The race had just begun, and death was already chasing me.
The ground trembled beneath hundreds of galloping horses. Dust filled the air, thick and suffocating, making it harder to breathe. Shouts, laughter, tension, and excitement mixed into a chaotic storm of noise, but none of it mattered anymore.
A single message echoed in my mind like a death sentence.
[Warning: Unknown Stand Ability Targeting You]
My grip tightened on the reins as sweat covered my palms. My breathing grew unstable.
"Focus… think."
In JoJo, every Stand follows rules. Nothing is invincible. Everything has a weakness.
Then I heard it again.
"You don't belong here."
The voice was right behind my ear. Cold. Mocking.
My body froze for a split second before reacting instantly. I turned my head sharply.
There was nothing.
"…Invisible?"
No. It couldn't be that simple.
A sudden sensation crawled across my spine.
[Passive Skill Activated: Danger Perception (Lv.1)]
It felt like my nerves had sharpened, like I could feel the movement of air itself.
Then my instincts screamed.
Left.
Without hesitation, I leaned hard to the side.
Something sliced through the space where my head had been. Fast. Silent. Deadly.
My eyes widened.
I saw it for a split second.
A thin line. Almost transparent. Like a thread, but sharper than a blade.
"If that hit me…"
I swallowed.
"I'd be dead."
"Impressive."
The voice came again, but this time it was in front of me.
A rider appeared a few meters away. A man in his late twenties, with messy hair and sharp eyes. His smile didn't feel human.
"You dodged that," he said calmly.
My heartbeat accelerated.
"Who are you?"
He ignored my question and tilted his head slightly, studying me like prey.
"…Strange. Very strange."
His eyes narrowed.
"You don't feel right."
My fingers tightened around the reins.
"What do you mean?"
His smile widened.
"Your presence… doesn't belong to this world."
Silence fell between us.
Cold, heavy silence.
My thoughts froze for a moment.
He knows. Or at least, he suspects something.
I forced a small laugh.
"You're talking nonsense."
But inside, my mind was racing.
"Relax," he said softly. "I'm not going to kill you immediately."
A chill ran down my spine.
"I want to understand you first."
His hand moved slightly.
My instincts exploded in warning.
Right.
I pulled the reins sharply. The horse shifted direction just in time.
A sharp slash cut through the air.
A scream followed.
I turned my head and saw a racer behind me split clean in half.
Blood sprayed across the ground as his body collapsed lifelessly.
The race didn't stop.
No one stopped.
"…This world is insane."
My voice came out low and cold.
"Of course it is," the man laughed. "This is the Steel Ball Run."
His eyes locked onto mine.
"A race where only the strongest survive."
A new message appeared.
[New Sub-Mission: Analyze Enemy Stand]
Progress: 0%
I almost cursed.
"I'm about to die and you want analysis?"
Another chill hit me, stronger and closer.
Up.
I ducked instantly.
My hat was sliced clean in half.
"…Okay."
My expression changed.
No more panic. No more hesitation.
"I understand now."
This wasn't a race.
It was a battlefield.
And I was already inside it.
If I didn't fight, I would die.
Simple.
I narrowed my eyes.
Thread-like attacks. Invisible. Fast. Precise.
Not random.
Controlled.
"Your ability…"
The man smiled.
"Oh? Did you figure something out?"
"It's not invisible."
He paused.
"It's just hard to see."
His smile widened further.
"Good. Then try to survive."
His fingers moved again.
This time, the air itself seemed to shift.
Multiple threads appeared, faint but detectable.
Surrounding me.
Blocking every escape route.
"…So it's a trap."
"Exactly," he said. "Now run."
I didn't move.
Instead, I reached for a small metal piece attached to my saddle.
"Let's test something."
A new sensation flowed through my fingers.
[Skill Activated: Basic Spin]
Rotation. Control. Precision.
It felt natural, as if my body had always known how to do this.
I twisted my wrist slowly.
The metal piece began to spin.
Faster.
And faster.
The air around it vibrated.
A sharp, cutting sound echoed.
"…Interesting."
The man's eyes lit up.
"So you do have something."
I didn't respond.
I threw it.
The spinning projectile shot forward like a bullet.
Then something changed.
A ripple appeared in the air.
A distortion.
"There."
For the first time, I saw it clearly.
The thread bent slightly, reacting to the spin.
"…Got you."
The man burst into laughter.
"HAHAHA! So you can see it!"
His killing intent exploded.
The pressure in the air increased instantly.
"Then let's stop playing."
His fingers moved again.
This time, dozens of threads appeared at once.
Above me. Below me. Around me.
A cage.
A death trap.
A new warning appeared.
[Warning: Lethal Zone Detected]
My breathing slowed.
My focus sharpened.
A small smile appeared on my face.
"If I'm dying anyway…"
I grabbed another object.
Spin.
Faster.
Stronger.
More precise.
"…Then I might as well fight."
The threads closed in.
Closer.
Faster.
Deadlier.
The man grinned.
"Show me."
"Entertain me."
Everything slowed down.
My vision narrowed.
My mind became clear.
"…Now."
I moved.
To be continued.