Crazy Diamond diverting its movements and catching the opposing Stand's arm before it could make contact, his Stand's superior speed helping to keep from touching it directly. This isn't good. I've got a really bad feeling about that right hand of his…
"Josuke!" Issei cried out in fear, unsure of what had happened or why he had stopped. Okuyasu grinded his teeth in frustration as The Hand was unable to break free from Crazy Diamond's grip.
"Let go of my right hand, you little shit!" Okuyasu snapped as he finally used his Stand to throw a knee into Josuke's own, making him gasp in pain but keep a firm hold on his arm. "Fine, I'll make you let go!"
"It really is his right hand…" Josuke muttered as he prepared to take several more hits as best he could. The Hand struck him with a left hook, causing him to snap his right eye closed from pain for a moment. He was about to lash out with another strike again until the punk let out a pained grunt.
Boost! Boost! The bracer on Issei's arm proclaimed as Issei struck Okuyasu's side. "Don't forget about me, asshole!"
"You son of a-" Okuyasu groaned before Issei reeled back for another strike. He attempted to move his Stand to meet the brunette, but realized that Crazy Diamond still kept a firm grip on his arm, rendering him defenseless for just a moment. That moment was enough to land a solid hit.
"Take this!" Boost! Issei landed a shattering blow to the punk's stomach, causing him to nearly gag from the pain before being launched back across the street, hitting a brick wall that shielded another yard.
"Okuyasu!" Elmenhilde cried out in shock, Keicho on the other hand huffing in disappointment as he watched the spectacle below him. He turned away from the window and headed further into the house while Josuke and Issei took a moment to catch their breaths, the boosting now taking a toll on the brunette.
"He should be out now. Good job on that hit, Issei." Josuke complimented, giving a small smirk in appreciation.
"Hey man, we're a team." Issei chuckled with strain, giving a large grin. "We can beat anybody together." He looked back toward the house, wiping some sweat off his brow. "But it's not over yet. We've still got two enemies inside to deal with."
"Yeah…" Josuke agreed, taking a deep breath before standing up at full height and nodding. He took a step forward, ready to try and enter the home.
"You bastards… double teamin' me…" The two stopped in astonishment, glancing back to see Okuyasu holding his stomach in pain, but staggering up to his feet. "I'll make you both pay for that one…"
"What the hell? How tough is this guy?!" Issei growled in annoyance, taking a fighting stance but inwardly cursing as he knew he needed some time to recharge his Boosted Gear. Josuke seemed to sense this, taking the lead to finish off Okuyasu this time. Asia… just give us a little longer. We'll save you no matter what.
"You're not going out there to help him?" Elmenhilde growled in irritation as she spoke to the elder Nijimura brother.
"Of course not." Keicho easily brushed off, carrying Asia's unconscious body in his arms before placing her on the ground at the center of the downstairs entrance. "If that moron is too dumb to use one of the most powerful Stands I've ever seen, that's his fault. Besides, I have a far superior tactical advantage in this house than out there."
"He's your brother." Elmenhilde spoke with an edge in her voice, placing her hands on her hips. "Even we vampires value our siblings above petty quarrels like this, even if one of us is dumb."
"This isn't a quarrel between Okuyasu and I." Keicho retorted evenly, glancing at Elmenhilde before crossing his arms. "This is about him growing as a person. If he's too damn stupid to grow by himself, then he doesn't deserve to be here."
"You are much colder than I had originally thought, Keicho Nijimura." The loli vampire declared, narrowing her red slitted eyes at him. "You truly have given up your soul for this goal, haven't you?"
Keicho stopped in his tracks before glancing back at Elmenhilde with a blank expression, though his eyes conveyed some of it's own tiredness. "My soul had to be the first thing I gave up."
"You two never found out what my Stand could do…" Okuyasu coughed a bit before standing up straight. The Hand materialized at his side, it's right arm raised up. "So let me show you… the power of the Stand even my brother fears!"
"Issei, stay back. Save your energy for when we're inside." Josuke ordered the brunette, knowing he could expel more energy at once than Issei could. Crazy Diamond wasn't quite as limited as his Sacred Gear.
"It won't matter where he goes. He can't escape the power of my Stand." The punk declared darkly as his Stand's hand started to form a dark blue aura. "It's right hand scrapes away anythin' it touches. No matter what it is."
"Scrapes away?" Issei repeated in confusion, feeling a sense of dread similar to what Josuke felt earlier when Okuyasu first attacked.
"That's right. It can be from somethin' as simple as that sign over there…" Okuyasu said, motioning to the 'No Trespassing' sign on the open gate. "... To the space between us. And when the space between us is erased…" He then turned his gaze to Issei and grinned darkly. The Hand swiped in an arc, a transparent trail left behind. "It closes the gap with whatever's around it."
"What…?" Issei muttered before suddenly feeling something pull on him. In an instant, he found himself no longer next to Josuke, but standing directly in front of Okuyasu. "No way…" He muttered as he felt great fear of the Stand's very frightening power.
"Now die, Devil!" Okuyasu growled as he prepared to swipe Issei with The Hand's power this time. Issei didn't have any time to react, the Stand's speed far above his own. Thankfully though, Josuke had already started to dash forward to intercept the enemy Stand, Crazy Diamond catching its arm before it could erase the lone Devil among them.
"Don't think you can just pick us off, dumbass…" Josuke growled through grinded teeth as he felt the pressure of Okuyasu's Stand trying to rip from his grip.
"Josuke Higashikata. I shoulda erased you first." Okuyasu retorted. Issei clicked his tongue, standing up and preparing to lash out with his crimson bracer. Okuyasu didn't remain ignorant to his presence this time, though, The Hand quickly backhanding Issei away from the two with its free arm. "Get outta the way so I can take one of ya' out!"
Shit, this Stand's power is unbelievable… Josuke internally cursed as he tried to formulate a plan in his head. Crazy Diamond can't fix something that has been erased. If Issei gets hit by it, there's no repairing him. I have to end this now… He glanced around at his surroundings, hoping to find something that could be used to attack. He could chance it and do a fist rush like he usually might, but if The Hand caught him once, even if by accident, he'd be in major trouble.
Before Josuke thought more on the matter, something caught his eye in the wall behind him. While it seemed sturdy enough, there were several bricks sticking out of it rather loosely. His eyes widened in realization, remembering what just one swipe could do. Alright, that just might work!
"Oi, quit your daydreamin' asshole! And let go of my arm!" Okuyasu hissed as his right hand remained open, apparently ready to erase Josuke at a moment's notice.
"You want me to let go?" Josuke suddenly asked before having Crazy Diamond quickly release the opposing Stand's arm. "Fine!"
"You moron! Die!" Okuyasu cackled, The Hand swiping down but narrowly missing Josuke with it. "You're dead now that you've let me go! Get ready to-"
"You really are stupid, huh?" Josuke sighed as he shoved his hands into his pockets, actually causing Okuyasu to pause in confusion.
"Wh-why?" The punk couldn't help but ask before he realized something was flying at him from the wall. Before he knew it, a brick landed square between his eyes, knocking him back and causing him to stagger, his leg high up in the air. As if that wasn't enough to knock him out, another brick flew forward and right into his crotch, dealing the final blow of the fight. Okuyasu passed out from the pain, landing on his back and sprawled out in pain. Josuke released a deep breath as he walked over to Issei, who had picked himself up after the blow and was nursing his bruised chin.
"Man, that truly was a terrifying and great Stand." Josuke stated as the two looked back at their fallen foe. "Okuyasu Nijimura, huh? It'll be trouble if you wake up again and attack us." The tall teen kneeled down and put his hands around the punk's throat.
"Wh-whoa, Josuke! What are you doing?!" Issei stuttered in surprise, thinking it rather dark of his friend to finish off someone that way.
"Relax. I'm just going to strangle him a bit so that he passes out and doesn't try anything." Josuke explained. "Plus it'll put the shame of defeat in his soul. One, two-" He started to countdown before he was interrupted by a loud scream of terror, causing both Issei and Josuke to sweat in fear.
"Asia!" Issei panicked, turning away from Josuke and rushing toward the run down house.
"Wait, don't just rush in!" Josuke warned him before clicking his tongue, standing up and rushing after his best friend in hopes to make sure he didn't do anything brashly. Issei reached the front door first, swinging it open and preparing to step in but stopped at the door as he saw a figure ahead of the two.
On the ground, Asia lay unconscious. Stooping over her rather menacingly, a tall teen crouched. From this point of view they couldn't tell, but the boy was about as tall as Josuke, standing at six foot. He had tall yellow blond hair that was cut up to a flat top style, with a long braid stretching out from the back. His face had sharp features, his brow rests in a serious, directed expression. His clothes were rather similar to his brother; a double-breasted school uniform, the collar of which appears to read "BADC O.". His right shoulder is printed a Japanese character, and his left reads "TRILLION" between his shoulder and elbow. He also wears two sagging belts over wide-legged pants.
"So you finally made it past Okuyasu, then? Hmph." Keicho scoffed, standing at full length and crossing his arms. "At least he was able to do something to delay you. But he's still just too stupid."
"Hand Asia over, asshole!" Issei barked in anger, gripping his bracer. "She's not a threat to you!"
"Oh, but she is." Keicho retorted, glancing down at the blond. "She may not be a direct threat, but if she were to bring the rest of your Devil friends here, it would be a problem. Which is why I will have to eliminate all three of you here and now." He then pointed down at Asia with a dark grin. "Starting with her."
"You bastard!" Issei growled before dashing forward. Josuke felt a bit of sweat trail down his brow in fear of the obvious trap before them, but it was too late now. He dashed in right after Issei, hoping that he could catch whatever the older Nijimura brother was plotting.
"B-big bro…" A weak voice rasped out from the door behind them, Josuke blinking as he realized Okuyasu had followed them in. The punk teen was leaning against the door frame, holding his chest in pain and breathing heavily. "D-don't attack yet… I'm not done fighting them…"
Attack? Josuke mentally grimaced, hoping he could see what exactly Okuyasu had mentioned. Above Keicho, in the darkness of the hall, a bunch of small dots shined out. "Issei, move!" Josuke warned, grabbing the brunette by the shirt and pulling him quickly to the side to avoid the attack. As expected, something shot out from the shadows, the tall teen turning to see what they hit. Much to his surprise, he found Okuyasu standing not too far behind where they were, now taking the attack instead of them.
"Wh-what the hell?" Issei muttered as he watched Okuyasu become dotted across the chest and up his face with tiny holes, blood erupting from each one. The punk teen stood still for a moment before finally falling backwards, landing with a thud on the ground.
"Okuyasu…" Josuke mumbled in confusion, almost fear as he looked at the fallen punk's wounds.
"Your stupidity never ceases to amaze me." Keicho sighed, shaking his head apathetically. "If you had just stayed back and let the two enter, I'm sure I would have hit at least the Devil with Bad Company's attack. You even walked right into its line of fire."
"B-big… bro…?" Okuyasu weakly muttered, his eyes wide in pain and confusion.
"Your Stand, The Hand, is truly terrifying. But you're completely incompetent." Keicho further criticized as he made no move to even try and help his brother. "I told you over and over, since we were kids, that those who fail grow and remain incompetent will only drag down those around them, didn't I? Only people who continue to grow have the right to live, remember?"
"How the hell could you say that about your own brother?!" Issei growled in anger, suddenly showing concern for the punk on the ground. "Even if he is a dumbass, he's been nothing but loyal to you! Just seeing how he fought so hard outside and even tried to charge us again shows that much!"
"Loyalty like that only matters when it comes from competent people." Keicho countered without missing a beat, looking up at Issei with an emotionless glare. "Ever since old times during war, from standard knights to foot soldiers, those with the inability to think and grow have always been nothing but fodder. That's the fate that awaits someone like Okuyasu." Suddenly the same blinking lights from behind Keicho started to shine again, this time seemingly more across the darkness. "It's only natural for fools like that to die!"
"It's coming again! Move!" Josuke shouted as he did a rather impressive cartwheel out of the line of fire, with Issei moving in the opposite direction toward the wall and holding his bracer up in defense. The attack narrowly missed the two, turning a vase that was where they once were into swiss cheese before it shattered into pieces from the impact.
"It left a ton of holes again!" Josuke proclaimed as sweat dripped down his brow, looking back at Keicho as he expected the next attack. "What kind of attack is that?" No sooner after he said that did the now familiar twinkle shine behind the older Nijimura brother. "Issei! Make us an exit!"
"R-right!" Issei nodded before turning to the wall with his arm cocked backwards and striking it with his Devil enhanced strength, breaking it down without problem. "Let's go!"
"Got it!" Josuke quickly reached for Okuyasu without a second thought, grinding his teeth as he saw the line of fire. "You bastard! Are you trying to kill your brother too?!" He snarled before he felt the small impacts pierce his hand, causing him to stifle a grunt of pain. He didn't let go of Okuyasu's shirt despite this, continuing to pull the punk out along with him as he jumped through the hole Issei made, quickly repairing the wall with Crazy Diamond to cover their escape. The two landed roughly on the dirt surrounding the house, flinching when the wall that was fixed was pierced by the holes that Keicho's Stand attack made.
Keicho narrowed his eyes analytically, scoffing as he turned around and picked up Asia's unconscious body again and carried it up the stairs. "It seems I'll have to make another plan since Okuyasu messed things up once again." He conclude with no sign of remorse for his actions. As he walked up the steps, a fog started to fill the air, causing him to raise a brow. "Hm?"
"Keicho, you bastard…" the low feminine voice of Elmenhilde hissed in anger, the older Nijimura brother looking up to see the vampire standing atop the stairs and glaring down at him with crimson red slitted eyes filled with fury. "You nearly killed Okuyasu. He'll most likely die if nothing's done."
"That's right. He got in the way." Keicho replied evenly, narrowing his eyes at Elmenhilde. "I already explained this to the Devil and Josuke Higashikata. His incompetence will be his death."
"I was planning to turn him into my servant once this was over." Elmenhilde growled lowly, gripping her fist as she made little effort to hide her anger. "How do you expect me to do that if he's dead?"
"If it means that much to you, ask Myrcella to bring him back to life." Keicho actually chuckled, a cruel tone in his voice. "What happens to him is no longer my concern. I stopped thinking of him as my brother a long time ago."
"Your attitude is truly infuriating." Elmenhilde giggled almost madly, a dark smirk etching into her mouth. "Perhaps I'll save them the trouble and kill you myself."
"Are you so sure about that?" Keicho almost taunted, holding a finger up and pointing at the loli vampire knowingly. "Your job since you arrived is to protect me and the Bow and Arrow. Myrcella wouldn't be very pleased."
Elmenhilde actually hesitated at this, grinding her teeth in frustration. She knew Myrcella's plan to terminate things with Keicho soon, but as it stood even if she killed the man now, she would end up having to deal with both Issei and Josuke alone to protect the holy items. I still have no clue how strong either of them truly are, especially if they beat Okuyasu without much damage.
Darkness covered her brow, the vampire stepping aside to let Keicho past her. "I look forward to the day I'll be free to drain your body entirely of blood."
"I look forward to seeing you try." Keicho chuckled triumphantly, moving past Elmenhilde without another word and heading to one of the rooms. The loli vampire glared daggers into his back before looking back to the door leading outside. Okuyasu… you fool… being so loyal to such a horrible man.
"Damn it, that was close." Issei huffed tiredly, glancing at Josuke who stooped over Okuyasu's injured form. "Did you get a good look at his Stand? Or at least his power?"
"No, I didn't. It was still hidden in the darkness." Josuke sighed before glaring down at the younger Nijimura brother and grabbing his collar, pulling him face to face. "But we at least have someone who knows. Alright, Okuyasu. Tell us the secret to your brother's Stand and I'll heal you up."
"L-like I'd tell you… dumbass…" Okuyasu defiantly muttered in pain, his eyes void of color as they were starting to fade of any sight.
"Damn it, Okuyasu! How can you still be loyal to that asshole after what he did?!" Issei growled in frustration, leaning down and grabbing the punk's shirt this time.
"H-he's still my… brother…" Okuyasu weakly mumbled, his consciousness and life fading away slowly. Issei, despite himself, frowned in sympathy, seeing that even to the end this guy was remaining loyal. He admired his drive, even if he was a fool and their enemy.
"I guess I don't have a choice then." Josuke sighed before dropping Okuyasu back to the ground and summoning Crazy Diamond. "If you're not gonna talk I'll just have to do this!" He proclaimed as his Stand came down with it's hand in a chopping motion, the fallen Stand user preparing for death. Despite this, it didn't come as the hand stopped over his face, it's palm facing down and shining with a golden aura. Suddenly the pain left Okuyasu, and his wounds disappeared as Crazy Diamond withdrew its hand from him. The punk blinked in shock, feeling no danger of his life or consciousness. He sat up as Josuke left his side with Issei, who glanced at the brunette.
"Listen, Issei. Since Okuyasu didn't tell us anything, you're going to have to be our eyes in there since you can basically see in the dark. But remember to keep your other senses up to the fullest, and I'll do the same." Josuke declared in planning.
"You've got it. I'll do my best to spot it this time." Issei agreed before moving to the door and peeking inside. Josuke glanced back at Okuyasu with a stern glare.
"We're going back inside for our friend. So do us a favor and don't get in our way now, Okuyasu." He told the punk before turning his back and joining Issei at the door. The younger Nijimura brother tried to find words to say, but couldn't speak as he held his once injured face in confusion as he tried to figure out what had just happened.
"Anything?" Josuke asked as he approached, only for Issei to turn back with a grim expression and shaking his head.
"Not a thing. But it's worse now. Take a look." The brunette told him, Josuke doing as expected and looking inside only for his eyes to widen in shock. It was still rather dark inside the beat down house, but now the air was filled with some kind of fog, making it twice as hard to see inside than before. "I don't know what caused this, but it's probably part of Okuyasu's brother's Stand. I can still see somewhat, but not nearly as easy as it would have been before."
"Shit, this just keeps getting worse…" Josuke cursed before sighing. He pulled out a white hankerchief from his pocket, wrapping it around his bloodied hand. "We'll have to use every single amount of our senses and focus to navigate through this place while watching out for an attack."
"Alright. Ready?" Issei asked, the taller teen nodding as they mentally prepared to enter the death trap that lay before them. "Alright then. One… two… thre-"
"Wait a minute!" Okuyasu's voice interrupted them, causing them to turn back to see the punk climbing the porch behind them and glaring at the two with wide eyes and confusion. "Why did you assholes heal me?"
"Huh?" Josuke grunted in wonder before waving his hand dismissively. "Save that kind of question for later. We're busy."
"Just because you healed me doesn't mean I'm not your enemy!" Okuyasu declared gruffly, pointing at Josuke in particular. "I could attack you at any time!"
"We don't have time for this! Hurry up and stay out of our way!" Issei growled, half wanting to step back up against the punk again but glancing desperately inside in fear, worry for Asia deepening as time went by.
"You want a piece of me?" Josuke asked, his brow narrowed as he prepared for what might be another fight.
"That depends on your answer!" Okuyasu barked, gnashing his teeth now. "Now why did you save me?! I'm not very smart, so you'll have to explain it to me!" He then pointed at Josuke's hand to further his point. "You even got injured doin' it! That happened when you were pullin' me out, right?! I wanna know why you went through all that just to save me!"
Josuke turned away from Okuyasu to look back inside the house, a brisk silence falling between the three. Issei already knew the answer, glancing at Josuke expectantly as he wanted to two to move on now. "There's no deep reason. 'There's no reason he has to die' is what I thought back there." The tall teen explained, causing the punk to flinch in shock. Without a word, Josuke nodded at Issei, confirming that he was ready to go. Without regarding Okuyasu again, Issei moved inside the dark, foggy home. The Devil's eyes shined dark red with energy, his eyesight doing rather well even in this fog. "Come on. Nothing so far." He stated before slowly moving forward.
"Keep an eye out for anything. It could be a lot smaller than Crazy Diamond, maybe even Aqua Necklace." Josuke warned as he trailed close behind his best friend. As the two moved forward, they couldn't shake the sense of apprehension around them, the dark feeling that someone was watching them close by. They reached the stairs of the home, glancing between the doors on their level and the second floor above them. In the corner of his eye, Issei caught sight of a small piece of fabric, reaching out and grabbing it from the railing of the stairs.
"Hey! This is part of Asia's skirt!" Issei announced, showing it to Josuke and glancing back up the stairs. "I think she's upstairs, but it could be to lure us away."
"Here, let me see." Josuke said, taking the cloth and touching it with his Stand. A pinkish aura surrounded it, flying out of his hand and floating up the stairs away from them. "Yeah, she's definitely up there. Let's go."
"Wait a sec! I still have questions!" The two heard Okuyasu from behind them, causing Josuke to click his tongue while Issei groaned in aggravation.
"Look, we don't have time to answer dumb questions! Leave us alone!" Issei growled in annoyance.
"Yeah! Just let us save Asia already! I'm begging-" Josuke started before the punk interrupted him.
"But why Josuke!" He shouted, causing the tallest teen to raise a brow. "I wanna know why you haven't healed your own wounds! I saw you do it for him after he got hit by the arrow and you healed my wounds! Why don't you heal yourself too?"
Josuke sighed before looking up at Okuyasu with stern eyes. "I can't heal myself. It just means that life isn't that easy." He then took a step forward toward Okuyasu and pointed. "And more importantly, I can't heal someone that's already dead. So know that if your brother does something to Asia that we can't be held accountable for what we do to him for it. Or his vampire friend up there." Okuyasu was quiet, only let biting his bottom lip as he tried to fully process the pompadour spotting teen's words.
"If you understand, then let us go." Issei urged this time. "We have no idea what your brother has planned but we have no choice but to chance it. So give us a break." The punk looked at the brunette this time but didn't say anything once again. The two took this as confirmation that he was satisfied somewhat with their answers, returning to their main objective and heading up the stairs. The fog seemed to become a bit thicker, making it much harder for Josuke to see what was in front of him, though Issei had little trouble with it.
"See her anywhere?" Josuke asked as he he pondered on the source of the fog. Issei let out a vocal gulp and nodded, though Josuke could barely see it.
"She's inside the room in front of us. She's at the center. I can see her breathing, but she's unconscious." Issei explained in detail, a bead of sweat rolling down his cheek.
"Shit, it's such an obvious trap." Josuke cursed, gripping his hand before looking at Issei for confirmation. They nodded at one another and prepared to dash in. "Even knowing that, we'll go in no matter what!" As the two started to dash forward, an ethereal arm wrapped around both of their necks, holding them back. The two grinded their teeth in fear, looking back to see The Hand hovering over them with it's right arm raised.
"Sh-shit!" Issei hissed in fear, struggling against the Stand's grip.
"You still wanna fight?!" Josuke growled out, unsure if he could call out Crazy Diamond in time to stop the attack.
"Put a lid on it you two!" Okuyasu barked, his Stand swiping down. The two were not expecting, however, for The Hand to swipe past them, creating an arc of empty space before them, only to be replaced by Asia, who now lie in front of them. The Stand released the two and Okuyasu turned his back to them.
"N-no way… he brought her to us…" Issei muttered in shock before grinning broadly and turning back to Okuyasu as he picked her up in his arms. "Th-thank you!"
"Don't bother, I'm just paying back my debt." Okuyasu declared, looking back at the brunette. "I'm not very smart, so I just act on what my heart tells me. I won't attack you guys and I won't help my brother fight you. The rest is up to you to do. That's it for me." He declared before turning back to the stairs and starting to walk down.
Josuke watched him as he left and gave a small smile of his own before sighing. "That's just great, Okuyasu." He chuckled before glancing at Asia. She didn't have any visible damage, and was most likely struck over the head by either Keicho or the vampire. Suddenly an idea occurred to him, turning back to the retreating punk. "Actually, Okuyasu, I have one favor to ask."
Issei and Okuyasu paused, both looking to the JoJo in question. "What is it? I'm not gonna fight for you either…"
"It's not that. I want you to take Asia out of here." Josuke declared, causing Issei to grunt in disapproval.
"W-wait a sec! He may not be a bad guy, but what if he's a pervert!" Issei exclaimed desperately, causing Okuyasu to flinch.
"O-oi! Just because I'm a punk doesn't mean I'm a pervy asshole!" Okuyasu argued in annoyance. "What makes you think that?!"
"It's because Issei's a perv, he assumes most guys are too." Josuke pointed out, causing the brunette to fall forward in exasperation. "But I don't think you're that kind of guy. I'm also really worried that Asia will only get hurt if she sticks around while we're fighting, so please just-" Josuke stopped as a flock of bats flew past their heads from the darkness, causing them to subconsciously cover their heads in defense. "Shit, those two are starting to attack now!" He looked back at Okuyasu through his arms. "You have to decide now! Are you gonna take her out of here or not?!"
Okuyasu gulped for a moment before grunting in aggravation. "Damn it, stop makin' me think too hard on this!" He shouted, reaching forward and scooping Asia up from between the best friends. "I'll take her out of here then!"
"Don't lay a hand on her otherwise!" Issei barked as he watched the two retreat down the stairs, glancing back up at the bats again. He was surprised to see that they veered off from Okuyasu, apparently allowing him to leave without much trouble. "At least he made it out…"
"Now we've just gotta worry about ourselves." Josuke sighed as he reached inside his pocket, grabbing his lighter and pulling it out. "But shit, there's so many of them…"
"That damned fool Okuyasu. Intervening and forcing me to change my plans." Josuke and Issei heard Keicho's voice echo from above them among the bats. "Now I'll have to devise a plan to later catch and kill the girl. But either way, neither of you will be leaving this house!"
The same flash of light from before in the living room flashed above them among the bats, causing Josuke and Issei to widen their eyes in fear. Within the next second, a small rain of energy showered down on the two. Josuke had summoned his Stand to block and Issei raised up his crimson bracer, but the two were riddled in their shoulders and parts of their arms with the attack.
"Sonuva-" Issei groaned in pain, gripping his gauntlet that shined with energy. Boost! He lashed out toward the bats, a green aura faintly shining around his fist as he launched a punch upwards. It created a small straight lined shockwave that took out a number of the bats.
DORARARA~! Josuke's Stand cried out furiously as it also did a quick fist rush and taking out several more bats. Despite this, it didn't seem like they put much of a dent in the flock, Josuke grinding his teeth before turning to Issei. "Hey! Did you see what his Stand is?! I don't think it's the bats!"
"I-I couldn't see that well thanks to the fog, but I think I saw them!" Issei declared, keeping his arm up as he was ready for another attack. "I could make out some small bodies on top of the bats, but I couldn't make out the details."
"Shit. I guess that means killing one or two won't be enough to end this." Josuke cursed. He saw the same flash again, turning back toward one of the doors near them and busting it down with his shoulder. "Come on! We need to get out of the bat's area coverage!"
"Right!" Issei agreed, quickly following Josuke inside the room and slamming the door closed behind him. It mattered little, though, as it was quickly destroyed by the same attack from before. Issei took a small breath of relief as they were given somewhat of a moment to breath, looking around for their options.
"Shit, I still can't see anything right now." Josuke muttered in annoyance before a small light caught his eye. Across the room, several windows were boarded up with several cracks that let light shine through. "Hey, I'm gonna open those up for us! You might be able to see but I can't!" Josuke declared as he took several steps forward before stopping, a small humming sound coming from in front of him. From the fog, Josuke thought the bats had returned, only for his eyes to widen as he realized they were, in fact, helicopters. "What the hell?" He muttered, watching as they launched missiles at him. Crazy Diamond quickly appeared before him, destroying the barrage with a fist rush. DORARARA! It roared again as it dispatched of the attack. "Helicopters? What the hell is next?! Jets?"
"Tanks!" Issei cried out this time, pointing toward the floor. Josuke couldn't rightly see what Issei was talking about, but knew to trust the boy's superior eyesight. "A bunch of 'em! I'll cover us the best I can from this side!" Issei declared, his bracer glowing with power. Boost! What looked like a veil of green aura formed a transparent shield. Moments later, several explosions erupted from in front of the brunette, grinding his teeth in frustration as he did his best to hold his ground against the attack.
"Hold on just a sec!" Josuke told Issei, his Stand destroying some of the helicopters as they approached before reaching out and grabbing one of the helicopters. It quickly turned to the side and tossed the toy sized vehicle where he saw the vapor streams from the tanks. Issei dropped his shield just in time, allowing the helicopter to fly by easily enough and cause a small explosion on the ground. Issei and Josuke took a moment to catch their breath, the room falling silent as they were now apparently free from attack.
"What was that… shield back there?" Josuke asked between breaths, looking at Issei in question.
"You like it? During the whole Angelo thing, I asked president to help me train." Issei chuckled proudly, holding up his crimson bracer. "I can boost a bit more now and I can use my energy a bit better. Like you saw, I can even make a shield. Though it's not that strong."
"Seemed to work just great to me." Josuke smirked, a bit happy to see Issei had grown a bit since their last fight with the Fallen Angels. "Think you could do something about this fog with that?"
Issei blinked at that before grinning sheepishly. "Actually, I think I can…" He declared, tightening his armored fist before slamming it into the ground. It released a shockwave of green aura throughout the area. It was harmless to Josuke, but it was able to push the fog away and clear the room. His gauntlet also provided adequate light for Josuke to see. What they saw when the fog cleared though caused them to grimace.
There Keicho was leaning against the far wall of the room, a smug smirk on his face. Before him was a large army of tiny soldiers, all about the size of toys. They were in a standard military formation, their guns pointed at Josuke and Issei. They all wore green camouflage infantry uniforms, their faces inhuman and wrapped cloth with large red eyes beaming at them.
"What a shame. And here I thought I'd just blow you both away under the cover of the fog." Keicho confidently chuckled before glaring. "All units! Open fire!" He ordered like a true drill sergeant, the army obeying his orders immediately and unleashing hell.
"Move!" Josuke told the brunette, pushing him to the side to protect them both again. DORARARARARA~! Crazy Diamond shouted once more, deflecting the wave of Stand bullets with light speed punches. This kept on for a few moments before Keicho raised his arm.
"All units, cease fire!" He ordered again, and without hesitation the soldiers stopped, standing up straight and moving back into place. He never dropped his smug smile even after seeing Josuke deflect the attack. "Now you've seen what my Stand, Bad Company, is capable of. I command a platoon of soldiers and assault vehicles, all ready to attack at my command."
Josuke bit his bottom lip, glaring daggers at the older Stand user. "Was that supposed to scare us? I'm not impressed." He taunted, only for Keicho to chuckle confidently.
"It doesn't matter how you might view my Bad Company, Josuke Higashikata. For in the end you're going to be killed by it without trouble." The elder Nijimura brother declared, posing as he glanced down at his Stand below. "Just look at their perfect formation. It feels good to see them line up so perfectly. Though it pisses me off to see that a few are missing. You and your Devil friend dispatched of several."
"Please! Your Stand is lame as hell in comparison to Josuke's!" Issei proclaimed in annoyance, becoming more and more pissed off by Keicho's demeanor even in front of them like this.
"Please. A Devil who's barely seen any fights like you has no room to speak on the matter." Keicho retorted easily, unshaken by Issei's taunt. "After all, if you hadn't realized my Stand has a far superior effective range to Josuke Higashikata's, whose can barely reach over two meters or so."
"I didn't figure you for one to boast so much to your enemies, Keicho." A new feminine voice spoke, causing Josuke and Issei to glance at the door to see the loli vampire from before. "Only more reason to despise you."
"Says the vampire who likes to play with her food too much." Keicho shot back easily, placing his hands on his hips. "Now, shall we finish these two off now?"
"Fine. Let's get this over with." Elmenhilde sighed, her red irises shining dangerously.
"She's probably the one who can make that fog and summon the bats. Be careful." Josuke muttered quietly, turning to face off with Keicho while Issei did the same with the same with the vampire.
"You guys worked well hiding behind your powers so far. I'm surprised you decided to come out and face us like this." Issei exclaimed as he tried to conjure a plan to deal with Elmenhilde. He still didn't know the extent of her powers and how much of a threat she posed between her and Keicho.
"That's because it all ends here." Keicho declared proudly before pointing at his hair. "Josuke Higashikata. I hear that when someone says something insulting about your hair, you lose your temper."
Issei gulped as he was worried that Josuke might fly off the handle just from that, but was somewhat relieved to see that he was still in control, though no rage was hidden from his gaze. "Why don't you try insulting it just to try it out?" Josuke dared him, partly hoping the elder Nijimura brother would do so just to give him an excuse to attack him right here and now. Keicho, however, only chuckled before shaking his head.
"There's no need. For now I will declare that I'll separate you from your Devil friend and that I shall blow your limbs and head off with the power of Bad Company, while Elmenhilde will dispose of him herself." Keicho stated almost as if it were a foregone outcome.
"That's a pretty solid plan, honestly." Josuke sneered before smirking smugly this time. "If you disregard the fact that it'll never happen!"
"You humans are so full of yourselves." Elmenhilde scoffed, twirling the umbrella in her hands. "I truly grow tired of hearing you talk. Let's end this already."
Josuke and Issei suddenly felt a dark presence above them, looking up to see several of her bats hanging from the roof. They suddenly spread their wings, revealing the small soldiers of Bad Company on their bellies, aiming their guns directly down at the two.
"Shit!" Issei cursed as they opened fire, pushing off the ground opposite to Josuke, the taller teen doing the same, falling to the ground with a thud at the feet of Elmenhilde, while Josuke was closer to the window, trying to quickly regain his balance and stand up.
"Company! Forward march!" Keicho commanded with great authority, his Stand all moving in sync and heading toward Josuke, ignoring Issei who grinded his teeth.
"Hey! Don't forget about me-" Issei began before he felt a sharp pain in his side, looking down to find Elmenhilde's umbrella rammed directly into his side before sending him flying into the wall and busting it down, the brunette now lying in the next room. "That's my line, Devil." Elmenhilde huffed, stepping forward into the room and standing over Issei menacingly, the brunette grinding his teeth as he realized she was much stronger than she looked.
"Issei!" Josuke cried out in fear, wanting to rush to his aide. He was quickly cut off by Keicho and his army, who smirked at him darkly.
"Full company, halt!" Keicho ordered, his soldiers coming to a stop in front of their user. "Take aim!" The leading line of the soldiers took a forward knee, all of them taking collective aim at Josuke with their guns and tanks, the helicopters preparing their missiles.
"If you're gonna do enough to bring this whole place down, then so am I." Josuke growled, Crazy Diamond appearing before him with it's fists gripped. "Let's make this great."
"Fire!" Keicho ordered, the entirety of Bad Company firing all at once.
DORARARARA~!
Issei pushed himself up, grinding his teeth as he glared at Elmenhilde. "Who the hell are you?! Why are you working with that bastard!"
"It doesn't matter who I am, only that I am your enemy." The loli vampire pointed out firmly, stabbing forward with her umbrella to strike Issei again. The brunette barely dodged in time, gulping as he didn't want to be struck by her again. "To be honest, I hate Keicho Nijimura. And I feel somewhat grateful to you and the human for saving Okuyasu."
"Y-you do?" Issei stuttered in surprise, only to barely block a strike from Elmy again by raising his crimson bracer. "I-it sure doesn't feel like it…"
"Despite how I may feel, I still owe it to Myrcella to protect the Bow and Arrow at all costs." Elmenhilde declared as she recoiled her umbrella for another strike. "So I shall repay what you did by giving you a quick death."
"That's a horrible way to repay us!" Issei complained with a groan as he dodged another strike from the vampire. Guess I don't have a choice… Boost! His Sacred Gear spoke, attempting to charge his power up. He had spent quite a bit in their fight against Okuyasu though, and his boosting was already at it's limit. I'm still too weak. I need to get stronger. But not enough energy to give… He rushed at the vampire with his arm cocked back, attempting to strike Elmenhilde only to be avoided with ease, the loli floating up above the strike and nailing him across the jaw with her umbrella.
"This would be far more painless if you just sat there and let me kill you." Elmenhilde sighed, placing her umbrella on her shoulder and shaking her head. "I know you spent too much energy fighting Okuyasu. That boost power you have is too new to you, isn't it?"
Shit, she's seeing right through me. Issei mused in annoyance, trying to formulate a plan and wiping his mouth of blood. It was official that he couldn't match her as he was. But that didn't mean he wasn't going to try.
Josuke was faring somewhat better than Issei was, slowly walking forward as Crazy Diamond continued to deflect the barrage with its fist rush. "Just like Moses, who parted the Red Sea and walked across its floor, I'm gonna push my way through this army and beat you down!" Josuke shouted firmly, doing his best to close the distance without making a dumb move as he did so. For just a brief moment, his eye caught Issei and Elmenhilde in the corner, his best friend being overpowered by the loli He's still too tired from earlier, and I'm guessing that vampire has more experience fighting. This is bad…
On the ground, Josuke spied a piece of drywall, most likely what flew from the wreckage that was caused when Issei was knocked through the wall of the house. An idea came to the tall teen, a risky one at that. "Agh!" Issei cried out in pain as he saw Issei now pinned to the ground, Elmenhilde's umbrella now stabbing his shoulder with the tip. I have to act now!
He dived toward the rubble, continuing to let Crazy Diamond protect him from the direct attack that Keicho was attempting to hit him with. "Fool! You're walking right into my trap now!" Keicho cackled in triumph, causing Josuke to widen his eyes in shock. Under his foot, he felt a small bump and heard a click, and a moment later a small explosion erupted up and blasted his leg. A landmine?! He grimaced, his leg racking with pain as he fell to the ground. Despite this, he quickly reached out with his Stand and grabbed part of the rubble.
"Apachi's! Launch your missile strike!" Keicho ordered again, causing Josuke to curse as he tried to figure out whether to focus on surviving or helping out Issei. He didn't have much time to think about it as the missiles approached, his Stand moving forward to block the attack.
DORA! It growled as it knocked away a wave of missiles in front of him. He grunted in pain though as several missiles flanked him from the side, hitting Crazy Diamond in the forearm and causing him pain in the same spot. "My arm…" He groaned, holding it to nurse some of the pain away.
"First damage to your legs and then your arms! It seems that things are going as I predicted!" Keicho proclaimed smugly, letting out a triumphant laugh again. "Now let's see that head of yours blow off when all of my units attack you with a full assault! This is your loss, Josuke Higashikata!" He further taunted, only to pause as he saw the young JoJo slightly struggle as he picked up the piece of rubble that his Stand had grabbed earlier. "What's that? Are you planning to throw that at me? That's rather desperate." Keicho chuckled, shaking his head.
"I'm not worried about you at the moment, Okuyasu's big bro…" Josuke declared sternly, Keicho raising a brow in question. The piece of rubble was surrounded by a pink aura. "I'm worried about that vampire…"
"What?" Keicho muttered before looking back at Elmenhilde, who was standing over Issei.
"All of this pain could have been avoided had you just let me kill you quick." Elmenhilde taunted, raising her umbrella for a final strike. "Goodbye, Devil."
"Sh-shit… I'm not gonna die like this… You're not the girl I wanted to see last before I die…" Issei growled, weakly attempting to stand up from the ground only for the loli to dig her heel into one of his wounds. I-I need more time to boost! I can't do it if she's-
Suddenly Elmenhilde widened her eyes, looking up to see her arm being struck by part of the broken wall, which was now covered in a pink aura. "Wh-what?! What's happening?!" She blanched, unable to counter the fact that several pieces were now flying up at her from the floor, each one hitting her wrists and sending her up into the roof, suspending her there. "You damn human! You think you can restrain me so-" she was silenced as several pieces of the rubble slammed into her temple, effectively knocking her out for the moment.
"N-no way…" Issei muttered before turning to his best friend. "Josuke!" He cried in appreciation, only to pale as he saw that the tall teen was still surrounded by Bad Company, which still had it's weapons trained on Josuke ready to fire. E-even though he's in trouble right now, he still saved me…
"How foolish." Keicho scoffed, turning back to Josuke with a heavy glare. "Worrying about your comrade when you should be more worried about yourself. You could have used what time you had to devise something that might have helped you instead of helping him."
"I wouldn't expect…" Josuke muttered, pushing himself up to a sitting position. "... A guy who almost killed his own brother without a second thought to understand." he retorted with narrowed eyes. Keicho scoffed, shaking his head.
"It'll be that sentiment that kills you, Josuke Higashikata." Keicho declared before raising his arm. "All units, take aim! Ready…" his army cocked their rifles in preparation, the helicopters and tanks preparing their next round to attack.
Issei pushed up to his feet, huffing for breath as he watched in horror as Josuke faced a literal firing squad. Goddamn it! How many times is he gonna save me and I can't return the favor?! He gripped his gauntlet in aggravation, sorting through all of his powers at once in hope of finding an answer to this situation. He went out of his way to save me just like always! I'm not going to keep being a burden to him! He considered rushing at Keicho, but it was an obvious dumb move. The soldiers would easily just turn and fire on him. Even if he had his shield up, it wouldn't protect him from so much fire power at once. He would be overwhelmed.
Sometimes giving your enemy power can defeat them.
Issei's breath hitched as he remembered Rias's words during training, having spent quite a bit of time trying to improve his powers. He then grinned with determination, his crimson bracer glowing with energy once again.
Boost!
Come on, a bit more!
Boost!
You can do this, Issei! More!
Boost!
That's it!
"Fire!" Keicho gave out the final order to his soldiers. Issei grinded his teeth before letting out a determined battle cry, slamming his fist into the ground and sending out a shockwave through the floor.
Transfer!
"What?" Keicho hummed, glancing back at Issei in question as the wave of energy passed him without notice. His Stand, however, received the gathered demonic energy within them, the soldiers and the tanks glowing with energy. Josuke received the boost as well, his eyes widening as he felt revitalized despite his wounds. They still hurt, but his body was able to fight the pain easily enough for him to try and stand without much support.
"Was that your last ditch effort to save Josuke Higashikata?" Keicho scoffed, grinning smugly at Issei and crossing his arms. "What a waste. Even if that power somehow transferred into him, it also gave my Stand, Bad Company, a boost. You've only sealed his fate!" He turned back to Josuke, raising his arm. "All units! Fire!"
"Don't be so sure about that, dumbass…" Issei chuckled with a confident smirk. Bad Company did indeed fire, but much to Keicho's shock, their shots were wild and heavily off course, their bullets and missiles all shooting into the air randomly. Only the Apachi helicopters shot on target, having been unaffected by the transfer of energy. That proved worthless as Crazy Diamond swiped away their torpedos.
"Wh-what's happening?!" Keicho asked in confusion before turning back to glare at Issei. "You… what the hell did you do to my Stand?!"
"I gave it an energy boost, couldn't you tell?" Issei declared, pointing at Keicho as he started to explain. "But I didn't give you the power boost. I gave it directly to your Stand. And since your Stand is so small, each individual soldier and tank can't take the amount of demonic energy I put forward into my transfer. It's the equivalent of handing an infantryman a missile launcher when he's only used to shooting a rifle. He doesn't know how to handle the kickback or the power all at once, and freaks out. If I had given it to you, it would have distributed fine and actually been controlled. But the same doesn't apply when I do it directly to them. Now they're just going nuts."
"You Devil scum…" Keicho cursed, gripping his fists as he glanced around to see the majority of his soldiers moving sporadically and fidgeting uncontrollably. "You may have disabled most of the ground force, but it didn't work on my air force! Apachi's! Move forward and destroy the Devil!" He ordered in rage, the helicopters flying forward toward Issei. The brunette only sighed and shook his head.
"For a guy so meticulous and strategic, that was a dumb move. You left yourself wide open." Issei declared, causing Keicho to raise a brow before he felt the hairs on his neck stand up, realizing what he meant.
"That's just great." Josuke spoke behind him, Keicho turning slightly to see a smug grin on his face as he stood only a meter away. "You gave me plenty of room to work with."
"B-Bad Company! Protec-" Keicho started, only to find the fist of Crazy Diamond planting in the center of his face.
"That's enough orders out of you!" Josuke roared as his Stand moved forward and cocked it's other arm back before unleashing a powerful fist rush upon the elder Stand user. DORARARARARARARA~! Keicho barely knew what hit him as the Stand punched him faster than he could process. DORA~! It delivered a final blow into his sternum, launching Keicho across the room and blasting him through the wall opposite to Josuke. The tall teen took a moment to huff for breath before sighing in relief, allowing his legs to buckle so that he was now sitting on the ground and grinning at Issei with a thumbs up. "You bastard, showin' me up with that move of yours. It was just great."
Issei laughed and gave a broad grin of his own, holding a thumbs up with his crimson bracer. "You can't always be the coolest guy around."