"That boy is walking through the streets with such a casual demeanor. He seems incredibly confident."
"I can understand where that confidence comes from, but it's still unclear if he himself is a Stand user."
Faced with a new and unexpected pair of Master and Servant, Rohan Kishibe, Jotaro Kujo, and Amber were huddled in the car to discuss their next move.
The revelation that Son Goku had been summoned was a massive shock to everyone, even seasoned veterans like themselves.
This was Son Goku!
Even based purely on his global "Fame," his power as a Servant was likely to be astronomical.
To be perfectly honest, the possibility of winning a direct head-to-head confrontation against him was one Rohan didn't even want to consider.
No matter how specialized the power of [Heaven's Door] was, the question of whether he could even get close enough to touch the boy was a significant hurdle.
He was far more likely to be reduced to a fine red mist by a single punch before he could even manifest his Stand.
One punch from Son Goku...
Rohan swallowed hard. He doubted any human or even most Servants could survive a serious blow from that child.
In the Dragon Ball series, a farmer with a shotgun only had a battle power of [5].
The version of Son Goku from his first adventure already had a battle power of [10], which was enough for him to take a bullet to the face without suffering so much as a scratch.
And that was before he had even started his formal training.
By the time he had reached the peak of his youth, his power had likely reached triple digits.
That meant he could probably beat every living being in Morioh Town simultaneously without breaking a sweat.
If being hit by [Star Platinum] was like being hit by a freight train, then being hit by Son Goku was like being at the center of a nuclear explosion.
The difference in their physical capacities existed on completely different planes of reality.
However, the nature of the situation also left Rohan feeling a surge of professional curiosity and excitement.
As a manga artist, he couldn't help himself. He wanted to know!
Could a regular person learn the principles of [Ki]?
After all, the ability to fly with [Sky Dancing], the explosive power-ups, and the [Kamehameha] were undeniably cool.
Even setting aside the practical utility, the symbolic significance of such power was staggering.
The "Charm" of that world held a weight that only a true fan could appreciate.
Just imagining Jotaro using [Star Platinum] to unleash a [Kamehameha] was enough to make Rohan think they would be truly "Invincible."
"Well... there is one piece of good news. Son Goku doesn't appear to possess the power to move within stopped time."
"If that's the case, we should focus on isolating the Master. He should be much easier to deal with."
Jotaro watched the boy disappear around a corner and spoke in a low, calculating voice.
"True."
"Then the most efficient plan would be to stop time, knock the boy unconscious, and take the Dragon Balls for ourselves."
"Since he isn't from this city, he must be carrying them on his person."
Rohan agreed. A clean, clinical solution was the most appropriate approach for someone of Goku's caliber.
The best case scenario would be using [Heaven's Door] to write a command into both the boy and Goku themselves.
[They cannot attack Rohan Kishibe or his allies.]
That setting alone would win them the war.
"Then I'm counting on you, Amber."
Rohan and Jotaro stepped out of the car, eyes fixed on the corner where Subaru and Goku had vanished.
"Understood."
Homura Akemi walked down the street, leading Miyu by the hand. She looked at the frozen world of Amber's time-stop and processed the implications.
This pause wasn't the work of the maid.
She had already suspected that this war contained more than one entity capable of stopping time, but seeing third and fourth parties clashing with such frequency was a rare occurrence.
"Is this what it feels like when time stops?"
Miyu looked around with a look of pure wonder, her hand gripping Homura's tightly.
Normally, she would have been frozen along with the rest of the world.
But because she was in direct physical contact with Homura, the "Freedom" of the magical girl's power was being shared with her.
It was one of the inherent quirks of Homura's temporal manipulation. Anyone she was touching would be granted the ability to move within the stilled seconds.
It was a vulnerability she usually went to great lengths to avoid, but today, it was a necessity.
"It's incredible, isn't it?"
"Within this frozen world, you can achieve things that would be impossible under normal laws."
"To those who seek knowledge or the power to change things, this is often the dream of their lives."
Homura spoke in a soft, reflective voice as she watched Miyu's eyes travel over the statuesque figures of the pedestrians.
"I have to thank you, Miyu."
"If it weren't for you... I might not have ever found this one, true chance."
Thinking back to her original purpose, Homura ran a hand through her hair and let out a small, contemplative sigh.
She had been summoned into this war only to encounter her greatest counter, rendering her primary power almost useless against the maid.
Yet, through the Stand Miyu had awakened, she felt the possibility of victory sliding back into her grasp.
This girl had provided everything she was missing.
"No... honestly... I still don't really understand why I was chosen for this."
"If you're talking about a wish..."
"For me, it's all very complicated."
Miyu shook her head. She knew how deep Homura's obsession ran. It was a search that had spanned countless loops without a visible end.
Now that a light of hope had appeared, it was only natural for the magical girl to pursue it with a "Frenzied" determination.
Even in her previous life as a child of god, Miyu had found it difficult to grant such a heavy desire.
The only thing left to trust was a new "Wish Granting Engine."
"They've come to find us."
Homura cut off the conversation as a figure appeared in the road ahead.
"Walking through the city so openly while radiating such immense magical energy..."
"I couldn't very well ignore such a blatant invitation to battle, could I?"
Sakuya Izayoi stood with several small knives held between her fingers, her gaze fixed on Homura and the young girl beside her.
"And you brought your Master along this time?"
"How..."
"How incredibly bold of you."
Homura ignored the taunt.
The only reason she had brought Miyu out into the open was because she was absolutely confident in her ability to protect her.
At that exact moment, the influence of the time-stop was lifted.
"It's over?"
Sakuya glanced toward the direction of the earlier ripple, knowing exactly who had been responsible for the pause.
However, she didn't linger on the other confrontation, turning her full attention back to the magical girl in front of her.
She threw several knives in a single motion, imbuing them with a "New" property.
WHOOSH! WHOOSH!
"?"
Homura gripped Miyu's shoulder and pulled her away as the projectiles suddenly seemed to multiply in mid-air, creating a wall of steel where there had only been a few blades.
'Is it magecraft?'
Realizing that Sakuya was finally taking this fight seriously, Homura pushed Miyu behind her.
"..."
Sakuya didn't waste her breath on a reply. She had already decided how this fight would end.
This time, she would finish the magical girl right here.
She reached into her reserves and prepared to unleash a form of magic known as a [Spell Card].
SHING! SHING! SHING!
She cast six knives into the air. In an instant, they began to divide and replicate, filling the street with an impossibly dense cloud of sharpened steel.
Homura watched as the blades began to curve and spiral, some aiming for her sides and others coming from behind. She couldn't help but feel a flicker of admiration for the maid's precision.
The attack was a literal net, leaving her with no physical path of escape.
"However..."
"It's a shame."
"These ordinary knives are easily dealt with."
Homura didn't look worried or panicked. In fact, she looked remarkably composed.
The Stand slumbering within her body began to exert its influence.
"Well then... let's begin."
"[Trace On]!"
[Translated and Rewritten by Shika_Kagura]