The world shifted again, colors and sounds bending and swirling before settling into a quiet, sunlit town. Ken opened his eyes to find himself standing on a sidewalk lined with neat houses, cherry blossom petals drifting lazily in the breeze.
Morioh. He murmured.
His System icon blinked faintly in the corner of his vision. The Ability Analyzer was online, ready to scan.
Ken walked forward, eyes scanning for any signs of unusual power. The town looked peaceful, almost too peaceful.
Then, from the corner of his eye, he caught movement: a group of teenagers gathered near the schoolyard. One boy stood out, pink hair, confident stance, eyes sharp.
Ken focused his analyzer on the boy.
[Analyzing Ability…]
Name: Josuke Higashikata
Ability: Stand Crazy DiamondType: Close-range, healing and powerful melee combatLimitations: Cannot heal himself, only others; range limited to 10 meters
Ken's lips curled in satisfaction. This is exactly the kind of power I need.
He stepped forward, approaching Josuke casually.
"Hey," Ken said smoothly. "Mind if I ask you something?"
Josuke turned, eyes wary but curious.
Ken smiled. "I'm new here and… well, I know about Stands. I was wondering if you'd let me see Crazy Diamond in action?"
Josuke narrowed his eyes suspiciously. "Why do you wanna know that? You some kinda Stand user too?"
Ken's heart beat faster. This was his chance to test the System's new abilities.
"Let's just say I have a vested interest in understanding powers like yours," he said carefully. "Maybe even learning to protect people with it."
Josuke studied him for a moment, then shrugged. "Alright. Show you what Crazy Diamond can do."
Ken's System chimed softly:
[Ability Analyzer: Scanning Stand abilities.][Data captured: Crazy Diamond — 100%.]
Ken's eyes gleamed. Now, to see if I can push this further...
"Think we can be friends?" Ken asked, locking eyes with Josuke.
Josuke smirked. "We'll see about that."
As the two shook hands, Ken felt a new pulse of energy. The upgrade's second feature, the power to copy with trust, was primed.
Next step: gaining Crazy Diamond.
End of Chapter 5.