Stepping outside, the four came to a halt in an open field. Satoru casually pulled a can of cola seemingly out of nowhere and popped it open, taking a long sip. Meanwhile, Suguru stretched his arms and legs, shaking off the stiffness of inactivity. It had been a few days since he'd done anything requiring physical effort.
Beside them, Shoko held a cigarette between her fingers, repeatedly flicking her lighter in frustration. The stubborn flame refused to appear, and her annoyance was visible.
Suddenly, a faint, purple figure flickered in and out of existence for a split second, and her cigarette lit up with a faint glow.
Startled, Shoko glanced around, her surprise clear as she looked at the now-lit cigarette.
Her gaze shifted to her left, where Jotaro stood calmly, hands stuffed into his coat pockets, patiently waiting for Suguru to finish his warm-up.
"Was that your curse technique?" she asked, her curiosity piqued.
Jotaro nodded silently.
"Pretty useful trick," she remarked, taking exhaling a cloud of smoke.
From the sidelines, Gojo observed with interest. "Wait, wait, hold up! So your curse technique is a purple stripper?" he teased, laughing at his own joke. "Is it some kind of shikigami, or what?"
Jotaro ignored the remark entirely, though he noticed Satoru's sharp eyes lingering on Star Platinum before it disappeared.
Even if it was for a short half of a second, It was enough for Gojo to analyze it, but not enough for his Six Eyes to understand everything.
Suguru stepped forward, signaling he was ready. "We can start now. Are you ready?" he asked Jotaro, his voice calm as he summoned a curse. A large, fish-like creature materialized beside him, its translucent body moving unnaturally. Jotaro gave him a nod.
"Ready, set—GO!" Satoru shouted from the sidelines, his voice brimming with excitement.
Jotaro sized up the fish curse. In his eyes, it didn't seem particularly strong—Grade 2, at best. As Suguru casually directed the curse forward, the fish slipped through the ground as if swimming through water.
Jotaro's eyebrows raised slightly in surprise, but he smiled. Moments later the curse leaped out of the ground and opened its mouth to eat Jotaro but in an instant, there was a resounding bang! as the curse was violently punched, its body sent flying high into the air.
Suguru's expression shifted from casual indifference to mild surprise, while Satoru got up in excitement.
"Interesting," Suguru muttered, his tone now tinged with genuine curiosity. He summoned another curse. This time, a hulking, hairy creature appeared in front of him. Its grotesque nose extended down to its chest, and its long, muscular arms dragged along the ground.
The creature lumbered forward, swinging a massive fist toward Jotaro.
"Star Platinum!" Jotaro's calm voice rang out.
In an instant, the purple stand materialized again, intercepting the curse's punch with a perfectly matched strike. The impact was loud, sending a shockwave that scattered dust away.
Suguru's eyes narrowed. "Hoh?" he murmured, impressed. The curse's brute strength was formidable, yet Jotaro's technique had matched it with ease.
On the sidelines, Satoru's playful grin faded into focused curiosity. He observed Star Platinum closely, his Six Eyes working overtime. Still, he found himself irritated, 'I don't get it' he couldn't fully unravel the technique's secrets.
With his hands still in his pockets, Jotaro took a step forward. Star Platinum followed his lead, exerting more force as it overpowered the curse's strength. Jotaro's sharp eyes analyzed the situation. Based on raw physical power alone, the curse was somewhere between semi-Grade 1 and Grade 1.
"ORA!" Star Platinum unleashed another punch, this time faster. The curse was flung backward, its arm severely damaged from the impact.
Suguru observed the damage closely before unsummoning the curse. 'Impressive strength and speed,' he commented. 'But this is just a test. I don't intend to waste my curse spirit unnecessarily.'
"Is that enough?" Jotaro asked, Star Platinum now hovering by his side. Both Shoko and Suguru couldn't help but notice how the stand mirrored Jotaro's expressions, its expression very similar to his own.
Satoru, however, saw more. His Six Eyes went deeper, noticing a strange connection. 'It's almost like they're one and the same,' he thought, murmuring with a grin, "Not bad."
"It should be enough," Suguru admitted, nodding. "Your curse technique is strong. If I'm not mistaken, you've fought and defeated a special grade before?"
"I have," Jotaro confirmed, his tone neutral.
Suguru crossed his arms. "Then that's enough information for now. Any other abilities we should know about?" He glanced briefly at Satoru as if asking for his opinion, while Gojo was now sipping his cola again.
"Exceptional physical strength," Jotaro replied. "That's about it." He deliberately left out details, not wanting to reveal too much about Star Platinum. Trust only went so far when there were things like Kenjaku walking around in this world.
"It's weird, though." Satoru chimed in, his voice cutting through the conversation. "Your ability doesn't feel like a shikigami nor a curse. It's more... like it's part of you...."
Jotaro didn't respond, but inwardly, he agreed. Star Platinum wasn't a curse or a shikigami, it was the manifestation of his very own soul and will power, just like the original Star Platinum was Jotaro's soul manifestation so was this version of Star Platinum a manifestation of his own soul, of Yohan's...no, he abandoned that name when he came to this world, he was Jotaro now.
The group fell silent trying to understand what Satoru was saying.
But then, as if flipping a switch, Satoru's mood shifted. "Anyway! Who cares? Let's grab something to eat!" he exclaimed, breaking the tension.
"I'll pass," Suguru interjected suddenly. "I need to write the report Yaga asked for."
Satoru's face fell. "No way! You can do that later. Let's go have some fun!"
Suguru shook his head firmly. "Have fun without me." He turned and began walking away, leaving the group in silence.
Jotaro noticed the flicker of concern in both Satoru and Shoko's expressions. He hesitated but chose to stay quiet, recognizing it wasn't his place to interfere.
Satoru was the first to speak. "Suddenly, I'm not hungry anymore!" He grinned and turned to Jotaro. "Hey, why are you wearing two belts?"
Jotaro blinked, caught off guard. "None of your business."
"Come on! It's not like it's a family secret or is it?"
Jotaro's expression remained stiff while Satoru sighed dramatically. "It's like talking to a brick wall."
"Gojo," Jotaro said suddenly, his voice calm but serious.
"What? Is it about the belts?"
Jotaro ignored the joke. "You need to check up on your friend."
Satoru's expression shifted instantly, his carefree demeanor replaced by seriousness.
"I've seen those eyes before," Jotaro continued. "They're dangerous."
Without waiting for a response, Jotaro turned and walked away. His thoughts were clear
'The only ones who can keep Suguru from falling in the dark path are his friends. Whether they succeed or fail is none of my business. I just wanted to give them a push'