Star Platinum

Seventy Soul Shards clinked like coins dropping into a pachinko machine, making a crisp, pleasant rattling sound.

The number flickered, vanished, and turned into glittering stars that poured into the gacha screen.

Not enough!

"I'll stake my soul."

A wisp of golden light drifted out of Lin Qing's soul.

It was added to the gacha screen.

That made ten pulls.

Draw!

The stars in the night sky suddenly burst into brilliance. Ten shooting stars streaked across the heavens, trailing dazzling arcs.

Ding, ding, ding, ding.

With four crisp chimes in a row, four stars appeared.

Their light gathered into a purple vine.

Stand Name: Hermit Purple

Four-Star

Owner: Joseph Joestar

Ability: Spirit Photography. By smashing a camera or using another medium, it can reveal distant scenes. It can also conduct Ripple and electricity, and serve as a vine for movement.

Current Level: Level 1

Note: "Old man, your Stand is the most useless one around—Dio."

"Four stars?"

Lin Qing froze.

Wasn't a five-star Stand guaranteed in every ten-pull?

And what did "the most useless one around" in the note mean?

Suddenly, another series of crisp chimes rang out.

This time...

There were five!

The starlight flashed, revealing a tall, muscular humanoid Stand with a blue-purple body and long, flowing hair.

Stand Name: Star Platinum

Five-Star

Owner: Jotaro Kujo

Ability: A close-range power-type Stand with immense strength, incredible speed, and exceptional precision.

Current Level: Level 1

Note 1: Time Stop ability not yet unlocked.

Note 2: Invincible.

Two Stands in a single ten-pull!

What incredible luck.

No, it wasn't just luck.

Somewhere beyond sight, the Stands had recognized him.

Lin Qing had countless reasons to hide, to run away.

After all, stepping out meant risking his life and staking his soul.

But there was only one reason he had come forward—

The courage to face injustice.

The two Stands before him had answered that courage.

Lin Qing didn't know who these two killers were, or what kind of power could hold sway over everything and keep no one from the village behind them from coming to the rescue.

There was only one thing he knew.

As a mature adult, if he lacked the ability, so be it. But when he had the power to choose, he couldn't stand by and watch two beasts lay hands on a child.

When poor, look after yourself; when prosperous, help the world.

Of course, he wasn't thinking about any of that now.

All Lin Qing wanted was to beat the hell out of those two bastards.

He took a deep breath. When he opened his eyes again, there wasn't a trace of fear in them.

He clenched his fists and raised them in a boxing stance.

"Come on, you piece of trash!"

Being called a piece of trash by the Uchiha Clan's disgrace made Itachi's eyes flicker with complicated emotions. He hadn't expected Lin Qing to be the one standing before him in the end.

Was this fate mocking him?

The stray emotion passed in an instant. Itachi walked over, knife in hand.

He didn't waste chakra on a ninjutsu, or even activate his Sharingan.

The Masked Man beside him was too mysterious, too dangerous. Itachi needed to conserve enough strength to keep an eye on him.

More importantly, Itachi didn't think he needed any of that to deal with Lin Qing.

He walked over with a knife instead of casually throwing a kunai out of respect for Lin Qing, who knew he was going to die and had still dared to step forward.

Itachi took a step. Like a phantom, his blade sliced through the air with a sharp hiss.

He regarded Lin Qing coldly.

"I take back my contempt for you. You're a man worthy of respect."

"Unfortunately, for Konoha and for peace in this world... I have to ask you to die."

The blade swept upward from below, about to cleave Lin Qing in two.

Obito yawned in boredom.

Young Sasuke had witnessed too many deaths that night. He squeezed his eyes shut.

Just then—

"ORA!!!"

A thunderous roar rang out, followed by the dull thud of a fist striking flesh!

Sasuke's eyes flew open.

"Hm?"

Obito frowned slightly and looked over through his mask.

The deadly blade had frozen in midair.

It was less than an inch from Lin Qing, yet it seemed to have struck an invisible barrier and could go no farther.

Blood sprayed out, glittering like tiny red rubies in the silver moonlight. The source of the blood...

Obito's pupils shrank.

Itachi was hurt?!

Star Platinum had just punched Itachi in the face. His high nose bridge had caved in, and blood burst from it.

And this...

Was only the beginning!

Star Platinum's range was only two meters.

If Itachi had used a long-range ninjutsu, Lin Qing would have been helpless.

But his opponent had chosen to step right into Star Platinum's range. Lin Qing couldn't let this chance slip by!

With one hand in his pocket, Lin Qing pointed at the executioner reeling from the punch. All the horrific deaths he had witnessed along the way had turned to anger, and now it gathered in his index finger.

"ORA! ORA! ORA!"

Star Platinum grabbed the blade with one hand and clenched the other into a fist. Its enormous knuckles hammered into Itachi's forehead.

Each punch was more vicious than the last!

Each punch hit harder than the one before!

By the third punch, the crack of a breaking skull rang out.

Obito came to his senses.

Too fast!

Too brutal!

From the moment Itachi swung his blade to the instant he was about to have his skull smashed in, not even a fraction of a second had passed. Even more terrifying was that Obito couldn't tell what kind of ninjutsu this was.

There were no hand seals.

No incantations.

Could it be a Kekkei Genkai?

What kind of Kekkei Genkai was this... No, he was from the Uchiha Clan. The Sharingan?

But...

Obito couldn't find a single tomoe in Lin Qing's eyes, let alone a Mangekyo.

In an instant, countless thoughts flashed through Obito's mind. Years of battle instinct made his body move before his thoughts could catch up. He used the Body Flicker Technique to appear beside Itachi and reached for his shoulder.

Itachi's strength was crucial to Obito's plans.

He had to get him into the Kamui Dimension.

Lin Qing's ability was too bizarre. Obito didn't want to make contact with him recklessly.

Just as Obito's hand was about to touch Itachi—

"Meteor Finger Stab!"

Star Platinum released the blade, pressed two fingers together, and thrust them toward Obito like a long spear.

Obito couldn't see Star Platinum, but instinct told him he was in danger. He phased through the attack.

He managed to dodge Meteor Finger Stab,

but his hand, reaching to save Itachi, passed straight through his shoulder.

While phased, Obito couldn't pull people or objects into his intangible space. That was the limitation of his ability.

Information was always the key to a ninja's battles.

With their skill in combat, Itachi and Obito could have defeated Lin Qing with their ninjutsu, techniques, and experience. They could have beaten him one-on-one, let alone two-on-one.

But they had lost the initiative by a single move.

It was a classic first-strike surprise attack.

No matter how powerful the ninjutsu, no matter how finely honed the taijutsu,

the human body was still fragile.

Even at Level 1, before it had been upgraded, Star Platinum's punches packed the impact of a semi-truck speeding down a highway.

What Uchiha Itachi?

I thought you were a speed bump!

Take it up with my insurance!

Star Platinum tossed Itachi into the air, clenched its right fist, and took a deep breath.

"T-Too strong..."

Sasuke sat in the corner, staring blankly at his brother, thrown high into the air.

It didn't feel real.

It was all like a dream.

Itachi killing the entire clan was a dream.

Lin Qing trying to kill Itachi was a dream, too.

But Sasuke knew it was all real.

"ORA!"

A thunderous roar rang out.

The force of the punch whipped the air into a gale as it smashed toward Itachi's face with unstoppable power.

If it connected, he would die!

"Susanoo..."

A dark red barrier appeared, surrounding Itachi.

Faced with life and death, Itachi's overwhelming desire to survive brought him back to his senses.

Obito breathed a sigh of relief.

It was Susanoo. He was saved.

Crack.

Star Platinum's fist struck the red barrier with a faint snap.

A hairline fracture appeared.

Lin Qing took another step, closing the distance to Itachi. Calmly, he said:

"Pledge the rest of my soul as collateral. Convert it all into resources and upgrade Star Platinum."

"Star Platinum has been upgraded to... Level 2."

"Your soul collateral limit is 0. Obtain 500 Soul Shards within 24 hours, or your soul will disappear completely."

Though he had pledged his entire soul, the golden light deep in Lin Qing's eyes shone even brighter.

The wind from Star Platinum's punches sent his hair fluttering.

The moon vanished behind the clouds, and the world seemed to sink into darkness. Only Lin Qing's golden eyes shone there, calmly watching Itachi like the eyes of a god come down to earth.

Lin Qing raised a finger, pointed at Itachi in midair, and gave the order.

"Beat him to a pulp."

Star Platinum at level 2 had received a comprehensive boost to its strength and speed.

"Ora Ora Ora!"

In a brief moment, it threw countless punches.

The Susanoo Itachi had just summoned now had fine cracks all over it, like a tea egg left in a pocket all day. Then, with one final punch—

Bang!

A hole shattered through the Susanoo.

Star Platinum's arm thrust through and grabbed Itachi Uchiha by the throat.

His neck was very slender.

After all, Itachi Uchiha was only thirteen at the time.

But...

Demons knew no age.

Lin Qing didn't hesitate for even half a second.

Star Platinum's hand suddenly tightened.