MAGO - Stardust Crusaders X OC

Chapter Thirty-Six: Monday, January 16

They got to the door before Mr Joestar spoke. "Now that I think about it, if I can sense DIO, then it stands to reason that he has the ability to sense us, too," he said, his voice low. "If we try to enter the mansion guns blazing, no doubt we'll be playing right into the enemy's hands! Before we do anything, we need to think of a strategy."

And before anyone could answer, the door gently swung open, revealing a gaping dark hallway behind it. "Careful, the door's opening! Everyone, on guard!" Mr Joestar hissed, and Sana nodded. The group crept closer to the void that awaited them, and Sana held her breath. Polnareff peeked around the doorframe.

"Check it out! What's with this weird corridor? This must go on forever!" Polnareff said, eyes wide. Sana couldn't resist looking. "This can't be real, right? This has to be some sort of trick, or illusion."

It looked like he was right. The hallway stretched on forever. Every single part of it repeated, on and on and on, infinitely. Something about it was full of foreboding. Sana didn't want to keep looking, so she withdrew back around the doorframe, and back into the safety of the sunlight.

"Listen. Polnareff. No matter what, don't go through the door. DIO's probably got a couple more Stand users waiting in the wings to fight us," Mr Joestar said.

Sana looked back in there, and immediately regretted it. There was something... flying down the hallway at them, rushing to meet them so quickly, passing through the haze of infinity like it was nothing, like it was comfortable with it.

"What the hell..?" Sana breathed. The form almost looked human. As it drew closer, Sana's suspicions were confirmed. It was human, and it was floating. Those things didn't normally go together, meaning-

"Something's coming this way! Wait, is that guy floating?" Polnareff frowned. "Is he a Stand user or what?" The figure grinned, and stopped. Polnareff's eyes widened. "I don't know who you are, but you're definitely not normal!"

"Polnareff, stop it!" Mr Joestar said.

"I'm gonna make short work of you!" Polnareff yelled, manifesting Silver Chariot. The floating figure casually tossed a playing card at Silver Chariot's rapier, slicing it cleanly in half, and Jotaro caught a piece.

"Another playing card?" Jotaro asked, inspecting it. Sana briefly glanced at the card. The queen of hearts. She looked back at the man who'd thrown it. He probably wasn't much older than her, only a few years. He wore a long, white coat, and earrings that said "TD". Sana had no idea what that stood for, but the playing card combined with the earrings gave Sana a bad feeling - it reminded her a little too much of that fight they'd just had with D'Arby. Now that Sana thought about it, there was a mild facial resemblance, too... it didn't matter. They'd still beat the guy up.

The guy in question bowed. "Master Joestar. Welcome to our abode. We've been expecting you, sir. I am the resident butler of the mansion. You may call me D'Arby."

"D'Arby?" Sana's eyes widened. "We already fought one of those."

"Yes," D'Arby said. "I am the younger D'Arby. It may interest you to know that the D'Arby whom you defeated on your arrival was... my older brother."

That made sense, but it didn't bode well for the fight. The older D'Arby had been terrifying in his own right, but his younger brother... Sana didn't know if he seemed better or worse. That would come with time, but even that thought made her uneasy.

"So there isn't just one salaud in the D'Arby family!" Polnareff exclaimed. D'Arby seemed unperturbed by Polnareff's comment, and remained impassive, with a little glint in his eye.

"So I take it you're here to avenge your brother's defeat?" Mr Avdol asked, narrowing his eyes.

D'Arby grinned, and floated to the right. "No, not at all. Such a thing is... beneath me." He bowed, and started speaking again.