[263] "JoJo's Bizarre Adventure" Screening Concludes! (2)
Chapter 263: "JoJo's Bizarre Adventure" Screening Concludes! (2)
At the southern border's military camp, the soldiers fell silent after the movie screening ended. It took a while before they snapped out of it and began discussing the film's content.
Soon, many soldiers went straight to Warrant Officer Josen, grabbing his hands and bursting into tears.
"Warrant Officer Jonathan, you've been through so much! Why would you suffer such terrible treatment? Captain Dio is simply inhuman!"
"Exactly! You saved everyone, but ended up with such a fate. It's unbearable!"
"How is Miss Erina now? She must be heartbroken!"
"…"
Faced with soldiers who couldn't distinguish reality from the fictional film, Warrant Officer Josen looked visibly awkward. He had never encountered anything like this before and was completely at a loss.
Seeing more and more soldiers gathering around him, he quickly raised his voice and exclaimed:
"Wait, wait! You've got it all wrong. I only played the role of Jonathan in the movie. I'm still alive! I didn't die!"
"This…"
Hearing his clarification, the soldiers froze for a moment before realizing what had happened.
Realizing they had gotten too caught up in the movie and confused reality with fiction, their faces turned embarrassed.
After all, if Josen had truly died like the character Jonathan in the movie, they wouldn't be seeing him in person now.
At that moment, the soldiers also became acutely aware of Captain Brando's wisdom in not showing up. If he had been present earlier, some soldiers might not have been able to resist throwing punches at him.
"Sigh, the impact of this film has far exceeded my expectations…"
Warrant Officer Josen spoke helplessly, his gaze drifting instinctively toward a particular area of the camp.
He was aware that Captain Brando had been secretly observing from somewhere within the camp, quietly watching the situation unfold.
Seeing the soldiers' fervent reactions now, he was sure Brando would never reveal himself voluntarily.
...
The Southern Duke's estate.
As the movie ended, Duke Constantine and his daughter Daphne both let out a relieved sigh.
The two were devoted film enthusiasts and were planning, as usual, to discuss their impressions and thoughts about the movie.
What they didn't expect was for Arcueid, the True Ancestor, to suddenly speak up:
"That actor playing Dio—is he the next successor?"
Startled by the question, Constantine hesitated briefly before replying:
"Uh, yes, that's correct. Although Brando can sometimes be a bit impulsive, his abilities, determination, and character are sufficient for him to be the next Southern Duke."
"Ah, I see. So that's the kind of young man he is…"
Arcueid murmured softly to herself. Then she smiled and said, "Shaping a young man like that into a successor—I look forward to it."
Hearing this, Duke Constantine was momentarily taken aback. The word "look forward to" wasn't something he'd expected. He quickly wiped a cold sweat from his brow.
After all, as someone who had gone through the terrifying trials required to formally assume the title of Southern Duke, the memories of that ordeal had never faded. Even after so many years, the experience remained deeply etched in his mind.
Now, seeing the True Ancestor express a deliberate interest in Brando's development, Constantine could only hope for his son's good fortune.
...
The imperial capital, within the royal city.
After watching the movie, Emperor Hubbard turned to General Wilhelm and spoke slowly:
"What do you know about vampires?"
"This…"
As a general of the empire, Wilhelm was clearly unfamiliar with such matters. After all, the last known vampire sighting was said to have been a thousand years ago.
In this age, most people's knowledge of vampires came from rural folk tales, none of which were ever taken seriously.
Noticing General Wilhelm's confusion, Emperor Hubbard fell into a contemplative silence. After a long pause, he finally spoke:
"This is something I once heard from my father. He claimed that genuine vampires still exist in the southern territories."
"The southern territories?"
General Wilhelm was taken aback by the emperor's words. He asked, bewildered:
"But no one has ever reported seeing a vampire within the empire."
"Perhaps that is precisely why this vampire has managed to survive to this day," Emperor Hubbard mused.
General Wilhelm fell silent.
A possibly dangerous vampire lurking somewhere in the empire should have left him deeply unsettled. Yet, for some reason, he felt no particular fear or panic.
In fact, the thought of a vampire existing somewhere within the empire gave him an inexplicable sense of reassurance.
...
In the southern territory, at the Edward Tavern.
Durin slowly put away the projection crystal after the screening ended, only to find himself surrounded by the crowd.
The studio's staff had been dissatisfied with the movie's content for some time, and as soon as it concluded, they swarmed forward.
"Why did it end like this? Jonathan and Dio both died?!"
"Did the vampires just vanish? What about the ripple technique?"
"What happened to Erina and the child she saved? Is there more to their story?"
"…"
Faced with the onslaught of questions, Durin sighed with a hint of exasperation.
But sensing their urgency, he finally began to explain:
"First off, this ending was decided from the beginning. Jonathan and Dio perishing together was always the intended conclusion."
"Vampires haven't disappeared entirely—there's more than one Stone Mask in the world. The ripple technique and the masks complement each other; as long as the ripple exists, so will the masks."
"After rescuing the child, Erina returned to her home village. She also carries Jonathan's child. As for what happens next… that will depend on when the second part comes out."
"The second part?"
The crowd froze at Durin's mention of a "second part."
Then the tavern erupted into a louder commotion. No one had anticipated that JoJo's Bizarre Adventure, which seemed to have concluded, would have a continuation.
No matter how much they pressed Durin about the second part's content, he refused to reveal anything further. It was clear he wasn't about to spoil the story so soon.
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