After escorting Jonathan out of the barn where his wife was giving birth with the aid of the unusual yet competent midwife, Hearne proceeded to explain his mission to him. He made it clear that the primary goal was to locate the missing residents and elicit support. Hearne didn't sugarcoat his words and presented the mission as it was without any embellishments.
"I need your help with finding the missing locals and besides, it's not like you have anything better to do other than worry about your wife."
Johnathan's heart raced with a mix of anticipation and fear as he prepared to join Hearne in their daring mission to save the villagers. Despite his determination to help, an overwhelming concern for his wife's safety weighed heavily on his mind, manifesting as a cold, gripping sensation in his chest that refused to let go.
"I know that it may be hard to believe, Jojo, but your wife is in capable hands, so let us leave the midwife to her work and focus on other, more important things." Hearne said, making sure to add the right amount of emotion to his voice because while he certainly liked the Joestars well enough and he could sympathize with his struggle, he simply did not care, but he would never let the Joestars know that.
Jonathan either did not hear or willfully ignored the last part of the sentence but that did not matter as Hearne acquired his help and they began their search which eventually led to them going into the empty homes of the town which Jonathan did not like but realized that it was what he had to find for information about this strange event.
Soon Erina's screams stopped, which could only mean that she had finally given birth and Hearne was surprised that Jonathan had not immediately left him to go be with her, to see his child and although Hearne did not even ask, he soon got a reason.
"The main reason I'm not with Erina right now is because I want to find the thing that caused the chaos in the town and put a stop to it. Once I accomplish that, I can meet them knowing they are safe." Hearne could suspect that there was also another reason, but it was not his place to question and so they continued their mission.
They had searched every place in the town, which was easy as Órlaith had led them to those places, but there was nothing that could continue their investigation. There was no secret text about some ancient monster that was awoken by village fools that was later defeated by powerful heroes, or anything of the sort, absolutely nothing which is suspicious.
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Throughout their investigation, an ominous demon trailed their every move, its malevolent aura intensifying with each passing moment. This creature, born from the nightmarish imaginations of the villagers, grew stronger with the infusion of power at its birth from an ancient being that surpassed even the mightiest of gods. Its form remained elusive, morphing and contorting as it drew nearer.
Although Hearne could not sense the presence of the living nightmare, he did not need another divine ability to feel when he was in danger but he did not want to alert the predator of his knowledge of his suspicion so he wordlessly communicated with Jonathan of the monster's presence, Jonathan was a bit slow but he eventually caught on and they formed a plan.
As they devised their plan, they strategically led the monstrous creature into a narrow, dimly lit alleyway. Unaware of their intentions, the creature followed, and to its great astonishment, Jonathan, taking a deep breath, gathered the radiant energy of the sun into his fist. Upon impact, the creature recoiled in pain as the power of the sun surged through it. Seizing the opportunity, Hearne infused a nearby stone with his divine energy, causing it to radiate a deep forest green hue. With precise aim, he hurled the stone at the monster's chest, instantly vanquishing the demon. In the aftermath, as the dust settled, the true nature of the town was finally revealed to them.
The town had revealed itself to be a blood-soaked hell with demons in every corner and its very existence had brought fear into the hearts of the two godbound, Jonathan, with a great start, ran to his wife and children, but Hearne, using his full speed, had disappeared in a green blur and made to them before Jonathan. The midwife who was with them had disappeared but that did not matter as the sleeping woman and the child who instinctually knew of the town's corruption cried to no end which awoke the sleeping mother and Jonathan had finally made it to them.
"Ride Ahearn and get your family out of here!!." Hearne had almost practically into Jonathan's ear as he shoved Erina and his newborn child into Jonathan's arms, his usually stoic mask beginning to crack, he had never felt such an overwhelming, fear in his life and he would likely never reach such a sense of terror again.
"What do you plan to do, Hearne?" Jonathan said as he held his family close when the earth had started shaking, The ancient monsters and demons beneath the earth were getting ever closer and Jonathan was not helping by being present.
"Get Your Family Out Of Here Now JoJo!!!" Hearne said as his mostly stoic mask devolved into utter panic, leaving Hearne to his mad panic Jojo soon found the dark stallion and rode away as fast as he could, his overwhelming fear had aided him in this endeavor.
"What should I do?, What should I do?, What should I do?" Hearne mumbled as the menacing demons advanced toward him. Paralyzed by fear, he only managed to move when Órlaith pecked at him so much that it drew blood, jolting him out of his paralysis. Using his divine power, he dashed away in a blur of green, never once daring to glance back at the demonic horde.