JORGE JOESTAR Chapter 12: Rhinoceros Beetle

Chapter 12 Rhinoceros Beetle (カブト虫 Kabutomushi) is the twelfth chapter of the light novel JORGE JOESTAR. It returns to the perspective of Joji Joestar after the events of Chapter 10.

Summary
Joji explains that Joseph Joestar had died of cancer two years ago. He asks Kars if would still have sought revenge even if Joseph were still alive today. Kars states he would, after he had been sent to space thirty-seven times, that fate would not free him until he kills him. He had been imagining Joseph wearing the Stone Mask, becoming a Vampire and eating people, and then Kars finally eating him himself. Kars states that Joji was lacking in height compared to Joseph, he seeps his fingers into his head, making Joji twenty centimeters taller. Kars claims that he can also give him wings if you just change his brain a little. He explains how he explored and studied his own brain and humans, how he created the Stone Mask and conquered the sun. Joji plots to stop Kars from returning to Earth, Narancia sneaks U-Boat inside Joji without Kars noticing. Kars inserts his hand inside his chest, pulling U-Boat out and taking it apart. He examines the monitors, and plugs a cord into his palm, and projects light through his mouth. The images had appeared to be a naked woman on a bed, making Narancia yell at him to stop. Kars grabs him and ties him up with the cords. As Kars goes through the memories, Joji recognizes one of the women to be Trish Ciocciolina, who was now a member of the. Kars questions how humans were able to create such machines, Joji explains that they are an ability called a Stand. Kars asks if he is able to see one himself, and holds his palm up and develops his own version of U-Boat.

Kars creates a loud sonar, causing Joji and Pucci, who's in the corner, to writhe in pain. As he stops, Pucci slowly tries to crawl away. Kars shoves his arm into his back, pulling out his Whitesnake. He punches Kars, causing bunches of DISCS to flow out of his head. He turns back to Pucci, interested in his power, he learns the power of Whitesnake and creates his own version. A humanoid Stand emerges from Kars' back, similar to Whitesnake, but with three heads like the Asura. Kars asks how Pucci managed to get this power, asking if he had been stabbed by a special arrow. He explains how he had crafted a bow and arrow and used it on humans before he slaughtered his race. He takes Pucci's memory DISC and reads his memories, and returns it at the end. He states that their six month journey back to Earth will now take only four hours. As Pucci wakes up, Kars asks him about the metal plate that had wiped his house from the face of the Earth. Kars explains that throwing down to Earth would be impossible, since it would just burn up. He projects again an image of the sky, showing a man floating in the air. Joji feels as if he knows him, describing him to be handsome, narrow eyes, and three moles on his left ear.

Kars explains that the man is a Vampire, wondering why he sent Kars to a spaceship with a relative of Joseph. Joji explains that he is adopted, Kars uses his Whitesnake and punches Joji, taking his DISCS. Kars states that Joji wastes his time on puzzles, Joji blurts out that none of it matters, impressing Kars even though Joji doesn't have his memory disc. He asks Kars to heal him, Kars walks up to him and sticks his fingers on the left side of his head, and creates a 'heal button' which fixes all of his wounds. As Joji grabs his disc back out of Kars' head, Kars states that he had found the Vampire in his memories. He explains that Joji had seen him in a photo as he went through the Joestars' old albums when he was seven. Kars projects his memories onto the wall, showing the man but much younger. The photo also had George Joestar and Jonathan Joestar, Joji learns that the boy with them, the Vampire, is Dio Brando. Joji then ponders about the Jorge Joestar that Tsukumojuku had mentioned, he asks Kars about Dio's relationship with the Joestars. Kars explains that Dio had also been adopted, and died in a train accident 1889. He projects a moving picture, with an old Joseph telling the story about his grandfather and how he gave his life, trying to stop Dio from robbing a train, to a young Joji. Joji remembers what Rohan had said about Stand users attracting one another, he also thinks about the message the American army had given to Morioh; thinking that America is trying to eliminate Morioh to prepare for Kars' arrival.

Joji runs to grab the pebble phone, and calls Giorno. Giorno explains to him about Morioh's current situation, and how they are currently battling Naval forces and now terrorists have now taken over Morioh. He also explains that patients in Sardinia are attacking people, the dead biting people as if it were a zombie movie; with rumors of flying zombies. Giorno asks to put Narancia on the phone, Narancia cries to him and explains everything that had happened to them. Joji asks Kars if he could give him a copy of his Whitesnake, Kars give him another copy of U-Boat and Whitesnake. As Joji sticks them in his head, he explodes, he suddenly returns to normal after Kars had fixed him. Joji asks how he managed to fix him, Kars explains how the soul momentarily retains its form as its vessel breaks, so he reassembled Joji's soul just before it melted away. Kars calls him stupid, finding it hard to believe he descended from Joseph. Joji feels pathetic, and tries to do better. He begins to think, he asks Kars how long it takes until they reach Earth. Kars states that it will take only another mere fifteen minutes. Joji prepares Narancia to prevent Nero Nero Island from attacking Morioh. Pucci radios Houston about what had happened with Funnier and the other astronauts.