Life was meaningless. His eyes showed that, after all in his body, his mind and most importantly his soul he knew the truth: there was no escape. No get out of jail card. Fate had finally won over him.
Time had passed. Too much. At least he believed that, it was impossible to know, given the way his existence worked. But it must have been at least a century. At least in the time he was conscious. Not that he could really think of anything while the torture happened.
He didn't think he deserved what had come to him, after all, worse people faced better endings that the one fate had unleashed upon him. And worst of all he honestly couldn't find fault in anyone but himself, his innaction, his overconfidence, his choices...
It was his fault. He had no doubts, but at the end of the day he had been so close, so close to being untouchable... he almost could sense the sweet smell of victory on his nostrils. In reality he didn't smell anything. Or feel anything.
Suddenly he felt weird. This... We're is this? Was he in space? And so why hadn't he died already? In his monologue he hadn't perceived that he had been unharmed for a long period of time, more than he had in more time that he could remember.
" It has been a long time indeed, Diavolo "
The later felt every hair in his body stiffen as he slowly turned around to face his torturer. The ultimate stand and his user, that damned traitor.
And there he was, radiating golden light and floating in a way that told you instantly that this was something out of the ordinary, even for a stand. However he noted that his user was nowhere to be seen.
" Giorno has died already, it has been more than 200 years after all"
Diavolo was surprised by that piece of information, but the fact that Golden Experience Requiem existed even after giornos death amazed him, was a really a requiem stand that powerful?
" It's a mixture of factors, a stand user achieved an ability that affected the whole of the universe and reality, i couldn't counteract it fully, so, I divided the timelines. I changed the cause, as I couldn't erase that action like I did with yours, and the man behind it was killed by another stand user. However the consequences were harsh. Humans changed, stands became less and less frequent, but instead more than half of the population gained supernatural abilities and mutations. A dark age emerged from it. As I predicted some kind of similar development, Giorno asked me to take care of his descendants after his death, something that was impossible for me to do. But he made it possible "
Intrigued, Diavolo couldn't help but ask. This is something that goes against everything he knows about stands, if the user dies or the stand is destroyed the other will perish. Simple as that... though now that he thought of that there were exceptions, or at least one.
" I don't work like Notorious B.I.G., to achieve this Giorno burnt more than thirty years of his life to empower his soul and my connection, even when his spirit took hold of the golden wind, and ascended to paradise"
So, even if he died at young age, he went to rest in peace, no purgatory for him. It made him mad. Really mad.
" So what it's with you stopping my "punishment", grew weak in old age? Or is it that you don't find it fun anymore huh? You bastard tool of a traitor"
" My time is coming soon, I will reunite with my master, as we are but aspects of the same soul" crazy enough the peace with which he spoke was absolutely disregarded by the way his fully priced open eyes looked at him, without blinking in this whole exchange " So, when that happens you will go to hell. Unless I forcefully bring you with me to heaven "
Diavolo narrow his eyes. Why was such mercy offered to him? What was the point? There must be a catch.
" There is a condition " Diavolo looked at him as if he realized something " Yes, I am reading your thoughts. What I ask of you is your stand, King Crimson and your substand Epitaph"
" Why? What use would you have for a stand? And how can I even "give" a stand? "
" I don't need it, but one of giornos descendants asked me for it"
Diavolo looked at Golden Experience, completely baffled, not saying anything for some time. And then he exploded in laughter.
" HAHAHAHAHA!! REALLY? DO YOU BELIEVE I CARE ABOUT DOME MINOR PUNISHMENT? YOU KILLED SO MANY TIMES I PROBABLY DON REMEMBER EVERY ONE! JUST .. HAHAHAHAH! Ahh.. god, you are a funny fella. There is no way in hell I ever gave up King Crimson"
" He is also your descendant, as Trish Una and Giorno Giovana married each othe a few years after our battle in Rome" Diavolo scoffed at that, he tried to kill his own daughter, did this thing believed somehow he would give it to his so many times great great grandson because the boy asked?
"Also how the hell did he asked you, after all, other than having a substand, you can't hold more than one, so, how did he actually saw you?"
" His quirk did, it is one that could only belong to someone related to us : fortune manipulation. It works somewhat like gravity does for stand users, but for beneficial developments even if sometimes may put him at calamity's reach, also he or no one may never know how or when it will activate."
That had to be one of most useful abilities he may have ever known about, but it lacked a more substantial foundation. Something that allowed the user to survive or fight back. And that was why it yearned for a stand.
" Why king crimson? Why didn't it ask for you? You are the strongest after all."
GER looked at him and offered a small smile.
"It determinated that your stand had more potential to growth"
Diavolo was surprised, did the boys quirk in achieving...
"No, at least not for now. What I get is that he has the necessary quality to own a stand, but if it awakens it will be worse than King Crimson. As such if he assimilated king Crimson the necessary elements needed for the birth of a stand would instead be used to empower it furthermore "
Diavolo understood now, if somehow the kid got a requiem in an empowered king crimson, not even that univer spanning stand could compare.
" I wouldn't say that, Made in Heaven is the strongest. It's just that my abilities counters it, but even then, barely. It partially surpassed cause and effect. As such my ability worked partially"
Golden experience looked at him, he knew Diavolo was thinking about it, that was the moment.
" There are not many stands users in this era, even between your descendants. King Crimson is an incredible one, your descendant will be more well equipped to face the future and you will spend the rest of eternity in an undeserved peace and joy, I will break fate for you"
Diavolo knew what the intelligent and most convenient choice was. But the anger was stronger. How could he just forget. But the pain wouldn't be there anymore. Freedom at last, he would have some wine, a fine pasta pommarella, and the sweet smell of the Mediterranean coast.
Turning , and giving the back to Golden experience Diavolo asked
" How would I gave it to him?"
Golden experience game a small smile and then the both of them disappeared leaving the plane of existance they were speakinjust recently
And in Musutafu morning came, the sun brigthing in a beautiful way, somehow auguring good fate to it's inhabitants. And today, some way more than others.
[To be continued]