Ken sat at the Higashikata dining table, sipping tea while Josuke's mother fussed over the guests. Jotaro Kujo stood silently near the window, arms crossed, his towering presence filling the room like a storm waiting to break.
Ken kept his posture relaxed, but inside his head, alarms were blaring.So this is it. Jotaro Kujo in the flesh. Star Platinum. Time Stop. If he suspects me… I'm dead.
"Ken, right?" Jotaro's voice was calm, but his gaze was razor-sharp.
Ken smiled politely. "Yeah. Just a friend of Josuke's."
Jotaro studied him for a moment longer, then looked away. Ken exhaled slowly, masking the relief behind a faint smirk. Good. He's focused on the Stand Arrow, not me.
Moments later, Jotaro's phone buzzed. He glanced at the screen and his jaw tightened. "Trouble. Let's go."
Ken stood immediately. "Where?"
"Josuke and Koichi. They're in danger."
Ken's heart thumped once, sharp and loud. So the canon plays out anyway. Good. Very good.
The two moved quickly, Jotaro striding like a soldier, Ken keeping pace just enough to not look suspicious. When they arrived, the scene was chaos: Josuke crouched over Keicho's unconscious body, repairing a shattered photo frame with Crazy Diamond. Koichi, pale but alive, stood nearby, clutching his shoulder, the Arrow wound already healing.
Ken's eyes flicked over everything in an instant: the crumbling walls, the burn marks, the broken tanks of Bad Company scattered like toys. And in Josuke's hands, the photo of the Nijimura brothers' family.
For just a second, the world felt still. Josuke's expression was soft, almost gentle, as he restored the picture completely.
Ken almost smiled. You're a good guy, Josuke. Makes me feel just a little bad about lying to your face.
But then the floor trembled. A streak of electricity shot through the room blinding, violent.
Red Hot Chili Pepper.
"Yo, Josuke! Mind if I borrow something?" The voice crackled like static. The electric fiend zipped toward the Arrow lying beside Keicho's limp hand.
Josuke swore and lunged, but the Stand was too fast.
Ken barely had time to react before Jotaro moved. Star Platinum exploded into existence, muscles rippling, and with a single blur of motion, it grabbed Keicho and yanked him clear of Chili Pepper's path. The Arrow, however, vanished in a flash of light, sucked into the electric demon's grasp.
"Later, losers!" Chili Pepper's laughter echoed as it zipped into the power lines and disappeared into the distance.
Jotaro clicked his tongue, scanning the room. "Damn. It's gone."
Josuke clenched his fists, fury twisting his face. "That bastard…"
Ken kept his expression neutral, though inside his head he was already rewriting plans. The Arrow's gone… which means I'll need another way to stay relevant. Luckily, Keicho just became my golden ticket.
Keicho lay unconscious on the floor, breathing shallowly. Jotaro was distracted, talking to Josuke about Chili Pepper and the Arrow. Koichi leaned against a broken wall, exhausted and silent.
Ken crouched next to Keicho casually, masking his true intent behind a concerned frown.
Forty seconds. That's all I need.
He placed a hand firmly on Keicho's shoulder.
[Plunder Activated]
Target: Keicho Nijimura – Stand: Bad Company
Estimated Time: 40 Seconds. Maintain Physical Contact.
The seconds dragged like hours. Jotaro's voice rumbled in the background, but Ken's focus was razor sharp. Sweat beaded at the back of his neck as he kept his breathing steady, pretending to check Keicho's pulse.
Twenty seconds.The faint vibration of power pulsed up his arm as the system stripped the Stand away, dismantling its bond.
Thirty-five seconds.A final surge a shudder and then silence.
[Ability Extracted: Tactical Summoning – Bad Company]
Choose Mode:
A: Keep as Stand
B: Integrate as Innate Skill (No Stand Form invincible tiny army not even stand users can see)
Ken didn't hesitate. Option B.
[Plunder Complete. Ability Integrated.]
[Bonus: +5,000 Points for major plot alteration.]
Ken rose smoothly, slipping his hands back into his pockets. Keicho groaned faintly, but the fight in him was gone, forever. His soul felt empty. No Stand. Just a man now.
Josuke noticed. "Ken, is he okay?"
Ken shrugged lightly. "Yeah… but his Stand? It's gone." His voice carried just enough gravity to sound like confirmation of his earlier claim.
Koichi's eyes widened. "Y-you really can erase Stands…"
Jotaro glanced at Ken briefly, unreadable behind his hat's shadow. Then he looked away, muttering, "Hmph."
Ken smiled faintly, projecting calm, but inside he was grinning like a devil. Perfect. They believe the lie. And now I have a private army in my pocket.
Later, as they left the wrecked hideout, Josuke carried Koichi on his back while muttering about Chili Pepper. Jotaro walked ahead, hands in his pockets, deep in thought.
Ken lingered behind, eyes on the distant glow of the power lines where Chili Pepper had vanished.
The Arrow's gone, but I've gained something better: trust. And power. Josuke's almost at 100%. Koichi's coming along. And next… Okuyasu.
The System flickered in his mind:
[Trust Progress Updated:]
Josuke Higashikata – 90%
Koichi Hirose – 55%
Jotaro Kujo – 18%
[New Target Suggested: Okuyasu Nijimura – Ability: The Hand]
Ken's grin widened slightly as the streetlights flickered overhead."The real game," he whispered under his breath, "is just beginning."
End of Chapter 10