In this world, there exists an invisible, intangible, yet undeniably real power. It is the manifestation of the soul, a force originating from the very essence of life.
People in that world call it a [Stand.]
There are many ways to acquire a Stand: some awaken naturally due to innate talent; others break through their mental limits in life-or-death situations; or it can be a resonance born from blood ties.
Enrico Pucci's Stand came from another [self.]
That night, beneath a sky as dark as ink, not long after silver wings pierced through the clouds, the aircraft suddenly broke into several sections. Metal wreckage, engulfed in flames, traced a searing path, and countless fragments rained down like meteors.
An indescribable despair pierced through the heart that had devoutly prayed for his family before their separation. For a moment, he lost all five senses; everything he saw was darkness.
At the instant his spirit shattered, a point of light suddenly flickered at the end of the darkness, erupting into a torrent of brilliance. Within this torrent, countless souls were entwined, like a galaxy tearing open the firmament.
Pucci instinctively reached out to that galaxy, wanting to grasp the hope that could sustain his life.
The next moment, all was silent. Darkness and brilliance vanished together, leaving behind only a colorless world and the ceaseless, wailing wind.
A sudden silence descended upon the waiting lounge; sobs pierced the frozen air. People stood rigid like wax figures, their pupils reflecting the scrolling red text on the flight screen. As the shrill wail of sirens began, everything descended into chaos.
Amidst the confusion, the young man watched the tragedy with indifference, as if he were no longer a part of it.
A fresh red mark slowly seeped from his palm—an arrow-shaped bloodstain, deeply etched into his hand.
The young man witnessed [Hell.]
At the same time, he glimpsed [Heaven.]
============
Sizzle—click.
Fuuki took down the disc that had popped out from his forehead, feeling a moment of disorientation, as if he had just had a bizarre dream.
Lightly imprinted on the disc was a familiar figure—a beautiful woman with a kind and gentle expression, smiling softly.
Her name was Togawa Mizuho, Togawa Sakiko's deceased mother.
This [disc] was the most direct manifestation of his Stand ability—to [erode] and [dissolve] others' minds, turning their souls and memories into discs.
This was the other legacy he inherited, besides memories, the Stand possessed by Enrico Pucci from another world—[White Snake].
However, this legacy was incomplete.
Unlike the tall, thin, leather-clad, bandaged Kaijin with a black crown-mask in his memories, Fuuki's White Snake was merely a gray-white phantom wrapped in bandages. Although it could briefly condense into a human form, its overall capabilities clearly indicated it was a weakened version of the original.
Fuuki's White Snake can currently only create [command discs] that briefly control specific parts of a person's body. For example, when Sakiko fell into a memory and stumbled on the stairs earlier, he had merely created disposable [discs] that affected her [direction of thought] and [sense of balance] respectively. Their effect was short-lived and easily failed due to the target's mental strength.
As for [memory discs,] aside from [Togawa Mizuho's Memory] which he extracted earlier with great mental effort, what he currently masters is only the ability to briefly control the target's emotional fluctuations.
Just like the clumsy display of genuine emotion earlier, it was White Snake, attached to Togawa Sakiko's back, constantly micro-managing.
'If I truly possessed the full power of White Snake, I suppose in a few days, this Togawa Family would change its surname to [Pucci.]'
'However, immaturity has its advantages. The current White Snake, being weak enough, cannot be detected by anyone when it possesses someone and activates its ability! Not even a Stand User.'
Although he couldn't be sure if there were other people with Stands in this world, Fuuki remained cautious, never easily exposing his Stand ability in front of outsiders.
'The most important thing right now is to establish a firm foothold in the Togawa Family and gain more assistance. The power of such a large conglomerate is enough to handle many miscellaneous matters and provide sufficient convenience in society.'
'Although I don't know Togawa Mizuho's true purpose in adopting me, since I've been given this opportunity, I will make good use of it.'
After putting the disc into a specially designed hidden waist pouch, Fuuki walked to the bookshelf, pulled out a copy of Hermann Hesse's Demian, and sat down at his desk to read.
At the same time, the Stand wrapped around his waist, hidden in the shadows beneath the desk, began silently manufacturing discs.
============
In the evening, Fuuki was invited to a small family dinner, mostly attended by business partners of the family. During the dinner, the unwarranted titles of [Togawa Family adopted son] and [youngest modern Japanese priest] earned him enthusiastic praise and [welcome.] Many with ulterior motives asked tricky questions, indirectly probing his plans for his future life in the Togawa Family.
Although he had seen many such scenes before, it still made him want to insert a [self-destruct] command disc into the foreheads of these frogs.
In fact, he had tried to do so, but the targets were real frogs.
The only result was the frog's head gradually swelling and its eyeballs bursting out, not the explosive dispersal of a defeated ninja in a manga, which Fuuki found quite regrettable.
After another round of polite socializing, Fuuki slipped to the corner of the banquet hall, darted to a secluded spot on the balcony, and pulled out a book from his pocket to read.
The cool evening breeze immediately calmed Fuuki's mood considerably. Manufacturing necessary discs and dealing with the dinner had consumed too much of his mental energy. Now, he needed a brief moment of solitude to recover and prevent the loneliness deep within his heart from easily bothering him.
Yes, even though he could be considered the protagonist tonight, even though he could gain the genuine support of the entire Togawa Family by simply following his plan and continuously implanting suggestions with discs, he still felt a subtle unease in his heart.
It was a loneliness of being utterly alone, drifting on an icy sea.
Enrico Pucci from the other world would probably not be as lost as Fuuki. He had personally experienced the capriciousness of fate, receiving a divine revelation in his deepest despair, meeting his fated best friend, inheriting his will, and embarking on a pilgrimage in search of Heaven.
But Fuuki? He merely grasped at that fleeting light in a struggle for survival, simply unwilling to be swallowed by despair, embarking on this path with fear in his heart.
Perhaps he was too melancholic, but just like a Stand, he was still incomplete.
"All ideals humanity has possessed so far come from the subconscious dreams of the mind. Humanity gropes in dreams, pursuing an intuition about the future."
Muttering the words from the book, Fuuki's thoughts became active again.
'Does the dream I fell into today while playing the Disc harbor a premonition for my future path?'
'Am I special, being able to glimpse a corner of Heaven?'
'The plane crash that day doesn't seem to be accidental. Is there a crucial clue hidden behind it?'
Numerous thoughts intertwined, making it impossible for Fuuki to discern them for a moment.
So, he gave up thinking, closed his eyes, and enjoyed the lingering evening breeze.
A fresh scent appeared beside the young man, unconsciously easing his spirit even further.
Even without using his Stand to specifically observe the person behind him, he could guess the identity of the newcomer by feeling.
Togawa Sakiko's childhood friend, an existence like her other half, a girl named Wakaba Mutsumi.
Fuuki first met her at Togawa Mizuho's funeral.
While comforting the deceased's relatives and friends, this delicate, doll-like girl left a very deep impression on him.
Even though he didn't see much change in her expression throughout the funeral, he, being exceptionally sensitive to emotional fluctuations, could feel that Wakaba Mutsumi's heart was even more mournful than he had imagined.
Yes, mournful, like a song.
'Is she bored with the dinner and seeking a quiet place? Or is it because of Sakiko, hoping to communicate with me?'
Fuuki turned around, calmly met the girl's gaze, trying to discover the hidden emotions in her amber eyes.
"Hello, Fuuki-san..."
The girl clasped her hands together and bowed slightly.
"Wakaba Mutsumi... desu."
'Hmm?'
"Hello, Mutsumi-san... Togawa Fuuki desu."
Fuuki was momentarily stunned, then returned the same greeting.
Silence... A strange feeling surged in Fuuki's heart. He wanted to speak but couldn't, a lump in his throat.
Finally, the girl broke the silence.
"Fuuki-san, have you seen 'Heaven'?"
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