Time returned to the evening before Kira Yoshikage went out. He shook his head and rubbed his throbbing temples.
"I think I'm starting to understand how Diavolo felt. This is pure cheating, completely illogical."
He sighed softly, then thought of Diavolo facing two immortal beings back then. The main characters just cheat when they can't win, right? How exciting.
However, looking at the shy Mrs. Shinobu in front of him, he sighed. He still didn't go out, nor did he do what needed to be done. The fire was out for now, so he would wait.
"By tomorrow, they should be finished. It's just that too many people were killed last night. Bites the Dust Rhapsody seems to have blown up nearly 1000 people. Tsk, this is another large-scale terrorist attack."
"This time, it's probably not as simple as just a lockdown. I should take people and run. Hmm, Italy isn't bad. I can also take care of Polnareff and snatch the Stand Arrow."
"Darling, let's go on a trip. How about Italy? A romantic place."
He completely confused Mrs. Shinobu. "Ah, why are you suddenly saying these things? And Hayato still has school."
Kira Yoshikage smiled, his expression gentle. He suddenly pulled out a flower from somewhere. "When we got married, we didn't really have a romance. Now is a good time to make up for it."
"Just this one romantic trip will do. As for Hayato? It's fine, he can stay here and go to school. He can take care of himself, and he usually doesn't like being with us, does he? It's a good chance for him to experience his own feelings."
…The Morioh morning news played on TV as usual, carrying a false sense of tranquility.
However, a sudden breaking news report instantly shattered this calm.
On the screen, with the solemn Prime Minister's Official Residence as the backdrop, Kishibe Rohan—the manga artist famous for "Pink Dark Boy"—stood in a meticulously tailored, utterly anachronistic pure white suit.
He stood with an arrogant expression amidst a group of grim-faced officials and several sharp-eyed American advisors. He lightly cleared his throat into the microphone, his voice broadcasting through the TV speakers, clear and imbued with an undeniable coldness.
His gaze was like that of a hawk.
"...In view of the vile terrorist attack that occurred last night, targeting the political core of our nation, which unfortunately resulted in the demise of the Prime Minister and several key ministers, and brought the nation's operations to a standstill."
"In this time of crisis, with the trust of all parties and the strong support of our American allies, I, Kishibe Rohan, will temporarily assume the duties of Prime Minister until a new electoral order is established..."
His words were grand, but his artist's eyes, full of insight and madness, seemed to stare intently at everyone through the screen. The combination of his frenzy and rationality sent chills down one's spine.
"...We will thoroughly investigate this matter and will not let any terrorists or their accomplices who threaten national security go! A new order will surely descend, and any vermin attempting to disrupt peace and stability will be utterly crushed!"
This news completely shocked Kira Yoshikage. He had been taking his time, but then he saw this scene on the airport TV, and a large number of police cars arrived, immediately sealing off the airport.
From now on, the entire Morioh, and even all of Japan, would be under martial law.
That didn't matter, after all, he already knew when he would act. Now he was just waiting for the news report, then reversing time and running away.
He also left a gift for the main characters.
But why was Kishibe Rohan still alive?
…Outside the news footage, in a small, temporary safe house in Morioh, the atmosphere was icy cold.
They were already heartbroken and confused to the extreme because last night, while monitoring Kosaku Kawajiri, Joseph suddenly exploded, and even Crazy Diamond couldn't fix him.
When Crazy Diamond touched his flesh, it was as if it touched air; it had no effect at all. They could only watch Joseph be completely blown away, utterly powerless to stop it.
And now, the news delivered another heavy blow.
"He... he became the acting Prime Minister?!" Koichi Hirose stared at the familiar yet unfamiliar face on the screen in disbelief, his voice trembling. "How is this possible?! Those politicians, those families... how could they allow it..."
"It's the Americans," Kujo Jotaro's voice was deep, the shadow under his hat obscuring his eyes, but his clenched fists betrayed his anger.
"The Prime Minister died, a power vacuum appeared, and Rohan... he just happened to have what the Americans needed most. Plus his ability..."
He thought of Heaven's Door's terrifying power to rewrite perception. In such a chaotic situation, this ability was enough to tip the scales.
Just then, Higashikata Josuke answered a phone nearby. After only a few words, he suddenly looked out the window. "What?!"
Without hesitation, he tore open the safe house door and rushed out.
The remaining few immediately rushed out. Although they didn't understand, they still followed Josuke. Okuyasu ran in front, Jotaro followed closely, and Koichi gritted his teeth and kept up.
"Hey, Josuke, what happened?"
Jotaro asked, but Higashikata Josuke, who usually respected Jotaro, had no reaction this time. He just ran desperately forward, directly into the car, his eyes bloodshot.
"Mr. Jotaro... please drive to my house... Thank you..."
Listening to Josuke's trembling voice, they all seemed to understand something and showed expressions of disbelief.
"This..."
Koichi wanted to say something, but Jotaro covered his mouth. He silently started the car and drove towards the Higashikata House.
When they arrived at the Higashikata House, all they saw was a police cordon and a group of stunned onlookers.
The house windows were intact, but through the open door, they could see the living room inside. A beautiful woman with a hot figure was hanging in the living room.
Her limbs were twisted and broken, every finger bent, and her eyes were gouged out and placed in a jar, sitting to one side... (The following content is too bloody, so I won't write it, in short, it was very tragic).
She was hanging there, her death agonizing, her face unrecognizable, but her identity could still be vaguely discerned—Higashikata Josuke's mother, Tomoko Higashikata.
She was killed.
There were also traces of being blown open on her body, literally "blown open," not the silent and complete explosion of Killer Queen.
Her body was as if filled with explosives from within. Flesh, bones, and fragments of clothing splattered radially across the walls and ceiling of the entire room. The heavy smell of blood could be detected even from a distance, and the scene was unbearable to witness.
"It's... Mother..." Josuke's voice was dry and filled with fear.
He stumbled over, but was intercepted by a police officer who wanted to maintain the scene and track the killer. Then he watched as a police officer seemed to be examining his mother's body, touching her once.
Then that police officer was blown to ashes, and everyone was terrified.
"Why? This is Kira Yoshikage's doing!" he roared to the sky. "Why her?! If you have the guts, come for me! Why my mother?!"
Jotaro's gaze was sharp as an eagle, scanning the scene, and he began to ponder, "Time... Kishibe Rohan just announced his ascension. Is he announcing in this way that his revenge has begun? Has he completely allied with Kira Yoshikage?"
He paused, and a terrifying conjecture surfaced.
Koichi, meanwhile, was so scared that he directly knelt on the ground, not from fear of death, nor from fear of dead people.
As someone with a certain golden spirit, he did not fear death. However, this scene of a loved one being tortured to death still left a deep impression on him, making him involuntarily swallow. And in a place he couldn't see, Echoes ACT2 also began to change.
At the same time, inside the Prime Minister's Official Residence.
Kishibe Rohan stood before a large floor-to-ceiling window, overlooking the somewhat chaotic Tokyo outside. He held a glass of red wine, gently swirling it, a cold and satisfied smile playing on his lips.
Today, a large area of houses had become vacant. For some unknown reason, everyone inside had been blown to death, but the houses themselves were undamaged, all good properties.
The government only needed to find a way to reclaim these houses to gain a large sum of money, which would also be a credit to him, helping him maintain his position. As for the dead, he would label their deaths as a terrorist attack.
"But a lot of people died. Tokyo plus Morioh, a total of over 3000 people missing? Was this done by Kira Yoshikage? He really has some power."
The TV was still replaying his inauguration speech from earlier. And beneath his feet, this center of power, was now temporarily under his control.
But he scoffed, "However, I am ultimately safe. It's just a pity for that idiot Hazamada."
He lay in his chair, recalling a scene from this morning. He was working when Hazamada Toshiwazu, who had always served by his side, suddenly exploded.
Yes, it was the Stand User of the Stand Surface. As a delinquent with no achievements, getting a job in the government was naturally excellent, so he directly pledged allegiance to Kishibe Rohan.
These days, Kishibe Rohan had been hiding in a safe place, letting Surface take on his appearance to attend various events on his behalf, while he directed from behind the scenes.
No one knew about this except the American soldiers protecting him, but today, Hazamada inexplicably died.
"'Surface' taking my appearance was the perfect scapegoat. It should count as saving my life, right?"
He laughed as he thought about it. The ministers and the Prime Minister suddenly died, and so many people went missing. He wasn't a fool; on the contrary, he was very smart. He naturally guessed that they had been attacked, and Surface had died in his place.
He just didn't expect the original body to die as well.
But it was still good. Using Kira Yoshikage, this sharpest of blades, not only eliminated the Prime Minister but also dealt with many masters in the supernatural realm, giving him the opportunity to gain power through Stand abilities.
The taste of power was more intoxicating than he imagined. This feeling of manipulating everyone, even Stand Users, was truly exhilarating.
For him, only drawing manga was more interesting than this feeling, but this power could also help him draw manga. For example, he was now preparing to implement a new law.
Making everyone in the country obliged to read his manga!
Just then, his private phone rang. It was an unfamiliar number, but the ability to call this number itself was unusual.
Rohan raised an eyebrow, answered the phone, and his tone carried a hint of mockery, "Hello? Who is this? If you're a reporter, I suggest you hang up immediately."
The other end of the phone was silent for a few seconds, then a young, nervous, yet unusually resolute voice came through.
"...It's, it's me, Koichi Hirose. I'm a fan of Rohan-sensei..."
The mockery on Rohan's face instantly receded, replaced by immense interest and a hint of wariness. "Oh? Koichi Hirose? That's surprising. Shouldn't you be hiding with Jotaro and the others, thinking about how to deal with me right now?"
"...Rohan-sensei." Koichi's voice seemed to tremble, but he forced himself to remain calm. "I... I don't want to follow them anymore. I, I want to follow you!"
"Mr. Jotaro and the others... they can't win. I remember the Prime Minister once said that he was willing to recruit Stand Users like us..."
"Oh, the Prime Minister?" Rohan swirled his wine glass, his tone a little strange.
"Oh, no, no, it was the former Prime Minister!"
Kishibe Rohan then smiled and casually turned off the TV that was still playing sound. He began to listen carefully to what the other person was saying, "Why do you say that?"
"Because, Sensei... you now possess the power of an entire nation!" Koichi's speaking speed quickened, as if he was trying to convince himself. "I long for... your kind of power, and I greatly admire your manga."
He took a breath; his trembling and weakness could be heard even over the phone. He continued, "I know I used to oppose you, but... but that's all in the past! I understand now, only the strong deserve to survive! I want... I want to join your side! I can provide Jotaro and the others' hiding place! I know their plans! I only ask... I only ask that you spare me and give me a way out!"
Kishibe Rohan listened quietly, his face expressionless, only the light of calculation flickering in his eyes.
He suddenly burst into laughter, smashing his wine glass to the floor. "Koichi Hirose! Don't take me for a fool! If you're going to betray, you need to be resolute. Tell me why you're really coming to me!"
What he heard just now was utterly absurd, an insult to Kishibe Rohan's intelligence. His pride would not allow him to take such a subordinate.
Koichi's voice instantly became flustered and fearful, even with a hint of a sob. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, Sensei, I'll tell you, I'll tell you. Please, you must accept me. I'm afraid for my family. Today, Josuke's mother was killed."
"She... I don't want my mother, my sister to end up like that... So, Sensei, please forgive me, I'll do anything..."
If Koichi truly defected out of fear, it would undoubtedly be the most poisonous wedge driven into Jotaro's heart.
Even if it was false... perhaps it could still be used.
Rohan's lips once again curved into that cold and mad smile.
"Interesting... very interesting, Koichi-kun," he said softly, his tone becoming gentle, yet more chilling, "Tell me your location, or... tell me Jotaro and their next plan. Let me see your 'sincerity'."
Koichi on the other end of the phone seemed to sigh in relief, yet also seemed even more nervous. After more than ten seconds of internal struggle, a voice came through, and an address was reported.
Rohan listened while gesturing to an assistant beside him, indicating to immediately send people to verify it.
Regardless of whether it was true or false, the game had become more interesting.
And in a dimly lit phone booth, Koichi Hirose hung up the phone, leaned against the cold glass wall, and slowly slid to the ground, his face pale, gasping for breath, his eyes filled with fear, struggle, and a hint of desperate hope.
His Stand, the newly evolved Echoes ACT3, floated silently beside him. Unlike its noisy original, this Stand was silent.
And Koichi just sat there quietly, his face devoid of color. The inner pain of betraying his companions made him extremely uncomfortable, almost wanting to commit suicide.
But for his family... and his girlfriend, he had to do this.
"I'm sorry, Big Brother Jotaro, I'm sorry, Josuke, I'm sorry, Okuyasu... I've let you down."
Tears streamed down his cheeks, dripping onto his hanging hands.
The prelude to betrayal had already begun.