Director Edward

Chapter 236: I Reject My Humanity, JOJO!

After showcasing the movie to the border soldiers and arranging with Captain Brando to send someone to the camp to install a movie projector, Durin smoothly advanced his plans to recruit actors.

Thanks to the overwhelming impact of the movie, many soldiers, intrigued by the art of performance, eagerly volunteered to audition for Durin.

Wasting no time, Durin began auditions for his next project, JoJo's Bizarre Adventure, the very next day.

Spending the entire morning, Durin found several talented individuals among the soldiers.

Though they had no prior acting experience as Southern soldiers, Durin believed that with the assistance of suggestion magic, they would quickly adapt and bring their characters to life flawlessly.

Of course, despite auditioning for numerous roles, Durin held off on casting the key protagonist and antagonist. The reason was simple: he already had specific candidates in mind.

...

"What? You want me to audition?"

Captain Brando, who had merely come to observe the auditions out of curiosity, was startled when Durin suddenly addressed him.

And it wasn't just Brando. Durin also turned to Warrant Officer Josen, requesting him to audition as well.

"Acting, huh?"

Josen appeared much calmer, revealing his underlying interest in the idea of performing.

Brando, on the other hand, was visibly reluctant. But Durin had anticipated this and enlisted Daphne, Brando's sister, to persuade him in advance.

Under his sister's pleading, Brando hesitated for a moment before reluctantly agreeing to audition.

"Fine. But if I'm not suited for the role, don't pick me. I have absolutely no interest in acting."

Hearing this, Durin didn't respond verbally. Instead, he gave a faint smile, one whose meaning was crystal clear.

Before long, the auditions for the two began in earnest.

"Let's start with Warrant Officer Josen. Warrant Officer, can you tell me about your background?" Durin asked, leaning forward with interest.

Surprised by Durin's sudden question, Warrant Officer Josen hesitated briefly before answering:

"My background? I come from an ordinary merchant family here in the Southern Region. My family has long done business with various nobles. However, I've never been fond of extensive social interactions, so when I came of age, I decisively chose to enlist in the military."

"I see. That explains the refined and gentlemanly aura you give off," Durin remarked with a smile.

"Haha, you flatter me, Director Durin."

Durin smiled in return and handed Josen a prepared script.

"The role you're auditioning for is the protagonist of this movie, Jonathan Joestar, also known as JOJO. He's a nobleman with pride, a straightforward and gentlemanly personality. Early in the film, his uprightness makes him a target for bullying by the antagonist, Dio Brando. But over time, he grows stronger and matures. For this audition, I'd like you to portray Jonathan during two distinct phases of his personality."

"Two phases of his personality?"

Josen glanced at the script, then nodded slowly after a moment of contemplation.

Once ready, Josen began his performance, acting out the script's scenes.

After just a few segments, Durin nodded approvingly with a smile. "Excellent, I think that's good enough."

"Good enough already?"

Josen was a bit surprised that he had passed the audition so easily.

Captain Brando, seeing how effortlessly Josen had secured the role, couldn't help but feel a little uncomfortable.

After all, Josen was technically his subordinate, and Brando's pride made him unwilling to be overshadowed.

Without hesitation, Brando stepped forward and said, "Director Durin, what role do you want me to audition for?"

"Of course," Durin replied with a grin, handing him a script. "Here's your part."

Hearing Durin's words, Captain Brando quickly grabbed the script, but after glancing at it for a few moments, he froze in place, stunned.

"What role is this script for?"

"The main antagonist of the movie, Dio Brando."

"The antagonist?"

"Yes."

"You want me to play him?"

"Exactly."

"Damn it!!!"

Faced with the uncharacteristic outburst from the border captain and Duke's son, Durin swiftly dodged his initial wave of frustration and exclaimed loudly:

"Relax! Even though it's a villain role, it's arguably the most pivotal and iconic character in the movie. Trust me, if you can capture Dio's essence, you're guaranteed to win countless fans!"

"Is that... really true?"

"Of course! Believe me, as someone who's directed so many hit movies, would I ever lie to you?"

"Well... fine, I'll give it a try…"

Seeing Captain Brando's hesitant but convinced demeanor, Durin couldn't help but feel proud of his growing persuasive skills as he eagerly waited for Brando to bring the script to life.

Under the expectant gazes of everyone, Captain Brando finally composed himself. With exaggerated gestures and a commanding voice, he delivered the lines:

"JOJO, human capabilities are inherently limited."

"In this fleeting life, I've learned one thing."

"The more cunning and calculated a person is, the more likely they are to fall into unforeseen traps and lose everything—unless they transcend humanity itself…"

"I REJECT MY HUMANITY, JOJO!"

In that instant, accompanied by a series of dramatic expressions and flamboyant gestures, Captain Brando delivered a near-perfect performance, leaving everyone in awe of his unexpectedly powerful acting skills.

However, it was precisely because of the sheer perfection of Brando's performance that the onlookers couldn't help but let their smiles creep up.

"Hey, hey, hey! You're laughing, aren't you? You're laughing at me, right!?"

Seeing Brando's flushed face as he accused them, Durin immediately turned his head, doing his best to suppress his amusement.

Warrant Officer Josen, as a subordinate, tried to remain respectful to his superior, but even he couldn't stop the corners of his mouth from twitching upward.

Daphne, on the other hand, had already lost control. Clutching her stomach, she burst out, "I... I never thought my dear brother could pull off those kinds of moves! It's so bizarre, but somehow, it feels just right for the role…"

"..."

Hearing his sister's "compliment," Brando's expression grew even more colorful.

Thankfully, they were in an enclosed camp.

If he had performed like this in front of all the soldiers, he might have wished for the ground to swallow him whole.

Still, despite the overwhelming sense of embarrassment after the fact, Captain Brando had to admit that during the performance, he hadn't felt out of place at all.

Instead, he'd found himself completely immersed in the role, as if he was Dio Brando.

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