Headache.
A white flash.
Then… silence.
A soft breeze brushed against his face. He felt something soft beneath his body, and a floral scent unfamiliar to him lingered in the air. Slowly, he opened his eyes. The ceiling was high, white, ornate. Red curtains. Oil lamps. Antique furniture.
Where was he?
He sat up abruptly. His hands—pale, large… young. His arms were muscular, despite his apparent youth. He stood and rushed to the nearest mirror.
A face not his own stared back.
Light brown hair. Blue eyes. Sharp cheekbones. A defined jawline.
It was beautiful. Almost inhuman.
"What the hell…?" he whispered. His voice—deeper, clearer.
Then, like a blade slicing through his mind, memories came flooding back in flashes.
Office. Layoff. Five wasted years watching anime, eating ramen, debating power scaling on forums.
Truck. Cat. Death.
And then—
[Initializing system. Host body detected: Joestar, Jonathan. Age: 12.]
[System Archive.exe successfully installed. Soul status: Compatible.]
Leo—because that's what he used to be called—stopped breathing for a second.
He placed a hand on his chest. His heart was beating. He was alive.
And if the system was telling the truth… then he was in Jonathan Joestar's body. The original Jonathan.
Before Dio.
Before Zeppeli.
Before the world turned bizarre.
"…Is this real?" he muttered, instinctively opening the mental menu.
A semi-transparent interface floated in front of his eyes like an invisible HUD:
"Archive.exe" – Explorer Mode
• User: Leonardo E. [Fused with: Jonathan Joestar]
• Age: 12
• Accumulated narrative knowledge: 1,324 characters
• Files scanned:
Guts (61%)
Gojo Satoru (76%)
Madara Uchiha (92%)
DIO Brando (98%) ← In Progress...
• Available powers: Limited
• Dominion Mode: LOCKED
• Full archive requires elimination of original source.
Leo swallowed hard.
"I have to… kill the originals to get their full power?" he murmured.
[Confirmed. Only the author deserves the complete manuscript.]
A crooked smile crossed his face. It wasn't Jonathan's.
"Well… this just got interesting."
The room's door creaked open. A middle-aged woman in a maid's uniform peeked in.
"Young master? The carriage has arrived. The guest of Lord George Joestar is on his way. His name is… Dio Brando."
Leo turned slowly.
Dio Brando.
The name echoed like a gunshot.
He knew him. Had analyzed him. Admired him. Hated him.
He knew every move he'd make. How and when he would betray.
And now… he could see it all from the beginning.
A cold smile crept across his lips.
"Perfect. Show me this 'guest.' I'm eager to meet him."
[File "DIO BRANDO" updated to 99%]
[Unlock condition: Eliminate primary variant.]
[Alert: Full access to "The World" available if elimination occurs before the Stone Mask.]
Leo closed the menu. He adjusted his clothes and walked toward the mansion's entrance.
His new body radiated strength. His mind, ambition.
And before him, a new world unfolded—one that would no longer follow the original script.
Because now, Jonathan Joestar had an author of his own.