"This is the end, Abbacchio."
Tears welled at the corners of Abbacchio's eyes, and he stopped walking.
"You did great. Don't feel guilty."
The man patted Abbacchio on the shoulder and comforted him.
Dong~ Dong~ Dong~
The strange chimes rang out from far away. The faded world began to regain its colors, little by little.
A tall, humanoid figure approached with mechanical steps. Behind it, the world slowly returned to normal.
The din of the crowd, car horns, and the pleasant songs of birds all flooded in at once.
Abbacchio stared in shock as the humanoid figure drew closer. He instinctively summoned his Stand and took a step back.
He was already prepared to fight.
When it came close enough, Abbacchio finally saw what the strange humanoid figure looked like.
Rather than resembling a human, its overall appearance was more like a humanoid scale. Its left and right hands corresponded to the scale's two pans.
Its appearance wasn't jarringly strange. On the contrary, it had a mysterious beauty of perfect proportions. The first thing that came to mind when people saw it was—justice.
[I sensed the fixation in your heart.]
The humanoid figure—or rather, Scales of Awakening—spoke in a hollow voice that reached Abbacchio's ears.
[Offer your price.]
[Take your wish.]
[This is a trade that no one can overturn.]
Scales of Awakening stood before Abbacchio, bowing its head slightly as its towering shadow fell over him.
"My... wish?"
Abbacchio murmured to himself, lost in thought.
The man beside him had vanished at some point. Only Scales of Awakening and the silent Abbacchio remained on the street.
"I'd like to ask... how are my companions doing?"
After weighing his words for a moment, Abbacchio cautiously asked.
Scales of Awakening didn't answer right away. It simply remained silent.
After a long while, still without the answer he wanted, Abbacchio began to fear the worst. Sweat gathered on his forehead.
"Mr. Dawn, you'll be able to save Bucciarati and the others, won't you...?"
[Everyone is safe.]
Suddenly, the hollow voice rang out.
There was a hint of emotion in the words this time. It was clear that this answer hadn't come from Scales of Awakening itself.
Abbacchio hadn't expected to get an answer, so when Scales of Awakening replied, he was overjoyed.
But why did the same hollow voice sound a little warmer this time?
[It's me, Abbacchio.]
Relief washed over Abbacchio's face. If Mr. Dawn was safe, then the others would be all right too.
So... was I the only one going on from here?
Abbacchio felt a little downcast, but quickly shook off the thought.
As the team's intelligence and investigation specialist, he was a support member by nature and rarely took part in direct combat.
This time, he'd acted on impulse—and ended up paying for it with his life.
[Abbacchio, this is my new ability: Scales of Awakening. Remember what I'm about to tell you.]
Abbacchio's expression turned solemn. He pulled over a chair, sat upright, and fixed his eyes on Scales of Awakening.
[1. The principle of equivalent exchange.]
[2. Beware of linguistic traps.]
[3. Balance is absolute justice.]
[Once a trade begins, even I can't interfere.]
Dawn's voice cut off. Scales of Awakening raised its head again and gazed calmly at Abbacchio as its hollow voice rang out.
[The trade begins.]
Scales of Awakening held out both hands, gesturing for Abbacchio to place his price upon them.
"I... have nothing of value."
Abbacchio opened his mouth, then finally said those words.
Scales of Awakening made no other movement. Red light flashed in its eyes, and Abbacchio immediately felt that something was missing from within him.
Something important.
[Stand: Moody Blues]
[Value—ordinary]
A miniature Stand appeared in Scales of Awakening's left hand: Moody Blues.
As it appeared, the left hand sank while the right hand rose.
The red light flashed again.
[Past Life]
[Value—dispensable]
The left hand sank further, and the right rose in tandem.
[State your wish.]
Scales of Awakening looked at Abbacchio, its voice utterly devoid of emotion.
Remembering Dawn's warning, Abbacchio didn't act right away. Instead, he frowned and studied the situation.
As a former police officer and now a specialist in investigation and surveillance, Abbacchio was actually quite perceptive.
That might not have been obvious in battle, but with Dawn having told him what to expect, he could figure out plenty.
Abbacchio raised one finger and wagged it under Scales of Awakening's calm gaze.
Scales of Awakening's gaze followed the finger, but its body remained motionless.
"First, Moody Blues isn't a useless Stand. It can investigate, gather information, and replay the past. It can even imitate a pilot from the past and fly a plane."
Abbacchio raised a second finger, his gaze turning sharp.
"Second, I won't deny that my life was a failure, but I've had moments I can be proud of. I don't accept your assessment that my past was dispensable."
"Third, do you take me for Narancia? One end of the scale is raised high in the air. That means the price I paid was heavy enough to grant the wish I want."
Scales of Awakening watched Abbacchio in silence, as though surprised that he was so perceptive.
He'd seen through every trap it had laid.
[No wonder.]
Scales of Awakening spoke, its hollow voice reaching Abbacchio's ears.
"What?"
Abbacchio tilted his head, puzzled, and looked at Scales of Awakening.
[You died young.]
Scales of Awakening spoke with an underlying meaning.
Abbacchio pressed his lips together, unable to argue.
What could he say? He wasn't much of a fighter, and he'd been taken out in one hit.
[Your wish.]
This time, Scales of Awakening sounded more formal. Its gaze burned as it waited for Abbacchio to continue.
"My wish..."
Abbacchio hesitated. He didn't resent his own death, but he did have some regrets.
"Mr. Dawn can protect everyone. He doesn't need me."
Abbacchio murmured to himself. A desire stirred deep within him, almost ready to surface, yet he couldn't grasp it. It made him miserable.
[Is that your wish?]
Scales of Awakening's eyes lit up.
Abbacchio froze, then immediately corrected himself.
"No, it isn't. My wish... my wish is..."
Abbacchio opened his mouth and finally let the words out.
"I want to go back to the past and become a policeman in a small town in Italy again!"
"A fair and just policeman. A policeman who pursues the truth."
Abbacchio panted heavily. Uttering that wish had taken almost all his strength.
As usual, Scales of Awakening fell silent for a moment before slowly speaking.
[Insufficient value.]
[Return to the past]
[Impossible]
[Become a police officer again]
[Possible]
[Is this your wish?]
Abbacchio nodded solemnly.
[The contract is sealed!]
Before you continue