"Oh? You can see a Stand? Looks like you do have the potential to awaken one."
Shin noticed Kiryu's gaze and realized that he had seen his Stand, "Blackbird."
He couldn't help but nod. Kiryu was essentially an experiment to test whether the Arrow could indeed awaken a Stand in the real world.
It seemed promising. Even people from this world could gain Stand abilities by using the Arrow.
"Since you can see my Blackbird, it's just as well—I'll let you see what comes next, to prevent any...unwanted ideas."
Though Kiryu could see Stands now, Shin didn't intend to halt his next actions.
"Blackbird Justice!"
Under his control, "Blackbird" suddenly raised its hand, and a wisp of black mist separated from its fingertips, falling in front of Shin.
After absorbing Enya's Stand, Blackbird gained the ability to transform into mist and separate parts of itself.
The mist could enter a person's body through a wound and manipulate the corresponding area. But to completely control someone's body, he'd have to turn them into a corpse.
Shin had no desire to control corpses; it would be too exhausting to constantly manage someone else's movements.
The separated black mist transformed under Shin's control, shrinking into a small black crow.
"Blackbird Lovers!"
After killing Dio, Shin had returned to Dio's mansion, where he encountered Steel Adam.
Steel Adam, another of Dio's subordinates, had a Stand named "Lovers." In the original plot, he would lie in ambush for the protagonists after Enya's failed assassination attempt.
But with Enya killed before she could attempt the assassination, Steel Adam remained at Dio's mansion, and Shin absorbed his Stand as well.
Originally, "Lovers" was a small, golden bug-like Stand capable of sneaking into a person's body through an opening and hiding in their brain.
But once absorbed by "Blackbird," "Lovers" transformed into a tiny black crow, so small it almost looked like a mosquito.
"Go."
Under Shin's control, the small black crow flew directly toward Kiryu. As he watched nervously, it darted into his ear.
"You saw it, didn't you? That black crow has already entered your ear and…oh, it's reached your brain now."
As Blackbird's master, Shin could sense the state of "Blackbird Lovers" and confirmed that it had reached Kiryu's brain.
"If I wanted, I could make it manipulate your nerves or simply destroy your brain."
"I… I understand."
A cold sweat broke out on Kiryu's forehead; he could tell Shin wasn't bluffing.
If he dared to harbor any thoughts against Shin, Shin would not hesitate to destroy his brain and kill him on the spot.
He also understood now that the figure behind Shin was invisible to ordinary people, so if he died, no one would suspect Shin.
Even if an autopsy was done, they would only find his brain inexplicably turned to mush without any external injuries.
Shin looked at Kiryu's terrified expression and nodded in satisfaction.
"Is your wound healed? You should have awakened your Stand now. Call it out and let's have a look."
"…A Stand? Ah, I understand."
Kiryu paused, then quickly realized that the mysterious figure behind Shin was called a "Stand."
And now, he might have a Stand too.
He stood up, noticing something fall from his chest. He quickly caught it in his hand.
—It was the Arrowhead that had fallen out of his neck once his wound had healed.
With both hands, he respectfully returned the Arrowhead to Shin before trying to summon his own Stand.
"Yaaaah—!"
He let out a dramatically intense shout. Under Shin's slightly amused gaze, a mass of white matter surged from behind him.
The white matter was like sludge, somewhat soft, gathering at Kiryu's feet into a blob resembling a slime.
"Huh...? Why does my Stand look like this?"
Kiryu stared at the white slime at his feet, a look of disbelief on his face.
This was far from what he had imagined—Shin's Stand was a cool black figure, but his own was…this?
"Stands aren't always humanoid. They can take on animal forms, inanimate shapes, and even function as wearable Stands."
Shin put the Arrowhead away and commanded Blackbird to take a sample of the white slime, which it promptly absorbed.
"What's your Stand's ability?"
"My Stand's ability…seems to be shape-shifting. It can also solidify into something like metal."
After sensing it briefly, Kiryu understood his Stand's ability.
The white slime wrapped itself around his hand, transforming into a long, sharp blade with a distinct edge.
"It's not the most interesting ability, but it's decent. If you handle it well, you could create numerous weapons to surround yourself, making it hard for others to approach."
Shin nodded, smiling.
"You were also smart enough not to hide your ability, so it seems you understand the situation."
"Huh?"
At first, Kiryu didn't understand, but Shin didn't explain further.
The reason Shin had Blackbird absorb a part of Kiryu's Stand was to obtain a sample of its ability, to confirm that Kiryu wasn't hiding anything.
If Kiryu had harbored hostile intentions, he might have lied about his Stand's abilities, hoping to catch Shin off guard in the future.
But Kiryu hadn't hidden anything; his description matched the ability that Blackbird absorbed. Now, Blackbird could also transform into a soft substance or into a blade.
"Take some time to think of a name for your Stand if you'd like. I'm heading out…oh, and give me your contact information."
After receiving Kiryu's contact info, Shin prepared to leave.
But as he stepped out of the bar, he gave Kiryu a meaningful look.
"Now that you're a Stand user, your world shouldn't be limited to the small confines of Shimokitazawa…try expanding your horizons."
"…Yes! I understand!"
Hearing Shin's hint, Kiryu's eyes lit up.
Even before Shin's suggestion, he had already thought about this. But with Shin's blessing, he felt even more confident.
If he encountered anything he couldn't handle, he might be able to call on Shin for help.
Though he had gained a Stand and become powerful beyond normal standards, it was precisely because of this that he understood how incredible Shin's abilities truly were.
The scene of him effortlessly knocking countless people away was something Kiryu's Stand could probably never achieve in his lifetime…
To be continued…
Advance 50 Chapters are up on my Patreon.
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Btw, hand over your Power Stones, Ningen!