Chapter 50: Weather forecast promises colder weather
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- What the fuck was that all about? - Asked Gyaccio as soon as they arrived in Masadoru.
- How is it even possible to fight against such an enemy? - Asked Kurapika, still reeling from the battle that was fought just a moment ago, 'All our attacks are useless, we can't even get close to him, let alone hit him. If it wasn't for Risotto, we'd be finished by now.
Risotto looked at his comrades in silence for a while, then looked at the nearest buildings, and then back at the others.
- We must not despair,' he said with a note of positivity in his voice, 'Yes, he is certainly a very dangerous opponent. Except for the Devil, he's the most dangerous opponent we've ever faced so far. But there are no invincible Stands, and he can be defeated somehow.
- But how? - Asked Kurapika.
- I could try to unleash my Stand,' said Prosciutto, 'but if I do that, you'll be under its effect too, and it would be suicidal to approach it at point-blank range for a direct attack.
- Maybe we should try to pull him into the looking-glass. - Illuso suggested.
- It would be good, but only... - Risotto was silent for a couple of seconds, - For that we need him to be near the mirror. Throwing a mirror isn't an option, because he'll reflect everything back at him. We have to think of something else. We could--
Risotto's speech was interrupted by a sudden exclamation from Pesci:
- Guys! Look over there!
When everyone looked in the direction where Pesci was pointing, they saw in the distance, beyond the city in the sky, black clouds approaching at great speed, in which lightning flashed actively.
- It's the Weather Report! - Kurapika exclaimed.
- Fuck!... - Scolded Gyaccio, 'It's going to blow the whole city to smithereens!
- Take cover! - Risotto ordered, 'We can't just wait for him on the street. We have to hide in the buildings and wait for the moment. Everybody spread out!
Everyone split into two groups: Risotto, Kurapika, Prosciutto and Pesci hid in the bookshop, while the others ran to a café nearby.
'Now we just have to hope he doesn't create something even more deadly than these lightning bolts, or he could really destroy the city that way.'
Risotto stood by the shelf closest to the window and looked out, waiting for the enemy to finally appear. He didn't go close to the window, it was too risky.
- What about the rest of the men? - Kurapika, who was standing behind him, pointed at the people in the shop, who were looking at them with a little bewilderment, 'They could get hurt.
- They're not people, they're NPCs. It's okay if one of them gets hurt. Besides, it's hard to avoid casualties when fighting an enemy like this.
- Well... - Kurapika thought for a few seconds, - You're probably right.
Meanwhile, the clouds had reached the city and it began to rain heavily. Along with the rain came a few loud peals of thunder followed by a flash of lightning in the sky.
'Here we go.'
The lightning only glittered a couple of times in the sky before it began to strike the city. The first few discharges struck the nearest two-story building, causing half of the first floor to be ripped apart as if a bomb had exploded there.
Next came what Risotto feared most: lightning struck the shop they were hiding in. The nearest few shelves were blown to pieces, many books caught fire and flew in all directions, the surviving shelves began to fall, many of the windows shattered, the shop's customers began to flee in panic, and the ceiling was now gaping.
Everyone collapsed to the floor, but luckily no one was hurt, except for Risotto's legs being crushed by a rack.
- Shit... - Risotto swore, trying to regain consciousness, - Is everyone okay?
- Yeah, I think so,' Kurapika crawled over to help him out, 'How are you doing?
- I've been worse, - Risotto got his legs free and looked outside, - Here he is.
Kurapika, as well as Prosciutto and Pesci, who had risen to their feet, looked outside.
- Come on... He can do that? - Kurapika was surprised.
- Yes, his abilities are really amazing. - Risotto calmly replied.
From the heavens, resembling something divine, Wether Report descended. He stood on a white cloud descending downwards and looked down on everyone, though there was no contempt in his gaze. As he descended, the rain stopped as well.
- Well, well... Looks like you're going to have to do it. - Risotto turned to Prosciutto.
- Wait! Are you saying--
- Exactly. Release your Stand. We'll get by somehow.
Prosciutto looked at Wether, who was about to step on the ground, then at Risotto, then smirked a little and said:
- Suit yourself... [The Grateful Dead]!
Near Prosotto, his Stand materialised.
- Wow, creepy. - Said Kurapika looking at Prosciutto's Stand.
- Is this the first time you've seen it? - Asked Risotto.
- It's the first time I've seen it, though I've been affected by it before.
Risotto and all the others, except for Prosciutto, concentrated their aura all over their bodies to protect themselves from aging. Weather Report, meanwhile, had already descended to the ground and was leisurely heading towards the shop they were huddled in.
'I don't hold out much hope for Stand Prosciutto. He can certainly help a bit, but Wether can throw something else out there too.'
While only a couple of wrinkles had appeared on Risotto, Weather's face was beginning to look more and more like that of an old man, and he seemed to notice it. He stopped and squinted his face and looked in slight surprise towards the surviving racks in the shop, behind which Risotto and the others were hiding. With a faint smirk he looked up at the sky.
'So what's he going to pull this time?'
After almost ten seconds, Risotto noticed that the wind had started to pick up and something white began to fall from the sky.
'Is that snow?'
The snow falling from the sky became more and more, and the gradually increasing wind only made things worse. In the end, it came to the point where a blizzard quickly covered the city.
'Oh shit!... Snow... Well of course he called for snow! I'd forgotten about that option.'
The fact that they were indoors didn't save the situation in any way, especially since there was a hole in the ceiling and many of the windows were broken out. Wind and snow filled the entire shop, causing the temperature to drop noticeably.
- Shit,' Kurapika cursed, gritting his teeth against the cold and clutching his body, 'Y-you can't fight him, can you?
Risotto was less cold than the others, because he was deep in thought.
'What should we do? At this rate, we'll be reclining soon. We need to think of something urgently! But what? Where's his weak point? Think, think, think... Exactly!'
- I've figured out how to defeat him! - Risotto exclaimed softly.
- And how? - Asked everyone else.
- I realised that the clouds protecting him are his Stand. But when his Stand takes the form of a humanoid and goes on the attack, its master is left defenseless. We can take advantage of that!
- But how? - Kurapika asked in bewilderment, 'It's not even easy to get close to him, let alone damage him.
- I have a plan. I need you to distract him.
- What?
- Trust me. This is our only chance, and we have to take it! I know what I'm doing.
Kurapika hesitated for a few seconds, then smiled a little and replied:
- Hmm, okay, I'll distract him.
- Just don't die.
- Don't worry, it's too early for me to die.
Full of determination, Kurapika moved towards Weather, who was standing calmly in place.
- What about us? - Prosciutto asked.
- You two stay here. I'm not going to risk you too. And besides... Kurapika has help.
Kurapika was getting closer and closer to his opponent and had already materialised a Battle Stand. At this time, on the other side, Gyaccio was walking towards him, clad in his ice armour. All this time he had been sitting in the cafe waiting for the moment. They approached each other and together they walked towards their opponent, who in response gave his Stand a form and prepared for a fight.
'Now we need to bide our time.'
Risotto formed a small iron ball in his hand, similar to the kind found in some bearings. Clamping it firmly between his thumb and forefinger, he began to aim while building up his strength.
'The distance to the enemy is a little over twenty metres. For the first twenty metres I can control the trajectory of the projectile, but after that... There's a pretty strong wind now and it can throw off the trajectory, and that's a problem. We need to calibrate everything carefully and do it right the first time!'
Meanwhile, Kurapika and Gyaccio engaged in close combat with their opponent. Gyaccio took the brunt of the blows, while Kurapika tried to do some damage, but it was useless. But nevertheless, they had accomplished their task.
'Now!'
Concentrating all of Nan in his hand and fingers, and using Stand's abilities, Risotto fired an iron ball that travelled towards its target at a tremendous speed. The first twenty metres it flew as it should, then there was a small deviation from the set trajectory, but even so it reached its target. Weather was unable to react in time and his head was pierced through.