MAGO - Stardust Crusaders X OC

Chapter Forty: Monday, January 16

A/N: There's a playlist for this chapter, too. It's called 'Chapter #39' on both Spotify and Youtube. The contents are slightly different on both sites. Youtube link (bc I couldn't search it): https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLbytOM3dQJd-ifv8Ky7tYS9gDl_kcHTCh

Sana held her breath as she watched DIO approach. She'd been watching Noriaki set up all the emerald traps, and DIO was going closer and closer to one. He was flying. She didn't know how. He hadn't seen her, either, so she was grateful for that. Nonetheless, her heart was racing, thumping in her ears. She trusted Noriaki. It was a good plan.

DIO triggered the trap. He landed on a building, and emeralds hurtled towards him from all directions. He tried to block them, but one sliced his cheek, and an emerald-hued tendril ensnared his ankle. He froze, and the entire web came into view. It was oddly beautiful, even knowing what destruction it was meant for. Sana knew she couldn't get a clear shot through the maze of emeralds, but it didn't matter. Noriaki had this covered, Sana realised. She was a fool to have doubted him. He'd kill DIO with no problems. It would all be over soon.

"So, you've made a-" DIO spoke, and Noriaki cut him off.

"That's right," Noriaki said. Sana searched for him, and immediately found him. Noriaki was standing in the middle of the web, balanced on some kind of transmission tower. "Anything that touches this web is instantly fired upon, and you're surrounded for 20 metres on all sides. You're done, DIO. I've snared you and your Stand and I can sense your every move."

Sana's face relaxed into a contented smile. Noriaki really did have this covered. DIO was utterly surrounded. There was nothing that he could do to break out of the web. Nothing.

A sign collapsed. Sana supposed it must've been hit by some of the emeralds from earlier. Noriaki took that as his sign to shoot. "Now! Die! 20 metre radius, Emerald Splash!" His voice was loud, and strong, and determined, and Sana held her breath. Emeralds rushed in towards DIO from all directions. Even trying to keep track of them was overwhelming. Noriaki had done it. There was nothing DIO could do. Noriaki had beaten him. It was over.

"You're a fool, Kakyoin. With my Stand, I have the ability to rule the world. What can you do in the face of such overwhelming power? Behold, The World!" DIO cried, still unable to accept defeat. He would be dead within minutes. Noriaki had won. He would be-

-that same utter dread washed over Sana, and her eyes widened as she watched Noriaki's eyes widen as he was thrown back through the air, blood spurting from his stomach in some almighty explosion of red. Mr Joestar yelled something. Sana didn't even have the words to. She just watched as Noriaki, her beloved Noriaki, slammed into a water tower, and the blood mixed and flowed with the water, tainting it. He didn't move. He was bleeding so profusely. DIO had somehow cut a hole through his stomach, and he was bleeding, he was bleeding everywhere. He'd just been winning. Sana was ready to congratulate him. She was ready to tell him how she should never have doubted him, how incredible he was, but now, instead, Noriaki, her Noriaki, was-

The tears fell slowly, like Hierophant's webs. The emerald webs snapped and wafted through the air, and Sana's silver tears slipped down and blemished her cheeks. She was on her knees. When had she fallen to her knees? When had she put a shaking hand over her mouth? She didn't know. She couldn't look away from Noriaki's bo- Noriaki, she couldn't look away from him. Smoke was rising from his body, but not like the usual kind, like a kind of wispy mist, like Enyaba and N'Doul had, and Sana just had this awful knowledge deep within her that the smoke was Noriaki's soul, fading up into the air like he'd never existed. But he had existed. She knew. She knew him so well, and she should've known him better. She should've known him for more than fifty days. She should've known him for the rest of her life.