「Crystal War Requiem」

Streets of Fillydelphia - (Night time)

After ensuring that the civilians have evacuated to hide someplace, Giorno and Metal walked down the empty streets of Fillydelphia, deciding that it'd be quicker to find whoever it is responsible if they'd traverse the open roads instead of the damp alleyways. It has been a good twenty minutes since releasing the prisoners, yet within those twenty minutes was pretty uneventful for the duo. Having not encountered any other of Sombra's infantry units. It got quiet real fast.

"It's awfully tranquil around here," Giorno stated matter a factly,

"It shows that Blizzard doing his part. We must focus on finding the General,"

Walking down a little further, a silhouette of a figure with a straw hat came into view. This caused both to stop in their tracks instantly. But the straw hat silhouette was unswayed and kept on walking towards them.

"Stop where you are!" Giorno shouted. He was certain the figure could hear him from where he was, yet he did not stop.

"I told you to stay where you are-" Giorno was cut off when the figure had disappeared in a blink of an eye.

Looking left and right, Giorno couldn't stop where he had gone. His questions were answered when he heard the heavy whisper of a stallion coming from behind. His voice was calm, yet there's a sense of danger behind it, which sent shivers down his spine.

"You... Must be... Giorno Giovanna..."

He was stunned, slowly turning his head to face Metal. The spear bearing unicorn didn't seem to be disturbed by his presence at all. Deciding to be the first to act, Giorno turns around and materializes「G.E.R」to punch the ominous shadow.

"MUDA!"

Spinning around,「G.E.R」extended its arm fully to strikes the figure. However, the punch didn't connect. Upon recognizing this, Giorno was confused. That was until he felt his striking arm to be lighter. Looking down, he realizes his right arm was completely sliced off, blood gushing out.

"I had expected you to come... King Sombra warned me of you,"

Looking back up, the image of the figure was clearer. The straw hat covering his face, wearing a black buttoned-up, long-sleeved shirt and a dark blue coat with a starry night design over it. With long, black baggy pants reaching his knees, the rest of the way down, his legs are tied up with white bandages around his calves, the only visible parts are his hooves exposed. On his left waist was a medium length katana. The sheath was patterned with a white floral silhouette design. A golden circular hilt was visible from where Giorno had stood. In the figure's left hand was Giorno's right arm. At the same time, he had his right arm sliding back his katana into the holder with a satisfying 'sh-click' sound.

Metal roughly grabbed Giorno's shoulder and cast a simple short-distance teleportation spell to get themselves away from the sword-wielding pony, creating good separation between the two opposing forces. Using this breathing space, Giorno shovels the asphalt from the road beneath them. Creating a new right arm and attaches it to his severed wound.

"Who are you?" Metal spoke,

"Greetings, my name is Honjo. And I am the inheritor of The Third Gate. A pleasure to meet you."

Metal summons his spears, holding both at the ready for when the fight begins.

"So you're the General?"

"Correct."

"Great, nice knowing you."

Enchanting his spear, a blue and yellow magic wheel spun around it. Metal chucks one towards Honjo at blinding speeds, leaving a trail of yellow behind it. To Honjo promptly dodges with a slight pivot of his hoof. With the enchantment on the spear still active, it soon corrected its path of trajectory. It curved itself upwards to the sky and shot itself back down towards him, exploding the ground as dust clouds formed, enveloping Honjo.

"Centerfire: Seek and Boost"

The dust clouds slowly dissipated, yet The General was nowhere to be seen again.

"CAPTAIN, DUCK!!"

Metal did as he was told. And thanks to Giorno's warning, the Captain managed to escape an early death as the crimson blade of Honjo sailed past over his head. Giorno summons「G.E.R」once again, this time shooting his last two bearings towards The General with its thumb. Honjo instinctively sliced the steel projectiles in halves. But not a second later, the bearings morphed into Deathstalker Scorpions and lunged themselves at him.

Naturally, Honjo tried slicing at the scorpions once again. But when the blade made contact with the live animal, he could somehow feel his own attack slashing his chest. Before he could force his sword any further into the arachnid, he mouthed his own magical ability.

"Black sky - 11th Star: Aquarius."

Activating his magic, the blade lighted a brighter red. Turning the bladed end permeable, it phases through the creatures like it wasn't even there.

"W-what!?" Giorno stuttered out,

Taking advantage of his confusion, Honjo closes the distance between himself and Giorno. Ingraining magic to his sword again, slicing the air vertically.

"5th Star: Leo."

The pressuring wind forced its way to the golden Joestar. With no time to jump out of the way, Giorno summons「G.E.R」to brace for impact. Despite using his Stand to cushion the blow, it still sent him flying several stories backward further down the street, smashing into the side of the building before coming to a stop at the base of a store.

"Giorno!-"

"Eyes on the battle," said Honjo,

Giving Metal no time to breathe, he continues to pressure The Captain. Swinging his katana at him rapidly, all the while, Metal uses his magic spears to act as shields, blocking the blade.

Giorno

Soaring through the air wasn't planned on his part. He hadn't known the attack would send him this high up into the air, no time to regret. It was his hesitation that led him to where he is, after all. Noticing that he was slowly closing in on the side of the building,

"「GOLD EXPERIENCE REQUIEM」!!"

Giorno brings forth「G.E.R」, penetrating its fist. It glides along the side of the building as he is falling, carving out the brick wall with ease. Its fist gave life to the surroundings as he slid closer down to the ground and into the building. Trees burst out from the openings Giorno created, softening his fall. Slamming through the second floor of the building, Giorno lands into the store on the first floor. Trees stretching back from the opening from where he had smashed through and leaves falling everywhere.

"Aghh..." he groans,

Looking around, Giorno realizes he is now in a shop of some kind. Getting up, he felt a sharp pain stabbing his back. Grabbing the foreign object, he pulls it out from his body,

"A knife?"

The sounds of clashing weapons filled the empty streets, occasionally sparking and illuminating the area. Honjo effortlessly deflected the two oncoming spears, sending them off course, but it was relentless with its attacks. Continuously rebounding and coming back for more. Having had enough, he slices both spears in half.

"Is that all you've got, Metal? It looks like I've overestimated your abilities."

"And how do you know my name? I don't recall giving away any information, nor have I met you before."

"King Sombra."

"That bastard? Expected that much."

"Silence. You will not tarnish his name, you scum."

"I didn't know garbage have feelings, much less a follower like you for his worthless cause."

"Careful."

"I doubt I'm in trouble."

Metal summons another spear. This time, a single blue magic circle surrounds it.

"Shotshell: Seek."

Activating his secondary fire mode, Metal spawns hundreds of spears hovering behind him. All indistinguishable from the one he is currently holding onto. All aimed its head at Honjo, and all ready to fire.

"You, on the other hand."

With a wave of his hand, The Captain nudges his swarm of heavy artillery slightly forward, staring down The General as he did so with murderous intent.

"Is well within my range."

Honjo gives an audible 'hmph.' and smiles. Grasping the handle of his katana, he widens his legs, lowers his chest, chuckles, and says,

"This is where the fun begins."