But what did any of this have to do with Kai Adler?
Right now, his attention was entirely consumed by watching Hermione eat adorably.
"Kai! These scallops are delicious!" Hermione exclaimed, eyes sparkling. "You have to make them for me when we get back!"
"And the fish—it's so fresh, so good!"
"That one's steamed," Kai explained, amused. "Some of the herbs aren't available back home, but I could bring seeds and plant them in the garden."
"Okay~!" Hermione's eyes narrowed with delight, her expression glowing.
Kai's gaze softened at the sight.
"Have some more congee—the preserved egg and lean meat one here is excellent," he offered gently, bringing the small bowl toward her. "Careful, it's hot—"
Before he could finish, Kai's hand paused midair, his brow tightening as he shifted his peripheral vision toward the round table behind him.
Five tall figures now occupied the table. Alongside the four he'd already noticed earlier were they now joined by a fifth—a pale foreigner dressed in black, silver hair defying gravity in a wild, almost sculptural style.
Kai instantly sensed it—the convergence of unknown, highly unusual energy gathering around those five, crackling beneath the surface like a storm waiting to break.
Suddenly, the congee on their own table rippled unnaturally—as though something was forcing its way to the surface from within.
"Mr. Joestar, careful!" shouted the broad, Middle Eastern man in the red robe.
The middle-aged man—graying hair, rugged beard, heavy coat in earthy tones—reacted swiftly, lifting his left hand in a blocking motion as he faced the congee.
"It's a Stand!" he warned.
The sharp sound of metal clashing rang out in the air.
But Kai's sharp eyes noticed something strange—despite sensing the energy flare and hearing the sound, nothing visibly collided.
Then, the Middle Eastern man performed the traditional opening act of any good restaurant brawl—
He flipped the table.
The dishes shattered across the floor as all five stood up, tensions surging.
"Magician's Red!" the man roared.
The restaurant's temperature soared instantly. Waves of distorted heat rippled outward, blurring the air itself as they shot toward the silver-haired man.
Yet Kai still saw nothing—no flames, no attacks. Just intense energy.
The silver-haired man struck a pose, cool and composed, and the waves of heat abruptly diverted midair—deflected as though an invisible barrier had intercepted them. The force struck the overturned tabletop, which instantly ignited.
The flames burned unnaturally, searing a clock face pattern onto the wooden surface.
The transition from flipped table to full combat happened in a heartbeat, the anomaly drawing every pair of eyes in the restaurant.
When the other patrons saw fire erupt seemingly from nowhere, panic followed.
"Fire!"
Chairs scraped back, screams echoed, and the remaining customers fled toward the exits. The waitstaff scrambled frantically, phones pressed to their ears.
Kai's eyes lingered on the vendor, now crouched behind the counter, trembling as he thumbed through a phone book.
Who the hell uses a phone book for emergencies these days?
Hermione, happily eating a moment ago, finally noticed the chaos and turned toward the scene.
Kai calmly rested a hand on her shoulder. "It's fine. Don't let them ruin your meal."
Hermione, clever as ever, scanned the scene, her curiosity visibly taking over.
"Are those the supernatural ability users Lukas mentioned?" she whispered, eyes sparkling like a fawn encountering something new and dangerous yet fascinating.
Kai's expression remained cool. "Probably, but it's not our concern. Finish your congee first."
"Oh…"
Though obedient, Hermione sneakily shifted her seat to an angle where she could eat and watch, perfectly positioned for maximum drama consumption.
Kai chuckled softly at her antics, but his curiosity was piqued as well.
With a subtle gesture, dark tendrils of Black Magic rippled beneath his skin, enhancing his senses—the world before him twisting into the filtered vision he'd honed, imitating his Obscurus state.
The tables and walls drained of color—the ordinary faded to dull greys—while magical and supernatural forces burst into stark relief, illuminated by vibrant hues only he could perceive.
The five at the round table shimmered with energy.
The two tall young men and the middle-aged one remained still, yet they pulsed with blue, green, and violet light, their bodies taut with hidden readiness.
The two now clashing stood bathed in brilliant silver and red auras—the embodiment of sharpness and searing heat locked in a contest of wills.
But it wasn't the energy that captivated Kai—it was what floated behind them.
Hovering behind the Arab man was a fiery, humanoid figure—a birdlike beak, muscular human body, limbs engulfed in fierce, living flames. Just looking at it evoked a primal sense of burning danger.
Behind the silver-haired man, another figure—humanoid, clad entirely in polished, silvery-white armor, a slender rapier poised delicately in its grip like a knight awaiting battle.
So these are Stands…
Kai's eyes sharpened with intrigue, recalling the name the older man had shouted—Stand—an unfamiliar yet oddly descriptive term for these spiritual manifestations of power.
Nearly every other patron had fled, leaving Kai and Hermione conspicuously seated, eating and observing like tourists at a street performance.
The fighters themselves seemed too locked in confrontation to care—but the others certainly noticed.
The middle-aged man, Joseph Joestar, glanced over, frowning at the pair.
"Hey, you two! It's dangerous, get out of here!" His voice was rough, but there was caution beneath the bark—a desire to avoid collateral damage.
Hermione looked at Kai, silently asking.
Kai remained seated, utterly calm. "It's fine. You handle your business—we'll handle ours. No interference."
"…If you say so."
But Joseph's eyes sharpened instantly, suspicion igniting in his gut.
No interference, huh? Ordinary people couldn't see Stands. At most, they'd notice tension, posturing—maybe some broken furniture.
But that boy—he saw everything.
Joseph's gaze flicked between the two, taking them in properly for the first time.
The Girl—unafraid, curious, far too composed for a child amid this chaos.
But the boy… the boy unsettled him. There was something wrong about him.
The longer Joseph looked, the more the shadows around the boy seemed to stretch unnaturally—like light itself recoiled from his presence. There was an oppressive depth there, an abyssal void no ordinary power could fill.
Even his Ripple—normally steadfast—flickered faintly in response.
Could they be Dio's agents? Stand users aligned with him?
Joseph exchanged a glance with Jotaro Kujo and Noriaki Kakyoin—both now keenly aware of Kai's unsettling aura.
Kai, of course, noticed the suspicion. He sighed softly, finding the situation both amusing and tedious.
He had no interest in their feud. Power plays, hidden vendettas—none of it concerned him. He was here for food, Hermione, and perhaps a quiet stroll afterward.
Shrugging, Kai casually lifted a piece of fish to his lips, chewing slowly, radiating indifference.
Yet his composure only deepened their unease.
Joseph's aura pulsed brighter—the violet glow intensifying—while faint, twisting vine-like patterns began to crawl along his arm, heralding his readiness to unleash Ripple energy if provoked.