Silent Stardust of the Moon

Chapter 50: D'Arby the Player, Part 1

The gate to Dio's mansion was open giving the group a full view of the courtyard. Joseph led the way as they cautiously stepped onto the enemy's territory. Iggy glanced over at the door and already got a bad feeling. This wasn't like this the first time he was here. He knew that something was up. "The gate's open as if they're invitin' us in. This is totally different from the situation yesterday." Iggy thought to himself.

"Now that I think about it, if I can sense Dio, then it stands to reason he has the ability to sense us too." Joseph said. That's right. Since Dio had his grandfather's body, Joseph can sense anyone with Joestar blood. "If we try to enter the mansion guns blazing, no doubt we'll be playing right into the enemy's hands. Before we do anything, we need to think of a strategy." He tells the group.

That's when Iggy began to growl in a threatening tone as he kept on staring at the door, and it grew louder and louder. Hikari took notice and keeled down to the Boston Terrier. "What's wrong Iggy?" Suddenly a door to the mansion opened by itself, catching everyone off guard. Joseph was the one who freaked out the most. "Careful, the door's opening! Everyone, on guard!" The door opened fully giving everyone a full view of an empty dark hallway. Knowing that they'd have to enter to proceed on the group approached the door keeping their guards on high alert.

Polnareff peered inside the door looking down a long dark corridor. He shivered looking inside not seeing an end to the dark hallway. "Check it out. What's with this weird corridor..? It must go on forever. This can't be real, right? It has to be some sort of trick or illusion." The Frenchman says, totally unnerved by the sight of the endless hallway. "Listen, Polnareff, no matter what don't go through the door." Joseph glared into the empty hallway. "Dio's probably got a couple more Stand users waiting in the wings to fight us." Polnareff gasped when something moved at out of the darkness of the hallway. "Hey! Something's coming this way!"

 A tall figure floated down the corridor towards the group. "Wait, is that guy floating?! Is he a Stand user or what?" Polnareff worriedly gasped. The man stopped right before the threshold of the doorway looking right at the group. His face seemed oddly familiar. The man wore a head wrap and a pair of earrings shaped into the letters T and D. He has green beehive hair that is segmented and protrudes upwards and hazel eyes. He wears a bluish vest over a black shirt with a double-layered heart symbol in the chest area, white pants, and brown shoes. He has parallel bars tattooed on his nose, chin, and forehead.

The man gave a formal bow, putting a hand on his chest. "Master Joestar. Welcome to our abode. We've been expecting you, sir. I am the resident butler of the mansion." He says. Polnareff pointed at the man and shouted, "I don't know who you are, but you're definitely not normal!"

"Polnareff, stop it!" Joseph shouted at him, but it was too late.

"I'm gonna make short work of you!" He summoned Silver Chariot. The man reacted by throwing a playing card at the Stand. The card was sliced in half by Silver Chariots sword. Jotaro caught one of the halves of it. "Another playing card?" He was reminded of the cocky, cheating gambler he took down. The floating man looked at the group and introduced himself. "Master Joestar, welcome to our abode. We've been expecting you. How rude of me. I am the resident butler of the mansion. You may call me, Telence T. D'Arby."

That name shocked the others, minus Kakyoin and Nemuru. "D'Arby, huh?" Jotaro questioned. "Yes. I am the Younger D'Arby. It might interest you to know the D'Arby whom you've defeated upon your arrival was...my older brother." D'Arby had a dark look as he focused on Jotaro.

"So I take it you're here to avenge your brother's defeat?" Avdol asked. D'Arby gave a humph and smirked. Levitating to the side of the hall. "No, not at all. Such a thing is beneath me. I would've assumed my brother would share his motto with you. 'It is the deceived, not the deceiver, who holds the blame'. I, too, live by this adage. My brother lost, so he's the wrongdoer. I harbour no ill-will toward any of you. My brother is my brother and I am me, two different individuals. You see, my brother and I were born ten years apart and, while I did look up to him to a certain extent, he and I are of different generations. My brother tried to win via old-fashioned deception, but this method is only useful against those who are outdated or inexperienced. Master Dio realised this sad truth as well, which is why he kept me by his side as his personal butler." D'Arby finished talking and finally noticed the strained looks on everyone's faces.