Chapter 16: Old Man Said: My Evolution Is Faster Than Light
[Tower of Gray] flew fast. In fact, it was faster than [Star Platinum]. Relying on its flexible, insect-sized body and the compound-eye dynamic vision inherent to insect-type Stands, it moved with a deadly agility.
Even as it arrogantly shouted while lunging behind Shirou Emiya and the others, it continued to ignore all of Jotaro's defensive measures. It darted through the gaps of [Star Platinum's] rapid-fire punches and wove through the thorny "net" of [Hermit Purple].
It charged straight for Shirou Emiya's position as if no one else were there.
The user intended to use the head of this sharp-witted brat to prove the ruthless boast he had made moments ago. Behind that facade of carelessness, his priority was to eliminate Shirou first, as the boy seemed to have seen through something.
However...
Whoosh! Whoosh!
This time, [Tower of Gray] had picked the wrong opponent. It was true that its speed was immense, but Shirou didn't need to intercept its high-speed movements at all. He simply needed to shroud his entire body in the flames of [Magician's Red].
The Stand that had just been boasting was now as pathetic as it was fast. Amidst the stench of a scorched insect, it fled in a panicked, screeching retreat.
"[Ma... Magician's Red]! Impossible! Isn't that Avdol's Stand!?
How can there be someone in this world with the same Stand as another person!?"
[Tower of Gray] shrieked in pain. It flew frantically through the air, trying to use the high-speed vibration of its wings to cut off the oxygen and stop the flames from spreading across its body.
"So you knew about Avdol's Stand ability. It seems your intel was quite thorough," Shirou remarked. Yet, he did not pursue the retreating beetle.
When Jotaro prepared to finish off [Tower of Gray], the "Emerald Splash"—which had remained silent since the initial ambush—suddenly erupted from various corners of the cabin, forcing Jotaro back.
Clearly, this was still a trap.
—"Emiya was right. There is a second Stand user on this plane."
—"Although [Star Platinum] has already traced the trajectory of those attacks to find the second Stand's hiding spot..."
—"The Stand's body is too dispersed. At our current distance from the cockpit, we can't guarantee the pilot's safety."
Jotaro felt no frustration at having his attack interrupted. Just as he was thinking, since they had been warned that the enemy wasn't alone, his previous move had merely been a calculated probe to locate the hidden threat.
After Joseph's mental growth, [Hermit Purple] no longer required smashing a 30,000-yen camera to function. By wrapping around a single photograph, it could project the thoughts of those connected to it directly onto the image. This was how the group was now communicating in secret.
Shirou's specific inquiry about the enemy's intel was to see if DIO—who possessed a similar Stand—had discovered this new use for [Hermit Purple] and shared it with his subordinates.
The result showed that [Tower of Gray] and his partner were oblivious.
After a quick exchange of looks with Jotaro, Shirou used the Spirit Photography link to transmit a message:
—"As Jotaro said, the Stand paired with [Tower of Gray] is likely [Hierophant Green], representing the Hierophant Tarot card."
—"As a long-range type, [Hierophant Green] isn't weakened by distance due to its unique physiology. It can unravel its clay-like body into thin threads to lurk in every corner of a building
—or even inside a human body to control their actions."
—"It can also compress parts of its body into high-pressure nozzles to fire jewel-like fluid... It is a very versatile Stand."
Of course, versatility wasn't the main issue. [Hierophant Green] still couldn't match the raw stats of [Star Platinum]. With his Stand's durability, Jotaro could tank the Emerald Splash and rush the cockpit.
The problem was the hostage. Given that [Hierophant Green] had unraveled its body into threads to saturate the plane's interior, Jotaro was stuck.
Unless [Star Platinum] learned to stop time right now, he couldn't sever every thread instantly. He couldn't block the impact of every Emerald Splash fired from the remaining threads, nor could he stop Noriaki Kakyoin from killing the hostage or destroying the plane in desperation.
The [Tower of Gray] in the original story proved he was willing to die for DIO. Kakyoin, currently controlled by DIO's flesh bud, was an even more fanatical believer. They would undoubtedly choose mutual destruction if cornered.
—"Whether to save the pilot or prevent the plane's destruction, we must neutralize them instantly."
—"On open ground, [Magician's Red] could solve this alone. But at 10,000 meters, its flames might cause an explosion that destroys the plane along with the enemies."
Shirou continued to articulate the concerns that Jotaro had held back. However, while Jotaro looked grim because his "stat-stick" Stand was useless under these constraints, Shirou looked relaxed.
He had just finished discussing new applications for [Magician's Red] with Avdol. Conveniently, their new technique was perfect for this situation. Shirou "wrote" one final message:
—"Avdol, it's time to pull in the net."