Chapter 94.
The group continued their ruthless rounds of Daifugo.
Relegated to the sofa, Erina had completely shed her aristocratic disguise. Stripped of her 'Tycoon' status and entirely bankrupt of chips, she lay draped across the cushions like a salted fish, devoid of her usual Queenly demeanor.
She watched Hisako excitedly slam down cards.
I never realized Hisako was such a card shark.
Erina thought, mildly envious but far too proud to ask her secretary for a loan.
Boredom setting in, Erina's gaze drifted to the lower shelf of the coffee table. A thick stack of papers rested there. Curious, she leaned over and pulled the top sheet free.
It looked like a manga cover.
Erina froze.
What on earth is this art style?
It wasn't poorly drawn, per se. It was simply a style Erina—who secretly harbored a deep, embarrassing love for delicate, romantic shoujo manga—had never encountered.
It was rough. Savage. Unapologetically wild.
The title read: JoJo's Bizarre Adventure.
There was no signature.
Erina glanced from the hyper-muscular, aggressively masculine figures on the page over to Shijun. The young man was currently shuffling the deck, completely oblivious. There was a faint, absurd resemblance, though Shijun's build was far leaner and much more refined than the hulking titans on the paper.
Did this guy draw this?
Rather than interrupt her losing streak with questions, she decided to read it. She fully expected the story to be a disjointed, amateurish mess. She planned to memorize the plot holes, wait for the game to end, and ruthlessly mock him for it. It would be a sweet, petty revenge for her Daifugo humiliation.
Pushing past her initial discomfort with the bold art style, she began to read.
Shijun, casually dealing the next hand, noticed her engrossed in the pages but didn't say anything. The System had inexplicably deposited the original manuscript of Phantom Blood under the table as a sign-in reward, entirely unsigned. He knew the art style was jarring—he had felt the same way in his previous life before realizing it was an absolute masterpiece. He didn't mind her reading it; he was currently too busy dominating the card table to care.
Time slipped by.
To her profound shock, Erina was entirely captivated. The story of Phantom Blood was straightforward but gripping: Jonathan Joestar, his treacherous adopted brother Dio Brando, the mysterious Stone Mask, the vampiric betrayal, and the mystical Ripple energy.
She didn't know it was merely the first part of a sprawling epic.
So, when she reached the final pages, a strangled gasp escaped her lips.
What kind of garbage plot twist is this?! Why did the protagonist die?!
Tears actually pricked Erina's eyes.
Jonathan's dying resolve—his unwavering dedication to being a true gentleman, facing impossible odds with absolute courage—had genuinely moved her.
And then, right after defeating the villain and marrying the woman he loved... he just died?! Needlessly slaughtered by a bastard author's cruel pen?!
"Shijun!"
Erina slammed the manuscript onto the table and shot up from the sofa. Her eyes blazed with homicidal fury as she glared daggers at the young chef.
Shijun blinked, holding a pair of Kings.
What are you doing? Can't you see I'm having a great time? And why do you look like you want to eat me alive?
"Did you draw this?!"
Erina demanded, her voice trembling with indignant rage.
Shijun hesitated. Since JoJo didn't exist in this world and the System hadn't provided an author, he really had no choice but to claim the copyright. He nodded.
"Wait, Shijun draws manga too?"
Megumi gasped, her eyes widening.
"Isn't he a chef?"
Hisako looked utterly confused. The two skill sets seemed entirely unrelated.
Ryoko didn't speak, but her expression mirrored the collective shock.
"No way! A chef who draws manga? Let me see!"
Yuki practically threw her cards down, rushing over to Erina to snatch the manuscript. She had been curious about what was keeping the Ice Queen so quiet. Seeing the bold, hardline art style, Yuki was instantly mesmerized. She had always loved intense action manga.
Erina ignored Yuki entirely, keeping her furious gaze locked on Shijun.
"Why did you kill off the protagonist at the end?!"
Shijun finally understood. The girl was throwing a tantrum over Jonathan Joestar's death.
Is that my fault?! Go yell at Hirohiko Araki!
Shijun thought, exasperated by her brain circuitry.
But, since he had just accepted the mantle of a glorious mangaka, he had to defend his work.
He raised an eyebrow, offering a scoff of pure disdain.
"Who told you the story was over?"
"You literally killed off the main character! How is it not over?!"
Erina glared at him, a mix of anger and sheer frustration boiling over. She thought his storytelling was a catastrophic failure. The build-up was flawless, but the ending ruined everything.
"Please." Shijun sneered, looking at her as if she were a terribly uncultured child. "Jonathan is dead, but doesn't he have a pregnant wife? Won't he have a son? A grandson? This manga is a generational epic about an entire bloodline."
"There's—there's more?" Erina's anger faltered, replaced instantly by disbelief and an overwhelming, desperate anticipation. "Then why aren't you showing me the rest?!"