Creating Anime In A Fantasy World

Chapter 263: JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure Screening Concludes! (Part 2)

In the Southern Frontier Garrison—

The soldiers sat in stunned silence as the film ended. For a long moment, no one spoke.

Then, as if waking from a dream, they finally began to stir—voices rising one after another, filled with excitement, sorrow, and disbelief.

And before long, several of them rushed straight toward Jocen, grabbing his hands with tears in their eyes.

“Jonathan! You were far too miserable! Why would fate treat you like that? Captain Dio is a monster in human skin!”

“Yeah! You saved everyone, and that’s how it ends? That’s just cruel!”

“What about Miss Erina? She must be devastated right now!”

“……”

Jocen’s expression froze.

He had faced land shaping magical explosions and nights of ceaseless arrow rain before—but this?

This was the first time he had been attacked by feelings.

Dozens of soldiers were now pressing in around him, eyes red, voices trembling with emotion.

“H-hold on! Wait a second, everyone!” He waved his hands frantically, shouting over the commotion. “You’ve got it all wrong! I only played Jonathan in the movie! I’m still alive—I didn’t actually die!”

That snapped them out of it.

The soldiers blinked, exchanging awkward glances. A few even scratched their heads, faces burning in embarrassment.

Right.

If Jocen had really died like in the movie, then… he wouldn’t be standing here talking to them, would he?

The realization hit all at once, and the tension in the camp dissolved into a chorus of sheepish laughter.

Still, one collective thought flashed through everyone’s mind—

Good thing Captain Brando didn’t show up here tonight.

If he had, half the men might’ve started throwing punches before remembering that Dio was just a role.

Jocen let out a long, helpless sigh.

“…I really didn’t expect a film could have this kind of impact.”

Even as he spoke, his gaze shifted toward a shadowed corner of the camp.

He knew full well that Captain Brando was hiding somewhere nearby, quietly observing how the troops would react.

Seeing the soldiers’ fiery emotions, Jocen couldn’t help but smirk faintly.

There was no way Brando was going to show his face now.

. . .

At the Southern Territory Grand Duke’s estate—

As the movie’s final scene faded to black, Constantine and his daughter Daphne both exhaled deeply.

They were avid lovers of cinema, and as always, they prepared to share thoughts and impressions after the credits.

But before either could speak, the one sitting beside them—Arcueid—suddenly broke the silence.

“The one who played Dio… he’s your next heir, isn’t he?”

The Grand Duke blinked, caught off guard, before answering with a careful nod.

“Ah—yes. Brando may be a bit… impulsive, but his ability, willpower, and disposition are more than sufficient to inherit the title of Southern Territory Grand Duke.”

“I see… so that kind of young man, hm?”

Arcueid murmured softly to herself, a faint smile curving her lips.

“To shape such a youth into an heir… interesting. I look forward to it.”

The word “look forward” made Constantine’s blood run cold.

Expectant?

That was not how one usually described what awaited a Grand Duke’s heir.

He wiped a bead of sweat from his brow.

As one who had once endured the terrifying “training” required to ascend to the title, he could still recall every agonizing lesson—clear as day, even after all these years.

If the True Ancestor herself was taking interest in his son’s path…

Constantine could only pray quietly for Brando’s good fortune.

. . .

At the royal castle in the Imperial Capital—

Emperor Hubbard turned from the darkened screen toward Wilhelm, his voice calm but heavy.

“Tell me, General… what do you know about vampires?”

“This…”

Wilhelm hesitated, uncertain where to begin.

The shadows of the now-silent theater stretched across the Emperor’s face—and for a moment, it was hard to tell whether it was the dim light or the story itself that had deepened the darkness in his eyes.

As an Imperial general, Wilhelm could only frown in confusion. Matters like that were well outside his expertise—after all, the last time vampires had appeared in history was said to be over a thousand years ago.

In this era, the only knowledge common folk had of such beings came from old tavern tales and rural ghost stories—half fantasy, half nonsense.

Sensing his general’s uncertainty, Emperor Hubbard fell silent for a long moment before speaking again, his voice carrying the weight of memory.

“…This is merely something I once heard from my father,” he said slowly. “But he claimed that in the far south… there still exists a genuine vampire.”

“The south…?” Wilhelm blinked, startled. “But, Your Majesty, no one in the Empire has ever reported seeing such a creature.”

A faint smile tugged at the Emperor’s lips—one that held neither mirth nor disbelief.

“Perhaps,” he murmured, “it’s precisely because no one has ever seen it… that it’s managed to survive until now.”

The words lingered in the quiet hall like a ghost.

Wilhelm said nothing. By all logic, the notion of a living vampire should have chilled his blood—something that dangerous, existing unseen within Imperial borders, was no trivial matter.

And yet… he felt no fear.

If anything, an inexplicable calm washed over him—almost as though, somewhere deep down, he wanted to believe such a being existed.

. . .

Southern Territory – Durin Tavern

The last shimmering images faded from the imaging crystal.

Edward reached out, gently lifting the glass sphere and turning it off—only to find himself immediately surrounded on all sides.

The production crew had been restless throughout the final act, their frustration barely contained. Now that the credits had rolled, the floodgates burst open.

“Why did it have to end like that?! Jonathan and Dio both died?!”

“So that’s it? The vampires just vanish?”

“What about Hamon? What happens to Erina and the child she saved? There has to be more, right?!”

“……”

Faced with the barrage of questions, Edward could only sigh, rubbing at his temples with a helpless smile.

Still, he could feel their passion—and that, at least, was something worth respecting.

So, after a brief pause, he began to answer.

“First of all, this ending was decided from the very start,” he explained calmly. “Jonathan and Dio’s fates were meant to intertwine—and end—together. That was always the plan.”

“As for the vampires… they haven’t vanished. After all, there isn’t just one Stone Mask in this world. Hamon and the Mask are two forces bound by fate—neither will disappear while the other remains.”

“And as for Erina… she returned to the same small town as before, raising the child she rescued. At the same time, she was also carrying Jonathan’s child in her womb. What happens after that…”

Edward smiled faintly. “…will depend on when Part Two is released.”

“Part Two?!”

The tavern fell utterly silent for a moment—and then exploded into noise louder than a battlefield.

“Wait, there’s a second part?!”

“You’re telling me this isn’t the end?!”

“Then what’s it called? Who’s in it? When’s it coming out?!”

No matter how much they pressed, Edward refused to reveal a single extra detail. He simply shook his head, wearing the sly grin of a man with secrets too valuable to spill.

It was clear—he had no intention of spoiling JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Part 2 before its time.