[Trial mission of Killer Queen complete]
The system notification sound rang out.
Ryosuke closed his eyes and gently exhaled a breath.
'At last, it was over.'
The endlessly repeating 7:30 to 8:29.
The ceaseless plotting, calculating.
Although his body could, at the moment of waking at 7:30, return to its original state, the mental tension would stack and overlap along with each loop.
Perhaps because he was trapped in such a small child's body, Ryosuke felt an unprecedented fatigue. He only wanted, after returning, to sleep soundly for once.
But he did not choose to return right away.
After confirming with the system, Ryosuke could still stay within the range of Morioh Town for a short period of time.
Since it was a rare trip, Ryosuke had a few thoughts he wanted to try.
Ryosuke walked up to old Joseph.
After that brief moment of high spirit, this old man's eyes once again grew murky, his flying hair sagged down on his head again, and his body slowly bent back into a hunch.
He forced out a smile, his eyes still carrying some wisdom, carefully looked at Ryosuke, and asked the question pressed down in his heart, "Have we… seen each other somewhere before?"
"Probably not." Ryosuke answered truthfully.
Before coming to Morioh, the only encounter between Ryosuke and Joseph was during the Star Platinum trial action.
At that time Joseph was in an unconscious state, maybe in a haze he caught a glimpse of Ryosuke.
"This must be déjà vu, as if in another world, we once fought side by side. That's why, when you shouted for me to ride the motorcycle, I didn't hesitate too much."
Beside him, Jotaro suspiciously asked, "Wasn't it because he called himself 'Caesar' that you went along?"
Joseph lightly knocked his head, unhappily saying, "I haven't grown senile to that degree yet."
Ryosuke chuckled softly.
Thinking back to the motorcycle, Joseph even shouted "Stroheim's army," clearly truly believing that his old comrade from the fierce battle with Kars had returned.
But he did not expose Joseph.
Perhaps… just as Joseph said, Ryosuke's battle with Dio in Cairo had happened in a parallel world.
With small talk ending here, Ryosuke asked the key question for why he chose to stay.
"Joseph, Jotaro, I want to borrow something from you."
"What thing?" Jotaro asked.
"The Aja Red Stone."
At these words, both Jotaro and Joseph's expressions grew slightly heavy.
The Aja Red Stone was the core material for Kars to evolve into the Ultimate Life Form.
After Kars disappeared from Earth, in order to prevent any remaining Pillar Men, the Aja Red Stone was sealed in the SPW Foundation's safe and never taken out again.
Before, they even thought Ryosuke's so-called "Kars' return" was just a joke for resisting Yoshikage Kira.
Both of them instinctively looked up at the sky.
With aerospace technology growing more and more advanced, could Kars… really be coming back?
Seeing their expressions change, Ryosuke waved his hand and said, "It has nothing to do with Kars, I just want to take a look."
Items from within the trial space could not be brought back. Even if Ryosuke really wanted to keep the treasure for himself, it would be impossible.
But while things couldn't be taken back, experience and memory could.
The Aja Red Stone was a Ripple amplifier, also the key to life form evolution.
If drawn from the system, at minimum it would be a five-star item, and not even guaranteed to appear.
Being able to experience it for free, perhaps for Ryosuke's next stage of improvement, might provide guidance.
Jotaro and Joseph exchanged a glance, and in the end slowly nodded.
Between men, communication didn't require too many words or too much time. The brilliance of souls that burst forth fighting side by side at the line of life and death most revealed a man's true quality.
———
Two hours later, a solid safe one and a half men tall appeared in front of Ryosuke.
After Jotaro and Joseph's dual fingerprint authentication, the safe slowly opened.
Josuke and the others had not left. Hearing that there was a "world-saving" gem to see, they all stayed behind to wait. As the safe opened, one head after another leaned in.
A crimson gemstone revealed itself in the sunlight, radiating dazzling brilliance.
"This looks way too good." Josuke subconsciously muttered.
"Yeah yeah." Okuyasu said.
Rohan Kishibe had already pulled out a pen and his notebook, and under the instinct of a manga artist, began a quick sketch of the Aja Red Stone, softly saying, "In the sunlight, it's simply like a passionate, dignified lady."
"Yeah yeah." Okuyasu said.
After everyone admired it, Ryosuke nodded at Jotaro and reached out to hold the Aja Red Stone.
It felt warm to the touch. For ordinary people, besides ornamental value, the Aja Red Stone had no other use. Only,
Strands of fine Ripple appeared in Ryosuke's palm, flowing into the Aja Red Stone. In an instant, the Aja Red Stone shone in dazzling red light under the sun, surging Ripple power bursting forth dozens of times more than before.
Ryosuke absorbed all the surging Ripple into his body, using the three-stage Ripple control technique, carefully comprehending it.
After a long time, he slowly opened his eyes.
"So… that's how it is."
The Aja Red Stone could magnify and condense Ripple or sunlight energy by hundreds and thousands of times.
Whether used on the Stone Mask or simply for releasing Ripple, it could produce tremendous amplification.
But all energy does not appear out of nowhere.
The Aja Red Stone's amplification of Ripple and solar energy, at its root, the energy still came from the "world."
Just like the Dragon-Serpent Pearl that absorbed natural energy, only its effect would be even more pronounced.
'Dragon-Serpent Pearl, absorbs natural energy, amplifies Senjutsu.'
'Aja Red Stone, absorbs solar energy, amplifies Ripple.'
'And, as long as one absorbs both in the appropriate way, both can achieve 'evolution' of the body.'
Ryosuke looked at the Aja Red Stone in his hand.
He really wanted to take this gem back, to try what effect the Dragon-Serpent Pearl and the Aja Red Stone would have when used together.
'Could it truly break through the limits of humanity, reach the realm of Kars, or perhaps… something even stronger?'
Ryosuke stopped thinking.
Fantasy was meaningless. This experience had already given Ryosuke a different direction for improvement, and that was the greatest gain.
He returned the Aja Red Stone to Jotaro.
"Thank you."
Seemingly rough and simple, Jotaro was actually very sensitive to others' emotions. In Ryosuke's eyes he saw longing. "I thought you would try to take it."
Ryosuke smiled and said, "It doesn't belong to me right now."
Jotaro heard the meaning behind this sentence, slightly frowned, and had a guess in his heart, "Could it be that you…"
Ryosuke shook his head, signaling Jotaro not to continue.
He had thought about whether to give some reminders, like about Father Pucci's plotting, or the fate of Giorno Giovanna, but considering the "fate" within the JoJo series, Ryosuke's reminders might instead become new fuses.
Just as Joseph said.
Everything was only parallel worlds, lingering déjà vu in the heart.
Ryosuke patted Jotaro's arm and said, "Practice more at Time Stop, just take it as fitness."
His gaze swept over everyone's faces one by one.
"Goodbye, everyone, take care."
[Killer Queen trial stage complete]
[Unlocked: Killer Queen: Bites the Dust]
═❀═❀═❀═❀═❀═❀═
patreon.com/XenosX
🥳Joining Patreon keeps me motivated and eager to work diligently, so please consider joining.🥰