“It’s not what I’ve done,” Moya shoot back, then returning to address Kilo, “It’s what you’ve done, isn’t that right? And you already know what you have to do, don’t you?”



Kilo stares at his attacker, silently. He doesn’t move. Facing him, Moya seems not to notice Shizuka running to attack her from behind, only for WITCH MOUNTAIN to elbow her in the gut once more, doubling her over and making her cough violently.

A small spark appears in Kilo’s eye at this. He grimaces slightly, blinking through the dark tears and struggling to bring out his Stand, only for Witch Mountain to strike him hard in the face.

“So you’ve still got some fight in you. Again, not surprising. They say evil people are the ones with the strongest spirits.” Moya looks back at Shizuka, “But you’re different, right? Listen: I don’t want to hurt you like this, but you’re not giving any other options. If you care for your health, head on out of here. Leave LA, stay away from this man, and especially forget about finding that woman.”

Clutching her stomach, Shizuka chokes out, “You know… who I’m looking for?”

“I know Jerome Adetokunbo, otherwise known as C-King, held a party last night, and at that party he was asking around for an Asian woman with a fish-hook scar below her right eye. And whatever tips he got led you two to this place. Well, I’m afraid I have to disappoint you; the woman you want did own this place for a while, but she hasn’t been back here in a long time.”

“How do you… How do you know her?” The tall woman doesn’t answer, instead glares ahead of her. Shizuka shouts “Answer me! Do you know her or not?!!”

“… I know her quite well. How well do you know her? Did you know, for example, that she’s a high-level operative in one of the most dangerous organization in not only LA, but the entire West Coast?”

Shizuka bites her lip. Rather than respond, she shouts, “Just who are you?”

“She’s with the gang…” Kilo answers, wobbling up to his feet. Shizuka and Moya have to look back at him, his voice is so low they think they may have imagined him speak.

“You’re with the gang,” he says, voice full of quiet malice. A hateful glimmer is in his eye, peeking through the black ooze streaming from his eyes. “Where is he… you’re with the gang… you must know… where… where is he?”He takes a shaky step forward, then another, muttering before suddenly breaking into a roaring charge. SATURN BARZ fully manifests, howling “URAAAAH!!”

“WHERE IS TARANTULA!!?”

Moya is taken by surprise, having not expected him to recover at all, and swiftly moves to defend herself. SATURN BARZ and WITCH MOUNTAIN engage each other in an exchange of blows that unsettles the sand around them into a swirling dervish. They appear equally matched.

SATURN BARZ swipes its hands at the flying sand, condensing it into glass blades in both hand. The Stand wields these against its opponent. WITCH MOUNTAIN moves to defend, protecting its body but taking several deep cuts on its arms. These wounds transfer to its user, and here the tide of battle begins to turn.

SATURN BARZ crushes the blades in its hand, then reforms them into a single long blade. With this, it drives towards Moya’s Stand, aiming for its gut, but WITCH MOUNTAIN throws it hands in front of the point. The blade pierces through its hands, but keeps it from its body by inches.

WITCH MOUNTAIN breaks the blade in half, keeping the jagged point embedded in its palm. Moya’s hands bleed profusely, dripping onto the sand and being swept away in the swirl. With its free hand, WITCH MOUNTAIN grabs SATURN BARZ by the wrist, then drives the glass blade into its shoulder. Kilo’s own shoulder opens up in a spurt of blood.

“GGRRR!!” he hisses, and before he can do anything else, WITCH MOUNTAIN briskly whips its hair, and droplets of liquid splat into his eyes.

“AAHHHH!!!” Kilo howls as his eyeballs seem to burn, falling to his knees and writhing on the ground.

“K-KILO!!” Shizuka calls out to him in dismay, watching helpless as she hasn’t recovered from that last attack. WTCH MOUNTAIN pulls the blade from its hand, as Moya pants heavily, looking down at him.

“Cut it a little closer there, didn’t you? You’re tough, Staples. But with the life you’ve led, there’s no way you can stand up to WITCH MOUNTAIN’s ability.”

At this, Kilo’s screams die down, and he stops moving again, lying on his back with his hands over his eyes. Black fluid streams between his fingers, staining his hands.

“Kilo?” Shizuka asks, worried, “Are you… Can you hear me?” She tries to get up to reach him, but Moya back-kicks her away.

Soon enough, Kilo rises to his feet, his expression rather vacant. The ooze on his cheeks have dried, and his eyes are all black now. No light in them at all. His words are flat. “I hear you, Shizuka. Sorry I made you worry. I gotta go now.”

She blinks in disbelief. “Wh-what are you talking about? We’re her to find the fish-hook scar lady. We… you said you’d help me!…”

“I know. I’m sorry. This is happening because of me. I should never have gotten you involved. I get it now. I know what I gotta do. Goodbye.” With that, he walks away, leaving her behind. His movements are strangely loose, devoid of his usual stiffness.

Scrambling to her feet, Shizuka cries, “Wait, Kilo stop! Whatever this is, it’s just the Stand controlling you! You gotta snap out of it! Kilo!”

“I’m not controlling him,” Moya says, crossing her arms. “I’m not doing anything to him. If anything, he’s finally listening to himself, for the first time in a long time.”

“What is that supposed to mean!!?” Shizuka shouts, demanding an explanation.

“I don’t know all the details,” the tall woman replies, grimacing, “but your friend is a nasty piece of work. The guilt he carries is no small thing. Theft. Assault. Burglary. Anything short of straight-up murder. He’s done it all.”

“Not true.” Moya turns to the sound of Kilo’s flat voice. He has stopped walking, standing on the sand facing away from them. “Not true. Not short of murder. I killed someone.

“I killed my best friend…”

Shizuka’s breath catches in her throat. Moya raises an eyebrow, but otherwise her face remains impassive. “That explains the reaction,” she says, “With guilt like that, there can be only one method of atonement, right?”

“Suicide. Obviously.” He walks away again, without looking back.

“KILO!!!” Shizuka shrieks, desperately scrambling to her feet and chasing after him.

“Whoa there, chica, not so fast!” Moya cries, gripping her shoulder before she can get away. Shizuka grits her teeth and fires an elbow back, twisting out of her hold. She starts to lunge, only to be confronted by WITCH MOUNTAIN towering over her, splaying its palm in front of her face.

“I can’t let you go after him,” Moya says, her tone stern, lecturing, “I understand. Of course you don’t want anybody to go dying. But the world would be a much better place if certain people just did away with themselves.

“Think of how much pain and suffering could have been avoided if Hitler or Jim Jones had just offed themselves a little earlier. You might feel sentimental towards that guy, but if he thinks the world is better off without him, then I won’t be one to disagree.”

Grimacing, Shizuka summons her Stand to slap WITCH MOUNTAIN’s hand away. She stands resolute. “I don’t give a damn what you have to say. I’m going to beat you and I’m going to save my friend.”

END OF CHAPTER NINE