Chapter 35: I Will Help You, Jonas!
Sherry, seeing her brother puffing his chest out like a proud peacock, just sighed and went back to the kitchen.
Jonas took a sip of his tea, a genuine smile touching his lips as he watched Polnareff bask in the compliment. He found he quite liked this man's personality. Compared to the cold, aloof types, Polnareff's boisterous humor was refreshing.
Polnareff, still beaming, finally noticed Jonas watching him silently.
"Ahem... What I mean is," he stammered, his face flushing slightly as he forced his grin down, "I do possess certain... admirable qualities."
Jonas ignored his awkwardness. "I've told you about my Stand ability," he said, his tone shifting back to serious. "Will you tell me about yours?"
Polnareff immediately straightened up, his demeanor becoming grave. "But of course! My Stand is [Silver Chariot], representing the Tarot card of The Chariot! It is a Stand of the blade, possessing swordsmanship of blinding speed and unparalleled skill!"
Jonas raised an eyebrow. He waited. Polnareff said nothing more. "...And?" Jonas prompted.
"And... that's its ability! Swordsmanship!" Polnareff insisted, looking slightly offended. "It's incredibly strong, you know! Hey! Jonas! Stop smiling!"
Jonas took a deep breath, fighting to keep his own lips from twitching. A Stand with no special ability? Just... swordsmanship? It was almost unheard of. Every enemy he'd faced so far had possessed some bizarre, unique power.
"Yes," Jonas said, his voice strained. "A... very powerful Stand."
"Hey! You're definitely laughing on the inside, aren't you!" Polnareff leaned forward accusingly.
"Pfft— HAHAHAHAHAHA!" Jonas couldn't hold it back any longer. He burst into laughter. The tension in the room instantly dissolved, replaced by a shared sense of camaraderie.
Just then, Sherry returned from the kitchen and sat down quietly beside her brother. Seeing her, Jonas knew it was time to get down to business.
He set his teacup down. "Polnareff," he began, his expression serious once more. "There is something I need your help with."
Polnareff matched his serious tone. "You saved my sister, Jonas. That makes you my benefactor as well. Whatever you need, if it is within my power, I will do it."
"I need your help," Jonas said, his eyes filled with grim determination. "To track down Diavolo... and Enya the Hag."
Polnareff fell silent.
Seeing her brother hesitate, Sherry spoke up. "Of course he'll help! My brother might not be good at much else, but he's very good at fighting!"
The thought of being separated from her brother, who had raised her, pained her. But Jonas had saved her life. This was a debt that had to be repaid. Besides, she knew her brother. He had the soul of an adventurer. He wasn't meant to be tied down to this small village forever.
"Sherry," Jonas said gently. "This is a decision your brother must make for himself."
Polnareff remained silent for another moment, then looked Jonas straight in the eye. "I will help you, Jonas!"
Both Jonas and Sherry let out a sigh of relief.
"But," Polnareff continued, his expression troubled, "there is one thing... my sister, Sherry. I cannot simply leave her unprotected."
"Brother, don't worry about me!" Sherry insisted. "I can take care of myself!"
Polnareff ignored her. "This incident with J. Geil... it was a wake-up call. I cannot leave her alone."
"I understand," Jonas said, nodding regretfully. "It was wrong of me to ask." It seemed his plan to gain an ally had failed. Polnareff had family to consider.
Sherry glared at her brother, a look of pure exasperation on her face.
Just as Jonas was about to give up, Polnareff spoke again. "However... Sherry will be starting high school in Paris in a few months. She is brilliant; she will thrive there. Once she is settled and safe... then, Jonas, I will join you."
Jonas's eyes lit up. An unexpected turn! Sherry beamed.
"An excellent plan," Jonas said. "And of course, I will compensate you for your time."
"Nonsense!" Polnareff declared. "Even without pay, I would fight alongside you, Jonas!"
The two men clasped hands, their pact sealed.
Egypt. A dark, damp room.
Enya the Hag lay trembling on the floor, her body drenched in a cold sweat.
"Just now..." she choked out, her voice a ragged whisper filled with agony and disbelief. "My precious boy... my J. Geil... he died!"
She pushed herself up, clutching her head. "I felt it... A mother's intuition... The bond between us..."
Suddenly, horrific wounds—slashes, bites, punctures—spontaneously erupted all over her body, mirroring the injuries inflicted on her son. Blood poured from them, soaking her clothes, turning her into a grotesque effigy of suffering.
"AAAAAGGGGGHHHH!! OOOOHHHH!" she shrieked, her voice inhuman.
"My beautiful boy! My sweet J. Geil! To suffer such agony before death!"
"I can feel your pain! Every cut! Every bite! My brave, heroic son!"
"But... you were pure! Innocent! How could you die?! It must have been him! That monster, Jonas! He must have used some despicable trick!"
"DAMN YOU, JONAS JOURDAN!!! I WILL MAKE YOU PAY! I WILL MAKE YOU SUFFER A THOUSAND TIMES WORSE!!!"
"The other assassins... they know where you are! Jonas! Your death will be slow! It will be agonizing! I SWEAR IT!"
Her furious, grief-stricken curses echoed in the small room. Just as she was about to descend further into madness, the shrill ring of a telephone cut through the air.
Enya froze. A look of pure, venomous hatred contorted her features. She dragged her bleeding body to the phone.
She snatched up the receiver. It was Hol Horse's flippant voice.
"Yo, Granny Enya. About this job... you might wanna find someone else. That Jonas guy is bad news. And, uh... pretty sure J. Geil bit the dust."
"Hol... Horse..." Enya hissed, her voice dripping with lethal intent.
If Jonas was the man she hated most in the world, Hol Horse was now a very close second. If that cowardly fool hadn't bungled the first attempt, if he hadn't attacked his own partner, her precious J. Geil would still be alive! And then... then he had run away, abandoning her son to die alone! Unforgivable! Hol Horse should have died alongside him!
Now... he would pay. He would join her son in death.
"Hol Horse," she said, her voice suddenly smooth, almost gentle. "The mission's failure was not your fault. I will still pay you the full amount. However... I need you to come to Egypt. There is... one more person I need you to eliminate."
Hol Horse hung up the phone, letting out a relieved sigh. Wow. Granny Enya was actually pretty reasonable. Paying him even though he failed? Maybe he should have fired a few more shots to cover J. Geil's retreat after all...