Crazy Heartbreakers - Chapter 3
"NiNi... Normal people are much too thick-skulled to notice their own eccentricities!
Dissonance (頓狂な音響, Tonkyō na Onkyō, lit. Dissonant Sound) is the third chapter of Crazy Heartbreakers, a light novel based on the JoJo's Bizarre Adventure series.
Summary
Ryoko's First Hint
Ryoko Kakyoin recalls the pages she saw in Tohth. The book showed a caricature of Ryoko introducing herself as "Ryon-Ryon," expressing her inner child and fixation on her late cousin, Noriaki Kakyoin. It depicted warped versions of Ryoko's desires, including her obsession with uncovering the mystery of Noriaki's death and its connection to DIO. Ryoko understands that the book predicts events with certainty, considering it was accurate about Ryoko saving the old woman from the biker gang. She continues speaking with Josuke Higashikata. Ryoko tells him that she lives in Kanagawa, but will be in Kyoto starting in April. She questions if he's been overseas, but Josuke reveals that he had only recently learned about the term "Stand" from Hol Horse and has never traveled outside his hometown. Ryoko feels tense talking to Josuke because of his powerful ability and short temper, but keeps her composure, knowing she must interact with him to uncover more information. Suddenly, Tohth tells Ryoko that she'll have to teach Josuke a lesson, slapping him and kicking him, in order for the first hint to appear.
Josuke mentions a local legend about S-City, where couples are said to gather near the bronze statue of the One-Eyed Dragon, Date Masamune. He explains the connection between the statue and the romantic atmosphere of the area, highlighting that the name "Date" is written the same way as "date" in romaji. Ryoko dismisses his explanation, suspecting it to be a line he uses on other girls. Josuke denies this, claiming to be a "pure love" kind of guy and that he's nervous just talking to a girl like her. Ryoko is baffled by his response. Josuke changes the subject to Ryoko's hairstyle, wondering what Kakyoin was like. Ryoko describes him as an amazing individual and her eternal hero, who Josuke could never compare to. She explains that she adopted the hairstyle as a way to feel closer to him and reveals that he once saved her life. Josuke reacts skeptically, suggesting that she might be overestimating their connection due to her admiration. He then misnames Noriaki as "Norimaki," which prompts Ryoko to slap him in anger and correct him forcefully. Rather than reacting negatively, Josuke encourages Ryoko to express her anger further by kicking his butt. Ryoko hesitantly complies, and Josuke falls forward from the kick. Afterward, Josuke comments on her determination, revealing that he was hoping to make her feel better since she was looking tense the whole time. He compliments her choice to emulate the hairstyle of the guy who saved her life and asks if he can "borrow" that reason. Ryoko notices that Josuke's lip is bleeding from the slap. When she asks why he hasn't used his Stand to heal himself, Josuke explains that his Stand cannot repair his own injuries.
Hol Horse's Reflections
The parrot Hol Horse was tracking, known as Pet Sounds, had a long lifespan typical of its species, potentially reaching 20 to 30 years. It was over ten years old, though its exact age was uncertain. Pet Sounds's original owner, a bird trainer employed by DIO, had been killed ten years prior. The trainer specialized in teaching birds tricks, but under DIO's command, his job shifted to weaponizing them by forcing them to manifest Stands and training them to attack DIO's enemies during the daytime. The trainer had attempted to escape while training Pet Shop and Pet Sounds, but DIO killed him before he could succeed. After the trainer's death, Pet Sounds did not participate in combat. It was later returned to the trainer's family at the request of his mother. The parrot remained safely contained until recently, when it was stolen from the family home. The mother sought out Hol Horse, pleading with him to recover the bird without involving the Speedwagon Foundation, fearing they would confiscate it. Though hesitant, Hol Horse agreed to help.
Hol Horse quickly found leads in Cairo due to the birdcage's distinctive design. Eyewitnesses reported sightings that made it clear the thief had taken it overseas. With the help of Boingo and his comic book, Hol Horse pinpointed the bird's location. However, upon arriving in S-City, Boingo disappeared, Hol Horse became embroiled in a bizarre traffic incident, encountered a new Stand user, and began hearing DIO's voice. The voice unsettled him deeply, making him question whether it was a hallucination caused by lingering fear or something more ominous. As Hol Horse wanders the streets of S-City, he reflects on his past as a subordinate of DIO and his role as a follower rather than a leader. Conversations with his former ally, Devo the Cursed, resurfaces in his mind. Devo had once mocked Hol Horse for relying on others, calling him unfit for the title of Emperor since he hides behind J. Geil. Hol Horse remembers these exchanges bitterly, noting how Devo's lone-wolf approach had ultimately led to his demise against Jean Pierre Polnareff. Determined to focus on his current task, Hol Horse makes his way to a police station for information. To his surprise, the officers seem to recognize him, revealing that Boingo had already been there and explained their situation. Confused by Boingo's uncharacteristically effective communication, Hol Horse is further shocked when the officers mention that the comic book had been reported lost. As Hol Horse processes this information, he hears DIO's voice again, confirming it was unmistakably DIO's.
Hol Horse's Dilemma
The voice was from Hol Horse's encounter with DIO during the Joestar Group's approach to Egypt. DIO chastised Hol Horse for his failures, belittling his role as an informant and demanding that he kill the Joestars. Enraged by DIO's casual tone, Hol Horse briefly considered rebelling, pointing Emperor at DIO's unguarded back. He rationalized that killing DIO would be quicker and more beneficial than facing the Joestars. However, DIO used his Stand, The World, to disappear and reappear behind Hol Horse, crushing Hol Horse's thoughts of rebellion. Though surrounded by ordinary officers, Hol Horse suddenly finds Emperor in his hand, aimed at one of them. His body moves uncontrollably, reenacting the exact actions he had performed ten years earlier during his confrontation with DIO. He realizes that this is the work of Pet Sounds's Stand. The parrot, thought to be harmless for a decade, had hidden its ability to force those who heard specific "voices" it played to reenact their past actions, no matter how deadly. Hol Horse struggles to resist the attack, which forces his body to act against his will. Despite his awareness of the consequences—such as arrest or execution if he were to shoot a police officer—his body moves to pull the trigger. In the original event years ago, Hol Horse had not fired his gun, but the Stand attack now recreates that moment, compelling him to act. He realizes that the process will only stop if he hears the specific phrase DIO had spoken at the time, which is intentionally omitted in this recreation. Unable to resist, Hol Horse begins to resign himself to his fate.
At the last moment, a glimmer of green light catches his eye. The light, reflecting off the police officer's button from a nearby traffic signal, triggers a memory of Kakyoin's "Emerald Splash." Hol Horse recalls the moment he witnessed Kakyoin use the attack on his own ally, stopping Polnareff's reckless charge in order to save him when they were battling Hol Horse and J. Geil. This vivid memory breaks Pet Sounds's control, freeing Hol Horse's body from the Stand's grip. Hol Horse, pretending nothing happened, adjusts his hat and quickly makes an excuse to leave the station. The police officers, puzzled by Hol Horse's strange behavior and cowboy attire, dismiss him as eccentric but harmless. As Hol Horse escapes, a witness nearby is frustrated by the failed attack but vows to continue Pet Sounds's assault until everyone standing in their way is eliminated.
Battling Possessed Women
Josuke remembers that Hol Horse went to a police station to report a missing companion, described as a boy carrying a comic book. Hearing this, Ryoko tightens her grip on her bag, appearing uneasy. Suddenly, she hears the sound of large wings flapping, but the cloudy sky reveals nothing unusual. Their conversation is interrupted by a scream from down the street. Josuke rushes toward the commotion to find a group of women wielding knives and attacking passersby. Dressed as bakers, the women mumble devotion to DIO and appear possessed, attacking without hesitation. Amid the chaos, Josuke finds Hol Horse on the ground, gravely injured with knives in his back and a head wound. Hol Horse struggles to stay conscious, realizing he underestimated Pet Sounds's Stand, which can control multiple people by forcing them to reenact actions they performed in the past upon hearing certain "voices."
Josuke confronts the possessed women, casually bantering. He talks about his hairstyle, claiming it was inspired by a hero who saved his life ten years ago. He recounts a story about falling ill during a blizzard and being rescued by this hero, who supposedly took him to the hospital on a motorcycle. Partway through, Josuke realizes the story doesn't make sense and revises it on the spot, continuing to fabricate details like his mom driving him to the hospital but their car got stuck, and that's when his hero showed up. Ultimately, he concludes that he adopted his hairstyle to honor his hero and asks the women what they think of his reasoning. As they charge him with no regard for collateral damage, Josuke unleashes a powerful barrage with his Stand that sends the women flying. They crash into a storefront but are unharmed when they regain consciousness, with Pet Sounds's control over them lifted. Josuke restores the storefront, heals the victims' injuries, erases evidence of the fight, and announces to the nearby crowd that it was just a street performance. Josuke retrieves Hol Horse, who realizes his injuries are healed, and urges him to flee before the police arrive. Together, they escape the scene, leaving behind a bewildered crowd. Meanwhile, Ryoko catches up to the aftermath, finding no visible signs of the battle. She pulls the comic book from her bag and reads a new page. It cryptically advises her to take a detour to uncover the truth, telling her to change her perspective by finding a fuse and igniting it to trigger the revelation.
