Jotaro walked slowly through the deep underground passageways of Prague. The labyrinthine structure built by the Council of Sorceries was vast and imposing, its sheer size and grandeur rivaling the castle where he had once fought that succubus chick. Memories of that fight flickered briefly in his mind, but he shook them off.
This place, however, was freezing. Even with his thick jacket and sturdy pants, the cold bit through the layers, and he could feel it creeping into his bones. He exhaled, watching his breath materialize in the air before him as a fine mist.
After splitting into groups and determining who would handle what, Jotaro and the others had been transported by the White Rabbit directly into the building, in a zone safe from the surrounding radiation. It was evident that the entire structure had been meticulously fortified.
A barrier had been erected to envelop the place and protect it from the outside. SubLuka mentioned it was likely created by Desmond, but for an unknown purpose. What was he afraid of in a world where everything was dead?
Besides them of course.
After a few minutes, Jotaro arrived at the easternmost Reactor. SubLuka had said it was situated inside a laboratory of sorts. A place where the weapons were created, supposedly. After all, the man didn't have an exact map of the place. He only worked with the memories he had of when he raided the place to save a friend.
The reactor reassembled nothing like he had ever seen before. It was a tube encased in a thick layer of glass where runes were carved, and turbines were running constantly, creating a soft sound of displaced air.
Jotaro exhaled slowly, the mist of his breath catching the light of the glowing runes. "So this is the heart of it," he murmured. SubLuka's vague description hadn't done it justice. It looked like a miniature nuclear reactor and just the vibe he got from it told him it was best not to touch it.
Now, all he had to do was put the talisman on it. He pulled it out of his jacket and glued it on the glass. As long as it was near it, it was fine according to him.
"It went better than expected," Jotaro said as he looked around. The place was silent, with no one in sight. He thought that the reactor might have been guarded, but his worries were perhaps unnecessary.
As he turned to leave, a low ruffling sound made him pause. When he looked back at the reactor, he saw that the talisman on it was gone.
"What?" he muttered in disbelief. He scanned the ground around the reactor, thinking it might have slipped off, but the space was empty.
Cautiously, he stepped closer, his instincts screaming that something wasn't right. He heard another sound to his right, which made him turn around quickly and throw his stand at it.
"Ora!" Star Platinum roared and breached the wall to his right, sending debris and dust flying everywhere. Soon, he heard another critter to his left and punched as well, blowing away the glass door leading to the room.
"Who is there?" He shouted, but no one answered.
However, the little sounds didn't stop. With his frustration boiling, he decided he needed time to observe what was going on.
As soon as he heard another sound, he cried. "Star Platinum: The world!" and time stopped.
He looked at where the sound came from and his eyes went wide to scan the area with the help of his stand.
"There!"
Through the jagged cracks in the wall, a pair of glowing, inhuman eyes stared back at him. They were unnaturally wide, their pupils thin slits, gleaming like molten gold in the dim light. The figure beyond the wall shifted slightly, its movements unnatural, almost liquid in nature.
Jotaro narrowed his eyes. Whatever it was, it wasn't human—and it had his talisman.
Without hesitation, Star Platinum lunged forward. "ORA!" The stand's fist slammed into the wall with immense force, sending chunks of concrete flying.
However, upon entering into contact with the creature's body, a pudge of blue slime exploded and was sent everywhere. On the wall, the talisman it had stolen became stuck thanks to the sticky texture.
Jotaro glared at the blue slime splattered across the room, his expression twisting with a mix of confusion and irritation. "What the hell is this?" he muttered, brushing furiously at his jacket to remove the sticky gunk. It clung stubbornly to the fabric, refusing to let go.
Star Platinum hovered beside him, its own hand coated in the slime from the force of its punch. The creature, or whatever it had been, was gone, leaving only this viscous residue and the talisman now stuck to the wall.
Time began to move again.
Cautiously, Jotaro stepped closer to the talisman. The slime on it pulsed faintly, as if alive. It had an almost organic quality, bubbling slightly in response to his proximity.
Using his stand, he chirurgically removed the talisman from the creature. But as soon as he removed it, the sticky slime reacted violently. It lashed out like a whip, a tendril snapping toward him.
"Ora!" Star Platinum intercepted it with lightning speed. The tendril of slime splattered against the ground with a wet smack, writhing for a moment before lying still. Jotaro's sharp eyes stayed locked on the remnants, his stance guarded. Whatever this thing was, it wasn't going down without a fight.
He examined the talisman now clutched in Star Platinum's hand. The once-pristine paper was slightly stained with the creature's residue, but its magic seemed intact. That was a relief, at least.
However, his relief was short-lived as more slime seemed to come from the ground, slowly turning the room into a puddle of slime. It reached about halfway to his shoes, and he growled as it continued to go up.
"Tch, it's ruining my shoes," The slime wasn't slowing down, thickening and spreading as it bubbled ominously. Jotaro clicked his tongue in irritation, glancing around the room for an escape route. "Star Platinum!"
The stand materialized instantly, its powerful hands grasping Jotaro by the shoulders and lifting him clear of the encroaching muck. With effortless strength, Star Platinum leaped to the nearest clear surface—a sturdy metal table in the next room, setting Jotaro down without breaking stride.
Safely perched, Jotaro watched the slime surge after him, spilling through the door like a living flood.
A figure in the middle of the pool surfaced, a woman figure with a red jewel on her head, a stern look on her face. She wasn't mentioned by the White Rabbit and Jotaro too now wanted to give a swing at her for missing that vital part of information.
"You look like that blue slime that follows the three idiots," he said, examining his new enemy. "Who are you?"
"Erubetie…" the slime answered, its expression looking distant and evasive. "I must protect the reactor," she said in a monotonous voice.
"Great, you're one of those monster chicks. I'm in luck, I wanted to punch one of you but couldn't until now."
With a swift leg movement from Star Platinum, he kicked the table toward her. It collided with the blue slime and she absorbed the shock with ease. However, the distraction was enough.
In an instant, Jotaro dashed into the next room, his feet skimming across the floor as he rapidly calculated his next move. The moment his feet hit the ground, he felt a subtle shift. The slime at his feet began to harden and twist, forming into jagged spikes that shot towards him with terrifying speed.
With lightning reflexes, Star Platinum lunged forward, blocking the spikes with precision. The stand's fists collided with each spike, shattering them with force, reducing them to harmless splinters.
He then launched his own series of punches against Erubetie, but she looked unfazed by the brute strength of his stand. With an understanding nod, he retreated and took a safe footing on another high-up place.
It was an odd way to fight, he thought. She wasn't charging him head-on, but rather slowly, methodically, cornering him. The slime's steady growth made him feel increasingly trapped with each passing second. It wasn't just a simple battle of strength—he was being suffocated by her slow but inevitable advance.
Jotaro glanced at the reactor in the distance, remembering his mission. He couldn't let this fight drag on too long.
A video game he had played not long ago gave him an idea. After his grandpa mocked him for never having played a video game before his fight against D'Arby, he was forced to play with him at some games.
One of them was an RPG game that contained slime monsters in it. They were early monsters that could be easily defeated but on top of that, they had one weakness: Ice.
He especially remembered that because those damned creatures reminded him of Yellow
Temperance.
The only problem was, how could he make ice? Star Platinum could punch fast, but it wasn't capable of generating the kind of freezing temperatures needed to turn the slime to ice. He needed something else, something external.
He looked around the room, his eyes scanning the reactor and the equipment scattered about. The reactor itself wasn't useful in its current state—it was too far away to be manipulated directly. But the room was filled with various technological devices, and somewhere, there had to be something he could use to trigger a temperature drop. His stand could manipulate objects with precision, so he just needed the right tool.
Then it clicked.
A cooling unit! He spotted a massive industrial air conditioning system mounted along one of the walls. It was connected to a series of pipes, most likely designed to keep the room at a controlled temperature. If he could access the unit, he might be able to manipulate it to create a freezing cold wind that would counteract the slime's spread.
"I see you want to swallow me with your slime, huh?" Jotaro teased, a grin spreading over his face.
"I must protect the reactor," Erubetie answered like a doll.
"Then I hope you like that, because you will protect it for a while!" Jotaro shouted as he readjusted his cap. "Star Platinum: The world!" The stand appeared stood behind him and stopped time.
With the precision only Star Platinum could provide, Jotaro leapt toward the industrial cooling system. Moving in the frozen timestream, the stand tore through the metal casing with ease, revealing a network of pipes and valves. Frosty vapor hissed out as Star Platinum expertly manipulated the system, redirecting the flow of refrigerant to unleash an intense, localized cold burst.
When the world resumed, the effects were immediate. A deafening roar of freezing air blasted out, the temperature in the room plummeting in an instant. The slime reacted violently, its once-fluid surface crystallizing and hardening under the freezing cold.
Erubetie, at the core of the mass, visibly faltered. Her movements slowed, and her stoic expression twisted into something resembling frustration—or perhaps pain.
"Looks like you're not as invincible as you thought," his smirk widened as Star Platinum's devastating punch shattered the frozen slime and cracked the very foundation of the floor beneath them. The laboratory quaked violently, a thunderous rumble echoing through the room as the floor began to split wide open.
The break in the ground spread rapidly, snaking toward Erubetie. The frozen slime encasing her provided no aid—her slowed reactions and rigid form left her vulnerable.
The break in the ground spread rapidly, snaking toward Erubetie. The frozen slime encasing her provided no aid—her slowed reactions and rigid form left her vulnerable.
With a sharp, brittle snap, the floor finally collapsed, taking Erubetie and the remaining slime mass with it. She fell into the dark abyss below, way down in the underground facility, her monotone voice echoing faintly as she landed down there.
Jotaro landed deftly on a stable section of the floor, watching as the wreckage settled. "Now that that's settled, let's hope the others won't have as much trouble."
On the upper level of the basement, Wrimbo sprinted at full speed, his senses tuned to their peak. The faint presence of magic reverberated through the corridors, guiding him like a beacon. His steps echoed sharply against the metallic floor until he arrived at a spacious, sterile white room. It was vast, featureless save for a variety of scorched marks and dents in the walls—a testing ground for weapons, no doubt.
The entire area was enveloped in a shimmering barrier of translucent energy, pulsating with a vibrant glow. At its center was a node of concentrated magical energy, a small crystalline core suspended midair, radiating power like a miniature sun covered by multiple layers of protection.
Still, it was no obstacle for him, merely an inconvenience. With a finger crackling with red lightning, he traced an opening for him along the barrier. Upon contact, the magical energy disappeared, allowing him to continue with ease.
He took multiple steps forward and looked up at the core.
"That's probably the reactor he was talking about," he mused. It was high up air, and there was no convenient way for him to reach it without acrobatics. But as he considered how to reach the reactor, he summoned a sword in his hand and turned his attention to his left. There, from the control room, a window shattered.
A green dragonkin jumped from the floor above and landed right in front of him.
So that's Granberia… he thought, eyeing the monster girl from head to toe. She was wearing what he considered her normal armor but on top of that a modern helmet with a visor hiding her eyes, and her sword was nothing but ordinary.
It had no blade, and its sheath hummed with a green vibrant light that made him uneasy.
"It's not magic," he cursed. Of course, he had seen it coming. Desmond knew him and his abilities, and they even fought once. He knew better than anyone to send a mage against him. So instead, a swordsman with advanced technology was his enemy.
She activated her sword and Granberia pointed her energy blade at him, her stance firm and battle-ready.
"You must be Wrimbo," she said, her voice monotonous. "I've been sent to dispose of you."
That was bad. Really bad. Wrimbo fought he could easily undo the brainwashing with his powers but now it looked like she was controlled by some kind of device instead. The helmet on her head was not magical either, proof that Desmond really was the one behind all this.
"He really knew I was coming, huh…" he whispered, gritting his teeth.
He had thought that by laying low, Desmond would forget him but it turned out fruitless.
"I don't want to hurt you," he said, poising himself in a defensive stance. "Granberia, you are a warrior, right? Don't let this thing control you."
Granberia's visor gleamed as she tilted her head slightly, her grip tightening on the energy blade. "Your words are irrelevant," she stated flatly, her tone devoid of emotion. "I have my orders."
Wrimbo's jaw clenched. This wasn't the Granberia he'd heard about from the White Rabbit—the proud genius warrior.
"Then you leave me no choice," Wrimbo sighed. With a leap, they clashed blades. The energy blade sparkled against the divine metal of Wrimbo's weapon. The impact reverberated like a thunderclap, forcing Wrimbo to grit his teeth and adjust his stance to absorb the sheer power of her strike. Anticipating her next move, Wrimbo let his weapon vanish mid-clash. Granberia's momentum carried her forward, her balance momentarily disrupted. Seizing the opening, Wrimbo stepped inside her guard and drove a vicious punch into her liver, his fist crackling with red energy.
Granberia staggered slightly, but her reaction was minimal. Her armor-like scales absorbed much of the impact, and her expression remained cold and unflinching. Wrimbo cursed inwardly; the blow hadn't been enough.
Granberia wasted no time recovering. She pivoted smoothly, bringing her energy blade around in a brutal arc aimed at his back. Wrimbo reacted on instinct, summoning a radiant shield in the nick of time. The blade struck with an explosive force, sending shockwaves through his arm.
"Ugh…!" Wrimbo grunted, his knees buckling slightly under the weight of her blow. It felt like being hit by a truck—her strength was beyond what he had anticipated.
Instead of pushing back, he let her momentum guide the clash. Dragging his shield along the length of her blade, he took several quick steps backward, creating just enough room to strategize. With a swift motion, the shield dissolved into energy, reforming into a long spear.
Wrimbo thrust the spear toward her, aiming to keep her at bay. But Granberia was faster. In a flash, she closed the distance, her speed relentless. The hum of her energy blade grew louder, and suddenly, a burst of flames erupted from it.
"Vaporizing Rebellion Sword!" she shouted, her voice finally breaking free from its monotone, filled with fiery conviction.
Wrimbo's eyes widened as the air around her blade ignited, the weapon becoming an arc of blinding fire. Granberia unleashed a storm of slashes, her movements impossibly fast. Five strikes came at him in rapid succession, each one carrying the same weight as before.
The first strike grazed Wrimbo's side, his reflexes barely keeping him alive. The second he deflected with the shaft of his spear, but the force sent him stumbling back. The third and fourth grazed him, cutting his cloak and armor while drawing blood.
The fifth strike, a horizontal slash aimed straight for his neck, came with terrifying speed. Wrimbo barely managed to block it in time, positioning his spear vertically to catch the blade. The impact sent a shockwave through his body, his feet dragging across the floor as he struggled to maintain his footing.
Granberia didn't let up, her relentless assault continuing. She took a step forward, her stance never faltering, and her blade arced upward for another vertical strike.
Wrimbo's instincts kicked in. With a sharp roll, he narrowly avoided the blow, the air sizzling with the heat of her energy blade. As he sprang to his feet, Granberia was already in pursuit. A low, sweeping slash came at him next, aimed at his legs. With barely a moment to spare, he backflipped, avoiding the deadly arc by mere inches, and landed smoothly on his feet.
Now, on the defensive, Wrimbo summoned his broadsword—a massive blade held with two hands. The moment it materialized in his hands, he gripped it tightly, the weight of the weapon giving him good feelings.
Granberia's next strike came without hesitation, but this time, Wrimbo was ready. With a practiced motion, he arched his back slightly, avoiding by an inch her blade. Then, he swung his sword with all of his strength toward her helmet.
Her eyes, hidden behind the visor, seemed to widen at the incoming attack, and with a blinding speed, she reacted just in time to avoid the strike. The blade weaved through the air and with her elbow, she aimed at Wrimbo's chest.
Wrimbo's breath was knocked out of him as the blow connected. The impact sent him stumbling backward, his ribs screaming in protest.
She then followed up with a spin kick. The force of the spin sent Wrimbo flying across the room, his body crashing against the hard floor with a resounding impact. His vision blurred for a moment, the pain overwhelming as he slid several feet before coming to a halt. He groaned, the taste of iron in his mouth, but he didn't have time to dwell on it.
Shaking his head to clear the fog, Wrimbo pushed himself to his feet, his body aching from the brutal assault. His breath came in shallow gasps as he wiped the blood from his lip, his eyes narrowing in determination. Granberia was already advancing, her energy blade crackling with intensity.
"Is that everything?" she called, her voice cold and emotionless.
Wrimbo transformed his broadsword into a tiny dagger, as small as his palm, and steadied himself. He wanted to try and free her but it was clear it would be a hard task.
It was far easier to incapacitate her, albeit brutally.
"I'm sorry if I kill you," he muttered under his breath, steadying himself for what was to come. Even though he said it out loud, he knew in his heart it wasn't something he could afford to think about. Nothing was going to be easy with her.
In a fluid motion, Wrimbo tossed the tiny dagger into the air. The blade spun elegantly, and before Granberia could react, he spun on his heel and delivered a powerful kick toward the spinning dagger. It shot toward her with unnatural speed.
If it wasn't for her instincts and combat genius, she would have fallen prey to this trick. With an anticipated movement, she stepped to the side, a step way bigger than needed to avoid the dagger. And as it turned out, she was right. The tiny dagger transformed mid-air into a massive sword, too big and thick to be called one. It kept the same momentum and speed and narrowly missed the dragon before crashing with brutal strength on the other side of the room.
The force of the blow sent tremors through the room, and Granberia knew just how much damage that strike could have caused. If she had been even slightly slower, the consequences would have been catastrophic.
She was now on guard, her gaze locked onto Wrimbo. He wasn't going to give up, and neither was she.
Wrimbo didn't let up as he summoned a bow and charged a great arrow. An arc of black lightning crackled around him and the arrow shot straight toward her.
"A weapon that can change forms and be recalled at will…" Granberia muttered under her breath as she avoided the arrow. Her mind raced, analyzing the weapon and Wrimbo's tactics.
Granberia acted on instinct. With a swift motion, she dashed forward, her body blurring with speed as she closed the gap between them. Wrimbo's eyes widened slightly at the sudden aggression, but he was ready. He dropped the bow and summoned a short sword in one smooth motion, raising it just in time to meet her charge. The two blades clashed with an explosive sound, sparks flying as their weapons collided.
The force of their collision sent them both staggering for a moment, but Wrimbo recovered first. Dragging his sword along the length of hers, he crouched low, changing his grip in the same motion. In an instant, his short sword morphed into a chain, and with precise timing, the chain wrapped around her armed arm, pulling her in even closer.
"Wake up, Granberia!" he headbutted her helmet with all of his strength, her visor cracking with the impact. The crack in her helmet sent a jolt of pain through her head, but it was nothing she couldn't endure. The momentary disorientation, however, gave Wrimbo a precious fraction of a second.
However, in an explosive movement, she kicked upward, her foot slamming into his chest with all her might. The force of her kick sent Wrimbo stumbling back, his chest aching from the impact. His grip on the chain slackened for just a moment as the air was knocked out of him, but his instincts kicked in. He quickly recovered, trying to maintain his hold on her. Granberia wasn't giving him an inch.
She twisted her body, the chain still tangled around her arm, and in one fluid motion, she jerked it with all her strength, yanking him off balance. Wrimbo unsummoned the chain and slashed upward while a sword was forming in his left hand.
"Too slow," Granberia reacted, blocking with her own.
But this was a trap. The sword Wrimbo had in his hand vanished again, and it reappeared in his right hand instead. With a simple thrust, the blade pierced her visor once more, and with a yank, he pushed the helmet up.
Granberia's eyes widened in realization, but the damage had already been done. The thrust of Wrimbo's sword shattered the weakened visor, sending cracks spider-webbing across its surface. With a swift yank, Wrimbo pushed the helmet up, exposing her face for the first time in this battle.
For a brief moment, time seemed to stand still. Granberia's golden eyes locked onto Wrimbo's, her expression unreadable behind the mask of battle. Her breath came in sharp, controlled bursts, but the momentary vulnerability was enough for Wrimbo to seize.
They stared at each other for a moment, a flicker of reason passing through her eyes.
Wrimbo stepped back, his breath ragged as he looked at Granberia's face for the first time. "Are you back with us?" he asked, still on guard.
Granberia's golden eyes flickered for just a moment, the battle-hardened warrior within her suddenly wavering, as if caught between two worlds. Her lips parted, but no words came out. The ferocity that had driven her this far seemed to falter, a mere breath away from breaking.
"I think I…" Granberia stammered, her eyes narrowing in confusion. She lowered her sword and looked at her hands. "What were we—"
The sound of a gunshot resounded.
Wrimbo staggered, blood seeping from the wound as a hole tore through his chest. The pain was immediate and overwhelming, a sharp sting that radiated through his entire body. His vision blurred for a moment as he tried to stay upright, but the shock of the gunshot hit him hard.
Granberia's golden eyes snapped to the source of the shot, her expression hardening instantly as she turned, her sword raised in defense.
From the shadows emerged a figure, their silhouette framed by the flickering light of the lamps above. Wrimbo's vision was clouded, his senses fading in and out, but he could still make out the weapon in the figure's hand—a simple revolver. The figure stepped forward with a grin.
"You finally dropped your guard! And here I thought she could kill you," the figure's voice was quiet, resigned but familiar.
Granberia's gaze sharpened, and she took a step toward the newcomer, her weapon still ready, but her eyes betrayed something else—an undeniable recognition.
"You…" Granberia's voice faltered as she lowered her sword just a fraction. "What do you want?"
The figure stepped forward. "I came here to finish a job I started a long time ago," he said, pointing his gun once more time at the man. "To kill the wyrm of destruction."
With that, another gunshot resonated.