Chapter 226. An Actor Must Risk Their Life
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What was the first thing he felt?
Darkness.
When Kakyoin Noriaki donned the full-dive headset, immersing his consciousness into the script's world, that was the sensation he felt.
A sense of his awareness dissipating, accompanied by a fear that his very life was slipping away.
But Kakyoin Noriaki understood—this was merely an illusion of his own making.
It was like how they had subconsciously begun to consider the "self" in the script as their real self.
With Pucci's repeated hints, he understood that the "self" in the script world referred to him, without any chance of victory; thus, he began to resist entering this script world.
If he didn't enter, if he refused to act, then time in the script world would freeze right before Kakyoin took action.
In doing so, the version of him within the script world would never have to face DIO, an enemy he could never defeat.
But that was not what Kakyoin Noriaki wanted!
In fact, hearing Pucci's grave warning only solidified Kakyoin's determination to step into the script world; he was fully aware of what he was doing.
He understood the reason for this fear.
But precisely because he understood—understood the feelings the "self" in the script world held—Kakyoin could not back down!
"Every time Kakyoin sees his Stand, [Hierophant Green], he recalls the past…"
"Ever since I was young, I thought, in a small town, one would meet many people. But for the average person, how many true friends do they meet in a lifetime?"
"A class contact list is filled with friends' names and numbers, probably fifty or a hundred people."
"Mom has Dad, and Dad has Mom, but I am different!"
"Those people on TV and rock stars surely have thousands who want to be with them. But I am different!"
"I may never meet a true friend in my life, because no one can see [Hierophant Green]. How can I share my heart with those who can't see it?"
This is Kakyoin's inner monologue in "Stardust Crusaders", when he decides to battle DIO, hoping to probe the Stand ability of [The World].
Born with the ability to wield a Stand, Kakyoin had this power since childhood. He was like Clark Kent in Metropolis—acutely aware of his uniqueness, yet, bound by the knowledge he learned growing up, he feared his own strangeness.
Even those who cared for him, like his parents and teachers, could not understand why he was different, leaving an invisible chasm between them and Kakyoin, forging his early years of loneliness.
"Until I met Mr. Joestar, Jotaro, Polnareff, and Avdol, I always thought this way."
"So why does thinking of Avdol and Iggy make my spine tingle?"
"Because they're the first kindred spirits I've ever met! In this journey, where we're united to defeat DIO, even though it's only been a short while, they're my true companions!"
A lonely person finally found companions he could trust with his life, only to lose two of them in a matter of days.
And if he didn't act, that number could continue to rise!?
When this truth was presented before Kakyoin in the script, he made up his mind.
Fully immersed in his role, Kakyoin Noriaki, as he stood on the roof of a building in Cairo, felt the wind blowing through his hair, sweeping away the darkness within him, and looked resolutely at the approaching DIO!
This time, he would not lose again!
…
"Bucciarati, should we remind Director Pucci?"
Abbacchio discreetly nudged Bucciarati's shoulder and whispered.
Because of Giorno—and that promise between Giorno and Cujoh Jolyne—even though Pucci had just introduced Shinbo Akiyuki to Abbacchio, a potential ally, they were bound by "Fate/stay night"'s strict casting.
After getting used to the chosen actors Pucci provided, working with other regular actors felt… uninspiring.
It was like being used to a smartphone, then trying to go back to a clunky phone from over twenty years ago with no internet connection.
Since they were already near Green Dolphin Studio, the Passione crew, who, after witnessing the heartbreaking scene of Avdol and Iggy's sacrifice in "Stardust Crusaders", were even warming up to the allure of acting under Green Dolphin Studio.
Naturally, they found themselves here instead of back at their original hotel, eager for this pilgrimage to the holy ground for fans of JoJo's Bizarre Adventure.
And since they were already here, invited as special guests, Abbacchio and the others were quickly summoned, given the rare privilege of watching an early preview of "Stardust Crusaders" latest episode—something usually reserved for cast and crew only.
Caught up in the atmosphere, Abbacchio, who was already curious about how "Stardust Crusaders" was filmed, noticed something odd.
On the screen, rather than "acting," Kakyoin and DIO appeared to be genuinely risking their lives, as though they wanted to kill each other!
As a mafia member, Abbacchio certainly knew a real fight when he saw one.
"Shh, don't worry," Bucciarati whispered, seeing that the others hadn't noticed.
Or rather, that Abbacchio's reaction hadn't affected the cast's focus. "I don't know the details about full-dive filming, but as long as neither Director Pucci nor Director Shinbo has called it off, this must be what full-dive filming looks like."
Uh… probably…