"I see..."
"It seems we can't afford to just sit here and wait for the hammer to fall."
"We need to seize the initiative."
Yoshikage Kira felt a growing sense of irrigation as he replayed the information Itachi had shared regarding the events before the reset.
In this war, there were individuals whose power and strategic depth far exceeded his worst expectations.
"Master. The Caster group and their allies are already positioning themselves for an ambush outside..."
Standing in Kira's office, Itachi Uchiha revealed the latest intelligence he had gathered while in his spiritual form.
"Even if they realize the Dragon Ball has been stolen, those people aren't likely to just let me walk away."
"Their behavior is predictable."
"Prepare for a direct engagement immediately."
Kira spoke with a cold, focused clarity as he packed his briefcase. He wasn't surprised by the development.
He understood that in the eyes of his enemies, he was a variable that needed to be removed.
Outside the building...
Josuke, Koichi, and Okuyasu were huddled in a narrow alleyway directly across from the main entrance of the corporate tower.
"This is the place, right?"
"Yeah. My intel says Yoshikage Kira works in this specific office."
"Hmph. The second he steps out onto the sidewalk, I'm going to use [The Hand] to pull him right to us. Then Josuke can punch his lights out."
The three teenagers peered around the corner of the brick building, whispers exchanged in the shadows as they finalized their plan for the ambush.
"Miyu... have you managed to record anything useful so far?"
Taking a brief moment to rest on a park bench, Homura Akemi turned to look at Miyu.
[Sakugetsu].
Miyu's Stand possessed the unique ability to record the data of other Heroic Spirits, a power that could theoretically turn the tide of the entire war.
For Homura, this was the ultimate wild card.
"Well... recording someone like Mr. Subaru Natsuki is relatively straightforward, but that power of his... how should I put it?"
"It's not something that can be easily replicated or utilized."
Miyu spoke softly, recalling the overwhelming weight of the "Return" she had observed through her Stand.
"As for Lancer... the progress is extremely slow."
"Slow?"
Homura blinked, her interest piqued.
"Yes. Perhaps it's because his essence is so powerful... recording his data requires significantly more time than any other Servant we've encountered."
"I estimate that if we want a complete, high fidelity record, we would have to stay within a close range of him for at least a week."
"But we likely won't get that kind of opportunity."
Homura remained silent, processing the limitation.
She had been hoping to obtain a copy of Lancer's capabilities... even if she couldn't replicate his immense physical strength, mastering his techniques would have been a massive boon.
But a week of close proximity was an eternity in a conflict moving this quickly.
"I suppose we'll just have to let nature take its course."
It seemed that allying with Subaru Natsuki was no longer just a viable option... it was the only logical path to victory.
Homura felt a sudden, familiar sting of inadequacy.
As a magical girl, find her dependency on others to be a bitter pill to swallow.
Her reliance on [Time Stop] was being countered by an increasing number of participants who either shared her ability or possessed the means to override it.
She glanced down at the [Sakugetsu] wrapped around her wrist.
The artifact, which had once appeared as a simple cup, had transformed into a thread-thin chain of silver that extended invisibly toward the clouds above.
"Oh ho! This flying thing is actually pretty incredible!"
Subaru Natsuki sat behind Kid Goku on the [Kinto'un], his hair whipped by the wind as they hovered thousands of feet above the streets of Morioh.
Setting aside the sheer absurdity of the situation, he had to admit it was an incredible rush.
Of course, if he fell off without Goku catching him, he was well and truly finished.
"Yeah. I bet nobody would ever guess we're up here watching every single thing that happens in the town."
Even though Subaru couldn't make out the fine details of the people below, he had absolute faith in Goku's vision.
The eyesight of a Saiyan was a biological marvel compared to the limitations of an ordinary human.
"Now... let's see if we can spot any more of those freaky Stand users causing trouble."
The two of them drifted through the white banks of the afternoon clouds, waiting for the telltale signs of a clash.
"This thing... it feels really soft."
Goku was poking at the thin, silver chain wrapped around his wrist, his eyes filled with a child's simple curiosity.
"Goku, be careful with that. Don't go pulling on it or breaking it. It'll cause all sorts of problems if you do."
"Okay!"
Sniff. Sniff.
Fungami Yuya adjusted his posture as he led Jotaro Kujo and Rohan Kishibe through the winding backstreets.
Normally, he wasn't the type to volunteer for such a dangerous task, but since these people were allies of Josuke Higashikata, he felt obligated to help.
Josuke was one of the few people he genuinely respected, and if the guy was this serious about an ambush, Yuya was willing to lend a hand.
"There's no mistake about it. My scent trail for this specific item ends right at the side of this building."
"The target is definitely upstairs."
Fungami Yuya possessed an extraordinary sense of smell.
Using this sensory data, his Stand [Highway Star] could track a target at speeds of up to sixty kilometers per hour over almost any terrain.
"Thank you for your help. We'll take it from here."
Jotaro tucked an old, gold bracelet back into his coat pocket.
The item was a relic from eleven years ago, a piece of jewelry worn by DIO during their final confrontation in Egypt.
After learning about Fungami Yuya's tracking capabilities from Josuke, Jotaro had contacted the SPW Foundation and had them rush the preserved "Memento" to Morioh via special courier.
It was a stroke of incredible luck that the item was still available for use.
"Understood."
Yuya nodded and immediately began to put some distance between himself and the building. He had no intention of being caught in the crossfire of a clash between Heroic Spirits.
"DIO and his Master are likely together. We need to be cautious."
Rohan peered up at the three story structure, his voice a low whisper of warning.
"It doesn't matter how many of them there are. This time, I'm going to make sure every last piece of his body is pulverized."
Jotaro clenched his fist, the leather of his glove creaking under the pressure.
The simple thought of DIO walking the earth again, breathing the same air as his family, reignited a fire of cold, focused rage that had been dormant for a decade.
Hell.
He was going to shatter his rival's delusions of grandeur and send him back into the abyss for good.
"Hmm?"
A sudden, localized chill ran down DIO's spine, making his skin crawl with a primitive sense of danger.
'This feeling of unease... could Jotaro be nearby?'
The involuntary shiver was a sensation he only ever felt when the master of [Star Platinum] was closing in.
His very soul was screaming a warning, dredging up the "Death Scene" that was etched into his core.
"!"
"Someone is about to arrive!"
Diavolo suddenly turned his head toward the door, his voice sharp with alarm.
"One... two... three!"
"Two Stand users and one Heroic Spirit!"
Through [Epitaph], the imagery of the immediate future had already crystallized in his mind. He had seen the trio pushing through the door ten seconds from now.
"It seems destiny is finally knocking on my door."
"Very well."
DIO had no intention of running this time. He was ready to face his fate.
Though he didn't know exactly how they had found him, he wasn't about to give Jotaro Kujo the satisfaction of a chase.
He didn't need to win a traditional duel.
After all, this wasn't a one-on-one match.
Avoiding a direct hit from Jotaro's fist was his primary objective.
As long as he could keep his distance, he and Diavolo could utilize their combined mastery over time to bypass the physical threat and focus on their own objectives.
If they could secure the Dragon Balls while the others were distracted, they would be the ones to have the final laugh.
[Translated and Rewritten by Shika_Kagura]