Thus Spoke Kishibe Rohan - Episode 10: Hot Summer Martha

Thus Spoke Kishibe Rohan - Episode 10: Summer Hot Martha(岸辺露伴は動かない ～エピソード10:ホットサマー・マーサ～ Kishibe Rohan wa Ugokanai ~Episōdo 10: Hotto Samā Māsa~) is a one-shot Manga first published in the JOJO magazine on March 19th, 2022, written and illustrated by Hirohiko Araki as part of the Thus Spoke Kishibe Rohan series, and mainly featuring the Diamond Is Unbreakable character Rohan Kishibe.

Summary
Rohan looks out the window, seeing that rain is only falling on Mutsu-Kabe Hill, while holding his small dog, Bakin, in this arms. The date told to us is July 7th, 2021. He gets up and opens the fridge to get a snack for Bakin, but it falls to the ground and shatters. Rohan gets a new one and watch's Bakin eat his snack while discussing his new manuscript with his editor Kyoka Izumi. He heads up to his workroom, and as they discuss how Rohan's new character design for Hot Summer Martha may lead to copyright issues, a girl trespasses onto Rohan's property, claiming to be a huge fan. After Rohan scolds her and she leaves, he accidently spilled ink over his manuscript, where he then blames how his mask was cutting off oxygen to his brain and Covid-19. Getting frustrated at the fact that Covid has limited the places he can go, something essential for his style of work, he leaves the talk with Izumi go take Bakin for a walk.

While on his walk with Bakin, Rohan notes on how horrible and depressing his life feels now, like forever being stuck in a dark tunnel or as if can't move at all. During his walk his mind wanders and he stumbles upon the Morioh Temple Grounds. There he takes a look at the Sacred Tree where he notes that a different tree, a nearby Japanese Yew, is the actual oldest tree in the area. As he takes in the environment, the odd way several rocks nearby are propped against the old Japanese Yew attract his interest, and he curiously examines them. He moves the rocks aside and notices that beyond them there is a mirror on a pedestal and a jar in the trees trunk cavity. The mangaka now has a flash of inspiration from this, and a idea of what to make his next story about.

He leaves the Temple Grounds and heads back to his home for work, when he notices that his phone is full of unread text-messages. He takes a look at them, with them congratulating him for making a masterpiece that is selling incredibly well, as well as one from his editor saying she will stop by and return the manuscript. Confused by these messages, Rohan heads to his workplace, put accidently steps on a ripped up duck squeak toy near where Bakin is eating his food, and is perplexed by this due to Bakin still being a puppy and should not have the teeth capable of doing this. When he reaches his workplace, and he goes trough his manuscript, noticing that it full of art he did not draw. He quickly calls Izumi to see how this would happen, but over his questions she exclaims that Hot Summer Martha was a major success and that it was that years best masterpiece. He asks her again, and she claims a designer worked on the new design. The mangaka, now extremely frustrated, complains about the design changes, but becomes even more confused when Izumi confirms that his manuscript was finished two weeks ago. Before Rohan is able to continue this conversation, he hears the noise of someone entering his bedroom, and leaves to investigate.

The mangaka enters his bedroom to see a young woman wearing nothing but bunny ears, a collar with a chain, and handcuffs on her left ankle. Immediately Rohan grabs a baseball bat near him, and asks who she is and what she is doing in house, when he quickly realizes that she is the fan-girl who trespassed onto his backyard a while back. She ignores his questions, and leaves to go to the bathroom, leaving Rohan stunned before looking at a calendar on the ground. The date is October 7th, 2021. Confused out of his mind, he realizes that the Hot Summer Martha manuscript, was indeed made by his art, but that he didn't draw it, and looking for some answer he checks his security footage of the day before, showing a man who looks eerily like Rohan bringing in the fan-girl to the house. The fan-girl returns from the bathroom wearing one of Rohan shirts and holding her pet crocodile, before Rohan quickly uses Heavens Door on her. He takes a look at the book formed on her face, telling him that she absolutely loves him, her name being Eve, and other things but what primarily catches Rohan interest is the fact that all the dates of her most recent memories are that they take place on October 7th and the days prior. Rohan, starting to panic, quickly figures out that this was caused by the Sacred Tree, and sprints out of his house to it's location.

The mangaka returns to the Sacred Tree, but before he can inspect it he is confronted by two priests who work there, who inform Rohan that the shrine is closed for the day. They then recognize Rohan as a manga artist, and Rohan beings questioning them about the Japanese Yew, and the area in its cavity. They become fearful that he may have gone inside, and Rohan demands to know what exactly is the hollowed out area in the Japanese Yew. The mangaka explains how entire months have gone by with no memory of them, and the priests assure to him that he is not crazy, and explain the history of the Japanese Yew. The tree 800 years old, but the cavity inside came to be 500 years ago. He explains that this incident was caused by the trees inhabitant, Yabubako-Hoshi, who is a reflection of ones self in both D.N.A. and appearance, but is their dark side. When Rohan entered the trees cavity, Yabubako-Hoshi left the tree and spent three months Rohan before returning to the tree.

Trivia

 * This is the first pre-Part 7 universe storyline written by Araki to take place after Stone Ocean.