Cherreads

Chapter 2 - First Bomb

Killer Queen's ability allowed it to turn anything it touched with its fingers into a bomb. Once the target was primed, the Stand only needed to mimic a thumb-pressing motion with its right hand to detonate.

There were two types of explosions.

In the first, only the person who touched the bomb would explode, while the object-turned-bomb remained intact.

In the second, the object itself would explode, disintegrating part or all of itself into ash. Both types of explosions were silent.

Killer Queen could only create one bomb at a time, and each bomb could only explode once.

Its left hand also housed the Second Bomb: Sheer Heart Attack, a heat-seeking autonomous attack.

As Joey walked toward the door, fragments of Killer Queen's abilities flashed through his mind—everything the Stand currently retained.

But before he could take more than two steps, the angry shouts outside warped into terrified screams—high-pitched, chaotic, panicked.

Something had gone wrong.

That thought screamed through Joey's head—but his feet didn't stop. He sprinted to the window instead, yanking back the rough cloth curtain just a sliver to peek outside.

And froze.

What he saw locked every muscle in his body.

From the forest near the village's edge, twisted, grotesque creatures were pouring out—hybrid horrors stitched together from insect, beast, and something far worse.

Winged monstrosities swooped from the skies, attacking fleeing villagers below. Insectile limbs. Clicking jaws. A hunger that knew no mercy.

They weren't giant. Just a bit taller than the average adult. But their design—the cold brutality of them—was terrifying.

In the blink of an eye, peace shattered. The village became a slaughterhouse.

As for the villager who had come knocking before—Joey didn't see him. Maybe gone. Maybe dead.

But the monsters weren't just killing.

They were capturing.

Many villagers were being taken alive—restrained, bundled up like livestock.

Joey's heart pounded like a war drum. Easily over two hundred beats per minute.

His mind blanked. Utterly.

Even though he'd experienced soul-devouring combat, he couldn't adjust to this primal nightmare—the brutal feast of the strong on the weak.

Then—boom.

A crash from the door.

It jolted Joey back into clarity.

He'd been spotted.

He turned. His eyes locked onto Killer Queen. He took a long breath, trying to calm down—but his body trembled uncontrollably.

Teeth clenched, Joey forced himself forward, step by step, toward the door—now battered and cracking.

Killer Queen moved ahead of him. Protective. Focused.

Two meters.

That was Killer Queen's maximum range—the farthest it could be from Joey's body.

He stopped at that distance, setting the trap.

The door creaked.

Something sharp punctured the wood—a serrated limb, like a mantis's scythe, glinting with killing intent.

Creak… creak… each noise from the wood felt like it struck directly into Joey's chest.

Killer Queen crept toward the blade.

And reached out.

A single fingertip touched the creature's limb.

Joey felt a surge inside.

The monster had become a bomb.

Now, all he had to do was press his thumb.

One move.

One signal.

And it would die.

But Joey didn't press it.

Not yet.

Now wasn't the time.

He'd seen at least a dozen of them. Maybe more in the forest. Detonating one now would only draw attention. Even if the explosion was silent, the flash would give him away.

And he didn't know if these creatures could see Stands. Sure, in JoJo, non-Stand Users couldn't—but Joey had already broken that rule just by being here and seeing Killer Queen himself.

He couldn't risk it.

Worse, the creatures might be intelligent. He'd seen hints—how they moved, coordinated, captured rather than slaughtered.

If they noticed one of their own disappearing, they'd come looking.

Joey had two options.

One: Kill this intruder, then flee through the back window.

He'd scouted. The monsters came from the woods on the front side. The back led to deeper forest—safer.

Two: Barricade and use Killer Queen to fight them all off from inside the house.

He didn't hesitate.

Run.

There were too many unknowns. He couldn't afford a drawn-out fight. If even one of them got through, he'd die. Simple as that.

But first—preparations.

He needed supplies. Food. Water. Flint. Rope. Anything that could help him survive outside.

Preferably a map.

Without gear, even with wilderness knowledge, he wouldn't last long beyond the village.

He also needed a decoy. Something to lure the monsters away from above—those flying ones scanning from the sky. If he just ran out, they'd spot him in seconds.

Luckily, he already had a plan for that.

But time was short.

The creature outside was already peering into the room through the splintered wood.

Joey ran to the kitchen. Snatched essentials. Canteen. Dried meat. Knife. Flint. Twine.

Then he yanked open the drawer by the bed.

There, wrapped in an old cloth bundle, was something that made him freeze.

A gun.

A grenade.

A flashlight.

A smartphone.

And a map covered in cryptic marks.

On top of it all, a white-glowing wallet made of some unknown animal hide.

Inside: paper currency—and an ID card.

A black-haired young man, handsome, dressed in white tactical gear and holding an assault rifle.

Below the photo—

The name: Yoshikage Kira.

Joey stared at it.

What the fuck…?

Read 20 to 40 chapters ahead : patreon.com/Notorious_Zeke

More Chapters