Jotaro stood in the corridor, watching the busy medical staff and security personnel. His body felt as heavy as a thousand catties, and a sense of dread rose in his heart.
The enemy Stand User's ability exceeded his expectations. Not only were their methods cruel, but they could also quickly erase all traces afterwards. It was a top-tier long-range Stand, like a poisonous snake hidden in the shadows, concealed and dangerous.
And the opponent's madness was even more unexpected. They directly started a massacre in the most prosperous part of Morioh, even attracting official attention, which made the situation even more complicated.
He looked again at the crumpled paper, now placed in an archive bag, in his hand. The pages torn from the 'Human Book' had messy, broken handwriting, and the information was fragmented.
"Suit... office worker... calm..."
"Perfect... collection..."
"Explosion... disappearance... no trace..."
"Kira...? It might be a surname, or it could be fragments of other words like 'good,' 'cut,' etc. I need to pay close attention to this."
These fragments were more like the ramblings or delusions of a psychopath. They might have been difficult to understand originally, and after being torn to shreds, they were impossible to piece together. Without the help of Crazy Diamond, it was unknown how long it would take to decipher this information.
These were fragments that Kishibe Rohan had torn from the chaotic memories and subconscious minds of Koichi, Hazamada Toshiwazu, and countless other visitors, filled with subjective assumptions and distorted interpretations.
They could not point to any specific, real person. Rather than being clues, they added many uncertain directions to the investigation.
Jotaro's brows were tightly furrowed. He was now leaning towards another possibility: Kishibe Rohan himself was another Stand User, and his goal was very likely also the 'Arrow.'
He used the so-called 'story collection' trap to control Koichi and Hazamada, attempting to obtain information about the Arrow or his competitors from them.
And the real bomber, extremely cunningly, exploited this point, launching a precise attack that both severely wounded his own people and directed all suspicion and anger towards Kishibe Rohan as a scapegoat.
Of course, it was also possible that the two were in cahoots, a serial scheme, but throwing one's own people directly into the opponent's hands as captives made Jotaro feel that this was a bit unlikely.
"One hidden in the dark, the other pushed to the front as a shield... A truly clever scheme."
Jotaro murmured to himself, the figure of Star Platinum faintly appearing behind him, cold anger accumulating.
No matter if the opponent was one person or a loose alliance using each other, no matter how deeply hidden, he, Kujo Jotaro, would definitely dig them out and put an end to this evil crime!
...Meanwhile, at Kameyu Department Store.
Kira Yoshikage got off work on time and got into his car. The radio was broadcasting the news, allowing Kira Yoshikage and his girlfriend in the passenger seat to comfortably enjoy their leisure time after work.
"My dear, even though you are not the perfect hand and cannot satisfy my obsession, you are still beautiful. Don't be so sad. Come, let's listen to the radio together. What would you like to eat tonight?"
Kira Yoshikage gently stroked his girlfriend. He had already confirmed that the Italian restaurant owner was sick, treating his non-acceptance of his original memories after transmigrating as schizophrenia.
This led to a table full of food designed to make him accept his past memories and personality. If nothing unexpected happened, his current state of madness would continue for a few more days until he completely suppressed Kira Yoshikage's memories, then he would return to being a normal person.
"...The Green Hill district fire is believed to be linked to the earlier severe explosion case. The police have intervened in the investigation and have initially determined it to be a premeditated malicious incident. The investigation is proceeding at full speed..."
"...The Chief Cabinet Secretary stated that a thorough investigation will be conducted into the series of malicious incidents that have occurred in Morioh recently, and no acts challenging law and order will be tolerated..."
Hearing the word "Cabinet," Kira Yoshikage raised his eyebrows slightly, but then quickly returned to calm. Government intervention?
This was not in his predictions. The scale of yesterday's explosion and today's fire were destined not to be completely covered up, but he hadn't expected it to escalate directly to the Cabinet.
However, this was actually better. The involvement of official agencies often meant cumbersome procedures, inefficient screening, and easily misled attention.
He had seen many abstract operations in Japan in his previous life; they had many cases that had been under investigation for over 20 years without resolution.
All their attention was now certainly focused on the so-called "terrorist attack" and Kishibe Rohan, the "major suspect."
Those fragmented pieces of information about the bombing murderer would only be filtered out as meaningless noise in front of the massive bureaucratic machine.
And he, Kira Yoshikage, an ordinary employee of Kameyu Department Store, with a regular life, diligent work, and simple social circle, would only be an inconspicuous one among countless citizens routinely questioned.
He might even be prioritized for exclusion from suspicion due to his good record. This time, his father did a brilliant job; that fire was set at just the right time, completely destroying many potential clues about himself.
Although many people might still remember him, might have an impression, those who were most active, most prominent, and most willing to express themselves and try to gain rewards had already had their memories erased by Kishibe Rohan.
He cheerfully started his car and drove towards his home. His peaceful life, though rippled slightly, remained firmly in his hands.
However, he did not notice that in the shadow of a small alley near the Hospital, a man in a trench coat with sharp eyes was holding a telephoto lens.
He hid in the shadows, silently photographing everyone who passed by without discrimination. On his collar, there was an inconspicuous badge of a special department within the Japanese government.
The net of fate was quietly tightening in another way... On a special floor of the Hospital, the elevator doors opened again.
This time, it was no longer doctors or nurses who emerged, but a group of people with a distinctly different demeanor.
Leading them was a middle-aged man, about fifty years old, wearing a well-tailored but understated dark suit.
His face was lean, his eyes steady and sharp, and his steps carried a calm and oppressive aura of someone seasoned and holding power.
Behind him followed several men and women, carrying heavy professional equipment cases, their eyes vigilantly scanning the surroundings, their movements efficient and perfectly coordinated.
On their collars or chests, they all wore the same inconspicuous badge of the special department: a simple, abstract design resembling an eye combined with a shield.
The head of the SPW Foundation immediately went to greet them. The two parties exchanged words and presented corresponding credentials and authorization documents.
The middle-aged man's gaze bypassed the head and directly locked onto Kujo Jotaro, who was standing by the corridor window. He strode towards him, his footsteps echoing clearly in the quiet corridor.
"Mr. Kujo Jotaro?"
His voice was steady, neither high nor low, yet it carried a natural sense of authority. "I am Iwakura Yusuke, head of the Supernatural Phenomenon Countermeasures Department (PSD), under the Cabinet Intelligence and Research Office (CIRO). I have been ordered to assist in handling the 'special incident' in Morioh."
Jotaro turned around, his gaze from beneath his cap meeting Iwakura Yusuke's. Both instantly assessed each other.
Iwakura felt the extraordinary composure and hidden power emanating from the other, while Jotaro saw the coldness towards life in the other's eyes, an indifference to the victims of special incidents.
"We have already obtained part of the situation brief from SPW."
Iwakura Yusuke got straight to the point. "Large-scale invisible explosions, mind control, high-speed arson... The target has been initially assessed as a highly dangerous and secretive ability user. Currently, the main suspect is the cartoonist in the ward, Kishibe Rohan?"
"He is an important associate, but not necessarily the mastermind. More likely, he's a discarded pawn."
Jotaro concisely expressed his opinion and handed over the sealed bag containing the fragmented book pages. "This is a product of part of his ability. The information is fragmented and highly misleading."
Iwakura Yusuke took the sealed bag but did not open it immediately, instead handing it to an assistant wearing white gloves beside him.
"We will conduct technical analysis, including paper, ink, fingerprints, and any possible trace information. Even if the content is useless, the carrier itself might provide clues."
He continued, "PSD's authority allows us to mobilize all of Japan's household registries, municipal surveillance, communication records, and financial flows for screening.
Given the suspect target's potential for disguise, we will prioritize cross-referencing all individuals within Morioh who fit the basic profile of 'adult male,' 'stable occupation,' 'affluent background,' and 'recent abnormal behavior.'
As for factors like height, weight, and proper attire, they will be included as low-weight reference items."
His words were clear and logical, filled with the coldness characteristic of bureaucratic systems and technical methods.
"However, Mr. Kujo Jotaro," Iwakura Yusuke's tone shifted, remaining steady but gaining weight, "we must be clear about one thing: PSD's ultimate priority is to eliminate abnormal factors that pose a threat to social order.
This means that if the chain of evidence can point to Kishibe Rohan and is sufficient to close the case, then for the sake of stability, the case might conclude with him."
He glanced in the direction of the intensive care unit. "Unless there is conclusive evidence proving the existence of another, more dangerous, and still active target.
Our resources will not be endlessly invested in a potentially never-ending hunt; the higher-ups require results and stability."
Jotaro was silent for a moment. He understood that the other party had been forced to come. They didn't want to investigate such dangerous matters at all, after all, an abnormal incident that could directly massacre hundreds of people in a short time was clearly very dangerous.
Even if that were the case, these confirmed individuals might not be afraid of death, but the current situation was that even if they investigated thoroughly, the benefits would go to America. For them, it was entirely due to pressure from America, so they were just going through the motions.
Jotaro glanced at him, responding coldly, "Ah, I understand. Then please go ahead and use your methods to prove that the guy in the ward is the mastermind.
If you can do it."
'What a terrible bureaucrat.'
Iwakura Yusuke nodded slightly. "We will carry out our work. At the same time, we hope that SPW will share all known basic information about the abilities and a detailed assessment report on Kishibe Rohan.
This will help us build a more accurate threat model. Our people will set up a temporary command post on this floor. We hope for pleasant cooperation."
"By the way, Mr. Kujo Jotaro, during the case investigation, our PSD will represent the government and grant you all necessary authority for your investigation. In the meantime, you can go ahead and do what you need to do, after all, to deal with these dangerous abilities, some issues are inevitable."
Cooperation had begun, but invisible boundaries and different goals had already been drawn.
One side sought to completely eradicate hidden evil, while the other preferred to quickly control the situation and restore "normality."
And in the Kameyu Department Store parking lot, Kira Yoshikage had just driven away.
He was unaware of the special department representing national power that had just arrived at the Hospital, and he was indifferent to their systematic, cold investigative methods.
In his view, the real danger always came from individuals like Jotaro who possessed similar extraordinary powers.
As for bureaucratic agencies? They couldn't even find where the real battlefield was. If they were truly capable, would the Ghost Alley still be there?
If these special departments established by major powers were useful, then Italy would not have been completely controlled by Passione, becoming a gangster's paradise.
The Priest would not have been able to complete his plan in America, and even Dio from Part 3 would have been beaten up by the army long ago, unable to survive until the Stardust Crusaders reached Egypt.
They were just a bunch of useless freeloaders.
Kira Yoshikage's car smoothly merged into the evening rush hour traffic, heading towards his neat, quiet villa, which symbolized his "peaceful life."