Today was the weekend Josuke Higashikata had been eagerly awaiting. Even better, his mother had to go out of town on sudden business, leaving him home alone. This meant… he could play video games until he dropped, with no one to nag him!
He was right in the middle of a crucial match when the doorbell rang.
Josuke ignored it. This was match point! Whoever was outside could wait a little longer.
The doorbell rang again, more urgently this time. Distracted, Josuke's character in the game was knocked to the ground, the screen dominated by a huge [K.O].
"Damn it, I lost again!" Josuke got up irritably. If the guy outside didn't have a life-or-death reason for being here, he was going to get an earful of Josuke's pent-up frustration!
He yanked the door open, ready to yell, but saw it was Jotaro, and in his arms… Jolyne?! She looked pale and terribly weak.
"Jotaro-san? What's going on?"
"Is your house available right now?" Jotaro asked. Since Josuke's mother, Tomoko Higashikata, was an ordinary person who knew nothing about Stands, Jotaro's real question was, [Is your mother not home?]
Josuke shook his head honestly. "She's on a business trip. Probably won't be back until late. Jotaro-san, please, come in." He stepped aside to let them in.
Jotaro carried Jolyne inside and laid her on the sofa, then retrieved his coat that was draped over her. Only then did Josuke see Jolyne's horrifically rotted arm.
"Wh-what happened?!" Josuke was shocked. What could have done this?
"Jolyne and I encountered a Stand user at the hotel. This is its ability," Jotaro explained succinctly. "Before Jolyne, it had already killed one person. In plain sight."
As he spoke, Josuke had already used his Stand ability to heal Jolyne. But just hearing about this guy's actions made his blood boil. It was even more heinous than Angelo.
"Where is this guy now? I'll go deal with him right now!" Josuke cracked his knuckles, eager for a fight.
"It's not a person. It's a rat," Jolyne said, sitting up on the sofa. Thanks to Josuke's healing, her arm was as good as new, and her spirits had lifted considerably.
"A rat?! Animals can be Stand users too?" Josuke was astonished. He'd never heard of animals having Stands before.
Jotaro nodded. "There are natural-born Stand users among animals. They are rare, but they exist. I once knew a dog who was a Stand user. It had a noble spirit. I was fortunate it became my partner, and we shared a pleasant journey together."
When he spoke of the dog, Jotaro's tone was uncharacteristically gentle, his eyes carrying a hint of loneliness and perhaps some regret, but these emotions were gone in an instant. "But this rat has no such conviction. It attacks humans indiscriminately, with no respect for life whatsoever."
Jolyne agreed. "A rat that sees humans as food has no right to exist. We need to act quickly."
She had been the closest and seen it clearly. The rat hid in everyone's blind spot, feeding on the victim it had turned into rotten meat. If this evil creature was left unchecked, everyone in Morioh would become its food. The entire town would become its personal larder.
Josuke was all for this kind of justice-seeking mission. He was even more pumped now than when he was gaming. "Then let's go exterminate that rat right now!"
The previous serial killer had become the famous tourist attraction [Angelo Rock]. Josuke wouldn't mind creating a [Rat Rock] or something.
"No, Josuke," Jolyne interrupted. "That rat is mine to deal with."
That damn rat had really pissed her off. Back in prison, she'd been forced to wear a rat costume, which made her dislike them. Now, having been ambushed by one, her hatred for rats had reached a new level.
"Before the hunt, we need to make some preparations," Jotaro said. "I'll call you with the time, Josuke."
"Of course, no problem!" Josuke accepted cheerfully and just as cheerfully saw them out.
On the way back to the hotel, Jolyne tugged on Jotaro's coat sleeve.
"What is it, Jolyne?" Jotaro stopped and turned to look at her, patiently waiting for her to explain.
"Uh, I'm going to go take care of something. You… go back to the hotel first," Jolyne said. She had meant to say "Dad," but facing a Jotaro who was only nine years older than her, with a young face devoid of wrinkles, she just couldn't get the word out.
So, every time she spoke to Jotaro, she always referred to him as "you."
Jotaro was fine with this. After all, he was only twenty-eight. If a nineteen-year-old girl called him "Dad," he'd be a little embarrassed too, even if she was his daughter.
"Go ahead. I'll wait for you at the hotel," Jotaro said, then turned and left without a moment's hesitation.
Given Jolyne's current abilities and combat experience, she can handle danger, Jotaro thought.
Jolyne: "…" A cascade of imaginary black lines fell down her face.
She had just been attacked! He didn't offer to protect her or anything, but he didn't even say a single word of concern?!
Hah. So being a clueless straight guy has nothing to do with age. Stupid old man!
Jolyne stomped off angrily, each step making the concrete sidewalk thump loudly.
Jotaro, who heard the noise but had no idea what caused it: ?
---
An hour later, Jolyne returned to the hotel.
The hotel entrance was cordoned off with police tape. Over a dozen police cars were parked out front, and officers stood guard at the doors. The entire hotel was under lockdown; no one except hotel guests and staff was allowed in.
Jolyne explained her situation to the police at the entrance. After proving she was indeed a guest staying there, she was finally allowed inside.
To be honest, she really didn't like police, but now they were practically everywhere in the hotel. Jolyne walked with a dark expression towards the elevator and pressed the button for the 7th floor.
"Please hold the elevator!" Just as the doors were about to close, a policewoman came running towards it.
Jolyne watched the running officer outside the elevator, then frantically pressed the 'close door' button.
She absolutely, positively did NOT want to be stuck in an elevator with a police officer! She couldn't handle it, both physically and psychologically.
"Damn it! Just missed it!" The policewoman who didn't make it in looked pained and had to wait for the next one.
Soon she reached the seventh floor. As soon as Jolyne stepped out of the elevator, she bumped into a kid acting suspiciously.
Even with his back to her, she recognized him instantly—it was the kid from dinner the other night. If she remembered correctly, his name was Edogawa Conan.
Conan was crouching on the floor one moment, then using a magnifying glass to examine the walls the next. Probably playing his beloved detective game again.
Too bad for him, the culprit was something he could never guess.
Jolyne chose not to disturb Conan's game and tiptoed quietly back to her room.
---
Early the next morning, Jotaro and Jolyne went to Josuke's house.
"Josuke, we're going hunting," Jotaro said as he knocked on the Higashikata door, addressing a bleary-eyed Josuke.
"Ah? Hunting? Are we going to pick up pretty girls?" Josuke blushed, his whole demeanor becoming awkward and shy. He scratched his head sheepishly. "Too bad I'm a true romance kind of guy. I'm not really good at that sort of thing. Besides, isn't it a bit wrong to bring Jolyne along for that?"
Jotaro and Jolyne's faces simultaneously darkened.
If he weren't a fellow member of the Joestar family, she would absolutely punch this guy. "We're hunting a rat."
Jolyne tossed the words over her shoulder and walked off ahead with Jotaro, making no move to wait for Josuke.
"No— Huh? Hey, wait for me!" Josuke, finally processing things, yelled after them, scrambling to put his shoes on as he ran to catch up.
Half an hour later, the three of them were in an open area on the outskirts of town.
About twenty meters away from them were several targets that Jotaro had set up beforehand.
Jotaro put down his backpack, took out several steel pellets, and handed them to the other two. "Our opponent is agile and hard to get close to, so we need to do some precision training."
Having said that, Jotaro manifested his Stand. [Star Platinum] took a pellet, threw it, and hit the bullseye dead center.
"So cool! As expected of the invincible [Star Platinum]!" Josuke looked on with admiration. He'd lost count of how many times he'd been captivated by the reliable Jotaro-san.
"Now you try." Jotaro stepped aside to watch them, instantly transforming into their strictest teacher. "Remember, you only get one chance. If your heart is uncertain, don't make the move."
The last sentence invisibly put a lot of pressure on both of them.
[Star Platinum] was the pinnacle of Stands, with unparalleled precision and power. Making a perfect shot was as easy as drinking water for it.
But Jolyne's Stand, [Stone Free], only had a Precision stat of C. Making an accurate shot was a real challenge for her.
Jolyne put her backpack aside, walked to the opposite side of the targets, looked, took a small step to the left… seemed a bit off? Moved a bit to the right… still not quite right. She fussed over her position several times, never quite satisfied.
"Damn it! I missed." Josuke beside her clutched his head, full of frustration. Something Jotaro-san made look so easy was proving so difficult for him!
He glanced at Jolyne. Even though he hadn't interacted with her much and she was a few years older than him, in terms of family seniority, he was the grandfather here. So, he naturally felt a sense of protective care for her.
"Actually, it doesn't seem that hard. I'm sure you'll hit the bullseye every time, just like Jotaro-san, Jolyne!" Josuke encouraged her.
Jotaro, leaning against a wooden post, smirked.
But Jolyne's forehead was covered in imaginary black lines. Was this guy mocking her because of his higher seniority? She had to outperform Josuke and show him up.
Jolyne stopped hesitating. [Stone Free] manifested behind her. Aim. Fire!
The steel pellet hit the bullseye! Jolyne was surprised herself. She looked thoughtfully at the pierced bullseye in the distance.
Had [Stone Free]'s precision grown?
"Amazing! I knew you could do it, Jolyne!" Josuke praised her lavishly. But he soon realized he was the only one lagging far behind in precision. He didn't want to be the one holding everyone back! This realization added a lot more pressure…
"R-really?" It was the first time she'd been praised so directly. Jolyne felt proud but also a little shy. Her opinion of this great-uncle, who was younger than her, improved quite a bit.
Jolyne pretended to glance casually at Jotaro. He was completely absorbed in a book, paying no attention to her situation at all.
Jolyne: "..."
She hadn't really wanted his praise that much anyway. And also, this guy was totally putting on an act.
After an hour of training, Josuke finally reached a passable level, and the three set out to find their quarry.
But the outskirts were nothing but fields and wooded hills. Finding a rat's nest out here was like looking for a needle in a haystack. How were they supposed to track a tiny rat's trail in these vast, dense fields?
"What do we do now, Mr. Jotaro? Use your invincible Star Platinum to think of something!" Josuke was frantic, descending into despair.
Unfortunately, the invincible [Star Platinum] did not have tracking skills. But the knowledgeable Dr. Jotaro did.
"E.T. Seton, author of 'Wild Animals I Have Known,' said, 'No animal leaves no trail.' Rats, in particular, have a habit of not taking unfamiliar paths, and they need to eat constantly. This means if we search the hidden corners of these fields, we can find a path."
By following the path, they could find the rat's nest.
Jotaro put his book away, searched along the ridge of the field for a while, then crouched down and pushed aside the lush leaves of a celery plant. Sure enough, he found signs of gnawing on the stem and a trail of tiny footprints.
"Mr. Jotaro, you're really amazing! So we just follow this path now, right?" Jotaro's image in Josuke's mind grew even more towering.
Jotaro took the lead finding the path, with Jolyne and Josuke walking side-by-side behind him.
Jolyne's backpack piqued Josuke's intense curiosity. It was a large black backpack, stuffed full. It was impossible to tell from the outside what was inside.
Josuke moved closer. "Jolyne, there's actually one thing I'm kinda curious about…"
Jolyne was puzzled. "What is it?"
"It's not a big deal, really, it's just, well—" Josuke pointed at her backpack. "What's in there?"
Jolyne tactically remained silent for a moment, then leaned in mysteriously, lowering her voice. "Actually, it's my secret weapon."
Of course it was. She had prepared it specifically for today's hunt—a highly targeted weapon of mass destruction.
This successfully hooked Josuke's interest. "So what is it, really?" A gun? Or some special weapon he'd never seen before? So exciting! So anticipated!
Jolyne smiled slightly. "You'll find out when we get there."