Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Unknown date, 1882

“Give me the pocket mirror! NOW!”

Enjel angrily demanded the brunette after catching up to her. The brunette, being referred to as “Enjel” by the friend-turned-foe, rises up on her feet and backs away, still catching her breath after she barely outran her hostile lookalike.

“Enjel! Please don’t do this!”

“It’s useless to run, missy! I’m going to take that po-”

Before she can finish, Enjel suddenly vanishes in a blink of an eye. Anxiously, “Enjel” looks around for signs of the one-winged girl. “…Enjel?” Growing scared out of her mind and the suffocating darkness she ended up into, she wonders if she should get out as fast as she can. But a high-pitched voice, one she became familiar with during her dangerous journey in this psychedelic realm, chimes in from behind.

“What are you standing there for?” The hopping pumpkin said. “The show is about to start!”

She faces the pumpkin. “What are you talking about?”

“Let’s not waste any more time! Follow me!”

The pumpkin hops away into a grand stage containing more pumpkins and some candles to light it up. “Enjel” is apprehensive: she’s sure the stage wasn’t there before when she looked around. She wants to get away from it.

Ah ah ah. There’s nowhere left for you to run~ You could get lost, you know~?

A taunting voice, one she also became familiar with despite encountering him a scant few times, stops her, appearing to have read her mind. Feeling more dreadful, she swallows a lump in her throat and approaches the stage. The pumpkin that leads her vanishes in childish stars. Then clapping hands direct her eyes to an occupant sitting on a luxurious chair. She gasps, recognizing him…

“Well, well! Look who’s here!” The Strange Boy began with a chortle. “You must be quite tired, poor thing! Why don’t you take a seat?”

Before she can respond, a sparkle of stars covers her vision for two seconds, then she finds herself sitting on a chair that spins on itself facing the stage. Immediately, she realizes she’s glued to the seat, she can’t move her body including her head, which appears to be locked facing forward, and she can’t blink or close her eyes.

“Much better!” The words coming out from his mouth oozes with vicious mischievousness, uncaring of “Enjel’s” feelings. No surprise she goes silent out of fear. The Strange Boy takes notice. “You know… This would be considerably more entertaining if you’d at least say something!”

“I just-”

“Yes, that’s enough.” He interrupted her dismissively. “Actually, I have a better idea!”

If being forced to stay on her seat isn’t enough, her mouth gets stitched up by the Strange Boy’s magic. It’s not a painless process either, not helping her lips are bleeding. Does this one-eyed huma- No. Demon care?

“Let me tell you, my little princess, that look suits you rather well!” He laughs, liking what he’d done to the terrified brunette. “Goodness gracious… The bonus catch ended up being more valuable than what I initially bargained for.” He chuckled, looking pleased. “Well then! Let us begin, shall we?” The rest of the stage lights up by a clap of his hands. Then a stool holding a teapot and a cup pops up beside “Enjel”. “Just in case you get thirsty. Not like you’d be able to drink it, anyway! Hehehehe…”

Nor would she scream anyway, as the brunette finds out soon once the Strange Boy enacts his play. A ghastly play that she really wishes she doesn’t watch.

“This particular tale starts with something very special! Can you guess who it is?”

“……”

“That’s right! You!”

The rest of the play, which is themed after the amnesiac girl, is nothing short of frighteningly macabre that hits close for home. Closer than she liked even if she didn't know. The play’s contents were designed to seemingly mock her vain efforts of figuring out who she is, with her pocket mirror possibly serving as a clue. It might’ve revealed some of her aspects given the Strange Boy seems to know her more than she lets on. But alas, she messed up and it’s already too late.

Forced to watch much to the Strange Boy’s sick amusement, the paralyzed girl openly cried for the girls she met in her journey getting killed again after witnessing them dying by shattering like they’re glasses, with Fleta beating herself up then slamming against the door, leaving her face bruised and bloodied while her doll Egliette watches, Lisette grinding her back against a cross she’s crucified in, spilling puddles of blood to the floor, Harpae getting pierced by five swords at once, slicing her upper and lower body in half with all the gore and blood that entails. She feared she might see her organs if she looked carefully.

“You must be wondering why I’m doing this!” The demon said at one point. “No reason! I’m just here to claim what’s mine, that’s all! I figured I could have some fun with all of these amusing reflections of yours while I’m here! Hehehe, I’ve even taken the chance to create my very own!”

The demon shows who he’s talking about: Enjel. Responsive unlike the previous girls but tied up in puppet strings, she yells at him to be freed but he’s unsympathetic, revealing he tricked her into stealing the amnesiac’s pocket mirror in order to become a real girl. Enjel’s protests fall on deaf ears before the demon kills her by sprouting thorny thistles of gold roses from her mouth, ravaging her internals. She instantly died on the spot with gallons of blood flowing from her mouth.

…

…

…Why?

Why is this happening to me? What… did I do to… deserve this?

…

Reflections… Those three, Fleta, Harpae, Lisette… They're my… reflections…? And, he said that Harpae… or I was… abandoned by brother, pressured by father and cursed by… my mother…

…

Cursed… Am I cursed? Am I going to be-

“Well then!” The demon claps his hands to empty the stage. He gets off the chair and walks to the center facing the second payment of a contract many years in the making. “It is time you come to me… Miss little goody two shoes…”

Teleporting behind the shell-shocked girl, the demon boy reaches out to her pocket mirror that’s been housing her soul. And so, with his echoing laugh, Goldia die Heilige becomes his plaything for all eternity, forced to serve him alongside the other girls as his Golden Maidens…

January 16, 1989

“NOW! DIE!!! TWENTY-METER RADIUS! EMERALD SPLASH!!!”

Furiously shouted Noriaki Kakyoin as Hierophant Green’s twenty-meter radius web fired as many emeralds toward DIO as he could. These emeralds surround DIO from every direction so even if he tries deflecting some of them, he has no avenue of escape. But killing the vampire is not the only reason why Kakyoin set up this trap – it’s to discover how DIO’s mysterious Stand works. Having both objectives met would be beneficial not only to him and his four remaining friends, but to the world at large.

“…You’re a fool, Kakyoin!” DIO is confident however. “With my Stand, I have the ability to rule the world! What can you do in the face of such overwhelming power?”

Alright! Here he comes!

With vigilant eyes, Kakyoin watches in determined silence as DIO calls out his Stand, and said Stand, The World, appeared. Then something unexpected happened – all emeralds that were about to strike DIO shattered at once and he only has a second to gasp in surprise before he’s suddenly blown away across the air at high speeds. He then crashed on a water tank so hard it dented it, causing water to spill out.

Shock initially overcame Kakyoin, who’s processing what had happened until the big hole on his waist gushing with blood snap him back to reality. I-I don’t understand. What just happened? Did he… really hit me? He soon finds he couldn’t move his body, only his eyes. He looks up to see the severed twenty-meter radius web falling in pieces, and a clock tower.

It’s 5:15, which means it's midnight back in Japan. I wonder how mom and dad are doing right now. Knowing them, I’m sure they’re sound asleep. …I’m sorry for worrying you.

As much as he regrets leaving his home without telling his parents, and that they’ll outlive their son soon, his thoughts changed to the most important matter – on how DIO get a drop on him, noting he broke through the barrier and emeralds so easily that it must had happened instantaneously. It’s flat-out impossible if you aren’t fast.

How did he destroy them all without the slightest delay in time? Time… Time… Time… The time…!

But by a stroke of luck, Kakyoin managed to figure out The World’s ability. Aware of his dwindling strength, he must warn Joseph Joestar about his discovery, who’s currently facing DIO with seething teeth above the roof on another building. He has to. He must convey his last message in spite of his unmoving body.

…If I can't tell Mr. Joestar what I've learned… Ngh. My friends I've come to love are going to die!

Despite puking up blood when straining himself, he mustered the last of his energy to shoot emeralds to one side of the clock tower and destroy it.

"That was my final Emerald Splash… M-Make it count…" Kakyoin weakly muttered as Hierophant Green vanished back to its dying user for the final time. The two men are left pondering why he used up the last of his strength to target the clock tower, with DIO dismissing it as a hero’s last attempt to “leave a mark to the world” while Joseph believed Kakyoin must be telling him something if he prioritized destroying one side of the clock instead of a counterattack.

A-Aghhh… It's a message. I don't have the strength to give you another… Mr. Joestar… Y-You have to decipher it… Y-You have to let… t-the others… k-k-know…

With his last thought hoping his message is figured out and imparted to Jotaro and Polnareff, Noriaki Kakyoin closes his eyes for the last time, allowing the cold grasp of death to claim him.

April 7, 2008

Fantastic! Just fall in love! Just fall in love!

Humming alongside the lyrics as she finishes tying up her polka-dotted hair ribbon, Sakura Minamoto briefly dances in tune while facing the mirror before spinning around and running to the laptop playing a song from her favorite rising idol group, Iron Frill, to watch the last seconds of the video showing a group of five idols dancing on stage.

I’m Sakura Minamoto! And today, my second year of high school begins! I can be kind of a klutz most of the time, and there are days when it feels like I don’t have it together… But luckily, it’s not gonna be like that anymore!

Giggling as the video focuses last on Iron Frill’s leader, Sakura turns the laptop off.

Like she narrated, Sakura Minamoto is starting her second year in senior high school. Today is an exciting day for her not only because of the new school year, but of her main plans today – she’s going to an agency hiring idol singers to audition. This is out of her admiration to Iron Frill's leader who inspired her so much that she decided her latest dream would be to become an idol singer so she could sing her heart out to her supporting fans with a big smile on her face, like her literal idol. She next checks the application papers neatly tucked in a brown envelope to make sure she got them in order.

I'm gonna be the girl I always wanted to be!

With joy filling her face, Sakura rushes out of the room after grabbing her bag. First, she makes a stop to a door next to her room. “I’m off! Find me at school later, okay?” She told someone behind the door.

Coming down the stairs and into the genkan next, she slips her feet into her brown loafers and after tapping her foot once to make sure they’re a snug fit, heads outside. Instinctively shielding her eyes from the rays of sunlight afterwards, she almost feels disoriented, but she refuses to let it impede her smile and enthusiasm for the day.

If I follow my dreams… I know my future will be full of happiness and excitement!

With the sun beaming down on her as if she's an angel, Sakura greeted the wonderful weather with a nod. Then she breaks into a sprint as she exclaims, "Here I goooooo!"

ドグシカァァーァァ

All of a sudden, a truck rammed into her at full speed the moment she’s out of the gate.

If anyone was present, they would witness this accident from different camera angles, including the driver's view. And in slow motion too, one that clearly shows her head getting the brunt of the impact from the van's windshield before launching away.

Everything slows down as Sakura is flung up high in the air without warning, letting go of her bag and papers. Her eyes and mouth are agape, as if she's reacting to the sudden appearance of the truck.

A crow flies higher up in the sky as Sakura's body falls to the ground sideways, a sickening crack heard coming from her head, effectively ending her short life if the truck hadn't done so already. Her expressionless and dull eyes stare blankly into the air, visible for the world to see.

And just like that, Sakura Minamoto's days full of happiness and excitement would never come to fruition due to her unexpected death…

<=To be continued|\|/

Chapter Text

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…

…

…

…

…Sakura comes to with eyes already open, her ears picking up the splashing rain and rumbling thunder.

Without blinking, Sakura groggily rises up and notices instantly she’s lying on a cold floor in a dark room. Anxiously, she next looks around and can barely make out the lamp stand and chandelier in the dark. Common sense would dictate turning either one on to illuminate the room. But not Sakura, because right now, she's confused and afraid.

What… Wh-What happened? Why am I… lying on the floor instead of… on my bed?

A creaking noise interrupts her budding thoughts, jolting her. "Eek!" Her frightened eyes fell onto the source of the sound: an ajar door swinging back and forth from a gentle breeze. And there seems to be a shadowed shape besides it.

"…Eh? What's that strange shape…? Ah! A person?"

Her fear vanishing quickly, she can make out the silhouette of a man slumped against the wall just barely visible in the dark. Relieved she's not alone but curious, she crawls close. She finds out it's a handsome and slim male teenager wearing a green gakuran school uniform hugging his physique quite well and brown shoes. He has a noticeable large and twisted reddish pink bang draped over his forehead, and cherry-shaped earrings. A rare but not uncommon sight to see from a man minus the cherry shape.

After she's finished examining him (and totally-not swooning over his handsome face), Sakura shakes his shoulder to wake him up. When he doesn't, she shakes him harder, hoping she won't startle him TOO much…

But the man wakes up screaming. "UWAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!"

"KYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!” Sakura also screamed in response. Their screaming game continued for a few more seconds until the man stops upon realizing he's not sleeping anymore. Gasping for air, his face changed from terror to confusion soon after. "…Huh? What… What happened?"

Slowly coming out of his stupor, Kakyoin stares at the red-haired girl frantically taking deep breaths to calm down. A pretty and shapely girl with long hair adorned by a blue-and-pink polka dot ribbon over her left temple, she wore a typical female high school uniform, consisting of a dark blue coat or blazer reaching down to the hem of her pleated white skirt covering her white dress shirt, dark blue ribbon with white stripes along its edge tied around her collar, white socks, and brown loafers. A wide strap is fastened beneath her breasts, holding her coat and shirt securely together. With crystal blue eyes accentuating her beautiful face, his calm lavender eyes bore into hers, as if entranced by her beauty.

Not long after, Sakura notices the man’s gaze and, already forgetting their screaming, gazes back. For a while, it seems like the two teenagers might continue eyeing each other in awkward silence for a minute, without saying anything. Like, they’re wondering who’s gonna reply or engrossed by their presence.

"…Ah! T-That's right! DIO’s secret! I must tell the others his power before it's too late!"

However, Kakyoin remembered the last memory before he… blacked out. Standing up immediately, the red-haired man moves to the nearby door in a hurry. He would've gone through it if Sakura hadn't stopped him. "Huh? H-Hey, wait! Where are you going?"

Turning his eyes back to her, he realized he had almost left the girl behind. "Ah. I… forgot you're still here," he addressed her politely while blinking, removing his hand from the door handle. "I’m sorry for almost leaving you alone."

Seeing she has his full attention, Sakura sighs in relief. She would've chased after him if he did up and leave. Dusting her skirt and coat as she stood up shakily, she replied, "It's alright. No need to apologize. I'm just glad I'm not alone in this room," she responded. She looked at the taller man, her eyes moving up and down as if she's sizing him up, before she asks, "I could do without the screaming though.”

“Oh, y-yeah. Sorry about that too.” Kakyoin coughed.

“Again, it’s fine. You must’ve been too rattled enough that you almost ignored me. Why? Is it because… you have a nightmare?”

Kakyoin flinched as he remembers the events of his nightmare clearly. Of him chasing DIO, of Hierophant Green getting hit by DIO's Stand, of him trapping DIO, and finally, of DIO stopping time before finishing him off with a fist through his gut-

He shakes the unpleasant thought off before taking a deep breath to ease his racing mind. "Well, I-I… did have a nightmare, but it's… nothing to worry about." He said, brushing off the unpleasant feeling. At least trying to.

"Are you sure?"

"I'm fine. I'm just… processing that I, or we, are in an odd predicament."

Though unconvinced, Sakura chose to let it slide for now because learning more of this odd situation should be their main priority. "Well alright. Just seeing you fine is good enough for me. So, should we get out of this room then? Oh, right! We haven't actually introduced ourselves yet. Silly me," she chuckled. "May I ask your name, please?"

Returning her smile with his own, he introduced himself, "It's Kakyoin. Noriaki Kakyoin."

Sakura could feel her face heat up when he smiled. Seeing his pleasant smile on his handsome face… Guess she has no more doubts he's everything a woman had imagined an ideal man would look and act like… Shaking her head to refocus, she introduces herself next. "Nice to meet you, Kakyoin. I'm… Sa…Saku- Sakura… Mina…moto…" She seems to have trouble saying her name as if she's having difficulty remembering it, but she ignores the strange feeling as she finishes introducing herself to her new acquaintance. "Right, I'm Sakura Minamoto. You can call me Sakura if you like."

"The pleasure's mine, Sakura." Kakyoin returned the greeting with a nod and smile, finding himself comforted by her voice for some reason. Maybe that sweet voice of hers could possibly be complemented by singing. It'll sound like heaven to his ears. Now knowing their names, Kakyoin moves on to the next and most important question. "Now that we introduced each other, can you tell me where we are? You're the first one who woke up, so I assume you took a look around first, right?"

Her beaming smile turned to a frown. She shook her head, stating, "Sorry. When I woke up, I was lying on the floor and I didn't have time to look around when I saw you. At most, I don't know what we are doing here or what this place is."

"That so? Figures…" He sighed. Taking note of the architecture of the room, squinting his eyes to do so, he recognized the kind of architecture the room is built in. Looking confused, he asks Sakura again. "Apologies if I'm being too curious but… can you tell me what country we're in?"

"Country? We're in Japan," she replied, curious as to why he would ask such a question. She hadn't noticed Kakyoin's eyes briefly widening in surprise when she next spoke, "Why do you ask, Kakyoin?"

"I… just… wanted to know," he half-lied. Wanting to figure out more what's really going on, he next says this, "So… shall we head out of this room? We've been here long enough."

"Alright, but please stay close. I don't like how scary it is here. It's creeping me out."

Abiding to her request, Sakura and Kakyoin exit the room. With their eyes in full attention, they see they're near the window located at the end of the hallway, and it is just as dark here as it was in the room they had awoken in. Checking the window, they see a long terrace outside being splashed by the rain coloring the misty night sky with its clear, gray color. Judging by the height, they must be on the second floor.

"Hmm… this doesn't look like a normal house. Could we be in a mansion?" Kakyoin speculated.

"We must be, judging by this balcony." Sakura agreed.

The two next walk away from the window. As Sakura opined, the creepy air is overwhelming. This got on her nerves quite well so she stays close to Kakyoin at all times. She even thought of holding onto his arm but backed off since it would be too intimate and might invade his personal space. Still, Kakyoin didn't mind her getting close to him for her comfort because she's the more fearful of the two.

In the meantime, there's the matter over why they woke up in a room, and in a mansion of all places. As much as Sakura wants to find out why, she would rather let it stay unanswered and just up and leave. She believed it's probably for the better if they explored a bit before leaving though, so they could see what kind of place they were in at least.

While Sakura's thoughts are occupied, questions race through Kakyoin's mind too. From what he remembers, he was in Cairo, Egypt, fighting against DIO alongside Joseph, with Jotaro and Polnareff hot on their tail. Then later, when he had entrapped DIO, he was killed. Although he wants to dismiss it as a vivid nightmare, he has this dreadful feeling that it might have actually happened. If it did, then why is he alive when he should be dead?

As the two continued walking, they spotted what looked like a window on their right and turn towards it…

ガシャンッ

…Just as something, no, someone burst out abruptly, scattering shards and wood to the floor near their feet.

ズドン

They went still for two or three seconds before they turned behind to see who passed them just now.

"Eh?"

"What the?"

What they saw left them speechless as shivers ran down their spines. "HUH!?"

ゴゴゴゴゴゴゴゴ

Limbs contorting quickly and unnaturally as she adjusted her body, the creepy woman looked up to the two frozen in shock, showing her sunken red eyes and unnatural green or gray skin. Apart from that, the woman possesses long dark hair with two large, swept hair strands spread out slightly from her normal bangs, bandages on her head, neck, collar area, and left leg, and ragged black dress held up by a white thin strand on her waist with gray knee-length socks and black shoes. These features helped accentuate her ghastly appearance too well.

"Uuunggggh…" Groaning, the woman stands up and shoots her piercing eyes onto the two. She takes two slow steps with both arms raised before instantly charging. Sakura dives out of the way in panic, but Kakyoin doesn’t, instead instinctively grabbing her arms in defense. Both fall to the floor.

"AGH!”

"Kakyoin!" Sakura shouted in concern.

Struggling to stop the thrashing arms almost too strong for him, Kakyoin gritted his teeth, demanding, "D-Damn it! Get off me you… crazy woman!"

"UWAAA! BRAUGH! ERYAAAAH! HNGAAAAGH!"

He scrunched up in disgust as the woman screamed so hysterically she could splatter saliva everywhere. During his struggle to force her out of him, Kakyoin notices how she seems to make biting motions, her ghastly body that is rotting, and her discolored skin. Taking all of these together, his eyes widened when he realized what this woman is.

This woman…! Don't tell me! She's a-!

Fear overtaking his head, Kakyoin grunts as he exerts enough strength to push her arms up before propping one leg up to kick her aside.

"Aaaangh!" The woman cried out, rolling twice across the floor before stopping. Now free, Kakyoin quickly stood up while breathing heavily, ready to get away from the woman. A zombie woman.

"Kakyoin! Over here! Quick!"

Kakyoin spins around to see Sakura behind a door she found while the scary woman pinned him. She's motioning him inside, so he sprints into the room without hesitation. Once inside, Sakura quickly closes the door. The zombie woman left outside begins banging her hands on the door, still intent to continue pursuing them. They, in response, back away from the door…

…But Sakura's footing slipped when her heels caught something firm.

"W-Whoawhoawhoawhoawhoa-! WAAAH!!!"

"Huh? Sakura!"

Acting quickly, Kakyoin grabs one flailing arm and pulls her tripping form back. She's then cushioned on him with her head resting on his chest and his hands clutching her shoulders. Such an intimate contact surely makes her flustered, coloring her cheeks red.

"O-Oh…!"

"Are you alright?" He asked.

"Uhhh, y-yes… Thank you for… stopping me from tripping…" She sighed, finding herself enjoying being so close to him. More than she thought. Whether Kakyoin realizes it or not, he lets go of her after seeing she's fine. Their relief is cut short when they hear a door’s window shattering. They soon see it's thanks to the raven-haired woman who’s now peering through it with one eye.

As if the sight of a zombie woman persistent on her pursuit is scary enough, multiple figures rising up with harrowing groans alert the two. Too close than they liked. Backing away instinctively whilst turning around, they were given visibility of the room for a moment when flashes of lightning illuminated the room so they saw who the groans belonged to.

Much to their horror, those figures turned out to be, like the black-haired woman, zombies.

"Aaaaaaanrrrrgh…"

"W-What!? MORE zombies!?" Kakyoin exclaimed in disbelief.

"T-This… This has to be a… n-n-nightmare, right? Right?" Sakura fearfully hoped, forgetting she had woken up a couple of minutes ago.

ドドドドドドドド

Aside from the raven-haired woman, 11 zombies in total are accounted for, consisting of 5 girls and 6 boys. The girls include:

A tough-looking woman possessing blonde hair highlighted in green and orange tied up in a ponytail wearing a red varsity jacket, orange tie, white buttoned shirt, and long skirt. She has stitches on her arms and bandages can be seen in various parts of her body;

A slightly tall girl having short slate blue hair adorned with tiny yellow flowers, completely wrapped up in bandages from head to toe (except the area around her eyes) underneath her dark blazer, yellow long-sleeved vest, and frilled short skirt;

A third woman with thin twin-tails parted sideways from her puffy, white hair clad in black and white sailor fuku uniform, giving the impression of a high school girl. Unlike the previous two, her body is covered, or possibly made up of, stitches and patches of skin in various colors (blue, green, cyan, and white), also giving her appearance similar to Frankenstein's creature;

An auburn-haired tall woman possessing a stitched-up scar around her neck, whose attire took on a traditional style consisting of a red and white checkered kimono with a purple collar, tucked in a green skirt reaching near her ankles;

And finally, another twin-tailed, short girl who is the only kid among the group having light blue or cyan-colored puffy hair, emblazoned with a star decoration, a green blazer, white dress shirt underneath it, and a gray skirt. Most noticeably and morbidly, her heart is exposed out of her chest. In a guise of a heart symbol but still.

As for the boys towering over the girls, they include:

A tall, effeminate man with short black hair outfitted with two hair clips wearing a white suit covered in black spoon-like symbols and zippers in shoulders, chest, and waist. His chest, covered in a lace top, is left exposed;

A teenage-looking boy having messy, black hair wearing a tank top and pants joined by orange headband, wrist straps, and skirt;

Another effeminate man possessing shoulder-length blonde hair wearing a white knit cap adorned with blue stars and a horseshoe over an image of a horse, hooded, short-sleeved white top over a red undershirt that has indigo lines patterned like a harness and two patches of cyan hearts on his shoulders, white wristbands with two red stripes and navy blue underside, and navy blue pants;

Another blonde-haired man with uniquely square patches of facial hair lining his jaw wearing a wide-brimmed, dark brown hat with silver goggles around the brim over his back-length hair, leather dark purple shirt patterned by small copper spheres, dark blue gloves starting halfway from his forearms, dark brown pants, yellowish brown belt with silver buckles showing a pair of hands pointing to his crotch (Sakura blushed upon realizing where it's pointing at), holsters, cowboy boots and a two-parted olive cape;

And lastly, a man with dark bluish hair sporting two braids dressed in a green jumpsuit emblazoned with darker green vine and peapod embroideries over a light-colored shirt, a tie, and green and yellow bomber hat decorated with seven small balls in the front that resemble grapes.

Curiously, the last three figures have light blue, green, and orange lipstick on respectively, somehow complementing their looks, and the shoulder-haired man chooses to crawl instead.

As for the last man and zombie overall, Sakura is naturally intimidated because he's the biggest zombie, but Kakyoin is shocked beyond belief when he recognizes the broad-shouldered man in the back.

A-Avdol!?

His eyes are not playing tricks on him as Muhammad Avdol, the Egyptian fortune teller and member of the Stardust Crusaders recognized by his Bantu knot-styled hair, white headscarf, long-sleeved red robe, orange scarf, gray pants, necklace made up of engraved medallions, and metallic bracelets, is present among the eleven zombies. Seeing his friend in the flesh, moaning creepily with arms stretched out, Kakyoin is stunned to see Avdol not only somehow here, but as a zombie like them.

BGM: Zombie Panick (Zombie Land Saga Original Soundtrack)

As he stands in shock watching his friend walking slowly with hands out forward together with the other zombies, Kakyoin got snapped out of yet another stupor when Sakura pulled him away by his sleeve to a door separate from the one they came in and occupied by the raven-haired zombie from earlier. She's more than eager to escape as she does not want to be eaten by zombies tonight. She starts opening it but she's having difficulty due to her panicking.

Meanwhile, Kakyoin glared at the eleven zombies, and the black-haired zombie woman that entered, slowly approaching them with the intent of feasting on their bodies. As much as he dislikes attacking a friend or a kid, he has no choice in the matter.

Sorry everyone, but I can't let all of you get us. He will regret what he will do next but he knows it's necessary if they have to survive.

Panicking at the thought of being trapped just to be eaten by zombies, Sakura hugged the door with her back. "What should we do? What should we DO!?" She frantically asked, looking sideways in hopes of using something, anything, to defend.

Staying mostly calm, Kakyoin takes a deep breath before he does something extraordinary. "｢HIEROPHANT GREEN｣!"

White tendrils with green spots and complex patterns materialize in front of Kakyoin, all combining to form a humanoid being with yellow mechanical eyes and a mouth mask. White-colored pieces of armor cover some parts of its body, but much of its green skin, reminiscent of a shiny melon, is exposed. The Stand strikes a pose lastly, by raising its right knee as if it's kneeling then pointing a finger intensely with its head raised up after twirling in the air.*

ドゴーンッ

As if this night couldn't get any weirder (or freakier), a humanoid being covered in a green aura appeared in front of Kakyoin who faces the zombies with a steely gaze, whilst striking a pose by moving his hands near his face and waist, each with a thumb and index fingers up, and a pinky over the hand near the waist respectively emphasizing his determined yet overdramatic expression.* *

"E-Eh? What…? W-What am I…?" Sakura stammered, wondering if she's imagining the masked humanoid or perplexed by his flashy pose. She noticed next the humanoid being is spewing out green liquid in its hands with intensity. Then Kakyoin exclaimed these words.

"NOW! Take this you zombies! Emerald… SPLAAAASH!!!"

ドッバアーッ

In an unbelievable display, emeralds shoot out from Hierophant Green's hands with the force of a shotgun, hitting the zombies so hard they fall backwards. Any stray emeralds that missed hit the walls, floors and furniture, but not the windows. Overall, there is some damage done to the room, but not too much that it's beyond repairs.

"Gnaaaaarghh…" Seeing they're writhing on the floor, Kakyoin nods in satisfaction before dispersing Hierophant Green. He next turns to Sakura, who's gawking and amazed at his technique. "The zombies are down! Open the door, quick!" He's so focused on reminding her that he failed to notice one zombie had recovered quickly and is about to get their hands on the unsuspecting man.

"UARGH!"

"AAAAHHH! Kakyoin, behind you!"

"Huh!?"

As she warned him, Sakura happens to touch a fire poker's handle resting on a wall below her. She instinctively grabbed it and pushed Kakyoin out of the way to throw the fire poker at the bandaged zombie, stabbing it through her head. The zombie fell back as a result without a scream.

Staying still in shock on the floor, Kakyoin released a hitched breath out of his mouth. "Crap… I almost got bitten by a zombie again. Didn't expect much resilience from her." He remarked, gulping before he stood up.

"There! The door is open, Kakyoin! Hurry! Let's get out before they get back up!"

Hearing Sakura loud and clear, he whirled around to see she did open the door, her foot stepping past the door frame. What happened next should be obvious as the two didn't hesitate to run out of the room. Moving as fast as they can, they ran down the stairs with hurried pants while the zombies picked themselves up and futilely chased after them at a snail's pace.

Eventually, Sakura and Kakyoin find the genkan of the mansion and immediately head outside through the rain, panting from the force exerted on their legs as one objective is in their minds: get away from the mansion.

Amidst the chaos, none of them, including the awakened red-haired duo, noticed someone had watched the scene like it came out from a zombie flick unfold. At least the last part where he saw the two go down the stairs and run outside judging by the sound of a door opening.

"Finally. Those two have 「awakened」. Time to go retrieve them."

Pushing his sunglasses, the man followed down the stairs, paying no heed to the moaning zombies attempting to grab onto him lethargically.

<=To be continued|\|/

* - Hierophant Green's pose before Kakyoin lunged at Mannish Boy during Death Thirteen's fight.

* * - The pose Kakyoin made during the Tower of Gray fight.

Onomatopoeia:

ドグシカァァーァァ (Dogushikaaaa) – Truck crashing into a person

ガシャンッ (Gashan) – Glass shattering

ズドン (Zudon ) – Equivalent to “thud!”

ゴゴゴゴゴゴゴゴ/ドドドドドドドド (Gogogo/Dodododo) – Dramatic tension

ドゴーンッ (Dogoun) – A character pose being emphasized

ドッバアーッ (Dobba) – Sound of Emerald Splash

Chapter Text

After many minutes are spent running like hell, not caring they are soaking wet from head to toe, Sakura and Kakyoin stop after seeing they're far away from the manor they've woken up in. Even though they haven’t ran for too long, they're starting to feel tired due to what they've witnessed back there. Zombies, in a creepy mansion… Is that place the potential origin of an imminent zombie apocalypse? They want to be proven wrong, but in their frazzled states, they fear for the worst.

Resting her hands on her knees, Sakura takes a moment to catch her breath before she straightens up. She looks over at the bridge she and Kakyoin crossed. "Okay… I think we're far enough away…" She panted, mixed by her fear and relief.

"We must have, thankfully…" Kakyoin concurred, combing his now wet hair with his hand. He can't wait to properly comb his hair after they figured out what to do next.

Once they've calmed down, the two are made aware of the rushing river nearby. Turning their heads to it led them to spot a stone erected beside it. Written on it are kanji denoting the name of the river as well as the prefecture.

Choda River
Saga Prefecture

"Sa…ga…? Is that where we are?" Sakura said, curiosity lacing her voice.

"Saga… Prefecture?" Kakyoin added, looking surprised and puzzled the most out of the two. He finds the name compelling to him, but he has no clue why. Like this is the first time he saw that name so why is he intrigued? How odd… What is this 「strange feeling」 I had when reading the name?

Just as abrupt as hearing the river, a voice pipes up in the splashing rain. "Hey, you two! You're not supposed to be out this late!" It's a brown-haired patrolling policeman lazily trudging along the puddled sidewalk while pulling a bicycle. He next asks in the same lazy tone, "What are you two trying to do? Get arrested? 'Cuz I'll do it!"

Surprised yet relieved to see a living person, informing him about what they've seen a few blocks away might be the right move in order to do something about the zombies hopefully. The two approach him as he complains about wanting to go home because he's soaked down to his underwear. "Officer! Please, we need help!" Sakura pleaded.

As she did so, the policeman stopped and squinted his eyes on the two… only to be replaced with terrified ones. He dropped his bicycle to the ground and scurried away fearfully after falling on his rear. "W-Wha… Wh-What the…!"

Perplexed and concerned when he fell, the two were about to ask what the matter was, only to stop and become alarmed when the scared policeman pointed his gun at the two. "S-S-STAY BACK! WH-WHAT'S WRONG WITH YOU TWO!?"

Kakyoin and Sakura grow more confused over his odd statement and sudden change in behavior. They whirl around and spot a mirror above a pole near them. Out of curiosity, they look at it…

…not realizing what they see will shatter the illusion of how they see themselves.

ゴゴゴゴゴゴゴゴ

The mirror was foggy at first, but it cleared up to reveal, just as lightning flashed from above, their faces possessing sunken cheeks, dead red eyes, and greenish or bluish skin reeking with decay. They have scars too, with Sakura having a long, stitched-up scar draped over her forehead, while Kakyoin has two smaller, clean scars lining his eyes vertically.

Such scars, eyes, and skin color are found on the zombies back in the mansion…

With all of these in mind, the two realize to their horror that they're actually… zombies. Meaning, counting them, there were fourteen zombies in the mansion in total all this time…

Lightning flashes from the overcast sky, illuminating their faces again to harrowingly emphasize their rotten appearances, showing them they're not imagining this…

ドガッ ! ドガッ!

Two gunshots cut through the pouring rain and their thoughts. They both looked down and respectively saw a hole in Sakura's collar area and Kakyoin's chest.

Tense seconds passed as Sakura and Kakyoin looked behind them and saw the terrified police officer shakily holding his gun, smoke coming out from the barrel. The former stares for a moment before her body gives out uncannily, her body arched up whilst her head is upside down momentarily before lying on the ground with her hair and limbs sprawled out around her. Her face is frozen in shock and horror at the realization she's a zombie the whole time. For her, this is the pinnacle of this terrifying night.

"…Sakura?" Kakyoin looked down to her in concern, who’s too internally perturbed to gaze him back. He slowly turned to the policeman and, without thinking, took a step forward in a daze. The policeman stood up in a flash and aimed the gun at him, shouting, "S-STAY BACK! You… Y-You…! ZOMBIE!!!!"

"Hold on! This… This has to be a misunderstanding!"

"I-I'M WARNING YOU! I-IF YOU DARE STEP CLOSER, I'LL-"

バグォッ

A shovel slamming the back of his head stops his manic words from coming out, while simultaneously knocking him out.

"Huh?"

Blinking in surprise, Kakyoin stares at the now-unconscious police officer lying face down on the soaked ground, then to the newly-arrived figure showing up out of the blue. The figure holding a shovel is a brown-haired man slightly taller or on par to his height, dressed in a suit consisting of red vest, white shirt, black bow tie and pants, a coat hanging from his shoulders like a cape, and most peculiar of all in this time of night, black sunglasses. He has a serious expression on him as the man walks up to the lying Sakura while holding an umbrella and shovel neatly with his left hand. The zombie girl looks up and sees he's looking down on her before she closed her eyes and falls asleep.

Watching the impassive man looking unfazed or not scared that Sakura is a zombie, and likely knows what's going on based on this, Kakyoin gets his attention. "Hey."

"What? What is it? If you thought I'm ignoring you, then no. I haven't forgotten you're with Sakura. So don't be jealous." The man turned to him and replied in a dismissive tone.

Hearing him utter Sakura's name despite not having met him yet, Kakyoin is now determined to get answers from this strange man. He approaches him and asks, "What's going on here? Why am I and Sakura… zombies? And speaking of zombies, why are there other zombies, including Avdol, back in the mansion? Do you have anything to do with them?" He stared him down after closing the gap, telling him silently that he'll not be satisfied until he gets a satisfying answer.

"…As for the first and third question, I'll explain tomorrow," the man replied unfazingly. "As for the second… ｢You're dead｣."

"I'm… I'm what?"

"You died," he repeated. "If you want proof, check your abdomen."

"…My abdomen?"

Feeling nervous, Kakyoin unbuttons his shirt and looks down. He lets out a hitched gasp when he sees the proof.

ドドドドドドドド

His eyes widened in shock upon seeing bandages wrapped around his abdomen, the place where he received a fatal wound thanks to DIO. Even if it's most likely healed and filled with spare flesh and part of his spine, it didn't comfort him; along with his discolored body having not seen the best of days, this was proof that The World apparently did punch through his gut. Meaning the nightmare of DIO killing him was all too real…

Shakily putting his hand on where he thought his gaping wound would be, Kakyoin feels his breath rattling as memories of his death play in his head. "It… It can't be…" Try as he might, he didn't have it in him to deny the reality that he did truly die fighting against DIO, getting a hole in his abdomen for his trouble. "This… A-Ahhh… I-I…"

"Look," the man put his right hand on his shoulder, snapping him out of his thoughts as he said, "It's unfair that you died by having your guts burst open by someone stronger than you, earning these bandages covering your waist… But! Do not fret. That is insignificant because you have a 「second chance」 in life alongside Sakura here. Also, you two are not the only ones who died so horrifically so take comfort in that."

"…Only one?" Confused at first, Kakyoin realizes what he's talking about; he’s referring to the twelve zombies back in the mansion. Come to think of it, they possess bandages and stitched wounds pointing to their probable causes of death – glancing at the sleeping Sakura, he takes note of the scar on her head. Could head trauma be what’ve done her in?

As for his old friend Avdol… he didn't know how he died other than how he sacrificed himself for Polnareff and Iggy's sake when they encountered another one of DIO's elite minions. Sadly, the latter died shortly afterward.

He didn't recognize anyone else back in the mansion, but he can obviously tell their deaths may not be a pretty sight. Imagining their horrific deaths… He better stop the morbid thoughts from making his body shiver.

Regardless of these assumptions, these beg the question of why he, Sakura, Avdol, and the others were revived as zombies. "Wait, hold on… I don't think I understand the bigger picture here. Why did Sakura, Avdol, the others, and I came back as zombies? I heard you said you will answer tomorrow, but I beg to differ. I really need to know now."

The man looked at him impassively still, then he rubs his chin in thought before shrugging. "Fine. Guess I should lay out the bare facts once you and Sakura go back to the mansion, which, by the way, is now your residence. I'll disclose the rest next morning because right now, I need sleep. Sooooo, better get moving if you really want to know now. Preferably to the van just two blocks away. Yeah, I managed to track you two down when I realized you two ran outside." He walks past Kakyoin. "Oh, and do carry Sakura back with you. As you can see, my hands are full." After saying that, he finally left.

Now alone, Kakyoin turned to the red-haired girl still asleep on the ground. After a few seconds standing in mild contemplation, he lets out a sigh before scooping her up in his arms and starts walking back towards the van the strange man told him about. He could only hope he got answers later, because right now, he's too confused and tried to comprehend the fact that, in an act against fate, he had come back to life.

After making it back to the manor, Kakyoin was told by the shades-wearing man to wait in the living room before he left to take care of something. Sitting on a chair separate from the sofa occupied by a sleeping Sakura, he watches over her sleeping form; she hasn't stirred up in the interim. Arms crossed, he patiently waits for the man to return and get some answers. Throughout this time, his mind grapples with the fact that he has been resurrected as a zombie. With the sealed wound on his abdomen serving as a reminder of how he died, he can only wonder just why he, Avdol, Sakura, and the others have been resurrected. If the man isn't planning to cause a zombie apocalypse fortunately enough, then what is his reason?

Kakyoin sighs, wanting to believe this is still all a dream in spite of reality splashing down on his face like rain. Eight seconds pass until he notices Sakura rose up from her short nap from his peripheral vision.

"…Now where am I?" Sakura asked herself soon after waking up. Recognizing the room's architecture, she must be back in the mansion again. She has no memory of returning here, so did someone led her back here? Good thing it's brighter now.

"Back in the mansion which is our home starting tonight."

Jolting up slightly, Sakura turns to the owner who responded to her query sitting close by with a concerned look directed to her. "Oh? Kakyoin?"

"Hey. Glad to see you're awake," he said with a small smile. "I was wondering if you're gonna sleep for the whole night after you passed out some minutes ago."

Immediately after facing him, she sees his green skin, red eyes, and two scars lining his eyes. The same features she remembered are also on her person when she looked at the street mirror. Believing it's just her grotesque imagination, she stood up and scampered to a nearby mirror. But much to her dismay, she saw her skin is indeed green and her eyes are red, in addition to a large scar on her forehead.

"…What? What happened to me? Why am I look so… s-so…?" She exclaimed in denial.

"Dead? That's because we're 「zombies」," remarked Kakyoin. He walks up to her, wearing a stoic face masking his inner reluctance over what they've become. "Deny it as much as we want, there's no doubting we 「came back to life」 as 「zombies」. Whether I call our resurrection 「a blessing or a curse」, I guess… we should accept that we're back in the living world."

Though he seems calm, Sakura can tell he has mixed feelings over being resurrected. She can instantly relate since, like it or not, they did get revived without their consent.

Sakura eyes Kakyoin for a second. She looks at his two eye scars, his red eyes, discolored skin, and, and… Well, that's pretty much every feature relating to his undead status. Curiosity fills her head and before she catches herself, asks a… personal question. "Um… I don't want to sound rude, but… If I may ask Kakyoin, how did you… die?"

Going still for a moment upon hearing her question, Kakyoin takes a breather and sighs. He begins unbuttoning his shirt from the lower hem. The red-haired girl blushes after catching on to what he's doing.

"W-W-Wha…? K-Kakyoin, what are you doing? Stop! I-I'm just asking how you… died…?" She would've pleaded with him a lot of times had she not seen the bandages wrapped around his abdomen. "Eh?" She gaped at his torso, her face still blushing but not as much, studying volumes of bandages that seemed to be too much as opposed to the bandages worn by the other zombies sans the short-haired girl. "Hey, what am I…?"

"Sakura, you're not seeing it fortunately but…" He pointed his finger to where he received a fist-sized wound inflicted by DIO. "I met my end when a fist rammed through my abdomen. If that's not enough, I was thrown into a water tank, where I have died of blood loss while my entire body is paralyzed to the point I almost couldn't talk…" He explained solemnly, trying not to look uncomfortable disclosing the details of his death.

A gasp escaped from Sakura as she covered her mouth in shock. "W-What…? That's… That's horrible!"

Kakyoin grimly nodded. "It is. And even if my wound is apparently healed, I can't help but imagine a hole on my body in full display even as a zombie. It's just… too vivid to my liking."

Shuddering just by imagining his death playing out, questions arose over how he could have died that way. He wouldn't have died like that unless someone was deranged and strong enough to kill him in that manner. Out of concern for the man, she asked, "Who… who killed you, Kakyoin?"

He opened his mouth to answer, but he stopped. As much as he wanted to answer her, he remembered the details revolving around it that are… out there, so to speak. He's pondering whether or not he answers her directly, and whether she accept an explanation that a century-old vampire killed him using a Stand that could stop time. This must be her first exposure to the supernatural so he needed to respond carefully… or simply leave it unanswered for a while.

"I'll answer once I think you're ready to accept the circumstances surrounding it." That's his vague response.

Confused over why he became hesitant to tell her, Sakura sees he's not going to budge, so she drops it. “If you insist then alright. I won't ask again. You don't seem to like talking about your death. Sorry."

"I am, but I'll manage. Thank you for your concern anyway," he replied gratefully while buttoning his shirt back. "Now that I told you how I died, how about you, Sakura? How did you die? Is it related to that big scar on your head? I assume it's from… head trauma, right?"

With her being next to answer, Sakura tries to remember how she died.

Keyword "tries" as no matter how hard she try, her mind draws up a blank. Then it dawns on her: she can't remember anything.

"Oh no… Oh no oh no oh no OhnoohnoohnoohnoohnoohnoOHNOOOOO!!!" Sakura clutches her head as she tries in vain to dig up her memories.

"S-Sakura? What's wrong? Is everything alright?" Kakyoin asked worriedly.

"N-No. I'm… I'm not alright…" Sakura starts hyperventilating with eyes darting around almost frantically.

"Why is that?"

"Because… Because…"

"Because what…?"

"I CAN'T REMEMBER ANYTHING!"

Clasping her mouth with her hands after shouting suddenly, Sakura stares at Kakyoin, who flinches back thanks to her sudden outburst. "I-I'm sorry, Kakyoin! I'm sorry for making you jump out of your skin!" She apologized, bowing repeatedly to him.

"D-Don't worry Sakura. It's fine," Kakyoin reassured her. "So what was the reason why you can't tell me how you died? Is it because… you 「can't remember」?"

Snapping out of her stupor, Sakura gloomily nods, stating, "Yeah… It's all blank. I can't remember who I am. My hobbies, my parents, where I was born or even my own death. I can't remember 「anything」."

"I… see…" He uttered out, becoming more concerned for the girl because she got the short end of the stick compared to him. Does she have… 「amnesia」 then? Could 「something」 that gave her a big scar on her head cause her to lose her memories? Wanting to lighten her mood, he says, "Well, at least you remembered your name."

"Ah, right. My name…" She goes silent for a moment. "What is my name again?"

"You're Sakura Minamoto."

The two jumped before turning to the one who revealed Sakura's name: the sunglass-wearing man regarding them with an impassive expression. This time, he's carrying a toy poodle covered in different stitches and one eye shut on his right hand – they realize he's holding a zombie dog. Said zombie dog is wagging its tail with one tongue out and appears to be an energetic kind. And lastly, as noted by Sakura in confusion, there's a dried squid in his left breast pocket though she left it unsaid.

Recognizing him, Sakura softly gasps and exclaims, "It's…! You again!"

"Yes. The same man who knocked the policeman out cold with a shovel," recalled Kakyoin in a blunt tone. "It's about time you show up."

"Apologies for making you wait," the man said, pushing the bridge of his sunglasses. "My name is Kotaro Tatsumi," he began introducing himself. "Starting tonight, your vital mission is to assume new identities as 「Zombie 1」 and 「Cherry Boy」 and work together with your respective teams to 「save」 Saga Prefecture!"

Listening to his peculiar words, the two wonder what he meant by that. In response, Sakura replies, "Look sir, I'm sorry but… I don't know what you're talking about."

"Same here," concurred Kakyoin. "But before you tell us more, can you tell us what the current year is? Learning it is important since we died many years ago. So, will you tell us?"

"…It's 2018." Kotaro answered.

"2018?!" The two exclaimed in shock, not expecting the gap between the year they died and the current year would be that big. This is especially true for Kakyoin, who remembered it was 1989 when he died, so to hear almost thirty years have passed since then is quite eye-boggling.

"You heard me. 「2018」. Sakura Minamoto was killed by a truck 「ten years ago」while Noriaki Kakyoin died at least 「twenty-nine years ago」," he continued, not skipping a beat. "Both of you returned to life as zombies, alongside the others. Repeating what I said seconds ago, you two will work together as 「Zombie 1」 and 「Cherry Boy」 with your own groups in order to save Saga Prefecture!"

"Zombie… One? Cherry Boy?" Sakura repeated the titles given to them with incredulity.

"And what's this about saving Saga Prefecture?" Kakyoin inquired, wondering if Kotaro is making true of his intent to tell them the reason why they've been revived.

BGM: What Will Happen? (Zombie Land Saga Original Soundtrack)

As if complementing his absurd statement, Kotaro goes on to grab Sakura's chin, making her blush. Kakyoin blinks in bafflement at his daring act (and somewhat incensed) as Kotaro continues, "「Number One」 is the 「codename」 you will undergo as an idol. Listen. As long as you follow my instructions exactly, I promise you'll probably be fine."

"Idol?"

"Yes. I'm the man who's gonna turn you and the other 「zombie girls」 into 「pop idols」!" He made this bold statement.

Before Sakura can reply back, Kotaro lets go of her chin and faces Kakyoin next. Questioningly, he grabs his chin too. Such a gesture almost flustered Kakyoin, who would have a feeling so complicated if what Kotaro said didn't shock him.

"As for you Cherry Boy, you and the other 「zombie guys」 will use your 「Stands」to protect the idols as 「bodyguards」 from an 「enemy」 lurking in Saga Prefecture!"

"Huh? Wait, did you said… Stands!?"

Forcing Kotaro's hands off his chin, Kakyoin looked at him with a shocked and prudent look, having not expected he would bring up the topic of Stands. He knows I have a Stand the whole time? If that is the case, then does that mean… he must have resurrected me and Sakura as zombies through-!

"No. I don't have a Stand and didn't use them to revive you two as zombies. My method of resurrection is completely 「unrelated」and 「different」to Stands." Kotaro guessed his line of thought and quickly made this declaration.

"What?”

Wondering if he heard him right as his wariness vanishes immediately, Kakyoin asks if he used a Stand to revive them. "I did not." Kotaro reaffirmed.

"…If you don't have a Stand… How did you revive us?" Kakyoin asked this important question.

"C'mon. Have you watched a zombie movie before?"

"Uhh, I didn't watch one from start to end but… yes?"

"Well. There's your answer."

There's a moment of silence before Kakyoin, unconvinced, states, "That doesn't explain it."

"And that's aaaaaall you'll ever get from me!" Kotaro maintains his stance on the matter with a huff, more or less telling Kakyoin that, 'I will not reveal the secret of my zombie revival process so deal with it.'

Still wanting to know exactly how, Kakyoin was about to ask again, sternly this time, when Sakura chimes in. "Um, excuse me…" The two turn to her as she asks, "What is this about… 「Stands」? You were surprised when Mr. Kotaro mention it Kakyoin, so may I ask… what is a Stand?"

Having almost forgotten again Sakura is present, Kakyoin found himself fumbling with his words, wondering if, and how, he could explain it to her. "Stands? Uhhh, you see… Er, Stands are-"

"You can talk about what Stands are the next morning, which is also when I'll clarify more regarding what I revealed to you two." Kotaro interrupted him after seeing they had dragged this conversation long enough, and he needs his shut eye.

Unable to process yet what he's saying so absurdly, Sakura once again asks, "How, exactly, do we 'save' Saga?"

Kotaro stares at her in silence for three seconds. He then clears his throat before repeating what he told Sakura and Kakyoin…

…In a bombastic shouting display complete with one clenched hand raised up high in the air.

"IT'S THROUGH MAKING YOU GIRLS 「IDOL SINGERS」! AND THE GUYS USING THEIR 「STANDS」TO 「PROTECT」 THE SOON-TO-BE POP IDOLS AS 「BODYGUARDS」! AAAALL TO 「SAVE」SAGAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!"

Staring wide-eyed as they hear his nonsensical reason to "save" Saga Prefecture, Sakura and Kakyoin have one word describing succinctly their reactions over his bizarre motivation. "…What?"

<=To be continued|\|/

Chapter Text

If someone told Kakyoin that he will die at the age of 17 only to be resurrected as a walking corpse, he would give them a blank glare before dismissing it. Why would someone tell him that macabre prediction, it could be done just to get a sick satisfaction in watching someone's terrified reaction. Well whether he believed them or not, they had the last laugh because that's exactly what's happening this morning. And it's all thanks to the work of an eccentric man who espoused his goal of 'saving' Saga Prefecture by recruiting pop idols protected by bodyguards. Zombie idols and bodyguards.

When he was with the Crusaders (the group was originally unnamed and would've stayed that way until Polnareff had the idea of naming the group "Stardust Crusaders", coined after Jotaro's Stand. Aside from his brief complaint, no one objected and the name stuck), he would take a bath, adjust his looks, clothing and any personal belongings he took on the journey, eat breakfast, have a chat with his friends, and set off to their next destination. It was a mundane activity compared to the group's arduous fights against many enemy Stand users, always hounding them no matter where they go, but if he's being honest, it was as close to being "normal" as far as being a Stand user can have.

However, him sitting next to his newest companion in a dimly lit basement containing a jail cell for some reason and twelve zombies roaming around emitting inhuman groans may be the icing on the cake over the bizarre sights he thought he'd come to expect.

If he's being honest again, as much as he does not want to imagine it, it's probably better if he stays dead if only to avoid this.

Just when I thought my life was out of ordinary already… Here comes me as a living corpse, who fortunately didn't hunger for brains, sitting together with Sakura in this basement.

Staring at the back of the chalkboard nervously, Sakura is trying her best to keep calm and process that this is her very first day as a living undead. She's this close to admitting she may have seen it all when looking at the kimono woman, the little girl and the shoulder-haired blonde man striding or crawling around nearby, as well as the raven-haired woman gazing blankly at the chalkboard.

Eyeing those zombies too, Kakyoin turned around and see Avdol, the bomber hat guy and the Frankenstein-looking girl clutching the bars side by side. The boy who looks like a lady also stands near them, just looking up at the ceiling for some reason.

The two next sees the blonde woman holding out her arms forward, the long-haired cowboy dragging his legs with one arm raised, a man with zipper motifs leaning his back against a wall while slouching, and the bandaged girl prancing aimlessly.

Wanting to get his mind off of them, Kakyoin strikes up a conversation with Sakura. "So… did you get a good sleep last night?"

Turning to him, Sakura shakes her head. "No. I was wide awake because I tried to remember anything. Other than that, the fact that I came back to life as a zombie is what kept me up the whole night."

"Well, good thing we're zombies because we might not need any sleep," yawned Kakyoin despite it. "Otherwise, you'll be drowsy all day."

"…I don't think that's a good habit to be having, zombie or not."

A sound of door swinging open snaps their attention to it, and to the man who brought them back to life as he enters. Named Kotaro Tatsumi, he walks near the chalkboard and, once standing in attention with arms plopped on his waist, exclaims, "Hello and good morning, ladies and gentlemeeeeeen!"

Looking at the two zombies sitting in the center of fourteen chairs expectantly while ignoring the other zombies, he sees they're not returning the greeting, so he approaches them before suddenly inching his face to them. "I said GOOD MORNING!"

"U-Umm… S-Sorry. Good morning." Sakura stuttered back.

"Good morning too." Kakyoin greeted calmly, looking unfazed by comparison.

"…You should mind your manners," chastised Kotaro lightly, leaning back up. "That's the only way to make people respect you. I mean look! Everyone is ignoring you."

The twelve zombies simply ignored the three, still prancing around the basement without inhibitions. Of note, the kimono woman leans her face against the wall and slumps, the little girl is scratching at the door, the blonde man has stopped crawling to lie down face up and the ruffle-haired boy abruptly falls to the floor, close to the iron bars.

"…They're still acting like the zombies they actually are. When… do they start acting… ‘normal’ like us?" Kakyoin pointed out the obviously not yet conscious zombies.

"Oh trust me. They will sooner or later." He said. Feeling something fuzzy rubbing his leg, he looks down to see it's the zombie poodle the two saw last night, possibly his pet. An odd pet.

"Morning Romero. Good job wrangling the girls and guys as always." He complimented the dog before dropping a piece of dried squid from his breast pocket onto the floor. The dog smiled at the treat before digging in.

カブッ !

Whether their imaginations are kicking in or he can transform somehow (most likely the former), Romero suddenly looks like a big scary dog chomping the squid ferociously. Sakura shrieked and tried to scooch away while Kakyoin was unnerved.

N-N-Note to self! Do not feed dried squid to dogs, especially zombie ones, by yourself! She thought as a precaution.

"Bark, bark! Bark, bark!"

They heard a series of barks coming below their seats. Romero is actually not the one who barked since he's busy eating. The two zombies look down… and Kakyoin gasps.

"Ah, don't worry. I didn't forget you. Here," Kotaro brought out three wrapped gums, unwrapped them and handed them out above the dog. "Your favorite treat. Coffee-flavored gums."

"Bark!"

The dog jumps and snatches the gums out of Kotaro's hands, then begins chewing them eagerly. Said dog is a Boston terrier with yellow ears, cyan blue eyes, and white and black fur – his forehead, muzzle, underside, and paws are white while the rest of his body are black, albeit shaded or dull.

Kotaro watches the toy poodle and Boston terrier eating their favorite treats with a smile while Sakura watches with wariness and curiosity. As for Kakyoin, he finds his voice to speak after reeling from surprise. "…Iggy? Iggy, is that you?"

"Huh?" Sakura turns to him sporting a disbelieving look. "You know that dog Kakyoin?"

The now-identified Iggy stops chewing to look up at Kakyoin's wide eyes somewhat lazily. Then with a grin, he barks once before resuming eating. Kakyoin continues staring at him for a few seconds, still processing that the once-dead Boston terrier, and later member of the Crusaders, is here.

Averting his gaze off Iggy, Kakyoin turns to Kotaro to ask. "Mr. Kotaro. Is Iggy…?"

"Raised back from the dead as a zombie, like Romero? Eyup," he answered before Kakyoin could finish. "Figured li'l Romero needed a companion his size so his corpse was brought here. Since you and Avdol are here too, why not Iggy? He may be quite unruly but he proved himself to be affectionate. Heh, probably because he loves dog owners."

"Grrr!" Iggy gave him a stink eye.

Having gleaned an explanation from him, Kakyoin calmed down. He never thought half of the Crusaders would be reunited this morning, and as zombies of all things. "So Iggy is here the whole time. Why didn't you tell me last night?"

"I kinda forgot because he's already asleep." Kotaro shrugged.

"Um, are gums good for dogs? Shouldn't Iggy get sick from it?" Sakura questioned, eyeing the Boston terrier finishing his treat curiously.

"No he won't, 'cause one: He's a zombie. And two: it's his long-time favorite. Well anyway! Let's begin…" He walked back to the chalkboard. "Time to work extra hard to make you girls world-class idols protected by these fabulous bodyguard men!"

"Aaaaarghhh…" With the exception of Sakura and Kakyoin, none of the prancing zombies listened naturally.

BGM: I am Dead, Right? (Zombie Land Saga Original Soundtrack)

Wondering if this is the moment when he'll reveal more details of his plan to "save" Saga, Kakyoin takes the opportunity to ask him, "Can I ask you a question?"

"By all means, bring it on." Kotaro permitted, with a nod.

"Will you explain how you're gonna turn Sakura and the girls idols, while also having me, Avdol, and the rest protect them from an enemy, all in an effort to… save Saga?"

"And why is it important for me to be an idol?" Sakura added.

"As for your question Kakyoin, yes, I'll explain more. And as for you Sakura… it's because you're going to 「save」 Saga."

"…Just by 「singing and dancing」?"

"Yes. That's right," he nodded with utmost seriousness. "The concept of local celebrities are becoming a thing of the past, but that also means the competition has died out. Our strategy… is to capitalize on that to revitalize Saga which is hurtling towards 「irrelevance」 in much the same way. And boom!"

Flipping the chalkboard over to show something written on the other side, Kotaro confidently declares, "Welcome to the 「Zombie Land Saga Project」, baby!"

BGM finishes

He stands there, frowning yet confident, until Kakyoin points something out. "…The chalkboard is upside-down."

"Huh?" Glancing at the board, he sees it is upside down, and so too are the words. He quickly flips the board again before turning it around so it's now displaying the name properly. "There. Happy now?" Kotaro replied, trying not to feel indignant.

"I am." Despite the bizarre situation he's in, Kakyoin didn't hesitate to crack a smile.

"W-Wait a second please!" The two look at Sakura having concern and anxiousness written on her face. "That's nice and all but I don't remember anything from when I was alive. So asking me to become a pop star and saving the prefecture is kind of a big deal."

"No need to worry! The others have much more baggage than you."

Kakyoin raises an eyebrow. "Does that include Avdol and the zombie guys?"

"Who else Kakyoin? In fact, those three over there have even more baggage than the rest of the rotting zombies and you two," he pointed to the man with zipper decorations, a guy who looks like a lady, and the crawling man. "Trust me when I say that. Their pasts are so tragic enough that I pity them."

The two glanced at every zombie here. They think it's about time they learn who these twelve zombies are. Sakura next asks, "Uh, so… Who are these girls and boys?"

"Curious?" Kotaro teased.

"Of course we are," replied Kakyoin with folded arms. "In fact, this woman has bitten Sakura thirteen times in one day. So excuse us when we're starting to wonder stuff like that." Sakura lifted up her arm showing the raven-haired woman, the same one they encountered last night, biting her arm.

"…They are 「legends」."

"Legends?" The two parroted in unison.

"That's right. 「Legends」." Kotaro repeated. Holding a dried squid in his hand for the woman, who let go of Sakura's arm to hungrily bite it, he says more, "Each girls and boys are a unique and shining star my partners and I hand-selected for the mission of saving the Saga Prefecture. And with you two, we've finally assembled two perfect groups!"

BGM: The Legendary Girls (Zombie Land Saga Original Soundtrack)

Kotaro kickstarts the introduction of these so-called legendary girls by pointing dramatically to the blonde-haired girl first. "She conquered all of Kyushu at the turn of the century as the second-in-command of the 「Dorami」 biker gang! Cower before the 「Legendary Kamikaze Squad Leader」, SAKI NIKAIDO!!!!"

A member of a biker gang, huh? Kakyoin looked at the girl warily after hearing her title, not looking intimidated.

…I-I hope I don't get on her bad side! As for Sakura, she felt immediately nervous when she heard she was a biker gang member.

Pointing to the puffy haired girl still gripping the bars next, Kotaro shouts, "This girl single-handedly gave rise to the 「idol boom」 of the 1980s! The 「Legendary Showa-period Idol」… JUNKO KONNO!!!"

Kakyoin's eyes widen when he hears Junko's name. Junko Konno? The idol who perished when the plane she's in crashed on its way to Saga? Glancing behind at the white-haired girl still holding the bars, Kakyoin did not expect she's the one and the same. He should've recognized her immediately if not for the events yesterday. He may not have known her well, but he did hear about her songs, impact, and her tragic death.

Pointing next to the woman in the kimono, Kotaro states, "From the turbulent time spanning the death of the shogunate into the 「Meiji era」, the 「Legendary Courtesan」 known only as… YUGIRI!!!"

Shogunate? Meiji era? Sakura is surprised over the woman named Yugiri's time of origin, and that Kotaro managed to revive someone from the Meiji period. By that point, her body would have withered until she's nothing but bones. Heck, she and Kakyoin would have withered to bones too given many years have passed after their deaths.

Turning to the twin-tailed kid with an exposed heart next, Kotaro continues, "After her debut on a long-running period drama, she left her mark on every network in the nation's 「prime-time shows」! 「Legendary Child Actress Prodigy」… LILY HOSHIKAWA!!!"

So even a young kid has died. Kakyoin solemnly thought, believing she got it worse due to having died so young than him or Sakura.

Child actress prodigy? Wow. She must be really good for someone so young to earn that title. Such a shame she died too young… Sakura both complimented and expressed pity, sharing Kakyoin's thoughts.

Pointing two fingers at the short-haired girl, he reveals, "After the year 2000 when all the major idol groups were at war, she was the implacable center for the number-one group 「Iron Frill」! 「Legendary Heisei-period Idol」… AI MIZUNO!!!!"

Sakura turns to the so-called Heisei Idol in mild surprise. Wait… Isn't she…?

"「The Legendary TAE YAMADA」!!!!" He lastly introduced the final zombie girl, without adding anything worth detailing. "And now you, Sakura, know everything you need to know about the rest of the girls-"

BGM stops

"Wait, hang on a second!" Sakura stops him after hearing the last zombie girl got a simplistic and anti-climactic introduction compared to the previous five. "Who's she?

"「The Legendary TAE YAMADA」!!!" Kotaro repeated.

"…Uhhh, sorry, I think I miss something. Can you repeat that? The legendary…"

"… 「 TAE YAMADA 」 !!!"

"…Okay, I know her name is but, is there more?"

"DOES THERE NEEEEED TO BE MORE?!" Kotaro suddenly shouted as he zoomed his face close to hers again, looking irritated.

Shrieking when he unexpectedly gets close to her face again, Sakura says, "B-B-But what's her legend-"

"WHO SAYS A LEGEND HAS TO BE ABOUT ANYTHING?! OH YEAH, THAT'S RIGHT! NOBODYYYY!!!"

"So isn't she just a regular zombie-"

"WELL WHAT MAKES YOU SO LEGENDARY, HUH?! SAKURA! NOT A DAMN THING! FROM NOW ON, THEY'RE ALL LEGENDARY EXCEPT YOU!"

"THAT'S ENOUGH!!!"

Kakyoin's voice cut through Kotaro's tirade loud enough to stop him from pestering the increasingly anxious Sakura. The zombie and human turn to the man glaring at Kotaro over his sudden intrusion of her privacy, his obnoxious shouting, and insulting Sakura. With folded arms, he said, "Why would you say that to her face? She has a lot on her plate like her amnesia so please… stop insulting or bill her as the only one who doesn't have a ‘legendary’ title."

After staring at him with a blank look, Kotaro concedes with a shoulder shrug, seemingly not regretting screaming at Sakura, stating, "Alright, if you insist."

"And by the way…"

"Hm?"

"Do I have a legendary title? If these six have one, I assume the guys and I have titles too, I hope?" Kakyoin referred to the zombie guys before staring at him with narrowed eyes. Kotaro stared back at him without words… for three seconds flat.

"You're the 「Legendary Hierophant」."

Kakyoin blinks. "Legendary Hierophant?"

"That's your title. Happy now?"

"For the most part, but… what about Sakura? Can she have a legendary title?"

"Nope. She has none. When I say she has no title, there's that. Drop the subject, okay? Don't wanna waste more time arguing like this." Kotaro brushed him off before walking away. Kakyoin glares at his back, disapproving of his rude demeanor. Iggy, who is sleeping under Kakyoin's seat, also glares at Kotaro while growling, though it's more because the man woke him up from his nap abruptly.

"Umm, you… didn't have to stand up for me," Kakyoin heard Sakura. He looks at her concerned expression as she adds, "I don't mean that I don't want you too but… He could've screamed at you too."

"Then I'll stand my ground. You don't look confident the whole time, so I had to intervene. I'm concerned for your sake," he replied earnestly. "And also, I don't want to go deaf so I have to stop him."

Giggling at the last part, Sakura smiles and says, "Okay, I understand. Thanks for almost standing up to him, Kakyoin."

"AAANYWAY! Back on the topic at hand!" Kotaro clapped his hands. "With the girls introduced, the zombie guys are next! Pay attention this time Kakyoin! It's important to know who you'll be working with!"

BGM: Stand Proud (instrumental)

Dramatically pointing his fingers again, he begins introducing Kakyoin's teammates starting with Avdol who's hugging the wall. "An Egyptian fortune teller and friend of Kakyoin and Iggy, he is one member of the group who ventured towards Egypt to 「kill an evil vampire」 in order to save a member's bed-ridden mother! 「Legendary Fortune Teller」… MUHAMMAD AVDOL!!!!"

Avdol… Never thought I would say this as a zombie but… it's good to see you again. Kakyoin smiled at the groaning undead Egyptian, glad that someone he knew aside from Iggy is present.

Evil… v-vampire? Sakura can feel her spine shivering. What kind of journey did Kakyoin and Avdol embark on to reach this vampire? Did Kakyoin's group invite a dog on their journey? And did they really encounter this vampire? Or do vampires exist?

Two fingers are pointed to the man in a white suit next, "A mafioso who rose to the ranks of capo in the infamous Italian mafia 「Passione」, he and his team have betrayed the boss in order to usurp him and reform the organization from within!「Legendary Caporegime」… BRUNO BUCCIARATI!!!!"

Wh-Wh-WHAT?! A m-member of a M-M-M-MAFIA!? Screaming internally, Sakura is shocked to learn Kotaro has revived a member of a mafioso, much less a high-ranking member. If she's hoping not to make Saki angry, then she better hope Bucciarati does not look at her with killer eyes lest she melt under his glare.

While Kakyoin isn't outwardly as surprised as she is, he gets immediately wary that a gangster is recruited like the biker girl.

Pointing dramatically again to the messy-haired boy lying against the jail bars, Kotaro reveals, "A rookie member of Passione, this kid working under Bucciarati will not hesitate to follow his leader's command to accomplish his team's goals, even if it means 「betraying the boss」! He's the「Legendary Soldato」… NARANCIA GHIRGA!!!!"

Oh, he's affiliated with Bucciarati? Kakyoin blinked. Although he seemed young, he could tell Narancia is not someone to be trifled with if Bucciarati was willing to betray his boss, not to mention being part of a mafia.

…W-Wait, Narancia's a boy? I thought he was a girl! On the other hand, Sakura is surprised to learn his real gender. His outfit, thin build, and androgynous, albeit a bit deep, voice led her to believe that. Other than that, she better hope Narancia doesn't look at her the wrong way too.

Pointing towards the man still lying on the ground with his head turned one side and limbs spread out, Kotaro exclaims, "An equestrian who's not around these parts, he participated a transcontinental horse race despite his former disability in order to 「regain his legs」!「Legendary Jockey」… JOHNNY JOESTAR!!!!"

Kakyoin perks up when he hears Johnny's last name. "Huh? Wait a second. Did I hear you right? Is his last name… 「Joestar」?"

"Yup. You heard me. Johnny Joestar." Kotaro reaffirmed.

"…Really? He's a Joestar? Could it be, is he… a lost relative?" He asked more, wondering what is Johnny's connection to the two Joestars he knows.

"Nope, he isn't. I'm aware you were affiliated with two 「JoJos」 Kakyoin, but despite that moniker and his same last name… Johnny's not related to them, believe me."

Blinking twice in puzzlement, he asks again, "Then, who is he? And why is he called-"

"If you want to know why he's a Joestar in spite of being unrelated to the Joestars you know, let me just say he's… 「not from around here」. That goes too for his friend and the planter man. And no, I don't mean they're from a faraway country or city. If you're still confused, which you likely are, hold that thought for now 'cause I'll tell you in a day or two. Is that clear?"

"…Ooookay?" He dropped the subject, curiosity and confusion still etched on his face and wondering what Kotaro meant when he and the two as-of-yet-introduced zombies are not around here.

"Moving on!" Kotaro directed the two next to the long-haired blonde man still raising a hand like he's catching or holding something. "A dear friend of Johnny, he is an executioner for the Kingdom of Naples who participated in the race to win amnesty for a child on death row, and also an expert of the 「Spin」 technique! 「Legendary Executioner」… GYRO ZEPPELI!!!!!"

E-Executioner? Cautiously looking over Gyro, Sakura marks him as the fourth person she hopes not to get on the wrong side or else she'll die the second time.

"And last but not the least…!" He lastly points to the man in a jumpsuit lying on his back near a seat, eyes almost rolled over. His introduction is thankfully not anti-climactic unlike Tae's. "Hired by a family patriarch as a secret plant appraiser and fruit grower, he helped two acquaintances of the patriarch's family to recover a 「mysterious fruit」 capable of healing one body part but in exchange of turning the other part to stone! 「Legendary Plant Appraiser」… RAI MAMEZUKU!!!!!"

Plant appraiser? Oh, guess the vines on his jumpsuit and grape decoration on his hat aren't there for show. Kakyoin mused.

"Aaaaaand there you have it! These are the zombie guys you'll work with, Kakyoin!" Kotaro declared bombastically. "You're part of a team of Stand users who will guard the up-and-coming zombie idols and fight against any threats endangering the girls and Saga!"

BGM stops

"…Stand users huh?" Turning to his soon-to-be teammates, Kakyoin already knew what to say about his team. "I must admit. This is the most bizarre group I ended up in. But in a good way. If you want me to work with them to protect the girls, then alright. I mean, sure beats being a walking, living corpse who does nothing but prowl around with no purpose." Aside from Iggy and Avdol, he's curious what Stands Bucciarati, Narancia, Johnny, Gyro and Mamezuku have. The circumstance behind is founded on an absurd, insane reasoning, but he chose to accept it and make no fuss of it. Chalk it up to the nature of him being a Stand user one would like, but he already made up his decision.

Now if only they snap out from their mindless states, he can work with them sooner than later.

"Bizarre is right, but I assure you, your group will be the best bodyguard group there ever is!" Kotaro confidently agreed, clenching his left fist.

"Kotaro, Kakyoin, can you two explain to me about Stands already? I think this is the perfect time, right?"

Hearing Sakura's question born from mounting curiosity and slight impatience, Kakyoin and Kotaro turned to the redhead expectantly waiting for Kakyoin's explanation. Remembering that he was about to explain what Stands are yesterday until Kotaro forces him to save it for tomorrow, he guesses now's the right time to explain.

"Fine. Have your way, Kakyoin."

After getting Kotaro's permission, Kakyoin begins explaining what Stands are. "To give you a short summary… 「Stands」 are physical manifestations of a person's 「life energy」 that is psychically projected in any form. They represent one's 「fighting spirit」, 「desire」, or 「passion」 giving way to extraordinary abilities one can have, usually in a fight. They're called Stands because they appear standing next to their user, ready to act under their command. Those who have Stands are called 「Stand users」 and each individual user has different types, forms, and abilities that can be wielded for good or evil."

Listening intently, Sakura is amazed. To think such a phenomenon exists that can give one unique powers based on their psyche… Musing over his explanation, she took note of the fact that Stands appear near their user when they're called…

"Kakyoin, when we first encountered the zombies last night, a humanoid figure appeared in front of you and fired emeralds at them," she reminded him. "Could that be your Stand?"

"Yes. Hierophant Green is my Sta-"

He stops mid-sentence after recognizing the implication behind Sakura's words. Despite wearing sunglasses, Kotaro does have a look of surprise on his face. "Wait. What did you said Sakura?" Kakyoin asked with eyes wide.

"About the figure I saw last night… Was it your Stand?" She obliged.

Believing he may have misheard her, Kakyoin summons Hierophant Green before asking, "Can you see my Stand 「hovering」 near me?"

"Ah! Yes! I can「see」 it! The Stand from last night!"

There is silence between the three afterward aside the groans of twelve zombies still prowling around. It would be three seconds before Kakyoin and Kotaro broke the silence with a surprised "WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAT!?!?!"

"Whawawawawa-!? W-W-What's wrong?"

"SAKURA! DID I HEARD YOU RIGHT!? YOU SAID YOU…!?" Kotaro zoomed close to her face for the third time as he's having a breakdown of some sort.

"You can see my Stand!?" Kakyoin inquired with an equally shocked expression, standing up and joining Kotaro in moving his face close, albeit not too much.

Almost freaking out as to why they're so shocked but seeing they're waiting for her answer, she nods affirmatively. "Y-Yes. I-I did see your Stand, Kakyoin."

The two remained in that stance for three seconds before they backed off once seeing she's telling the truth. Calling Hierophant Green back, Kakyoin stood up straight, still in disbelief Sakura had seen Hierophant Green. "I can't believe this… How can you see my Stand, Sakura? You obviously don't have one, so how in the world can you see it?"

"Umm… Am I supposed not to be seeing it?"

"You weren't supposed to," replied Kotaro, pushing his shades after calming himself down. "Only Stand users can see other Stands. If you don't have one, you can't see them at all."

"Really?" Sakura is a little surprised, now sharing their perplexed state over her being able to see Stands. "But if that's true, then why can I see them?"

"Who knows? It is puzzling to be sure, but…" Shrugging first, Kakyoin had thought of the implication and may have realized the reason why. "Perhaps… You have the 「potential」." He told her.

"…The potential?"

"The potential to 「gain」 a Stand. Whether you will gain one or not… We'll have to wait and see," he added. Remembering that Kotaro knows about Stands, he turns to him and asks, "What about you? Can you see my Stand?"

"No, I can't," he stated simply. "I don't have a Stand like I told you last night so obviously I can't see them. As for Sakura's potential… I'm curious if she can become a Stand user like you boys… BUT!" Kotaro suddenly points one finger at Sakura. "I must remind you, Zombie One, that you're an idol first and foremost, so whether you can summon a Stand or not, that's irrelevant when you and the girls must save the Saga Prefecture via singing and dancing! At this point, they're still your stereotypical run-of-the-mill zombies. They haven't yet 「awakened」."

"…That's the thing?" Sakura asked.

"Yes. But I figured with a little 「stimulation」 like you two had, they'll eventually regain their consciousness."

Kotaro starts walking away. It took a moment for Sakura and Kakyoin to register what he told them. "Huh? Stimulation?" She repeated, her cheeks becoming red.

"You're not implying you did something… indecent to us, right? Right?" Kakyoin replied in an indignant and pleading tone.

"Speaking of which, you girls are going to put on a stimulating live performance!" Kotaro announced unabated.

"Hey don't just ignore us!" Sakura exclaimed. "Huh? Wait what?"

"YOUR FIRST PERFORMANCE IIIIIIIS…! TONIIIIIIGHT!!!!!" He finally revealed in a grandiose show of confidence lacing his voice that isn't shared by Kakyoin and Sakura. Especially Sakura.

…

…

…

"WHAAAAAAT!?"

Iggy starts barking up a storm after being rudely disturbed for the third time, prompting Kotaro to quell him by giving him more gums.

<=To be continued|\|/

Onomatopoeia:

カブッ ! (Kabu!) - Intense biting or chomping

Chapter Text

Why am I here? Just why am I here?

Sakura repeated those questions over and over as she looked at a poster within her trembling hands. Part of her worry was less about being in a venue for tonight so unexpectedly, but rather, the venue’s genre and music theme revolved around rock music. A genre unfitting for a pop idol.

The fault of this lies in Kotaro who, for reasons only known to himself, has chosen tonight’s venue to be Geils Live House. Earlier, he, Sakura, Kakyoin, and six other zombie girls arrive outside the venue occupied by a crowd of heavy metal fans all eagerly waiting to go inside. The two conscious zombies only need to look once at the crowd’s indifferent glare directed at seven cute girls who are attending the venue and see they stuck out like a sore thumb – this didn’t inspire much confidence for Sakura, and Kakyoin can relate despite not being instructed to get on stage.

Currently, they’re backstage, waiting for the girl’s turn. Muffled sounds of a rock band performing loudly can be heard through the walls. They may even hear the audience cheering loudly if one strains their ears.

“T-This is a death metal concert…!” Sakura remarked, questioning next what Kotaro is thinking on choosing this venue to be the first ever performance and debut of the zombie idols, given the name Death Musume (Title Not Final). Yes, those three words are included because it’s, well, a placeholder.

Speaking of Kotaro, he’s currently facing the brunt of a one-sided argument from Kakyoin over his decisions tonight. So much so he ended up tagging along (then again, Kotaro did tell him to come along because, until his teammates are awake, he’ll be the girls’ bodyguard for tonight).

"Look, I'm telling you, this is crazy! Their 'first performance' is going to be a disaster!"

"I assure you, Cherry Boy, I have everything under control here,” Kotaro remains unmoved. “I’m aware what I’m doing is absolutely crazy in your own view, but please know that I have a specific ｢reason｣ for choosing the girls' first ever performance here, other than this venue being the only place with open stage policy."

"If you have everything under control here, then look at the girls!" He pointed to the roaming zombie girls, all of whom are wearing their "stage performance" outfit including Sakura which are actually just casual clothes chosen at a last minute. Shirts or a sweater in Tae’s case and pleated skirts are the best outfits Kotaro chose until further notice. "The fact they’ve yet to, in your own words, ｢awakened｣ will spell disaster when they get on stage, don't you think!?"

“Kakyoin’s right! We shouldn’t be here! We’re gonna bomb!” Sakura agreed.

"Hey you! What are you doing?!"

The three turn to a staff member pulling an earpiece out of Tae’s mouth, who is nibbling it. "Don’t chew on that! This equipment is expensive!" Once he gets it off of her, the staff leaves the room to clean the saliva off. Tae blankly stares at him, somewhat disappointed, before she loses interest and continues prowling.

"See my point there?" Kakyoin sighed.

"Y-Yeah! Tae's gonna bite someone in that state!" Sakura concurred, looking at Kotaro with pleading eyes, silently begging him to change his mind.

…

…

"…So! What do you think of my awesome makeup techniques I learned in Hollywood? It’ll be impossible for everyone to figure out you are zombies." Kotaro purposely switched the topic with a proud smile. The two didn't like he dodge the main concern.

"That doesn’t solve anything!" Turning to look at her reflection in irritation, her pouting face softens as she, admittedly, liked Kotaro's work. "It is good though.”

“You say that now but yesterday you went and passed out as soon as I tried it on you. Guess that’s the thanks I get for making you a star.”

"Ignoring your remark, you did a good job putting makeup on us,” admitted Kakyoin too, leaning down to look at the mirror. “You must have done some trial and error until you managed to make us look like a living human."

"I hope you're not bothered that a guy like you has to use makeup. Obviously I can't let everyone see you're a zombie, right?" Kotaro replied.

"I don’t mind at all if it means keeping our identities secret." He shrugged, looking at his hands and back to his face shown in the mirror. Hmm, should I add something? Maybe lipstick? Would I look good with lipstick on, I wonder?

At this moment, the lead singer of the band screamed through a megaphone, riling up the ravenous audience more. The scream is so loud it reached the backstage. Tae hears it and the accompanying rock music mid-prowl and stops to listen while groaning…

…before she bobs her head up and down aggressively.

Surprised over her sudden act, Sakura stammers in her speech in her bewilderment, "O-O-Okay, this is weird even for her! What the heck is going on?!"

As she and Kakyoin stare at the black-haired zombie headbanging in shock, Yugiri and Ai next imitate Tae, freaking the two out more. "What kind of madness is this?" Kakyoin spluttered out.

Junko, Lily, and Saki follow suit, and therefore, a group of headbanging zombie girls is created. Naturally, the two couldn't be more at a loss.

"This is bad! How are we gonna explain this?!" Panicking, Sakura borrowed six dried squids from Kotaro's breast pocket (who remains impassive) and stuffs it in their mouths to make them stop. While Sakura struggles to calm Tae down when she puts up little resistance, Kakyoin asks what just became of them.

"｢Stimulation｣. As I said this morning, that is what the girls needed to ｢awaken｣ them. Like I did to you two when you weren’t conscious," answered Kotaro. "This is also another reason why I choose this specific venue in order to wake the girls up from their unconscious states."

…I better not ask what I did while I was still unawakened. He reminded, feeling a bit undignified when imagining what his actions were like before he "woke" up. A thought came to him when remembering the zombie guys left in the mansion. "Wait, if you want the girls to wake up, what about Avdol and the other guys? They need to be… stimulated, you know?"

Smiling or possibly smirking, he answers, "Oh trust me, Cherry Boy. I already thought ahead and employed the deed before we left."

What Kotaro said is true. Back in the mansion, Romero is keeping watch as the undead Stand users swing their heads up and down like a diehard heavy metal fan, in response to the rock music playing from the boombox. The dog barks approvingly, continuing watching the “stimulating experience” of the seven. Iggy is also keeping watch, though he lingers outside the basement’s door to protect his ears from the loud music, which the door only muffles little of.

"If you two don't have any more questions, then I would like to say that Sakura and the girls got this on the bag." Kotaro declared confidently.

"…I think it should be obvious by now that I don’t!" Sakura irritably remarks after she manages to calm Tae down.

"You know, I actually wouldn’t have a problem awakening the girls if you didn’t put them here to enact an ill-fated concert," Kakyoin glared at Kotaro, pretty much siding with Sakura the entire time. "But as much as I like to make you stop this madness from delving further, I guess it's… too late for that, huh?”

"Chill out. What’s the big deal?" Kotaro replied dismissively or densely. Kakyoin has to take a deep breath to calm himself before he puts his fist to his face over his indifference.

"Chill out?! How am I supposed to chill out, huh!?” Sakura exclaimed after having enough of his apparent denseness as she walked up to him. “Me and Kakyoin are the only ones who aren’t moving around the room trying to eat everything! And besides that, aren’t you supposed to rehearse BEFORE you get on stage!? What do you expect us to perform?!"

Two hands laid on her shoulders stop Sakura from getting more riled up. "…All I need you to do is trust in your instincts." Kotaro said simply.

"…Well my instincts say Tae’s gonna bite people." She reminded him.

"A zombie bite never hurt anybody!"

"Not too bright up there, are you?" Kakyoin interjected.

"OKAY!"

BGM: With My Team (Zombie Land Saga Original Soundtrack)

The two flinched when he shouted. For some reason, they’re geared up to listen to what he had to say for some reason. "The good news is the crowd doesn’t know you so the expectations are so small, so they’re basically non-existent. Same goes for me and Kakyoin. I fully expect you won’t blow it."

"Then why-"

"LET ME FINISH!" Sakura swallows what she's about to say when Kotaro has something more to say. "That's why you have to surprise us! You can turn Saga… no, the entire world upside down if you give it everything you’ve got!"

"…Really? You think so?" Sakura softly muttered.

"Hey Death Musume (Title Not Final), you're up next!" A staff member poked his head in the room and informed them before leaving.

"Have faith. You’ll do fine." Kotaro finished with a reassuring smile, displaying confidence not only to Sakura, but to the unconscious zombie girls. Kakyoin stared at him with mouth agape, looking astonished over his impromptu speech.

His speech just now… In the face of ludicrous odds, Kotaro is confident in his plan. Even though Sakura and the girls are unexpectedly thrusted in their first performance without rehearsing, Kotaro holds absolute faith in them. While having to team up with other undead Stand users to fight against an enemy is manageable, him reviving zombie girls to create an idol group sounds insane, but… combined with his actions and desires, I can't help but feel…

"Oh Kotaro I…" Sakura seems to have been roused up by Kotaro's speech…

Music stops abruptly

"…can't do it." But she reaffirmed her stance with a small frown.

…not convinced. At all. Even Kakyoin is doubtful. Silence reigns for a few seconds, letting Sakura's words sink into Kotaro's head…

…

…

…

"OKAY THEEEEN! IT'S GO TIME! NOW GET OUT THERE AND KNOCK ‘EM DEAD, LADIIIIIIIIES!!!!!" He rapidly clapped his hands with utmost conviction, willing to see Death Musume (Title Not Final) get on stage.

Later on stage, Death Musume (Title Not Final), consisting of Sakura as Number One, Saki as Number Two, Ai as Number Three, Junko as Number Four, Yugiri as Number Five, Lily as Number Six and lastly, Tae as Number Zero, stood, or prowled around in the case of six, in front of the indignant metal music-obsessed crowd, who are all wondering why seven girls are doing here when heavy metal music is the theme. They're so indifferent that they paid no heed to the six's odd movements. To them, they care more about heavy metal music, not seven cute girls in casual attire and likely performing with pop music typical for the idol genre.

Feeling her nerves reaching its limit, Sakura tries to maintain her composure as she announces, "Um, good evening ladies and gentlemen of the metal persuasion. We are the new idol group called Death Musume so uhh-"

"Spit it out and get off the stage, sister! Why the hell is an idol group here?" The chubby man shouted annoyingly.

"I hope you’re not making fun of death metal!" His lanky friend chided in a thick accent.

"N-No I’m not, I swear! Here goes… And by the way, you can all call me Number One!"

"Who cares! Just start playing alreadyyyy!"

"I’m sure it’s just a pile of mainstream pop rubbish!"

The crowd starts booing like she feared. "I-I'm sorry! I really am!” They're so mad! What do I do now?! She thought in panic. Kakyoin, please…! Help me!

Standing behind the stage wing, Kakyoin and Kotaro are watching the anxious Sakura and the girls minding their business. The former has a sympathetic look directed at her, and though he can't see much of the audience, he can tell from the booing that they're already not liking the girls being on stage.

"Can you hear them? I already warned you this is gonna be a disaster," Kakyoin told Kotaro, sounding exasperated and like he’s begging him even if it's pointless at this point. "Are you really sure you know what you’re doing?"

"I am. Stop worrying," Kotaro remained rooted in his decision. "I just have to wait for the ｢cue｣…"

"The cue?" He parroted. This is the first time he's watching an idol group’s performance, or what can be constituted as 'performance', but he knows it's gonna involve singing and dancing. That's how idol shows typically go based on what he heard or watched Junko sing a few times when he was young so he has to admit, he's wondering where this will lead. Even if it’ll surely lead to disaster.

Concurrently, as Sakura dreads the worse, she notices Tae staring at the audience, specifically at the lanky and chubby duo. She began groaning again… before jumping off the stage toward the duo with a roar.

“UAAAAAAAAAAAAARGH!”

I knew this would happen! A surprised expression is on her face as Sakura watches Tae land on a chubby guy, who is astonished she dared to perform a stage dive when their performance hasn't even started yet. As Tae shouts ferociously, seemingly intent on biting him, Sakura gets off stage and pulls Tae off of him. "C-Cut that out! Let him go!”

As she pulls the growling Tae back to the stage while the audience looks at the long-haired woman in shock, Sakura looks utterly defeated, feeling pessimistic that things are going to be bad. It’s a disaster…!

While the two stunningly remarks on Tae's brutal move, Kakyoin facepalms, having guessed what Tae is gonna do after seeing she's eyeing the audience. Yup. It’s foolish of me to think this wouldn’t happen.

As the two rightfully feared this performance would end in absolute failure, Saki stopped when she kicked a megaphone lying on the floor. The sound it makes seemed to have attracted the audience's attention. All the while, Sakura was dismayed at such a huge mess she's in. I’ll never come back from this.

That is, until she notices the audience's eyes are trained on the group. “Now what?” On this moment, this is when Kotaro sees the "cue"…

“MUSIC, COME ONNNN!!!!"

BGM: Youkoso Saga e

Heavy metal music began playing in the entire auditorium, causing a mini shockwave spanning across the audience, Sakura, and Kakyoin. This has the effect of stopping the zombie girls from prowling.

W-We’re singing to this!? Sakura thought in panic, her ears ravaged by strumming guitars and pounding drums.

The audience stares on in shock over the fact the girls are apparently singing to their preferred music. “Oh no way! I thought it’s gonna be some idol crap!” The chubby man said.

“Maybe they’re playing the wrong track?” The lanky one wondered.

“I like it! Show us what you got girlie! YEEEEAH!”

It didn’t take long for the once apathetic audience to cheer for them, which had no effect over the confused Sakura as she stood there, stuttering on the verge of panicking.

"RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAUGGGGGGGGH!!!"

Saki suddenly yelled through the megaphone, obscuring Sakura's startled panicked scream. “UWAAAAAH!” Then Tae copied her scream while holding a microphone. “RYAAAAAAAAAAGHHHHHH!!!”

After recovering from getting deaf, Kakyoin has a look of bewilderment or surprise on his face as he listens to the instrumental music. "W-What…? What's going on here? This… music…" Eyeing Saki as she continues screaming, Kakyoin wonders how Kotaro had prepared this kind of music to be used for the concert. He must have known the venue was gonna be filled with metal fans so he must prepare it in advance. As for how he got it if he hasn't borrowed it from other bands… "Did you… compose this music?" He asks the manager.

"…Being a manager of an idol group, it's required to have one composer,” explained Kotaro, a smug smile on his face. "If there's no composer, obviously you have no music."

"I see… I'm surprised you composed this piece." Kakyoin seemed impressed.  "Well, the genre does not fit a pop idol group but…" He turned back to see how the girls were doing… only to be flabbergasted again when the girls sans Sakura and Saki start headbanging aggressively. "W-What in blazes?!" He exclaimed.

Jammed between the cheering audience, headbanging zombies, loud rock music, and Saki still screaming through the megaphone, Sakura can feel her sanity draining so fast. What do I do, what do I do, what do I do, WHAT DO I DO!?

It doesn't matter how hard she tries to keep calm, the overall sheer insanity is getting to her. Her first “performance”, taking place in Geils Live House filled with heavy metal fans and backed up by the same genre for her debut performance, and the unawakened zombies having no care for the world as they bob their heads vigorously, is overwhelming her. So much so that she's facing down as she's at her limit, more than ready to let it all out to the world…

"RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUGHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!"

Finally, Sakura screams her lungs out, surprising Kakyoin once more due to the ferocity and unexpectedness of it all. "S-Sakura!?"

Back to the metalhead duo, they notice something about the girls, including Sakura, as they headbang alongside the screaming Saki. “H-How is this… possible, man? No one should be able to headbang like that,” The chubby fan muttered to his friend. “It’s like their necks are friggin’ BROKEN!”

Not that these two and the rabid audience cared though, as they bask in the sheer hardcore concert of the supposed cute idols put out with much vigor.

…Wow. This feels kind of… familiar…

Sakura realized something as she let her body instinctively respond to the music. Her vision getting bathed with colorful stage lights shining down on the girls, a flash of memory appeared in her head depicting her among the audience cheering for an idol group up on the stage, shined by colorful stage lights too.

Just like how it appeared quickly, it disappeared before she can think about it, not that it matters as she's still screaming her lungs out, riling the audience to their limit including the lanky and chubby duo as Death Musume (Title Not Final) continues headbanging without stop.

"RAAAAAGH! RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!"

Number One last dives to the audience back first, the thrill of performance overriding her sense of reason.

"…Sakura." Kakyoin muttered, thinking this is one night he would not forget…

The chorus of sweet and alluring tweets ring in the cool morning air as a pair of redheads sit on a bench in the mansion's terrace. The events of last night have passed by in a blink of an eye, and before the two knew it, it’s morning.

While Romero and Iggy sat on the floor near three singing birds, Sakura had a downcast look on her, feeling under the weather. Kakyoin, with arms crossed, looks up at the sky, absent-mindedly admiring the nice weather this morning. Compared to Sakura, he isn't in low spirits.

"I don’t think we’ve changed the world…" He heard Sakura say, her sights angled low to match her expression. Whether she wants to say it quietly or not, she doesn't care. "Maybe I actually don’t have what it takes… to be an idol."

Not liking seeing her so dispirited, Kakyoin turns to her. "Hey, look. I know there's a slight chance last night’s concert might end up in disaster, or with six of the girls going berserk to ravage the crowded audience, but surprisingly… It went off without a hitch. Just almost, and a bit crazy too. And though you may not like hearing it, you got quite a killer scream.”

He didn't notice her form shaking as she continued looking down, literally and figuratively, before he continued. "Sure the venue and music genre didn’t fit you and the girls but watching you became so eager and went with the flow when the ‘performance’ kicked into high gear… perhaps you have what it takes to be an idol under the right guidance. So cheer up, Sakura. It’s not like you’ve committed the most heinous crime in the world."

When it seems like Sakura is about to explode in a flurry of emotions… She sighs deeply. She didn’t have it in her to react badly to Kakyoin cheering her up, especially when the "performance" didn't actually go horribly. For the most part.

When the zombie girls are about to go down the stage and ravage the audience after the ear-popping performance, Kakyoin steps in and ties them up quickly using Hierophant Green before they have the chance. He, Sakura, and Kotaro (after much coercing) would pull them to the backstage, and then outside into their van before leaving at last.

"Well… I guess you're right," Sakura earnestly agreed, before looking up to the sky. "It’s actually not bad. It had gone crazy like you said, but fortunately nothing too bad happened. In fact, it might be a blessing in disguise, because when I screamed all my stress out, to the point my lungs were burning, I… had a flash of memory."

Kakyoin goes wide-eyed. "You did?"

She nods. "Yes. It's very brief but… I see myself cheering for an… idol group performing on stage among the crowd, shined by lights and all."

"Anything else?"

"…No. That's it." She replied. Thinking back to that brief memory, Sakura wondered how important it is and why it triggered during last night’s concert. But still… I wonder what that feeling was.

"…Idols, huh? Maybe you admired them if your mind showed that specific memory.” Kakyoin suggested.

"Hmm, now that you said it… I feel happy and… elated. Least that’s what I thought my feelings were when remembering it." Sakura pondered, tapping her chin.

"Then that means you have a thing for pop idols. It’s only my speculation, but perhaps… You have a desire to sing and dance your heart out to the audience. That’s why you want to be an idol."

"…That could be true. But who knows? That’s just one memory." She reminded him, letting out a sigh again.

"But it's a start. It might take a long time for you to recover your memories but I'm sure you will eventually remember 「who you are」," Kakyoin reassured further, putting a hand on her shoulder while smiling. "And don’t forget this Sakura. You won’t be alone. You have me 「by your side」." He may have known her only for a day at most but after learning what Kotaro wants for both of them, having to settle with his new lease on life as a Stand-using zombie bodyguard for a fledgling zombie idol group, Kakyoin has no obligation to come back home or meet with either Jotaro or Polnareff as he chooses to accept his new undead life. As much as it pains him, he does not want anyone he knows to see him somehow alive, nearly thirty years after his death.

Sakura feels the same way as him but feels more troubled and conflicted than him regarding being thrust into the spotlight not long after she is woken up, having to accept she is now a zombie and has amnesia. As such, she appreciates any form of encouragement even if the one who empathizes with her problems is someone she barely knew for one day. Returning his smile, Sakura nods happily and says, "I'm glad to hear you say that. Thank you, Kakyoin."

"It's my pleasure." Kakyoin nodded, glad he was successful in lifting her spirits up.

Before they can enjoy the peaceful morning and nice morning weather more (unaware of feathers lying on the floor near Romero who’s chewing a raw treat much to Iggy’s mild disgust), panicked and angry shouts or screams, accompanied by crashing objects, erupted from inside the room near them. Kakyoin and Sakura, as well as Iggy, rush back inside to see what the ruckus is.

"…Tae?" Sakura calls out to the slouching zombie looking blankly at something.

"HELP!”

BGM: Good Morning Saga (Zombie Land Saga Original Soundtrack)

Hearing a coherent human voice not their own, they follow Tae's line of sight and either gasped or flinched in shock upon seeing Ai and Junko huddling up near the fireplace and Lily hugging the door with her back, all with fearful expressions. Aside from them, there’s Avdol standing near Ai, assuming a battle stance judging by his distinctive hand signs, Johnny kneeling near Lily protectively and aiming a finger aimed Tae with a scowl, and Narancia glared hard at Tae while swinging a switchblade around to prevent her from going after Junko.

"W-What’s happening here?" Ai questioned.

"Please, somebody! Do something!" Junko begged.

"I’m so scared!" Lily whimpered, her beating in response to her fear.

"That woman… What is wrong with her?" Avdol inquired calmly.

"You better stay back unless you want to get shot!" Johnny warned.

"What he said! I'm not one for a rude awakening, puttana!" Narancia exclaimed.

Seeing them speaking and acting normally clues Sakura and Kakyoin to one conclusion: they've been awakened, all thanks to the stimulation last night. Another round of groans are heard coming from their right, and they turn to see Saki, Yugiri, Bucciarati, Gyro, and Mamezuku waking up due to the noise.

"Oh dear. What a terrible racket." Yugiri let out a soft groan.

Saki lets out a big yawn next. "…Slept like I’m dead."

"I hear you. Somehow, I feel refreshed, like I have worn brand-new clothes after a bath." Gyro nonchalantly concurred.

"Hmm, something seems off." Bucciarati noted while rubbing his eyes.

"Looks like it. I don't think I'm in a villa I always go to when winter comes." Mamezuku pointed out his observation of the room unfamiliar to him.

At this moment, Mamezuku notices Sakura and Kakyoin standing in the doorway, followed by Bucciarati, Gyro, Saki, Yugiri, Ai, Avdol, Junko, Johnny, Lily, and Narancia. All of them have questioning looks as they stare at the two with wary and inquisitive eyes.

Noticing their sickly appearances, Avdol asks, "Kakyoin, what's wrong with your and that girl's eyes and skin? And… is that Iggy?"

“Bark!”

Perking up, Sakura stutters for a response. "H-Huh? Uh, w-well…"

Before she can answer, Kakyoin puts his hand on her shoulder to silently let her know he will be the one to answer. Walking to the center to hold Tae by her arm, he says, "Avdol, everyone, please calm down. We’re in a mansion in Saga Prefecture which shall be our residence starting this day, owned by a man named Kotaro Tatsumi. If you're wondering why Sakura, Tae, and I have green skin and red eyes, we're not the only ones here because, well…" He takes a deep breath before revealing, "Let me say that everyone in this very room have ｢died｣ at some point… but came back to life as ｢zombies｣."

Their reactions are somewhat expected. While Saki, Yugiri, Avdol, Gyro, Bucciarati, and Mamezuku looked shocked but didn't express it in an overreacting manner, the same couldn't be said for Ai, Junko, Lily, Johnny and Narancia.

"W-What? Zombies?!" Ai shouted in disbelief.

"I…d-died…?" Junko stuttered.

"ARE YOU MESSING WITH ME RIGHT NOW?!" Narancia exclaimed, redirecting his incredulous glare to him.

"You’re joking with us, right?" Johnny concurred, re-aiming his finger at Kakyoin with a glare. "That's a far-fetched claim if I ever heard one."

"No, I think he’s right,” replied Lily, staring at her hand first before she looked at her heart beating out of her chest for some reason. “I have weird-colored skin and my heart is outside. Maybe… He's not lying."

Following her assertion, everyone begins calming down before any uproar erupted again (less so for Ai, Junko, Johnny, and Narancia) as they process what Kakyoin told them.

"This is… surprising." Avdol admitted, checking his discolored arms. Of all things he woke up to, it’s certainly not learning that he and everyone are zombies. Turning to Kakyoin, a friend he never thought he would see again, he asks, "Can you tell us about this Kotaro Tatsumi, Kakyoin? Maybe he can shed more light on our situation."

“We will! But first, I just want to say…”

Sakura stopped Kakyoin from replying before she walked to the center of the room and took a deep breath…

Then releasing it all in one, loud big greeting to unofficially welcome her and Kakyoin’s zombie mates.

"GOOD MORNING EVERYBODYYYYYYYYYYYYY!"

Her greeting is so loud it can be heard outside the mansion’s walls, almost obscuring the sound of a flying bird's cry.

And thus, that one greeting starts the bizarre adventures of Sakura, Kakyoin, and their fellow zombie idol singers and Stand Users to save Saga Prefecture.

<=To be continued|\|/

Chapter Text

An awkward tension lingered in the basement's air as it saw fourteen zombies sitting on the row of chairs. Sakura and Kakyoin, the first two zombies who "awakened", sat left and right respectively in the center, while the others took their seats according to gender.

The zombie girls sitting left of Sakura are, in order: Saki Nikaido (Legendary Kamikaze Squad Leader) looking a bit ticked off; Ai Mizuno (Legendary Heisei Idol) trying to stay calm; Junko Konno (Legendary Showa Idol) avoiding eye contact out of shyness; Yugiri (Legendary Courtesan) blowing out smoke after inhaling from a kiseru; Lily Hoshikawa (Legendary Child Actress Prodigy) stretching her hair decoration with a smile; and lastly, Tae Yamada (Legendary TAE YAMADA!) chewing her hair bangs thinking they're food.

The zombie guys sitting right of Kakyoin (Legendary Hierophant) are: Muhammad Avdol (Legendary Fortune Teller) sitting calmly with eyes closed and arms crossed as if in meditation; Bruno Bucciarati (Legendary Caporegime) resting his clasped hands over his crossed legs; Narancia Ghirga (Legendary Soldato) letting out a yawn; Johnny Joestar (Legendary Jockey) checking his nails with a frown; Gyro Zeppeli (Legendary Executioner) inspecting a green steel ball intently; and last but not the least, Rai Mamezuku (Legendary Plant Appraiser) checking his right braid with analytical eyes.

Apart from Tae for some reason, everyone has regained consciousness thanks to last night's "stimulation". Now that they've awakened, Kakyoin and Sakura are wondering what will happen next. If there's one thing they hope will happen, it's that no one takes their revival as zombies too hard, though this might already be wishful thinking given the palpable tension they sense in the air.

The silence is interrupted by a door opening and multiple pairs of eyes watch Kotaro Tatsumi enter. About time, most of them thought, as they're dying for answers to this situation they woke up into.

Standing in front of the chalkboard with hands on his hips, Kotaro declares, "Hello there, ladies and gentlemen. Congrats on your awakening."

Expecting his greeting to be returned, Kotaro sees no one is replying so he approaches one of them. He picks Junko out, who scoots her face away nervously. "I SAID CONGRATULATIONS!!!" She winced from his shouting. He approaches Narancia next. "AND YOU! CONGRATULATIONS AS WELL!!!"

"Yeah, yeah, we heard you so quit shouting our ears off, will ya?!" Narancia exclaimed back.

Satisfied, Kotaro walks back and flips the chalkboard to reveal something written on the other side.

Mysterious Idol Producer!!
Kotaro Tatsumi!!

"I am your mysterious ｢idol producer｣, the Kotaro Tatsumi!" He boisterously declared. "Your job is to become pop sensation and save Saga from oblivion, while ｢guarded｣ by these bodyguards against anything that may harm you! And boom…" He flipped the board again to reveal a drawing of Kotaro giving a thumbs up to the fourteen figures below, likely the zombies, as well as two writings that read 'Ultimate Idol Legends' and 'Extravagant Idol Bodyguards'. "Using all your ｢legendary｣ qualities, we can put this prefecture on the MAAAAAAAAAAAPPPA!!!!"

Except Kakyoin, Sakura, and Tae still busy chewing her hair, everyone is utterly baffled by what he's saying. Legendary qualities? Saving Saga? And idols? What the hell is he talking about?

"Maaan, this sucks… I don't friggin' get what's going on." Everyone turns to Saki Nikaido uttering out what most of them were thinking.

"Oh? What's stumping you?" Kotaro approached the blonde girl.

"So you're saying I died? So how the hell I'm still moving around?" She inquired, clenching her fingers to see if they're working.

"Oh~? You haven't wrapped your little brain around it yet?"

"Haaargh!" She growled, offended by his response because she believes he's implicitly calling her an idiot.

"Think about it carefully, Saki."

"Don't talk to me like I-"

"YOU'RE A ZOMBIE NOW!" He told this fact right to her face. "You died and then you came back! What other way is there to explain it?! You ever see a living, breathing girl with a green face?" He grabs her chin and shakes it, only for Saki to swat it away.

"…Actually, our skin skews a bit on the bluer tone instead of green." Kakyoin pointed out.

"SO!?! Once again, all of you girls and boys are fortunate enough to have risen from the dead! But as you may have guessed, there's no ｢place｣ for zombies in regular society." Banging a podium that is somehow in the room, Kotaro adds, "By making you celebrities, I'm giving you undead outcasts a purpose and a place to stay! So be GRATEFUUUUUUUL!!!!"

Everyone absorbs his ludicrous words in silence, until Johnny responds sarcastically. "Yeah… We are sooo grateful you brought us back from the dead. Why, it would have been better if you didn't do it out of the blue." He last gives Kotaro a distrusting look.

"I don't share his feelings regarding our return back to the living, buuuuut Johnny has a point," remarked Gyro. "It would've been nice if you talked to us first before we agree to become zombies. Orrrr wait. You have to somehow speak with the dead to get our consent. Hmm…"

"I concur with this man's words," replied Bucciarati. "I was content in giving my life for the sake of a goal so seeing myself return back to life somewhat undermines the sacrifices I made in order to make it happen…" He stared at Kotaro with a stern expression. He's neither angry over his decision to revive him along with Narancia nor happy about it. Just… conflicted. "…Other than that, it is strange that I'm an undead again. This time for real."

"Huh? Wait, 'again'?" Narancia turned to the former capo in surprise. He believed Bucciarati had died fighting against the boss of Passione so his statement doesn't make sense to his view. "What are you saying Bucciarati?"

"AAAANYWAY! BACK ON TOPIC IN HAND!" Kotaro banged the podium twice to get their attention back, stopping Bucciarati from replying. "It's time for a pop quiz! If you're gonna be a zombie idol and bodyguard group, then what's the ｢number one thing｣ you must do? Uhh, Sakura!"

"M-Me!? Uhh, I don't know…" Jerking in attention, Sakura thinks for a second before she answers, "Like, not bite people-"

"DON'T LET PEOPLE KNOW YOU ARE ZOMBIES!!!! DUMB ZOMBIE!!!!"

Kotaro plays a video on his laptop showing scenes of zombies getting killed, mutilated and ravaged by humans in gruesome ways, like getting shot, sliced, punched and getting a grenade in their mouth before exploding, splattering the remains onto the screen. Once it ended, he continues, "See? That's what'll happen to you girls and boys if people found out. But if you take certain safety precautions, then you'll be okay…"

The zombies heard him well enough as a result of what they watched, unnerving even the calm and collected members like Yugiri, Bucciarati, Johnny, Mamezuku, and Kakyoin. This is especially true for poor Sakura, who looked traumatized at the thought of getting killed in the same manner as shown on the video.

"…Like referring to yourselves with numbers and nicknames instead of real names." He added.

"Listen, I get that we're zombies and all, but is there a reason we have to be idols too?" Someone else decided to say something now to express their opinion over his plan. That someone is Ai.

"So Saga can be ｢saved｣!" He answered.

"We're gonna do the local idol thing? That's stupid." She said incredulously.

"Kinda sounds like you're scared…"

"Grrr!" She growled at his taunting reply. She next states a fact the zombie girls, guys and Kotaro should know. "I just know that it won't work! I mean look at us! We're a bunch of rotting dead bodies here! And besides, I wasn't even from Saga."

"Hmph! Saga doesn't sweat the details! Local slang, you won't even understand." Kotaro shook his head.

"Hey I know about Saga!" Ai claimed.

"Well why don't you tell me what you know about it then, huh~?" He taunted her again.

Annoyed by his taunt, she answers, "It's in… ｢Kyushu｣!"

"Good job~! You know basic geography~!" He complimented her while not passing the opportunity to add a dose of sarcasm.

"Fine then! What do you know about it then, Mr. 'Expert'?!"

"I know Saga from top to bottom! Everything there is to know."

"What is Saga's population?"

"That's easy! I'll tell you to the decimal!"

"Great, let's hear it!"

She waited a few seconds for Kotaro's answer. Then he says, in a meek tone, "…It's small."

"…What?"

"It's really small."

"What's the exact number of-"

"HOW THE HELL SHOULD I KNOOOOOOW?!?" He suddenly shouted, surprising Ai, Sakura and the others as he began typing on the laptop aggressively. "CIVILIZATION HAS WIKI*bleep*DIA WHEN YOU'RE ALIVE, RIGHT?! WHAT AM I?! AM I A WIKI*bleep*DIA!? I DON'T THINK SO! I'M YOUR AMAZING MANAGER… THE KOTARO TATSUMIIIIIIIII!!!!"

After his shouting fit, he says the next sentences in a calmer tone. "I chose you girls specifically, because I knew you'd take the world by storm when you became Saga's idols. And ｢tomorrow｣, you're going to take the ｢first major step｣ toward making that happen by performing a Shachi-no-mon public concert over at Saga Castle."

"Clearly delusional…" Ai muttered under her breath.

"Really? You can pull it off like yesterday's concert. You had the entire house jumping! Right, Sakura?"

"Err, I guess so? Kind of… Yeah." Stammered Sakura as the attention is on her again. Earlier, the girls were informed by Kotaro and Kakyoin that they did their first ever "concert" last night; they claim they don't remember even though Sakura did. Kakyoin speculated this is probably due to them being unawakened at the time.

At this point, the zombie guys aside Kakyoin are wondering what's their role here. Kotaro said that he's going to turn the zombie girls into idols, but what about them? They did hear him say something about them being bodyguards for the girls so…

"Ahem. Mr. Tatsumi?" Avdol spoke up.

"Yes, Avdol?" Kotaro turned to him.

"What exactly are Kakyoin, the others and I are here for? You mentioned we are gonna become bodyguards for these seven girls, but if it's not too much, can you please elaborate more?"

"Uh huh. About time you fess up," Narancia agreed as he leaned backward on his seat. "The zombie girls are to become pop idols as you claimed, but what about guys like us? What do we exactly need to do to 'protect' them?"

The thirteen zombies stared at the impassive Kotaro, waiting for his answer. While the guys are obviously the ones needing some details, the girls are curious too.

"…I would've explained right away the reason you seven zombie boys are here as these zombie pop stars' bodyguards – Kakyoin and Sakura were already informed of the basic details. But! I'm not gonna focus all my energy on managing you seven boys. My priorities as part of the project is making these girls idols. Yes, all of you red-eyed corpses will live under the same roof and your respective duties do overlap to an extent buuuut when it comes to Stands… Because I don't have one, I'm ill-equipped in directing you seven boys.

Narancia blinks. "Stands? Why did you- Hold on…" He glances at the six boys as a dawning look falls on his face. The same applies to the rest except Kakyoin. "You're not implying seven of us here are…?"

"Stand users? Correct-a-mundo!" Kotaro nodded. "I should give you a medal for guessing why you boys are here! …If I have one."

"It's not just us," interjected Kakyoin. "Iggy, one of the zombie dogs living here, is a Stand user too. Counting him, that makes us eight."

Aside from Avdol, the five stared at him like he spouted utter nonsense. That is until Mamezuku chimes in to dispel the awkwardness. "This Boston terrier is a Stand user? And a zombie? Are you sure?" He pointed at Iggy under his chair, paws on the floor and lazily staring forward until Kakyoin got his attention.

"Yes, Iggy is a Stand user," answered Avdol. "Kakyoin and I can attest it because he was with us when we were last alive."

The five continue staring at them, glancing once to Iggy giving them a side-eye when sensing their gazes then back at the two. Gyro opens his mouth to ask more, but someone beats him first.

"Oi! What the hell are you guys talking about?"

The zombie guys turn to Saki looking at them with narrowed eyes, showing her confusion shared by the other girls except Tae, albeit less harshly than Saki's. "What are y'all discussing to yourselves about? Something about this… stand? What does standing got to do with it?"

Kakyoin is about to answer them but Sakura beats him to it. "It's the name of the superpower these guys have. Stands are manifestations of their fighting spirit that lets them use extraordinary abilities beyond our wildest imaginations."

"Oh really?" Saki eyed her suspiciously first, then to the guys next. "If you have these Stands, why don't you show it to us? Maybe we'll be convinced."

"Unfortunately, there's one problem," replied Kakyoin. "Only Stand users can see other Stands. If I was to bring out my Hierophant Green, you won't see it floating besides me. That being said, Iggy's Stand can be seen because it's a materialized type. Perhaps we should let him do it."

"However, there is no ｢sand｣ Iggy can use to materialize ｢The Fool｣," pointed out Avdol. "While dust may suffice, I don't think it will be enough to properly summon it."

"Bark, bark!" Iggy seems to agree.

"Sand? The Fool?" Junko tilted her head.

"The name of Iggy's Stand, and ｢manipulating sand｣ is his power," the Egyptian clarified. "It's simple on paper, but extremely versatile for an intelligent dog like him. Believe me, I once fought him when I was recruiting him and witnessed how resourceful he can be." He chuckled at the memory of the time he and Iggy clashed in the streets of New York. Least it's better than having his face be assaulted by his farts; his sense of pride wouldn't let him live it down.

Iggy smirks in response.

Their answers only serve to heighten the girls' curiosity. Even the still skeptical Saki would be lying to herself if she claims she isn't interested. "Well damn. You're making me more eager to see it. Such a shame I'm not a Stand user, and neither are these girls."

"Well actually… Sakura can see Stands even though she doesn't have one." Kakyoin chimed in.

Now that is a surprising info. Every zombie, including Tae interestingly enough, turns their eyes on the redhead once more. "Really? Is that true, Sakura?" Bucciarati inquired.

"Yes, I can see Stands. It is possible I might have the potential to wield one." She answered earnestly.

Feeling miffed over the "invisible to normal humans" thing, Lily dejectedly says, "Aww… Now I really want to see Stands. Is there a way we can see it even if we don't have one?"

"Nope! Not right now!" Kotaro approached the girls abruptly to remind them that he's still in the room. "Keep those desires to yourselves! As of now, you girls can't see Stands! …Except for Iggy. Whether you want one or not, just remember that you're idols first and foremost so don't go obsessing over the idea of having a Stand!"

After reprimanding them a little, Kotaro returns back to the center and clears his throat. "Continuing from what I said before it was derailed thanks to Narancia, my main priority as one member of the Zombie Land Saga project is to turn the girls into pop sensations. I don't have a Stand like I said, meaning I won't be looking over you seven boys."

Bucciarati gazes at the brown-haired man. "Well surely there's a reason why seven of us here are gathered to create a bodyguard group. You said Kakyoin and Sakura already have the basic idea of what you expect us to do. Can you elaborate more on that?"

"Ah, actually… I'm waiting for someone to join. Someone who will look at you boys like I'll do to these girls," he replied. "She'll explain what you must do in order to protect Saga and the girls." This earns their attention again, including Sakura and Kakyoin.

"Really? Who is this someone?" Kakyoin asked, choosing to ignore that Kotaro is revealing this fact just now.

"A woman, going by the name of ｢Emi Lea Essence｣," Kotaro is happy to oblige. He even wrote her name (in katakana) and a simple drawing of a hooded figure on the chalkboard. "To give you a brief summary, Ms. Emi has been active in eliminating threats endangering Saga in the shadows for over a century and a half. She's a Stand user – someone who's qualified to lead you seven boys. Oh, and she's been active from around the Meiji era, specifically a decade before Yugiri's time…"

Said woman hummed when learning there's someone else close to her time period present. "And guess what? I'll let you in on a secret… She's a ｢zombie｣." Kotaro leaned in and cupped his grinning mouth with one hand like he's whispering a secret.

The zombies look on in surprise. "For real?" Sakura spoke out about what everyone's thinking.

"Yup! Unlike you fourteen, she doesn't show the fact that she's a zombie blatantly. How, you ask? She presents herself as a very pale-skinned beauty with long, silky black hair. She exudes an eerie aura as a result like she belonged to a horror movie, not helping that she always wears a hood big enough to cover the top of her face but nothing in her person can pinpoint to her nature as a zombie. Relatedly, the way she was ｢made｣ is different from how I revived you fourteen."

"Hmm, maybe you can-"

"Nuh uh! Won't tell you how I did it so stop asking!"

If Ai didn't like him already, then watching him conduct himself irritatingly solidifies her view of him who's waaaay over his head. "Anyway, so yeah. Ms. Emi will be the one guiding you seven guys to eliminate a ｢big threat｣who's seeking to destroy Saga. She's on her way as I speak so I hope you put on your happy faces and make a first good impression. Rest assured… she's nice in spite of her creepiness."

"…Unlike you?" Johnny retorted. Kotaro didn't respond but gave him a frowning glare.

Going silent afterward, Kotaro remains standing near the chalkboard, tapping a finger on the podium. Five seconds later, he unrolls his left wrist to check his watch. "Hmm, Emi is late. It's been sixteen minutes after her proposed time of arrival and she's yet to show up. What's holding her?"

コン コン コン

On cue, there's a knock on the door. "Oh! That must be Emi! You can come in!" Kotaro eagerly said. In an instant, the person who knocked enters.

"Phew! I made it… Apologies for being late!"

She has her hands on her knees and looks out of breath, like she ran until she made it here. It's only for a moment as she recovers from her apparent tiredness and stands up straight, subconsciously brushing one lock of her brown hair away from her pretty face then casts her red eyes at the zombies staring at her. "Oh! All of you are awakened. Hello. Glad to see you're acting as yourselves." She smiled with a waving hand.

BGM: Promise (Pocket Mirror OST)

The zombies regard the newcomer curiously. Reaching up to Kotaro's shoulders in height, the girl with long, wavy brown hair smiling at them without judgment looks like she came from the lolita cosplay scene. Apart from her cherry red eyes and light-colored skin, she wears a lacy, long-sleeved white blouse with a red broach at the collar and red buttons lining vertically below it, long navy blue skirt with white ruffled petticoat reaching to her lower thighs, knee-high white socks with frills at the top and pink doll shoes with pink bows above the straps.

They continue looking at her, in awe over her looks (Narancia, Gyro, Junko, Lily), feeling comforted by her sunny expression (Sakura, Avdol, Bucciarati, Johnny), and intrigue if this is the one who will lead the guys (Kakyoin, Mamezuku, Saki, Ai, Yugiri). They're so busy scrutinizing her that they don't notice Tae has left her seat until she's standing looming over the shorter girl.

"Uuurrrgh…" Tae's blank eyes gaze over to the brown-haired woman's curious face, and to her wavy hair next. Languidly, she tries taking a bite of her hair, but dainty hands gently push her away.

"Now, now Ms. Tae. What did I say about biting my hair?" She reprimanded the zombie gently. Said zombie whined softly before she stared next at her hands – she decided to chew one instead. The brunette stared in mild surprise before she sighed and smiled. She next patted her head without complaint, making Tae hum in delight. "Oh alright. You can bite my hand. Just please don't bite it too hard, okay?"

"Mmmm!"

Every person in the room watches the odd display in confusion. The zombies didn't expect the newcomer wouldn't freak out that an unawakened zombie is lightly nibbling her hand. Before they can ask, Kotaro clears his throat to get the newcomer's attention.

"Erm, Goldia?"

"Mr. Kotaro, good morning." Goldia turned and waved at him.

"Morning to you too as well," he surprisingly returned without hesitation. "Umm, not saying I forbid you from visiting us at this time of hour but… what are you doing here? Where's Emi? Isn't she supposed to join us this morning?"

Kakyoin blinks. "Huh? She's not Emi?"

"Well, duh. You already heard her name isn't Emi – it's Goldia," the sunglass-wearing man pointed out, his dismissive attitude returning. "So she ain't the one who's supposed to lead you seven."

"About that, Mr. Kotaro…" Goldia spoke up. "I'm afraid Ms. Emi is not gonna join us today, because… she went into a deep coma."

BGM stops

Two seconds of silence pass before Kotaro's jaw slacken instantly at the bad news. "Coma? Emi is in a COMA?! How did-" He stops in the middle of his reply when a thought comes to him, and even through his shaded eyes, a grim understanding is gleaned from him. "…Did ｢he｣ put her in a coma? Is it… ｢Xero｣ who did it?"

Goldia's smile vanished, turning into a frown. She nods with a saddened look, saying, "Yes. It's Xero."

"…I see. This is unexpected. Well, best that you elaborate more. Goldia, if you please…"

"Yes, Mr. Kotaro."

After telling Tae to let her hand go (much to the zombie's displeasure until Kotaro placated her with a dried squid) and cleaning the saliva off with a handkerchief, Goldia stands in front of the chalkboard. Looking at the zombies in attention, she clears her throat. "I'm sorry for keeping you thirteen waiting. While you may have heard Mr. Kotaro call me as, my full name is Goldia die Heilige. I am acquainted with him as one of his ｢partners｣ in his project alongside Ms. Emi, who has been my… caregiver for many weeks. It's my pleasure to finally meet you all." She last bowed.

If her interaction with Tae didn't convince them yet that Goldia is an amiable girl who's so nice she's willing to look past the unawakened zombie's wild exterior, then her polite introduction and smile she's showing shall do it.

"…It's nice to meet you too, Goldia," Sakura returned, glad to meet someone who's mild-mannered. "So umm, if I may ask… weren't you scared of Tae? You don't seem to mind that she bit your hand earlier."

Goldia shakes her head. "No, it's alright. My only complaint is Tae being overbearing but she's a nice company to have around."

"Sounds like you already met her and got used to her behavior." Kakyoin guessed.

"Oh believe me. I was a little scared of her at first, not to mention all of you were when you haven't… woken up yet. Well, I would like to talk with you more but I have something important to say so let's proceed, okay?"

Right. There's the matter of what the zombie guys' part aside acting as bodyguards for the zombie girls. And so, Goldia starts speaking. "As Mr. Kotaro likely told you, Ms. Emi was supposed to be here today to lead you seven in defending Saga through your Stands, similar to his managerial role for the girls. However, last night, she went out on night patrol to ensure Xero wasn't causing trouble while our backs are turned… she never returned until the next morning, when she showed up at our doorsteps on the verge of falling unconscious," she sighed with sad eyes. "She managed to inform me what happened and what she learned during a presumably intense fight against Xero and escaping out of his unknown realm, before falling into a coma."

Narancia raises one hand and Goldia notices. "Yes, Narancia?"

"Question: who is this… 'Zero'?"

Goldia frowns. "He's… a mysterious monster in human flesh that recently emerged two months ago. A ｢ghoul｣ who must be stopped or else he'll destroy Saga."

Her description serves to scare the zombie girls just from imagining it alone, with Lily, Sakura, Ai and Junko visibly looking afraid or apprehensive while Saki, Yugiri and the zombie guys become grim. Kotaro remains expressionless, nodding along to Goldia's words.

"And the name starts with an 'X', not 'Z'." Kotaro added. The zombies stared at him confusingly, prompting him to say, "Don't look at me like that. Me and Goldia weren't the ones who changed the name's first letter."

"Setting that aside… A ghoul, you say? May I ask what it is, Lady Goldia?" Yugiri inquired.

"…How should I put it? They're a mythological creature hailing from Arabia who, like the common zombies, eat human flesh. But they are also known to dig up graves to feast on corpses instead, so they're usually associated with cemeteries." Goldia described while trying not to shudder at the macabre words she's saying. "Just to be clear, Xero didn't come from Arabia. The term was coined to define what manner of monster he is."

"That's right. The description you've given is correct according to what I heard about this mythological being." Avdol nodded.

"Really? So you're from Arabia Mr. Avdol?" Lily asked.

"No, I'm from Egypt. But they're Middle Eastern countries so I did eventually learn what they are."

"What Mr. Avdol said," responded Goldia. "Regarding Xero, as he's a ghoul, he's an ｢undead｣ too, albeit completely different from me and you fourteen. And more dangerous."

"…Huh? 'Me and you fourteen'?" Ai repeated that specific phrasing.

"Goldia is a zombie too." Kotaro bluntly revealed. They look at him then at Goldia, wide-eyed in disbelief. Nothing in her person points to her nature as a zombie; she looks more alive than them!

"It's hard to believe, huh? I have Ms. Emi to thank for making me look like I'm still living." She giggled.

The zombies want to know more, but Mamezuku clears his throat before anyone can ask. "Let's set that aside for now. Goldia, can you cut to the chase and tell us why Xero wants to destroy Saga?"

"Well, I would be glad to answer it but…" Goldia interlocked a lock of her hair with an unsure look. "While Mr. Kotaro, Emi, and I learned Xero intends to wipe Saga off the face of Japan and that he's a Stand user, everything about him is a mystery."

"How mysterious are we talking?" Gyro asked.

"Even though Ms. Emi encountered Xero a couple of times, she couldn't learn more of him other than he prefers hiding in a separate realm and always comes back from the dead," sighed Goldia. "What we know however is that he's a very dangerous monster who must be eliminated at all costs to ensure he wouldn't end life as we know it."

The guys grow more serious as they learn more about the enigmatic enemy they might be hired to deal with. As for the girls (specifically Sakura, Ai, Junko, and Lily), they grow more scared.

"This Xero… I take it Emi killed him before she went into a coma?" Johnny guessed.

"She did, like a couple of times before. But I doubt Xero will stay dead for long," she frowned. "The timeframe it wakes up varies inconsistently, from a few days to even a week. As Mr. Kotaro works to transform the girls into pop idols, I'm here to guide you gentlemen in fending off Xero and his elusive Stand in Ms. Emi's stead."

"Stand you say?" Bucciarati muttered, giving his utmost attention to Goldia alongside others.

"That's right. Repeating what I said earlier, Xero is a Stand user. It is because of this ｢trait｣ that seven of you, as well as Iggy, are ｢assigned｣ by us to be these girls' ｢bodyguards｣, since ｢Stands｣ cannot be seen by normal people. In fact, before Ms. Emi rescued eight of you from Xero's clutches, she learned during one confrontation with him that you underwent a journey together with each succeeding member of the ｢Joestar family｣, or ｢JoJos｣."

The zombies become curious, with the guys straightening their seats in attention. "JoJos?" Sakura repeated.

"Like me?" Johnny pointed at himself.

Goldia nods. "You see… Xero somehow learned the exploits of members of the Joestar bloodline in this universe. Specifically, their conflict against an evil human turned vampire named ｢Dio Brando｣ and his foul legacy that has long-ended six or seven years ago, and a different version of the bloodline hailing from a different universe."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, hold up a sec there!" Gyro stops her from saying more. "Did I hear you say Dio Brando…? And, and… 'different universe'?! You're joking with us, right?" He stares at her in disbelief, hoping she's not implying exactly what he's thinking when hearing that dreaded name.

"I am not. Dio existed in this universe, the same way your Dio, or Diego as he's known to you, did in your time period." She earnestly replied.

"…Well ain't that reassuring." Johnny muttered under his breath.

"Unlike Diego however," she quickly added. "Dio caused a lot of anguish directly or indirectly not only to the Joestars, but to the entire world. To the point his most loyal friend almost made the entire universe bow to his tyranny. Learning that you eight were involved with each JoJos might be the reason how he gathered your corpses with the intent of making you his supposed minions." Goldia grimly explained.

"Woah. We dodged a bullet there." Narancia remarked, feeling a dread on what could've happened if they weren't rescued in time. A sentiment shared not only by the other guys, but the girls too.

"And regarding different universes… Let me put this out in the open: you three aren't native to this reality." She gazed at Johnny, Gyro and Mamezuku when saying that, the implication not registering until they see she's talking to them. They go wide-eyed next, with the rest doing the same.

"H-Hold on, you're not… saying…" Sakura started.

"Johnny, Gyro and Mamezuku were from a separate reality? Yup!" Kotaro helpfully (or not) obliged with a grin.

…

…

…

"WHAT!?!?!"

The group is in uproar after getting confirmation three of the zombie guys aren't native in this world. Of all the things they would hear other than the ridiculous goal over why they're zombies, learning that the existence of alternate worlds or realities is real is not one of them. Of note, Johnny, Gyro, and Mamezuku look shocked (or shell-shocked for the former two) that they're literally far, far away from their old homes.

"These three are from a different reality? That's… That's…" Ai struggled to let out.

"That's implausible." Junko finished in the same, skeptical tone.

"Huh… Never thought there would come a day I would meet someone not originating from this world." Yugiri looked fascinated by comparison.

"Ooooh, Lily's head is really spinning from what she's hearing…"

"Well… This is a surprise." Avdol similarly expressed.

"Ooookay… I must be still dreaming after what you said. I mean, really? Alternate universe? I thought this is reality, not fantasy." Narancia pinches himself to test if he's still asleep. He's not.

"Oh great. Can't believe something like an alternate universe would haunt me again even after Valentine is killed." Johnny stated derisively.

"Well, it did come back to haunt us again Johnny, but I have a feeling it's gonna be interesting experiencing an entirely new reality… provided we don't meet our other selves, hopefully." Gyro is cautiously optimistic compared to Johnny.

"…This day just keeps on giving." Mamezuku stated, trying to look nonchalant despite being surprised.

Once everyone calmed down, they seemed satisfied over what they heard. Regardless of how unbelievable it is, they have no choice but to accept it, and don't think it too hard.

"I expected you would react that way. Believe me, I was as flummoxed as you all upon learning different realities exist," continued Goldia, shooting them a sympathetic look. "It is sudden, but I plead you not to question it too much. Everything Mr. Kotaro and I revealed this morning is getting too much for your heads, I presume."

"Yeah. No arguments there." Saki scratched her head.

"If I may ask Goldia," Kakyoin raised his hand. "If Johnny, Gyro and Mamezuku are not native to this world, how did their corpses made it here?"

"Probably because of Xero's ｢elusive｣ Stand."

"'Probably'? Why would you say that?" Avdol blinked.

"…Well, it's because we didn't learn anything noteworthy on how his Stand works even after witnessing its humanoid form for these past two months," she sighed. "However, going over these three's presence, Ms. Emi believes it must have some kind of relation to ｢dimensions｣."

"Either way, it is fortunate Emi stopped Xero from forcing you eight under his control. It's thanks to her timely rescue that you are sitting in the basement now, revived and conscious thanks to Mr. Kotaro and Ms. Emi's combined efforts three weeks ago," she beamed. "Also, in the process, she ended up learning how the Joestars and their allies saved the world and ultimately vanquished DIO's persisting influence, which Mr. Kotaro and I eventually learned from her."

The group goes silent to process Goldia's words. This Xero… He's a dangerous enemy to be let loose going by her concerned look and Kotaro's silence oozing with seriousness, like even he acknowledges how big of a deal it is.

"Signora Goldia," voiced out Bucciarati. "Let's pretend seven of us accept the role of being bodyguards for these girls. You said Xero will come after them… What do we expect from him once we confront him?"

"Glad you asked Mr. Bucciarati." Goldia grinned. "You must watch out for his attacks born from his ｢blood｣. That is his ｢main method｣ of attacking in spite of possessing a powerful Stand. But one aspect you must not underestimate him of is his ｢intelligence｣. Since we know about the Joestar family from Xero, he knows your strengths and weaknesses and how you conduct yourselves in various fights against past enemy Stand users, regardless if your JoJos are involved or not."

Everyone processes her advice, taking mental notes of the few noteworthy info. One person, Mamezuku that is, decides now is the right time to question Goldia about a certain detail. While he suspected who is his JoJo, he has to ask to confirm. "There's that term again… ｢JoJo｣. Are these JoJos someone we should be familiar with?"

"Indeed," nodded Goldia. "That nickname was coined because the first syllable of their first and last names, or kanjis in case of your Josuke, start with the letter J, or pronounced close to it. Like Mr. Johnny."

"Yeah… I figured that one out immediately." The blonde said, looking awkward for some reason.

"To put it simply… eight of you joined each succeeding member of the Joestar bloodline's journey to put an end to any evil threatening the world. That is the ｢main connection｣ between you eight," she assuredly said. "You may initially see each other as strangers but there's no mistaking that ｢link｣ you share is your alliance with five JoJos – to the point of sacrificing yourselves in order to accomplish their goals."

Dawning looks fall upon the zombie guys at last. They look at each other, now learning one way or another, they partnered up with someone with the moniker JoJo, whether they're spelled out loud or not. On that thought, Gyro couldn't suppress a big, toothed grin at having the privilege of knowing Johnny while Bucciarati and Narancia figured out Giorno's connection with the Joestars this time by virtue of his name. Kakyoin, Avdol, and Iggy didn't need to think more and Mamezuku simply nodded.

I get it now. I knew Jotaro and Mr. Joestar might be a part of an extraordinary family but I never knew their influence would be so… big that certain people were drawn to them. It's like… gravity pulled all of us to them. Kakyoin thought with a smile.

"Say, I have to ask again: do you have a Stand. You must have if you are to guide us." Narancia wondered.

"Oh I do have one. Fighting however? I have no experience unlike the ｢others｣, not helping that I personally don't like fighting. But that won't mean I will excuse myself from your conflict against Xero! If it means ensuring Saga is safe…"

By this point, they're no longer surprised to hear Goldia is a Stand user. At least if you're not the zombie guys.

"So, since the threat of this Xero looms over our heads, I see no reason to decline. Such evil existing… it must be snuffed out. Very well Goldia, Mr. Kotaro. We ｢accept｣. We'll be these girls' bodyguards." Bucciarati nodded his affirmation.

Goldia smiles widely at his reply, clapping her hands in delight while Kotaro grins. "Figured you'll accept the job. Good to hear you're wise enough not to take a foolish move."

"If only because we have nothing else to do due to our zombie states…" Johnny muttered.

"Don't worry. You will get used to being zombies – just try not to let other people know, alright?" Goldia advised. "Now then, I shall take my leave. Hope all of you have a pleasant day."

As she approaches the door, Sakura stops her. "Wait, before you leave, there's something you should know."

Goldia stops and turns to her curiously. "Hmm?" Sakura reveals that she's a potential Stand user. A wide-eyed look of surprise settles on the brunette's face, having not foreseen this. "W-What? Are you sure? Can you prove it?"

"Maybe I can."

Kakyoin brings out Hierophant Green. While the zombie guys and Iggy look at his Stand, Sakura turns to the one she saw in action before. Sure enough, Goldia does see her eyes are trained to Hierophant Green. "Oh my… This is… surprising."

"J-Just to be clear, I can only see them. As for summoning it? I… couldn't do it yet." Sakura further clarified, remembering straining herself in bringing out her Stand before Kotaro entered, but it only resulted in the zombies sans Kakyoin and Tae giving her an odd look for it, making her embarrassed.

"Hmm, I see." Goldia gets over her little surprise and accepts Sakura has the potential. She smiles next. "Alright. I believe you. Thank you for informing me." With her confirmation, Hierophant Green vanishes. "If there's no more left to say from you all, I'm taking my leave. Bye everyone! Be sure to be on good behavior, okay?"

And with that, Goldia leaves the basement.

Silence then followed as the fourteen zombies process what they learned: the zombie girls will become idols in order to 'save' Saga under Kotaro's eye, the zombie guys are Stand users who will protect the girls and Saga from as bodyguards under Goldia's guidance, Johnny, Gyro, and Mamezuku are pulled from an alternate universe and lastly, a ghoul named Xero threatens Saga.

With all the crazy answers they received, it's a surprise they take it well and never question it. This is especially true for the seven girls who are forced to accept Stands and alternate universes exist thanks to the zombie guys' presence in just one day. Even then, resurrecting zombie girls to become idol singers? Sounds ridiculous and asinine.

"AHEM! Now that you guys met Goldia in spite of Emi's unexpected coma, time for me to do my part to shape you girls into local idols Saga would be proud of!" Kotaro announced. Banging the board with his open hand, he exclaims, "In the meantime, let's start today's REHEARSAAAAAAAAL~!!!"

<=To be continued|\|/

Onomatopoeia:

コン コン コン (Kon kon kon) – Door knock

Chapter Text

As she walks away from the newly-awakened zombies’ home, Goldia lets out a deep sigh after she lets the anxiety she’s been holding passes. Or she’s still reeling from having to run so fast just to reach them after being many minutes late. “Haaaah… My hasty meeting with them went smoothly. I was sure I could’ve fumbled back there.” She said, ignoring the wobbly feeling in her legs. “Even though I ran like I was chased by Lisette’s copies to the point of exhaustion, it didn’t affect me.”

“Really? You say that now you’re done talking to them? I didn’t notice you were nervous at all.” A high-pitched kiddy voice replied. What’s odd about this is… no one is in the streets Goldia is walking on. Yet, she can ‘hear’ who responded to her.

“I was. I overcame it by remembering what I was there for, even if it’s so sudden like Ms. Emi falling into a coma… and finding out I’m past her agreed meeting time.” Upon mentioning the status of her- their caregiver and guide to the modern world, Goldia becomes a little crestfallen. And she can sense her alters are feeling the same.

“Guiding the guys is supposed to be Emi’s job. Why did it have to happen on the day she was gonna introduce herself to them?” Another alter, someone Goldia recognizes to have assumed her appearance (though colored differently) and voice, expressed her worry.

Goldia can hear a sigh in her head belonging to one that she and her four alters regret labelling her as a scapegoat. “Maybe Xero intended to kill her. Or it’s only a coincidence. Either way, I’ll make him regret trying to kill her when I see him…” A snipping of scissors is heard next.

“Lisette, calm down. The zombie gentlemen shall confront him, not us,” A gentle-toned alter placated the one called Lisette. “We were only meant to be their messenger and guide informing them when we found Xero.”

“That might be so, but do you think he’ll leave us alone once he caught on to what we’re doing? Xero put Emi in a coma and look how we got here!” The second alter who spoke reminded them.

“Besides, Emi- Err, I mean… Ms. Emi was planning to kill that ghoul. As much as Goldia dislikes fighting, all of us have to defend ourselves once Xero attacks us!”

“…You’re right Fleta. There’s no escaping from the inevitable conflict, I knew that,” bemoaned Goldia. “I’m not sure if my Stand is suitable for combat. All it does is letting me ｢teleport｣ from one place to another. I fear I might not live up to Emi’s potential, especially when she’s comatose.”

“Cease those thoughts, my girl. Get them out of your head,” squeaked out the last alter, and the only alter who’s not human. Goldia can imagine she’s being held within Fleta’s arms as always. “Let me remind you that Lisette and Enjel are capable of fighting, and their ability ｢mirroring｣ yours should be sufficient in defending ourselves. Even then, Fleta, Harpae and you may require to get your hands dirty when circumstances force us in a corner.”

Listening to Egliette’s advice, Goldia slowly adopts a determined look. “…I understand. For the sake of saving the home Emi dedicated her entire life to, and the home we were granted to start over away from our tumultuous life back in Austria, I shall do my best. I think the zombie guys, girls and Mr. Kotaro are counting on me to search for the ghoul lurking in Saga’s shadows – there’s no turning back now. I admit, I’m scared of what may happen once we find him but…” She smiles next. “I hope I’ll do enough in aiding our new friends and bring Saga back from the brink.”

“Yeah! That’s the spirit!” Fleta hollered inside her head. “Just you watch Xero! You’ll regret crossing with us and the zombie guys. Mark my words!”

“Hey, you shouldn’t have said that. What if you jinx us? …Did I say that right?” Enjel mumbled near the end.

“I think so.” Lisette unsurely answered.

“Temper your confidence Fleta. Xero isn’t an opponent we can trifle with so easily.” Harpae admonished her a little.

“Mmmphf! Fine, fine. I shouldn’t have said that.” Goldia can imagine Fleta pouting. It’s cute thinking about it. “And stop imagining my face, Goldia! I’m not pouting!” Oops! Busted.

“Sure you are.” Lisette countered.

“Anyway!” Goldia quickly said to dispel the incoming quarrel between the two. “Regarding Xero, since he’s typically active at night based on Ms. Emi’s account, we must wait until then.”

“Oh, so we have to wait for a while. What do you think we should do in the meantime, Goldia?” Enjel asked.

“Hmm, that’s a good question…” Goldia taps her chin. “Well, how about taking a walk? Would you like any of you to come out and walk together with me?”

“Ah, actually, I have to clean the rooms. They become dusty. And I heard Lisette and Enjel want to help. So we must decline, my girl.” Harpae informed her.

“I got so many drawings to finish that Egliette and her subjects must help me with. Sorry Goldia.” Fleta told her next.

Although Goldia is disappointed, she understands their individual needs so she doesn’t take it too hard. “No, it’s okay. In fact, I do want to be left alone with my thoughts. Well, I’ll see you all later tonight!”

Every alter bid her goodbye before taking their leave back to their respective realms inside Goldia’s headspace. Sensing she’s all by her lonesome, Goldia continues her merry way.

"One, two, three, four. Go!"

Eagerly uttered by Kotaro as he performs basic dance steps while facing a wall mirror. Sakura is with him, watching his steps closely and memorizing it before she imitates what Kotaro showed to her on his clapping cue. So far she’s doing well, helped that by facing their reflection, they can track their steps better.

Still can’t figure out how I got here. Sakura does have the common sense to point out the sequence of absurd events leading her to this.

Currently, the zombie girls are in the mansion's shed located behind the mansion in order to prioritize practicing for their performance tomorrow. Though while Sakura is doing that just fine, the same couldn't be said for the other girls.

Looking sideways, Sakura is dismayed to see the girls are not rehearsing at all and are doing something else instead – Lily is stretching her cheek with a giggle as she faces a different mirror, Saki is dozing off, Junko loiters near the wall with a shy look, Tae crawls across the floor with her legs while lying face-up, then she bites Junko's legs, making the girl try shaking her teeth off in mild panic, and Yugiri sits nearby with a pipe in her hand.

“Attention please!” Sakura faces the mirror again after Kotaro reminds her.

Internally, Sakura is worried that everyone is not practicing because they may not be able to pull off the performance tomorrow at this rate. She wanted to motivate them somehow but right now, she must focus on achieving satisfactory results in her dance steps.

As she continues practicing, Sakura notices Ai has been staring at her for quite a while. She tries ignoring her at first but the way Ai is looking at her, she can’t help but wonder… Why is she looking at me like that?

Meanwhile, in a small room leading to the main room, the zombie guys watch the two dancing through a window. Since they’re not meant to be idols, they were told by Kotaro to not occupy the same room the girls are using to rehearse for tomorrow. They have no problems with it other than the condescending way he said it and so, here they are.

As someone who has interest in music and dancing, Narancia watches Sakura rehearse with utmost attention. He can see she’s inexperienced and the dance steps are similarly insipid but he knows from experience a decent dancer has to start from the basics.

"Look at her go. She’s doing somewhat decently for someone who’s new.” He remarked.

“I think she’s stringing along for a ride, though that’s not to say I disagree with you.” Kakyoin replied. He guesses Sakura is taking the steps in recovering her memories by becoming an idol, so that’s why she’s stringing along.

“Were you in a dance group before, Narancia? You seem to be speaking from experience.” Avdol inquired.

“Nah, dancing is just a hobby I do with my friends. One time, we did a well-choreographed dance while we’re on a mission, and let me tell you… the audience would’ve like our moves if we entered a dancing contest.” He laughed.

“May I remind you that you, Mista and Fugo danced while the enemy was immobilized by my hands? Nor is it unnecessary to dance as an intimidation method when we already have a way to extract information?” Bucciarati recalled.

“Hey, he was asking for it! Especially after he impaired me first!”

The five guys look at the two incredulously due to the way they recounted a horrific event so casually, until Kakyoin remembers their titles and former occupations. “Oh, that’s right. You two used to be in a mafia organization. I guess what you two said sounds like a routine in your line of work, huh?”

“More or less. It’s nothing personal, really.” Bucciarati shrugged. "Anyway, regarding Sakura’s rehearsal and being a pop idol… lots of dancing and singing must be done to create an all-encompassing entertainment. Couple that with a group of girls performing on stage and you have created an appeal that may attract the right audience.”

"So basically, that's what idols do? Singing and dancing?" Johnny said, curious about the occupation due to coming from a time when idols didn't exist yet.

“Yes. That’s what all female and male idols do. It’s both a fulfilling career for those who are young, though that doesn’t mean it has cons. Not to say they overshadow it,” answered Mamezuku. Feeling their questioning gazes, he adds, “I do know about idols and have watched a few videos of them. Not saying I’m obsessed.”

"Male idols? They exist too?” Mamezuku nodded at Narancia. “Oh. That’s interesting.”

“What you said. I'm willing to bet it's gonna be fun watching them sing and dance. Guess that makes us being bodyguards worth it, ‘cause we get to watch those girls perform for free." Gyro expressed his interest and curiosity with a grin.

The seven goes silent for a few seconds. Then both Gyro and Johnny turn to each other. “So, Johnny…” Gyro began, a look of sentimentality on his face. “Can't believe I’m seeing you again after my death. Look at you. Able to stand up without needing a wheelchair or horse to move around. Makes me glad to see you achieved what you joined the Steel Ball Run race for.”

“Yeah, and I have you to thank for teaching me everything about the ｢Spin｣.” Johnny smiled, his eyes becoming wet. Seeing his best friend in the flesh, giving him a grin… It’s like Gyro never left. “Man, this feels so surreal. Never expected we’re having a reunion as zombies, in a different reality no less… I mean, are any of you not questioning the concept of a dead person becoming alive so seriously?”

“Do we have to? When our lives were already weirder than it is?” Kakyoin pointed out.

“Well even if we don’t, there’s no question returning back to life is really strange,” conceded Avdol. “And let’s not forget that all of us are here today because we partnered with a Joestar member, or JoJo.”

“Right, right! The ｢one thing｣ we seven, or eight, all share. How did it escape my mind that Giorno is a JoJo?” Narancia scratched his head.

“Well, I did notice the first syllable in both his first and last name are pronounced ‘Jo’ – I just didn’t bring it up and chalked it up as a coincidence.” Bucciarati replied.

“Same goes for Johnny here, even though he, me and Mamezuku are from a different reality, and time,” stated Gyro. “Speaking of which, what was the name of JoJo you were partnered with, Mamezuku? Joe…suque…?”

“Josuke.” Mamezuku corrected.

“Yeah, that one! Still getting used to speaking Japanese…” Gyro nodded… before blinking twice upon noticing something odd. “Wait a minute. I’m speaking in a different language?!”

Gyro’s belated realization also dawns on Narancia and Bucciarati. “What- Hey, you’re right! I’m speaking in perfect Japanese!”

“How… is this possible?” Bucciarati questioned, looking at each member. Five seconds later, they sighed. “It might be best if we set the oddity aside for now. We better remember to ask Kotaro or Goldia later.”

“Regarding the Joestar family,” started Kakyoin. “Avdol and I were partnered not one, but two JoJos. Jotaro Kujo, and Joseph Joestar.”

“Aw what? You two get to have two JoJos while three of us have one each?” Narancia complained.

“Actually, it felt like Jotaro was the main JoJo during our own adventure. Mr. Joestar is already well past his prime and he already went on his own adventure during his youth.” Avdol clarified.

“Still, having two JoJos working with you two and Iggy here is nothing to sneeze at,” Johnny briefly faced Iggy when referring to him. “Can’t help but feel jealous.”

“Hey don’t worry about it Johnny. To me, you are the best JoJo I ever got to work with. I would go so far as to say it’s an honor to be partnered with you, and thankfully, we get to have the second chance to… relive it! Nyo-ho!” Gyro flashed his teeth, revealing them to be fitted with gold braces filled with letters that spell, “GO! GO! ZEPPELI!”

Johnny snorts when seeing show his gold teeth and signature laugh. “Figured you would show your teeth. Can’t ever forget that even if ten years have passed.” He sighed out of nostalgia.

Bucciarati clears his throat to get the discussion back on track. “Setting Gyro’s ostentatious display aside, (“What did you say?) it’s not only the fact we worked with a member of the Joestar family. All of us here have Stands. Normally, appointing someone as bodyguards for the girls serves to protect them from unsavory characters – there’s nothing odd about that. But hiring seven, or eight of us if counting Iggy, to take the fight against this Xero is a serious task. It is a must to eliminate him not only for the girls’ sake, but Saga as a whole.”

The six grew determined or nodded along. They can tell Kotaro has high expectations that they will do their best to protect the girls with their Stands, and that failure is not an option. “Man, is it too much to ask not to make us face a dangerous enemy who might want to kill us? It’s like, no matter where we go, danger follows us like a stalking wolf pack!” Gyro lobbied a complaint.

“Highly doubt it. As Stand users, we’re always ｢attract｣ other Stand users. That’s the ｢rule｣ we can’t break.” Avdol shook his head. Hearing him, Gyro snorted.

“First time hearing that rule, yet it does explain the weird shit me and Johnny experienced.”

“Hey, at least that rule allowed us to be here. We’ve all yet to become familiar with each other but I think all of you are cool enough. What do you guys say? Think this is just the beginning of our friendship?” Narancia spun the rule into something positive, showing a toothed smile conveying his optimistic wish.

The guys (and Iggy) look at each other once more, studying their faces and eyes, before either shrugging or nodding. “We shall see in a few days.” Mamezuku concluded.

“Heheheh… Now we’re talking!”

Feeling a little invigorated, the zombie guys began conversing over a number of topics related to their own adventures, with Avdol, Narancia and Gyro eager to learn the notable or bizarre moments that happened to them. Kakyoin, Bucciarati, Johnny and Mamezuku simply listened along though occasionally, they inserted a comment or two to supply context for the weirder events. One thing they didn’t discuss is their deaths, knowing it’s a sensitive topic. For now, they wait for the right time that they each divulge how they died, even to those who may have an idea over how it happened like Avdol, Narancia and Kakyoin.

Their establishing alliance born from being Stand users is unlike the zombie girls, who all remain on the sidelines. As such, only Sakura took the rehearsal seriously for the whole day.

Nighttime arrives in the mansion. Kakyoin and Sakura, wearing sleepwear provided by Kotaro consisting of light blue and white striped pajamas and long-sleeved pink shirt and light blue, white, and pink striped shorts respectively, put down two futons on the ground next to a row of futons to be used for sleeping. There are fourteen futons in total and seven of them are placed in two sets in a straight line according to gender. One of them is already being used by Saki.

Currently occupying the living room also counting as their bedroom during nighttime, eleven zombies are off doing their own thing again while the two are busy placing the futons provided by Kotaro, including the night clothes that they're currently wearing. Well, only Tae, Yugiri, Lily, Narancia, Johnny and Gyro are wearing them while Saki and Junko didn’t.

While Sakura and Kakyoin are setting up the futons, the zombies are busy doing something – Tae chases the bewildered Junko, who attempts to lose her by circling around Lily and Gyro reading a book about heavy machinery the little girl got from a shelf with Gyro’s help, Narancia, who was lying on a futon, intervenes and tells the raven-haired zombie to knock it off, Yugiri combs her hair while looking at the mirror, Johnny, who removed his knit cap exposing his shoulder-length hair, waits for her to finish, and lastly, Ai is sitting on a couch while holding a pillow close to her. Bucciarati, Mamezuku and Avdol are out talking with Kotaro at the moment concerning some oddities of their zombie states.

The two watch their fellow zombies being busy, then cast their eyes on Ai. Said girl quickly notices and avert her gaze with a pensive look.

"…Ai was an idol before she died, right?" Sakura wondered.

"Yes. She's referred to as the Legendary Heisei Idol by Kotaro." Kakyoin confirmed. "…What’s up? Are you curious about her?"

"I am," nodded Sakura as she continued looking at Ai. "She seems really familiar…"

"Oh? Have you seen her before? Probably in your first flash of memory?"

"Possibly. I’ll just go over to her and-"

"Hey."

But Saki gets her attention before Sakura can approach Ai. She turns to the crouching zombie with a jolt while Kakyoin calmly turns to her. "So your name’s Sakura, right?" She asked in a rough tone.

"Umm, yes?” She answered nervously, trying to keep a cool head while looking at the former biker gang leader.

"What school?"

"Huh?"

"Dumbass… What middle school did you go to?" She clarified, becoming a little irritated.

"Oh, okay. Sorry, but uh… I really don’t remember." She replied morosely, her mind remaining blank.

BGM: Yoroshiku (Zombie Land Saga Original Soundtrack)

Her reply didn’t do much to quell Saki’s indignation. She next stands up and glares Sakura down with a scowl before saying, “Screw with me and I’ll make you double dead!”

"O-Oh no, I would never screw with you! I-I really don’t remember anything from w-when I was a-alive!" She quickly insisted with a trembling voice.

"Yeah yeah, well you better make yourself remember it fast! Got it, punk?!” Saki zoomed her face onto her for intimidation purposes, freaking Sakura more as she’s on the verge of nervous breakdown. Fortunately, Kakyoin intervened.

“Hey, stop forcing her to do something she made it clear she couldn’t do. You’re making her too uncomfortable.”

"Oh? You got ｢guts｣ standing up to me.” Saki shifted her indignant gaze to Kakyoin next. Even with the height difference, she doesn’t falter. "Well what about you? You’re not like Sakura, right? D’you remember anything back when you were alive and kickin’?"

"For your information, I do," he replied with arms crossed, glaring back at her. "You want me to tell my life story?"

"Nah. Keep it to yourself. Besides, there's something important here I wanna ask this gullible zombie."

"H-Huh?"

Crouching down again, Saki’s glare emphasized the question she asked the panicky Sakura. "Why the hell are you buying into this idol crap? Goody two shoes… Want me to kick your ASSSS?!?"

"What? No. Not at all. It's just… The show is tomorrow…"

"And there’s a monster hiding behind the curtains." Kakyoin added.

"So? Let’s have a rally!"

Sakura and Kakyoin become surprised over Saki’s wild suggestion. Then as if their imagination is kicking in, Saki is suddenly surrounded by biker girls all wearing a pink biker suit and helmet, adorned with serious and scowling faces like her.

バーン !

"LIKE THIS!!!” She exclaimed.

Music stops

"…Your idea won’t come true because you’re a zombie. Tell me, how can you create a rally when we mustn’t expose ourselves?" Kakyoin has no reason to do so but he still points out a major flaw, in hopes this rebellious girl isn’t dumb enough to enact a crazy idea.

Glaring at him again, Saki sighs as she puts a hand on her forehead, saying, “Man this zombie thing freakin’ sucks! I bet my Tamagotchi’s way past dead now…” Seemingly done, she walks away leaving the two alone. Relieved she’s not bothering her anymore, Sakura sighs and plants her face on the pillow, clutched it tightly. "Wow, she’s scary…!"

"She is a real handful to talk with." Kakyoin agreed, also glad. He turns away from Saki’s retreating form, and has only noticed Ai is nowhere on the couch, with only a pillow left behind. "Hm, wait a second? Where did Ai go?" He stated.

"Huh?" Sakura looks up and sees Kakyoin is right. “…Could she have left this room? I still need to ask her if she’s someone I should know about…” She stands up and makes her way to the door, making Kakyoin confused. “Sakura?”

“I’m gonna go find her. I won’t be long, okay?” Sakura informs him. She then takes her leave. Even with her reassurance she’ll be quick, Kakyoin feels unsure it’s gonna go well on Sakura’s end. Actually, he can’t shake the feeling that Sakura may take a while to come back.

"YEOOOWWW!! YOU BITCH!”

Kakyoin blinks at Narancia’s sudden outburst before turning to the sight greeting him and the zombies, including the three guys who were absent until now: Narancia kicking Tae’s face with his other free leg because his left leg is being chomped by a ticked-off zombie.

Continuing kicking Tae’s face to force her teeth off of him, Narancia shouts, “Get off me! I said GET OFF ME! MY LEG'S NOT FOR CHEWING SO GET THE HELL OFFA ME!"

“RRRRRGH!” Tae remained biting his left calf, so focused on paying him back for managing to get her off Junko’s back, who proceeded to left the room in a hurry. Naturally, Narancia isn’t amused.

“You puttana… You wanna do this the hard way? Fine!” Using up all his strength, Narancia begins kicking Tae’s face harder, at one point sinking his heel to push her snarling face.

Unwilling to let this happen, Bucciarati steps in. “Narancia, calm down! We’ll get the woman off of you! So stop kicking her!”

“Lady Tae, please stop. Get your teeth off of this poor boy’s leg.” Yugiri chose a calm approach in her words as she approaches the quarreling duo.

Alas, even with their interference, Narancia doesn’t stop kicking or pushing Tae. After more than twenty times, he finally got the ravenous zombie off… with the caveat of his leg detaching with an audible POP! He and the onlookers stare silently at Narancia’s leg stuck within Tae’s teeth who remained laser-focused on chewing it growlingly, then the affected zombie screams.

“AHHHHH! MY LEG! LET IT GO?! LET MY LEG GO!!!”

Tae is ready to get away with his leg in tow, but Gyro and Bucciarati stop her, holding her down before she can flee. The zombie writhes within their grip as Lily and Johnny pull his leg off her mouth at last, leaving behind a drooling trail.

“Here’s your leg!” Lily carefully aligns his leg within his pajamas after the drool is cleaned off – once it’s aligned correctly, she pushes the stump in, causing a snapping sound. She backs away and watches Narancia move, bend or twist his ankle to see if it’s connected right. With a smile, he breathes out a sigh of relief.

“Oh good. Thought I’m short on one leg forever. You’re a lifesaver, you two. Thanks.”

“You’re welcome, Narancia!” Lily cheerfully replied while Johnny nodded. Grinning in gratitude, Narancia rises up.

“Now, if you’ll excuse me… I got a bone to pick with that woman.” His irritated demeanor returns as Narancia rolls up his sleeves and glares at the restrained Tae. He’s about to pay her back but Mamezuku stops him.

“Let it go, Narancia. They’ll make sure Tae got taught a lesson.”

“No way! I ain’t satisfied till that bitch learns not to mess with me!”

“Please listen to Lord Mamezuku. Your temper will make things worse between you and Lady Tae.” Yugiri joined, giving him a disapproving frown over his swearing and hotheaded disposition.

As the zany scene reaches the climax, Kakyoin stands there, wondering to himself what happened and unsure if he’s amused or not. Well, one thing’s for sure… I should get used to this kind of occurrence becoming routine as a zombie. Doubt this won’t be the last time…

“This place is a madhouse!”

Ai mumbles to herself the succinct description to the mansion housing zombies and one crazy, self-proclaimed “legendary idol producer”. Right now, she’s outside, crouched near the bushes and the mansion's rear fence. She would’ve gone through the front door after sneaking her way to the genkan, only to see the other zombie dog outside the doorsteps through the window. Unlike the Boston terrier who looks normal in spite of his odd human-like face, the one outside the door looks terrifying, forcing her to search for another exit.

(In reality, Romero only wanted to get her attention by jumping up to the door’s window. He whined when Ai left.)

Staying focused on her plan to escape and go back to her birthplace, Tokyo, Ai moves to climb up the iron fence…

“Ai! Hello? You there?”

…but a voice she recognizes belonging to Sakura calls out to her, apparently having realized she left. Not wanting to be seen, Ai ducks in the bush. Crawling underneath, she turns her head to Sakura's direction, silently hoping she didn't find her hiding in the bush. She turns her head forward to escape the mansion undetected…

…Just as Junko enters the view, red eyes, rotting skin and all. Their reactions are immediate.

"WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!!!!!!"

"UAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!!!"

Their screams continue for four seconds, loud enough for Sakura to hear, leading her to them. "Found you! Oh, Junko’s here too? What are you guys doing?"

Seeing no point in hiding now that they’re spotted, Ai and Junko pick themselves up and turn to the iron fence as they answer Sakura's question simultaneously.

"Leaving, obviously.”

"I'm leaving.”

BGM: I am Dead, Right? (Zombie Land Saga Original Soundtrack)

Sakura is taken aback by their intentions for this night. Grabbing the bars, Ai starts climbing up as she says, "This is ridiculous. There’s no reason I should have stay and put up with it!"

“Please! You can’t go out there!” Sakura hurriedly pulls her back down, eliciting a yelp from Ai. "It’s not safe!"

"You’re still worried about that video? Nothing’s gonna happen." Ai tells her, adamant the contents of the scary video will come true.

"But Kakyoin and I got shot by a policeman!" Sakura raises her hands over her neck.

"That Tae girl scares me," timidly said Junko. "She doesn’t say anything… Just bites."

"I mean yeah, but that takes time getting used to. But it’s fine!" Sakura reassures the scared girl. In the process, she averts her gaze off Ai so the bandaged girl takes the opportunity to climb back up. Sakura notices however so she grabs her again.

"Ai! Get down!" She hugs her waist and starts pulling her down, unwilling to let Ai get shot by the same policeman.

"Let me go!" Ai irritatingly told her, tightening her grip to the bar.

"Come back!"

The two continued holding on, increasing in strength and resilience… and all of a sudden, Ai's arms came off with a squishy, audible pop. The arms remain holding onto the bar as she and Sakura fall on the ground, the force of landing causing Ai's eyes to come out her sockets and fly up. Right in front of Junko, eliciting a frightened gasp.

After the whole fiasco regarding body parts able to be detached off a zombie’s body, Junko and Ai (after attaching back her arms and eyes with Sakura’s reluctant help), they managed to climb over the fence so they get moving in hopes of finding a way out of Saga, or at least, anywhere away from the madhouse they woke up in.

Worried for the two, Sakura follows after them, intent on convincing them to stay in the mansion for their safety.

<=To be continued|\|/

Onomatopoeia:

バーン (Baan) - Dramatic booming sound

Nighttime outfits for the zombie boys:

Kakyoin – His striped pajamas as shown in the Death Thirteen arc

Avdol – When he disguised himself as his “father” during the Judgment arc, minus the headband, gray hairs, metallic wristbands, and neck scarf. Sometimes, he let his hair down

Bucciarati – Black pajamas with the same spoon-like symbols as his normal clothes

Narancia – Orange and green-dotted onesie

Johnny – Cyan, knee-length nightshirt and pajama pants. His hat is removed

Gyro – The attire when he was thirteen minus the year number. His hat is removed too

Mamezuku – Grape-colored onesie.  His hat is remove like the two

Chapter Text

"Guys, this is dangerous! We shouldn’t be here!”

"Keep quiet."

As the cold streets see three zombies walking in public, Sakura is trying her damnedest to convince Ai and Junko to go back out of fear someone will see them. She’s been doing this for the past three minutes, her pleas carrying a nervous tone over the fact they’re out and about, undisguised. Unfortunately for her, the two wouldn’t budge, seemingly set on not going back to the mansion.

Eventually, the three arrive at a shopping district, not too far from the mansion. Ai and Junko choose this path, passing under the entrance gate.

"Umm, can I ask where we’re going?” Junko asks Ai.

“Tokyo.” The latter replied in a stern tone.

“Not Tokyo! We don’t have any money!” Sakura reminded them that, having realized she had no cash in her ever since she woke up. “They’ll BLOW us up! You saw the clips!” She spread her arms wide.

"Hey don’t remind me!" Junko chastised her.

"Or they’ll just… beat us up so bad!”

Sakura’s incessant begging is getting on Ai’s nerves. Does this girl know when to stop? Call her reckless or not, but Ai has already made up her mind – no amount of persuasion can sway her. Junko thought the same, if only so she won’t suffer from being chased by Tae. “You can go back if you want.” This is Ai’s reply to the increasingly worried redhead.

As they continue walking, they notice three circular windows to their right. These have good reflections so they double as makeshift mirrors. Having not gotten a good look back in the shed, Junko and Ai stop and look at their reflections.

For Ai, she maintains a calm expression as she inspects the bandages wrapping nearly her entire face, but internally, she doesn’t like that this is how her body will look from this day forward. As for Junko? She didn’t hide a disturbed look over inspecting her patchwork body, the stitches lining her skin in an uncommon pattern making her look like she’s made by Dr. Frankenstein.

In the midst of their troubled contemplation over what they have become, Sakura begs them to reconsider for the fifth or sixth time. “Please don’t do this.”

“You really think a bunch of zombies can become idols?” Ai retorted back, suppressing her sigh of irritation as she turned to Sakura with a critical eye. "You’ve jumped on board with that way too easily. Are you stupid or something?"

Taken aback by her harsh yet valid words, Sakura looks down with a musing expression. Either way you look at it, Ai has a point. She and Junko want no part in Kotaro’s project, rightfully believing it’s already dead on arrival. Only one supporter, Sakura herself that is, is trying to make them reconsider their stance over an insane plan, and like the plan itself, she sounds crazy for being TOO engrossed over the prospects, if there are any.

"I guess I might be… Maybe I didn’t take time to think it through… Still though,” started Sakura as she faced her reflection. “When all of us got on stage together, I got a ｢strange｣ feeling. Like, my heart was buzzing or something. It made me so happy." Recalling their literal headbanging concert last night, she continues, “I don't remember anything from before I was a zombie but I know I felt something similar to that when I was ｢alive｣. So I wanna have that feeling again. I wanna know what it is. That’s the ｢reason｣ I’m so eager to get back on stage. "

Finishing her reasoning over why she’s onboard, Sakura studies Ai and Junko’s faces; though their expressions stay the same, she wonders if they’re a little persuaded by her words. Or possibly, her show of resolve being set on this path even as a zombie. Because of this, their guarded expressions start to waver and it appears Ai might have something to say.

However, hip-hop music prevented Ai from replying. She, Junko and Sakura look toward the entrance gate and see a black car braking to a stop. They’re confused at first, only to become worried when three guys decked in similar hip-hop attire come out and start approaching them in a rhythmic fashion. Of course, their act isn’t complete without beatboxing and rapping in tune with the music.

Yo, yo, yo!
  Check, check, check!

Sakura, Ai and Junko huddled up close together. “Oh no, what are those scary guys doing?” Sakura fearfully asked.

"They’re rapping! Weird." Ai answered in a disbelieving tone.

"L-Let’s go! We can’t let them see us!" Sakura started pulling them away from the rappers. Speaking of the rappers, they started with the main verse of their rap created on the fly as part of their flirting.

Mike check, yo! 

Yo check it! These chicks are out really late,
  Maybe they're like us, cruising for a date?
  Yo, screw you man, you make me do the work,
  When you push me around, you look like a jerk!
  Yo, yo, yo! How about you let me hit them up then?
  If you end up asking, they'll wanna be "just friends." 

"Oh my god! They’re coming right towards us!” Junko exclaimed. 

"We’ll just have to walk away and don’t make eye contact!” Sakura advised.

You girls wanna do some karaoke? A little song and dance?
  We know a place open late if you don't got plans!
  If you don't have money, it'll be our treat, okay? 

The three continue walking away from the rapping guys until they arrive at a branching path to their left. They would’ve taken it were it not for someone pulling a bicycle occupying it. The only path forward is a dead end that has a lit lamp post nearby. Seeing no other way, they quickly move to the lamp post with their backs facing them, really hoping they would just up and leave.

As for the rappers closing in, someone else begged to differ with the way they’re doing. By rapping too.

Well lookie here what I just found!
  Can’t you tell me why you creepin’ around?

Sakura peeks behind a little when she listens to the one currently rapping. Dread dawns on her when she recognizes who it belongs to. “Is that…?”

"Aw man! C’mon, we didn’t do anything!” The man wearing a hat backwards protested in dismay. The other two shared his thoughts.

Harassing girls is an epic fail!
  Leave them alone or it’s straight to jail! BOI!

As the policeman draws near, Ai glances at him freestyling smugly and immediately recognizes his attire. Without thinking it through, she calls for his help. “Oh good. Please help us sir!”

"AI!" Sakura whispered in panic, moving in to interfere with Ai. Even if she was successful, the two and Junko will end up exposing their ghastly states to the four unaware humans…

ドッバアー ッ

But by a stroke of luck, the light bulb in the lamp post gets shattered, casting the area in darkness. The suddenness catches the small crowd off-guard, with the rapper trio close to panicking over what happened and the policeman immediately brandishing his pistol and start aiming it frantically.

“W-W-Wha!? Who’s there!? Whoever you are, SHOW YOURSELF! You’re in violation of breaking a public object! A-And for scaring me!”

“Oh man! Is this happenin’?!” One of the rappers questioned.

“Did we see who whacked that light out?”

“Wh-What if… it’s a ghost! A ghost who did it!”

“A GHOST!?”

Out of fear, the three rappers hug the policeman tightly with a river of tears flowing from their eyes. He tries shaking them off because they’re crushing his ribs… and he wouldn’t be able to aim properly. Sakura, Ai and Junko watch the four humans panicking; since the lights are out, none of them can see their undead skin, or at least made them too unnoticeable that they pass as humans.

“H-Hey… What… in the world happened?” Junko asked, glancing at the broken lamp post.

“I’m not sure, but never mind that! We have to get out of here, fast!” Sakura seizes the chance to pull Ai and Junko by their hands and escape while they’re distracted.

“W-Woah hey!” Ai nearly loses her footing while Sakura is leading them out of the shopping district. By the time the four gather their bearings, they realize the three girls are gone, and they’re none the wiser over their true forms.

Except for one witness: Kotaro himself. With the panicking girls gone, he takes his leave.

“Haaah… Haaah… Haaah… We weren’t seen… Good thing we weren’t seen…”

Sakura has her hands on her knees as she’s catching her breath after sprinting away from the shopping district. Junko and Ai do the same, the three of them resting near a lamppost located in a fork in the road. The right fork leads to the mansion some meters away, something Ai noticed after she calmed down.

“Hey! Did you pull the two of us back here?” Ai casted her indignant eyes onto Sakura. “You’re not forcing us to go back in that… that… madhouse?! A police officer showed up back there and I was gonna ask for his help!”

“You CAAAN’T! Not with your sickly face!” Sakura met Ai’s glare with her own mild one. “You shouldn’t have approached him because we were being illuminated! They would’ve seen what we really look like!” She waved her arms around frantically, becoming exasperated by Ai’s stubbornness. “Also, that police officer was the same one Kakyoin and I encountered and shot us!”

Junko is surprised by what she said and so is Ai. “Really? To think you encountered that policeman again…” Her voice trails off, imagining the potential consequence if they’re spotted.

“So now you get it,” sighed Sakura. She faces her and Ai with an imploring look again and says, “Look, you two shouldn’t have gone outside where there could be anyone awake who may see us. Let’s just go back, okay?”

Ai wants to retort that it’s only four people who could’ve potentially seen them. That she’s being too much of a worrywart. But nothing came out, helped that after catching her breath, she began to discern why she’s so worried about the feasibility of her plan that she realized was ill thought out. Her face scrunches up, conflicted on whether she agrees or disagree as her stubbornness rears up.

“Listen to Sakura, you two. Don’t be so hardheaded.”

Sakura, Ai and Junko jolt up. They turn to who said that; he’s leaning against a stone fence with arms folded in his chest, looking at them with a critical eye.

Sakura blinks, surprise etched on her face. “…Kakyoin? You’re out too?”

The now-identified Kakyoin, clad in striped pajamas, nods at Sakura. “That’s right. After you left to go look for Ai, I have a hunch that your search won’t be so simple and short, which is proven true when you two, as well as Junko, didn’t return for five minutes. So I went out.”

Ai and Junko are flummoxed over his correct deduction, somewhat not expecting he caught on to their attempt of leaving. “How… did you find us? I think we might’ve walked far away.” Ai questioned.

“Through Hierophant Green.”

“Your… Stand, right?” Junko inquired, still unfamiliar with the concept of a spirit fighting with their owners that non-users can’t see.

Kakyoin nods. “Yes. With its wide range and being able to see through its eyes, I spotted you three in a shopping district as I followed you covertly. But I hid in the shadows when you were cornered by three singers and a policeman, whom I recognized as the same policeman that shot me and Sakura. And when I saw you get the policeman’s attention,” he looked at Ai when saying that. “I broke the light bulb using Emerald Splash. I think you can guess what happened next.”

The three girls look wide-eyed that the tall teenager is responsible for breaking the light bulb, sparing them from revealing their real looks to four humans. Oh, so that’s what I saw! Sakura gasps lightly upon connecting the dots.

Having explained why he’s here, Kakyoin walks away from the fence and approaches the three. “Anyway, it’s getting late. Let’s return before someone sees us. No more sneaking out from you two, alright?” While Sakura has no arguments, Junko and Ai, despite nearly getting a dose of reality over being zombies in a place full of living humans, appear hesitant. Kakyoin senses their turmoil over being stuck with nowhere else to go; he lets out a sigh, shooting a sympathetic look at them.

“Listen, I understand why you two are opposed to Kotaro’s project, that you wish to go back to your old homes and meet with your old acquaintances, family or relatives again. But didn’t it ever cross your mind that due to us being zombies, a lot of people will react to us poorly and see us as monsters? Or that you have no money to grant you safe passage out of Saga? Let’s be honest… your plan, whichever came from you two, is ill-prepared from the start.”

“…It was… my idea.” Ai hesitantly confessed.

“Well my point is… there’s no place in society who will accept resurrected corpses roaming around. Besides, so many years passed after our deaths, like Junko and I who were from the 80s for example, so any relatives we have might’ve passed away or grew old. And they already… accepted we’re… gone,” Kakyoin becomes downtrodden over the fact he may never see his friends or family, like his cousin, again but steels himself before continuing. “The last thing we want is our family seeing us as living corpses in disbelief. I wouldn’t want to add more sorrow to their existing grief.”

He lets his words sink into the two, and after a moment, their undaunted expressions waver. Two prickles of tears come out from the corner of Junko’s eyes as she averts her gaze. “That… That’s true.”

“…Sorry if I made you two more miserable over the reality you didn’t want in, but please know you’re not alone. Don’t be shy to seek our comfort when you’re feeling overwhelmed by our second life, okay?”

Junko and Ai look at Kakyoin’s reassuring gaze, then at Sakura's empathetic ones. Thanks to Kakyoin’s lecture, they come to realize it’s a bad idea trying to leave without preparation or foresight from the start. But can you blame them? They didn’t ask to be resurrected and recruited to start their careers all over again. Careers that abruptly stopped when they were in the midst of stardom.

“…Let’s just go home. I don’t like being outside anymore.” Ai miserably requested before she marches down the street leading to the mansion. Junko side-eyes them with a similarly sad look before following after Ai. Watching them go, Sakura and Kakyoin feel ashamed for pointing out that they can’t ever hope of going back to their old lives even if it’s necessary. The two last looked at each other before they began moving.

A minute and half through their short walk, the four are a few meters away from reaching the mansion’s gate when they stop to address an unexpected obstruction: a person standing in front of the gate with their backs turned to them.

“Huh?” Ai blinked, puzzled over what the person was doing. Junko, Sakura and Kakyoin stop behind Ai and gawk at the stranger blocking the gate.

“Who’s that?” Junko asked the three, unsure what to make of the mauve-haired figure doing nothing but standing close to the gate. Aside from his unkempt shoulder-length hair, everything on their person is decked out in red that fits their lean and robust physique well, consisting of a long robe or coat, pants and shoes outfitted with a glossy finish. Weirdly, his shoes are connected to their pants, like they’re part of one attire. Junko wonders what they look like if they are topless… and blushed after imagining their muscles underneath.

Kakyoin narrows his eyes, regarding the strange figure suspiciously. “Stay back you three. Whoever he is, I have a bad feeling about him. We don’t want him to see our faces too.” The girls did as he told them as Kakyoin moved to the front. Once reaching a distance where it’s likely he wouldn’t see their undead skin, he starts talking to the figure. “You there. What are you doing standing before our home?”

“…” The man didn’t reply.

“Hey, I’m talking to you. Again, what are you doing near our home?”

“…” No response again.

“I know you can hear me. Last chance. Who are you?” Kakyoin growled, prepared to bring out Hierophant Green marked by a green aura coating him.

“…”

“Please listen to him! He’s getting angry by the second.” Sakura pleaded to the back-facing man once seeing Kakyoin was ready to attack.

ゴゴゴゴゴゴゴゴ

Though no one notices, the man flinches when Sakura speaks. After what felt like an hour, he gave the four a side glance. Somehow, the way he’s glancing sideways evokes fear in their bones, probably due to how slowly he turned and his face… A face that causes Kakyoin’s eyes to widen in mild shock while the girls gasp. It’s… not pretty.

There’s his eyes – they’re red. Not his irises but instead, his eyeball around his gray irises are scarlet. Like it’s filled with blood. A similarly-colored mask or mouthguard covers his mouth and jaw that appears to be painted on. Or infused with his skin.

Lethargically still, he fully faces them and if they expect the uncanny man to look a little bit normal, that’s dashed when catching a glimpse of his upper body behind his unbuttoned coat. From what little they can see of his upper body, there are red, jagged lines emanating from the area around his heart, branching out into smaller lines continuously. They must be veins, or arteries, bulging out of the skin. Or outside the body.

These lines seem to go past his shoulders, encompassing his entire arms until they converge into singular points on both his palms; they can see his pale hands clear as a day. The lower veins connect seamlessly with his pants as well as the inner part of his coat. They have just discerned that, unless they’re hopefully wrong, appears to be made out of blood. No wonder it glistens under the moonlight. In fact, the area where a collar should be there is merged into his neck and to his mouthguard.

Overall, this… being isn’t actually presenting himself as he appears outwardly. Kakyoin cannot help but back away instinctively, the dread from the back of his head increasing. “This man… He’s ｢not human｣!” He exclaimed.

“I can see that!” Ai remarked, gulping over the fact they’re looking at someone who’s inhuman. Junko stutters in fear while Sakura can’t stop her body from shaking because of the way the… humanoid monster is looking at them.

“…” The grotesque being stares silently at the four frozen in shock and fear. He gives Kakyoin, Junko and Ai quick glances before settling his bloodied eyes onto Sakura. He eyes the redhead with such intensity that even through his lack of expressions, she can tell he’s regarding her with intensity.

“H-Hey guys. Is it me or is that… monster… looking at me strangely?” Sakura informs them. Hoping she’s wrong, she moves around while keeping her eyes peeled on the red-robed being. To her increasing fear, his eyes follow her movements closely.

Kakyoin grimaced. “Now that you said that, I don’t like it either. I’m not sure what kind of creature we’re looking at but… he must be stopped. GO!” Hierophant Green finally appears and sends out four elongating tentacles to ensnare the monster. “Have at him, Hierophant Green!”

The tentacles ensnared the humanoid monster easily enough, wrapping its arms and legs tightly. It didn’t even make an effort of dodging instead of just standing there emotionlessly. Part of the tentacles coiled around its neck, seemingly on standby to strangle him.

“Okay! I got him!” Kakyoin exclaimed. “He won’t be getting out of Hierophant’s tentacles!”

“Tentacles? What are you saying?” Ai questioned, staring at the monster skeptically. Just make sure she avoids his eyes.

“Hierophant Green has his hands, or ropes, on him! Can you two see it?” Sakura pointed out, only to realize the two are non-Stand users. “Oh, that’s right. You can’t see Hierophant Green.”

“Are you sure? Well, the monster doesn’t seem to be able to move judging by his odd posture.” Junko noted. “Anyway, I think it’s safe to get inside! We have to go and warn Kakyoin’s friends!”

“Please do! I’m moving the monster away from the gates, okay?” Kakyoin agreed. As soon as Kakyoin moved the monster aside, the girls ran to the gate… only to step foot into an open fissure suddenly manifesting out of thin air instead. They only have a second to realize it, with Sakura sporting a shocked look briefly, before the fissure closes. Kakyoin also realized what happened, surprised and baffled at first before becoming alarmed.

“What the?! What was that?”

In his hesitation, the monster takes a step back in spite of its limited mobility. A hand wriggles free from the tendrils and extends a palm behind – a crooked line appears before it bursts open loudly, like an open crack on a glass before Kakyoin’s eyes, revealing a different suburban street probably not located nearby. Another one? And it’s the same that the girls unwittingly took- AH!

By the time he realized the monster tricked the girls in going through some kind of portal, it hops backwards while entwined by his tendrils. Kakyoin gasps. “No!” He tries pulling the tendrils but he’s too late – one loose tendril got cut when the fissure closed, acting like a scissor. A tingling pain emerged in his hands but he ignored it as he focused on the spot where the fissure emerged. He clenches his hand in irritation. “Dammit! He escaped! Probably to the same place as the girls!”

Remembering where the monster likely ended up, Kakyoin runs through the street, deploying Hierophant Green in the air to provide aerial support.

Meanwhile, in a different neighborhood, Sakura, Ai and Junko are also on the move, their feet carrying them across the pavement. Panic and fear are etched on their faces over the sudden teleportation they unintentionally walked into.

“This shouldn’t have happened… This shouldn’t have happened…!” Sakura repeated like a mantra, not liking how far away they are from the safety of their home. She’s pulling Junko and Ai along against their protest, looking left and right to see if she recognizes where they are. It’s looking like she didn’t.

“Sakura, calm down! Focus on navigating the streets!” Ai reminded her, sharing her fear but hiding it. “We will run in circles if you keep up panicking!”

“I am, I am! It’s just- that… that… monster!” She expressed her worry, turning around a corner. “I don’t know why but he was looking at me intently. Like, he already pinned me as a… target!”

“Wouldn’t that apply to me and Ai too?” Junko added.

“That could be but I couldn’t be mistaken: the monster is looking at me the ｢most｣!”

“I understand your concern but it won’t help you if that’s all you’re thinking of!” Ai told her, refusing to let her fear chip away her determined front. “I don’t know if the monster has found us yet but if we can pinpoint where we are relative to the mansion, we will find our way out quickly! So please focus on searching the right path Sakura!” By the time she finishes advising her, the three go around another corner…

…almost right into the red-coated monster also going around the corner, as if it emerged to prove Ai’s claim wrong. She, Junko and Sakura stopped and stared at the approaching enemy in human flesh… before screaming simultaneously. “AAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!!!!!”

Panic overriding their sense of reason, the girls sprinted away from the monster with Sakura letting go of Ai and Junko’s arms in their mad dash. The monster started walking before jogging after them so he can reach them faster.

“RUN! RUN AWAAAAAY!!!” Sakura shouted in wild terror, refusing to look behind and see the monster catching up to them. This chase last for a minute and a half and unfortunately, despite running to the top limit of their speed with Sakura noticeably outpacing Ai and Junko, they’re not fast enough to outpace the monster. Once close by, he leaps onto them, just as the three look behind and see his approaching form about to get them.

“WATCH OUT-” Junko warned too late as she and Ai jumped at the last second. They managed to miraculously get away, albeit sporting a gash on one knee and hurting an elbow respectively. “Argh!!”

“Oww!!” Ai let out, hissing as she rubs her affected arm.

The only one who didn’t jump is Sakura, who tripped and fell face down on the pavement after the monster landed dangerously near. “Eyah!” Before she could recover, she felt a presence looming over her and turned around reluctantly to look at the humanoid’s gray eyes boring into her unblinkingly. She became still in fear, her blue eyes peering back to his gray irises so they remained in this position of a predator cornering their prey for eight seconds.

“Uh… A-Ahhh…” Sakura stammered out, willing herself to move but she couldn’t.

“AAAAAAAHHHH! SAKURAAAA!!!” Junko called out, aghast. Loud enough for someone to hear her and enter the scene after Hierophant Green spotted four figures in one neighborhood.

Kakyoin gasps upon seeing Sakura cornered before he springs into action. “GET AWAY FROM HER!” Hierophant Green materializes between the monster and Sakura, its glowing hands aimed in point-blank range. “EMERALD SPLASH!!!”

ドッバアー ッ

Dozens of emeralds send the monster flying away from Sakura. Unwilling to let him recover, Kakyoin captures him in mid-air, ensnaring him with too many tentacles very tightly to ensure he wouldn’t try make an escape even through limited movements.

“Alright! Got him again!” Kakyoin announced.

“Y-You did? Really? All I’m seeing is that monster floating in the air.” Ai wondered in confusion – from her and Junko’s view, the humanoid monster has his limbs spread out forcefully and is hovering in the air without any support holding him up.

“I think he did!” Junko believes him, hoping that’s what is happening. She and Ai approach the rattled Sakura and help her stand up. “Are you alright Sakura? Are you hurt?”

“I-I… I-I’m fine. Just… shaken.” Sakura stuttered out. Even though she got too close to the monster than she liked, she felt some weight lifting when she glanced at the captured enemy just to confirm if Kakyoin had indeed captured him.

“Return to the mansion you three! Remember to tell my teammates I need help subduing the enemy!” Kakyoin ordered them, keeping his eyes peeled on the silent monster. Hearing him loud and clear, the three immediately broke into a sprint to seek help… watched by the enemy.

“…” Unwilling to see Sakura go, he struggled to free himself. Even though he appears frustrated, he remains taciturn.

Kakyoin glares determinedly as Hierophant Green prepares to blast the monster with another Emerald Splash. “You won’t escape! Feel the might of my Emerald Splash!” Emeralds shot out toward the enemy… but they were diverted at the last minute before they could hit him. Kakyoin is in disbelief.

ビシィ !!

“Huh!? The emeralds! Why were they deflected? Nothing was blocking the monster!” He looked on in puzzlement, then got surprised again when the bindings tying the enemy were sliced apart, freeing him. This time, he doesn’t create another portal. Wait, no portals? How did he free himself from Hierophant’s binding? Argh, no time to think about that!

Kakyoin is on the move to intercept the monster running in the direction of where the girls run away. Hierophant Green is in front of the enemy in an instant, charging up another Emerald Splash. “STOP! Emera-”

ドッゴン

“NGAH?!?”

A blow to Hierophant Green’s face, and by proxy Kakyoin’s, stops his attack. He didn’t get to rest when few more blows assaulted Hierophant Green, sending jolts of pain back to its user. One last hit targeting his face again sent Kakyoin to the ground as Hierophant Green dissipated, dazed and in pain. “UOOOORGHH!!!” The enemy glared at him once before he created a portal and entered the other side.

Gritting his teeth, Kakyoin rises up, propping one knee so he’s crouching. He endures the pounding pain, willing his clouded mind to clear. “…What. What hit me? I didn’t even see the enemy move his arms to attack, so how?” It felt like Hierophant Green got punched like Star Platinum striking it when I was brainwashed by DIO… A thought occurred to him not long after processing the oddities of Hierophant Green getting attacked. Wait, my Stand getting punched…? AH!

He gasps after realizing how he struck him, belatedly realizing the enemy’s true identity. “No way! Could it be…! Dammit! He’s after the girls! I have to… move!”

In the seconds Kakyoin took to recover, the monster had already reached the fleeing girls, coming out from a portal right in front of them. Naturally, they started panicking again.

“UAAAAHHHH! He broke free of Hierophant Green’s grip?!” Sakura exclaimed in dismay.

“No no no no NOOO! He’s gonna kill us!” Junko takes off running to the opposite direction, unwilling to stare into its eyes.

“Run! RUNNN!!!” Ai yelled out as she began following after Junko. Sakura immediately got on her and started running after them, but she only reached up to three meters when she tripped. “Aaahh!” Lying face first, Sakura groaned as she raised her head before registering something slimy coiling over her left heel. She looked behind and resisted the urge to scream again because a red appendage coming from his right sleeves had clung to her heel, coiling around it tightly. At least, it looks like it came from his sleeves…

Oh no… He’s not gonna…!

As if answering her, his left arm shoots out a second appendage to grab her other heel and begins pulling her. Sakura tries crawling away only for a sharp tug to stop her. Shrieking, she tries to resist by holding on to the ground as best as she can. Unfortunately, the monster is too strong so her attempt failed. She starts waving her arms and screams in panic.

“AHHHH! AI! JUNKO! HEEEELP!!!”

“SAKURA!” Junko instantly rushes to Sakura’s aid by pulling her right arm. She plants her feet on the ground for extra resistance and grunts as she resists the tug with all her might. Ai does the same to the other arm.

“HNNNRGHHH! H-Hold on Sakura!” Ai clenched her teeth with eyes closed, exerting extra energy to stop the pull. Their efforts bear fruit as they feel the tugging slowly stop. Opening her eyes, Ai shouts, “It’s stopping! Junko, start pulling Sakura!”

“On it!” Junko did as she’s doing, both girls groaning in this impromptu tug-of-war. The humanoid simply responds by doubling down on his tugging, almost yanking Ai and Junko along, but the two refuse to waver. They put forth more strength in their pull, and it seems to be working as they managed to take two or three steps backward slowly.

“T-That’s it! Keep pulling me!” Sakura encouraged, enduring the unconventional tug-of-war between Ai and Junko on one side and the grotesque enemy on the opposite side… only to be in for a surprise at the worst time when both her arms pop out of her shoulders. The resulting force sent the two tumbling backwards to the pavement with a yelp, barely registering at first they accidentally removed her arms due to her zombie physiology.

“Wha? Her arms?!” Ai blinked in confusion before gasping upon seeing the armless Sakura being pulled toward the monster. “N-No, SAKURA!”

“NononononoNOOOOO!” Sakura struggled to resist the pool in vain, sensing she’s getting close to her doom.

At this point, Kakyoin arrived at the scene and gasped. He deployed Hierophant Green at the last minute. “STOP HIM, HIEROPHANT GREEN!” Time seemed to slow down as Kakyoin reach a hand out to the panicking Sakura, Hierophant Green sending out many tentacles whilst simultaneously charging up an Emerald Splash, and the bloodied humanoid with pale gray skin and dead eyes quietly awaiting the opening to attack Kakyoin…

…but the appendages binding Sakura are suddenly severed. The monster steps back in silent surprise. Before he can act, Kakyoin, perplexed by what happened but willing to take advantage of the unexpected turn, have Hierophant Green divert the tentacles onto Sakura to pick her up, then running far away. Seeing Sakura being led to safety snaps him back and proceeds to chase after them.

“Not so fast!”

But he didn’t get far when two girls blocked his path. One girl with long black hair wielding a scythe hit his stomach with the blunt end, pushing him into a floating mirror that had just appeared. Somehow, he phases through the glass, almost falling into it if he didn’t grab onto the edges. Unfortunately for him, two scissors stab them courtesy of the long-haired blonde girl, loosening his grip. As soon as he vanished in the mirror, the two girls followed after him with weapons at hands.

The four zombies had witnessed the entire action unfold, up to the floating mirror glowing white before dispersing into pieces that dissipated in the night air.

“The enemy… and those two… They fell into the mirror?” Kakyoin spelled out to make sense of what they witnessed. As much as they’re relieved the enemy is hopefully gone, they want an answer over what on earth happened.

“That mirror wasn’t there in the first place, right?” Sakura observed. She got on her feet with Junko and Ai’s assistance after they reattached her arms back. She’s still shaken from almost… subjected to whatever horrible things the grotesque enemy was about to do. She side eyed the two girls and asked, “Junko, Ai. Did you see a mirror behind me just now?”

Junko turns to Sakura in confusion, snapping out of her terror. “Eh? A mirror? What are you saying, Sakura?”

“I didn’t see a mirror.” Ai confirmed.

Kakyoin and Sakura blink over their reply. They didn’t see one? How could that be? It was pretty noticeable at first glance – no way did these two not see it. “Well anyway, what matters is, I’m saved…” She looks at her hands and clenches her palms open and close to confirm she still has motor functions in them. She next sighs. “Oooh, I should’ve known this would happen. I almost forgot Ai’s arms popped out minutes ago when I tried to stop her from climbing out of the gate.”

“We’re so sorry we almost doomed you! I shouldn’t have pulled so hard.” Junko apologized.

“It’s alright. I understand you two didn’t mean to.” Sakura placates them.

“What was that about Ai’s arms popping out of her like what happened to you?” Kakyoin questioned, feeling a little out of the loop.

“That’s not important.” Ai quickly said. “So you two said there was a mirror just now? Are you sure it was there?”

“We are. We even saw the monster and two girls go through the mirror like it’s made of water.” Kakyoin replied.

Ai lightly gasps when listening to the first part. “Oh actually, I saw those girls and how they… vanished out of thin air.”

“Vanished? You mean… they passed through the mirror, right?” Sakura becomes increasingly puzzled over their semantics. “And by the way, where did those two and the… monster… go?”

Junko or Ai would’ve said more as they grow ever puzzled by what Sakura and Kakyoin are saying, but thankfully, someone chimed in. “The monster are currently engaged in a fight against Lisette and Enjel, after they gone through the ｢mirror｣ leading somewhere far from here.”

Perking up, the four turn and see a certain brunette standing nearby, looking at them with a reassuring smile. She brushes a lock of her hair off her face, her left hand holding something over her chest.

“Ms. Goldia?” Sakura uttered, surprised but relieved to see the zombie guys’ guide here.

<=To be continued|\|/

Hierophant Green (Stand Master: Noriaki Kakyoin) 

Destructive Power: C
Speed: B
Range: A
Stamina: B
Precision: C
Developmental Potential: D

Hierophant Green is a long-distance Stand possessing the ability to uncoil its entire body into either thick, strong tentacles or invisible, thin ropes to bind someone up, reach out to an object from afar and avoid serious damage to itself and its user. The most complex move is weaving a sensitive web reaching up to 20 meters in radius. It is also capable of entering inside a person's body to forcefully control them, although Kakyoin rarely used it. 

Its signature technique is called Emerald Splash. It allows Hierophant Green to fire a barrage of emeralds after gathering energy in liquid form from its hands before discharging them as emeralds. While certain individuals can block or deflect the attack because it isn't quite powerful, its blast range, shotgun-like launch, and high speed make this quite a capable technique under the right strategy.

Onomatopoeia:

ビシィ (Bishi) - Someone deflecting the emeralds

ドッゴン (Doggon) - Hard punch

Chapter Text

“Please, just call me Goldia. No need to be formal with me.” Goldia told them. She glanced at each of the four in concern before saying, “Are you four all right? You didn’t get hurt, I hope?”

“Err, we’re fine Goldia. Only rattled, that’s all.” Sakura replied, rubbing her arm.

“Phew. That’s good,” she expressed her relief. “Good thing I intervened before ｢Xero｣ can do something horrible to Sakura. To think Xero is already on the move so soon after your awakening…” Goldia frowns, shaking her head with a remorseful look. Ai, Sakura and Junko are baffled when she mentions “Xero”, until it clicks over why the name sounds familiar.

“Xero? Wait, you mean…!?” Junko squeaked.

“The ghoul who’s hunting us down?!” An aghast Ai finished. “That XERO?!”

Sakura didn’t say anything but learning that she was almost killed, or worse, by a ghoul makes her want to faint in fright. Having laid eyes on the now-identified Xero and saw how terrifying he is really left an impression on her. Her mouth is agape, still processing the fact.

Kakyoin narrowed his eyes, his face full of grim understanding. “Just as I thought. It was Xero.”

“Huh? Kakyoin, you knew?” Sakura asked him. Ai, Junko and Goldia turn to him in mild surprise or curiosity.

“I only suspected it. I began to realize that it must be Xero after he cut off the tentacles binding him, and attacked Hierophant Green. When that happened, I saw something gleaming near Xero. I remembered that Stands cannot be damaged by anything unless it’s another Stand. By that logic, he must have a Stand. Putting all of these together, I have deduced the mysterious enemy’s identity.”

“Yes, a correct deduction Kakyoin,” nodded Goldia in approval. “The monster you were fighting is Xero. There’s no mistaking it.”

By her confirmation, Sakura, Ai and Junko grow more frightened. Who could have imagined Xero started hunting the fourteen zombies down, a day or two after their revival and awakening. Kakyoin clears his throat. “Anyway, it’s good you arrived at the scene, Goldia. If I have to ask though, how did you find us?”

“Oh actually, we didn’t find you four, per se. We ｢sensed｣ Xero and go to his current location, which happens to be close to you,” clarified Goldia, recounting the scene before.

Two minutes ago, before Goldia arrived to help…

It is late at night by the time Goldia is almost finished doing her (very first) night patrol. Right now, she’s walking through the cold, silent streets on her way home located in Niji-no-Matsubara forest, a 360-years-old pine forest spanning 4 kilometers and 400 – 700 meters in length and width respectively. Originally, it was planted by the feudal lord as a counter-measure against the strong winds and tides in Karatsu Bay, but today, it’s a popular tourist spot that made it into a list of 100 most beautiful places in Japan. 

The street is pretty much devoid of people aside from passing cars or bicyclers so Goldia is walking all by herself. She doesn’t like walking in the dark so she’s thankful for lampposts illuminating her way. She finds it relaxing, not so different from her late morning walk although she’s in a slightly low spirit. 

“…Seems like Xero isn’t out this time. I scoured half of Karatsu and found no signs of him,” mumbled Goldia by herself. “This is an ideal outcome for one like me who’s starting out patrolling but I’m… disappointed.” 

“Why would you say that Goldia?” She heard Enjel chiming in. “Isn’t that supposed to be good? Xero isn’t out causing trouble, meaning ｢we｣ can stay out of action for a while.” 

“…Well I do not deny it’s a desirable outcome although… it’s just… I wished I encountered him soon so we could… temporarily stop him.” Goldia responded, swapping out the word she deemed inappropriate for a sweet person like her. 

Lisette hums in thought, joining in Goldia’s own space next. “Didn’t Emi kill him before she escaped? Or was she in a hurry to leave?” 

“Considering Xero can ｢only｣ access his own domain, my guess is Miss Emi must’ve lured Xero to open a ｢rift｣ to the real world before she killed him. If she had done it beforehand, she would be stuck until his next resurrection.” She theorized, unable to resist the chilling sensation when imagining the scenario. If that happened, they would be none the wiser on Emi’s fate. 

“Wait, that would mean… Oh!” Enjel gasped. “You’re right! Whether she liked it or not, Xero is her only way out. She couldn’t do anything once she ｢burned him to ashes｣. …Unless his Stand persists.” 

“That’s impossible. If he dies, his Stand does too.” Lisette reminded. 

“That is true. But given Xero is a walking being of mystery and there do exist few Stands that can live past their users’ death, who’s to say he’s one of those people?” 

“Let’s hope not…” Goldia shakes her head with a frowning look. Despite the serious topic they’re discussing, she welcomes talking with her alters. Helps alleviate her loneliness and fear of the dark. Knowing them, they will come out to accompany her. She then smiles. “Anyway, you two are still awake, huh? Are Fleta and Harpae…?” 

“They’ve turned in for the night.” Lisette answered her unfinished question. 

“Ah, I see. That’s good to know. Now then, I’m near one of the entrance of the pine forest so-” 

A jolting sensation erupts in Goldia’s head, stopping her from finishing her sentence. It’s not only her who felt it; Lisette and Enjel did too. The brunette stops in her tracks as a result, blinking twice to process what this sensation is. Her eyes widen upon recognizing why she and her alters have it. “Oh dear… Was I mistaken all this time?” She whispered. 

“Hey, hey! Let us out! If this is what I think it is, me and Lisette must be out!” Enjel requested frantically. Goldia did as she asked and so, two alters who know how to fight stand beside their host with grim yet determined faces. 

The girl who demanded to be let outside possesses black hair and upturned golden eyes wearing a long-sleeved white blouse with frilled collars, a gold brooch pinned to her collar, black knee-length skirt held up by black suspenders, bright yellow shoes topped with bows and white knee-high socks. One thing that is immediately noticeable is she looks like Goldia, to the point one may mistake her as her twin. 

The second one who is a little taller than the two has unkempt blonde hair parted hastily in the middle, very pale skin and less prominent eyeshadow around her violet eyes wearing an outfit hugging her lanky frame consisting of long-sleeved white blouse with high, ruffled dark purple collars and small, dark purple belts with gold buckles with a lavender rose pinned to the collar, brown buckled corset, white skirt that has dark purple fabrics and bigger, numerous belts sewn and attached into the waistband, two of which are buckled together while other two are left undone, dark purple tights and black ballet-slipper shoes with lavender roses on top of each shoe laced up to her mid-calf. 

The blonde girl turns to her beloved holding her pocket mirror. “Goldia.” 

“I know. We will go to where we ｢sensed｣ Xero’s current location. Good thing I wasn’t home when the weird feeling brought up…” Looking westward or at least she thinks is west, Goldia manifests a mirror. Turning to Lisette and Enjel, she nods that it’s go time. And so, the girls go through the mirror, their forms disappearing behind the rippling glass like they’re made of water. 

“’Sensed’?” Ai raised a brow.

“Yes. We have an ｢ability｣ to know Xero’s location gifted to us by Ms. Emi. I’m glad it’s working as intended.” Goldia explained.

The four wants to ask more but the situation with the newly-recognized ghoul must take priority. Kakyoin clears his throat to get them back on track. “Anyway, concerning Xero… I think I heard you say he’s somewhere else being attacked by… Lisette and Enjel?” He looks at the brunette questioningly. “Who are they actually?”

“They’re two of my ｢alters｣,” she answered with a fond smile. The three looked puzzled and stared at her, demanding an explanation. Goldia chuckled and said, “I know you want to know more but please save it for tomorrow. Right now, Kakyoin and I will go over where Enjel and Lisette are and stop Xero. You three must go back home for your safety.”

She lowers her right arm and unfurls her fingers, revealing a golden pocket-sized mirror adorned beautifully with a rose pattern and ribbon on its lid. “I’ll create a ｢mirror portal｣, Kakyoin. Please wait,” she extends her pocket mirror forward and chants, “｢Dream of Mirrors｣!”

A beam of light shoots out from the mirror a few meters away before stopping and expanding instantly. Glowing white light enveloping the constructing object scatters into numerous particles, showing a freshly-made floating mirror, similar to the one Sakura and Kakyoin saw. The frame is made out of gold, the patterns intricately decorated including a rose at the top and spread-out wings embroidered at the bottom.

“The mirror!” Sakura exclaimed.

“I see. It’s Goldia’s ｢Stand ability｣,” stated Kakyoin. “That explains why Ai and Junko couldn’t see one.” From their dawning looks, it appears they reached the same conclusion as him.

Nodding in satisfaction, Goldia faces Kakyoin and says, “Kakyoin, we must go. This mirror will take us to Xero’s current position.” Kakyoin nods, assuring her he understood. Goldia smiles slightly, saying, “Alright. Come now. Into the mirror we go.” She starts moving forward, beckoning Kakyoin to follow.

“W-Wait!” Sakura stopped them. “Shouldn’t I call one of your friends to help you, Kakyoin?”

“…Ah, right!” Perking up, Kakyoin asks Goldia, “Is it alright to call my teammates to join? I have a feeling Xero is not an easy opponent to take down.”

Goldia considered his request for a moment, then she beamed. “Oh! That’s a good idea! In fact, you don’t need to call for your whole group to help us – only one ｢specific｣ person.”

Junko and Ai become baffled. “Only one? I don’t think one guy is enough to help you.” Ai said.

Goldia shakes her head, remaining undeterred as she gives the four confused zombies a grin. “Trust me. His ｢Stand｣ is undoubtedly the perfect weakness against Xero! We do need him to be neutralized, after all.”

At the same time Goldia explained the identity of the monster to Kakyoin, Sakura, Ai and Junko…

In a quiet street far from the group’s location, a mirror materialized into existence, the white glow coating it dispersing a second later. Immediately after, Xero came out from the mirror rolling backwards until he props a hand on the ground to skid to a stop.

Going still to gather his bearings, Xero raised his eyes to the mirror. He straightened up and stood, waiting for the culprits who dared push him away from Sakura. Sure enough, they emerged from the rippling glass. They instantly rushed towards him, the mirror shattering behind them.

With Xero on their sights, the Goldia lookalike jumps into the air, arching a golden scythe above her head while the slender girl chooses to rush into Xero, raising her golden scissors that also materialized in her hands.

Descending alongside her billowing long hair and dress, Enjel brings the tip of the blade down as she shouts, “Take THIIIIS!!!” Since her attack was telegraphed however, Xero hopped backwards to avoid the tip stabbing the ground. The golden-eyed girl blinks over her miss before whining. “Awww, I’m sure I had him.”

“He saw you attacking.” Lisette told her as she rushed past and thrusted her glistening scissors against Xero with a glare. Xero simply swerved sideways, letting the scissors cut through the air. The blonde didn’t stop though – she swung the scissors sideways so quickly it seems Xero didn’t account for that – he received a sharp cut on his left arm, drawing out blood. Grinning, she kept up the assault, thrusting and swinging with deadly precision, like she must have practiced them as unorthodox weapons for a long time.

None of her attacks make another mark on Xero again though as the ghoul matches her attacking speed, supernaturally so. No matter what way she attacked, like stabbing his knee, swinging the blades upwards or even throwing them when Xero spread the distance between them a little, she can’t land a hit; that last part allows the ghoul to deflect them away from her. She growls at the speeds the enemy is dodging and her mistake.

Calm down. If things go well, I don’t have to use my ｢ sub-ability ｣ .

Refusing to give in to her irritation, she rushes to grab the scissors off the ground. But she notices Xero charging in to stop her, forcing her to take a leap and reach a hand out in hopes of retrieving her signature items fast. Fortunately for her, help is on her side in the form of the black-haired girl getting in between them.

“Stand back!” She yelled threateningly, successfully warding Xero away and almost slicing his throat. The blonde reclaimed her scissors and, on her cue, the two rushed towards Xero again. Or would have if Xero didn’t send appendages from his arms to grab their necks. The two split off in response but they follow them. The golden-eyed maiden realized she’s not gonna outrun them so instead, with practiced precision, she sliced the tip off. This garnered a subtle reaction from Xero as she chopped off two more pieces before the tendrils retreated. The cut off parts seemed to stay on the ground only to move to Xero’s shoes and merged with them.

“They can move ｢on their own｣?” Enjel exclaimed in mild surprise and disgust.

The other girl had also done the same thing as her partner did. In her case, she only sliced off plenty of small pieces, but she did it so uncannily fast that Xero appeared to recoil from the pain similar to being cut by many knives. These pieces simply returned to Xero, leaving behind faint ground stains. She narrowed her eyes at this phenomenon, mentally taking note before casting her glare on Xero. Having enough of his tendrils getting sliced, Xero retracted the second tendril, allowing the maiden breathing room.

ドドドドドドドド

At this point, the dark streets witnessing the clash between two gothic-styled young girls and a humanoid creature coated in unnatural blood notices the ghoul is in between the maidens. These two have their eyes peeled, unwilling to avert their gazes off of Xero for some reason. Probably looking for an opening. Either way, they slowly inch closer, raising their weapons.

Xero takes notice of this too. He looks at the scythe-wielding girl first, then turns behind to observe the taller girl. That side she’s occupying can lead him into where he believes Sakura is in… if she hadn’t retreated. It is because of this why he was near the mansion – to see if she had woken up. He’s glad to see her conscious so it frustrates him that Kakyoin, Goldia and now these girls intervened.

“You’re looking this way…” The maiden with scissors observed. Xero doesn’t turn to her fully because the scythe girl will retaliate if he diverts attention away from her. “When you turned here briefly, your eyes weren’t on me, but instead, on the ｢street｣ behind me.”

Whatever thoughts she has, it seems Lisette catches on to her line of thinking. She remembers Xero being so focused on Sakura to the point he dragged her by her feet. She narrows her eyes before making this statement: “You’re trying to find a way to escape so you can get to Sakura… Right?”

For the first time, an expression settles on the stoic Xero’s face: vicious glare. Lisette never wavered, instead matching it with her own. “Guess I was correct.”

“You want Sakura for yourself? Why?” Enjel asked in curiosity.

“Tch, who knows,” grunted Lisette. “Well, we’re stopping you from getting your hands on Sakura. Goldia is on her way as we speak alongside Kakyoin so first, we’re gonna cut you up!”

Lisette snips her scissors threateningly with a manic glare while Enjel draws her scythe up. Turns out they never stopped inching closer even when they’re talking and so, since they got near within striking range, it looks like their sharp blades will cut through the ghoul’s flesh with impunity. Maybe they won’t need to use their sub-ability, born from Goldia’s Stand ability.

But sometimes, plans don't always work impeccably, especially when they are made on the fly.

“What?” She lets out, momentarily confused at the appearance of a shield before recognizing its color and visceral look filled with branching veins sustaining it. “This shield… you made it from your blood?!” She growled.

“Yeah, he did!” Enjel remarked from the opposite side, grunting as she struggled to push against Xero’s own scythe taking the place of his left arm. Like the shield, it has veins lining across the surface, with only the sharp curved end having none of it to retain its cutting properties. “Ngaaargh! How did he do it? Aren’t blood supposed to be liquid? How can Xero shape them into a ｢solid form｣?”

“It’s his main form of attacking, remember? Xero can ｢control｣ the blood sustained by his ｢heart｣ by molding them into tools for attack or protection like clay.” Lisette reminded her.

“Oh, I remember! It’s just… I’ve never seen it in action before.”

Enjel continues resisting, groaning against the bloody scythe’s strength that will inevitably overpower her feeble arms. And sure enough, she got knocked off her feet when Xero exhibited a brief increase in strength to divert the scythe away. “Wha!?”

As she staggered the blade's form rippled as its shape started to transform. The sound it made, like a cacophony of flesh and bones forcefully contorting and snapping together to make way for a new transformation, isn’t what she wants to hear. Another shield takes its place and before she can react, bashes into her, sending her flying to the ground. “UAHHH!”

“Enjel!” Lisette called out in concern. The break in focus allowed Xero to do the same to her too, sending her rolling. “Ow ow OWWW!”

With the two down, Xero reverts the shields back to his arms, looking no worse for wear despite the ghastly transformation. Eyeing their groaning forms, he seizes the chance to escape by opening a rift, raising a palm to the air. A few seconds pass without a rift forming however, and Xero notices. Turning to his hand, he tries again, each time a faint aura flickering around him but never lingering. On the fourth try, a tiny crack can be discerned struggling to open under Xero’s command. It vanished and Xero is forced to retract his hand in irritation.

He stares at his hand, wondering if he has run out of energy needed for generating portals. He growls, clenching his fist, then turns to the streets across him. Seeing no other choice, he makes a break for it, dashing past Lisette. The blonde catches on where he’s running to so with a grunt, she got back on her feet and followed after the fleeing enemy with ruthless determination, exclaiming, “You won’t get away!”

“Lisette! Wait, waaait!!!” Enjel called out to her as she crouches up supported by her scythe’s handle but her words didn’t reach far since they became a dot in the horizon. She sighed, not looking forward to catching up to them. “Ohhhh, Emi never said it would be this hard. Maybe we’re ill-equipped in tackling Xero, even though that’s because this is the first time we’re fighting him. Do we have what it takes to stop him, or is it better if those seven be the ones to kill him…?”

She looks down with a worried frown, visibly stressed. But she shakes her head. A determined expression falls on her face as she gets up on her feet with a huff. “No, I shouldn’t be discouraged. Regardless if some of us don’t want to fight, this is what Emi is fighting for to keep her home safe. She helped restore Goldia back to life and let us live here. It’s everything I wanted when I came into existence by that loathsome cyclops so I’m really grateful to her. Goldia does want to repay her for giving us this chance, so I won’t back down! For her and Saga’s sake!”

In response to her self-encouragement, a single white wing comes out from her back, occupying the left side. Few feathers fly in the air gently like the wing is molting. With a yell, Enjel runs through the dark streets to catch up to Lisette.

Immediately after she left, three figures came out from the mirror, which soon disappears when they touch the ground. Kakyoin and Goldia look around for the brunette’s alters’ presence only to find an empty street and no sign of Xero.

Huh? No one’s here,” pointed out by Kakyoin, confused. He turns to Goldia wondering where did two of her alters go also and asks, “I thought you said they would be here alongside Xero.”

“I am,” she replied. “This is the same place Dream of Mirrors transported the two into so they can keep Xero busy before you and I arrive here. Well, initially.” She glanced at the third member they called for help on the fly.

“Hmm, could they have gone somewhere if Xero fled for some reason?” Kakyoin suggested. He thought of deploying Hierophant Green up in the air to watch from above. Goldia closed her eyes, her brows furrowing like she’s concentrating on her inner thoughts before she perks up with a gasp.

“You might be right! I’m ｢sensing｣ where Xero currently is… It’s that way!” She points the direction the three ran into.

Goldia, Kakyoin and the third member run in pursuit of the three. Back to them, Lisette and Enjel continue chasing after Xero for almost a minute, the former already one step ahead of the latter. By the time Lisette catches up to the ghoul, passing by the intersection and short bridge, he’s in the same two-forked street Sakura, Ai and Junko are after they ran from almost getting seen.

The moment his back enters her vision, she sprints, snarling along the way. “Stop right there!”

Xero spun around as Lisette leaped with a shout, her dual scissors prepared to stab his torso or neck. A sturdy shield halted her assault, the clash between metals (artificial metal in his case) producing a scraping sound.

Lisette is undeterred however – she swiftly makes her way around Xero, dodging a swinging blade a shield transformed into, and thrust one scissor to his back. Xero is also quick on the draw as he spun around again and deflected her attack with his arm-scythe. Growling, she keeps up the assault without stopping, either swinging her scissors wildly or attacking with precision after positioning herself into openings Xero has exposed. The ghoul matches her attacks with dual scythes, intending to overwhelm her with his bigger and stronger weapons. Impressively, despite the size difference, Lisette’s scissors never brittle from the scythes’ might. And so, the clash of small and big blades continue, emitting sparks and clangs with each strike with no one except the disturbed streets witnessing the peculiar battle.

At one point, Xero sweeps his leg to her heel to trip her up, but Lisette sees it through and jumps – she brings her scissors downward which Xero evades too. Not to be outdone, Lisette produces multiple scissors out of thin air after jumping back to give her space, up to ten each in her hands. She throws them at high speeds, their tips pointing outward but Xero deflected them with fast swings of his scythes. Though immediately after he’s done, Lisette has closed the distance again, one scissor aimed towards his stomach. Turns out, the throwing scissors was a distraction meant to divert his attention.

Nevertheless, Xero proves his agility more superior than Lisette’s as he swung his blood scythe upwards, staggering the girl.

“AAAAGHH!” Lisette clutches her hand bearing a fresh wound. Instead of normal blood, dark purple liquid seeps out accompanied by wisps of smoke. Yet she reacts as if she’s injured like every (living) human. Distracted by her gash, Xero is about to swing both scythes to slice her upper and lower body apart.

“STOP HURTING HER!”

Enjel ensured that never happened however. Finally catching up to them, she swings her scythe onto Xero’s back, forcing Xero to block her attack. Seeing he’s occupied, Lisette pushes through the stinging pain and thrusts two scissors but a shield once again obstructs the blade’s path. This time, the scissors prod through the veiny shield and it takes Lisette a second to recognize her weapons are stuck. She decides to discard them, but tiny tendrils pierces through her hands while simultaneously wrapping them, preventing her from escaping.

“NNNGHH!! Why you…!” She hissed, glaring hatefully at Xero.

Hearing her in mild distress, Enjel moves to put her scythe away after seeing brute force will not help her push through Xero’s scythe. However, multiple tendrils emerge from his scythe too and before she can react, they wrap around the entire weapon and are pierced through her hands and wrists, eliciting a scream as purple blood oozes from her many wounds.

“YAAAHH!!!”

Finding themselves captured, Lisette and Enjel wriggle their hands to free themselves, ignoring the pain flaring up with every slight movement they make. They only succeed in securing Xero’s hold on them as more tendrils pop out stabbing through their hands, amplifying the pain and agony. Lisette clenches her teeth while Enjel resists the urge to scream but they soon forget it when they notice two long appendages protruding from his coat’s tails writhing near their heads. The tips molded into a sharp blade, glistening under moonlight. Xero’s intent is clear: he’s going to behead them.

Eyes widening, Enjel kicks the shield in desperation, demanding, “Let us go! Let our hands GO!!!” This act proves to be a mistake as more strands emerge to capture her right leg and pull her knee deep in the shield, rendering her totally immobile. “AAAHHH! My leg!” Even if her left leg is free, she has no room to be mobile.

The same thing happens to Lisette – both her legs got pierced by multiple tendrils, coating her socks and shoes with both her own blood and Xero’s. “Gnnrgh!!” She remains standing instead but she’s effectively paralyzed.

At this point, Enjel’s panic has become clear. “No, no, no! Lisette, what are we going to do!?”

“I… I…” Lisette stuttered, finding herself stuck in a rock and hard place. If they don’t do something quick, they will be killed. But their hands were stuck and they couldn’t get out no matter how hard they tried. Then she saw the pointed blades reeling back and her violet eyes widened, realizing there’s no escape. “No…”

Before he could end the girls’ lives, six thick tentacles jabbed through his torso, shoulders and limbs from below. The ghoul flinched, lurching from the agonizing pain and surprise of someone getting a drop on him. Two more tentacles emerge from the ground to slice through the tendrils and shields binding Enjel and Lisette’s limbs, freeing them and their weapons as they fall to the ground with a clang. Even then, they turned into glass and shattered into pieces though the two weren’t worried.

The two wobbles backward from the paralyzed Xero, relieved and satisfied albeit in pain. Then they heard their beloved’s voice calling out to them in concern. “Lisette! Enjel! Over here!”

They turn to Goldia waving her hand at them. Enjel happily rushes into her with a smile and Lisette follows, not smiling but internally reassured. Even with their wounded legs making them stumble on the way, they ignore it. Once they’re close Goldia immediately notices their injured hands and winces, shooting a concerned gaze on them. “Oh my, your hands and legs!”

“Don’t worry Goldia. The ｢spiritual fire in our bodies｣ will heal our hands. I can do without the pain though…” Enjel replied.

“Are you alright, Goldia? Your hands and legs… Are they injured too?” Lisette stares into her once-pristine hands having specks of blood on their back. “You must have ｢felt｣ it when Xero stabbed them.”

Goldia shakes her head. “I’m fine. It wasn’t serious since the pain was ｢split｣ due to you being my alters. I’m glad to see you two safe.”

“Rest up, you two. Good job keeping Xero busy,” the two heard Kakyoin tell them. They turn to him and his partner marching up to the captured ghoul attempting to free himself from Hierophant Green’s clutches. “It’s about time we end this. Avdol?”

Nodding to his Egyptian friend, Avdol returns with a smile before facing the irate Xero once he sees who’s with Kakyoin. “Yes. Let us finish this.” The ghoul has had enough of being immobile so he sprouts out four tendrils and sends them to the two. However, Avdol is quicker on draw; already assuming his own stance, a fiery orange aura envelops him and from it comes forth his Stand, and small flames manifesting to block each tendrils before they can stab Avdol.

Xero’s reaction is immediate and for the first time, a sound comes out from his concealed mouth: a shriek. A terrifying wail so loud it pierces the ears of those who are in vicinity. “HIEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!” Xero writhes within Hierophant Green’s tentacles more rapidly, his once-expressionless face etched with a look of fear and agony.

Avdol and Kakyoin stepped back to cover their ears, even temporarily interfering with the former summoning his Stand. Goldia, Lisette and Enjel followed, all of them visibly flinching. “Urgh! What the hell?” Kakyoin let out.

“My ears! Did that monster screamed like that?!” Enjel complained.

Not wanting the wailing to continue and fearing he might retaliate, Kakyoin shoves Xero up in the air, hanging him upright like he’s tied up against the wall. This seems to stop his screaming but he continues struggling against Hierophant Green’s hold. The more he writhes though, the more blood being drawn from his expanding gashes as the tentacles dug deep.

“You know, it’s useless to resist after Hierophant Green got its hands on you,” advised Kakyoin, aware it would fall on deaf ears. “You’ll drive it mad. Mad in ripping you apart from pure joy. But that’ll only slow you down, not kill you according to Goldia. Someone else has to do it…” He turns to his comrade. “Right Avdol?”

“Right.”

Waving his arms around like a shaman enacting a dancing ritual, Avdol makes hand signs before thrusting both hands forward as a tall humanoid being comes forth from above. His Stand rises in the air before spreading his limbs in a bizarre pose, emitting a warbling cry, possibly the distinctive call of the mythical phoenix.

“GWUAAAAAAAA!!!!”

“MAGICIAN’S RED!!!” Avdol called out its name proudly in the same spectacular fashion, smiling at the Stand awaiting its user’s command. Possessing an avian head with red feathers and yellow beak, its orange-skinned humanoid body is very muscular whose feathered legs are covered in flames and has sharp claws. The only attire it's wearing are pointed boots and bracelets on its wrists, also shrouded in fire.

The three girls look amazed by the appearance of Magician's Red, feeling the heat even by its appearance alone. “So that is Magician’s Red… I must say, I never imagined it would look so wondrous up close.” Goldia remarked.

“You’re right. Words alone doesn’t begin to describe how majestic it is!” Enjel agreed. Lisette remained silent but she nodded along with wide eyes.

As soon as he sees Avdol is ready, Kakyoin gives him a nod, which the former returns. He proceeds to extract the tendrils out of Xero at last. “He’s all yours, Avdol!”

“Roger!” Avdol makes his move, commanding Magician’s Red to create a thick rope made of fire. The Stand does so with a cry. “RED BIND!”

The flame rope quickly encircles Xero and ensnares him, locking his limbs tightly. Since it’s made out of fire, the rope is singing his body and this is evident by the ghoul’s distressed eyes and continued shrieking. Everyone winces again from his agonized cry, prompting Kakyoin to say, “Don’t stall Avdol! Finish him off, now!”

“GRUAAAAAAAAA!!!” Magician’s Red responds in its user place as it disperses Red Bind’s rope form to have the flames spread around Xero, before they intensified to unbearable temperatures.

“…I would’ve made the flames explode or burn you to death with Cross Fire Hurricane. But because it may wake someone up this late at night or cause collateral damage due to limited space, I refuse to do so,” revealed Avdol, arms folded as he puts on a smug grin. “But that doesn’t mean I’ll be merciful. Begone!”

ボッゴォォン

With one intense flicker, Xero is covered entirely in flames. He falls to the ground and proceeds to lurched backwards as enormous heat makes work of his blood, skin and muscles unforgivingly. “ZKREEEEEEAAAAAAAA!!!!!!” He continues screaming until everything on his body, from his hair, eyes, skin and attire, are burned away. All his energy is burned away also, and not long afterwards, he breathes his last and falls on the ground face first, the flames never letting up.

Avdol and Kakyoin stared at Xero’s smoldering corpse closely to see if he’s really dead. Goldia, Lisette and Enjel approached closer, already knowing Xero is defeated. They can sense it. A few seconds pass before Kakyoin, feeling unsure, asks, “Is Xero dead? Did this one crippling weakness did him in?”

“…Yes. Xero is dead,” affirmed Goldia. “As I told you and Mr. Avdol, ｢fire｣ and ｢heat｣ are Xero’s ｢greatest weaknesses｣ because the blood sustaining him is ｢cold｣. This is the reason why I asked you to bring Mr. Avdol because his Magician’s Red is the ideal counter against Xero.”

“And it did. You made the right move Goldia, and for that, you have my compliment.” Avdol gives her an appreciative smile.

Giggling, Goldia accepts it. “Thank you Avdol. Now, keep the fire alight until the corpse is completely turned into ashes.” Even if she said that, she’s unnerved at the idea of erasing a person’s existence, like they weren’t in the living. She knows it's necessary so she soldiered on.

Silently heeding her advice, Avdol maintains the flame, Magician’s Red hovering beside him and the others keeping watch. Xero’s corpse is starting to incinerate past his skin, exposing his scorched muscles. There’s remaining blood boiling at very high temperatures so Avdol sought to increase the flame’s intensity.

Or he would have if the flame abruptly died out. This didn’t go unnoticed.

“Hmm?! What?” Avdol breathed out, feeling tired for some reason.

“The fire… It’s gone?” Lisette pointed out, as if trying to make sense of what she saw.

“Avdol, why did you put the fire out?” Kakyoin questioned him. To his surprise, the fortune teller is also puzzled.

“I… I didn’t think of putting it out. ｢Intentionally so｣. But not to worry, I’ll try again. Magician’s Red!”

Scrunching his brows and teeth, Avdol shrouds the corpse in flames again. For five seconds, it looks like he’ll keep the fire going but after those seconds passed, the fire begins weakening. In conjunction, Avdol is breathing heavily, finding himself losing focus that Magician’s Red imitated.

“W-What…? I-I’m-”

“Avdol, what’s wrong? Are you alright?” Goldia asked.

“I’m fine! I have to… keep the f-flames…..! Argh!”

He clutches his head when a sudden headache washed over him, causing the fire to die out again. He didn’t tumble thankfully but the evident sign of exhaustion instantly alerts them.

“Avdol! What’s going on?” Kakyoin looks at him in concern. “Why are you so tired? Maintaining the fire you created should be natural to you so why…?”

“I… I really don’t know. I never felt something like this before. This… shouldn’t be happening.” He grunted.

Before anyone can reply, a cracking sound stops them.

ボキッ… ボキッ… ボキッ…  ボキ…

“What was that sound?” Enjel looks around.

“It sounds like it’s coming… from there.” Goldia pinpointed the source. Which is near Xero’s charred corpse. As soon as she did, she and the others realized a big… line fracture in the air. And it starts to shake.

“Wait, was that crack always-”

ガシャァン！

Kakyoin couldn’t finish when a strong shockwave emanated from a fracture spreading open loudly, sending them skidding away. The group recovered quickly and took a gander of the rift whose sharp, serrated edges emit tiny glass-like particles. Needless to say, this display of a small part of reality being disturbed is mind-boggling.

Shaking his head, Avdol stares at the space inside the rift. Nothing is on display there except a glimmering light showing seven colors of its visible spectrum. “What in the…?” Avdol remarked, trying to make sense of the space inside. He and Kakyoin didn’t notice the dawning looks of Lisette, Goldia and Enjel until the former said, “The rift again…!?”

Before she can say more, two hands grab the seared corpse and start pulling it in the rift. Hands with transparent, crystal-like skin. They recognized what’s happening

“Hey, it’s pulling Xero inside! Stop it!” Kakyoin exclaimed, already on the move. Snapping out of their confusion, they ran to intercept. But it’s too late for the hands are faster than them and before they could reach it, the rift closed with the two inside. No more signs of a fracture existed since then.

The group looked on in dismay. So close they were to utterly get rid of Xero even if it’s temporary; he was even killed by Avdol before the fact. But a complication arises in Magician’s Red’s functions so he couldn’t fully incinerate the ghoul’s body and then he was taken to safety, wherever the space in the rift is.

“No… Xero retreated to his ｢realm｣.”

Kakyoin and Avdol turn to the lamenting Goldia. Lisette and Enjel shares her expression too. “His realm?” Kakyoin repeats.

“Like you talked about this morning?” Avdol becomes thoughtful, remembering what Goldia told the zombies about. An epiphany occurs to him and he has this to ask, “You mentioned Xero is a Stand user too. Was that the work of…?” Kakyoin arrives to the same thought too and Goldia’s affirmation verifies it, much to their disbelief.

“Yes… We might’ve saw his mysterious Stand just now.”

The same Stand that must have attacked Hierophant Green earlier. Kakyoin thought back to when he felt his cheek getting punched. It made sense logically. He turns to Goldia to ask a burning question. “I don’t understand. How could his Stand live on when the user is dead? Avdol almost incinerated his body to nothing yet he was rescued. What’s going on here Goldia?” He turns to Goldia. The brunette stared at him with a little uncertainty as she thought on how to answer to the best of her knowledge.

“I understand you have questions waiting to be answered soon, but I implore you to wait until tomorrow morning, when your groupmates must know this night’s events and developments. Please take heed that I might not answer sufficiently but I shall try. For now, you two must rest up.”

Seeing she’s right, Avdol and Kakyoin have no complaints. “We understand. I know this is wishful thinking but hopefully… what you can give us should clear up the nature behind Xero, his Stand and the realm he supposedly inhabits. As well as my sudden issue regarding Magician’s Red.” He looks down to his hands, a little stressed.

“Have faith, Mr. Avdol. Maybe it isn’t so bad that it will hinder your ability in a fight and you might be worrying too much.” Goldia reassured him, her optimism showing.

Even if her words ring in Avdol’s head as he and Kakyoin went their separate ways for tonight, he remains doubtful. Now, they also need to placate the zombies when they ask what happened, knowing some of them may be a little… persuasive.

<=To be continued|\|/

Onomatopoeia:

ボッゴォォン (Boggoun) – Fire intensifying

ボキッ (Boki) – Sound of ice or glass cracking

ガシャァン (Gashaan) – Loud shattering

Chapter Text

The next morning, Kakyoin and Avdol relay the events last night to their groupmates in the living room, making sure Xero’s attempted kidnapping of Sakura, Goldia, Lisette and Enjel’s interference, his weakness to fire and that he was rescued by his Stand after he was apparently killed are covered. Goldia herself is present, listening along after arriving on time compared to yesterday. Once they finish, Bucciarati ponders over their story.

“…So if I got this right, Xero’s Stand somehow created a ｢gap｣ to his realm to retreat, even though he was already a scorched corpse…”

“Yes. That’s how it went.” Kakyoin nodded.

“And, regarding this rift… Did any of you three have a good look at what's inside?” Bruno asked.

“I… don’t think we have?” Kakyoin unsurely answered. “Even if we tried to see inside it, briefly as we did, it seemed to be… blocked by a light.”

“A light?” Gyro scrunched his brows trying to make sense of that part.

“It’s… hard to explain,” he crossed his arms. “I mean, there’s some kind of blinding light shining in different colors. What matters though is, neither of us could see what kind of realm it is, even for a tiny bit.”

The five guys process his answer, all sporting a puzzling look. No doubt they’re trying to imagine the events last night based on the three’s accounts only to find it slightly difficult. If they were there to witness it, they would get the picture clearly. “Say, Goldia…” Mamezuku began, turning to the brunette.

“Yes?” She stood in attention.

“You said Emi was in Xero’s dimension before she miraculously escaped. It’s possible she might’ve seen what it looks like so have you thought of asking her before she went into a coma?”

“Oh, I must have after hearing Ms. Emi mention about being stuck in that other world,” answered Goldia. “I think she was supposed to say what she found out in Xero’s realm, but she became comatose right when she was about to tell us…” She shook her head. “Until she wakes up, we can only speculate the true nature of his unknown realm. I apologize if my answer is unsatisfactory.”

“No need to apologize. It is clear to us the ｢mystery｣ behind Xero won’t be uncovered faster than we hoped. We should take in the fact Xero did retreat moments after his apparent demise.” Avdol comforted her.

“And in the event he did die, he’ll come back to life, even if taking in his weakness on account.” Kakyoin reminded them.

Johnny rubs his chin, thinking over last night’s fight. The zombie guys and girls have been asking (pestering in the case of Saki, Lily, Narancia and Gyro) Avdol and Kakyoin on what happened that only Bucciarati, Johnny and Yugiri telling them to wait until tomorrow so that they stop. As for whether their patience paid off? Well… they were at least glad to be informed at the cost of being puzzled by some details. Like…

“Xero beckoning his Stand to pull his corpse to his dimension… That ｢shouldn’t be possible｣ since he’s already dead. Yeah he will come back to life somehow, but that doesn’t change the fact a dead person summoning a Stand shouldn’t happen. At least that’s my assumption…” He gave his two cents to this matter.

“No, you have a point Johnny,” agreed Avdol. “I can get behind an unconscious user letting out their Stand in a small capacity, but as you said, it isn’t possible Xero can command his Stand fully while he is dead. It violates the rules on Stands.”

“…Actually, there does exist one Stand that lived past its user’s death,” remarked Bucciarati. “My old team fought it but it’s one hell of a persistent Stand, surviving anything we threw at it that we have no choice but to send it to the sea where it would never escape its currents.”

“Yeah, tell me about it…” Narancia scratched his head, memories of the nasty flesh-eating Stand surfacing much to his discomfort. Everyone stares at them in intrigue, having never thought these two would prove the claim true.

“Anyway, back to our concern on Xero living past his death… If only my fire wasn’t put out, he wouldn't make his escape.” Avdol sighed.

“That’s true. Although from what we’ve seen when we tested our Stands, you, Bucciarati, Narancia, and to a lesser extent, Johnny have difficulties controlling your powers,” stated Mamezuku. “Kakyoin and I have no problems while Gyro’s case is undetermined.”

“As I told you, I need a ｢horse｣ so I can use my Stand. Same goes for Johnny so he can use his ｢ultimate technique｣.” Gyro reminded them.

“…And based on the results,” the planter man continued, pacing back and forth. “One similarity we observed is that you four possess incredible strength or firepower. Of all people affected the most however, is you Avdol,” he pointed to the Egyptian. “Your mastery over fire is straightforward yet potentially destructive, but that was compromised by ｢something｣. Possibly our zombie states.”

Avdol sighs deeply but doesn’t deny it. He has seen the result of a test approved by Bucciarati, Mamezuku and Goldia after he and Kakyoin mentioned Magician’s Red’s problem. After explaining a small part of the fight last night, they agree to have eight of them conduct a test to see if they can use their Stand without stopping. Also, this is a good opportunity to learn their own Stands. Gyro and Iggy are the only ones excluded due to reasons above for the former, and there being no sand in the case of the latter.

Kakyoin, Mamezuku and Johnny (his first three forms, specifically) are able to keep using their Stands possibly due to their weak power but high versatility, while Avdol, Bucciarati and Narancia, with their very powerful Stands capable of demolishing structures and annihilating a person, involuntarily stopped attacking or recalled them – Aerosmith’s machine guns overheated, forcing Narancia to rest until they cooled down (he never tested the bomb because they don’t want to destroy belongings and make Kotaro mad) while Bucciarati grew exhausted after five minutes of Sticky Fingers punching without stop. He can still continue the assault after a short rest however.

As for Avdol? Just three flames lit at once for up to ten seconds and he’s forced on his knee, exhausted. Even maintaining one big fire visibly taxes him and after a minute, he’s out of breath.

I have never foreseen this. To think me being a zombie is what likely afflicted my ability to utilize Magician’s Red to its fullest potential… Having this affliction in me when I’m the one needed to kill Xero is not good. Red Bind and Life Detector are shown not to affect me as much but when we face him eventually, I must use my power in moderation. Preferably as a coup-de-grace…

“Maybe your ｢undead biology｣ is the real reason why you four have difficulty prolonging your Stands.”

Goldia chimes in with a thoughtful look. She walks to the center and faces the seven guys each to see if their attention is on her. “What I mean is, the ｢pneuma｣ Ms. Emi have given to your corpses – that is, the name she coined referring to her ｢unique｣ Stand energy – might’ve affected you seven just by being zombies. As you know, Stands are ｢projected｣ from your life energy; based on this, it seems that while your revival process went smoothly similar to the girls, that same process may have compromised your Stands.”

“Pneuma…?” Kakyoin parroted, listening intently.

“Yes, she infused your bodies with pneuma like she did to us… She did it through her Stand, ｢Bring Me to Life｣. The power of manipulating souls of living beings, whether they are animals, plants or humans… With that power, under special circumstances, she can achieve a feat she claimed not even Stands can normally do: resurrecting a dead person.”

Bucciarati adopts a pensive expression. “What do you mean, ‘under special circumstances?” Giorno once sustained my life after my death with Gold Experience. It wasn’t a true revival so I didn’t last long but the fact is, I did become an undead. Is she saying that’s a rule… and what Giorno did to me is an exception?

“While it is true Ms. Emi can control someone’s soul, the only aspect she ｢can’t do｣ is resurrecting a corpse… if that corpse’s soul has already departed,” she continued. “You see, there is a short window of time for Ms. Emi to potentially call the leaving soul back to their body – if she’s successful, that person is revived albeit as an undead masquerading as a living person. It’s not a… true revival in a sense; as in, the revived person is human. Once the soul has departed however, she can no longer call them back; all she’s doing is giving life to a shell that doesn't have that corpse’s identity.”

“…So in short, Emi can revive a dead person if traces of their soul lingers still,” summarized Mamezuku. “How short is the window of time?”

“About half an hour.”

“Huh… Quite ironic that a Stand called ‘Bring Me to Life’ has debilitating limitations in resurrecting the dead. Borders on being unfair a little.” Gyro pointed out.

“Indeed. Ms. Emi did lament the debilitating caveat a few times,” agreed Goldia with a frown. “However, by having assistance outside of Stand-related expertise through Mr. Kotaro’s secretive method of resurrecting the dead, Ms. Emi managed to recall your souls to your bodies, thus allowing her to raise you from the dead. The only flaw being that you previously acted as shambling zombies is resolved by Mr. Kotaro’s hands.”

The boys look down to their palms, trying to sense this pneuma coursing through their veins. Will it feel different, or the same like a flowing blood?

“More than that,” added Goldia, seeing it fit to inform the importance of having soul energy in them. “It is required that you have pneuma in you for protection, including the girls.”

“Protection? Against what?” Johnny raised a brow.

“Against Xero, his ｢blood｣ specifically. Emi may have realized at some point that if Xero’s blood entered your bodies, you will be ｢infected｣, turning you into ghouls like him,” the guys blinked or went wide-eyed when revealing this fact. “She didn’t want that scenario to happen so as a precaution, she administered the most basic function of pneuma to fourteen of your bodies with Mr. Kotaro’s permission.” Hearing the implication of what will happen if Xero infected them isn’t lost. This brought shivers down their spines.

“Emi imparted her energy to you too, right?” Kakyoin reminded her. He then remembered two girls who were holding Xero off got cut or stabbed. “…I remember Lisette and Enjel were wounded when we arrived at their location. It was hard to see since it’s dark but I could’ve sworn I saw smoke coming out of their wounds and… purplish blood.”

“Oh, you picked up on that? You do have sharp eyes,” smiled Goldia, impressed. “It is as you said Kakyoin. Purple blood was spilling from their wounds but that’s only due to his scarlet blood combining with Emi’s pale-blue pneuma causing a strong reaction to those substances and themselves. The result is purple blood spilling out of their aching wounds, the two reacting like they got hurt as a living person would. Of course it’s natural we have Emi’s soul energy coursing through our bodies to strengthen and embolden us, before seeking Mr. Kotaro.”

“Ah, I see. Yeah, that makes sense.”

“Unlike you fourteen,” she still has something to add. “We inherited Ms. Emi’s other abilities of healing or sensing someone’s presence. Presumably, she must’ve known she won’t be able to guide you while comatose so she wanted us to take over in her stead.” She expressed in a thoughtful tone.

“Sensing one’s presence… Like Xero?” Avdol guessed. Goldia nodded.

“And you arrived right on time. If you haven’t, Sakura might be…” Kakyoin didn’t finish, a perturbed look settling on him when imagining the… unpleasant thing Xero may do to Sakura. Goldia shared his expression, but she clapped her hands before the foreboding thought spread.

“Please don’t overthink it. What matters is you can rely on us to find Xero when he resurfaces. Don’t worry if he reemerged far from where you’re supposed to be – I’m thinking of having them accompany you so that when any of us see him, they’ll inform us immediately via shared telepathy. I can imagine it’ll be helpful.”

Even with Goldia’s reassurance, everyone’s worries for the conflict against Xero, and if the red-eyed brunette can guide them to protect the girls and Saga, don’t ease up. Despite this, they can be assured they won’t be going blind over how they must accomplish the important task of stopping Xero. This is a step up from their previous adventures.

“She really thought ahead, huh? It makes me want to meet her soon… if only she isn’t in a coma.” Narancia wished.

“Oh you would really like Ms. Emi, Narancia,” she expressed with a grateful smile, only undercut by melancholy for Emi’s current state. “No other person really cared for us and helped settle in contemporary times than her. She’s usually an eccentric who seems detached or unemotional but when you get to know her, you will see how deep her love for Saga and its people is that she kept them safe all these years, before some of you were born.”

“Eccentric, you say? Hmm, who does that remind me of…?” Johnny hummed, turning to the only person he knows.

“Huh?” Gyro raises a brow, puzzled over his side-eye marked by a smirk.

“You must have appreciated Emi’s company going by your tone.” Bucciarati noted her admiration for the woman they’ve yet to meet.

“Believe me, she’s a splendid guardian to us. Without her, we would’ve been… someone’s unwanted plaything for all eternity…” She whispered half of the statement with a scared look. Her grip to her pocket mirror tightened also.

“Did you say more, Goldia?” Avdol asked.

“Huh? Oh, no! I only said Ms. Emi is great to have around.” She quickly amended. The guys remain suspicious of what she whispered but noticing her rising nervousness, they thought it’s a private matter she doesn’t want to readily share so they accept her small lie.

“Well, aside from Emi, I gotta give Kotaro some credit too. Whatever kind of sorcery he did in order to raise the dead, he must be proficient if he managed to concoct a trick of stimulating our consciousness.” Kakyoin reluctantly admitted. The other six gave him skeptical looks but Goldia steps in to support him.

“I can sympathize. He’s rude and indifferent to a fault but Mr. Kotaro does know what he’s doing. He didn’t come up with the Zombie Land Saga project and went on to start it going blind – a lot of planning was made to ensure its feasibility. Although I do agree that it is crazy.” She chuckled.

“And yet you and Emi went along?” Mamezuku questioned skeptically.

“Well, Ms. Emi is a big help because if we hadn’t joined the project, they'd be defenseless against Xero, especially after learning he’s targeting Sakura.”

“Oh yeah, about that… is there a reason why Xero is targeting Sakura?” Kakyoin crossed his arms. “From the way he acted, he was uninterested in me, Ai and Junko when we first encountered him. Like, he ignored us and gunned straight onto Sakura. He only retaliated when I interfered; that goes too for Lisette and Enjel,” he stared at Goldia. “So do you have any ideas?”

Goldia shakes her head. “Unfortunately, we don’t know why.”

Narancia scratches his head. “Man, what a headache… We just woken up barely a day ago and some stronzo already caused us trouble. Wouldn’t it be nice if we have a week to get used to being zombies? Or better yet, leave us alone?”

“The only way that can happen is if we personally find Xero and beg him not to hunt us down, but he probably won’t listen.” Gyro remarked.

“Being Stand users, we’re already fated to draw other users. There’s no changing that as we knew yesterday.” Bucciarati’s reminder serves to dampen their moods just a little.

“Or weird shit happening to us.” Gyro also commented.

“That, too…”

Goldia lets out a sigh after listening to them express their grievances over how to deal with the dangerous foe from this point. “I already said this earlier but… I do not have all the answers on everything concerning the present crisis. It is true I understood the big picture on what Xero is and what he wants from Ms. Emi, but because last night was our first time doing the arduous task of neutralizing Xero, we were… ill-equipped in how we can effectively stop him, not helping that Ms. Emi knew Xero the most. Again she was comatose so…” She didn’t finish reminding them since it’s becoming tiring to hear the same reminder.

“Last night was the first time you encountered Xero?” Bucciarati guessed. Goldia nodded. “I see. I understand your concern but don’t be so hard on yourself. If fighting is not your suite, then let us handle it. You can inform us where Xero is, his status and what he’s doing. That way, you’re helping us this way despite not joining the action.”

Listening to his advice brightens Goldia’s mood. “That… is sound advice. Yes, I can do that. But, we want to join in the fray like Ms. Emi did months ago. If we don’t, who knows what Xero will do when we weren’t looking aside from potentially trying to hunt down Sakura?” She nodded in confidence. “Oh, about Sakura, are she and the girls rehearsing under Mr. Kotaro’s guidance?”

“Yes. I checked the shed minutes ago and the girls are there. So too Kotaro, who told us not to go in until further notice,” nodded Mamezuku. “Though like yesterday, only Sakura is rehearsing.”

“Oh, that’s…” Whatever Goldia is about to say, her voice trails off. Inwardly, she can guess why the six girls aren’t taking the rehearsal seriously and she won’t fault them for it. However, she does wish they snap out of their reluctance and see the positives in being an idol, even if it’ll be difficult from the start.

“Hey, so… I can’t help but notice…” started Johnny, shooting Goldia a scrutinizing glare. “You’re referring to yourself as ‘we’ for some time. Why do you insist on calling yourself that?”

“Oh, ｢my alters｣ are watching through my eyes.” Goldia answered.

“’Alters’?” Gyro tilts his head.

“Yes. You heard Lisette and Enjel helped Kakyoin and Avdol, right? They’re actually ｢part｣ of me who can depart from my mind through Dream of Mirrors,” she subconsciously showed her pocket mirror. “If they don’t want to go out, they can ｢front｣ my body.”

Bucciarati eventually understands the condition Goldia is explaining as she clarified. Words of a certain Frenchman echoed in his head that reveal the real nature of Diavolo… That he has another personality. That an individual who undergoes a traumatic childhood creates a fissure in their soul that becomes another personality growing alongside the main personality to the point of being dominant. Could it be…?

“O-Oww, mmmnrgh…”

His train of thought is interrupted when he hears Goldia grunt. She’s wincing, putting a hand to her temple like she’s nursing a headache. Everyone doesn’t ignore this. “Hey, are you alright?” Narancia reached one hand out in concern

“Don’t worry, I’m okay. It’s just-” After overcoming her mild headache, she lowers her hand and grins. “Fleta and Enjel want to come out right now so they can get to know you. They’ve been impatient for quite a while, you see.” She giggled.

“Enjel?” Avdol repeated, perking up alongside Kakyoin in recognition. “Come to think of it, Lisette and Enjel are not with you. I thought they were somewhere but after listening to you mention about alters that are part of you…”

“Are they inside your mind as we speak?” Kakyoin guessed.

The brunette beams. “Yes! In fact, I believe it’s about time you meet my alters. Please be on your best behavior, okay?”

“Sure, we will.” Bucciarati nodded.

Goldia looked confused at first, until she discerned he thought she’s talking to him. “Ah, I don’t mean any of you. I’m talking to Fleta and Enjel.”

“Weren’t you talking to yourself then? Since… your alters are part of you.” Narancia pointed out.

“…No? Uh I mean, yes. Wait, that’s not what I’m implying, it’s like… Ummm…” Fumbling on her words, Goldia blushed. She became sheepish, realizing how nonsensical she worded it and adding confusion to their curiosity.

“Let’s pretend you didn’t say it. Goldia, let your alters out please.” Mamezuku chimes in to prevent her from becoming more embarrassed.

“R-Right!” Grateful for his intervention, Goldia whispers a command to the pocket mirror and a floating mirror manifests. The guys’ interest or surprise (if your name isn’t Avdol or Kakyoin) doubles when four girls in similar cutesy, gothic style of clothing come out from the mirror one by one. Lisette and Enjel are among them.

As for the other two, there’s a fair-skinned girl with short dark blond hair and green eyes with matching eyelashes who came out walking pompously. She’s decked entirely in pink hues of her clothes, sporting a dark pink headband, ribbon hanging on both sides of her head, puff-shouldered mini cardigan that has a lacy collar hem tied together with a ribbon, fluffy dress with a lighter pink top having two split ribbon ends and frilly hemmed whiter skirt, pink ballerina shoes and lastly, white knee-length socks with frilly white tops and pink ribbons spiraling up to her mid-calf.

The doll she’s holding matches her attire, possessing a royal crown with ruffled rim and crosses attached loosely on each side over its pink hair and two long ears. Two golden rings are linked to the heart-shaped piercing ear, one of which is in the shape of a heart. Its eyes are the most peculiar part with the left, narrowed eye possessing eyelashes having pink and light blue eyes and the right, circular large eye colored green and red; both pupils are consistently colored yellow and purple in its pupils. For attire, it wears a raggedy purple dress with a sewn red patch on its left worn over a white blouse with small red buttons and bloomers, oversized ruffled sleeves consisting of more crosses and a large red bow on its neck.

Lastly, the level-headed girl standing the tallest among the four with hands on her lap has long, flowing pink hair ornamented at the center of the fringe with a blue, striped bow, two small braids restrained with golden cross sitting on her shoulders, clouded blue eyes, blue eyelashes and fair skin. She wears a short, blue frilled capelet tied with a light blue striped bow, a white, long-sleeved ruffled shirt tied at her waist by a blue sash, knee-length skirt with a petticoat patterned by a sole line of white crosses and white tights with blue Mary Jane shoes each adorned with a white cross and blue bows.

The guys take a gander on these four girls who Goldia claimed are interested in meeting them. Not long after they came out, Enjel waves at Avdol and Kakyoin, beckoning their attention. “Hey! Kakyoin, Avdol! It’s us! Enjel and Lisette! You remember us, right?”

Kakyoin returns the wave. “Haha, we do. It’s hard to forget when you look exactly like Goldia.” He replied, still finding it hard to believe she’s the splitting image of the brunette.

“And I believe you must be… Lisette,” guessed Avdol, staring at the violet-eyed girl. She appeared to be surprised before she nodded. Avdol grinned. “It’s good to see you again.”

“Likewise.” Lisette nodded back.

“How are you? Are your wounds from last night treated well?” Avdol looks over her and Enjel to where they were injured by Xero.

Caught off-guard somewhat by his concern, Lisette shakes her head and allays him. “We’re alright. The pneuma fully healed our wounds.”

“Uh huh! They can patch your injuries after a lot of time has passed. The same can’t be said for fatal injury, though.” Enjel answered.

As they conversed, the others gaze at the two girls, especially Enjel. After Kakyoin told them one alter looks like Goldia, they didn’t believe it until she’s here. Suffice to say, they are astonished. “So she really looks like Goldia. A perfect match aside from colors.” Narancia rubs his eyes and sees if he’s imagining Enjel looking like Goldia; she remains the same.

“Well, she is part of her even if it’s a little weird she’s an exact copy.” Bucciarati opined.

“AAAAAHEM! What about us?”

A high-pitched voice clears her throat loudly to pull the boys’ attention to her and the two remaining girls. The one who did is an impatient Fleta, tapping one foot while holding her doll with both her arms. “Hope you didn’t forget we’re here. Or do I have to declare my presence?”

“Fleta, be patient. We will let these men know us soon, okay?” The pink-haired girl puts a hand on the shorter girl’s shoulder and turns to Lisette and Enjel glaring at her from stealing Kakyoin and Avdol’s attention. “And you two, please stay calm.”

The three don't stand down until Goldia gets in between them and speaks up to alleviate the small tension. “A-Anyway! Now that they’re here, I can finally say this: Kakyoin, Mr. Avdol, everyone… These are my cherished ｢alters｣ living in my ｢mindscape｣ who swore to pay Emi’s gratitude back on letting us exist in the current world by stopping Xero,” she turns to each four girls with a smile and beckons them, “Go on, introduce yourselves.”

The one named Fleta steps in immediately before any of the three can act. She shows her cutest smile as she can that compliments her adorable look, and contrasting with her behavior earlier. “Hello! It’s soooo nice to be meeting you at last! I am Fleta, the sole princess of my territory alongside Queen Egliette! You better remember our names for we are being generous!”

“It’s also great to meet you, Fleta. And to your doll as well.” Bucciarati happily returned, amused by her roleplaying as a member of the royalty.

“Ah, glad to see one of you has manners,” nodded Fleta. “Come on Egliette. Say hi to them.” She whispered to her inanimate doll. The guys wouldn’t think much about it until this happens.

“Greetings.”

Everyone except Iggy goes wide-eyed or flinches back in surprise, with even Mamezuku, Avdol and Bucciarati not hiding it. Narancia rubs his eyes again and blinks, before pointing at the doll and asks, “You guys didn’t imagine that, right? Did that doll… talk?”

“I did, boy,” uttered Egliette again, surprising Narancia again and making him splutter. “I am capable of speaking to those who are permitted to hear me by Fleta. Otherwise, you would only hear me squeaking.”

“…Well, did that answer your question, Narancia?” Johnny asked in a deadpan tone.

“Y… Yeah.”

Fleta covers her mouth as she giggles, really enjoying their reactions. She can’t wait to see the zombie idols’ reaction next when she shows Egliette to them. “Wow, I have to say… your doll looks cute.”

“Hm?”

She looks up at Gyro crouching before her to examine Egliette. He hums and nods, inspecting the watching Egliette from any angle with an enamored expression. “The material your doll was made from is impressive. Adding her royal attire and of course that she can speak… Nyo-ho! You’re lucky to have Egliette, little Fleta.”

Fleta opens her mouth, having not expected Gyro would throw a compliment. Then she smiles, happily drinking in his praise. “Oh, why thank you. It’s weird to see a grown man like you having an interest in plush toys, but…” She giggles. “Guess you’re not a boring grownup if you and I have the same interests.”

“Who said I’m boring? I’ll pay someone a visit who said that to me.” Gyro frowned, offended. “…Say, can I hold her?”

“Why of course! Are you okay with his request, Egliette?”

“As long as you’re being delicate, sir Gyro.”

While Gyro gleefully holds the queen doll, Harpae steps in next. “Greetings. My name is Harpae, trusted guardian of these girls including Goldia. It’s my pleasure to make your acquaintance.” She last bowed.

“Same here.” Mamezuku returned, liking Harpae’s demeanor just from her introduction alone. The guys approve too.

Next, Lisette faces them with Enjel waiting behind her. “You already knew our names but… I’m Lisette.”

“And I’m Enjel!” Said girl waves both hands with a smile. “It’s so great we get to know each other. You have no idea the impatience I have to endure just to be face-to-face with you!”

“Sheesh… Are you and Fleta that eager to see us? Heh, now that you met us, was it great getting to know us?” Narancia grinned, feeling rubbed off by her enthusiasm.

“Yeah! And it’s oh soooo worth it…” Enjel nodded.

“I second that!” Fleta exclaimed from behind after letting Gyro and Egliette be.

“I would like it if you two stop being so loud…” Lisette complained, stepping back a bit to shoot them a mild glare.

“Oh yeah? What are you gonna do about it? Bleh!” Fleta sticks her tongue out. Lisette’s glaring darken though she refuses to get angry because she doesn’t hold their eagerness against them. After all, she does want to interact with the zombie guys too.

Harpae and Goldia giggle at the display they became familiar with. “Now, now. No fighting please. The gentlemen are watching us.” Harpae tells them anyway, albeit in a lighter tone. The onlookers are amused by their interaction, thinking they have some insight over their behavior and relationship.

“This is the first time we’re meeting her alters, but I think… we’re gonna be fine under them.” Johnny opined.

“It’s going to be weird having these girls younger than us guide us, right after those three first encountered Xero. But I can sense their potential to be useful.” Bucciarati eyed the girls barely reaching up to their shoulders, confident they can contribute to Kotaro’s goal beneficially.

“I don’t know… Goldia doesn’t seem like someone who would hurt a fly going by her kind attitude.” Narancia seriously asked.

“Have faith. Those three did help me and Avdol defeated Xero last night. Even if she’s averse to violence, she won’t let that dislike get in her way of protecting Saga.” Kakyoin reaffirmed his stance for the brunette, with Avdol nodding.

“…Hah! That Xero bastard has no idea what he’s getting into when he dared try kidnapping Sakura. He’ll get what’s coming to him once they find him next time!” Gyro grinned with Egliette in his arms.

The girls overheard their conversation, and while Fleta, Enjel and Lisette liked their show of support, Goldia and Harpae aren’t… if only because of Gyro’s choice of words. “You could’ve said that without uttering that bad word. Especially with Fleta and Enjel here.” Goldia complained.

“It’s alright Goldia. Don’t be so protective,” sighed Enjel. “It’s not like we’re gonna say that out loud.”

“Even still, you shouldn’t be hearing those kinds of words, for you two are young.” Harpae reprimanded a little.

“Uhh, sorry but… I don’t think we’ll stop. You should probably get used to us cursing instead of advising us not to.” Narancia chuckled, having gleaned they wouldn’t like swearing based on their manners.

“Hahaha! You guys are gonna be fun to be around,” remarked Fleta. “Now we don’t need to hang out with that obnoxious manager anymore.”

“Yes. At least he hasn’t been rude to us, or else a scissor to his face is the least of his worries…” Lisette darkly implied.

“Oh? Sounds like you dealt with his antics long before we woke up, huh?” Avdol remarked.

“You have no idea. Even Emi and Goldia are better behaved than him.” Lisette narrowed her eyes.

“…Not surprised he’s an annoying prick before we woke up.” Johnny sympathizes with the other blonde.

“Well even with his irksome attitude, he’s a nice company to have around. He does have a foresight not to be callous to us after all,” added Harpae. “Why, he’s one of the adults I don’t have an issue with alongside Ms. Emi, and to five of you gentlemen.”

“…Won’t argue with you there. Oh, by the way, before you think of being… more than friends with Goldia…” Lisette approaches Goldia to her side, who glances at her in curiosity. She stares at each of the zombie guys with narrowed eyes, then she holds the brunette’s right hand intimately interlocking her fingers together. “Goldia’s mine.” She finally revealed with a glare. A blushing glare.

Goldia flinches at Lisette’s sudden hand holding before she blushes with a giggle. She returns Lisette’s tight hold with her own and gazes adoringly into her violet eyes. It didn’t take long to see the kind of relationship these two have. “Oh. You’re in love with Goldia.” Kakyoin remarked.

“It’s not just Lisette!” Fleta rushes to Goldia’s other side in a flare of jealousy. She seizes her left arm and hugs it tightly, shooting a glare to every male in the room. “She’s mine too!”

“No fair! I wanted to hold her hands!” Enjel whined, pouting that Fleta got to her first. Fleta stuck a tongue out in her direction, making Enjel pout more.

“You can still hug Goldia in the front. Or would Lisette suffice?” Harpae told her, hugging Goldia from behind and nuzzling her cheek to her hair. Enjel did like she said, throwing her arms around Goldia. And even kissed her much to her and the other girls’ surprise. “Mmmmwah! Looks like I kissed her first today~!”

Fleta, Lisette and even Harpae glared at the smug Enjel jealously but they laughed it off or giggled. After all, they claimed the brunette all to themselves, enjoying the fabric of her clothes, her delicate skin and the sweet gaze and smile she’s giving them. They suddenly become shy, averting eye contact as their cheeks and nose become red.

“…Please don’t mind them. They only want to let you know I’m… what’s the phrase common in this era for this kind of situation…? Ah, ‘taken.’ I was already taken.” Goldia calmly informed them. To their relief, no one objected.

“Five of you are in love with each other. A polyamory kind?” Mamezuku observed.

“Actually, polycule.” Harpae corrected.

“Polycule? So not only do you love Goldia, but also, each other too?” Gyro becomes pensive, his narrowed eyes studying the display of loving affection between five girls… before giving a thumbs up with his free hand “…I approve!”

“A polycule of her alters, at that,” added Narancia. “Does she love herself then? As in, her own selves, in a romantic way?”

“Uhhh, best if we don’t overthink that,” advised Johnny. “It’s gonna hurt my head understanding the implications.”

“Well, it’s their choice on who to love. I, for one, support them.” Avdol nods in approval.

“Agreed. Besides, she must be young, possibly a teenager, so don’t think of flirting with Goldia, you six.” Bucciarati warned.

“I’m actually 20.” Goldia corrected.

Bucciarati blinks. “Really? You’re my age? That’s… surprising considering your height.”

“I-I would prefer it if you don’t point out my short height.” Goldia whined.

“Ah I didn’t mean to make fun of your height. Just observing.”

“Don’t be so crestfallen, my girl. Ms. Junko was 19 when she died and she’s about the same height as you.” Harpae comforted her.

“Junko’s 19? Oh, right. I remembered she was 19 when she died.” Kakyoin stated. The guys give him a raised brow or puzzled look, leading him to clarify, “She’s in the same decade as me and Avdol.”

“Still though, Junko’s actually 19? Couldn’t tell that much judging by her height and behavior.” Gyro admitted.

After the display of intimate contact is over and the girls let go of Goldia, she looks at the clock hanging up on the wall. “Tomorrow is the girls’ second concert. In the meantime, they must rehearse while we wait.”

“Awww, it’s going to be a boring wait. Gonna do something to pass time, like… listening to music. Wonder if that loud-mouthed manager has a second boom box so I can listen with headphones.” Narancia expressed his discontent of waiting until they can hopefully leave. They’ve been cooped up here for a whole day so he really wants to stretch his legs and take his first step to the world as a living zombie.

“Oh! Then I have a great way to pass the time!”

Soon after Fleta chimed in, she dropped a small box on a table. The guys stare at the three-lettered name and pair of colored cards in the front curiously. “…Huh. This world has this card game too. You want us to play a few rounds with you?” Mamezuku looked at Fleta, seemingly familiar with it.

“Why else would I bring it out? Come on! Let’s play! I’ll show you how the expert does it!” She boasted, snickering mischievously. “And there are couple of board games I brought along if you’re getting bored of playing cards!”

“Before we play it, may I ask what’s this… ‘Uno’ about?” Johnny asked.

“I heard about this card game back when I was alive but never played it…” Kakyoin admitted.

Goldia laughs, becoming eager to watch her girlfriends and the zombie guys play some rounds of Uno. “Then I’m happy to explain it! Perhaps you’ll like it due to its addictive nature like Ms. Emi did!”

And so, the group spent the rest of the day going through more than ten rounds of Uno and played more rounds of Connect Four and Monopoly. Unsurprisingly, some like Johnny, Narancia, Fleta and Lisette became so engrossed and competitive that they insisted on going for another round.

<=To be continued|\|/

Chapter Text

Hey everyone. I’m here to announce that someone created a page for this fic on TV Tropes. You can visit it here: https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Fanfic/LivingThingsNovallino

Chapter Text

“We’re gonna have to be careful out there tomorrow.”

Sakura mutters to herself as she looks at her palm with a doleful expression. Right now, she’s leaning on the railing of the terrace outside as she watches the orange-hued sky and sunset in the sea’s horizon, taking a rest after a whole day of rehearsing before tomorrow’s concert in Saga Castle. As much as she's worried if the concert will be okay since she's the only one practicing again, she's more worried about the monster who has taken interest to her much to her fear.

Recalling Ai and Junko's downcast looks earlier over their encounter with Xero and witnessing the threat it poses, even if they’re not targeted, on top of their pre-existing misgivings about Kotaro's idol group project, Sakura can't help but share their feelings too regarding the future encounters they’ll have with Xero. Kakyoin's group may have Stands to help defend them, but do they have what it takes to survive against Xero? She surely hopes so after seeing what Kakyoin can do, impressing her with his expert use of Hierophant Green. She also wished to have seen Avdol’s Stand in action after learning what happened from him.

Xero… Just imagining the way he looked at me gives me shivers. What does he see in me that captured his interest so much he ignored Junko, Ai and Kakyoin? Will… Will this be a common occurrence in our next encounter? Oooh, please don’t let it come true.

As she wonders what kind of Stand she will have, she hears a rough voice from her side, "Hey."

Flinching, Sakura turns to her right and almost blanches at Saki's mean glare. She pulls some tentacles off a dried squid she’s chomping on with ferocity as she says, “You wanna die?”

“Ah, sorry! I’ll leave!” Sakura apologized, turning around to leave her alone until Saki stopped her. “Hold it!”

Walking up close to Sakura, forcing her to lean against a railing much to her discomfort, she zooms her face close to her petrified face as she asks, "Why do you do everything that jackass with the sunglasses tells you to?!"

"You mean Mr. Kotaro?"

Sakura flinches again when Saki pounds her fist on the railing. She continues sneering at her with a scowl, saying, "I'm different from you, got that!? I do whatever I FEEL like doing, and I DON’T ｢respect wusses｣!”

"…So what do you feel like doing?" Sakura replies to gauge her intentions.

"Taking over the damn whole country!"

"Er, why?"

Seeing she's continuing being a wuss like she said, Saki scoffs before walking away from Sakura with hands on her skirt pocket. Wanting to make up with her immediately, Sakura stops her. "Wait! Um, just this once, can you try-"

"Nah, screw that." Saki shuts her down before she can finish. “Do I have to spell it out to you or what?” And with that, the former biker leader leaves.

Watching her go, Sakura can feel her worry increasing regarding Saki's harsh behavior to her and Ai and Junko's unwillingness to participate. She wanted everyone to get along with each other and yet, the girls are not taking being an idol seriously. How is she supposed to remember if the girls are going to continue like this?

At this point, gaining a Stand feels easy compared to being an idol.

“Sakura. Finished rehearsing already?”

Someone else spoke to her. A friendly voice she recognizes. She turns to the opening door and sees Kakyoin walking out. Goldia is with him too. She beams a little when seeing them, providing her relief after a nerve-wracking conversation with Saki.

“Kakyoin, Goldia,” she greets them. “Yeah. Today’s rehearsal is done. We’re going to do one more rehearsal tomorrow morning before we leave,” she informs them… then goes crestfallen upon remembering the girls not joining in. “Or actually, I’m the one who’s gonna rehearse again.”

“The girls are yet to be onboard with you and Mr. Kotaro still…?” Goldia guessed, looking at her downcast face in concern. Sakura nods. “Hmm, I think I heard someone talking to you outside. Did you… have an argument with one of the girls?”

“That was Saki just now, criticizing me for being a ‘wuss’.”

“That girl again?” Kakyoin folded his arms with a disapproving look. “She remains headstrong as ever like last night, huh? I should go over and tell her to stop scaring you.”

“No, no. Don’t warn her on my behalf Kakyoin,” Sakura stops him. “Leave her be. I imagine she’s still irritated over being a zombie so maybe… she needs more time to process it.”

“Are you sure? I only intend to warn her.”

Sakura shakes her head. “Please don’t. I… I’ll try proving to her I’m not a wuss. Somehow.” Though Kakyoin is skeptical, he decides to drop it. While they’re talking, Goldia moves to the railing and watches the evening sky. She finds herself calming down as she’s enamored by the sunset illuminating the sea, producing twinkling sparkles with each passing wave.

“…You must be anxious not only for the girls’ current mood regarding the idol project, but also for tomorrow’s concert and Xero,” she started speaking without looking at Sakura or Kakyoin. “Worrying over so many problems will make you restless. Maybe you should watch the evening sky – hopefully that will calm you down Sakura.”

Without hesitation, Sakura returns leaning on the railing. “Actually, that’s why I’m here when rehearsal is done to clear my head. Except, I kept thinking about last night and the girls so I became more anxious, not helped that Saki showed up.”

“Then stop thinking about those problems even for a while and simply enjoy this scenic scene,” she advised, glancing at the redhead with a comforting smile. “They will not resolve on their own, I know that. But like I said, it will not help you to calm down if those thoughts remain during the time for rest.”

Looking at her smiling face, Sakura mulls over her piece of wisdom. The more she thinks about it, the more eager she is in taking it to her heart, agreeing with Goldia’s point.

“That’s the kind of advice I can get behind,” chimed in Kakyoin, standing to Sakura’s right to lean on the railing and watch the sunset. Being taller than the two, he has to bend forward a bit so his arms are resting on it. “Things may become better in the near future Sakura, we’ve yet to get to that point. Maybe come tomorrow, you’ll show the girls that being idols is serious business and that you won’t back down in spite of the odds stacked against you.” He last smiled at her.

Hitching a breath from how Kakyoin is grinning at her, Sakura quickly nods before facing the horizon to hide her blush. …Why am I so embarrassed of him? He’s simply smiling at me after giving me advice. That’s all! She can feel her non-beating heart working for a brief time when she blushes – like she’s enamored. She ignores it, deeming it unimportant.

The three continue watching the sunset until it fully sinks in the horizon.

"It’s not about technique! It's about ｢heart｣! Trust me kid. ｢Makeup｣ is the ｢paintbrush｣ that ｢colors｣ the whole world! It’s in your hands…"

Kotaro says this bit of wisdom to Sakura as he applies a small amount of makeup using a palette knife to cover her scar after covering her entire face and putting blush marks first. Since he’s holding the paint brush with his mouth, his voice comes out mumbled.

"Sorry. I didn’t understand any of that." Sakura replied with eyes closed, feeling the makeup touching her face.

"Hot damn! This might really work!" Saki exclaimed with a smile from her side, sounding amazed over the makeup making her appear as a living human.

"Oh wow! Pretty!" Lily complimented Yugiri joyfully, looking at the mirror to admire themselves.

"That’s so kind of you. You look quite radiant yourself, Lady Lily" The courtesan returned.

Ai and Junko didn’t say anything but did check out their makeup in two hand mirrors. …Hope this turns out okay. Sakura thought, glancing at them as Kotaro was finishing up her makeup.

At the same time Kotaro is disguising the girls, it’s happening to their bodyguards too. They’re not in the van as we speak however, nor are they outside. Instead, they’re inside Goldia’s mind who is meditating in the front seat with eyes closed. Specifically, they’re in her headspace, located in her mind where her alters reside. Each alters occupy four areas divided in the headspace. These include:

A royalty-themed area Egliette and Fleta rules over alongside living plush toys and toy soldiers; a spacious mansion similar to Goldia’s old home maintained by Harpae, usually as their common hub area; a carnival or circus-themed park owned by Lisette and her clones containing a hidden church area and hill littered with white flowers overlooked by a big moon, stabilized and renovated compared to its former damaged state; and lastly, a late eighteenth century village that appears to come out from a children’s book or at least Enjel imagined them that way.

Having the zombie guys stay inside Goldia’s headspace through Dream of Mirrors is a feasible way to have twenty one of them fit inside the van and save a little bit of space.

Currently, Goldia and her alters are applying the disguise for the zombie boys in the mirror room of Fleta’s dollhouse. Similar to the zombie girls, they’re just about done.

“Let me brush your face more aaaaand… done! You can open your eyes, Kakyoin!” Goldia steps back to admire her work applying makeup on Kakyoin. The teenager does as she says and turns to the mirror. He’s amazed by his disguise again.

“Wow. You did a great job Goldia. I really look alive.” He praised her.

“Thank you. We put a lot of practice applying makeup until they meet Mr. Kotaro’s standards. Glad to hear our hard work is paying off.”

As for the others, Avdol, Bucciarati and Johnny are already done with the help of Goldia, Harpae and Enjel while Fleta, Egliette and Lisette are almost done disguising Narancia, Gyro and Mamezuku. Like Kakyoin, they are enamored that their zombie looks are non-existent with the makeup on.

“Phew… That’s all his skin. Okay, you can look at the mirror, Narancia.” Fleta announces. He did so and was immediately amazed.

"Whoa…! Is this real? Do I… look alive with the makeup on? Tell me I’m not imagining this, guys!” Narancia tries poking his cheek with one finger only for Egliette to stop him.

“Don’t touch your face. You could ruin your makeup.”

"You’re seeing it with your own eyes, right? You look dashing right now!” Fleta complimented with a satisfied nod.

“Are you girls sure this is your first time applying makeup? Your work didn’t look like it’s made by an amateur.” Johnny wondered after he’s done putting lipstick on.

“As Goldia said, we did a lot of practice when you were all unawakened,” answered Lisette. “We messed up the first time but with Ms. Emi and Kotaro’s guidance and support, we reached the quality Kotaro wants in how a disguised zombie looks.”

“It’s impressive. Sounds like you girls put your hearts and soul into it so much." Bucciarati remarked, looking at his reflection in a hand mirror given by Harpae.

“Of course we did! It’s kinda weird doing it to you instead of girls, since females usually use them according to Ms. Emi but I’m not complaining if I’m enjoying it!” Enjel concurred, beaming after Gyro gives him a thumbs up in approval for her work.

"You even know my correct skin color. Good to see you thought ahead." Avdol said.

“If I have to ask though, since you girls look indistinguishable from when you were alive, why hasn’t that aspect brought over to us fourteen?” Mamezuku inquired the alters, scrutinizing their appearances. “Does the pneuma have to do with it? Could we have healthy-looking skin as you five did since we have pneuma?”

Seeing he’s right, the zombie guys look at them, begging for an answer. Harpae steps in to quell their curiosity. “Unfortunately, it only applies to us because we were revived foremost by Ms. Emi.”

“But… Emi revived us too.” Gyro pointed out.

“Yes she did, but she only played a small part – Mr. Kotaro himself is the one who mainly resurrected you. As such, you bear the look of a corpse regardless. Besides, the pneuma serves as protection only, unlike us. And for making you and the zombie girls fluent in other languages like German or Japanese.”

“‘Daher dürfte es zwischen uns keine Kommunikationsprobleme geben, okay?’ Like so.” Goldia speaks in her native language - the boys immediately understand what she said which translates, “So there would be no communication problems between us, okay?” 

Nonetheless, the zombie guys groaned or sighed over their handicap. Makes them wish Kotaro wasn’t the one who revived them. “Well that’s bullshit. Emi should’ve revived us instead of Kotaro.” Narancia bemoaned.

“I understand your grievances but you must understand Bring Me to Life’s caveat.” Goldia reminded them. Although, the ｢nature｣ of our resurrection should be impossible if not for the ｢special circumstances｣ allowing us to be brought back to life by her own hands. Her alters share her look of contemplation, apparently having read her mind.

Once the zombies are remarkably disguised, they leave to go inside the Saga Castle. Arriving in the designated room for the 11^th Shachi-no-mon concert, the zombie bodyguards split up between those who are staying (Kakyoin, Johnny and Mamezuku) and those who accompany the zombie idols. Goldia and her alters stay with the former group, eagerly awaiting Death Musume (Title Not Final)’s part.

Aside from the middle-aged or elderly, the other members who stick out are the metalhead duo from the idols’ first concert, which Kakyoin notes. “Hmm? Those two…”

“What is it? Someone caught your eye?” Johnny asked.

“Yes. Those two over there,” he pointed behind them since they’re sitting in the second row up front. “I saw them in the previous concert. The one filled with heavy metal fans. Wonder what they’re doing here?”

“Maybe they’re here for them? As their fans? Their first ever fans, actually?” Enjel wondered.

“Well those seven do manage to attract at least two so soon after their first concert. Not that it’s much when they’re still starting.” Mamezuku remarked.

Meanwhile, while the idols are waiting for their turn backstage, Sakura warns her groupmates of this important advice: “Remember, don’t give away our secret.”

“You mean the zombie thing?” Saki let out, apparently not too worried. "No worries! That'll be super easy! WE’RE ALIVE!"

“Shh! Saki!” Sakura chastised her, glancing at the onlookers nervously. The four bodyguards gesture to the onlookers Saki is only jesting.

"And you know what else? In this getup, I’m FREAKING SEXY!” She admired herself more in a mirror, opining rambunctiously.

"Okay, okay!” Sakura said permitting her not to speak more before she accidentally spills out their secret. Just then, a staff member approaches the group.

"Sorry for the wait. Lessee… You girls are 「Green Face」, aren’t you? Say’s here it’s your turn."

Thinking he got the name wrong, Sakura replies, "Ah actually sir, our group is called Death Musume."

"Starting today, you're called ｢Green Face｣!”

“Huh?”

Kotaro’s voice declared from behind closed doors. He slides them open just as Sakura turns around in confusion by his late name change for their group.

"Mr. Kotaro-”

"Listen! You get out there and show these people the Grrrrreen Face of your hearts…!" He told the redhead, moving his hand like he’s showing her an amazing view to emphasize his point.

"But what does that mean?" She attempted to ask only for the producer to shout and point his finger somewhere enthusiastically.

"OKAAAAAAAY!!!! GO NOW!!! GO, GO, GO, GO, GO, GOOOOOO!!!!!"

After heeding Kotaro’s overenthusiastic order, Green Face stands in the spotlight of the stage lights. The audience watches the odd seven-member group in silence, wondering what they will bring for the public concert.

Steeling her nerves, Sakura hopes that some way or another, the concert will come out okay. With Saki still acting hostile over her presumably having no "guts", Ai and Junko still traumatized from encountering Xero and Yugiri, Lily, and Tae (the former two being the only members getting along with each other well) being passive but still not participating, she fears their second performance could crumble any moment.

However, looking at their bodyguards and Goldia’s alters sitting in the second front row helps calm her down. While she doesn’t know if they have faith with their second concert or not, she can rest easy knowing they are supporting her. Of note, Kakyoin and Goldia are gazing at her intently, as if they’re telling her, “Do your best.”

Holding Tae back when she tries to move, Sakura addresses the audience with a nervous smile. "Umm, hello there! We are, uh, Green Musume! No wait, I mean, ｢Green Face｣!"

“Are they on some kind of “saving the environment” gig now?” Bull has this to ask when hearing the new name.

“Oi are you ladies not doing death metal anymore?” Skull asked loudly.

The girls’ supporters are perplexed by what Sakura called their group. “Green Face? Aren’t they called Death Musume according to Kakyoin?” Avdol queried.

“That’s right. So why the name change?” Bucciarati stated.

“We weren’t informed there would be a name change.” Harpae mentioned.

“He probably didn’t since that was done last minute.” Lisette added.

"Geez Kotaro. You suck at naming or something?" Narancia muttered.

"A-Anyway, you can call me Number One, and my friend here is Number Zero,” she referred to Tae swaying in one place with a far-out look. “and then to my left… Number Two, and Three… Number Four…" Skimming her eyes on Saki, Ai and Junko, she turns to her right and is mildly surprised to see Yugiri kneeling on the floor and bowing while a box and folded hand fan sits near her before continuing, "…Uh, oh! Number Five… And that’s Number Six. We’re a brand new idol group, and our mission is to revive Saga using our music. Our skills are kind of green too… But we’ve practiced really hard!"

"…Only Sakura though,” pointed out Gyro. "She bothered to practice unlike those six.”

Hoping for the best, Sakura turns to Saki, Ai and Junko as she announces, "Well! Let’s do this!" She raises Tae's hand as she exclaims, "Goooo!”

Seeing they’re ready, Kotaro clicks his finger and says, "Music, come on."

BGM: Yomigaere (The starting instrumental part before the first lyric)

Pop music starts playing and Sakura proceeds to dance, clapping to the beat. Unsurprisingly, Saki, Ai, Junko and Lily aren't dancing but Yugiri and Tae appear to follow Sakura, with the former sticking to what she did when she's alive in the 19th century and the latter acting like what an unawakened zombie would do. These two stuck out.

"What… is this?" The chubby metalhead questioned, having gone here to hear the girls scream their lungs out more together with his lanky friend, appearing dismayed.

Whilst imitating Sakura, Tae’s eyes happen upon an old man eating dried squid from a bag. Her hunger instincts kick in, drawn by the sight and smell of the food… “Haargh… Uaaagh… Aaaargh…”

As the music swells to its first verse, Sakura is about to sing when she notices Tae moving toward the old man. "T-Tae, STOP!"

BGM Stops

Uh oh. This spells trouble. Their zombie allies all thought when seeing Tae walking out the stage. Kakyoin is about to intercept her with Hierophant Green but Sakura gets to Tae first, grabbing her arm to stop her from jumping off the stage. She tried pulling the zombie back but she’s putting up more resistance than expected. "Not… NOOOOOW!!!" Undeterred, Sakura pulls Tae with all her might…

…and in the process, she accidentally removed her arm with a pop.

To make matters worse, Tae hits the floor hard enough her head launches out of her neck, bouncing up to the air.

"AHHHH!" Sakura shouted, realizing the trouble they’re going to be in.

"Oh dear!” Goldia covers her mouth with her hands, a look of horror shared by her alters and the zombie guys.

"There it goes!" Lily exclaimed, watching Tae's head fall to the elderly holding a dried squid with her mouth open, like she’s planning to bite him…

BGM: Pandemonium (Zombie Land Saga OST)

Fortunately, that didn’t happen. As the audience in the front looks at Tae in surprise, the old man, unfazed he's holding a moving head, sees that she's looking at the dried squid he's holding. "Want a bite?" The elderly kindly asks, offering Tae a dried squid. The beheaded zombie bites it with gusto and chews with a happy look. She is then picked up by Sakura, who claims, "Ummm… Ta-daaaa! It's a trick! I have… ｢superpowers｣!" She extended her hand for emphasis. Tae's headless body runs past her, eliciting a shocked shout from her. "Hey Saki! Heads up!" She throws Tae's head back to the stage as she moves to grab her body.

Catching in her arms after calculating where it's gonna land, Saki, with Ai and Junko watching by her side, watches Tae chewing the squid with a curious look. "…Does that not even hurt?" She wondered, seeing she's not feeling any pain despite being beheaded, or is too busy tasting the squid to feel it.

"Tada! It’s another trick! Wooooo, ｢Undead Magic｣!" Sakura claims again as she pulls Tae's body back to the stage. The audience buys into Sakura's claim that it's all an elaborate magic trick and claps their hands. Even the metalhead duo, alters and bodyguards are impressed.

"I must say, I'm surprised," commented Avdol with a smile. "Sakura sure knows how to put up a magic act."

"Let’s hope nothing can go off the rails after that little hiccup." Johnny said.

Once Tae's body is on the stage, Sakura snatches Tae's head off Saki's hand and puts it back. Her relief is cut short for not even a second when Saki, amused of the entire shtick, pulls her head off her body, stating, "Uh uh! You’re not the boss of me!”

"We can’t keep doing this!"

While the audience continues getting impressed except their allies, Sakura snatches the head from her and tries to put it back only for Saki to push her, exclaiming, "Quit barking orders!" Catching Tae’s head when it falls, Saki proudly presents her to the audience, saying, "Heheh! Nothing up my sleeve, ladies and gents!"

パァン

BGM stops

The sound of slapping echoed as Tae's head slammed into the wall behind the girls before sliding down. She's still eating the dried squid as Sakura, having enough of Saki butting heads with her, shouts in her mic to her surprised face. "CAN YOU TRY TO HIDE THAT WE'RE ZOMBIIIIIIES!?!?"

Everyone goes silent over Sakura's bold remark, including the alters and bodyguards. Then they began freaking out on the inside, fearing Sakura might have accidentally exposed themselves.

S-Sakura! What are you saying!? Retract your statement! Quick! Kakyoin thought too late, fearing the worst…

…Except, he's in for another surprise of his (un)life.

"How’s anyone gonna believe we’re idols, if our heads pop off when we’re mid-recital? That’s not a thing people can do when they’re alive, but I guess your brain must be rotting inside! Pure stupidity from a DUMBASS ZOMBIIIIIE!!!” Sakura angrily shouted, finally daring to stand up against the tough-acting blonde.

"All right, bitch, it is on! Think you got rhymes? I’ll kick your ass all the way to Hoto Shrine!" Saki responded back, not wanting to have her way drilling into her.

"Are you even listening? I couldn’t be more succinct. If they find out what we are, then we go extinct. Don’t you see they hate us? We’re monsters to them! And if you don’t accept that, this second chance is gonna end. The cops are trigger-happy, that’s what happens when they’re fearful. And you’re gonna get a bullet to the brain if you’re not careful!"

As this goes on, the zombie allies are left amazed, and worried, over their argument. “Soooo, what the hell is happening? Where is their argument going? And why does it feel like they’re… singing?” Gyro questioned.

"Are you… rhyming Gyro?” Johnny pointed out.

“To be honest… I ain’t so sure. Neither are the others.” Narancia sees twelve of them are profoundly puzzled. Yet they’re eager to see where it goes.

Kotaro, seeing where this is going and taking advantage of it, holds a microphone and proceeds to beatbox as Sakura and Saki, with the lights dimming to red, continue their argument… through rapping.

BGM: DEAD OR RAP!!! (Sakura’s lines are in italics, while those that are underlined are Saki’s)

Bet you think you're so smart, but you ain't got no sense.
 You think a badass bitch like me is gonna run when things start to get intense?!
 I was in a biker gang, or did you forget that?
 I don't care about being an idol, don't wanna be no stuck-up brat!

Yugiri strums a shamisen to provide some music as she nods along the beat. Lily happily plays along, putting Tae's head back and holding a microphone to her mouth, who promptly chews it. Lily takes it in stride as she encourages the audience to clap along in beat as Sakura is next to rap her lines.

I can't remember anything about my life before
 But when I step up on the stage, it's like I've found something to live for
 You might think that I'm naïve or just gullible
 But I'm just trying to do something in this world that's meaningful

I don’t care about no memories before some swan song
 Not like I can see my friends, my Tamagotchi’s long-gone
 You want meaning? Yeah, good luck with that, hun
 Our lives are over, okay? We’re done!

We’re not done till I say we’re done!
 Our lives aren’t over, we’ve just begun
 I don’t care if we’re dead, doesn’t mean we have to stop
 We gotta keep moving, pushing forward till we drop
 You think you’re so tough ‘cause of your biker gang?
 Then quit tryin’ to RUN AWAAAAAY…!

Sakura next turns her attention to Ai and Junko.

And as for you two, Tweedle Fortune and Tweedle Fame
 Trying to act all shy when you know you got game
 Got the talent, the experience, you girls have it all
 So, it’s a spit in the face when you pretend to be small
 Stop obsessing over why you can’t win
 Anything worth having is gonna take a risk
 Even zombie girls can rock the mic if they try
 So stop with the excuses, take control of your lives!

The audience is enjoying the rap number, not minding it's unforeseen because they’re entertained. What they didn't expect more is Sakura willing to spit out rhymes against them, specifically the elderly, as well.

Hey, grandma and grandpa! I’m talking to you, too!
 Don’t let society try to put you in a coffin
 Before you’re dead, you got wisdom aplenty
 Demand respect instead of sitting on a rocker
 Remember, you’re the OG shock collar
 They wanna blame you for everything going wrong
 But you’re still here, heartbeat going strong!

BANG!

BGM Ends

Sakura ends the rap battle but throwi- no. Slamming the microphone to the floor. Three seconds later, the audience cheers Sakura and Saki uproariously for the rap battle they conducted. They didn't or chose to not pay much attention to the lyrics, not that it matters when their argument spirals into singing out lines accompanied by a catchy rhythm and beat. The cheer is such that the girls are surprised over the praise they are getting. This feeling…

"You’re kidding…" Saki is astonished, looking at every single elderly person cheering for them.

"N-No way man… I-It was so freaking incredible!" Bull cries in joy over what he and his lanky friend watched.

"Yeah, and i-it really looked like her head pop off…!" His lanky friend added.

The idols’ allies cheered for the two, including those who came from a time when rapping wasn't in vogue. Narancia, Gyro, and Enjel are especially singing their praises avidly. "…Of all the outcomes that will happen, this… is one I didn't expect." Mamezuku muttered in surprise.

“This is the first time I listen to rap music but I’m enamored… Those two sang so well.” Egliette said, agreeing with the former plant appraiser.

“You said it, Egliette. Maybe rap music isn’t so bad.” Fleta

"Woohooooo! Gooooooooo Green Musume!" Narancia shouted in joy.

“It’s Green Face!” Enjel corrected him mid-clapping.

"Hahahaha! Never thought those two would end up in a rap battle." Bucciarati added in amazement.

Whistling in approval, Gyro says, "Those two sure got heated up on the stage. Guess rapping isn't really that bad after all. Right, Johnny?"

"Yeah… This is my first time listening to it and I'm captivated immediately." Johnny concurred, smiling as he clapped.

Avdol is smiling from what he and Kakyoin watched, stating, "The change in genre is unexpected but Sakura and Saki made it work somehow. Don't you agree, Kakyoin?"

"…I guess." He replied, looking at Sakura still surprised from the cheer she and the girls were getting.

BGM: Franchouchou (Zombie Land Saga OST)

"We did it again." Sakura uttered, trying to wrap her head that their second performance went off in a sudden but successful one. She's with Kakyoin and Goldia, also trying to wrap his head that it went off in a hitch despite almost getting exposed while their friends are sitting or standing around benches.

"First, screaming in a death metal concert and now, an impromptu rap battle? You sure know how to adapt well to any situation, Sakura. You rap really well, by the way." Kakyoin congratulates her, making the redhead girl sheepishly chuckle.

"O-Oh, it's nothing. I'm just… adapting to the situation like you said, that's all! Haha…" She humbly insisted.

“Screaming in death metal concert? Oh, you mean their first concert when Mr. Kotaro needs to awaken them?” Goldia asked. “Maybe I should’ve been there if only to see what kind of genre it is… and watch you scream.”

Sakura winces when remembering her snapping out of sheer stress and insanity. “Right… I did do that…”

"Hey, Sakura!"

Sakura turns around and sees Saki calling out to her. Believing she may have insulted her too much and she's probably irritated, she tries to apologize. "Oh, hey. Um, sorry about before…"

"You've got ｢major guts｣! I wasn’t expecting a full-blown rap battle! Badass!"

"Huh?" She, Goldia and Kakyoin let out, not expecting Saki would be heaping compliments. “You think so?” Sakura asked.

Saki puts one arm around Sakura’s shoulder and continues, "Besides! You remind me of my old Tamagotchi. I think it’s your egghead.”

"Egghead?" Kakyoin blinks. He looks closely at her head and sees what Saki is saying. At least he thought. "Hmm, your head does look like an egg."

"Huh? You’re just joking right…?" She raises an eyebrow over his remark.

"Heheh, who knows?" He shrugged with a chuckle.

“I think I see it too.” Goldia giggled, making Sakura give her a skeptical look.

Saki looks up in the sky after walking away. "…Idols, huh? That’s not a bad way to take over Japan, I guess."

“Hm? Are you… coming around to the idea of being an idol then?” Kakyoin questioned.

“Guess I am! Might as well make the most with it while being a zombie. Bet it’s gonna be a hell of a lot more fun than I initially thought.”

“Well we are glad to hear it from you… and for making up with Sakura.” Goldia approved.

I wouldn’t call today an idol concert, though… Sakura thought with an abashed smile. Despite that, she's happy the performance didn't become a disaster.

As the disguised zombies watch them, the staff shakes hands with Kotaro, congratulating and telling him to come again. He turns to Sakura and smiles, silently thanking her for the performance she did.

As the sun sets, the evening passes by without incident.

<=To be continued|\|/

Onomatopoeia:

パァン (Paaan) – Slapping sound

Chapter Text

“ALL RIIIIIIIIIIGHT!!! GOOD MORNING AGAIN TO ALL OF YOU LOVELY LADIES AND GENTSSSSS!!!!!”

Like the other day, Kotaro greeted boisterously to the fourteen zombies gathered in the mansion's basement. His greeting is so loud it can be heard outside the confines of the mansion.

It appears yelling good morning out loud isn't enough for Kotaro as he walks to Lily and repeats the greeting close to her face, much to her discomfort. “Good morning to you. I said… good morning to you~”

"Nnngh…" Lily whimpered.

“Don’t get in her face. You’ll freak her out.” Saki chided him.

“Yeah! You already greeted them so why go further by acting like a kid?” Fleta agreed, annoyed by his loud greeting so she covered her ears. Goldia clears her throat to prevent a potential quarrel to erupt.

“Good morning as well, everyone. Please don’t mind his enthusiasm for today’s meeting.”

“No worries, Goldia! Least your greeting is calm unlike him.” Narancia replied.

Kotaro ignores his scathing remark and walks back to his position. “Straight to business then. Clearly, diving into that Saga Castle show prematurely was reckless.” He slams the chalkboard with his back turned, sounding dismayed over the girls' second performance and the mischief they have caused, in contrast to his purported enthusiasm he showed. “So I’m going to be blunt… You girls…” When it seems like he’s gonna criticize or mock them…

“…were absolutely ｢WONDERFUL｣!”

But he changes tune to a jolly one, turning around with a big smile. Safe to say, no one expected that sudden change of attitude. “You somehow managed to keep your dirty rotten secret under wraps, all the while playing hot potato with a disembodied head! Now that is ｢TEAM SPIRIT｣! Your bodies may fall apart but your hearts stick TOGETHERRR!!!”

He claps for every girl on their seats as he continues, "Which is why I will now bestow my most enthusiastic clapping upon each one of you! Feel free to join in the applause, you fellow decaying flesh piles on the successful ｢zombie-ing endeavor｣! ｢Nice zombie-ing｣! And another thing… SAKURA!"

“Sir!?”

“Girl you got a beat~ Uh huh~ Those raps were neat~ Yeah yuh! You brought that heat! Fool!” He gives her a thumbs up. Sakura chuckled to his literal singing praise, also giving a thumbs up, “Uhh, yeah…!”

“BUT DON’T YOU DARE GO GETTIN’ COCKYYYYY!!!!!”

Kotaro abruptly changed his tune again, his rude persona returning. Sakura’s left eye twitched from surprise and irritation as the producer proceeded to rant while the stunned zombies watched. "Now that your show’s over, you think it’s all ‘Happy fun time~’?! DO NOT lose sight of our main objective! Snap those necks BACK AROUND to what’s in front of you!”

After berating Sakura, Kotaro returns to the chalkboard to write something. “…Mr. Kotaro, may I have a word with you?” Kakyoin speaks up before he can do so however.

Though unfazed by his venomous tone, Kotaro cannot help but be startled by the menacing glare Kakyoin is giving him when turning around, not helping his eyes become darkened. The others didn’t ignore this with Junko and Lily reeling nervously, Avdol and Bucciarati planning to calm him down when he goes out of line, and the rest wisely letting him have at it to Kotaro. Sakura gulps, having expected he wouldn’t take Kotaro’s outburst kindly.

"…Can you say something important by not shouting out of the blue? I swear I was gonna go deaf when you yelled close to me," Kakyoin informs with a scowl. "And I do hope you remember Sakura has a lot on her plate. Your outbursts could cause your message to be muddled the wrong way."

"There's a possibility some of you may not hear what I have to say. Besides…" Leaning forward, Kotaro says, "I won't hesitate to shout in your face, Kakyoin~!"

"I won't hesitate to elbow your face if you dare do it."

Kotaro goes silent after hearing his threat, his passive look cracking a little from the thought of an elbow planted to his face with that menacing glare of his. "W-Well, there’s no need to go that far! Are you?"

“If you learn to behave, then I might… consider it.” He added in a tone indicating he’ll go through with his threat. Kotaro tries to keep his act together, his nervous smile twitching when seeing he could be serious.

“Bwahahahaha! What’s wrong? Scared to retort back?” Fleta laughed at Kotaro’s expense, pointing at him with a wicked grin. “Anyone of them could attack you one of these days if you keep that attitude up – but you’ll really deserve it, heheh.”

The shady man glared at Fleta but has no rebuttal, instead groaning for getting made fun of at his expense. Goldia shakes her head with a sigh, both for Fleta’s mocking (even if she agrees) and Kotaro’s troublesome attitude at times. The zombies also enjoyed the Lilliputian Princess mocking him, including Sakura and Yugiri.

“Oh, by the way. Sakura?”

“Hm? What is it?”

The redhead watches the short blonde girl approach while holding Egliette. She has a scrutinizing look, observing Sakura’s face first to her puzzlement before Fleta says, “Is it true? You have an egg-shaped head according to Saki?”

“…Huh?” Sakura let out, unamused.

“Yeah! Just take one look at her face and you’ll see the shape!” Saki chimed in with a chuckle. Sakura gives her a sideways glare, still unamused.

“Come on. My head doesn’t look-”

“It does! I can see it!” Fleta interrupts her, nodding after allegedly discerning she does have an egg-shaped head. “Because of that, I shall give you Egliette since her head is also in the shape of an egg like yours. Consider it as a temporary gift.”

“O-Oh, that’s… nice of you. Thanks but I don’t want to hold your doll.”

“No, I insist. Egliette is a nice company to be around.”

“Really, I don’t. I appreciate your gift but-”

“JUST TAKE HER!” The princess pushed her queen doll into the reluctant Sakura’s hands after growing impatient. She returns to Goldia’s side who cannot resist giggling at their cute interaction.

“Uuuhhh, hello there.” Sakura unsurely said to Egliette staring into her red eyes.

“Greetings.” The doll replied within the girls’ ear shots. They would’ve been surprised Egliette can talk but they already did yesterday. Lily and Ai even asked Fleta if they could hold her.

“Can we PLEASE continue?! We don’t have all day!” Kotaro impatiently exclaimed, after tapping his foot to maintain his thinning patience.

“R-Right! Sorry!” Sakura becomes quiet to let the man proceed with the main topic for this morning’s meeting.

With a piece of chalk waiting to be used on the chalkboard, Kotaro announces, "Just because you’re dead doesn’t mean you can take your sweet time and relax. The next task I want you crumbling corpses to tackle is… one of… these…"

Kotaro writes the letters G and E, indicating he’s gonna write an English word. The only problem? He doesn’t know how to spell it… and the two letters are too big so the next letters might not fit within the board. Realizing he messed up, he just “Screw it” and write the intended word in katakana.

ゲリラライブ! (Gerira Raibu! or Guerilla Live!)

BGM: I am Dead, Right? (Zombie Land Saga OST)

“Guerilla?” Sakura read.

“He couldn’t spell it.” Lily commented.

“You could’ve asked me to spell it out.” Johnny told Kotaro, knowing English.

“Do forgive me,” Yugiri turns to Sakura, “but what is a ‘Guerilla Performance’?”

“Um…” Sakura touches her chin, thinking on how to explain it. “You put up a show in public and don’t tell anyone about it, so it’s like a fun surprise type thing.”

“Ohhh, like testing your sword on a passerby.” Yugiri compared, taking Sakura's answer in her own perspective. Sakura sighs over her coming to a wrong conclusion.

“That kind of practice has long-been outlawed, Yugiri. I understand where you’re comparing from but I’m informing you just in case.” Mamezuku remarked a little abruptly, receiving stares from some zombies.

“…Wait, but if we do a street concert, won’t the police come after us again?” Sakura expressed her concern to Kotaro. Ai gasped, not wanting to be potentially shot by a police officer.

“Not to worry!” Kotaro exclaimed. “As long as you hide your gross faces with a makeup, you’ll all just get a slap on the wrist.”

"Don't be such a wimp, Sakura! We can't just let the pigs ruin our rally, right?" Saki chided playfully.

“And you won’t be able to freestyle your way out of it this time.” He spins to face them with an arm raised and fist clenched, declaring, “I’LL MAKE SURE YOU’RE ALL CUTE AND PERFECT THE WAY AN IDOL GROUP SHOULD BE! I’LL TEACH YOU~!”

“Um, one thing…” A certain white-haired girl speaks up meekly.

“Yes, Junk-o?”

“It’s just… I’ve done plenty of solo concerts but I’ve never been a part of a group before so I’m a-”

“A LONER!” Kotaro insinuated with a pointing finger and smile.

Junko stares in confusion. “…A loner?” She repeated.

“Uh huh~ You’re a lonely little loser.”

“Hey, watch your words!” Narancia growled. Bucciarati casted his glare to the manager’s back too, not liking how he called Junko those words.

“Anyway, the performance will be ｢tomorrow morning｣ in the plaza by Karatsu Station.” Kotaro told the girls, eliciting surprise from Junko, Sakura and Ai.

“Tomorrow!?” Number One and Four parroted.

“We can’t learn a whole song and choreography with just one practice day.” Ai crossed her arms, not liking the schedule Kotaro proposed. The manager ignores her as he moves to leave the basement room, signifying the meeting for the zombie idols is done.

“Guess you’re gonna pull an all-nighter then. I mean, what are you gonna do? Die from a lack of sleep? Haaahaha!!!” He last said these before leaving. Even with this tidbit, Ai isn't convinced that a whole day of practicing is enough to pull off a guerrilla performance. Junko thought so too, if only because she’s anxious of being a part of a group for the first time in her (un)life. Sakura senses their lingering reluctance, looking back and forth between them.

“Sheesh, what a jerk. He’s so inconsiderate of their feelings,” remarked Gyro while raising a brow. He glances at Goldia and Fleta standing in the center after Kotaro leaves. “I don’t know how you two put up with him if he acts like that every day. You might’ve gotten used to him by now but watching him be a dick… I ain’t sure you can tolerate him no more.”

“Oh don’t worry. He didn’t go far in being obnoxious to us because he can’t bear to break Goldia’s loving heart… and isn’t interested in getting attacked by us.” Fleta reassured them.

“Even so, watching him use that attitude to you fourteen is a little unacceptable,” sighed Goldia. “I fear he will get attacked by any of you sooner or later.”

“Yeah, I’m itching to set him straight.” Saki punches her palm to emphasize she’s serious. Kakyoin, Narancia, Johnny, Gyro, and even Tae indicated by her groaning. Oh, and she’s lying on the floor after a whole time slouching on her seat.

“Please don’t go that far. Violence will not solve any problems.”

“I don’t know. Sometimes, it’s the only solution.” Johnny begs to differ.

Sensing she won’t change their minds, Goldia sighs again. “Well anyway. With Mr. Kotaro done telling the girls what to do, it’s time for me and Fleta to address you seven.”

The zombie bodyguards straighten up, determined to know what their next move is. “Is Xero back again?” Avdol asked. To their surprise, Goldia shakes her head. “Huh? Does that mean… he’s incapacitated ｢for now｣?”

“Yes. If he’s out, we would know immediately,” she reminded them. “The caveat of needing to pinpoint his current location, unless he emerged very far, should be no problem for us.”

“Then what are you two, and Egliette, here for?” Bucciarati questioned, telling them to get to the point.”

“…I’m planning to stay here while Fleta and Egliette go somewhere to ensure you are informed when Xero does come back. But there’s a second reason… Telling your ｢nicknames｣.”

“Nicknames?” The zombies, including the girls, repeated.

“Yes. As the girls are called by their numbers, you guys shall be referred to by your nicknames to conceal your identities. Mr. Kotaro, Ms. Emi and we discussed for a long time on your nicknames, even creating three or five proposed nicknames until we reached the consensus on the final one.”

“Oh, now that I think about it, Kotaro mentioned that we needed nicknames during our first ever meeting together.” Kakyoin remembered.

“Guess we’ll learn what nicknames we have. Goldia, will you?”

“Yes Mr. Johnny,” Goldia nodded to the former equestrian. “Starting from Kakyoin, though you and Sakura already heard it from Mr. Kotaro a couple of days ago, most of you haven’t yet…”

While Sakura is okay with being called Number One, Kakyoin remembers his chosen nickname. His eyes widen upon realizing it’s an… unflattering title. “Wait Goldia, can I-”

“…Kakyoin’s nickname is… Cherry Boy.” Goldia finished before Kakyoin could.

In an instant, Saki, Gyro and Narancia chuckled before growing into laughter while Ai, Junko, Yugiri, Lily, Bucciarati, Johnny and Mamezuku are either amused or baffled, some even grinning. The only ones who didn't chuckle at Kakyoin's expense are Sakura, Tae, and Avdol.

“W-What!? Hahahahaha! Cherry Boy!? Really!? That’s his nickname?!” Narancia exclaims before he continues laughing, having to grab on his chair to keep steady.

“O-Oh my god! I can’t… c-can’t stop laughing…! C-Cherry Boy… You’re really c-c-called- Pffft! Eyaaaahahahahaha!” Saki begins to struggle for her breath from her intense laughing, clutching her stomach as she falls and rolls across the floor.

“Come on you two. Stop laughing,” Sakura pleaded with them, aware of a blushing Kakyoin face-palming.

“W-Why? ‘Cause his nickname isn’t funny enough already?” Gyro snickered, slapping his knee.

“It’s an… interesting choice of name, but what does cherries have to do with Kakyoin?” Ai asked.

“It’s my… favorite food.” Kakyoin answered quietly. “Who decided that is my nickname?”

“Mr. Kotaro.” Goldia revealed. Hearing this elicits a sigh from Kakyoin.

“Why am I not surprised… What I don’t understand is… why ‘Cherry Boy’?” He removes his hand and stares at Goldia pleadingly. “Were there other nicknames any of you suggested?”

“We did, like ‘Emerald Man’ and ‘Hierophant Boy’,” replied Fleta. “Although those are objectively better titles, Mr. Kotaro and Ms. Emi liked the final nickname better than those two so that’s how you ended up receiving that.”

Kakyoin stares in disbelief. “…Emi too?”

“Yes. Maybe she found it amusing… and fitting given you wear cherry-shaped earrings.”

The teenager becomes self-conscious of his earrings. If these were also the inspiration behind his nickname… “Well!” Avdol exclaimed. “Let’s proceed before his humiliation goes on, all right? We would be sitting here all morning otherwise.”

Kakyoin mouths a “thank you” to Avdol when every zombie turns to Goldia again, expecting the next nickname to be said. “As for you Mr. Avdol… you’ll be called Fire Lord.”

Compared to the first reaction, everyone took an instant liking to Avdol’s nickname because not only sounds badass per Saki's words, but it also fits with his Stand's power. Naturally, Avdol nods in approval, stating, "Fire Lord. Hmm, it’s good. Certainly fits my power.”

“Glad you like it! I know you will.” Goldia agreed.

Bucciarati is next and Fleta didn’t wait to tell him his nickname. “You are Zipper Man!”

"…｢Zipper Man｣?" Bucciarati repeats incredulously.

"That's right. Zipper Man!" Fleta repeated. "You have zipper motifs going around you, including your Stand power! It’s an odd choice of clothing but it really fits you for some reason."

Although Bucciarati understands the explanation, he has reservations against his nickname. "It does describe me self-explanatory enough but… I don’t know. It sounds too… on-the-nose and ridiculous. Inelegant, I must add.”

Egliette jumps out of Sakura’s hands and climbs up on top of her head to look at Bucciarati. “You may think it that way but it’s better you yourself have that nickname than, say… Sticky Fingers being changed to it.”

"What? No! Goodness no!” The former capo replied, offended at the thought of calling his Stand with his nickname "I suppose I… don't mind the nickname if it means my identity is hidden."

With Bruno giving a reluctant okay to Zipper Man, Narancia is next. “Well? Whaddaya two got for me?”

“You’re Li’l Flyer!” Fleta revealed.

Narancia blinks thrice. “Li’l Flyer? How did you come up with that?”

“You pilot your Stand, ｢Aerosmith｣, and you’re the shortest of your group alongside Mr. Johnny.” Goldia explained. “Both of you are 170cm in height. Oh, Tae reaches that height too, who’s the tallest one among the girls.”

“Really? That’s a little surprising. Coulda be better but I’ll take what I can get. At least you didn’t come up with that ‘cause I’m probably the youngest in this group alongside Kakyoin.”

“Actually, you’re the second youngest right behind Kakyoin by a narrow margin.” Egliette corrected.

The zombies turn to the standing doll in surprise, with Sakura having to look up with her eyes. “Second youngest?” Narancia parroted.

“I'm the youngest overall among my group?" Kakyoin espoused puzzlement. "How come?”

Turns out, Narancia was born on May 20, 1983 while Kakyoin was born on July 28, 1971*. They died respectively on April 6, 2001 and January 16, 1989 – Narancia is only a month away from turning 18 and Kakyoin is seven months away. “Ignoring the year difference from when you were born and died, Kakyoin is the youngest member overall, coming behind Narancia.” Goldia finished explaining.

With their ages, birthdates and date of deaths in mind, the zombies are either amused or intrigued by the differences. “Guess that makes you two the same age as mine, huh?” Sakura said, who is 17-years old like the two.

“And that makes me the oldest among you two. You better keep that in mind.” Narancia smugly replied.

“Sure. Whatever you say.” Kakyoin shrugged, not minding the narrow age gap.

Having resolved the age issue, Goldia and Fleta turn to Johnny and reveal his nickname next. “Your nickname was decided from when you were little, Mr. Johnny – Joe Kidd.”

Johnny’s eyes lit up in recognition of his long-forgotten nickname. “Joe Kidd… It’s been a long time since someone called me that…” He shrugs next, finding no issue of his old nickname being used again. “Alright. That’ll be my nickname.”

“I expected some hesitation when you heard it,” admitted Goldia, with a frowning surprise, before turning into a grin. “I’m glad you accepted it immediately.”

“It’s not a bad name, actually. Why would I?”

Gyro is anticipating learning his nickname next and when Egliette, unexpectedly, reveals it, he whistles in approval.

"｢Spin Cowboy｣? Ah, got the meaning immediately. I accept it! Nyo-ho!" Gyro smiled with his golden teeth out, exposing them and the letters written on it that formed three words: GO! GO! ZEPPELI! Predictably, everyone is puzzled by his choice of dental fashion.

“Are those… words inscribed on your teeth?” Kakyoin pointed out.

“I thought you had a serious case of decaying teeth.” Saki stated, albeit amused by his ostentatious display.

"Why do you have them in the first place, Mr. Gyro?" Junko asked.

"So everyone knows who I am when I show them my dazzling smile!"

"Still, to make it golden and your name etched on it? It looks gaudy." Lily said with an unimpressed look.

Gyro narrows his eyes, unamused. "Pfft, that's your opinion. Can you believe her Johnny? She doesn't find my gold teeth appealing. It really looks good on me, right?" He pointed to his still open mouth. His teeth seemingly gleam to Johnny's unimpressed face.

"…Yeah, sure. It certainly looks impressive. I really want my name to be etched on my teeth as well. And make them gold." Johnny's sarcasm didn't fail to come out in response, like usual.

"Hah! See? He agrees with me!" Gyro exclaimed, completely blind to his sarcasm.

"He was being sarcastic…" Sakura tries telling him but it falls on deaf ears as Gyro agrees with the nickname Egliette gave him. "He's not listening…"

Coming down to the final zombie guy, Mamezuku goads Goldia to unveil his nickname. “As for you Mr. Mamezuku… You’ll be called ‘Peel Planter’!”

“Peel Planter… Not a bad name,” nodded Mamezuku in a deadpan tone. “That’s all I have to say so… wrap it up, Goldia.”

“Wait, care to tell us the origin behind his nickname?” Yugiri requested.

“He’s a planter, and his Stand ability allows him to ｢peel｣ his skin into ｢thin strips｣, not unlike Hierophant Green.” Fleta replied.

“Ah, I see. Thank you, Lady Fleta.” She gratefully smiled.

“Oh! You called me Lady! I’m flattered…” The princess giggled.

“Phew. And with that, the zombie guys are given their nicknames,” announced Goldia, both hands on her lap. She glances at the seven guys and repeats their chosen titles. “Cherry Boy, Fire Lord, Zipper Man, Li’l Flyer, Joe Kidd, Spin Cowboy and Peel Planter. All of you should memorize them, as it is imperative to protect your identities. The same goes too for the girls.”

“Finally… We’re done,” mumbled Fleta. “Can I go now, Goldia? I don’t want Enjel to keep waiting back home.”

“You can go. Please be careful in your home, okay Fleta?” Goldia patted the youngest alter’s head. She next kissed her forehead, causing Fleta to blush and giggle.

“I will! Alright Egliette! Come to me now!” She spread her arms toward Egliette still standing on top of Sakura.

“One sec.” In one graceful leap using Sakura’s head as a platform, she lands into Fleta’s arms near-perfectly.

“Yay! Caught you! Good day to all of you. I’ll see you tomorrow morning!” Bidding them goodbye, the queen doll and her princess left. With the fourteen zombies alone, it is time for the girls to practice their guerilla performance in just one day. Sakura wonders if they can really do it, especially when they don't really need any sleep due to being zombies and only doing it out of habit. As Kotaro stated, they're gonna have to act like idols from now on if Saga needs to be recognized by a local idol group.

If they do that, she may hopefully continue to recover her lost memories.

"So, Cherry Boy," Saki glanced at Kakyoin with a mischievous grin. "You like cherries, huh? Care to tell us why you like cherries so much?"

Sighing in chagrin, he says, "Can that wait? You girls need to practice for the guerrilla performance." He reminded her, hoping she drops the subject and spares him from more humiliation.

"Nuh-uh! I ain’t practicing ‘till you tell us!"

"I concur. Your nickname is peculiar enough to warrant my curiosity." Yugiri said.

"Lily agrees!"

"I wonder if Kotaro has fertile ground I can use to plant fruits. Maybe I’ll grow cherries and give them to you if you want, Kakyoin." Mamezuku offered.

"Bet I can learn a thing or two from you, Cherry Boy!" Narancia snickered.

"Uhhhh… Sakura? Avdol? Goldia? A little help?"

As she and Avdol go to stop the five from pestering Kakyoin, Sakura hopes this day will go well.

“Damn, I have no idea how much crap you’re supposed to memorize when you’re an idol.” Saki bemoaned.

“Yeah but learning new things is good for you.” Sakura said on the benefits of tackling new ground.

“Ooh! Ooh! Ooh!” Lily raised her hand eagerly, making Saki sit upright from her lying position.

“What’s with the racket, squirt?”

“My name’s not squirt! I’m the shining star of stage and screen! Ms. Lily Hoshikawa!” The youngest zombie does a pirouette and flashes a peace sign near her eyes cutely.

“Pain in the ass…” Saki grinned half-heatedly.

Currently, seven zombie girls are currently in the shed preparing to practice. Their bodyguards and Goldia are in here too, watching from a separate room. Since they're in the safe zone, it doesn't seem likely Xero will intrude within the confines of the mansion, but they remain alert to be extra safe.

Sensing the kid’s eagerness, Sakura asks, “Did you wanna say something?”

“Before we practice, I think we should pick a ｢leader｣.” Lily suggested.

“Leader?”

“Yeah! Somebody’s got to be ｢in charge｣ of us. That way, there’s always someone who makes ｢top decisions｣!” She elaborated.

“In that case…” Remembering Kotaro's words that someone used to be Iron Frill's leader, maybe she has the skills necessary to lead an idol group. Sakura turns to Ai sitting behind her. “I think it would be a good idea for one of the more experienced idols to be a-”

“Out of the question.” Unfortunately, Ai curtly refused. Sakura frowned at getting rejected before she could finish. Guess she's still not onboard.

“Ahem! Ahem!”

Looking up to who cleared their throat, Sakura and the girls watch Saki beside the mirror. Everyone, perhaps except Ai, is wondering why she is standing there. They’ll get their answer after Saki takes a deep breath to prepare herself for a speech.

A loud speech, which makes her the other competitor in the shouting department like Kotaro.

“I’M THE FIRST CAPTAIN OF DORAMI, THE LEGENDARY ALL-FEMALE BIKER GANG FROM SAGA PREFECTURE! THE NAME IS SAKI NIKAIDOOOOOOO!!!!! I DID A DAMN GOOD JOB BOSSING OVER BIKER CHICKS AROUND, SO WRANGLING A BUNCH OF BABY-NOSE LIKE YOU WOULD BE A WALK IN THE PARK! I PICK MEEEEEEEE!!!!!!”

“Geez we heard ya.” Lily muttered, having to cover her ears.

“Who wants to fight me for captain?” Saki questioned to see who wants to take the leadership role first. When no one else did as confirmed by Sakura, she continues with a smile and thumbs up. “Aw yeah! We’re coming in to get you Japan! You wanna start with Kyushu?”

“It’s leader, not captain. This isn’t the biker gang.” Sakura reminded her.

“Leader! We need a group name!” Lily suggested next.

“…Huh? We don’t have one?”

“You mean like ‘Death Musume’ and ‘Green Face’? None of Kotaro’s dumb ideas are idol-ly enough!”

“That’s a good point.” Sakura concurred. “Should we get the others here too?”

“You want them to come up with their own names?”

“Yes. So we can get the final group name down quick.”

Agreeing with Sakura, Saki called for the guys and Goldia inside and informed them she’s the girls’ leader and the issue in providing a proper name. “Hmm, I see no issue in providing help. Very well. We’ll try.” Bucciarati accepted.

“Alright! So who’s the first one, huh? Give me the best name you can come up with!”

Lily chimes in, eager to tell her. “How about this one?” Somehow their imagination kicks into overdrive as Lily does a flashy transformation dance similar to how girls in a magical girl anime transform. Oh, borrowing an element from Tokusatsu shows too, six other Lilies appear besides the main Lily, all posing too. “We could be ｢Magical Cutie Lily and the Liliets｣! Ahaha!”

“That’s a lot of Lilies.” Sakura pointed out her bias influencing the kid’s suggestion.

“I’m not gonna spend an eternity with a kiddy-ass group name like that,” agreed Saki. “I was thinking more like… this.” Writing on a whiteboard, she writes her suggested name to the group: Wicked Rage Void Slackers.

“Could you read that out loud?” Johnny asked.

“Says, ‘Jeanne d’Arc!” Saki proclaimed.

No one is impressed with her proposal with Lily saying, “Does it?”

“It may sound fitting for any group… except cute idols.” Avdol stated.

“Or a nickname.” Goldia added.

“I think it has a noble rhythm to it.” Yugiri seemingly likes Saki's name suggestion, the only one among the group.

“You do?” Narancia asked.

“She gets what I’m talking about!” The former biker member feels proud the courtesan agreed.

“However, perhaps this would serve as…” Yugiri writes the third proposed name for the group, which is… "The Mibu Wolves?” Sakura read the name.

“Hey, that’s pretty awesome!" Saki approved with a smile.

“As if!” Lily disagreed.

Their imagination kicks into overdrive again as Yugiri, holding a hand fan with a moonlit sky, falling cherry blossom petals, and paper umbrella as backdrop, reveals some of her past to the group. “They’d visit me… Ah~ Back in Shimabara.”

"If I may…" The girls turn to Kakyoin rubbing his chin, apparently in thought. "I've come up with a name for your group. You called us here to help suggest more names so would you like to know?"

“Have at you! Any contribution helps!” With Saki's approval, Kakyoin wrote the fourth proposed name, which is…

“Stardust?" Sakura read out loud. “How did you come up with that?”

"You girls need to be famous in order to bring recognition to Saga. A name like Stardust fits you seven because you will be the ｢stars｣ of Saga whose fame will spread beyond the prefecture like ｢dust｣."

Sakura sees where Kakyoin is getting at, stating, "Ooooh! That sounds nice."

“Not a bad explanation. I like it.” Mamezuku nodded.

“I suppose your own group name can be applicable to these girls, huh?” Goldia remarked.

"Eh… I don't know. It sounds like something shrimpy might come up with." Saki, on the other hand, disagreed.

"Hey!" The offended kid exclaimed.

“Actually, my friend Polnareff came up with the name after Jotaro’s Stand, Star Platinum. He’s… in your words, a badass who acts no-nonsense during fights. It’s not a kiddy name, I’ll have you know.” Kakyoin clarified, somewhat offended by Saki’s remark.

“Oh, then this Polnareff has good taste when it comes to naming… But I won’t accept it.”

"Well, if you don't like that name, how about mine?” Narancia speaks up, itching to show his suggestion. “I came up with it on my first try and I believe you'll all like it!"

The fifth name of the day is revealed to be "Intrattenitrice".

Since everyone except Bucciarati, Narancia and Gyro aren’t familiar with Italian, they're wondering what the word means. "Um… What does that word mean, Lord Narancia?" Yugiri asks.

"It means ｢entertainer｣ in Italian!" He answered. With his hands on his hips, he then asks, "Well? What do you think of the name? Sounds cool, right?"

"No, it isn't. It's a bit of a mouthful and on the nose." Lily deadpanned.

“Huh? You think so…?”

“Yeah! Come on guys! I wanna call something cuterrr!” Lily hops in place like she’s doing a tantrum, wanting to have another turn.

“Idols do need to be ｢cute｣.” Sakura conceded, standing next to Saki who's holding the marker with her upper lip. Suddenly, Tae snatches the marker from her, surprising her and Sakura.

“Why you little!”

The zombie with an unknown past tries to imitate Saki holding up the marker with her upper lips. As everyone watches, Sakura tells the mindless zombie they need the marker to write proposed names for their idol group. The zombie naturally didn't listen, who then stared at the tip of the marker next after failing to hold it with her upper lip twice. Everyone is wondering why she is staring at it. Is she curious?

A few seconds pass and before everyone knows it, Tae bites the tip and sucks on it. "Mmmmm."

Surprised again, everyone is disgusted by Tae's action. Sakura reacted quickly, running to her as she shouts, “Don’t put that into your mouth! It can kill you!”

“Ms. Tae, please let the marker go!” Goldia follows even if she’s aware sucking the marker’s ink wouldn’t kill her.

We're already zombies, though. Some of them thought, especially Junko saying it out loud, seeing Tae wouldn't have any problem getting sick if she sucks an unpleasant substance. Amid the trio's struggle, it flew in the air and landed on Junko's hands. When Tae saw her holding it, she chased after it, and in turn, Junko. The poor girl could only scream in panic as she attempted to get away from the feral zombie.

Sighing, Kakyoin has Hierophant Green catch around Tae's legs to stop her. This causes her to trip, hitting the floor headfirst…

ポーッ

…which causes her head to fly off her neck and bounce up in the air.

"Uowaaaaaa…!" Tae exclaimed.

"Whoops! Didn't mean that to happen!" Kakyoin stated in surprise.

Tae continues yelling until her head lands on Mamezuku's hand already extended beforehand, like he projected where she'll land.

"Mmrgh?" She lets out, looking up to Mamezuku's analytic face.

Observing her expression closely, Mamezuku mumbled, "I see. Being reduced to a head doesn't do much to faze her, huh? It's like yesterday. And her body…" Glancing sideways, he sees Tae's headless body saunter around, seemingly not paying heed that it's lacking a head. "…It's capable of moving around while headless. Again, like what happened yesterday."

"If you're done talking to yourself, can you put her head back?" Kakyoin, weirded out by his odd words, pulls Tae's body toward Mamezuku.

"I-Is she going to chase me again…?" Junko meekly asked.

"I'll make sure she won't. Besides, you should drop the marker as it's the reason why she chased after you in the first place." Kakyoin pointed out. The white-haired zombie promptly drops it.

While their antics are occurring the whole time, Sakura, Saki, Yugiri and Lily try to come up with a proper name and fast, because every precious second is wasted that should be used for practice. Sakura thinks of a name starting with the letter F and finds one, which is "Framboise".

“Aww that’s really cute!” Lily immediately liked it…

“Frambo-whatnow?” At least until Saki writes it in a way that roughly reads, “Rotten Chaos”. Lily narrows her eyes in annoyance while Sakura and Yugiri grin half-heartedly at Saki’s attempt.

“That’s kinda hard to read.” Sakura said.

“A badass logo was half the battle!”

“You took out the cute word and made it look stinky.”

“Ya calling my writing stink?" Saki insinuated with narrowed eyes.

Then Yugiri says, “Well we are dead so I’m sure we have a terrible stench.”

Her statement acts as a wake-up call for every zombie sans Tae as they all look up. They just realize they haven't taken a bath for days, and barring that, the fact they were most likely buried after they died means they're gonna smell bad. Fortunately, Goldia quickly reassures them. “It’s okay! All of you don’t have a decaying stench! The pneuma actually helps promote good scent too so please don’t worry about smelling gross!”

True enough, the zombies sniff themselves and confirm they have a nice odor, Sakura, Saki, Lily, Kakyoin, Narancia and Gyro to laugh. Ai and Junko are unamused over getting a false warning though.

Continuing coming up with a name, Sakura stammers to find an appealing name, such as "Let’s see… How does Franchise sound? Not that but it should be something French. French Bread, French Fries, French Toast… What else is from France? Cream Puffs?”

"FURANSHUUSHUU!"

Alarmed by someone suddenly sneezing, they turn around to Tae looking at her ink-soaked palms in confusion, unaware of some ink drooling from her mouth.

“Ew! She’s all inky!” Lily chuckled despite being disgusted.

“She’s sneezing from the marker?” Avdol asked. Tae sneezes again to answer his question.

"FURANSHUUSHUU!"

"Is she gonna be okay? She may be a zombie but…" Gyro inquired out of worry, only for Lily to interrupt him, her eyes widening in realization after catching on something hidden in Tae's sneezing. "I get it now!"

The zombies glance to the beaming Lily. “Am I missing something here?” Sakura asked.

“I don’t think Tae was just sneezing,” Lily starts explaining. “I mean she is… but it’s more than that.”

Bucciarati guesses where Lily is getting at. "Is it the ｢sound｣ she was making?"

"FURANSHUUSHUU!" Number Zero sneezed again to prove his guess.

“That's right, Mr. Bucciarati! She picked the perfect one!" Lily confirmed. “｢Franchouchou｣!

Getting the name down in their minds, everyone repeats it to get the feel of what Lily is going after. Tae stares at them while sniffing an ink hanging from her nose as Sakura says, "You know, I don’t hate it!"

“Indeed. It is quite an elegant name.” Yugiri agreed with a smile.

“So cute, right? It’s way better than what he’d came up with!”

“Franchouchou… Wow! The more you say it, the more adorable it sounds!” Sakura sees the appeal of it. She faces Tae to thank her, “You did a great job Tae.”

The raven-haired zombie simply stares at her in return. “Uuuuughhhh…”

“Fran… chouchou." Saki writes the name on the whiteboard. In kanji again. As such, the combined kanji word and literal meaning reads, "Rotten Chaos Stank Gang".

“Don’t write it like that.” Sakura told her. One rewrite later, the name is in katakana, which now reads the same as it is pronounced.

“Have it your way… All right, it’s official. From now on, the seven of us are gonna be called ｢Franchouchou｣!”

“Now we just need to actually get the song rhythm for tomorrow!” Lily optimistically said.

“Right!” Sakura giggled.

“Sweet! Here we go Franchouchou! It’s time to practice ‘til our butts fall off! You ready?!”

"YEEEEAAAAAHHHH!!!!!" Sakura, Yugiri, Lily, and Tae shouted in unison, eager to start practicing. The sight of them didn't fail to bring smiles on Kakyoin, Avdol, Narancia, and Gyro's faces while Goldia clapped. Even Johnny and Mamezuku feel like wanting to smile at the thought of witnessing the girls- no. Franchouchou's proper performance as full-fledged idols.

Franchouchou, huh? I wonder… Could my team have a name? I don’t think Kotaro nor Goldia didn't come up with a name for us yet, so…

Bucciarati's thought about his team's name doesn't detract him from noticing that not all zombies are on the same page as the five girls, as Ai and Junko's hesitant looks can attest. Those two… They’ve yet to be aboard in becoming idols. This’ll pose a problem.

“I don’t think we can do this.” Lily lamented.

“It’s way too hard.” Saki agreed.

“I thought I was starting to understand but singing and dancing are way tougher than I thought.” Sakura admitted.

“If we blow it, we’re done for.”

“There’s just not enough time…”

Nighttime arrived faster than they expected, and currently most of them are outside the mansion, specifically in a small park. Despite being determined to come up with a dance choreography and a song number this morning, Franchouchou hasn't done any significant practice at all, and because of this, Sakura, Saki, and Lily are downtrodden.

Five bodyguards, Kakyoin, Avdol, Narancia, Johnny and Gyro accompany them. Carrying this intention, Kakyoin and Narancia deployed Hierophant Green and Aerosmith to scout their vicinity and make sure their surroundings are truly safe.

While Yugiri inhales her kiseru with Johnny and Gyro on her side, Sakura, Saki and Lily are sitting on a carousel being spun by Tae as they lament the fact they're not making progress in their practice. At this rate, they won't be able to make it in time even if they spent the entire night rehearsing.

The guys aren't blind to their worries and as much as they like to help, they don't know where to start. Idols sing and dance for the audience but the inner workings on how exactly they do it is something they’re not used to yet.

Speaking of Tae, it’s been noted Mamezuku was observing Tae's actions the entire day. When asked why, he says it's for research on how different being a living human and a walking corpse are, further explaining that he's an analytic type of person, which is how he's able to get one step ahead of appraising plants and dealing potential threats to himself and his job, be it an enemy Stand or something mundane.

What should we do? Ai and Junko are the only ones who know what they’re doing. Sakura thought with a frowning look.

Lily and Saki continue looking miserable, until they notice the speed increasing courtesy of Tae. Sakura doesn't notice however. "Uh, Tae?" Lily uttered.

We haven’t even pulled it off once during practice, and tomorrow we’ll have an audience. She continues, not paying attention that her world is spinning faster.

“We’re about to get thrown off!” Saki exclaimed, getting off the carousel.

“I don’t wanna!” Lily blurted as she got off too.

Should have thought about this logically. Being zombie is crazy enough but zombie idols…?

The carousel is reaching max speed as Saki, Yugiri, Lily, Avdol, Narancia, Johnny and Gyro watch the inattentive Sakura still busy thinking to pay heed. "Kakyoin! Hey, Kakyoin!" Avdol gets his attention just as he’s done sweeping the area.

"Huh? What is it, Avdol?" After dispersing his Stand, he turns to the fortune teller, alerted.

Still though… I have to see this through. I wanna relive that feeling I had the first time I was on-stage, and figure out what it was!

Tae continues spinning the carousel with enthusiasm, getting hooked up doing so. But then she sneezes, of which in the process, abruptly stops the carousel with one hand…

…and the sudden halt in momentum sends Sakura flying in the air.

"W-What the…?!" Kakyoin exclaims, now realizing what's going on.

“Look at her go!” Narancia shouts, watching with a hand over his eyes.

As they're worried about Sakura getting flown in the air, they didn't see Sakura's smiling face as she remembers the way she jumped to the audience at the climax of her first performance. She lets out a laugh, happily feeling the adrenaline of remembering it the same way she did during the performance.

ドッゴォォン

“URP!!" She finally landed, burying her face in the ground with her legs hanging up.

“Sakura!”

“Are you okay?”

Saki, Lily, and Kakyoin called out, running to the redhead. They watch Sakura pull herself off the ground and shake the dirt off, before making a declaration to everyone present. “I’m going back in… so I can practice some more. Saki, Lily, Tae. Even though we’re zombies now, as long as everybody works hard… I know we have a chance to achieve our-”

パァン

Sakura whirls around with a merry look only for Yugiri to slap her hard. As everyone stood in surprise, Sakura skidded on the ground. Then the former courtesan takes a few steps forward before saying, "Shame on you! Whatever happened to practicing? I’m confident that even though we’re zombies now, if we work hard, it’ll be possible for us to achieve our mission!”

Blinking in confusion since what Yugiri is saying is the same thing Sakura is about to say, she stands up and says, "Umm, that’s what I was about to…"

“Yugiri’s right. We don’t need your negativity.” Saki agreed with Yugiri.

“But…”

“Yeah. She is what we need to get us motivated!” Lily joined. Sakura looks at the three sporting determined looks, intending to see their practice to the end. The redhead isn't feeling the same thing as them, though that's because she was slapped when she's about to say the same thing as Yugiri said.

“Cool…” The redhead let out, both from relief they’re ready to give it a go again and dismay over getting interrupted.

As the boys look on, Kakyoin, after Avdol told him what just happened, wonders why Sakura didn't get off the carousel when Tae starts spinning it faster. And why hasn't she screamed in fright when she was launched out of the carousel? It's as if she's not good at paying attention to what is happening in her surroundings.

"It was unnecessary slapping Sakura, Yugiri,” said Johnny, garnering the girls’ attention. “I think she was gonna say what you said when you interrupted her.”

Yugiri blinks. “Oh? Is that true Sakura? If you are about to say what I said, I apologize.” She bows.

“Um, it’s… alright. I’m not… mad.” Sakura reassures her, but her dismayed tone betrays her words.

“You sure sound displeased though.” Saki pointed out. Sakura lightly glares at her before shaking her head and beckoning everyone to get back.

“Let’s… go back while we’re motivated.”

The zombies follow Sakura, who is mewling with a pout over getting slapped because her words were taken the wrong way. Johnny’s right. I was about to say what Yugiri said. Why do I have to get slapped?

<=To be continued|\|/

Character ages (may subject to change):

Lily – 12

Fleta and Enjel – 13

Lisette – 15

Ai and Harpae – 16

Sakura, Kakyoin and Narancia – 17

Saki – 18

Junko – 19

Goldia and Bucciarati – 20

Kotaro – Mid to Late-Twenties

Gyro – 24

Avdol – Approximately 27

Johnny and Tae – 29

Mamezuku – 31

Chapter Text

Meanwhile, for those who stayed in the practice room, Ai and Junko lounge around a piano. Bucciarati and Mamezuku are in the room too, standing near the door to wait for the others to come back. When Sakura, Saki, Yugiri, Lily, and Tae left after a failed practice session, Kakyoin, Avdol, Narancia, Johnny and Gyro followed them to make sure they're not seen by anyone. With the two not leaving, the senior members opt to stay and look after them.

Holding her knees while sitting, Junko stares on the floor forlornly. She's not too keen on working with others due to her shyness and having worked alone when she was alive. As if sensing her despondent aura, Bucciarati glances out of worry. Having that expression on her… He does not like it one bit.

"They've been gone for a while," noted Junko. The three stayed silent as the girl continued speaking. "Yugiri was supposed to bring the girls back here. Do you think they gave up?”

"No, I believe they didn't," replied Bucciarati, "Perhaps the difficulty in mastering the dance number in one night is getting onto them. They’ve gone outside to get some breather so they can think clearly on what to do to solve the issue."

“But it might be better if they did. You can’t pull off an idol performance overnight. Besides, if the show doesn’t go well, then the audience won’t have a good time.”

“…I agree. Even when they try again and continue all night, it’ll not be enough. At best, a decent or subpar performance is all the audience gets but at worst? A total fumble,” replied Mamezuku. “That being said however, I have a feeling the girls won’t give up. They may be novices in the concept of idols singing and dancing but do you think they care about that? When their inner ｢resolve｣ remains steadfast even when they’re up against a very tight deadline?”

"Well, even if they did, I think that might be for the best," Ai starts giving her opinion. "If it’s from the heart, they’ll still appreciate it. But that's only a big if."

“Seems like you’re marking the percentage of tomorrow’s success lower than 10%. I can understand. But give them a chance. Wallowing in reluctance and the belief the girls are gonna fail might not do well to your troubled minds. I advise you to lighten up,” continued Mamezuku. After a moment of silence, he scratches his head. “Never thought I would say something cautiously optimistic. It’s not like me.”

“Oh? How come?” Bucciarati asked.

“…Let’s just say my ｢calculation｣ that I was sure is correct turned out to be wrong. Though the chance is non-existent, I would like to apologize to the girl I disparage for being a bit naïve for dismissing her claims that my calculation is wrong the whole time… and insinuating an incident she suffered in her past was made up to garner sympathy points.” He shakes his head with eyes closed. While his stoic face doesn’t show it, there does exist regret in his tone. “Learned the hard way that just because one claims something is the way it is regardless if it’s illogical doesn’t mean it has merit or wrong.”

Bucciarati wonders if he’s indirectly mentioning the events leading to his death. If so, his behavior might’ve changed just a little although he hasn’t yet become familiarized with his personality. Junko and Ai are also curious by his small wisdom.

"All right! Let's get crackin'!"

Hearing Saki’s exclamation, the four turn to five girls entering the room, with the boys staying behind the window. For some reason, Sakura was kneeling on the floor, looking annoyed. "We're gonna put a damn good show tomorrow!” The leader declared next, determined. That eagerness prompted her, Sakura, Yugiri, Lily and Tae to cheer in anticipation.

“YEAH!!!”

Junko and Ai are a little surprised to see them still set on rehearsing, with Bucciarati grinning over his hunch being correct. “Look. They did return.”

“Well? Are you two gonna stand aside or not?” Mamezuku asked as he left the room. Bucciarati stares at them with a pleading look before following. The two considered Mamezuku’s words before, with great reluctance, announcing to the girls they are joining.

“R-Really?! Does this mean…?” Sakura hoped they would come around.

“It’s only for courtesy, and to see if you can keep up as a beginner.” Ai corrected.

“I… wanted to experience what it's like being in a group… and see if I can work in it.” Junko explained.

Despite their reluctant reasons, the girls are glad nevertheless. All they need is to practice hard so they’ll be convinced.

"One, two, three, four! One, two, three, four! One, two, three, four!"

With Ai and Junko taking the lead, the girls copy their moves as they follow the rhythm and beat of the music coming from the boombox. So far, they're doing the choreography fine even if it’s not without any difficulty but they press on, following the duo's moves closely. Failure is not an option in their heads.

However, that is instantly proven wrong come the next part of the choreography practice, which is hopping around in a circle. Lily ended up tripping. "Ah! Oww!"

"Oh! Lily!"

Sakura rushed by her side out of worry while Saki stopped the music. Lily winced, stating, "The steps for this part are tricky!"

"Then try dancing better!" Saki reminded her.

"Wow, thanks for the tip!" She retorted sarcastically.

"Stop bickering! Both of you!” Yugiri reprimanded, causing Sakura to let out a nervous chuckle. As if having seen enough of their presumed flawed dynamics, Ai takes her leave, not speaking up and letting the act of leaving show what she's feeling.

"…Sorry." Junko soon followed, taking her leave as well.

As the girls look to the door in dismay, the zombie guys watch them leave, also upset. “Hmm, guess they’ve seen enough.” Mamezuku lamented.

Bucciarati glances to the saddened girls and to the door leading outside. He moves to grab the handle while his groupmates watch. “Bucciarati?” Narancia called out.

“I’ll… try to rouse them up, somehow. I don't like seeing them so doubtful and hopeless.” He said without facing them.

"I advise you do not,” told by Mamezuku. "They’re very convinced the project has no future due to the tight deadlines and the girls’ inexperience."

“…A tight deadline, I can agree. But everyone starts off inexperienced. The process of becoming the most profound person in any line of work is done through a long time – Ai and Junko must understand that. Take it from me – I didn’t earn the title of caporegime just by being a mafia member.”

Finishing reasoning with them, Bucciarati leaves.

Back to the girls lamenting the departure of two experienced idols, Saki says, "Well… I think we should keep practicing. With or without ‘em. C’mon girls! Let’s try again! I’ll start the song.”

Outside, Bucciarati didn't have to find the two for long; Junko was leaning on a wall with a pensive look and Ai stood close by. Carrying on his intention, he makes his presence known to the two. "Junko, Ai."

They turn to the tall man, apparently not expecting the two would go outside. “Mr. Bucciarati?”

“Is there something you need?” Ai questioned him.

"Yes. Concerning the girls… are you gonna leave the girls in the dust like that? I believe they're doing fine rehearsing the dance steps in accordance to the rhythm. Sure, Lily messed up one move but given enough tries, they may do it decently, helped that they're working together with little issue,” started Bruno. “They’re merely inexperienced, that’s all. Perhaps with your contributions, it’ll be a big help for them."

Tilting her head down, Junko sighs. "I see what you're getting at, but I don't think… working in a group is not for me."

"You think I'm gonna accept being an idol as a zombie?" Ai's stern words rang again to have him understand her skepticism towards being a zombie idol. "Kotaro's plan of saving Saga by recruiting zombie girls to act as idols is hysterical enough that it's not gonna work. And as I said, the girls are not gonna do a satisfactory performance with only one night of practice, especially when they're all inexperienced like you said."

“Even so, they…” Bruno tries to reason with them further but Ai and Junko starts walking away… only to stop when another person blocks their way with arms folded. Feeling exasperated and annoyed at the sight of him, Ai says, “What…?”

"…If you don’t dance, then you’re just a plain old zombie." Kotaro replied.

"Being an idol is hard! You don’t understand!" Ai retorted, still holding on to her belief zombies and idols don't gel well.

"Oh cry me a river.”

Getting a little frustrated, she exclaims, "I'm telling you! There’s no way this will work!"

"…Is that what you honestly believe?"

Ai scoffs. "Trust me, I know…"

"Then why were you two ｢idols｣ when you were alive?"

Ai and Junko seem to be taken aback when Kotaro asks them of their professions. Bucciarati watches on, wondering if Kotaro is making the steps in getting through them.

Not skipping a beat, Kotaro continues, "You’re dead, but at least the others are trying to ｢live｣. That includes your bodyguards, Goldia and her alters. Will you join them? Or would you rather just sit and rot?” After finishing reprimanding them, he takes his leave.

Watching him leave, Bruno took a glance at the two. He couldn’t see their faces but he can tell Kotaro’s words must have gotten to their heads. He was being a little harsh yet there were no hints of animosity in his voice. Seems like he wanted the two to not agonize over their zombie states and doubt being an idol is going to fail. After all, they used to be idols when they're alive.

They have already gone through the harsh journey in achieving stardom but they’re clinging to the negative side too much.

You may not like it but his advice is what you two need. Being zombies doesn’t mean we must sit in one place to rot.

Not wanting to bother them, Bucciarati returns to the shed.

“Okay! Is everybody ready?”

Four girls look behind their seats onto Kotaro after he opens the van’s tailgate. They’re in the Karatsu Station so their manager is preparing the equipment to be set up. The only ones who didn’t look behind are Junko, Ai and Tae although justified for the blank-staring zombie.

“Starting now, you are the guerilla squadron! Boldly prowling through the concrete jungle! This train station is your battleground where you’ll unleash confusion and wonderment upon the passerby! As to proclaim VICTORY!”

No one responded to his boisterous shouting at the end, and as if adding to the awkwardness, honking cars chime in from the roads. Nonetheless, Kotaro calms down, stepping back while clapping his hands. “Alright girls. Times a wastin’. Go, go, go, go, go, go, go, go, go, go…”

While this is happening, Hierophant Green slithers back to Kakyoin after he’s done doing a sweep of Karatsu Station. Once returning, Kakyoin looks up and confirms, "The area around the station is clear.”

“I second that. Nothing suspicious showed up in the radar.” Narancia agreed, keeping his eyes on the small radar.

“Everything here appears normal, my girl.” Harpae nodded.

Soon, their groupmates and four alters that scattered around the train station returned to the statue of a komainu’s head. Before the van stopped in the station proper, Goldia got off when it’s close to the station. Using Dream of Mirrors covertly to arrive at the station’s entrance, she released her alters and bodyguards to commence a sector sweep and ensure no threats are present endangering the idols and passerby. Kakyoin, Narancia and Harpae stayed beside Goldia due to their long-distance Stands and the tall girl, who is blind, only requiring listening to the sounds to compensate. This way, she can “see” her surroundings via echolocation, a trait made possible by her trained hearing and pneuma.

She also mentioned she can regain her vision if she wants, also thanks to pneuma but she must use it in moderation because it requires more energy.

Checking if everyone is accounted for, Goldia asks for their findings. “The three reported the station is safe. What about all of you?”

"My ｢fire radar｣ didn’t sense Xero, meaning he isn’t out like you said." Avdol replied, glancing at the Life Detector hovering by his head. He extinguishes it next.

“We scoured almost the entire vicinity of the station. Nothing’s amiss.” Mamezuku confirmed.

“And we still haven’t sensed Xero all this time. I guess… we’re good for now.” Lisette added.

Goldia grins at the good news. “Very good. Looks like we can all relax and leave the performance to the girls.

“Yeah! Their guu-ree-la concert may go well!” Fleta raises one fist in celebration.

“…It’s pronounced, ‘gu-e-ril-la’.” Johnny corrected her.

“Huh? Oh, right. It’s… kinda hard to pronounce.” The princess pouted in embarrassment.

“Tell me about it.” Enjel agreed. Goldia and Harpae giggled at Fleta becoming bashful while Gyro teased Johnny he’s acting like a father with a chuckle.

“Actually Gyro. I got married and have two kids. One of them is a girl.”

Gyro blinks. “Wha? For real? Wow, congratulations! Who’s your wife, huh? Tell me, Johnny. Tell me!”

“…Should I? I don’t… want to dig up bad memories.” He looks down frowning, remembering the events leading up to his passing. Seeing his best friend getting downcast, Gyro drops his question and apologizes to him.

“Alright everyone. We’re in the clear. All that’s left is telling Kotaro that it’s safe.” Bucciarati informed them to get everyone on track with their small job and dispel the incoming looming cloud.

"I don't think we should. The girls are already out over there," stated Kakyoin, directing their attention and pointing to Franchouchou setting up speakers and other related equipment. Seems like the girls will use this area as their makeshift stage.

Forgetting the painful memories of his death to his relief, Johnny squints his eyes to the rectangular devices propped up by a thin metal stand. "What are they setting up? Are those things needed for their guerilla performance?"

"Yup. Those are speakers, a device that can output music. Remember the device they used from last night, right?" Narancia answered.

“You mean… its miniature version?”

“It’s called a boombox. Not a dignified name that may be kinda misleading but it works.”

"Hmm, impressive. I'm still getting used to living in an era where advances in technology have happened so…" He rubs his head, not hiding his curiosity and incredulity of the devices made over a century.

“Indeed. When we learn that trains in this era use electricity as its current fuel, we were astonished. Also, certain models called bullet train can reach up to over 300 miles per hour!” Harpae agreed.

"No shit? No more steam-powered trains? Man, the future sure is something…" Gyro whispered, unable to hide a look of surprise and delight when he saw something not from his era. Though the question of how different his, Johnny and Mamezuku's world are up in the air, they assume everything is the same while something might be different.

Noticing Franchouchou are two members short, Lisette asks the group, "Where's Ai and Junko?"

“My guess… they’re staying in the van.” Bucciarati assumed.

Sakura nods with a frown, clearly unhappy the two are seemingly not joining. "Sakura…" She turns to Saki, giving her a look that they must make do with what they have. That, and the two weren't present during their rehearsal at all. Even if they’re experienced, they may not know most of the choreography.

I guess this show will have to go on without them…

“Okay. This is our chance to make our practice hours count.” Saki told her to bolster her confidence. Yugiri and Lily nod in agreement, prompting Sakura to nod too. Tae let out a small sneeze, probably still suffering from yesterday’s ink-causing common cold.

"They’re about to start. Stay close to this statue everyone," ordered Goldia. “Good luck to your performance!”

“You five better put out an amazing dance! Queen Egliette is watching you!” Fleta exclaimed, holding Egliette up to let them know her eyes do seem to be staring at them, like she’s scrutinizing.

"Okay! Time to see what Flanchocho is made of!" Gyro crossed his arms, full of enthusiasm.

"It's Franchouchou Gyro." Mamezuku corrected.

Avdol, Narancia, Mamezuku, Harpae and Lisette each nodded at them or gave thumbs up. Coming in last, Kakyoin nodded once too, silently wishing the girls good luck.

With the guerilla “stage” set, Franchouchou stands in position and Saki, holding a megaphone, announces to the passerby roaming the station, "Uhh, hey everybody! We're Franchouchou! We worked hard on this so we hope you like it!" A small crowd gathered in front of the fledgling idols, all curious of these five girls coming out of the blue.

With Saki turning on the music player and Sakura taking a deep breath as the girls take their stance, the guerilla performance of Franchouchou begins.

BGM: Mezame RETURNER

Mezame RETURNER
 Negae ba iin da
 Kiseki, kanjite mitai n da

Mezame RETURNER
 Nozome ba iin da
 Shigeki, girigiri de hora

Chodai daidai daidai daidai…

Akogareta no wa itsu no koro no yume?
 Mune no oku ni kakushita sutori
 Iro koku shita tegowai riaru e to
 Kiechai so de
 I awake in the light!

Bopping his head to the beat, Narancia took an instant liking to the song as he watched Franchouchou dance with an open smile. He's not the only one as everyone is indulging in the song’s catchy beat and choreography. For Avdol, Bucciarati, Johnny, Mamezuku, and Lisette, their faces are stone-faced so it’s hard to make out if they like the concert, but they do enjoy watching and listening to music. This contrasts with the crowd, who are murmuring to themselves who these girls are and one woman pointed out that Tae has a piece of squid in her mouth.

Meanwhile, Ai and Junko are mouthing the lyrics as they listen to the song in the van.

Bashito kimetai kono Succeed!
 Tomatcha ikenai kono Proceed!
 Isshinfuran de iku dochu!
 Yara kaimirai e maishin-chu!

Aa mo kore ijo arukenai…
 Son'na koto naideshou hora ne!
 Furikaette mite
 Guruguru guruguru…

"AH!"

As the girls hop around, Lily accidentally tripped when Sakura passed her by. "Oh no!" Sakura stopped dancing for a moment to tend to Lily. This did not go unnoticed – the crowd, their allies… and Ai and Junko.

Watching Sakura checking to see if Lily is okay together with Junko, Ai looks surprised as she exclaims, "What!? Don’t stop singing, you idiot!"

"Oh no! Why did she have to trip in the middle of the performance?" Goldia cried out.

"It's a mistake, right? A mistake that can be easily fixed or swept under the rug!" Narancia replied, dreading if the performance can continue.

"I stand corrected. A whole night of practice isn't really enough." Mamezuku said.

The crowd starts clearing out, believing Franchouchou's performance is headed for a disaster after seeing Lily tripping. "Hey! Where are they going? The performance hasn't ended yet!" Enjel exclaimed.

"They're not gonna waste their time watching a dance number that are likely bound to fail." Avdol reasoned.

Despite the blunder, the performance continued on, with Sakura resuming dancing with her fellow idols. They may have lost their audience due to her mistake, but the show must go on. Besides, Kakyoin and the others are watching them with hopeful faces so she needs to try harder. For now, all we need to do is put our hearts into it and try our hardest! Here we go! Time for our final verse! She thought, hoping Lily tripping is the last mistake they will make…

Sakura's world is colored gray for a moment to signify her second mistake: she forgot the rest of the lyrics.

Oh no… What are the words again? I forgot! W-What do I do!?

Panic started seeping into her mind as she attempted to memorize the lyrics but to no avail. Franchouchou continues through the second verse while Sakura is getting left in the dust over her second mistake. Come on brain… Please don’t do this to me…!

Seeing Sakura standing still and silent while the others dance, Kakyoin is getting concerned when she's not dancing. He takes a second guess and sees what made her stop singing and takes on an anxious look that can crack any second now. "Sakura… Don't tell me… You forgot the lyrics?" Just when he and Sakura thought the worst could happen...

Aa demo sukoshi kowai no…

Sakura turns to the one who sang those lyrics. To her surprise, it's Ai joining. Compared to the dull appearance everyone has, her appearance shines through normally.

Ai's not the only one - Junko twirls toward Sakura singing the next lines with a deep but wondrous voice to match, contrasting her normal high-pitched tone.

Son'na koto naikara, hora ne!
 Daijobudayo!

Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight!

As if it's some sort of miracle, Ai and Junko's presence serves as a beacon of light to steer the performance back to the right track. Empowered by their appearance, Sakura confidently sings the rest of the lyrics with gusto.

Mezame RETURNER mezamete inda!
 Muteki yumemiru kimochi
 Cho, cho, cho cho, dai, dai, dai, dai!

Mezame RETURNER negaeba inda
 Kiseki kanjite mitainda

Mezame RETURNER nozomeba inda
 Suteki wakuwakuna hodo cho dai dai, dai!

Negae! Negae! Saijo! Sairyo!
 Kanawanai mono wa... nai! Nai! Nai!

Todoke! Todoke! Atsui kimochi!
 Setsuna no Soru ni… Cut in!

Franchouchou takes the stance they did in the beginning after singing the last lines of the song. “Furan…! Shuushuu!” Tae let out. After that, they stood next to each other in a line before bowing to a lone audience they got in the end – a little girl mimicking their dancing with a smile.

Is it over…? Sakura wondered.

"…We should sign off." Ai told Saki. Taking her little advice, everyone stood up straight as Saki exclaimed, "Anyway, uh… We're Franchouchou!"

Kneeling to the twin-tailed girl, Saki gives her a thumbs up and a sheepish smile, saying, "Thanks a lot. We’ll put out a better show next time. I promise! I’ll see you then?"

The girl nods with a smile before she’s pulled by her mother to the station. "That was fun!" She exclaimed, turning around to give Saki a thumbs up back. Touched, Saki stood up straight. At the same time, their other companions approach with Goldia, Fleta, Enjel, Narancia and Gyro all keen to cheer them on.

"Well, that could’ve gone a hell of a lot better.”

"It sure didn't but you girls tried your best. I'd say you all did a decent job." Kakyoin commended, walking to Saki and Sakura along with the others.

“If not for Ms. Lily tripping, I would’ve thought the same,” Egliette speaks up in a tone signifying she’s going to judge them like they’re in her throne room. “You girls have a lot of room to improve before I deem you worthy to perform in my throne. That said however… I’m looking forward to your success.”

“Aww, I wish I was with that girl cheering for you. Show that there’s one more person supporting you.” Fleta bemoaned.

"Yeah! They were AWESOME!" Narancia exclaimed. "I don’t care if people deemed your performance as subpar. You have what it takes to carve the path of stardom as idols!"

"Ehehehe… You're being generous Narancia, but still… Thanks for watching us, all of you." Sakura giggled.

"Hold it right there ladies!"

Turning to who has spoken just now, they see that it's the policeman – the same policeman Sakura, Ai, Junko and Kakyoin know. Striding to the girls while ignoring the others, he says, "Hate to tell ya but you can’t do street shows without a permit! What are you trying to do here? Get arrested? Because I will arrest ya."

“You’ll never take me alive!”

“You want to go, huh? I’ll gladly take you on!”

Annoyed by his threat, Saki and Narancia are ready to attack the policeman until Yugiri, Lily, Avdol and Gyro pull them away, reminding Saki that she's the leader and shouldn't attempt anything that can leave a bad impression on Franchouchou.

"Um, sorry officer! We’ll leave right away!" Sakura agreed, being her anxious self again.

"Hey… You look familiar." The policeman looks closely at her face, a nagging feeling in his head as he tries to remember.

"Huh!? Me? Er, n-no I don't!" She backs away, fearing his memory may return. Their van brakes to a stop behind her and coming out is Kotaro shouting like they’re caught red-handed.

"GET INSIDE THE VAAAAAAAAAAN!!!!!"

“Oh wow! That guy’s weird!” As the policeman watches on in surprise, everyone runs to the van while carrying their musical equipment as they don't want to deal with someone on the law, especially one who recognizes some of them and could possibly expose their identities. Concerning Goldia, she already led the zombie guys and alters into her mind and ran after them last, saying, “You’re welcome!” to the policeman.

Once everyone and everything is onboard, the van drives away frantically courtesy of Kotaro who keeps shouting lots of "YEAH, YEAH, YEAH, YEAH!" "GOGOGOGO!" and "COME ON! COME ON! COME ON!", all increasing in volume ending in the loudest "GOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!" as the van disappears past the building.

“She seemed really jumpy… Guess I must have poured on too much of my old charm!” The policeman who was left in the dust smiled to himself.

Later that night, some hours after Franchouchou's guerilla's performance and Goldia went home, Junko and Ai are in the living room resting. Junko takes a sip from a cup of tea and Ai dries her hair with a towel.

"…We still ended up performing, huh?" Junko remarked, seemingly amused at how things turned out. She takes another sip of her tea when she and Ai heard someone knocking, followed by Sakura entering. "Hey guys. Can we talk?"

The two look at Sakura, accompanied by Bucciarati and Narancia donned in their sleepwear. The two give them a nodding smile and a wave respectively as Sakura says, "Thank you. Really." She bows in appreciation for stepping in when the performance is turning bad. Ai and Junko stayed silent as Sakura continued speaking. "If it hadn't been for you, nobody other than our companions would've stayed through the whole song."

"…That all?” Ai asked.

The redhead continues, “Both of you did an amazing job. You totally saved the show. It may be feel like the rest of us might have never make it as idols without you," Ai and Junko avert their gaze to her as if agreeing with her but she quickly dispels their doubt, "No wait! I mean…! Because of ｢that｣, I want to practice ｢even harder｣! I know we might be not real idols yet. And we’re zombies too which makes everything that much trickier. But I’ll give it my very best. And if each of us does that, then despite what we’re up against, I’m sure Franchouchou can become really incredible in the future! I want to make sure Franchouchou can be a real idol group! I think that’s how you all feel, including Goldia, her alters… and our bodyguards."

Having said what she wants to say, Sakura bids Ai, Junko, Bucciarati and Narancia good night and leaves the room.

"…You know. Today was a total disaster. But performing with everyone… Felt so much better than I thought it was.” Junko admitted.

"As much as I like it, even I have to agree," admitted Narancia. "It only took you two stepping in to salvage it somewhat."

"Well, regardless of the outcome, I'm happy to see you two joining at the last minute despite your reservations." Bucciarati lauded. He turns to Junko as he says, "I have to say. When I heard your voice – your singing voice, that is – I can’t help but like it due to it being different from your normal voice. It sounds heavenly! Who would have thought your voice could go deeper?"

Blushing slightly at his praise, Junko averts her eyes and says. “I guess it’s my innate talent. I was surprised when I sang deeper for the first time."

“Then I’m looking forward to hearing more of your singing voice. You don’t mind, right?”

Junko stares straight into Bruno’s eyes, her heart skipping a beat. “I don’t. You’re free to listen anytime.”

The two continue staring at each other for a few seconds until Junko snaps out upon realizing how long she’s staring. “O-Oh, uhh… It’s nice talking to you, Mr. Bucciarati.” She averts her gaze again.

“Please drop the mister. I’m fine being called by my name only.”

“…In that case, good night Bucciarati.” Waving goodbye to the beautiful man, Junko leaves to put the teacup in the kitchen sink. Bucciarati also leaves after bidding good night to Narancia and Ai.

"…Franchouchou, huh?" Ai mumbled. Repeating the name in her head, she comes to like the name Tae inadvertently came up with. It’s actually fitting even if she’s yet to find out how.

Well… This is it. We're starting over from scratch.

Ai hears Narancia yawning deep. She turns to the boy rubbing his eye, looking drowsy. “You should get some sleep. Both our groups have a lot to do tomorrow.”

“Yeah. It’s been a long day. We’ll do our best defending you and the other six from Xero. No matter how many times he comes back, we will defeat him for Saga’s sake!”

They bid each good night at last before leaving, feeling satisfied and pumped for the coming days ahead.

At the same time, Sakura walks away from the door, satisfied in thanking Ai and Junko. Hoping she and the girls can do better next time, she hums the song with a smile as she walks through the corridor. It just so happens that another zombie is walking in the same corridor in the opposite direction. They ended up bumping into each other.

"Oh. Sakura, hello." Kakyoin greeted in his pajamas, sounding pleased to see her.

"Hey Kakyoin," Sakura greeted back, clearly happy to see him. "You’re gonna turn in for the night?"

"Yes,” he stretches his limbs, "Are you gonna turn in as well? I know we're zombies and may not need some sleep but a whole night has passed without us sleeping, you know? I wanted to catch up with my sleep schedule after that."

"Yeah. You and me, Kakyoin…" She yawned. Even as an undead, she's starting to feel sleepy. They're going to act the same as when they're alive, so other than being zombies, nothing has changed between being human and zombie. "Should we tell the others?"

"Hmm. Let's not," he shakes his head. "They might be busy, so I believe it's best to wait until all of us are ready to sleep. For all I know, they don't want to be disturbed."

"Well alright. Let's wait for them," she nods. "So, shall we proceed, Cherry Boy?"

The man frowns when Sakura calls him by his nickname. Correspondingly, Kakyoin responds, "Sure thing, Egghead."

…

…

"Hahahahahaha!"

Sakura and Kakyoin shared a laugh after a moment of silence had passed. The two walk with each other down the corridor as Kakyoin requests, "Seriously though. Don't call me Cherry Boy except when we're outside, please? I would be glad if you keep it that way."

"…Sounds to me you accept your nickname even if you don't like it." Sakura insinuated, letting out a giggle in amusement.

"That I am, unfortunately…" Despite sighing in embarrassment, Kakyoin still cracks a smile.

Up in the balcony, Saki leans on the railing as she gazes out at the sea. Reflecting on the group's performance this morning, the leader of Franchouchou intends on carrying her claim for a dedicated fan to do better next time. Even if the concert didn't go well, that doesn't mean she's backing down as she sees it as motivation to keep on improving as a leader and idol singer. She wouldn't take Kyushu by storm if she's going to give up. It's not like her at all.

At this moment, Avdol stands next to Saki and watches the calm waves rolling on the surface of the sea. The former biker turns to him and asks, "Oh, hey there. You're gonna look at the sea, Fire Lord?"

"Just wanted to calm my mind after a long day," replied Avdol. "So, how are you getting on, Saki? Are you getting used to being a zombie and idol?"

Saki shrugs her shoulders, stating, "Eh, I'll manage. S'long as we don't expose ourselves as zombies, we'll be fine."

"Well, even if we keep up the façade as long as we can, the world will inevitably know we're zombies in the future," he reminded. "I do not know when the day will come but the outcome is never in doubt."

"…Did you come here just to tell me that and be a killjoy?" She squinted her eyes.

"I'm not. I only intend to remind you," he reassured. "I apologize if I did, Saki."

"Heh, apology accepted. Besides, I don't want you worryin' over me as well since I can handle myself just fine."

"But when it comes to dealing with Xero, leave the work to the seven of us, Saki. I guarantee you will put yourself in danger if you ever try to fight him."

"…Fine, alright. But don't be surprised if I try to fight back. I'll not stand still and let him kill any of us in the chance you and your friends were incapacitated somehow."

"…If it comes to that, I advise you to be careful."

After their conversation, Saki and Avdol look at the sea and night sky and admire them for a while before turning in for the night.

In the rehearsal room, Lily sits on the floor stretching her arms and torso. With her mistake during the performance fresh in her mind, she wants to improve her dance moves and flexibility so she won't make the same mistake again. While having just one day of practice contributed to the guerilla performance mostly failing, it was her tripping during the concert that almost crumbled until Ai and Junko stepped in.

As she continues stretching her body, Gyro enters the room and sees her sitting on the floor. "Oh, there you are, Lily. Doing some stretches, I see." He greeted her.

She finished stretching herself as she replied, "Yup. Just preparing myself to rehearse so I can get it right without fail."

"I guess you’re doing this because of your literal trip up this morning, right?" He grabs a chair and sits on it with one leg crossed and arms folded.

"Uh huh. I'm sooo embarrassed to have it happen twice…" She sighed, standing up straight while stretching her arms and raising her calves. "So, what are you doing here, Gyro?"

"Maybe accompany you." Gyro let out with a shrug. “You know. As a bodyguard. I can't afford to let you be by your lonesome, especially since you're a kid."

"Well, I'm happy you're taking your bodyguard duty seriously." She remarked, not really hiding her amusement and gratitude.

“Yup. That's right. Even though I’m a different reality after about a century has passed, I’m glad to live again. I'm still getting used to being a zombie but I have a feeling we're gonna be okay."

"I agree!" Lily smiled brightly. "While your group does the role alongside Goldia, Franchouchou will let the voice of love take Saga higher as we work hard to bring joy to people's faces!"

"Heh, yeah… We're gonna ｢save｣ Saga if fourteen of us are working in tandem. Nyo-ho!" Gyro flashes his gold teeth in delight, feeling optimistic being a zombie shouldn't hamper their attempt to live their lives.

Her bright expression changed to a frowned and unimpressed one when she saw his gold teeth again. "…Ugh, those gold teeth of yours still look gaudy as ever."

"Eh, suit yourself. I'll continue having gold teeth with my family's name engraved on it!" Gyro isn't unfazed by Lily's criticism as he stands before the mirror and admires his square-shaped beard and teeth, smiling proudly at his fashion choice. Lily, for her part, chooses to ignore him as she starts swerving her body carefully and intently, muttering something about Gyro being hard-headed.

In the mansion's living room, Yugiri sits on the floor inhaling her kiseru. She exhales the smoke through her mouth, being mindful to a second occupant sitting on the opposite side of a sofa he and she are leaning on.

Hearing a buzzing noise to her right, Yugiri glances at Johnny sitting on a chair and sees he's brushing his teeth using his spinning nails. Intrigued, she says, "My, my. That's not something you see every day."

"Oh? This?" Johnny moved his spinning finger away from his mouth. “Yeah. I use my ｢spinning nails｣ to do the brushing. Pretty neat, I’ll have you know.

“It is. Hmm, is ‘spinning nails’ a unique ability of yours? Of your Stand, I mean.” She inquired.

“Both abilities are part of me. The ｢Spin｣ and my Stand. In the case of Spin, Gyro can do it too. He even taught me the ways of doing it, eventually leading me to be able to walk.”

"Is that so?" Looking at the jockey, Yugiri wonders something about him. Since she has lived her life in Japan, she's curious about what other countries are like during her time. Every country had a different but unique culture and way of living back then. She can comfortably take the fact she's revived many years in the future where everything is radically different in a stride but learning there are five foreigners (and three guys from an alternate world) surely surprised her. Also, she's curious of who Johnny is considering he uses a cane to support his legs, as if his paraplegia either wasn't cured or hasn't left him after he was cured.

"Say, Lord Johnny."

"What is it?"

"You're from a different country, right?"

"…Yeah. I'm from the United States while Gyro came from Naples, Italy. Why? Is there something you want to ask about?"

After inhaling her kiseru, Yugiri says, "Would you mind telling me what it's like living in the United States? You and I are from the same era but in a different country. Since I lived in Japan until my death, would you care to enlighten me about it, Lord Johnny?"

Guessing Gyro is gonna take a while before he returns, Johnny shrugs, replying, "Sure. I have nothing better to do…"

"Splendid. In return, I am inclined to tell you what life was like in Japan when I was alive." Yugiri said with a smile.

"While that is unnecessary, considering I married a Japanese woman and knew what Japan was like back then, I'm not stopping you if that's what you want."

"Oh? What's that? You married a Japanese woman?"

"Yeah, but I'm not telling you that now. Next time perhaps. Is that clear?"

"Very well."

Reminding herself to inform Johnny who she is and what she's like when the jockey revealed who he is in return, Yugiri and Johnny have a pleasant conversation about their countries of origin.

On the doorsteps of the mansion, Tae and Romero lie on the ground, guarding the door. While this is fine if it's a (zombie) dog like Romero, the same can't be said for a zombie like Tae. Said zombie proceeds to touch the dog out of curiosity, much to Romero's displeasure.

"Hey. You're coming inside?"

"Ungh?"

Turning around, Tae sees Mamezuku standing in the doorway, looking at her with a calm expression. When she continues staring at him blankly, Mamezuku says, "Come on. It's time to sleep. You don't want to sleep outside, do you? You'll catch a cold."

Seemingly listening, Tae picks herself up and walks inside. She stops by Mamezuku's side, as if she waits for Mamezuku to move. He notices her behavior, which he doesn't mind as he turns to Romero and asks, "You're coming too, Romero?"

"Arf…" That's Romero's response before lying his head on his paws, content to act as a guard dog and that Tae isn't annoying him anymore.

"Alright. Suit yourself then."

Closing the door, Mamezuku turns to Tae and asks, "Now then, shall we proceed?"

"Mmngah…"

"…I'll take that as a yes. Oh, by the way… Good job in the guerilla performance. You danced in your own way but you did well within your perimeters Tae."

“Ooorgh…” Tae stared into Mamezuku’s eyes.

“Alright, let’s get going.”

As the unlikely duo of a nonchalant plant appraiser and a mindless so-called "legendary" zombie proceed forward, night in Saga continues without incident. With Franchouchou making their start through a guerilla performance and their bodyguards' Stand powers already being used to protect the group, the zombies have a long way to go before they bring attention to Saga Prefecture.

In the meantime, a well-deserved sleep is needed for tomorrow and the day after that.

A few hours later…

The residents of the mansion are asleep past midnight. Every light is turned off and it’s very quiet in it, so all in all, their sleeping time is peaceful.

So far, the fourteen zombies are lying comfortably still on their futons. Some have a blanket on, others don’t, and Tae herself has a snot bubble as she sleeps with her mouth open, spilling a bit of drool in the corner of her mouth. Nevertheless, these undead creatures do need this cozy nap to make up for staying awake for one night.

It looks like nothing would disturb them and their peaceful sleep would continue across the rest of the night. However, a crooked line looming over Sakura in the air begs to differ.

ボキッ… ボキッ… ボキッ… ボキッ…

BGM: The SA-X Approaches (Metroid Fusion OST)

The line opens wide, albeit slowly to prevent a noisy sound waking the zombies up. And so, a rift has formed, the inside of it remaining obscured by dim lights… and coming out from it is a humanoid being hovering above Sakura, holding on to the edges of the rift for support.

It’s hard to make out its appearance but one can catch a glimpse of its arms. They have pure white hands and forearms while those past its elbows take on a glassy look. These features are the same traits Kakyoin and Avdol saw coming out from a rift to retrieve Xero’s body. His unknown Stand, actually.

ゴゴゴゴゴゴゴゴ

The obscured Stand seems to look down on Sakura’s sleeping form, blissfully unaware of a looming intruder. The Stand lowers itself until its face is close to Sakura, then raises its right hand to cup her cheek softly. It tilted its head, possibly enamored although it’s hard to tell from its hidden face. This goes on for a minute before the Stand straightens back up.

Without disturbing the others, the looming Stand reaches out toward Sakura with the intent of taking her inside Xero’s realm. The non-legendary zombie girl is in for a nasty shock when she wakes up. The only upside is the incoming event will happen before sunrise…

<=To be continued|\|/