B Plan

Li Qing skimmed low over the ground like a dragonfly touching water, while Meat Chunk chased close behind like a charging bull.

His "phased" body passed eerily through the houses and buildings blocking his path, while Meat Chunk smashed everything in its way into powder with aggressive, exaggerated force.

Echoes Act was fast, and Meat Chunk was naturally even faster.

Fortunately, Li Qing had kept a considerable safe distance from Meat Chunk beforehand. Otherwise, that monster would have caught him during the charge.

And so, he successfully lured Meat Chunk away from the street punk, only to crash straight into Giorno, who was speeding toward him on a motorcycle.

Golden Bell Shield was a nonlethal movement and support skill. The enormous kinetic energy generated by their high-speed movement vanished instantly, by means science could not explain, the moment their bodies made contact.

A faint glow from the protective light barrier lit up around both Li Qing and Giorno. Quick as lightning, Li Qing braced one hand against Giorno's shoulder for leverage and twisted sharply in midair before he had stabilized himself.

In the end, he landed on the back seat of the speeding motorcycle without a scratch.

But the danger had only just begun.

"That thing is seriously disgusting."

Listening to the revolting squelching sounds of Meat Chunk, now several times clearer due to its greatly reduced distance, Li Qing said apologetically to Giorno:

"Giorno, I've led that monster over to you, and there's no one else to draw its attention now."

"This is going to be a huge problem."

"Haha. Never thought I'd have a day when I screwed over my teammate like this."

"It's fine."

Giorno did not blame Li Qing for his foolish choice at all.

As though he had expected this all along, his voice remained completely calm:

"Although we discussed the so-called 'optimal choice' beforehand, just as I said before—"

"When it truly comes time to choose, no one can think through that much."

"And if it had been me, I definitely would have made the same choice as you."

As he spoke, his gaze toward Li Qing gained a deep sense of understanding.

"So."

"If there's a problem, we'll find a way to solve it!"

Without panicking, Giorno summoned his Stand and suddenly began pummeling the motorcycle's dashboard.

"Muda muda muda!"

Gold Experience's fists, gleaming faintly with golden light, shot out like a raging storm. In an instant, they beat the lifeless dashboard until flowers bloomed from it—literal flowers.

Infused with the life force of Gold Experience, the dashboard suddenly transformed into blooming yellow-green flowers, from which lush green vines grew.

Those thick, resilient vines seemed almost intelligent. Under Gold Experience's barrage, they rapidly grew and spread, soon firmly covering the entire front of the motorcycle and pushing the throttle to its maximum at precisely the right moment.

"The handlebars have been secured by the vines, and the throttle has been locked. There happens to be an open stretch of straight road ahead, too."

"Even if we jump off and escape, this motorcycle will keep driving forward on its own for quite a while—that's enough to lure Meat Chunk far away."

After effortlessly converting the motorcycle into an "unmanned" version, Giorno added in a rather subtle tone:

"All that's left is—"

"Is what?" Li Qing vaguely sensed something.

"A cushion."

Giorno smiled, a rare expression for him.

Then, without the slightest courtesy, he ordered Gold Experience to grab Li Qing from the motorcycle's back seat and toss him beneath them like a skateboard.

And so, Giorno lay atop the safety cushion named Li Qing and leaped off the speeding motorcycle.

Screech.

Li Qing's body scraped a grayish streak across the asphalt.

Fortunately, the body he was using was digitized and capable of instant repair. Otherwise, that "brake mark" would have been blood-red, mixed with bits of pale bone.

"Heh."

Li Qing lay helplessly on the ground, slowly lifting his head from the shallow pit he had rubbed out with his face.

"You really didn't hold back."

"Couldn't be helped."

"Your body is just too useful."

Giorno slowly rose to his feet and cast his deep gaze toward Meat Chunk in the distance.

Sure enough, just as he had anticipated, Meat Chunk's attention had been completely drawn to the "unmanned" motorcycle.

Without pausing for even a step, it waved its tentacles and continued chasing after the motorcycle.

"Phew."

"Good. This distance is safe enough now."

"I also hid a swarm of insects among the vines. Once the motorcycle gets caught, they can stall it for a while longer."

"If we move away slowly now, we'll soon be safely outside Meat Chunk's sensing range."

"And besides—"

Giorno turned his head and looked toward the street punk standing motionless in the distance.

Whether he had been intimidated by Li Qing's wind-riding flight ability or had finally noticed the bizarre scene created by that bloated Meat Chunk crawling along the ground, he had finally stopped causing trouble.

He simply stood there obediently, staring blankly in this direction without making any unnecessary movements.

Giorno let out a quiet breath of relief.

"It's good that guy isn't getting in the way anymore."

"Although we lost two motorcycles and were forced to abandon the plan, it's not a problem."

"We just need to find two more vehicles and start over."

"..."

Li Qing remained sprawled on the ground, saying nothing.

Seeing his somewhat strange expression, Giorno asked in confusion:

"What is it? Why are you lying on the ground instead of getting up?"

"I told you not to raise a flag..."

Li Qing muttered softly.

Rather than standing, he pressed his ear tightly to the ground and replied in an extremely comical pose:

"Giorno, I have to tell you some good news and some bad news."

"The bad news first."

"There's a faint vibration coming through the ground. Judging from the sound, quite a few vehicles are coming, and they're moving in two orderly columns—this is clearly an organized convoy."

"More importantly, those sounds are getting closer and closer to us—to the crash site."

"You mean..."

Giorno's expression turned grave as well. "The Americans are coming?"

"That's right." Li Qing sighed helplessly. "At this speed, those American soldiers will appear in front of us in two minutes at the earliest."

This was obviously terrible news.

The appearance of just one street punk had already completely shattered the delicate, fragile balance between them and Meat Chunk.

And now, the main force of the U.S. Navy was about to arrive.

"Damn it. We don't have enough time at all."

"Just finding new transportation, even if we're lucky, will take at least two or three minutes."

"And with only two minutes, even if we manage to lure it away in time, we won't be able to send it into the sea."

"If the Americans notice the obvious trail Meat Chunk leaves while moving, they'll definitely follow it over here and interfere."

Giorno frowned tightly, but his brows soon relaxed again.

He looked at Li Qing expectantly.

"Then what's the good news?"

Li Qing remained lying on the ground, carefully listening to the sounds within the earth.

"I have a Plan B that can deal with it within 'two minutes.'"

"Deal with it within two minutes?" Giorno's brow furrowed slightly. "Two minutes definitely isn't enough time to lure it into the ocean."

"We don't need to go to the ocean."

Li Qing slowly stood and pointed to the solid ground beneath them.

"This is the grave that will bury it forever!"