Ch.30 A Stand User of the Same Type

Yuta Okkotsu and Rika Orimoto were childhood friends, their bond incredibly strong.

Strong enough that one day, Rika secretly took out her parents' wedding ring and gave it to Yuta, promising that when they grew up, they would get married and be together forever.

Then, the dramatic twist happened.

The next day, Rika was hit by a vehicle and killed. By the time Yuta rushed to the scene, his childhood friend was already lying in a pool of blood, her head crushed beyond recognition.

As Yuta trembled and approached Rika's lifeless body, she suddenly reached out and grabbed his ankle, speaking in a broken, eerie voice:

"Yu...ta... Yuu...ta..."

"When we grow... up... we'll... get... married, we promised…"

"And that's how he got cursed by the one he loved the most, Rika. So, be careful, or you might trigger Rika's curse," Gojo Satoru said, smiling brightly as he told this chilling story, standing amidst the rubble.

The destruction around them, of course, was caused by the battle between Gardevoir and Rika. Although Akira had considered the risks and moved the fight outdoors, he had still underestimated the destructive power of a high-level curse. The century-old school building could not withstand the aftershocks of their fight and collapsed.

"Uh, so can you explain what that was all about?" Panda asked.

"Tuna mayo," Toge Inumaki added, pointing towards the other side of the rubble.

There, Rika, now reduced to a normal human size, sat on the ground while Gardevoir patted her on the head.

"Garde~ Garde~ Garde~"

"Ohh~ Ohh~ Ohh~"

Although neither of them spoke human language, it was obvious to everyone that the two non-human entities were getting along just fine.

Weren't these two just trying to kill each other a few minutes ago?

One had been repeatedly torn limb from limb.

The other had been blasted away multiple times, and her beloved Trainer still couldn't lift one of his arms.

Could it be that the harder the fight, the better the relationship?

"Don't ask me, I don't know either. I'm not a woman," Gojo said, shrugging and turning towards Maki.

Maki rolled her eyes, "I'm not exactly in touch with my feminine side either. Hey, stop grinning like that and explain!"

The one grinning, of course, was Akira. Though he hadn't managed to come out of the fight unscathed, his mood was ten times better than it had been before the battle. His smile hadn't left his face, and if he kept it up, his facial muscles might lock up.

"Explain what?"

"Why are Gardevoir and Rika getting along so well? Isn't Gardevoir supposed to hate curses?"

"That's because Rika isn't your average curse. What drives her isn't hatred; it's love."

Maki scoffed dramatically, "Love? Love can turn someone into that?"

"Over-expressed love is still love. You could call it 'yandere,'" Akira casually let his true nature slip.

Fortunately, at Jujutsu High, no one looked down on being into anime. In fact, Gojo Satoru was even more of a weeb than Akira.

"That makes sense. Now that you mention it, there's no curse more twisted than love," Gojo added, seeming pleased with his own insight.

Ignoring their eccentric teacher for a moment, their analysis of Rika was accurate.

Though her love might be too overwhelming for most people to handle, this wasn't an issue for Gardevoir.

Gardevoir, at her core, was also extremely devoted. According to the Pokémon Pokédex, Gardevoir would risk her life to protect her Trainer, using her full power if they were ever in danger.

The way Rika acted toward Yuta, Gardevoir could understand and even empathize with. She fully supported that "till death do us part" level of devotion.

That's why, at the end of the battle, when Akira had been about to call in Gojo to forcefully end the fight, Gardevoir had voiced her opposition, claiming she could calm Rika down on her own.

She had floated over, said something in her gentle "Garde~ Garde~" language, and Rika had quickly calmed down, saying: "Rika likes you, let's be friends."

After Gardevoir agreed, the two began rubbing against each other in a rather wholesome display.

Of course, Rika's childlike nature and lack of malice played a role. Throughout the fight, she had only ever seen it as a game, not as something malicious.

The sheer scale of Rika's power was so overwhelming that even Gojo wasn't confident he could fully exorcise her.

The fight between Gojo and Rika would be predictable—an unkillable Gojo versus an almost indestructible Rika. Gojo couldn't be touched, but he also couldn't whittle down Rika's nearly limitless health pool.

In comparison, the damage Akira and Gardevoir had inflicted might have looked severe, but given Rika's incredible durability, it was relatively minor. The fact that they could deal any damage at all was impressive.

It's important to note that special grades vary widely in power. Some special grades just barely qualify, while others are at the very top of the scale.

Gojo among sorcerers, and Rika among curses, represented the pinnacle.

Akira and Gardevoir still had a long road ahead of them.

And so did Yuta Okkotsu.

"Do you know what you need to do now?" Akira asked him.

"Yes," Yuta responded, finally coming to terms with things.

Watching Gardevoir and Rika peacefully interact, Yuta realized he had been misunderstanding things.

Seeing his childhood friend turn into a curse had been a shock, and Rika's monstrous form had terrified him. Because of that, Yuta had always resented Rika, seeing her as the root of his misfortune, his biggest problem. He had never truly accepted her.

Gardevoir's actions had shown Yuta that no matter how Rika's appearance had changed, her essence remained the same. She could be reasoned with, and he no longer had to fear that she would harm anyone.

"Akira, please teach me what I need to do."

"Don't worry, even if you didn't want to learn, I'd still teach you," Akira said, patting Yuta on the shoulder. It wasn't that he had a teaching addiction, but rather—

"You and I are the same type of Stand user."

"Stand user?" Yuta's eyes widened in surprise.

Because of Rika, Yuta had spent most of his childhood in isolation.

Fearing that Rika would hurt others, he kept people at a distance and tried to maintain an innocent, harmless facade.

The former left him friendless, while the latter, combined with his frail appearance, made him a prime target for bullies.

The incident where he shoved four boys into a locker had occurred when those bullies had tried to torment him, which enraged Rika and ultimately attracted the attention of the Jujutsu world, leading Gojo to recruit him.

Unable to connect with the real world, Yuta had turned to anime as an escape.

Of course, JOJO's Bizarre Adventure was one of his favorites. He admired the steadfast willpower displayed by both heroes and villains alike—a quality he felt he lacked.

It seemed he and Akira shared more in common than just their type of Stand.

Smiling knowingly, Akira struck a signature JOJO pose.

Yuta, as if guided by instinct, mirrored the pose.

The two locked eyes, and in unison, they called out:

"Gardevoir—"

"Rika—"

Both responded instantly, appearing behind them just like true Stands.

Watching this, Gojo couldn't help but feel jealous. Striking his own JOJO pose, he shouted, "Dammit! I want a Stand too! Akira, don't you have any extra Pokémon you could lend me?"

"Even if I did, I wouldn't lend you one. You'd just use it to mess with me," Akira retorted.

Akira and Yuta were striking the pose of Joseph Joestar, while Gojo was imitating Jonathan Joestar.

What a scene!