Eleven years before Diego went missing...
Seven-year-old Diego burst out of the Zenin family estate and fled southward across the continent in a mad dash.
"Hah..." After maintaining Scary Monsters through a full night of running, Diego's breathing sounded like grains of sand in an hourglass—fine, rapid, and betraying exhaustion he couldn't hide.
The sky was dimly tinged with warmth—the prelude to dawn.
"Those idiots in the capital! You think trash like that can catch Dio? What arrogance! High-and-mighty noble old men!"
When he reached a vast, boundless forest, deep within the woods, Diego leaned against a tree, narrowed his eyes, and rested to recover.
He had shaken them off long ago. Time to rest properly...
Diego's head tilted, and he fell into a deep sleep.
Rustle rustle rustle—the sound of fallen leaves being crushed reached his ears...
Hm? Someone caught up?
Diego jolted awake from his slumber, assumed a combat stance, and locked his gaze fiercely on the source of the sound.
In his line of sight, a white-haired elf with an indifferent expression quietly appeared, holding a basket full of herbs, walking toward Diego's position.
Diego's muscles tensed to the extreme. If the white-haired elf in front of him made the slightest suspicious move, he would instantly lunge and kill this elf who might just be passing by.
The white-haired elf gave Diego a cold glance, then pointed toward a nearby human village—seemingly mistaking him for someone lost after being attacked by a beast.
Diego's blood-soaked appearance was indeed quite frightening. Combined with the way his eyes fixed unblinkingly on the elf, he looked like a startled wild cat ready to bare its fangs at anyone who dared approach.
"If you come any closer, I'll bite you to death—and teach you what it means to be utterly broken!"
Perhaps sensing Diego's unease, or perhaps on a whim, the white-haired elf suddenly drew her staff and cast a spell in front of Diego that conjured a field of flowers.
[Someday, I want to make Mom the most beautiful flower crown in the world.]
That flower is... forget-me-not...
Mom's favorite flower when she was alive...
A gentle breeze like spring sunlight blew through. Diego swore this was the most beautiful sight he had ever seen in his life. Perhaps it was at this moment that the executioner's heart inside him wavered.
Diego's taut nerves relaxed. He slumped back to the ground and murmured: "So beautiful..."
Thinking of the Zenin family's ways, Diego spoke again: "Magic should be like this. Thank you. This is the first time in my life I've felt magic is something so wonderful."
"What's your name?"
The white-haired elf didn't reply. She simply held her basket and slowly walked away.
Diego stared at the elf's departing back, his thoughts swirling. He touched the cross pendant on his chest and silently made a resolve.
The pitch-black night sky was no longer monotonous, thanks to the scattered stars.
...
Frieren... perhaps I've been changed by you too.
"Big brother, what's your name?"
Sota, still on his back, suddenly spoke and interrupted Diego's thoughts.
"Hm? I'm Diego Brando. You can call me Big Brother Dio."
"Big Brother Dio, you're so tall! This is the first time I've seen someone as tall as you."
"Well, eat a lot and you can be too."
"Do you eat green peppers, Big Brother? My big sister always says if I don't eat green peppers, my nutrition won't be balanced and I won't grow tall."
"I don't eat them. I eat red peppers. Green peppers taste a bit bitter, but red peppers are sweet—red peppers are delicious."
"Then I won't eat green peppers either. Big sister lied—eating other stuff can make you tall too."
"Haha, your big sister just wants what's best for you. Still, eat a little—don't make your family sad, okay?"
"Mm! Okay~"
The two chatted idly back and forth.
Accompanied by the night breeze, the large and small figures weaved through streets and alleys. The surrounding traffic and bustle had nothing to do with them—they simply enjoyed this peaceful moment.
"Ah, Big Brother Dio! I see my house—it's right up ahead!" Sota pointed with his small hand toward the house in front.
"Good. Then I'll hurry up. It's still a bit cold outside—don't catch a cold." Diego suddenly quickened his pace. Before long, they arrived at Sota's front door.
He set Sota down from his back, knocked on the door, and called out: "Moshi moshi, is anyone home?"
"Eh? No one's home? Why aren't they answering or opening the door?" Diego said, puzzled. "But it's fine—if there's really no way, I can get you inside."
Throwing him up to the second-floor balcony... might be a bit too extreme...
Sota tugged at Diego's pant leg: "Big Brother Dio, ring the doorbell. The knocking might be too quiet—they didn't hear it."
"Huh? Ahaha, smart kid. I was just testing whether you'd panic in a situation like this. Definitely not because I didn't know about doorbells. Looks like you've been studying hard at school!"
When people get embarrassed, they always pretend to be busy. Diego ruffled Sota's head, then pressed the doorbell at lightning speed.
Ding—dong dong dong dong dong!
"Is that Sota coming back?!"
A flurry of hurried footsteps reached Diego's ears.
The next moment, the door flew open. A figure rushed out and tightly embraced Sota.
It was a girl with beautiful chestnut-brown long hair, dressed in casual home clothes, giving off the air of someone responsible and capable around the house.
But right now, the girl's condition wasn't great—her hair was disheveled, her eyes red and swollen, tear tracks still visible on her cheeks. She looked like she had just finished crying not long ago.
"Sota, I'm so sorry... Big sister shouldn't have gone to karaoke with Yuki and the others today. I was so happy about getting the Shuchiin acceptance letter that I couldn't turn down their invitation.
I thought going out once in a while to relax wouldn't be a problem, so I came back late. But when I went to the school, the teacher said you'd already left. No matter how much I searched, I couldn't find you.
I'm so glad you're back... Otherwise I really wouldn't know how to explain this to Mom and Dad..."
"Ah! Sota, why are you bleeding?"
Hori Kyoko panicked, pulled a handkerchief from her pocket, and quickly disinfected and bandaged Sota's scraped wound.
"I fell—" Sota answered.
Diego glanced at Sota's now-bandaged injury and said slowly: "Since everything's fine now, I'll be going."
!
Oh no—I was so happy Sota came back that I completely ignored the person who brought him!!
"Um... um! It seems we've troubled you..." Hori Kyoko said, sweating profusely as she tried to detain him. "I'm Hori Kyoko, Sota's big sister."
A pair of small hands grabbed the pant leg of the departing Diego.
"Sota...?" Hori Kyoko looked at Sota in confusion.
"Big Brother Dio... come play at our house for a bit..." Sota said reluctantly.
"Eh? But it's really late now..."
"It's fine. Please come in and sit for a while. I want to thank you properly—please, you must."
...
Diego sat bored at the dining table. On one side, Sota was happily munching on snacks.
"Yes, yes—that's right. He's been found. Thank you for your trouble." Hori Kyoko spoke on the phone with the police, informing them there was no need to search anymore.
Even though she said to come in as a guest, aside from eating their snacks, there wasn't much else to do.
Sniff sniff.
Hm? That's No.1 Blue Mountain coffee! They have it in Sota's house?!
Recognizing the variety of coffee Hori Kyoko was brewing, Diego suddenly sat bolt upright like a model student in an open lecture.
His eyes sparkled with uncontainable joy—he even started humming a little tune.
Soon, Hori Kyoko brought the coffee to the table. The hot, steaming aroma wafted up.
"Thanks for the trouble." One hand swiftly snatched the coffee from the tray.
"No, no—we're the ones who troubled you."
"Big Brother Dio, is coffee bitter?"
"It's very bitter—kids shouldn't drink it. You'll have trouble growing tall." Diego savored the coffee as he answered.
Hori Kyoko wasn't very good at dealing with people like Diego. She asked cautiously: "How did Sota..."
Diego glanced at Hori Kyoko and replied: "Sota got chased by a stray dog the whole way. He fell in the middle, shook it off, then realized he was lost."
"Ahh... so that's why there's a wound on his arm... Thank you so much for going out of your way to bring him back."
"Little Sota is very smart. At such a young age, he could clearly state his home address and point out the general direction he came from. I like smart kids like that—so no problem."
"Ah, no way—he's usually pretty careless. He always gives me headaches."
"You're amazing. Raising such a young little brother all by yourself, managing the whole house—there aren't many women like you these days."
Diego finished the last sip of coffee and gave it a reluctant glance.
"Big Brother Dio, come play often! Dad doesn't come home much—drink as much of his treasured coffee as you want!" Children's intuition is always sharp. Sota's 37°C mouth casually uttered words that would send chills down Hori Kyosuke's spine while he was away working.
(Hori Kyosuke: I'm dying of filial piety.)
Diego patted Sota's head, smiled, stood up from the table, and bid farewell to Hori Kyoko and Sota:
"Thanks for having me. Then, I'll be off..."
Eh? Why is my head so heavy...
Thud.
Diego collapsed again, unable to rise.
"Big Brother Dio—!"
"Mr. Dio!"
Hori Kyoko and Sota hurriedly stood from their chairs and rushed to check on Diego.
Hori felt Diego's breath—still steady—then placed her hand on his forehead.
"Hiss, he's burning up really bad. Is he sick? He was so talkative just earlier..." Hori said, feeling Diego's temperature.
With Hori Kyoko and Sota working together, Diego was carried to Hori Kyosuke's bed.
"Sota, you have school tomorrow—go to bed first. I'll take good care of your Big Brother Dio." Hori rolled up her sleeves, clenched her fist, and struck a "no problem" pose.
Then Hori Kyoko brewed fever medicine, blew on each spoonful to cool it, and fed it into Diego's mouth.
After administering the medicine, Diego was laid flat. Hori fetched a basin of water, soaked a soft cloth, and placed it on Diego's forehead to help bring down the fever.
In his hazy state, Diego saw a figure busily tending to him—perfectly overlapping with a figure from his memories.
Sniff sniff... sniff sniff...
Such a familiar scent...
"Mom..."
Eh? Did Mr. Dio just call me Mom?
Hori's gaze toward Diego grew even softer. Did he grow up without parents around, just like me...?
Unable to resist, Hori reached out and touched Diego's face, giving it a gentle pinch. Nice texture.
Looking closely, Mr. Dio has such a handsome face... long eyelashes, so pretty... No no no, getting distracted—time to re-wet the cloth.
...
—4 a.m. at the Hori household—
Diego woke up in bed, his body refreshed like waking up on New Year's morning in brand-new underwear. He looked at Hori asleep with her head resting on the edge of the bed and—for the first time in this world—showed a gentle smile.
Don't wake her. Let her rest properly on the bed.
Diego slowly got out of bed and reached to pick Hori up—when suddenly a three-meter-tall golden phantom appeared. It gently lifted Hori, placed her on the bed, and thoughtfully tucked her in.
The phantom resembled a diver, with tank-like apparatus on its back, golden armor, numerous disc-shaped decorations, and a golden half-face mask covering its features.
Eh? What the hell is this? Does this world have phantom ghosts too?!
At the same time, Diego threw a punch at the golden phantom.
The World: ?
Shocking the world! Family, who gets this—who else's Stand awakens by immediately attacking the Stand itself?!
Diego used Normal Punch!
Miss—effect minimal.
Can't hurt Hori or Sota... have to take the fight outside...
The World floated sulkily into the living room on its own.
...
Morning—Hori woke up in bed, groggily went to wash up, and prepared breakfast for Sota.
Eh? Wasn't I taking care of Mr. Dio? How did I fall asleep in bed? Where's Mr. Dio?
Hori rushed to the living room and saw Diego sitting on the sofa in full shut-in mode, hugging himself. Breakfast was already prepared on the table, and Sota was happily digging in.
Noticing Hori's arrival, Diego slowly raised his head and said word by word: "Hori... I got possessed by an evil spirit. I don't know what it'll make me do. Even when it was fighting, I kept trying to stop it..."
Hori: Huh?!