A Way Back to the Past

Is Li Qing dead?

Diavolo couldn't believe it.

But a corpse can't lie.

Although it had no head, the body was 100% Li Qing's body.

Moreover, in that brief period of time, measured in seconds, Li Qing could not possibly conjure up a "stand-in" out of thin air.

What's going on?

"Could Li Qing really be dead?"

Diavolo stared intently at the corpse with its smooth, severed neck, a torrent of emotions churning within him:

"Who can kill this monster in such a short time?"

"Could it be that this guy was backfired by the force of the arrow?"

That's Li Qing, the Li Qing who can't be killed by bombs and can fight the King Crimson with unlimited firepower with his bare hands.

In such a short time, he had become a headless corpse lying on the ground?

"No, this guy can't possibly die so easily!"

"This must be Li Qing's conspiracy!"

Diavolo had long since become more cautious and suspicious due to the series of defeats brought about by Li Qing.

Even with his nemesis's corpse right before his eyes, he couldn't be sure he had won.

"By the way, where's his head?"

Diavolo was highly skeptical that a monster like Li Qing could continue to survive even with only one head remaining.

Perhaps he intends to use this method to deceive everyone.

They wanted to lower their guard and think they had won a great victory.

Once he completely relaxes his guard, Li Qing, now only a head remaining, will launch a fatal surprise attack on him.

Unbeknownst to him, Diavolo had even come up with a tactic for Li Qing Sin that seemed quite feasible at first glance.

However, to Diavolo's surprise...

He looked around, but couldn't find Li Qing's severed head in the room.

"Time was so short, Josuke Higashikata was having difficulty even walking, so there wasn't enough time to help hide them."

"Where could Li Qing's head have gone?"

Diavolo's vigilance grew stronger.

He felt like the protagonist of a horror movie, trapped in a haunted house fraught with danger.

At this point, the ten seconds of the future seen in the "Epitaph" were almost over.

In the ten seconds that Diavolo saw in the "Epitaph," he could guarantee that he was absolutely safe.

But what will happen after those ten seconds is uncertain.

"The Ouroboros!"

For safety's sake, Diavolo Ouroboros instant the ten seconds ended without any pause.

He wants to go back to the past to rest and recover, so that the "Epitaph" can be used continuously in the "present" without restriction.

Diavolo's body quickly vanished into nothingness.

Not only him, but also his clothes and the arrow he held tightly in his hand became ethereal and transparent at this moment.

If things don't go as planned

One second later, he will completely disappear from "now".

However, in that instant, Diavolo inadvertently thought of a question:

"What if this is a trap set by Li Qing?"

"So, what method will he use to attack?"

"Could it really be that 'flying head' attack? No, that's ridiculous."

"Li Qing has amazing observational skills. He's fought me so many times, he must have some vague knowledge of the existence of the 'Epitaph'."

"So, how will he bypass my continuous precognitive abilities?"

At this moment, time seemed to stand still.

Despite having the upper hand, Diavolo had a very bad feeling.

After trying to put himself in someone else's shoes, he seemed to have found the right approach:

The only way to attack someone who can foresee the near future is to use deception.

The attacker must perfectly disguise themselves as harmless, allowing the observer to see a "safe" future—

In reality, while the visionary is blinded by the safe future he sees, crisis is already creeping up on him without him even realizing it.

"It's very likely that Li Qing is hiding right next to me!"

"I just haven't discovered it yet."

"Etc."

Diavolo's expression changed:

He suddenly realized that something seemed to have silently approached him.

He even held that thing in his hand without any precautions, and when he activated his time-traveling power, he also included it in his hand.

"Arrow!"

Diavolo reacted instantly:

"A trap... Could this arrow be the one?!"

Ten seconds ago.

Li Qing carried the heavily injured Josuke Higashikata and rushed quickly up to the room on the second floor.

That arrow is kept here.

Li Qing swiftly put down Josuke Higashikata, picked up the arrow, and then turned back to Zhangzhu without pausing, saying:

"Josuke, you still have the strength to control Crazy Diamond, right?"

"Yes," Josuke Higashikata replied listlessly.

Li Qing ran so fast that he almost passed out from his serious injuries.

Fortunately, thanks to the strong physique inherited from the Joe family, Josuke is still able to barely concentrate and maintain the existence of Crazy Diamond.

"That's good, Josuke—"

Li Qing suddenly handed over the arrow:

"Quickly use your Crazy Diamond to fuse me and this arrow together."

"Ha?"

Josuke Higashikata was somewhat taken aback.

"Just like you did to Angelo."

In this almost frozen moment, Li Qing's tone remained urgent and impatient:

"I want you to turn me into this arrow."

"Ideally, I should become completely integrated into the arrow, so that no one can tell the difference."

Although they had only spent two days together, adhering to the principle of knowing oneself and one's enemy, they aimed to perfectly coordinate with this new companion in battle.

Li Qing had already pulled Josuke Higashikata and carefully studied his Stand ability:

First, Crazy Diamond can quickly destroy its opponent before activating its ability, thereby altering the shape of objects or fusing two objects together.

Secondly, this "fusion" ability actually has a hidden feature:

It can not only change the shape of an object, but also change its "mass".

For example, in the future where Li Qing doesn't exist (original work).

Josuke Higashikata once turned an enemy who had kidnapped his mother into a book with a paper shredder.

The book that "occasionally made strange noises" was later donated to the Morioh Library, becoming a famous ghost story in Morioh, and was eagerly borrowed by curious citizens.

A person weighing around 100 pounds was transformed into a book weighing only a few pounds.

The quality has indeed been changed—if it hadn't been changed, probably no citizen would have been able to read a book weighing over 100 kilograms.

"Since it's possible to change both quality and form."

"Then you should be able to turn me into a light, floating arrow as well."

Li Qing explained his thoughts to Josuke Higashikata with an urgent expression:

"Diavolo came to Morioh to find arrows."

"Although he already has one arrow, I don't think he would refuse to get another one."

"So as long as I merge with the arrow, I can approach Diavolo silently in the form of an arrow."

"And for safety's sake, Diavolo will definitely go back to the past every now and then to refresh the cooldown of that precognitive ability."

He paused slightly and then stated his ultimate goal:

"That way, I can be carried to the past by Diavolo in the form of an arrow—"

"Right now, I have absolutely no chance of beating him."

"Only in the past, during the gap when his skills were on cooldown."

"I only have a tiny, very slim chance of winning."

"This, this..."

Josuke Higashikata was already getting a little dizzy from listening:

Going back to the past? So Diavolo's ability is like those in science fiction movies, traveling through time and going back to the past?

Li Qing wanted to turn himself into an arrow to deceive everyone and be taken back to the past by Diavolo.

"You took the arrow for this?"

Josuke Higashikata utterly astonished.

"Otherwise what? Did you think I came back to stab myself with an arrow?"

The probability of an arrow triggering a Stand is 1%, meaning 99 out of 100 people will die.

Moreover, the Stands that are activated vary in ability and strength, and even if they are awakened, they may not be able to change the inevitable fate of death.

Li Qing didn't think he had any protagonist's halo that allowed him to suddenly awaken some world-destroying, domineering ability in such a desperate situation.

Rather than relying on that illusory luck.

He has more faith in his own hard work and wisdom.

But Josuke Higashikata wasn't entirely convinced:

Is this really feasible?

Josuke instinctively felt that the plan was somewhat absurd, or rather, unreliable.

"Of course it's feasible." Li Qing's attitude was unusually firm. "Otherwise, I wouldn't have abandoned my companions and fled back."

"However, even without any other unforeseen events..."

Are you sure you can really be taken back to the past?

"Can Diavolo take the arrows, which are not part of his possessions, back with him?"

Josuke still didn't quite agree. He felt that this crazy method was not as good as letting Li Qing just take his mother and run away.

"Sure."

"Does Diavolo always travel through time completely naked?"

"Since his clothes could travel through time with him, there's no reason why the arrows in his hand couldn't."

Li Qing stated his theory with a resolute tone.

His voice carried an indescribable confidence, as if he had seen through everything:

"Don't worry, Josuke."

"There are some questions that I haven't been able to figure out before."

"But now I've figured everything out."

What Li Qing was saying was becoming completely incomprehensible to Josuke Higashikata:

"Go ahead and try it; this method is sure to succeed—"

"Because some things are predetermined!"

"."

Josuke was somewhat bewildered by Li Qing's unfounded confidence:

"Okay. I'll help you."

"But there's a fatal flaw in your plan:"

"Crazy Diamond can indeed change the shape and mass of an object, but there is a limit to that."

"An arrow is far too light; I can't possibly turn a living person into a light, floating arrow."

Stands have their limits.

The difference in quality between a person and an arrow is too great; even Crazy Diamond couldn't help Li Qing disguise himself as a small arrow.

Why didn't you say so sooner?!

Li Qing was also caught off guard by this fatal problem.

But his mind was sharp and his will was firm. In an instant, he discarded useless emotions and engaged in high-speed thinking in this almost stagnant time.

"I've got it."

Li Qing directly decoupled from datafication—

This is a necessary step.

If you don't remove the data, there will be a health bar floating above your head, and even if it turns into an arrow, it won't fool you.

But Li Qing's current decision to remove datafication is not solely due to this reason.

He opened his eyes, which had regained their sight, and looked intently at Josuke Higashikata:

"If it were transformed into a life form like an arrow."

"So, no matter how badly I was injured before the transformation, I shouldn't have died, right?"

"This"

Josuke Higashikata conflicted.

"That seems to be the case in theory."

"Since they've all been turned into arrows, the injuries they sustained as humans should no longer exist."

"As long as one is not completely dead before being turned into an arrow, one can retain consciousness in the form of an arrow."

"That's what I say, but I've never tried it before."

"That's enough."

A fierce glint suddenly appeared in Li Qing's eyes.

He suddenly pulled a sharp dagger from his pocket; it was a trophy he had acquired on the morning of his first day in the world.

Although the dagger was no longer very useful after Li Qing Sin became stronger, he still habitually carried it with him in case Giorno needed to undergo another full-body surgery.

Now that Giorno is critically injured and on the verge of death, this dagger has once again proven useful to Li Qing Sin:

"Josuke, you're ready."

Since there's no way to send a complete person back in time...

Li Qing swung his blade with all his might, unleashing a cold, gleaming light; the blade was aimed directly at his neck.

"Then just send the brain!"