The uneasy alliance formed quickly, but trust did not follow.
The four of them stood in the quiet aftermath of their meeting, the tension still lingering in the air like a storm that hadn't decided whether to break. Jovian studied the others carefully, not with suspicion, but with awareness. Each of them carried something heavy beneath the surface. It showed in the way they stood, the way their Stands hovered close, ready at a moment's notice.
Alaric was the first to speak again, his tone measured and controlled. "If Voss Calder is involved, then this isn't random. He doesn't act without purpose."
Jovian's gaze sharpened. "You've heard of him before."
A brief pause.
"…More than heard," Alaric replied.
Iggy let out a quiet scoff, kicking a loose piece of debris across the street. "Same here. That name doesn't just show up out of nowhere. Wherever he goes, things break."
Lucien, still perched on the crate, spoke without looking at them. "People break."
The words settled heavily.
Jovian exhaled slowly. "Then we all have a reason to be here."
No one disagreed.
But agreement didn't mean unity.
The shift came suddenly.
A low tremor ran through the ground—not violent, but unnatural. All four of them felt it instantly. Their Stands reacted before their bodies did, materializing fully as the air began to distort again.
Jovian's expression hardened. "Not again…"
But this wasn't the same as before.
This time, the distortion didn't come from a single direction. It spread outward, rippling through the street like a wave. The ground cracked in thin, jagged lines, and the air grew heavy, pressing down on them from all sides.
"Something's forcing space to collapse," Alaric said quickly, his golden Stand—Golden Cavalier—stepping forward, its armored frame radiating controlled strength.
Iggy's Stand, Phantom Ember, ignited faintly, heat distorting the air around it. "Then we break it first."
Lucien finally stood, his Stand—Midnight Sontana—sliding silently into motion like a shadow peeling itself away from reality.
Jovian didn't hesitate. "Move together."
The next moment, the attack came.
The ground beneath them shattered inward, a crushing force pulling downward as if gravity itself had spiked. Jovian reacted instantly, Vital Mirage grabbing him and pulling him clear, while Golden Cavalier struck downward, reinforcing the ground beneath them with sheer force.
Phantom Ember surged forward, releasing a burst of heat that disrupted the distortion, while Midnight Sontana slipped through the shifting space, striking at unseen pressure points with eerie precision.
For the first time, they fought as a group.
Uncoordinated. Imperfect. But effective.
The distortion faltered.
Then—
It vanished.
Just like before.
Silence returned, but it felt heavier now.
Lucien narrowed his eyes. "Testing us."
Alaric nodded slightly. "Or measuring."
Jovian clenched his fist.
"…Then we get stronger before he finishes."
This time, no one argued.
Because now, it wasn't just a coincidence.
They were being watched.