Black Sabbath (Patreon)

A.N.: Gonna post earlier because I have to go vote. Yaaay...

Fucking waste of time.

Enjoy the chapter~

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Joshua’s System can be considered very simple by the standards of the stories he read in his past life.

There is no guide, no AI assistant; his status screen doesn’t track his physical status, he doesn’t gain skills like in a video game, and he has no indicator of his energy…

But that doesn’t stop him from understanding it himself. The information isn't fed to him, but Joshua can feel it. 

It is hard to explain to someone without a “paranormal” power, but someone like that can feel it as much as a normal human would feel their limbs. He understands his own “spiritual energy”, as he calls it, as much as a runner would know about their own stamina.

He discovered and knows his limits.

He doesn’t have exact numbers; after all, his System doesn’t hold his hand with that, so he simply goes with the old reliable “100%”, an imaginary bar in his own mind.

It works like this… His Stand powers don’t really drain that much of his energy bar when he manifests them and uses their abilities. No, in truth, that cost is pretty small all things considered.

This bar of Spiritual Energy is referred to as how much his spirit, his vessel, can withstand the simultaneous use of Stands.

As a rule of the JoJo universe, a person can only have one Stand; even people who can acquire others normally lose the previous ones, or can use only one at a time.

One example of that is Pucci’s losing [Whitesnake] to make room for [C-Moon], and then losing it for [Made in Heaven].

Even the Ultimate Kars of the Novel, can use only one Stand at a time, even if he holds multiple Stands, breaking the golden rule of the Universe because he is the Ultimate Lifeform.

Now, any JoJo fan could point out some small exceptions… Certain Stands have “Sub-Stands”, allowing them to have strong secondary abilities instead of following the rule of one ability for a Stand.

An example of that is [Epitaph] to [King Crimson], or, if you want to stretch a little, the other abilities of [Killer Queen].

After understanding that, it is possible to notice a pattern: a strong humanoid Stand with an ability, something that can also fight for itself and everything… It never has another Stand similar. A user never has another at the same level.

It is always a minor add-on.

That is how it works… Strong humanoid Stands take a huge portion of the “bar” of Spiritual Energy, occupying a lot of Joshua’s vessel and leaving no room for another manifestation.

The kid would estimate something like 70-80% of the whole.

So, while he is using a humanoid Stand like that, he would not be able to use any other, but it would be possible to use a weaker Stand that could “fit” in the rest of the space of the bar. A Stand that is maybe a simple ability, or just an item.

It is by understanding the “mechanics” that Joshua can operate his Stands efficiently.

Unfortunately, even the weakest of the humanoid Stands, the ones that can’t even fight by themselves with punches, take more than 50% of his Spiritual Energy bar.

So it may be impossible for him to summon two simultaneously.

Of course, he hasn’t given up… Maybe his Spiritual Energy will grow with him. And even if not, he's already set his mind to training Partial Manifestation.

Fighting with one arm of each manifested Stand may let him use two powers simultaneously. And it looks pretty cool.

But that is far in the future. Right now, he needs to focus on administering his different types of Stands efficiently.

For example, he just sent [Black Sabbath] to pursue the person who raided his hideout.

Because [Black Sabbath] is a situational, automatic Stand, it reduces the Spiritual Energy he uses a little, but even then it would prevent Joshua from using [Crazy Diamond], for example.

Right now, he is barely able to use [Hermit Purple] after letting out [Black Sabbath], and that is already putting some strain on him. Joshua is training with Hamon and Spin to also have another alternative to use if his Spiritual Energy is being used in a Stand that is a little far away from him, for any reason whatsoever.

Unfortunately, Joshua still isn't confident enough (or arrogant enough) to just let his Stand do its thing while he waits at home like a villain who sent out his subordinate. The kid follows [Black Sabbath].

With the great athleticism provided by his bloodline and Hamon training, he runs along the tops of walls and jumps between rooftops, occasionally using [Hermit Purple] like the webs of Spider-Man.

Unlike the original user, Polpo, Joshua can more or less sense [Black Sabbath]'s general direction, so he can go in his own time.

He wants to watch how his Stand fares and take a good look at his enemy before passing judgment.

That is not the first time he has used [Black Sabbath], but it is the first time he has left it to its own devices like that. More importantly than all, he wants to see how smart an automatic Stand is.

……………………………………

At a moderate distance from Joshua, two individuals walk through the deserted streets, lit by lampposts that naturally light up as the sky darkens. 

One man and one woman, and while many would assume they're a couple, a closer look reveals a power dynamic that doesn't fit an equal relationship.

If they're partners, it looks as clear as day that the woman holds the power. Their appearance and body posture practically scream it.

The woman walks ahead, confident, chin raised, chest puffed out like she wants to make her modest breasts look bigger. She is tall and curvier on the lower body, with a small waist, big hips, and a round butt. She has plain, short hair, but many men would ignore that because of her lower body proportions.

The man, on the other hand, has no good characteristics to speak for. He is a head shorter than the woman, and she is not any taller than the average woman. He is fat, round everywhere, with a mousy face and a balding spot on the top of his head.

Even his mannerisms are a little repulsive: he walks hunched, hands always together as he rubs his fingers, palms, and knuckles, and a smile that threads the line between creepy and pathetic.

Both of their appearances are unkempt; they are obviously people who live outside society, just a little above a true homeless person.

“Lucky day, huh?” The woman comments witha  big smile, “I will never  doubt your nose again, Rafa.”

“Hehehe~ It was not much, Gabi. I expected some money for the way my quirk reacted, but I was wrong.” His words are humble, but his expression isn't; the mousy man wears a satisfied grin as he shakes the bag behind him.

“It doesn’t matter; we got a lot of good stuff… new clothes, shoes, new cutlery, and even some electronics.” The woman, Gabi, laughs.

Hector was messing around with the electronics he acquired. He has no problem treating them like toys when he can restore them, so he is going on a self-taught route of reverse engineering.

“All in excellent quality and condition.” Rfa, the mousy man, exclaims with a high-pitched laugh.

This duo of outlaws looks pretty satisfied with themselves after stumbling on the unexpected haul that was Joshua’s hideout.

It was not luck. The mouse man's quirk lets him “sniff valuable things.” It is surprisingly precise but also subjective; after all, the value of things can change depending on a few factors.

He can smell whether a gemstone is more valuable than another based on the market, but he can also search for things that are valuable to him and his situation.

In a desert, he would be able to smell water underground.

That is how he found Joshua’s home. In their outlaw situation, living at the margin of society, a safehouse with everything Joshua collected is obviously valuable to him.

Rafa caught that distinct smell of something good; it was especially eye-catching because the area is a desert, devoid of anything valuable. It was like smelling a garden of flowers amidst barren land.

This metaphysical sense of smell isn't only for smelling valuables, no… That part is simply the branch of his quirk that best fits Rafa's personality. His sense of smell can even detect non-material circumstances.

Like danger…

Sniff Sniff

“Wait!” He suddenly exclaims, alarmed. He looks left and right as Gabi also stops.

This nose of his can’t help in a fight, but it has saved them from many life-and-death situations; it can never be underestimated or ignored.

“What?”

“I smell danger…” Rafa says, his beady eyes moving with his nose.

“How much?” She asks, knowing that depending on the stench, they can classify the level of danger.

“Small, but… weird… I never smelled something like this before.” The mousy guy is confused and getting a little anxious about the lack of information he is getting from his reliable quirk.

He shouldn’t be. It is already pretty incredible that he can detect the smell of [Black Sabbath], or better yet… the smell of the danger provided by [Black Sabbath].

Joshua’s quirk adapted to this word; they can be seen, touched, and even smelled, it seems…

No, this is a special case. Most Stands have no smell, and [Black Sabbath], with his shadowy properties, is even more “immaterial” than others (proof of that is the fact he is having a “weak” response even when [Black Sabbath is very dangerous), so the smell is simply coming from the dangerous situation Rafa and Gabi found themselves in.

It means [Black Sabbath] is already nearby.

The two get closer and look around the desert block, the walls, and the empty houses.

“Is someone spying on us then?” Gabi whispers to him

“Maybe… We can’t go back while we are being followed,” Rafa answers

“I know. Shit, what an annoyance at the end of the day.” The woman clicks her tongue.

The sky darkens after the sun sets, and the lampposts become the main source of light.

Unknown to the two, they are being saved by the old human instinct to seek light, as they are beneath a lamppost, bathed in its cone of light.

Sssuuu

“Did you hear that?” Rafa turns faster.

It was such a small sound, almost imperceptible… The sound of something light sliding on the ground, or maybe the sound of a gust of wind hitting an obstacle, but it was there. A different sound.

Rafa turned fast, and just in time he saw a dark silhouette moving to the side.

“There!” he shouted, pointing with his finger.

“Where?” Gabi turned fast too, but she found nothing. “What are you talking about?”

“There was someone there. A person! It disappeared!”

“Teleport? Invisibility? This is getting fucked up man.”

“If it was invisibility, he would not reveal himself.”

“Maybe has a time limit.”

“It is not possible that someone with a teleport quirk has their sights on us, right? We would have to be very unlucky.” Rafa's teeth start to clatter in fright. He is a coward.

Gabi, on the other hand, is a little more reckless. “HEY! YOU FUCKER! LIKE PLAYING GAMES, YA? COME IF YOU ARE A MAN!” She shouts around.

“D-Don’t provoke them…”

“Ah, shut up! We are fucked if  we just stay here till the moment the fucker decides to stop playing and shoot us.”

“We should carefully run then… we can’t stay here,” Rafa suggests.

“Yeah…” Gabi agrees

And that is a grave mistake.

The moment they step out of the light…

Suu Drip

The sound again, together with the sound of something dropping on water, no… leaving the water.

“You are the thief, are you not?”

“AAAAaaaaaH!”

A figure emerges from the shadows and, faster than the two can react, grabs Gabi by the shoulders from behind; Rafa squeals.

Now they can see that it is humanoid but is not a man. It's something like a doll, draped in a dark cloak and wearing a big, strange hat of the same color; its skin is white, and it has big yellow eyes.

Well, it could still be human because people’s appearances can be very varied nowadays thanks to the quirks. But they don’t care about that; what matters is that this thing is an enemy to them.

[Black Sabbath] opens his big mouth very wide as he grips the woman’s shoulder strong enough to bruise instantly. From his mouth, a piece of sharp metal appears, glinting in the light before he lunges forward.

Joshua doesn’t have a Stand Arrow to give [Black Sabbath] its one-hit-kill ability, but it is not that hard to create a substitute with his Stands and the Spin.

On the face of death, the woman reacts quicker than ever. Her two feet leave the ground, and she kicks [Black Sabbath] with everything she has.

She manages to escape the Stand, even if it costs her some bloody lines on her shoulders, and she flies back fast enough to hit a wall hard enough to take the air out of her lungs.

The thing is, this woman has a body-strengthening quirk, but only in her legs. Her legs have great strength, flexibility, and elasticity, like rubber, but not to the point where she can stretch them for meters.

No, her legs are like they are made of the same synthetic rubber used in tires. It gives her balanced defense, attack, and mobility because it absorbs a lot of shock and is hard enough to deliver powerful strikes.

It was strong enough to send [Black Sabbath] stumbling back a little, but… it does no damage.

And even if it did, the Stand would regenerate.

Even [Gold Experience] was helpless against it, so physical strikes of a somewhat strong quirk user have the same effect as if she simply caressed the Stand.

“Gabi!” The mousy man shouts but does nothing, rooted to the spot.

Ironically, his cowardice saves him, as he remains under the light, well protected by [Black Sabbath].

Unfortunately, the woman is not.

In an instant, [Black Sabbath] materializes beside her as if emerging from the ground; the Stans looms over her menacingly.

“Thief! Accept your judgment.” The Stand shouts in a deep and ominous voice; it is the only warning before it attacks again.

It launches at the woman's legs, but this time it does not grab the flesh; now, it grabs something immaterial… it grabs the shadow and pulls.

It pulls as if the shadow were liquid, the shadowy legs trembling more and more as they stretch farther from the real limbs. The farther it gets, the less black they become, and they really start to look like real legs.

No, they are transparent… it is the soul… it is pulling the woman’s soul through the legs.

Normally, it would be more effective if it started at the head; it would be an instant K.O., but the woman uses her legs as her main weapon, and now they are incapacitated.

Like her shadow, like her soul, her own legs of blood and flesh are shivering, and she can’t muster any strength in them. She is like a newborn calf that can’t stand up.

“AAAAaaarghgghh!” She shouts in despair, trying to crawl away from the Stand. “Stop… STOP THAT!!”

“Thief!” But the Stand is heartless. 

His doll-like hands squeeze her knees, fingers sinking into her soul like he is squeezing a balloon, and the rest of her legs, like her calves and feet, start swelling unnaturally.

“AAARRRGHH! NO! NO! DO SOMETHING!” The woman keeps shouting and even tries to punch the Stand.

But how effective are the trembling punches of a scared woman? She is only hurting her hands on the hard parts of [Black Sabbath]'s body, and her hand goes through his shadowy cloak like it is not even there.

She tries to claw and grab him, but her attempts are so futile that they can’t even remove his big hat. Maybe it is part of his body.

[Black Sabbath] continues to squeeze; now beneath her knee, her legs are like balloons about to explode. Her real legs are also twisting in the air as if she has no control over them.

They start to bend the wrong way…

The Stand pauses for a moment, just before her legs seem to be about to pop, and delivers the sentence.

“THIEF!”

Crack Crack

Her knees gave out, her soul practically losing shape as her legs twisted in the wrong direction after her knees gave in.

“AAAa-!!” She lost consciousness mid-scream, half of it because of pain and the other half because of the shock.

An injury like that to her is practically a death sentence.

Both knees broken? Her? Even if she doesn't have a quirk that uses her legs, she wouldn't have a good time after that. It is like breaking a limb in a post-apocalyptic world.

That is how bad those streets are; they are like a post-apocalyptic world where you can only depend on yourself. Who knows how many enemies she has, not to mention the people who won't show mercy just because she is injured.

She passes out as a coping mechanism to not think about it, to not think about her bleak future. 

And all the time, while this was happening, her “partner” didn’t move a muscle to help.

Not to help… his muscles are very busy working overtime to run away.

When the Stand is done with the woman, it turns and notices that the man's silhouette is disappearing around a corner.

Too bad for him, the situation is simply too ideal for [Black Sabbath], a stand with top-level speed in the shadows. He doesn’t even seem to be in a hurry, slowly sinking down like he has all the time in the world.

And he has; the night is young, and the sky is only now at its darkest.

……………………………………….

The mousy man runs at the top speed his round body allows, but funny enough he doesn’t abandon the loot he stole earlier from Joshua.

He looks back constantly, but he can’t see any pursuer. He also can’t hear anything over the sound of his own heartbeat echoing in his ears and his labored breath.

But his nose… His nose is telling him that he is still very much in danger. Danger clings to him like a bad smell after a swim in a polluted river.

To this man, despite his rotund appearance, he is not a couch potato without stamina. He is an outlaw, so of course he has faced hardships and can at least run away when needed.

But he is tiring quickly now; the knowledge that his pursuer has some strange teleportation abilities, and his nose telling him he is not getting any safer even after running for so long, weigh on his mind.

The pressure is slowly crushing him, making his feet heavy and starting to slow him down.

He can’t keep running like that because he has nowhere to go. The woman he just abandoned was his only ally, so what now? He is alone and getting tired, facing a pursuer who can probably teleport.

No, the best course of action is hiding! That is why he abandoned the main street and entered one of the abandoned houses, a dark place where he can stay out of sight…

If only he knew…

If [Black Sabbath] had a personality, maybe he would laugh, but now he just followed the man to the perfect spot to deal with him.

The mousy man goes to the corner of a room, using the abandoned, broken furniture as a shield. A dusty, half-destroyed couch becomes his hiding spot, like he is a kid.

He throws himself on the ground and covers his face so that his nose can’t keep up scaring him more. His eyes are closed because he doesn’t want to face reality… but reality is not so nice.

Bam

He is suddenly grabbed by the head and slammed on the ground; then he feels some weight between his shoulder blades, and his arms are pulled back, two cold and lifeless hands grabbing his wrists.

“Thief…” [Black Sabbath]'s eerie voice passes the judgment

“No, no… Pleasseeeeh!” The man tries to beg, but his physical prowess is so small that [Black Sabbath] didn’t even deign with the respect of using his soul-grabbing ability.

He is just gonna break his arms.

The man keeps begging, tears and snot running down his face. Mucus mixed with blood as he continues to cry pathetically.

“Geez, when people don’t have the battle I.Q. to figure out the Stand’s weakness, the fights are so one-sided.” Suddenly, a voice reaches his ears, and the enemy on his back even pauses so that he can search for the source.

There, he looks up and sees someone sitting by the window, his face obscured because the only source of light comes from the outside, from behind him, but this small person that could very well be a kid is right there looking down on him while striking a pose.

His legs are crossed, one over the other, an elbow on one knee, and his chin rests on the hand of the same arm.

“Tonight was a good experience; I will remember to keep my powers a tight secret for as long as I can. Thank you for being a dumbass.” The kid says imperiously, acting like a king talking to a subject.

Joshua really is slowly becoming a “diva” because of his habit of farming Bizarre Points. The System is changing him.

“But that doesn’t absolve you; time to your punishment…” Joshua raises a hand high in the air and drops it with his index finger pointing down, “[Black Sabbath].”

CRACK

The man's shoulders give in.

………………………………………………….

A little later, Joshua heads back with his recovered things and a satisfied smile.

“Who was the idiot that said that revenge doesn’t taste good?” He scoffs to himself.

Those two thieves are lucky stealing doesn’t warrant a more severe punishment, so they only have their limbs broken, are stripped of all their valuables and clothes… and then are tied to a post with the words “thief” written on their bodies.

“Now you are the hands of Fate.” Joshua says like a villain.

If the world wants them to survive, they will overcome this hardship created by the consequences of their own actions.

If they are unlucky… well, they are gonna meet some ill-intented person and… 

Joshua doesn’t care. It is out of his hands now. He feels that he was fair for at least giving them a chance; people around here would have killed the two on the spot.

He bets those two would have tried to kill him if they found him at the hideout, so no… he does not pity them.

“But like a good Jojo, I am gonna just beat them up very bad and leave them behind when I can.” He raises a fist. “A seven-page Muda-Muda is reserved for the worst; I can’t banalize such a cool moment.”

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