Jolyne was secretly pleased. She hadn't expected Mari Nishikimi to be so easily provoked. People in an enraged state make low-level mistakes they aren't even aware of, like now, when the other party rashly entered [Stone Free]'s range!
"Hah, Ellen, you didn't really think that would be enough to beat me, did you?" Mari Nishikimi gave a scornful laugh and summoned her own complete Stand.
"[Hereditary Misfortune]."
The speed of the battle between Stands was extremely fast. Even Jolyne couldn't help but marvel—was the opponent's Stand also an A in both Power and Speed?
But there were differences even between double A's. Don't underestimate the power of a Growth A!
Soon, Mari Nishikimi was at a disadvantage. Jolyne seized the opportunity and delivered what should have been a fatal blow.
"Huh???" Her [Stone Free] had missed again. This was the second time.
It seemed the Stand user hiding in the shadows had used their ability again, saving Mari Nishikimi's life.
Mari Nishikimi took the chance to throw a punch at Jolyne. Fortunately, Jolyne's rich combat experience allowed her to narrowly dodge it while simultaneously creating distance, retreating outside the opponent's range to look for another opening.
Both of them observed each other. After the initial probe, neither dared to act recklessly.
The other's earlier recklessness had just happened to expose two key pieces of information:
First, Mari Nishikimi was a novice; second, Mari Nishikimi didn't understand her Stand ability.
The second point was strange. If the other party was sent by Father Pucci, they should have known everything about her beforehand. Had something gone wrong, or... was Mari Nishikimi not one of Father Pucci's subordinates?
Jolyne pondered this while turning a part of her body into [String], moving it flush against the wall toward Mari Nishikimi.
[Lucky, use your ability again when I go in.]
The conversation between Mari Nishikimi and her teammate was transmitted word for word to Jolyne's ears through the [String]. So the other Stand user was called Lucky.
[Meow.]
???
A cat's meow? The other Stand user was a cat?! Jolyne was greatly shocked. There were Stand users among animals?
This was a situation she had never been aware of before. But now that she knew the other's true form, finding it would be much simpler.
First, it was certain the cat was hiding near Mari Nishikimi. She just needed to use her [String] to find it.
But the other party would definitely be extremely vigilant about unusual movements around them. There was only one way to approach slowly—launch an attack first!
Jolyne charged forward again, actively entering the opponent's range.
Mari Nishikimi hadn't expected the other to charge in so recklessly. Her panicked, passive defense was simply full of holes.
"Lucky!" In her fluster, Mari Nishikimi made the wrong judgment call again.
Hearing its master's call for help, a black cat ran out from a blind spot in the corner of the wall.
"Everything is too late!" The [String] long since hidden in the corner quickly wrapped around the black cat's entire body. The restrained cat fell heavily to the ground, struggling hard, but it was useless.
"What did you do to Lucky?!" Mari Nishikimi roared.
"You should worry about yourself first." Jolyne, now within range, punched the Stand in the face. As the true body, a fist mark instantly appeared on Mari Nishikimi's face.
"Ora Ora Ora Ora Ora!" [Stone Free]'s punches were so fast they left afterimages, and every blow carried a heavy dose of personal grudge.
Mari Nishikimi was sent flying directly from the second floor, planting a close, kissing face-first into the first-floor living room. She lay on the ground motionless, presumably knocked out.
Jolyne turned to the black cat still struggling desperately beside her, considering what punishment to give this accomplice.
Ora Ora it too? But it was just a little kitten. That would be too cruel.
Jolyne retracted the [String] restraining the black cat. The freed cat instantly went into ridgeback dragon mode, hissing at her, trying to scare her off.
Jolyne: "..." The little thing is kinda cute.
Seeing her unmoved, the black cat quickly ran downstairs and lay down next to Mari Nishikimi, letting out plaintive "meow meow" cries, occasionally licking her hand.
"Yare yare." Jolyne's heart ultimately softened. What did a little kitten understand? It was all the owner's fault.
Jolyne walked downstairs to Mari Nishikimi's side. Seeing her approach, the black cat thought she was going to hurt its owner again and instantly let out a low "Grrr" as a warning.
"Relax, I won't do anything else to her. I'm just checking if your owner is still salvageable."
The black cat scrutinized her, its gaze shifting between her and its owner, but finally, it moved aside.
Jolyne crouched down and placed her fingers under Mari Nishikimi's nose, sighing in relief when she felt the other's breath.
Just as she withdrew her hand, the villa's front door was violently kicked open from the outside.
"Ellen! Are you... okay?" Standing outside the door was a frantic Josuke Higashikata. He had run so fast that even his meticulously cared-for hairstyle was askew by several degrees.
Behind him was Jotaro Kujo. His chest heaved with violent breaths, showing just how fast the two must have run.
Seeing a perfectly lively Jolyne and a certain woman lying motionless on the ground, Jotaro Kujo finally relaxed a little, though his iceberg face never showed these emotions.
"Um," The reality was completely different from his expectations, leaving Josuke momentarily at a loss.
This situation didn't match Mr. Jotaro's description at all. Wasn't Jolyne supposed to be a weak girl who couldn't even open a jar? Looking at the intensity of the scene, Jolyne had nearly twisted the other's head off!
Could it be... this was the legendary paternal filter? Even the mighty Mr. Jotaro couldn't escape applying an extreme filter to his daughter?
Josuke turned to look at the silent Jotaro, demanding a reasonable explanation, but the other chose to ignore him.
Josuke: "."
"Mr. Jotaro, wait for us!" Koichi Hirose and Rohan Kishibe, who had run out of breath, arrived shortly after.
Rohan Kishibe didn't want to get involved in this boring incident at all, but he couldn't refuse Koichi's request, and added to that it was a matter concerning the respected Mr. Jotaro's family, he had no choice but to come along.
"What's the situation now?" Koichi Hirose asked, confused.
Josuke shrugged. "As you see."
The mess inside the villa proved there had been a fierce fight. The woman lying on the floor not far away seemed to be the only victim of this war... and the small black cat crouching tremblingly beside her.
Koichi Hirose stepped forward to check the injured party's condition. She was still alive, so he called out to Josuke, "Josuke, come over here and heal her!"
"Oh. Okay." Just as Josuke was about to go over, Rohan Kishibe stopped him. "Wait. Before we know if they are friend or foe, it's better to use my [Heaven's Door] first."
Having said that, he moved forward to activate his Stand ability, but was grabbed by the shoulder by Jotaro. Rohan looked puzzled.
"Is there some concern, Mr. Jotaro?"
"Ellen, you explain the situation here." Jotaro was still as sparing with words as ever.
Jolyne nodded and recounted the events without holding anything back. "That's what happened. I'm not clear on Mari Nishikimi's motive for attacking me. But I suspect she must have recently become a Stand user."
"I understand. Ellen, you go back first." Jotaro said this without even giving her an extra glance.
This indifferent attitude made Jolyne furious. "I'm not your subordinate! Why should I follow your orders!"
Her own daughter had just been through great danger, yet this father acted completely unconcerned. It was truly infuriating!
Wait, no. Right now, her father seemed unaware that she was his daughter. So this attitude seemed... not wrong?
Jolyne was embarrassed. Jolyne looked out the window.
Ah, today's window is very window-like!
At critical moments, it fell to Koichi Hirose to smooth things over. "I think Miss Ellen must be exhausted. Let's leave this to Mr. Jotaro and the others. How about I take you back to the hotel?"
"Then I'll trouble you." Jolyne was immensely grateful. He was practically a savior.
Leaving the villa, Jolyne and Koichi walked back to the hotel.
"Um, Miss Ellen, actually, Mr. Jotaro might seem cold and stern, but he's really a very gentle person," Koichi Hirose said.
"He doesn't say much, but he cares deeply about his companions. He's also someone very trustworthy."
"Mhm." Jolyne dismissed) this. She knew exactly what her father was like—a guy who thought he was so strong he didn't put others in his eyes, always self-righteous, never caring about others' feelings. It had been like that since she was a child! Exactly like today!
Koichi Hirose grew somewhat anxious and strenuously defended him). "Actually, what I want to say is, Mr. Jotaro cares about you a lot. Today, when he first found out you were in danger, he was very anxious and called me. I've never seen the always steady Mr. Jotaro so flustered) before."
"So, Miss Ellen, please don't take it to heart."
"Of course I won't take it to heart," Jolyne said childishly. "I'm not anything to him, and he's not anything to me. We have no relationship at all. What right do I have to take it to heart?"
"Ah?" Koichi Hirose didn't react for a moment. Wasn't she Mr. Jotaro's daughter...? Oh right, he almost forgot. From Miss Jolyne's perspective, she and Mr. Jotaro had no relationship.
Koichi Hirose showed a gentle smile. "Then from now on, it's a companionship. It's only natural for companions to care about each other."
Jolyne was stunned. Companions? Her and them...?
Koichi Hirose looked up at Jolyne, thinking that father and daughter were terrifyingly similar in some aspects...
---
On the other side.
"Kishibe-san, please use your [Heaven's Door] ability," Jotaro said.
Jolyne was always very smart. He had stopped Rohan earlier precisely because he was afraid she would notice they had used [Heaven's Door] to check her memories.
"No problem." Rohan Kishibe crouched on the ground and began to activate his Stand ability. Mari Nishikimi's face turned into pages of paper as the ability took effect.
"Mari Nishikimi, born 1982 in Ikebukuro, Tokyo. Abandoned by her parents at birth, raised in an orphanage. Attended Teikō Middle School. Became famous at 16 with 'Evil Under the Sun,' becoming the year's most popular mystery novelist. Idol is Yusaku Kudo. First love is..."
"Hey! Kishibe, you're invading her privacy!" Josuke Higashikata yanked him back. It was the same last time with Jolyne's memories. If Mr. Jotaro hadn't stopped him with a dark look, he probably would have read everything.
Rohan Kishibe disdainfully slapped away the hand holding him, sneering, "What do you know? To fully understand a person, you can't miss any detail! It's like character creation. Without the support of minutiae, a character can't be fully fleshed out!"
"And that's your reason for not even sparing her first period?!" Josuke yelled back. This guy was indeed as crazy and perverted as ever!
Jotaro couldn't be bothered with their argument and personally checked the remaining useful information.
"Attacked two months ago. Stabbed in the chest with a stone arrow alongside her cat, becoming a Stand user. Moved to Morioh one month ago to find inspiration for a new book."
"Witnessed a group of people with the same ability as hers saving a woman on the beach yesterday. Designed everything to dig up material from this woman."
Jotaro stood up and pulled down his hat. "What a crazy and obsessive woman."
Josuke Higashikata agreed on the side. "Indeed, though in terms of dedication to her work, she's pretty much on par with Kishibe-sensei."
Rohan Kishibe, however, looked like he had found a kindred spirit, his eyes shining with golden light. Indeed, there were people in this world who loved their profession as much as he did!
He absolutely had to have a good exchange of insights with her when she woke up!
It seemed it was a false alarm. The danger was temporarily resolved. "Josuke, use your ability to heal her."
After arranging everything, Jotaro left the scene with hurried steps. He had more important things to do now.