Chapter 56: Yoshikage Kira Will Not Encounter Delinquent High Schoolers
"Even after seeing you project DIO's [The World], I was thinking—is your Stand [Emiya] a bit too absurd?
But now I see I was wrong. You aren't just 'too absurd,' Emiya—you are absurdity itself!"
When Shirou Emiya returned to the original hotel room holding [Mr. President] and recounted what had happened within the erased time—including how he defeated Diavolo and, most importantly, the fact that Diavolo was far from a good man—the group listened intently.
However, it was clear that looking at the [Pseudo-Whitesnake] inside [Mr. President's] room and the [Pseudo-King Crimson] appearing beside Shirou, Joseph and the others could only feel the sheer absurdity of his power.
Indeed, this was the reason Shirou remained unaffected by Time Erasure. Just as the Time Stop of [The World] does not affect a [Star Platinum] that can also stop time, the Time Erasure of [King Crimson] naturally could do nothing against a [Pseudo-King Crimson] capable of the same feat.
And in some ways, it was even worse than Time Stop.
With [The World] and [Star Platinum], they can at most retain consciousness during stopped time; to actually move, they must activate their own Stand abilities. But other people caught within [King Crimson's] Time Erasure are simply unaware that their time has been deleted—they are merely unable to use their actions from the "previous second" to react to Diavolo's actions in the "following second."
Essentially, they are still physically moving during the erased time. Once someone can retain consciousness within that erasure, the time effectively ceases to be "deleted"!
"It's lucky you're a good person and not an enemy."
Joseph didn't realize that the three Stands—[Pseudo-The World], [Pseudo-King Crimson], and [Pseudo-Whitesnake]—were the signature Stands of the final bosses in the original JoJo's Bizarre Adventure series.
Shirou, possessing all three, could be called the "Boss of Bosses."
But Joseph, understanding just how terrifyingly powerful these abilities were, couldn't help but sigh: "Otherwise, I really wouldn't know how to stop you.
Of course, it would be even better if you adjusted your personality a little."
Joseph didn't mean to scold him. Or rather, once [Pseudo-Whitesnake's] ability pulled Diavolo into the illusion—paired with that infinite death loop that could break Diavolo's
psyche and accelerate the melting of his spirit into DISCs—Shirou had returned to the hotel with Diavolo's Memory DISC in hand.
They learned that Diavolo didn't just "turn bad" in the future; he had been a rotter from the very start. To protect his secrets, he was a man who wouldn't hesitate to kill his own biological mother or the foster father who had raised and cared for him since childhood!
With such ironclad evidence, Joseph and the others naturally felt no pity for Diavolo's end. At most, they were startled by the sheer variety of Stand abilities within Passione after seeing his memories, and they worried for Shirou, who had impulsively dashed off to fight alone without a second thought.
Shirou was lucky not to encounter other Passione Stand users this time. He might not be so fortunate next time. Specifically, the Stand ability of [Green Day] in Diavolo's memory was almost impossible to defend against.
"Mr. Joestar, have you forgotten my identity? I am a Prophet."
Even if Shirou had only bestowed that title upon himself based on his past-life memories.
"After seeing Diavolo's memories, you should know that a man like him would never arrange for Passione Stand users to be nearby to 'protect' him. If the user of [Mr. President] weren't a turtle, we might not have even encountered it nearby."
It was precisely because Shirou knew from his memories how deep Diavolo's obsession with hiding himself ran that he had the confidence to act alone.
And...
[Congratulations to the Host for successfully clearing "JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Stardust Crusaders." Would you like to leave the game world and return now?]
[If the Host chooses "No," you may remain in this game world for three more days.]
[Once the three-day limit expires, the Host will be forcibly returned to their original world regardless of their wishes.]
Yes, this was the reason for Shirou's urgency. He had three days left... no, counting the time it took to travel from India to Egypt to settle DIO's subordinates, and finally to Italy to deal with Diavolo, Shirou had a little over two days remaining.
Fortunately, Passione had not yet officially entered the drug trade. Aside from a few scumbags, most Stand users who joined Passione were attracted by Diavolo's anti-drug slogan. This made things much easier.
Silently calculating the time, Shirou turned his gaze back toward Japan.
-
-
-
S-City, Japan.
"The weather is truly wonderful today."
Yoshikage Kira, who had quickly found a job after graduating from university, sighed from the bottom of his heart. Although the job he found wasn't a vital position in a major corporation, nor was it a high-paying, enviable profession—in fact, he had simply become a minor clerk at the Kame Yu Department Store—the fact that he had found work immediately after graduation meant he wouldn't become a conspicuous "NEET" in Japan.
The sheer ordinariness of the job was exactly what he desired.
Thinking of this, a refreshed Kira checked his watch. "I shouldn't arrive too early on my first day, lest I leave too deep an impression on my colleagues and superiors.
But arriving too late or being tardy isn't good either. This time should be just right, shouldn't it?"
He didn't just use his watch to confirm the time. He also took a discreet look at the nearby streets. Seeing a few high schoolers who looked like delinquents still wandering aimlessly with no intention of going to school, Kira felt a wave of relief.
His time management was quite excellent, after all.
However...
Why were those delinquent high schoolers walking toward him?
Read ahead (100 chapters) by supporting me on buymeacoffee com/varietl or ko-fi edwriting