In the blink of an eye, the slime appeared right behind Jotaro, fist raised, ready to strike. But Jotaro reacted in time: he deflected the blow, grabbing the slime's arm and slamming it down with force. Taking advantage of the momentum, he delivered a punch straight to the creature's face with all his strength.
The slime leapt back with agile reflexes. As soon as its foot touched the ground, it launched itself at Jotaro, fist prepared to strike.
Jotaro crossed his arms to block the attack, but the impact was so brutal that it sent him flying into the trees. He didn't get far. Before his body could be fully flung, the slime grabbed him by the leg and slammed him into the ground with unrestrained fury.
Once.Twice.Three times.
Each blow shook the earth, each impact left behind a trail of blood seeping into the cracks.
—Jotaro! —Aiko screamed helplessly, her eyes overflowing with anguish.
The slime, still clinging to his leg, lifted him slowly. Though it had Jotaro's appearance, a slight unnatural tremor ran through its body, as if the imitation couldn't fully support the weight. Then it looked at his face, searching in his gaze for signs of life.
But Jotaro suddenly opened his eyes and shouted:
—Lightning!
A bolt of lightning came down from the sky and struck the slime, forcing it to release him. Jotaro landed on his feet, jumped back with agility, and raised his hands. A burning fireball emerged from his palms and was launched at the enemy.
The slime raised a hand and conjured a barrier to protect itself. Jotaro frowned, annoyed, but didn't have time to react: the slime launched forward again and struck him with a kick to the legs, knocking him off balance. A second blow, directly to the back, catapulted him into the sky.
—No, Jotaro! —Aiko cried, trying to form a bubble to trap the slime.
But from the sky, Jotaro shouted urgently:
—Don't do it! If you attack him, he'll kill you! Wait until I return!
Then, a voice echoed near him:
—Then I suppose it's time to return.
Jotaro turned his head. Kira was descending rapidly from the sky.
—Kira!
—Forgive me for this, Jotaro! —she shouted before landing a kick to his abdomen, sending him crashing back to the ground.
The fall stirred up a cloud of dust that enveloped the area. The slime watched attentively.
When the dust cleared, it saw Jotaro standing inside a protective barrier he had conjured just before impact. Aiko sighed in relief.
Jotaro healed himself with a quick spell, placing a hand on his chest. Then, both exchanged a determined look. But then, from above, Kira shouted:
—Jotaro, catch me!
Jotaro raised his hand and conjured a new barrier. Kira smacked into it.
—Why did you do that?! —she protested, rubbing her head.
—You deserved it for that kick.
Suddenly, the slime reappeared with a kick aimed at Jotaro's face. He protected himself with a barrier on his arms, but the impact pushed him violently into a tree.
The slime charged at high speed, but Jotaro rolled away just in time. The tree was completely destroyed. Jotaro stepped back and tried to launch another fireball, but the slime propelled itself again and struck him directly in the face.
Jotaro flew through the trees, crashing into several before ending up embedded in one. He spat blood.
—This is... harder than I thought...
He pulled himself off the trunk and fell to the ground. As he got back up, he saw the slime approaching on foot. Jotaro looked at it, confused by the change in attitude, but didn't lower his guard.
The slime stopped in front of him.
—Do you still want to continue?
—Yes —he replied, firmly.
The slime looked at him with determination. It remained silent for a few seconds… and then said:
—Very well. Then... let's continue.
The slime suddenly appeared in front of him, grabbed his head, and smashed it into the ground with brutal force. The impact opened a large crater and left Jotaro unconscious.
The slime stared at him for a moment, then turned around. Kira was in its line of sight. It took a step toward her... but a weak voice stopped it.
—D-Don't... you dare… get near… Kira...
The slime slowly turned. Jotaro was still conscious, though his body was trembling. It grabbed him by the head, lifting him, and began squeezing tightly.
Kira, desperate, conjured a fireball, but before she could throw it, a swift movement emerged from the bushes.
The adventurer Ronin appeared like a flash, sword in hand, slicing through the air toward the slime. It barely had time to raise a barrier. But instead of attacking head-on, Ronin struck the ground with his fist, raising a cloud of dust.
The slime felt something strange. As the dust cleared, it noticed its hand was empty.
Jotaro was gone.
It turned its head.
Jotaro lay on the ground, next to Ronin, unconscious.
The slime stared at them intently. Its eyes—now more identical to Jotaro's—were filled with restrained fury.