Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

It was a day like any other when the fate of several young girls in the city of Tokyo was changed forever.

"Honestly, this may sound egotistical -so keep it between us! - but… part of me feels like we're heroes for doing this, you know? Well, maybe that's the wrong word, but when I was a young girl, I really wanted to be a somebody who did something important one day. And I love this school, Otonokizaka. I'm… happy. That we're saving it. I don't care about being recognized, but… I don't feel like a nobody right now. I feel like somebody."

Kousaka Honoka, a Second Year of Otonokizaka High School smiled as she confessed how she felt to her friend Kotori, who smiled back in response.

There are many points it could be said a story truly begins. Does it begin at birth? When does the action begins? At what point does a plot truly 'begin?'

"Honoka, quick slacking!" Sonoda Umi complained, looking over at the stopped Honoka and Kotori, correctly summarizing they stopped at Honoka's behest.

"Uuu, Umi-chan, just give me five minutes to rest!"

"It's only been two laps already! Did you stay up late or something, Honoka?" Umi criticized with a sigh.

"O-of course not! It's just really hot, Umi!"

"I could go for a break too, nyaaa…" Hozhisora Rin, one of the new first years of the School Idol group µ's complained, taking her senior's stance.

"I… fine. Everyone take five. Honoka, no more complaining after this, got it?" Umi said, finally giving in.

"Of course, of course!" The orangette said, smiling at her victory.

It can be said in the tale ofµ's, there are many moments where it can be said the bizarre adventure of the Otokonizaka High School's Idol Study Club's 2013 school year began. Did it begin when Honoka, Kotori, and Umi formed an unbreakable bond as children? Upon learning of Otokonizaka's was to be closed, or perhaps it was the moment they saw A-RISE perform and decided to become idols? Was it that moment that had not even transpired, when the three became nine?

"HONOKA, LOOK OUT!"

Or was it that moment that Arrow pierced into their lives, awakening something beyond their wildest dreams?

Honestly, Honoka really did hate waking up at 5:30 AM, she really did. Honoka was never really a morning person before, or the kind of person who went to bed early; the whole thing had been a massive change to her sleep schedule that had taken her a few days to adjust too. And even then, she really missed crashing at midnight and still getting a good few hours of sleep.

But! As far as Honoka was concerned, it was a small price to pay for µ's. Going to bed early, getting up early was just part of the idol's routine. Besides, a better sleep schedule totally keeps you cuter! She thought to herself as encouragement, grinning as she made her way to the shrine for morning practice. "Heeey, everybody!"

"Good morning, Honoka-chan!" Kotori replied happily, nodding at her childhood friend.

"Good to see you made it on time," Umi replied, wiping some sweat off her brow. Having gotten there first, she thought it'd be appropriate for her to go first.

"Good morning, nyaaa~!" Rin took it a step forward, giving her new friend a hug, and Honoka laughed and hugged back while Hanayo and Maki simply gave respectful nods and smiles.

"And remember everyone, we practice afterschool today too," Umi reminded the rest of µ's, nodding in response. "It's going to be really hot today and we'll have no shade up there; make sure to bring water bottles, and we'll head inside if we have to," Umi instructed, as the girls nodded once more. In truth Umi was rather pleased with how on-board everyone was; she had been disciplined by her time in the Archery Club, and she was pleased that even these first years were so willing to do all the work.

"Alright, everybody! Remember, we jog until it's time to go to school!" and the rest of µ'snodded, resuming the morning exercises. Rin outperformed by far, sometimes sprinting up the stairs when nobody else would go quite so fast (Maki had scolded her more than once about tripping, only to be ignored to her ire). Honoka could not help but frown when she saw Hanayo behind, putting on a smile before walking back to her.

"Come on, Hanayo-chan. Just walk; even that's exercise you know!" she encouraged, offering a hand to the girl. "We can go the rest up the rest of the stairs together!" Hanayo smiled but shook her head and tried to resume a slow jog. "H-hey, seriously, be careful about pushing yourself Hanayo-chan!"

"I don't want to be a burden," Hanayo assured, trying her best to go up the rest of the way in a jog, nearly collapsing a few more steps up.

"W-whoa, wait a second!" Honoka told her, catching her and resting her down on the stairs. "I'm serious, Hanayo-chan! You don't look too hot… this took some getting used for me and Umi and Kotori too, we've always been kind of athletic," well, she and Umi anyways. "You got to know your limits…"

Hanayo's cheek flushed with embarrassment. This was her first real conversation with Honoka one-on-one, and she felt like an embarrassment to this group now. What kind of idol couldn't just run up some steps? "I… I…"

Honoka smiled, sitting down next to her. "You know, when I was little, Umi and Kotori and me used to run around and do all sorts of stuff… but we haven't done that in a long time. I miss climbing trees and stuff. It's kind of nice, doing all this stuff with you all, like I'm relieving part of my childhood," she began, much to Hanayo's confusion.

"I'm sorry, what — "

"And now you and Rin and Maki are all a part of it! It already feels like I've known you all for years, and I bet Umi and Kotori feel the same way!" Honoka reassured. "So… don't feel like you got to try so hard just to impress us, OK? You're already a School Idol, so you don't got to try kissing our butts! And if you're feeling unwell, you should lie down and rest! If you overwork yourself, it could be really, really bad!"

The words made Hanayo go quiet, before the quiet girl's smile finally returned. Do I really belong here? Hanayo thought to herself at that moment. If nothing else though, at least a measure of ease was brought to Hanayo's mind that she wouldn't be abandoned; at least not at this moment, anyways.

"… Just let me catch my breath, OK?" Hanayo asked, Honoka giving a thumbs up in return. "I can't believe I'm doing this… I-I still can't believe I'm going to be an idol…"

"Gonna be? You are an idol, silly!" Honoka took a sip of her water bottle before handing it to Hanayo. "You're one of us now, so you're absolutely an idol! You got to stop acting like you're trying to apply or something!" Hanayo smiled and sipped the water herself. "Hey, Hanayo-chan?"

"Yes, Kousaka-san?"

"What would you have done if it wasn't for µ's? Ya know, if we weren't doing this?"

"Well… I wanted to do something athletic. I thought it'd help build up confidence… me and Rin were looking at track."

"Oooo, I almost did that, you know! Hehehe… I kind of didn't do anything my entire first year, almost applied for kendo though. Kinda made my mom angry with that…" she sighed before smiling. "Just a normal high school life, huh?"

"Yeah. I-I never thought I'd do anything… you know, really noteworthy when I was in high school. Just talk to Rin and keep my head low…" Hanayo's tone dropped a bit, sighing. "… I still want to do good in this though, I really do…"

Honoka nodded, before looking up at the sky, smiling at the sun hiding behind clouds before turning to Hanayo. "Hey, Hanayo-chan. Mind if I tell you something? I'd feel super awkward telling it to Umi or Kotori…"

"O-Oh! Um, sure thing, Kousaka-san!

Honoka paused before looking back at the concealed sun once more, squinting before closing her eyes. "Honestly, this may sound egotistical -so keep it between us! - but… part of me feels like we're heroes for doing this, you know?"

"A hero…?"

"Well, maybe that's the wrong word, but when I was a young girl, I really wanted to be a somebody who did something important one day. And I love this school, Otonokizaka," it had taken her a while to realize it, but she did. Seeing how happy her mom was in her photos as a high schooler, her grandmother too, all of this history her family had in this school… it made her feel proud. It made her very happy to call herself a second year of Otonokizaka High School. "I'm… happy. That we're saving it. I don't care about being recognized, but… I don't feel like a nobody right now. I feel like a somebody," and she paused, before smiling. "… I'm sorry, that probably sounds super lame, huh? I-if you don't tell them I'll get you some bread later! And — "

"I love it."

"… Huh?"

Hanayo's smile returned once more, one of her hands balled into a fist. "T-that's… that sounds exactly what an idol would say Kousaka-san!"

"Really!?"

"Yeah! All uplifting, confident, full of love, but also some humility… even though you're not singing or anything, that's what an idol would say! It's… it's amazing, Kousaka-san!"

"Really!?"

"I-I just said yes!"

Honoka made a happy squeal before hugging the first year, grinning from ear-to-ear. "Weeeeh, thank you sosososo much Hanayoooo! I promise I'm not going to let you down! I'm going to — "

"HEY!"

… Aaaaaaaand there was Umi, of course. Hanayo gulped, before Honoka faced her. "Let me deal with this, alright?"

"What's going on!? I'd get it if you had to walk, but you two are completely stopped!"

"Hehe… sorry Umi, I got really tired…"

"No excuses! Come on you two, let's go!" Umi demanded, with Honoka sighing. "Honoka, quick slacking!

"Uuu, Umi-chan, just give me five minutes to rest!"

"It's only been two rounds already! Did you stay up late or something, Honoka?" Umi demanded, glaring daggers at her old friend.

"O-of course not! It's just really hot, Umi!"

"I could go for a break too, nyaaa…" Everyone else had come back to check on them as well, and Honoka and Hanayo internally were fairly relieved.

"I… fine. Everyone take five. Honoka, no more complaining after this, got it?"

"Of course, of course!" Honoka said with a laugh, nudging Hanayo. "Don't worry, I know her like a book!" Hanayo gave a little giggle as everyone sat down.

I'm doing something worth talking about, Honoka thought, looking at the girls chatting around her. This is a good thing, µ's was a good thing. They would absolutely save the school; she was so sure of it! And then…

Umi's eyes narrowed as she saw a glint of something in the sunlight. Something moving…

We're going to save the school, Honoka thought to herself. Granny, are you watching? We're going to save the school you and mom went to. We're going to make it so even Yukiho wants to go! Every last one of us —

"Umi-chan?" Kotori asked, noticing her friend's expression. "Is something wrong?"

"Is that… hey, do you see something over there?"

Remember when I dressed up as Superman when I was six for Halloween? I feel just like that again. We're going to save everything, just you watch!

"Yeah, it's… hey, it's coming fast- hey! Honoka is —!"

Umi's eyes widened in alarm, bolting upright. "HONOKA! LOOK OUT!"

I feel —

"… Kousaka-san?"

Hanayo didn't immediately process what was going on when an arrow pierced the throat of Honoka Kousaka, entering the left side of her throat and coming out her right, blood splattering on her face.

"K… Kousaka…!?"

— like a baby bird just starting to soar!

And with that thought, she collapsed, eyes empty and expressionless.

At first, there was a moment of silence.

And then, panic.

"HONOKA!?" Kotori screamed, rushing to the side of her dearest friend as fast as she could without tripping on the stairs. "Honoka!? Honoka! Answer me! H-Honoka!" In her panic she tried shaking her, paling at seeing the weapon imbedded in her friend's throat. "Oh God, Honoka!"

Hanayo's mouth contorted into a silent scream, her eyes wide as she backed away. She wanted to scream at the top of her lungs, but no sounds would come out. Rin quickly hugged her to try to assure her, but her own eyes showed immense panic as well, as Maki covered her mouth with trembling hands as Umi rushed down as well.

"W-what happened!?" Maki asked, unable to move from her spot; from her position she could see the object imbedded in her friend's throat. "Is… is that…!"

"Get to shelter now! All of you!" Umi demanded, kneeling by her friend. "Take cover and get help!"

"S-shouldn't we stay!?" Rin asked, now crying. "Honoka is… s-shouldn't we stay by her!?"

"It's an arrow! Somebody fired it! They probably have more; they're probably getting ready to fire another!" The true horror of their situation was now upon them. Rin attempted to hug Hanayo tighter, not even aware of the discomfort she was bringing to her as Hanayo cried, as she tried to cover her body as she scanned the rooftops. Maki backed herself into a wall as her breathing intensified, and Kotori was in a daze, crying as she gently shook her oldest and dearest friend.

"I'll watch the body! Just go! All of you!"

"U-Umi, you need to hide too — "

"Dammit, just do what I say! Just hide and call for help!" Umi demanded, looking down at Honoka. "AND WHOEVER YOU ARE, THE POLICE WILL BE HERE SOON, DO YOU HEAR ME!? WE'RE GONNA — "

But Umi's train of thought was cut off at an excruciating pain in her hand. As she looked down, she saw the arrow embedded in Honoka's throat had moved, seemingly on its own. "W… wha…?" Umi's breathing became ragged gasps as the pain finally processed, becoming a scream of pain. I did not touch it, neither did Kotori! She thought to herself, but there wasn't much time to dwell on it; the arrow continued to move on its own, ripping through her hand and flying into the distance.

"Wha…" Rin's eyes widened as she let go Hanayo, watching the arrow fly off. "W… what the heck…?"

Everyone nearby suddenly stopped their own reactions as they heard a wonderful new sound; Honoka gasping for air.

"Honoka!" Kotori hugged her as tight as she could in a panic. "I thought- we thought —!"

"D-don't move her so suddenly Kotori! The impact might've hurt her neck!" Umi kicked herself internally for how stupid that sounded; Honoka was just pierced in the throat by an arrow. Despite the pain in her hand however, Umi tried to keep the situation calm, and so she stopped focusing on her own self-pitying to look at her friend once more. "Honoka, can you hear me!? You've been attacked!"

"A… attacked…?"

"Don't speak! You've been stabbed in the throat- we're going to call an ambulance right now, just wait!" Yet in her panic Umi brought her hands to the sides of Honoka's throat, hoping she could lessen the blood flow. "Kotori! Call the police!"

"… I… I feel fine though…"

"H-Honoka!? What are you talking about!? You were just — "

"H-Honestly, everyone, I'm fine-" Honoka sat upright, feeling her throat. "I don't… feel anything, you know?"

"W-what are you talking about!?" Now Maki finally spoke, rushing over as well. "You just had an arrow! In your neck! Y-you shouldn't even be able to talk!"

"It's probably the adrenaline," She began to say. Is that even how it worked? Umi did not know, and she did not care. "Honoka, please, lie… d… down…?"

"Umi?" Kotori asked.

"… T… there's no… wound on her…"

"W-what!?" Hanayo finally spoke out. "L-look- her blood is on me! H-how can you say there's no wound!?"

"I'm saying there's no wound! What more am I supposed to say!? Everyone, look!" and µ's rushed over, eyes widening as they saw no sign of an exit wound on her neck on either side, just some fresh blood where the arrow once was.

"H-hey… Umi, your hand…"Hanayo said, pointing at it.

"T-The arrow went through it too, I know… H-how did it move on its own?"

"N-no, not that! Look!" Hanayo lunged forward and grabbed her hand. "There's no wound either!"

"… No way, that's impossible. Hanayo, I — " but Umi's eyes widened as she looked down on her hand, and sure enough, no wound. "W… what…"

"This is insane — " Maki began. "T-this is a dream. A nightmare. I'm back in my bed, I need to wake up…" She pinched herself once, then again, and again and again — "Come on, wake up Maki, wake up, you're going to be late for practice with µ's… I-If one of you are dreaming please wake up, come on…!"

"Maki…"

"I need to wake up or one of you needs to wake up right now —!"

"Maki!" Kotori shook her. "This isn't a dream! We're… I don't know what's going on, but… I think we should go to a clinic. E-explain what happened and have them look at them. I-I know this sounds crazy, but we need to stay calm! If we call the police and there's no wound we'll just get in trouble, right?"

"Guys, really, I'm fine — " Honoka tried to assure, smiling, before biting on her lip. "… But, if it makes everyone feel better, let's go to the clinic, alright?" The rest nodded, submitting to the collective will. Honoka put her hands to her throat, feeling the still warm blood on her, and the lack of a wound that produced them.

Truth be told, Honoka was hoping Maki would wake up from a dream too.

"You know, I've heard a lot of bad lies to get out of school for a day, but this is the worst one yet. Can't you kids just fake vomiting or something? Really?"

It went without saying their story did not go over with the owner of one private clinic, the older man glaring daggers at the teenagers in his office.

"W-we're not joking!" Rin defended, stepping forward. "I-It was crazy! It came out of like, nowhere— "

"Rin, please — " Umi tried to begin.

"L-Like it was just flying through the air, nya! And like, it, went through Honoka-chan's neck, and — " Rin was cut off by a nudge to her side by Maki, who then sighed.

The doctor sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Listen. Kids. I get it; you're high schoolers. I know this may not sound like the advice you'd expect from a doctor, but I wasn't the best student myself and if I think I could ditch, I took it."

"Mister — " Honoka began, taking a step forward before Kotori held out her arm.

"Didn't study for an exam? Well, while your parents may be pissed, one bad grade isn't the end of the world. If you're fighting with friends, well, skipping school isn't going to make it go away. You got to face that crap head-on if you ever want it to get better," the doctor encouraged, giving a faint smile. "Alright, off to school with you. And seriously; don't pick such bad lies next time."

"We are not — " but Honoka stopped when she saw the doctor glare.

"Go now, or I'm going to have to call the police about some kids trying to play hooky. Now that's probably not what you want, is it?"

Dejected, all µ's could do was leave, making their way back to Otonokizaka.

"T-that all happened, right?" Hanayo asked. "That… wasn't a dream, right?"

"Of course, it wasn't!" Maki exclaimed as she had come to face reality, turning towards her fellow First Year. "That was too real- we were all there! That arrow hit Honoka, and…" Maki stopped, noticing how forlorn Honoka appeared. "…"

"… Let's… just stop speaking about this for now. We're already going to be in trouble for being late," Umi suggested. "We can… discuss this later," and by that she meant 'let's never speak of this again,' something the rest of µ's felt quite fine. She put on a smile to put her hand on Honoka's shoulder. "Whatever happened, it's over, OK?"

"Yeah, you're right…" It wasn't like Honoka to be so upset, it made everyone else feel more upset just to hear it. "Let's just go, alright? And cancel practice after school. Resting up will help," the other girls nodded at Honoka's suggestion, before making their way back to school.

"… A good heart."

"Eh?" Umi's head turned up, looking around.

"Something wrong?" Kotori asked.

"Didn't you just ask something?"

"… No, nobody did…" Kotori said, blinking in confusion.

"I… alright."

A minute or so of walking, Umit heard it again:

"You are a master with a good heart."

Umi felt uneasy.

Honoka Kousaka was many things. Energetic, loud, boisterous, even words like 'obnoxious' weren't inaccurate. 'Quiet' however, very much was never one of them. The girl barely said a single word all day. Even during lunch, the usually energetic girl sat quietly, her two oldest friends approaching her slowly with a smile.

"At least the weather is nice," Kotori remarked, taking a seat down with Honoka.

"... Yeah..."

Kotori gestured over at Umi, who then took a seat next to her too. "I think we should cancel practice in the mornings for a few days. You never know if that person is still around," Umi remarked. 'Person,' Umi wanted to scoff at the word. That arrow moved on its own, and there were no wounds on them. "I'll do research when I'm home. It is a shrine, after all, maybe there's been supernatural activity in the past." Umi had never been the type for such things, but after this morning nothing was impossible. "You go home and rest up. Kotori, why don't you help her with her homework tonight?"

"That sounds like a wonderful idea!" Kotori replied, smiling as she squeezed Honoka's hand. "What do you think? Let's leave this to Umi. Oh! How about I get you McDonalds after school?" Kotori went on, hoping to lift her spirits. She knew by 'help with homework' Umi really meant 'do it for her —' not that Kotori minded after what Honoka had gone through.

"... A microwave..."

"Eh?"

"Once we save the school, we should talk to Ayase-san or Kotori's mom about getting a microwave in the cafeteria!"

"H-Honoka?" Umi could only blink as Honoka jumped, pumping a fist as she smiled at her friends.

"Imagine how great it'd be! We can only eat what they have and sell, but maybe if we had a microwave we could heat up water and make ramen! Or... or even the bread! I mean you might prefer a toaster, but warm bread is still super delicious! Umi-chan, what do you think?"

"H-Honoka? I..."

"You're right!" She wrapped an arm around Umi with a grin. "A microwave and a toaster! Then Otonokizaka will really have everything! The cutest idols to ever live, µ's, and the best cafeteria in all of Japan! All our new juniors are going to be so happy!"

"Honoka," Umi's smile was gone now.

"A-And we can try to get them to consider new computers too? The ones we all have are like ten years old, they're so slow and —"

"Honoka."

"— they crash all the time! The new students aren't going to way to stay on Otonokizaka if they can't even do work here. Oh, and the gym! What if-"

"Honoka!"

Honoka stopped smiling. Umi sighed, getting up and taking a step towards Honoka.

"Honoka, we can't ignore —"

"Like hell I can't!" Honoka snapped. "That was... that thing was... in my neck- but I'm OK! Better than ever! So, who cares where it came from!? It happened and it's over!" And with that, a full argument had broken out between Honoka and Umi.

"It was in my hand too, Honoka! That thing tore through my hand and flew off! We can't pretend—"

"Yes, we can! We have our hands full with µ's, we don't need this too!"

"This is more than µ's, Honoka!"

"Honoka, Umi, please! Please don't fight —"

"It's not always about what you want! What if I want to know more about what happened to us!?"

"Then learn more about it for yourself! Leave me out of it!"

"Honoka, you're being absurd! We can't just —"

"Yes, I can!" Honoka stomped her feet, glaring at her friend.

"You know what- fine!" Umi snapped.

"Umi, please!" Kotori spoke up, trying to finally get involved in the situation with her two childhood friends.

"No, Kotori! If that's how she wants to be, fine! I'll figure this out on my own! Will that make you happy!?"

"No! What would make me happy is if you just stopped and moved on!" In her frustration Honoka accidentally threw her bread into the air, eyes widening as she did. "O-oh no, my food!"

Umi sighed as she watched Honoka jump to reach for it, and then for the second time that day she would be struck speechless.

The bread was still a good foot away from her reach when something came out of Honoka's wrist. It was undeniable, an orange arm manifested from Honoka's wrist and touched the bread; and upon a single tap sent it flying. Honoka was so shocked that she fell right on her butt, collapsing on her back.

"H-Honoka!" Kotori rushed over while Umi stared, eyes wide and mouth open. "Hey, what happened!?"

"... Honoka..." Umi spoke a moment later.

"..."

"What was that, Honoka!?" Umi demanded.

"What was what?" Kotori asked, earning a confused look from both Honoka and Umi.

"D-didn't you see it!? That thing that just came out of Honoka!?"

"What thing? I thought she just knocked the bread away by accident... Honoka, that's clumsy even for you..."

Honoka said nothing, her breathing becoming heavier and panicked, slowly picking herself up and backing away.

"Nurse's office. Let's go to the nurse now," Umi suggested, as Honoka backed away more. "Honoka, something weird is going on. This must be connected! We need to—"

And before Kotori or Umi could do anything, Honoka sprinted off. She heard her friends yell after her and attempt to give chase, but Honoka sprinted without rest, making her way from Otonokizaka, to her friends, until their sounds couldn't be heard as she made her way into the city. She didn't care about getting in trouble, scolded, or any kind of punishment. All she knew was she needed to be away from her friends in that moment, making her way into an alleyway. "Ah... ahh..." As the stress of the entire day finally caught up to her she collapsed to her knees, vomiting on the ground before her and taking heavy breaths.

This is a nightmare, she thought, just as Maki had earlier. I need to wake up, but how? In her delusional state Honoka punched the brick wall in front of her, wincing at the pain, and forcing back a sob as she didn't wake up. Getting back on her feet she pressed her right palm against the wall, trying to remember what just happened. It just came out of her wrist, right? She took a deep breath closing her eyes. OK arm, if you're really there... come out! And she opened her eyes, but nothing was there. "Of course..."

After everything that had occurred, Honoka decided to just wander the city. Her phone vibrated constantly from various calls, but she ignored them; she didn't want to talk to anyone. She knew she was in for a world of trouble at home, but that didn't matter. Food, she thought. She should get a full meal before going home. Didn't Kotori recommend McDonalds or something? Anything would be better than thinking about all this on an empty stomach —

Can I do? I take it, baby! Can I do? I make it, baby! Can I do? I take it, baby! Can I do? I make it, baby!

Honoka's train of thought was interrupted upon hearing a rather familiar song, turning around to face some TVs on display, greeted by a familiar face: A-RISE hit single. Private Wars, Honoka reminded herself. It reminded her of that fateful day at UTX, when she saw them preform. If it hadn't been for that day, would she even have begun µ's?

Their dancing is nothing like ours, she thought, frowning. They're like real professions. We're still learning the basics, she thought, sighing. If they were going to become more popular, they'd eventually have to compete with A-RISE, didn't they?

Yeah, are you leaving? I'm not going to chase after you Basically, I hate creating crowds

Honoka finally smiled as she watched the three girls dance and sing, though. Just the thought of being able to perform as great as they did make her giddy inside, she had to admit. Tsubasa-san especially seems like the kind of idol I fantasized about being, when she had first bought all those idol magazines to show Kotori and Umi they had all appeared more than once, and especially Tsubasa Kira. Honoka giggled; it had already felt so long ago when Umi was opposed to being an idol. She remembered thinking for a day or two that Umi would never come on-board, and here she was now, one of µ's, ready to help save their school!

… And here Honoka was, running away from µ's and from Otonokizaka. "I'm an ass…" she muttered to herself, sighing as she watched A-RISE preform more.

I'm someone who understands the pain of loneliness Sometimes we trade words and think of each other at our own places Boosting up each other's day

While not the first time she heard Private Wars sung, it was the first time she really listened to the words sung. Umi was lonely when she met her and Kotori, wasn't she? And she felt pretty lonely right now in the city. Umi and Kotori had been trying their best to cheer her up after such a horrifying incident, even if she was upset it wasn't right to just dismiss Umi so entirely was it? "Jeez, Honoka…"

Was this how Hanayo felt hearing her, Umi, and Kotori preform? Just listening to A-RISE seemed to soothe her soul a bit. If they could have a concert that reached more people, could µ's really make more people feel that kind of joy?

What'cha do what'cha do? I do "Private Wars" Hey, get a hold of justice and be sly What'cha do what'cha do? I do "Private Wars" Hey, life's got a bit of courage and passion, doesn't it?

Can I do? I take it, baby! Can I do? I make it, baby! Can I do? I take it, baby! Can I do? I make it, baby!

"Alright, that's it!" Honoka exclaimed, a fist raised in the air. Noticing a few stares directed at her from onlookers, embarrassment settled in, but not enough to distract her from what her new train of thought. "I got to make it up to everyone tomorrow," she resolved. "I'll give them all fresh sweets from Homura! I'll give up my allowance for a month for it! And extra chores!" Honoka put on a determined smile, walking forward. She'd get on her knees and apologize a thousand times if she had to, anything to make it right!

But the train of thought wouldn't last for long.

Honoka jumped at the sound of a crash, and at a man jumping out of a window. Whoa! Honoka couldn't help but watch as a middle-aged man sprinted forward, before noticing police approaching, two cops passing by her.

"Fucking goddamn pigs," the man sneered, wiping some blood off his face. "I was fucking one of you- why the fuck aren't you helping me!? What was all that crap about brotherhood for? Assholes."

"Freeze and put your hands in the air!" one cop demanded, one now in front of Honoka. "You, girl! Get cover now; this man is dangerous!"

Honoka gulped and took a few steps back, ready to sprint off one more before noticing something; a threatening blue aura surrounding the man, and the figure that then appeared.

It was like a ghost, hovering behind the man. It was masculine in its appearance, with blue skin and piercing yellow eyes; and what Honoka could swear were red tear marks under its eyes. It wore a policeman's hat and what Honoka recognized as a policeman's uniform, both very dark blue and without any badges or anything. Why is nobody reacting!? Honoka thought before a thought dawned on her; could it be that they could not see it? Was she the only one that could see it?

Like Umi with whatever had come out of her? Was this... also related to that arrow?

"Alright, alright, you got me?" The man gave a toothy grin, raising his hands up, as the two officers approached. But his grin didn't fade, his ghost-thing reaching for something in his pants, several pairs of knives.

"H-hey, officers! Look out!"

"We told you, go inside!"

Honoka stepped back, and then, it happened. The ghost or whatever through the knives before the officers could react, more focused on the man's raised hands. The knives found their ways into the officer's head, killing them instantly... and one knife was still heading towards her. Honoka screamed and covered herself flutily with her arms, knowing if nothing else this was going to result in hospitalization. But a clang in front of her woke her from her paranoia, opening her eyes to inspect.

And sure enough, there was not one, but two of the orange hands, protecting her and guarding her front. "Wh..." And so, they disappeared once more, the man not caring.

"Amazing..." the man said with a grin, as Honoka tried to hide between two buildings, not having seen the arms manifest. "Oi, girl. Forget what you saw, I mean it," he hadn't noticed her own power manifesting, believing he just happened to miss. "Before I would've had to kill you, but I don't have anything to fear from some girl like you anymore," he said, unable to hold back a laugh. "With the power of this Stand at my disposal, I don't have to fear anything ever again!" He said with a laugh. "Yoshikawa Fuhai always prevails, in the end!

Honoka gulped, nodding. That power had a name? What she did, was this a 'Stand?' Her eyes widened as the man walked into the wall besides him, walked into it. The man became what she could only describe as 2D, like chalk drawing on a brick building. He didn't seem to care that Honoka could witness it, slinking into the ground, laughing as he crawled into a storm drain.

All Honoka could do was drop to her knees and stare until more police arrived.

The next few hours came as somewhat of a blur to Honoka. Lots of questions at the police station. What he looked like, what she was doing there, if she could identify who it was, why she wasn't in school. Again and again, she told the same story; she hid between the buildings as the fight went on and didn't see where he went. The police didn't grill too deep into it; there was no evidence tying her into any wrongdoing.

In truth, Honoka just wanted to go home and think about that ghost thing that appeared behind that man ('Fuhai' she recalled), and what had come from herself. The man called it a 'Stand.' Even her mother coming to pick her up barely registered in Honoka's troubled brain, remaining deathly quiet on the ride home.

"… Honoka…"

"…"

Even when they pulled up at Homura, she took a deep sigh and looked at her daughter sitting next to her in the car. "I'm not mad at you, and you're not in trouble."

"…"

"It was wrong of you to skip school and I'm disappointed in you. You never would have been in this situation if you hadn't skipped. You've never done this before, and not only am I upset with you, but I'm worried about this change in behavior. I'm happy you've finally dedicated yourself to a club and you're even waking up early for it- but if this is what you're going to be like because of it I want you to quit immediately, am I understood?"

"Yes, mama."

"But I'm not angry at you. I'm just happy you're safe," and as she said that she reached for Honoka's hand. "Your father is also just happy you're safe. So… let's let tonight just be a bad memory, ok love?"

"… Thank you, mama…"

Mrs. Kousaka smiled, now giving her a hug and a kiss on the forehead. Honoka hugged back, smiling gently. "I'll call you in from school tomorrow. How does that sound?"

"No."

Mrs. Kousaka blinked. "No?"

"I have to do something. For my friends. I-I'm going to need to bring some sweets too, like some homemade mochi. Can I bring some red bean mochi tomorrow? Or green tea?"

"I… well, I'll ask your father, but that should be OK."

Honoka smiled wider, hugging her. "I promise this won't happen again, OK? Some… things are just confusing right now. I'll make up for it!"

Mrs. Kousaka smiled, nodding. "I'm proud to hear that. Then go up and rest for now: you're going to have a long day at school tomorrow, after all."

"Ehehehe…" Honoka hadn't thought that far ahead. She did skip half the day, and she already wasn't known for being the best student in school… Nonetheless, she sighed and took a deep breath as she stepped inside her house, gulping upon seeing her father waiting for her, arms crossed.

"… I'm sorry, papa," Honoka said, biting on her lip. "I'm really, really, REALLY sorry."

"…"

"And I promise it won't happen again! So… please don't give up on me! It was a mistake, but I promise, I'm not going to make the mistake again."

"…"

"… Are you mad at me, papa?"

Mr. Kousaka did not say anything at first, but took a few steps forward, hugging his oldest daughter tightly.

"… I'm glad you're safe."

And with that Honoka's eyes watered, giving her father a hug as tight as she could, before heading to her room. Yoshiko went to bed early, so it seemed like that was one less awkward conversation for the night. Upon finally looking at her phone she winced at the number of missed calls, texts, and voicemails there were. She'd have to deal with that, but for now she sighed as she dialed Umi's number. "Come on, come on…"

"… Honoka?"

"I'm sorry," Honoka immediately began. "I'm so, so, so sorry."

"It's… It's OK, Honoka. Today was… I'm sorry I snapped at you."

"No, no, you were right. It's not just about me. You have a right to learn and investigate something that happened to you too. I shouldn't have fought with you."

"Still, I shouldn't have pushed it so much today. I should have waited, and… I don't know what else to say. I'm sorry."

"I'm sorry too… but that's not what's important. I-I mean it is super important! I'm super sorry! But there's something else I wanted to tell you. Before I forget."

"What is it, Honoka?"

"What came out of my wrist. The arrow. I think I'm finding connections. Do you have a pen and paper on you?"

"Go ahead, Honoka."

"That man, he had a power too. A… a ghost was with him. It stood behind him, he used it to murder those two cops. Even though I could see it clear as day they couldn't. Remember at lunch, you saw what came out of me, but Kotori didn't."

"So, you think it's connected… to the arrow?"

"I know it's crazy but think about it! That arrow should have killed me, but there wasn't a single wound! You were just fine too! We got pierced by the arrow and it just… flew off on its own. We suffer no injuries, and we can both see something Kotori can't. A power of some kind- he called it a Stand."

"I've never heard of a 'Stand' before."

"Have you ever heard of an arrow that pierces you and you're just fine after?"

"Point taken."

"I'm going to start doing research too. We can't get the others involved, this… this could be dangerous."

"Honoka, are you sure?"

"Yeah… this is bigger than us. A bad guy has this power too," Honoka went on, looking out her window. "'Stand.' 'Arrow.' Those are the words we got to investigate."

"… Ok, Honoka. I'll start tonight. Every day, let's report what we find out, OK? But please rest tonight. You need your rest after tonight."

"I will, I promise I will. Goodnight, Umi-chan."

"Goodnight, Honoka."

And with a click of their phones, Honoka wasted no time passing out on her bed, not even bothering to undress. Umi stared at her phone though, before heading to the window. She remembered that day so many years ago, watching them from afar and when that young girl became her best friend… And in the span of only one day, everything had become so complicated. But she would stand proud alongside not only Honoka, but µ's as well. "Honoka…"

… "Destiny…"

Umi's head shot up, hearing the same voice from earlier. "H-hello?"

"A good friend, a good master, a terrible difficult destiny lies ahead…"

"A… are you… are you a Stand!?"

"Goodnight, mistress. The beginning of your adventure has not even begun."

"W-wait! Answer me!"

But nothing replied.

Honoka's had expected herself to have nightmares, but her sleep was deep and dreamless once she had passed out.

It was the screams of Mrs. Kousaka at the top of her lungs that caused Honoka to

"H-Honoka!?" Yukiho peered out her door, terrified. "T-that was mom, right!?"

"Stay in your room!" Honoka demanded her sister. "Call the police, I'm going to check downstairs!"

"A-are you crazy!? Honoka, just hide in here with me!" Yukiho begged, the poor girl shaking. "What if someone's breaking in!? S-shouldn't I try to call mom first!? No, let's go down together —"

Honoka rushed to her sister's side and gave her a hug to calm her down. "Call the police right now. I'm going to check on mom and dad."

"Honoka, I —"

"Yukiho, listen to me! I'm your big sister. Everything is going to be OK, do you understand?" Honoka smiled for her younger sister's sake, wiping a tear from her eye. "Your big sister is here, OK? Lock your doors and hide and let me and mom and dad take care of you, OK?"

"… Be careful, sis…"

"Of course," she wiped another tear and gave a hug before hearing another crash, before pulling away. "Don't open your door until the police come! No matter what!"

"Honoka…!"

Honoka sprinted towards the stairs, making her way downstairs, hear heart sinking at the sight before her. "DAD!"

Mr. Kousaka laid against the wall, clutching a bleeding wound at his side ass his wife held him, glaring at the intruder while clutching a knife with one hand. "Honoka!?" She yelled upon noticing her daughter in the stairway, eyes wide. "Go upstairs! Lock yourself in your room right now!"

Honoka glanced at the intruder, eyes widening at the sight. "You…"

"Oh, you're that brat from yesterday!" Fuhai Yoshikawa replied, grinning at the girl in the stairway. "Who woulda thought we'd bump into eachother like this, what a world!" The main kept on laughing before making his way to the family's cash register. "Ah well. Listen to mommy and be a good girl and go upstairs: or you can fucking die like your dad is," Fuhai said, walking over to the family's cash register. "As long as I have my「Blue Slide Park」I'm fucking invincible! Call the police, I'll fucking kill every last one of them!" The man declared, summoning the familiar aura enveloping around him as the ghost-like figure appeared behind him.

Honoka remained quiet as she watched the man hold up a piece of construction paper, having what he called "Blue Slide Park" touch it; much like Fuhai had back in the city, she saw her family's cash register become thin as a piece of paper, the wicked man slapping it onto the construction paper before folding up that paper like any other and tucking it away in his backpack. Mrs. Kousaka's eyes widened at the seemingly magical sight before him, but she refused to say anything that might earn his ire.

Unfortunately, Honoka made a critical error in that moment, unable to hold back her question. "Was that what you call a Stand?"

"… What?"

Honoka's hand balled into a fist, glaring at the man. "That… that ghost thing! Was that a Stand!? Is that what you were talking about yesterday!?"

"… No way," Fuhai glared. "A little brat like you- so the arrow chose you too? Unreal," he began to advance towards Honoka. "Shit. Should've just killed you yesterday and spared me the trouble now, oh well," Fuhai began to walk towards him.

"HONOKA! RUN TO YOUR ROOM RIGHT NOW!"

"Alright miss, I'm not gonna kill a potential partner just like that, so it's gonna be like this; come with me and ya don't get hurt, maybe y'all even get to live some of the good life with all the money we can make. Or I'll fucking send you to hell along with your piece of shit hero dad, how's that sound?"

Mrs. Kousaka charged towards the man as fast as she could, eyes full of hate as she intended to stab the man to death. "NOT MY DAUGHTER, BASTARD!" Unfortunately, without any way to see it, she stood no chance against「Blue Slide Park」, who with a single punch to the gut sent her flying towards the wall.

"MAMA!"

"Normal people can't do shit against Stands! Can't see 'em, can't fight 'em! Dumbass bitch…"

He was, however, caught off guard by Honoka charging him, as opposed to having a Stand fight against him. Fuhai himself caught the punch, throwing her across the room. "The hell? Where's your Stand?" The man asked with a glare. "If you wanna fight, let's have a proper one. Now that I have「Blue Slide Park」it's undignified for someone like me to have to fight with his fists anymore. So, don't insult me, you little bitch!" Fuhai said with a glare, advancing towards the downed girl.

"Leave… my family be…!" With those words she yelled in pain as she felt a foot stomp on her back: 「Blue Slide Park's.」The Stand stomped on her back a few times before kicking her hard enough to send her flying across the room, Honoka wincing as she clutched her side. The girl had never been a fighter and despite how active she was as a child had never once broken a bone; it was the worst pain Honoka had ever experienced easily.

"Can you not use your Stand? Then how can you see mine? You know what, fuck it, it just makes this easier," Fuhai rationalized, grinning as he advanced forwards. "You know. I've never seen what it's like to see someone die by having their skull crushed. Let's make you the first," Fuhai said to the idol, grinning. "Things like sex and money are nothing compared to watching someone writhe in pain! Being some high school bitch makes it all the better —"

"Fuck you," Honoka wasn't someone that swore often, but she muttered this one with all the contempt in her voice.

Fuhai just grinned as his advanced continued. But then his eyes widened in pain and the main let out a disgusting roar as he felt something cut his back. Looking at the floor he saw the knife once held by Mrs. Kousaka on the floor, the woman leaned the front desk as she glared daggers at him. Not being the most physically strong woman herself, Mrs. Kousaka's throw didn't do much but disturb him; but still, she had landed a blow on him. "You…!"

"Get away from my daughter…!"

"Mama, get away!"

Fuhai took a few steps forward before his Stand materialized once more, throwing Mrs. Kousaka against the wall before delivering a blow stop her stomach; several in a way, to be precise. "STOP IT!"

"How fucking dare you!? You, who doesn't have a Stand, how DARE you hurt someone like me!? Do you know who I am!? I'm Yoshikawa Fuhai! I'm a Stand user! The arrow chose me, not you- how DARE you cut me!? Asshole! Forget your daughter, I'm killing you first!"

Is this how it ends?

Honoka's fists balled as she tried to push herself off the floor, wincing as she collapsed from the pain. Was this man, this thug, really going to murder her at just age 16: and her parents too? At least Yukiho would survive… their maternal grandparents were dead, but their paternal grandparents would dote on her: Yukiho was their favorite anyways, she'd be treated well. I said it'd be ok, I'm sorry Yukiho. And µ's… well, it was a good idea. I hope you five continue the dream with me gone, Honoka thought, giving into her despair. She couldn't truly complain; 16 years was so short, but it was a wonderful 16 years. And in the end, shouldn't she be happy she had those years with such wonderful friends by her side? A good life… It was mine… Yukiho, I promise I'll be your guardian angel from now on, OK? Your big sister won't abandon you ever, not even in death.

And Honoka sighed, trying to come to terms with her fate.

…

…

…

I don't want to die, though.

At that thought, Honoka's eyes widened like dinner plates.

Honoka grits her teeth, trying to force herself up. When did Honoka Kousaka ever given up? No matter what the odds were, Honoka stuck it until the end. How could she give up on her own life of all things? "Dammit… dammit, dammit, dammit…"

She glared as she saw this vile, disgusting man advance towards her mother. She winced in the pain in her side and back and gritted her teeth, forcing herself up. She was in great pain: but nothing was broken. She had heard something like 'pain is just an illusion' once somewhere, she did not recall where, but it was there in her head. It only won when she let it. If nothing were broken, she could move, she could fight.

Fight on.

"Fight on…"

Fight on…

Instead of the pain coursing in her body she focused instead on her hatred. Her disgust for this man, Fuhai. Her love for her parents and her desire to protect them, and the little sister upstairs to whom she had made a promise. She also thought of µ's, her precious friends whom she would never be able to see again if this man won, and Otonokizaka, the school precious to her that would be closed down if µ's did not save it. And of course, she thought for herself, her life that belonged to her and nobody else, and this man threatening.

More than anything, she was pissed. The pain was almost nonexistent to her now, as a new feeling rose in her. It felt like a raging fire was burning inside her, threatening to burn her alive from the inside unless she unleashed it. "I have to fight… fight on… fight on…!"

Fight on! Her brain screamed. Fight on! Fight on fight on fight on fight on fight on fight on!

"Fight on…!"

"… Eh?" Fuhai finally turned around.

"I have to fight fight fight fight fight fight fight…!"

And then she sprinted. And something welled up inside her, and she screamed at the top of her lungs.

"FAITO DAYOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"

When does a story truly start? When did the story of µ's truly begin, anyways?

A brilliant orange aura surrounded Honoka as a figure appeared before her. Before Fuhai had any chance to react, a feminine orange figure materialized in front of him. It wore no clothes, but like a child's doll there were no true sex characteristics beyond the shape of its. Long orange hair flowed, as if a longer version of its master's hair without a ponytail. Fuhai saw that in its eyeballs there were nothing more than stars; a large star also lay on the Stand's chest, kneecaps, and the back of each hand.

However, Fuhai did not have much a chance to truly observe the Stand's appearance before the assault began before he could respond. "「Blue Slide Park! 」Help me!" The Stand attempted to counteract the assault, but the opposing Stand's strength as simply too overwhelming.

Did it begin when they were only children? When they learned Otonokizaka would soon close? Could it have been when Honoka finally began to value her school as more than simply a place of education? The first of µ's concerts, in a mostly empty auditorium? At that moment the arrow struck two of its members?

Or maybe it was that moment when Honoka Kousaka's Stand finally materialized, when she rejected death in order to fight?

Both Honoka and her Stand screamed in unison.

"FAITOFAITOFAITOFAITOFAITOFAITOFAITOFAITOFAITOFAITOFAITOFAITOFAITOFAITOFAITOFAITOFAITO- "

"WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU!?" Fuhai screamed, his Stand attempted to deflect and dodge the blows; but it felt as useless as a small car defending itself from a speeding semi. All he could do was roar in pain as he felt each blow on his Stand reflect onto him, and finally taste his own medicine when Honoka's final blow sent him flying across the room, one final cry signifying the end of Honoka's first Stand rush, screamed as she unleashed one final punch-

"FAITO DAYOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"

Next time on Honoka's Bizarre Adventure!

Chapter 2: Fight On, Kousaka Honoka! (Part 2)

Chapter Text

Previously on Honoka's Bizarre Adventure!

I-I can hardly believe this is happening! In only a single day, my entire has become so chaotic!

I became a School Idol so I could save Otonokizaka from closing! That's all I wanted to do and that was my only goal, but during our practice Umi-chan and I were attacked by a strange arrow that left no wounds on us! I got into a big fight with Umi, and now I seem to have some sort of… power!?

This man calls it a Stand, but all I know is this; but I know if I don't fight and take this seriously, this man is going to kill me!

"FAITO DAYOOOOOOOOOO!"

And with a single massive punch, the Stand rush ended and sent Fuhai and his Stand flying in the wall, cracking it. As Honoka gasped for breath, she inspected her own hands, then the Stand in front of her. I… did I really do that?

Every punch her Stand had launched she had felt on her own hands, every scream her Stand let out she had felt herself yell; it was as if the two were in perfect unison, together as one. She lifted her right hand, watching her Stand left its right hand as well. And then without raising her own left hand she willed her Stand to raise its left hand, and it did so anyways. "This is… a Stand?" She asked herself, her Stand balling its fists, and nodding in response to her question.

"Little bitch…"

Honoka was snapped out of her train of thought but he realization Fuhai had gotten up, glaring daggers at her. "How dare you… insult me like this…!"

"I-Insult!? I'm just trying to defend myself! The police are definitely on their way already, get out!" Honoka looked over at her parents; both her mother and father were unconscious, although it was her stabbed father about whom she was most concerned. "Just get going! You can't push me around now; I'm going to fight back!"

But Fuhai laughed. "Oh? Really? It looks like you just properly awakened your Stand. Do you even know its true power?"

"Power!? This isn't some video game, you just saw how strong it is! And I'll kick your butt with it, too!" Honoka tried to put on a tough air, but that insult and taunt didn't do much for her confidence, especially when Fuhai grinned again.

"All Stands in addition to their fighting skill has an ability tied to it. The fact you don't even know yours… God, I should've killed you yesterday. Truth be told, I wanted you to live your entire life with the fear of that day. Well, we all make crappy decisions now and then!"

Fuhai walked backwards, into the wall itself: like before he turned into a 2D portrait, his Stand following him. "With the power of「Blue Slide Park」I can turn myself and anything I want into a 2D object! Once I do it becomes flatter than paper, able to travel freely! This power makes me invincible; even if I'm cornered, I can become like this! Its fortunate enough the arrow blessed me with this power- I'm invincible too!"

Honoka glared, running ahead with her Stand in front of her, having it unleash a series of punches on the world, stopping upon the realization the man in front of her wasn't hurt. "W… what!?" Honoka made the mistake of advancing even closer to inspect it, only to have the wind knocked out of her once the man's hand came out of the wall and slammed into her stomach. "Guh!"

"You're not punching me; you're punching the wall! No damage is being inflicted on me; it's the wall itself that takes all damage!" Fuhai declared with a laugh, before Honoka came to a horrible realization- she had lost track of Fuhai's Stand.

Frantically looking around her, Honoka's eyes widened in horror as she looked under her. 「Blue Slide Park」had also become 2D, a flat drawing crawling on the floor of Homura. And as she tried to jump away one of those arms grabbed at her leg, throwing her down. Honoka tried to use her Stand to kick the arm away, but 「Blue Slide Park」had already retreated into the floor. "Now do you understand!? Ever since I was little, luck has always sided with Yoshikawa Fuhai! Even when pushed to the absolute depths, in my darkest hour, everything works out for me! Even when I was finally done in, the arrow blessed me with a power beyond anything I could imagine! Once I get plastic surgery to change my face and make it to America, I'll be able to live as a king for the rest of my days, ha! Some brat like you can't stand against me!"

Honoka gulped, sprinting as she saw the enemy Stand approach, gliding across the floor. What's with this thing!? Shouldn't it have some kind of weakness!? Honoka wasn't one for video games or anything like that, but she knew the bosses always had some kind of weak point you could hit; but Fuhai and his Stand seemed invincible while in this state. Try as she may, there did not seem to be any actual weakness to exploit. And this was still her house, she couldn't simply destroy it in order to defeat him.

Honoka gasped as she heard police sirens in the distance, smiling as she faced the front door. "Thank God!" Fuhai, meanwhile sneered, but not before grinning.

"Kousaka Honoka, that's your name, right?" Honoka simply glared at him, watching his form shift from the wall to the floor, sliding away on the floor. "You have made an enemy of Yoshikawa Fuhai! I know where you live, your family, and I will have my revenge, do you understand me!?"

"Try anything and you'll regret it, you bully!"

Fuhai snickered as he slinked away. "We will have a rematch soon, Honoka! And this will be a proper Stand battle. You and me, little girl, fighting to the death! Until then, enjoy living your last days in fear!"

Honoka could do nothing as he slide away on the floor, before rushing towards the sides of her parents. Both of her parents were unconscious, but she was happy to see her father was still bleeding as the paramedics arrived.

"This is the police! Are there injuries!?" One policeman asked, entering with his gun drawn. Honoka did not stand up, staying by her father's side.

"My mama and papa! That man injured both of them! I'm the eldest daughter, Kousaka Honoka!"

"Do you know where the suspect went!?"

"The back! He left a little while ago though, so he might have gotten away…" Honoka knew not to bother trying to explain what happened, as one police officer ran towards the backdoor. She knew they would never catch Fuhai in a hundred years, but that was not her concern. As the paramedics came in to her parents' side, she approached an officer.

"I-I know there's a lot of questions I need to answer, but can I please head upstairs? My sister locked herself in her room, I told her not to come out until the police came. I want to tell her it's safe now."

"That was very smart thinking, young lady. Yes, go ahead. Just to be safe though, we're going to take you with us, alright? Like you said, there's a lot of questions that need to be answered."

Honoka nodded and ran up the stairs, going up to Yukiho's sliding door. "Yukiho! It's me, Honoka! The police are here, it's safe now! You can come out! … Yukiho, can you hear me!?" Thankfully, her sister opened the door a moment later, eyes red and puffy before hugging her sister, before Honoka hugged her back.

"Where's mom and dad? Are they OK?"

Honoka gulped. "… The burglar hurt mom and dad. I think mama is just knocked out, but dad has a knife in his side…" Honoka noticed the look in her sister's eyes become one of panic and horror as she tried getting out of her gasp. "Y-Yukiho, calm down! He… he…" Honoka stopped, thinking of what to say. There was a knife in his side. She didn't know how serious the wound was. How could she make a promise to her sister without knowing what would happen for sure? Honoka felt her heart in her throat; was last night the last time she would speak with her father? Would she be attending a funeral soon? And her mother! What if the injuries were worse than they thought?

"Honoka! What's going to happen!?"

But Honoka shook her head and cleared her thoughts. Even if they fought and bickered now and then, they were siblings; and as her older sister, Honoka has a responsibility she had to fulfill. And so, she forced herself to smile, wiping away one of her sister's tears.

"I don't know what's going to happen in the long run," Honoka admitted. "If I was Umi-chan I might be able to, but I'm not. But here's what I can tell you; you're safe right now," Honoka gripped her sister's shoulders. "For now, we're safe," Honoka was not an eloquent speaker or speech-giver, but for Yukiko she would for this moment give her absolute all to comfort her. "And I'm safe, and I'll be with you. Take your phone charger, we're going to be very busy today probably."

Yukiko nodded, her crying finally stopping as she left the hug. "… I love you, Honoka."

"And I love you, Yukiko-chan," Honoka said, pecking her sister's forehead. "Maybe we'll have to stay at grandma's and grandpa's for a while, but we're probably going to spend most of today at the police station, OK?"

"Yeah," was as all Yukiko could say as she grabbed her backpack, emptying to pack some things for the day. Honoka went to her room, plopping down on her bed. There were injuries, but they didn't feel serious. How would she explain this to the police? She guessed she'd have to be honest; she tried fighting against Fuhai but lost terribly, barely saved by the police's arrival. Still, she looked at her phone, opening up µ's group chat on her phone.

"We will have a rematch soon, Honoka!"

How had things gotten this completely fucked up? Less than a week ago µ's had finally obtained new members. They were finally on their way to saving their school; and now there was this arrow, and Stands, and all sorts of things.

"And this will be a proper Stand battle. You and me, little girl, fighting to the death!"

Honoka wanted to cry as hard as she could, from the bottom of her heart. But for this moment, she had to be strong for Yukiko. She was afraid that her younger sister seeing her break would break her in return, and for the rest of µ's as well…

"Until then, enjoy living your last days in fear!"

Honoka only allowed quiet tears without sobs to fall as she messaged her friends.

[Honoka] The man from yesterday attacked my house. Not going to school today. Don't contact me.

She knew the bizarreness was only just beginning. And sure enough, as Fuhai declared, she knew she would be afraid until their reunion.

And afraid she was, no matter how secure she was.

The day went like a blur, just like the night before. The police asked many questions, and it felt like they were repeating the same questions over and over again. There wasn't too much to report as far as Honoka was concerned; she could not divulge the information about Stands, after all. As far as the police were concerned her story of trying to fight Fuhai matched the description of her injuries. She sighed as she sat down on a bench in the police station as the police talked to Yukiko, taking out her phone and narrowing her eyes. Since she came here, she had tried to do everything she could to finally learn more about Fuhai. Honoka was happy to be living in the internet era as she read headlines she had bookmarked on her phone:

Undercover investigation reveals corruption in Tokyo police department!

43-year-old police lieutenant Yoshikawa Fuhai listed as subject in Tokyo police corruption investigation!

Veteran officer accused of accepting bribes from criminals and destroying evidence! Believed to have yakuza ties!

Yoshikawa Fuhai escapes from police custody! Manhunt ensured!

But knowledge brought her no comfort or resolution. She just knew how despicable her new enemy truly was, but it didn't change on crucial fact; she was in danger. Her family was in danger. The police could do nothing to protect her from someone with a Stand, she knew this. Yukiho, her mother, her father; they were all now very much at the mercy of someone who had none, with a power beyond conventional human understanding.

For lack of a better phrase? Honoka knew she was fucked. She gave a bitter smile at the realization before sighing. How long could she last here? If she and her family were going to be safe, they'd have to move away most likely. Most of the extended family lived in Kyouto, maybe there? Nagasaki? There were also some relatives in Morioh they could live with for a bit. They'd have to move away someway far enough that Fuhai would find it not worth his time to pursue. Or would he follow?

"Ms. Kousaka?"

Honoka's head shot up at the sound of a police officer approaching her. "Yes, sir?"

He gave a smile, trying to give her any reassurance he could. "We have good news for you. Your mother has regained consciousness, as has your father."

Honoka shot up from her seat, running up to the man. "A-are they OK then!? They're not… too hurt?"

The officer shook his head. "I'm happy to say the wound in your father's side wasn't too deep; he's in pain but he's expected to make a full recovery after a day or two in the hospital. Your mother is already here. In fact, I think she's waiting for you up front with your sister…"

"Thank you so much!" Honoka said with a laugh, running off. At least one thing was going right, at least one thing hadn't been ruined just yet. And when she saw her mother well, she almost knocked her down with her hug. "Mama! Yukiho!"

"H-Honoka, be careful with her!" Her little sister scolded, as Mrs. Kousaka gave a gentle smile as she hugged her daughter.

"I'm so happy you're OK," Mrs. Kousaka replied, holding her tightly. "When I saw that man charging at you, I was so scared-" She forced back a sob as she hugged Honoka tightly. "I thought you were going to die. I really thought… I…"

"It's OK mama, I'm OK," Honoka lied. She was as far away from OK as anybody could be, mentally anyways. But for this moment she vowed to suck it up.

"It's not OK though. You and Yukiho were in danger. I'm sorry, I'm so so so so sorry," Honoka and Yukiho both felt something in their chests as they saw their mother tear up, starting to break down. "What kind of parents lets their kids come so close to danger? I'm…"

"M-mama, it's not your fault! It's only that man's fault!" Honoka reassured, Yukiho coming in to hide her from the other side.

"You helped protect us mom, that's all we care about," Yukiho went on, trying to put on a brave face. "Please mom, don't be angry at yourself…"

Mrs. Kousaka had both her children pulled into a tight hug. "I spoke with your father after he regained consciousness. We're going to stay in a hotel for a few days, OK? And then… then we'll figure out what to do next," the two teens nodded, knowing there was little they could do.

"… Do you think we might move, mom?" Yukiho asked, Honoka's eyes widening in alarm.

"I don't know, again, we'll figure it out. If it's not safe, though…" Honoka wanted to yell in protest. They couldn't move! Tokyo had been their entire life! It was the only city Honoka truly knew, her only high school, her only friends, the Idols she had recently come to admire and µ's!

Honoka thought a thought she had never honestly thought before in that instant: What does Tokyo mean to me? Sure, it was the place she lived. It was where her family had owned Homura for four generations, even though most of their relatives now lived in Kyouto. Otonokizaka was a school she called her's, but what separated it from any other in Japan, truly? In fact, if she moved, she could go to a better school, could she not? And in this internet era she could keep touch with every single one of her friends in Tokyo.

Yet there was something in Tokyo that was precious to her, so much so just the thought of leaving caused her great pain. What was it? Even Honoka could not pin it down. Her friends? Her school life? Being a School Idol? There was something golden in this town to her, and for the first time in her life she thought of her city as more than that. It was her home, but why? What made this city so golden to her?

Honoka mused on this as her family left, unusually quiet as the family made their way to the car to visit their father in the hospital. Honoka knew she was not smart, but she was blessed with great family and friends, and every road that she walked lead to memories of great days. Surely even if she moved somewhere else, would Honoka not walk those roads? After all, she was a nice girl; surely, she would meet new friends, and her family would still be at her side. Yet the thoughts did not leave her mind as she concluded a thought:

We cannot move, Honoka thought to herself. She knew the thought was abhorrently selfish and this incident involved more than her, but she could not push the thoughts out of her head. There was something in her life that was precious. This life she lived in this city of Tokyo that she felt she would never reclaim if she lived anywhere else, even though she could not understand why. We cannot abandon our home just because something evil threatens it, she thought on, her eyes closing.

I'll fight to protect it if I must.

Honoka closed her eyes, falling asleep, despite knowing it would be a brief nap of not even 20 minutes.

"Mama! I'm heading to school!"

No matter how chaotic life was it moved on. Even when it felt like the world collapsed on you, the world kept on spinning on its own accord without a care. And so, the Kouaskas had no choice but to keep up with that momentum. The hotel may not have been home, but it was comfortable enough for the three as Mr. Kousaka rested in the hospital, but only Honoka seemed willing to go about her daily routine. "Are you sure, Honoka?" Mrs. Kousaka asked her elder daughter with a frown. "I'll call you in, it's OK…"

"No, it's OK mama," Honoka assured. There was nothing more she'd like than to just stay inside where it was safe, and indeed, had it not been for her newfound powers she might have taken the offer just as Yukiho had. "I don't want to be afraid."

"I know, I'm just... be safe, OK? Remember, call the hotel's phone if you need to get a hold of me, I don't know where mine went…"

Honoka gave a smile before making her way to school; it was thankfully fairly close to Otokonizaka to walk by foot, just like before. Honoka didn't check her phone or alert her friends as she made her way to school. As she walked through the crowded streets, she had a thought:

Come to me, Stand.

As an orange aura surrounded her, her Stand materialized before her. For the first time Honoka truly inspected the Stand's appearance, looking it right in its eyes, the star-eyes staring back at her. As she looked around, she saw nobody around her registered the strange entity, going about their daily lives as if it did not exist at all. What are you, anyways? Honoka wondered. She raised her right hand, and her Stand pressed its palm against her's, as per her will. Even though it had only been a day controlling it also seemed natural.

Still, she was thankful. Despite everything, if it hadn't been for this power, she'd be dead, right? Fuhai would have killed her whole family except for Yukiko, she figured. One step at a time, she figured. She had to do something about Fuhai; even if her family moved, they could never truly be safe if he had that terrifying ability. No police could protect them, forever on the run and forced to abandon one home after the other, forever in fear until Fuhai finally came for his revenge.

If nothing else though, she could enjoy these days with her friends, right? If just for a little while...

"HONOKA!"

Honoka's train of thought was interrupted by the sight of her two oldest friends, both teary eyed as they approached and hugged her by both sides, Honoka smiling as her own eyes watered up. "Kotori, Umi, I... I'm..."

"We were so worried," Kotori began, forcing back a sob. "When we heard about Homura, I thought... I really thought- what if you died or something? I can't..."

"We missed you," Umi said, forcing back sob. "We're sorry we couldn't be there for you," she went on, tightening her hug. "By the time we got to Homura you were all already gone. I'm..."

"Shhhh," Honoka reassured, returning the hugs. "There was nothing either of you could do. I'm just happy I'm back," Honoka said, letting a tear fall. And then two, then three, and a few sobs. "It was... it was scary..."

"It's over now," Kotori reassured, which made Honoka bite her lip. It wasn't over, far from it. But she did not say that, patting her friend's back. "Yeah..." She said, nuzzling her cheek against Kotori's. "It's... over, for now..."

As the two shared this moment, the First Years quickly approached.

"K-Kousaka-san!" Hanayo said, smiling as she ran towards them and hugged the other three.

"Honokaaaaaaaaaa!" Rin ran ever faster, smiling wild as she nearly knocked over the Second Years as she joined the group hug.

"We're happy you're alright," Maki calmly walked over, but still gave a smile at seeing her senior safe.

Honoka turned her head to see the first years of µ's approach, smiling at their direction. "Girls..."

"We thought we were never going to see Honoka-chan again, nyaaa!" Rin immediately joined the group hug, embracing the other girls as hard as she possibly could. "We were so scared when you ran away from the school, then learning about all those bad things... I'm never ever ever ever going to let go, nya!"

Next it was Hanayo's turn to wrap her arms around the group. "We were scared. We're so happy you're alright!" Honoka grinned at her as she noticed her tearing up.

"We're glad you're safe, Kousaka-senpai," Maki said with a smile, before noticing a glare from Rin. "H-hey, what's your- hey—!" she couldn't say much before being pulled into a tight hug from Rin.

"You don't get to opt out of it, nya!"

Maki struggled briefly, before giving a weak smile as she relented and joined the hug. "... We were all scared for you..."

"I know you all were, and I'm so sorry I didn't try talking to any of you," Honoka said. "I promise- no more secrets, OK? And no more running away. After practice tonight, there's something I want to tell and show all of you," Honoka went on, looking at Umi. "It's important. It's related to the arrow incident."

"You don't have to if you don't want to," Maki tried to reassure.

"No. It's important," Honoka said. "We're friends, all six of us. I want you all to know what's happening. I want you to know my situation, OK?" And the girls of µ's nodded, as Honoka began to pull away. "But for now, I want to have… as normal a day as I can have, OK?" And Honoka couldn't help but smile at the sight of all her friends together again. It gave the illusion of normalcy, one that she appreciated.

However, the comfort it brought her was not an illusion or a lie, and at that moment, it was more precious than even the most precious diamonds in the world. It was enough to distract her even from the rumors and whispers around her as she walked throughout Otonokizaka's hallways, those she was only vaguely familiar once spreading rumors in their whispers: I heard she skipped class! Is she a delinquent? Did she really help rob a store? I heard she killed somebody! I heard there was a break-in at her store! What did you think—?

"I'm happy you're alright, Kousaka-san."

Of all people, Honoka did not think it would be Eli herself who would approach her.

"President…?"

Eli gave a gentle smile as she approached Honoka. "I'm sorry. For everything your family had to endure yesterday," news did travel quickly, after all. "I understand we haven't been on the… best of terms," that was one way of saying it. "But from the entire Student Council, we are wishing you and your family the best.

"… Thank you, Ayase-senpai," Honoka said with a smile. "I'm just… I thought you hated me?"

Eli sighed. "I don't hate you, Kousaka-san. I disagree heavily with you and your goals, but we are still students at Otonokizaka. You are still a teenage girl. And no matter what I think of you or your beliefs, nobody deserves what you just went through. And I'm sorry you had to endure it. And I want you to know that, at least when it comes to your family, this school and its students support you," Eli said with a small smile, before holding out an envelope for Honoka.

"Eh?"

"It was such short notice, but once the school learned about what happened, we tried to see if we could raise some money for your family, we've been collecting donations for a few hours now," Eli explained. "Your family owns their own business, don't you?"

"Yeah, Homura. We're going to be closed for a few days too…"

"Then I'm glad we did this. Just… something to help keep you afloat during the loss of income. It was short notice so it's all we could do. We counted about 11220 yen from the student body. I know it's not much, but at least give it to your mother, alright?" Eli wasn't surprised when Honoka didn't say anything at first, processing it. She was ready to walk off before being caught off-guard by a hug. "W-what!? Hey! G-get off me!"

"I-I'm sorry, I'm just… t-thank you sososososososo much, Ayase-senpai!" Honoka seemed ready to cry, and Eli couldn't help but be embarrassed by the looks given. "This is… this is so nice! Thank you so much!"

"I-It's fine, honestly. I'm just sorry I couldn't do more…"

Honoka smiled as she pulled away. "This is… part of the reason I love this school."

"Is it, now?"

"I don't know a lot of people. A lot of people don't know me. But this place feels… is nice. And the students inside it have good hearts, too! Just like this city…"

"Would you really say that? Tokyo can be seedy, you know."

"Maybe so, but… its home, you know? This high school is home to me too. I bet there's a lot of other schools that wouldn't have even bothered to do this much. That's why…" Honoka's expression became more serious. "… I will absolutely save it, Ayase-senpai!"

The crows murmured at that. It wasn't a secret the student council president and Honoka were not on good terms with one-another. Was she really defying her even now? "… Is this a challenge or something, Honoka?"

"No. I just want you to know. This school absolutely won't close, no matter what. I will save it, no matter what! For my home! For everyone else here!"

"And you'll do it by being a School Idol?"

"Yes," Honoka declared. "And if that's not enough, I'll be anything else this school needs! For you and everyone else!"

"Useless, useless, useless…" Eli sighed. "You really are as stubborn as they come, aren't you?"

"The absolute stubbornist!"

It was the first time Honoka saw Eli smirk because of her actions. But she said nothing else as she walked off to head off to her own classes.

"She's always been like that, honestly. Don't beat yourself up, Honoka-san."

Honoka jumped at the voice behind her, before looking behind her- she had even been so on-edge she summoned her Stand before she dispelled it. "O-oh! Tojo-senpai!"

Nozomi giggled. "Please. Nozomi is enough."

"N-Nozomi-san! I'm, ah… I didn't mean to make her angry again…"

"I don't think she was angry. A bit annoyed, but not angry. She knows you mean well, Honoka-san," Nozomi explained. "You two are just… very different."

"I just don't want her to be angry," Honoka admitted. "Does she think I'm joking around or something? I'm serious about being a School Idol, you know…"

"Eli is… complicated. Her beliefs and motivations are different than yours, based on her own life experiences, while you have had your own." Nozomi tapped on her chin. "You seem very distressed though, even unrelated to this."

"I did almost die," Honoka answered. "I just… I don't know. I'm scared," why was she venting out to somebody she barely knew, anyways? "I feel like I have… no direction right now. I don't know what to do."

Nozomi smiled. "Why don't we ask the cards, then?"

"Ask what now?"

Nozomi giggled. "I'm skilled in reading the cards of the Tarot. They're often used in fortune telling, and to help divine the future. Perhaps it would be worth your time to let fate decide?"

Honoka went quiet, before nodding. "I… guess it couldn't hurt, you know?" If it would take her mind off things…

Nozomi smiled as she brought Honoka into the student council room, shuffling her cards once they sat down, before placing several face-down on the table. "Please flip over one card, Honoka-san."

Honoka nodded as she did so. It looked like a man on a journey, and although Honoka's English was rather poor, she could read the words; THE FOOL. "Oh… That's really bad, huh…?" Honoka sighed as Nozomi grinned.

"Quite the opposite! The Fool is one of the most opportunistic Tarot cards!"

"Eh? Really? But isn't it calling me dumb?"

"Is not every man a fool at one point? Do not misunderstand the card based on its name alone, The Fool is one of the most optimistic cards of them all! The fool represents the beginning of everything; you are only a fool because you have not had the opportunity to gain experience yet. The Fool represents new beginnings and adventures, that you should have faith in the future despite not knowing what it will bring. That's why its number is 0, because it is from there all future things grow. I am sure you will be blessed with beginner's luck, and it beckons on you to improvise and believe in the universe," Nozomi explained, and sure enough her junior's jaw dropped as her mouth formed a wide O, replaced with a grin.

"That's awesome! I love it! Oh man, thank you so much Nozomi-san!"

"Wait. Please flip another card over. If this card represents the beginning of your journey, I want to see what the cards believe in your future…"

Honoka stuck her tongue out slightly as her hand went from card to card. "This one… no, this one! No wait, this time! Oh, I got a good feeling about this one! N-no wait, it's a bad feeling, a really bad feeling!"

Nozomi giggled. "Relax, Honoka. The cards will not lie to you. No matter what happens, the cards will guide you to your future. Take a deep breath and relax… Look deep inside yourself and you will know what card to flip over."

Honoka took her advice, calming herself down. And at Nozomi's advice, an idea came to her; the Stand. It was a part of her, was it now? And Nozomi couldn't see it anyways… and so she summoned her star-marked Stand behind her, eyes closed. Look deep inside myself… my Stand… guide me!

And Honoka's Stand did just that, taking Honoka's hand and guiding it to a card at random. Honoka opened her eyes and de-materialized her Stand, flipping the card over. And so, she read it once more; THE STAR. "Star…?"

Nozomi smiled. "A wonderful card. The Star represents concepts like spirituality, hope, faith, purpose, and renewal… Honoka. This is what I believe the cards are telling me," Honoka leaned in. "Right now, you have just begun your adventure, The Fool. The struggling has only just begun, but… if you do not give in, 'The Star' will be your destination. It is what will wait at the end of your story. In this case… purpose and renewal, I think. It is saying to continue your endeavors as a School Idol and whatever else you need be, and you will find your purpose, Honoka…"

Honoka jumped and grinned. "This… this makes me feel so much better, thank you!" She said, glancing at the clock. "I-I have to go to class now, but do you think we can do this again sometime?"

"It will be my pleasure, Honoka-san."

"Thank you sososososo much! Take care, Nozomi-san!" And so, she raced off to her next class, Nozomi smiling as she raced off. Even as Eli entered the room a minute or two later, clearly not as concerned about being late for class. "Ah, Elichi. Have you come to be divined as well?"

"Why are you encouraging her?" Eli demanded. "She's brash. Naïve. Reckless. Immature and inexperienced…"

She chuckled. "Is that not good? It's from those things maturity has its roots in…"

"It's more than just being a School Idol, ridiculous and stupid as that idea is alone! Did you not see that display in the hallway!? If somebody else had been around…!"

"But they weren't. So, there's no harm done, Elichi," Nozomi said, opening an eye at her. "I'm simply doing as the cards instructed me to do…"

"You understand you are encouraging her to walk a dangerous path, are you not?" Eli closed the door behind her. "This is more than just about singing and dancing now. You had an opportunity to send her on a new direction, and you didn't take it. It's about safety and well-being as well."

"You know she will not be at peace until the man who terrorized her family is caught. And you know he can't simply be arrested, Elichi. If she has the will to fight on…"

"This isn't a game, Nozomi!" She slammed her hands on the table. "This is…"

"Are you really looking out for your junior, Elichi? Do you really think you alone can shoulder all the world's burdens? Or do you simply do not think other people can do as you do? Because they can't dance or fight as you can?" Nozomi said, flipping The Fool upside down. "When inverted, The Fool symbolizes foolishness, recklessness, naitivity…"

"All traits exhibited by Kousaka Honoka! Nozomi, look at where I'm coming from! I mean it, I don't want you to do this kind of thing around those wannabe half-baked Idols!" Eli's temper finally came to a boiling point.

But Nozomi did not budge, smiling as a purple aura enveloped her and her cards, the cards levitating around Eli and circling her, to which the fellow third year gave no reaction. "Elichi… you are not the only one who carries burdens now, you know. That girl has her own fights she must carry now. You are not a superhero capable of saving an entire city on your own." Eli finally went quiet at the end of Nozomi's small speech. "Now, I would like to ask you again, Elichi… would you like me to divine your fate?"

Eli said nothing as she paused, before heading onto her first class.

"… You're going to learn a lot from one another, I think…"

The day was, otherwise, uneventful.

Honoka would not have lied; if you had asked her, she would have admitted the murmurings and rumors got to her, but the love and friendship of µ's had kept her going throughout the day. And when they reached that rooftop?

"1 2 3 4! 1 2 3 4!"

Things felt normal again. For the first time in two days, Honoka's life had felt normal once more.

"I saaaaaaaaaaay! Hey! Hey! Hey START:DASH!"

"Rin, you're not in-synch with the rest of us. A little faster, alright?"

"Roger that, nya!"

Honka grinned as she and Kotori resumed her stretches, as the first years focused on their harmonization; Maki had nailed it down to a T with her prior singing experience, but Rin and Hanayo were doing well in trying to catch up.

"Kotori, Honoka, push-ups!"

"Yes ma'm!"

Honoka immediately got into her position, as Kotori watched for a moment. Here was a girl who once barely survived gym now able to do 20 pushups whenever it was demanded of her. And it was the same for her now- it wasn't just becoming popular or performers, they really had become stronger in the meanwhile. Kotori had been concerned about gaining weight before realizing it was muscle. Still, she noticed Honoka's movements were a bit… sluggish compared to normal. "Honoka?"

"Yeah?"

"Are you OK?"

Honoka frowned. "I'm still a bit sore from fighting that Fuhai guy, but I'll live! I just got to get used to fighting through the pain…"

Oh. She didn't mean to say that aloud.

µ's went quiet before rushing to her side.

"What do you mean fight him!?" Maki asked. "W-we didn't know anything about that!"

"I-Isn't that man like 6'0? He's super tall, and I saw his picture online; he looked muscular!" Hanayo exclaimed.

"He looked like he could fight a bear, nya!"

"How did you fight him, Honoka?" Umi demanded, worried.

Honoka sighed as she as bombarded with the question, before raising her hands up. "N-no, this is good. I had something I needed to show you all anyways. And practice is almost over… There's an abandoned apartment not too far from here, right?" The rest nodded in response. "I don't want anyone else around when I talk about this."

It was a rather quiet walk after practice had ended, with none of the other girls used to seeing Honoka so serious. Once they arrived, Honoka took a deep breath before leading her friend into the alleys right next to it.

"So, what's going on, Honoka?" Maki asked. "How could you possibly fight a man like that?"

"… It's about that arrow, actually." µ's went quiet at that. "Umi, did you ever find anything out?"

"No. I read everything I could in the library, but I couldn't find anything related to an arrow that leaves no wound or 'Stands…'"

"Stand?" Hanayo asked.

"The man who attacked my house was clearly hit by that arrow too," µ's' eyes widened. "He said it to my mom; that he was 'chosen by the arrow' and gained a power he called a Stand because of it. And I was able to use my 'Stand' to fight his," she explained, before facing the group. "He said normal people can't see them, but…"

She summoned her Stand nonetheless. The rest did not react, but Umi gasped and dropped her back. "U-Umi!?" Kotori asked, surprised by her friend's shocked look.

"What is that thing?" Umi asked, taking another step back. She stared into the star eyes of Honoka's Stands, who stared back at her. "That's not a human being! Is that… a ghost!? No, it doesn't even look like that…!"

"I-I don't see anything, nya!"

"What does it look like?" Kotori asked, shocked.

"Orange… with hair like Honoka's, but stars on its body…"

"Yeah, that's my Stand!" Honoka replied, nodding. "I still… don't understand it fully, but I can make it appear when I want and make it disappear when I want to, and its pretty strong too! Just watch this—" and Honoka faced the building, her Stand as well, and delivered a flurry of punches powerful enough to severely damage the wall. Sure, public property damage wasn't something to be proud of- but surely the situation called for it?

… Well, maybe Honoka could have chosen a better location, but that was besides the point. Umi saw the Stand punch the wall repeatedly, and while the rest of the girls it was more akin to an invisible force attacking the wall.

"I can't believe it," Maki said. It defied all logic and rationality, but she couldn't deny it either.

"You… did something to the wall!" Kotori exclaimed. "This power… came from being attacked by that arrow?"

"I mean, I'm not sure, but what else could it be? He called his power a Stand and he got it from the arrow. I never had any kind of power before the arrow attacked me… He said the arrow blessed him with power. And now I have power too. Its… weird."

"That's…" Maki began.

"I don't…" Hanayo went on.

"It's so…" Umi was about to go on, but before she could —

"Cool, nya!"

"R-Rin!?" Maki exclaimed.

"You got a superpower, Honoka-chan! You can be like… a superhero, nya!"

"R-really!?" That certainly got Honoka's attention.

"Yeah! You can be… µ's, the singing heroine! You sing when you show up, then use your power to beat up all the bad guys all invisible and stuff!"

Honoka stared for a second before grinning. "You're right! Fuhai even said normal people can't fight against Stands- I could kick some serious butt with this, Rin!"

"Forget being an Idol- you should be a superhero! If everyone knows a superhero comes to Otonokizaka it'll never close, nya! Kotori-chan could make your superhero costume!"

"AMAZING thinking, Rin! Kotori, can you make me a superhero costume!?"

"Ummm…" Kotori had no idea what to say.

"Girls…" Umi began.

"My superhero name should have orange in it!"

"You need to look super cool too, nya!"

"GIRLS!" Both Rin and Honoka proceeded to shut up. "Honoka, you are not becoming a superhero!" Umi scolded. "If you were already in danger before, how do you think things will be if everyone knows you're fighting crime!? Think about it for a second!"

"S-sorry…" Both girls said, puffing their cheeks out.

"… It's still a cool idea though, nya."

"Yeah!"

Umi groaned.

"Anyways…" Kotori began. "What are you going to do, Honoka? Please be serious…"

"I have no idea," Honoka admitted, sighing. "The police can't really protect me or my family. My mom talked about moving…" the other girls seemed distressed at the thought. "If I did, I'd have to quit µ's…"

"… If its for your safety, you shouldn't be ashamed of it…" Maki assured. Rin seemed ready to protest, but a look from Hanayo stopped her. "This is just a school. Your life can't be replaced, Kousaka. We can continue to be Idols to try to save the school in your absence, or we can just acknowledge we did everything we could. I'd close this school in a heartbeat if it mean you'd be safe."

"That's not the only problem. What if he comes after us? We can't protect ourselves from this power. All we can do… is run and hope he doesn't pursue. And then, he'll get us…" Honoka paused. "… Unless I fight."

"Honoka!?" Umi stepped forward. "Do you have any idea what you're saying!?"

"Yeah, I do. I fought for my life yesterday. And… he even said he'd come after me one day. And next time we met, it'd be a fight to the death with our Stands."

"To the death!? Honoka- you can't —" But Umi was caught off-guard by the very forlorn smile on Honoka's face.

"Honestly, other than running, after what you've seen, what more can any of you suggest I do?"

µ's was silent.

Honoka insisted on walking home alone at that point. She said she had wanted space, but in truth, she was afraid of Fuhai attacking and her friends getting in the crossfire. Still, it felt nice to finally unload all that baggage. At least that was one major obstacle out of the way. She blinked as she noticed her phone ringing, smiling as she noticed it was her mother. "Hello, mama!"

… Wait, didn't mama lose her pho-

"Hello, Kousaka."

Honoka's heart sank as she heard Fuhai Yoshikawa's voice on the other line. "F… Fuhai…!"

"iPhones are nice, you know? I swiped this one while I was at your house."

"What do you want!? I'll- "

"I have your family."

Honoka's heart skipped a beat. "Don't… don't hurt them — "

"There's an abandoned factory not too far from where we last met. I'll text you the address. Come alone."

"… I don't… want to fight you. Just go away."

"But I want to fight you. There is an unwritten law that governs our universe: 'Stand users attract other Stand users.' And we are Stand users. The theory of gravity binds us and our encounters together. And more importantly? I'm fucking pissed, so I want a rematch."

"Listen to me! I'll — "

But he hung up.

Honoka knew what the smart thing to do in that moment was. To call the police. To head back to the hotel and barricade herself in. To call her friends and ask for advice. But to Honoka… it was her fight. Her battle. Only her Stand could ever resolve this, never the forces of the law. Was it foolish? Yes. Was it naïve? Yes.

Did Honoka feel like she had another choice?

No.

She sprinted towards the location.

Honoka had never been inside an abandoned anything before. The old machinery laid about, untouched by humans' hands for years and covered with dusty and cobwebs. Only broken windows allowed light to enter, barely illuminating Honoka's path. "Yoshikawa! I'm here!" She yelled out, inspecting her surroundings. "So come on out, already! Didn't you say we were going to finish this!?"

"That eager to die, Kousaka?" Honoka looked up, seeing her tormenter grin down at her from a floor above, jumping down from a floor above, safely landing with assistance from his Stand. "You know, if it wasn't me, it would just be somebody else, right?" Honoka just glared. "There's lots of Stand users in Tokyo. These past few months they've been awakening because of the arrow. Some have already formed alliances."

"Alliances…?"

"One is a group of girls your age, who banded together to fight someone they call the Cyan Stand. Fuck if I know what that means, but all that matters is this: Stand users fight other Stand users. That's why I'm ditching this dump. Once I make enough money I'm going to the States, try to find a place with no Stand users were my power will make me supreme! It's not too late for you, Kousaka! You have an incredible power- you can make anyone bow down to you!"

"No way," Honoka declared. "I'm not like you. I don't want power, and I don't want money either! I want to be a School Idol- I want to save my school and have good memories with my friends and family! And you're in the way of that!"

Fuhai chuckled. "Things got complicated, that's all. Hell, I'll even keep my offer- join up with me. A girl like you can always use spending money, can't they? If you don't ally with me, either the 'Cyan Stand' or that group of girls will force you to join with them… or destroy you! We'll split it 60/40. How about it, Kousaka?"

"Go to hell."

Fuhai's grin widened into a smile. "Truth be told, I was hoping you'd say that. I'm not so dumb I'd just turn down an ally, but I've really been looking forward to killing you…"

"And I've been looking forward to a peaceful life! With my friends and my family! A life without you in it…"

"Oh? So, you're going to kill me, Kousaka?" Honoka went incredibly quiet at the question, looking down at her feet. In truth, she had never thought that far ahead. The idea of killing sounded so… horrible to her… but…

"… This is my city, Tokyo," Honoka began. "It's the city I was born in. The city in which I was raised. The city where I live my life and go to the high school I love! It is the city where four generations ago my family moved from Kyouto! The city where a Japanese sweet shop has been owned by my family, and what I hope to inherit from my father as my occupation! I was born in this city and I want to die in it, too! And you're hurting it! You're hurting the people who live in it just so you can be happy- even before you had your Stand you were a crooked cop who helped bad people just so you could be happy!" She yelled, narrowing her eyes. "And the law can't stop you… and… they can't protect my family either. Only by fleeing this place we call our home could we be safe from you…"

She stepped forward. Her resolve was clear, and as horrible as it sounded, she knew what had to happen next.

"I don't want to kill you, but if this is what I have to do to protect not only my family, but the city I love- and the friends who are the most important to me! So that not only I, but all of them can live safely in Tokyo… and I'll even fight all the Stand users that threaten it as well! It's just Otonokizaka anymore, I want to protect all of Tokyo as well! I'll try to beat you to a pulp instead of killing you… but if that's what it takes…

"Then I'll kill you, Yoshikawa Fuhai!"

"「BLUE SLIDE PARK!」"

I can't be afraid, Honoka thought, summoning her Stand. I have to fight on!

"FAITO DAYO!"

Next time on  Honoka's Bizarre Adventure!

Chapter 3: Fight On, Honaka Kousaka! (Part 3)

Stand profile: FUHAI YOSHIKAWA

Stand Name: Blue Slide Park (Mac Miller album)

Type: Short-range Stand

Stand Cry: None

Appearance/Personality: Blue Slide Park resembles a humanoid male wearing a dark blue Japanese police officer's uniform, complete with a hat. The uniform, however, seems to be devoid of any badges or decoration. Its skin is blue, with yellow eyes and a mouth with thin lips and red tear marks under its eyes. Its expression is stoic, except when battling: in which case it becomes enraged.

Abilities:

• 3D to 2D, vice versa: Blue Slide Park's signature ability is to be able to turn 3D objects (that which exists in the real world) into 2D: making it as thin as paper. What is most notable is that once something becomes 2D, it can be implanted on any solid surface of floor: much like a painting. This allows Fuhai and his Stand to squeeze through impossibly tight spaces (like closed locked doors) to make easy escapes and entrances. In this state, anything that has been turned 2D is impervious to damage, as it is the surface that takes damage instead of the user and the Stand. In their own words, they can deal no damage in this form, but cannot take damage.
  • Objects like knives can also be turned into 2D and stored on walls, floors, etc. Fuhai uses this so he can have a steady supply of easy to obtain weaponry, turning them into "pictures" to access later.

Stats:

• Power: B
• Speed: C
• Range: C
• Precision: D
• Durability: C (∞ as a 2D object)
• Development Potential: A

Chapter Text

Previously on Honoka's Bizarre Adventure!

Things are getting more and more serious! And by that, I mean really bad! Like the worst it's ever been in my life!

I've fully awakened my 'Stand', but I wasn't able to defeat Yoshikawa Fuhai… his power to 'become 2D' was too much, and he got away! As strong as my Stand is, how can it possibly fight against that!?

I feel better now that my friends know what's going on, but now the time has come for my rematch! This time I can't rely on the police to come save me… It's do-or-die! I have to fight on! For my school, for my friends, for my family, for this city I call home!

I'll end this now! FAITO DAYO!

Fuhai Yoshikawa was born on December 17 , 1963, to two loving and hardworking parents in Sapporo, Japan.

The result of an unplanned teenage pregnancy in a highly conservative country had not done many favors for Fuhai's parents; both disowned when they announced they wished to keep the baby, forced to stay with friends and motels until the two could find jobs. As the two worked multiple jobs until Fuhai's father worked long and honest enough to earn a promotion when Fuhai was eight years old, finally earning the family consistently stable money and moving out of a humble apartment into a home. It had been the first time Fuhai had ever lived in a house, and the first time he was able to see his parents get a good full night's sleep without working early shifts.

Yet there was a lingering thought that lingered in the young boy's head; that his home was nowhere near as large as his friend's, despite the fact his father through hard work had worked so much harder than any of theirs had. It left him with a thought, which would persist until adulthood:

"The world does not reward hard work! The world eats up those who work hard and then feeds them the scraps!"

Fuhai was a man who growing up made unsavory connections in school and beyond, much to his parent's dismay as they tried to steer him onto the right path. When an older man with yakuza ties in the police offered him a chance to join. He knew he wasn't cut out for college, and he knew that this new path would open many others for him and so he took the offer. His parents were ecstatic, believing he had finally discarded his old self to follow a new, more honorable path. His father had always been opposed to "the easy way," believing only in hard work and honesty could lead to happiness. After all, he was a man who had worked so hard despite the hardships he had faced, and it had awarded him with a family he wouldn't trade for the world.

Fuhai's father died tragically young, succumbing to cancer. But despite dying well before any hard-working man should, he had no regrets. Yes, his life had been filled with hardship. He had to drop out of school to work multiple jobs to work and had been disowned by his own family, but never even for a single moment did the love of his life leave his side or cease her support of his endeavors. And with his promotion he had worked enough to leave her a house and a life insurance worth over 112, 5151, 500 yen- over a million dollars to keep her peacefully afloat for the rest of her life. It was then, one unfortunate day, the mother's car broke down. Knowing her son knew the basics of car mechanics from his delinquent days, she asked if he could take a look at the vehicle. Little did she know, Fuhai had recently undergone a massive gambling debt and needed money badly…

It was a tragedy, indeed, that the brakes failed and she perished in an unforeseen accident! But if nothing else, the son inherited enough to pay off his debts! Surely, a silver lining in the midst of the sorrow?

But fortune did not smile on Fuhai for long. Fuhai had believed that he was a man with fortune on his side. While his actions always landed him into a hot mess, sure enough, fortune would always smile down on him, lifting him higher than all around him. But fortune seemed to finally frown, leaving him miserable and alone as he became too greedy for his yakuza allies to bother with any longer, abandoning him when the police began to investigate corruption within their own ranks.

As he awaited his long sentence, at the height of his despair, he woke in the middle of the night, cursing all around him. So infuriated was he that he did not even notice the arrow creeping behind him, before landing straight through the bottom of his chin, right up through his brain…

And then again, he realized, with the newfound power he gained in the form of 「 Blue Slide Park, 」  once more did fortune smile upon Fuhai Yoshikawa!

"Hey, kid! You're going to die!" Fuhai declared with a laugh, charging forward, 「Blue Slide Park's」face contorted in rage and hatred. "It's a shame you didn't take my offer- you could've made something of yourself with your Stand!"

"I'm still going to make something of myself, right as soon as I'm done kicking your butt!" Honoka declared, her Stand materialized in front of her. She understood the basic mechanics of these Stands now- already controlling her Stand's movements had become like a second nature, as easy as blinking and breathing. And her Stand was more powerful, right?

But Honoka's eyes widened as her Stand tried to punch Fuhai's, only for the older man's Stand to dodge. "A-ack!"

"You caught me off-guard yesterday," Fuhai declared. "But I've been fighting since before you were born! 「Blue Slide Park」is complimented by my own fighting experience! I just have to imagine what I'd do if I was in that situation…" and as「Blue Slide Park」dodged it slugged Honoka's Stand in the side, causing Honoka to gasp in pain as she clutched her own side.

"O-ow!" She yelled, confused. It was her Stand that had been hit, so why was she in pain!? Then she remembered the battle at Homura, the way he reacted when his Stand was beaten.

"Figuring it out!?" Fuhai yelled with a laugh. "Damage done to a Stand reflects on its user! Your Stand is incredibly powerful, those punches were something else… but I got the experience to make up for it!" Honoka tried to punch the other Stand, but「Blue Slide Park」caught the punch, twisting Honoka's Stand's arm- and her own in the process.

"Oh no!"

"Oh, yeah! If you're not scared, get scared! I'll teach you to obey your elders!" 「Blue Slide Park」delivered a punch to the side of Honoka's Stand's head, and a barrage of punches followed soon after, and then Honoka felt the pain of being punched all over her body before she and her Stand went flying in the air and landed nearly 10 feet away.

"Gah…!" Honoka gasped for air, not even bothering trying to hide her tears as she slowly got up. Just like back at Homura, Honoka had never fought- what might have been a simple inconvenience for a veteran fighter, or even some rude-mouthed delinquent boy was a terrible pain to her, and so she was caught off-guard by the pain of the impacts. But still, Honoka reminded herself; Pain is only an illusion! As long as you can fight, get up!

This time it was Honoka who was on the defensive, her Stand crossing its arms to defend itself as her enemy's Stand launched a series of punches, only to wince in pain as the Stand deviated from its Stand rush in order to land a chop to her side once more. "Ugh…!"

"I am destined to win! Fortune smiles on Yoshikawa Fuhai!" Fuhai declared, grinning as「Blue Slide Park」rushed forward once more. "Skill triumphs over raw strength! My experiences clearly triumph over yours!"

Skill… Honoka thought. She knew now she gravely underestimated Fuhai's strength, thinking simply being stronger could triumph over「Blue Slide Park」and now she paid the price for her arrogance- a price she knew would be paid in blood if she could do nothing to save her own situation. Skills…?

It was then, an idea entered Honoka's head! She didn't know if it was a good one or not, but it was all she could do! She sprinted backwards before turning around, her Stand doing the same. "Running away!? Already giving up!? Come on, baby, at least make it more of a challenge for me!" And he rushed forward to punch her once more. "You don't know how to block!" And that was true, but there was one thing Honoka did know-

Dancing.

And rather than trying to take Fuhai head-on, Honoka's Stand spun out of its way, going low and catching itself on its hands. "W-what-" And before Fuhai could react, Honoka's Stand kicked his off its feet, before rushing in as the Stand was falling. "SHIT! BLUE SLI— "

"FAITOFAITOFAITOFAITOFAITOFAITOFAITOFAITOFAITOFAITO FAITO DAYOOOOOOOO!"

Now it was Fuhai was unable to protect himself, as「Blue Slide Park」for a second time was on the receiving end of a Stand rush, the older man roaring in pain as he and his Stand were sent flying. "I heard, in Brazil, there's a kind of martial arts that combines combat with dancing," Honoka began, glaring. "I don't even remember the name of it right now, but… in these last few months since I became a School Idol, I've become way more agile than I used to be. It gave me the idea of combining the two… 'cuz maybe I can't block you head on, but if I dodge you, I think I can do alright. Maybe when this is over, I'll research it up, see if I can take a class or something. Because I think it might give me a few advantages…"

"Little bitch-" Fuhai cussed, glaring as he got up. "How dare you make a fool out of Yoshikawa Fuhai!? How dare you!?" And he and his Stand sprinted forward one more, consumed by anger. Determined to go on the offense once more he tried to initiate a close-range Stand-rush, Honoka's Stand essentially rolling onto its side to grab「Blue Slide Park」and throw him to the ground, much as it had once done to her back in Homura. Honoka grinned as she threw the Stand to the side- and delivered a savage uppercut to its stomach as it fell, before getting back up.

"I'll do whatever it takes to win, because I have a dream I must protect!" Honoka declared. "You've gotten in a ton of fist-fights I bet… but I bet you're not used to someone dodging like this, huh!?" Honestly, part of her was surprised it had worked, and was thankful she was not fighting a more level-headed opponent. She had doubts it would have worked against just anyone, but she had to count her blessings for now.

"Alright, so you're a bit tougher than I gave you credit for, brat. Impressive. But I'm a long way from being defeated," at the sound of that, the School Idol tried to go on the offense but did not have time before watching both user and Stand slink into the floor. "「Blue Slide Park!」3D to 2D!" He declared, both use rand Stand slunk into the ground.

"Oh no-!"

"Like I said before… your Stand is pathetic! All it can do is punch- I've never seen such a pathetic Stand in my life!" Even those miserable delinquent girls that had made problems for him in the past had Stands with stronger abilities, even though he had to admit none of them could punch quite as hard as Honoka's. 「Blue Slide Park」slid towards Honoka's Stand, much to her alarm. "I'm destined to win! Let's see if your 'agility' can match my 'special technique!'" Fuhai yelled. Honoka recognized this technique, having her Stand jump backwards to avoid being grabbed.

What an unfair power! Honoka thought bitterly. She knew if she allowed「Blue Slide Park」to grab her Stand she would at once find herself at a massive disadvantage. Her eyes widened when the Stand went form trying to grab her to punching at her feet, the fists rapidly entering and leaving the floor. She couldn't even try to stomp on him in this form! She was practically dancing just trying to keep away with him, like an ant trying to scurry away from the magnifying glass!

"Die, die, die! Let me grab you and let me kill you, already!" Fuhai demanded. "I'll keep it brief if you just surrender!" Now he was clearly just having a good time, laughing. "Dance, girl, dance! Don't you Idols dance to make your fans happy!?" Eventually though, he landed a punch right at one of Honoka's ankles- enough to make the girl hop on one foot in panic at the panic, and then… grab her, savagely throwing to the ground. "Kyahahaaha! What a thrill!"

Honoka forced back tears as she was lifted off her feet, slammed down just like in Homura. Come to think of it, had she not been fortunate there as well? She honestly thought she had won that fight, but now Honoka was doubting her success. Had she only won because she had gotten lucky with that sneak attack and the police coming? Now she questioned if she had ever had the right to call herself the victor…

I don't want to die, Honoka thought. But the reality seemed to slip back into her mind, forcing back tears. Mama, papa, I'm sorry you had such an idiot daughter, she lamented as she forced herself back to her feet. At least the better one is still alive…

"「Blue Slide Park!」Snap her neck, I've had enough!" Honoka went on the edge as she heard that, watching the Stand rise from the ground and putting her Stand's arms into an X, ready to defend at all costs. No matter how inevitable death seemed, Honoka was determined to fight on until the last breath.

But then, a miracle seemed to occur.

A thin whip-like string (no, strings, Honoka observed upon closer observation- five of them) separated the distance between her and「Blue Slide Park,」causing the two to look up towards the ceiling- before noticing a new figure dropping below, standing between them.

"What!?" Fuhai yelled, eyes widening as he observed her. "Wait… you're that one… the Cyan Stand-!" As「Blue Slide Park」stepped back, Honoka was able to observe her savior. The icy-blue Stand resembled a humanoid wearing a masculine motorcycle jacket and pants, but the outline of the figure was clearly feminine. Upon a closer inspection, no, it wasn't just a leather jacket; it was leather armor, heavily padded around the figure's breasts and stomach, large shoulder pads, combat boots, and a motorcycle helmet that made it impossible to make out her face. The Stand's color was an icy-blue, and she noticed something written on its back in a language Honoka did not understand- some Eastern European language? No… Russian, maybe? Across the back of the Stand's jacket was "справедливость."

"I will be your opponent," the Stand announced, it's voice heavily autotuned to the point Honoka could not tell if that was ever once a human's voice. "You, go home."

"E-eh!? But, I— "

"You are a weakling," the Cyan Stand spat. "It is fortunate you did not die already. Go home before you do," the words stung Honoka deep, but in her distress, she could not help but finding herself agreeing. "This is no game. In the world of Stand users, only the strong can survive! Go home, leave out your meager life free of conflict, and never fight again! I will deal with this man, and all other Stands that threaten Tokyo!"

"Where are you, asshole!?" Fuhai demanded, looking around. "Most Stands only have a range of a few meters, where's the user!?"

"None of your concern," the Cyan Stand replied, taking a step forward. "Defeat me, and you defeat my user. Is that not satisfying enough for you?"

"「Blue Slide Park! 」" And with that the Stand's face once again contorted into rage, trying to deliver a devastating Stand rush… only for the Cyan Stand to jump over it, summersaulting in the air. "You're kidding me!" But things quickly got worse for Fuhai as both Honoka and he noticed the Stand's power- from each of its fingers a long string was created, ten in total. Before she even landed, she used these strings to wrap tightly around「Blue Slide Park」, Honoka noticing the corrupt cop's body bleeding heavily all around him. And not only did the Cyan Stand throw him and his Stand, but she slammed the Stand right into its user, hurting both.

"A-amazing!" Honoka cheered, a smile returning. What kind of miracle was this? It was like a knight in light-blue armor had come to save her! She was clearly stronger than she was, the way she was able to control and move her Stand… she looked around, trying to find the user, but could see none. Was it possible for people to control a Stand from a long range?

The Cyan Stand's insults still hurt Honoka terribly, but nonetheless, she began to run off- heading towards the stairs to make her way to a higher floor to watch the battle from afar. Dammit, dammit, dammit! Since when was I such a coward!? Honoka criticized herself, but did not dare stop until she reached a point where she could watch from a safe distance. Survival was a priority in this moment, she could yell at herself for it late. The Cyan Stand had certainly drawn Fuhai's attention away from herself though, letting her hide and watch out of his view.

Fuhai was now clearly at the disadvantage. Even with both he and his Stand in 2D, the Cyan Stand was constantly one step ahead of them, dodging punches from the ground and grabs with ease, before charging at Fuhai's direction. "It won't work!" Fuhai declared, sliding away, but not fast enough. How could「Blue Slide Park's」invincible defenses possibly fail him? "Y-you should know, like this I can't be hurt!"

"I will judge that," the Cyan Stand declared, charging forward. Fuhai attempted to slide away, but the Cyan Stand extended one of the strings from its fingers, slashing the wall in front of her… and separating the 2D arm of Fuhai Yoshikawa from the rest of his body. There was a pause, and then a scream of terror.

"MY ARM! FUCK! MY ARM! YOU BITCH!" Fuhai roared, panicking as he realized it had been separated from his body, despite the lack of pain. "YOU CUT OFF MY GODDAMN ARM!"

"And I will sever more," the Cyan Stand declared, using the prehensile strings to separate that part of the wall with his arm still in it. "It is just as I thought. While you are 2D you take no damage- but if part of your surface is severed, you take that damage unless you can move to an undamaged surface, don't you? Your Stand is not truly invincible- its just harder to hurt."

「Blue Slide Park」emerged from the ground, its left arm immediately falling off its body as it did so, the Stand's face contorted in pain. It tried to punch the Cyan Stand with one arm, and it did so, with the enemy Stand making no attempt to dodge… and finding once touched, it could not pry its fist away from the enemy Stand. "W-what!?"

"I have won," the Cyan Stand declared, the opposing Stand unable to separate from its position. "You have been immobilized, and I have your left arm. With Kousaka gone, all your bargaining chips are gone."

"You…!"

"I will ask you several questions, and you will answer," the Cyan Stand said, walking toward the man in the wall. "You probably have an idea what kind of questions I want to ask."

"Tch… Let me guess… the Arrow Hunters, right?" Honoka wished she could have heard what they were discussing but could not get closer without giving away her position. "I don't have anything to do with those brats, and I don't give a rat's ass about the arrow either. The only thing I, Yoshikawa Fuhai, care about is power, and living a comfortable life! Having the arrow might result in me making a Stand user stronger than me… I can't allow that! You get it now, right!? I just want to make enough money to leave this country, then you'll never see me again! J-just give me my arm!"

The Cyan Stand glared. "Then you're even more petty than they are," she spat, approaching forward. "I'll take you to the police. Now that I know about your power, it shouldn't be hard to deal with you again if you chose to escape…" This was the first time the Cyan Stand was going to turn somebody in, and the user could not help but feel uneasy.

"F-fine, just give me my arm, alright? I give up! Honestly!" Fuhai begged, wishing he could see the Stand's face. With what he had planned he wanted to see it.

"Come out slowly and I will return your arm to you," the Cyan Stand replied, glad to see「Blue Slide Park」was no longer resisting trying to free its hand from its shoulder, as she got closer to the wall.

Fuhai grinned.

"Or how about, instead… you come in here with me!?"

The Cyan Stand did not realize until it was too late that she misunderstood「Blue Slide Park's」power. Its not just the user and Stand that turn 2D—

Honoka gasped in horror as she recognized what Fujai was doing as she saw the Cyan Stand pushed into the wall in front of it, becoming 2D as it was pressed against the surface. "N-No—!"

"Yes! You have fallen victim to my Stand!" Fuhai laughed before finally emerging from the wall, his mocking becoming an agonizing roar of pain as he clenched the now bleeding stump of an arm. "Got you, bitch! To think, I was pushed this deep into a corner…!" Honoka had her hands over her mouth, starting to back away now, ready to run off.

"L-Let me out of here!"

"I'll let you out when I'm ready to break you into a thousand pieces," Fuhai said with a grin. "Since you're not me, you can't just exit the wall…" He slinked into the ground, his Stand extracting his severed arm and placing it next to him; and in 2D he simply moved into it, re-attaching the limb with no damage done. "That was close, you almost got me… thank God you got close to the wall…"

He rose from the ground.

"Now, where did that Kousaka brat run too?"

Honoka gasped for breath as she ran deeper into the abandoned factory, back pressed against a wall. This is bad! She thought, hand covering her mouth- the idea of making a sound and alerting him was terrifying! That 'Cyan Stand' was defeated- and if damage on a Stand reflected back on the user, what happened to the Stand's user? That Stand seemed to be much more powerful than her's, and now…

But Honoka knew what had to happen now. This was always her fight; it was wrong of her to let someone else try to take it over for her. And now she had to make it right. She had to return to the battlefield and put an end to this conflict once and for all!

And now she had a new tidbit of information: that Fuhai and his Stand could be damaged in this 2D state! Honoka couldn't damage them directly while in 2D, the Stand and its user really was invincible, but if she damaged the surface enough… But she'd have to get close enough to Fuhai to make it count. Not only that, but make sure he could not transfer to a new surface. And「Blue Slide Park」was indeed a crafty Stand, and she doubted she could make her own Stand move like the Cyan Stand could…

"This sucks! Why don't have you another power!?" Honoka chastised her Stand, puffing her cheek out and pointing right at her Stand, which showed no reaction. "C-Can't you turn invisible or something!? H-How about flying so I can stay out of his range!? If he can 'turn 2D' and that Cyan Stand can make 'strings' appear out of its hand, can't you do something special too!?" Honoka closed her eyes, sitting on the dirty floor. "You're a part of me, right? So, you should have a power or something…"

What kind of power would Honoka have, anyways? All her desires in the world right now were related to dancing… Was her Stand's ability nothing more than its incredible agility? That wasn't good enough. Something inside her had to be inside her Stand, she was sure of it. Myself… Did the power have to reflect on her, as well?

Despite everything, Honoka smiled as she remembered the days before μ's first concert, shouting that I want to! To the entire city to hear. And the energy she felt that day they sang START:DASH! continued to resonate within her as well. Enough energy it felt like to overcome anything! Even when she was a child, Honoka was the most energetic of the three by far…

And then she even remembered that day they climbed that tree, Umi and Kotori scared out of their minds before the three could see that glorious sun and horizon…

Even now, the energy made her want to run a thousand laps! Preform a thousand concerts! Fight a thousand battles! That energy made her want to shake! As Honoka looked inside herself to try to discern her Stand's ability, she rediscovered the endless energy within her! An energy that reflected into her Stand! "… Eh!?"

Honoka blinked as she heard a hum, opening her eyes and looking at her orange Stand. And she could see both of the Stand's arms moving at high speeds, rippling and shaking violently. Vibrating, she understood. Her Stand's arms were vibrating at extremely high speeds! "I… Is this… my power?" As Honoka stopped thinking of the energy that had always been inside her, the Stand ceased its vibrating- and when she dwelled on it once more it vibrated once more. She could control the vibration's location, the arms, the legs. "That's… that's…!"

Honoka gripped her head.

"That totally sucks!"

Honoka moaned as she held her head, lying on the dirty, dusty floor. "Y-you shake!? What kind of lame power is vibrating!? That's not going to help me beat Fuhai! I'm so deadeadeaddeaddeaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaad!" Honoka had to resist the urge to cry. If this was all she could do, then she was dead! The Kousakas would soon only have one child to their name, Yukiko would be an only child, μ's would disband and Otonokizaka would close! What a travesty this was! "Dammit!" Honoka swore with a groan, her Stand laying its hand on the wall to reflect its owner's misery, head hung low. "Still though… I got to try," Honoka thought out loud. "I'll fight him a thousand times if I got to…! I can't let everyone down! No matter what! Fight on, fight on, fight on, fight on…!"

She jumped at the sound of something seemingly break, turning around to face her Stand. "Oh, what now!?" But what Honoka said did not fill her with dread, but curiosity. As her Stand's fist lay against the wall, it was the wall itself that was starting to vibrate. And as it vibrated at high speeds, it began to weaken, before the brick wall crumbled entirely. "N-no way…!"

Honoka was not a gifted student, to say the least. While not as bad as English, she did not do particularly well in science classes such as physics either- if anything it was one of her favorite classes to fall asleep in. However, even Honoka knew basics, such as that all matter was built out of atoms. Now she understood something else as well; when that bread had flown out of her hand, clearly it was her Stand vibrating at such a pace it sent the bread flying. And now? By inducing such strong vibrations…

I'm weakening the structure of the object my Stand is touching! By making it vibrate so much, its disintegrating! My Stand… if I vibrate something else that isn't itself, I can make it breakdown!

And then another idea came to her as well. She thought of a jackhammer, going back and forth to break something down as well…

Honoka knew this was not a guarantee, but it was her best shot! Her only shot!

"Yoshikawa! Let's finish this!"

Honoka had a confident air as she walked down the stairs, entering the main lobby of the abandoned factory once more. "No more running, no more interruptions! Its time we finished this!"

"Idiot! Run away!" The Cyan Stand pleaded, still trapped in a wall. "I messed up… every other Stand user I've fought simply gave up once I had defeated them! I was hoping that fear would be enough to coerce him back into prison…" The Cyan Stand, despite the autotuned voice, clearly regretted her decisions. "But this man is far more wicked than anyone else I've battled… He will not surrender to you! If you fight him… 'he'll definitely kill you!' I beg of you, flee!"

"Thanks for the advice, but…" and Honoka grinned, her back to the wall. "I've never been the best student, so it's only fair I do what an idiot does!"

"Look out!"

"At last, you're mine, Kousaka!" It was Fuhai himself that slid behind her on the wall, reaching out to strangle Honoka. His grin was as present as ever as his hands slid around the young girl's throat, to the Cyan Stand's horror. "「Blue Slide Park!」It's time, baby!" Fuhai laughed as his Stand rose from the ground, approaching. Honoka tried to punch with her Stand, but「Blue Slide Park」caught the punch with both its hands. "And this is checkmate, Honoka! Do you hear me!? Checkmate!" Fuhai laughed, releasing her throat just enough so she could take a few breaths. "Any last words!?"

"Yeah… checkmate!"

Honoka had no idea if the following technique would work. She really didn't. But it was better than nothing! Her last shot! Her last gamble! She even took another deep breath just in case Fuhai choked her once more.

And it was then that Honoka's Stand's arms vibrated at an incredible pace! "W-what is this!?" Fuhai asked, struggling to keep a grip on her Stand. It's like holding onto jackhammers! What the fuck is this!? He wondered, before the vibrations were so intense his Stand simply could no longer hold on, and「Blue Slide Park's」grip was thrown off.

"FAITOFAITOFAITOFAITOFAITOFAITOFAITOFAITOFAITO!"

Completely thrown off guard, Fuhai could do nothing as she once more found himself receiving a devastating Stand rush. Honoka realized she could not make her Stand vibrate while delivering a barrage of punches, but her Stand's overwhelming strength was enough to make up for it.

"FAITO DAYOOOOOOOOOO!"

And for the final blow Honoka delivered an uppercut to the Stand's stomach, and with the final blow cast, vibrated her Stand's arm to its maximum capacity; in addition to the devastating punch, 「Blue Slide Park」now suffered the equivalent of having a jackhammer assault it's stomach without needing a barrage of blows… and Fuhai realized it was even more painful and damaging than a barrage of punches, simply contained to one area, before the force threw the Stand across the room and Fuhai's face contorting in pure agony as he was separated from his Stand. "I… I can't… lose…!"

"It's over! Yoshikawa Fuhai, you will NEVER hurt my family again!" Her Stand rushed over to her side, hands on the wall next to Fuhai's sides, vibrating the walls until the walls around him crumbled a few moments later

"What!?"

He tried sliding upwards, but Honoka's Stand had destroyed the walls around him entirely! Fuhai realized there was no place left to slide towards!

The brick wall Fuhai had become a part of had become a prison!

"W-wait! Honoka! Don't…! Do you really want to be just like me!?" All pride had left Fuhai. "If this was you in my situation. It's what I'd do! Me, the man who tried to kill your family! Do you really want to be as rotten as I am!?" Honoka only glared. "I-I can get you money, and anything else too!" Fuhai was desperate as could be. "C-Come on! I made a dumb mistake at your house… L-let me go!"

"… You threatened me, and I can deal with that much… If I knew you'd leave me alone, I'd do that… but you're that kind of guy that always goes back on his word, aren't you? Yeah… I bet you are…"

"K-Kousaka-sama! Please! I'm begging you- mercy, mercy, for the love of God, mercy!"

"I could manage a threat against me… I could manage having an enemy… but… as long as you're rotten to the core, my family can never know peace or happiness! So, I… don't' care if its what you'd do! If its to protect the people I love and care about…"

"Look out!" The Cyan Stand tried to warn Honoka of Fuhai's Stand coming within striking range.

"DIE!"

"I'll do absolutely anything to protect them, no matter what!"

Unfortunately, Honoka's Stand was faster.

"NO! DIEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE! FORTUNE ALWAYS SMILES ON YOSHIKAWA FUHAI!"

They were Fuhai's last words.

"FAITOFAITOFAITOFAITOFAITOFAITOFAITOFAITOFAITOFAITOFAITOFAITOFAITOFAITOFAITOFAITO FAITO DAYOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"

The Stand rush from Honoka's Stand was beyond devastation. Fuhai's invincibility did not protect him, as the brick wall he was attached to was broken into thousands of tiny pieces. And with it, so was he, his body parts and consciousness throughout the rubble. The Cyan Stand was freed from her prison, landing on her feet as she noticed「Blue Slide Park」disintegrating into tiny pieces as well, user and Stand destroyed. "For those I love, I will defeat anyone!" The Cyan Stand watched the fight for a little while longer, before exiting as it had entered. What was the point? She knew it was over, that this was Honoka's victory.

But… fortune… was supposed to smile on me… Were Fuhai's thoughts as he now laid scattered among rubble. Ah… I'm… not dead? Fuhai thought. Indeed, so invincible was he in 2D form that he still lived even in this decrepit state, trying to wiggle his toes. I just… have to put myself together… He thought. The part of the wall he was in was not outside the factory, blowing away in the wind. I got to put myself together and kill this bitch!

But, 「Blue Slide Park's」invincibility had become the ultimate tomb. He could never put himself together, even in ten billion years. Only a Stand that could somehow put things back to its previous state ever would, and no such Stand existed in the world at this moment. And even if it had, the pieces that made up Fuhai's body had been scattered into dust, with Fuhai himself unaware of it. So much of him was missing, Fuhai would likely simply drop dead on the spot.

Fuhai Yoshikawa wanted to scream, and he would have, had his mouth not been shattered into thousands of pieces. Unable to even scream in terror, all he could do was pray for death and destruction, but even a thousand years into the future no deity heard Fuhai's pleads, his mental state only barely functioning out of pure hatred for Honoka Kousaka alone, but after several thousand years even that hatred could no longer keep his mind in-tact.

Eventually, unable to cope with the horror of his situation any longer, Fuhai experienced an insanity only suffered by one other, and came to realize there was only one way to escape and gladly took it. And so, Fuhai stopped thinking.

Stand: Blue Slide Park

User: Fuhai Yoshikawa

Status: RETIRED

"And that's what happened, girls."

Umi and Kotori were deathly quiet on the other line. Honoka had made it safely back to the hotel her family was staying at, checked in, and later that night entered a group call with her oldest and dearest friend. "I did it. I killed him. I fought to the death, and I won, and I killed somebody."

"... It wasn't your fault," Kotori was the first to speak. "You had to do it! You were defending yourself and your family!"

"Kotori-chan..."

"If it's OK for law enforcement to kill to protect people, then it's OK for you too! Protecting yourself and your family... You didn't do anything wrong!" Kotori argued.

"Is that because I'm your friend, Kotori-chan?"

"Honoka..."

"I agree with her."

"…" Honoka went quiet as Umi had spoken for the first time that conversation.

"Maybe it's not our place to decide what's right and what's wrong. Maybe nobody has the right to judge, or maybe we're just not old enough, but... I believe in you. And so does Kotori. I don't... think you did the wrong thing."Umi said."Even if it wasn't 'the right thing to do...' in the eyes of others… I refuse to believe you're a bad person,"Umi went on.

"... Thank you, both of you..." Honoka finally smiled for the first time in hours. "I feel... I don't know how I feel."

"We will always support you,"K otori declared. "We're friends. We will not betray you."

"... Thanks," Honoka said, staring at the night sky. "It... means a lot, girls. Goodnight, alright?"

"Goodnight, Honoka-chan," Umi's quiet voice assured.

"We love you, Honoka!" Kotori was a bit more energetic, distressed as she was.

And even after hanging up, Honoka's smile returned.

"Thank you both, for everything..."

"1 2 3 4! 1 2 3 4!"

And soon enough, with Fuhai's disappearance, the world returned to a semblance of normalcy.

Honoka had no need to summon her Stand since, and Umi had not heard the voice speak to her since that day as well. Honoka would wake up early for practice and stay at school after classes to practice on the rooftops. Even the discussion of arrows and Stands had died down, with only pleasant days remaining for Honoka and her friends as School Idols. Perhaps it was finally over?

"Honoka-chaaaaaaaaaan! Are you really going back home, nya!?"

"Yup!" Honoka said with a smile, grinning at Rin. "There's no sign of Fuhai anymore," she did not have the heart to tell the newer members of µ's the truth of what had happened that day. "And papa's all healed up... and we don't wanna live in fear. So, we're moving back to Homura!" She said with a smile, grinning as Rin hugged her and returned it. "I know, it's great!"

"I'm just happy everything is going back to normal," Maki replied, offering a smile of her own. Hanayo was reading something on her phone but looked up to smile and nod. "Something wrong, Hanayo?" Maki asked.

"Umm... I was reading something. A girl disappeared not far from where I live... b-b-but yeah, I'm happy things are better, Honoka-chan!"

Maki frowned, walking over towards Hanayo. "Another girl, missing?" She lowered her voice as Honoka talked with the rest.

"Y-yeah... they say ever since 1993, there's been a lot of women going missing in Tokyo without any trace, you know?" Hanayo frowned, keeping her voice on the low. "It was never this bad before then..."

"I've heard my dad talk about it, it's not natural for so many women to go missing without a trace," Maki agreed. "I guess we can't do much about it though... stay safe though, OK? If it was near your house..."

Hanayo nodded, before the two rejoined the rest of their practice.

"Yeah, everything's back to normal, isn't it...?"

The rest quickly resumed their practice, as Honoka looked out into the city's horizon as Umi frowned. "Honoka..."

She said nothing as Honoka materialized her Stand, gazing into the new horizon with a frown. Honoka knew, deep down, there would be more trials ahead. This won't be my last fight, she thought to herself. Deep in her heart, she had already begun to understand this unwritten law of the universe; Stand users attract other Stand users. So deep within her soul, she understood her fights were not over.

But Honoka could never predict that all of µ's would be dragged into the fights that laid in the months ahead, but she did know for herself that her journey would become far more complicated. She was still determined to make it as a School Idol to save Otonokizaka, but there was something deep inside her soul that told her that the encounters with Stands were far from over.

There was no way Honoka could ever anticipate what would become the long and bizarre adventure that would become µ's 2013-2014 school year, the trials they would endure, and the destiny of not only their school, but the city they adored that they would play a part in.

Next time on Honoka's Bizarre Adventure!

Chapter 4: Honoka's Star

Chapter Text

Previously on Honoka's Bizarre Adventure!

At last, my conflict with Yoshikawa Fuhai has come to an end. After days of living in terror, I fought Fuhai and won… and in the process, I killed him, I saved my life and my family has been able to move back to Homura but…

Did I do the right thing? Am I just a murderer now? Am I no different than Fuhai?

Regardless, I can't dwell on it forever! I have to move forward, and think about what'll happen next…

"I saaaaaaaay! Hey! Hey! Hey START:DASH!"

"Rin, you're not in synch with the rest of us. Please sing just a little faster!"

"Sorry, nya!"

Three days had passed since Honoka ha defeated Fuhai, and she was enjoying the semblance of normalcy in her life. Her school days had returned to normal, and μ's activities had resumed to normal as well. Every day Honoka woke up early to exercise before class, and practicing on the rooftop after class. It was almost as if the battles of the last few days had never occurred at all. No Stands, no corrupt police, no nothing; just peaceful dancing and singing! Honoka still had great expectations for μ's, after all, they still had a school to save!

But still, knowing that you killed somebody… did a lot on your mental state, to say the least. Honoka's cheerful disposition had mostly returned, but the girls of μ's could tell that not all was well with their friend. In times she stared off into space in deep thought, other times she seemed to be outright ignoring the world around her in order to muse on her situation. While she seemed to be pushing herself even harder at practice than usual, the others could not help but find it almost robotic, devoid of the passion that had driven Honoka to create μ's.

Am I no better than him? Honoka constantly thought. Maybe I could have let him run off if I just broke his legs or something… I mean, he couldn't run, but I could've taken him to the police… Was it really OK for me to kill him?

"Honoka?"

Honoka looked up as she heard Umi call for her, frowning. "You missed the cue…"

"Oh, sorry!" Honoka rubbed the back of her head and tried to laugh it up, trying to hide that the looks of her fellow School Idols didn't concern her. "Was thinking about the bread I ate for lunch!"

"Alright, Honoka…"

Hanayo was the one who approached Honoka. "Honoka-san… are you… sure you're alright?" And Honoka's frown returned. Only Umi and Kotori knew the truth of the battle that had just occurred, how could she? While she now considered all the girls of μ's her friends, she could not deny she wasn't quite so close to the first years that it warranted discussing such personal details with them. "We're worried about you…"

She was touched by Hanayo's sympathy, giving her a quick hug before letting go. "I'll be OK, really, I will be. But for now, I…" Honoka sighed. "I think I just need to go home for now. Is that alright?" Maki seemed ready to protest, but a look from Rin made her close her mouth before the other three girls gave acknowledging nods.

"Take care, Honoka," Umi said, Kotori giving her oldest friend a quick hug before smiling at her.

"We all want what's best for you. We know you've had a hard week…" Kotori acknowledged, before Honoka finally smiled and waved to the group.

"This'll be my last day in this funk, honestly!" Honoka said, having no idea if that was true or not but wanting to assure her friends (and herself) that things were going to be OK. Honoka kicked herself for leaving practice, sulking to herself before hearing a notable voice.

"Kousaka-san?"

Honoka looked over her shoulder to see Nozomi. "Oh, Tojo-senpai. Sorry, I didn't notice you…" Nozomi smiled as she stepped towards the other girl.

"Is your practice already over?"

"No… I'm not feeling very good, so I'm leaving early."

"I see," there was no judging in Nozomi's tone, yet it still stung Honoka for some reason.

"Hey, Tojo-senpai?"

"What did I tell you about that?"

"S-sorry, Nozomi! I just… ah… I wanted to ask something. About those cards!"

"Yes?" Now that certainly piqued Nozomi's interests.

"You… really believe in that stuff, right? Like, not just as a joke?" Honoka covered her mouth once she realized how rude that might have sounded, but Nozomi laughed it off, clearly not offended.

"I believe there are forces beyond human control and beyond what we can understand with science," Nozomi explains. "I believe that there are forces that guide using the power of fate to guide us."

"Fate…"

"What do you think of fate, Honoka-san?"

"Well… I've never liked the idea very much," Honoka admitted. "I prefer the idea that we control our own destinies, and that there's nothing telling us what we can and can't do. We make our own choices, our own free will, so that means fate can't be tying us down!"

Nozomi nodded. "A very common belief. So, then do you believe in the fortune of the cards the other day, Honoka?"

Honoka went quiet, as she remembered it all. The Fool. The Star. It was a bit of an odd situation now. If she rejected the idea of fate, then didn't she reject the feelings and relief Nozomi's fortune gave her? But if she accepted it, then would she be resigning herself to fate, that a higher power or cosmic order controlled her actions? "There is no right or wrong answer, but I am curious, Honoka."

"... Can I think about that?" Honoka asked, looking at the third year. "I wanna think about this some."

"Of course, Honoka," Nozomi assured, turning around. "I hope you feel better soon."

"Thanks, I'm sure I will!" And Honoka went on her way as well, deciding to take a detour on her way home. Her family expected her to come home later anyways, so she figured there was no harm. She took a walk through a local park. "Come on..."

Was everything just that? Fate, ordained by a higher power she couldn't resist? Was she simply fated to have been attacked by that arrow, even if she had been aware of it? Of all places, Fuhai just happened to attack Homura the next day. Out of every small store to rob, her home had ended up being his target, after she had awakened as a Stand user. And then the fight that lead to her gaining full control over her Stand... when she thought about it, it seemed far too extraordinary to be random chance and decisions. Going even deeper than that, she never would have been out there at all if Otonokizaka hadn't been closing.

Then had it been her destiny to kill him as well? Did fate simply decree 'Honoka Kousaka shall kill Fuhai Yoshikawa' and gave her no chance to defy it? Simply... as fate ordained?

She felt queasy as she remembered the last moments.

"W-wait! Honoka! Don't…! Do you really wanna be just like me!?"

"Oh God..." She started sweating as the words rung in her head, as they had so much the last few days. I'm not like that, I'm not!

"If this was you in my situation. It's what I'd do! Me, the man who tried to kill your family!"

She rushed over to a tree, out of sight and leaned against it, her stomach churning.

"Do you really want to be as rotten as I am!?"

Honoka could bare the thoughts no longer as she kneeled over, emptying her stomach of almost everything she had eaten that day at the base of the tree, breathing hard as she finished and wiped the vomit from her mouth. "Am I...?"

Regardless of intention, was a murderer just a murderer? And was that the destiny fate had forced upon her?

Self-defense, Honoka. It was self-defense.

Honoka was starting to get fed-up with this cycle that was starting to define her life ever since the battle with Fuhai. It seemed to come again and again; Honoka would start to wonder if she was a murderer and a terrible person until she felt sick (or at the least disgusted with herself), tell herself over and over she acted in self-defense and the perseverance of her family, then repeat. It made her feel stupid, and not in the academic sense. If she knew the process, why did it keep happening?

She sighed as she got home, kicking off her shoes and heading upstairs for a nap. Maybe that'd help... just a little. She hoped it would.

"Honoka?"

She was surprised to see Yukiho addressing her, giving her sister a smile. "Hey, sis. Just gonna take a nap before dinner, alright?"

Yukiho didn't say anything as her sister began to walk off at first, before taking a step forward. "Are you OK?"

"Eh?" Honoka looked back again. "What do you mean?"

Yukiho sighed, rubbing her arm. "... Ever since... that day," she winced, not wanting to talk about it but forcing herself. "You've been off, Honoka. I just wanted to see if you were OK."

Honoka forced a smile, walking towards Yukiho. "Come on, I'm your big sister! You don't gotta be worried about me, it's the other way around! I'm fine, dad's fine, mom's fine, and you're fine, alright?"

"Is that really how you feel, though?"

Honoka had never seen this side of Yukiho before, and it was enough to make her go quiet for a moment. "Yukiho..."

"You... I probably would have just run down there if you hadn't told me to stay in my room," Yukiho admitted. "And you actually fought him. You risked everything just to keep us all safe, and...! Just... youremysisterandIloveyou!" The words came out quickly and Honoka barely cached it, standing there stunned.

"Yukiho..."

"So... I'm concerned for you! Because... I don't know, it feels like you're the one that's taken this the hardest so... I want to know that you're OK."

Honoka went quiet, forcing herself to smile as her eyes watered. "I'm such a mess, honestly..."

"Honoka..."

"I was so scared... I don't think I've ever felt physical pain like that either. I really thought I was gonna die! I remember... I was making my peace. I accepted I was gonna die, and I was just so happy you were OK. I was thinking about how grandma and grandpa would probably take you in, and..." Yukiho forced back her own tears as she saw her older starting to cry for the first time in years. Not crying from frustration or something petty, genuine sorrow and pain. "I thought... I was never going to see you again. Or Umi, Kotori, or anyone else. I thought I was a goner, you know?" She accepted her sister's hug, starting to shake as she embraced the younger Kousaka.

"... Mama always said it's OK to be sad and scared, you know?"

"Look at me, I'm the bigger sister but I need my little sister to console me..."

Yukiho pulled tightly on Honoka's shirt. "What else is family for?"

Honoka thought of her Stand, her power that she had used to fight. If she hadn't had this power, what would have happened? She would be dead. Her parents would probably be dead. In the span of only a few days Yukiho's entire world would have collapsed, with virtually nobody to support her. This power, the Stand... had protected not only herself, Honoka realized. She had told herself two-dozen times that she was just protecting herself and her family, but it was this moment for the first time she could truly believe that.

It was self-defense.

She was protecting her family.

She hadn't acted out of selfishness.

She was not like Fuhai.

It finally dawned on her that nothing had changed; she was still Honoka Kousaka.

"... Thank you... I love you, Yukiho."

"Love you too, big sis."

Honoka smiled as she ended the hug, her watery eyes making contact with her sister's watery eyes, both smiling. "Wake me up for dinner, alright?"

"Yeah. Sleep well."

And so Honoka made her way to her bed, lying down on her trusty bed, smiling as she looked to her side. "Hey... Can you talk?"

Honoka summoned her Stand, staring down the orange figure and for the first time truly taking in its physical appearance. She stared at the stars on her Stand's body, before gazing on her Stand's emotionless face. "Cat got your tongue?" She couldn't help but laugh a bit. "I still don't understand it all, but you're a part of me, aren't you?" She asked, getting no reaction in return. "You came from me... and together we protected the family, protected ourselves. Beat Fuhai... It's like, you're me and I'm you," Honoka said, reaching her hand towards the Stand; and it reached back, their right palms pressing against one another. "I guess you don't come with a name, either?" Honoka asked before chuckling a bit. Fuhai had called his Stand「Blue Slide Park.」She had wondered if maybe the name was something that came with a Stand subconciously, but it felt like she'd have to come up with a name herself.

"Let's find you a name, alright?" Honoka yawned, getting comfy under her sheets. "Myself..."

Dinner was mostly uneventful, except for a conversation that had never occurred before.

Mr. Kousaka was still a bit sluggish and on pain medication, but he was otherwise moving alright. The dinner had been nothing special, just some chicken and rice that their mother had thrown together.

"Come on, mom! I'm totally ready to get a dog!"

"Absolutely not."

Yukiho made an exaggerated whining sound at how quickly she had been shot down. "C-come on! I'm more responsible than Honoka!"

"Hey!" Where had the love gone?

"I just want to adopt my Takahario and raise him..." Ever since she'd first talked about it nearly a year ago, she had already decided on a name for a dog.

"There's more to a name than just what you think is cute, Yukiho," their mother said, finishing her meal. "I will say you have gotten a lot more mature in the past year or two... Unlike somebody."

"C-come on!" All except their ever-stoic father laughed at the teasing, Honoka puffing out her cheek.

"... Dear..." She gave a look at her husband, who gave a rare grin back. Mrs. Kousaka nodded, and he nodded back. "... Alright, Yukiho... Maybe... Wait, this is what we're talking about, right?" Mr. Kousaka nodded once more. "... Once you start high school, if you can keep your grades up and prove you can be responsible with your studies, maybe we can talk about getting a dog."

Yukiho almost jumped in excitement, grinning from ear-to-ear. "R-r-r-really!? You mean it!?"

"Now, this is a big if! Not until we start seeing your first grades in high school."

"Thank you sosososo mucch! I'm gonna go study for entrance exams!" Yukiho practically ran out of the room, heading to her room ASAP to bust out a schoolbook.

"... You never let me get a cat..."

"You could barely take care of the hamster you had when you were little."

"... Now I miss Mr. Tiny Whiskers..." Honoka sulked, finishing her meal. "... Hey, wait, mom?"

"Yeah?"

"What did you say about a name?"

Mrs. Kousaka blinked, caught off-guard by the question. "Oh, well... It's just, naming something is important, you know? The name we gave you two will be with you for the rest of your lives. We tried to make sure they were good ones."

"Names..."

"You know in the most literal sense what your name means, right, Honoka?"

"Subtle?"

"Yes," Mrs. Kousaka confirmed. "Not that you've been subtle... I also thought about the kanji in it. 'Hono' for harmony, and 'ka' for flower. I remember when I first saw you, I thought you were the most beautiful thing in the world, more beautiful than any flower in the world. You brought a completion to mine and your father's life... It's hard to describe. But we knew the name you'd have would be with you for the rest of your life, so we wanted it to be something you could take pride in."

Honoka was quiet, dwelling on it. So, the name of her Stand... should be something special too, right? Something that she could take pride in? Of course, she was naming something that came from herself... "Thank you, mama."

"Anytime, dear. What brought this on, though?"

"O-Oh! Well, we were thinking about renaming our Idol group..." It was a lie, but an innocent one.

"Well... I like the one you already have, but if you do, then yeah. Make sure it's something you can all take pride in, alright?"

"Yeah. I"m going now, alright mama?"

"Alright, dear."

And Honoka went off to her room, this time staring out her window. "A name, a name..." Her Stand vibrated, so... "Punching Vibrating? No, that's terrible... Shindo? No, too literal... Takemaru? Eh, you're no dog... Oh, this is hard!" Honoka sighed in frustrating, planting her face on her desk before looking out. "..."

It was the night of a new moon, and there wasn't a cloud in the sky. The perfect weather for night gazing. The night was gorgeous, and she found herself transfixed. A perfectly clear night, nothing but stars, the star tarot, all stars...

"... All... the stars..."

The members of μ's were rather surprised to see that the first things they'd see that day was a message from Honoka.

[Honoka] imma go for a really early run before we work out! don't wait up on me!

[Umi] You do you, Honoka.

[Kotori] Have a good run :)

[Rin] make sure u say hi to any kitties u see for me :3! pet them all for rin-chan, nya!

[Hanayo] Have a good run!

[Maki] Don't wake me up so early!

Of course, Honoka lacked insight. And she failed to check the weather beforehand, or else she would have known there would be showers in the morning. It was usually Umi who checked the weather to determine their exercise...

"T-this sucks..." Thankfully she had come in her jogging outfit and a hat, which offered some protection from the rain as she hid under a tree (not coated with her vomit) with a groan. "At least it's supposed to let up... and I can run for it then..." And after she had finally had a good night to boot! Was this that treacherous fate conspiring against her?

"What a surprise, bumping into you here."

Honoka blinked as she looked up, noticing she was getting a lot less wet now. "Nozomi?"

Nozomi smiled, the two now under her umbrella. "Need a hand?"

"T-thank you! I think you just saved my life!" Nozomi giggled at Honoka's response, just smiling as her junior rushed under her umbrella. "What brings you here this early? I thought I'd be alone…"

"I wake up very early, I like taking a walk before attending to the temple," Nozomi explained. "Although, I make sure to check the weather before coming out…" Honoka frowned at that, staying quiet as she walked with Nozomi. "Still, what chance, that we'd just bump into eachother like this… Almost like…"

"… Fate?"

"I would say so."

Honoka was quiet once more, trying to think of a reply. "Did you come up with an answer to my question, Honoka?"

Honoka went quiet. "You mean if fate exists or not?"

"I'm interested, but you don't have to answer."

Honoka looked up at the rainy sky. The sun could not shine behind the rainclouds, but it still made her dwell on all the stars she saw last night. The sun itself was a star, she recalled. All the stars in heaven shining down on the earth, with even the light of the moon being borrowed from the sun to shine on the earth, breaking the mold that was the darkness of the night...

It made her think of Nozomi's prediction, The Star tarot, and the fact she was here. If she had checked the weather she wouldn't have come here, and bumped into Nozomi. Fate once more? Was her life truly being guided by a higher power? And if it was... then, well, so what? Honoka wasn't the kind of person who dwelled on such philosophical matters. It was never her style, and for now, only one thing was sure to her. So she faced Nozomi, ready to give her answer.

"... I don't know," Honoka admitted. "But I don't think it matters if it does or not."

"Oh?"

"Because... I'm still gonna do my own thing, no matter what!" Honoka explained. "I dunno, maybe my decision will change again but... for now, that's how I feel!" The second year declared. Nozomi's eyes widened, caught off-guard by the answer. This is not the future the cards predicted... Honoka, are you...?

"I make my own decisions! I'll make my own life! And if that's what fate wants... well, then I'm happy fate gave me the decision to make those choices!"

Nozomi seemed genuinely surprised for a moment, before smiling. "An interesting answer, not the one I anticipated," she admitted to Honoka. Was Honoka's power so great that even fate could be surpassed? Or is it her Stand? Nozomi thought. "But... it is your answer, so I'll respect it."

Honoka smiled, blinking as she noticed the rain had let up. "O-Oh! Good! I should... I think I should get to the temple now, everyone's probably there! Wanna come with, Nozomi-san?"

"No, I'm going to walk more, I think. They don't expect me until a bit later, anyways," Nozomi said with a smile. "Have a good practice, Honoka."

Honoka smiled as she ran off, not even noticing that purpleish aura around Nozomi. "... Honoka, you..."

The stars will guide me, I'm sure of it! Honoka thought. As she ran to the stairs the clouds above began to disperse, the sun finally shining down on Tokyo, that life-giving star that all living beings owed thanks too. As long as I follow the stars... then I don't care what fate says! I'll be happy... The stars, all of them...!

Honoka smiled and waved as she approached the stairs, the rest of her friends already there and smiling back. And she paused for a second to look upwards, covering her eyes as she stared at the direction of the sun. The stars, the meaning of a name... her smile widened as she let a familiar energy envelop her, her Stand materializing next to her, by her side as she spoke its name at last.

"「All Star.」"

She laughed as she turned her head, facing her「All Star.」"I don't know what the future is gonna bring, but... if there's more fights to be had, we'll face it head-on, together! For μ's, Otonokizaka, and everyone else!"

She sprinted towards her friends, her former enthusiasm and joy finally returned.

Until we reach the stars themselves!

Next time on Honoka's Bizarre Adventure!

Chapter 5: Hanayo Wants To Swap (Part 1)

Stand profile: HONOKA KOUSAKA

Stand Name: All Star

Namesakes: Smash Mouth song of the same name (primary musical inspiration), The Star tarot, JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: All-Star Battle, Love Live! School Idol Festival ALL STARS

Type: Close-range Stand

Stand Cry: "Faitofaitofaitofaitofaito… faito dayo!"

Appearance/Personality: All Star appears as a orange, feminine humanoid figure, standing at approximately 5'7. Upon most joints of its body are black five-pointed Stars. There are stars located on the Stand's stomach, back, shoulder blades, kneecaps, back of each hand, palms, top of each foot, and on the bottom of each foot. Likewise, instead of normal eyes, there are just large pupils in the form of stars. The Stand does not appear to wear clothing, although it has Barbie-like anatomy. It has orange hair similar to that of its user, without a ribbon.

All Star has no sense of personality or sentient will, only expressing itself when shouting its Stand cry.

Abilities-

• Vibration: All Star's ultimate, defining ability is the power to induce vibration. By filling molecules and atoms with Stand energy -or itself-, All Star causes that which it touches (All Star must be touching it). While the full scope of this ability has yet to be discovered by its user, it has already been shown to demonstrate power offensive and defensive ability, vibrating itself with such intensity to the point another Stand could not grab it, as well as vibrating its arm to the point that simply keeping its hand pressed on another object is the equivalent of assaulting its target with a jackhammer. However, the Stand does not appear to be able to be able to use this power when attacking, and must wait until the end of a kick or punch to use its power.
  • Furthermore, All Star can induce vibrations in what it touches, by vibrating the atoms in a certain way. While the full scope of this power is so far unknown, Honoka can cause an object to go flying, or shake atoms with such intensity the object disintegrates.

Stats-

• Power: A
• Speed: A
• Range: D
• Precision: B
• Durability: B
• Potential: A

Chapter Text

Previously on Honoka's Bizarre Adventure!

Things are coming back to normal! No Stand attacks, no fighting, nothing! My peaceful high school days have finally returned to me!

But... it can't stay like that forever, can it? No... as much as I'm happy to have normalcy return, something is just around the corner... w-wait, you mean it's not my turn this time!?

"Hanayo, you're falling behind!"

The rainy season was approaching fast, and Umi was determined to get as good practice as they could before it could fully kick-in. While the girls of μ's often left for home exhausted, nobody could deny the additional practice wasn't doing it's thing. Of course, it was still hard…

"S-sorry…"

Umi frowned at the sight. In her eyes, Hanayo was the one making the least improvement. Rin with her athleticism was quickly able to catch up to the second years' levels, and while Maki struggled at first she was getting used to μ's' workout regimen. Hanayo was also making some progress, but slower than her fellow first years. "Koizumi-san, I know this is hard at first, but it's important to keep up. Do you think you can go any faster? Just a little bit…"

"I-I-I-I think I can!" Hanayo declared, looking in the second year's eyes. "I-I mean, I'm pretty sure I can… I mean, I will! I…"

"Umiiiiiiiiiiiiiii… Can we take a break? I'm getting so sweaty!"

Umi glared at Honoka's direction, giving a sigh of frustration. "It's only been 35 minutes, Honoka!"

"But it's hooooooooooot… I'm all sweaty, it's groooooooooooooss…" Honoka complained, giving an exaggerated moan.

"Honoka…"

"Is there really any harm in taking our break a little early? If we don't I might diiiiiiiiie…" Honoka even summoned「All Star,」having it make an exaggerated pose to show her distress. "Umiiii…"

"Ugh… Fine! Everyone, take fifteen!" Umi relented, and Honoka smirked in victory.

Mari sighed, walking next to Hanayo. "I swear. Do you think they're even taking this seriously anymore?"

Hanayo jolted up in surprise, not expecting the red-headed girl to talk to her. "O-Oh! Well… everyone is, you know… I-It is kind of hot…"

"Huh? Hanayo, you're mumbling…"

"S-sorry… I just um… Honoka might be…"

Maki sighed, standing up. "Never mind. Talk to you later, alright?"

Hanayo tried to say something, her mouth open as the other girl walked off.

"… Right…"

Hanayo looked down and didn't say much else, just listening to the conversations around her.

"Honoka-chan, did you hear? Yanigihori was seen walking by the school the other day…" Kotori said, beginning a conversation with Honoka that caused Honoka's eyes to widen.

"E-eh!? Really!? I thought your mom expelled her and Suzuki!?"

"No, no… they were suspended because they went to juvie, but they're allowed back at the school now, but I don't think they've come to class since they've been let out. She came close, but she didn't walk into the school itself…"

"Yanigihori… has she even been to school once this year?" Honoka asked.

"Apparently not…"

And so, the rest of μ's continued their conversation, with only Hanayo sitting alone and by herself as she remembered that conversation with her mother back in 3rd grade, that had been troubling her nonstop since she became a School Idol.

"Your mom did something like these dancing idols a long time ago too, you know?"

Hanayo wished it was her mother here instead of her, truth be told.

"Umi-senpai is such a bully, nya!"

Hanayo didn't say much as she walked home with Rin, as she usually did. The practice had been long and hard, but that was usual for μ's' practices under Umi. But the unusually hot day didn't do them any favors, and almost every girl was going home drenched in sweat. "It's so much fun, but she just works us for so long, nya! Wouldn't you agree, Kayochin? … Kayochin?" It took Rin snapping her finger by Hanayo's face to get her attention, resulting in a small jump a bit. "Gotcha!"

"S-s-sorry!" Hanayo exclaimed, earning a giggle from Rin. "W-what were you saying?"

"Oh, forget about it nya! I'm more concerned about you, now!" And sure enough, Rin's smile did begin to fade. "Kayochin… you're not usually like this," Rin asked with a frown. "Are you OK?" Not even any more 'nyas' to lighten the mood.

"I'm just… I don't know if I'm cut out for this anymore." Hanayo didn't mean to blurt it out like that, but here she was.

"E-eh!? But Kayochin, this is your dream, nya!" Rin's concern intensified as she reached for her friend's shoulder.

"I don't know anymore," Hanayo admitted, not even able to face Rin as she went on. "I just… I think I lost all my confidence again," she admitted, sighing. "I don't… I don't want to be a weak link," she confessed. "I don't want to drag μ's down, when everyone else is so much better at this than me…"

"That's not true!" Hanayo was surprised by Rin's determination at this, the other girl stepping forward. "Hanayo's the farthest thing from a weak link!"

"Rin-chan…"

"Hanayo is stronger than anyone else I've ever met! Even though she's so shy, she's trying her best to be a School Idol, and I don't think she should quit!" Rin was getting quite emotional at this point. "And I want her to know that I'll help her, no matter what!"

"Rin…!"

"Just like… just like…" Hanayo blinked, eyes widening as she watched a tear fall from Rin's eye, followed by a smile. "… Just like Hanayo helped me, back then!"

"Don't you dare hurt her, no matter what! I won't let you! She's as normal as any of you!"

"Rin… that was… d-different, y-you're stronger than me for being yourself after that…!"

"If it wasn't for Kayochin, I might have never continued! Kayochin always helped me, so I want to help her, like back then!" Rin declared, before suddenly embracing her friend. "No matter what happens, I'm always going to support her! No matter what it takes!"

Hanayo let out a weak smile, giving her oldest and dearest friend a hug. It's more than that, she wanted to admit. The conversation with her mother ran deep in her mind, and she wanted to confess it to Rin. Tell her! Tell her what happened!

"… Ok, Rin. I… I'll be fine, thank you!"

Coward.

If there was ever a time Hanayo didn't want to be alone, it was this weekend. It was her parent's anniversary however, and they had wanted to take a weekend away in Hawaii. She had assured her parents she was ready to be on her own, but she had wished it could have been any other weekend. Hanayo looked at her mother's number in the phone, fingering hovering over the dial button before flipping it shut.

Hanayo didn't want to bother Rin either, no matter what her assurance. Her problems were her own, like everyone else's. She thought back to that horrifying, terrible incident with the arrow, at how Honoka laid so still on the ground with that injury with the arrow still in her neck. About how Honoka's blood splashed on her, and how she wanted to vomit at the sight but could do nothing to help her friend and new mentor. And then Honoka had to fight a horrible battle all by herself, without any of μ's by her side. So, Hanayo should deal with this by herself, shouldn't she?

Hanayo wasn't physically in danger like Honoka was. She'd fight her own battle, this time with herself. She could have called Rin over, but she didn't want to bother her. If Honoka and Rin could overcome the trials in their lives, then there was no need to bother them with hers. She could manage it on her own, and if not?

Well, there was no need for the weakest link to bother the rest of the chain with her problems. She could just snap off and leave the rest of the chain strong, if necessary.

She heated up her leftover rice and meat, sitting down in front of the computer and watching idol videos, as she did almost every night. But tonight, the happiness and determination she was usually filled with was absent. μ's, A-RISE, LOVE PARADE; it might as well have just been white noise filling the room.

With a sigh, she got up and closed her laptop, deciding it would be best to go to bed early. But before she did, she inspected her old glasses case, gathering dust on the shelf. And she opened that case, inspecting the old glasses inside, holding them up.

"… If I… wasn't an Idol…"

Wouldn't the weakest link be replaced? She just wanted to swap places with anyone else.

In Hanayo's dreams, she was a five-year-old girl. She watched TV giggling and smiling, watching the idol group μ's on TV, dancing and singing. Rin-chan was her favorite of the five girls! Maybe when she grew up, she'd be a super famous first year Idol too!

"Baby! I'm home!" The small Hanayo gasped, desperately trying to change the channel to cartoons, but dropped the remote. Her mom giggles as she walked into the room, setting her purse down and sitting on the couch. "How cute!"

"Mamaaaaa! I-I was just changing the channel!"

Mrs. Koizumi smiled as she picked up her little girl, setting her on her lap as they watched the girls of Otonokizaka perform on TV.

"Like that, Hanayo-chan really looks like an idol, huh?" Her mother teased, playing with her hair, Hanayo's worried disposition disappearing.

"Yeah! Hanayo likes idols lots and lots! Do you like idols too, mama?"

Her mother laughed. At that question she looked down at her daughter, eyes hidden by the bangs of her hair, suddenly longer. "Of course, didn't you know?  Your mom did something like these dancing idols a long time ago too you know?"

Hanayo went quiet, before opening her mouth.

"WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!?"

Mrs. Koizumi laughed. "Yes. I was a gifted singer since I was little, so when I was in high school, I was enchanted by the Idol craze… I wanted to become one myself," Hanayo was amazed; her mom was an idol! Her mom was one of those sparkly, beautiful, twirly idols! The mom who made her miso soup and rice every morning was an Idol! "I was a School Idol for… a year, I believe?"

"W-w-w-w-w-w-what happened!? Why did mama stop being an Idol!?"

Mrs. Koizumi sighed and smiled. "When I was 17, I met a wonderful man, handsome and charming… your papa!"

"P-papa!?"

"Yes… you see, I fell in love with your papa at first sight, and the feeling was mutual. And, well, we had unprotected sex in high school. You were the result of that, Hanayo-chan," something felt very wrong. Something in her mind knew that her mother had never said that… it wasn't until Hanayo was older she would understand what it really was to be a teenage parent, as her parents had been. But she said nothing as she continued, "And so I put an end to my dream in order to raise you, and to marry your father."

"… So… if I was never born… m-mama would have achieved her dreams?" She subconsciously knew that her mother upon being asked that question had hugged her tightly and kissed her, telling her that to raise Hanayo had been her dream and no mockery ever made her regret it."

"Of course, I would have."

"… Mama?"

The bangs parted, letting Hanayo see her mother's angry, hateful eyes, and realized she had been glaring at her the whole time. Figures around the room materialized, angry figures that Hanayo remembered being the women and men who had mocked her mother when she was so little. She had been too young to understand the venom and cruelty they threw at her mother when she was five, but in her dream, she could understand it well

"Slut."

"Whore."

"She had such a promising future!"

"If only she could have closed her legs!"

"They said she could have been a great singer and dancer, a legendary one. To think she gave that all up just to have sex!"

"A kid can't raise a kid."

"Poor thing. That child will probably grow up to be a slut like her mother."

Hanayo sniffled, holding onto her mother. "Mama… if mama hadn't had me… would mama have achieved her dreams?" Even as her mother glared daggers at her, she could bring herself to let go.

"Of course, worthless brat," Mrs. Koizumi spat out. "Because of you, I suffered so much…! If I had never had you, I never would have suffered so terribly! I want it back… I want my life back!" Hanayo gasped in horror as she wrapped her hands around her throat.

"M… Mama…!"

"Die… die! If you die, I can start over! I can be a famous Idol- just die! Die for your mother, so me and your dad can finally be happy!" Hanayo struggled as if she could not breathe, her tiny hands not enough to pry her grown mother's hands from her throat. Desperately, she bit her mother's hand, eyes widening as she let go and let out an inhuman roar, like something out of a monster movie as the girl began to sprint towards the door, crying as she ran into the streets.

"Slut. Whore. Bitch. Cunt. Worthless. Failure," the adults outside glared daggers at the small girl, repeating the same terrible words at her time and again, the hateful judgments once aimed at her mother now aimed at her simply for her birth.

"Somebody save me! Please!" Hanayo yelled out, facing the adults with tears down her face. But they only repeated the same words again and again, the sins of the mother now the sins of the daughter. "SOMEBODY SAVE ME!"

Finally, a ray of hope can as she saw her heroes, μ's in the distance. "Save me! μ's! Please!"

But the five teenage girls only glared daggers at the small girl.

"Who is this brat?" Maki demanded, her look one of disgust.

"I thought we said no kids allowed at our concerts! Especially the kids of sluts!" Kotori snapped, actually kicking Hanayo once she got too close right in her gut.

"How unsightly…" Umi began. "Probably wants to be like us. Fat chance!"

"Tch… as a Stand user and a School Idol, I can't deal with shitty kids like this," Honoka spat, blood spurting out of her neck as the arrow's wound opened up, splattering over Hanayo. "How am I supposed to deal with kids who just stand there gawking at me when I'm injured!?"

Hanayo was sobbing looking around for her one confidant, the one person she can confide in… "Rin…!"

But Rin didn't even turn around to face her. She didn't even give her the slightest attention, not turning her head and saying just two words, two words that stung Hanayo far worse than anything else:

"Go die."

Hanayo yelled as her mother creeped behind her, her now monstrous form grabbing her and biting into her shoulder.

And with a scream, Hanayo bolted awake in the real world, gasping for breath and sweating bullets as she shook in her bed, tears soon falling down her face as she stared at her ceiling, trying to regain her composure.

But it was a school day, and so she had no choice but to force herself out of bed to make herself a quick breakfast in her kitchen, a meal without her mother's rice and miso soup. All she could do was force poptarts down her throat as she wished to swap.

Swap her appearance, her place, her living situation, her anxiety even: she wanted to just swap places with anyone else. But that was not the answer, she knew in her heart. All she could do was force herself to meet reality head-on.

She just didn't think she'd last, that was all.

Hanayo's mood was even more forlorn, to say the least. She was unusually quiet walking to school with Rin, with even Rin's eternally optimistic mood able to do little for her. She quietly headed into the hallways, unable to say much, until… it was someone else that approached them.

"Kyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa! Koizumi Hanayo and Hoshizora Rin, right!?"

The First Years were caught off guard as a Third Year barreled towards them, catching both off-guard. "W-what!?" Rin exclaimed, before both of them had another girl's hand in theirs.

"Y-you two are part of the school idol group μ's, right!? I know you two haven't appeared in anything yet, but I heard a rumor! Is it true!?" the energetic girl asked, going right up to them

"Y-yeah!" Rin replied, starting to smile. "We're School Idols, nya!"

"Kyaaaaaaa! That's so amazing; I came back to school just because I heard Otonokizaka finally had School Idols!" She was a girl standing roughly 5'3. The two First Years saw her hair's natural hair color seemed to be brown with a back-length ponytail, but there was a long bang in front of her hair that had been dyed green. Green seemed to be her favorite color, judging from her painted nails, mascara, and even green lipstick. It almost felt like a strain to the first years to see, and as she stuck her tongue out at them, they could see a tongue stud as well.

But what drew their attention was the style of her outfit. Her Otonokizaka outfit was undeniably dyed to be darker than most, and the length of her skirt almost reached the floor. There were peace symbols and heart pins all over her uniform: there was no doubt about it. This was the outfit of a delinquent!

"I loooooooooooove Idols!" The older girl exclaimed, much to their shock. "The singing, the dancing, the fashion, the style of it all, and how beloved they are! I still remember when A-RISE was just starting out! What's it like!? Do you hang out with your senpais after class!? What about that Honoka!? Oh! Can I take a selfie!?" But before they could react her smartphone was out, getting behind them and taking a photo with the very confused girls. "Kyaaaaaaaaaa! If you girls get famous this'll be a huge memorial picture! Oh! Do you at least have the lyrics of that START:DASH! song memorized?"

"Umm… uhm…"

"Can I maybe hear you-"

"Suzuki Emi!"

The first years were relieved at seeing Eli and Nozomi approach, both glaring at their fellow Third Year.

"Oi… long time no see, girls! What's shakin'?"

"You and Yanigihori have been out of suspension for months, and this is your first time appearing in school. Why?"

"Eh!? What kind of question is that!? I'm a student! I mean, I hate this shitty dump of a school and I'm glad they're gonna bulldoze it into hell, but it'll still be a drag if I don't at least have a high school degree!" Emi defended, sticking her tongue at them once more.

"You know as well as I do if you cared about schools you would've started coming once you were out of juvenile detention, Suzuki," Eli spat, glaring daggers.

"Oi, oi, fine… I heard this school finally had School Idols. I just wanted to check it out, honest!" She kept up her grin. "I was so upset when Yazawa-san quit being an Idol… It was one of the only things I liked around here! Is she still doing that 'Nico Nico Ni' thing?"

"Let me deal with her," Nozomi said, advancing towards the third year. Eli nodded, walking off herself. "I doubt you came here just for that, Suzuki."

"Awww… Nozomi-chan why do we gotta be so hostile? I'm not making trouble right now, am I?" But Nozomi kept on glaring and kept approaching. "Ahhh… not buying it, huh?"

She only grinned as the purplish aura surrounded Nozomi, raising her hands up. "Relax, relax, I'm not going to fight you…" But she did lean in, so that she could whisper to Nozomi. "My boss just wanted me to investigate a rumor. About a Ms. Kousaka, and Stand users in the school…"

"She is not one of us, Suzuki. If that's the only reason you came to school, you can go home," Nozomi lied, hoping that would be enough to throw her off.

"At the very least, there's you. My boss just wants me to look around and investigate a bit! Come on, I won't start any fights… and also, to extend our offer once more."

"I am not going to join you. My answer will never change," Nozomi said, taking a step back.

"You know you can't stay neutral forever, right? Have you allied yourselves with the Cyan Stand's user, Tojo?" Now Emi's expression finally faltered, glaring at her fellow student. "Bitch, do you know who you're messing with? When we obtain the arrow, you're going to want to be on our side."

"Get out, Suzuki. Get out, or I'll fight you."

The venom in Nozomi's words was unusual for her, enough to make even the seasoned delinquent back off.

"… Fiiiiiiine, be that way! Just remember… when someone obtains the arrow after defeating that shitty black and pink Stand, everything will change. So, remember where you stood when you were given this offer. If you ever change your mind, just stop by out warehouse and we'll gladly take you in~" Emi both taunted and teased, walking out as she put her headphones on. "I saaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay, hey, hey, hey START:DASH~! I swear, these girls have real potential!"

"… Honoka-chan…" Nozomi was very quiet as she watched the delinquent walk off. "How did they find out already…?"

"That was sooooooooo creepy earlier, nya!"

The rest of their school day had been uneventful, just the same boring old classes and μ's practice at the end of the day. They had spoken of the odd encounter, which was enough to make the Second Years react with alarm.

"She and Yanigihori fought a police officer, I heard!" Honoka told them. "And she was looking for μ's? That's so creepy!"

"Hoshizora-san, Koizumi-san. Keep an eye out for her, OK? She's part of a gang, with a sukeban on top. She can be really bad news. If she tries talking to you two again, let us know," Umi told them. "We don't want you to get wrapped up in something bad."

"Now that I have a Stand I bet I can beat her up if she tries anything weird!"

"Honoka, please!"

Rin shook her head at the thought. "If that weird Suzuki person comes by, I'll fight her off and protect Kayochin, don't you worry nya!"

"R-Rin, please! Umi-san said to stay out of trouble!"

But Rin just grinned, flexing for her oldest friend. "What? Don't you think I can beat can deal with bullies?" She teased, winking at Rin. "Oh, relax! I'm just joking around, Kayochin!" She wrapped an arm around her as they walked, which made Hanayo finally smile. "See? You can't stay a grump forever nya!" She teased, rubbing her cheek against Hanyo's.

"You… are good at putting me in a good mood," Hanayo admitted, smiling. "I'm really happy to you have around, Rin."

"Yaaaaaaaaay~!" Rin made a cat-like post on one knee, earning another grin. "See? If Kayochin is ever feeling down, I'll be there to make her all better nya!"

Hanayo chuckled as the two still continued their walk home. "Kayochin, what if I stayed at your house this weekend?" Rin offered. "Your parents are out of town, right? We can make it a two-day slumber party!"

"O-Oh! Well…" she thought of her nightmare, frowning. "Well… having you around really wouldn't be bad, truth be told…" She felt bad now, after having told herself she'd deal with her problems herself. But if she just kept… that stuff to herself, just having Rin wouldn't burden the other girl, right? "We'll make it a whole weekend slumber party!" Hanayo replied, Rin grinning from ear-to-ear. "I'll bring over lots of ramen, too! We can eat it all weekend, nya!"

"I-I'd like to make some rice though! And— "

"Oi! Dickhead, don't you know anything about how a toll works!? Quit complaining!"

As they passed by an alleyway, the two girls couldn't help but overhear a commotion. "Kayochin… did you hear that?"

"Y-yeah… it sounds like someone… might be in trouble…!" Her eyes widened as she saw Rin enter the ally. "W-wait, Rin, don't go in there-!" But Rin didn't listen, tip-toeing further in as she spied on the situation. "Rin, this is dangerous! Let's just go!" She whispered before seeing the sight before them.

A fellow First Year from Otonokizaka had her back pressed to the wall, a rather short girl with glasses and short blond hair. Across from her stood two clearly older girls. The two at once noticed similarities to Suzuki from earlier. While their outfits weren't Otonokizaka uniforms, they were clearly dyed to be darker, and their skirts nearly reached the ground. The taller of the two had messy blond hair with a streak dyed red in the same spot Suzuki had, and the other with straight and long brown hair with a yellow streak. The two wore surgical masks, the one with the red streak having the Venus symbol on it, and the other with a V.

"P-Please, I don't want any trouble," the first year began, on the verge of tears. "J-Just let me have my backpack and I promise I won't say anything- I'll never come in the alleyway again I swear! I-It was just my shortcut back home!"

"Aré, aré, aré, kid… you talk like we're monsters or something!" The red-streaked delinquent said, her voice very slightly muffled. "We're not asking for much! Just a toll! We know you couldn't have known, what with us just setting up this alleyway as our base but…" the taller delinquent chuckled. "If you break a law and you didn't know you had broken a low… you still got to pay the penalty! That's why I went to juvie, you know!"

"I-I don't have a lot of money, though…! I-I can't pay a toll!" The Otonoki student protested.

"Oi, she's right," the yellow streaked delinquent said, holding up her wallet. "Just a few coins… not even enough to get a soda!"

"Jeez, you poor, kid? Nah… a backpack like this and the makeup you got isn't something a poor kid gets. What's your deal? … Oi! I asked you a question, dumbass!"

"I-I-I spent the last of my money on the makeup! A-And the backpack was a gift from my mama when I started my first year at Otonokizaka! Please, just let me go!"

"Aré, aré, aré… that just won't do, wouldn't you agree, Miano?"

Yellow streak (Miano, Rin noted) giggled in response to that. "Agreed! I mean… our mamas don't give us money or nice gifts! We got to earn our money… like, you know, taking it from people like you! So, what do you think, Akeno?"

Akeno tapped her foot, a hand on her chin. "I think if we sell the makeup, backpack, and books… we might get a decent amount of cash! Heh… maybe even enough to get on her good side, huh?"

"Or…. We can go out to karaoke!"

"Oh, I like that a lot better!"

"P-please don't! I promise… I can get you money next time!" The first year pleased. Rin scowled at the sight before her, Hanayo gently tugging on her shoulder in the hopes of getting her to go.

"It's so cute, you know? The way she thinks she has a say in it~" Miano said with a giggle.

"Yeah! It's like holding a treat over a dog but not letting him get it!" Akeno said, holding the backpack high in the air, laughing as the First Year tried to jump for it. "Hey, girl! If you reach it you can get it! How about it?" She took a few steps back, before slamming the backpack into the girl's face and sending her to the ground, Rin and Hanayo gasping in shock as the girl fell onto the hard pavement.

"O… ow…" The girl sniffled, holding her now bleeding head as she looked up in fear, adjusting her glasses. "I… I'm sorry…!"

"Oh, you're not sorry yet. Not until you pay us back the interest, ya know?" Akeno began.

"I-Interest!?"

"You've been loitering around here trying to get your toll back…" Akeno began.

"So, you staying around means you've racked up another toll! And we expect a payment at least as good as this one… Does that make sense?" Miano finished.

"I… I can't…"

"Oh, that's too bad…" Minao began, opening her wallet she fished out of her backpack. "'Cuz there's your address right there… you don't want us to stop by your home, don't we?" The First Year's eyes widened in fear. "Akeno, I think she's getting it now! Just how fucked she is!"

"Otonokizaka sucks like that… the girls that come from there are always pussies! Well, except for them, of course," Akeno mused, sighing. "Oh well… and if you try bailing out of it, we'll-"All three girls' conversation ended abruptly at the sound of a crash, however. Looking behind they saw that as she had tried to back out, Hanyo had knocked a trash can over.

"O-Oh no…!"

"Hey… more Otonokizaka kids!" When the two looked over it was impossible to tell their expressions due to their masks, but clearly, they were amused. "You friends with this bitch?"

"N… no…" Hanayo said meekly, although Rin took a step forward and glared.

"No, but this is wrong!" Rin said. "You're robbing her! O-Only because it's two on one, I bet!" She defied, earning glares from the delinquents. "W… we'll call the police if you don't leave her alone, so just get lost!" Hanayo was silent as a mouse, her heart pounding as Rin took control of the situation.

"Akenoooo… I don't want to go back to juvie so quickly, even the boss won't be able to help us there," Miano began to plead, looking at the taller girl. "Why don't we just take the makeup and go?"

"No, Miano-chan," Akeno's glare intensified, walking towards μ's first years. "I don't believe in letting First Years telling me what to do. God, you became such a pussy over juvie!"

"H-hey! It was fucking rough in there, Akeno, and you know it!" Miano stomped her foot. "God, no need to be such a bitch!"

"It's about the principal of it! If we let fucking first years scare us off, how the fuck are we going to call ourselves grown women with pride!?" She stormed over to the two First Years, Hanayo hiding behind Rin. "Oi, kid! What's your fucking name!?"

"Hoshizora… Hoshizora Rin!"

"And you!?"

"Ahh… R… Hoshizora Rin!" Hanayo felt her heart in her throat.

"Oi, your friend doesn't seem to have the balls you do," Hanayo's eyes widened at that remark, noticing the immediate discomfort on Rin's face once she said that. However, Akeno didn't seem to pick up on it. "Listen. This has nothing to do with you, right? So, fuck off and don't ever walk down this alleyway ever again. Sounds fair, right?"

"Or else what?" Rin defied.

"R-Rin!" Hanayo gasped, not wanting things to get even worse.

"S-seriously Akeno! We might be taking this too far!" Miano complained.

"Aré, shut up, Miano!" The taller delinquent snapped. "Why are you so concerned, anyways? With the power we have, we can do anything! As long as we don't piss off the boss…" Akeno chuckled. "It's like that Yoshikawa motherfucker said, we don't have to fear anything ever again, not even the law! So why should we… care about these little pissant brats?"

Rin only glared at the delinquent before her, staring eachother down, before thrusting her entire weight on her. "R-RIN-CHAN!" Hanayo screamed.

"H-Hey! Fuck!" Akeno yelled in surprise.

"RUN! BOTH OF YOU!" Rin yelled.

The other First Year didn't need to be told twice. With Miano distracted she darted for her backpack, sprinting off before Miano could catch up. "H-Hey! Fuck! Alright you bitches, now I'm pissed off too!" Miano declared, storming over. Meanwhile Akeno reached for Rin's hair, who then clawed her face as the two began to fight and Hanayo tried to pull her off.

"L-LET GO OF RIN!"

But before she could do more, something invisible constricted around her leg. Hanayo gasped as she crashed to the ground. "W-what!?"

"K-Kayochin! Oof-!" It was enough to distract Rin and earn the girl a punch to her gut for all her efforts.

"I still don't think we should be so free with this stuff, Akeno…" Miano warned. "I don't want that 'Cyan Stand' to come after us… but for now? Fuck it, let's kick their asses!"

Cyan Stand? Hanayo and Rin thought in alarm. They remembered this from Honoka's story about the fight with Fuhai… that had to mean one thing, and one thing alone…! They're Stand users! The First Years thought in horror. Hanayo struggled weakly, noticing she was constricted so tightly there were tentacle-like markings on her leg now, to the point bruising was starting to settle in.

"Whatever debt you want to pay… I'll pay it off!" Rin declared. "For that other girl, and Kayochin! I'm the one who wanted to fight you, so let her go!"

"Oh, fuck no," Akeno spat. "You stupid little assholes got yourself into quite the goddamn pickle, and you're BOTH going to pay."

"It's like Akeno said, now this really is a pride thing," Miano said, just slightly releasing the constricting on Hanayo's legs. "I'd rather go back to juvenile detention than say some bitch got a fast one on me! So, I think it's safe to say…" She nodded at Akeno, who nodded back. "We're going to beat the shit out of both of you! Isn't that fun?"

Hanayo tried to reach for her cell phone to text for help, but Akeno noticed and snatched it from her hand. "At least your friend had the balls to fight us," once again a look of pain seemed to watch over Rin at the expression. "It's a shame she has such a weak friend," and before Hanayo's eyes her smartphone was thrown on the ground, the older girl stepping on it. "Weaklings like you who can only call for help need to learn to stay home," she hissed, gripping Hanayo's face. "And suck on your mama's tits!"

"Akeno, we probably could have sold her phone…"

"Let Kayochin go!" Rin tried rushing over to help, but an invisible force prevented her. Something grabbed her (the Stand, Rin theorized) and threw her against the brick wall, pressing her against it by the shoulders. "L-Let go of me! Let go of her! Hanayoooooooo!"

"Christ, can't you fucking shut up?" Akeno said with a glare, her fist colliding with Rin's stomach.

"RIN!"

She chuckled as she slapped the young girl, before punching her stomach once more, Rin yelling out in pain. "If only you were a few years older and stronger… It would've been nice, fighting someone worthwhile from Otonokizaka!" She then brought her knee hard to Rin's own knee, then to her crotch, smirking behind her mask as she saw the girl scream in pain as she kept her knee there, before frowning. "… Hey… wait, are you…?"

Hanayo's rage was boiling in a way she had never felt. She felt so weak and helpless… like always! Rin and Maki are the reasons I was able to become a School Idol… she thought. Rin has always defended me, even if her problems are worse than mine! No matter what… It's always been everyone else that's been stronger than me!

She dragged herself, despite the strain on her legs. "W-whoa!" Miano's eyes widened. Even as she tightened the restraints, Hanayo continued to drag herself. I won't let you hurt her like this! I won't… it's always me who needs saving! It's always someone else who needs to save me! Rin is in trouble… I can't…!

She had to get Akeno's attention, and she thought of one way to do it. Hanayo was a very polite girl, who virtually never swore. One time she repeated a bad word on TV and her mother scolded her so harshly she almost cried and promised not to do it. But in her rage and frustration, Hanayo glared at Akeno, taking a deep breath, and yelled something she had never yelled before.

"Get away from her you BITCH!"

The world seemed to go quiet, even Rin shocked at Hanayo's language. "… What did you just call me?" Akeno turned around slowly, glaring.

Hanayo had never felt so afraid in her life, but she did not falter. "M… My name is… Koizumi Hanayo! I-I am a First Year of Otonokizaka High School, my favorite food is white rice, and there's nothing I love more than Idols!"

"What the fuck?"

"And… I am a member of the school idol group μ's! And I'm saying this to say… I-I'm not afraid of you knowing who I am!" She was terrified actually, but adrenaline had that effect. "And… I want to fight you, Akeno!"

"K-Kayochin! No!"

"Fight you… and leave her alone! I'm not some weakling who needs to go home… I-I won't let you do this to Rin! I refuse!"

Akeno went quiet, before turning to Miano. "Do it."

"E-eh!? But, Akeno-!"

"Let「Union of the Snake」go," she demanded, Miano sighing as she undid her Stand, Hanayo's legs finally freed. "Alright, you shitty brat. Get up and fight!"

"Hanayo, please run! I'll be fine!" Rin was in tears. "She's too strong! And they have Stands! Y-you need to get Honoka-chan!" Although that was perhaps the wrong thing to say, Akeno and Miano's eyes widening in alarm.

"H-Hold on! How did she know we have Stands!?" Miano exclaimed. "Are they users too!?"

"I don't think so, they would've used it by now, but… They didn't just say power or anything, they know what Stands are! Alright, girls. This changes everything. You're going to tell me-"

But she was caught off guard as Hanayo ran forward, slugging Akeno in the stomach with a running punch from Hanayo. She lacked upper body strength, but the force of the impact was more than enough to send her reeling, especially as Hanayo then slapped her as hard as she could. "Ugh! You-!"

Hanayo went for a kick to Akeno's shins, but that's where her luck ran out. Akeno grabbed her arm before punching her back. "Heh… you didn't just run off. I guess you got just a little fighting spirit in you, huh? I respect that, you know…" She punched Hanayo's side, the younger girl reeling in pain with a yell.

"Hanayoooooooooooooo!"

"No matter how much I hate them, or think they're shitty brats… I respect a girl who fights when she has to! And you're trying to fight on behest of your friend… Koizumi Hanayo, Hoshizora Rin, make no mistake- you two have earned my respect…" And then Akeno threw her to the ground. "But don't think that means I won't beat you two up!"

"I'll take… all of the beating…"

"Eh?"

Hanayo glared at Akeno from the ground. "I'll take… Rin-chan's beating too! All of it… I'll do it for her!" Rin couldn't even say anything, simply crying at the hopeless situation.

"I accept it…"

"E-eh!? Akeno, really!?" Miano seemed quite surprised at that.

Akeno picked up Hanayo by the hair, before punching her stomach again. "Yeah… these two kids are the real deal. If only they were gangsters like us, they'd be something special… Alright, Koizumi! I'm going to honor your request! Miano, do you have any objections!?"

"Eh… I guess not… God, you can get so weird Akeno… I'll hold down this Hoshizora girl so she can't get in the way."

"Good…!" And with that she threw Hanayo to the ground again, this time stomping on her. "I hope I meet you two again… I want to see the kind of women you two can grow up to be, unafraid of even Stand users when you lack one! You were the kind of kids I would've loved to have in my old crew!"

"Even if… I'm shy and the weakest link of them all… I won't let other people suffer for me," she said. "I… don't need to be saved! I don't need to be saved, I don't need to be saved…!"

A determination unlike any Hanayo had ever felt filled her up. Determination, the emotion capable of bringing even the smallest people into untold heights. The determination swelled in every ounce of her body and also resonated with something else inside of her: 'fighting spirit.' They were two sides of a coin, unable to exist without the other. For without a 'determination' to achieve something, there was nothing to fight for. The desire to protect Rin, and the willing to endure pain for it… was the same as Honoka willing to exhaust herself, to do anything for μ's and save her school. The determination had evolved into something more, and those prayers were answered.

Miano's eyes widened as she looked up at a rooftop, gasping. "AKENO! LOOK UP THERE! FUCK THAT KID, LOOK!"

"What is it!? I'm… That's…!" Akeno's eyes widened as she realized what Miano was yelling about, though.

Floating was the arrow from before, seemingly by itself in midair.

"The pink and black Stand! And the arrow!" Akeno screamed. "Do you see the user!?"

"N-No! Just the Stand! It's coming down-!"

"Forget the shrimps- capture the arrow at all costs! Then it's straight to the base!" Rin found herself freed as Akeno recalled her Stand, staring at something approaching. "Don't let it get away! This is our big shot- we can't let it get away!" While neither third year could see what was happening, Akeno was in deep focus as she had her Stand attack… and then by a seemingly invisible force they saw her recoil from several blows, eventually down to her feet. Whatever she was fighting, clearly Akeno was severely outmatched.

"「Union of the Snake!」" Miano attempted to use her Stand to bind down the target, glaring before she too was sent to the ground, groaning. "It's so strong, what the hell!?"

"Hanayo! This is our chance! Let's go…!"

Rin rushed over, limping and wincing as she tried to pick up Hanayo. "You did it, let's…!"

Rin gasped in horror as she saw the arrow pierce through Hanayo's eye, piercing her skull entirely. "HANAYOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" Now it was Rin's turn to be utterly helpless, much as Hanayo had been that day Honoka was attacked. "No…! Hanayo! Hanayo! Please, tell me you're OK, l-like Honoka!" Rin was openly crying now, leaning down to her friend, not even caring as the arrow moved by itself and was taken away. "Hanayo… I can't… I can't make it without you, please!"

I don't need to be saved… I… Rin is in trouble… this time… I will…!

Rin gasped as she saw Hanayo stand up, despite what should have been fatal wounds. "Kayochin…!"

"Shitty brats…" Akeno was beyond pissed, glaring daggers as she stomped forward, tearing off her mask to reveal her mouth in a scowl, the red lipstick seemingly intensifying it. "Fuck everything I've said earlier, I'm going to kill you two!"

She didn't even pay attention to the now green aura surrounding Hanayo, and the determined look on her face. I don't want to swap places anymore… mama wouldn't want me to swap places with someone else just because it was easier, and neither would Rin!

Swap… Akeno rushed forward, and the word simply came to her. And instinctively, in an instant, her physical position was swapped with that of Miano, the other delinquent taking the punch for her.

"W-what the fuck, Akeno!?" Miano swore out, on the ground. "H-hey, how did I even get over here…? Hey! She's over there!"

"Son of a…!" Akeno turned her rage towards Rin, who gasped in horror, raising her arms. But Hanayo saw a garbage can nearby, and the realization of what to do came to her like second nature.

"Swap."

In an instant Hanayo's location swapped with the trashcan, Akeno cursing as she punched the metal trashcan and got garbage over herself. "You bitches…!"

"AKENO! The situation has changed!" Miano pleaded, tugging on her shoulder. "We need to go! We can't just rush into this! Please, let's just go and think about what to do next!"

"Koizumi Hanayo…" Akeno glared before picking her friend up, the look on her face one of hatred. "Even though I respect your guts… I won't forget this! I'll get you back, you hear that!?" And the two took off, leaving the stunned and hurt first years behind.

"… Kayochin, did you…?"

"I…" the aura disappeared, leaving her in quite a daze. "… I think… we need to talk to Honoka-chan right away…"

Of course, they both knew it was going to get harder before it got easier.

Next time on Honoka's Bizarre Adventure!

Chapter 6: Hanayo Wants To Swap (Part 2)

Chapter Text

Previously on Honoka's Bizarre Adventure!

I-I-I never thought I'd be the one in a situation like this…!

Rin and I stumbled on something scary, and in doing so, I was struck by the same arrow Honoka was! And now… the 'Stand' power has awoken in me too!

I don't know what's going to happen… but I can't be scared! For Rin's sake, and everyone else's! Like Honoka, I… I… I'll fight on!

"A-and… that's what happened…"

Given the situation of the incident, the first people that Hanayo and Rin called were the fellow members of μ's, rather than the police or even a hospital. And all the other four girls could do was listen, horrified as Hanayo and Rin gave their story. After a group text they had met up in a park, all girls listening carefully.

"Are you OK, Hanayo, Rin?" Maki was the first to speak, the cool girl visibly worried. "Those 'Stand' powers… did they hurt you really badly?"

"That must have been so scary!" Kotori exclaimed. "I'm sorry none of us were there for you…"

"If only I was there," Honoka said bitterly. "I could've helped…!"

"I-Its ok, nya! I mean… I'm kind of bruised, but I'm OK!"

"I-I'm fine too," Hanayo tried to assure. "I don't think I've ever been hurt like that…" She admitted, biting on her lip. "I… might not be able to dance as well for a little while…" She admitted, frowning. Rin nodded afterwards.

"Yeah… I think they really hurt my side. Hopefully I'll be good in a day or two for practice…" Rin said, sighing. Don't want to drag everyone down…

"Practice?" Umi asked. "Forget about that. This is much more serious," Umi almost snapped, facing the two. "They know you're Otonokizaka students. And if they're really 'Stand users' then that means we can't just go to the police or anything like that… we can't count on them staying away from the police either. This is… this is bad. This is really bad. This isn't even like Honoka's incident anymore…"

Honoka tapped her foot. "You said… they reacted strongly to the arrow, right?"

"Yeah," Hanayo confirmed. "They said there was a 'black and pink' Stand with it… it looks like they tried fighting it, but they couldn't beat it. I couldn't see it before getting my Stand, so it just looked invisible to me though…"

"Ok…" Umi sat on a park bench, the others following suit. "Here's what we know. These delinquent girls have Stands, and they dressed similarly to Suzuki… and not only are they after this arrow, but there appears to be a Stand that is awakening Stand users in this city… it is safe to assume this Stand is what attacked Honoka and me," she said with a frown.

"So, it's really not just us…" Honoka was the one who went on. "That means… there's probably Stand users all over Tokyo, I bet!" She concluded. "If these girls can recognize the Stand with the arrow… then that just means it has to have happened enough some people are ware of what's awakening their powers!"

"Yeah…" Umi replied. "Not to mention Yoshikawa, and that Cyan Stand that everyone appears to be knowledgeable about now… Who knows how many more Stand users there are in this city?"

"It's so confusing," Kotori replied. "Especially since Maki-chan, Rin-chan, and I can't even see Stands. We really can't help out."

"See… hey, Hanayo-chan!" Honoka jumped up, smiling. "Can you show us your Stand?"

"E-eh?" Hanayo asked. "D… do you really think I can?"

"Of course! It sounded like you were already using it before… In fact, let's test it out; 「All Star!」" Honoka grinned as her orange Stand appeared once more, having the ghostly apparition give a thumbs-up, Hanayo gasping in shock upon the sight.

"Y-you can see it!?" Rin asked, excitedly. "What does it look like!?"

"A-A little tall… orange, with hair kind of like Honoka-chan's… and there's stars on its body!"

Umi took a good look at Honoka's Stand once more, it being the first time she had really looked at it for more than a few moments. "That's… right. She can really use the power, too…"

"So, it's real…" Despite everything, even after seeing the damage on that wall, there had been a small part of Maki that had doubted all of this. But if even Hanayo could see it now, there was no denying it. "Stands…"

"Scary…" Kotori said. "That being attacked by that horrible thing can give you such a power, I don't like it… but I'm happy you two are alright."

"It's so cool, nya!" Rin was just as excited as last time. "To think Kayochin got a cool power! I mean, I'm sad we had to go through all that for you to get one, but at least now Kayochin has a supercool power~!" She was trying to stay upbeat, but even μ's could not help but notice the distress in her voice as the poor girl tried to hide her worry. "You're just like Honoka-chan now… you can be a superhero if you want!"

"Rin…" Hanayo's voice was quiet, as she frowned.

"Hoshizora-san, please don't try to hide how you feel…" Umi said, putting a hand on her shoulder.

"Eh? What do you mean?" Rin's grin wasn't fading. "I'm happy for her! Now she doesn't… ah…" The looks she was receiving were enough to finally make her falter. "… I'm happy she has this power to protect herself now, but if those people come back… I can't stand the idea of Kayochin having to fight!"

"Rin…" Hanayo said quietly, trying to force herself to say more.

"Kayochin is gentle… she shouldn't have to do this- I should fight for her!" Rin exclaimed. "I want… to protect her, no matter what happens!"

"But you can't. Only these 'Stands' can hurt other Stands, from what we've seen," Maki replied, her voice colder than usual. Rin glared, but Maki looked off into the distance. "We need to be practical. This isn't an Idol thing. This is something with our physical safety on the line."

"Nishikino-san is right," Umi replied. "And if Suzuki is connected to these girls in any way, and she's looking into μ's… alright, everyone, I'm going to propose something." The rest of μ's quickly listened in. "I want to propose a buddy system. Outside of our homes and classes, let's try to always be around somebody else at all times for our safety. And for the next few days, let's cut down on practice as well, especially as Hoshizora-san and Koizumi-san recover," it was met with nods. "It'll work like this. From now on, let's try to stay in groups of three. I'll be with Kotori-chan and Nishikino, and Honoka-chan should stay with Hoshizora and Koizumi. I don't think they know I can see Stands yet, so we'll be a low priority for them… but you two need to stay together, if only so Honoka and Koizumi can protect Hoshizora."

"That's messed up," Rin objected. "I should be the one protecting —"

"I agree."

"K-Kayochin?"

Hanayo gave a weak smile. "You've always looked after me… this time, let me look out for you, Rin."

"… Alright…"

"Oh… Hanayo-chan! Before I forget, can you show us your Stand?" Honoka asked, smiling. "I really want to see it!"

"M-My Stand?" Hanayo hadn't even thought about it. "I just… h-how do I even do that?"

"Imagine it like… a power within you- just drag it out! I know that sounds weird… but it's like second nature now! It's just… somewhere inside you!"

Inside me… Hanayo closed her eyes, taking a deep breath and thinking of the emotions she had felt not too long ago. The desire to swap, the desire to protect Rin… all the emotions had come from within her. Those emotions were still there. But she didn't want to swap to avoid her problems anymore. The power to 'swap' was in her Stand, she knew it, but she wanted to use that power to protect instead of run. She didn't need to be saved… "I don't want to be saved…" She muttered to herself, a green aura enveloping her. Umi's eyes widened, while Honoka grinned and laughed a little. To her, it was exciting.

"I… I… I don't need to be saved!"

And with that Hanayo's eyes fluttered open, her Stand materializing fully next to her. Like Honoka's it was a feminine humanoid, standing just slightly taller than Hanayo herself. The Stand's body was light green with brown hair worn into a ponytail on its side, not unlike Honoka's. It wore a green schoolgirl outfit; that of the Otonokizaka First Years', but colored green. What drew Hanayo's attention was the kanji symbols in it's left and right eyes: the symbols for "Rice" and "Swap" particularly, as well as the muscular physique of her Stand. "Whoa…!"

"Weeeeeeeeeh, your Stand looks so cool Hanayo-chan! And it even gets to wear our cute outfits, talk about a winner!"

"It's… I wasn't expecting that," Umi admitted. "Still, it's good you can summon it too… it looks like you can do it easier than Honoka did, even?"

"Do you have any idea of what your Stand's power is? Like how mine can vibrate and make things vibrate?"

"Well…" Hanayo tugged on her collar. "It's… I don't understand it but… it looks like my Stand can 'swap' things. I think that's it's power!"

"Swapping?" Kotori asked. "Like… how so?"

"I mean… H-Honoka-chan, can I use you to demonstrate?"

"Yeah!" Honoka seemed excited to help. "Come on, lay it on me!"

"Honoka, be careful-!" Umi scolded, but Honoka stuck her tongue out.

"Come on, it's helping out one of our juniors! Besides, if we're going to do this buddy thing, it's good for Hanayo-chan to get more used to her powers!"

"I… well… Koizumi-san, do you know how this works…?"

"K… kind of! I only did it a little bit before…" Hanayo took a deep breath. How did I do this… I saw I was about to be hit, right? And I just imagined swapping my place with one of those two girls… so, I want to swap places with Honoka-san! And with that Hanayo's Stand rose its hands, making circling motions with both; and in the blink of an eye both Hanayo and Honoka swapped their physical locations, earning gasps and murmurs around them.

"Oh my God!" Kotori exclaimed, bolting upwards. "Y… you were just there… and she was just…!"

"I can't believe it…" Maki replied, eyes wide as dinner plates. "It's… it's like magic! You two, it's like you teleported to each other's locations!"

"SOOO coooool… I can't believe Kayochin has such an amazing power!" Rin was trying to stay upbeat.

"… It seems like a useful power," Umi observed. "If you have to fight…. You can use it to evade your enemy or get close to them. All in all, it seems like a very versatile power, Koizumi-san," Umi smiled, trying to keep Hanayo's spirits up.

"It's soooooo cool, Hanyo-chan!" Honoka grinned and patted her friend's back. "Between you and me, I'd swap it for my Stand's vibrating powers!" She only half-joked, nudging her side.

"Y-you all think it's that good?" Hanayo smiled, finally seeming to gain her confidence. "I'm… that's really great to hear!"

"Swapping… think you can swap anything else?" Honoka asked, finger on her chin. "Or is it just locations and stuff?"

"I mean… I don't know! I just got this power an hour ago…"

"Think, Hanayo-chan! What would you want to swap with, that isn't just our location? What would you want to swap anything with?" Honoka encouraged, grinning the whole while.

"Honoka, don't push her!" Umi scolded.

"I guess… umm…" Hanayo tapped her foot. "Sonoda-senpai's voice is so strong… I wouldn't mind having it for myself, I guess," Hanayo didn't even notice her Stand circling it's hands once more.

"It might be best to hold off on… eh!?" Umi's eyes widened in alarm as she heard the voice come out of her throat. "I… Did I say that!? Kotori! Do I sound like Hanayo to you!?"

"You do!" Of everything Kotori expected, that was the least.

"W-why do I sound like… Koizumi! Talk, right now!"

"I… Um… H-How do I sound?" And sure enough it was Umi's voice that came out of her mouth. "I… it worked!? I swapped voices with Sonoda-senpai!?"

"C-change it back! Right now, Koizumi!" Umi demanded, but Rin couldn't help but laugh. "I-Is this funny to you, Hoshizora!?"

"It's kind of funny! Kayochin's voice coming out of your serious face…" Rin giggled a bit, as did Honoka. But both at once ended at the look of Umi's glare, which seemed to drill into their souls.

"Alright… Um… swap the voices back!" And Hanayo's stand waved its hands once more, the two girls' voices swapping back to normal. "Testing! OK, that's my voice…" Hanayo almost felt sad; Umi had a really fantastic voice, after all.

Umi gasped with relief. "OK…" Yeah, Hanayo had her voice back alright, down to a little stuttering. "I'm sorry, that was probably… I didn't even think about it! Just… ah…"

But she was caught off-guard by Rin's hug. "You shouldn't stress about it, nya! You're new to this, so you should practice with it a lot!" Hanayo was about to say something, before Honoka joined in the hug too.

"It's so cool you seem to know how your Stand works so quickly! I'm still getting used to using「All Star」, and I still think your Stand's power is cooler than mine… you're doing really great Hanayo!"

"Surprises aside… I agree as well," Umi gave a smile to help assure the first year. While she didn't hug, her smile did help erase the guilt that had briefly overcome Hanayo. "It would be worth your while to keep trying out this power. Truth be told, if Honoka is willing to help you out, then I would keep trying it out with her. As long as we have these powers, we have to get used to them." Umi looked at her hand, where the arrow had one pierced. The voice had not spoken to her, even when she had tried to talk to it once more… "What are your plans for this weekend? I think you should practice with these powers."

"Well… My parents are actually out of town for their anniversary. I was going to ask if Rin wanted to come over…"

"A two-day slumber party, nya! I'd loooooove to go, Kayochin!"

"Oh! Can I stay over too, Hanayo!?" Honoka asked, catching the First Years off-guard.

"Y… you really want to, Honoka-chan!?" Rin asked, excited at spending some time with her senior.

"Yeah! It'd be a great bonding experience, not just as Stand users but as members of μ's too! The three of us can get closer! How about the three of you?"

"M-My house isn't big enough for everyone, I think!" Hanayo pleaded.

"I don't know, it just feels… awkward," Maki admitted, with Kotori and Umi nodding along. Maki was still warming up to the group, and nobody wanted to force her. "I don't have a Stand, and I don't know Hoshizora and Koizumi well. I don't think it's worth it right now, sorry."

"The Archery Club has a tournament next weekend. I was hoping to get more practice in this weekend too." Umi admitted. "What about you, Kotori?"

"My dad's coming back from a business trip in China, but he wants to spend a day in Tokyo before going back home to Hokkaido, so I was really hoping to spend a day with him before he goes back. He's only going to be here a day since my stepmom's birthday is the day after, soooo…" The other girls nodded in agreement, before Honoka looked back.

"Well then… I guess it'll just be the three of us for two days!" Honoka said with a grin. "This is going to be great! I haven't slept over at Kotori's or Umi's since we were first years! Do you two play games!? Like ghost stories or anything like that!?"

"Not too much, but Kayochin and I loved watching animes and movies and watching things online!"

"Oh! This is gonna be sooooooooooo great! I promise you two won't regret this! I'm like, the best at sleepovers!" She declared, fist bumping the air.

"It's settled, nya! Kayochin, I'll go grab my stuff from home and head right over!"

"Me too, Hanyo-chan! My parents are used to be doing this, they won't think anything of it!"

Hanayo smiled. Maybe this wouldn't be such a bad weekend, after all.

"I'm gonna kill these fucking 'Idols,' Miano!"

Akeno Miyabashi was in a foul mood, to say the least.

Miano sighed as she watched her oldest and dearest friend kick over a trash can, inspecting her nails for dirt. "Akeno, we need to go the boss about this. The arrow created another Stand user! You know how it is. Any new Stand user, we're supposed to report at once. In case the boss wants to make them Arrow Hunters too! Even if they'll cramp our style…"

"God, when did you become such a kiss-ass? We used to do whatever we want, whenever we want without a care!" Akeno glared at Miano, the shorter delinquent gulping in response. "Did juvie really fuck you up that badly!?"

"Shut the fuck up!" Now Miano got pissed, her face contorting into a glare as she stormed over. "Things are different now! These 'Stands' change everything, too! It's not like the old days now… we're part of a team now!" Miano wasn't particularly fond of answering to somebody either, but the slightly younger girl certainly was taking it with more grace than Akeno was. "Remember when we fought that police guy? He kicked our asses! Losing the arrow like that sucked… but we're part of a team now, so we gotta report it!"

"For now, anyways…"

"Eh!? Akeno, what does that mean?"

"I was just thinking… if we get the arrow, that means we call all the shots, right?" Akeno's grin made Miano pause… and feel slight fear. Akeno's grin was usually something she let out when bullying others or was about to kick someone's ass, but this time there was something more… sinister, behind it. "The boss wants the arrow to build her Stand army. We control the arrow? We control the gang, and we control the boss too."

"Akeno…!"

"I'll be the sukeban, not her! There's only room for one in a gang, and it should be me! Don't you agree?"

"… If… it's what you want to do…"

Akeno grinned, flexing. "Relax. We'll start by recruiting this girl, and we'll build it up from there until we can challenge the boss. The arrow, this whole damn city… We'll be able to build our dream at last!"

"Our dream…" Miano went quiet, closing her eyes and thinking about it. The promise that had bonded them for life, their dream…

Akeno's grin vanished, replaced by a sincere smile. "A place just for ourselves in the world where we can never be hurt again. That's what we said we'd build when we were still little, right? With the arrow, we can build it, I'm sure of it! We don't need the boss or Suzuki… we didn't need them back then, did we!? We're just letting ourselves think we need them…"

Miano often thought of that dream. In her heart she yearned for it, truth be told; the world just for them. What they had talked of so much when they were little and hurt and alone, the fantasy world that could exist just for them, where everyone who had once hated them would be forced to serve them and they could live as queens for the rest of their days. Before they had obtained their Stands it had simply been just that; a child's dream. But ever since obtaining their powers and learning of the arrow Akeno had begun talks of actively pursuing the dream… and it scared Miano.

"Akeno-chan…"

"Miano, please, believe in me!" Akeno grabbed her friend's hands, grasping them gently and smiling, looking into her eyes. "I can do it, I know I can! As long as you're with me, pushing me on, there's nothing I can't do! I'll build it for us! Our dreams, our hopes… They're finally in our grasp, Miano-chan! I won't let that bitch just take it from us!"

Miano gave a weak smile, grasping her hands back. "If this is how you feel… then I'll support it. I'll fight all the Arrow Hunters if I have to! For our dream, our castle…"

But she didn't know if she'd want to live in a castle built by this Akeno.

"Log Date, 11-18-810! The enemy is advancing closer and closer! I don't know if I can survive! If I die, let my parents know I love them! And my sister too! Mr. Tiny Whiskers, I will be with you soon enough! I will… noooooooooooooooooo-!" Within the Koizumi household, Honoka spoke quietly to herself as she hid behind a couch…

"NYA! I found her!"

"Nooooooooooooooooooo! I-I've been… defeated…!"

And that was Honoka's final words, before Rin's pillow slammed into her face. "Ugaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!"

"Team Hoshizoranya has defeated the one-woman Team Orange Menace! The universe belongs to Rin and Kayochiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiin!" Rin declared, jumping and laughing.

And with that Honoka and Hanayo also burst into laughter as the final round of their pillow fight game to an end. It was a long match, with the girls using nearly the entire house for various rounds and some team switches. This had been the seventh round, and the girls were starting to tire out.

"N-no fair! You're so athletic, it should be two-on-one!" Honoka complained.

"I still beat you both of you like that, nya!" Rin protested, before grinning. "It's not your fault… nobody can beat me at a pillow fight!" Rin laughed, before Honoka laughed back.

"Hanayo-chan, how did you ever stand a chance before?"

"I didn't! I just had fun still… also Rin-chan let me win sometimes!"

Honoka laughed, smiling. "This is really fun, both of you! Hanayo, your house is awesome; you even have a real Western fireplace! We ought to do this again sometime… What do you think? We should do it during Winter so we can use it!"

"Absolutely!" Rin agreed. "If we do it at your house, can we get free candy too?"

"I'll ask my parents! That's our livelihood, so we can't give a lot for free though!" Honoka remembered her mother scolding her for giving away too much candy as a child.

"I-I want to do it too! I mean… s-sleeping over with someone that isn't Rin sounds fun!" Hanayo hadn't really done this with anyone else, and it was funner than she thought. She felt her anxiety dissolve around Honoka, in the same way it had only ever dissolved around Rin. Was this just her attachment to her fellow School Idol as a friend, or did Honoka really just naturally have this effect on people?

"Now what should we do?" Honoka asked, looking at her two fellow friends. "Wanna watch TV or something until we fall asleep?"

"Umm… W-we don't have cable, so I don't know if much is on…" Hanayo admitted quietly, sighing. "But I can hook up my laptop to my TV, so we can watch stuff on there!"

"Woohoo! YouTube, here we come! Have you ever heard of those 'fail' videos? I bet we could watch those for hours! Compilation stuff!?"

"Well… I-I usually watch that with Rin when she comes over, but… I was wondering, maybe we could watch School Idol videos?"

"Oh?" Rin asked. That was a new one.

"S-Since we're all School Idols, I thought it'd be nice for you two to see what other School Idols are like! The competition and everything like that!" As she got more excited her confidence grew, her voice becoming louder and a smile on her face. "I'd like to show you some of my favorites!"

"I'm game! How about you, Rin?" Honoka was pretty excited, actually! Even though I'm one now, I haven't seen a lot of Idol stuff. I need to change that, maybe I'll get some inspiration from it!

"Of course I am, nya!"

"Then it's settled! Hanayo, show us the Idols!"

Hanayo smiled as she rushed to her room, quickly setting up her laptop. Rin and Honoka got comfortable on cushions on the floor, as Honoka tilted her head. "You know… our videos are all hosted by the 'School Idol Festival Association' right?" Honoka also realized she had never really thought much of the site that hosted their content.

"Yeah! That's the website… why?"

"I notice there's a lot of advertisements for the Yoshida Conglomerate. Why do they appear so much here? Do they really care about School Idols that much?"

Hanayo frowned. "It's… a weird situation. I've looked all over countless Idol forums and websites, and nobody can figure out the Yoshida's interest in School Idols, but they basically run the whole program now!"

"Eh?" Rin asked. "How does that even work, nya?"

Hanayo's expression grew serious. "In the past, Idols were treated really badly. Abused by their managers and forced to work abhorrent hours in degrading conditions, even forbidden from doing things like dating! So, in the late 90s and early 2000s, there was a series of protests and lawsuits by former Idols. The resulting lawsuits called for reform and new laws were passed in order to protect Idols and their rights… especially School Idols, who had been worked to the point of being unable to do school for the sake of profit! That resulted in the School Idol Festival Association!" Hanayo smiled as she went on, happy to infodump this passion as she began to smile. "A nonprofit organization made up entirely of advertisers and the board of directors! They can't make money off our music, and they can't set schedules for us, so we can be School Idols following our own schedules based on our own needs, instead of producers!"

"Whoa… guess we got a lot to thank to those Idols, huh?" Honoka asked, her eyes still on a Yoshida Conglomerate advertisement on the corner of the screen.

"Yeah! If we didn't, this wouldn't be anywhere near as fun or enjoyable…. But in the past two years, the Yoshida Conglomerate became the major advertiser funding the program. As of now, the Yoshida Conglomerate accounts for 85% of the School Idol Festival Association's funds… and the director of its Tokyo branch is the president of the School Idol Festival Association!"

"Yoshida… don't they make cars and stuff, nya?" Rin asked.

"Cars, technology, and medicine. So, nobody knows why they have such an interest in this stuff… there's a lot of controversy too, because one of the CEO's daughters is a School Idol too. People say they're afraid they're manipulating the ranks to help her… But I think her unit is really good, so I don't think that's the case!"

"Oh?"

"Yeah! LOVEPARADE!" Hanayo kept on smiling as she searched up a video, showing a video of a song consisting of five girls. "They're the second most popular group now, they're the idols closest to A-RISE in popularity! I think they definitely deserve it!"

Honoka tapped her foot a bit, before shrugging. "That's really interesting… ah well! We just got to be the best we can be!" Rin rose a fist at the suggestion. "Still though, weeeh… I don't think I could do this with a producer looking down on me! Umi-chan is scary enough!"

And the girls all giggled in response as they kept on watching the videos. East Heart, Midnight Cats, LOVEPARADE, and A-RISE. Before they knew it a few hours of watching and singing along had passed, the girls each having the time of their lives.

"Alright, you know how it goes~!" Honoka grinned, clearing her throats as she began singing.

Being closed in by sorrow and just crying - That isn't you! Rin!

Rin smiled, before she continued.

With your blazing heart, you can definitely clear the way to the future! Kayochin!

Hanayo's smile did not fade, letting her own voice sing loose and free! This is divine!

With your blazing heart, you can definitely clear the way to the future!

"Alright, all three of us, together!" Honoka instructed, the first years happily following along.

I'm sure (I'm sure) your (dream's)
Power (right now) can set things in motion I believe in you,
So START!

It felt like a dream, to Hanayo. She never thought she could have fun like this, not just with Rin but with anyone else. To be like the Idols she loved so much like a child… the Idol her mother never could be… She felt a newfound determination in her. She wanted her mom to be proud of her. She wanted her mother to see her singing and dancing! She wanted to keep all her fans happy!

Not just for herself, but for everyone else as well!

The mood after the rain
Amidst growing expectations
Even the times when we stumbled
Let them become memories!

Every day was full of hope and dreams, now!

Mama, I'm going to make you proud!

Tomorrow will blossom!
Hope will blossom!
A fun, hummed melody blossomed
DASH!

If nothing else, when she was with μ's, she felt like she was on top of the world.

"That song is SOOO good, nya!" Rin complimented. It was still technically μ's' only song uploaded, but still! "I can't wait for us to sing new songs though!"

"You and me both!" Honoka said with a smile. It's getting late, though, huh?"

Rin whined. "I don't want to sleep though, I'm all fired up now!" Undermined by her yawn right afterwards. As Hanayo got comfortable in her own sleeping bag (Hanayo considered it rude to sleep in your bed when everyone else!), she noticed Honoka face her.

"Hey, Hanayo-chan, I had an idea? Before we go to bed… why don't we try naming your Stand?"

"N-Name my Stand?" Even Rin seemed very interest in that.

"Yeah! It looks like most people name their Stands… I got 「All Star,」 and that Yoshikawa guy called his 「Blue Slide Park,」 and didn't you say one of those bullies say 「Union of the Snake?」 It looks like everyone gives their Stand a name… so we should give you one too! I named it 「All Star」 'cuz of all the Stars on it… What do we call yours?"

"Weeeh, I wish I could see it!" Rin exclaimed, pouting.

"I-I don't know! It's all green though… How about… G-Green Swapping? Because it's power is swapping stuff?"

"That sounds super lame though, Hanayo! This Stand is a part of you, so it needs a cool name too! It's all green though, so maybe we can fit "green" in there…"

"Something with grass? Grass is green!" Rin suggested, the others thinking about it for a moment.

"I don't know…" Hanayo said, biting on her lip. "Swapping Green…?"

"Hanayo, that's just the lameness swapped around!" Honoka chuckled at her own reference once she realized what she did. "I think the green should be a part of it though…"

"… Clover!"

Hanayo and Honoka looked over at the smiling Rin. "Clovers are good luck if they have four leaves… so why don't we have clover in the name? As a good-luck charm!" Honoka smiled at that.

"Hanayo-chan! Thoughts?"

"I think clovers are pretty…" Hanayo had a small smile. "I wouldn't mind having it in the name… Green Clover?"

"Close, but no… why don't we try a different color?" Honoka suggested.

"B-But my Stand is dressed in green!"

"That's what I mean! I think it's a bit too obvious! It'll be a… uh… uhm… whatever you call something with a different name than it means!"

"Cat Clover!" Rin eagerly suggested.

"Nono, listen…" Honoka finally grew serious. "My mama was talking to me how important a name was. It's not something you can just throw around without thinking about it.「All Star」is a name I produced… thinking about something Tojo-senpai told me about the arcana, fate, and destiny. I came up with it thinking of my own future. So… it's got to be a name you can take pride in. It's fine if its not too serious… but you got to think about that, Hanayo," Honoka said. It was the first time the First Years had seen her so serious.

Hanayo sighed, taking a bite into a leftover peach, she had been snacking on earlier, thinking to aloud. "… Peach Clover? I think it should have "Clover" in its name…"

That seemed to get a nod from Honoka. "Sounds… nice, but maybe something is missing. Don't you agree, Rin?"

"It sounds cool… but it could be cooler! Maybe… don't use the word peach itself, something else that means peach…?"

The three went quiet, before Hanayo spoke up.

"… 「Momoiro Clover!」"

"「Momoiro Clover…」" Honoka recalled there being a professional idol group with a name just like that… "I like it! How about you, Rin-chan?"

"I love it, nya! Rolls off the tongue, 「Momoiro Clover!」" She encouraged Hanayo's decision with a smile, before turning over to face Hanayo. "Kayochin, I love it!"

It made Hanayo beam in pride, summoning her Stand next to her to observe it. "I guess from now on… I'll call you「Momoiro Clover.」" She said with a smile, Honoka and Rin returned it as she grasped her Stand's hand. "A part of me, huh? It's still scary… but exciting, too!"

"Tomorrow let's practice with our Stands a bit, alright?" Honoka offered. "We should get used to Stand-to-Stand combat! So, let's spar a little to get used to moving our Stands like that!" She summoned「All Star」to make her point, as Hanayo nodded.

"I know I can't see them, but I'll cheer you both on!"

And with that Honoka snuggled into her sleeping bag, smiling. "I think this is going to turn out great. I can't wait!"

"… I think so too, Honoka-chan."

Hanayo really did, smiling as she slumbered off to sleep.

"Amazing how easy it is to find a place when you rough somebody up, huh?"

Akeno and Miano grinned as they stood outside the Koizumi household, both in their traditional outfits and facemasks, ready to begin their assault on those inside it. Posing as Hanayo's friends from school it was easy enough to find the house asking around (as much as they wished they could have just used their boss' Stand instead), and even better when some old lady told them her parents were out of town… even easier!

"So, Miano, what can you see using her Stand?"

Miano's eyes narrowed, her Stand looking into the house with her. "Tch… they barricaded most of their doors. No way we can just break in. But since they got a chimney… I can have my Stand crawl in to unlock a window!" Miano replied, looking down at the ghastly「Union of the Snake,」a Stand resembling twelve black pythons with red heads all connected gruesomely at the tail, a writhing mass of snakes. She had to step back to avoid one of the snakes trying to bite her, glaring. "Ugh… I wish my Stand were more like yours. Akeno, throw it up!"

Akeno summoned only the arm of her Stand, using it to toss it up at the roof. "Aaand… perfect! Like tossing rings at a carnival!" And the「Union of the Snake」slowly crawled towards the chimney, climbing in and plopping down.

"… D-did you two hear something?"

「Union of the Snake」crawled towards a window, one of the snakes using its mouth to force to undo a lock, allowing the two delinquents to crawl in. "Nice place… nice than our houses," Akeno said, Miano nodding. "Let's see what we can steal while we're at it, alright?" Miano gave a small chuckle in response, and a thumbs up as well. "Let's see if we can sneak in her room… now won't that be a surprise~?"

But the two frowned behind their masks as they stepped on the very creaky stairs. "Shit, it's loud…! Miano, go slower!"

"I-I'm going slower than you, idiot!"

But the bickering was stopped by hearing a door slam open and lights flicker on, an orange-haired girl running into the hallway and glaring at them.

"The hell? That isn't Koizumi!" Akeno scolded, Miano raising her hands in defense.

"This is the right house, I swear!" And she faced her fellow second year, glaring.

"Get out of here right now! I won't let you hurt Hanayo!"

"… So, this is her place?"

"… Oh."

Uh. Oops. "J-Just get lost! Or else!"

The girls chuckled in response, their Stands summoned. Honoka was able to look at the Snake stand next to Miano, and the humanoid Stand next to Akeno. It was a humanoid purple Stand, standing at 5'7 and piercing blue, insect-like compound eyes. No hair or other features other than a mouth and being muscular, in terms of appearance it was the simplest Stand that she had seen yet. "Girl, we don't know who you are, but you really don't want to mess with us. 'Cuz we haverealpower, power you can't even dream of!"

Honoka glared, not intimidated. "You mean your Stands, right?"

The girls' eyes widened as「All Star」materialized, both taking a step back. "S-she's a Stand user too!?" Akeno exclaimed, Miano staying on-guard.

"Two-on-two… I already killed one person, so don't think I won't go to any length to protect the people I love!" Honoka informed the two. Discomfort filled her as she thought of having to execute Fuhai, but the guilt had disappeared.

"Someone dead… Yoshikawa Fuhai did disappear suddenly the other day… you did that!?"

Honoka only glared, Miano leaning in to whisper. "W-what do we do!? Even we couldn't beat that guy!"

"Tch! Just relax… That 2D power caught us off-guard, but as long as we're careful here I'm sure we'll be fine…" And she pulled away, glaring as she saw Hanayo run out of the room as well. "You…"

"Rin! Call the police right now! We'll hold them off!" Hanayo summoned her「Momoiro Clover」to defend, standing alongside「All Star.」

"That's a really bad idea," Miano began, the heads of her Stand staring into the room they had all come from… a thud heard a moment later.

"R-Rin!?" Hanayo's eyes widened as she ran back into the room. "H-Honoka! Rin's passed out! And… And she's cold, really cold!"

Honoka's eyes widened in alarm before staring back at the two, Miano speaking before she could. In addition to the twelve heads of「Union of the Snake」being able to look through walls with x-ray vision… it can decrease the temperature of anything it looks at, so long as all twelve heads are focusing on the same target," she explained, grinning from behind her mask. "Even now I'm decreasing her body temperature… care to guess what happens if it gets too low?"

Akeno made a beheading gesture with her finger. Miano had no intention of becoming a murderer but scaring them into thinking she would do it was just fine in her book.

"STOP IT! RIGHT NOW!"

"Alright, alright, jeez…" Miano undid her Stand's power, warmth still returning to Rin. "Oi, she'll live and return to her normal body temperature, don't worry! Non-Stand users can't resist the power, so it worked faster on her… but she won't be calling the police before we're done with you!"

"What do you want?" Honoka asked, taking a single step down the stairs.

"We want you to be our lackeys, to be blunt," Akeno demanded as opposed to asking.

"What an amazing offer," Honoka spat.

"It's not an offer, it's a demand. Join with me as equals to fight against the Arrow Hunters, or we'll kick your assess and force you to join. Kind of a no-brainer, if you ask me."

"Arrow Hunters…?"

Akeno stepped back. "There's a group of Stand users of girls our age. We're all gangsters, with our sukeban being someone searching for the arrow. As you can guess, we'reallStand users. Our boss wants the arrow to build an army of Stand users, for…" She groaned. "She won't even tell us why. But look at how powerful Stands are… can you imagine what a hundred of us together could do?"

Honoka paled at the thought. A hundred people as wicked as Yoshikawa or these bullies with the power of Stands?These people can't get the arrow, no matter what!Honoka thought. "We don't want to follow our boss anymore. We want the arrow for ourselves, to build our dream!" Akeno declared. "The dream Miano-chan and I have had since we were little is in reach. But we'll need to fight our boss first… and we need allies for that! The more Stand users we can find, the greater our chance! To build our castle… we're telling you to join our side!"

"And I'm saying, no way! We already belong to a group… μ's! We don't belong to anybody else!"

"μ's… the School Idols? Hey, isn't that the one with that song Emi keeps blasting at the warehouse?" Miano asked. "I saaaaay… hey, hey, hey start dash, that song?"

Akeno laughed. "Seriously? School Idols? That lame shit Suzuki keeps listening to? You'd prefer to do that lame-ass dancing as opposed to actual power?"

"Any day of the week, sister!"

Akeno sighed. "Listen, I get it. Your crappy school is gonna close down, so you want to go down with it in a blaze of glory. Be some famous pop singers or whatever… That way you can still say you did something memorable even when they bulldoze your school! I get it, I get it… why else would you want to be soulless pop stars like that? Regurgitating that cavity-inducing bullcrap!" Honoka gritted her teeth at the disrespect to their passion, but she continued before Honoka could say anything. "But now we're talking about something serious. If you don't take our offer… the Arrow Hunterswillreach out to you. And they won't be as nice as we are," Akeno went on, chuckling.

"It's not an invitation; don't you get it? It's a summon." Miano explained, not as amused. "We didn't have a choice to join. It was join or have the shit beaten out of us until we joined, and we took the latter after a fight," she explained, Honoka's eyes widening in response. "I heard one of our senior members stopped by your school just to investigate a rumor of awakened Stand users… I'm guessing it was you."

"Suzuki…" Honoka realized.

"Why even be some stupid Idol after learning about Stand!? Look at the power we have! Why would you want to sing and dance as opposed to gaining power?"

"Because they inspire me!"

Hanayo glared as she walked out of the room, having placed Rin on her bed to rest. "I've always… been shy and quiet! And weak and pathetic, too! I've never been strong, having to borrow power from everyone around me, hoping for others to save me. Even my birth…" Hanayo balled her first. "Even my birth robbed my mother of her dreams!" Honoka's eyes widened in alarm, the other girls going silent as well. "But I don't need to be weak anymore! µ's… the courage and strength µ's gives me is more than you can imagine! The courage Idols give me, and how much I want to be like them! Even before obtaining this Stand power, µ's helped me become a new person! And I'm still getting there… but it's because of µ's I can stand on my own now! Because of Idols!"

"Hanayo-chan…" Honoka was smiling.

"So don't… don't you dare say this dream is for the weak! Idols… you have no idea how hard they try, so take it back!"

"Tch… God that's lame! Eh, Miano? … Miano?"

"… Goddamn you…!"

"Miano? What's wrong?"

"You cost your mother your dreams, and yet you talk to me so self-righteously!?" Miano spat, ripping her mask off. "You bitch…!"

"W-whoa, hey, calm down Miano-!"

"Maybe I did…" Hanayo's fists balled once more. "Even though she says it wasn't the case… what can you say about the unplanned teen pregnancy?" Honoka gasped at her words, but Hanayo closed her eyes and kept her composure. "But even though my birth caused everyone to ridicule my mother and treat her horribly, she always loved me and supported me, even though I'm the reason she couldn't be an Idol… So, I want to be a great Idol for her, too! For both of us! I want her to be proud of me; of the Idol and the woman I'm becoming! So… I… I'll live out the dream she couldn't live out, either!"

As she spoke, Miano thought of her own childhood, of when they lived in the motel.

"You stupid brat! What did I tell you touching those!?"

"I dropped out of school for you… the least you can do is not fucking fail Japanese! It's your native language! What the fuck is wrong with you!?"

"It's bad enough you ruined me… why couldn't you be worth something, either!?"

"Worthless!"

"Stupid!"

"BRAT!"

As she remembered the slaps for the first time in months, Miano's look contorted into one of pure hatred as she charged forward.

"W-whoa! Idiot, what are you doing!?"

"I won't… be worthless! I'll show you! I won't take that from some pissant Stand user who just awoke!"

"「All Star! 」"

"「Good Girl Gone Bad! 」" Akeno yelled, her Stand grabbing Miano before she could rush forward. "Idiot! You know that's not what your Stand is good for! Let me… deal with this!" And with that Akeno's Stand rushed up the stairs reaching to land a series of punches on「All Star,」Honoka's stronger Stand deflecting all the blows.

"FAITO DAYO!"「All Star」 yelled, launching a vibrating punch that sent「Good Girl Gone Bad」down the stairs, Honoka and her Stand rushing down as the girls backed off, with Hanayo trailing behind them.

"Now we got open space…" Akeno mused, a hand on Miano's shoulder. "Please, calm down! We can't win if you're like this…!"

"Sorry, just… I want to fuck that first year's face up, got it!? I don't care if she joins us, she's the kind of person I hate the most!"

"Don't worry, you'll be able to…" She pulled her into a quick one-armed hug before facing their enemies. "Alright… Kousaka, right? That's the person Suzuki wanted to investigate… now let's do this properly!"

"With pleasure! Do your thing!"

"FAITOFAITOFAITOFAITOFAITOFAITOFAITOFAITOFAITOFAITOFAITO…!"

But Honoka did not end her Stand rush with a vibrating punch, noticing that 「Good Girl Gone Bad」has absorbed every blow. "What…!?" She inspected the opposing Stand's arms, they had become silver from her fists to right below the elbow… or, rather... "Steel…!?" Whatever it had done to itself, the power of「All Star」that had brought down Fuhai Yoshikawa with its powerful punches dealt no damage!

"Stronger than that, titanium!"「Good Girl Gone Bad」went in for a few strong punches, the sheer strength of the punches able to break through「All Star's」defense with ease, a punch to the Stand's face sending both the Stand and it's user back a few feet.

"H-Honoka!" As she rushed forward she fell to the floor with a gasp. Without even realizing she had moved too close to Miano… and so had her Stand! She looked at her Stand, the snakes compromising her Stand wrapping itself tightly around「Momoiro Clover's」legs, immobilizing them both as Stand and user!

"My Stand isn't as good for close combat as Akeno's… the grips of the snake are incredible, but it's slow as hell and can't do much except constrict! In battle, it's a supporting kind of Stand! If this was two-on-one, I'd have you immobilized while Akeno beats the shit out of you! At least I got you down…" She stepped on Hanyo's head, chuckling. "Our teamwork can't be beaten! Our union is inseparable! For now, and forever!"

"It really was just that 2D ability that through us off our game… your Stands are going to be easier to beat than「Blue Slide Park.」" Akeno said, cracking her knuckles. "Our invincible union can't be beaten!"

"This is bad… Hanayo!"

"We're going to achieve our dream and build our castle! Like something out of a European legend… a place just for me and Miano!" How the memories to their childhoods came flooding back…

"Hey! Why are you crying? And why were those boys being so mean to you?"

"M… my mama died…!"

"Huh, I never knew my mama. I guess you miss her a lot, huh?"

"No… M-mama was mean… s-she called me mean names and hit me, but… she was my only family! Now that mama's gone… I'm going to go to a foster home. I-I don't miss mama, but… I-I'm scared!"

"Hmmm…" The young Miano finally looked up at the girl talking to her. A girl her age, dressed head to toe in an expensive, pink Lolita dress with more laces and frills than she could count. "Then don't you worry! My papa's a big strong yakuza… once I tell people you're my friend people will stop messing with you! Yeah… but only if you promise to be my bestest friend in the whole wide world, OK?"

"O… OK!"

"Then it's settled! I'm Miyabashi Akeno! And who are you?"

"H-Homura Miano!"

"Ok then! Besties forever!"

Akeno gritted her teeth.

"Our dreams, versus your love of being idols… we'll put it to the test!"

Next time on  Honoka's Bizarre Adventure!

Chapter 7: Hanayo Wants to Swap (Part 3)

Stand profile: HANAYO KOIZUMI

Stand Name: Momoiro Clover

Namesakes: Momoiro Clover Z (Japanese idol unit)

Type: Close-range Stand

Stand Cry: None

Appearance/Personality: Momoiro Clover resembles a light green feminine humanoid figur. The Stand possesses short brown hair, tied into a ponytail at the right side of its head. The Stand is decently muscular and wears an outfit similar to Hanayo's own first year uniform (even after graduating, it continued to wear a schoolgirl's outfit): although instead of a bow tie, it wears a more masculine tie. Replacing the pupils of its green eyes is the kanji for "rice" in its left eye and "swap" in its right.

The Stand shows no signs of personality normally but has a tendency to materialize and show excitement when Hanayo enjoys or talks about rice: especially if she's exaggerating her expressions doing so. When it does so, it typically copies Hanayo's physical motions.

Abilities-

Swapping: The primary power of Momoiro Clover is to "swap" attributes or locations. Using her Stand, Hanayo can swap things like voices, hair-color, the color of clothing, so on and so forth on a seemingly unlimited scale with very few limits on what her Stand can "swap." However, only one thing can be swapped at a time, at which point another attempted "swap" will undo the previous swap. A noteworthy exception to this rule is swapping physical locations, teleporting two objects or people around. This is treated as a one-time, permanent change and making a new swap does not undo it.

Stats-

• Power: A
• Speed: B
• Range: C
• Precision: A
• Durability: B
• Development Potential: A

Chapter Text

Previously on Honoka's Bizarre Adventure!

It’s happening! T-These girls really attacked my house!

After spending an amazing night with Rin and Honoka, the time to fight is finally here! I… This is bad! Honoka and I are still mastering our Stands, while these two are experienced with their powers!

But it’s our freedom at stake too! If we can’t win, Rin won’t be safe, and they’ll force us to join them… our careers as Idols will end as we’re forced to become gangsters! I can’t… no… we can’t lose! It’s like Honoka-chan keeps saying… we have to fight on!

Miano Homura, like all children, was completely dependent on her mother ever since she was little.

She had grown up without a father, leaving only the one who had birthed her to raise her. But the young Miano had never truly known a parent’s love. Even in her earliest memories her mother was mean and loud. She had heard other girls were sung lullabies to go to bed, but Miano only remembered her mother watching TV loudly as she tried to sleep on the couch of the motel room as her mother lay in the only bed.

Most children’s parents worked normal jobs, she learned. But when she asked her mother what her job was, she pulled on her ears and told her to never ask once more, that it was her fault she had to work such a job. All she knew from the murmurs of those around her was that her mother did “grown-up things” with men for money, and she was teased mercilessly for it. Truth be told, she doubted the other children knew what it was, either.

Pleasantries were never exchanged when either arrived home. Miano’s mother taught her how to make TV dinners, but that was it. Miano’s young life was an extraordinarily lonely one, but without the companionship of others, it was normalcy to her. Until she met her.

“OK then! Besties forever!”

It was also Miano’s first time seeing wealth, that elegant Lolita dress that Akeno wore. It was further complimented by Akeno’s large house, far larger than anything she was used to.

“Do you like it?”

“Y-you live in a place like this!?”

“Of course! Didn’t you hear me before? My papa’s a powerful yakuza! We get anything we want, anytime we want! Especially me!” Akeno beamed with pride. “So, because you’re my bestest friend, now you can get anything you want too!”

Miano didn’t complain. The caretakers of her new foster home also didn’t seem to care much for Miano’s wellbeing, only caring that she made it home at night or informed them if she would sleep over at Akeno’s house. And so, Akeno’s house practically became her’s, where she spent large amounts of time, and also around other children. The children of the well-off and other yakuza were almost always present, always clamoring for Akeno’s attention… and often jealous of how Miano alone would always remain by her side, no matter how much their parents wanted them to gain her favor.

The games played would be of Akeno’s choice. As would be their positions and roles. But always was Miano besides her and given authority over the other children… and only Miano alone would be allowed to play the only event that Akeno truly cared for; tea parties. When the other children were sent home, the two alone would prepare tea.

But tea was always prepared in the Miyabashi household for all the child guests, by the Miyabashi family’s servants. But the tea Akeno served Miano during a tea party was personally prepared by her. The tea was always terrible when prepared by her, nothing compared to the masterful servants, but not once did Miano complain. It was just her and Akeno, drinking in absolute silence with only stale pocky, long-exposed to the air to compliment the amateur tea. It was a silent game where neither ever talked, with Princess Akeno quietly eating and drinking with Knight Miano.

And then one day, the question was finally asked.

“Why did you ask me to be your bestest friend, Akeno-chan?”

“When was the last time you asked for good tea, good cake, or only called me by my last name?”

Akeno stuck her tongue out and pulled down on her eyes, as if the answer should have been obvious to Miano.

 “Maybe it’s only because I have this nice house and ‘cuz I met you after your mom died… but you never ask me for anything! All the other kids always ask me for stuff, alwaaaaaaaays! But you don’t! I even make this nasty tea and give bad pocky… that’s why I like you! ‘Cuz… you don’t feel entitled to my friendship. Maybe it’s just ‘cuz I’m bribing you with this nice house… but you’re the only person I feel like won’t ever ask me for more stuff! So… You’re my bestest friend!”

It was the first time Miano smiled during a tea party. At the time, she did not tell Akeno she didn’t care for any of that, nothing whatsoever. She didn’t care that she was essentially offered a deal that anyone would take after the death of family. It was simply being in Akeno’s presence she yearned for, and nothing else. Miano had once heard that people who were bound together forever and ever in marriage had an invisible red string connecting them.

As a young child, Miano believed anything was possible, even that such a string could connect two girls forever. Even things like romance and why people married were not known to her, but Miano knew that so long as she could be by Princess Akeno’s side forever she would be satisfied. “I want to show you my gratitude! Now that it’s time for me to go home…?”

“Eh?” That was all Akeno asked, blinking. Usually, Miano would simply walk home without even saying goodbye, as they had become accustomed to. And so, Knight Miano copied something she had seen in a children’s anime about knights and princesses. She got down on one knee, taking the Princess’ hand and pressing her lips against it, her eyes close.

“Until next time, Princess!”

“… Until next time… my Knight!”

And so, the two would also develop a way of shaking hands to signify both hello and farewell, both once expressionless things to them. Miano would raise her right hand and Akeno her left, their middle fingers touching. There were no words said, but now for the first time they had a way of both greeting and saying farewell at last.

Then, it was Akeno’s turn to experience death.

A yakuza was a gangster after all. And eventually, her father paid the price for his crimes. All Miano could do was hug the crying Akeno as they stood at the funeral home, virtually alone, with only several others uncomfortably standing there. No other children would ever visit the Miyabashi household, and no wealthy men would ever grace it with their presence either. And with her mother running away shortly after, Akeno was about to lose everything.

“It’s not fair! Itsnotitsnotitsnotitsnot!” She sobbed, crying into Miano’s shoulder. ‘How painful it must have been,’ Miano could not have but wonder. Miano had grown up with nothing, so the process of having nothing again did not bother her. But Akeno grew up with everything, only to lose it…

“It’s going to be OK…”

“How!? How can this possibly be OK!?” The disgraced girl demanded, snot running down her face, only to see Miano’s then-gentle smile.

“Because I will be the Knight that will always keep the Princess safe, no matter what life throws at her!”

Perhaps it was simple luck, perhaps the power of a red string, but Akeno would end up in the same foster home as Miano, their bond still unbreakable and true.

When the two were only fourteen, they made their bond forever sealed, going to a shady tattoo parlor that asked no questions and cared not for age, asking for the simplest tattoos he had performed in years;

On their respective arms, from the tips of their middle fingers to right below the front of their elbows, hidden from most, a single swerving red line on both their arms.

I got soft, Miano mused, glaring at the immobilized Hanayo. Akeno was right, I let juvie change me… I forgot, above all else…!

And with that, she stomped on Hanayo’s back, earning a yell of pain from the First Year. I am a Knight in service to the Princess! If the Princess yearns for the castle, then I’ll fight so she obtains her castle!

“Aré, aré, aré… You’re so weak, you’re probably not even worth keeping as lackeys!”

“Great! Then go! The door is riiiiiight over there!” Honoka then remembered they had barricaded the door. “… The window you came out of is riiiight over there!”

“Holy shit, you’re stupid.”

“H-Hey!”

Hanayo groaned as she stayed immobilized. As「Union of the Snake」remained tied tight around「Momoiro Clover’s」legs she too was immobilized, and even her Stand tugging with all it’s might to free itself was not enough.

“Give it up, loser. 「Union of the Snake’s」grip is like nothing you can imagine! As you can see, my Stand lacks its offensive power beyond the ability to lower temperature, but…”

“When combined with「Good Girl Gone Bad」its invincible! Even veteran Stand users have fallen before us! That cop bastard was the one exception,” Akeno said bitterly. “But that ability caught us off guard. Again, kudos to icing him,” Honoka frowned, trying to not think about the memory. “Miano… Just keep that one pinned down for now, alright? Let me fight this orange-haired girl and you keep her at bay!”

“Yes, Akeno!” Miano chuckled as Hanayo tried to crawl, stomping on her back.

“H-Hanayo-chan!” Honoka tried to rush over only for the opposing Stand to throw a punch at「All Star,」forcing Honoka to instead defend.

“Oh nononono! You’re fighting me, so don’t take your eyes off me!” Akeno taunted, Honoka glaring in response.

“What’s the point of this, anyway? Getting power and stuff like that…” Honoka looked into Akeno’s eyes, and Akeno looked back; both were filled with a determination to win at any cost, in order to fulfill their dreams. Deep down both knew that whoever lost would have their dreams stolen from them… the princess yearning for a castle for herself and her knight, and the idol who wanted to make people happy with her singing and dancing.

One destiny would come to an end, and now Honoka understood Akeno’s drive without an explanation. She did not need to hear words or the proper story, the feelings communicated between their looks told Honoka that she too had a dream.

The tension was so different than when she was fighting Fuhai Yoshikawa and「Blue Slide Park.」Her family was in no-danger, nor was the rest of μ's in all honesty. Honoka could have easily surrendered herself, and so could Hanayo… or even vice versa. But whoever did so would have their dreams robbed.

It was like a Flash Resolution to Honoka, and she stepped forward, as did Akeno. It was Akeno who struck first, her Stand’s fists returning to normal and letting out a flurry of punches. Eh? I thought it’d be stronger… 「Good Girl Gone Bad’s」punches were much weaker than Fuhai’s blows, much to Honoka’s surprise. Her firsts went back to normal though… Something’s wrong! But Honoka could not figuring it out until it was too late. In the midst of the rapid punches she noticed「Good Girl Gone Bad’s」right first turn into titanium, smashing into Honoka’s guard;「All Star」barely stood it’s ground against the massive blow. But then the Stand rose its fist, smashing downwards and breaking「All Star’s」guard completely… while also delivering a fair amount of pain to Honoka, before slamming the titanium fist into her Stand’s side. “Ugh-!”

“Aré, aré, aré… get it now? Well too bad if you don’t!” The Stand rushed past Honoka’s, heading straight for the user itself. “There’s not always a need to focus on fighting the Stand itself… knock out the user and you’re good as gold, baby! Miano! Having fun?”

“Oh, you know it~” Miano sung out as she continued stepping on Hanayo’s face, the disgraced girl trying to look away. “Oh, come on, don’t look so glum! You’re about to be part of something much greater than a shitty Idol band… you’ll probably even end up rich in the end! Sure, we’re kicking your ass now, but once we achieve our dreams there’ll be enough money to go around to who makes us happy. So, what’s the big deal?”

“… U… Unit…” Hanayo grit her teeth through the pain as she glared at Miano from underneath her.

“Excuse me?”

Even with a foot on her face, Hanayo did not hesitate.. “Idols… don’t have bands like that, with live instrumentals… we have Idol units! The focus is on singing and dancing!”

Miano glared, stomping once more on Hanayo’s back. “You bitch… stop acting like you have any pride! Dream-ruiner at birth… you and me… we’re ‘people without pride,’ don’t you get it!?” The declaration was enough to make Akeno look over, her expression concerned. “We give our everything to others and find worth in it… you didn’t make μ's, did you!? So, stop acting like it’s your own pride! Strength borrowed from others still belongs to others!”

“Miano…” Akeno whispered, distraught at the words..

“You’re wrong…” Hanayo declared. “Strength… m-maybe it does originate from Honoka-chan and everyone else… but it’s become mine, too! The light of μ's… belongs to all of it’s members! And that’s… including me and Rin-chan! That’s why we can’t lose, Honoka!”

“Hanayo…!” Honoka balled her fists. That’s right! We can’t lose this fight, no matter what!

“Rin’s light will be taken too… and Maki’s! And Kotori’s! Umi’s! All of us… our dreams can’t end here, Honoka-chan! Please… I don’t want to lose! I want to fight! We don’t need to be saved… we can fight by ourselves!”

Honoka then smiled then faced Akeno, ready to fight once more. Miano glared, raising her foot and ready to bring it down. OK… Let’s try this! “「Momoiro Clover!」Swap!” And with a wave of its hands, Hanayo’s position swapped with a flower pot, Miano’s foot stomped on the flower pot, earning a glare from the other girl. “You…!”

“I have it figured out, how to do this now! Honoka, I’ll be right back, OK!”

“Got it!” With a wave of her Stand’s hands Hanayo disappeared, replaced by a sleeping bag, having swapped positions with something in her bedroom.

“S-Shit! Where’d she go!?”

“Not far… just stay here with me! I’ll protect you, we don’t know what she’s planning!” Akeno demanded, focusing on Honoka once more. The castle… will belong to both of us! Princess and Knight!

Honoka and her Stand charged forward, a barrage of punches being fired. Once more though, 「Good Girl Gone Bad’s」titanium arms absorbed all the blows. I need to figure this out… there needs to be a weak point! Honoka thought. It’s always the hands that transform first, then it travels down… so if I hit the body, I think I’ll be able to damage her! But it’s hard while she’s on-guard… She thought back to Fuhai’s words. Like Fuhai, Akeno had clearly had a lifetime of fighting to back her up. While watching capoeira videos and her own dance experience had made Honoka more agile, it didn’t help her when she needed to go on with the offense. Can「All Star’s」vibration powers make a difference here? I don’t want to use the disintegration attack, I don’t want to kill her or anything…

“FAITOFAITOFAITOFAITOFAITOFAITO!”

“Give it up! Don’t you get it!? 「Good Girl Gone Bad」can’t be hurt! I won’t let you get a single blow in on me! Just surrender!”

“FAITO DAYOOOOOOOO!”

Both of「All Star’s」fists connected into「Good Girl Gone Bad’s」titanium arms, before vibrating at maximum intensity. “W… what!?” Akeno’s eyes widened as her Stand leaned in, ultimately being pushed back by the jackhammer-like attack. Holy shit! I’m… its stronger than I thought! Now it was her turn to go on the defensive. It pushed back the Stand, sliding on the floor. “Shit!”

“A-Akeno! Let me-“

“No! Don’t’ call back your Stand! Let me deal with this!” Akeno demanded, glaring at Honoka. “Well, aren’t you just full of surprises?”

Honoka grinned. “You got no idea!” And「All Star」jumped back, fists raised. “I get what your Stand does… but you still don’t fully understand mine, do you!?”

“Dammit…”

“Again… just leave us alone, we want nothing to do with you!”

Akeno chuckled. “You don’t get it, do you? You’re part of something bigger than yourselves now! This world of Stands… You’re a part of it no matter what! The Arrow Hunters already know there are Stand users in Otonokizaka… the most beating us will do is keep your fragile peace for only a few days!”

“Then I’ll treasure those few peaceful days, until the next time I must fight!”

「Good Girl Gone Bad」rushed forward and delivered two powerful punches, both easily dodged by「All Star.」Those attacks were slow… wait a second… the titanium fists…! A realization washed over Honoka! They must be heavy, heavy enough it can’t deal out a bunch of quick punches! So… Honoka waited for Akeno’s next attack, watching her Stand raise both it’s fists in the air to bring them down. Using dance-like dodging「All Star」dodged to the side with a twirl. “Alright now… let’s call this…”

Honoka grinned. “「All Star’s」Jackhammer Punch!” She yelled out as the Stand’s fist collided into「Good Girl Gone Bad’s」side, the rapid vibrations drilling into her side as Akeno screamed, forcing her Stand back. “I can’t believe I called that lame!”

“Akeno!”

“Ugh… T-The fuck… did you just yell out?”

Honoka grinned. “If I’m going to get into lots of fights now… Why not be cool with it!? After all, I’m an Idol! Now, Umi would’ve given it a cooler name, but still!”

“Is this a joke to you!?”

“Of course not! This is my dream, we’re talking about here!”

“Goddamn you…”

The tirade almost continued, had it not been for the sleeping bag to once more replace with Hanayo, a bag in her hand. “I-I’m back! S-Sorry, it took me time to find- Ow!” Almost right away Miano stomped on her once more, grinning.

“Welcome back, First Year!”

“A-at least let me finish!”

“D-Did you get something to help out! I’m kind of in a stalemate here…”

“Yeah, watch this! I can’t… move as long as this thing is around my Stand, right?” She looked back at「Union of the Snake」still constricted around「Momoiro Clover. 」Hanayo opened a bag of marbles, tossing them at the direction of her Stand. “Honoka! Charge her! Just… please believe in me and charge forward!”

“Oi, THAT’S what you left your friend to do!?” Miano said with a laugh. “That’s… wait…” Miano’s eyes widened. Her power is swapping… so… Oh no!

“「Momoiro Clover,」swap!”

“Akeno! Look out!” But before she could react Hanayo swapped places with one of the marbles… and with her travelled her Stand, right next to「Good Girl Gone Bad.」

“The hell!?” Akeno exclaimed. But before she could react「Momoiro Clover」launched a Stand rush, the blows connecting over and over again, the damage reflected on the user. In a panic, Akeno had her Stand focused on trying to shake off「Momoiro Clover…」only to leave itself wide open to「All Star! 」

“AKENO!”

“FAITOFAITOFAITOFAITOFAITOFAITOFAITOFAITOFAITOFAITO FAITO DAYOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!”

Akeno could do nothing as her Stand was pelted with punches, the blows appearing all throughout the user’s torsos as well, before ultimately sending both flying into a wall.

“AKENOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!” In a panic Miano withdrew her Stand, finally freeing Hanayo and her Stand.

“Hanayo-chan! You OK?!” Honoka asked, rushing to her side.

“Y-yeah… my legs are kind of asleep though, I-I can’t get up! But my Stand can!” 「Momoiro Clover」and「All Star」stood proudly, side-by-side as Miano rushed over to her fallen friend.

“Akeno! Akeno! A-Are you OK!?” Her smile returned when Akeno began to Stand, relieved as could be. “Oh, thank God!”

“Ugh… that combo usually works… We’re not used to fighting more than one person, huh…”

“L-Let me do the rest! I’m your Knight, aren’t I!? I can do it myself!” Miano declared.

“… No…” Akeno said, getting back up.

“E-eh!?”

“Princess, Knight, who cares about that kind of crap…?” Miano blinked in conclusion as Akeno continued her rant. “We are… Miyabashi Akeno and Homura Miano! There’s nothing we can’t do! The castle is right there… I don’t want you to be my servant though! We should both be Queens ruling over our castle!”

“Our… castle…”

The memories flashed back. They were thirteen and their delinquent journey had begun, both eating cheap burgers after a fight to take their mind off the pain.

“Miano-chan… remember when we used to have tea parties?”

“Yeah. Like when your tea always sucked?”

“Shut up, bitch! But yeah… you remember how we pretended we had a castle?”

“Yeah… what about it?”

“I wanna do it!” Akeno said, standing up.

“E-Eh!?”

“One day… we’ll have a castle! Like one of those European ones, all big and stone… our perfect world! Nothing will ever hurt us again… you and me! Forever and ever… as ordained by the red string! How does it sound?”

“… I’d love it…”

She smiled gently, gentler than she had in a very long time.

“Forever and ever!”

Akeno glared at the two School Idols, stepping forward.

“Our dream has always been just that, a child’s dream… But it’s finally here! With the arrow we can make it happen! We can’t give up… Miano! You and me… we’re Queens now! As long as we can get the castle…”

“Akeno… That’s not… that’s not what I…”

“We can make it happen now! Let’s do it… Miano! Let’s show them our Stand union!”

“S-Stand union!?” Hanayo exclaimed, with Honoka gulping.

Miano didn’t say much, having「Union of the Snake」slink over, having several of the snake heads wrap itself around「Good Girl Gone Bad’s」right arm… and as the Stand turned its own arm into titanium, so did Miano’s Stand.

“H… Holy crap!” Honoka exclaimed, taking a step back. “It’s like a giant club now!”

“Behold! Our ultimate destructive power!”「Good Girl Gone Bad」charged forward, swinging down the massive titanium-encased Stand, the two girls dodging as the Koizumi’s kitchen table was completely destroyed.

“H-How am I going to explain that one to my parents!?”

“Hanayo! Bigger problems right now!”

“R-right! Sorry!”

Akeno charged forward once more, the massive club swinging horizontally. While Honoka dodged, Hanayo did not and was sent flying towards the wall as a result. I-Its like being hit by a truck or something! Hanayo thought, forcing herself off the ground with a groan.

“Hanayo! I don’t think either of us can block it… Just dodge!” Honoka bit her lip, though. “But at the same time, we can’t get close with that attack… they really are a hell of a team!”

“Nothing can beat us, Miano! Nothing!” As Akeno laughed Miano frowned, taking a step back. The Princess she had once protected had been so corrupted by her power and the wickedness of the world around her… Akeno seemed like a different person to her. “Miano! I’m going to make all your dreams come true! Just watch me!”

“My… dreams…?”

It was then the realization hit Miano; a realization made when she was little but had forgotten in the chaos of this night. What in this world had she ever wanted more than simply to be by Miano’s side? She never cared for a castle… and now, Akeno was fighting for her sake? For the Knight? And here she was, a Knight that had aided the Princess despite her wickedness… “Oh, Akeno…”

“Honoka… I have a plan. I don’t know if it’ll work…” Hanayo whispered towards Honoka.

“Hanayo…”

“If it fails… we’ll lose, and we can’t be Idols anymore… but! I think… I think it’ll work! I want to believe it will work…”

“… Even if it fails, Hanayo…”

“…”

“I will… keep being your friend, even if our dreams end now!” Hanayo perked up at Honoka’s response, taking a deep breath before revealing her plan.

“I kept a marble in my pocket… I need you to charge forward, get her to swing overhead! I need you… to block it for just a little! I need you to hold”

“What!? I-It’s got to be over five hundred pounds!?”

“But your Stand has superhuman strength, right!? And mine too! I need… you to trust me, please! Let’s show her… our own Stand union! But for this to work… I need「Good Girl Gone Bad」and「Union of the Snaek」in place! Neither of them can be able to move freely!”

Honoka went quietly before nodding. “Hanayo… I’ll trust your plan!” And both running now towards the enemy… Hanayo to the side, and Honoka head-on.

“Huh!? You want to die!?”

「Good Girl Gone Bad」and「All Star」rushed forward.

Both Stands roared, the former raising the club that was once「Union of the Snake」and soon the two users roared as well, the club smashing down on「All Star.」Honoka realized that five hundred pounds was likely nowhere near what that thing weighed, and the pain in her arms was immense. Akeno glared, trying to push down as hard as she can. “What kind of pussy move is this!? Leaving your so-called friend… ha!”

“Hanayo… I… I trust… you…!”

Hanayo had her Stand throw the marble towards「Good Girl Gone Bad,」her trap set. “SWAP!”

And with that, the battle had been won for μ's.

「Momoiro Clover」swapped with the marble, the marble falling to the floor behind Hanayo as her Stand stood before her.

“F… FUCK!”

“HONOKA! KEEP IT OFF ME! DON’T LET THEM ATTACK ME!”

“FAITO DAYOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!”

「All Star’s」Jackhammer Punch vibrated at maximum capacity, enough to keep the club from crushing them, as「Momoiro Clover」delivered yet another devastating barrage of punches directly towards Akeno herself, a final punch to the delinquent sending her flying.

“H… How…”

“AKENOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!” Miano screamed, rushing to her side.

“How did I lose… to some prissy idols…?” As Akeno fell she recalled her Stand, 「Good Girl Gone Bad」falling to the ground as a hunk of titanium before transforming back, Miano soon recalling her’s as well. “I can’t lose…!”

“Akeno, please! L-Let’s just forget this! You two! If… if we retreat… will you let us go!?”

“… Yeah,” Honoka said. “The police can’t do much against Stand users so… promise you won’t try attacking us again, and we’ll let this go.”

“See? Akeno? Let’s just go back to the foster home…  Let’s forget this happened!” Miano started smiling again. “We don’t even need to tell the boss about this, or Suzuki! We can just…” But Akeno slumped into the kitchen, Miano frowning once more. “Akeno…”

She stepped towards the Idols, who raised their guards, but she shook her head. “Stay behind me…”

“Our castle… Miano’s happiness…” Akeno exited the kitchen, brandishing a knife. “I won’t… not for Miano…!”

She charged forward, both girls’ Stands ready to defend. “I won’t let you get in the way of her happiness! I’ll win no matter what!”

“L-Look out, Honoka!”

But it was Miano who rushed forward.

“M… Miano!?” Akeno couldn’t stop her charge, her knife grazing her side. “MIANO!” In horror she dropped her knife, kneeling down to look at the injury. “W-w-w-why did you do that!? Oh God… I hurt you! Ohnononono… Oh God!” Akeno was in tears now, before Miano slapped her. “O-Ow!”

“Dumbass… you just grazed me! Probably don’t even need stiches…”

“D-Don’t call me a dumbass, you stupid bitch!” She let out in-between sobs. “The castle… our castle…”

“I don’t care about the castle…” Miano said. “I never… cared about any of that, like how I never compared about the shitty tea and snacks… or that we never said hello or goodbye…”

“… Miano… I…”

Miano smiled, reaching for Akeno’s left hand and pushing her right middle finger against her left middle finger. “We’re bound forever, don’t you know? As long as I’m besides you… anyplace we are is a castle…”

“… I…”

“I don’t… think you two are super bad guys, like Yoshikawa,” Honoka finally said. “I think you two are just… confused, I don’t know. I don’t… want to fight anymore. Please…”

“… We can have pride,” Hanayo said to Miano. “Maybe the circumstances of our birth hurt our mothers, but… we can still have our pride in ourselves. So… Please don’t think of yourself like that…”

The two girls stayed quiet, before Akeno finally picked herself up. “Let’s get that wrapped up when we’re home, OK?”

“Yeah…”

Then Akeno faced the other two. “I won’t… tell our boss about this,” she informed them. “But she already knows there’s Stand users in your school… She’s going to signal you out eventually, if she hasn’t already. And when that happens? That’s when the real fighting starts,” Akeno warned. “All this was just because we bumped into eachother… by fate! After they find out though.... you’ll be targeted. Understood? The attacks will go from random to organized!”

“… Then I guess we better get as much practice in before we have to fight, huh, Hanayo?”

“Yeah…!” Hanayo smiled as she gave her response.

The girls nodded, making their way to the windows. “Oh, also… just so you know, your friend is probably better by now. Go check up on her.”

“R-Rin-chan! I’m coming, don’t get out of bed!” Hanayo ran up to her room, ignoring the destruction downstairs to check on her friend.

“… Honoka. If we fight again, I hope it’s against a common enemy and not eachother,” Akeno told Honoka.

“Same to you… Akeno,” Honoka agreed.

And so, the girls took off, Honoka sighing as she sat down in a chair. “… How is she going to explain that to her parents?”

Well, one step at a time.

They had to use the same lie as before. Once they un-barricaded the entrances, the girls called the police. They had lied and said they had spent the night at Umi’s house, with the other girl willing to cover for them. Normalcy returned once the Koizumi returned home from their anniversary.

“I’m sorry mama, all this happened while you were gone…

“Shhh…” Mrs. Koizumi smiled as she daughter lied on her in the couch, smiling as she played with her daughter’s hair. “That must have been so scary to come home too… Never would have thought we’d need a house alarm, but we’ll get one. God, I’m sorry, love…”

“Y-You did nothing though, mama!” Hanayo protested, frowning. “Just… Mmm…”

“… Hanayo, is something else bothering you…?”

“… Do you regret having me, mama?”

Mrs. Koizumi gasped in both shock. “H… Hanayo! What on earth would make you think that!?”

Hanayo frowned. “… I was an unplanned pregnancy; you and papa were still in high school…” Hanayo couldn’t bring herself to look upwards at her mother. “Y… you were going to be an Idol! You were a dancing prodigy! But then. I… came and… r-ruined the dream, didn’t I?” Hanayo’s voice didn’t seem distraught, simply… absolute. For years it had weighed on her mind: and at least, after the harrowing fight she had endured, she felt she had the strength to finally confront it. The words horrified her mother, who pulled her into a deep hug.

“Don’t… you ever speak such foolishness ever again, Hanayo!”

“Mama…”

Mrs. Koizumi smiled. “Yeah, you weren’t planned… but we kept you. That was our wish, our desire… and every day I’m so happy I did, love.”

“…”

“We considered all our options… and decided all we wanted was you. We knew it’d be hard… we knew there’d be sacrifices too, but… Hanayo, you are our dream,” she reassured, kissing her daughter’s forehead. “And don’t you ever think anything less, OK?”

“…” Hanayo forced back a sob, wanting to remain resolute.

“Hanayo… what is your dream?” Her mother asked, brushing some hair from her face.

“I want to be… the Idol that mama wasn’t, so I can make her proud,” but she stopped. “But also… I want to do it for myself too, for me and all my friends in μ's as well! I want to be an Idol because I love them, and because... I want to love myself too. And you! Because I love you, mama!”

And Mrs. Koizumi hugged her daughter. “Then do it with pride, OK?”

“I will, mama!”

The dream that night was good and peaceful.

“… Man, we lost so fucking bad the other night…”

Miano giggled as she lay on Akeno in the bed of their room. The only ones with rooms to themselves, and a single queen-sized bed.

“Yeah… I’m kind of glad we did, though,” Miano admitted, snuggling into the other woman. “You were starting to scare me, you know…”

“I’m sorry,” Akeno said with a sigh. “Man, the boss and Suzuki really chewed us off for not reporting in that night… or the next day…”

“Even if they ask us too, I’m not going to fight them again,” Miano said. “It’s an honor thing, you know?”

“Yeah, yeah…” She stroked Miano’s hair, smiling. “… You were right, you know…” She looked around their crappy room, without working heating (they had to have a mobile heater in the room) and faded paint throughout the room. “When I’m with you… even this dump is a castle I’m happy to live in.”

Miano kept on smiling, the Knight’s lips quickly pressing against her Princess’. Or rather, a Queen’s against another Queen’s.

“I love ya.”

“Love you too.”

Unbeknownst to the rest, there was a girl who often stayed home late at Otonokizaka.

“Honestly! They’re such… amateurs!”

A third year with pigtails sat at the table, clicking through μ's page on the School Idol Festival website. These three new first years the group claiming to represent their school had gotten more popular…

… What a joke! She sneered at reading it: μ's: Come on and join us.

“Honestly! Who do these girls think they’re kidding!? I mean… sure they’re cute, but they’re nowhere near ready to call themselves idols!”

“An Idol Club…”

“And YOU go the Idol Club of this school to boot! So, who needs a bunch of fakers like these girls, anyway!?” A figure said, hovering near the girl, scoffing. “They’re just going to embarrass Otonokizaka at this rate! And us!”

“U-Us!? How is a useless Stand like you going to get embarrassed!?”

“Don’t be rude to me!? You’re my user, even though you’re a dumbass who doesn’t deserve a Stand as amazing as me… you’re still an Otonokizaka student! If you’re embarrassed by these wannabe Idols, so am I! Nico, we can’t let this happen!”

Nico brushed off that insult as she looked at the screen, grinning as her fingers hit the board.

You’re not nearly good enough to call yourselves Idols! (  ‘ A ’ )

Next time on Honoka’s Bizarre Adventure!

Chapter 8: Nico Attacks! The Terrifying Center Of The Ring!

Chapter Text

Honoka's Bizarre Adventure: μ' s Is Unbreakable

Previously on Honoka's Bizarre Adventure!

Hanayo and I won our first battle working together! Together as μ 's, we defeated two delinquents that had been antagonizing us!  The difficult days are far from over… and Akeno and Miano warned us that more fights were ahead.

But we can't dwell on that! We are School Idols still… and we need to focus on our next performance!

With how quickly "normality" had disappeared from Honoka's life, she appreciated the feeling returning to her.

Today, it was just going to be the three Second Years alone, Honoka believed. It had been a while since the three had had time alone to boot, so that was another plus! As much as she loved her kouhais, these two were her best friends in the end. Honoka remembered the earliest days, back when everything was simple…

… So today wasn't the best day to oversleep, really.

"Comeoncomeoncomeoncomeooooooooooooooon!" Honoka scolded herself, sprinting towards the shrine. After the fight just a few days prior, she had totally forgotten to set her phone's alarm back to normal! She was still a bit sore in all honesty, but this was the last thing she wanted to miss! She could already hear Umi scolding her… but her smile returned as she finally caught up to Kotori, already stretching. "H-hey! Sorry, have you been waiting long?" Honoka asked, looking around.

"Nope, I just barely beat you here!" Kotori said with a smile.

Ah.

"Umi-chan said Archery Club has practice this morning, so she won't be joining us today."

Double ah. I panicked for nothing!?

The sound of a footstep drew Kotori's attention however, making Kotori glare in its direction. "Kotori-chan?" Honoka asked while blinking in confusion.

"Honoka-chan! Did you see a sketchy figure when you got here?" Kotori asked, frowning now.

"Uh… no, why?"

"I swear, I think someone's watching me!"

Honoka perked up at that. "Someone watching you… like a pervert!?" Honoka asked with alarm. But then, a worse thought went through her head. Or… what if it's a Stand user!? Akeno and Miano's allies!? "Kotori… stay back, OK?"

"H-Honoka?"

"After everything that happened to me and Hanayo… we can't rule out the possibility of this being dangerous! After all, we got genuine enemies, now!" Honoka's expression became serious, briefly summoning 「All Star」before deciding to withdraw her Stand a moment later. No… I should keep it a secret, just in case! Don't want them to see it coming… "Stay back for now!" And Honoka made her way to the shrine, back pressed against it. "Sneak… sneak sneak…!"

She wanted to get a jump on this guy, but a hand grabbing her ankle. A sneak attack!? "Waaaaaah!" She landed on her hands hard on the pavement, waving them. But then something was undeniably approaching! The enemy's going to attack me in public!? And she was indeed ready to summon her Stand, before noticing it was just a finger. "… Eh?" The gesture caught her so off-guard she froze up in amazement, before the 'attack' was launched.

The 'enemy' flicked her head. Somehow, against all odds, it hurt! A lot! Worse than any Stand's punch so far… or was she so used to the punches of Stands that the simple gesture hurt so much more? Or was it because it was directly on her, and not her Stand?

But still- ouch! What the heck!?

"Honoka!" Kotori ran over to her side, looking up at the figure. Clad in a trench coat, sunglasses, and even a surgical mask! Honoka narrowed her eyes, remembering that both Akeno and Miano had worn the masks, but saw no design on her's. She looked… familiar? Honoka could have sworn she had seen her before! But the air around her was different than Akeno's and Miano's, and the lack of a Stand summoned had to mean something…

And sure enough, the girl soon removed her mask, glaring at them behind her sunglasses. "You two…"

"H-Honoka!"

But the mysterious girl only pointed at them. "Disband your group immediately!"

"… Eh?" Honoka regained her composure, rubbing the spot on her forehead. She felt like in the past that might have done more to her… "Y… you're not here to fight me or anything?"

"W-w-w-w-what!? Why would I want to fight!? I'm here to tell you to disband your idol group, μ's, at once!"

"… This wasn't an attack?" Honoka asked. I'm so used to that now I'm more shocked it isn't… she thought.

"W-what's wrong with you!? I told you-" Honoka's sigh cut her off. "Thank goodness! I thought you were gonna be a real problem…"

"A-a-a-a-a-a-a real problem!? Hey! I just told you to disband your Idol group!? B-be mad or something!" The mysterious figure stomped her feet, fuming now. "If you want to fight, I'll fight you though! You're starting to piss me off!" And the mysterious figure couldn't help but smirk. After all! There was no way this normal high school girl could ever stand against the power of… a…

…

Her eyes widened as she saw「All Star」materialize behind Honoka, at the acceptance of a fight. A Stand!?

"That look on your face… you can see her, can't you!? You're a Stand user too!" Honoka deduced. Kotori gasped, taking a few steps back at the news.

"W-what!? She has the power you and Hanayo-chan have!?" Kotori asked.

There's TWO Stand users in this group!? You've got to be kidding me!

"You're one of the 'Arrow Hunters' aren't you!? Hold on, I have questions for you!" Honoka demanded, her fists balled.

She can get so serious now, Kotori thought to herself. I never could have imagined her like this even a month ago!

"I… I…!" And before the interrogation could begin, the mysterious girl ran off.

"H-hey! Wait a minute!" Honoka yelled, ready to chase after her, but stopping at the mysterious girl's next demand.

"Justdisbandyouridolgroupimmediatlyandyoullneverseemeagainbyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyye!"

The two Secondy Years were left there, blinking. "Honoka… what the heck was that?"

"… I have no idea!" Honoka asked and then gave an awkward chuckle. Things are gonna get even weirder now, aren't they?

Meanwhile, the mysterious figure didn't stop running until she was out of breath, hiding against a building. "N-No way… they're… Stand users too!? And we go to the same school… Oh no, what am I going to do!?"

"What kind of question is that, idiot user!?" The mysterious girl's Stand materialized in the shadows, its shoulders crossed. "We just got to keep it up! The only difference is I can't catch them off guard… our integrity is at stake, Nico!"

Nico glared at her own Stand, throwing her surgical mask aside. "Relax, relax! This may be a setback… but I still have the advantage!" Nico's grin returned. "Just watch,「Circus!」I've already come up with the ultimate plan to destroy μ's in this internet era! In a week or two at most, they'll be finished!"

"I don't know what you're going to do, but I'm already excited!

Nico chuckled, before it became a laugh. "It's foolproof! In this internet age, there's no way they can beat me! Everything's going to go my way from this point onwards! Just watch, 「Circus,」I can't lose!"

「Circus」joined the laugh. "And in a worst-case scenario… I'll take them on! There's no way some wannabe School Idol could possibly beat a Stand as amazing as me, anyways!"

The two joined into a laugh, until they realized they had walked into the wrong alley. And as they started to leave, Nico saw a stray cat. Normally she would have loved seeing such a sight, but just at a glance she could tell this cat was sickly and dirty. "Eww… h-hey, just go away!"

"Keep it away from me!"

"Dumbass, you're the one that should be protecting me!" Nico shuddered and jumped back as it tried to nuzzle her. "H-hey! Go away! I don't want to pet you!" And then, Nico and「Circus」quickly realized there were… quite a few gross cats to keep them company. And they wanted to play.

They screamed, naturally.

But, nonetheless, the day still advanced rather normally for Honoka once that was taken care off. In fact, with all her fellow Idols gathered, she was quite happy if anything! She smiled as she looked at her friends, taking charge as leader. "Alright, guys! Now that we got new members, its time for the new and improved School Idol group μ's to practice!"

"Honoka, how many times are you going to say that?" Umi asked. "It's been two weeks…"

Honoka giggled. "I know, but it makes me so happy!" But then her tone turned serious. "And now, we begin practice! One!"

"Two!"

"Three!"

"Four!"

"Five!"

"Six!"

Honoka squealed in happiness. "There's six of us now! Six! We're just like a legit Idol group, girls! We're going to make it! Maybe one day we'll be called 'The Magnificent Six' or the 'Six Wonders of the World!'"

"… Don't both of those things have seven, though?" Hanayo asked.

"I'm jealous, nya! You get so pumped up over the same thing every day, Honoka-chan! What's your secret?"

Honoka giggled. "Well! First, I loooove being around a lot of people, I'm a total extrovert! Second, with more of us, people won't notice my crummy voice so much! Third, if I mess up some dance steps, then —" Honoka stopped and gulped when she noticed Umi now looming over her.

"Practice more."

"I-I'm kidding, Umi! I'm kidding!" Well, she was at least half-kidding, anyways.

"I agree!" Kotori said. "We need to do things right! Otherwise, people will get mad at us like that girl this morning…"

"Oh yeah, that weird Stand user…"

The group went silent for a moment. Honoka also went quiet, before finally reading the room. "… Oh, right, I forgot to mention that."

"Another Stand user!?" Umi almost yelled. "How did you not tell us this right away!? You didn't get hurt!?"

"Y-you should let me know next time! I'll come help in the fight!" Hanayo replied, materializing her Stand next to her to make a point. "I don't need to be saved, so I'll fight by your side no matter what!"

"And I'll scratch them up, nya!" Rin replied, her expression fairly cat-like. ... Maybe I could at least distract them…? Hanayo noticed Rin's expression falter but didn't have the chance to say anything before Honoka laughed it off.

"P-please, it wasn't a big deal! I mean… she was definitely a Stand user, but there was no fight! She could see「All Star」and junk, so she had to be a Stand user… but I don't think she's an enemy."

"Perhaps she's one of the vagrant users awakened by the arrow?" Umi pressed on.

"Maybe… if nothing else, I don't think she's an Arrow Hunter, or even a bad guy like Fuhai was. I wonder if I'll even see her again…"

"We should hope not. The less troublesome Stand users, the better," Umi replied. "Tokyo is a big city… lets just hope she's just some someone from the internet who doesn't like our music, and nothing else," the others nodded in agreement.

"If nothing else, we're kind of famous now, nya? If someone really said that…" Rin pondered, tapping her finger on her chin.

Maki just sighed, playing with her hair. "Who cares what it means? We should practice, we're running out of time…"

Rin grinned, grasping Maki's shoulder. "Maki-chan is all fired up, nya!"

"I am not! I just want to get this nonsense over with so I can go home!"

"Yeah, sure! I saw you practicing your moves in secret during lunch, nya~! Admit it, you're totally excited!"

Maki blushed. "I am not! I was just… trying to improve on these crappy moves! They're so boring and lame… it's an embarrassment to dancing! I was just trying to fix it!"

"… Oh…?"

"Eh?" That look on Umi's face was enough to make Maki's heart skip a beat.

"Are you telling me… you were able to fix my own original choreography?"

"I… Um… ah…" I messed up! "L-Let's go practice!"

"This isn't over, Nikaido."

Thankfully, Rin broke the tension. "I wouldn't sweat it! Maki-chan is just shy, I think! So, let's just… nya?"

The sound of rain ended the train of thought… and thankfully for Maki, Umi's anger.

"Its raining cats and dogs!" Honoka exclaimed. "Ohhh, this is just too much!"

"Well, we did enter the rainy season," Hanayo replied, the rest nodding.

"But the weather said there was only going to be a 60% chance of rain!"

"I'd be surprised if it didn't rain with that chance…" Maki said with a sight.

"But its been at 60% for the last couple days, and it totally didn't rain either time! So why today!?"

"Hey, it looks like its lightening up!" Kotori informed the rest.

"Yeah, alright! See, its all percentages! Determination always wins!"

"I agree, nya! We can totally practice like that!"

Umi frowned. "Girls, please. The ground is slippery and dangerous, and it might rain again…"

"Don't worry, we got this!" Honoka replied. "Isn't that right, Rin?"

"Yeah, we totally do! I'm excited now, nya!" And Rin grinned, doing flips in the rain like it was nothing. While they said nothing, all of μ's could not deny the First Year's incredible acrobatic skills… but it was cut short by a torrent of rain.

"… I'm going home," Maki said.

"Let's try again tomorrow," Kotori replied.

"W-wait! You can't just leave us!" The drenched Honoka said.

"You'll make us look like dorks!" Rin replied.

"You already are dorks," Umi replied. "This is a problem, though… if it keeps raining, we're going to need somewhere new to practice."

"Why can't we use the gym?" Hanayo asked.

"Other clubs are already using the gym and auditorium. And since we're not an official club, we can't even request to use a classroom…"

As they bickered, Hanayo checked her phone, deciding now would be a good a time as any to check out the SIF website, eyes widening. "H… hey! Girls! We… we have a problem!" But Maki didn't stick around, heading onwards as they discussed the newest dilemma.

Maki sighed as she made her way down the stairs. What am I even doing? What a waste of time… She thought to herself. Just the fact she was stuck in this dump of a school was bad enough, now she was pretending to be a pop star? God, if her father found out…

She clenched her fist, thinking of the man.

"I just don't get it, papa! Why do I have to go to some school like that!? Why can't I go to a nice private one, like Omine-chan!? Why can't I go to Nagasaki, like she is!?"

"I want you to attend a local school."

"Then let me go to a fancy one, at least! Papa, this isn't fair!"

"It is for the best for the Nishikino family, Maki. That's all there is to it."

"But — "

"This conversation is over. Don't waste my time with this again. You're going to attend Otonokizaka and help form bonds with the common crowd for this family."

"I…"

"Maybe you don't understand, Maki. This is not your decision. It's mine."

Maki's father had never been an easy man to get along with, but being sent to this dump had strained their already complicated relationship significantly. She punched a wall in frustration, not caring if any teachers or other students could see it. If he knew, he would never approve of this School Idol thing. Perhaps that's why Maki wanted to do it? Maybe she just didn't have the will to fight it.

Or maybe, it was something else.

"Idols? What about them, Omine?"

"I love them, Maki-chan! The singing, the dancing, the dressing! Between you and me…"

Maki closed her eyes, recalling one of the last conversations they had.

"I want to be a School Idol in high school! I hope my high school is open to them!"

She decided to head home, not even noticing the Third Years watching her.

"No matter what happens… they aren't giving up, Niccochi," Nozomi said, smiling as she looked over at Nico. Nico's look was one of annoyance, bordering on anger. "There's no point in trying to stop them."

"I'm going to defeat them," was all Nico said, turning away. "I'm going to defeat μ's, just watch. I'll crush them, completely. They'll never have dreams of being Idols again."

"T-T-T-T-This is a serious problem, everyone!"

At the nearest burger joint, the girls frowned as they checked their profile on the School Idol Festival's official website, viewing their own page bombarded with negative reviews and their performance of START:DASH! becoming increasingly downvoted.

"This is bullying!" Honoka declared. "I bet these jerks haven't even listened to our music!"

"It's… something else," Umi replied. "Someone really has it in for us, huh?"

"I-I already filed a complaint to the SIF staff! I know the Yoshida Conglomerate tries to keep the platform fair, so hopefully they might get rid of the worst comments…" Hanayo began.

"In the end, it seems they simply dislike us. That's not the same as harassment," Maki said. "Its one thing if they were saying things like to go kill ourselves, but in this case… 'You sound like amateurs!' is a valid criticism."

"But we are amateurs! The least they can do is cut us some slack, we only have one song out!" Honoka replied, hands on the table.

"Our rank has fallen by three places… It's nothing now because we were already kind of low, but it's a problem," Umi responded. "If it doesn't let up though, it'll make it even harder for us as new Idols to get noticed… This isn't bad right now, but it's going to be a problem as time goes on."

"This totally sucks!" Honoka replied, trying to drown her frustrations with food.

"Honoka, if you keep eating like that, you're going to get fat," Umi commented with a sigh.

"It's bad enough his stupid rain won't stop, now we got trolls! And a weirdo with a Stand who hates us! Hanayo, is there anything you can say about this to help us out!? You're our Idol expert!"

"W-well! I recognize the name of the person leading this… she's a really influential user on here! She has a ton of followers and stuff… she doesn't have enough pull to hurt the big idols like A-RISE and LOVEPARADE, but us lower-ranked Idols… we're in trouble! And nobody knows who she is…"

"I bet she's that Stand user from this morning!" Honoka declared. "She better hopes I don't find her, or we're going to have a fight!" She didn't hear the gulp from the other table at that.

"For now, we should focus on finding a place to practice," Umi said. "Its like Maki said. I'll file another complaint with the SIF program, and maybe I can write an email to the Yoshida Conglomerate customer satisfaction email but… I don't think we're going to win much here. We just need to do a better job with our future videos. Even if we are being harassed, as long as we put out good content I think we'll be OK in the long run," everyone except Honoka nodded.

Nico remained quiet, trying to listen carefully. "Maybe this was a bit too flashy of a disguise…"

"Poo! It's a poophead!"

"H-hey! Beat it, you brat!"

"Hmm?" Honoka looked over but did not notice Nico.

"Honoka, I checked the forecast, and it said to expect rain tomorrow too," Kotori informed.

"What!? Oh man, we just can't win at anything with this!" She groaned, before noticing something missing from her tray… "H-hey! My fries! They disappeared… Umi-chan! Did you eat my fries!?"

"Have you already forgotten how much you've eaten!?" Umi retorted. "Good grief… huh!? Honoka, did you eat mine!?"

"Why would I ask if you ate my fries if I ate your fries!? Sounds like something a guilty person would say!"

Maki sighed. "So, we can't use a classroom, and the roof is out of service, and we're being harassed online… what can we even do except quit at this point?"

Yes! Quit! Quit being an Idol! Nico thought.

"No way!" Honoka replied. "I'll never quit, no matter what! Just… ugh! If only we had five members, we could apply to get a club and use a classroom…"

"Just five…?" Maki asked.

"Honoka-chan, if we only need five…" Hanayo began.

And then, Honoka gasped. "I completely forgot! We can apply to be an official club now!"

"What do you mean you forgot!?" Shouted Nico, before ducking for cover. Thankfully, nobody seemed to investigate it, as Maki went on.

"How the heck could you forget that!?"

"I got so stoked about getting more members, I completely forgot!" Honoka replied.

"God, you're hopeless, all of you…"

"Alright! Tomorrow, I'll send a club application first thing in the morning! Even Ayase-senpai will have to notice it!" Honoka said with a big smile. "I'm so relieved, I made more room in my tummy!" And as Honoka reached for her burger, all of μ's saw a hand on her burger.

And then there was a pause, as they saw the hand slowly let go of her food. And she might have been able to sneak off… If it wasn't for her hat.

"Hey, you!" Honoka rushed over, grabbing her by the hand. Yet even in her disguise, she recognized her. "Y-you're the one from this morning!"

"I thought I told you to disband!" Nico snapped.

"Screw that! Now give me back my food or buy me new fries!"

"I-Isn't her being a Stand user more important, Honoka-chan!?" Hanayo asked.

"I-I don't know what you're talking about! I don't even know what a Stand is!" Nico lied, before Honoka gripped her cheeks.

"Get me more fries right now or I'm telling the manager! Or I'll kick your butt! Judging from how you ran off, I bet you have a lame Stand anyways!"

"How dare you!?" Yelled a voice that only Honoka, Hanayo, and Umi could hear.

"I-Idiot! Don't come out now!" A pink aura had surrounded Nico, although not by her design. Against her will her Stand manifested, tapping its foot and pointing at Honoka. The Stand's skin was pink and resembled an attire similar to that of a circus ringmaster. A red ringmaster jacket over a black corset, black fishnet leggings and high heels. The Stand's eyes were pink with no visible pupils or sclera, and there was a black star over its right eye. It also had red lipstick, and long black hair, not unlike its user with her hair untied, and to top it off a ringleader's hat. And on her whip, a rolled-up whip.

"I'll have you know I'm an amazing Stand, thank you very much! I'm a super Stand, just like Nico should be recognized as a super Idol; so, I'm the most amazing Stand in the world! So, you BETTER show me respect!" The Stand demanded, poking Honoka's cheek.

"It… summoned itself?" Umi asked. "Hanayo, Honoka, can your Stands do that?"

"No!「Momoiro Clover」never comes unless I want her too! I didn't even think Stands could do that!" Hanayo stated, alarmed. Does this mean other Stands can summon themselves and attack us without the user being around!?

"Oh… blew my cover."

"You stupid Stand!" Nico jumped back, before pointing at Honoka. "What you're doing is a disgrace! Your singing and dancing are a complete joke! You give all Idols a best name! So, listen up… what you're doing is a disgrace against Idolhood, and I won't tolerate it! So, disband your group… or my online assault won't end!"

"S-So it is you!" Honoka yelled back.

"If you don't quit, I'll keep attacking until you give up! You can't beat me, μ's!" And she began to run off.

"Wait! You still owe me fries!"

"Honoka, bigger problems!" Reminded Umi.

"「Circus!」Show them what it means to be the center!" Nico demanded.

"Alright, but not because you told me too!" And「Circus」undid her whip, making it contact with the hamburger… and everyone's attention was drawn to it.

"W-what!?" Maki replied. "W-why can't I look away from the stupid burger!?"

"「Momoiro Clover!」" Hanayo summoned her Stand to help… but her Stand also could not look away. All attention was drawn to the burger, not even just the School Idols- even a few patrons found themselves unable to look away for several seconds, and by then Nico had disappeared.

"Was… that her Stand ability? Its like that burger was my entire world!" Honoka replied, taking a bit.

"She might be more powerful than she's letting on…" Hanayo replied, with Umi nodding. "We might have made a powerful enemy today…" Honoka made her way to the window, watching Nico run off, too far away to pursue.

"Hey! It's the poop woman!"

"SHUT UP!"

"Wait, the Idol Study Club!?"

The meeting with the Student Council wasn't going according to plan.

Eli glared at the other girls. "Yes. This school already has a club pertaining to idols- the Idol Study Club."

"Although it only has one member…" Nozomi said with a small frown.

"H-hey! Why can they have only one remember when you told us we needed five, Prez!?" Honoka demanded.

"When its first established, yes. But after that, it doesn't really matter," Nozomi explained before Eli could snap at Honoka once more.

"And with our limited number of students, I'd prefer not to bloat our number of clubs," Eli responded, even as Honoka glared.

This was her ace in the hole… she knew even if we got members, she could use this against us! That's so unfair!

"Since the Idol Study Club already exists, I will not accept this club application," Eli said.

"C'mon, cut us a break!" Honoka begged.

"This conversation is over, Kousaka," Eli responded, confident in her victory.

"But it doesn't have to be."

"Huh?" Both Eli and Honoka asked, turning towards the now smiling Nozomi.

"Why don't you talk to the president of the Idol Study Club, and see if she'll be willing to let you join?"

"Nozomi!" Eli's eyes widened at first in surprise, and then she narrowed them in anger.

"What? There's no problem if the clubs merge, right?" Nozomi responded, ignoring Eli's scowl. "Just go to their club room, alright?"

"You're the best, Nozomi-chan! Girls, lets go!" And they headed off, before Eli looked back.

"… Yazawa is one of us, isn't she?" Eli asked.

"Perhaps…" Nozomi responded, tapping her foot. "We'll find out in due time, I suppose."

"This is stupid and dangerous, Nozomi," Eli snapped, standing up. "It's bad enough Yanigihori and Suzuki are snooping around here… are you trying to put every Stand user in this school in the same club or something?" Eli glared. She hated to distrust her friend, but… "Don't both you and Yazawa have prior relationships with Suzuki?"

"I'm just doing as the cards instruct," was all Nozomi said, still smiling. "What more do you need, Eli-chan? More than anyone in this world…" She closed her eyes. "You are the one who I have chosen to give my loyalty too, in the end."

Eli went quiet once more.

Meanwhile, the other girls were in for a shock when they arrived at the classroom.

"Y… you're the president of the Idol Study Club!?" A stunned Honoka asked, staring down the equally stunned Nico. With how outlandish her disguised has been, all the girls could easily recognize Nico. The awkward was silence, Nico's look eventually becoming a glare. "Um… so… uhm…"

"NYA!" Nico scratched in their direction to get distance, before locking herself into the room.

"Hey! Open up, Prez!" Honoka demanded.

This is bad bad bad bad! Nico thought, piling boxes to block off the door. "H-hey! Why aren't you helping, you useless Stand!?" She tried to force her Stand to manifest, but it refused to do so.

「Circus」laughed at the thought. "Me? Do physical labor? As if! I mean if you want me to sing and dance sure, but I don't see a reason to do that."

"Useless!"

"S-she locked the door!" Honoka yelled to her friends as she tried to open the door. If only this wasn't school, 「All Star」could totally break this stupid thing down!

But Rin smirked. "We can get in from outside, nya! Leave it to me!" Not caring about the rain Rin sprinted outside, grinning as she bolted towards the classroom from outdoors.

"Gross…" Nico groaned as she got out in the rain, before noticing the incoming First Year. "Y-you're joking!" She jumped in shock, before sprinting away.

"Stooooooop! Stop stop stop stop!" Rin said with a laugh, having fun with the whole experience. Nico wasn't the most physically fit student however, and soon after was hugged by Rin. "Now I got you!" But Nico was able to slip out of her grasp, running off again. "Hey, come back!"

"Whatever, you'll never capture me…! W-w-w-whoa, holy crap-!"

Rin finally frowned as she had lost sight of the Third Year. "Come on, where'd she go…?"

It only took a few minutes to find an incapacitated Nico in the alpaca's den.

The Idol Study club room was like nothing they would've imagined. Filled head-to-toe with Idol merchandise and posters… In Maki's ever-so-kind words, "It's like an otaku's room."

"Hey! Don't compare me to some gross otaku! I'm a cute Idol fan!" Nico shot back.

"Look at the A-RISE posters!" Kotori said.

"Aren't they the School Idols from Akihabara?" Asked Umi. "I never would have imagined a room like this was in our school…"

Nico fumed, her cheeks puffing. "Can you please not look at my stuff?" Meanwhile, Hanayo looked like she was going to cry. "I… Is this… is this really…?"

"Hey, careful, that one is REALLY valuable!" Nico yelled when she noticed what she had set her eyes on.

But Hanayo looked as excited as ever. "Is this really the 'Legendary Idol Legend' complete series premium edition DVD box set!? It's the first time I've met someone who owns this! You really do love Idols with all your heart!"

"Well, you… don't say…" Nico was a bit caught off-guard by the flattery, she wasn't used to receiving it. 「Circus」remained summoned, silently eying the Idols from the corner of the room.

"This is amazing!" Hanayo complimented her further. "I love this collection! I can't believe I'm actually looking at Legendary Idol Legend with my own two eyes!"

"I… I guess so! I mean- yeah! It is an amazing collection!"

"Ah… what the heck is that?" Honoka asked, almost immediately regretting the question.

"How could you even ask that!? 'Legendary Idol Legend' was released in very limited quantities as a full DVD box set, made possible through a compromise between its production companies, Idol agencies, and the schools that featured their fantastic Idols from all over! Do you remember what I told you during the sleepover about the late 90s and early 2000s?"

Honoka tapped her foot. "Idols were treated horribly, so a lot of them started filing lawsuits, right?"

Hanayo smiled and nodded. "'Legendary Idol Legend' was basically responsible for bringing in the modern age of Idols! Both on the school and professional level, if it hadn't been for this program, Idols might never have become famous again! And its because of the following craze the School Idol Festival Association exists! We owe it all thanks to this!" Nico was impressed by her knowledge but kept it to herself. "Due to its value and rarity, it's known as the Legendary Legend of Legends, or Le-Le-Legend for short! Anyone who says they love Idols knows about this boxset."

"Y-you're scaring me a little, Hanayo…" Honoka said with a nervous laugh.

"To think you own two of these sets that sold out instantly in stores… that's so cool!"

Nico grinned. "I have my own personal box set at home, too."

"REALLY!?"

Honoka smiled. "Why don't we watch it together?"

"No! It's a collector's item!" Nico yelled. "I wouldn't dare take it out of it's box normally!"

Hanayo despaired. "Le-Le-Legend…"

"I've never seen her get so down about something like this, nya!"

Kotori's attention was fixated on something else, but Nico noticed. "Finally noticed, eh? It's Akiba Charisma Maid Minalinksy's autograph! It's not Idol related, but there's a lot of buzz about her… I bet she's gonna become an Idol one day, so I wanted to grab her autograph as soon as I could!"

"Y-you don't say…" Kotori asked with a nervous laugh.

"Kotori, do you know her or something?" Honoka asked.

"N-No, of course not!" Kotori forced a smile as she said this.

"Well, I got it online, so I can't say I've actually met her in person, either," Umi noticed that Kotori seemed relieved by that, but didn't press on about it.

"You're amazing…" Hanayo began, as Nico played with one of her pigtails with a smug grin.

"Yeah, I know. So why did you come here?" Nico asked, that grin fading. "Spit it out."

The group went quiet, before Honoka stepped forward.

"We wanted to talk about merging our clubs…" She noticed Nico's glare. "But, first, we want to talk to your Stand."

"Eh? Why me?"

"You're a Stand that can think and talk. And… we have enemies. I have fought against three enemy Stand users, with Hanayo helping me fight two," Honoka began, her expression serious. "Before anything related to school, I want to ask a few questions about Stands, if that's OK."

"You don't say…" Nico began, her look sympathetic. This had nothing to do with Idols, so she let her guard lower. "Sure. I can't promise anything on my Stand's behest, but I'm willing to answer questions too. I've had her a few months, and our knowledge of Stands are equal."

Honoka gave a small smile and nodded. "What's… your name, Ms. Stand?" Honoka asked.

The Stand smirked. "You can call me「Circus,」the most amazing Stand to ever exist!" It earned a giggle from Hanayo. Even though Kotori, Maki, and Rin couldn't see or hear or anything, they stayed quiet.

"We want to know more about Stands. So… you're a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity! Just… please, tell us more about Stands! What to expect! Please teach us, Ms. Super Amazing Stand!" Honoka begged. And sure enough, the ass-kissing worked.

「Circus」twirled a finger in her hair like her master did, before facing μ's. "Alright, I'll tell you some things you probably didn't know!" Umi took out a pencil and notepad. "You could probably figure it out by now if you got in fight, but for most Stands, damage reflected on the Stand or the user reflects on the other! If your Stand has a leg cut off, you'll lose your own leg too… so don't just treat us Stands like garbage in combat, OK? We're not toys you humans can use to fight! We're reflections of you humans… your hopes, your dreams, the 'real you' you keep secret from everyone else… we are manifestations of your souls! Just because you can use us doesn't give you a right to treat us like garbage!" The girls nodded, both Honoka and Hanayo summoning their Stands to observe them, the reflections of their souls.

"There's more than one type of Stand, too! The most common of us are Short-range Stands… Stands that can only travel a few meters from the user at most but are really good in combat and punching your lights out! They're not always the most creative kind of Stand in the world, but in combat they're usually among the best out there in terms of Destructive Power!"

"Our Stands are like that!" Honoka informed her.

"Alright! Then there's Long-range Stands. They're Stands that can sometimes travel up to kilometers from their users and usually have amazing Precision to boot! Some of them have attacks that can cover large areas as well, making them ideal for them to fight in big open spaces! But in close-range combat, they're usually kind of lackluster… rarer than them though are Bound Stands. Bound Stands basically infuse the energy we Stands are made up into real objects, manipulating or transforming them at the user's will. So, unlike the rest of us Stands, they can be seen by normal people! But they're super tough usually, with very high Durability and its usually pointless to try to destroy them. You just got to go after the user directly!" And then the Stand grinned, striking a pose. "Then there's the most amazing kind of Stand… Automatic Stands, like me! Automatic Stands aren't usually controlled by their users… you see, we have a 'command' we follow, and then we follow those orders on autopilot! Our Precision tends to be low… but we can travel an almost infinite distance without losing any power! Furthermore, damage on us doesn't inflict on our users, and vice versa!"

"Wait, if you're an Automatic Stand, then what's your order right now?" Umi asked, earning a laugh.

"That's what makes me, the amazing「Circus」even more amazing than the rest! Unlike even other Automatic Stands, I don't need to be summoned! Even if this idiot here doesn't want me to— "

"Hey!"

"I can appear whenever I want! I'm the ultimate Stand… I'm a Stand independent of my user! I have as much free will as human beings! Damage on me and Nico don't reflect on one another… It's like my own person, just attached to this lame-o!" She seemed proud of it, while Nico was visibly annoyed. That seems really bad… Hanayo thought. She and Honoka couldn't have fought Akeno and Miano with a Stand like that. "That's not to say I don't value Nico or anything… I support her and all of her goals, and I'll do anything to make sure she's recognized as a super- … That she's recognized for her genius one day," Umi noticed the Stand had cut itself off as if to protect a secret. "And of course… if Nico died, I'm a goner too. Other than that... admittingly, my Range isn't very amazing for a Automatic Stand, about thirty feet at most. Still better than any Close-Range Stand though, even if not as good as Long-Range Stands!"

The Stand tapped it's foot a bit. "That's all I can really say… Some other Stands might exist, though. We reflect a human's soul, so… theoretically, there could be other kinds of Stands. Those were just the Stands I was born knowing, after Nico was attacked by the arrow and obtained me," she replied, yawning. "I'm getting tired though, so I'm gonna go… I'll come back out if anything interesting happens!"

"W-wait!" Honoka began. "We have more quest— " but she soon vanished.

"Don't bother. She comes and goes as she pleases, I don't know how to make her come out when she doesn't want to," Nico explained. "Pain in my ass Stand, wish I never got her… Anyways, what's the real reason you came to me, anyways?"

Honoka nodded, looking at the rest. "Miss Idol Study Club President…"

"Just call me Nico."

"Nico-senpai. You already know the six of us are School Idols…"

"Yeah. I tried telling you to disband. I bet Nozomi told you to come talk to me about forming a club."

"Cool! That makes this simple!"

"I figured this'd happen sooner or later… Hmph."

"Great! Then—"

"I refuse."

"Eh!?"

"Did I stutter? 'I refuse.'"

"Nico-senpai, all we need is a place where μ's can practice. We would never even dream of asking you to give up your club…" But Nico interrupted Umi.

"I already told you, I won't do it! If you don't remember, I told you all that you're dirtying the images of Idols!"

"But we practice so hard!" Honoka said. "And we're getting better and better!"

"That's not my point! Have you even spent time building characters for yourself!?"

"… Characters?" Honoka asked.

"Yeah! Audiences come see Idols because they want a fun-filled fantasy, right? Idols create characters to make the fan's wishes into reality! Friggin' amateurs… alright, pay attention!"

And then it happened.

"Nico Nico Nii~! I'll make your heartbeat throb, Nico Nico Nii~! I'm Yazawa Nico-Nico, here to make your heart smile! Don't forget Nico-Nii, because I Nico-Need you!"

The room went silent for a second, before Nico returned to her usual expression. "Got it?"

"Whoah…" Honoka began.

"So that's…" Umi carried on.

"That's some character," Kotori commented.

"Yeah, I'm not doing that," Maki replied.

"Isn't that… kind of lame, nya?"

Hanayo took notes. "Nico Nico…"

"… I'm sorry, did you call me lame?"

"N-No! It was actually cool! The cutest character ever!" Rin said with a nervous laugh. And as the girls went on talking, Nico's annoyance kept building.

"If nothing else, we do have to work harder to please the audience," Umi said.

"I expected nothing less from you, Nico-senpai!"

"Alright!" Honoka replied. "I could do that too! And…"

"Get out."

"Huh?"

Nico glared at her juniors. "We're done here. You girls don't have what it takes to be Idols, and you never will!"

"Hey!" Rin replied. "We are—"

"Hopeless! All of you! Which is why… I won't stop my online assault!" The eyes around the room widened. "I won't' rest until you all quit!"

Honoka objected. "Hold on! We—"

"Get out!" And Nico shoved them out of the room, ignoring their pleas. "And don't come back!" And the door slammed in their face, locking a moment later.

"… That didn't go well…" Honoka replied. "Nico-senpai…"

"I had a feeling she might be like that," Nozomi replied, coming out of the hallways nearby.

"Tojo-senpai!"

"She was a School Idol!?" It was quite a shock to μ's, to say the least.

"Yes, back when we were first years. She formed a group with some of the girls in our class," Nozomi explained. But none of them are doing it anymore… that was the original School Idol Club, which then rebranded into the Idol Study Club."

"So why is she being such a butt to us!?" Honoka demanded.

"Did she quit?" Kotori asked.

"No… everyone except her quit. Her standards for being an Idol were probably too high for them. So, they all dropped out, saying they couldn't handle her demands… Its quite possible she's actually envious of all of you. Maybe in a way it's a compliment… if she can criticize you all so harshly, it means she's been watching you closely," Nozomi said before heading off.

And so, the rest also began to depart, with the Second Years taking out their umbrellas and opting to walk home together.

"I guess Nico-senpai has a lot of problems on her own end…" Kotori started.

"True enough," Umi said. "With her high standards, I don't think we'll ever be able to impress her. And she seems hellbent on ruining our image… I don't think we're going to be able to get to her."

"Are you sure about that?" Honoka asked. "The way I see it, Nico-senpai loves Idols, right? And… she's taken an interest in us, right? I think… everything is going to work out in the end," Honoka declared. "So… we have to figure out something!"

"Oh wow, how specific of you…" Umi teased.

"Well, it's hard to put into words!" Honoka defended herself. The three saw a pink umbrella in the distance. "Is that… Nico-senpai?"

"Probably, but she'll probably run away if we go after her…" Umi mused. Honoka went quiet, before her eyes widened.

"I got it! Umi… she's like you!"

"L-Like me!?" Umi retorted, offended.

"Yeah! When we first met! Don't you remember how shy you were!? She's just like that!" And they remembered those incidents, when they were young and playing, Umi hiding behind that tree.

"How does that have anything to do with the current situation!? I never tried to sabotage hide-and-seek back then!"

Honoka laughed. "Right?"

"… Oh, right! I follow you!" Kotori said, the two giggling.

Nico puffed out her cheek, as she listened to that conversation from the stairs outside the gate, crouched down and under her umbrella. "Who do they think they are, acting like girlfriends…?"

The next day was drab and rainy as well, Nico silently heading towards the Idol Study Club classroom. Girls around her discussed their afternoon plans, while Nico stayed to herself. With the exception of her siblings, she had spent the better part of two years alone, and alone she would continue onwards.

So, the girls inside her classroom was certainly not something she expected.

"Good morning. Ms. President!" The entirety of μ's greeted her with a smile as she entered the room.

"Eh!?"

"Your tea, Prez!" Honoka said, bringing some warm tea towards her.

"Prez!?"

"I have this year's budget report, President," Kotori responded.

"Prez! We moved the materials scattered on this table to the shelves, nya!" Rin said with a salute.

"Hey! You can't just touch my stuff!"

Maki rolled her eyes. "Anyways, can you give us something to listen to? For inspiration?"

Hanayo held up the Le-Le-Legend box. "I-In that case, maybe we could start by watching this!"

"Huh!? Hey, don't touch my stuff-!"

"President, we would all really like to talk to you about our next song!" Honoka said.

"We want to discuss more what it means and focus on what it means to be an Idol," Umi said.

"We wondered if you had any suggestions on dance moves," Kotori said.

"You could assign us our vocals, too!" Honoka said.

Nico groaned. "You think you can break me like this?"

"Break you…?" Honoka replied. "No. We want your advice, Nico-senpai. We'd like to use Otonokizaka's Idol Study Club to help the seven members of μ's with their next song!"

"Seven members…?" Nico was quiet, looking at the smiles around her, stunned. Was this really happening? It felt like… a dream she once had. Was she going to wake up soon?

"… It won't be easy," Nico told them.

"We understand!" Honoka said. "The road to idols is really tough, so we understand —"

"No, you don't! Because you're naïve! And you! And you! And the rest of you! Because… being an Idol is about making other people smile! Don't you forget that!" Nico yelled. "An Idol who doesn't make people smile… 'has no right being an Idol!'" Nico declared with an odd determination she hadn't had in the past.

"Roger that, president!" Honoka replied. "Everyone, we're going to give it our all! Nico-senpai, do you accept that."

"I… I think… I…"

I don't want this dream to end…

"I don't accept it!"

Honoka, Nico, Hanayo, and Umi all turned over to face「Circus,」glaring at them. "Nico! Are you really going to just accept these amateurs!?"

Nico glared at her own Stand. "If they're willing to meet the standards I set, then—"

"You mean like the others from your first year!?" 「Circus」demanded, glaring. That made Nico go quiet. "They say they have the determination, but it's a temporary thing! Just a bunch of amateurs that are going to let you down and hurt you!" Honoka gasped at the insinuation.

The Stand is worried we'll hurt Nico? If a Stand reflects the soul…「Circus」is afraid for Nico's wellbeing? Honoka was beginning to piece something together with all the new information she had learned last night. Is it possible… when Nico obtained her Stand, did she want someone to protect her from being hurt again? Is「Circus's」duty to prevent her pain?

"I won't accept it! I won't let you make fools of me and Nico! Nico, you can't seriously be debating this, are you!? These are just honeyed words meant to make you accept it… the moment you start making them actually live up to your standards, they'll just turn tail! You weren't pierced by the arrow just to put up with quitters like this!"

Nico went quiet. My friends two years ago said they'd commit too… she's right. Why am I even thinking about this…?

But Honoka stood up, making a declaration before Nico could reject them once more. "「Circus!」Let me prove to you that I, and the rest of my friends are serious!"

"What are you saying? How can you possible prove it?"

"「Circus!」Let me fight you!"

"EH!?" Everyone in the room gasped at the declaration, even those who couldn't hear or see what was happening.

"Allow me to show you how serious we are…! We of μ's have more determination than anyone else you can imagine! So, I will prove it… 「Circus,」let me battle you! A fight with you won't hurt Nico, right? Because you're an Automatic Stand? Then let me and my「All Star」take you on! You can hurt us as much as you can in the fight, I can take it!"

"W… why would you risk being hurt, though!?"

"Because…! I, Kousaka Honoka, have a dream! To save this school as an Idol… I must overcome any obstacle, even physical pain!" Honoka declared. "So, I will fight you, if it will mean I can prove my determination! No matter what happens…"

The events of the last few weeks had been amassing a new kind of confidence in Honoka that burned brighter than almost any passion she had ever had, which only further fueled her dream of saving the school. "No matter what happens, I won't 'run away from saving this school!'"

"I accept the challenge! Nico!?"

"… If you mean it… and you'll fight my Stand… then alright! That'll be my condition! μ's… if Honoka can defeat my Stand, I'll accept you all as my proteges, and I'll cease my online attack! But only Honoka can take part in the fight! Koizumi and Sonoda can't fight too! No… more than that, I don't want any of you to come! This is between me and Kousaka!"

"Hey, wait, that's not fair!" Maki said. "At the absolute least, we should be able to watch! If something goes wrong, only Umi and Hanayo can help her out in an emergency!"

"So, you think we're gonna try to kill her or something!? Ha… if you think me and 「Circus」are scum like that then there really is nothing more for any of us to talk about!" Nico said.

"Honoka…" Umi began. "Is this really a good idea? Choosing to fight? And… to do it alone?" But Honoka smiled.

"I got this," she said, looking out the window. The rain was letting off. "Besides, this won't be a fight to the death, so I feel comfortable with it. We have plenty of time before class… so let's do this!"

It was all of μ's, and even Nico, hoping Honoka would emerge victorious.

"I refuse to lose to a half-baked wannabe Idol," 「Circus」declared. "I'll show you what happens to amateurs in our world!"

Honoka glared,「All Star」ready to go. "I haven't lost a fight yet, and I won't start now! Not if it means fighting for my dream!"

"Have it your way, then!"

"Again, she does what she wants, so I'm not going to be doing much fighting," Nico replied. "But I will give her this," she said, handing over a bag from her backpack to「Circus」. "Other than this, I won't have any involvement in the fight!"

Honoka nodded, her Stand taking a defensive Stand… as did「Circus.」"Well… Come on, you go first!"

"Nuh uh! You're the challenger, you come at me first!"

"I… well…" Honoka said. "I don't know your abilities, so you should go first!"

"I don't know your abilities either, dumbass!"

"Well… You're the president's Stand, so fair play says you should go first! Because we're part of the Idol Study Club now!"

"The point of this is to prove you're worthy of being Nico's Idols! You're not part of this club yet!"

"If you two don't take this seriously, I'm going to class!"

That ended the bickering quickly, both Honoka and「Circus」glared, before the former charged. "Alright, then, here I coooooome!" She yelled out, charging. "Alright, let's see what you can do!"

"Don't underestimate me!" 「Circus」yelled, undoing her whip and slashing across a few times. The whip had impressive reach, much more than Honoka anticipated, slashing across her Stand before she could get into striking range. They stung pretty harshly, but… Its not that strong…! Honoka thought, looking onwards. To her they were like harsh slaps at this point. When compared to「Blue Slide Park's」and「Good Girl Gone Bad's」herculean punches, her pain tolerance had massively built up in a short time.

"That's not good enough!" Honoka declared, 「All Star」charging forward. "「Circus,」you're not that strong!"

"Waaaaaaah! T-this is bad!"「Circus」cried out, a look of shock on the Stand's face. "… That sounds about right, huh? Watch this!" Both Stand and user smirked, as the Stand took out a few marbles from the bag.

"E-eh?" It was enough to make Honoka stop, to see her enemy.

"Lanininininini~! I was hoping the pain would be enough to make you quit… but it looks like I'm going to have to up it up a bit, huh!? We always carry these marbles on me, just in case!" And「Circus」grinned, holding the marbles in her left hand as it glows. "Now, Repel!"

The marbles once held in her hand shot forward, in speeds of nearly 100 miles per hour, slamming into the Stand. Honoka thought that being physical objects they wouldn't hurt her Stand, but the blows on her Stand nonetheless rejected on her: one marble hitting「All Star's」head was enough to make Honoka fly back a few feet, rubbing her head. "O-ow! Hey, that's cheating!"

"Cheating? All's fair in love and war!" 「Circus」declared. "My power is 'gravity!' It may resemble magnetism, but my power is 'governed by the laws of gravity!' My hand, or that stricken by my whip becomes a nexus of gravity, you got it? Attract!" She yelled, the marbles returning to her hand. "Filled with the same energy we Stands are made of, even normal objects become effective weapons, not unlike a Bound Stand!" Honoka looked at Nico, who took something out of her backpack.

"I won't let her use it because I don't want to hurt you, but if you were serious… here's a secret- if the student council or a teacher found out about this, I'd probably be expelled," Nico undid a secret compartment in her backpack, taking out a small metal box; and showing Honoka several throwing knives within it. "If we really wanted to… you'd be dead! And「Circus…」why are you telling her how you work, anyways!?"

"That's not to say I'm not going to beat you down here!" 「Circus」ignored her master, preparing another blow. "Repel!"

But this time, Honoka saw the attack coming, guarding every one of the six marbles as they slammed into her Stand… and wincing at the pain in her arms, but thankful it was nonetheless all blocked. And she charged forward, ignoring「Circus」using her Attract power to bring the marbles. "This is in the bag!" She declared, grinning. Even though another attack at point-blank would be painful, she knew she was close enough to nonetheless end it. But both「Circus」grinned while Nicro frowned as she tossed one into the air, hitting it with her whip. "This is my victory! Because nobody in the world can withstand our power… Behold! The Center of the Stage!"

And just like back in the restaurant, Honoka and her Stand's attention was demanded to the marble, unable to look away. Neither Honoka nor her Stand could focus on her opponent, the marble becoming the center of their world. "T-this again! What is… what are you doing!?"

「Circus」grinned, landing a volley of whip slashes on「All Star,」Honoka unable to do anything to defend herself rom the Stand's attacks. "Ha! Center of the Stage is our ultimate ability… right now, the marble has become the ultimate center of 'gravity!' Attention, looks, even attacks are all directed to it… you can't do anything, can you!?" 「Circus」replied, pausing to gloat. "That's right! Right now, its your entire world! Laninininini… right now, only Nico and I can move in this nexus of gravity freely! You're completely open! Even if you had a gun and tried to aim it at Nico you would only be able to point it at the marble, and even a bullet already fired would change its trajectory towards the Center of the Stage!"

"H-hey! Dummy!"

"This is what makes me the ultimate Stand in terms of combat! You can't defend or attack, unless the 'Center of the Ring' is your target! Nobody can defeat this power, nobody!"

"Idiot! Look out!"

"When you're like this, all you can do is beg— "

But before she could continue, 「All Star's」fist connected to the Stand's face. Nico groaned, face in her palms. Its an incredible power, but it only works for roughly five seconds! Well... to 'us' it feels like five seconds! She always forgets that!

"… O… Oww…"

"Alright!" Honoka said. "Now that I know how your powers work, this is going to be a cakewalk! So, get on up! You're not a bad guy, so I won't hit you while you're down!"

"I… I… I-I-I give uuuuuuuuuuup!"

There was a silence. "W-WHAT!?" Both humans yelled, looking at the Stand, who raised her hands in defiance.

"I-I give! J-Just don't punch me again, that really hurts!" 「Circus」begged, much to her user's annoyance.

"Idiot! It's a punch! Of course, it hurts! Why did you drag me to this fight if you were going to give up after one hit!?"

"I-I didn't think she'd get a hit on me! That hurts a lot! Am I bruised!?" 「Circus」asked, as Honoka withdrew her Stand.

"So… I won…?"

「Circus」went quiet, before facing Honoka. "Human, you've proven your determination! Even in the face of pain and hardship, you don't give up! If you had run away upon being hit by those marbles I wouldn't give you another second thought, but you did, and those words you spoke… So… I…" and the Stand paused, before smiling. "I accept you as Nico's proteges! As long as you promise to listen to her and become great Idols and promise never to abandon her in her hours of need," Nico was shocked to hear the words, to hear her Stand actually care for her well-being. "I'll accept you as our juniors!"

And Honoka smiled. "And I'm happy… I'm happy to be an Idol under Nico-senpai's training! And I'm happy to have another ally Stand, too!" Honoka said with a smile, before facing Nico. "I… I'm really looking forward to being friends, Nico!"

"Friends…" Nico's expression went solemn, approaching Honoka slowly, before smiling.

"It's not going to be easy… I'm going to drill what it means to be an idol into all of you, got it!? If you even think of slacking, you'll have to fight「Circus」again, this time using knives!"

Honoka grinned, extending her hand, and smiling as Nico accepted her handshake, before pulling her into a hug.

"H-hey! Let go of me!"

"I'm sorry! I'm just so happy noooooooooow! Umiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii! She said yes! She said yes!"

「Circus」watched, still smiling as she faded from existence. We're going to have to fight the 'Arrow Hunters' soon, I bet… She thought. Becoming Honoka's ally meant sharing her enemies as well. But Suzuki would have come for us anyways… now we don't have to join up with them, she thought.

Having some good friends on our side… sounds nice, too.

Stand profile: NICO YAZWA

Stand Name: Circus

Namesake: Britney Spear song of the same name

Type: …? Automatic Stand…?

Stand Cry: None

Appearance/Personality: Circus appears as a feminine figure wearing a woman's red ringleader outfit. It wears a red jacket over a black corset, a skirt, long black leggings and high heels. The Stand has long black hair (similar to Nico's own hair when not in ponytails) and wears a stereotypical circus ringleader's hat. The Stand has red eyes and appears to be wearing red lipstick, with a black star over its right eye. The Stand's skin is pink. It also carries a whip, necessary for the bulk of its true abilities to be used.

Circus has been shown to have a completely independent and unique personality independent of Nico's will, even able to summon itself freely without her permission, much to its user's annoyance. Much like Nico, Circus is shown to crave attention and enjoys to be the center of the stage. It has been shown to butt into conversations and insist on its talents as a "super Stand" (much like Nico's old claims of being a "super idol"). It essentially acts like Nico once did before maturing, around her family, constantly: to the point even Nico found herself sick of her Stand's personality often. It also had a tendency to disobey Nico's orders in favor of following its own desires.

In essence, Circus' personality can best be described as a more annoying version of its user.

Abilities-

• Gravity Manipulation: Nico and「Circus」both claim that the Stand's power functions in accordance with the theory of gravity. Something touched by「Circus's」whip or left hand becomes a "nexus of gravity" the Stand can control, allowing it to "Attract" or "Repel" the item or person at speeds up to 120 miles per hour with Nico choosing the velocity an object travels, often opting for about 100 MPH. Simply put, gravity either pushes it towards an opponent, or gravity directs the object back to「Circus's」left hand. Furthermore, objects infused with this ability become capable of harming other Stands while it remains a "nexus of gravity."
  • Center of The Ring: The ultimate form of Nico's ability to "attract" can manifest itself in the form of an ability dubbed by Nico as "Center of The Ring." This ability creates a very powerful area of effect where all "attention" is drawn towards a single target. For a range of 20 feet, everything gravitates towards a target. People will be forced to focus on one thing and ignore everything else, Stands will be unable to attack anything else, and even attacks will gravitate: if a knife is thrown or a bullet is fired from a gun, it will change its trajectory in order to attack the target instead of whatever it was meant to attack. Only Nico and her Stand is immune to this effect, allowing them to escape or attack at will without fear of retaliation: although this ability only works for a few seconds ("five seconds," in Nico's perspective).
• Prehensile and extendable whip: Circus' whip initially has a reach of roughly seven feet natrually but can increase itself to up to 20 feet at will. Likewise, it is completely prehensile in the hands of「Circus」, allowing it to be used as another hand of sorts.
• Lack of reflective damage: Due to「Circus's」nature as an Automatic Stand, damage reflected on Circus does not reflect on Nico, and vice versa.

Stats-

• Destructive Power: D
• Speed: C
• Range: B
• Precision: D
• Durability: C
• Development Potential: A

Next time on Honoka's Bizarre Adventure!

Chapter 9: Who Is The Center Of The Stage?

Chapter Text

Previously on Honoka's Bizarre Adventure!

Nishikino here. Since us First Years joined, we of μ's had had a lot of problems. Not only were there complicates relating to an arrow and some of us awakening as 'Stand users,' but we had a lot of problems trying to become an official club.

That's when we met Yazawa Nico, who was not only an admirer of School Idols for years, but also another Stand user. But after convincing her to join after Honoka-senpai had a brief fight to her,  μ's is now finally an official club, integrated into the Idol Study Club.

Man, I didn't sign up for all this…

"Um…"

Kousaka Honoka would not have described herself as a shy person. But it turns out that when a camera is being aimed at you, sometimes even confident people freeze up.

"Come on, smile for the camera," Nozomi encouraged.

"Strike a pose, nya!" At this encouragement Honoka struck a pose with her left fist on her hip and balling her right hand into a fist by her chest… and the most awkward smile in the world to accompany it.

"This is Kousaka Honoka, the leader of μ's- Otonokizaka High's School Idol group… Yes, her," Nozomi said, sounding as cheerful as ever.

It was the beginning of a hectic day for μ's, to say the least. Still though, Rin smiled as Honoka finished posing for the camera, a smiling Nozomi next to her.

"Um, what's going on…?" Kotori asked, approaching the First and Third Year. But Rin didn't answer her, instead turning the camera back on.

"Let's see, next is… Umi-senpai!" It took the Second Year a few seconds to realize what was going on, flustered as she noticed the camera pointing at her.

"H… huh!? Wait, what are you doing!?" But Rin just zoomed in more, further annoying Umi. "I-Its rude to film people who aren't aware! Stop that!"

"Ooo, Umi-senpai is scary like that~!" Rin teased, while Nozomi just kept on her demeanor.

"I'm sorry. The student council wants to make videos about all the school's clubs, as well as their members, so we want to interview you all," Nozomi explained. "And now that the Idol Study Club has expanded, I thought it'd be appropriate to make a video about the rest of you as well," Nozomi explained… even if Eli was opposed to it.

"Doesn't that sound awesome!?" Rin asked. "I wanna be interviewed, nya!"

Nozomi giggled a bit. "With School Idol popularity on the rise, I felt this would be a good thing for μ's," Nozomi explained. Honoka still didn't understand why Nozomi supported them so much when Eli did not, but she was happy to receive it. "Filming you just seems like the natural solution."

"I-I don't like it! I would rather not be filmed at all!" Umi declared.

"Interviews…" Umi turned her attention to Honoka, who was practically fawning over the idea. "Such an Idoly thing to do!"

"H-Honoka? Get a grip!"

"Oh, come on, Umi-chan! You gotta be cool with it! This can be huuuuuuuuuuge for us! Everyone who watches it will remember μ's!"

"Honoka's right," Kotori went on. "It'd be silly of us to refuse."

"Nozomi-senpai said we could even borrow the camera, as long as we agree to do the interviews!" Honoka said, fist bumping the air. "We gotta make it a great video!"

"And that way, you can shoot a promotional video," Nozomi explained.

"… A what now?" Umi groaned at Honoka's question.

"A PV, Honoka!" Rin said. "The only PV of μ's only has you three. The rest of us need to be in one, too!"

"Ohhh!" Honoka replied. "Ya know… we still don't even know who took that video of us…" She admitted. "I thought for sure it was Fumiko, but she denied it. I really want to thank them, you know?"

"… Speaking of songs, Umi, didn't you say its time you started working on a new song?" Kotori asked.

"E… eh?"

"Come oooooooon, Umi-chaaaaaaaaaaan!" Honoka pestered on, earning a sigh.

"Fine! I'll start writing something for all seven of us," she said, much to Honoka's joy.

"Huzzaaaaaah!" She was so excited, even「All Star」materialized to show her joy, jumping around. Nozomi forced back a frown, smiling as if nothing was wrong at all, and happy Eli was not around. Honoka… She began to think.

"I'm gonna go tell the rest of the club the great news! See ya around, everyone!"

You must learn to be more careful, if I was your enemy…

"This is like, totally the best news ever! This is gonna be the best!"

You'd probably already be dead.

"This is the worst! How could you take a video like this!?"

Honoka practically despaired as she watched the secret recording of her at her class, looking bored as she tried to sit through the lesson, barely awake.

"Although she's a School Idol, she is still a student. Unlike professional Idols, she is not allowed to take classes outside her normal time, nor is she allowed to leave early," Nozomi narrated, as Honoka was asleep at her desk. Then, it showed her awakening, happily eating her sandwich for lunch. "Then after a hearty carb-filled lunch… the nap continues, that is, until she is caught by her teacher, which then raps up her day," Honoka's eye twitched as she saw herself asleep, her teacher waking her up and going so startled she actually fell out of her chair. "School Idol, yes. Teenager girl… absolutely."

Nozomi smiled as she saw Honoka's reaction. "This honest account of Kousaka Honoka has been brought to you from the Otonokizaka Student Council."

"A little TOO honest, if you ask me! This is like, a total invasion of my privacy! When did you film that, anyways!?"

Rin laughed. "You got that footage good, Kotori-senpai!"

Kotori blushed. "Thank you. Getting this footage in secret was really exciting…"

"What!? You filmed me!? You traitor!"

Umi sighed. "Its your own fault, Honoka. If you weren't so lazy, this would've made you look good. Maybe now you'll —"

"Look at Umi!"

"W-what!?"

The rest of μ's watched Umi at her archery practice, practicing hard. "Umi-chan looks so serious when she's practicing archery!" Honoka exclaimed, before they saw Umi look into the mirror next to her, putting on a rather… cute look. "Oooh, she's practicing her super-cute Idol smile! At least its honest!"

"A little TOO honest, if you ask me! This is like, a total invasion of my privacy! … Wait a minute…" Umi exclaimed, pausing for a minute. "… Don't you say a word," she told a Honoka who was grinning ear-to-ear, who seemed ready to say quite a few things in response before pouting.

"… Anyways!" Honoka got up, heading towards Kotori's bag. "Its only fair we get to invade Kotori's privacy too!" She opened her bag, before blinking at a photo inside. "Huh? What's this…?"

Kotori quickly zipped her bag up, giving a nervous smile as she backed up. "Kotori, what's wrong!?"

"Ahahaha… nothing wrong! Nothing at all! Nothing interesting here! Nothing's wrong, ahaha! Nothing interesting in here!" It freaked out Honoka for a bit… but Nozomi spoke.

"Once we're done filming, we'll have all the clubs check their footage… then they can edit it however they want."

"Yeah! But if Eli-senpai sees this first, then…" Honoka frowned at the thought.

"Absolutely unacceptable! Thanks to you, our school looks like a breeding ground for slackers, now! I'll never accept you!" Eli declared in Honoka's fantasy.

"True…" Nozomi considered. "Well, good luck with that."

"W-what!? You're not going to back us up!?"

"I wish I could, but my role as vice president is limited to… moral support, really," Before she could go on though, Nico burst into the room, out of breath, 「Circus」behind her. "Oh, Niccochi. How nice of you to join us."

"Are we… really being interviewed!?" Nico asked after a few gasps of precious air.

"Yeah, she's already here," Kotori said. "We're—" but before she could continue, Nico regained her composure and took a few steps forward.

"Nico nico nii~! I'm Yazawa Nico, here to brighten your Nico-Nico day! Let me think! Uuu… My favorite food is—"

"Sorry, we don't need any of that," Nozomi said.

"Huh!?" Nico and「Circus」exclaimed.

"They're trying to capture candid footage of club members, nya!"

"Candid!? That's so stupid! It should be us at our most brilliant!" 「Circus」declared, crossing her arms, and leaning against the wall. But Nico didn't seem to mind.

"Candid, huh? OK, OK, I got it…" Nico smiled, undoing her pigtails and letting her hair fall, her hair not unlike「Circus'」now. Her entire demeanor changed in a second.

"Girl, you should always keep it like that!"

"Honestly, this is what I really look like every day. When I work as an Idol, I'm completely different. When I tie my hair up, its like I'm flipping a switch! Huh? Oh, right. You know, I don't normally call myself 'Nico…'"

When she finally looked around, the room was empty.

"Hey, where the hell did, they go!?"

"They left about ten seconds into it."

"And why the hell didn't you tell me!?"

"It was funnier this way."

"Umm… Oh boy… Someone rescue me…" Hanayo said, looking into the camera. For some reason, this was much more nerve-wracking than a Stand battle.

"Stop being nervous, Kayochin! You'll be just fine!"

"We'll be editing the video, so take as much time as you need…"

"R-right…"

"And Maki-chan! You need to get involved as well!" Rin replied, Maki twirling a finger in her hair.

"Yeah… no."

"If you're really against it, we won't force you to do the interview…" Nozomi winked at Rin, who then nodded and rose her camera."

"Maki over there is the only member who refused our interview request… When not working as your school idol she's your typical impressionable, and rather moody 15-year-old girl. It's perfectly natural for her to—"

"Hey! I said I'm not doing it!" Maki said as she stormed over, hand quickly covering the camera.

Before long even Maki caved though, standing alongside the other First Years as they were interviewed.

"To start, I'd like to ask what you all find most appealing about being an Idol… how about you, Hanayo-chan?"

"M-me!? Well… umm… i-its like… Oh boy…"

"Kayochin has loved Idols ever since she was a kid!" Rin answered her. "She loves the singing and the dancing!"

"Y-yes, that's right!" Hanayo paused. "Also… because…" She took a breath. "… My mama would have been an Idol if it wasn't for me," while Rin knew this story, Nozomi and the rest of μ's seemed rather surprised. "I… I wasn't a planned pregnancy, but my mama had me and loved me every step of the way! So, I… I want to make her proud of me! I want her to see me dance and sing and be proud of it!"

"And that's why you became an Idol?" Nozomi asked.

"Yes. Both for my own love of Idols… and my love for my mother! Those are what drives me as an Idol!"

Maki was the one most stunned by the revelation. The second years started this to save the school, Rin seemed to want to do it to support her friend and prove something to herself, but…

… Why was Maki doing all of this, anyway? It wasn't for her parent's approval, that was for sure. If anything, she knew this would be a problem; if her parents found out… well, her mom would be apathetic. But her father?

He would probably demand she quit. So why was she here, when she acted like she was so above it all?

"… Maki-chan?"

"H-huh?"

"What do you find most appealing about being an Idol?"

"I… I… ah… erm…" Maki wasn't used to being like this, speechless. She narrowed her eyes at the funny face Honoka was making, covering the camera once more upon noticing Hanayo laughing. "Stop doing that! You too, Kotori-senpai!"

Both girls giggled. "Sorry, you just looked so tense, I just wanted to lighten it up a bit!"

"You're going to give everyone the wrong impression of us! You're gonna make μ's look like a bunch of idiots!" Maki snapped, earning a smile from Honoka.

"Maki-chan… do you actually care about μ's' image?" Honoka teased. "You sound like you actually care about μ's, Maki!"

"I… I don't! I don't care about this! I… I just…"

Was that her answer, deep down?

Do I do this because I care about μ's?

She blushed when she saw the camera back on her. "Stop filming me!"

"After a full hour of dancing… the girls are finally taking a much-deserved break. They're all drenched in sweat and out-of-breath, but nobody is complaining," Nozomi later said, recording the group as they performed.

While most of the day observing μ's made them look like lazy slackers, it was during practice that they truly shined. While only Kotori nailed it down to a T, they gave nothing less but their absolute all while practicing, giving the group just the image that they needed. This was it; the footage that would make μ's look good.

"So, that's it, right?" Maki asked Nozomi, wiping off sweat with a towel.

"Indeed, but… if I may ask, shouldn't practice be conducted by the group leader?"

"Well…" Maki began. "We don't—"

"Alright, everyone! After our break, let's go over our group choreography, step-by-step," Umi commanded the rest of the Idols, giving instructions and taking full command of the practice. "Be sure to review outside of practice, too!"

"… Huh…" Maki blinked as she thought about it. The group leader should be taking the lead, right…?

"Moooooooooom! Seriously, it's not gonna be that long! You don't have to overdo it like this!"

Nozomi and Rin had come to Homura to interview Honoka's family, but it wasn't going as planned to say the least. "It's the principal of it!" Mrs. Kousaka assured. "If I'm going to be on camera, I want to look my best!"

"Come on, mom! Its not like you look any different with makeup on or not…"

That earned her a box of Kleenex to the forehead, much to Nozomi's and Rin's amusement. "O-Owww!"

A small interview later and they made their way upstairs, Honoka smiling as they made to Yukiho's room. "Yukiho! Are you there? I want you to…" and the three were at once greeted to Yukiho trying to tie a belt around her waist as hard as possible.

"Just… a little… tighter…!"

And the three proceeded to, quite bluntly, hightailed it before Yukiho even noticed them, making their way to Honoka's room.

"I asked my dad if he wanted to do this too, but well…" Honoka pursed her lips. "He just kinda waved. He's not much of a talking guy…"

"Hmmm… so, does μ's meet here often?" Nozomi asked.

"Yeah!" Rin asked. "Well, mostly Kotori-chan and Umi-chan, there here all the time!" Rin went on. "They also have lots of snacks!"

"Only Japanese sweets though," Honoka said with a nervous laugh. "What I'd give to have those chocolate peanut butter cups here…"

"Hmm…" Nozomi looked over a notebook. "Is this where you write down your lyrics?"

"Yeah, this is where Umi-chan keeps them!" Honoka proudly declared.

"Umi…?" Nozomi asked, confused. Honoka doesn't write the lyrics?

"Yeah! Umi-senpai comes up with most of our lyrics!" Rin explained.

"And your choreography?"

"That's what Kotori does!" Honoka explained.

"So… what do you do, Honoka?" Nozomi asked, wanting to know what the leader of μ's actually did to contribute.

"Well…" Honoka paused. "I eat a lot… I watch TV… I watch videos of other Idols and think about how cool they are… oh! And I give lots of support, too!" Honoka said with a smile.

It didn't really encourage Nozomi any, to say the least. "Honoka… why are you the leader of μ's?"

"… Eh?"

"I should have thought about this immediately when our clubs merged…" Nico announced, once all of μ's met in their club room. "Who is best suited to be our leader? Who's going to be our center?" She announced, eyes narrowed.

"I still wouldn't mind if it was Honoka-chan…" Hanayo said quietly, but Nico shook her head.

"No way! That interview made it painfully clear she's not fit to be our leader," Nico announced. "This girl is just not leader material."

"Yeah, true fact," Maki agreed.

"Wait a minute—" Umi began.

"We don't want our PV to suffer because of it."

"The PV?" Kotori asked.

"Understand that if we change our leader, we change who stands in the center. In our PV, that spot is reserved for the leader," Nico explained.

"Makes sense," Maki said, and Nico smirked.

Now's my big chance!

Nico flipped the whiteboard over, with notes written all over it. "You know…! The leader must be charismatic, and liked and well-respected by the group! An excellent leader must be passionate to inspire everyone else! She must also possess an open-mind to be the pillar of the group! And the only one here, the sole member, who has all of these qualities are…" Wait for it! Next, they'll be begging me to—

"… Umi-senpai maybe?" Rin suggested.

"W-w-w-what!?" Nico almost fell over in shock.

"Me!? The leader!?" Umi exclaimed.

"Yeah! I bet you'd be a great leader, Umi-chan!" Honoka encouraged. "Why not?"

"And you're OK with this, Honoka?" Umi asked.

"Why wouldn't I?" Umi stared at confusion at Honoka.

"Y-you're about to lose your own position of leader! You might lose your position as the center!" Umi said. "And you're the one who began all this!"

"Oh… oh well!" Honoka said, still grinning. "I mean… I'll still be a member of μ's, won't I?"

"H-Honoka! Again! You'll lose the center!" Hanayo exclaimed.

"Hmm… whatever!" It shocked the entire room, even those who knew her best. "I don't really care about that stuff!"

That's why you can't be the leader! Nico thought to herself.

"I… I can't do it, I'm sorry," Umi said.

"So much for that…" Maki suggested.

"What about Kotori-senpai?" Rin suggested.

"She seems more like a secondary leader," Maki responded.

"And I think an upperclassman should be the leader…" Hanayo admitted.

This is my chance to take it back! Nico thought with a grin. "Well, if I must, I must…"

"I still think Honoka is the best choice," Rin said.

"Well, if I must, I must…"

"I still think we should get Umi-senpai to take command," Maki persisted. Nico's smile faded.

"If I must, I must…"

"Maybe we should vote on it?" Hanayo suggested.

Having had enough, Nico grabbed a small megaphone she had won from an Idol-related giveaway. "WELL IF I MUST, I MUST!"

"… So, what are we doing?" Maki asked, ignoring Nico.

"Good question…" Rin said, tapping on her chin, also ignoring Nico.

Her patience fed up, nonetheless, a devilish idea came to Nico's brain.

"Karaoke!" Nico proclaimed to the rest of the club.

Not even an hour later μ's had gathered into a karaoke room, one often visited by Nico. Even though her Idol days had ended two years ago, Nico still enjoyed singing and dancing to feel closer to the Idols she loved so much. "We're going to settle this through song and dance! Whoever is the best will take the center spot in the video… we'll let talent decide who our leader is!"

"I don't know, I've never been good at karaoke…" Umi said. "It makes me nervous…"

"Yeah, I'm not a fan either," Maki replied.

"That's just fine!" Nico replied. "You don't have to do it… you're just forfeiting your right to be the center!" And she kneeled and turned around, chuckling as she looked into her notebook. Little did they know… this song is my specialty! It's a really hard song for people new to karaoke, but… It's my favorite song! I can easily score high on it… this is in the bag!

"Alright, everyone! You ready!?" She groaned at noticing them goofing around. "Hey! This is serious!"

But things didn't go quite as Nico expected.

"Thank God that's over…" Umi said as she finished her part, her score soon coming up at 93.

"You did great, Umi-senpai! Nya!" Rin encouraged, the rest of the girls applauding.

"We all scored over 90, thanks to our daily practice routine," Kotori observed.

"I never noticed it, but we're all improving a lot!" Rin admitted. "All of our singing strength is good! Even though Honoka-chan scored just a bit lower than the rest…" Honoka stuck out her tongue and laughed a bit.

Nico wasn't quite so amused, looking up from her magazine. "These girls are… hardcore…"

But she was still undeterred! "Next up is dancing! We'll be playing on this machine, on Apocalypse Mode Extra! This isn't gonna be a cakewalk like the last part!" She grinned before noticing Honoka, Kotori, and Rin distracted by trying to win a prize from a claw machine. "I-I said this is serious, you idiots!"

"I know I'm athletic and all, but dancing isn't my strong suit…" Rin admitted, making her way over to the machine, wanting to get the poison out of the way early.

And of course, this is my best song! I got worried on the karaoke for a second… but this is different from our usual dancing! There's no way these amateurs can—

"I cleared it, nya!"

"…"

And once again, everyone scored high. Rin didn't do as good as the rest, but her singing score was up there! Everyone scored high, around her level… "These girls… they're hardcore!" Nico muttered under her breath in despair.

But still, there was one ace in her sleeve. One she was sure nobody could beat her out!

"This next test will be on our auras! There is nothing more important to us Idols than charisma! Yes… even Idols who can't sing or dance to save their lives can sometimes draw in large audiences! And its because of their charm and charisma! So, we'll be passing these out to prove our worth! That something in them that just attracts people!" Nico said with a grin. "Whoever can hand out the most fliers in an hour has the strongest aura!

And back when it was just three of us when I was a First Year, I was a pro at this! This time I'll win for sure! I will be the center, just like back then! With my unmatched Nico smile… Nico wasted no time running up to a man, making her signature smile and had gesture. "Nico Ni~! Can I please give you this flier~?" But the man kept walking off… until she grabbed his arm, frowning. But then regained that smile. "… Nico Nii!"

But in the end, there was only one clear champion, within only twenty minutes of the competition. "Thank you, sir!" Kotori replied, giving away the last of her fliers.

"Kotori, you're amazing!" Honoka replied.

"You really gave them all away?" Rin asked.

"Yeah! I ran out before I even noticed…" Kotori replied, much to Nico's dismay.

What the hell are these girls made of!?

"We're right back where we started…" Maki replied, the rest back in their group.

"Rin scored low on her dancing, but Kotori had a low karaoke score, but she passed out fliers better than everyone else," Umi stated.

"I guess we all have the quality of a leader," Kotori replied, smiling.

"I'm super impressed by you, Nico-senpai! You haven't been practicing nearly as much as us, but you still scored high up!" Rin said, trying to encourage her upperclassman, unaware of her deceit.

"O-oh… you don't say…"

"I still think an upperclassman should be the center…" Hanayo admitted.

"Well… if I must, I must!"

"… I still say Umi should be the leader," Maki asserted.

"Jeez, it's like I'm not even here…!" Nico said, finally giving up.

"What do you think, Honoka?" Umi asked, as Honoka tapped her chin.

"I was thinking… maybe we don't need a leader?"

"… EH!?" Nico asked. "What the hell are you talking about!?"

"Well! I was watching some Idol videos at home, and I thought… what if we took turns being the center in our songs?" Honoka suggested. "That way nobody is left out! And maybe… our next song could have all of us rotating as the center!"

"That's crazy! There's no such thing as a leaderless group that works!" Nico criticized, the rest of the room quiet.

"I think we can manage things on our own… after all, we've been doing this without a leader!" Honoka replied. Even Nico couldn't criticize that. "All of us… I want us all to be the center. Is that possible, Kotori-chan, with the dancing?"

"It might be hard… but I can do it!" Kotori replied.

"At the least, it's not impossible," Umi said.

"Songs like that do exist…" Maki replied.

"Then it sounds perfect to me! Everyone gets to sing, and everyone gets to be the center!" Honoka replied, as everyone looked around.

"I guess it can't be helped," Maki said.

"I can have my own solo, nya!" Rin said.

"D… Do I get one too?" Hanayo asked, before everyone faced their club president. For the first time that day, Nico's smile was genuine.

"Alright… but make sure my part is cool, OK?"

"Alright, now that that's settled, let's get to practice!"

"Can we really do this without a leader, though?" Kotori asked, as the group headed to the rooftop, Honoka racing ahead.

"I think we already have one… even if she doesn't realize it. After all, she made this big decision for us," Umi said with a chuckle. "Never distracted by anything, unwavering, absolute in her pursuit of that which she loves and her dreams. She sets her mind to something that captivates her interest no matter what… Honoka might be the only one on earth with these qualities," Umi said. "Even if she's not a traditional leader, she's our heart and soul. Even if she doesn't stand in the center."

"Strong enough to overcome anything, even in the wake of physical pain…" Hanayo said, remembering their fight against the delinquents.

"Able to drag people out of cynicism to become part of something again…" Nico admitted.「Circus」manifested behind her, giving a nod in response.

The reason Nico can move forward again,「Circus」thought. Even though I'm the most amazing Stand in the world with no peer… Kousaka Honoka, I'll follow you as well.

"She's so energetic, it goes to you as well!" Rin replied. "Like its overflowing out of her!"

"I feel safe with her," Maki replied. "I feel like… she could save me, if something bad happened."

"My best friend," Kotori said quietly. "I'd follow her to the ends of the earth, honestly."

And before long, their PV was finished.

And as the video went live, μ's actions resonated among those they had touched.

If we combine our feelings together,
Perhaps we can manage somehow or another!
Our power is tiny but!
We have dreams that we want to nurture!

"I still can't believe Honoka tried to fight that man," Mrs. Kousaka said, lying next to her husband. The man was stoic as always, but he held her hand gently, Mrs. Kousaka frowning as she gently traced over her husband's scars.

"… Proud of her."

"Huh?" Mrs. Kousaka asked, looking up at her husband of few words.

"Protected you and Yukiho better than I did…" When he spoke, it was always serious, how solemn he usually was. "Don't want her to be in danger… but I'm proud."

"… Yeah… I'm proud too, love. How did people as uninteresting as us give birth to such amazing kids?"

There's so much we don't comprehend,
There's nothing like road maps in our pockets! It'll be okay even if we just progress bit by bit,
Let's stick our chests out proudly and push forward!

"So, we're fighting yakuza this time?" Miano asked Akeno, who nodded.

"Ex-yakuza. We're taking their warehouse. It's gonna be a new base, apparently. We'll have a much safer location now to coordinate the hunt for the arrow," Akeno replied, as she put on her leather gloves. "They'll have guns… but we have Stands. And they don't have support from the main organization anymore. No fear of retaliation…"

"Dumbasses. It's what they get for not being loyal," Miano scoffed. "… Speaking of which, we're not telling the boss about what we did…"

"… Emi-san is going to find out, you know she will," Akeno said. "Something about her Stand ability… I don't know what it is exactly, but we can't keep secrets from her… but fuck, we gave our word, you know?"

Miano nodded. "I'm OK with it… facing the music, you know. Are you?"

"Of course. We're not pussy First Years," Akeno said with a laugh. "God though, she's probably gonna be the shit out of us…"

"At least we'll buy those girls a little more time," Miano replied, grabbing a crowbar as her best friend grabbed a baseball bat with nails. "Come on, lets raise some hell."

What will you do when you mess up?
Why not try smiling?
With a smile, shout "Yay, yay, yay!"
We'll be fine singing with genuine and honest voices,
One, two, three, four!
Everyone, over here!

"What did you tell them?" Eli asked, facing Nozomi.

"Not much, just whatever came to mind," Nozomi said, grinning at her. "Unlike a certain someone I know… if you were to join up with them, you'd help them a lot. Think of what they could do! If you could be true to yourself— "

"Why don't you just join them?" Eli asked. "In case you forgot, I'm too busy defending Tokyo from wayward Stand users to do such a ridiculous thing!"

"This isn't about me… the cards keep saying…" The top card floated from Nozomi's deck, landing in front of her. "This is you."

Eli glared at the card. The Star. "I don't care for things like divination… My actions are based into reality, Nozomi. And with the Arrow Hunters ready to finally make their move, I have to worry about that instead."

"You should be careful, Eli, even with my support, and even with your reputation… there's only so much even the feared Cyan Stand user can do. You're only human, Elichi. Especially, if what Emi did was what I think it is…" Nozomi closed her eyes, thinking of an incident at the temple. "They might know… You need help. You're only human, Eli."

"No. I'm not. Not anymore."

SOMEDAY, someday, our wishes will come true one day!
SOMEDAY, someday, let's have faith that they'll make it one day!
There's no point in crying like that, after all,
The fun has only just, only just begun!

It was a rousing success on the School Idol Festival website, to say the least.

But the success would soon be followed by even more excitement.

"Emergency, emergency!" Hanayo yelled, running through the hallways. "S-sorry! Oh! Maki! There you are!"

"Hanayo?"

"Emergency! Hurry up, come to the club room!" She practically dragged her fellow first year into the club room, where everyone except Nico was gathered. "H-help me!"

"Hanayo…?" Honoka asked. "I… Is it a Stand attack!?"

"N-no, I mean emergency! Well… actually no, its not much of an emergency… but its important! It's been announced… it's going to happen!"

"What's going to happen!? You're freaking me out, Hanayo!" Honoka asked.

"Love Live! Its going to happen- another Love Live! Its been years… they're finally doing it again!" Hanayo explained, still barely able to believe it.

"The Love Live!?" Honoka asked, standing up. "… Uh, what's that?"

"Love Live! is the event to end all events for School Idols!" Hanayo explained, quickly getting on the website. "The top 20 School Idol groups who enter will preform in a tournament style, to decide who the best is! There hasn't been one of these since the lawsuits that almost destroyed the old, corrupt Idol industry! We've finally come far enough we can do another one… we're so lucky to be born in this time! Hold on…" Hanayo gasped. "T-they're about to stream something! Hold on!"

Hanayo wasted no time getting the stream ready as the rest of μ's (sans Maki, who was content to listen from the club's desk) leaned in, greeted to a rather energetic woman with heart-shaped glasses on the screen.

"You heard it from us, a new Love Live! will finally be undergone!" The reporter announced. "As a veteran of this industry ever since the last era of Idols, words can't describe my personal excitement for it! From what we understand, it is the Yoshida Conglomerate primarily driving the push for this tournament! We're waiting for the president of the School Idol Association… ah here he is now!" The reporter happily announced, as a man stepped up to a podium.

He was a somewhat slender man who appeared to be in his late 40s, wearing a nice purple suit with a striped shirt underneath it. His hair was slicked back and appeared to be prematurely greying; Honoka assumed it must have been the stress of whatever job he had… but what got her attention was his tie. There was a design on it that… unsettled her. She couldn't view it that well but…!

I feel… something weird…! Honoka thought.

"Introducing the president of the School Idol Festival association, and the executive director of the Yoshida Conglomerate Tokyo branch—"

"… Honoka…?" Hanayo looked back, eyes widening as she noticed the Stand aura of Honoka manifesting, as did Umi.

Something about this man was triggering a fight-or-flight response in her.

"Mr. Kira Yoshikage!"

Yoshikage's expression was serious as he took the microphone, speaking to the crowd gathered.

"It is my honor and privilege to formally announce to you, lovers of Idols, the first Love Live! in nearly a decade," Yoshikage began. "I apologize that I cannot answer all your questions today, as this briefing will be quick. However, this is no lie or joke; we are fully committed to reintroducing the Love Live back to this great nation, and the fans of Idols who have waited for many years to see another."

"Kira-san! For what reason does the Yoshida Conglomerate wish to begin the tournament again?" The reported asked.

"I would like to remind the crowd watching this that the School Idol Festival Association consists of more than just the Yoshida Conglomerate. This has been a plan of the School Idol Festival Association since it officially launched several years ago, it is just now with the Yoshida Conglomerate's immense funding that such an endeavor is possible once more," Yoshikage explained. "Ever since the Yoshida Conglomerate's investment one year ago, to create another Love Live! quickly has been a major goal as a corporation."

"Kira-san! Why does the Yoshida Conglomerate have such an interest in Idols, anyway!?"

Yoshikage seemed like he was debating answering that one but chose to answer anyways. "The Yoshida Conglomerate may be an international business, but we have always cared immensely for Japan. We know how much the crash of the Idol industry affected so many, both Idols and fans alike. We wish to play a role in the culture of our nation, helping build this industry once more. We do it for you, citizens of Japan and lovers of Idols, so that we may reclaim this part of us once lost." Yoshikage was ready to speak more, before a woman approached him, whispering into his ear. "I apologize, but I cannot answer any more questions. We apologize for how brief this announcement was, but tomorrow I will be answering an interview that I hope will reveal much more about this tournament then, and our visions for the future," with that, Yoshikage bowed to the audience. "Again, my apologies. I hope to answer many more questions soon." And as he began to walk away, Honoka noticed something.

He opened his coat, seemingly… talking to something within. Normally, such a thing would not have faced Honoka, but today…

Hanayo and Umi gasped as「All Star」fully appeared, as if ready to protect its user.

Something in Honoka's stomach was telling her something she knew in her heart.

One day, I'm going to have to confront this man.

Yoshikage Kira was an immensely successful, if busy man.

"What's the status of the Evolution Project?"

His secretary, a Ms. Asuka, walked next to him, adjusting her glasses as she read off a tablet. "We've made no new progress in the last few days. Even the diluted 'Evolution Virus' does not seem to be weakening anymore, without extreme weaknesses to the results…"

"So basically, no progress?"

"No, sir."

Yoshikage groaned. It was bad enough Stand users were appearing throughout Tokyo, his jurisdiction, and that the Yoshidas were breathing down his neck for it, but now he had no new results either. It had taken years to get the project to this point, yet his superiors, once so patient, were now demanding immediate and extreme results. What was he supposed to do? Magically produce scientific results?

He never wanted a life like this. A nice, simple, quiet life is what he had yearned for, but ever since those days in Morioh years ago, he had been roped into this. He supposed he could not complain. He was an immensely powerful man, one of the top employees of one of the strongest corporations in Japan. He lived in a lavish penthouse, had enough wealthy that even if he was unemployed, he could live in luxury for the rest of his days…

But he could not help but yearn for something quieter.

"Regardless, start the next experiment.

"Yes, Mr. Kira," Ms. Asuka said, pressing a few buttons. Underground in the Yoshida Conglomerate Tokyo HQ was different than the rest of the nation. Laws did not apply in this place. If people were to find out what happened in this bunker and secret research facility…

He only narrowed his eyes behind the one-way, bulletproof glass as he saw a man in a straitjacket and gagged, struggling against his restraints. "Do it."

Another push of the button and a door opened, a man in a lab coat approaching the man, injecting something into the neck. He tried to scream, but his restraints did not let him. He went quiet before falling to the floor, thrashing like a dead fish, trying to scream in agony. While the rest could not see it, Kira and Ms. Asuka could; the aura of power around him, and the materializing Stand above him… Stable for only a few moments before the Stand itself screamed, bleeding profusely from its eyes before it began to crack apart, blood seeping from all its wounds before shattering entirely, the man going limp immediately afterwards.

This is still better than two years ago, Yoshikage thought bitterly. But unless a 'perfect virus' is produced soon… it's impossible!

"Where are the other bodies? And how many?"

"Five, sir. We were going to incinerate— "

"Are you an idiot? You know its best to let me do it," he seethed as he walked further into the complex. Making his way into a large, secure room. And in it sat dozens of scientists, scurrying around and typing at their computers, as Yoshikage looked up. A treasure worth more than anything imaginable was in this room, and even the majority in the complex had no idea of the true worth of this object. "The first Love Live must proceed perfectly," he instructed Ms. Asuka. "It is one of the vital components of the 'World of Individuality' after all. Once it, along with the Evolution Virus are fully ready…"

He looked upward to see a large container filled with a green kind of goo, within it, one of the all-powerful arrows in suspension.

"The 'Greatest Concert,' will begin," Ms. Asuka finished. "We're working around the clock. Ah, by the way, one of the doctors killed himself from the stress and guilt of it all…"

"Replace him," was all Yoshikage said, heading to wear they kept the corpses. "Just toss his body with the rest. I'll erase it as well," he said, his Stand aura manifesting. Such complications, and so much stress…

But, if all went well, he would reclaim the quiet life he had in the days of his youth. He would be forever relieved from this burden, and he could no longer wait for that day.

But until then? He would be whatever was needed of him. Executive director, president, assassin, a loving boyfriend… and above all, a Stand user. He showed no emotion as he approached the dead innocents, kidnapped, all their eyes wide open in agony from their final moments. "I'm so sorry you have to see this, love…" He whispered into his coat, before approaching once more. "But you understand, right? One day it will be just us… but until then."

He glared at the bodies before him.

"「Killer Queen. 」"

"To think, this is how weak the former Yakuza are!"

A group of nearly thirty men had recently defected from the Yamaguchi-gumi, eager to think they had the power to take on even their former masters. Quite bold, but youth had that tendency on the weak and greedy. They had hoped that this warehouse would help them lie low until the day came to act publicly once more…

But against all odds these men, feared killers and criminals, could not stand a chance against his onslaught from high school girls.

What the fuck is this? One of the ex-Yakuza thought. He coughed blood as he writhed on the ground, noticing all his former allies were knocked out or in a similar position. Something was wrong. These girls were all freakishly strong, but nonetheless, there was something. Like an invisible power… these girls had 'powers' of some kind, and he could do nothing to fight against them!"

Emi giggled, going as far as sitting on one of the downed men, ignoring his screams as she sat on his broken back. "Honestly! None of us even got hurt… that was no fun! I was like, totally hoping for a better fight!"

"For how much the Yakuza talks about honor and shit, they're just gangsters with more numbers," Akeno said, stomping on a man who tried to crawl away. "There's nothing about them worth fearing. Men like this only rule through intimidation."

"All I'm saying is we should kill them," one delinquent girl from the shadows said, glaring. "My Stand would make it impossible for anyone to find out! Let me— "

"We are not murderers, Wakaki," an imposing voice boomed from above. "That's what makes us better than this dishonorable garbage. Don't ever say that again in my presence," even the feared 'gang killer' as she was once called shivered at her boss' voice. "We don't murder. We can cripple and break them… but I refuse to let our honor be besmirched like that."

Emi giggled. "That's Jori-chan for you! She's our boss, so we do what she says, got it?"

"Don't call me that, Shizuka…" that voice told her.

"Oh, come on! We're like, childhood buddies! You gotta make an exception for me!" She pouted, before laughing.

"It's been a while since we were all under one roof like this instead of texting," another delinquent girl said, stepping out of the shadows. "Been a while since all seven of us were like this together. So, its time to get serious for us, eh?"

"Yeah," the boss said, standing up. From the top of several old, metal storage boxes she had made her 'throne.' A simple lawn chair, but higher than anyone else. "We're going to meet up here as our base. We're going to find the arrow and make our dreams come true."

"And we even go out first leads on new allies~!" Emi sang out, taking out her laptop before looking around, seeing a few more goons burst in, armed with bats. "Eh? They don't even got guns…"

"Let me deal with them," the boss said, standing up. And then she jumped down, landing on her hands and feet.

"Ehhh? Not gonna use your Stand on them?"

"Why would I waste my Stand's power on them?" She asked, approaching the men with a glare. "I don't need to waste a power as brilliant as a Stand on people like this…"

The man took a step back. At 6'4 she towered over everyone around, muscular to boot. She wore the same modified schoolgirl outfit they all wore, but without any pins or buttons on her uniform, and a heavy, black trench coat draped on her shoulder. Her hair was short and messy, a scar under her left lip. "I don't need any help…"

"G-get the fuck back!" The leader of the goons yelled. "We… this is ours! You can't… you can't just…!"

"Tell them who I am… and why I don't need help."

Emi laughed. "The toughest of the tough, and the baddest of the bad, but with a code of honor! Despite not even being 18, she's been fighting grown adults since her early teens! A behemoth in every sense of the word! The fact you're not all pissing your pants is all we need to know you're all dumbshits!" Emi went on, before unwrapping a lollipop, taking a long lick. "One of the only few girls ever worth mentioning from that shitty school, Otonkizaka…"

The man sweated before charging forward, raising his baseball bat high. But it was a mistake to do so instead of swinging for her side, the boss easily catching it… and with a single punch he was on the floor, gasping for air. A man with a switch knife charged forward, grinning as he felt his knife seep through flesh and blood…

… but his joy ended soon, seeing no reaction from the girl. The knife was embedded into her arm, but she didn't so much scream, ripping it out a moment later. A second later the knife was in his own shoulder, followed by a punch to dive it further into him. A swipe of his legs and he was on the ground, before the girl's kneecap collided with his forehead.

"Introducing, the one and only! Otonokizaka High School Third Year student, age 17…"

The last man gasped, before charging forward. Rather than the element of surprise he screamed, swinging a baseball bat that she easily dodged. "I can tell… you weren't a combatant, were you? Probably crunching numbers on a calculator…"

In fear, he dropped his baseball bat, taking a step back. "I… I'm sorry… I… I'll leave! Please!"

"No…" The boss said, stepping forward. "When a fight begins… you have to 'finish it,' no matter what. That's one of my rules," she did not allow him to say anything more, as a powerful punch collided with his skull, the force also sending his head crashing into the wall, immediately slinking over, knocked out.

"Jori Yanigihori!"

Yanigihori narrowed her eyes, about to scold her for saying her first name first, before sighing. "I want to establish an image, Emi…"

"When we have the arrow, that stuff wont' matter! 'Cuz, nobody will fight us anyways…" Emi said with a chuckle. "Not to mention, once we get our cutest members on our side!"

"How can pansy-ass Idols be Stand users? It doesn't make sense," Wakaki asked, narrowing her eyes as Emi began to play the PV of Korekara no SOMEDAY for all to hear.

"At the absolute least… there's Kousaka, Yazawa, and Koizumi!" Akeno and Miano were glad their looks were hidden under their facemasks. "We've already known about Tojo for a while, but now we finally know the identity of our archenemy… The Cyan Stand user, Ayase Eli!"

"We should attack her in her home," the delinquent by the shadows said. "We can catch her off-guard. It's important she doesn't know we know her identity, or how she found out"

"For now, I want to focus on these School Idols, μ's," Yanigihori said. "Tojo and Ayase are experienced Stand users. I want to focus on these newly awakened Stand users. Either they join us, or we crush them, that's all there is to it. We're done being on the defense," she declared. "We know who the Cyan Stand user is now. We know all the Stand users in this school. No more hiding. No more running. Now, we attack. And we'll start off with you, Kobayashi."

One of the delinquents, Kobayashi stepped forward. Her hair was curly and messy, with her dyed streak being yellow. A drawing of an ant was on her mask, but most noteworthy about her was her large glasses, like those of an old woman. She took off her mask, revealing a freckled face and grinning. "Its finally my turn, eh?"

"Your Stand may not be good for direct fights, but its overwhelming when used as a sneak attack and against people who don't recognize it… Its perfect for you. Just keep a distance from them."

"Hehe… Finally, I get to show my worth~" Kobayashi rose her right arm, large holes appearing in it as many giant ants of the Siafu family crawled out, snipping their mandibles that could slice through even steal. After about a minute nearly thirty ants had crawled out of the holes in her arm.

"My Stand is lethal, but I have restraint… We don't murder, but crippling them for life is acceptable, right?" Kobayashi asked. "Given my Stand needs to have specific instructions to not just kill them, it's important I know the limit."

"Absolutely," Yanigihori replied. "If they don't join us, take them out of the game for good. As Idols and Stand users."

Kobayashi grinned. "Rest assured,「Worker Bees」won't let you down."

Yanigihori nodded, taking out three cigarettes and smoking them all at once. She looked at a few photos that Emi had printed up, of each of the girls of μ's. In particular, she glared at Honoka's, Nico's, and Hanayo's photos. Exhaling smoke, she decided she didn't care very much if they joined or not, although she'd prefer it. Just defeating three Stand users would send a message to Ayase and Tojo. That their time was coming, too.

Taking a drag, she used her cigarettes to burn Honoka's, Nico's, and Hanayo's faces.

Tomorrow, the coordinated offense will begin.

And that night, most of the members of μ's slept safely and comfortable in their beds, excited (if nervous for their grades) as they studied for their exams, unaware of the danger that loomed, unaware that this would mark the true beginning of the war between the School Idols of μ's and the delinquents of the Arrow Hunters.

But of all those girls, one did not sleep well.

"What do you mean you won't be able to come if we preform for the Love Live?"

"I'm sorry, Kotori, but I can't just drop everything for something like that…"

Kotori clenched her pillow, listening to her father. "That weekend was the first time I got to see you in months. I miss you, papa…"

"I miss you too, love," Kotori's father said, sighing. "You know… this has nothing to do with them, right? I'm really hoping I can take the rest of the family to Tokyo for Christmas. I want all of us to spend it together."

Kotori flinched at the thought of spending Christmas with her stepmother and half-siblings. "Its…" They had never been a normal family. Her parents had never lived together, but at least back then, he didn't have another family as well. Kotori knew she could not complain, knowing that he was a good father. Child support always paid, and always coming from her birthdays and the New Year (most of the time) and calling with her often. But it didn't make any of it less painful. "I'm sorry, papa…"

"I'm sorry, too. I know the past two years have been rough with this new job especially. I… I'm going to try to make more of an effort to see you more, OK?"

"Yeah…"

"I love you, Kotori."

"I love you, papa."

Kotori hung up first. She sighed, staring at her own reflection, still dressed in her maid outfit from her job. She tried to smile, to put on the appearance she had in Akiba, to try to lift her own spirits.

"Welcome home, master…"

It didn't work.

Next time on Honoka's Bizarre Adventure!

Chapter 10: Wonder Zone (Part 1)

Chapter Text

Previously on Honoka's Bizarre Adventure!

It's me, Honoka! I went another chapter without getting punched, alright! … Oh! Um… Well! Things are going way faster than I thought! We of µ's decided we don't need a true leader, even though that's the norm for Idol groups. We put up our new song, Korekara no SOMEDAY, and became even more popular!

More than that though, Love Live is coming! With my friends we saw a recording of the announcement but… something doesn't feel wrong.

It feels like the calm before a terrible storm. I don't want to fight anymore, I want to sing and dance, but I have the feeling that there's going to be more terrible things before then.

That before we can dance on that stage, we'll have to let our fists fly first.

"Love Live! really is just that amazing, huh?"

Honoka took a deep breath and withdrew her Stand, sighing as「All Star」disappeared. Hanayo and Umi chose not to press on right away, Hanayo returning her gaze back to the screen, once again hyper fixating on the news.

"Love Live! is the event to end all events for Idols! School Idol groups from all over the nation will gather here in Tokyo for the chance to win it all! I'm sooooo excited! They'll decide who the top group is… I had heard rumors that there would be another one soon, but I had no idea it'd be THIS soon!"

"Can't say I'm surprised. School Idols are really popular now," Umi noted, with Rin giggling besides her.

"This is gonna make everyone go crazy, I bet! It's gonna be so much fun I bet, nya!"

Hanayo quickly looked up on the most popular groups to show her friends, although she didn't need any introduction to them. "The most popular group is of course A-RISE, and right below them is LOVE PARADE. The other top rankers are Littelle Tokyo, Lucky, Hello! Hello!, and girlish season. They'll probably all going to make it unless someone outranks them before the event… I can't wait for this! I wonder when the tickets are going to go on sale!? And all the merchandise…!"

Honoka blinked. "So… you're going to see it?"

Hanayo glared at the insinuation of missing an event like Love Live! "Of course I am! It's the greatest event in the history of Idols! The fact another Love Live! is happening means the world of Idols is finally healing from the corruption that almost destroyed it years back! I absolutely can't miss it, and neither should any of us! I should talk to Nico-senpai, watching this will help us think about what we can be!"

"When it comes to Idols, it's like a switch gets flipped," Maki said, Rin still smiling.

"I love this side of Kayochin!" The orange-haired First Year declared. "So pumped and full of energy!"

Honoka gave a nervous smile. "Oh! I just thought you meant like, we should compete in it or something, you know? Work our butts off to make it up the ranks?"

Hanayo gasped, backing into the corner of the room. "Y-you're kidding, right!? This is totally out of our league! They'd destroy us on the stage!" Hanayo's demeanor became timid once more. "I-If they all had Stands, I bet they'd be able to kick our butts, too…"

"Who the hell are you, even?" Maki asked at the change of personality, Rin giggling again.

"Well, whoever she is, I sure do like her!" Rin proudly exclaimed, earning a blush from Hanayo.

"Well… we are School Idols," Kotori said. "Would it really hurt to just give it a try? In a worst-case scenario, we just don't place in the top 20, right?"

"Nonono, Kotori-chan! What you mean is we absolutely gotta try!" Honoka replied, stepping forward.

"You need a reality check," Maki replied.

"She has a point…" Umi agreed. "Based on last week's data, we're nowhere near high enough to take part. Most of the Idol groups Hanayo talked about have been doing this for one, two, maybe even three years and have dedicated followings," Umi replied, Honoka's thunder shot down to nothing. "Let's see, right now we're… w-what!?" Umi's eyes opened as she checked µ's profile. "H-hey! Check this out!"

Honoka walked over. "What? You going to rub it in my face even… what!?"

"N-No way!" Kotori replied. "W-we went way up in the rankings!"

"Are you serious!?" Maki shot up from her seat to rush over, followed by her fellow first years.

"We even got a feature in the 'Rising School Idols' section!" Kotori said, smiling wide.

"Guuuys, look at the comments!" Now Honoka was excited again. "'That's so awesome! You have seven members now!' 'I love µ's so much! I want to see more music from you all!' 'I was so happy you didn't quit after your first song!' 'I love that I can feel your hard work paying off in your videos!' 'Honoka-chan makes me want to-' … Umi, can you flag and report that one?" Umi nodded and wasted no-time doing-so. "… And look at this! 'Every time I see you all dance, my heart flutters!' It's happening! We got fans now!"

Maki walked over, leaning in. "Do you think Nico-senpai did this? What if she just got her followers to support us? That's not real popularity…"

"No, she didn't," Umi took a moment to check Nico's profile, seeing she had been inactive for a while now. "She didn't announce she was joining an Idol group… I mean, who knows if she Skypes them or anything, but I don't think she got her followers to support us. I think she wants this to be her own accomplishment…"

"Regardless, things have looked up since she stopped attacking us online," Kotori said. "Even most of the bad comments and negative ratings are gone."

"… That certainly explains it…" Maki said, starting to blush as she recollected something. "I-I'll talk about it during practice."

"Nya?"

Maki sighed as she rested on the rails of the school's roof, knowing there was no way out of this. Everyone had dressed into their exercise clothes and practically surrounded her on the roof of Otonokizaka. "The other day, while I was leaving school…" Maki remembered as those two middle schoolers approached her outside the school's gates.

"Excuse me! Can we take a picture with you!?" One of the girls had asked her, much to Maki's shock.

"N-no, sorry," Maki had said, before seeing how disappointed they now were. "Uh, well…" And sure enough, Maki had posed for pictures.

"Maki-chan, you got real fans!" Hanayo said. "That's such an honor for an Idol!"

"No fair!" Honoka replied. "That hasn't happened to me, and I was a founding member!"

"That's just how it is!" Hanayo replied. "The harsh reality is that the world of Idols is full of inequality! Some members of the same unit just become more popular than others, even if they're new."

"Still though, you've opened up a lot if you're willing to pose with strangers, Maki-chan!" She even got right in Maki's face. "Behind all that moodiness you're really nice, I bet!"

"W-who said I was willing!? I was just caught off-guard! A-and I'm not nice!" Maki snapped, her blush returning as Rin zoomed in.

"And, you're cute when your cheeks glow! Did ya know that?"

But Rin could only poke at the sleeping dog for so long, her actions earning a weak karate chop to the forehead.

"Owowowowowowwwww! Maki, that hurt!" Rin complained, Maki's icy demeanor returning.

"Yeah, well you deserved it," she scolded. "… Speaking of which where's—"

"Hey guys, you're not going to believe this!" Nico burst through the door leading to the rooftop. "I got amazing news!" She was grinning. "Now, don't pass out on me or anything when you hear this… But it's finally happening! After years of stagnation after Idols valiantly destroyed the old, corrupt industry, it's finally here! This summer! The one, and the only! The School Idol Festival!"

There was silence.

"… Love Live! Why aren't you excited!? What the hell is wrong with you—"

"We already knew that," Maki replied.

"Ah."

Of course, there was one obstacle that surpassed even making it into the top 20 for the girls of µ's. A barrier that could not be shaken through the skills of their dancing, or even the fists of their Stands. A barrier that to them was akin to an ant fighting an elephant.

The girls were dressed back in their school uniforms after practice, Honoka ready to knock on the Student Council's door.

"There's no point," Maki said, laying against the wall. "You know how she's going to respond."

Rin stuck a pose, trying to mock Eli with her tone as well. "'You want our permission? I refuse!'"

Honoka sighed. "I know but… Love Live! could be the break we've waiting for! If we competed in Love Live!, you know lots of people will be interested in Otonokizaka! It'll draw in a bigger crowd and everything. I know Ayase-senpai kind of… umm…"

"Hates our guts?" Kotori offered.

"Hates our guts, yeah. But if it's for the school I bet she'll listen!" Honoka reasoned. Nico opened a door next to Maki, scoffing.

"Ayase has always been stuck up and pretentious, even when she was a First Year! I don't know why Nozomi hangs around her so much!" Nico said. "She couldn't care less about any of that stuff! It's like they said, she hates us!"

"I don't understand why though," Hanayo said. "What did we do to make her dislike us so much?"

"Because…" Nico began. "… She's afraid I'll become more popular than she is!"

"In your dreams," Maki said, closing a sliding door on Nico before she could talk back. "Look, here's the thing. Why do we even need her approval, anyways? Why can't we just enter the contest?" Nico was about to say something from behind the door, her face in the glass, before hearing Maki.

"Getting the school's permission is a prerequisite to enter," Hanayo explained. "So, we need Ayase-senpai's approval…"

"No, that's not what I mean. I mean, why don't we just go straight to the director?" Maki asked.

"Wait, we can do that!?" Honoka asked.

"Generally, its expected we go to the Student Council to go to her… but strictly speaking, there is no rule against it," Umi said, having never thought of the possibility before. "It's Ms. Minami's approval we need, not Eli's."

"And she's your mom, so that's another advantage we have," Maki said, looking directly at Kotori, who gulped as she noticed all eyes were on her. "I say we don't even waste our time with Ayase," Maki said, heading over to Minami's office, the rest behind her. And when at the door, Honoka gulped. She had been in this room a few times, never for good reasons…

"Man, I'm getting chills…" Honoka said.

"This is no time to back down," Maki said. "If we can't even do this, how are we going to compete for Love Live!?"

Honoka sighed, knowing she was right. "I got this…" And right as she was about to knock on the door opened, Nozomi behind it.

"Oh? What are you all doing here?" Honoka smiled at seeing Nozomi's face… and said smile quickly faded as the door further opened, revealing Eli next to her.

"What do you want, Kousaka?"

"A-Ayase-senpai!"

Nico groaned. "We're doomed…"

"What's this all about?" Eli demanded. But Maki took charge, gently brushing Honoka aside.

"Excuse us, but we're here to speak with the director," Maki told Eli.

Eli stepped forward, not backing down. "Club requests to see the director must go through the Student Council."

"I didn't say we're requesting," Maki snapped back. "I said, we're here to talk to her."

"Wait, Maki," Honoka said, putting a hand on her shoulder. "She is our senior…"

"At least she has something resembling sense," Eli snapped, not even facing Honoka. Maki was about to fight back, before a knock on the door broke everyone's attention; there stood Kotori's mother, smiling at the group. "Hello, girls."

"Director!" Eli looked back. "I was just informing that in order to see you—"

"There's no need for that kind of formality," Minami explained. "I'm not busy at all. There's no reason to go through a request, just come in."

"D-Director!"

Honoka looked at the first years. "You guys sit this out, OK? Let your seniors manage this," she said with a smile, the rest nodding, although she could hear Maki muttering something about not messing this up under her breath. Eli had no choice but to stand aside and let the fledging Idols inside.

The Second Years approached Minami's desk, Nico behind them, and the Student Council looking from the side. Nozomi had a friendly smile, while Eli's glare stayed. "Now then, girls, what do you need? I'll assume this is related to the Idol Study Club, or Kotori just would have told me at home."

Honoka nodded. "We wish for the school's approval to participate in the Love Live tournament!"

"How crass…" Eli muttered. "Director, they don't even quality to participate in it."

"Love Live!… the big Idol tournament? I remember those from years ago. I heard some commotion in the hallways about it. Kousaka-san, would you are to explain the details?" Honoka couldn't help but be nervous; Kotori's mother always demanded a strong presence. Even in Kotori's house, there was an air around the woman that always demanded no nonsense at all. The second years knew they had no real advantage despite Kotori being her daughter; despite what Maki thought, they were sure she would reject them if they could not make a convincing argument.

"Love Live! is a tournament between Idols, specifically School Idols this time around," Honoka began. "As Idols grow in popularity, the demand for another Love Live was sky-high. Now another is going to happen, and whoever wins will gain a lot of publicity for their school! Everyone will know it was the School Idols of that school that won… and people will look up that school!"

"Interesting…" Minami replied. "And you believe with our school in a crisis, this can help us?"

"Yes," Umi said. "It will be broadcasted on the internet, so anyone with a stable connection online can see it."

"We believe it would be good exposure to our school," Kotori explained. "We are confidant more students will be interested in applying if we preform and they see us, especially if we do well. As long as we can enter the top 20 ranked School Idol groups registered in the School Idol Festival Association, we can participate… as long as we have the school's permission."

"I am opposed to this idea," Eli challenged, walking in front of her juniors. "It was made clear to me that we were not to sacrifice our everyday livelihoods in order to save the school," Eli said. "Is that not correct?"

"It is," was all Minami said, and Honoka felt her heart sink and looked down. "But in this case, I think we can still allow them to enter," and Honoka looked up from her feet, smiling.

"Really!?" Honoka asked.

"Yes," Minami replied, the second years and Nico smiling.

"Wait just a moment!" Eli said. "I don't understand why you're siding with them!"

"I'm not, this isn't about sides," Minami replied. "This is a case of one of our clubs preforming in an event against others. If any club, let's say our Baseball Team wished to enter a major tournament, I would allow it as well. I will recognize the Idol Study Club, a club which regularly practices dancing and other forms of physical activity, participating in the Love Live! as one of our school's clubs participating in an athletic event against the School Idols of other schools," Minami replied, Eli clenching her teeth. It's a loophole! All the students in the room realized. She wasn't allowing µ's to sacrifice their everyday livelihoods to save the school officially, but nobody would object to allowing an athletic club from taking part in a prestigious event they qualified for.

That's mama for you! Kotori thought proudly. No matter how much hardship she had ever faced, she had never once seen a single instance where her mother had been defeated in any kind of debate.

"Then… I would like to request you to allow the Student Council the opportunity to try to revitalize the school!"

Minami frowned. "I'm afraid not."

"I don't follow!"

"Really? Its common sense to me," Minami explained. "Is there any kind of tournament the Student Council can actively take part in? If so, do give me the details and I will see if you can enter," Eli clenched her fists. "You still have free reign over the open house, Ayase-san. I would encourage you to focus your efforts on that, for the time-being."

Eli stormed out without another word. "Elichi!" Nozomi tried to stop her but sighed instead.

"Hmph! It serves you right!" Nico replied, smirking. Seeing Eli knocked down a few pegs was something she had wanted to see for years and was glad she'd graduate having seen that.

"Don't think it's that easy," Minami said. "I have one condition for this," and with that they all turned back. "In addition to the fact you must enter the top 20 as Kotori said… you are not to neglect your studies as well. If any one of you should fail your final exams, even just one of the seven of you, then Love Live will have to go on without you," Minami said. "Do we have a deal?"

"… W-we have a deal! Just watch us, Minami-sensei!" Honoka assured. "Just you wait, we're gonna be just fine!" Honoka said, with a nervous laugh, heading over to a corner. "W… we'll be fine…"

Nico and Rin were also in despair as well.

"Oh God, we're doomed," Maki whispered out loud.

Once they got there, the Idol Study room became filled with excuses.

"We're sososososososososooooooooo sorry!" Honoka and Rin cried in unison, heads pressed to the table.

"Honestly, you've been this way since elementary school…" Umi said, looking at Honoka. "You're really in danger of failing, though?"

"It's just math! I have a respectable C-average in everything else!" Maki groaned at that, hiding her face in her hands. "It's just one really bad grade! That's all, just one!"

"I already know Rin-chan is super bad at English," Hanayo said with a sigh.

"We're Japanese! Why do we even have to learn this language anyways!? It's not like I'm going to America or Britain anytime soon!" Rin defended, puffing her cheek out. "I should go protest this to the director! Explain that it's just this one useless skill and I'm fine with everything else!"

Maki's eye twitched, slamming her hand on the table. "Can you please quit whining!?"

"Y-you're scary, nya…"

"What's scary is how embarrassing it'd be if we couldn't enter because you three messed it up!" Maki said. "And we were finally getting one over on that stupid Student Council president too… Hmm?" She looked over at Nico. "Weren't you panicking back there, too?"

"H-huh!? Don't worry about me… we have to enter Love Live!, so we'll pass all our tests for sure, right!?" Nico was holding a book away from her…

"That book is upside down."

"… I-It stimulates your mind to read like this!" Sure enough, every deadpan stare in the room was now directed at Nico.

"How are your grades, Nico-senpai?" Kotori finally asked.

"… Nininini… ninini…" And with a smile on her face, the peace symbols were by her face. "Nico nico nii~! Nico nii could never fail her exams, oh no~!"

"What are your grades, Nico?" Umi asked.

"… I-If I get at least an 80% on this exam, I'll be in the clear, I swear!"

"T-that's even worse than me!" Honoka replied. "I guess it can't be helped…" Umi said. "Kotori and I will tutor Honoka with her math, Hanayo and Maki will help Rin with English, and… I guess I can try to help Nico too."

"I-I said I'm fine!"

"Screw that!" Nico's, Honoka's, Umi's, and Hanayo's attention were all drawn to Circus as she manifested, tapping her foot. "Honestly, this is disgraceful! And you call yourself Idols!? How can such an amazing Stand like me belong to someone like you, Nico!?"

"S-shut up!" Nico yelled back.

"Kayochin, what's going on…?" A confused Rin asked.

Hanayo leaned in. "Yazawa-senpai's Stand just appeared. She's really mad at all of you…" And Rin frowned once more.

"I refuse to be the Stand that couldn't go to Love Live because her idiot owner was too stupid to pass her exams! So, rest assured, I'll look after Nico so you can focus your efforts on those two idiots!"

"Hey! I'm not an idiot! I'm just bad at math!" Honoka defended.

"If she called Honoka an idiot then she called me an idiot too I bet!" Rin replied.

"And it's not just her…" With a quick motion of her hand, Circus whip tied around Nico, fully constricting her.

"W-whoa! Hey! What the hell,「Circus」!? … Wait! Dontdontdont-" but her pleas were for nothing as she quickly undid her constriction, spinning Nico like a top until she crashed into the room.

"I didn't get to use this technique fighting Honoka… but from now on! Anyone who slacks off… will be subjected to extreme spinning until they puke!" Circus declared, Honoka seeming on the verge of tears while the rest looked confused.

"「Circus」said if Honoka, Nico, or Rin goof off she's gonna do that to them too," Hanayo explained to Maki, Kotori, and Rin, much to Rin's despair.

"T-t-t-that's totally not fair, nya! I don't even have a Stand, so I can't see her! That's totally unfair!"

Hanyo looked behind her, then back to Rin. "She said she doesn't care."

"This Stand stuff is confusing, but this is a good thing as far as I'm concerned," Maki said. "It just means even if they think they're safe, Yazawa's Stand will force them to study again if they goof off."

"OK then…" Honoka tried to smile to comfort her fellow idiots. "Starting tomorrow, we study our butts off!"

"Starting today you study your butts off," Umi said, Honoka's demeanor collapsing one last time.

"… Umi-chan, I can't help out today…" Kotori told her. "J-Just for today, though!"

"Oh right, your thing…" She didn't know what was going on lately, but Kotori seemed more secretive than usual lately. "And I have archery… dammit. Honoka. Do you promise you'll start studying today?" Umi's look was serious, and Honoka finally relented.

"Yeah, I'll study today. I'll do it here in the classroom too," she assured. "You two, don't suffer because of me, alright? I'll be fine, I promise!"

"I'll keep an eye on her," Circus assured Umi. "The sooner you awaken your Stand though, the easier this'll be! I mean, if it's an amazing Automatic Stand like me…"

Umi frowned. Not since the early days of when this began did the voice in her head talk to her. She had tried to contact it multiple times, and she could see other Stands, but there was no power she could summon like her friends. And she wanted that power. If what they had said about those delinquents were right, there were more hostile Stand users in the city. And no matter how hard it was… Umi wanted to be there for them. Even if it meant physical pain and despair, she wanted to protect her friends. "I'll keep that in mind."

Kotori smiled, making her way out. "Just what are you doing, Kotori? Its not like you to keep secrets," Umi asked, Kotori frowning at the question. Hanayo approached as well, needing to take a bathroom break and leaving Rin with Maki.

"Just… something private for me, alright?" She said, flashing her a smile. It was her secret, her private world. What was wrong with not sharing it with the rest of μ's? She shared everything with them, she just wanted to keep this one thing for herself and herself alone.

"Something's bothering you," she said, advancing towards Kotori. "Listen, if you want to do something privately that's fine, but… your mood. I don't know. Ever since we released the last song you've seemed out of it. Are you sure you're really OK?"

Kotori paused, before sighing. "… My dad says even if we make it to Love Live!, he won't be able to come watch us."

"… Oh," Umi frowned, giving her friend a supportive hug. "I'm sorry…"

"Umm…" Hanayo bit her lip, looking at the other two. "I-I'm sorry, I didn't mean to overhear… J-Just…"

"It's ok, Hanayo-chan," Kotori assured, smiling. "I don't mind. Its just… I don't get to see my papa much, so it… kind of hurts. I was really hoping he'd be able to come if we met up…"

"Her father lives in Hokkaido," Umi said. "I haven't even seen that much of him, and I've known Kotori since she was little."

"Did they divorce?" The moment she said that Hanayo gasped, covering her mouth. "I-I-I-I'm sorry! That was so rude, I didn't mean to ask that! P-Please ignore it!"

But Kotori kept on her smile. "No, its fine. They never married at all, actually," Kotori told her. "'Minami' is my mom's last name. Because she was raising me directly, she felt I should have her name, and he agreed. He's always lived really far away… pays for child support and all, though. Talks with me on the phone a lot, and we have Facebook and Skype too. Comes down for my birthdays too. He's far away, but he's always been a good dad," and Kotori's smile faltered, even if it was still there. "It still hurts though, and I don't see him as much as I used to…" Umi's hug didn't falter, with Hanayo walking close to her and nervously stretching out an arm, before pulling Kotori in. "When I was still a little girl, he took me for a vacation in Egypt, like he did on a vacation with his parents when he was our age..." Kotori sighed. "I just… I really hoped he would be able to come here."

"M… Maybe he could watch the stream?" Hanayo suggested.

"He will probably… but it's not the same," she admitted.

"A-Again, I'm sorry, I didn't— "

"Shhh, don't worry. I like talking about it. Not everyone knows this, its nice to let other people know," she assured, lifting Hanayo's spirits slightly. "I have to go for now though, alright? Hanayo-chan, make sure Honoka doesn't goof off, alright?"

"R-right, Minami-senpai!"

If nothing else, even if her father wasn't around, at least she had her friends and her job. A job that doubled as her own private experience, one that would help her become a better Idol to boot.

"Welcome home, master~"

Kotori loved being a maid, honestly.

And here in Akihabara, she had her own private little corner of the world. As a fashion designer she had always loved anything in Lolita fashion; and these maid outfits had always been especially cute in her design. Elegant, too!

Kotori's smile was genuine. She enjoyed this job sincerely. She enjoyed making people happy in any way she could, both her parents had commented on it in the past. Something about this place, about Akihabara just made her feel alive and confident.

Her anxiety was nowhere near as bad as Umi's, but she could not pretend that the Idol routine made her nervous. Even when they performed to that mostly empty auditorium, she was nervous. What if she messed up a step or a note? Even if Hanayo couldn't have noticed, she would.

"Have a pleasant evening, master~" Kotori smiled, waving as a few guests left. Still, to think she'd have a reputation as a 'Legendary Maid' was something else entirely! She giggled as she thought of her alias, Minalinsky. She had wanted something that sounded foreign and exhausted, and so far, it had been a success! It felt like some kind of dream; this couldn't really happen, right? Even becoming a School Idol felt less surreal than working at a maid café. Even more surprising that she was really good at it, and that people were coming just to see her! To think, Nico had even bought her autograph online!

"Can I take a picture, ma'am?" One customer asked, earning a laugh from Kotori.

Kotori giggled. "I'm sorry master, but pictures are strictly forbidden! I can only hope that Minalinsky-chan's presence will be reward enough to make up for it, master," and she bowed. That was a crowd pleaser, along with her smile.You do this for µ's, she told herself. And that wasn't a lie; she did this primarily because she thought it would help her become more confident as an Idol, and she thought it was working. If it hindered her as a member of µ's she would quit. But still… there was no harm in enjoying your work, she reasoned. It made her happy, helped her, and made her money as well. Of course, she had to keep it a secret from even Honoka and Umi… and especially her mother. She knew her mother would never approve of this, no matter how much she would argue for it.

She sighed, shaking her head. Nonono Kotori, don't think about that right now, she told herself. You have work to do. If you stop smiling, you'll be letting everyone down! She told herself. The stress was piling on-and-on. µ's in danger of not being able to participate in Love Live!, the danger of their newfound Stand-wielding enemies, and now this with her father. You knew he probably wouldn't be able to come, she told herself. You have no right to be upset about it. You need to suck it up, for him and everyone else!

But scolding herself didn't actually do anything except pile on the worry, Kotori struggling to maintain her demeanor as a maid as she continued. The customers didn't seem to notice much, happy to be weighed on by such a cute girl, but her coworkers did.

"Are you OK, Ko-Minalinksy-chan?" One of her coworkers asked her once Kotori was on her break.

"I'm fine, I'm fine," she tried to assure. "I'm just having a few problems outside of work. I'm sorry for letting my performance drop…"

"Hey, don't sweat it. If you need some time off why don't you talk to the manager then me? I could use some extra hours," her coworker offered, smiling. "You're also busy with all that Idol stuff, aren't you? There's no way I could do this if I was doing all that too!" She said to boost her spirits, earning a small smile from Kotori.

"I… I might think about that," she felt bad she had to basically abandon µ's during such a critical time as it was. Could she really neglect work as well? At least the day was almost over. She really needed a good night's sleep, to go sleep in. Maybe give her dad a call.

But work was work, and she took a deep breath and smiled as she headed back into the cage, ready to greet the café's guests, the honorable masters of the household!

"Welcome home, master~" she said, her eyes closed and not paying attention.

"… Kotori-senpai?"

Her eyes snapped open at the sight of Nico and Hanayo in front of her, their eyes wide.

"I… I… um… ah."

Oh, well. Uh.

Oh no.

"… And that's the story."

Kotori sighed as she sat at the opposite end of the table. They were willing to wait until the end of the shift to speak to her, and Kotori knew she couldn't blow this off.

"T-they really gave you a job just like that?" Hanayo asked, her eyes wide. "O-On the street?"

"Yeah… they said I had an air around me they just had to have. The manager tried really hard to recruit me on the spot," Kotori gave a chuckle at the memory. "I never thought I'd still be doing it, or that I'd be famous for it… I just went for it."

"That easily?" Nico asked.

"Yeah... I'm... Ehehehe, I'm not the most... decisive person in the world. It was the first big thing I've done in a while that I didn't ask Honoka or Umi about, I usually let them make decisions like that for me," the other two girls seemed a bit concerned by that, but didn't press on.

"That's amazing, Kotori-senpai! No wonder you were able to give away all your fliers the other day! I just… I never thought you'd betheLegendary Maid!" Hanayo seemed as enthusiastic as she usually got about Idols, amazed that she could call such a person her friend. But Nico just sat there, glaring daggers. "N-Nico-senpai?"

"Do you have any idea how much I paid for your autograph!?" She finally snapped. "And now you're friggin' telling me the Legendary Maid Minalinsky is part of my school club!? If I had waited, I could've gotten your autograph for free!" The table went quiet, before Hanayo and Kotori laughed a bit. "H-hey! I'm being serious, guys!"

"Sorry… but I wouldn't have done that," Kotori teased, bringing a finger to her lips. "It's a secret… and even if it wasn't, a good maid has to treat every master equally, not just her friends! If I gave you a free autograph, I'd have to give everyone one too!" Nico sighed, tapping her finger. "I… never thought any of you would come all the way out here…"

"I busted my ass studying the last few hours and everyone was going home. Hanayo asked me about the autograph, so I decided I wanted to come here in person, and she came along to see if we could actually meet Minalinsky," she explained. "Friggin' 「Circus」 span me like a top three times… I worked hard and I deserved a break, OK?" The fact 「Circus」 did not choose to manifest was a good enough sign that she was at least tolerant of the idea. "I just thought we'd get some coffee or something… I didn't think I'd actually get to meet her. Let alone that I'd know her."

Hanayo nodded. "Don't worry Kotori-chan, we're going to keep this a secret… right, Nico-senpai?"

"… Fiiiiiine," Nico said with a sigh. "I guess it wouldn't hurt to keep something to ourselves…" She finally smirked. "Besides, it's kind of cool being able to know I know Minalinsky…" She leaned in. "We'll keep it a secret… if you don't mind me coming here to study," Nico said. "This is a nice, relaxed area… while studying with the rest of µ's is good, I wouldn't mind coming here by myself afterwards to digest it," despite her earlier demeanor she seemed serious about this. "I want to compete in Love Live! I promise I'm not gonna be here to goof off," and at that, Kotori nodded.

"I won't be here every day of course, but we don't mind people staying around for an extended period. The management might ask you to buy another cup of coffee now and then or leave, though," Nico nodded.

"That's fair…" she said, opening up her backpack and taking out her books. "And you sure this isn't affecting your performance? I've noticed you being moody lately," Nico scolded. Kotori gulped; It's that noticeable? She thought to herself. "µ's should take priority! If this stressing you out, quit!"

"Y-you can't just tell her to quit, Nico-senpai! It's her life too, a-and maids can be just as charming as Idols!" Hanayo defended, glaring at her senior.

"Girls, girls, please! I promise it's not what's bothering me… it's a dumb, personal thing," Kotori said. "I just need to toughen up and get over it. I promise that µ's won't pay for my weakness, OK?" Nico looked at her for a few seconds before nodding.

"Fine… but I want to say this. We may not have an official leader, but I am still the president of the Idol Study Club. If something is impacting your ability to perform, I expect everyone to deal with it, alright?" The other two girls nodded before she started taking out her notes. "Anyways, I want to study by myself. If you two stick around fine, don't bother me," she told them.

"I should go home, my parents get worried if they get home and I'm not there," Hanayo said, and Kotori nodded.

"Mama doesn't know I do this… I need to get home before she starts getting really worried about what I'm doing," and as Kotori stood up, Nico gave a small scream.

"EW! EWEWEWEWEW!" And she stomped on the floor besides her.

"N-Nico-senpai!?" Both Kotori and Hanayo asked.

"Spider! Ugly one, too!" Sure, enough there was the squished remains of a spider right next to her. "Just… ugh! I hate bugs so much!"

"Hey! What did the bugs ever do to you?"

The girls turned around to face a girl sitting not too far away from them. A short girl, but probably around their age. A freckled face, curly hair, and extremely large glasses. But what drew Hanayo's attention was the dyed black streak in her hair. It reminded her of the enemies from a few days ago… "Bugs are amazing, I'll have you know! And you should know- spiders aren't bugs or insects! They're arachnids!"

"W-who asked you!?" Nico asked. "Those things are disgusting! And it was ready to start crawling on my shoe… gross!"

The girl adjusted her glasses, walking over and leaning down. "That species of spider is probably iwogumoa insidiosa. It's rare to see one away from stone, they love making their home in stone walls and paving stones… of course you squished it so hard it's hard to tell…" Kotori gagged as she pressed her finger against the spider's remains, with Hanayo shivering.

All three paled when she brought the spider's guts to her mouth to taste it. "Yeah… iwogumoa insidiosa alright. I can tell by the taste…"

"You're nasty, lady!" Nico jumped out of her chair, shivering. "Who the hell knows what a bug tastes like!?"

"Y-you could get sick…" Hanayo said, Kotori saying nothing as she felt just a tad bit queasy.

"Hehe… when you love something as much as I do, you learn everything about them," the odd girl told the group. "Personally, I love ants the most, but I think all insects are amazing. I've done a lot of studying on all the kinds of insects in Japan, and I keep a fire ant colony in my house! When I go to college I want to get a PHD in entomologist, specializing in ants and spiders."

"Good for you. Can you please stop creeping us out and go away?" Nico demanded, as the girl chuckled. She reached into her own backpack, taking out a large glass jar containing a praying mantis.

"This is an idolomantis diabolica, a giant devil's flower mantis… I call him Henry… beautiful bug, isn't he?" Even Kotori was impressed by the insect's colors. "Bugs are all pure, even if you think they're ugly! I had to buy him from a special breeder, since they're native to Africa, around the location of the Horn of Africa…"

"A-and!?" Nico challenged.

"Nico-senpai, maybe we should just-" But the other girl cut off Kotori.

"What I'm saying is… if you're meant to insects, you should expect them to be mean to you. Would you have crushed this beautiful guy? Of course not! You would have admired its beauty… but you killed that spider just because he thought it was ugly!" She adjusted her glasses once more. "Humanity should respect insects… did you know the Schmidt pain index, which is used to calculate how painful an insect's bite or sting is done by one man? He let bugs bite him and personally recorded how painful each was and ranked it… now that's respecting bugs!"

"He sounds like a nutjob, and so are you!"

The girl smirked, finally getting up. "I'm just saying… The only way to measure how painful an insect's bite is has to be measured by man! So, you better hope you don't have to feel the pain we do…" And with that she finally started taking off. "Unless you want to feel the insect's revenge…"

"God, what a weirdo. Forget studying here, I'm going home," Nico said, standing up. "That chick ruined my… ow!"

It wasn't just her; Hanayo and Kotori also gasped in pain, all swatting hard at their necks, and finding nothing on their hands. But upon inspecting eachother…

"N-Nico-senpai, you have a bite!" Hanayo said, as Nico looked over.

"So do you and Kotori! Big ones too… damn! Oh, this is gonna ruin my entire week even worse than the studying!" Nico replied, glaring daggers. "Did that girl do something!? I should go kick her ass!"

"It was probably just coincidence…" Kotori reasoned. Still, the bite marks already seemed rather large. Could bites get infected that quickly, or was there venom?

"Ugh… I'll put hydrocortisone when I get home. Just ignore it," Nico said, walking off in the other direction. "I'll see the two of you tomorrow, alright? Damn bugs…"

Unbeknownst to them, the girl lingered in the nearby allies, grinning as she made a phone call.

"Talk to me."

"They've both been bitten, Yanigihori-sama," she explained. "They've been marked… so now, the swarm can fly in! I trailed them to some maid café… what luck, a third member of µ's was there as well!"

"Good work, Kobayashi," Yanigihori said on the other end. "Remember, don't kill them… but if they don't submit, incapacitate them. Blind them, cut off their arms or legs, I don't give a shit- but if they don't submit, make sure they'll never be a problem to us ever again. We need to isolate Ayase and Tojo from any potential allies they might gain."

"Of course, Yanigihori," Kobayashi said, hanging up her phone and looking at her right arm, grinning as holes opened upon them. And from them crawled out large, grotesque ants: resembling the large ants known as siafu but golden in color, four antennas, and all possessing wings. To top it off, they were nearly twice the size of the infamous ant as well. "Honestly, I'd do it even if you didn't tell me to do it…"

She glared before punching the wall.

"I'll never forgive anyone who messes with bugs! Kyahahaha! Tomorrow... March on, 「Worker Bees」! You know your enemy!"

"I think it's amazing you can do all this," Hanayo said. As they walked in the same direction, she tried to ignore the rather bizarre incident that just unfolded. "You're an Idol, a maid, and you do µ's choreography and dresses! You're amazing, Kotori-senpai!"

Kotori smiled. "Thank you, Hanayo-chan. I'm used to doing a lot at once, to be honest," still though, it was a big load even for her. And she knew Nico was right; something had to be done about the stress before it started seriously impacting her ability to sing and dance. Did that mean having to give up being a maid? She really hoped not…

"Again, I'm sorry I was so rude earlier about… that…"

"Don't be sorry, you had no way of knowing. And it helped me get some weight off my chest," Kotori encouraged. "I'm going to be fine. I promise. I've just been… thinking. That vacation in Egypt was the only time I've ever really spent a lot of time with my dad, you know?" She looked up at the clouds. "He's a hero, you know. He saved me back there."

"R-really?" Hanayo asked, intrigued.

"It's a story that nobody believes. Do you want to hear?" She was happy to see Hanayo's nods, walking forward. Talking about her father and her pride always helped her feel a bit better and helped erased the loneliness she felt regarding him. "I was seven during that vacation when we were in Cairo for two weeks. He went on vacation as a teenager, and he wanted me to experience it. Something really terrible happened when we went to a gas station, though…"

To her, the memories were like they happened yesterday.

"Papa! Papa! What kind of toys can I take with me back home!" The seven year old her asked her father in a gas station. Her father had just come in to break some Egyptian pounds into smaller change by buying some snacks, laughing and ruffling Kotori's hair as she looked at the cheap toys for sale.

"Kotori, we'll get you a proper toy to take back home later," he assured her, but sure enough Kotori pounded and went silent. "Well, we do still have a week here... I guess there's nothing wrong with you taking a little toy for now. Don't blame me if it breaks though, OK?" Kotori's eyes lit up as she hugged her father's legs, looking again at the cheap plastic dolls. It wouldn't matter that it wouldn't last long, a gift from her father was all she really wanted at the moment.

And then there was some kind of loud bang, and people screaming the next. Kotori looked around the corner and saw an imagine that would be burned into her memory; a man on the floor, lying in his blood and dead from a gunshot wound. She saw three grown men wearing masks, and one was harassing the cashier and screaming in his face, the horrified man opening the register and complying. The man she could assume just killed him leaned down, taking off his watch and wallet, as another man went around to other customers and demanded their money.

Kotori almost screamed, but her father pulled her aside behind the shelves, a hand on her mouth and instructing her to be quiet. It was a terrifying situation, and even the young Kotori assumed they would hide. Her father's face was fearless, and rather than hiding, he stepped forward. "Papa!"

"Let your father handle this..." He instructed. "I promise you, I'll be fine. Just don't look. Close your eyes and don't look until it's over."

"Papa, no!"

"I'll show these men what it means to 'stand proud.' These are the kind of men who might kill just to leave no witnesses... I cannot let that happen! Even if you weren't here... I'd protect them nonetheless."

And he stepped forward. "Papa, I don't understand!"

Her father smiled, looking down at her. "It is the responsibility of those with power to watch over those who do not... I promise you, your father will be fine."

She whimpered and began to cry as her father stepped forward, covering her face as she heard the man who shot the first victim at her father. But her father remained quiet, even as the rest of the men yelled.

Then, he heard him yell those words, and many loud crashes a moment later, intense enough that her entire body shook. "... Kotori-chan. It's over... You can open your eyes now..."And so, she did, not hiding her sobs as she hugged him as tight as she could, sobbing loudly as he returned the hug and held her tightly back. "I'm so sorry you had to see any of this... but it's over now."

Kotori sobbed more, looking away from him at the sight. The gas station was almost completely destroyed, but the three men were unconscious.

"We have to go, Kotori. Before the police come, we have to leave. I cannot explain this to them... I destroyed the cameras so at least we should be able to not worry about this for the rest of the vacation, but we must leave now."

"D... don't want to... see it..." The corpse was still there.

"Then close your eyes and let me guide you, I will keep you safe, I promise."

As utterly terrifying as the ordeal had been, it was one of Kotori's most precious memories of her father, by far. The time he had done... something to save her.

Hanayo was amazed as well, her jaw wide open as she listened to the story. "T... That's amazing! Your father... did... something, huh?"

"I have no idea what, and to this day he won't tell me... but I know he did it! Maybe... he had some kind of weapon or something. I don't know how, but I know he did. He told my mama something about a gas explosion... but I know that isn't what happened. He did something... he saved me, and maybe everyone else inside as well! I trusted his decision instead of begging him to turn back... and it worked out."

"You said he shouted out something?" Hanyo asked. "What was it?"

Kotori smiled. "I want to... keep it to myself," she admitted. "It's a phrase I try to think of now whenever I'm scared... when I say it to myself, I think about that day, and what my father did. My papa said I should do that. So I do, and it always makes me feel better. Even before our first concert, I was saying it to myself in my head. So, I'm sorry, but that's something just for me," Hanayo nodded and smiled, clearly OK with her request. "Ahh... My home's in the other direction," she said as they reached an intersection. "I'll see you tomorrow, Kotori-senpai!"

"You too, Hanyo-chan!" And the two waved and went their separate ways, Kotori's spirits in somewhat better moods. She felt closer to Hanayo and Nico now, their relationship seemingly evolving from clubmates to real friends. She was looking forward to them visiting the café, and spending time with them without Honoka and the others.

"Mamaaa! I'm home!" She announced as she finally made it to her house, leaving her shoes by the entrance.

"Welcome back, love. How was everything after our meeting?" Minami asked, Kotori's smile never fading.

"Good! Everyone is gonna study super hard so we can enter Love Live! Thank you so much, mama!"

Minami smiled. "Remember you need to study too. I know how your grades are of course, but all of you need to keep it up or I won't let you participate, alright?"

"I understand! I'm gonna go do some homework now, OK?"

"Take your time, dear. I'll cook that fish for dinner soon, I'll call for you when we're done."

"OK, mama!" And with that she headed towards her room, closing it behind her and throwing her backpack to the bed, looking over at a photo on her desk of her and her father in Egypt.

"I'm gonna make you proud, papa."

"Welcome home, master~"

And the next day, Nico and Hanayo did indeed return after they were done studying at Otonokizaka. This time Kotori had managed to help Honoka a bit ("I'm gonna die at this rate, Kotori-chan!" She had complained, but Umi and Kotori showed no mercy as they helped her study), enjoying her time with Μ's before heading to the café, now accompanied by Nico and Hanayo. And once Kotori's shift was over and it was time for them to leave, they started to walk home together. Kotori frowned however as she saw Nico scratch at her neck a lot. "Nico-senpai, you're going to irritate the bite..."

"It's so damn itchy! What bit us anyways!?" She demanded, resisting the urge to keep scratching. "If I see that girl again, I'm gonna give her a piece of my mind!"

"Nico-senpai, it's not her fault we got bit," Hanayo said. "It is kind of weird it was all of us at the same time..." She admitted, also resisting the urge to scratch.

"It's bad enough we have to worry about Stand users too, creepy bug chick is NOT something I'm ready to deal with!" Nico complained. As they walked forward though, her eyes widened, and she stretched out her arms to stop her friends. "W-what the hell is that!? Look at that!"

Hanayo's eyes widened. "I... is that an ant!? It's so huge!" She exclaimed, Kotori blinking.

"... What ant? I don't see anything," Kotori said, both looking at her.

"Are you kidding? That's the biggest ant in the world! How can you not see it!?" Nico snapped.

"I-I-I just don't! Are you two playing a prank on me!? It's not funny!"

Hanayo frowned, looking over. "I-It's so gross… but I do see it, Nico-senpai."

That made Kotori blink in confusion. But I don't see anything at all…!

Nico leaned down to inspect it. It was an ant with a black body and a red head, with four antennas on its head. The mandibles seemed even large even for the ant's large size, nearly two inches long. And it... seemed to stare right back. "God, what an ugly thing..." Nico took a step back, before grinning and looking around. "Hey, Ms. Bug Lover isn't here..."

"Come on, Nico-senpai! I want to go home..." Hanayo complained, staring at the ant. And she looked towards the corner, seeing a sewage drain with several of the same ants coming out. "H-hey... Over there, can you at least see that?" She asked Kotori, pointing at its direction, to which she shook her head.

"You two are scaring me..." Kotori said.

Nico grinned as she brought her foot down on the ant below her. "Dumb little bugs should know better than to mess with the one and only super Idol Yazawa Nico!" She declared with a giggle, before frowning. "... Hey, that was a big bug, I should've felt something when I..."

That's when things fell apart.

Nico's eyes widened as she screamed in pain, taking several steps back and falling on her butt. "OW! OWOWOWOW!" She inspected her right foot, gasping in shock as she saw she now had a gash on her foot. Something had cut her deep enough that it went right through her shoe to get at her! "W... what the hell!?" She scurried back, noticing the ant was perfectly fine. "Hey, something's wrong!"

Hanayo gasped as she saw these ants had wings, one flying towards Kotori. Kotori had no reaction even when one landed on her leg. She did however very much react when it bit into her with those mandibles, screaming as she looked down. "W-what's happening!? Something cut me!? I don't see anything though!" She swatted at her leg trying to swipe away at what had attacked her, but Hanayo saw her hand phasing through the ant. "I'm bleeding!? Something really big just bit me, right!?" Kotori gasped as she began to realize with dread what was happening.

"Oh no... Nico, look at that...! She couldn't hit the bug-!「Momoiro Clover!」" Her Stand however was able to grab the ant and squish it between it's fingers.

"Oh shit!" Nico seemed to understand what was happening now. 「Circus」 wasted no time manifesting, stomping on the ant that had bitten Nico... and that ant was squished.

"I can attack it when you can't, Nico! You know what that means!"

Hanayo frantically reached for a yen coin in her pocket. "「Momoiro Clover!」Swap!" And on command the yen and an ant swapped, 「Momoiro Clover」 observing it. "Kotori! You really can't see the bug floating in the air by me, right!?"

"N-no, I can't!"

"There's no doubt it! These aren't really ants... it's an enemy Stand! We're under attack!" Hanayo yelled, crushing this ant… and gulping as she saw more approaching.

"Protect Kotori! She can't defend herself against these things!" Nico commanded both 「Circus」 and Hanayo. 「Circus」 took the situation seriously, willingly following her master's command despite the lack of direct control. The ants poured out the sewer, coming in swarms of over a hundred each. "Holy hell!"

「Circus's」 prehensile whip made for both a good defense and offence. She swung the whip in a circular motion, fast enough it blew a few bugs away before slashing them in the air. 「Momoiro Clover」 lacked such a power, but its Stand rush was rapid enough to destroy the incoming bugs. "At least they're not too durable!" Hanayo said. "They seem to be as frail as real bugs... of course, there's so many of them... Do you think it was the girl from yesterday?"

"Of course it is! I didn't think I pissed her off enough to want to kill us!" Nico saw more insects coming, glaring. "This way!" She limped onwards into an alleyway. "Try to lose 'em!"

"Can you run like that!?" Kotori asked.

"No, I can't! This is the fastest I can do... we need to think of a strategy! We killed at least two dozen bugs and there were more coming! We need to find the user... but how!? She's nowhere in sight... and there's so many of them! 「Circus」, what do you think?"

"It has the traits of an Automatic Stand, but I don't think that's it... I was awakened with knowledge of most Stands, but since there's infinite kinds of people, there might be infinite kinds of Stands too! I don't know what to call this... But there's so many, and bugs live in hives... colonies... Let's call it a 'Stand Colony' for now!"

"That doesn't help us win!" Hanayo exclaimed.

"It helps to know what we're fighting! It's like this... we're basically fighting an Automatic Stand! It appears to operate an infinite distance from the user and is auto-targeting us! Damage probably isn't reflecting on the user... But unlike Automatic Stands like me where it's just one target, we have to deal with a ton! Their small size means it's ideal for sneak attacks too... It could be hiding anywhere! And it has wings..."「Circus」 yelped in pain as she was bitten, the ants crawling from behind garbage cans to nip at her legs before she got them off. "It's a trap! They wanted us to come in here!"

Sure enough, the girls were soon surrounded by the ants, who were crawling out of trash cans, cracks in the ground, and even the storm drains. And they were now in a more confined area. Kotori couldn't see their foe, but she could tell from Hanayo's and Nico's expressions they were in trouble.

"Clever deduction," sure enough that girl's voice came out of every single ant, albeit higher pitched. "'Stand Colony...' I like the sound of that! It sounds better than 'Automatic Stand' personally!"

"Bitch..." Nico said, sneering at the ants.

"Let me introduce myself! I'm Kaori. Kobayashi Kaori! But I only like my friends calling me by my first name..." Kobayashi said, the ants laughing. "You were right yesterday, about the bites on your neck. Yesterday I had the queens of my Stands bite you and inject you with venom! And now, my 「Worker Bees」 are homing in on you! I've tested my Stand's range extensively... It can cover all of Shibuya! Isn't that something!?"

Nico was about to tell her off, but Hanayo raised a hand to stop her. "So... all of Shibuya, huh?"

"Yup! Isn't that amazing!"

"It sure is... and they're on autopilot? They just home in on your target while you get to sit and watch?" Hanayo asked.

"Yeah! Cool, isn't it! I only have a vague idea of what they're doing... but I can speak with them! I'm sure you got caught in the trap, hehehe... did you know this is something a lot of stinging insects do? When one stings you and injects you with venom, all the others know to home in on you!"

Nico was about to ask what the point of this was, before it came to her. She actually covered her mouth to hide her grin. This idiot is like「Circus!」 She just keeps blabbering on and on... she's going to reveal all her Stand's secrets! She thought to herself.

"The Arrow Hunters want to extend a formal partnership with you," Hanayo gulped at that.

So, it's Akeno's and Miano's allies after all! Hanayo thought in alarm. So all of this is... getting even more serious...!

"We are an organization of teenagers who have obtained Stand powers. We are looking for the arrow that has awakened our powers, and the 'Pink and Black Stand' apparently in possession of the arrow. If you join us, you will have a seat among us, and our boss's promise of wealth and power! We will change Japan itself... and you'll be part of the new order! The right to use the arrow to make your dreams come true and power that will bring the Yakuza to their knees!" She boldly declared. "'Power' has become a diluted, meaningless thing! Power belongs to the rich elites of our society who never had to work to obtain it... while our power is a reflection of ourselves! Our Stands are powerful because we are powerful! Your Stands are powerful because you are powerful! And with this power, we will bring back honor and glory to this miserable nation!"

Oh, great, she's crazy, Nico thought, still looking for an opening and finding nothing.

"We need all the allies we can get! School Idols of µ's... we also know that Kousaka Honoka has Stand powers as well!" Hanayo's eyes widened. Did Akeno and Miano break their word? She didn't seem to mention them at all... "I will not kill you... but make no mistake, if you do not submit, I will destroy you! I won't kill you... but I will destroy your dreams!" A few of the ants spat on a metal garbage can, their spit melting it. "Those ants should have just destroyed a garbage can to make my point... my 「Worker Bees」 mandibles alone can bite through solid oak, and their venom when spat is extremely corrosive! Now then... have you ever seen a School Idol with only one leg? Or maybe you'd prefer losing an arm? If you're gonna take poison, why not let you chose what kind?"Kobayashi was clearly having a good time with this. "It's what you monsters deserve, being so horrible towards innocent arachnids!" She ranted. "I'd have my Stand just eat you altogether for your murders if my boss would allow it!"

"Jesus Christ lady, it was just a spider!" Nico yelled back.

"What was that!? Just a spider!? And you're just a human, Yazawa! But as you can see, you're clearly outnumbered by the creepy crawlies you hate so much!" Kobayashi said with a laugh. As she did, Nico started to reach into her bag.

If I can just text Honoka while she's like this, I might be able to get another ally here... Eh!? But when she reached into her purse, she felt her hand brush against something moving, and her cell phone in pieces. "You have got to be kidding!" The ants of 「Worker Bees」 had invaded her purse, eating and destroying everything inside. "Girls! Get your phones! Call Honoka!"

But as they did they saw all their possessions had been eaten as well. "When did she..." Hanayo realized something terrible. They had all been so preoccupied by their conversation, the small ants had the perfect opportunity to attack!

"Kyahahahaha! Did you think the creepy insect lady just liked yapping for no reason?" Kobayashi taunted through her ants. "Revealing a few secrets to catch you off guard was totally worth it! It's a gamble to reveal this much about my Stand to an enemy, but by the time they realize they're isolated I've already won! My Stand requires precise instructions to work effectively… but you don't have to hear my instructions! It's a cinch to just tell「Worker Bees」something like 'destroy their cell phones while distracted!'"

"... So, you were telling the truth?" Hanayo asked. "You didn't lie even when you could?"

The ant's laughter all paused. "... Uhhh..." Came after the awkward silence. "... Anyways! Join us or suffer!" It was obvious to the girls of μ's how embarrassed Kobayashi was. "I have no more reason to talk now that you can't contact Kousaka Honoka! It's your only chance... you can be super Idols through us! Wealth! Power! Its more than you deserve! How about it, Yazawa? We know about your unfortunate first year in high school..."

Nico paused, looking at her own Stand, and back at her still bleeding foot. She closed her eyes, thinking only of her siblings back home.

"Super Idol..."

"Did the paparazzi harass you again, neechan!?"

"When I grow up, I want to be a super Idol just like you!"

"... How the hell can I take such a cowardly offer and ever face my loved ones again?" Nico asked with a spit.

"Our pride... even more than charisma, it's the most important thing that an Idol can own, you idiot!"「Circus」said.

"... I want to make my mama proud my own way! Not like that!" Hanayo replied. Of course, Kotori said nothing, only able to hear half the conversation.

"We won't join you... but let Kotori go, Kobayashi!" Nico demanded. "She's not a Stand user like me and Hanayo! Let her go!"

"Heh! You of µ's are now our enemies... even if she's not a Stand user, crippling her as well will send a strong message to your group!"

Hanayo went quiet at that, looking over at Kotori with a smile. "Kotori-senpai... I'm really happy I met you and µ's. You've all taught me so much so quickly... I'm going to return the favor for you."

"Thanks to µ's, for the first time in years, I'm no longer a failure," Nico declared, much to the shock of both Kotori and Hanayo. "I'm already a Third Year, I'd only have for the rest of this year to do this anyways..." She said with a chuckle. "The truth is, at the arcade, I was cheating at every game."

"Eh?" Kotori replied.

"I was already familiar with that song in karaoke and that dancing game... you're all leagues above me. I just wanted to be the center like when I was a First Year again... You two have a real future, though," Nico's smile was sad, but sincere as well, something unusual from her. "As your club president... I won't let this bitch ruin your future as Idols! Hanayo, you run too!"

But Hanayo shook her head. "You know I can't run either... thanks to µ's, I don't feel like a mistake anymore. I'm just sad my mom might not be able to watch me dance more... Even if she was paralyzed later, who would have thought the unplanned teenage pregnancy could do this, if only for a little while? I have µ's to thank for that too! That's why I'll fight to protect µ's!"

"Alright, you girls just made this a lot more fun!" And with that, 「Worker Bees」 began to home in. And as they did, Hanayo grabbed another coin, having her powerful Stand throw the coin.

"Swap!"

Kotori gasped as she was out of the ally, her friends still trapped inside as the coin was then swapped back to Hanayo's side. "Girls!"

"Run, Kotori! Run as fast as you can and get Honoka! We'll hold her off... make your choice, Kobayashi! You focus your Stand on us, or the one without a Stand! From the sound of it, your Stand isn't the best at multitasking, huh?"

"You bitch!" The ants swarmed in. 「Circus」 and 「Momoiro Clover」 did the best they could do, destroying dozens of ants per second. But now they were outnumbered by the hundreds, many ants getting through to them. And as they did, 「Worker Bees」' pincers made quick work of their flesh and Stands, biting through them like a hot knife through butter. Hanayo could barely stand, first from sheer pain, then scarcely able to move as more and more chunks were taken out of her legs.

"I don't need to be saved, I don't need to be saved, I don't need to be saved!"

"I don't care what happens... I won't give in!" Nico collapsed to the ground as 「Circus」 whipped near her legs to scare some ants away, but the ants had bitten into her tendons, and she could no longer Stand. Nico didn't even try to hide her tears, the agony intense. At least I don't got to lie to the three about being an amazing Idol anymore...

Nothing was attacking Kotori right away, a sign that Kobayashi's Stand was indeed focusing on the two immediate threats, even though she was sure they'd come after her once they were done with those two. I need to do what they told me to do! Go and get Honoka! She thought. She didn't see how even Honoka could fight against such power, but she should trust them, right? The tears ran down her face as she ran off, before stopping. Think of those words, think of those words!

But that isn't what she was thinking of. Instead, she thought of what her father had said to try to comfort that night, and to try to explain what happened. She hadn't thought of that conversation in a long time, much longer than the two words that brought her so much strength. She remembered crying, holding onto her father.Why... why am I thinking of this?

"I have a 'power' Kotori," he had told her.

"Power...? What kind of power?"

"A power I hope I never have to use in front of you ever again. A very destructive power I awakened when I was a young boy... it is a power that flows in my family. As you are part of that family, perhaps one day it will awaken in you too..." And he grasped her tiny hands. "It is up to you how you use this 'power...' but without doubt, once it awakens, you will become subject to an unwritten law of the universe. That people with this power attract others with the same power. Kotori... if you obtained such power, would you use it to do good?"

"O-Of course!"

"Remember... it is your choice what to do with power. Not Honoka-chan's. Not Umi-chan's. Not your mother's. Not mine. Just remember the words I cried out... when you are scared, remember them. And if you obtain this 'power,' put those words into it, like I have to my own power."

"I don't understand, Papa..."

"And I hope you never have to understand. But, if you do..."

Kotori turned around.

"Kotori!? No, go back!" Hanayo begged. She was on the ground now, also unable to stand, her own Stand damaged heavily as well.

"You can't be here, idiot! We lost! This Stand is something else... the only hope is to find the user!" Nico told her, watching as Kotori walked down the alley towards them. "Idiot!"

"Please don't, Kotori-senpai!"

As she walked forward, she felt what felt like daggers piercing her legs. And she cried tears of pain but progressed. "Not... without you two...! I won't leave without you two!"

"Kyahahaha! Amazing! She's even stupider than I thought!"

"At the least, I'm not as stupid as bugs," Kotori said, her hands balled into fists.

Kobayashi's taunting stopped. "S... she heard me!?"

Every step felt like agony, her legs being eaten alive, a chunk of flesh even falling off as the ants bit into her. She still didn't think of those two words, but the rest of what her father said instead.

"Don't ever let anyone take your pride," her father had told her. "When 'pride' is stolen, it can never be restored to exactly how it was... so stand, Kotori, against any hardship."

Hanayo and Nico gasped at the sight of a greyish aura surrounding their friend. "... D... did... Kotori, are you...?" Hanayo asked, Nico staying quiet.

The arrow!? No... I don't think it was that. But then...? Is it possible...!? Stand power... is it possible for it to awaken in people 'naturally!?' I thought it was definitely related to the arrow alone! Nico thought. But she can see「Worker Bees!」! That means…!

"Go forward with pride Kotori. And don't ever back down."

She glowed even brighter. The ants began to swarm on her, focusing on her, ignoring the other two users in a desperate attempt to defeat the awakening Stand user. "It makes no sense! Stand users can exist without the Arrow!? What is this nonsense!?"

"And in the face of danger... let those fists fly free, and with hallowed vision, Kotori..."

Kotori could see the ant's approach, as her own power manifested.

"Stand proud!"

A large gust of wind manifested behind Kotori, more than enough to easily blow away every single one of the ants away. And from the wind something else flew out; two glowing feathers, landing right into Nico's and Hanayo's chests. But there was no pain, even as the feathers slunk deeper into them. And their own bodies slightly glowed. "What the... Hanayo, look! Your legs!"

"Nico, your legs too!"

As they looked down, the flesh was regenerating. The pieces of them had been eaten alive or dissolved returned to them.

"Amazing..."「Circus」said. "What kind of Stand...?"

Behind Kotori, it had manifested.

At first, it simply resembled a bunch of coils like membranes connected to two wings and a mask. But then the coils began to converge, allowing it to take a new appearance. It was a beautiful, birdlike figure. The torso and head were humanoid, but the legs were the talons of a bird, and on her back were wings with green feathers. The Stand's grey hair was packed into a tight bun, its face behind a grey mask. And from behind it, a loud bird's coo filled the alleyway, as the Stand landed next to Kotori. And its left wing turned white as it slashed its user, the wing phasing through her, but healing her wounds nonetheless.

"A healing Stand..." Nico noted.

"Kobayashi..." Kotori glared at the ants who were beginning to return.

"This is a load of bullshit! I was winning!"

"You hurt my friends... insulted and belittled us and threatened to destroy our dreams. Our dreams! That which we treasure most dear to us! Both Nico and Hanayo have always dreamed of becoming an Idols... and you wanted to cripple them so they could never dance again! I won't forgive you! That is why..."

This confidence and way of speaking was foreign to her, but she welcomed it. She made a gesture, a peace sign made with her right hand pointing to her side, and her left hand making a peace sign pointing to the sky.

"Remember this! My name is Minami Kotori, named after my mother and not my father, and for your attempts at destroying our dreams I will utterly defeat you!"

Next time on Honoka's Bizarre Adventure!

Chapter 11: Wonder Zone (Part 2)

Chapter Text

Previously on Honoka’s Bizarre Adventure!

This is Minami Kotori speaking! I… I’m a part of this now, too! I’ve spent my whole life doing what others think I should do, without my own free will! Even when my own friends were under attack I almost ran away, before remembering my papa’s words! So, I’m not going to run away… I’ll fight too! I won’t ever run away or be weak ever again!

I’ll show them all that I can do! The gentle wind… has allied with me!

A healing Stand! Nico thought in amazement, her legs restored. The injuries she had just obtained should have crippled her for life were completely gone! These insects eating her alive should have ensured she would never walk without a crutch at a minimum, but she felt good as new now! She reached for the back of her neck though, narrowing her eyes as she felt the bite. It must be the venom of the Stand… so Kotori’s Stand can’t heal everything, she thought. If nothing else, this was a good start, though. Nico’s eyes widened however as she noticed the ant swarm began to approach again. “Kotori!”

“R-right!” Another gust of wind from her Stand’s wings sent the bugs flying once more, and the three girls grinned.

“What the hell!? That’s not fair!” Kobayashi complained, as her insects tried to regain their composure. A couple dozen flew at high speeds to try to attack, but this time「Circus’s」whip was easily able to destroy the few that tried to head over. “How am I supposed to fight you like that!?”

“Fair!? You’re the one attacking us with an Automatic Stand that can cover friggin’ Shibuya!” Nico shot back. “If you want fair, why don’t you tell us where you are!? You and your creepy, ugly bugs can bite my ass!”

“Kyah…! You really want to piss me off, huh!?”

“N-Nico-senpai, don’t agitate her more!” Hanayo scolded. “M-Miss… Can’t we call a truce!? We’re at an impasse now… your stand isn’t a match against us now, and we can’t find you… there’s no point in fighting!”

“Screw that! You can only keep it up for so long… And then, you’ll get tired. And then「Worker Bees」will finish you bitches off!” Kobayashi said. “This isn’t just about the arrow now… this is personal! You hurt bugs and mocked me about it… just like all you humans always do!” She ranted. “The only one of you who has ever treated me kindly was my nana and Yanigihori! Every time I want to believe in you worthless things, I regret it!” The other girls were silent. “That’s why we Arrow Hunters got to win… with the power we’ll gain, Yanigihori will let me build the ultimate insectarium- the largest in the world! My dreams are right in my grasp, but if I fail… If I can’t prove I’m worth keeping around she’ll just throw me away like everyone else!”

“Insectarium…?” Kotori asked.

“Insectariums are museums about insects! People can see preserved insects, and insects are bred and researched as well! I want to make an insectarium… one with every insect in the world! Where people will come to admire and respect them, and the ultimate paradise for entomologists where they can see beautiful bugs and learn more about them! A shut-in like me has no chance of ever amassing the funds for it… but with the arrow all that will change! I’ll make a beautiful place where people don’t want to hurt insects, but appreciate them!” Kobayashi’s tone was desperate now, ranting to herself without caring if the girls of Muse cared or not. “You bitch… you’ve really pissed me off! It doesn’t matter how long the pursuit is... I’m gonna win, do you understand me!? I’ll win!”

“Girls, run!” Nico commanded, the three sprinting off. 「Worker Bees」was hot on their tail, but now they had an advantage. If only I was by myself, Center of the Ring would be really useful here!

“What do we do!?” Hanayo asked. They had made their way back to the streets, bolting past other pedestrians on the sidewalk, ignoring the few who yelled at them. A few bugs made their way in front of them, but they were short work once「Momoiro Clover」attacked them.

“This is a first step… We got out of that deathtrap alleyway! And Kotori’s Stand can blow them away!” Nico said. “We should try to get a hold of Honoka somehow… she’s probably gone home though… we shouldn’t try to put civilians at risk! That includes her family… if only we could call her somehow. There’s got to be payphones somewhere! Wait… the arcade! There’s one in the arcade where we were trying to determine who the center should be!”

“It’s about twenty minutes by foot from here… but it’s our best shot! If we call a taxi it’ll just put the driver in danger!” Kotori rationalized.

“If nothing else… w-we can heal, right?” Hanayo asked. But Nico shook her head.

“We don’t know if there’s limitations to that healing ability yet… we can’t abuse it! Let’s fight assuming she can’t heal us again!” Nico suggested. “As gross as bugs are, it’s a pretty amazing Stand… if Kotori hadn’t come there Hanayo and I would’ve never walked right again!” Hanayo gulped. “The big problem is the inability to track down the user… it’s our infected bites for sure! They’re homing onto us with it… if only Kotori’s Stand had healed it!”

The bites… Kotori thought. “I think… I think I might have a plan, actually! We should still contact Honoka… but… I have an idea, but I don’t know if it’ll work!”

Nico’s eyes narrowed. “How screwed are we if it doesn’t work?”

“Really screwed, we’ll be in a close quarter area again where「Worker Bees」will be able to gang up on us again,” Kotori admitted. “I think… we should cut off the bites!”

“Are you serious!?” Nico asked. “There’s are pretty big, there’s gonna be a lot of blood…”

“Y-you’re going to complain about that after what just happened!?” Hanayo asked. “They were eating us! That’s way worse than cutting off one little part!”

“Dammit… I don’t know what the best course of action is!”

“If we head to the maid café, we can use some of the knives,” Kotori suggested. “It’ll be open for another hour… it’s even closer than the arcade! We need to make a choice… You’re our eldest and you’ve been a Stand user longer, president! So, it’s your choice!”

“Oh God… Jesus… OK…” She thought about their options, even as「Circus」destroyed a few more bugs. What could Honoka really do? She could destroy more bugs, but she couldn’t actually help them track down the user. She bit her lip, weighing her options. “Alright… to the maid café! We’ll cut off our bites! And from there, we’ll retreat! Kotori, if this doesn’t work…”

“… Then we lose, we won’t stand a chance in another contained space,” Kotori said bluntly, facing the other two. “But we don’t have any other strategies! We need to do something!”

She just hoped Kobayashi had no other tricks up her sleeve.

What would you say, papa? Kotori asked herself, charging forward. Everyone was counting on her strategy to work. Am I messing up? Am I putting everyone in danger? The doubt wracked her mind once more. There was only so much they could do given the situation. Papa, what would you say? Should I try something else?

But the only path was straight ahead. Kotori knew there was no other route, or any other good alternative. The girls raced towards the café, bolting in through the front door.

“Koto- Milanksy!?” One of Kotori’s coworkers asked, watching her bolt by. “W-what’s going on!? Is everything OK!?”

“No time to talk! This is an emergency, sorry!” It was all Kotori said as they rushed forward, making their way to the kitchen. “Come on, come on… there!” She rushed through the drawers, Hanayo gasping as she saw some of the ants approach. “They’re not steak knives, but they’ll get the job done I think…” Kotori said as she handed her friends the knives.

“This sucks…” Was all Nico said, taking position. “Ok… ready!? Three… two… one!” All three girls winced as they sliced off parts of their necks, right where they had all been bitten. The pain they had just endured at the hands of the enemy Stand was several dozen times more painful of course, but the experience was still unpleasant. They looked at the door, watching「Worker Bees」creep in, advancing towards the now removed bites… and then sniff it, before beginning to leave after two ate the infected bites.

“W-we did it! Kotori-chan, your plan worked!” Hanayo said with a big smile, hugging her friend. “We won!”

“Let’s head back to Otonokizaka,” Nico instructed. “Let’s use this chaos to our advantage! She thinks she won — “

“I disagree!”

Nico blinked in surprise at Kotori’s statement. “W-what do you mean by that!? The attack is over! We win by default! We should — "

 “Look, they’re not disappearing… they’re retreating! They’re going back to the user, I bet! Instead of running away, I think we should follow them and confront the enemy, Kobayashi Kaori!” Kotori suggested.

“Why should we do that!?” Nico asked. “If we’re safe, then there’s no need to continue. We should regroup and think of a strategy for the future! We know how her Stand works because she’s a dumbass, so we should be in the clear!”

“What if she goes after the rest first!? What if she’s already attacking them!?” Kotori asked, causing Nico to be quiet. “Her Stand is a really dangerous one… I don’t think it’s a good idea to just wait for her to attack us again! Even if we know how the Stand works I think it’s in our better interest to fight her directly! We should attack her, and make sure she won’t attack us again! Otherwise, we’ll be living in paranoia about this forever!”

Nico bit her lip, thinking it over. But Hanayo spoke next.

“I agree with this plan,” she said. “I don’t think it’s worthwhile to just wait to be attacked again! If we can… I’d prefer fighting directly! We need to send a message we’re not cowards... we should send a message that we will fight, and we will hunt them down! Maybe then they’ll start backing off! And even if they don’t, they’ll probably stop using sneak attack tactics on us when they realize it won’t work!” Nico was shocked by Hanayo’s boldness. It’s like she and Kotori were completely different people with their Stands out, ready to battle. “We… ‘we should pursue our enemy’ so they know we’re not somebody you can just push around! I’d rather fight the next enemies head-on instead of slimy tactics like this! Tracking them down will send that message!”

“… Jeez, I’m really outnumbered, aren’t I?” Despite it all, a part of Nico was satisfied with this. “Alright! Let’s rush forward! We’ll track down「Worker Bees’s」owner!” She declared, running after the ants. “Outta my way!” She yelled to a guest.

“Pardon me!” Hanayo said, rushing past the same confused man.

“Apologies!” Was Kotori’s response.

“A… Are you Milansky?”

“Off the clock! Come back Tuesday!”

They raced outside into the streets of Akiba, trailing the ants until they arrived at a nearby park, at which point they took off into the air. “Dammit!” Nico exclaimed, a little relieved no kids were around. “Didn’t think they’d start flying! Alright, we’re going back to- Hey! What are you doing!? Don’t just touch me like that!” Kotori had wrapped her arms around Nico and Hanayo, both resisting weakly.

“K-Kotori-chan? What are you doing?”

“I know what to do!” She yelled, her Stand beginning to unravel itself like it had formed, able to wrap itself around Kotori... and then the other two. “Hold on tight!”

“… Y-you’re kidding, right…?” Nico asked. “I don’t think this is- HOLY CRAP!”

Sure enough, a few moments later Kotori’s Stand took to the air, holding onto the three girls, much to Nico’s and Hanayo’s dismay.

“I HATE FLYING!”

“SOMEBODY SAVE MEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!”

First Year Kaori Kobayashi was what most considered to be a ‘hikkemori,’ a shut-in.

The young girl embraced it, and seemingly so had her parents. Wealthy corporate lawyers, they had little time for things like bonding with the young girl. Sickly since birth and nearly-blind before several eye surgeries, they were pretty happy to set up an online school possibility for her.

Kaori didn’t know what exactly ‘went wrong’ in her life. Was it the relentless teasing and bullying as a child? Her bitterness at being so sick? She never “fitted in” with other kids, cliché as it may have sounded. It was with insects that she found solidarity and happiness. They didn’t tease or bully others. They didn’t make others outcasts. They lived to serve their colony, together.

“You have no right to be depressed.”

“You have no right to be this way.”

They were the words of parents who did not care much for her own wellbeing, and her own words as she looked in her reflection countless times. But it was life. She had come to accept it. If nobody cared enough to help her, why bother helping herself? If her own parents were content to fuel it simply to make their lives easier, who cared if they were critical of it? The only time Kaori had ever felt truly happy and comfortable outside of her house were at places like the insectarium at Tama Zoological Park.

One day she’d probably just wither away and die or something. She accepted that too. She stayed in her room all day, only leaving to microwave TV dinners before returning online. She had a strong online presence on Japanese insect forums, especially ones related to raising ants.

It happened one day. She wanted beef jerky. She usually simply had it delivered to her, either from the shop itself by foot or by some local high schoolers she paid, but for some reason she wanted to leave her house. It was the first time in nearly a year.

She did not know why, but something inside her called for her to leave her house. To make this take of buying something for herself on her own two feet. It was somewhat scary to her, embarrassing as it was to admit. As she did, she thought of her dreams. Her insectarium. A place where every insect under the world could live under one roof. A dream that kept her alive, a dream that gave her reason to keep living, no matter how trite it was.

She had finished her bag of jerky and was going back to buy more before an arrow had pierced her lung, collapsing to the ground in pain. And then soon after, she appeared.

“Ah man, I almost had that ‘Pink and Black Stand…’ Oi, girl! You look like shit! Well… we all are after that happens to us…”

Kaori whimpered in pain and agony, the tears still falling.

“Whoah, whoah! Come on, don’t cry! You look big… how old are ya?”

“… Fourteen…”

“… Ok, maybe not too big, and that’s kinda rough! But as shitty as that was, don’t be sad! You may not understand it now, but that’s the best thing that’s ever gonna happen to you!”

“Eh…?” Kaori wiped away her tears as she looked up, watching a green aura surround the other girl.

“I’m Emi! Emi Suzuki! And from now on, you’re an Arrow Hunter, like me!”

“Arrow Hunter…? O-Oh! I’m, uh, Kobayashi Kaori…”

“We only use our last names in our organization… except for me, anyways. Jori-chan gets really mad at me when I don’t call her Yanigihori… so I guess from now on, you’re Kobayashi to me!” Emi said with a chuckle, unwrapping a lollipop.

“What’s… what’s going on…?”

“All you need to know is this; all of your wildest dreams are soon going to come true.

“I… its huge!” Hanayo exclaimed as the three made their way towards the Kobayashi mansion, landing in its backyard. It wasn’t the size of some of the Western-style mansions she saw in movies, but she had never seen a house this large in person before! “T-the user really lives here!?” After fighting Akeno and Miano she didn’t expect a house this big, or anything for any members of the Arrow Hunters. But here they were, at a real-life Japanese mansion!

“Focus!” Nico said as Kotori let go of her at last as they hit the ground, rubbing her head. “Man, I hate flying… Ah! Over there!” Nico noticed several of the「Worker Bees」slip into an open window, the girls nodding at each other as they headed in. “Don’t make a sound…”

“W-what do we do if someone’s here?” Hanayo asked.

“We got no choice… knock ‘em out! Don’t touch anything either, try not to leave fingerprints on stuff! We were never here, OK?” The two other girls nodded in agreement, following the bugs until they reached a single room, crawling in under the crack of the door… and sure enough, there came that voice.

“N-n-no! You’re back!? But I… I didn’t recall you back! Oh… oh no…!” Kobayashi’s voice was panicked, and even from outside her room they could tell she was scurrying around in her room. “D… Did I really kill them by accident!? If they withdrew before I gave the order, that means… oh nononono! This wasn’t supposed to happen!” The girls glared from outside the room. “Boss said not to kill them… it wasn’t supposed to kill them! What do I do, what do I do!? They know where I live, and the boss’ Stand will be able to track me down if I run away! And I can’t just tell mom and dad ‘hey, I fucked up and killed somebody, we got to move!’”

“… She really likes talking to herself, huh?” Hanayo asked, earning a nervous chuckle from Kotori despite it all.

“Keep listening, in case she reveals anything…”  Nico said, pressing her ear to the door, careful not to make noises. “I think we’re almost there…”

“I can’t believe it… agh! Probably complications with that Minami girl! How did she get a Stand out of nowhere like that!? Was she pieced by the arrow earlier and we just didn’t know!? Oh man, I got to figure out a way out of this! Damndamndamndamn... Uhh... t-they killed themselves? Nono, my bugs probably ate them to death... I don’t get it, Worker Bees has never killed someone like that before! Agh! Stupid Stand users, all of them!

“I’m not stupid!” 「Circus」cried out, swinging the door open. “... Oh, oops.”

“Y-you useless Stand!” Nico swore before glaring at the enemy. “W-we got you surrounded!”

“You’re alive!?” Kobayashi exclaimed, before letting out a breath of relief. “Oh, thank God, you’re alive! I... I didn’t kill anyone after all!” Kobayashi was smiling at that point. “Oh man, I’m not going to hell after all! Or at least not for that reason! And the boss won’t be the one sending me there!” The awkward girl rushed forward, wrapping her arms around Kotori in happiness, much to the girl’s confusion.

“... Umm...”

“... Wait, you’re still my enemy!” Kobayashi remembered, jumping away and falling down, picking up her glasses before staring them down. “D-don’t underestimate me... I’m still an Arrow Hunter, you know!”

“We got you surrounded three to one!” Hanyo said. “This fight is over. We came here for your surrender! Your promise you won’t attack us or the other girls of μ's again!”

“Why the heck would I do that!?” Kobayashi asked. “I’m part of the enemy team! If my boss gives an order, I’ll do it, heck what you say!”

“Because if you don’t, we’ll beat the living snot out of you!” Nico yelled, earning a gulp from Kobayashi. “You’re completely surrounded! Just admit you’re beat and do what we say!”

“I... erm... f-fools!” Kobayashi’s demeanor had changed once more, now smirking. “... You fell into my trap! I wanted you to come right to me so I could fight you in my own house! The home-field advantage is mine!”

Hanayo gasped. “W-we fell into a trap!? Really!?”

“Did she get one over on us!? Friggin’ really!?” Nico replied, her Stand gasping as Kotori sweat dropped at her fellow Idols.

Really...?

“Mwahaha... that’s right! Fools! Haven’t you realized!? 「Worker Bees」works best in close corridors like this! That’s right... I brought you here to defeat you!” She said, adjusting her glasses. They’re really falling for it!

Kotori stomped on the ground. “Kobayashi! Just promise you won’t attack us again and that’ll be the end of that! We know how your Stand works, even if you bite us again, we’ll know what to do! The best thing you can do is just surrender!”

“C-can’t do that! I have a mission to fulfill in order to build my utopia, my bug sanctuary! Now... Because you’re here, I’ll offer an alternative! Instead of crippling you nuisances, I can take you back to our base unharmed!” One thing was for sure now; she did have a home-field advantage. And in close-quarters in a narrow space, that bug swarm was nothing any of them wanted to deal with. “I won’t harm a hair on your bodies! I’ll let my boss decide what to do.... How about it? All your other bandmates or whatever you call yourselves will be fine, too!”

“Idols! We’re an Idol unit, and we’re all Idols!” Hanayo corrected.

“Whatever! You get the point! So, what’s it gonna be!?” The three girls glared, and Kobayashi glared back. “Alright... don’t say I didn’t warn you!” She raised her right arm, the grotesque holes forming on them.

“Ewww...” Nico said with a shutter, while「Circus,」ready to fight back raised her whip, the other girls’ Stands out and ready as well.

“Here we go! My... 「Worker Bees!」”

And as she raised her arm, a grand total of five ants crawled out of her arm, flying towards them. However, 「Momoiro Clover」made extremely short work of them. It only took a few more seconds for a few more bugs to fly out, this time quickly dispatched by Circus’ whip.

“...”

“...”

“...”

The silence was tremendous and awkward, as Kobayashi blushed in embarrassment. “... I-I can only make a few of them at a time. I was building up the army overnight after I bit you all. I kind of withdrew them already...”

“Are you for real!?” Nico demanded, stomping her foot. “We came out here for nothing! Alright, bitch! Don’t screw with us again, got it!? Girls, we’re going home!” The three turned away, not wanting to waste any more time with the enemy first year, but Hanayo looked back.

There was a grin on her face as she raised her arm once more. It’s now or never, Kaori! You can do this!

“Girls! S… she’s about to do something!”

Kobayashi roared in pain as her arm violently shook, an armada of insects making its way out of her arm. So great was the pain she felt the tears well in her eyes, a teardrop falling a moment later. It hurts like hell, forcing myself into overdrive like this… but I can’t lose! Get it together, Kaori! Eyes on the prize!

“H-Holy shit!” Nico yelled. “HANAYO! CLOSE THE DOOR!”

Hanayo jumped and slammed it shut, feeling the insects slam against the door a moment later… and before long, were eating through her door. “S-she really did get us in a trap…!”

“Get some distance!” Kotori instructed, as the ants soon ate through her door. As they entered the hallway her Stand easily blew them away, but it did not change a problem; they were coming back, as tenacious as ever.

“How am I going to explain that to mom and dad…? Ah well! It’ll be worth it once I have my insectarium!” Kobayashi declared, laughing. “Blow ‘em away all you want, in terms of sheer numbers, I’ve already won! I just got to hold myself out from here… and I’m making a few more bugs every few seconds! You might as well just submit entirely! It’s not too late to accept my offer, you know!”

“Screw you, bug lady!” Nico yelled. What were the options? Could she use Center of The Ring now? The user was right around the corner… but what if she couldn’t defeat Kobayashi in those precious few seconds? It’s not like「Circus」had good offensive power. She could easily go for a killing blow, but that’s the last thing she wanted to do.

“Why you…! Just watch! When in close-range, I have control over「Worker Bees」even without needing you to be bitten! And you’ll find… My Stand is just as deadly as ever!” As Kobayashi made her bold declaration Nico yelled in pain, her Stand attacking an ant that had landed on her leg.

“You’re kidding me! How did… Shit! Everyone, the heating! She sent some ants into the vents too!” As the girls looked around, they saw some「Worker Bees」crawl out of heat ducts. “It’s dangerous to stay in here! We need to bail, immediately! Get outside!” Nico gritted her teeth at the understanding that they had once again misunderstood their strange enemy. She could no longer deny the facts; when in a close corridor or a hallway, there seemed to be no way for them to really combat the multiplying threat.

“Everyone, outside!” Kotori instructed, the other two girls agreeing as they raced through the mansion, making their way to the courtyard. We should flee now, Kotori rationalized. They knew the name and face of their enemy and where she lived. The full scope of her Stand, and so on. If they went back to Honoka and the rest, couldn’t they simply easily defend themselves with the knowledge they had gained? Kotori thought about it, then shook her head. The girl was… odd, and not that bright in strategy. But such a dangerous ability couldn’t simply be left unchecked! Unless she was beaten into submission, she was sure that her friends would be under constant danger. Even knowing how her Stand worked she had almost gotten one on them!

“Up there!” Hanayo pointed at a window, as the girls noticed Kobayashi grinning at them as she opened the window, hundreds of insects pouring out; and with another scream, many more coming out of her arm in that instant. There couldn’t have been less than a thousand coming at high speeds! “T… this is bad! Kotori! … Kotori!? Blew them away!”

Kotori’s eyes were shut, thinking to her father’s words. She thought to that day in Egypt years ago, and the words her father imprinted onto her.

"Go forward with pride Kotori. And don't ever back down."

Those two words he had once said, in the face of danger, that she repeated to herself so much were beginning to take new meaning in her. Those words that ever since she was little filled her with determination were now filling her with strength. Her Stand’s wings began to glow a slight green, taking off the ground.

“What in the world?” Nico asked, looking between the approaching enemy and Kotori. “Whatever you’re gonna do… Kotori! It’s all or nothing! If this doesn’t work, we’re screwed, so… so… as your club president I’m telling you, Minami, don’t let us down!”

“I believe in you, Kotori-chan!” Hanayo yelled. “I didn’t think I could fight either… but Honoka showed me the way! When I was in danger…. All I could think about was protecting Rin and Honoka! You can do it! Whatever you’re going to do… you’ll win!”

"And in the face of danger... let those fists fly free, and with hallowed vision, Kotori..."

Kotori took a deep breath, finally facing the horde approaching. I’m not a little bird who can only do what she’s told… that’s not the kind of girl my papa would want me to be… no, more than that! That’s not the kind of person I want to be! Me, myself… I want to be like him…

"Stand proud!"

I can do this… it will carry me to victory! My Stand… Kotori was speaking only to herself now, her fists balled. “This is my Stand… the gentle wind,「Kaze ni Notte.」”

“Doesn’t matter what it is… because regardless, I win!” Kobayashi’s voice roared through the ants as they zoomed in, as Kotori finally announced those two words. The two words he had shouted to the thieves in Egypt, the words that to her above all else symbolized the power she would need to defeat her enemy. And so, at the top of her lungs, she yelled the words:

“EMERALD SPLASH!”

With a flap of her mighty wings, 「Kaze ni Notte」produced her strongest burst of wind yet, enough to repel all the insects in front of her and even shake the house. And then, like the Strygians of legend, it’s now green feathers launched from the Stand’s wings, launching the hardened feathers and obliterating most of the insect swarm in front of her.

“W… what the hell!?” Kobayashi screamed, her concentration broken and unable to control her ants as one of the hardened feathers smashed into her forhead as she watched, sending her flying to the other side of her room. Such power… from someone like that!?

Kotori gasped for breath, falling to the ground and landing on her hands, Hanayo helped her out, as Kotori wiped sweat off her brow. For now, at least, the attack had taken a lot out of her. I should train with this power… 「Kaze ni Notte」was also grounded, as it was now featherless. Defenseless as well, but the battle seemed to be over… or at least, Nico intended to end it. Nico smirked; while everything in her purse had been destroyed, her enemy hadn’t thought about her backpack. Reaching for one of her hidden weapons in her secret compartment she raced towards her enemy’s room, ready to end this battle.

Nico raced towards the door, bolting to her enemy’s room. She wasn’t going to let this even remotely drag on; this fight would come to an end, and it would end now. “You!”

“Owww… s-shit!” Kobayashi rubbed her head, screaming as she saw the irate third year. The holes on her arm opened once more, but it would be interrupted as Nico used one of her knives into her shoulder, breaking her concentration and earning a scream from the first year.

“It’s over, you creepy-ass bug lady,” Nico said with a glare before, noticing she wasn’t ready to stop. A few bugs came out still, but this time, Nico could go full-out. “「Circus!」You know what to do!”

“Center of the Ring!”「Circus」yelled, her whip connecting with her desktop. Kobayashi’s head turned, and she and her「Worker Bees」could only look at the computer, unable to do anything else. “I think it’s time you got brought down a few pegs… right, Nico?” Her prehensile whip grabbed one of the fire ant colonies, giving it a rough shake, and then using the whip to shatter it… all the ants falling all over their master. For the remaining seconds the true ants could only look at the computer as well, but then the distraction wore off. “We’re not as fragile as bugs… we may not have a hive to back us up, but we’re strong just on our own! We don’t help our friends because of a hive mind, we do it ourselves, with our own strong resolve! Stomp on us, and we fight back!”

Nico smirked, making her signature gesture with her hands before walking out. She didn’t feel much of a need to run at the moment; the battle had been won. Kobayashi could only whimper as she saw her precious ants crawl all over her, extremely angry at the destruction of their home.

“W-what was that… h-hey… oh no! Nononononono… I-I didn’t… o-owww! Ow! OW! OWOWOWOWOWOWOWOOWOWOWOWOWOWOWOWOWOWOWOWOWOWWOWOWOWOWOWOW-!”

It was like music to Nico’s ears, honestly.

“AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!”

All the way in Hokkaido, however, a man felt something. A businessman’s head shot up as he bolted upright in his office, sensing something. A green aura surrounded him, but nothing came from it. But he had felt… something. Hundreds of miles away, something had awoken. And from across that space, the shockwaves had reached inside his soul, and without words he knew what had happened.

“… Kotori, you…”

Stand: Worker Bees

User: Kaori Kobayashi

Status: RETIRED

Honoka had been the most excited to learn that the girls of μ's had yet another Stand user among their ranks, although Umi had been the most skeptical.

“It’s still so totally cool!” Even after a week and a half had passed, Honoka was still so riled up. “That makes FOUR of us Stand users on the same Idol team! And I bet Umi will gain a Stand any day now, since she got pierced by the arrow too!”

“Why do you want me to have a Stand so badly? I don’t want to have anything to do with this fighting!” Umi snapped, but bit on her lip. These Arrow Hunters had attacked Kotori despite not having been awakened at the time. The revelation that people did not need the arrow to apparently awaken Stand powers was a major revelation to μ's, but it put them all on-edge. They felt Kotori was unique somehow, to be able to awaken the power within without the need for the arrow. Rin and Maki had no hopes that such a thing would happen to them either, nor did Maki wish for such a thing to happen to her as well. Rin seemed more… forlorn, but nobody knew how to approach it. “Still… That’s at least one more enemy down. That’s three already. How many more do they have?”

“Akeno and Miano won’t attack us, but they probably won’t sell out their allies either,” Honoka reasoned. “The next time we’re under attack, we should try interrogating them…” Honoka smiled. She had been training with All Star nearly every day when she wasn’t studying, and despite the danger, a part of her felt excited to be able to enter combat with her Stand once more. “Maybe I’ll even get a chance to show off All Star’s new attack!”

Kotori and Hanayo giggled at the enthusiasm, while Umi sighed. “If anything, I just hope this ‘boss’ is all that’s left,” but she knew there had to be more. “Still though, Kotori-chan... to think you were the legendary maid…”

“That was sooooooooo not cool to not tell us, Kotori-chan!” Honoka scolded. “We could have like, come during your shift and get free drinks and stuff!” Now she was just whining. “You know I’d never turn free drinks or food!”

That earned her a swat to the back of her head from Umi. “Keep that up and you’ll get fat,” she scolded. “And you didn’t get in trouble after all that?”

“Nono, I got in trouble… If I wasn’t so good for business I think I would’ve gotten fired…” Kotori said, rubbing the back of her head. “They said another incident like that and I’m out, though,” no longer utilizing her Stand she seemed a bit quieter once more as she always had, but there was still a different air around her. “Quiet” didn’t mean the same as “submissive.” And even in-class the girls had noticed more confidence in Kotori’s actions.

“I wrote some lyrics,” Kotori had told them on the rooftop several days prior. “It’s… not really a song I imagined us singing as a group. But I wanted to sing it! I love Akiba, with all my heart. So, I just… sat down and wrote everything about my feelings in once. I want to record it! I… I know we can’t publish it, it’s not fair if it’s just me, but — “

“What are you talking about, Kotori-chan!?” Honoka had said, excitedly holding her friend’s hands. “We’ll post it online, we’ll all have our own time to shine!”

μ's position in Love Live was still in danger. Not only did they have exams to pass, but more enemies were surely waiting to fight them. But for now, once again, they enjoyed a tentative peace. Their studying practices were solid, and Honoka, Rin, and Nico had even done well on a practice test in their notebooks. And a new routine had also been set in stone for the group’s Stand users —

“FAITOFAITOFAITOFAITO FAITO DAYOOOOOOOO!”

Once their rooftop practices had ended, the Stand users of μ's would spar, honing their abilities to come. Umi, Nico, and Kotori watched on as「All Star」and「Momoiro Clover」exchanged fists in the air, moving at such high speeds that human eyes could not closely follow the blows as the Stands’ fists exchanged in the air. Honoka had been focusing on her capoeira-like dodging with her Stand, and Hanayo was getting used to carrying small objects on her at all times to combine with her Stand’s swapping ability. Nico had started to try to combine more weapons with Circus’ whip, and Circus had become more willing to cooperate with following orders. Kotori was testing the limits of her Stand’s healing powers, and using its wings as weapons, only sending out a few feathers at once instead of the entire barrage.

The group new Kotori was a new ace-in-the-hole, a kind of secret weapon that would surely be targeted by their enemies soon. And so, they kept the secrets of her Stand to themselves; it appeared it could only hear the same person once a day and seemed to have a limit of five times a week. A powerful ability, but one that had to be used as rarely as possible, the girls concluded.

They were growing, both as Stand users and as Idols, and they were determined to

Love Live awaited, and there would be nothing they wouldn’t give to enter it. If dangerous enemies couldn’t stop them, how could they possibly lose to something like a bad grade?

“See you tomorrow, everyone!” Honoka said with a wave, as the girls head on their way home. And Kotori smiled as she put on earphones, opening her phone to the School Idol Festival’s website, letting the music fill her ears.

Wonder zone!
I was called to you, and I came running,
Without a doubt a mysterious dream is beginning.

Meanwhile, having decided to leave for home early after school ended that day, Principal Minami made a call to a man she hadn’t spoken to for a few weeks while sitting in her living room. No particular reason called for it, but she wanted to speak with an old friend.

“Hey, been a while,” Kotori’s father said on his end of the line, earning a smile from the woman. “How have you been, Kaede?”

“Pretty good. You know what our daughter is up to, right?”

“School Idols… remember those Idols from when we were teenagers?”

“How could I forget? One of those concerts was our first date,” Minami said, remembering those carefree and pleasant days.

“The days of our youth… God, I feel so old just thinking about it.”

Hi! It’s beginning! (Wonder feeling!)
This special dream is so mysterious… (Wonder feeling!)

I want to give you some energy, tomorrow will be happy, too.
There’s a ton to look forward to, I want to be excited!

“She’s so big now…” Kotori’s father’s voice was a little forlorn. “Hell, her little brother and sister will be her age in no time.”

“They do grow up too fast… And how is your wife doing? I haven’t spoken with Melissa lately…”

“Same old, same old. She says she wants us to go to Tokyo for Christmas, have I told you that? She said she misses you and wants to see Kotori again.”

“No, you haven’t! Does Kotori know? She’ll be so excited to have you all over for Christmas!”

“I want to do it, too. I feel… bad. I know it’s hard with me being so far away, but I do feel bad I wasn’t there to see her grow up. I just… I don’t want her to think I love her brother and sister more than her just because I was there to see them grow up. They’re all my kids, I love them all.”

“You know Kotori. You know she doesn’t think that. Sure, she might be a little… jealous of her siblings, but she loves them too. Just because you couldn’t physically be here doesn’t mean you weren’t a good father. You’ve already done more than most men would in your position, I think,” Minami assured, looking out the window.

Even after energetically overdoing it and falling over,
You should get back up quickly and smile!

No matter how painful things get,
To shine you just have to give it your all without crying!

“She’s just like you,” Kotori’s father said. “She looks like you down to a T. She’s even quiet like you used to be. That’s how I know she’s going to do great things growing up. I just wish I could see this Love Live thing myself, but my schedule…”

“If anything, I think she’s like you,” Minami said, much to his surprise. “She may be quiet and meek, but… she has your spirit. Your determination. It’s inside her, even if she doesn’t show it. That compassion you have and how brave you are… ever since that trip to Egypt she’s idolized you, wants to be like you. And… that’s why I think if anything, she’ll be more like you than me,” she said, closing her eyes and smiling. She thought of her daughter and her lifelong friends, the days and nights they’d spend at her house, the days engraved into her heart.

“Hey, hey! Kotori! Do that thing with your tongue again!” She remembered a seven year old, after she had finished serving the three dinner. Umi complained, saying it was freaky, but Kotori was more than happy to do it to impress Honoka. She ran to the kitchen, grabbing one of the cherries from the fridge and running back, placing it on her tongue.

“Reoreoreoreoreoreoreoreoreoreo~! My papa taught me how to do that!”

“Ewwwwwwww!”

“Cool!”

Wonder zone!
A future where I can become strong!
Let’s look for it together, I’m OK!
I was strongly called to you, and I came running!
Without a doubt, an ambitious dream is beginning!

“Maybe she inherited my looks… but it’s your spirit she inherited, Kakyoin.”

“Come on, even after all these years, you’re not gonna say my first name?”

Minami giggled. “What can I say? I still think it sounds cooler than Noriaki,” Minami admitted. “Always will, to be honest.”

And so Noriaki Kakyoin laughed, prompting Minami’s giggling to intensify. “Well, I guess that’s a fair enough reason as any,” he reasoned. “I’ll give her a call tonight. Don’t tell her about the Christmas thing, OK? I want it to be a surprise for when I tell her. I want to hear her reaction.”

“Of course. Ah, I hear the door, that’s probably her. I’ll talk to you later, Kakyoin.”

“And you as well. Until next time, Kaede,” Kakyoin said before hanging up, Minami getting up as she saw Kotori enter the house.

“Mama! You’re home early!” Kotori was surprised but happy, smiling as she went over to hug her mother, earning a hug back in response.

“Yeah. It’s been stressful with everything going on with the closing… how are you?”

“Never better!” Kotori replied with a big smile, giggling.

“You’ve been in such a good mood for nearly a week now… is something going on with the Idol Study Club? Is everyone studying hard?”

“You bet!” Of course she couldn’t reveal the truth to her mother, but her mood was good, so what was the point? “I’m gonna go study now!”

Minami smiled, watching her daughter make her way to her room, closing her eyes and sitting down. “I know you girls will save the school, I just know it.”

Hi! It’s beginning! (Wonder feeling!)
This special dream is so mysterious! (Wonder feeling!)

Rin was pretty content with her life, to say the least.

Things could always be better, but they couldn’t be worse. She was a happy and energetic girl, and now she was a part of μ's. Who would have thought someone like her could ever be an Idol? It was like… something out of an anime or story for the internet! How exciting!

But still, something always felt wrong. Like, she was the odd one out.

The least cute member. The least important probably, too. Rin was good at hiding her insecurities and doubts, but ever since the incident at Hanayo’s house they had grown more severe.

Hanayo had saved her. Hanayo, who she promised she’d always defend from all harm, Hanayo who she always wanted to defend had been the one to save her from an enemy she could not fight against. What was even the point of her being here, anyways? She had never intended to join μ's. She just wanted to encourage Hanayo to follow her dreams.

The least useful, the least cute, the least deserving of everyone to be an Idol. It was for the best. Part of being an athlete was taking one for the team. So, if it’d support the whole team…

Club Resignation Letter

It’ll be for the best if you do it, Rin told herself. Nico and the others probably wouldn’t want to talk to her anymore, but she knew Hanayo would still have her back. But did she want to quit? Not really, but…

“You look troubled.”

She jumped as she heard a stranger’s voice talk to her. She had been walking home from practice, still mulling over this decision. She saw an older woman standing over her, locking up a door behind her. “I… I… um…”

“The look of your face… You look quite stressed,” the woman said, frowning. A hand gripped her face to inspect her, causing Rin to jump back.

“H-hey! No touchy!” She backed away, ready to bolt into a run if necessary. She’d call the police if she had to!

“Now now… it’s my job to deal with this. I’m a firm believer, you see, a makeover can cure any girl’s woes.”

“A makeover?” Rin blinked a few times. She had never had the confidence to really experiment with makeup or anything like that, and she looked up above her. It was a new beauty salon, she remembered people from school talking about in the school.

Cinderella Beauty Saloon

“We just relocated from Morioh,” the woman said.

“The town by S City?”

“Yes,” the woman said with a smirk. “Tell you what… come here before school tomorrow. I’ll give you a free touch-up. Just spread the word, I want to get my business going.”

“W… why should I trust you? Miss… uh…”

“Aya. Tsuji Aya,” Aya said, beginning to walk home. “Just look it up online. I have a lot of five-star reviews back in Morioh… you won’t regret this,” and with a sigh, she began to walk off.

“…” Rin was quiet as the other woman walked away, looking up above. “Cinderella…”

From the top of a nearby building, Wakaki of the Arrow Hunters smirked, watching the affair with a pair of binoculars as she held her cell phone with another hand.

“Yeah, she’s going for it… don’t worry, Yanigihori-san. I’ll be keeping an eye out on this one. Don’t worry! I’ll give you all the updates as it goes on… it’s just a beauty salon though. Honestly, I don’t think it’s gonna be that big a deal. But I’ll let you know if something happens, alright?”

She smirked as she hung up the phone, annoyed to see it ringing just moments after she had just finished her call. But the smirk returned as she noticed the caller ID:

Kira Yoshikage

She flipped open her phone again a moment later. “Yeah?”

“Status report on the Otonokizaka School Idol group.”

“Oh, I think something very interesting is about to happen, boss.”

“You’re not on the payroll to keep information. Spit it out.”

“It’s concerning the Stand owner of the Cinderella salon, and the one tomboy Idol…”

Next time on Honoka’s Bizarre Adventure!

Chapter 12: Rin Wants to Be Like Cinderella

Stand profile: KOTORI MINAMI

Stand Name: Kaze ni Notte (Janne Da Arc song)

Type: Long-range Stand

Stand Cry: None

Appearance/Personality: Kaze ni Notte appears like a harpy or an angel of old legend, standing slightly larger than Kotori herself. Unlike harpies it appears as a rather beautiful figure. It has the upper torso and head of a woman, with wings on her back possessing snow-white feathers. It wears an outfit similar to the ones worn by Honoka, Kotori, and Umi during their first performance, in white. It has golden hair in a tight bun, white eyes and no mouth. It does not have arms.

Kaze ni Notte has no known personality, but does occasionally coo like a bird does when seemingly happy.

Abilities:

• Healing feathers: Kaze ni Notte, being a healing Stand by nature, is distinguished not by its offensive power but it's ability to heal others. At will, Kaze ni Notte is slashing somebody with its wings, healing them of all injuries, even regaining lost body parts from recent wounds. When rubbed over wounds and injuries, they will close and heal. Even fatal wounds can be easily healed as long as it was a recent wound, but it does not cure death from natural causes. However, there is a limit to this power: an individual may only be healed once per 24 hours, and the full extent of how many times it could be used still has yet to be seen.
• Razor-sharp feathers: However, as an offensive technique, Kaze ni Notte can instead sharpen its feathers to be like knives, making deadly slashes with its wings or using these feathers like throwing knives. Like the Strygan birds of Greek legend, these feathers can be hardened until they become green and become harder than stones, and can then be launched at opponents. Her most powerful attack, Emerald Splash (inherited from Hierophant Green) can be utilized by hardening all feathers at once and launching them. While these wings do start growing back after a few minutes, using all at once will render Kaze ni Notte grounded until they recover.
• Wind creation: By flapping its wings, Kaze ni Notte can create strong winds. These can be "charged" to produce a more powerful effect: more than capable of sending foes flying. At its strongest, these winds can potentially match hurricanes, albeit at a strain on the user.
• Coiled body: The true form of Kaze ni Notte's body is made out of many coils bonded together into a solid shape, like Hierophant Green. Like her father's Stand, Kaze ni Notte is capable of "untying" it's body to manipulate these coils freely as prehensile tendrils.

Stats:

• Power: B
• Speed: A
• Range: A
• Precision: C
• Durability: E
• Development Potential: B

Stand profile: KAORI KOBAYASHI

Stand Name: Worker Bees (Billy Talent song)

Type: Stand Colony

Stand Cry: None

Appearance/Personality: When originally manifested, Worker Beess creates several holes in the user's hand. From these holes Worker Bees manifests itself as an army of golden siafu ants, each with four antennas that mercilessly hunt down its target in a swarm. There does not seem to be a limit to the number of insects that can be summoned.

The ants themselves have no personality, although Kaori can speak through them and hear what they hear, she cannot see what they see, further hindering its precision.

Abilities:

• The Swarm: Once a target has been marked by the user, the ants of Worker Bees will never relent. Although they can be easily destroyed, they will forever home-in on their target. No matter how much distance has passed the ants can easily track down its target to devour them alive. While Kobayashi can usually only summon a few per second without difficulty, she is capable of spawning nearly hundreds in moments; but doing so causes tremendous strain and incredible pain on the user's arm.
• Acidic venom: The ants all contain venom that is highly corrosive, able to easily melt through steel in a matter of seconds when concentrated on one area. Combined with the fact these ants can already bite through sturdy oak makes it highly difficult to resist its attacks, especially when combined with their vast numbers.
• Marking: Most terrifying of all is that if a person is bitten by a "queen ant" (that usually stays within Kobayashi's arm), the bite becomes inflamed and infected with venom. This then serves a "tracking beacon" of kinds, allowing the ants to remotely attack the target even when the user is not around to directly control them. While the precision leaves much to be desired, they will follow basic commands like "do not kill the enemy." If this inflamed area is no longer on the target, however, the ants return back to the user.

Stats:

• Destructive Power: A
• Speed: A
• Range: A
• Precision: D
• Durability: E/A (as easy to squish as any bug, provided its attacked by a Stand, but can stay manifested almost indefinitely unless destroyed by an outside force, giving it incredible Staying Power)
• Development Potential: E

Chapter Text

Previously on Honoka's Bizarre Adventure!

Koizumi Hanayo here! After a hard-fought battle, we defeated another one of the 'Arrow Hunters!' More than that, Kotori-senpai awakened as a Stand user, and without needing to be pierced by the arrow! S-So, we of μ's have another in our ranks for fights now! I'm getting worried though… ever since the fight at my house, Rin-chan hasn't been herself… i-it can't be anything serious, right?

"Come oooon! Kayochin! Maki-chan! The water's great, nya!"

When it came to athletic performance, nobody in μ's could ever hope to outmatch Rin. On land or in water, as she proved swimming laps in Otonokizaka Highschool's pool as her fellow first years waited.

"I don't have a swimming suit with me," Maki said as she played with her hair. "Even if I did, swimming really isn't my thing…" She went on, as Hanayo just gave a small giggle.

"Even dancing is a little hard to keep up, let alone swimming…"

The two failed to notice the fellow first year's cat-like grin as she climbed up out of the pool, getting behind them. "That's not what I asked, fufufu…"

"… Rin…" Maki rose an eyebrow. "What are you—"

"Come on, the water's fine!" Was all Rin said before giving the two girls a push, much to their surprise.

"H-HEY!"

"R-Rin!"

Rin just laughed as the two landed in the water, sticking her tongue out. "Sorry, I just couldn't help it! You two totally left yourself wide open!"

"I'll kill you, Hoshizora!" Was all the enraged Maki said as she crawled out, giving chase to Rin as Hanayo quietly dried herself off.

"Come oooon! You're such a hothead, I thought a little water would cool you down was all!"

"You're gonna feel differently when you're at the bottom of the pool, Rin!"

"Nya, Maki's getting really scary now-!"

Hanayo smiled as she watched it. As mad as Maki was, she'd get over it. Things were so much different for herself and Rin since μ's, for good and the bad. Hanayo really felt like she was following in her mother's footsteps and embracing a future as an Idol, and she finally had more friends! For as long as she could remember it had just been her and Rin against the world, nobody wanting to really play with the awkward, shy girl. Even the power of the Stand, the power of her「Momoiro Clover」and learning to utilize this new power was becoming exciting to her, despite the danger that came with it. Confidence was finally something in Hanayo's grasp, and she wouldn't have traded it for anything in the world.

But still, part of her worried for her oldest and dearest friend. Rin still acted as she always did, so hyper and energetic and full of kindness, but something felt off in the last few weeks. Ever since Akeno's and Miano's assault in her house something had felt different. Something that Hanayo just couldn't place her finger on…

"Ugh, the nerve of that girl!" Maki exclaimed as she gave up on her chase, grabbing a towel to dry herself off. "She's lucky I didn't have my phone on me, I'd make her get me a new one!" Hanayo just gave a nervous laugh, still needing to replace her phone ever since it had been destroyed by「Worker Bees.」Hanayo just tried to laugh it off, much to the other girl's annoyance.

"She's just always been like that," Hanayo explained. "For as long as I can remember, Rin always tries to get you off-guard if she can. Still, I guess the pool was a little mean…"

"A little!? What if I couldn't swim!? Honestly! How can you put up with that?" Maki snapped, as Hanayo just looked up.

"Well… she's always been my best friend," Hanayo remembered. "For as long as I can remember…" A smile returned to her face as she remembered those days, all those years ago. Mere kindergarteners, as Hanayo usually tucked away in the corner when all the other kids were playing with eachother.

"Whatcha reading there?" Rin had asked her one uneventful evening, peering over her shoulder as she read a book, earning a little scream and jump from the young Hanayo.

"I… It's a story about a princess and a dragon…!"

"Really!? That sounds super cool, nya!"

"Nya…?"

"It's the sound cats make! I really like making it! You don't mind that, do you?"

"N-No… it's kinda funny!"

"That's awesome, nya! Everyone else makes fun of me for it…" The other child had puffed out her cheeks, before smiling. "Since you didn't make fun of me, let's be best friends forever, nya!"

"… E-eh!?"

"And everything else just… followed," Hanayo said, drying herself off. "What about you, Maki-chan? Do you have any friends like that?"

Maki went rather quiet, looking down at her feet. "… Maybe once," she said, closing her eyes.

"Is something wrong, Omine?"

"Maki, I really wanted to go to the same school as you. I wanted to go to Otonokizaka with you…"

But she shook her head. "It's best not to dwell on things like that. Just be glad you have a best friend, even if she's a pain in your ass," her demeanor had certainly changed rather quickly.

"I… alright…"

"… I'm sorry about that," Rin said, approaching behind that. "That was… kinda bad, I think, sorry…"

"Don't worry- just don't do it again, OK?" Maki said, and Rin's demeanor seemed to peak up a bit at knowing that Maki didn't seem too mad. "I'll see you all tomorrow, alright? And Rin, you better keep studying! And remember, we're all meeting for practice even with the midterms coming up tomorrow!" Rin grinned at Maki's assertiveness and how much she clearly loved μ's, even if she would never admit it. And so, cleaning up after themselves, that left just Rin and Hanayo to walk back home by themselves.

"Man, I really thought Maki-chan would get me for a second!" Rin said as they walked away from Otonokizaka into the streets, ready to make their way back home. "It works though… just the thought of failing English is scary now! She'll kill me with a chainsaw like a psycho in one of those movies, nya!"

Hanayo laughed. "Rin-chan, she's not that mean," Hanayo said with a smile. "You just… really seem to push all her buttons a lot."

"Then her buttons shouldn't be so easy to push!" Rin complained, before scratching behind her head. "Still… my English is getting better, Kayochin! I'm sure of it, as long as I keep practicing we're gonna be in the clear!" Rin assured, making determined fists with her hands. "I really want us to go to Love Live, I really do!"

Hanayo smiled, walking alongside her friend. She thought maybe she should wait until later, but it came blurted out in that moment. "Are you sure you're OK, Rin?" Hanayo blushed slightly at how suddenly she had asked it, but it had been done.

"Eh? What are you talking about? Of couse I've been good! I mean this midterm thing is a load… but I'm still the one and only Rin-chan, nya!" She rose her hand and made a claw-like motion, swiping the air as if she were a cat. "Rin-chan will absolutely nail her exams, don't you worry! I won't be some useless dead weight dragging you all down!" It was that word that made Hanayo grow very uncomfortable.

"Useless… Dead weight..."

"Eh? Did I say that?" Rin was either playing dumb or didn't notice it. "Well… doesn't matter! I'm not gonna drag μ's down, OK, Kayochin? This is your dream, I'll make sure we get to Love Live no matter what!" The words meant to assure Hanayo became more distressing to her.

"R-Rin… you want to go to Love Live for yourself too, right? You're a member of μ's too… you're not doing it just for me, right?"

"Kayochin, what's with all these questions?" Rin's smile finally disappeared. "It's fine, really. I know I messed up with my studying, but I'm trying to pull it together!" She said, her tone becoming defensive. "I shouldn't have slacked off and now… and now the club is in danger for it! Even though Honoka and Nico-senpai have to pull their weight too, I messed up! And I… I don't want your dream to be in danger!"

"That's not what I'm saying, this is your dream too, right?" Hanayo asked, holding Rin's hand gently. "You… you are enjoying this, right? Being a part of μ's?"

"Of course I am, it's great!" Rin took a step back, away from Hanayo's gentle touch. "I… it's so much fun, being with everyone! This singing and dancing, I thought it was something somebody like me could never possibly do!"

"Rin… c-calm down…"

"… You got so strong so quickly, Kayochin…" That certainly threw Hanayo off-guard. "I remember I always… stuck up for you when people were being mean and junk! And… I felt so happy, being like your knight… but you don't need to be protected anymore, do you?" Rin stared at the ground. "You're standing on your own, and I'm the one that needed to be defended from others… you're all so pretty and everything. So cute and feminine while dancing and singing and… all those moves, I like being a part of it…"

"Rin-chan… I know we're you're going with this, please don't think about that!" Hanayo tried to assure. "You're just as cute as the rest of us!

"Well… highschool changes everything, doesn't it?" Hanayo tried to reassure. "That doesn't mean we're not friends, or that you still don't mean a lot to me!"

"… But it does change things," she took another step back. "… I'm… jealous of you, all of you…" another step back. "… I'm sorry, I have to go."

Rin bolted off in the other direction, Hanayo gasping as she tried racing after. "H-hey! Wait! Rin-chan, wait! Don't…" But in terms of speed she could never catch up, especially once a red light began to separate them. "Rin…"

Hanayo texted her a few times, but to no response. And then a call with no response. Defeated, Hanayo headed home.

Rin ran as fast as she could away from her old friend, guilt building in her but she did not look back. She gasped for breath a few blocks after she had lost Hanayo, sighing as she leaned against a wall. "Dammit, dammit, dammit… what's wrong with you, Rin?" She scolded herself. She didn't mean to let that all out, really! It just sort of fell out of her mouth, and now Hanayo had to be worried for her.

All the more reason this was the right decision to make, wasn't it? She set down her backpack to take the club resignation letter back out with a sigh. She was going to be upfront with μ's and resign that day, but she just couldn't bring herself to do so. Once again she had so much fun and exciting days with them all, she just couldn't bear to let it go. Except now, Hanayo had to suffer for it as well.

What if she didn't pass her midterms, anyway? It would drag down the other six girls with her. She could already see it; all of μ's passing their exams after trying their hardest, only for Rin's failure to drag them all down. How could she do something to people who had given her so much, who had given Hanayo so much? Hanayo's dreams were being actualized; Rin couldn't let anything stand in the way of it. In this case, it just included herself was all.

Rin walked without a word, ignoring her best friend's texts and calls, trying to block out everything except the courage to do what needed to be done. The sheer reality was that Hanayo didn't need her anymore, Rin came to understand. In the past she did; she was quiet and meek and shy, and sometimes other kids might have picked on her. Rin stood up for her and protected her. And as long as she did, Rin had a place to belong in the world. She had a purpose and a best friend that made her feel confident and happy, she had a place to truly belong in the world. But it was like Hanayo said; highschool changes things. The situation just… wasn't the same anymore.

Hanayo had a power, now. A power that surpassed anything Rin could possibly achieve. Back in Hanayo's house she was powerless as one of the enemies chilled her body, unable to even muster the energy to get herself out of the bed until Hanayo's and Honoka's battle ended. But she could hear everything. She could hear the yelling and the crashing, utterly powerless to do anything to help her.

Even in the alleyway when she was being beaten up by the two delinquents she was overpowered, and it was before Hanayo even obtained this power she had come to her rescue. She remembered how they met, a story about a dragon and a princess. And that princess had a gallant knight to protect her and kill the evil dragon. But what use was there for the knight when the princess could defend herself?

She was thankful her parents worked into the night as she walked quietly to her room, collapsing on the bed in her room. It's for the best, she thought to herself. For Kayochin and μ's. It's just what's best for everyone. Kayochin is gonna grow up to be an amazing Idol and you'll support her from the sidelines. I'll get an office job or something, she thought to herself, a bitter smile forming. You always knew this was temporary. Just wish it could've lasted a few more years…

She thought back to that day she had first worn a skirt when she and Hanayo were little, just trying to make her way to school.

"Eh? Hoshizora, why are you wearing a skirt?"

"That's girl clothes, Hoshizora, come on!"

"D… did you lose a bet or something?"

"Rin-chan…?" Was what Hanayo had tried to do to support her, before Rin turned away, tears welling in her eyes and ready to run off.

"I-I'm sorry, I need to go home and change!"

"W-wait! Shisui-kun, what's wrong!? Shisui!?"

Rin sighed and looked at a pink dress, holding it up to her as she looked in the mirror. "… Who am I kidding, I'm just not meant for that stuff," she rationalized and fell back on her bed. She wasn't girly or feminine, and that was essential to being an Idol. And the worst case? Her secret could ruin μ's, she knew it. What would society say if they knew the birth name of Hoshizora Rin was Hoshizora Shisui?

What would happen if the world knew it was just some pretend girl that was a part of μ's?

Rin rationalized the result would be immediate and catastrophic. μ's would never survive the controversy, even if she left immediately it'd never end. And of course, that would mean the secret known only to Principal Minami, her teachers, and Hanayo would leak out to the rest of the school as well.

You can't be selfish, Rin. Do what best for everyone else, even if they hate you for it, just do it, she thought, before standing up. "Tomorrow's the day! No more running away… even if you disappoint them, you're doing what's best!" She declared to herself, one fist balled as she looked at the resignation letter, pausing for a few moments before feeling a few tears fall. "D-dammit…"

Selfish, selfish, selfish. She wanted to scold herself for crying like this.

She buried her face in her hand as she cried. She was a girl without a place in the world, and if she had to guess, once this was over without friends. She'd be alone in this world, but that's ok; it's what she deserved for questioning how the world worked and not just rolling with what others expected of her. At the very least, she could make up for her sin against the world while making Hanayo's dream come true. While making μ's dream come true. She felt a small smile tug on her lips as she did; athletes had to sacrifice a lot for the sake of their passions. She was just sacrificing for μ's.

She decided to plop onto her computer, wanting to distract herself with videos to take her mind off things. Some funny videos, she thought. Not the kind to turn off her computer she forgot she had left one tab open the night prior; a site with reviews of the Cinderella Beauty Salon.

As she looked through it every review was glowing, a perfect five star, much as Aya had promised. She bit on her lip, looking at the before and after. "W… whoah…" It seemed almost impossible! Almost like Aya was using magic or something to do it! And, well…

Something felt wrong about it, but honestly? Rin rationalized she was going to have a terrible day tomorrow anyways, and Aya had offered a free touchup. What was wrong with looking her best during the worst day of her life, anyways? Maybe she could joke about that further down the line.

And so the next day Rin had woken up early to do so. As she was waking up in the morning to practice with μ's her parents paid no mind, simply thinking she was off to practice. She was still ghosting Hanayo, and the fact filled her with guilt, but she had come to a decision to do what she needed to today, no more holding off. But still, she at least wanted to try this out.

"This is amazing!" One girl yelled out as she ran out of Cindrella, much to Rin's shock. She wasn't the prettiest girl in the world (to be delicate about it), but happy tears were streaming down her face and she couldn't seem to stop. "He proposed to me, he really did! I can't believe it… for the 'good luck' treatment got me the job, and now this…! Aya-sama, I promise I'm going to tell all your friends! I mean it! I-I really don't owe you anything!? I just paid off my credit card, it's the least I can do!"

"Just spread the word… it's important to me while I'm setting up shop in this new location. Just keep in mind, future appointments wont' be cheap…" Aya said, standing in the doorway with a yawn. "I can't perform infinite miracles out of pocket, after all."

"O-Of course!" The woman looked at Rin. "Kid, are you looking for a makeover!? This woman… it's like she's magic or something! I can't believe this! I… I have to call my mother! A-and my brother!" She was lost in her own world, leaving behind a stunned Rin as she looked at Aya.

"I was afraid you weren't going to come at all," Aya greeted her at the door to Cinderella, inviting her inside. "After you didn't come yesterday, I assumed you just weren't interested."

"Mmm… sorry. I overslept," she lied. Why did she lie? There wasn't any reason to. But she shook her head, heading further inside. It looked so fancy, she had never been in such a place before. "You were from Morioh?"

"Yes, I was," Aya began, with a yawn. "Sorry, I have low blood pressure, but don't think I'm tired or anything… but yes. I had a thriving business in Morioh, I was always booked around the clock. Every now and then I liked to sneak somebody in before I opened though, for free."

"Why? If you're so good, why give people freebies?"

Aya smiled. "Are you familiar with the story of Cinderella?"

"Of course I am! When the poor girl gets to marry that prince, right?"

"Yes… with the help of her fairy godmother. All my life, ever since I was little, I wanted to be like that fairy godmother. Helping young girls find their dreams and hopes… if I can help guide them to that path, I'll die happy," she explained with a yawn. "So now and then I liked to give… free helping hands to people in need. Students your age without money to spare, women who just can't find time out of their busy work schedules to find their happiness… I want to be able to help people in any way I can," as she told her story Rin was mesmerized, her mouth open in awe.

What a nice woman! Rin thought to herself. Whatever happened to that woman before, she was clearly super happy with the results! Despite her dread for the rest of this day, Rin couldn't help but be excited now.

"If I could I'd do it for free, for everyone, but I need to pay the bills, you know… still though, how could I not help such a cute young girl?" Rin looked away at that.

"I-I'm not cute. I'm really boyish and stuff. That's why this is probably a waste of time…"

"Now, now… so your desire is to be more feminine? I could easily take care of that," Aya told her, pulling out a computer with a camera attached to it.

"Umm… what's…?"

"It's a machine that helps me with physiognomy, the shape of the face," Aya explained. "Physiognomy, you see, can help determine you fate."

"M-my fate!? Really!?"

"If you have a face that will be loved, it'll heighten your luck in all aspects of life, like finding love, which I specialized in. Of course, things like 'good luck' and 'confidence' can also be changed by the shape of your face," Aya explained "Phew… It's something many beauticians do not understand. They only think of the basics of applying makeup and other beauty technique to get a simple result… I go above-and-beyond. You see… goodness, I never caught your name."

"R-Rin! Hoshizora Rin!"

"Rin-chan, I believe that by doing such things, while it is much harder for me than just applying makeup, will help my clients reach their fairy tale endings," she explained. "In your case… it feels like you're suffering from issues with your self-esteem, Rin-chan. Let's see, let's see… in your case, yes… your eyebrows, your lips, and the shape of your cheekbones seem to be hindrance in your quest to be seen as cute. As your breasts appear to be very small as well," Aya didn't notice Rin flinch at that. "It does contribute to your overall 'boyish' look when combined with those features, which is why you don't feel so confident in your feminity," Aya said, before pushing some buttons on the computer; the results to Rin's face was rather comical.

"H-hey!"

"Sorry… I've been using this machine for over ten years and I'm still not entirely used to it. Ah! There we go, phew…" Rin almost gasped as she saw the projected, expected image. "This is a face of cuteness that will fill you with confidence."

"T… that's plastic surgery! Y-you're not gonna tell me you're some back alley surgeon, right!?" Rin was a little alarmed, now. For the first time, Rin looked at the services offered. "'Makeup to marry a celebrity,' 'Makeup to get the job,' … this can't be real, ma'm! … Uh, I didn't mean to be rude, sorry…"

Aya just chuckled. "Everyone says the same thing, phew. You see, people truly do not understand the power of physiognomy… there's a rather mean phrasing, and please take no insult at this- but they say if you put lipstick on a pig, it's still a pig. And you're not a pig, don't give me that look! What I am saying is… with my procedures, I alter the physiognomy so accurately that even a pig could find true love with a human supermodel. Do you understand that? I promise you, there is no surgery involved in this procedure."

Well, from a certain point of view that was a lie. From another, it was the truth.

"I… I guess… a-and you're really not going to charge me for this?"

"Just not for today… again, it's the word-of-mouth I really want from you," Aya said. "I do have to rebuild my client base, after all."

"Why'd you come from Morioh if you were so successful?" That was enough to make Aya go very quiet.

"… A… problem, well… t-that doesn't matter," Aya said, a twinge of fear in her voice. "I got… a new sponsor, let's say. This is a very costly business, and I found a sponsor that is helping me deal with the financial burdens. Part of the requirement was that I move to Tokyo, though," Rin thought something was suspicious, but didn't press on.

"Well, alright… s-so… the 'makeup to be confidant' will help me?"

"Yes. Not only that, but it's one of the longer lasting ones. In addition to boosting your own confidence, it will make others that view you as extremely cute. Phew… This doesn't affect things like 'luck' or 'finding love' so it lasts significantly longer than most. It'll last for nearly two hours, if you're willing to do it."

"OK… I… I'll definitely come back it works," with what was going to happen later that day, she could probably use more confidence for the upcoming few days… or maybe the rest of the school year.

"It is very important you do not move," Aya said, "This is delicate work, it could botch the entire procedure."

"OK…" Rin said, sighing as she closed her eyes and relax. God, please, just for once, let me feel comfortable with myself, if only for a little while…

Having never awakened the power of a Stand within her, there was no way for Rin to notice the aura of power surrounding Aya, and「Cinderella」manifesting before her.

"Just let me take care of the rest, phew…"

"I-Is that really Hoshizora!?"

"She looks so different! That's makeup, right? I've never seen her wear it- it looks so amazing! I gotta know what brand it is!"

"Rin-chan… i-is that really you?"

"Kayochiiiiiiiin, nya!"

Rin's entire demeanor had changed in a short while, grinning as she practically tackle hugged her friend, laughing. "R-Rin-chan! You look… you look amazing!"

Rin giggled and did a twirl. The lipstick, the mascara, the smallest hint of foundation, combined with a single pigtail to the side of her head was doing wonders. These people who had never looked at Rin were in awe of her beauty, and Rin felt like she could run a thousand marathons without taking a break. "I know, right!? I'm a whole new Rin, nya!" She let go of her at last, putting a hand on her shoulder. "I'm sososososoooooooo sorry about yesterday, Kayochin! I was just in a bad mood 'cause of the stress for our midterms… but now I'm all fired up and everything! I bet if those bullies showed up, I could beat them up even without a Stand!" Hanayo laughed nervously and tried to cover Rin's mouth at the last phrase, as Rin blushed at what she revealed.

"I… I'm so happy for you! You look so super cute! Did… you didn't do it yourself, did you?"

"Of course not, you know I don't know anything about makeup!" Their fellow students began to come closer.

"Y-you gotta tell us who did that, Hoshizora!"

"That's so amazing… did you go to an aesthetician!? My mom's just totally doesn't get my face, I need to know who did that!" One of Honoka's friends, who Rin recognized as Fumiko said. Mika and Hideko quickly came over as well, and before long Rin was practically surrounded by girls she had never talked to.

"H-Her name is Tsuji Aya, nya! She's the owner of that new Cinderella Beauty Salon! It's not open for the public yet… but you gotta go check her out! She's the real deal, nya!"

"H-how did you get that if it's not open yet!?" Fumiko asked, as Rin grinned.

"Well… I guess…" And then Rin winked at the girls around them, before bringing a finger to her mouth, pretending to shush them. "That's my little secret, nya~!" The girls went ecstatic, practically slaves to Rin's charm and beauty. They talked all around her, as Hanayo struggled to try to get through the other girls.

"R-Rin! Rin-chan!"

"O-oh, Kayochin! Girls, give me a moment-" and Rin took Hanayo's hands before the other girl could even react. "Isn't this amazing!? I feel… I feel so good, Kayochin! And… oh! Girls! Giiiiiiiiiiiiiirls!"

"Is that… holy crap, Rin, you look sooooo amazing!" The rest of μ's took notice, swarming over, with Honoka in front. "Fumiko-chan, did you do this!?"

"E-eh!? Why would I do it!? It's supposed to be this super amazing beautician named Tsuji Aya! I need to make an appointment the moment she's open!"

"You look so cute, Rin-chan!" Kotori complimented.

"That's… that's really something else," Maki said, awestruck, with the hint of a blush on her. "Tsuji Aya you said? I…" She was too proud to admit she wanted to look into it, but this was something she wanted to look into it.

"H-How the hell!?" Nico barreled over another first year to get to Rin. "That's… that's amazing! Rin, I need to know how you had this done immediately!"

"…"

The crowd somewhat dispersed as Eli made her way through, inspecting Rin. "That's a good makeover. Who did it?" Even the stoic Student Council president seemed to be interested, now."

"I-It was Tsuji Aya of Cinderella Beauty Salon, nya! And the crazy thing is this didn't even take 20 minutes!" The girls who had begun to disperse were once again worked up and excited, swarming around Rin as she laughed. "She's the real deal, I swear it! She even turned someone as boyish as me this cute!" Eli didn't press on much, walking onwards, Nozomi soon alongside her.

"… Eli, it's just a makeover…"

"In less than 20 minutes? That draws in a crowd?" Eli narrowed her eyes.

"Elichi, please. I know it's hard, but we're still highschool girls. There's nothing wrong with a makeover getting attention…"

Eli walked on. "I just have a bad feeling in my gut. I'll check it out later."

Nozomi sighed, looking back at Rin. She couldn't help but be concerned. Such highs like that always came with a fall…

"Rin… w-would you… like to talk about… um…" But Rin could barely hear Hanayo, striking up conversations with all these new people.

"O-Oh, I'm sorry, Kayochin! Let's talk later, OK?" She offered. "I think these girls have a lot of questions, and I promised Aya-san I'd help spread it word-of-mouth! You don't mind, right?"

"O-oh! Of course not, don't worry…" Hanayo gave a small, sad smile as she watched Rin walk off with this new crowd. Being blown off like that especially after yesterday hurt, but she was happy. Rin was never a popular girl, she could only imagine how happy she must have been to have so many people talking to her like that…

Still, it seemed odd. Cinderella Beauty Salon? She had heard about that place opening up, but she had never looked into it. Still, such amazing results! She smiled at the thought of her and Rin getting makeovers together, maybe!

"Guys, guys! We tooooooooooootally gotta get Rin to take pictures for us like that!" Honoka encouraged. "They'll be a huge hit on the School Idol Festival, you just know it! So maybe just for today we skip studying and-"

"Absolutely not."

"O-OK, Umi! I-it was just a suggestion…"

Rin, however, felt on top of the world. She felt she could take any challenge, climb any mountain! She chatted with these strangers about beauty, and even her own interests like sports, and even got to answer some questions about μ's. This was a new, wonderful feeling that was foreign to Rin. She had never felt so confident in her own body, and for the first time, she felt free.

It was like the lyrics to START:DASH, she truly felt like a newborn baby bird ready to fly into the world. A similar feeling had come over her when they performed Korekara no SOMEDAY, with how cute she looked in the video, but this was a new feeling of freedom entirely. Freedom from worry, freedom from anxiety, and freedom from her own body.

But Rin forgot the cage could only stay open for so long.

The rest of that school day was uneventful for the rest of μ's. Well, except for Rin, of course. For the next two hours Rin would continue to be the center of attention, every other girl practically drawn to her. She was the talk of the classes, until two hours later, when it began to die down. Hanayo just assumed that everyone had seen and gotten used to it. After all, it was just a makeover. But Hanayo began to notice something. Rin seemed… anxious, more so than usual.

During lunch, Rin immediately headed over to the roof. Hanayo thought of telling the others, but she followed alone. "Ah… R-Rin…?"

"… Why…? That's not… that's not…!"

Rin punched the wall in front of her. "That's not fair!"

"R-Rin! You'll hurt yourself!" Hanayo rushed over to Rin's side. "I-Its ok, honestly! Everyone just got used to it is all… t-that's no reason to— "

"Two hours isn't enough!"

"W… what?"

"Two hours… the 'makeup for confidence,' lasted only for two hours… that's not enough! That's not… that's not…!" Rin collapsed to her knees, crying.

"Rin, something's wrong with this! What's happening!?"

"She said… for two hours, I'd be cute and have confidence… and now two hours have past! And I'm just… I'm just… I'm me, again, Hanayo! I'm me!" Her tone was something different than what Hanayo was used to hearing from her. She didn't sound angry or sad… she sounded defeated. Broken, even. "I'm… I'm back to being me… that's cruel! That's… that's too cruel…" Hanayo could say little as Rin buried her face into her, sobbing. "That's… I can't live like that! H-how am I supposed to go back to being like this? I can't do that… no. Aya has to know how to make it last more than two hours. She has to!" Rin stepped away from Hanayo, staring at the direction towards the Salon from the school's rooftop. "I have to do it. I absolutely have to! As long as I do, I can be happy, I'm sure of it!"

"Rin… you're scaring me," Hanayo said, taking a step back. "L… let's talk about this, OK? I don't think you're thinking rationally!"

"I don't need to think rationally- I just need another treatment from Aya! One that lasts longer than two hours!" Rin snapped. "You wouldn't understand it, Hanayo! You can't understand! Being like mean… I was so cute and feminine and everyone loved me! You and the others are all like that naturally!"

"Rin, please, calm down!" But Rin's breakdown was reaching its fever point, and it seemed to fall on deaf ears.

"I'm tired… I'm tired of pretending, OK!? That everything is fine… that I'm fine. That the fact I'm in this school at all is something most people would consider to be wrong!"

"Rin, please, calm down! You're fine the way you are! You'll always be perfect! Y… you're the person I admire the most, you know!? As you are, and the way you'll always be!" Hanayo rose her voice, careful not to stutter, to try to take reign of the situation.

"Don't patronize me, dammit!" Hanayo flinched; never once had Rin ever talked to her like that. "You all… this is natural to you all. Being cute is natural to girls like you, but not to me! If you can even call me a girl— "

"Rin, please, stop!"

"I've been dealing with this my whole life, Hanayo! My entire life! You've helped me, but I'm still the one that has to struggle, not you! Don't you understand!? Me being perfect to you doesn't help me when I'm still struggling!" Rin took a breath, continuing before Hanayo cold retort. "When you tell someone who's depressed 'it's ok, I understand,' it doesn't change anything! I just… I just… that was the happiest I'd been since we shot Korekara no SOMEDAY, Hanayo!" The tears were welling back. "And now… μ's is in danger because of me! Because I'm some brain-dead moron who can't do anything right, we might not be able to go to Love Live if I fuck it up! If only… if only I hadn't joined, μ's would be in a better place! An uncute girl doesn't have a place with Idols, Hanayo! Don't you get that!? You belong here; me joining was a mistake!"

Hanayo was crying now too, trying to think of anything she could say to calm down her friend. "Y… you don't really think that, do you…?"

"… I'm going to resign from μ's," was all Rin said, earning a shocked gasp. "I won't jeopardize you or anyone else. I won't let my weakness drag this team down, I promise," Rin went on. "Today, after school, when everyone's together. I'll resign from the Idol Study Club and focus my efforts on the Track Club from now on."

"No! Rin, don't!"

"This was just a dream, anyways… but the makeup from Aya-san… it made me realize just how much of a dream it really was. Well, I'm waking up, Hanayo. I'm done. I'm waking up. I… We're just too different…" Rin went on with a sigh. "Everything was just a dream…"

"No you're not… you can't do that! I thought this was like a dream too, but look at me! Look at us! I don't know what happened there, Rin, but please don't do this!"

"I'll do what I have to for the betterment of μ's!"

"You being in μ's is what's best for it! It won't be the same without you!"

"It's going to be even better, just trust me! And to top it off, there won't be a risk of a scandal around me ruining things for everyone!"

"There wouldn't be a scandal because there's nothing to be ashamed of, Rin!"

"That's a load of bullshit and you know it, Hanayo!" She stomped her foot. "You know as well as anyone if this leaked out to everyone, μ's would be finished!"

"Rin, I'd rather— "

"Anybody would rather not be in some Idol group with a boy, Hanayo!"

"… What?" Honoka's voice interrupted.

They turned away, finally noticing the rest of μ's on the rooftop, having gone after Rin in concern at her sudden change in behavior as well.

"…" Rin's look went from one of self-loathing and anger to pure horror, backing up with a gasp. "I… I…"

"What's going on, Rin?" Maki asked. "And what was with… all that? Quitting μ's? A boy?"

"Everyone, let's just take a deep breath and talk this over," Umi reasoned. "Rin, please calm down. Let's just— "

But Rin charged forward, practically knocking over Umi and Kotori as she bolted for the stairs.

"RIN! WAIT!" Hanayo yelled after her, trying to give chance. "RIN, PLEASE!"

But much like Honoka had when her powers had begun to awaken, Rin had bolted away from the school, out into the city. "Oh no…"

"What's going on, Hanayo!?" Nico asked. "What was that about Rin quitting the club!? Is this… is this really because of the exam things!?"

"It'd suck if we couldn't go to Love Live, but we're not gonna stop being her friend or anything," Honoka said. "We'd still want to have fun with her and everything… but this is more than that, isn't it?"

Hanayo sighed. It didn't feel right just telling this without Rin's permission, but it couldn't be avoided any longer. "I… Let's go to the rooftop, OK? I'll explain everything… but only if you all promise to not tell anyone unless Rin says so, no matter what?" Hanayo asked, her expression serious. "If any of you, any of you tell anyone else, I'll be the one quitting μ's the moment I find out. OK?"

And the girls nodded, and headed towards the rooftop once more. And nearly twenty minutes later, Rin had made her way to Cinderella Beauty Salon, relieved to find it unlocked. "Aya-san! Aya-san! Are you in here!? Aya-san!"

"Rin? What's going on? Shouldn't you still be in school?" Aya asked, walking out of another room. "I'm sorry, but— "

"I need more, please!"

"What? Rin-chan, I'm sorry, but this isn't—"

"There has to be a way to make it last longer than two hours! There has to be! I'll do anything!" Aya was shocked at seeing how distraught Rin was. Sometimes other women got upset when their half an hour, hour, or two hours were up, but this was something else entirely. The girl seemed broken, like the idea of returning to a life without the 'makeup for confidence' was something she could not allow. "I'll do absolutely anything, I promise!"

Aya could only stare as the girl cried, covering her hands. "Rin…"

"Please… my life is ruined now, so please, at least let me look cute and confident, please!" All Aya could do was watch, horror washing over her. "Please, for the love of God… I don't have a place in the world anymore, that's the least you can do, please…"

Oh God, what have I done?

"Things are getting really interesting, boss."

Wakaki continued to observe the Cinderella Salon, watching from a pair of binoculars. "The transgendered one or whatever you call that just went back. She doesn't seem to be aware of Stand or anything… Aya probably doesn't know about μ's and the other Stand users either," Wakaki said, before taking a bite of pretzel bread. "Whatcha think, Kira?"

Yoshikage narrowed his eyes from his office, frustrated with Wakaki's lack of respect. "Keep observing," he ordered, authorizing a paper with his signature with his free hand. "They'll investigate for sure now… Damn that Aya, taking in unauthorized business before the grand opening…"

"Kyahahaha! Mad your newest investment might crash before it opens?" Wakaki teased the older man. If she could see how hard Yoshikage was starting to grip his phone she would've laughed harder. "You were the one that bought her out and got her to relocate here to Tokyo, weren't you? I'll admit, for a non-combative Stand, it will help a lot with agents who have their cover blown…"

"Listen to me, you little bitch," Yoshikage's patience had hit its limits. "You will not speak to me in such a way, do you understand me? Just because you have that weapon and his favor doesn't mean I'll just tolerate this disrespect."

"Oi, oi, boss… I may call you that, but don't you forget. My direct orders come from higher up the totem pole, you know? I've already covered for you once… I'm his emissary, not yours."

"Regardless, you have been assigned to me for the foreseeable future. I have been given authority over you for the time being; you will treat me with respect, do you understand me?" A smirk finally made its way to his lips, pleased by the silence on the other line, a rarity for Wakaki. "Keep observing, for the time being."

"Alright, fine. Once I'm done here, I'll go check up on the Arrow Hunters again… Wakaki reporting out," Wakaki said, as Yoshikage hung up. "Pain in my ass…" He let out a sigh, patting something within his coat. "Perhaps you and I should go for a nice date, later? That might relieve some stress…" He smiled at the thought. There had been a new sushi place that had opened near Yoshida Tokyo Headquarters, a fancy one to boot; it would make for a memorable date. But for now, there was work to be done.

Yamazaki had become more impatient in recent days with the lack of the Evolution Virus' research, and the delayed time it was taking to create the second 'weapon' that would revolutionize the world of Stands once massproduced.

Meanwhile, Wakaki glared at her phone as she heard Yoshikage hang up on her. "Fucking pain in my goddamn ass…" She swore, before replying to two texts from Yanigihori and Emi. "Hate these kinds of fucking jobs, watching and no action…"

But, she smirked.

"… Well, at least the results are fun to watch, gotta admit!"

"… So, she was born a boy, then? But like… she doesn't have any surgery or anything, right? And she wants to start taking estrogen pills?"

"That's the gist of it, Honoka-chan," Hanayo said, nodding. "She… really doesn't like the phrase 'born a boy' though. Most of them don't… just acknowledge them as always girls, OK?"

It had been a rather heavy conversation that had dominated the rest of their lunch. Hanayo still felt guilty about this, but she knew at this point it couldn't be avoided any longer.

"So… 'Shisui' is her real name, then?" Maki asked. "And… it's 'her,' not 'him?'"

"She uses the phrase 'deadname' but yeah. That's what she was born as. I… I actually helped her chose out the name Rin," Hanayo said with a smile, remembering that day for the millionth time.

"Wish she had told us that earlier… I mean, not that I mind or anything, don't get me wrong!" Nico made sure to correct herself. "Just… a lot to wrap your head around so quickly, you know? We're friends here, she should have told us… I know it isn't about me, but it kinda stings, you know? Like, were we ever gonna find out about this?"

"Well, it's probably really hard for her… And she did just meet us this year," Kotori reasoned. "I mean… I'm really shocked too, I had no idea… how do you even tell people things like that about yourself?" Kotori bit on her lips. Having feelings for other women was something only Honoka and Umi knew, just thinking about the rest of μ's just learning because she blurted it out gave her some anxiety.

"I don't… really understand this, but I'll try," Maki admitted. Being gay was one thing, but something like this was something the sheltered, rich girl had never encountered. It occurred to her now how Rin always changed into her gym and school clothes away from other girls in the locker room, preferring one of the stalls. A few girls were shy, so she hadn't thought anything of it. "Just… I'm sorry if I make any mistakes, OK? Just tell me."

"She tries really hard to keep people from finding out," Hanayo told everyone. "She's still the same Rin, you know… she's been struggling with this since we were little. I… I was hoping maybe together we could have told the rest of you. Rin said her parents had to look around to find a school that'd take her, most of them turned her away," she turned to Kotori. "She said your mom promised she and the staff would treat her equally and not tell anyone… and that's what made me want to come here, too."

Kotori smiled. "My mama's always believed in not being prejudiced about things like that. I'd be really upset if she rejected somebody for it," she admitted. She felt proud of her mother for making sure her friend had a safe place to pursue an education, and that decision had also brought Hanayo into her life, but she couldn't take comfort in the situation at the moment.

"… Honoka, do you have any input?" Umi asked, turning to face her best friend. Honoka's eyes were closed, in deep thought with her arms crossed before she opened her eyes and looked ahead. While kind, she did know Honoka's father came from a traditional family, and Honoka's mother had conservative parents as well. Politics wasn't something she discussed with Honoka, but a part of her deep down felt concerned.

Not even a minute later, Umi felt like an idiot for being concerned.

"… Yeah! Nothing should change! It's just like Hanayo-chan says… Rin is still Rin! Just because she's different down there, doesn't change what happens!" The rest of μ's nodded, and Hanayo was filled with relief. "Sure, we gotta be more careful with her now… and maybe some of us might make some mistakes because we know this now about this whole transgender thing… so then we apologize and try not to do it again!" And the rest nodded, and Hanayo's smile widened. "For now though, we gotta find her! She was like, super freaking out! What do you all think?"

"We shouldn't ditch school just to look for her," Umi reasoned. "Although maybe it's for the best…"

"I'll leave school to look for her," Hanayo said, facing the rest. "With midterms and stuff coming up, Honoka and Nico definitely should still study! She's my best friend… and she feels so terrible inside. I'll do it," Hanayo declared. "I don't care if I get in trouble. I'll do everything I can to help her! Just… Read up on it if you can, OK? I'm gonna go leave to find her!"

"H-Hanayo, are you sure you want to skip school too?" Umi asked. "Maybe we should all just look for her after school?"

"… My best friend was suffering so much and I didn't even notice," Hanayo said. "This is… this is something I need to solve. I need to deal with this. It's not something the rest of you can deal with either," she admitted. "It's not something that you can fix if you're the one who finds her, if she even talks to you…" Her face was determined, and she balled a hand into her fist. "The Director will probably punish us if we all skip class, maybe even prevent us from going… and I know despite what she says, Rin wants to go to Love Live! So… I have to find her and bring her back!"

"… Alright, Hanayo," Honoka said with a smile. "Bring back Rin-chan to us, do you hear? μ's is the seven of us! If any of us quits over something like this… there's no point to any of this anymore! Not even saving the school!" Even Nico didn't seem to object. "All for one, one for all! So go out there and bring her back!"

Hanayo grinned and saluted, bowing to her classmate before running down the stairs, past a teacher, and out into the streets itself. Rin, I'm coming! I won't let you suffer like this alone!

"… We really are a hell of a club, aren't we?" Honoka asked Nico with a grin, earning a small glare before the grin was returned.

"Between you and me, I like it more than the one I had as a first year." Nico said.

「Circus」materialized, nodding as well. "The unit only functions as long as everyone works together. And that means understanding each other, too. If things like this break it apart, it never had a chance to begin with."

As Rin did not return her calls, her first course of action was to head to Cinderella. And of course, it was locked. "H-hello!? Is anybody in there!? Open up! I need to talk to you about my friend, Hoshizora Rin! I know she was here earlier this morning! Please, it's super important!" She rang the buzzer and pounded on the door. "I know you were probably just trying to be nice… but you don't understand! She's… she's not like most girls! Please, what you did hurt her, and you need to help her!"

After ten minutes, she scowled at the door. "I-If you do more to hurt her… I… I'll kick your ass!" It was a threat she had never made before, and all she could do was storm off. But inside, Aya remained, away from sight and staring at her own feet in a corner.

"… Some fairy godmother you were, Aya…" She ran her fingers through her hair. As the years had gone on, her power had increased, allowing her to keep stronger and longer-lasting body surgeries. It almost always worked out, but in this case… "What was I thinking, giving her that lipstick?"

When confronting the Hoshizora home, all Hanayo had been told by Rin's mother was that she had gone to bed early that night. As she was already gone most of the day, it didn't particularly help fill her on on what Rin had been up to during the day. She had spent all day prior looking for Rin all over Tokyo, and while she had heard something about a "really pretty orange-haired first yea," from a passing conversation she just could not track down Rin's location. Dozens of texts and calls had prompted her to give up that night.

But that didn't mean she had given up in the long run. She was determined to find and help Rin no matter what it took, and she had even gotten up at five in the morning to prepare. "Rin…" She camped outside Rin's house for when she would normally leave, unsurprised to see that Rin didn't appear to be leaving the house. Once Mrs. Hoshizora was gone she used her spare key, essentially breaking into Rin's house (or, well, did it really count when you had a key?) to look inside. "Rin… Rin-chan, it's me!" She knocked on her door. "You don't need to be afraid! I… I know it wasn't with you, but I did talk about what happened with the others! I… I'm sorry I had to do that, but everyone understands! It's not… Rin?"

She realized the door to Rin's room was unlocked, and opening the door she saw Rin was nowhere to be seen, with the window open. "R-Rin!" Looking out she could see Rin in a coat running away, also holding a hat to her head. Wasting no time she jumped out the window, 「Momoiro Clover」catching her on the ground. "Rin! Please, wait!" This time though, she wouldn't lose her. Rin was faster, but she sprinted after her, determined to keep Rin in her sight. And as they ran, before long, they ended up in a familiar park. "… This place…" Hanayo hadn't been here in years. It was just an unremarkable park in truth, even a little worn-out and old. But…

She looked at a swing, and she remembered that day.

"If Shisui doesn't like being a boy and wants to be girly… t-then let's give you a new name!"

"Eh!? Really, nya!?"

"Yeah! It'd be like a nickname! B-Because you call me Kayochin!"

"Ok… what about… umm… Sara?"

"Noo… I don't think you'd have an English name… Sakura?"

"No way, that's too much nya! Umm… Reiko…?"

"No… sounds a bit too grown-up. How about… I-I-I-I think an R would be good!"

"Ahh… this is too confusing! You chose it for me!"

"How about… s-something short… how about…"

"… Rin."

Hanayo noticed the other girl across from her, not facing her direction. "Rin, you need to come to school. Everyone is worried about you. Nobody thinks any less of you or anything! Just… I'm so sorry, I had to explain it. I didn't want to do it without you, but they were starting to ask questions, and—"

"Go. Just go, Hanayo…"

"Rin… I won't… I won't go without you!"

Rin let out a bitter chuckle. "I messed up really bad… like, really, really, really badly, Hanayo… she even gave me super easy instructions, and I still messed it up. A fake girl like me couldn't even apply lipstick right…"

"W… what are you talking about? Don't ever think about that awful place ever again! They messed up your head but your friends are here for you! All of us, in μ's, together! I promise… nothing has to change!"

"I changed, though."

Hanayo's eyes widened in horror as Rin looked around; it was like her face was missing. Or rather, there were no features to tell her apart from others. "R… Rin! What happened!?"

Rin turned away. "I can't even do simple things right… this is why μ's and you are better off without me. After I went back, I had so much fun in Akiba, talking to people I didn't even know. I didn't even keep track of applying the lipstick…"

"W… not applying lipstick did that!? Rin, something's wrong with that!"

"I'm gonna… I'm gonna try to fix this for myself, then none of you will ever see me ever again. I'm so sorry for everything… I wanted to protect you so I could feel like I had a place in the world. Then everything just caught up on me so fast ever since the fight in the alleyway… So now I'm paying the price. A fake girl who tried playing at things she's not meant to do, you mess with nature so you pay the price. It's… its ok though. I'm just happy I got to see you become an Idol."

"Kotori's Stand has healing powers! Whatever happened to you, we can go fix it!"

But Rin's smile was small and bitter, even though Hanayo couldn't see it. "Goodbye, Kayochin. I… I'm really happy that I met you!" And once more Rin took off, with Hanayo fast in pursuit.

You're not getting away! Not again! Hanayo thought. Even if she couldn't keep up with Rin, there was only one possible destination: Cinderella Beauty Salon.

Rin was the one who reached it first. The doors unlocked, she ran up to Aya, speechless.

"… I should have known this would happen…"

"M… my face…"

"I warned you, didn't I, Rin? You had to apply the lipstick every half an hour for the effect to remain permanent… and now the makeup has cracked off, taking your face with it."

"I was having so much fun," Rin said, beginning to cry again. Aya felt terrible, but tried hard to remain stoic. Rin had completely broken down, admitting all her baggage and her desire to be seen as cute to others and why. Aya knew she should have turned her away at that point and forbade her from entering her Salon again, but she felt a need to help her out. Of course, deep down, she had a feeling it would turn out like this. "I didn't… I just forgot…"

"Fairy godmother's magic only worked until midnight… Cinderella had such a good time though, she had to run away as the clock struck twelve, even though the prince still fell in love… but you did not encounter such a fate."

"I… Just… please tell me, is there any way to fix it? I'll do anything…"

"Rin!"

Hanayo gasped for breath as she stormed inside, glaring at Aya. "You're Tsuji Aya, aren't you!? Y… you did this to her?"

"She did it to herself," Aya defended. "My makeup either works for a set time, or permanently… in order for the later though, one must apply a special lipstick every half an hour. Rin knew this, and didn't do it. Be angry at me all you want… but Rin knew the consequences of her actions! … Phew."

"Hanayo, its really my fault," Rin said. "It's my burden. Please go, I'll carry it myself…"

"No! No, dammit, no! I'm sorry but… I… I… I'm sick of this attitude, Rin!"

"Eh!?"

Hanayo balled her fists. "You got dealt… a really rough hand in life. But look! Everyone loves you! I love you! μ's loves you! It's not because of this makeup… and μ's STILL loves you!"

"… K... Kayochin…"

"Maybe it was hard to understand, but they accept you! Even… even if we couldn't go to Love Live without you we wouldn't think any less of you!" Rin was silent. "And if… you being trans would actually ruin μ's' reputation, then we don't want μ's anymore! We'd trade it away for you anytime!" The words were resonating in Rin, who looked at Hanayo without a word. "I'd rather have you than be an Idol any day of the week! I'd never… you could never ruin anything for me! Because you're my best friend, forever! You don't have to protect me… because I still love you!"

Tears rolled down Rin's face, and it was contagious as it would see, Hanayo crying herself. "S-so… please don't think of yourself as some burdensome fake girl again, please!"

"... Kayochin… I… I'm such a fool, I'm sorry…"

"… As for you, Tsuji-san…" Hanayo glared. "I'm going to test out something," she took a few steps forward, followed by a short run, and followed by「Momoiro Clover」manifesting. Aya gasped in shock, and on reflex「Cinderella」came out as well to try to block the blow, the physically weak Stand easily blown away along with its owner as they crashed into the wall. "I knew it, I knew it!"

"… Stand users… Rin as well?" Aya asked, groaning as she looked at Rin, who shook her head. "But you know of them, I see. Yes, I'll admit it. I am a Stand user. I wield the Stand「Cinderella,」which lets me alter a body's physical appearance," she explained, her Stand behind her. "It's not offensive, I don't stand a chance in any fight… I'm a supporter, if anything."

"S-so… you never used makeup on me at all?" Rin asked.

"No. Not to say I'm not extremely talented with makeup, phew. But my Stand replaced your body parts, and they initially reverted back. I just say it's makeup to make people think it's just that and nothing else. Can't go around telling people I'm using a psychic power to make them look better."

"The arrow… so you were attacked by the arrow too?" Hanayo asked, earning a shake of the head.

"That's what that man asked me too… it may sound crazy, but in New Years of 1999, I was visiting some relatives in America, in a state called Arizona. I got lost in the desert and was going to die in the unusual heat, despite the time of the year, phew…" Aya looked in a mirror besides her, inspecting a bruise that'd need some makeup to hide. "Call me crazy, but I think a mirage of God talked to me, and ever since then I've been able to use「Cinderella."」

"Regardless of how you got this power… I bet you can fix this!" Hanayo said. "So fix her face, right now!"

"… It is true I can help fix her face, but it's not quite that simple," Aya explained. "She just… has to chose her own face."

"M-my own face!?"

Aya nodded, her「Cinderella,」generating dozens of faces, floating around the two. Despite Rin not being a Stand user, she could clearly see the faces as well. "One of these is your own face, Rin… choose wisely, and it will fit you."

"J… I just gotta find my own face!?"

"Yes… but chose carefully, Rin, because if you choose wrong… The results will be catastrophic. A face that doesn't match your face… you'll be utterly hideous for the rest of your life, phew…"

"J-Just fix it for her!"

"I can't do that," Aya lied. She was more than capable of simply repairing her face, but...

"D-Don't worry Kayochin! I… I can totally do this! It's my face I see every day in the mirror!" Rin grinned. "I can… I can totally do this, nya! It's this one! Or… um… this one? Nah, the eyes are too big… oh! This one totally feels like a winner! Or… um… ah… oh God… t-this one? No, I don't have a birthmark by my eye! I… I… oh God…"

"Rin!"

"Kayochin, I… I have no idea which one is my face! I… Oh no…!"

None of them are your face, Aya thought to herself. Rin… the only thing stopping you from being a beautiful girl is yourself. Not your gender or anything like that, it's you, Aya thought. Accept that none of these are your face… none of these are 'Hoshizora Rin.' You need to learn to love yourself… Fairy godmother cannot produce the miracles for you. The truth is right in front of you! Claim it! Claim it and embrace yourself!

"… I understand it now, I think…" Aya felt a little smile, but what came next was something she didn't expect. "I want… I want Kayochin to choose!"

"Huh!?" Both Aya and Hanayo replied.

"Even… even if it's an ugly, hideous face, if it's the face Kayochin choses, I'll be happy!" Rin said with a smile. "I could be the most hideous girl to ever live, and I know for sure I'll be happy with whatever face she chooses! So… I want her to choose! Will you?"

"… If you want me too, but…" Hanayo turned to face Aya. "If I guess wrong, can you mutilate my face, too?"

"K-Kayochin, no!"

"I don't care if it means giving up being an Idol… if it happens to her, I want it to happen to me, too!" Hanayo said, smiling.

"… You two girls…"

"Now, um… maybe it's… this one? Or… ah… I think… it's this one!" Hanayo said with a smile, holding one face. "Are you ready?"

"Not really… but we better just do it!"

And Hanayo smiled, as she handed Rin her new face, and flashes of green light shot out, and in the end result… was a perfect fit. "Rin! It worked! It worked!" She laughed as she pulled Rin into a tight hug, who promptly did the same.

"I can't believe it, nya! My face! You got my face back! It… how did you know!?"

"It just… I don't know, it came to me. That… every face… ah…"

"All the faces were fake," Aya said, earning a look from the other two. "I lied to you about it. Every face was not your face. It was a test."

"W-what!?" Rin asked. "That's dirty!"

"You are your own worst enemy when it comes to this, Rin," Aya explained. "Phew… From the bottom of my heart, I never had any malicious intentions… had I known how badly this would affect you I likely would not have done it at all. But it would appear you learned from this experience," Aya said. "I wanted you to accept yourself. To not strive for the most beautiful face, but rather yourself," she explained. "You are beautiful and cute on your own… my makeup is meant to give people an extra push to make their happy endings become a reality, not to be their entire life. That's the true point of the permanent body swap… to make them understand that," she sighed. "… But for you, I simply felt so bad I went against my better judgment and just gave it to you to make you happy. There are others in the past who failed this test and will be forever scarred… I intended to let you reclaim your face no matter what, but if you didn't learn the lesson, well…" She sighed once more. "… Have you grown from this?"

"… I think… I think I have," Rin said with a smile, turning to Hanayo. "I hit rock bottom, like really hard… but I think this is the beginning of a new me, nya!" She said with another hug. "I don't ever want to be like that ever again… 'cuz I'm Hoshizora Rin, the super cute if tomboyish Idol of School Idol group μ's, nya!" And she turned to Aya. "And even though I got… really, really messed up for a bit there, I… I think this helped me, thank you."

"I'll make you a deal," Aya said. "I won't use my Stand on you anymore, but… If you or any of your friends just want a little beauty touchup, I'll be happy to do it for any of you, free of cost. Genuine makeup."

"Kayochiiiiiiiiin… let's do it! Let's get a makeover later!"

"R-really!?"

"Yeah! I bet she's totally good… and I do like the idea of wearing more makeup!" Rin said, before bowing at her. "Thank you for helping me out, Tsuji-san!"

"Anytime…" Aya smiled, and Hanayo smiled as well, her discontent and hatred for the women evaporating. "For now, don't you have school to attend to?"

"… Ahhh! Kayochin, I gotta run all the way back to my house to get my backpack and stuff! … Ahh, I need to change too! Kayochiiiiiiiiiiiin, lets hurry up! See you later, Aya-san!" And with that Rin ran off, Hanayo running off as well.

"I-If we run we'll make it!" Hanayo said, before turning back to run in place. "A-And I'm sorry I said I'd kick your ass, but if you do that to my friends again I really will!" Aya laughed and waved as she ran off as well, returning to her work. A few minutes later, she heard the door open again. "Listen, I don't know what you saw, but we're really not open—"

"I just want to talk to you, ma'm," Eli said, an icy blue aura around her. "That's all."

The reunion at Otonokizaka was a happy one, thankfully.

"Giiiiiiiiiiiirls!" Rin laughed and ran towards the rest of her beloved club, who smiled back in return. "You're not gonna believe the crazy two days I just had! Like, even more than what Kayochin told you!"

Maki seemed ready to ask a personal question, but a look from Nico had her quiet. "We're glad to have you back," Maki said with a smile. "We wouldn't want to do this without you."

"The way she says that… it's like Maki-chan has a crush on me~!"

"W-What!? No way! I absolutely do not!" Maki blushed when the rest of μ's laughed. "H-hey! It's not funny!"

Honoka grinned, wrapping an arm around Rin. "Glad to have you here! You're soooo not gonna believe what happened when we were studying, it was so funny! Nico's Stand materialized and span her like a top again!"

"Whaaaaaaa!? I missed it, nya!"

"Hey! Idiot, no need to tell her that!"

The rest of the morning before classes was filled with idle chatter, with Hanayo and Rin hand-in-hand the entire time. The girls had noticed Rin's cheerful demeanor seemed genuine, like the days before Stands appeared in their lives. Once more another adventure of μ's had come to a close, and in Honoka's eyes, the entire unit had become stronger and closer for it.

"We're gonna practice after class, right!? We haven't done it in ages, nya!"

"I guess… if we don't practice and only study, we'll get rusty," Umi said. "Alright… let's do a practice after school today. All of us."

"Awesome! Alright everyone, let's have a great day followed by great training!" Rin said, beginning to head towards her next class. "I bet I'll be able to outperform everyone today, nya!"

Once again, if only temporarily, something resembling normalcy returned to their lives. Even knowing it was only inevitable until the world of Stands ripped it apart once more, for this moment, these highschool girls enjoyed their youth.

"I can't get a hold of Wakaki anymore."

Emi was unusually serious as she sat across from her boss in a McDonalds, both girls having scarcely touched their food. "I think she's bailed on us for good this time. If we can't get a hold of her in the next 24 hours, I say she's out."

"Agreed," Yanigihori said, staring out the window. "You can feel it, can't you? The big calm before a storm?"

"I'll tell all the girls to be on high alert," Emi said, eating a fry. "Was she… ever on our side at all?"

"This is my fault for letting her in," Yanigihori said, scowling. "Miyabashi and Homura seem apprehensive about fighting these Idols, too. Takamaki and Kobayashi are the only ones not acting weird, and Kobayashi is still recovering…"

"I think Takamaki can win," Emi said. "I really do. She is the strongest out of us except for you, after all."

"Unless Wakaki's holding out," Yanigihori said. "She's always had her secrets, but I at least thought she was loyal… who knows if there's things about her power she's hiding?"

"Regardless, the endgame is coming, Jori," Emi said. "Either we beat them, or they're really going to beat us… That is to say…"

"It's time we stepped out from behind the scenes, it's time for us to go to the battlefield ourselves," Yanigihori said.

"Jori-chan…"

"Starting tomorrow, we're going back to attending Otonokizaka."

"There's no doubt about it. Aya's status as a Stand user is blown. I'll keep lying to the Arrow Hunters, but honestly? I think they're kinda sick of me," Wakaki said, speaking to Yoshikage on the phone once more. "These μ's girls… you really underestimated them."

Yoshikage scowled on the other end. How did this happen? He never authorized a courier to meet with μ's. That so many School Idols became Stand users without his authorization for Love Live, and this 'pink and black' Stand he had heard about. He was trying his best to keep the word low, to keep it from reaching the ears of the Yoshidas themselves, but things were spiraling out of control. To think the arrow the Conglomerate had been searching for years would be awakening Stand users all over Tokyo! His jurisdiction! Combined with the lack of progress on the virus…

He had no choice.

"Kill them."

"Wait, holy shit, seriously?" Wakaki was pretty surprised to hear the order. "Wouldn't they make good candidates for the Greatest Concert? I'll do it, but I think you're being too rash…"

"Kill them all. Even the ones who aren't Stand users. I want them dead, do you understand me? All of them!"

"I highly disagree with this order, boss. But… I'll carry it out, if that's what you wish."

"With that weapon there's no way you can lose. Even though it's a prototype… the power within is more than enough to win. Combined with your own Stand… just do it. The mission begins tomorrow, understood?"

"Of course, of course…"

And so Wakaki hung up her phone, chuckling. "Cornered mice as so predictable…" She was annoyed to see her phone ring once more, smirking at the caller ID, though.

Yoshida Yamazaki

She wasted no time answering. "Yes?"

"Tell me everything."

"Your hire is getting really overconfident… I just got an order to kill off those unauthorized Idol Stand users I told you about. Should I proceed?"

"Very well. If they can't survive you, then they're not important in the overall scheme of things, anyway," the man on the other end responded. "Keep an eye on Kira. We'll probably need to deal with him one day… any objections, Wakaki?"

"To Kira, yeah. To you, of course not," Wakaki grinned. "You're the CEO after all. Not some shitty regional manager."

"You are our emissary. Put that weapon to good use. More than some dead Idols, I want field data on its performance."

"Of course, of course…" And Wakaki chuckled, opening a briefcase next to her and taking out its sole content, what appeared to be a replica of the Stand-inducing arrow, but with a red body and black tip. There was a small button near the head of this arrow, and when pressed, what looked like LED lights lit up on the base of the body of the arrow, red electricity visibly cracking from it as her own Stand aura manifested.

"I'll get you all the data you want, Yamazaki-sama. Just wait and see… μ's, Arrow Hunters, Kira himself; I'll show 'em what the emissary of the Yoshida Conglomerate can do!"

Next time on Honoka's Bizarre Adventure!

Chapter 13: The Red Arrow (Part 1)

Chapter Text

Previously on Honoka's Bizarre Adventure!

Hoshizora Rin here, nya! I'm so embarrassed, you all saw all that, really!? Well… my insecurities and secrets were weighing heavily on me, and I had a bad breakdown, but now I'm back and better than ever! My confidence has returned and I'm not hiding anything anymore, nya! But I know there's still trials to come! The enemies of μ's are approaching, and it looks like it is gonna be a really big battle this time! So, hold onto your seat, 'cuz things are gonna get really exciting!

As important as studying was, to the girls of μ's, they still could not neglect their dancing as well.

"Hanayo, you need to pick up the pace a little!"

"S-Sorry, Umi-senpai!"

In their case, with their entry into Love Live! hanging on the girls passing their exams, vocal and dancing practice had severely suffered. As important as the exams were, there was hardly any point in trying to enter Love Live if their skills had completely decayed by then. "It's my fault for not pushing this more; I'll try to get more normal practice from now on as well…"

"We should like, totally practice every day and just study on the weekends!" Honoka suggested much to Rin and Nico's pleasure, only to be shut down by Umi's glare.

"Absolutely not! Your studies are important even if we were not trying to apply for Love Live! This is for nothing if we don't get in; and we still haven't actually saved the school yet!" Umi scolded, ignoring Honoka's pout a moment later.

"Oh, come on! Don't be such a hardass, we've been trying really hard and we're all improving! I'm doing way better on the practice math exams!" Honoka shot back.

"Yeah, and I'm doing a lot better in English!" Rin protested a moment later, clearing her voice. "The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog! Yes, I know where the nearest restroom is! I'm sorry; I don't know what you are saying! Please let me find someone else to talk to you!" Rin said in English with a smile.

"My… well… everything is improving too," Nico said, somewhat embarrassed. "I swear I'm going to do well on these exams!" It wasn't enough that she had been studying so much after school, but at home「Circus」was also hounding on her about her studying as well. She hadn't studied this hard in… well, forever!

Umi pinched the bridge of her nose and sighed. "You're all doing so well because of your intense studying, and I don't want it to wear off but… we can definitely get in more practice now. Maybe… three times a week. Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. How does that sound?" The cheers from all the girls validated that decision. "But you all need to study when you get home, no matter how tired you are, alright?"

"No objections, Umi-chan!" Honoka said with a salute, the rest just nodding. Practice resumed as normal from that point onwards, if a bit more sluggish than anyone had hoped. And at the end of a hard day of practice came the secret practice only practiced by some of μ's: Stand training.

Rin and Maki had gone home, while Umi stayed behind. Although she could still not manifest a Stand, the fact she could see the Stands of others gave enough reason for her to stick around.

"You ready, Hanayo-chan!?" Honoka asked her junior.

"Read, Honoka!"

The two girls smirked as they charged, 「All Star」and「Momoiro Clover」manifesting once they were in range of one another, a quick flurry of punches quickly being exchanged between the two friends. Even though they weren't attacking at their hardest the blows were still devastating on their own right, their punches colliding in the air; any human or Stand caught in-between would have been utterly pummeled into serious injury. In the past few sessions, they had focused on evasion, and now the girls were trying to figure out the best approach to Stand rushes. Hanayo trying to get used to close-range combat without using「Momoiro Clover's」swapping, and「All Star」to get better used to its vibrations in battle.

Hanayo's Stand is about as strong as mine is, and just as quick too! She doesn't let you leave any openings either! Honoka thought. Her swapping power also means that if she had something on her, she could just throw it to my side and teleport her Stand right there! Man, sometimes I wish I had that power… nonono, don't get distracted! Think, Honoka, think!

But Honoka wasn't the only one thinking hard about the mock battle.

If I keep up this assault, 「Momoiro Clover」will probably find an opening! Hanayo thought. I need to think… If I was swapping this'd be easy, but I'm trying to avoid that for this. There's not much I can do… who'll get tired or slip up first, me or Honoka? Once one of us slips up, that is it! I just got to keep my focus. It may sound mean, but Honoka is the kind who'd get distracted, so it should happen eventually. Then again, this is a fight… but would she slip up if it were just practice?

The debates in their heads continued, their Stands at a stalemate. 「All Star」couldn't vibrate when using its punches like that, so Honoka was trying to find the perfect opportunity to strike. Then, a plan came to mind; risky, but she thought it might work. Out of nowhere, Honoka ended her assault, forming a cross guard with her Stand's arms. "Huh!?" But Hanyo's attacks didn't stop, the safety word having not been said.

"Alright, here we go!" Honoka yelled as「All Star」vibrated its arms at its maximum intensity. When「Momoiro Clover's」fists collided with Honoka's defense it was thrown off balance, the impact from punching the vibrations throwing off her balance.

"O-Oh no!"

"There we go! All right, time to do this! It's my very own Jackhammer Punch!" And with that「All Star's」vibrating fist collided into「Momoiro Clover's」stomach, the impact like several dozen punches, enough to send Stand and user flying backwards a bit. "And that's game! You alright, Hanayo?"

"Y-yeah, don't worry," Hanayo said with a reassuring smile, groaning a bit as she got up. "T-that was a good one, senpai!"

"Ah, come on, don't flatter me! … Well, maybe flatter me a bit-" Honoka said with a grin, helping her friend back up. The attacks that once would have incapacitated them were something they had all gotten used to. μ's' training and sparring was paying off every time they did so for their future battles; their Idol routine practices were undeniably building their physical strength, stamina, and agility to use in their fights, and Stand practice (and the assaults of the Arrow Hunters) had made them more used to physical pain. "Ready for another round?"

"Mhm! Just give me a few minutes and let me drink some water first and then let's go again!"

Meanwhile, Nico and Kotori were undergoing their own training. Although it might have been more accurate to say it was「Circus」and Kotori, considering Nico's lack of ability to control her Stand's actions. 「Kaze ni Notte」had taken to the air, and the whole experience was more like the two Stands trying to hit eachother.

"Stay still, birdbrain!"「Circus」yelled, holding several marbles in her hand. "Repel!" She yelled, the marbles shooting towards the airborne Stand, who easily dodged. "Come on!"

"Emerald Strike!" Kotori yelled, her Stand only launching a few hardened feathers from the air. Using too many feathers at once rendered her Stand grounded until they regenerated, but she found she could control how many feathers were being launched at a time as opposed to the all-consuming Emerald Splash. While「Circus」did dodge, she did trip on herself.

"What's wrong with you!?" Nico demanded, tapping her foot. "Honestly! I hadn't done this Idol thing in two years, and I was able to coordinate better than you!"

"I'd love to see you do this any better!" 「Circus」shot back. "Last time I checked, I fight, not you!"

"Yeah, that's the weird thing about it, you idiot! I don't even know why I'm here- you seem to have infinite range, and I can't control your actions, so what's the point of me even coming to these things!?" Nico demanded, tapping her foot.

"It's good for you to see the rest of us in combat and see where your Stand needs to improve!" Honoka yelled. "Even if you can't control her, this way we all get used to eachother's skills and stuff!"

"Fine… just… why can't I have a normal Stand!?" Nico complained.

"H-hey! That's offensive, take that back!"

"Make me!"

Nico and「Circus」bickered, as Kotori could only give an awkward chuckle and went to get herself some water. Meanwhile, Umi watched silently, trying to process everyone. And once again she looked at the hand once pierced by the arrow, sighing.

"Hey, Umi-chan, something wrong?" Honoka asked a few minutes later, walking over as she wiped some sweat off her brow with a towel. "You seem really down…"

Umi sighed. "I just… I don't even know if I have this power or not," Umi admitted. "It feels like a fluke. You were the one the arrow attacked, maybe I was just an accident? I think so. Maybe that's why I don't have a Stand, I can just see them," she reasoned. "You, Nico, and Hanayo were chosen… and something inside Kotori I guess always existed that let her use it. I don't have anything like that. I can't do anything to help any of you out and… I hate it! I hate that you're all fighting so hard and I can't help!" Umi finally admitted, not making eye contact. "Its… so scary you all have to do this all by yourselves, and I can't help. We can't go to the police or anything, but at least you can support eachother fighting. I'm just… I'm just here."

Honoka went quiet for a minute, before leaning down. And before Umi could react, Honoka's finger flicked against her forehead.

"Ow! What was that for!?" Umi asked, holding her forehead.

"What kind of dumb attitude is that!? You being here makes all the difference!"

"Eh?"

"You and Kotori are my oldest friends, like for forever and ever! You remember that day, don't you? I know you kinda forgot when we met Nico, but doesn't it ring a bell now?"

Umi went quiet, remembering that day with better clarity than before. She remembered being so small and quiet, watching those kids play from a distance; Honoka and Kotori, along with Fumiko and Hideko. And then Honoka looked at her, and she hid behind that tree, and then that moment occurred, changing her life forever.

"Tag, you're it now!"

Umi wondered how differently her life might have turned out if not for that exact moment they met, when her fate became tied to Honoka's and Kotori's. "What does that have to do with this, though?"

"It means we're destined to be friends forever, dummy! And something like Stands don't change that! Just having you by me fills me with strength and confidence I could never have anywhere else! You and Kotori… and all of μ's gives me strength! So… don't feel like you can't help just 'cuz you can't fight. Just being around you makes me strong!"

Honoka smiled.

"So cut that crappy talk out, alright?"

"… Alright, Honoka," Umi said with a smile, prompting Honoka to grin. "It is getting late though… maybe we should all head home?"

"Yeah! Girls, come on, it's time to go!" Honoka yelled out, clapping her hands.

"Hold on, just give me a few more minutes, I can totally hit her, I'm sure of it!"

"Shut up, idiot, it's time to go home!" Nico scolded her Stand. "I told Kotaro and Cocoa I'd cook something for them tonight, remember?" She whispered to her Stand, who finally relented and nodded. Kotori and Hanayo just said their goodbyes, waving and head off on their own. In the end it was just Honoka and Umi on the rooftop, Honoka leaving first.

"… You know, Umi-chan, I really think you got a cool Stand power inside, I just know it! But even if you don't… you'll always support me by giving me strength, OK?"

"Of course," was all Umi said, smiling and waving as she watched her best friend walk off, leaning against the walls and staring into the open sky once she was alone. Do I really give Honoka power just by supporting her?

"Of course you do."

Umi's eyes widened in surprise, looking around. "Hello!? Is somebody there!?"

"The calm before the storm, you're resting in it. Be brave, because soon the ferocious storm will hit, and you and all your friends will need strength, strength in both spirit and body…"

Umi had not heard this voice in a month and a half, but she recognized it as the voice that spoke to her once. And now, with more clarity, she could hear how close it was to her own voice. "A… are you a Stand!? Are you my Stand!?"

"The boat will capsize in the storm if you don't all row and fight together. I have confidence though. You're a kind and strong master…"

"W-wait! I have questions! Just… don't go, wait!"

"Soon you will draw me, and all will be fine. Until then, I'm so sleepy, so very sleepy, I want to sleep more…"

"Wait! Don't just go, please wait!"

But once more the voice went quiet.

Maki had taken a detour walking home. Rather than heading straight home, she had decided to head over towards a local mall. She felt like she could have used some new headbands and towels for practice; the once she had were already over a year old, anyways.

Of course, Maki's taste was not the cheapest; and it was the most expensive headband and towels she had gone for. The cashier seemed a little surprised, but she swiped her father's credit card (to be used within reason) and she was already on her way.

How did I get wrapped up in all this crazy stuff, anyways? Maki asked herself. It's bad enough I had to go to a school I didn't want to go to, but now all this Stand stuff… It is crazy! Omine's probably all comfy up in Nagasaki living a normal school life at a national school, while my friends are all fighting for their lives, at first she thought bitterly, but then it became worry. What would happen if her friends were seriously injured? What if they were killed? It wasn't like she was worried or anything, but…

… Well, no matter how cold she acted, friends were friends. And she was worried for their safety. She sighed, ignoring her phone as she walked back towards her house, avoiding alleyways or any shortcuts; it was safest to just go on the sidewalks, she decided ever since she learned about Akeno and Miano. She took out her phone a few minutes later, reading a group text sent out by Hanayo. The moment she saw Honoka's correct punctuation she was concerned, and sure enough, it was a serious message.

[Honoka] Guys, this is serious. Umi heard a voice, we think it's her Stand. It delivered some kind of warning about a calm before the storm. Be on high alert, it might be Arrow Hunters.

Maki gulped and picked up her pace, wishing she wasn't alone right now. Rin had suggested going home together to be safe, but she had brushed it off as she needed to do her shopping. She tried to expel those worries as she just picked up her pace. Just get home and lock the door to her room, she figured. Just keep a close eye on the news and try to focus on homework. Just… don't be nervous or anxious. But Hanayo and Kotori were attacked even when they didn't have Stands! OK, don't panic Maki, you just got to head home! She thought to herself. "You just got to go — "

And then it happened.

Something cut her arm, and she gasped and jumped back, dropping her bag. What was that!? She grasped her arm in alarm, frantically looking around her environment. Whatever it had been, it cut deep enough to cut through the shoulder of her shirt and draw some blood. But she looked around and couldn't find any kind of weapon. Panic washed over her, and she frantically pulled out her phone to text the group.

[Maki] I THINK I'M UNDER ATTACK! WHAT DO I DO!?

[Umi] What happened!?

[Maki] SOMETHING CUT MY ARM OUT OF NOWHERE AND I CAN'T SEE WHAT IT WAS THERES NO BLADE IM FREAKING OUT

Maki tried to control herself by taking deep breaths, but it did not seem to do much. A moment later, there were new texts, but only a few in particular she paid much mind too.

[Hanayo] I'm not home! Where are you!?

[Maki] I just left the mall: I'm only a few blocks away, southbound! I'm only ten minutes from home, I'm gonna run there!

[Hanayo] I'm about twenty minutes away! Try to get to your home and I'll be there soon!

Maki began to run, even leaving her goods lying on the ground as she bolted towards her house. She was so paranoid she was nearly hit by a car running through a crosswalk when he had the green, ignoring whatever he had yelled at her as she continued to run off. Having been unable to see the supernatural, she did not notice an out-of-place bird feather on the ground near her.

The terror was primal in her, ignoring everything else around her until she got home. Ohgodohgodohgodohgodohgodohgod! What else could she do? She could not fight, or anything like that! She needed someone to be with her right now! She made it to her house faster than usual, gasping for breath as she entered inside.

"Ms. Maki, are you alright?" The housekeeper asked, approaching her. "You're out of breath!"

"I… I'm fine, sorry," Maki said, wiping sweat off her. "I-I'm going to lie down, OK? I'm expecting a friend over soon, a Ms. Koizumi. Send her to my room. Don't tell my parents."

"Are you sure you're OK, miss?" Ms. Waki asked, frowning as she approached. "Should I call your father?"

"No! Especially not him!" Maki's voice had gone from shaky to irritated.

Ms. Waki frowned, the older woman approaching Maki. "Are you sure you're not sick, Ms. Maki? I have no objections with calling your parents, they'll understand if you're not well. And your father is- "

Now Maki's voice went from irritated to angry.

"I especially don't want to talk to Feelgood! Just do what I say, jeez!"

She stormed off at her room, the older woman flinching at how Maki used her father's name. "Ms. Maki…" She sighed, looking over at a family photo of the three when Maki was still little. For many years the 68 year old woman had worked for the Nishikino family, even when Maki's father was still a young boy. It hurt, seeing the family quarrel like this, although she could not blame Maki for her discontent ever since the Otonokizaka situation. Still though, her hope was genuine; I hope you two can patch things up soon…

Maki threw herself on her bed, her face red. Now in addition to being scared, she was pissed too. Just mentioning her father had become a hot button with her, and the two seldom spoke when in the house. And frankly? Maki was fine with that. She didn't care much about speaking with her mother much, either. At least Ms. Waki was always around.

She stewed in her thoughts for a few minutes, until a knock came at her door. "M-Maki-chan? It's me, Hanayo! Are you OK!?"

"Yeah, come on in, and keep it quiet! I don't want Ms. Waki asking me a million questions!" Maki said, letting her friend in.

"S-sorry! I just… wow… you have a housekeeper…?" Hanayo asked, momentarily distracted by just how well-off her classmate was.

"That's not what's important!"

"S-sorry! Let me see your arm!"

Maki rolled up her shirt a bit, showing her the cut on her shoulder. It had drawn some blood at first, but had already mostly healed up, the cut having been minor. "It came out of nowhere! I couldn't find anything else around that could've made the wound… It was probably nothing, huh? I got really scared and panicked," Maki said with an embarrassed blush. Had she really made such a big deal over nothing?

"No, that's still really weird. It… maybe it was a Stand? But nobody followed you or attacked you, it seemed… Or maybe something fell? No… that is super weird. Kobayashi's Stand…? No, I don't think so," Hanayo thought out loud, trying to figure this out. Hanayo then decided to send another message to the group chat:

[Hanayo] I'm at Maki's house. She has a cut, but nothing seems to be out of the ordinary. The circumstances are weird though. If you're at home, keep the doors locked and keep your guard up!

"I'll stay for a while, OK?" Hanayo offered, smiling. "If an enemy does come, I'll fight them off. I'm pretty tough now!" She said, making fists with her hands. "D… do you want to talk, or something?"

Maki sighed, lying on her bed. "This sucks. All of it, everything, it sucks."

"The Stand thing…?"

"My entire school life right now," Maki admitted. "… I like you girls, and I like μ's, don't get me wrong," it was the first time anyone from μ's heard Maki being so sincere about that. "But this wasn't my choice, OK? If it had been up to me back then, I would've gone to Nagasaki with Omine, or at least a fancy private school like UTX."

"Huh?" Hanayo blinked at that. "It… wasn't your choice?"

Maki sighed. It had been pent up, so it was good to let it out. "If you didn't know, my dad is the director of Nishikino General Hospital."

"T… that really big one? That Nishikino Hospital!?" Hanayo was surprised. "I-I didn't think… I thought it was just a coincidence!" It did explain the big house, and being able to have a maid of all things.

"It's family-owned. We have had it for a few generations. Don't remember how long, but it was at least before the Second World War," Maki admitted. "I went to a really rich curriculum all the way up to 9th grade. Everyone knew it back then," Maki said. "Intelligence, rich, pretty, that's what everyone, always said about me back then. It's all they ever called me: the Princess of Nishikino Hospital," Maki said with a sneer. "All dear dad's decisions. Even coming to Otonokizaka was his decision."

Hanayo bit her lip. "You are really well off… I-I wondered why you came to Otonokizaka instead of UTX or something…"

Maki sighed. She remembered that day once again, the day that "papa" became "Feelgood."

"I want to go where Omine is! Papa, I know you want me to go to this school, but it's a dump! I want to go to Nagasaki with Omine!" Maki had pleaded with her father, tears in her eyes. "This isn't fair, papa! I don't… I really don't want to go to that school! Why do I have to go there!?"

"Because it will be useful to this family."

"… What?"

Dr. Feelgood Nishikino did not show much emotion, if any, at his daughter's outburst. He looked at her, eyes narrowed and annoyed by the blatant disrespect.

"You understand you'll one day become a doctor and inherit the hospital, right?" He had told her, and Maki had just nodded.

"It will be useful for you to have connections. If you go to a normal school that those not as well off as us go to, it'll build a good image of you, as someone that didn't only know elites growing up," Dr. Nishikino told her. "It would also help you create ties to the Council of Education. Once you enter the world stage, they'll recognize that you went to this school as opposed to a private one, to see the world. Do you understand? I'm building yours and the hospital's future. It will be useful for you to have mingled with regular civilians than just the elite."

Maki's blood ran cold at her father's world.

"… A… Am I… am I just some chess piece to you?"

Mrs. Nishikino narrowed her eyes. "Do not disrespect your father like that! Take that back!" However, Dr. Nishikino simply waved a hand at her, ending her scolding.

"Only if that's how you want to view yourself," her father informed her. "I am doing what is best for you, and this family. Your future is better off there than a private school, I'm sure of it.

But Maki's face had become a glare, and Dr. Nishikino glared back.

"… I hate you." Mrs. Nishikino gasped, but Dr. Nishikino just kept up his glare. "Did you hear me!?"

"Maybe, maybe not. Say it again, I want to be sure."

The tears welled in Maki's eyes.

"I said I hate you, Nishikino Feelgood!"

"T… that's terrible…" Hanayo said at the end of the tale, a hand over her mouth. Mrs. Nishikino had seemed so nice when she had met her when this all began. She had only spoken to her once, but still, it felt surreal someone that had been so nice to her could be so cold to her own daughter.

"Omine was the only real friend I ever had," Maki went on. "She didn't care that I was the Princess of Nishikino Hospital," she sneered as she said those words. "That I'm rich, or anything like that. I was happy around her. She was my best friend, and now she is all the way in Nagasaki. I cannot even visit her or anything… I've been writing her, and she writes back, but it's not the same anymore," Maki admitted. "I could have gone to where she is in Nagasaki. I could even have gone to UTX or another school like that! But my father decided I need to build connections for the hospital," she was gripping the bedpost. "Like I'm a pawn on a chessboard!"

"Maki-chan…"

"I wish I was in Nagasaki, OK!? I wish I was where Omine is! I wish… I wish I was having a normal high school life! I'd trade it over being a School Idol. My parents, they don't even know that, I'm scared of them finding out!" Maki confessed. "I want… I don't want to be scared thinking my friends might die fighting," she admitted. "I'm scared for you girls. I'm just… I'm scared for me, but I'm scared for you all more," Maki went on. "I'm scared…"

A moment later, Maki was pulled into Hanayo's hug.

"… For whatever its worth, I'm happy you're with us, and everyone else is too…" Hanayo assured, holding her gently. "… And even if you'd prefer to be somewhere else, we're your friends too, right?"

Maki went deathly quiet. "Yeah," she finally said, nearly a full minute later. "You're my friends."

Not much was said throughout the rest of the night, the two opting to do homework together to pass the time. While they did not discuss Maki's pent-up problems once more, the words spoken were sincere enough and were in their heads the entire time, and the comfort it had brought Maki could not be put into words. Eventually, though with the threat seemingly gone, Hanayo headed home.

That night, Maki dreamt not of regret, but of funny misadventures with the girls of μ's, and woke up feeling happy… happiness soon diminished by a stuffy nose. "Oh, man…" She felt her own forehead and she was warm and had a headache. She would have had Ms. Waki call her in, but she was still concerned about Umi's prophecy and did not want to be alone. Just got to tough it out, Maki.

As she headed down the stairs, Ms. Waki bowed to her. "Good morning, Ms. Maki."

"Good morning, Ms. Waki," Maki said. "Listen, I'm sorry I snapped yesterday… you didn't, ah…"

Ms. Waki smiled. "My lips were sealed," and Maki smiled in return. "I'm sorry, but are you sure you're not sick? You look worse than yesterday… let me call you in — "

"No, no, its fine, just a cold. I'll get medicine from the hospital later," Maki said, keeping her real worries a secret. "I'm sorry, but I won't eat breakfast this morning. Sorry to make you waste food."

"Don't worry, I'll just eat it myself," Ms. Waki said with a smile, heading back to the kitchen. "Have a wonderful day, Ms. Maki."

"You too," Maki said, heading out of the house. She wasn't hungry enough to properly eat breakfast, but she was a little hungry… she felt angry at herself for not grabbing at least a snack now. As she walked home though, she noticed something in the ground; a fat worm, burrowing out of the ground! For some reason she looked at it, blinking a few times before leaning down and picking it up. It struggled against her hand but could not break free.

Maki blinked again before putting it into her mouth, slurping it and eating it whole without chewing. For some reason, that really hit the spot! Now decently full, she began to head on to Otonokizaka with a smile. Her cut shoulder itched a lot for some reason, but she just scratched it as she began to head on to school. She couldn't have noticed Wakaki watching her with a pair of binoculars, grinning as she sat on the roof of a building.

"Alright, all according to plan… Now it's time for things to really start getting interesting!"

"I can't believe I overslept, I really wanted to get a touchup from Aya-san before school started!"

Rin complained as she and Hanayo made their way to school, earning a soft giggle from the other first year. "It's not funny, Kayochin! I wanted to look super cute today, nya!"

"You're still cute, Rin," Hanayo replied. "Besides, I called you like three times to wake you up…"

"It was on vibrate! I totally forgot!" She continued to complain, sighing as she walked on. "Hmm… Oh, I got an idea! Let's have a race! Whoever gets to school first owes the other a burger, that'll cheer me up!"

"H-Hey! That's not a fair competition, Rin!"

"Too late! Here we go!"

"W-wait!" But Rin was already running off. "Watch out! There are other people!"

"Come on! Last one is a rotten egg who owes-" but sure enough Hanayo's words rang true as Rin bumped into a stationary figure, knocking herself to the ground. "Oww…"

"Oi! What's the big idea!? Watch where you're going, or I'll kick… your…"

It had been none other than Akeno and Miano the two had bumped into, the air growing heavy as the tension mounted. "Ahhh…" Rin began, starting to get up. "S… sorry about that…"

"N-no, just… forget about it, OK?" Akeno replied, as Miano stayed quiet. "I ah… shit, didn't think I'd meet you two again," she replied, rubbing the back of her neck. "This is… goddamn, that's awkward…"

"We're not here for trouble," Hanayo said, stepping forward. Even with the girls' word to not fight them again, she stayed alert and was ready to bring out her「Momoiro Clover」in case the situation called for it. "Why don't we just go to school, Rin?"

"No, wait. It's a good thing we bumped into you," Akeno replied, motioning over to an alleyway. "I want to speak to you in private. Don't worry, we don't want to fight or anything," she tried to reassure, to little avail. "It's Stand stuff. We shouldn't talk about it in the open, and it involves the safety of your friends," she went on. That was enough to convince the first years to step forward, but Miano glared at Rin's direction.

"Doesn't she not have a Stand? I don't think she should be involved with this."

"H-hey! I know all about Stands and stuff, even if I don't have one, so I totally deserve to know what's going on!" Rin challenged, glaring back.

"Rin is as much a member of μ's as anyone else. If she can't be a part of it, then I shouldn't be either," Hanayo said, earning a sigh from Akeno.

"Pain in my ass… fine! Alright, just… hurry up!" And the four girls headed into the alleyway, although not as deep as their first encounter. "First of all, no, we're not the ones that revealed you girls are Stand users or anything like that. I promise, we really didn't," Akeno replied. It felt good to Hanayo to finally know they didn't go back on their words.

"Then… who?" Hanayo asked.

"I think it was our second-in-command," Akeno answered, careful not to reveal Suzuki's identity. "Something about her Stand… lets her help gather information easily. I don't know how it works, and I wouldn't tell you even if I did… but I know this; it wasn't too long after she talked to someone from your student council. Some purple-haired girl with big tits."

"Nozomi-senpai?" Rin asked. "What does she have to do with any of this?"

"Hell if I know, but after an encounter outside of your school she figured things out and told the rest of us," Akeno answered, prompting a million questions in Hanayo's mind.

Is Tojo-senpai one of us? If she's a part of this, what about Ayase? She thought to herself, making a mental note to report this to Honoka the moment she could. "Is there… anything else we should know?"

"One of us went AWOL. A girl we call Wakaki," Akeno replied. "Don't know her real name. That was what she called herself around us. Blue eyes, long-hair, bangs with a blue streak in it," Akeno said, pointing at her own red streak. "We have absolutely no idea what she's up to now. And everything we know, she knows," she informed the Idols.

"Honestly, I'm just surprised it took this long. Bitch always did unsettle me," Miano said. "There was always just such an… uneasy air around her. Like she was ready to fight Ya- the boss at a moment's notice. I'm just worried she knows where our bases are…"

"S-should we expect anything from her?" Rin asked, a little scared.

"Again, we have no idea. She just stopped returning everyone's calls and texts and left our chat group and blocked us anywhere we had her added on. Would be usual drama BS if it wasn't for the fact we have Stands."

"W… what kind of Stand does she have?" Hanayo asked. "In case she tries anything!"

Akeno shrugged. "Never really saw it in action. I think it's an avian Stand, looks like a bird. That's what I saw a little once. She was flying on it."

"What? No, it's a humanoid Stand," Miano said. "I only saw her recalling it, but that was definitely a golden humanoid Stand, like「Good Girl Gone Bad」is," Miano challenged, turning to face her friend. "What the hell do you mean it was a bird?"

"I mean it was a bird, dumbass! She was flying on its back! Are you saying I'm blind!?" Akeno shot back

"I guess you are, 'cuz her Stand looks like a human!"

The two bickered, but it just rose more concern for Hanayo. Can Stands have more than one form? She asked herself. It didn't seem possible, but then again; Stands in general didn't seem like something that should be possible. "I… Wait, if I can ask. If… if you learned the Stands of your bosses, would — "

"No," Akeno said at once. "We promised we wouldn't fight you two or Kousaka again, and I intend to follow through on that word unless you give me a really good reason not to. But they're still our gang. We… we already betrayed them once," Akeno looked down at her feet in shame. "We won't do it again. And the deal only applies to you three, we'll fight the rest of your friends if we have to," she informed. "I just… I wanted you to be informed. You understand?"

Hanayo's smile was gentle. "Yes, thank you," she said, giving her former enemies a polite nod. "I… we should get going…"

"… Also, your music doesn't suck," Hanayo and Rin turned back to face Akeno, who looked away with a blush as Miano laughed. "I-I just wanted to say that, OK!?" When there were three people laughing her cheeks flushed even redder. "S-shut up, assholes!"

"We wanna put out a new song soon, nya! Keep an eye out for it!" Rin said as she began to walk off, Hanayo following before turning around to face them.

"Really… thank you for helping us!" And then she took off, leaving a flustered Akeno behind and a smug Miano.

"Dooooork~" Miano teased, linking their arms together. "Next thing I know you'll be going to an A-RISE concert or something! Or maybe you wanna go see μ's preform instead, hmmm?"

"I-idot! I'll kill ya!"

Miano just laughed, heading onwards. "Come on! The boss is counting on us looking for Wakaki, after all! I wanna ride in front this time!"

Despite it all, Akeno smiled once more.

But the walk towards school was still not over, with yet more surprised in store with them. A few more blocks down the two would soon pass by Cinderella. The two intended to just walk on by, already set back from their previous encounter, but it was Rin who noticed something from across the street.

"H-Hold on, Hanayo! Step back!"

"R-Rin? What's going on?"

"Look, over there! Cinderella!" Rin pointed at a figure that had just walked outside. She turned around, talking to somebody inside from outside the door, and even from a distance it was clear who it was. "The Prez! That's the student council president!"

"A… Ayase-senpai?" Hanayo questioned, before getting a better look. "I… it is!" They were too far away to hear what was being said, but Eli had a serious look on her face before walking off. A second later Aya was in the doorway, watching the teenager walk off.

"Aya! Aya-san!" Once no cars were coming Rin ran across the street, Hanayo behind her.

"T-this is dangerous, Rin!"

"Rin? Koizumi?" Aya asked as the two approached. "What are you two doing here? Don't you have school, soon? I don't think there's enough time for a makeover — "

"We saw you talking to Ayase!" Rin asked. "She really has it in for us… and you're not open to the public, so… Was she talking about us?" Rin questioned on, confused. "Some weird things are happening, so we wanna know if it's a Stand thing!"

Aya's eyes widened. "I… phew… I-I'm sorry, I'm not really at liberty to say," Aya said.

"E-eh!? Aya-san!" Rin was about to go on, but Aya wouldn't have it.

"Please understand, I have my own problems and matters unrelated to the two of you," Aya said sternly. "Tonight, I have an important meeting with my new sponsors. That girl had a few questions related to this business, and that's all I can say," both Hanayo and Rin noticed the look on her face: like she was dreading this meeting, whatever it was. "I'm… I'm under a lot of stress right now, I'm sorry, phew. If you could please come back later, I'd appreciate it," Aya said, before giving a weak smile. "I'll give you all makeovers when I can, how does that sound? You and all your friends, before we officially open," Rin and Hanayo had many more questions to ask, but for the time being, they seemed to understand they would likely not get more out of her. "Please, take care, and stay strong," she said, waving at them as they left.

Heading back inside the salon, Aya buried her face in her hands. It seemed like every day this was getting more and more complicated now.

It didn't take long for the seven girls of μ's to all reach Otonokizaka, all concerned for Maki's well-being. Maki would have preferred it if they didn't crowd around her in a hallway, though.

"You suuuuuuuure you're OK, Maki?" Honoka asked, putting a hand on her forehead, which she then swatted away.

"I-I'm fine, really!" Maki protested, with a sigh. "Just… coming down with something, I think. That's all."

"It's just that it happened after something cut you that has us concerned. Even if it's not a Stand, which sounds like an infection… and you sure it looks OK?" Umi pressed on.

Maki pulled up her sleeve, showing the scab the cut had left. "It just itches a little now. It's just coincidence."

"Go home if it gets worse just to be safe," Nico encouraged, earning nods from the rest of the girls. "At least the enemy won't come after you! You said it was a… Wakaki, or something?"

"Yeah!" Rin said. "That's definitely someone we gotta look out for! Well, you girls mostly…"

"Don't worry, we can take on anyone!" Honoka said with a grin, trying to assure the First Years. "For now, let's just focus on school. Classes, study, then practice. How does that sound?" Honoka asked, earning some nods. "Alright then! Then let's just get through the day and worry about this other person later!"

"So carefree…" Nico said with a groan, as Kotori smiled.

"That's Honoka for you. No matter how bad it is, she always keeps her cool… or she's just too dumb to realize what's going on."

"H-hey! That's mean, Kotori!"

"Still, seriously, be alert," Umi warned. "I'm still really concerned about what I heard yesterday…"

"I think Umi's gonna awaken soon, and it'll be awesome!" Honoka replied, wrapping an arm around Umi's shoulders. "Soon you'll be kicking butt in no time!"

"Honoka, take this seriously!" Umi was about to chew out Honoka some more but noticed the hallway around them was going quiet. Umi wondered if they were already late for class, before noticing the idle chatter had become matters, girls in the hallways making way for somebody else. And a two girls made their way towards them; one that Hanayo and Rin recognized as Emi, and a giant of a girl next to her.

However, even in school, these girls wore the outfits that the members of μ's recognized as their opponents, the Arrow Hunters. The non-Stand users hid behind the Stand users as Honoka, Hanayo, Nico, and Kotori stood in front.

"Heeeey! I finally got to meet all of you! μ's! Oh man, I'm a huge fan of your music!" Emi said, rather eager and excited. "Hey, since you're all here, mind if I get some autographs? I so totally wanna keep them for part of my collection if you girls make it big! Oh! Oh! Selfies? Come on, I wanna take selfies!"

"Focus," a taller girl by her said.

"Jeez, sorry, Jori-chan… you know I get really excited about Idols!"

"Jori…" Honoka repeated, staring up the tall, blond woman. Her outfit lacked the buttons everyone else had, and there was no dyed streak in her hair either. What also drew Honoka's attention was a leather jacket the tall girl had, not worn but draped around her shoulders like a cape. "You're… Yanigihori Jori?"

"That's Jori-chan, alright!" Emi said, grinning from ear-to-ear. "The one and only! The toughest there ever was!"

"Are you the leader of μ's?" Was all Yanigihori asked, staring down Honoka. Honoka stared back but gulped; the Third Year's presence was incredibly intimidating, greatly surpassing Fuhai's.

"… μ's has no leader," Honoka said. "We're all μ's. All for one and one for all. Nobody is the boss, we're Idols who alternate being in the center. We're all the bosses here!"

Emi gasped in excitement. "That's such an awesome way to go about it! I haven't heard of any Idol doing that in a long time, from before the Idol Crash in the 90s! That's sosososososossoooooooooooooooooooo cool! Oh man, I knew I made the right choice following you girls!"

"… Y-you really like it?" The gravity of the situation escaped Honoka for a moment to ask.

"Of course! It's like… you're your own bosses! In the past it was greedy labels and stuff, but even with the laws of protection in place you girls are totes bringing it to a new level! Is this gonna catch on!? Oh man, I loooooooooooove being alive in the internet age!" Emi went on. "I can just see it! The entire Idol industry being revolutionized by μ's! And I was there to see it firsthand! Oh man, the forums wouldn't even believe me I bet!"

Yanigihori sighed, shaking her head. "No leader, that's interesting," Yanigihori replied. "You'd never find a gang that governs itself without a strong leader that doesn't fall apart. At least not in my gang…"

"We're not a gang," Honoka replied, getting serious once more. "… Nor are we hunting for the arrow," and with that all the girls went quiet. "So, are we finally meeting the person that's been harassing us for weeks now?"

Yanigihori smirked. "What if you are? What will you do about it?" The aura of power began to envelop her, much to the shock of everyone around her.

"I-In school!? With people around!?" Hanayo took her position, preparing to summon her Stand alongside her friends. No Stands were brought out, but the auras around them glowed bright, ready to fight a moment's notice.

"What's wrong with you!?" Nico demanded.

"… So that's the limits of your resolve. You're concerned about the other students getting hurt," Yanigihori said, withdrawing her power. "So that's the kind of people you are. Even though you could overwhelm me and end it right here… you could end our entire conflict right here, right now."

"That's not the kind of girls we are," Honoka said. "It's not the kind of fighters we are, either."

Yanigihori simply narrowed her eyes further, but did not stop smiling. "I overestimated the lot of you. A shame you didn't take Kobayashi's offer. We could've done some great things."

"Yeah, well, she kind of creeped us out," Nico spat. "And you know, tried eating us with bugs."

"I would like to offer you one last chance for power," Yanigihori informed the group, her smile finally fading. "To ally with us and change this entire nation."

"After everything that's happened!? Dream on!" Honoka retorted.

"It is like Kobayashi said that she told the lot of you… 'Power' is a diluted, meaningless thing in this world," she began. "The strong are the rich and privileged, so often born with influence over others by right of birth, or by swindling others to steal such power for themselves. We want to change those things, with the arrow once it's in our possession," Yanigihori explained. "I do not expect any of you to agree with me in this moment. But we'll talk again, and I'll hope you'd all come to understand why we must do what we must do," Honoka was going to talk back, but two girls stood in-between the groups.

"That is enough!"

Yanigihori smirked. "Been a while, Ayase," she said, looking the student council president in the eyes.

"Glad to see you too, Nozomi-chan~" Emi cooed, only earning a glare from the other girl. "Sheesh, everyone's so cold today!"

"You girls head to class right now," Eli instructed. "We are going to have a talk with them."

"Prez, it's more complicated than you think!" Honoka pleaded. "These girls, they—"

"Go. To. Class," but it was Nozomi who instructed them. "We know they are not ordinary girls. Just go."

"N… Nozomi-senpai?" Honoka tried to press on. "Are you—"

"Go to class!" Eli snapped once more, as the School Idols backed off a bit. "Just go. Leave this to us."

"Eli-senpai…" Honoka started, only to see Eli glare back.

"This is not a world that should have involved you. Please, go."

And then Honoka remembered that another Stand, back in the fight with Fuhai. That this was a world where only the strong survived. "A… are you…"

"Let us talk in the student council's room," Eli offered, leading the two with Nozomi. "I'm sure you don't mind being tardy, do you?"

Yanigihori chuckled, following behind them. "I'll be reaching out to the rest of you soon enough. Until then, farewell."

"Keep making killer awesome music!"

The girls of μ's could do nothing as they watched the third years walk off, stunned.

"What the hell was that!?" Nico asked. "They… there's no way! They couldn't possibly be!"

"This is… complicated," Kotori replied. "This is bigger than we thought, I think…"

"I'm scared," Rin admitted, holding Hanayo's sleeve. "I don't like this. What are we gonna do?"

"… Go to class. I guess… we just gotta let the student council deal with it for now," Honoka said, starting to head off. "We'll have to deal with this eventually, but not this moment. Let's just get through our school day."

The only one not immediately reacting was Maki, who had begun to look at a window pointing outside. A single red bird was staring intently at her, and she stared right back.

"We know you're the Cyan Stand user."

Yanigihori got right to it as they arrived at the room, sitting across from Eli. "Suzuki figured it out."

Nozomi glared. "So, when I passed out the other day…" Emi didn't say anything, just playfully sticking out her tongue in response.

"You've been a pain in my ass, Ayase," Yanigihori said. "And honestly? It helps I've been dying for a rematch."

"I'm stronger than before," Eli said.

"As have I, since that day," Yanigihori replied. "Significantly so. Enough I feel confident enough to fight you once more. With every different outcomes."

"There's no point in any of this," Nozomi tried to reason. "You have nothing to do with us. We have nothing to do with you. μ's also has nothing to do with you except for your antagonism towards them! Just back off and leave and you can search for the arrow all you want!"

"See, there's two problems with that," Yanigihori said. "First, Ayase very much wants something to do with us. She's determined to fight us no matter what."

"That I am."

"Elichi!"

"I don't trust them. If they're looking for the arrow, I'll keep fighting them until they give up," Eli replied. "I will risk anything and everything, for this town."

"You're only human," Emi said. "Look at the bags under your eyes… you're running yourself ragged! You'll let out eventually!"

"Not anymore. With this power, I will become justice itself. I will stop you."

"Ooohhh, cryptic!" Emi said with a smirk, unwrapping a lollipop.

"This is your absolute last chance," Yanigihori offered. "Join us or be crushed."

"And once again, no," was all Eli said. And Nozomi nodded in agreement.

"How disappointing," Yanigihori said, getting up. "That's fine, though. I'm more used to breaking my enemies than getting them to join. Let's just hope those μ's girls are smarter when the final call comes. Let's go to class, Emi," Yanigihori said, the green-lipped girl waving as she walked behind her.

"Take care, Eli-chan, Nozomi-chan! And remember, the absolute living hell that's coming is something you brought on yourself! Don't blame God or anybody else for your own foolishness!" And with that the door slammed shut, Eli staring in its direction.

"Elichi… this is serious. What are we going to do?"

"Defeat them and move on," Eli said, bluntly. "I already know what we'll do once we've dealt with them…"

"The 'Yoshida Conglomerate?'" Nozomi asked. "Is what that Aya girl said really that trustworthy?"

"No, but it's a lead," Eli said. "There's something funny going on in that corporation, and I want to figure it out."

Nozomi went quiet, deep in thought. Honoka, μ's… please, be strong…

"Can't you feel it, Nozomi?" Eli asked, standing up.

"Hmm?"

"Everything with Yanigihori will come to an ending soon, I'm sure of it," Nozomi predicted.

"… But that won't be the end of everything, won't it?"

"Not even close," Nozomi responded. "It's just the beginning of a long road."

"OK, Maki, you're scratching that cut a lot now."

Classes had ended, and after much prodding from Honoka and the progress they had made, μ's had skipped studying to instead head to the roof to practice.

"I'm fine, I'm fine…" Maki assured, wiping her forehead before scratching at her cut. Honoka did not accept that answer, putting a hand on her forehead. "Maki, you're burning up now! This is way worse than before… you need to go home!"

"If you're sick you might overexert yourself," Umi said. "Please, Maki, go home."

"I… I'm fine… As long as I'm outside I think I'll feel fine."

"Hmm… oh, I get it! Kotori-chan, why don't you try healing her?" Honoka asked.

"Eh? Well… I guess I've never used「Kaze ni Notte」to heal something that wasn't a physical wound… Maki-chan, would you be OK with me trying that?" Kotori asked with a smile. "I haven't used any of my heals this week, so I could try something out…"

"I… no, I don't think so. Can you all just please get off my back?" Maki snapped, drinking some water. "I just feel a little hungry, is all… some food and I'll be back to normal, I'm sure."

"I'm worried about her," Rin said, facing the group.

"She may be a brat, but she can't perform like this! Why won't she just go home!?" Nico snapped. "This is getting kind of weird… and don't forget about yesterday…"

"Honestly, I wouldn't mind going home myself. It's kind of… creepy? What's with all these birds?" Hanayo commented, as they looked around them. There were birds of all kinds on the roof of Otonokizaka, a rarity. Even when they weren't playing loud music birds never seemed to rest here, yet they were all over the rooftops, no less than a hundred.

"Damn birds… they're just as annoying as bugs!" Nico complained.

"Hey, I like birds," Kotori replied with a pout. "It is… kind of weird, though. It almost feels like… we're being watched?" As the Idols looked around, sure enough, their attention did seem to focus on the girls. "I… I'd prefer just going home or going inside to study myself…"

"I hate to say it, but I agree," Honoka replied. "Man… I was really hoping to work on my dancing too!"

The girls continued to bicker as to what to do, as Rin walked over to Maki instead. "Maki-chaaaan… Come on, go home. I'll walk you, how about it? … Maki?" Rin practically jumped. "M-Maki, what's that!?" The rest of the girls turned around, seeing Maki hold something fat and slimy.

"Oh, I caught it before we came up here," Maki said, holding the wriggling worm.

"Gross! What's wrong with you!?" Nico asked, as Maki looked confused, scratching her cut some more. "I said I just had to eat, right?"

"E-eh? What are you…" But before Nico could react the redhead swallowed the worm whole, swallowing it in one gulp. "EW! WHAT THE HELL, NISHIKINO!?"

"Oh, I'm gonna be sick!" Honoka replied, covering her mouth. Kotori and Hanayo both felt a little nauseous at the sight, and Umi stomped towards her.

"M-Maki, what's wrong with you!?" Umi demanded. "T... that's filthy!"

"Mmm… what's the problem?" Maki asked. "I was a little hungry, so I helped myself to a worm. There's nothing wrong with that, I was hungry and it's what was around…"

"OK, she clearly has a fever that's getting to her brain! Forget her home, let's take Maki to a hospital!" Nico suggested, the other girls quickly agreeing.

"N-no… I don't want to be inside…" She was wobbling now, and Umi quickly grabbed her. "See? They all agree with me, I shouldn't go inside…"

"T… they? … Do you mean the birds!?" Umi asked, looking around. The girls went from being creeped out to alarmed by the birds now, especially as some seemed to advance.

"W-wasn't there some American movie made about killer birds?" Rin asked. "I-Is that happening now?"

"They're saying… you people aren't very nice to birds. I shouldn't talk to you anymore," Maki said, freeing herself from Umi's grip. And facing the birds she made a bird call from her throat, the rest of the birds all screeching and cawing in return.

"This isn't normal! This is… we have to be under attack! Honoka, try to heal Maki and let's get out of here!"

Kotori nodded, 「Kaze ni Notte」now at her side. "Alright! 「Kaze ni Notte,」heal our friend!"

"Sorry, but that isn't happening."

Before Kotori could react there was a horrifically loud screech. As the girls looked into the air a figure quickly approached, knocking Umi into the arms of Honoka sending them both to the ground. "A-are you OK, Umi!?"

"Yeah... what is…!?"

"I've been wanting to meet with you girls for a while. Glad to finally meet you all!" There was a large bird, nearly ten feet tall in front of them, what looked to be a black hawk. Its head, however, was a skeleton, except for what looked like a light that shone from within. Embedded within the bird's skull appeared to be the arrow that had caused so much harm, but something about it looked… different. The girl riding on its back jumped off, grinning as she faced the Idols. "Otonokizaka Idol Study Club, μ's! The pleasure is mine! And only mine, I guess, 'cuz you really don't seem to like what's going on…"

"You… are you Wakaki!?" Hanayo demanded.

"The one and only. I've been keeping tabs on you girls for a while, I'm excited to see what'll happen now…" Wakaki said, smirking. "Sorry I didn't reveal myself earlier. Needed to wait for the infection to spread before we advanced, you know?"

"So, you did attack her!" Nico replied. "You… make her normal again, or else!"

"Or else what? The girl who can't even control her shitty Stand is gonna teach me a lesson?" 「Circus」manifested, her whip ready. "Think you can kill me quick enough before your Center of the Ring wears off?"

"She knows how you work…" Nico grit her teeth at the realization.

"I have… a really bad feeling about this one. Everyone, don't let your guard down," 「Circus」instructed, taking a fighting stance. "I feel… like, REALLY uneasy!"

"Listen, listen, I know you're used to this fighting thing, but understand, this rooftop? It's a bit too small, cramping my style you know?" she asked. "So, we're gonna regroup, got it? We'll do it… at the Yoshida Stadium! The new baseball field being build! Got it? 'Cuz I hate bitches who don't listen and make me repeat myself."

"W... what!? No! Who do you think you are!?" Honoka demanded, 「All Star」taking form and running forward. But with a whistle dozens of birds swooped in, surrounding her and her friends. "W-whoa! Hey! Nice birdies!" While the Stands of the girls swatted them away, they saw that Wakaki had mounted on her Stand once more, while Maki was tight in the grips of her Stand. "S-shit! Nico!"

"Center of the Ring!" And Circus activated her power on a nearby door, with even Wakaki's and her Stand's attention being drawn to it.

"Pain in my ass…" Wakaki grumbled, knowing she couldn't tear her eyes away from the door.

Nico's Stand rushed over, unleashing a volley of whip strikes on the other Stand's leg, but to no avail. The Stand simply gripped onto Maki far too tightly, and even with its attention diverted could not be pried. "It's holding on too tight! And… shit, time's up!"

"You should have gone for the owner!" Nico snapped. "Y… you're worthless! I hate having a Stand like you!"

"L… like you're any better! I tried!"

"You tried, you failed, and now she's in danger! What good are you, goddammit!? I hate having you around, I wish I had a normal Stand like everyone else!" 「Circus」went deathly quiet at that remark. While Nico had said that many times, this was the first time it held such venom.

"Yoshida Stadium, got it?" And with flaps of its wings the Stand took off, Wakaki taking off with Maki. "If you don't, she's really gonna regret choosing the lot of you as her friends!" And as she took off, she noticed something in the corner and smirked. "Oi, still don't care enough to get directly involved?"

"No, you don't! 「Kaze ni Notte!」" And Kotori's Stand materialized, gripping Kotori tight with it's coils as they took to the skies. "I won't let you get away!"

"Get her, Kotori!" Honoka cheered on. "Don't let her escape with Maki! Ah shit… how can we watch her!?"

"I-I have binoculars! In the club room! For seeing Idols at really long distances!" Nico replied.

"That sounds really creepy, Nico!" Rin retorted.

"Save it for when our friends aren't in danger! Come on, come on!"

And with the rooftops cleared, a certain Third Year came out of hiding, having hidden from even the birds. "Yoshida Stadium…"

Eli glared as she looked at the two Stands flying off. "Got it," she said, opening up her phone. "Hello? I need a taxi. By Otonokizaka High School…"

And in the air, 「Kaze ni Notte」chased after Wakaki and Maki, the other girl grinning.

"Been a while since I've seen a Stand that can keep up with「Hawkwind,」" Wakaki replied, her Stand screeching in response. "This'll be really fun!" Gripping onto her Stand it did a loop in the sky, letting go of Maki before she landed on its back. "You hold on as tightly as you can, got it!?" Maki simply nodded, following Wakaki's instruction, any hint of individuality seemingly gone.

"You're gonna pay for this!" Kotori said, launching a few Emerald Strikes at「Hawkwind,」careful not to use too many feathers so she could remain airborne. "Why are you doing this!? We know you stopped working with the Arrow Hunters!"

"Now isn't that the question on everyone's minds?" Wakaki asked with a grin, her stand soaring towards Kotori for a head-on assault. "Let's just say things are more complicated than you think! That arrow, Yanigihori ain't the only one interested in it!" And Wakaki smiled a smile that bared her teeth. "Granted, even that is small time now… such a power can't go unregulated, you know?" 「Hawkwind」tackled「Kaze ni Notte,」before managing to cut the Stand's body with one of its talons, but Kotori quickly gained distance. "To think you would all be School Idols, too… the world just keeps on amazing!"

"What are you talking about!?" Kotori launched another attack, this time hitting one of the opposing Stand's wings: it roared in pain and briefly lost its coordination but soon regained control.

"Keep on fighting, and maybe you'll get answers to those kinds of questions! Or maybe you'll just all be dead by then… kyahahaha! Come on, be honest! Isn't this just a little fun!?"

"F-fun!?"

"Soaring in the air! A battle between Stand users! The 'fighting spirit' has to lie in you… no matter how much you don't want to admit it, there has to be a part of you that loves this! You're all School Idols… that makes you all contestants for the Greatest Concert, too!"

"Greatest Concert… Love Live?"

"Well, that's what you'll all be calling it," Wakaki replied, going in for another tackle. But once more Kotori evaded, slashing the side of「Hawkwind」with hardened stones. "F-fuck!"

"This isn't a game to us! Just give us back Maki!"

"N-no way… I'm under orders here, ya know? I'm gonna see what all you girls are made of, even if it kills me… or more ideally, you!"

Kotori glared, flying full speed ahead. 「Hawkwind」attempted to dodge, but「Kaze ni Notte」changed direction. "Your Stand seems rather bulky… probably hard to change direction with someone as fast as my Stand, huh?"

But Wakaki didn't seem upset. "Interesting, interesting!" Even as her Stand took another head-on tackle, 「Kaze ni Notte」practically slamming into it like a rocket, her Stand attempted to gain altitude once more.

"I'm seeing it now… you control those birds, like Kobayashi controlled the bugs… but your Stand isn't meant for head-on combat, isn't it!? It's just like「Worker Bees!」"

"Don't compare「Hawkwind」to a Stand as gross as that! But… I guess I can't really complain too much," she admitted. "I love it for moving around and setting up sneak attacks like with Maki, but this Stand doesn't really suit me very well. It's fun, but not what I prefer for a fight… Honestly, I mostly just use this for moving around."

Kotori blinked in confusion. "I… It's your Stand… why ae you talking like that? Isn't it supposed to be a reflection of you?"

But Wakaki's smirk never faded.

"You have no idea what kind of tricks I have in store. Now then… I really need to resume this in Yoshida Stadium, so let's wrap this up, huh?"

She reached for the 'arrow' embedded in her Stand's head, pressing a button. Wakaki's eyes narrowed in pain, and she winced as a red electricity charged into the Stand, her「Hawkwind」roaring as well. But nothing could have prepared Kotori for what came next.

The opposing Stand grew. Right before her eyes! No flashes of lights or anything fancy, but before she could even react the Stand grew to a much larger size, looking more ferocious as well, the Stand's skeletal beak now full of razor-sharp fangs as well.

And the Stand looked at her, and instead of a bird's call, what Kotori could only describe as a roar was unleashed. "W… what is this!?"

"Now this is a Stand I can get behind!" Wakaki said, ignoring the blistering pain in her head as「Hawkwind」charged once more. Kotori launched a few more Emerald Strikes… but they seemed to not even phase the bird Stand, charging through the pain.

"Oh no!"

"This is the power of technology! Don't you know!? Every day the world changes in a billion different ways! Every day the world and society change around us! And I have the privilege of being in the front row, seeing the changes to the world that everyone else is too far back to notice!" Wakaki said, 「Hawkwind's」tackle more than enough to damage both Kotori and her Stand. "Technology changes as well! And now, even Stands are changing! Human evolution is still a story in progress, and we're going to have front-row seats to the next great era of history! Well… I will, anyways!"

"F-flee!" Kotori tried to flee, realizing she could not physically overpower the Stand anymore, but「Hawkwind」was now simply too fast to evade, quickly closing the distance. Before she could react, the Stand held her and「Kaze ni Notte」in her talons, squeezing them both and digging the nails in, earning a scream.

"Come on! The party's not over so why leave us so soon!?" Wakaki said, laughing. "Hey, Nishikino! What do you think?" Maki gave a bird's coo in return, much to her amusement. "Yeah, that's what I was thinking too!"

Can't get free! Too tight! Kotori and her Stand struggled with all their might, but「Hawkwind」tightened its grip even further, and Kotori could swear she could feel something snap. I can't even heal myself like this! This is bad, I can't uncoil my body like「Kaze ni Notte!」

She screamed as the talons dug into her leg, tearing and breaking something. "Anyways… This is starting to hurt my head, soooooo…" Wakaki grinned, her Stand throwing Kotori and her Stand to the ground. "See you around, maybe!"

Kotori's Stand had disappeared when Kotori's focus was broken, as she plummeted towards the ground with a heavily damaged leg. Even knowing she could heal it did little to comfort her, gasping as she saw the incoming ground. "S-s-shit! 「Kaze ni Notte!」" She cried out as her Stand barely manifested in time to save her. Even though it saved her she still crashed into the ground with a powerful crash, hitting the pavement before crashing through a fence. "H… heal…" Her Stand quickly healed the damage to her leg and torso, but in her disoriented state she could not focus enough to heal damage done to her head. "Ah… s-so I have to concentrate…" a crowd began to form around her as she passed out. There was a lot of talking, but she ignored it all. "I-I'm sorry… Maki… H-Honoka, save her…"

"This is bad! Badbadbad!"

The girls began to sprint as they observed the end of the fight, dropping the binoculars as they raced from the school.

"W-what happened!? It looked like she was winning!" Rin asked. Even though she couldn't see the Stands, she could have sworn it looked like Kotori was outmaneuvering her.

"I don't…her Stand just grew! I have… we need to get to that place! Yoshida Stadium!" Honoka said, sprinting ahead. "Dammit… It'll take forever, though!"

"I'll go check on Kotori! You girls go ahead!" Nico instructed. "Call me when something happens!"

"We'll come too!" Rin yelled, Umi trailing behind her.

"T-this is too dangerous!" Honoka tried to reason. Yet for once, it was Umi that defied logic.

"We can't just let our friend be kidnapped! I… I know I can't do much, but I'll help however I can!" Umi said, earning a nod from Honoka.

"Rin…"

"I'm not… I'm not useless! I have worth! Even if I can only cheer you on… I'm going, Kayochin!"

"… Wait, hold on. Isn't Cinderella around here!?" Honoka asked.

"Why does that matter!?" Rin asked.

"See if Aya can help give us a ride or something! At least she knows about Stands!"

"I… That's an idea! Hey! Aya-chaaaaaaaaan!" Rin nearly lost her balance as she suddenly changed direction, heading towards the direction.

"Rin? Children?" Aya was right about to get into her car, a jeep, before she noticed the girls rush towards her. "W-what's going on?"

"It's an emergency! A super serious emergency! Our friend is under attack! It'll take us too long to get there by foot… help us out, please!"

Aya stared in confusion as the girls surrounded her, each saying something else, but all with worried, desperate tones in their voices. She had a meeting with her new employers, and important one, but…

… She saw how determined Rin was to help someone even without the power of a Stand, and she nodded.

"… Very well. Get in my jeep, hurry!"

"There's no doubt about it! That's her Stand, I'm sure of it! It was fighting with that Kotori girl and everything!"

Yet another faction had its stake in whatever was planned in Yoshida Stadium, Akeno and Miano heading over as well. Akeno drove a motorcycle with Miano behind her, Akeno focusing on driving as Miano called Yanigihori. "I don't know where it's headed, but we're not gonna lose track of that bitch, either!"

"Good! Don't let up!" Yanigihori instructed. "Take her down, by any means necessary! Give her the reward a traitor deserves!"

"Got it, boss!" Miano said, hanging up. "This is weird, even for us, Akeno!"

"Damn right it is!" She speeded up, just barely making a yellow light. "I don't know what that bitch has in mind, but she's not gonna go down easy! I've been tired of this downtime, anyways… I can't wait to get back in the fray! Let's kick some ass and get some good ramen… how does that sound, my knight?"

Despite it all, Miano smirked. "Whatever her highness wishes, she shall receive! Any other commands, my lady!?"

"Yeah! Let's look cool doing this!"

Despite the gravity of the situation, the two couldn't help but laugh as Akeno did a wheelie.

"Yeah, yeah, they're all gathering in place, Kira," Wakaki said, resting in the bleachers of Yoshida Stadium. While still under construction, at least the field and most of the bleachers were already in place. "It's gonna be a big show. Shame you can't make it!"

"Just do your job and eliminate them," Yoshikage demanded. "If any didn't follow you, kill them later."

"You know, you could probably do this a lot easier than I could with your secondary bomb, right?" Wakaki asked, her Stand next to her as she stroked the weapon embedded in its head. "Why don't you lend it to me or something? I'd kill them all in a day at most."

"Because it is your job to eliminate threats to this corporation," Yoshikage replied. "Is that not the duty of the Yoshida's emissary? Especially one with the prototype Red Arrow at her disposal?"

"Yeah, yeah… just saying, it'd be a lot quicker if you did it yourself… hello? Ohhh, touched a nerve~" she said with a laugh as her superior hung up on her. She stroked the Red Arrow, grinning. "Killing and fighting may be fun at all…"

And she laughed to nobody in particular

"But it's just watching how everyone reacts that's the most fun of them all!"

And unbeknownst even to her, the first guest soon arrived. Standing atop the scoreboard was a pink and blackish, almost robotic figure. And within its hands, a bow and arrow.

"COURIER PROJECT #34231 UNDERWAY. PACKAGE TO BE DELIVERED: 'ARROW' TO ALL DEEMED WORTHY, MORALITY OF RECIPIENT NOT TO BE CONSIDERED."

It tilted its head.

It felt like there would be at least one person to be pierced, tonight. But whether it would or not did matter. It was a courier, intent on delivering its package no matter what.

Next time on Honoka's Bizarre Adventure!

Chapter 14: The Red Arrow (Part 2)

Chapter Text

Previously on Honoka's Bizarre Adventure!

Honoka-chan, reporting in! Things got really bad, really quickly! At Otonokizaka Yanigihori-san approached us and revealed she's a Stand user! But while we were still processing that, Maki succumbed to some kind of illness because of a Stand attack, and now we're in a fight with another Stand user that can fly!

Something feels wrong though… I'm getting a really bad feeling in my stomach! I can't show it, but I'm scared. But I need to go! For Maki! For μ's!

"What the hell are you guys doing here!?" Miano yelled, shocked to see μ's at the stadium.

"I could ask you the same think, Miano-san!" Honoka yelled back in response, narrowing her eyes a bit at her old enemy. No matter what she says… Wakaki was one of her allies. I need to be alert, even around Akeno and Miano!

The scene outside of Yoshida Stadium quickly become chaotic as the girls of μ's encountered the two Arrow Hunters that had gone to investigate, and now fighting seemed like it was about to break out before the main event as Honoka and Akeno argued at the front, both refusing to back off.

"This is a private matter," Miano spoke up, trying to be the calm one of the two as she stepped forward. "Wakaki is our problem. Let us fight and deal with her," she asked μ's, hoping that this argument could at least be solved without fighting. It was getting dark, and she didn't believe the generators for the stadium were on. She didn't want her and Akeno to fight Wakaki in the dark, and while she would've appreciated Honoka and Hanayo's physical presence she felt more distractions would've been detrimental to the battle. "So just buzz off, alright?"

"She has our friend though!" Rin challenged, stepping forward. "She kidnapped Maki-chan! We need to help out!"

"… Shit," Akeno cursed, stepping back and leaning in to Miano's ear. "They're not gonna go away with that in mind."

"We don't need the non-Stand users though…" Miano broke away from Akeno. "Do the rest of you have Stands?" Only Aya raised her hands, and Miano groaned. "They'll be a liability, Akeno!"

"Yeah, but we can't pretend three more Stand users wouldn't be good… goddammit, the boss is gonna kill us for this," Akeno commented. "But we don't know what she's capable of… aw, man. Fuck it?"

Miano sighed, then gave a small smile. "Fuck it."

"Alright, you can all come," Akeno said to the group. "But non-Stand users stay in the back when the fighting happens! I don't want to babysit you people! It's not our faults if you die," Umi and Rin nodded, and the two began to go into the Stadium itself, still under construction.

"Why a place like this, anyways?" Rin asked, after a few minutes of uncomfortable silence. "It's not even done, it's really creepy…"

"Hell if I know. I don't even get why the Yoshidas are building it. It's never gonna compete with the Sapporo Dome," Akeno said. "Maybe it'll be better for the Eastern League in baseball? Would be a lot cheaper and still pretty nice… smaller sports venues. Still though, everything about this place is weird."

"Since it's not fully built yet it's probably a good place to hide… hey, wait a second," Miano stopped, and everyone stopped with her. "Why was there nothing to keep us out? No obstacles or anything, road signs, barricades, we just waltzed right in her! And Wakaki is expecting us…"

"… It's a trap," Honoka explained, much to everyone's surprise. They all already knew that of course, but that Honoka would speak up first came as a shock. "She probably got rid of all the stuff so we could come in. We're gonna be fighting her in her environment. Still though, it's weird we saw nothing. She probably got rid of it, but…"

"It feels like this was set up even before then?" Umi asked, and Honoka nodded in response. "Akeno-san, Miano-san, what do you know about her? I know you talked to Hanayo and Rin about them, but any new information would be good."

"I already told them everything we know. Wakaki was always a creepy, sadistic bitch and I never liked her," Akeno replied. "All I really know about her Stand is that it looks like a bird. Did you two see it?" Akeno asked Honoka and Hanayo, who nodded. "See! Bird Stand!"

"I know what I saw," Miano said. "I don't… let's just not let our guard down around her Stand. Something weird is going on…" And as they walked past the concession Stand, there were now several signs leading to the unfinished Stadium. "… Really weird."

"It doesn't look like we have much choice. We don't know where she is…" Aya said. "And if we split up, she could pick us off one by one," she said, before yawning.

"Aya-san, are you OK?" Rin asked. "Your blood pressure…" But Aya smiled, patting her head to reassure her, earning a smile.

"Fuck it. We're not babies, all we can do is go straight ahead," Akeno said, following their direction. "If nothing else, I don't think she was expecting me and Miano. Even if she's noticed us, we got her completely outnumbered. Five Stand users!"

"My Stand isn't good for combat. I will stay behind with Rin and Umi."

"… Ok, four Stand users!" Akeno said, annoyed that Aya had withheld that until now. "Alright, everyone, you ready!?"

"Time to fight on!" Honoka said, raising her fist into the air.

"We'll save Maki-san no matter what!" Hanayo declared, Rin happy to see her so confident. And so, they made their way to the field itself, the sun almost completely set and the sky enveloped in a brilliant twilight. "Hey… I thought they said the stadium wasn't gonna be ready for a few years, but it looks almost done!" The playing field itself, the stand rows, and even a giant screen to see the game was already finished.

"Maybe they're working on electricity and stuff?" Rin asked. "This is getting weirder!"

And so, they walked to the center of the stage, only for the headlights to beam on them, catching them off-guard.

"Welcome one and all, to the grand unveiling of Yoshida Stadium! I'm so glad you could be with us tonight!" A voice blared over the speakers, the girls frantically looking around.

"Wakaki! Where are you, you miserable bitch!?" Akeno yelled out, 「Good Girl Gone Bad」taking her place next to her. 「All Star,」「Momoiro Clover,」and「Union of the Snake」were quickly summoned to their masters sides, ready to fight.

"E-everyone, up there!" The screen for the stadium turned on, revealing a very relaxed Wakaki grinning at them as she waved at the camera. "And over there!" It only took a moment later to find her sitting in the bleachers, microphone in her hand.

"And we even got a few pissant flies who decided to show up uninvited… oh well, the more the merrier! Welcome, everyone, I hope you enjoy the scenery! It may not be as big as Sapporo Stadium, but nonetheless it is within the hopes of the Yoshida Conglomerate that this lovely stadium will become a popular hotspot for smaller, local competitions and leagues!"

"Hey, I was right about the Eastern League!" Akeno couldn't help but be just a little proud of her prediction, earning a smile from Miano despite the gravity of the situation.

"It means a lot to me you could all make it! A stadium is a stadium, so let's grace it with the ultimate grand opening; a battle between Stand users!" Wakaki declared. "Would you, my lovely contestants, have anything you'd like to say?"

"Where's Maki!?" Honoka yelled, taking a few steps forward. "Bring her out, right now!"

"… Eh?" Wakaki asked, leaning forward. "I can't hear you!"

"Where is Maki!?"

"Yell louder!"

"WHERE IS MAKI!?"

"… Eh!?"

"WHERE!? IS? MAKI!" Honoka even put her hands around her mouth, the tension quickly dropping the sillier this got.

"… Wait, what the fuck am I doing? I brought this with me…" Wakaki asked, grumbling as「Hawkwind」appeared next to her, picking up a megaphone near Wakaki and having her Stand knock it over to the opposing girls, with Honoka catching it. "Now speak up!"

"Where's Maki!?" Honoka yelled, Wakaki's grin soon returning. "She has nothing to do with this! The arrow, us, anything! We're here anyways, so let her go!"

"Why are you even doing this!?" Akeno yelled into the megaphone. "You already left the Hunters, so what's the point of this!?"

"Oh, I got my reasons," Wakaki replied. "Nothing personal. Professional shit, you know? When the boss tells you to do something, you just do it. Even if it's a pain in your ass."

"The boss… there's no way the boss told you to do this!" Akeno yelled into the megaphone.

"Not your boss, idiot," Wakaki said with a sigh, "But hey. Work is work, no matter who you work for, I guess."

"Tch… that's it? And you're just so happy with betraying out trust?" Akeno asked, glaring. She thought of her own actions not too long ago, how she was plotting to overthrow their boss and install herself as the new leader of the Arrow Hunters. Just hearing Wakaki's words stung her, and she was filled with guilt over her old plans. "Can someone like you even know loyalty!?"

Wakaki actually went quiet, her smirk fading. "Don't you presume you know anything about me," she snapped at her former ally. "You're far from the first I've stabbed in the back, but make no mistake; I know loyalty. There is but one person in this entire world for whom I would give absolutely anything, even my life for. It's nothing a wretch like you could possibly understand," she replied, the group now stunned.

Akeno-chan… Miano thought, looking at her friend, before taking the megaphone. "I know a thing or two about that kind of loyalty," she announced, taking a deep breath. "There is nothing I wouldn't do for Akeno, absolutely nothing! But even this… even this is too far! Fighting Kousaka and Koizumi helped me realize that… what you're doing is wrong! So just give them back their friend and lets all go our separate ways!"

"Miano…" Akeno said quietly, before Miano took her hand in her's.

"Akeno and I are bounded eternally, but that doesn't mean we have to be slavishly loyal! Maybe if you came back… maybe things could even work out! Just… just… there's been so much pain and fighting, can't we just work out one ting nonviolently!?" Miano pleaded.

Miano's entire life was surrounded by violence, even when she didn't realize it. Her father was yakuza, after all. And then her privileged life had been ripped from her, entering her into a life of delinquency. So just for once, even if it was a small and fleeting desire, Miano had hoped a problem could be solved without violence.

But Wakaki would hear none of it. "Nonviolently? What kind of drivel is that!? A Stand is a reflection of your soul made for battle! To be a Stand user is to live a life of battle, up until the end! You understand my loyalty!? Yeah right! You and everyone else can just go to hell, while I show you how a true Stand user stands proud!" And then Wakaki turned to face Aya and the non-Stand users. "Oi. I want to talk to Tsuji."

Honoka looked over at Aya who nodded, before walking over and handing her the megaphone. "Yes… Wakaki?"

"Have you forgotten your place in the world?" She asked. "Maybe you didn't know it was me… but the moment you saw me you should've immediately left! The fuck is your problem!?"

"Aya-san?" Rin asked, looking up at her. "You know her?"

"… I wish for these children to be safe," Aya replied. "I want to see this Maki girl return home safely. I won't leave until I do."

"You understand you're a traitor now, right?" Wakaki asked Aya. "I don't think the bosses are gonna be very happy about this. But if you just leave, I'll keep it between us! How does that sound?"

"Not until Nishikino Maki is safe," Aya said, standing her ground. "Not until the girls of μ's have all their members back!"

"Suit yourself, but don't say I didn't warn you!" Wakaki said as she snapped her fingers, as「Hawkwind」roared, the caws of dozens of birds filling the air before they crawled out from under the bleachers.

"The birds… everyone, look out!" Umi yelled, as both she and Rin got behind Aya and「Cinderella,」their arms outstretched. "Akeno, Miano, the bird are being controlled by her Stand!"

It didn't take long for dozens of birds who were concealed, hiding in the bleachers to pop out, flying towards the girl. "Give me a break… Wakaki, this is what you had in mind!? I was getting worried!" Akeno said with a grin, her Stand cracking its knuckles. "How lame! The rest of you can all stand back, I can probably take this!"

But Hanayo saw another problem. She's too far away to hit from here. Maybe if I throw something by her I can swap locations? Or can I send someone else up there? No, she's probably expecting that! She's too confidant despite having so many Stand users against her, is she that confidant we can't win? I'm sure she knows how all our Stands work, so she's probably thought of the possibility!

The birds began to swoop down, circling at their enemies before trying to claw at them, but they were just birds. Even「Cinderella」swiped and shooed off the birds with ease. "Enough is enough! Just some goddamn flying rats, if we gotta get through a few, then whatever!" And with that「Good Girl Gone Bad」punched one swooping in, instantly killing and maiming the bird.

"Ewww… poor thing," Honoka responded, 「All Star」swatting a bird away without killing it.

"Come on, this is a battle! Her tactic is obvious… she's gonna have these distract us by going for our eyes and junk when she descends! It's gruesome, but if we take them out the threat is negated! I know it might be a little gross for your fancy, pretty Idols, but—"

"AKENO! LOOK!"

Miano's eyes were wide open, her face paling as she looked over where the bird was. "The bird… the bird…!"

"What about it? Come on, there's no way you can be… O… Oh God… w-what the fuck!? What the fuck is this!?"

"What's… oh no!" Hanayo gasped as she rushed forward to see, hands over her mouth.

"… Its… it's a man!?" It was Honoka's turn to look in horror as she looked where the bird had landed, the corpse of a naked man now lying there… a terribly broken naked man, mutilated by the impact done to him when he was a bird.

"Kyahahaha! Got you good, didn't I!?" Wakaki was roaring with laughter in the bleachers. "Oh man, that look on your face, awesome!" The screen for the arena was now closed up on Akeno's face, but when looking around Honoka saw nobody controlling the cameras despite their focus.

"I… I killed… Nonono!" Akeno took a few steps back, breathing hard and nauseously. "I didn't… I didn't…! I'm not a murderer! I couldn't have, oh God, fucking hell! Fuckfuckfuckfuck!"

"Congrats on your first kill, Akeno-chan! Aww, it doesn't feel good?" Wakaki's laugh became a quiet giggle as Akeno fell to her knees, emptying the contents of her stomach as Miano embraced her. "Ewww… come on, the janitors aren't hired yet!"

"You… you couldn't have known- you're not a killer!" Miano told her, kneeling down with her. Akeno was pale in horror, unable to even bring herself to stand up. "She tricked us! Don't… don't blame yourself, please!"

Honoka ran to pick up the megaphone, her horror giving way to anger. "Don't tell me, all these birds… they were people!?"

"Oh no, just a small handful!" Wakaki replied. "Mostly homeless people, so don't you worry thinking that you killed someone worth thinking about! Most of them are other animals I turned into birds. But… you can't tell which ones they are, huh? If you didn't care about killing people this wouldn't even be a problem, but I can see why you prissy heroic-types are getting concerned, now! In fact, now that the big reveal is out of the way… why don't I introduce you to someone you've been wanting to see again?" She whistled, and soon a familiar figure appeared by her side, walking from concession to the bleachers.

"M… Maki!?" Honoka yelled in horror, observing her friend. Her arms had been replaced by wings with black feathers that gave way to red, and she was naked from the waist up although her entire torso and back was covered by red feathers, and even her lips seemed to be protruding into a beak.

"I think she's gonna be the most beautiful in my collection," Wakaki said, cupping Maki by the chin. "I think she's turning into a crimson sunbird. I actually don't know that much about birds, but I was looking it up before you got here… You're gonna be a beautiful girl, aren't you?" She asked, Maki cooing in response. "I think I'll keep you away from the battlefield. You're too pretty to risk being killed by dumbass brute bitches like Akeno down there, aren't you?"

"F… fuck you…" Akeno whispered with a glare, uncaring that Wakaki could not hear her.

"You're evil incarnate," Honoka declared, her first balled. Not since Fuhai had she felt such outright anger and hatred for another human being. Fuhai had terrorized her family and hospitalized her father, and now Wakaki had tricked her ally into killing somebody and was taunting her about turning Maki into a bird. She was someone she would never, ever forgive. She grit her teeth, taking a step forward. "You're not getting away with this! Do you understand me!? I'm going to kick your goddamn ass! You… you absolute monster!" She screamed into the megaphone.

"Honoka… I've never seen her so angry," Umi observed, eyes wide open. Honoka wasn't the kind to get angry in general, just annoyed. To see her so utterly seething with rage was something she had never seen, a side to Honoka that she didn't even think could possibly exist. It occurred to her right then outside of the sparring with μ's this was also the first time she had ever seen her truly fight. This new Honoka that didn't not exist before that day with the arrow… or had it always lied inside, she wondered, and had simply needed a catalyst to be unleashed?

As ashamed as she was to admit it, part of it scared her. But Rin then held her hand. "They'll win… that's all that matters!" Rin said. "They'll win and we'll get Maki back!"

"You're right," Umi said, shame coving over her. Her best friend was about to fight, and here she was, feelings cared for having never noticed something! When did I become so useless!? She asked herself, watching onwards. Honoka, no matter what kind of person you are, I will always believe in you, no matter what!

"And what's so wrong with that? Being a monster?" Wakaki asked, standing upwards, and climbing onto her Stand's back. "When you don't care about what other people think of you, nothing like that matters!"

Hanayo's eyes widened. "She's gonna enter the stadium!" she yelled. "Akeno-san, please! If you can't fight… you need to leave!"

"D-don't tell me what to do," Akeno said, getting up with Miano's help.

"What happened was terrible… b-but we have to fight! We can grieve and cry later!" Hanayo yelled, surprising everyone around. "Please… if you can't fight right now, get behind Tsuji-san! Its ok… it's ok if you can't fight," she said, giving her a friendly smile. "You've already endured something terrible… so let me and Honoka take care of the rest if you must! You're still one of the strongest people I've ever met!"

"Aaaaaah! I love this brave and confidant Kayochin, nya!" Rin yelled, earning a little blush from Hanayo. "B-but don't focus on me!"

"… Jesus, how can I let myself get showed up after something like that?" Akeno asked, her cocky grin returning as「Good Girl Gone Bad」returned, the girls glaring at the birds overhead. "This is gonna be tough, not killing any birds… Be super careful."

"Yeah, but we can do it," Honoka began, her own grin forming as she was encouraged by Hanayo's words. "After all, we're the good guys here, so we can't lose! So, let's kick some ass, girls!"

And so, Wakaki took to the skies above, circling above. And then her Stand swooped down, the rest of the birds around her.

"S-shit!" Akeno wasted no time turning her Stand's fists and upper arm into titanium. She was careful not to swipe at the birds too harshly, trying only to nudge them around and keep them out of her hands. And then she noticed「Hawkwind」swooping in for a massive tackle. Even when blocking it the sheer size of Wakaki's attack was enough to knock her back, and the tackle continued to head onto Hanayo.

"S-swap!" She threw a yen coin in her pocket as far as she could, barely avoiding the attack, only for more birds to start circling her. "C-come on, I really don't want to hurt any of you!" She yelled knocking a few birds away.

"We need to think of something! We can't really focus on –ow, fuck! – everything!" A bird scratched Miano's cheek enough to draw blood, and a few more on her arms. "D-damn birds! Didn't the Americans make a fucking movie about this!? How did they solve it there?"

"They never resolved it, dumbass!" Wakaki said with a laugh, taking the air once more, outside of anyone's strike range.

But Hanayo ran towards her coin. My Stand can probably throw this hard enough to reach her even up there! And then I could swap- but nearly ten birds immediately surrounded her. "T-that isn't fair!"

"Bitch, I don't play fair!" Wakaki said with a laugh. "Face it! You can't keep up with me!" She declared, taking high into the air.

"This is bad, we underestimated her!" Miano laughed. "Four Stand users, and she's laughing at us! And none of us are weak too… What do we do!?"

"Maybe… I have an idea!" Hanayo grabbed her coin. "I was thinking of swapping with the coin, but… I can swap other people too! So… swap!" But nothing happened. "S… swap! Why won't it work!?" Hanayo looked at「Momoiro Clover,」but didn't see anything amiss. "I… is she too far!?" It occurred to her she had never tested this power with extreme ranges, never anything more than 60 feet. Was that her limit? "I-If I had thrown this into the air and swapped with it when I was 60 feet in the air…" She gulped; glad she didn't try it now. Furthermore, she had never really tried bringing people straight to her like she was planning. It was beginning to occur to her that perhaps she did not fully understand her own limitations.

"Dammit… I feel so useless!" Rin yelled out, frustrated. "They're all fighting for our friend, and I'm… just over here! I can't… I can't do anything!"

"Rin, we talked about this," Aya said, giving her a comforting smile. "I can't really do much over here either… you've done all you can. There's no shame in that. If you could do more, you could. But… what's the point of making yourself feel worse? Even if my Stand was meant for fighting, my low blood pressure would tire me out… but at the least, I can keep you away from the worst of it," she said, swatting a bird away.

Umi grasped Rin's shoulder. "We're here… we could've run, but we didn't. That has to be worth something, right?" But oh, how she wished she could do more too. "There's one other thing that's really bothering me though… this fight… nobody can come out on top," she observed. And sure enough, the thoughts were racing through the rest's heads as well.

This was an almost perfect stalemate. None of them could attack Wakaki when she was airborne, but they would have an even chance if she stayed grounded. And the controlled birds could not do any serious damage to the girls. The only way for Wakaki to come out on top would also be to put her in her enemy's strike range, even if only for a few moments. And when there were no birds, her most major advantage, divided attention would be lost.

Wakaki realized this too of course, but she had a plan. She considered herself fortunate she did not consider herself a fair fighter. She knew the more time the girls had to think the more solutions would appear before them, and she was determined to keep the momentum at such a place they could not plan around it. The birds descended on the girls once more, with over thirty surrounding Hanayo in particular.

"H-help!" Akeno and Miano rushed over to her side, while Honoka stood her ground. "N… no wait! Actually, leave me be! She's planning something!"

And sure enough,「Hawkwind」swooped down once more, this time ignoring the enemy Stand users entirely to focus on Aya and the Stand-less schoolgirls next to her. With those two as my hostages, I'll be invincible! I'll be able to attack while they'll stay scared of hurting their friends! Thanks for coming, you idiots!

But Aya sprung into actions, using her Stand to shove them as hard as she could and rushing forward. "Not… not on my watch! Girls, run!"

Wakaki glared as「Hawkwind」and「Cinderella」collided. 「Hawkwind」of course was much faster, but Umi and Rin ran off to gain more ground, ruining her plan for the time being. "You idiot! First you're a traitor, and now you're directly standing in my way!?" She demanded. "A worthless Stand user like you shouldn't even be alive! All you're useful for is fixing one of our fuck-ups now and then! Some fucking prissy makeup bitch that's trifling with things she shouldn't, that's you! Get lost! Do you understand me!?" Wakaki was irate enough she dismounted her Stan to grasp the other woman's shirt. "Do you have any idea who you're trifling with!? I'm the Yoshida's emissary!"

"… You know… I think you'd be cuter with a different face."

"Eh!? What are you babbling about!?"

Aya refused to show fear.

"I'm a cosmetologist that dabbles in the mocked field of physiognomy… I was even mocked for it in beauty school. But I believe in it absolutely, the power of the shape of the face, and quite frankly, Wakaki? I think you'd be more beautiful without one!" Wakaki's eyes widened as she noticed「Cinderella」appear once more, swiping at her face as she jumped back. "Damn…"

There was a silence, and then a scream. "YOU BTICH! YOU BITCH YOU BITCH YOU BITCH!? WHAT THE FUCK DID YOU JUST DO TO ME!? WHAT THE FUCK WAS THAT!?"

"I was really hoping to take your whole face, or at least your nose or mouth, which would've finished you… phew," Aya said, keeping her calm. "But hey, I was able to do more after all."

Wakaki's enemies approached, looking at the sight before her; Wakaki clutching the left side of her face, in absolute rage. "FUCK YOU! FUCKYOUFUCKYOUFUCKYOUFUCKYOUFUCKYOU! I'LL KILL YOU! I'LL KILL ALL OF YOU!" She yelled, her composure gone as she lowered her hands, giving her enemies a clear look at what she had done.

"W-whoah… Way to go, Tsuji!" Honoka yelled.

"I thought she'd look cuter with a smooth face, so I wanted to remove everything… was hoping she'd suffocate without her nose and mouth," Aya explained, as Wakaki glared at her and Honoka; her left eye had been completely removed. Not torn out, hot slashed, without a single trace of any kind of physical violence… it was just smooth flesh now, and Wakaki only had half her vision. "I never thought「Cinderella」could be used in combat, the idea just came to me out of nowhere. More effective than I thought…"

If that had been my nose or mouth, I would've had to carve a hole in my mouth just to breathe and not die! Wakaki thought, not even caring about her lost eye. The only way she could get her eye back would be at Aya's mercy, which she knew would never be given. But at the least, she could kill her! And so「Hawkwind」focused on Aya, cawing loudly, not realizing her mistake until it was too late.

"Honoka, get ready! Swap!" A coin thrown by「Momoiro Clover」flew through the air, right by her face. "O… s-shit!"

A moment later, Honoka Kousaka was right in her face, grinning. "Yo."

"Hawk — "

But the assault began a second later.

"FAITOFAITOFAITOFAITOFAITOFAITOFAITOFAITOFAITOFAITOFAITOFAITOFAITO FAITO DAYOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"

It was a particularly brutal Stand rush as well, pummeling Wakaki, with the last punch's vibrations sending her flying. A bit too much than Honoka had intended, the force had sent Wakaki flying past her allies, but the damage was still severe. 「Hawkwind」screeched and swiped its wing at「All Star,」who proceeded to deliver vibrating karate chop to it, severely damaging its wing before the Stand retreated next to its master.

Wakaki gasped as she felt the pain reflected onto her right arm. "S-shit… I-I let them get the better of me-" she cursed, groaning as she mounted her Stand once more, holding her head. "F-fuck…" The blow had taken its toll on her; she was barely standing at this point. She was confident a few ribs were broken, but thankfully not her arms or legs. Everything hurt like shit, but she still had a battle to win. She could heal and rest up later, after expecting a bonus from Kira.

But then, everything changed in a moment.

"SPECIAL DELIVERY FOR A 'HOSHIZORA RIN.'"

All but Rin could hear the new, robotic voice as a Stand jumped from the top of the screen, advancing towards the Stand-less girl. The Stand was pink and black, with a black base body and what looked like pink 'clothes' covering it. To Honoka it looked like pink short-shorts and a crop top, with long brown hair tied into a ponytail and a flower in its side. In its hand was the arrow, visible to even to Rin.

"T… that pink and black Stand!" Akeno yelled out, jumping back. "I-It's here now!? Seriously!?"

Hanayo gasped. "I-is that… is that what I think it is!?"

"Yeah! Back when we were beating up you and Hoshizora, this is the Stand that we saw! It pierced you with the arrow, and probably me, Miano, and Honoka too!" Akeno yelled out. "It said something similar… 'Special delivery for a Koizumi Hanayo!'"

"S… So that thing wants to give me a Stand?" Rin asked, blinking. "N-Now!? Really!?"

"RECIPIENT OF TARGET CONFIRMED: 'PIERCING OF THE ARROW TO ANYONE THAT IT CAN ACCEPT DUE TO FIGHTING SPIRIT,' AGE, GENDER, AND MORALITY NOT CONSIDERED AS FACTORS," the pink and black Stand said. "BEGINNING PREPERATION OF DELIVERY."

"W-whoah!? Don't I get a say in this!?" Rin couldn't hear of course, but she did notice the arrow pointing towards her. Hanayo ran ahead, standing between them.

"Give her a choice!" Hanayo yelled. "It's not… it's not your choice to decide this for her!"

"UNAUTHORIZED INPUT. ONLY STAND MASTER MAY CHANGE COURIER INSTRUCTIONS FOR DELIVERY," the Stand said. Wakaki wasted no time, her Stand rushing forward in an attempt to claim the arrow. She didn't care what Kira said; only one of the six arrows were currently unaccounted for, and that took priority over everything.

"Everyone, look out!" Miano yelled. "Akeno, take my Stand!" She yelled, running forward as「Union of the Snake」wrapped itself around GGGB, her Stand soon cased in titanium. It was a great wall, but「Hawkwind」flapped its wings and took to the sky, before diving down. The birds also began to swarm, as she focused on her target.

"Swap!" Hanayo switched places with the pink and black Stand, taking the blow as she was slammed into a wall. She knew the priority had changed; she couldn't get her hands on the arrow! Unfortunately, the pink and black Stand didn't appear too intelligent, beginning to advance towards Rin once more. "I-If you're gonna do it, at least do it later! Or help us beat her, please!" She yelled, groaning and holding her head. It felt like a truck had just hit her head with that attack.

"YOUR BATTLE IS OF NO CONCERN TO ME. ONLY THE DELIVERY OF PACKAGE TO ITS TARGET," the seemingly Automatic Stand said, walking towards Rin once more.

"… If… If I take a Stand, I can fight…!" Rin said to herself, taking a deep breath. If I obtain a Stand… my peaceful days are going to be over forever. But I… I'll be able to stand with everyone else, and I'll be able to protect them as they can protect me.

Wakaki roared, her Stand rushing forward once again. Hanayo was still recovering from the attack and tried to swap once more, but by the time she had regained her focus Wakaki had succeeded in attacking the new stand, but she not succeed in gaining the arrow, which had been thrown from the pink and black Stand in the chaos. "Dammit!" Wakaki turned around, but now that its mission was interrupted the opposing Stand grabbed the bird Stand's legs, immobilizing it and pulling it to the ground as it tried to take off. "Let go of me!"

But it had landed near Rin.

"S-stupid girl, don't do anything you'll regret!" Wakaki warned, her Stand pecking the other. Goddammit, the Red Arrow is barely worth keeping around, sometimes!

"What I'd regret… is staying behind! I'm not… that strong! I'm insecure about a lot of things! Gender, how I look, how other see me… that's why I wanted to protect Kayochin so much. I thought it gave me a place in the world, even if it was temporary! μ's and the rest too… I was only doing it for Kayochin- no… no that's not true. I wanted to be part of μ's. I was so happy when all three of us First Years became members. But there was always this nagging feeling in the back of my mind, that I'd drag everyone down. So I told myself, I could only enjoy this if it was protecting and enabling Kayochin! Now… I want to fight for myself!" Rin yelled, grasping the arrow in her hand. "I'm my own woman! Even if the world disagrees, I'm myself! This power… a reflection of myself! I know Kayochin doesn't need to be saved or protected anymore, she's strong enough to protect herself! That's why, instead — "

"W-wait! Stop! You don't know what you're doing! The kind of life you'll live! Isn't it already hard enough with this tranny shit!? Now this!? You have no idea what you're messing with!" Wakaki yelled. But Rin ignored her entirely, her eyes a glare and voice a scream;

"Instead of just wanting to protect Kayochin and supporting μ's for her sake, I want to sing, dance, and fight alongside them as equals! I want to stand with them on the stage and in battle, because that's what I want to do, because I love them!"

And with that, Rin plunged the arrow into her own heart, glaring even as blood erupted from her mouth and she dug the arrow in deeper..

"RIN!" Hanayo yelled, scrambling over. But then, Rin ripped it out of herself, an all-too-familiar yellow glow surrounding her.

Sure enough, the wound had instantly closed.

"So, come on out, my Stand, myself!"

And so, the power materialized fully, next to her. Even Wakaki was silent as she watched the new Stand form next to her.

It was a smaller Stand, standing at just a little over a foot and a half once it stood upright. It resembled a robotic cat that was standing on its hind legs. The Stand's body was a yellow metal with a teal spot on its stomach, and a metal tail nearly as long as its body. Its arms looked more like black tubes, almost as if they were made of plastic as it stood upright. Highly flexible to boot, as the Stand could clearly move these limbs. Its head was shaped like a cat complete with cat ears, but it had no visible eyes, mouth, or nose. Instead, its entire face seemed to be an LED screen, with two red dots glowing to signify the Stand as 'awake.'

"My Stand… that's you, right?" The stand jumped at its master's ask, saluting her and her eyes took a different shape to show its happiness: ^^ "Alright… alright! And… I see everyone's Stands to!" She said, noticing the new figures around her. "That hurt, but… alright! Yeah… if it's yellow, it's Rin-chan!" Rin declared, pumping her fist and rushing forward. "Even though I have no idea what you do, I'm in this fight too, now!"

"What a joke... how are you gonna stand toe-to-toe with me before even understanding your Stand?" Wakaki asked, her grin returning, hiding her worry. She was a veteran Stand user, an assassin that had proven her ability to fight against multiple opponents in the past. Dirty tricks, deceit, as long as it brought her to victory, she would take any road it took. But now the factors were multiplying at a rate she could no longer be sure of what would happen. To Wakaki a battle was like a game of chess played with a ten second timer; and she had severely underestimated her enemies and their potential. And now, there was another factor.

"I don't know, but I'm not going to stand around doing nothing!"

"DELIVERY COMPLETE. RETURNING TO BASE…"

"W-wait a moment!" Umi yelled, rushing forward and grabbing the Stand by the arm. "When you pierced Honoka… you pierced my hand too! Why!? I don't seem to have a Stand… s-so why me, too!?" She asked. The Stand seemed ready to leave, but paused for a moment instead, before turning to face her.

"ACCIDENTAL DELIVERY OF POWER. THE ONLY INTENDED RECIPIENT WAS 'KOUSAKA HONOKA.' YOUR HAND WAS JUST IN THE WAY WHEN I WAS REMOVING IT," the Stand explained, Umi and those around her falling quiet. "IF YOU WERE CAPABLE OF TRUE POWER, YOU ALSO WOULD HAVE EXPERIENCED A DELIVERY. YOU ARE FORTUNATE THE STRAIN DID NOT OUTRIGHT KILL YOU."

Umi was crestfallen. So, it was a fluke, she thought to herself, letting go. She didn't like the rest after all. This power wasn't meant for her, it was an accident, an accident that should have killed her. She smiled gently; if nothing else, her answer had finally come to her.

"Then why didn't it kill her!?" Honoka asked, stepping forward. "Don't you dare talk about Umi-chan like she's worthless! And she can see Stands too! Answer that!? I bet your user is sitting safe and quiet somewhere far away… so don't you dare insult Umi like that!"

The Stand paused, as if its owner long away was debating on what to do next. "… IT IS POSSIBLE THE ARROW SAW THE REMANTNS OF STRENGTH IN HER, AND GRANTED HER A SLIVER OF POWER," the Stand reasoned. "INCOMPLETE POWER, WAITING TO BLOOM… IF I HAD TO GUESS."

"And… who are you anyways!?" Honoka asked. "Why are you waking up so many Stand users in this city!? Us!? The Arrow Hunters!? That bastard that wanted to hurt my family!? I want answers!" Even Wakaki seemed insignificant in the wake of these potential answers.

There was a pause, and then it spoke.

"FOR 'ALLIES.' I AM LOOKING FOR 'ALLIES,' FOR THE FIGHTS THAT STILL LAY AHEAD. FOR LOVE LIVE!"

Honoka was stunned by the answer. "L… Love Live!? What does Love Live! have to do with any of this?"

"…"

"H-hey! I'm asking you a question!"

"DELIVERY COMPLETE. RETURNING TO BASE."

Honoka was going to ask more as the Stand began to try to leave but was forced to bring her attention back to「Hawkwind」charging once more, this time glaring as she stood her ground. "Umi! There's nobody in the world I respect and love more than you!"

It was enough to make Umi's world stand still for a second, as「Hawkwind」and「All Star」collided, but this time「All Star」stood her ground, even as its heels were pushed back in the dirt.

"Stubborn, aren't you?" Wakaki asked, her grin returning. "You know… As much as I want to kill you all, you're a more interesting lot than I thought! Good thing for you I didn't go all out in the beginning…"

"I love the implication you still would've won!" Honoka yelled, her Stand punching the bird, and Wakaki's Stand then proceeded to peck in「All Star's」, opening a wound in Honoka's shoulder. "I'd never lose to someone like you! Never! None of us will!" She yelled as the other girls began to close in. But one was much faster than the rest: Rin's Stand, along with its extremely athletic owner closed the gap before anyone else could.

"Alright, let's go, nya! Stand… do what you do best!" She demanded, the red lights of her Stand's face taking on a different pattern: "!"

From its robotic paws emerged four claws, all resembling a real cat's; and secreting from them was a purple liquid of some kind. The Stand was athletic enough to leap onto the bird's back, scratching Wakaki herself. Wakaki yelled out, punching at the Stand herself, but doing little. "G-goddammit, get off me!" Eventually she finally grabbed the Stand and threw it off, as it made a beeping sound that almost sounded like a hiss. Noticing all four of her enemies closing in once more「Hawkwind」did a spin, striking the approaching Stands with her own Stand and knocking them back. Wakaki glared as Rin's Stand in particular charged on all fours, the small robotic cat being extremely fast. But she was able to strike the Stand once more, before having her Stand jump back. "Dammit…" She wiped away at her forehead. She was sweating a lot more than before, and she felt… more tired than usual? She had her Stand jump back more, sending the birds controlled through her Stand. Light-headed, too! What did that Stand do to me? She thought, inspecting the scratch and seeing something purple and liquid. "… Did it… p-poison!?" Wakaki recognized how she felt; it was like she had a fever! That small Stand was making her sick… and who knew how much worse it would get!?

As fate would have it, much worse, much more quickly.

"Everyone, I got it!" Honoka yelled as the birds advanced. "Just break their legs or wings! It still sucks… but then we won't have to worry about killing anyone!" Honoka had found out what Wakaki was desperately hoping they would not during the calm of the storm; and her now five opponents wasted no time incapacitating the birds that were meant to divide their attentions. "Sorry Mr. Birdie… I really have nothing against you, honestly! I'll donate to a bird sanctuary or something later!"

"Alright… I guess that's it. You're really making me bring out the big guns," Wakaki said, grasping the Red Arrow imbedded into the Stand's head, groaning as she felt power surge through it. And the Stand's bird cawing became like a demonic roar as it once again grew in size.

"D… Do Stands usually do that!?" Rin asked, alarmed.

"What the fuck!?" Miano yelled, her Stan wrapped tightly around her to in defense.

"Technology advances… like I told that other girl… every day the world changes, in a billion different ways! You either keep up with the times or get left behind!" Wakaki yelled out, her Stand approaching. Without even needing its wings, at its new size, just hopping on the ground was like a full sprint.

"Miano!"

"I already know! 「Union of the Snake!」" And Miano's Stand wrapped around「Good Girl Gone Bad,」becoming like a massive club. She swung it into the bird Stand's side, and while it did knock it back a few feet, even the raw destructive weight that once almost brought Honoka to her knees was not enough to incapacitate the artificially evolved Stand. "H-holy shit! She's not holding back!"

「Hawkwind」roared, jumping into the roar and flapping its wings to gain altitude, before letting itself fall and use its weight against「Good Girl Gone Bad」and while it rose the metalized Union to block, unable to dodge with the massive weight added to it, Wakaki's attack still crushed her Stands, Akeno screaming as she felt what felt like an anvil was dropped on her body. Even with her injuries Wakaki was a serious threat, especially now that she was fighting head-on.

"Hanayo-chan! Together!" Honoka yelled, sprinting ahead.

"Alright!" Hanayo yelled back, sprinting forward. "Both of us together…"

"Let's kick some ass, μ's style!" Honoka said with a grin, 「All Star」and「Momoiro Clover」both taking one side of the Stand and unleashing a barrage of punches. 「Hawkwind」and Wakaki made no real reaction to the pummeling at the Stand's side, a pummeling that almost certainly would have been fatal against even a resilient opponent. "How's that, Wakaki!? Still feel like underestimating us!?"

"… Yes, as a matter of fact, I do."

Wakaki's grin said it all: having taken virtually no damage from even the point-black barrage she went in for another wing sweep, striking not only the two opposing Stands, but their owners directly, sending them flying.

"T-that's unreal!" Hanayo yelled, having been launched a good fifteen feet and landing right on her face with a harsh collision with the ground. "S-She's so much stronger!" But Honoka just sprinted again as she got up, sprinting towards the hated enemy.

"Jackhammer Punch!" She yelled, foregoing a barrage of blows in favor of just trying to land one devastating one on Wakaki. The wince of pain on Wakaki's face showed it had some success, but a headbutt from the Stand was enough to send Honoka to the ground once more. "D… dang it!"

Umi and Aya could only watch in horror from the sidelines as the tables had turned. The five girls tried their hardest but simply could not keep up with this new form's overwhelming strength. She watched Rin and her Stand attempt to charge once more, but Wakaki simply jumped over them, even getting a slice at Rin's back with her Stand. "Sonoda… they might not win this," Aya said, her heart racing.

"Don't say that! They… they have to win this, they have to!" Umi exclaimed. μ's had to win this, they just had to!

"I'd… I'd heard rumors about that girl, but… this is more than I imagined. Y… you should run," Aya instructed. "Run as absolutely far as you can and call the police and tell them to come here. I'll be the last distraction so you can run off…"

"I… I…" That's all Umi could do, wasn't it? This was like when she was a little girl, hiding behind the tree, but worse. She wasn't watching other kids having fun; she was watching her friends die. And all she could do was run. "I… I shouldn't…"

"Coocoo…"

Aya and Umi gasped in surprise as they saw Maki approach them. In the heat of the fight. She had walked out of the bleachers, heading towards her friend not fighting. "N-Nishikino-san…" Umi gulped as she saw her mutated form and dazed eyes. "I… I'm sorry. I'm so sorry this happened to you, this is so disgusting…" She wanted to hug her but didn't know if she was in pain in her half-bird form. "I… I'll take you somewhere safe. While they fight her, lets flee, OK?"

But Maki shook her head.

"W-what's that supposed to mean!? We can't fight against this! She's fighting all five of them and winning! I… I need to get you to somewhere safe!" Umi grabbed Maki's left wing, but she pulled away, shaking her head. "W-well!? What do you want!?"

"… Cooo… f… fi…"

"Eh? Maki, I can't hear you!"

"… Fi… ght…"

"Y… you want to fight her!? You don't even have a Stand! I don't have a Stand! That's crazy talk, Maki!"

"… Fig… ht… on… f-fight… fight on… fi… fight… f-f-f-fight… on…"

Faito dayo.

There was a battle raging inside Maki's heart and soul. The more Wakaki's infection spread, the more appealing becoming a bird was.

No school. No drama. No more fighting with her parents. No more being a pawn of her father's wishes. Her family had torn her away from her best friend to go to a school she didn't even want to go to just to make themselves look good, so she could make connections for the family by mingling with commoners to dispel the elitist rumors of the esteemed Nishikino family.

She could just be a pet bird. No stress, no worries, just eating, sleeping, and flying into the open air. Wakaki did say she would take good care of her, after all.

And had time rewinded a few months, perhaps even weeks, she might have simply given into it. After all, a life without pain or loneliness, what more could you ask for?

"Fi… ght on… M… M…"

"M-Maki, take deep breaths," Umi instructed, trying to make sense of the situation. "Fight on… what?"

"… Fight on… μ's…!" That one was a yell, just barely loud enough to get the attention of the combatants. "Fi… fight on… μ's! Fight on… μ's! F-fight on… fight on… ev… everyone… μ's! Fi… Fight…!" The tears were streaming down her face, but she still cheered in encouragement. "Be… at her…! Beat her…! Fight on… fight on μ's! Fight on μ's! Fight on μ's!"

Maki's mind felt like it was chained to a rock. A rock that was thrown into the ocean, barely floating up by some miracle. She kept slipping under the water, but then she would rise up to get a few precious gasps of air. She was losing her fight, but this part of her that loved μ's, that loved her friends refused to simply give up.

She thought of her first true, actual friend, as well.

"So, this is where we say goodbye, right?"

"… Yep."

"You know, Maki, it kind of fills me with envy you get to go to Otonokizaka."

She remembered Omine crying.

"I really wanted to go to the same school as you. I really wanted to go to Otonokizaka with you."

Maki's relationship with her parents was a strained one, and while she respected their authority as her parents, ever since she had begun high school, Maki did not know if she loved her parents anymore.

But she did love the girls of μ's.

And she loved Omine.

And she wanted to see both again.

I'm not dying like this! I'm not a bird! I'm not an animal! I'm a human being! I'm a living breathing human being! I'm not a bird! Please, beat her! I'm… I'm trying my best here too, everyone! I can't do it alone, so please!

"Fight on… everyone! Fight on!" Maki continued to vocalize the best she could.

Wakaki was stunned; never before had someone resisted this Stand's transformation like this. But she was dizzy and lightheaded as well. The combination of this fever and the strain of the Red Arrow was taking a toll, and Wakaki took to the air once more. Then, suddenly, she felt the effects of the fever vanish. "Ah…!"

It only has a range of about 100 feet! As long as I get distance if I get poisoned again, I'll be able to deal with this easily! This isn't over, not by a long shot! The Red Arrow is hurting me but… Right now, I can make a fatal blow- a divebomb from this height is almost always fatal! I'll take you out… Hoshizora! That Stand's agility is a threat worth taking out now!

Dammit… dammit! Umi thought, walking past Aya.

"G-get back! This isn't a place for you!"

"I don't care… they said there was a kind of power in me, right!?" Umi thought to herself, thinking back to that day she first met Honoka. Hiding behind that tree, watching her and the others play, and how Honoka had approached her.

"Tag! Now you're it!"

She didn't want to just sit around and let her friends fight like this all alone. "You're inside me… aren't you!? The voice! You… are in me! Please! I'm asking you… I'm asking you to help me!" She was on the verge of tears, but suppressed them. "Fight on… fight on! I want to fight on! So please, come out!"

"… I am a fragment of power."

Umi's eyes were wide as saucers at finally hearing the voice return.

"Rather, you should grow more and let me come to you more naturally in the future… to use me now might have terrible consequences on your underdeveloped will."

But Umi was determined. "If I'm not determined enough to use you now, I'll never be! So please… I'll accept any consequences that come with it! So please… please! If you're really a part of me, respond to that!"

"… If this is what you wish…"

The deep blue aura around her was small and weak, far more so than anybody else's Stand auras. But nonetheless, a blue rose blossomed from Umi's palm, which she instinctively knew to pull out. Aya stayed quiet as she watched, her own Stand disappearing. These children, μ's… what are they, even? To have such raw potential?

The rose was unnaturally long, and once pulled out of Umi's hand curved and became solid. And then shortly afterwards came a single string, and a single arrow in her hand. Instinctively Umi knew what to do, readying her arrow. "A quiet shot, in the calm of the typhoon…"

「Sleepy Storm.」

"Love Arrow… Shoot through the heart!"

The arrow ripped through the air at high speeds, far faster and for far longer than it should have for even a talented archer like Umi through her years practicing archery. It fired and traveled to reach its target, only able to notice when it was far too late. "W-what the fuck is that!?" Wakaki was fortunate enough to see it in time to dodge what would have been a fatal blow through her heart, but the piercing of its wing was enough to send the Stand and its user crashing to the ground. "Oh God…" The throbbing in her head was becoming far too much. Between the impact of her crash and the wounds suffered to「Hawkwind」she had not choice but to practically crawl to the Red Arrow to deactivate its power boost, lest she pass out. "Worthless piece of shit…" She paid no attention to the surrounding girls, instead punching and even kicking her Stand. "They said you'd be perfect, but beyond traveling around, you're useless! Red Arrow, ultimate weapon my fucking ass!"

"It's over, Wakaki!" Akeno yelled, the girls soon circling around her. But it was the two new Stand users that Wakaki looked at, before laughing. "What's so funny?"

"You know, I'd be in a lot better mood about this if I had my damn eye…" Wakaki said, wiping sweat from her brow. "Otonokizaka Idol Study Club, μ's… you're really something else," she admitted, ignoring her former allies. "That so many School Idols are now Stand users who weren't selected for the Greatest Concert…"

Wakaki was in a terrible situation. With「Hawkwind」in this state she could no longer fight. There were no more tricks she could pull off with「Hawkwind」that would grant a new edge. In this current state, she was completely and utterly defeated. But, Wakaki had been so consumed by rage in this entire battle she forgot the most important thing about herself, and about fighting:

"I love Stands," Wakaki told her enemies. "A reflection of yourself, the real you that everyone hides are made visible in a Stand. When you see a Stand, you see the real person, behind all the bullshit and lies… Your Stands are magnificent, I have to admit. I was approaching this fight the wrong way from the beginning."

"Honoka-san, I don't like this…" Hanayo said, assuming a defensive position.

"I was just following orders to kill you… when observing your Stands in full should've been my priority! Field data for the Red Arrow? There's forever to do that," she began, grabbing the construct in her Stand's head. "So, it's about time I showed it to you. The reflection of my soul!"

Before anyone could react, she pulled the Red Arrow out of「Hawkwind's」forehead, and the avian Stand and all the transformed birds screeched, all the birds, and thankfully Maki returning to their former state. Aya rushed over to Maki, catching the unconscious girls' fall, before turning back to an unspeakably bright light radiating from her Stand.

"W-what's going on!? I can't see!" Rin yelled, covering her eyes; it was like looking into the sun, nobody could both look and see what was happening.

"When a man dies, his Stand disappears with him. The reflection of your soul dies with the owner, that makes sense, right? So, a genius had an idea… why don't we take the reflection of someone's soul and imbued it into another object? So that others can use it after the original owner's death?"

"What the fuck!?" Akeno yelled. "D… don't tell me-!"

"「Hawkwind」isn't really my Stand. I was just borrowing it using the Red Arrow," Wakaki revealed. "This is the first version of this weapon… Ideally I'd just be using the Red Arrow on my own Stand, but I can't put it in without transforming it," she said. "I'm not so pissed now, so I'm not interested in killing you all now, no matter what the orders are… rather, I want to really see it. I want to see how your reflections stand against my own. Come on, the six of you are the only ones to beat me when using that Stand, so do me proud! I really will kill if you disappoint!"

The glow vanished, and a brilliant golden light surrounded Wakaki as a new figure stood behind her. A Stand at roughly 6'0 in height, covered in a brilliant gold armor. To the girls it resembled a knight in golden plate armor, with a white cape flowing behind it, like some hero of justice. From behind the helmet were two glowing red eyes, and what escaped from what they could only assume was its mouth was a demonic roar.

"Beautiful, isn't she? Like a killer in the sun…"

Akeno and Miano both charged, with Miano planning to constrict her so that Akeno could pummel her. Yet as the distanced was closed, something happened.

Wakaki backstepped. At seemingly the absolute most perfect time, casually even, she backstepped and avoided Miano's attack, and seemingly… walked away from Akeno's punch, from both her and her Stand. "W-what the hell!?" Akeno yelled, eyes widening as she noticed her Stand right in her face. "S-so fast!" She couldn't avoid the new Stand's devastating punch, hitting her right in her diaphragm, not only sending her flying but leaving her unable to breathe as she reeled in agony, Miano rushing to her side a moment later.

"L-Let's go!" Rin had her Stand rush forward, running in a zig-zag patter on all fours. To top it off her Stand leapt into the air, making several flips in the air as it raced towards Wakaki. Rin was quickly learning to compensate for her Stand's lack of physical strength with its incredible agility, but once again Wakaki casually dodged it, simply stepping to her side. Her own Stand wasted no time in picking up the robotic kick, punting it and sending it flying into its owner hard enough to send both flying back. "O-owwwwww!"

"R-Rin! You… swap!" Hanyo looked around for anything to throw, before checking her pockets; her wallet hadn't fallen out! She threw it to begin her attack, but something strange happened. It was like she knew it would happen. She was casually walking away from the direction of her thrown wallet, almost the moment it had left her Stand's hand. But in the span of only a few seconds, she had gained tremendous distance just by walking. Far more than she should have, but Hanayo could not pin point one thing amiss. She was just walking normally, not even speed walking…

Yet she had nearly walked half the length of the stadium in only a few seconds! "N-no way!"

"Yeah way," Wakaki said, making her way towards the School Idols. "This is me. This is the real me. Cool, isn't it?"

Honoka said nothing, calmly approaching her. "You know, I don't usually like this fighting, but I really want to punch out some of your teeth."

"I'd invite you to try…" And the two girls approached with their Stands summoned, and then, the flurry of fists collided in the air.

"FAITOFAITOFAITOFAITOFAITOFAITOFAITO-!"

"Take hold, 「Thunder Road!」"

「Thunder Road」was able to keep up perfectly, their Stands evenly matched in both power and speed. "I still think you're a bitch and I hate you, but you know what? You're interesting, Kousaka. I'll give that much," she said, not breaking concentration from the fight itself.

"Too bad I can't say the same!" Honoka yelled, trying to find a break in her defenses. "You're the worst! How can you do things like this to Maki!? To your allies!? This power… this Stand is meant to protect people! The power of the Stands should be used in self-defense!"

"What a load! The power of the Stands is the power of gods! The arrows were created by that man so long ago so as to cultivate their power… even this planet itself was chosen to wield this power. Using it for the benefit of others… that's why you're getting left in the times!" She grinned as she noticed Umi readying another arrow. But when fired it only took a twirl of her head to dodge it, and something else happened: despite moving at seemingly the same speed as before「All Star」was completely overwhelmed, taking a barrage of punches it had no chance of avoiding no matter how hard she tried, knocking back Honoka and her Stand. "Being a Stand user is like being a god in this world. If you can't accept that, then you're no better than all the common humans!"

"And what's so wrong… with being a human? It sounds better than being like you, Wakaki! I'd rather surrender this power than be like you!" Honoka yelled, Wakaki's grin still not fading. Even with a missing eye and what she was pretty sure was a broken rib, she seemed to be enjoying this.

"Kyahahaha! Well then, why don't you prove your resolve! I'm getting a little bored of this playing field, so let's go inside, everyone!" And Wakaki walked calmly into Yoshida Stadium, her enemies in hot pursuit. But even as they sprinted at full speed, they could not seem to catch up to the walking girl.

I'm putting an end to this, Wakaki! Honoka thought. No matter how dangerous the enemies, how sadistic or evil, or smarter than her, there was one thing she knew; she would never let people like Wakaki and Fuhai have their way, no matter what.

Even if that meant laying her own life on the line, again and again.

Aya stayed quiet as she watched the girls chase after Wakaki. She removed her blouse, glad she wore an undershirt for the meeting she was suppose dot attend and wrapped it around Maki, so the poor girl wouldn't be half naked upon waking up. "Fight on, eh? Who would've thought, me, fighting… And you helped inspire that Sonoda girl. I don't know if you can hear me, but you should be proud," she said with a smile. She was so focused on Maki, she didn't even notice a certain pink and black Automatic Stand standing behind her.

"Girl, you better not be doing anything illegal. This place isn't open to the public now, so I don't know what you'd want to do here… but you seem like a smart and pretty young thing, it'd be a shame if you went down a bad path now!"

"Rest assured, sir, I'm not here to cause trouble," Eli Ayase said, paying her taxi driver in cash. "I have personal reasons, that's all."

"Alright, miss…" The taxi driver said, before driving off, leaving Eli standing alone she calmly walked inside, prepared for battle.

Next time on Honoka's Bizarre Adventure!

Chapter 15: The Red Arrow (Part 3)

Stand profile: ? (Currently in "Wakaki's" possession)

Stand Name: Hawkwind

Namesake: English band of the same name

Type: Long-range Stand

Stand Cry: None

Appearance/Personality: Hawkwind resembles a giant hawk with jet-black feathers with its head being only a bird's skull, with lights inside its eye sockets symbolizing its eyes. It stands at nearly ten feet tall on its own, growing roughly another six feet when under the "Red Arrow's" power up. It does not appear to have any personality of its own, but it is as loyal to Wakaki as it was to its previous master while bound to the Red Arrow.

Abilities:

• Bird Transmutation and Ccontrol: Hawkwind's signature power is that those that are cut by its feathers will transform into birds, and htis power also works on animals as well. Once the target is fully transformed, as a bird they will be under the owner's complete control, who can also use them to spy on targets, for everything they see and hear can be relayed back to the Stand user. If the Stand is defeated (or in the case of the Red Arrow, recalled) and loses consciousness however (natural sleep does not count towards this limitation), all those transformed by the Stand will revert back to their natural state. Furthermore, if a bird is killed, it will change back to its normal form upon death.

Stats:

• Destructive Power: A

• Speed: B

• Range: A

• Precision: A

• Durability: B

• Development Potential: B

Stand profile: UMI SONODA (Partial Awakening)

Stand Name: Sleepy Storm

Namesake: Schiller song of the same name

Type: Tool Stand

Stand Cry: None

Appearance/Personality: Sleepy Storm in its current, incomplete state takes on initially the form of a blue rose, which then transforms into a bow for Umi to wield, materializing arrows out of Stand power to use against her enemy. The Stand itself seems sentient and calm, often giving helpful advice to its owner at certain situations and possesses extraordinary insight. However, as the Stand is only a fragment of itself at this moment it cannot manifest long enough to give more useful advice constantly.

Abilities:

• Velocity and Aim: The arrows shot by Umi appear to fly much farther than an arrow launched by a human girl of her build should be able to, and without losing velocity or impact speed. Furthermore, Umi's aim seems to be exceptionally improved as well, able to hit targets that are a great distance away and moving with terrific precision. With the Stand currently in a fractured state though, its full abilities and potential are unknown.

Stats:

• Destructive Power: C

• Speed: C

• Range: A

• Precision: A

• Durability: E

• Development Potential: A

Chapter Text

Previously on Honoka's Bizarre Adventure!  

This is Honoka! Umi and Rin both awakened Stand powers, and with their new power we were able to force Wakaki to the ground! But just when it seemed like everything was going well, we learned something horrible… this ‘Red Arrow’ contained a Stand within it, and now Wakaki’s true Stand has been revealed. Something really weird is going on, even for Stands, as we can’t reach her… what’s going on!?

“Goddammit, get back here, you bitch!” Akeno screamed, sprinting off after Wakaki with the other girls. Yet despite the girls going at full speed, Wakaki was able to simply walk back into Yoshida Stadium casually.

“Do you think this might be an illusion?” Hanayo asked, running alongside Akeno and facing the delinquent. “This isn’t making sense… w-we’re running! How can we not catch up to her when she’s just walking? This Stand power… Let’s try this…” She reached for another coin, one of her last ones, having「Momoiro Clover」throw it hard in her direction. “Swap!” She yelled out, swapping her location with the coin, bringing her extremely close to Wakaki’s position, yet the flurry of punches she launched fell just outside her range.

“Goddamn…” Akeno swore, glaring at her former ally, who just turned around and smirked. “Oh, is this fucking funny to you?”

“Yeah, as a matter of fact! It’s like watching a bunch of sick dogs that need to be put down trying to catch up to an alpha…” Wakaki even stuck her tongue out at them and pulled down an eye. “Honestly, you’re all so slow!”

“Love Arrow… Shoot!” Umi paused to ready her bow and formed another arrow, aiming for Wakaki’s head, no longer caring if it would make her a murderer, but it only took a very small turn of her head to dodge.

“See? Super slow! Come on, come on! I don’t show my Stand off to everyone, you know? Make it worth my while!”

“Get the fuck over here and I’ll make it worth your goddamn while, you cunt!” Akeno yelled, her fists clenched. “You turned me into a murderer- the moment I get my hands on you you’re gonna be seeing how worth your while it was!”

But Wakaki shook her head. “You’re making such a bigger deal about this than you should, you know that?”

“I killed someone because of you! How is that not a big deal!?”

“You had no problem killing the bird, right? If it hadn’t turned back into a human, you wouldn’t have cared… you were willing to kill the animal, so why is a human so different? Everything eventually dies, so what’s the difference between humans and birds beyond the ability to fly? It’s only a big deal if you want to make it a big deal! Maybe if you were a normal person who had used your hand it might be different because of the fingerprints… but you used your Stand! You’re free from the consequences… so what’s your problem?” Wakaki asked, looking at the Red Arrow in her hands. “None of you realize how wonderful it truly is to have these powers… it was wasted on you all!”

But it was Honoka who instead replied. “You know, for all this crap you talk about how a Stand reflects you, you really don’t deserve such a cool, heroic looking Stand!”

“Oh?” Wakaki was amused by the train of thought. “What makes you say that?”

“It looks like some kind of ‘knight’ from the European stories… weren’t knights supposed to be chivalrous and kind!? How is that a reflection of your soul!?”

Wakaki’s grin widened. “You really believe that crap? ‘Knights in shining armor and chivalry…’ give me a break! A knight was ‘pseudo-nobility,’ men trained to be warriors since they were young boys, spending their entire lives being taught to fight and kill! Warriors who cared more for winning fights than honor! Sure, they said they were chivalrous… but what really matters is winning fights and glory! You dumbasses believe what history is fed to you as long as it’s all dressed up! Hey, Kousaka, how much do you actually know about World War 2?”

“…”

“They just kinda gloss over it as much as they can in your classes, right? The Rape of Nanking, Unit 731 and other war crimes, how much of that stuff did you actually learn? Or maybe you got a teacher that tried to make it look honorable and to venerate the noble past? There’s nothing people can’t do to dress up for the past as something noble; the only thing that matters is victory in this world! Whatcha got to say to that, Kousaka!?” Wakaki challenged, and for a few moments, Honoka did seem to go quiet and even stop… before running towards her once more.

“Yeah, I’m not really smart… I don’t know a lot about history and those kinds of things, I really don’t… but! If nothing else, this much I know; the ‘hypocrisy of yesterday’ is no excuse to ‘commit evil today!’” Honoka replied. As she gave that response Wakaki stopped running in front of a concession stand inside Yoshida Stadium, the other girls keeping their distance but nonetheless surrounding her.

“A pretty honest and interesting answer… especially for a dumbass like you. I like it,” Wakaki replied, 「Thunder Road」taking a defensive stance next to her. “The outcome won’t change, but I was expecting silence from you… or some spiel about how it doesn’t matter. I like it…”

The offense quickly began. Umi raised her Stand, another arrow quickly materializing and letting it fly, but once more Wakaki dodged without too much effort. Rin’s extremely agile Stand quickly sprinted forward in an attempt to scratch her, but Wakaki dodged the tackle and had「Thunder Road」kick the robotic cat Stand hard enough to send it into a wall, and Hanayo ran towards Rin side as she kneeled over in pain.

“Are you OK, Rin!?” Hanayo asked

“Yeah… just… g-gotta get used to that ‘sharing damage and pain’ thing,” Rin admitted, wincing in pain as she got back up. “It’s like an invisible fist just knocked the wind out of me… but I’m fine, honest!”

“Akeno-san!” Miano yelled to her closest friend, ready to go on the offense.

“Right! Alright, let’s kick some ass!” Akeno yelled, rushing forward with Honoka with their close-range Stands and quickly closed the distance. “Hold still, you cunt!” She yelled, as two Stand rushes were launched at an extremely close range. “Oh… you’ve got to be kidding!”

「Thunder Road」also respond with a flurry of punches. Despite the speed of the two Stands assaulting her, it seemed one fist was enough to counter both Honoka’s and Akeno’s attacks, fists colliding in the air and keeping Wakaki safe. Is this an illusion like Hanayo suggested? Akeno thought to herself. No… this is too real to be an illusion! This power… what kind of power is this!?

The train of thought was ended by Wakaki finding openings in Honoka’s and Akeno’s attacks, quickly sending punches to their stomachs and forcing them to back off. Umi took a deep breath, trying to remain calm as she saw the situation. The thought was racing towards her mind as well, and throughout all of Wakaki’s opponents:

We need to figure out her Stand’s power before we keep attacking!

But there was something Umi, observant as ever, started to notice before everyone else. While she was still cool and in control of the fight, she noticed that Wakaki was starting to pant a bit, as opposed to before when she just seemed as casual as possible. Whatever she’s doing… is it taxing on her? Maybe she’s using stamina to maintain this power? Umi brought a hand to her chin, trying to figure it out. I’m confident… whatever she’s doing… it must be ‘costing’ something to support! Stamina, perhaps?

“That all you got?” Wakaki asked. While she did seem slightly more tired, clearly it was not so severe she felt she could fight no longer. “… Jesus, it’s cold in here…” She said with a frown, hugging her arms together. “Ugh… wait a second, no, it’s not cold in here… y-you!”

“Me.”

The quiet Miano smirked as she was kneeling in the distance, 「Union of the Snake」staring at Wakaki with all of its heads. “It really isn’t that good in such a close-range battle… but you can feel your body temperature lowering now, don’t you?” She couldn’t do it as quickly as Rin due to her having a Stand, but it was starting to take effect.

Is that the reason why? Umi thought. Was it only because of Miano’s attack that Wakaki seemed to finally become uncomfortable? She hadn’t noticed the attack… and as much as she hated to admit it, if that was the only reason why, she didn’t feel particularly satisfied.

“Never did care much for you,” Wakaki said with a glare. “All quiet and shit… I heard once you had a sadistic side to you, but clearly I was misinformed,” Hanayo stayed quiet at that, remembering at how Miano had cruelly taunted her when they had attacked her house. Although back then, she remembered, Miano completely despised her and wanted her to suffer. This time, she seemed more determined than anything, just wanting to defeat the wicked girl that was once her ally.

“I borrow so much strength from Akeno and everyone else around me… I used to think that was weak,” Miano said. “I thought I was somebody with absolutely no pride whatsoever beyond being Akeno’s knight! That all my pride was her pride, that all my strength was her strength, and from the rest of the Hunters… but honestly, I think I understand things a bit better now,” she went on, the others listening carefully. “My pride and my strength are my own… I don’t need to kick somebody when they’re down and twist the knife to feel my own strength! Even though I’m borrowing power and confidence from Akeno, Hanayo, and everyone else… the ‘me’ that you heard about is gone!”

“Miano…” Akeno couldn’t help but smile at it, as did Hanayo.

“Even if I can’t beat you, I’ll do my damned hardest to try!” She yelled. Wakaki glared before sprinting in her direction. Wakaki’s body still hurt terribly from her beating earlier and she still thought she might’ve had some broken ribs, but she ignored and pushed through the pain to reach Miano. Hanayo and Rin got in the way, but they were no match for Wakaki as she blitzed through them, her Stand giving a brutal punch to Miano’s head, sending her flying back several feet and her Stand immediately disabled.

“MIANO!” Akeno yelled, starting to run over. “I’m going to kill you, Wakaki!”

“That’s the spirit!” Wakaki cheered out, heading over to the downed girl, not noticing her reaching into   pocket. “Dumbass… know your- FUCK!” The yell came enough of a surprise that even Akeno stopped, before looking at her fallen friend.

“Holy shit… nice one, Miano!” She said, almost laughing, earning a grin from Miano.

“Still a gangster, you bitch,” Miano swore, a pocketknife now in Wakaki’s thigh. Wakaki kicked Miano away before tearing it out, throwing it aside.

“O-ow… dammit…” Up until now, Wakaki’s main blessing had been neither of her arms nor were her legs seriously injured. She winced in pain as she applied pressure on it. Running would be extraordinarily painful and probably break her focus. With her power she could still limp away and probably stay ahead, but she took another deep breath. I need to head to the break room… Dammit, I relied too much on「Thunder Road!」I shouldn’t have used it so much at ‘maximum efficiency!’ “Dammit, this is getting hard now…” She glared at the approaching Stand users, before limping off as fast as she could.

“Miano! Miano! Miano, are you OK!?” Akeno asked, rushing over and picking her up. “That was your head… y-you’re still with us, right!?”

“Yeah… I just… that hurt…” Miano said with a sigh, as she was cradled in Akeno’s arms. “I really wanted to look cool, too…”

“Dumbass, you’re already cool,” Akeno said with a small smile, wiping some blood from Miano’s mouth. “You always have strength and pride… never forget that, alright?”

“I learned it because of them,” she said, smiling at Hanayo’s and Honoka’s direction, arming smiles from the two. “When I’m with you, I think I can do anything, now…” Miano raised a hand containing her red string of fate tattoo, and Akeno pressed her red string against her’s.

“That’s so cute, nya!” Rin said. Despite Miano having attacked her earlier, she couldn’t pretend her heart didn’t flutter at the sight. “You’re just like Kayochin!”

“E-eh!?” Hanayo said with a small blush, earning a laugh from Miano.

“I really admire her a lot, almost as much as Akeno,” Miano admitted with a smile. “… S-she’s getting away…”

“Wait,” Umi said, noticing the others rise. “Before we go after her… we need to talk about this ability! This ability is extremely powerful… we shouldn’t just chase after her. We should at least try to figure out what her Stand is doing before we pursue!”

“She could be getting away though!” Akeno said.

“But we can’t fight her without a plan!” Honoka replied back. “Even if we’re wrong… we should at least have a theory!” Once again Umi was impressed by Honoka’s aptitude at battle strategy, for how bad her academics were. Perhaps this, along with being an Idol, was her true forte? “Let’s see… what do you girls think?”

“Hmmm… maybe… maybe her power is like, just so super strong it just pushes us back automatically! Like Dragon Ball or something, maybe it’s like… a ‘ki barrier’ or something! The ‘ki’ keeps pushing us away! I just hope it can’t go super or something…” Rin suggested. The group fell silent before Honoka gasped.

“That. Is. Genius!”

Everyone groaned.

“I said maybe it was an illusion… but it’s too real to be an illusion,” Hanayo said. “This can’t be a trick or anything… whatever is happening, it’s real. We can all agree on that, right?” Everyone nodded, although Rin and Honoka couldn’t help but be just a little miffed their theory had been shot down. “Maybe it’s not unreasonable we’re being pushed back?”

“I don’t think it’s that,” Akeno said. “What gets to me is how she moves… the way she dodges super-fast attacks is unnatural. It wasn’t her Stand dodging, it was herself. The Stand’s power extends to her physical body. She has supernatural reflexes… maybe that’s it? Maybe the Stand’s power is her reflexes?”

“I don’t think so,” the injured Miano said. “It feels even stronger than that… I think… maybe her Stand’s power is it won’t let us ‘reach’ her?”

“Reach her?” Umi asked.

“I don’t know how to put it… but I’m thinking maybe her real Stand has a power that prevents attacks and anything she doesn’t want to ‘reach’ her physically. She couldn’t stop「Union of the Snake」because it wasn’t a physical assault, so it could ‘reach’ her. That’s my theory… physical attacks won’t ‘reach Wakaki’ as long as it’s active. You?”

“I… I think it’s even more than that,” Umi admitted. “But I… I don’t have any other suggestions. I guess for now, that our attacks can’t physically reach her is acceptable.”

“Aw man… but that makes it super hard if we can’t punch her!” Honoka said. “Maybe… maybe we can catch her off guard? Why don’t we try a sneak attack?”

Umi nodded. “That sounds like the best plan.”

“I’m gonna stay with Miano a bit, make sure she’s OK,” Akeno said. “We’ll catch up to you guys later, OK?”

“… The time…”

“What about the time, Umi?” Honoka asked, as she noticed the other second year looking at her phone. Umi had taken out her cell phone to text an update to Nico, but she noticed something.

“It’s... 6:25.”

“And?” Rin asked, blinking. “What’s that go to do with anything?”

“Doesn’t it feel like… I don’t know, it should be later?” Umi asked, as Hanayo tapped her foot to think.

“Maybe… Like it should be 6:30ish almost, you know?” Hanayo said. “Maybe close to 6:35? I don’t know… but we’ve been fighting for what, over half an hour now, right? I just kind of lost track of the time…”

“Yeah… You’re probably right,” Umi said, looking at her phone. But while she said that, something in her heart, not「Sleepy Storm,」disagreed.

No… No, I’m sure of it! This time can’t be right… it should definitely at least be another twenty minutes later! She thought, a rising dread in her heart.

What is「Thunder Road」doing!?

Wakaki groaned as she kept limping on, making her way to the infirmary of Yoshida Stadium. She recalled her Stand, taking a deep breath. “Sloppy, Wakaki, sloppy,” she scolded herself. If it hadn’t been for her injuries she probably would have kept this up a while longer, but she was starting to get tired. If nothing else though, she was getting good observation of their Stands like this… but she shook her head. It was time to start fighting seriously, now.

She went through the cupboards, wincing as she applied medical alcohol to the cut, before wrapping it. “Note to self: if nothing else, murder Miano later,” she thought out loud, before heading over a refrigerator, grinning as she reached inside. “Theeeeeere you are~” She sung, reaching for some IV fluid in a bag, opening it and gulping it down. It tasted like shit, but in the end, she took what she could get. She then looked for some illegal painkillers, immediately taking two pills washed down with some Gatorade left on a counter. That’ll do it… Almost at once she started feeling better. The vitamins, glucose, and electrolytes had an almost immediate effect, and she knew in a few minutes the painkillers would really kick in, until she could go to a hospital.

She thought of immediately rejoining the battle but instead took out her phone to make a call. “Come on, come on…”

She smirked as she heard a masculine voice on the other line.

“What is it, Wakaki?”

“Yamazaki-sama,” she began, taking a seat. “I’ll make the update brief. A lot of shit happened really quickly.”

“Speak.”

“The ‘Pink and Black’ Stand appeared again and created a new Stand user, Hoshizora Rin. I was unable to intercept the arrow, however. More importantly though, ‘another girl’ manifested a Stand, despite not being pierced at the immediate moment. I don’t know if it’s a natural Stand user or not.”

“Unfortunate. We will have to speak about that later. I somehow doubt that is all for now, however. Give me the name of this other Stand user.”

“Sonoda Umi. More than that, that Tsuji Aya woman was with the Idols and helped protect them,” she explained. She decided to omit the loss of her eye for now, reaching up to touch the now smooth flesh where her eye once was. “I was overwhelmed and forced to stop using the Red Arrow. I have now revealed my ‘real Stand’ and I am now fighting with「Thunder Road.」”

“That is surprising, coming from you,” Yoshida Yamazaki replied, tapping a finger on his desk in Nagasaki. “The fact this is a brief call… even with「Thunder Road」you still have not won?”

“I was observing their Stands in combat to get better battlefield data…” The girl sighed. “I used my Stand at full power too much and then I was stabbed in the leg. I’ve already been to the infirmary, though. I’ll be ready to rejoin the fight soon.”

“Remember, Wakaki… I do not mind if you kill them, but they seem to be giving you trouble… while your foul-mouth and tendency to get cocky irritates me, it would be nothing compared to valuable allies, willing or not, being killed on a whim. The mission given to you by Kira to infiltrate that group was a valuable one, I might have ordered you to do it myself had I thought of it. It is those with strong wills who have the potential to claw new futures into history.”

“I’m going to start fighting seriously,” she said. “If they die, then they die.”

“I will trust your judgment regardless. Go now, child, and stand proud and valiantly against your enemies. I eagerly await your safe return to Nagasaki, so that we may discuss all we have learned.” And with that he hung up, and Wakaki put her phone away.

“Poetic asshole,” she said, smirking as she felt she could apply more pressure on her leg. “Alright… Let’s do this, Wakaki.”

She walked out into the hallways, ready to track down her enemies once more, but could have sworn she heard footsteps. Her Stand was out once more, but she looked around, unable to track down her enemy. A sneak attack? She thought, but there wasn’t any place except a trash can to hide behind. But the footsteps got louder, and she kept trying to find the location. Not behind, not in front but…

Her eyes widened. “Above!?”

As she looked up there was a crash as the roof above her was destroyed… and there was a Cyan Stand, coming down with a kick. “「Thunder Road!」” she yelled. The attack was too late for her Stand to activate its power, successfully hitting her head as it bounced back. “Y-you…”

“Me,” the Cyan Stand said. “It’s been a while, hasn’t it? So, this is also your Stand?”

“S… she hit her!?” Honoka yelled out, Wakaki looking back as she saw μ's approach. “Her attack reached her! So… so we were wrong!?”

“God, this is annoying,” Wakaki swore, before glaring at the veteran Cyan Stand. “Yeah, this is my real Stand. Like it?”

“Be careful! It has some weird power that makes it hard to hit it!” Honoka yelled, the Cyan Stand taking a fighting pose.

”You’re completely surrounded. It’s time for you to surrender. I have more than a few questions for you,” it said in its autotuned voice, strings already emerging from its fingers.

“Loud and clear mom,” she taunted. “I think it’s time you all learned who your better is.”

The other girls took a few steps forward, but the Cyan Stand turned its head to the girls. “Do not interfere. I'll take care of it.”

“That’s what you said with Fuhai! I don’t want to stay behind until you need help!” Honoka said, but Umi put a hand on her shoulder. “Umi!?”

“For now, let’s observe,” Umi said. “It may sound mean, but even if this girl is over her head… let’s observe Wakaki’s power. If she can’t do it herself, then let’s join in.”

“I don’t like that idea, Umi,” Honoka said. “I don’t like letting her fight alone…” She bit on her lip, remembering the incident with Yanigihori earlier. That’s your Stand, isn’t it? Eli-senpai… this is you, isn’t it? The reflection of your soul?

“… I have to agree,” Hanayo admitted. “I wouldn’t agree if we knew what Wakaki is doing, but maybe this way we’ll have a way to figure it out!”

“This sounds really cowardly…” Even Rin’s Stand made a face to show its discontent- D: “But… I guess it’s smart… but if she needs help we got ago in!”

Honoka just nodded, reluctantly agreeing. Umi took out her cell phone once more to look at the time, 6:39 PM, and opened a stopwatch feature on it. Let’s see what happens…

The two girls stared one another down, not moving just yet. They looked at one another and their Stands for a bit, slowly beginning a circling motion. “Playing the role of a hero of justice… what a childish dream,” Wakaki taunted, cracking her fists. “That ‘pink and black’ Stand wasted its time on the lot of you. I can’t say I’m too surprised though… this is what happens when you let newborn Stand users run around doing whatever they want! You always get greedy and short-sighted, and then you all start doing this trivial bullcrap!” Wakaki ranted, narrowing her eyes.

“As opposed to you, Wakaki?” the Cyan Stand asked, not letting its guard down.

“That’s right. From the moment I gained my Stand… I was surrounded by my masters. Don’t get me wrong… I enjoy using my Stand as I please, it’s a perfect weapon! But there’s a difference between ‘leisure’ and ‘work…’ and when that time comes, I know to answer to the hands that feed me, because I know… had they not guided me when I manifested this cool, amazing power, I’d be like the rest of these delinquents and like Yoshikawa, marching off to my slaughter!” She said with a grin. “If you care about school, you answer to things like ‘the student council’ and ‘the principal’ right? You can’t defy them without punishment, Stand users should be the same. Everything should have an ‘order’ to it!”

“Then submit to the order that is my judgment!”

Wakaki grinned as the Cyan Stand sprinted forward, ten strings trailing behind it. It sprinted, jumping several yards into the air and even doing a summersault in the air, before bringing all ten down. Rather than dodge「Thunder Road」instead blocked, simply raising its arms to intercept the blow. 「Thunder Road」grabbed several of the sharp strings, Wakaki ignoring the pain in her hand as a cut formed and swinging the Cyan Stand into a nearby wall. Honoka was ready to run forward but was still held back by Umi.

“Umi…!”

“Wait, Honoka…” Umi said, eyes narrowed as she watched the fight. “This is our only chance to observe her… we can’t let it pass!”

Wakaki’s Stand charged forward, its smug user behind it. “Just like the first time we met, isn’t it?” Wakaki asked. “You may have been strong enough to take on Yanigihori, but you were both rookies… and I remember our first fight going a lot like this! You on the ground… what did I do again?” She brought a hand to her chin in mock thought. “Oh yeah. This was after I robbed that little gas station, right? You really wanted to avenge the clerk or something… did you think becoming a hero or something would make up for past failures? I can’t stand people who live for the past!”

“You’re right, I did fail back then,” the Cyan Stand admitted, quickly jumping back onto its feet. “What you did back then was unforgivable… You talk about a higher purpose, but that… that was just wanton theft and murder! You did it for fun!”

“I already said it… leisure and work! And that, my friend, was just for fun~! But now it’s time to work… it’s not that hard to understand, is it?”

Due to its helmet it was impossible to make out the Cyan Stand’s reaction, but she didn’t react as「Thunder Road」got within punching range, or as it punched its stomach loud enough to earn a yelp from the Stand.

The Idols and Wakaki also could not see its reaction when「Thunder Road」had difficulty removing its fist from her stomach. “The hell!?” Wakaki yelled. But by the time「Thunder Road」got free the Cyan Stand launched a flurry of punches towards its stomach, sending it back several yards. Her Stand… it was ‘sticky!’ That wasn’t something it could do last time; she must have discovered the power later! Dammit… that bitch can turn the surface of her Stand extremely ‘sticky!’ Even though I was able to rip it free, it took me a moment…! Wakaki kept on glaring. This is the worst kind of Stand to fight for someone like me… even if I get a good punch in it’ll work against me!

“You seem concerned, Wakaki,” the Cyan Stand said, once again trying to slash with its strings. This time Wakaki activated whatever power she had once more, sidestepping the blow. “I’ve matured since last time, you know.”

“So, you have…” Wakaki said, trying to formulate a strategy. I can see how she beat Yanigihori, Suzuki, and Takamaki now, she thought bitterly. It was one thing that she could not overcome a group of powerful enemies working together, but a one-on-one loss like this would be a disgrace that if discovered could jeopardize her position. Remain calm… as long as you ‘remain calm’ and keep a cool head, a path to victory will appear!

Honoka didn’t like the look on her face. After seeing this girl so cocky and taunting the entire while, this look of seriousness on Wakaki’s face was enough to scare her. Completely serious, no more joking or cockiness. Looking around, she could see the unease on her friend’s faces as well.

“More than anything, I am a 'knight,'" Wakaki said, as the Cyan Stand charged. "A ferocious knight who lives only for victory!"

The Cyan Stand leapt into the air, its strings ready to strike like whips. Rather than face it head-on Wakaki and her Stand jumped back. Seeing a nearby garbage can「Thunder Road」threw it as a projectile, serving as a minor distraction as Wakaki gained more distance. The Cyan Stand simply swatted it aside, and Wakaki mentally took notes. Just like I thought, she can turn that 'stickiness' on and off… If I strike her she'll turn it on, and I'll get stuck! Even if I can rip it away, during those few seconds she'll pummel me! For now, keeping my distance is probably the best course of action… Wakaki thought. But if I don't go on the offensive eventually, it doesn't matter! She'll win by default!

Her reflexes were normal, and as she looked at the stopwatch on her phone Umi's theory could not be proven. She frowned, looking back up at the fight. At this rate I'm sure that Stand will force that awful girl to come out into the open eventually… but! I really want to confirm it now! The sooner we know for sure what it does, the sooner we can properly fight her!

"Gooooooooooo Cyan Stand! Kick her butt to next week!" Honoka cheered, Rin standing behind her a moment later.

"She hurt Maki-chan, so kick her butt to next century, nya!"

The Cyan Stand charged again with another jump, this time flipping into the ceiling. Once its feet made contact with the ceiling it was as if it was adhered in place, the strings growing significantly longer before launching herself off. "Just surrender and this will be easier on yourself!"

"Fuck you, I'll never surrender!" Wakaki laughed, glaring daggers. "「Thunder Road!」" She yelled out, her Stand standing in front of her once more, and then it began. Despite the Cyan Stand's speed the enemy Stand and user was able to easily dodge it, gaining distance once more. At the sight Umi's eyes were glued to her phone entirely.

This is it! If I'm correct, then I'll be able to notice what's going right now!

Think, Wakaki, think! There needs to be a way around this! Wakaki was sweating. She hated being on the defense, and she hated she was fighting an enemy her Stand couldn't just execute almost immediately. As much as I hate it,「Thunder Road」probably isn't good for fighting this Stand! If I switch back to「Hawkwind」I can launch a ranged attack with its feathers, but that also requires leading everyone back outside, and that's where a Stand like that Sonoda girl's will excel! What can I… ah… ah!

Wakaki's wicked grin finally returned. What am I worrying for? The answer, the Red Arrow, is right here in my hand… I was overthinking this situation.

The Cyan Stand's strings quickly wrapped around the trashcan that was thrown at her, returning the favor and throwing it at high speeds. A distracting blow! If I'm correct… Wakaki threw the trash can aside, seeing her rush straight ahead. The strings she'll use as a whip to bind around me, then she'll want to pummel me… If I was this girl, what would I think? 'Next, the enemy will dodge to their left or right!' I'll bet! And then with the range of those strings, that's the point she'll get me! So instead…

The Cyan Stand was shocked to see「Thunder Road」head straight towards her. She won't even try to dodge!? Does she want to end this fight now!? It thought to herself, not ending its charge. No, she must be planning something! But this is the perfect time to end this battle… I just… I'll head straight on ahead!

"「Thunder Road!」Maximum efficiency!" Wakaki, not stopping. "The power of a knight…! Is something that even the entirety of the world will bow down to and respect!"

"At the very least, it won't bow to you, Wakaki!" The Cyan Stand yelled, the prehensile strings of its right hand now reaching for「Thunder Road.」The strings of its left hand had disappeared, now instead balled into a fist. It was confident; if it was fast and strong enough, it could deliver a blow even her powerful enemy could not withstand. A quick, short, and brutal fight, just like the combat of the knights centuries ago!

But immediately, something was extremely wrong. Once more, Wakaki's and her Stand's reflexes were superhuman, dodging the Stand's attack with extreme ease. "Damn you!"

"Damn me all you want, I'm still the one who wins tonight," Wakaki said with a smirk, dodging a punch with just a slight turn of her head.

Why is she so close to me!? The Cyan Stand thought in horror, as her enemy no longer bother to stay a few meters behind her Stand. What's she doing!?

"I got a 'delivery' for you, prez!" Wakaki said with a laugh, now behind her. She rose the Red Arrow above her, her grin never fading as she pierced the Stand in front of her. "I wonder… how a special Stand like yours will react to this!"

"A… Ah…. Ahh…!"

It had been embedded into the Cyan Stand's back, and just a second later Wakaki pushed the button on her weapon, the red electricity shocking her enemy. "Hey, if it kills ya, Heaven's waiting' on down the tracks!"

"GYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!" The scream was blood curling. Despite being autotuned anyone hearing it could hear the absolute agony in its voice; something was wrong, very wrong. A few seconds later feathers began sprouting on the back of the armor, taking effect.

"After all, you're quite the different 'kind' of Stand user, aren't ya? There's extremely few of you out there… Oh my, company!" Wakaki said with a chuckle and then a laugh, noticing her enemies approaching once more. She yanked the Red Arrow out of her target before running back a bit, her expression amused as she looked at her enemies. "Quite the show, wouldn't you agree? This is a stadium, it's only fair you get exciting memories here!"

"Are you alright!?" Hanayo asked the Cyan Stand, kneeling by her. The Stand was seemingly beginning to disappear, but punched the ground and retained its form.

"Huff… huff…" the Cyan Stand needed heavy breaths of air, and tried to stand up, but fell down to its feet. "That wasn't… the arrow…?"

"It's something else… it looks like the arrow, but it doesn't 'grand Stands' like the normal one! It transforms Stands into another, bird-like Stand! I guess she was trying to turn your Stand into that stand…" Hanayo explained, looking around. "Ahh… where are you? The user, I mean? You're an 'Automatic Stand' like Nico's, right?"

"Not… ugh…" The Cyan Stand rested on his hands and knees. This was the second defeat in a row in recent memory. I don't get it… I've been doing this longer than them, how are they faring so much better than I am? What gives them so much strength? I don't get it!

Umi raised her arrow, taking aim. "User… your will is strong, but still not fully developed,"「Sleepy Storm」said, straight into her mind. "Are you willing to accept any consequences that may follow fighting with an undeveloped will?"

"More than willing," she felt like she had seen enough to confirm her theory, but dammit, she still had to fight. "Girls… try to keep her still! I don't think she's using her power right now!"

"Let's gooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!" Rin yelled, her robotic cat sprinting towards Wakaki, secreting poison. "This is for Maki and Akeno!" Not only was the Stand sprinting at high pace, but it was running in a zigzag as well.

That's the fastest Stand I've ever seen, and it has good range too! Even for a Close-range Stand! Wakaki observed, her Stand trying to kick Rin's and failing. "「Thunder Road!」" Her reflexes seemed to improve once more in that single instance, now landing another kick on Rin. That poisoning ability is actually pretty dangerous if I can't fly away… Wakaki noticed Honoka charging, 「All Star」ready to strike.

"You know, I've been working on a new ability. It's a bit dangerous so we haven't really been able to really practice it with everyone else… but I'm dying to use it on you!" Honoka yelled, her Stand's sprinting immediately stopping as it laid it's hand on the wall.

"Hmmm…?" Wakaki observed, seeing the wall quickly shake and vibrate, extending towards the ceiling. I see… because she's touching the wall, she can extend the range of its vibration to what its connected to?

"「All Star」makes itself or anything else it can touch vibrate… So!" The ceiling above Wakaki became unstable from the vibrations, collapsing on her. But against her Stand it was only a minor nuisance at worst. "Fuhai said it was an unremarkable Stand… so I'm trying to find new ways to use this power!"

"A worthy endeavor, but you could collapse the entire building, and I'll still be fine!" Wakaki said, her Stand easily punching the falling debris and destroying it. "Come on… is that all? If that's all, then I'm losing interest. Why don't you just give up?"

"Nope!" Honoka yelled. "Even if you're stronger than me, and even if I can't completely keep up with you… I'm still gonna fight on!" She yelled, her Stand closing the distance for a barrage.

"This again? Well, if you insist!"

"FAITOFAITOFAITOFAITOFAITOFAITOFAITOFAITOFAITOFAITO FAITO DAYOOOOOO!"

"Take hold,「Thunder Road!」"

The two powerful Stands clashed in a barrage of fisticuffs, their punches colliding in the air, as expected. Honoka was surprised that Wakaki wasn't using whatever power it had before, before realizing that for the first time Wakaki was truly gauging her speed and power by having their Stands clashed. And it didn't take long for her to make her judgment:

"My Stand is both faster and stronger naturally…" Wakaki announced, brushing her blue hair streak from her face. "We just need a 'little' efficiency to close the edge!" And with that, the bizarre power worked once more; despite still punching at a blistering pace「All Star」didn't seem to be able to truly keep up with「Thunder Road」anymore, soon being forced to suffer a barrage of powerful punches to her stomach. But still, Honoka didn't fall. "Forcing yourself to stand? That's impr- eh!?"

「All Star」grabbed「Thunder Road」by its fists.

Honoka grinned.

"G-got you."

She… she wanted me to attack!? To grab me!? Shit! What is this!?

「All Star」fists began to vibrate, a vibration that then entered「Thunder Road,」spreading through its whole body… and as per the law of Stands, Wakaki's own body, from head-to-toe vibrated violently. "What the fuck is this!?"

"Payback!" Honoka yelled. With her body shaking at high pace Wakaki could not properly concentrate, temporarily disabling Wakaki's power as she focused on pushing the Stand off. As the Stand was off her own she felt it stop, but she now felt dizzy, wobbling as well.

"Oh God, I feel like hurling…" It was like being on the world's fastest roller coaster, and she needed a few moments to adjust. But those few moments were more than enough. "Crap!"

"FAITOFAITOFAITOFAITOFAITOFAITOFAITOFAITOFAITOFAITO FAITO DAYOOOOOO!"

This time Honoka got her attacks in, Wakaki finally not able to react properly in time to the new barrage of attacks, once again taking a devastating rush. That was enough to send her flying back, even her Stand disappearing for a few moments.

"Love Arrow… shoot!" Umi yelled out, her arrow flying through the air, towards the still airborne Wakaki.

"S-shit! 「Thunder Road!」" Wakaki yelled, her Stand materializing once more, dodging Umi's attacks by inches before her Stand destroyed it. I didn't… I didn't expect something like that! Wanting me to get close to her, feeling confident so she could grab me!"

"I should name that technique too, like the 'Jackhammer Punch…' That 'shaking' power. Doesn't do any physical harm, but I bet it could make you hurl after a while at least!" Honoka declared. "Umi, can you get another one ready? … Umi? Umi!" She yelled out, noticing Umi on her knees, rushing over. "H-hey, are you alright!"

"That one… that one actually… hurt a lot to fire…" Umi admitted, gasping for air, sweat pouring down her face. "An… an incomplete will… i-is this what my Stand meant?"

"W-what your Stand meant? Hey!" Honoka was worried, and Rin ran over as well, while Hanayo still remained by the side of the Cyan Stand and observed what was going on.

"It said… there could be 'terrible consequences' if I kept fighting like this… M-my lungs feel like they're on fire, and everything is aching…"「Sleepy Storm」disappeared, its user no longer able to manifest it. "M… my phone… I-I left my phone on the ground."

"Your phone!? That's not important right now!" Honoka said, Wakaki watching the affair from a safe distance.

So… 'anything it touches can vibrate' to varying degrees… and that Stand is fractured, incomplete! So, she can only use it for so long before she can't maintain it anymore… At the very least, she won't be a problem for the time being. Everyone else is a problem though…

"J-Just bring me my phone!" Umi said. "I left the app running! It's important, please!"

"I… fine!" Honoka said, running to get the phone, and bringing it back. "Stopwatch…? What's so important about this?" Wakaki's eyes widened at hearing that though.

"No way… you actually figured it out, huh?" Wakaki smirked. "You'd be the first in a while… even when you can't fight, you managed to piece it together? Incomplete or not too, you basically forced a Stand to manifest from your fractured fighting spirit!"

Oh, Yamazaki is gonna love this! And Kira will probably shit his pants… how fun!

"Everyone! How long do you think it's been since the fight with Wakaki, and the Cyan Stand began!? About how much time do you think has passed!? Please answer me!" Umi asked, looking around her.

"If I had to guess… seven? Eight minutes? I want to say 'eight minutes!'" Honoka asked.

"I-I'd have to say about that! 'Eight minutes or something'!" Rin said, nodding.

"'Seven minutes or so' sounds right… what's the point of this, Sonoda-san?" Hanayo asked.

"6:39… It was 6:39 when that fight began! Everyone, quickly! Look at your phones! Look at the time!"

Despite everything the girls all took out their phones, eyes widening as they looked at the time. "W… what the heck is this!? That can't be right!" Honoka was the first to reply, closing it and flipping it open once again.

"Is… Is my phone broken or something!?" Rin asked, having a similar reaction.

"This is… this is too abnormal, even for Stands!" Hanayo said, and the Cyan Stand looked over, gasping in horror.

"Y… you're kidding… Sonoda… a-are you thinking what I'm thinking!? This power!?"

"Congrats on figuring it out, girls! That's pretty impressive, all things considered!" Wakaki said, now on the offensive once more as「Thunder Road」charged towards them.

"I don't get it!" Honoka yelled. "Definitely more time has passed so… how can it only be 'two and a half' minutes!?'"

"I finally figured it out! Wakaki's power, 「Thunder Road's」power! It’s not the ability to make attacks 'not reach' her! It’s something more terrifying… Wakaki is…!"

Wakaki grinned.

"It’s time!" Umi yelled. "She's slowing time!"

Thunder Road!

Time crawls to my leisurely pace!

And so, Wakaki smirked, as once more, 「Thunder Road's」terrifying power worked. This is the ultimate power of the reflection of my soul, girls… time itself is slowing! She thought, suppressing a laugh.

"No way!" Honoka said, getting up and trying to attack… but at her speed, dodging the attack was child's play for the experienced enemies.

By increments of 10%, ending at 90%, time will slow for me, but only for me! Wakaki thought, satisfied. The lot of you can't even comprehend it! Only I can enjoy this slowed flow of time, the rest of you experience it in real time though! Unless you're looking at a clock or downloading something, you can't even really tell that time has slowed! All you can comprehend is that none of your attacks can reach me for some reason…

The grin she had was baring her teeth, now, as she was able to dodge both「All Star」and「Momoiro Clover」at point-blank range. You all are living in 'real time!' Whereas I exist in 'slowed time!' This enormous advantage is something that has never failed me! Of course, if I get a little cocky even it can't help me, but hey- with a power like this, who wouldn't from time-to-time? Even Rin's extremely fast Stand, with a time reduction of 70% was fairly easy to dodge. Ha… it feels like someone's reaching in my chest, gripping my lungs and heart as tight as they can, and it just keeps getting tighter… but you can't have something great without giving up something! I'm basically moving at double your speed like this!

「Thunder Road」punched the Stands of Honoka and Hanayo in the head, before turning its direction to Rin's Stand, now punching it instead of kicking it.

"And now, time returns to your own paces…" Wakaki said, calling off the ability as the girls recovered.

"T… That's so unfair…" Rin said, clutching her head. "H-How are we supposed to keep up with that!?"

"You can't, idiot! That's what makes it so spectacular!" Wakaki said, laughing. "Nobody outside of my employers have ever figured it out… I'm honestly impressed. You're the first opponents in a real battle I've ever had to discover「Thunder Road's」secrets!" Wakaki informed them, clapping. "So now you understand, right? Just how fucked you all are?" She asked, sticking her tongue out. "You've caught me off guard a few times… and that's all. Knowing「Thunder Road's」secret won't help you! If anything, it'll just drag you down into despair!"

"Damn you…" Rin said with a glare. "Stop making fun of us, dammit!"

"Why should I? It barely matters what you do!"

The Cyan Stand created new strings from its right fist, but Wakaki just kept on smirking as her Stand caught them. 30%. And with that she launched the Cyan Stand into a wall once more from the strings.

"I won't ever lose… not to you, or anyone else. I'm a bloodthirsty knight who only wants to win!" Wakaki said. "Honestly, the only real question is which one of you I should kill first… I think I'm gonna go pay Akeno and Miano a visit," she said, her enemies glaring at her and Stands summoned, but no longer attacking. "Yeah… you got it figured out, huh? Doesn't really matter what you do. So why bother fighting? In fact, I'll make you a promise! If you promise not to fight back, instead of making it painful as all hell to vent out losing my eye, I'll just snap your necks. How's that? It's my reward to you for figuring it out!" Wakaki said, even winking towards the group… well, considering her lack of a second eye, a blink. "Ugh… that bitch is gonna pay for that…"

Rin's Stand was the first to charge again, its nails secreting venom, earning an annoyed look from Wakaki and a kick towards the trash from earlier. "Jesus- how many times do I have to beat the shit out of your Stand in particular!?" She asked, launching Rin's Stand near the trash.

"Until I'm dead," Rin taunted, giving a defying smirk. But then, she noticed something weird around the trash can. "Eh…?" Something other than her Stand was moving?

With everyone so focused on Wakaki, she was the only one who heard a quiet meow. That wasn't my Stand! T-there's a cat in the trash or something!?

Something curious was happening, but only Rin was aware of it. "Everyone… everyone! Get back outside! Let's get Akeno and Miano and head back to the stadium!" She reached for her phone, quickly sending a text out, received by Honoka.

"What are you planning, you little bitch!?" Wakaki said, ready to charge, only for「All Star」to press its hands to the ground first.

"You chill out!" Honoka yelled, the vibrations making its way through the ground in front of her. Wakaki jumped back, but this was a misjudgment: all the ground around her was being destroyed by the vibrations. Before Wakaki slowed time however, Hanayo had her Stand throw her cellphone with all its might.

"SWAP!"

Wakaki swapped places with the cell phone, moving her far enough that even with time slowed she could not avoid destroying the floor. But she just smirked. "Alright. You all get a few minutes to regroup," she said, not concerned as she fell to the floor below her. "I'm gonna go grab a Gatorade then come back for you all, got it?"

The girls and the Cyan Stand wasted no time hurrying as fast as they could, Umi wrapped around Honoka's shoulders.

"Slowing time… can we even beat that!?" Honoka asked.

"When I threw my phone before she noticed, she couldn't slow enough time to really react! So… I think we can!" Hanayo said. "'Sneak attacks' are the key! If we can attack her while time isn't slowed, I think we can win! Or even…" She gasped. "Maybe… maybe even if time is slowed, we can sneak attack! And if we keep a look at a timer or something, we can tell when she's slowed time!"

Rin was deep in thought. "Wait… on second thought, let's not go outside then!" She suggested. "If we need to rely on 'sneak attacks' then that wide-open field is the worst place to fight her! Even though we'll have more room to circle her, she'll notice us moving around!"

"Sneak attacks in combination with Koizumi's Stand will be the key," the Cyan Stand said. "Her Stand is now vital in beating her… but she won't be easily caught off guard like that yet again. That only worked since she was focusing on Rin… if anything, Kousaka and Koizumi will likely be her main targets now," it said, the two girls in particular gulping.

They ran back to Akeno and Miano, Miano now able to stand on her own. "Oi, are you guys alright?" Akeno yelled back. "Did you figure out what she was doing? … H-Holy shit, the Cyan Stand!"

"For the time being, I am reluctantly your ally," the Cyan Stand said. "The power of Wakaki's Stand is the ability to slow time. Our actions are slowed, but her's are unhindered. From our perspective however, it simply looks like inhuman reflexes. We can't process the slowed time at all without looking at something to record time…"

"Holy shit… really?" Miano asked. "That's… that's crazy! So that's why we couldn't hit her!? Because she was basically at superspeed!?"

"I hate this bitch more and more by the second," Akeno said. "Do we got a plan!"

"No matter how strong, she's only human… if we catch her off guard with a sneak attack, it doesn't matter how fast she is! That's what we think… as long as we can catch her off guard it doesn't matter if time is slowed to its minimum speed, we'll still hit her!" Honoka said. "I got another good rush on blows again back there… I think she's almost done. I don't think she can take another barrage like that!"

"But that also means she's going to be on her best guard now," Umi said. "Hanayo's swap ability is good… but we'll need all her attention off her when its being used. And Wakaki probably already knows that's our strategy…"

"Guys…" Rin said, looking up. "Something weird happened… when she kicked my Stand over to a garbage can, I swear I heard a cat meow! And it wasn't my Stand!" Rin said. "I think… I think my Stand did something, I swear!"

"… A cat? Did you hit your head or something?" Akeno asked. "This isn't the damn time to think about cats!"

"No, just… Somebody let me try something! Somebody please let me scratch you with my Stand!" Rin asked, her hands pressed together pleadingly, a gesture the Stand copied. "Please!"

"… Oh, fuck it," Akeno said, walking over, lifting her skirt. "Just do it!"

Rin's Stand scratched her, earning a wince from Akeno, and shortly after her fever-like symptoms. "W… D-Did you do that just to make me sick!?"

"N-No! I don't… I don't know what happened!" It was like a second nature; Rin was able to end the attack on Akeno quickly. "I'm confident! My Stand did something else… a-and I think it was with the venom in its claws!"

"Now's not the time to fuck around with theories! If anyone's shitty enough to put a cat in a garbage, it's that Wakaki bitch! We need to focus on pummeling her!" Akeno yelled, putting pressure on her cut. "We have a good plan already! With Koizumi's Stand we can swap location with something she throws, right? We just gotta catch her off guard and use that to close the distance, its simple! I say the Cyan Stand or Honoka should be swapped close!" The other girls nodded at the idea, but Rin stood her ground. They were by the concession stand where the second phase of the battle had started earlier, and there was a nearby cash register. Hanayo walked over to it, looking around: to prepare for the opening there was already yen coins for the cash register, and she broke it open.

With this, I'll have lots of coins for swapping now! She thought with a smile, before turning over to Rin. "Rin…"

"If my Stand can do something else, it could be useful to us! I want… I want to be useful!" She yelled, her Stand jumping on the concession stand next to her. "Dammit, let me have a chance, too!" Rin yelled, her Stand angrily swiped at the cash register nearby.

And then, something happened.

Something made the other girls go quiet.

And something more or less made everyone, sans the Cyan Stand, have the same reaction:

"Holy shit!"

"So, this is where you intend on dying, eh?"

Wakaki was stoic as she stared down the united Stand users. They didn't go outside as initially declared, all grouped by the concession Stand. "Any other Stand user would shit their pants at seeing all of you… but I'm not any other Stand user," she said, crunching a now empty Gatorade bottle. "And you know, drinking that makes me feel a little better~!"

"We're not going to die here, Wakaki," Honoka said. "This is where we're going to win! We're making our stand against you, and everyone like you! I don't care who I have to fight… cops, delinquents, you! I want a Tokyo where my sister and my friends can live happily, free from people like you!"

"For the good of the people of Tokyo, together, we stand proud!" The Cyan Stand said.

"For tricking Akeno into killing an innocent person, hurting Maki, hurting Miano…" Rin was especially glaring. "I'm gonna help beat you to a pulp! And I'm going to keep singing, dancing, and fighting alongside μ's!"

"We won't ever lose to someone like you!" Hanayo yelled. "My mother didn't raise me to be a coward, and my days of wishing for others to save me are long over! I'm going to help… help save this city from people like you!"

"I'm not good with this wordy, heroic shit. I just really wanna beat the shit out of you," Akeno said, earning a laugh from Miano.

"Yeah, what she said," Miano said, even grasping Akeno's hand.

"You've underestimated us too many times, Wakaki. Even if you're on your top guard, we'll find a way to break through your defenses," Umi said. "We're going to win!"

Wakaki's grin never faded, 「Thunder Road」appearing once more. "What noble intentions… just like the idea of the knights of old! But an idea is just an idea, and reality is reality… so please, allow me to introduce you to the 'reality' of your situation! The 'reality' of your deaths!"

"Everyone, get ready!" Umi yelled, taking out her phone, turning on the timer app. "Time… time is already moving at a reduced pace!"

We'll start off with 30%!

Right off the bat, Miano stood in front of Hanayo, 「Union of the Snake」materializing on the floor. And the Cyan Stand took a defensive position by Umi. Figures, they're protecting the most important ones first!

Honoka, Rin, and Akeno took the first move. Honoka ran so their Stands could get closer, while Rin enjoyed her Stand's long range to run. I can go toe-to-toe with Akeno and Honoka, but that cat Stand is a serious problem… after a few minutes I'll be too weak from that flu to do anything but run off and come back when I'm out of its range!

This time she focused on Akeno first, charging towards her. "Come get some!" Akeno yelled, 「Good Girl Gone Bad's」titanium fists ready to go blow-to-blow with「Thunder Road.」The exchange was short and brief, with Wakaki's Stand rush easily overpowering her. But rather than simply taking the full beating, Akeno had her Stand's entire head and torso turn to titanium, essentially nullifying the blows before too much damage could be done.

"Didn't peg you for such a coward, Akeno," Wakaki said with a sneer, backing off. Now「All Star」and the cat Stand were approaching.

"Bite my ass, bitch!" Akeno yelled out.

50%! And yet again Wakaki prioritized the cat Stand, delivering yet another kick to hit it away. "I can't believe that actually stopped being fun," she mused, frowning as Rin's Stand yet again could not reach her. That left「All Star」coming. But rather than meet the Stand head-on she chose to dodge, delivering a few punch to「All Star's」side, earning a yell from Honoka. She cursed as she felt her body grow cold, knowing that「Union of the Snake」had begun attacking. I'll be fine for a few minutes… She thought, turning to her immediate enemies once more.

"Kousaka!" Akeno yelled, who nodded in return.

Oh, I see your strategy now, Wakaki thought. You want to distract me so that Hoshizora can attack, eh?

But she wouldn't let them. Now, dodging was her priority. 40% is good enough for now… Wakaki said. Between her body temperature cooling the experience was especially hellish on her body, but she soldiered on. But the combination with her poison would have been too much for her to withstand, she imagined. As it was, she was fighting while affected by a single, consistent attack now… a key to her victory was to avoid Rin's attacks at any cost!

"Guess she figured it out…" Honoka said, looking at Akeno, before facing Hanayo. "She figured it out, Hanayo!"

"Swap!" Hanayo yelled, recalling Akeno's location with the Cyan Stand, who took a fighting stance.

"You ready for this idea?" The Cyan Stand said, as Honoka nodded.

"Let's do iiiiiiiiiiiiit!" Honoka yelled. "Launch me, baby!"

"Wait, what!?" Wakaki yelled, as she watched the strings wrap around Honoka. "Y… oh, you're fucking kidding me!"

And the Cyan Stand launched Honoka, flying through the air with her Stand. Even with time reduced, it didn't change one fact: something very, very fast even when slowed down a little was still very fast! 70%! She thought to herself, getting enough distance. With「Union of the Snake's」temperature lowering it was highly uncomfortable, even more than usual, but it wasn't enough to stop her yet. "What kind of stupid plan is this!?"

"It's my stupid plan!" Honoka yelled. It didn't take long for Wakaki to realize her concentration had indeed been broken, and she had lost track of Rin's Stand. But even as her eyes darted around, she didn't see it approaching her. The other Stand users were starting to physically advance though. She felt some energy return to her as Miano's Stand was temporarily cancelled so she could run closer, the Stand's slow nature making it impractically for moving distances. It was time to start making lethal attacks, Wakaki rationalized. If she could one of them every 30 seconds or so, she'd be able to resolve this fight with plenty of energy yet!

"Kousaka!" Wakaki yelled, 「Thunder Road」rapidly closing the distance. "You were a worthy enemy, but I'm ending this now!"

"Swap!"

Wakaki's eyes widened as the Cyan Stand now stood in her attack path instead. "Hey. Missed me?" Wakaki was forced to gain distance once more, glaring. Rather than bothering with them she sprinted to her left, trying to gain distance from everyone else.

"I think she's gonna try circling!" Miano yelled, looking at her path. "Yeah… no doubt! She's coming for Hanayo now!"

Kill her first, then the rest will be easy, more or less, Wakaki reasoned. Her order priority was this: Koizumi, Hoshizora, Miano, Kousaka, Akeno, the Cyan Stand, then Sonoda. Then she could kill Aya and Nishikino with ease outside. The Red Arrow now had plenty of field data, and Yamazaki would be satisfied; so, what if a few possible contestants for the Greatest Concert were loss? That she defeated so many enemies, and that Red Arrow had proven such a valuable weapon after all was far more important to the Yoshidas, as far as she was concerned.

She might swap with someone else… If she does, I just gotta go for a kill! She thought to herself, ready to start bringing this to its endgame.

Hanayo had no fear as her opponent approached, yelling out the words Wakaki expected to hear: "Swap!"

Expecting Honoka or the Cyan Stand to be in her way, it was a genuine shock to see Rin standing in front of her instead. "Hoshizora, nya!"

So caught off-guard was Wakaki that Rin evaded the attack, grinning as her Stand materialized. Is she gonna attack「Thunder Road」and see if that can poison him!? I can't risk that! She attempted to punch the cat, but it jumped off her Stand's head instead.

Looking directly above her she noticed two coins flying through the air. Wait a second, there's no way that had time to reach me while time is slowed! She looked over her shoulder, seeing a grinning Honoka. "Y… you're kidding me…!"

Before they even swapped she threw those, when I was focusing on Koizumi!? Two of them… Are two of them gonna land right on top of me!? Its already by my head!

But instead, secreting poison from its claws, Rin's Stand scratched the coins.

Even with time slowed to 70%, with the coins being right in her face, she couldn't react to two things, big and furry right in her face. Let alone with then latched onto her face and shoulder with sharp claws, hissing and biting her.

"What the fuck!? What the fuck what the fuck what the fuck!?" Wakaki screamed, her concentration so broken she could no longer maintain slowed time. "Get it the fuck off me!"

"My Stand making people sick… I think that's a secondary effect, if anything," Rin began, grinning as she did a summersault away. "A result of the stuff getting into your blood! If you're alive and stuff it makes you really sick… but! When I was trying to attack you earlier, I realized that my Stand must have hit 'something' in the garbage you kicked it to with the attack meant with you! Something not alive became alive… it became…"

Wakaki screamed as her Stand ripped the beast from her face, throwing it angrily at the ground, before reaching for whatever was on her should, the animal clawing her hands and biting it. "What the fuck!"

The two orange tabby’s were hissing.

"It 'turned into a cat!' That's how it works! My Stand… the venom from its claws can either 'make people sick' or 'turn objects into cats!' Gotcha good, didn't I!?" Rin said, sticking her tongue. "My one and only…「Cat Scratch Fever!」"

She screamed as she had her Stand rip the second cat from her shoulder, drawing blood as its nails dragged through her. "You're dead, do you understand me?"

"Maybe… but not today, and that's what matters, nya! Hey, what was that you said earlier about my life being hard enough with the 'tranny shit?' 'Cuz that may be true, but at the very least, I'm gonna get to help kick your butt! Hey also… think fast!"

Wakaki's eyes widened as she looked behind her, seeing Honoka once again fly through the air. "Banzaiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii!"

90%! Maximum efficiency! She thought in a panic, 「Thunder Road」barely slowing time down to its maximum… only to notice a searing pain in her legs a moment later. She had been so focused on the Honoka missile flying towards her, she had completely overlooked that「Cat Scratch Fever」had remained close by. And now its claws were in her legs, as were its poison. While the orange tabby’s were rushing over, she kicked Rin's Stand for what felt like the fiftieth time and sprinted away, gasping for air. I can't… I can't… maintain it like this…! Wakaki gasped as「Thunder Road's」time manipulation was broken. If she hadn't been tired in any way she could've kept up maximum efficiency to sprint away until she was out of「Cat Scratch Fever's」range, but she simply could not do it anymore. No number of painkillers, IV fluids, Gatorade, or whatever could change one fact:

She was tired. And she was injured. Now more than ever, almost immediately feeling the fever kick in. "This… This can't be… h-happening, not to me…!"

"From the beginning you were outmatched, Wakaki!" Umi yelled out. "There's no such thing as an 'invincible power!' Your Stand is extremely powerful, we probably wouldn't have won if we hadn't figured it out… but once we did?"

"Nothing could protect you from the fact you were outnumbered!" The Cyan Stand yelled, charging. And as she said that Wakaki felt a cold air over her, realizing Miano's own attack had started once more.

"I… I've fought… multiple opponents before…" Wakaki said quietly, to herself. "By myself… no matter what happens, I-I was always… the victorious knight…!"

Honoka landed.

"You… Kousaka… Honoka…"

"If it had been just me, I would be dead. You would have killed me. You're crazy strong, I'll give you that… absolutely none of us would have stood any chance alone," Honoka admitted. "But this is what makes us stronger! All of us, united, together as one! Without Umi, despite her just obtaining her Stand, we never would have figured out the secret of your Stand! The Cyan Stand helps too, helping me gain distance in a way that Hanayo can focus on other things! Rin created the ultimate distraction, and Miano helped attack you from a distance! Believe it or not, Akeno is the one who came up with this plan when we learned what Rin's power could do!"

"Not bad for a dropout, huh!?" Akeno said, grinning.

"Hanayo of course made it possible with the swapping… Personally, I actually feel like the least useful one here, although I got ya good with my vibration attack! But… at the least…"

Honoka was grinning, standing in front of her. It didn't take long for the Cyan Stand to get behind her, and even the cats, once 100 yen coins latched onto her Stand's legs to try to slow it down.

"T… Thund… Thunde… Thunder… f-forty percent… ugh…!"

"At the very least… I'm gonna pummel you into next week!"

Her Stand was surrounded by two sides, with Wakaki's only mercy being they did not want to kill her, directing the blows to her Stand instead.

"FAITOFAITOFAITOFAITOFAITOFAITOFAITOFAITOFAITOFAITOFAITOFAITOFAITOFAITOFAITOFAITOFAITOFAITOFAITOFAITO—"

"KHOROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO—"

They actually beat me, was all Wakaki could think, taking countless blows. I… I actually lost… to them

"FAITO DAYOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"

"SHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"

「Thunder Road」disappeared.

Wakaki could no longer stand. A million thoughts rose through her mind, but for how wickedly rude and vile the teenage girl was, one sole, humble thought races through her mind in a volume that triumphed all:

Yamazaki… they're… they're really interesting…

She fell, face-first.

There was a pause.

And then, a cheer.

"We did it! We really beat her!" Hanayo said with a laugh, pulling Umi into a hug in her excitement. She flushed with embarrassment, but Umi returned the hug and laughed with her. Aken also pulled Miano into a tight hug, followed by Rin practically tackle hugging Honoka to the ground.

Their hardest battle had ended with a victory!

"I was so scared for you, back there," Akeno said. "Your head…"

"It still feels like shit…" Miano confessed, nuzzling into her. "I just thought about how terrible it would be to never see you again, so I hung in there…"

"… The castle…"

"Hmmm?"

"My castle is with you, wherever you are," Akeno said, smiling as she looked her in the eyes. "For a split second I thought I was gonna lose you, and I just thought, 'Oh God, what would I do without you?"

"… You would be fine…"

"Nah," Akeno said, taking her tattooed finger, pressing it against Miano. "We're bonded together forever, remember? By a red string, ever since we were little kids… I'm terrified, the thought of losing you…"

"Akenoooo… y… you're gonna make me blush…"

But Akeno just kept on grinning. "What's wrong with that? Homura Miano…" She said, cupping her chin.

"Akeno…"

"When this is all over, no more bullshitting with our lives, alright? I want us to move forward," Miano's heart practically beat right out of her chest. "I don't even really care about Yanigihori, I think. I just want to be by your side. And… I dunno. Thinking you were gonna die- I can't just keep it to myself, you know?"

"… You're so stupid…" Miano said with a smile, moving closer. "But then again, we both are, right?"

"Stupid as can be… we make up half a normal person, I think. But that's what makes it fun, you know? We can be stupid together."

There was a pause as they broke from their hug, only to embrace once again, Akeno's lips pressing against Miano's. Umi turned as red as could be and turned away, while the rest of μ's just watched with gasps.

"… I love ya, Miano."

"I know, you idiot. I love you too."

"Dumbass."

"Bitch."

They laughed as they finally pulled away, turning to the rest. "… The fuck you looking at?" Akeno asked, her expression a glare, but with a blush.

"That was so cute, nya! I can't believe I got to see that… best Stand awakening ever!" Rin said with a laugh, as Honoka and Hanayo simply smiled on.

But the Cyan Stand was much less jovial, standing over the defeated Wakaki. "It’s time you tell me everything you know," it said, a few feet away.

"… Just kill me, because I'll never talk," Wakaki speaking once more was enough to break the celebratory mood, all eyes on her once more. "See, this is the problem… y’all know there's nothing you can ever do to prove any crime I've committed, but none of you are gonna kill me, will you? How about you, Akeno?"

Akeno narrowed her eyes. "I don't know about forever, but at least for today, I've had my fill of killing."

"Kyahahaha… you're all so fucking stupid… but… you actually beat me. Their knight…" Wakaki mused, groaning as she forced herself to sit up against a wall. "I'm never gonna go away… not until the day you're willing to kill me."

"Then maybe one day, that day will come," it was to everyone's shock that it was Honoka who declared it. "I already killed one man to protect my life and the world I love… I would have killed you if I had to. But for now, you can't fight," thoughts of the battle with Fuhai Yoshikawa raced back. "And you have information we could use, can you? So, you're better alive than dead, for now anyways," Honoka said, the venom in her voice a shock to everyone, but enough to earn back Wakaki's grin.

"… You're the one… I want to meet he most again…" She admitted. "When all of you grow as Stand users… I want to meet you all again, but you're the one that really got my interest the most… you got it?"

"Tell us who you work for!" Honoka demanded. "Tell us who built this weapon, this 'Red Arrow!' What do you know about the 'Pink and Black' Stand awakening Stand users, and what do you know about Stands in general!? It's time… you owe us these answers…"

"… E-even like this…"

"Hmm?" Honoka asked, glaring.

"If just for a few seconds…"

Once more, 「Thunder Road's」visage graced the girls.

"E-even like that she can summon her Stand!?" Akeno yelled, bringing her own back out. 「All Star」rushed forward to deal a crushing blow, but it was too late.

"Just for a few seconds… maximum efficiency…" And within slowed time, at 90%, impossible for anyone to react, Wakaki brought the Red Arrow back into her Stand, screaming as a bright light enveloped the area. By the girls could see once more, it was「Hawkwind」standing instead, Wakaki on its back. And with the Arrow activated further, its size monstrous.

"S-shit!" Honoka yelled, jumping back. The Cyan Stand attempted to attack, but the wing swipe was simply too fast. From inside Yoshida Stadium the monstrous bird roared, flapping its wings repeatedly. Inside the small confined area, the gust of wind was much stronger than outside, sending her opponents flying back before the Stand charged outside.

"S-she can't get away!" Miano yelled, the girls racing after her. But even「Cat Scratch Fever」and the Cyan Stand couldn't keep up with her. Once outside the badly injured Wakaki looked near the initial entrance, seeing an unconscious Aya lying by Maki, smirking.

"One day soon… we're all gonna meet again, alright?" She yelled out, her Stand taking to the skies. "I'm keeping eyes on all of you! From afar… I'll be watching you all!"

Before long she was out of even Hanayo's range, taking to the skies.

"N-no!" Honoka yelled out, reaching for the sky. "Get back here! Right this instance! Get back here!"

But it was to no use. For while μ's and their allies had won this battle, this war was far from over.

STAND: Thunder Road/Hawkwind

USER: "Wakaki"

STATUS: ESCAPED

"Dammit, dammit, dammit!" Akeno punched a wall in frustration, not caring that it made her hands bleed. "Goddammit, I thought for sure she was done for! I can't believe… s-she still had just enough strength to summon her Stand!? What a load of shit!"

"At least for now, it’s over," Umi said. Rin and Hanayo had run over to the unconscious Aya and Maki, making sure they were still breathing.

"This was an absolute failure," Akeno said bitterly. "We didn't capture Wakaki, or the 'Pink and Black' Stand. We don't know who Wakaki is working for, and she probably has ways of keeping tabs on us, just like she said! And she knows how strong we all are now… don't ya get it? Wakaki's probably gonna get all patched up, knowing how to fight us and what to expect… and I bet she's gonna inform her bosses about us! Even though we kicked her ass, she has all the cards; what a load of horse shit!"

"I wouldn't say that," Miano said, holding her new girlfriend's hand. "We know what to expect from Wakaki now. Both her Stands, and that 'Red Arrow…' We need to report that to the boss, still," Miano said. "She didn't expect us to live… so the fact we know about the 'Red Arrow' and that it lets her have two Stands is something major."

"I guess… it doesn't change the fact she probably learned more about us than the other way around," Akeno mused. "But… we're alive, I guess. You girls learned a bunch of new stuff about each other, and now I got a girlfriend. That's something," she said, letting Miano nuzzle into her shoulder. "Kousaka…"

"Yeah?"

"We can't help you defeat our boss. Its… its dishonorable. We already stabbed her in the back once, we can't do it again," Akeno said. "But I'm making peace with you. I won't fight you or anyone allied to you… but in the same vein, despite everything that's happened, I can't help you fight them. I won't tell you my allies Stand's… but I can tell you this much," she said, looking her new friend(?) in the eyes. "At this point, only the three strongest are left. The two that's known the boss for years, way before any of us had Stands… the three strongest! The boss, and her two confidants!" She explained. "I will say… if you manage to beat Takamaki though, I bet she'll come for you personally. Get ready, alright?"

"Thank you, Akeno-chan…" Honoka said, with a smile. "You're nicer than you let on."

"H-hey! Don't call me -chan! Its friggin' girly!" Akeno complained.

Honoka laughed before noticing the Cyan Stand starting to walk off. "Hey, wait!"

The Cyan Stand stopped, facing Honoka. "I failed to achieve my objectives. I didn't defeat Wakaki, nor did I claim the arrow. I'm leaving now."

"It’s you, isn't it? Prez?" Honoka asked. "Ayase Eli, this is your Stand, right?" The Cyan Stand remained quiet, Umi and the delinquents facing her direction. "This is your Stand… it's a 'Long-range' Stand like Kotori's, or an 'Automatic' Stand like Nico's. Right now, you're probably miles away, remotely controlling your Stand, aren't you?"

"Hmph… it's a respectable deduction. Based on what you've seen, it’s natural to make that assumption," the Cyan Stand said, starting to glow. "I would have made the same deduction, but it’s much more than that. It does not matter though. I will carry all the burdens plaguing this city with this power, with this Stand. With this… I have become justice. I will enforce it on those who would hurt the innocent people of this town!""

"You're just human, Ayase-senpai! Please… don't fight alone, let us help you! No matter what kind of Stand you have… please, can we meet wherever you are? We should talk about being allies for real!" Honoka said, pleading.

"But I'm already here, Kousaka Honoka. And I'm not human. Not anymore!"

The Stand dematerialized entirely, leaving Eli Ayase standing before them.

"E-Eli… you…!?"

"My Stand is 'Wearable,'" Eli said. "I do not control it from any distance… my Stand materializes as armor, which grants me superhuman speed, power, and durability."

The air was heavy and uncomfortable.

"I am justice."

Next time on Honoka's Bizarre Adventure!

Chapter 16: Elichika

Stand profile: RIN HOSHZIORA

Stand name: Cat Scratch Fever

Namesake: Ted Nugent song of the same name

Type: Short-range

Stand cry: None, although it does sometimes meow during combat

Appearance/Personality: Like its owner the Stand has a mischievous, playful personality, often sharing Rin's reactions to most things when she's excited, and a tendency to act like a cat (especially knocking things over) when idle. It is a small Stand, standing at just a little over a foot and a half once it stood upright. It resembles a robotic cat, capable of standing on only its hind legs if it wants to, but usually stays on all fours. Its body is a yellow metal with a teal spot on its stomach, and a metal tail nearly as long as its body. Its arms look like black tubes, almost looking like they were made of plastic. Its head was shaped like a cat complete with cat ears, but it had no visible eyes, mouth, or nose. Its entire face seemed to be an LED screen, with two red dots glowing to signify the Stand as 'awake.' It can light up the dots of these LED screen to show its emotions.

Abilities:

• Nya! Can't Keep Up!: Even for Short-range Stands, Cat Scratch Fever is an incredibly quick and agile Stand, which in combined with its small body can make it extremely hard to keep up with. Combined with a significantly above-average range for a Stand of its kind (able to move nearly 100 feet away from its user) this makes it an extremely tricky Stand to successfully hit and keep up with. However, the user must still be able to see their Stand to properly use it. However, the Stand's durability is lacking as a result, and would be lucky to withstand a single Stand barrage without being taken out.
• This Kitty Has Claws!:The venom that comes out of Cat Scratch Fever's claws has two different uses. These effects differ widely depending on whether or not it infects a living target, or an inanimate one.
• Oh No! You Got Cat Scratch Fever!:The more direct method is to scratch a living being with its venom directly. When this is done it creates fever-like symptoms that increase in intensity the more time passes, eventually reaching a point virtually any opponent will have extreme difficulty fighting. The range of this poisoning effect is about 100 feet.
• Look Out! Scary Kitties!:The true use of this venom, however, seems to be when used in inanimate, non-living objects. These cats can be controlled with Rin's mind, and anything they see, hear, or smell, so can Rin. Having the same range of most of Rin's techniques, it is useful for short-reconnaissance and spying, however these cats do not seem to have any spectacular powers beyond being able to interact with Stands. They appear to be most useful in-battle as a distraction while Rin has her Stand attack.

Stats:

• Destructive Power: B
• Speed: A
• Range: A
• Precision: C
• Durability: E
• Development Potential: A

Stand profile: "WAKAKI"

Stand name: Thunder Road

Namesake: Bruce Springsteen song of the same name

Type: Short-range

Stand cry: None, although Wakaki typically says "Take hold, Thunder Road!" Before it initiates a Stand rush, the Stand itself is silent.

Appearance/Personality: A Stand at roughly 6'0 in height, covered in a brilliant gold armor. It is a gold-plated armor to be specific, with a white cape flowing behind it as well: many who see it, including its user, compare its appearance to that of a knight from the Medieval Era. From its plated helmet there are two red eyes that glow, but the rest of its face is not visible.

Abilities:

• Time slow: The ultimate, defining power of Thunder Road is the power to slow time. When time is slowed, all beings in the world slows with it. Wakaki can control this in increments of 10%, with 10% being its 'weakest' and 90% at its 'strongest.' When time is slowed only Wakaki moves at her normal speed, while all others are severely slowed as a result. People typically do not understand that time has been slowed, as for they experience the phenomena in "real time" on their ends. From this perspective it gives the illusion of Wakaki having supernatural reflexes and agility, as they cannot see that she is slowing time without the use of a clock or timer, which does recognize this change. However, this is taxing on Wakaki to maintain and use, and after using it for extended periods of time (especially when at maximum power) it begins to rapidly drain her stamina, that also appears to dehydrate her. Drinking IV fluids and drinks heavy with electrolytes however, like Gatorade, seem to help her recover from this drain and allow her to maintain it longer.

Stats:

• Destructive Power: A
• Speed: A
• Range: C
• Precision: B
• Durability: A
• Development Potential: B

Chapter Text

Previously on Honoka's Bizarre Adventure!

This is Ayase Eli speaking.

The battle with Wakaki was an absolute failure. While we emerged victorious in the fight, Wakaki escaped with the Red Arrow and with all her information. We failed to obtain any useful information- it was a complete waste of time. And to top it off? I had to reveal the secrets of my Stand... it hardly matters. I'll press onward, and seize the future myself, no matter what stands in my way!

Eli loved dancing.

It was something special to her, ballet. While only partially Russian, it was that country she had called her home, despite not being the country of her birth.

In the beginning, it was just tapping her foot to rhythm of music. Then nonsensical movements to the beats. And then, before long, real dancing. The young Eli loved to dance more than anything, and upon learning both her mother and grandmother had practiced ballet, almost begged her grandmother to let her do so as well.

"I can make something great from myself!" Eli thought to herself in those young days. "I can make grandma and mama and papa and everyone else super proud of me! Maybe one day I can be in the Olympics!"

Like most children, Eli was a 'dreamer.' And those dreams of 'the future' gave her inspiration. With 'dancing' she could claim 'the future' for her own, she believed. And she was immensely talented, performing in competitions even in Moscow. Amongst most child dancers, she was indeed immensely skilled, far more than most her age.

But there was a cruel component to 'dreams' she did not understand yet. That 'dreams' often clash with 'reality.'

"You failed again?"

"I… I'm sorry…!"

Eli was immensely talented… but so were others. Eli was a prodigy, but in this rigorous field of dance, she was very far from the only prodigy. Perhaps it was an inherent or natural skill, or perhaps they tried much harder, but Eli could never truly catch up to them. It was not the first failure; it was not the last. But eventually, the 'failures' took a toll in her heart.

"Don't worry about the audition," her kind grandmother said, hugging her and consoling her, still smiling. "You tried your hardest, and I love you."

Eli remembered looking at the winners, and even though she knew it shouldn't have, two separate feelings to settle in her heart. One was 'jealousy,' and the other was 'cynicism.'

As a First Year in high school, Eli and her sister moved back to Japan. But Eli was not quite as hopeful or kind as she once was.

"'Reality' is what must be focused on," Eli reasoned. "Rather than chase after things that may or may not come true, I will 'seize my future' with what I can 'realistically grasp' with my hands."

For many years, it remained that way, until a new path was forcibly pierced into her.

"You… you can become a Stand!?" Honoka asked, shocked and gasping.

"No… My Stand is 'armor.' When I summon my Stand, it manifests as an armor that I wear," Eli explained. "When this armor is summoned, I become superhuman. I gain incredible physical strength, speed, endurance, and agility: far more than any normal human should ever have. With this power, I am more than capable of fighting against other Stands," Eli went on. "I do not summon a Stand to fight for me; it is myself who does the fighting!"

"That's… that's amazing, Ayase-senpai!" Honoka said, smiling as she took a few steps forward. "I can't even imagine how scary that must be, fighting a Stand directly like that! Even with「All Star」fighting can be kinda scary, especially against someone like that Wakaki… You're something else! And you've been fighting before all of us too, right?" Honoka asked.

"I believe… when the 'Pink and Black' Stand started awakening Stand users in this city, for whatever reason, I was among the first," Eli said. "I know Yanigihori and Suzuki were among the first as well… and then their confident, and then the rest of these 'Arrow Hunters,'" she said, looking over to Akeno and Miano. "Isn't that right, Miyabashi, Homura? You obtained your Stands… not too long ago, did you?"

"More or less," Akeno said. "These past two months have bone like a blur at this pace… Getting out of juvie, awakening Stands, the Hunters… It hasn't been too long. You've been at it longer, then?"

"Four months," Eli said, taking a step forward.

"That's more or less when the boss said she and Suzuki got their Stands," Miano confirmed. "While the rest of us has been about two months or so…"

"And now, you're going to tell me everything I need to know," Eli declared, tension filling the air. "Yanigihori can't be allowed to claim the arrow… I don't trust you, or your lot. And since Wakaki escaped, you two will be giving me the answers I need to protect this town," with that, any goodwill from the shared victory over Wakaki's defeat disappeared.

"Try us, bitch," Akeno said with a glare, 「Good Girl Gone Bad」next to her. "Don't matter if we just had a big fight, I'll take you on!" Miano didn't summon her Stand, but glared at Eli while hugging Akeno.

"H-Hold on, please don't do this!" Honoka ran between them, arms outstretched as she faced Eli. "We just had a major victory! W-we all worked together and beat Wakaki! Please, let's not fight!" Hanayo and Rin were still tending to Maki and Aya, but Umi got in-between them as well.

"Ayase, please, I'd like to ask you to ally with μ's!" Umi asked. "You're a powerful Stand user, and while we may not individually be as strong as you are, that doesn't change the fact that as of now, six of the seven members of μ's are Stand users! Yanigihori will continue attacking us, right? We already know Akeno and Miano will leave us alone… so rather, we should unite together to fight her! If she's been a Stand user at least as long as you and Wakaki, she's bound to be a powerful enemy, right?" Umi reasoned. "We should work together… Even if you don't want to be an Idol, let's at the last be allies!"

"I refuse."

"W-why!?" Honoka asked. "Now you're being unreasonable! You're just one person against multiple enemies! I think by this point, we outnumber the Arrow Hunters! We can end this soon. Maybe…" Honoka smiled again. "Maybe we can even call a truce!"

"Huh?" Akeno asked, turning to Honoka. "A… are you serious?"

"Yanigihori sent you all to hurt us, and in particular I'm really angry about what the girl with the bug Stand tried to do to Kotori, Nico, and Hanayo… but there's been no permanent damage! Nobody has died, and everything Wakaki did wasn't related to your group! So… I think we can all make peace! We should all sit down, come to an understanding about the arrow and what to do with it, and maybe—"

"How can you be this stupid?"

Honoka went quiet as the Student Council President took a step forward, glaring. "Reason!? Haven't you learned anything so far!? The police man, these enemies, and above all Yanigihori listen to might, not words! Once I defeat Yanigihori this will be resolved!" Eli declared, fist on her chest. "First, I will 'defeat Yanigihori…' Then, I will 'claim the arrow!'"

"W-wait, you want the arrow too!?" Honoka asked. "Why!?"

"So, it cannot fall into the wrong hands! You've seen scum like Yoshikawa Fuhai with Stands… I don't know what Yanigihori wants, but I don't trust the intentions of a girl like that. The arrow will be mine- and then it will be safe. Safe from any who might abuse… and if need be, its power granted to the worthy who will protect society!" Eli said. "There is too much crime in this world that cannot be stopped simply by the police… but Stand users? This arrow is more than a 'tool of power,' it is a 'tool that can reshape society' in the right hands! And I… I want that power, to protect this country, and this city!"

"Ayase-san…" Honoka wanted to say more, but couldn't think of anything else. Up until now, everything she and μ's had done was self-protection. It made her feel small and insignificant, knowing that these powerful fighters had genuine ambitions and dreams with the arrow. Honoka had not thought of a future as a Stand user- she still thought of a future as an Idol! Have I been thinking too small this entire time?

"Hold on, timeout… listen, I get you are our enemies and all but… I don't think Yanigihori-sama has evil ambitions for the arrow," Miano said, hoping to break the silence that had formed. "She says… she'll make all our dreams come true with its power. All of us, even if we're not that strong, will have our dreams answered for our loyalty. She even said… that if there is a dream she cannot make possible with the arrow, she will surrender the arrow to us once she has fulfilled her own dream and become our servant!" She said, surprising everyone, including her girlfriend. "I don't know what it is, she won't tell us… but does that sound like someone evil to you!? Yanigihori has a dream she needs power to fulfill, but she's not evil or anything like that! So maybe… maybe she will listen to reason! Maybe—"

"Useless!" Eli said, pointing at her. "Like I'd trust your words, anyways! Maybe when you're tied up, I'll be more willing to believe you… I don't trust any of you delinquents. I will have my answers when Yanigihori and Suzuki are defeated, and I know I have the power to never let another innocent person die!" She yelled, choking up for a bit. "… I'm done… being a failure. Not anymore… never again!"

"Ayase, please…" Honoka said, taking a few steps forward. "You're only human… you can't carry a burden like this on your own! Please, let us help you! Let's bury the past and work together! Even if we're not friends, we should at least be friendly to eachother!"

"I told you, I'm not human, not anymore," Eli said with a hiss, her Stand forming around her. But this time, she did not form a helmet, letting them see her clearly. "This is a Stand! This is what lets me become a warrior! Become justice! I'm seizing this uncertain future with my own two hands! This city's future! Your future! My future!"

Honoka got serious.

"Then it’s not a future I want to be a part of!" She yelled,「All Star」appearing next to her.

"H-Honoka! You can't be serious!" Umi exclaimed. She wanted to yell, but overexerting herself with her incomplete Stand made even that sound exhausting.

"You'd fight their battle for them?" Eli asked.

"Y-yeah! Hey, don't fight my fight!" Akeno said, taking a step forward.

"I want to stop this," Honoka said, her fists balled. "You know, this Idol thing… this is the first time I've ever thought more than one step at a time, you know? And here you and Yanigihori-san are, with all these plans… I don't really know what I want," Honoka admitted. "I'd love to just go back to singing and dancing and ignoring all of this Stand stuff and never fighting again… but that's a selfish way of looking at things, isn't it?" She asked Eli, but she did not respond. "So rather… I have a 'new plan.'"

"Do you, now?" Eli asked, skeptical.

Honoka stuck her right first forward. "The first is… I want to 'save the school,'" she said, now extending her pointer finger. "The second is; I want to 'end this conflict with the Arrow Hunters,'" she said, holding up her middle finger now. "And lastly… I want to 'become your friend!'" And with that her ring finger extended, much to everyone else's shock.

"W… what!?" Eli, Umi, and even the delinquents yelled at once.

"You seemed… hurt. I don't know what's happened, but something happened to make you like this! All cold and closing your heart like this… but I don't care what you say, you're still human! And there's a 'human' inside of your that wants to break free! And I want to be her friend! I want to be your friend! I'd like it if all of μ's were your friends, but at the least, I want to help you!" Honoka said, now smiling. "I want… more than anything in the world right now, to help you!"

"… What kind of mockery is this…?" Eli asked, now glaring. She had glared at μ's plenty of times, but in the past, she just looked annoyed. Now? She looked genuinely angry. "How dare… how dare you assume to know anything about me!? What I want, what I need is none of your concern! Who the hell are you to decide if I need friends or not!?"

But Honoka just grinned.

"Just an idiot with a Stand, clearly!" She spoke. "Kousaka Honoka… Age 16, Second Year of Otonokizaka High School, School Idol… and a Stand user that owes her life to you! After all, that guy would've killed me back then if not for you… so I wanna return the favor!"

"What a load of garbage!" Eli yelled, rushing forward and leaping into the air.

"Umi, get away! You two as well!" Honoka yelled. Akeno was ready to protest, but she knew Honoka was serious and begrudgingly left with Miano.

"Be careful, Honoka!" Umi said, getting out of the way. The strings attached from Eli's fingers, slashing against「All Star,」guarding with its arms Honoka winced as she felt the sting on her own arms, but did push on.

"I'm not here to have a big fight with you, Ayase!" Honoka yelled. As Eli charged her Stand delivered a punch that Eli blocked with her right arm, narrowing her eyes as her Stand got stuck. "Just like with Wakaki…"

"My Stand is extremely 'sticky,'" Eli explained, taking the opportunity to slug「All Star」in the gut, earning a cough as Honoka was still immobilized. "I can choose what my Stand's surface sticks to and what it doesn't," she said as「All Star」was able to rip its fist from tis arm. "Some weak Stands just outright can't separate at all. And my strings give me about 20 feet of attack range as well… My Stand allows me to attack up-close and personal and from a close, but comfortable distance!" Honoka gritted her teeth as she and her Stand jumped back. "I only lost against Yoshikawa because I misunderstood his ability, and Wakaki because of that weapon she had… I suppose that's another weakness. Things like his「Blue Slide Park」and Wakaki's 'Red Arrow' that affects Stands of course will affect me too… but when I know all the cards, I'm always on top!"

Honoka didn't say anything, having her Stand vibrate its fist at maximum capacity, before landing a punch. As expected, Eli blocked, but the fist didn't stick, instead almost sliding off Eli's arm. "Aha! I had a feeling!"

"Impressive," Eli complimented. "By 'vibrating' like that, your Stand's punches shake off and don't stick… Your Stand has more tricks than I thought."

"I learned how to make people queasy and sick by accident," Honoka said. "This may sound really silly but… I thought it'd be a fun idea to give myself a massage with my Stand," Honoka admitted. "With its fists vibrating, but I accidentally had it vibrate myself instead. And the power of the vibrations that move on its surface… I'm still learning more and more about「All Star!」And I'm sure I haven't even learned all of my Stand's powers! I'm gonna keep experimenting with the power of 'inducing vibrations' to see just what else I'm capable of!"

"Good for you," Eli said, a string from her right index finger slashing at Honoka's Stand, who caught it. "But it doesn't matter what you do, or how hard you try… because it'll never catch up to my level! The power to transform me into justice itself to seize the future… That is the power of my Stand, 「Dancing on the Ceiling!」" She yelled, rushing forward.

"Things like that don't matter… because I don't really want to fight you! And although I'm sure we'll fight again one day, I'm sure of it… after that, we'll be friends!" She yelled, 「All Star's」right fist vibrating as it collided with Eli's. "And that's THAT!"

Eli jumped back about four yards, glaring. An awkward silence filled the air, before she sighed. "Very well," she said, as her Stand dematerialized. "You win for now, Kousaka Honoka," she declared, her opponents silence. "For the time being, I'll end this fight. But I still won't stop my own endeavors… nor will I stop opposing you all as Stand users!" She said, before turning around. She reached for her bag, taking out her phone. "I'll be waiting for a taxi… you should all leave as well."

Akeno was about to shout something, but Miano stopped her. The president walked away without saying goodbyes or any other acknowledgment, but before lone Hanayo, Rin, and Aya approached; the later carrying Maki, bridal style. "I-Is she OK!?" Honoka asked, looking at her. "M-Maki!"

"The 'Pink and Black Stand' returned," Aya said. "It… pierced her with its arrow," she said, earning gasps from those around. Eli stopped walking for a moment to listen on but soon left. "I tried to stop it, but it overwhelmed me… My Stand really isn't meant for fighting, which was just a fortunate blow I had on Wakaki. We should take her to a hospital. I think… it pierced her through her brain. We can say she hit her head against the corner in my Salon," Aya said, the other girls nodding.

"I guess… that's it for this place…" Rin said, looking around Yoshida Stadium. "This is all so crazy. I still don't know why she wanted us to come here… isn't there other places under construction in this city?" She didn't notice Aya looking down at her shoes and clutching Maki harder.

"We still don't know who Wakaki is working for, either," Hanayo said. "Just that it’s not Yanigihori-san… We have more questions now than when this all started!"

"For now… let's just all rest when we can," Akeno said. "You guys go to the hospital, Miano and I will go back to our headquarters and give updates to the boss… and then let's just all go to sleep." It earned nods from the other girls, who began to make way for Aya's car. First they'd go to Cinderella Beauty Salon, and then they'd call an ambulance from there.

But Aya looked at a door as they walked out, and the symbol on it. The crest of the Yoshida Conglomerate, and the Yoshida clan who ruled it, one of the most recognizable symbols in Japan: an ouroboros, a separate forever devouring its own tail. Inside the ouroboros was the kanji "力," power, and what appeared to be six arrows piercing the serpent. As she laid Maki down in her car she took out her phone, sending out a quick text.

I'll be late to the meeting.

Even though she knew what to expect, it made her chest tighten in anxiety.

You're thankful something else has come up; regarding you as well. We'll meet in seven days. Same time.

But for the children, she put on a brave face.

The next few days moved both quickly and slowly for the girls of μ's, as Maki and Kotori recovered.

Their finals were in five days, but due to their hospitalizations, Maki's and Kotori's were initially postponed by a week. However, Kotori declined the extension. Against all odds she recovered abnormally quickly, after only one night in the hospital, much to the shock of her doctors. And the questioning by the police had little effect either.

"Witnesses claim you fell out of the sky," a policeman had asked. Kotori hated lying, but she knew she could not divulge the secrets of her Stand, even with her mother in the same room.

"I have zero reconciliation," Kotori said. "I just remember I hit my head, and then I woke up in the hospital," she repeated variations of it nearly two dozen times, before policemen finally gave up: technically speaking there was no crime to investigate, despite the odd occurrence.

"Kotori…" Mrs. Minami said with a sigh, hand on her daughter's head. "I can't believe it. They said… they thought you had a fracture on your skull. How can you heal from that overnight?"

"Maybe I just got a guardian angel looking over me," Kotori said with a smile, laughing a bit. "I want to think that…"

Mrs. Minami gave a tired sigh before kissing her daughter's forehead. "We can still delay your exam by about a week. Take a few days at home to rest, you know?" But Kotori shook her head.

"I want to take the exams with the rest of my friends. Besides, doesn't it make problems if someone were to cheat by telling me? I should take it with everyone else!"

"Considering I'm the principal I'd go with a separate example… but OK my love, if that's what you want," she said, as she and Kotori made their way to the car, ready to go home. "Kotori…"

"… Yes, Mama?"

"You did tell the police the truth, right? You don't remember this accident?"

There was a pause. "Of course, mama. Do you believe me?" Kotori lied.

"Of course, I do," Mrs. Minami lied back.

Rin sighed laying on her bed with a sigh, reviewing her books. The exams being in a few days felt so surreal. She had just been in such a major battle, and now it was back to studying. Why couldn't this whole weird adventure have happened in the summer instead? But she sighed, making sure to read on her English, even after summoning「Cat Scratch Fever」besides her. "Ya know… we're probably gonna have more hard adventures, nya, but I'm pretty happy!" She said, rubbing the robot cat behind its ears. And to top it off, she wasn't allergic to her Stand like other cats!

"I don't think I've ever felt this confident or happy," she admitted. "Not about myself, anyways! I'm so happy I met all these people and that I have you now too… so we gotta keep fighting, don't we?" Her Stand purred, as Rin gave it a kiss.

"Alongside Kayochin and everyone else… we're gonna save the school, I just know it!"

Umi sighed as she stood up in bed at four in the morning. How was she supposed to sleep after all that? Did Honoka and Hanayo have this problem? After the fights yesterday, sleep felt like a fantasy to her now. There were fights to be had now, and now she had to participate in them. She and Rin would have to train their pain tolerance so they could properly fight alongside their friends as well. And what then? What would happen when this fight with the Arrow Hunters was over? Would they be able to finally live in peace… or would more fights follow?

She sighed, looking at her hand as she summoned the flower, but did not pull it out. It felt as natural and easy to do as blinking now. But, her Stand was not complete, she knew. And if her Stand was not complete, she couldn't fight on the same level as others. She was a liability, and that was the last thing she refused to be.

She walked out to her window, opening it to let the night air in. "Honoka…" She said to herself, looking up at the moon above. "I don't… want to disappoint you or anyone else…"

"Master, you are perfect as you are, I am sure."

The wind that blew was especially refreshing.

The one thing that was concerning the group, however, was that Maki was unconscious for a full day before waking up. Everyone else who had been pierced by the arrow had simply been unconscious for some moments at most, but this was unusual. Perhaps it was the result of「Hawkwind's」powers, but even after Kotori had gone home Maki was unconscious. Her father and mother had visited, her father seemingly upset she was not taken to the family hospital, but otherwise respectful.

But that was not what the hospital was concerned with. Dr. Nishikino was a highly respected feature in Tokyo's medical community, and they had anticipated his arrival, but that was expected. It was Maki's third arrival of guests, after her friends and family that had truly surprised the staff.

"W-what's that woman doing here!?" One nurse whispered to another. "I-I get Dr. Nishikino, but that woman, seriously!?"

"I-I heard she knew Dr. Nishikino… maybe that's why?" Another nurse asked, as the nurses discussed the matter on their break. "But so close she'd visit a child that isn't her own when they're hospitalized?"

"I'm confused, what's going on?" A third, younger nurse asked. As they said that the woman in question had finished talking to another doctor, making her way to Maki's room. She had been there for nearly an hour, and an off-duty nurse had spread the news quickly.

"Room 402, 402, 402… ah! There you are~" The mysterious woman said, making her way to her room. At 5'7 she was a tall woman, her blond hair tied into a curly ponytail, her curly blond hair making its way to her (well endowed) chest, dressed in white woman's business suit, her tie bearing the insignia of the Yoshida clan as she smiled with her red-painted lips, making her way inside and towards the unconscious girl.

"That's not just any woman! She's the director of the Ministry of Health, Labour, and Welfare!" The first nurse informed the youngest. "The wife of the Yoshida Conglomerate CEO, Yoshida Chichibu!"

"W… why is a woman like that in our hospital!?" The young nurse asked.

"Idiot, can't you tell that's what we're trying to figure out!?" The second nurse scolded. "And more than that… can you believe she's 62!? She doesn't look a day over 45!"

Chichibu smiled as she closed the curtains behind her, making her way to the unconscious Maki. "So, you're Nishikino's daughter, are you~?" Chichibu asked with a smile, setting a briefcase down. "I'm Chichibu. Nice to meet you," she said to the unconscious girl, undoing several locks on her briefcase. "Your father and I go way back… did he ever mention me?" She asked, laughing. "Goodness, I'm so sorry, I'm really just talking to myself right now!" The politician said, putting on a pair of latex gloves she kept in the suitcase. "Truth be told, I've wanted to do this for a while… you know, not many other people in this country could do this so brazenly, right?"

There was a syringe in her briefcase, which she then filled with a liquid of some kind. "Won't kill you right away… but in a day you won't be with us anymore. Tragic, isn't it? Kids like you dying so young?" She asked with a laugh, covering her mouth, taking an alcohol wipe to sterilize a vein. "Anyways, let’s get this…!?" As she moved to make the injection though, something grabbed her, even pushing her back. "W-what the fuck!?" She asked out loud, before covering her mouth. She hoped no nurse or doctor would come by after the outburst- this one death she could cover up easily with her own Stand and connections, but multiple people would be a problem…

She saw a red arm seemingly extending from the unconscious girl, protecting her in her sleep. "A… A Stand…?" Chichibu asked out loud, thinking it over, before grinning.

No.

This was better. She remembered; she was one of those 'School Idols' like her daughter Hibiki.

This was much better than a simple assassination. So much better, as far as Chichibu was concerned.

"Well, you go sleep for now, I guess," she said, grinning as she loomed over her. Even now, all she could see was that bastard and that bitch in the girl's face, and for a brief moment she thought of the Nishikinos, grinning. "You would've been better off with dying in your sleep, all peacefully…" She whispered.

"It won't be for a while I think, but I'm going to make your life a living hell later. Count on it."

She walked away.

"This is falling apart. Akeno and Miano not wanting to fight means we're pretty much done…"

In the floors above Yanigihori's Booze and Food, three girls met up in Yanigihori's room. The Third Years; Yanigihori, Emi, and their trusted confident. "The offensive failed, Jori-chan," Emi said. "They got way too many Stand users. Forcing them into our ranks probably won't work anymore… unless we actually take out Honoka and Eli," she explained. "From the sound of it, she's willing to talk to us…"

"But not to ally, to discuss peace," Yanigihori said, pouring herself sake into a small glass, downing it. "It’s not the same."

"I still think we can win," the Third Year that knew the other two said, pouring herself some sake as well. "They're going to come for us soon… If they come straight for us, we can fight them on our own turf. That counts for something."

"We're all so violent!" Emi said with a laugh, instead taking a sip from an orange juice box. "Ah, but that's the only way we've ever known how to do things, huh? We've never been the kind to politely ask… right?"

"We don't make friends. We make allies, faithful companions… or we crush them. I made the call to crush μ's. It doesn't matter if we had talked… we never would have seen eye-to-eye," Yanigihori said, but there was a twinge of regret in her voice she usually did not have. "For now, though, we have one last assault we can carry out. Takamaki…"

The girl adjusted her glasses. She was a tall girl, muscular much like her boss as well. Her hair was long and straight with a single white dyed streak to identify her, the bangs cut clean over her head.

"I'm stronger than the rest… I think as long as I get the attack in… I should have at least a 78.45% chance of victory," Takamaki reassured. "For each additional combatant though, I think those odds will decrease by at least 12.35% I feel confident, though," she said, reaching into a backpack and taking out a single matryoshka doll, nodding. "When have I ever let you down? I think the mistake was sending these rookies out first. It should've been me from the beginning."

"Even so, hold off, don't attack right away," Yanigihori said, standing up as Takamaki narrowed her eyes.

"Boss…?" Takamaki asked.

"I will make contact with Kousaka Honoka first," she said, much to Emi's and Takamaki's surprise. "I will then tell you whether to attack or not."

"… Well, I'm feeling like a third wheel now," Emi said, standing up. A small aura of power surged around her as if something materialized in her hand. A knife that would be recognized in a few years as a 'zombie knife,' a knife with a massive length of two feet, a thick blade as well that was curved at the end and serrated near the bottom. The handle was wrapped in a green cloth, and green hearts were painted on the blade. "This attack doesn't involve me… oi, I'm getting antsy too, just sitting around like this… so remember; I want some action too soon, alright?"

"Noted, Suzuki."

"Jeez… it’s just Hiijiri-chan here with us, Jori! You can at least lighten up around me!" That just earned her two glares, as she sighed. "Man, I can't ever win…" she said, before 'cutting' the air in front of her, hitting nothing. But a white glow, a white 'cut' remained in the air, one that she widened with her own hands and climbed inside… and then vanished.

"Yanigihori-sama… what good can come from this? Meeting with our enemies?" Takamaki asked, curious.

"I don't know," Yanigihori said, looking out a window. "But for some weird reason, something about that girl really makes me want to try…"

"Elichi, you really should take up their offer to become allies."

"Why aren't you taking my side on this, Nozomi!?"

It was unusually tense in Nozomi's apartment, empty as always, with the exception of the two third years inside. "Because this is irrational… now, the only enemies left are the core three of the Arrow Hunters. The strongest! You might have beaten them before, but like you, they've all likely gotten much stronger… And you know I'll stand beside you. Nine of us versus three of them… Even if they were strangers, it'd make sense!"

"I will grasp the future with my own two hands," Eli said. "They're all amateurs… Not just as Stand users, but as dancers as well!" She slipped out, glaring at Nozomi at noticing her smirk. "S-Stop looking at me like that!"

"You're more childish than you think, Elichi," Nozomi teased, before sighing. "But… at this point, you need to understand. You're not acting on logic anymore. A temporary alliance doesn't even need to be permanent. Now, you're acting purely on your own selfish emotions," Nozomi scolded, now glaring. "We need them, no matter how much you deny it."

"I don't need anybody," Eli spat, glaring over at Nozomi who remained quiet.

"Not even me, Elichi?"

Eli was quiet, but Nozomi smiled. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't ask a question I know the answer to… of course you need me, and you need them," she said, laying out her cards on the table, moving them without touching them. "I read it in the cards… you will embrace your humanity once more, Eli, I'm sure of it."

Eli got her bags and left, not even bothering to say goodbye to her only friend. "Because, they'll help save you, because I can't do it alone," Nozomi said herself, looking at her phone. On her phone she readied an email, sending it out to a Ms. Sonoda Umi.

And Eli stormed off, left to stew in her own thoughts. I don't need them I don't need them I don't need them! A bunch of amateurs in Stands and dancing! They make me ashamed to have been a dancer! All these Idols, even A-RISE! Compared to my opponents, they were nothing! She bitterly thought, stopping to punch a wall, ignoring the looks around her as she walked on. And these people eating up this bullshit on a silver plate, these Idols. What a joke! What an absolute joke!

She paused as she passed by a convenience store, now open for business once more, remembering what had occurred in it four months ago.

After she had been pierced.

Ayase Eli had barely been a Stand user for two weeks.

She didn't give much thought to her powers. She wasn't concerned with a violent lifestyle, after all. At most, she could make strings come out of her fingers to reach for things for away. Her 'reality' was in front of her- she would go to a good college, get her degree, work the 9 to 5 in a respectable job… 'reality' was dull, but it was worth following, unlike 'fantasy.'

What had drawn Eli to the convenience store when she heard a crash, and a scream? She knew she should have just run away and call the police… but something was calling in her. To fight.

She ran inside, seeing a girl slightly younger than her with a helpless clerk. His legs were broken and he was sobbing, but what drew her attention was the golden figure standing in front of the other girl.

"Hey… didn't you hear me?" The girl asked with a grin. "I told you. I was told today, not only do customers 'get everything for free,' but also 'they get all the money in the cash register.' Did I stutter? Or are you calling my friends liars?"

"M-My legs… oh God, my legs! P-please! Take whatever you want! Please please please, just don't hurt me more, please!"

"Oh…? I'm sorry, I haven't cleaned out my ears lately. I guess you're not complying…"

"L-leave him alone!"

Eli didn't know what possessed her to shout, but she did, her Stand forming on her body, invisible to the scared man but making the girl grin.

"Oh my… another Stand user?" The girl asked, dropping the other man. "What's the chances of me bumping into one like this? What's the name? Mine's「Thunder Road!」"

"J… Just leave him alone! I'm… I'm really tough like this!" Eli said, watching the man attempt to crawl away.

"Oh… you wanna protect this guy? You sure you don't wanna rob the store with me?" The girl asked. "Seriously, I'll share… I don't even need any money, I'm rich. I'm just kind of bored and killing time."

"Y-you'll do something like this for fun!?"

"Why not… you got a Stand, too! It grants you incredible power, think of everything you can do! Things you can do that none of these worthless pissants come! Come on, let's be buddies instead, alright?"

But Eli began to charge, and the other girl sighed. "Oh man, what a waste…"

Eli was so strong she sure she could win, but a few minutes later, she found herself beaten and gasping for air on the ground. "J… just let that man go…"

"Oh, even like that, you want to protect him?" The girl asked, smiling as she walked over to the man, who screamed as he tried crawling with his broken legs.

"Save me! Please! Anybody, oh God, save me! PLEASE, SOMEBODY SAVE ME!"

"St… stop!" Eli tried to summon her Stand again, but couldn't. "Just… don't!"

But all she could do was watch in horror as her opponent's Stand stomped on the man's neck, with enough force to decapitate it. "I'm gonna do us a favor and go destroy all the cameras and records now… You should just go now, alright?" She asked. "I'm sure we'll meet again though… remember the name Wakaki, don't sweat it out!"

Eli began to realize something. These Stands were true power, and so was the arrow that had granted to her, Nozomi, and she could only assume Wakaki.

That power couldn't belong in the hands of those who would give someone as wicked as this girl a Stand.

The 'reality' in front of her shifted into something else.

And with it, the 'destiny' she was determined to seize.

But as the days went on, things once again returned to a parody of normalcy. And with it, so came the exams, as well.

"How'd it go?"

Not even ten feet into the Idol Study room, and Honoka was immediately attacked by Umi! And sure enough, all eyes were on her as well! "You should have received all your results by now…" Everyone except Maki, who was staying at home for a few dates and had accepted the extension on her exams was present.

"Oh… yeah…" Honoka said, gulping.

"I'm safe, nya!" Rin said with a laugh. "I got afraid I wouldn't be able to focus in-class with all this Stand stuff, but I did even better than I thought!"

"You didn't screw us over, did you!?" Nico demanded, hands on the table, 「Circus」behind her.

"If you messed this up, I'll spin you into next week!"「Circus」threatened.

"I didn't… I didn't do as well as I'd hoped… but look, everyone!" Honoka's grin returned as she held up her exam: a 53% "It may not be a great grade, but I'm still good!" And with that the grins formed all around the classroom, followed by a cheer as Honoka practically jumped out of the room. "No more hard studying! We had to study our butts off and almost died, but we passed our exam! Now let’s go practice!"

"L-Love Live…. We really have a chance at participating in Love Live!" It was so surreal to Hanayo she didn't know exactly how to react.

"We only have permission to apply, we still need to rank into the top 20 to compete," Umi said with a smile. "But if nothing else… the most major hurdle is out of the way, I think," she said, thinking about the email that was sent to her. Why did Tojo-senpai send that to me, anyways?

Honoka jumped in the hallways, humming to herself as she made her way to the office of Kotori's mother to share the good news, knocking loudly… and surprised at the lack of response. "Hmmm?" She got a little naughty, opening the door slightly without permission.

"You can't do this! Explain this to me!" All the girls could hear Eli's yelling and couldn't help but peer inside.

"I'm sorry, but its already been decided," Mrs. Minami said, her expression calm as she looked at the distraught third year. "Starting next year, it is safe to assume Otonokizaka High School will no longer be accepting students and will be closed."

Honoka gasped. What!?

But as the girls converged outside the Director's office, Aya Tsuji waited outside a man's office. She knew she had no choice but to come to this meeting. Strictly speaking, Cinderella Beauty Salon was no longer her privately owned business. It was owned by these people, and she was compelled to answer their summons.

It didn't make her feel any more at ease when a woman opened the door for her. "The executive director will speak with you now."

Aya remained calm and collected as she headed inside, not even taking a seat as she approached her desk. "My apologies for not being able to make it last week. Something came up… as I'm sure you're aware of."

"Considering the circumstances, I wouldn't be so rude if I were you. This is a severe incident… thankfully though, that's not what I wanted to meet with you about."

Aya's balls flattened into fists. But she still kept a defiant edge around her. "What do you want, Kira… sama?"

Only then did Yoshikage Kira look up from his laptop, looking away from the School Idol Festival website to look at Aya, before turning his laptop to face Aya; surprising her to see it was pulled up to one group's profile.

"You're going to tell me everything you know about the School Idols representing Otonokizaka High School. The Idol Study Club, μ's," he said, not showing a reaction to her shocked reaction. Of all the things to be called in for!

"And yes, Tsuji, especially their Stands. You're going to tell me everything you know about them."

Next time on Honoka's Bizarre Adventure!

Chapter 17: To Omine (Part 1)

Stand profile: ELI AYASE

Stand name: Dancing on the Ceiling

Namesake: Lionel Richie song of the same name

Type: Wearable Stand

Stand cry: "Khoroshooooooooooooooooooooooooo!" as shouted by Eli.

Appearance/Personality: Dancing on the Ceiling materializes as a cyan outfit that materializes over Eli once summoned. This armor appears with yellow streaks on it, notable on its fingers that are completely yellow. While this body completely covers Eli from the mouth down, she can choose if it will cover her entire head: if so, a motorcycle-like helmet will materialize.

Dancing on the Ceiling has no will of its own, or personality.

Abilities:

• Stickiness and strings: Dancing on the Ceiling's powers manifests itself in two ways: by creating wire-like strings under her fingernails (that are allowed to manifest under hole in the fingers of the costume to be released), as well as the power to induce "stickiness" in that the Stand and its strings touches, as well as the armor.
• Stickiness: The armor itself, from the outside, is incredibly sticky. This allows Eli to easily scale buildings and climb walls, able to walk on them with next to no issue using only her feet: although using her fingers will also help with balance. This also makes the Stand, and by extension Eli, rather difficult to attack as well. Often, punches and kicks from Stands will result in the Stand becoming stuck to Eli: making it very hard to pull away to be able to attack again, while Eli keeps the opponent in her attacking range. However, this falls short against ranged attacks, and sufficiently powerful Stands can rip their body away from the armor: although Stand rushes are still incredibly difficult to perform as a result. Eli can choose what sticks to her and what does not: while by default everything sticks to Eli's armor, she can choose for the adhesive covering Dancing on the Ceiling to not affect somebody or something at all.
• Strings: On the offensive front, under each of her ten fingers, there exists a small hole from which (at a maximum) ten-foot-long strings that are completely prehensile and controlled by Eli's command. These can be used like whips: despite their small size they appear to be razor sharp and can easily slash through stones with clean cut. It also appears that Eli can control their sharpness, as she has been seen using it to pick up things and living creatures without harm. These are not actually implanted into objects, and rather sticks to them, as if they were being held down by tape. Clever Stand users noticing these can use this to their advantage to simply tear them down.

As Eli is extremely secretive about her Stand, nobody, not even her must trusted friend Nozomi appears to be aware of the full extent of what Eli is capable of with her Strings.

Stats:

• Destructive Power: A
• Speed: A
• Range: E
• Precision: B
• Durability: C
• Development Potential: D

Stand profile: HONOKA KOUSAKA (Updated)

Stand name: All Star

Namesakes: Smash Mouth song of the same name (primary musical inspiration), The Star tarot, the video games JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: All-Star Battle and Love Live! School Idol Festival ALL STARS

Type: Close-range Stand

Stand cry: "Faitofaitofaitofaitofaito… faito dayo!"

Appearance/Personality: All Star appears as an orange, feminine humanoid figure, standing at approximately 5'7. Upon most joints of its body are black five-pointed Stars. There are stars located on the Stand's stomach, back, shoulder blades, kneecaps, back of each hand, palms, top of each foot, and on the bottom of each foot. Likewise, instead of normal eyes, there are just large pupils in the form of stars. The Stand does not appear to wear clothing, although it has Barbie-like anatomy. It has orange hair similar to that of its user, without a ribbon.

All Star has no sense of personality or sentient will, only expressing itself when shouting its Stand cry.

Abilities:

• Vibration: All Star's ultimate, defining ability is the power to induce vibration. By filling molecules and atoms with Stand energy -or itself-, All Star causes that which it touches (All Star must be touching it). While the full scope of this ability has yet to be discovered by its user, it has already been shown to demonstrate power offensive and defensive ability, vibrating itself with such intensity to the point another Stand could not grab it, as well as vibrating its arm to the point that simply keeping its hand pressed on another object is the equivalent of assaulting its target with a jackhammer. However, the Stand does not appear to be able to be able to use this power when attacking, and must wait until the end of a kick or punch to use its power.

Furthermore, All Star can induce vibrations in what it touches, by vibrating the atoms in a certain way. While the full scope of this power is so far unknown, Honoka can cause an object to go flying, or shake atoms with such intensity the object disintegrates.

• Sickness induction: By shaking an enemy by vibrating their body, Honoka can induce a state of sickness in her enemies. Akin to being a roller coaster, by shaking her enemies into a state that isn't as destructive as causing them to disintegrate, Honoka can temporarily disorient her enemy to hopefully catch them off-guard for a few moments. Furthermore, this ability can be used on enemy Stands as well, ideally by holding onto them: but this leaves All Star wide open for a counter attack.
• Traveling vibration: The vibrations that All Star travels can travel on surfaces. By pressing her hand on the floor, All Star can cause the vibration to travel across that floor to reach a greater distance. While it can't then travel onto a living organism, this means that All Star can essentially destroy walls, ceilings, and floors from a distance as long as its hand is pressed against the ground.

Stats:

• Destructive Power: A
• Speed: A
• Range: D
• Precision: B
• Durability: B
• Development Potential: A

Chapter Text

Minor edits to Chapter 13 have been made, in regards to the name change of Maki's father.

Previously on Honoka's Bizarre Adventure!

This is Nishikino Maki. I've had a… rough few days. A woman named Wakaki attacked me to try to turn me into a bird and kill my friends, and now that I'm recovered, nothing seems right! I was knocked out for a few days, but weird things are happening still. The only thing I love in this school is μ's. I miss Omine. And I… I'm scared, I don't know what's happening anymore…

"J-just like that!? Its gonna close down!?"

It took all of ten seconds for Honoka to barge in, interrupting Eli's and the principal's conversation. "K-Kousaka!?" Eli was about to scold her, but Honoka would have none of it.

"From the looks of it, that is the situation," Kaede said. "The closure of the school seems inevitable except—"

"M-Mama, you never said anything about that!" Kotori replied, with her mother giving a frustrated sigh in return.

"It's a new development. Starting next year, its very likely that Otonokizaka will stop accepting new students. "Except—"

"C-can't you wait a bit!? J-Just give us some time!" Honoka begged. "C-can't you just hold off for a little bit!? Just give us a week! No, two days! We'll figure out something, I promise!"

"… May I finish? Alright, good. The school will close, unless the open campus goes well," Kaede said.

"You mean when the visitors can check out the school?" Kotori asked, to which her mother nodded.

"Middle schoolers will be attending as well, to see if they're interested in Otonokizaka. The school will only close if the open campus doesn't go well," Kaede explained, earning a sigh of relief from Honoka… and a glare from Eli.

"Don't get excited just yet. It's in two weeks from this Sunday; barely any time! And if it does not go well, the situation will be irreparable," Eli said, before facing away. "Rest assured. The Student Council will fix this situation and save this school, Director. I promise. We will give you a list of events we wish to perform during the open campus…"

"I doubt anything I say will stop you. Do as you will, Ayase. But do not over-exert yourself and neglect your studies."

"Excuse me," Eli said, walking out the door, glaring at Honoka as she left; a glare the younger girl returned, before being confronted by Nozomi, who leaned against the wall. "Well? You got something to say, Tojo?"

"And just what will our star Eli do?" Nozomi asked, her armed crossed. Her Stand aura appeared around her, causing a single Tarot card to emerge from her pocket, facing Eli: The Star, inverted. "You know there's no way you can both save this school and deal with Yanigihori… at least, without allies…"

Eli glared at her oldest friend, however. "I'll do exactly what I have to do."

Without another word, she walked off.

When Maki returned to school from several days of recovery, there was no opportunity to simply take things slowly. Even before returning she had been alerted via text by Rin on the situation, and when she returned that Monday morning, it was Honoka who had taken the initiative to hold a meeting before school started to discuss the next course of action.

"I think it's clear- we should have a concert during the open campus!" Honoka suggested, with few objections.

"I think it'd be totally fun to perform for the middle schoolers, nya!" Rin said with a grin, pumping a fist.

"I mean… it would be cool to show how great we are to a whole new generation of highschoolers~" Nico said with a grin, flipping one of her ponytails. I mean, I'm graduating, so I don't really care if there's any underclassmen regardless! But I only got so many chances left to show off as an Idol!

"I just feel so sad… w-we might really not have underclassmen next year…" Hanayo said, dejected at the idea.

"Honestly, I think I'd prefer that," Maki said, before sighing. "But, it is a good idea to hold a concert for the open campus, I'd imagine…"

"I agree as well," Kotori said. "If we can impress the middle schoolers, they'll want to attend Otonokizaka!"

Honoka seemed to be thinking of an idea, opening her mouth and closing it. "Honoka… we don't really have any other ideas, anything you have in mind, you should share," Umi encouraged, earning a sigh from Honoka, who tapped her foot.

"I had a thought… what if… what if we could use our Stands during our performance?"

The group went quiet, staring their unofficial leader in the face. "Our Stands, really?" Nico asked, breaking the silence. "How are we supposed to do that?"

"I mean… normal people can't see them! So maybe… maybe we could use our Stands for cool effects and stuff! What do you girls think?"

Umi was the first to speak. "I don't agree with this idea. What if there were Stand users in the audience we didn't know about? We could be making ourselves known to enemies for all we know!"

Kotori spoke next. "I disagree with you, Umi-chan. Our only enemies are the 'Arrow Hunters' who already know who we are. For all we know, we could attract new members! What if there's middle schooler Stand users who feel afraid because they don't know anyone else with their power? We could approach them and offer to be friends with them, to let them know Otonokizaka has Stand users who will accept them."

"I could make dancing kitties! This is an awesome idea!" Rin said enthusiastically.

"I disagree with the idea as well," Maki said, earning a frown from Rin. "I may not be a Stand user myself, but it still seems risky. We don't know what kind of Stand users are in this city still… there could be more than Yanigihori's gang. It puts us at risk!"

"I… I don't know how to feel. On one hand I know the risk, on the other, I think we could do some amazing effects with our Stands," Hanayo said. "I could go either way…"

"I'm with Koizumi," Nico said. "At the very least though, I don't see what「All Star」and「Sleepy Storm」could do, but I think「Circus,」「Cat Scratch Fever,」「Momoiro Clover,」and「Kaze ni Notte」could all do some cool things for our concert… but at the least our Stands could do some really cool things! But the risks are high too. I'm fine if we do, fine if we don't," she admitted. And with that, the Idol Study Club was more or less deadlocked on this decision.

There was little point in arguing about it more at this point, and the girls of μ's decided to leave it to be for the time being, although the thoughts lingered on their minds all day. At least until it was time for practice, and a new problem came. Umi seemed… distant during practice, moreso than usual.

"Girls, that was perfect!" Honoka said after a particularly intense little session, turning to face her friends. "I think we finally nailed that routine!"

"Goodie!" Kotori said, wiping sweat from her brow. "I think we're gonna be ready in time for the open campus!"

"Are you sure the president won't try to stop our concert?" Maki asked, looking at her friends. "I feel like she's gonna try getting in our way…"

Rin and Hanayo frowned. "We actually saw some of the Student Council earlier today… they actually asked us to perform-" Hanayo said, earning immediate looks from the rest of μ's, causing her to hide behind Rin. "B-but, Ayase-san seemed really annoyed by the idea…" Causing the girls to sigh.

"Regardless… I don't think Ayase will outright tell us to not perform," Kotori said. "All the clubs will have a chance to introduce themselves, and we're a club too. Ayase knows she'd be overstepping her bounds doing that! Then we can show our new song—"

"We're nowhere near ready," Umi interrupted, her look serious. "We're not in-synch."

"… OK… let's do it again then!" Honoka said. And sure enough the girls repeated their dance routine, not aware of just how annoyed Umi looked the whole time. "Perfection~!"

"You finally caught up to my skill level!" Nico said with a devilish grin, and even Maki seemed pretty impressed. Everyone did, except for Umi.

"Not good enough."

"What!?" The girls practically repeated in unison, followed by a groan from Umi.

"I don't think we can do better than that…" She complained.

"I'm sorry, we're just not good enough," Umi said, as she looked at her friends. That was the point Maki got pissed, storming towards her.

"What's not good enough about it!? Come on, tell us!" She demanded.

"It doesn't move me," Umi replied bluntly. "Not in it's current state. And I doubt it'll move others."

"I'm sorry, we should call an end for today," Umi said, sighing as she turned around. "Or at the least, we should begin sparring early."

"… Let's just go home for today," Honoka said, causing everyone to look at her. Not since Nico had joined had they skipped even a day of Stand sparring, even on days they didn't do their Idol training, with the dangerous battles that laid ahead. In truth the girls didn't mind having a day off from fighting, but it seemed unusual for her to call it so suddenly. "Everyone. Let's relax and work hard the next few days, OK?" She said with a smile, the group nodding, wishing to follow Honoka's wishes. Umi began to walk off, dejected as well, only to feel her friend's hand on her shoulder.

"Honoka…"

"Let's go to my place and talk, OK?" Honoka said with a smile, Kotori behind her. "Let's talk about what's really on your mind, Umi."

"… Promise you're not going to laugh at me?"

However, Maki went her own separate ways from the group at that point.

This was frustrating. What was Umi's problem!? They were all improving! It was so sudden, and the worst part was the girls being treated like they weren't good enough, or something! She made her way to the piano room, sighing as she sat down and began play a song that predated μ's; the song that had gotten her involved in all this in the first place.

Cheers for the love!
I'm glad to be here, our present exists right here!
Cheers for the love!
It's only just begun, I'm counting on you again tomorrow, we've yet to reach our goal!

It was a song she had been working on for a while, and while incomplete, she was quite proud of it. It had begun as a song to pass the time, before it had started to become a song she earnestly wanted to see completed. All she wanted to do was take her mind off of things for a bit and not think about μ's, and especially not Umi. And this song? This song was her's.

Smile when you're sad, let's blow it all away!
If you can laugh, the scenery will change, peeking through the clearing weather,
Even when you're unsure, the road leading to happiness,
Comes into view under the blue sky!

At least, if nothing else, this couldn't be taken from her. Unlike things like her future, being with her best friend… if nothing else, this piano was a choice of her's. This was uniquely her's, and even if μ's fell apart and disbanded, this would be her's and nobody could take it away. Even if there was nobody to listen, or nobody to be proud of her.

Maki frowned once more, thinking back to her childhood. She recalled that once in her youth, she had a big piano recital. She remembered how excited she was, to show off just how skilled she really was for the first time to a crowd. And how disappointing it was knowing that neither parent could make it, the two at a party for work. But she shrugged it off: I'm sure Mom really wishes she could come, but that just means I've gotta try even harder for her sake!

Rain falls from time to time but it's harsh without water,
Don't wither, nurture everyone's tree of dreams!

That's what Maki genuinely believed at the time. It was their housekeeper, Ms. Waki, who had instead taken her and cheered and supported her, the elderly woman acting more like a mother to her than her own had. The competitive girl was the smallest in the primary school division: she just knew if she won, she could've made them regret it! They'd never miss another piano recital, ever! They'd regret having never come in the first place…

… But ultimately Maki had placed in second. It was still a major accomplishment for the young girl; she had been mostly playing against 6th graders after all! Her hopes were fairly high even when she showed her reward to her parents, expecting their familial love: "You did so well, Maki! We're so sorry we missed it!" "You'll get it next time! For now, why don't we get ice cream?" "We're so proud of you! Our little princess!"

"I see, you didn't get first place."

Her father's words instantly pierced her heart.

"You're still the smartest girl in your school. That's far more important than playing the piano. As long as you study hard, it doesn't matter if you can't play the piano."

She thought her mother intended for it to cheer her up, but they just deepened the wound her father's words had already made.

"Your test at cram school was enough to make national qualifiers. Rather than linger your mind on this failure, you should take pride in that victory, Maki. It is all the proof you are a more than worthy heir to our family name."

"… F… failure!?"

It was the first time she ever rose her voice at her father, who simply adjusted his glasses as he looked back at her.

"Always remember, Maki… there is 'victory' and there is 'failure.' The world never rewards failure. You are a young girl, but you're old enough to understand this. The path in front of you will be 'arduous' and filled with hardship, I have no intention of simply giving our family's legacy to someone unworthy… take your 'victories' in stride and grow stronger from your 'failure.' This day was a 'failure' for you, while your mother and I achieved 'victory' in the connections we built at the party…"

The fact her mother just listened on, not saying anything, was yet another dagger into her heart.

"Grow stronger, Maki!"

Now!
Cheers for loving you!
With the courage to never give up, let's enjoy the present,
Cheers for loving you!
We can do our best so wave goodbye to yesterday and look forward!

Maki decided to stop doing competitive piano at that point. There was no point if she didn't win first place, after all. Her parents made that incredibly clear to her. But it was still her private passion, something that she could always fall back on for her own enjoyment. And sure enough, because she hadn't given up on music, she was a part of μ's. Because of that, fate had decided she would meet these people…

Maki sighed as she finished her little melody, her reminiscence ending as she decided to stretch… and clearly saw someone near the door, able to make out hair in the window. "… I'm sorry, who's there? Honoka? Rin?" The figure jumped a bit, seemingly trying to hide at that call. "Y-you're not in trouble or anything… were you just listening to that?" With everything that had been going on, it was hard to not be a little paranoid…

"… Yoooo…" The figure said, heading her way in with a nervous laugh. She saw a redheaded girl slightly older than her with a ponytail head in, scratching the back of her head. "Sorry… I just couldn't help but overhear it- what awesome music!"

Maki tilted her head, trying to remember her. She looked familiar. "Y… you're… don't you know Kousaka-senpai?" She asked, the girl's appearance starting to ring a bell.

The girl smiled as she got more comfortable, nodding. "Yup! Nikaido Fumiko at your service!" Fumiko said, giving a warmer smile towards Maki. "And you're… Nishikino Maki, right? One of the new members?"

"Y-yeah, that's me," Maki said with a nod, an awkward tension in the air. She had never been the most sociable person; a girl with few friends growing up, she wasn't used to such… spontaneous conversation. "And you're… I'm sorry, I don't really know much about you," she admitted, a small blush forming as the second year giggled.

"Don't sweat it! I've known Honoka, Umi, and Kotori for like… forever now! I'm usually hanging out with Mika and Hideko though," Fumiko explained, stepping further in. "You're really good at the piano, you know?" She complimented- one of the few people outside μ's to compliment her music skills. It felt… good, truth be told. "I wanted to ask… you write the music, right? Like that START:DASH song?"

"Yeah, that's me," Maki said, starting to ease up a little. "And Sonoda does the lyrics and dance routine, and Minami does our costumes."

"Yeah, had a feeling it'd be like that!" Fumiko said with a grin, leaning against the wall. "I don't know why; it just feels a little awkward to just… ask them that? Like we're all friends, but I've never been that particularly close to Umi and Kotori, and they're the ones closest to Honoka," she went on, as Maki nodded along. She didn't have another friend group outside of μ's and she hadn't really had them in middle school, usually just hanging out and talking with Omine. As silly as it sound, it almost sounded weird to her, the idea that she was seemingly closer to Honoka than a girl who had known her since they were a child. "Not that I mind! We all still get along well, and I know she's really busy with this Idol stuff… man, that's gotta be super hard, huh?"

"Yeah, it's a lot of hard work," Maki admitted. "I'm used to music, but the dancing and training exercise in a bit exhausts you so much at first. It takes a while to get used to it, and then it gets more intense, so just when you get used to it, it gets harder."

"Oh man… I can barely handle constantly having to keep up in Shogi with stronger opponents, so I can understand that," Fumiko said, sympathizing with her.

"You're part of the Shogi Club?"

"Yeah! I know I don't look like it, but it is really fun for me!" Fumiko explained with a smile. "Even though I'm not the best player in the club, it's what I'm usually doing when I'm not hanging out Mika and Hideko! It's so welcoming, almost like a second family… is that what μ's feels for you?" Fumiko asked, catching Maki severely off-guard.

"A-A second family?"

"Yeah! … Er, sorry if that was too sudden, I just got really excited for a second! We can— "

"No, no, it's ok," Maki said, going quiet as she thought about it. There was a feeling with μ's she never felt with anyone else. A warmth, a comfort, and a joy that no longer existed in her own home. She closed her eyes, remembering the battle with Wakaki, how she was transforming into a bird…

"Fight on μ's! Fight on μ's! Fight on μ's! Fight on μ's!"

Maki really felt that if she hadn't met those girls, she would not have been able to withstand or resist「Hawkwind's」call and temptation, letting go of everything and becoming another bird under Wakaki's control. But the things μ's had help her feel had given her strength, determination, and love. And she fought against the evil Stand, with that love that they had given to her. And with that, according to the rest, it had inspired Umi enough to finally awaken her hidden potential and summon a Stand…

Love that was both give and take: the love given to her by μ's, and the love she gave back to μ's in return. Love, like…"

"… A family," Maki said, finally starting to smile. "μ's… Is like a second family to me," she said, happy nobody else except Fumiko was around to hear that, which made the girl applaud.

"I'm so happy for you! For you, Honoka, and everyone else- I hope you all have a super awesome time being Idols!" She complimented and encourage.

"Since you were asking… are you, ah… interested…?"

"Oh, me? Nonono… I have a really, really bad singing voice," Fumiko admitted with a laugh. "I'm pretty bad at dancing and trying to keep in-synch with others instead of competing with them… The Shogi Club is my 'second family' honestly. I don't think I could take on a third! But… I'm really happy you're enjoying your 'second family~'" Fumiko encouraged, Maki's smile still remaining.

"I thought you'd be one of us, to be honest. I remember you being there in the beginning…"

"Oh, I was encouraging and supporting Honoka and the others from the beginning, yeah! I and the others tried really hard to get people to come to the first concert, but…" She frowned at that memory. "I really thought that was gonna be the end of that. But then… ahhh… errr… Koizumi! Koizumi and Hoshizora showed up, and I swear, they saved your group that day!" Fumiko said, with Maki deciding to keep that she had privately listened to the concert to herself. "Ahh… I sorta lost track of the time, sorry! I probably should get going!"

"Wait, hold on," Maki said, taking a step forward right as Fumiko was about to leave. "I wanted to ask… the school. Do you really think we can save the school?"

Fumiko paused. "You know… if it was anyone other than Honoka calling the shots… probably not. I can't see pop music saving a school usually… but, if its Honoka's dream and passion, I'm sure you girls can do it!"

"Why?" Maki asked, curious.

"Well… don't tell her I said this, but Honoka is pretty stupid. This whole idea is so absurd, only she could've started it! And only she could make it take off!" Fumiko began. "Honoka's a dummy who never sees the big picture, she just charges in one day at a time, and she trips and fumbles a lot because of that… but because of that, she'll do things most smart people don't. Because they think about the consequences and likely results, so they quit. But not Honoka. She'll charge forward until she absolutely can't go on anymore! So μ's, you guys, you're the product of that reckless passion, I think! So… she'll carry you all as far as she can, and when she can't, she'll drag you crawling until she just can't move anymore! You're all so lucky to have been united by Honoka… that energy is yours, as long as you're serious about it all. Even if you don't save the school… you'll come far closer to it than Ayase-senpai and the Student Council ever could," Fumiko declared. Maki didn't know what she expected, but certainly not that. "No matter what, you'll all always be able to be proud of what you did!"

"I… thank you," Maki said, still processing it all, surprised as Fumiko approached her. "I'm sorry, weren't you late for something?"

"Yeah, yeah, I gotta go to Shogi, but first… how about we exchange phone numbers?" Fumiko asked, taking out her phone. "We could keep in touch, maybe hang out sometime!"

"H-hang out?" Part of Maki really wanted to reject this and run out, it was both nerve-wracking and a hassle… but in the end, she took out her phone too. "I… I think that could be fun, yes," Maki said, smiling as she gave Fumiko her phone number, and vice versa.

"Awesooooome! Alright, I really gotta go, see you later Nish- Maki-chan! Let's make plans for the mall or something, alight?" She said, smiling as she began speedwalking towards her next destination, waving at her as she left the piano room.

"… W… what just happened?"

It took Maki a little while longer to fully comprehend she just made her first friend outside of μ's and Omine. And she just stood there, stunned, feeling emotions coming over her that she did not quite understand.

And then, it happened.

So caught up she was in her shock she did not even notice the red aura of power forming around her, and was caught immensely off-guard by the piano suddenly being played, and the figure that stood there.

"Ah…"

The name of the piano song was on the tip of her tongue; she had heard it many, many times, and played it just as many times as well. But in the shock of the situation, it did not come to her right away, instead of focusing on the figure.

There sat a feminine figure, dressed in a masculine tuxedo tail jacket, the outside of the jacket being red and inside (and its buttons) being white, as well as a red tie to top it off. The figure wore dress pants as well, also red, and expensive-looking black dress shoes. Maki tried to look at its face, but it was obscured by a mask; half white and half red, with only its left red eye, human-like in its appearance visual, and red hair tied into a ponytail.

"Ah…!"

Maki instantly knew what this was, and her curiosity started giving way to fear and anxiety. Even though she had never seen one, she was sure of it… this was a Stand. What sat at the piano was a Stand, and it was her Stand, she knew. She had already become a casualty of the brutal fights her friends had endured… now, was it her turn to enter the battlefield as well?

"Did you like it?"

When the Stand finished the piece, it stood up, taking a few steps from the piano to look at its master. Maki could also see the Stand wore gloves, also white, but with red sixteenth notes on the back of them. "W… what?"

"Did you enjoy the performance?"

Maki noticed the Stand spoke with her voice.

Maki sprinted home, not knowing what to do. She knew she should have immediately contacted μ's, but in her panic just sprinted home. That was fine too, right? Once she was home, she could take a nap. Nap and just… think about what to do. Call μ's then. For now, though, her head was pounding and she felt like throwing up. Hell, maybe throwing up would make her be able to focus on something other than this terrible anxiety. She just wanted to clear her head- and if no enemies was aware she had a Stand (other than Wakaki), then she was safe for now, right? Even the Arrow Hunters that kept fighting her friends were opposed to her, so… I just need to clear my head… that's all! "Ms. Waki, I'm home!" Maki yelled as she slammed the door behind her, taking deep breaths.

"M-Maki-sama, are you OK?" The elderly housekeeper asked, frowning as she got a look at her. "You're sweating so much… oh, please tell me you're not sick again!"

"I'm fine, honestly. I just… I don't want to be disturbed, alright?" She said. Maki hated treating Ms. Waki like some servant or dismissing her, but at the moment, she exercised the fact she worked for the Nishikinos and made her desires clear. "Please don't bother me unless its mandatory."

"Ah… Well, Ms. Maki, you should know, your father, he—"

"I'm not interested in what Feelgood is up to," Maki said bluntly, narrowing her eyes. "If anything, he's the last person in the world I feel like talking with right now!

"Now, now, is that anyway to speak to her, Maki?"

Maki's blood froze at the sound of her father's voice, having been so distracted by the evens that just transpired she hadn't noticed his presence. "… You're home early."

"Even the hardest workers should relax on occasion, and the paperwork was low. I'll have to leave earlier tomorrow to catch up, but it won't be a hassle," Dr. Feelgood Nishikino replied. A tall man at 6'1, short red hair, and glasses; despite his size he wasn't particularly intimidating naturally, but he had an aura around him that often-made Maki stop dead in her tracks when she thought of speaking to him. "When you inherit the hospital, you may make such luxuries as long as you work hard."

"If I decide to inherit the hospital," Maki shot back, dropping her backpack on the couch. "My future is my own, Feelgood."

"Still doing this first name nonsense with me? How utterly disrespectful," he replied calmly, not showing any cracks in his demeanor. "I raised you better than that."

"Ms. Waki did a better job in most cases," the older woman flushed, leaving the room to work on another chore. Despite it all, Feelgood smirked.

"The way you're talking, it's almost like you've disowned me as your father, Maki."

"I would if I could, Feelgood!" She almost yelled, before stopping, surprised she had actually said that. But still, there was no taking it back now.

But the man still smirked. "It might have been an accident, but I'm pleased to hear that, as I know that's how you truly feel deep down."

"…"

"We Nishikinos are not weak. You have it in you, our 'Nishikino spirit,' something that has driven us for generations. Even in the face of our own families, we must not be weak. You were good to say such an unspeakably terrible thing to me as opposed to hiding it. You're not willing to be pushed around so easily, even from your own father… and alas, until you turn 18, that is what I will remain. My house, my laws, my rules- your life."

Maki just glared back, wishing there was something she could say that would phase him, but she knew there was nothing. In these kinds of battle of wits and venom, nobody could defeat Feelgood. "Even now, you are my absolute pride."

"I hate you."

They were simple words, but powerful ones, and Maki did not stop her glare, feeling her anger boiling. "And I will never forgive you for using me like a chess piece and ripping me away from my best friend for your gain," and with that, she turned away, beginning to head off.

Feelgood chuckled. "And that is all fine by me, as the reality of the situation does not change… except for one thing. Give me your phone, please."

"M-my phone?"

"My house. I'm proud of you, but you're still my daughter… and I pay for this phone as well. You're grounded. You can have it back at the end of the week," Feelgood said.

"W-what if I'm in trouble or something and need to call for help?" Maki asked, a little concerned. Before it would have just been annoying, but with the threat of the Arrow Hunters and Stands. "I… D-dad, it's not safe. I'm sorry for what I said— "

"No, no you're not, and don't pretend to be. It's just my punishment… unless you are hiding something. I don't know the lock or password, so I won't attempt to look at it… unless there's something I should be concerned of?" He didn't even know about her School Idol activities, let alone Stands! And there was no way to relent. At least she could send out an email, but for now, all she could do was set her phone on the table and storm off, slamming the door behind her.

"And still, you make me proud," Feelgood said, taking out a cloth and cleaning his glasses. "No matter how disobedient you become, that disobedience is the result of your spirit refusing to be pushed around…"

And Maki threw herself on her bed, burying her face in her pillow and resisting the urge to scream into it. It was amazing, how quickly a day could go from good, to bad, back to good, and now terrible. At the very least she had the e-mails of her fellow Idols, and she made her way to her laptop to send out something to the rest.

I've been grounded and my dad took my cell phone away. I really can't talk right now. I'll head to school early tomorrow though.

Still though, it was frustrating; and she had no way to get into contact with Fumiko… she could only hope she wouldn't try to text her that night or anything. And with that she returned to her bed, eyes watering as she stared at the ceiling. In her frustration she had even let it slip out of her email that she had a Stand now! Everything was just so garbled at the moment, she didn't know what to do.

Damn him damn him damn him damn him!

She resisted her urge no longer and let out a muffled scream into her pillow, knowing the situation would not change either way. It was like her father said; the reality was that.

And as she lied like that, she thought back to her childhood, to her very first friend.

"Hi there!"

Maki didn't understood why this purple-haired girl had so suddenly approached her. Actually, no, she did. She was the  Nishikino Princess  as so many liked to call her, and she was used to people kissing her ass.

"You play the piano really good!"

"I… thank you?"

That girl smiled.

"Hey, wanna be best friends with me?"

Maki went to sleep dreaming of Omine, and her middle school life, before everything became so terribly complicated. As she drifted to sleep, she remembered she had not written Omine a letter in a few weeks, and made a mental note to write a new letter to her in the morning.

To Omine…

"You want to invite Ayase to train us to dance!?"

That night Honoka had begun a group call between the members of μ's.

"Yeah! Umi says she should teach us how to dance!" Honoka said with a smile into the phone, looking over at Umi and Kotori. "Umi-chan showed us a video… she's actually a really, really amazing dancer! It's making sense to me why her Stand is a part of her now… I bet if we could get her to help train us it'd be a big help!" Honoka said, hoping to get the others on-board.

"But how can we convince her to help us?" Hanayo asked, looking over at Rin, who was sleeping over at Hanayo's house. "She… well… you know…"

"Totally hates our guts!" Rin said, into Hanayo's phone.

"As long as I'm around, there's no need for another third year!" Nico said, 「Circus」nodding behind her. "She's clearly just jealous of us!"

"That's what I thoughttoo, but then I saw it… I started to understand what a talented dancer she is. And… truth be told, I can see why she sees us as amateurs. Why she won't respect our dancing for that. That's why… that's why I think it'll be worth it to have her mentor us, if we can convince her," Umi said, earning a silence.

"Did you hit your head when fighting Wakaki, or something?"

"Excuse me!?"

"Listen up, all of you! This is important… there are 'different kinds' of dancing in the world. 'Ballet dancing' is a world of difference than 'pop dancing!' I've seen Ayase's dancing in the past… and it's a world of difference in skill and rhythm! I can't deny that! However, it's also 'extremely different' from the dancing we do as 'School Idols!' The standards are different, and there are certain things we'll do that Ayase didn't have to… the standards Russia put on Ayase for ballet were sky-high, and she never made it professionally! We, however, are 'climbing the ranks' in the School Idol Festival! That's why she can't stand us!" Nico said, even stunning Umi into silence. "Maybe she is a better dancer than us. That's why she probably hates us so much as Idols… because even if our dancing isn't exactly on the same level as her's, we've made it farther than her! That's why I don't trust her! She won't be able to push aside that jealously while training us I'm sure… She'll just keep being an asshole to us out of jealousy over her own shitty situation instead of helping us evolve!"

"… I…" Umi admittingly hadn't thought of it from that angle, and couldn't think of a direct response.

"I'm opposed to it," Nico said. "She'll try to fuck us over, I'm sure of it."

"I and I just wanna have fun!" Rin said.

"She really scares me…" Hanayo said.

"All valid points…" Umi said, dejected. "I'm… I'm sorry to bother you all with this. I'll— "

"… I still think it could be worth it," Kotori said, finally backing up Umi. "It's true that her being jealous of us like that… kinda makes me a little mad to be honest… but I'm sure if she can put that aside, it'll be a huge boon for us! I think it's worth it, as long as she's willing to treat us fairly!"

"I still think it's a good idea!" Honoka said.

"Are you shitting me!?" Nico yelled into her phone.

"I'm not! I still think… Ayase-senpai is a really talented dancer, and a really talented Stand user too! Even if she's a big jerk to us… as long as we can find 'common ground' and she's willing to genuinely teach us, its worth our while to have her be here!" Honoka reasoned. "Right, Umi?"

"Well… yes…"

"Then I'm on-board! If she's really jealous of us… then we'll have to find a common ground to help break the ice! She was already willing to stop fighting me back at Yoshida Stadium, so we know we can reason with her! It won't hurt to ask… and if she's really intending on hindering us no matter what, we'll stop asking her for help!" Honoka said.

"H-hey! Hold on!" Nico tried to regain control over the situation, only to hear Kotori giggle.

"You know… after all of this, I really want to see her dance in-person now…" Kotori said.

"So do I!" Hanayo said, grinning, much to Rin's surprise.

"Nya, Kayochin changes her opinions so quickly~" Rin teased, earning a blush.

"Alright then… we'll ask her first thing tomorrow morning, then!" Honoka said, standing up.

"Good grief… fine! Don't blame me if it backfires though!" Nico said, hanging up her phone. "Honestly, I don't want to work with that dick…" She said to herself with a groan before plopping onto her bed.

"Honoka, Kotori…" Umi was quiet before looking at her two best friends, both of whom smiled in her direction; still, she didn't feel confident. "Did I make the right decision?"

"I'm sure you did," Honoka said, giving the other girl a hug. "And even if it wasn't… that's how we learn and grow up, right?"

"… You're getting smarter, Honoka," Umi said with a smile, before giving her a hug back.

"Yeah, like look at me! A few months ago I was just a lazy girl, now I'm a kickbutt Idol Stand user!" Honoka said with a big grin, earning a giggle from Kotori. "I even started trying to write lyrics again! Actually, I want you two to take a look!"

"You? Write?" Kotori asked, surprised.

"I… didn't expect that," Umi admitted, earning a huff from Honoka.

"Is it really that hard to believe I want to write a little!?"

"Yes," both girls said in unison, earning an exaggerated cry from Honoka.

"Nobody believes in me…" She sulked, before grinning as she gave them both a piece of paper. "I was working on it all night! Whatcha think?"

"… It's…" Kotori said at first, eyes widening.

"It's…" Umi followed suit, her mouth open.

It's… good!?

It was not only Maki and the rest of μ's who had an odd day, however. For the wielder of「Dancing on the Ceiling,」it had been a less than… savory day after her encounter with Director Minami.

"From this point onwards, the Student Council will operate independently from the faculty to keep this school open," Eli announced to the Student Council at the beginning of their emergency meeting. "We are, at this point, the 'sole hope' remaining between this school and its closure. During the open campus event, we must 'do something' that will attract more middle schoolers to Otonokizaka," Eli announced, standing while everyone else sat. "At this point, there are no good or bad ideas. I am willing to hear any suggestions," Eli said. She noticed two girls were about to say something, but closed their mouths. "Is something wrong?"

"Er, no…"

"We're desperate for ideas. If you have anything, you should say it," Nozomi said.

"Alright…" The girl with short blue hair said, still clearly nervous. "Why don't we plan lots of fun activities for the middle schoolers? Like, the school's history is important and all, but I feel like we've been too stiff! If we can host really fun activities and throw them even outside of the open house, I think it'll help us out a lot!"

Another girl got bolder too. "Yeah! Like a lot of people think our uniforms are really cute, so why don't we show them off?"

"…" Eli was silent.

"Yeah! We should try showing off those things!" The blue-haired member of the Student Council said, getting fired up as she stood up.

"School Idols are pretty popular, right?" The other girl said, not noticing Eli's glare. "What if we used them to promote the school?"

"Don't we have some here at this school?" The blue-haired girl asked. "Ah… μ's?"

"Yeah! What if we got them to perform during the open campus?"

Uh oh… Nozomi thought, noticing Eli's left eye twitch as she closed her eyes.

"Great idea-!"

"Any other suggestions?" Eli asked, bringing an end to the other girls' enthusiasm.

"Other suggestions…?" The other girls repeated, dejected.

"… The alpacas?" One asked.

"… The alpacas?" Eli asked back.

"The alpacas."

"OK," Eli said. "Let's talk about the alpacas."

Eli was now looking at alpacas.

"So… these are it?" She knew of the alpacas, of course, but this had been Eli's first time looking at them close-up. They were cute, but Eli would never admit it.

"Yup! They're really popular with people from other schools too," the blue-haired girl explained with a smile. "The white one is named Lulu, and the brown one is Fufu!"

How can we use them to help promote the school? Even though they're our mascots, I don't know what we can realistically do with them, Eli said, looking at Lulu. Unfortunately, there was an aspect to these to not well known outside the First Years who usually attended to them, and it was that Fufu was known for being extremely jealous and protective of Lulu…

"… Eh?" Was all Eli muttered as she noticed it growling at her.

SPLAT!

It was around that time that Hanayo and Rin, now on duty for changing their water and food, were greeted to the sight of an extremely annoyed and fuming Eli, as three other girls of the Student Council panicked as they tried to use handkerchiefs to wipe the spit off her. "President Ayase…?" Hanayo asked, wanting to see if it was really her, earning a glare from Eli.

"Hoshizora, Koizumi…"

"Oh! You're the School Idols, right!?" One girl asked, clasping her hands together as she approached.

"Y-yes, we are," Hanayo replied.

"What great timing!" Another girl asked. "We were wondering if you could—"

"We have not decided anything yet," Eli interrupted, looking down at the two first years. Her cyan aura of power appeared, 「Dancing on the Ceiling」forming from her neck down. The other two girls did not visibly react, but nonetheless summoned「Momoiro Clover」and「Cat Scratch Fever」in response. The three Stand users stared eachother down, before withdrawing their Stands as quickly as they had summoned them. Nozomi did not visibly react, despite the appearance of the Stands before her.

"There is nothing more to say," Eli said, before turning away. "Come on. We have more important things to focus on…"

"Otonokizaka has a long and proud history, and has long-since played a role in the local neighborhoods, and has even produced several well-known community leaders. Futhermore, Otonokizaka was once a dedicated music school, and its abundance of aspiring artists has created an inspiring atmosphere that persists today…"

Later that night, Eli was practicing her speeches for the open house. She had even gotten her little sister Alisa to get two of her friends to meet up in the Ayase household to listen to her, one of them even being Honoka's younger sister. Eli loved giving speeches, smiling as she practiced her's; not even realizing she had bored Yukiho to sleep. "Futhermore, at Otonokizaka High, we—"

"Oh God, I got so fat!" Yukiho practically screamed as she bolted awake in her chair, looking around. "… Oh, ehehehe, I fell asleep…"

Good to know the entire family is full of idiots, Eli thought bitterly to herself, before sighing and forcing herself to smile. Still, if she had really fallen asleep. "I'm sorry, was it too boring?"

"N-no! It was really interesting, I swear!" Yukiho said, bolting up. "Especially that last part! It was super engrossing!" Yukiho said with a nervous laugh.

Eli kept on smiling though. "Please, I still need to fix it by the day of the open campus, so give me your honest feedback so it'll be the best it can be by then," Eli encouraged. She wasn't lying- even if these Kousakas were all idiots, if nothing else, they were honest.

It was to her surprise that Alisa spoke up first. "I didn't like any of it," she said, sitting up.

"Y-yo, that's way too blunt!" Yukiho said.

"Alisa…" Eli replied, blinking in shock. If nothing else, Alisa usually always supported her…

"Why are you talking about things like that?" Alisa asked.

"Because I don't want the school to close, what do you think?" Eli retorted.

"Then now's not the time for that… there'll be plenty of other times to explain the school's history," Alisa said. "I don't want Otonokizaka to close either, but… Eli, talking about this stuff in particular… is this really what you want to do?"

"W… what I want to do…?"

"What kind of ridiculous question was that, anyways!? What I want to do!? Isn't it clear I'm trying to keep our school from closing!?" Eli ranted to Nozomi the next day, unaware of the bizarre day μ's had as well, stomping around the Student Council's room. "Between this school closing and Yanigihori, I got my hands full! What else am I supposed to do!? I'm talking about what's important, the school's history and why it's important… why does everyone have such a problem with that!? Nobody wants their school to close… and I'm no exception! Can't they see that?"

Nozomi just gave a gentle smile, even as Eli began to have a small meltdown over everything she had been stressing over. "Maybe so… but aren't you trying a little too hard, Elichi?"

"Not you too! I'm on the 'offense' on all fronts! On beating Yanigihori and taking the arrow, and on using whatever methods we need to save the school! Everyone else just keeps giving these… these… absolutely ridiculous suggestions! I'm trying to be serious about this, dammit!"

Nozomi giggled. "I know, I know… You're far too stubborn though. I think a more… relaxed approach to this would work," she said. "The goal is to get middle schoolers to want to stick around. They don't want such a stuffy environment, they want to live in a cool, exciting place… that's what Otonokizaka should be. A place where every student can't wait to get out of bed to attend."

"Not you too…" Eli groaned, before hearing the door knock. "Come on in," She yelled out, surprised to see μ's' Second Years enter, a serious look on their face- even Nozomi's grin disappeared at the sudden appearance. "Do you have news on Yanigihori?" Eli asked once the door was closed, confident that would be the only reason these girls would seek her out.

"This has nothing to do with Yanigihori, the Hunters, or the arrow," Honoka said with a serious look, causing Eli to tilt her head.

"Then why are you wasting my time? Get lost," she said, about to get up and walk through the door, before Honoka took a step forward.

"We want you to be our dance instructor, for μ's!" Honoka said, stunning Eli into silence. "We want… we want to become better dancers, like you! We've seen your dancing skills, Ayase-senpai!"

"H… how… Nozomi!?" She looked over, as Nozomi just smiled, earning a glare and scowl from her best friend. "Damn you, Tojo!"

"Please, Ayase-senpai! We're serious about this… we want to grow as dancers, as Idols!" Honoka said. "I understand Your main priority is Yanigihori… but we want to save this school! And we've decided, with or without your approval, we will perform a concert on the day of the Open House! Nothing short of an enemy Stand will prevent us from performing!" Honoka said, Umi and Kotori silent but nodding along. "And so… we would like you to aid us in our dancing, so that we may be at our top performance on the day of the Open House! So we can represent Otonokizaka as best as we can; because no matter how you feel about us, μ's is a part of Otonokizaka now, and we have no intention of leaving!"

Eli wanted to say many things. She thought of storming out without a word, or rejecting them entirely, but after a minute or so of heavy silence she sighed. "… Alright. I'll teach you."

"… T-that easy!?" Honoka said with surprise, before nodding. "I-I mean, thank you so much, Ayase!"

"Make no mistake. I do not like you. I do not like anything about you. But I can no longer deny the popularity of the Idol Study Club," Eli admitted. "I do not understand why you do what you do, but it is as you say- you represent Otonokizaka, and nothing short of me physically attacking you all will prevent your concert. So, I will instruct you in dance so you can give a performance that won't embarrass us as a school," Eli said. "But, if we're doing this, you will meet my standards, and I am not an easy or forgiving teacher. If I feel you're not serious about this, I will drop you all in an instant. Furthermore, as much as I don't want this school to close, the Arrow Hunters are my priority- as should yours be. If anything related to the arrow occurs, at the very least, I will drop the lesson and anything else to react immediately. Are my terms fair?"

"Super fair! Thank you sososososososo much prez!"

"Do not call me prez."

"A-Ayase-senpai!"

"Better. I will meet you on the rooftops after school for your training," and with that the Second Years departed, and Eli glared at the smirking Nozomi. "You… why? My dancing, why did you send them my dancing!?"

"Why did you record them dancing in the first place?" Nozomi asked, before sitting down. "And let's just say… I did as the cards, as fate told me."

Soon she was alone in the classroom, but she didn't mind, looking at her tarot cards. "Time is running out; the clock is ticking down… It is only a matter of time until my own call to action…"

She looked out the window, levitating one of her cards to shield her from the harsh sun, the card itself being The Fool.

Teacher… How I wish I could return to Egypt to speak with you, who taught me of the power of the Tarot, Nozomi thought, looking out the window. Would you be proud of me? Would you approve of this path I've set on, teacher? Do I understand these cards as you do?

She opened the window, letting the breeze wash in.

I hope I am someone you would be proud of…

"Jesus Christ, you're even worse than I thought you were."

Operation "Train With Eli" was not off to a rousing start. She glared as she watched Rin fall on her butt on the school rooftops.

"Owowowowowww!"

"You're terrible. Are the standards of you School Idols so low you could make it this far like this?" Eli scolded, crossing her arms.

"I'm sorry…" Umi said quietly, as Honoka nodded, Rin complaining more on the ground.

"I was able to dance just fine yesterday, you know!"

"You're failing because of your lack of the fundamentals," Eli said. "Spread your legs, Hoshizora."

"L… like this?"

"Good," Eli said, before pressing down on her back.

"Kyaa! That hurts, Ayase!" Rin complained, looking back.

"You need to be able to press your stomach to the ground with your legs spread like this," Eli said. "Your flexibility is extremely important to a dancer- this is now one of your priorities."

Just thinking about that makes my dick hurt! Rin thought in despair, and nobody else seemed particularly enthusiastic about the idea.

"I knew she was bad news…" Nico muttered. Much to everyone's shock though, Kotori was able to immediately do it.

"Hehehe~"

"Holy shit, Kotori! Nice" Honoka complimented, but Eli remained unimpressed.

"Don't just stand there watching her! Can the rest of you do it!? Don't you want to charm people with your dancing!?"

The rest of the training that came was equally brutal. "Ten more sets of this strength exercise! Remain perfectly still in that pose for ten minutes!" It was one exercise after another pushing the girls of μ's to their limits. In truth the physical strength exercises were a breeze for most except Rin, Umi, and Maki, the first two of which had just begun her own strength exercises as part of her Stand training, and Maki who until now had no need for such intense physical activity. The balancing and stretching exercises, however, took their toll quickly.

Hanayo had been able to hold a pose for nearly seven and a half minutes, before falling down. "Ouch!"

"Kayochin! Are you OK!?" Rin asked as she broke her pose to rush over, and Hanayo tried to reassure her.

"Yeah, don't worry! I just lost my balance," Hanayo assured, as Eli turned away. "Huh?"

"We're done," Eli said, beginning to walk away.

"What's your problem!?" Nico yelled, as Maki also rose an objection.

"You don't have to put it like that! We're not used to these kinds of exercises- give us the chance to improve!" Maki yelled, earning a scoff from Eli.

"I've been judging you all today to make an evaluation. Now do you finally understand how incapable the lot of you are? The school's continued existence depends on the Open Campus. And here I am, wasting my time on you amateurs who clearly cannot get it together. If only you had gotten the memo last time!"

"… Last time?" Honoka asked, stepping forward. "What do you mean… last time!? Ayase!"

"… Hmph. You still don't get it? Your first performance, you were all recorded, and it was uploaded online anonymously…"

"Y… you!?" Honoka asked with a shocked gasp. "W… why did you do it!? If you hate us so much!?"

"I wanted the three of you to see how terrible you were," she said, earning shocked looks from μ's all around. "I was hoping that the lot of you would realize how amateurish you looked on camera… but it backfired! The masses just ate it up! You all ate it up, and now, here we are!" Eli was yelling, ignoring the angry looks given at her from μ's. Even Umi, who had suggested Eli training with them in the first place was becoming visibly upset, and Kotori of all people glared daggers at Eli. "Just continue these routines I've shown you, that's all you need to do. Do that and your performances will likely improve naturally. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have more important things to do."

"「Cirus!」"

Even Eli was caught off-guard as Nico's Automatic Stand materialized, her prehensile whip wrapping around her arm. "So it's a fight you want, Yazawa!?"

"No! I just need her here so I can tell you the fuck off!" Nico yelled, 「Circus」for once not saying anything, but glaring at Eli all the same. "Who the hell do you think you are!? It's one thing if you don't like us, our dancing, hell, our personalities- but who the fuck do you think you are to think you can talk to anyone like that!?" Nico said. "I lead a bunch of trolls on a flame war against μ's before I joined, but even I would never have been so cruel to someone online, let alone their faces!" She scolded. "We've worked hard! We've suffered! We've even physically fought! We have worked hard, and we have given our all's into this! That much is the least you can acknowledge, Ayase!"

Maki remained quiet, covering her mouth as she stepped back. She could really see Nico's Stand. She still had not told the rest of μ's of her discovery, she didn't know how to, but this was her first time seeing the Stand of someone else.

"I'm sorry you never got to be quite as popular as we did, always losing your contests and performances in Russia," Nico spat, her Stand giving a tug of its whip. "But you have no right to say that shit to our junior's faces! Apologize!" It was the first time they had really seen her act like a Third Year, and it came as a bit of a shock to everyone else.

Eli just glared, summoning only the right arm of「Dancing on the Ceiling」and with a single swipe of her arm was more than capable of swatting「Cirus」away. "Tch!"

"… We can't do this without you, Eli-senpai," Honoka yelled out, the rest of the girls going quiet. "And you can't do it without us. One way or another, we have to work together. So, get this out of your system… and come back when you're ready to cooperate with μ's!" Honoka yelled, Eli glancing over at the gall of Honoka to suggest such a thing to her, that she needed their help. Yet nobody else yelled after her, and she stormed off.

But not before noticing the look of shock on Maki's face.

"… Let us continue Ayase's training exercises for now," Umi said. "For the time being, our flexibility is the target. We only have a little over two weeks to prepare for this concert! Even if she won't help us, we have to prepare and train as hard as we can! … Maki, are you OK?"

"… Yeah, I'm fine," Maki said with a sigh. "Just… it's been a long day."

The rest of μ's nodded, hiding their suspicions as well.

Maki wasn't able to bring herself to mention she had developed a Stand, however. And so, when normal practice had ended, she simply walked off on her own, feeling guilty about it. She just didn't know how to tell them, selfish as it may have been. When was the right time to do it? Should she try to call everyone early and explain it before class? Before practice? The usually calm and collected girl was so confused lately, she didn't know what to do…

"Hey! Maki-chan! That you?"

Maki snapped out of it noticing Fumiko smiling, walking over to her. "Hey there!"

"Oh, hello, Nikaido-senpai."

"Oh come on, don't be so formal with me! Fumiko is good enough…" Fumiko said with a smile, walking besides her. "Is ah… listen, I'm sorry if I bothered you last night. I talk a lot when I get excited— "

"What? Oh nonono, you didn't bother me! I ah… I got grounded. My dad took my phone away," Maki reassured, causing Fumiko to sigh with relief.

"Oh, thank God! Sorry, I thought I burned a new friendship the moment it began… er, you're gonna see like eight texts when you get your phone back! No need to read it though, alright?" She assured. "I just really wanted to make sure everything is alright… you seem down. Wanna do something to take your mind off of things? I was about to go meet up with another new friend!"

"I… no. My dad's already mad at me, I shouldn't go anyplace without his permission," Maki said, with Fumiko giving an understanding nod.

"Yeah, I totally get it! I'd do the same if I was grounded too… let's talk alter, ok? I really wanna hang out with you sometime!" Fumiko said with a wave as she headed off in the other direction. Maki couldn't help but smile, her mood somewhat lifted… only to widen her eyes in horror at the look of a purple aura around her. No way!

"Awesome~" Fumiko said, grinning as she looked around her. It was hard to make in the distance, but Maki could clearly see something that resembled small feminine figures with butterfly wings flying towards her, dropping yen coins into her hands. "This is enough for a soda!"

Maki gasped, backing up and nearly screaming as she backed into someone, looking up at the visage of Nozomi Tojo. "T-Tojo-senpai!"

"So, you can see it too? Then you're one of us too…" Nozomi observed, tapping her foot. "I've been keeping an eye on her… She's a very new Stand user. Far too reckless and careless… Someone is enabling her, I think…" Nozomi observed, before smirking at Maki.

"So, why don't you tell me more about her, Nishikino-san?"

Later that evening, as usual, Honoka would go straight home from Otonokizaka to Homura. Am I making the right decision? Can the prez really put aside her distaste of us to work with us? She wondered. She knew that Eli's coaching as a dance instructor would make all the difference in the world to μ's. They had to be in top shape for the Open Campus, and she honestly felt Eli's coaching could get them there.

"Papa! Mama! Yukiho! I'm hoooome!" But for the time being she could relax. She had thankfully gotten little homework that night, so there was time to take a little nap and relax before digging into it.

"Welcome home, dear!" Mrs. Kousaka yelled out. "Oh, Honoka! A friend of yours stopped by earlier! She said it was urgent to speak to you… didn't have your phone number though. Did you make a new friend?"

"A new friend?" Honoka blinked a few times. "Er… what did this girl like?"

Mrs. Kousaka tapped on her foot. "Well, she's an Otonokizaka student so I didn't think anything of it. I can't believe she was your age too… she was a giant! At least six feet tall! Muscular too, with messy blond hair and a scar… Honoka, please tell me you're not mixing up with bad company…"

"I-I'm not! Otonokizaka, over six feet tall… Blond…"

A feeling of dread began to wash over Honoka as she noticed the door to Homura open once more.

"Ah, there she is! Hello!" Mrs. Kousaka greeted. "Did you enjoy the Tokyo Bananas?"

"They were some of the most delicious Tokyo Bananas I've ever eaten, I was hoping to buy more to pass the time… oh, there you are, Kousaka-san."

No way…!

"It's about school and your group, μ's. It's really important we can speak privately, if that's OK, it doesn't have to be here. This is a business, but its still your house, so I'll obey your wishes here…"

Honoka felt her heart skip a beat as she looked up at the unspeakably imposing figure that was Jori Yanigihori.

"However, it is fairly urgent."

"Ahhhh, so sorry I'm late!"

Fumiko laughed a bit as she met up with her new friend at the McDonalds nearest to Otonokizaka, still in her uniform. "I forgot something back at school so I had to run back, how embarrassing!"

"Hey girl, like, don't sweat it at all~" The other girl said with a grin. The girl was taller than Fumiko, and outside of her school uniform- short-shorts, a black tank top with the symbol of a fist on it, and even some sunglasses. "Like, I was actually late myself. Isn't that funny?"

"Yeah!" Fumiko said with a laugh, setting her food down and taking a sip. "I really gotta thank you… you know, I was so scared after that thing with that arrow… then I met you! Honestly, this 'Stand' stuff is really fun! I've been using mine to collect yen coins and stuff. I can only send out twenty on a time, but you know, if I just let them do their thing over time, I can actually get quite a bit of money!"

"Totally! Like… having a Stand is so fun and cool! I use mine to try to find money too… don't tell anyone, alright?" The other girl asked, with Fumiko making a motion to 'zip her lips.' "But like, Stand stuff aside… why don't you tell me about those girls? Those School Idols!"

"Oh, right, μ's! God, I love them… I mean, I've known Honoka, Umi, and Kotori for forever now… but I just became friends with another one of them!"

"… Oh?" Fumiko's friend asked, taking off her sunglasses. "Can you like, tell me a little more about her?"

"Yeah, sure! Her name's Nishikino Maki! She's a First Year… well, I haven't known her for too long so I don't know a lot about her, but she's the one who writes their music! God, being that talented as a First Year, I'm kinda jealous!"

"Yeah… same, to be honest!" The girl said, twirling a finger in her dyed purple streak of hair. "But if you don't know a lot about her… can you like, tell me more about them in general? They're just soooooooooooooo cool, I wanna like, know everything about them!"

Fumiko beamed up, happy that her friends had become so popular! She couldn't wait to tell Maki and Honoka about this! "Sure think, Hiijiri-chan! Whatcha wanna know about them?"

"… Everything, really," Said Hiijiri Takamaki, smiling as she sat her sunglasses down, grinning at her new 'friend.'

"Everything…?"

"Yeah," Takamaki said, making notes about everything that Fumiko told her to report back to Yanigihori. "I want to know everything about them!"

Next time on  Honoka's Bizarre Adventure!

Chapter 18: To Omine (Part 2)

Chapter Text

Previously on  Honoka's Bizarre Adventure!

H-Honoka here! Things are getting really spicy now! Maki got her Stand -I'm not supposed to know that yet but I'm in charge of this recap- and our first training session with Eli was a complete disaster! I never expected Maki and Fumiko would become friends, but I'm really happy they hit it off… but Fumiko's a Stand user talking with the enemy!? And worse than that, Yanigihori is in my home!? What the heck is going on here!?

"Y… Yanigihori Jori…!"

"Kousaka Honoka," was all Yanigihori said at first, before bowing down to her enemy.

Eh!? What's she doing!?

"You have a lovely home. You have my gratitude for being allowed to enter," the bowing girl said, before facing Honoka's mother and doing the same. "Place of business or not, it is my privilege and my honor."

"O-Oh, um, thank you so much!" Mrs. Kousaka said with a smile, returning the bow to be polite, and shooting a look at her elder daughter which caused her to do the same. "Please, there's no need to be so formal; Homura is an old business, but at the end everyone is welcome here…"

"All the more reason to show my gratitude," Yanigihori said, before facing Honoka. "Kousaka-san, can we speak in your room? I'd prefer speaking with you privately; about the Idol Study Club, anyways," Yanigihori said, the true meaning of what she meant realized only to Honoka.

"Yeah… mom, let me and Yanigihori-san talk for a while on our own, OK?" She asked, her mother nodding. She was a bit confused by the situation: but not so much she intervened, much to Honoka's relief.

And so Yanigihori trailed quietly behind her, as the two made their way to the chabudai in Honoka's room: Honoka wasting no time kneeling on one of the cushions, blinking as she saw Yanigihori kneel on the bare floor. "Er… I-I can get you a cushion—"

"I'm already intruding in your home, I couldn't ask for more," Yanigihori said, her face and tone serious. "It is the least an uninvited guest can do."

"I mean… you bought stuff from us, right? So I can't say you're that unwelcome, you're putting food on my table technically…"

Yanigihori chuckled. "I suppose that's one way to think of it. I wasn't lying what I said back there; I love sweets, you see. Tokyo Bananas are my favorite; I haven't had any that good in quite a while."

Honoka beamed with pride. "I'm glad you liked them! You know, I love those a lot too! I actually don't like bean paste so some of our big-ticket items I don't eat a lot, so I love getting a few of those when I can!"

Yanighihori smiled. "You should be proud to be the daughter of such a skilled candy maker. I would hope that should you or your kin inherit this store that it would be in good hands."