As the first rays of the sun broke through the horizon, the cacophony of sirens filled the air, blending with the chaos that lay before them—a scene of utter carnage that could only be described as a blood bath of the highest degree.
"And... how did you say all of this happened again?" The head detective's exasperated tone matched the crease on his forehead as he turned to Y/N, who nervously averted his eyes and pretended to clean his ears, attempting to downplay the gravity of the situation.
"Well, Hikaru had bombs planted inside them, you know, and when they saw me approaching, they decided to defect to my side. Unfortunately, Hikaru killed them all by detonating the bombs." Y/N explained with an air of nonchalance, glancing over at Hol Horse, who was now being carried on a stretcher.
"Right? Ask this poor man who had the bomb planted inside his crotch." Y/N chuckled, placing a hand on Hol Horse's shoulder. "Am I right, buddy ol' pal?"
"Y-yes, officer." Hol Horse immediately concurred, urging the nurses to hurry him back to the ambulance. Y/N watched with amusement as he was whisked away.
"Right, and... you can attest to that, Mr. Noriaki?" The detective turned his attention to Kakyoin, who stood beside Y/N, calmly nodding in agreement.
"Yes, I can, sir. It is exactly as Y/N described." Kakyoin affirmed, and Y/N smirked, their alliance evident.
The glances between Y/N and Hikaru met for a split second, each silently condemning the other. Hikaru knew that his twisted game was coming to an end, and Y/N was determined to ensure it ended the right way.
"Well... thank you for your help." The detective tipped his hat with a hint of a frown before smiling warmly at Ai. "And thank you for the autograph, Ai. I'm sure my daughter will be over the moon to receive it."
"No problem, sir. Thanks for your service." Ai's sweet response charmed the officers present, leaving them with grins on their faces.
"Oh, Mr. Detective?" Y/N called out to the man before he left. "May I request permission to talk to Hikaru later? It's for the film; I need to discuss some things."
"Huh? Sure, just give us a call before you arrive at the station, and we'll prepare things for you." The detective agreed.
Y/N nodded in appreciation and said his goodbyes. He glanced at Kakyoin, whose indifferent gaze met his.
"I haven't asked since we didn't have the time, but how old are you?" Y/N inquired.
"Hmm, perhaps 18," Kakyoin replied, scratching the back of his neck. "And you're..."
"26, a year older than Ai." Y/N shrugged, hands tucked in his pockets. "You... in college?"
"Yeah, yeah."
"I see."
"If you're gonna ask, then no. Jotaro isn't with me, and neither are Avdol or Polnareff." Kakyoin sighed, gazing up at the bright blue sky.
"Hmph, why would I ask for that." Y/N scoffed. "But still, it is good information to know."
"You don't do well with gratitude, do you?" Kakyoin deadpanned, making Y/N scowl.
"Tsk, I do know gratitude. In fact, I'd be thanking you by offering you the spot that Hikaru will most likely be leaving behind."
"Wait, what?"
"Congratulations, Noriaki Kakyoin."
Y/N cackled to himself as he and Ai began to walk away, leaving behind Kakyoin, who was suddenly swarmed by the film crew of the movie he and Hikaru were shooting. Though Kakyoin may not have been an actor, the director seemed to see promise in him and his naturally good looks—a delightful prospect for Y/N, who savored the sight of Kakyoin dealing with the sudden influx of attention.
"You're thinking of something bad again, aren't you."
"...I'm sorry."
With Ai's keen intuition and ability to read his thoughts, Y/N realized that he needed to enjoy such moments in isolation to avoid incurring the wrath of the perceptive young woman.
§
"Thank you, officer. You may leave us here," Y/N courteously nodded to the guarding police officer, who tipped his hat with a satisfied grin and happily walked away, clutching the autographed paper as if it were a precious treasure.
"Did you... bribe the guard?" Ruby deadpanned, her eyes narrowing at Y/N, who had settled down in front of the table with a glass partition separating them from none other than Hikaru. The glass cut through the middle of the table, almost like a symbolic barrier between them.
On the other side of the glass, Hikaru let out a weary sigh, his eyes shifting from Aqua to Ruby before settling on Y/N. His smile was ambiguous—was it sadness or something more sinister? Even Y/N couldn't tell.
"So this is the man... our father," Aqua murmured quietly, obediently sitting on Y/N's lap alongside Ruby. Ruby, though, seemed more focused on the fact that Y/N was letting both of them sit on him.
"You two look just like me and Ai," Hikaru remarked, his tone unsettlingly void of remorse.
"Why?" Aqua demanded, his young eyes ablaze with indignation. "What's your obsession with Ai? Why her specifically?"
Hikaru appeared taken aback by Aqua's profound question, chuckling quietly before answering. "Why indeed," he mused, tapping his finger on the table, taunting them with his enigmatic smile. "Perhaps... I just didn't want to see her so happy and successful."
"But why, though? What has Mama done to you?" Ruby inquired, rising to her feet on Y/N's lap. He gave her a deadpan look, coaxing her to behave.
"What has she done?" Hikaru frowned, as if contemplating an answer. "It's more like what she hasn't done."
Before Hikaru could walk away, Y/N intervened. "Aqua," he called out, locking eyes with the young man, who responded with a determined nod.
With a sigh, Y/N's eyes glowed with a golden light, and the world around him turned gray. Unlocking the door with the keys he had taken from the guard, Y/N separated Hikaru from them.
"Pondering it," Y/N began to speak as he watched his Stand, The World, slowly approach Hikaru.
"I pity you. It seems all of this began when you felt inadequate. When you realized the woman you loved never loved you back."
The World stopped before Hikaru, its features seemingly reflecting pain and anger etched into its eyes.
"Your death will be the first merciful one I bestow. Farewell."
With those solemn words, Y/N focused deeply and pushed The World's hands through Hikaru's chest, grabbing his heart before crushing it mercilessly. Then, he resumed time.
Death was instantaneous. The moment time resumed, Hikaru crumpled lifelessly to the ground, his heart no longer beating. The suffering had ended.
Y/N could only hope that peace would now prevail for him and those around him, but deep down, he knew the truth.
Stand users would always invite danger.
§
The soft, ethereal light of a crackling fireplace illuminated the dim room, its glow playing with shadows and dancing on the walls. In the midst of the darkness, a solitary chair stood out, occupied by a man adorned in a flowing robe, the pages of a Bible gently turning between his hands.
"...Praise to God," he murmured softly, finally closing the holy book bearing the name "Dio" on its cover. The room seemed to exhale a hushed reverence as he ended his reading, enveloping the figure in an air of enigmatic solemnity.