"What did you say? You just handed the child over to them?"
Nianzi's heart sank upon hearing this, and she couldn't help but frown as she questioned, "...Have you thought about what will happen next?"
Though her mind wasn't at its sharpest right now, her keen criminal intuition alerted her to a sinister possibility: Kakyoin had mentioned offering Joestar blood to DIO, and since DIO had stolen the body of a Joestar ancestor—possibly still struggling to fully merge with it—he might be unable to move freely, which was why he was lurking in the shadows instead of acting directly.
He had drained nearly all the women dry, yet deliberately spared the pregnant ones, letting them leave alive. This was clearly abnormal.
Anyone with a shred of reason knew DIO wasn’t the type to simply want to become a father. Nianzi concluded that he must be using this body to mass-produce infants with Joestar blood—solely for his own consumption.
He must have discovered that Ms. Shiokawa had already given birth to a "blood bag," so he sent his subordinates to retrieve Shunan. In other words, the only fate awaiting Shunan in his hands was to be devoured, just like the other drained women—discarded as scraps atop a pile of corpses.
"I—I didn’t know! The child’s father is filthy rich, he’ll give him a better life. Besides, I don’t have time to take proper care of him..."
Ms. Shiokawa let out a dry laugh, though her voice still trembled. She was scrambling for excuses, but Nianzi cut through her lies without hesitation. "You know exactly what will happen to Shunan if he falls into DIO’s hands, don’t you? The same fate as those other women who were with you back then."
"......"
A heavy silence filled the other end of the line. Nianzi could hear the woman’s breathing grow ragged before it erupted into hysteria.
"I don’t know! That’s his son—he wouldn’t do that to him! If I hadn’t handed him over, they would’ve killed me... Stop calling me!"
Ms. Shiokawa hung up abruptly.
...She was uncooperative and drowning in guilt.
Her reaction made it obvious she knew the truth, yet she’d deluded herself into believing the child would live happily, just to ease her conscience. Nianzi could understand—if she hadn’t surrendered Shunan, she’d have been killed too. She had no choice.
"What’s going on?"
Kujo Jotaro, who had been watching her intently outside the café, spoke up calmly after she put the phone away. "Who was that just now?"
"The mother of the child from earlier. There’s trouble."
At the same time, the system issued a new mission prompt: 【Rescue Shiokawa Shunan】
It was unclear whether this task was tied to the main storyline, but if left unattended, Shunan would undoubtedly die—ending his arc entirely.
Whether or not Nianzi pursued Shunan’s route, failing this mission would leave her with unbearable regret. She had to save him...
No matter how much Kujo Jotaro disliked her, Nianzi knew he was a good man at heart. He’d help. So she laid out the situation plainly.
"That child is DIO’s son."
"!!"
Just as expected, Kujo Jotaro’s eyes widened in shock. But he didn’t interrupt, letting her continue.
"I owe you an apology for what happened earlier. Until tonight, when I returned the child to his mother, I didn’t know who the father was. Ms. Shiokawa never gave me the details—only that DIO let her leave his mansion alive after she got pregnant. She gave birth, and just now, DIO’s subordinates took Shunan away."
Her expression was grave as she held his gaze. "I suspect there are other children like him out there. DIO’s goal is to harvest Joestar blood to speed up his fusion with the stolen body. Shunan will be devoured... So I’m going after him. Will you help?"
"..."
Kujo Jotaro remained silent, his inscrutable eyes fixed on her. He didn’t answer immediately, but the system’s prompt revealed his decision:
【Kujo Jotaro agrees.】
"Give me the address."
This was the first time he’d ever sided with Nianzi. Without another word, he tossed her the motorcycle helmet again, gesturing for her to get on.
"They only just took Shunan. With luck, they haven’t left Japan yet. Ms. Shiokawa refused to say much, so we’ll start by forcing her to reveal who the kidnappers are."
As Nianzi climbed onto the bike and fastened her helmet, she outlined the plan. "Should you contact your grandfather? Get them ready too."
"They’d just get in the way. Head to the woman’s place first."
His reply was curt. The engine roared to life, and they sped through the night toward Ms. Shiokawa’s address.
The woman lived in a cramped apartment in Shibuya—one of those cheap, narrow units stacked in rows. This was the reality for most ordinary Japanese citizens. The slightly better-off could afford buildings with concierges, but compared to the Kujo family’s sprawling estate with its private garden and parking, it might as well have been a tycoon’s mansion. Nianzi had no idea what they did for money, nor did she care. If she wanted wealth, she’d earn it herself.
At this hour, the building’s residents were long asleep. Nearly every window was dark, the dim hallway lights their only guide. When they reached the fourth floor, they found Ms. Shiokawa’s unit still lit—she wasn’t sleeping yet.
Just as Kujo Jotaro stepped forward to knock, Nianzi stopped him.
"Wait—don’t alert her!"
"What’s your plan?"
He shot her a questioning look.
"Do you really think Ms. Shiokawa will open the door if we knock? She’ll either tell us to get lost or call the cops on us."
"You’re right. So I’ve decided to break the door down." Kujo Jotaro replied flatly.
"No, no! That’s the worst option!"
Nianzi shook her head vehemently. "If you’re hunting someone who’s hiding, you can’t let them know you’re coming. Seizing the initiative is key. Plus, smashing the door is too barbaric. I’ve got a record—can’t take risks."
She wasn’t sure why, but she’d always had a habit of avoiding the front door. Her 【Lockpicking】 skill probably explained a few things.
"You have a record?"
That finally caught Jotaro’s attention. He glanced at her.
"Yeah. Back home, I beat up a politician who was harassing a woman. Got sued for it. The woman was pressured into silence—afraid of losing her job—so she wouldn’t testify. Now I’m a convicted offender under probation."
Nianzi didn’t care if others found out about this. As she spoke, she began expertly picking the lock. Kujo Jotaro stood nearby, watching her, and after a moment, he suddenly asked, "Which senator?"
"I forgot. Something like Shido, I think."
Her memory was faulty—there were many things she couldn’t recall, and she didn’t bother with what wasn’t important. Soon, a click sounded as the lock gave way. Before anyone inside could react, she dashed into the room and, with practiced ease, shut the door behind her.
"It’s you?! What are you doing here? How did you get in?!"
Ms. Shiokawa, who had been sitting alone on the tatami drinking in frustration, was startled by Nianzi’s sudden intrusion.
"Get out! Get out now! Or I’ll call the police!"
Her home was a mess—unwashed dishes piled in the sink—but oddly, her luggage was already packed, as if she were preparing to leave. At the sight of Nianzi, she let out a shriek and angrily grabbed an empty can nearby, hurling it at her.
[Shiokawa attempted a throwing attack. Agility check successful—miss.]
Nianzi sidestepped the can, then swiftly pinned her to the floor, pressing down with stern, unrelenting force.
"You should’ve called the police after DIO’s subordinate took Shunan away. I know what you’re afraid of, and I’m not here to blame you. Maybe you didn’t want that child anymore, but I don’t think he deserves to die. So, tell me the truth—I’ll kill that vampire and bring Shunan back safely."
"You… you… Fine!"
After struggling in vain, Ms. Shiokawa gasped heavily, looking on the verge of collapse. Between sobs, she stammered, "Why must you meddle? You always meddle! That man was a cowboy—Hol Horse. He was supposed to kill me too, but he said he never harms women… as long as I handed over the child. He warned me not to tell anyone, to change my name and disappear. What else could I do?! No one defies that man. If you go after Shunan, you’ll just die too!"
"Is that so? He’s just a vampire. I’ll cut his head off the body he stole."
Nianzi released her. There was no fear in her eyes, no bluff—just calm determination as she pressed further. "Tell me where he’s hiding. I’ll kill him."
[System Update: Rescue Shunan Mission—Locate Hol Horse.]
[New Mission Alert: Find DIO’s Hideout. Eliminate DIO.]
"You’re just a high school girl! He’ll kill you without breaking a sweat. I’ve seen how many women died in that room! Do you think it was easy for me to escape?!" Ms. Shiokawa stared at Nianzi in disbelief.
"That’s your problem. But I don’t boast—if I say I can do it, I will."
"……"
She seemed torn, her inner conflict palpable. After taking another swig of beer from the table, she glared resentfully at Nianzi.
"Fine… If you’re so eager to die, go ahead. Cairo! He’s in Cairo, Egypt! That’s all I know—nothing else!"
With that, she downed the rest of her beer in one gulp, then wobbled to her feet, grabbing her luggage as if desperate to flee the room.
Kujo Jotaro, who had been silently observing the entire exchange, remained expressionless. But just then, Nianzi heard the sound of a chain snapping.
System Notification:
[Kujo Jotaro’s Favorability Updated.]
