After the Rain Stops, You Will Die, Part Two

"Come on, let's go. We're closing for the night."

"Why, Old Wu? Didn't you bring an umbrella?"

"The organization issued a kill order. See that dark red flag on the Bell Tower?"

"Holy shit! Tonight's bad news. Pack up before we get caught in the crossfire."

"Sounds good to me. Let's close up!"

Almost everyone saw the dark red flag hanging from the Bell Tower. It was a kill order from Passione, and it meant the night would be anything but peaceful. Passione treated people kindly and never bullied ordinary folk, but it was still a violent organization. Sometimes it did ugly things.

"Why... is everyone closing up?" Tong Bei had summoned his Egret martial soul at the first sign of trouble. He felt danger closing in, as though it were about to crush him.

"Hey! Driver! Where are you taking this carriage?" Tong Bei grew nervous as the streets around them narrowed. He lifted the curtain and looked out, only to see someone in a dark red robe at the reins. Where was the driver? Where had he gone?

"Heh-heh. You offended our boss, Tong Bei. Did you think you could run?" Ma Hongjun looked back with a cold smile.

"You're just a Soul Grandmaster, and you dare put on an act? Die!"

Tong Bei's fear quickly turned to anger. He threw a punch, but the Soul Grandmaster's second Spirit Ring suddenly lit up, and the man vanished in an instant. Only traces of Wildfire remained on the driver's seat. Impossible! He's too fast!

Without anyone controlling it, the carriage began to slow. Tong Bei knew that was bad. He promptly slapped one of the horses to force the team onward. He refused to believe any agility-type Soul Master could catch a carriage! Jodio Joestar was only a Soul Elder. If he came after him, he would die!

A faint hissing came and went beneath the sound of rain. Tong Bei spotted a Flower Snake coiled in the road. The moment it saw the carriage, it struck without hesitation. The horses panicked, and the whole carriage overturned. As the world spun around him, Tong Bei knew he was in trouble!

Something tore through the air from afar. Tong Bei's fourth spirit skill lit up at once, propelling him into the sky. His fourth skill, "Limitless Soaring," could boost his speed to 200% for a short time. It had carried him out of countless dangerous situations. He was a master of staying alive.

A heavy blow knocked him off course. He stared wide-eyed at his shoulder and finally saw what had struck him: a fist. A fist attached to a thread!

"Hmph! Trying to escape?"

Jodio flew upward, pulled along by his fist. Instead of retracting after the blow, his left fist had clamped firmly onto Tong Bei's shoulder. His right hand was already drawn back, ready to smash another heavy punch into him!

"Tch! Jodio! You're just a Soul Elder. Don't get so cocky!"

Tong Bei activated his third spirit skill, sending several feather-shaped blades flying at Jodio. A blue humanoid appeared behind Jodio and battered the Flying Blades aside with a flurry of punches from its right fist. It kept coming at Tong Bei. Deep cuts covered that right hand, but Jodio had closed the distance!

The blue humanoid withdrew. Tong Bei immediately saw blue light gather around Jodio's left hand as the third Spirit Ring behind him lit up. His third spirit skill! I have to dodge!

"Jodio, you're a tough opponent. But I'm a Soul Ancestor! There's no way a mere Soul Elder can beat me!"

Tong Bei's conviction burned brighter than ever. He was a level 43 agility-type Soul Ancestor. His attacks might not be especially powerful, but overwhelming a Soul Elder should still be easy!

"Tong Bei, you don't think a Soul Ancestor is guaranteed to beat a Soul Elder, do you?" Jodio asked with a cold smile as he began to fall.

"Arrogant fools like you are the easiest to handle. You know how to look down on others, but you don't know that arrogance has to be earned! How can you be arrogant when you don't have the strength to dominate your generation?"

"Tusk Act 1!"

Four sharp whistles sounded in succession. Tong Bei moved almost on instinct to dodge the blue glimmers, but then he saw Jodio withdraw the little pink thing beside him and summon a golden humanoid in its place. It looked ready to attack!

"Hmph!" Tong Bei activated his second spirit skill, "Eagle Charge," and swooped toward the ground to evade the blue projectiles. He was using a targeted dash attack purely to move. But Tong Bei did not know that Jodio had seen countless battles and every kind of fighting trick. Trying that in front of him was naïve!

"You offended me and still think you can run? You really couldn't be more arrogant!"

The golden humanoid flew out from behind Jodio and, aided by Jodio's fall, caught up with Tong Bei. Against such a relentless attack, Tong Bei could only raise both arms to guard himself and brace for the blow!

"Muda muda muda muda muda muda! Muda!"

Gold Experience swooped down from above and hammered Tong Bei's arms with a rapid flurry of punches. Its final blow struck with full force. Tong Bei was surprised to find that the golden humanoid was not as strong as the blue one. Just as I thought. He's running out of strength!

"Jodio, you underestimated me! I'll tear you apart! I'll turn you into scraps of meat after a crocodile's death roll! I'll make you suffer worse than a girl passed around by ten fat old men! I'll turn you into Hakimi after Hakiwang's crazy whirlwind!"

The moment Tong Bei landed, he spread his wings and let out a wild screech. He prepared to combine his third spirit skill with his second, aiming to finish Jodio with attacks from both near and far. Jodio showed no reaction after landing. Clearly, he could no longer keep up with Tong Bei's speed. I've got him! I win!

Tong Bei's talons passed through Jodio's body, nearly sending him stumbling to the ground. He looked back in shock and saw Jodio walking toward... another Tong Bei!

The other Tong Bei stood there blankly, showing no reaction at all. Terror seized him. His breathing slowed, and he nearly lost his mind!

"No! How is that possible? How can an ability that unbeatable exist? If he can do that, who could ever stop him?" Tong Bei shouted, snot and saliva streaming down his face as he ran toward his other self.

Stone Free appeared behind Jodio. What came next was obvious.

"Ora ora ora ora ora ora ora ora!"

"Ora ora ora ora ora ora ora ora!"

"Ora! Ra!"

The relentless heavy punches battered Tong Bei's body out of shape. A final blow pierced his chest and sent his soul straight back into his body. But Tong Bei had no way to turn the fight around now. Jodio had laid bare everything Tong Bei did not know. Never in his wildest dreams had he imagined a spirit skill so bizarre.

"After the rain stops, you will die." Jodio folded his arms and glanced calmly at the sky. The rain had already thinned to a drizzle. Then he looked down at Tong Bei's corpse.

←To Be Continued

Information currently available:

Gao Weis—JoJo! (Sound of a falling coin) (JoJo Part Five transition music)

Martial soul: Phoenix Legend / Evil Phoenix (phoenix legend / Phoenix Legend) (level 22)

Holder: Ma Hongjun

Spirit Rings: Yellow, yellow (600-year-old Flame Demon Wolf)

Destructive power: B, speed: C+, range: D, stamina: D, precision: E, growth potential: B

Martial soul ability: Summons roaring flames and the phantom of a phoenix to envelop the user, increasing attack power and speed. This martial soul cannot be sustained for long, however, and is better suited to hit-and-run combat.

Flame Scorching Guard halves the impact of blows against the user and increases the range of the flames. The second spirit skill, Flame Burst Charge, briefly increases the user's speed by 100% and leaves a trail of fire that lingers for a while. Used together, the two skills can even provide a measure of crowd control, making this a remarkably versatile martial soul.

That's all for now. It'll probably be posted there today or tomorrow. The group number is 653497690. I actually made it a long time ago; I just hadn't invited anyone yet.