In the Court of the Blind King

Chapter 7 - Hidden by the Moon

"Ugh- AAAAAAAHHHHH!"

   A pool of blood rested on the ground, as a severed hand fell in the middle. It was in the shape of a fist, but slowly opening due to the lack of control and pulse. A right hand, now lifeless on the ground.

   Diavolo rose up, holding Doppio on his arms, both hands firmly grasping the young man's legs and back, as his eyes began to open, slowly.

   "Boss?"

   "GYAAHHHHHHH!"

   Ganz contrasted Diavolo's situation. He was kneeling, the left hand holding his bloody right arm. His stand, Larks' Tongues in Aspic, stood by him, mimicking his pose, and likewise, lacked the right hand with the sun emblem.

   "I've seen you touch objects with both hands, before turning into them and making them disappear."

   Ganz grunted in pain, facing Diavolo with surprise and anger.

   "Y-you...!"

   "It was a gamble. I realized each hand did its own thing. At the very least I know that you won't be able to hide properly now!"

   "You're done for!"

   Ganz jumped towards Diavolo, but King Crimson appeared in the last second, throwing the man back into the ground. He fell on his back, near the now bloody ornaments. He thought for a second, before swinging his wounded right arm in the direction of Diavolo's eyes, as to blind him for a moment with the spilled blood.

   Diavolo stepped back, blinking to clean the blood, unable to use his arms while he held Doppio. When he managed to get his vision back, Ganz had disappeared again.

   "Boss, what..."

   Doppio was now awake, but slowly regaining his conscience, trying to understand the situation.

   "It's ok Doppio, I'll explain it in a second."

   He looked around, trying to find any clue as to where Ganz could have gone. He looked back at the pool of blood that covered the Christmas ornaments that laid on the ground, before running into the maze of shelves.

   When he reached a position far enough from where they were, Diavolo stopped. He took a deep breath and looked at Doppio.

   "Are you ok, Doppio?"

   "I- I guess so..."

   "Can you walk?"

   "Yes."

   He put Doppio on the ground.

   "What happened?"

   "I couldn't figure it out exactly, but this stand user, Ganz, can make objects disappear and make himself or others assume their appearance. The only thing I know about how he does it is tied to his hands. My guess is that, without a hand, one of these abilities might have been lost, but I don't know which one."

   "So he... turned me into an object?"

   "Yes. We need to be aware, he might be hiding somewhere here!"

   "Y-yes Boss."

   They walked along the corridors, their stands by their sides. Diavolo looked at the furniture around him, searching for even the tiny bit of indication that it might have been Ganz, hiding once more.

   At some moment, Diavolo noticed something strange. He had been in that corridor before, but it looked different, somehow. The furniture that stood on the large metal shelves were all turned on their backs.