The next attack didn't wait for them to prepare.
It came at night.
The city lights flickered once—subtle enough that most people ignored it. But for Jovian and the others, it was immediate. The air tightened, like something had taken a breath and refused to release it.
Jovian stopped mid-step. Vital Mirage appeared instantly, its glow sharper than before.
"…He's here," Jovian muttered.
"No," Lucien said from behind him, his voice low. "Not him."
Midnight Sontana slid into view, its form barely visible against the darkness.
"…Something else."
A scream echoed from further down the street.
That was enough.
They ran.
Turning into a narrow boulevard, they found the source—cars dented inward, streetlights bent unnaturally, and at the center of it all stood a man trembling violently, clutching his head as if something inside him was breaking apart.
"…Help… me…" the man whispered.
Then the air around him twisted.
Violently.
Invisible pressure exploded outward, slamming into the surroundings like a shockwave. Windows shattered. Metal warped. The ground cracked beneath their feet.
"He's not controlling it!" Alaric shouted.
Golden Cavalier moved instantly, bracing against the force, its armored frame resisting the crushing pressure.
"This isn't like before," Iggy added, Phantom Ember flaring as heat surged to counter the distortion.
Jovian narrowed his eyes.
"…He's being used."
The realization hit fast. This wasn't a random Stand user. This was a weapon. An unstable one.
Vital Mirage surged forward, its movements precise. Instead of attacking directly, Jovian focused on control.
"Don't destroy him—stabilize him!"
Lucien moved next, Midnight Sontana slipping through the warped space, avoiding the distortions entirely as it approached the man from behind.
The closer they got, the worse it became. The distortions intensified, like the Stand itself was reacting to their presence.
"Too unstable!" Iggy warned.
Jovian clenched his fist. "Then we force it to calm down."
Vital Mirage pulsed, golden energy flowing outward—not violently, but steadily. Controlled. Focused.
For a moment—
The distortions slowed.
Just slightly.
But enough.
Midnight Sontana struck—not to harm, but to disrupt the Stand's flow. At the same time, Golden Cavalier reinforced the space around them, stabilizing the collapsing pressure. Phantom Ember released a controlled burst of heat, counteracting the distortion's intensity.
The man collapsed.
The pressure vanished.
Silence returned.
Jovian exhaled slowly.
"…That wasn't random," he said.
Alaric shook his head. "…No."
Lucien looked down at the unconscious man.
"That was a message."