Ambizione (12)

Two days have gone since we fought G.I. Jones, and things have gone mostly smooth.

Everyone was quite tense at how frequently we were getting attacked by threats and so we were paranoid when it came to check for possible enemies along the way. The few times we had to stop was for a brief amount of time, just so that I could really put Bloody through some training with the Hamon and the Spin. He was proceeding well, but he was still far from achieving a modest level of understanding of both techniques. He was in his good way and his progress saw his body being a little more flexible and nimbler. Kate seemed to be interested in this too and… she actually got her chance to spar with me. Interesting match, but one I wasn't looking forward to due to how strong she was with her sword. Really experienced, really powerful, but incredibly easy to subdue by chin-scratching. Now I knew a weakness I wasn't going to hesitate to use against her in a next fight, with moderation. Because I didn't want to awaken the sleeping dragon by being too teasing.

Still, We didn't stop for too long at Greensboro as we were quick to get everything checked out to swiftly reach Charlotte. It was going to be the last stop we took before taking a long trip to reach Atlanta and, from there, the slightly better railways that connected the major city to Mobile and then Baton Rouge. The stage was set to see us take a little trip near the southern sea, and I was still worried about what our recent discovery meant.

How did Vins gain ownership of the military equipment from Mexico? It was absurd to believe that someone would be foolish enough to submit to her of all people, and how ridiculous it was for a 'patriot' to accept wearing a 'hostile' flag on his arm. There were numerous possibilities, but I quickly ruled out mere hypnotism. While it was easy to manipulate single individuals, trying to control a high officer of a fairly big army was too… complicated. Too many factors would play against her effort, and even if she managed to avoid suspicions by some of the closer members of the man's staff, that didn't prevent her from avoiding grunts to find her visits too suspicious. Betrayals among soldiers were a common occurrence and I could tell that a single sight of an English-speaking woman was going to be more than enough blackmail for any rivals of this guy.

Which meant that the interest wasn't an artificial one, but something big that was offered to him to acquire his assistance and direct alliance. Something that Vins legitimately confirmed herself of having and being able to dispense when the pact's main objective, our demise, was concluded. The entire thought wasn't a flattering one as it meant that we weren't going to face some small bandits or even minor gangs. With how in turmoil still festering within the South, it wouldn't be shocking for small but professional groups to have been dispatched and set to ambush any possible route we were going to take for our current destination. Not a flattering view of the future, but one that still offered a small but meaningful hope.

They can't predict where we are going well enough to know where to set a large contingent. The faster we go, the less the chances of them rushing out to stop us from their current locations.

For this reason, the plan to try and go through the less-used railway sections was forsaken and the fastest route was picked to solve this very issue. From the lack of problems at Greensboro, I felt confident that I had hit bullseye with that new plan, yet I doubted this was going to be successful enough after we arrived in Atlanta. I doubted that there was not going to be a group waiting for us there and… I had my own doubts over Charlotte itself. The city was fairly big at this time despite the fact it had yet to beat Wilmigton as the largest city, its population reaching more than 7000 inhabitants just four years ago.

Which is why, when we stopped there, I decided that it was best to make a thorough patrol around the city for anything unusual. The faster we handled any threats around, the higher the chances of avoiding any issues in possible inopportune situations we might find ourselves in the next few hours. I decided to go alone with just Bhediya.

Derek planned to check around with Bloody and Zephy while Kate decided to partner with Robert. It was a novel composition compared to the previous times, but I wanted to keep an eye out with the werewolf after what happened with G.I. Jones. He was still feeling partly guilty for what happened even though he tried to deny it, and I really didn't need anything bad to happen now that we were reaching the core of the Deep South. Sure, Charlotte wasn't going to be the last city we visited that was going to have racist people and Jim Crow in them, but I was hopeful that once we were through with this one, the rest was going to be… easier to manage.

That was the simple plan that I was really hoping was going to succeed this time around and… I was quickly disappointed as our little stroll concluded with quite the unflattering sight. It all started during a quiet conversation we were sharing while looking around the few shops in the big city.

"Do you think it's possible? To try and bring our brand here in this nation at this time?" I inquired calmly, deciding to gauge Bhediya on his opinion in this matter. While the oil situation definitely made the entire trip worthwhile and more, it wasn't the main reason I was personally scouting the country. "There is a lot to do here."

"Do you think it is possible?" He returned the question and I scoffed at that cheeky comeback.

"Bhediya, if I wanted to know my own opinion, I would have picked a mirror and done that. But I believe I was referring to you," I rebuked and he grinned happily at getting a reaction like this out of me.

"I suppose it's… a little more complicated than the questions you usually ask me," The werewolf confessed with a nod. "I think it will work, just from the fact that these people are willing to listen."

"Some are, some are not," I remarked dryly, thinking of the bad situations we might have to face and how a large majority of those weren't going to be driven to us by Vins. I just needed to think at the Red Shirts and other groups that existed in the South that were desperately keeping alive what the first Klan was known for. It was an unsavory effect of the first Klan's end, and one that could have been resolved if Lincoln hadn't been assassinated. His death removed a strong politician from the presidency, one that had the support of the Army to impose an end to this kind of rebellious attitude from these racist gangs. "We might end up facing serious resistance. Opportunists, ignorant fools and… more morons. I guess stupidity is our greatest enemy after all."

Bhediya chuckled, shaking his head at my faux rant, and then… we both stopped to look at an unpleasant scene. Two young men, they looked to be roughly fifteen or sixteen each, were trying to desperately push back a group of malicious men as the young woman behind them. The attackers were all wearing a common uniform, a red shirt. I bit down a sigh as I recognized the group and I could tell what their purpose was from the skin color of the victims. Huffing, I took just a single step forward before I was stopped by Bhediya, his arm blocking me any further advanced.

"I got this," He sounded confident and calm. A mere glance at his face and the lack of anger confirmed that he wasn't planning to be too brash about it. It's been years now since he learned to control his irritation to this kind of problem, but he still had his moments at times and… and I could tell he was going to restrain himself in this case. A nod, I eased down my posture as I allowed him to go through this matter on his own.

This small squad of Red Shirts weren't armed with guns, in fact they were going through this upsetting circumstance without weapons on themselves. It was only them and their numbers doing all the threatening. Bhediya didn't see any issue with that predicament, in fact… the more there were, the more 'fun' he was going to have teaching a lesson to this group. The werewolf approached the group with a calm look, pausing at the closest distracted guy and sighing.

"Can someone explain what is going on here?"

Simple, decisive and… still enough to gain the irritated attention of a disgruntled hillbilly.

"Who the heck are you?!" The man answered, almost spitting on Bhediya's face with his sudden talking. "This ain't stuff you are part of!"

"I believe I am. The fact you're harming a group of innocents like a bunch of foolish monkeys is… distressing. And here I thought the United States was a land of freedom."

"Yeah. Freedom for us people. Not for your kind," The guy retorted fiercely. "If you keep going on with that shitty spiel, I'm going to teach you a lesson, you filthy- GAH!"

I was more than happy when the werewolf didn't allow the racist dumbass to finish that sentence, a sudden punch to the face proving to be more than enough to knock him unconscious. Nose broken and his fall being equally ugly-sounded, the rest of the posse noticed that something bad had just happened, they just didn't know how bad it really was yet. In fact, they believed in the power of numbers once more. It took roughly two minutes for this to be through.

I merely watched as the situation seemed to change completely as the aggressors were dealt with ease and the trio of teens was spared from any trouble as soon as the four men were properly put out of commission. I didn't expect much and I saw no use of Hamon or even his Stand to counter the threats. He was experienced in close combat, something that his opponents weren't from a quick glance and… it was sure a fun sight to be bestowed with. The commotion caused by this small-sized skirmish ended with the arrival of the law enforcement group that had been standing around the corner. They were quite close to 'misunderstand' the situation and see Bhediya and the kids arrested because of this. Sadly for the police officers, they were soon stopped as I personally intervened in that instance. As much as I trusted the werewolf with words due to his innate ability as a diplomat, I doubted that was going to matter due to the stares he was getting. The two officers changed their attitude when I started to mention the truth and bring up that I had contacts with the Union Army.

My excellent grasp over the art of convincing through minor lies seemed to serve me well once again as this last element was what got them to remember that the Red Shirts were considered a group of outlaws as far as the laws said and they had to arrest them and bring them to prison due to this circumstance. It was the first time I saw a member of the police genuinely going through that kind of arrest with scowls. Still, the intervention prevented quite the hassle and soon Bhediya was at ease with the result he got. After bidding a good day to the surprised teens, we proceeded to resume our little stroll.

"So… I suppose you can now see why I have a couple of doubts now."

"I can," He admitted with a tired sigh. "I can understand a group of buffoons intimidating a city into accepting their will, but to see the officers try to help them is..."

"Horrible," I offered dryly. "Horrible and also a sign of political corruption that has to be dealt with at once. It can't become a normalcy."

"And you will fix it. I… I know it is going to be tough, but I believe in your determination and methods," The young man pushed forth with a small smile. "Especially when you will have us by your side."

I allowed a smile to appear on my face, my upset still there but diluted due to the calm conversation I was part of. "Especially for that."

Bhediya nodded and soon we were wandering around Charlotte once again. We ended up stopping three other attempts to lynch black people. The people just paused in surprise at the fact those events were stopped. It was clear they weren't openly supporting those, but they weren't moving to stop them. Fear drove them to comply and follow this 'tradition' that was forming due to the lack of strong influence from the Union Army. It was an infuriatingly common occurrence much to my displeasure and I really wanted to send a letter to the nearest regiment of the Union Army to visit and clean up the place from these bandits. But as the time for lunch came and I was about to lead us both back to the train, I ended up stopped by two other officers.

It wasn't an arrest much to my relief, but it was clear that our little patrol gained the interest of someone that was in need of speaking with people that shared his view of the situation. I was surprised by the invitation, but I couldn't exactly say no to the mayor's own request to speak with me in private. As much as this stunk of trap, I still decided to go alone, telling Bhediya to go back to the train and tell the others what was going on.

I was really tense about this but… I still could tell that there was some genuineness within the invitation. Something from the faces of the two officers just told me that there was much more to it than just an invitation. And I could also perceive it wasn't anything aimed against me.

I sure hit that spot right, but I was quickly brought before quite the issue I had just started to understand. Because the Red Shirts… weren't just an outlaw organization and I was sure going to learn it the hard way.

"Apologies for the hurried request, Mr. Divino. I… I hope it wasn't too sudden of an invitation."

I shook my head as I leaned forward to accept the small offer of handshake from the elder mayor. Adam Jamestown was average when it came to height and size, being neither too tall or too short for someone his size and age. His gray hair was kept shoulder-length, and his beard was cared for with genuine attention from the way it was styled, short but still visible in his face and giving off a sense of experience and time within his body. He was wearing a white dress shirt and blue tie under a black jacket with matching pants and black shoes. He looked tired, weary, older than he should despite his advanced age. It was truly sad that people tended to 'age' twice as fast when they were forced to endure years-long stressful matters such as the one that saw Bhediya and I fairly busy today.

"None of that, Mr. Jamestown," I replied politely, sitting down at the same time he did as we stared at each other for this discussion. The office was modest, but I was imagining less due to how small the city was compared to other settlements. "I understand that this city is particularly strained, and I've been told that you needed my presence due to my skills and those shown by my companions."

"Y-Yes, about that. I'm… I wish to humbly apologize for what happened today. As the representative of the honest folks that live and fight for this country, I can't help but feel ashamed for the happenings of today having led to quite the terrible instances," He bowed his head, his eyes closed but he really seemed close to cry at the situation he was left in. One that didn't know the truth would have merely chided the man for being so spineless for failing to address this issue at once and… the truth was that he wasn't at fault. At least, not if one considered the true reason why the Red Shirts were covered by the local law enforcement.

In this time and age the Democratic Party was still… rather extreme when it came to keep hold of their powerbases, drawing their 'popularity' from the aggressive methods used by these militia to harass Republican efforts to try and establish themselves within the region. Assassinations attempts, bomb threats, bribery, extortion- this was all they used to keep in power, to keep their governors in power and… that wasn't the case for many mayors in the eastern region of the South. These people were politicians from the old Union Whig Party that had control and genuine support from those that wanted to put a real end to the hostilities with the north. They were those that were open to listen, either because the war had been so devastating that they knew they were lucky to be alive, or they have been pacifists from the very beginning.

Those were people that wanted a solution and were the most compliant to listen to people with some common sense. People that were still losing numbers as hopelessness and the presence of so many charismatic orators that used their plight as a platform for their extreme views on race division to establish themselves as the solution.

Which is why, after thinking about it for a while, I knew how I could get a couple of things set to change everything for good. It was all for the people's sake… and Bloody's own chance to gain relevance in the future. It was a big shot for sure, but one I was certain the young man could work with and create his own destiny. I wasn't really putting him into power, but preparing something to hand to him once he was ready to make the big jump into politics. He had the determination, the emotions, the patriotism and the… ambition for this grand future I could tell he was going to have.

But now I have to secure this chance for him. Else things are sure going to be tough in the long run.

"I'm well aware of the problem that is currently hurting the South, but I don't think any of the Old Whigs tried to call forth a bastion against the Southern Democrats," I pointed out calmly. "It would make sense to band together now that the people need someone to believe in."

"Not when most of us have… burned that chance with the Civil War. We had to pick a side."

"And you ended up joining the losing one. Not a flattering reminder, I suppose," I interjected with a nod. "How about the creation of… a new party?"

"A group of hated old men can be called with many names, but their deeds still define them," He lamented, looking away for a moment.

"Not when they are trying to redeem themselves… and instructing a new political class."

A perplexed look replaced the mayor's dismayed one. "What?"

"Politics are growing stagnating. While it's true that age has been a good factor for wisdom, I can say for certain it isn't the only element for it. Age also creates small but stubborn generations that, either for a reason or another, can't allow themselves to drop the power. I'm not asking for an abdication-"

"You want us to break the system," The old man guessed rightfully. "One that has become a norm since the beginning of the Slavery Question. You… want that power for yourself?"

"Oh, me? Never," I replied with minor disgust, surprising the elder with my response. "You see, Mr. Jamestown, I am someone that doesn't seek that power. I want to be able to know where it will go and hopefully steer it in good hands. Consider me a… guardian angel of sorts. One for the people of this world. One that doesn't need an exchange in power, but in truthfulness and peace."

He snorted, amused by that correlation. "I can say a few churchgoers would think of you as some angelic feature alright. But appearance is one thing-"

"It's the action that matters, else any promise is as empty as the air we end up breathing in times of despair."

The mayor gave me a surprised look. "And… do you believe it could work?"

"Potentially," I admitted without shame. "It would still require support from people that can be still trusted. And it can't be limited to the south. In these trying times, a party of good honest men and women would require a national sway. A unifying one."

"That would require an incredible effort that currently doesn't exist," The old man remarked, but I didn't answer that comment, merely smiling knowingly as I was actually aware that wasn't true. "Or… perhaps you believe there is a chance."

"There is one. One that resides on those people that don't speak so loudly as the rest of the politicians. They were told to be quiet as it would be best for them to keep their seat of powers and their lives at times," I pointed out quietly, adjusting myself in my chair as I took a thoughtful look. "People that, despite all odds, still believe in one flag as the main sky of their truest self. A flag that represents its people, its honest lands, and… its freedom."

"Freedom..." He repeated quietly, listening to my words with a perplexed look. "It… it could work. But… how?"

"A convention," I offered with a tiny smile, noticing a glint of understanding flashing within his eyes. "Give them a place where to be, where to speak personally and share experiences. A place where to make friends from a State or another, between past enemies and secret allies coming out in these dire times."

The mayor shook his head, I could tell it was amusement due to my proposition. It was quite bold, but doable by current times' standard. A risky move, but still one that can hand out a massive pay off if created safely and nurtured with care and stubbornness.

"For a stranger of these politics, you sure have got quite a grasp over the system of this government. I assume that's what happens when someone is immersed so well in politics… Lord Joestar."

My lips twitched and my eyes narrowed at his face as I felt caught off-guard by that statement.

"How?"

"You would be surprised to know that your organization had gained traction in the States as quickly as it reached out for it. People flock at the novelty, and they turn loyal to it when the brand is as honest as it introduces itself as," He pointed out. "And the name that pends from it the most when people inquire about how this is possible comes to be the one owned by its founder, Dio Joestar."

Shrugging, I didn't hide that I was stunned by this. "I suppose you're not one to ignore small hints, Mr. Jamestown."

"I've been sitting on many chairs of importance for decades," The old man confessed proudly. "Awareness is my strength when it comes to unflattering moments."

"Quite," I confirmed. "Alas, how do you wish to go through with this information? Do you believe I, a young member of a British noble, is trying to influence the US system of democracy? Do you think I wish the worst out of this just so your people are punished?"

He smiled despite the list of questions as there was a single answer to all of those. "No. I believe that's not the case… but it's quite unusual for something like this to happen."

"As unusual for the call of a third party to unite North and South under a common goal?"

He chuckled, my humor sparing me from any serious questions from the looks of it.

"I- I guess it's not as unusual as that. But still, quite bizarre."

I grinned at that use of words. "You can say I'm quite odd compared to others."

Just as we prepared to turn the conversation back to talk about the plans over the convention, our discussion was interrupted by a loud knocking coming at the door. There wasn't even the time needed for the mayor to speak up about it when the door opened to reveal a nervous-looking clerk.

"M-Mr. Jamestown. It's… it's Jeremiah Sellers. He brought… the entire Charlotte's Red Shirts in front of the town hall!"

The announcement urged the mayor to stand up with a wide-eyed look. "W-What?"

"They want you to come out… and Mr. Divino too. He said that he wanted that… black-lover in front of him so he can look at the man that got his boys."

I would have said the guy was currently resting by my train, but I guess I couldn't exactly pull that one. Plus, I wasn't feeling up to grant any amusement to the prick with that name. Sighing, I stood up and nodded.

"I suppose he is patiently waiting for us. Would be rude to have him wait now, wouldn't it?"

The old man spared me a confused look at my relative calm, part of him keeping calm as he thought that my response was driven by ignorance, something that was 'about to change' as soon as I was bestowed with the gravity of the situation. And I was actually surprised by how many Red Shirts had presented themselves to the peculiar event. I wasn't exactly sure how big of a presence the group was supposed to have in this time period since I could remember most of their activities unfolding in South Carolina.

Jeremiah was a middle-aged man as I realized who he was by the fact he was standing right in front of the ranks of the many men bearing that telling shirt of theirs. Slightly built on the tall and slim type of frame, the man had short brown hair that was partly graying due to his age, his black eyes judging those that were around him, testing them and confirming their roles and purposes compared to himself. He was wearing a red half-sleeved shirt underneath his greasy blue overalls and a pair of brown boots.

"Would you look at that? The guy himself is finally here to greet us. Ain't that a nice and posh gentleman?"

"Only when my trouble isn't too… destructive. But I suppose we haven't introduced ourselves just yet," I hummed calmly, keeping a particularly eased composure. "My name is Damiano Divino, an Italian businessman."

"Name's Jeremiah Sellers, an honest farmer from Waxhaw by day, but also a good man of God when there is a need for justice."

"I'll remember that," I promised quietly. "So, I guess you are here to… punish me. Or something like that."

"You're damn right!" He exclaimed giddily. "You came here bringing some bogus sense of 'righteousness' to protect some people we don't like. Ain't ya the troublemaker?"

"I can be chaotic at times but… I don't recall actually causing trouble to anyone," I admitted with a super-serious face. "I mean, that is if we are talking of innocent people. Because if it's about criminals… oh my, I guess there was a need for some fixing in here."

He chortled at that. "What a funny guy we have here. A true comedian."

I shrugged. "I'm good at jokes."

"Still, you did cause some crazy trouble. Some stupid one at that since some friend of ours got arrested on some stupid laws that were imposed to us."

"It was more of a punishment you deserved. You know, that's how war works: the winner enforces something on the loser. I don't see how it is still stupid," I pointed out. "I mean, the constitution clearly says 'We, the people', not 'We, the White People'."

"But that's why it's God that decides what is true and what isn't. And those… people aren't our people."

"Are you suggesting there is… another Heaven, Jeremiah? I mean, if the black people can't go together with the white people in the only Heaven we are taught exists in the Bible?"

He snorted, ignoring the confused looks some of his own 'pals' were giving us at that exchange. "Trying to sway my attention to some stupid questions will not spare you from trouble, mister."

I guess that's the common tactic of someone with a losing argument. 'It is a stupid question and I am right' kind of thing I thought was just something only children would use against parents. I was proven wrong once more about my faith in humanity. A pity, but not one that ruined my mood.

After being forced to handle so many threats that I had no direct correlation or chance to manipulate, I just felt amused in being set in this predicament. Me against several God-fearing morons that thought they were doing some divine job by being utter pricks and racist bastards. Their weakness? A miracle or two.

"How about you prove your point then? You say God is by your side but… I'm sure he is actually by mine. You know why? I saw it. The Heavens."

Jeremiah frowned. "The heck you talking about, mister?"

I smiled widely. "You get a weapon of your preference, you load it with a single bullet- no actually, load it with as many bullets you believe you are entitled to have to prove your point. You aim at me, you shoot at me, and, if you are right, the bullets shall reach me and kill me."

…

"What?"

"You kill me, you're right. I live through the ordeal with no wounds or injury, and I've God by my side."

…

The mayor looked shocked and so did most of the Red Shirts in there. Most of them were teens that hadn't seen the big crazy war, so it was clear they were surprised by the bold demand. They were curious to know how their leader was going to react and… he was petrified. The demand was simple, but terrible for both sides due to what it entailed. If he said no, he spared a life but he would lose legitimacy and, if he went with that he would have gotten arrested for a while for murder.

Not a pleasant circumstance I set him in to face, but the one that managed to recover quickly enough was at once scolding me for the decision.

"That's insane!" The mayor declared, looking genuinely shaken by my words. "You would- you would foolishly throw your life like this."

"That sentence entails that I'm wrong, Mr. Jamestown. And I can assure you that I'm quite right."

"Mr. Jo- Mr. Divino, that's not something you should try. This isn't a joke."

"I'm not joking then. I'm quite serious about it and I'm waiting for an answer, Jeremiah Sellers!" I turned to the befuddled old man. "Are you going to prove your point or not?"

The push was all he needed to let out a nod, his attention shifting to one of his thugs that had a gun on them. A rifle, he checked for the bullets, inspected the chamber and then returned to his previous position as I started to take a better position so nobody could get shot by accident while he was trying to murder me. I was distant, but not enough for someone to genuinely miss a straight shot.

"I suggest aiming for the head. Instant death and all of that."

My words got a couple of people to flinch, and I didn't blame them. I was just that amused to not care about the weight my edgy words were having as I prepared to shock and awe as Jeremiah took aim. The first bullet rushed out, the bang being my only warning as I felt ｢ACT 2｣ materialize in front of me and stop it mid-air before it had the chance of getting too close. The loud noise stopped, so did the fear of looking my way to spot a possible dead body instead of a lively Dio.

Surprise, confusion, more surprise. The shooter took a moment to understand what happened, then his jaw dropped as he realized that the bullet was floating right in front of me. His brain failed to compute, and, instead of just standing there like that, he just reloaded his gun and did it again. The second bullet faced the same fate as the first one, hovering right in mid-air just a couple of centimeters away from reaching my skull and put an end to my strange life.

"So…" I muttered calmly. "Are we done?"

There was more silence, but my voice definitely got something to happen. Jeremiah's body slowly leaned backward as he fell down on the ground while clutching his chest and dropping the rifle without much care. I doubted anyone would care about that last detail when they are going through a stroke. One that I had caused by being… amazing? No, just… normal by my own standards.

Since nobody was moving to help the poor guy out through that agonizing moment, I decided to muster my kindness and my mercy, approaching the old man that was shivering in pain and clear discomfort and… helped him with the Ripple. It wasn't exactly an easy job as I had to restore his heart to a normal beat, but I had to also remove some 'blocks' I felt in his arteries. This guy had to have eaten a lot of bad things in his life.

Still, I went through with the process and Jeremiah slowly but surely stopped shaking and holding his chest with his hand. He spared me an awed look, still failing to grasp what had just happened and… I knew that from the looks I was getting, that I had a lot of Bullshitting to do to avoid getting proclaimed a saint or the second coming of Jesus. Once again… I wasn't feeling confident enough to embrace the whole holiness of being compared to these figures. But I could say without hesitation that I was going to get some frowns once I was back at the train when I mentioned showing a miracle or two to avoid getting decimated by a bunch of racist guys.

Good thing is that now the Red Shirts in North Carolina, after that stunt, were going to disband. Kind of nice, if not for the fact that Jeremiah still kept seeing me religiously and calling me Lord Divino now. Pretty awkward but…

It wasn't a terrible price. I finished my conversation with the mayor, the elder himself needing some time to recover from what had just happened and yet he still kept himself from inquiring about what had really happened. I chalked it out as a divine proof of my righteousness and nothing more. I wasn't God, I wasn't Jesus, and I definitely wasn't some genuine angel coming to save the world or some stuff like that.

Still, today was a nice day despite the lack of a real threat compared to the usual and I guess I managed to lessen racism. So, I'm quite sure this is a win for me, Dio. And now… to come up with an explanation to not get scolded too much by Bhediya for doing 'it' again.

AN

Goddammit Dio! Stop being a saintly b-baka!

And yes, he is indirectly forming his… cult? I wouldn't say he is growing a cult since that would point out to a subliminal pull into the organization. He is creating a movement of… fans.

…Wait, did Dio become the first Idol ever? Hololive EN 1880s confirmed?!

P.S. The 'It' that Dio mentioned is the fact he took over the societies before the Golden Dawn by doing the same thing he did there, just without the bullets test.

And now… an Omake. I hope you're ready for Abby!

Omake 27: The Gate and the Key (4)

The railroad was fixed, everyone had been returned to the train and… I was moping like a moron about what had happened today. Robert was stable, but still unconscious after two hours since we came back and resumed our journey. The doctors on board confirmed that he was going to be fine, and that he only needed to rest. I was relieved of hearing this, but it didn't soothe my uneasiness.

I could only guess that the panic was still there to keep me company for a while. It had been a fright. A big one at that. I was genuinely stumped by the suddenness of this all. Maybe I was overthinking it, but it was the first time in years since someone I cared for was injured to this degree. The closest thing I could think of was when Hannah was hurt by my counterpart and… it caught me off-guard. Of all things I could have predicted, the fact someone got deadly wounded so easily and beyond anything I could have expected was… infuriating. And the anger was all aimed at myself. I've taken too much pride into planning everything around me that I didn't expect for unknown factors. I set myself up for this kind of event, and I also set others too in this route in the process.

Things had to change, starting with the fact I had to personally speak with Bhediya before he did something stupid. While I had taken my time to try and focus on what to do, I had completely left the entire situation with him untouched. I knew something was going to happen if I didn't approach him soon and talked about what was going on with him. That was the plan, and so I started to check where he might have been within the train. Before I could end up reaching that section, I paused mid-way as I heard a light sob reaching from… somewhere near to where I was standing.

I paused, surprise building up as I started to look around to where it was coming from and… I eventually found the source of it. Abby had found herself a little spot just nearby the wagon's entry point to the living quarter. It was a small opening that hid her well from the eyes of anyone passing by, and I only ended up noticing it due to the noise coming from there. Crouching down, I spotted the little blonde, crying and holding herself from shaking too much. I didn't need any big thinking to know what drove her to react like this and soon I was crawling up to her. She tensed up as soon as she felt my approach, with her hands pressing by her eyes slowly parting away to reveal the situation I was currently facing.

Her usually blue eyes were now darkening in violet ones. A sign that she was slowly getting corrupted by the monster waiting on the other side. Abby was nervous at first, but she allowed me to pull her closer and bring her in a tight hug. In fact, she quickly started to nuzzle her head onto my chest, her arms wrapping around my waist while I hugged her head close.

"What's wrong, dear?"

"I… I want to be bad… because I think it would be good."

I blinked, confused by her logic. "How… so?"

"I-If I'm bad, I can track the mean man that hurt Robby down and… punish him."

"You could. But that wouldn't be right."

… "Maybe I don't want to be right?"

I ruffled her hair, knowing that this was just the logic a normal child would do. The very moment they see something that is bad, they would go for the route that get them to the short-termed success rather than think over the ramifications over their actions. In this case, it was way more dangerous than just that. Especially when an eldritch entity was just rubbing hands at this opportunity to get in and sow some chaos all around.

"Then you would end up being more than just wrong at that. Especially when you are taking things upon your hands out of grief rather than common sense," I replied carefully. "Sometimes we find ourselves dealing with a choice. Do we want to go the easy way or the right way?"

"Why is easy… not right?"

Ah, the question many have asked themselves and wiser people. Not an easy topic to treat without feeling upset myself, but I didn't mind discussing this with her.

"Because easy isn't 'easy' for everything," I answered with a calm sigh. "It's not something that is meant to be a permanent solution as it can cause more trouble after the first issue is solved. The best way to know when something is right or not is to think… what would happen after I go through this plan?"

"Hmm," Abby hummed loudly while thinking about it. "I… I think it would be bad because I would do more bad things if I go bad… but I want to punish that mean man."

I nodded. "And that's a feeling everyone is well interested into. But that doesn't mean we have to react hurriedly to it. We have the chance to think about it and then… punish the mean man without having to be too rushed about it."

"So… we're still punishing him?"

"Definitely," I promised, ruffling her hair once more. She sighed and seemed to accept it. I noticed her shifting and fixing herself so she could directly stare up at me. Her eyes were back to her usual blue, a small smile on her face.

"Now, how about we go and check Bhediya? I'm sure he is feeling guilty right now and he would definitely do if he had someone to keep him company. Are you up for it?"

Her eyes widened and she nodded. "Can we make some pancakes for him?"

I chuckled, ruffling her hair one last time, this one getting her to huff. "Sure, sweetie. But remember that you also need to eat other things instead of just that. You don't want to end up with tummy aches and some caries in your teeth."

She pouted. "Only if it's apples and pears."

I hummed mirthfully at that response. "Sure, sure. But first, lets cheer that big pup up. I'm sure he wouldn't mind getting some head scratches."

Mentioning the dog form seemed to completely gain the girl's interest and soon we were reaching out and seeing how Bhediya was doing. We soon started looked from one side to the other, eventually finding him in the living quarters and that he wasn't alone.

"You should just stop," Bhediya remarked fiercely, standing over the kneeling form of Bloody.