Creating Anime In A Fantasy World

Chapter 243: The Premiere of JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure! (Part 5)

Southern Frontier Garrison.

Jocen carefully set the imaging crystal he’d borrowed from Edward onto the stand, and with a nod, the camp’s mage channeled mana into it.

A pale light shimmered across the canvas wall of the barracks.

At once, every soldier in the garrison crowded together, eyes gleaming with anticipation as the film flickered to life.

Their cheers came quickly.

“Wait—hold on! Isn’t that Sergeant Jocen?!”

“And… that’s Captain Brando! So that’s where the two of them disappeared to—they went to shoot a movie?!”

“No wonder they kept vanishing for days at a time!”

“Speaking of which… has Captain Brando still not come back? It’s been ages since we’ve seen him.”

“Dunno. Maybe Sergeant Jocen knows his whereabouts.”

“But seriously—I never would’ve guessed our Jocen would be playing the hero! And Brando of all people as his rival? That’s insane.”

“Right? And the crazy part is… they’re actually good! I didn’t think Captain Brando had an ounce of acting talent in him.”

“Can’t wait to see the two of them go head-to-head!”

“…”

The camp erupted into laughter and wild speculation.

After all, though Brando was young and held only a captain’s rank, his status as the Grand Duke’s eldest son gave him immense authority. For the soldiers, seeing their usually imposing superior cast as what looked to be a villain was simply too much to contain.

Meanwhile, in the Southern Territory Grand Duke’s estate.

Constantine’s brow twitched the instant his son appeared on screen.

“That’s… Brando? What in the blazes is that boy doing acting in a movie?”

Before his indignation could swell further, a lilting laugh rang from his side.

“So this is your heir, is it?” murmured Arcueid, a teasing smile upon her lips. “He does resemble you in your youth… quite a bit, in fact.”

“Wh—!”

Constantine stiffened, utterly wrong-footed. Having one’s ancient elder—who had practically raised him—casually compare him to his son left him flustered beyond measure.

And from her seat nearby, Daphne caught sight of her father’s rare, embarrassed expression. A faint, knowing smile tugged at her lips.

. . .

On screen, the story pressed forward.

With his father’s dying words still echoing in his heart, Dio Brando made his way to the Joestar estate.

Jonathan Joestar stood waiting, extending a hand of welcome.

“So, you’re Dio? I’m Jonathan Joestar—though everyone calls me JoJo. I look forward to getting along with you.”

But Dio’s golden eyes were cold, his presence sharp enough to cut. Even in greeting, a suffocating hostility radiated from him.

Then, without warning, a small dog bounded toward them.

“Ah! Dio,” Jonathan said quickly, smiling, “this is Danny, my beloved dog. Don’t worry, he never bites—he’s very friendly.”

“Friendly, is he?” Dio sneered.

In the same instant, his boot lashed out.

With a sickening thud, Danny yelped as he was hurled into the air.

“Dio! What are you doing?!” Jonathan roared, face twisting in fury. “I won’t forgive you for this!”

The two boys squared off, fists clenched—

But before the clash could erupt, Lord Joestar himself emerged from the manor.

“What is going on out here?”

The nobleman’s sharp tone froze the scene in place.

Dio immediately lowered his head, adopting a mask of contrition.

“My deepest apologies, sir. The dog lunged at me suddenly—I panicked, and my reflexes…”

“What?”

Lord Joestar’s suspicious glare cut through the air, doubt clear in his voice—

And in that moment, the mask of Dio’s malice was hidden once more, his venom waiting for another chance to strike.

Jonathan’s expression froze in confusion the moment Dio spoke those words. He didn’t know how to respond, or how to explain the situation unfolding before him.

And so, with the overwhelming air of intimidation that he carried the instant he stepped inside, Dio formally moved into the Joestar household.

Before outsiders,ly  Dio was all grace and charm, the very picture of a gentleman. But the instant he was left alone with Jonathan, his mask slipped away completely, revealing his true, cruel nature. To Jonathan—who only wanted to get along peacefully—this became an unbearable torment.

…

Watching this scene play out on screen, the audience could hardly keep themselves from feeling sympathy for Jonathan, while their hatred for Dio—who twisted the truth to his advantage—burned stronger with each passing moment.

After all, seeing a kindhearted soul suffer at the hands of a villain stirs a natural instinct in people: compassion for the innocent, and disgust toward the wicked.

Thus, whether in the cinemas of the East or the West, or even in the theaters of the South, murmurs and exclamations rippled through the crowds:

“Dio is just despicable—exactly like his father! He’s a born villain!”

“Poor Jonathan… he’s so kind, and yet he hasn’t done anything wrong, only to be treated like this.”

“If things continue, will Dio really steal the Joestar family fortune for himself?”

“What a tragedy… Lord Joestar himself is such a good man.”

“I just hope Lord Joestar realizes Dio’s true nature soon!”

The audience’s voices overlapped into a chorus of indignation.

In truth, most of them were thinking the same thing.

…

Meanwhile, inside the border garrison of the southern territories—

The soldiers were watching the same film, their eyes fixed on Captain Brando, who played the role of Dio with such venomous conviction that it left them unsettled.

“Never thought Captain Brando could play such a villain so perfectly. If I didn’t know his character in real life, I’d think he was really like this.”

“No wonder he hasn’t shown his face in a while. Maybe he’s too embarrassed after playing such a detestable role.”

“Come on, it’s just a role. People should be able to tell the difference between fiction and reality, right?”

“That’s easier said than done. Watching him just now… I honestly had the urge to punch Dio in the face. If Captain Brando were standing here, I don’t know if I could restrain myself.”

“You’d better restrain yourself, all right. Captain Brando’s a Sword Soul. Someone like you wouldn’t stand a chance.”

“Ugh… yeah, that’s why I said it’s just an urge…”

The barracks rang with laughter and commentary.