Scarlet blood splattered as the massive lizard's head rolled across the ground.
The sound of metal scraping against concrete came from not far away, drawing the lizard's remaining eye in alarm. Its pupil contracted sharply.
The lamppost that had been torn down by its tail had been severed at an angle, forming a sharp point like a medieval knight's lance. The reflective edge of the cut gleamed menacingly under the light, carrying an aura of lethal intent. Suspended above Joshiro Joestar's right hand like a javelin, the lamppost hovered steadily as he advanced one step at a time.
Tap… tap… tap… heavy footsteps echoed, and tangible dread filled the air.
"Ya… yamete.. yamete kudasai!"
The lizard monster's ragged cry faltered. Joshiro reached into his pocket, retrieved a cigarette case, and calmly lit one. Smoke drifted past his face as his eyes locked onto the beast.
"sigh" he exhaled slowly.
Within the smoke, a pale blue glow swirled into the form of a snarling spirit lizard, outlined with teeth and claws, roaring back at him.
"Yare Yare.. you're still acting cocky?" Joshiro muttered. His snort of disdain froze the spectral beast mid-roar, its expression stiffening in fear.
Can you… see me?
His Stand ability activated. A blank card appeared between his fingers.
The spirit lizard tried to flee upward, but Joshiro's will held fast. Its body convulsed, as if caught in a downward pull, and twisted violently before collapsing into a vortex. The swirl of energy was dragged into the card's surface and sealed within it.
The white card illuminated and lines spread across its surface. They formed the image of an upright lizard frozen in terror. The card edge darkened to blue as its classification was established.
Disaster level: Tiger. Lizard monster defeated. Sealing complete.
Information surfaced in Joshiro's mind like a calm reminder:
[Number of destiny card draws +1]
[Current number of destiny card draws: 9]
The distant siren of a police car echoed closer. Joshiro glanced at the monster's ruined body, then drew the lamppost and the summoned steamroller back into card form with a flick of his wrist. By the time police and firefighters entered the street, spraying down flames and searching for survivors, he was already calm amidst the rubble.
One officer recognized him immediately. "Joestar-san, you're here too!"
"Yeah. Just arrived," Joshiro replied evenly, wiping soot across his cheek to further disguise himself. He gestured at the street. "Get to rescuing survivors."
"Understood, Noy all of you Batards! Get moving!" the officer barked, rallying his men. More personnel poured into the area, pushing forward into the destruction.
Soon, the first squads halted with shock as they came across the remains of the weirdo.
"The monster's dead!"
"What?! Excellent!"
"Hiss… what kind of attack could do this? Meteor strike?"
Across the rubble, Joshiro's sharp ears picked up faint breathing under a collapsed wall. He stepped over broken concrete and used both hands to lift the debris. Beneath it he found a small girl with bleeding cuts across her body. Carefully, he pulled her free.
"Onii-san… I saw it…" she whispered weakly, clutching his arm.
"You defeated the monster… You're a hero, right?"
Hero. Maybe. Joshiro's mind flicked briefly to the bald man in a red-and-yellow suit-the strongest hero of all. But when he looked down again, he saw only the bloodied outlines of a man and woman beneath the rubble-her parents. The truth sank heavily in his chest.
His voice softened. "I'm just a policeman. Rest for a while, and you'll wake up soon, understood?"
"Thank you… Onii-san…" The girl's tension eased as his psychic energy enveloped her emotions, calming her until she fell asleep in his arms.
---
[Fantasy Card: Roadside Steamroller]
[Card Type: Item Card]
[Rarity: N]
[Introduction: A scrapped road roller with weight and impact ideal for combat.]
[Effect 1: Steamroller Attack]
[Summon a steamroller descending from the sky to crush an enemy. Activation phrase: ROAD ROLLER DA!]
---
The next day, a weekend morning.
Joshiro bought a refrigerator stocked with special ingredients and prepared a Sichuan-style hotpot at home. Steam rose from the simmering broth as he set thin-sliced meats and vegetables into the pot while watching television.
"Breaking news! City Z was attacked by a weirdo again, and the truth has been uncovered-"
"Follow our camera crews as we reconstruct the terrifying scene at Senmu Pedestrian Street-"
"Destroy all Monsters! Humanity will prevail!"
"Hero recruitment begins in earnest! If you possess extraordinary power, register with the Hero Association at once! For inquiries, call 18888888888-repeat, 18888888888!"
"The Hero Association announces new branches in major cities-"
"Special announcement-"
Commercials and campaign reports from the Hero Association dominated the screen. Joshiro stirred the broth quietly while thinking.
Three years later, and Saitama-san still doesn't know about the Hero Association. Does that man not watch television? Then again… he only keeps a handful of free channels. Makes sense.
He ate steadily and opened a bottle of aged wine to accompany the meal. Hours later, with dishes cleaned and the night deep, he stepped onto his balcony to feel the quiet breeze. Though his surname was Joestar, he had never lived as an actual heir of that family, only carrying certain traits in his bloodline, such as his large build of 1.95 meters, his overwhelming power and speed, and his radiant spiritual presence. Perhaps becoming a professional hero after work would not be so strange.
As the thought crossed his mind, a blue card shimmered into his hand.
[Fantasy Card: Lizard Monster]
[Card Type: Character Card (Weirdo)]
[Rarity: R]
[Introduction: Human mutated into a reptile monster. Disaster level: Tiger.]
[Note: Recommended for decomposition to remove flaws of shame and ugliness.]
[Effect 1: Night Vision]
[Vision sharpened significantly in dim conditions.]
[Effect 2: Raid]
[Close distance instantly and strike prey.]
Joshiro studied the remarks on the card closely. His eyebrow lifted faintly at the phrasing.
Lizard Monster: …You dare insult me again?
The Stand ability was the externalized form of his mental strength, so the written notes were immediate reflections of his subconscious thoughts. Unlike item cards, character cards sealed the abilities of defeated monsters within them. They could be equipped by himself-or assigned to someone else-but only one at a time. Equipped, the host would gain all of the monster's ability system and optionally its outer appearance. Uninstalling would remove all those enhancements. The clearest comparison was a game skin that came with attributes-timely and useful, but never stackable. Ability cards like Spider Sense had no such limit.
Decomposition was different: cards broken down into materials would fuel growth directly, empowering the user with strengthened attributes. For Joshiro, who had been training with cards for only a month and a half, the truth remained simple: cards were tools for fun and battle, but real strength was always born from himself.
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