Ten draws... twenty... thirty... forty...
Ryosuke remained still.
With a total of 299 draws, it was impossible not to pull a five-star.
No, not just a matter of probability. There was also... Faith.
A gut feeling told Ryosuke, it would appear.
That radiant five-star among the stars above would eventually descend.
Fifty draws, nothing.
Sixty draws...
Suddenly, Ryosuke's vision turned pitch-black, and from the vast stars above, ten of them fell. One shone more brilliantly than the rest.
'It's here!'
[Ding ding ding ding ding~]
'A five-star!'
As the light slowly faded, Ryosuke saw clearly.
It wasn't a Stand.
It was a five-star item.
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[Item: Thorned Crown of the Saint]
[Origin: JoJo's Bizarre Adventure Part 7: Steel Ball Run]
[Description: A thorned crown worn by the Saint before death, stained with the Saint's blood and imbued with the light of the soul.]
[Effect: Those with selfish desires cannot possess or wear the crown. It cannot be destroyed or hidden. It will always remain in humanity's gaze. Once worn, it may create incomprehensible miracles or guide fate, and may also bring corresponding trials.]
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'Is this considered part of the Saint's corpse?'
Ryosuke recalled that in Steel Ball Run, the Saint's corpse consisted of nine parts: left arm, right arm, both eyes, heart, spine, both ears, both legs, torso, and head.
When all parts were gathered, the corpse would bless the possessor and the land around them.
But... a thorned crown?
In the depiction of the Saint during his lifetime, there was indeed a silhouette showing him wearing a thorned crown, but could this really be counted as part of the body?
Ryosuke's eyes landed on the phrase, [Stained with the Saint's blood and soul's light.]
Maybe that's what gave it power equivalent to the Saint's body parts.
The ability to guide fate and create miracles, this item deserved to be called a five-star.
If not for its randomness and instability, it might even qualify as a six-star.
Ryosuke thought for a moment, then placed the thorned crown on Sasuke's head.
He didn't believe in fate.
But he hoped for a miracle.
The thorned crown pierced Sasuke's skin, a trickle of blood flowed out. But in the next second, it was as if someone hit rewind: the blood flowed backward, the wound closed, and the spreading curse mark on his neck reversed along with it.
Jiraiya couldn't believe his eyes.
'What is that?!'
It completely defied logic.
As an expert in Sage Arts and natural energy, Jiraiya didn't sense any natural energy at all, this was something even more forceful and unreasonable,
Reverse playback.
Sasuke's body, tormented by the curse mark, chakra, and Ripple, teetering on collapse, was rewound into a state between life and death.
"Incredible..."
Jiraiya looked at Ryosuke, who casually pulled out the thorned crown, "That's divine intervention."
Ryosuke corrected him, "A miracle."
"Is there a difference?"
Ryosuke shook his head, offering no explanation.
The Saint's miracle had come. Now, it was up to fate to show where Ryosuke would go next.
Another draw.
Seventy... eighty... ninety...
This wait felt unusually long.
Until the 180th draw.
The stars fell again.
Ryosuke didn't look at the light, he closed his eyes and listened.
[Ding ding ding ding~]
Four sounds.
He opened his eyes. The star's light had formed into a rainbow-colored mask.
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[Stand Name: Catch the Rainbow]
[Four-star]
[User: Blackmore]
[Ability: A Stand that can only be used when it rains. It can freeze any raindrops it touches. Rain is harmless to the Stand user.]
[Current Level: 1]
[Note: "When the storm ends, it will be my death, will it be yours too, Ryosuke?"]
———
Sixty draws gave him the five-star Thorned Crown. Then 120 draws gave him the four-star Catch the Rainbow.
Was this fate's guidance? Or just... Bad luck?
Ryosuke took a deep breath and suppressed his thoughts.
'Continue.'
He threw in another ten-draw.
Before the animation even finished, Ryosuke habitually reached to press another ten-draw.
But right then, the sky darkened again.
'Again? Another five-star in a row?!'
'The infamously stingy, no-pity, lawsuit-worthy-in-real-life JoJo system... was finally showing mercy?'
Ryosuke locked onto the direction from which the stars fell. The five consecutive chimes proved this pull's value.
A beam of light, a humanoid Stand appeared.
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[Stand Name: White Snake]
[Five-star]
[User: Enrico Pucci]
[Ability 1- Disc Extraction: Discs are divided into "Memory" and "Stand/Ninjutsu" types. White Snake can extract a disc by striking the enemy's "heart." Viewing a memory disc reveals the owner's memories.
Inserting a Stand/Ninjutsu disc into another allows them to use its abilities.
Those who lose a memory disc forget everything related to it, but can still use jutsu. Those who lose a Stand/Ninjutsu disc fall into a coma-like state.
White Snake can also write a "Command" disc that forces the target to execute that command.]
[Ability 2 – Mind Dissolution: Creates white acidic fluid to contact enemies, generating illusions. The target is made to dream unknowingly. Unless they realize it's a dream, they won't awaken.]
[Ability 3 – Evolution: At the right opportunity, it can evolve into C-Moon.]
[Current Level: 1 Note: "Looks like you were still a step too slow."]
———
Ryosuke locked eyes with White Snake.
It was mostly pale gray, slender and tall, wearing a philosophically cold black mask. Its skin bore strips inscribed with "GΔCT".
One hand on its hip, it tilted its head slightly, looking irritated.
'So, it's White Snake.' Ryosuke frowned slightly.
To save Sasuke, the Stands he most wanted were Crazy Diamond or Gold Experience, with their healing abilities, they could definitely resolve the curse mark issue.
But...
'White Snake, might work too.'
Orochimaru had attacked Uchiha Itachi, then Ryosuke, then Sasuke. That pattern showed Orochimaru's continuous compromise.
He craved the Uchiha body and Sharingan. Even after being crushed by Itachi and Ryosuke, he never gave up, and finally set his sights on Sasuke, leaving the curse mark.
Ryosuke suspected it had positioning and remote manipulation functions.
Just like clicking a trojan virus, once hacked, the system couldn't be unlocked. To break it, you needed the one who set the trap.
And Orochimaru's escape skills were too powerful.
Half his skills were dedicated to surviving and running away. Capturing him, dragging him back to heal Sasuke, nearly impossible.
And who's to say Orochimaru wouldn't leave a backdoor again?
So thinking about it... White Snake was perfect.
Due to the system's adaptive nature, this version of White Snake, which originally only extracted Stands, now gained the ability to extract ninjutsu as well.
As long as Ryosuke found Orochimaru and extracted the disc, he could safely treat Sasuke, no risks.
Not only that, Orochimaru, as one of the Sannin, knew many jutsu and secrets from across nations. Most importantly, he was an expert in body modification.
For Ryosuke, this would help train Rei, Takeshi, and others, scout strong targets across nations, and study the effects of absorbing Ripple and natural energy on his body.
However...
Ryosuke looked at the thorned crown on Sasuke's head, then at White Snake. His eyes flickered with complex emotion.
'The shortest path is the detour, huh?'
110 draws left. Ryosuke no longer felt like pulling.
Getting a five-star early again? Not happening.
Most likely it would just be a total waste.
Hermit Purple: track anything, regardless of distance.
Aerosmith: lock on targets within 1km
Star Platinum: crush enemies head-on
And finally, White Snake: extract the disc.
Everything was ready.
'Then let's go."
Ryosuke carried Sasuke on his back.
Just then, the usually silent, frowning Jiraiya finally spoke, "Leave Sasuke to me. I'll take him back to Mount Myoboku and ask the Great Toad Sage for help."
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