Higashikata Josuke shattered the ground with a punch, creating a large hole, and from it, he retrieved Kujo Jotaro's body. Jotaro was unconscious at this time because Josuke had previously dug a pit in the ground to store his body.
Thanks to Crazy Diamond's ability, this method of storage was both hidden and safe.
He reverently pressed the disc, which contained Kujo Jotaro's vast memories and unyielding will, back into Jotaro's forehead.
At this moment, Jotaro was like a corpse; without the memory disc in his body, and with the Stand disc having been merged by Higashikata Josuke, he had no consciousness whatsoever.
The disc seamlessly merged, like a drop of water into the ocean. The next moment, Jotaro's tightly shut eyes snapped open, and his perpetually composed and calm gaze instantly returned.
"...Josuke... you did very well."
Jotaro sat up, adjusting his cap. Memories flooded back like a tide, and he immediately understood the current situation and everything Josuke had done.
He looked at Josuke, his eyes no longer holding the scrutiny of an elder towards a junior, but rather an equal gaze, even carrying a hint of inexplicable resonance and emotion. He could feel that Star Platinum was already beginning to merge with Crazy Diamond.
This was actually illogical, as his trial path hadn't been completed yet. According to his understanding of Dio's Heaven Plan, his state should advance a bit after each step, with the true merger only happening after completing three steps.
However, due to the disc, the Stand merger had occurred prematurely. But perhaps it wasn't a bad thing; the plan might even be completed ahead of schedule.
"Mr. Jotaro! You're finally awake! Are you alright?!"
Josuke's face showed joy, and he let out a deep sigh of relief. He was truly worried that Mr. Jotaro might not wake up. He hadn't intended to merge Star Platinum either; it had just drilled into his body the moment he touched the Star Platinum disc.
"Mr. Jotaro, your Stand..."
"It's fine; it will merge later anyway. This is just an early progression, it doesn't matter."
Jotaro adjusted his clothes and supported himself to stand up. He clenched his hands; his physical strength hadn't changed much. "However, we still need to eliminate the second wave of enemies. I can feel destiny still calling, Josuke."
"Um, Mr. Jotaro, I have another Stand here. Take a look; I think this Stand is very great."
Saying this, Higashikata Josuke pulled out Weather Forecast's Stand... Looking at this Stand, Jotaro took it and glanced at it, then remembered. It was the guy who manipulated poisonous gas in the corridor earlier. This one was actually pretty good, so he put it into his head.
The next moment, Weather Forecast, composed of white gas, appeared behind him, filled with powerful strength. It was slightly inferior to Star Platinum but still possessed top-tier power and speed, and its ability also felt quite good.
"Oh, is this the ability to control weather? It seems the previous rain must have been caused by him..."
Jotaro murmured to himself. This Stand was even more useful than he had imagined, very suitable for temporary use. But he still felt a sense of unease, as if something wasn't right.
Now he was like a darling of fate; destiny kept giving him hints, pushing him towards the Heaven Plan. And now, he could feel destiny warning him that there was danger beside him, immense danger.
"What could it be... Dio's remnants? No, the most loyal ones have already gathered. Since I defeated that guy, I must have passed this trial."
Jotaro couldn't figure out where the danger was, but his inner feeling told him that the trial was right here, and the next two were also here.
This was too strange... Could it be that a companion would betray him, stabbing him as a trial of spirit?
Joking aside, how could that be possible?
He looked around; the broken prison area was dead silent, with only the mournful wail of the wind blowing through broken walls and ruins. Dio's remnants were either dead or captured; those who hadn't come over must have met with trouble. The priest had also been eliminated... So where was the danger coming from?
"Josuke, Okuyasu, Koichi, stay alert."
Jotaro reminded them in a deep voice. Weather Forecast's white figure flickered behind him, sensing the most subtle fluctuations in the atmosphere.
"Something... is coming."
As if to confirm his words, buzz—!!!
A low, incredibly oppressive roar rapidly approached from the distant sky. It wasn't an airplane engine but more like the sound of some energy accumulating.
Immediately after, several blinding searchlight beams, like divine judgment swords, tore through the twilight sky and precisely enveloped their area!
"Something's coming from above!"
Koichi looked up, his face instantly turning pale. It was a sci-fi-looking vertical takeoff and landing aircraft equipped with advanced weapon systems, appearing like a large square box with four propellers, flying in the sky.
Whoosh—! Whoosh—! Whoosh—!
Without any warning, several specialized shock bombs with blue contrails were fired from the assault craft, not for lethal purposes but to detonate instantly around them!
The powerful shockwave and interference intertwined, aiming to instantly deprive them of their mobility, while also flashing with intense light, making them unable to see or hear anything.
"They're coming for us! Dora-ra-ra-ra!"
Josuke roared, and Crazy Diamond instantly appeared. Relying on the ability of Time Stop, he gained his own time, throwing punches like phantoms, directly batting those shock bombs back and repairing the ground to form a thick wall, protecting them.
"The Hand!"
Okuyasu tried to erase the assault crafts hovering in the sky, but they seemed to anticipate his movements, performing high-speed, erratic maneuvers that made it difficult for him to lock on.
"Echoes ACT3!"
Koichi summoned his Stand, but looking at the sky, he felt a sense of powerlessness. His Stand's range wasn't that far; he couldn't hit the enemy... But speaking of which, Kishibe Rohan was allied with America, right? These assault crafts all had US military markings... He looked at Jotaro and Higashikata Josuke, but they seemed oblivious.
"Indeed... Is this the 'second round of trials' guided by destiny?"
Jotaro's eyes were sharp as knives; he instantly understood. Now, facing the crushing blow representing "worldly authority" and "state power," and surviving and triumphing within it, was the true key to tempering his will and advancing the merger!
The trial steps should be Arch-Enemy - Worldly - ?
"Weather Forecast!" Jotaro growled, and the white Stand raised its hands, activating its ability!
"Dense Fog Obscuration!"
In an instant, centered on Jotaro, an impenetrable, milky white mist appeared out of thin air, rapidly spreading like a thick curtain, enveloping the sky in moments!
Visibility instantly dropped to less than five meters! This thick fog was not ordinary water vapor; it also contained Weather Forecast's subtle electromagnetic interference, instantly disabling most of the US military assault crafts' radar and thermal imaging systems. As a scholar, Jotaro knew a lot about weather.
"Damn it! Target lock lost!"
"Switch to optical assistance mode! Watch out for possible gravity attacks!"
The assault crafts' offensive paused.
"Josuke! Okuyasu! Coordinate with me!"
Jotaro shouted, his voice carrying an undeniable calmness. He controlled with his hands; there were no weapons on the ground, but the sky was filled with dark clouds, and lightning struck down fiercely, hitting the assault crafts but unable to cause damage.
"Erase their space, pull them down. Josuke, I'll pull down some parts, and you use those parts to directly drag them to the ground. You shoot them down directly!"
"Understood, Mr. Jotaro!" Josuke understood immediately.
Weather Forecast manipulated the atmosphere, somehow conjuring rain and sand to strike the assault crafts, trying with all its might to tear off their propellers...