"Eh?!!"
"Rohan-sensei's Servant can manipulate time too?!"
Gathered in the hotel, everyone's expressions shifted the moment they learned of Rohan's situation.
"'Manipulate' is a stretch. She can stop time and rewind to a specific moment—that's the extent of it."
Rohan addressed the group without concealing any details.
"Even so, that's incredible!!"
"Before, only Jotaro-san could do something like that."
Koichi stared at the tall woman standing beside Rohan, awe plain on his face.
Two seconds of time stop was all Jotaro needed to accomplish the impossible.
"So—where's Josuke's Servant?"
Rohan pointed vaguely, as if no unfamiliar face had caught his attention.
He'd overheard their earlier conversation. Apparently, that massive time stop had been Josuke's Servant.
Rohan was intensely curious. What kind of being could trigger a freeze of that magnitude?
"Ah... she doesn't seem keen on interacting with us. Probably hiding somewhere."
Josuke laughed awkwardly at the question.
"?"
Rohan's gaze sharpened. Then he noticed—a Command Spell was missing from Josuke's hand.
Could it be—
"Your Command Spell... you didn't waste it on something stupid, did you?"
Though phrased as a question, Rohan's tone dripped with certainty.
"Hey, that wasn't my fault!"
"I saw she had a scratch and wanted to heal it with Crazy Diamond."
"But she refused—wouldn't let me near. So I blurted out 'Don't move!' and... the Command Spell just activated."
Josuke rubbed his temples at the memory.
The girl's attitude was beyond distant—it bordered on hostile.
Even toward him, her own Master, she'd been nothing but guarded.
The Command Spell truly had been an accident. No strange intentions involved.
"If that's the case... fine."
Rohan exhaled in relief.
He'd feared Josuke might have soured his relationship with his Servant. That would've been a disaster to untangle.
"As of now, you and I are the only ones selected. Koichi-kun and the others are ordinary."
"You all know about this, I assume?"
He produced the Dragon Ball from his pocket.
"I know! It's Dragon Ball, right?! I love Goku—Super Saiyans are so cool!!"
Koichi's hand shot up, excitement spilling over. An avid manga fan, he naturally recognized the legendary series.
"Uh, Jotaro-san already explained it to us."
Josuke scratched his head.
"Then, knowing what the Dragon Balls are capable of, we need to identify the other five holders."
"Even if we have no ulterior motives... there's no guarantee the others share our goodwill."
An innocent holder invites disaster simply by possessing a treasure.
Anyone aware of the Dragon Balls' power wouldn't give them up willingly.
Rohan was certain: even ordinary people, not just Stand users, would go mad for such a prize.
"Yare yare..."
"Things keep getting more complicated."
Jotaro tugged his cap lower, already grasping where Rohan was headed.
"Tomorrow's plan is unchanged. We go to Hayato Kawajiri's house."
"But this time, Josuke and I can't show ourselves openly."
"Because of this."
Rohan raised his hand, displaying the crimson mark.
"I see. The mark makes us easy to identify."
"But it cuts both ways—our enemies can't hide theirs either."
"Eh? Couldn't they just wear gloves?"
"Someone who never wears gloves suddenly doing so would look unnatural. People around them would notice."
"Unless they claim a burn and wrap their hand—that might seem plausible. But they can't keep it bandaged forever."
Koichi and Okuyasu nodded along, comprehension dawning.
"This really is a headache. We could get ambushed just walking down the street."
"Not only do we have to find Yoshikage Kira, but also the other Dragon Ball holders..."
"We have to face Stand users and Servants..."
"Just like Jotaro-san said—things have gotten troublesome."
"Jotaro-san, where are you going?"
"Out for a walk."
"Eh? At this hour?"
......…
"Hmph! This town reeks of interesting things!"
"Let me say this again—stay out of my way!"
The two had arrived by car at 11 PM.
The moment they stepped out, with no intention of staying together, Diavolo split off from his Servant.
Being around this man only irritated him.
Moving alone was far more comfortable.
"Hmph..."
'I'll drain your blood when this is over!'
Watching Diavolo depart, DIO's lips curled with a low hum.
'1999. Eleven years since Jotaro killed me?'
He glanced at a roadside clock. Arms crossed, his powerful frame stood beneath the night sky.
Fate truly favored him.
Even in death, he'd been granted a chance to turn the tables.
The thought filled DIO with exquisite satisfaction.
Like draining Joseph's blood all over again.
"First, I'll recruit some humans to scout this town."
Rubbing his chin, DIO recalled the anomaly from earlier—but felt no concern.
Moments ago, someone had activated time stop.
What stunned even DIO was the duration. It had dwarfed his own.
"When I was alive... I probably couldn't have won."
"But it doesn't matter. As a Heroic Spirit, I'm no longer the weakling I once was."
"I'll surpass that level of time stop—eventually!"
The World's phantom flickered behind him as DIO strode into town.
...…
"..."
Strolling the night streets, Jotaro's thoughts churned.
Dragon Balls.
If he used that power... Kakyoin, Iggy, and the others could be brought back, couldn't they?
Something even more miraculous than Stands.
"Yare yare... I really am getting old. Dwelling on the past. Indulging in fantasies..."
He caught himself, chuckled softly, and stuffed his hands into his pockets. His gaze drifted skyward.
Then a familiar figure entered his field of vision.
That powerful build. That unchanged face.
A silhouette Jotaro could never forget.
"DIO!!"
"!?"