It is known that the character referred to as the "butler" has no connection to DIO and claims to have been her former subordinate, serving both her and her father. The butler seems aware of the secrets within her, but is constrained by an unknown force. Nianzi has an intuition—she suspects this force is the same "system" that has always compelled her to make pivotal decisions at critical moments. Yet, she has never questioned what this "system" truly is. Could it be the power of a higher deity? And who exactly is her father?
Moreover, the butler returns even after being killed.
Nianzi once again attempts to piece together the fragmented puzzle of her chaotic memories. She vaguely recalls being adopted from an orphanage by her foster parents, chosen solely for her striking beauty. Growing up, nothing particularly unusual happened—until the incident where she injured a parliamentary candidate for the next prime minister during an act of bravery, leading to her transfer from her hometown to Tokyo.
She doesn’t remember ever having killed anyone before. Her upbringing was uneventful, her behavior always compliant—a thoroughly ordinary life. Yet, for some reason, her body feels profoundly wrong. Now, it takes nearly all her willpower to suppress violent impulses, and she can’t even be sure whether the horrifying memories she sees belong to her.
Could she have been reincarnated? Lately, that kind of light novel seems to be trending… but no, that’s impossible.
Still, she isn’t one to dwell on things. If there’s a problem, she’ll solve it. If it can’t be solved, then death is the only outcome—worrying won’t help, so why bother? Might as well give it her all and move on.
Soon, she pushes the unsolvable questions to the back of her mind and watches as Joseph Joestar materializes thorny vines with his Stand ability, "Hermit Purple," to examine the dagger. Unable to resist, she asks, "Found anything unusual?"
No matter what, the butler left her a weapon—an orange-tier one at that. Who could refuse such a gift?
After Nianzi explains the events of the previous night, the others are visibly shocked. Avdol, who claims to be a fortune-teller well-versed in the occult, admits that the information is too scarce to connect to any known legend. Joseph decides to inspect the weapon first, checking for any curses.
"My Stand, Hermit Purple, possesses investigative and psychometric abilities. There’s an extraordinary energy emanating from this blade."
But the longer Joseph Joestar examines it, the graver his expression becomes.
"I can hear the wails of countless souls slain by this dagger… as well as the lingering resentment of its original owner. It may affect you mentally."
He quickly concludes, "My gut tells me this is related to some kind of containment artifact. It’s best not to use it. Once we reach Singapore, we should hand it over to the SPW Foundation for further analysis."
"No way. If you take it, what will I use?"
This is an orange-tier weapon—no one’s prying it from her hands!
Nianzi immediately refuses and tucks the dagger away, answering matter-of-factly, "The more people it’s killed, the better the blade must be. What’s the point of a knife if not for killing? Should I hang it as decoration?"
Though she had assumed the dagger was her own former weapon, brought by the butler.
"……"
Her words leave everyone speechless, staring at her in stunned silence.
It’s not that she’s wrong, but that’s hardly the point here!
"…Fine, suit yourself. But be careful."
Since it’s her property, Joseph doesn’t press further, merely offering a resigned warning.
As for the mental influence… Frankly, her behavior in dreams is already worse than DIO’s. Could things really get any worse?
The final day of the voyage passes peacefully—it seems there are no more enemies aboard. But new foes likely await them in Singapore, so they can’t let their guard down.
The only thing weighing on Nianzi’s mind is Shunan’s condition. She occasionally checks the character interface; as long as his portrait isn’t grayed out, he’s fine. Currently, Kujo Jotaro’s affection toward her remains stubbornly negative, and the old man (Joseph) isn’t as easy to win over as she imagined—his fake stoicism makes progress difficult. Her chances seem slim, so she must hold onto the one whose affection is rising the fastest.
Though the locked affection values have been unlocked, her attempts to improve Kujo Jotaro’s opinion of her have been futile. For instance, last night, she tried breaking the ice by initiating conversation.
"Want something practical?"
After observing Kujo Jotaro—who sat on his bed reading an English magazine—for a long time, Nianzi suddenly spoke up.
"What?"
Kujo Jotaro lowers the magazine and fixes her with a sharp, penetrating gaze, as if trying to decipher her intentions.
Nianzi pulls out a 1000-yen bill. "Take this?"
"…………"
[Kujo Jotaro refused.]
???
Isn’t this a dating sim? She didn’t even offer trash she picked up, and yet he rejects universal currency? This guy’s impossible!
In contrast, Shunan, who gains a tiny affection boost from the 120-yen yogurt she buys him, is such a sweetheart.
Whatever. At least after his affection dropped to -60, Kujo Jotaro didn’t outright ignore her or seek petty revenge. Honestly, she can’t even tell the difference between how he treats her and the others—it’s like he’s just naturally like this. Might as well leave it negative.
Perhaps they’re still not familiar enough. Kakyoin remains somewhat reserved, occasionally fishing alone by the railing. Kujo Jotaro reads quietly, Joseph and Avdol play cards with a couple of crew members, and Polnareff chats casually with everyone to pass the time.
With no TV programs or activities on board, entertainment is scarce. The previous captain did leave behind some adult DVDs, but with three minors present, Joseph Joestar has forbidden anyone from watching them. If someone sneaks off to watch without getting caught, their [Courage] stat increases.
System Prompt: How will you spend the remaining time on the ship?
A: Study in your room.
B: Watch the adult DVDs.
C: Find some fun with someone. (Options: Kujo Jotaro / Joseph Joestar)
???
Is "fun" what she thinks it is?
Nianzi is stunned. Can she really choose this?
Even if sleeping with teammates were possible, it’s way too soon! Everyone’s affection is still rock-bottom—no one would agree to a rendezvous in the woods.
The scenario feels oddly familiar, but she highly doubts choosing C would end in anything but humiliation. Besides, she’s not particularly interested in that kind of thing anyway.
For some reason, the TV in the cabin is fried, emitting smoke as if scorched. Watching DVDs would require repairs—a skill she lacks.
So, she opts to study in her room to boost her [Academics].
Some time later…
System Notification: [Nianzi’s five-dimensional attributes have increased, and her academic ability has grown to LV2!]
She was one step closer to becoming a polymath warrior. Just keep going like this.
The next day.
After a long voyage, the ship departing from Japan finally arrived in Singapore.
As soon as they disembarked, they were greeted by SPW Foundation staff. The SPW Foundation was founded by a man named Robert E. O. Speedwagon, a close friend and sworn brother of Joseph Joestar’s grandfather. The foundation was a world leader in technology, medicine, and other fields, boasting an extensive intelligence network and political influence. It also operated a special paranormal research division that had long provided support to the Joestar family.
Speedwagon had no children, and after his passing, he bequeathed the majority of his shares in the SPW Foundation to Joseph Joestar—likely to prevent other major shareholders from transforming the foundation beyond recognition for profit. As a result, Joseph Joestar was now the actual controlling shareholder of the SPW Foundation. The old man himself was also a real estate tycoon in New York, with wealth rivaling nations. Such was the background of the romanceable characters.
At first, Nianzi had thought Kujo Jotaro was unremarkable. She’d even heard rumors from classmates that he would walk out of restaurants without paying if he found the food unpalatable. Now, she understood.
So traveling with them had indeed been the right decision. Soon, SPW staff delivered supplies and informed them that Hol Horse had been located—currently detained at a police station along with the child he had abducted, awaiting identification by the Joestar group.
“What? That easily?”
Nianzi was surprised. One of DIO’s subordinates had just been captured and locked up? Those people were evil men with supernatural abilities—they shouldn’t be so easily contained. How was this possible?
“Yes. We heard that customs officials spotted him and reported him to Interpol. He was arrested immediately after leaving the airport,” the SPW staff member replied.
“He didn’t resist?”
Kujo Jotaro voiced Nianzi’s doubt directly, frowning. “If something goes too smoothly, that’s suspicious in itself.”
“He surrendered on the spot… Probably to avoid harming the child,” the staff member answered hesitantly.
“Let’s go see what’s going on first. Even if it’s a trap, the enemy is at a disadvantage while locked up. He can’t do much.”
Regardless, they had to verify the situation. The group boarded a prepared van and headed to the police station, where the chief escorted them to identify Shiokawa Shunan, who was currently under protection.
However, when they saw the baby placed before them, everyone froze.
A policewoman was struggling to care for the crying boy in the crib, clumsily changing his diaper.
But this child wasn’t Shunan at all—just an ordinary, unfamiliar baby they’d never seen before!
“No, what’s going on?! Where’s that cowboy?!”
…
Meanwhile, the detained “Hol Horse” showed no sign of panic when he heard footsteps approaching his cell. Instead, he burst into triumphant laughter.
“Heh heh heh… Finally here, huh? I’ve been waiting…”
Then, his body melted like soft clay, reforming into a lean, black-haired man with slicked-back hair.
He was another of DIO’s assassins—Yellow Temperance, a shapeshifter.
