To The Stars

7

A/n: Hey y'all, uh, sorry for the late update. My life turned out to be more busy than I thought. But thanks for being patient and putting up with my mini hiatus!

*Also, feel this shouldn't need to be addressed, but please do not rush authors in updating. Most of us are not getting paid to do this, and we have lives too. Even if lack of motivation is what is holding them back, just let them take their time. I'm sure you guys would rather wait longer for a good chapter rather than a rushed, half-assed one.

Caesar and you set off to follow the two.

"You go back to where we entered, Mr. Speedwagon!" You told him as you ran off.

Just minutes into your crusade and a loud crash is heard.

"This way!" Caesar pointed before quickly sprinting to the direction of the source, with you tagging closely behind. But he suddenly stopped.

"It's a cliff..."

You scouted the area in a hurried manner before finding something. "Over there! Stairs!"

The two of you descended down the flight of steps and ran through the corridors before finally coming across moonlight. You stopped behind a column, as Caesar did with the one next to yours.

"JoJo is still okay!" He whispered.

You peered around the pillar to watch the scene unfold between Joseph and Wamuu.

"You have a long life ahead of you." The brunette started, "You'll have to carry the shame of being scarred by a human. The only way to fix that is by beating me in a fair fight after I've trained."

Just what is this kid up to...?

"What? Don't feed me your lies, JoJo." Wamuu responded, but you could tell he was struggling to deny the proposition.

"I'm rather new to fighting. But if I train with Hamon for a month, I know I have the talent to beat you! I was the first human to hit your head, and I carved a hunk out of it!" He declared, pointing a finger to his own head. "But you have a chance to kill me before I grow into a real threat to you!" Joseph's voice suddenly become more innocent sounding.

"Why you...?!" The Pillar Man hissed with difficulty.

"Wamuu." Esidisi spoke up, causing you to flinch upon noticing his presence.

"Master Esidisi."

"His minute is up. Why do you let him live?" He questioned his subordinate before noticing the lit stick of dynamite lying on the ground.

You silently spectated as the vampire walked up to the explosive and picked it up. He stared at it momentarily, only to insert it into his mouth and swallow it, letting it explode within his stomach.

The expression on your face contorted to that of horror and disgust after witnessing the scene.

You turned and hid behind the pillar to regain your composure, but still tuned in on the conversation.

"Master Esidisi, I've grown fond of this wielder of Hamon."

JoJo's eyes seemed to light up at this statement.

"JoJo!" Wamuu exclaimed with excitement, "I agree with your proposition. You say you'll be stronger in a month, so I will give you a month to live."

"You won't kill me?" Joseph asked.

"That's right." Wamuu answered.

"We'll fight again?"

"That's right."

"This is a bad idea. You'll regret it." The Brit pretends to try to convince him otherwise.

"However..." His opponent suddenly said, "I need to ensure that you will not simply run away."

"Wamuu, will you use that old thing again?" Esidisi snickered.

"The Wedding Ring of Death. I will put this ring around your aorta."

"Wh-What are you doing?!" Joseph exclaimed. The urgency in his voice caused you to look back around the pillar to see what was going on.

Wamuu's hand had gone inside JoJo's chest, inserting the ring around his aorta, you assumed from his dialogue.

"The ring will start to dissolve in 33 days." The Pillar Man explained, "Inside is a virulent poison. The ring cannot be removed. Any attempt will break it, releasing the poison."

Joseph screamed in agony.

"You have only one way to avoid the poison. Fight and defeat me within 33 days and take the antidote from my lip ring." He pointed to the accessory embedded into his lip.

"JoJo!" Caesar exclaimed, but you quickly turned and shushed him. You didn't need anymore injuries for the three of you, especially JoJo.

"'Til death do us part.' A true wedding ring." Wamuu smiled, "Midnight in 33 days at the Colosseum. I'll be waiting, JoJo."

Esidisi laughed as he walked up to the brunette. "You guessed wrong if you thought you'd escape."

You unconsciously leaned forward at this, on edge.

"I don't imagine we'll fight, but here's a little gift! I'll put it around your windpipe!" He shouted, about to insert his own ring into Joseph's throat. But before he could, a rock is suddenly thrown in his direction.

Esidisi caught the object with ease, turning only after his hand stopped it to see the culprit.

There, directly in the center of his line of vision, you stood, one arm extended from the throw.

"Oh? What is this? Does the little lamb want to play, too?" The Pillar Man smirked.

"(Y/n)!" Caesar whispered and JoJo exclaimed almost simultaneously.

The new nickname caused you to tense up slightly, but you quickly dismissed it. You couldn't let you emotions take over. Not now.

"Don't you think it's a little rude to pick on someone who's defenseless?" You asked sarcastically.

"Would you rather me use the ring on you, then?"

"Esididi." A voice boomed from above.

The four of you all turned to the source. There stood Kars atop of the building's ledge, his arms crossed.

Said Pillar Man pouted slightly at his ally before tilting his head back down to face Joseph.

"What the-! You bastard!" You shouted, annoyed and caught off guard by his actions.

Esidisi bent down and put his ring into the Brit's throat in one swift motion.

"My heart and throat!" JoJo groaned in agony.

"Mine is a different poison from Wamuu's. The antidote is in my nose ring. Kars, do you want in on this?" The white-haired vampire questioned his friend.

"Nonsense. We are immortal. A worthy opponent is a rare thing that gives our lives meaning." He responded, "I can see why you do this. But our goal is to obtain the power of the Red Stone of Aja. Do not forget that, you two. Let's go!"

"Why you! That's cheating!" You screamed, pointing a finger at the three as they leapt away.

"H-Holy smokes." Joseph gasped, "A wedding ring? That's a black joke if I ever heard one. And now I've got two of them. Do I look like a bigamist or something?!"

You couldn't help but laugh a little at his final sentence, quickly covering it with a cough.

"Are you all right, JoJo?" You asked, but was answered only by a thump. "JoJo?"

Turning around, you're greeted with the sight of him passed out on the ground. Your eyes widen and you walk briskly toward him, Caesar approaching from another direction.

"JoJo." He knelt down, "You damned fool."